Podcast Ep 47 Shownotes: My Cat Is Howling; For What I Don't Know
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Theme Music! Girl In A Coma, "Clumsy Sky"
Website
Myspace
Locust Avenue, "Curtains"
Website
Myspace
Ida, "Road To Ruin"
Website
Myspace
The Weird Weeds, "Red"
Website
Myspace
Antietam, "Time Creeps"
Website
Myspace
Sera Cahoone, "Only As The Day Is Long"
Website
Myspace
Nicole Atkins, "Carouselle"
Website
Myspace
The Boy Bathing, "The Beaches Meet The Sea"
Website
Myspace
Computerization, "1.14me"
Website
Myspace
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Sunday, June 08, 2008
Songs That Might Otherwise Pass You By
Jaymay, "Gray or Blue"
This is one of the prettiest sort of-maybe requited love songs I've heard. The xylophone accompaniment to the xylophone lyric is a nice touch and I love the change in the end (the "crazy eyes have u" part). It's wistful, but not wimpy. The emotions are strong: she's lamenting a would-be lover, making her case to him, though he may not even notice through his hooded eyes. She's waiting for him* to make the move, but she warns "I think its very dangerous if we do not take what's ours". She's anxious ("last night I watched you sing because a person has to try"), yet hesitant to destroy whatever they have ("are you too nervous to be lovers--friendships ruined with just one kiss"). There's no clear path for the lyrics, no clear ending to her predicament...much like that type of situation is in life.
*I usually don't assume gender, but she talks about "another boy", so I'm assuming the subject of the song is male.
Website
Myspace
"Gray or Blue" lyrics
Jaymay says "I asked you a question! Gray or Blue? Or red? I like red, too."
In Flight Radio, "Red Flags" (Thanks to Filter Magazine for introducing me to the band)
The reviews I've read of In Flight Radio mostly focus on Piera's soaring vocals; they're right to praise her range and versatility; however, the music and the vocals work together to form an accomplished, solid composition. The guitar soars for most of the song, appropriately matching the building tension of the song, but the guitarist knows when to sparcely dole out the notes, complimenting the singer's voice when the vocals soften. The bass supports the song well and the drums add a layer to the already nuanced song. It's appropriate that the name of their label is "Last Broadcast": I'm really reminded of the full sound of the band Doves. Both bands feature clear, strong vocals and instruments that reach beyond any structure attempting to hold them, breaching the surrounding space.
Website
Myspace
In Flight Radio look down on inferior radio choices.
We Were Promised Jetpacks, "Quiet Little Voices"
I remember the pain of being promised jetpacks, and the promise not being fulfilled. Fifth grade. Our science books had pictures of technology of the future. Of course when I was ten years old, I wondered how the textbook writers were able to get pictures of items from the future, but it didn't occur to me that they just made them up. This was science class, after all. Nothing is made up in science class. So, I waited for the gray, bulky jetpack with the rocket fire coming out the posterior. It never showed up. I lost some of my faith in the world that year, and especially my faith in science text book writers. Oh, I was supposed to get a one-person egg-shaped car, too, but now I realize that wouldn 't be energy efficient (no way to carpool) so my disappointment over that has abated. Also I don't drive so it's moot. I could certainly use a jetpack though.
This all has nothing to do with the song, of course. The name of the band is "We Were Promised Jetpacks" (one of the greatest band names ever), but the name of the song is "Quiet Little Voices". The song isn't quiet; it's actually hits the senses hard. It has the drive and the intensity of The Walkmen and Interpol--loud and intense with guitars that will tear the paint off. Yes, We Were Promised Jetpacks has declared ownership of your eardrums. Hopefully with them in charge we'll finally get our jetpacks.
Myspace
(No website listed)
Anxiously awaiting their jetpacks...they look so listless, so lost without them...
Jaymay, "Gray or Blue"
This is one of the prettiest sort of-maybe requited love songs I've heard. The xylophone accompaniment to the xylophone lyric is a nice touch and I love the change in the end (the "crazy eyes have u" part). It's wistful, but not wimpy. The emotions are strong: she's lamenting a would-be lover, making her case to him, though he may not even notice through his hooded eyes. She's waiting for him* to make the move, but she warns "I think its very dangerous if we do not take what's ours". She's anxious ("last night I watched you sing because a person has to try"), yet hesitant to destroy whatever they have ("are you too nervous to be lovers--friendships ruined with just one kiss"). There's no clear path for the lyrics, no clear ending to her predicament...much like that type of situation is in life.
*I usually don't assume gender, but she talks about "another boy", so I'm assuming the subject of the song is male.
Website
Myspace
"Gray or Blue" lyrics
Jaymay says "I asked you a question! Gray or Blue? Or red? I like red, too."
In Flight Radio, "Red Flags" (Thanks to Filter Magazine for introducing me to the band)
The reviews I've read of In Flight Radio mostly focus on Piera's soaring vocals; they're right to praise her range and versatility; however, the music and the vocals work together to form an accomplished, solid composition. The guitar soars for most of the song, appropriately matching the building tension of the song, but the guitarist knows when to sparcely dole out the notes, complimenting the singer's voice when the vocals soften. The bass supports the song well and the drums add a layer to the already nuanced song. It's appropriate that the name of their label is "Last Broadcast": I'm really reminded of the full sound of the band Doves. Both bands feature clear, strong vocals and instruments that reach beyond any structure attempting to hold them, breaching the surrounding space.
Website
Myspace
In Flight Radio look down on inferior radio choices.
We Were Promised Jetpacks, "Quiet Little Voices"
I remember the pain of being promised jetpacks, and the promise not being fulfilled. Fifth grade. Our science books had pictures of technology of the future. Of course when I was ten years old, I wondered how the textbook writers were able to get pictures of items from the future, but it didn't occur to me that they just made them up. This was science class, after all. Nothing is made up in science class. So, I waited for the gray, bulky jetpack with the rocket fire coming out the posterior. It never showed up. I lost some of my faith in the world that year, and especially my faith in science text book writers. Oh, I was supposed to get a one-person egg-shaped car, too, but now I realize that wouldn 't be energy efficient (no way to carpool) so my disappointment over that has abated. Also I don't drive so it's moot. I could certainly use a jetpack though.
This all has nothing to do with the song, of course. The name of the band is "We Were Promised Jetpacks" (one of the greatest band names ever), but the name of the song is "Quiet Little Voices". The song isn't quiet; it's actually hits the senses hard. It has the drive and the intensity of The Walkmen and Interpol--loud and intense with guitars that will tear the paint off. Yes, We Were Promised Jetpacks has declared ownership of your eardrums. Hopefully with them in charge we'll finally get our jetpacks.
Myspace
(No website listed)
Anxiously awaiting their jetpacks...they look so listless, so lost without them...
Monday, June 02, 2008
Songs That Might Otherwise Pass You By
Chairlift, "Evident Utensil" (Live from The Lounge, Woxy)
Chairlift's Myspace says they're from Brooklyn, but Carolyn, the lead singer, sings with a slight lilt reminiscent of Bjork (but less space odyssey-ish and more space kittenish) and the only partly-realized word formations of the German singer Nico--like she's singing more with her breath than her voice. She utilizes her voice full-force, though, when she's yelping, whooping and trilling. As if acting out the lyrics, her voice "crawls up the walls" and "rolls in the dirt"; her voice rips through the song in fully appropriate rock star fashion. Speaking of rock star fashion, she's wears some awesome rock star glasses. Musically, I love the hushed keyboard and guitar intro--it's the kind of intro that needs to be the first thing the fans hear at a show--you know, that moment when the audience isn't sure if the band is coming on stage yet, and they hear a few familiar notes and the dawning of realization hits them. The song is largely built on new wave keyboards that bring me back to the days of early Depeche Mode (Just Can't Get Enough? Dreaming of Me?) and there's a really cool background vocal--a male voice echoing the lyrics in a very sexy, somber German New Wave sounding way (Rock Me Amadeus). The lesson to be taken away from this, of course, is that I love songs that remind me of early 80's New Wave.
Website
Myspace
How come only one band member gets to wear leopart print pants? More leopard print pants!
Martin Royle & Pash, "If Time Ran Backwards" (Live from The Lounge, Woxy)
Apparently weird things happen when one watches The Sopranos backwards by oneself. Luckily I stopped watching that show years ago, so I never had the experience of "people recomposing" and "actors disremember[ing] their lines of backward verse". I appreciate his observation that "youth is wasted on the young"; in this song, since time is running backwards, youth is not wasted, but is enjoyed by those towards the latter part of their lives, and since time is running backwards, the latter part of a life is towards the beginning. Yeah, I'm confused, too. It's like Mork's son on Mork and Mindy--he was born older and became younger. I just dated myself. I'm not old--according to this song I'm sailing towards my youth.
Martin Royle's Website
Martin Royle's Myspace
Pash's Myspace
Pash's Website
Martin Royle and Pash, courtesy of Woxy
Sigur Ros, "Gobbledigook"
I don't think any song since 1999's "Vindrar Vel Til Laftarasa" can have the same effect on me--I remember I called them "Heaven born" when I first heard that song (I also thought His Name is Alive might actually be from another planet when I first heard them--I have an active imagination). "Gobbledigook" doesn't send me to another plane of existence like that early song did, but this song does keep the unique eclectism of their previous work while expanding to include heavier sounds like thundering, clapping drums, forceful, rushed backing vocals, and a staccato guitar, all culminating in a very chaotic, scattered, hyper-active mash-up of instruments. I never thought I'd say that a Sigur Ros song has a jungle sound, but here it is. It's like the boys went on the commune, and after several hits of something, came out with a new musical direction. It's not an unfavorable change, but it is different from the styles we've previously heard from them.
Website
Myspace
Other Sigur Ros mp3s
The gigantic members of Sigur Ros look at the tiny, tiny island of Iceland. (Or, that may actually be a moss-covered rock, and they may be average-sized).
Chairlift, "Evident Utensil" (Live from The Lounge, Woxy)
Chairlift's Myspace says they're from Brooklyn, but Carolyn, the lead singer, sings with a slight lilt reminiscent of Bjork (but less space odyssey-ish and more space kittenish) and the only partly-realized word formations of the German singer Nico--like she's singing more with her breath than her voice. She utilizes her voice full-force, though, when she's yelping, whooping and trilling. As if acting out the lyrics, her voice "crawls up the walls" and "rolls in the dirt"; her voice rips through the song in fully appropriate rock star fashion. Speaking of rock star fashion, she's wears some awesome rock star glasses. Musically, I love the hushed keyboard and guitar intro--it's the kind of intro that needs to be the first thing the fans hear at a show--you know, that moment when the audience isn't sure if the band is coming on stage yet, and they hear a few familiar notes and the dawning of realization hits them. The song is largely built on new wave keyboards that bring me back to the days of early Depeche Mode (Just Can't Get Enough? Dreaming of Me?) and there's a really cool background vocal--a male voice echoing the lyrics in a very sexy, somber German New Wave sounding way (Rock Me Amadeus). The lesson to be taken away from this, of course, is that I love songs that remind me of early 80's New Wave.
Website
Myspace
How come only one band member gets to wear leopart print pants? More leopard print pants!
Martin Royle & Pash, "If Time Ran Backwards" (Live from The Lounge, Woxy)
Apparently weird things happen when one watches The Sopranos backwards by oneself. Luckily I stopped watching that show years ago, so I never had the experience of "people recomposing" and "actors disremember[ing] their lines of backward verse". I appreciate his observation that "youth is wasted on the young"; in this song, since time is running backwards, youth is not wasted, but is enjoyed by those towards the latter part of their lives, and since time is running backwards, the latter part of a life is towards the beginning. Yeah, I'm confused, too. It's like Mork's son on Mork and Mindy--he was born older and became younger. I just dated myself. I'm not old--according to this song I'm sailing towards my youth.
Martin Royle's Website
Martin Royle's Myspace
Pash's Myspace
Pash's Website
Martin Royle and Pash, courtesy of Woxy
Sigur Ros, "Gobbledigook"
I don't think any song since 1999's "Vindrar Vel Til Laftarasa" can have the same effect on me--I remember I called them "Heaven born" when I first heard that song (I also thought His Name is Alive might actually be from another planet when I first heard them--I have an active imagination). "Gobbledigook" doesn't send me to another plane of existence like that early song did, but this song does keep the unique eclectism of their previous work while expanding to include heavier sounds like thundering, clapping drums, forceful, rushed backing vocals, and a staccato guitar, all culminating in a very chaotic, scattered, hyper-active mash-up of instruments. I never thought I'd say that a Sigur Ros song has a jungle sound, but here it is. It's like the boys went on the commune, and after several hits of something, came out with a new musical direction. It's not an unfavorable change, but it is different from the styles we've previously heard from them.
Website
Myspace
Other Sigur Ros mp3s
The gigantic members of Sigur Ros look at the tiny, tiny island of Iceland. (Or, that may actually be a moss-covered rock, and they may be average-sized).
Sunday, June 01, 2008
PODCAST SHOWNOTES
Announcements:
Oops. I meant to write my blog post today, but then I went to see my mom, and I did her grocery shopping and then I spent way too much time in Target and Wal-Mart looking for closet organizers. In my defense, I had to stay in Target longer than I'd anticipated because of a gigantic hail storm that hit right as I was going in. Then I did my own grocery shopping, and now it's 9:52 P.M., I'm exhausted, I have to go to work tomorrow and I'm half-watching Star Trek: First Contact. Because of all of this (all totally outside of my control--HONEST! Okay, well the hail storm was outside of my control) I'm going to do the blog post tomorrow evening. It'll be a day late. I'm sorry--My planning has been all out of wack this weekend.
**I was supposed to include two songs: Locust Avenue's "Curtain" and The Boy Bathing, "The Beaches Meets the Sea", but in my mass confusion I forgot. I'll include them in the next podcast)**
**Despite the name of this podcast, the audio is not messed up. It just sounded messed up when I played it back before I published it**
Podcast Page
Direct Link
RSS Feed
Theme Music! Girl In A Coma, "Clumsy Sky"
Website
Myspace
Screaming Females, "Fun" (Downloadable from their Myspace)
Website
Noun, "Snakes" (Downloadable from their Myspace)
Same website as Screaming Females
We Were The States, "Up Your Sleeve"
Website
Myspace
Firewater, "Electric City"
Website
Myspace
Clair, "Billy and the Dial Tone"
Myspace
Pre-Order at The Cougar Label Store
(No website listed)
The Acorn, "The Flood Part One"
Website
Myspace
Pirate Prude, "Mister"
Website
Myspace
Phosphorescent, "I Am A Full Grown Man (I Will Lay In The Grass)" (Not a direct link)
Label Site
Myspace
Announcements:
Oops. I meant to write my blog post today, but then I went to see my mom, and I did her grocery shopping and then I spent way too much time in Target and Wal-Mart looking for closet organizers. In my defense, I had to stay in Target longer than I'd anticipated because of a gigantic hail storm that hit right as I was going in. Then I did my own grocery shopping, and now it's 9:52 P.M., I'm exhausted, I have to go to work tomorrow and I'm half-watching Star Trek: First Contact. Because of all of this (all totally outside of my control--HONEST! Okay, well the hail storm was outside of my control) I'm going to do the blog post tomorrow evening. It'll be a day late. I'm sorry--My planning has been all out of wack this weekend.
**I was supposed to include two songs: Locust Avenue's "Curtain" and The Boy Bathing, "The Beaches Meets the Sea", but in my mass confusion I forgot. I'll include them in the next podcast)**
**Despite the name of this podcast, the audio is not messed up. It just sounded messed up when I played it back before I published it**
Podcast Page
Direct Link
RSS Feed
Theme Music! Girl In A Coma, "Clumsy Sky"
Website
Myspace
Screaming Females, "Fun" (Downloadable from their Myspace)
Website
Noun, "Snakes" (Downloadable from their Myspace)
Same website as Screaming Females
We Were The States, "Up Your Sleeve"
Website
Myspace
Firewater, "Electric City"
Website
Myspace
Clair, "Billy and the Dial Tone"
Myspace
Pre-Order at The Cougar Label Store
(No website listed)
The Acorn, "The Flood Part One"
Website
Myspace
Pirate Prude, "Mister"
Website
Myspace
Phosphorescent, "I Am A Full Grown Man (I Will Lay In The Grass)" (Not a direct link)
Label Site
Myspace
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Songs That Might Otherwise Pass You By
Noun, "The Weekend" (downloadable from their Myspace)
This is not the first time I've admitted that I have no frikkin' idea what a song is about. It won't be the last time. So, it's no surprise that I'm admitting: I have no frikkin' idea what this song is about, other than it mentions "Mr. Jones" and "New England", which makes me wonder if it's an ode to the new Indiana Jones movie (hey--some of it did take place in Connecticut). When writing these posts, though, I try to write about my impressions of a song. I never pretend to be particularly insightful or musically aware in any professional capacity. (Really--that's what sets me apart. It's a thing--go with it.) So, my impression of this song was immediate, visceral and overwhelming. I immediately thought it was amazing and wanted to be onstage with the band--I wanted to be part of this song. I want to stage dive into the audience. I want to...(got lost in my own punk rock fantasy world...sorry). The singer's commanding, staccato voice reminds me of early Siouxsie--particularly the way she trills some of the words. The fevered and energized music reminds me of the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs (which in turn reminded me of Siouxsie...you see where it's going). I hear a little Ramones influence, too--particularly in the way the melody forcefully repeats, as if the singer's trying to imprint the song directly into your brain. Even if I don't understand what the lyrics are, I'm gripped by the singer's charismatic voice and the sheer compulsion of the music.
Website
Marissa seems happy to play.
Steve Smith, "That Town" (There's also a song on the album called "This Town", but that's a different song. So, this song "That Town" is different than that song "This Town". Hee hee. I have to get my laughs somehow.)
"That Town" features the polished electronic ambience found in the music of his band, Dirty Vegas, but there's also a rustic pop/folk overlay with the addition of Smith's melodic, unadorned vocals--kind of if Elbow and Dirty Vegas merged. Cool, huh? Yes, cool. The result is a folk song for early mornings outside the club, wiping off running mascara on your hands, looking for a cab, wondering how much money you spent vs. how much money you actually lost (that little purse you bring doesn't have much room). Your heel has broken, the sun's coming up, but you feel strangely fine.
Website
Myspace
Steve Smith does not look happy.
Throw Me The Statue, "Young Sensualists" (Live from Woxy)
This song starts off with a dirge-y electronic keyboard line--this would make the song too stripped down if it remained that way, but within a few seconds the other instruments kick in: a jangly tambourine (the only kind, I guess), a steady drum beat, a sneaky guitar threading in and out and varied keyboard melodies all come together with the singer's wan, weary voice to form a song as assured and complete as those by other, more well-known artists making pop music for self-aware people, such as The Long Winters and The Decemberists. I think that was all one sentence. I'm sorry. I've been sick, and the computer hasn't been working...blogging under duress isn't easy. Throw Me The Statue definitely has a place beside those great modern rock bands, and their inclusion in the roster of the spectacular Secretly Canadian label shows I'm not the only one who thinks so.
Label Site
Myspace
I don't think that's the only instrument played in Throw Me The Statue
Noun, "The Weekend" (downloadable from their Myspace)
This is not the first time I've admitted that I have no frikkin' idea what a song is about. It won't be the last time. So, it's no surprise that I'm admitting: I have no frikkin' idea what this song is about, other than it mentions "Mr. Jones" and "New England", which makes me wonder if it's an ode to the new Indiana Jones movie (hey--some of it did take place in Connecticut). When writing these posts, though, I try to write about my impressions of a song. I never pretend to be particularly insightful or musically aware in any professional capacity. (Really--that's what sets me apart. It's a thing--go with it.) So, my impression of this song was immediate, visceral and overwhelming. I immediately thought it was amazing and wanted to be onstage with the band--I wanted to be part of this song. I want to stage dive into the audience. I want to...(got lost in my own punk rock fantasy world...sorry). The singer's commanding, staccato voice reminds me of early Siouxsie--particularly the way she trills some of the words. The fevered and energized music reminds me of the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs (which in turn reminded me of Siouxsie...you see where it's going). I hear a little Ramones influence, too--particularly in the way the melody forcefully repeats, as if the singer's trying to imprint the song directly into your brain. Even if I don't understand what the lyrics are, I'm gripped by the singer's charismatic voice and the sheer compulsion of the music.
Website
Marissa seems happy to play.
Steve Smith, "That Town" (There's also a song on the album called "This Town", but that's a different song. So, this song "That Town" is different than that song "This Town". Hee hee. I have to get my laughs somehow.)
"That Town" features the polished electronic ambience found in the music of his band, Dirty Vegas, but there's also a rustic pop/folk overlay with the addition of Smith's melodic, unadorned vocals--kind of if Elbow and Dirty Vegas merged. Cool, huh? Yes, cool. The result is a folk song for early mornings outside the club, wiping off running mascara on your hands, looking for a cab, wondering how much money you spent vs. how much money you actually lost (that little purse you bring doesn't have much room). Your heel has broken, the sun's coming up, but you feel strangely fine.
Website
Myspace
Steve Smith does not look happy.
Throw Me The Statue, "Young Sensualists" (Live from Woxy)
This song starts off with a dirge-y electronic keyboard line--this would make the song too stripped down if it remained that way, but within a few seconds the other instruments kick in: a jangly tambourine (the only kind, I guess), a steady drum beat, a sneaky guitar threading in and out and varied keyboard melodies all come together with the singer's wan, weary voice to form a song as assured and complete as those by other, more well-known artists making pop music for self-aware people, such as The Long Winters and The Decemberists. I think that was all one sentence. I'm sorry. I've been sick, and the computer hasn't been working...blogging under duress isn't easy. Throw Me The Statue definitely has a place beside those great modern rock bands, and their inclusion in the roster of the spectacular Secretly Canadian label shows I'm not the only one who thinks so.
Label Site
Myspace
I don't think that's the only instrument played in Throw Me The Statue
PODCAST SHOWNOTES
Special Edition, #2, May 25th, 2008 (trying to get my podcasting software to work)
***The podcast I have planned for next weekend is still going to posted next weekend--this podcast is supplemental. A bonus. Something you didn't expect (except you probably did expect it 'cause I kept saying I was going to do it. Whatever.)
Podcast Page
Direct Link
RSS Feed
The Friendship Trust, "Find Yourself" (downloadable from their Myspace)
(No website listed)
Fiction 20 Down, "Maudlin (Damn Fine Friends)"
Website
Myspace
Reveler Listing
Brett Dennen, "Ain't No Reason"
Website
Myspace
Hopewell, "Monolith"
Website
Myspace
Nathan Moomaw, "March"
Website
Myspace
Special Edition, #2, May 25th, 2008 (trying to get my podcasting software to work)
***The podcast I have planned for next weekend is still going to posted next weekend--this podcast is supplemental. A bonus. Something you didn't expect (except you probably did expect it 'cause I kept saying I was going to do it. Whatever.)
Podcast Page
Direct Link
RSS Feed
The Friendship Trust, "Find Yourself" (downloadable from their Myspace)
(No website listed)
Fiction 20 Down, "Maudlin (Damn Fine Friends)"
Website
Myspace
Reveler Listing
Brett Dennen, "Ain't No Reason"
Website
Myspace
Hopewell, "Monolith"
Website
Myspace
Nathan Moomaw, "March"
Website
Myspace
Friday, May 23, 2008
Update:
Funny thing--it looks like the podcasting software doesn't work. So, I will try to get that fixed and do the podcast sometime this weekend. Of course the whole point of doing this special podcast was to test the podcasting software. Since I can't even open the podcasting software, then I know definitively that the podcasting software does not work.
So, does that mean mission accomplished? Can I take my nap now?
Funny thing--it looks like the podcasting software doesn't work. So, I will try to get that fixed and do the podcast sometime this weekend. Of course the whole point of doing this special podcast was to test the podcasting software. Since I can't even open the podcasting software, then I know definitively that the podcasting software does not work.
So, does that mean mission accomplished? Can I take my nap now?
Special Edition, May 18th, 2008 (Sorry the shownotes are late)
PODCAST SHOWNOTES
Podcast Page
Direct Link
RSS Feed
I originally posted this podcast last week, but then I got a head cold and didn't have the energy to post the shownotes. I still don't really have the energy, but I know I needed to get it done before I forgot. I'm also going to record another special episode later because I need to test the podcasting software to see if it works after we installed it on a different computer. I'll explain that better when I post those shownotes (probably later today).
Jack Penate, "Spit at Stars"
Website
Myspace
Thao Nguyen & the Get Down Stay Down, "Bag of Hammers"
Website
Myspace
Rilo Kiley, "The Execution of All Things"
Website
Myspace
Fourth of July, "Can't Sleep" (Not a direct link)
Myspace
Daytrotter link
Jim Noir, "Key of C"
Website
Myspace
PODCAST SHOWNOTES
Podcast Page
Direct Link
RSS Feed
I originally posted this podcast last week, but then I got a head cold and didn't have the energy to post the shownotes. I still don't really have the energy, but I know I needed to get it done before I forgot. I'm also going to record another special episode later because I need to test the podcasting software to see if it works after we installed it on a different computer. I'll explain that better when I post those shownotes (probably later today).
Jack Penate, "Spit at Stars"
Website
Myspace
Thao Nguyen & the Get Down Stay Down, "Bag of Hammers"
Website
Myspace
Rilo Kiley, "The Execution of All Things"
Website
Myspace
Fourth of July, "Can't Sleep" (Not a direct link)
Myspace
Daytrotter link
Jim Noir, "Key of C"
Website
Myspace
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Songs That Might Otherwise Pass You By
***The shownotes for Podcast #45, the podcast for this weekend, are in the blog post before this one. I may do a special podcast later today, but it all depends on how tired I feel in a little bit.***
Mates of State, "My Only Offer"
While some of their earlier songs (examples: "Fraud In The 80's" and "Thing Long") were considered by some (not me) to be a little too sing-songy and rigid, (I remember one reviewer wrote that their joint, matching vocals were "like children singing") their newest single offers more naturally blended harmonies and softer vocals from Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel. The song is more complex and more subtle, though no more or less enjoyable than their previous works. It's a little different from what they've done in the past, but it's still Mates of State--they continue to infuse their music with an openness, a buoyancy and an unabashed enthusiasm that's catching. Those are qualities I try to channel when I'm not feeling so optimistic, but the difference is that those qualities seem to be natural to them--no channeling or reaching required.
Website
Myspace
Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel of Mates of State. Is Kori Gardner related to Sting's wife Trudie Styler? I'm just asking. Ooh--also Lisa Gerrard from Dead Can Dance!
Bauhaus, "Too Much 21st Century"
Bow to the Bauhuas. Get down on your knees. They are still the DRGs (Dark Rock Gods) they were during my musical infancy--I suspect they always will be. Before Tones on Tail, before Love and Rockets (..ahh..."No New Tale To Tell"), before Peter Murphy's exquisite solo albums, and now, it seems, after. There is still Bauhaus. Excuse me while I pass out--too much Dark Rock Godness for the senses to handle.
From "Go Away White"
(Cooking Vinyl)
Buy at Napster 
More On This Album
Website
Myspace
Bauhaus, 2006. Photo by Anton Corbijn.
Dosh, "If You Want To You Have To"
Dosh has created a composition of eclectic sounds, beginning with several beautifully arranged and stunningly uncluttered piano lines, and merging with a host of other instruments to form a cohesive but disparate whole. Keyboards sneak in just to pop out again within a few seconds. Electric guitar thrashes through with a forceful will, reminding me of the odd mixture His Name is Alive often integrated into their songs: strange, haunting melody trading off with "wall of sound" type guitars. The song is a collage--controlled but chaotic. Non-sensical, yet perfectly self-aligned. If it all didn't sound so good together, you might think this was two (or more) different songs.
From "Wolves and Wishes"
(anticon)
Buy at Rhapsody Stream from Rhapsody More On This Album
Website
Myspace
Dosh believes that "up the nose" is his best angle for photographs
***The shownotes for Podcast #45, the podcast for this weekend, are in the blog post before this one. I may do a special podcast later today, but it all depends on how tired I feel in a little bit.***
Mates of State, "My Only Offer"
While some of their earlier songs (examples: "Fraud In The 80's" and "Thing Long") were considered by some (not me) to be a little too sing-songy and rigid, (I remember one reviewer wrote that their joint, matching vocals were "like children singing") their newest single offers more naturally blended harmonies and softer vocals from Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel. The song is more complex and more subtle, though no more or less enjoyable than their previous works. It's a little different from what they've done in the past, but it's still Mates of State--they continue to infuse their music with an openness, a buoyancy and an unabashed enthusiasm that's catching. Those are qualities I try to channel when I'm not feeling so optimistic, but the difference is that those qualities seem to be natural to them--no channeling or reaching required.
Website
Myspace
Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel of Mates of State. Is Kori Gardner related to Sting's wife Trudie Styler? I'm just asking. Ooh--also Lisa Gerrard from Dead Can Dance!
Bauhaus, "Too Much 21st Century"
Bow to the Bauhuas. Get down on your knees. They are still the DRGs (Dark Rock Gods) they were during my musical infancy--I suspect they always will be. Before Tones on Tail, before Love and Rockets (..ahh..."No New Tale To Tell"), before Peter Murphy's exquisite solo albums, and now, it seems, after. There is still Bauhaus. Excuse me while I pass out--too much Dark Rock Godness for the senses to handle.
From "Go Away White"
(Cooking Vinyl)
Buy at Napster More On This AlbumWebsite
Myspace
Bauhaus, 2006. Photo by Anton Corbijn.
Dosh, "If You Want To You Have To"
Dosh has created a composition of eclectic sounds, beginning with several beautifully arranged and stunningly uncluttered piano lines, and merging with a host of other instruments to form a cohesive but disparate whole. Keyboards sneak in just to pop out again within a few seconds. Electric guitar thrashes through with a forceful will, reminding me of the odd mixture His Name is Alive often integrated into their songs: strange, haunting melody trading off with "wall of sound" type guitars. The song is a collage--controlled but chaotic. Non-sensical, yet perfectly self-aligned. If it all didn't sound so good together, you might think this was two (or more) different songs.
From "Wolves and Wishes"
(anticon)
Buy at Rhapsody Stream from Rhapsody More On This AlbumWebsite
Myspace
Dosh believes that "up the nose" is his best angle for photographs
PODCAST SHOWNOTES, Episode 45, "Claudia Black is Awesome" (Title comes from me being very tired and not being able to think of another title. Claudia Black is awesome, though.)
Podcast page
Direct Link
RSS Feed
Theme Music! Girl In A Coma, "Clumsy Sky"
Website
Myspace
79Cortinaz, "Electric Hym" (The band gave me permission to use the song, but not to post the mp3. I got the song from Amazon, not iTunes like I said in the podcast--that's what I get for doing a podcast when I'm tired!)
Website
Myspace
Frightened Rabbit, "Modern Leper" (not a direct link)
Website
Myspace
Sleepercar, "Stumble In"
Website
Myspace
Wet Sans Brolly, "Gran Torino" (I got permission to use the song, but not to post the mp3)
Website
Myspace
The Ascetic Junkies, "Dracula" (downloadable from their Myspace)
Website (not active yet)
The New Pornographers, "Myriad Law" (link from Matador, their label)
Website
Myspace
Basia Bulat, "Untitled" (not a direct link)
Website
Myspace
Jennifer O'Connor, "Today"
Website
Myspace
Sun City Girls, "Mr. Lonely Viola"
Website
Myspace
Podcast page
Direct Link
RSS Feed
Theme Music! Girl In A Coma, "Clumsy Sky"
Website
Myspace
79Cortinaz, "Electric Hym" (The band gave me permission to use the song, but not to post the mp3. I got the song from Amazon, not iTunes like I said in the podcast--that's what I get for doing a podcast when I'm tired!)
Website
Myspace
Frightened Rabbit, "Modern Leper" (not a direct link)
Website
Myspace
Sleepercar, "Stumble In"
Website
Myspace
Wet Sans Brolly, "Gran Torino" (I got permission to use the song, but not to post the mp3)
Website
Myspace
The Ascetic Junkies, "Dracula" (downloadable from their Myspace)
Website (not active yet)
The New Pornographers, "Myriad Law" (link from Matador, their label)
Website
Myspace
Basia Bulat, "Untitled" (not a direct link)
Website
Myspace
Jennifer O'Connor, "Today"
Website
Myspace
Sun City Girls, "Mr. Lonely Viola"
Website
Myspace
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