extra mayhem - 26th august 2007

[so it's the final j's extra mayhem for the summer. now that school is back in session, sunday nights just don't work like the used to. so while tomorrow is still only a partial work day (no students yet), i took the time to close down the house with another double wholesale album night. two classics that i've had on the back burner for some time - no connecting theme - just good music. i don't know if i'll do this again next summer, as two shows a week is a handful, but it's always a lot of fun, so we'll see. until then, onward.]

J's Extra Mayhem Podcast: 26th August 2007 Show

Theme Song - Peaches - "Rock Show"
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Jason Isbell - "Shotgun Wedding" [from sirens of the ditch. the one song he didn't play that i wanted at the show in charlotte. and from some playlists i've seen, i don't know how often he's playing it at all. i'm putting out the good vibes to hear it at his show at local 506 in chapel hill on thursday, september 6th, though.]
Helium - "Baby's Going Underground" [from the dirt of luck. have i mentioned lately that i'm really liking helium a lot these days? i should if i didn't.]
Girls Against Boys - "Tucked In" [this set very quickly turned into a 'hey, it's college rock in the 90s!' set. from the ever-so-good cruise yourself. sad that they've called it a day.]
Ben Lee - "Away with the Pixies" [from his debut solo record grandpaw would. and yes, that's liz phair on backing vocals, so this really was a 90s set. jeez. well, except for isbell. i don't know what he was doing in the 90s.]
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His Name is Alive - "Come to Me" [from the forthcoming xmmer and also available on the limited-time-available silver makeup EP which you can download for free by going to their website. just click on the link at the very top of the page. the three extra songs are b-sides that won't be on the record, so get your collectable his name is alive songs today.]
Richard Hell and the Voidoids - "Blank Generation" [one of the most classic songs in all of punk rock. the title track from their 1978 debut album. "it's such a gamble when you get a face" indeed, richard.]
the Stranglers - "Golden Brown" [from their album la folie. a gorgeous, simultaneous ode to a mediterranean girlfriend and heroin. beautiful stuff.]
Supergrass - "Late in the Day" [from their sophomore album, in it for the money. i've always been pretty blown away by supergrass. they haven't had much of a presence here in america, uh, ever, but they are a wonderful band.]
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A.A. Bondy - "There's a Reason" [now, this got me excited this week. bondy is the former front man of verbena, a band for which i have long held a deep love. he has his debut solo record, american hearts, coming out on september 4th and my man, aquarium drunkard has two tracks up as a teaser. both are amazing and i'm chomping at the bit for the full length here in a week or so.]
Blur - "Coffee and TV" [from 13. i thought about this song the other week and it was aptly placed tonight. one of the greatest music videos of all time.]
Nico - "The End" [yes, as in the doors song. from her 1974 album the end. there is no love lost between me and the doors - i've always rolled my eyes and find them way overrated as a band (ray manzarek's production on the early X records aside). but nico's version of this song..is pretty amazing. you can score your own copy over at copy, right?, an amazing music blog that focuses just on cover versions of songs.]
Caribou - "Eli" [from the new album andorra and wow, what a perfect way to lead into the first wholesale album. this is psychedelically tinged pop that is just gorgeous. we'll be hearing more of this.]

[tonight's first wholesale album comes from 1983 (though i said '84 repeatedly on the show - oops) and the paisley underground scene - a group of bands mining a post-psychedelic sound that was filtered through the intervening years of punk and post-punk into something altogether more modern and a throwback. the main person of note (and this is not meant as a slight to the other band members - just as a touchstone) in the band was david roback, who would later leave the band (after this first record, actually) and start opal with kendra smith (bass player of the dream syndicate) and then, in the 90s, perhaps most notably, would co-found mazzy star with hope sandoval. there's a thematic element to all of that music and it's no wonder that roback was involved with all of them.

the sound of this record is fairly consistent, with a hazy view coming through all of it and it's a thrilling and really enjoyable record to listen to. a caller tonight said they thought they sounded a bit like the apples in stereo, and i wouldn't be surprised at all if people from the elephant 6 collective had been listening to the paisley underground a bit in their day. in the meantime, tonight's first wholesale album of the week is the rain parade's emergency third rail power trip.]

Track Listing

1. Talking in My Sleep
2. This Can't Be Today [click here to listen.]
3. I Look Around
4. 1 HR 1/2 Ago [click here to listen.]
5. Carolyn's Song [click here to listen.]
6. What She's Done to Your Mind
7. Look at Merri
8. Saturday's Asylum [click here to listen.]
9. Kaleidoscope
10. Look Both Ways

the Rain Parade - "You Are My Friend" [this is from the EP that was released following david roback's departure, explosions in the glass palace. it's quite a good song and the band managed to put out some pretty great material without david that's worth hunting down.]

[the second wholesale album of the night seems like something i would have tapped long ago, but my obvious love for them made me steer into other grounds for the two years i've done this. but this record holds a very special place in my heart - for one thing, i own four copies of it: CD, cassette and two vinyl editions with different cover art. (if you'd like an explanation about the cover art, you'll have to ask in comments. it's actually amusing.) this is the band that, if i'm pressed to answer the question 'who's your favorite band?' i say the replacements. and i'll usually stick up for this album as my favorite also, despite its unique status in their catalog.

this was the first album recorded after the dismissal of founding member bob stinson, and it's also the only album they ever recorded as a trio. when they toured for this album, they brought in slim dunlap who would become their new 4th member, but he didn't play on this record. some of the 'mats most famous songs dot this record and i'm a huge fan of the production on it. rarely did the 'mats guitars sound more raucous and punchy. jim dickinson does a fantastic job throughout.

so, as a fitting closer to this summer's extra mayhem show, in this, the 20th year since it's original release, this summer's final wholesale album of the week is the replacements' pleased to meet me.]

Track Listing

1. I.O.U. [click here to listen.]
2. Alex Chilton [click here to listen.]
3. I Don't Know
4. Nightclub Jitters
5. The Ledge [click to see the video.]
6. Never Mind
7. Valentine [click here to listen.]
8. Shooting Dirty Pool
9. Red Red Wine
10. Skyway [click here to listen.]
11. Can't Hardly Wait [click here to listen.]

the Replacements - "Can't Hardly Wait" (Tim version) [this is from the second disc of the all for nothing/nothing for all sire records retrospective that came out in the late 90s. "can't hardly wait" had been around for awhile before it finally got its album release on pleased to meet me and had even been recorded for the album tim while bob stinson was still in the band. the lyrics are different and so is the sound - this version, the eventual album version on ptmm and another version called the "airshaft" version (because of its hideous echo - done mostly acoustic and slowed down, also) are the three major recorded versions that exist - not counting numerous live versions.]

That'll do it for this final edition of Extra Mayhem for the summer. I'll talk to you this Wednesday for Indie/Rock Mayhem and starting next week, we'll go back to regular Monday album reviews since I won't be working on this show. Until then, take care.