j's indie/rock mayhem - 25th may 2005

[a lovely, end-of-school-year show. i was in a great mood for just that reason and i think the (mostly) upbeat tempo of the show reflected that. some great requests and great new music. let's hear it. onward.]

Theme Song - Peaches - "Rock Show"
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Sleater-Kinney - "Jumpers" [from the new album the woods. this album is the real deal. look no further for the next contender for j's indie/rock mayhem album of the year. sleater-kinney has never sounded this forceful, this loud, this...this..stunning.]
Drive-by Truckers - "Daddy's Cup" [por raquel, since she's rather fond of mike cooley's songwriting. this song, from the dirty south, is one of my favorites as well. the song has tension that builds and builds. you keep waiting for it to boil over but it never fully does. and yet, somehow, that leaves you utterly satisfied.]
Pulp - "Disco 2000" [from their 10-years-old-this-fall album different class. so it steals the guitar riff from laura branigan's "gloria" (what is it with that name? branigan, van morrison, patti smith). so what? it's a stomping, hip-shaking song in grand style.]
Spoon - "I Turn My Camera On" [be forewarned: the rest of the new spoon album, gimme fiction, is not like this song. that being said, damn this song is good. sexual, fierce and tightly minimalist. spoon gives me chills.]
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Stephen Malkmus - "Freeze the Saints" [from the excellent new face the truth. i haven't fully absorbed this album yet, but it's the most pavement-esque of his solo records in that it seems to have the pavement spirit about it. not the sound so much, although what is stephen malkmus' music if not pavement-esque?]
Blind Boys of Alabama - "Demons" [featuring gift of gab of blackalicious. i love this song. from their latest, (jesus hits like the) atom bomb.]
Josh Rouse - "It's the Nighttime" [the first time i heard this song, the crescendo in rouse's voice at the end of the song just slayed me. it still does. from the excellent nashville.]
K-Os - "Man I Used to Be" [from joyful rebellion. i'm glad we have this album 'cos k-os is very good. i, particularly, like "b-boy stance" from this album and we'll probably hear that next week.]
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Gang of Four - "What We All Want" (live) [by request. in celebration of the new expanded re-relase of their classic entertainment album.]
David Bowie - "Sound and Vision" [from low. as much as i like bowie, i just recently got around to purchasing this album and it's quite good. it's a bit of an adjustment at first to hear bowie-via-eno, but it's really something.]
the Decemberists - "16 Military Wives" [this song just gets better and better. from the lovely picaresque.]
Nouvelle Vague - "This Is Not a Love Song" [their bossanova rendtion of the P.I.L. classic. from their self-titled album.]
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Ryan Adams - "Magnolia Mountain" [as i said tonight, haters tune out. the new adams double disc, cold roses, is very, very good. this song, the first song on the album, is just perfect. it's adams channeling the best parts of the grateful dead and infusing his trademark songwriting with their spirit. superb.]
Kathleen Edwards - "Money Talks" (live) [a lovely live rendition of the ac/dc classic. from the live at the bowery ballroom EP.]
the Dandy Warhols - "Hells Bells" [a slowed down, horn-swaddled version of another ac/dc classic. this is from the british "bohemian like you" single or the tales from slabtown vol. 2 EP.]
Rangeboy - "Souns like Summer" [this jubilant song, from this band out of virginia, is the epitome of summer. just like the title says. from their self-released album.]
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X-Ray Spex - "Oh Bondage! Up Yours!" [the fiery shot across the bow from the brief but hellacious x-ray spex. this was their debut single and oh, what a single. from the newly re-issued (and expanded) germfree adolescents. 1978 punk rock, y'all.]
Tiger Bear Wolf - "I Can't See the Light" [speaking of rocking like a steamroller. jesus. from their self-titled album.]
Hüsker Dü - "Books About UFOs" [classic pop as seen through the eyes of the huskers, which means a healthy, hot dose of distortion. god bless 'em. from 1985's new day rising.]
Z-Trip feat. Zaakir - "Listen to the DJ" [from shifting gears, this song, featuring zaakir of jurassic 5 is hellaciously good. i'd like to hear more from dj z-trip.]
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Richard Buckner - "Straight" [from his forthcoming dents and shells, his first for merge records. buckner has one of the most instantly recognizable voices in all of alt-country/folk and he is as stable as songwriter as it comes. although this is not sunny-day listenin'.]
the Mountaingoats - "This Year" [from his latest, the sunset tree. "i am going to make it / through this year / if it kills me." i hear you, john.]
Ani Difranco - "Sunday Morning" [from her latest, knuckle down. i like ani's latest albums a lot, even though it's been a shift from her earlier work that is so popular with her cult of fans.]
Son Volt - "Windfall" [from the 1995 debut trace. a new son volt collection was just released, and the new version of son volt (with farrar as the only original member showing up) debuts with their new album on july 12th. huzzah.]
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Kudzu Wish - "I Am Robot" [from the excellent new en route EP. greensboro rock.]
Sugar - "Favorite Thing" [i thought about not playing sugar since i'd played husker du earlier (i try not to repeat artists), but then decided since the husker du song was a grant hart song that i could get away with it. from file under easy listening.]
the Everybodyfields - "T.V.A." [what a gorgeous, gorgeous song. from their excellent debut half way there: electricity and the south.]
Glen Phillips - "Don't Need Anything" [i'm convinced this is his ode to randy newman, from the lovely winter pays for summer. i'm still kicking myself for not asking him straight out if it is his ode to newman when i saw him a month or so ago. i'm forgetful.]

I'll be back next week for my last show before I head off to Japan for 3 weeks. Please tune in. I'll promise to make it as good as I can. Until then.