Well, this summer vacation at the Brown Couch has been relatively extended but oh so memorable in real life.

Moving, working, things and other activities have meant that I haven’t been making shows. Luckily, Jared keeps it so freakin’ real with his show that STRadio rocks it out all the times.

But, to clarify, this is a new show and well, folks, it’s a good one. Loads of new music and lots of stuff to play. Bands I barely know but now DO know. It’s the miracles of life. Welcome.

And here it is…

Arcade Fire – The Suburbs – The Suburbs (forthcoming)

Best Coast – The End – Crazy For You
Dirty Projectors + Bjork – When the World Comes to an End – Mount Wittenberg Orca
Ceo – Illuminata - White Magic
The Postelles – White Night - White Night
Pineapple – It’s A Gonna Be Good – Pineapple

The Boat People – Antidote – Dear Darkly
Cats and Cats and Cats – Little Blimps – If I’d Had An Atlas
The Guggenheim Grotto – Wings And Feathers – The Universe is Laughing
Los Campesinos! – Straight In At 101/It’s Never Enough – EP
Magic Kids – Summer - Memphis (forthcoming)

The Coral – Walking In The Winter – Butterfly House
Bombay Bicycle Club – Ivy & Gold - Flaws
I Am Kloot – Fingerprints – Sky At Knight
Deer Tick – The Great Smoke Off – The Great Smoke Off
Correatown – Everything, All At Once – Correatown EP

The Chemical Brothers – Swoon – Swoon

The SUN!

Oh man, oh my…
I’ve been away for a while. It’s good to be back, but this last month was a portent (heck yes) of things to come. It’s been a crazy time in my life with weekly trips to Toronto, moving, graduations, work, and a little something called the WORLD CUP! I’ve been getting a lot of work done, but also watching all the matches. And I couldn’t be happier.

Vuvuzelas, those horns a lot of fans are blowing, are causing quite a stir. They sound like a drone of angry bees and have been mocked, ridiculed and spat upon all over. Calls to ban them have been silenced and to that I say, fantastic. I don’t like the sound. It’s annoying and takes away from other crowd sounds I appreciate, like chanting, singing etc. However, they have been a tradition in South African Football for years and this isn’t a surprise to the FIFA team. Plus, if you listen long enough, you just get used to them! Tradition wins out and for that, hurrah!

But this is about music, and here is an awesome setlist. Enjoy…

</vuvuzela>

Sleigh Bells – Rill Rill – Treats

Stars – Dead Hearts – The Five Ghosts
Beach Fossils – Vacation – Youth
Wild Nothing – Drifter - Gemini
The Radio Dept. – Heaven’s On Fire – Clinging To A Scheme
Wild Moccasins – It’s Health & My Own – Skin Collision Past

Sufjan Stevens – He Woke Me Up Again – Seven Swans
Blitzen Trapper – Love and Hate – Destroyer of the Void
Maps & Atlases – Solid Ground – Solid Ground
The Tallest Man on Earth – Burden Of Tomorrow – The Wild Hunt
Devandra Banhart – This Is The Way – Rejoicing In The Hands

The Drums – Best Friend – The Drums
Here We Go Magic – Collector – Pigeons
Tapes ‘n Tapes – Cowbell - The Loon
Bombay Bicycle Club – How Are We – How Are We
Pete and the Pirates – Mr. Understanding – Little Death

The Jesus and Mary Chain – Catchfire – Honey’s Dead

</vuvuzela>

Behold!  Awesome randomness and other awesomeness.

Picked some interesting tracks this week and I love it. Mixed it up. Tossed it around. Getting gritty… um, wait… too far. Still just a podcast.

All in all a really interesting show featuring some music which has just come across my earholes.  I love it when that happens.  Also, it means a lot of research should be done to find out what a band is all about, but in this ADD, instant gratification, Nescafe world we live in, who has the time? I probably do, but I still didn’t do any research other than listening.  And isn’t that the best kind of research?

Nope. Probably cancer or HIV research or another disease or stuff done by scientists. Like Batman. Who was a scientist.

Science this, nerds!

The Black Keys – Ohio – Greetings from Akron, OH: Home of Devo & the Black Keys

Chester French – She Loves Everybody – She Loves Everybody EP
The Morning Benders – I Was Wrong – Talking Through Tin Cans
Shout Out Louds – 1999 – Work
Thao with the Get Down Stay Down – Cool Yourself – Know Better Learn Faster
The Dodos – Two Medicines – Time to Die

Walter Meego – Forever – Voyager
YACHT – The Afterlife – See Mystery Lights
Handsome Furs – Handsome Furs Hate This City – Plague Park
Cymbals Eat Guitars – Indiana – Why There Are Mountains
Department of Eagles – Around the Bay – In Ear Park

Eric’s Trip – Girlfriend – Forever Again
Vivian Girls – Can’t Get Over You – Everything Goes Wrong
Sondre Lerche – Good Luck – Heartbeat Radio
The Films – Fingernails for Breakfast – Oh, Scorpio
The Little Ones – All Your Modern Boxes – Morning Tide

DEVO – Human Rocket – Greetings from Akron, OH: Home of Devo & the Black Keys

Way to go, Mexico. Keep those French at bay even though you owed them money and wouldn’t pay your debts, or something! Shots all around!!!

It’s a day of celebration for some and for others a day of celebration! Plus, the weather is awesome and May is awesome and awesome.  Can you tell I’m just a little excited? No? Damn you digital talking or as some say “static text”. Oh well, I’m excited.

Great new music from Broken Social Scene and New Pornographers today, two of Canada’s best super groups, comprised of 1/3 of the musicians in Toronto and Vancouver, respectively.

Plus other great stuff. Enough reading, go rock! And drinking. Margarita on the rocks!

Broken Social Scene – World Sick – Forgiveness Rock Record

New Pornographers – Moves – Together
Stars – Reunion – Adventures in Advertising
Arab Strap – Hey! Fever - Single
We Were Promised Jetpacks – With the Benefit of Hindsight – The Last Place You’ll Look
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – Let The Cool Goddess Rust Away – Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

The Mynabirds – Ways of Looking – What We Lose In The Fire We Gain In The Flood
phosphorescent – It’s Hard To Be Humble (When You’re From Alabama) - Here’s To Taking It Easy
Blitzen Trapper – Silver Moon – Black River Killer
Okkervil River – Plus Ones - The Stage Names
Monsters of Folk – Say Please – Monsters of Folk

The Phenomenal Handclap Band – 15 to 20 – The Phenomenal Handclap Band
Yves Klein Blue – Make Up Your Mind – Ragged & Ecstatic
Harlem Shakes – Sunlight – Technicolor Health
Can – Vitamin C – Ege Bamyasi
El Guincho – Kalise – Alegranza

Nina Simone – Feeling Good – The Best of Nina Simone

Trumpet, trumpet, trumpet, trumpet, trumpet. TEQUILA!

(thanks to Dave for that)

Hi.

——-

Imagine if that’s all I typed and then just played a CD with the volume knob at 3. Welcome to an MGMT concert.

It was sad, folks. Sad. However, do not fret!!! Earlier in the day, Matt and Kim saved Yale Spring Fling 2010 for us! Great show and great music. As I say in the podcast today, check them out… do it!

Right now from where I’m sitting, I can see newly bloomed or exploomed leaves and blue sky and really dark clouds.  It’s spring, so that’s understandable, which is what today’s show is like. A nice mix of awesomeness meant to challenge the allergies. But not at all. It’s only sound, scientists.

Enjoy this, dudes… enjoy this.

MGMT – Weekend Wars – Oracular Spectacular

Matt and Kim – Daylight – Grand
Passion Pit – Sleepyhead – Chunk of Change
Black Kids – I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You – Partie Traumatic
Cut Copy – Lights and Music – In Ghost Colours
Crystal Castles – Untrust Us – Crystal Castles

The Thrills – One horse town – So Much For The City
Guillemots – Made Up Lovesong #43 – From The Cliffs
Gomez – Whippin’ Piccadilly – EP
!!! – Myth Takes
The Rapture – House of Jealous Lovers – Echoes

The Films – Something Familiar – Oh, Scorpio
Iron & Wine – Woman King – Woman King
Telekinesis! – Imaginary Friend – Telekinesis!
Forest Fire – Fortune Teller - Survival
The Antlers – Two – Hospice

Stereolab – Miss Modular – Dots & Loops

SPRING! FLUNG!

Hello stoners and non-stoners a like!

It’s a great day in April and it’s time for some awesome music.  Sound good? Hells yeah it does.

Today’s show is primarily music put out for Record Store Day 2010. If you didn’t make it out to a record store during it’s very special day, it might be mad at you and then you have to buy it a special present or at least a drink next time you see it at the bar.  Either way, I was lucky enough to get a nice sampling of music which was released and I want to share it with you.

As today is also a fake national holiday, hell it’s as much of a real holiday as St. Patrick’s Day or Valentine’s Day is, if you are so inclined, go grab the nearest and dearest green plant if you are so able with the medical ailments that allow you to partake legally, and enjoy.  If you’re not legal, don’t do it and if you do, well then, enjoy as well!

Pretty sure this tracklist is good enough to get everyone a little high… ahhhh… that’s good sh*t.

Beastie Boys – Lee Majors Come Again – Super Surprise

Beach House – Zebra (UK Radio Edit) – Zebra EP
Built to Spill – Water Sleepers – Water Sleepers
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Skeletons – Skeletons
Broken Social Scene – Forced to Love – Forced to Love Single

Holy Fuck – Latin America – Single
The Black Keys – Next Girl - Brothers
Gogol Bordello – We Comin’ Rougher (Immigraniada) – We Comin’ Rougher (Immigraniada)
Ted Leo and The Pharmacists – The Oldest House – The Oldest House / North Coast

Blur – Fool’s Day – Fool’s Day
Villagers – Becoming A Jackal - Becoming A Jackal
Bon Iver – Come Talk To Me – Come Talk To Me / Flume
fun. – All the Pretty Girls (Live) – Live at Fingerprints

LCD Soundsystem – Pow Pow – Pow Pow

<cough>

Today’s show is full of hits and awesomeness.

If you don’t know why the title of the show is “Loaded” check out this and be informed. Knowledge is power.

Over the past 50 podcasts I’ve played a tonne of new music and random bands.  I love it. Sharing new finds, posting new music before the hipsters do and other ego boosting music related cliches. For number 51 though, I’ve gone back and took a page out of the olde thymey playlist and just played greatness.  These songs once echoed around East Campus Hall at the University of Waterloo, inside my car on roadtrips, at the Olde Guelph Studios / big time design offices in Kitchener, the Jane Bond and CKMS 100.3 FM and actually ever since.

Influenced by a number of people, who I won’t mention here because they know who they are, my musical tastes exploded in the late 90’s so much “indie” and “indie” influencers that there was barely enough time to keep quiet.  This sampling is just a few of the tracks and bands that although I don’t play them much on the podcast, are truly epic and worthy of constant play.  Granted, I’ve played new releases they have put out and even some of the classics in various shows, but not a show like this.  It’s loaded.

Enjoy and later on I might just have to do a hip-hop / electronic show like this and a mid-90’s show like this and a influencers show like this…

Tracklists are cool beans.

Belle & Sebastien – Get Me Away From Here, I’m Dying – If You’re Feeling Sinister

The Brian Jonestown Massacre – Who? – Take It From The Man!
Clinic – T.K. – Internal Wrangler
Built To Spill – Sidewalk – Keep It Like A Secret
Guided by Voices – Game of Pricks – Alien Lanes
Pavement – Summer Babe (Winter Version) – Slanted & Enchanted

Quasi – Genetic Science – The Sword Of God
The Folk Implosion – One Part Lullaby – One Part Lullaby
My Morning Jacket – Mahgeetah – It Still Moves
Elliott Smith – Son of Sam – Elliott Smith
Spoon – Fitted Shirt – Girls Can Tell

Crooked Fingers – Crowned In Chrome – Crooked Fingers
The Deadly Snakes – Gore Veil – Porcella
The Decemberists – 16 Military Wives – Picareque
Neutral Milk Hotel – In The Aeroplane Over the Sea – In The Aeroplane Over the Sea
The Shins – Know Your Onion! – Oh, Inverted World

Yo La Tengo – Let’s Save Tony Orlando’s House – And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out

I hope the record company likes this one.

Oh yeah it’s green!  Spring has sprung or something. And oh yeah, it’s my 50th podcast.

As the warmer weather and sun start to creep into our lives and the winter burns away, more time is spent out of doors.  But not for the next hour, because unless you’re using some sort of portable music device from the distant future, you’re sitting inside working or listening to music, or creating pottery while listening to this.

It’s a weird collection of great songs today and that’s just how it is.  I do hype up next weeks’ show which will be all about the hits and some personal favourites of mine from years gone by.

I’m going to go outside now, but first here’s this to hear:

Yo La Tengo – Georgia vs. Yo La Tengo – Summer Sun

Dum Dum Girls – Jail LA LA – I Will Be
British Sea Power – Boy Vertigininous – Man Of Aran
These New Puritans – Hologram – Hidden
Washed Out – Phone Call - High Times

Matt Pond PA – Specks – The Dark Leaves
First Aid Kit – I Met Up With The King – I Met Up With The King EP
The Radio Dept. – This Time Around – Clinging to a Scheme
Seabird – Black and Blue - Till We See The Shore

The School – Can’t Understand – Loveless Unbeliever
Communist Daughter – Not The Kid - Sountrack To The End
We Are Scientists – After Hours – Brain/Thrust/Mastery
The Raveonettes – Last Dance – In and Out Of Control

Wooden Shjips – Outta My Head – Vol. 2

here here!

Ok. It’s rainy and crappy out.  Also, this year is flying.

In other news, there’s a lot of new music out there right now.  I love to play as much new music as possible and the internet helps that be possible.  But with that power, as I’ve said before, comes a responsibility to know what is released and what isn’t.  You didn’t hear it from me, but there are a few great albums in the works and I just wish I could hear them … right now… ahem.

The music I can play for you is below and it’s another fun show which should help ward off the blahs of this weather I’m stuck in and finish off March in style.

Style is subjective, tracklists are forever:

Bocce – Bachelor (Satisfied Fool) – Disambiguation

Pony the Pirate – Sing – This is my Psychopedia
The School – Let It Slip – Let It Slip EP
Eagle Seagull – I Don’t Know If People Have Hated Me, But I’ve Hated People - The Year of the How-To Book
Vampire Weekend – Run – Live on Morning Becomes Eclectic – KCRW FM

Annuals – Loxtep – Sweet Sister EP
Errors – A Rumour In Africa – Come Down With Me
The Isolation – Angst- EP3
Liars – No Barrier Fun – Sisterworld

The National – Bloodbuzz, Ohio – High Violet
Snowden – Don’t Really Know Me – Slow Soft Syrup EP
Turin Brakes – Will Power – Outbursts
Bonnie Prince Billy and the Cairo Gang – With Cornstalks or Among Them - The Wonder Show Of The World

Boy Eats Drum Machine – The Pieces Fit Together and Never Fall Apart – Hoop + Wire

Boom.

Holy crap kids, it’s been a long, long time!

After a trips to New York City, Toronto and  San Diego it’s nice to be home and it’s nice to return to the Couch… ahh, so comfy.  I’ve got loads of great music in today’s show.

As well, a small tribute to Alex Chilton who died this past week.  He was a founding memeber of Big Star, a fantastic band which helped give birth to a lot of the music many of us love today.  If you don’t know about Big Star, click here… if you do, you know.

So, now that that is dealt with here, here’s this…

Gorillaz – White Flag – Plastic Beach

Frightened Rabbit – Living in Colour – The Winter of Mixed Drinks
Zeus – Kindergarten – Say Us
The Courteeners – Good Times Are Calling – Falcon
Marina & The Diamonds – I Am Not A Robot - The Family Jewels
Portugal The Man – The Dead Dog - American Ghetto

Elliot Smith – Thirteen – New Moon
The Tallest Man on Earth – Graceland – King of Spain (Single)
Miller-Kelton – A Man Without A Country – Goodbye Cindy
She & Him – Lingering Still – Volume Two
Dust Covered Carpet – 24/7 Trash – A Cloud, Pushed and Squeezed

Boy Eats Drum Machine – Constellation – Hoop+Wire
The Radio Dept. – Heaven’s On Fire – Clinging to A Scheme
Swallows – Thunder // Lightning – Between The Sea and Sky
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Bad Blood – Beat The Devil’s Tattoo
The Sheepdogs – Learn & Burn – Soldier Boy

Fang Island – Daisy – Fang Island

It’s good to be home.