April 27, 2007

Theme: Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin On Air: Frank

No overall theme to this show, just a lot of random ideas strung together: - I had to play the band "Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin" after Boris Yeltsin passed away last week. I also played The Russian Futurists for the same reason. - The Stephin Merrit songs comes from a release called "Plague Songs" that has "10 Songs - 10 Plagues - 10 Artists". - When I found a song called "Sideways" by American band Let's Go Sailing I had to play the song by Men Without Hats with the same name (but it wasn't a cover song like I had hoped). - Both Peter Elkas and Joel Plaskett are playing the Starlight on May 24th. - Memphis is one of the bands playing this year's Hillside Festival, more on this later TALK - Theme The Sweet Homewreckers - Wild America (C) The Salteens - Time You Have Been Wasting (C) The Yokocasinos - Loose Cannon Hera - Don't Play This Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - Oregon Girl TALK Skeeter Davis - Let Me Get Close To You Francoise Hardy - On Dit De Lui Lucky Soul - One Kiss Don't Make A Summer Belle and Sebastian - Legal Man Stephin Merrit - The Meaning of Lice TALK The Russian Futurists - The Science Of The Seasons (C) LCD Soundsystem - Someone Great B. Fleischman - Le Desir Wally Jericho - Kuryakin (C) TALK Ladybug Transistor - Her Words Hang In The Air Leopold - Work You/Me - To Live Morning Bride - Time Delay Thomas Dybdahl - A Love Story TALK Let's Go Sailing - Sideways Men Without Hats - Sideways (C) Lapko - All The Best Girls Peter Elkas - Fall Apart Again (C) Joel Plaskett Emergency - Nothing More To Say (C) TALK The Sea and Cake - Too Strong Sondre Lerche - Airport Taxi Reception Elbow Beach Surf Club - Our Hood (C) The Icicles - Crazy TALK Memphis - A Little Place In The Wilderness (C) (C) Denotes Canadian Content

April 13, 2007

Theme: Commercial Music On Air: Frank

It seemed like I did a lot of talking this show, but I was happy with how it went, as I think I had pretty interesting things to say. Thanks for the suggestions on the commercial music set and as always the site www.adtunes.com was an invaluable resource. I have tried to put in links to web versions of the commercials the best one is for Axe that uses the Israel Kamamawin'ole version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow". IZ as he was known, was a very large Hawaiian man who looked very strange playing this tiny ukulele, unfortunately he passed away in 1997 of health related problems. Another band that I was happy to find out about doing research for the set was the song "Suger Sweet" by the Icicles, not only is it a great song but I also realized that I have played them before doing their song "Snowman". I have now ordered both of their CDs, going to prove that getting a song played on a commercial can pay dividends. After the show I couldn't get the song "Do the Freddie" out of my head, it was a novelty song back in the 60s by a British band called "Freddie and the Dreamers". It reportedly did start a bit of dance craze, but the Wikipedia description of the dance itself seems pretty boring "stand in place, then in rhythm with the music first extend the left leg and left arm, then the right leg and right arm. Repeat until the song's conclusion". Apparently there was a reference to the dance in the movie "Troop Beverly Hills" that I'm intrigued to see now. TALK - Theme I'm From Barcelona - Treehouse The Legends - Lucky Star Bermuda Triangle - It Feels Good Sissy Wish - DWTS Midlake - Young Bride TALK Hot Hot Heat - 5 Times Out Of 100 (C) **Request for Laura Firefly - Unsinkable (C) The Wooden Stars - Microphone (C) Elbow Beach Surf Club - Surf Theme (C) Elbow Beach Surf Club - The Letter (C) TALK Freddy and the Dreamers - Do The Freddie Caribou - Handelschnapp (C) Bullfrog - Ya-Ya (C) Quadra - Grey Something (C) Reality Sandwich - Blue (C) TALK (commercial music set) Israel Kamamawin'ole - Somewhere Over the Rainbow/Wonderful World (Rice Krispies) link to ad Nouvelle Vague - I Melt With You (GMC) **Suggested by Garth link to ad Beck with The Flaming Lips - Do You Realize (Mitsubishi) **Suggested by Stephen P Royksopp - Remind Me (Geico) link to ad The Jam - Start (Cadillac) can be seen on this site The Salteens - Nice Day (C) (Zellers) **Sort of suggested by Derek link to ad **See Note 1 Icicles - Sugar Sweet (Motorola) link to ad TALK The Besties - Rod'n'Reel California Snow Story - Suddenly Everthing Happens Sonic Youth - The Diamond Sea Marit Larsen - Under The Surface TALK Marmoset - Sky Phenomenon **See Note 2 Note 1: I love the fact that this song has the lyric "I know you think that I'm gay", of course that part isn't used in the commercial. Note 2: This is from a compilation out of the American record label Secretly Canadian, to celebrate their 100th release they had their artists cover each other's songs. This is a cover of a song originally by Jens Lekman. (C) Denotes Canadian Content

March 30, 2007

Theme: Equations and Johnny Marr On Air: Frank

There were two themed sets this show: The Johnny Marr set - highlighting the various bands that he has played in since his start in the Smiths and ending with his current membership in Modest Mouse The Equation set - it was hard to even find 4 songs to fill out this set, but I managed to do it with some help from Derek. As I mention in the setlist below, watch out for the very high cheese factor in the second set. The opening song was "Runaway Lane" by Jerry Jerry and the Sons of Rhythm Orchestra, I played this because I heard it on the last broadcast of CBC Radio 3 on terrestrial radio (it is now satellite only). I have always loved this song and it was great to hear somebody apart from me playing considering it is now over 20 years old (I have it on cassette). I ended with the great piece by Bruce McCulloch (formerly of Kids in the Hall) about being a Doors fan, the reason was that I have see advertisements recently about a recent "Very Best of the Doors" compilation and in the McCulloch's song he specifically says that Best of albums are for "housewives and little girls". TALK - Theme Jerry Jerry and the Sons of Rhythm Orchestra - Runaway Lane (C) The Stooges - Trollin' The Eels - Hey Man Now You Are Really Living The Clash - White Man In Hammersmith Palais The Fall - Victoria TALK (watch out for the cheese) The Crash - Pony Ride Orbit - Electric Rubik - City and the Streets Lio - Comix Discomix Kristoffer Ragnastram - Breakfast By The Mattress TALK You Say Party! We Say Die! - Opportunity (C) Arcade Fire - Neon Bible (C) Collapsing Opposites - Will (C) Cub - Way To Go (C) TALK (Johnny Marr set) The Smiths - Panic The The - Dogs of Lust Electronic - One Day Modest Mouse - Dashboard TALK (equations set) The Kissaway Trail - Smother + Evil = Hurt Sekiden - 1 + 1 = Heartache Ivana Santilli = Sun + Moon = Tomorrow Haircut 100 - Love + One **Suggested by Derek TALK Loney Dear - I Am John Sally Shapiro - I'll Be By Your Side You/Me - Through Four Kinds The Bicycles - I Know We Have To Be Apart (C) **See Note 1 Hilotrons - Stuck In The Sound (C) TALK Bruce McCulloch - Doors (C) Note 1: I went to see both The Bicycles and the Hilotrons in Ottawa at a place called Zaphod Beeblebrox, it is the legendary place to see a band in Ottawa. The show was great and as an added bonus as it was Easter weekend the bar was decorated by Kinder Surprise eggs. There is no better way to kill time waiting for a band then putting together Kinder Surprise toys. By the way for anybody who doesn't know how the bar was names see this Wikipedia entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zaphod_Beeblebrox (C) Denotes Canadian Content

March 16, 2007

Theme: In the Hall of Fame On Air: Frank

Thanks for all the suggestions about the Hall of Fame set, as you can see below I tried to stay away from the most popular songs by the artists and used a Van Halen cover instead of the real thing. I got a lot of suggestions for an REM song, but I had to defer to Derek on that one as he is the biggest REM fan I know. I thought that "The Message" by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five was a bit to obvious, so I went with "White Lines". There is also some controversy about the song as to whether or not Grandmaster Flash (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grandmaster_flash). I have complained in the past few months about not finding a lot to play from the CKMS new release section, however this has really turned around lately. Combined with the many different websites I have found highlighting the Scandanavian bands playing the recent South by Southwest music festival in Texas it meant that I had lots of songs to play for the show (and lots of songs leftover). Here are some of those sites about SXSW: sixeyes.blogspot.com/2007/03/scandinavia-comes-to-sxsw-mp3s.html www.popmatters.com/pm/features/article/31476/bylarm-2007-part-1-the-music I got an e-mail from a band from the United Kingdom call the Hit and Runs, they had seen my setlists and thought their music would fit into my show. So I checked them out and liked them, you should check them out at www.thehitandruns.com TALK - Theme Charlotte Gainsbourg - Don't Forget To Forget Me Ane Brun - To Let Myself Go Leopold - Johnny Air - Once Upon A Time Moi Caprice - For Once In Your Life Fight For Something You Believe In **See Note 1 TALK Marit Bergman - No Party You Say Party! We Say Die! - Downtown Mayors Goodnight, Alley Kids Rule (C) Annemarie - The Living Model Deacon Blue - A Is For Astronaught **See Note 2 The Saturday People - Slipping Through Your Fingers **See Note 2 The Hit and Runs - Low Tops and Make-up **See Note above TALK Jeremy Fisher - Remind Me (C) Nich Worby - Oh, Little Bonez (C) Sondre Lerche - Well Well Well Sean Clarke - No Phone Before Regina (C) Geoff Berner - Good Luck Now (C) TALK (Hall Of Fame Set) Grandmaster Flash And The Furious Five - White Lines (Don't Do It) Patti Smith - Kimberly **Suggested by Dan REM - Harborcoat **Suggested by Derek Aztec Camera - Jump (of course a Van Halen cover) The Ronettes - Do I Love You? TALK Adaptor 45 - Keep on Groovin' (C) Steady, Garcia - Pretend Girlfriend (C) **See Note 3 Peter Elkas - Sweet Nancy (C) The Gruesomes - Out Of Our Tree (C) TALK Arcade Fire - Ocean Of Noise (C) Note 1: I thought this song was an unknown song by the Flaming Lips the first time I heard it. Note 2: Stolen from the podcast The Great Leap Forward Note 3: I loved the title of the album this song is from: "Bring me the head of Steady, Garcia", this reminds me of one of my favourite sketches written by my friend Cat Sullivan called "Bring me the head of Poncho Garcia". This was back in another life when we used to co-host a radio comedy show called The Frank, Frank, and Frank show. Of course they both were taken from the Sam Peckinpah movie "Bring me the head of Alfredo Garcia". (C) Denotes Canadian Content

March 2, 2007

Theme: Hard to listen to songs On Air: Frank

I started out in a funky groove beginning with the top song by Ruth Brown. The set also included a song from the Light in the Attic release "From Jamaica to Toronto", it is a compilation that was released last year featuring acts that came from the West Indies and settled in Toronto. The morning of the show I saw a performance by some of the acts from the CD on Breakfast Television publicising a show that they were doing that night in Toronto, I couldn't make it but that would have been cool to see. Another Light in the Attic release I'm looking forward to is their collection of music from Bollywood movies of the 60s and 70s. I ended up playing more songs that I had planned in the "hard to listen to" set, see if you are able get through the 7 song endurance test. After that set the rest of show was pretty laid back, I promise more happy, poppy stuff for the next show. I know it is buried near the end, but the song by Keren Ann "Lay Your Head Down" is a really great song that has really grown on me since the show. It was fighting for the top song spot but didn't quite make it, however do yourself a favour and make sure you give it a listen. TALK - Theme Ruth Brown - 5,10,15 Hours B'Ham Rhythmn Section - I've Been Lonely For So Long Howard Tate - She's a Burglar Wayne McGhie and the Sounds of Joy - Fire (She Need Water) (C) Professor Longhair - Go To The Mardi Gras TALK Bellevue - KC Thugs (C) The Gruesomes - You Were Not Using Your Head (C) The Fussy Part - Dog Food Thumb Jim Ried - I'm Stranded The Organ - Memorize The City (C) TALK (The hard to listen to set) Karen Dalton - Something On Your Mind The Sixth with Odetta - Waltzing Me All The Way Home Geoff Berner - Can't Stay Dry (C) Daniel Johnston - Mind Contorted Calvin Johnson - When You Are Mine Tom Waits - Filipino Box Spring Hog The Comedian Harmonists - Wenn ich vergnugt bin, muss ich singen **Suggested by Derek TALK Ron Sexsmith with Bob Wiseman - Trains (C) Steven McKay - The Other Bums (C) Friday Morning's Regret - When Lost at Sea (C) Jeremy Fisher - American Girls (C) Sondre Lerche and the Faces Down - Say It All TALK Dean and Britta - Teen Angel Airport Girl - Show Me The Way Keren Ann - Lay Your Head Down **Almost the top song of the week Holden - Ce Que Je Suis Ukjent - My New Hang Up The Pipettes - A Winter's Sky **See Note 1 TALK Jarvis Cocker - Don't Let Him Waste Your Time (C) Denotes Canadian Content Note 1: I saw the Pipettes at their first ever North American show at the Rivoli in Toronto on March 9. They were totally awesome, they only allowed 100 people into the venue because of a violation the night before. So although the show was "sold-out" the venue was only about half full. See another review with pictures here. You can also see many different videos from the show on youtube.com.

February 16, 2007

Theme: Labrador Records spotlight On Air: Frank

I started the show with one of the few vinyl albums I have acquired in the last few years. I got it at a showing of the Canadian movie Monkey Warfare ( http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0832906/ ) at the Princess Cinema, the director, Reginald Harkema, was at the showing and answered questions after the movie. A few of the questions were about the music in the movie and in particular how much is costs to use a song in a movie (answer: about $500 to the person who performed the song and another $500 for the rights owner of the song). He also mentioned that the bands agreed to have the songs part of a limited edition 1000 vinyl pressing and that he had some copies of it with him. So after the questions were over I was second in line to get a copy. The first two songs were from the soundtrack along with some bonus dialogue from the movie. Most of show ended up being a spotlight on the Labrador Records label ( http://www.labrador.se/ ). This idea came to me after using a quote from the band Suburban Kids With Biblical Names for my UW weather Station contest ( http://weather.uwaterloo.ca/contest2007/contest2007_entry.htm ). So I thought that I should play at least that song, but when I was looking at the band's record label and saw the rest of the great bands they have put out I started downloading all the songs I could from the record label's website. The label also has just came out with their 100th release, and to celebrate they have released a four CD set featuring a song from each one of their releases, it has the very humble title of "The Complete History of Popular Music". I ended the show with two songs (a rarity as I usually end with a single song) featuring a couple of people that I saw a few days after the show playing at the Jane Bond. Bob Wiseman did a multimedia show playing various videos from his laptop, playing along with some while others were just funny videos, while Geoff Berner was his usual comical self. TALK - Theme The Fugs - Kill For Peace Wierd War - Girls Like That The Gruesomes - Wat Dat? (C) The Gruesomes - Three Men One Coffin (C) Books On Books - One Page At A Time (C) TALK Saturday Looks Good To Me - Since You Stole Me Heart Of Montreal - Cato As A Pun The Fiery Furnaces - Single Girl Spirathon - Cherry Girl (C) Elvis - I Need Your Love Tonight TALK (Labrador records set 1) Suburban Kids With Biblical Names - Funeral Face S'Ambassadeur - New Moon Lasse Lindh - The Stuff Pelle Carlberg - Riverbank Starlet - When The Sun Falls On My Feet TALK (Labrador records set 2) Henry Morgan Solokarriar - One Day, Any Day Laurel Music - No One Want's Forever Corduroy UTD - Daddy's Boy South Ambulance - Hanging In A tie Leslies - Collins TALK Knock, Knock, Ginger - The Makeout Song (C) The Poison Dart - Occupations (C) Friday Morning's Regret - Poor Caroline (C) The Postage Stamps - Turning Off (C) Lindy - Beautifully Done (C) The Fembots - Countdown Our Days (C) The Bicycles - Australia (C) TALK Geoff Berner - Would It Kill You (C) Bob Wiseman - You Don't Love Me (C) (C) Denotes Canadian Content

February 2, 2007

Theme: Not Groundhog Day On Air: Frank

I didn't have anything to play for Groundhog Day so I decided not to force the issue as a result there was no set on that theme. Yet another song from the swedesplease.com website was the top song of the week. The second set was based on bands that I had either seen just before the show (Camera Obscura and Essex Green) or just after the show (Knock, Knock, Ginger, the Sourkeys, and Bocce): You can hear my review of the Camera Obscura/Essex Green show on the podcast. And no The Clash didn't somehow reform (and resurrect Joe Stummer), the reason I played the Clash was that it was their "Super Black Market Clash" CD that was played between the bands at the Opera House that night. The other concert highlighted in that set occurred right after the show at a small art gallery in Kitchener that featured a great bill of local bands, an giant inflatable alien being thrown around the crowd and local band Bocce blurring the line between the band and the audience (see evidence here, only the guy in the red toque is in the band http://www.pbase.com/owencherry/image/73913070 ). I ended the show with a couple of sets that were a bit more rockin' than most of the music I have played in quite a while (a break from playing all that twee), and I had some initial positive feedback during the show. TALK - Theme The Sanmarinos - Super Sexy TV Girl The Positions - Summer Nights Hot Shot Robot - Kiss My Chernobyl (C) Oh! Custer - Spoiler Bellevue - Special Skills (C) Bellevue - Those Blues (C) TALK Camera Obscura - If Looks Could Kill Essex Green - Cardinal Points The Clash - City Of The Dead Knock, Knock, Ginger - Upsala (C) The Sourkeys - Anywhere But Here (C) Bocce - Disco Juan (C) TALK Don Lennon - Dance Music HelloGoodbye - Here (In Your Arms) Henry Morgans Solokarriar - An Attempt To Tip The Scales Math and Physics Club - April Showers Dean and Britta - Singer Song **See Note 1 TALK The Hands - So Sweet Kooks - Naive Deerhoof - +81 The Trucks - 3 AM Robyn Hitchcock - The Authority Box TALK Heavens - Patent Pending Novillero - Abbey (C) The Hold Steady - Chips Ahoy The Acorn - Dents (C) Jerry Jerry and the Sons Of Rhythm Orchestra - Miller's Cave (C) TALK Shiela E - Holly Rock (from the Krush Groove soundtrack) Note 1: Apparently Dean Wareham and Britta Phillips (former members of Luna) are now going by just Dean and Britta (C) Denotes Canadian Content