Flatbasset Radio: Episode #91

I'm glad you liked it! Thanks for coming! I'm so glad you liked it!

Well hello again, podcast fans. Welcome back to our regularly scheduled program.

First of all, thanks to everybody who checked out the last couple of episodes. Those "Best Of" shows are some of my favorite shows to do each year. Counting things down is fun as hell.

2016, however, is now done. On to 2017.

This week's show features some hip-hop instrumentals, classic pop-punk, some old man rap, a nice dose of new Twin Cities music, a lost Twin Cities gem, a tribute to a fallen prog legend, Scottish indie rock... shit. Lots of stuff. All that plus the Cover Of The Week & the Flatbasset Flatclassic all lovingly assembled into a coherent, enjoyable mix by yours truly.

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 #91 (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: Episode #91 plays out:

01. A-Plus - Happy New Year

A-Plus is a producer hailing from the Hieroglyphics collective out in Oakland. Back in 2014 he dropped this outstanding beat tape Think Tank for free!?! What a country! I figured this was the best place to start off the first mix of the new year. I'd like to be happy this year.

02. The Florists -Lake Of The Aisles

I already wrote a bit about this one back in my 50 Most Played Albums Of 2016 column, but it's worth reiterating - check out this band. You can hear it in this track alone. Melodic post-pop-punk (?). That's how I'd describe it. The Minneapolis punk sound with just a dash of Saddle Creek. Great stuff.

03. King Crimson - Moonchild

R.I.P. Greg Lake. King Crimson is a stone-cold classic.

04. Felt - Corey's Interlude

I'm sorry. I had to.

05. The Afghan Whigs - Regret

I think this is the third time I've featured Greg Dulli for the Cover Of The Week. I know I played his cover of "When Doves Cry" a while back and I'm pretty sure I played his take on "Paper Thin Walls" at one point as well. Hmmm... y'know, someone should probably stop by Bernard Sumner's house & check on him.

06. Green Day - One Of My Lies

And we come to our first anniversary of this week's show. Happy 25th to Kerplunk.

Green Day's run from 39/Smooth - American Idiot will always have a special place in my heart. Like many children of the 90's, I was absolutely enchanted the the pop-punk sound of Dookie back in '94. Once I decided I needed another hit of that sound I started going back into Green Day's catalog and fell for Kerplunk. Not only is it a great document of a band that had the tools to go big, but it opened up the wider world of indie/punk labels to me. Back in those days you had to mail away checks to labels to order their wares. With each album I bought from Lookout! I was treated to a little catalog of all their other releases. As somebody raised on MTV & 93.7 The Edge it was like a glimpse into an alternate universe where bands like The Mr. T Experience & The Queers were the biggest bands in the world.

07. Mux Mool - Eyebrow Dandruff

I've been a fan of Mux Mool ever since seeing him with Big Quarters at the Turf Club back in 2008. His music has seemed to mellow a bit with age and that's never been more true than on last year's Implied Lines beat tape. It's refreshingly unhurried, finding a sweet spot between melody & pace.

08. Face Candy - Life Jacket

A ten year anniversary from back in December that I skipped over as I got bogged down in other stuff, Face Candy's This Is Where We Were still stands as a fascinating document of the Twin Cities hip-hop scene as Rhymesayers established enough clout to let its artists follow their muse.

For those who don't remember, Face Candy consisted of Eyedea, Kristoff Krane, Carnage, & Matza I on the mics backed by J.T. Bates on drums & Casey O'Brien on the bass. The group was entirely improvisational with Bates & O'Brien working out grooves in real time while the MC's freestyled. In the wake of Eyedea & Abilities success people didn't know exactly what to make of the group. Allegedly they were booed frequently & left audiences confused. Listening back to This Is Where We Were it's fascinating not only to hear these guys assemble the pieces in real time, but to think about the stones it must have taken to get up onstage and play stuff like this to an audience that may have been growing more disappointed by the moment.

09. Deleter - Start To Watch

Oh shit! New Deleter EP! Out tomorrow!

I love Deleter because, while they're extremely talented musicians in their own right, they manage to write songs that resist devolving into post-punk schlockery. Rather than bizarre time signatures & instrumental breakdowns, they find more subtle ways to grown their sound. As you can hear on "Start To Watch," they can still roll on like a Mack truck, but this new EP finds them working in female backing vocals & dark, mid-tempo numbers. It's only six songs, but they cover a lot of little twists & turns.

10. Lou Reed - Last Great American Whale

Given the events of this week, something about this one seemed appropriate.

11. Masta Killa - Therapy (w/Method Man & Redman)

The last of the 31(!) songs released as part of 2016's Adult Swim Singles Program, Masta Killa, Method Man, & Redman team up to make some old man rap about the therapeutic power of hip-hop. As an old man who spends his time making mixes that nobody listens to, I can definitely appreciate the sentiment.

12. Why? - This Ole King 

Nothing in this world can take away from the truly awkward beauty that is Alopecia & Eskimo Snow, the twin pillars of Why?'s catalog. In the same way that a new generation of teenagers drift to Zeppelin, Metallica, & The Cure every year, they are the kind of specific-yet-universal albums that generations of confused 20-somethings will be finding solace in for years.

Their follow-up to Eskimo Snow, 2012's Mumps, Etc... didn't quite land in the same spot. It's a fine album, to be sure, but it didn't seem to hit that same spot (at least not for me, which may be a product of me aging out of my 20's). The band have put out a couple of EP's since then (and singer Yoni Wolf has started a podcast & collaborated with a number of different artists), but Moh Lhean (out March 3rd) is their proper follow up. "This Ole King," its debut single, is a solid tune, but I'm reserving judgement until I hear the whole thing front-to-back.

13. Dem Atlas - In The Mud

 "In The Mud," the new single from Minneapolis's own Dem Atlas, is a fascinating listen. In the song we find Dem Atlas hitting the bottle to help him through some tough times. In & of itself that's something that I'm sure a lot of people can relate to.

More interesting, however, is the fact that, while Dem Atlas's star continues to rise, he seems to be expressing his troubles through his music. His last release, 2016's MF Dem, found him revealing plenty of concern, vulnerability, & anger over a batch of MF Doom's beats. While I may be playing keyboard psychologist here (or simply finding autobiography where none exists), the fact that he chose this batch of well-known beats from a big name gave him a bit of cover should anybody try to break down his lyrics too closely. It's almost as if he chose a project like this so that, should the conversation ever steer to close to his personal issues, he could change the conversation to how much he loves Doom's beats (they are fantastic).

"In The Mud" is like the opening 20 minutes of a conversation with a friend that begins with you asking, "Hey bud, you doing alright?" This is his typically Minnesotan reply of, "Not really, but whatever, it's fine." Now that he's gotten this one off his chest, hopefully he can find his way out.

14. Vital Idles - My Sentiments

Here's a very modern example of how we got here: Radio K gave away the brilliant single "Heart Attack" by Glasgow's The Pooches back in February of 2016. I loved it so much that I made it my number one song on Flatbasset Radio: Ep. #90's countdown of the Top Radio K Track Of The Day songs of 2016. I tweeted to The Pooches that I'd played their song on the show. They were kind enough to retweet said tweet. That retweet was then seen by a Glasgow-based blogger known on Twitter as "The Brogues," a notification that appeared on my feed. I checked out the profile link to a blog called Not Unloved. After reading through some of the posts I found out that Not Unloved is also a record label with only one single to its name so far - Vital Idles' My Sentiments. And here we are. What a time to be alive.

15. Willie Murphy - Somewhere Down The Line

I was down at Cheapo the other day (shocking, I know) and I saw this compilation in the "Local" used bin at the entirely reasonable price of $0.95. Even though I didn't know the label or any of the bands on the compilation (though I suppose I'd heard the name Boiled In Lead somewhere over the years) I thought, "Welp, for $0.95 you may as well see what it's all about."

It turns out Atomic Theory Records traffics mainly in the type of roots/country/Americana music that I've spent most of my 34 years on this Earth actively avoiding. It's just not really my scene. However, near the end of this compilation I came across "Somewhere Down The Line" by Minneapolis legend & Atomic Theory co-founder Willie Murphy. Holy hell! This song sounds like it was beamed in from outer space. If Vini Reilly & John Oates decided to write a song on the moon, this is what it would sound like.

16. David Bowie - Always Crashing In The Same Car

I'll spare you a re-hashing of my overly-complicated relationship with David Bowie and get right to the point.

Last week marked the 40th anniversary of David Bowie's Low and, as such, I'm playing "Always Crashing In The Same Car" as this week's Flatbasset Flatclassic.

Low was the first album of what's come to be known as his "Berlin Trilogy." Recorded as he was sobering up in Berlin with Brian Eno, it's less a coherent album than two excellent EP's. The second half of the record, a collection of mostly instrumental work composed under Eno's watchful, tasteful eye is enjoyable, to be sure, but the first half of the album is probably my favorite work in all of Bowie's career. Those seven songs found his band deep in the pocket while Bowie through out pop song fragments as if he were picking up the pieces of his drug-addled past. It's a tremendous piece of work that, to my ears, is some of his most coherent, cathartic work. I know I'm probably in the minority on this one, but with the notable exception of the songs "Heroes" & "Ashes To Ashes," these seven songs are Bowie's high-water mark.

There you have it, folks. Have a good weekend!

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.

Flatbasset Radio: Episode #90 (Best Of 2016 - Radio K Track Of The Day)

I might as well say what you mean to me...

Well hello, yet again, everybody! Welcome to Flatbasset Radio's countdown of the 10 best Radio K Track Of The Day songs of 2016!

That's right, two podcasts in one week! 2017 going in already!

Much like the last episode, this show is a countdown of free songs given away by a radio station. Unlike The Current's SOTD podcast, I haven't been following along with Radio K for quite as long. This marks just my third annual countdown of their top tracks.

The Best Of 2015
The Best Of 2014

Sadly, it seems as though this will probably be the last of the Radio K countdowns. Unfortunately they've done away with the Track Of The Day podcast and replaced it with a Spotify-based Radio K Singles Club. Somewhat ironically, I don't really fuck with streaming sites, so I won't be playing along with that one. They've also launched a K Sessions podcast that spotlights the best of the in-studio performances each month. It's been going since October and they skipped November and went right to December, so forgive me for being skeptical about its future.

None of that, however, has anything to do with today's countdown. If this really is the last year of a Radio K song-based podcast, it was a killer. Lots of great jams to choose from. As per tradition with year end countdowns I've limited by characters to 140 short-attention-span-holding characters.


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 #90 (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. 



(Note: I forgot to plug in Robot Ralph after he co-hosted the Episode #89 countdown, so his juice was running out during this show. He's a trouper, though.)

10. Pale Spectre - A Song To My Dearest And Most Scornful Lovers - If Peter Murphy & Johnny Marr tried to write a Buzzcocks album they'd end up with Pale Spectre.

09. Sir Was - Falcon -I love the way this song starts at the bottom for each chorus regenerates itself. The Swedes know how to sell a hook.

08. Grape Whales - Middle Child - Another great new local band. Love how they just abandon the vocals for a second half guitar freakout.

07. James Supercave - Better Strange  - James Supercave is a group out of famously plastic L.A., which makes this hip-swinging rage against the status quo hit a bit harder.

06. Eagulls - Skipping - Is "Post-Brit Pop" a genre? I feel like Eagulls are post-Brit Pop.

05. William Tyler - Sunken Treasure - This song instantly transports me from frigid Minneapolis to an open highway with rolling hills & the windows down. I swear, it's magic.

04. Elohim - Sensations - I'm not usually about that "poptimist" lifestyle, but this song makes my ears bleed serotonin. Plus, there's no sex like floor sex.

03. Wages - Rattlesnake - I love the relentless forward trajectory of this one. Telling someone they take, take, take away the pain is the most honest compliment.

02. Hot Hot Heat - Kid Who Stays In The Picture - I still love Hot Hot Heat. Steve Bays' wrapping that voice around a hook will always bring me to a happy place.

01. The Pooches - Heart Attack
The Pooches were my favorite discovery of 2016. I've had this song pegged as #1 on this show since it came out in February. Check 'em out!






There you have it, folks. Back to regular shows next week

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.

Flatbasset Radio: Episode #89 (Best Of 2016 - The Current Song Of The Day)

I've been blessed with shit luck...

Hello again, everybody! Welcome To Flatbasset Radio: Episode #89! It's time to count down the Top 10 Current Song Of The Day tracks of 2016!

First things first, it was absolutely a coincidence that this show fell on Episode #89. Swear to god.

Second, on to the countdown. As you may have noticed over the years, I'm a tremendous fan of The Current's Song Of The Day podcast. I've downloaded every episode since 2007 and still listen to them all via a weekly system that is far more complicated than it should be. It's a lot of music, man. I needed a system.

As you can imagine, not all of the songs are winners. However, each year I end up with 25-30 real gems. I spend December whittling down the list and do the countdown show during the first week of January each year. Check out these links for more countdowns

The Best Of 2012
The Best Of 2013
The Best Of 2014
The Best Of 2015

It's at this point I feel I should mention that neither myself nor the podcast is in any way affiliated with The Current or NPR. Maybe someday they'll let me play my show on the air. Seems unlikely, but who knows what the future holds?

I highly recommend you head over to The Current's website and subscribe to the podcast yourself. Like I said, it's not all winners, but it's mostly winners, and when was the last time you mostly won at anything?

Alright, now that that's all out of the way, let's get to the countdown! As per yearly recap tradition, I'll limit my thoughts on each track to 140 characters.

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 #89 (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.

10. Car Seat Headrest - Fill In The Blank - This remains the only CSH song I've ever heard, but damn is it good. Clever, bitter power pop will always have a home on this show.

09. Mild High Club - Skiptracing - Sounds like it was recorded by the poolside veranda of an AM radio station in 1968. Which I mean as a compliment.

08. Cecil Otter - Cross Countries - Low key probably my favorite Doomtree MC & producer, this new EP was Cecil Otter's first solo release since '08. It's been a long time comin'.

07. Operators - Cold Light - Short of driving to my apartment & punching this show's titular basset hound Dan Boekner will always make these lists.

06. Porches - Car - Having owned a car for years (but not for the past four), they are incredible machines. As are synthesizers. Good stuff.

05. Tickle Torture - Full Court Press (w/Velvet Negroni) - The Prince tribute we all deserved.

04. The Jayhawks - Comeback Kids - The Jayhawks are one of those bands that could tweak their sound a thousand different ways & still deliver the goods. Another classic.

03. BADBADNOTGOOD - Time Moves Slow (w/Samuel T. Herring) - Pace is the trick. Sam Herring doing his best Bobby Womack impression doesn't hurt.

02. PUP - Can't Win - Real talk, PUP. Real talk.

01. Whitney - No Woman - Instant classic. Sounds timeless. This is what I imagine Chicago would sound like if they weren't one of the five worst bands ever.







There you have it, folks. Big thanks to Robot Ralph for co-hosting the show.

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.

Flatbasset Radio's 50 Most Played Albums: 2016

Well hey there, everybody. Happy new year!

Another year's passed and that means it's time for one of my favorite posts of the year: Flatbasset Radio's 50 Most Played Albums. As always, each album is accompanied by a 140 character summary of the album because attention spans are for losers.

Before I get to the post, I want to give a big thank you to everybody who checked out the blog this year. I'm sorry that the posts weren't more frequent, but honest, I think the podcast is the best it's ever been. Thanks for listening and thanks for reading what few things I wrote this year. I promise I'll try to do better in 2017.

As always, you can check out what's been getting spins here at Planet New Basset by checking out my Last.fm page. I have no idea why you would want to do that, but I don't know why you're reading this right now either.

Remember, every time I listen to a song it counts as one "play." So, if an album has 10 songs and I listen to it once, it counts as 10 "plays."

Alright, let's get to it.

01. Descendents - Hypercaffium Spazzinate (165 plays): Dents are the pop-punk GOAT. Back from the dead in 2016. This record's a monster. Saw 'em at First Ave. Bucket list shit. Long live Milo!

02. Aesop Rock - The Impossible Kid (135 plays): Self-produced in his own inimitable style, Aes Rock crafts a record about middle age, neurosis, & facing demons. A masterful album.

03. Atmosphere - Fishing Blues (126 plays): By now Slug's raps feel like a safe space. More comforting than challenging, but I think that's what I was from Atmosphere these days.

04. Kanye West - The Life Of Pablo (108 plays): Kanye fans were tested this year. I saw the St. Pablo show in St. Paul. Faith was renewed. Kanye's a legend. Name one genius who ain't crazy.

05. Allan Kingdom - Northern Lights (107 plays): Kingdom's best record yet and it seemed to just come & go without much of a culture trail. I don't get it. Love to see how he tops this one.

06. Metasota - #RUMDMT (106 plays): Meta paints a detailed picture of life as a black man in MPLS that's rich in anger, humor, confusion, sorrow, & hope. An album we needed.

07. Sims - More Than Ever (105 plays): Sims latest record is less blatantly personal than the others, trading in broad strokes against his generation & American culture at large.

08. Frankie Teardrop - Hell Yep (102 plays): Don't let the term "shit rock" throw you, Frankie Teardrop's swan song is a power-pop gem. Killer riffs & hooks for days. RIP Frankie

09. The Person & The People - Dark And Low (101 plays): TPATP make their boldest record yet. The hooks aren't as tightly wound as they used to be as they slow the pace & let their sound breath.

10. Bon Iver - 22, A Million (95 plays): Look, I can't figure this record out either. The symbols, the lyric videos... No clue.. When I push play I go to a different place though.

11. The Pooches - The Pooches (93 plays): Four piece from Glasgow aim for the center of my gooey power-pop heart and hit the mark. My favorite new find of 2016.

12. Devata Daun - Look (92 plays): Daun's sound is like a sexy alien transmission struggling to break through the lower layers of what's left of the atmosphere. Highly recommended

13. Dem Atlas - MF Dem (91 plays): Dem Atlas pumps the breaks on his next big statement by rapping all about everything over MF Doom beats. A fun break before the work resumes.

14. Edison - The Hand (90 plays): A return to his busier style. Any year Edison puts out an album he'll be on this list. Something about his beat tapes just hits me.

15. Yeah Wings - It Feels Like Laughing With You (90 plays): IFLLWY is a cinematic album made on a budget. Pace is the trick as the slow builds payoffs both cathartic & haunting.

16. Polica - United Crushers (86 plays): Polica takes a step back from the noise as Channy Leaneagh's voice takes center stage. Ryan Olson deserves credit for pulling back the reins.

17. Posh Lost - Posh Lost (84 plays): I've made my peace with the fact that Posh Lost is not Gloss & they never will be. Darker, faster, & more paranoid... it's grown on me.

18. Rogue Valley - Radiate/Dissolve (84 plays): How do you follow up a four-album cycle about the season? You tackle even bigger questions of the cosmos & existence with hooks & style.







19. The Social Disaster - The Dark Side Of The Roller Rink (83 plays): Duluth's finest pop/indie rock/post-grunge band makes an album that's bursting with ideas.

20. Steely Dan - Countdown To Ecstasy (82 plays): My yearly exploration of Steely Dan continues unabated. 2016 was Countdown To Ecstasy. Four albums in: Four Classics. The Dan's the best.

21. Homeboy Sandman - Kindness For Weakness (82 plays): Most of the rap I listened to this year was made by dude's over 30. Kindness For Weakness is both nostalgic & "too old for this shit."

22. Bruce Springsteen - The River (81 plays): Annual exploration of The Boss. 2016 brought me The River & The River Tour. My first Springsteen concert. It all makes sense now.

23. Brilliant Beast - Dissolve (80 plays): Criminally underrated shoegaze pop. Brilliant Beast sounds like they're right on the cusp of something big. Can't wait for the next record.

24. Total Gaze - We Need More Condos (80 plays): One of my favorite new local bands. Off-kilter in a delightfully 90's sort of way. Fun seeing kids influenced by the sound I grew up with.

25. Graveyard Club - Cellar Door (79 plays): A band that made good on their considerable promise. Cellar Door cemented their status as the last great synth-pop band in MPLS.

26. Mixed Blood Majority - Insane World (78 plays): Joe Horton, Crescent Moon, & Lazerbeak team up for a MBM sequel. Not as great as their debut, but these three don't make bad records.

27. The Persian Leaps - Your City, Underwater (78 plays): EP 4 from St. Paul's finest power-poppers. All jangling guitars & hooks. Nobody plays to their strengths quite like these guys.

28. Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool (77 plays): Months after its release I'm still unpacking this one. Is it great or not? Where's it fit in the catalog? No idea yet.

29. Astronautalis - Cut The Body Loose (77 plays): Is anybody as comfortable in their own skin as Astronautalis? If Buck 65, Tom Waits, & Slim Thug had a kid, it would be this album.

30. Fountains Of Wayne - Sky Full Of Holes (77 plays): I unapologetically love Fountains Of Wayne. Finally got around to their latest album. Swan song? Hopefully not.

31. Garrison Grouse - With That Said (77 plays): The second Pytch Records album of 2016 was the most difficult to unpack. With beats warping in & out, it's like listening to someone's mind.

32. Sophia Eris - Sophia Eris (76 plays): Sophia Eris finally steps out on her own (with sexy results). A trim EP with no filler, just soul & hooks. Her star's burning bright.

33. Big Cats - What If It Doesn't Get Better? (76 plays): I'm running out of ways to compliment Big Cats. An LP that allows you to get lost in his beats (with a few guests acting as tour guides).

34. c.Kostra - Now I Feel It (75 plays): The 3rd Pytch Records album of 2016 finds elder statesmen Ryan Olcott doing what he always does, bending pop music to his own persona.

35. Dwynell Roland - The Popular Nobody (75 plays): A new-ish voice MPLS hip-hop, Roland digs deep as he finds his sound. Sometimes vulgar, sometimes deep, you can hear the wheels turning.

36. Tony Peachka - Dirty Knees (74 plays): Big year for Tony Peachka. Abandoning the fragile sound of their debut for a raucous album of sex, drugs, rock & roll, & overthinking it all.

37. The Counterfactuals - The Counterfactuals (74 plays): The Counterfactuals play a pleasantly professional version of indie rock. Every song is well-developed and produced to hit that sweet-spot.

38. Fog - For Good (73 plays): Kind of an older brother to 22, A Million. Not as dramatic, Fog is just as enigmatic, but Andrew Broder does it with both feet on the ground.

39. Ghostband - Colder (72 plays): A driving drum 'n bass album, Ghostband has soundtracked my winter. Great music for trying to find the energy to slog to work.

40. Prince - For You (72 plays): A new addition to my yearly explorations. Prince's debut album is made all the more thrilling by knowing what he'd become later on.

41. Mux Mool - Implied Lines (72 plays): Mux Mool may not reside in Minnesota anymore, but the beats on Implied Lines have the sort of enjoyably modest sound that feels like home.

42. Pale Spectre - Principles & Faculties (72 plays): Pale Spectre make their long-awaited debut and it does not disappoint. A brilliant EP of post-punk jangle & hooks.

43. The Person & The People - Unemployment Blues (72 plays): Nick Costa goes solo for this acoustic album under his band's name. Strong on its own, it's a new twist on TPATP's usual rock sound.

44. Cruel Love - CRUELLOVE/RECORDPORN (71 plays): Mo Bluntz & Bonnie Stitches blow up their sound on this album. Hooks are replaced by an atmosphere of fuzzed out, hazy sensuality.

45. ZuluZuluu - What's The Price? (71 plays): ZuluZuluu brought the MPLS funk sound back just in time to have the baton passed. They're assuring the cities legacy remains intact.

46. Doks Robotiks - Doks (70 plays): Doks Robotiks mash up hip-hop & live propulsive jazz. Not a record to dive into as much as one to just hang on for the ride.

47. The Crash Bandits - Lighten Up (70 plays): Pop songs wearing punk's clothing. The Crash Bandits fire hooks fast & furious like they were signed to Lookout! Records in 1996.

48. Little Shalimar - The Rubble Kings (66 plays): El-P's secret weapon crafts a soundtrack to the darker days of New York. A funky & dark, but also nostalgic & curiously celebratory.

49. The Florists - Can You Feel The Stasis? (66 plays): Another excellent new Twin Cities guitar band. This EP is great, but will probably be a footnote once they really get their legs under them.

50. Astronomique - Astronomique (58 plays): Astronomique continued to find their sound on this self-titled EP. It feels like they're really close to making that leap.






There you have it. For all the talk of 2016 being a garbage year, it was filled with some incredible records. I'm sure 2017 will be pretty great too.

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.