j's indie/rock mayhem - 6th june 2007

[a bit of a rough start tonight due to a misfire on a cd and a record - it even made the flow of the first set rather rocky, but hang tight if you're listening to the podcast! the show just gets better after that. craziness in the master control room.

congratulations to mike welham who won the $15 gift certificate to BB's new and used CDs and DVDs by knowing that judd apatow is the director of the new movie knocked up. (see trivia's relation to tonight's music down below.) i give away a gift certificate every week, so tune in each week about 6:30pm for your chance to win.

i'll make up for the early goof by getting to the rock. onward.]

J's Indie/Rock Podcast: 6th June 2007 Show

Theme Song - Peaches - "Rock Show"
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Queens of the Stone Age - "Sick Sick Sick" [from the forthcoming era vulgaris due out next week. i haven't played the queens much since 2002's songs for the deaf, but i saw the video for this first single and was really struck by this song. next week i'll feature the mentioned cover of tom waits' "goin' out west" from the b-side to this single. now that is something to behold. check out the video.]
Blackalicious - "Alphabet Aerobics" [from the A2G EP. early blackalicious and this is one of their most famous stunt tracks - it's not flawless (aha! i heard you use that pronoun/article/conjunction that doesn't match the letter pattern!) but it's still pretty amazing.]
Big Black - "The Model" [their cover of the kraftwerk classic. from songs about fucking. the main reason i played this is that touch and go records announced the launch of their digital download store this week. eventually their entire back catalogue (including the previously-unavailable-in-downloadable-services work of big black) will be available through their website. indie-labels not being beholden to Itunes or any other sort of 'brick and mortar' digital store is the next step. way to go, touch and go!]
Sunny Day Real Estate - "In Circles" [from diary. i referred to this on-air as 'proto-emo,' and while that label has certainly been slapped on this band before, it's not a terrible thing per se. in some respects, i don't think sunny day is holding up as well as some of their other 90s contemporaries, but their records are still thrilling in a way that no one matches. ups. downs. it all comes out in the end.]
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White Rabbits - "Kid on My Shoulders" [from fort nightly. a record i only heard of earlier this week via pitchfork, and their review was spot on. a clamorous, rollicking, gorgeous record. i don't know that it truly stands out in an amazing way other than just being really good, and these days, sometimes that's all you want.]
That dog. - "Never Say Never" [for a band that has a certifiable indie-legend-of-sorts (petra hayden) among its ranks, you sure never hear anything about that dog. anymore. am i wrong in that at some point they were a bigger indie deal than average? retreat from the sun is a gloriously sunny record in parts and this song, the single, has never left my head for a day since i saw the video oh so many years ago. nearly 10 at this point.]
Dinosaur Jr. - "Almost Ready" [from beyond. i guess it's about time to lay this album to rest for a bit, but the singles are far too catchy and fun to play.]
The The - "The Beat(en) Generation" [by request. from mind bomb. i'm going to have to do some more exploration into this band eventually - despite owning a couple of albums, i'm still woefully underexposed to matt johnson's songwriting.]
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Loudon Wainwright III - "Grey in L.A." [from the strange weirdos album, soundtrack to the new movie knocked up. i really like this song, as i really like loudon wainwright's songwriting in general. fitting since i was just watching big fish today in which he playes the mayor of the town of spectre.]
Filthybird - "Sunshine" [from southern skies. see previous post for a review of this album. this is the song i likened (and it really does sound like) radiohead's "the trickster," a song from the my iron lung EP. good stuff.]
Pavement - "Summer Babe (Winter Version)" [by request. originally from the westing (by musket and sextant) collection, a compilation of pre-slanted and enchanted EPs and singles that was put out on drag city records. sadly this is the only pavement that hasn't been stolen from the station these days.]
the Veils - "Pan" [driving, piano-percussive songs are a weakness of mine and this song takes the cake. yet another brilliant track from nux vomica.]
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the Afghan Whigs - "Magazine" [the other new song off of the new unbreakable: a retrospective: 1990 - 2006. both of the new songs are really sharp and, as a testament to the band, fit right in alongside the latter-day singles off of 1965. the afghans are another band from the 90s that doesn't always get its due, but then again i'm incredibly biased.]
Devin Davis - "Iron Woman" [from 2005's lonely people of the world, unite! davis is supposed to be working on a new album, so here's hoping.]
Oakley Hall - "Volume Rambler" (live) [from taylor 25: a nostalgic retrospective. our friends across the way at WUAG (univ. of north carolina at greensboro) have put together a compilation of live recordings from their old digs. their station recently moved buildings, so they sent the old one out in style with a 2 disc set of visiting bands (disc 1) and local bands (disc 2) recorded live in studio. this song is originally from oakley halls' second guessing album.]
Toad the Wet Sprocket - "Nanci" (live) [my parents were listening, so i sent one out to them. from the acoustic dance party EP, a set of one studio and four live cuts all recorded with acoustic instrumentation. the between song banter drives me nuts because at one point they decided to play "crowing" (a very, very favorite of mine) only to reverse course seconds later and do "walk on the ocean" instead. pah!]
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the New Pornographers - "My Rights Versus Yours" [hang onto your seats. from the forthcoming (as in august 21st - my birthday!) album challengers. you can get your own copy of the song by going here. check out the hideous album art.]
the Avett Brothers - "Pretty Girl from Chile" [from emotionalism. home town north carolina boys done good.]
Marah - "The Catfisherman" [from kids in philly. they'll be playing at local 506 in chapel hill, north carolina on thursday, july 26th. i will definitely try to be there as i love these guys.]
Andrew Bird - "Fiery Crash" [from armchair apocrypha. one of a handful of albums already vying for the title of the best album of 2007. this year's list ought to be a beaut.]
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John Doe (feat. Kathleen Edwards) - "The Golden State" [from the forthcoming a year in the wilderness. i am liking this song more and more every time i play it. doe and edwards go together quite well.]
Pela - "Your Desert's Not a Desert at All" [from the anytown graffiti album. they'll also be playing at local 506 in chapel hill on thursday, july 12th. i'm liking this band quite a bit the more i hear.]
the National - "Fake Empire" [from boxer, one of those 'could-be-a-contender' records. you like my on the waterfront reference there, what with the album being called boxer? hah! i had two people call in and ask about this song. people are liking what they hear.]
the Replacements - "Within Your Reach" [from hootenanny. this song was originally cameron crowe's choice to have coming out of lloyd dobler's boombox in that famous, famous scene in say anything. then he heard "in your eyes." probably the right choice, but that doesn't stop "within your reach" from showing up elsewhere in the film. good taste, that crowe.]
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Heartless Bastards - "Searching for the Ghost" [from all this time. still waiting to hear about the interview. hope i haven't jinxed it. they're playing at the cat's cradle regardless next tuesday, june 12th.]
Let's Active - "Every Word Means No" [from the afoot EP. this sunday on extra mayhem, the wholesale album of the week will be an album by these north carolina indie-rock legends. you probably ought to know what it is, but you'll have to tune in to make sure. sunday night. 10pm. extra mayhem.]

That'll do it for this week. Friday will mark the return of the Notes From Underground feature and I'll talk to you again on Sunday for another dose of Extra Mayhem. Until then, take care!