j's indie/rock mayhem - 5th april 2006

[a really tremendous show tonight with a ton of new stuff; so much that i was playing it up until the last moment. i just hate playing something relatively new without giving it a proper intro, so i inevitably save them for the beginning of sets. then i'm scrambling to get it all in at the end.

april is a huge month for music and there are literally tons (if you add up the weights of the bands/artists) of music coming out soon. a lot of it is featured here tonight including some things that you probably shouldn't be hearing on radio yet, so shhhhh. now, onward.]

Theme Song - Peaches - "Rock Show"
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Gnarls Barkley - "Crazy" [this is the song that made history. this song, created by the duo of dj dangermouse and cee-lo, topped the UK singles charts last week solely through downloads. that's right. the physical single (cds) were not even in stores yet. this was legally downloaded enough times to have it top the charts. the future is now. from their forthcoming album st. elsewhere which is due out may 9th. in the meanwhile, click here to listen to what all the fuss is about.]
Sleater-Kinney - "Ironclad" [from the wonderful all hands on the bad one. this was the song i internally begged and pleaded that they would play when i saw them on this tour. they did.]
the Afghan Whigs - "Fountain and Fairfax" [despite its near perfection as an album, gentlemen has one track that leaps out at me again and again. this is it. it's probably because of the completely believable greg dulli as he howls and begs his way through this tale of seduction, infatuation, addiction and pain. and yet, how sweet it is.]
the Tragically Hip - "Poets" [the lead track, and single, from their album phantom power. my personal favorite hip album. also the first one i ever heard. that'll go a long way to convincing you that something is your favorite. ah, memories.]
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Placebo - "Post Blue" [from the new album meds which was just released yesterday. the reviews have been correct in that placebo have stripped back their sound a bit for this record, sort of a "return to rock" move that really helps their songs shine a bit more. click here to take a listen.]
Girls Against Boys - "Super-fire" [the lead track, and single, from house of gvsb. whenever i need a sure-fire follow-up to a song to keep the really dirty, detached and cool vibe going, i reach for gvsb. great, great music.]
the Beastie Boys - "Shadrach" [since they were interviewed on fresh air on NPR last week about their new live dvd, i thought i'd throw out one of my favorite tracks from the legendary paul's boutique. the biblical reference in the song is gold, and i'm such a sucker for a good allusion. what's that? you say you've always wanted to try and find out what all the samples and lyrical allusions on that album were? you can thank me later.]
Boa Narrow - "Tengo Los Blues" [by request. from the album boa narrows... noisy, cathartic indie-rock. i wasn't too blown away, but it wasn't bad either.]
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the Flaming Lips - "The W.A.N.D." [from their new album at war with the mystics which was also released yesterday. my first listen to the album last night left me a bit puzzled. i'm still not quite sure what i think of it, but i also think it has firmly locked me into the realization that the last flaming lips album i really, really loved was clouds taste metallic. that being said, it's still the flaming lips and it's still really good. click here to check it out.]
Wipers - "D-7" [from their debut album is this real? wipers were a huge influence on nirvana. nirvana even covered this song (on the hoarmoaning EP and then most recently on the with the lights out box set.) if you've never gotten a chance to hear wipers though, it's quite an exhilirating time. their first three albums, remastered with a ton of bonus tracks, are available in a box set that is really reasonably priced through wiper greg sage's zeno records.]
Dinosaur Jr. - "In a Jar" [by request. from you're living all over me. the re-united dinosaur jr. will be at the cat's cradle in carborro tomorrow night. and by the way, please click on that carborro link and enjoy. if you've ever been there, hopefully you'll enjoy that.]
Nirvana - "Drain You" [i do not normally play nirvana, period, on my show. although there are exceptions. they were just too big and it hasn't been long enough. but, since i did play wipers, i thought i'd play a non-single cut off of the monolith nevermind. i actually have a live version of this song as a b-side to the "come as you are" 45 single that is pretty sharp.]
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the Streets - "When You Wasn't Famous" [oh, man, get the lighter. the streets' new album, the hardest way to make an easy living drops here stateside on the 25th of april. you can take a listen for yourself over at the streets' my space page. technology r00lz. and the more i listen to this song, the more i like it. i'm getting excited.]
the Replacements - "Anywhere's Better Than Here" (live) [by request. from a sire records promo live EP around the time of the release of 1989's don't tell a soul. since two weeks ago the news has gotten even crazier. the best-of collection that will be released this summer, now titled don't you know who i think i was?, will include two NEW tracks recorded by the living, founding members of the band. click on the article to read, but needless to say, holy crap. big, big thanks to the listeners who know me well enough to send me all these updates on this stuff. i love the 'mats.]
Mclusky - "That Man Will Not Hang" [i had intended to play "she will only bring you happiness," but the case for our copy of mcluskyism is mislabeled. this track is originally from their swan-song album, the difference between you and me is that i'm not on fire. not a bad song from a fantastic band.]
Josh Rouse - "Quiet Town" [from the lovely, lovely subtitulo. if you still haven't heard this, click here and get on the bandwagon. one of the finest records of 2006 so far.]
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Drive-by Truckers - "Gravity's Gone" [from the forthcoming (18th april) a blessing and a curse album. last week we debuted the album with a jason isbell cut, so this week it's mike cooley's turn. next week, patterson. click here to check it out.]
Josh Ritter - "Girl in the War" [oh, sweet jesus, i can't wait. from the forthcoming album the animal years which is due out here in the states next week, 11th april. but, until then you can go stream the entire album for free so go take a listen, cos man, it's something else.]
Television - "Friction" [i had the title track to the marquee moon album in my head all day, but i had so much music to play, i thought i'd eschew that 11 minute masterpiece and go for something shorter. i adore the bass line coming out of the bridge into the final verse of this song. just listen to it sometime.]
David Bowie - "The Man Who Sold the World" [by request. from the album of the same name. actually off the 1990 ryko re-issue on clear vinyl, no less. vinyl re-issues are where it's at, especially when they include an extra record with bonus tracks.]
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Buck Owens - "My Heart Skips a Beat" [this was the memorium set as we've lost no fewer than 4 really wonderful musicians in the last two weeks. i started with buck owens whose influence on alt-country music and country in general is huge. he influenced gram parsons quite a bit, and that's just the beginning. this was released as a single in 1964. rest easy, friend. click here to listen.]
Dwight Yoakam and Buck Owens - "Streets of Bakersfield" [owens was responsible for helping craft the classic bakersfield sound in country music and there's no finer modern practitioner of that style than dwight yoakam. on his album buenas noches from a lonely room, yoakam paid tribute by covering this owens classic and having owens on to duet with him. click here to listen.]
Swell Maps - "Read About Seymour" [the first single from 1977 for this band, one of the most exciting, if not very well known, of the post-punk bands from the late 70s. founding member nikki sudden passed away at the age of 49 a couple of weeks ago. this marks the death of both of the major founding members of the swell maps, with sudden's brother, kevin godfrey (aka epic soundtracks) having died in 1997.]
the Beat Farmers - "Never Going Back" [their version of the john stewart song from their debut new tales of the old west. founding bassist buddy blue died recently. you can check out a few live beat farmers' tracks (including a live version of this song) by clicking here.]
Gene Pitney - "A Town Without Pity" [and then this morning, rock and roll hall of fame member gene pitney. he was found dead in his hotel room in cardiff, wales, after a sold-out show the night before in which he received a standing ovation. a fantastic crooner, this song is probably his best known. click here to listen and remember. a town without pitney is kind of sad.]
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Howe Gelb - "The Farm" [from the new album 'sno angel like you. a remarkable record that places gelb's songwriting with a gospel choir with amazing results. things like this usually sound forced and boring, but this album is warm, filling and gorgeous. click here to check it out.]
Tom Waits - "Shiver Me Timbers" [from the heart of saturday night. one of my favorite of tom's slow numbers.]

That'll do it for this week. I'll be back next week with more fantastic stuff as I get set to bolt out the door afterwards to go see Blackalicious over in Winston-Salem. Until then, have a fantastic week and take care.