Be back in 2011.

Sigur Rainbow

I know the fad of slowing things down 800% is old, but I just heard this one and it's pretty amazing. Why does everything slowed down sound like the music of the spheres?

So many desires!

So, the new Antony and the Johnsons album, Swanlights, is good, but he seems to be getting further and further away from desert-island-disk contender I Am a Bird Now. Why can't everything you make be a perfect breath-taking masterpiece, Antony Hegarty?!

Playlist for 12-23-10 (Christmas Edition!)

Hey folks,

Thanks to all the lovely folks who joined me for my Things that Are Square family Christmas show. It's always a fav of mine, and I'm glad you listened along.

Things that Are Square 12-23-10

Tom Waits - Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis - Blue Valentine

Belle and Sebastian - O Little Town of Bethlehem - Peel Session
Pink Martini - Santa Baby - Joy to the World
The Pogues - Fairytale of New York - If I Should Fall from Grace with God
Casiotone for the Painfully Alone - Cold White Christmas - Etiquette

Eels - Everything's Gonna Be Cool this Christmas - Cancer for the Cure 7"
Low - Just Like Christmas - Christmas
Jens Lekman - Run Away with Me - USA Tour EP
The Halo Benders - Snowfall - God Don't Make No Junk

The Polyphonic Spree - Happy Christmas (War Is Over) - Two Thousand Places
Okkervil River - Listening to Otis Redding at Home During Christmas - Don't Fall in Love with Everyone You See
Arab Strap - Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home) - Unreleased
Pedro the Lion - The First Noel - The First Noel 7"

Bright Eyes - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - Christmas
Erlend Øye - Last Christmas - Seasonal Greetings: A Compilation of 13 Christmas and Winter Songs

The Lucksmiths - The Winter Proper - Spring a Leak
Sufjan Stevens - O Holy Night - Songs for Christmas
Vince Guaraldi Trio - Christmas Time Is Here - The Royal Tennenbaums


Feel free to tune in any Thursday 6-8pm PST on KUCI 88.9fm in Irvine, CA and worldwide live on the internet at KUCI.ORG. I promise I have all the Christmas music out of my system now.

XO,
Kyle

The evening's plans

If you need to reach me tonight, I'll be in my apartment alone, drinking a bottle of wine and listening to the new Belle and Sebastian.

It's a rainy day, sunshine girl

Self-explanatory.

It continues

A new awesome music find, courtsey of the UkuleleHunt blog. (Which means I've learned how to play this and you can sing it with me, if you'd like).

A series of profanities

Shearwater covers Randy Newman


Fuck yeah, Christmas. Fuck yeah, Shearwater. (And while I seem to enjoy people covering him more than his performances of his own songs) Fuck yeah, Randy Newman.

Playlist for 12-16-10

Happy Friday, folks,

i am currently sitting in an all-day staff meeting. I'm supposed to be taking minutes. But it's boring. So I'm not. And then later, we're going to chain gastropub The Yard House where we will sit near their selection of 100 beers, but not be able to drink any of them. And then we have to do a gift exchange where everyone ends up with something they don't want instead of going home early. Pessimism party!

But I did an awesome show last night where lots of great folks requested and listened and called in. Best show in a long time. Thanks for hanging out, kids.

Things that Are Square 12-16-10

(*) = New release

(*) Charlie Parr - Ain't No Grave Gonna Hold My Body Down - When the Devil Goes Blind

(*) Wooden Wand - The Mountain - Death Set
Akron/Family - Running, Returning - Akron/Family
(*) Blue Water White Death - Gall - Blue Water White Death
(*) Antony and the Johnsons - Thank You for Your Love - Swanlights

Songs: Ohia - Didn't It Rain - Didn't It Rain
(*) The Books - Free Translator - The Way Out (For George, dedicated to Jessica Hoke)
(*) Jonathan Richman - These Bodies Came to Cavort - O Moon, Queen of Night on Earth
(*) Allo Darlin' - My Heart Is a Drummer - Allo Darlin'

(*) Artichoke - Windowsill - Bees
The Olivia Tremor Control - No Growing (Exegesis) - Dust at Cubist Castle
Half Japanese - Secret - Greatest Hits
The Unicorns - I Was Born (A Unicorn) - Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone?
The Field Mice - Coach Station Reunion - For Keeps

(*) Pomegranates - 50's - One of Us
Television - Marquee Moon - Marquee Moon
Dinosaur Jr. - Said the People - Farm

(*) Stereolab - Neon Beanbag (Atlas Sound Mix) - Not Music
Lemon Jelly - Nice Weather for Ducks - Lost Horizons (For Scott in Irvine, CA)
Yo La Tengo - Green Arrow - I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One (For Gaby in Bell Gardens, CA)
Mogwai - Cody - Come On, Die Young

(*) Soft Circle - First Time - Shore Obsessed


Super, honestly appreciative to everyone who listened. If you want to get in on the radioloveparty, tune in any Thursday 6-8pm PST on KUCI 88.9FM in Irvine, and worldwide live on the internet at KUCI.org, and the news/talk presets of iTunes radio.

XOXO,
Kyle

So it begins

I am really into Christmas music. But, I know that not everyone is, so I try to keep it to a minimum on the radio show (except for my Christmas show, where I get it all out of my system). But, last night I saw Low at Spaceland on their Christmas tour, so I had to share. Forgive my yuletide cheer.

Annihilation's pouring since it found out where I drink

Surprise surprise. Kyle's posting some music from a John Darnielle/Mountain Goats-related project. I know, right? He's my Rushmore, Max.

Merry Christmas from the bottom of a bottle

Here's a bit of Christmas cheer from Mr. Tom Waits: newest inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and pretty much just a god among worms. This song regularly finds airtime on my show, year-round, but definitely gets some attention during the holiday season. Enjoy. :)

SHARK ATTACK

Blue Water White Death is the project of Jamie Stewart (Xiu Xiu) and Jonathan Meiberg (Shearwater). In my humblest of opinion, it isn't the best thing either dude has done, but it's still worth checking out. Their styles work together surprisingly well. Also, the album wins the award for "best song titles" of the year with entries like "Rendering the Juggalos" and "Death for Christmas."

On a related note, the documentary they took their name from, about dudes trying to find a great white shark, ain't that good. Just saying.

Riffy sloppy with a sax

I tried to sell Sam on covering this song with Moon Pearl, since it seemed to share a similar aesthetic. "Riffy sloppy with a sax." That's how we roll.

Half Japanese has been dominating my stereo lately, though. So, here's a little bit more for ya. This one has my mom's name in it.

Playlist for 12-9-10

Happy Friday, folks,

Congrats to listeners Ryan and Luciano who both wons pairs of tickets to the FYF Christmas Party this Saturday. Hell yeah KUCI giving away free stuff for lucky boys and girls this holiday season. We're just like Santa, but [spoiler alert] we're real.

In addition to getting folks into cool shows for free, we play music. Music like this:

Things that Are Square 12-9-10

(*) = New release

Matmos - Cockles and Mussels - For Alan Turing

Four Tet - Hilarious Movie of the 90s (Manitoba Remix) - Remixes
Black Moth Super Rainbow - Twin of Myself - Eating Us
Odd Nosdam - Untitled Three - Burner
(*) The Books - Chain of Missing Links - The Way Out

Volta Do Mar - 7/1000 - At the Speed of Light or Day (For Sam in Irvine, CA)
(*) Zola Jesus - Sea Talk - Valusia (For Vivian in New York, NY)
(*) Soft Circle - Don't Know - Shore Obsessed

Mi Ami - Echononecho - Watersports
Cave - Encino Men - Psychic Psummer
(*) Tamaryn - Dawning - The Waves (For Alex in Irvine, CA)

(*) Jonathan Richman - I'm the One She Came For - O Moon, Queen of Night on Earth
(*) Artichoke - The Commune - Bees
Half Japanese - Firecracker - Greatest Hits
Sebadoh - Skull - Bakesale

(*) Kevin Greenspon - Growing Up - Kevin Greenspon + Cloud Nothings
Nicole Kidman - Popular - Blue Crush
Jens Lekman - If You Ever Need a Stranger (To Sing at Your Wedding) - When I Said I Wanted to Be Your Dog
Calvin Johnson & the Sons of the Soil - Booty Run - Calvin Johnson & The Sons of the Soil

(*) No Age - Fever Dreaming - Everything in Between
(*) OFF! - I Don't Belong - The First Four EPs
The Dismemberment Plan - OK Jokes Over - !
(*) The Parting Gifts - Bound to Let Me Down - Strychnine Dandelion

(*) Stereolab - Everybody's Weird Except Me - Not Music
The Microphones - The Glow, Pt. 2 - The Glow, Pt. 2

Sex industry professional

Tonight at the Detroit Bar, my fourth time seeing Jonathan Richman. Always worth it.

Free tickets to the FYF Christmas Party!

Tonight on my radio show, I'll be giving away two pairs of tickets to see the FYF Christmas Party. Tune in to win, babies.

Mount Eerie - Live in Copenhagen (2003)

A while back, as the Microphones mastermind Phil Elverum was just stepping into his "we're not quite sure why you changed your name" side project of Mount Eerie when he released a gorgeous three-LP album of a 34-song/2 set show in Copenhagen. Like a lot of Mount Eerie releases, it went out of print rapidly, but the album remains the most accurate representation of the beauty, intimacy, and honesty of a Phil Elverum show. My first experience seeing him live was at the amazing Che Cafe, where he had all the lights turned off, and we all had a big, unafraid sing-along by the moonlight filtering through the pine trees. This album helps me remember that show.

And because he apparently no longer cares to make money off these records, I have no hesitation to giving it to you for free. Enjoy.


Download it here.

The gift of sad bastard music

Just in time for their Christmas tour (which I'm gonna call "It's a Slowcore Christmas, Charlie Brown"), Low releases a free 4-song EP in exchange for your email. That seems fair, right?

Escape from LA

So, last night we went and saw Jens Lekman at a free show at Skybar. I never really expected I would be hanging out at Skybar, but whatever. I can pretend I am willing to spend $13 for a drink every so often.

Mr. Lekman did most of the set as a solo acoustic affair, which was a nice, cozy experience. Lot's of new songs, including this ditty:




In other news, this song came on during the drive home. You never forget the stuff you listened to in high school. NOSTALGIA PARTY.



I'm with you, Matt Skiba. I'm also tired of sleeping with myself.

The complexities of love, made more complicated by religious differences

Nicole Kidman, a solo project that seems intent on never showing up first in Google searches and being buried in last.fm scrobbles, does a pretty good job of channeling the Daniel Johnston spirit. Dude's going on tour with the totally rad Kevin Greenspon soon. Check your local listings.

MF Downer

Here's a little ditty by Orange County's own Muddy Flowers. See? This place isn't ALL HB bros with raised trucks hanging out with tramp-stamped girls in flipflops. Good things happen here, too.

Check out the MF's album "Downer." Do it. Right now. I'll wait.

Playlist for 12-2-10

Howdy folks,

Happy friday. Any plans tonight? I'm having folks over tonight so I can feed them an alcoholic hot chocolate I dreamed up, as well as an alcoholic butterbeer I found a recipe for on the internet. Easy drinkin' and chillin' out. Should be a good time.

Things that Are Square 12-2-10

(*) = New release

The Lucksmiths - The National Mitten Registry - First Frost

(*) Allo Darlin' - If Loneliness Was Art - Allo Darlin'
When I Was 12 - Knick Knacks and Heart Attacks - Dear Eskimo
The Magnetic Fields - I Think I Need a New Heart - 69 Love Songs
Jens Lekman - I Don't Wanna Die Alone - The Opposite of Hallelujah

(*) Jonathan Richman - My Affected Accent - O Moon, Queen of Night on Earth
Television Personalities - Geoffrey Ingram - ...And Don't the Kids Just Love It
Dolly Mixture - Understanding - Demonstration Tapes (For Rebbecca in Fullerton, CA)
(*) Belle and Sebastian - I Want the World to Stop - Write About Love

(*) No Joy - You Girls Smoke Cigarettes? - Ghost Blonde
Rocketship - Carrie Cooksey - A Certain Smile, A Certain Sadness
(*) Les Savy Fav - Poltergeist - Root for Ruin
(*) Grinderman - Heathen Child - Grinderman 2

Arthur Russell - Arm Around You - Calling Out of Context
Dan Deacon - Snookered - Bromst
Holy Fuck - Echo Sam - LP

Man Man - 10lb Moustache - The Man In A Blue Turban With A Face
Minutemen - Corona - Double Nickles on the Dime
Okkervil River - Westfall - Don't Fall in Love with Everyone You See
Sun Kil Moon - Salvador Sanchez - Ghosts of the Great Highway

John Prine - Sam Stone - John Prine
Peter and the Wolf - Safe Travels - Lightness
The xx - VCR - XX
Superchunk - Like a Fool - Foolish

Fool's Gold - Ha Dvash - Fool's Gold