J's Indie/Rock Mayhem - 18th March 2009

[Welcome to another edition of J's Indie/Rock Mayhem. I totally neglected to thank Johnny on the air for filling in for me last week. He did an awesome job and I hope you all were able to tune in and catch him at work. His show is normally on Saturday mornings from 6 AM - 8 AM, so if you're up early, tune him in.

I had some special guests in studio - Tiger Scouts from Pack 175 at Muirs Chapel United Methodist Church right up the road from us here at Guilford College. They were learning about how people communicate and came in to see a radio station. I got to talk about what I do, why it's so cold in the MCR (hint: the transmitter needs it), what purposes radio serves and I let the scouts talk on the air during the second voice break. You'll get to hear them on the podcast. They asked some good questions and were very good scouts. I should know, being a former Cub and Boy Scout myself. Thanks to listener Dan for giving me a chance to have them up. It was fun.

Now, while the rest of the tournament field thinks they might still have a chance to not be footnotes in the wake of another Tar Hell romp in the NCAA, onward.]

J's Indie/Rock Podcast: 18th March 2009

Theme Song - Peaches - "Rock Show"
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A.C. Newman - "The Heartbreak Rides" [from get guilty. newman and the broken west are playing tomorrow night, thursday, march 19th at the cat's cradle in carrboro. i. cannot. wait.]
Liz Phair - "Supernova" [from whipsmart. the second slot on my show each week has some repeat offenders - i like it to be an upbeat, raucous song. this song has appeared in that spot many, many times. so has the clash's "safe european home." good songs are good songs.]
Andrew Bird - "Fitz and the Dizzyspells" [from noble beast. one of my favorite songs from his latest. i would really like to see him live at some point. anyone had the experience?]
the Stranglers - "Nice 'n' Sleazy" [from 1978's black and white but also from peaches: the best of the stranglers. i love the design on this best of. the word 'peaches' is really large and 'the stranglers' rather small. you'd think it was a compilation of work by peaches. that said, the stranglers are awesome.]
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Lake Inferior - "Spiders" [from their self-titled EP. man, i literally cannot get enough of these guys. they're playing at local 506 in chapel hill tomorrow night, thursday the 19th, right up the street from where i'll be at the cradle.]
Adam Daniel - "Her Shake" [from blue pop. one of the great pop songs of all time, in my mind. i first heard this song on a mix-tape compilation i got in a trade years ago. and i never forgot just how mindbogglingly catchy it is.]
Blackalicious - "The Fabulous Ones" [from nia. hip-hop is so strange for artists making really amazing pieces of work and then floating off into weird hinterlands of shrug-inducing music. the first two blackalicious full lengths are amazing - especially blazing arrow, easily one of the best hip-hop albums of the last 25 years. then the third album..gift of gab's solo record..the new might underdogs. shrug.]
the Rain Parade - "This Can't Be Today" [from emergency third rail power trip. this is where i showed the scouts what a vinyl record looks like. one of them asked me if before all the CDs we used to have tapes, as if that was an old enough format. time marches on. long live the paisley underground, however.]
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the Veils - "Sit Down by the Fire" [from the forthcoming sun gangs due out april 7th. happiness abounds as the authors of the j's indie/rock #1 album of 2007 return with a new album. we'll be hearing more, for sure.]
Steve Earle - "Guitar Town" [the title track from his debut. i cannot say the name of this song any way other than "gui'-tar town." not "guitar town." i have the same problem with lucinda williams' "real live bleeding fingers and broken guitar strings." context is everything.]
Telekinesis - "Tokyo" [from the forthcoming self-titled debut. my interview with michael lerner of telekinesis should be going up on aquarium drunkard in the next week or so.]
the Handsome Family - "Weightless Again" [from through the trees. the first handsome family song i ever heard and i haven't turned back. they have a new record coming out later this year - an album of love songs. and you know that's something to tune in for. handsome family love songs are bound to end with someone being dismembered and yet, still be oh so sweet.]
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Citified - "Founded" [from the forthcoming absence EP. citified will be playing at studio b at the broach theatre here in greensboro along with blind pilot next thursday, march 26th. their new EP is..well..fantastic. and we will be hearing tons more.]
Megafaun - "Drains" [from bury the square. check out my interview with megafaun over at aquarium drunkard. these guys are serious musicians with a great sense of humor and are wonderful to talk to about music. their passion is effused in every inch of that interview and they were a sincere joy to talk to. what genuine, great guys.]
Liz Durrett - "All of them All" [from out side our gates. i downloaded this album the other week, but haven't gotten around to listening to it. the stray songs i've been playing are great though.]
Wilco - "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart" [from yankee hotel foxtrot. i've kind of strayed from playing wilco over the years - their immense popularity doesn't hurt. but i've also strayed from this album amidst the ensuing die down of the fervor over it. i think it's time i revisit it.]
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Travel by Sea - "Back Seat of My Car" [another track from the ram on l.a. album that is available for free download. all los angeles artists covering mccartney's ram album in its entirety. even though it's free, donations to one of mccartney's favorite charities, no more landmines, is encouraged. go download and give today!]
James Gang - "Woman" [by request. from rides again. seriously. any song from this era where a man shouts out "womaannnnnnn," is just a little lost for me. that said, "funk #49" is an amazing song, so i gave the request the benefit of the doubt. still, don't plan on hearing this a lot.]
Vigilantes of Love - "Goes Without Saying" [from audible sigh. there's something about this guy's voice. another athens band in the plus column.]
Blitzen Trapper - "Crushing the Wheat" [from the pdx pop now! compilation of portland, oregon artists. this is, as far as i can tell, an otherwise unreleased blitzen trapper song and any new music from them is a godsend. obviously.]
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the Damnwells - "Down with the Ship" [from one last century, another one of them albums you can download for free. and seriously, the damnwells are an awesome power pop band and i can't recommend their work enough. go get it. i also did an interview with alex dezen of the damnwells and it'll be going up in the next week or so as well.]
Blind Pilot - "The Story I Heard" [from 3 rounds and a sound. they'll be at studio b at the broach theatre here in greensboro next thursday, march 26th. be there.]
the Broken West - "Perfect Games" [from now or heaven. i am so excited to see them in chapel hill tomorrow night that i can't even tell you how excited i am. everyone together now, repeat after me: "you will play 'down in the valley.' you will play 'down in the valley'..."]
Husker Du - "Books about UFOs" [from new day rising. catchy, swingin'. hey, it's a party!]
Jason and the Scorchers - "Broken Whisky Glass" [by request. from lost & found. same guy who requested the james gang requested this. he is redeemed.]

That'll do it for this week. I'll be back next week with, possibly, my first in-studio hip-hop interview in prep for next week's Dotmatrix Project show and cheering on the Heels to another national championship. So, until then, go Heels! and take care.