Well hello again, everybody! Welcome to Flatbasset Radio: Episode #100!
That's right, folks, we made it! 100 episodes. That's nearly four straight days worth of shows if you played them back to back. I do not recommend playing them all back to back as my nasal voice will haunt both your dreams & nightmares, but regardless, that's a lot of damn shows.
This week's show is filled with all sorts of gems. Their are some outstanding local shows coming up this weekend, a stellar Cover Of The Week, three new songs from three major artists, the Flatbasset Flatclassic, and all the mumbling & "ummm's" that I probably should have learned to avoid about 50 episodes ago. Like I said, great show.
As always, Flatbasset Radio is completely free. I've finally set up a
decent downloading site, so if you'd like to download Flatbasset Radio:
Episode #100 (with all the appropriate iTunes tagging), just click here.
If you don't have the time or desire to download the show, just click the Mixcloud player below and you're good to go.
Here's how Episode #100 plays out:
01. Liam Gallagher - Wall Of Glass
02. BNLX - Resist! Resist!
03. Surfer Blood - Islands
04. Mondo Boys - Shangri-La Suite
05. Father John Misty - Who Loves The Sun
06. Arcade Fire - Everything Now
07. Drake - 0 To 100 (Big Cats Island Universe Mix)
08. Machita With Bionik - Cashed
09. Mixed Blood Majority - Can't Get Enough
10. Night Of Joy - I Know A Shortcut
11. George Fitzgerald - Full Circle (w/Boxed In)
12. Radiohead - I Promise
13. The Cribs - My Life Flashed Before My Eyes
There you have it, folks! Enjoy!
For more of my rantings you can give me a follow on Twitter (@TCDroogsma). Previous episodes of Flatbasset Radio are
archived on my Mixcloud page. Stop by Flatbasset Radio's Facebook Page & give it a "Like" if you have the time.
Well hello again, everybody. Welcome to another edition of Flatbasset Radio's Album Collage Monthly!
No long preamble with this one. I'm neck deep in my busy time of year at one of my jobs and I'm running on fumes right now. Thanks to everybody who's checked out the one episode of Flatbasset Radio I managed to put together this month. I'm sorry I only got one out, but it's a pretty good one. Maybe scroll down & check it out if you have the time?
On that note, let's get to the thing. As always, one "play" equals one song. For example, that new P.O.S album has 12 songs on it, so each time I listen to it front to
back it counts as twelve "plays." As usual, all stats come from my Last.FM page. Give it a follow if you really want to stay up on what's getting the most plays around Planet New Basset.
01. Suzie - Chardonnay (84 plays)
02. P.O.S - Chill, dummy (84 plays)
03. Bash & Pop - Anything Could Happen (82 plays)
04. Badly Drawn Boy - The Hour Of Bewilderbeast (68 plays)
05. The Muffs - Blonder And Blonder (42 plays)
06. V/A - Don't Fall Asleep: A Minneapolis DIY Compilation (42 plays)
07. Pavement - Brighten The Corners (36 plays)
08. The Damned - Damned Damned Damned (36 plays)
09. Shannon And The Clams - I Wanna Go Home (36 plays)
10. Scritti Politti - Provision (36 plays)
11. Refused - Songs To Fan The Flames Of Discontent (36 plays)
12. Ben Folds Five - Whatever And Ever Amen (36 plays)
13. BNLX - BNLX (36 plays)
14. Askeleton - Sad Album (36 plays)
15. Proper-T - AstralBeat Theories Part 1 (35 plays)
16. Klaxons - Myths Of The Near Future (33 plays)
17. Lifetime - Lifetime (33 plays)
18. Air - 10,000 Hz Legend (33 plays)
19. Elvis Perkins - Ash Wednesday (33 plays)
20. Run The Jewels - RTJ3 (30 plays)
21. The Spinners - Flashback With The Spinners (30 plays)
22. Sebadoh - Bakesale (30 plays)
23. Blur - Blur (30 plays)
24. DJP And Mr. Dibbs - Gangsta Boogie Ya'll (30 plays)
25. Big Star - Third/Sister Lovers (28 plays)
There you have it, folks. I'll try my best to do better in March, but no promises. I have more ideas than I have energy or time.
For more TCDroogsma be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@TCDroogsma). Previous episodes of Flatbasset Radio are
archived on his Mixcloud page. Stop by Flatbasset Radio's Facebook Page & give it a "Like" if you have the time.
Well hello again, everybody. Welcome to Flatbasset Radio: Episode #92!
Well, now that we're halfway through February it's probably about time I posted a show, eh?
This week's episode is a ball. I've got jams from new bands, jams from old bands, songs of love, songs of heartbreak, icons, memorials, politics, local beats, local punk... shit... this one is all over the place. Of course, mixed in with all of that you'll find the Cover Of The Week and the Flatbasset Flatclassic wrapping it all up. 16 songs, 60 minutes. Settle in with this one.
As always, Flatbasset Radio is completely free. I've finally set up a
decent downloading site, so if you'd like to download Flatbasset Radio:
Episode #92 (with all the appropriate iTunes tagging), just click here.
If you don't have the time or desire to download the show, just click the Mixcloud player below and you're good to go.
Here's how Flatbasset Radio: Ep. #92 plays out:
01. Strand Of Oaks - Radio Kids
The Current posted "Radio Kids" as one of their Song Of The Day tracks about a month ago because the band was playing their birthday party down at First Avenue. It's definitely a jam, but I didn't think too much of it.
A couple of weeks later, however, Stereogum's Ryan Leas wrote an excellent profile of Tim Showlater, the man behind the band. Suddenly, through Showalter's tale of small-towns & tumultuous marriage through his rise up the indie rock ladder (peaking with a tale of ecstasy-tinged water at a festival in Barcelona), the lost innocence of "Radio Kids" suddenly struck a chord. It was a long time ago now, but much like Showalter, I tend to romanticize a youth spent with with my fingers resting atop the "Play" & "Record" buttons on my old stereo, lapping up every second of a new single on the radio, preserving the static, hooks, & hiss for further dissection. It was something we had before we lost control.
02. Bloc Party - Hunting For Witches
Bloc Party's sophomore album A Weekend In The City came out ten years ago and, for many, it signaled the decline of the band that had taken the indie world by storm with their debut album Silent Alarm. Looking back, it's easy to see how that narrative developed then and is still believed by many today.
AWITCjettisons some of the buzzy energy of Silent Alarm while doubling down on the sort of Bono-esque heart-on-sleeve lyrics that seemed deeply uncool in 2007. While those moments still stand out ten years later, that album has aged remarkably well. Perhaps because the indie rock pendulum has swung back to celebrating confessional songwriters, the honesty of Kele Okereke's lyrics don't seem nearly as clumsy as they did then. I was absolutely prepared to play "I Still Remember" as this week's Flatclassic. That songs soaring nostalgia finds a beautiful sweet spot between Robert Smith's pop classics & Bono's reach for the rafters. Part of me still wishes I had played it as the Flatclassic. However, given the events of the past couple of weeks, "Hunting For Witches" seemed to be the more appropriate song. The more things change the more they stay the same.
03. Jazz Spastiks & Mello Soul Black - Midnight Mode
New Jazz Spastiks singles will always have a home here on the show.
04. Hüsker Dü - Love Is All Around
The theme song of Minneapolis' favorite adopted daughter sung by one of its favorite adopted sons. And people say Minnesotans aren't nice to strangers.
05. Pet Milk - Ostalgia (Rough Mix)
Back on Flatbasset Radio: Episode #85I played Pet Milk's "Phantom Lovers" from their excellent 2011 EP Philadelphia Punklife. In my write-up for the song I confessed to not knowing much about the band. Somehow, I know even less about them today.
Here's what I've gathered so far - They released Philadelphia Punklife, they began recorded (but didn't master) a new EP or LP, 2012-2016 (??????), they've since released two unmastered versions of songs that were supposed to be on that EP or LP, their Bandcamp page says "PETTMILK 2017 return."
And that's where we're at. I suppose I could dig a little deeper and probably figure out exactly what's going on, but who has time when they're dropping unmastered pop gems like this? Bring on the return!
06. Run The Jewels - Thieves! (Screamed The Ghost) (w/Tunde Adebimpe)
Run The Jewels played a Valentine's Day show at The Myth. Is that the best Valentine's Day gift ever or the worst Valentine's Day gift ever? It's got to be one or the other. There's no middle ground here.
07. Pink Floyd - Sheep
Our second anniversary celebration on this week's show. Pink Floyd's Animals is now 40 years old. 40!
Now, I have a question for the Pink Floyd fans out there - Is this album any good? I ask because, growing up a punk rock kid, Pink Floyd was always anathema to me. Despite the fact that I'd never given them much of a chance, the culture penetration of their pomposity and cliche stoner fans made them an easy stand-in for what punk kids are supposed to hate (like most punk kids, I was not smart). I always hated that children's choir in "Another Brick In The Wall Pt. 2" and the whole Dark Side Of The Moon/Wizard Of Oz thing just seemed to reinforce my notion that this was not a band for me.
Anyway, I've long since grown out of that punk rock naivete and embraced all kind of crazy shit. However, Animals is still the only Pink Floyd album that I own (given to me by my buddy Nick aka Young Sandwich). I'm actually surprised by how much I enjoy it. However, until he put the CD in my hands, I had never, ever, ever, heard of the album. You can't grow up listening to music without hearing about Dark Side, The Wall, Wish You Were Here, and that terrible Piper At The Gates Of Dawn record. And yet, in 30 years, I'd never heard or even seen mention of Animals. Is this the bastard child of the Pink Floyd catalog? Has it been disowned by its creators? Do Floyd fans just dismiss at some lesser work? I don't get it.
I've picked up a couple of Philadelphia MC/Producer Lushlife's songs over the years and I enjoyed them immensely, so when I was that he was releasing a new album as a Name-Your-Price (with all proceeds going to the ACLU) download I figured I should probably check it out.
Honestly, given the circumstances, I was expecting a beat tape or toss-off EP sort of thing. I couldn't have been more wrong. My Idols Are Dead + My Enemies Are In Power is an engaging, engrossing album. Lushlife and his many collaborators have taken a step back from the events of the day and analyzed them with a cold eye while not letting themselves lose the fire that made a project like this necessary to begin with. The album varies in style, texture, & mood throughout its 14 tracks while still feeling very much of the moment. Its a complicated album for complicated times.
09. Tropical Depression - White Nights
Erik Appelwick has been one of the busiest men around town for years, though you'd be forgiven for not knowing him by name. He's the man behind (or, rather, out front of) ViciousVicious & Tropical Depression and has been a member of both The Hopefuls & Tapes N Tapes. Chances are, if you follow the Twin Cities music scene, you have an affinity for at least one of his projects.
His current Tropical Depression is, "a laugh at wealth culture. It's hedonistic, spray-tan absurdism." In other words, it's a bit over the top. Tropical Depression's new album Islands is blast of maximalism. Big drums & big hooks abound. Even the tracks that have little to nothing in the way of vocals have a way of taking over your headphones and forcing their way into your brain.
10. BNLX - Wiggy?/Got Nothing On You
And now, sadly, moment of silence for the loss of Wiggy, beloved family member/band mascot for team BNLX. As someone who also runs a music site/blog with his beloved pet pupper as the mascot, Ed & Ashley Ackerson have my deepest sympathies. I never met Wiggy, but spend a moment checking out his Facebook page and you'll see one happy lil' guy living out every pupper's indie rock dreams. Take care, Wiggy.
11. Medium Zach - Episode Ten
When Flatbasset Radio's favorite producer Medium Zach revived his Last Of The Record Buyer's beat showcase down at Honey a while back he started showing off his production skills via Snapchat/Instagram. He'd spend a couple of minutes showing exactly how he's putting together the beats.
Now, I'm old, have no idea how Snapchat works, and (if you've ever seen my Instagram feed) am not very good at Instagram. Fortunately, he took the time to post the compiled clips as full YouTube videos. Have a look at how "Episode Ten" came to be:
Fortunately, he's collected 17 of these beats and released them via Bandcamp as Beatstory. Probably best to scoop that up now that strolling season is upon us.
12. The Shins - Turn On Me
Another ten year anniversary to mark (get used to these. 2007 really went in), The Shins Wincing The Night Away came out ten years ago last January and, for my money, still stands as the high-water mark in James Mercer's career (though, it should be noted, I've never heard Port Of Morrow & have only a passing knowledge of Broken Bells despite my love of both Mercer & Danger Mouse).
I could have played any number of songs from this one. "Australia," "Sea Legs, "Girl Sailor," "A Comet Appears..." each one of these songs held a spot on the show before I eventually settled on "Turn On Me." There's just something enchanting about the way Mercer binges & purges on syllables throughout this song yet still manages to make it catchy as hell.
13. Tolliver x Garry G - Love Gone Terribly Wrong
An especially late addition to this week's show, once I heard "Love Gone Terribly Wrong" I couldn't resist finding a home for it.
If you've been following along for the last couple of years, you should know both Jonathan Tolliver & Garrison Grouse as 1/3 of the band Black Diet. If you haven't been following along too closely, perhaps you know Grouse as 1/3 of the electo music hydra Pytch Records. After an album of warped out beats, "Love Gone Terribly Wrong" finds him slowing things down to a more digestible speed to create a canvas for Tolliver's heartbreak. It's a good look for Tolliver, who's unique voice was rarely this front-and-center on Black Diet songs.
So, is this just a one-off between friends or is this the slow progression of Black Diet? A curious question, to be sure, but for these four minutes it's one to be put on the back burner.
14. Bug Fix - Don't Wait Til Monday
I first heard of Bug Fix via a tweet from Fury Things. That seemed like good enough recommendation to me, so hit up their Bandcamp page and found this matter-of-fact (and 100% accurate) description:
"Bug Fix is what it would sound like if the guitarist from Red Pens and
the guitar player from Birthday Suits played really concise, clamorous,
short, fast punk songs with the drummer from Selby Tigers."
Does that sound awesome to you? It sounds awesome to me.
15. J Saunders - Tingle
Confession time: I know almost nothing about these 40 seconds of the show. I really needed something to bridge the gap from Bug Fix to Blur and remembered filing this song deep in the recesses of my brain for an occasion just like this. Not to say I don't like it (far from it!), however, trying to Google J Saunders & find out more about this piece of music was difficult. I think it comes from a man named James Saunders, a British composer & music professor.
16. Blur - You're So Great
And so here we are with our Flatbasset Flatclassic Of The Week. To celebrate the 20 year anniversary of Blur's self-title album, we have one of my favorites from an album full of favorites, "You're So Great."
As you may know, Blur was the band's attempt at making an "American" album, a tall order for a band that was so synonymous with the Brit Pop sound. Did they succeed? It's very difficult to tell (it still sounds awfully British to me). Make no mistake, to the Blur diehards (present company included), the record is full of absolute classics. "Beetlebum," "Country Sad Ballad Man," "M.O.R.," "Look Inside America," "Death Of A Party..." I mean, goddamn!
"You're So Great" has always been my favorite though. It was Graham Coxon's first lead vocal on a Blur album to date and he absolutely nails it. I love Damon Albarn, but who couldn't have pulled off the vulnerability Coxon shows here (though he could have come close). The real reason this works (and why Coxon singing it integral to its success) is Coxon's brilliant guitar work. The strumming of the verses mimics the comforting feeling of having someone to love while the post-chorus solo-ing calls to mind the moment that Coxon's cracking voice has just described - that feeling of your love lifting you out of the drudgery of everyday living. In three and a half minutes, the notoriously cantankerous Coxon showed the public a vulnerability that he'd never show before while striking a chord with anybody who's ever needed a bit of help to get through the day (which is to say, everybody).
There you have it, everybody. Happy Valentine's Day!
For more of my rantings you can give me a follow on Twitter (@TCDroogsma). Previous episodes of Flatbasset Radio are
archived on my Mixcloud page. Stop by Flatbasset Radio's Facebook Page & give it a "Like" if you have the time.
Well hello again, album collage fans. Thanks for stopping by.
Like I always do at this time (this time being the beginning of a new month), it's time to take a quick look back at what's been getting the most spins here at Planet New Basset.
Why would you be interested in this? I have no idea. Honestly, these posts exist pretty much so I have an excuse to look at these cool ass collages.
Alright, let's get into it. As always, one "play" = one song. So an album with ten songs on it
would be registered as ten "plays." Larger pictures indicate more
plays.
01. Buck 65 - Neverlove (105 plays)
02. Mike Mictlan - Hella Frreal (71 plays)
03. Mrs. - City (53 plays)
04. BNLX - Good Light (45 plays)
05. Homeless & Big Cats! - The Polar Bear Rug (35 plays)
06. The Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers (30 plays)
07. Joey Bada$$ - B4.DA.$$ (30 plays)
08. Nadastrom - The Life And Times Of Raphael De La Ghettó (30 plays)
09. Greetings From Tuskan - The Love From Afar (24 plays)
10. All - Allroy Saves (22 plays)
11. Morrissey - Your Arsenal (21 plays)
12. Aesop Rock - Labor Days (20 plays)
13. Clementine - Crooked Brain (20 plays)
14. Foo Fighters - Foo Fighters (19 plays)
15. Various Artists - A Record Label Sampler Volume 4 (19 plays)
16. A Tribe Called Quest - The Anthology (18 plays)
17. Bruce Springsteen - Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. (18 plays)
18. Billy Joel - 52nd Street (18 plays)
19. X - The Houston Museum Of Natural Science (18 plays)
20. P. Morris - Daydream (18 plays)
21. Various Artists - Ghostly Swim (17 plays)
22. Whiskeytown - Pneumonia (16 plays)
23. Felt - Felt 2: A Tribute To Lisa Bonet (16 plays)
24. Iggy Pop - New Values (15 plays)
25. Babyshambles - Down In Albion (15 plays)
26. De La Soul - Buhloone Mindstate (15 plays)
27. Big Quarters - Cost Of Living (Instrumentals) (15 plays)
28. Bad Religion - Recipe For Hate (14 plays)
29. The Potatomen - Now (14 plays)
30. Erykah Badu - Baduizm (13 plays)
31. Millencolin - For Monkeys (13 plays)
32. Ruth Ruth - Laughing Gallery (13 plays)
33. Dillinger Four - Situationist Comedy (13 plays)
34. Pulp - Different Class (12 plays)
35. The Libertines - Up The Bracket (12 plays)
36. Sondre Lerche - Two Way Monologue (12 plays)
37. Why? - Elephant Eyelash (12 plays)
38. Paul Westerberg - Eventually (12 plays)
39. Warpaint - Warpaint (12 plays)
40. Blur - The Magic Whip (12 plays)
41. Steely Dan - Pretzel Logic (11 plays)
42. Art Brut - It's A Bit Complicated (11 plays)
43. The Stand4rd - The Stand4rd (11 plays)
44. Human Kindness - Not Apathetic (11 plays)
45. Wilco - Star Wars (11 plays)
46. Rupert AngelEyes - Young Sunset (10 plays)
47. Various Artists - Adult Swim Singles Program 2015 (10 plays)
48. Superchunk - Majesty Shredding (10 plays)
49. William Within - Lost In Writing (10 plays)
50. Suede - Coming Up (10 plays)
There you have it, everybody. Big thanks to everybody who read the blog
& listened to the show last month. All episodes of the show are
available to stream over on my Mixcloud page. If you dig it, stop by the Flatbasset Radio Facebook page & give it a "Like."
Well hello again, everybody. Welcome to yet another installment of the least interesting thing on the internet (well, except for Tidal). It's the beginning of a new month, which means it's time to recap my most played albums from the previous month with a vague collage and no real explanation!
Before I hash out the list I just want to mention that June was a pretty tough month here at Planet New Basset. The blog and show's namesake & mascot Margo (aka Flatbasset) had a bit of a health scare this month that took up a lot of time, money, and energy. I won't bore you with the specifics of it all, but she looks like she's getting through it. She's a tough gal. Send some positive thoughts her way.
Alright, let's get into it. As always, one "play" = one song. So an album with ten songs on it
would be registered as ten "plays." Larger pictures indicate more
plays.
01. Clementine - Crooked Brain (51 plays)
02. Frankie Teardrop - Demos / B-Sides (42 plays)
03. Wild Ghosts - Joy Ranch Sessions (42 plays)
04. William Within - Lost In Writing (35 plays)
05. Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment (33 plays)
06. BNLX - Good Light (33 plays)
07. Ramones - Mania (33 plays)
08. Pavement - Slanted & Enchanted (28 plays)
09. The Promise Ring - Nothing Feels Good (24 plays)
10. Various Artists - Back In Business Vol. 3 (20 plays)
11. Gulfer - Split With Fago.Sepia (19 plays)
12. Steel Tipped Dove - Centuries Long Sigh (19 plays)
13. Steely Dan - The Royal Scam (18 plays)
14. Various Artists - Give 'Em The Boot Vol. 1 (18 plays)
15. Drake - If You're Reading This It's Too Late (18 plays)
16. The Flagrants - The Flagrants (17 plays)
17. Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back (16 plays)
18. Roc Marciano - The Pimpire Strikes Back (16 plays)
19. Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp A Butterfly (16 plays)
20. Ian Kamau - Cocoon (15 plays)
21. The White Stripes - De Stijl (14 plays)
22. Various Artists - Father/Daughter Spring Sampler 2014 (14 plays)
23. Supergrass - I Should Coco (13 plays)
24. Pixies - Bossanova (13 plays)
25. Motion City Soundtrack - Even If It Kills Me (13 plays)
26. Superdrag - Last Call For Vitriol (13 plays)
27. Mike Swoop - New Love (13 plays)
28. Veronica Falls - Waiting For Something To Happen (13 plays)
29. Various Artists - Stroked: A Tribute To Is This It (13 plays)
30. Greetings From Tuskan - The Love From Afar (13 plays)
31. The Roots - Phrenology (12 plays)
32. Green Day - Kerplunk! (12 plays)
33. Belle & Sebastian - The Boy With The Arab Strap (12 plays)
34. Superhopper - Does This Sound Exciting Yet? (12 plays)
35. The Good, The Bad, & The Queen - The Good, The Bad, & The Queen (12 plays)
36. Rebels To The Grain - Fine Wine (12 plays)
37. Edger - Rudiments (12 plays)
38. Blur - The Magic Whip (12 plays)
39. Ivy - Realistic (12 plays)
40. All - Allroy Saves (11 plays)
41. Alkaline Trio - Crimson (11 plays)
42. The Replacements - Tim (11 plays)
43. Kill Sadie - Experiments In Expectation (11 plays)
44. Lifter Puller -Half Dead And Dynamite (11 plays)
45. Portishead - Dummy (11 plays)
46. Haley Bonar - Big Star (11 plays)
47. Del The Funky Homosapien - Iller Than Most (11 plays)
48. Ryan Adams - Ryan Adams (11 plays)
49. Johnwayne - Cassette 3: Marion Morrison Mixtape
50. Radiohead - In Rainbows (10 plays)
There you have it, everybody. Big thanks to everybody who read the blog & listened to the show last month. All episodes of the show are available to stream over on my Mixcloud page. If you dig it, stop by the Flatbasset Radio Facebook page & give it a "Like."
Well hello again, pseudo-radio fans! Welcome to Flatbasset Radio: Episode #58!
That's right, for the first time in as long as I can remember I managed to actually post two episodes a week apart. I feel like you owe it to me to give this one a listen.
I'm flying solo yet again this week (long story), but I still managed to complain about the NHL playoffs, wonder about my dog's actions, fall for a rapper's (possibly false) back story, struggle with my French accent, begin the healing process with America's largest purveyor of exceptionally addictive coffee, rail against this "May the fourth be with you" crap, make a case for 2015 as one of the greatest music years ever, reintroduce Sweden's greatest hardcore band, revisit a classic from my teenage years, celebrate the redemptive power of loud guitars, and remember how ridiculous I was in my 20's. All that plus the Cover Of The Week & the Flatbasset Flatclassic!
As always, Flatbasset Radio is completely free. Just click the Mixcloud player below and you're good to go.
01. The Cribs - Burning For No One
02. X - Amoir Nior
03. Nostalgia 77 - Little Steps
04. The Strokes - Life's A Gas
05. Jawbreaker - Sluttering (May 4th)
06. Junior Boys - Hazel
07. Refused - Elektra
08. All - Miranda
09. Jack DeJohnette - Epilog
10. BNLX - Light It Up
11. The Jayhawks - I'd Run Away
We kissed on a corner then danced through the night...
Well hello again, podcast fans! Welcome to a special Christmas Edition of Flatbasset Radio!
First thing's first, yes, I realize I'm posting this Christmas episode awfully late in the day. I had my own Christmas obligations over the last few days and I just didn't have the time to put it together until now. Fortunately for you, loyal listeners, this mix is less "Christmas Pre-Gaming" and more "Christmas Comedown." So, whether you're on your way home from the in-laws, cleaning up wrapping paper, or just out-and-out wrecked on egg nog, you should probably pop this one on.
As an added Christmas bonus, this week's episode does not contain even one word from me! That's right, no muffled microphone, no angry ranting, no non-sequitirs, and absolutely none of my nasally voice! As you can see from the tracklist, the Cover Of The Week is still here as is our traditional Christmas Flatbasset Flatclassic (only the birth of Jesus Christ could provide a holiday worthy of making peace with Tom Waits). It's just 40 minutes of straight Christmas jams!
As always, this episode is available to download or stream. Just click
the episode title below for a download link or click on the Mixcloud
player below to stream.
01. Glam Chops - Baby Jesus Was The First Glam Rocker
02. Fountains Of Wayne - I Want An Alien For Christmas
03. Tracey Thorn - Joy
04. BNLX - What Do You Have Under The Tree For Me?
05. The XX - Last Christmas
06. Big Star - Jesus Christ
07. The Killers - Don't Shoot Me Santa
08. DMX - Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer
09. Los Campesinos! - When Christmas Comes
10. The Pogues - Fairytale Of New York (w/Kristy MacColl)
11. The Band - Christmas Must Be Tonight (Alternate Version)
12. Tom Waits - Christmas Card From A Hooker In Minneapolis
Merry Christmas, ya filthy animals!
For more of my rantings you can give me a follow on Twitter (@TCDroogsma). Previous episodes of Flatbasset Radio are
archived on his Mixcloud page. Stop by Flatbasset Radio's Facebook Page & give it a "Like" if you have the time.
(THIS POST ORIGINALLY APPEARS ON THE TWIN CITIES BLOG NEWEST INDUSTRY)
You know I try so hard...
Hello again, free music fans!
Welcome to Flatbasset Radio: Episode #22! For those of you who are unaware of
the Flatbasset Radio format, here's what you're looking at:
TCDroogsma is our resident MP3 junkie. As you've probably noticed in
his Songs Of The Week column, he's not always the most positive music
fan. In an effort to prove that he is, in fact, a fan of music, we
give him an hour each week to play the songs he's digging and talk a
little bit about them. Once he's recorded his podcast we put it
right here on the website for free to stream!
In this week's episode Droogsy finds the perfect song for autumn driving, continues to struggle with French, admits that he still hasn't grown out of his emo phase, questions the benefits of indie distribution model, celebrates a classic hip-hop album's anniversary, reminisces on small town, big box record buying, plays a radio commercial from the 70's, & pays tribute to a fallen rock n roll icon.
You can download the podcast for free by clicking the episode's title
or stream the episode by clicking on the Mixcloud player below.
01. The Rolling Stones - Beast Of Burden 02. Steddy P & DJ Mahf (w/Mad Dukez) - Get Up 03. Cruel Love - I Am The Airplane 04. BNLX - Opposites Attract 05. The Central Division - It's Not The Heat, It's The Humility 06. Atmosphere - Lifter Puller 07. Graham Coxon - In A Salty Sea 08. P.O.S. (w/Justin Vernon) - How We Land (MDS RMX) 09. Bars Of Gold - Coffee With Pele 10. Heems - Killing Time 11. King Krule - Border Line 12. Lou Reed - Perfect Day (Acoustic Demo)
There you have it, music fans! Enjoy!
For more TCDroogsma be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@TCDroogsma).
He can also be found right here on Newest Industry reviewing singles in
our Songs Of The Week column. Previous episodes of Flatbasset Radio are
archived on his Mixcloud page.
For more Newest Industry be sure to give us a follow on Twitter (@NewestIndustry1) to stay up on the work being done by all of our contributors. More importantly, we have a Facebook page here. Trivial as it seems, stopping by and giving us a "Like" is a free & legitimate way to support the blog.
(THIS POST ORIGINALLY APPEARS ON THE TWIN CITIES BLOG NEWEST INDUSTRY)
Pick up your paws and let's dance...
Well hello again, free music fans! Welcome to the 16th edition of Flatbasset Radio!
For those of you who are unfamiliar with Flatbasset Radio here's the story: TCDroogsma is our resident MP3 junkie. As you may have noticed from his Songs Of The Week column, he's old and he's grouchy. So, to prove to us that he does actually like music, we invite him to share his weekly podcast with us. He play some songs, says some things, songs, things, etc... and he ends it all with his Flatbasset Flat Classic Song Of The Week!
This week's edition is a special edition indeed. TCDroogsma decided to celebrate Minnesota's 155th birthday by rambling on for two solid hours of Minnesota music! Along the way he drinks a little too much beer, explains which app he won't use (hint: it rhymes with 'Wine'), explains what Twin Cities band is like a drug, shares the soundtrack to his life as a silent film, puts The Current on blast, gets confused as to whether or not there's a Minnesota Music Hall Of Fame, tells people who are unfamiliar with Prince where to go, implies that more bands should emulate Steely Dan, confuses a 15 year old version of himself, ruins all the sexiness of two of the Twin Cities sexiest artists, and declares Dave Pirner one of life's winners!
All that, plus the constant celebration of Minnesota's birthday! It's all gay weddings and spaceship football stadiums from here on out people!
As always, the podcast is free to download and/or free to stream right here on Newest Industry. You can't beat that price. Give 'em a listen.
01. St. Paul Slim (w/Mankwe Ndosi) - Everyday 02. Midnight Evils - Twin City Lights 03. Dosh - MPLS Rock And Roll 04. Gloss - Front Porch 05. BNLX - Meet Me On The Barricades 06. Mike Mictlan (w/Greg Grease) - WZRD SCIENCE 07. Ghost In The Water - Cardinal Red 08. Lifter Puller - Roaming The Foam 09. Big Quarters - Song For Brown Babies 10. Panther Ray - Ought 11. Bora York - Close Your Eyes 12. The Plastic Constellations - Black Market Pandas
01. Nallo - Submarines 02. Eyedea - Weird Side 03. The Bad Plus - You And I Is A Comfort Zone 04. Jeff Hanson - If Only I Knew 05. Alpha Consumer - Gary Victorsen's (We'll Disappear) 06. Kanser - Pleasant 07. Moonstone Contiuum - Smooth Odyssey 08. The Chalice - Push It 09. Soul Asylum - Misery 10. Toki Wright - The Soul (Go There) 11. Jim Ruiz Set - Allison 12. Heiruspecs - A Tiger Dancing 13. Sean Na Na - Princess And The Pony
There you have it, everybody! Enjoy!
Please remember, neither TCDroogsma nor Newest Industry is in any way affiliated with any of the artists played during the podcast. We don't make any money off of these podcasts, we're just music junkies with microphones and a bit too much time on our hands.
For more TCDroogsma, be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@TCDroogsma). He can also be found right here on Newest Industry writing the aforementioned Songs Of The Week column.
For more Newest Industry, be sure to give us a follow on Twitter (@NewestIndustry1) to stay up on the work being done by all of our contributors. More importantly, we have a Facebook page here. Trivial as it seems, stopping by and giving us a "Like" is a free & legitimate way to support the blog.
(THIS POST ORIGINALLY APPEARS ON THE TWIN CITIES BLOG NEWEST INDUSTRY.)
This was my dream... playing a rockin' routine...
Well hello again, music fans! TCDroogsma is back with Flatbasset Radio - Episode #5!
For those of you stopping by for the first time, TCDroogsma is one of our regular contributors. He typically sticks to the twin indulgences of food and music. Each week we have him put together a podcast of roughly an hour's worth of music broken up sporadically by his nasally banter.
As you can see, Tuesday night is now going to be the new home of the podcast. We realize that this puts Flatbasset Radio up against Tuesdays With Lazerbeak and Tuesday Morning Quarterback. We're hoping that you'll soon consider Flatbasset Radio in the same breath as those two internet institutions. Call it the Tuesday Hat Trick.
Anyway, this week found TCDroogsma in a rather sour mood. Fortunately he managed to talk himself back into a better place by leaning on loud guitars, hometown jams, asian women, Twin Cities ex-pats, yet another stroll back to the 90's, and a Minneapolis icon. Click the embedded player to have a listen or click the title to download the podcast and take it on the go.
01. Deerhoof - Milk Man 02. Kudzu Wish - We've Got Big Hands 03. DJ Abilities - Kastdaddy 4 President 04. BNLX - 1929 05. The Hold Steady - Magazines 06. Yak Ballz - Gas Galaxy 07. Menahan Street Band - The Crossing 08. Superdrag - Sucked Out 09. Murs - Eazy-E 10. Longwave - No Direction 11. Depeche Mode - Waiting For The Night 12. Paul Westerberg - All That I Had
There you have it, everybody! Give it a listen! Download it! Free music! Tweet it! Tell a friend!
For more of the kind of emo TCDroogsma he can be found on Twitter (@TCDroogsma). He also maintains his own Flatbasset blog, though it mainly consists of the work he does here. If you ever meet him in person don't let his beard throw you off, he's not a handsome man.
Of course Newest Industry also lives on Twitter (@NewestIndustry1). Give that a follow to stay up on all the work being done by our contributors. More importantly we also have a Facebook page. Stopping by and giving us a "like" is the best way to support this blog without any sort of financial obligation. If we get to 50 likes we're going to make TCDroogsma shave his beard.
(THIS POST ORIGINALLY APPEARS ON THE TWIN CITIES BLOG NEWEST INDUSTRY.)
Menahan Street Band, Body Language,
No, Ben Sollee, & BNLX...
Hello again, MP3 junkies! Welcome
to Songs Of The Week #15!
For those of you who are still
somehow unfamiliar with the SOTW posts, each week we ask a couple of
our contributors to give us their thoughts on the previous week's
songs given away by MPR's The Current. To download the Song Of The
Day podcast for yourself (which we highly recommend), click here.
Playing along at home is fun for the whole family! Especially if
your family likes pretty average indie music!
Make your voice heard by voting in
the poll on the right of the page. This is serious, serious business
people. Whoever wins the contest gets... er... some level of
validation, we suppose.
This week we asked MinneSarah &
TCDroogsma to have a go at the songs.
Kids, what'd you think?
01.
Menahan Street Band – The Crossing (from the album The
Crossing)
MinneSarah:
So this band is an instrumental soul
group complete with horns and an organ. The absence of vocals
is actually refreshing - as it's hard for a lot of these soul funk
revival bands to pull off all the elements - adding a singer is just
another thing to have to worry about fitting in to the mix. This
song features some prominent string plucking over the top of
signature horns and downtempo funk, which makes the song seem a
little more modern than revivalist. Also, this group has been
sampled by Kid Cudi and 50 Cent, so there is a slim chance Kanye is
sampling this song as you read this review.
TCDroogsma:
Honestly, when I saw "Menahan Steet Band" in the downloads this week I set my expectations pretty low. Even though I've really been into instrumental music lately, that tends to be more in the hip-hop instrumental vein and not, y'know, a "supergroup" form Brooklyn consisting of Antibalas and The Dap-Kings.
And yet, I loved "The Crossing." Instead of using the "MSB" moniker to indulge in musical masturbation this song is actually tight. None of the instruments go off on their own and the whole thing is held together by a pseudo-hip hop rhythm. The horns are bright but reserved. The guitar is somehow both celebratory and mournful. This is a perfect soundtrack for strolling around downtown MPLS on a brisk November night.
Final Score: MinneSarah -3/5
TCDroogsma - 4.5/5
02.
Body Language – I'm A Mess (from the EP Grammar)
MinneSarah:
This song is an example of the
funk/soul revival that is not really working. The cadence of
this song reminds me of that Mayer Hawthorne hit a few years back, so
if you liked that song, you won't be disappointed by an even more
hipster version. The singer's voice is not faux soul, and thus
stands out by not trying to be something it's not - however, the
lyrics are cloying and hackneyed. If you like to hear
pining lyrics served over electronic soul revival lite, this song is
a ten. I'd like to make a joke about how this song was written
without you and is a mess unto itself, but that's just not true.
It's pretty tight yet overly pedestrian.
TCDroogsma:
I know I spend a lot of time here making fun of synth-pop bands, but know that those jokes have more to do with how many are in MPLS and not the genre in general.So, that being said, I really did enjoy this one.
"I'm A Mess" is an ode to co-dependency soundtracked by Paul McCartney's keyboards from "Simply Having A Wonderful Christmas Time." I mean that as a compliment. Although, if you're a co-dependent guy who spends his time listening to old Paul McCartney records I would imagine the only body language you're used to is crossed arms and rolled eyes.
Final Score: MinneSarah -2/5
TCDroogsma - 3/5
03.
No – What's Your Name? (from the 7” What's Your Name?)
MinneSarah:
Is this The National? This band
has gotten that question so many times, they just named themselves
No. They then named their single - What's Your Name, as that is the
question they got after they responded that they weren't The
National. Okay, maybe that didn't happen, but then again maybe
it did.
While I feel like this is a National song when I listen
to it, it does evoke a little more optimistic moodiness. The
song is broken up a little with bouts of whistling, and punches of
percussion. The lyrics talk about what people are wearing,
which is pretty much what caught my attention. Although I feel
like the singer sounds a bit generically indie, the song
is interesting enough to get catchier the more often you
listen to it.
TCDroogsma:
This song is like indie rock Madlibs. Kind of a piano song, kind of a guitar song. None of the lyrics add up to any kind of coherent whole, but rather they all sound like the first line from a different band's song. "See the sun turn round and run away..." is Lou Reed. "Turn around now, I can't stay" - Julian Casablancas. "Shut the gates if I don't show, I'll send dogs to let you know..." Paging Paul Banks. Paul Banks, please pick up the red phone. What's your name, indeed.
Final Score: MinneSarah -3/5
TCDroogsma - 3/5
04.
Ben Sollee – Unfinished (from the album Half-Made Man)
MinneSarah:
So remember last week when I said that
I was born in Kentucky? Guess who else was born and raised in
my birth town? Why Ben Sollee, of course. This music isn't bad,
but once again, it's not really my style. The song is
alt-country nouveau, with the inclusion of the cello - which does add
quite a depth. Ben's vocals sound almost Bruce
Springsteen-like. Overall, hometown be damned, I am extremely
conflicted whether or not I can recommend a song by a
singer/songwriter who has done a bike tour of Kentucky. Seriously.
That could be the most awesome and inspiring or soul-crushingly
hipster thing I've ever heard. Can't decide. Luckily, as
the song indicates, this isn't the last we've heard from Ben Sollee.
TCDroogsma:
I guess I wouldn't think you could build a whole career around recreating the Billy Bragg tracks from Mermaid Avenue.I learn something new every day.
Final Score: MinneSarah -2.5/5
TCDroogsma - 2/5
05.
BNLX – Vibrant (from the album BNLX)
MinneSarah:
Upbeat guitars, hyper-enunciated
vocals, slight electronic backdrop. I like how clean the song
sounds amidst punctuated rouge (or not) guitar. There is a lot
of order in this song, almost formulaic but in a way that works!
Basically I love anything upbeat and eighties sounding and will
justify that any way I see fit. Although this isn't the most
exciting song I've heard this week, there is something comforting in
its design.
TCDroogsma:
I went on an extended rant about BNLX earlier this week when I reviewed their track "1929." (cough... Singles Mixer #3... cough... scroll down... cough...) Oddly, I don't necessarily like this song as much as that one. My point in that review was that getting a slightly political angle out of Ed Ackerson made for an interesting listen. It gave me a fuller picture of who he is regarding his Polara/BNLX bands. "Vibrant" is a pretty great track, don't get me wrong, but this one sounds more like Polara with a drum machine. Still, you all know I'm a sucker for boy/girl hooks and really, who's arguing with a song that sounds like the love child of New Order & Dinosaur Jr?
Final Score: MinneSarah -3.5/5
TCDroogsma - 3.5/5
Blaow! There
you have it, everybody! Another week of songs listened to, reviewed,
and filed away.
As always we'd
like to mention that neither this blog nor its contributors is in
anyway affiliated with MPR, The Current, or any of the artists
reviewed. We're just people with iTunes & free time.
For more of the
always charming MinneSarah give her a follow on Twitter
(@MinneSarah). For even more MinneSarah be sure to mention nail
polish & vegan donuts.
For more
TCDroogsma he can also be followed on Twitter (@TCDroogsma). He
seems like he should probably eat more vegan donuts too.
Of course
Newest Industry is also on Twitter (@NewestIndustry1). Give us a
follow to stay up on all the work being done by our contributors.
More importantly, we also have a Facebook page here. Stopping by and
giving us a “like” is genuinely the best way to support this blog
short of buying us donuts.
