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Tuesday, Jan 5 2016, 6AM
An awfully pretty song from an artist famous for spitting at his fans. Majical Cloudz put out Are You Alone? back in mid-October. Little does he know, I am, in fact, alone. Also, that dude needs some spell check. At least his album title has proper punctuation.
Jonsi's forthcoming solo record of Danzig covers will be released in the upcoming year. Here's the phonetic spelling of this Sigur Ros album, because you can't pronounce it: meth sooth ee ay-room vith spee-loom end-ə-loost.
Melatonin has low-key changed my life by getting me back on a regular sleep cycle. Thanks, melatonin! This Silversun Pickups LP came out back in 2006, coinciding with Chevy's release of the Silversun Pickup Truck.
Strand of Oaks will play the Timbrrr Music Festival on January 30th, in Leavonworth, WA-- arguably the most self-obsessed town in Washington. Heal came out back in 2014, and people seemed pretty into it, all things considered.
In between long stints sitting alone in a Wisconsin log cabin and reflecting on the decline of man, Justin Vernon made this record with Collections of Colonies of Bees under the moniker Volcano Choir. It is titled Repave (a.k.a. land development in Seattle, amirite?)
They'll keep your ghost for a flat rate monthly. I Will Keep Your Ghost is out of Everett, WA. The band's latest single, "Sleep," dropped back in December. Here's a set they did in March of last year: kexp.org.
NEW music from ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead frontman Conrad Keely, which has more of an Americana bent to it. Much less soul-crushingly intense than his primary band. Keely attended Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA.
Youth Lagoon puts more and more acid in his coffee on each new record. Where were you when you learned that the dude from Youth Lagoon and the dude from Washed Out are the SAME PERSON? I was alone in Justin Vernon's log cabin when I found out.
Who's the most beautiful member of Duran Duran? I'd probably go with the one with dyed-Auburn hair and the lips, or maybe the one that looks like a sailor? Remember than time David Lynch directed a Duran Duran concert streamed on YouTube? Isabella Rossellini played guitar.
OMD stands for Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark, if you'd forgotten. This music video has arguably one of the greatest uses of green screen ever captured on celluloid: www.youtube.com.
Maybe you've recently been doubting the validity of Sweden. However, did you remember the country gave us Ikea, ABBA, Absolut Vodka AND The Sweet Serenades? Also, noted scary band The Knife. Our friends from the north have been doing pretty well as of late.
Also known as an unpronounceable triangle symbol, ala Prince's Love Symbol. If Prince and alt-J ever collaborated, Kevin Cole would explode. An Awesome Wave came out back in 2012. Here's a list of floods that happened in 2012: en.wikipedia.org.
One of those songs that just makes you want to set yourself on fire, y'know? Robert Christgau hated this record, but it hit No. 5 on the end-of-year Pazz & Jop Village Voice poll. He must've been pissed, before remembering that he's still Robert Christgau.
Who's excited for the Buckethead guitar solo on "North American Scum"? I sure am. After four long years of hiatus, LCD Soundsystem is back. Tour dates soon to be announced, including Coachella. Who's more bloated, Axl Rose or James Murphy?
Miike Snow are also out of Sweden. Each show is completely furnished by Ikea, which sounds like an expensive venture. The band's third LP, titled III, will be released in early March of 2016.
Julio Bashmore has Little Edie syndrome, the crippling ailment which causes him to wear a hat in every photo. Big Julio has no reports of releasing a new LP, just Little Julio. Sam Drew is on this track. He has two first names.
Lily Allen was the subject of some controversy last year, when photos of her eating a newborn child were released to the British press. This track comes from the British singer's 2006 Smile single.
Who got Black Sabbath in my Charles Bradley? New Black Sabbath cover from the artist will be featured on his forthcoming LP, also titled Changes. Here's a 2011 set from Bradley: kexp.org.
Ass Ponys frontman Chuck Cleaver now co-fronts the great band Wussy. This track comes from the band's 2000 penultimate LP, titled Some Stupid with a Flare Gun. The title is apparently taken from a line from Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water."
The Yawpers will play The Tractor Tavern on February 26. The band's website describes their new LP, American Man, as "Loud. Straightforward. American." I honestly hope they're being ironic, but all their American flag imagery suggests otherwise. C'mon, you guys...
What lullabies do you think Jack White sings to his children at night? For that matter, what lullabies did Nick Cave sing to his kids at night? Probably so many murder ballads, maybe a few Kylie Minogue songs mixed in. Maybe Warren Ellis sang harmony.
Great Neil Young cover from Shovels & Rope, accompanied by Shakey Graves. Check out the band's session from 2012, around the release of O'Be Joyful: kexp.org.
Track from the 1996 RL Burnside record A Ass Pocket of Whiskey, which was co-written and recorded with Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. Despite working as a musician since 1960, RL Burnside only achieved critical and commercial recognition in the 1990s.
New hot jams from local group Night Beats. Full record out January 26th, titled Who Sold My Generation. Throughout the course of the record, they really grapple with the implications of the question of Who, truly, Sold My Generation? No answer as of yet.
Early morning Kathleen Hanna. Cover of choice for every all-girl teenage punk band, not that that's a problem at all. Kathleen Hanna just reissued the first Bikini Kill demos, which sound predictably amazing.
I would argue Tito is the most luscious Jackson, closely followed by Janet and LaToya. Off the NY group's debut LP, titled Natural Ingredients, released on Beastie Boys-curated Grand Royal records in 1994.
Requested for a listener's cat, which is so the right context in which to play Beastie Boys. Obligatory Beastie Boys music video, in the vein of Dolemite: www.youtube.com.
If you're anything like me, there has been a WU LYF-sized hole your life since the band's 2012 implosion. Luckily, there's a new project from WU LYF's frontman titled LUH, also known as Lost Under Heaven. Pretty relatable bandname.
Arguably the greatest Pavement sing-along? Closely followed by "Cut Your Hair" and "Grounded." Robert Christgau called Pavement the best band of the 90s, which is surprising since he hates everything. He loves Liz Phair too, which is pretty cool.
The Singapore Sling is a gin-based cocktail, originally developed by a bartender (Ngiam Tong Boon) in Singapore. It features grenadine, pineapple juice, a dash of bitters, and cherry liqueur. Catchy tune, too.
Beat the Devil's Tattoo sounds more like a reality TV show than an album name. I can't decide what the elevator pitch would be. Something about a rag-tag band of tattoo artists with addiction issues just trying to get by in the modern world.
Ty Segall sneezes and a new album pops out. This EP, Ty-Rex, compiles the artist's assemblage of T-Rex covers. He's playing The Neptune Theater on January 21st, supported by Bread & Butter. It's rumored that on this tour Ty will WALK ON WATER. Must-see event of the spring.
New track from The Besnard Lakes, off a forthcoming record titled The Golden Lion. I remember the time I tried to go swimming in the Besnard Lakes, and was rudely surprised. It was a band, you guys, not an actual group of lakes. Be forewarned.
Unfortunate use of the term "rigor mortis" in this track. I would argue that phrase has no place in modern music outside the catalog of Nick Cave or Misfits, and even they should use it sparingly. This is off the band's 1994 LP, San Francisco.
Hold the phones, it's another Australian band, you guys. This group, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, combine the guitar force of the Blackouts with the vibe of Fever Ray. You're welcome, Ivy League promo team.
Tom Verlaine has one of the world's most distinctive necks. Back in high school, Tom Verlaine and Richard Hell ran away together from their boarding school, making it as far as Florida before being stopped by authorities. His neck gave him away-- it's a gift and a curse.
I was praying this record would just be a collection of donkeys braying, but alas, it's a vaguely-folky four-piece from San Diego, CA. They'll play The Sunset on February 15th. It's the day after Valentine's Day, so everyone will probably be pretty depressed after spending another year alone.
New Bloc Party record, Hymns, will be out at the end of January. Likely to be the band's best record yet. It'll be their first LP since the addition of Menomena bassist Justin Harris, and their fifth overall.
Battleme will play The Sunset Tavern on February 12th, in support of their new LP Habitual Love Song (out Jan 15). They're also playing a show in Everett at Tony V.'s Garage. I don't know about Tony V, but his Garage sounds creepy as hell.
I wonder if Damon Albarn could be a great musician without being an unpleasant person. It might hurt his brand. Even Adele seems to dislike the guy. Graham Coxon, though, he seems like a sweet man. And his kid is named Pepper Bak Troy Coxon.
South American-influenced punk out of Sweden, continuing the theme of Swedish domination on the Morning Show today. The band's new LP, Caballo Negro, is available for some sweet, free streaming on Bandcamp.
Playing Jazzbones in Tacoma, WA on January 29th. Third full-length from local band Polyrhythmics is titled Octagon. The cover art features an Octagon. This track is titled "Octagon, Pt. 2," which implies there's an "Octagon, Pt. 1"
First Clash song written and sung by bassist Paul Simonon, for whatever that's worth. I just wish The Clash weren't so political, y'know, said no-one ever. That would be like telling Damon Albarn to stop being an unpleasant person.
They Might Be Giants' Flood came out on this day in 1990. "Birdhouse in Your Soul" was the first single off the LP, closely followed by "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)." Second flood reference of the Morning Show, following alt-J's An Awesome Wave.
DOM seems kind of like what would happen if Nathan Williams (Wavves) let himself go-- sk8r boy grown up, sans Bethany. New album, Sweet & Sour, out sometime in 2016 if DOM has his way.
There is no such thing as too much Tonya Donnelly. Or Kristin Hersh. I have this image of myself trapped in a dark room with large pillows and a stereo system blasting Belly's Star and that first Throwing Muses record on repeat.
Must-have first track from Sleater-Kinney's must-have second record. If all the fury and rage from this album were condensed, it could power Henry Rollins' anger for weeks. (This album was released the year I was born).
We all want love. None more than Donna Summer though. She has the monopoly on love. Babes' debut LP, Babes, came out last year on Barsuk. The band is out of LA. They can be reached at 470-BABES-77
Terrifying carnival undertones in this track. Like nightmare-inducing-- being judged by a funhouse cast sounds like quite the ordeal. Comes from Aesop Rock's 2007 record None Shall Pass.
Escort's cover of St. Vincent's "Actor Out of Work" is so good, it comes close to matching the raw power of Annie Clark's original. Check it out if you're into that sort of thing: www.youtube.com.
Don't take this the wrong way, but I don't think Mr. Wendal actually exists. He might be a symbol. A Christ figure, if you will. And I will. I love the old man in Arrested Development that just sits on the stage and yells stuff.
As opposed to Rural Dance Squad, the band's rival group, which terrorized the dazzling, young urbanites during the late-80s. Tough times, man. Urban Dance Squad were from The Netherlands, which is pretty interesting.
Crippled Crows are the saddest kind. Devendra Banhart bringing everyone down with his sad animal references. Thanks a lot, Devendra. Cripple Crow came out in 2005. 11 Years ago, if you're not keeping track.
You can purchase the SRiD EP at Surf Rock is Dead's Bandcamp page:surfrockisdead.bandcamp.com
Here's an interview last year with Canadian musician Rishi Dhir about his band Elephant Stone: diffuser.fm