Archive for May 2010

Alphabet Soup, Episode 6, May 30 2010 Playlist

May 30, 2010

Dead Man’s Bones, Pa Pa Power
Dead Can Dance, De Profundis
Dealership, Endless Affair
Dear Nora, Springtime Fall
Delgados, Accused of Stealing
Deerhoof, Kidz Are So Small
The Decks, What You Said
Dinosaur Jr., Over It
Ani DiFranco, Joyful Girl
Die Mannequin, Locking Elizabeth
Detroit Cobras, Boss Lady
Die! Die! Die!, Britosmart Sunset
The Dishes, Fishnets

Joel’s Hit Show, Episode 65, May 30 2010 Playlist

May 30, 2010

She & Him, Thieves
Drive-By Truckers, The Wig He Made Her Wear
The Disco Biscuits, On Time
Veil Veil Vanish, Change in the Neon Light
Undersea Poem, You You You
Kitten Forever, Fake Flesh/Voodoo
Please Do Not Fight, Don’t Wipe That Smile Off Your Face
The Besnard Lakes, Albatross
The Salteens, Frequency
Walking Sleep, The Cause
Las Rubias del Norte, Cruzando el Mar
Fear of Bridges, Dr. Dowd
Emily Jane White, Victorian America
The Newloud, Secrets
Nneka, Heartbeat

Episode 1407 is up (Peace and Freedom Member, State Board of Equalization, District 1)

May 29, 2010

Episode 1406 is up (Peace and Freedom Insurance Commissioner)

May 29, 2010

Episode 1405 is up (Peace and Freedom attorney general)

May 28, 2010

Episode 1404 is up (Peace and Freedom Treasurer)

May 25, 2010

Girl in a Coma “Adventures in Coverland”

May 24, 2010

It’s seven tracks of covers. “Si Una Vez” was a Selena song, and I swear I’ve heard it before, which is quite possible. I watched my share of Caliente when I worked at Arby’s. “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” is a Beatles song. I admire that they made this song (really all of these on the record) their own. I already know what the original sounds like, so it is nice to hear something completely different.
“Transmission” is the Joy Division song. I was hoping they would do “Transmission Standard” by Run for Cover Lovers, but one should not be so greedy. I know a thing or two about this band, having reviewed a previous effort, and I think the point of this album is to show their influences. These tracks are all songs they love by artists they respect, and I imagine it was originally going to be an EP, but they could not pare the list down any more than they already had.
“As the World Falls Down” is a David Bowie cover and the only one that I felt missed the mark. That will happen, you know, when you take risks. “Come On, Let’s Go” is a Ritchie Valens cover and is the one that sounds the most like the original, but the original is awesome, so why try to improve on that?
“Walkin’ After Midnight” is rather divine. Patsy Cline would be proud. “Femme Fatale” of course is the Velvet Underground classic, and it is far and away the best of the best on here. It’s so cheery, something I never would expected from this song. There’s your winner, right there.

Camp Out “Closer”

May 24, 2010

I bet the bassist snuck into the recording studio when no one was looking, because the bass is turned up super-high on these tracks, but it works!
This record has a Portland/San Francisco sound, and it does not surprise me that they are in fact from the city by the bay. Minor bits of Glitter Mini 9, Ramona the Pest and even Sleater Kinney come together and give you some fun rock ‘n’ roll to listen to. “Make Myself Sick” is very simple musically, but it’s like a gin and tonic. Keep that Tom Collins mix and fancy glass away, please. I don’t need anything fancy to please my ears. I’d rather have something made right.
“Does It Hurt” touches on that retro sound that people seem to be enjoying these days. Having a synthesizer in your band will do that. It sounds fine. It would sound better at the Ivy Room in Albany. It kind of sounds like INXS, actually, with guitar straight out of All Girl Summer Fun Band.
“Bones” isn’t about the TV show or my ex-girlfriend’s cat, either, but it does have the same upbeat feeling as Sub Debs, which I can be happy about.
I’d like to suggest that when they play live that they face each other. I bet it would create a dynamic that would grab the audience’s attention, similar to what Shellshag does.

Misty Boyce “Misty Boyce”

May 24, 2010

This record is a little too mature for me. When I was single, I would sometimes talk myself into a date with a woman far more successful than I, and at the time, confidence was an issue I could not overcome. I bet those women listen to this kind of music. But as I sit in my palatial 750-square-foot condo and drive my seven-year-old car with the paint chipping on the bumper because carports mess with my head, I realize I have to keep it real. And maybe so does Misty Boyce.
“Be a Man” has some synths and tells a story about eating cookies. It’s slightly whimsical, and the seriousness of the other tracks and cover art caused me to be quite surprised when this track came on. There’s hope yet!
“How Long” has a very mainstream appeal. I can picture someone calling syndicated radio host Delilah and requesting this one. It even has a dedication-worthy title.
“Love You Down” is not an Inoj cover, but it’s still peppy with a very deliberate tempo. This is the best track on the album. “Slow Burn” slows it down and is likely reserved for encores when she performs live. It’s got just a little more emotion than the other tracks, and it’s just enough to grab your attention.
There are a few gems here and there, but I can tell that I am not the target audience for this record. I still pick my nose, for crying out loud.

Episode 1403 is up (Peace and Freedom Controller)

May 24, 2010