NO!: WHITE RABBITS (#496, JUN 30 2009). play >
NO!: WHITE RABBITS (#496, JUN 30 2009).
7/16/2009 | Download File (24.24 MB) - right click to download
White Rabbits "They Were Wrong/We Were Wrong" (24.2 MB) from It's Frightening High Noon Saloon Madison, WI June 30, 2009 After seeing Spoon and coming away with a greater appreciation for their later material, I wondered if a live White Rabbits show could get me to like their somewhat-disappointing new album a bit more. It's a weird record, in that it sounds so much more stripped-down than their debut; it doesn't sound like an album made by a band with six members. And, well, it didn't -- it still sounds pretty much the same on record. But, the performance on stage was really great. Check out Stephen Patterson's face -- this isn't even that intense a song! The mark of a great live band is one that makes a great show out of lesser material, and these guys sure are great live.
NO!: CANASTA (#495, JUN 30 2009). play >
NO!: CANASTA (#495, JUN 30 2009).
7/15/2009 | Download File (23.80 MB) - right click to download
Canasta "Tony's Song" (23.8 MB) High Noon Saloon Madison, WI June 30, 2009 Another solid new one from a too-short set -- sadly, I missed recording any of the trombone numbers. This is one of the Chicago bands that I could imagine making a stop in Carbondale at some point, and I hope they do. They seemed to impress the crowd at this show and I think they may be on the verge of big success with their new album.
NO!: CANASTA (#494, JUN 30 2009). play >
NO!: CANASTA (#494, JUN 30 2009).
7/13/2009 | Download File (25.98 MB) - right click to download
Canasta new song (26.0 MB) High Noon Saloon Madison, WI June 30, 2009 Way back around the time I started doing this podcast, I went to see Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. At the time, I only had a little over six minutes of recording time available with my 128MB memory stick, which meant I could only recording opening bands if I was there specifically to see them. That was a bad show for such a limitation, since I liked both openers -- Madison's the Super Eights and Chicago's Canasta -- much better than the headliners. I didn't get to see the Super Eights again until their farewell show about a year later, and I didn't get to see Canasta again until a couple weeks ago, nearly four years later. They were worth the wait, to be sure. We got to the show a little late but walked in just as they were starting into "Slow Down Chicago," one of the best tunes of the past five years and the best Chicago-related song of 2005 (take that, Sufjan Stevens and the Hold Steady). Most of the rest of the set was comprised of material from their in-progress new album, which hopefully will be out later this year.
NO!: SPOON (#493, JUN 29 2009). play >
NO!: SPOON (#493, JUN 29 2009).
7/10/2009 | Download File (18.25 MB) - right click to download
Spoon "The Underdog" (18.2 MB) from Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga Summerfest Milwaukee, WI June 29, 2009 When a recent hit single is missing from the set, you can generally bet it's in the encore. And there it was! Closing out probably our last Summerfest for at least a while, this show was a terrific way to leave things. We nearly got stampeded trying to make our way through the Lupe Fiasco crowd to the exit, but that's the way of the 'Fest.
NO!: SPOON (#492, JUN 29 2009). play >
NO!: SPOON (#492, JUN 29 2009).
7/10/2009 | Download File (24.61 MB) - right click to download
Spoon "Writing to You in Reverse" (24.6 MB) Summerfest Milwaukee, WI June 29, 2009 We got a treat in this set with this new song, and I'm glad I searched for it online before listening through the Spoon back catalog trying to find it. They also played their newly released single, "Got Nuffin," which has a couple of new b-sides. Hopefully, now that I'm back on the Spoon bandwagon, this means they've got a new album coming together soon.
NO!: SPOON (#491, JUN 29 2009). play >
NO!: SPOON (#491, JUN 29 2009).
7/9/2009 | Download File (19.24 MB) - right click to download
Spoon "Don't You Evah" (19.2 MB) from Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga Summerfest Milwaukee, WI June 29, 2009 This is one of those new songs I've come around on. After the show I found myself thinking I hadn't really changed my mind about the last two Spoon records -- the stuff I liked I liked maybe a little more, but the stuff I didn't like I still didn't like. But I didn't realize that this was one of the ones I thought I didn't like! When I pulled it up on my iPod later in the week I saw that I had it at two stars, which made me generally re-evaluate how I feel about late-model Spoon.
NO!: PALE YOUNG GENTLEMEN (#485, JUN 14 2009). play >
NO!: PALE YOUNG GENTLEMEN (#485, JUN 14 2009).
7/8/2009 | Download File (19.16 MB) - right click to download
Pale Young Gentlemen "Coal/Ivory" (19.2 MB) from Black Forest (Tra La La) Marquette Waterfront Festival Madison, WI June 14, 2009 This one provides a nice opening to the PYGs most recent album, and apparently it's also great to dance and spin around to. A section of newer stuff came up in the set starting with this song, but overall the set seemed to be mostly first-album stuff that maybe works a little better live.
NO!: PALE YOUNG GENTLEMEN (#486, JUN 14 2009). play >
NO!: PALE YOUNG GENTLEMEN (#486, JUN 14 2009).
7/8/2009 | Download File (19.18 MB) - right click to download
Pale Young Gentlemen "Our History" (19.2 MB) from Black Forest (Tra La La) Marquette Waterfront Festival Madison, WI June 14, 2009 Even though, to be frank, we never went to a lot of Madison's many summer festivals, I was always really glad that they were there and will miss them when we move. They're great outlets for local music and give bands a chance to get in front of different audiences than they see in clubs. If anything I think this one might be growing -- it's the first time I've seen such a big-time stage setup for the Marquette Waterfront Festival.
NO!: ARCHIE POWELL & THE EXPORTS (#487, JUN 24 2009). play >
NO!: ARCHIE POWELL & THE EXPORTS (#487, JUN 24 2009).
7/8/2009 | Download File (12.63 MB) - right click to download
Archie Powell & the Exports "All Tuckered Out" (12.6 MB) High Noon Saloon Madison, WI June 24, 2009 I believe this is the first instance of someone's new band being in the podcast, when that someone's previous band had also been featured. Indeed, I even recorded this song as performed by the Box Social (well, two of the Box Social in an acoustic set) last fall. So hey, milestone! This is actually a pretty old Box Social song -- it was originally on their 2004 EP, then they started revamping it as they prepped new material last year. Much of that new stuff has transitioned into the Exports' set, in slightly modified form as keyboards have replaced the second guitar in the previous arrangements.
NO!: ARCHIE POWELL & THE EXPORTS (#488, JUN 24 2009). play >
NO!: ARCHIE POWELL & THE EXPORTS (#488, JUN 24 2009).
7/8/2009 | Download File (13.25 MB) - right click to download
Archie Powell & the Exports "Enough About Me" (13.3 MB) High Noon Saloon Madison, WI June 24, 2009 This is another late-model Box Social holdover, and it's one where you can really hear the difference between the two bands. Last time I heard this song it was a lot more raucous and careening (also it was in Madison's loudest venue), now it's got a distinct, new tone. In fact, if you take this band and the other post-Box Social band (the Nick Woods-fronted Direct Hit!) and combine them, you'll get something that sounds a lot like the Box Social. Which sort of seems obvious, but trying combining Angels and Airwaves with (+44) and see if you get Blink-182.
