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The cold weather has descended upon Tampa, dipping below freezing and killing the top quarter of my beautiful-gold-whatsit plants*. I’m countering Mother Nature’s devious meteorological move with my usual trustworthy defense: excellent music! You may chill my bones, cold weather front, but the music warms me back to life. Well, technically it makes me dance, which then warms me back up. Close enough, in my book.

* Not their scientific name

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Photo by Giulia Mazza

Here’s a track by A Classic Education, which is an appropriate band name as this song is a learned throwback to the glory days of 120 Minutes. While I’m not a betting man, I’d wager there’s at least one Smiths shirt in their collective closet. While such speculation, if true, is to their credit, this track is great fun by itself alone. The songwriting and instrumentation is crisp and bonus points are to be rewarded for the best drums this side of New Order.

MP3: A Classic Education – What My Life Could Have Been
[Off What My Life Could Have Been single, out now. Download it free.]

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There’s something about lame drivers that intrigues me, despite them not being a band I’d normally go for. They’re like a 70′s rock band of accomplished musicians run through a Detroit garage and put on a Sonic Youth tour. In addition to all that, there’s something mixed in that’s unconventional but enticing. I can’t put my finger on it, which makes me love it even more.

MP3: lame drivers – Superfish
[Off Launchpad 2 DemoVerse, Side A, out now. Download it free.]

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Photo by Will Austin

I’m going to close this post out with a Barton Carroll track. This one is a simple little acoustic folk number with some great lyrics, especially the line “I’m sick of the fear and it ends right here.” Words to live by.

MP3: Barton Carroll – The Poor Boy Can’t Dance
[Off Together You and I, out January 19th]