j's indie/rock mayhem - 23rd february 2005

[a wonderful, if tad-bit under the weather, show tonight. lots of great new music that came out this week along with some recent releases and old favorites, including one i, unfortunately, have to cop to just recently getting into. we'll deal with that in time. onward.]

Theme Song - Peaches - "Rock Show"
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the Finks - "Wake Up" [to make up for being unable to find their new album to play last week, i led off with this, my favorite song from their latest, more songs about robots and black things. north carolina rocks something fierce.]
RJD2 - "The Horror" [i'm not always a big fan of dj records, but both of RJD2's albums are stunning examples of what great art can be created. this is from his debut, deadringer.]
the Clash - "Brand New Cadillac" [classic clash from london calling. after the cathartic launch of "london calling," this has always been such a great continuation of the album's energy.]
Graham Coxon - "Girl Done Gone" [more lovely pop/rock majesty from the ex-blur guitarist's latest, happiness in magazines. this is a very bluesy influenced song and it suits him well, interestingly enough.]
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Beck - "E-Pro" [the new beck single still rocks like nobody's business. his forthcoming album guero is going to be hot, hot, hot. this is one of the most purely rocking songs he's done in some time.]
the Velvet Crush - "My Blank Pages" [great power-pop from their second album, teenage symphonies to god. a masterpiece of pop music, to be sure.]
the Roots - "Rock You" [the pounding, heavy opening song from 2002's masterpiece, phrenology. the roots never sounded more focused and evolved than on this album.]
the Avett Brothers - "I Killed Sally's Lover" (live) [more great live music from north carolina's own, the avett brothers. this new live volume 2 is a must have for fans of their spectacular live show.]
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Josh Rouse - "It's the Nighttime" [one of the more amusing things about music journalism (including my own) is the diversity of opinions. music is such an inexact/subjective science. hence, take a look at these two reviews of josh rouse's new album nashville. this first one is from pitchforkmedia.com and this second one is from allmusic.com. i tend to side more with the second, as i'm a long-time fan of josh rouse. and the soaring harmonies at the end of this song made me cry out in happiness. no joke. great stuff.]
the Replacements - "Hold My Life" [by request. from their 1985 album tim. as i said last night, anytime anyone requests the replacements, they will be played. period.]
the Dream Syndicate - "That's What You Always Say" [paisley underground rock from the early 80s. not as psychadelic as the other paisley stuff, but closer to the velvet underground if they were an 80s garage indie band and therefore amazing. from their debut, the days of wine and roses.]
Public Enemy - "Don't Believe the Hype" [a good motto for cynical, critical times. from their masterpiece, groundbreaking, incomparable it takes a nation of millions to hold us back.]
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Nicolai Dunger - "Something in the Way" [you've heard quite a bit of both of nicolai's past two albums on the show. this is the first american issue of his third album (his last two were his 4th and 5th) and it features fellow swedes the soundtrack of our lives as his backing band. needless to say it's quite amazing. dunger is a songsmith worth crowing about everywhere. from his newest american release, this cloud is learning.]
Kathleen Edwards - "What Are You Waiting For" [this is an amazing song and of course it's the one track on the album that has a curse word, making it impossible for djs who don't know her work to play it. but i know it. so i play it. from her forthcoming (released next tuesday, march 1st!) album back to me.]
Jurassic 5 - "A Day at the Races" [one of my absolute favorites from power in numbers. featuring the supreme talent of big daddy kane and percy p.]
Gary Numan - "Me! I Disconnect From You" [from his lovely album replicas. i adore gary numan's early work up through telekon.]
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Archer Prewitt - "O, KY" [and that's prounounced "oh, kentucky." archer is part of the wonderful band sea and cake and when apart from their amazing work, this is one of his many solo records, wilderness, which is fantastic. baroque/orchestrated/folkish rock. lovely.]
Mercury Rev - "Blue and Black" [by request. this is from one of their most famous early records, yrself is steam. quite an intriguing listen and really, really out there. the deep vocals kind of throw me off, making me think type o negative. but the music is just orchestrated mist.]
the Louvin Brothers - "The Christian Life" [the first time I heard this song was the byrds' version of it on sweetheart of the rodeo. this is from their album satan is real, a truly remarkable piece of early gospel country.]
Iron and Wine - "Freedom Hangs Like Heaven" [the new woman king EP is amazing. this is one of iron and wine's best works. the soft, brush of sam beam's songwriting has opened up to a world of revival-esque stomp rhythms and electricity! wow this is amazing.]
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M. Ward - "Hi-Fi" [huzzah. m. ward's return after the remarkable transfiguration of vincent. this newest, transistor radio, is equal parts old, old folk (think early hank williams, or alan lomax's field recordings) mixed with melancholic, ethereal pop music. it falls somewhere in between in a haze of purposefully ancient sounding recordings.]
Ben Lee - "Catch My Disease" [one of the more upbeat songs from his new album awake is the new sleep which is, honestly, quite good.]
Travis - "Driftwood" [from their stellar and nearly flawless second album the man who.]
Jane's Addiction - "Three Days" [and here we arrive at the ashamed part where i talk about not having given jane's addiction a chance. this song is the epic, nearly-eleven-minute long piece that opens the second side of ritual de lo habitual. having only ever really heard "been caught stealing" and "jane's says" before, i was a bit befuddled as to why they were always lauded so. after finally giving this album a listen, and chiefly because of this song, i understand.]
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the Church - "Spark" [lovely australian, shimmering guitar pop from the late 80s. from their wonderful album starfish.]

That's it for this week. Some reviews will hopefully be up by the end of the weekend. Yes, I'm a slacker. Please forgive me. Until then.