Steve's Vinyl Vault @ Last Exit 1/24/09

Wow, it was a lot of fun DJ-ing with no rhyme or reason. And even more fun using some of my ancient (and new) vinyl. I hadn't cued up that many albums in one night in about 20 years. Thanks to Mitch and Lauren for making it happen, Molly for the extra cord, Jessica for the resourceful thinking and Tom for the needles. I hope to do it again at some point (with my own needles).

Here's what you heard (or missed):
Ace Frehley - New York Groove
The Turtles - Happy Together
The Monkees - Last Train to Clarksville
Bee Gees - Massachusetts
CCR - Fortunate Son
KISS - Calling Dr. Love
T. Rex - 20th Century Boy
Queen - I’m in Love With My Car
Sweet - Fox on the Run
Alice Cooper - No More Mr. Nice Guy
Faces - Stay With Me
Nazareth - Hair of the Dog
Blue Oyster Cult - Godzilla
Ram Jam - Black Betty
Rolling Stones - Crazy Mama
Roxy Music - Love Is the Drug
Toto -Africa
Billy Squier - My Kinda Lover
Stray Cats - Rock This Town
Ramones - I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend
Big Country - In a Big Country
The Godfathers - Birth, School, Work, Death
Cheap Trick - Surrender
The Knack - My Sharona
Rick Springfield - Jessie’s Girl
Elvis Costello - I Don’t Want to Go to Chelsea
Big Star - September Girls
Madness - It Must Be Love
Lit - My Own Worst Enemy
The Strokes - Under Control
General Public - Tenderness
Asia - Heat of the Moment
The Pretenders - Back on the Chain Gang
The Replacements - I’ll Be You
The Zombies - Care of Cell 44
Stray Cats - Stray Cat Strut
Thompson Twins - Hold Me Now
Hall & Oates - Privates Eyes
Eddie Grant - Electric Avenue
Joboxers - Just Got Lucky
Madonna - Material Girl
Prince & the Revolution- Raspberry Beret
Duran Duran - Is There Something I Should Know
The Replacements - Can’t Hardly Wait
Van Halen - I’ll Wait
Elvis Costello - The Angels Wanna Wear My Red Shoes
Big Country - Fields of Fire
Bob Mould - See a Little Light
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Change of Heart
Yes - Owner of a Lonely Heart
’Til Tuesday - Voices Carry
ABC - The Look of Love
Toto - Africa
Toto - Hold the Line
Journey - Lovin’ Touchin’ Squeezin’
Talking Heads - Once in a Lifetime
Split Enz - I Got You
Men at Work - Overkill
INXS - This Time
Outfield - You Love
The Motels - Only the Lonely
Tina Turner - Better Be Good to Me
Eurythmics - It’s Alright (Baby’s Coming back)
Deborah Harry - I Want That man
Quarterflash - Harden My Heart
The Go-Gos - Vacation
Danny Wilson - Mary’s Prayer
Hall & Oates - I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do)
Wilco - Heavy Metal Drummer
Radiohead - The Bends
The Shins - So Says I
Nada Surf - Blankest Year
Death Cab For Cutie - Cath
The Fixx - Secret Separation
Missing Persons - Destination Unknown
Pet Shop Boys - Opportunities
Michael Jackson - Beat It
Chaka Khan - I Feel For You
Dazz Band - Let It Whip
Elvis Costello and The Attractions - I Hope You’re Happy Now
The Smithereens - Behind the Wall of Sleep
Romeo Void - A Girl in Trouble (Is a Temporary Thing)
Lou Gramm - Midnight Blue
Warren Zevon - Lawyers, Guns and Money
J. Geils Band - Love Stinks
AC/DC - Big Balls
Sweet - Ballroom Blitz
The Pursuit of Happiness - I’m An Adult Now
Urge Overkill - Sister Havana
The Tubes - She’s a Beauty
? and the Mysterians - 96 Tears
Dave Clark Five - Glad All Over
Buddy Holly - That’ll Be the Day
Rolling Stones - Loving Cup
The Hold Steady - Party Pit
Supertramp - Take the Long Way Home
The Police - King of Pain
The Honeydrippers - Sea of Love
Patsy Cline - I Fall to Pieces
The Platters - The Great Pretender
Kenny Rogers - The Gambler
Johnny Cash - Don’t Take Your Guns to Town
T. Rex - Jeepster
Sweet - Love Is Like Oxygen
Steve Forbert - Romeo’s Tune
Benny Mardones - Into the Night
Faces - Ooh La La
Howard Jones - No One Is to Blame
Nada Surf - Inside of Love
Hall and Oates - One on One

Song of the Week 1/23/09

My Morning Jacket - "Librarian"

Since I've gotten a new receiver, I have been on a vinyl binge. And with my gig last Friday at Last Exit (playlist to follow in my next post), I decided to pick up some newer albums to fill out my collection. And one of those new albums was My Morning Jacket's Evil Urges. I couldn't resist the double vinyl when it included a CD copy of the album to boot. The '70s vibe Jim James and company tap into works really well with the old-fashioned having to flip over each side. "Libraian" is the cut that quickly had to cue up again and again. And I totally can see why people have compared MMJ and Fleet Foxes with this song.

Song of the Week 1/16/09

Bad Company - "Feel Like Making Love"



Weird week here at the RT20. Spent much of it wondering if I'd have my job come inauguration day. (I do, at least until the next round of layoffs come April.) I ended up going through everything at my desk and packing stuff away in case I was forced to leave rather quickly. (And I'm keeping it all packed away just in case.) In that search through my work archives, I decided I need to hear some classic rock. Somehow my brain got fixated on a Bad Company song called "Silver, Blue and Gold." Next thing I know I'm downloading all of Bad Co's greatest hits from the CCDAS (Digital Audio Server) and making my own version of the band's amazing 1985 best of album 10 From 6. Jeebus, I loved that album in high school. And when the band had a gig Saturday night, I decided I need to sing the only Bad Company song we do, "Feel Like Making Love." It kind of rocked.

BONUS: Here's a really old video, which must date back to 1975:

Song of the Week 1/9/09

Okkervil River - "Pop Lie"

So the band that supplied my number-one album and number-one single of last year were in town this week. (Well, frontman Will Sheff lives in Brooklyn now, so I guess he's usually in town when not on the road.) To warm up for their appearance on The Late Show With David Letterman Wednesday night the band booked a Tuesday night show at The Bell House, a great venue that just happens to be owned and managed by some friends of mine. The show was fabulous and the best of the three I have seen on The Stand Ins tour. After "Pop Lie" Will Sheff talked about how they would take the love of the Bell House crowd to the "cold studio filled with tourists." And they most certainly did, as WOW, they were fantastic on the Late Show. They took all the energy of a typical Okkervil River show and packed it into three minutes. Alas, my DVR cut out the last 10 seconds of the song. I would have loved to seen Dave talk about them. But during their intro he did talk about the how great the BBQ was in Austin, and he was trying to come up with the name of the place and one of the people in the band yells, "The Salt Lick?" And sure enough, that was it. Good to know Dave and I have the same taste in BBQ.

BONUS: And now, from my new Xmas gift to myself, here's an excerpt of the band playing "Pop Lie" at the Bell House.

Song of the Week 1/2/09

Heat Wave - "Boogie Nights"

On Monday my co-worker Doug said he had this song stuck in his head from it being played in his local supermarket, so he dug up a performance on YouTube.

On Monday night the song was stuck in my head.

On Wednesday night I heard the song on (perhaps the most unlikely place) WFUV.

On Friday I downloaded it and listed to it twice on the F train.

On Saturday, it became the first SOTW of 2009.

BONUS: Here's that YouTube performance...