Song of the Week 10/28/05

Soul Asylum - "Just Like Anyone"

Days later, and my mind is still reeling from the S.A. gig at Bowery Ballroom, with the new rhythm section of drummer Michael Bland and filling in the bass spot for the dearly departed Karl Mueller, the ex-Replacement Tommy Stinson. This was the best Soul Asylum show I had seen in 13 years. Stinson and Bland played as if they got paid the louder and faster they banged away, and Dave Pirner and Dan Murphy haven't looked this jazzed to be on a stage in a long, long time. The highlight had to be the guy standing next to me and my friend Mike yelling out "Just Like Anyone" at one point, and they ripped right into it. I high-fived that guy -- Eddie Trunk of VH1 Classic. Seems metal and Soul Asylum go together in that man's world.

21st Century Boy 10/21/05

Thanks to those whom came out for the second edition of 21st Century Boy at Magnetic Field. Looks like the next edition won't be until next year, but mark Saturday December 3rd in your datebooks, as I'll be spinning a chunk of obscure (and not-so-obscure) 80s material at the birthday party for one of Magentic Field's staff. And for those with beer-addled memories, here's the playlist:

The Decemberists - "We Both Go Down Together"
Loretta Lynn With Jack White - "Portland, Oregon"
Mike Doughty - "Looking at the World From the Bottom of a Well"
Kings of Leon - "California Waiting"
Guided by Voices - "Chasing Heather Crazy"
Spoon - "Sister Jack"
Steve Burns - "Mighty Little Man"
Flaming Lips - "Yoshimi Battles the Robots Part 1"
Clap You Hands Say Yeah - "Let the Cool Goddess Rust Away"
Joe Strummer - "Johnny Appleseed"
Elvis Costello - "45"
Dead 60s - "Riot Radio"
Franz Ferdinand - "Do You Want To"
Radiohead - "There There"
Modest Mouse - "Ocean Breathes Salty"
Queens of the Stone Age - "The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret"
The White Stripes - "Blue Orchid"
Josh Rouse - "Winter in the Hamptons"
Nada Surf - "Always Love"
Old 97's - "Rollerskate Skinny"
Ryan Adams - "Firecracker"
Brendan Benson - "Spit it Out"
Rufus Wainwright - "The One You Love"
Ben Folds - Annie Waits"
Guster - "Amsterdam"
Death Cab for Cutie - "Crooked Teeth"
Bright Eyes - "Road to Joy"
Electric Six - "Dance Epidemic"
Garbage - "Why Do You Love Me"
The Hives - "Main Offender"
New Pornographers - "Twin Cinema"
Weezer - "Keep Fishin'"
Ben Lee - "Catch My Disease"
Ben Kweller - "My Apartment"
Ringside - "Tired of Being Sorry"
Spinto Band - "Oh Mandy"
Wilco - "War on War"
Rhett Miller - "Our Love"
Mates of State - "Along for the Ride"
Rilo Kiley - "Go Ahead"
Pete Yorn - "Strange Condition"
Oasis - "Part of the Queue"
The Gentlemen - "Flame For Hire"
Bob Mould - "Circles"
Josh Rouse - "Love Vibration"
Elliott Smith - "L.A."
eels - "Saturday Morning"
Matthew Sweet - "So far"
Cake - "The Guitar Man"
Death Cab for Cutie - "Bad Reputation"
Me First and the Gimmie Gimmies - "Stand By Your Man"
Richard Thompson - "Oops I Did It Again"
Fountains of Wayne - "...Baby One More Time"
Ravonettes - "My Boyfriend's Back"
The Flaming Lips - "Bohemian Rhapsody"
Strokes - "Hard to Explain"
The Thrills - "Whatever Happened to Corey Haim?"
The Shins - "Know Your Onion!"
Doves - "There Goes the Fear"
The Gravel Pit - "Loved One"
Hot Hot Heat - "Middle of Nowhere"
Interpol - "NYC"
Aimee Mann - "Dear John"
OK Go - "Get Over It"
Ween - "Even If You Don't"
XTC - "Stupidly Happy"
Louis XIV - "A Letter to Dominique"
Spoon - "My Mathmatical Mind"
The Figgs - "Sit and Shake"
Billy Bragg and Wilco - "My Flying Saucer"
R.E.M. - "Imitation of Life"
Coldplay - "Don't Panic"
The Arcade Fire - "cold Wind"
The Coral - "Lizah"
Eisley - "I Wasn't Prepared"
PJ Harvey - "You Said Something"
Beck - "Lost Cause"
The Decemberists - "16 Military Wives"
The Postal Service - "The District Sleeps Tonight"
The White Stripes - "I'm Lonely (But I Ain't That Lonely Yet)"
Ryan Adams and the Cardinals - "My Heart Is Broken"

Song of the Week 10/21/05

Carole King - "I Feel the Earth Move"

I spent some time at my aunt's house during my vacation, and to clean and paint the garage we listened to Tapestry two days in a row. And then as I was driving to the train station to head back, "I Feel the Earth Move" came on the radio. Selection closed, I thought.

Song of the Week 10/14/05

Graham Parker & The Figgs - "If It Ever Stops Rainin'"



If it ever stops raining, I might actually be happy.

But I doubt it. Only beer and singing can cure me of my guilt and regret.

This track from Deepcut to Nowhere was a staple of the last two GP/Figgs tours, and a live version can be found on the official bootleg Live Cuts From Somewhere. It's definitely worth searching for.

Song of the Week 10/7/05

The Gravel Pit - "Unit Three"

(The Pit circa 2001)

I've written extensively in the past (2004, 2001, Trouser Press) about my late bloooming love for The Gravel Pit. So imagine how excited I was to see them play their first New York show in over four years on Thursday night. They were hand-picked by Nada Surf to open up one of their two sold out shows at the Bowery Ballroom, and Nada drummer Ira Elliot came out to introduce them. Even with only three gigs under their belts over the past three years, the Pit did not disappoint. I listened to Mass Avenue Freeze Out a few times during the week to get myself ready for this gig, so I was quite happy when singer Jed Parish told the crowd, "Here's another one from the overlooked Mass Avenue Freeze Out album," and they broke into "Unit Three." This song has become one of my favorites over these years of repeated listens, and this smoking live version did not disappoint. I for one hope that it's not the last time I get to see them play this song, and many others from their great catalog.