Memorial Day 2011! This time last year, we were in Boston...

...and the podcast was flashing back to 1997. We do a little of that this week, but not as much as that time. The big flashback countdown is going to be in the first week of August this year. And it's going to be a good one.

I mention my Twitter name on the podcast and I just wanted to type it out. If you want to follow me, I'm @james80d! (not the exclamation point. was that a necessary detail to mention?)

Countdown #56

***Featuring***
The Airborne Toxic Event
Beastie Boys
The Black Keys
Cage the Elephant
Death Cab for Cutie
Foo Fighters
Foster the People
Incubus
Mumford & Sons
Rise Against

150th Post and 55th Podcast!

Making the best of a bad work situation by putting a new podcast up!

In Wayne Foundation compilation news, Dessa has agreed to be on the comp. I'm not going to reveal what song I'm going to be using, but it's a good one :) I'm super stoked to have her aboard. Thanks Dessa!

Countdown #55

***Featuring***
The Airborne Toxic Event
Beastie Boys
The Black Keys
Cage the Elephant
Foo Fighters
Foster the People
Incubus
Mumford & Sons
New Order
Rise Against
Young the Giant

Gimme Gimme an Update!

So, a bit of a follow-up on the mystery of the next Me First and the Gimme Gimmes theme.

On Twitter today, Fat Mike (@FatMike_of_NOFX) said, "Can't tell you what the theme of the new Gimmes EP is, but check out this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVz6Ogfowjo&feature=related"

So, I click on the link and the video is clearly from one of the Asian countries. So I'm thinking to myself, "Wha? Is this some kind of joke?"

Then the Fat Wreck Chords Twitterfeed (@fat_wreck) tweeted this: "Me First and the Gimme Gimmes in the studio! http://www.fatwreck.com/news/detail/375".

Which brought me to the information that, "The six song EP includes covers of songs by famed Japanese artists such as: “Kekkon Shiyoyo” by Takuryo Yoshida, “Hero” by Kai Band and “Kokoro No Tabi” by Tulip."

Clicking on the link contained in THAT link (it's a labyrinth of links on the Internet, isn't it?) told me that this, in addition to Go Down Under (the Australian covers EP), " is just the second in a series of what he calls the band’s 'world EPs'; ones focusing on Spanish, Italian, German and French should also surface in the future."

This is basically the most exciting and terrifying news I've heard in a long time. These will be covers EP's with songs that it's almost impossible that any of their American fans will have heard. It will indeed be a different listening experience and I see what Fat Mike meant by "nothing we've ever done before." AND by  "I don't know if that's a good thing or not." Time will tell.

Can anyone give me a rundown on those three songs? I know I have at least one reader who could help me with this particular genre...

Acrylics: From the Name On, A Band to Love!

I know it's wrong to do things this way, but I knew when I saw their name, that I would like Acrylics.

When I listened to a couple of songs, and then the whole album Lives & Treasure (which can be bought here or here), I quickly decided that I was right. The vocalists, Molly Shea and Jason Klauber play off of eachother in their duets and also create beautiful songs when singing alone.

I think my favorite Jason song is called Counting Sheep (which I don't have permission to post (but they have a Daytrotter version that I CAN post)


Acrylics - Counting Sheep (Daytrotter Session) (Get the whole session here)

My favorite Molly song is one I CAN post:


Acrylics - Nightwatch from Lives & Treasure

I'm going to let you buy the album and decide which duet you like best! (Mmm, that's enticement to buy!)

I know you're itching for a new podcast now that Blogger has been down for 24 hours...

...and I have one for you! That's right. One piping hot, awesome new Countdown. To keep you warm. I actually finished it last night (go me.) and then Blogger was down, so I couldn't post it when I was finished.

But here it is!

Countdown #54

***Featuring***
The Airborne Toxic Event
Beastie Boys
The Black Keys
Cage the Elephant
Depeche Mode
Foo Fighters
Foster the People
Incubus
Mumford & Sons
Rise Against
Young the Giant

Anybody's Guess

So about a day ago, Fat Mike (bassist for NOFX and Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, head of Fat Wreck Chords) tweeted, "New Gimmes record is almost done, and let me say its like nothing we've ever done before. I don't know if that's a good thing or not"

And it got my mind reeling about what it could be....and I'm stumped. So far, they've done:

Have a Ball (70's covers)
Are a Drag (Showtunes Covers)
Blow in the Wind (60's covers)
Take a Break (African-American Covers)
Love Their Country (Country Covers) (Still one of my favorite album titles ever)
Go Down Under (Australian Covers)

So the problem is that there have been so many punk cover albums (Punk Goes...Metal, 80's, 90's, Pop, Crunk, Classic Rock) that it boggles my mind what they could be up to.

What do you guys think?

Get ready to dance. This podcast is fortified with 11 essential booty-shaking vitamins and minerals

What I mean is that I feel like this episode's going to make you dance. I know there are some new songs (or, song, rather) that would play well on the dance floor but I feel like the whole thing just has the tone of "Dance!"

Or maybe it's just me ;-)

Countdown #53

***Featuring***
The Airborne Toxic Event
Beastie Boys
The Black Keys
Cage the Elephant
Foo Fighters
Foster the People
Incubus
Mumford & Sons
Radiohead
Rise Against
Young the Giant

Russian Roulette (Blog Version) - 2nd Round

The second round of our game of Russian Roulette goes to:

Squirrel Nut Zippers - Low Down Man from Perennial Favorites (buy)

I feel like this a little bit more risky than the first round. It's a song by a band from the 90's as opposed to the 60's and they might be on the "master list" somewhere

Perennial Favorites came out in 1998 and was the first SNZ album I had an official copy of. (My cousin had made me a tape of Hot which I practically played into the ground.) This is one of the songs on the album sung by the beautiful-voiced Katharine Whalen. It's so gorgeous. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that it could be Billie Holiday singing this song. It's that beautiful.

Totally coherent and non-rambly musings with musical accompaniment...

Ok, so maybe I sound distracted and "crazy" on this week's episode. So what? So do you! I'm sorry. That was uncalled for. Friends? Awesome.


Countdown #52

***Featuring***
The Airborne Toxic Event
Black Keys
Cage the Elephant
Foo Fighters
Foster the People
Incubus
Linkin Park
Mumford & Sons
Rise Against
She Might Bite
Young the Giant