Dodos Album Review
Current mood: argumentative

Hey gang, I just wrote an album review for the Dodos new album "Visiter". It’s totally awesome (the album, not so much the review).

It’s like a good episode of "Mad About You". A reallllly good episode of "Mad About You". Like, one with a Richard Kind appearance, AND a Hank Azaria cameo. Seriously.

http://www.thedelimagazine.com/sf/

If it doesn’t come up for some reason, and you’re still all hot and bothered and WANT the review, I’ll just send it to you......privately. Or, call me up and I’ll read it to you.

Eric

Currently listening : Go Away White By Bauhaus Release date: 04 March, 2008

8:35 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Read my Xiu Xiu Album Re Viu

I reviewed Xiu Xiu's new album for the Deli SF. Check it out here:

http://www.thedelimagazine.com/sf/

I used the word "retard" to describe a section of sax appeal riffz, but they removed it due to the high retard readership of the website. They do real well in the tard demo.

Eric

Currently listening : On Avery Island By Neutral Milk Hotel Release date: 26 March, 1996

1:09 PM - 2 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

My New Favorite Hobby

Hey, it's been forever. That's gonna change soon. I have some rad Waves of Fear show logs to put up, and people will love them. The show has been ass punchingly super, and you'll--seriously--love it.

Two days ago I received an e-mail from some malcontent, asking me to please play a song called "Words Fall Apart", from a shitty Canadian musician named Brent Mason.

Brent sent KSUN a CD a couple weeks back, and the song in question is an unbearable piece of acoustic drek. Yuck.

Well, then I received another e-mail....and another.....and another. All different people, all wanting to hear some Brent Mason!!!

Obviously this barefoot yardtard put his sad little street team up to mass e-mailing Music Directors. Well, after I received my 8th Brent Mason e-mail, I flipped out. These are the results. One thing I have learned over the years, is it is always, always, ALWAYS too easy to rile up the rubes. Enjoy.

This was sent this morning by some likely overweight unloveable cow named Lotte Haschke:

could you please (continue to) play "words fall short" by brent mason. 
he is an awesome artist and has definitely a message to share.
thnkx.

This is the ninth e-mail I've gotten about this
douchebag Brent Mason. I have now made it a point to
post signs in the studio ordering all DJs to NEVER
play ANY songs by Brent Mason. I have taken all
records including the words "Brent" and "Mason" out of
the studio, in case they are related to this loser. I
smashed my copy of Acoustika 6, and smoked the
remains. I wouldn't even get my oil changed at the
Meineke Brent Mason works at. 


Eric
KSUN

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To whom it may concern,

I am very disappointed and shocked by your response. An email that rude  
is more than unacceptable considering the fact that you are  
representing your University. I forwarded this message to your  
Institute and will try to contact your supervisor.
There are definitely different ways to express an opinion but this has  
crossed the line!

Sincerely,

L. Haschke

Director School of Dance Studies

Maybe you should've considered spamming somebody else.
The first five e-mails were obnoxious, the last five
have sent me over the edge. I'm sorry you're
disappointed, and not concerned that you're shocked. I
feel that you and whatever lame street team you're a
part of crossed the line by spamming my e-mail inbox
with numerous requests to play this loser Brent Mason.
My station honors requests daily, but when it's such a
blatant spam project, we do the opposite: NEVER play
them. 

You people are pests, and you can e-mail the
university all you want. Maybe you should get the rest
of Brent Mason's sad and pathetic e-mail cronies to
write the university!!

Go back to studying dance and listening to crummy
jazzy country. BUT, whatever you do, stop wasting my
time.

Eric
KSUN


There are more. I'm excited at the prospects of conversing with such students of music, as Brent Mason's fans. Thanks for reading!!

Eric

7:16 PM - 3 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment

Waves of Fear, Week 4, 9/26/06....sooooo late.

Pretty much hands down my worst show of the year. I always try and play stuff back to back that doesn't flow, and it usually ends up working in a really unique way.......except for a wekk like this, where everything sounded shitty together.  Everything. I panicked and started playing "sure fire, can't miss songs", and it came off as desperate. Rachel said I sounded defeated, and she couldn't have been more dead-on. Such a bad show. And I think tons of people were listening. Sorry, everybody.

1. Mew "Apocalypso":

Good start. All downhill from here.

2. Primal Scream "Suicide Sally & Johnny Guitar":

I saw a picture of Bobby Gillespie wearing a really smart blue velvet blazer, and was like, "How can his new album suck".......welll.....

3. Looper "Burning Flies":

Belle * Sebastian side project that fell on its face HARD.

4. The Yo-Yos "Time of You Life":

These guys are like a good version of the Bouncing Souls, but tonight was just not the right time.

5. Z-Trip "About Face":

This is when it got laughably bad, as this way likely the best DJ album of the year, and I choose an embarrasing "drumline" track that made me sound like I was pandering to a more urban audience. I'm too proud to fade stuff down, so this went on for like 3 1/2 minutes. No black people have listened to my show, yet, however.

6. Arcade Fire "Rebellion (Lies)":

Desperation move.

7. Ratatat "Wildcat":

I'm over this. Saw them live, and I was bored to tears after song #3. Eh.

8. Microphones "I'll Not Contain You":

Lo-fi K Records stuff that normally would have sounded AOK, but huh. Not working.

9. John Lennon "God":

I don't play much solo Lennon, and despite this being off his best album, just wasn't the time or the place. He's totally dead. Loser.

10. L7 "Packin' a Rod":

No complaints about this. These gals f'n rule.

11. Jenny Lewis "The Big Guns":

I like her, a lot. She was my favorite thing about 'Troop Beverly Hills'. Again, not working.

12. Frank Zappa "Camarillo Brillo":

This song is normally a song of the week contender, and it looked especially good tonight. Such a fine hook, good flow, sweet guitar fills, and exceptionally crass subject matter.

13. Little Barrie "Move On So Easy":

Rad group. Not tonight, though.

14. Love "Alone Again Or":

Another desperation move. Arthur Lee had recently died, but kind of cheap pop spot playing one of the greatest songs ever written.

15. Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Our Time":

I was beyond desperate at this point.

16. Love Battery "Foot":

When in doubt play mid-level grunge!

17. Elliott Smith "Son of Sam":

Request for Rachel, strong song of the night contender. Thanks for the save.

18. Minutemen "'99":

THIS fucking ruled. D. Boon was the master of the raddest 8 seconds guitar solos EVAR. This song is like a minute long and the blink-and-you-miss it solo made me go, "Oh, no he didn't!!" I love D. Boon.

19. Minus the Bear "Hey! Is That a Ninja Up There?":

20. Liars "It Fit When I Was a Kid (Don't Techno for an Answer Remix)":

The song was middling remix crap, but the title is unbelievably awesome, and the cover features all of their heads superimposed on the body's of naked men having hardcore sex. I say it was a good choice. One for the webcam.

21. Decemberists "O Valencia":

Request for Hillary. Another show saver.

22. Lady Sovereign "Drunk on Radiation":

Man, my show is fumbling.......let's play a freestyle rap you've never listened to before!!  Yikes.

23. Yo La Tengo "The Weakest Part":

I'll admit it. I don't get them and couldn't pick their music out of a lineup. While technically good, I've never been blown away, and wonder how they lasted in this half of the decade. Seriously, they're good, but they never ever jump out at me as being very interesting.

24. Love As Laughter "Nude Hos":

25. Bob Dylan "Thunder on the Mountain":

This new album is soooo good.  The songs aren't too radio friendly, though. All 6 minutes +.

26. Zero 7 "This Fine Social Scene":

27. Yes "The Clap":

Straight up Steve Howe banjo picking, and it ruled.

28. The Long Ryders "Too Close to the Light":

29. M.I.A. "10 Dollars":

Desperation move.

30. Band of Horses "The Snow Fall":

Concert bootleg that made up for bad sound quality with an excellent song.

31. Love is All "Talk Talk Talk":

Hott new dance group that people should really check out.

32. M. Ward "Poison Cup":

Strong darkhorse contender for top 10 album of the year.

33. Electric Frankenstein "Intellectual Baby":

34. Living Things "I Owe"

35. Thom Yorke "Harrowdown Hill":

Best song off his new album. Some people hate it, and while I do miss the guitar interplay between Greenwood and O'Brien, I think it's a success.

So, didn't miss much. I went on a GREAT run the rest of the semester though. You'll see. This was the only crummy show this semester. And it wasn't THAT bad:)

Eric

Currently listening : Overnite Encore: Lyrics Born Live! By Lyrics Born Release date: 31 October, 2006

1:12 PM - 2 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Waves of Fear, Week 2, 9/12/06!!

Not a bad week on the second week at ALL.  Yeah, yeah, sorry that I did week 3 first, but I didn't have the week 2 log on me at the time. Whatever.

1. Kenna "Freetime"

I got a lot of music, and there are plenty of CDs that I have that I wouldn't be able to recognize if they were played. This was one of those. Probably hadn't listened to it in a couple years. So, naturally, I announce it as hip-hop, and it is likely the furthest thing from hip-hop I could've possibly played. It ruled hard, whatever it was. So suck it.

2. Chris Whitley "Big Sky Country"

3. Fruit Bats "Death of the Clayton Peacock"

This is off a super dope John Fahey tribute album that came out last year called "I Am the Resurrection". Has a lot of super cool artists on it and is a perfect honr for the late guitarists.

4. The Kent 3 "Satellite"

5. Ratatat "Swisha"

To crib something from Dimitri Martin, Ratatat is one of those bands that I always spell wrong, because I don't know when to quit. Just typing their name above, before getting it right, I had "Ratat" and "Ratatatat". I am so lame.

6. Komeda "Curious"

7. Wire "Two People in a Room"

8. Kinski "Please Remain Seated"

This is one of two bands that I can play that Annie doesn't think is "faggy". Her words, people.

9. Tom Waits "Shiver Me Timbers"

This is kinda rad, because Tom Waits sounds like a grizzled longshoreman, and this song sounds like it would be ultra pirate-y. But it was from like 1973 and Tom Waits didn't have an awesome voice riddled with years pf abuse from whiskey and cigarettes. So, he swerved you, basically.

10. Mew "An Envoy to the Open Fields"

Again. Album of the Year? New Decemberists is amazing. New Beck is phenomenal (AND comes with STICKERS!!!!1!!!). Sonic Youth, duh. New Clay Aiken has a cover of "Because You Loved Me". Now THAT is faggy, Annie. Was he like, "You know what? I'm just gonna do the shit that people are expecting anyway." He needs to do an album of Parliament covers and blow peoples' collective asses AWAY.

11. Kraftwerk "Tour de France"

Rachel thought I was playing the theme from "Never Ending Story".  She was close, as this was used in "Night Eyes 4". Thanks for playing!

12. Karp "Blu Blud"

13. Andrew W.K. "Ready to Die"

I f'd up, because this was the day after NINE ELEVEN!!!!!! and I shoulda played "I Love New York City". BUT, I guess I decided to play a song from the viewpoint of the pilots of the hijacked planes.  BURN!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Literally. They literally burned. I am totally serious. I am trapped in this 9/11 joke.

14. Mastodon "Siberian Divide"

Martin said my show was too pussy (pretty much true) and I should play more metal.

15. Sonic Youth "Lights Out"

16. Witchy Poo "Love Power"

This is too make up for playing Mastodon. I had to counteract my pussy:metal ratio by playing something waaaayyyy pussy.

17. B.B. King "Ain't Nobody Home"

18. White Stripes "Forever for Her (Is Over For Me)"

Seriously. Let's do it. Just get on the plane and get to it.

19. Mission of Burma "Birthday"

Seeing them was bittersweet. Because it was the third time I've seen them, and they completely RULE. But then my car got broken into during the show. And they stole my Creedence. I might get my livelihood back, but I wouldn't bet on the Creedence.

20. White Stripes "As Ugly As I Seem (live)"

21. Kings of Leon "Wicker Chair"

I heard rumors of a new album early next year. I perspired a little just saying that.

22. Sebadoh "Truly Great Thing"

23. The Kills "Hitched"

24. Lansing-Dreiden "A Line You Can Cross"

Pretty much song of the year. Heather heard 12 seconds of it and said it was not the song of the year. We need to have a song off with this and "Promiscuous".  That'll prove......well, likely not much.

Man, this was a shockingly great show!  Wait wait wait, it pretty much always is. Except for week 4.........which will be up soon!!

Eric

Currently listening : Easter By These Arms Are Snakes Release date: 10 October, 2006

1:04 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Waves of Fear, Week 3, 9/19/06!!

This show was my best show in history from a music standpoint. Usually I get quite the retarded kick out of playing songs back-to-back that are completely different and don't flow AT ALL (girl group doo-wop followed by drone rock?).  I didn't intend for this to happen, but everything had a really great flow throughout. All the songs were great, not a clunker in the bunch, and I was ecstatic the whole time. Gushing, really. Here we go:

1. Roxy Music "In Every Dream Home a Heartache":  This song is so great. For Your Pleasure is my favorite Roxy album. I've been really getting into Phil Manzanera's guitar work lately. He was pretty great, but blended in really easily because a lot of the time his guitar didn't really SOUND like a guitar. He unleashes a nasty solo that's all glammy and arena-y here, to Bryan Ferry's ode to a blow-up sex doll. "I blew up your body, but you blew my mind". Yesss.

2. Fiery Furnaces "A Candymaker's Knife in my Handbag":  Their grandma sounds like a weird guy, They come out with great albums every six months, Eleanor used to play softball and hate music, these Friedbergers are fabulous.

3. The Specials "I Can't Stand It":   This might be song of the night right here. Specials were really big to me back in high school/early college when I was way into 2nd wave ska. I got out of it due to lack of quality bands, and recently went back and rediscovered all my Specials albums, and holy cow have they mooooore than held up. This was from More Specials, and they were already going away from ska, but this was an AMAZING duet with Terry Hall and Rhoda Dakar (formerly Bodysnatchers frontwoman, joined the Specials for their 2nd and 3rd albums). I love how they sound here.

4. Sage Francis feat. Will Oldham "Sea Lion":  I don't really remember what this sounds like, truthfully. What's important here, is that BONNIE 'PRINCE' BILLY is on a HIP-HOP song. Most unlikely rap sidekick evar?

5. Lou Reed "Average Guy":  "I'm an average guy in everything I do/My temperature is 98.2". Such a great lyric from one of my all-time favorite lyricists. Isn't the average temp 98.6, though? Lou's not as average as he may be saying.......

6. The Elected "Not Going Home":  Blake sounds so breathless by the end, really dramatic. Great build. You really can't go home again.

7. The Replacements "Hold My Life": By Tim, they had pretty much phased Bob Stinson out of things, so they weren't quite as fun and sloppy, but damn if Westerberg wasn't at his peak still.

8. The Specials "Friday Night, Saturday Morning":  Another SOTN contender, another song from another era of Specials. This one's only on the vinyl Ghost Town EP. Slow reggae, basically. "I'd rather come home with lipstick on my collar than piss stains on my shoes."

9. English Beat "Best Friend":  Totally unintentional 2nd wave ska set.

10. The Rentals "She Says It's Alright"

11. Sonic Youth "Into the Groove(y)":  One of my favorite cover songs of all-time. I love how Thurston Moore can't hit all the high notes but he still tries, and I love how sometimes the Madonna version is singing with him. And there's scattered cowbell. 

12. Naked Raygun "Bananacuda"

13. Bryan Ferry "It's My Party":  This cover pretty much takes the cake right here. Ferry doing Lesley Gore.  A lot of guys would've chickened out and changed the gender, but not Ferry. "Nobody knows where my Johhnnnnny has gone". I'd like to hear his take on "Judy's Turn to Cry".

14. TV on the Radio "Hours":  The blackest band in indie rock. Easy album of the year contender here. You will hear much more of this one.

15. Elastica "Car Song":  I wish they'd come out with a new album. Their first album is pretty much one of the top 20 albums of the 90s. Nobody talks about them anymore:(

16. Echo & the Bunnymen "The Cutter":  I don't even know how they make a lot of the noises in this one! This is like super bleak U2, which is such a great thing.

17. Radio Birdman "Murder City Nights":  I am so damn happy I got the chance to see these guys live, in their only U.S. tour EVER. 30 after their inception and they FINALLY hit the states. I saw their 2nd U.S. show EVER. ANNNNND they somehow EXCEEDED my expectations. They were freaking amazing!!  They are super super old and they had all the right moves and sounded incredible. So much energy. Such an experience.

18. Bikini Kill "Rebel Girls":  Another SOTN contender. This was Martin's request. Such a rad version, too, with Joan Jett on background vocals.  "That girl thinks she's the queen of the neighborhood! I got news for you, SHE IS." Line of the night.

19. Mew "Why Are You Looking Grave?":  Album of the year. Makeout City!!!!11!!1eleven!!!1!  While listening to J. Mascis' raaaaad vocals I began wondering why he's never released a solo album titled "Music From the Mascis". Say it out loud. It makes more sense.

20. Earlimart "Caruthers Boy":  Great new single from one of my favorite labels, Suicide Squeeze. I will pretty much buy any single they put out.

21. Sonic Youth "Do You Believe in Rapture?": Mew's big competition for AOTY. Such an amazing album. I've played 3 cuts from each album, and this is such a close call. Battle #4 is this week!

22. Spacemen 3 "Honey"

23. Sons & Daughters "Dance Me In":  I'm such a boob for not seeing them when they were in the U.S. It was only like $12. I was TIRED. lame.

24. The Rapture "A Chair That Squeaks":  Ollllld song from them. Early GSL single. Heather requested them. This was the A-side. The B-side was a Psychedelic Furs cover that I've never listened to. That needs to change.

25. Comets on Fire "Dogwood Rust":  I have always been dying to hear a spacey stoner rock band that kinda sounds like Jefferson Airplace. Thanks for making my dreams come true, guys.

26. The Thermals "Test Pattern":  This is both the longest and slowest Thermals song I have ever played........yet it was still good!

27. Ratatat "Lex"

28. Russian Circles "Upper-Ninety":  Annie tried to steal my thunder afterwards by playing the exact same song. We did see them together, though. Most pleasant live surprise of the year. I will never forget how Charlie and I slowly turned towards each other after the set and Charlie said, "Well that was pretty fucking great right there". Then we kissed.

So, as you can see, you missed out.

Eric

Currently listening : Special By Mew Release date: 15 September, 2005

8:01 PM - 1 Comments - 1 Kudos - Add Comment

No Way! An Update!? YES! Waves of Fear, Week 1, 9/5/06!!

Yeah, yeah, last semester I was all, "I'll update this every week!!1!!!11!" and that obviously didn't happen. So, I REALLY want that to change this time. I mean it. I'm gonna try my damndest to post something worthwhile every week or so, whether it be show reviews or updates on my AMAZING weekly radio show, Waves of Fear. If you didn't listen to last week's show, here's what you missed:

1. The Raspberries "Go All the Way"

Maybe the best song of the week. Seriously. This shit has been stuck in my head for about 4 months, or about when I became obsessed with the "70s Music Explosion" infomercial. Crazy good. Like, too good. The perfect pop song. Absolute stunner. It's only a little over 3 minutes, so it's impossible for anybody to be distracted. Starts with a great hook, ends with the same hook, filled with some amazing lyrics and melodies about love and that one BIG MOMENT AND EVERYTHING THAT LEADS TO IT!!! OMFG!!! I might have to play the Raspberries every week.......will they be this year's Adam Ant?

2. Tom Verlaine "Kingdom Come"

1/2 of the driving guitar force behind Television. I was lucky enough to see this guy a couple months back. Just a phenomenal guitar player. I sat there and just stared at his hands for like 2 hours, wondering how he makes such tiny, simple sounds come from that guitar.

3. Ugly Casanova "Cat Faces"

Isaac Brock side project that basically sounds like Modest Mouse, but with a better, aliteration-free name.

4. Quadrajets "Gr-rrr"
5. Ike & Tina Turner "Proud Mary"

I will bet my life that she was wearing a boatload of tassles when she recorded this. I will bet my life. If not, someone needs to get on this. Singing this with tassles is pretty much teh awesome.

6. Muse "Supermassive Black Holes"

I got sick of playing Radiohead, so now I will just play their audio dopplegangers.

7. Sufjan Stevens "Adlai Stevenson"

Yes! A building at SSU is named after this guy!! And then I played a song about him!! Appropriate!! You bet your ass!! I'm just stoked somebody wrote a song about the guy that played Larry on "Three's Company", and that SSU named a huge building after him. He did nail that fucking role.

8. Velocity Girl "Nothing"

I might have to play another tune by them this year, since this one was interrupted by a phone call from an automated phone call RE: my mortgage. I put her on the air, but it went nowhere. She sounded fat, too. Like, a fat mortgage robot. How sad.

9. Comets on Fire "Sour Smoke"

This is like 8 minutes of tribal Indian stoner music, and I played all 8 minutes of it. If there were any burnout Native Americans listening, I made their week.

10. Velvet Underground "I Heard Her Call My Name"

I CHALLENGE you to find a better guitar freakout. I lay that challenge down. Lou Reed knocks your socks on your ass, and what the fuck was he doing on the VMAs? WHAT!? First, he was playing side by side with Jack White, doing a blistering version of "White Light/White Heat" (off of the album of the same name, same as this here song), and a dream of mine had come true. THENNNNN, he was presenting the Best Rock Award with Pink, to bands like 30 Seconds to Mars and Panic! at the Disco. WHAT!? I......I......don't even know why he would do something like that. I mean, he looked great, but sheesh. I just don't get this guy. Still, this song would kick your ass for daring to call Jared Leto rock 'n' roll.

11. The Higsons "Ylang Ylang"

I wish these guys had more than like 6 songs. At first I hated the last 2 years of 2-Tone when all the ska was gone and replaced with danceable elevator music, but the danceable elevator music has really aged better than bands like The Selector.

12. Velvet Monkeys "Why Don't We Do It In the Road?"
13. Chad VanGaalen "Clinically Dead"

I need to play a new song by this guy. He has like 35 songs. I have them all. THIS song, though, is too damn good. It's 2 minutes long and just tremendous. I'm seeing him with Band of Horses, 10/4/06!!

14. Derek Trucks Band "Revolution"
15. Mew "Special"
16. Mew "Zookeeper's Boy"

OK, Mew just be my album of the year right now, and its only real competition is against Sonic Youth's "Rather Ripped", which is huge competitiion, as I think it's Sonic Youth's best album maybe EVER, and they're one of my top 10 favorite bands EVER, and then these crazy falsetto Swedish guys trounce in and just make things way too hard for me. These weren't even the two songs on the album feat. J Mascic (on BACKING vocals. OMG!), and they pretty much blew everything else on the show away. You will hear MUCH more Mew-speak from me.

17. Von Ryan's Express "Ghetto Pose"
18. His Name is Alive "In My Dream"

Another AOTY contender. This album is smokin hot and you want all of it.

19. Professor Longhair "Tipitina"
20. Pissed Jeans "Boring Girlz"

They spelled the song with an "s", but it looks waaaaayyyyy better with the "z". Seriously. Replacing z with s is blowing up again. It feels like 1999!

21. Pelican "Last Day of Winter"
22. Vue "Child For You"
23. Uncle Tupelo "Black Eye"
24. Sonic Youth "Incinerate"

See that? I talk all about shit about them being knocked off by some high-talking Swedes (Dutch?), and then I play a song proving that THIS should be AOTY. I want to listen to this album with the right speaker turned off to hear Lee Ranaldo's amazing guitar, then turn the other one off to hear Thurston Moore's amazing guitar. This was the best live show I've seen this year, easily. Top 5 shows I've seen EVER. Review coming soon!

25. Sebadoh "Freed Pig"

You all need to go out and get the new reissue of Sebadoh's "III". It's got a huge bonus disc of b-sides and alt. versions and the complete Sebadoh show tape, which they used to play before taking the stage. Lo-fi indie rock really doesn't get too much better.

26. Quasi "When the Going Gets Dark"
27. Wilson Pickett "634-57889"

So, there you go. Something for everybody. I know for than a couple of you were listening, and I DEMAND feedback. And don't be jerks about it, like you usually are.

Eric

Currently listening : Pieces of the People We Love By The Rapture Release date: 12 September, 2006

4:45 PM - 2 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

Waves of Fear, Week 2, 3/7/06

This was my second show of the year. I thought it was really great. I wanted to play a lot of great artists/bands that started with the letter "F", and I think I was successful. There were tons more I could've played, but I didn't want the gimmick to wear out it's welcome. I played 31 songs this week, a personal best. This is what you missed out on:

1. Frausdots "The Extremists": I've seen them twice, and I don't think they make music anymore. I once showed up a little late to one of their shows, and I asked somebody how long they've been playing, and he said, "Too fucking long." Asshole.

2. Tom Waits "Down, Down, Down": This is a crazy rocker off his second best album (Swordfishtrombones). It's amazing this guy hasn't drifted into self-parody. I guess it's easier to not drift that way if that's just legitimately how you are.

3. Yellowcard "Rough Landing, Holly": Somebody once told me one of my good qualities is that I can talk badly of someone or something, day after day, while still keeping an open mind. Anything and everything that I hate (talking baby commercials/movies, baggy capris, white platform sandals, nu rock, etc.) I am willing to turn the corner on. If they do something worthwhile, I will admit that. Yellowcard's new album is good. They don't do a lot of annoying stuff they've always done (they still look annoying, though), and I give them credit. This is likely the only time I will ever play one of their songs on my show, but I felt they deserved this much, as their reward for not sucking for once in their lives.

4. Von Ryan's Express "Lucky Sevens"

5. Fruit Bats "Rainbow Sign"

6. Destroyer "3000 Flowers": This is off Dan Bejar's excellent new album. All his old albums are way out of print and hard to find. Get this one while you can. He is also a full member of New Pornographers, and wrote 1/4 of their amazing last album. I just saw New Pornos for the second time, and he wasn't with them (no Neko, either), and it actually wasn't the same without him. There were a couple songs they couldn't do. The show was still incredible, as they have three albums with no bad songs among them, so it's easy to cherry pick 15 choice cuts.

7. The Fire Theft "Chain": This is like Jeremy Enigk's (from Sunny Day Real Estate) version of Staind. Except, this version isn't fat and "emotional". No eyebrow piercings, either.

8. Velocity Girl "Anatomy of a Gutless Wonder" I wish they still made music. Great girl vocals and very upbeat.

9. Velvet Underground "Rock & Roll": This was off their most accessible album, "Loaded". It's a really good album, but it is really different from their sound a few years earlier. These songs are structured pop as opposed to freewheeling almost improvised guitar freakouts that feel the way acid probably smells. I don't think that's bad, though.

10. We Are Scientists "Cash Cow": Yeah, the dance rock thing is still going, and yeah, a lot of it sucks now. These guys are pretty decent and are holding kitties on their album cover. Bonus!

11. The Funerals "The Power of Pathetic": They're like one of those great slow-core bands from the mid-90s (Codeine). I thought I was playing this 45 on 33 speed until I realized it was a CD. So rad.

12. Fastbacks "What Ever Happened To"

13. Flaming Lips "Unconsciously Screaming": Anbody who has only heard current Flaming Lips really needs to do themselves a favor and hear their stuff from '88-'90. This song has a really huge sound, really builds to a huge crescendo, like Brian Wilson on acid........wait......

14. Townes Van Zandt "Mr. Mudd & Mr. Gold": I'm still waiting for ESPN2 to co-opt this song for some World Series of Poker finals or something.

15. Neko Case "That Teenage Feeling": This song is really good, but it could kinda suck and I would still like it just based on that title. It makes me think of all those Brian Wilson songs about wanting to be older or just doing clean teen things, sitting in your room, falling in love for the first time, thinking your life is over, everything. I love that teenage feeling.

16. 5ive Style "Hot Box"

17. Rufus Wainwright "Vicious World"

18. White Stripes "China Pig/Ashtray Heart": This is the current coolest band around doing a couple Captain Beefheart covers (1970's reigning coolest band), so of course this works. It's kinda like playing Beefheart in cut time, since his voice is so low and Jackie White's is so high. Greatest hits played faster, and all.

19. The Gossip "Holy Water": Man, this album is good. Again, I kid you not, she's totally fat. She's the kinda gal that would have a whole bunch of friends that look like ol' #17 up above. A bunch of 'em, with names like Lance, Bruce, and Julian. They talk about her band in really catty tones, and say shit like "to die for".

20. Falco "Rock Me Amadeus": OK. I f'd up, here. I played the 45 of Rock Me Amadeus, and it was awwwwwesome. This was the A side. The B side was the "Canadian Edit" of Rock Me Amadeus. I did not play that. I f'd up. I listened to it later, and instead of Falco singing about Mozart, he was doing SPOKEN WORD HISTORY about him, over the music, with a shredding guitar lick added in. I f'd up.

21. Fugazi "Smallpox Champion"

22. The Welcome Mat "Just Cave In": Australian Power Pop. Wha?!

23. Goldfrapp "Ooh La La": Alison Goldfrapp is just so freaking hip it fascinates me. She makes incredibly melty dance music, and her looks and sound are like an amazing cross between all the best parts of every decade from the 1920s until now.

24. Mike Flood "Harken"

25. Beth Orton "Worms": She's one of those gals I never ever think about when I'm thinking of women artists I like, but then I listen to her and it's like, Oh yeah, whoops. This is off her terrific new album.

26. Tom Waits "I Don't Wanna Grow Up": This song got me into Tom Waits and made me want to hear everything he ever did. The lyrics hear all make so much sense and echo similar sentiments of my own:

Stay around in my old hometown
I don't wanna put no money down
I don't wanna get me a big old loan
Work them fingers to the bone
I don't wanna float a broom
Fall in love and get married then boom
How the hell did I get here so soon
I don't wanna grow up

Man, that is true. How the hell did I get here so soon? I fear getting old. It is my biggest fear in life. My eyesight is bad, and I fear it getting worse. Baldness doesn't run in my family, but I still fear losing my hair. Even though I keep it ridiculously short and don't style it in either way, I like the fact that it's there. I look young, and I like that. I don't want to look old, and I fear being attracted to women my own age as I get older. I'm doing pretty good on that now, as I don't run after 13 year olds, but the thought of a 70 year old looking great is foreign to me. I don't want to get too old to wear certain things. I fear technology changing without me (I still don't have an ipod, and don't REALLY want one). I pretty much want to die in a horrific motorcycle accident by the time I'm 32. I'll be listening to "Radar Love" by Golden Earring when I crash, BTW. On my just bought ipod.

27. Cat Power "Living Proof": God she is good. Like, sooooo good. And those bangs?! Adorable. How can someone so cute make songs so sad and make them sound so great. What made you this way, Chan?

28. Fields of Gaffney "Twilight": This is Eric Gaffney from Sebadoh. This song kinda sounds like Sebadoh, and that is a good thing in my book.

29. Futureheads "Hound of Love": This is a Kate Bush cover, but I've never heard the Kate Bush version. I imagine it doesn't sound anything like this one. When I hear it, I will try and keep an open mind so I'm not one of those a-holes that discounts the earlier version. I will just tell myself that the new version wouldn't exist without the old one, and blah blah blah. I hope it's good like this one.

30. Andrew W.K. "Ready to Die": Someone once asked me if I was wearing my Andrew W.K. shirt ironically. Like I was wearing some shirt that said "God Din't Make No Trash" or a shirt with a unicorn leaping over a rainbow (like my shower curtain!!). No, asshole. I'm actually wearing it because the guy made an amazing album that was like speed metal Springsteen and you're obviously too stupid to notice that.

31. Explosions in the Sky "Your Hand in Mine": The girl who does her show after me (Ashley) said she admired the way I played a quietly lush stargazing instrumental after playing AWK.Actually, I said the word stargazing.....and lush......and she didn't say admired, either........sorry for making her sound faggy.

You missed out, obviously.

Currently listening : Clouds Taste Metallic By The Flaming Lips Release date: 19 September, 1995

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Waves of Fear, 2/21/06

Wow, an update? That's crazy. Now I just need to add another picture or two. The ones I'm thinking of putting up are either a Little League one from 12 years ago or one of me killing a homeless man. The latter begs an answer to this question: Should they count as people? I'm not sure.

My goal this semester is to actually post my show report every time I do a show. Last semester I think I posted two. Out of like 10. Pathetic. So far I'm one for one. Tremendous. This is to let you know what you're missing, or to remind you what I was playing that was so incredible, you just had to see it in written form!

1. Gossip "Standing in the Way of Control": What a ridiculously great song off their new album of the same name. Great driving dancey rock led by a large-boned female singer who seemingly throws all her weight behind her attitude. So good.

2. Mark Lanegan "Down in the Dark": Fun fact: I play Mark Lanegan all the time, but only played Leonard Cohen once in '05. What's the deal with that?

3. The Strokes "Razorblade": Their new album is really good. Even the people who pretended to hate their last album like this album. The hip new trend is to pretend the last one was just horrendous, but it actually wasn't. It was really good. The first album was a real landmark masterpiece, and this one isn't quite that good, but still real good.

4. L7 "Packin' A Rod": I played this for Brian. My dream is that Major League Baseball co-opts L7 (like the Golden Globes did with the Pussycat Dolls "Dontcha". =Don't the Desperate Housewives Look HOT Tonight?) to change the words to make this song about Alex Rodriguez. That would be the best career move for L7 at this point.

5. Liars "We Live North East of Compton": I forgot how great their first album was, when Angus was having undoubtedly arty sex with Karen O, before their monumental failure of a 2nd album. New album out soon! My interest is piqued.

6. Bob Dylan "I Threw It All Away": Some people crap on "Nashville Skyline" as an album. I call those people moronic half-wits. This album is 30 minutes of amazing.

7. Libertines "I Get Along": Pete Doherty sure has taken the mystery out of heroin. Before it seemed so hip. Layne Staley being found black-armed and toothless didn't help heroin's image, and he tarnishes it some more. You know heroin is dying for some King of Cool like Lou Reed or Nick Cave to get back on it.

8. Friends of Dean Martin "Polena": You'd think they'd be a gay swing band with a name like that. Really, they just predated Explosions in the sky by making beautiful ethereal instrumental rock. This was from '95 I think.

9. Cat Power "Where Is My Love": Man her new album is great. Man I'm bummed she canceled her tour. Granted, when I saw her 2 years ago she almost put me to sleep. I'll always give second chances to cute girls with bangs.........except Jennifer Love Hewitt. Once she went pop on her third album, I couldn't forgive.

10. Bettye LaVette "Down To Zero": Old soul singer. She came out with a rad covers album last year. I think this is a Joan Armatrading song.

11. Arctic Monkeys "Perhaps Vampires Is a Bit Strong But....": This is like the hottest band in the U.K. I think they're pretty good, but haven't quite been swept up into the Monkeys hype. Still, much better than I would have been at 19 yr. old.

12. Folk Implosion "Pole Position": Lou Barlow is so great. He is currently the most "easy on the eyes" members of Dinosaur Jr. Not really much of a statement, but whatever.

13. Kings of Leon "Milk": This song is so amazing. The lyrics look like absolute gibberish , but Caleb Followill makes them sound mind-bending. "She saw my combover, her hourglass body, she had problems with drinking milk and being school-tardy. She'll borrow your toothbrush, she'll bartend your party." I love that. RIGHT THERE.

14. The Elected "Did Me Good": This is quite an excellent song right here. Maybe the best on their new, very good album. I've seen them twice, and both times have been beyond very good.

15. Feist "Inside & Out"

16. Flop "F* Song"

17. Kings of Leon "Four Kicks": This was a request for Miriam. I was originally gonna play Looper (the electronic side project of the Belle & Sebastian bassist), but I can't deny a request this good. This song shook like a newborn.

18. The Earthmen "Tell the Women We're Going": Possibly the only Australian dream pop I've ever played.............yes. The only.

19. Funkadelic "Maggot Brain (live)": Man, did Eddie Hazel know how to play a fine guitar solo. This is what Joe Satriani and Yngwie and all those guitar wankers wish they could play when they do a "soulful" instrumental.

20. Fastbacks "Above the Sunshine": This was the slowest Fastbacks song I've ever heard in my life. Really beautiful, though. I thought I was playing it in the wrong speed, because I do that kinda stuff regularly. Once I tried playing it in 33, it sounded like the greatest trannie pop song ever.

21. Clearlake "No Kind of Life": This was 2 of 3 bands I played tonight that are on the Domino record label (Arctic Monkeys and Test Icicles the other 2). That label is packed to the gills right now. They can do no wrong at the moment. They're like Mother Teresa must have been in her 30s. Young, powerful, dynamic.

22. Electric Six "Dance Commander": This album is one of the most gloriously dancey rock records I've ever heard. This came out the same year as Andrew W.K.'s "I Get Wet" and those two albums are about the greatest rock albums of the '00s. '02 was a helluva year for pounding rock, I guess.

23. Luna "Hedgehog": I'm bummed they'll never play another show or make another album again. I shoulda shelled out $25 to see them in SF last year on their farewell tour. I'm a cheapskate sometimes.

24. The Long Ryders "I Had a Dream"

25. Test Icicles "Boa vs. Python": Danceable rock mixed with Molten Lava noise makes me so excited. A lot of people are dumping on these guys. I'm excited for their U.S. tour. Even though one hasn't been announced.

26. Explosions in the Sky "A Song for Our Fathers": Man, there must be something in the water down in Texas for there to be all this excellent instrumental shoe-gazing bliss. Texas?! Come on!

27. The Kinks "Waterloo Sunset"

28. Lady Sovereign "Ch-Ching": She ain't got 50 rings, but she's got 50 things to say, in a cheeky kinda way. She's like 5 ft. tall and has cornrows with a topknot ponytail, wears pristine jogging suits and is absolutely adorable. Kristy heard an interview with her and called her one of the dumbest people she ever heard speak. I say it's all a gimmick. Grime don't want smart bitches representin.

You guys obviously missed out if you weren't listening

Currently listening : Road to Rouen By Supergrass Release date: 27 September, 2005

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Waves of Fear, Week .2, 9/13/05!

Ah. Week #2. Following a damn fine Week #1.

1. Van Morrison "Sweet Thing"

2. Cursive "Butcher the Song"

3. Massive Attack "Protection"

The coolest song off of one of the coolest albums of ALL TIME. It's like 8 minutes long and gives me plenty of time to sit back and close my eyes and pretend I'm some sort of low-rent thug, and my girlfriend is just sitting back at our dirty little apartment, hoping I'll make it back safe. Of course, EVERY Bruce Springsteen song makes me feel this way, but whatever.

4. Butthole Surfers "22 Going on 23"

This is off of their masterpiece "Locust Abortion Technician". I don't do drugs, but if I did this song would probably drive me batty. They recorded in this crappy little house outside of Atlanta, up the road from a slaughterhouse. All the horrible, strangely human-like screams the cows made at night were recorded and put in the background. The foreground is made up of female callers calling into a radio show regarding being abused, either mentally or physically. Plus they all dick around a make noise on their respective instruments. The woman who doesn't feel safe watching soap operas because of what her husband might do deserves her own FOX sitcom.

5. New Order "I Told You So"

6. Fruit Bats "The Earthquake of '73"

I saw them last month in SF (see previous blog) and they were awesome. The drummer and I were talking about their recent appearance on Carson Daly's late night show, and he talked about how oddly tan he is. And you know what? He HAS been looking extremely tan lately. Not even brownish tan, though. Kinda gray.

7. Mercury Rev "In a Funny Way"

8. Night Kings "Bum"

This is kinda becoming a tradition, which is me playing 7"s in the wrong speed. In this case, I took the poppy garagepunk of the Night Kings and turned it into AWWWWWESOME sludge metal. It sounded fucking GREAT as sludge metal, but I love me some sludge metal. But seriously, bands, lets get something straight: 33 speed = small hole, 45 speed = big hole. That's what I've always gone by, at least.

9. MC5 "Kick Out the Jams"

Probably one of the most covered tunes ever. This  one is the best, though, as it has the twin guitar assault of Wayne Kramer and Fred "Sonic" Smith and Rob Tyner's glorious introduction ("Kick out the Jams, Motherfuckers!"). I wish my nickname was Sonic.

10. The Minus 5 "Dear My Inspiration"

11. New Pornographers "Use It"

You're gonna be hearing a lot of this band on my show. Get used to it. Course, now that I said that I probably won't play them again.

12. Neil Hamburger "Pays Tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales"

Apparently my mom was offended by this. Neil is maybe the funniest comedian I've ever had the pleasure of seeing. This is his 7" tribute to MY PRINCESS, the woman who graced People magazine approximately 52 times in 1997 (even named sexiest man alive that year, oddly bumping Matthew Mccaughnahey). His jokes are hilarious and possibly in poor taste. Whether it be "Why did the paparazzi cross the road? To get a picture of Princess Di, dead in her car!" or him ruminating that Di is certainly an ironic nickname, I was in tears when I played this. The B side is a 3 minute moment of silence. The 7" also came with a tissue, to dab my eyes.

13. Kinski "Hot Stenographer"

This band's "awesome songs: awesome song names" ratio is really high, BTW.

14. Luna "Broken Chair"

15. The Minutemen "Political Song for Michael Jackson to Sing"

Oh God, I love this band. D. Boon was such an incredible guitar player. Get Double Nickels on the Dime and I dare you to argue with me. He covers just about every style of popular music and plays each perfectly, in 30 second to 2 minute clips over the whole 148 track album. Sadly, the CD does not have their 40 second cover of Van Halen's "Ain't Talkin Bout Love". Get the vinyl for that. Essential.

16. Henry Gibson "For the Sake of the Children (We Must Say Goodbye)"

From my favorite soundtrack album of all-time, Robert Altman's "Nashville". The best song ever made about leaving your lover to stay with your wife. "Lori's just walkin, she just started talkin, and 'daddy's the first word that she ever said."

17. Baptist Generals "Going Back Song"

18. All-Time Quarterback "Why I Cry"

Ben Gibbard sounds even pussier the lower fi he gets. Plus, the song title don't help much.

19. Dungen "Tyst Minut"

20. Love "The Red Telephone"

Did you know the lead singer of Love, Arthur Lee, is black? Until about 18 months ago, I didn't. This is from Forever Changes, a fine fine album that has the finest production work this side of Steely Dan. Hey, they were from L.A., too!!  I am now officially dubbing L.A. the production capitol of the world! What was Spot's excuse?

21. Low "Whore"

22. Living Colour "Love Rears Its Ugly Head"

[insert HILARIOUS joke about black metal]. Hot damn Vernon Reid could play guitar. Then they burned down a church, fractured somebody's head with an errent decapitated goat's head, and killed and ate a member......because they're BLACK metal.

23. Sons and Daughters "Hunt"

I'm such a douchebag for not seeing them last month. Such a douche. "I was tired". Pussy.

24. Beat Happening "Midnight A Go-Go"

Someday,  I will take a bride, and on that day I want Calvin Johnson to be performing at my wedding, rubbing his belly and being the Barry White of indie rock.

25. Mudhoney "Halloween"

This was a Sonic Youth song that they mauled and made cool in a different way. I just saw them last week, but that's for another blog.

26. The Band "I Shall Be Released"

Man, this band couldn't really do anything wrong in their prime. Flawless, classic, and beautiful.

Currently listening : III By Moistboyz Release date: 03 September, 2002

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