Playlist for November 11th, 2008

Here's what was played on the Palo Alto Pop Overthrow for November 11, 2008:

Artist	Track	Album/Label
Buried Beds	Forever in You	Empty Rooms http://www.buriedbeds.com/
Simon Apple	Without a Sound	From the Toybox Trunk
Matthews, Eric	Black to Light Brown	Six Kinds of Passion Looking For an Exit Self Release
+Squeeze	Day I Get Home	Play Reprise Records
Stevens, Sufjan	Chicago	Illinois Asthmatic Kitty Records
Folds, Ben	Golden Slumbers	I Am Sam V2 Music Limited
McCartney, Paul	Jenny Wren	Chaos and Creation in the Backyard Capitol Records
+Jay, Matthew	Call My Name Out	Draw Capitol Records
Pernice Brothers	Overcome By Happiness	Overcome By Happiness Sub Pop Records
+Cash, Brent	Good Morning Sunshine	How Will I Know If I'm Awake Marina Records
Penn, Michael	Out of My Hands	Resigned Epic
The Mayflies USA	So Young	Walking in a Straight Line Yep Roc Records
**Velvet Crush	Atmosphere	Teenage Symphonies to God Creation Records Limited
+Manning Jr., Roger Joseph	Down in Front	Catnip Dynamite Pony Canyon
Sweet, Matthew	All Over My Head	Blue Sky on Mars Volcano Entertainment
**Velvet Crush	Star Trip	Teenage Symphonies to God Creation Records Limited
@Malkmus, Stephen & The Jicks	Gardenia	Real Emotional Trash Matador Records
@Belle and Sebastian	Step Into My Office Baby	Dear Catastrophe Waitress Rough Trade Records
**Velvet Crush	Why not Your Baby	Teenage Symphonies to God Creation Records Limited
@Redd Kross	Secret Life	Show World Mercury Records
von Sneidern, Chris	Annalisa	Sight & Sound Heyday Records
The Spinning Jennies	Peer Pressure	Peer Pressure Vast Records

** Featured Album
+ Former Feature
@ Request/Dedication

Palo Alto Pop Overthrow with Phil Andrews
Tuesdays from 7-9AM PDT/10-Noon EDT
KZSU Stanford, 90.1FM / http://kzsulive.stanford.edu/
Blog at http://www.palopop.org/

Velvet Crush: "Teenage Symphonies to God" [featured album]

"I’m writing a teenage symphony to God."
-Brian Wilson

The leader of The Beach Boys once said that about his album "Smile", then very much a work in progress, which ended up not being finished for decades. In the mid-90s, the pop/rock band Velvet Crush released an album that tipped their collective hats to Mr. Wilson. The Crush brought in Mitch Easter to produce a record tinged with harder rock, moments of alt country, and lots of melodious guitar hooks.

"Teenage Symphonies to God" by Velvet Crush

Ric Menck drums for the band, having also worked with the likes of The Pernice Brothers and Matthew Sweet. Paul Chastain provides the vocals and bass, and Jeffrey Borchardt rocks the guitar.

Favorite tracks: 11. Star Trip, 5. Atmosphere, 3. Why Not Your Baby (originally by Gene Clark), 1. Hold Me Up


"Atmosphere" performed by Velvet Crush with Matthew Sweet
Label: Creation Records
RIYL: Matthew Sweet, Sloan
Four stars.

myspace, official site, wikipedia, AMG
Amazon: album
Rhapsody

Playlist for November 4th, 2008

Here's what was played on the Palo Alto Pop Overthrow for November 4, 2008:

Artist	Track	Album/Label
McCartney, Paul	Jenny Wren	Chaos and Creation in the Backyard Capitol Records
Pernice Brothers	There Goes the Sun	Discover a Lovelier You Ashmont Records
Matt Pond PA	Fairlee	Nature of Maps, the Polyvinyl Record Co.
Travis	Writing to Reach You	Man Who, the Epic Records
Simon Apple	Even Clowns Will Cry	From the Toybox Trunk
+Jay, Matthew	Call My Name Out	Draw Capitol Records
Nova, Heather	We Can Work It Out	I Am Sam V2 Music Limited
+Cash, Brent	Good Morning Sunshine	How Will I Know If I'm Awake Marina Records
Belle and Sebastian	Winter Wooksie	Legal Man Matador Records
Belles, the	Omertá	Omertá Lakeshore Records
@Wiretree	Don't Need It	Bouldin Cobaltworks Music Division
Lambchop	The Lone Official	Awcmon Merge Records
Buckley, Jeff	Forget Her	Grace (Re-Issue) Columbia
+Squeeze	Day I Get Home	Play Reprise Records
**Death Cab For Cutie	Long Division	Narrow Stairs Atlantic Records
+Manning Jr., Roger Joseph	American Affluenza	Catnip Dynamite Pony Canyon
Teenage Fanclub	The Town and the City	Howdy! Thirsty Ear Communication
**Death Cab For Cutie	No Sunlight	Narrow Stairs Atlantic Records
+Starbelly	Ordinary Now	Everyday and Then Some Not Lame Recordings
Bleu	That's When I Crash	Redhead Aware Records
**Death Cab For Cutie	Cath...	Narrow Stairs Atlantic Records
+Sweet, Matthew	Byrdgirl	Sunshine Lies Shout! Factory
+The Corner Laughers	You Two Are The Ones	Tomb of Leopards Sandbox Records
The Spinning Jennies	Tea & Apathy	The Best of the Spinning Jennies Cool Buzz Records
New Pornographers, the	Letter From An Occupant	Mass Romantic Mint Records Inc.
von Sneidern, Chris	Sun	Wood+Wire Mod Lang Records

** Featured Album
* Featured Track
+ Former Feature
@ Request/Dedication

Palo Alto Pop Overthrow with Phil Andrews
Tuesdays from 7-9AM PDT/10-Noon EDT
KZSU Stanford, 90.1FM / http://kzsulive.stanford.edu/
Blog at http://www.palopop.org/

Death Cab for Cutie: "Narrow Stairs" [featured album]

Death Cab for Cutie

Ben Gibbard, Chris Walla, Nicholas Harmer, and Jason McGerr, or "Death Cab" as their fans call them, released the album "Narrow Stairs" this summer on Atlantic Records. This is their second outing for the major label, but Death Cab's genesis and reputation are built on their long stint as the darlings of college radio, totaling six releases on Barsuk Records. Along the way, vocalist and guitarist Ben Gibbard has had additional indie success with his electronic and indie pop project "The Postal Service."

Favorite tracks: 9. Long Division, 3. No Sunshine, 4. Cath, 8. Your New Twin Sized Bed

Label: Atlantic Records
RIYL: The Decemberists, The Postal Service
Three stars.

myspace, official site, wikipedia, AMG
Amazon: album
Rhapsody

Playlist for October 28th, 2008

Here's what was played on the Palo Alto Pop Overthrow for October 28, 2008:

Artist	Track	Album/Label
Matt Pond PA	Everything Until the East Coast Ends	If You Want Blood Altitude Records
+Pernice Brothers	Somerville	Live a Little Ashmont Records
The Vines	I'm Only Sleeping	I Am Sam V2 Music Limited
Lee, Chris	Sail On	Cool Rock MISRA
Matthews, Eric	Worthy	Six Kinds of Passion Looking For an Exit Self Release
+@The Gay	Opulent Canine	You Know The Rules Mint Recordings
Lovely, Brian	Superimpose	Superimpose Flying Underground
+Julie Ocean	#1 Song	Long Gone And Nearly There Transit Of Venus
@Belle and Sebastian	Step Into My Office Baby	Dear Catastrophe Waitress Rough Trade Records
@New Pornographers	The Electric Version	Electric Version Matador Records
+Manning Jr., Roger Joseph	Love's Never Half as Good	Catnip Dynamite Pony Canyon
The Shins	Kissing the Lipless	Chutes Too Narrow Sub Pop Records
**Bleu	Intro / Forming of The Major Labels	EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW http://www.palopop.org/
**The Major Labels	Velveteen Queen	Aquavia http://www.myspace.com/themajorlabels
The Churchills	It Only Hurts When I Breathe	The Odds of Winning Near Records
Pugwash	Take Me Away	Eleven Modern Antiquities 1969 Records
**Bleu	Favorite track or "single" from the album?	EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW http://www.palopop.org/
**The Major Labels	Don't Hear a Single	Aquavia http://www.myspace.com/themajorlabels
Athenaeum	What I Didn't Know	Radiance Atlantic Records (Modern)
**Bleu	How do listeners get ahold of you?	EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW http://www.palopop.org/
**The Major Labels	Richard Randolph	Aquavia http://www.myspace.com/themajorlabels
**Bleu	Collaborations / working with Dan Wilson	EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW http://www.palopop.org/
+The Belles	Never Said Anything	Omerta' Lakeshore Records
**The Major Labels	Hummingbird	Aquavia http://www.myspace.com/themajorlabels
**Bleu	What's Next? / Goodbye	EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW http://www.palopop.org/
The Mayflies USA	Walking in a Straight Line	Walking in a Straight Line Yep Roc Records
Semisonic	F.N.T	Great Divide Mca Records (Local)
+The Corner Laughers	See You in Hell	Tomb of Leopards Sandbox Recordings

Featured Album
* Featured Track
+ Former Feature
@ Request/Dedication

Palo Alto Pop Overthrow with Phil Andrews
Tuesdays from 7-9AM PDT/10-Noon EDT
KZSU Stanford, 90.1FM / http://kzsulive.stanford.edu/
Blog at http://www.palopop.org/

Concert report and interview: Bleu / Wellingtons / Scissors for Lefty

The Wellingtons at the Rock-It Room
source: Jen Cash of Calibree Photography

As promised, here's my concert report from the Bleu, The Wellingtons, and Scissors for Lefty show at the Rock-It Room from October 14th. A great time was had by all. Bleu as usual, charmed the crowd with his carefully assembled, multi-layered/looped approach to pop, while The Wellingtons put on a very tight and very bright set. Clearly, they were enjoying themselves. Finally all of the members of Scissors for Lefty took the stage to much applause; their garagey sound was just want the crowd wanted.

Bleu at the Rock-It Room
source: Jen Cash of
Calibree Photography

Bleu's set list:

1. Boy Meets Girl
   
2. Come N Go
   
3. Watchin' You Sleep
   
4. In Love With My Lover
   
5. Hollywood
   
6. 3's a Charm
   
7. Singin' in Tongues

The highlight of the show had to be when Bleu stepped in front of the stage monitor and away from the mic. He asked everyone to gather around the stage, up close, and he sang "In Love With My Lover" to the crowd, unamplified. It was a great moment.

Sadly, I bounced out of the venue just as Scissors for Lefty were going on, but for good reason: I conducted an interview with Bleu, which aired today on the Palo Alto Pop Overthrow. Here's the audio:



Stay tuned for the special edition of the Palo Alto Pop Overthrow, today from 3-5PM PDT/6-8PM EDT on KZSU. You'll get to hear Bleu, Mike Viola, and Ducky Carlisle perform as The Major Labels, live, during the 4PM hour.

Special PAPO shows this week + a power pop concert in SF

I have lots of updates for you this week about what's going on in San Francisco power pop.

First off, on this Tuesday's PAPO radio show, I'll be airing an exclusive interview I did with Bleu McCauley two weeks ago, when he was in town for a gig he did at the Rock-It Room. You'll get to learn about:

• How his L.E.O. side project/musical collective came together.
  
• What it was like working with Dan Wilson (ex-Semisonic) on the solo album Free Life.
  
• What's next for the ever-so-busy Bleu (solo releases? collaborations? you'll just have to tune in.)
  
• His current project, The Major Labels, which is a trio including Mike Viola and Ducky Carlisle. Speaking of which:

Extra edition of the PAPO, Tuesday 3-5PM PDT:
In-studio performance from The Major Labels

Tune in to KZSU from 3-5PM PDT/6PM-8PM EDT when you'd normally expect the most excellent I Once Was Canadian radio show, for a special edition of the Palo Alto Pop Overthrow. "Hey Phil, why the double duty?" you might ask. Well, it's for a good reason. Not only will you get the double dose of power pop you so rightly deserve, but you'll also get to hear a live, in-studio set from The Major Labels, starting at 4PM PDT/7PM EDT. The "Majors" include Bleu, New York City's own Mike Viola (of The Candy Butchers), and the Boston-based cult record producer Ducky Carlisle. They're in town for a gig that night, which is going to be fantastic:

The poppiest gig this month in SF
Tuesday night at the Red Devil Lounge

The Major Labels
(Mike Viola + Bleu + Ducky Carlisle)
Allen Clapp of The Orange Peels
Pedestrian
The Corner Laughers
(as featured on the PAPO)
Tickets are $5 and the show starts at 8PM.
Tickets: ticketweb.com.

What more could you want from a show? This is as good as it gets, folks. Come out and support our local favorites, The Corner Laughers and Allen Clapp, plus see some of the best rising musicians in power pop today.