Girl groups (with boys)

I'm digging on this rash of garage bands getting real deep into girl group/pop oldies sounds. Shannon and the Clams and Hunx and His Punx being two of the up-and-comers. Hunx and His Punx do sweet garage-pop based in traditional girl groups, the twist being that the songs are sung by a gay dude. It's a good time. This video features one of my favorite songs on the album, albeit a slightly more rocking version of it. The album cut's a little more doo-wop-y. Both are rad as heck.

You see your Pitchfork I-rock saviors/And I’m sorry I still prefer Jim Neighbors

I feel like Lambchop is this forgotten, sleepy little band that has a lot to offer. Of course, I don't believe they tour at all, so that may have something to do with their name not totally being out there. But goddamn if they don't have some solid jams (like this one).

Playlist for 6-23-11

Dude(tte)s,

I just found out that you can take tours of the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. But you need to have a group of 20+ and all the names need to be send to them ahead of time so they can do background checks on you. Now I just have to get 19 more people to go and find a way to get all those bioterrorism charges off of my record.

Anyway. The music I played last night:

Things that Are Square 6-23-11

(*) = New release

Sufjan Stevens - John Wayne Gacy, Jr. - Illinois

(*) Thurston Moore - Blood Never Lies - Demolished Thoughts
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Love Letter - No More Shall We Part
Jens Lekman - Rocky Dennis' Farewell Song - Oh You're So Silent Jens
Kimya Dawson - Fire - Hidden Vagenda

(*) Efrim Manuel Menuck - Heavy Calls & Hospital Blues - ...Plays "High Gospel"
The Replacements - I Will Dare - Let It Be
The Fall - There's a Ghost in My House - 50,000 Fall Fans Can't Be Wrong
(*) Sebadoh - Punching Myself in the Face Repeatedly, Publicly - Bakesale: Deluxe Edition

(*) Fucked Up - Turn the Season - David's Life
Liars - We Got Cold, Coughed, and Forgot Things - We No Longer Knew Who We Were
Best Friends Forever - Eisenhower Is the Father - Romance Conflict Adventure
(*) bleached - Think of You - Carter

(*) Shannon and the Clams - The Cult Song - Sleep Talk
Screaming Lord Sutch & the Savages - Til the Following Night - It's Hard to Believe: The Amazing World of Joe Meek
Old Time Relijun - Cold Water - Lost Light

Mudhoney - Mudride - Superfuzz Bigmuff plus Early Singles
Mudhoney - Sweet Young Thing Ain't Sweet No More - Superfuzz Bigmuff plus Early Singles
Mudhoney - Hate the Police - Superfuzz Bigmuff plus Early Singles
Mudhoney - Burn It Clean - Superfuzz Bigmuff plus Early Singles

Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Real Emotional Trash - Real Emotional Trash
Rocketship - Let's Go Away - A Certain Smile, A Certain Sadness
(*) EMA - Redstar - Past Life Martyred Saints

(*) Ponytail - Music Tunes - Do Whatever You Want All The Time

iji hee hee

iji - Long Branches and Roots / Streetlight from Off Tempo on Vimeo.

A couple weeks ago, my friend Alexi guest-starred on my radio show. While she was droppin' sick jams in listeners ear-holes, she threw down a song by iji, which I dug. And, it turns out, you can download all their stuff through the CLLCT website. So I did. It was a wise use of bandwidth.

PLUS, they're buddies with Watercolor Paintings, who have cropped up on my show several times before (both due to their awesomeness and my desire to put my kisses on Rebecca from WP).

Long story short: If you like my show, go download free iji albums.

Playlist for 6-16-11

Hey folks,

Even though this week has been totally rad (show by The Flaming Lips at Hollywood Forever, Moon Pearl show down in SD, getting to sing backup for The Endless Bummer, watching "Bridesmaids" with my band-mates, etc etc.) I am totally glad it's Friday, and time for the freakin' weekend. baby. Fun can be tiring, too. And that includes the show I did last night, which was fun. Hope you dug it. It looked like this:

Things that Are Square 6-16-11

(*) = New release

Belle and Sebastian - This Is Just a Modern Rock Song - Push Barman to Open Old Wounds

(*) Bill Callahan - Drover - Apocalypse
Lambchop - The Decline of Country and Western Civilization - Damaged
Songs: Ohia - Nervous Bride - The Lioness
(*) Thurston Moore - Benediction - Demolished Thoughts

(*) Efrim Manuel Menuck - Our Lady of Parc Extension and Her
Munificent Sorrows - ...Plays "High Gospel"
(*) EMA - Marked - Past Life Martyred Saints
(*) The Antlers - I Don't Want Love - Burst Apart
(*) John Maus - Believer - We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves

(*) Idiot Glee - Don't Go Out Tonight - Paddywhack
The Endless Bummer - Nunavut - Modern American Calypsos for Voice and Computer
Gigi - Dreams of Romance - Maintenant
The Olivia Tremor Control - NYC-25 - Dusk at Cubist Castle

Guided by Voices - Tractor Rape Chain - Bee Thousand
Dash Jacket - Anna Says - Atoner
The Crabs - Love & Hate - What Were Flames Now Smolder
(*) Shannon and the Clams - Baby Don't Do It - Sleep Talk

Marnie Stern - Prime - This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is
That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That
Shellac - A Minute - At Action Park
(*) Fidlar - Wait for the Man - FIDLAR
Peach Kelli Pop - Doo Wah Diddy - Peach Kelli Pop

Fugazi - Waiting Room - 13 Songs
Fugazi - Cashout - The Argument
Fugazi - Suggestion - 13 Songs
Fugazi - Public Witness Program - In on the Killtaker

(*) Fucked Up - The Other Shoe - David Comes to Life
Mission of Burma - That's How I Escaped My Certain Fate - Vs.

Fake blood, glitter, rock and roll, hugs

I got to see the Flaming Lips for the first time at Tuesday at the first of two Hollywood Forever Cemetery shows. They played "The Soft Bulletin" in its entirety, with a couple sweet jams (like the one pictured above) tacked onto the end. It was easily one of the most beautiful shows I'd ever seen. The crowd around me at the front were all really positive, generous, kind people, the band put forth such positive energy, the show (both music and spectacle) were amazing, I was moved to tears a little bit during "Waiting for Superman," I got covered in fake blood, drank a lot of whiskey, and had a wonderfulwonderfulwonderful time. I'm not sure why I waited so long to see them, as now I will never miss another show by these dudes. Fact.

Two sweet jams for your sweet weekend

You know how you hear a song for the first time in a while, and you remember how amazingly great it is? Here are two of those:

Brian Eno beauty:


A lovely song about suicide. I have no idea what the hell is going on in this fan-made video, but whatever. (Side note, this is from the "Worried Noodles" comp, which is all based on the art of David Shrigley, whom I adore.)

Playlist for 6-9-11

Howdy, folks!

Heck yeah Friday. I'm feeling pretty relaxed, since I called in sick yesterday to clean my room and eat Indian food (not concurrently). I also watched "Point Break" and drank a healthy amount of rum. A lovely little day-off vacation. Then I went and did a radio show. I played songs like these:

Things that Are Square 6-9-11

(*) = New release

(*) Tune-Yards - Gangsta - w h o k i l l

(*) Cults - Go Outside - Cults
The Flaming Lips - Turn It On - Transmissions from the Satellite Heart
(*) The Rosebuds - Woods - Loud Planes Fly Low
(*) Shannon and the Clams - You Will Always Bring Me Flowers - Sleep Talk

(*) Fucked Up - Queen of Hearts - David Comes to Life
Jawbreaker - Boxcar - 24 Hour Revenge Therapy
(*) Sebadoh - Skull - Bakesale: Deluxe Edition
(*) The Joy Formidable - A Heavy Abacus - The Big Roar (For Alex in Irvine, CA)

Dinosaur Jr. - Sludgefeast - You're Living All Over Me
Dinosaur Jr. - Start Choppin - Where You Been
Dinosaur Jr. - Over It - Farm
Dinosaur Jr. - Just Like Heaven - You're Living All Over Me

(*) Battles - Inchworm - Gloss Drop
The Psychic Paramount - RW - II
(*) Ponytail - AwayWay - Do Whatever You Want All the Time

(*) The Antlers - I Don't Want Love - Burst Apart
Psapp - Sad Song - Worried Noodles
Brian Eno - By This River - Before and After Science
(*) EMA - Grey Ship - Past Life Martyred Saints

(*) Efrim Manuel Menuck - I Am No Longer a Motherless Child - ...Plays "High Gospel"
(*) Thurston Moore - Orchard Street - Demolished Thoughts
The Extra Lens - Only Existing Footage - Undercard

(*) Bill Callahan - Baby's Breath - Apocalypse

Secret tips!

So, I'm only telling you this because if you read this blog, you're probably cool and into cool shit. This hasn't been made official or anything, but our band, Moon Pearl, will be opening for Omar Souleyman on July 12th at the Echo. Yes. I agree. It's weird as fuck. But it's happening. So, clear your calendar and ready your ass for shaking.

OBCBYL: Mudhoney

It's the second-to-last entry in the Things that Are Square celebration of the 10th anniversary of Our Band Could Be Your Life. Up next: Mudhoney

Mudhoney are probably best "known" as being the biggest grunge band to never get big in the grunge explosion. Heck, two of the band's members were in Green River, arguably the first grunge band, with members of Pearl Jam. Some fairly sterling credentials, obviously. But, I will be honest and say that these dudes are not my favorite band in OBCBYL. In fact, I'm convinced they're only really included to a) illustrate the beginning of the grunge movement, b) set up the rise of Nirvana. Though, they do have at least one solid release under their belt with the "Superfuzz Bigmuff" EP (later released to include many of their solid early singles). Though, even though I'm not totally into the band, I do appreciate their Rainier-swilling guitar caveman-ery. Beer and guitars...is there anything else so sweet?

Playlist for 6-2-11

Folks,

I'm so goddamned tired. I haven't seen my bed before midnight in over a week. I think tonight, finally, I will be able to get to bed at a decent hour. And I will sleep the sleep of angels. With this in mind, please read the playlist from last night's show with my low energy in mind. Hahaha.

What I played:

Things that Are Square 6-2-11

(*) = New release

(*) Thurston Moore - Space - Demolished Thoughts

(*) Efrim Manuel Menuck - Our Lady of Parc Extension and Her Munificent Sorrows - ...Plays "High Gospel"
Yo La Tengo - Autumn Sweater - I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One
(*) Thao & Mirah - Hallelujah - Thao & Mirah

(*) EMA - Red Star - Past Life Martyr
Tom Waits - Jockey Till They're Sore - Rain Dogs
May McDonough - Church on Sunday - Spilt Milk

(*) The Antlers - No Windows - Burst Apart
(*) Shannon and the Clams - The Woodsman - Sleep Talk
Best Coast - Crazy for You - Crazy for You
Los Campesinos! - The International Tweexcore Underground - The International Tweexcore Underground

Big Black - Kerosene - The Rich Man's Eight Track Tape
Big Black - Precious Thing - Songs About Fucking
Big Black - Jordan Minnesota - The Rich Man's Eight Track Tape
Big Black - The Model - Songs About Fucking

****Intern Danny Takes Over****

The Snake the Cross the Crown - Hey Jim - Cotton Teeth

The Mountain Goats - Heretic Pride - Heretic Pride
Delta Spirit - Crippler King - I Think I've Found It!
(*) Man Man - Knuckle Down - Life Fantastic
Tune-Yards - Sunlight - Bird-Brains

Mason Proper - Alone - Olly Oxen Free
The Avalanches - Frontier Psychiatrist - Since I Left You
Sunset Rubdown - The Mending of the Gown - Random Spirit Lover

Piglet - Bug Stomp - Lava Land
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - Oregon Girl - Broom

White Denim - All You Really Have to Do/Mess Your Hair Up - Live from the Basement