Goodbye My Ghetto Peeps

Well friends, the time has come to say goodbye to this blog. However, do not fret as I've moved on up to better things. I'll now be contributing to We Own This Town. My first contribution comes in the form of a Best of '08 podcast. It was compiled by WOTT's main man, Michael Eades and features content from him as well as Andrew J. Spaceman.

See y'all there.

-jbc

New Selmanaires Single

Y'know, my whole introduction into Atlanta's music scene was The Selmanaires. The sound those three (now four) gentlemen generate between one another has had me hooked from the first chorus. I even like to think of them as honorary Nashville group. Though that status might be in jeopardy if they don't get back to town ASAP. I'm jonesin' over here.

The Selmanaires have a brand new 45 out on Rob's House Records. "Princess Illusionist Frankenstein" b/w "Beneath The Brights" is available via the Rob's House website. Both tunes can be streamed via the band's MySpace page.

From the band:

Dear friends,

We have a new 45 out on Atlanta's own Rob's House Records. Princess Illusionist Frankenstein (side a) was posted a month or so ago. We have now added Beneath The Brights (side b). This single was recorded by Ed Rawls and Justin McKneight at The Living Room studio July 2008.

If you like it and want to have a beautiful vinyl copy, you can order it online at www. robshouserecords. com

Hope you are all well. Thank you all for coming out to the Wire show last week. It was an amazing experience playing with and meeting one of our favorite bands. People came from far and wide to catch Wire's only southeast performance (nice to meet you, Jack and Christina).

love,
Tommy Chung

Go give 'em both a listen and pick up a copy for you or a loved one.

That is all.

It's a Noot d' Noot Weekend

My friends, if you couldn't tell by now, here in the Ghetto we have a deep love for the sounds coming out of the ATL. And perhaps such affinity rises from some certain parallels found between our two music scenes. For starters, both Nashville and Atlanta are home to multimillion dollar music industries. Atlanta invented Crunk and is the nucleus of the southern rap game, with players... er playas, such as Lil' Jon, T.I., and Outkast. We've got Music Row and the Christian music dilemma with Big & Rich, Cowboy Troy & Casting Crowns. (OK really bad example... they win that one)

Hmmm... but what else? They've got Little Five Points, the Fabulous Fox, and The Falcons (meh), while we've got East Nashville, The Ryman, and The Only Undefeated Team in the NFL. They've got Athens and we've got Murfreesboro.

On the local music front they've got Atlantis Music Festival, Criminal Records, International Hits, Rob's House & The Living Room where as we've got NBN, Grimey's, Theory 8, Infinity Cat & Lake Fever. They click over to cableandtweed.com and we love us some outtheother.com. Hell, even some of our favorite bands seem to share some of the same DNA: The Features/The Selmanaires, Jensen Sportag/Judi Chicago, Hotpipes/Gringo Star, MEEMAW/Howlies, Cheap Time/The Black Lips... I could go on, but I won't.

The reason for all this jabberjawin' about Atlanta and Nashville is that despite whatever musical similarities we might share, Nashville can boast no analog to Atlanta's Noot d' Noot. Only the ol' Dirty Dirty could give birth to this sprawling, eclectic collective.

Seamlessly fusing funk, afro-beat, pop, hip-hop, free jazz, electro, and rock, then coating it in a thick psychedelic goo, Noot d' Noot's game is to make the asses shake & shimmy while melting the mind wide open. Their original intent was to simply produce and sell beats and backing tracks to their city's hip-hop artists. But the rock scene took notice and they've morphed their studio hijiinks into a sprawling stage show. This much-ballyhooed live set and their debut LP, Goofer Dust (International Hits) led Creative Loafing (their much thicker Nashville Scene) to recently choose them as Best Local New Music Act of '08.

Fortunately for us here in Middle Tennessee, Noot d' Noot make their Music City debut this weekend with two shows you really shouldn't miss. Tonight it all goes down at Agave as part of another night of Festivala. Since there really aren't any local acts that have much in common with these guys (and gals), it's only fitting that they're in the middle of a bill with three bands that have absolutely no similarities what so ever. This experiment in sonic contrast sees Noot wedged between the charming punk of MEEMAW and the rough and tumble dirges of All We Seabees. Ghetto favorites This Modern Station will get things kicked off with their smart Pavement-meets-Gram Parsons rock around 8:30. Not enough Noot for ya? Well not to worry as the crew will reassemble on Saturday afternoon around 4:00 at Grimey's for an in-store set.

Check out their blog and download a couple of their tunes below. "Sugar Bicycle" is a personal favorite from their record and features Jason Harris of the Selmanaires on vocals. Their strip-club-friendly anthem "Jiggle City" is the A-side to their Solutionist Records debut seven inch.

Sugar Bicycle

Jiggle City


Free Keegan Dewitt

Planning on going to the Basement tomorrow night for the Keegan Dewitt CD release show? Are you broke? Cheap? Parents finally cut you off? Recently laid off? Trying to save your money for the impending great stock market crash of '08?*

Well not to worry you cheap bastard, cause Indie Ghetto's got you covered. The first five folks to shoot an email to me@keegandewitt.com will not only get into the show for free, but will also get a copy of his new record, Islands. Not bad, eh?

...oh and you're welcome.

*If not, you probably should be.

We Stole the Radio

What follows came in the form of a MySpace bulletin late last night from Jon Burr & Co:

Public Ears,

Prepare yourselves! We are a proud sort, so please tune in with your host, Lieutenant Dan, as he interviews our esteemed dandy man, Jon Burr.


Be the first to hear "Salvage Mission," our long-awaited single exclusively on Lightning 100 radio, tomorrow @ noon.


The coordinates: 100. 1 on your FM dial
The time: Lunch Hour, Noon- 3PM

Many thanks for your undying patronage!


-How I Became the Bomb

For those of you who simply just can't wait until Noon - or, like me, quit listening to Lightning 100 nine or ten years ago - be sure to tune into Indie Ghetto this morning as I'll be spinning Salvage Mission on the program. It shall drop at 10:00am sharp. Do it.

Keegan DeWitt on Friday's Radio Show

Hey gang. Tune in to this weeks radio show as my guest will be Keegan Dewitt. Homeboy's new record, Islands, is out on the always awesome Theory 8 label. We'll be chatting about the disc as well as his upcoming release show this Saturday at The Basement. And since we know you love free stuff, we'll be giving away tickets to the show as well as copies of Islands. He's also bringing in a crew of string players and backup singers to serenade us through the mid-morning. It's gonna be tight in the ol' WRVU studios tomorrow, but it's gonna be excellent.

Tune in Friday morning from 10:00 to 11:00. 91.1 FM or streaming live in Real Audio at wrvu.org

This Wednesday: Jesco White at the Mother Church

So it looks like the rumors are true...

Jesco White - the original Dancing Outlaw, the pride of Boone Co, WV, the last and best of the mountain dancers - will be performing Wednesday night at the Ryman, opening for The Black Keys.

Say whaaat!?

Now it's not worth my hard-earned money to drop $30 on another tired-ass guitar/drums whiteboy blues duo. But Jesco? In the flesh? Dancing, singing, and telling tall tales? Hell yes... worth every damn penny! What a shame it is then that I'm broke as hell and my direct deposit won't drop into my bank account until Midnight on Wednesday. Hmmm... maybe one of those fine, fine folks over at Nashville's Best Independent Record Store can hook a brother up? Or maybe someone at the Only Decent FM Station in Town has a couple guestlist spots for one of their favorie DJs? Pretty please?

Anyway, if you haven't actually seen the early 90's documentary Dancing Outlaw and have no idea why I'm so excited, I urge you to go do it now. It's easily one of the most hilarious, weird, and oddly touching 30 minutes ever captured on film (er... video tape, rather). Pretty sure I've seen it well over 100 times in the past 12 years and it never gets old. If you have seen it, you know what I'm talking about.

You can check it out YouTube style below. However, nothing beats watching it on a 3rd or 4th generation VHS tape. Enjoy!

Dancing Outlaw - Part 1


Dancing Outlaw - Part 2


Dancing Outlaw - Part 3


Dancing Outlaw - Part 4


Many thanks to Rob Marlow of the mighty Ulika for the heads up!

Festivala Continues Tonight

OK so it's a beautiful day and it's shaping up to be a perfect Autumn night. What better way to spend it than knocking back some Patron shots whilst enjoying four outtasight bands. Festivala continues tonight at Agave with music from How I Became the Bomb, Chattanooga's favorite sons Coral Castles, Mean Tambourines, and Talking With Hands. I think it kicks off around 8:30. See y'all there.

Great Show Tonight

For the next five weeks, my dear friend Jim O'Shea (he of Happy Valley notoriety) will be putting on some killer outdoor shows at Agave Tequila Lounge. Festivala will take place every Friday night thru the end of October in the parking lot of Agave (12th & McGavock). Upcoming artists scheduled to appear include De Novo Dahl, The Dexateens, imagine asians, This Modern Station, Mean Tambourines, Coral Castles, My Tyger, and Noot d'Noot. This week features melodic maestro Kyle Andrews and goth-poppers Nite Nite.

It's gonna be a nice night to be outside, so here's to you making it out. I'm afraid I won't be in attendance, so do a shot of Patron for yer boy.

No Radio Show this Morning

Sorry gang, but you'll have to wait until next Friday morning to get your fix of local and regional jams. I promise I'll make it up to you.

New Superdrag Jam Now Available

As I told you all several weeks back, Superdrag's brand new jam "Filthy and Afraid" will be available on the Monolith Festival compilation. Well, looks like the guys went ahead and threw it up for free download as well. You can get it from Superdrag.com via the dodgy Nimbit widget (use the arrows to navigate to the 5th page in said widget, and click the "free" button, then hand over your info). Someone's also posted it elsewhere on the web.

Hair of the Dog

Tonight at at Mercy Lounge, Indie Ghetto is proud to be co-hosting Next Big Hangover with Janet Timmons of Out the Other and Michael Eades of We Own This Town & Yewknee notoriety. It'll get kicked off at 9pm sharp and is free. So if the weekend wasn't enough to get your local rock OD, go ahead and plan on coming out.

Thanks for Saturday!

Jon Burr of HIBtB, seemingly being shivved in his kidneys. (Thanks, Kim!)

To all of you that came out to the Lake Fever/Nashville Scene NBN showcase, let me say thanks. It was a resounding success and Bullock, Baldwin and I hope it was one of the highlights of your NBN experience. Also, a huge thanks to Shuan, Jason, Chris & everyone at Exit-In, Steve Haruch & the Nashville Scene crew, JM Wilkins & all his NBN underlings, Uncle Tommy, and of course, all the bands who played on the bill. Here's to next year!

New Times Ghetto (sans serif)

After a few weeks of hiatus, Indie Ghetto is back on the airwaves! This time, though, you can get your fix on Friday mornings from 10-11am. Be sure to tune in today as I'll be welcoming the talented and always polite Lindsay Jamieson (pictured above, quite inexplicably, before a firing squad).

Now you know Linds from is years spent drumming full-time with Ben Folds. However after passing his duties onto good ol' Sam Smith a couple years back, he's focused his creativity into Repent Or Forever Be Damned. Tonight at 8:00, ROFBD will be kicking off the NBN showcase at The Rutledge. However, this morning, he's invited co-conspirators Gary Burnette (guitar) and Matt Slocum (cello) to come down to WRVU and give us a stripped-down sneak peak of what can be expected from them tonight.

Do it at 91.1 FM or streaming live at wrvu.org via Real Audio.

imagine asians on Today's Show

What's shakin' gang? I hope you make time in your busy schedule tomorrow afternoon to tune into the Indie Ghetto from 1:00 - 3:00. I'll be welcoming the crew from imagine asians into the WRVU studios during the second hour of the show. In addition to getting the low down on what's up with these guys, they've also promised to bring some instruments and woo us with their tight and dreamy pop tunes live on the air.

In case you don't know, imagine asians is sweet juice product of Jeffrey Neutron's mind grapes. The sound pulls from both the classic and slightly cracked pop traditions to forge a strange, yet pleasing dynamic. IA will soon be releasing their excellent new LP, We Are the Future, which was produced by De Novo Dahl mainman and all-around sweetheart, Joel J. Dahl.

Taking a revolving door approach to making music, imagine asians list of live and recording contributors and collaborators reads like a who's who of the local music scene. We Are the Future features contributions from a number of Nashville's finest: Joey Andrews (De Novo Dahl), Kyle Hamlett (Lylas), Joel J. Dahl (De Novo Dahl), Adria Heimburger & Terah Thompson (ex-Girls & Boys), Serai Zaffiro (De Novo Dahl), Luke Schneider (Cortney Tidwell, Lylas), Keith Lowen (De Novo Dahl, ex-108 different bands), Arlo Hall (Hannah Barbarians, ex-De Novo Dahl), Benjamin Patton (My Tyger, ex-Girls & Boys), Caryn Cast (ex-Lylas and one bad-ass artist) and Mark Bond (The Features, Vovo). On the live stage, IA has included even more local talent over the years: Matthew Hungate (De Novo Dahl), Rod Kelly (ex-Love Society), Caldwell Dunlap (ex-Bubblegum Complex, Spanish Bombs), Josh Walker (my second favorite Grimey's employee), Willa Derrikson, Andrew Brassel (And The Relatives), Erik Lehning (Non-Commissioned Officers) and the always fetching Miss Lauren Sandidge.

Jeffrey and Co. will be playing their first show in quite some time this Friday night at the 5 Spot along with Velcro Stars & The Hannah Barbarians. If you're free that night, I encourage you to make it over to the Eastside for this one.

As always, I'll be spinning the best local and regional jams I can cram into 120 minutes. Hit us up with your requests at 615.421.7625 or 625.322.7625. If you forgot to pay your cell phone bill or don't know how to work a phone, shoot us an email at indieghetto@gmail.com. In addition, I'll be giving away some guestlist spots for a few excellent shows this weekend. Tune in to win, my nugs.

-Happy Valley featuring Jensen Sportag, Mindub & Principal and Coach (Friday, Aug 29th @ Aerial)

-How I Became The Bomb, Howlies & Eureka Gold (Saturday, Aug. 30th @ Mercy Lounge)

-Parachute Musical, Mean Tambourines, Roman Candle & Stories That Live (Sunday Aug. 31st @ Agave)

Tune in won't you? Its always a good time.

XO
-jbc

My Ghetto Padawan Takes Over

Since I'm not in Nashville this week, my trainee - no, make that former trainee - Matt Hearn shall be manning the controls of the WRVU transmitter, bringing y'all the local goodness you're used to hearing each Thursday afternoon from 1:00 - 3:00.

If someone wouldn't mind keeping tabs on how many times young Hearn screws up, I'd greatly appreciate the effort. Little Buddy's getting exactly one lashing for each mistake he makes. For helping yer boy out, I'll gladly let you video the punishment proceedings and post it on Youtube if you like.

Anyway, be sure to keep your ears piqued in the Fall as Matt's gonna have his own locally-focused radio show on WRVU called Holly House. Can't wait to see him try to steal my thunder. Good luck, ol' boy... good luck.

Radio Show Playlist - 08.07.08

Well, there's no Ghetto on your radio next week... yer boys is gonna be down in the Dirty Dirty, the ATL, gettin' crunk at a stock options trading seminar. So if you start jonesin' for some hot local action, you can always stream this week's show again and again.

Get Yer Fix via Real Audio

The Selmanaires - Just to Get Yr Love (The Air Salesman)
Hotpipes - You Burn Or You Don't (Future Bolt)
Orange in Circles - My Shaker Mover (unreleased)
Imagine Asians - Jacquie Says (Imagine Asians EP)
John Davis - I Need Someone (Arigato!)
The Clutters - Rockaway (Don't Believe a Word)
The Dexateens - Lost and Found (Lost and Found)
Roman Candle - Something Left to Say (The Wee Hours Review)
Glossary - Chase Me Out of The Dark (The Better Angels of Our Nature)
The Features - Wooden Heart (Some Kind of Salvation)
Kings Of Leon - Crawl (Only By The Night)
This Modern Station - Evangelina (unreleased debut LP)
Pico vs Island Trees - Malibu (unreleased)
Stories That Live - I'm Gonna Kill Your Boyfriend (unreleased)
Kindercastle - Violet (unreleased debut LP)
The Northridge Rangers - Mustang Twist (Electric Shoes)
Tommy & The Whale - Brothers (Shot for the Moon)
Ghostfinger - Ann Marie (The Feeler)
Vovo - Well Known Theme (Vovo EP)
Cheap Time - Ginger Snap (Cheap Time)
Caitlin Rose - Gorilla Man (Dead Flowers EP)
Apollo Up! - The Heartbreak of Victory (Walking Papers EP)
Turbo Fruits - Tennessee, Baby (Turbo Fruits)
The Lonely Hearts - Nightingale (Born In The Dark)
The Protomen - Unrest in the House of Light (The Protomen)
Self - What A Fool Believes (Gizmodgery)
The Glib - We Will (Heaven & Hell Yes)
Coral Castles - Your Camera (the Corpse and the Cake)
Ricky Young - Suitcase Afternoon (Learn to Steal)
Josh Rouse - Dressed Up Like Nebraska (Dressed Up Like Nebraska)

The Dexateens Tonight at The Basement

Spending my formative years in Tuscaloosa, AL, I was privileged to that glorious function known as college radio. University of Alabama's WVUA 90.7 may have been a small station, but it affected me in oh so many ways. I've not been the same since.

One of the voices I heard each week was that of Elliott McPherson. For a time he hosted the local music show which turned me onto a number of Tuscaloosa bands of that era - The Nooners, The Penatrators, Kilgour Trout, Three Hour Tour, Mindseye, DC Moon, Planet Terry, The Copacetics, et al - and instilled in me a life-long love of the music coming from the streets of whatever locale I happen to reside. If not for Elliott, I'd not be doing what I currently do.

Well, things have come full circle and I'm stoked that Elliott's band, The Dexateens, will be in town tonight at The Basement. If you're a fan of Glossary, Hands Down Eugene, or Roman Candle I encourage you to swing by. You can also cruise over to their website and download their new record, Lost and Found for free.

New Superdrag Jam Available Soon!

So I got a random, but very welcomed telephone call from Senator Tom Pappas of Superdrag a couple days ago. His purpose was to inform me that brand new Superdrag track, "Filthy & Afraid" will be available on the Monolith Festival compilation CD.

And not to toot my own horn, but he attributed it to the fact that I had posted a random clip on YouTube of the band and myself in the studio listening to the 4-track demo version of the tune before we tracked it this past Winter at Lake Fever. Crazier things have happened I suppose. Anyway, here's that video...



And while you're out there pointin' and clickin' around the Net, check out Senor Pappas' new band, The Whip. Good stuff. Hopefully, he'll get me a copy and I'll get to spinning it on the radio show.

-jbc

ps Oh yeah, a little birdy with a big Greek afro and crazy eyes also told me there should be a Nashville Superdrag show in the very near future. Keep those eyes peeled for more info!

I've got your long weekend planned (pt. 2)

So go ahead and sleep in on Friday, my Ghetto peeps. You'll probably need it after Thursday night (did I mention that they'll be $1 PBR's at the Bomb/My Tyger show? Well there will be, so drink up, kiddies). It's OK, we'll forge you a doctor's note for work.

ANYWAY... the good times keep coming on Friday night as I'll be hosting a night of stellar locally grown rock goodness at Mercy Lounge. This will be Mercy's official grand re-opening party after the remodeling job they've been working on the past several weeks. It looks great, by the way. After being there tonight to see country music legend Charlie Louvin, I can truly say that Mercy Lounge is hands down the best larger venue in the city. Come see for yourself.

The Tits will get things started at 9pm, so plan on getting there early for some deafening punky cock rock. After that will be indie-folk troubadour Wes Sp8, followed by Nite Nite and their Nancy-Sinatra-on-downers brand of goth-pop. Batting fourth will be The Glib who brought a Stooge-y mayhem to the last 8 Off 8th I hosted, violently tossing their instruments around as if there were a stack of back-ups backstage (there weren't). Rounding out the evening will be the Shoot the Mountain, who remind me of a southern-bred Replacements and finally Eastern Block, who sound a lot less Communist than their name implies.

Tune into the show this afternoon - 1:00 - 3:00, 91.1 WRVU - to hear all these bands along with the best in local and regional rock. Hit Matt & me up with your requests at 615.421.7625 or 615.322.7625.

Oh and don't sweat swinging by the ATM before coming to Mercy, 'cause there's no cover charge! Do I take care of my crew or what? Who's yer boy?

I've got your long weekend planned (pt. 1)

OK, gang. I know sometimes we all get a little overwhelmed and don't want to have to make decisions about what to do with our free time and where to do it. That's where I'm come in this week. Being a self-appointed public servant, I'm gonna go ahead and plan your long weekend for you. You can thank yer boy later. Oh and you're welcome.

Anyway, onto your Thursday evening plans...

Contrast can be a beautiful sight to behold. And Thursday night might just be one for the books.

As usual, tourists in their Aaron Tippin t-shirts and the good ol' boys (and gals) from the surrounding counties will be creeping and cruising up and down Nashville's Lower Broadway. Full of booze and overly-stimulated, these masses will be darting in and out of our city's honky-tonk bars and souvenir shops, line dancing, gettin' rowdy and trying to talk some game with the opposite sex.

Like some weirdo eagle in the dark, a sound quite unfamiliar to their ears will swoop down from the roof above, either enticing or enraging them. That sound will be booming from the rooftop joint know as Aerial and shall be coming from the hands and mouths of How I Became the Bomb, My Tyger, and Principal & Coach.

Is this some social experiment in juxtaposition? Perhaps. That would depend on the outcome, I suppose. What's certain is that it's a dance party and it's gonna be one damn fine evening up on the rooftop.

Anyway, the Bomb boys should need no introduction by now. Same goes for Principal & Coach for any of you in the late-nite-dance party-hoppin' young hipster set. I should, however, drop a few word about My Tyger and this reunion they're putting together for Thursday.

Though My Tyger only existed in the Nashville rock milieu from late 2001 - 2003, they proved to be a spring board for its members into more high profile projects. Golden-voiced singer Sam Ashworth went onto front the short-lived supergroup Astronaut Pushers (with members of Superdrag, Sixpnence, and Ben Folds' band) and has enjoyed success as a songwriter and producer. Bassist Ben Patton later anchored retro pop outfit Girls & Boys with his catchy songs and Jamerson-esque Motown basslines and currently holds down the low end for Imagine Asians. Guitarist Jim O'Shea was also a member of Girls & Boys, but is probably best known for organizing and promoting a number of sexy hipster dance parties, most notably the monthly rooftop rager known as Happy Valley. Brothers Taylor & Brandon Harris (drums and keys, respectively) have gone onto successful careers as record producers, bouncing between Nashville and LA for the past several years. And finally, original keyboardist Ryan Norris has found success as a member of Lambchop, The Privates, Hands Off Cuba and backing Cortney Tidwell.

Thursday night will see Ashworth, Patton, and O'Shea revisiting and cherry picking through their strong catalog of songs. Filling in on drums will be all-around sweetheart David Gerkhe of The Silver Sea's. They're on first, so be sure ot get there early.

So once again, here's what we're doing on Thursday night:
How I Became the Bomb, My Tyger and Principal & Coach
Thursday, July 31st
Aerial (411 Broadway, above Paradise Park & Big Bang)
9pm
$7, 21+

I'll be in touch about Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Radio Show Playlist - 07.24.08

Big thanks to Michael Harrell for sitting down and chatting with us this week. Be sure to swing by Cafe Coco on Monday at 7pm for his show.

Dig it via Real Audio

Ghostfinger - Alabama (The Feeler)
Vovo - Lighter Side of Life (Vovo EP)
Coral Castles - The Intrigue and Eventual Despair... (the Corpse and the Cake)
Cuttlefish - Crow Dog (Marble)
Majestico - I like You (Boundary Conditions)
The Howlies - Baby Shake (Lake Fever Sessions)
Eastern Block - Predawn Cantina (Eastern Block EP)
The Lonely Hearts - Everybody's Got A Broken Heart (Born in the Dark)
Michael Harrell - Paint By Numbers (Jericho Blues)
Astronaut Pushers - Cut Me Off (EP)
John Davis - Nothing Gets Me Down (4-Track Demos)
The Semantics - Jenny Won't Play Fair (Powerbill)
Silver Seas - The Country Life (High Society)
Michael Harrell - Slide Away (Jericho Blues)
This Modern Station - Evengelina (unreleased)
The Nobility - The Mezzanine (The Mezzanine)
Roman Candle - You Don't Belong to this World (Wee Hours of Review)
Vermicious K'nids - Away O Way Oh (unreleased)
The Cable Company - Beached Whale (Syndication)
Vovo - Well Known Theme (Vovo EP)
Ghostfinger - Ann Marie (The Feeler)
Kindercastle - Postmaster General (Kindercastle)
My Tyger - It Can't Be You (Lake House Demos)
How I Became the Bomb - Fat Girls Talking About Cardio (Let's Go)

Michael Harrell & New Jams Today!

This afternoon on the radio show, Matt and I will be welcoming Michael Harrell into the studio for some tunes, pleasant conversation, and a maybe plate of cucumber sandwiches.

Taking cues from some of the shining stars in the power-pop cannon (think Teenage Fanclub, Kinks, Elliott Smith, et al.), his sound is classic yet never hackneyed. Though still quite young at 22, Michael is wise enough to surround himself with seasoned vets to help him coax the sounds in his head onto record. His debut LP, which is currently being mixed by Jason Bullock at Lake Fever (plug!), features a backing band made up of members of Superdrag, Reliant K, and The Lonely Hearts. Not too shabby, eh? And from what I've heard of it, this one is a louder and more aggressive upgrade from first excellent first EP, Greetings from the Village, which came out in '07.

Michael will be playing over at Cafe Coco next Monday, July 28th at 7pm. He'll be backed by Josiah Holland of The Lonely Hearts on bass and - get this - Superdrag frontman John Davis on the drums. I'll be there, chowing down on a Monte Cristo and knocking back some crushers. Hope you'll join me.

In addition, we're stoked to be debuting some unreleased goodness into your earholes. I've got my hands on the long-awaited sophomore LP from Ghostfinger, which will be available in September. In addition, you'll also be privy to the debut EP from Vovo, which is the brainchild of Features keyboardman, Mark Bond. This five-song gem features his band mate Rollum Haas on drums and bass, along with vocal work from Jonathon Rogers (Hotpipes) & Sam Ashworth (My Tyger) and some tasty pedal steel bits from Luke Schneider (Cortney Tidwell, Stone Jack Jones, ex-Character). Can't wait to spin both of these records for all y'all.

So go ahead and tune your radios to 91.1 WRVU from 1:00 to 3:00 this afternoon and get with it. Alternately you can stream the whole affair live via Real Audio at wrvu.org. And if you miss it, you can still stream it all week via the link to your right.

Fresh Blog Alert

These days, any monkey or idiot man-child with a laptop can, and often does, start their very own music blog (you are reading this one, aren't you?). We all know there's plenty out there that doesn't warrant the energy expended to make a couple mouse clicks, so it's refreshing when a truly gifted writer decided to weigh in on the state of music.

Enter Andrew J. Spaceman and his finely crafted blog, A Star To Sail Her By. He's a Writer in every sense of the word and has been for as long as I've know him (12 years, which is like 108 years in blog years). Someone should pay him handsomely to put pen to paper. Until then, he'll do it for free like the rest of us.

His mission is simple... he's calling out the artists that need to be shot down, while lifting up the ones that deserve his praises. Even with those short arms of his, he succeeds. Andrew's wit cuts deep and his knowledge base is broad. He's not afraid to take the piss out of the undeservedly over-hyped fluff, all the while retaining an air of self-deprecation with his words.

Ghetto Nation, please dig these choice quotes and update those RSS feeds...

On Air France:
I give them an 8.6, the same as Pitchfork did, except mine is on a scale to 100. It's the kind of lame dance music I might listen to if I was taking staggering amounts of white drugs and, oh yeah, was fucking deaf.

His retort to Jack White's poetic ode to Detroit:
The laid off leave their burning cars
Betwixt all the burned out tenements
walk a few blocks to their dealer’s bar
gunfire sprays out of every end of it
a drunk knife fight over a hot crack pipe
by a burning dumpster in the back slum
Jack White moved where it’s safe at night
From Motor City, where there is no sun.

A tangent on his disdain for American Idol:
Once I get that reality TV hate flowing through my veins, I'm hard to stop. I make Simon Cowell look like Joel Osteen. Speaking of, here's some reality I'd love to see on my television screen: Simon Cowell and Joel Osteen fight to the death! One's a Christian self-help guru, the other is British!

Prefacing the new Features record review with a quick, well-known history lesson:
To their credit, it was a rather unsavory proposition: cover "All You Need Is Love" for a credit card commercial. John Lennon would roll over in his grave and puke up a bullet. Naturally, Nada Surf picked up that blank check and ran, dreadlocked twat bassist and all.

Radio Show Playlist - 07.17.08

Another week... another radio show. Apologies if we offended any of the following groups of people: Hippies, Trust Fund Hippies, Black Folks, White People, De Novo Dahl, Matt's Girlfriend, The FCC. Thanks.

Stream them jams from July 17th

De Novo Dahl - Shake Down (Move Every Muscle, Make Every Sound)
The Lonely Hearts - Nightingale (Born In The Dark)
Coral Castles - Ring Out Sing Out (the Corpse and the Cake)
The Features - God Save Rock & Roll (unreleased)
The Clutters - Radio (Don't Believe a Word)
Mean Tambourines - That's What I Said (from myspace)
And The Relatives - Cowboy Jazz (Below and Above)
Nite Nite - Hello, I'm Melancholic (Nite Nite EP)
Silver Jews - Candy Jail (Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea)
The Selmanaires - Broken Mirrors in the Mud (Lake Fever Sessions)
The Explorer's Club - Don't Forget The Sun (Freedom Wind)
Michael Harrell - The End (Greeting from the Village)
Mother Father - Blue Flux (Mother/Father)
The Pink Spiders - Gimme Chemicals (Sweat It Out)
Glossary - Chase Me Out of The Dark (The Better Angels of Our Nature)
Lifeboy - Rich Girls (Garage Rock Operas)
My Tyger - It Can't Be You (unreleased)
Kindercastle - Don Quixote (Kindercastle)
The Features - The Drawing Board (Some Kind of Salvation)
Howlies - Don't Taze Me Bro (Lake Fever Sessions)
Stories that Live - Lucky at Cards (unreleased)
Eureka Gold - Cannons of Dixie (unreleased)
Gringo Star - Guevon (Absolutely)
Joe Mormann - The Way It Was (unreleased)
How I Became the Bomb - Minute Romance (Let's Go!)
The Alcohol Stuntband - The Sheik (The Alcohol Stuntband)
John Davis - I Need Someone (Arigato!)
Cuttlefish - Crowdog (Marble)
We Were the States - Girl, You're Not a Thief (Believe the Thieves)
Hotpipes - The Future is Where We Belong (Future Bolt)
Meemaw - Blue in the Blacklight (Glass Elevator)

Radio Show Playlist - 07.10.08

Go ahead and tune into last week's show since they'll be a new one up in about 48 hours.

Stream the July 10th Indie Ghetto, son

Here's the playlist...
Glossary - Shout If From the Rooftop (The Better Angels of Our Nature)
The Lonely Hearts - Nightingale (Born In the Dark)
Tommy & The Whale - Blackout (Shot the Moon)
The Protomen - Unrest in the House of Light (The Protomen)
The Nobility - The Mezzanine (The Mezzanine)
The Privates - One Piece (Barricades)
Roman Candle - You Don't Belong to this World (The Wee Hours Review)
The Modern Station - Long Over Due (home demo)
Sam Ashworth - No Room (unreleased)
Repent or Forever Be Damned - The Last Thing I Gave Away (Repent or Forever Be Damned)
The Features - The Gates of Hell (Some Kind of Salvation)
The Jane Shermans - Popular Music Social Condition (Popular Music Social Condition)
Wes SP8 - Please (Please EP)
John Davis - Watch Me Walk Away Again (Arigato!)
Cuttlefish - Sanducky (Marble)
Coral Castles - Phatic, Static, Magic! (the Corpse and the Cake)
D Striker - Broken Strings Again (I Can Handle It)
Nite Nite - Amongst The Tenants (Nite Nite EP)
Kindercastle - Don Quixote (Kindercastle)
Magic Wands - Black Magic (Magic Love and Dreams)
The Silver Jews - Party Barge (Lookout Mountain Lookout Sea)
Ghostfinger - Let It Ride Real (unreleased)
Meemaw - Blue in the Blacklight (Glass Elevator)
Glossary - Blood In the Knobs (The Better Angels of our Nature)
The Howlies - Baby Shake (Unreleased Lake Fever Sessions)
Tristen - Eager For Your Love (Teardrops & Lollipops)
Apollo Up! - Heartbreak of Victory (Walking Papers)
Orange in Circles - Tall Favors (unreleased demo

Godspeed Glossary

Tonight's the night to come say bon voyage to Glossary as they embark on a 5 1/2 week tour with their buddies from the west side of the state, Lucero. They'll be riding the highways and byways of this beautiful nation of ours, coast-to-coast spreading the Gospel, saving souls, and blessing the huddled masses. Come out to the Cannery this evening to give them their hugs and handshakes and wish them well on their journey. And if you still haven't done so, go download their masterpiece The Better Angles of Our Nature for free. It's a gem.

So Godspeed dearest Glossary. You guys are the real deal - the truest of the true - and we all know it. Go forth and spread thy word. You shall be missed in the mean time.

Radio Show Playlist - 07.03.08 (plus last week's)

A big thanks to Josiah Holland of The Lonely Hearts for slumming it with us in the Ghetto for the first hour. Be sure to swing by 12th & Porter tonight (Saturday July 5th) for their big EP release show. $10 gets you in along with a copy of their stellar new disc, Born in the Dark.

Stream this week's show via Real Player, playa

John Davis - I Need Someone (Arigato!)
The Lonely Hearts - Nightingale (Born In the Dark)
The Jane Shermans - Young & Hungry (Popular Music Social Condition)
Kyle Andrews - Blow It Out (Real Blasty)
Red White Blue - Good Morning (Red White Blue)
The Lonely Hearts - Born In the Dark (Born In the Dark)
The Lonely Hearts - My Last Goodbye (Born In the Dark)
Superdrag - Slow to Speak Slow to Anger (4 track demo) (unreleased)
Ricky Young - Acoustic Guitars (Learn to Steal)
Thad Cockrell - Pride (Won't Get Us Where We're Going) (To Be Loved)
Apollo Up! - Heartbreak of Victory (Walking Papers)
The Nobility - The Mezzanine (The Mezzanine)
Kindercastle - Violet (Kindercastle)
The Raconteurs - Old Enough (Bonnaroo Backstage 2008)
This Modern Station - Long Over Due (unreleased home demos)
Pico vs Island Trees - Love Again (Love Again)
And The Relatives - Cowboy Jazz (Below and Above)
Cheap Time - Glitter & Gold (Cheap Time)
Mean Tambourines - That's What She Said ( unreleased)
The Cable Company - Beached Whale (Syndication)
The Cancer Bullets - My Maxine (Jesus Says Relax)
Eureka Gold - Cannons of Dixie (unreleased)

..and since I neglected to post last week's playlist, here you go. Better late than never, right?

Apollo Up! - The Heartbreak of Victory (Walking Papers)
Hotpipes - Born in a Bomb (Future Bolt)
Cheap Time - Too Late (Cheap Time)
The Mattoid - Suicide (Glory Holy)
Roman Candle - You Don't Belong to This World (Wee Hours Review)
Kindercastle - Violet (Kindercastle)
Pico vs Island Trees - Malibu
The Clutters - Radio (Don't Believe A Word)
Meemaw - Original Sin (Glass Elevator)
Mother Father - The Youngest God (unreleased)
Shoot the Mountain - My Little Girl (Jigsaw Mountain)
Norhtridge Rangers - The Thing (Electric Shoes)
My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges (Evil Urges)
Eureka Gold - Cannons of Dixie (unreleased)
Gringo Star - Guevon (Absolutely)
Lehning Brothers - You Be The Pawn (Make Out With Violence)
The Glib - Mentor (Why Not Just Love Me Dr. Hoopty - demo)
Eureka Gold - Red Still (Eureka Gold)
Ocelots - Psychotic Mood Right Now (If Lightning Strikes Us Both)
D. Striker - Last Resort (I Can Handle It)
Cuttlefish - Sandusky (Marble)
Wes Sp8 - Please (Behind My Back)
Kink Ador - Little Sister (Get Lucky)
Ricky Young - Poor You (Learn to Steal)
Tristen - Heart and Hope to Die (Teardrops & Lollipops)
The Explorers Club - Forever (Freedom Wind)
Howlies - Poison Ivy (unreleased Lake Fever session)
13 Ghosts - Riverside (Lost and Found)
Pink Spiders - Sleeping on the Floor (Sweat it Out)
Tommy and the Whale - Brothers (Shot The Moon)
Orange in Circles - My Shaker Mover (unreleased)

Today's Radio Show

Hey gang. Go ahead and block off this afternoon from 1:00 - 3:00 for another installment of Indie Ghetto. We'll be welcoming Josiah Holland of The Lonely Hearts (that's him on the right up there) into the WRVU studios to chat about his band's forthcoming EP, Born in the Dark. They're celebrating its proper release this Saturday at 12th & Porter along with Red White Blue & Courtney Jaye.

Get your fix on the FM dial - 91 on the 1 - or online at wrvu.org. Feel free to hit us up with any requests of the local and regional nature: 615.421.7625 or 615.322.7625.

Moog Guitar: the next great thing?

The Moog guitar will be unveiled today, and we here at the indie ghetto want your opinions. Is this the next great instrument? Will this guitar revolutionize music like the moog synthesizer? Or is this just the next big hype machine from the music industry? Please comment below.

No Show Tomorrow

Please note that there will be no radio show this week. I currently find myself at a stock trading seminar in Houston, TX, where they dance just as good as they walk.

Tonight, Bitches!

Another Indie Ghetto 8 off 8th goes down tonight at Mercy Lounge. The jams shall be kicked out at 9:00...

Here's the batting order:
Chris Freeman & The Unicorn Horns
Kevin Ferriman
This Modern Station
The Nobility
Tristen
Nite Nite
Cuttlefish
The Glib

See y'all there.

Radio Show Playlist - 06.12.08

My thanks the guys from Parachute Musical for hanging out on Thursday afternoon. Go see them this Thursday at Mercy Lounge and pick up their debut LP, Everything is Working Out Fine in Some Town.

Also, a big thanks to Matt the Trainee for manning the bulk of the knobs and faders for the show. You get a C+, old boy.

Stream via Real Audio

Heypenny - Dooley (Use These Spoons)
De Novo Dahl - Wishful Thinking (Move Every Muscle, Make Every Sound)
Majestico - Good Machine (Boundary Conditions)
Wax Fang - World War II Part 2 (La La Land)
Parachute Musical - Back the Same (Everything is Working Out Fine in Some Town)
Roman Candle - You Don't Belong to this World (The Wee Hours Review)
Nite Nite - Amongst the Tenants (Nite Nite EP)
The Features - The Gates of Hell (Some Kind of Salvation)
Parachute Musical - Everything Is Working Out Fine in Some Town (EiWOFiST)
Parachute Musical - Dear Jacksonville (EiWOFiST)
Parachute Musical - One More Song (EiWOFiST)
Parachute Musical - Stranger Things (EiWOFiST)
De Novo Dahl - Mishka (De Novo Dahl EP)
Apollo Up! - Shut It Down, Turn It Off (Walking Papers)
Eureka Gold - Peter Oh (Eureka Gold)
Pico vs. Island Trees - Malibu
The Privates - Heart's Got a Hole (Barricades)
Ricky Young - Poor You (Learn to Steal)
Howlies - Poison Ivy (unreleased Lake Fever sessions)
Glossary - Nothing Can Hurt You Now (The Better Angels of Our Nature)
The Glib - Southern Sense of Urgency (Why Not Just Love Me Dr. Hoopty)
Chris Freeman & the Unicorn Horns- Don't Cry For Me, Hiroshima (The Robins Eat Like Me Now)
Tristen - Eager For Your Love (Teardrops & Lollipops)
Nite Nite - Hello, I'm Melancholic (Nite Nite EP)

Parachute Musical on Today's Indie Ghetto

Hey gang,
Be sure to tune into today's radio show. I'll be welcoming Josh & Tom from Parachute Musical into the Ghetto for some Q&A and all-around slumming on the stoop. We'll be previewing tracks from their forthcoming album, Everything is Working Out Fine in Some Town. We'll also be giving away free passes to their big album release show next Thursday, June 16th at Mercy Lounge with Heypenny & Modern Skirts.

So go on ahead and tune in, fools. Catch it this afternoon from 1:00 to 3:00 - 91 on the 1 in radioland or at wrvu.org in your cubicle at your crap day job.

-jbc

ps Here's an entertaining - if not slightly homoerotic - video via the Vimby website, courtesy of those major dudes at Tugboat Productions.

VIMBY - Parachute Musical

A Ghettofabulous 8 Off 8th

Hey folks. I'm hosting 8 Off 8th at Mercy Lounge this upcoming Monday, June 16th. It's gonna start at 9pm, so come out early.

Here's the batting order:
Chris Freeman & The Unicorn Horns
Kevin Ferriman
This Modern Station
The Nobility
Tristen
Nite Nite
Cuttlefish
The Glib

Tune into the radio show on Thursday afternoon from 1:00 - 3:00 as I'll be spinning cuts from all the featured artists. 91.1 on the FM dial or streaming in Real Audio at wrvu.org.

...and yes, that's yer boy on the flier. Let's just sat that puberty was very, very good to me.

Radio Show Playlist - 05.29.08

Here's the playlist for this past week's show... enjoy!

Stream via Real Audio

Eureka Gold - Just North (Eureka Gold)
Wax Fang - Oh, Recklessness (La La Land)
Tristen - Heart and Hope To Die (Teardrops & Lollipops)
Meemaw - Smoking In the Sun (Glass Elevator)
Nite Nite - Body of Water (Nite Nite EP)
Roman Candle - Something Left To Say (The Wee Hours Review)
We Were the States - Girl, You're Not a Thief (Believe the Thieves)
The Privates - On Your Mark (Barricades)
The Features - God Save Rock & Roll (unreleased)
The Eskimos - The Pills (Something Must Be Transmitted Somehow)
The Clutters - Rockaway (Don't Believe a Word)
The Explorer's Club - Forever (Freedom Wind)
Silver Jews - Party Barge (Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea)
Ricky Young - Suitcase Afternoon (Learn to Steal)
Coral Castles - Phatic, Static, Magic! (the Corpse and the Cake)
Ghostfinger - Let It Ride Real (unreleased)
Glossary - Chase Me Out Of the Dark (The Better Angels of our Nature)
Caitlin Rose - Gorilla Man (Dead Flowers EP)
The Glib - Southern Sense Of Urgency (Why Not Just Love Me Dr. Hoopty)
Tigers Con Queso - Better (Unleash the Fury)
Nite Nite - Hello, I'm Melancholic (Nite Nite EP)
Apollo Up! - The Heartbreak of Victory (Walking Papers EP)
The Dexateens - Naked Ground (Hardwire Healing)
Meemaw - Blue in the Blacklight (Glass Elevator)
The Features - All I Ask (Some Kind of Salvation)
Self - What A Fool Believes (Gizmodgery)
John Davis - Chant Down Babylon (Arigato!)
Pico vs. Island Trees - Love Again (Love Again single)
Stories That Live - Lucky at Cards (unreleased)
Umbrella Tree - Schizophrenia (The Church & The Hospital)
The Comfies - Medicine (Close To Me EP)
Eureka Gold - Belly Full of Wine (Eureka Gold)
Meemaw - Walk on Water (Glass Elevator)