J's Indie/Rock Mayhem - 2nd April 2008

[After a week off, it's a rejuvenated J's Indie/Rock Mayhem. I'll be gone again in two weeks to check out Kathleen Edwards up in Asheville, but that'll be worth it. Trust me.

Congratulations to Emma who won tonight's $15 gift certificate to BB's New and Used CDs and DVDs in Quaker Village shopping center. She knew that Sera Cahoone had been the drummer for Band of Horses before she left to record her second solo album. We give the gift certificate away each week at the beginning of the 3rd set, usually around 6:30 PM, so tune in for your chance to win.

In the meantime, bring on the alternate version of my theme song! You'll enjoy that on the podcast. Onward.]

J's Indie/Rock Podcast: 2nd April 2008 Show

Theme Song - Peaches - "Rock Show"
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R.E.M. - "Living Well is the Best Revenge" [the lead track from their new album accelerate. my first caller of the night said this sounded like the best thing they'd recorded since green. that's a bold statement, but i like bold statements. this song definitely sounds like IRS-era r.e.m. but with turned up production values. i like it.]
Mansun - "Negative" [from their second album six. i've heard their final album, little kix, wasn't that hot, but this one and attack of the grey lantern are seriously some of my favorite spoils of the overlooked portions of 90s british music.]
Mission of Burma - "That's When I Reach for My Revolver" [from signals, calls and marches, the new remastered edition. i was talking about this song in the context of moby over at aquarium drunkard this week. moby's cover from his album animal rights was the first mission of burma song i'd ever heard. i liked it. so thanks, moby.]
Cheap Trick - "Hello There" [from 1977's in color and black and white with a serious nod to eugene sims, the former "self-proclaimed bad boy" of WQFS, current "self-proclaimed bad boy" of greensboro's sole independent commercial station, rock 92. this was his theme song for his show on QFS and it pretty much won me over to cheap trick. great, great stuff.]
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the Kills - "U.R.A. Fever" [from midnight boom which i reviewed this week. this is a tidy, tight, dirty little rock album and i like it. a good bit. this song, especially, has been in my head. we'll hear more.]
Drive-by Truckers - "3 Dimes Down" [from brighter than creation's dark. a hot number courtesy of mike cooley. the truckers are taking up a two night stand at the cat's cradle on tuesday and wednesday, may 13th and 14th. i'll be there at least the first night. last time they were there for two nights, both nights were worth it and then some.]
Placebo - "The Bitter End" [from sleeping with ghosts. honestly, my favorite placebo album will probably always be without you i'm nothing, but this album was such a great and glorious return to form after the somewhat middling black market music. so this one is very close to being up there.]
Susu - "Sawtooth" [from their win EP. another excellent song from one of the more out-of-nowhere records i've heard this year. a sharp, tight exercise in great rock and roll.]
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Sera Cahoone - "Baker Lake" [from only as the day is long which i reviewed last week. a really gorgeous record that reveals wonderful things on each listen. she's a keeper, folks.]
Morphine - "Honey White" [from yes, which i reviewed last week as well. i do love morphine and this record is just stellar. they were really, truly one of the most unique sounding bands of the last twenty or so years.]
the Jayhawks - "Settled Down Like Rain" [from hollywood town hall. sadly i didn't have ex-jayhawk gary louris' new album, vagabonds, but he's playing at the cat's cradle this friday evening. i'll be there and we're working on getting an interview set up, so stay tuned for that. maybe he'll play this. fingers crossed.]
Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks - "Out of Reaches" [from real emotional trash which, seriously, is a tremendous rock record. this is probably his best post-pavement album. so savor it, boys and girls.]
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the Black Keys - "I Got Mine" [from their newest, attack & release. i've been a slow convert to the black keys. i lumped them in with the white stripes (whom i similarly never really dug until way late) and kind of wrote them off, but i'm hearing more and more things i like from them. danger mouse produced their new one, so that's enough to make me give it a fair listen.]
the Olivia Tremor Control - "Hideaway" [from black foliage: animation music - volume one which i reviewed this week. i bought this back in the fall, but i've now become properly obsessed with it. it's been awhile since i've had an album overtake me so much, but it's a great feeling. long live the marriage of chaotic noise and pop.]
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - "I See a Darkness" [the title track from his 1999 album. the beginning of a thread of themes.]
Mclusky - "Without MSG I Am Nothing" [from the difference between you and me is that i'm not on fire. this becomes more of an aural connection here as the chorus chants: "everywhere i look is a darkness." darkness. darkness. see?]
the Darkness - "Best of Me" [the b-side to the "get your hands off my woman" single from permission to land. see? a darkness. get it? hah. i love the darkness. i don't care whether it was tongue-in-cheek, completely serious, whatever. it's freakin' great rock and roll.]
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Destroyer - "Dark Leaves Form a Thread" [from trouble in dreams. i'm still getting my mind around this album. it's not grabbing me the way destroyer's rubies did, but really, what record ever will? sheesh. this is still destroyer and still amazing.]
She and Him - "This is Not a Test" [from volume one. another great song from the wonderful zooey deschanel/m. ward combo. volume two, please.]
Moby - "New Dawn Fades" [from a means to an end: the music of joy division which, again, i talked about over at aquarium drunkard this week. this tribute album is pretty solid, all in all. sadly out of print, though.]
Billy Bragg - "I Almost Killed You" [from his new one, mr. love and justice. i don't know about the rest of the album yet, but this song is classic billy bragg. i never get tired of listening to him.]
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Kathleen Edwards - "Oh Canada" [from asking for flowers. she'll be at the grey eagle in asheville, north carolina on wednesday, april 16th. and so will i. huzzah!]
Jim White - "Blindly We Go" [from transnormal skiperoo. i do so very much enjoy this album. jim, come to north carolina, puh-leeze!]
White Rabbits - "While We Go Dancing" [from fort nightly. easily one of my favorite songs on this album. quirky and thrillingly loose pop.]
Citified - "Weddings" [from greensboro's own, their new the meeting after the meeting EP. great, great music.]
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the Breeders - "Bang On" [from the forthcoming mountain battles which is due out next week. get it. you'll thank yourself.]
Bon Iver - "Skinny Love" [from for emma, forever ago. a truly gorgeous album.]
Tubeway Army - "Are 'Friends' Electric?" [from replicas. yes, this is tubeway army. yes, also this might as well be called gary numan at this point, but let's be technically acurate. i love this song. and you should too.]

That'll do it for this week. I'll be back on Friday with Notes From Underground and, until then, Go Heels! and take it easy.