J's Indie/Rock Mayhem - 4th June 2014

[Welcome to another edition of J's Indie/Rock Mayhem. A great show tonight as Ryan Snyder from YES Weekly dropped by for our periodic Indie/Rock Roundtable. We looked at  new albums from Parquet Courts and Yonatan Gat, so check out the info below and the details in the podcast.

We're heading into our summer schedule here in a couple of weeks, so while there shouldn't be any interruptions to the normal airing of the live show, keep your eyes here or on the Twitter account for updates.

Now, onward.]

J's Indie/Rock Podcast: 4th June 2014 show

Theme Song - Peaches - "Rock Show"
>
the Orwells - "Who Needs You" [from disgraceland. well, the new orwells record is finally here. and after all the needless hubub over their letterman performance, the record is quite good, i think. they're due back on letterman in a couple of weeks (no lie), so we'll see how that one goes.]
10,000 Maniacs - "Scorpio Rising" [from the wishing chair. my personal favorite 10,000 maniacs album is also one of their more rocking ones. if you've never heard this one, it's worth digging up.]
the Reigning Sound - "Never Coming Home" [from their forthcoming album shattered. excited to hear their new album is going to be on merge. it's been a minute since their last one, so here's to new music.]
XTC - "Respectable Street" [from black sea. one of my favorite xtc albums and this goes out sort of to julie who called a long time ago to request a different song off of this same album.]

[Here's where I was joined by Ryan Snyder for the Indie/Rock Roundtable. We looked at the new Parquet Courts album Sunbathing Animal as well as a new EP from former(?) Monotonix guitarist  Yonatan Gat called Iberian Passages. As always, a lot of detail in the discussion, so check out the podcast, but here are the results: Parquet Courts - Ryan and J. : thumbs up.  Yonatan Gat - Ryan and J. : thumbs down.]

Parquet Courts - "Bodies" [from sunbathing animal.]
Parquet Courts - "Sunbathing Animal" [from sunbathing animal.]
Yonatan Gat - "Escorpião" [from the iberian passage EP.]
Yonatan Gat - "Conga Monteca" [from the iberian passage EP.]
>
Bob Mould - "I Don't Know You Anymore" [from beauty & ruin. so i'll admit that i haven't followed mould's solo career much at all aside from workbook and black sheets of rain. so i ignored silver age the other year and was only talked into giving this a spin when someone told me that it had sounded like sugar. well, this song is evidence that that is correct. we'll probably hear more.]
Oakley Hall - "Confidence Man" [from gypsum string. this song never stops being awesome. oakley hall, where are you? miss you guys.]
Haley Bonar - "Last War" [the title track from her new album. great to hear haley back and we'll be hearing more in the coming weeks for sure.]
the Boo Radleys - "Stuck on Amber" [from wake up! the boo radleys have been popping up a lot on random for me lately, so time to exorcise these demons. such good stuff.]
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Gold-Bears - "Yeah, Tonight" [from dalliance. another one of the younger slumberland bands of late and i'm digging this. we'll hear more.]
Guadalcanal Diary - "Always Saturday" [from flip flop. a classic that i owe to tom of tom's diner from some point in the past. great song.]
Fucked Up - "Sun Glass" [from their new album glass boys. not sure how i feel about the new album yet, but we'll see. these guys are incendiary live, for sure.]
Dream Boat - "Way Out" [from their forthcoming album the rose explodes. an athens, georgia band with a new album due out later in the summer. i really dig this song though so we'll be keeping an ear out for more.]
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Caleb Caudle - "How'd You Learn" [from the forthcoming paint another layer on my heart. caleb's new album is going to be out on the this is american music record label - on vinyl, too! very exciting. we'll hear more soon. meanwhile, check out the stream of the song over at blurt.]
that dog. - "She Doesn't Know How" [from totally crushed out. maybe one of the best that dog songs ever recorded.]
Andrew Bird - "My Sister's Tiny Hands" [from his new album of handsome family covers, things are really great here, sort of. i was fascinated when i heard he was releasing this, as i'm a huge fan of the handsome family. we'll hear more.]
Rickie Lee Jones - "Skeletons" [from pirates. a soft, haunting song from my favorite of her albums.]
Cymbals Eat Guitars - "Jackson" [from their forthcoming album LOSE. seriously, people, if the rest of this album is as good as this song, we'll have a top ten record on our hands for my year-end list. sheesh.]

That'll do it for this week. Tune in next week for more great new music and classics. Until then, take care.

J's Indie/Rock Mayhem - 2nd April 2014

[Welcome to another edition of J's Indie/Rock Mayhem. I hate that last week's show went missing as I had a great interview about Phuzz Phest going on this week in Winston-Salem. Sadly, the recording gods thought it was not to be. On the plus side, this week's episode with Ryan Snyder of YES Weekly went as planned. We talked new music from the Afghan Whigs and the Hold Steady and a little bit about why the new Pixies album annoys me and Ryan talked me back from the ledge. It's all pretty fun listening, so I hope you enjoy.

Just as an advance notice, there will be no podcast the week of what would be the April 23rd show. I'll be skipping that week. I'll also be missing another show in mid-May, but I think you guys can handle it. Right?

Now, onward.]

J's Indie/Rock Podcast: 2nd April 2014 show

Theme Song - Peaches - "Rock Show"
>
Future Islands - "Back in the Tall Grass" [from singles. digging this record quite a bit so far, so well hear more. good to see these guys really taking off. they deserve it.]
the Clash - "Brand New Cadillac" [from london calling. between this and "safe european home," the "clash song for the second song of the night" slot is pretty well locked up on my show, clearly.]
EMA - "So Blonde" [from the forthcoming the future's void. this is out next week and we'll see how i feel about the whole thing. i like the hole vibe on this song though.]
Whiskeytown - "Yesterday's News" [from stranger's almanac. my favorite whiskeytown album. period.]

[Here is where I was joined by Ryan Snyder to do the Indie/Rock Roundtable. We discussed new albums from both the Afghan Whigs, Do to the Beast which is out next week, and the Hold Steady, Teeth Dreams which was out last week. As always, the discussion is pretty fun, so make sure you listen, but the final results: Afghan Whigs - Ryan and J: thumbs up. The Hold Steady - Ryan and J: thumbs up. But there's a lot more than just general likes here - I think we had a pretty good discussion about all of it.]

the Afghan Whigs - "Matamoros" [from do to the beast.]
the Afghan Whigs - "It Kills" [from do to the beast.]
the Hold Steady - "The Ambassador" [from teeth dreams.]
the Hold Steady - "On With the Business" [from teeth dreams.]
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the Coathangers - "Shut Up" [from suck my shirt. i played this on last week's show, but since it went missing, i thought it was worth a replay.]
Grandpaboy - "Ain't Done Much" [from the debut self-titled EP. paul westerberg's geriatric(?) alter-ego's debut. still a fun EP.]
Posse - "Shut Up" [from soft opening. i enjoy that two new records both have songs called "shut up" on them. amusing.]
the Damnwells - "Kiss Catastrophe" [from bastards of the beat. i also played something off of this record last week, but changed up the song this week. i miss the damnwells.]
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Mac DeMarco - "Let Her Go" [from salad days. ryan and i debated getting into this album for the roundtable, but decided not to. we'll hear more as i'm enjoying it.]
the Tills - "Who Wants You" [by request. from mixtape volume 1. asheville, north carolina band tearing it up with their garage goodness.]
the War on Drugs - "An Ocean in Between the Waves" [from lost in the dream. man, i have to say, i'm really digging this record. almost feels like a fall record, but it's working well for my spring time as well.]
Son Volt - "Back Into Your World" [from straightaways. i learned how to play this on a guitar back in high school and made a girl leave a coffee shop in tears. true story. up to you as to whether it was because i did so well or so terribly.]
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Cloud Nothings - "Psychic Trauma" [from the new here and nowhere else. we'll get into more of this next week, but excited to hear new music from them.]
Against Me! - "Transgender Dysphoria Blues" [the title track from their latest. this is bound for my year-end best singles list. god this song rocks.]
Nickle Creek - "Rest of My Life" [from a dotted line. new nickel creek! i actually reviewed their last new album for WQFS - which I really enjoyed - but it's very nice to hear them back. we'll hear more.]
White Hinterland - "Ring the Bell" [from baby. played this single a month or two ago, and now the album is out so we'll hear more new stuff from this next week.]
Liz Phair - "Baby Got Gone" [from whitechocolatespaceegg. an underrated liz phair record, if i do say so myself.]

Alright, that'll do it for this week. I'll be back next week with more great tunes, so until then, take care.

J's Indie/Rock Mayhem - 4th December 2013

[Welcome to the first of the three year-end episodes of J's Indie/Rock Mayhem. I welcomed Ryan Snyder from YES Weekly for the final Indie/Rock Roundtable of the year. We discussed the new Destroyer EP Five Spanish Songs and also discussed Ryan's picks for favorite albums of 2013. It was a fun conversation and makes for a great show.

Next week will be the top singles of 2013. What did I think were the best songs of this year? Always a fan favorite show, I know it'll be good.

Now, onward.]

J's Indie/Rock Podcast: 4th December 2013 show

Theme Song - Peaches - "Rock Show"
>
Brendan Benson - "It's Your Choice" [from his new album you were right. looking forward to hearing more from this - probably in the early-year shows next year.]
the Monks - "Monk Time" [from their 1966 debut black monk time. if you've never heard this band, this album is so worth seeking out. as is reading their story. good stuff.]

[Here's where the Roundtable section begin. First we discussed the new Destroyer EP Five Spanish Songs. Listen to the podcast for the nuance, but the final vote: Ryan and J - thumbs up. The following two sets included music from albums that Ryan felt were the best of 2013. We also talked about some of his favorite albums that we didn't play music from. All in all a great time.]

Destroyer - "El Rito" [from five spanish songs]
Autre Ne Veut - "Play by Play" [from anxiety. i liked pretty much everything ryan brought up for the show.]
Blood Orange - "It Is What It Is" [from cupid deluxe. this is a band i've been playing on the show for a few weeks, so this is one place ryan and i completely agreed.]
Sky Ferreira - "I Blame Myself" [from night time, my time. i actually came close to playing something off this on the show when it came out, but didn't listen to the record well enough because this should be on my year-end singles show without question. a great song.]
Thundercat - "Bonus" [from the expanded japanese version of apocalypse.]
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Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog - "Lies My Body Told Me" [from your turn. ribot is a guitarist who is well known for having played with tom waits since the mid-80s and this is some pretty great stuff, too. i need to check out the whole album.]
Pontiak - "Royal Colors" [from echo ono. i really dug this song - sadly a record i missed this year. we'll probably hear more.]
Disclosure - "Help Me Lose My Mind" [from settle. i've been listening to this album and while the rest of the record is more up and down for my taste, this track is just amazing. really, really good.]

[For the last 45 minutes or so of the show, I decided to dig back to the J's Indie/Rock Mayhem Top 25 Albums of 2003 list - now ten years old - and play a sampling of songs from records from that year. It's funny to go back and read my comments on the albums as some of my love is still the same and others, not so much. (Oi, Think Tank just hasn't held up as well as I thought it would.) Check it out and enjoy the flashback.]

Moving Units - "Between Us & Them" [originally from their self-titled debut EP - which is what was on my year-end list - the version i played was the one re-recorded for their first full-length, dangerous dreams, and it isn't as good. i wish i could have found the original, but couldn't lay my hands on it. it was number 8 on my list.]
the New Pornographers - "From Blown Speakers" [from their second album the electric version. i missed their debut album, so my introduction to the band was this one and i still love it. and this song. it was number 10 on my list.]
Kathleen Edwards - "Six O'clock News" [from her debut album failer. this album - and this song especially - still holds up extremely well for me. i will probably never stop thinking this is one of the greatest songs she has written. the album was my number 1 album of 2003.]
Verbena - "Way Out West" [from la musica negra. i miss verbena - and a.a. bondy for that matter; hey, bondy, new album soon? but what turned out to be the final verbena record was my number 23 album of that year.]
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the Minus 5 - "I'm Not Bitter" [from down with wilco. i had really kind of forgotten how great i think this album is. it's such a stellar pop album. it was my number 2 album of the year.]
the Cash Brothers - "It's Too Late to Say Goodbye" [from a brand new night. while in some ways not as good as its predecessor, the cash brothers were great songwriters. do they still exist as a band? this song especially is an awesome example of their lyrical and musical prowess. this was number 21 on my list that year.]
the Deathray Davies - "The Girl Who Stole the Eiffel Tower" [from midnight at the black nail polish factory. a band that has kind of disappeared also as far as i know. great record though. was my number 13 album of 2003.]
the Jayhawks - "Tailspin" [from rainy day music, what turned out to be the final jayhawks record until this most recent reunion. really good album, too. was number 11 on my list that year.]
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Paul Westerberg - "Crackle and Drag" [from come feel me tremble. westerberg had made a bit of a comeback with 2002's stereo/mono (my number 1 record of that year) and this was not quite as good, but still excellent. it was my number 16 album of 2003.]
Jay Farrar - "Hard is the Fall" [from terroir blues. to me, this is the finest of farrar's solo work and it's a record whose weird and ethereal and surreal soundscapes are still pretty mesmerizing. this was my number 18 record of that year.]
Nicolai Dunger - "Hey Mama" [from tranquil isolation. i miss nicolai dunger's music a lot, and this record is an underrated gem. especially with the oldham brothers playing on it. this was my number 9 album of that year.]

That'll do it for this week. Thanks to Ryan Snyder for another great year of Roundtable discussions. Next week, get ready for the Top Singles of 2013. Until then, take care.

J's Indie/Rock Mayhem - 23rd October 2013

[Welcome to another edition of J's Indie/Rock Mayhem. Ryan Snyder from YES Weekly joined me for another edition of Roundtable as we discussed the new album from DARKSIDE and the upcoming Mountain Oasis Electronic Music Summit which kicks off tonight in Asheville, NC. It's a fun discussion and definitely full of some music you don't normally hear on the show. Hope you guys enjoy.

Anyone have any thoughts on whether or not I should do a Halloween show next week? I'm weighing out the options - since I wouldn't normally have the show up until after Halloween is over - is it even worth delving into? Clearly, I do the show live as well when it's more pertinent, but I'm thinking in terms of the podcast. Just wanted to solicit ideas. Feel free to email or tweet at me.

Now, onward.]

J's Indie/Rock Podcast: 23rd October 2013 show

Theme Song - Peaches - "Rock Show"
>
Motörhead - "End of Time" [from aftershock. a new motorhead record and man, it sounds really good. nothing radical, obviously. just classic lemmy.]
Richard Hell and the Voidoids - "Blank Generation" [the title track from his 1978 debut. another classic 'second slotter' as i call them.]
Best Coast - "I Wanna Know" [from fade away. i kind of joke a little bit about best coast's samey-ness later in the show, but this new EP is actually pretty solid. i'm liking it so far.]
the Veils - "Advice For Young Mothers to Be" [from nux vomica. still just a tremendous album all in all. i still stand by my album-of-the-year ranking for it back in '07.]

[Here is where Ryan and I discussed the new DARKSIDE album, Psychic, as well as the Mountain Oasis Electronic Music Summit. A summary of our lone review: DARKSIDE - J. and Ryan : thumbs up. Check out the nuanced review via the podcast. Plus we talked about the bands we think people ought to catch at Mountain Oasis and played a handful of songs by bands that will be performing there.]

DARKSIDE - "Freak, Go Home" [from psychic.]
The Orb feat. Lee 'Scratch' Perry - "Golden Clouds" [from the orbserver. they'll be at mountain oasis.]
Sparks - "I Can't Believe That You Would" [from exotic creatures of the deep. they'll be at mountain oasis.]
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Silver Apples - "I Have Known Love" [from contact. they'll be at mountain oasis.]
Bosnian Rainbows - "Dig Right In Me" [from their self-titled debut. they'll be at mountain oasis.]
Pere Ubu - "Musicians are Scum" [from lady in shanghai. from a record not bound for my year-end list, but an interesting one none the less.]
Jarvis Cocker - "Don't Let Him Waste Your Time" [from jarvis. from a record that did end up on my year-end list the same year as the veils. it's fun to go back and see how i think records on those lists have held up for me. several i'd move higher now and some i'd drop off the list.]
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Poliça - "Chain My Name" [from shulamith. new music from poliça. we'll see how i feel about this. not grabbing me as much as their last one so far.]
Echo and the Bunnymen - "Shroud of Turin" [from the fountain. so glad to have the CD stacks accessible again so that i can pull out gems like this.]
Toad the Wet Sprocket - "Is There Anyone Out There" [by request. from new constellation. their first new album since 1997 finally dropped this week.]
the Church - "The Faith Healer" [from their 1999 covers album, box of birds. love this cover by the church of the sensational alex harvey band's classic.]
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Cass McCombs - "Big Wheel" [from big wheel and others. a certifiable double album - don't see those as often anymore, obviously. we'll hear more.]
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - "This Is My Cocktail" [from his new self-titled record. low-key and will oldham at his finest in a lot of ways.]
Nanci Griffith - "Love at the Five and Dime" [from last of the true believers. for sarah and me.]
Rickie Lee Jones - "The Last Chance Texaco" [from her self-titled debut. i'm going to see ms. jones tonight in greenville, south carolina. cannot wait. going to be conducting an email interview with her next week, also, for aquarium drunkard, so stay tuned for info on that.]

That'll do it for this week. I'll be back next week with more great new music and maybe a smattering or two of Halloween fun. Until then, Go Cardinals! and take care.

J's Indie/Rock Mayhem - 11th September 2013

[Welcome to another edition of J's Indie/Rock Mayhem. This week I was joined by Ryan Snyder of YES Weekly for the Indie/Rock Roundtable as we discussed the new album by Janelle Monae, The Electric Lady, plus reflected a bit on our respective Hopscotch Music Festival experiences and just how good a festival it is. Hope you enjoy.

Now, let's go. Onward.]

J's Indie/Rock Podcast: 11th September 2013 show

Theme Song - Peaches - "Rock Show"
>
Obits - "Taste the Diff" [from their new and third album, bed and bugs. great to hear this band back again and we'll be hearing more.]
Bob Dylan - "Summer Days" [from love and theft. this album was released twelve years ago this week - actually released on 9/11. it's also, IMHO, the (as of right now) last great dylan record released. so, so good.]
Summer Cannibals - "Emergency" [from no makeup. we heard these folks for the first time a few weeks ago and now more. great album.]
Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks - "(Do Not Feed The) Oyster" [from pig lib, which is probably my second favorite malkmus album after real emotional trash. awesome rock and roll.]

[Here's where I was joined by Ryan Snyder for another Indie/Rock Roundtable. We discussed the new Janelle Monae album The Electric Lady and did wander down some connected byways as we linked Monae and some other artists with recent releases. We also went through our Hopscotch experiences. The results - Janelle Monae: J and Ryan - thumbs up. Take a listen to the nuance of the discussion and enjoy.]

Janelle Monae - "Givin Em What They Love" [from the electric lady. this song featuring prince on guitar and vocals.]
Janelle Monae - "Q.U.E.E.N." [from the electric lady. this song features erykah badu.]
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Neko Case - "Man" [from the worse things get, the harder i fight, the harder i fight, the more i love you. another winner from this new album. check out her performance of this song over on jimmy fallon.]
Spider Bags - "Dog in the Snow" [a single from back in 2010. great performance at hopscotch, too, filling in at the last minute for ex-cult.]
Arctic Monkeys - "Arabella" [from the new AM. really good so far. i haven't been huge on the guys since their second album, but maybe this shows signs of turning it around.]
Matthew Sweet - "Evangeline" [from girlfriend. not sure why this got stuck in my head the other day, but it did. great song.]
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Grooms - "I Think We're Alone Now" [from infinity caller. no, not a cover of tommy james and the shondells. still pretty good though.]
Califone - "Frosted Tips" [from their new album stitches. great to hear these guys back. hate i missed them at hopscotch.]
Crocodiles - "I Like It In the Dark" [from their new album crimes of passion. another band i'm quite excited to have back. this record sounds a good bit cleaner than the first ones so far. we'll hear more.]
Laura Veirs - "Say Darlin Say" [from her fantastic warp and weft. we'll keep hearing more.]
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Superchunk - "Low F" [from the new i hate music. one of my favorites from this one.]
Okkervil River - "On a Balcony" [from the silver gymnasium. enjoying this new one.]
Pity Sex - "Drown Me Out" [from feast of love. this is a surprisingly excellent record. really worth checking out for fans of 90s indie.]
the Replacements - "Can't Hardly Wait" [from pleased to meet me. in anticipation of their second reunion performance this weekend. hate i'm not there.]

That'll do it for this week. Join me back next week for more fantastic new and classic music. Until then, take care.

J's Indie/Rock Mayhem - 5th June 2013

[Welcome to another edition of J's Indie/Rock Mayhem. This week we were visited by Ryan Snyder of YES Weekly for the Indie/Rock Roundtable. We talked about new albums from Portugal. The Man and Queens of the Stone Age as well as the upcoming Mosaic Festival here in Greensboro. We had a great time as always, and I hope you enjoy the record insight as well.

Next week on the show, I'll be joined by members of Winston-Salem's Estrangers. Their new album, Season of 1000 Colors, will be out next week and they'll be playing their album release show at the Garage in Winston-Salem on Friday, June 14th. Ought to be a fun interview.

Now, before the flood waters carry me away, onward.]

J's Indie/Rock Podcast: 5th June 2013 show

Theme Song - Peaches - "Rock Show"
>
No Joy - "Prodigy" [from their album wait to pleasure. dave, one of my longtime listeners, emailed me the other week to express his particular enjoyment of this song on a previous podcast, so this one is for you, man.]
Sunny Day Real Estate - "In Circles" [from their debut diary. still a pretty awesome record.]
Twin Peaks - "Baby Blue" [from their forthcoming album sunken. all the members of the band are under the age of 20, i think. youth rock and roll.]
the Posies - "Dream All Day" [the lead track from 1993's frosting on the beater. if you've never heard this album, for real, you should.]

[So this is where Ryan Snyder and I discussed the new records for Indie/Rock Roundtable. We discussed Queens of the Stone Age's ...Like Clockwork and Portugal. The Man's Evil Friends. The results - Queens of the Stone Age: J and Ryan - thumbs up; Portugal. The Man: J and Ryan - thumbs up. Uniformly positive outing this time. Take a listen to the podcast for the nuance, however. I think we had some good thoughts.]

Queens of the Stone Age - "Kalopsia" [from ..like clockwork.]
Queens of the Stone Age - "Smooth Sailing" [from ..like clockwork.]
Portugal. The Man - "Creep in a T-Shirt" [from evil friends.]
Portugal. The Man - "Atomic Man" [from evil friends.]
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Savages - "City's Full" [from their excellent new album silence yourself. check out their performance of this, as a web extra, from jimmy fallon - really awesome.]
the Suburbs - "Black Leather Stick" [from their 1980 debut LP, in combo. one of those bands that gets sadly overlooked in the minneapolis pantheon of post-punk, but god, they were good.]
Talib Kwel - "Intro"/"Human Mic" [the two lead tracks from his latest, prisoner of conscience. i like the occupy movement intro bit especially.]
Black Grape - "In the Name of the Father" [from the torrentially wonderful it's great when you're straight...yeah! seriously, fans of the happy mondays, if you don't own this, why?]
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Eleanor Friedberger - "When I Knew" [from her new album personal record on which she did some co-writing with the great john wesley harding. we'll be hearing more.]
Fountains of Wayne - "I've Got a Flare" [from their self-titled debut. Still one of the best power-pop records of the last 20 years.]
Rogue Wave - "No Magnatone" [from their latest nightingale floors. really good song. we'll have to hear more.]
His Name Is Alive - "Where Knock Is Open Wide" [from 1993's mouth by mouth. this band is not everyone's cup of tea, but boy, their records are something else.]
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Camera Obscura - "William's Heart" [from their new album desire lines. good to hear the scottish band back in action.]
Silver Jews - "Suffering Jukebox" [from lookout mountain, lookout sea. those last couple of silver jews albums were really spectacular.]
the Radio Reds - "Southern Belle" [from their forthcoming album memory loss. a video for this song was just released this week, so check it out.]

That'll do it for this week. Tune in next week for my interview with Estrangers and more great new and classic music. Until then, take care.

J's Indie/Rock Mayhem - 24th April 2013

[Welcome to another fantastic episode of J's Indie/Rock Mayhem. I was joined this week by Ryan Snyder, award winning tweeter, from YES Weekly for our Indie/Rock Roundtable look at new music. This week we took at look at new albums from the Veils, their first new full-length since 2009, and a Record Store Day limited release by Stephen Malkmus and Friends. Check out the info below and on the podcast.

Next week's podcast will have a bit of a delay in uploading. I've finally figured out how to make my monthly upload allotment work, but next week's show will be a bit delayed while I work out that system. So instead of (what I try to make normally) a Friday post for the show, it will most likely not be until the following Monday. I appreciate you baring with me.

Now, onward.]

J's Indie/Rock Podcast: 24th April 2013 show

Theme Song - Peaches - "Rock Show"
>
Iggy and the Stooges - "Burn" [from the new album ready to die. i play this out of some misbegotten sense of obligation, i suppose. it's not a terrible song, but wouldn't i really rather just listen to fun house? yes. yes i would.]
the Happy Hollows - "Faces" [from their excellent album spells. hey, guys, new stuff anytime soon?]
Mazes - "Bite" [from ores & minerals. love the krautrockian drone of this. we'll have to keep hearing more. a great album.]
Snapper - "Buddy" [from their 1992 EP. great new zealand band that was on flying nun. awesome stuff.]

[Here's where Ryan Snyder and I took at look at the Veils' new album Time Stays, We Go and Stephen Malkmus and Friends' live performance of Can's classic album Ege Bamyasi. Take a listen to the podcast to catch the nuances - I like our discussion on these - but the results: The Veils - J. and Ryan : thumbs up; Stephen Malkmus and Friends - Ryan : thumbs up; J. : sideways thumb.]

the Veils - "Train With No Name" [from time stays, we go.]
the Veils - "Another Night on Earth" [ from time stays we go.]
Stephen Malkmus and Friends - "Vitamin C" (live) [from ege bamyasi played by stephen malkmus and friends.]
Stephen Malkmus and Friends - "Spoon" (live) [from ege bamyasi played by stephen malkmus and friends.]
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the Shouting Matches - "Avery Hill" [from grownass man. i do sort of enjoy the ac/dc-esque riff at the beginning of this, but, yeah. not blowing me away.]
Toddlers - "Independence Day" [from the 19 EP. just a tremendous EP still.]
Frank Turner - "Recovery" [from tape deck heart, his latest album. pretty good stuff. we'll hear more.]
Dom - "Damn" [from the family of love EP. still a really awesome record.]
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Girls Against Boys - "It's a Diamond Life" [well, fantastic news. girls against boys are back together and will be releasing a new EP later this year along with touring for it. this is the first song released off of it and it's quite good. can't wait to hear more.]
Estrangers - "Love's Pure Light" [from their forthcoming LP. they'll be at the flatiron here in greensboro this saturday night along with greensboro's eros and eschaton.]
Bleached - "Dreaming Without You" [from ride your heart which hasn't stopped being really awesome for me.]
the Replacements - "Portland" [from the 2008 re-issue of don't tell a soul. i took a look at the history of the song this week over at aquarium drunkard, so go check it out.]
>
Futurebirds - "Virginia Slims" [from the excellent new baba yaga. well worth hearing as it's a fantastic album.]
David Bowie - "The Stars (Are Out Tonight)" [by request. from the new album the next day. excellent stuff.]

That'll do it for this week. Hope you enjoy the Indie/Rock Roundtable, and I'll be back next week with more new and classic stuff. Until then, take care.

J's Indie/Rock Mayhem - 20th February 2013

[Welcome to another edition of J's Indie/Rock Mayhem. Ryan Snyder of YES Weekly stopped by for the Indie/Rock Roundtable. We talked new music from Mount Moriah and from Jim James of My Morning Jacket, so take a listen below and enjoy. I thought our conversation was pretty good. This, essentially marks the 2 year anniversary of Roundtable, by the way. Our first was back on January 26th, 2011 where Ryan and I split over our feelings on Destroyer's Kaputt (him: thumbs down; me: thumbs up) and both enjoyed Black Pistol Fire's self-titled record. Listen to this week's podcast below and hear us briefly discuss which one of us would change our votes if we talked about those records now. I was also joined by new trainee Will who took over the board during the second hour.

Next week, I'll be joined in studio by Caleb Caudle and Haley Dreis. They'll be playing at the Garage in Winston-Salem on Friday, March 1st as the local launch to their national tour. Can't wait to have Caleb up for his fifth visit on the show and Haley for her inaugural one!

Now, onward.]

J's Indie/Rock Podcast: 20th February 2013 show

Theme Song - Peaches - "Rock Show" [i never comment on this song, i realize, but in doing some old blog reading this week, i stumbled upon the fact that i've been using this as my official theme song for more than ten years now. i always mark my BMI sheets that this is my theme song, so i do hope that peaches has gotten a fair bit of radio royalties from me over the years. this is originally from her album the teaches of peaches.]
>
Veronica Falls - "Teenage" [from waiting for something to happen, already on my year-end best of list..and it's february!]
Sleeper - "Nice Guy Eddie" [from the it girl. still just a phenomenal song.]
Parquet Courts - "Borrowed Time" [from light up gold. they're playing tonight at the Blind Tiger. show starts at 10.]
Toddlers - "Independence Day" [from the 19 EP. played this by mistake, but hey, hearing toddlers isn't a bad thing at all.]

[Here's where Ryan and I jumped in to talk about Mount Moriah's Miracle Temple and Jim James' Regions of Light and Sound of God. Had a good time discussing both of these with Ryan. Take a listen to the podcast to hear the nuances of each, but the end results: Mount Moriah - J. and Ryan : (tentative) thumbs up; Jim James - J. and Ryan : thumbs up.]

Mount Moriah - "Bright Light" [from miracle temple.]
Mount Moriah - "Rosemary" [from miracle temple.]
Jim James - "State of the Art (A.E.I.O.U.)" [from regions of light and sound of god.]
Jim James - "Know Til Now" [from regions of light and sound of god.]
>
Johnny Marr - "The Right Thing Right" [from the new album the messenger. we'll hear more, but not a bad start.]
Television - "Foxhole" [from adventure. a record i will never stop loving. ever.]
Beach Fossils - "Careless" [from clash the truth. admittedly i thought this went well here because of the similarly titled song from that television album.]
Paul Westerberg - "Good Day" [from 1996's eventually. this past monday marked 18 years since the passing replacements founding member and lead guitarist bob stinson. i wrote about this song and its thematic predecessor over at aquarium drunkard this week so go check it out.]
>
Foxygen - "San Francisco" [from we are the 21st century ambassadors of peace & magic. love this song. will unquestionably be on my best-of singles show this year.]
the Go-Betweens - "Apology Accepted" [from liberty belle and the black diamond express. this is a band i've meant to listen to for years, but have not gotten around to until just recently and i love it. we'll hear more.]
Birds and Arrows - "Coyote" [from their new album coyotes. great north carolina music.]
Bleeding Rainbow - "Waking Dream" [from yeah right which, yeah, is a great album.]
>
Hayden - "Motel" [from us alone which is growing on me a good bit so far. but i'm a hayden fan, so there you go.]
the Stone Roses - "(Song for My) Sugar Spun Sister" [from their self-titled debut. alright guys. coming to north carolina on a U.S. tour...right?]
Ex Cops - "Spring Break (Birthday Song)" [from true hallucinations, another of my favorite albums of this year so far. we'll hear more.]

That'll do it for this week. We'll be back next week - though I'm not sure exactly in what time slot. I may be moving back to 6 PM EST, or I may be staying at 8 PM. I will let you know via Twitter and on the Facebook page, so make sure you check it out as Caleb Caudle and Haley Dreis will be joining us live in studio to play some tunes and talk their new tour. Until then, take care.

J's Indie/Rock Mayhem - 26th October 2011

[Welcome to another edition of J's Indie/Rock Mayhem. I had a certifiable blast with Ryan Snyder of YES Weekly this week doing our Indie/Rock Roundtable. We did our first hip-hop album, which ought to be good. I know my dalliances with hip-hop on the show are few and far between, but that's only because I don't play as much on the show as I actually enjoy listening to myself. We'll have one more Roundtable next month and then we'll have to find a way to have Ryan contribute to our best-of shows at the end of the year. Ought to be fun.

Next week will be a normal show, but two weeks from this week we'll have the fantastic Bombadil live on the show. They'll be coming down from Durham on the week of the release of their new record, All That the Rain Promises. I'm super excited to have those guys on the show, so it ought to be a good time.

Sadly, again this year, my show is a little too far out from Halloween to warrant the true Halloween treatment. Next year the show will be on Halloween which will, obviously, be awesome, but until then, you can revisit my Halloween mixtape/podcast from last year to get you in the Halloween spirit. Have a safe and fun time this year!

Now, while we can, onward.]

J's Indie/Rock Podcast: 26th October 2011 show

Theme Song - Peaches - "Rock Show"
>
Guided by Voices - "The Unsinkable Fats Domino" [from the forthcoming let's go eat the factory. i'll admit to being confused. i thought that the classic lineup's performance at the hopscotch festival this year was their last. and now that lineup is releasing a record in january? are they not touring behind it? i'm curious.]
Supergrass - "Richard III" [from in it for the money. oh, how i adore this record and wish more people remembered how awesome supergrass was.]
Blitzen Trapper - "Fletcher" [from american goldwing. this is a solid record, but it does sound a bit like the band on cruise control.]
Future of the Left - "Small Bones, Small Bodies" [from curses. they finally have a new album coming out later this year and the first single is floating around. we'll see about getting it for next week.]

[Here's where we spoke with Ryan Snyder about this month's records: Future Island's On the Water and Phonte's Charity Starts At Home. Ryan and I gave double thumbs up to both albums. Both are really good, especially the Future Islands record. Check out the songs in the podcast.]

Future Islands - "Balance" [from on the water.]
Future Islands - "Where I Found You" [from on the water.]
Phonte - "The Good Fight" [from charity starts at home.]
Phonte - "Eternally" [from charity starts at home.]
>
Surfer Blood - "Miranda" [from the new tarot classics EP. they'll be opening for the pixies at the war memorial auditorium on tuesday, november 8th. pretty exciting.]
St. Vincent - "Northern Lights" [from strange mercy. i'm really liking this new record - annie clark is on a roll.]
M83 - "New Map" [from hurry up, we're dreaming. i'm feeling a little silly for not having listened to m83 before because this record is superb.]
Matthew Sweet - "I Wanted to Tell You" [by request. from girlfriend which turned 20 years old on the day of my show. pretty exciting. if you didn't check out my interview with matthew sweet at aquarium drunkard last month, check it out.]
>
Tom Waits - "Get Lost" [from the new bad as me. it's really, really good. you can check out my review over at aquarium drunkard.]
Sleeper - "Inbetweener" [from smart. sleeper is another one of those bands that i feel was sadly overlooked during the britpop era. good, good songs.]
Estrangers - "Sprague" [from the forthcoming black ballroom which i mistitled "black balloon" on the show. whoops. they're playing tonight at the weatherspoon gallery at uncg and also at the green bean on saturday, november 19th along with adam thorn and jenny besetzt. can't wait to finally catch them live.]
Son Volt - "Medicine Hat" [from wide swing tremolo. i've always been a huge fan of this record, but i know it's not always a fav of son volt fants. any other wide-swing defenders out there?]
>
Big Troubles - "You'll Be Laughing" [from romantic comedy which, frankly, is fantastic. year-end best-of bound, for sure.]
the Byrds - "Lazy Days" [from the expanded edition of sweetheart of the rodeo. i've been reading twenty thousand roads: the ballad of gram parsons and his cosmic americana music by david n. meyer (a great read, by the way) and you'll probably be hearing a ton more of parsons related stuff the next few weeks. this is a song that saw a great (and in my opinion, superior) recording by the flying burrito brothers as well.]
the New Pornographers - "Jackie, Dressed in Cobras" [from twin cinema. one of my all time favorite new pornos songs.]
Ryan Adams - "Dirty Rain" [the lead track from the new fire and ashes. pretty good, all in all. i'm liking this record.]
>
Caithlin De Marrais - "Belong" [from the forthcoming red coats. i know there's no way i pronounced her name correctly on the show, but she's the former singer/guitarist for the excellent rainer maria. hopefully we'll hear more in the near future.]
Teenage Fanclub - "When I Still Have Thee" [from shadows. one of my absolutely favorite songs of this year. oh, teenage fanclub. why didn't you come to north carolina to tour this record?]

That'll do it for next week. I'll be back next week with more fantastic new music, so until then, take care and go, Cardinals! Win that Game 7! The 6 year-old inside me who was very, very upset about y'all losing game 7 to the Twins in 1987 needs redemption!

J's Indie/Rock Mayhem - 7th September 2011

[Welcome to another edition of J's Indie/Rock Mayhem. Finally, after a month's hiatus, Ryan Snyder of YES Weekly re-joined us for the monthly Indie-Rock Roundtable. You can check out our thoughts on the podcast and in an abbreviated version below. We also talked about this weekend's Hopscotch Music Festival in Raleigh and what we are looking forward to seeing. A pretty good show on the whole.

Fall semester gets its start on Monday, so on the off chance that my show gets moved, just look here for details. I should still be in the usual Wednesday 6pm - 8pm slot however. Stay tuned.

Now, onward.]

J's Indie/Rock Podcast: 7th September 2011 show

Theme Song - Peaches - "Rock Show"
>
Fountains of Wayne - "Someone's Gonna Break Your Heart" [from sky full of holes. yes, i know i've played this song to death. so we probably won't hear it again until year-end time. still. awesome.]
Bombadil - "Sad Birthday" [from tarpits and canyonlands. i'm super excited because hopscotch marks the return of bombadil after a lengthy hiatus. can't wait to see these guys.]
Toro Y Moi - "Still Sound" [from underneath the pine. another exciting performer at hopscotch.]
Drive-by Truckers - "Carl Perkins' Cadillac" [from the dirty south. the truckers are on the mainstage friday night along with the final performance of guided by voices' classic lineup. should be a great night.]

[Here's where Ryan and I sat in for the Indie-Rock Roundtable. This month we tackled new records from Mike Doughty, Yes and Also Yes, and Crooked Fingers, Breaks in the Armor. On the Doughty, we both gave it two NOs and the Crooked Fingers, two YESs. Once again we agree. We also talked up the Hopscotch lineup and who we're excited to check out. Take a listen.]

Mike Doughty - "Day By Day By" [from yes and also yes.]
Mike Doughty - "Telegenic Exes #2 (Astoria)" [also from yes and also yes.]
Crooked Fingers - "Typhoon" [from breaks in the armor.]
Crooked Fingers - "War Horses" [from breaks in the armor.]
>
Times New Viking - "Ever Falling in Love" [from dancer equired. another hopscotch performer.]
Guided by Voices - "Skills Like This" [from isolation drills. not from the era of GBV that is playing this weekend, but still good stuff.]
Black Lips - "Modern Art" [from arabia mountain. playing at the same time as j mascis this weekend. frustrating.]
Five Eight - "Your God is Dead To Me Now" [the title track from the athens, georgia band's latest.]
>
Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks - "Tigers" [from mirror traffic. good stuff.]
Sonic Youth - "The Empty Page" [from murray street, which is still one of my top 3 sonic youth albums. go ahead. tear me apart for it.]
PJ Harvey - "Let England Shake" [the title track from her latest which just won the mercury prize today. congrats, polly jean!]
Pulp - "Mis-Shapes" [from different class. don't know why this song specifically got in my head, but there you go.]
>
A.A. Bondy - "The Heart Is Willing" [from the new album believers which drops next week. it's really good, by the way. we'll hear more.]
Royal Bangs - "Faint Obelisk Two" [from flux outside. yet another hopscotch band.]
Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter - "Marble Son" [the title track from her latest and first in almost 4 years.]
the Jayhawks - "Smile" [the title track from their next to last album. not counting the forthcoming album due out later this year. exciting.]
>
Male Bonding - "Seems to Notice Now" [from endless now. pretty great record so far. we'll definitely hear more.]
Beneath Wind and Waves - "To Be Special" [from the album non-etre. pretty interesting and we'll hear more.]
John Prine - "Hello in There" [from his self-titled debut. pretty classic song, all in all.]

That'll do it for this week. I'll be back next week with more fantastic new and classic stuff. Until then, take care.

J's Indie/Rock Mayhem - 15th June 2011

[Welcome to another edition of J's Indie/Rock Mayhem. It's becoming a bit more random when we do this, but Ryan Snyder from YES Weekly stopped in again for this month's J's Indie/Rock Roundtable. We talked about new albums from the Rosebuds and Bon Iver and Ryan's recent trip out to Bonnaroo. All in all a good time and some great music, too.

Next week on the show we're going to be revisited by members of the Grand Ole Uproar who were with us back in early February. Sadly that show didn't record and those great live performances were lost into the ether. They'll be back next week along with members of Emily Stewart and Baby Teeth to talk about a show they have coming up next Wednesday at the Blind Tiger as well as play some live songs and give us a taste of what they're all about. Really looking forward to it as the last interview was a hoot.

Now, before the milk gets spilt, onward.]

J's Indie/Rock Podcast: 15th June 2011 show

Theme Song - Peaches - "Rock Show"
>
Fucked Up - "Ship of Fools" [from the new david comes to life which is absolutely stunning, to be honest. we'll be hearing a lot more from what is almost certainly bound for my year-end best-of list.]
the Replacements - "Kids Don't Follow" [from stink. just got done watching the new replacements documentary color me obsessed and i'm going to talk a lot more about that soon. so expect a lot of 'mats music in the weeks to come. as if you don't already..]
Black Lips - "Modern Art" [from the new arabia mountain. we'll be hearing more. this is a band i've sat on for too long, honestly.]
the Stranglers - "No More Heroes" [by request. the title track from their 1977 album. always gotta love having people call up and request the stranglers. good call, man.]

[Here's where Ryan Snyder and I broke out the Indie/Rock Roundtable again to discuss new releases from the Rosebuds, Loud Planes Fly Low, and Bon Iver's self-titled sophomore album. We also talked about his exploits at Bonnaroo and other upcoming summer festivals of note. A great time - so take a listen and see what we thought about the new albums.]

the Rosebuds - "Go Ahead" [from loud planes fly low.]
the Rosebuds - "Woods" [from loud planes fly low.]
Bon Iver - "Calgary" [from bon iver.]
Bon Iver - "Towers" [from bon iver.]
>
Battles - "Sweetie and Shag" [from the really astounding gloss drop which I am all about after getting my ears on it. we'll be hearing a lot more.]
Frank Black - "Los Angeles" [from his self-titled solo debut. thoughts on your favorite frank black solo records? i first heard him solo when teenager of the year came out and the lovely "headache" was all over 120 minutes, but i've also, ashamedly, never picked that record up.]
the Beastie Boys - "Nonstop Disco Powerpack" [another new one from hot sauce committee part 2. i'm feeling it. it's just good to have them back.]
Track a Tiger - "Glad to be Scattered" [from woke up early the day i died. this was one of my absolutely favorite singles of 2006 and it still bowls me over listening to it. just a note perfect song.]
>
the Roadside Graves - "Double Feature" [from the forthcoming we can take care of ourselves, a vinyl release on autumn tone records which is also a concept album centered around s.e. hinton's the outsiders. i love roadside graves. so. much.]
Pulp - "Razzamatazz" [by request. from intro: the gift recordings, this song also shows up as an unlisted bonus track on the u.s. version of his 'n' hers. really one of my favorite pulp songs of all time.]
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit - "Alabama Pines" [from here we rest. i'll admit that i kind of slept on this album because i was so underwhelmed by the last isbell album. i'm rethinking it after giving this song a listen. we'll hear more.]
Bash and Pop - "Tiny Pieces" [from fright night is killing me, the one and only record by this band, tommy stinson's first project post-replacements. it really is one of the best post-replacements projects by any of the members and it's a really tremendous album. worth hunting down as it is way, way out of print.]
>
Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks - "Senator" [from the forthcoming mirror traffic which will be out in august. this lead single is, really, pretty fantastic. you can grab it over at aquarium drunkard and take a listen.]
the Dream Syndicate - "That's What You Always Say" [from the days of wine and roses. really, people. if you don't own this record, you don't really like guitar rock and roll. and if you've never heard it, get on it.]
Frank Turner - "Peggy Sang the Blues" [from england keep my bones. this was a twitter recommendation from long-time listener lis over in glasgow, scotland. we'll be hearing a lot more as i'm quite digging it. thanks, lis!]
Fountains of Wayne - "Survival Car" [from their self-titled debut. told you i'd play "survival car" this week! love it.]
Jellyfish - "All I Want is Everything" [from their 1990 debut bellybutton. i was drawn into this band by listening so some of member jason falkner's solo work and it's pretty amazing psych-influenced early 90s, major label pop music. ah, the time when all manner of odd people could get major label deals. those were the days. well worth hearing.]

That's going to do it for this week. Join me next week for live talk and music from the Grand Ole Uproar and Emily Stewart and Baby Teeth. Until then, take care.

J's Indie/Rock Mayhem - 27th April 2011

[Welcome to another edition of J's Indie/Rock Mayhem. I had a number of special guests this evening. As always, joining us at the end of the month for the Indie/Rock Roundtable, was Ryan Snyder of YES Weekly. Also joining us during that segment was not one, not two, but THREE separate Emergency Broadcast System interruptions for tornado warnings. Those of you who catch the podcast and live elsewhere will get to hear the real-time hot severe weather action this week. Feel lucky.

Also, it was announce tonight that my other home on the web, Aquarium Drunkard, won the inaugural MTV O Music Award for Best Independent Music Blog. We were up against some really awesome blogs, so to have won this is pretty darn cool to say the least. Awesome job, AD crew.

Now, before it gets more turbulent up in here, onward.]

J's Indie/Rock Podcast: 27th April 2011 show

Theme Song - Peaches - "Rock Show"
>
Royal Bangs - "Back Then It Was Different" [from flux outside, already probably bound for my year-end best-of stuff. really solid record.]
Sugar - "Your Favorite Thing" [from file under easy listening. i'll always associate this song with the "i love you, toothbrush" sketch from the state. sadly it didn't make it onto the DVD version of the show. lousy copyrights.]
Dum Dum Girls - "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out" [from the new he gets me high EP. pretty awesome cover of the smiths' classic.]
Blur - "Charmless Man" [by request. from the great escape. whenever i reach for this album, i almost always default to playing "the universal," which is probably my favorite song on that album, but it's loaded with great songs. it's blur. naturally.]

[Here's where Ryan Snyder and I broke out the Indie/Rock Roundtable again. This month we discussed some things related to Record Store Day: a new EP from Ryan Adams and the Cardinals, Class Mythology, and a couple of 7" record covers - Built to Spill doing the Grateful Dead's "Ripple" and Mastodon doing ZZ Top's "Just Got Paid." We also discussed the perks of the upcoming Hopscotch Fest this September in Raleigh. All in all, a good time. Take a listen.]

Ryan Adams and the Cardinals - "Your Name Is On Fire" [from class mythology.]
Ryan Adams and the Cardinals - "Go Ahead and Rain" [from class mythology.]
Built to Spill - "Ripple" (live) [Record Store Day 7" single.]
Mastodon - "Just Got Paid" [Record Store Day 7" single.]
>
Drive-by Truckers - "Tornadoes" [from the dirty south. the reason for this song was two-fold. first, the truckers will be one of the big bands playing the hopscotch festival and two, crazy tornadoes were everywhere outside at the time, apparently. good choice for music.]
Jonny - "Circling the Sun" [from jonny which is now out. they're going to be at the cat's cradle on tuesday, june 14th, along with..]
Apex Manor - "The Party Line" [from the year of magical drinking. i cannot even tell you how excited i'm going to be for this show. power pop heaven.]
the Jayhawks - "Settled Down Like Rain" [from hollywood town hall. one of my favorite songs on this album. and it's followed immediately by "nevada, california," probably my favorite on the album. great sequencing.]
>
Five Eight - "Your God Is Dead to Me" [the title track from their latest. i got to see five eight for the first time last summer - also my first time really hearing them - and they blew me away. check out this fantastic interview with the band over at aquarium drunkard.]
KORT - "April's Fool" [from invariable heartache. another great band that will be at the hopscotch fest. cannot wait to see messr. wagner again.]
the Sea and Cake - "Monday" [from the moonlight butterfly. lovely little song that sounds like vintage sea and cake. enjoying this new EP.]
Bob Dylan - "4th Time Around" [from blonde on blonde. been revisiting this legendary album this week and so had to stick something on. this is one of my alltime favorite dylan tracks - probably in my top three along side "queen jane approximately" and "boots of spanish leather."]
>
X-ray Spex - "Oh Bondage! Up Yours!" [from the expanded edition of germ free adolescents. of course, this was the band's original debut single and didn't appear on that album in its original form. but with the sad and untimely death of poly styrene this week, it needed to come back out in tribute. rest in peace.]
the Flaming Lips - "Chosen One" (live) [from the flaming lips are providing needles for your balloons. this is them doing a live cover of a bill callahan song from the smog era. pretty awesome.]
Bill Callahan - "Free's" [and from his new album apocalypse, the man himself. i'm really digging on this album. gorgeous stuff. he'll be at local 506 in chapel hill on friday, july 15th.]
Paul Westerberg - "Things" [from 14 songs. i'm getting back into my tradition of closing with a 'mats/westerberg song. i like it. i think i'll keep it up for awhile.]

That'll do it for this week. I'll be back next week with more new music and, hopefully, 100% fewer storm warnings. Until then, take care.

J's Indie/Rock Mayhem - 30th March 2011

[Welcome to another edition of J's Indie/Rock Mayhem. Tonight, I was finally, thanks to a lack of ineptitude this month on my part, re-joined in the studio by Ryan Snyder, music editor at YES Weekly, for the Indie/Rock Roundtable. The last Wednesday of every month, we'll be reviewing two new records and talking about some random topic. Check out below to see what records we tackled and check out Ryan's excellent writing over at YES Weekly as well.

Now, while the going's good, onward.]

J's Indie/Rock Podcast: 30th March 2011

Theme Song - Peaches - "Rock Show"
>
New York Dolls - "Funky but Chic" [from the new dancing backward in high heels. this song was originally recorded on david johansen's 1978 self-titled solo record, so johansen and sylvain took it for another spin. not bad.]
Dream Theatre - "Home" [from metropolis pt. 2: scenes from a memory. i'm not going to offer any defense for playing dream theatre. this is for melissa.]
Dum Dum Girls - "Wrong Feels Right" [from the he gets me high EP. meanwhile, head on over to the AV club and check out the girls covering big star's "september gurls" for their undercover series.]
P.O.S. - "Graves (We Wrote Back)" [from never better. i am officially on watch for a new record from p.o.s. i still bump this album regularly.]

[Here's where I talked with Ryan Snyder of YES Weekly for our monthly J's Indie/Rock Roundtable. We goofed a little and skipped February, but Ryan will be joining us on the last Wednesday of each month to discuss two new albums and a random topic. This month, it's the Mountain Goat's new LP, All Eternals Deck and Broken Bells' new EP, Meyrin Fields. We also talked about kickin' it live with Prince this past week. Check out the podcast to hear our verdicts on all of this.]

the Mountain Goats - "Birth of Serpents" [from all eternals deck.]
the Mountain Goats - "Estate Sale Sign" [also from all eternals deck.]
Broken Bells - "Meyrin Fields" [the title track from the new EP.]
Broken Bells - "Windows" [also from the meyrin fields EP.]
>
Prince - "3121" (live) [from indigo nights, a nice little live show recorded back in 2008. ryan said he heard someone in a car blasting this on the stereo as he left the station, so a good sign overall.]
Obits - "I Want Results" [from moody, standard and poor. this new album finally dropped this week and i'm terribly excited. we'll be hearing a lot more.]
the Suicide Commandos - "Mosquito Crucifixion" [from make a record. early minneapolis punk circa 1978. this is the lone studio record the suicide commandos made, but man, is it scorching.]
Twilight Singers - "On the Corner" [from dynamite steps. more from their excellent new album. they'll be at the cat's cradle in carborro on saturday, may 7th.]
>
the Pains of Being Pure at Heart - "Belong" [the title track from their latest. a lot thicker, a lot louder and more rocking than previous efforts. we're going to be hearing a lot more. they're playing this saturday, april 2nd at the cat's cradle in carborro along with twin shadow.]
the Whigs - "Right Hand on My Heart" [from mission control. one of my favorite whigs songs of all time. they'll be at the blind tiger here in greensboro next tuesday, april 5th.]
Lake Isle - "Wake Up" [from the wake up EP. local boys who got the nod to open for the whigs next tuesday at the blind tiger. tear it up.]
Jonny - "I Want to Be Around" [from their self-titled debut. new work from euros childs of gorky's zygotic mynci and norman blake of teenage fanclub. the album will be out later in april and they'll be at the cat's cradle in carborro on tuesday, june 14th.]
>
Wye Oak - "The Altar" [from civilian. one of those slow burn records that grabs you from the beginning, but doesn't truly sink in for awhile.]
Wild Wild Geese - "King Rat" [from sorry, earth. band from durham, north carolina that has some pretty raucous rock on this record. we'll hear more.]
J. Mascis - "Several Shades of Why" [the title track from his newest solo release. the record sounds like acoustic dinosaur jr. which, i suppose, is about right. i'll probably play my favorite song from the record next week, a dark and longer song.]
Futurebirds - "Wild Heart" [from the forthcoming via flemina EP out on autumn tone records. a cover of a stevie nicks song from her second solo record. there's another cover on the album, too. maybe we'll hear that next week.]
>
T. Rex - "Baby Strange" [from the slider. i first heard this song via a live cover by the replacements. i should have followed this up with a 'mats song, shouldn't i have?]
REM - "(All I Have to Do Is) Dream" [from the athens ga. inside/out soundtrack. got this on vinyl at ed mckay's this week at a stupid low price for what it is. a legendary indie-rock documentary.]

That'll do it for the show this week. I'll be back next week with the usual two hours of rock and roll and lots of new and classic stuff. Until then, take care.

J's Indie/Rock Mayhem - 26th January 2011

[Welcome to another edition of J's Indie/Rock Mayhem. Tonight's episode was underscored by a bit of sadness as the country legend Charlie Louvin died Wednesday at the age of 83 from complications of pancreatic cancer. I got the opportunity to interview Louvin in 2009 for Aquarium Drunkard and he was one of the more fascinating interviews I've had the chance of conducting in my years with AD. I celebrated his memory in the second half of the show, so I hope you enjoy that.

Tonight was also the debut of the new J's Indie/Rock Roundtable, a new monthly feature where I discuss and critique new releases with Ryan Snyder, music editor at YES Weekly. We discussed the new Destroyer album, Kaputt and the self-titled debut from Black Pistol Fire. We also talked about the upcoming festival season with a focus on the Coachella Festival. We'll be doing this the last Wednedsay of each month. I'd love to hear your feedback on this feature, so if you have any suggestions about the segment and how we can improve it, leave your thoughts in the comments or feel free to email me.

Now, while Satan is real, onward.]

J's Indie/Rock Podcast: 26th January 2011 show

Theme Song - Peaches - "Rock Show"
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Apex Manor - "Under the Gun" [from the year of magical drinking which i reviewed over at aquarium drunkard this week. i really can't speak highly enough of this record, so the real question is: when are the east coast tour dates, ross? and how can we get you to greensboro?]
Brian Eno - "Burning Airlines Gives You So Much More" [from taking tiger mountain (by strategy), still one of the most original and awe inspiring records of modern music. if you've never dipped your toe in eno, you could do much worse than to start here.]
the Smith Westerns - "All Die Young" [from dye it blonde. i'll tell you, this could be the little record that could this year. these boys have some seriously fun songwriting chops on board here. it's nothing new, but how well they do it is really awesome.]
Jim White - "Handcuffed to a Fence in Mississippi" [from no such place. jim's going to be at the southeastern center for contemporary art (SECCA) in winston-salem on saturday, february 19th as part of the new crossroads series. we'll be hearing more and i really can't wait. it's been far too long since i've seen jim.]

[So here's where we began the inaugural J's Indie/Rock Roundtable with Ryan Snyder of YES Weekly. The pattern for the segment is this: introduce the record, play a song, discuss the album some, play another, wrap up discussion and give our final up or down, yea or nay. Repeat. We also discussed the upcoming festival season and the things we're excited to see, so all in all it was a good experience. I'd appreciate feedback on the section: too much talking, too little, too vague, too specific? Leave your thoughts in the comments.]

Destroyer - "Chinatown" [from kaputt which i also reviewed at aquarium drunkard this week. all in all i really like this record, and i was happy that ryan and i came at this record from two different perspectives: one of us a fan, one of us decidedly not a fan.]
Destroyer - "Song for America" [also from kaputt.]
Black Pistol Fire - "Suffocation Blues" [from their self-titled debut due out in mid-february. an austin-by-way-of-canada duo that has put a nice little stamp on some bluesy rock and roll. take a listen to our conversation and see what you think.]
Black Pistol Fire - "Jezebel Stomp" [from their self-titled album.]
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the Veils - "The Stars Came Out When the Lights Went Out" [from the new troubles of the brain EP. i do so love the veils and it makes me quite happy that they've released this new EP. but where's the full length, finn? don't tease us.]
the Afghan Whigs - "Uptown Again" [from 1965. i'm licking my chops in anticipation of the new twilight singers record as well. february is going to be a good month for new releases.]
Lucinda Williams - "Convince Me" [from the forthcoming blessed. it looks like i'm going to get a chance to interview ms. williams. stay tuned.]
Josh Ritter - "Right Moves" [from the historical conquests of josh ritter. you know, it's been too long since i've seen messr. ritter and band live. i need to fix that, posthaste.]
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Caleb Caudle and the Bayonets feat. Caitlin Cary - "I Don't Think Heaven Would Take Us (If It Couldn't Have Us Both)" [a new single from the bayonet boys featuring a duet between caleb and caitlin cary! really awesome, guys. caleb and the boys will be at krankies in winston-salem this saturday, january 29th.]
Dirty Gold - "California Sunrise" [from the forthcoming roar EP being released on autumn tone records. check out the video at AD and you can pick up the single on iTunes now.]
Birds of Avalon - "Invasion" [from their self-titled record. seriously, this might be one of the great rock and roll records of this year.]
the Jayhawks - "The Man Who Loved Life" [from sound of lies, one of my favorite jayhawks records. one of my first pieces for AD was about that album.]
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the Louvin Brothers - "Satan is Real" [the title track from one of the greatest records in country music. the harmonies between charlie and ira are just otherworldly at times and this song is one of countless examples of it.]
the Byrds - "The Christian Life" [from sweetheart of the rodeo. gram parsons-era byrds covered this louvin classic. it wouldn't be the last time parsons would dip his toe in the louvin's inspirational river, but it certainly ranks as one of the finest moments.]
Uncle Tupelo - "Great Atomic Power" [from march 16-20, 1992. this might have been my introduction to the louvins, but i think that's probably the case for a lot of younger country fans who got into the music via alt-country. of it's time and yet transcending it.]
Charlie Louvin - "Ira" [from his 2007 self-titled record. a touching, beautiful song about his late brother, some 42 years after his death. the aged and still powerful voice of charlie louvin is simply magical. it still gives me chills listening to this song.]
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Filthybird - "Gravity" [from songs for other people. great greensboro rock and roll.]

That'll do it for this week. I'll be back next week with a normal, two-hour extravaganza of new and classic music. Until then, take care.