25 Episodes of the Sonic Parthenon Show: The Numbers So Far

Number of Times I've Played the Dirtbombs: 10 (Mick Collins of the Dirtbombs has been played 12 times total, also counting the Gories and Blacktop).

Number of Times I've Played the Hold Steady: 10

Number of Times I've Played Bob Dylan: 9

Number of Times I've Played the Ramones: 13 (the Ramones also hold the record for number of consecutive episodes played with 6 - Episodes 13 through 18; Furthermore, the Ramones were played 8 times over 10 episodes, for a batting average of .462, thereby breaking Ted Williams' long-held record).

Number of Times I've Played the Beatles: 1

Number of Times I've Mentioned Not Liking the Beatles: 2

Number of Times I've Played Aerosmith Despite Also Saying I Don't Really Like Them: 2

Number of Artists I've Played Twice in One Show: 3 - the Hold Steady (twice), Bob Dylan, Ryan Adams

Number of Songs I've Played More Than Once: 1 - "Alex Chilton" by the Replacements

Number of Times I've Played Alex Chilton the person, not the song: 2 (both times as Big Star)

Number of Times I've Played the Replacements total: 7

Number of Times It Feels Like I've Played the Replacements: approximately 21

Number of Contemporary Pop Starletts I've Played: 1 (Adele)

Number of ads for Rocky Barnes, Secret Agent: 3

Number of Times I've Mentioned New York: Every episode, too many to count

Number of Times I've Mentioned I Love New York: 5

Number of Times I've Mentioned I Hate New Yorkers: 15

Number of Times I've Mentioned Philadelphia or my College Experience: almost every episode, also too many to count

Number of Times I've Mentioned Detroit - on purpose: about 6

Number of Times I've Mentioned Detroit - by accident: about 18

Number of References to No Longer Being "With It": surprisingly, only twice.

Number of References to my non-existent producer behind the non-existent glass, Horatio Huffnagle: 2

Number of References to my non-existent ex-wife, Zezu Pennypacker: 1

The Sonic Parthenon Playlist: Summer 2011, Vol. 2

Mister Heavenly - "Pineapple Girl"
Fine and dandy like sour...pineapple...no. Just a fine song.

Motopony - "King of Diamonds"
Motopony may make it big. Not only do they have a buzz going, NPR loves the hell out of this song for between-story music. Their look and their bio do not match this sound.

Pickwick - "Hacienda Hotel"
All I keep thinking is Orson Welles' pronunciation of "PICKWICK!" in his adaptation of the Pickwick Papers.

Sea Monsters - "These Days"
Put these guys on the bill with Ted Leo, the Gaslight Anthem, and that Hold Steady band and I'll be very happy indeed. This song is immense.

Smoove and Turrell - "Hard Work"
Requisite retro soul entry.

Stone Darling - "All I Wanna Do"
A very nice dash of some more of that slightly-trippy pop music.

Frank Turner - "I Am Disappeared"
Strong ballad.

Wild Flag - "Romance"
Last but not least, the band redefining the concept of a supergroup. Not just super for arising from an assortment of respected, beloved bands, but super for what they are doing now. This is tantamount to Audioslave for Indie people.

Honorable Mentions:
Pink Mink - "Ghost Bike"
Ceremony - "Not Tonight"
Bootsy Collins - "JB-Still the Man, featuring Rev. Al Sharpton" (Novelty song of the year)
Gomez - "Options"

The Sonic Parthenon Playlist: Summer 2011, Vol. 1

Well it happened. I can't think of one album to write about for this past Summer of 2011. It was truly a summer of singles for yours truly.

About Group - "Don't Worry"
Alexis Taylor of Hot Chip has a solo project full of the blue eyed soul (well not really blue eyed but why not) hinted on some of his main project's best work. I'm a sucker for a soul organ, this is well established.

An Horse - "Dressed Sharply"
The sleeper hit of the summer as they say. Slick Australian duo has a hearty, intense, bit of substance here.

David Bazan - "Eating Paper"
David Bazan strikes again! In the vein of Neil Young comes this burning bush.

Beirut - "East Harlem"
Mr. Condon makes me wish it was the mid-2000's all over again with this serene, magisterial try-out.

California Wives - "Tokyo"
More of a spring hit but it stuck around through the early summer. Finely crafted electro-pop.

Dirty Vegas - "Little White Doves"
As promised in my Spring round-up, here came Dirty Vegas. I can't believe it. But I guess a small part of me still has a thing for that Saturday night clubbing build-up. I just don't have a thing for the actual Saturday night clubbing.

Eleanor Friedburger - "My Mistakes"
A certified, bona fide smash in the Pennypacker playbook. The Fiery Furnaces have very little home here (save for maybe "Tropical Iceland"). But Eleanor takes a shot solo, does a pop record, and holy howdy listen to this. It's like the Stones' "Waiting on a Friend" but with vigor.

Ghost in the Water - "The Young"
Requisite 80's retro hipster entry.

Gold Bears - "Record Store"
Another of the big smashes of the summer. I listened to this part and parcel with the Pains of Being Pure at Heart record of the spring, making for choc-a-bloc slightly-distorted power pop days.

JEFF The Brotherhood - "Bummer"
A return trip to the classic rock sludgeworks courtesy of these forever-up-and-comers.

Hanni El Khatib - "Loved One"
I like this guy. Nothing says vintage rock n roll like a half-Filipino, half-Palestinian skateboarder from San Francisco. I can't make him up if I tried. How does he not have a pompadour?!

The Sonic Parthenon Show: Episode 24 – "Party"

The Sonic Parthenon Show: Episode 24 – "Party"

SPS24.mp3



Intro
“Party Hard” by Andrew W.K.

Set 1
“Everybody Have Fun Tonight” by Wang Chung
“Improper Dancing” by Electric Six
“Are You Ready?” by AC/DC
“Do You Wanna Dance” by the Ramones

Set 2
“Party at Ground Zero” by Fishbone
“Burning Down the House” by Talking Heads
“The Party” by the Star Spangles
“Big Fuckin Party (Part 1)” by Devil Dogs

Set 3
“Burn It All Down” by VHS or Beta
“Whoo! Alright Yeah…Uh Huh” by the Rapture
“Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)” by the Jacksons
“Dashboard” by Modest Mouse

Set 4
“Dancing with Myself” by Billy Idol
“Dance Little Sister” by the Rolling Stones
“The Neutron Dance” by the Pointer Sisters
“Eau d’Bedroom Dancing” by Le Tigre

Set 5
“Take Me Out” by Franz Ferdinand
“Listen Up!” by the Gossip
“Seven Days a Week” by the Sounds
“The Queen of White Lies” by the Orion Experience

Set 6
“Carwars” by Funeral Party
“Such a Scene” by the Changes
“Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt” by We Are Scientists
“Over & Over” by Hot Chip

Set 7
“Word Up” by Cameo
“Heads are Gonna Roll” by Rocket from the Crypt
“Livin’ for the Weekend” by the Dirtbombs
“Massive Nights” by the Hold Steady

Outro
“Living After Midnight” by Judas Priest

The Sonic Parthenon Show: Episode 23 – “What I’ve Learned”

The Sonic Parthenon Show: Episode 23 – “What I’ve Learned”

SPS23.mp3


If there's one thing I've learned in the last ten years, it is that happiness is a warm puppy.

Intro
“Rock n Roll” by the Velvet Underground

Set 1
“My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)” by Neil Young & Crazy Horse
“Beyond Beautiful” by Aerosmith
“Mansion on the Hill” by Bruce Springsteen
“Where the Streets Have No Name” by U2

Set 2
“Hotel Yorba” by the White Stripes
“Poison Heart” by the Ramones
“Monster Hospital” by Metric
“She’s a Rebel” by Green Day
“See How We Are” by X
“Hurt” by Johnny Cash

Set 3
“The Modern Age” by the Strokes
“Maps” by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
“City Middle” by the National
“You, South Dakota” by Bryan Dunn

Set 4
“Stuck Between Stations” by the Hold Steady
“Talent Show” by the Replacements
“These Days” by Sea Monsters
“Where Have All the Rude Boys Gone?” by Ted Leo & the Pharmacists

Set 5
“God is in the House” by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
“God’s Away on Business” by Tom Waits
“Graduated” by John Hiatt
“Mutineer” by Warren Zevon

Set 6
“Into the Mystic” by Van Morrison
“Life is Beautiful” by Ryan Adams & the Cardinals
“Bye & Bye” by Bob Dylan
“Not Too Late” by Norah Jones

Outro
“F.I.D.O.” by the Dirtbombs