You see Matt Sugg’s mouth? It’s freakin’ huge in this picture and if you don’t try to win these tickets to see his new band White Whale, who are playing at the Khyber on 11/5, he’s gonna eat ya.

So yeah, White Whale came out with this new record on Merge during the summer and it’s really good. But of course what can you expect from a guy whose track record is stone cold solid? From Butterglory on (I still contend that their _Rat-A-Tat-Tat_ is the best Feelies aping ever, a solid 3-4 years ahead of the revival curve), he’s won me over with his pop genius. Needless to say, he’s the highlight on this lazy Sunday show (unless you are an ex-hardcore cornball that still likes Hot Water Music).

So get your trusty dialing finger ready for Wednesday, 10AM - Noon and tune to WQHS!

Sunday 11/5
At the Khyber (56 S. 2nd Street)
8PM, 8$, 21+

White Whale, “The Admiral”

CHRIST CUT ME SOME FUCKING SLACK. Somehow I magically wound up at the station with only 20 minutes to pull for my show (was the line at WaWa _that_ long???) and and and the nice folks from Prometheus were making our board fly right and and and there was a bunch of computer issues. When you’ve got two bodies besides your own hovering around the board, it makes for a little trouble cueing up things. You’ll probably hear some glitches here and there in that regard. Sigh.

the dears - ticket to immortality - gang of losers - N

nikki sudden - black tar - the truth doesnt matter - N
pavement - when robyn turns 26 - at home with the groovebox
jett rink - in pursuit of the modern - compulation
sparks - academy award performance - #1 in heaven
galactic - something’s wrong with this picture - ain’t no funk like N.O. funk
rhys chatham - drastic classicism - a rhys chatham sampler

black keys - goodbye babylon - magic potion - N
the phipps family - red jacket mine explosion - classic mountain songs
the long blondes - heaven help the new girl - someone to drive you home
moe tucker - hey mersh! - life in exile after abdication
cordalene - would it have killed you (to kiss me just once?) - blue EP
annuals - bleary eyed - be he me - N

versus - dumb fun - two cents plus tax
creeper lagoon - wonderful love - i become small and go
the cardigans - godspell - super extra gravity - N
hymn to the snake goddess - women’s songs from india
orange peel - faces that i used to know - s/t
os brazoes - volkswagen blue - s/t
alan licht - tone poem for nikki sixx million - calvin johnson has ruined rock for an entire generation 7″
neu! - fur immer - neu! 2

finn’s motel - concord village optimist club - escape velocity - N
the notwist - chemicals - shrink
silkworm - in the bleak midwinter - split 7″ w/ engine kid
the go betweens - poison the walls - bright yellow bright orange

lily allen - everything’s just wonderful - alright still

Listen to this week’s show »

Thanks to my pals at BadmintonStamps, I’ll be giving away a pair of tickets tomorrow to see Tokyo Police Club, The Harlem Shakes and Brown Recluse Sings at the Khyber on 11/4.

This is what I know: Tokyo Police Club are kind of a big deal, what with signing to Memphis Industries (home to the Go! Team and Pipettes). Or if they’re not a big deal, they’re certainly on right path. And what a better route to stardom than hitting the road with Art Brut for the fall? Granted, when AB played Philly last weekend, they weren’t on the bill (Oh the mysteries of booking!), but thats alright — this gig at the Khyber gives you some extra-special private time with the band. Anyway, if the music thing doesn’t work out for these dudes, I think a couple of them may have a future in another industry…

This is what I don’t know: a damn thing about the Harlem Shakes. Their mp3’s are chock-full of that angular guitar rock kids today love, and they recorded with “the same braintrust that brought us all Les Savy Fav.” (Nick Vernhes? Phil Ek? Who? I am dying to know.) Googling them only turns up fragments of info sandwiched between goofiness and snark, which just intrigues me more.

Also on the bill are locals, Brown Recluse Sings, a pop combo that you need to start listening to right now before they become superstars. So fresh! So new! They’re the kind of band that makes me want to keep Plain Parade alive.

Anyway, log on to WQHS from 10AM – 12PM tomorrow — who knows, it might be your lucky day!

Saturday 11/4
At the Khyber (56 S. Second Street)
10PM, 10$, 21+

Tokyo Police Club, “Nature of the Experiment”
Harlem Shakes, “A Night”
Brown Recluse Sings, “Lazy Bones”

I felt eight million times better this afternoon than I have all week, so I covered a shift at the station, it being Fall Break and all…

I’ve been at WQHS for a month now and I have to say, I am definitely missing the some of the structure of WPRB. I miss the logs, I miss the playlist requirements, most of all, I miss having station IDs. Trick of the trade: the short bursts of information that station IDs provide are like a quick erase button on a listener’s memory. They certainly helped when my selection method (which is random not random) threw me some loops. I mean, how do you go from fluffy indie pop to crazy Japanese noise in one move? Station ID in between. So now that I don’t have ‘em, its a little harder — I wind up making more obvious transitions. In some ways, that’s fun but also kind of limiting.

Another thing I miss about WPRB: record reviews and track ratings. WQHS reviews records, but its really different. I’ve been revewing stuff for WQHS and right now I feel like the wordiest motherfucker there — most of the reviews (if any) are a sentence or two. Plus, without track ratings, I don’t know what’s what. Is it a slow song? Instrumental? I have to feel around the record, which is tough to do in a very short amount of time. Also: no FCC markings. I feel really weird about playing stuff with swears. I could get away with playing one of those fabled “DNP” shows WPRB DJ’s would talk about if the transmitter went down and no one would care. Freeing, yes, but not without a smidge broadcaster’s guilt.

Now that I’ve done my unintentional side-by-side comparison of the stations (sorry, but I really _do_ like WQHS!), I should note that this is the first show I’ve done at WQHS where I haven’t relied on my personal collection (I only brought in my ipod tonight, but I always carry it). I feel good about this and the set:

dragon city - i saw the light - songs from the sixth borough
the shins - sleeping lessons - wincing the night away
finn’s motel - eero saarinen - escape velocity - N
comets on fire - the swallowed fire - avatar - N
oneida - spirits - the wedding
the dans - do you- the mad scene
picastro - sharks - metal cares
the hard tomorrows - glossy eyed sweetheart - lights out

heartworms - there you go - during
american analog set - cool kids keep - set free
los abandoned - nada mio es fake - mixtape - N
the capitol years - mirage people - dance away the terror - N
north of america - central port of equal times - these songs are cursed
magazine - philadelphia - the correct use of soap

the trolleyvox - i know that youre high - …presents the karaoke meltdowns - N
robert pollard - people are leaving - waved out
micose & the mau maus - #z - zum audio vol 3 - N
blondie - dreaming - eat to the beat
the jazz butcher - next move sideways - fischotheque
the dB’s - dynamite - stands for decibels
the delgados - mr blue sky - the complete BBC sessions
dolly mixture- how come you’re such a hit with the boys, jane? - demonstration tapes

outkast - peaches - idlewild
mylo - destroy rock & roll - destroy rock & roll
pete shelley - many a time - telephone operator 12″
annie - my heartbeat - anniemal
can - i want more - flow motion

the shins - a comet appears - wincing the night away

I like to think I’m at my sharpest in the mornings, but that’s no rationalization for my “It’s A Shame / It’s A Shame (My Sister) / Sister” block. Despite running on title associations, it worked well. The board is still wonky at the station (thankfully no audible hum coming out of one channel anymore! thanks prometheus!) so unfortunately there’s a lot of clipping on the archive. Trying to see what I can do to clean it up, but I think I’m out of luck.

that boyskout record sounds good — must give it a few more spins!

this show is also notable because i finally have real, live dj’s following my show, which hasn’t been the case since the start of the semester.

the evens - you fell down - get evens

the constantines - don’t be denied - split 12″ w/ the unintended
the fruit bats - magic hour - mouthfuls
guther - many frames per moment - sundet - N
swirlies - house of pancake - brokedick car ep
lady sovereign - love me or hate me - love me or hate me - N
so many dynamos - progress - flashlights - N

garage a trois - merpati - outre mer - N
klazz brothers & cuba percussion - cuban dance - classic meets suba
matmos - tract for valerie solanas - the rose has teeth in the mouth of a beast
chin up chin up - collide the tide - s/t
freakwater - great titantic - s/t
bettie serveert - hell = other people (alt. version) - bare stripped naked

boyskout - apt 2A - another life - N
the housemartins - can’t put my finger on it - the people who grinned themselves to death
air - honey cow - all along air - not to be confused with the french group AIR.
robyn hitchock & the venus 3 - belltown ramble - ole! tarantula
san francisco seals - back again - 7″
giant sand - astonished (in memphis) - chore of enchantment

white mice - it’s a shame - 7″
monie love - its a shame (my sister) - down to earth
jennifer o’connor - sister - over the mountain, across the valley and back to the seas
john fruiscante - omission - shadows collide with people
jennifer gentle - i do dream you - valende
associates - party fears two - sulk

the evens - no money - get evens

Now that the 00’s have made it safe to get down with your pop self, don’t be ashamed to hide your indie past. Bettie Serveert made three blissful guitarpop records for Matador (plus one amazing Velvet Underground covers album) before disbanding/disappearing/whatever. And then, like a ray ray ray of light [heh], they reappeared with _Private Suit_ and have been at it ever since.

Anyway, courtesy of Minty Fresh Records (they know a thing or two about good pop) I’ll be giving away tickets to see Bettie Serveert at The Fire on 10/24 during my radio show tomorrow. They’re touring in support of their new record _Bare Stripped Naked_ (Minty Fresh), a solid record whose title unfortunately brings to mind an unholy combination of Jennifer Love Hewitt and Xtina.

OK, so tune to WQHS from 10AM - 12PM and win these suckas. Make me feel like someone is listening to my radio show.

Tuesday, October 24
At the Fire (412 Girard Ave)
9PM, 12$, 21+
Bettie Serveert with Rarebirds & Allison Polans

“Tom Boy” (Video)
“Hell = Other People” (From _Bare Stripped Naked_)

Fucking motherfuckers — what a crap show. I should have known something was amiss when I didn’t hear the broadcast coming out of the office computer but I thought, “Well, looks like the speakers are unplugged.” Halfway through my first set I realized there was no stream at all. And then as I’m entering a song into the playlist software, the damn server crashes. One word to describe this: fan-fucking-tastic.

Luckily all the problems were resolved by the time the first side of _Muswell Hillbillies_ finished up. I managed squeeze in a few songs before leaving.

Oh yeah, note to all DJ’s out there: fucking clean up the studio when you leave, especially if you’re the last person of the night.

out hud - its for you - 12″

chavez - unreal is here - better days will haunt you - N
the breeders - wicked little town - wig in a box
laika - good looking blues - good looking blues
israel lopez - pueblo nuevo - echu mingua - N
boy ge mendes - nha tchon - lagoa
the blow - what tom said about girls - the concussive caress
otis redding - satisfaction - history of otis redding
bongwater - just may be the one - double bummer

the kinks - Side A - muswell hillbillies
larry & the lefthanded - disturbing you
black taj - woke up tired - s/t

lush - breeze - gala
family fodder - film music - savoir faire
the capes - first base - hello
sequence - funk you up - hip hop essentials volume 8

ghost to falco - the end - zum audio volume 3 - N
kinski - hot stenographer - alpine static
the original sins - nowhere to go (from here but down) - 7″
richard buckner - believer - since

the bongos - numbers with wings - 12″

Yes yes, more music & fun from me today, if you’re up early enough to catch it. Not one of those morning people? No worries, there’s an archive (podcast stylee) for you.

Log onto WQHS 10AM - 12PM and get your morning on »

I had a good time, did you? I actually played the Fall. What next, pigs flying, blue moons and people listening to my show?

What is up with that audible hum? Oh, technology.

henri faberge & the adorables - favorite kisses - henri faberge & the adorables

the black keys - your touch - magic potion - N
martha & the vandellas - i’m ready for love - 7
the salteens - motor away - 7″
destroyer - destroyer’s the temple - thief
silver jews - buckingham rabbit - 7″
white whale - the admiral - WW1 - N

jim guthrie - who needs what - a thousand songs
caterpillar - joslyn - 7″
noise addict - 16 - meet the real you
superchunk - like a fool - foolish
comets on fire - dogwood rust - avatar - N
house of freaks - meet your heroes - all my friends
go go’s - this town - beauty & the beat

los abandoned - a la mode - mixtape - N
san francisco seals - back again - split w/ the dambuilders 7″
the fall - pat-trip dispenser - b-sides
the legend - roses - 7″
8 eyed spy - swamp/run thru the jungle - s/t
lene lovich - lucky number - stateless

mission of burma - spider’s web - the obliterati - N
emily haines & the soft skeleton - our hell - knives dont have your back - N
spinanes - spitfire - manos
the photon band - broken melody - 7″
flake music - sue defender - 7″
the sames - you are a ghost - you are the sames
yardbirds - puzzles - 7″

henri faberge & the adorables - ventriloquist love - henri faberge & the adorables

Tomorrow on my show I’ll be giving away a ticket to see Built To Spill at the Trocadero on 10/7. It’s not a real giveaway — I have to shoot this show for an assignment [details TBA] and I wound up with an extra ticket. I figured someone would want it. Anytime I wind up with a +1 for a show no one ever wants to go with me, so hey, now it belongs to the world.

Tune in tomorrow 10AM - 12PM EST on WQHS and win!