J's Indie/Rock Mayhem - 21st October 2009

[Welcome to another edition of J's Indie/Rock Mayhem. My first two hours of just music in quite a few weeks, so I was itching to get as much out as I could. I think the show tonight is really good, but you'll have to judge for yourself.

The end of the year is approaching and that means J's Indie/Rock Top 25 Albums of the Year time. If you have suggestions about what the best records of this year have been, leave 'em in comments or email them to me. I'd love to hear your thoughts on what's been driving your ears into divine bliss this year.

Now, while I can still taste the curry from my hot dogs, onward.]

J's Indie/Rock Podcast: 21st October 2009 Show

Theme Song - Peaches - "Rock Show"
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Lucero - "Halfway Wrong" [from 1372 overton park. maybe this is the record to get me into lucero. so far, these songs are doing it for me. we'll see. what do y'all think?]
the Afghan Whigs - "Fountain and Fairfax" [from gentlemen. one of my all time favorite songs by anyone, anywhere. period. just simply jaw dropping.]
Bombadil - "Sad Birthday" [from the new tarpits and canyonlands. great to hear these guys back. sad i've still never seen them live though. i have got to fix that. check out their stint at daytrotter.]
Future of the Left - "Arming Eritrea" [from travels with myself and another. probably my favorite aggressive/heavier record of this year. love falkous' snark all over the place again.]
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Vic Chesnutt - "Flirted With You All My Life" [from at the cut. he'll be at the soapbox in wilmington on halloween evening. i'm hoping to see him as he'll have the north star deserter/at the cut band in tow with him. woo!]
the Replacements - "Within Your Reach" [from hootenanny. thought this song, both thematically and drum-wise, made for a good back-to-back pair. good segue too, i think.]
Finn Riggins - "Shaky" [from vs. wilderness which you can read my review of from earlier last week. it's a really solid record and really, honestly, the best of their career so far. check them live if you can. the steel drums are worth it.]
Pylon - "Crazy" [from chomp more, the new re-issue of their album chomp put out by DFA records. good to see one of the most overlooked athens bands getting their well earned due.]
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Built to Spill - "Hindsight" [from there is not enemy. i'm liking this album a lot so far - more than you in reverse, to be truthful. not that that album was awful, but it just didn't grab me immediately the way the others have.]
Spacehog - "Mungo City" [from the chinese album. this is for jared, who i know listens to the podcast, and who i'm fairly sure i remember enjoying spacehog back in the day. as often as you listen, i ought to throw you a bone more frequently.]
Animal Collective - "The Purple Bottle" [from feels. this was one of aquarium drunkard's decade albums over the past week - the best albums of the 00s that we're writing up. check out the review.]
Cat Power - "Lived in Bars" [from the greatest, another of the aquarium drunkard decade albums that you can read about here. this is a great album that my friend laura turned me onto last year. i hadn't really given cat power much of a listen until then. glad i did.]
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the Raveonettes - "Heart of Stone" [from the new in and out of control. this song is bangin'. i had read that their new one was a great leap in quality for them and these songs are on point. the best thing they've released since their debut.]
Stephen Malkmus - "Jenny and the Ess Dog" [from his self-titled debut solo record. he's made better solo records, but this holds as one of the best songs he's written, full of great characters and snarky little jokes a plenty.]
Jurassic 5 - "The Influence" [from quality control. one of my entries for this week's decade posts. check it out here. i love this album, but really i'll go to bat for any of their albums. except feedback. not for feedback.]
Air - "So Light Is Her Footfall" [from the new love 2. a nice little record. i'm not a huge fan of air, but i've enjoyed their music over the years, even if it didn't make me go crazy or anything. this is a good single, definitely.]
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Wye Oak - "Siamese" [from the excellent the knot. one of the best albums of this year, i do believe.]
Explosions in the Sky - "Your Hand in Mine" [from the earth is not a cold dead place, another of the aquarium drunkard decade pieces. check out the write-up. i'm not always big on instrumental stuff, but this is a beautiful song.]
the Avett Brothers - "January Wedding" [from i and love and you. i like this song quite a bit. it has that melancholic sweetness that so much of their best music has. see "pretty girl at the airport" for proof.]
Guided By Voices - "Twilight Campfighter" [from isolation drills, my other decade pick for the week. i do so love this album and it's quite possibly at the top of my guided by voices album list. maybe. check out my write-up.]
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the Whigs - "In the Dark" [the title track from their forthcoming album which isn't due out until early next year, but they've released it as a teaser. they'll be at local 506 in chapel hill in december, so make sure you catch these guys live. amazing live show.]
Liam Finn and Eliza Jane - "Long Way to Go" [from the fun champagne in seashells EP. eliza jane is a member of finn's touring band and she adds a nice touch to this record.]
Califone - "Polish Girls" [from all my friends are funeral singers, the new album from this fantastic band. i can't wait to sink my teeth further into this record.]
the Microphones - "I Want Wind to Blow" [from the glow, pt. 2. the last of this week's decade entries. this is a record i've never spent much time with, but i like what i've heard. it's a thinking man's record, that's for sure. you have to spend time with it. focused time. check out the review.]
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Tom Waits - "Get Behind the Mule" (live) [from the forthcoming glitter and doom live tour album. there is a sampler of the double album that you can get over at tom's label's site. it sounds like it will be well worth picking up.]

That's it for this week. I'll be back next week with more fantastic new and classic music. So until then, Go Panthers!, and take care.