j's indie/rock mayhem - 22nd march 2006

There are currently no mp3 downloads for this post, but some will be added by Friday evening. Check back for the music.

[a fantastic show. i couldn't get off the phone all night with plenty of great calls. i always love hearing from you guys and getting your requests on the air. next week, being the last wendesday of the month, will be the j's indie/rock labels that matter feature, and continuing with the march madness theme, we'll be visiting the chapel hill/carborro, north carolina record labels merge and mammoth. two record labels when we'd normally have one! how exciting. so tune in next week for that. in the meanwhile, onward.]

Theme Song - Peaches - "Rock Show"
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Built to Spill - "Conventional Wisdom" [from the forthcoming album you in reverse due out april 11th. this song has me much, much, much more excited about this album than a previous song i'd heard. i will do my best to get an mp3 of this song up soon as you need to hear it. thank goodness they're back.]
Fugazi - "Waiting Room" [by request. my first of the night, a post-punk classic. from 13 songs.]
Mclusky - "To Hell With Good Intentions" [from the new mcluskyism retrospective cd. originally from their second album mclusky do dallas, this song was played quite often upon that album's release. i miss those guys.]
Talib Kweli - "Broken Glass" [from his most recent, the beautiful struggle. you ever want to see a great live hip-hop show, you go see my man. at guilford last year he was tremendous.]
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Destroyer - "European Oils" [by request. from the so-fantastic-it's-FAN-tastic destroyer's rubies. caller hadn't heard them before until a song earlier in the day. so i laid my favorite song from the album on him. the guitar solo in the bridge is the music of the dreams i have when i'm flying and doing all sorts of cool things set to a soundtrack.]
the Modern Lovers - "Roadrunner" [since we are getting to spring time and, inevitably, summer, that means road trips. and what should no road trip mix-cd be without? this song. good guess. truly one of america's greatest, all-time rock and roll songs. from their self-titled debut.]
Ryan Adams - "Trains" [from the stellar jacksonville city nights album. one of three that was released last year by messr. adams. if you had to pick a north carolina city that was going to get feted on wax, jacksonville wouldn't be the obvious choice. still it's glad to see ryan actually admitting where he's from for a change.]
Morphine - "Super Sex" [by request. from their 1995 album yes. i don't often get requests this cool, so i was quite chuffed to get it. mark sandman's early death remains one of the most sudden and saddening losses in indie-rock.]
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Arctic Monkeys - "I Bet That You Look Good on the Dance Floor" [from the continuously enjoyable whatever people say i am, that is what i'm not. it's the energy that carries it, and there's plenty to boot.]
K-os - "B-boy Stance" [this is one of those songs. the kind that become buried in your subconscious. from his joyful rebellion album. i actually first heard this song while watching re-runs of daria on noggin'. they used to play videos between shows late at night, and sure enough, here was this video. solid.]
the Replacements - "Shiftless When Idle" [by request. from their 1981 debut, sorry ma, forgot to take out the trash. a caller tipped me off to this news over on the un-official paul westerberg site that not only is a rhino records replacements box set slated for release later this year (with unreleased music and a DVD with live footage including their infamous appearance on SNL), but a single-cd best-of called bastards of young will be released on may 23rd. a good time to be a 'mats fan.]
Depeche Mode - "New Life" [their second released single, but the first track off their 1981 debut speak and spell. i played this from the wonderful singles: 81-85 collection. if you're a casual listener to depeche mode, the two singles sets (this one along with singles: 86-98) are definitely the way to go, even though a number of their albums are worth it also.]
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Nicolai Dunger - "Hunger" [from the expansively titled here's my song..., the wonderful swede returns. here, accompanied by mercury rev, he puts on another show of tremendous pop music.]
the Sex Pistols - "Anarchy for the U.K." [by request. i don't often play the pistols on my show (and typically don't play the big songs if i do), but with their rock and roll hall of fame induction, i wasn't one to turn down a request. the older i get, the less i get out of nevermind the bollocks, here's the sex pistols, but there's still something there. and even if the whole thing was a worthless sham and, for my money, john lydon made more interesting music with public image ltd., it's still a tremendous listen.]
the B-52s - "6060-842" [someday, i'll give that number a call. anyone in possession of it is far cooler than i am. from their self-titled debut.]
Michael Penn - "Walter Reed" [an ode to the now closed army hospital. from his latest, mr. hollywood jr. 1947.]
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Calexico - "Bisbee Blue" [new music from one of my favorite american bands who keeps pumping out great stuff. joey burns and john covertino are a wonderful group of writers, and their forthcoming album garden ruin is due out on april 11th. huzzah.]
Dinosaur Jr. - "Green Mind" [by request. the title track from the classic dinosaur jr. album. they're coming back to the cat's cradle on thursday april 6th.]
Track a Tiger - "Glad to Be Scattered" [i'm really into this record, woke up early the day i died. fine, shimmering pop that will melt into your head like a warm sunrise.]
the Clean - "Big Soft Punch" [from anthology, the wonderful collection merge records put out back in 2003 of this tremendous new zealand band's career work.]
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Oakley Hall - "Second Guessing" [the title track from their excellent second album. oakley hall is quite a collection of sounds and that they eminate from NYC is an even bigger surprise. americana, jam, folk and all sorts of influences.]
the Byrds - "I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better" [my favorite gene clark song from mr. tambourine man. poor gene.]
Lou Reed and John Cale - "Style It Takes" [from the wonderful songs for drella. this was an album they recorded as a tribute after andy warhol died, their first work together since the velvet underground's white light/white heat in 1968. i guest posted about this over at aquarium drunkard's blog, so check it out where you can download some mp3s also.]
Ben Lee - "Away with the Pixies" [from his debut solo album granpaw would. it's a charming attempt at folk-pop by a young ben lee. this song was the single (again, saw the video on 120 minutes) and features liz phair on back up vocals. where's the connection? both this album and phair's exile in guyville and whipsmart were produced by brad wood.]
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Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter - "Tell the Boys" [from her mesmerizing album oh my girl. this is the sound of the haunted southland. this is truman capote and flannary o'conner set to music.]
the Deathray Davies - "Don't Point at the Stoners/She Can Play Me Like a Drum Machine" [by request. from the day of the ray.]
T. Rex - "Mambo Sun" [from the breathtaking electric warrior. there are few records that are sexier or more fun.]
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the Ramones - "Let's Dance" [from their debut, this wonderful cover. played a cover of this in the ramones cover band i played in once. ah, the memories.]

That'll do it for this week. Don't forget that next week is the Labels that Matter feature for March with both Merge and Mammoth records being on the agenda. Make sure you tune in for that. Until then, take care.

j's indie/rock mayhem - 15th March 2006

[even better than the first time, and a little bit closer to home. the second installment of the j's indie/rock mayhem cityscape was tonight, featuring, in honor of the march madness that consumes us currently, nothing but artists from that indie-mecca, chapel hill, north carolina. the requests were fantastic and, according to callers, people got to hear some things they hadn't heard in some time. that's what i aim for.

this week's show is also being cross-posted with my good friend satisfied '75 over at aquarium drunkard. so, a little bit later today, you can click here and go over to download some of the mp3s of bands you see from this week's show. i'm also guest blogging (along with two other people) for satisfied while he is in austin, texas at south by southwest, so drop on by his blog this long weekend and see some of my posts and download some mp3 goodies. his blog is always worth reading, so it comes highly recommended.

i'll be filling in for mad dog and the friday night rock party this friday night from 6pm - 8pm while he too is in austin for south by southwest. i'll reserve my jealousies for verbal communication rather than taking up pixels here. now. onward.]

Theme Song - Peaches - "Rock Show"
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Fin Fang Foom - "The Fool and the Feign" [all of these bands hail from chapel hill, so i started with someone fairly recent. this band will be playing one of the grand opening shows at greensboro's soon to be newest music venue, the flying anvil. indie-rock and post-rock type fusion. from their 2001 album texture, structure and the condition of moods.]
Elizabeth Cotton - "Freight Train" [one of the lights of american folk music, elizbeth cotton did indeed hail from chapel hill. she won a grammy in her very late age for her wonderful music, and along with "shake sugaree," "freight train" remains one of her most enduring legacies.]
Portastatic - "Noisy Night" [you knew we'd be hitting the merge records stuff sooner or later. so we'll start with founder mac mccaughan's most-recently-active project. this is from their album the summer of the shark. "ice on your chin / crickets on ten." yeah, it's going to be a noisy, noisy night.]
Mojo Nixon - "Elvis is Everywhere" ["mojo nixon is my favorite libertarian!" exclaimed a caller. and he might as well be your favorite something. lunacy is the best way to describe his work. this album, bo-day-shus!!!, was co-recorded with skip roper. this song is a doozy. my favorite lines being "elvis is in nutty buddies" and "elvis is in your mom." classic.]
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Archers of Loaf - "Web in Front" [along with superchunk, probably the band that most defined indie-rock in the 90s in chapel hill. from their 1993 debut icky mettle. this is one of those anthemic songs that are so lacking in recent college rock.]
Red Clay Ramblers - "Black Smoke Train" [from their 1992 album rambler. the ramblers did the majority of their most well received studio work in the '70s, but they are a staple of country/string revival circles in this country and especially this state.]
Let's Active - "Waters Part" [mitch easter and company light up with the fantastic cypress album. released on IRS records in 1984, there's really no reason not to like these guys. great jangle rock with various other tones shining through.]
Seam - "Sweet Pea" [hailed as one of the overlooked masterpieces of '90s indie-rock by the folks at allmusic.com, seam's album the problem with me is quite a listen to say the least. sooyoung park is a pretty remarkable songwriter and the compositions on this album are great.]
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the Comas - "Invisible Drugs" [i'll admit that the first time i heard the comas, in 2000, i didn't much care for them. i found it boring. but 2004's conductor is a completely different story. fuzzy, surging overtones of rock and roll that are riveting in tone.]
Sorry About Dresden - "Deadship, Darkship" [the lineup of the band has slightly changed since this song and the album it's from, 2001's the convenience of indecision, were released, but this is the song that still defines the band for me more than anything. another 'indie anthem' with a huge sing along refrain at the end. great rock and roll.]
Polvo - "Sense of It" [i had intended to play some more polvo off of their 1997 album shapes, but i accidentally left it at home and was forced to go digging. from 1992's cor-crane secret. arty noise-rock like no other. these guys were serious contenders.]
Loudon Wainwright III - "Jesse Don't Like It" [let it never be said that i don't learn some things doing this show. i did not know that loudon was born in chapel hill, so i threw him on. from 1999's social studies, this is a wonderful ditty about our ex-senator jesse helms and his "love" of government funded art that doesn't fit his sensibilities. the chorus alone is worth the price of entry.]
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the Scaries - "800 Miles" [from 2000's wishing one last time. one of the most fun bands to watch live. i went to a torrential house show with these guys on two different occasions and had a blast. this is the song that never leaves my head. amazing pop punk.]
Crooked Fingers - "Twilight Creeps" [from 2005's dignity and shame. eric bachman of crooked fingers, of course, used to be in archers of loaf, so there's our connection. this latest crooked fingers album is amazing, but if you've never heard "new drink for the old drunk," you'd be doing yourself a favor to find a copy and hear that song.]
Strunken White - "Constant Coloration" [from chapel hill, featuring noah howard who is now in greensboro's own (and makers of the # 3 j's indie/rock mayhem album of 2005) tiger bear wolf. paths and points of existence is a pretty impressive recording for people their age (at the time), so it's worth hearing.]
Chris Stamey - "Shades of Green" [formerly of the Db's, chris stamey released travel in the south in 2004 and this song is just flat out pop-goodness. giving teenage fanclub a run for their money, this is the real deal.]
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the Othermothers - "Rodeo . . . 88 Seconds" [by request. from their self titled album. synth-laced 80s rock that actually sounds just as crazy and skittery as it probably did then.]
the Pressure Boys - "Waiting in Queensland" [by request. a ska influenced band from chapel hill. from their 1987 album krandlebanum monuments. not bad.]
the Kingsbury Manx - "Fixed Bayonets" [now we've reached the big guns. here's where i try to play two songs per artist. and we start with the lovely kingsbury manx. this from aztec discipline you heard on my show back in 2003 or so. lovely, wistful and bubbling guitar rock.]
the Kingsbury Manx - "Harness and Wheel" [from their latest, 2005's the fast rise and fall of the south. more of the same. good stuff.]
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Squirrel Nut Zippers - "The Ghost of Stephen Foster" [easily one of my favorite north carolina bands of all time, this, from 1998's perennial favorites, is quite possibly my favorite song. jazz, big band, swing, jewish music all intertwine in this ghostly absurdist tale.]
Squirrel Nut Zippers - "La Grippé" (live) [from the limited-edition sold out EP. this is a live recording of a song from their debut album. the epitomy of what it must've been like to see them live.]
Southern Culture on the Skids - "Too Much Pork for Just One Fork" [from 1993's ditch diggin'. these guys are a hoot and no one sums up the dynamite style and quirk of north carolina better than this band. unfortunate, due to time restraints i had to cut out the other song i intended to play. click over to the post on aquarium drunkard to download both songs.]
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Ben Folds Five - "Jackson Cannery" [from the self-titled debut. probably the most famous musical bunch to get played on this show. this was the lead track from that album, a shot across the bow of pompous, pretentious, arty rock and roll. the album. not this song.]
Ben Folds Five - "The Battle of Who Could Care Less" [from the follow-up, whatever and ever, amen. snarky is the only way to describe this song, but oh, so witty. if you never heard this song on the radio, harken back and take a listen.]
Superchunk - "Driveway to Driveway" [from the awesome 1994 album foolish. i had this on cassette and loved every minute of it. this was the first song of theirs i heard, again, i saw the video on 120 minutes and thought they were great. this is indie-rock north carolina style.]
Superchunk - "Art Class" [from their most recent album, here's to shutting up. while that album on the whole is a bit mellower than this song might suggest, this is still, for my money, the chugging high point of the whole endeavor. proof that more than a decade can pass and you can still rock it like it was 1991. go over and visit the drunkard to download a bonus superchunk song, probably their most well-known.]

That's going to do it for this week. One last time, please check out the songs for download over at Aquarium Drunkard where I'm guest blogging this weekend. Don't forget that I'll be covering the Friday Night Rock Party again this Friday, so tune in from 6pm - 8pm for more good stuff. Until then, go Heels, and take care.

j's indie/rock mayhem - 8th March 2006

[a tremendous show by all accounts. well, by my account at least. some great requests and great new music. don't forget that next week is the second installment of the j's indie/rock mayhem cityscape, where i feature nothing but bands from a particular metropolitan area. in honor of march madness, next week's cityscape is none other than chapel hill, north carolina. so we'll have something to look forward to to warm us up for the NCAA tournament. ahem. go heels! until then. onward.]

Theme Song - Peaches - "Rock Show"
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Destroyer - "European Oils" [this is absolutely one of my favorite songs off the new destroyer's rubies album. the fuzzy guitar solo that practically explodes out of nowhere in the bridge nearly made me wreck my car the first time i heard it. just another aspect of an album destined for my top 25 list of this year. click here to download.]
the Clash - "Guns of Brixton" [sort of by request. a caller last week (or the week before) wanted to hear nouveau vague's version of this song, but we didn't have it and i couldn't lay hands on my copy of london calling to play the original. thus, this week, i do.]
Lucinda Williams - "2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten" [from the mesmerizing car wheels on a gravel road. i saw an ad for this album in rolling stone and took an amazing chance, buying it sound-unheard (the audio version of "sight-unseen"). the payoff, however was huge. i remember buying it the same night i bought wire's pink flag man, what a night. it's the "june bug versus hurricane" bridge that nails this song for me.]
Sleater-Kinney - "Modern Girl" [speaking of mesmerizing. the metaphorical tricks in this song are endless, manifesting themselves both in the faux-shine of the chorus lyrics ("my whole life is like a picture of a sunny day") and the slow descent into fuzzed out bliss that ends the song in demented happiness. the english teacher part of me hasn't been more impressed with a song in ages. from the j's indie/rock mayhem #1 album of 2005, the woods.]
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Oakley Hall - "Landlord" [more amped up roots rock from this NYC outfit. fiddles sheer through barrelling bass lines and propelling lyrics, all towards the punctuating chorus and divine retribution in the eyes of the one you give it up to once a month. (i.e. your landlord.) from the excellent second guessing. click here to download.]
X - "Blue Sparks" [this song really jumped out at me the first time i listened to under the big black sun. it had a barely contained fervor that, while always present in x's music, really came out in its sharp lines. this may be my favorite x album.]
Common - "The Corner" [this was one of my top 5 favorite singles of 2005, without a doubt. it still leaves my head and feet tapping well beyond the end of its actual sound. nevermind that be was probably the best hip-hop album of 2005 also, the singles off this record were gold beyond gold.]
Blur - "Girls & Boys" [there may, perhaps, have never been a bigger single in all of britpop-dom. ("song 2" doesn't count since it came after britpop's downfall.) and lord knows there was a moment in time where you may have been sick of this song. but parklife is an album to be reckoned with. any band that created it has an automatic legacy. and it is blur's to have. my feet were barely on the floor while this was playing.]
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Neko Case - "Margaret Vs. Pauline" [from the fantastic new fox confessor brings the flood which came out yesterday. neko's albums have been so consistantly good, it's hard to know exactly how to take it. you're sort of waiting for the grand screw-up. instead, she keeps making more subtle, more engaging and more gorgeous records. click here to download.]
Pulp - "Common People" [by request. this request came while i was playing blur, so i guess the caller thought it was britpop night on the show. this was the other big single of britpop-dom. but hey, you play good music, you get good requests. obviously that works. from the dauntingly brilliant album different class.]
Citified - "Stopping the Clock" [by request. attention members of citified, but especially you, chris jackson: record a new album. bring it onto j's indie/rock mayhem and debut it there before the album is released. make j. a happy man. thank you. from the excellent self-titled EP.]
Bad Brains - "The Meek Shall Inherit the Earth" [by request. from the 1983 album rock for light. caller wanted to hear some reggae, so, since my musical knowledge doesn't extend that far, he bailed me out by suggesting, perhaps, a reggae number by the bad brains. done and done.]
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Steve Wynn and the Miracle 3 - "Wired" [one of the most dream syndicate-esque tracks on the album. a pure blast of noise goodness. steve obviously hasn't lost it. as i said, fans of velvet underground-disciples, look no further. click here to download.]
the Stone Roses - "She Bangs the Drum" [firmly lodged in my head earlier today, this track from their masterful self-titled debut is a timeless pop gem. as dated and aged as the recordings sound on this album, the songs themselves haven't aged a bit. it is a masterpiece of rock and roll.]
Matthew Sweet - "Dinosaur Act" [from the rarely mentioned altered beast. why does this album seem to go missing in discussions of matthew sweet? girlfriend always gets its due and usually 100% fun as well for its big singles. but this album lay between them, and more than either one, is sweet's balls-to-the-wall guitar album. the guitar solos on "knowing people" are just incindiary. and this rumbling opening track? step back.]
Ali Farka Toure with Ry Cooder - "Soukora" [it's a sad fact that sometimes you just don't know people 'til they die. today i read about the death of ali farka toure, one of the most well renowned west african musicians of all time. mixing traditional african styles with american blues music, toure gained a reputation as the "african john lee hooker." this track, from the 1994 album talking timbuktu, pairs him with ry cooder as a producer. tremendous music and apparently, this album doesn't even begin to compare to his best work. goodnight, ali and thank you. click here to download.]
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Track a Tiger - "Happy" [more new music from this wonderful band. their new full length woke up early the day i died is a glorious piece of music that is restrained and simmering, joyous and yearning, aching and melancholic. and yes. happy. you'll be hearing plenty more of these guys. click here to download.]
the Replacements - "Talent Show" [from don't tell a soul. i've heard several live versions of this song that are simply stellar, but this original is tremendous as well. a great narrative story that ends with the hopeful, tentative refrain of "it's too late to turn back / here we go."]
Doug E. Fresh - "La Di Da Di" [more classic hip-hop from the tommy boy hip hop essentials: 1979 - 1991 box set. this is off of volume one and if you've never heard the human beatbox doug e. fresh, well, you're in for a treat. in this song alone you'll hear tons of lines that you've heard aped, re-arranged and copied in every conceivable way by hip-hop singles of the more recent past.]
Jeffrey Dean Foster - "Lost in My Own Town" [from million dollar hotel. the long awaited and finally completed full length by this north carolina legend is a fantastic slice of guitar pop. i'll do what i can to let you hear some in the coming weeks here on the blog.]
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Kris Kristofferson - "Wild American" [from the new album this old road. kristofferson's tribute to americans he admires the most, including steve earle, willie nelson, merle haggard and a handful of others. just kris and his guitar, it's very stripped back and kristofferson's age really shows in the song. but that's okay. his first album of new material in 11 years, i'll cut him some slack.]
Tom Waits - "Hold On" [from 1999's mule variations. this was the single and the video was a gorgeous, sepia-toned dream.]
Crooked Fingers - "Andalucia" [from dignity and shame. north carolina's own. one of the top 25 albums of last year. according to me.]
Glen Phillips - "Thankful" (live) [from the live at largo album. i played this as glen will be at the lincoln theatre in raleigh on friday night, opening for melissa ferrick. so i thought i'd give you a taste of his live act. enjoy.]
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Nicolai Dunger - "Hunger" [well, someone had to at least try to give fiona apple a run for her money when it came to awkwardly lengthy album titles. the new album, here's my song, you can have it...i don't want it anymore / yours 4-ever. recorded with the members of mercury rev as his backing band, it's another tremendous set of gorgeous folk/pop tinged songs by this master swede. if you haven't heard this man yet, do yourself a favor and do it. click here to download.]
Afghan Whigs - "Crime Scene Part One" [the mystic and surging lead track from black love. damn, i love the whigs.]

That'll do it for this week. Don't forget that next week will be the J's Indie/Rock Mayhem Cityscape featuring nothing but bands from Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Until then, take care.

j's indie/rock mayhem - 1st March 2006

[a week so chock full of new music that i actually was unable to get to some of it, but believe you me, it was worth it. i'll be covering the friday night rock party this week for mad dog who is out of town. so tune in friday night from 6pm - 8pm where i will attempt to fill mad dog's formidable audio-shoes. there's also not much up on it yet, but if you wish, check out the myspace page for the show. you can see some pictures of yours truly with some famous folk, pictures of me with my mouth open, etc. inspiring, i hope. most of all, peruse my friends list as all of them (so far at least) have some sort of musical tie in and several really stellar bands are already listed as friends of mine. now. onward.]

Theme Song - Peaches - "Rock Show"
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Arctic Monkeys - "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor" [the british sensation is here. from their excellent debut LP whatever people say i am, that's what i am not. this thing is tearing up the charts in england, garnering more sales in its first week than the rest of the top 20 albums combined. crazy. click here to see what the fuss is about.]
Mansun - "Negative" [from their blistering british-psychadelia-meets-prog-rock album six. if you haven't heard mansun, both this album and attack of the grey lantern, in their original, british-release running order, are brilliant albums.]
Whale - "Hobo Humpin' Slobo Babe" [i'm not sure what a slobo babe is. neither am i sure why she would hump a hobo. nevertheless, this song is fantastic. from the wonderful we care. click here to remind yourself of this song, cos i bet you've heard it before.]
the Gossip - "Standing in the Way of Control" [by request. the title track off their latest album. i saw the gossip open for sleater-kinney many a year ago, and honestly, i wasn't that blown away. this song isn't bad, but while beth ditto's voice is a force of nature all its own, their music just doesn't move me. not bad on the whole, just didn't connect with me.]
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Neko Case - "Hold On, Hold On" [and here we go with more new stuff. from the forthcoming fox confessor brings the flood it's miss neko case herself. this song is quite good and lands squarely in case's traditional sound. click here to give it a spin.]
Sonic Youth - "100%" [from 1992's fantastic dirty. i still have not purchased the expansive dirty 2cd reissue that came out, but i've heard it's got some great stuff on it. the original album, of course, is a monster all its own.]
the Minus 5 - "Twilight Distillery" [my favorite song from the latest, self-titled album from the minus 5. there's a ridiculous bevy of musicians on this record who ought to tickle your fancy. it certainly does mine.]
the Damnwells - "What You Get" [from the excellent bastards of the beat. easily my biggest 'surprise' record of 2004. it landed about #13 or so on my top 25 of that year and for very good reasons.]
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We Are Scientists - "Can't Lose" [from their debut with love and squalor. i can see this band getting (and already have gotten) quite a bit of hype. it's not a bad album. the songs kind run together by the end, but each track they're aiming for the fences. big verses, bigger and louder choruses, hooky rock and roll. click here to download.]
Lou Reed - "Vicious" [it's been stuck in my head for weeks, and i don't care what bryan says, "vicious - you hit me with a flower" is a great line. from transformer.]
Soul Asylum - "Misery" [was a pretty sizeable hit at the time, but who cares. it's soul asylum. they're actually ramping up to release a new album later this year (their first without founding bass player karl mueller who died last summer) and i picked up a cheap copy of let your dim light shine on tuesday night, so why not? there.]
Blackalicious - "First in Flight" [from the electrifying blazing arrow. they will be coming to ziggy's in winston-salem on wednesday april 12th, so get ready. i'll be there. listen to my show on the way in.]
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Track a Tiger - "Glad to Be Scattered" [maybe this is setting a precedent i don't want to have to deal with, but the record label for these guys sent me some random mp3s in the email because they saw this blog. all i know is i was floored by what i heard. this is off their new album i woke up early the day i died and the full length will be in the station in a couple of weeks. until then, click here and download this song. jangly, country tinged, beautiful male/female vocals. a joy to discover.]
Drive-by Truckers - "Outfit" [from 2003's decoration day. a staple of their live shows, this song is the ultimate big sing along moment for most of the crowd at truckers' shows. their forthcoming album a blessing and a curse will be out in april.]
Mclusky - "She Will Only Bring You Happiness" [from their swan-song, the difference between you and me is that i'm not on fire. probably the most sentimental and melancholy song of their entire, jerky career. until they do the round at the end of the song at least. "our old singer is a sex criminal" indeed. there's also the new 3-cd mcluskyism. 1 cd of singles, 1 cd of b-sides, and 1 cd of 'c-sides' (rarities and live versions) that is in stores now.]
Ryan Adams - "Firecracker" (Suicide Handbook version) [this is from one of ryan adam's many, fabled 'unreleased' albums. this was originally going to be the follow up to heartbreaker and if you compare the sound of this version to the sound of the "firecracker" that ended up on gold, you can see how closely linked to heartbreaker it is. unfortunately i noticed that the site that i got these songs from had to take them down due to RIAA complaints, so i cannot post the song for download. hope you heard it.]
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Josh Rouse - "Jersey Clowns" [hot diggity damn! the full length of subtítulo is finally here. and it is quite an endearing record. i started off with this slow number as the lyrics just thrill me. we'll hear one of the more upbeat numbers this friday and next week. but check it. click here to download.]
3rd Bass - "The Gas Face" [this was the crowning achievement of the night. originally from their legendary debut the cactus album, this came off of the tommy boy records' hip hop essentials: 1979 - 1991 vol. 8. this box set is one of the most amazing collections of golden-age hip-hop i have ever seen, this song being one of the reasons. each volume (and there are 12 of them!) is chock full of hot hits. birthday or christmas present anyone?]
Geometry - "Zero" [more from this local greensboro artist. don't forget you can hear more of her work at her myspace site. very good stuff. click here to download.]
10,000 Maniacs - "Scorpio Rising" [from the wishing chair which is one of my very favorite 10,000 maniacs' albums. for sentimental reasons, of course. for you, charlie.]
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Oakley Hall - "Second Guessing" [the title track from their new album. this stuff is amazing. grateful dead, allman brothers, gram parsons, roll it all up with some great male/female entertwining vocals and you have one of my favorite records of the year so far. strap on your dancing shoes and let's go. click here to download.]
Devin Davis - "Iron Woman" [it's been awhile since i pulled out my favorite single of 2005, so here it is. from the amazing loney people of the world, unite!. sheer, power pop genius.]
Fugazi - "Waiting Room" [from 13 songs. a post-punk classic if their ever was one. and there are.]
Sixteen Horsepower - "Bad Moon Rising" (live) [from the riveting hoarse live album. this take on the creedance classic is quite stunning in its own right.]
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Steve Wynn and the Miracle 3 - "Killing Me" [steve wynn is, of course, an ex-founding member of the dream syndicate. if you've never heard them, go do so. then come check out this new album ...tick...tick...tick. just as visceral, loud and surging as his early work with that old band. fans of the paisley underground take note. and anyone who appreciates someone who obviously took lessons at the school of the velvet underground should definitely come to listen. click here to download.]
Guided By Voices - "Bulldog Skin" [from mag earwhig! this was the first GBV song i ever heard. saw the video on 120 minutes. god bless that show.]
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[it's been a week and ten years since the sad passing of one of the guitar greats of independent/college rock: bob stinson. as a founding member of one of the greatest american rock bands of the past 30 years (and my personal, sentimental and critical favorites and heroes), the replacements, he helped light a fire under rock that burns to this day. gutsy, sloppy, hilarious, ragged, heart-on-your-sleeve rock and roll that still feels just as vital now as it did then. bob was given the boot from the band in 1986 for various reasons that different parties don't always agree on and he never returned to do any work as memorable or well-known as the band he helped start. a recent release of a post-replacements band called static taxi is available in a somewhat limited and hard to find way. but for those albums: sorry ma, forgot to take out the trash, stink, hootenanny, let it be, the now infamous live recording, the shit hits the fans, and tim, he was a part of history. you're sorely missed, bob. they don't make men like you very often. we're richer for having had you but we're definitely sadder for having lost you too soon. afterall, as paul westerberg would later write in a song so perfect, "a good day is any day that you're alive."]

the Replacements - "Hangin' Downtown" [by request. from the sorry ma... debut LP. a hot slice of bob's guitar work laces the entire bit. great sloppy adolescent punk.]
the Replacements - "Hayday" [from 1983's hootenanny. another hot guitar blast across one of their finest albums.]
the Replacements - "Hey Good Lookin'" (live) [a b-side of the "i will dare" 12" single. there is a gloriously tone deaf solo that marches through the middle of the song, every bit of it coming from bob's fingers. there were nights when they were kings. there were nights that they were bums. both made them great.]
the Replacements - "Left of the Dial" [from 1985's tim. not to jinx myself, but this is the song i would play as my last song as a QFS dj, whenever/if ever that occurs. there's no more fitting tribute to college radio and independent music in general. i'm serious when i say i get kinda choked up when i listen to this song. especially when all but the guitars fall out at the end to hear paul sing "if i don't seen you then / well i'll know why / and i'll try to find you / left of the dial." haunting.]

That's it for this week. Don't forget I'll be filling in for Mad Dog this Friday night from 6pm - 8pm on the Friday Night Rock Party. And of course I'll be back next week. Until then, take care.