To hold me and sooth me the way you used to do

Ballboy - "I Lost You But I Found Country Music" (A Guide For The Daylight Hours)

Playlist for 8-29-13

Hey everyone!

Happy Friday. A scant 3.5 hours before a three-day weekend. Or, if you're me, a scant 3.5 hours until the weekend leading to your vacation to Portland. So I will miss you guys next week, but here is last night's playlist so we can remember all our good times together.

Things that Are Square 8-29-13

Francoise Hardy - Suzanne - Comment Te Dire Adieu

(*) Julianna Barwick - Forever - Nepenthe

Chelsea Wolfe - Spinning Centers - Unknown Rooms

EMA - Redstar - Past Life Martyred Saints

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Do You Love Me? - Let Love In

Low - Dinosaur Act - Things We Lost in the Fire

Mogwai - Mogwai Fear Satan - Young Team

(*) No Age - I Won't Be Your Generator - An Object

Sebadoh - Not a Friend - Bakesale

Brian Eno - Here Come the Warm Jets - Here Come the Warm Jets

(*) Baths - Ironworks - Obsidian

Grimes - Oblivion - Visions

Thee Oh Sees - The Drag - Singles Collection Vols. 1 & 2 (For Big Shot in Santa Ana, CA)

(*) Hunx and His Punx - You Think You're Tuff - Street Punk

(*) Crocodiles - Cockroach - Crimes of Passion

(*) Zorch - We All Die Young - Zzoorrcchh

(*) Fuck Buttons - Sentients - Slow Focus

DJ Shadow - Midnight in a Perfect World - Endtroducing.....

(*) Belle and Sebastian - Your Cover's Blown (Miaoux Miaoux Remix) - Third Eye Centre

Casiotone for the Painfully Alone - Jeane, If You're Ever in Portland - Twinkle Echo

The Endless Bummer - Nunavut - Modern American Calypsos for Voice and Computer

Lightning Love - Everyone I Know - November Birthday

The Modern Lovers - Someone I Care About - The Modern Lovers

Gray's Music Almanac 1954-2013: A Power Hour Mix

Hey. I made you a mix for next time you want to do a Power Hour drinking game (drinking one shot of beer per minute for an hour, with 60 minute-long song samples as time-keeper). This one compiles songs, one for each of the last 60 years, so you can time travel while you poison yourself. Enjoy.

Listen/download here

Here's the tracklist (though half the fun is being surprised by what comes next, so don't read this if you don't want spoilers):

1954. Ray Charles - I’ve Got a Woman
1955. Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers - Why Do Fools Fall in Love
1956. Harry Belafonte - Day-O
1957. Frank Sinatra - Witchcraft
1958. Screamin’ Jay Hawkins - I Put a Spell On You
1959. The Coasters - Charlie Brown
1960. Johnny Burnette - You’re Sixteen
1961. The Shirelles - Baby It’s You
1962. The Beatles - Love Me Do
1963. Roy Orbison - In Dreams
1964. France Gall - Laisse Tomber Les Filles
1965. Bob Dylan - Subterranean Homesick Blues
1966. Nancy Sinatra - These Boots Are Made For Walking
1967. The Velvet Underground - I’m Waiting For The Man
1968. Dusty Springfield - Son of a Preacher Man
1969. Creedence Clearwater Revival - Fortunate Son
1970. James Brown - Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine, Pt. 1
1971. Led Zeppelin - Black Dog
1972. Elton John - Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going To Be A Long, Long Time)
1973. The Faces - Ooh La La
1974. David Bowie - Queen Bitch
1975. Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody
1976. The Modern Lovers - Roadrunner
1977. Ramones - Sheena Is a Punk Rocker
1978. Gang of Four - Damaged Goods
1979. Talking Heads - Life During Wartime
1980. Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart
1981. The Human League - Don’t You Want M
1982. Michael Jackson - Thriller
1983. The Smiths - This Charming Man
1984. Prince - I Would Die 4 U
1985. Simple Minds - Don’t You (Forget About Me)
1986. Metallica - Master of Puppets
1987. The Cure - Just Like Heaven
1988. N.W.A - Straight Outta Compton
1989. Madonna - Like a Prayer
1990. Deee-Lite - Grove Is In the Heart
1991. Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
1992. The Cranberries - Dreams
1993. Björk - Big Time Sensuality
1994. Nine Inch Nails - Closer
1995. No Doubt - Just a Girl
1996. Weezer - El Scorcho
1997. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - The Impression That I Get
1998. System of a Down - Sugar
1999. Ol’ Dirty Bastard - Got Your Money
2000. The Bloodhound Gang - The Bad Touch
2001. Jimmy Eat World - The Middle
2002. The White Stripes - Fell In Love With a Girl
2003. Andre 3000 - Hey Ya!
2004. Arcade Fire - Wake Up
2005. LCD Soundsystem - Daft Punk Is Playing at My House
2006. Justice vs. Simian - We Are Your Friends
2007. Amy Winehouse - Rehab
2008. M.I.A. - Paper Planes
2009. Miley Cyrus - Party in the USA
2010. Katy Perry - Teenage Dream
2011. LMFAO - Sexy and I Know It
2012. Grimes - Oblivion
2013. Kanye West - Black Skinhead

Playlist for 8-22-13

Hey folks!

Happy Friday! Do you have exciting plans for the weekend? I certainly hope so. I hope you go drink lovely drinks and watch lovely movies with lovely people and get lovely kisses. Or, if you're like me tonight, read a pulp novel about a sociopathic sheriff and be in bed by 930 because you stayed up too late too many times this week and you got a wicked case of the sleep-forevers. Whatever will make you happiest.

Sharing music with you is what makes me happiest. Here's an mp3 of last night's show if you missed it. And here's the playlist so you can follow along:

Things that Are Square 8-23-13

Destroyer - Poor in Love - Kaputt

(*) Destruction Unit - Control the Light - Deep Trip

Blood on the Wall - Dead Edge of Town - Awesomer

Bratmobile - Cherry Bomb - Pottymouth

Shannon and the Clams - If I Could Count - Dreams in the Rat House

Cult of Youth - Man and Man's Ruin - Love Will Prevail

Bill Callahan - Drover - Apocalypse

Neko Case - Deep Red Bells - Blacklisted

John Prine - (We're Not) The Jet Set (w/ Iris DeMent) - In Spite of Ourselves

A Silver Mt. Zion - Teddy Roosevelt's Guns - Horses in the Sky

White Rainbow - Gilded Golden Ladies - Zome

(*) Julianna Barwick - The Harbinger - Nepenthe

The Haxan Cloak - Excavation (Part 1) - Excavation

Burial - Homeless - Untrue

Evian Christ - Thrown Like Jacks - Kings And Them

Matmos - Cockles and Mussels - For Alan Turing

Múm - Green Grass of Tunnel - Finally We Are No One

Menomena - Oahu - I Am the Fun Blame Monster!

(*) Sigur Rós - Yfirborð - Kveikur

(*) Io Echo - Shanghai Girls - Ministry of Love

Deafheaven - Vertigo - Sunbather

Excavation

This album just shot way up my "best of 2013" list. The Haxan Cloak's Excavation managed to be the exact thing I didn't even realize I was looking for by combining dark, horror-movie drones with body-rattling bass and some minimal beats to keep the whole thing moving. It just sucks you down into this black sea of very textural sound in a way I find weirdly engaging.

Past empty lots and early graves

Neko Case - "Deep Red Bells" (Blacklisted)

I'm not sure why I have such an affinity for songs about murder. I could never hurt anyone. One time I shut the door at my old storage facility job, unknowingly pulling the tail off of a lizard that was underneath it, and I felt awful for days. And those things are SUPPOSED to come off. I mean, I still remember that moment some seven or eight years later. Songs like this, about the Green River Killer, should have me just vomiting, overcome with misery, right?

But God...it's so magnificently narrative/picturesque/beautiful/sad. This song paints such a fully fleshed out picture of the stormcloud of fear--both lyrically and through the use of reverbed minor chords--hanging over Tacoma during Ms. Case's youth when the Green River Killer's spree was terrorizing the populace. I guess it's harder for me to be destroyed by negative emotions when they're wrapped up like a goddamned perfect Flannery O'Connor story set to music. 

Man and Man's Ruin

Cult of Youth - "Man and Man's Ruin" (Love Will Prevail)

Playlist for 8-15-13

You guys!

Thanks to everyone who tuned in/requested last night. It was a super fun show with my friend Caitlin from Colorado dropping in to lend her rock and roll talents to the show. Now she's at Disneyland riding the Haunted Mansion a zillion times in a row and I'm sitting at my desk at work crying.

Lyf sux.

But this playlist does not:

Things that Are Square 8-15-13

(*) = New release

Ty Segall - Caesar - Melted

(*) Diarrhea Planet - Hammer of the Gods - I'm Rich Beyond Your Wildest Dreams

Tours - Language School - Language School

Shonen Knife - Johnny Johnny Johnny - Rock Animals

The Wedding Present - Getting Better - George Best Plus

(*) Bass Drum of Death - Shattered Me - Bass Drum of Death

Alexander McGee Koshak - Tea & Sympathy - Charioteer

Chain and the Gang - Unpronounceable Name - Down with Liberty...Up with Chains!

The Dirtbombs - Sharivari - Party Store

(*) Baths - Miasma Sky - Obsidian

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Baby (Ft. Dam-Funk) - Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti & Dam-Funk

Tobacco - Sweatmother - Maniac Meat

The Soft Pink Truth - Real Shocks - Do You Want New Wave or Do You Want the Soft Pink Truth?

Pop. 1280 - West World - The Horror

Red Aunts - Midnight in the Jungle - Ghetto Blaster

Pissed Jeans - Bathroom Laughter - Honeys

The Mummies - Food, Sickles & Girls - Death By Unga Bunga!

(*) Hunx and His Punx - Don't Call Me Fabulous - Street Punk

Japanther - Summer of 79 - Skuffed Up My Huffy

Nobunny - Breathe - First Blood

Jonathan Richman - Vampire Girl - You Must Ask the Heart

(*) Shannon and the Clams - Rip Van Winkle - Dreams in the Rat House

King Khan & The Shrines - I Wanna Be a Girl - The Supreme Genius Of...

The Vaselines - Sex Sux (Amen) - The Way of the Vaselines

Blood on the Wall - Dead Edge of Town - Awesomer

Lilliput - Igel - Kleenex/Lilliput

Tycho - Daydream - Dive (For Matt in Irvine, CA)

Davila 666 - Esa Nena Nunca Regreso - Tan Bajo

Gap Dream - Go Head - Gap Dream

Deep Sea Arcade - Ride - Outlands (For Amir in Trabuco Hills, CA)

Allo Darlin' - Henry Rollins Don't Dance - Henry Rollins Don't Dance

Playlist for 8-7-13

Hey guys!

 Thanks to everyone who listened in last night/requested songs. I had some technical difficulties right out of the gate, but I was able to get everything working through the power of LOVE.

And thanks to my friend Kristen who stopped by and picked songs and was an excellent co-host.

The songs we played/the memories we made:

Things that Are Square 8-8-13

(*) = New release

Akron/Family - Until the Morning - Sub Verses

Jacob Borshard - The Ship Is Real - Songs for a Small Stereo

The Crabs - Love & Hate - What Were Flames Now Smolder

The Field Mice - Coach Station Reunion - For Keeps

Ballboy - I've Got Pictures of You in Your Underwear - Club Anthems

A Certain Ratio - Do the Du - Early (For Aimee in Santa Ana, CA)

James Chance & The Contortions - I Can't Stand Myself - Contort Yourself

Lantern - Evil Eye - Rock 'N' Roll Rorschach

(*) Shannon and the Clams - Rip Van Winkle - Dreams in the Rat House

(*) Hunx and His Punx - You Think You're Tuff - Street Punk

La Luz - Sure as Spring - Damp Face EP

S. Maharba - When I Go to Sleep - S. Maharba

Solange - Losing You (Cyril Hahn Remix) - Unreleased (For Diana in Los Angeles, CA)

FKA Twigs - Water Me - Water Me (For Katie in Los Angeles, CA)

CHVRCHES - Now Is Not the Time - Recover EP

High Places - The Modern Things - Enjoyed

Meth Dad - Rookie Card - Posi Vibes

THEEsatisfaction - QueenS - Awe Natural

Young Fathers - Effigy - Show Me the Future Vol 2

Dälek- Asylum (Permanent Underclass) - Absence

(*) Serengeti - West of Western - Kenny Dennis LP

Lightning Bolt - Barbarian Boy - Barbarian Boy

Battles - Tij - Atlas

Mi Ami - Echonoecho - Water Sports

Chelsea Wolfe - We Hit a Wall - Pain Is Beauty

(*) Sigur Rós - Var - Kevikur

I tried again and again to indulge in just one sin

Jim O'Rourke - "Halfway to a Threeway" (Halfway to a Threeway)

An incredibly sweet-sounding song about fairly horrific/depressing imagery (depending on your reading of the lyrics). You're welcome.

A sermon for the end

All Pigs Must Die - "Sermon for the End" (All Pigs Must Die)

Playlist for 8-1-13

Happy Friday, you guys!

You guys read for the weekend?! I am! Ever since I stayed up til 1am seeing "The Conjuring" on Tuesday (and consequently staying up all night hyper-vigilant for evil dolls and paranormal manifestations) my sleep schedule has been all thrown off. I'm looking forward to sleeping in real hard tomorrow.  I hope you get a chance to engage in some relaxing self-care, too. I care about you.

And before we post the playlist, you should know that I recorded last night's show and you can listen along here. Enjoy!

The playlist:

Things that Are Square 8-1-13

(*) = New release

Jonathan Richman - That Summer Feeling - I, Jonathan

Devendra Banhart - Mi Negrita - Mala (For Serena in Dubai)

Jim O'Rourke - Halfway to a Threeway - Halfway to a Threeway

John Cale - Paris 1919 - Paris 1919

Owen Pallett - Game of Pricks - AV Club Undercover

The Mountain Goats - The Sign - Bitter Melon Farm

Sentridoh - Brand New Love - Weed Forrestin'

The Olivia Tremor Control - King of the Claws - Singles and Beyond

The Lucksmiths - Danielle Steel - Spring a Leak

Tullycraft - Building the Robot - Disenchanted Hearts Unite (For Estelle in Irvine, CA)

Pavement - Cut Your Hair - Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain

Archers of Loaf - Web in Front - Icky Mettle

Arab Strap - There Is No Ending - The Last Romance

(*) Weekend - July - Jinx

Sonic Youth - Teen Age Riot - Daydream Nation

The Muslims - Walking with Jesus - Parasites/Walking with Jesus

Guitar Wolf - Summer Time Blues - Golden Black

(*) Hunx and His Punx - Egg Raid on Mojo - Street Punk

Beat Happening - Pajama Party in a Haunted Hive - Black Candy

Isis - So Did We - Panopticon

(*) Sigur Rós - Kveikur - Kveikur

Kids & Explosions - Use Your Words - Shit Computer

Safety Scissors - Your Beautiful Feet - Parts Water

(*) Baths - Phaedra - Obsidian

James White and the Blacks - Contort Yourself (August Darnell Remix) - Off White

Cult of Youth - Man and Man's Ruin - Love Will Prevail

I'm a survivor

Kids & Explosions - "There Is a Burning Ball of Fire in Outer Space" (Shit Computer) [Pay-what-you-want album download here]

A nice plunderphonic album featuring samples from tons of things you should recognize, all cut up and pasted together to create something new and, like this song, lovely. Recontextualizing "Ready to Die" with "Survivor" over a soaring Sigur Ros chord progression creates something pretty powerful. But those are three powerful ingredients, already. Still.