Tuesday, October 21, 2008

live blogging non-descript 10/21

And good morning, and welcome to another week in which Belle learns about new bands and gets hip and makes tons of '90s references, because that's when her musical education began and ended with large gaps because she grew up in Orange County, home of ska and thuggin' wannabes.

You can listen to the show here.

The Playlist:

The Dirtbombs | Got To Give It Up | Ultraglide In Black
Richard Cheese | Bust A Move | The Sunny Side Of The Moon
Aesop Rock | No Regrets | Labor Days
Momus | Smooth Folk Singer | Folktronic
Le Loup | Planes Like Vultures. | The Throne Of The Third Heaven Of The Nations’ Millennium General Assembly
Mugison | Murr Murr | Mugimama Is This Monkey Music?
Brakes | Sometimes Always | Give Blood
Cobra Killer + Kapajkos | Helicopter 666 | Das Mandolinenorchester
Compulsive Gamblers | Your Happiness | Crystal Gazing Luck Amazing
Les Sexareenos | Oh Mom (Teach Me How to Uncle Willy) | 14 Frenzied Shakers
Firewater | Hey Clown | The Golden Hour
The Golden Dogs | Big Boy and the Masters of the Universe | Everything In 3 Parts
Good Face For Radio | Burn Down this Town | Good Face For Radio
Grandaddy | Stray Dog And The Chocolate Shake | Sumday
Mambo Kurt | Anarchy In The UK | Organized Crime
Tom Lehrer | The Vatican Rag | That Was The Year That Was


#1: I like The Dirtbombs, and R&B covers are great. It's sort of a more genteel way of blackface, no? Ouch. I just wrote that. It's okay. Country songs are covered very frequently too.

#2: Oh goodness, a Pat Booneish cover of "Bust a Move." I don't love it, but it says something awful about me that I find this swingy in a Tom Jones (whom I love) way. Because really,what's the difference between Richard Cheese (what a name!) and Michael Buble? Well, at least Richard Cheese is cheesey (heh) on purpose. (amended in deference to Bryan) I do like The Great American Songbook, because I am maudlin and enjoy old movies--but really, when Rod Stewart and cheesy young men start singing like Dino, you gotta worry.

#3: Aesop Rock: this song I really like, as combining hip hop + trip hop is like the '90s equivalent of a Double Double.

#4: Momus is surprising. I do like this song, even if it's relatively uneventful. I'm just trying to wrap my head around the fact that they also made "The Penis Song."

#5: Le Loup: and how do we feel about this? Trying a little too hard. The dramatic caesura and all. But as the song progresses, I find myself really, really digging this song. You remember "Bittersweet Symphony" from back in the day? Repetitious chanting and dramatic chords give a song gravitas that it often doesn't deserve.

#6: Oh thank goodness, I thought you were really going to play Nelly's "Hot in Herrre" or however you spell it, a song I hate.

#7: Mugison sounds like it's trying to be White Stripesy. Hrrmmm....unconvinced.

#8: Aaaaah!! "Sometimes Always" is my favorite JAMC song! And the video is so '90s! Hope Sandoval is so hot! This is a decent cover, too. You know, kind of like an emo version of "Summer Lovin'," with boys and girls singing at each other. Wait, the girls are begging to be taken back? Hmm. I blame the patriarchy.

#9: Helicopter 666: German + girly voices + satanic references = Belle makes a frowny face.

#10: I love this song by the Compuslive Gamblers. I like this happy jangle pop music.

#11: Les Sexareenos. Heh. And, catchy, scratchy, faux bluesy.

#12: I'm scared of clowns. My name is Belle, and I endorse the message of this song.

#13: The Golden Dogs are ok. I don't know what it is I don't like about this song, except that it has a lot going on.

#14: Burn Down This Town I like, because I like plaintive rock. I really, really liked it when I was younger. And really, what teenager hasn't had this thought?

#15: This song is ok. I don't know what I feel about it other than that.

#16: Ack, more German. Sorry, Bryan, but German + Mambo = puke. Still, pretty cool that she was his piano teacher.

#17: I still don't get the Tom Leherer thing, but each week I'll make a new speculation. This week's: he's your uncle.


Very good! Thanks!