Videos for December

Here are some videos of the songs I've included in this month's podcasts.
===============>>>> Use the Splashcast player.

Episode 06 - Best of 2008 part 5

The Soundtrack Of My Life
Episode 06
12/29/08
Happy Birthday to me.

Download the AAC file here. It contains album artwork and chapters for each song for your iPod or Zune player. Just make a playlist and drag the file in.

The aim of this podcast is to highlight my favorite music of 2008.
It makes a good New Years mix.

01 - Crystal Castles - Air War
02 - Of Montreal - Id Engager
03 - Bon Voyage - Birthday
04 - Vampire Weekend - Mansard Roof
05 - Goodnight Monsters - Milk Club
06 - Ida Maria - I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked
07 - One For The Team - A Better Job
08 - Daniel Wylie - Car Guitar Star
09 - The Submarines - You Me And The Bourgeoisie
10 - Red Light Company - Scheme Eugene
11 - Sara Bareilles - Love Song (Stripped Version)
12 - Juliana Hatfield - Shining On
13 - Damien Jurado - Gillian Was A Horse
14 - Bubblegum Lemonade - A Billion Heartbeats
15 - Embarrassing Fruits - First Time
16 - Coldplay - Viva La Vida
17 - Voyager One - M
18 - Headlights - Towers
19 - El Perro Del Mar - Somebody's Baby
20 - Los Campesinos! - Death To Los Campesinos
21 - Love Is All - Sea Sick
22 - Pete And The Pirates - Knots
23 - Lightspeed Champion - Let the Bitches Die
24 - The Eames Era - Both Hands Full
25 - Stricken City - Lost Art
26 - Jay Reatard - Always Wanting More
27 - The Shortwave Set - No Social (Radio Edit)
28 - The Orchid Highway - Medicine Tree
29 - Theresa Andersson - Birds Fly Away
30 - Dot.Ay - Default To Paranoia

Breakdown
01 - Crystal Castles - Air War (Single Version) (Crystal Castles)
I like this version better than the one on the album. I love the 8bit/chiptune movement and Crystal Castles is leading the way. A definite recommendation!

02 - Of Montreal - Id Engager (Skeletal Lamping)
I've been a fan for a while and I respect Kevin Barnes' creative style and musicianship, this album's melodies are disjointed. Skeletal Lamping, however, is on many top 10 lists for album of the year.

03 - Bon Voyage - Birthday (Lies)
It's my birthday on the 29th so I put this one on here. 2 good songs on this album and an uninspired cover of Girlfriend in a Coma by The Smiths doesn't get my recommendation for a buy.

04 - Vampire Weekend - Mansard Roof (Vampire Weekend)
I don't get the hype, really? This was the only song I liked from the album. I guess anything with Vampires is having a good year.

05 - Goodnight Monsters - Milk Club (Summer Challenge)
This album has a couple of good songs but not enough to recommend.

06 - Ida Maria - I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked (Fortress around my Heart)
What a great album! I wonder if Hanna-Barbera Productions will be suing her for lifting that melody from The Banana Splits song, only time will tell. Buy this album!

07 - One For The Team - A Better Job (Build it Up)
This is a good album. It missed making my top 5, but certainly in my top 10 for the year.

08 - Daniel Wylie - Car Guitar Star (Car Guitar Star)
Only song I liked from this album. Don't bother.

09 - The Submarines - You Me And The Bourgeoisie (Honeysuckle Weeks)
Only song I liked from this album. I loved this song all summer and then Apple used it incessantly in every iPhone commercial. Good for the Submarines, bad for me.

10 - Red Light Company - Scheme Eugene (demo version) (Demos)
I only heard this single and it's very catchy. The chorus is so 80's sounding, if I didn't know any better, I'd think that this was a Flesh for Lulu song.

11 - Sara Bareilles - Love Song (Stripped Version) (Little Voice-Expanded Version)
The only song I like by her. It's a great song without the slickness of the album version.

12 - Juliana Hatfield - Shining On (How to Walk Away)
I really liked this album. Buy it!

13 - Damien Jurado - Gillian Was A Horse (Caught in the Trees)
Best song on the album. Don't bother picking this one up.

14 - Bubblegum Lemonade - A Billion Heartbeats (Doubleplusgood)
This album sounds like a mix between Primal Scream's-Gentle Tuesday and The Stone Roses-This is the One. I eat this sound up, it brings me back to the late 80's. A must buy if you like Twee. Every song on this album is great.

15 - Embarrassing Fruits - First Time (First Time EP)
I only liked the title track of this EP but I look forward to a full release in 2009 because this bands shows promise.

16 - Coldplay - Viva La Vida (Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends)
I hate Coldplay. I think their music is so mediocre it makes me sick and I hate the fact when I look at Delacroix's painting I have to be reminded of this band. With that out of the way, I have to admit that I do like this song maybe because they didn't write it (hehe). That's debatable, but it was the only song with a catchy melody. This is the best selling album of the year, really??? I can go on with my dislikes of Coldplay for hours, but why bother. Btw, why use a French painting with an Spanish phrase??? It should've be called Vivre la Vie.

17 - Voyager One - M (Perfect as Cats: A Tribute To the Cure)
I liked this tribute album better than Just Like Heaven - A Tribute To The Cure (2009). There were a good number of decent covers on this one. If you like The Cure, why not. The proceeds go to charity.

18 - Headlights - Towers (Some Racing, Some Stopping)
I saw the video of "Cherry Tulips" at the beginning of the year but I didn't hear the album until August. Very good album. Top 5 on my list.

19 - El Perro Del Mar - Somebody's Baby (From the Valley to the Stars)
I liked 3 songs off this album. I wish this album had more to offer because I like their sound, but sadly there is not enough to recommend this one.

20 - Los Campesinos! - Death To Los Campesinos (Hold On Now Youngster)
I liked 3 songs off this album. I don't think they deserve the hype they've received all year and so what they made 2 albums this year. The newest one was really bad.

21 - Love Is All - Sea Sick (A Hundred Things Keep Me Up At Night)
I just started listening to this album this week. I loved the last one and this song rocks.

22 - Pete And The Pirates - Knots (Little Death)
Only 2 good songs off this album. That's it. You've heard it on these podcasts.

23 - Lightspeed Champion - Let the Bitches Die (Falling off the Lavender Bridge)
Same story here, only 2 good songs off this album. Don't bother.

24 - The Eames Era - Both Hands Full (Heroes & Sheroes)
I liked 3 songs off this album. These songs, however, are great. I hope they continue to improve on their next album.

25 - Stricken City - Lost Art (Lost Art single)
Good song. They only have one other single, no album yet. I can't wait.

26 - Jay Reatard - Always Wanting More (Matador Singles '08)
I liked some songs off the other singles collection. Honestly, I haven't finished listening to this new collection of singles.

27 - The Shortwave Set - No Social (Radio Edit) (No Social)
I'm not sure if I heard the entire album or I found this off a collection. I love this song, I should make sure and listen to it if I haven't already.

28 - The Orchid Highway - Medicine Tree (The Orchid Highway)
This band wants to sound like other bands. Each song sounds like a different band, weird. They do a good Big Star/Cheap Trick like song here. It's like they are saying, "Yeah, we can sound like The Beatles, Big Star, Cheap Trick, etc..." I think Todd Rundgren did an album like this once. They sound like a great cover band without their own identity.

29 - Theresa Andersson - Birds Fly Away (Hummingbird, Go!)
I like this song but I haven't listened to the album yet.

30 - Dot.Ay - Default To Paranoia (Stranded: A Compilation Of Brisbane Music 2007-2008 CD 03)
I'm finishing this podcast the way it started.

Final note
Again, buy these albums at your own risk but do search for the posted songs and support these artists.

Thank you for listening. Share this podcast if you can.
Leave comments here. I want to hear from you!
Next podcasts "Shoegaze part 02" around 1/14/09 and Best of 2008 part6 around 1/28/09
BigJB

Episode 05 - Shoegaze Part 01

This is the beginning of my journey recalling some of my favorite Shoegaze bands and highlighting the bands of the last 5 years that have kept the torch burning. I previously mentioned that I was reaching 50 songs, well I think it's up to 100. I am going to post this series every other podcast so I can continue my favorite selections of 2008. This is going to span well over 6 or so podcasts. I hope you join me in my journey!I am going to highlight the bands that influenced the genre, so I have to start with the obvious choices: The Jesus and Mary Chain - Psychocandy and The Cocteau Twins' early ep's.
There have been many albums that have changed my life at first listen: The Stooges - The Stooges, The Smiths - The Queen is dead, Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation, The Replacements - Tim, T. Rex - Electric Warrior, Belle and Sebastian - If You're Feeling Sinister, Teenage Fanclub - Bandwagonesque, Big Star - #1 Record/Radio City to name a few. Psychocandy was one of these albums. I picked up the cassette when I was working in a record store because I liked the look of the cover. When I first heard it, I thought there was something wrong with my Walkman. I didn't understand the noise that I was hearing was feedback. I've heard feedback, but not to this extreme. It sounded like The Crystals inside a wind tunnel. I loved it!
I don't remember how I started listening to The Cocteau Twins but I remember getting Blue Bell Knoll on cassette when it was released (1988) and hearing a difference in their sound. It must have been around 1986, I bought all the 4AD imports once I was hooked. I was entranced by E. Fraser's voice and the waves of guitar flowing through my headphones. It was melodic, undeciferable, and I loved it! It was strange when E. Fraser started to make sense. I liked it better when she was singing gibberish, like scat singing, but I still like the songs sung in english.
Most Shoegaze bands follow one of these two dominant paths or a combination of the two: The Jesus and Mary Chain (e.g. Ceremony) sound or The Cocteau Twins (e.g. Slowdive) sound. Listen to the last two songs. There are other influences, but I will talk about that next time. Enjoy!

01 - The Jesus & Mary Chain - You Trip Me Up (Psychocandy 1985)
02 - Cocteau Twins - Lazy Calm (Victorialand 1986)
03 - My Bloody Valentine - Thorn (You Made Me Realise EP 1988)
04 - Pia Fraus - Springsister (After Summer 2008)
05 - Dawn Chorus Ignites - Glimmer (Glimmer EP 2008)
06 - Moose - Boy (Jack EP 1991)
07 - A Place to Bury Strangers - Missing You (A Place to Bury Strangers 2007)
08 - Lush - Downer (Gala 1990)
09 - Skywave - Baby It's Just You (Echodrone 1999)
10 - Pale Saints - She Rides The Waves (Barging Into The Presence Of God 1989)
11 - Kevin Shields - City Girl (Lost In Translation OST 2003)
12 - The Twilight Sad - Fourteen Autumns and Fifteen Winters (Fourteen Autumns and Fifteen Winters 2007)
13 - Guitar - House Full of Time (Blue Skied an' Clear (Slowdive Tribute - VA 2002)
14 - Celestial - Lake Como (Dream On 2007)
15 - Smashing Orange - Any Further, It's Over (Smashing Orange 1991)
16 - Swervedriver - Sandblasted (Raise 1991)
17 - The Radio Dept. - A Window (Pet Grief 2006)
18 - Slowdive - Shine (Holding Our Breath 1991)
19 - Ceremony - Someday (Our Last Goodbye 2005)

Download Episode 05 here.

Albums I didn't like this month - December

I thought it would be interesting to post the albums that I didn't like. There is so much I have to listen to to get that one song that I love. All albums are from 2008 unless specified.

Arid - All Things Come In Waves
Birdwatchers of America - There Have Been Sightings
Ed Ackerson - Ackerson2
Diego - Two
Glasvegas - A Snowflake Fell (And It Felt Like A Kiss)
The Incredible Vickers Brothers - Gallimaufry
Iran - the Moon Boys CD [2002]
Katy Perry - One Of The Boys
The Killers - Day and Age
Leona Lewis - Spirit
Le Tigre - This Island Remixes
Magnetic Morning - AM
Malbec - Dawn of our age
Maple Bee - Home
Maple Bee - Chasing Eva (2004)
Mediaeval Baebes - Illumination
Nomad - Cats and Babies
Paulusma - iRecord
John Phillips - John, the Wolf King of L.A. (1969)
John Phillips - Pay Pack & Follow (2001)
Piano Magic - Dark Horses EP
The Pigeon Detectives - Emergency
Various Artists - Just Like A Heaven: A Tribute To The Cure (2009)
Rachel Unthank & The Winterset - The Bairns (2007)
The Rosebuds - Life Like
Ruth - Anorak
Solo - Before We Part
Starflyer 59 - Dial M
Televise- Secret Valentine
Televise - Sometimes Splendid Confusion
Televise - Strings and Wires (2007)
The Tunics - Somewhere In Somebody's Heart
The Hold Steady - Stay Positive
Vivian Girls - Orphanage 7''
Voyager One - Afterhours in the Afterlife
The War On Drugs - Wagonwheel Blues
Wild Sweet Orange - We Have Cause To Be Uneasy
Woody - Avenues

Almost there!

I wanted to create a compilation of shoe/nu-gazer bands of the past year for this installment of the podcast. Here's the problem, I can't stop adding songs and it's ballooned into a compilation of some of my favorite shoegazer songs of the past and present. I already at 50 songs and I still have more to go. I haven't listened to some of these songs for a long time and each song reminds me of another one that I should add. I'm sorry for the wait but I guarantee you that this will be a treat worth waiting for if you have an interest in this genre. If you haven't been exposed to this genre of music, this will certainly be a good introduction. I'm trying to avoid the obvious song selections, like any song from My Bloody Valentine's album "Loveless."