Episode 1376 is up

April 29, 2010

Episode 1375 is up

April 26, 2010

Episode 1374 is up

April 26, 2010

Episode 1373 is up

April 26, 2010

Alphabet Soup, Episode 2, April 25 2010 Playlist

April 25, 2010

Audrye Sessions, Nothing Pure Can Stay
Au Revoir Simone, Where You Go
Azure Ray, We Are Mice
Bangs, S.O.S.
Bang! Bang! Eche!, 4 to the Floor
Babes in Toyland, Won’t Tell
Bagheera, Isolation in an Accelerating Universe
The Bad Plus Joined by Wendy Lewis, Barracuda
Beat Happening, Other Side
Bat for Lashes, Daniel
Be Your Own Pet, Summer Sensation
Benett, Just Because I Liked You (In the Summertime)
Belle & Sebastian, The Gate
Belly, Slow Dog

Joel’s Hit Show, Episode 61, April 25 2010 Playlist

April 25, 2010

Massive Attack, Girl I Love You
Please Do Not Fight, Up Up Up
The Watson Twins, Modern Man
Basia Bulat, Heart of My Own
Joan of Arc, (Track 5)
Stringer Belle, Take This Song
Akai, Satellite
Twin Tigers, Passive Idol
Mixtapes & Cellmates, All of the Above
Innocent Bandits, When Another Sun Shines
Olof Arnalds, Klara
Balbec, How to Achieve God-Like Status
Soft Cotton County, Cosy Little Life
Sonya Kitchell, Snowing
Hildur Victoria, Four Young Sons

Drive-By Truckers “The Big To-Do”

April 23, 2010

For those of you scoring at home, this is record number 10. Maybe the hair is thinning a little bit, but not much else has changed. They still sound like Soul Asylum’s cooler younger brother. “Daddy Learned to Fly” reminds you of a time when Democratic presidents weren’t automatically considered socialists and instead were just fucking their interns.
“Birthday Boy” puts the Wallflowers to shame. It’s the same rooty-toot guitar, but with more texture and even soul. It’s a perfect microcosm of a band who has generally stayed just outside the glare of the spotlight. You can’t help but feel good about this act.
“The Wig He Made Her Wear” is one of the better ones. It tells a fun story about what has to be done before sex and why these things are important.
Shonna Tucker gets her time in the son as well. “You Got Another” shows a remarkably strong voice and heretofore unheard piano. The rest of the record is good too, although it does start to sound the same after a while. That’s what Drive-By Truckers do, though. This much-anticipated album will not disappoint.

Episode 1372 is up

April 23, 2010

Episode 1371 is up

April 23, 2010

Communist Daughter “Soundtrack to the End”

April 21, 2010

The record starts with “The Lady Is an Arsonist” and ends with “Minnesota Girls.” That’s how you get my attention. And the songs themselves are catchy, upbeat and fun, which never hurts.
“Soundtrack to the End” is a little slower but still has pep. It has more of a folk feel, although the whole album definitely would receive a folk rock subsidy if such a thing existed. If Jesus and Mary Chain weren’t so busy trying to be edgy, they would sound like this. The copious use of organ makes this track stand out.
“Fortunate Son” is the most rock ‘n’ roll of the tracks, and if the band ever decides to go in this direction, we’ll all be better off. It feels as if they have relieved themselves of the shackles of being a sleepy rock band and instead have just relieved themselves. It’s as cheerful as the rest, but this one really can get you excited if you let your guard down.
It’s a solid effort, although I fear they would be boring live.