Jun 2, 2014

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Track Listing – May 31

Had a great show this week! There is a serious explosion of good music happening right now.

If you want to read more about the poem I talked about, the essay I quoted can be found here. It’s a great read! Track list under the jump:

 

Barry Louis Polisar – All I Want is You (Juno OST)

P:ano – T. Hatch says “Round Ev’ry Corner” (Ghost Pirates Without Heads)

Matthew Barber – On the 505 (The Big Romance)

Lykke Li – Heart of Steel (I Never Learn)

Heard in the Mountains – Pool (Pool Party EP)

Mia Dyson – Want You There (Idyllwild)

Kishi Bashi – Philosophize in It! Chemicalize With It! (Lighght) *

Architecture in Helsinki – Dream a Little Crazy (Now + 4eva)

Damon Albarn – Mr. Tembo (Everyday Robots)

The Shins – Australia (Wincing the Night Away)

Current Swell – Ulysses (Ulysses)

Pixies – Indie Cindy (Indie Cindy)

Ages and Ages – Ante Up (Divisionary)

Kevin Drew – You Gotta Feel It (Darlings)

Reuben and the Dark – Marionette (Funeral Sky)

Tanya Togaq – Caribou (Animism)

Catl. – Gateway Blues (This Shakin’ House)

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Apr 21, 2014

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Track Listing – April 19th

Not much to say this week. It was a rough one, emotionally, but I liked the music a lot!

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Apr 11, 2014

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3 Songs: “The Zolas Are Unreasonably Good at Their Jobs, Part 2” edition

I talked about why I love this Vancouver duo in Part 1, so there’s not much more to say in terms of an introduction. I did review The Zolas’ second album, Ancient Mars, way back last year; I wrote at length about “Cold Moon” and “Cultured Man”, two of my favourite songs from it, so I don’t really want to repeat myself too much. So here’s my thoughts on three other outstanding Zolas songs.

Ancient Mars

The title song of The Zolas’ sophomore album touches on three of my favourite topics: time travel, dead worlds, and campus libraries. It may sound crass that The Zolas are using an ancient planet as a metaphor for lost love, but it works far better than logic would dictate. “Several billion golden years ago / I lost a planet that I loved to the cold; / Civilization blooms and then it erodes / and I’d say oh, my Ancient Mars,” Gray mourns, and nerdy music fans everywhere melt just a little bit.

Invisible

When they dropped the relatively demure Ancient Mars, The Zolas promised they’d release an electronic track within twelve months. On Ancient Mars‘ anniversary in October 2013 they stayed true to their word and put out the digital track “Invisible”, a danceable rock tune that combines the energetic pacing of Tic Toc Tic with the distanced vocal style that dominated Ancient Mars. I wouldn’t necessarily call “Invisible” an electronic song—there are no synthesizers to be found—but it’s the type of tune that is easily remixed and wouldn’t be too out of place at one of the more pretentious dance clubs. If the chorus doesn’t get your foot tapping just a little, you should check your pulse because you may be dead.

Cadaverous Night

I feel like I’m betraying some kind of secret with this entry, but GOD I can’t help it. I hope the Zolas aren’t ashamed of this song (though I don’t know why they would be, because it’s amazing), but I’m baffled as to why I’ve never seen them play it or had any inkling that it existed until a few weeks ago. I found it buried in the CFUV music library; it’s the bonus track on the You’re Too Cool EP, dating back to before Tic Toc Tic. It’s so secret, in fact, that I can’t actually find a link to it online.

Huh.

Well anyway, you’ll have to listen to my radio show to hear it, because you can damn well bet that “Cadaverous Night” will be part of my regular rotation now. It’s got the whirling carnivalesque lyrics, the unexpected musical transitions, and the frenetic sense of urgency that embody the best Zolas songs. “You can’t buy love,” Zachary Gray intensely growls towards the end of the song, as the piano builds into a percussive cabaret-style climax, followed just as suddenly by a sharp cutoff. I don’t know why they’ve forgotten about this song; it’s at least as good as “Marionettes” and “You Better Watch Out”. For now, it remains a gleeful discovery.

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Mar 17, 2014

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Track List – March 15th

First of all, THANK YOU. Thank you to each and every person who donated and showed their support this week!! Fundrive is well underway and I’m thrilled that you guys pitched in as much as you did. Next week we’re back to our regularly scheduled eccentricities.

Track list for Saturday’s show after the jump!

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Feb 19, 2014

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Track List – February 15

This is one of the best shows I think I’ve ever done. I loved the song selection, and discovered some absolutely gorgeous artists like Ash & Bloom the The Pygmies. I loved every single song I played today!

Jets Overhead – Sun Sun Sun (Jets Overhead EP)

Frightened Rabbit – Swim Until You Can’t See Land (Winter of Mixed Drinks)

Ash & Bloom – Let the Storm Come (Ash & Bloom)

Coeur de Pirate – Slow Show (Trauma)

The Royal Oui – Don’t You Think That I (The Royal Oui)

The Pygmies – Inside Your Mind (Inside Your Mind)

Bear McCreary – All Along the Watchtower (Battlestar Galactica OST)

Florence + The Machine – Landscape (Ceremonials)

Dawn & Marra – Wicked Little Girl (Teaspoons and Tablespoons)

For Esme – Alice (For Esme)

Hannah Georgas – Enemies (iTunes Session)

Broken Bells – Medicine (After the Disco)

Sam Cooke – Everybody Loves to Cha-Cha-Cha (Portrait of a Legend)

Caravan Palace – Suzy (Caravan Palace)
Against Me! – Transgender Dysphoria Blues (Transgender Dysphoria Blues)

Devil Makes Three – Mr. Midnight (I’m a Stranger Here)

M83 – Midnight City (Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming)

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