let’s get out of this country.

I heart, heart, heart Camera Obscura. Their new album comes out in less than a month (April 21st.) They areso goodthat I’d almost suggest that if I had only one band to listen to for the rest of my life it would be them, but I digress.

Newest video for French Navy.

For a blog supposedly about radio, I spend a lot of time posting videos.

Just received word that Camera Obscura will be touring North America soon. All I want to know is who is coming with me?

27th May Nashville, TN, Mercy Lounge
28th May – Newport, KY, Southgate House
29th May – Chicago, IL, Metro
30th May – Minneapolis, MN, Cedar Cultural Center
1st June – Denver, CO, Bluebird
2nd June – Salt Lake City, UT, Urban Lounge
4th June – Portland, OR, Wonder Ballroom
5th June – Vancouver, BC, Commodore
6th June – Seattle, WA, Showbox
8th June – San Francisco, CA, The Fillmore
9th June – Pomona, CA, Glasshouse
11th June – Los Angeles, CA, Henry Fonda Theatre
13th June – Mexico City, Mexico, Lunario
15th June – Austin, TX, Antones
16th June – Dallas, TX, The Loft
18th June – Birmingham, AL, Bottletree
19th June – Atlanta, GA, Variety Playhouse
20th June – Carrboro, NC, Cat’s Cradle
21st June – Washington, DC, 9:30 Club
22nd June – Philadelphia, PA, T L A
24th June – New York, NY, Webster Hall
25th June – Boston, MA, Somerville Theatre
26th June – Montreal, QUE, La Tulipe (10:30 curfew)
27th June – Toronto, ON, Lee’s Palace
29th June – Columbus, OH, Wexner Center Ohio State University
30th June – Pittsburgh, PA, Mr. Smalls

Talk hard!

dap dippin’ with the menahan street band.

Featuring members from some other Daptone groups (like The Budos Band and Dap Kings) the Menahan Street Band is what some people might call, “awesome.” I am one of those people. I’m beginning to feel like a bit of a Daptone whore but frankly, I want as many people as possible to hear about the artists on Daptone because they are simply amazing. They do things the old way and I sort of feel like they’re keeping our musical past alive and producing some damn fine music while doing it. I wouldn’t keep bringing them up if they weren’t that damn good. If you want a good read, check out Soul Reviver an article from the New York Times.

For all you tech geeks out there, I’ve been drooling over the Palm Treo Pro for about a month now. It seems to be a more practical device than the iPhone and I kind of like the way it looks. I know that’s just a matter of opinion but it sure beats the Handspring Treo 270. (Remember when they were called Handspring?)

Camera Obscura’s new album, My Maudlin Career can be preordered here.

Stay tuned.

punk, funk, soul and rock n’ roll.

As I write this I’m watching Independence Day on TBS and drinking a Guinness. If Bill Pullman’s speech doesn’t get you ready to kick some ass, I don’t know what would. (Maybe this.)

If you can watch Black Moses play Theme from Shaft and not have to dance, I pity you.

My first job was washing dishes at the K-State Student Union. When I got my first paycheck I cashed it then went directly to Streetside Records and purchased two CDs: Isaac Hayes Shaft and Curtis Mayfield Superfly. When I ran into two friends on the way down the street, they asked what I got, I showed them and said, “You can’t be a punk if you ain’t got not funk.”

I like old music. I like old punk, I like old rap, I like old funk, I like old soul, I like old metal, I like old reggae. I have original pressing Ramones albums, the favorite album I own in any format is probably my LP copy of Toots and The Maytals Funky Kingston. That record can put a smile on anyone’s face after the crappiest of days. Pretty much anything current I’m into sounds old (Camera Obscura, por ejemplo.) Anything with a Daptone label on it, especially Binky Griptite and the Melomatics and The Budos Band.

I like to buy music on vinyl, I like having a physical connection to the music. I’ve downloaded a few albums off of iTunes but what do you get? You don’t get an album cover, you don’t get liner notes, you don’t get pictures or little freebies included (like stickers, guitar picks, postcards, afro picks or decoder rings.) Why would anyone want just an MP3? MP3s aren’t art, you can’t hang them on your wall, you can’t smell them, you can’t feel them you can’t open them. I understand that the music is the most important thing, of course but that’s only part of the experience.

For those of you lucky enough to be in the MHK tomorrow, I’ll be at Maes starting around nine. Happy Fake Patrick’s Day to all of you.

I leave you tonight with the irrepressible Sharon Jones and the baddest band in the land, the Dap Kings. What if we all stopped paying taxes?

wicked awesome update action.

I’m going to start doing some theme shows, if you have a theme you’d like me to do, e-mail me, post it in the comments, whatever.

Upcoming themes are “Depression’s Got A Hold Of Me” (that’s a Black Flag lyric, in case you didn’t know) and “Uppity Women Unite” during which I’m going to play some of my favorite female artists in honor of Take Back The Night. Sadly I won’t be attending the pre- and post-TBTN festivities this year because, gasp, I have to work.

In other news, there is such a thing as canned bacon. When the baconpocalypse comes, you know what I’ll be scarfing.

Watched the film Smoke Signals in my Fiction Into Film class and it is an awesome movie. The screenplay was written by Sherman Alexie, based on his collection of short stories, The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven which everyone should read inmyhumble opinion.

I’ve been listening to The Shins Chutes Too Narrow and The Strokes Room On Fire albums a lot lately. Don’t know why, exactly. Also, I’ve got some Bhopal Stiffs coming in the mail soon so expect to hear them on my show at some point in the near future.

I’ve become obsessed with the Fiery Furnaces so, more than likely, you’ll be hearing some stuff from them, also. I want to play their entire Blueberry Boatalbum but I’m pretty sure I’m not going to subject people to that. Mad props to Jeph Jacques, who writes/draws Questionable Content for referencing the Fiery Furnaces in a few of his comics and getting me into them. They’re still not as awesome as Camera Obscura, who, incidentally, have a new album coming out on April 20th.

Here’s the title track:
http://camera-obscura.net/embedmp3player.swf?myLoad=http://camera-obscura.net/audio/my_maudlin_career.mp3&myImage=http://camera-obscura.net/images/mmc_player.gif

That’s your wicked awesome action update for now. Stay tuned for more bullshittery and bacon-flavored madness.

I leave you with 4 Gregs. Enjoy!