j's indie/rock mayhem - 21st september 2005

[well, another week, more great rock and roll. this wasn't a huge week for new releases (no, that's next week), but it was still chock full of new music for you to lay your ears on. soaking in a great stew of old and new music alike. that's every week more or less. i was proud of tonight's show. onward.]

Theme Song - Peaches - "Rock Show"
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Greg Dulli - "Cigarettes" [well it's the second week in a row i've started with mister dulli. usually i change up the starting artist each week, but i was running a bit late and went for what was hot, rockin' and didn't need any editing. this is off of his new album amber headlights which is a marvelous shot of sexy cool.]
Fugazi - "Smallpox Champion" [this song was on the slate for last week, but i couldn't locate my copy of in on the kill taker. so here it is this week. this is my favorite fugazi album and this song certainly is a reason why.]
Kyuss - "Demoncleaner" [from their 1994 album welcome to sky valley, the godfathers of stoner rock. i first heard this song when tool covered it back in the late 90s, but it's never left my head. various members went on to other projects (most notably queens of the stone age), but kyuss is quite a formidable listen.]
Echo and the Bunnymen - "Nocturnal Me" [by request. from the transcendent ocean rain album. their new record is supposed to be rather good, so hopefully i'll be able to let you hear some soon.]
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Nada Surf - "Concrete Bed" [the lead track from their amazing new album the weight is a gift. while it may not be totally shocking that nada surf have become this good, it certainly seemed to come out of nowhere. which makes it all the more exciting to hear their breathlessly catchy indie-rock.]
the Feelies - "Fa Cé-la" [i haven't had the feelies out in awhile and if you've never heard their 1980 album crazy rhythms, you're missing one of the brightest and re-listenable records of the new-wave era. jerky guitars and quirky lyrics sprawled over manic rhythms. music to be nerdy to and that's a-okay.]
the Flashing Lights - "The Patient You Forgot to See" [oh, canada. how i stand on guard for your love of great power-pop bands. and here's one to rival their best. where the change is is a tight and explosive set of power-pop that is way too catchy and head-bobbing to be from anywhere but our frozen neighbor to the north.]
Brian Eno - "Burning Airlines Gives You So Much More" [from taking tiger mountain (by strategy). i'm jealous of the band burning airlines for taking such a great band name from such a great song. and ironically, we have a really obscure connection between that band and something later on in the show. stay tuned.]
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Iron and Wine/Calexico - "A History of Lovers" [one of the more rocking songs off the amazing (and increasingly getting better) EP in the reins. pairing the desert country of burns and covertino with sam beam's breathtaking voice and subtle guitar was like one of those ideas you come up with sitting around drunk with your music geek friends. 'yeah, but what if....' well forget it, man! it already happened.]
Prince - "When You Were Mine" [from dirty mind. ah, yes. the grass is always greener. always want what we can't have. wait. who am i kidding? he's prince. there's nothing he can't have. what a great song, though.]
Fred Lane and his Hittite Hot Shots - "White Woman" [by request. from the 1986 album car radio jerome. weird, pop mockery that just struck me in the wrong way. normally i like stuff like this, but maybe i should check out something else.]
Beastie Boys - "Shake Your Rump" [from the practially flawless paul's boutique. you know what, i'm getting a bit tired of hearing this 'dust brothers' crap. yeah, the dust brothers made the record. but if the beasties hadn't been on it, who would've cared? answer: no one. thank you.]
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Bob Dylan - "Song to Woody" [the first song in my 'woody guthrie' themed set. this is off the new no direction home: the bootleg series volume 7 double disc set that is the companion to the martin scorsese documentary airing on PBS next week on monday and tuesday night (sept 26-27) at 9pm. while this song has been previously released (unlike every other song on the set, save one), it is still a fine example of a younger dylan's fascination with the man himself.]
Son Volt - "Bandages & Scars" [the lead track from their new album okemah and the melody of riot. okemah is the name of the town in okalhoma where woody guthrie was born and of course, featured smack dab in the chorus of the song is the line: 'words of woody guthrie ringing in my head.']
Steve Earle - "Christmastime in Washington" [yeah, it's mid-september, but steve's song about the two party system (even if it is slightly dated, back in 1996) is a sharp cry for a return of the protest singers of old. 'so come back woody guthrie, come back to us now, tear your eyes from paradise, and rise again somehow.' indeed. from el corazon.]
Woody Guthrie - "I Ain't Got No Home" [a guthrie standard about the dust bowl. pure and simple.]
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the New Pornographers - "Use It" [from the still mesmerizing twin cinema album. they'll be playing at the cat's cradle in carborro in sunday october 16th.]
Placebo - "Johnny and Mary" [from the b-side to the "taste in men" single. a lovely and good cover of the robert palmer (yes, that robert palmer) classic.]
Mirah - "Jerusalem" [by request. from her latest album, c'mon miracle. mirah has kinda grown on me a bit over my years of hearing her here on QFS. she's just sometimes a bit soft for the show. but this track notches it up a bit.]
Glen Phillips - "Love is Stronger Than Death" (live) [a rather tinnily recorded (but no less powerful) live performance of this the the song. glen's version was the first the the song i'd ever heard and i haven't turned back since. this was for mark up in the blue ridge who shares a love for the the as well.]
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Little Brother - "All For You" [so their new album the minstrel show has been getting mixed reviews. pitchfork with a 6.0 and allmusic with a tepid review, but finally somebody caught on to how good this album is. the onion's av club gave it a rather positive review which it well deserves. these guys are north carolina's claim to hip-hop fame right now. let's hope they ride it.]
Nirvana - "Dive" [after yelling at the cat to stop diving in front of me, the idea to play this song was born. yes, music is so infused in my life that single words will set off songs in my head. no, i'm not seeking professional help other than my local independent music store. thank you. from incesticide.]
Gary Numan - "This Wreckage" [i played prince earlier, and really, if prince were british, cold, machine-like and fascinated with synthesizers, he would've been gary numan. no two ways about it. from the fantastic telekon album.]
Ryan Adams - "If I Am a Stranger" (demo) [from the now that you're gone EP that was released late in '04 on vinyl. both the songs that appear (the titular track and this one) ended up on adams' cold roses double album in expanded forms. these are more stripped down and really lovely. adams' new album, jacksonville city nights, drops next week. and a big thanks to satisfied '75 over at aquarium drunkard for posting these so you guys could hear them. if you are any sort of music fan at all, his blog is worth reading on a daily basis.]
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Richard Hawley - "Just Like the Rain" [yes, i played this last week, but yes, this song is wonderful. from hawley's new crooner pop album cole's corner.]
Warren Zevon - "Lawyers, Guns and Money" [classic zevon from the wonderful excitable boy album.]
Television - "Glory" [television guitar solos get stuck in my head quite often and the only way to exercise them is to occasionally gush all over someone about what an incredible band they were. it's also nice to play them. from their 1978 album adventure.]
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Kudzu Wish - "En Route" [so, remember me mentioning some sort of tie-in earlier with burning airlines? well, here you go. j. robbins of burning airlines produced kudzu wish's en route EP. ta-dah! now for the important stuff: kudzu wish (housing no fewer than 4 guilford grads and 4 ex-WQFS djs) will be playing its final show this friday night, september 23rd, at greene street downtown. they've been more than a permanent part of the greensboro scene over the past 6 or more years, so i'll be there to give them a proper send off. besides, tiger bear wolf is opening and they're enough reason to get me anywhere in this world.]
Kudzu Wish - "Do You Need An Anthem?" [and i closed with another kudzu wish song, this one from their previous album reverse hurricane. this song has evolved into a pseudo-anthem of itself with its brilliant cry of: 'do you need an anthem? well here's an anthem: this town's a wasteland. but it's our wasteland.' indeed, guys. for one last night it'll be your wasteland. good luck to all of you.]

That'll do it for this week. Expect some hot new music next week (Blackalicious, Ryan Adams, etc.) and more great stuff as always. Until then, take care.