Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Band Members, A: Damon Albarn of Blur

Song: "Bank Holiday"
From the album Parklife

Blur:   Web site   MySpace

DJ comments: Albarn is probably much better known to you crazy kids as the guy behind Gorillaz and perhaps The Good, the Bad, and the Queen. Blur was great. They will play Glastonbury this year, first show in 11 years. — cwc

Band Members, B: Bjork of the Sugarcubes

Song: "Deus" (remix)
From the album Life's Too Good

Sugarcubes:   MySpace

DJ comments: I sometimes wonder how Bjork will be remembered, and if her stint with the Sugarcubes will factor at all. It most definitely should. — cwc

Band Members, C: Chi Cheng of Deftones

Song: "Please Please Please (Let Me Get What I Want)"
From the album B-Sides & Rarities

Deftones:   Web site   MySpace

DJ comments: Nobody does covers like Deftones. Not even Cat Power. — cwc

Band Members, D: Kim Deal of Pixies

Song: "Bone Machine"
From the album Surfer Rosa

Pixies:   Web site   MySpace

DJ comments: Surfer Rosa came out around the same time as Jane's Addiction's Nothing's Shocking. Lot of boobies on album covers back then. — cwc

Band members, E: David Enos of Papercuts

Song: "Dear Employee"
From the album Can't Go Back

Papercuts:   MySpace   Pitchfork Album Review (8.3)

David Enos:   MySpace

DJ comments: Though Jason Quever is the band's main man, David Enos is noted as a "helper." It looks like Enos is also musically involved with a woman named Joanna, whom he met at a karaoke bar on Valentine's Day. (how sweet.)

Anywho, the Papercuts are releasing a new album later this month. I think most listeners will enjoy the first track, "Future Primitive," which is posted on the band's Myspace page. It seems like a great song for a film -- perhaps a slowed-down driving sequence in a coming-of-age story. — BJ

Band Members, F: Chris Frantz of The Talking Heads

Song: Burning Down The House
From the album Stop Making Sense (1984 Film)

Talking Heads:   Web site   Wiki

Chris Frantz:    Web site bio   Wiki

DJ comments: Chris Frantz started his professional music career after befriending Rhode Island School of Design classmate, David Byrne. They originally named their band The Artistics. He later convinced his girlfriend, Tina Weymouth, to play bass for the band, which they renamed The Talking Heads. The couple married in 1977 and created the band Tom Tom Club as a side project in 1980.

I read that Byrne, Enos and Weymouth lived together when they first moved to New York City. I can only begin to imagine the nights had in that apartment. [Insert suggestive antique car horn sound.] — BJ

Since I didn't play "Heaven," I figured I'd post the video. I. love. this. song.

Band Members, G: Laura Gibson

Song: "Spirited"
From the album Beasts of Seasons

Laura Gibson:   Web site   MySpace

DJ comments: Miss Gibson's most recent album, Beasts of Seasons, was released a few weeks ago -- Tuesday, February 24, to name dates. Let me be among many to say that this album is fantastic. As an example, Aquarium Drunkard had major praise for the album.

This album almost has too many collaborations to wrap your head around: Rachel Blumberg (M. Ward, Bright Eyes), Nate Query (The Decemberists), Adam Selzer (Norfolk and Western, M. Ward), avant-garde violist and composer Eyvind Kang, solo artists Laura Veirs and Shelly Short, Danny Seim (Menomena), and many of the people who have formed Gibson's touring band over the past two years (Cory Gray, Sean Ogilvie, Dave Depper, Jason Leonard, and Micah Rabwin). That list was generated by Amazon.com.

For the fans: Gibson will be opening for Damien Jurado at The Picador on April 8. — BJ

Band Members, H: Peter Hughes of The Mountain Goats

Song: "Color In Your Cheeks"
From the album All Hail West Texas

The Mountain Goats:   Web site   MySpace

DJ comments: Peter Hughes is best-known as the bass player for the Mountain Goats, but has also worked with Diskothi Q and Nothing Painted Blue.

On Friday, April 3, Peter Hughes, John Darnielle and Jon Wurster will join together at the Mill to form The Mountain Goats. Joining them on the Gone Primitive tour is solo artist and Mountain Goats contributor John Vanderslice. — BJ

Band Members, I: Ice Cube of N.W.A.

Song: "Express Yourself"
From the album Straight Outta Compton

N.W.A.:   Web site

DJ comments: Not my favorite N.W.A. song by any means (that's either "Gangsta Gangsta" or "I Ain't Tha 1"), but now I can say I played a track off Straight Outta Compton on the radio in the middle of the day. — cwc

Band Members, J: Michael James of Explosions in the Sky

Song: "A Song for Our Fathers"
From the album How Strange, Innocence

Explosions in the Sky:   Web site   MySpace

DJ comments: I'd go to a festival that featured these guys, Mogwai, Sigur Ros, and a reformed Godspeed You! Black Emperor. That would be quite the crescendo show. — cwc

Band Members, K: Tim Kasher of Cursive

Song: "A Gentleman Caller"
From the album The Ugly Organ

Cursive:   Web site   MySpace

DJ comments: Kasher is like the best bad singer in the business. — cwc

Band Members, L: Sean Lennon of Cibo Matto

Song: "Sugar Water"
From the album Viva! La Woman

Cibo Matto:   Web site   MySpace

DJ comments: I was talking about how I like Sean Lennon and Brittany kinda laughed. She had Sean confused with Julian, who made some awful videos during the '80s. — cwc

Band Members, M: Johnny Marr of The Smiths

Song: "This Charming Man"
From the album The Smiths

The Smiths:   The Smiths Wiki   Johnny Marr Wiki   Johnny Marr Web site

DJ comments: Morrissey seemed like the obvious choice with the Smiths, but Johnny Marr should get equal credit for this song. In 1983, the boys wrote this charming tune as the band's second single. Marr was only 20.

Marr contributed to The Smiths as a guitarist, keyboardist, harmonica player and singer. Since the end of The Smiths, Marr has contributed to Modest Mouse and The Cribs. — BJ

Band Members, N: Nikolai Fraiture of The Strokes

Song: "Reptilia"
From the album Room on Fire

The Strokes:   Web site   MySpace

Nickel Eye:   MySpace

DJ comments: The Strokes have so many side projects currently underway, I suppose because they've been on a "hiatus" for years... One of the side projects is Nikolai Fraiture's band Nickel Eye (get it?). The bass player released Brandy Of The Damned in January. Among others, the album features Regina Spektor on the piano and Nick Zinner (Yeah Yeah Yeahs) on guitar. — BJ

Band Members, O: John Orth of Ugly Casanova

Song: "Hotcha Girls"
From the album Sharpen Your Teeth

Ugly Casanova:   Web site   MySpace

DJ comments: John Orth played with Ugly Casanova on their only album, Sharpen Your Teeth. Up until now, the only songs I've heard from the band were those released on this 2004 masterpiece (yes, I'll back up that statement). If you go to the band's Myspace page, you'll find several songs not featured on Sharpen. Needless to say, I immediately send several text messages to avid Ugly Casanova fans awaiting more material from the super group.

Orth is currently providing vocals to the indie/folk band Holopaw. — BJ

Band Members, P: Mark Paulson of Bowerbirds

Song: "In Our Talons"
From the album Hymns For A Dark Horse

Bowerbirds:   Web site   MySpace

DJ comments: Mark Paulson provides violin, foot synth, percussion and vocals for the Bowerbirds of North Carolina.

Bowerbirds is yet another fantastic band to be featured at this year's Mission Creek Festival in Iowa City. Considering that Pieta Brown is opening, you can plan on an acoustic explosion at the Mill on April 1.

If you are unfamiliar with Bowerbirds, consider that their album Hymns For A Dark Horse ranked #4 on Daytrotter's Best 15 Albums of 2007. — BJ


Band Members, Q: Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest

Song: "Can I Kick It?"
From the album People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm

A Tribe Called Quest:   Web site   MySpace

DJ comments: Not sure if Public Enemy or Tribe is the best rap group ever. Or maybe De La Soul. You guys missed some sweet stuff from back in the day... — cwc

Band Members, R: Joey Ramone of the Ramones

Song: "Teenage Lobotomy"
From the album Rocket to Russia

Ramones:   Web site

DJ comments: This has long been my favorite Ramones song. How can you not love a song that includes the lyric "Now I guess I'll have to tell 'em/That I've got no cerebellum"? — cwc

Band Members, S: Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine

Song: "Lose My Breath"
From the album Isn't Anything

My Bloody Valentine:   Web site   MySpace

DJ comments: Sexy. I so wish I was going to Coachella in a few weeks to catch these guys and the Cure close down the fest. — cwc

Band Members, T: 3-D of Massive Attack

Song: "Risingson"
From the album Mezzanine

Massive Attack:   Web site

DJ comments: This album was probably the peak for Massive Attack. Of course, they are now forever enshrined in people's minds as the guys who did the theme song for House. — cwc

Band Members, U: Ulf Ekberg (Buddha) of Ace of Base

Song: "The Sign"
From the album Greatest Hits

Ace of Base:   Web site   MySpace

DJ comments: Chris wanted me to play a song by the Wu-Tang Clan (U-God being the band member), but I had to go with a request from my friend Matthew. I mean, Ace of Base screams KRUI gold. — BJ

Band Members, V: Victoria Legrand of Beach House

Song: "Gila"
From the album Devotion

Beach House:   Web site   MySpace

DJ comments: Victoria Legrand, Beach House's leading lady, graduated from Vassar, has a cat named Wolfie, is "addicted" to touring and calls herself a "control freak."

Beach House is headlining a great Thursday evening at The Picador during Mission Creek. For only $10, you can see Beach House, Fruit Bats and Headlights. — BJ

"Master of None" video:

Band Members, W: Matt Ward

Song: "For Beginners"
From the album Hold Time

M. Ward:   Web site   MySpace

DJ comments: If you haven't heard M. Ward on his own, I'm sure you've heard She & Him -- Ward's collaborative effort with Zooey Deschanel. Deschanel is featured in two songs off M. Ward's Hold Time, which was released February 17.

Want to see M. Ward on his Hold Time tour? Plan on driving a few hours to Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Chicago or Omaha in late April. — BJ

Band Members, X: Xander McMahon of Ambulance LTD

Song: "Ophelia"
From the LP Ambulance LTD

Ambulance LTD:   Wiki   MySpace

DJ comments: Xander McMahon replaced Andrew Haskell as the keyboardist for Ambulance LTD. With that, no original members remain. Does a band really carry on under the same name when everyone in the band is a replacement? — BJ

Band Members, Y: Thom Yorke of Radiohead

Song: "Knives Out"
From the album Amnesiac

Radiohead:   Web site   MySpace

DJ comments: I never think to listen to Amnesiac, which means I don't hear this song very often. It's nice to revisit gems every so often. — cwc

Band Members, Z: Zach Condon of Beirut

Song: "Nantes"
From the album The Flying Club Cup

Beirut:   Web site   MySpace

DJ comments: Zach Condon started Beirut as a solo project... and he's younger than I (he was born in 1986). Talk about a sexy man boy.

According to the oh-so-reliable Wikipedia, Condon recorded his first album at 15. Good luck finding a copy of The Joys of Losing Weight.

If you haven't heard it already, Beirut just released a double EP entitled March of the Zapotec. The album was recorded in Mexico with the help of the The Jimenez Band. Now you too can see how Eastern and Southern sounds mix. — BJ