just one more summer before i go

alright everyone, it's been fun, but it's time i went. this has been written here before in some ways but yeah - i'm off to sydney to live. however, i'll be back for a couple of days in march (the 23rd, i think) before a three week jaunt in italy. unsure of what i'm doing after that, but hopefully something exciting.

if there's anyone who wants to keep in touch with me via email (that i don't already have their email) then i'd love to receive yr emails: richardmacf@gmail.com is the address. i've posted about a new site a few weeks ago, market fresh, but keep checking that out. i'll be getting involved with radio and music writing over in the big sydney as well and posting my adventures up there. there should be lots of gig reviews, album reviews, hopefully a few interviews (actually, there will be a deerhoof interview up there real soon). thanks tim and shea for being such a pleasure to do this fine radio show with. if i get to do any radio in australia then i'll let you all know of online listening links and all that. until next time...

k thx bye!

love richard xxoo

this is the end,it hurts to set you free, the end

richard is gone like dorothy to the land of oz. letus raise a glittery red high heel in his honour

1. link wray - ace of spades
2. messer chups - mobile coffin
3. akron/ family - dylan part 2 (angels of light & akron family)
4. my morning jacket - magheeta (it still moves)
5. animal collective - did you see the words (feels)
6. arcade fire - neighbourhood #3 (power out) (funeral)
7. sleater kinney -modern girl (the woods)
8. bright eys - old soul song (live) (motion sickness)
9. new pornographers - the bleeding heart show (twin cinema)
10. castanets - as you do (cathedral)
11. clap your hands say yeah - the skin of my yellow country teeth
12. queens of the stone age - little sister (lullabies to paralyse)
13. blood on the wall - mary susan (awesomer)
14. mogwai - glasgow mega snake (mr beast) SUPER ADVANCE FROM THE FUTURE TECHNOLOGY WORLD OF DELIGHTS EARS BLEEDING NOSE BLEEDING BRAIN MELTING HOW DO YOU SAY GENIUS IN SCOTTISH?
15. the ponys - i am with you (celebration castle)
16. ween - don't get 2 close (2 my fantasy) (pure guava)
17. meat puppets - backwater (too high to die)
18. suburban kids with biblical names- little boys in the ghetto (#3)
19. dick dale and his del-tones - nightrider (best of)
20. the trashmen - miserlou (best of)
21. elvis costello - this year's girl (this year's model)
22. devendra banhart - long haired child (cripple crow)
23. teenage fanclub - goingplaces (grand prix)
24. drones - baby2 (wait long by the river...)
25. ryan adams - 29 (29)
26. you am i - guys, girls guitars (#4 record)

thank you and good night

shea and timmy dodgers

christmas eve fun

okay folks. here's a hot tip: the wunderbar, this saturday (or christmas eve) is going to host two really talented solo artists/singer/songwriters from auckland. and i'm spinning some records, too.

dudley benson is a solo artist with some experimental leanings and an ear for sweet pop sensibilities. he's joined by lawrence arabia (james milne, ex-brunettes and current member of the reduction agents), who is supporting bonnie "prince" billy on some of his new zealand 2006 tour. they're both real good...and super indie (of course).

i'll be playing lots of beautiful music from artists like these:

stars, the new pornographers, devendra banhart, the clientele, joanna newsom, mazarin, saturday looks good to me, belle & sebastian, the field mice, casiotone for the painfully alone, animal collective, architecture in helsinki, kate bush, the cure, jens lekman, pavement, the robot ate me, the olivia tremor control, the presets, the radio dept. and so fourth. lots of hot new shit, some of which you may recognise from guitar media.

it'll be a kickin' night, and what better way to spend christmas eve than at the wunderbar?

it's just not going to stop - I'm the man that loves you... PLAYLIST 20/12

hey all, christmas time no rich, here's the americana/ wierd rockabilly/ psychobilly/ surf special.

start out with

1. joe henry - richard pryor addresses a tearful nation {scar]
see www.popmatters.com for a sensational essay on mr pryor. rip.

2. steve earle - ashes to ashes [jerusalem]
3. tex perkins - lucid [sweet nothing]
4. bruce springsteen - Long Time Comin' [Devils And Dust]
5. wilco - ashes of american flags [yankee hotel foxtrot]
6. gillian welch - barroom girls [revival]
7. jolie holland - old fashioned morphine [escondida]

9. cold harbour -loser leaves town [s/t ep - see www.coldharbourband.com]
10. the gin club - drug flowers - see www.lovepolice.com.au
11. the drones - baby2 [wait long by the river and the bodies of your enemies will float past]
12. sparklehorse {feat pj harvey] - piano fire
13. mark lanegan and isobel campbell - ramblin' man [ballad of the broken seas]
14. lee heazlewood - cold hard times [cowboy in sweden]
15. bernard fanning - songbird [tea and sympathy]
16. neko case - tightly [blacklisted]
17. goblin mix - the winter song [goblin mix and the exploding budgies]
18. johnny cash - i see a darkness [american 3] - bonnie prince billy cover
19. beck & emmylou harris - sin city [return of the grievous angel tribute to gram parsons]
20. songs ohio - i've been riding with the ghost [magnolia electric co]
21. neil young - far from home [prairie wind]
22. rolling stones - sweet virginia [exile on main street]
23. iron & wine - women king [women king ep]
24. country mike - country christmas [country mike's greatest hits]
25. tim rogers & tu - stray dog bruise [spit polish]
26. gourds - gin & juice [cover]

merry christmas y'all and remember

NEXT WEEK IS RICHARD'S LAST SHOW SO EMAIL YR REQUEST/ NICE WORDS IN THE COMMENTS SECTION.

peace to all

timmy d and shea

everyone's a v.i.p. to someone

just a short note to direct you to a transcript of the go! team interview i did last week. it's very interesting - sam dook is a lovely guy. can't wait to see them at the big day out!

the interview is here, at a new blog i'm starting due to my relocation to sydney in 10 days (shit! that's so soon...). tim and i have big plans for a huge website that will surpass pitchfork media in pretension. more details on that later, though. more details, too, will be up here on wednesday, about a super exciting christmas eve bash!!!

It Started And Then It Just Kept Going ..... Top Ten Songs of 2005

as a follow up to our top ten albums of year, this show is all about our favourite songs. pretty ambitious, i guess - but rewarding. when you listen to (or saturate yrself) with as much music as we do (both in effort to find stuff for guitar media and our own, obsessive, selves) it's really something when one song out of the thousands actually sticks out won't quit til you've listened at least 50 times...

timothy dodgers' top ten solid gold hitz

10. sigur ros - glosoli [takk]
9. animal collective - grass [feels]
8. magnolia electric co.- the dark don't hide it [what comes after the blues]
7. sage francis and bonnie prince billy - sea lion [a healthy distrust]
6. oneida - did i die [the wedding]
5. ryan adams - 29 [29]
4. black mountain - don't run our hearts around [s/t]
3. the drones - shark fin blues [wait long by the river...]
2. tim rogers & the TU - i'd rather be krund [ghost songs/ dirty ron]
1. okervil river - for real [black sheep boy]

richard's countdown top of the pops megamix

10. why? - gemini (birthday song) [elephant eyelash]
9. tom vek - nothing but green lights [we have sound]
8. jens lekman - maple leaves [oh you're so silent jens]
7. the clientele - my own face inside the trees [strange geometry]
6. stars - ageless beauty (most serene republic remix) [ageless beauty single]
5. wolf parade - it's a curse [apologies to the queen mary]
4. the lucksmiths - sunlight in a jar [warmer corners]
3. serena-maneesh - un-deux [serena-maneesh]
2. architecture in helsinki - maybe you can owe me [in case we die]
1. the most serene public - relative's eyes [underwater cinematographer]

other favourite songs of the year that wouldn't fit in top tens/filling out the rest of the show:

21. the phoenix foundation - damn the river [pegasus]
22. the decemberists - the engine drive [picaresque]
23. sleater-kinney - modern girl [the woods]
24. clap your hands say yeah! - over and over again (lost and found) [clap your hands say yeah!]

//

shea the indie kid's top 10 songs of the year

10. stephen malkmus - freeze the saints [face the truth]
9. sambassadeur - new moon [sambassadeur]
8. wolf parade - grounds for divorce [apologies to the queen mary]
7. the boy least likely to - paper cuts [the best party ever]
6. bachelorette - love is a drug [the end of things ep]
5. suburban kids with biblical names - little boys in the ghetto [#3]
4. the new pornographers - bleeding heart show [twin cinema]
3. the decemberists - the engine driver [picaresque]
2. sufjan stevens - casimir pulaski day [illinois]
1. clap your hands say yeah! - in this home on ice [clap your hands say yeah!]

if you're cool, and you know you are (you're on this site after all), post your own top 10 songs of 2005 in the comments section. go on. do it. now. okthanksbye.

pack yr romantic mind

hey, you! listen to the friday drive show this week (16/12) at about 5pm because i'm interviewing the go! team. yay! this makes me want to use lots of exclamation marks (!!!) because i've loved the band for ages and look forwad to seeing them at the big day out. and it should be an interesting interview. we'll probably play it again on next week's guitar media, which will otherwise be an alt-country special, i think, if yr still planning on doing that, tim? i'll be away, you see. i'll post the go! team interview transcript up here, too.

this week (13/12) is the guitar media top ten songs of 2005 show. it's been interestingly easy to pick my favourites. one thing i have noticed is how emotive and sissy most of my picks are. i guess the more poignant songs leave the most impression after repeated listen, for me, at least. thanks to everyone who posted their top ten albums. keep them coming, and please do post yr top ten songs when the lists are up. anyway, this song here is definitley on my top ten songs, i'm not sure where though. and besides, that would be telling, wouldn't it? i got it from said the gramophone, which has recently had a list (all available to download) of one of the writers top twenty-two songs of the year.

jens lekman - maple leaves [ep version].mp3

It's not the winning but the effort that counts - top ten albums of 2005

wow. here's the bit where we say how we're so geeky and shit and like to compile lists. so um yeah here goes. tim & richard's respective top 10 albums of the year...

- richard's top 10

10. the lucksmiths - warmer corners [track: great lengths]
download a hiccup in yr happiness.mp3
9. the new pornographers - twin cinema [track: twin cinema]
8. tom vek - we have sound [track: nothing but green lights]
7. the most serene republic - underwater cinematographer [track: content always was my favourite colour]
6. wolf parade - apologies to the queen mary [track: shine a light]
5. sufjan stevens - illinois [track: decatur]
4. architecture in helsinki - in case we die [track: wishbone]
stream the album.
3. the clientele - strange geometry [track: since k got over me]
download st pauls underneath a sinking sky.mp3
2. broken social scene - broken social scene [track: fire eye'd boy]
1. clap your hands say yeah - clap your hands say yeah [tracks: over and over again (lost & found), upon this tidal wave of young blood]

albums that didn't make richard's top 10, but are super good:

boards of canada - the campfire headphase
deerhoof - the runners four
edan - beauty and the beat
kiss me deadly - misty medley
serena-maneesh - serena-maneesh
the decemberists - picaresque
m83 - before the dawn heals us
devendra banhart - cripple crow
the phoenix foundation - pegasus

- tim's top 10

10. the white stripes - get behind me satan [track: red rain]
9. pelican - may the fire in our throats beckon the thaw [track: sirius]
8. black mountain - black mountain [track: no satisfaction]
download druganaut.mp3
7. spoon - gimme fiction [track: i turn my camera on]
6. dirty three - cinder [track: ember]
5. bright eyes (ick) - i'm wide awake it's morning [track: landlocked blues]
4. devendra banhart - cripple crow [track: some people ride the wave]
stream the album.
3. ryan adams - jacksonville city nights [track: hard way to fall]
stream the album.
2. okervil river - black sheep boy [track: black]
1. tim rogers & the temperance union - dirty ron/ghosts songs [tracks: broken stuff, kalgoolie]

and tim's honorable mentions...

Sigur Ros Takk
Animal Collective Feels
Antony & The Johnsons I Am A Bird Now
Andrew Bird The Mysterious Production Of Eggs
New Pornographgers Twin Cinema
Decemberists Picaresque
Architecture In Helsinki In Case We Die
Smog A River Ain't Too Much To Love
Kings Of Leon Ah Ha Shake Heartbreak
Oneida The Wedding
Magnolia Electric Co. What Comes After The Blues
Silver Jews Tanglewood Numbers

and if I had the full album before last week this would have made my top 10 but now Pitchfork is going to fucking ruin it for me

The Drones Wait Long By The River And The Bodies Of Your Enemies Will Float By. Sensational. Absolutely rock n' roll from Melbourne, Rock City, Australia.

- shea (the indie kid)'s top 10

10. Bloc Party - Silent Alarm
9. Sleater-Kinney - The Woods
8. Suburban Kids With Biblical Names - #3
7. Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
6. The New Pornographers - Twin Cinema
5. Architecture In Helsinki - Incase We Die
4. The Phoenix Foundation - Pegasus
3. Devendra Banhart - Cripple Crow
2. Wolf Parade - Apologies To The Queen Mary
1. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!

Honourable Mentions:
Stephen Malkmus - Face The Truth
The Boy Least Likely To - The Best Party Ever
Deerhoof - The Runners Four
The Lucksmiths - Warmer Corners
The Decemberists - Picaresque

post yr on top 10 in the comments section below. go on. you know that deep down, yr just as geeky as us...

mixtape connection vol. 5 - 2/12/05 [photos]

click on the photos for larger images, and click here for more photos.

everyone's a critic and most people are djs

thanks so much to everyone who came to mixtape connection on friday night. it was too fun a night, really - easily the best turnout so far. i'll have some photos of the night uploaded in a few days. oh yeah, and if anyone's wondering about the tracklist for the free mix cd that was being given away, here it is:

gary numan - cars, cut copy - saturdays, caberet voltaire - talking time, new order - the beach, the rapture - i need yr love, tom vek - nothing but green lights, joy division - transmission, devo - cold war, talking heads - making flippy floppy, rogers sisters - 45 prayers, gang of four - return the gift, franz ferdinand - i'm yr villain, the human league - don't you want me, datarock - fa fa fa, duran duran - girls on film, tom vek - i ain't saying my goodbyes

don't forget: this weeks show (6/12) is the top 10 albums of the year. next week (13/12) is the top 10 songs of the year. both tim and i will select our respective top 10s. i've been going through and working mine out today. it's pretty hard - there are so many good albums from 2005, not to mention those that don't have any guitars.

i'll have some more concrete news about a really great christmas eve gig that will be happening at the wunderbar in a few weeks. solo singer/songwriter dudley benson is performing solo, and james from auckland band the reduction agents will be playing a set too. i'll be djing in support, probably playing more mellow stuff - probably lots of freak folk and indie-pop. either way, it'll be a lovely christmas eve at the wunderbar. more news soon.

all this warm christchurh weather has made it great for sunny albums like the new belle & sebastian, the life pursuit. we previewed a bit on guitar media last week and i played some on the friday drive show. it's actually really good - much better than the disapointing dear catastrophe waitress. fluxblog has an mp3 up for download:

belle & sebastian - song for sunshine.mp3

the undercurrents

Richard MacFarlane talks with local indie-rockers The Undercurrents about being a band in Christchurch.

The Undercurrents are definitely a Christchurch band. Whether it’s in their upbringing, location in history or the band’s sound, there is something undeniably local to this city that surrounds the band. With a style of indie-rock described as “meditation at volume”, their influences can be traced to older Christchurch acts like The JPSE, The Hiss Explosion and Squirm, as well as international indie bands like Pavement, Silver Jews, Sebadoh, or even Bonnie “Prince” Billy. Their emotive onstage presence saw them recently win the 2005 RDU Roundup Band Competition, but many would have heard of them before this, thanks to extensive radio play on New Zealand’s b-net stations (namely singles “She Was Not Absurd” and “Wish Upon a Star”, the latter of which was nominated for Best Un-released Single at the 2004 b-net awards). Live shows with Dimmer, The Shocking Pinks, The Bats and Gerling have helped, too. Their location within the Christchurch music scene, has helped, too – with a short spell from Pine’s Stephen McCarthy on drums, before finding their now-solid line up of Nik O’Keefe on bass and vocals, Marcus Winstanley (ex Barnard’s Star) on guitar and vocals, Simon Nunn (U.S.S. Hit Machine) on drums, Jamey Holloway (ex Centre Will Hold) on guitar and vocals, and Mike Summerfield on violin.

Since forming in 2003, the five-piece have been casual, if not a little timid in their approach to making music. “We’ve just been taking our time. It’s kind of a social thing; it gets us all out of the house.” Jamey says. “We had this old garage out by jade stadium. We just went around there, and because we had a computer and recording equipment we could just muck around and record some stuff. It took us a while before we put out something – we’re kind of a bit ‘take your time’ – slow at things. We didn’t have a big plan of world domination or anything.”

It could almost be thought of as unusual that the band haven’t left for greener pastures, with the (debatable) presence of a “cultural cringe” that Christchurch is unfortunately often labeled with. Instead of taking the oft’ traveled trip to Sydney or Melbourne to “make it big”, The Undercurrents continue to work hard in the city they know and love.
“I think a lot of bands see moving away as something you have to do. So it almost increases the credible market here, and there’s a lot of potential for a better market here. It seems a bit stupid to talk about a market because it sounds like it’s engineering towards money, but more a market in terms of people being interested. There’s a lot of interest here – there’s heaps – it’s just a matter of being a little bit persistent.” says Mike.
“There’s so much culture here that hasn’t been embraced yet” adds Jamey. “You can make any move in Christchurch. There’s a lot of different possibilities and different worlds, just depending on which tracks you run. It seems a lot more interesting that way, rather than just packing up and leaving”

Aside from the odd foray into Dunedin and Auckland, The Undercurrents have consistently played shows at venues like the Dux de Lux, The JetSet Lounge and The Wunderbar. But it was still with great surprise (to themselves, at least) that they won the Roundup Band Competition. For Jamey, “It has all been pretty positive so far. Fortunately, tall poppy syndrome doesn’t apply yet. We’ve been around for a few years, and the idea of some really new band winning isn’t that realistic, really. You don’t get great bands that form three days before the competition.”

There is certainly a history of indie musicians doing well on their own terms in Christchurch. The Undercurrents embrace the do-it-yourself attitude that, while not assuring any great “mainstream” success, has proved successful with lovers of real, genuinely crafted music. “I think a really good example for us, has been bands of the Failsafe Records kind of generation, like Squirm who could do it themselves on their own terms, or even Salmonella Dub, who have never compromised what they do, it’s all just sort of come to them.” says Jamey. “We do want to have our music heard by a whole bunch of people. We’re certainly not going to compromise ourselves or our music to achieve that. It’s right how it is.”

The Undercurrents play with The D4 and Che Fu and The Krates outdoors at the Dux-de-Lux on NYE. The single "Oceans Wide" and the Video being made by Gorilla Pictures will be out in Feb 2006.

* Published in The Christchurch Press, December 1st, 2005.

let's techno for christmas

the 5th mixtape connection is this friday, the 2nd of december. it starts at 9:30pm this time, runs til late. the venue is capitol bar on hereford st, down the alley. entry is free, and for nothing you can hear music by the likes of...

the human league, the rapture, devo, tom vek, !!!, new order, le tigre, vhs or beta, datarock, franz ferdinand, death from above 1979, bloc party, tom tom club, talking heads, duran duran, gary numan, joy division, the smiths, radio 4, gang of four, the futureheads, the cars, arthur russell, the presets, the faint, maximo park, mu, liquid liquid, sleater-kinney, clap your hands say yeah!, abc, a-ha...etc.

i'll be playing fun danceable stuff (80s synth pop and new wave mainly), missy g and dr hitchcock have more electro leanings while indie slut plays the indie rock. and of course there's special guest wammo, playing the indie exotica and disco pogo. touch it.

it's gonna be a bit fancier this time around. badges are going to be available on the door, there's some pretty decorations that are going to be strung around everywhere. the free mix cd that the first 50 rdunited members will receive upon enty is this time mixed by myself. it's a live recording of my set at the last mixtape gig. there's drink specials at the bar, too. see you there.

(do not feed the) oyster [playlist 29/11/05]

okay, so here's the plan for guitar media this december:

8/12: top 10 albums of 2005 - tim and richard pick their favourite records in the truest manifestation of indie geekdom.
15/12: top 10 songs of 2005 - a little more difficult, but a little thought is good once in a while.
22/12: a country christmas: alt-country special - no richard but tim will play the greatest alt-country. finally, a time for some unabashed tim rogers/ryan adams luuurrve.
29/12: preview of the foreseable future: the best advances and albums available on the net that are due for release in 2006. it's so like indie and sheeit.

anyway, this is tonight. here's the playlist...

1. death from above 1979 - better of dead (le peste cover) [romance bloody romance]

hehe. pitchfork makes it fun to like this remixes and covers album. 0.5/10! i mean, really. that's less than ryan adams' rock n roll. it'll be interesting to see how this next one is received. what a crazy covers album. by the way, bonnie "prince" billy is hitting our shores this feburary. he's playing creation on the 16th or 18th of february or thereabouts. tickets cost around $35. yeah!!!

2. bonnie "prince" billy & tortoise - daniel (elton john cover) [the brave & bold]
3. panda bear - i'm not [i'm not comfy in nautica single]
4. odawas - if it smells like a raincloud [the aether eater]

more high quality stuff from jagjaguwar records. sounds scarily like the phoenix foundation, though. not a bad thing, i might add. spacey, synthy goodness. mmm...synths.

5. mazarin - new american apathy [we're already there]
6. the drones - shark fin blues [wait long by the river and the bodies of your enemies will float by
6. film school - pitfalls [film school]
7. akron/family - dylan pt 2 [angels of light/akron/family]
8. the joggers - wicked light sleeper [with cape & cane]
9. the lemonheads - rudderless [it's a shame about ray]
10. belle & sebastian - another sunny day [the life pusuit] (hot! from the matador records site)
11. black tamborine - for ex-lovers only [complete recordings]
12. wilco - jesus etc. [kicking television]
13. cat power - the greatest [the greatest]
14. isobel campbell & mark lanegan - (do you wanna) come walk with me [ballad of the broken seas]

that's isobel campbell from belle & sebastian and mark lanegan from the screaming trees and queens of the stone age, not to mention twlight singers. he's very prolific...lots of solo stuff coming out.

15. the new pornographers - use it [twin cinema]
16. fence - locked up [the woolf]
17. oneida - did i die [the wedding]
18. death from above 1979 - yr lovely (but you've got problems) [romance bloody romance]
19. test-icicles - what's in the box? [for screening purposes only]
20. blood on the wall - reunite on ice [awesomer]
20. lightning bolt - birdy [hypermagic mountain]
21. herman dune - seven cities [not on top]
22. tim rogers - stray dog blues [spit polish]
23. yo la tengo - stockholm syndrome [i can hear the heart beating as one]
24. the unicorns - (i was born) a unicorn [who will cut our hair when we're gone?]

i'm not comfy in nautica

it was a blast on friday night at creation for the a low hum gig. i went to the 10:30, r18 show. i arrived at a bit after midnight to the second half teenwolf's set. it sure was wild, and basically what i expected, if not a little more raucous. and what i was expecting was a fun, danceable style of new-wave/indie-rock/spaz rock. haha, genres. fun is the main ingredient with teenwolf, though. unabashed energy seemed to come naturally to them, and so too, for so so modern. also inherent was a sense of dress - they had matching fluoroscent hoodies (which one of their mum's sewed them, though?) that seemed appropriate for the blast of neon love that came in with their style of spaztic, liars-esque dance-punk. shit, they reminded me so much of single frame that i was convinced (in my then slightly drunken state) so so modern were not only as polished as an indie band like these mentioned two american groups, but were in fact the saviours of new zealand music. am i wrong? probably. but they were pretty good, and i wasn't the only one dancing the electric wookie.

all in all it was a great night, even if the turnout was somewhat disapointing (to me, anyway - i would've hoped more christchurch folk that like good music would've been there). if you were there, then you'll probably appreciate this track up for download. i'll be playing a few cuts from this new death from above 1979 remix album, romance bloody romance at this week's mixtape connection volume 5. it's free at capitol bar on friday the 2nd - more news on that later, but you should definitley come if you like any of the dancier stuff we play on guitar media, or if yr a sucker (like me) for the 80s synth-pop classics, of which i tend to play a lot. anyway, mstrkrft have been busy doing remixes lately, and there are two more available at banana nutrament. don't listen to pitchfork (lol!), this is the wicked shit.

death from above 1979 - sexy results (mstrkrft remix).mp3

dance the electric wookie

hey you probably know this already cos yr cool but these really indie bands right they're playing at creation this friday. it's good because the young indies can go early from 7pm-10pm and be home in time for the OC (they miss america's next top model, though - suckers). but that's actually really good because it sucks not being able to go to gigs when yr under 18. then at 10:30 the old indies can go and dance or just be serious til the wee hours. by the way the bands are called so so modern and teenwolf, with support from christchurch's house of dolls (yay!). good on you, blink, for organising this gig. i'm pleased.

also i think there's a bit of a shindig at mainstreet this friday too. i'm not sure though maybe ask wammo ok thx bye

nothing is true and everything is permitted. 22/11 playlist

hello to all in the virtualworld.we have adele from bFM in the studio so be nice. that's more for me than you.

1. stereolab. the noise of carpet. emperor tomato ketchup.
2. the drones. shark fin blues. wait long by the rinver and the bodies of your enemies will float by.
3. calvin johnson. rabbit blood. before the dream faded.
4. p:ano. t-hatch says "round every corner". ghost pirates without heads.
5. badly drawn boy. stone on the water. the hour of the bewilderbeast.
6. comet gain. just one summer before i go. city fallen leaves.
7. clientele. untitled #2. strange live bootleg calledit's art dad.
8. i'm from barcelona. we're from barcelona. sing! with i'm from barcelona EP.
9. calexico. iron + wine. history of lovers. in the reigns.
10. cat power. the moon. the greatest.
11. hello saferide. get sick soon. introducing... hello saferide.
12. bonnie "prince" billy. o let it be. southwest - live album.
13. love is all. spinning and scratch. 9 times that same song.
14. telefauna. put yourhands together for the offbeat. s/r.
15. messer chups. mobile coffin. vamp babes.
16. go go go airhart. shake it off.
17. the strokes. razor blade. first impressions of earth. jan 9 06.
18. spinto band. oh mandy. nice and nicely done.
19. tiny amps. dance on a crowded floors. thrill and swagger.
20. the amps. mom's drunk. pacer.
21. jens lekman. a sweet summer's night on hammer hill. oh you're so silent.
22. devendra banhart doing antony and the johnsons. mmm. you'll never get this unless you download it. fistful of love. from believer mag free cd.
23. explosions in the sky. day five. the rescue.
24. goldrush. wait for the goldrush. ozona.
25. sunset rubdown. i'll believe in anything you'll believe in anything. snake's gotta leg.
26. the movies. peck the chick. american oil.
27. the wyrd sisters (c) - jarvis cocker + members of radiohead/ relaxed muscle. harry potter & the goblet of fire.
28. yo la tengo. upside down. generic nyc album.

lighting up with the joint - playlist saturday 19/11/05

1. Koushik, Be With [Be With] - Instrumental Hip Hop
2. Pulse, Who Made Who [Download] - Electro
3. Presets, Kitty In The Middle [Beams] - Electronica
4. Boom Bip, Do's and Dont's w/ Gruff Rhys [Blue Eued In The Red Room] - Downbeat

the gawdamn ads.

5. B Fleischmann, Static Grate [The Humbucking Coil]
6. Stochastic, You Catch/ Toss [Geek Beats] - download from www.smart-music.net/mp3 - Geek Beat
7. Data Rock, Computer Camp Love [Datarock Datarock]
8. Goyte, A Distinctive Sound" [download from www.smart-music.net/mp3]

9. Edan, Beauty [Beauty & The Beat]
10. Cage, Scenester [Hell's Winter]
11. Oh No - The Ride feat. Med [The Disrupt]
12. Slug & Murs - Early Morning Tony [Felt 2 - A Tribute to Lisa Bonet]
13. Dangerdoom - El Chupa Nibre [The Mouse and the Mask]
14. Ghostface - Be easy (produced by Pete Rock) [Fishscale]

15. The Phoenix Foundation - Damn the River [Pegasus]
16. The Sea Urchins - Summershine [Stardust]
17. The Clientele - Elm Grove Window [It's Art, Dad]
18. Kiss Me Deadly - Let's [Misty Medley]
19. Bumblebeez 81 - Vila Attack (M83 Remix) [Remixed]

20. Colder, To The Music [Heat]
21. Panthers, Thank Me With Your Hands (MSTRKRFT remix - Death From Above), [Download]
22. Cut Copy - Saturdays [Bright Like Neon Love]
23. Black Dice - Smiling Off (DFA Remix) [Smiling Off Single]

24. Mommy and Daddy - Pretty Loser [Duel at Dawn]
25. Wolf Parade - It's a Curse [Apologies to the Queen Mary]
26. The Test Icicles - What's in the Box? [For Screening Purposes Only]
27. Neon Blonde - The Future is a Mesh Stallion [Chandeliers in the Savannah]

28. Cat Power - The Greatest [The Greatest]
29. Vashti Bunyan - Here Before [Lookeraftering]
30. Tim Rogers - Riding Between My Place and Yours [Ghost Songs]

31. Matias Aguayo - Radiotaxi [Are You Really Lost]
32. Phon.o - Bluehende Lanschaften [Burn Down The House]
33. Jackson And His Computer Band - Rock On [Smash]
34. Spank Rock - Put That P**sy On Me [Download - Album Out Soon On Big Dada]
35. Corporeal - Broadcast [Tender Buttons]

36. Dj Shadow, Extract from Funky Skunk Album... online now or rare purchase from Shadow's website

Thanks kids, it's been fun. Will edit this later to add links to some trax!

Timmy Dodgers + Richard MF

you had a dream they called you king of all the hipsters

Hiiiii.

This is Shea here, the guitar media protege. If you ever hear some incomprehensible mumbling in the background during a show, it's probably me. heh.
So anyway, I've been asked to occasionally post stuff on the blog. I've been meaning to for ages, but wanted to wait until I had something worthwhile, and after weeks of preparation, i finally do.

You might've read on the comments section a couple of weeks ago that richard and i were making mixtapes for summer. That's right, old-skool mixtapes with the tracklisting written in blue biro on the back, and possibly a twee illustration. (if you're getting a professional one that is)
I started on one ages ago, and i've been continuously changing it since. but last night, when i probably should've been studying history or something, i started from scratch and i think i've finally made one that works. it's mostly summery indiepop with some twee and fuzzy rock thrown in for variety. I've been listening to it all this morning and it certainly goes with the clear skies and warm weather.
So anyway, here it is:

Side A:
The Fiery Furnaces – Tropical Ice-Land [EP]
Apples in Stereo – Stream Running Over [The Discovery of a World Inside the Moone]
Tullycraft – Twee [Beat, Surf, Fun]
Clor – Good Stuff [Clor]
Envelopes – Sister in Love [Demon]
Architecture in Helsinki – Do The Whirlwind [Incase We Die]
The Bats – Calm Before the Storm [Daddy’s Highway]
Rocketship – Hey, Hey, Girl [Hey, Hey Girl 7”]
The Ladybug Transistor – The Swimmer [The Albemarle Sound]
Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci – Honeymoon With You [How I Long to Feel That Summer in My Heart]
Stephen Malkmus – Freeze The Saints [Face The Truth]

//

Side B:
The Cure – To The Sky [Join The Dots: B-Sides & Rarities]
Art Brut – Good Weekend [Bang Bang Rock & Roll]
Jesus & Mary Chain – I Love Rock & Roll [Munki]
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! – Upon This Tidal Wave of Young Blood [Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!]
Phoenix Foundation – Going Fishing [Horse Power]
63 Crayons – Rocketship [Good People]
Suburban Kids With Biblical Names – Seems To Be On My Mind [#3]
Math & Physics Club – Weekends Away [Weekends Away EP]
The Field Mice – If You Need Someone [Where’d You Learn To Kiss That Way?]
Simon & Garfunkel – The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy) [Tales of New York]
Yo La Tengo – How To Make a Baby Elephant Float [Summer Sun]

When my exams are over I'm thinking about buying heaps of cassettes, and posting them out to anyone that wants them. Or if you download music, you could probably just make it yourself.

Enjoy!

frenzied handsome, hello!

the undercurrents are playing this saturday night, at the dux. nothing out of the ordinary there, then - they're bound to be playing loads of shows now that they've won the snazzy roundup band competition title. on the night i'll be spinning some tunes before and after the band plays, and so will bill from rdu show human pleasure at hourly rates. i'll be playing a lot of stuff from guitar media, mostly indie-rock/pop, post-punk and perhaps some freak-folk. probably fairly laid back stuff, unless people want to dance or anything. then i'll crack out the dancehall bangers. do come along. the undercurrents are a first class band, and bill and i will be playing some interesting music.

also, tim and i will be hosting the joint this saturday. it's from 12-3pm on rdu 98.5fm. it's a john peel sort of show (in a loose sense), in that we can play anything we fancy. we're not simply confined to music of the six-string variety. expect lots of hip hop (indie hip hop, of course. haha.), idm, electronica, heaps of wellington dub, and of course the indie rock and roll. i'm a little worried about it, considering the fine job that fraserhead and herbwhisperer usually do.

that ain't no god, it's just a hedge on fire [playlist 15/11/05]

tim's absent this week just as i was last week. i don't think he's in kaikoura, though. let's kick it off with something geeky:

1. the advantage - batman-stage 1 [elf-titled]
2. the joggers - we've been talked down [with cape and cane]
3. giant drag - this isn't it [hearts and unicorns]
4. kiss me deadly - let's [misty medley]
5. the movies - timothy james [american oil]
6. deerhoof - running thoughts [the runners four]

deerhoof are rumoured (totally unsubstantiatedly) to be playing canterbury university orientation in 2006. they're definitley playing in auckland, though, and probably wellington too. there's an interesting list of theirs up at pitchforkmedia here.

7. rocketship - yr new boyfriend [a certain smile, a certain sadness - japanese version]
8. pony up! - matthew modine [pony up! ep]
9. the sea urchins - yr so much [stardust]
10. glo-worm - downtown [glimmer]

oh, all this glowing indie pop. listened to a lot of this on my holiday in kaikoura last week. such sunny weather! bad news for power supplies, though. ah, nothing better than talking about the weather. or writing about the weather. it's a canterbury thing...

11. the young tradition - california morning [northern drive]
12. ris paul ric - purple blaze [purple blaze]

that's the vocalist/guitarist from q and not u. so quite a dramatic departure, then, considering the post-punk, cacaphonic stylings of his band. it works suprisingly well.

13. the wrens - track 2 [the meadowlands]
14. cat power - the moon [the greatest]

that new cat power is being eagerly anticipated everywhere i'm sure. it's pretty good. what an intruiging character - i want to see a concert of hers. bound to be at least a little bit insane. continuing with the female singer/songwriter eclecticisms, thanks to the listener who emailed us with the following recommendation. she's vic chesnutt's neice. this is an interesting duet.

15. vic chesnutt and liz durrett - somewhere ["somewhere" - west end story compilation]
16. tortoise and bonnie "prince" billy - that's pep (devo cover) [the brave and the bold]

elsewhere on the album (it's all covers) tthis odd pairing set about covering bruce springsteen, the minutemen, lungfish, don williams, and elton john. fortunatly, it all works pretty well. it's going to be interesting how it's received critically, though. i'm just a sucker for devo.

17. biirdie - you've got darkness [morning kills the dark]
18. wolfie - i know i know i know [awful mess mystery]
19. honeybunch - hey blue sky [time trials: 1987-1995]

for fans of the lucksmiths, apparently. i can see why - wussy twee songs about girls and literate romance. kinda like the next band, although a little later on. "emma's house" is probably the best song on this two-disc compilation. perfect for any mixtape.

20. the field mice - emma's house [where'd you learn to kiss that way]
21. spearmint - a happy ending [my missing days]
22. ten words for sno - d-na [d-na]
23. the gerbils - sunshine soul [are you sleepy]

thanks to hat, rdu's station manager, for the recommendation of the gerbils. they're in a very similar vein to bands like the olivia tremor control, of montreal, apples in stereo etc. - all those great elephant 6 bands.

24. clearlake - finally free [amber]
25. p:ano - leave me with the boy [brigadoon]

time to get into rockier terrain, after the wuss-fest that was the show so far. sorry! all this sunny weather and all i can listen to is sweet twee pop. here's some more rockin stuff.

26. parlour - such (a one year stem) [hives fives ep]
27. head wound city - prick class [head wound city ep]

you've gotta love press releases. here's what head wound city's one says:

"welcome to head wound city, now die alone in the street, skull crushed flat by the bumper of that yellow cab you didn't see coming - the one with the wheels made of cyanide laced donuts, and gg allin's grinning ghost grinding the gears. jordan does the singing"

that's jordan from the blood brothers. he's joined by a yeah yeah yeahs member, and also someone from post-hardcore band the locust. scary.

28. the plastic constellations - sancho panza [crusades]
29. the mendoza line - golden boy (torture in the shed) [full of light and full of fire]
30. mommy and daddy - way west way [duel at dawn]
31. the chalets - kiss chasing [nightrock ep]

since yr already up

on a rainy sunday afternoon made quite beautiful by cat power's new album, the greatest, i don't have a whole lot to post, really. no new reviews or articles or anything extra-exciting to report. i did catch the joint (a super-cool show on rdu 98.5fm) on saturday from 3-5pm, though, after getting back from a few days in kaikoura (nice place, by the way - especially in such sunny weather). the chaps fraserhead and herbwhisperer were talking about the guitar media show - in particular, the giant drag album that i've been thrashing. it's called hearts and unicorns. i don't think i've actually played any on the show yet but it's over there (see? on the right) on the recommended listening section. it's pretty cool. will play some more this week, but there's a good write up about a recent gig in the states on fluxblog. and also, a track for you to download:

giant drag - this isn't it.mp3

also on this weeks show will be new music from the clientele's new tour record, it's art, dad, new bonnie "prince" billy with tortoise from their fourthcoming covers album, the brave and the bold, other unreleased stuff from the mendoza line, ten words for sno, ris paul ric(q and not u vocalist new project), clearlake, the advantage, head wound city (members of the locust and the yeah yeah yeahs), winter pils, as well as new cat power and new sun kil moon. it's gonna be a wild night.

don't forget about the low hum gig on in a few weeks, as well as the fifth mixtape connection, which is on the 2nd of december. plenty of indie hot love for you. more news on that later, though.

i've overmarried... steve earle + dukes/ alison moorer, live

so after having the 5th ticket to see him last time and being denied by the greedheads that constituted the Civic (home of the greatest fire rating in CHCH), I finally saw Mr Earl last night at the James Hay theatre. I will try and form a more coherent review later but these impressions, whilst my ringing ears are fresh, may suffice.

moorer opened the show, the pretty gurl with an acoustic guitar routine, and played some pleasant, if not somewhat bland, songs. her voice, however, was outstanding, and it is very possible that with a few more years under her hat she could deliver something outstanding... but for now I'd take a Lucinda Williams (or even Kathleen Edwards) CD over anything I heard from her (which may say more about my inclination towards the gritter side of the tracks than anything). special mention must be made however of her searing version of Carrickfergus (of which Van Morrison and the Chieftans did a sublime version on Irish Heartbeat), with eare on mandolin... there's something brilliant when traditional irish meets nashville and reminded me of bap kennedy's domestic blues, a wonderful irish/americana gem that earle produced.

earle was a pretty dynamic, if ramshackle, frontman who brought all guns blazing to the stage. amerika v6.0 was pretty dynamic, and there were plentiful highlights (guitar town, even - god forbid - copperhead road, but harlem man was up there as was many of the tracks off jerusalem), but more often than not arle was hampered by a sound mix that was as murky as american foreign policy. the guitars were too loud, earle's predisposition to mubly/ talk got lost in the mix, and I felt sorry for those who didn;t know the words as you wouldn't have been able to make out more than 20 all night...

throw in some heartfelt between song banter about the US, and NZ, with a dedication of the show to Rod Donald, and you walked away feeling that you'd seen steve earle in fine, beligerent form. And certainly when he dropped the electric for the acoustic and brought (new wife) alision moorer on stage to sing with him the band sounded as good as any I've heard.

but once again i'm left despairing over the shit quality of Christchurch venues. we need them to get these artists to come down, but i'm not sure how many people would want to step foot in the james hay again after last night's fisher and price my first sound desk mix.

enjoy the long weekend,

timmy d

strap on your ear goggles and you're ready to go - the postrawk special

hello all. richard's away in kaikoura chilling like bob dylan's subterranean homesick villians. but i, sir timothy dodgers esq 13th, and shea the indie kid are hereto bring you a night of predominantly instrumental audio sauce, what I like to call symphonic violence, but whatsome would call post rawk.

like the LMFAP said, that gum you like is coming back in style. let's rock...


1. Tortoise, Seneca (Standards)
2. Slint, Nosferatu Man (Spiderland)
3. (snippet) Hangedup, Powered By Steam (Constellation:Music Until Now)
4. Cluster, Hollywood (?)

some strange dreambreakers... pay thosebills and sell that coke jack white

5. Neu, Hallogallo (Neu! - 1972)

After leaving Kraftwerk Klaus Dinger and Michael Rother formed Neu! to extend their musical boundaries... and ended up being one of the greatest influences on Kraftwerk's "Autobahn" album... classic and timeless in it's simplicity.

Then on to Krautrawk's other genius standardbearers...

6. Can, Soup (Ege Bamyasi)
7. Sigur Ros, untitled ()
8. Bell Orchestre, Les Lumieres Pt 2 (Recording A Tape The Colour Of Light)
9. A Silver Mount Zion, Sit In The Middle Of Three Galloping Dogs (

the ads the ads the ads.

10. Pelican, Last Day Of Winter (The Fire In Our Throats Will Beckon The Thaw)
11. Dirty Three, I Remember A Time When You Used To Love Me (Horse Stories)
12. Spiritualized, I Think That I'm In Love (Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space)

hey would you like tomake your smile whiter? do you have an empty feeling inside that you;d like to fill by going to a drum'n'bass party??? etcetc

13. Mogwai, Kappa (Come On Die Young)
14. Godspeed You Black Emperor, Storm 1 (Levez Vos Skinny Fists...) - edit

15. Explosions In The Sky, Look Into The Air (How Strange Innocence)
16. Do Make Say Think, The Landlord Is Dead (Constellation...)
17. As much of the Diamond Sea by SOnic Youth as I Can fit!

thank you and gawdnight


timmy d

the brunettes - when ice met cream [ep review]

[Lil’ Chief, 2005]
***1/2

Fresh from tours with big-name US indie-pop bands The Shins and Rilo Kiley, New Zealand band The Brunettes are back with even more quirky and romantic material. It’s all sweet, bubblegum indie-pop with the usual irony and hints of sardonic wit that were more evident on Mars Loves Venus than the pure sugar-coated Holding Hands, Feeding Ducks. Retrospective to various degrees (mainly 50s and 60s), this six-track EP shows the Brunette’s sound evolving into something more mature, even if their shtick is fundamentally young and playful. The boy/girl dynamics are terrific as usual – Heather Mansfield’s voice is beautiful and works well with Jonathan Bree’s. Another great record for this summer’s soirees.

mixtape connection vol. 4 - 28/10/05 [photos]

you are full of shit (check out my sweet riffs) - [playlist 1/11/05]

it's really windy outside and everythings a bit askew. i have an exam tomorow afternoon - my last ever! yay it's finally yay.

1. black tamborine - for ex-lovers only [complete recordings]
2. the jesus and mary chain - just like honey [psycho candy]
3. the lassie foundation - come on, let your lime light shine [pacifico]
4. the detroit cobras - ya ya ya [seven easy pieces]

you can download this next track at said the gramophone. click on the song to go right to the download. i think this is a really superb reworking. been posting a few covers on the blog lately but this is definitly the best of the lot. gosh i love that most serene republic album.

5. stars - ageless beauty (the most serene republic remix)
6. the skygreen leopards - clouds through the sparrow's eyes [life & love in sparrow's meadow]
7. the young tradition - gone are the days [northern drive]
8. the handsome family - down in the valley of hollow logs [through the trees]

this playlist is shaping out interestingly. or just two-dimensional - it's indie-pop vs country. the battle is on!

9. cub - cast a shadow [betti-cola]
10. steve earle - ? [live album]

he's kind of like bill hicks, says tim: very left wing, very literate, very quick. tim also says he really must get his arse into gear and get tickets for this coming concert. time for richard's twee megamix. this summer's gonna be filled to the brim with mixtapes. and that means real tapes - casettes. none of this cd business.

11. heavenly - so little deserve [le jardin de heavenly]
12. honeybunch - hey blue sky [time trials 1987-1997]
13. another sunny day - the centre of the world [london weekend]

if you haven't ever listened to the next two bands, make sure you do - they're pretty seminal as far as a lot of indie rock goes these days. grandaddy have pretty much done their dash, though, i think. their new ep really is terrible. all the other material is worth getting. sparklehorse, another d.i.y. indie act of the 90s really were the biggest reason for my getting into indie-rock and stuff like that. thanks!

14. grandaddy - summer here kids [under the western freeway]
15. sparklehorse - hammering the cramps [viva dixie submarine transmission plot]
16. wolfie - hey it's finally yay [awful mess mystery]
17. spoon - merchants of soul [gimme fiction]

i <3 spoon. i <3 handclaps. i <3 writing i <3s.

18. the bank holidays - she's not into love [day for night]
19. the new pornographers - the jessica numbers [twin cinema]

this track's name sounds like it should be a sitcom, like the O.C.. or maybe just a band on the O.C. been catching lots of sitcoms on TV lately. the next band feature members from the pornographers, not too sure who though. i think it's the female vocalist. who knows - these crazy canadians. all their bands have too many members - look at the arcade fire, broken social scene...

20. immaculate machine - broken ship [ones and zeros]
21. dirty three - great waves [cinder]

ooh, cat power on the vocals here. check out this article for an interesting hint towards some feminist issues in indie rock, but some utter fucking bullshit words about devendra banhart. skip the first part of the article - this brent dicrescenzo guy really is a terrible writer. remember kids - just because pitchfork sez it doesn't mean it's true.

22. gravenhurst - velvet cell [fires in distant buildings]
23. explosions in the sky - yr hand in mine [the earth is not a cold dead place]

listen to guitar media soon for a preview of this post rock band's turn at the temporary residence series "travel in constants". not next week but the week after, cos i'll be away in sunny kaikoura. hehe. and i'll be listening to stuff like this next one:

24. the scotland yard gospel choir - ellen's telling me what i want to hear [i bet you say that to all the boys]
25. tim rogers - kalgoorlie [dirty ron/ghost songs]
26. acid house kings - a long term plan [sing along with the acid house kings]

lazy weekend, stormy season

mixtape connetion vol. 4 went really well - thanks to everyone that came. it was a fun night. here's what i played in my set:

holyfuck - casio bossa nova, gary numan - cars, cut copy - saturdays, caberet voltaire - talking time, new order - the beach, the rapture - i need yr love, tom vek - nothing but green lights, joy division - transmission, devo - cold war, talking heads - making flippy floppy, rogers sisters - 45 prayers, gang of four - return the gift, franz ferdinand - i'm yr villain, the human league - don't you want me, datarock - fa fa fa, duran duran - girls on film, tom vek - i ain't saying my goodbyes

we got lots of photos, but i seem to have lost my digital camera on the night. if anyone has seen it, um, let me know or something. beer + technology = trouble. ugh. [edit]okay, don't worry. benet has it. phew! i'll post photos later in the week. anyway, though, the next night is set to be on probably the 2nd of december, in light of the low hum tour with so so modern and teenwolf being on the normal last friday of the month, on which mixtape connection would fall. make sure you go and support the low hum gig. these bands are from auckland [edit] make that wellington - thanks, anonymous!, and as far as i've seen, they totally tear shit up. more news on that closer to the gig.

the bats were really great at the jetset last night. the sound, for once, seemed pretty good, considering the jetset's common problems in that department. as usual, it's nice to see a band of such calibre playing such a familar style of indie-pop.

speaking of indie-pop, it's going to be poptastic this tuesday night. i've got my hands on most of the stuff mentioned in that pitchfork article about being twee as fuck and stuff. good article, especially the last page - all the bands mentioned there really are worth listening to.

another interesting thing on the net right now is this article, at tiny mix tapes. very funny from the perspective of a music writer/music geek.

wow and check out these two great covers:

iron & wine - waiting for superman.mp3 (flaming lips cover)

calexico - love will tear us apart.mp3 (joy divison cover)

awesome! what a crazy couple of versions. i guess that's the beauty of covers.

i wasn't down - i just wasn't smiling at you

i was talking on the show last night about this photo of me surfing on a big boat. so here it is, to yr right. i'd like to turn this into a myspace style/confessional blog. you won't mind, will you tim? by the way, im just joking about that. while the urge is there, i'll stick to mp3s and music stuff for now.

here's a couple of mp3s for you to download. firstly, the animal collective, from their new album feels. all the reviews of this record have touted it's accesiblity and (more) conventional song structures. and stuff. it's really good, but i think i like sung tongs more, in all it's experimentalism. here's track two from the new album:

the animal collective - grass.mp3

something else really interesting is the new modest mouse covers album about to be released by sun kil moon. this guy plays really affected indie-folk - check out his album ghosts of the great highway. he was also a member of renowned red house painters, who play similar folky stuff. i'm hanging out for this new covers album, tiny cities. i'm trying to download the whole thing, and i'll be sure to play some on the show when i've got it. in the mean time, though, he's one track from it:

sun kil moon - ocean breathes salty.mp3

remember to come see me dj at capitol bar this friday night, the 28th. it should be a wild night. it's on hereford st and starts at 10pm - hot indie tunes til late, for free. wow!

woody allen likes japanese noise rock [playlist 25/10/05]

wow, it's tuesday already. although it doesn't seem like it - long weekend and all. tim and i (richard) are happy. i like indie pop. tim likes sludge pop. so it's going to be an odd mix of things.

1. the lassie foundation - dive bomber [pacifico]
2. dirty three - doris [cinder]
3. kiss me deadly - dance 2 [misty medley]
4. the eels - the medication is wearing off [electro shock blues]

it's not too early for 90's nostaliga. the eels - questionable. but that song is cool. speaking of 90's nostalgia - check out the twee/indie pop article on pitchfork. very in depth account of the movement's history. i'll be digging up a lot of the stuff mentioned and playing it on the show.

5. fence - explanation song [the woolf]
6. the black keys - act nice and gentle [rubber factory]

it's neo-blues. they've just released a live dvd, which looks quite cool.

7. suburban kids with biblical names - parakit [#3]

yay guys. thanks for posting on our blog, johan & peter. check out the suburban kids website. it's cool - even if it's mostly in swedish...

8. iron & wine - teeth in the grass [our endless numbered days]
9. winter vacation - the alps [the netherlands, 1980]
10. kings of leon - red morning light [youth & young manhood]

the big day out announcement sure has been good. looking forward to seeing the kings of leon guys in january. apparently the arcade fire are rumoured for the second announcement. they're into their in-jokes - anyone know who leon is?

11. mazarin - another one goes by [we're already there]
12. jolie holland - old fashioned morphine [escondida]
13. pony up! - minstrel [pony up! ep]

these girls say: "my brother's gonna beat you up. my sister's gonna beat you up. my mother's gonna beat you up". i believe them. they're from, like, new york. or something.

14. silver jews - punks in the beerlight [tanglewood numbers]
15. calvin johnson - rabbit blood [before the dream faded]

two weird guys, thats for sure. there are plenty of interviews with david berman from the silver jews on the net at the moment.

16. art brut - my little brother [bang bang rock & roll]
17. mommy & daddy - the streets have come alive [duel at dawn]

they have the husband/wide dynamic going on. plus they're from new york. did someone say "style over substance"?.

18. devendra banhart - chinese children [cripple crow]
19. harvey danger - incommunicado [little by little]
20. tim rogers & the temperance union - riding between my place and ours [dirty ron/ghost stories]

tim dodgers is going to see tim rogers in melbourne on december the first. check this blog for stories and photos and stuff. now something pretty much totally contrasting. that pitchfork's article about twee reminded me of these guys. thanks to some girl in some clothes shop who got me onto this band.

21. the softies - hello rain [it's love]
22. radiohead - where i end and you begin [hail to the thief]

check out this site for links to these crazy blogs that radiohead have supposedly been setting up. it's interesting, really, what they're doing. they post a lot of stuff from their fourthcoming album on their own blog. it's interesting to me in terms of radiohead as actual, real people - their music is so far from that. it distances themselves a lot from their public. obscure lyrics, spacey sonics, other-wordly atmospherics - they're from some other planet, i'm sure.

23. the gris gris - down with jesus [for the season]
24. black mountain - don't run our hearts around [black mountain]

the metal show guys outside the studio window have a cd cover with "prostitute disfigure" on it. we're not quite up to that standard, but these last two tracks are certainly towards the heavy end of the rock spectrum.

25. immaculate machine - phone no. [ones and zeros]

breathe like yr dancing

okay, time again for the mixtape connection. if you haven't been yet it's hosted by myself (richard), dr hitchcock (benet from the mixtape sessions on rdu), gretchen (missy g from girl school, before guitar media on rdu), dj indie slut (bill from human pleasure at hourly rates on rdu), and also a special guest in the form of nick harte from the shocking pinks. we'll all be playing dj sets filled with music you can dance to, not dance music. it's real indie bro. it's at capitol bar this friday night (the 28th) and it starts at 10pm. it's free, too, and for nothing you can hear the sweet sounds of bands like the following:

the cars, duran duran, out hud, the rapture, lcd soundsystem (plus other dfa tracks), !!!, mu, the human league, the soft pink truth, death from above 1979, the cure, blondie, talking heads, joy division, devo, new order, felix da housecat, gang of four, the go! team, vitalic, arthur russell, ellen alien, junior boys, maximo park, tom vek, ladytron, cut copy, etc.

and with general styles playing: post-punk, 80s pop, electro, indie-rock, dance-punk, new wave and more.

this is the fourth edition of this "indie" club night, and they have all been super fun so far. rdunited members get 20% off tap beer and a free limited edition mix cd upon entry. capitol bar is a nice place, and the cool thing about these nights is that it's filled to the brim with nice people.

the dandy warhols - odditorium or warlords of mars [album review]

[Capitol, 2005]
***1/2

Pitchfork Media.com gave this album a 1.6 out of 10. Sure, the name is kinda stupid, but this album will surprise any hipster with an affinity for even the most obscure. It’s actually really good – despite the cliché-ridden stoner-chic poseur aesthetic that the group has become renowned for. To say that they embrace their own idiosyncrasies would be reading too far into it - it’s really just about style. Many critics talk of this as bad when compared with having actual substance. There’s a little bit of the latter here, too. Breezy, lackadaisical and well-paced guitar tunes like “Love is the New Feel Awful” are what this record does best. The Dandys clearly have a target market of faux-hipsters and Volvo adverts, but the mood of this album works too well to ignore. This is sure to suit summer perfectly.

deerhoof - the runners four [album review]

[5RC, 2005]
****

It’s hard not to like Deerhoof. They’re composed of three super-indie guys with one really fucking crazy Japanese chick for a lead singer. The eclecticisms are pretty obvious – spastic vocals with instrumentation to match. At least that’s what their previous albums are like. The Runners Four, their eighth album, is certainly less hyperactive, but by no means tame. This is also their longest, clocking in at 57 minutes over 20 songs – a fact that talks, especially when compared to previous, more frenzied albums like Apple O’, which is only 13 songs and half an hour in length.

Sometimes, though, Deerhoof are pretty hard to like. The shtick of the group is interminably appealing (you should see the lead singer dance! Explosive!) but for all of their aesthetic, they are pretty difficult at times. That’s the point, though – the sense of difficulty is engaging and rewarding. This difficulty seems to have subsided somewhat on this new album, which is good thing for both longtime fans and newcomers alike. They’ve become more conventional, in their own, twisted way, but not so much that it would discourage Deerhoof-spaz purists. Besides, they could only have kept that up for so long. It’s like they’ve somehow matured and selected the best facets of their oeuvre and made a solid indie-rock album out of them. They know how to kick it – that is obvious – it’s just a little less relentless.

A comparison to The Pixies is adequate. But Deerhoof take the loud/soft dynamics that The Pixies pioneered and flip it upside down. They’ve been labeled “by turns cuddly and chaotic”, and that’s pretty apt. While at parts they can be quaint and simple, they can also be dense and incredibly fucking loud. The production is quite raw, which is useful as explicative of the hidden charms of melody and sweetness lumped under the car-crash wreck that is the rest of their sound. Either way, it’s definitely the best car crash I’ve ever heard.

my sun is setting over her magazine [playlist 18/10/05]

so i'm typing tonight. it's me. richard. the space bar is kinda sticky.

1. okkervil river - stoned [black sheep boy]
2. herman dune - [not on top]
3. pinback - fortress [summer in abbadon]
4. clap your hands say yeah! - upon this tidal wave of young blood [clap your handssay yeah!]

my favourite album of the year. but what about the best song of the year? i was listening to national radio today and they were getting people to name the best song of all time. actually it was maggie barry hosting the show, which lessened the integrity of the debate at hand. someone suggested something from the platters.screw that. what about the smiths? "there is a light that never goes out"? oh yeah.

5. architecture in helsinki - wishbone [in case we die]

it's cute. "twee-prog", as someone aptly put it. now for a golden oldie. from a terrific album - there aren't many albums that can be just as good when you put them on "shuffle" mode...

6. pavement - kennel district [wowee zowee]
7. uncle tupelo - factory belt [no depression]
8. blood on the wall - mary susan [awesomer]

fuck yeah - listen to this guy's voice. you can't argue with an album title like "awesomer".

tim actually likes this next song. "in a bland sea of salty mediocrity, the arcade fire is a clean refreshing burst to the pallet"

7. the arcade fire - neighborhood #3 (power out) [funeral]
8. broken social scene - major label debut (fast) [ep to be you and me]

i remember when funeral first came out, lots of people compared it to you forgot it in people by broken social scene. it's the energy and fervour that is most easily likened, but it falls pretty short otherwise. i guess they both use parenthesis...

9. the strokes - juicebox [forthcoming]

this is more of a public service announcement than anything. tim would rather people listen to this than, well, the killers at least. he likes franz ferdinand now. hehe.

10. art brut - modern art [bang bang rock & roll]
11. buttersprites - fever [buttersprites]

now for shea's pick of the night. they're from sweden and sound kind of like this guy called jens lekman. who i like, too. try his album when i said i wanted to be your dog.

12. suburban kids with biblical names - trees and sqirrels [3]
13. the clientele - the geometry of lawms [strange geometry]

this album is really great. so is their 2003 lp, the violet hour. lush, simon & garfunkle-eqsue indie-pop. good for summer nights at around 9:30pm.

14. immaculate machine - broken ship [ones and zeroes]
15. dirty three - ember [cinder]
16. xiu xiu larsen - paw paw paw paw paw paw paw paw [ciautistico]
17. joanna newsom - three little babes [the milk eyed mender]

apparently her concert with smog in auckland on sunday night was "perfect" (mirabel, 2005). i could only imagine. the milk eyed mender truly is one blissful record. it's funny how a voice so immediatly abrasive can be so rich and rewarding.

18. the radio dept. - this past week [this past week ep]
19. animal collective - winter's love [sung tongs]
20. john wilkes booze - cultural hurricane [telescopic eyes glance the future sick]

vice magazine hates those guys. and yr parents. and you.

21. daniel johnston - my life is starting over again [discovered/covered]
22. yo la tengo - upside-down [may i sing with me]
23. tim rogers - shit [dirty ron]

token tim rogers track. now, time for some surf guitars. i've been getting into these surfing/tarantino-esque stylings. another band like the next one is messer chups. they're great.

24. suspirios - make you wet [make you wet]
25. the ramones - teenage labotomy [rocket to russia]
26. cut copy - saturdays (reprise) [bright like neon love]

top five albums of 2005 [list]

note: if this top five seems a little early to you, that's because it is - as part of canta mgazine's top five page, i had to contribute my picks. they will probably change before the year is out. so this is my "unofficial" top five albums. please post yr own (early) top fives in the comments section at the end of this post. but here's what i wrote, anyway.

---

Every year, music geeks like myself rejoice at the chance to compile “best albums of the year” lists. And we write these little bits about how we like to compile these lists. It’s getting a little too idiosyncratic, but that’s okay. I’m like High Fidelity - without the irony. This year has been particularly good as far as great albums go, so now that list-assembling time has come, I find myself worried – almost dreading the fact that I have to reduce it to five records. Five! It falls desperately short considering the great amount of music that has come out this year. Torn between my personal favorites (albums that personally affect me and bring me close to them) and albums that are undeniably good on a more universal plain, I find myself somewhat stuck. The following list tends more towards the former, as partially concede defeat against the barrage of fucking terrific records to see release this past year. So here goes:

5. Serena-Maneesh – Serena-Maneesh
Any band can play on influences like Sonic Youth, My Bloody Valentine and The Velvet Underground, but few embrace what these groups pioneered the most – noise. They take the densest and loudest elements of all of the above and add even more layers to that. The advantage of this is that the melodies hidden within become even more rewarding in their juxtaposition with distortion. The album is very creative considering their influences. It’s long, sprawling and easy to get lost within, just like the aforementioned classics. Shoegaze is probably the best genre to slot these Norwegians into, but as usual, it’s not enough – they supercede this, and manage to rock out in the process.

4. The Most Serene Republic – Underwater Cinematographer
On the same label as Broken Social Scene, the number two entry on this list, Arts & Crafts, this group have been described as sounding very similar. At times unabashedly happy but at others taking the time to dwell in less cheerful areas, they have dynamics and variance in spades. Their aesthetic is that of ascendant pop with shout/sing-a-long choruses and clever lyrics that ooze energy and vibrancy. It’s symphonic, and definitely a little cheesy, but unashamed. Crafting songs with such beauty is certainly nothing to be ashamed of, and that’s what makes this Canadian group so good. It’s so exuberant and invigorating. And sentimental as well – but these kids actually mean it.

3. Wolf Parade – Apologies to the Queen Mary
This clashes completely with the niceties of the rest of the albums on this list. The hype and anticipation surrounding this release nearly swallowed it whole, but it easily speaks to itself. Even if they encapsulate the fervor and energy of The Arcade Fire and craft beauty from the unattractive like Modest Mouse or Frog eyes, these comparisons fall desperately short. Because that’s only half the sound. The other is made up of pure passion and sincerity – melodies that through contrast are so overarchingly beautiful that the more dystopian sounding moments are either soon forgotten or soon cherished. This is indie-rock at it’s most inventive; at a time where it is clear that reinvention is what is constantly needed.

2. Broken Social Scene – Broken Social Scene
In 2003, these ten kids from Montreal released a record called You Forgot it in People. It’s one of those albums that seemed impossible to ever better, and my personal affliction for that record filled me with anticipation when considering their next effort. And this year, they managed to do just that – make an even greater, even more well-rounded and interesting record. Building on the already passionate, vigorous indie-pop/rock that louder moments of their previous album was renowned for, this new release is even more ambitious and momentous. Joyous girl vocals intermingle with dense, organic guitars and triumphant drumbeats, alongside other diverse ranges of instruments, while at other moments taking time to lay-low. Song structures are particularly interesting and keep the album refreshing. But the best thing about it is how much it grows on the listener. Like it’s predecessor, the sound exhibits so many facets that while it sounds good the first time, it can be cultivated into something all the more rewarding through repeated listen. And that’s exactly what it encourages – one listen after another, no matter what the situation.

1. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! – Clap Your Hands SayYeah!
The do-it-yourself success story of 2005, CYHSY! blew the indie world away by self-releasing and self-recording an album capable of furthering the genre of indie-rock with . Of course, that’s not the reason why this album is number one. This four-piece restore passion to indie-rock in a similar way to how The Arcade Fire did last year. It’s unbridled, but it still works within the indie-rock genre. They have the added edge of real passion, and real emotion – sincerity is what speaks wonders on this album. Of course, there’s the plain beauty of their chord changes and riffs. They’re into the subtitles of music – each of their instruments reflects this. People have dropped some pointless comparisons to Talking Heads (the lead singer’s voice only slightly echoes David Byrne’s, and that’s as far as comparison goes), but otherwise they are hard to reference. If they aren’t as inventive as Wolf Parade, they certainly have the songwriting skills – and the eagerness – to carry themselves more capably than any other band this year.

Other Noteworthy Albums:

The Lucksmiths – Warmer Corners
Architecture in Helsinki – In Case We Die
Bloc Party – Silent Alarm
Tom Vek – We Have Sound
Devendra Banhart – Cripple Crow
Sigur Ros – Takk
New Pornographers – Twin Cinema
Edan – Beauty and the Beat
The Decemberists – Picaresque
M83 – Before the Dawn Heals Us
Of Montreal – The Sunlandic Twins
The Phoenix Foundation – Pegasus
The Robot Ate Me – Carousel Waltz
Sufjan Stevens – Illinois

Forthcoming Albums of Significance:

Boards of Canada – The Campfire Headphase
Animal Collective – Feels
The Clientele – Strange Geometry
Gang of Four – Return the Gift

and now, here's tom with the weather (playlist 11/10)

good evening laydeez and gentlemen, timmy d, shea, and richard mf are in the hiz-ouse.

let's kick out the jams.

1. Iggy & The Stooges, Raw Power (Raw Power on Vinyl)
2. Wire, Ex Lion Tamer (Pink Flag)

That's a dman fine start if I do say so myself. Iggy at the Big Day huh? Count me in...

3. Calexico, Wave (Alejandro Escovedo cover, Por Vida A.E. Tribute album)

One of the all time alt country legends, a true pioneer of texas punk/ rootsy americana, this album is a tribute by many of the biggest stars of the scene as Mr Escovedo has been struck down by hep c (methinks?!) so this is a bit of a fundraiser...

4. Palaxy Tracks, Clarion Way (Twelve Rooms)

Richard has a little knitting patch that was knitted. It's red, like a fire engine.
And now, because if I don;t play it who will (and it's nearly summer after all)...

5. Manu Chao, Bixo/ El Dorado 1997 (Proxima Estascion Esperanza)
6. Buttersprites, Fever (Buttersprites)

Strange couplet full of crunchy music goodness. Mmm, nougat.

7. OOIOO, Niko Niko Niko (Kila Kila Kila)
8. Numbers, The Fuck You Garage (We're Animals)
9. Coco Rosie, Brazilian Sun (Noah's Ark)
10. Messer Chups, Fntomasofobia (Crazy Price)

I've always said Guitar Media is more about an attitude than a sound. So yes, there wasn't many guitars amongst that lot, but hey, if you like what we normally play you may have liked those... or maybe not.

11. Tim Rogers & The Temperance Union, I'd Rather Be Krund (Dirty Ron/ Ghost Songs)

Check that T Rex rip and the femal back up singers at the end... Still gotta say that this album is sensational. You need to give it a go if you love classic rawk and the singer songwriter savoir-faire...

12. Broken Social Scene, 7?4 Shoreline (Broken Social Scene)
13. ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of The Dead, Baudelaire (Source Tags and Codes)

This album is so much better than their latest... honestly.... this album kicks your ass.

i like your sleeves. they're real big.

GOSH!

14. The Radio Dept, Deliverance (This Past Week)

It's the mutha trucking pet shop boys. do not buy this album. Just remember in the time it takes to download this album you could get a life.

15. 63 Crayons, Rocketship (Good People)
16. Miniskirt, Be Here With Me (Woody Allen Likes Guitar Pop)
17. Teenage Fanclub, Did I Say (4766 Seconds Best Of)
18. Maritime, Tearing Up The Oxygen (We, The Vehicles)

get out your best chucks cause it's shoe gazing time! waves of guitars... mmm... instrumentals and spacey vocals... i'm in love

19. Slowdive, Sing (Catch The Breeze)
20. Saxon Shore, With A Red Suit You Will Become A Man (The Exquisite Death Of Saxon Shore)
21. Explosions In The Sky, Glittering Blackness (How Strange, Innocence)
22. The Bell Orchestre, The Upwards March (Recording A Tape The Colour Of The Light)
23. Pelican, Aurora Borealis (The Fire In Our Throats Will Beckon The Thaw)

The cream of the post rawk crop is in full effect. From Canadia to Jagjaguaria it's allgood. And no I don't have a clue what I'm saying but it's a good excuse to buy some headphones and disconnect from everything around you and become weightless... and then the song ends and we're still swimming in samsara.

wtf?! anyhoo, nice guitars methinks...

24. Drop Nineteens, Winona (Delaware)
25. Ryan Adams & The Cardinals, Don't Fail Me Now (Jacksonville City Nights)

Oooohh. Ryan versus Timmy Rogers.I want them both but who can win the best of the year?! Check this blog for Richard's (unofficial) top five albums of this year...