Antennas to Heaven

NEXT BIG NASHVILLE: My itinerary

2008-09-11T15:35:00.003-05:00

What with the business of life right now, I'm being an awful blogger and accepting that. I've got a Fulbright app due on Monday and about six essays, but here's my schedule for Next Big Nashville this weekend:

Thursday, September 11
8:00pm - 8:30pm Dawson Wells (12th & Porter, 114 12th Avenue N)
8:45pm - 9:15pm Kindergarten Circus (The End, 2219 Elliston Pl)
9:30pm - 10:00pm Amanda Shires (3rd & Lindsley, 818 3rd Ave S)
10:15pm - 10:45pm Cory Branan (12th & Porter, 114 12th Avenue N)
11:15pm - 11:45pm Dead Confederate (Exit-In, 2208 Elliston Pl)
12:00am - 12:45am The Protomen (Exit-In, 2208 Elliston Pl)
12:30am - 3:00am The Pink Spiders & Luna Halo present Mercy Lounge's Next Big Nashville Afterparty (Mercy Lounge, 1 Cannery Row)

Friday, September 12
5:00pm - 8:00pmNBN VIP Reception (ICON in the Gulch)
8:15pm - 8:45pm Kindercastle (Cannery Ballroom, 1 Cannery Row)
8:45pm - 9:15pm Happy Birthday Amy (The Rutledge, 410 Fourth Ave S)
9:30pm - 10:00pm The Champion and His Burning Flame (The Basement, 1604 8th Ave S)
10:30pm - 11:00pm Cake Bake Betty (Exit-In, 2208 Elliston Pl)
11:15pm - 11:45pm MeeMaw (Exit-In, 2208 Elliston Pl)
12:00am - 12:45am Jeff the Brotherhood (Exit-In, 2208 Elliston Pl)
1:30am - 3:00am Mercy Lounge's Next Big Nashville Afterparty (Mercy Lounge, 1 Cannery Row)

Saturday, September 13
10:00am - 8:00pm Grimey's & The Basement's NEXT BIG OUTDOOR IN-STORE! (Grimey's, 1604 8th Ave S)
11:00am - 1:00pm BMI VIP Brunch (Cabana)
12:45pm - 1:15pm The Mean Tambourines (Grimey's, 1604 8th Ave S)
1:30pm - 2:00pm Tiger! Tiger! (Grimey's, 1604 8th Ave S)
3:30pm - 4:00pm Caitlin Rose (Grimey's, 1604 8th Ave S)
8:00pm - 8:30pm Alva Liegh (12th & Porter, 114 12th Avenue N)
8:45pm - 9:15pm Danger Bear (The Basement, 1604 8th Ave S)
9:30pm - 10:00pm Caitlin Rose (The Basement, 1604 8th Ave S)
9:45pm - 10:15pm The Privates (Exit-In, 2208 Elliston Pl)
10:30pm - 11:00pm The Howlies (Exit-In, 2208 Elliston Pl)
11:15pm - 11:45pm Ghostfinger (Exit-In, 2208 Elliston Pl)
12:00am - 12:45am How I Became The Bomb (Exit-In, 2208 Elliston Pl)
12:30am - 3:00am FAT TIRE & Holly House present Mercy Lounge's Next Big Nashville Afterparty (Mercy Lounge, 1 Cannery Row)
1:00am - 1:45am Features (Cannery Ballroom, 1 Cannery Row)
2:00am - 3:00am Jensen Sportag (Cannery Ballroom, 1 Cannery Row)

The Playlist 9/5

2008-09-08T16:09:00.006-05:00

Two Sheds, "You"
Rilo Kiley, "Troubadours" from The Initial Friend EP (Rilo Records)
Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66, "Norwegian Wood" from Foursider (Elektra)
Camera Obscura, "Let Me Go Home" from Underachievers Please Try Harder (Elefant)
Elliott Smith, "Waltz #2" from XO (Dreamworks)
Luna, "City Kitty" from Pup Tent (Elektra)
The Privates, "Barricades" from Barricades (Self-Release)
Ferraby Lionheart, "Small Planet" from Catch the Brass Ring (Nettwerk)
The Comfies, "Medicine" from Close to Me (Self-Release)
The Features, "Wooden Heart" from Interior Demonstration (Self-release)
Umbrella Tree, "Make Me a Priest" from The Church and the Hospital (Cephalopod)
Jeremy Lister, "Inside Out" from So Far (Self-release)
Happy Birthday Amy, "Mystery Scars" from Sue (Self-released)
Alva Leigh, "Belly" from Alva Leigh (Self-released)
Andrew Bird, "Sovay" from Andrew Bird & the Mysterious Production of Eggs (Righteous Babe)
The Hold Steady, "Your Little Hoodrat Friend" from Separation Sunday (Frenchkiss Records)
The Sun-Ups, "Fail You" from The Fatal Flaw EP
Black Mountain, "Stormy High" from In the Future (Jagjaguwar)
Devendra Banhart, "It's a Sight to Behold" from Rejoicing in the Hands (Young God)
Bright Eyes, "Falling Out of Love at this Volume" from A Collection of Songs Written and Recorded 1995-1997 (Saddle Creek)
The Books, "It Never Changes to Stop" from Lost and Safe (Tomlab)
Antony and the Johnsons, "Bird Gehrl" from I am a Bird Now (Secretly Canadian)
Pinback, "Torch" from Autumn of the Seraphs (Touch & Go Records)
Modest Mouse, "The Good Times Are Killing Me" from Good News for People who Love Bad News (Epic)
The Black Ghosts, "Face" from The Black Ghosts (I am Sound)
Creature, "Brigitte Bardot" from No Sleep At All (Bonsound)
Cheap Trick, "Surrender" from Heaven Tonight (Epic)

The Playlist

2008-08-22T17:04:00.005-05:00

Thanks for bearing with me and my stuffy sickness. Hope you enjoyed the near-solid hour of dance music.

The Playlist:
No Age, "I Wanna Sleep" from Weirdo Rippers (Fat Cat Records)
Pixies, "La La Love You" from Doolittle (Elektra)
Ida Maria, "Oh My God" from Fortress Round My Heart (Nesna)
These United States, "First Sight" from A Picture of The Three of Us At the Gate At the Garden of Eden (Self-released)
Faces on Film, "Famous Last Words" from Seven Sisters
The Delicious, "It's Not Time to Die" from The Delicious (Self-released)
Brooke Waggoner, "Hush if You Must Fresh Pair of Eyes" from Swoon Moon Music

Next Big Nashville Featured Artists:
Caitlin Rose, "Answer in One of These Bottles" from Dead Flowers (Theory 8)
Cassino, "Dust Went Flying" from Sounds of Salvation (Paragraph Records)
LYLAS, "Virgin Annie" from Lessons for Lovers (Self-released)
Glossary, "Almsgiver" from The Better Angels of Our Nature (Self-released)
Umbrella Tree, "Schizophrenia" from The Church & the Hospital (Cephalopod)
How I Became the Bomb, "Kneel Before Zod" from Let's Go! (self-released)
Dawson Wells, "Sorry Kelly" from Boulevardier (Self-released)

Generation X, "Kiss Me Deadly" from Anthology (Chrysalis)
Mstrkrft, "Work on You" from The Looks (Universal)
Jensen Sportag, "Japanese Zombie Schoolgirls" from Jensen Sportag (Self-released)
Ratatat, "Mirando" from lp3 (Xl)
CSS, "Believe Achieve" from Donkey (Sub Pop)
Daedelus, "Fair Weather Friends" from Love to make Music to (Ninja Tune)
HEALTH, "PERFECT SKIN" from HEALTH
The Black Ghosts, "Face" from The Black Ghosts (I Am Sound)
Stardust "Music Sounds Better With You" (Roule)
Solid Gold, "Who You Gonna Run To?" from Who You Gonna Run To? (SolidGoldCorp)
The Faint, "Mirror Error" from Fasciinatiion (blank.wav)
The Divine Comedy, "To Die a Virgin" from Victory for the Comic Muse (Parlophone)
Cut Copy, "Lights & Music" from Lights & Music (Modular Recordings)
Brazilian Girls, "Losing Myself" from New York City (Verve Forecast)

A note mid-show...

2008-08-08T16:57:00.002-05:00

Why do people always hang up after they say something they perceive to be mean?

I just had the funniest call--a girl called in and said "Hey, did you just play ------?" I said yes. She said "Are you friends with those guys?" I said "No, I know them, but we're not really friends." She said "Well next time you see them, tell them to stop playing sucky closers and to start writing their own music."

I laughed, but she hung up too soon to hear it.

Kudos to you, girl. I agree. I hope you read this.

The Playlist

2008-08-08T16:37:00.002-05:00

All I have to say is this:
You all are the best radio listeners ever.

Also, how great was Chris Freeman?

The Walkmen, "Canadian Girl" from You & Me (out Aug 18 on Gigantic)
Silver Jews, "We Could Be Looking For the Same Thing" from Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea (Drag City)
The Rumble Strips, "Girls and Boys in Love" from Girls and Weather (Fallout Records)
Wrapping Paper, "Ask Her in a Whisper" from Hold Up the Neon Sign (Self-released)
Of Montreal, "Id Engager" from Skeletal Lamping (out Oct. 7 on Polyvinyl)
Jonesworld, "Stuck With Me" from A Thing of Booty (Self-released)
Kyle Andrews, "Sushi" from Real Blasty
The Protomen, "The Sons of Fate" from The Protomen (Self-released)
All We Seabees, "Black Girls"
The Nobility, "The Mezzanine" from The Mezzanine
Nite Nite, "Amongst the Tenants" from Nite Nite EP (Self-released)
Jeff, "I Don't Need Your Tas-T" from Castle Storm (Infinity Cat)
Hotpipes, "Future Bolt" from Future Bolt (Liquid Panda)
Cake Bake Betty, "Livers" from The Dark Tower (Infinity Cat)
The Tragically Hip, "Blow at High Dough" from Up to Here (Universal)
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, "The Ballad of the Sin Eater" from Hearts of Oak (Lookout!) Dungen, "Satt Att Se" from 4 (out September 30th on Astralwerks)
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, "I'll Be Glad" from Lie Down in the Light (Palace Records)
Oblio, "A Story of Nashville" from Southern Trends (Casino Records)
Faster Pussycat, "Nonstop to Nowhere" from Whipped (Elektra)
LCD Soundsystem, "Someone Great" from Sound of Silver (DFA)
Ryan Adams, "To Be Young (Is to Be Sad, Is To Be High)" from Heartbreaker (Bloodshot)
Girl Talk, "In Step" from Feed the Animals (Illegal Art)

Next Big Nashville 2008!

2008-08-08T13:05:00.002-05:00

Next Big Nashville 2008 has announced the first 157 bands who will be playing the festival this September 10-14 all around town. The venues were announced few weeks ago and have been posted on the sidebar, but here they are again for you:

Cannery Ballroom
Mercy Lounge
Exit/In
The Rutledge
12th & Porter
The End
The Basement
3rd & Lindsley
Belcourt Theatre
City Hall
Rcktwn
Edgehill Studios
5 Spot
Grimey's Records
Bluebird Café

Some more should be added in the upcoming weeks. As well, fifty or so more acts will be announced early next week, including two coveted spots for bands selected by the good old democratic process. Head over to Nashville Cream to vote for the local act you'd like to see. All of those already announced are below, with my picks in bold. If you missed the festival last year (and I did, I was working on a show all weekend), it was the it place to be all week both for excellent local music and to strut your stuff around the Nashville scene. The local faux-celebrities were out in full force, the music was killer, and while there were more local favorites than up-and-comers, nearly every show got rave reviews. You can buy wristbands here for only 35 bucks. Look at it this way: if you make it to more than four shows, you've easily made your money back.

13 Ghosts
500 Miles to Memphis
Aaron Robinson
All We Seabees
Altered Statesman
Alva Leigh
And the Relatives
Andy Davis
Angel Snow
Annaliese
Aron Wright
Audrey Spillman
AutoVaughn
Biscuits N Gravy
Brian Ritchey
Bryan Cates
Butterfly Boucher
Caitlin Rose
Cake Bake Betty
Cali
Canon Blue
Carey Ott
Cary Ann Hearst
Cassino
Codaphonic
Coral Castles
Cortney Tidwell
Cory Branan
Cougar Fight
Courtney Jaye
Dabney Morris
Danger Bear--playing Saturday at the Basement
Dawson Wells
Disappointed by Candy
Dead Confederate
Dignan
Duquette Johnston
Eastern Block
Egon (Stones Throw records)
Elle Macho feat. David Mead, Butterfly Boucher & Lindsay Jamieson
Emily DeLoach
Eric Wilson
Erin McCarley
Eureka Gold
Ferraby Lionheart
Forget Cassettes
Foxhole
Ghostfinger
Glossary
Greg Summerlin
Hands Down Eugene
Happy Birthday Amy--Friday at the Rutledge
Harrison Hudson
Heypenny
Hollow Ox
How I Became The Bomb
Homer Hiccolm & the Rocket Boys
Hotpipes
Jabe & The All Night Circus
JEFF The Brotherhood
Jennifer Niceley
Jensen Sportag
Jeremy Lister
Joey & Rory
Judd & Maggie
Katie Herzig
Keegan DeWitt
Kindegarten Circus
Kindercastle
Korean is Asian--Saturday at the Basement
Kyle Andrews
lanky
Levi Weaver
Lorien
Luna Halo
Lylas
Madi Diaz
Magic Wands
Mando Saenz
Matthew Perryman Jones
Matthew Ryan vs the Silver State
McClain
MeeMaw
Megan McCormick
Meghan Kabir
Modoc
MONA
Mother Father
My Tyger
Natalie Warner
Neva Geoffrey
nite nite
Oblio
Ocelots
Ole Mossy Face
Paper Rival
Paper Route
Parachute Musical
Peter Bradley Adams
Pico vs Island Trees
Pink Spiders
Plex Plex
Red White Blue
Repent or Forever Be
Rick Brantley
Ricky Young & The Slow Films
Roman Candle
Royal Bangs
Sam & Ruby
Sara Melson
Sarah Siskind
Six Gun Lullaby
Sons of Roswell
Space Capone
Stephaniesid
Superdrag
Tallest Trees
Ten out of Tenn
The Ascent of Everest--Thursday at the Anchor
The Bridges
The Carter Administration
The Champion and His Burning Flame
The Clutters
The Comfies
The Deep Vibration
The Dexateens
The Dirty Guv'nahs
The Features
The Glib
The Good Wolves
The Hanna Barbarians
The Last Almanac
The Lonely Hearts
The Mattoid
The Nobility
The Non-Commisioned Officers
The Privates
The Protomen
The Running
The Titts
The Worsties
Through the Sparks
Tiger Tiger
Tigers Con Queso
Timbre
Tommy & The Whale
Totally Snake
Tristen
Tyler James
Umbrella Tree
Velcro Stars
Vulture Whale
Waves on Waves
We Were the States
Wess Floyd
Whispertown 2000
Willie Heath Neal

Mark your calendars.

2008-08-06T12:27:00.002-05:00

There's a lot of great news around town this fall, and I'm actually a little excited to be easing off on my theatre commitments so I can enjoy all that's going on in this great city. Check out some of the highlights below, as well as the usual stuff on the sidebar. I'll try to keep you updated on my picks for the week. For this weekend, my entire crew will be at Chris Freeman's show at The 5 Spot, featuring local favorites The Velcro Stars and LYLAS. It's his very last one before he takes off to Portland, and I'm expecting a crowd. Come early to catch the wonderful Seth Moore and to play a little pool, as well as knock a few back before the bar gets crowded. Wear your divebar attire, or come overdressed, like me, and tip well--the bartenders there pour generously and work their asses off on crowded nights.

Upcoming in Nashville:
TOMORROW--August 8th. Connor Oberst plays at Grimeys, 6pm.

August 19th. The Walkmen's latest, You & Me, is officially released--for only five bucks. You can purchase a download now at Amie Street, where all proceeds go to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in honor of seven-month old Luca Vasallo, a friend to the band and a current patient. Check out one of the tracks below. Grimey's celebrates with an in store performance of Walkmen covers done by Grimeys staffers--not to be missed.
"Canadian Girl"

September 7th. Ben Folds opens the Nashville Symphony's 2008-2009 season with a complete orchestral performance, including previews to his upcoming album, Way To Normal, recorded in Nashville and featuring Regina Spektor on a track.

September 30th. Swedish psych rockers Dungen release their 5th album, aptly entitled 4. Check out one of the tracks: "Satt Att Se"

October 7th. Of Montreal's 9th album, Skeletal Lamping, hits stores.
"Id Engager"

October 13th. The Walkmen play The Basement.

November 6th. Girltalk plays The Cannery. "Give Me A Beat" from Feed the Animals.

Let me know if any of you web strangers are friends are going to be out at Chris Freeman tomorrow, and don't forget to tune in from 4-6pm tomorrow for the show! I'd love to meet some listeners!

Sidebar Updates!

2008-08-04T09:09:00.001-05:00

Just wanted to let you know to peek over at the sidebar... it's finally been updated, so take a look and mark your calendars to be at The End on the 29th for a WRVU/Left Can Dance extravaganza. Plus, I'll be DJing a set. A good time will be had by all.

Pitchfork Rundown: Sunday

2008-07-28T14:14:00.008-05:00

Finally......

Sunday, July 20
1:25 p.m. High Places --
Ehhh. I've heard some of their recorded stuff and been alright with it (while not crazy about it), and this set was no different. It was hot as hell, they weren't very engaging, and the music wasn't entirely my taste.
"Canary"

2:20 p.m. HEALTH -
Oh, the HEALTH controversy. I haven't heard anything but their remix album (which, admittedly, is a lot of fun to dance to) and hype and hype and hype, and I was pretty disappointed. Their schtick seems to be hurling themselves around like mad and pausing to look really fucking exhausted at every opportunity. I would believe the latter, except that they all walked onstage looking, well, really fucking exhausted. Clinging to drums and sinking to the ground and inhaling great lungfuls of air and panting them out at us. I didn't buy it.
"Crimewave" (Crystal Castles v. HEALTH)

3:15 p.m. King Khan & the Shrines ++
Such a phenomenal, engaging, entertaining band really doesn't need to rely so much on fodder for the crowd. Their live show is so great off of their personalities alone, that the rest just seems to get in the way. I was neutral on Khan's gold cape and navy boxer briefs (in this crowd, I was just thankful they weren't American Apparel briefs), but really bothered and put off by the bands 'cheerleader', some chick in a blue flapper dress and gold-spangled underwear that I saw way too much of. Where the musicians' glee was infectious, hers seemed affected. Khan doesn't need the act--why include it? It would have been better without.
"I Wanna Be a Girl"

5:00 p.m. The Dodos +++
My surprise hit of the festival. I particularly enjoyed the standard aluminum trash can serving as a kick drum.
"Nerds"

7:00 p.m. Spiritualized +++++
SO LOUD. SO DAMN GOOD. We were in the second row, near-deaf, dancing around gleefully. The soul singers added a perfect element, and the Spaceman was stoic and weird as ever. After two shows I got used to the routine: never a word between songs, never an acknowledgement of the crowd's yells, then a sudden act of violence--battering into a microphone or hurling a guitar across stage--before exiting, coming back on to clap at the audience, and exiting for good.I was so struck by this show and seeing them again in Nashville Tuesday night that I got goosebumps when I realized how close I was to them. We worked our asses off for an encore, but it didn't happen. Does anyone know if these guys have ever played an encore?
"Soul on Fire"

8:00 p.m. Dinosaur Jr. ++++
This probably pulled the most diverse crowd of the festival, and
"Back to Your Heart"

Friday's Playlist

2008-07-28T13:55:00.003-05:00

What a weekend.

I had every intention of having a moment to update you all, but what with the party preparations, the Protomen show, and being exorbitantly hungover on Sunday (I slept until seven pm. I nearly missed daylight.) it never happened. But god, what a show it was, and god! what a party it was. I am of the firm belief that one should always sacrifice their blogging for the hedonistic hours of the weekend. So, no apologies! Thanks for tuning in Friday, and here's your playlist:

The Faint, "Posed to Death" from Danse Macabre (Saddle Creek)
C.C. Adcock, "Stealin' All Day" from Noise Makers (Yep Roc)
British Sea Power, "Please Stand Up" from Open Season (Rough Trade)
Apples in Stereo, "Golden Flower" from Electronic Projects for Musicians (Yep Roc)
Jarvis Cocker, "Big Stuff" (Rough Trade)
Kentucky Nightmare, "Caroline" from Take Her Favour (Self-released)
Rogue Wave, "Cheaper Than Therapy" from Asleep At Heaven's Gate (Brushfire)
Josh Ritter, "Rumors" from The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter (Sony BMG)
The Billionaires, "Highschool High" from Really Real For Forever (Too Soon)
Rilo Kiley, "Does He Love You?" from More Adventurous (Brute/Beaute Records)
Ferraby Lionheart, "A Crack in Time" from Catch the Brass Ring (Nettwerk)
Eleni Mandell, "Wings in His Eyes" from Miracle of Five (Zedtone)
The Acorn, "Do You Not Yearn, At All?" from The Pink Ghosts (Paper Bag Records)
The Apples in Stereo, "Shine a Light" from Tone Soul Evolution (Sire Records)
Tilly and the Wall, "Cacophony" from O (Team Love)
The Protomen, "Unrest in the House of Light" from The Protomen (Self-Released)
Wax Fang, "The Doctor Will See You Now" from La La Land (Self-released)
How I Became the Bomb, "Kneel Before Zod" from Let's Go! (Self Released)
Cheap Trick, "Surrender" from Heaven Tonight (Epic)
Meemaw, "Blue in the Blacklight" from Glass Elevator (Infinity Cat)
Robbers on High Street, "Married Young" from Grand Animals (Yew Line Records)
Hot Chip, "Ready for the Floor" from Made in the Dark (DFA/Astralwerks)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs, "Gold Lion (Diplo Remix)" from Show Your Bones (Interscope)
Creature, "Brigitte Bardot"
Chromeo, "Fancy Footwork" from Fancy Footwork (Turbo)
HEALTH, "Crimewave" from Disco (Lovepump United)

Pitchfork Rundown: Saturday

2008-07-22T11:03:00.017-05:00

I'm back from my wonderful weekend away from work and house repairs and GRE prep, and back at the grind over the lab bench. Pitchfork 2008 was great for a lot of reasons, despite the rain on Saturday which kicked in just enough to birthe a giant mud pit and ruin my shoes, and despite my friends who were incensed that I wouldn't leave and miss Dinosaur Jr. on Sunday. Come on!

Thanks again to Kate for subbing on Friday, and you can check out all she played here!

Below is my rundown of the bands I saw on the first day of Pitchfork. The second day is forthcoming. We took it a little easier this year, and instead of either camping out at a stage or refusing to take a break from the music all weekend, we did a little shopping (I scored Cheap Trick's Heaven Tonight on vinyl for 5 bucks!) and actually tried the food (the ginger chicken was supreme). This means I saw slightly fewer bands, and was not in the front for all of them--although I came pretty close for a few. I had great company--my friend Mike and his crew on the first day, and my two indie cousins on the second day--and actually didn't get sunburned this year! I also shared my sunscreen with about half a dozen red-necked hipsters, made friends with (most of) the crowd around us, and had a delightful weekend.

Check it out.

Saturday, July 19
1:30 p.m. Jay Reatard ++
Loud, sweaty, and full of energy, barely stopping long enough between songs to yell out the next one before plunging forward. Near noise-rock.
"An Ugly Death"

2:00 p.m. Caribou +
I was too far away.
"After Hours"

4:00 p.m. Dizzee Rascal ++
The token hip-hop group of the year. The field filled up with pot smoke and Dizzee succeeded in making us "Bounce! Bounce! Bounce!"
"Is This Real"

5:00 p.m. Vampire Weekend +
Too pop-arrific for my taste. Still, fun and energetic and not at all a waste of time.
"Oxford Comma"

6:00 p.m. !!! +++
Front row! Lots of pelvic dancing, lots of banter, lots of touching. Nic Offer spent half his time atop the speakers and half his time being stroked by the crowd. There was a kind of sad exchange when a girl insisted upon giving him her giant purple sunglasses, then insisted he keep them--"I don't like sunglasses... they make me feel like I'm trying to be cool"--then, as a weak recovery--"Quick, take your picture. I'm going to take these off in a minute, but I'll wear them whenever I'm trying to be cool. Thanks." Ouch.
"All My Heroes Are Weirdos"

7:00 p.m. The Hold Steady +++
God, I love them. I don't think a single other band of the festival had so much fun onstage, enjoyed the crowd so much, or made it so damn impossible to sing along.
"Party Pit"

8:00 p.m. Jarvis Cocker ++
I was barely close enough to appreciate the show and didn't really have intentions of staying the whole time (or paying too close attention) but I was completely drawn in by Jarvis Cocker. Aside from the fact that "Common People" is a staple in my danceparty mixes (and really, that doesn't mean anything), I'm ashamed to say I don't know much of Jarvis Cocker's work, and am looking forward to checking out the forthcoming album this fall.
"Big Stuff"

I'll post my rundown of Sunday sometime Thursday or Saturday. Don't forget to tune in Friday to win tickets to see Apples in Stereo, as well as a copy of Electronic Projects for Musicians!

Playlist, 7/11

2008-07-11T17:26:00.004-05:00

It was so great to be back in the station this week. The giveaways were chaos, so thanks to all of you who were willing to be a part of that chaos. Remember, I'll be doing more next Friday (the 25th) when I get back in town!

To top it off, Friday I met a fan of the show. See, we never see our listeners--half of our job is based on faith alone. We hope people are listening. We're noncommercial, so we have no way to quantify you, to figure out your demographics, to even know if anyone at all is tuned in. It's absolutely my favorite thing to meet a listener who really likes the show and makes a point to listen in. It blows me away.

And then on top of that, I discovered that the listener who called in and proposed to me some time ago is actually a real, sane, interesting person. So apparently, I should have said yes.

Enjoy the music below. I'll try to post a few more times before I leave town on Friday!

British Sea Power, "No Lucifer" from Do You Like Rock Music?
Liam Finn, "Lead Balloon" from I'll Be Lightning
Mates of State, "Get Better" from Re-Arrange Us
Islands, "Life in Jail" from Arm's Way
Happy Birthday Amy, "This Song Is About Monsters" from Sue
Glossary, "Almsgiver" from The Better Angels of Our Nature
Portishead, "The Rip" from Third
Caitlin Rose, "T-Shirt" from Dead Flowers
Santogold, "Unstoppable" from Santogold
Black Mountain, "Wucan" from In the Future
Spiritualized, "All My Thoughts" from Ladies and Gentlemen we are floating in space
Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks, "Gardenia" from Real Emotional Trash
Gospel Gossip, "Wind" from Sing Into My Mouth
The Helio Sequence, "Shed Your Love" from Keep Your Eyes Ahead
Bonnie Prince Billy, "For Every Field There's a Mole" from Lie Down in the Light
DeVotchKa, "The Clockwise Witness" from A Mad and Faithful Telling
Margot And The Nuclear So And So's, "Skeleton Key"
Lucero, "She's Just That Kind of Girl" from Rebels, Rogues, & Sworn Brothers
New Buffalo, "Cheer Me Up Thank You" from Somewhere, Anywhere
Akudama, "Out Again" from Johnny Appleseed EP
Electric President, "Insomnia" from Electric President
Sigur Ros, "Inni Mer Syngur Vitleysingur" from Meo suo i eyrum vio spilum endalaust

Unconfirmed Disappointment: Mucklewain 2008

2008-07-11T13:09:00.002-05:00

So after a slew of phone calls, emails, and drunken shouts that Mucklewain 2008 was going to happen, I'm fairly certain it is not. If you haven't already figured that out from the lack of news, it's been fairly confirmed by some of the folks who helped get it together last year. I'm very, very sad to hear that news, but not surprised. Disappointed as well? Here's what you should do.

Go to http://www.myspace.com/mucklewain and leave a comment or send a message to Joie Todd. If you went last year or the year before, tell him what the festival meant to you. Tell him how far you drove to get there, tell him what acts you liked, tell him about the people you met, tell him what your Mucklewain was like. Most importantly, just tell him thanks. He needs to know how much we appreciate all he's done for the festival, and how glad we are that it happened last year. If you haven't been but want to go, tell him what you've heard about it, tell him why you want it to happen again. Tell him that we'll keep holding out for a Mucklewain 2009, or 2010, or 2020. Tell him you'd be happy to help spread the word, or recommend bands, or get your business/radiostation/friends involved. Let him know!

At any rate, I'm so glad I heard about Muckelwain in time to make it to last year's festival. I won't forget about it--don't you either.

EDIT: Giveaways, Giveaways!

2008-07-08T14:34:00.003-05:00

EDIT: Due to a last minute change in plans, I won't be leaving town this weekend, but I will be gone next weekend. That means: show tomorrow, no show on 7/17. Lots of giveaway edits. Read below.

The good news: Kate from Say Yes! To Music is going to sub for me (next week I hope)! She just started her first summer DJing and is doing a kickass job of it, so I'm glad to be able to give her some drivetime. Tune in and let her know if you like what you hear!

The better news:

This week as well as the week I get back, July 11th and 25th, will be a blowout of giveaways.

This week I'll be giving away a slew of tickets to Forecastle Festival (see forecastlefest.com for details), including 2 3-day passes, 2 Sunday VIP passes, and a few other 1-day passes that have not yet been claimed. Also, I'll be giving away two passes to see Spiritualized at the Mercy on 7/22!

Only July 25, I'll be giving away a pair of tickets to the Apples in Stereo show on 7/29 with Poison Control Center and Big Fresh at the Mercy Lounge. The show's 18+ and kicks off around 9pm. And along with your tickets, you'll get a copy of the Apples' latest album, Electronic Projects for Musicians.

So mark your calendar for this Friday and next and make sure to tune in from 4pm-6pm CST on your drive home. Or listen in at WRVU.org if you don't have a radio nearby. Giveaways will start shortly after 4pm and continue throughout the show.

Feel free to ask if you've got any questions, and get yourself geared up for all the great music in and around town!

Minimix: The reason I haven't posted in a week and a half...

2008-07-03T15:46:00.003-05:00

I'm back from the family beach trip, which was a delightful mess of competitive tubing and aggressive drinking, long days out on a boat and long evenings playing beach games, family sing-alongs and incredible food. It would be unfair to say I'm the oddball of the family, because it's so obvious we've got the same blood--we're loud, boisterous, active, always talking and socializing and enjoying each other. My indie-hipster leanings are somewhat the exception. The cousins gather together with a deck of cards and a cooler of Summer Beer and listen to Rihanna and other top 40 until five AM hits and we've got enough energy left to walk nextdoor and sleep until noon. The whole family gets out the banjo, or the guitar if there's not one around, and sings "Margaritaville" and "Bitin' My Fingernails" and even all seven-and-a-half minutes of "American Pie".

With only about thirty of us at the beach this year, we weren't as big of a group as usual, but with aunts, uncles, grandparents, boyfriends, in-laws, cousins, second cousins, great-grandchildren... we're a crowd.

So after that wonderful exhaustion, I came home and immediately packed up the minivan and began the move to my new house!!!!! which I couldn't be more excited about. It's old as hell and covered in ivy and KA fraternity brothers lived in it last year and left us a keg and a bunch of beer and a hole in the ceiling and I love it. My closet is larger than the kitchen of the last place I lived. I'm just completely ecstatic about being there.

But, the move has kept me busy (since I've also been working 830-5) and the point of that whole spiel was that I have not posted because I have been out of town and moving.

Also, I won't be able to do my show this week because I'll be in Wisconsin for a wedding, and the week after that I'll be in Chicago for Pitchfork! So, my deepest apologies. This week I've got a kickass sub, Brandon Spencer from Nashville Mixtapes, so check him out and see what you think. I'm not sure about the week after that, but I'll let you know.

In the meantime, to make up for it, here's a minimix of songs loosely related to what I've been doing this week. Enjoy!

The Dalloways, "A Place to Call Our Home"

Art Brut, "Moving to L.A."

The Spinto Band, "Brown Boxes"

Arcade Fire, "Neighborhood #2"

Beach House, "Home Again"

Playlist, 6/20

2008-06-21T11:33:00.003-05:00

Thanks to everyone who called in this week with requests or to win tickets. Sorry I didn't have more to give away! Check back here in the upcoming weeks for more info about tickets, in-stations, local shows, etc. but in the meantime, don't expect an update until the 1st or so. I'll be heading over to sunny North Carolina this Sunday with my family--which means aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, in-laws, cousins' kids, boyfriends, and on and on--for a week of competitive tubing, competitive drinking, and competitive sunbathing. Then I'll be moving into a new house the day I get back in town, which is sure to take all the fire out of me for a few days. If anyone wants to sell me a dresser, desk, or bed, let me know....

Req	New Rel	V/A	Artist	Song	Album	Label	Genre
			Sol Seppy	1 2	The Bells of 1 2	Gronland Records	Other
			M. Ward	Right in the Head	Internet Release	Merge	Other
			The Bicycles	Two Girls From Montreal	The Good, The Bad, and the Fluffly	Label Unavailable	Other
	X		Kink Ador	Little Sister	Get Lucky	Self-Released	Other
			Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins	Happy	Rabbit Fur Coat	Team Love	Other
			The Jealous Girlfriends	I Quit	The Jealous Girlfriends	Self-release	Other
			Donovan	Wear Your Love Like Heaven	Donovan	Legacy	Other
	X		Spiritualized	Soul on Fire	Songs in A&E	Fontana	Other
	X		Bombadil	Julian of Norwich	A Buzz, A Buzz	Ramseur	Other
	X		Portishead	Machine Gun	Third	Mercury	Other
			Explosions in the Sky	Look Into the Air	How Strange, Innocence	Sad Loud America	Other
	X		Mates of State	Great Dane	Re-arrange Us	Barsuk Records	Other
			Zookeeper	Snow in Berlin	Becoming All Things	Self-release	Other
	X		The Futureheads	Walking Backwards	This Is Not The World	nul records	Other
	X		The Wedding Present	Santa Ana Winds	El Rey	Manifesto	Other
			Cory Branan	Sour Mash	Live on Antennas to Heaven	None	Other
			Dr. Dog	The Old Days	Fate	Park the Van	Other
			Silver Jews	Punks in the Beerlight	Tanglewood Numbers	Drag City	Other
	X		She and Him	I Was Made For You	Volume 1	Merge	Other
			Rufus Wainwright	April Fools	Rufus Wainwright	Dreamworks	Other
			Dragonette	Get Lucky	Galore	Mercury	Other
			Bloc Party	Hunting for Witches	A Weekend in the City	Vice Records	Other
			Chromeo	Call Me Up	Fancy Footwork	Vice	Other
			How I Became the Bomb	Secret Identity	Let's Go!	Self-Release	Other

Quick Update

2008-06-20T00:10:00.002-05:00

Tune in tomorrow to win tickets to....

The Voodoo Experience

October 24-26

New Orleans

Featuring The Stone Temple Pilots, R.E.M, Nine Inch Nails (full lineup to be announced Monday!)

www.thetenthritual.com

Forecastle

July 25-27

Louisville

Featuring Dr. Dog, Method Man, Groovatron, and plenty more

www.forecastlefest.com

Kink Ador's CD release party for Get Lucky

Wednesday, June 25

12th and Porter

Featuring Spoken Word Jen, Jon Nicholson, Dan Cohen, Chip Green and others

That's four separate pairs of tickets being given away (2 for the last show mentioned) and a TON of chances to win. So tune in. The giveaways will start promptly at 4pm.

Thanks for listening!

Playlist, 6/13

2008-06-15T17:26:00.003-05:00

Here's the playlist from this week. The Early Evening were excellent company in the station, and don't forget to catch them tomorrow night at The 5 Spot around 9pm. I'm planning on being there, so if you make it out, come by and say hello! And don't forget to tune in next week for a chance to win tickets to Forecastle.

Rock Plaza Central, "When We Go, How We Go" from Are We Not Horses?
Emma Wallace, "Exceed My Expectations" from A Reason to Stay Up All Night
Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins, "The Charging Sky" from Rabbit Fur Coat
Ra Ra Riot, "Each Year" from Ra Ra Riot
Luna, "Dear Diary" from The Days of Our Nights
Cory Branan, "Crush" from The Hell You Say
Neutral Milk Hotel, "Gardenhead/Leave Me Alone" from On Avery Island
Happy Birthday Amy, "The Holidays" from Sue
Mogwai, "Killing All the Flies" from Happy Songs for Happy People
The Wedding Present, "Don't Take Me Home Until I'm Drunk" from El Rey
Mates of State, "The Re-Arranger" from Re-Arrange Us
The Shout Out Louds, "Impossible" from (Impossible)
Architecture in Helsinki, "Heart it Races" from Places Like This
Les Malicieux, "We Are Okay" from Demos
Blackstrap, "The Bitter, The Sweet" from Steal My Horses and Run
The Early Evening, "Heavy Lids" from Everyone's a Legend
The Early Evening, "People" from Everyone's a Legend
The Early Evening, "Sleeping in Your Arms" from Everyone's a Legend
Amy LaVere, "Killing Him" from Anchors & Anvils
The Mountain Goats, "Autoclave" from Heretic Pride
Matt Pond PA, "The Crush" from People Have a Way

Playlist, 6/6

2008-06-07T14:04:00.006-05:00

Thanks to everyone who tuned in on Friday to listen to the show. As I mentioned, I've got a lot of good stuff coming up in the upcoming weeks, so check the sidebar to keep updated on in-stations and ticket giveaways! Also, thanks to those of you that called in and didn't hang up on me (read below). You put me in a much better mood.

Req	New Rel	V/A	Artist	Song	Album	Label	Genre
			Spiritualized	Shine A Light (Unreleased Mix)	Friendly Fire	Dedicated Records	IndieRock
			Professor Murder	Free Stress Test	Professor Murder Rides the Subway	Kanine	IndieRock
			Elf Power	Venus and Mercury	Internet Exclusive	Rykodisc	IndieRock
			Electric Touch	Don't Be Afraid	Electric Touch	Label Unavailable	IndieRock
			Mary Epworth and the Jubilee Band	The Saddle Song	Internet Release	Self-Released	IndieRock
			Stephen Malkmus	The Hook	Stephen Malkmus	Matador	IndieRock
			Numero 6	Da piccolissimi pezzi	Quando arriva la gente si sente meglio	Label Unavailable	IndieRock
			Good Shoes	We Are Not the Same	Think Before You Speak	Brille Records	IndieRock
			Caitlin Rose	Answer in One of These Bottles	Dead Flowers	Theory 8	IndieRock
			Nouvelle Vague	Dance With Me	Bande a Part	Peacefrog	IndieRock
	X		El Perro Del Mar	Inner Island	From the Valley to the Stars	The Control Group	IndieRock
			Spoon	Johnathan Fisk	Kill the Moonlight	Merge	IndieRock
	X		M83	Kim & Jesse	Saturdays = Youth	Mute	IndieRock
			Mogwai	Tracy	Young Team	Jetset	IndieRock
X			Ryan Adams and the Cardinals	Let It Ride	Cold Roses	Lost Highway	IndieRock
	X		Islands	Creeper	Arm's Way	Anti-	IndieRock
			Sun Kil Moon	Unlit Hallway	April	Caldo Verde	IndieRock
	X		Portishead	The Rip	Third	Mercury Records	IndieRock
			Cinerama	Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang	This is Cinerama	Scopitones	IndieRock
			Centro-Matic	I, the Kite	Dual Hawks	Quality Park	IndieRock
	X		Hotpipes	The Future Is Where We Belong	Future Bolt	Liquid Panda	IndieRock
X			Tokyo Police Club	Your English Is Good	Elephant Shell	Saddle Creek	IndieRock
	X		Be Your Own Pet	Twisted Nerve	Get Awkward	Ecstatic Peace/Universal	IndieRock
			Sea Wolf	You're a Wolf	Leaves in the River	Dangerbird	IndieRock
			The Hold Steady	Massive Nights	Boys and Girls in America	Vagrant	IndieRock
			M. Ward	Four Hours in Washington	Transistor Radio	Merge	IndieRock

A view from this side of the board...

2008-06-06T17:17:00.005-05:00

I wouldn't call myself a calm person by any stretch, but I love confrontation and can tolerate a great deal of criticism. What I can't tolerate is rudeness. A listener who was less than inspired by the Mogwai song I played this week called in, said "Thank God that's over." and hung up on me. The first half didn't piss me off, the second half did. If you don't like what I'm playing, feel free to check out 107.5 or NPR or Jack.FM or put in a CD or a tape or sing to yourself or SOMETHING, but don't be rude to me. Feel free as well to call me and let me know that you didn't like the song. I don't mind. Just give me a chance to explain to you that you not liking the song is never going to stop me from playing it.

We here at WRVU don't play the music we play so that anyone and everyone can appreciate it. We don't care about the least common denominator. We play it because we like it; we hope some of you do. We play it because we believe that not everyone likes the same music. We play it because we want what we love to have an audience--and if two hundred people turn off their radios and two people buy the album, we've been successful. If we believed that our entire audience had to enjoy a song for it to be worth playing, we'd be another commercial Top 40 station.

I know you think your music taste is THE BEST. But do you remember how much you loved those ridiculous pop-punk bands when you were thirteen? Or maybe you, like me, went through a ridiculous country music phase at age twelve. Get over yourself. I love it when we like the same music; I love it when you call in and want to know the name of a band, or where to buy an album, or when to catch someone live. But the moment you start thinking that our DJs should be catering to your interests, you're missing the point. We're not here for YOU. We're here for the music.

So when you want to call in and tell me (or any of us) that you didn't like a song we played, keep this in mind: it's not your show. When you call in and say you don't like a song and treat us rudely, you don't even make it to the status of music elitist--you come across like an asshole. So for god's sake, at least give me the courtesy of a response.

Forecastle Festival Ticket Giveaways

2008-05-31T20:27:00.008-05:00

Thanks to the generous folks up at Forecastle, forty-two of you guys will be joining me (and some other WRVU'ers) up in Louisville this July for a weekend of excellent music of all sorts, from hip-hop to twee, along with fifteen grassroots artists and about fifty activist organizations represented. Along with the big-ish names you probably all recognize, I'm thrilled to see several Nashvillians represented--The Protomen are playing the pre-party, and All We Seabees are playing Saturday morning. The tickets are fairly cheap for a three-day pass, but if you'd like to grab some for free, a bunch of WRVU shows will be giving away all kinds of passes in the upcoming weeks--single day, two-day, three-day, and a few exclusive VIP passes. For the record, I have no idea what it means to be a VIP at Forecastle, but it can't be bad, right?

To get a pair of tickets, tune into any of these shows:

Mon 6/9 5-7pm Assorted Fruits and Cheeses 2 Friday passes

Tuesy 6/10 8pm-12am Any Colour You Like 2 Saturday
Thurs 6/12 10pm-12am Nashville Mixtapes 2 Saturday
Sat 6/14 2-3pm The Funky Four Elements 2 Sunday

Sun 6/15 10pm-11pm Seagulls Over Nashville 2 Friday
Fri 6/20 4-6pm Antennas to Heaven 2 Sunday

Sun 6/22 10am-12pm The Mixdown 2 Friday
Mon 6/23 7-8pm All Your Summer Songs 2 Saturday
Thurs 6/26 10pm-12am Nashville Mixtapes 2 Sunday
Sat 6/28 2-3pm The Funky Four Elements 2 Friday

Sun 6/29 6-8pm Positive Spin 2 Saturday
Mon 6/30 5-7pm Assorted Fruits and Cheeses 2 Sunday
Tues 7/1 10pm-12am Any Colour You Like 2 Friday

Sun 7/6 10am-12pm The Mixdown 2 Saturday
Sun 7/6 6-8pm Positive Spin 2 Sunday
Mon 7/7 7-8pm All Your Summer Songs 2 Fri-Sat
Fri 7/11 4-6pm Antennas to Heaven 2 3-day

Sun 7/13 10-11pm Seagulls Over Nashville 2 Sat-Sun
Mon 7/14 5-7pm Assorted Fruits and Cheeses 2 Fri VIP
Tues 7/15 10pm-12am Any Colour You Like 2 Sat VIP
Fri 7/18 4-6pm Antennas to Heaven 2 Sun VIP

Good luck!

I am a failure as a music blogger.

2008-05-29T23:18:00.004-05:00

So my mac is fixed and I am back in dear old Nashville, and I feel like the last two weeks has lasted for about two months. I have no idea who's playing in town next month. I have no idea who released an album while I was gone. My bloglines account is overwhelming. I haven't had a personal computer in two weeks, and I've been useless.

I'd be lying if I swore this nearly month-long siesta will never happen again. I don't aspire to be I Guess I'm Floating, or You Ain't No Picasso, or, you know... overly consistent. I keep busy. But I'm back for the summer, and at the very least, I'll be supporting the radioshow still. So keep listening! And keep reading. Please?

But we have passed the illustrious 1/3 of the way done point for the year, and I'm taking a peak at all the albums that have the potential to stick it out and make that album-of-the-year list come January. Some of these may not have the staying power, and some others that have already been released may come back and surprise me, but in the meantime:

Beach House, Devotion

"D.A.R.L.I.N.G."

Black Mountain, In the Future
"Black Cat" (from the bonus disc)

British Sea Power, Do You Like Rock Music?
"Waving Flags"

Caitlin Rose, Dead Flowers
Okay yeah, it's an EP, and for that reason alone I guess it HAS to get knocked off the list, but it's just so damn good.

Destroyer, Trouble in Dreams
"Foam Hands"

DeVotchKa, A Mad and Faithful Telling
"Transliterator"

Elf Power, In a Cave
"The Demon Daughter"

Foals, Antidotes
"Balloons"

Happy Birthday Amy, Sue!
"Bait"

The Mountain Goats, Heretic Pride
"Sax Rohmer #1"

Portishead, Third
Okay, I confess: I have not even heard this album yet. I'm going to pick it up tomorrow afternoon. But I love Portishead too much, and I can't wait to hear this one.

Someone Still Loves You, Boris Yeltsin, Pershing
"Oceanographer"
Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, Real Emotional Trash
"Baltimore"
Tapes N' Tapes, Walk it Off
"Demon Apple"

Tokyo Police Club, Elephant Shell
"Graves"

Umbrella Tree, The Church and the Hospital
"A New Job With The Police--A German Song"

And a second post will be forthcoming with the playlist from the radioshow (today at four!) and updated local concert calendar. I'm shaping back up! Just for you guys!

2008-05-06T09:49:00.001-05:00

Bad news: my darling mac is having problems. Specifically, when I reboot it, the clock resets to 1961 and no applications (including the one that controls the clock) will open. And now, it seems to be temporarily rendering any charger that touches it unusable. So I can't shut it down... and now I can't charge it. I made it last through exams so that I would last through exams, but now that I'm done (HURRAH) my poor baby is going to have to get some work done. It's that time in its life, but I'm just praying it's not done for. Good news: Done with school, more time for posting, but now I've got no online access to my music, and little computer access. I'm also about to be cruising around the country for two weeks--Myrtle Beach, Charlottesville, and Champaign if you want to say hello--but I've got hardly any computer access in the meantime.

I'm just about to fold.

So I'm going to go work on wrangling up some cash to pay for a new computer, and sorry for being an utter failure as a blogger lately.

Alive!

2008-04-28T13:43:00.002-05:00

But barely. On Friday I was bitten by a spider, swelled up, spent the morning at the doctor's and got put on a bunch of meds. Unfortunately, the pain meds made me sick and didn't get rid of the pain, so I quit taking those and am going at it alone.

But pain meds and all, I made it to the show Friday (half an hour late after being at the doctor's all day) and I'm damn glad I did.

Instead of trying to type up all the things that I've missed what with exams and spiders, go HERE to check out the playlist from two weeks ago, and HERE to look at the songs from this week. Below are some featured songs that I particularly enjoyed.

So sorry for the break from the blog, and I promise I'll be around more often now.

Cibelle, "London, London" from The Shine of Dried Electric Leaves

Beautiful summer music featuring Devendra Banhart alongside Cibelle, relaxed and floating.

Emma Wallace, "Exceed My Expectations" from A Reason to Stay Up All Night

Another sweet piano ballad from a singer/songwriter out of Florida, who deserves more attention than she's getting.

Umbrella Tree, "Schizophrenia" from The Church and the Hospital

FINALLY, the latest from Nashville locals, dischordant and strange and delightful.

The Gutter Twins, "Idle Hands" from Saturnalia

By request from a listener, grunged-up rock with dark breathy screams and sexy vocals. What the Donnas wish they could do.

Sorta, "Eight-Five Feet"

Folk-indie storytelling, simple lyrics, true story.

Nouvelle Vague, "Teenage Kicks" from Nouvelle Vague

Sweet, smooth, delicately sung version of The Undertones' classic.

Tokyo Police Club, "Tessellate" from Elephant Shell

Yay, TPC finally released a full-length! Playful, handclap-ful, crashing along.

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, "Oceanographer" from Pershing

Can we all just take a moment to revel in how GOOD this album is?

Foals, "Olympic Airways" from Antidotes

Frantic indie electro-pop, repetitive and bouncy and light.

The Protomen, "The Will of One" from The Protomen

You all caught the show Saturday, right? Cowboy-robot rock has never looked so good.

SOS

2008-04-17T02:40:00.000-05:00

FINAL DAYS OF CLASSES..... SO MUCH WORK.... GOING INTO HIBERNATION UNTIL APRIL 24TH. KEEP LISTENING TO THE RADIOSHOW. CAITLIN ROSE ON THIS WEEK. I PROMISE I'LL BE BACK.............

Playlist, 4/4/08

2008-04-04T16:55:00.005-05:00

I know, I know--I really need to start putting this up sooner. Mediafire keeps giving me errors when I try to upload songs, so I don't know if it's a problem with my internet or a problem with Mediafire--I'm inclined to believe the former. ROAR. I'm going to keep trying, but here's the playlist nonetheless.

As an explanation of my lateness, though, I'll plug the show I've spent all weekend and all yesterday and will spent all of the rest of my time until Saturday working on--

Original Cast!

If you enjoy musical theatre, you should come out to the Johnson Theater at TPAC this Thursday, Friday, or Saturday, to watch a musical revue including songs from Godspell, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Cabaret, and Into the Woods.

I will be behind the scenes running the show (stage managing) so you won't actually see me on stage, but the show's fun nonetheless.

Tickets are ten dollars and can be bought at the door or at ticketmaster.

See you there?

Lula Córtes and Zé Ramalho, "Nas Paredes de Pedra Encantada, Os Segredos Talhadas por Sumé" from Paebirú

We Will Build, "Drive Through Three" from untitled collection

Yeaysayer, "Germs" from All Hour Cymbals

Half Handed Cloud, "You've Been Faithful to Us Clouds" from Halo's & Lassos

Turbo Fruits, "The Run Around" from Turbo Fruits

Mstrkrft, "She's Good for Business" from The Looks

Quiet Life, "Were You Singing" from Act Natural

Built to Spill, "Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss" from Ancient Melodies of the Future

Elf Power, "The New Mythology" from In a Cave

Lucas Haas, "Kemp"

DeVotchKa, "Transliterator", from A Mad & Faithful Telling

M, "La Bonne Etoile" from Qui de Nous Deux

Sigur Ros, "Agaetis Byrjun" from Agaetis Byrjun

Umbrella Tree, "A Horse That Will Come When I Whistle" from What Kind of Books Do You Read?

Lucero, "I Can Get Us Out of Here Tonight" from Rebels, Rogues, & Sworn Brothers

The Magnetic Fields, "Luckiest Guy on the Lower East Side" from 69 Love Songs

Panther, "Violence, Diamonds" from 14 kt. God

Editors, "Heads in Bags" from Rarities

Dinosaur Jr., "Nothing Going On" from Ear-Bleeding Country

BOAT, "Clogged Castle" from Songs That You Might Not Like

Bobby Bare Jr., "Flat-chested Girl from Maynardville" from Young Criminal's Starvation League

Stephen Malkmus, "Baltimore" from Real Emotional Trash

The Hold Steady, "Yr Little Hoodrat Friend" from Separation Sunday

Ladytron, "Seventeen" from Witching Hour

Enon, "Believo" from Believo!

Live on Antennas to Heaven

2008-04-03T15:18:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was highly productive, and I finally got the CD burner in the production room at the radiostation working again! So to celebrate all that, below are a slew of live songs and interviews from bands I've had on in the last couple of years. Some I've posted before, some are brand brand new, but they're all delightful, at least to me. You can also pretty much tell how long I had been DJing by the difference in my voice from when I first started doing the show until now.

So, to kick things off....

Meemaw--Last week's show in its near entirety. Starts when we played "D.A.N.C.E." for Wes, and goes all the way to its sweet conclusion.

Beat It / Original Sin--Live with Meemaw. Turns out, no one actually knows the words to "Beat It".

Amy LaVere--Check the sidebar--she's coming back in town in a month or so!

"Washing Machine"

"Overcome"

"That Beat"

LYLAS--One of the very firsts I had into the station.

"Do You Believe in Blood?"

"My Sleepwalking Summer"

Cory Branan and Ben Nichols--One of my favorites. Fifty three minutes of live music, recorded music, and Ben and Cory being charming.

"Last Night in Town"

"Sour Mash"

"She Wakes When She Dreams"

"Jumper Cables"

Excuses, Excuses... and the Playlist

2008-04-02T14:27:00.003-05:00

Thanks for the nudge, stranger. I'm making excuses, but I woke up on Sunday feeling totally awful and have been trying to recover from that seasonal bug since then. This morning I coughed up a golfball sized wad of phlegm. Yum!

But seriously, last week's show was a blast, and thanks to Meemaw for not only toughing it out for all two hours, but also being one of the best groups I've had in.

The playlist is rather short due to all the live stuff that was going on, which I'm going to try to get up online soon. For some reason mediafire wasn't working last week, which is why no songs got posted--I'm going to try it again right now and see what happens.

But seriously, sorry I'm being such a slacker. It's that season for theatre and for schoolwork and for me being sick, which makes an awful combination. Plus, I had a shitty weekend. I think it's time to get some friends my own age.

But here's the thing that made the weekend for me: after the radioshow, we grabbed dinner with Meemaw and some friends from Infinity Cat, who told us that the whole gang from Critical Mass was huddled around a radio in Dragon Park listening to the show and singing along in the rain. That's like eight of my radio listener fantasies all rolled into one. Thanks, Critical Mass! Then we ate fried pickles and grilled cheeseburgers (and Daniel ate chicken gizzards......) and made plans for their upcoming tour, including sending Jessica running into the venues with her hands tied and duct tape over her mouth, and posing as inhabitants of a post-second coming Earth. Then we had to explain to Jessica what Costco was.

The Mae Shi, "Kingdom Come" from Hllyh

Meemaw, "Blue in the Blacklight"--prerelease

MGMT, "Weekend Wars" from Oracular Spectacular

Justice, "D.A.N.C.E." from [cross]

Espositio, "Ditch" from Esposito

Meemaw, "Fever Dreaming" --prerelease

Stephen Malkmus, "We Can't Help You" from Real Emotional Trash

The Apples in Stereo, "The Golden Flower" from Electronic Projects for Musicians

Born Ruffians, "Hummingbird" from Red Yellow & Blue

DeVotchka, "Along the Way" from Mad & Faithful Telling

Meemaw, "Gingerbreadman"--prerelease

The Billionaires, "Highschool High" from Really Real for Forever

The Apparitions, "Electricity & Drums" from As This is Futuristic

Chromeo, "Call Me Up" from Fancy Footwork

The Aislers, "Red Door" from How I Learned to Write Backwards

The next post is going to be a slew of live things from past guests I've had in if I can get the darn program at the radiostation to burn things for me again. She's finicky.

Then, since we're officially 1/4 of the way through the year, I'm going to post the ten albums most likely to make my top-20 list at the end of the year, mostly for my enjoyment.

Also, I saw Once and didn't like it AT ALL. Go ahead indie music world, slaughter me.

Playlist, Friday 3/21

2008-03-23T22:47:00.003-05:00

I had a blast at Friday's show. Thanks to all of you who called in with requests! I have to say, as much as I love having guests in, there's nothing quite like just spending two hours with just the music. Tune in next week to catch Meemaw and win tickets to the Weakerthans!

Peter, Bjorn and John, "Chills" from Writer's Block

Sibylle Baier, "Tonight" from Colour Green: Classic German folk recorded in the 1970s that hasn't garnered any recognition until her son passed her recordings along to Dinosaur Jr.'s J Mascis, who passed it along to Orange Twin and got this album released in 2006. Beautiful.

Alec Ounsworth, "We Met at the Cemetery" (Demo): Clap Your Hands Say Yeah demo, not currently on any releases of theirs but played frequently at live shows. Expect to see it on an album in the future.

Cory Branan, "Jumper Cables" live on Antennas to Heaven: From last time Cory Branan and Ben Nichols were in the studio, unreleased. I can't get over this song.

Brooke Waggoner, "So So" from Fresh Pair of Eyes

Ween, "Blue Balloon" from La Cucharacha

Beach House, "All the Years" from Devotion

Jimmy Eat World, "Lucky Denver Mint" from Clarity: A throwback to my youth. I loved this album; I still do.

Mates of State, "Middle is Gold" from Team Boo

Neutral Milk Hotel, "Holland, 1945" from In the Aeroplane Over the Sea

School of Language, "Rockist, Part I" from Sea From Shore

The Mattoid, "I'm Gonna" from The Glory Holy

The Mae Shi, "Pwnd" from Hllyh

Elf Power, "Paralyzed" from In a Cave: To be released this Tuesday! I'm way excited about this one.

Kelley Stoltz, "To Speak to the Girl" from Circular Sounds

These United States, "The Business" from A Picture of the Three of Us at the Gate to the Garden of Eden

Lucero, "Last Night in Town" from Nobody's Darlings

Pavement, "Silence Kid" from Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain

Wrens, "This Boy Is Exhausted" from The Meadowlands

Band of Horses, "Our Swords" from Everything All the Time

Dinosaur Jr., "Just Like Heaven" (Cure cover) from Ear-Bleeding Country

Pixies, "Hey" from Doolittle

The Mountain Goats, "Autoclave" from Heretic Pride

The Ladybug Transister, "The Reclusive Hero" from Argyle Heir

Circulatory System, "The Lovely Universe" from Circulatory System

Meemaw, "Fever Dreaming" (Prerelease)

Sian Alice Group, "Murder" from 59.59

XTC, "Seagulls Screaming Kiss Her Kiss Her" from The Big Express

Sian Alice Group tomorrow at 6pm on WRVU!

2008-03-19T22:18:00.006-05:00

Updated: Just spoke with Rupert, and apparently Sian's lost her voice since SXSW and the band is going to have to cancel their show tonight as well as the WRVU appearance. As far as I know the other bands will be playing still, and Sian Alice Group have promised to come back this summer to play Nashville and come on the radioshow then. They're really sad to be missing it (as am I) and I'm looking forward to seeing them next time.

Tomorrow the kids from Penguin Parade are graciously donating forty-five minutes of their show for me to come in and chat with a band who I've had a whirlwind love affair with since I stumbled upon a writeup in a local Chicago paper, Sian Alice Group. I looked them up online, listened to a few tracks, sent them a myspace message, and a few hours later was talking with one of the founders on the phone about coming into the station.

It's a wonder I've gone this long without catching word of them. Their debut album, 59.59. is rich with dark, melodic chants and bassnotes and something sounding like birdcalls, evoking references to Black Mountain and Spiritualized. I can only imagine how it's going to translate into a stripped-down set tomorrow. They opened a few shows for the Spiritualized in fact, and their debut even features John Coxon as a special guest. Also, you may recognize Douglas Hart (crazy hair and leather jacket above) from Jesus and Mary Chain, another past love of mine.

They're playing at The End with The Fear & Trembal, Kissing Robots, and Billie, kicking off at 8pm according to The End (so really, 9 or 10). Tune in tomorrow at six for a preview!

From 59.59:

"Murder"

"Way Down to Heaven"

Since we last talked

2008-03-13T00:31:00.005-05:00

It's been an exhausting couple of days getting used to being back in town and having work to do once again. Did anyone make it out to Black Mountain on Monday night? More on that later maybe, but despite Black Mountain being one of those bands that just kind of comes out onstage and plays rather than performs, I thought the music was even better live and I didn't even mind the guys playing air guitar in front of me. I may have even swung my hair around a little bit. Fist-pumping definitely occurred.

I will be back at the radiostation for the show this Friday, but I'm sad to say it will be an abbreviated version. I'll have to head out after the first hour to go get the theatre ready for the ballet show that evening. (If any of you make it over to the Troutt theatre at Belmont, I'll be calling the first dance!) The first hour, though, will be better than ever.

Happy Birthday Amy (who you may remember from the WRVU benefit about a month ago) will be coming in the station to play some music and chat before all their upcoming performances next week! Tune in at four for a sneak preview of their very first full-length, Sue. Amy will be performing a free solo show at Grimeys on Tuesday (3.18), and the full band will be celebrating their CD release next Friday (3.21) at The End, which promises to be fun as well, with Eureka Gold and Hot New Singles opening the night. I'll definitely be there if I'm in town. HBA always puts on a great show!

From EP:

"Bait"

"Mystery Scars"

Chicago Shopping Music

2008-03-06T23:58:00.005-06:00

Gotta love Chicago. I've been here since Tuesday night, doing job interviews and wandering around alone, and was joined this evening by my sister to help her tour colleges and see the town. If you care to read my personal escapades, feel free to head over to my livejournal, but I was thrilled today to hear both The Magnetic Fields' Distortion and Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks' Real Emotional Trash while shopping around. Classic.

My real musical excitement of the trip, however, was singing "Rocky Top" and all eight minutes and twenty-nine seconds of Don McLean's "American Pie" down at Blue Frog last night. Three cheers for Jim Beam!

Real Emotional Trash is currently streaming on Stephen's myspace if you want to sample before you buy. Came out this Tuesday, and I'll be picking up my copy just as soon as I get back in Nashville. I like to keep my money local as much as possible.

Also, catch Stephen on 3.25 with John Vanderslice at The Mercy Lounge for a mere fifteen bucks. Tickets are currently onsale at Grimey's (cash only!), and will be eighteen bucks the night of the show. The Mercy's tough to sell out, but you'll want to be there early for a decent spot most likely.

It's also worth mentioning that there's a super cheap party/show happening at the new Local Honey tomorrow if you're in Nashville. Sisters, Muggabears, & Wizardz (members of Meemaw and Jeff) are playing at seven pm for five bucks. Local Honey's moved from its former home above Grimeys to 1207 Linden Avenue, right off of 12th Avenue before you reach Mafioza's if you're coming from Wedgewood. Aside from Local Honey being a really cool place to shop for vintage (mostly if you're a size two though.... anything above size six is hit or miss) they've been supporting local music and art more and more and making it easier for lesser known local bands to get the audience they deserve. Consider it a half houseparty, since Local Honey's in a former house anyway. Should be a great early evening event.

I'm sick about missing the show tomorrow, but so it goes. See you all back in Nashville on Sunday!

It's official: Nobody cares about The Donnas.

2008-03-06T18:44:00.006-06:00

I've been trying so hard to give away this pair of Donnas tickets and have discovered: no one in Nashville cares. Both winners that were drawn on the radioshow didn't call in to claim their tickets, no one's responded to my offer for them... the listeners of WRVU are so nonplussed about the Donnas coming to town that even fifty bucks worth of free tickets can't convince them to venture into the estrogen-fueled commercial badgirl rock that is The Donnas.

I mean, I'll be honest: I'm not going. I don't really care at all about The Donnas. Look at the absurd amount of feathered hair and metal studs going on in the above photo. There's a lot of packaging going into making them look like icons for the modern female teen rock movement, but come on--there's nothing in their heeled boots and leather jackets that seems the least bit legitimate. Still, do we all need to be cultural snobs in the events we attend? Can we only support music that doesn't try to make money, that doesn't want to be cool? Yeah, such an outright attempt at image can be a bit ridiculous, but you can't look at Of Montreal without recognizing there's an image they're trying to project as well--a very different one, but a distinct one nonetheless. The White Stripes practically made a name on their iconic look--granted, with damn good music to accompany it.

So are The Donnas just an empty look? I don't think so. They're music's not the most, oh, intellectual thing around, but it's solid fun rock, and hell, for a free night of music, it's not a bad deal.

So this is my last plea:

SOMEONE TAKE THESE DAMN TICKETS.

Let me know by tonight at midnight if you're interested. Please. Somebody?

MP3:

The Donnas, "Are You Gonna Move It For Me?"

"Don't Wait Up For Me"

The Mae Shi: Hllyh

2008-03-03T17:49:00.004-06:00

The Mae Shi were born from television static and neon lights, raised on amphetamine and Super Mario characters in the bowels of nacho-stained arcades. Well actually, they’re from LA, which probably does make all those statements completely true, and they’ve just released their third proper full-length, Hllyh, of which one thing should be said up front: no one in this band can sing.

Now that that’s out of the way, prepare yourself for forty-five minutes of synthesizers, chants, self-destruction and speeches from God. Dan Deacon-esque video game pop. Everyone banging on something or another. Part one is exhausting. "Pwnd" reminds me of zombie movies and The Protomen. "Boys in the Attic" is delightfully noisy. Then the eleven minute epic of "Kingdom Come" happens (which, by the way, transforms into a danceparty about -5:27 if you REALLY have to fade it out early, but it’s worth all eleven minutes), we slip unnoticeably into "I Get Almost Everything" and we’re chanting selfishly at the tops of hills and suddenly you think “damn, this is starting to sound like an album.” Then we’re running again. Part two really shapes things up, and proves that when The Mae Shi can keep their focus for more than two minutes, they can write one hell of a musical sequence. I think I’m just envious of their apparently unending energy (which is rumored to hold up flawlessly during their live shows as well). And the more I listen to it, the more I get it. These guys are having fun. And they don’t care that I can’t keep up.

So with all that, verdict: worth listening to. Worth playing. Attention-deficit disorder reigns supreme.

And seriously, listen to "Kingdom Come". I don’t care that it’s eleven minutes long. You listen to Sigur Ros, don’t you?

The Mae Shi play SXSW next week and then will continue to play around LA if you happen to be cursed enough to live in that area.

The Mae Shi:

"Pwnd"

"I Get Almost Everything"

"Young Marks"

Buy Hllyh here.

Playlist, 2/29 and Donnas Giveaway!

2008-02-29T20:21:00.004-06:00

Thanks to everyone who tuned in today. We didn't have a huge pool for our Donna's tickets, so for kicks, we're holding off on giving those away for a few days. If you didn't catch the show and want to win a pair of guest list passes, just leave your name and email address in the comments or email it to me at antennastoheaven.wrvu AT gmail.com by this Tuesday at noon. We'll draw a winner then!

I'm out of town next week, so I'll miss the radioshow and all of you. Headed out to Chicago for some job interviews. Wish me luck!

1. Plastic Operator, "The Pleasure is Mine" from Different Places

2. Silver Jews, "We are Real" from American Water

3. Hanne Huckkelburg, "A Cheater's Armoury" from Rykestrasse 68

4. Das Pop, "Fool for Love" from Fool for Love

5. Vampire Weekend, "Campus" from Vampire Weekend (R)

6. Cake Bake Betty, "The Spine Song" from Songs about Teeth

7. Apples in Stereo, "Seems So" from Tone Soul Evolution

8. Camera Obscura, "Suspended from Class" from Underachievers Please Try Harder"

9. The Donnas, "Don't Wait Up For Me" from Bitchin'

Anna's Set:

10. Doug Martsch, "Offer" from Doug Martsch

11. Blitzen Trapper, "Summer Town" from Wild Mountain

12. Air, "Mayfair Song" from Pocket Symphony

13. Boys Noize, "My Moon My Man" from Oi Oi Oi

14. Gorillaz, "Feel Good Inc. (Stanton Warriors Remix)" from D-Sides

15. AmpLive, "Video Tapez" from Rainy Dayz Remixes

16. The Fashion, "Like Knives" from Like Knives EP

17. Die! Die! Die!, "Promises, Promises" from Promises, Promises

18. The Delicious, "One Leg" from The Delicious The Delicious

19. Destroyer, "Introducing Angels" from Trouble in Dream

20. Kelley Stoltz, "The Birmingham Eccentric" from Circular Sounds

21. Dan Deacon, "The Crystal Cat" from Spiderman of the Rings

22. Ssion, "Clown" from Fool's Gold

23. Friendly Fires, "Paris" from Paris

24. Meemaw, "Fever Dreaming" (Unreleased)

25. Cake Bake Betty, "Backbones (Dead Dead Sounds)" from Songs About Teeth!

26. The Guillemots, "Get Over It" from Get Over It

27. The Wombats, "Kill the Director" from The Wombats Proudly Present: A Guide to Love, Loss, and Desparation

Take a peek...

2008-02-26T20:08:00.002-06:00

At all the shows added to the toolbar at your right. A ton of new stuff has been added. Highlights include two free in-store performances at Grimeys (Hotpipes on 3/11 and Blitzen Trapper on 3/19), The Fuck Cancer Benefit on 3/27, and of course, Sonic Youth coming by City Hall on 4/25!

More details on the Sonic Youth show:

Tickets go onsale THIS THURSDAY at 10 am. They're $25 bucks each, probably with some ticketmaster fees thrown in. Presale link is here and the presale password is DAYDREAM.

I'm hoping to post later tonight on the Bill Callahan/Caitlin Rose show tomorrow, but if I don't get to, (midterm week at Vanderbilt = TONS of work) hope some of you make it out! It's going to be a killer show.

Playlist, 2/22

2008-02-25T00:17:00.004-06:00

Thanks to everyone who tuned in this week. Hope you enjoyed having Sarah and Davis from Nite Nite in as much as I did, and I hope some of you were able to make it out to their show! You can still catch them tomorrow at 8 off 8th, happening at the Mercy for free (21 and up only, sorry!).

Here's this week's playlist: a little disjointed, pleasant nonetheless.

Black Mountain, "Stormy High" from In the Future

The Donnas, "Don't Wait Up For Me" from Bitchin'

Horowitz, "Popkids of the World, Unite!"

The Magnetic Fields, "I'll Dream Alone" from Distortion

Elliot Smith, "Baby Britain" from XO

We All Have Hooks for Hands, "Jumpin Jean-Luc" from The Pretender

Brooke Waggoner, "So-So" from Fresh Pair of Eyes

The Smiths, "Panic"

Guillemots, "Made Up Love Song #43" from Euro Express

Nite Nite, "Hello, I'm Melancholy" from Self-titled EP

Nite Nite Live on Antennas to Heaven

Nite Nite, "These Days" from Self-titled EP

Nite Nite Live on Antennas to Heaven

Bon Iver, "Flume" from For Emma, Forever Ago

British Sea Power, "No Lucifer" from Do You Like Rock Music?

Vampire Weekend, "A-Punk" from Vampire Weekend

William D. Drake, "Serendipity Doodah" from Briny Hooves

Anna's Set:

Thievery Corporation, "Mother Africa Feeding Sista India" from Funda Mental

K-Os, "One Hood" from Joyful Rebellion

Metric, "Empty" from Live It Out

Bonobo, "Dinosaurs" from Animal Magic

Cat Power, "New York" from Jukebox

The Mattoid, "Mrs. Fisherman" from The Glory Holy

Rites of Spring comes eeking in...

2008-02-25T00:07:00.007-06:00

Vanderbilt's yearly music festival, Rites of Spring, has a history of prevailing in hosting a fantastic diverse lineup, from local artists to indie favorites to old-time hits. Among the clamors of "Who the hell's that band" two years ago, we had Clap Your Hands Say Yeah play an incredible show, and last year we had locals Bang Bang Bang as well as the Dynamites, a fantastic local funk group with Charles Walker as their charismatic frontman. This year's lineup (happening April 18th and 19th) has yet to be officially released, but artists are starting to post our lovely little campus as a stop on their newly released tours, so we have two killer leaks already:

I'm WAY excited about these two already. The official list should be released mid-March. If you're a Vandy student, count your blessings, since we get in for about thirty bucks cheaper than the general public, but still--the forty-dollar general admission ticket is starting to look like it might be worth its while. More to come.

Everything going on with the radioshow, plus: Who do YOU want to play at the WRVU benefit?

2008-02-19T14:19:00.003-06:00

You may have noticed from the sidebar that I've added a ton of giveaways in the upcoming weeks.

In case you haven't, here's all you've got to look forward to:

This week: Nite Nite live in-station. Look for a post coming tomorrow!

Feb. 29: Win 2 guest list passes to see The Donnas on 3/11/08 at Exit/In

Mar. 7: I am out of town. Sorry.

Mar. 14: Win 2 guest list passes to see N.E.R.D. on 3/18/08 at City Hall! Also, Happy Birthday Amy might be coming in, assuming I don't have to work at the theatre and can't do my show this day.

Mar. 21: Meemaw live in-station. Going to be really incredible.

Mar. 28: Win 2 guest list passes to see The Weakerthans on 3/29/08 at Exit/In

Also, WRVU is in the process of arranging our second annual WRVU/WMTS benefit on April 12 at The End! Right now we've got Meemaw scheduled to play, and we're working on scheduling other bands as we speak. (It's looking to be an Infinity Cat showdown.) But things are still in the works, so if you've got someone local you'd like to see play, let me know! Leave a message and contact info for them if you have it, and we'll look at adding them to our superior lineup of artists. Keep in mind, we're poor (college radio equals ALWAYS poor) so we're going for local bands that deserve some press and will play a killer show, rather than indie headliners from across the nation. WRVU's all about supporting its own, Nashvillians.

Playlist, 1/15

2008-02-17T22:45:00.004-06:00

Sorry for the delay this week, but I've been working at the Nashville Ballet and last night was closing, so I needed my rest. if any of you made out to the show last night, I played the voice of God and gave you your preshow announcements. Hope you enjoyed them as much as I did.

Amy LaVere was a delight to have on the show on Friday, and I hope to put the entire interview segment up at some point, but it's a huge file and still needs to be chopped up before I can host it. In the meantime, I've got the three songs from the live show below for you. They're very, very raw, but I hope you enjoy them nonetheless.

Amy is touring all around the south for the next few months, and playing a couple of festivals this summer, so check out her webpage to catch her next time she comes through your town.

Did anyone notice on Friday that I apparently get a lot more southern when interviewing southern artists? I felt my drawl out in a serious way. It was almost amusing.

Playlist:

1. Amy LaVere, "Killing Him" from Anchors and Anvils

2. The Delicious, "It's Not Time to Die" from The Delicious The Delicious

Out of Indiana, a pet favorite of mine, partially because frontman David

Woodruff sold me this art about a year and a half ago:

3. Brooke Waggoner, "Hush if You Must" from Fresh Pair of Eyes

A recent local. Get the complete copy of her EP here in exchange for your email and contact info. I will say, I did it, and I have yet to get any ridiculous mail from her or her label.

4. Elf Power, "Spiral Stairs" from In a Cave

Out March 25.

5. The Mai Shi, "Young Marks" from Hillyh

New release from last week.

6. Man Man, "Top Drawer" from Rabbit Habbits

Out April 8.

7. Amy LaVere, "Take 'Em or Leave 'Em" from This World is Not My Home

Amy LaVere Live: "Overcome"

Talkin'.

Amy LaVere Live: "That Beat"

8. Amy Lavere, "Pointless Drinking" from Anchors and Anvils

Talkin'.

Amy LaVere Live: "Washing Machine"

9. Umbrella Tree, "Beetle in Trouble" from What Kind of Books Do You Read?

10. Vampire Weekend, "Mansard Roof" from Vampire Weekend

11. No Kids, "I Love the Weekend" from Come Into My House

12. Jared Micah and Hats, "Precious Needs a Spoon in her Mouth" from T.C.H.T.O.B.

13. British Sea Power, "A Trip Out" from Do You Like Rock Music?

14. Locksley, "Don't Make Me Wait" from Don't Make Me Wait

15. Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, "The Ballad of the Sin Eater" from Hearts of Oak

16. The Mountain Goats, "Autoclave" from Heretic Pride

Out this Tuesday!

17. Explosions in the Sky, "Glittering Blackness" from How Strange, Innocence

18. Black Mountain, "Tyrants" from In the Future

19. The Protomen, "Unrest in the House of Light" from The Protomen

20. Hot Chip, "One Pure Thought" from Made in the Dark

21. The Black Keys, "Strange Times" from Attack and Release

Minimix: We should be whispering all the time.

2008-02-14T11:50:00.005-06:00

I've been moved by the posts of other bloggers to put up my own Valentine's reminiscing. I've only had one true Valentine's date ever, last year, and we got in a fight. So that was darling. In high school though, my very best friend, Taylor Hutchison, snuck into my house and brought me roses one year. That was by far the best Valentine's day I've had.

I'm not one of those that's deathly against it though. I was rather apathetic about the whole deal for a long time. This year, I'll be spending this evening working at the Nashville Ballet, backstage with a slew of codpieces and dog collars and near-naked gay men. Delightful.

So below, are songs kinda sorta about love or something approximating it, and for mostly my pleasure, some of my favorite lines from each. Enjoy!

Also, don't forget, we've got Amy LaVere in the station tomorrow at 4:30 before her show at The Basement with Those Darlins--sure to be a good one. Amy's absolutely incredible, a really stunning person, and extremely talented, so if I don't have time for a post later on today, make sure to tune in tomorrow from 4-6pm!

Devendra Banhart, "The Body Breaks" from Rejoicing in the Hands

"The body burns, yeah the body burns strong, until mine is with yours then mine will burn on. My flesh sings out, it sings 'come put me out.'"

The Magnetic Fields, "100,000 Fireflies" from Distant Plastic Trees

"Why do we keep shrieking, when we mean soft things? We should be whispering all the time."

Cinerama, "Your Charms" from Cinerama Holiday

"I just can't think clearly when I'm in your arms, and my heart is pounding..how pathetic is this sounding?"

Of Montreal, "Everything Disappears" from Cherry Peel

"Birds have no heads when you come around. Everything loses its legs when you come around."

Pitchfork..... whaaaat?

2008-02-12T19:43:00.000-06:00

I had to share this with the rest of you because I thought it so absurd. An anonymous commenter on the below post pointed out that a day after it was posted, Pitchfork put up their review of Do You Like Rock Music?.

British Sea Power: Make that $120.

2008-02-11T18:46:00.000-06:00

I'm thrilled to hear that in support of their new album, Do You Like Rock Music? British Sea Power are expanding their tour and coming to Nashville this May. While that's wonderful news unto itself, they'll be playing the last leg of the tour with The Rosebuds, a fantastic duo out of my hometown, Raleigh. Their last album, 2007's Night of the Furies, cranked up the synthesizers and drum machines on their previously airily etched music, churning out a fantastic record with both passion and playfulness. It's sure to be a killer combination of bands, so at around $15 for a ticket, I'll be adding that to my tab for the spring. God, being a music lover gets expensive.

Check out the complete tour dates below, courtesy of You Ain't No Picasso.

British Sea Power, "Waving Flags" from Do You Like Rock Music?

British Sea Power,"Fear of Drowning" from The Decline of British Sea Power

The Rosebuds, "Get Up Get Out" from Night of the Furies

The Rosebuds, "Blue Bird" from Birds Make Good Neighbors

British Sea Power Tour Dates
Feb 25 San Diego, CA @ Casbah w/ Colourmusic
Feb 27 Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo w/ Colourmusic
Feb 28 Los Angeles, CA @ Spaceland w/ Colourmusic
Feb 29 Visalia, CA @ Cellar Door w/ Colourmusic
Mar 01 San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill (NoisePop) w/ Colourmusic
Mar 03 Portland, OR @ Doug Fir w/ Colourmusic
Mar 04 Seattle, WA @ Neumo’s w/ Colourmusic
Mar 05 Vancouver, BC @ Plaza Club w/ Colourmusic
Mar 08 Denver, CO @ Hi-Dive w/ Colourmusic
Mar 12 New York NY @ Late Show w/David Letterman
Mar 13-16 Austin TX @ SxSW
Mar 19 Omaha, NE @ Waiting Room w/ Colourmusic
Mar 20 Des Moines, IA @ Vaudeville Mews w/ Colourmusic
Mar 21 Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock w/ Colourmusic
Mar 22 Urbana, IL @ Canopy Club w/ 1900’s
Mar 24 Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle w/ 1900’s
Mar 25 Pontiac, MI @ Eagle Theatre w/ 1900’s
Mar 26 Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop w/ 1900’s
Mar 27 Columbus, OH @ The Basement w/ 1900’s
Mar 28 Louisville, KY @ Phoenix Hill Tavern w/ 1900’s
Mar 29 St. Louis, MO @ Billiken Club w/ 1900’s
Apr 11 TBC
Apr 12 Austin, TX @ Club Deville
Apr 13 Houston, TX @ Engine Room
Apr 15 Baton Rouge, LA @ Spanish Moon
Apr 16 New Orleans, LA @ One Eyed Jacks
Apr 17 Tallahassee, FL @ Club Downunder - Florida State University
Apr 18 Orlando, FL @ The Social
Apr 19 Jacksonville, FL @ Jack Rabbits
Apr 20 Mount Pleasant, SC @ Village Tavern
Apr 21 Atlanta, GA @ The Earl Apr 22 Birmingham, AB @ Bottletree
Apr 23 Memphis, TN @ Hi Tone
May 1 Columbia, MO @ Mojo’s w/ The Rosebuds
May 2 Oxford, MS @ Proud Larry’s w/ The Rosebuds
May 3 Nashville, TN @ Mercy Lounge w/ The Rosebuds
May 4 Asheville, NC @ Grey Eagle w/ The Rosebuds
May 6 Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle w/ The Rosebuds
May 7 Charlottesville, VA @ Satelite Ballroom w/ The Rosebuds
May 8 Washington, DC @ Black Cat w/ The Rosebuds
May 9 Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s w/ The Rosebuds
May 10 New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom w/ The Rosebuds
May 11 Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg w/ The Rosebuds
May 13 Boston, MA @ Paradise w/ The Rosebuds
May 14 TBC May 15 Montreal, QUE @ La Sala Rossa w/ The Rosebuds
May 16 Toronto, ONT @ Lee’s Palace w/ The Rosebuds
May 17 Buffalo, NY @ The Tralf w/ The Rosebuds
May 18 TBC

Playlist, 2/7

2008-02-08T16:57:00.000-06:00

Thanks to everyone who tuned in and called in today, except for the guy who offered the loaded compliment of "Your show's a lot better now! You just seem to have more self-confidence than you did last semester." Call me hypersensitive, but I've been doing this show for two years now, and self-confidence is not the issue. It bites to get feedback like that. You start looking back at the entirety of your radio history and doubting whether it's been any good. I can handle people telling me they don't like the music I play, or they don't like my talk breaks, or hell, even that they don't like me, but I don't like strangers making judgments about my self-esteem. Lay off.

That aside, I had some excellent requests, spoke to some really nice people, and discovered that more people are into the movie Jumper than I had imagined. Or possibly, more people are into free stuff than I had imagined.

So yay, more free stuff below! But I will say, one final time, if you buy any album this month, let it be Black Mountain's In the Future. I got my ticket Wednesday. See you there?

1. Arcade Fire, "No Cars Go" from Neon Bible (R)

2. Corey Dargel, "Gay Cowboys" from Less Famous Than You

3. Amy LaVere, "That Beat" from Anchors and Anvils

4. will.i.am, "Yes We Can Song" (Internet Release)

5. The Felice Brothers, "Frankie's Gun" from Adventures of the Felice Brothers

6. Bonde Do Role, "Gasolina" from With Lasers

7. Danielson, "Did I Step On Your Trumpet?" from Ships (R)

8. British Sea Power, "Canvey Island" from Do You Like Rock Music?

9. Robbers on High Street, "Japanese Girls" from Tree City

10. Wrens, "Surprise, Honeycomb" from Seacaucus

11. Magnetic Fields, "Drive On, Driver" from Distortion

12. Black Mountain, "Wucan" from In the Future

13. Sound Team, "Your Eyes are Liars" from Movie Monster

14. Vampire Weekend, "Campus" from Vampire Weekend

15. The Clientele, "(I Want You) More Than Ever" from Suburban Light

16. The Helio Sequence, "The Captive Mind" from Keep Your Eyes Ahead

17. Smog, "Rock Bottom Riser" from A River Ain't Too Much To Love (R)

18. Bon Iver, "Skinny Love" from For Emma, Forever Ago

19. Goldfrapp, "A&E" from A&E EP

20. Destroyer, "Students Carve Hearts Out of Coal" from This Night (R)

21. Hot Chip, "Ready for the Floor" from Made in the Dark

22. MGMT, "Electric Feel" from Oracular Spectacular

23. Simian Mobile Disco, "State of Things" from EP

24. MSTRKRFT, "Work on You" from The Looks

Vote tomorrow!

2008-02-05T00:54:00.000-06:00

Regardless of who you support, if you're in a state with a primary tomorrow (today, really) here's my one plea for you to go vote. I already feel loads better about all of the potential candidates in this upcoming election than I did last round. I voted last Thursday at one of the early voting sites, so I'll just be sitting around here waiting for results to come in.

In case you have any curiosity as to who I voted for:

Support Barack here.

Find out where to vote here.

Start saving your money, Nashvillians.

2008-02-04T17:28:00.000-06:00

As you may have noticed peering at the sidebar, we've got a ton of big-name acts (and slightly lesser acts that I'm even more excited about) coming up this March and April around town.

WILCO @ The Ryman, 3.2.08, sold out about three months ago. PRICE: GOOD LUCK.

Yeah, okay. I'm over this show already. I saw them on I guess what could be called their Kicking Television tour, and yes, it was killer, but I'm not heartbroken that I won't be at this one. If you're nuts to see them, feel free to start ebay-hunting and making friends at the Ryman and camping out on 5th Avenue trying to buy tickets for double the price. Have fun!

"Misunderstood" from Being There

BLACK MOUNTAIN @ Exit/In, 3.10.08. PRICE: $14

Holy hell am I excited. Mark my words, In the Future will make the top ten of the year for me. If you haven't listened to it yet, go get it, it's eleven bucks at Jagjaguwar, and you can also download a sampling of their music at the website. Dark and heavy and delicious. I'm gonna go put it on right now, actually. And now that I'm listening to it, I'm having fantasies about a Protomen/Black Mountain show. That would be killer.

"Tyrants" from In the Future

BLACK LIPS @ The Mercy, 3.20.08. PRICE: $12

Not that I'm promoting pointless showiness, but... "The Black Lips have a reputation for crazy live shows that have included vomiting, urinating, nudity, band members kissing, fireworks, and a chicken." Just saying.

STEPHEN MALKMUS & THE JICKS @ The Mercy, 3.25.08. PRICE: $15 advance.

So I was lucky enough to catch Stephen from the front row at Pitchfork this summer, but an acoustic show never really does it in a field full of people. Plus, Pig Lib really was meant to be played with a backing band. Plus, the few songs I've heard from Real Emotional Trash, which gets released March 4, are fantastic.

"Baltimore" from Real Emotional Trash

TOKYO POLICE CLUB @ Exit/In, 4.8.08. PRICE: No one knows yet. Probably like $15.

You've probably heard me gush about Tokyo Police Club before, and also the fact that they've got all of thirty-three minutes of released music, but that doesn't stop them from playing a hell of a lot of live shows and having a strong fan base wherever they go. They did just announce that their first ever album, Elephant Shell, is finally finished and will be 'tested' on tour soon. Plus, they're playing with the phenomenal Eagle*Seagull. Sure to be a great show.

"Your English is Good" from Elephant Shell

CARIBOU @ The Mercy, 4.8.08. PRICE: $10.

Oh god, decisions, decisions. Caribou or Tokyo Police Club? The Mercy has its ups and downs as a venue--it's way easier to find parking at Exit/In, the Mercy has a smoker's deck (usually PACKED), at Exit/In no one cares if you dump your drink on the floor. Take your pick. Either show promises to delight.

THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS @ The Cannery, 4.18.08. PRICE: $22 advance.

I love this band dearly, but I actually might miss this one for a few reasons. 1) I hate the Cannery. About 15% of the crowd actually gets a decent view of the stage. The rest are pacified by the easy access to the bar. 2) I'm going to be broke by this time, and also in the process of saving for summer, so I may have to pass. 3) Exam time. 4) I saw these guys at Pitchfork. On the other hand, there's nothing like the intimacy of fighting your way to the front of the stage.

"The Laws Have Changed" from The Electric Version

DESTROYER @ The Mercy, 4.29.08. PRICE: TBA. It's the Mercy, so... $18?

I fell in love with 2001's Streethawk: A Seduction and have been tumbling since. Daniel Bejar (of the New Porns) returns to Nashville a week and a half after their show, and I'm absolutely thrilled to see him in a more intimate setting than the fields of Pitchfork.

"The Music Lovers" from Your Blues

So, to survive the onslaught of March and April, you'll need approximately $105, plus about $100 to cover your bar tab, plus $30 for the merch you'll cave and buy, plus I hope you work a day job. Count your blessings, Nashville. These are good problems to have.

(Let me know what shows I'm missing out on listing, and which ones I'll be seeing you all at.)

BONUS!

2008-02-02T20:09:00.001-06:00

I kinda sorta kinda found a short-term music host, but I'm still looking for a better one, so in the meantime, here are two bonus tracks for you. Both are from a show I did last summer when Cory Branan, Ben Nichols (of Lucero), and Amanda Shires came on before their show at the Mercy that night. I try to record all the shows where I have guests on, so I can strip off the live songs later and pass those along as well as the interviews for my own enjoyment. If I can, I'm going to put the entire show up sometime--it's quite entertaining--but in the meanwhile, try these:

Ben Nichols, "Last Night in Town"

Cory Branan, "Jumper Cables"

There are two great things about this song. One, it's unreleased (and I believe this is the first recorded copy of it in any form), and two, you get to hear some live on-air mid-song interaction. It's delightful.

Rumor Has It: Mucklewain 2008?

2008-02-02T19:04:00.000-06:00

If you know me at all or listened to the show at all in the last six months, you know the two nights of whiskey and southern music and singing along with strangers that all but made 2007 for me: Mucklewain.

Four of us headed into east Tennessee at dusk on Friday evening, my tiny car crammed with a tent which we hardly slept in, a cooler full of beer and cheese sandwiches, and a trunk full of blankets and WRVU coozies, with a few toothbrushes thrown in just to keep up appearances. We were there on official station business, as one of the sponsors of the 2007 festival, but only the coozies gave us away. We had the radio cranked up, the booze on standby, spirits were high. We really had no idea what to expect, but we were damn excited either way.

Now I know Lollapalooza, and Pitchfork, and all the indie-headlining festivals have their perks. I've been to my fair share, crammed in with kids in Chuck Taylors and hipsters passing pot around, thrilled to finally see The New Pornographers but kind of wishing I wasn't craning my neck past the guy with the Radiohead tattoo and watching the giant television screens instead of the stage. With a few key exceptions, those festivals tend to be about gathering together a ton of bands you'd love to see play, cramming them into two days, and hoping the heat doesn't get to you before Yo La Tengo does. I hate the saga of plotting which bands I'll see, sacrificing some newcomer act so that I can get to the Girltalk stage six hours early and stake out my spot in the second row. I hate planning meticulously so that we don't either run out of water or have to pee for four hours. I hate that guy who keeps smoking next to me. I hate that chick who decided to wear her 'going out' outfit. I'm tired of having five hundred strangers within five feet of me. I love the music, and some of the people, and some of the atmosphere, but were I offered the chance to pay double and see the bands in the bar down the street, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

Mucklewain is arguably the opposite. Going in, I knew less than a dozen of the fifty or so acts playing throughout the weekend. Coming out, it didn't matter. I felt like friends with them all. After forty-eight hours of scorching sun and icy nights, of sharing sleeping bags and tents and campfires and beer with whoever you happened to meet, of telling your life story to strangers and singing along to songs you didn't know you knew the words to, we were exhausted and dirty and smelly and happy. Really, really happy.

Mucklewain understands what a festival's supposed to be, what I'm told it used to be when my parents were the ones in the crowd, in the generations before mp3 blogs and the Pitchfork dynasty. Mucklewain has atmosphere. Mucklewain has community. Mucklewain is all the great things you associate with the south, the recklessness, the friendliness, the familiarity, the total lack of bounds between strangers and friends, between musicians and fans. The crowd is there because they love music, not because one big name act dragged them there. They don't go slinking off after the headliner plays. In fact, you're hard-pressed to even figure out who the headliners are. The musicians all know each other, come and go on each others' stages, slip in and out of each others' sets, come and stand in the crowd and sing along with us common folk. By the end of the second night, you know them too. You've bought them a beer, they brought you backstage and returned the favor. You danced to Drivin N Cryin together. You threw your arms around each other. You forgot who it was you came with and who it was you're leaving with, the music's with you and you're a part of something, whether it's loud and raunchy and thumping on the mainstage, or quietly entranced on the songwriter side.

The music itself was phenomenal as well. You know that friend you have who always invites you out to local shows, passes along his favorite albums, has infallible taste in music worth listening to? That friend is Mucklewain creater Joie Todd. Along with the musicians I came dying to see (Amy LaVere, Bobby Bare Jr., Cory Branan, Lucero, Les Honky More Tonkies, etc.) I wasn't disappointed by a single act, and fell pretty crazily for a few of them. Malcolm Holcombe was every bit the crazy genius I was told to expect, Shelly Colvin and Jeff Black played a moving folk-country duet, and Old Union played explosive rock that made me wonder why the hell I've never gone to see them play in Nashville.

It's a shame that the turnout wasn't better. Whether because it wasn't advertised widely enough, the headliners weren't big enough, or southerners are just stingy with their cash, I felt for Joie Todd and the bands that played not knowing whether they'd be paid for their time. Many of them didn't care. Joie worked his ass off getting the festival together, and I wanted it to be a mad success for him. In all ways except financially, it most certainly was, but it remains to be seen whether he can afford to take the same gamble this fall.

Rumors are flying that Mucklewain will in fact be returning to Tennessee for its third year running this September, despite the lackluster turnout and the financial woes it may or may not be facing. I'm gonna keep wishing and praying until then that it does decide to give us all another chance. If it does, I'll be talking about it nonstop on the radioshow, and I may even guide a caravan of cars down to the festival if need be. Whatever it takes to get you all there. We'll all stake our tents together and start making friends, Nashville-style. I've spent the last four months craving Mucklewain, and I'll spend the next eight doing everything I can to make sure it happens again this year, and make sure you're there to enjoy it with me.

It was, by far, the best vacation I have ever had.

MUCKLEWAIN.COM

This week: Amanda Shires, Fiery Furnaces Tickets, and I'm going crazy.

2008-01-31T21:38:00.000-06:00

Sorry I've been somewhat absent this week, but it's been one of those weeks of all the bad kinds of mania:

1) My wallet was stolen this weekend. The thief spent forty dollars at Krystal and thirty dollars at Dollar General. Things that I would not do with a stolen credit card: by forty tiny hamburgers.

2) I requested a new voter registration card so I could vote early (for Obama!) today, and they sent my mother a new voter registration card instead. Thanks, Tennessee government! Job well done!

3) I slept three and a half hours Monday night in preparation for a test on Tuesday afternoon, then received an email saying the test was cancelled, then received an email saying the test wasn't cancelled, then failed the test.

4) It took seven days for the transcript I requested to make the journey from one building on campus to another building on campus where I could pick it up. I'm really curious as to what it did with its six-day vacation.

But all those things aside, it's almost the weekend, and there's a lot worth getting excited about.

Upcoming on the show tomorrow, I'll be giving away two guest list passes to the Fiery Furnaces show on 2/6 at

Exit/In, because in all the madness of last weekend I forgot that I actually had four spots to give away. So all of last week's callers, you're still in luck! Tune in this week for a second chance.

More importantly, this week kicks off the killer lineup of guests I've got coming into the station this spring. If you were in the crowd of hipsters and cowboys and bros (Lucero fans are so damn weird) who caught Cory Branan and Ben Nichols at the Mercy last fall (and GOD if you weren't, you missed out), you may remember the denim-skirted, cowgirl-booted brunette onstage with the boys, all but stealing the show. That woman is the extremely talented Amanda Shires. You might know her as Pearl from the Thrift Store Cowboys, who she still plays with, but in 2005 she took her fiddle-playing solo with Being Brave, and she's been playing a bunch of shows with A Band of Men lately around town. Tomorrow night she plays my favorite East Nashville haunt, the Foobar, and she'll be coming into the radioshow around 4:30 tomorrow, so tune in for a preview. Amanda's been playing since she was a kid, and she's got that pure southern atmosphere about her that carries over into her songs, honest and classic in that realm of true southern country that's best heard with a few drinks and a few friends. It'll be perfect for Foobar, which loves its ear-blowing rock and roll shows but has been begging for something a little more refined. Plus, no cover! So come by, have a few drinks, say hello, meet Amanda (you'll fall in love. I promise.), and I'll see you there. Show starts at 8pm.

Listen to songs at Amanda's website.

First and Foremost:

2008-01-31T21:36:00.001-06:00

It seems my music host has exceeded his bandwidth (reliable much?) so if anyone has suggestions for music hosting sites that are reputable, I'd appreciate it. In the meantime, I'm going to do what digging I can, try to keep up the (music-less) posting, and do my damnest to get the music back up there. Bear with me!

Playlist, 1/25

2008-01-26T19:13:00.000-06:00

Thanks to everyone who tuned in yesterday! My trainee Anna did an excellent job on her first show, and you guy will be hearing a lot more from her, so I hope you liked the picks. I've hosted as many songs as I can, they're all right-click save-as or alt-click on Macs.

Also, thanks so much to all of you who made it out to The End last night, and to the bands for playing for us. I had a fabulous time. Thanks to everyone who chatted with me at the merch table, danced around and sweated with me, let me buy you a beer. Thanks for putting up with my slightly drunken band introductions (for the record, I didn't know I would be doing that until I was onstage...). It was a fantastic night, and I met (and re-met) some really terrific people that I'm hoping to see again soon.

1. Caribou, "Cherrybomb" from Nelab

2. The Books, "Be Good To Them Always" from Lost and Safe

3. Shipwreck, "Walk in the Woods" from Rabbit in the Kitchen With a New Dress On

4. Happy Birthday Amy, "Bait" from EP

5. Andrew Bird, "Darkmatter" from Armchair Apocrypha

6. Cory Branan, "Miss Ferguson" from The Hell You Say

7. Velcro Stars, "Hiroshima's Revenge" from Hiroshima's Revenge

8. Neutral Milk Hotel, "Gardenhead/Leave Me Alone" from On Avery Island

9. Modest Mouse, "Baby Blue Sedan" from Building Nothing Out of Something

10. Emma Wallace, "Exceed My Expectations" from A Reason to Stay Up All Night

11. Happy Birthday Amy, "Mystery Scars" from EP

12. The Owls, "Peppermint Patty" from Daughters and Suns

13. Frightened Rabbit, "Go-Go Girls" from Sing the Greys

14. Kings of Leon, "Fans" from Because of the Times

15. Menomena, "Wet and Rusting" from Friend and Foe (R)

16. Chromeo, "Call Me Up" from Fancy Footwork

17. Daft Punk, "Face to Face" from Discovery

18. Makeup & Vanity Set, "This Is It" from Charles Park

19. Justice, "Waters of Nazareth" from [cross]

20. Ratatat, "Wildcat" from Classics

21. Junior Boys, "Double Shadow" from So This Is Goodbye

22. Four Tet, "As Serious As Your Life" from Rounds

23. Mstrkrft, "Neon Knights" from The Looks

24. Simian Mobile Disco, "I Believe" from Attack Decay Sustain Release

Lylas returns from the undead! Also, tune in tomorrow!

2008-01-25T00:20:00.000-06:00

!!!

Nashville lovelies Lylas, who I had all but given up on, have been covertly recording a record to be released this year, entitled Do You Believe in Blood? New songs are up on their myspace, and they're playing a show (the first Nashville one in how long?) next month with Evangelicals and Headlights over at The End. (February 17th! Be there!)

I've had a soft spot for these boys ever since they came on my show back when it was just a baby, charmed me, I kinda sorta fell in love, and then they sealed the deal by dedicating "The Virgin Annie" to me at a couple of shows. Plus, I run into Luke everywhere I go in Nashville, and Kyle every time I leave Nashville. Our paths are intertwined.

2006's Lessons for Lovers was a dark merry-go-round of whimsy and morbidity, skeletons in smocked dresses and poets drunk on poison and moonshine. The cover art says it all: four full-skirted, coloring-book dancers, twirling circles around their decapitated partners. Just when Kyle starts to creep into the realm of the sweet, he reminds you that Lylas is not here to write you a love song. At least, not the one you're thinking of. My one complaint: at a cool thirty-five minutes, sixteen songs, six of which are two minutes or under, Lessons never really reads like an album, but more like a collection. The non-filler songs are delightful in their own right, whether the sinister "No Seance for Sweetheart", the eerie, orchestral "Teenage Phantasm", or of course, my favorite, the dreamer's ballad, "The Virgin Annie."

This next album offers a chance for the Lylas boys to step up to the plate and make the complete album their music's been calling for. Do away with the thirty-second interludes. Don't worry about themes. Tell us the whole story, the poignant bits and pieces that have been building up. Unveil!

The boys are also looking for a label to release this album, so if you're a label sort or know some label sorts, shoot an email their way or my way and I can pass it along.

Below are two songs from last time they came in the station, one of which looks to become the title track for this year's album! I'm gonna try to get them in again this spring if possible. (Also, look to the right for all the currently in-the-works in-stations coming up--Amanda Shires, Amy LaVere, Nite Nite, Meemaw, Caitlin Rose, more to come!) Enjoy!

LYLAS on Antennas to Heaven:

"Do You Believe in Blood?"

"My Sleepwalking Summer"

Also, tune in tomorrow for lots of excitement:

-Wilco ticket giveaways! (see below)

-Fiery Furnace ticket giveaways! (see below)

-meet my trainee Anna, who is almost definitely cooler than I am.

-listen to all the sweet music you can hear tomorrow night at The End!

Last week was also one of the first weeks ever that I've been able to fulfill all my requests, so I'm gonna try to keep at up! 321-ROCK, 422-ROCK, 615 area code, wrvuradio on AIM. See you there.

Velcro Stars, Makeup & Vanity Set, Happy Birthday Amy!: Where are you going to be on Friday Night?

2008-01-22T23:12:00.000-06:00

As I've been saying again and again, we've got a show coming up on Friday that's going to be an excellent chance for all you Nashvillians to catch a slew of local bands that you may or may not have had the chance to see yet, all with quite different esthetics. Read below to see the treats we've got in store for you.

In addition to the music, don't forget I'll be giving away a pair of tickets to the totally sold-out Wilco show at the Ryman on 3/2. TOTALLY SOLD OUT. Read the post below for the details, but you've gotta call into the radioshow this Friday (4-6pm) or be one of the first twenty people at the End that night to get your name entered! We'll be doing the same thing for the Fiery Furnaces show, which, while not sold out, is going to be a great one.

Plus, I'll be dancing. And sometimes when I get all dancy, I start buying strangers drinks. No promises. But it happens.

And now, the music.....

*In my quest to get music together for this show I had the pleasure to meet the entire Happy Birthday Amy crew (who confessed that they're fans of the radioshow, which is terrific) in the crowded mess of Cafe Coco, where they charmed me entirely and I got ahold of their latest EP, a bouncy, jumpy ball of piano-wit wailed by Amy Smith (of The Protomen & Jared Micah & Hats) bowed by her husband Dillon (of The Ascent of Everest, Noir Test, & Jared Micah & Hats) and banged by Miles Cramer (of...well okay, he doesn't have any side projects, give him a break). Spiraling cymbal crashes and boundless energy. Delightful.

HBA: "Bait", "Mystery Scars"

**Out of Murfreesboro, Velcro Stars are playful, nostalgic, heartfelt, sometimes haunting. A sound that is undoubtedly youthful, but not without skill. These songs are from Hiroshima's Revenge, the latest full-length, out on our very own Grand Palace Records. The title track is sweeping, basic rhythms overcome by the energy of chins up, fists up, eyes to the sky.

VS: "Hiroshima's Revenge", "Another Winter"

Makeup & Vanity Set boomed into my life when he opened for The Protomen (see the connections being drawn? no? see above.) at The End. Complete dance-electro mixes, all vocal-less, techno influence best played in a dark basement packed with beer and sweat. (Okay, I'm biased, but I've seen him play in such a setting and my dance moves have never been so inspired.) His shows are always full of energy, done mostly on the spot, mixed by Matthew Pusti donning a ski mask and helped along by "MTV, crack cocaine, and JC Penney catalogs", along with whatever friends he's got on hand.

M&VS: "No One Gets Out Alive", "This Is It"

Bonus: Makep & Vanity Set take on The Protomen--"Vengeance?"

*Photo by Jonathan Kingsbury Photography

**Photo by Laura Leigh Smith, www.acebangup.com

You're blowing my mind, internet.

2008-01-21T01:47:00.001-06:00

Apparently I have international readers. Which (I hope) means maybe I have international listeners to the radioshow. Maybe?

So hey, who are you, strangers?* Where are you from? How did you stumble upon this little site? Have you heard the radioshow? Would you like to hear the radioshow? What music do you like? Do you have a band? Would you like to start a band? I know a few people who play instruments. I could get you talking.

It's lonely on this side of the line. As a WRVU DJ you very rarely actually know who your listeners are, or if they exist, or if there are six of you or six hundred of you. We love it when the phones ring. We're not allowed to say that on air.

This is the great thing about having a blog to go along with the radioshow. I can curse! I can tell you to call in! I can say GO TO THIS SHOW IT'S GOING TO BE SO GOOD without getting kicked off the station!

*(Please don't feel you need to be international to answer these questions. I like nearly all strangers. It's true.)

Black Before Red

2008-01-20T23:55:00.000-06:00

I have to say thanks to Austin (and Matt McCarroll) once again for throwing my way what promises to become one of my favorite albums of the year, although it's really a 2006 release that never made much of a ripple here in Nashville. That unto itself is a complete tragedy. Belgrave to King's Circle is a string-picking, hand-clapping, electric acoustic meld of music that starts marking itself into your lazy mornings, your busy afternoons, your dancing evenings. Music that becomes a part of your year. Music that stays with you. "Underneath Gold" kicks it off with a Broken Social Scene "Stars and Sons"-esque energy, the kind of dance music you're not sure you should be dancing to. "Matagorda" is a crooning, piano-driven ballad, flowing into "Our Last Summer", a quick two minutes of echoing guitar riffs and Beach Boys refrains. You'll have to pick up the album to catch that one, as well as the quirky, soaring "Bosa Nova #7", my personal favorite. And you should be picking up the album. Instead of a thriller borne of the fickle energy of debuts, Belgrave promises bigger and better things to come. I've only one complaint: at a quick 33 minutes, I've got the whole thing memorized already. When's the next one, boys?

Black Before Red:

Playlist, 1/18

2008-01-18T19:55:00.000-06:00

Thanks to everybody who tuned in yesterday and for all the excellent requests! If you missed it, here's what you need to know:

My show will be from 4-6pm on Fridays this semester, so tune in a little earlier next week!

Next week I'll be taking names to give away a pair of tickets to the (sold-out) Wilco show, and a pair of guest passes to the Fiery Furnaces show. To win those, you need to do one of two things:

1) Call in during my show AND come to the WRVU Benefit that night

2) Be one of the first twenty-five people at the WRVU Benefit that night

Keep in mind, the Fiery Furnaces show is 21+, so please don't try to win tickets if you're not 21. Good luck getting in underage to the Mercy, their doormen are mindreaders. I believe the Wilco show is all ages.

Either of those things will get you on the list to win tickets, and I'll be giving them away during the show that night! The WRVU Benefit happens at The End, at 9pm, with Velcro Stars, Makeup & Vanity Set, Happy Birthday Amy, and Another Side of Bob Jasmin. It's only five bucks & profits go to the radiostation, so you've no excuse to be staying hom on Friday night. I'll do a full preview post in a few days, but in the meantime, mark your calendars.

Here's this week's show. Enjoy! All songs are right-click save as or alt-click on Macs. Sorry I can't host every single one of them, but I'm sure some will show up again. Also, (R) means it was a request.

1. Múm, "There Is a Number of Small Things"

2. Rock Plaza Central, "When We Go, How We Go (Part I)"

3. The Dodos, "Nerds"

4. Luna, "Ihop"

5. Ferraby Lionheart, "Small Planet" (R)

6. Kings of Convenience, "I'd Rather Dance With You"

7. Mary Epworth and the Jubilee Band, "The Saddle Song"

8. Once and Future Kings, "I Must Be in a Womb" (R)

9. Magnetic Fields, "California Girls"

10. Yo La Tengo, "Stockholm Syndrome"

11. Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, "Baltimore"

12. Frightened Rabbit, "Behave!"

13. Emma Wallace, "A Reason to Stay Up All Night"

14. Imogen Heap, "Hide & Seek" (R)

15. Watery Graves of Portland, "Ce que je vais faire plus tard"

16. Midlake, "Roscoe" (R)

17. Ruby Isle, "Aly, Walk With Me" (cover)

18. Meat Puppets, "Paradise"

19. Makeup and Vanity Set, "Vengeance?"

20. Black Before Red, "Underneath Gold"

21. Shipwreck, "Devils"

22. Ween, "Blue Balloon" (R)

23. Rock Plaza Central, "When We Go, How We Go (Part II)"

24. Luna, "City Kitty"

25. Lylas, "Star of the Family Portrait"

26. We Will Build, "Pandaemonium"

Minimix: Something about a deserted island and your only five bands

2008-01-18T00:21:00.000-06:00

First and foremost:

Tune in to the show tomorrow from 5-6pm for your weekly indie salvation. It's 91.1 FM for locals, wrvu.org for anyone else. The realplayer is kind of squeamish, so if she doesn't work, give her a few tries. And give me a call at 322-ROCK or 421-ROCK (ROCK = 7625) if you want to hear something, or IM me at wrvuradio or annieweisner during the show and harass me and keep me company.

Tonight at the Yo La Tengo show (yeah, more to come on that tomorrow, but it was great so thanks again to the stranger who made sure I got my ticket on time) I remembered being asked a lot of ridiculous music-limiting questions in high school to the tune of "If you were stuck on a deserted island / were the last person on earth / got locked in a cellar and could only listen to three albums / ten songs / five bands, what would they be?"

The album and song limitations I still have a hard time with, but I've mostly got my five bands sorted out and solidified. I return to the ones that have stuck it out with me, that have reemerged at crucial points in my youth,

So since you probably already own a bit of music by the following five bands (and if you don't, you should reassess your life and see if there's an ache of unfulfillment, since clearly you've been missing out) I'm going to try to give you a song by each that you may not already have your hands on. Enjoy:

To the left is me, around age sixteen, in Dragon Park, with something like fruit-rollups stuck to my head. Charming.

1) Built to Spill, "Girl" (from The Normal Years)

Itty bitty newborn Built to Spill gets a little stripped down and teenage in a way they won't really ever return to. There is in fact no percussion of any sort in this entire song. The Normal Years is also notable since the original version of "Car" appears on this album after showing up on There's Nothing Wrong With Love and claiming its spot as potentially my favorite song ever.

2) Yo La Tengo, "Upside-Down"

From 1992's May I Sing With Me, which I in fact do not own, but I grabbed this single at an outdoor Grimeys sale when I was seventeen or so, little knowing the gem I had in my hands. What fool would not bring YLT on a deserted island with them?

3) Luna, "City Kitty" (from Pup Tent)

Classic dark sexy Luna. Pup Tent has become a recent favorite of mine after grabbing a used copy for five bucks and having nothing but a CD player from the early nineties hooked up through an adaptor in the cassette deck of my car for five weeks. It restarts every time you hit a bump, so it's good the beginning of the album's so damn good. But really, this song proves, in case you had any doubt in your mind, that Luna do in fact know how to break it down.

4) Cinerama, "Tie Me Up" (from Torino)

So my Cinerama catalogue is not that impressive, but since every one of David Gedge's songs is about sex, I went for one that was excessively so. Do not play this track for your children. Do play this track for your girlfriend. Follow it with "Lollobrigida". You won't even need roses and candles. David Gedge--best wingman ever. "Anything that you want to do, I'll do it."

5) The Who, "We're Not Gonna Take It (Alternate Version)" (from Tommy)

Six minutes of somewhat reshaped goodness from the rock opera that I thought I was so cool to know about. I bought cassettes of The Who in high school because they were ungodly cheap and I was the only person around who still had a cassette deck, and my copy of Tommy got an upgrade a few Christmases ago to the brand new DELUXE edition. I still kind of think disc two of the deluxe edition is kind of a stretch. Some of the alternate versions are little more than longer, instrumental takes on the originals, so unless you're a die-hard, its probably not worth the extra cash.

BONUS!

Luna, "Ihop" (from Pup Tent)

I was only going to give you "Kitty City", but I just really need you all to revel in the first fifty-three seconds of this song with me.

We Will Build: In celebration of mania

2008-01-15T14:43:00.000-06:00

We Will Build stumbled into my life sometime during my first month as a DJ, at my request for some good talk-break music to keep the energy going between sets. It's a grave misstep, however, to suggest that We Will Build is in any way background music--they're far too manically energized to remain the backdrop.

We Will Build is joy and bright lights, dancing in fields and drunk stargazing. They're saturated with blips and bleeps and glitches-turned to drumbeats, the earthy crunch of cymbals and the aquatic echo of timpany. Their latest album, This Is Necessary, draws them away from the sheer brightness of their first (called just Untitled Collection on the site), throwing in more loops and whorls and what can really only be called a breakdown. It's suited to the kind of dancing that's really more flailing limbs, out of breath, explosive expressions of youth.

In the age where every afterthought has a blog post, there's precious little to be found online about We Will Build. You can check out their website to download their full catalog of music, including Liphe Sonuds, an improvisational album sans any sort of instrument in the conventional sense of the word, and stocked instead with captured sounds via a gritty tape recorder. Other than that and a few dead YouTube videos, there's really not much to be read. I'm somewhat charmed by We Will Build's seeming lack of concern about whether the world at large has any idea what they're doing with themselves. Their news feed hasn't been updated since August, and the only sign of life is the erratic comments on their Yellbox that hint at a new album to come soon. They could live down the street or across the world. They could have six new albums ready to come out or have not touched an instrument since this summer. I've no idea.

It just goes to show: don't judge a band by its Wikipedia page.

We Will Build, "Pandaemonium"

We Will Build, "Dirk"

We Will Build, "Out These Doors Inside"

A brief reflection:

2008-01-15T12:57:00.000-06:00

Where were you at five AM last Sunday morning, Nashville?

I was dancing on a coffee table with Corey McAfee.

Yeah, you should've gone to the Protomen/Wax Fang show.

Tonight: The Protomen and Wax Fang conquer Nashville.

2008-01-12T09:17:00.000-06:00

Tonight marks the union of two bands I've had the delight of seeing at separate times, now coming together in a pile of dancing limbs and robot masks in a show that promises to be a stunner.

The Protomen played a month or so ago to a sold-out crowd at The End, bringing performance rock at its best to a crowd of thumping fists and homemade rocket guns. The Protomen play urgent, gritty rock operas about Mega Man (there's the Wikipedia page for you non-gamers) ripe with synthesizers and sound effects. Their commitment to their art is enough to get you soaked in it as well--but it's not just the theatricality that makes Protomen worth seeing. Their music is damn good as well, hugely energizing, darkly captivating.

Wax Fang are equally epic, but with an added playfulness that's all their own. Out of Louisville, Kentucky, Wax Fang play Nashville enough to call themselves Nashvillians, with a contagious energy and an infectious exuberance. They've got their own batch of found instruments and costumes, including a pair of gardening shears that provides the critical soundbite on "The Doctor Will See You Now" and, at times, a masked, caped, near-motionless villain whose only purpose seems to remind their audience: you, too, are being watched.

So don't miss the show tonight, at The Mercy Lounge, starting at 9pm with local lovelys The Velcro Stars kicking things off. It's only seven bucks (SO cheap for The Mercy) and it's 18+ (don't try to get in with a fake, the door guys there are nearly mind-readers and they'll take it up) with Wax Fang up second and The Protomen rounding off the night. There's a solid chance it'll sell out (or at least be packed), so get there on time and plan to park on one of the side streets if you don't want to shell out a little extra cash for a spot in the lot. See you there?

The Protomen, "Hope Rides Alone"

Wax Fang, "Cannibal Summer"

Wax Fang, "World War II (Pt 2)"

Update on Wilco Ticket Giveaway

2008-01-10T00:23:00.000-06:00

At the bequest of our estaff, the Wilco ticket giveaways scheduled for late February are getting changed around a bit.

Instead, I'll be taking names during my show on 1/25. Anyone can call in during that show at any time and get their name added to the pile. Then, that night at the WRVU show at The End (only 5$!) we'll be taking the first twenty names at the show to add to the pile, and giving away the tickets during the show! So you need to listen in on Friday 1/25 to get your name added to the pile for sure, and then also be at the show that night!

It's only five bucks to get in, it's three excellent local bands that I'll be telling you more about, and it's for a good cause (your local poor college radiostation). So no excuses. Let me know if you have any questions, and thanks for putting up with the changes!

Amid the asbestos and the heating unit, there was something real.

2008-01-09T17:24:00.000-06:00

Last night was a refreshing pause in the rhythm of shows and school and work I've come to expect from Nashville. We trekked our way over to Belmont, six-pack in hand, for whatever basement Meemaw and Jeff had in store for us.

My friend Patrick said it best: "This scene is real. The kid in the fedora is not being ironic."

That's the thing. Neither is the guy with the mohawk. Or the girl with her nose triple-pierced. Or the kid in khakis. Or my sister, trendy in her yellow tights. We're crammed together, shoulder to shoulder, peering between limbs for a glimpse of the band, who are squeezed off in a corner in a tight triangle, facing one another, singing without mics, dancing into us. When the live music halts, someone yells 'Put on the house music!' and dance tunes come eeking out of a boombox dangling from the ceiling. Beer is passed from hand to hand. Kids crouch on the stairs, singing along.

Nevermind the fact that the backyard is a junkyard of bicycle parts and livingroom furniture. Nevermind the mud puddle masquerading as the bottom step. Nevermind the guy who screams he smells like "pennies!" but really reeks sweat onto all of us.

Meemaw's drummer, Jessica, plays with a rhythmic calm that's almost unnerving. She's suave to Daniel's enthusiastic belting. Those of us who knew the words sang along, those who didn't danced along anyway. The good mood was contagious. Jeff was equally phenomenal.

It was just fun. Unpretentious fun. It's a scene that, if you're not the one trying to be ironic, you'll fit right into. This is what Nashville music should be about.

And Daniel did promise me that they'll come by the station sometime, so stay tuned for an upcoming Meemaw in-station soon!

Also, here's a bonus treat:

Meemaw, "Clubber Lang"

Best Songs of 2007

2008-01-07T22:08:00.000-06:00

Now, without further ado...

23. Jens Lekman, "Friday Night at the Drive-In Bingo"

from Night Falls Over Kortedala

Jens Lekman makes me feel young and want to be old. "Friday Night" is nostalgia for nights I've never experienced, orchestral pop without any hint of downswing. Catchy and delightful.

22. Tokyo Police Club, "Box"

from Smith EP

In their complete history as a band, Tokyo Police Club has released slightly under thirty minutes worth of music. Those thirty minutes, however, are so damn good that by the time they give us something worth calling an album, the anticipation might be too much to bear. The overlapping vocals and calm self-degradation reminds me of the bands we loved at fifteen--with all of the positive connotations and none of the negative.

21. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, "Underwater (You and Me)"

from Some Loud Thunder

The hymn of my summer evenings. Plunging steadily forward, open-eyed and resolutely hopeful.

20. Dan Deacon, "Wham City"

from Spiderman of the Rings

A dizzying twelve minute build of jubilant shouts and dancing in circles.

Note: The song link above is to an edited version of Wham City. To get the full twelve-minute effect, check out Spiderman of the Rings.

19. Gogol Bordello, "Supertheory of Supereverything"

from Super Taranta!

If you haven't yet been introduced to the mania of gypsy punk, you're in for a treat. Clever, wry, and unlike anything you've heard lately, for sure.

18. Wax Fang, "The Doctor Will See You Now"

from La La Land

Tune in on Wednesday or Thursday for a full sampling of what you'll be hearing this weekend at the Wax Fang/Protomen show at The Mercy.

17. Animal Collective, "Peacebone"

from Strawberry Jam

Bouncy, discordant, messy brilliance.

16. New Ruins, "Book Lung"

from The Sound They Make

15. The Little Ones, "There's a Pot a Brewin"

from Lovers Who Uncover\

whimsy-pop!

14. Pela, "Tenement Teeth"

from Anytown Graffiti

13. Small Sins, "It Keeps Me On My Toes"

from Mood Swings

12. Justice, "D.A.N.C.E."

from [cross symbol]

11. Robyn Hitchcock, "Brenda's Iron Sledge"

from I Wanna Go Backwards

10. Okkervil River, "Our Life is Not a Movie or Maybe"

from The Stage Names

9. Le Loup, "We Are Gods! We Are Wolves!"

from The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations' Millennium General Assembly

8. Of Montreal, "Bunny Ain't No Kind of Rider"

from Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?

So yeah, I actually heard this song somewhere around July 2006 along with the other thousands of people who got ahold of the leaked version of this album, but it's a testament to the utter staying power of Of Montreal that it's been in constant rotation since then.

7. The Clientele, "Bookshop Casanova"

from God Save the Clientele

6. Spoon, "The Underdog"

from Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

5. The National, "Fake Empire"

from Boxer

4. Sunset Rubdown, "Up on Your Leopard, Upon the End of Your Feral Days"

from Random Spirit Lover

3. Architecture in Helsinki, "Heart it Races"

from Places Like This

2. LCD Soundsystem, "All My Friends"

from Sound of Silver

1. Black Kids, "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You"

from Wizard of Ahhhs

Comments to come. For now, I'm getting sick and I'm going to call it a night. Tomorrow, I promise! Also to come, updates on the tickets I'll be giving away this Friday, and the show you shouldn't be missing this weekend. Night, Nashville.

Minimix: Music to ride bikes to

2008-01-07T19:36:00.000-06:00

One of my resolutions this year is to bike the Jack and Back, a 130 mile, 2-day bike ride from Franklin TN to the Jack Daniel's Distillery and back. Seventy-five miles one way, fifty-five the other. I've been told it'll be easy. Sure, Mom, sure.

For kicks, my other resolutions are as follows:

2) keep up this blog

3) read 25 books (did that last year as well)

4) don't live in Nashville this summer.

5) visit a new city

Last year was the first year of my life that I've actually kept all three of my new year's resolutions, so I have high hopes for this year. We'll see.

So in honor of that oh so distant goal, here we have minimix number one:

The Ladybug Transistor, "The Reclusive Hero"

Guillemots, "Trains to Brazil"

The Apparitions, "God Monkey Robot"

Arcade Fire, "Neighborhood #2 (Laika)"

(photo courtesy of Bekah Cope)

The best songs of 2007 post will be up in a few hours, in case you've been eagerly awaiting it.

The return of the houseparty

2008-01-06T11:57:00.001-06:00

Last night, after the usual cycling through phases of being too tired to go out and then wanting to make a night of it, we were persuaded into making our way across town to the buddytown-endorsed Be a Victim houseparty in east Nashville. There was in fact, a girl with a bulls-eye emblazoned across her chest, but other than her and a few whiskey-killed dead-eyed hipsters, the party seemed to take no prisoners. The dancefloor was presided over by DJ Travitron and others atop a disco-lit mountain erected from stretched bedsheets, billowing smoke over the already steaming crowd of kids in lamé fabric and skinny jeans and that one guy in a striped polo shirt.

Later in the night though, when everyone got a lot sweatier and a little less hip, I remembered what I love about this scene. It's okay, in this crowd, to be that guy who came by himself and is dancing awkwardly near your friends with a PBR and heavy eye-contact. I was even that guy for awhile. It's also a deep affirmation of that hope we all hold dear: a few beers into the night, no one's too cool to dance to Criss Cross and Ludacris. Houseparties make me miss the brilliance of the things we stopped doing once we graduated high school, like lighting sixteen cardboard boxes on fire in the middle of your backyard and watching forty drunk hipsters flock to flames. Kudos to the kid who had that idea last night.

But outside the danceparty hipster hip-hop scene, you should be checking out the slew of shows that's been going on at houses around town. East Nashville trio Meemaw have been rallying the crowds of young, broke, unsigned bands and fans to bring the music back to where it began--in backyards, in basements, shoved into someone's living room stripped of its secondhand sofas and coffee tables. Their cave of a basement has been home to a ton of manically brilliant shows, including a mindwarp of an electrodanceparty I was lucky enough to end up at this summer, as well as the recording studio for their first batch of songs, oddly compelling in their roughness and imperfection. They've got a sense of humor, too, but if you're not their best friends already you should start with the two below, both kind of dazed hot drunk summer afternoon ballads played on a Walkman at the start of a block party.

Meemaw, "Fever Dreaming"

Meemaw, "Blue in the Blacklight"

You've got two chances to catch Meemaw this week, this Tuesday with Jeff (not to be missed) at 2930 Primrose Circle, and this Saturday with Jeff and Dawn/Marj! at the Princess Mao House, at 330 Bellevue Road. Seeing as Protomen and Wax Fang are playing Saturday as well (more to come on that show), I highly recommend you check out the show Tuesday, bring your own booze, and come dance with me. We'll have a blast.

Top 13 Albums of 2007

2008-01-04T19:13:00.000-06:00

Today's show was dedicated to my favorite 13 albums of the year--13 only because that's how many I could fit into an hour. I'll return to some of these albums in later posts in more detail, but for now, here's the breakdown in brief:

13. BOAT, Let's Drag Our Feet!

"I'm a Donkey For Your Love"

Completely whimsical and sublimely charming. Whistles and handclaps recorded off basement walls.

12. The Clientele, God Save the Clientele

"Here Comes the Phantom"

Pop genius.

11. Rock Plaza Central, Are We Not Horses?

"Are We Not Horses?"

Dark and haunting and beautiful. Full of mystery and violence and

intrigue. Absolutely captivating.

10. Beirut, The Flying Cup Club

"A Sunday Smile"

Written to evoke a different French city with each song, gloriously

arranged. Hot air balloons and cobblestones.

9. Animal Collective, Strawberry Jam

"Derek"

All we love about Animal Collective, the airy mess of strings and fuzz,

sometimes listening underwater, sometimes from the sky.

8. Lovers, Sleep With Heat

"Perpetual Motion, Perpetual Sound"

I've loved this band since high school. Silky female vocals, hollow

echoes, ballads and lullabies.

7. Sunset Rubdown, Random Spirit Lover

"Winged/Wicked Things"

Mysticism from an era of wild things and dangerous romances; manic

and startling. Definitely best listened to as a whole.

6. Explosions in the Sky, All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone

"What Do You Go Home To?"

Monumental instrumental thunderstorms. Propulsion through

catastrophe and creation.

5. The New Pornographers, Challengers

"Myriad Harbour"

The playfulness we've come to expect of the band, but alright, I'll say

it: It's no Twin Cinema.

4. Dinosaur Jr., Beyond

"Been There All the Time"

Twenty-two years later, still rough-edged and classic as ever.

3. Arcade Fire, Neon Bible

"Black Mirror"

Slightly ominous, slightly cathartic. The sound of church hymns driven by guitar rock toward a turbulent heaven.

2. Okkervil River, The Stage Names

"Unless It's Kicks"

Inventive and expressive, imperfect and immediate.

1. LCD Soundsystem, Sound of Silver

"Watch the Tapes"

Kudos to James Murphy for being so unflinchingly unafraid of seven

and eight minute songs, and so unquestionably skilled at making them

worth every damn minute. We have it: a dance album that isn't

headache-inspiring when listened to in one sitting.

So there you have it: 2007. It was certainly a strong year for familiar

names in indie rock, whether they were striving to outlast hype or on

that lifeless path called 'making a comeback'. It was a year for

appreciation of rough-edges, a year for singers who can't really sing,

a year for remembering why we started dancing in the first place.

Coming up next: Best Songs of 2007. Longer list, less words.

All band names link to the band website; songs are right click save-as or alt to save on Macs.

2008-01-04T13:19:00.000-06:00

Welcome, strangers, to the birth of my life as a music blogger. In the next few posts I'll be putting up my best of lists for 2007 as an introduction to my musical leanings, but first and foremost, I thought it prudent to give you a little introduction to myself.

Weezer, "Teenage Victory Song"

I've been a Nashvillian for the last fifteen years of my life. I grew up in the suburbs listening to The Who's Tommy on cassette and watching Empire Records nonstop. I simultaneously loved Talking Heads and The Ataris. When I was fifteen I made friends with the most handsome boy and the coolest girl I had ever met by writing Thursday lyrics in my planner. We made buttons out of laffy taffy wrappers in my bedroom and had my dad drop us off at Indienet to see some local band thrash around and sweat for a few hours. Later we'd gush about how we'd been kicked in the head by a crowd surfer. We thought we were so damn cool.

Built to Spill, "Car"

I bought Built to Spill's There's Nothing Wrong With Love for twelve dollars at a Borders because I recognized it from a poster on my European History teacher's wall. I found a crowd of kids who thought about life the way I did, and we spent two weeks mourning Elliott Smith's death and watching Wes Anderson films after school. We tricked the DJ into playing "Idioteque" and "Deceptacon" at our junior year prom. I spent a hundred dollars on Fugazi albums after learning I had gotten an A in my impossible calculus AP class. Music marked us. It measured our successes and failures. It judged the strength of our loves. We made out to Beulah and Portishead. We danced to Muse and Le Tigre. We drove around with the windows down and In the Aeroplane Over the Sea on repeat.

Animal Collective, "The Purple Bottle"

I thought I'd go north to college, but Brown waitlisted me and I ended up at Vanderbilt, wooed by the green of March and some guy with glasses who said hello to me. A good friend of mine who had come to Vandy a year before me also offered me this enticement: "You can go to some alternative school and find a thousand people just like you, or you can come here and make people understand why you love what you do. I prefer it here."

Cinerama, "Careless"

Enter Vanderbilt University, in the heart of Nashville, and enter two thousand mingling faces just beginning to gain color and form. Enter a brief fling with a guy with a wall full of Modest Mouse and Ryan Adams posters. Enter a warped relationship with the most sharp-tongued, elitist, self-defeating man I have ever met. He turned me on to Cinerama and The Hold Steady. When upset he'd play The Format on repeat for days at a time, which might account for why I've never really cared for them. He is, to date, by far the coolest person I have ever slept with.

Didley Squat, "Tigerlily"

Enter also WRVU 91.1, Nashville's beloved college radio station and my sanctuary. I trained my freshman year and started my own show that December. When I entered the station for my first solo time behind the board, three of our four microphones weren't working and I couldn't find a set of headphones anywhere in the station. It's been a steady climb from chaos to sanity, but that's the charm of college radio, right? WRVU is populated with hipsters and hippies, metalheads and sorority girls, high schoolers and grandfathers. Our shows range from hipbilly to dance to Persian music. Vanderbilt hardly knows we exist, but Nashville is good to us, and there's absolutely nothing better than having someone stop you on the street, point at your t-shirt and say "WRVU! It's all I listen to! What's your show?"

Wax Fang, "The Doctor Will See You Now"

So here we are. I'm entering my third year as a DJ, my sixth semester at Vanderbilt, my sixteenth year in Nashville. And I'm finally doing something I've wanted to do for about three years now--starting this blog. I'm hoping to make this an extension of the radioshow, and I'll try to do the same things with this that I do with it--share the music I love, share the music you love, and keep it personal.

So, thanks for reading. Wish me luck.