Goodbye and thanks for listening

We want to thank everyone who listened to the show and followed our blog during the two years it aired. We had a great time hosting Alphabet Soup, even though we played a few horrible/ironic songs that we felt the need to poke fun at or justify.

We hope you enjoyed yourselves as much as we did.

KRUI 89.7FM is a great station, so be sure to keep listening. Who knows, you may hear the next Bob Boilen.

Party on,

Brittany Jade and Christopher

Gentlemen, N: Jamie Ness

Song: "4 Track Mind"

Jamie Ness:   MySpace

DJ Comments: Jamie Ness is a singer-songwriter out of Duluth, Minnesota. I only know him because he and my brother were friends several years ago. It's hard to find information on him, but it looks like he's playing in a band called Taconite.

I'm unsure of how you can get a hold of his work, but one of my favorite songs is about how he puked on his girlfriend. Good stuff.

Gentlemen, N: Nas

Song: "It Ain't Hard to Tell"
From the album Illmatic

Nas:   Web site

DJ comments: I might be the whitest guy who owns Illmatic. — cwc

Gentlemen, O: Otis Redding

Song: "Ole Man Trouble"
From the album Otis Blue

Otis Redding:   Web site   Wiki

DJ comments: Despite dying when he was only 26 years old, Otis Redding managed to make his way into the Rock Hall of Hame. We can all thank Little Richard for bringing Redding into the music world -- he was a direct influence who lived in the same town (Macon, Georgia). — BJ

Gentlemen, O: Conor Oberst

Song: "The Calendar Hung Itself..."
From the Bright Eyes album Fevers and Mirrors

Bright Eyes:   Web site

DJ comments: Conor at his most Robert Smith-ish. — cwc

Gentlemen, P: Joe Price

Song: "La Crosse Fever Blues"
From the album Designated Driver

Joe Price:   Web site   MySpace

DJ comments: Joe and Vicki Price currently live in Lansing, Iowa, about a 15 minute drive from the town where Chris and I were raised. They will play in Iowa City on June 13. — BJ

Gentlemen, P: Prince Rogers Nelson

Song: "Do It All Night"
From the album Dirty Mind

Prince:   Web site

DJ comments: I would prefer to listen to "Sister" off Dirty Mind, but it's hard to get those MF bombs on the radio at 3 p.m. — cwc

And if you know anything about Prince Rogers Nelson's relationship with YouTube, you'll understand why I'm not linking/embedding video here.

Gentlemen, Q: Finley Quaye

Song: "Sunday Shining"
From the album Maverick A Strike

Finley Quaye:   Web site   MySpace

DJ comments: Finley Quaye is a British Reggae artist. It seems he picked up a lot more notoriety in the UK than the US.

Though his music is fun, I chose it mainly because I needed a Q and Chris already chose Q-Tip. So there you have it... — BJ

Gentlemen, Q: Q-Tip

Song: "Wait Up"
From the album Amplified

Q-Tip:   Web site

DJ comments: Q-Tip gets much love from this show (and this DJ in particular) not because his moniker fills a tough letter on our playlist but because he's really good at what he does. (It also helps that I have a clean version of the Amplified album.) — cwc

Gentlemen, R: Josh Ritter

Song: "To The Dogs Or Whoever"
From the album The Historical Conquests Of Josh Ritter

Josh Ritter:   Web site   MySpace

DJ comments: This album is fantastic. — BJ

Gentlemen, R: Emitt Rhodes

Song: "Lullaby"
From the album The Royal Tenenbaums

Emitt Rhodes:   Web site

DJ comments: Unlike many artists used in Wes Anderson movies, Emitt Rhodes is not a member of the British Invasion; rather, he was born in Decatur! — cwc

Gentlemen, S: Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks

Song: "Gardenia"
From the album Real Emotional Trash

Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks:   Web site   MySpace

DJ comments: It seems half the boys I know have a man crush/hard on for Stephen Malkmus. It's an odd phenomenon to observe -- I feel many of my indie friends would prefer Stephen Malkmus to a nude Victoria's Secret model lying spread eagle in their bed. — BJ

Gentlemen, S: Stevie Wonder

Song: "Uptight (Everything's Alright)"

Stevie Wonder:   Web site   Wiki

DJ comments: In my eyes, Stevie Wonder is THE gentlemen. He sings beautiful songs about women, sings to children, plays multiple instruments, produces music and does a whole hell of a lot more. What a man, what a man. What a mighty good man. — BJ

Gentlemen, S: Kevin Shields

Song: "City Girl"
From the album Lost in Translation

Kevin Shields:   Wiki entry

DJ comments: I'm pretty sure that if I started a supergroup, Kevin would be my guitar player. — cwc

Gentlemen, T: Booker T. and the MG's

Song: "Green Onions"
From the album Green Onions

Booker T. & the MG's:   Web site   Wiki

DJ comments: This was a request from my dear friend Shani, who lives in New York. Shani, if you read this, I love and miss you. — BJ

There's some crazy dancin' going on in this video.

Gentlemen, T: Adrian Thaws (aka Tricky)

Songs: "Christiansands" and "Strugglin'"
From the albums Pre-Millennium Tension and Maxinquaye, respectively

Tricky:   Web site

DJ comments: Since his real name and his artist name both fall under the T category, I am going to play two of his songs, and say "fuck you" to the U slot today (and X, for that matter). — cwc

Click here to see the Christiansands video.

And below, you can hear "Strugglin'" while staring at an album cover:

Gentlemen, V: Chad VanGaalen

Song: "Bones of Man"
From the album Soft Airplanes

Chad VanGaalen:   Web site   MySpace

DJ comments: I haven't yet had the opportunity to listen to this entire album, so I can't provide much input on its worth. I can tell you the video posted below is sweet as hell, though. — BJ

Molten Light video:

Gentlemen, V: Eddie Vedder

Song: "Society"
From the album Into the Wild

Eddie Vedder:   Wiki entry

DJ comments: I guaran-fuckin-tee if I played Pearl Jam, I'd get some snide comment from the music gods around here, even if it was something off the more recent (read: less popular) albums. — cwc

Gentlemen, W: Tom Waits

Song: "Chocolate Jesus"
From the album Mule Variations

Tom Waits:   Web site   MySpace

DJ comments: I've heard he's big in Japan. — BJ

Gentlemen, W: Muddy Waters

Song: "Loving Man"
From the album Chess Blues Guitar

Muddy Waters:   Web site   Wiki

DJ comments: I need a loving man, but typically when I meet a Manish Boy, a term that describes the majority of males in Iowa City, I tend to feel how Muddy sings. — BJ

"Manish Boy" live:

Gentlemen, W: Rufus Wainwright

Song: "The Art Teacher"
From the album Want Two

Rufus Wainwright:   Web site

DJ comments: The piano isn't all that complicated, at least to my ear, but I always thought it was great. — cwc

Gentlemen, X: Xavier Rudd

Song: "Messages"
From the album Food in the Belly

Xavier Rudd:   Web site   MySpace

DJ comments: Much like Mr. Quaye, I needed an X...

Xavier Rudd is Australian. He plays lots of instruments... and he's hella sexy. That's right, I said "hella." — BJ

Gentlemen, Y: Young M.C. (Marvin Young)

Song: "Principal's Office"
From the album Stone Cold Rhymin'

Young M.C.:   Wiki

DJ comments: You probably know this man from his timeless classic, "Busta Move." Apparently this was his second biggest hit. Can't say I've ever heard it before, but I suppose I'm a bit out of the Nineties loop. Perhaps Chris can discuss the success of Young M.C. — BJ

Gentlemen, Y: Yusuf Islam

Song: "Heaven/Where True Love Goes"
From the album An Other Cup

Yusuf:   Web site

DJ comments: Cat Stevens in da house. — cwc

Gentlemen, Z: Frank Zappa and The Mothers Of Invention

Song: "What's The Ugliest Part Of Your Body?"
From the album We're Only In It For The Money

Frank Zappa & The Mothers Of Invention:   Web site   MySpace

Zappa on Crossfire:

Gentlemen, Z: Zach Condon

Song: "Postcards from Italy"
From the Beirut album Gulag Orkestar

Beirut:   Web site

DJ comments: My favorite song by Mr. Condon. — cwc

Gentlemen, A: Dan Auerbach

Song: "Whispered Words (Pretty Lies)"
From the album Keep It Hid

Dan Auerbach:   Web site   MySpace

DJ comments: The guitar-wielding Black Key put out his self-produced debut solo album in February. No surprise here -- it sounds just like the Black Keys.

Auerbach is currently on tour in Europe, but we lucky Midwesterners have the opportunity to see his solo show at Lollapalooza this August. — BJ

Gentlemen, A: Ryan Adams

Song: "Chin Up, Cheer Up"
From the album Demolition

Ryan Adams:   Web site

DJ comments: Mandy Moore (Mrs. Ryan Adams) recently said that Adams could always join her backup band if he needed work. Seeing as he's the same guy who takes those "Bryan Adams" jokes so well, I hope Mandy's OK after saying this. — cwc

Gentlemen, B: Devendra Banhart

Song: "Lover"
From the album Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon

Devendra Banhart:   Web site   MySpace

DJ comments: I've been a big fan of Devendra Banhart for a few years, but hadn't heard this song until recently watching Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. Needless to say, I scrambled for 2007's Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon. Thank you Michael Cera for opening my eyes to everything good in this world.

Anywho, Banhart formed a new band with Priestbird drummer Greg Rogove. The name, you ask? Megapuss. Yum.

According to his Myspace page, Devendra is finishing another solo album. Not sure when, but you can expect it soon. — BJ

Gentlemen, B: Syd Barrett

Song: "Octopus"
From the album The Madcap Laughs

Syd Barrett:   Web site

DJ comments: I think Syd and Pink Floyd both benefit from his early departure from the band. The Floyd evolved beyond Barrett's quirky psychedelia to make some of the greatest space rock ever, while Syd made some interesting music as a solo man and maintained his legend as a tragic genius. Tragic if you consider a hermit's life after an inordinate amount of LSD something tragic. — cwc

Gentlemen, C: Ray Charles

Song: "(Night Time Is) The Right Time"

Ray Charles:   Web site   Wiki

DJ comments: I just remembered that Ray Charles was the spokesman for Pepsi for a long stint during the Nineties. That's an easy one to remember, but there's another ad series that may not play in your head as easily -- check out video two. — BJ

Diet Pepsi Ad featuring Ray being a pimp:


An even cooler ad featuring Ray Charles: