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On The List: Arthur & Yu

Arthur & Yu's Grant Olsen and Sonya Westcott have created a wonderful world of fairytales and fantasies on their debut album, In Camera. Melding the work of Lee Hazlewood and the Velvet Underground, the Seattle duo feels nostalgic while still sounding fresh.

10 Sunday Songs

A few people have called our record "Sunday music," which I usually take as a compliment although Sunday is the guiltiest and laziest day of the week. Since it's Sunday in Seattle, I thought I'd just put in some songs I have around the living room and see what happens with this list. Since I might go forever, I decided to keep it to 10 songs with the rule that each track I picked from a record had to correspond with the order of the list. Here goes:

- Grant Olsen

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Tracks

1. Lucio Battisti - Dio Mio No

I really I hope the neighbors like this. It's been playing for months. And this song has quickly become one of my favorite track # 1's of all time. But you can't really talk about this record without mentioning the cover. My Sunday is quite right at this moment, but that one looks pretty good too.

I don't speak Italian, but I've read that this song is about the freakout anticipation of some lady friend coming over. He waits and waits (the song is almost 8 minutes long) and when she arrives, she's dressed in pajamas. No translation needed.

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2. Papercuts - John Brown

Really good Sunday record. We saw these guys play with Grizzly Bear recently, who probably would be on this list as well, but I can't keep their album around the house. I think I'll be on my third copy soon, and I’m lending it out no more!

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3. Jefferson Airplane - My Best Friend

The only Skip Spence penned song on the album and easily the best.

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4. Various Artists - You Don't Have To Be A Baby To Cry - The Caravelles

People always ask me who this is when I put it on in the living room. The production on this song is the key.

Here's the word on them from the liner notes: "Co-workers in a London brokerage house, turned professional singers after a crowd-pleasing performance at an office party."

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5. Tiny Vipers - Shipwreck

One of the great (of many) benefits from working with Hardly Art is that you can pillage the Sub Pop employees' desktops when they're not around (they're in the same building). I stole this record off a desk a long time ago and I think I know it all by heart at this point. Soon you will too. I guess it's not out yet.

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6. Clinic - C.Q.

Needed to pick it up a bit. And you can't go wrong with anything on this record. One of my all time favorites.

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7. Rick Nelson - Lonesome Town

Needed to bring it down a bit. And this brings it way down.

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8. Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan - Yellow Bellied Sapsucker

I used to have this theory that track 8 was always the best on a good record (even though I'm not so sure about our track 8...maybe that proves the theory). I just got this record because our guitar player recommended it and I haven't listened to it yet. It's probably good to have a duet on here anyway. I'm going to test the theory out...

Alright. Well, not so sure, but I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. He recommended "The Night We Heard the Voice," which has some ghost sounds and would've been a cooler pick had it been the right track number. Lo siento.

9. Them - It's All Over Now Baby Blue

This is the sample Beck used in that song "Jackass," I believe. I've always liked the Them stuff better than the Astral Weeks stuff and it once made a person really mad when I told them that. And I think he was actually really angry, which I thought was funny. And that made him more angry.

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10. Electrelane - Cut And Run

I think this band sounds good every day of the week. They are one of my all time favorites. Ever. One of those bands you go to see and you don't play guitar for a few days after. You wonder if you should just give it up

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11. Kaleidoscope - The Sky Children

I was only going to do ten, but this is such a great track #11 and I like turning people on to this record if they haven't heard it. I'm not a huckster for much, but I should mention that I got this one and the first album on the list per suggestion from Wall of Sound in Seattle. It's a dangerous place to wander into when rent is due. Really nice cats (I don't personally know any of them) and they'll send you in the right direction. Good place to go on a Sunday. Maybe I'll go their now. Think so.

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10 Sunday Songs

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