Out the Other

In rotation: Brazilian Girls - New York City

I was all ready to write a post this evening basically whining about how for the past few days, none of the new stuff I've been listening to has sounded interesting to me at all.  Which is fine if I'm going to kick back and listen to old familiar stuff, but isn't exactly a situation that lends itself to exciting music writing. 

But last night I loaded the new Brazilian Girls album, New York City, onto my iPod for my trip to the gym, and one of the songs caught my attention during my workout.  This afternoon I decided to give the whole thing a listen while struggling through a particularly tedious project at work, and found myself bopping along in my swivel chair.

New York City isn't exactly my new favorite album - in fact there are tracks on there that I just don't dig at all - but overall the record is a breath of exotic fresh air: especially in the midst of a flourescent-flooded, cubicle-walled afternoon.  It's multi-lingual and rhythm-driven, exuberant and darkly sexy.  Above all else it's making me remember what it was like seeing the band in a steamy tent pulsing with wall-to-wall dancers at ACL in 2006.  I envy any of you who might have the chance to see Brazilian Girls at Lollapalooza this weekend.

"Good Time"
"Ricardo"

Also recommended on the album - "Noveau Americain," "Internacional"  and "St. Petersburg."  New York City will be released next Tuesday, August 5. 

Playlist - July 28

Monday night's guest DJs were Nashville's own Kyle Andrews, and San Francisco's Ryan Auffenberg, who has been on the road with Kyle for the past month.  Unfortunately you missed your chance to see the two on the same bill here in Nashville - that happened at Kyle's Real Blasty release show last Saturday - but Kyle Andrews will be playing Mercy Lounge this Saturday, August 2, and again on August 14 at the Basement.  And hopefully Ryan will be visiting Nashville again later this fall.

As for the show, both boys brought a bunch of great tunes (we didn't even get to play everything) and we also sampled heavily from both Real Blasty and Ryan's latest - Marigolds.  Go ahead:

Stream the July 28 edition of Out the Other

And here's the playlist, with some mp3s for good measure, and then two excellent mp3s we didn't get to play on the show down there at the bottom of this post. 

1.  Kyle Andrews - Sushi (Real Blasty)
2.  Ryan Auffenberg - Interstate (Marigolds) (mp3)
3.  Cougar Fight - Deadweight (Relapse)
4.  Sun Kil Moon - Carry Me Ohio (Ghosts of the Great Highway)
5.  Kyle Andrews - Wavering Between the Real and the Abstract (Real Blasty)
6.  Ryan Auffenberg - Half Forgotten Love (Marigolds)
7.  Heypenny - Cop Car (unreleased)
8.  Uncle Tupelo - Give Back the Key to My Heart (Anodyne)
9.  Horse In the Sea - George Had Wooden Teeth (I Order the Sun To Shine On Everyone) (mp3)
10.  Rogue Wave - Chicago Times Twelve (Asleep At Heaven's Gate)
11.  Imaginary Baseball League - Fat Boys Are Not Athletes (Revive)
12.  Spoon - You Got Yr Cherry Bomb (Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga)
13.  CSS - Left Behind (Donkey)
14.  Joy Division - Atmosphere (She's Lost Control 7")
15.  Kyle Andrews - Naked In New York (Real Blasty) (mp3)
16.  Ryan Auffenberg - Marigolds (Marigolds)
17.  Danielson - Did I Step On Your Trumpet (Ships)
18.  Thom Yorke - After the Gold Rush (live - unreleased) (mp3)
19.  Laura Veirs - Saltbreakers (Saltbreakers)
20.  Kings of Convenience - Miss Red (Riot On an Empty Street)
21.  Ryan Auffenberg - Alright, Okay (Marigolds)
22.  Kyle Andrews - Blow It Out (Real Blasty)

Two tracks we didn't get to play on the show:

Jeff Buckley & Elizabeth Fraser - "All Flowers In Time Bend Towards the Sun"
Andrew Bird - "Plasticities"

July 28 show preview - Kyle Andrews

It's funny - I just took a peek back at the archives and spotted something I had almost completely forgotten about - Kyle Andrews' "Amos In Ohio" was one of the very, very first mp3s I ever posted on Out the Other (not to mention the first Nashville artist I ever wrote about).  And here we are almost three and a half years later, and I'm about to have Kyle join me in the studio tonight for another guest appearance on the show. 

Kyle is actually no stranger to Out the Other - not only have I been writing about him for more than three years, but he's actually been on the show a few times, including a guest DJing spot at the end of last summer.  Last year we were celebrating the release of Find Love, Let Go, and this time around we'll be rocking out to the follow-up, Real Blasty.  It's glitchy, poppy and utterly danceable, and has been doing a fair job soundtracking my bright and sunny summer so far.

"Sushi"
"Tennessee Torture Dreams"

Tonight we'll be sampling a fair amount of Real Blasty, and also checking out what Kyle's been listening to this summer.  He'll also be bringing his touring mate Ryan Auffenberg along for the ride, so expect to hear some of Ryan's excellent tunes as well.

Tune in at 10!

Two New - Ricky Lee Robinson and Cold War Kids

Ricky Lee Robinson - "Nothing In the Eyes of Love"

This one landed in my inbox described as a "Bowie-esque one-man-band from the San Francisco Bay area."  Bowie-esque, indeed.  The old-school sound instantly grabbed my attention and had me checking that this wasn't some long-lost re-release.  And clocking in at just 3:04, the tune never wears out its welcome or loses its punch.  This appears on the album Secret Love Tricks, which is out now on Hypnodisk.

-------------------------

Cold War Kids - "Something Is Not Right With Me"

I've loved Cold War Kids since the first time I saw them - which is why it surprises me that lately that seems to be something to apologize for.  Despite the hype and the backlash and all the Pitchfork crap, I never really paid much attention to anyone else's opinion of the band, so I'm both eagerly anticipating their new album- - Loyalty to Loyalty, which is out on September 23 - and their show at the Mercy Lounge on October 21st.  This track is our first taste of the new album, and it has this frantic quality that I love although it makes me feel antsy or borderline panicky or something.  I hope this is a good sign for the rest of the album.

Reading and writing and mp3s

Since I've been on such a reading kick lately, I thought I'd share some things I've been reading online about the role of music writing and music blogs and all of that:

• MP3 Blogs vs. Music Blogs:  Different Purposes? on Condemned to Rock 'n Roll
• Nightlife/The Dream of Your Own Paparazzi on Flux-Rad
• Dancing About Architecture on Flux-Rad

To be perfectly honest, I find myself alternately fascinated and exhausted by this stuff.  I've never been called out on my writing - mostly because I've never claimed to be much of a music writer - but I routinely see the writers at the Nashville Scene (and the Nashville Cream) torn apart because of their taste, or their personal musicianship (or lack of musicianship), or whatever standards the Scene/Cream readers have conjured up in their own heads for the role of music writer.  Plus, I routinely struggle with what my intentions are for this blog - while I don't like to think I'm of the "regurgitating press releases" category, I'm certainly never critical, and I'm not sure I ever provide thoughtful commentary about the artists and music I'm discussing.  So this is interesting stuff to think about.

Basically when I get confused about what I'm doing with this blog, I have to step back and remember that first and foremost, I'm a DJ.  In both DJing and blogging I think I'm attempting to be a something like a curator; a cheerleader; a guide. 

Playlist - July 21

Monday's show was fantastic, and a little bit crazy - the boys from And the Relatives were in the studio with me and we absolutely had a blast hanging out for two hours.  Things got a little crazy each time we tried to talk (gotta love it when all four people in the station break down laughing and can't even speak), but we played a ton of great music and got to hear five of the six tracks on the band's upcoming EP - Animals.  I'm definitely going to be checking out a bunch of the bands and artists they brought to share that I wasn't familiar with, and I'm pretty psyched that I have the first (albeit unofficial) copy of the EP to listen to over and over again.  Go ahead:

Stream the July 21 edition of Out the Other

As I mentioned about forty times on the show, And the Relatives have TWO shows this week here in Nashville - tomorrow night (Friday) at the 5 Spot with Good Morning Powerheart and Pale Blue Dot, and then on Saturday at Local Honey with Caitlin Rose and The Country Music.  Go to both.  These guys are amazing. 

And here's the playlist, with some bonus mp3s (including the title track off of Animals; be sure to nab that one):

1.  And the Relatives - Lowercase (Animals)
2.  Emitt Rhodes - You Take the Dark Out of the Night (Emitt Rhodes) (mp3)
3.  Deadboy & The Elephantmen - Kissed By Lightning (We Are Night Sky)
4.  Eureka Gold - Peter Oh (Eureka Gold)
5.  Faces - Cindy Incidentally (Ooh La La)
6.  The Botticellis - Old Home Movies (Old Home Movies)
7.  Caitlin Rose - Dead Flowers (Dead Flowers EP) (mp3)
8.  And the Relatives - Dixie Cups (Animals)
9.  Les Savy Fav - Tragic Monsters (Go Forth)
10.  Ratatat - Falcon Jab (LP3)
11.  MGMT - Electric Feel (Oracular Spectacular)
12.  Evinha - Que Bandeira (Brazilian Funk Experience)
13.  And the Relatives - Animals (Animals) (mp3)
14.  Traveling Wilburys - Runaway (Traveling Wilburys)
15.  Jimi Hendrix - Room Full of Mirrors (unreleased bootleg) (mp3)
16.  Yeasayer - Sunrise (All Hour Cymbals)
17.  Meemaw - Blue In the Black Light (Glass Elevator)
18.  Hotpipes - Future Bolt (Future Bolt)
19.  Loved Ones - Everlovin Man (Magic Box)
20.  And the Relatives - Cowboy Jazz (Animals)
21.  Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal (Fleet Foxes)
22.  The Troggs - With a Girl Like You (Archaeology)
23.  Wolf Parade - Soldier's Grin (At Mount Zoomer)
24.  The Move - Higher & Higher (Something Else)
25.  And the Relatives - Spoon Daddy (Animals)

This and that

• Okay first up - Michael from Yewknee has a new mix up over at We Own This Town.  We Own This Town #12 features the more electronic side of Nashville, with tracks from Jensen Sportag, Canon Blue, Hands off Cuba and more.  Go listen.

• Speaking of local hotness, I FINALLY got around to updating some of my links on that little sidebar to your left.  Most of the "good stuff" is still the same, but there have been quite a few additions to the Nashville corner of the net.  A few WRVU DJs now have blogs:  Antennas to Heaven, Nashville Mixtapes and Indie Ghetto;  the new(ish) record shop in East Nashville has a site - The Groove; and there are a few other things worth subscribing to out there:  Deli Nashville, A Star To Sail Her By, Blogging Is Serious Business and Nashvillest.  Go check 'em all out.

• The Summer Mix Series is still hoppin'.  Get to it.

Halfway

Those of you who have been reading the blog for some time might know that I'm a little bit of a bookworm - in fact I really only use my about page on this website to keep track of all the books I've been reading each year.

In 2008 I'm on a quest to read 38 books (for the past two years my goal has been 36 and I've managed to read 37), and despite falling pretty far behind in the past few months, I'm proud to say that on Monday I reached the halfway point when I completed book #19.  So, this is just me patting myself on the back a little bit - and saying hello to all the other book nerds out there who might be spending their summers with their noses stuffed in books too.

You can check out all the books I've read so far over here, or you can take a look at my Goodreads page - you can see everything I've read, what I'm currently reading, and what's on my to-read bookshelf.  If you make a profile (or already have a profile), make sure you add me as a friend.

So what are the highlights so far in 2008?  Eats, Shoots & Leaves, The Raw Shark Texts, Killing Yourself to Live, Kafka on the Shore, and Mother Night, to name a few.  What have you been reading?

Vampire Weekend - "Oxford Comma" (from Vampire Weekend)
The Silent Years - "Sharks" (from The Silent Years)
Sound Team - "No More Birthdays" (from Movie Monster)

July 21 show preview - And the Relatives

It's so strange - it feels like just the other day I was perusing the Next Big Nashville lineup and stumbling upon the first unfamiliar band in the alphabetical list - And the Relatives - and promptly falling in love with the songs on their Myspace page.  But really, that was eleven months ago, which is why it seems almost completely insane that three of my favorite music-making gentlemen in Nashville have never guest DJed on Out the Other. 

But all that changes tonight.  Andrew, Patrick and Eli will be joining me in the studio for two hours of And the Relatives awesomeness on WRVU - we'll be talking about the band's two shows this week (Friday at the 5 Spot and Saturday at Local Honey), their upcoming EP, what they've been up to lately and of course what they've been listening to.  I'm totally looking forward to it, and you should be too.

"Puppetry"

Tune in at 10!

Playlist - July 14

I am so good at doing this - and by "this," I mean typing up the playlist for the show and then absolutely forgetting to post it.  So sorry 'bout that.  Of course, now that it's Monday again there will be a new show on tonight, but no worries because this stream will keep working for a long, long time.  So go ahead and:

Stream the July 14 edition of Out the Other

And here's the playlist of last week's solo show - it actually worked out pretty well:

1.  Lykke Li - Dance Dance Dance (Youth Novels)
2.  Lackthereof - Choir Practice (Your Anchor)
3.  The Features - Concrete (Some Kind of Salvation)
4.  Sound Team - Your Eyes Are Liars (Movie Monster)
5.  Head Like a Kite - We Were So Entangled (There Is Loud Laughter Everywhere)
6.  Dr. Dog - Uncovering the Old (Fate)
7.  Goldfrapp - Happiness (Seventh Tree)
8.  Phoenix - Everything Is Everything (Alphabetical)
9.  MGMT - Kids (Oracular Spectacular)
10.  How I Became the Bomb - Killing Machine (Let's Go!)
11.  The Felice Brothers - Radio Song (The Felice Brothers)
12.  Margot & the Nuclear So & So's - Vampires in Blue Dresses (The Dust of Retreat)
13.  Cold War Kids - Rubidoux (Robbers & Cowards)
14.  M. Ward - Chinese Translation (Post-War)
15.  The Walkmen - In the New Year (You & Me)
16.  King Khan and the Shrines - Torture (The Supreme Genius)
17.  White Denim - All You Really Have To Do (Workout Holiday)
18.  Envelopes - Sister In Love (Demon)
19.  Florence and the Machine - Kiss With a Fist (Kiss With a Fist 7")
20.  Supergrass - Rebel In You (Diamond Hoo Ha)
21.  Department of Eagles - In Ear Park (In Ear Park)
22.  Spoon - Merchants of Soul (demo) (online bonus mp3)
23.  Sigur Ros - Inni Mer Syngur Vitleysingur (Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust)
24.  Cold War Kids - Robbers (Robbers & Cowards)