New Pornographers

Vancouver-based New Pornographers were/are a collective of great musicians who put out some great recordings throughout the past half decade or so, including my favorite, "Twin Cinema," from 2005. Often called a "supergroup," because so many members have side or primary projects, none of them were really well known outside Canada before this group came along.

As with most everything involving New Pornographers, the name is an ironic play, this particular one on Jimmy Swaggart's frequent sermons condemning the music business, calling it the "new pornography." For another delicious layer of irony, Jerry Lee Lewis is Swaggart's first cousin.

While Neko Case's lovely voice is one of the most distinctive in the business, Carl Newman's songwriting is peerless, except for perhaps that of bandmate Daniel Bejar, whose band Destroyer has come out with some lovely records, including my favorite song of the year past, "Rubies."

Here's "Sing Me Spanish Techno" humbly submitted for your listening pleasure: