Saturday, January 27, 2007

Playlist for Breakfast of Champions Thursday, January 25th

(8:00am - let the robot theme rock)
Aguaviva - "Robot"
The Scorpions - "Robot Man"
Epoxies - "Robot Man"
The Saints - "Do The Robot"
Epsilons - "Evil Robots"
Guided By Voices - "Gold Star for Robot Boy"
French Paddleboat - "My Robots Love to Dance" (background music)

(8:15am - robot roundup continues)
Berserk - "Giant Robots"
Arling and Cameron - "Dirty Robot"
Pulsars - "My Pet Robot"
The Screamer - "Robot Double"
Figurine - "Robots"
The Juan MacLean - "I Robot" (background music)

(8:30am - band of the week)
Oneida - "Steel Rod"
Oneida - "Doin Business In Japan"
Oneida - "Wild Horses"
Stereophonic Space Sound Unlimited - "Robot A Go Go" (background music)

(8:45am - final robot releases)
Bailter Space - "Robot World"
Buggles - "I Love You (Miss Robot)"
Worm Is Green - "The Robot Has Got The Blues"
Future Bible Heroes - "The Lonely Robot"
Weights and Measures - "When Robots Fall In Love"

(9:00am - beginning on the new music hour)
She's Spanish, I'm American - "The Ocean Always Wins"
The Frames - "The Side You Never Get To See"
Last Days - "Your Birds" (concert report music)

(9:20am - more new music)
Sloan - "Right or Wrong"
The Mitchells - "Darts In The Phone"
The Early Years - "All Ones And Zeros"
Maps of Norway - "Matches"

(9:40am - closing out the new music)
Love of Diagrams - "Pace or the Patience"
New Young Pony Club - "Ice Cream"
Static of the Gods - "2.33"
The Faintest Ideas - "Dexter's Got A Sinister Heart"
Of Montreal - "Heimdalsgate Like A Promethean Curse"

(9:55am - final tune)
Bishop Allen - "Clementines"

As always thanks for listening!

Sunday, January 21, 2007

Here's the mid-January round-up as a plethora of releases are streaming into the radio station.

1. Love of Diagrams - "Pace or the Patience"
Aussie post-punk new wavey band now on Matador, ep sounds very strong. Hopefully they get off a full-length.

2. Static of the Gods - "2.33"
Boston-area band with a female singer and crunchy sound, a few decent tunes here but many more that just sound like a cut-out bin mid-90's major label failure.

3. Of Montreal - "She's A Rejector"
Their sound just keeps getting bigger ... for some reason I kept thinking "Supertramp" as I previewed the new CD. They tend to be a little too precious for me but this one worked better than Sunlandic. I still prefer their initial LP with "Tim Wish You Were Born A Girl."

4. The Early Years - "So Far Gone"
UK band with a very nice retro-rock early 90's sound, oh those guitars. Even the long ones worked for me. Like The National meets Mercury Rev (oh I hate cross-breeding namedrops but it must be done here)

5. Clinic - "The New Seeker"
This one didn't grab me until the last few tracks. Couldn't find a standout hit.

6. Dear Leader - "Empty Chair"
Good for one song every release, took me a bit to find this one. Borderline playable. Former singer of Sheila Divine, liked it better when Jack Drag and Blake Hazard were in the band but now they're on the west coast doing The Submarines thing.

7. The Vinyl Skyway - "Don't You Like It?"
Local (now bi-coastal?) band with a nice Pernice sound. This one didn't go down as smoothly as their first, but to be fair their first took a bit to warm my ears. Played this track 1/18/07.

8. Hands and Knees - "Bicycle"
Let the surge of local releases continue, stripped down pop band with some catchy tunes and nice boy/girl vox. Spun this on 1/18/07. I like the jangly tracks the best.

9. The Shins - "Split Needles"
I'm not the best judge here, but the production seems much more polished and together. Less catchy than the previous release, the fuzziness is just about gone.

10. Deerhoof - "The Perfect Me"
After the opening track this one just falls flat. None of that off-kilter chimey charmingness, it never seems to gain any traction. Way too much space.

11. Ut - "Evangelist"
Either a re-issue of In Gut's House or a station purchase (or perhaps both). What I hoped Deerhoof would sound like. Herky-jerky hammering fun.

12. Jaggery - "Javelin"
Ep of piano-based quasi-goth with a female singer, this is the only song I thought really came together. The rest sorta meander and the vocalist is too up-front. Just recently played the Middle East.

13. Last Days - "Your Birds"
Potential background music, supposedly about getting lost as sea. Morose instrumentals with some talking (to advance the plot I guess). I predict a Bats in the Belfry appearance.

14. Bonobo - "The Fever"
Used it as background music on 1/18/07. Really fun instrumentals with an organic feel, maybe one of the vocal tracks will resurface on a future show.

15. She, Sir - "The Clandestine"
Shoegazer guitar wash ep, some nicely buried tracks. From Austin TX. Not sure of that comma in the band name ...

16. Relay - "Season (Start)"
More shoegazering, but more powerful than above. Played this 1/18/07, looks like a hit already. From Philly too, keeping that All Natural Lemon & Lime Flavors sound alive.

17. Planetakis - "World Without Love"
Another release from the Patty Duke fanzine, this is a monster 2-CD compliation of modern bands covering every song Patty Duke ever performed (or at least it sure looks like it). This song is better know as a Peter & Gordon tune, one of the few Lennon/McCartney songs that wasn't done by the Beatles.

18. The Mitchells - "Darts in the Phone"
Closing out the local quotient on the disc, local rock band with a few potential cuts. Male vocals are strong & throaty in that odd almost out-of-tune way.

19. Sondre Lerche - "John, Let Me Go"
Well, at least it's better than his last one. I'd still prefer he go back to the sound on the first two, that full pop sound. Instead he rocks more on this one with a few decent power-pop shots. Played this on 1/18/07.

20. You Am I - "By My Own Hand"
Aussies get a deal on Yep Roc and respond by stepping away from their typical power pop sound for a more earthy rock feel. Not sure if it's working for me, the sweatiness seems rather forced.

Thursday, January 18, 2007

Breakfast of Champions Thursday Playlist for January 18, 2007

8:00am (start of the record theme)
The Black Watch - "Record Shop Girl"
Saturday Looks Good To Me - "Record Store"
The Brunettes - "The Record Store"
Darren Hanlon - "Record Store"

8:15am (more record songs)
Tweeds - "I Need That Record"
Kirby Grips - "Put Another Record On"
David Greenberger and Birdsongs of the Mesozoic - "How Records Are Made"
Matt Pond PA - "Records (Demo)

8:30am (band of the week)
Bonobo - "Transmission 94 (Parts 1 & 2)" (background music)
The Soundtrack of Our Lives - "Black Star"
The Soundtrack of Our Lives - "Nevermore"

8:45am (the record theme gets tangential)
The Freshies - "I'm In Love With the Girl on the Manchester Virgin Megastore Checkout Desk"
The Raspberries - "Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)"
Green - "Gotta Get A Record Out"
Art Brut - "Formed A Band"

9:00am (start of the new music hour)
Field Music - "Sit Tight"
The Vinyl Skyway - "Don't You Like It?"
Sondre Lerche and the Faces Down - "John, Let Me Go"
Postscripts - "Drive Thru My World" (background music for concert report)

9:20am (more new music for you)
The Ghosts - "Heartbreaker"
Hands and Knees - "Bicycle"
The Postmarks - "Looks Like Rain"
Math and Physics Club - "Such a Simple Plan"

9:40am (wrapping up the new music)
The Broken West - "You Can Build An Island"
The Snowleopards - "Nanana"
Harbor - "Earl Grey Tea"
Relay - "Season (Start)"
Shellito - "Downtown"

9:55am (final song)
Wanda Robinson - "The Final Hour"

This show is archived on WMBR's site for two weeks ... until 2/1/07

Sunday, January 14, 2007

Here's a quick look at what's under consideration in early January 2007.

1. The Postmarks - "Looks Like Rain"
Indiepop band with shy-girl vocals, a couple of affecting songs.

2. Sparrow House - "You Sang Along"
From debut ep, a fractured fairy tale. Already played this one on 1/4/07.

3. 17 Pygmies - "Get Out!"
Etherial rock with hushed female spoken word-ish vocals, sorta reminds me of The Cranes.

4. Postscripts - "Drive Thru My World"
Guaranteed backgroud music on 1/18/07.

5. Harbor - "Earl Grey Tea"
Minnesota rock band with shoegazerish influences.

6. Bayta Darell - "The Mule's Lament"
Very quiet, this one has more build than some of the other meandering cuts.

7. The Earlies - "When The Wind Blows"
Jon had these guys on his show Dec-05, many instruments!

8. Ghosts - "Heartbreaker"
No relation ... the songs with the female backing vocals caught my ear.

9. The SnowLeopards - "Nanana"
Debut album from Heidi Saperstein's new rock-oriented project.

10. The Broken West - "On The Bubble"
Sounds like another winner from Merge records, bordering on powerpop.

11. Sloan - "Can't You Figure It Out?"
First spin didn't impress me much.

12. Lucky Jim - "You Stole My Heart Away"
Station purchase of import, a topless female on the cover will always attract my interest.

13. Field Music - "Tones Of Town"
2nd album from UK Eric Matthews/Cardinal/Beach Boys appreciators, some promising cuts.

14. Shellito - "Downtown"
Philly area blippy pop meets retro dance.

15. The Berg Sans Nipple - "Mystic Song"
More blippy stuff, much more meandering though. Believe it's French?

16. Camera Obscura - "If Looks Could Kill"
New single from the delicious Glasgow band, at Paradise Sat Jan 27th.

17. Buildings Breeding - "Stacking Up Reasons"
Played this 1/4/07, not likely to spin it again.

18. Dean & Britta - "Me & My Babies"
Former Luna members out on their own, weak effort to my ears.

19. David Kilgour - "Under Cloud"
New one from NZ veteran, slightly undercooked but still pretty.

20. The Lucksmiths - "Putting It Off and Putting It Off"
Station purchase of their most recent one, simpler is better with them IMO.

21. America - "Always Love"
Yes, that America ... yes, a new album. James Iha & David Schlesinger produce, this tune is a Nada Surf cover. Guaranteed closer material.

22. Julie Doiron - "No More"
New solo album, there are several full-band tracks on here!

23. Lowlife - "Tongue Tied and Twisted"
LTM re-issue of late-80's goth poppers. Station purchase.

24. Wanda Robinson - "The Final Hour"
Water re-issue of early 70's spoken word poetry set to some R&B grooves. Likely closer. We recently received a slew of Water soul stuff which I've been remiss in exploring.

If you want a copy of this sampler just drop me a note and we can arrange something.
One of the tools I use to program the 2nd half of the show, or New Music Hour, are sampler compilations I create down at the station. Basically I'll scan through all the new releases and upon finding a promising song will burn it. One song per disc only. Once I have 80 minutes of stuff down to CD-R it goes, which allows me to listen closer in the car or at work. From there the stuff that catches my ear gets programmed into the show.

Thursday, January 11, 2007

Did you know that if you take the "L" out of "Lover" then it's over?

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Congratulations to Joanie of the Thursday Late Risers Club on her 20th anniversary! She's taking over the Breakfast of Champions and Lost and Found tomorrow morning to celebrate. Tune in for 6 hours of her favorite tunes of all time.

Later that evening the MIT Chicks Make Flicks series will screen Marissa Acosta's documentary-in-progress about the Late Risers Club, starting at 7pm. More information available on our website.

Sunday, January 07, 2007

Tomorrow Patrick of Subject to Change and myself will fill in on Breakfast of Champions Monday with a show we call "Defend Your iPod" (or in my case, iriver). We'll alternately put our music machines on random and defend whatever selections pop up. Tomorrow from 8am to 10am on WMBR.

Saturday, January 06, 2007

Breakfast of Champions Playlist for Thursday January 4, 2007

8:00 am (Future theme)
Trans Am - "FutureWorld"
A Frames - "Future World"
Sparks - "In The Future"
Brad Fiedel - "Future Remembered" (background, from The Terminator soundtrack)

8:15 am (more Future)
A Girl Called Eddy - "People Used To Dream About The Future"
The Tinklers - "The Future"
Tall Dwarfs - "The Future See"
The Auteurs - "Future Generation"
epic45 - "History Vs. The Future" (background)

8:30 am (Band of the Week spotlight)
Tullycraft - "Twee"
Tullycraft - "Rumble With the Debs"
Tullycraft - "Sweet"
Magnetophone - "How I Learned To Love The Future" (background)

8:45 am (final Future)
Beauty Pill - "The Cigarette Girl From The Future"
Ballboy - "Essential Wear For Future Trips To Space"
The Grip Weeds - "Future Move"
The Sunshine Fix - "Future History and the Irrevelvance of Time"
Jack Drag - "Future Is Now: Yesterday" (background)

9:00 am (new music hour begins)
David Sylvian - "A Fire In The Forest (Remixed By Readymade FC)"
Sparrow House - "You Sang Along"
Boston Typewriter Orchestra - "Pyramid Scheme" (background for concert report)

9:20am (more new music - import focus)
Hell On Wheels - "Heard You On The Radio"
Peter Bjorn and John - "Amsterdam"
The Long Blondes - "Once and Never Again"
The Embassy - "Information"

9:40 am (new music)
Peter and the Wolf - "Safe Travels"
Rivulets - "You Are My Home"
Jaymay - "Corduroy"
Buildings Breeding - "Stacking Up Reasons"
Your Heart Breaks - "In November"
Swan Lake - "All Fires"

9:55 am (new music concludes)
The Junior Panthers - "No Turning Back"

Streaming version of this show available for two weeks on WMBR's website