112: The Top Ten Records That Came Out Yesterday

Well well Wednesday. Perhaps the best one yet. In fact, this is the first Wednesday on record where i actually had more than 10 records picked out to chat about. I'm at a hotel in Buttonwilllow, CA and checkout time is in 50 minutes, so i'm going to get through as much of it as i can right now. Knowing my penchant for rambling on, i probably won't get far. Kick it.


*** The Top Ten Records Released on January 24, 2006 ***

10 Film School - Film School

I probably wouldn't have even given the Film School record a second glance if I hadn't seen an MP3 for download on some blog somewhere. So i gave "Pitfalls" a spin and i really liked it. It's got a good beat and you can dance to it... I have to admit, it does remind me a lot of The Cure, and the delivery of the chorus is reminiscent of "No Cars Go" by Arcade Fire, but like I said, it's good, and i'd be into hearing more.

So we're eating breakfast at the Swingers Cafe on Beverly, which is connected to the Beverly Laurel Hotel. I remembered this amazing eatery from the Braid tour. You find a restaurant that does a nice soyrizo dish and you never forget it. So, we're in there, and in the middle of a sentence, I look up and see a guy behind our table grabbing a newspaper wearing a Threadless t-shirt. Namely, Caged. The guy sits at the counter and orders. I decide to get up and go out to the car for my Threadless coupons to give some to the fine gent. On the way out, we jokingly lament that we haven't seen any movie stars yet in LA.

MP3: The End of the World - The Cure



09 Test Icicles - For Screening Purposes Only

So get this. I walk outside and head down to the car... and see a dude walking towards me with a Pogues shirt. Cool, I thought. And then I saw that his belt said "Knoxville." I look up and well, it's Johnny Knoxville. He's walking at quite a clip past me, presumably to avoid any embarrassing scenario. It's probably pretty obvious that I recognized him. But... i wasn't sure if he was heading towards Swingers, so i doubled back, pretending i had left something at the restaurant. I wanted to get back to the restaurant to tell the table who I saw. And... it just got more awkward because he was going to the restaurant. He sat at the counter, i nodded to the table, they nodded back, and i went back out to get the coupons. Funny thing, when i came back, i found myself in the always daunting position of starting a conversation with a stranger... but with the regular ol guy in the Threadless shirt as opposed to the movie star. Um, excuse me, I couldn't help but notice you were wearing Caged.

I feel weak. Need food. This hotel coffee is just so typically bad. Plus, I just can't concentrate for some reason. I think it's off to some shunty breakfast shack... Even I rolled my eyes when I first heard the name Test Icicles. Pfft. They have that snotty McLusky quality to get you going in the morning. That is, if you like being yelled at.

MP3: To Hell With Good Intentions - McLusky



08 The Elected - Sun, Sun, Sun

I have this old Elected song on my iPod called “Don’t Blow It” that has really withstood the test of time. Through the cutting and the slashing and the downsizing, there it is. I think there were a few others too, but this is the one that held up... I was very late on the Rilo Kiley bandwagon and I’m still not exactly riding shotgun, but I know a good jam when i hear it. I know good strawberry jelly when i taste it. The songs from “Sun Sun Sun” don’t step it up any notches but they keep ol Blake right where he was. A nice comfortable spot between Eisley and Electric Six. Wow, what an odd spot to be in. Just imagine.

In this small haven of Buttonwillow that stretches across I-5, we have a bunch of hotels, some gas stations, fast food, a Starbucks, an indian restaurant, and that’s it. Not a home or even a farm in sight... So having been booted unceremoniously from the Willow Inn, i’m now at Starbucks, the only place in town where i could drag around my laptop and avoid incredulous stares. Or maybe I have it all wrong. Do they have wireless at Carl’s Jr now?

One of the rejects from today was the new Duncan Sheik. This song was a guilty pleasure for awhile...

MP3: Barely Breathing - Duncan Sheik



07 Ester Drang - Rocinate

I saw Ester Drang in Milwaukee, perhaps with Starflyer 59, and I was impressed. It harkened back to the shoegazing days. Luckily I was in the right mood at the right time to let the electronically tinged melodies float gently round me. Not a Blatz in sight. Much like their alphabetical neighbors, Elected, they have a nice spot on the pod with “I Don’t Want To Live...” right between Esquivel and Evan Dando. Again, what a party. The songs on Rocinate remind me of that band America. Very adult contemporary. Almost Steely Dan at times. But if you’re in the mood, go for it. We all go there from time to time.

Speaking of America, on the day i was born, they held the number one spot on the US charts with their grand tale of lost love, “Sister Golden Hair.” Do you remember when we held that contest? You went to this day in music, found out the #1 song on your actual birthday and then tried to somehow relate it to your life in a short paragraph or two. Wow, that was great. I forgot exactly how I related “Sister Golden Hair” to my life but I do remember being confused and upset by the line “I’ve been one poor correspondent.”

MP3: Sister Golden Hair - America




06 East River Pipe - What Are You On?

While on tour with Novi Spilt, i was (mis)treated to hours and hours of The Frogs. Over and over. I mean, you hear it once and you’re fine. You don’t have to hear it ever again and you really don’t want to. I would say that East River Pipe sounds like a cross between Silver Jews and The Frogs but with the re-listen quotient up a bunch. In fact, if you’re a fan of those two bands, I’d highly recommend this. But what do I know, right? All i know is that it sounded good cruising down the lonesome dusty road to Bakersfield.

I’m behind on Lost. Missed last week and i’ll be missing tonight... But holy cow, how about running into Dominic Monaghan at the mall? It was the Beverly Center. And there he was. On his cell phone. Immediately after we spotted him, these two other guys saw him and started to sneak towards him. He told them to wait until he was off the phone... in a very cordial way. After he was off the phone he took pictures with them and then he walked off... and we followed for awhile. I had a pocket full of Threadless coupons and there is photographic evidence of him wearing one of our shirts, so i thought that was a good conversation starter, but in the end i just let him go. I figured at best we’d take a photo together and i’d put it on myspace or something and everyone would go apeshit. And then it would die down and we’d all get on with our lives. He’d get his $80,000 per episode. I’d get my ocular biopsy. We’d all see The Da Vinci Code. Da da da.

Another Merge band, Breadwinner...

MP3: Prescott - Breadwinner




05 Action Action - An Army of Shapes Between Wars

Hey, this record is pretty great... I’m tempted to add “for a Victory band” but then i have to come to the scary realization that there are about 5 other Victory bands that I like... so i won’t. It’s just not fair. Some of these guys used to be in The Reunion Show. Did some shows with them on the Avail tour. Not enough to get too comfy though. It’s a shame. This song “A Tornado; An Owl” is really catchy. Very 80’s. It will have a nice spot between AC/DC and Adam Ant. No kidding! 80’s rockblock!

One of the records I had to cut from the list was the US release of The Very Best of Lisa Loeb. Not like I’m the biggest fan, but i had a lot to say about her TERRIBLE and thankfully short-lived Food Network show with Dweezil Zappa. It was such utter garbage I actually got angry at the tv. And the store where I purchased the TV. I’d rather watch Emeril 24/7. Hell, i’d rather have Emeril touring with me, hamming it up ad nauseum (bamming it up?) while i try and navigate us through small town California. During the opening of the Dweezel/Lisa show, she actually says “I’m a vegetarian, except when I sneak a piece of bacon” or something like that. I wanna hurl. A slab of bacon. At Lisa.

Another Victory band i like...

MP3: Those Days You Felt Alive - Spitalfield




04 Tarkio - Omnibus

I’m pissed at Colin Meloy. You know why? I’m sick of all of his great songs. When a random track comes on and i hear his voice I get ready. Ok Bob, you know who it is and you know what you have to do. Don’t be swayed. Don’t let his sea shanties enchant you like everyone else. Don’t let him lull you into submission. And by then, it’s just too late. I mark the song as a keeper and accept defeat. I’ve had two Tarkio tracks on the pod for awhile. “Neapolitan Bridesmaid” and the very beautiful “Tristan and Iseult.” It’s a fact that Colin almost exclusively eats at Burger King while on tour. Hmm. Is that the secret?

I swear. If you followed me around with a video camera for a few hours, i’m convinced you’d have a grade A slapstick comedy on your hands. I just dropped a paper bag on which I was going to write directions to tonight’s show and the damn thing disappeared. And while i was looking, I nearly tipped over my coffee. I am a mess... Remember this song?

MP3: The Bandit Queen (live at Schubas) - Colin Meloy


03 Robert Pollard - From a Compound Eye

We live in such a great age, you and i. Robert Pollard can put out 4 albums a year with perhaps an albums worth of good material. And I can find places to download a song or two from the album that just came out yesterday and use them to generalize about the entire album and then muse about life in general and Threadless submissions. To be honest, I thought this album was going to be a big throwaway like the Bubble soundtrack. Yuck to that. But this is quality. Especially “Dancing Girls and Dancing Men.” Listen to that beat! Dance it up, fuzzball.

While on tour, i tend to get behind on my submission scoring, so here’s a quick rundown of a few of my faves from the past few days: Optimus Prime - The Coolest Transformer, Polo Bizarre, The Age of Aquariums, Cockatiel Hour, Bruce Lee, and of course.... Judas!

MP3: Sensational Gravity Boy - Freedom Cruise (Robert Pollard & Kim Deal)



02 Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins - Rabbit Fur Coat

As stated above, I’m jogging behind the Rilo Kiley bandwagon, but I can’t deny a good song when i hear it. I think “Melt Your Heart” is just that. It sounds SO much like Elliott Smith to me I can’t believe it. Especially the chorus. And speaking of Judas above, I do appreciate the cover of Traveling Wilburys hit, “Handle With Care,” but i just don’t if i can totally get behind the star power. I’m sure it was a lot of fun, but I would be inclined to save it for a b-side or a bonus track somewhere. It seems like something to be reserved for the “end of show jam” where everyone that played gets up and sings a verse of some revered oldie. Ah well.

Jenny Toomey was the singer/guitarist in Tsunami and the brainchild behind Simple Machines records. Sadly, both just don’t get the credit they deserve. I’m not exactly sure what she’s up to now, but this is from one of her most recent albums, a collaboration with Franklin Bruno. You’ll like it! Find more...

MP3: Cheat - Jenny Toomey



01 Cat Power - The Greatest

Ah Cat Power, troubled troubadour, i’m kinda hooked. I’m just so surprised at the depth and the range of someone who seems so, um, messy? Is that the right word? I don’t mean that in terms of hygiene. I can’t vouche either way on that. But in the way that I wake up and look around my room and say “I am such a mess.” Whatever. Out of all of the albums coming out this week, this is one that lands the most spots on the ipod, and i think that deserves something.

I found this on some blog somewhere. A cover of the Everly Brothers “All I Have To Do is Dream” that appears on the Japanese version of The Greatest. Now there’s a good use of the alternate track. Such a great reading of the classic... See you tomorrow...

MP3: Dream - Cat Power