J's Indie/Rock Mayhem - 19th February 2014

[Welcome to another edition of J's Indie/Rock Mayhem. I think this week's show is pretty spectacular - probably doesn't hurt that two weeks of new releases were saved up after last week's show was scrambled by the winter weather. But that's how it goes.

That said, this is a pretty excellent week. Tons of new stuff and some great classics and we remember two departed people from the last week.

Now, onward.]

J's Indie/Rock Podcast: 19th February 2014 show

Theme Song - Peaches - "Rock Show"
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St. Vincent - "Digital Witness" [from her new self-titled record which is out next week. this reminds me, sound wise, of her record with david byrne from last year, and i suppose that shouldn't surprise me, but it is good. we'll hear more.]
Sixteen Horsepower - "Dead Run" [from low estate. i'm probably going to be in a sixteen horsepower/gun club mood the next few weeks, so be ready.]
Speedy Ortiz - "Everything's Bigger" [from the real hair EP. this band is just getting better. love the production on this record.]
the Buzzcocks - "Harmony in My Head" [from singles going steady. maybe my favorite buzzcocks song. it's way up there at the very least.]
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the Men - "Different Days" [from their forthcoming album tomorrow's hits. these guys are reaching almost pollardian levels of production. an album a year since 2010 including this one. i approve when they're this consistently good.]
Beastie Boys - "Remote Control" [by twitter request from hello nasty. clemens from hannover, germany sent this request in and i was only happy to oblige.]
together Pangea - "Badillac" [by request, the title track from their new album. haven't heard these guys before, but i dig this song, so we'll probably hear more.]
the Clash - "Remote Control" [from their self-titled debut. when i got the beasties request, i thought of this song as well, so there you go.]
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Temples - "Shelter Song" [from their new album sun structures. we'll definitely hear more of this - it's a retro sounding album, but in a good way.]
the Lemonheads - "The Great Big NO" [from come on feel the lemonheads. the first half of this album - or the first six songs at least - is just tremendous. and then "style" starts that weird back half that has some amazing songs and some clunkers. i've never seen a record that is such a mess solely because of one half of an album and not the whole thing.]
Guided by Voices - "Some Things are Big (and Some of Them Are Small)" [from their new album motivational jumpsuit. speaking of pollardian releases, this is GBV's fifth album since january of 2012. and then there was that pollard solo record, too. sheesh.]
"Weird Al" Yankovic - "King of Suede" [from "weird al" in 3-D. i have a lot of respect for "weird al," but this is my favorite record of his. there's something totally classic about it. especially this song.]
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the Afghan Whigs - "Algiers" [from their forthcoming album do to the beast. the "be my baby" drums that open this song are inspired and i am super excited for the full record in april.]
J's Indie/Rock My First Time - Scott Maynard: [a member of rock plaza central who tells a great story about his first show in canada.]
Rock Plaza Central - "Are We Not Horses?" [the title track from their 2006 album. this is just such a mind blowing record. i miss this band.]
Colleens - "Maybe We'll Fall In Love" [from the wild dreams EP. we'll hear more from them as it's sounding good.]
Kudzu Wish - "Afraid of the Bomb" [from en route. 4/5ths of this band were WQFS djs and managers, so, you know, gotta crank up the old greensboro jams.]
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Lydia Loveless - "To Love Somebody" [from somewhere else. seriously, people, this is one of this year's best records so far. we'll be hearing a lot more.]
Pulp - "Mis-Shapes" [from different class. this record will be 20 years old  next year. sigh.]
Phantogram - "Never Going Home" [from voices. i'm new really to listening to these guys, but this is a pretty great song.]
That Petrol Emotion - "It's a Good Thing" [from manic pop thrill. oh, post-punk. how good you were/are.]
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Beck - "Blue Moon" [from his forthcoming album morning phase. the new beck album that has been getting comparisons to mutations and sea change and, yeah, we'll hear more. it's beck.]
Blair - "Rampage" [from die young. still love this record and these songs.]
Angel Olsen - "Hi-Five" [from burn your fire for no witness. i'm already digging this more than her low-key predecessors. we'll hear more.]
Aztec Camera - "Oblivious" [from high land, hard rain. this album, which turned 30 last year, is getting a big reissue. i'm more of a fan of some of the later aztec camera albums, but their debut is still pretty solid.]
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Bleeding Rainbow - "So You Know" [from their forthcoming album interrupt. another band cranking out releases. excited to hear more from these folks.]
the Rosebuds - "Woods" [from loud planes fly low. we played the hell out of this song at wqfs when this album dropped. good stuff.]
Cibo Matto - "Check In" [from hotel valentine. their first album in fifteen years. i'm still digesting it, but they still make intriguing music.]
Quilt - "Arctic Shark" [from held in splendor. i may have misspoken about their album name on the air. if so, sorry. really good album.]
Hurray for the Riff Raff - "The Body Electric" [from small town heroes. i really like this song, lyrically, a lot. we'll hear more.]
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Devo - "Uncontrollable Urge" [from q: are we not men? a: we are devo! for the second time in less than a year, i have to play a devo song because a member of the band died. this time it's guitarist bob casale who died at the age of 61. really sad.]
Elvis Hitler - "Green Haze" [from disgraceland. and this is for mary grace canfield, the great character actress who died at the age of 89. probably best known as ralph monroe on green acres, one of my favorite tv shows when i was a kid. rest in peace, both of you.]

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

J's Indie/Rock Mayhem - 8th January 2014

[Welcome to the first J's Indie/Rock Mayhem of 2014. It's still early in the year, so we're a bt short on new releases yet, but that will start ramping up in coming weeks. In the meantime, I get to do a bit more exploring with deeper catalogue stuff. Or, you know, whatever came up on random on my mp3 player over the break. More new releases will be coming in the next few weeks - including a couple of awesome re-issues that I talk about below, so have no fear.

So, let's get started. Onward.]

J's Indie/Rock Podcast: 8th January 2014 show

Theme Song - Peaches - "Rock Show"
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Brendan Benson - "I Don't Wanna See You Anymore" [from you were right. this came out in early december, but it's still a relatively recent release. enjoying it, as usual, from mr. benson.]
the History of Apple Pie - "Tug" [from out of view. i went back and forth about whether this or "mallory" should be on my year-end singles list, so here's this one since the other won out.]
the Bayonets - "She's Not Failed Me Yet" [from driver. going back to the last bayonets record for this great song. caleb caudle is getting ready to put the finishing touches on is new solo record for later this year. excited to hear it.]
School of Seven Bells - "Windstorm" [from disconnect from desire. benjamin curtis of school of seven bells passed away on new year's eve after a long struggle with cancer - he was 35. really young to die of that. rest in peace, benjamin.]
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Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks - "Cinnamon and Lesbians" [from wig out at jagbags. digging the new malkmus album so far. we'll hear more.]
Stereolab - "I'm Going Out of My Way" [from transient random-noise bursts with announcements. my mp3 player gifted me with this one back to back with the next track which was a nice segue, actually.]
Wire - "The 15th" [from 154. yeah, i tought these two went well together. so there you go. classic wire.]
the Replacements - "Talent Show" [from don't tell a soul. and one of the best songs written by westerberg, so quite a set here.]
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Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings - "Stranger to my Happiness" [from give the people what they want. sharon jones returns from her own battle with cancer for this new record. sounding good so far.]
Jim White - "Rambler" [from sounds of the americans. this song still cracks me up whenever i listen to it. good stuff from jim white.]
Tom Waits - "Chocolate Jesus" (live) [from the vh1 storytellers concert. this is the story and performance of the song from waits' appearance on storytellers back in 1999 or so.  you never see this replayed, but he tells some awesome stories. whether they're true or not is another story.]
Patterson Hood - "Disappear" [from heat lightning rumbles in the distance. one of my favorite singles of 2012. still am mightily moved by this song.]
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Toad the Wet Sprocket - "The Moment" [from new constellation. the new single off of their album from last year. it builds a little slow, but i like where it ends up.]
the Chameleons - "Perfume Garden" [from what does anything mean basically? if you don't love the chameleons, well, go get on it. you've got some great albums to listen to.]
De La Soul - "Eye Know" [from three feet high and rising. so tre mason scored a touchdown for auburn in the national championship game the other night. had no idea he was maseo from de la soul's son. i'm feeling old.]
J's Indie/Rock My First Time - Kurt Wagner: [A rebroadcast from my interview with Kurt back in 2008. I'll be talking with him next week about the upcoming reissue of Lambchop's Nixon later this year.]
Lambchop - "If Not I'll Just Die" [from mr. m, the most recent lambchop record from 2012. good, gorgeous stuff.]
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Roman Candle - "Every Time" [from debris. we heard one song off of this record a bit in the later part of last year, but here's another from their excellent latest.]
T. Rex - "Seagull Women" [from their self-titled album. can't argue with t. rex showing up on your mp3 player.]
Blur - "All Your Life" [from the expanded version of their self-titled record from the 21 box set. this was originally a b-side for the "beetlebum" single. one of the greatest blur songs not to make an album.]
Richard Hawley - "Valentine" [from lady's bridge. richard hawley's voice is just without peer. there's nothing quite like it.]
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Lucinda Williams - "Side of the Road" [from her self-titled album. the reissue of this album is due out later this month. just tremendous stuff.]
Speedy Ortiz - "Tiger Tank" [by request from major arcana. always love twitter requests that i can fulfill live on the show.]
the Decemberists - "January Hymn" [from the king is dead. thought this would be appropriate what with it being january and all.]
Vic Chesnutt - "Debriefing" [from north star deserter. was thinking about vic of course over christmas where it's been four years since he took his life. i miss his music greatly, but what he left behind is still amazing.]
Vashti Bunyan - "Lately" [from lookaftering. from her 2005 comeback album. have a friend on facebook who has been wigging out over her lately so it got kind of in my head. so there you go.]
Bruce Springsteen - "Youngstown" [from the ghost of tom joad. i disagree with steven hyden and think this is a remarkable record, but to each their own.]

That'll do it for this week. Next week I'll be back with more new music and classics as well. Until then, take care.

J's Indie/Rock Mayhem - 25th September 2013

[Welcome to another edition of J's Indie/Rock Mayhem. A fantastic show - especially a few key sets, lordhavemercy. Hope you enjoy.

I'll be joined next week by Nathan Arizona and the New Mexicans. You have heard them on the show before and there's a new song on this week's episode as well. Look forward to having them on.

Now, onward.]

J's Indie/Rock Podcast: 25th September 2013 show

Theme Song - Peaches - "Rock Show"
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Obits - "Spun Out" [from their latest, bed + bugs. really digging it so far, but then again, it is obits. what else would i expect?]
Nirvana - "Scentless Apprentice" [from in utero. really into the massive 20th anniversary re-issue of this that came out this week. reminded me of why i still love this record even though, as mad dog once said, "i just don't have that bad a day anymore."]
Frankie Rose - "Street of Dreams" [from her new album herein wild. now sure exactly how i feel it stacks up to last year's interstellar yet, but we'll see.]
Tiger Bear Wolf - "You Play Guitar" [from their self-titled 2005 album. to be fair, this is actually an instrumental track plus "you play guitar" which run together on the album proper. but still just genuinely terrific. this is one of my favorite sets of the night.]
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Potty Mouth - "The Spins" [from hell bent. another band whose name i sort of dislike, but i like the music so far. we'll hear more.]
Midnight Oil - "Stars of Warburton" [from blue sky mining. this is one of my all-time favorite midnight oil songs (and that's a tough list to climb, by the way), so yeah.]
J's Indie/Rock My First Times - Gary Numan: Click here to listen. i interviewed gary numan for aquarium drunkard and he did me the favor of telling the story of his first concert. it's a doozy, too, with nazareth and a young numan going down for the count on three separate occasions. take a listen.]
Gary Numan - "Love Hurt Bleed" [from his new album splinter (songs from a broken mind) which will be out in october. pretty good stuff.]
Fountains of Wayne - "Someone's Gonna Break Your Heart" [from sky full of holes. one of my all-time favorite fountains of wayne songs, so i am still bummed that the one time i saw them, on tour for this album, they didn't play it. sheesh.]
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Jacuzzi Boys - "Double Vision" [from their new self-titled album. digging this record a good bit. i feel like their name makes them sound like douchebags, but the music redeems.]
Drive-by Truckers - "Shut Up and Get On the Plane" [from southern rock opera. always a highlight when the truckers play it live. it has been years, no doubt, since i've played it on the show.]
the Love Language - "First Shot" [from ruby red. the love language are going to be playing, along with estrangers, at the upcoming SECCA crossroads series installment on thursday, october 17th. tickets are available now over at their website.]
Warren Zevon - "Play It All Night Long" [from bad luck streak in dancing school. back at the beginning of september marked ten years since warren zevon died. he is still missed. this song, i love, and it's an off-and-on standard of drive-by truckers concerts, too.]
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CHVRCHES - "The Mother We Share" [from their new album the bones of what you believe. digging this stuff, even if it's a bit slick at times. they'll be at the orange peel in asheville on saturday, november 30th.]
Kim Fowley - "Something New" [from 1973's international heroes. kim has a new autobiography/memoir called lord of garbage that is out. it covers the first 30 years of his life, up through his tenure in the 60s as a music producer.]
White Hills - "Forever in Space (Enlightened)" [from so you are...so you'll be. pretty interesting psychedelic stuff. we probably won't hear a ton - all the tracks, like this one, are a bit lengthy - but i like this kind of stuff, so do indulge on occasion.]
Lucinda Williams - "Sundays" (live) [one of the bonus tracks from an earlier remastered edition of her self-titled album. she was tremendous last week at the haw river ballroom, by the way, and if you can catch her live with this current live-band iteration, you really should.]
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Surfer Blood - "Demon Dance" [from this year's pythons. they'll be at the visulite theatre in charlotte on monday, september 30th and at the cat's cradle in carborro on tuesday, october 1st.]
Langhorne Slim and the Law - "Bad Luck" [from their most recent album, the way we move. they'll be at the haw river ballroom in saxapahaw tonight, friday, september 27th.]
Nathan Arizona and the New Mexicans - "Reality TV" [from the new shake EP. they'll be on my show next week.]
Weekend - "July" [from their latest album jinx. they'll be at local 506 in chapel hill this saturday, september 28th.]
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Radical Dads - "Mountain Town" [from their latest rapid reality. this may be my sleeper album of the year in terms of just, well, having never heard of them until i stumbled upon this album. very, very good.]
Mary Lou Lord - "Baby Blue" [the title track from her 2004, and sadly most recent, album. got this stuck in my head earlier this week and, well, there you go.]
Beady Eye - "Iz Rite" [one of my absolute favorite songs from BE. this album almost certainly won't be on my year-end albums list, but this song will make the singles list for sure.]
Vic Chesnutt - "Coward" [from 2009's at the cut. still miss you, vic.]

That'll do it for this week. Join me next week as we have Nathan Arizona and the New Mexicans live in studio and lots of great new music as well. Until then, take care.

J's Indie/Rock Mayhem - 31st July 2013

[Welcome to another edition of J's Indie/Rock Mayhem. This week's show was something else. The new and classic music just worked so well together, I came out of the show more energized than when I went in. Truly a fantastic week and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Don't forget that there's a little less than three weeks remaining in the podcast fundraising. Go check out the blog post that gives you all the info and the PayPal link for donating to the podcast. My goal is to keep the podcast funded for the next year and I can definitely do that with your help. I'm still about $375 short of that goal, so let's make it happen in the next few weeks. Share the podcast with friends if you've been enjoying it and help spread the word about the awesome stuff going on weekly.

Now, onward.]

J's Indie/Rock Podcast: 31st July 2013 show

Theme Song - Peaches - "Rock Show"
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FF - "Found Out" [from their self-titled album. i'm a little late on this this year, but i really like this song. we'll probably hear more for sure.]
the New York Dolls - "Dance Like a Monkey" [from one day it will please us to remember even this. got this stuck in my head earlier this week and even watching the fantastic video didn't exorcise it. hopefully this helped.]
King Khan and the Shrines - "Born to Die" [from idle no more. can't wait to hear the rest of the record as i'm digging this song. welcome back, king.]
Blur - "Death of a Party" [from their self-titled 1997 album. this song still just thrills me in such tremendous ways. i loved this opening set.]
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Weekend - "It's Alright" [from jinx. these folks are on slumberland which makes me automatically sit up and take a listen. i'm digging this, so we'll hear more.]
Depeche Mode - "I Feel You" [from songs of faith and devotion. this is one of my favorite depeche mode songs of all time. not sure why - just love it.]
the Love Language - "Golden Age" [from ruby red. digging the new love language record and looking forward to seeing them at hopscotch next month.]
the Ramones - "Daytime Dilemma (Dangers of Love)" [from too tough to die. every now and then i get on a jones for this record and there's a good reason why - it's great.]
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Perhapst - "Sorry & Shame" [from revise your maps. perhapst is john moen, drummer for the decemberists, and if the rest of the record is as ridiculously catchy as this, i've got a year-end best of record for sure.]
Bash and Pop - "Tiny Pieces" [from friday night is killing me. i do wish bash and pop had managed to make one more album. this one is so good.]
Summer Cannibals - "Wear Me Out" [from no make up. this record is out next week but you can stream this and a couple of other songs over at their bandcamp page. for real. this band is excellent.]
Patti Smith - "Summer Cannibals" [from gone again. and the song the previous band was named after. good call, guys.]
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Eros and the Eschaton - "Over and Over" [from home address for civil war. their new album is out later this month on bar/none record and it's really, really good. the band is gonig to be on the show in two weeks talking about the new album, so make sure you catch that.]
the Jayhawks - "Waiting for the Sun" [from hollywood town hall. classic jayhawks. could i love them more?]
Ka - "Barring the Likeness" [from the night's gambit. this record already has me pretty mesmerized. love ka's delivery. we'll be hearing more.]
J's Indie/Rock My First Times - Shana Falana: Click here to listen. [we hadn't done a 'first time' in awhile, so when i went to see shana falana back in june in durham, she was nice enough to do one for me.]
Shana Falana - "In the Light" [the title track from last year's fantastic EP. just a great EP. cannot wait to hear more new music from her.]
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Jackson Scott - "Together Forever" [from melbourne. more new music from this asheville, north carolina musician. pretty interesting stuff.]
Hot Snakes - "This Mystic Decade" [from audit in progress. i miss hot snakes. i love obits, too, but i miss hot snakes.]
Crash of Rhinos - "Sum of All Parts" [from knots. hadn't heard of these guys untilt his week, but we'll definitely hear more. was digging this song.]
Marah - "Round Eye Blues" [from kids in philly. one of my many favorites from the excellent 2000 album from this band.]
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Jacuzzi Boys - "Double Vision" (single edit) [from their forthcoming self-titled album which will be out in early september. good stuff.]
Sleater-Kinney - "Turn It On" [from dig me out. it has been awhile since i played anything from this particular sleater-kinney record on the show. god, it still melts my face.]
Hebronix - "Viral" [from the new album unreal. i really like this song. new music from the departed frontman of yuck.]
Homeboy Sandman - "Musician" [from all that i hold dear. "no disrespect to bob dylan / but respect madvillain" may be one of my favorite couplets of the year.]
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the Cairo Gang - "Tiny Rebels" [the title track from their latest. really like the droning, repetitive guitar notes in this song. it's kind of hypnotic.]
Jim White - "Ghost Town of My Brain" [from no such place. anytime i listen to this song, the percussion lulls me into an image of a train sneaking across the land ("a coal train headed south") and it's just perfect. there are many reasons i love jim white's music, but this song is way up the list.]

That's going to do it for this week. I'll be back next week with more good stuff, so until then, take care.

J's Indie/Rock Mayhem - 20th April 2011

[Welcome to another edition of J's Indie/Rock Mayhem. Sorry for the unintentional hiatus last week, but life comes up sometimes. It was nice to get back to the studio and lay down some of the awesome new stuff.

Next week will be the monthly Indie/Rock Roundtable with Ryan Snyder from YES Weekly as we talk about some new music and new music news. Pretty exciting on the whole. Always fun to talk with Ryan about what's going on.

Now, while we can, onward.]

J's Indie/Rock Podcast: 20th April 2011 show

Theme Song - Peaches - "Rock Show"
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R.E.M. - "Alligator, Aviator, Autopilot, Antimatter" [by twitter request. from collapse into now. i haven't played much off of this album because, well, it's rem and they really don't need my help, but it is a pretty solid late-career entry for them.]
Verbena - "Me and Yr Sister" [from la musica negra. ran across my CD copy of this album the other day and decided to play this song, one of my favorites. as i said on twitter during the show, it feels like my own listening preferences evolved with a.a. bondy's songwriting - from loud rock and roll to more dark americana. it's been a good relationship as listener to artist.]
Apex Manor - "Teenage Blood" [from the year of magical drinking. i would like to humbly request that apex manor get their awesome asses to greensboro, north carolina and play a show. if you don't enjoy this song, you have no soul. i know i say that about a lot of things, but darn it, it's true.]
10,000 Maniacs - "Scorpio Rising" [from the wishing chair. it's probably odd to talk about 10,000 maniacs rocking that much, but this song and this album has some pretty amazing moments on it in terms of rockability.]
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Eddie the Wheel - "Nearsayerfive" [from he's a scream. we'll have to hear more, because honestly, this stuff is great. band from athens, georgia that i was hipped to via my boys at aquarium drunkard.]
Sleater-Kinney - "Turn it On" [from dig me out. so while i'm still waiting for the wild flag record to drop, let's go back and grab some classic sleater-kinney.]
Hammer No More the Fingers - "Steam" [from black shark. seriously. you guys need to put your ears on this record. this is good, good rock and roll.]
David Johansen - "Funky but Chic" [from his self-titled solo record from 1978. i had to revisit the original version of this after playing the re-recorded version from the latest new york dolls record the other week.]
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Jonny - "Wich is Wich" [from their self-titled record that dropped last week. did an interview with norman blake of jonny/teenage fanclub on tuesday and it'll be up in its entirety on aquarium drunkard soon. in the meantime..]
J's Indie/Rock First Times - Norman Blake [..here's a snippet from the interview that won't be on the write-up. an exclusive for this show as blake talks about his first show which he doesn't remember going to as he was all of one year old at best: the kinks. great story.]
Teenage Fanclub - "I Don't Want Control of You" [from songs from northern britain. and in addition, some excellent teenage fanclub as well. one of my favorite of blake's contributions to the band over the years.]
Dirty Gold - "California Sunrise" [from roar. their new EP is quite dynamite and you should pick it up. for real. these kids are how old again? jeez.]
Aztec Camera - "The Crying Scene" [from stray. i wrote a piece about this album over at aquarium drunkard this week and it is a true favorite of mine.]
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Kurt Vile - "Jesus Fever" [from smoke ring for my halo. frank got this one up to me and it's well worth hearing, as is the rest of the album.]
the Jayhawks - "Haywire" [from sound of lies. one of the first pieces i wrote for aquarium drunkard was about this album and it remains my favorite jayhawks record.]
Futurebirds - "Via Flamina" [the title track from their new EP. the autumn tone records re-issue of their self-titled EP is up for digital download now as well. go get it. ]
XTC - "Sgt. Rock (Is Going to Help Me)" [by request. from black sea. one of my favorite XTC albums. see, twice this week twitter requests got played. get your requests in to me over at twitter!]
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Gardens and Villa - "Black Hills" [from their self-titled LP. another band i was hipped to via aquarium drunkard this week.]
Dwight Yoakam - "Guitars, Cadillacs" [from guitars, cadillacs, etc. etc. this song never fails to put me in a great mood. never. so naturally i pull it out with some regularity here on the show.]
Wye Oak - "Civilian" [the title track from their latest. one of the best records i've heard this year. it just gets better with each listen.]
Rain Parade - "You Are My Friend" [from the explosions in the glass palace EP. the first release post-dave roback, but man, it still fires on all cylinders. love this band.]
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Royal Bangs - "Grass Helmet" [from flux outside. for the concert calendar set this week, i played all bands who will be at the hopscotch festival in raleigh this fall. the lineup was announced this week and it's pretty exciting to say the least. i will love seeing royal bangs, for one.]
the Old Ceremony - "Tender Age" [the title track from their latest. one of the best things about hopscotch is how it features so many great north carolina artists and here's just one example of the many awesome ones who will be there.]
J. Mascis - "Several Shades of Why" [the title track from his latest. pretty excited that mascis will be at hopscotch also.]
Drive-by Truckers - "Strutter" [the truckers will be there and why not play their awesome cover of kiss' "strutter" also? yup. next week, maybe i'll play another cover of "strutter" just to keep the ball rolling.]
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TV on the Radio - "Will Do" [from the new nine types of light record. sadly, just yesterday, tv on the radio bass player gerard smith died from lung cancer. i had the pleasure of seeing tv on the radio play at gate city noise back when their first EP had just been released and it was quite a unique experience. rest in peace.]
the Kinks - "Oklahoma USA" [from muswell hillbillies. a gorgeous song and it seemed to hit the right tone following tv on the radio.]
Bill Callahan - "Baby's Breath" [from the new album apocalypse. callahan can be a bit of work to wrap your head around at times - he's a unique artist - but i really like this song. grab it at aquarium drunkard.]
the Replacements - "Answering Machine" [maybe i should go back to doing the 'mandatory 'mats' like i used to do at the end of shows. always fitting to go out with something from the best rock and roll band of the past 30 years.]

That'll do it for this week. I'll be back next week with Ryan Snyder from YES Weekly for the Indie-Rock Roundtable. Make sure you tune in for that and until then, take care.

J's Indie/Rock Mayhem - 2nd September 2009

[Welcome to another edition of J's Indie/Rock Mayhem. We're in the middle of training schedule here at WQFS, so I was joined in-studio by trainee Parker. He took over the board during the second hour, but I was telling him everything to play because, yes, I'm controlling. He did a good job, so I'm sure you'll be hearing him on the air this fall.

I'm playing a set of my original music this Friday, September 4th, at the First Fridays Indie Market down on the corner of Elm St. and Martin Luther King (near the bust of MLK) downtown. I'll be playing from 5pm - 6pm, so come on down and say howdy and listen to some of my stuff. I might be playing again later in the evening, but that's not certain right now, so make sure you catch me at 5pm if you're planning on coming down.

Now, since my fantasy football draft is completed, onward.]

J's Indie/Rock Podcast: 2nd September 2009

Theme Song - Peaches - "Rock Show"
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Polvo - "Right the Relation" [from in prism which finally came out this week. and yes, it's as good as they're saying. very, very good.]
Pulp - "The Night That Minnie Timperley Died" [from we love life, their last album before going on permanent hiatus. that's the nice way of avoiding breaking up properly, i suppose.]
Ladyhawke - "My Delirium" [from her self-titled album. this song is ridiculously catchy and may be one of my singles of the year - i'm certainly behind on getting on it. and i love the video. it's such a great update on such a classic 80s sound that it's brilliantly original.]
Obits - "Fake Kincade" [from i blame you. great, great song and really one of the best albums of this year, too.]
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the Mountain Goats - "Psalms 40:2" [from the forthcoming the life of the world to come. every song on the record is named after a biblical passage and is a lot more stripped down than the most recent mountain goats records. but it's really sharp.]
the Replacements - "Who's Gonna Take Us Alive" [a let it be-era track that was a favorite of mine from the cassette bootleg days. the internet has made it so much less..exciting..in certain ways, to find stuff like this.]
Art Brut - "The Replacements" [from art brut vs. satan. waxing self-detrimentally about only just now getting into the replacements. i was totally into them back in 1996. you know. five years after they'd broken up.]
the Minus 5 - "Scott Walker's Fault" [from killingsworth. excellent song from the new album, featuring colin meloy on vocals. the minus 5 and the steve wynn IV will be at the cat's cradle in carborro on saturday, september 26th. ought to be fun.]
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J's Indie/Rock First Times - Vic Chesnutt - Click to Listen [i did an interview with vic chesnutt that you can read over at aquarium drunkard and he was kind enough to do a my first time piece for me. ah, the power of rock and roll. and breasts. mostly breasts.]
Vic Chesnutt - "Philip Guston" [from the forthcoming at the cut. at the aquarium drunkard interview, you can get an exclusive download of this song. the new album is dynamite. seriously.]
Blur - "The Universal" [from the great escape. the first blur album i bought and still one of my favorite blur singles. great video, too.]
Decoration Ghost - "The Haze of Wine and Age" [one the demo recordings from their work with snuzz. if you didn't catch the live performance of the band on the show last week, well, it's not too late.]
Patterson Hood - "Back of a Bible" [from murdering oscar (and other love songs). threw this song on a mix CD this week for someone and was reminded just how good this solo record is.]
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Birdmonster - "Forever Gone" [from blood memory. new birdmonster! terribly exciting when unexpected things wind up in your inbox. look forward to hearing more.]
Steely Dan - "My Old School" [from countdown to ecstacy. this was easily one of the most fun songs i've ever played on rock band. seriously. play some steely dan on that game and see how much fun you have.]
Wye Oak - "For Prayer" [from the knot. more from their excellent sophomore album.]
the Roadside Graves - "Far and Wide" [from my son's home. as i said on the podcast, i've been reading tweet after tweet where people see these guys live and are completely converted into fans. i was the same way. although, honestly, the record did it for me pretty much first.]
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A.A. Bondy - "A Slow Parade" [from when the devil's loose. new bondy hit the stores yesterday and it's fantastic. my interview with him will be up later this week on drunkard, so keep an eye out.]
Track a Tiger - "Glad to Be Scattered" [from woke up early the day i died. my unofficial #1 single of 2006. what're these guys up to now-a-days? ]
the Delta Spirit - "Lovers' Waltz" [by request. from their daytrotter session. played this a couple of weeks ago and got a request for a replay last week. it's an excellent cover of an excellent song by an excellent band.]
The Xx - "Crystaline" [by request. from xx. gotta grab this album off of eMusic and see what all the fuss is about.]
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Yo La Tengo - "Here to Fall" [from popular songs. the lead track from their latest. i'll tell you - yo la tengo were great at pitchfork. they're playing at the carolina theatre in durham, north carolina in october. i'd bet it'll be a blast.]
Michael Penn - "Don't Let Me Go" [from mp4: days since a lost time accident. another song from this week's mix CD i was putting together. this is probably my all-time favorite penn song, though i'm not sure why. it's probably my favorite penn album, too, while we're at it.]
Grizzly Bear - "Two Weeks" [from veckatimist. parker picked out the grizzly bear, so we went with it. i'm just not on the gb bandwagon. good music, but nothing i'm flipping over.]
Great Lake Swimmers - "Pulling on a Line" [from lost channels. this, however, is a great and lovely song. i really need to play more of them.]
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Citified - "Landlocked" [from absence. bound for this year's top 25, i'd wager.]
the Clean - "In the Dreamlife You Need a Rubber Soul" [from mr. pop. the title of this song is a little ham-handed in its allusion, but it's still really good.]
Blossom Dearie - "The Shadow of Your Smile" [from live in london. i only 'discovered' blossom dearie about a month or so ago when lee posted a video of her on facebook. she died in february of this year. just an amazing and unique voice. c'est la vie. but i threw this song on that mix CD also and it kind of makes me float off into some dimly lit autumn place when i listen to it. and that's a good thing.]

That'll do it for this week. Check back next week as I host some more trainees and tons more new music. Until then, Go Panthers!, and take care.

J's Indie/Rock Mayhem - 24th June 2009

[Welcome to another edition of J's Indie/Rock Mayhem. It's a bit late, but I blame that on listener Heather inviting me out for trivia night at the Green Burro. I can't resist trivia - that's the Quiz Bowl player/coach in me. Tonight's show is chock full of goodness though.

If you haven't started checking out Extra Mayhem yet, please do. This week's was a humdinger of an episode with the theme of "green" and Big Star's Radio City played in its entirety. One whole classic album and a bunch of connected songs. How can you go wrong? Monday nights/Tuesday mornings at midnight on WQFS.

Now, while we can, onward.]

J's Indie/Rock Podcast: 24th June 2009 Show

Theme Song - Peaches - "Rock Show"
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Future of the Left - "Arming Eritrea" [from travels with myself and another. this album has been getting crazy good reviews and it looks like, on their sophomore effort, they've truly found their rhythm as a band. curses was good, but this is phenomenal.]
Mansun - "Negative" [from six. it takes some patience with prog rock ideas, but i love the first two mansun albums. this song is way up on my list of their best.]
Sonic Youth - "No Way" [from the eternal. if you didn't catch them playing this live on jimmy fallon earlier this week, go get it. it's an excellent performance.]
Patterson Hood - "Pollyanna" [from the new murdering oscar (and other love songs). this is one of my favorites - it's interesting to hear patterson's "solo" stuff with a full backing band.]
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J's Indie/Rock First Times - Jay Farrar - Click to Listen [i did an interview last week with son volt's jay farrar and here he talks about his first concert. if you'd like to read the whole interview, head on over to aquarium drunkard for the goods.]
Son Volt - "Down to the Wire" [from the forthcoming american central dust which is, seriously, really, really good. not been a big fan of son volt version 2.0 so far? this album might bring you back to the fold.]
Guided by Voices - "Glad Girls" [from isolation drills. one of the most sheer moments of pop abandonment in the GBV catalogue. ah, singles.]
Citified - "Dutiful Scout" [from the absence EP. such good stuff, this citified. i'm an unapologetic fan.]
Rock Plaza Central - "The Hot Blind Earth" [from in the moment of our most needing.. which just came out this week. i did an interview with the band which will be up on aquarium drunkard within the next couple of weeks. stay tuned.]
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Dinosaur Jr. - "Your Weather" [from farm which dropped this week. this is one of the lou barlow songs from the album and this record is fantastic. better than beyond. seriously.]
the Damnwells - "What You Get" [from bastards of the beat. what an awesome band these guys are. every album is solid and fantastic.]
the Bronzed Chorus - "Underpass Sunrise" [from i'm the spring. a seriously great song and i'm telling you, these guys are something. check out their myspace for more.]
the Minus 5 - "The Disembowlers" [from killingsworth which is due out in early july. it's a solid record - i'm not sure i'm as big on it as i was down with wilco and the self-titled record, but it's still really good.]
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Polvo - "Beggar's Bowl" [from the forthcoming in prisms which is due out in september. back on merge records and man, they sound good. check out the song over at stereogum.]
the Afghan Whigs - "I Keep Coming Back" [from gentlemen. a cover of the tyrone davis stone classic. the original is awesome, but dulli treats it right, that's for sure.]
Akron/Family - "River" [from set 'em high, set 'em free. just got word that they're going to be playing an awesome music festival, transfigurations, up in asheville, north carolina, august 13th through the 15th. mount eerie, bonnie 'prince' billy, the books, brightblack morning light and a few others. ought to be awesome.]
Kurt Vile - "Freeway" [from constant hitmaker. kurt will also be at the transfiguration festival. amazing.]
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Spiral Stairs - "Maltese Terrier" [from the forthcoming the real feel. spiral stairs, aka scott kannberg, formerly of pavement, is releasing his first official solo record - as opposed to the preston school of industry records he's been doing since pavement. the album's not out until october, but the matador records blog has this song up for download now. go snag it.]
Matthew Sweet - "Where You Get Love" [from blue sky on mars. you know, there are some solid singles on this record. would i recommend it to anyone who isn't a pretty big sweet fan? absolutely not.]
Fruit Bats - "My Unusual Friend" [by request. from the ruminant band. i like the email requests i get during the week. if there's something you want to hear, fire away: qfsmayhem -at- hotmail dot com.]
the Church - "Anchorage" [from the solid untitled #23. i'm really enjoying this record. they're playing up in maryland this weekend. closest they're coming to NC unfortunately.]
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the Roadside Graves - "Anthony's Gate" [from my son's home. this is definitely one of your must-hears for 2009. it's a solid, loping record that seems way too big (18 tracks) but by the time you're done, feels just right. amazingly crafted.]
Liz Durrett - "Wild as Them" [from outside our gates. aquarium drunkard is sponsoring a show at athfest this weekend. liz durrett will be playing there along with another band we'll see here in a second..]
Frankel - "Anonymity is the New Fame" [the title track from his new album. amazing stuff. fans of elliot smith and just well crafted, subdued pop music, come hither.]
Circulatory System - "Symbols and Maps" [from their self-titled album. they'll be playing at the AD sponsored athfest show this weekend AND at the aforementioned transfigurations fest up in asheville in august. super exciting.]
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Grand Archives - "Silver Among the Gold" [by request. from mind frankenstein. i need to hear a lot more of these guys, 'cos this song is...amazing.]
Samantha Crain and The Midnight Shivers - "Songs in the Night" [the title track from their latest. beautiful music that is well worth hearing.]
Jim White - "Jailbird" (live) [from a funny little cross to bear EP. i've been enjoying this live version especially since this EP came out. beautiful, sorrowful stuff.]

That'll do it for this week. I'll be back Monday night for Extra Mayhem. Until then, take care. RIP, Michael Jackson.

J's Indie/Rock Mayhem - 17th June 2009

[And welcome to another rip-roaring edition of J's Indie/Rock Mayhem. Tonight's show was, to say the least, fiery and a lot of fun. Perhaps it was my new haircut that did it. Who knows. Alls I know is that tonight's show was a hum-dinger.

Don't forget to tune in to the weekly summer-only show, J's Extra Mayhem, Monday nights/Tuesday mornings from midnight - 2 AM on WQFS. A classic album in its entirety played during the first hour and a theme set of songs during the second. Take a read through this week's show to see the teaser for the Wholesale album for next week. You can also catch the podcasts of the theme hour and catch advance notices of the album and theme at the J's Indie/Rock Twitter. All the more reasons to connect yourself technologically to me.

Now, before I start dropping more anachronistic phrases, onward.]

J's Indie/Rock Podcast: 17th June 2009 Show

Theme Song - Peaches - "Rock Show"
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Animal Collective - "My Girls" [from merriwether post pavillion. i ended up being kinda middling about this album, but this song is still exemplary. it could be that animal collective just isn't my thing, despite all the plaudits.]
the Happy Mondays - "Kinky Afro" [from pills 'n' thrills and bellyaches. but speaking of my thing - the happy mondays most certainly are. if i hadn't covered this on extra mayhem a couple of summers ago, i'd be tempted to pull it out again for the wholesale album feature.]
the Henry Clay People - "Something in the Water" [from for cheap or for free. this ended up being autumn tone records night on the show. autumn tone is, of course, the label run by the head drunkard over at aquarium drunkard and they've been putting out some fantastic records this year. here's the first we encountered - these guys are seriously bound for great things.]
John Doe and the Sadies - "Detroit City" [from country club. doe and the sadies take on a mell tillis-penned classic. i was going to use this on extra mayhem with the theme from last week, but passed and brought it on over here instead. a great cover.]
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Dinosaur Jr. - "Over It" [from the forthcoming farm. man, i've said it before, but dinosaur jr. is easily in the best of reunion bands categories - this, their second post-reunion new album, is shaping up to be every bit as good as beyond was. check out the awesome video for this song.]
Adam Daniel - "Her Shake" [from blue pop. this was included on a mix tape i got years ago and it, seriously, is one of the finest pop songs i've ever heard. power-pop perfection.]
J's Indie/Rock First Times - P.O.S. - Click to Listen [i did an interview a few weeks ago with P.O.S. that should be running on aquarium drunkard in a little bit. here's where he talks about his first concert experience - a combination of two shows - one a little more cred worthy, one a little more cringe worthy. good stuff.]
P.O.S. - "Goodbye" [from never better. a seriously good album if you haven't picked it up. "low light, low life" is a contender for my single of the year, without a doubt.]
Black Moth Super Rainbow - "Tooth Decay" [from eating us. add it to your summertime jam playlist. i'm going to stop using that phrase now - 'summertime jam.' i don't even know anything about that - i need to host a party or something.]
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Future of the Left - "You Need Satan More Than He Needs You" [from the forthcoming travels with myself and another which is out next week. this album is really quite good and may be the band finally finding its legs after their solid debut. we'll be hearing more.]
Mansun - "Wide Open Space" [from attack of the grey lantern. in one of the more pretentious things i've done in my life, i purposely waited until i could buy this album in its original UK format - the US edition scrambled the running order and switched out one song for another. the album was designed with a sequence in mind and it ruins the flow of the record. that said, obviously, i was eventually very happy with my purchase.]
Obits - "Two-Headed Coin" [from i blame you. if you're a hot snakes fan (and really, if you're not, why not?) then make sure you're on top of this - rick froberg's new band and it's hot stuff.]
the Vaselines - "Son of a Gun" [from the new enter the vaselines 2 CD set from sub pop. a great retrospective of a great band.]
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Son Volt - "Dynamite" [from the forthcoming american central dust which, seriously gang, is really, really good. since son volt 2.0 started up, i haven't been immediately grabbed by any of their records, but this one is good. and good from start to finish.]
Rangeboy - "Sounds Like Summer" [a band that no longer exists, although it's main songwriter works now in a band called seamonster that is pretty snazzy as well. this is just unmitigated indie-pop sweetness though and a great song to kick off summertime.]
Citified - "Landlocked" [from the new absence EP. citified will be in raleigh at tir na nog tonight (thursday), in durham at pinhook on friday and in winston-salem at the garage on saturday. three chances to catch local goodness.]
Frankel - "When I Grow Up" [from anonymity is the new fame. the second autumn tone artist of the night and this record is seriously amazing - we'll be hearing tons more.]
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Wilco - "Country Disappeared" [from wilco the album. i've talked to some folks who were sort of underwhelmed by this album, but it's holding pretty solid for me. i'm liking it more than sky blue sky at least. but i sure would like to see them live again.]
Meat Puppets - "I'm Not You" [from the new sewn together. hate that i missed them at the cat's cradle, but this record is holding its own. quite good.]
Big Star - "The Ballad of El Goodo" (live) [from a little big star but also from the big star live album. this is the teaser for next week's wholesale album - it'll be a big star record, but which one? hint: it's not in space.]
the Damnwells - "55 Pictures" [from one last century. seriously, this album is really, really good. alex dezen is a masterful songwriter of those sort of plaintive, heartfelt songs. but he doesn't skimp on the lyrical heft. this is thinking-feller's pop music.]
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Blair - "Hearts" [from the forthcoming die young which will be out on autumn tone records in august. all i can ever really say about blair is that i like her stuff a lot. and that i will not rest until i have her on my show. when i accomplish that, i wonder if it'll be like inigo montoya and killing the six-fingered man - it's like, where do i go after that?]
the Roadside Graves - "Ruby" [from my son's home. this is the band's fourth album, but their first for autumn tone and it's a doozy. my immediate response to this record was 'well, if you like the felice brothers, here you go.' and i think i'm right.]
the Replacements - "Within Your Reach" [by request. from hootenanny. i can live without your touch and die within your reach. what a great song.]
St. Vincent - "The Neighbors" [from actor. this record's a grower. it doesn't grab you immediately, but it plants its hooks in you from the get-go.]
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Rock Plaza Central - "Them That Are Good and Them That Are Bad" [from the forthcoming in the moment of our most needing.. i'll be conducting an interview with them tomorrow, so stay tuned for that.]
Sonic Youth - "Malibu Gas Station" [from the eternal. i'm pretty happy with this record and i think i would most definitely enjoy seeing them live again. i've seen them twice - one, transcendent, two, boring. what have been your live experiences with them?]
Steve Earle - "To Live is to Fly" [from townes. i picked up a copy of the van zandt biography titled after this song for $4 at the giant book sale store (llc) over on wendover where the circuit city used to be. you have to hunt, but there are some good bargains there. picked up an oral history of elektra records there as well.]

That'll do it for this week. I'll see you next Monday night for the next Extra Mayhem and then next week back here. Until then, take care.

J's Indie/Rock Mayhem - 13th May 2009

[Another edition of J's Indie/Rock Mayhem. I want to thank all the folks who came out to the Citified EP release show last Saturday. I had an awesome time DJing and hopefully I can do it again at some point. I had to borrow all that equipment and all it did was put a serious itch in me to own some myself. It was worth it just to have someone enthuse to me that they thought they were the only person in the world who remembered "Lucas With the Lid Off" until I played it.

A reminder that this Friday, May 15th, I'll be playing my guitar music (as opposed to DJing) at the Flat Iron along with Morgan McPherson and Mystkdog. I'm the opening-opening act. Show is at 9pm and I'd love to see you there. Make sure you say howdy if you do.

Now, so I can get back to finishing Invisible Man, onward.]

J's Indie/Rock Podcast: 13th May 2009

Theme Song - Peaches - "Rock Show"
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Art Brut - "Demons Out!" [the quasi-title track from the new art brut vs. satan. the title phrase appears in the song, not in the title, but this song is either one of the funniest, snarkiest and sharpest eviscerations of indie culture i've heard recently, or eddie argos is a jerk. and either way, i love it.]
the Tears - "Autograph" [from here come the tears. one of my favorite songs of all time. there's just nothing wrong with it.]
the Veils - "The Letter" [from sun gangs which got its release last week. this could, after awhile, become my favorite veils record in the same way that sound of lies is my favorite jayhawks album - the sleeper, darker record without any immediate, throat-grabbing singles.]
Superchunk - "Art Class (Song for Yayoi Kusama)" [from here's to shutting up. long one of my very favorite 'chunk songs and probably my favorite from this album as well.]
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the Thermals - "How We Fade" [from now we can see. they're at local 506 in chapel hill tomorrow night, thursday, may 14th. i won't be there, but go have a blast for me.]
Television - "See No Evil" [from marquee moon. i finally bought a copy of please kill me to read, so don't be surprised if the 70s punk stuff goes overboard on the show here in the next month or so.]
Her Space Holiday - "Sleepy Tigers" [from xoxo, panda and the new kid revival. they'll be at local 506 next monday night, may 18th. i will be there, so come say howdy.]
the Smithereens - "Beauty and Sadness" [by request. the title track from their debut EP. a great song, no doubt.]
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J's Indie/Rock First Times - Jeremy Enigk - Click to Listen [part of an interview i did with jeremy enigk for aquarium drunkard. you can read the whole interview over at drunkard, but this story is a pretty awesome one. if only we could track down that breakdancing footage for jeremy.]
Jeremy Enigk - "Mind Idea" [the lead track from OK bear. i'm enjoying this record a right tidy bit. this song, especially, reminds me of the best aspects of enigk's work with sunny day real estate, just toned down a bit volume wise.]
Wilco - "I Got You (At the End of the Century)" [from the first disc of being there. the forthcoming wilco album, wilco (the album), is available for streaming over at wilcoworld, so go check it out. i've listened to the first four tracks and am really digging "one wing," especially.]
A.C. Newman - "Like a Hitman, Like a Dancer" [from this year's get guilty. catchy and probably bound for the year-end best singles show.]
the Church - "Almost With You" [from the blurred crusade. the church dropped a new album this week, untitled #23, and it is winging its way to me currently. we'll hear some next week.]
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P.O.S. - "Graves (We Wrote Back)" [from never better. i'll be doing an interview with p.o.s. tomorrow, so keep an eye open for that on aquarium drunkard next week, but in the meantime, check out my piece about the song "savion glover" that i played on the show last week.]
the Posies - "Solar Sister" [from frosting on the beater. ah, man. i might as well send you back to the review i wrote about this album back when i was doing regular reviews here.]
Robyn Hitchcock and the Venus 3 - "Hurry for the Sky" [from the new goodnight oslo. i like the title track of this album a lot. we may re-visit that next week. did anyone go see him when he was in chapel hill? i heard good things.]
the Didjits - "Under the Christmas Fish" [from hey judester. i love the didjits. seriously. really. i've never really had a conversation about them with anyone though. any other fans out there?]
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Jarvis Cocker - "Leftovers" [from further complications, jarvis' second solo album. this song is so chock full of great puns and typical jarvis-ness that i'll just let it speak for itself. oh, man, this album is good.]
Josh Ritter - "The Bad Actress" [from hello, starling. josh will be at the cat's cradle in carborro on saturday, may 30th. i'll have to break out some of the live in-studio stuff he did for us next week.]
Steve Earle - "Pancho and Lefty" [from townes, the new townes van zandt tribute album that earle has recorded. really, is there anyone better suited for taking on a whole bunch of van zandt's music? probably not.]
the Meat Puppets - "Oh Me" [from II. the meat puppets have a new album out and they'll be at the cat's cradle in chapel hill on sunday, june 14th. in the meantime, just because it's unavoidable, go re-visit nirvana's version of this from the unplugged performance. it's really good. duh.]
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the New York Dolls - "Better Than You" [from 'cause i sez so. i like this song. a lot. it's sweet and menacing at the same time. i'm enjoying the hell out of this record.]
Citified - "Landlocked" [from absence. the EP gets officially released on eskimo kiss records here in a couple of weeks.]
the High Strung - "Standing at the Door of Self Discovery" [from ode to the inverse of the dude. i'm not quite sure what i think of this song - the title is a bit awkward to sing. but we'll hear more because i like the high strung.]
the Reigning Sound - "You're Not as Pretty" [from time bomb high school. the best record of 2002 that i didn't hear until 6 years later. jeez louise. the songs on this album never get old. at all.]
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the Breeders - "The Last Time" [from the new fate to fatal EP. mark lanegan sits in on vocals on this one. kim deal is confident enough in her power. my long pause when trying to say her name in the voicebreak later on is because i thought i was mis-remembering which indie-rock 'kim' i was talking about. looks like i'll be playing mary lou lord's "his indie world" next week.]
the Felice Brothers - "The Big Surprise" [the lead track from yonder is the clock. they'll be at the garage in winston-salem on sunday, may 24th. i will most likely be there myself, especially since the next day is memorial day.]
Horse Feathers - "Working Poor" [from house with no home. they'll be at local 506 in chapel hill on friday, may 15th. so you have your choice of me or horse feathers that night. life is good sometimes.]
Rock Plaza Central - "Are We Not Horses?" [the title track from their second album. their forthcoming album, at the moment of our most needing, or if only they could turn around, they would know they weren't alone, is due out june 16th. this band is quite good. really, quite good.]

That'll do it for this week. I'll see you Friday night at the Flat Iron, but if not, until next week, Go 'Canes!, and take care.

J's Indie/Rock Mayhem - 15th April 2009

[Welcome to another edition of J's Indie/Rock Mayhem. Another jam packed night of good music ahead. So pile on, me mates.

First, a reminder of what I posted below: J's Indie/Rock is Twittering away. Just come follow me at http://twitter.com/jneas81. It'll be largely music related, but probably a lot of nonsense as well. But that's the fun of Twitter, eh?

Now, while I'm recovering from a day of watching people teabagging on television, onward.]

J's Indie/Rock Podcast: 15th April 2009 Show

Theme Song - Peaches - "Rock Show"
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Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit - "Seven-Mile Island" [from their self-titled album. i'll be honest. i've been pretty underwhelmed by this record. a shame considering how good a songwriter isbell can be. but this record has left me pretty cold. there are some good songs, but it really falls flat compared to his first solo record.]
the Jayhawks - "Waiting for the Sun" [from hollywood town hall. i worked up a cover of this and played it at open mic night last night. a kind of minor-key version of the classic. so i thought i'd play the original. such a great song.]
PJ Harvey and John Parish - "Pig Will Not" [from a woman a man walked by. raucous, shouty harvey at her best. i've honestly still never heard the early, pre-to bring you my love albums and i would really like to at some point. unfortunately eMusic pulled dry from download in the u.s. right before i was able to grab it.]
Richard Hell and the Voidoids - "Love Comes in Spurts" [from blank generation. has anyone ever heard the second voidoids record, destiny street? i've never took the time to track down a copy - it takes a bit of work to do so.]
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Superchunk - "Learned to Surf" [the lead track from the new leaves in the gutter EP which i reviewed this week over at aquarium drunkard. it's a solid piece of work. and this song in particular.]
Midnight Oil - "Stars of Warburton" [from blue sky mining. when i bought my copy of this album through BMG many moons ago, i opened the case and three copies of the CD fell out. i forget, honestly, what i did with them. but this album is still quite good. i'm a sucker for midnight oil.]
P.O.S. - "Graves (We Wrote the Book)" [from never better. i need to get a hold of this album. badly.]
Foreign Exchange - "Take off the Blues" [from leave it all behind. they'll be at the cat's cradle this friday night in carborro, but also at the double door inn in charlotte on sunday night for a free show sponsored by myspace. i pick one weekend to leave town and everything happens. c'est la vie. i love this song.]
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Lake Inferior - "How the Wars Are Won" [from their self-titled EP that i reviewed this week over at aquarium drunkard. people are responding really positively to this band. they're bound for good things if they keep this kind up with this kind of music.]
the Vaselines - "Jesus Wants Me For a Sunbeam" [from enter the vaselines, the new 2-disc retrospective being put out by sub pop due out in early may. all of my knowledge of this band is through nirvana's many covers, but that's about to change.]
the Decemberists - "The Hazards of Love 1 (The Prettiest Whistles Won't Wrestle the Thistles Undone)" [from the new the hazards of love. i still haven't listened to this album through yet, so bear with me, but i like this song.]
Tubeway Army - "Down in the Park" [from replicas. the last album before gary numan ditched the tubeway army moniker and became a new man. (hah! get it?) the foo fighters covered this song (really?), but my favorite cover was done by marilyn manson as a b-side to the "lunchbox" single. manson knew how to do this song justice.]
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John Doe and the Sadies - "Night Life" [from the new country club album. a great collection of country classics done right by john doe with the sadies as his backing band. john doe's side project, X, will be at the cat's cradle on tuesday, june 9th, as part of the total request live tour, playing requests from ticket holders.]
Paul Westerberg - "Whatever Makes You Happy" [from suicaine gratifaction. i love this song. "i'm fallin' down the stairwell / callin' farewell, anyone.."]
Her Space Holiday - "The New Kid Revival" [from xoxo, panda and the new kid revival, their new LP. i like this song. we'll hear more.]
Bob Dylan - "Queen Jane Approximately" [by request. from highway 61 revisited. no lie. a dude called me from a payphone to make this request. i know because he told me and because our caller ID read "payphone." that's some dedicated request making. i actually didn't answer the first time he called because i was on voice break. then he called back from inside a lowe's home improvement store. i know that from the caller ID also. i assume lowe's is playing WQFS over the loudspeakers now?]
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J's Indie/Rock First Times - Jason Lytle - Click to Listen [i spoke on the phone today with jason lytle, former frontman of grandaddy, about his forthcoming solo album. that interview will be up on aquarium drunkard later this week. but here jason talks about the first concert he ever went to - cheap trick! a good story about reckless youth.]
Jason Lytle - "Rollin' Home Alone" [from yours truly, the commuter. i didn't remember that this was the song i played last week. sorry for the repeat. good song, though.]
Filthybird - "Sunshine" [from southern skies. filthybird will be live in-studio on the show in two weeks in prep of their dotmatrix project show this month. also, just in time, are some videos of the band over at monkeywhale. very good stuff. go check it out.]
the Veils - "The Letter" [from sun gangs. this may be my favorite song on this album. it's going to get a good bit of play from me this year, that's for sure.]
Son Volt - "Mystifies Me" [from trace. their cover of a ron wood song. next week we'll hear the original because, well, it's quite good too. i as re-obsessed with trace earlier this week and for good reason. i've never been anything less than in love with this record since i first heard it 14 years ago. meanwhile, here's my post at aquarium drunkard comparing this cover to the original.]
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the Felice Brothers - "Run Chicken Run" [from yonder is the clock and i'll go ahead and tell you guys to look for this record on the year-end list. it's an amazing record. and i thought their self-titled was a piece of work. this one's even better.]
Califone - "Trout Silk" [from roomsound. i was late on the califone bandwagon, but i'm really getting into them now. i like what i've heard of red red meat, too. any thoughts?]
Tommy Keene - "Hide Your Eyes" [from in the late bright. this song could be on my year-end singles list because, well, it's really, really good.]
the Thermals - "How We Fade" [from now we can see. more great music. i could run through this whole record, playing a different track each week, and be pretty satisfied. truly.]
Yo La Tengo - "Cherry Chapstick" [from my personal favorite yo la tengo album, and then nothing turned itself inside out. there's something about this song. please tell me they'll play it at the 'write the night' thing at the pitchfork festival. pleeeaasseee.]

That'll do it for this week. Don't forget to come follow me on Twitter and absorb the asinine things I tweet about. I've done it at least once while I've been sitting here typing this. Until next week, take care.

J's Indie/Rock Mayhem - 17th September 2008

[Tonight marks another milestone in the story of this radio show. Tonight was the 9 year anniversary of the beginning of J's Indie/Rock Mayhem. 9 years ago, in September of 1999, I first set foot (alongside then co-host Jeremy Fischer) inside WQFS to host a radio show. 9 years later, here I still am. And if you thought the cosmos didn't have a sense of humor, you were wrong. That first night 9 years ago ended seven hours later when dj after successive dj failed to show up for their slot. Jeremy and I, newbies and unsure of what to do at 4 am about such a fact, kept the music going until another dj finally came in at 9am.

Tonight, in a less severe but equally frustrating time, I had to cover the slot after me for a dj who didn't make it in. Sadly, the second two-hour set was really fun and involved a lot of great requests (Southern Culture on the Skids, Pulp, Buffalo Tom), but of course, wasn't recorded. The best shows often aren't.

I'll be covering for Tom on Tom's Diner this Saturday from 12 pm - 2pm, so if you're up and about, tune me in and make sure I do Tom's show justice. In the meantime, onward.]

J's Indie/Rock Podcast: 17th September 2008 Show

Theme Song - Peaches - "Rock Show"
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CSS - "Give Up" [from donkey. one of the highlights of the monolith festival this past weekend was CSS. the brazillian band certainly made an impression on me after i had, yet again, let hype leave me generally indifferent. my formula is tom tom club + b52's + modernization = CSS.]
Fugazi - "Smallpox Champion" [from in on the kill taker. a truly remarkable album and probably my favorite fugazi album. 13 songs is full of some fine moments, but the people who argue that that's their best are just, well, wrong. the band only got better as time went on.]
the Fratellis - "A Heady Tale" [from here we stand. this band has never grown on me that much and their performance at monolith, while energetic and enjoyable, didn't do much to persuade me otherwise. i think they're doing okay without me.]
the Replacements - "Kids Don't Follow" [from stink. say, aren't the other replacements re-issues due out soon? ah, thank you, internets. next week - september 23rd.]
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the Broken West - "Elm City" [from now or heaven. i feel a bit foolish for having immediately been suspicious of this record. but can you blame me? after i went head over heels for "down in the valley," there is nothing even remotely like that song on this record. but that's a good thing because this album is fantastic.]
Ben Folds Five - "The Battle of Who Could Care Less" [from whatever and ever, amen. the one-time-only reunited five are playing tomorrow night in chapel hill, performing their the unauthorized biography of reinhold messner album in its entirety. tickets are long gone, but you could stand outside and pretend you hear it, i'm sure.]
J's Indie/Rock First Times - Rock Plaza Central - Click to listen. [scott maynard of rock plaza central talked to me at monolith about his first concert - a very, very canadian one at that. eat your heart out, hayden.]
Rock Plaza Central - "Are We Not Horses?" [the title track from last year's stellar album. they're in the studio working on the follow up and i'm definitely looking forward to it.]
Girls Against Boys - "Super-fire" [from house of gvsb. this was the first gvsb song i ever heard, and it's no wonder i became completely infatuated with them for a time. whenever i see a band employ two bass players, i automatically think of them. man they were good.]
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Vic Chesnutt, Elf Power and the Amorphus Strums - "And How" [from the forthcoming dark developments album. quite a powerhouse pairing. this song (and maybe the album) sound a lot more upbeat/uptempo than chesnutt's last affair, the brutally fantastic north star deserter. we'll see how they compare. and elf power? well, that's enough to sell me a record.]
the Modern Lovers - "Pablo Picasso" [from their self-titled debut. did a terrible job editing this, but it also serves to underscore the absurdity of editing radio sometimes. while it's legal for me to let mr. richman say 'ass,' it's not for me to let him say 'asshole.' but does anyone really not know what's being said in that blank space? hear no evil, see no evil.]
the Gaslight Anthem - "The '59 Sound" [the title track from their latest. people are flipping their wigs over this band - it sounds like a watered down version of springsteen to me, and while that's not necessarily bad, i don't know. anyone agree - gaslight anthem : springsteen :: flogging molly : the pogues. enjoyable, but not original.]
Tripping Daisy - "Piranha" [from i am an elastic firecracker. picked this up the other day after years of trying to decide whether i should. it's a pretty enjoyable record and i always liked this song a lot as a single.]
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Matthew Sweet - "Sunshine Lies" [the title track from his latest. the more i listen to this record, though, the more i realize that it really is just another matthew sweet album. great songwriter, but it's just not as exciting the nth time around.]
Pop Will Eat Itself - "Inject Me" [from this is the day..this is the hour..this is this! i think i inverted the title on the podcast. anyway, this song got stuck in my head the other day and, needless to say, it needed exercising. thus, voila. a seriously fun record.]
Giant Sand - "Well Enough Alone" [from provisions. more good stuff from howe gelb and company.]
M.I.A. - "Hussel" [from kala. my favorite part of this song is actually afrikan boy's verse. the way that his vocals were played with in production just kill me and build into the song's paranoid chant of money numbness. it's a great moment on a great album.]
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Jolie Holland - "Your Big Hands" [from the living and the dead. a pretty solid new record from a very reliable songwriter.]
the Stone Roses - "Driving South" [from second coming. i'll never not find hilarious the scene from shaun of the dead where shaun and ed debate over which records to throw at the zombies. when second coming comes up, shaun comes to its defense. at a boy!]
Benji Hughes - "You Stood Me Up" [from a love extreme. this guy's from charlotte, go figure. this song is hilarious and we'll definitely be hearing more.]
Dawn Chorus - "Freeing Feeling" (live) [from last week's interview on the show. click here to go check out the other live performances as well.]
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Blitzen Trapper - "Fire & Fast Bullets" [from furr. don't get me started on how i couldn't get in to see these guys at monolith.]
Erin Ivey - "Don't Fight" [from sweet little EP. erin is from austin, texas and she and i had a lovely conversation at monolith about various music. she does a right interesting cover of radiohead's "climbing up the walls" on this EP as well. check out her myspace.]
Okkervil River - "Starry Stairs" [from the stand-ins. a most tremendous album.]
the Hold Steady - "Sequestered in Memphis" [from stay positive. best single of the year? maybe. it's awfully good.]
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Simple Minds - "Speed My Love to You" [from sparkle in the rain. because you needed some 80s music - admit it.]

That'll do it for this week. I'll be back on Friday with Notes from Underground and until then, Go Panthers! (2-0!) and take care.

J's Indie/Rock Mayhem - 3rd September 2008

[Welcome to another edition of J's Indie/Rock Mayhem. A programming note - I was forgetful and forgot to get more batteries, so the lone battery I rescued turned out to fall a bit short of needs. Thankfully the podcast cuts off about 20 seconds before the end of the last song of the show. Phew. Not too bad.

BB's New and Used CDs and DVDs' last day open is this Friday. Everything is 75% off and there are still good things left, honest. I walked out of there with a stack of six or seven CDs and a DVD for about 30 something dollars. Good things during bad times. Go help them out.

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

J's Indie/Rock Podcast: 3rd September 2008 Show

Theme Song - Peaches - "Rock Show"
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the Streets - "The Escapist" [from the forthcoming everything is borrowed. anyone have an american release date on this? i may hold off on playing anything else until i can get some other tracks off the album. i'm salivating, skinner. i hope it pays off.]
Catherine Wheel - "Texture" [from their debut album, ferment. the catherine wheel have gotten kind of lost in the shuffle of the ensuing years and subsequent less stellar albums, but ferment is a top tier album of the 90s. hazy and gorgeous and every bit as engaging at times as anything my blood valentine was doing.]
Robert Pollard - "The Blondes" [from robert pollard is off to business. i guess i need to just buy this album already because i'm enjoying every song i've played off of it. you win, bob.]
Jurassic 5 - "What's Golden" [from power in numbers. though chali2na's part in this song is woefully small, he nails the entire song down with "well, it's the verbal herman munster" line. classic.]
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Blitzen Trapper - "Gold for Bread" [from the forthcoming furr album, their first for sub pop. and from what i've heard so far - get ready. every bit as good as wild mountain nation was. can't wait to see them at monolith.]
the Damnwells - "What You Get" [from bastards of the beat. i was revisiting the damnwells catalogue this weekend and lo and behold, their new album is almost finished. this is a criminally underrated band and if they put out another album as good as this or air stereo, the universe will be at fault for not making them huge. just sayin'.]
Sloan - "Witch's Wand" [from parallel play. i like sloan a lot, but there really is a point where their albums become sort of interchangeable. scold me if i'm wrong about that, but is there any particular reason for me to put on this album versus one chord to another?]
Dawn Chorus - "I'm Cured!" (live) [from the dotmatrix project live album. andrew and zach of dawn chorus are my guests next week live on the show, so tune in for some good times. their album release party for florida st. serenade, the album this song originates from, is friday, september 12th at square one here in greensboro.]
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the Broken West - "Terror for Two" [from now or heaven. i've been picking somewhat misleading tracks off of this album - things more in line with the uber-power pop of their debut. i'll get on something more specific next week.]
Pulp - "The Night That Minnie Timperley Died" [from we love life. raucous and groovy and man, i love this song. i love pulp. pulp forever.]
Colour Revolt - "A Siren" [from plunder, beg and curse. another band i'm looking forward to seeing at monolith. from oxford, mississippi, spelling of 'colour' aside.]
Fleet Foxes - "White Winter Hymnal" [from their self-titled LP. i'm still not sure what to make of this band. do i need to see them live? would that convince me? anyone?]
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Paul Westerberg - "Finally Here Once" [another internet release from paul. i wrote about it over at aquarium drunkard, so check that out over there. as i said, maybe he really ought to put a screwdriver through his hand more often.]
the Afghan Whigs - "Debonair" [from gentlemen. jeez. speaking of top tier albums of the 90s. "it's locked its jaws and now it's swallowing" is a mesmerizing line.]
J's Indie/Rock First Times - Kurt Wagner - Click to listen. [i interviewed kurt wagner of lambchop last week for aquarium drunkard and you can read the results here. it's a funny and fun interview, i think. i also got kurt to contribute to the my first time feature and he talked about his first concert - in the court of the crimson king-era king crimson. intense.]
Lambchop - "Sharing a Gibson with Martin Luther King" [from OH (ohio). in the interview i talk with kurt about this song in particular, and i like our discussion about it. it's a great song.]
Bash and Pop - "Friday Night (Is Killing Me)" [the title track from their only album. bash and pop drummer, and replacements' drummer, steve foley died this past week at the age of 49. check out last week's notes from underground for more. foley was an amazingly good drummer and his (and tommy stinson's for that matter) finest hour might be this song. rest in peace, steve.]
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Liam Finn - "This Place is Killing Me" [from i'll be lightning. liam will be at local 506 in chapel hill this sunday, september 7th. and also at the monolith festival. i am blessed.]
Small Cities - "This City" [from their self-titled EP. not a terribly interesting song, but it wasn't offensive or anything. hate to give a lukewarm review, but i hadn't heard these guys before. so. yeah.]
the Mountain Goats - "This Year" [from the sunset tree. i adore this song immensely and the mountain goats have a new one coming out later this year. good times ahead.]
the Veils - "One Night on Earth" [from nux vomica. the veils will be playing with liam finn at local 506, so be there or be terribly square. god, i'm excited for this show.]
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Jolie Holland - "Mexico City" [the lead track from the forthcoming the living and the dead, due out october 7th on anti. her last two records have been gorgeous, so i expected nothing less from this one.]
Josh Rouse - "It's the Nighttime" [from nashville. the first time i heard this song, that swelling harmony of "don't let go of my love" in the closing chorus just about killed me. still does.]
Josh Ritter - "Kathleen" [from hello starling. for sarah. and if there's a better written verse in recent memory, i'd like to see it: "all the other girls here are stars / you are the northern lights / they try to shine in through your curtain / you're too close and too bright / they try and they try but everything that they do / is a ghost of a trace of a pale imitation of you.." just amazing. this is the moment i knew he'd arrived as a songwriter.]
Julie Ocean - "There's a Place (In the Back of My Mind)" [from long gone and nearly there. they'll be at local 506 on tuesday, october 7th. woo! like what i did there with that mingling of artist names? jolie/julie, josh ritter/rouse? yeah, i did too.]
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Calexico - "Man Made Lake" [from carried to dust. so, in a completely weird situation, marty, one of the other contributors at aquarium drunkard, ended up getting to interview joey burns of calexico. that's what i get for announcing weeks ago that i was going to do that. his interview is great, though and well worth reading.]

That'll do it for this week. I'll be back on Friday with Notes from Underground and next week with more show. Until then, Go Panthers! (Yes! It's football season!) and take care.