Friday, March 13, 2009

Post-ed and Purchased - And a Giveaway!

Yesterday was the day that my latest regional previews for the Washington Post were published. I was particularly pleased with these, as I interviewed two really nice, really talented guys. And I'll be going to both shows. So here they are and see you there.

Gabe Dixon at Jammin Java, next Wednesday, March 18th.

Clem Snide, Heligoats (that's the one-man band of Chris Otepka, formerly of Troubled Hubble) at IOTA Club and Cafe, TOMORROW NIGHT! (Saturday, March 14th). Which means I'll have to catch the Will Ferrell (Letterman's talking to him as I type) HBO special On Demand.

Today included yet another visit to my favorite CD trade-in store. I don't know if it's a sign of the hard times, or if my collection of cast-offs, which had a bunch of soundtrack CDs and CMJ compilations*, was weaker than usual, but the friendly cashier rejected more than half of the bag, and I got $20 in credit for what they took.

[*Okay readers, here's today's giveaway. Submit a comment, tell me why I should send you the half-dozen or so CMJ compilations that the CD trade-in store didn't want, and I'll send them to you. USA mailing addresses only, please. If there's more than one request in the next 5 days, I pick my favorite, so have fun with it!]

I put back the Wilco live CD, not sure if I had already replaced the copy Terry lost during a road trip, and opted instead to take advantage of the Clearance Section Special - $1.99 each, but 10 for $15.99. I gave in and got this two-fisted count:

1. KAHLUA B-52 ‘70s PARTY MUSIC - Various Artists (Rhino)
Cheesy packaging with alcohol brand name-themed cheesy graphics and cheesy music, too - “Hot Blooded,” “Smokin’ in the Boys Room,” “You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet” (I’ll give you a hint on that last one - BTO). But this is one of those Cheaper Than-iTunes ways for me to cook up a cheesy sampler now that I’ve got a Music Reference Hard Drive that I can load up with music while dumping the actual discs. So, this cheese won’t add weight!

2. ROCKFOUR - Memories of the Never Happened (Anova Records)
I vaguely remember hearing and liking this band do an in-studio set for KCRW way back, so now’s the chance to revisit and review.

3. The RUMBLE STRIPS - Girls and Weather (Gigantic Music)
There’s no copyright date on this plastic envelope release, so I’m hoping it's an advance of the group’s stateside debut. I heard a few tracks one night when I was checking out the UK version of iTunes, trying to snag a UK-only release (by whom? I recall not). I was able to sample the band, and liked what I heard. But that was months ago, and I haven’t heard anything about them since. Time to Google....!
[back from the Googling] Ah, the album was released in the US last fall, and the band did a short tour. Now the band is working on a new CD, with the venerable Mick Ronson producing. Ok, so it's still a fairly current release.

4. NEW RADIANT STORM KING - Drinking in the Moonlight (Darla)
Strange but cool digi-pack design - a naked redhead hanging off a bicycle with birds pushing the pedals (it’s actually classier than it sounds) and the disc looks like a moonscape. And I like the way the title can be interpreted in two ways. And I’ve always liked this band’s name when I’ve heard them referenced in the past, tho’ I know nothing about them. The cover sticker says they’re “Northampton, MA/NYC indie rockers.” All signs point to something I could like so, at $1.60, it's a no-brainer.

5. VERVE REMIXED Vol. 4 - Various Artists (Verve)
Another naughty NPR employee (whose name I will not reveal, but I’ve heard it on-air) is cashing in his watermarked advance discs at the store. Considering it’s in the discount bin, he probably got a buck (credit, not cash) at most for it; I wouldn’t take the chance. But his risk is my gain - 12 tracks of easy listening with a groovy, hipster beat.

6. EILEN JEWELL - Sea of Tears (Signature Sounds)
Her first name rhymes with “feelin’” - so she told me when she and the band came by my mother’s summer house for a part veggie BBQ before a gig in the lake town where she lives (I know the band’s publicist, so it was an easy invite). A lovely lady with a lovely voice and a sure handle on slightly wistful Americana, she’s coming to play at IOTA on May 9 (ooh, when I looked it up, I see the venue web site has her name as “Eileen”...), so I’ll get a taste of the new music in prep for a possible preview, a show, maybe even houseguests!

7. GLENN TILBROOK and the FLUFFERS - Pandemonium Ensues (KOCH)
First, you just gotta love this title. I always check the slimline generic cases - that’s how I scored this advance by the former Squeeze co-leader, who is also coming to town, Saturday, March 21st at the State Theatre. I would be there, but a friend is having a Tiki party. Wait...! the soiree starts at 4pm, so I might be able to do both!

8. ADVANCE WARNING - Various Artists (MTV)
The package caught my eye first - orange and red, in the manner of the titular (snicker) theme. Only seven songs on the disc that I either have (“This Love” is one of the few Maroon 5 songs that helps me overcome my dislike of Adam Levine) or don’t care about. Except for The Format! - a track entitled “The First Single.” And since the fold-out inner sleeve has both a photo and a mini-bio of this beloved duo, whom I know zilch about, I had to have it. And then I saw that there are actually two discs in the package. Is one a DVD? (oh boy, do I get to see the Format?) But no, it’s labeled “Word of Mouth CD” and I guess it’s intended to be shared. Nice idea, but I’d rather see a Format vide).

9. FICTION FAMILY - S/T (ATO Records)
A generic advance, listing a street date of January 20th just passed. FF is made up of Jon Foreman of Switchfoot and Sean Watkins of Nickel Creek, and that sounds like a recipe for unforced, goodtime music. That’s what I heard on the few tracks playing while I drove home. If those first impressions hold up, I will be kicking myself soon for not catching them when they played town recently.

10. JUDITH OWEN - Lost and Found (Century of Progress Productions)
I’m sure Judith Owen is sick of hearing about how people first encountered her through her husband, Harry Shearer. But he’s a cult hero, a radio favorite of mine (you can stream his weekly “Le Show” through various internet outlets), a Simpsons regular and damn, he’s got good taste in music. So when he plays her songs on his show, there’s not a whiff of nepotism. And that is how I heard her, and that’s why I sought her out at live shows, and when I’ve spoken to her, she’s just a doll. The natural beauty of her voice and the sometimes ponderously slow arrangements she prefers on disc don’t always reveal just what a great sense of humor she has. Her live shows are well worth catching. This is another slimline generic advance, and I kinda wondered if I might have the CD already in another, different form. Don't recognize the cover. But again, we’re talking less than a cup of coffee, and so I rounded out my ten-fer collection.

and that brings the O/CD YTD Tally to 86

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