j's indie/rock mayhem - 3rd august 2005

[so here we are, entering the month of my birth. (my birthday is the 21st by the way, so feel free to send me things c/o WQFS, 5800 W. Friendly Ave., Greensboro, NC 27410.) i was a bit mistaken about when we start temporary schedule. i will be in my normal spot for the next two weeks. i don't plan to be gone any for awhile so the summer off and on hiatus is over. while i adored every bit of music i played tonight, i can't help but feel i'm stagnating. perhaps the show needs some new things..hmm. onward.]

Theme Song - Peaches - "Rock Show"
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Denison Witmer - "California Brown and Blue" [one of the most perfect late-summer odes i've heard in some time. it's also one of denison's most poignant songs. from his new album are you a dreamer? which will hopefully be reviewed on the site here in a week or so.]
Geggy Tah - "Lotta Stuff" [from the criminally ignored and one-hit-wondered album sacred cow. "whoever you are" was the hit, but the rest of the record is a gem of quirky, understated pop music.]
the Replacements - "Left of the Dial" [maybe it's a bit obvious, but if/when i ever have my last show on QFS, this will be the song i go out on. an ode to college radio far too perfect. from 1985's tim.]
Common - "Chi-city" [from the growing-on-me album be. i wasn't blown away by it at first but it's really getting more and more in my favor.]
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Medications - "Magazines for Entertainment" [from the excellent new your favorite people all in one place. the elements that i loved so much about faraquet are still to be found here in this new incarnation of parts of that band and smart went crazy. great d.c. progressive post-punk.]
At the Drive-In - "One Arm Scissor" [by request. i haven't pulled out my copy of relationship of command in some time. i think i got burned out on hearing people rant about the lost-salvation-of-rock that happened when this band broke up. there's still a lot to be culled from their work though. good stuff.]
Dwight Yoakam - "Intentional Heartache" [from his newest, blame the vain. you know, i had a whole list of problems with this song the first time i heard it. but once i relaxed a little bit, it's a hot piece of country that is really catchy and really rather funny. i still take issue with the fact that interstate 95 runs nowhere near "north of charlotte," dwight. get a map, geez.]
Whale - "Hobo Humpin' Slobo Babe" [as i stated on the show, this is one of many bands whom, without beavis and butt-head, i would've heard of much later on or have never heard of at all. in whale's case, never at all. beavis went nuts over the video for this song. and it's still a riotous hunk of fuzz guitars and mid-90s goodness. from the album we care.]
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Teenage Fanclub - "Slow Fade" [from the new album man-made. i guess i should be used to this by now, but it still caught me off guard to hear this song pumping over the p.a. system in a gap a month or so ago. stranger things have happened.]
the Flaming Lips - "When Yer Twenty-Two" [one of several albums that i found myself delving back into the other day. it's been about 10 years since i first began purchasing cds/listening heavily to music and it's lovely to revisit what i was listening to then. from transmissions from the satellite heart.]
the Streets - "It's Too Late" [i played this song tirelessly when original pirate material was originally released. it's still a keeper.]
Pulp - "Babies" [this song is so full of sex it's unbelievable. voyeurism when he and his girlfriend hide in the wardrobe and watch her older sister and some kid named 'david' get it on. then later he makes it with the older sister with the excuse that 'i only went with her cos she looked like you.' right, jarvis. but man, what a song. from his 'n' hers.]
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Son Volt - "Bandages & Scars" [the lead track from the new okemah and the melody of riot. it's slowly growing on me, although i don't know that i'm truly satisfied with it.]
Hayden - "Better Off Inside" [hayden's second full length sometimes gets the 'sophomore slump' sticker, but it's a dark and often emotionally disturbing album. that and in order to purchase it, i borrowed a dollar from my girlfriend at the time who was on the make with her best girl friend the entire time we dated. who knew? from the excellent the closer i get.]
Girls Against Boys - "Cruise Your New Baby Fly Self" [another band o' my youth that still stuns me when i turn back to them. girls against boys made me feel cool just listening to them. for a geek like me, that was paydirt. from the suave cruise yourself.]
Glen Phillips - "Small Dark Movies" (live) [from the live at largo album. glen does this greg brown song justice and then some.]
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Paul Westerberg - "All That I Had" [one of the two new tracks on the excellent besterberg best of collection.]
Dillon Fence - "Our Love is Understood" [an okay song from the "+" cd of the two-cd best of. i had meant to play "collapsis" from the "best" cd but put the wrong one in. alas.]
the Maroons - "If" [it's a shame i couldn't have put this song and the perceptionists' "memorial day" head to head on the year end list. all the same, this song is still a powerful punch. from the j's indie/rock best of 2004 album ambush.]
Crooked Fingers - "Dignity and Shame" [the powerful, album closing title track from the best of 2005 bound album. it is a solid album from beginning to end.]
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the Avett Brothers - "Nothing Short of Thankful" [from the excellent mignonette. a huge addition to north carolina's pantheon of great musicians. they're playing tonight, thursday august 4th, at the lincoln theatre in raleigh. then saturday night at blumenthal performing arts center, mcgohon theatre in charlotte. i may be at the latter so keep an eye out for me.]
Del Amitri - "Be My Downfall" [one of my favorite del amitri songs from the excellent change everything. the lyrics are some of the most clever, insightful and sharpest of justin currey's work.]
Propagandhi - "Today's Empires, Tomorrow's Ashes" [it's a shame that it's, at times, so hard to hear the words in propagandhi's songs. they're so deeply layered, thoughtful and powerful. this song is no exception. the title track from this album.]
the Decemberists - "16 Military Wives" [by request. i adore this song and would absolutely put it on one of my year end best singles list. from the album picaresque.]
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Michael Penn - "Don't Let Me Go" [from mp4: days since a lost time accident. his new album came out this week, but i was unable to secure it. we'll debut it next week.]
the Minus 5 - "I'm Not Bitter" [from the #2 album of 2003, according to me at least, down with wilco. it is a pop lovers dream.]
Matthew Sweet - "Girlfriend" [another of my early cd delvings. sweet's girlfriend is a revelatory album even nearly 15 years on.]
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Elastica - "Car Song" [the sultry 'oooh' that justine frischmann utters in the second verse of the song will never stop titillating the 14 year old in me. oh, my britpop crushes. how you have worn so well. from their self-titled debut.]

I'll be back next week with the new Michael Penn and lots of other tasty treats. Thanks for listening and take care.