MinneClassics #3: "Hold Tongue" by Zoo Animal

My face is low, quite near the ground...

(Zoo Animal by Emily Utne)

Well hello again, podcast fans. Welcome to MinneClassics #3!

Folks, it's been quite a while since I've put together a MinneClassics episode, but Zoo Animal is playing their final show this weekend down at Amsterdam in St. Paul and that's cause for a deeper look at one of their most enduring tracks.

"Hold Tongue" comes from their 2008 album Young Blood. It's a simple song about the complex & personal subject of speaking to God filtered through Holly Hansen's deeply Minnesotan perspective. While that's true of much of Zoo Animal's work, I think "Hold Tongue" distills everything that Zoo Animal does well into a 3:00 song.  Like I said, give the show a listen. I dig a little bit deeper into those themes as well as Minnesota's long tradition of mixing the complicated subject of religion with the complicated beauty of guitars and just where Zoo Animal fits in that lineage.

As always, Flatbasset Radio is completely free. Just click the Mixcloud player below and you're good to go.

MinneClassics #3: "Hold Tongue" by Zoo Animal by Tcdroogsma on Mixcloud

There you have it, folks. Like I mentioned above, Zoo Animal is calling it a day tomorrow night (12/12) down at the Amsterdam Bar & Hall. Go check it out.

Thanks for stopping by.

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.

Flatbasset Radio: Episode #69 (Rhymesayers 20th Anniversary Celebration)

You can be yourself and be a star...

Well hello again, podcast fans!  Welcome to a very special episode of Flatbasset Radio!

Folks, it's a big day here in beautiful Minneapolis. Rhymesayers Entertainment, pillar of the local music community and the national hip-hop world, is celebrating their 20th anniversary with a big ass show down at the Target Center.  It's a celebration, bitches!

As a tribute to all the hard work the label's done over the years, I decided to put together a show celebrating some of my absolute favorites RSE artists. It was a tough show to do, many great songs were left off, but that's a testament to the job they've done over the years.  RSE keeps their quality control on point.

So, in this week's show I talk a lot about the importance of the label for all kinds of reasons.  Rhymesayers isn't just about the music.  In addition to playing the jams I discuss the importance of Rhymesayers as a part of the community, an example of the spirit of independence that runs throughout the midwest, and a testament to the fact that hard work & a belief in the goal can go a long way. Even if you're not a hip-hop fan, it's indisputable that the label's success has provided a blueprint for independent businesses throughout the Twin Cities. It's provided a beacon in a city that prides itself on an independent streak that was burning before RSE existed and will continue to burn after it's gone. Rhymesayers Entertainment is both an institution itself an inextricable link in the chain of the Twin Cities history.

Of course, at its core, it's built on the jams.  Kick back and enjoy!

As always, Flatbasset Radio is completely free. Just click the Mixcloud player below and you're good to go.

Flatbasset Radio: Episode #69 (Rhymesayers 20th Anniversary Celebration) by Tcdroogsma on Mixcloud

01. P.O.S. - Let It Rattle

02. Freeway & Jake One - One Thing

03. Toki Wright - Devil's Advocate

04. MF Doom - Rap Snitch Knishes (w/Mr. Fantastik)

05. Aesop Rock - Cycles To Gehenna

06. BK-One - Love Like That (w/Aby Wolf)

07. I Self Devine - Sunshine

08. Brother Ali - 5 Line King

09. Soul Position - Priceless

10. Atmosphere - Smart Went Crazy

11. Eyedea & Abilities - Music Music









Thanks for listening!

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.

Flatbasset Radio's 25 Most Played Albums: November '15

That's right, folks. Another month has passed, which means it's time for an album collage.

It was a relatively busy November here at Planet New Basset. It felt great to get back on my podcast game.  Well, as close to "on my game" as my show gets anyway. Big thanks to everybody who checked out the shows or read the posts. I'm thankful for YOU this year.

And stuffing.

And pie.

Mmmmm.... pie....

What?  Oh yeah, the albums.  As always, these stats are pulled from my Last.fm page.

01. Kill The Vultures - Carnelian (84 plays)

02. nosunnofood - all the moving parts of the ultimately median man (66 plays)

03. Catsax - Catsax (63 plays)

04. Ugly Casanova - Sharpen Your Teeth (24 plays)

05. Gin Blossoms - Congratulations I'm Sorry (24 plays)

06. Guided By Voices - Under The Bushes Under The Stars (24 plays)

07. Damon Albarn - Everyday Robots (24 plays)

08. My Bloody Valentine - Loveless (20 plays)

09. Air - Talkie Walkie (20 plays)

10. Descendents - All (20 plays)

11. The Plastic Constellations - Crusades (20 plays)

12. The Monochrome Set - Love Zombies (20 plays)

13. Eels - Rotten World Blues (20 plays)

14. Eyedea - The Many Faces Of Oliver Hart Or How Eye One The Write Too Think (19 plays)

15. Retribution Gospel Choir - The Revolution (16 plays)

16. Stars - Nightsongs (15 plays)

17. Zoo Animal - 2014 Ruff Trax (15 plays)

18. Paul Westerberg - Stereo (14 plays)

19. The Strokes - First Impressions Of Earth (14 plays)

20. Ruth Ruth - Laughing Gallery (!4 plays)

21. Elvis Costello - This Year's Model (13 plays)

22. The Vandalias - Mach V (13 plays)

23. The Replacements - All Shook Down (13 plays)

24. Manny Phesto - Southside Looking In (13 plays)

25. R.E.M. - Automatic For The People (12 plays)

Image via Tap Music
Stats via my Last.fm page

Flatbasset Radio: Episode #68

Someday you will find me caught beneath the landslide...

Well hello again, podcast fans. Welcome to Episode #68 of the Flatbasset Radio show!

Thanks for stopping by this week, devoted listener(s). I'm coming down with a cold this week and I figured staying inside and playing some jams would be the best way to cope with it. If I have to live with this messed up voice then so do you!

In this week's show I play some jams and talk about being sick, our old friends in Nashville, some new local hip-hop from some not-so-new artists, explain just how late to the party I was on one of the Twin Cities best bands, revisit last week's "good shoegaze vs. bad shoegaze" discussion, scratch my experimental electro-jazz itch, celebrate Sweden's greatest pop-punk export, reminisce about old St. Paul record stores, & give some winter advice.  All that plus coughing and all the popped "P's" you could ever want!

Of course I also celebrate some anniversaries, get in a Cover Of The Week, and take a trip back to an iconic single for the Flatbasset Flatclassic.

As always, Flatbasset Radio is completely free. Just click the Mixcloud player below and you're good to go.

Flatbasset Radio: Episode #68 by Tcdroogsma on Mixcloud

01. Bad Cop - Wish You Well











02. Mixed Blood Majority - Insane World

03. Dosh - Nothing New

04. Social Distortion - Under My Thumb

05. Zoo Animal - Gravedigger

06. Catsax - You Can Find Me In The Tall Grass

07. My Bloody Valentine - When You Sleep

08. Millencolin - Jellygoose

09. Sophia Eris & Psymun - Fight/Love

10. Kudzu Wish - Are We Not Snow?

11. Oasis - Champagne Supernova








Enjoy, everybody!

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.

Flatbasset Radio: Episode #67

We talkin' 'bout practice...

Well hello again, podcast fans! Welcome to Flatbasset Radio: Episode #67!

Folks, everything's terrible. It's been a tough week for people everywhere around the world and, if you're anything like me, you're exhausted. In that spirit, let's all take an hour long break from the real world and listen to some jams.

In this week's episode I try to press through the sadness while sitting in the dark discussing spelling in hip-hop, getting lost in electronics, loud local legends, semi-ironic covers, underrated Australian bands, my difficulties with the French language, Pete Doherty's quality control issues, good shoegaze vs. bad shoegaze, 90's cult figures, un-Google-able bands, & how best to use a time machine.  All that plus some anniversaries, some love for our brothers & sisters in Paris, 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.

Flatbasset Radio: Episode #67 by Tcdroogsma on Mixcloud

01. icollide - Lips That Won't Stretch, Tear
02. Astronautalis - SIKE!
03. Devata Daun - Fascinate
04. The Vines - Ms. Jackson
05. Brilliant Beast - Like Dreaming
06. Kanye West - Say You Will (w/Caroline Shaw)
07. Babyshambles -A'Rebours
08. Ruth Ruth - Amnesia
09. Felix Da Housecat - Do We Move Your World?
10. Juliana Hatfield - Shining On
11. Morrissey - I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris

Cheer up, kids. It'll get better.

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.

Album Of The Week: "High & Vibrate" by The Persian Leaps

Flatbasset Radio's Album Of The Week for the week of November 8th-14th, 2015:

The Persian Leaps - High & Vibrate

01. The Infection
02. Under The Lilacs
03. Dottie, Queen Of The West
04. Frozen
05. Anthem

Photo Credit: Jason Larkin

First of all, let me apologize for the lack of AOTW posts over the previous few months. I've been very busy. However, even though I haven't been writing posts, I have most definitely been spending lots of time with local albums.

As anybody who follows this blog knows, The Persian Leaps have been friends of Flatbasset Radio for quite some time now. Their debut EP Praise Elephants was an AOTW back in December of 2013 and its follow up Drive Drive Delay was an AOTW almost a year ago exactly.  After putting out a couple of Soundcloud-only covers (including an excellent take on Teenage Fanclub's "The Concept" that became a Flatbasset Radio Cover Of The Week back in Episode #57), here we are with their third EP High & Vibrate.  Considering lead singer Drew Forsberg also runs the successful & prolific Land Ski Records, the fact that EP #3 is ready to roll at all is quite an accomplishment (never mind the fact that its songs are excellent).

The Persian Leaps proved over those first two EP's that their bread-and-butter will always be power-pop. On High & Vibrate Singer/guitarist Forsberg, drummer Michael McCloskey, & new bassist/secret weapon Adam Brunner continue to write immediate, catchy power-pop that is perfectly at home in the Midwestern tradition that stretches back from Cheap Trick to The Replacements to The Promise Ring. However, like those bands before them, they continue to add wrinkles to their sound.

Praise Elephants was built on a very clean sound (so much to that I likened them, in a complimentary way, to the Gin Blossoms).  On Drive Drive Delay they sanded off some of the polish, giving the EP an indie punk flavor in sound if not entirely in lyrics (which have always maintained a secretly perfect sort of Midwestern passive-aggressiveness in that regard).  On High & Vibrate they keep those rough edges, but add a surprising, almost mathematical groove to the album.  Give album opener "The Infection" a listen:



As you can hear there, the band's taken their Gin-Blossoms-meets-GBV sound and added a dash of Devo-esque rhythm to it. Sure, the song still gives in to those big, beautiful power chords when it's time for the hard sell, but they're clearly challenging themselves by finding new ways to get to that sweet spot. While I certainly don't know the inner-workings of the band, the addition of Brunner on bass has really given the band muscle. He & McCloskey seem to have found a chemistry that gives these songs a bit more swagger than was found on those previous EP's.

Check out the video here for "Under The Lilacs" and take note of the use of the clipped "uh oh's" that lead up to the chorus:

(Quick Video Sidenote: God, what a gloriously 90's video. The walking/singing shots, the blurred VHS-style shots, the close-ups of the instruments. If, like me, you grew up with 120 Minutes, it should be obvious why I love these guys so much.)

As you can & hear in those first couple of songs, the big, catchy chorus is still what hits hardest. However, those little detours along the way are what keep me coming back for repeated listens.

Now, traditionally the third release from an artist is a make-or-break type of affair. Think Park Life. Think The Queen Is Dead. Think Summerteeth.  However, those are all from three-album cycles rather than this three-EP cycle we have here. Still, Mr. Forsberg, with his keen sense of pop history, takes the time to address the state of The Persian Leaps in closer "Anthem."  "Nobody ever believed it, that guys like us could win..." he sings before heading into a chorus that simply consists of defiant "Uh uh's" and "No way's," both of which are directed at unnamed critics who seem to desire The Persian Leaps to fail.

In a way "Anthem" brings closure to a cycle started on Drive Drive Delay's opener "Firestarter," a call-to-arms to bandmates, fans, or simply to Forsberg himself.  Bringing it all back home on "Anthem," he seems to be taking a victory lap after three excellent EP's, his own record label, & a growing fan base that wasn't built on gimmicks or buzz, but rather, at its heart, on well-crafted, thoughtful pop songs.  In a music industry that's seems to place less and less emphasis on quality songwriting with every surprise album drop and pop-up venue, that's cause for a celebration.

If you'd like to pick up a copy of High & Vibrate for your very own you can head over to The Persian Leaps Bandcamp page. I'd also recommend checking out the Land Ski Records site. They've got an impeccable track record as well as some fantastic stuff coming out in the very near future.

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.

Flatbasset Radio: Episode #66 (Young Sandwich's Autumn Mix)

I stopped sharkin' a minute to get chips & drinks...

Well hello again, podcast fans. Welcome to Flatbasset Radio: Episode #66!


It's fall outside, kiddos, and that means it's time to put on your hoodies, pull out your hats, and indulge in Young Sandwich's Autumn Mix!

As he always does when the seasons change, my buddy Nick (aka Young Sandwich) stopped by to drop off an hour long seasonally-appropriate mix and this year's no exception. As you can see from the track list below, this Autumn Mix sticks to Nick's format of covering as many bases as possible in an hour. There's East Coast rap, impovisational jazz, 90's grunge, iconic folkies, 60's British rock, ska-punk, old-timey guitar theatrics, British hip-hop, 90's refugees, and one epic prog-rock jam. Somehow he makes all this work. What a beauty.

As always, Flatbasset Radio is completely free. Just click the Mixcloud player below and you're good to go.

Flatbasset Radio: Episode #66 (Young Sandwich's Autumn Mix) by Tcdroogsma on Mixcloud

01. Beastie Boys - Alright Hear This
02. Junior Brown - Peelin' Taters
03. Roxy Music - Both Ends Burning
04. Cibo Matto - Beef Jerky
05. Scott Weiland - Circles
06. Ghostface Killah - Holla
07. The Rolling Stones - She's A Rainbow
08. John Scofield - Freepie
09. The Pfifers - Show No Fear
10. Nirvana - Molly's Lips
11. Wu-Tang Clan - Only The Rugged Survive
12. Bob Dylan - Autumn Leaves
13. The Streets - Fit But You Know It
14. This Town Needs Guns - In The Branches Of YGGDRASIL
15. Styles P - Hoodie Season
16. King Crimson - One More Red Nightmare
17. Neil Young - Harvest Moon

There you have it, folks. Tie up your hoodies.

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.

Flatbasset Radio's 25 Most Played Albums: October '15

Well hello again, everybody. Welcome to yet another in a seemingly endless string of monthly album recaps.

First off, I want to say thank you to anybody who checked out last week's episode of Flatbasset Radio. It was great to be back doing the show again and certainly hope you enjoyed it.  One of the perks of taking two months off from doing the show is that when you come back you can pack it full of white hot jams and I think that's what we accomplished here.

Second, sorry this post is a couple of days late. I'm assuming nobody noticed since everybody is probably just now finishing cleaning up after their Halloween parties (looking in your direction, Dr. Bill). Frankly, if you've been frequently checking this page to see if I've posted the monthly recap yet you probably need to reevaluate some of your life decisions.

Lastly, you may notice that there aren't any dead spots in this month's album collage. Unfortunately Last.fm still hasn't resumed allowing its users to post album pics (which, to the OCD music junkie you see before you is absolute torture). However, necessity being the mother of invention, I learned how to use the most basic photoshopping program ever to add the albums that weren't showing up.  Oh, sweet completism.

Anyway, here's Flatbasset Radio's 25 Most Played Albums Of October 2015:

01. The Libertines - Anthems For Doomed Youth (86 plays)

02. Murder Shoes - Daydreaming (66 plays)

03. Loud Sun - (((Loud))) (60 plays)

04. Oaks - Animal Life (56 plays)

05. Ego Death - Ego Death (40 plays)

06. Eels - Souljacker (24 plays)

07. Buffalo Springfield - Again (21 plays)

08. Halloween, Alaska - Halloween, Alaska (20 plays)

09. The Mammoth Catches Fire - Live On Radio K (2015) (20 plays)

10. Aimee Mann - Magnolia (18 plays)

11. Tree - Sunday School II: When Church Lets Out (18 plays)

12. Jurassic 5 - Power In Numbers (17 plays)

13. Luna - The Best Of Luna (17 plays)

14. Rites Of Spring - Rites Of Spring (17 plays)

15. Danger Doom - The Mouse & The Mask (16 plays)

16. Jay-Z - The Blueprint (15 plays)

17. Atmosphere - Southsiders (15 plays)

18. Morrissey - Maladjusted (Legacy Edition) (15 plays)

19. The Libertines - Anthems For Doomed Youth (Bonus Tracks) (15 plays)

20. DJ Shadow - The Private Press (14 plays)

21. Deerhoof - Reveille (14 plays)

22. Everclear - Sparkle And Fade (14 plays)

23. Lou Reed - New York (14 plays)

24. Melvins - Houdini (13 plays)

25. Son Volt - Trace (13 plays)

Good stuff. I've got a new show all ready to roll this weekend, so be sure to check back.

Image via Tap Music
Stats via my Last.fm page

Flatbasset Radio: Episode #65

The world is fucked but it won't get me down...

Well hello again, podcast fans!  Welcome back to Flatbasset Radio!

How ya been?  I know it's been a while since I last posted a show and I apologize for that. In my defense, I'm very busy & very sleepy.

However, this past weekend was Flatbasset Radio's three year anniversary and that seemed like an appropriate reason to get back on the mic.

As usual, this week's show has jams for days. I also find time to discuss the pros & cons of reunion albums, one of the 80's biggest bands, what type of music is done best by Brits & what style is done best in the Midwest, & getting lost in the bass.  I also check in on some of the show's friends, celebrate some anniversaries, get into the Cover Of The Week & celebrate one of my favorite albums with the Flatbasset Flatclassic.

As always, Flatbasset Radio is completely free. Just click the Mixcloud player below and you're good to go.

Flatbasset Radio: Episode #65 by Tcdroogsma on Mixcloud

01. The Libertines - Barbarians
02. Danger Doom - Benzi Box
03. Braid - East End Hollows
04. Ryan Adams - I Want To Know What Love Is
05. The Persian Leaps - The Infection
06. Nick Monaco - Private Practice
07. Shopping - Straight Lines
08. Son Volt - Live Free
09. Your Old Droog - 48th Street
10. Cars & Trains - Ten Lions & The End Of The World
11. Frankie Teardrop - End Of Summertime Blues
12. Rancid - Roots Radicals

There you have it, folks. Feels good to be home.

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.

Flatbasset Radio's 25 Most Played Albums: September '15

Well hello again, everybody. Long time, no see.

Sorry the posts pretty much dried up in September. It was an incredibly busy month for me. Things have settled down a bit, so hopefully I'll be back to my old, semi-consistent ways now that Autumn is upon us.

If you follow the blog you may have noticed that my monthly recap has been trimmed from 50 to 25. Sadly, my beloved Last.fm has undergone a pretty major makeover. While I like a lot of it, two things have combined to fuck with this post.

1: They have yet to resume allowing users to upload album art. Since I listen to a lot of local music that doesn't have a large following outside of the Twin Cities I was usually the one to upload album art to the website. As such, you'll notice some empty black boxes where albums should be. God willing, Last.fm will address this soon and I can get back to being unhealthily obsessed with keeping my online library looking fresh to death.

2: Due to this makover, my old third party site that created those album collages decided to shut down operations. That's a real downers since I though those collages were pretty cool. That means that I'll now be working with the picture you see below.

Hopefully everything levels out soon, but if you really care about this post, you have much bigger issues with your life.

Anyway, here it is, Flatbasset Radio's Top 25 Albums of September '15:

01. Eric Mayson - Detail (133 plays)

02. Stnnng - Dignified Sissy (98 plays)

03. Pather Ray - Ripple (77 plays)

04. The Persian Leaps - High & Vibrate (40 plays)

05. Ego Death - Ego Death (30 plays)

06. The Beatles - Abbey Road (16 plays)

07. Joey Bada$$ - B4.DA.A$$ (16 plays)

08. Buena Vista Social Club - Buena Vista Social Club (14 plays)

09. The Dandy Warhols - ...The Dandy Warhols Come Down (14 plays)

10. Screeching Weasel - My Brain Hurts (14 plays)

11. Son Volt - Okemah And The Melody Of Riot (14 plays)

12. Ryan Adams - Rock N Roll (14 plays)

13. Spacehog - Resident Alien (13 plays)

14. The Kings - Something Else By The Kinks (13 plays)

15. Wugazi - 13 Chambers (13 plays)

16. Chance The Rapper - Acid Rap (13 plays)

17. Down By Law - Fly The Flag (13 plays)

18. Mike Swoop - New Love (13 plays)

19. Caetano Veloso - Caetano Veloso (12 plays)

20. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (12 plays)

21. Jack DeJohnette - Sorcery (12 plays)

22. Bill Withers - Just As I Am (12 plays)

23. Portishead - Dummy (12 plays)

24. Romantica - America (12 plays)

25. Steely Dan - Pretzel Logic (11 plays)

Corrections: No image for Eric Mayson, Panther Ray, or The Persian Leaps. Incorrect image for Ego Death

Image via Tap Music
Stats via my Last.fm page

Flatbasset Radio: Episode #64 (Young Sandwich's Summer Mix Pt. 2)

Take me out beyond the stress...

I told you we'd be back!

That's right, Pt. 2 of Young Sandwich's Summer Mix is here.  I won't bore you with all the details of how this mix came to be (scroll down a post for all of that).

Pt. 2 picks up right where Pt. 1 left off, but it definitely has a few more left turns than yesterday's show.  Think of it as the indulgent Side B to yesterday's more immediate Side A. Nick & I put together a second half that takes some long detours into funk, latino prog-rock, NY hip-hop, local R&B, alt-country, pop-punk, and a whole host of other classic stuff.  If you dug the first half of the Summer Mix than this is the perfect complement.

As always, Flatbasset Radio is completely free. Just click the Mixcloud player below and you're good to go.

Flatbasset Radio: Episode #64 (Young Sandwich's Summer Mix Pt. 2) by Tcdroogsma on Mixcloud

01. Lucinda Williams - Drunken Angle
02. Coleman Hawkins - Heart And Soul
03. Thievery Corporation - Culture Of Fear (w/Mr. Lif)
04. Niko Strums - ...A Great Oak Was
05. Whatever Forever - Miserable People
06. Edison - o-3
07. Parliament - Whatever Makes Baby Feel Good
08. Devendra Banhart - Hatchet Wound
09. The Mars Volta - Drunkship Of Lanterns
10. Joey Bada$$ - On & On (w/Maverick Sabre & Dymeond Lewis)
11. Southside Desire - The Ledge
12. John Coltrane & Wilbur Harden - B.J.
13. Yo La Tengo - Before We Run

There it is, folks! Enjoy!

Flatbasset Radio: Episode #63 (Young Sandwich's Summer Mix Pt.1)

Man, I should go get a paper route...

Well hello again, podcast fans!  Welcome to Flatbasset Radio: Episode #63!

As you hopefully tell by the extended title up above, my buddy Nick (aka Young Sandwich) is back with another one of his seasonal mixes.  He was also kind enough to stop by a few months ago with a Spring Mix and started off his seasonal appearances last Autumn with a two-part mix for Episodes #45 & #49.  He had put one together for last winter too, but that one is in the vaults.  I'll post that one once we get into the dead of winter.

But that's the past and the future.  We're here and it's summer.

As you can tell from the title, this is the first in another two-part seasonal mix.  This time around Nick & I "collaborated" on the show.  I put "collaborated" in quotation marks because when Nick gave me the CD full of his songs about half a dozen of them refused to be recognize by my computer.  Instead of digging around to find new versions of the tracks I decided to inject a few of my own choices into the mix.  In the end this Summer Mix turned into a sort of Bizarro Summer. It's got classics you'll recognize, songs from legends you might not no, indie hip-hop, raw grunge, a good dose of jazz, sun-drenched indie rock, instrumentals, and one prog-rock opus.  Hope ya dig it.

As always, Flatbasset Radio is completely free. Just click the Mixcloud player below and you're good to go.

Flatbasset Radio: Episode #63 (Young Sandwich's Summer Mix Pt. 1) by Tcdroogsma on Mixcloud

01. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Long Hot Summer Night
02. Bob Marley & The Wailers - Them Belly Full (But We Hungry)
03. Open Mike Eagle - Nightmares
04. PJ Harvey - The Dancer
05. Albert King - The Very Thought Of You
06. Jim Morrison - A Feast Of Friends
07. Yes - Heart Of The Sunrise
08. .phase - Sudden Affection
09. Nirvana - Very Ape
10. Outkast - Drinkin' Again (Interlude)/Snappin' & Trappin' (w/Killer Mike & J-Sweet)
11. Nina Simone - I Want A Little Sugar In My Bowl
12. Nik Freitas - Sun Down
13. Omaur Bliss - Summatime
14. Charlie Parker - I'll Remember You

There you have it folks!  Be back tomorrow with Young Sandwich's Summer Mix Pt. 2!

Flatbasset Radio's 50 Most Played Albums: July '15

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."

Information via my Last.fm account
Photo via Don't Drink And Root

Album Of The Week: "Crooked Brain" by Clementine

Flatbasset Radio's Album Of The Week for the week of July 26th-August 1st, 2015:

Clementine - Crooked Brain

01. The Psalmist's Shadow
02. Blood Diamonds
03. Float
04. Ate Baby Porcupine
05. Strongarm
06. Elephant And The Attic Tern
07. The Leaves Are Changing Brown
08. Mother's Song
09. In Praise
10. The Sun It Still Rises

(Photo: Kyle Kotajarvi)

It's no secret that the 90's are back in a big way these days. The glorious, lo-fi sounds of bands like Guided By Voices & Sebadoh can be found all over the indie rock world yet again. Bands like Titus Andronicus & Speedy Ortiz have taken the jangled, post-grunge model and added their own mono-genre-endorsed anthemic qualities to give us a welcome reminder that there will always be a place in the world for bands that embrace plugging in and turning up the volume as steps 1 & 2 to being a great band.

Why do I bring this up?  Because Minneapolis band Clementine represents a different sort of 90's renaissance. Their debut album Crooked Brain gazes back at the slower-burning sounds of post-grunge. They emphasize texture over bombast, moments over hooks.  It's a throwback to a time of longer attention spans and delayed gratification.

To really grasp Crooked Brain it's best to break it into two halves LP-style.  The first half of the record finds the band dabbling in stylistic turns.  "The Psalmist's Shadow" opens the album with over a minute of instrumental build-up before finally giving way to a verse and a mid-tempo pace that, as we find out over the course of Side B, is the band's forte. The three song run of "Blood Diamonds-Float-Ate Baby Porcupine" finds the band at their most daring, channeling Faith No More, Pixies, and... Live? It's a dynamic run that doesn't always hit, but when it does it works wonders.  "Ate Baby Porcupine" in particular rides some sneaky great guitar work and the band's most hummable hook to Crooked Brain's early peak.

Beginning with "Elephant And The Attic Tern," Side B provides an elongated look at Clementine as rafter-reaching balladeers. Abandoning the experimentation of Side A, the band aims big with a full set of slow-burners with big ideas, stepping away from post-rock and toward straight-up arena rock.

Now, I'm fully aware that some folks may take the term "arena rock" as a criticism, but that's preposterous stance to take. It's especially preposterous when a band is this damn good at it. Toeing the line between personal lyrics and universal sentiment, Clementine aims big and mostly hit their mark. "The Leaves Are Changing Brown" may be the stereotypical "acoustic jam," but it sounds more like a Brand New deep cut than some sort of watered-down R.E.M. cast-off.  Late cuts "Mother's Song" and "In Praise" are nearly 11 minutes total, but while they sort of blend together on first listen, repeated plays reveal hooks that reward patience. And of course, like any great 90's album, the band keeps a killer in the pocket for album closer.  "The Sun It Still Rises" takes the other four songs from Side B and gives them a jolt, speeding up the tempo, doubling down on the riffs, and riding an upward melody to a bit of catharsis.



To be completely honest, Crooked Brain didn't click with me right away. However, that's why I spend a week listening to these albums everyday. Sometimes it takes a while for them to really reveal themselves.  Once I was able to put understand Clementine's strengths (clean sound, universal themes, hooks that turn up like little shots of sunlight through clouds) I found Crooked Brain to be a unique & enjoyable record among the Twin Cities rock scene that doesn't always breed this sort of patience over immediacy and subtlety over volume.

If you'd like to check out Crooked Brain for yourself head on over to Clementine's Bandcamp page. The band is also undertaking a tour of the midwest this summer.  Check out their Facebook page for dates.

Flatbasset Radio: Episode #62

I'd do the same if I had the chance, cheat the system, rig the race...

Well hello again, podcast fans! Welcome to Flatbasset Radio: Episode #62!

Thanks for stopping by.  It's been a little while since I did a show where I just straight up played jams so I'm back to the old format for this one: just summer jams and banter for your ears.

Sadly, I'm still flying solo on this one, which means plenty of nasally commentary.  I discuss the tornado that may or may not have rolled through Minneapolis, a new "American Standard," the common ground between Frank Black & Bob Dylan, & the absolute greatest summer jam in the history of summer jams.  I revisit a couple of Flatbasset's Album Of The Week bands, sing the praises of one of the pillars of the Twin Cities hip-hop scene, get nostalgic over one of the great punk rock record labels of all-time, and struggle to connect old episodes of Seinfeld to Canadian hip-hop.  All that plus I celebrate some anniversaries, play my Cover Of The Week, and celebrate one of the most classic of Flatbasset Flatclassics!

As always, Flatbasset Radio is completely free. Just click the Mixcloud player below and you're good to go.

Flatbasset Radio: Episode #62 by Tcdroogsma on Mixcloud

01. Plums - Parking Lots
02. Holly Miranda - Waves
03. Blueprint - Boombox
04. Frank Black - The Dark End Of The Street
05. Edger - Holy Armour
06. Andrew Broder / Crescent Moon - Palms Up
07. What Tyrants - Dancehall No. 2
08. Sugar Ray - Fly
09. The Potatomen - Sam's Song
10. Felt - Morris Day
11. Lee Ranaldo - Off The Wall
12. Buck 65 - Blood Of A Young Wolf

There you go, everybody!  Thanks for stopping by for some jams!

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.

Flatbasset Radio: Episode #61 (American Album Hall Of Fame Vol. 1)

The dogs on Main Street howl because they understand...

Well hello again, everybody! Welcome to a very special, very epic two-part edition of Flatbasset Radio!

Folks, it's 4th Of July weekend and, in the spirit of celebrating America's birthday and our long, rich history of over-indulging, I've decided to start a new tradition here on the Flatbasset Radio.  Allow me to welcome you to the inaugural edition of...

THE FLATBASSET RADIO AMERICAN ALBUM HALL OF FAME

That's right, I've decided to start a new 4th Of July tradition of celebrating the glorious melting pot that is American pop culture by inducting albums into my newly-created Hall Of Fame. Now, like any good Hall Of Fame, I've laid out some criteria for the FRAAHOF (or, if you'd like, "Fraaaahoffff").

01. An album must be at least 10 years old to be inducted into the FRAAHOF

02. Only 6 albums per year may be inducted

03. Only 2 of those 6 albums may have been released over 30 years ago

04. No artist can appear in consecutive years

There you go.  Now, I came up with a list of nominations and passed them along to the FRAAHOF Executive Committee* to vote on the inaugural class.

(*Note: I am the only member of the FRAAHOF Executive Committee)

So, without further ado, here are the inaugural entrants into the Flatbasset Radio American Album Hall Of Fame.

                        Lifter Puller                                     Public Enemy

                            Big Star                                                Foo Fighters

                             Aesop Rock                                       Bruce Springsteen

Now that we've got that out of the way, let's get to the music.  I decided to play three songs each off of these classic albums. As you can imagine, this wasn't easy considering the fact that they wouldn't be Hall Of Fame Albums if they weren't packed with great songs.

Give the show a listen if you have a lot of time to kill and would live to re-visit these Hall Of Fame records.  As always, the show's free.  Just click the Mixcloud player below and enjoy!

Flatbasset Radio: Episode #61-A (American Album Hall Of Fame Vol. 1) by Tcdroogsma on Mixcloud

01. Lonely In A Limousine
02. Nice, Nice
03. The Flex And The Buff Result

04. Rebel Without A Pause
05. Louder Than A Bomb
06. Don't Believe The Hype

07. When My Baby's Beside Me
08. In The Street
09. The Ballad Of El Goodo








That's the first half.  If you dig it, have a go at the second half.

Flatbasset Radio: Episode #61-B (American Album Hall Of Fame Vol. 1) by Tcdroogsma on Mixcloud

01. This Is A Call
02. Big Me
03. Oh, George

04. No Regrets
05. 9-5ers Anthem
06. Daylight

07. Prove It All Night
08. Streets Of Fire
09. The Promised Land









There you have it, folks. America: #1.  Happy 4th!

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.