Playlist for 1-27-11

Howdy folks,

Hope you're having as productive/relaxing/enjoyable a rainy Sunday as I am. I did my taxes, watched an Oscar-nominated documentary, ate a fantastic salad, got a good chunk of homework done, and now I'm sitting by a fireplace while it rains outside. Heck yeah, weekends.

Anyway. The stuff I played on my show last Thursday (a short one, due to basketball preemption)

Things that Are Square 1-27-11

(*) = New release

(*) Allo Darlin' - Kiss Your Lips - Allo Darlin'

Nose Bleed Island - When We Won the War - More Tales from Blood Island
Los Campesinos! - Frontwards - Sticking Fingers Into Sockets
Best Coast - Crazy for You - Crazy for You
Death From Above 1979 - Sexy Results - You're a Woman, I'm a Machine

(*) Destroyer - Blue Eyes - Kaputt
Casiotone for the Painfully Alone - Lonesome New Mexican Nights - Advance Base Battery Life
Shocking Pinks - You Can Make Me Feel Bad - Shocking Pinks
(*) Tennis - Marathon - Cape Dory

Jonathan Richman - When She Kisses Me - Having a Party with Jonathan Richman
Mount Eerie - I Whale - Song Islands Vol. 2

Fog - I, Baby - Live Performance Recording

Hop in the ol' way-back machine

I was aware of Frank Fairfield, having heard him on NPR and such, before I got a chance to see him at the New LA Folk Fest's night of murder ballads. And I love murder ballads. I love songs where people die. I don't know why that is. I have started writing songs based on short stories, and the three I've picked so far are Lovecraft's "The Haunter in the Dark" (diary of a dead man about accidentally summoning a horrible creature from space), O'Connor's "A Good Man Is Hard to Find" (which has the murder of a family and ends with the legendary line: "she would have been a good woman, if it had been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life"), and Jackson's "The Lottery" (which I'd hate to spoil the ending of if you haven't read it).

But anyway. Frank Fairfield. The man walks out with a violin, guitar, and banjo, and just plays with absolute mastery of each instrument, performing the murder ballads in his repertoire of traditional folk songs with skill and style. And everything about him, his hair, clothes, manner of speaking, everything suggests that he's not a 20-something from LA, but grew up in the country in 1923. And it doesn't feel like artifice. He's so genuine that I suspect he may be a time traveler. I'm kind of obsessed.

Here's another video, just because this guy's music goes past "I like this" to a point of fascination for me. Enjoy.

Whale-core

So after a long night of struggling with some accounting homework, I lay down and listened to Mount Eerie's "Song Islands Vol. 2" through a pair of headphones, which was a fairly lovely and relaxing experience. Formerly known as The Microphones, Mount Eerie's Phil Elverum uses the recording process as another instrument, and listening to his music through headphones is really the way to go. Organic and intimiate songwriting, unlike anything else out today, draws you into its atmosphere of nature and wonder.

The Muppets made me do it

I feel like I've probably posted this song before, but having just re-watched The Muppet Movie, I feel it needs to be listened to again.

Playlist for 1-20-10

Happy Friday, internet,

Are you ready for THE WEEKEND?! I'm gonna ride through this last weekday by doing as little work as possible and maybe watching "The Muppet Movie." Have you seen it? Kermit the Frog is kind of a hipster. Playing the banjo, riding a single-speed (possibly fixie) bike, taking issue with the morality of corporations, and hanging out with a bunch of weirdo music dudes. Is this guy from the swamp or Echo Park? HEY-oh!

Anyway. The music I played last night:

Things that Are Square 1-20-11

(*) = New release

Belle and Sebastian - Put the Book Back on the Shelf - Push Barman to Open Old Wounds

Acid House Kings - London School of Economics - Sing Along With Acid House Kings
Nouvelle Vague - I Melt With You - Nouvelle Vague
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Love Letter - No More Shall We Part
(*) Allo Darlin' - Let's Go Swimming - Allo Darlin'

(*) Ducktails - Killin the Vibe - III: Arcade Dynamics
(*) The Parting Gifts - This House Ain't a Home - Strychnine Dandelion
(*) Wooden Wand - Tiny Confessions - Death Seat
Broken Social Scene - Anthems for a Seventeen Year Old Girl - You Forgot It In People

Tullycraft - The Lonely Life of the UFO Researcher - Every Scene Needs a Center
(*) White Rainbow/Stag Hare - Shhooopeey Shoop Mega Tough House Remix - White Stag
Arthur Russell - The Platform on the Ocean - Calling Out of Context

(*) Fujiya & Miyagi - Cat Got Your Tongue - Ventriloquizzing
Four Tet - She Moves She - Rounds
Dirty Projectors - Rise Above - Rise Above
(*) Destroyer - Savage Night at the Opera - Kaputt

Casiotone for the Painfully Alone - Hot Boyz (with Dear Nora) - Advance Base Battery Life
(*) Skull Tape - Whip My Hair (Drowning in Blood) - Unreleased
DJplaceboing - Tik Tok/California Gurls Mashup - Unreleased

Chain and the Gang - Deathbed Confession - Down with Liberty...Up with Chains!

Spacemen 3 - Feel So Good - The Perfect Prescription

Super-electronic-boner

Things that Are Square superfavs Matmos have recorded a Daytrotter session. That's pretty rad. New, free music from a band I love the hell out of. Bonus points: Dan Deacon helped with the new tracks. Two great tastes that taste great together. Download both pieces here.

I can haz California pop?

I am really tickled that the new Best Coast video, instead of premiering on Pitchfork or Stereogum or whatever, is beginning its life on icanhascheezburger.com due to the high concentration of cute cats. And speaking of cute cats, how about that Beth Cosentino? HEY-oh!

Playlist for 1-13-11

Word up, folks,

Happy Friday. Happier Friday to me, since I'm leaving at noon to go on tour with moon pearl. We're playing in San Luis Obispo tonight, SF tomorrow, Sacramento on Sunday, and driving home all smelly and happy on Monday. Tiny baby tour. Come see us play. It'll be fun.

Anyway. I do a radio show. I play music.

Things that Are Square 1-13-11

(*) = New release

Hello Seahorse! - OK!...Lobster - Hoy a Las Ocho

(*) Allo Darlin' - If Loneliness Was Art - Allo Darlin'
Sebadoh - Skull - Bakesale
Hymie's Basement - You Die - Hymie's Basement
Spacemen 3 - Walkin' with Jesus - Perfect Prescription

(*) The Parting Gifts - I Don't Wanna Be Like This - Strychnine Dandelion
Thee Oh Sees - Meat Step Lively - Help
The King Khan & BBQ Show - Love You So - The King Khan & BBQ Show
Jeffrey Lewis - No LSD Tonight - It's the One Who've Cracked that theLight Shines Through

The Sonics - Psycho - Here Are the Sonics!!!
The Mummies - The Ballad of Iron Eyes Cody - Never Been Caught
Jay Reatard - See/Saw - Matador Singles '08

Coconut Coolouts - Stick Up! - Party Time Machine

Surprise surprise

Bob Dylan writes good songs.

90s indie rock reigns supreme

I'm unsure why I have such an affinity for 90s indie rock. Despite being age appropriate, it's not like I have fond memories of it. When this album was released, I was in 8th grade and listening to Punk-o-Rama cassette comps. Must just hit some nerve in me.

Also: Sebadoh will be playing this album in its entirety on their latest tour. I'm seeing them on February 25th at the Echoplex with my friends Emily and Kathy. Should be rad.

The great debate

The other night, I was having the "Beatles or Stones" debate with my friend Jessica. She was coming down on Team Stones, and I opposed. Eventually, I just said, "But you know it doesn't matter. The correct answer to 'Beatles or Stones' is 'The Velvet Underground.'" We were in agreement. She then added, "Exactly. Just like the correct answer to 'Oasis or Blur' is 'Pulp.'" That is why we're friends.

In related news, how does ANYONE get away with the lyrics Jarvis Cocker writes? I'd get slapped if I sang half that stuff. Must be a confidence thing.

In other related news: "Disco 2000" is one of my go-to karaoke jams.

Playlist for 1-5-11

Hey folks,

Ready for the weekend? More importantly, ready for the totally history-making Jandek show tomorrow featuring Mike Watt of Minutemen and BJ Miller of HEALTH? It's the first Jandek show in Southern California EVER. You should go. Go to acrobaticseveryday.com for more details.

Anyway. The stuff I played last night:

Things that Are Square 1-11-10

(*) = New release

(*) Allo Darlin' - If Loneliness Was Art - Allo Darlin'

(*) Stereolab - Everybody's Weird Except Me - Not Music
(*) Belle and Sebastian - Suicide Girl - Write About Love
(*) The Lucksmiths - The World of Professional Golf 1994 - Get-to-Bed Birds 7"
Silver Jews - Slow Education - Bright Flight

The Olivia Tremor Control - NYC-25 - Dusk At Cubist Castle
Mercury Rev - Opus 40 - Deserter's Songs
The Jazz Butcher Conspiracy - Shirley MacLaine - The Violent Years(For Barry in Orange County, CA)
The Magnetic Fields - 100,000 Fireflies - Distant Plastic Trees (ForAlexi in San Diego, CA)

Half Japanese - My Sordid Past - Greatest Hits
The Pastels - Different Drum - Truckload of Trouble
Sufjan Stevens - From the Mouth of Gabriel - All Delighted People EP(For Yennie in Los Angeles, CA)
The Metasciences - Four-Color Love Story - Pencil's Down

Defiance, Ohio - Condition 11:11 - The Great Depression
Kimya Dawson - I Like Giants - Remember That I Love You
The Get Up Kids - Ten Minutes - Something to Write Home About
(*) School Knights - Prom Queen - Rush S.K.

Dash Jacket - Till Dawn - Romance
Archers of Loaf - Web in Front - Icky Mettle
Kevin Greenspon - Carpool Pepsi - Kevin Greenpson + Cloud Nothings
Boyracer - I've Got It and It's Not Worth Having - Punker Than You Since '92

Lil B - Wanton Soup - Blue Flame
Jandek - I Passed By the Building - Blue Corpse
Old Time Relijun - The Door I Came Through Has Been Closed (But I Keep Trying) - Lost Light
John Doe - I Dreamt I Saw St. Augustine - I'm Not There

Mark Kozelek - Rock 'n' Roll Singer - What's Next to the Moon
The Mountain Goats - Gojam Province 1968 - Satanic Messiah EP
Vic Chesnutt - Lucinda Williams - West of Rome

(*) Jonathan Richman - These Bodies That Came to Cavort - O Moon, Queen of Night on Earth

Playlist for 12-30-10

Hey folks,

Sorry for the delay in playlist-posting. I went to bed fairly early after the show on Thursday, left for Vegas early the next morning, and have been kind of recovering since then. Recovering from what, you ask? Stuff like this, I guess. Good times.

What I played:

Things that Are Square 12-30-10

(*) = New release

Calexico/Iron & Wine - Prison on Route 41 - In the Reins

(*) Wooden Wand - Until Wrong Looks Right - Death Seat
Another Sunny Day - New Years Honours - London Weekend
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Into My Arms - The Boatman's Call
Joanna Newsom - Good Intentions Paving Company - Have One On Me

(*) Antony and the Johnsons - Swanlights - Swanlights
The Angels of Light - We Are Him - We Are Him
Lou Breed - Oh, Sure - Stoned Out: Miami Beach
Jónsi - Go Do - Go

(*) Allo Darlin' - The Polaroid Song - Allo Darlin'
Casiotone for the Painfully Alone - New Year's Kiss - Etiquette

Kind of a short show due to basketball preemption (which will be pretty frequent over the next quarter). But, if you want to hear the show, tune in to KUCI 88.9fm in Irvine, CA, or worldwide on the internet at KUCI.ORG any Thursday at 6pm. I'll be there.

XO,
Kyle