Of all the things I get emails about, lately this song by the Shins has been the most requested. Seems a lot of people are curious to hear what the new Shins album is going to sound like.

MP3: The Shins - New Song (1/7/06)
I’ll admit that I was a bit underwhelmed by this song when I first heard it–I’m chalking that up to high expectations. But after giving it a couple months, I can safely say that I’m really enjoying it. The acoustic and electric interplay is a great intro, and the melody’s as energetic and catchy as you’d expect from a Shins song.

BONUS MP3: James Mercer - Won One Too Many Fights (10/10/04)
With a few exceptions, this song doesn’t impress me that much. It’s got the potential to be elevated a bit by the studio version, but probably not enough. I do have to say that I enjoy the guitar post-chorus work at the 1:42 mark, though.

Please excuse any downtime or server troubles. Apparently I did something wrong, and my host is trying their best to be lenient with me. Sorry for the inconvenience.