Karmacoda, Get Me Through Another Lonely Night
The Godshills, Boats
Gigi, Everyone Can Tell
Aficionado, Falsified Inspiration
Giant Drag, Pretty Little Neighbor
Giant Value, See Fit
Grouper, Alien Observer
Girl in a Coma, Come on, Let’s Go
The Gits, Italian Song
Fereshta, Body Heat
Go Betty Go, You Want It All
Holly Golightly, It’s All Over Now
Xiu Xiu, Hyunhye’s Theme
Go-Go’s, Skidmarks on My Heart
The Gossip, (Take Back) The Revolution
Santah, When I Couldn’t Move
Grey Anne, Riddle
Grand Lake, It Takes a Horse to Light a House
Shenandoah Davis, Proof
Great Northern, Loose Ends
Ellie Goulding, Starry Eyed
Pack A.D., Haunt You
Gravy Train!!!!, Ghost Boobs
Nina Gordon, Badway
Family of the Year, St. Croix
Go Sailor, Blue Sky
Grass Widow, Old Disguise
The Gift, My Sun
Sarah Lee Guthrie & Johnny Irion, Butterflies
Larkin Grimm, Anger in Your Liver
Feist, How Come You Never Go There
Gringo Star, All Day Long
Grouplove, Don’t Say Oh Well
Dirty Mittens, Light On
Petra Haden, Silas Stingy
Haight-Ashbury, Million Man March
Diva, Twilight in Inquanok
Handsome Furs, Memories
Juliana Hatfield, I Picked You Up
The Violet Lights, Sex & Sound
Halou, I’ll Carry You
PJ Harvey, Cat on the Wall
HTRK, Eat Yr Heart
Hawnay Troof, Feelings
Gemma Hayes, Home
Heavenly, C Is the Heavenly Option
Headless Heroes, Blues Run the Game
Heavens to Betsy, Calculated
Here We Go Magic, Backwards Time
Helium, Silver Strings
Kristin Hersh, The Thin Man
Archive for September 2011
Joel’s Hit Show, Episode 127, 28 September 2011 Playlist
September 28, 2011Aficionado “Aficionado”
September 18, 2011What do you call that post-emo sound? I guess it’s just “post-emo.” Well, that is what Aficionado are. “The Things You Like” give you a wailing dude song with female shouting backing vocals. If it doesn’t sound familiar yet, it will by the end of the album, because most of the tracks do this.
Fans of emo may be confused by “Everything Was Right” because really shouldn’t a song like that be called “Everything Was Wrong”? Well, it’s about how finally everything is right so clearly something must be up. I mean, God forbid you end up on the right side of the bell curve for once.
“Confidence Is Intimidating.” Yeah, that’s about right. No need to acknowledge you’re about to turn 30 when you can instead hole up in your parent’s basement and pretend that Hot or Not is still the place to get chicks.
The accompaniment in “Falsified Inspiration” is top notch. This one must be good live. In general, the tracks that don’t focus on the vocals hold up a lot better. This one is really catchy. “Characters” was also OK but easily forgettable.
The tracks are all pretty much the same, and you pretty much get what you expect on this record.
Bobby “Bobby”
September 18, 2011Bobby don’t understand search engine optimization. Apparently there was a Bobby who started a band and then left it, so the rest of the band kept the name, so it’s not as disingenuous as The Donnas.
Musically, it’s just another indie rock band with male and female vocals. “We Saw” gives you an extended look and no sense of urgency. I like the harmonizing. Like a lot of the tracks, it’s really long.
There is a stretch of tracks with rhyming titles. The best of these is “Tomb Bloom.” If you want something mildly psychedelic, “It’s Dead Outside” fills the bill. “Ginger (Water Birth)” uses synths well and makes me think of some 16-bit video games I played 20 years ago. The falsetto vocals make this one a winner.
I’m also a fan of “Shimmychick.” It’s more accessible than the other tracks, in part because it is less than five minutes long. The other track I like is “Dustbeam.” It’s slow without being sleepy.
Overall there’s nothing too spectacular about these guys, other than the interesting choice of what to call the band and the story behind it. You can’t go wrong, though, with these guys.
Imelda May “Mayhem”
September 18, 2011Beat-wise, this has the party atmosphere that Bow Wow Wow has. The voice is much sultrier, however. “Pulling the Rug” tugs at your heart as she flirts her way through it.
The best slower track is “Kentish Town Waltz.” There’s nothing ish about it — this is a bona fide waltz. “Eternity” and “Proud and Humble” are for alt-country fans.
If you liked “Goodbye” by Save Ferris, you’ll appreciate “Bury My Troubles.” One would never confuse Imelda May as a ska vocalist, but regardless, many appropriate comparisons can be drawn here.
“I’m Alive” is a happy sort of iced-tea-on-the-balcony good time. The vocals are mixed slightly higher, and there is a bit of a tropical beach theme. Better make that iced tea a Corona.
Various Artists “Japan 3.11.11: A Benefit Album”
September 18, 2011Lots of stuff here for everyone to like. Here are some highlights:
Deerhoof gives a live version of “Giga Dance.”
Love Is All is a little bit Stereo Total, a little bit Romeo Void on “Pappas Tent.”
Shugo Tokumaru covers the Buggles’ “Video Killed the Radio Star.”
Asobi Seksu are at their best in “Vicious Bears.”
Alright do classic power-pop with “Moving.” This is a rare track with male vocals on this comp.
Local boys Xiu Xiu do well with “Hyunhye’s Theme,” another male-fronted track. I am picking this one so I can hear KSCU DJ’s try to pronounce the song title.
Midstress used to be The Fresh Kills. “Too Many Shoes, Not Enough Feet” sounds like Face to Face and is pretty good.
Casiokids offer up some fun sounds with “London Zoo.”
Lizard Police do pop-punk with “Same Socks.”
Natalie Walker “Spark”
September 18, 2011So the music has a beat, but it’s for soccer moms who never actually go to the club, instead only speaking with their little sister about it while living vicariously through her. She thinks this is what they play, right after a Colbie Caillat mix. Who are we to argue with her delusions?
All the cool kids like “Cool Kids.” It’s not the most original melody out there, but it is easily accessible to Annie Lennox fans. Galliano fans should appreciate “Against the Wall.” It’s more of the same inoffensive reserved dance pop. If you came of age with Book of Love, maybe this is your speed, but how do you not admit that you’re old when you listen to stuff like this? It’s just too embarrassing to admit you like Natalie Walker.
“Experimental Love” is the other notable song on here, but they’re all more similar than I care to admit. It’s that Southern California pay-to-play syncopated rhythm, headed for a rom-com near you, soul not included.
Release the Sunbird “Come Back to Us”
September 18, 2011This sounds like a Posies ripoff, and that’s fine by me. It’s actually led by the guy from Rogue Wave. And that’s no 12 off my 9, either. “Come Back to Us” has a great bridge and smart female backing vocals.
A more folkier sound can be heard in “Why Can’t You Look at Yourself” and “Paper Allies.” The latter has a country tinge to it as well. Also slow, as well as a bit somber, is “A New You.”
The band is much better when they infuse a little pep into their routine, and “We’ll Begin Tomorrow” really shows what happens when they spread their wings. This is great hiking music the next time you’re in Tahoe.
They need to release the energy and not play so much slow stuff. The pieces are all there, and hopefully they will put it together.
The Violet Lights “Sex & Sound”
September 18, 2011It’s an EP providing power-pop for the masses. “Your Love/Not Enough” is layered like a late ’90s haircut, with no Flowbee required. “Ready or Not” has a bassline I’ve heard before, but I can’t place it.
A little more contemporary is “Sex & Sound.” I can picture Justin Timberlake, in his infinite wisdom, covering this one. And as Chef would say, there’s no substitute for “Substitute.” You can actually picture him singing this if you listen to it. This one must be for the hipsters, as it comes complete with that Franz Ferdinand/Silversun Pickups tempo, with a hint of Dashboard Confessional of all things. It makes me want to buy a car.
Buried at the end is “It’d Be Fine.” This one is the best. Why do they do that? It doesn’t sound like the others, which kind of makes sense because it was mixed by someone else.
I hope to hear a full length. This is an all-around good time.
Idaho “You Were a Dick”
September 18, 2011Indie rock with male vocals similar to J Mascis. The music is like a lot of Eels stuff, so in the end it’s the most ’90s band ever that you’ve never heard of. You even get some good female backing vocals on “Weigh It Down.”
If you want something that’s not as slow, “Up the Hill” is a good option. The melody is intentionally flat, and it kind of sounds like The Fray. And piano fans will appreciate the ballad, “Flames.”
In the end, the songs all sound very similar, but the kids do love it. If you can’t get laid playing this CD, you have bigger problems in your life.
Today's featured shit 