J's Indie/Rock Mayhem - 11th November 2009

[Welcome to another edition of J's Indie/Rock Mayhem. A rainy and blustery night which, unfortunately, kept our planned guests, Lake Inferior, from being able to join us. Hopefully they'll be able to come and join us another time, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't go check out their EP release show tomorrow night in Chapel Hill at Local 506. Their new Pegasaur 10" is a really awesome EP and well worth picking up.

Continue sharing your picks for the best albums and singles of the year here on the blog - either in comments or by emailing me. I'd love to hear what you guys think the best music of this year has been. The Top 25 Albums and Best Singles shows will be on December 16th and 30th, although I'm not sure in what order I'm going to do them yet. Usually do the singles first, so maybe that's what we'll do. I'll let you know soon.

Now, before everything blows away in this sub-hurricane, onward.]

J's Indie/Rock Podcast: 11th November 2009 Show

Theme Song - Peaches - "Rock Show"
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Jarvis Cocker - "Further Complications" [the title track from his latest, which also has a nifty new video that is around on the interweb. watching it reminded me of what a great album opening song this is. i think you agree. don't you?]
the Libertines - "Horror Show" [from up the bracket. since i had to settle for something off of the lesser libertines record last week, here's something from their excellent debut. diggin' that a clockwork orange reference in the title.]
Cymbals Eat Guitars - "Some Trees (Merritt Moon)" [from why there are mountains. obviously i really slept on this record and i'm kicking myself for not going to see the pains of being pure at heart even more now knowing these guys were opening. sigh.]
the Veils - "Killed by the Boom" [from sun gangs. this record grows on me more and more with each listen. it was a disappointment, a bit, at first. now i'm not sure about that interpretation at all. good job, finn.]
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Lake Inferior - "Johnny B" [from pegasaur, the new 10" EP that is having its release show tomorrow night, thursday, november 12th, at the local 506 in chapel hill. can't wait to see these guys live again. one of north carolina's most interesting and fun bands.]
Mansun - "Stripper Vicar" [from the UK edition of attack of the grey lantern and also available on the US "take it easy, chicken" single. this is one of the tracks that was removed for the US version. i'm still wondering why. one of those things.]
Ramona Falls - "Melectric" [from intuit, the debut album from this band which is a project of brent knopf of menomena. since menomena hasn't put out a new record in the last couple of years (guys? c'mon.), it's good to hear some new music from one of its members.]
Roadside Graves - "Far and Wide" [from my son's home. one of my favorite records of this year, unquestionably. they're working on a new EP early next year. i'm salivating already. check out this sweet live performance of "ruby" from the hear ya website.]
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Built to Spill - "Planting Seeds" [from there is no enemy. love the slightly anti-commercial nature of the song - love that bill hicks reference, too. god rest his soul. i was just listening to some of my bill hicks records the other day. crazy (and sad) how accurate some of his attacks still are.]
Beck - "Atmospheric Conditions" [from one foot in the grave. one of my favorite and unique beck records. sadly out of print, but well worth hunting down if you've never heard it.]
Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings - "I'm Not Gonna Cry" [from the daptone gold label sampler that is out now. 23 songs sampling the best of daptone records - sharon jones is, unquestionably the real star here, but there's a lot of great stuff on the collection. this song and its horn line kills me though. slays me.]
Wye Oak - "Talking About Money" [from the knot. really, truly one of my favorite records of this year and it's giving some stiff competition in the top ten.]
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the Clientele - "Never Anyone But You" [from bonfires on the heath. wow, this is just a classically good clientele record. you'd think them maintaining such a unique and consistent approach would get old, but it really doesn't somehow.]
Kris Kristofferson - "Sunday Morning Coming Down" [from me and bobby mcgee. kristofferson has a new record out, and aquarium drunkard did an interview with him about it last week. it's a good read. he's got a great sense of humor and is one of our great living songwriters, no doubt.]
the New Pornographers - "Jackie, Dressed in Cobras" [from twin cinema, one of my picks this week for the decade series over at aquarium drunkard. read about why i think it's one of the decade's best.]
the Raveonettes - "Bang!" [from in and out of control. there's not a bum track on this album, is there? c'mon. save me the suspense and just tell me.]
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the Duke and the King - "Summer Morning Rain" [from nothing gold can stay. this is the new project of simone felice, former member of the felice brothers. huckleberry finn allusion aside, this is a lovely song. i'm behind on it, but we'll hear more.]
Paul Westerberg - "Baby Learns to Crawl" [from stereo, another of the decade picks i wrote about over at aquarium drunkard this week. it is, seriously, my favorite westerberg solo record, so go check out why i named it a best of the decade.]
Flesh for Lulu - "Postcards from Paradise" [from long live the new flesh. westerberg does a sloppily glorious cover of this on the stereo album, so i thought i'd throw in the original - quite a sharp little song in its own right.]
Magnolia Electric Co. - "Lawyers, Guns and Money" (live) [from their daytrotter session, a cracking cover of the warren zevon classic. they do it some justice. if i had a band, i'd cover this song, too. it has to be a ton of fun to play.]
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Echo and the Bunnymen - "Shroud of Turin" [from the fountain. this is a really, really good song. i have to listen to the rest of the album and see if it's as sharp. i've heard that the post-reunion albums for the band have actually been really solid. any thoughts?]
White Rabbits - "Percussion Gun" [from it's frightening. get it? bunnies? rabbits? haw! this is a really good album, produced by britt daniels of spoon, and ranks up there for the best of this year, no doubt.]
John Prine - "Sam Stone" [from his self-titled debut. it was the first song that came to mind when i thought of veteran's day material. that and the next song..]
Jason Isbell - "Dress Blues" [from sirens of the ditch. i know that the soldier in this song doesn't make it home, but it's just as important to remember the people who never got to be veterans. i know that's memorial day's purpose, but it's good to never forget it. war has a price.]
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Mountain Man - "Animal Tracks" [gorgeous harmonics on this single from this all female group. this song is only available on a single, i believe, but check out this about them at aquarium drunkard.]
Sun Kil Moon - "Carry Me Ohio" [from ghosts of the great highway. another of this week's decade picks over at aquarium drunkard. granted, i've never spent a lot of time listening to mark kozelek's music, but this song is gorgeous and i can start to see why people adore him so much.]
Of Montreal - "So Begins Our Alabee" [from the sunlandic twins. another of this week's decade picks. certainly an interesting one as this isn't the of montreal album i hear named a lot when it comes to talking of their best material. i've not been a huge fan of theirs, honestly, but they produce some really interesting and unique music. and i don't mean that in a 'damning with faint praise' way. they are one of a kind.]
the Low Anthem - "Charlie Darwin" [from oh my god, charlie darwin, one of this year (and last's - got reissued this year) best records that i didn't know about until way later. it's such a solid album. amazing live show. and a new video for this song. check it out.]

That'll do it for J's Indie/Rock Mayhem this week. Tune in next week for more music goodness and in two weeks for the annual Thanksgiving show. Until then, Go Panthers! (you guys gave New Orleans a hell of a game - we'll get 'em in January when they come to Charlotte), and take care.