radio barz

The Decemberists: Foregone (Download)

Check out Today's Top Tune on KCRW -- "Foregone" by The Decemberists. A smooth, twangy mellow jam from a new EP that features b-sides from one of my favorite albums of the year, The King Is Dead. 

Where do you find new music?

This week, my son Jonathan asked, "Dad, where do you find new music?" Well, son, here are the top 3 places I go to discover new tunes:

1. Daytrotter. Just launched its paid membership -- $2 a month for a priceless collection of exclusive sessions, hot streams and ultra cool illustrations and editorial. What are you waiting for? Pay the man and start listening. Latest Daytrotter find -- Lateef the Truthspeaker's smooth, groovy, jazz rap. 
2. NPR's All Songs Considered podcast, blog and 24/7 music channel. In Bob Boilen, the godfather of All Songs, I trust. Same said for his All Song's compatriot Robin Hilton. They routinely turn me on to music I might have missed. All Song's intimate Tiny Desk Concerts are addictive. Special editions showcase electronic, metal and latin music. All Song's also presents great theme shows (when did you "break up" with your favorite band?), guest DJ sets and extensive SXSW coverage, including bleary-eyed, conversational SXSW recaps -- often recorded way past the midnight hour.
3. KCRW. Just about any place you turn your ear on this station, you’ll find new, engaging and intriguing music. Many of my discovers have come from listening to shows hosted by Anne Litt, Garth Trinidad and Aaron Byrd. Also love the station's Eclectic 24 music stream.

Other places I turn to hear new tunes:

• RCRD LBL - Fun remixes and wild variety. Where else can you find The Antlers cover The xx song "VCR" and Rev. Lonnie Farris' soulful "Peace in the Valley." 
• No Depression 
• KEXP Song of the Day
• WWOZ - Bringing New Orleans music to the world.
• For fans of Turntable, Blip may seem a little underwhelming, but it's fast, accessible and a great way to connect with DJs around the world and discover what's in their ear.
• RIP (and hopefully rise again) WOXY. 
• If I was only in town, Everybody's Records in Cincinnati.
• When I'm downtown Chicago, Reckless Records. Pick your location.
• When I'm at SXSW, Waterloo Records. 

I’m also experiencing an emerging obsession this week with Tom Sharpling’s newly launched musician interview podcast, Low Times. The first ep featured Wild Flag drummer Janet Weiss, Owen Ashworth of Advance Base, and bassist Catherine Popper, who's played with Ryan Adams, Willie Nelson and -- don't take my word for it, listen yourself -- Chevy Chase. Low Times is freaking awesome. Thanks, Tom, Maggie and Daniel. I eagerly await episode 2. 

Jonathan, I hope I answered your question. 

Where do you go to find new music? Let me know and I'll post the resources you share.

 

Favorite albums of 2010 (so far)

Already know I'll be adding a few titles, but here are my favorite releases of 2010 (so far):

• The Black Keys-Brothers
• Fred Eaglesmith-Cha Cha Cha
• Bobby Bare Jr.-A Storm, A Tree, My Mother’s Head
• Stephanie Finch And the Company Men-Cry Tomorrow
• Black Dub-Black Dub
• Steve Poltz-Dream House
• Hoodoo Gurus-Purity Of Essence
• Jon Dee Graham-It’s Not As Bad As It Looks
• Neil Young-Le Noise
• Jon Langford-Old Devils

 

 

Saturday morning playlist

Here's today's Saturday morning playlist. Heavy on roots and insurgent country thanks to Jon Langford, James McMurtry, Neko, Sarah Borges and more. Check out these and more tunes on my BlipFM station.

• James McMurtry – Ruby and Carlos
• Chuck Prophet – ¡Let Freedom Ring!
• Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles – Me And Your Ghost
• Holly Golightly – Your Love is mine
• Neko Case – Buckets Of Rain (Bob Dylan Cover)
• "Detroit Cobras ~ "Cha Cha Twist" My Fav Cobras tune"
• Sally Timms – Drunk By Noon
• "Roxy Music – Jealous Guy  
• Neil Young – Cinnamon Girl
• Adrian Belew – I'm Down
• Beach House – Beach House - Norway
• Jon Langford  "Book of Your Life"
• Daniel Lanois – Power Of One
• Chris Whitley – Her Furious Angels
• Joe Pug – Bury Me Far From My Uniform
• John Doe – Golden State
• Jon Langford "1234Ever" --  Good Saturday to you all!

 

Neil Young - Le Noise - The Film

Neil Young - Le Noise - The Film

Le Noise, the film. 39 minutes of guitar crunchiness. Lots of fiber. Just what this old rock and roller needs. Music to my ears.

 

 

Sunday morning playlist: Dum Dum Girls, Janet Panic, John Hiatt and more

Sunday morning, getting caught up on past editions of the KCRW "Today's Top Tune" podcast and some tasty selections from CBC Radio 3. It all yields this playlist:

• A.M. -- It's Been So Long
• Dum Dum Girls -- Blank Girl
• Janet Panic -- Lousy Wife
• Ben Sollee and Daniel Martin Moore -- Only a Song
• Golden Smoke -- Miami
• Four Tet -- This Unfolds
• John Hiatt -- The Open Road
• The Deep Dark Woods -- Nancy

Reviews for Alan Jackson's new album feature raves for Eaglesmith's "Freight Train"

Alan Jackson's new release has drawn mixed reviews. One thing critics can agree on: Fred Eaglesmith's "Freight Train," covered by Jackson is a mighty good song.

• Review: Alan Jackson in comfort zone on new CD by Michael McCall (Huffington Post): "CHECK THIS TRACK OUT: The title song, written by Fred Eaglesmith, is a hard-rolling acoustic boogie tune that gives the singer and his expert studio band a chance to fire up some locomotive power."
• Review by JOHN WIRT in 2TheAdvocate.com:  "And there’s the occasionally less comfortable song, the best of which is title track “Freight Train,” a Fred Eaglesmith song driven by a racing train beat and yearning to get out of Dodge."
• Winnipeg Free Press: "Heck, who but Alan Jackson could cover a classic from the catalogue of Canadian alt-country icon Fred Eaglesmith (the title track) and make it sound like it was something he wrote himself?"
• CD review: Alan Jackson’s “Freight Train” By Michael Corcoran: "On his latest album, which hits stores today, the Georgia native finds such originals as “Every Now and Then,” the pandering lead-off track “Hard Hat and a Hammer” and “That’s Where I Belong” (surprising only because it took Jackson this long to write a song called “That’s Where I Belong”) overshadowed by such writers as Fred Eaglesmith (title track) and Jay Knowles and Adam Wright (“Taillights Blue”). "
• Alan Jackson Roars On With 'Freight Train' by Deborah Evans-Price (TheBoot.Com)

Fred Eaglesmith and the Ginn Sisters play Friday, April 9 at Fitzgerald's Nightclub in Berwyn, Illinois, 9pm, $15 TW/advance tickets. Here's what you might expect:

Fresh Sounds from Northern Lands: CBC Radio 3 Ab-Original Podcasts

Unless you subscribe to CBC Radio 3's Ab-Original podcasts, you may be missing all the great music written and performed by Canadian aboriginal musicians.

Styles range from blues, bluegrass, jazz, metal, folk, alt-country, hip-hop and more, each blended with unique regional perspectives lyrically and musically.

 
 

As a fan of harder-edged folk and rootsy alt-country, I've enjoyed discovering a number of new-to-me artists and songs via the Ab-Original podcasts, including Mark Nabess', "Indian Town" and Bonnie Couchie's, "Stupid with You." Can you resist a song that proclaims "I was happy to be stupid with you?" After all, as Bonnie sings it, "Isn't that what love's about?"

Podcast hosts, including Kim Ziervogel, Melissa Spence and  Suzette Amaya inform listeners about trends, emerging artists and classic acts in the aboriginal music scene.

Check out CBC 3's aboriginal music page for charting tunes, DJ playlists, artist pages, and links to dozens of recent podcasts and streams. Turn your ears north and get lost in the sounds of talented artists performing a stunning range of musical styles.

January 30 episode of The Waiting Room packed with 26 new and amazing songs

Another wonderful edition of the world's greatest music show, "The Waiting Room" on WOXY last week.  Our genial hosts, One Half of Drunk Country & The Woman of The House, introduced us to 26 new and amazing songs by the likes of:

• The Treats – The Brief Ballad Of The So-So Kid
  
• Puerto Muerto – Arcadia
  
• Danny & The Champions Of The World – Your People
  
• Analog Rebellion – Brain ≠ Heart (I Need To Know)
  
• Basia Bulat – Run
  
• The Tallest Man On Earth – King Of Spain
  
• UTE – Panic–Float
  
• These New Puritans – Attack Music
  
• Fragments Of Winter – Astonishing
  
• The Bears Of Blue River – Me, Me, Me
• Woozy Viper – Love Scented Candles
  
• The Secret Love Parade – Always You
• The Magic Theatre – Steamroller
  
• And many more

Seriously, if you're not hip TWR, I wonder what you're waiting? Subscribe to the weekly podcast or listen online. 

Videos by some of the bands featured on the January 30 episode of The Waiting Room:

Bionica? It's Electronica with Heart. Check out Phantogram

Despite my deep alt-country, blues and rock roots, I listen to a fair amount of electronic. Sometimes, though, the music lacks human warmth. It can all be a bunch of artificial droning and zoning. 

That's not the case with Phantogram. This band's electronic vibe is wired to a real, beating heart. This is thanks in part to some smart, catchy tunes and Sarah Barthel's sweet-dreamy vocals.

 
 Electonica that beats with a human heart: To me, that's "bionica," and Phantogram plays it well.

Phantogram's human-touch electronica -- or bionica --  may stem from what the band's bio describes as a melding of natural surroundings and metropolitan influences. I get that. Tracks off the band's debut Eyelid Movies (released this month on Ghostly International) would sound at home played in a small NYC dance club or at a garden party under a star-filled midwest night. 

Thanks -- as always -- to Lost at E Minor for continuing to intrdouce me to great bands like Phantogram.