Hooks and Harmonies, every Thursday from 7-9AM PT/10AM-Noon ET on KZSU Stanford
Hey folks,
Today was my farewell edition of the Palo Alto Pop Overthrow. Thank YOU so much for listening, for calling in, and for participating in power pop over all of these years. Before I finally hang up my headphones this last time, I’d like to take a moment to thank many of the listeners, musicians, and DJs who helped support the Overthrow:
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and the Bay Area power pop scene  |
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| …and YOU! | ||
Hooks and harmonies, then, now, and always.
-Phil Andrews
Our featured album this week was Superdrag’s Regretfully Yours. Based out of, Tennessee, Superdrag had a brief flirt with fame in 1996 when this album came out. In 96, alt rock was flourishing, and Regretful‘s lead single, “Sucked Out”, took MTV by storm. Superdrag went on to release the delightful Head Trip In Every Key in 1998, and later Stereo 360 Sound, but never found the same support from radio or mainstream labels. In the Valley of Dying Stars was their final release before disbanding in 2003. But that wasn’t the end for Superdrag, despite appearances. Superdrag reassembled in 2007 and released Industry Giants in 2009 before fading back into the ether. Here’s a video of “Sucked Out” from Superdrag’s 2007 tour, in their hometown of Knoxville:
Favorite tracks: _4_ Sucked Out , 1 Slot Machine, 3 Carried
Label: Elektra Entertainment Group
RIYL: Fountains of Wayne, Mike Viola, Nada Surf
| Artist | Track | Album/Label | |
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| Dum Dum Girls | Bedroom Eyes | Only In Dreams Sub Pop Records |
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| +The Nines | Virginia | Gran Jukle’s Field T.A.S. Gold Recordings |
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| The Long Winters | Shapes | When I Pretend to Fall Barsuk Records |
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| The Milk and Honey Band | Way Too Long | The Secret Life of the Milk and Honey Band Ape House Limited |
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| The Wooden Birds | Folly Cub | Two Matchsticks Barsuk Records |
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| +Matt Pond PA | Love To Get Used | Spring Fools Altitude Records |
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| Aimee Mann and Michael Penn | Two of Us | I Am Sam V2 Music Limited |
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| The Shins | Phantom Limb | Wincing the Night Away Sub Pop Records |
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| The Phoenix Foundation | Buffalo | Buffalo Memphis Industries |
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| +@Wiretree | Don’t Need It | Bouldin Cobaltworks Music Division |
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| +@They Might Be Giants | Can’t Keep Johnny Down | Join Us Idlewild Recordings |
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| +Teenage Fanclub | Baby Lee | Shadows Merge Records |
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| +Ken Stringfellow | Any Love (Cassandra Et Lune) | Soft Commands Yep Roc Records |
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| **Superdrag | Sucked Out | Regretfully Yours Elektra Entertainment Group |
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| +Mike Viola | Columbus Day Parade | Electro de Perfecto Megaforce Records |
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| The Apples In Stereo | Stephen Stephen | Electronic Projects For Musicians Yep Roc Records |
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| **Superdrag | Slot Machine | Regretfully Yours Elektra Entertainment Group |
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| +Brendan Benson | Eyes on the Horizon | My Old, Familiar Friend The Echo Label |
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| +Matthew Sweet | Thought I Knew You | Girlfriend (Unknown) |
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| **Superdrag | Carried | Regretfully Yours Elektra Entertainment Group |
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| +Bleu | B.O.S.T.O.N. | Four The Major Label |
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| +Rooney | I Can’t Get Enough | Eureka Independent Label Group |
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| +Glenn Tilbrook and the Fluffers | Through the Net | Pandamonium Ensues Quixotic Records |
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| +The New Pornographers | Crash Years | Together Matador Records |
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| The Corner Laughers | Everybody Knows | Live on the Palo Alto Pop Overthrow Outer A Recordings |
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| +Fountains of Wayne | A Road Song | Sky Full of Holes Yep Roc Records |
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| +LEO | Goodbye Innocence | Alpacas Orgling Cheap Lullaby |
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| Splitsville | White Dwarf | Let’s Go: The Best of Splitsville | |
** Featured Album
+ Former Feature
@ Request/Dedication
Brendan Benson has been crafting power pop tunes since he was 26, and My Old, Familiar Friend, his fourth album, was released in 2009. There had been a gap in his solo output, easily explained by his participation in the musical supergroup The Raconteurs, but he came back wiser and more enthusiastic. Here’s the lead single from the album, called “A Whole Lot Better”:
Hot off the presses as of just a few minutes ago, Brendan announced that he is launching a new record label, Readymade, and that his next solo album, What Kind of World, drops April 21st. We’ll definitely stay tuned for this.
Favorite tracks: __7__ “Poised and Ready”, _1_ A Whole Lot Better, _2_ Eyes on the Horizon, 8 Don’t Wanna Talk, 4 Gonowhere
Label: ATO Records/The Echo Label
RIYL: Wiretree, Jason Falkner, Paul McCartney
| Artist | Track | Album/Label | |
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| The Pale | Wake-Up Call | Gravity Gets Things Done Sidecho Records |
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| +Kelly Jones | Same Songs | SheBANG! Good Morning Monkey Records |
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| Dum Dum Girls | Bedroom Eyes | Only In Dreams Sub Pop Records |
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| Mamud Band | Buy Africa | Opposite People Felmay |
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| Splitsville | Manna (You Say You Believe) | Repeater Big Deal |
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| Ocean Colour Scene | Oh Collector | North Atlantic Drift Sanctuary Records |
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| +Cliff Hillis | Northern Lights | The Long Now Self |
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| Brian Lovely | Justaboutasidon’tknowwhatasIthinkyoucanget | Superimpose The Beat Parlor |
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| The Phoenix Foundation | Buffalo | Buffalo Memphis Industries |
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| +The Grays | Very Best Years | Ro Sham Bo Sony Music |
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| The Apples In Stereo | Dream About The Future | Travellers In Space And Time Yep Roc Records |
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| +Chris Brown | Not Gonna Make It Easy | Now That You’re Fed http://www.chrisbrowntunes.com/ |
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| Ben Folds Five | Philosophy | Ben Folds Five Caroline/Blue Plate |
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| +@They Might Be Giants | Can’t Keep Johnny Down | Join Us Idlewild Recordings |
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| **Brendan Benson | Poised and Ready | My Old, Familiar Friend The Echo Label |
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| +The New Pornographers | Moves | Together Matador Records |
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| +Matthew Sweet | I’ve Been Waiting | Girlfriend (Unknown) |
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| **Brendan Benson | Eyes on the Horizon | My Old, Familiar Friend The Echo Label |
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| +Rooney | I Can’t Get Enough | Eureka Independent Label Group |
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| +@Bleu | I’ll Know It When I See It | Four The Major Label |
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| **Brendan Benson | A Whole Lot Better | My Old, Familiar Friend The Echo Label |
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| +Teenage Fanclub | Baby Lee | Shadows Merge Records |
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| +Mike Viola | Soundtrack of my Summer | Electro de Perfecto Megaforce Records |
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| Ianasonic | Bitter Flavour | Controversy Self |
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| Supraluxe | Setting Sun | Super Sounds Of Supraluxe, The Rgb Records |
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| +Glenn Tilbrook and the Fluffers | Melancholy Emotion | Pandamonium Ensues Quixotic Records |
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| Paul McCartney | Let Me Roll It | Good Evening New York City Universal Music Group |
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Thursdays 7-9AM on 90.1FM in the San Francisco Bay Area and streaming online in high fidelity at http://kzsulive.stanford.edu/
** Featured Album
+ Former Feature
@ Request/Dedication
The cover of "Girlfriend" is a photo of actress Tuesday Weld
It’s amazing to say that it’s been 20 years since the release of Girlfriend, the third and most critically acclaimed album by Matthew Sweet. Breaking through during a narrow window of time in which music from the 80s had been discarded in favor of grunge and alternative rock, Girlfriend ended up high on commercial radio charts, and even MTV seized on Matthew’s anime-themed music videos and played them non-stop (nearly a decade before, we might add, Daft Punk had success with the same trick.)
The album was recorded in NYC and features incredible solos and musicianship from the lines of Robert Quine, Richard Lloyd, Greg Leisz, Lloyd Cole, Rick Menck and Fred Maher. This year Matthew has been touring the US, playing songs from the album in their original ordering, with backup from long time touring bandmates Paul Chastain (bass) and Ric Menck (drums). But who, in the wake of Robert Quine’s tragic death in 2004, would be providing the signature guitar solos? Dennis Taylor. Who? Dennis is a gem of a find – he was discovered by Matthew whilst guitar teching for the Bangles, and went on to help Matthew record his latest record, Modern Art.
See an excellent interview of Matthew Sweet by the AV Club, which includes an acoustic performance of “I’ve Been Waiting.” It’s clear that as an album, Girlfriend holds up and lives on even 20 years after its release.
Favorite tracks: _2_ I’ve Been Waiting, _10_ I Wanted to Tell You, 6 Evangeline, 9 You Don’t Love Me, 12 Your Sweet Voice, 3 Girlfriend
Label: Zoo Entertainment (defunct), rereleased by Legacy Recordings/Volcano
RIYL: Velvet Crush, The Replacements, Game Theory, The Lemonheads
| Artist | Track | Album/Label | |
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| The Beach Boys | I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times |
Pet Sounds Capitol Records (Jazz) |
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| +The Wondermints | Cellophane | Bali Varese Sarabande |
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| Mates Of State | Sway | Mountaintops Barsuk Records |
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| +The Churchills | Close My Eyes | Big Ideas Corporate Greed |
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| Dum Dum Girls | Bedroom Eyes | Only In Dreams Sub Pop Records |
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| Supraluxe | New York City’s Not Alright | Super Sounds Of Supraluxe, The Rgb Records |
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| @Belle And Sebastian | For The Price Of A Cup Of Tea | Life Pursuit, The Matador Records |
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| Sloan | Gimme That | Action Pact Koch Records |
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| The Phoenix Foundation | Buffalo | Buffalo Memphis Industries |
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| +Pugwash | Take Me Away | Eleven Modern Antiquities 1969 Records Ltd |
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| Wilco | Standing O | Whole Love, The Dbpm |
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| Fairmont | Friends Like You | Destruction Creation Mint 400 Records |
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| Michael Penn | This & That | March BMG Records |
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| **Matthew Sweet | I’ve Been Waiting | Girlfriend (Unknown) |
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| +Teenage Fanclub | Baby Lee | Shadows Merge Records |
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| Picture Atlantic | What Men Live By | When Everything Is Numbers Self |
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| **Matthew Sweet | Divine Intervention | Girlfriend (Unknown) |
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| +The New Pornographers | Crash Years | Together Matador Records |
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| +Mike Viola | Columbus Day Parade | Electro de Perfecto Megaforce Records |
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| **Matthew Sweet | Girlfriend | Girlfriend (Unknown) |
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| +Rooney | All or Nothing | Eureka Independent Label Group |
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| +They Might Be Giants | Can’t Keep Johnny Down | Join Us Idlewild Recordings |
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| Matthew Sweet | She Walks the Night | Modern Art Missing Piece Records |
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| +Bleu | Singin’ In Tongues | Four The Major Label |
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| +Ken Stringfellow | Any Love (Cassandra Et Lune) | Soft Commands Yep Roc Records |
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** Featured Album
+ Former Feature
@ Request/Dedication
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, everybody! -Phil
| Artist | Track | Album/Label | |
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| +Travis | 3 Times and You Lose | The Boy With No Name Epic |
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| Dum Dum Girls | Bedroom Eyes | Only In Dreams Sub Pop Records |
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| The Phoenix Foundation | Buffalo | Buffalo Memphis Industries |
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| +Matt Pond PA | Love To Get Used | Spring Fools Altitude Records |
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| Matt Pond PA | Holiday Road | Winter Songs Altitude Records |
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| The Wooden Birds | Folly Cub | Two Matchsticks Barsuk Records |
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| Semisonic | Chemistry | All About Chemistry MCA Records |
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| Dom | Family Of Love | Family Of Love Astralwerks |
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| Mates Of State | Sway | Mountaintops Barsuk Records |
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| +Rooney | All or Nothing | Eureka Rooney Records |
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| Wilco | Whole Love | Whole Love, The Dbpm |
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| In Grenada | It Doesn’t Matter | Break (No Label Information) |
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| +Mike Viola | Columbus Day Parade | Electro de Perfecto Megaforce |
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| The Three Wise Men (aka XTC) |
Thanks for Christmas | New Wave Xmas Rhino Records |
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| Fountains of Wayne | I Want an Alien for Christmas | ||
| The Jellybricks | Father Christmas | Yule Love the Jellybricks | |
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| The Pooh Sticks | Power Pop Santa | ||
| Redd Kross | Super Sunny Christmas | ||
| Ron Sexsmith | Something to Hold On To (At Christmas) | ||
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| Deadbeat Poets | Christmastime in Painesville | ||
| The Smithereens | Merry Christmas Baby | ||
| Fonda | Last Christmas | Stuck in the Chimney | |
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| The Genuine Fakes | All I Want for Christmas | ||
| The Nines | It’s Christmas | Winter Snow and Icicles T.A.S. Gold Recordings |
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| The Grip Weeds | Hark the Herald Angels Sing | Under the Influence of Christmas | |
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| Imperial Drag | Please Leave Me Home for Xmas | ||
| Mono Puff | Careless Santa | New Wave Xmas Rhino Records |
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** Featured Album
+ Former Feature
@ Request/Dedication
After 2007′s Calling the World and a tour in 2008, Rooney departed from Geffen Records and did their own thing. Taylor Locke, guitarist for the band, put in a lot of time with his band The Roughs, and ended up hanging out quite a bit with our pal Bleu. They released an EP in 2009, and finally in 2010, they released Eureka, through Warner’s independent label, California Dreamin’ Records. Rooney is still the same band that brought us “Blueside” and “Calling the World”, and it shows on Eureka. Here’s the music video for the leading single “Holdin’ On”:
Favorite tracks: _5_ All Or Nothing, 2 I Can’t Get Enough, 12 Don’t Look at Me, 1 Holdin’ On
Label: California Dreamin’ Records / Rooney Music
RIYL: Weezer, Ocean Colour Scene, Fountains of Wayne
| Artist | Track | Album/Label | |
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| Archer Prewitt | O, KY | Wilderness Thrill Jockey Records |
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| +Brent Cash | Good Morning Sunshine | How Will I Know If I’m Awake Marina Records |
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| Dum Dum Girls | Bedroom Eyes | Only In Dreams Sub Pop Records |
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| The Phoenix Foundation | Buffalo | Buffalo Memphis Industries |
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| Spectrals | You Don’t Have To Tell Me | Bad Penny Slumberland Records |
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| The Wooden Birds | Folly Cub | Two Matchsticks Barsuk Records |
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| Buried Beds | Camellia | po tolo self |
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| +The Thorns | Runaway Feeling | The Thorns Aware Records LLC |
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| +The Greenberry Woods | Oh Christine | Rapple Dapple Sire Records (Modern) |
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| +The Rocket Summer | Do You Feel | Do You Feel Island Records |
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| Wilco | Standing O | Whole Love, The Dbpm |
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| In Grenada | Distance And Temptation | Break (No Label Information) |
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| +@Matt Pond PA | Love To Get Used | Spring Fools Altitude Records |
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| +Bleu | Dead In The Mornin’ | Four The Major Label |
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| **Rooney | All or Nothing | Eureka California Dreamin’ |
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| +Mike Viola | Columbus Day Parade | Electro de Perfecto Megaforce Records |
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| +The New Pornographers | Crash Years | Together Matador Records |
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| **Rooney | I Can’t Get Enough | Eureka California Dreamin’ |
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| +Teenage Fanclub | Baby Lee | Shadows Merge Records |
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| Mates Of State | Sway | Mountaintops Barsuk Records |
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| **Rooney | Don’t Look At Me | Eureka California Dreamin’ |
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| @They Might Be Giants | Can’t Keep Johnny Down | Join Us Idlewild Recordings |
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| Splitsville | Ponce de Leon | Ultrasound Big Deal |
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| +Glenn Tilbrook and The Fluffers | Melancholy Emotion | Pandemonium Ensues Quixotic Records |
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| +Fountains of Wayne | Someone’s Gonna Break Your Heart | Sky Full of Holes Yep Roc |
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| Travis | Why Does It Always Rain on Me? | The Man Who Epic Records |
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| Exploding Flowers | …And In Death, A Mourning Halo Above You Shines Its Magnificent Light |
Exploding Flowers Smashitup! Records |
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| Picture Atlantic | Joust | When Everything Is Numbers Self |
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** Featured Album
+ Former Feature
@ Request/Dedication
