Stream of half-consciousness.

Wow. What a whirlwind of a week. And I'm not just talking about this guy...

A deluge of musical discoveries have made their way to my headphones these past few days. Some completely foreign until now, others merely overlooked, but all stop you in your tracks and plead for you to give them your rapt attention.

What would I do without Bob Boilen and the All Songs Considered Podcast? If you don't subscribe, I highly recommend pausing your reading and subscribing right now. Through the podcast, I've come to love two new bands---Frightened Rabbit and Wild Beasts. Frightened Rabbit reminds me of a Scottish Mountain Goats, easily accessible pop-rock, but still quirky and unique. "The Twist," off their latest album, The Midnight Organ Fight, is one of my favorite songs at the moment. Wild Beasts, Rabbit's British neighbors (/predators) might be a little more of an acquired taste. Think Of Montreal + insane falsetto - lipstick + clothing. The hilariously alliterative "Brave Bulging Buoyant Clairvoyant" has been waking me up for the past few mornings.

Rachael Yamagata's latest two-part venture, Elephants...Teeth Sinking Into Heart, is a bold yet brilliant departure from her Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants-friendly debut, Happenstance. My personal favorite---"Duet," an arrestingly beautiful duet with Ray LaMontagne. The first time I heard it (and, to be honest, every time after that) I wanted to weep. It's that gorgeous, I promise.

I've been a fan of Bon Iver's For Emma, Forever Ago since it came out earlier this year, but I hate to admit that its extremely low-key sound led me to designate it into background music. Last Monday, however, I had a conversation with someone about Justin Vernon and his work with Land of Talk. This led me to dust off For Emma and give it another listen. And boy, am I ashamed to have not listened to this release more closely. It is a subtle album, but its beauty lies within this characteristic. "Skinny Love," the standout track, is packed with enough longing and heartache to give you chills.

Broken Social Scene is covering Joy Division for the movie version of The Time Traveler's Wife. Not only do they get to perform "Love Will Tear Us Apart", but they're actually getting screen time too! I'm stoked, but the thought of Kevin Drew, the Hulk, and Regina George all being in the same room together is kind of weird...

This post is starting to run rather long so I'll cut it off here. More musical discoveries soon!

P.S. Chris freaking Thile is coming with The Punch Brothers to the Variety Playhouse in Atlanta in 2009 (does happy dance)! Dear Lord, I don't know if I will be able to contain myself if it's in a venue that small...

P.P.S. Are we having Mog Secret Santa this year? I rather enjoyed last year's.