I really ought to have posted about today's band a few months ago, when it was still a dance between the hot end-of-summer days and the cool autumn evenings. As it stands, the chill of late November and the dirty remnants of the year's first snow hardly seem a fair accompaniment to one of the freshest records of the year.

One of my favorite (re)discoveries of last year was David Ford, who I had enjoyed as the lead man from Easyworld a few years back and who re-emerged from the woodwork with a very fine folk-driven record (including the absolutely fantastic "State of the Union" - which was my #3 song from last year).

I usually cringe a little bit when people talk about 60s-inspired pop. Even though I love a lot of the music that actually created that genre, I find I have very little patience for the throwbacks. So I was a bit skeptical of The 1900s until I heard "When I Say Go" and all my doubts drifted away. I'm a complete sucker for this sort of rolling piano/bass beat and the way the chorus rises up and the piano follows along just blows me away.

I've posted about The Sinister Turns a few times before, but it never hurts to mention one of my favorite under-appreciated bands a little bit more. I managed to catch them last month at a little show in Somerville that was a lot of fun - they have some new songs that maintain the feel of their other stuff but take things in some slightly odd, extremely interesting directions.

Jarhand - Immaculate Machine
Dear Confessor - Immaculate Machine

I wrote yesterday about the new record from the New Pornographers, commenting that "if it was some band I had never heard of, I would probably praise it as a fine new entry in the genre of 'New Pornographers-esque' indie rock."

Some exciting news about one of my favorite bands of the past few years: Antarctica Takes It!. Via Pitchfork, we hear that they have found a label and will be giving an official release to The Penguin League, which was my second favorite album of 2006 (and which contained my favorite song of 2006).

Palomar are not interested in genre-bending. Indeed, their focus is exactly the opposite – an attempt to dig deeply into basic themes and reveal them in all their glory. It's surprisingly refreshing, actually.

I've got no time for the next few days to post, so I thought it would be a good idea to kick in the way-back machine and (re)mention an old favorite that most of you have probably never heard. The band is Super Deluxe, they were briefly big in the Northwest in the mid-90s, and for the brief period they were around they were possibly my favorite band on the planet.

I rant and rave about how much I love all the fantastic indie-pop music coming out of Sweden, but set all that aside. Yes Sambassadeur are from Sweden, yes they're on Labrador, and yes they make pop songs so sweet you could get a mouth full of cavities just listening to them (remember Kate? God I love that song).

Yesterday I mentioned Labrador - without a doubt one of my favorite record labels in the world. Today, I want to hype up another Labrador band, probably my favorite in fact: Club 8. I raved about "Whatever You Want," the opening single from their new record back in May.

One album that came close to making my 2007 list but didn't quite have the oomph is Riot! - the sophomore record from pop-punkers Paramore.

Today I wanted to bring up yet another band with a solid 2007 release who play some solid punk-infused pop with just enough of a hardcore edge to keep you on your toes. The band is called The Flatliners and the record is called The Great Awake. It's about what you'd expect from a solid Fat Wreck Chords release - it may not set the world on fire, but it will give you some catchy punk tunes.

Today's post is the 400th here at Heartache With Hard Work. I never would have guessed when I started all this two years ago that I would still be going strong now. But it's been a lot of fun, and it's really gratifying that so many people have stopped by to read what I've got to say.

New Paltz Waltz - Owen Roberts

Easily one of the best songs I've heard this year. Totally lacking in pretension, rich with an unhurried love. You can almost feel the gentle clasp of a hand, the way the hair sits on her shoulder. And you look in her eyes and see fifty years into your future, to a quiet room filled with pictures of grandchildren and two old friends holding hands and watching the sunrise.

I'd like to continue a trend I started last month of posting on great songs that are so good that they overwhelm my ingrained concern about over-produced pop-punk. Today's band is called The Starting Line.

Island

This song is serious Warped Tour fare, but in the very best way. Infectious, a bit of bombast, and a guitar line that would make the toughest Jimmy Eat World fan (yeah, yeah, a contradiction in terms...) swoon.

It's the sort of song to make you wonder whether all those other stuff they did before might not have had a little more substance than you ever thought. I mean, if they can write a song like this, surely there must have been something more significant going on with their earlier emo-to-a-fault tracks, right?

Continuing on the theme of music from 2007 that rocked, but which I never found the time or space to write about: today's entry is Holy Roman Empire, who bear a striking resemblance to Paramore, who I talked about last week. These folks focus a little bit more on the punk and a little less on the pop, but it's based on the same general premise that there are few things more enticing than female vocals on top of crunchy guitars playing catchy melodies.

I'm not entirely sure why, but the new record from the unheralded king of folk-rock Josh Ritter is vaguely disappointing. The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter is by no means a bad album - it's probably one of the 15 or 20 best records of the whole year - it's just that for the most part it inspires respect more than love. I appreciate the artistry, the tone, and the lyrical allusions but they rarely burrow deep.

The Shout Out Louds are yet another band from the land of lutefisk, the welfare state, and Abba. But while most of the Swedish bands I talk about are focused primarily on bright and sunny pop music, these folks clearly are a lot more interested in Robert Smith than anything else. It's all here: the rat-a-tat drums, the sulky yet inspired vocals, and a whole host of guitar lines straight out of Disintegration.

I Could Be There For You - Eisley

A demonstration that even on a record with high production levels and a bit of a pop sheen there’s still plenty of room for a talented band to surprise you. It's shadowy, vaguely ominous - a reminder that light may shimmer on the surface of a lake, but underneath the water is a long, deep darkness.

But for all that, the chorus is absolutely gorgeous, and they hit their perfect pitch with a bridge that bursts and swirls like fireworks in a still night sky. Now, I’m not trying to say Eisley is quite at their level, but this song, at least, would feel right at home on your Delgados record of choice.

(h/t Neatorama)

I almost think I have to subscribe to this, just to have as a conversation piece laying around the house.

SOS - Abba

Overseas - Sonic Flyer

Oasis meets shoegaze and nine months later, out comes Sonic Flyer. This song features an absolutely killer intro - there are few moments in all of music finer than at 35 seconds when the vocals first come in - and while it drags on a bit at almost 8 minutes, this is a solid endeavor.

There's plenty more great songs to hear at their myspace, where you can get info about their Sun in My Pocket EP

Is that not the scariest thing you've ever seen in your life? I've never been a huge fan of mascots, but I've also never feared that one was going to eat my soul...until now. (h/t Who Ate All the Pies)

Evil - Interpol
Lions and Tigers - Asobi Seksu

Okay, it's been all long posts for a while here. Time to switch things up with a few days of quick hits.

Umbrella Folds - The Ruling Class

I picked up this one from a post at Hits In The Car a few days ago. And I have to completely agree with his assessment of it as sounding like a long-lost Stone Roses track. And hey, there's nothing wrong with wearing your influences so clearly on your sleeve when they're this good, right? It's just heavenly.

Check out The Ruling Class at Shelflife Records.

(from I Can Has Cheezburger)

The hit counter passed 200,000 today, which when I think about it is really pretty amazing. So I just wanted to say thank you to everyone for stopping by to read what I have to say. And even thanks to the bunches of you that just came to grab an MP3 with no care for what commentary might be attached. Hopefully at least a few of you stuck around for a minute or two, saw something else you liked, and maybe even became a regular.

It really means a lot to me.

So, while I'm in a good mood, how about some covers? Everybody loves a good cover, right?

Anime Eyes - The Awkward Stage

There is something unsettling, yet strangely appealing about anime eyes, isn't there? The Awkward Stage sure agree, and provide all the trumpets, bells, whistles, and verse-chorus-verse magic to prove it.

Their sophomore record is out next week. It's called Slimming Mirrors, Flattering Lights, and it's got a little smattering of pretty much any sound you might like. A little bit of punk, glittery pop, a singer-songwriter attitude, and a country groove. This is the kind of pop that doesn't leave you feeling guilty.

Another one of those teaser posts, but I just can't resist. The new record from Mates of State is due out on May 20, and surely will deserve a lengthy review then. But for now, here's the lead track.

Get Better - Mates of State

I often end up disappointed at follow up records - a band will have my album of the year with one release, but the next won't strike me nearly as perfectly. It's perfectly understandable - tastes are extremely fickle and it's a very rare band who can routinely catch lightning in a bottle.

I've never been a huge fan of The Notwist, but I've certainly enjoyed some of their stuff. So the prospect of something new from them certainly piqued my interest.

Good Lies - The Notwist

And I have to say, it doesn't disappoint. At the risk of coming off like a complete Philistine, let me just say that this track is a decent representation of what I'm always hoping for every time I put on a new Radiohead record. It's got the same sleek, electronic, guitar-driven feel - like an endlessly flickering electrical circuit on the fritz - and the same mixture of despondency and starry-eyed wonder in the vocals. Except that the difference is...well...I actually enjoy listening to this song.

I enjoy melodies, what can I tell you?

White China - Fever Marlene

More quick hits. This time it's a very quick little track, less than two minutes, beautiful and sparse. It's got a wispy, sentimental feel - like a quiet summer evening spent on a porch, reminiscing about past loves.

Fever Marlene are also great because, as far as I can tell, they have all their music available for free online. Check out the rest of the album here.