J's Indie/Rock Mayhem - 9th April 2008

[Apologies for the delay, but another great episode of J's Indie/Rock Mayhem is here. This has been a torrential week and I had no time to get this done since the show - so this ought to be a belated treat, 'cos Wednesday's show was fantastic.

Congratulations to Nora who won this week's $15 gift certificate giveaway from the fine folks at BB's New and Used CDs and DVDs over in the Quaker Village Shopping center. She knew that Spike Jonez had directed the Breeders' video for "Cannonball," savvy lady that she is.

Let's get on to the rock. This show ought to be a great soundtrack for your warm, early spring weekend. Onward.]

J's Indie/Rock Podcast: 9th April 2008 Show

Theme Song - Peaches - "Rock Show"
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the Raconteurs - "Salute Your Salution" [from consolers of the lonely. this album came out of nowhere, its release date only being announced one week ahead of time. a ballsy move for the band, but while i haven't perused the rest of the record yet, the lead single is a tasty slice of rock done right.]
the Streets - "Sharp Darts" [from original pirate material. i don't have any clue how the next streets album is going to be, but after the amazing highs of his first two albums and the ungodly lows of his third, i need to remind myself of why i love mike skinner so much. this song does the trick.]
Drive-by Truckers - "3 Dimes Down" [from brighter than creation's dark. yes, i played this last week. yes, it was stuck in my head all week. yes, i'm not ashamed of playing it again. oh, so good.]
Bell X1 - "He Said She Said" [by request. from flock. this is the irish band's third album, but was originally released in 2006. now north carolina's yep roc records has given it the re-issue and bonus track treatment. bell x1 is the remaining members of the band juniper, a band that was really taking off in ireland until lead singer, damien rice, split for his own scene. it's not bad, really.]
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King Khan and the Shrines - "Torture" [from supreme genius of, their forthcoming album. i slept on their universally (it seems) loved album what is? from last year, but this single is pretty sharp and great rock and roll. dirty, fuzzy, fun. indeed.]
Husker Dü - "Books about UFOs" [from new day rising. the happiest, most static-laden pop song you've ever heard. it swings, man.]
the Arcade Fire - "My Body is a Cage" [by request. from neon bible which, really, is good. i don't always find myself in the mood to listen to the arcade fire, but when i am, they are fantastic.]
Art Brut - "Pump Up the Volume" [from it's a bit complicated. i'll never get tired of the guitar solo in the bridge of this song. ever. you can quote me on that.]
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the Breeders - "German Studies" [from mountain battles which came out this week. the reviews have been hither and thither for this album, and yes, this isn't last splash, but it's not the same band either. i like it.]
the Felice Brothers - "Frankie's Gun!" [from their self-titled album. i'm thinking this is going to end up on the best singles of the year list. i love it way too much.]
the Stooges - "I Wanna Be Your Dog" [from their self-titled debut. i've never been as big on this album as i am fun house - the latter is just a much better record, but this album is still full of classics.]
the Ronettes - "Be My Baby" [iggy wanted to be her dog, but no!, ronnie says: be my baby. you really have to be a cold, cold hearted individual to not understand the pop majesty and sheer beauty of this song. were i phil specter, much like brian wilson, i might've gone a little crazy trying to top myself as well.]
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Wye Oak - "Warning" [from if children which i reviewed this week. this could very well be the nice sleeper record of the year. this song will not leave my head, even if my review of the album says they have a bit to go. my ears are perked, though.]
Kathleen Edwards - "The Cheapest Key" [from asking for flowers. i'm off next week to see kathleen at the grey eagle in asheville, north carolina. and will have a review with her sometime in the coming weeks. stay tuned.]
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit - "Into the Mystic" (live) [from the new live at twist and shout EP that is coming out. featuring a handful of jason's solo and drive-by truckers songs and then this gorgeous take on van morrison's classic cut. i saw him do this live once and it was amazing.]
the Gutter Twins - "Idle Hands" [from saturnalia, the collaborative project of greg dulli (twilight singers, ex-afghan whigs) and mark lanegan (ex-screaming trees). i love the opening to this song - it builds into its power perfectly.]
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Jordan Zevon - "The Joke's On Me" [from insides out and yes, that's jordan "son of warren" zevon. he obviously paid a lot of attention to XTC when he wrote this, but that's never a bad thing.]
Fountains of Wayne - "Barbara H." [from their self-titled debut. i was revisiting this album for the first time in a bit, remembering the gems strewn throughout the record, not just on the singles. this song has just a killer chorus (as so many of their songs do) and is worth playing over and over again.]
Sera Cahoone - "The Colder the Air" [from only as the day is long. this song, more than any other on the album, reminds me of cahoone's kindred delivery/style with jesse sykes and the sweet hereafter. that's a good thing, you know.]
Matthew Sweet - "I Don't Want to Know" [from 2003's kimi ga suki*raifu, the first album in a hot minute to re-unite the girlfriend-era studio line-up (sans the late robert quine) and it's a great, classic pop-rock record. sweet knows how to sling 'em.]
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Sun Kil Moon - "Moorestown" [from april. i embarrassed myself on the podcast by not remembering mark kozelek's name. i was about to call him mark mulcahy, as in polaris and miracle legion member mark mulcahy. anyway, this song and this album is gorgeous, but when has kozelek made anything less than gorgeous albums apparently?]
Del Amitri - "Nothing Ever Happens" [from waking hours, their first album to truly grab and commercial traction. i ran across the video the other day and was reminded of it.]
Rangeboy - "Smells Like Summer" [this is a former band of todd webb, a guy i've kept up with on and off over the years. this song is forever in my list of great songs about summer, or just great songs in general. he has a new project called seamonster which we'll have to check out sometime.]
White Hinterland - "Dreaming of the Plum Trees" [from phylactery factory, the first album from white hinterland which is, essentially, the work of casey dienel. i love this song. reminds me so much of vince guaraldi-style cool jazz.]
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Neu! - "Hallogallo" [from their self-titled debut. the return trip feature this week was an in memorium for klaus dinger, drummer of neu!, who passed away in late march. i talk enough about him there, but i thought ten minutes of some of the finest krautrock imaginable was a great way to start to wind up a beautiful spring day.]
Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks - "Dragonfly Pie" [from real emotional trash which is just good, honest-to-god, great music. period.]

That'll do it for this week. Hannah will be covering for me again next week, so tune in and give her some love. She'll be giving away the BB's certificate as well, so another chance to win. Notes from Underground will be up tomorrow and I'll see you guys next week. Take care.