J's Indie/Rock Mayhem - 22nd October 2008

[Welcome to another edition of J's Indie/Rock Mayhem. Tonight's show featured a great interview with Laurelyn Dossett who will be playing at the Dotmatrix Project show at the Green Burro downtown in Greensboro tomorrow night, Thursday, October 23rd along with Rhiannon Giddens of the Carolina Chocolate Drops. Laurelyn is a member of Polecat Creek and a great songwriter whom I had a lot of fun conversing with. More about that in a bit.

Next week will be the annual Halloween show - something more to look forward to. Also, sometime in the next couple of weeks, an interview with Over the Rhine. They'll be playing as part of Guilford College's homecoming week festivities on Friday, November 7th at Dana Auditorium on Guilford campus.

Now, onward.]

J's Indie/Rock Podcast: 22nd October 2008 Show

Theme Song - Peaches - "Rock Show"
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Alejandro Escovedo - "Always a Friend" [from real animal. alejandro will be playing tomorrow, thursday, october 23rd, at the cat's cradle in carrboro.]
the Pixies - "Dig for Fire" [from bossanova. a murky bit of a mess of an album, but this song ranks among their best.]
the Subways - "Girls and Boys" [from all or nothing. mad dog is really sold on this record, but i haven't quite warmed up to it yet. we'll see how it goes.]
Sparklehorse - "Someday I Will Treat You Good" [from 1995's vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot. i first heard this song on 120 minutes back when i was in middle school (or was it high?) and decided i liked the band. it took me a long time to actually getting around to buying the album, but it's good stuff.]
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the Foreign Exchange - "Daykeeper" [from leave it all behind. this new album from the collaboration between phonte coleman of little brother and dutch dj nicolay snuck up on me. their first album, connected, is one of my favorite albums of the 2000s and i had been wondering if they were up to anything. we'll be hearing more.]
the Orgone Box - "Anesthesia" [from their self-titled album. i picked this record up this summer while in england, given to me by the store owner of the lovely minus zero record shop on portobello road - or rather, right off of it. great classic pop in a modern vein.]
Delta Spirit - "Trashcan" [from ode to sunshine. i played this song after the end of the podcast last week and i really enjoyed it. we'll have to hear more.]
Dungen - "Det Tar Tid" [from 4. i've heard a lot about dungen over the past couple of years, but haven't paid them any attention until now. thoughts?]

[Here's where I sat down with Laurelyn Dossett. Laurelyn plays with the excellent Polecat Creek. We discussed her song "Anna Lee" that was recorded by Levon Helm on last year's Dirt Farmer, her work with the Triad Stage here in Greensboro and writing for plays, her own musical journey and more. She played three songs for us and sounded fantastic. Check out the individual songs below and come down to the Green Burro downtown (right above Longshanks in the same building as McCoul's, across the street from Natty Greene's on Elm St.) tomorrow night, Thursday, October 23rd, at 8pm for Laurelyn along with Rhiannon Giddens from the Carolina Chocolate Drops.]

Laurelyn Dossett - "Anna Lee" (live on WQFS) [this song was originally written for the play brother wolf. it was later picked up and recorded by levon helm for last year's grammy award winning album dirt farmer. click here to download.]
Laurelyn Dossett - "Come By Here" (live on WQFS) [the song that won laurelyn the amateur songwriting award at merlefest in 2004, gospel category. click here to download.]
Laurelyn Dossett - "I Know the Night" (live on WQFS) [a new song that she was nice enough to play for us. click here to download.]
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Hacienda - "She's Got Ahold On Me" [from loud is the night. heard these guys through my compadres at aquarium drunkard and would love to hear some more. that seems to be a theme this week.]
Benji Hughes - "You Stood Me Up" [from a love extreme. being a charlotte-area native, i have to be drawn somewhat to hughes' music.]
Dead Confederate - "Heavy Petting" [from wrecking ball. i wrote a review of the album over at aquarium drunkard earlier this week. it's an excellent album well worth checking out.]
the Broken West - "Perfect Games" [from now or heaven. one of my favorite singles of this year. bound for the year-end list.]
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the Replacements - "Talent Show" (studio demo) [this week's replacements re-issue bonanza is bonus tracks from the newly remastered don't tell a soul. i love this demo version of "talent show" as it is recorded in a style somewhat akin to the production on pleased to meet me, which really brings out the excellent riff the song is based on.]
the Replacements - "Portland" [one of my favorite non-album songs of their entire career. lyrically it's a cousin to "talent show," with the repetition of the "it's too late to turn back, here we go" line.]
the Replacements - "Date to Church" [originally the b-side to the "i'll be you" single. it features tom waits on organ and growly vocals. he's credited as rev. backwash, if i remember correctly from my old 7" copy.]
the Replacements - "We Know the Night" (studio demo) [another of my favorite non-album tracks. this is a gorgeous, slow burner of a song that hinted at the beautiful, sorrowful songs that westerberg would write in his solo career.]
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Julie Ocean - "My Revenge" [from long gone and nearly there. this was a week for musical sadness. first, julie ocean calls it quits after only one album. jim spellmen got offered a pretty good job upgrade with CNN out in denver, so with one major part of the band lighting out for the territory, the band is calling it a day. so just how high will they land on my year-end album review? treat yourself to a re-read of my interview with julie ocean's terry banks from earlier this year and remember a great band gone far too soon.]
Rudy Ray Moore - "Dolemite Radio Ad" [yes, indeed, a radio ad for the movie dolemite from back during its release. rudy ray moore died last friday at the age of 81. truly one of the godfathers of rap, moore's style and character were incomparable and he left an indelible mark on american culture.]
Ben Nelson - "Dolemite" [yes, the theme/title music from the movie itself. enjoy the funkiness.]
the Four Tops - "Reach Out (I'll Be There)" [from reach out. also late last week we lost four tops frontman levi stubbs. more than any other group in motown, the four tops were a perennial and lasting act, keeping their original lineup until the 1997 death of original member lawrence payton. the production and music on this song, though easy to ignore if you grew up hearing it on 'oldies' stations, is a remarkable piece of work and it's a truly dynamic song.]
Billy Bragg - "Levi Stubb's Tears" [and really, you knew i'd play this. from talking with the taxman about poetry, it truly is the first thing that comes to my mind when i hear the name levi stubbs. rest in peace.]

That'll do it for this week. Tune in next week for the Halloween show and lots more good, new music. Until then, Go Panthers! Go Heels! and take care.