LCD Soundsystem & Impersonated Muppets

OK, so I've been on a bit of a hiatus but I absolutely have zero resistance to puppets and good music working in tandem, so I had to give a shout out to this video.




Also, you have to check out the new Radiohead album!
No more freebies this time around. 
Radiohead - The King of Limbs

Re-mix this, Mash-up that

Leader of the mash-up world Greg Gillis, aka Girl Talk is back at it again with another full length album free for download here.

He tells you to download it as one file so the entire album can be listened to in full, as it was meant to be.  I recommend downloading it by track.  Mash-ups are fun but can quickly become too much, this 12 track album has 372 samples in it, that works out to about 31 sampled songs per track. Here is the quick lesson of the day for us parents.  mash-up = a song that consists entirely of portions of other artist's songs  with overlapping, ie. a rock guitar solo with with rap vocals on top.  Remix = taking another artist's song and adding your own music to it, not another artist's music, or a remix can be someone manipulating a song, ie. speeding up/slowing down the tempo, moving parts of the song around, repeating parts, etc.  Cover song = a previously recorded song rerecorded by a different artist than the original (but you already knew that one, didn't you?).  I listened to the first track without trying to solve all the music he had in it, I just wanted to kick back and let it soak in.  What I took away from that first track was Lucacris, Trina, Dorrough and the Ramones.  Don't let that scare you away though,  this album's songs are more "song-like" instead of just being a novelty mix of opposite ends of the musical spectrum portions of songs that oddly seem to work together because they have the same bpm.  (that last sentence sounded like a mash-up of words).  Any way you look at it, it's a lot of fun, just download it and take it for what it is.  I guarantee you that if you put this on at your next party full of "Parents (who lost touch with music)", everyone of them will ask you, "who is this? and where can I get it?".

In my next post I'll review the new Crystal Castles track featuring Robert Smith from The Cure.  It's a cover of a song from the 80's by a band that nobody has heard of from a new band who sounds like an old band with Roberts Smith's vocals sounding like he's at his best.  We may need a new name for this song since it's a cross b/w cover/remix/mash-up in sound.  Let me think it over, until next time...

Friday Shuffle vs. Summer

Every year I get pissed off at the notion of Labor Day being the "unofficial" end of summer.  Come on!  Lake Michigan is still getting warmer, we still have plenty of days left in the 80's, baseball is still being played...but I think I may finally be coming around.  Maybe it's the fact that I'm a father now and although my daughter is not of school attending age, kids going back to school is already feeling like the end of summer to me.  The park is empty, college bars look less full, new TV season has started, football is the lead in sports, better movies are in theaters and my windows are mostly closed, it's getting dark early and I haven't been swimming in the lake in a month so who cares what the water temp is.  I think the real reason I'm coming around though is music.  I really hit a dog days of summer musically this year, nothing grabbed my attention, I was just kind of in a bad music mood.  So I'm excited for Fall and more rock leaning music, this summer's fluff started to get old.
With that, my shuffle is against  radio's Top 40, Alternative and Triple A music formats songs of Summer.  I'll give you the top 5 at each for July, August and September.  I haven't run the numbers yet but my guess is that in retrospect it's going to look pretty crappy.  My shuffle on the other hand, I just have a feeling here, is going to have my ears pogo dancing all over the side of my head and your feet itching to spontaneously jig.
BTW - I'm over you Summer.

My shuffle first (don't forget you can download the songs that I have as listenable, right click pc, shift + apple mac):
Ride - "The Dawn Patrol" (oldie but a goodie)
Fugazi - "Waiting Room" (classic DIY punk, or harcore or rock, whatever you call it YES)
Janelle Monae - "Tightrope" feat. Big Boi (just watch, this chick will show up on a bunch of best of the year lists, maybe even at the top)
Janell Monae "Tightrope"

Winter Gloves - "Plastic Slides" (appropriate band name to flip off summer with)
The Tallest Man On Earth - King Of Spain"  (kind of coming around on this guy)
The 1900's - "Babies" (Chicago band, which means local for me)
The Thermals - "I Don't Believe You" (new album, new greatness)
The Corin Tucker Band - "Doubt" (I bet you didn't know that the girl from Sleater Kinney has a new album coming out next week, one of the most underrated rock bands ever, well now you do, get excited)
The Corin Tucker Band "Doubt"
Ra Ra Riot - "Boy" (RAC Remix) fellow blogger Michelle, this is the song you were "DJ-ing" to while looking all silly with your dance with headphones on.
Ra Ra Riot "Boy" (RAC Remix)
The Folk Implosion - "That's the Trick"
Boss Hog - "What the Fuck" (I'm not going to push my luck and just end it here)
Boss Hog "What the Fuck"

Nice job Shuffle!  any objections?

now radio's summer:
AAA September) (august) (July)

1) Ray Lamantagne & Paria Dogs "Beg Steal or Borrow" (2) (5)

2) Michael Franti and Spearhead - "The Sound of Sunshine" (1) (1)

3) Jack Johnson (7) (23)

4) Sheryl Crow - "Summer Day" (3) (6)

5) Robert Plant (10) (X)

John Mayer & Alpha Rev were in the top 5 in Aug but not Sept

John Mayer & Alpha Rev were in the top 5 in July also

Alternative September) (August) (July)

1) Neon Trees (2) (4)

2) Dirty Heads (3) (1)

3) Linkin Park (4) (x)

4) Mumford and Sons (12) (28)

5) Jimmy Eat World (26) (X)

Cage the Elephant & Phoenix were in the top 5 for August but not September

30 Seconds to Mars were in the top 5 in July but not Aug or Sept.

Top 40 September) (August) (July)

1) Taio Cruz (2) (12)

2) Katy Perry (4) (1)

3) Enrique Iglesias (5) (15)

4) Eminem (15) (7)

5) Bruno Mars (17) (X)

Mike Posner & B.O.B. were in the top 5 in August but not September

Travie McCoy & Usher were in the top 5 in July but not Aug or Sept


Yep, crummy summer if you listened to regular radio. 

Friday Shuffle vs. Aquarium Drunkard

Today I'm going to battle a pretty cool blog that I check out fairly regularly, http://www.aquariumdrunkard.com/.  They also have a show on Sirius/XM every Friday that I catch once in a while.  They have this playlist available for download, I think it's a great mix, go get it.  After you download it as a zip every song is available for individual download.   Here's their description:
Sean Howe and Aquarium Drunkard are back with L.A. Burnout 2: Still Burnt. Continuing in the vein of last year’s L.A. Burnout, the 25 tracks compiled within exemplify the not-quite-there nature of the city, particularly what was being laid down in the 70s. Play this mix around dusk while driving through Topanga with the windows rolled down — it’s the next best thing to time travel.
And now the playlist that I will be battling...
Brian Wilson – Smog High
Shango – Day After Day
The Originals – California Sunset
Brewer & Shipley – Dreamin’ In The Shade
The Mamas & The Papas – Mansions
Hill Barbata Ethridge – L.A. Getaway
Terry Melcher – Rebecca
Terry Allen – There Oughta Be A Law Against Sunn…
The Everly Brothers – Ventura Boulevard
Boffalongo – Snow White Lady
Charles Lloyd – TM
New Riders Of The Purple Sage – High Rollers
The Main Ingredient – California My Way
Ned Doheny – Postcards From Hollywood
Orange Colored Sky – L.A. (Los Angeles)
Boz Scaggs – Hollywood
Johan Blomgren – California Sundown
Tim Buckley – Freeway Blues
Don Everly – Southern California
Terry Melcher – Beverly Hills
Bobby Womack – Daylight
Art Garfunkel – 99 Miles from L.A.
Ambulance LTD – Arbuckle’s Swan Song
Leon Ware – Why I Came to California
Gabor Szabo – Theme From Valley of the Doll
Don Everly – Southern California


and my shuffle from my Macbook iTunes:
The Beatles - "And I Love Her" (from Hard Days Night)
Antenna - "Blood Red" (John Strohm and Freda Love formed this band after the Blake Babies, the Blake Babies are better known as being the first band of Julianna Hatfield and Evan Dando (Lemonheads))
Citizens' Utilities - "A Tale of Good Living"
Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers - "13 Months of Sunshine"
bis - "Listen Up"
Clinic - "Earth Angel"
Louis Armstrong - "Indiana"
James Taylor - "Country Road" (man, this is turning out to be a kind of weird shuffle, get your act together iTunes!)
Franz Ferdinand - "Tell Her Tonight" (demo) (for all you aspiring artists this is what a band sounds like before they put some real money into the recording process)
Franz Ferdinand - "Tell Her Tonight" (demo)
The Pattern - "Finger Us"
Mates of State - "My Only Offer" (I've mentioned these guys as a song of the day, one of the 2 piece bands I've been talking about)
The Tragically Hip - "As Makeshift As We Are" (Did you know that Gordy  Downie has a new album?  I always hated the name Gordy for some reason, actually I know why, some guy in high school that bugged me was named Gordy.  But I love the hip's gordy, cool, distinct voice, great songwriter.  The album is called The Grand Bounce and was released a couple months ago)
Ben Lee - "Nighttime" (I've liked Ben Lee since I first heard him as a 14 year old recording artist, the songs were so raw and innocent, this song is from the album Breathing Tornadoes, which I didn't get at first because the over use of drum machine was a distraction, but now I love it for the song writing, great album)
Butterglory - "Fight Fight Fight" (one of the original indie pop bands, right up there with belle and sebastian but more lo-fi)
Red House Painters - "Between Days" (OK, it took a bit for the shuffle to warm up but now I'm in a good mood, 25 songs today since that's what Aquarium Drunkard threw out there, btw - the guy from this band, Mark Kozelek,  is now the lead in Sun Kil Moon)
Red House Painters "Between Days"
The Changes - "In the Dark"
Koko Taylor - "Wang Dang Doodle" (sneaking in some blues? um, nope take it back please, not today...although it is from World Cafe and a live version, kinda cool)
Sweater Girl - "Star" (sort of similar to Butterglory, unusual that these two bands would come up in the same shuffle)
Tracy Bonham - "Behind Every Good Woman" (is the song title the female version of Groucho Marx's quote "behind every good man is his wife...and behind her is his mistress"?)
The New Pornographers - "Letter from an Occupant" (Neko Case turned 40 this week, good for her, I'm not sure if she's a parent but if she is put her in the hall of fame of "parents who have not lost touch")
The New Pornographers "Letter From an Occupant"
Liz Phair - "Stuck on a Island" (this is from a Matador Records compilation CD, this song was an outtake from White Chocolate Spaceegg and never released)
Nada Surf - "Where is My Mind?" (this is from a Pixies tribute album, BAD DAD Scotty will like this!)  Saturday block party right? http://www.baddadband.com/
Nada Surf "Where is my Mind?"
Athlete - "Airport Disco" 
Badly Drawn Boy - "Bewilder" (not really a song, it's one of those interludes some bands like to use, so I'll put a real song from the album below, he has a new album coming out October 4th, It's What I'm Thinking)
Badly Drawn Boy "Once Around the Block"
They Might Be Giants - "Rabid Child"
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - "Calvin" 
"Calvin"

Belle & Sebastian Song of the Day

Belle & Sebastian "Write About Love"

This indie pop Scottish band has been around for almost 15 years now and apparently they haven't lost their sound or their creative edge.  I have a tendency to forget how much I like these guys, I think I have about 8 of their albums in my collection so they must be one of my favorites.  Yep, now that I think about it, they are.  It's kind of like a great restaurant that's been around for a long time, you get so caught up trying to keep up with the new places that you sometimes forget how great the old "great places" are and the next thing you know you haven't been there in a couple years.  Which reminds me, when I last saw them live they praised on stage, Hot Doug's. That was back when it was still on Roscoe and not the California Ave. line around the block hipster encased meat "in" restaurant/hot dog stand that it is now.  I think it's time for some duck fat fries this Friday, Hot Doug's has fallen off my radar, time to get it back on along with B&S.

So check out the new song from their album to be released October 12th.  They posted it on Twitter yesterday as a free download to the first 20k people.  I'm not sure how long that's going to last so you can either grab it from them or from this post.

It's an uptempo song, sounds pretty much like a lot of their stuff (which these days is refered to as twee) and features Carey Mulligan.  She's one of the it girls in Hollywood right now, I saw her in An Education and she was great.  I guess she can sing too.

Belle & Sebastian "Write About Love"


or you can download it "officially" from their site here

It's been four years since they've toured, so if you want to check them out live, tour dates after the jump

"F**K YOU!" song of the day

Cee-Lo Green "F**K YOU!"


I'm guessing you won't be hearing this on the radio any time soon.  But, wow what a great, catchy song!  I really hope they don't have a version for radio that says something like "screw you", it just wouldn't be as hummable.  I once worked a song from The Ying Yang Twins called "Wait (the whisper song)".  The song, unedited, was straight forward about how big his dick was and that girls wouldn't be able to handle it.  Not my proudest achievement.  We edited it so much that you would never know what he was singing/whispering about unless you heard the original dirty version.  It shot up the charts really, really fast and as soon as the people who would be offended by this sort of song (which is just about everybody) found out about the real version, it dropped off the charts just as fast.
This song is just a fun song that happens to use a dirty word in the hook. You probably know Cee-lo from Gnarls Barkley and the song "Crazy", which is his collaboration with Danger Mouse, who I recommended to you earlier for his new collabo with James Mercer from The Shins, called Broken Bells.  Anyway, check it out and make sure you only play it when the kids aren't around.
Cee-Lo - "F**k You!"

Friday Shuffle vs. The Loop (WLUP) & Classic Rock Radio

I know, it's Saturday, get off my back already!  That's my "I'm driving a pickup and blasting classic rock through my blown speakers" attitude.  Having just been in Montana and Wyoming I realized there are more truck drivers out there than car drivers, and I'm guessing more classic rock listeners than what you get from the sedan, minivan, mini/smart car driving listeners.

As a parent you probably feel a little weird that Nirvana is a classic rock band to your kids.  And if you have an infant like me, it's a little scary to think that someone like Wilco will be my daughter's classic rock.
So with that, let's see what the Loop and the classic rock format is up to these days.

WLUP/Chicago/97.9 The Loop
Friday 8/24
5:02 P.M. Kansas - "Carry on Wayward Son"
5:08 Scorpions - "Can't Live Without You"
5:12 Molly Hatchet - "Flirtin' with Disaster"
5:19 Break
5:25 Rolling Stones - "Bitch"
5:28 Alice in Chains - "Rooster"
5:35 Def Leppard - "Rock of Ages"
5:39 Guns n' Roses - "Paradise City"
5:47 Break
5:54 AC/DC - "Girls Got Rhythm"
5:58 Bon Jovi - "Runaway"

Usually I bring my satellite radio when I go on the road but for this last trip I decided to just go with the IPhone and use whatever I had in my itunes or i could just plug into Pandora, Accuradio, KEXP or Chirp.  Little did I know that Yellowstone has no cell signal anywhere and I had only 600 songs loaded on my IPhone at the time (I have close to 100K on my external hard drive).  So with that, I'm going to shuffle what I had on my trip.
9 songs (which is what the Loop put on during the 5p hour):
Hum - "Stars"
David Bazan - "Bearing Witness"
The Streets - "Fit, But You Know It"
Smith Westerns - "Dreams"
The Flaming Lips - "She Don't Use Jelly"
B.o.B. - "Nothin' On You" feat. Bruno Mars
Gorillaz - "Feel Good Inc."
The Drums - "I Felt Stupid"
Kid Sister - "Right Hand Hi"