The past week has been an emotional roller coaster for me with my Mom undergoing some pretty serious surgery.  Lots of road miles, lots of listening to the ole iPod in the car…Here are some of the tunes that have been keeping me company.

1.  No Parachute – The Soldier Thread (click to hear a preview in iTunes)
It’s hard for me to pick just one song off of The Soldier Thread’s new EP to put on the Sunday Funday list because I really have been listening to it non-stop since it was released two weeks ago. This is the first track on the little 5-song, and I completely LOVE it.  Unfortunately, it’s not on SoundCloud, so you’ll have to live with the little iTunes preview.

2. Somebody That I Used to Know – Gotye

I don’t often listen to the radio, but this week, on short jaunts to and from the office I’ve caught this tune on 106.5 The End a few times, and I completely dig it.  The dude’s voice reminds me a lot of Sting, which probably has a lot to do with it.

3.  Mercy – Counting Crows (Tender Mercies Cover)
There are a handful of musicians/bands that I live for…Counting Crows is one of them.  So when they announced this week that they’re officially releasing a new album (of covers) in April, I got pretty excited.  The first single, “Mercy,” just makes me so happy.  Another one that’s not on SoundCloud…but this one you can pick up for free (at least right now) over at the Counting Crows site.

4.  The Wandering (Acoustic) – Ryan Bingham (click to hear a preview in iTunes)
This one is only appropriate on an awards night.  Despite winning an Oscar for “The Weary Kind,” not enough people know this gorgeous man’s music.  Oh how I love scruffy men with raspy voices.  Ryan’s live performance this year at Amos’ (see Best of 2011 list) has made me a fan for life, so when he announced this week that an acoustic version of “The Wandering” off his album Junky Star, I immediately went and downloaded it.  His voice is just insane.

5.  Lost & Found – Eve 6 (click to hear a preview on iTunes)
I didn’t even know that 90s “heart-in-a-blender” rockers Eve6 had new music out until iTunes alerted me this week and you can bet your happy ass I went and downloaded their new song IMMEDIATELY.  Sometimes, a girl just needs a fun rock n’ roll song to boost her spirits. And this does the trick.  Love, love, love these guys.