J's Indie/Rock Mayhem - 23rd June 2010

[Welcome to another edition of J's Indie/Rock Mayhem. Tonight's show was a humdinger, I think, with a ton of new material and some great old stuff as well. The usual proper mix of the show.

I'm heading down to Athens, Georgia for Athfest tomorrow (Thursday) since Aquarium Drunkard is cosponsoring the kickoff show at the 40 Watt tomorrow evening with Autumn Tone label mates Roadside Graves and Futurebirds along with a couple of others. It ought to be a great time, so if you happen to be in the area, stop in and say hi. The show is only $2. Can't beat it.

Now, onward.]

J's Indie/Rock Podcast: 23rd June 2010

Theme Song - Peaches - "Rock Show"
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Teenage Fanclub - "Shock and Awe" [from shadows. an odd song title for this band, especially since the song lyrics seem to wish for a peaceful existance, but still a true highlight from this excellent new album.]
Blur - "Oily Water" [from modern life is rubbish. another oil song for the continuing mess in the gulf. 'i've swallowed too much oily water' indeed.]
Portugal the Man - "60 Years" [from american ghetto. this is bound for the year-end best-of list. it's way too infectious not to be.]
Robert Bradley's Blackwater Surprise - "Once Upon a Time" [another of my MTV buzzbin finds from back in the day. i love the allusions and references in this song. i'm a sucker for those every time.]
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the Gaslight Anthem - "The Queen of Lower Chelsea" [from american slang. this song typifies everything about this band that is an homage to past music and yet, somehow, everything original and interesting about them as well. go figure.]
The The - "The Sinking Feeling" [by request from email. from soul mining. i had a caller say that this reminded them of some david bowie and i can kind of hear that. whatever gets you into an awesome band, man.]
Adam Franklin and the Bolts of Melody - "Yesterday Has Gone Forever" [from if i could sleep for a thousand years, the new solo record from the former member of swervedriver. this is power pop, is it not? i'm talking some tommy keene power pop, folks.]
the Afghan Whigs - "Uptown Again" [from 1965. not sure how this song got in my head today, but it did, and there it goes. i serve the voices that whisper to me well.]
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the Henry Clay People - "Glory" [so this block features four songs from the new L'Aventure album covering the entirety of television's classic second album adventure. while the album can be downloaded for free, it's also to help raise money for the silverlake conservatory of music in los angeles. so go on and throw a few bucks to a very worthy cause for a really awesome compilation.]
Foreign Born - "Days" [i really like this ramshackle, dusky cover of what is a lovely, low key song to begin with.]
the Happy Hollows - "Foxhole" [by request. this is what sparked my all-in set for this new comp. a rowdy, rollicking cover.]
Local Natives - "Careful" [this middle section of the compilation i think is especially awesome and this is a cover that is both reverential without being slavish. beautiful.]
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the Love Language - "Brittany's Back" [from libraries. awfully, awfully great song from their incredibly great new album that will be out in july. it's too, too good. so much so it needs double superlatives on everything.]
Beach House - "Norway" [from teen dream. my friend sara hit me up on twitter to try and convince her to come hang out at the pitchfork festival in chicago in july by playing some bands who will be there. well, here's one.]
the Tallest Man on Earth - "Love Is All" [from the wild hunt. here's the other. need more convincing? the lineup is awesome.]
Stornoway - "Zorbing" [from beachcombers' windowsill. one of the records from my record club this month. i'm very, very grateful to dudek for picking this album because it's awesome. anything on 4AD is usually trustworthy.]
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Futurebirds - "Johnny Utah" [from hampton's lullaby. their new album will be out later this year on autumn tone records and this is the lead track from it. i'll be seeing these lovable guys tomorrow night in athens, georgia at the 40 watt at the kickoff party for athfest. very excited.]
the Replacements - "Unsatisfied" [from let it be. it's one of the greatest songs of all time. i don't need a reason to play anything by the replacements, but especially not for this.]
Placebo - "English Summer Rain" [from sleeping with ghosts. i've had conversations with two friends recently about this band and it made me want to go back and revisit some of their later catalogue that i've shrugged off more easily over the years. i still think without you i'm nothing is clearly their best, but there are great moments in these records as well.]
Roadside Graves - "Far and Wide" [from my son's home. another great band that will be at the kickoff show for athfest tomorrow night. can't wait to see these guys again, too.]
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Blonde Redhead - "Here Sometimes" [from penny sparkle which will be out in september. interesting and sounds like it continues more in the vein of their last album, 23. i was less won over by that album that earlier ones, but it's still good stuff.]
the Damnwells - "Bastard of Midnight" [from one last century. i can't say enough good things about the damnwells and their record from last year still gets pretty frequent play with me.]
the Sidewalks - "Rhythm Kids" [from here are the sidewalks, a new collection of music from this early 80s milwaukee jittery power-pop band. think the feelies or something like that. we'll hear more.]
the Black Angels - "You on the Run" [from directions to see a ghost. their new album, phosphene dream, will be out in september, but the first single is already officially up for streaming. it's a good one, too. check it out.]
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Avi Buffalo - "What's In It For?" [from their self-titled album. this finally came out this week. i was playing a rougher version of this song some time back thanks to the attention of aquarium drunkard, so it's nice to hear their sub pop debut touch up some of these fine tunes.]
Sleater-Kinney - "Dig Me Out" [the title track from their third album. the song that truly won me over as a fan of the band. while i like other albums better, this is, in many ways, my sentimental favorite.]
the Ramones - "Blitzkrieg Bop" [from their self-titled debut. in honor of the u.s. soccer team who used a blitzkrieg of shots at the goal to eek out a win over algeria and a trip into the round of 16. very exciting watching that game downtown.]

That'll do it for this week. Until next week, take care.