So, they didn't have two of my top 10 (which I posted earlier this month) so I naturally replaced them with Me First and the Gimme Gimmes EP's. This is to vote in the Hype Machine's blogger category for their Zeitgeist 2011 (I love end of year stuff!!)

Merry Christmas! Have a New Countdown!

Well, it's Christmas and here is the latest AFDATTC (that's what the cool kids are calling it. It rhymes with "Aflac"). Next week is the Year End Countdown and then the Artists of the Year Countdown on the 8th!

Countdown #85

***Featuring***
The Black Keys
Bush
Cage the Elephant
Chevelle
Coldplay
Foo Fighters
Fuel
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Switchfoot
Young the Giant

New Countdown...Running out of Clever Titles!

How the hell did it get to be December 18th already? One week till Christmas!?! Agh! Well, I'm writing this on December 16th and hopefully K and I have gotten a lot done by way of Christmas shopping/prep. Because right now? Not looking so good. But it'll work out. Probably.

Countdown #84

***Featuring***
AWOLNATION
The Black Keys
Bush
Chevelle
Coldplay
Foo Fighters
King Post Kitsch
Seether
Switchfoot
Young the Giant

Best Albums of 2011 #5-1

5. Wild Flag - Wild Flag A big part of this year, for me, was about female led bands. And one of the best female led bands was Wild Flag. This is a supergroup, but only if you're pretty familiar with the 90's riot grrl scene, which I am not. When I listen to this album, and the same goes for when I saw them in concert, I hear four women IN LOVE with rock and roll. It's refreshing and entrancing. And addictive.

Wild Flag - Electric Band

4. Original Broadway Cast Recording - The Book of Mormon God, what an amazing set of songs. I'm probably never going to see this musical on Broadway, but I almost feel like I don't need to, with this in my life. My favorite superpower of Parker and Stone is their ability to tease and mock and flat out ridicule something, all the while filtering the bullshit down to the essentials. This musical is about belief and how important it is to believe in something, even if it seems weird or stupid to other people. It was so hard to pick a song to feature from this. So I went with some exposition, to draw you into the story!

Book of Mormon - Two by Two

3. King Post Kitsch - The Party's Over Oh dear. I love this album so much. I think it's the effortlessness that gets me most. Charlie doesn't seem like he's breaking a sweat as he's cranking out song after song of glorious rock. It's catchy, it's addictive, it's hummable, it's amazing. I hope that 2012 is as full of KPK as 2011 was! For the featured song, I've chosen the song that started it all for me, nearly a year ago.

King Post Kitsch - Walking on Eggshells

2. New Found Glory - Radiosurgery 2011 was a great year for music, if you ask me. But the cherry on top of it all is this. New Found Glory charging back into my heart with this album of the kind of pop-punk genius that I have been yearning for from them, or Blink, or Green Day. Don't get me wrong, though. You can tell that these guys have matured as songwriters. I would feature "Summer Fling, Don't Mean a Thing" because that's maybe the best song on the album, but I wanted to show that there's even more to love, if you've already heard that one and you're still hesitant (although, I don't know how you can still be considered "sane" if that is what's happening for you)

New Found Glory - Memories and Battlescars

1. Doomtree - No Kings I don't even know where to begin. I suppose I could direct you to my review of this album less than a month ago. I had to wean myself off of this album. I'm still not sure why it hit me so hard. And it's not like all my friends are listening to this so I'm being social about it. In fact, I feel quite miserly about Doomtree in general and specifically about this album. Because what if someone listened to it and didn't like it? Or didn't get it? Or didn't like it as much as I do? It kind of feels like I'm dating a girl from outside my circle of friends and feeling wary about introducing her around. It's not that I doubt my taste. It's that I doubt everyone else's! And I mean that in the best of ways. You should buy this album and love it deeply. Like I do. Oh, and when you love an album as completely as I love this album, it's damn near impossible to pick a song from it to feature. So here's my best shot

Doomtree - Team the Best Team

Guest Review of Countdown Tracks! (Episode 3)

And so we find ourselves with another guest review! This time, it's by the illustrious and delightful Tricia from I Sing in the Kitchen: A blog where she showcases musical treats and delicious eats! 9 times out of 10, I'm drooling by the end of her posts. It's a great site. Check it out.

We're still hoping to get Betsy's review of the tracks Erin reviewed in Episode 2. I'm not worried about her reviewing old songs. The point is not keeping up to date. The point is getting fresh perspectives on songs we listen to!

You can find the tracks she talks about on my podcasts starting on Episode 66. And there are still songs on the countdown I'll record this week! As always, if you would like to listen to an old episode that is no longer available to download, let me know and I'll hook you up!

Tricia's Guest Review
 
The Black Keys-Lonely Boy

What you get from this song is rocking fun. It is exactly the uptempo mess of music that
made The Black Keysʼ album ʻBrothersʼ one of my favorite albums of 2010.

“Whoa-oh-oh”

Blink 182-Up All Night

Up All Night takes off with an Edgar Winterish Frankenstein vibe.

Epic drums, indie rock and roll. A wall of jam-out sound.

“Do you want me here?” Thatʼs my favorite part for its calmer feel.

Bush-The Sound Of Winter

Here we have more of that typical post-grunge sound not unlike the Blink 182 track.

Unlikely love songs, such as this one, always make me smile. The music points more to
a night of billiards in a smoky bar than a guy declaring that “Iʼll be with you until the
end.”

Coldplay-Paradise

It is only in the past year that I have become a fan of Coldplay. My son played Clocks at
his piano recital and I was sold.

Coldplayʼs music is catchy, if not completely predictable. Honestly, if you donʼt pay close
enough attention, a whole busload of Coldplay songs could come on in a row before
you look up and say “Oh, listen to that. Itʼs Coldplay.” Again, the music is good, but not
ʻstop you in your tracks listen modeʼ.

And, what do you know? Another song with a prominent “Whoa-oh-oh”.

Foster The People-Helena Beat

It appears that we are now leaving indie land and heading to the dance lounge. This
song is cosmo in one hand, Jon Hamm looking dude in the other. You would clap along,
but you donʼt want to spill your drink.

I can see a Macarena type dance getting made to go along with Helena Beat.

Janeʼs Addiction-Irresistable Force

Arryhthmic rhythms, like in this song, are so cool. I love the bass line and the irresistible
hook, too.

You know, there is almost a “Whoa-oh-oh” in there.

“Banging and banging and banging”. Sounds like Janeʼs Addiction still has the magic
touch.

The Joy Formidable-Whirring

From the opening notes of ʻWhirringʼ you expect it to morph into ʻLiving In Colourʼ by
Frightened Rabbit.

The insistent drums are excellent.

The way that the music drags on at the end of the song isnʼt really my thing. I tend to
like a cleaner finish. However, that said, I can understand how this frenetic build up
appeals to some music fans especially when seeing the band live.

Mumford & Sons-Roll Away Your Stone

I love every song on the album ʻSigh No Moreʼ, this song being no exception.

That banjo! Lead singer Marcus Mumfordʼs voice. Lyrics so full of passion and vivid
images.

I really enjoy the slowing down and speeding up that occurs throughout Roll Away Your
Stone, culminating in the final round of “Stone”. My feet canʼt tap any harder.

Red Hot Chili Peppers-The Adventures Of Rain Dance Maggie

I love this hazy-gazey tune.

I want to press myself against a full body speaker and let that bass course through me.

Hey Now, catchy, cool.

“I want to rock this body proud.”

Rise Against-Make It Stop (September's Children)

Even more “Whoa-oh-ohs”!

This is a ʻuse your cell phone flashlight in a cigarette lighter kind of wayʼ song.

I envision college age boys listening to Make It Stop while playing beer pong or shining
up the skateboard.

Switchfoot-Dark Horses

See comments for the previous song and replace “Whoa-oh-ohs” with “La la las”.

Young The Giant-Cough Syrup

I canʼt even believe it--More “Whoa-oh-ohs”!

I love this song.

“Lifeʼs too short to even care at all”.

Light, poppy, infectious.

Whoa-oh.

311-Sunset In July

Yes, please.

I will take this song to an expensive restaurant and then out for drinks. That is how
much I like it.

I adore the drum/guitar interplay.

Now, you must be kidding me. Is that a “Whoa-oh-oh” I hear?


End of Review

Thanks Tricia! It's so great to hear people's writing styles mirror the way they speak and think about things! Tricia noticed that a lot of the songs had "Whoa-oh" in them. Here's a song by NOFX about that:

NOFX - Whoa on the Whoas from 45 or 46 Songs That Weren't Good Enough To Go On Our Other Records

New Countdown. Needed: A Chisel and a Garter.

This episode rocks. Hard. You will enjoy it so much. I know I did!

Countdown #83

***Featuring***
AWOLNATION
The Black Keys
Bush
Chevelle
Coldplay
Foo Fighters
Seether
Switchfoot
Young the Giant
Yuck

Best Albums of 2011 #10-6

 10. Rise Against - Endgame I will always buy any album that Rise Against releases. I can't really say they're breaking any new ground with Endgame, but the ground that they've already broken is so rich in nutrients, that I could survive on it for many years to come. The track I've selected from Endgame is the one that I've listened to over and over. It features some good sampling from the film version of Catch-22. It may be the sampling, in fact, that makes the song for me. So, thanks, Joseph Heller!

Rise Against - Survivor Guilt

9. Foo Fighters - Wasting Light When Foo Fighters release a new album, it always feels like the first single is amazing and gets my hopes way up for the rest of the album. And while the rest of their albums are fine, they never really live up to the excitement of that first track. Wasting Light is the exception to that. The first single, "Rope" (the track I've picked to feature from the album), is fantastic. And it is representative of the amazingness of the rest of the album. I still need to spend some time with the second half of the album, but it's time I'm looking forward to spending!

Foo Fighters - Rope

8. Yuck - Yuck I know that if I was like 5 years older, I would get a lot more of the allusions and influences that make this album so enjoyable. There's like Jesus and Mary Chain and My Bloody Valentine and stuff, right? Well, in any case, I love the fuzzed out guitars, the wailing solos, the gorgeous vocals. This is a good driving album. Just don't, like, punch your windshield or window. I could have basically picked any song to feature, so I picked "Operation"!


Yuck - Operation

7. Radiohead - The King of Limbs This album was too short. That's my one complaint with it. I wish they'd put "Supercollider", "The Butcher", and "Staircase" on it, but I suppose it's their band and not mine. The trick to "getting" this album, I think, is to look at it as a dance album with a break to catch your breath in the middle. I've picked one of the "breather" songs to feature. The other being "Codex", natch.

Radiohead - Give Up the Ghost

 6. The Antlers - Burst Apart I did an actual review of this album back in September but what still gets me about this album is how it is, at the same time, so frigid and so cathartic! It's practically, well, bursting with potential energy. And it lets that energy loose only twice. If this was vinyl (and I'm sure it is, somewhere), it would be the last track of each side. The album closer "Putting the Dog to Sleep" is what I featured back in September, so here's the Side 1 closer:

The Antlers - Every Night My Teeth Are Falling Out

New Countdown! New Month! New......Shoes?

Well, I did get some new shoes. Was that this week? I haven't actually started wearing them, but I'm sure I will have before the year is out. What a way to start a blog post!

It was a very easy podcast to record this week. Grammy nominations, Festive fifty voting, and all that gave me lots to talk about!

Countdown #82

***Featuring***

AWOLNATION

The Black Keys

Bush

Coldplay

Foo Fighters

Foster the People

Seether

Switchfoot

Young the Giant

Rock the Vote and Vote the Rock!

Well, it's that time of year again! Time to vote on the shortlist for the Contrast Podcast Festive Fifty!

Pick your top 10 favorite songs from the list below and email them to me at aodblog@gmail.com! If there's a song on there that you HATE, you can tell me that too. All votes must be in by December 9th. Happy Voting!

"But James," you're saying, "I don't know ANY of these songs!" Fear not, citizen! Our noble leader Tim has set up a Flash player with the whole list, so you can listen to, love, and vote for your favorites!
It's here: http://www.contrastpodcast.com/festivefifty

A Winged Victory For the Sullen - Requiem For the Static King Part 1
Acid House Kings - Would You Say Stop?
Adele - Rolling in the Deep
Adele - Someone Like You
Airborne Toxic Event (The) - Numb
Alex Turner - Glass in the Park
Alex Turner - Hiding Tonight
Alexis Marceaux - Leila and the Orange Moon
Anna Calvi - Desire
Antlers (The) - Putting the Dog to Sleep
Arctic Monkeys - Don't Sit Down 'Cause I've Moved Your Chair
Austin Lucas - Nevada County Line
Beirut - A Candle's Fire
Beirut - East Harlem
Beirut - The Rip Tide
Billy Bragg - Never Buy the Sun
Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears - Booty City
Black Keys (The) - Lonely Boy
Blanche Hudson Weekend - If You're Still Together
Bottle Rockets - Lucky Break
Brenton Duvall - World Tour (Weezy, Wale, Dre)
Cashier No9 - Goldstar
Civil Wars (The) - Barton Hollow
Clive Tanaka Y Su Orquesta - All Night, All Right
Cut Copy - Need You Now
Cute Lepers - Noisy Song
Dawes - A Little Bit of Everything
Dawes - Time Spent in Los Angeles
Death Cab for Cutie - Codes and Keys
Death Cab for Cutie - You Are a Tourist
Decemberists (The) - Calamity Song
Decemberists (The) - Dear Avery
Decemberists (The) - Don't Carry It All
Decemberists (The) - January Hymn
Decemberists (The) - Rise To Me
Decemberists (The) - Rox in the Box
DeVotchKa - The Alley
Elbow - Lippy Kids
Ellie Goulding - Lights
Elysian Fields - Red Riding Hood
Farewell Flight - Out For Blood
FareWell Poetry - As True As Troilus
Feist - Bittersweet Melodies
Feist - Caught A Long Wind
Feist - The Circle Married the Line
Feist - Undiscovered First
Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
Fleet Foxes - Lorelai
Florence + the Machine - What the Water Gave Me
Foster the People - Helena Beat
Foster the People - Pumped Up Kicks
Fountains of Wayne - Cemetery Guns
Graveyard - Uncomfortably Numb
Half Man Half Biscuit - Fun Day in the Park
Head and the Heart (The) - Heaven Go Easy On Me
Herman Dune - Tell Me Something I Don't Know
Hotel Lights - Falling Down
Hunters - Deadbeat
Imaginary Cities - Hummingbird
James Blake - Give Me My Month
James Blake - The Wilhelm Scream
James Vincent McMorrow - This Old Dark Machine
Jason Isbell - Alabama Pines
Josh T. Pearson - Sweetheart, I Ain't Your Christ
Kills (The) - DNA
King Creosote & Jon Hopkins - Bats in the Attic
King Post Kitsch - Don't You Touch My Fucking Honeytone
Kurt Vile - Jesus Fever
Ladytron - White Elephant
Lana Del Rey - Video Games
Lia Ices - Grown Unknown
Lindsey Buckingham - In Our Own Time
Lovely Eggs (The) - Don't Look at Me (I Don't Like It)
Lykke Li - Get Some
Lykke Li - I Follow Rivers
Lykke Li - Sadness is a Blessing
Lykke Li - Youth Knows No Pain
M83 - Midnight City
Middle Brother - Middle Brother
Mirrors - Into the Heart
Misty's Big Adventure - I See a Cloud
Mountain Goats (The) - Birth of Serpents
My Morning Jacket - Holding On to Death Metal
My Morning Jacket - Victory Dance
Nikki Lane - Gone, Gone, Gone
Okkervil River - Hanging From a Hit
Okkervil River - Rider
Okkervil River - Wake and Be Fine
Okkervil River - We Need a Myth
Okkervil River - Your Past Life As a Blast
Pains of Being Pure at Heart (The) - Belong
Pains of Being Pure at Heart (The) - Even in Dreams
Pains of Being Pure at Heart (The) - Heart in Your Heartbreak
Pete Wylie & Wah! - The Day That Margaret Thatcher Dies (A Party Song)
PJ Harvey - Let England Shake
PJ Harvey - The Last Living Rose
PJ Harvey - The Words That Maketh Murder
Professor Elemental - Fighting Trousers
R.E.M. - Discoverer
Radiohead - Bloom
Radiohead - Codex
Radiohead - Lotus Flower
Radiohead - Staircase
Raveonettes (The) - Ignite
Red Fang - Wires
Ron Sexsmith - Get in Line
Silos (The) - Teenage Prayer
Sleepies - Sludge River Mouth
Smith Westerns - All Die Young
Sonya Cotton - Man in a Tree with a Gun
Strokes (The) - Under Cover of Darkness
Tom Waits - Bad As Me
Tom Williams & the Boat - See my evil
Tombs - Vermillion
TV on the Radio - Will Do
Twilight Hotel - Mahogany Veneer
Vaccines (The) - Post Break Up Sex
Vetiver - Hard to Break
Washed Out - Amor Fati
Wilco - Art of Almost
Wilco - Dawned on Me
Wilco - I Might
Wilco - One Sunday Morning
Wilco - Whole Love
Wild Flag - Glass Tambourine
Wooden Shjips - Lazy Bones
Wye Oak - Civilian
Yuck - Holing Out

New Countdown with a little help (a log of help!) from my parents!

Well, Thanksgiving was this week in America, so my Dad and stepmom came down to visit. Those of you that were listening back in February will remember that I asked them to help me out before.

This time I REALLY put them to work!

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving if you celebrated, and great week if you didn't!

Countdown #81

***Featuring***
AWOLNATION
The Black Keys
Bush
Coldplay
Doomtree
Foo Fighters
Foster the People
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Switchfoot
Young the Giant

No Kings.

So, I want to write about No Kings the latest crew album by Doomtree, a rap collective that I've certainly written about before and probably talked to you about.

I can't stop listening to this album. Seriously. I got my preorder on Friday (the album came out the following Tuesday. Preorders should always work like that.) and, aside from two podcast episodes, it was all I listened to until my parents came for Thanksgiving and we did this week's podcast.

I've tried to figure out why it is that I can't press stop and listen to another album or something when the album ends. It's a number of things:

1. The album closer "Fresh New Trash" doesn't end on a downbeat. It cuts off before that conclusive downbeat would hit and I think that gives me this aching feeling of incompleteness that I just can't STAND!

2. Over the course of the album's 12 songs, Doomtree covers the full range of human emotion. I'm not sure how this is possible, but they do it. I just don't find myself yearning for a missing mood. This album has it all.

3. It's different. The songs are all very different from each other and from anything else that's out there right now. It's like rap music for hardcore punk kids. Raw, tough, but vulnerable and thoughtful.

In addition to struggling to figure out my addiction, I've done a lot of thinking about the structure of this album and these songs. It seems to me that it's all about the contrast between Dessa and Mike Mictlan.

Dessa, who I've definitely talked about before, has this amazing sultry singing voice, and a hypnotic, vocubularily rich rap voice. She's thoughtful and confident and wise.

Mictlan, has a deep, tough voice. He raps fast. He doesn't sing, but his flow has a sing songy quality (sorta like how ODB would rap) and he gets the party going.

There are at least 4 moments on No Kings where Dessa's verse comes right before (and is occasionally overtaken by) Mictlan's. This is the secret album-wide hook. Doomtree is already so diverse, but when you put these two together like that, it's like taking a highlighter and making the diversity Day-Glo.

I want to go on and on about this album. I think I may do a Top 10 albums of the year list, if only so I can talk some more about No Kings!

I just realized that both of the songs I would feel comfortable posting DON'T feature that Dessa/Mictlan pairing.

So I'm going to attempt to link you to the video for "Bolt Cutter", which does.

I would say watch the video, then go to Doomtree's website and listen to "Beacon" and "The Grand Experiment" in the player on the right. Then go to Doomtree's Store (or click the link on the top of the homepage) and by this album. And buy a copy for your friend.

Here's the video:

New Countdown, just in case you're worried I've forgotten how to ramble

I did so well up until the last intro and then I literally stopped talking to try to do some calendar math. Oh silly James. But that's just me being me, you know? Sometimes I ramble and that's ok :)

I'm really enjoying the context of this podcast being on the radio.

You guys, lots of awesome stuff is coming up and I talk a little bit about it in the aforementioned last intro. If you've been with me since last year, you won't be surprised, but it's still super exciting!

Countdown 80!

***Featuring***
AWOLNATION
The Black Keys
Bush
Coldplay
Foo Fighters
Foster the People
The Nearly Deads
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Switchfoot
Young the Giant

New Countdown! Breath of Fresh Air!

So did you hear me on the radio?? Its so fun to listen to yourself in a format where someone else is causing you to be heard. I hope that that makes sense. If I was a movie star or something, I feel like I'd feel the same way as I do now.

So, once again and then I promise I'll stop plugging: If you go to shoutcast.com or get the shoutcast app, then search "Destado", you'll find Destado Radio, where the Countdown plays every week at about 830 on Sunday Mornings!

This week marks what I believe is the official end to the craziness that was the month of October. I went and saw Dessa, Lila had her Flu shot and now we are taking it easy this weekend. It feels so luxurious to be able to take it easy, you know?

Countdown #79

***Featuring***
AWOLNATION
Blink-182
Bush
Coldplay
Foo Fighters
Foster the People
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Rise Against
Young the Giant

Tune In to New Countdowns!

Hi there! If this is your first time at Appetite For Distraction. Then welcome! Tell your friends!

If you've been here before, welcome back! Tell your friends! ;)

So, this morning, I was on the radio. Internet radio. If you go to shoutcast.com or download the Shoutcast app and then search "Destado", you will find the Destado Radio Network that will be broadcasting the Countdown every Sunday morning at around 8:30 am!

It's such an honor to be on there and I think back to when I started the Countdown and how Casey Kasem was sort of the model that I was trying to emulate. And now my show will be heard on Sunday mornings. Just like Casey Kasem!

I hope you'll tune in. And then I think I'm going to set it up so that at 10:30 or so, the blog post with the Countdown that has just played will go up and you can download it to listen to over and over again!

Here's this week's!

Countdown #78

***Featuring***
AWOLNATION
Blink-182
Bush
Coldplay
Foo Fighters
Foster the People
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Rise Against
Young the Giant

New Countdown: Surprises Abound!

This episode has some surprises at the front and the back, so why not listen to the whole thing? ;-)

But seriously. I've learned a lesson over the course of the last couple of weeks and that is this: If you just keep doing what you're doing and doing it the best you can, you will find opportunities to do more of what you're doing on a grander scale!

Countdown #77

***Featuring***
AWOLNATION
Blink-182
Bush
Coldplay
Foo Fighters
Foster the People
Goo Goo Dolls
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Rise Against
Young the Giant

A Much Sunshinier Countdown!

Well, some quality time with my daughter today and a pep talk with my Dad last week made for a much more chipper James this episode! Hope you enjoy it!

Countdown #76

***Featuring***
AWOLNATION
Blink-182
Bush
Doomtree
Foo Fighters
Foster the People
Jane's Addiction
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Rise Against
Young the Giant

A New Countdown with Attitude!

So, I've been thinking about how this countdown would go. And I have to say that I think I came off a LOT less grumpy than I imagined I would.

It's just more proof that I need to be doing this primarily for myself and stop comparing myself to other podcasters. And if I don't like the way things are going, I can feel free to change whatever. This is my play space. And if no one shows up at the observation window, I can still have fun!

Countdown #75

***Featuring***
AWOLNATION
Blink-182
Bush
Foo Fighters
Foster the People
Jane's Addiction
The Joy Formidable
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Rise Against
Young the Giant
Wild Flag

New Countdown that you NEED to hear....too pushy?

Ok, maybe NEED is a little strong, but I've realized that strong, forceful advertising is important in this workaday world.

Have you seen any ads for Dr Pepper TEN? It's for men. And it's ridiculous, you guys. How is ten calories any more manly (or "bold") than all the calories of a regular Dr Pepper? If you're wanting a Dr Pepper but don't want all the calories, just go ahead and drink a regular Diet Dr Pepper. Ok. I'll stop. But if you want to get me riled up, bring this topic up and watch me foam at the mouth! Now THAT'S bold!

Anywho...

Countdown #74 (With 11 Bold songs)

***Featuring***
AWOLNATION
Blink-182
Bush
Foo Fighters
Foster the People
Hole
Jane's Addiction
The Joy Formidable
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Rise Against
Young the Giant

New Countdown to Rake Leaves By

Actually I'm not really sure who rakes leaves anymore. Any leaves that fall on our yard just end up getting mowed. But my sentiment is about the beginning of fall! Of course, fall technically started a couple weeks ago, it really started only a couple of days ago around here, with the cold breezes. This should keep you warm like a nice cardigan!

Countdown #73

***Featuring***
AWOLNATON
Blink 182
Bush
Eve 6
Foo Fighters
Foster the People
Jane's Addiction
The Joy Formidable
Mumford & Sons
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Rise Against

New Countdown. Recorded in 3 Parts, Stitched Together

And so it was that, in 3 different sessions, at 3 different levels of fatigue and frustration, I stitched the latest Countdown together and truly I believe it to be a thing of beauty. Enjoy it...if you dare!!!!

(When did I start writing like Stan Lee? It won't last long, bub!)


Countdown #72

***Featuring***
311
AWOLNATION
Blink 182
Bush
Foo Fighters
Foster the People
Jane's Addiction
The Joy Formidable
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Rise Against
Smash Mouth

Review: The Antlers - Burst Apart

[This was the review I wrote to apply for the gig at Listen Before You Buy that didn't work out due to my overbooked life. You might find that it has kind of a more serious tone than we normally see me having on this blog (I phrased that weird, don't you think?). Think of it as me putting on my "Review Voice". I'm going to try to start writing all my reviews with my "Review Voice"]

Burst Apart, the new album from Brooklyn trio The Antlers is a journey through a gothic Southern nightmare where nothing is certain. Images of teeth falling out, loose knots, drunken one night stands and loyal dogs being euthanized reinforce the themes of tentative devotion and eventual betrayal that The Antlers do so well.

One of my concerns with Burst Apart was that, because it’s not a concept album like Hospice, their previous album, I wouldn’t find the songs compelling. This is never a problem on any of the ten songs. Sure, there are lulls, but they serve to build tension and suspense. It was only on my fifth or sixth listen that I realized that “Tiptoe” is an instrumental. Each song conveys an atmosphere that is both exclusive and cumulative. It’s the same kind of thing you see in a collection of short stories.

Another concern that had troubled me was the drone. On Hospice, The Antlers had sewn a middle-pitch drone into all but two or three of the songs. The drone was about the same volume as Peter Silberman’s falsetto, so I was forced to turn the volume up in order to hear the lyrics, but quickly back down each time he hit a high note. It created a stress that actually helped solidify the tension of the story, but I hoped it wouldn’t find its way to this album. And it hasn’t. Silberman’s voice sounds gorgeous and the lyrics are perfectly clear.

Burst Apart is the kind of album that rewards repeated listens. The songs are simple, yet chilling. The Antlers aren’t breaking new ground, but they do find ways to cultivate a much-tilled soil. At the end of the day, Burst Apart won’t be one of those, “Where were you when you first heard this?” albums, but not every album can be. This is a solid album from a band whose best days are still ahead of them.

The Antlers - Putting the Dog to Sleep from Burst Apart

An Unprecedented New Countdown.

This is not the longest Countdown of all time. Countdown #47 and Flashback Countdown #2 were longer. The unprecedented part comes from the number of bonus songs on this episode. Here's a hint: It's more than one!

This is what happens when you let rappers influence your programming via Twitter (And Astronautalis, if you're reading this, Hi! Leave a comment and let folks know I'm not crazy!)

Countdown #71

***Featuring***
311
Astronautalis
AWOLNATION
Blink 182
Bush
Foo Fighters
Foster the People
Jane's Addiction
The Joy Formidable
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Rise Against
St. Vincent

Liveblogging the First Listen: Me First & the Gimme Gimmes - Sing in Japanese

If you click on the tag at the bottom of this post, you'll see that the Sing in Japanese EP by Me First and the Gimme Gimmes is a highly anticipated release around these parts.

So I thought I would do a liveblog of my first listen. I have listed the songs' English titles below and I will write whatever crosses my mind while each song is playing. I'm kind of wary about doing this because...well, they'll be singing in Japanese!

If someone familiar with these songs could comment with some context on the songs, that would be very helpful.

1. Hero

It's so strange. I mean, it could a) be gibberish or b) be a classic song...wait. Did he just say James Dean? I can tell that this is going to be an enjoyable EP. I'm already ready for the chorus... HERO...something something. Love it. It's amazing how the music makes it completely relatable. Kind of makes you think about how unimportant the lyrics of a song can be. This is amazing. Haha HAI HAI. Love it.

2. Kokoro No Tabi

Lol. I feel like I've suffered brain damage. The crowd vox always make me Singh along, but I can't sing along! I don't know the words! Or the language! Me first can do anything. This EP is proof. I wonder they'd ever perform these songs live in America. I also wonder if, someday, I'll be able to sing along....kind of makes me want to learn Japanese. Haha. The other thing is that I'm not sure what level of irony these songs are supposed to be heard at.

3. Kekkon Shiyoyo

Ooh. A little social d reference there. I wondered if they'd do that thing where they quote the melody of other classic punk songs. And they did! Hey there was the title! I can sing that too! Kekkon Shiyoyo! Mmm mmm mmm! He really sings that! Haha how many of you are actually going to hear this EP? It's not like when I was doing radio dad. Lots of people listened to that. I bet I'm the only person in my city that has this EP.

4. C-C-C

Haha. It's really strange to have song after song of this. I saw a review that was like, I didn't think they'd ACTUALLY sing in JAPANESE. Fuckin Weridos. Hey there was a little bit of English! "I'm so high...I'm so down...I'm so blue...no no no." haha this is such a surreal listen, guys. If you can pick up this EP, do. It's a trip.

5. 22 Sai No Wakare

But I mean, the songs are completely great. If I didn't know better, I would guess that Spike was making up "Japanese-sounding" lyrics. But I know that he didn't. Well, I suppose I don't KNOW it. Can I get some confirmation that these are actual Japanese songs and that spike is singing them at least close to correctly? I think this might be my favorite song so far. Good, drums and guitars. It sounds like a Japanese western song.

6. Linda Linda

Ok this song is twice as long as the others...oh wow. It's gonna be all ska-ey. I love it. Move over, 22 Sai No Wakare. There's a new sheriff in town. And those horns are by El Mariachi Bronx. Tricia, you know them! I hope you're reading this! Oh man. This song is so great. It's cool to hear the Gimmes play so chillish. This whole EP is going to get lots of plays. I can now confirm that. I'm absolutely speechless about how I'm enjoying this! Ooh fat mike can sing the chorus of this one! Repeatedly! Incessantly. And a nice little stereotypical Japanese accent at the end. Nice.

Well, that was a quick 15 minutes. Far more enjoyable than I feared. You should definitely pick up this EP. It's on amazon. I think you can DL it from iTunes. It's a bold next step in this bands illustrious discography. I suppose Glee is going to have Kekkon Shiyoyo on the show this season. Thanks for reading. Arigato. Sayonara.

New Countdown: LXX Edition!

It's time for another fun-filled episode! We're getting soaked with some 90's revival stuff on the countdown! I love it!

Countdown #70

***Featuring***
311
AWOLNATION
Blink-182
Bush
Coldplay
Foo Fighters
Foster the People
The Joy Formidable
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Rise Against
Sims

Stop your giggling and enjoy Countdown #69

It's taken me all weekend to get this out but I'm excited for you to hear it! I'll be back with another one very soon.

Also, watch this space for another guest review, an actual album review, the start of another Russian Roulette session and hopefully another Off the Charts episode!

Countdown #69

***Featuring***
311
AWOLNATION
Blink-182
Bush
Coldplay
Foo Fighters
Foster the People
The Joy Formidable
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Rise Against
Sugar Ray

Guest Review of Countdown Tracks! (Episode 2)

I asked one of my best friends in the entire world to listen to all the tracks we'd had on our countdown (at the time I sent it to her) that Andy didn't review a couple months ago and she came back with this. She also asked her friend Betsy to review them, too, and I will post that as soon as I get it! And now....Here's Erin!

PS. Erin has a blog where she talks about life with her new baby. Her baby is adorable and I think you'll find Erin is a very comfortable writer. You can find her blog HERE.

PPS. You can find the tracks she talks about on my Podcasts starting on Episode 40. And there are still some songs on the countdown I'll record this week! If you try to download an old episode and it's no longer available, let me know and I'll re-link it.

Erin's Guest Review

A disclaimer: It could be said that I am … not overly into music. My taste runs toward pop and ‘80s hair bands (my iPod contains a crap-ton of Bon Jovi and Backstreet Boys), and I may or may not have the entire Newsies soundtrack on repeat. My husband finds it utterly hilarious that I am doing a music review for James. In fact, when I told him about it, he said, “I want to be there when you listen to these songs, just so I can laugh at your reactions.” (He’s not here, though. If I waited for a time when he was here and the baby was asleep so I could actually do this, I would be missing out on precious hours of my own sleep. The joys of parenthood!)

A few things before I get going:

1)      I’m listening blind. James gave me the list of songs names and artists, but I have a tendency to decide I hate a band based on one song, so to avoid allowing myself to go into this with any sort of bias, I am not looking at the song titles or artists until I’m done. And since I’m terrible at recognizing bands based on sound, it’s unlikely that I’ll recognize the band without knowing ahead of time who it is, unless it’s a band I really like. If it’s one I’ve only heard one or two songs by, I won’t recognize it. At any rate, if I have more to add after I find out who the band is, I’ll put that in brackets after the initial review. {And I, James, will comment on anything that I find comment-able in these squiggly brackets, and I'll italicize it like this too}

2)      James told me I’m only allowed to say, “Ick” to one song, so I must choose wisely. He knows me well.

So here I go. Reviewing music, and stuff. Whee!

                                                                                                                      

1)      The Airborne Toxic Event: Changing. I like this one! I don’t really have anything intelligent to say on it, but I could listen to it again. Which is, for me, high praise. I feel like I may have heard it before, or at least maybe I’ve heard the band before.

2)      AWOLNATION: Sail. Ick. That’s right, I’m using my “ick” early, but I can’t help it. This song reminds me of both high school open mic nights (and not in a good way) and empty Army bunkers. (I don’t know what that means either, but that’s the mental image I got while I was forcing myself to listen to this whole song.)

3)      Beastie Boys: Make Some Noise. This totally sounds like the Beastie Boys. I dig it. [OMG, this actually IS the Beastie Boys. I thought they broke up or something. I totally did not think this was actually them.] {They are still going strong, even though one of them, Adam Yauch, was recently diagnosed with cancer. He's in remission, I believe was the last news. The album that this track comes from, Hot Sauce Committee, Part Two, has been hailed as their best since Hello Nasty}

4)      The Black Keys: Howlin’ For You. Was this song on an episode of “So You Think You Can Dance”? I think it was. I just tried to Google it but I couldn’t find anything, so maybe I’m making that up. Anyway, I like this one too. I got a little bored by the end, but I tend to have a short attention span.

5)      Coldplay: Every Teardrop is a Waterfall. Why does this seem reminiscent to me of the Ataris’ cover of “The Boys of Summer”? Not that it sounds like that song, but it’s got the same feel to it, for me. I would listen to this with the windows down, head-bobbing and not even feeling like I should turn the volume down at stoplights (which I usually do, out of embarrassment and respect for my fellow drivers – the rest of the world doesn’t need to hear my circa-2001 Britney and the soundtrack to Wicked). [Okay, Coldplay? Really? Would not have guessed that.]

6)      Death Cab for Cutie: You Are A Tourist. Crap, what is the name of this band? I recognize this band, I like this band, they did “Birdhouse in Your Soul” … They Might Be Giants! Gah, that would have made me crazy. Thank goodness for Google. Although this doesn’t sound like them except for the singer. Maybe I’m wrong. Either way, I like this. Again, with the head-bobbing. [Surprise! It’s not They Might Be Giants. Is Death Cab a side project of the singer for TMBG? This right here shows you what I know about music. Half the people reading this right now want to slap me, and the other half are probably too busy crying to want to slap me.] {I never saw the similarities between Ben Gibbard (lead singer of Death Cab)'s voice and John Linnell (lead singer of TMBG)'s voice until now.}

7)      Foo Fighters: Rope. I like this one. So does the baby. She’s been singing along. She should be napping, but whatever. If she’s going to be in a good mood and let me do this, I’m okay with her being awake.

8)      Foo Fighters: Walk. I’ve heard this before! I don’t know who it is or where I’ve heard it, though. My guess is that it’s been on Alt Nation and I’ve heard it in my husband’s car. More head-bobbing, on my part and my daughter’s. Though hers might be because she’s only five months old and her neck doesn’t work super-well yet.

9)      Foster the People: Pumped Up Kicks. I am bored with the first 45 seconds of this song. Perhaps it will pick up? … Yes. Yes, it picked up, but it’s still pretty repetitive. I am not revoking the “ick” from song #2, though, because this one is just boring, it doesn’t make me want to stab my eyeballs out. Lorelai seems to like it, she’s singing along again.

10)   Incubus: Adolescents. This one reminds me of Incubus. I don’t think it’s Incubus, I think Incubus might be too mainstream for this list, but it’s got some of the same … I don’t know what they’re called. Sound things. Not the instruments themselves, but some of the same types of sounds that the instruments make. James, aren’t you glad you asked me to review music for you? [Wow, I called another one! I am awesome!] {That's what they call them in the industry: "Sound Things" ;-)}

11)   Middle Class Rut: New Low. I don’t have anything clever to say about this one. I didn’t like or dislike it. It just was. {Frequent listeners to the podcast will remember that this song got overwhelmingly average reviews. And here's another one}

12)  Mumford & Sons: The Cave. I recognize this group too, but can’t identify it. I’m enjoying the Irish-sounding riffs. [This right here is why I didn’t look at the artists before I listened. Mumford & Sons has another song that annoys the crap out of me and I’d have disliked this one without giving it a chance if I had seen it was them before I heard it.]

13)   Rise Against: Help is On the Way. This one’s okay. I don’t love it, but it’s fine. If it came on the radio, I would listen to it – but only after making sure my other presets didn’t have something better (but I do that even if a song I love comes on). Oh, wait. I just got to the screamy part. I don’t like the screamy part. Why do singers feel the need to do that? They take a perfectly nice song and go and add in the screamy parts that make my throat hurt just listening to them. [Rise Against did another song back when my husband and I first started dating that he put on a mix CD for me, and I actually rather liked it. I don’t remember what it was called and I don’t know that I’ve heard anything by them since, but I do like them. And I probably like this song even more now that I know it’s theirs, because that’s how I roll.] {I will wager 1000 no-bucks that he put "Swing Life Away" on the mix CD.}

14)   Seether: Country Song. This is another one that I don’t love but I could listen to if it came on the radio. I like the harder parts, the verses in between kind of bore me a little though.

15)   Social Distortion: Machine Gun Blues. Oooh, I like this. This sounds like something you’d hear in a movie in a scene where the main characters are at some underground music club seeing an obscure band that seems like a no-big-deal scene but then turns out to come around full circle when at the end the guy sends her tickets to see the band as a peace offering after their fight, and then he shows up there and they make up to the sounds of the same song they were hearing in the first scene. (Why yes, I did just watch a movie where this happened. My taste in movies is about as deep as my taste in music. You should see my DVR, the amount of reality TV would gag you.) {We just watched "Going the Distance", too!}

16)   Sublime with Rome: Panic. This sounds like an angry version of Save Ferris. Although I think Save Ferris is a ska band (yes?) and the thing that defines ska is the horns, which I don’t hear in this song. But they might be there and I just don’t hear them. That happens a lot. Oh, no, wait, there is a horn. I think. Maybe. Anyway, angry Save Ferris. [Sublime with Rome? Like, those are two groups joining forces? Sublime, like “Caress Me Down” Sublime? I thought that guy died.] {Sublime with Rome is the two surviving members of Sublime playing with new lead singer Rome Ramirez. Save Ferris was indeed a ska band (they broke up a few years back) and Sublime (and Sublime with Rome, I would imagine) had ska elements to the music, but I wouldn't call them a ska band in the same way I would call Save Ferris a ska band. And yeah, the horns are there, they're just a little bit down in the mix.}

17)   Young the Giant: My Body. I could dance to this. Not well, because I’m a crappy dancer, but this could easily be in one of my dance-party-in-the-living-room-to-make-the-baby-stop-fussing playlists.

18)  Naked and Famous: Young Blood. I’m not loving this one. I mean, it’s okay, but it’s not really doing anything for me. Let’s go back to the Beastie Boys one

End of Review

Thanks so much, Erin. It's actually kind of REALLY refreshing to have someone not immersed in this music (ok...random indentation...) giving it a listen.

If you are interested in doing a guest review of countdown songs, shoot me an email at aodblog@gmail.com and we'll hook it up.

Doubling Up on the Rise Against!

I was so stoked to see our beloved Appetite For Distraction mascot band (that's right. it's official.) back on our charts that I played two songs by them! Enjoy this one, people. I certainly did!

Countdown #68

***Featuring***
311
The Airborne Toxic Event
AWOLNATION
Blink-182
Coldplay
Foo Fighters
Foster the People
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Rise Against
Sublime with Rome

Russian Roulette (Blog Version) - 6th Round

Well, here we are. On the last "bullet", so to speak. And this one's a doozy. I know I've kept you on the edge of your seats for almost 2 months since the last round and maybe some of you thought that I posted something and it was the round that hit home (aka got taken down because it was on a "hot list" because I'm a dirty dirty pirate)

Well, I'll tell you this. This final round (of this particular game. I'm absolutely going to play again) may be the one. You see, the song is...

Linkin Park - Waiting for the End from A Thousand Suns (buy)

And that flies in the face of all the reasons I've had for low R-cubeds (see Round 4 for a definition of R-cubed). It's still relatively new. It was a #1 hit on the very countdown I publish on this blog. And I can completely see it being on all kinds of lists.

Keep your fingers crossed for me :)

Hey you! Listen to some music! On my podcast!

Welp, it's time once again for that glorious event we (and by we, I mean me...and by me I mean I) like to call the Countdown!

I'm probably not going to be posting a lot other than podcasts on here for a bit (my computer still registers "podcasts" as a misspelled word...get with the times, computer!) because I just got a gig writing album reviews for Listen Before You Buy! I'm very excited about it. But I'm going to need to focus all my bloggy energy on getting going on that. But I'll get all squared away over there and then we can have some more fun over here! And it's not like the podcasts are going to stop...so, quit your complaining. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gotten all up in your face.

Anywho...

Countdown #67

***Featuring***
311
The Airborne Toxic Event
AWOLNATION
Blink-182
Coldplay
Death Cab For Cutie
Foo Fighters
Foster the People
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Sublime with Rome
Temple of the Dog

Get Your Kicks (Pumped Up or otherwise) on Podcast #66

I almost didn't see the opportunity that this week's episode afforded me for the title of the post. But then I did. And I took that opportunity and ran with it. And I feel good about that.

So, I'm back from vacation and ready to hunker in for the fall and winter. This is the episode that will get us started on our hunkering. I hope you enjoy it. There are some real rockers on this one.

Countdown #66

***Featuring***
311
The Airborne Toxic Event
AWOLNATION
Blink-182
Coldplay
Death Cab For Cutie
Foo Fighters
Foster the People
The Jesse Minute
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Sublime with Rome

Providence can provide. Providence will provide. Providence did provide.

So, I know I come off as this big, tough, Alternative Rock guy. Like "Hey man, Kurt Cobain forever." And in many ways, I am that guy.

But in many other ways, I'm just a big pop-punk kid. I like the beats fast, the melodies sweet, the songs about relationships, and if you can throw in some breaks in the song where we can all jump in the air and land on the beat where the music comes back in, that would be super.

So, I would generally contend that the best pop-punk was made around the turn of the millennium, with New Found Glory, Blink-182, Green Day,  and Drive-Thru Records (which is the label NFG were on, and I already mentioned them. I know. Relax.) having HUGE releases. And that's only the tip of the iceberg.

I recently made my friend Lisa a mix of all the pop-punk bands I could think of. I rounded it off at 50. I'm hoping it fits on 2 discs.

What does all this have to do with Providence? Glad you asked.

Providence, Rhode Island is the birthplace of the most exciting pop-punk band I've heard in years: The Jesse Minute. They have all the qualities that I mentioned before and what's more, they have a female lead singer, so I can ask them to be on the Wayne Foundation comp (which I've already done...they said yes!!!)!

The thing that I keep thinking about The Jesse Minute is that they are what I'm always hoping Paramore will be. Missa, the singer, has a lovely voice, but (and here's where I come off as insensitive) she doesn't feel the need to showcase it in ballads that frankly take away from the rock. And the product is delicious. I want these guys to come to Virginia soon so I can be all nuts at the front of the crowd.

They have two studio albums and a live album available for FREE at their bandcamp page. And then if you go to their website, you can get physical copies of all three albums, some stickers, some pins and a t-shirt for just $25. Which is an insanely good deal, but that's just how Providence, RI rolls.

The Jesse Minute - Rally from Shut Up and Play

Back to 1996! (Flashback Countdown #2)

Here we are for another Flashback Countdown and the way it works out is that we're doing 1996 again. Fortunately it was a very good year. So I know you'll simply LOVE the episode this week. It's also over an hour long so, in addition to telling me if there are any linkage problems, you can enjoy my sultry voice extra long while I'm away. I'll be back next week!

Flashback Countdown #2

***Featuring***
Beck
Butthole Surfers
The Cranberries
Garbage
No Doubt
Oasis
Primitive Radio Gods
Screaming Trees
Smashing Pumpkins
Stone Temple Pilots

Everybody's Working For the Weekend

So, at work, I'm basically scrambling to get the mountainous pile of stuff to do done before the end of Thursday, as I will be leaving for Florida with my wife and daughter and won't be returning to work until the following Monday.

In a similar situation, I have been stressing (well, not stressing, per se, but concerned) about getting the podcasts from last week and this week recorded and posted. Well, hang the banner because it's MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!

Countdown #65

***Featuring***
The Airborne Toxic Event
AWOLNATION
Coldplay
Death Cab for Cutie
Foo Fighters
Foster the People
Incubus
The Naked and Famous
Sublime with Rome

Somehow playing catch-up already

Well, here's the first of a couple podcasts I'm going to be doing this week! I hope you're enjoying them in the blocks that I'm posting them!

Countdown #64

***Featuring***
The Airborne Toxic Event
Alanis Morrissette
AWOLNATION
Coldplay
Death Cab For Cutie
Foo Fighters
Foster the People
Incubus
The Naked and Famous
Sublime with Rome

The Grand Finale!

Well, it has come to a very surprising end.

I don't want to say more than that, lest I ruin the surprise of what this episode has turned out to be.

Countdown #63

***Featuring***
The Airborne Toxic Event
AWOLNATION
The Black Keys
Coldplay
Death Cab For Cutie
Foo Fighters
Foster the People
Incubus
Sublime with Rome
Wugazi

Welp, here it is!

So, this is the culmination of the rumors and the hearsay!

Me First and the Gimme Gimmes Sing in Japanese

I'm excited to hear how this turns out!

Off The Charts #3: #1 Albums

At first I was worried that this would be immediately shut down by the Man. And maybe it still will be, but I hope not. The thing is, you probably already own all of these songs. So why would you steal them?

I had a blast putting this one together and I hope you have a blast listening to it!

Off The Charts #3: #1 Albums


(A running theme of these episodes has been that I've been talking and talking and talking, so it's another Google Docs link. Let me know if it's not working, but I haven't heard from anyone about the others, so maybe I've learned how to do this right)


(Also, it seems that Blogger has forgotten how to move a word to the next line if it doesn't fit on the line it's on. So, that's annoying and hopefully you won't know what I'm talking about when you're reading this. If you DO know what I'm talking about, I apologize for the weirdness.)


***Featuring***
The Beatles
Blood, Sweat, and Tears
Carole King
Fleetwood Mac
Guns N' Roses
Jay-Z
Jaydiohead
Lauryn Hill
Michael Jackson
Nirvana
Radiohead

4th Consecutive Day with a New Podcast!

I'm so happy that this is going so well! I hope you're all enjoying and rocking out to all the podcasts this weekend!

This is the Countdown for the week of 7/9. And today's 7/9. Do you know what that means? I'm caught up!! Woohoo!!!! And there's still two more days of podcasts for you to look forward to!

Countdown #62

(This is another long one (there's a particularly long intro...) so let me know if the link's not working!)

***Featuring***
The Airborne Toxic Event
AWOLNATION
The Beggars' Guild
Coldplay
Death Cab for Cutie
Foo Fighters
Foster the People
Incubus
Rise Against
Sublime with Rome

Off The Charts #2: Daytrotter

In preparation for the birthday edition of OTC, I put together a tribute to Daytrotter!

I hope that you enjoy it! I absolutely enjoyed it and I'm so excited about this new show.

Off The Charts #2: Daytrotter

***Featuring***
French Kicks
The Jim Jones Revue
The Morning Benders
Sam Roberts
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin
White Rabbits

Day 2!

Well, here we are on day 2 of the Appetite For Distraction Podcast Marathon (or something like that) which will see a new podcast posted every day at 830 (with the exception of yesterday's when I didn't know that I was doing the 830 thing) until Monday! Today's podcast is....

Countdown #61

***Featuring***
The Airborne Toxic Event
AWOLNATION
Coldplay
Death Cab for Cutie
Foo Fighters
Foster the People
Incubus
Rise Against
Seether
Sublime with Rome
U2

Off The Charts #1: Sister/Summer

So, here's a new series of podcasts that I've been thinking about doing. It's not the countdown. It's something else. Something...different. I hope you enjoy it

The microphone quality is also different from normal, but thats what you get from setting up and recording on the fly!

Off The Charts #1

(As always, let me know if that link isn't working...)

***Featuring***
Beck
Breakbot
Freestylers
The Japanese War Effort
Kings of Leon
Matt Nathanson
Passion Pit
Peter, Bjorn, and John
Sly & the Family Stone
Sugar Ray
The Who

Russian Roulette (Blog Version) - 5th Round

First of all, Happy Birthday Dad! I'm so stoked that one of these landed on your birthday! You have been instrumental in my musical growth over the years! Not to mention my growth as a man and a human being.

So, today's round goes to the first track on the Joplin In Concert album. It was an album I bought after hearing about how amazing she was and this track absolutely hooked me in to loving her and her amazing voice!

It was recorded on March 2, 1968 when she was with Big Brother and the Holding Company.

Every time I hear this, I am sad that I never got to see her perform in concert. They truly don't make singers like her anymore. Or maybe they do and she was just one of the first, biggest, brightest example!

The R-cubed (see previous round) on this is still pretty low, because I feel like there's not a lot of demand for this kind of recording. It's a pretty common thing, is what I'm saying, so don't worry about little ol' me. :)

Janis Joplin - Down on Me (live) from Joplin In Concert (buy)

Russian Roulette (Blog Version) - 4th Round

I really don't know much about this band that I'm posting for the fourth exciting round of blog Russian Roulette. I know that I got this from I Am Fuel, You Are Friends, along with "Hey Sandy", "As Usual" and "Coronado II", all of which come from the Music from The Adventures of Pete and Pete which was a TV show on Nickelodeon that was the "cool, awkward kid" among all of its contemporaries. "Hey Sandy" was the theme song, but this song is also quite enjoyable.

The Adventures of Pete and Pete was a nice glimpse into middle-class, kooky American life, so it's apropos that this song is showing up on the day we celebrate our Independence Day!

In terms of Russian Roulette Risk ("R-cubed" to those in the know), I would say that this song is fairly safe. I could always be wrong, but, in this instance, I don't think I am. Not a lot of people trying to pirate this kind of music and so it's probably not on too many hot lists...

Polaris - She is Staggering from Music from The Adventures of Pete and Pete (buy)

This Week's Countdown: Many Changes

All of the songs moved either up or down this week, save one. Which one? You will have to listen to find out!

Countdown #60

***Featuring***
The Airborne Toxic Event
The Black Keys
Death Cab For Cutie
Foster the People
Foo Fighters
Incubus
Mumford & Sons
Rise Against
Seether
Sublime With Rome

My Birthday

So, my birthday is coming up and for it, I'm going to try one of a couple new podcast ideas.

All day on July 16 (my birthday), I'll be watching my Google Reader (where I read my blogs) and I'll be listening to every song posted in blogs on my list. I'll download my favorite song from each post (because the posts often have more than one song on them) and doing a podcast where I talk about the songs and the blogs that they came from. In between songs, I'll also talk about the posts that didn't have any songs in them.

It should be a lot of fun (despite how dry the previous paragraph may have sounded) and I'm really looking forward to it! For instance, Daytrotter posts at least one session every day, so you know there'll be a Daytrotter track on there.

If you'd like to be on my list (or confirm that you are already on my list), leave me a comment!

Like I said, this is one of a few ideas I have for some new podcast shows. So watch this space in the upcoming weeks and months!

Russian Roulette (Blog Version) - 3rd Round

Well, it's appropriate that today is my wife's last day of responsibilities at school and our Russian Roulette song is a punk song from Fat Wreck Chords heroes No Use For a Name. I am not too worried about this song getting me in trouble. Punk rockers are on our side, right? :)

This album is a fast-paced rocker that's perfect for the first days of summer. Get the whole thing, listen to it, and wreck your living room.....or someone else's living room.....ok, maybe leave the living room alone.

No Use For a Name - Leave it Behind from Leche con Carne! (buy from Amazon) or (buy from the label!)

Creepy Love (A Poem and Two Songs)

A reading of this poem came up on my iPod this evening. It goes from "almost uncomfortably intimate" to "maybe I should call a cop..." but the intimacy never leaves. Some of the imagery is pretty horrifying, but also pretty great. I feel good about these three works being in the same post.

Lovesong
by Ted Hughes

He loved her and she loved him.
His kisses sucked out her whole past and future or tried to
He had no other appetite
She bit him she gnawed him she sucked
She wanted him complete inside her
Safe and sure forever and ever
Their little cries fluttered into the curtains

Her eyes wanted nothing to get away
Her looks nailed down his hands his wrists his elbows
He gripped her hard so that life
Should not drag her from that moment
He wanted all future to cease
He wanted to topple with his arms round her
Off that moment's brink and into nothing
Or everlasting or whatever there was

Her embrace was an immense press
To print him into her bones
His smiles were the garrets of a fairy palace
Where the real world would never come
Her smiles were spider bites
So he would lie still till she felt hungry
His words were occupying armies
Her laughs were an assassin's attempts
His looks were bullets daggers of revenge
His glances were ghosts in the corner with horrible secrets
His whispers were whips and jackboots
Her kisses were lawyers steadily writing
His caresses were the last hooks of a castaway
Her love-tricks were the grinding of locks
And their deep cries crawled over the floors
Like an animal dragging a great trap
His promises were the surgeon's gag
Her promises took the top off his skull
She would get a brooch made of it
His vows pulled out all her sinews
He showed her how to make a love-knot
Her vows put his eyes in formalin
At the back of her secret drawer
Their screams stuck in the wall

Their heads fell apart into sleep like the two halves
Of a lopped melon, but love is hard to stop

In their entwined sleep they exchanged arms and legs
In their dreams their brains took each other hostage

In the morning they wore each other's face

This is also called "Lovesong":
The Cure - Lovesong from Disintegration (buy) (or on MP3)

But this poem feels a bit more like:
Alkaline Trio - Nose Over Tail from Goddamnit! (buy) (or on MP3)

King Post Kitsch Review: The Party's Over and I'm Sad

I'm writing this on Monday, June 13. And as I'm writing, I'm sad. It's because I made a pact with myself almost two weeks ago and I'm really planning to stick to it.

Matthew from Song, By Toad and Song, By Toad Records sent me a review copy of the new King Post Kitsch album The Party's Over (which, as it happens, comes out TODAY!). It's an album, that I've been looking forward to hearing since he played "Walking on Eggshells" back in January. I downloaded it and put it on my iPod on June 2nd, telling myself that, rather than just saying, "How awesome is it that I got is album I was intending to buy, absolutely free!", I would give myself two weeks to listen and review and fall in love with it and then I would erase it from my hard drive. That way, I'd go through withdrawal and NEED to buy it for my birthday, as I and been intending.

And my plan worked. I am absolutely head over heels in love with this damn album. Everything I liked about the EP's is here in spades. I think the best exampe of what I'm talking about is the transition from Track 2 ("Don't You Touch My Fucking Honeytone") to Track 3 ("Fante's Last Stand"). The former is a rocker the likes of which I haven't heard since I was first listening to Arctic Monkeys and the latter is a song that wouldn't be out of place as a soundtrack for lying in a field picking out cloud shapes. They SHOULD feel totally out of place being played back to back. But that's not how King Post Kitsch rolls.
KPK is all about the "what could possibly come next?" factor. And that's why I love this album and why I'll be playing it hard for the last three days of my review period and why I'll be ordering it and the "Don't You Touch My Fucking Honeytone" 7" as soon as it isossoble to justify it as a "birthday purchase".

King Post Kitsch - Fante's Last Stand from The Party's Over (BUY!)

A New Countdown and Perhaps My Favorite Flashback Song, Ever!

So, along with the Flashback song being a better song than I even remembered, I think I've determined that there are at least 2 songs that will be on my end of year "Best of" List! Try to guess what they are. You might be surprised!

Countdown #59

***Featuring***
The Airborne Toxic Event
AWOLNATION
The Black Keys
Death Cab for Cutie
Foo Fighters
Foster the People
Incubus
Mumford & Sons
Rise Against
Sublime With Rome
Toad the Wet Sprocket

The Podcast as a Well-Oiled Machine

THIS, my friends. This is how I always want the podcast to go. It's Monday night. The baby is sleeping. I knocked out the podcast and had fun doing it. It's a pretty exciting little episode. Only three songs stay in the position they were in last week! I hope that I can continue to stay on top of this podcast. I enjoy it even more when it's punctual! Plus there's the factor of the unknown. Recently, I've been a week behind, so I was doing intros knowing full well what the song did the following week. And I haven't had that recently!

I'm going to have to use some of this extra time to make the Flashback countdown for August!

Countdown #58

***Featuring***
The Airborne Toxic Event
The Black Keys
Cage the Elephant
Death Cab for Cutie
Foo Fighters
Foster the People
Green Day
Incubus
Mumford & Sons
Rise Against
Sublime with Rome

BLUE BIRD!

So, when I put on the Metamorphosis EP by Blue Bird, I know that I'm not going to hear just one band. The Omaha-based band moves fluidly from gospel to rock to girl group with such grace that, even after many listens, I'm still caught off-guard. One example of this fluidity occurs at 3:03 of "Everything Can Change" and it never fails to give me goosebumps. This is surely a band to keep your eyes and ears on.

Blue Bird - Everything Can Change from Metamorphosis EP (which you can download for FREE over at their Soundcloud site )

They're on tour this summer and I would highly recommend you get out and see them!

6/25 Red Sky pre-festival showcase (venue TBA), Omaha NE

6/26 Big V's, Minneapolis MN

6/27 Elbo Room, Chicago IL

6/28 Wilbert's, Cleveland OH

6/29 Labyrinth, Jamestown NY

6/30 Hennessey's Hooley House, Boston MA

7/1 Pianos, New York NY

7/2 National Underground, New York NY

7/3 TBA, Philadelphia PA

7/5 TBA, Washington DC

7/6 Elliott's Revue, Winston-Salem NC

7/7 Rye Bar, Athens GA

7/8 TBA, Nashville TN

7/9 TBA, St. Louis MO