As we do every quarter here on the Palo Alto Pop Overthrow, we have our quarterly retrospective, where we play one song from each of our featured albums, along with the weekly featured track.
New this quarter, we "rolled the credits" and played a song each for several of our dedicated listeners.
Thanks for another fun quarter of the Palo Alto Pop Overthrow - stay tuned for an announcement about the new KZSU air schedule!
Here's what was played on the Palo Alto Pop Overthrow for June 24, 2008:
Artist
Track
Album/Label
**Scotland Yard Gospel Choir, The
I Never Though I Could Feel This Way For A Boy
Scotland Yard Gospel Choir, The Bloodshot Records
*Belles, the
Never Said Anything
Omerta' Lakeshore Records
**Crowded House
Even a Child
Time on Earth ATO Records
*Kirsty Maccoll
Children of the Revolution
Electric Landlady Charisma (Modern)
**Wilson, Dan
Against History
Free Life American Recordings
*Gay, The
Opulent Canine
You Know The Rules Mint Records
**Gin Blossoms, The
Someday Soon
Major Lodge Victory Hybrid Recordings
*Candy Butchers
You Belong to Me Now
Play With Your Head RPM Records
**Breakup Society, The
By a Thread
Nobody Likes a Winner Get Hip Recordings
*Pernice Brothers, The
Somerville
Live a Little Ashmont Records
**Rewinds, The
It's Not the End
The Rewinds Livewire Recordings
*Lovely, Brian
JustaboutasI- don'tknowwhatas- Ithinkyoucanget
Superimpose The Beat Parlor
**Travis
Under the Moonlight
The Boy With No Name Independiente
*Tilbrook, Glenn
This is Where You Ain't
The Incomplete Glenn Tilbrook Quixotic London
**XTC
Stupidly Happy
Wasp Star Apple Venus Vol 2 Tvt Records
*Jayhawks, the
Sixteen Down
Sound of Lies American (Modern)
**Sweet, Matthew
Wait
Kimi Ga Suki * Raifu RCAM Records
*Long Winters, The
Shapes
When I Pretend To Fall Barsuk Records
@Moyer
I Feel Bad
Some Things Go in Circles Newport Hill Records
@L.E.O.
Make Me
Alpacas Orgling Cheap Lullaby Records
@Fountains of Wayne
Laser Show
Utopia Parkway Atlantic Records (Modern)
@Shins, The
Phantom Limb
Wincing the Night Away Sub Pop Records
@Redd Kross
Girl God
Show World Mercury Records
@Wiretree
Don't Need It
Bouldin Cobaltworks Music Division
** Featured Album * Featured Track @ Request/Dedication
Palo Alto Pop Overthrow with Phil Andrews Tuesdays from 7-9AM PST/10-Noon EST KZSU Stanford, 90.1FM / http://kzsulive.stanford.edu/ Blog at http://www.palopop.org/
Here's what was played on the Palo Alto Pop Overthrow for June 17, 2008:
Artist
Track
Album/Label
Pale, The
Wake-Up Call
Gravity Gets Things Done Sidecho Records
Matt Pond PA
This Is Montreal
Green Fury, the Polyvinyl Record Co.
Mann, Aimee & Penn, Michael
Two of Us
I Am Sam V2 Music Limited
Apples In Stereo, The
Sunndal Song
New Magnetic Wonder Yep Roc Records
Mayflies Usa, the
Walking in a Straight Line
Walking in a Straight Line Yep Roc Records
Chesterfield Kings, The
Streaks And Flashes
Psychedelic Sunrise Wicked Cool Records
Phair, Liz
Polyester Bride
Whitechocolatespaceegg Matador Records
Theilivethelifeofamovie...
Figureeights
Autumngirlarchers... March Records
@L.E.O.
Don't Let It Go
Alpacas Orgling Cheap Lullaby Records
Fountains of Wayne
Little Red Light
Welcome Interstate Managers S-Curve Records
Spectacular Fantastic, The
Limitless And Free
Consume Ionik Recordings
Old 97's
The Easy Way
Blame It On Gravity New West Records
Tangiers
I Wanna Go Out
Never Bring You Pleasure Sonic Unyon Records
Teenage Fanclub
Star Sign
Four Thousand Seven Hundred... Jetset Records
**Sweet, Matthew
Dead Smile
Kimi Ga Suki * Raifu RCAM Records
+Tilbrook, Glenn
This is Where You Ain't
The Incomplete Glenn Tilbrook Quixotic London
Destroyer
Dark Leaves From A Thread
Trouble In Dreams Merge Records
**Sweet, Matthew
Morning Song
Kimi Ga Suki * Raifu RCAM Records
+Gay, The
Opulent Canine
You Know the Rules Mint Records
+Crowded House
Even a Child
Time on Earth ATO Records
+Travis
My Eyes
The Boy With No Name Independiente
*Long Winters, The
Shapes
When I Pretend to Fall Barsuk Records
+Rewinds, The
Ghostriders
The Rewinds Livewire Recordings
Copeland
Pin Your Wings
In Motion The Militia Group
+Scotland Yard Gospel Choir, The
Aspidistra
Scotland Yard Gospel Choir, The Bloodshot Records
**Sweet, Matthew
Wait
Kimi Ga Suki * Raifu RCAM Records
+Wilson, Dan
Against History
Free Life American Recordings
@Belle And Sebastian
White Collar Boy
Life Pursuit, The Matador Records
** Featured Album * Featured Track + Former Feature @ Request/Dedication
Palo Alto Pop Overthrow with Phil Andrews Tuesdays from 7-9AM PST/10-Noon EST KZSU Stanford, 90.1FM / http://kzsulive.stanford.edu/ Blog at http://www.palopop.org/
John Roderick is the songwriter and guitarist behind the indie pop group The Long Winters. Based in Seattle, the band has been around since 2000, throughout various lineup changes and tours. John is the only remaining original member of the group, so it's safe to say that he's the defining member. Through the years the band has toured with The Pernice Brothers, Nada Surf, Death Cab, The Decemberists, and Keane.
Today's featured track, "Shapes" is off of The Long Winters' 2003 release "When I Pretend to Fall," which was coproduced by Roderick, along with Ken Stringfellow of the Posies, and Chris Walla of Death Cab.
This song was originally conceived by John Roderick with his former bandmate Kevin Horning when they were in a band called The Bun Family Players. I love the hammer-on/pull off guitar riff that forms the basis of this song. The lyrics are nonsensical, but the song itself is so bright and toe tapping that I can't resist it.
It was 1991, and Matthew had just released his album entitled "Girlfriend." The album rose though the charts, and was named one of the top 100 albums of the year by Rolling Stone. Life was good. It was the right time, musically, for Matthew to be on top. In 1991, the meteoric rise of Seattle grunge had just begun, and listeners were still open to the alt rock sound that Matthew wove in to his record. On the other end of the grunge crash, in 1995, Matthew yet again had commercial success with his album 100% Fun. The leading track "Sick of Myself," was a catchy guitar solo driven song whose main lyric was lifted, appropriately enough, from Kurt Cobain's suicide note. For the widespread success of these two albums, Matthew Sweet has often been singled out as the face of the revival of American Power Pop during the 1990s.
This week's featured album is "Kimi Ga Suki * Raifu", released in 2002 on RCAM Records. It's a unique album--not for its sonic qualities, necessarily--but because of its inspiration and reach. It all started with a trip to Japan. Matthew Sweet has a rabid fan base there, but due to his strong fear of flying, he rarely makes it across the ocean to tour. A rare visit to Japan was made in August of 2001, when Matthew visited Tokyo and Osaka. He was absolutely blown away by his fans, and because of this he spoke to the press of wanting to make a release exclusively for his Japanese fans. Over one short week that following January, he resolved himself to make that album in as spontaneous a fashion as possible, without relying on prior demos or existing song ideas.
During the intense week of songwriting and performing for "Kimi Ga Suki * Raifu," Matthew additionally produced, engineered, and mixed the entire album himself, in his home studio. He did, however, rely on the talents of a very special set of musicians, including Television guitarist Richard Lloyd, Velvet Crush drummer Ric Menck, and multi-instrumentalist Greg Leisz. Thus, the lineup on this album echoes much of that of the original 1991 album "Girlfriend."
What is Matthew Sweet up to these days? As we reported in April, Matthew is releasing a new album entitled "Sunshine Lies" this year. Here's an update (courtesy of our friends at the Too Poppy blog): The album is slated to come out on August 26th, and previews of a few tracks are up on Matthew's myspace page.
Favorite tracks: 10. Wait, 1. Dead Smile, 2. Morning Song, 3. The Ocean In-Between, 6. Warning
It appears that Matthew Sweet's new album "Sunshine Lies," which we posted about back in April has undergone a slight delay in getting out of the gate. Instead of the previously scheduled July 22nd release, the new official release date is August 26th. The tracklisting has been updated, and it appears that the songs "Badass" and "When You're Gone" have been moved off of the album, and onto the vinyl-only bonus platter. Replacing them are the tracks "Room to Rock" and "Around You Now."
Here's what was played on the Palo Alto Pop Overthrow for June 10, 2008:
Artist
Track
Album/Label
Jay, Matthew
Let Your Shoulder Fall
Draw Capitol Records
Old 97's
My Two Feet
Blame It On Gravity New West Records
Starbelly
Everyday
Everyday and Then Some Not Lame Recordings
Splitsville
White Dwarf
Incorporated Houston Party Records
Spectacular Fantastic, The
I Don't Want To Live
Consume Ionik Recordings
Toy Matinee
Queen of Misery
Toy Matinee Reprise Records
New Pornographers, The
It's Only Divine Right
Live! The Blue Curtain
Lucinda Black Bear
Capo My Heart
'capo My Heart' And Other Bear Songs Eastern Spurs
Pepper's Ghost
Heavy Body Bag
Pepper's Ghost self-released
Hanlon, Darron
Video Store
Early Days Candle Records
Sweet, Matthew & Hoffs, Susanna
I See The Rain (The Marmalade)
Under The Covers Shout Factory
Grays, the
Very Best Years
Very Best Years Epic Records (Modern)
Lunchbox
Wanna Reach You
Magic of Sound, the Magic Marker Records
**XTC
Stupidly Happy
Wasp Star Apple Venus Vol 2 TVT Records
Royal Purple, The
She'll Love Again
Transcendental Medication Umbrella Records
+Tilbrook, Glenn
This is Where You Ain't
The Incomplete Glenn Tilbrook Quixotic London
**XTC
We're All Light
Wasp Star Apple Venus Vol 2 TVT Records
+Gin Blossoms, the
Curious Thing
Major Lodge Victory Hybrid Recordings
@Belle and Sebastian
Jonathan David
Jonathan David Jeepster Recordings
*Jayhawks, the
Sixteen Down
Sound of Lies American (Modern)
Decemberists, the
The Sporting Life
Picaresque Kill Rock Stars
Matt Pond Pa
Several Arrows Later
Several Arrows Later Altitude Records
**XTC
Playground
Wasp Star Apple Venus Vol 2 TVT Records
+Candy Butchers, the
You Belong to me Now
Play With Your Head RPM Records/Sony
+Lovely, Brian
JustaboutasIdon'tknowwhat- -asIthinkyoucanget
Superimpose The Beat Parlor
** Featured Album * Featured Track + Former Feature @ Request/Dedication
Palo Alto Pop Overthrow with Phil Andrews Tuesdays from 7-9AM PST/10-Noon EST KZSU Stanford, 90.1FM / http://kzsulive.stanford.edu/ Blog at http://www.palopop.org/
Gary Louris of the Jayhawks Source: thejayhawks.net
"Sixteen Down" is a darker, sad song by alt-country legends The Jayhawks. This track, off of their 1997 American Recordings release "Sound of Lies," guest features Matthew Sweet on backup vocals. It's a tragic song about a girl named Madeline who got knocked overboard while out at sea. They dragged the stream, her body never to be found.
Now the blue has turned to red All but given up for dead ohh, Madeline--Madeline breathe
XTC is one of the pillars of British New Wave music. Founded in 1976 by Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding, the band charted their unique punky pop style with hits like "Life Begins at the Hop," and "Making Plans for Nigel."
The 80s were a crazy time for the band. After a mental breakdown, lead singer Andy Partridge developed such a severe case of stage fright that the band swore off ever performing live again. Permanently studio-bound, Andy's songwriting matured away from the band's punk upbringings. After a frustrating collaboration with producer and musician Todd Rundgren, the band made the classic album "Oranges and Lemons" from which the hits "The Mayor of Simpleton" and "King for a Day" rose. Those songs ended up making the rounds on the up and coming MTV network.
Now, fast forward to the year 2000. The album "Wasp Star, Apple Venus Volume Two" is the second of two records that XTC released after a long hiatus, largely aggravated by a contract dispute with their former label. As a whole the album is electric in nature, as compared to the previous "Apple Venus Volume One." It found a niche on college radio, and ended up cresting at number two on the College Music Journal's AAA charts in 2000.
Lead singer Andy Partridge says the song "Stupidly Happy" is
the dumbest but happiest song I ever wrote. I found the one riff that Keith Richard hadn't. It felt great to lean over and pick up that electric guitar and go, ‘Rrrr.’ Hopefully [it] says in music what the singer (me) experiences. I'm in love and in a happy groove.
Partidge asks, "is it instinctive that young kids at school behave just as good, bad and ugly as they do in the big square grown up world?" You'll see Andy's take on the matter in the first song we'll be featuring today, entitled "Playground."
"We're all Light" is a very very poppy song. Andy Partridge calls the song “funky word games on the theme of Man's beautiful inner light" and also an attempt to get the girl to bed. Most importantly Andy says "this song makes my feet smile.” Hopefully it makes your feet smile too!
Favorite tracks: 7. We're All Light, 2. Stupidly Happy, 1. Playground, 8. Standing in for Joe, 6. I'm the Man Who Murdered Love, 11. Church of Women, 12. The Wheel and the Maypole
Here's what was played on the Palo Alto Pop Overthrow for June 3, 2008:
Artist
Track
Album/Label
Chesterfield Kings, The
Streaks And Flashes
Psychedelic Sunrise Wicked Cool Records
Athenaeum
Frozen in Time
Athenaeum Atlantic
Paper Airplane
Four Trucks Sitting In The Snow
Middlemarch Allhail Records
Posies, the
Flavor of the Month
Frosting On The Beater Geffen Records
L.E.O.
Ya Had Me Goin'
Alpacas Orgling Cheap Lullaby
Rooney
Stay Away
Rooney Geffen Records
Malkmus, Stephen & The Jicks
Dragonfly Pie
Real Emotional Trash Matador Records
@Superdrag
Lighting the Way
In the Valley of Dying Stars Arena Rock Recording Co.
Old 97's
My Two Feet
Blame It On Gravity New West Records
Greenberry Woods, the
Parachute
Big Money Item Sire Records (Modern)
Destroyer
Dark Leaves From A Thread
Trouble In Dreams Merge Records
Velvet Crush
Star Trip
Teenage Symphonies to God Creation Records Limited
Shins, the
So Says I
Chutes Too Narrow Sub Pop Records
**Travis
Under the Moonlight
The Boy With No Name Independiente
Wiretree
Don't Need It
Bouldin Cobaltworks Music Division
Hang Ups, The
Deep Pool
The Hang Ups Contact Records
**Travis
My Eyes
The Boy With No Name Independiente
@Jayhawks, The
Queen of the World
Smile American Recordings
+Lovely, Brian
JustaboutasIdon'tknowwhat- -asIthinkyoucanget
Superimpose The Beat Parlor
*Tilbrook, Glenn
This is Where You Ain't
The Incomplete Glenn Tilbrook Quixotic London
+Candy Butchers, The
You Belong to Me Now
Play With Your Head RPM Records/Sony
@Guster
Days
One Man Wrecking Machine Ep Reprise Records (Modern)
Penn, Michael
Try
Resigned 57 Records/Epic
**Travis
Battleships
The Boy With No Name Independiente
+Maccoll, Kirsty
Children of the Revolution
Electric Landlady Charisma (Modern)
Spinning Jennies
Perect Girl
Starstruck Cool Buzz Records
Matt Pond PA
Closest (Look Out)
Four Songs Altitude Records
** Featured Album * Featured Track + Former Feature @ Request/Dedication
Palo Alto Pop Overthrow with Phil Andrews Tuesdays from 7-9AM PST/10-Noon EST KZSU Stanford, 90.1FM / http://kzsulive.stanford.edu/ Blog at http://www.palopop.org/
Glenn Tilbrook is one half of the original songwriting duo Difford & Tilbrook, who rose to fame as the core of a power pop and new wave band from the UK known as Squeeze. In between bouts as Squeeze's lead singer and guitarist, Glenn has taken time to pursue a solo career. In 2001 he released the "The Incomplete Glenn Tilbrook," on his own label, Quixotic Records. At first glance, the featured track, "This is Where You Ain't," sounds so chipper. It recalls traces of blue-eyed soul, and has a two note accent that really makes the song sparkle. It turns out that the song is actually about watching his son leave for Australia to live with his mother. In an interview with Musician.com, Glenn said,
Then, there's a song like “This Is Where You Ain’t,” where the music and the lyrics came together. That song is about my son leaving for Australia. I very much wanted to write about that—because I saw him taking off on a plane, and it was really horrible. I wanted to stress that feeling in a more balanced way, and the tune came at the same time.
The track features a cast of former Squeeze members, including Andy Metcalfe on the two note theme, as well as on bass. Chris Holland -- the younger brother of Jools Holland -- plays the organ.
This is where we had some fun And this is where we played And now the fact I have to face Is that this is where you ain't.
What is it about Scottish pop bands that makes them so good? Travis, who originally formed in 1995, truly came to light when their debut album "Good Feeling," produced by veteran producer Steve Lillywhite, hit a high mark on the British charts. The lineup for the band is: singer/songwriter Francis Healy, guitarist Andy Dunlop, drummer Neil Primrose, and bassist Dougie Payne. These Glaswegians have had several big hits including the songs "Sing," "Writing to Reach You," and "Why Does It Always Rain on Me?" Travis has paved the way for bands like Keane and the Snow Patrol to find success. Additionally Chris Martin, the frontman for Coldplay, has described himself as "a poor man's Fran Healy."
After an unsuccessful, largely unremarkable self-produced album entitled "12 Memories," Travis has returned to the spotlight with the album "The Boy With No Name." The record is produced by Nigel Godrich, who also produced Travis' breakout album "The Man Who", and the fruitful follow-up "The Invisible Band." The album also used the recording talents of Steve Orchard and Brian Eno. What I find particularly special about this release is that, unlike their previous albums, Travis' "Boy With No Name" has a layer of resignation and emotional grit about it that hasn't been polished away. It makes the songs much more authentic, and makes me want to listen again and again. The album's curious title lifts its phrasing from an email Fran Healy sent to his family, showing pictures of his new and as yet unnamed son. Fran and his partner Nora weren't able to come up with a name for their boy for four weeks after his birth.
The track "Under the Moonlight," was written by Susan Hug, formerly of the Katydids. She has collaborated with Travis on numerous occasions, and her debut album was produced by Healy. The song features the smooth, soothing harmonies of KT Tunstall. It is by far my favorite track from the album.
"My Eyes" is a song about Fran Healy's son Clay. Here is a video of the band performing the tune on "Later.. with Jools Holland":
Favorite tracks: 9. Under the Moonlight, 7. My Eyes, 1. 3 Times and You Lose, 12. New Amsterdam, 5. Battleships.
