The Sonic Parthenon Show – Episode 33: “Pennypacker’s Top 25 Songs of 2011”

The Sonic Parthenon Show – Episode 33: “Pennypacker’s Top 25 Songs of 2011”

SPS33.mp3

Intro “Countdown” by the Black Keys

Set 1 25. “Eating Paper” by David Bazan
24. “King of Diamonds” by Motopony
23. “Ten-Twenty-Ten” by Generationals
22. “Pineapple Girl” by Mister Heavenly
21. “Down by the Water” by the Decemberists

Set 2
20. “My Mistakes” by Eleanor Friedburger
19. “Through the Floor” by Crystal Stilts
18. “Just Saying” by the Hold Steady
17. “Highway Down” by I See Hawks in L.A.
16. “I Don’t Care” by TV Girl

Set 3
“Another Girl, Another Planet” by the Replacements
“New Pleasure” by Richard Hell & the Voidoids
“Where Was My Brain?” by Ted Leo & the Pharmacists

Set 4
15. “Money and Run” UNKLE featuring Nick Cave
14. “These Times” by Stag
13. “Guilty Girls” by Buffalo Tom
12. “Little White Doves” by Dirty Vegas
11. “Romance” by Wild Flag

Set 5
“Bad as Me” by Tom Waits
“Woe is Me…I am Ruined” by the Lonely Forest
“Just a Creep” by Dum Dum Girls
“Philadelphia (the City of Brotherly Love)” by We Are Augustines

Set 6
10. “Blue Door” by Two Habors
9. “Dressed Sharply by An Horse
8. “Caffeinated Consciousness” by TV on the Radio
7. “Boeing 737” by the Low Anthem
6. “Record Store” by Gold Bears

Set 7 5. “Mine Smell Like Honey” by R.E.M.
4. “These Days” by Sea Monsters
3. “Jericho” by Jamaica
2. “Under Cover of Darkness” by the Strokes

Outro
1. “Belong” by the Pains of Being Pure at Heart

The Sonic Parthenon Year in Music: 2011 (or Part 2 in an On-going Joke of How Elwood Is No Longer With It)

2011 marked something of a notable change in the music mission of this blog. By the end of last year, I assessed the change was already a done deal but there was a chance to make things the way they used to be. It was clear however in 2011 that the relevant scenesterism perused by Elwood D Pennypacker was a bell graph. So in 2011, it was decided that generally speaking, Sonic Parthenon could not actively, constantly, look forward. It was now time to look back.

A mere 13 concert reviews in 2011 reveals part of the story (and a telling word from an old SP friend points out that old man Elwood started referring to 'concerts' instead of 'shows'). And of the 13, only a couple could be considered a trending, "the place the tastemakers are at tonight" style of show (such as the Joy Formidable and Lonely Forest). The others either spoke to my ongoing love affairs (the Dirtbombs, the National, the Thermals), making rites of passage (Lyle Lovett & John Hiatt, the Blasters), or celebrations of recent appreciations (Deniz Tek and Ivan Julian, Tommy Stinson, Ted Leo).

The bigger story in 2011 was of course the birth of the Sonic Parthenon Show. Yours truly refocused his energies, cast himself in the Orson Welles vein as your "obedient servant", and joined up with the online forces of Thor Radio in order to share audibly with the world what music has meant to him over the last 30 years. A lot of episodes have devoted time to new songs, much of which was noted in the playlists (Editor's Truthful Note: I forgot to put R.E.M. in the Playlist for Early 2011 and grandfathered them into it now. Maybe this is why they broke up a couple of months ago - lack of recognition). But the general schematic for each episode so far has been a review and revue of all things Elwood Rock n Roll. And annoying impersonations of old stars of the Yiddish theater.

Some have said it may be time for Elwood to hang up the rock n roll mantle and give up all pre-tense of having a relevant blog (many read the tea leaves in the official demise of the White Stripes at the beginning of the year). That apart from the show and the occasional nostalgia concert, it's all over, happenin'-wise. As Grampa Simpson once said, "I used to be with it, but then they changed what it was. Now what I'm with isn't it, and what's it seems weird and scary to me, and it'll happen to you, too".

Now may be the time to focus on being a "foodie". Indeed, the treat of many Sonic Parthenon Shows so far as been the accompanying show meal, usually involving rocambole garlic, purple cauliflower, and some apricot-infused chorizo. We'll see where 2012 leads us. This indeed may be the future.

But you never know. Some young buck may be working his way up in the ranks of rock n roll, dazzling the hipster crowds, making them shut up, put away the cell phones, and tone down their style of dress. A prospect hell bent on shaking things up, making it all about the music again, and not economy-defying lushing-about. In fact, Elwood thinks he has seen the future and is fully prepared to write in 2012 about the leader of this vanguard that will make rock n roll (and this blog) relevant again. This brash rook is named Tom Waits. And I think you're going to hear a lot from him real soon.

The Playlists

Early 2011, Vol 1

Early 2011, Vol 2

Spring 2011, Vol 1

Spring 2011, Vol 2

Summer 2011, Vol 1

Summer 2011, Vol 2

Autumn and Late 2011

The Shows (or Concerts if you prefer)

Shwa and Bryan Dunn @ Rockwood

Lyle Lovett & John Hiatt @ Beacon

The Blasters @ Bell House

The Joy Formidable and Lonely Forest @ Webster

The Thermals @ le Poisson Rouge

The Dirtbombs and Dennis Coffey @ Bell House

Ted Leo & the Pharmacists and Screaming Females @ the Seaport

Joan Jett @ Coney Island

U2 @ the Meadowlands

Cheap Trick @ Coney Island

Tommy Stinson @ Bowery Electric

Deniz Tek and Ivan Julian @ Bell House

The National @ Beacon

The National @ Beacon Theater (Or Part 1in an On-going Joke of How Elwood Is No Longer With It)

The National; So Percussion
@ Beacon Theater
New York, NY - December 14, 2011

Sure I could write about how the National have AMPED up. How they are more of a full-on rock band than ever before without actually changing their songs or their sound. How they are now halfway to being a rock spectacle like their old forerunners the Arcade Fire. How Padma and Doveman weren't there but the horn section is a permanent component of the band. How Berninger was as playfully fun as he's ever been (A Dessner mess-up to the opening of "Fake Empire" prompted a faux "WHAT THE FUCK!" that I found endlessly hilarious for reasons I am still unclear on). And how they do not forget their Fine Arts-y affiliations (witness the Steve Reich-playing Blue Man Group/Stomp for the Caviar set opener called So Percussion).
But nah. Let's talk about me! It's the Internet, you know.

It wasn't that long ago that seeing the National was regular "Pennypacker-on-the-town" business. I was the first person through the door at Terminal 5 when they christened it. I was at the great BAM shows. Etc. Etc. The National were (and still are) part of my elite favorites that I go to on a regular listening basis when nothing else will suffice (you know the crew - the Hold Steady, Metric, and my beloved misfit Dirtbombs). But that's just it. The National were (are) part of the last wave of bands-of-the-moment that I attached myself to. I've been musically stuck in 2007, 2008 for all these years. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart have been great. Grinderman/Nick Cave and Tom Waits have been the most exciting musical stories to me of late. See my upcoming Year in Review for more on the few new bands and much older bands that Pennypacker has been listening to.

I spent more time listening to the Replacements this year than any other band.
This is why this blog is no longer relevant.

But that's OK.

I didn't mean for this to happen. I meant to stay hip and cutting edge for a long time. I've already blamed myself and others (bad concert audiences, the Chillwave scene) for this as being a problem. But maybe it isn't a problem. Maybe it's perfectly reasonable stasis. There is nothing wrong with a band like the National being part of the apex, the climax, the ne plus ultra, of a music-learning life. Especially if part of the change is life around you.

The National, maybe more than any other band in the Pennypacker Trust, provide a soundtrack. Matt Berninger's seemingly non-sensical but probing lyrics have the right kind of mature ambiguity to narrate that time you went to a party and felt out of place (or worse, went to a party and felt completely IN place!), the time you went to buy a dryer with your girlfriend's mother, the time you told your friend about having this exact kind of pretentious meta-conversation with yourself and share it on an obscure slice of the Internet. And of course the soundtrack for when they don't have Ewephoria cheese at Fairway and you belt out a Berninger-style "WHAT THE FUCK!".
So this review should not serve as a final goodbye letter to Pennypacker the Schmuck Who Likes Rock n Roll. But it looks like it is the final goodbye to Pennypacker the Schmuck Who Thinks He Can Tell You Which Band to See Right Now. You're on your own. Good luck.

The Sonic Parthenon Playlist: Autumn and Late 2011

Our final reflection of 2011 demonstrates again the bevy of singles that dominates the Pennypacker experience in music but behold! At the end! A rather large number of albums - and I mean albums - that stood out. So while the "Album is Dead" theory took a blow this Fall, it is more likely the case that this was merely an anomaly. And unlike all the other changes in the Sonic Parthenon universe, the theory is reflective of a greater change in music overall, and not merely the ongoing devolution of a pseudo-scenester turned homebody preservationist.

There'll be more to come on the above theories as conclude the year.

Singles:
Tori Amos - "Job's Coffin" (featuring Natashya Hawley)
Asa - "Why Can't We"
Braid - "The Right Time"
Jimmy Cliff - "Ship is Sailing"
Fool's Gold - "Wild Window"
Gross Relations - "When You Go Down"
John Wesley Harding - "There's a Starbucks Where the Starbucks Used to Be"
Hillbilly Casino - "The Doctor"
Ivy - "Fascinated"
Japandroids - "Younger Us"
The Jim Jones Review - "Elemental"
Matt Latterell - "Hostage"
Little Dragon - "Ritual Union"
Rene Lopez - "Shing-a-ling is What I Bring"
Los Campesinos! - "By Your Hand"
M83 - "Midnight City"
Mariachi el Bronx - "Revolution Girls"
Mates of State - "Palomino"
Spectrals - "Big Baby"
Two Harbors - "Blue Door"
Youth Lagoon - "Montana

Albums:
Black Keys - El Camino
Dum Dum Girls - Only in Dreams
Flogging Molly - Speed of Darkness
Tom Waits - Bad As Me
We Are Augustines - Rise Ye Sunken Ships
Wild Flag - Wild Flag

The Sonic Parthenon Show – Episode 32: “A Pennypacker Festivus…or…Why We Should Celebrate the Winter Harvest and the Revolution of the Earth Around th

The Sonic Parthenon Show – Episode 32: “A Pennypacker Festivus…or…Why We Should Celebrate the Winter Harvest and the Revolution of the Earth Around the Sun”

SPS32.mp3



Intro
“Rock and Roll Christmas” by George Thorogood & the Destroyers

Set 1
“Fuck Christmas” by Fear
“The Christmas Song” by the Raveonettes
“The Christmas Song” by Nat King Cole
“Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want to Fight Tonight)” by the Ramones
“Christmas Time (Don’t Let the Bells End)” by the Darkness

Set 2
“Santa’s on His Way” by Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys
“Must Be Santa” by Bob Dylan
“Dear Santa” by Amy Gore
“Santa Claus” by Thee Headcoatees
“Father Christmas” by the Kinks

Set 3
“Christmas with the Devil” by Spinal Tap
“Mistress for Christmas” by AC/DC
“Fruitcake” by the Superions
“O Tannenbaum” by Vincent Guaraldi

Set 4
“Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis” by Tom Waits
“Fairytale of New York” by the Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl
“Annunciation Day/Born on Christmas Day” by Ted Leo & the Pharmacists
“I Wish It Was Christmas Today” by Julian Casablancas

Set 5
“Christmas All Over” by Tom Petty
“Merry Christmas Baby” by Elvis Presley
“Christmas Wrapping” by the Waitresses
“Everything is One Big Christmas Tree” by the Magnetic Fields
“The Blizzard” by Camera Obscura

Set 6
“Candy Cane Children” by the White Stripes
“Tell the Lord (What Santa’s Done)” by Goober & the Peas
“Don’t Forget to Feed the Reindeer” by the Come Ons
“My Last Christmas” by the Dirtbombs

Set 7
“Future is in the Future” by Electric Six
“2012” by Box Elders
“2012 Blues” by Thomas Function
“New Year’s Eve” by Tom Waits

Outro
“Auld Lang Syne” by Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin

The Sonic Parthenon Show – Episode 31: “This is Dedicated to Those I Am Moderately Fond of…Or…Hard Times Thanksgiving Blues”

The Sonic Parthenon Show – Episode 31: “This is Dedicated to Those I Am Moderately Fond of…Or…Hard Times Thanksgiving Blues”

SPS31.mp3



Intro
“Dedicated to the One I Love” by the Temprees

Set 1
“Hallelujah, I’m a Bum” by Harry “Mac” McClintock
“Gimme Some Money” by Spinal Tap
“Livin’ in the Red” by War
“Broke in Detroit (Again)” by the Dirtbombs
“Hard Times in New York Town” by Bob Dylan

Set 2
“Money Changes Everything” by the Brains
“No Money No Luck Blues” by B.B. King
“Debt Collector” by the Deadly Snakes
“There’s a Starbucks Where the Starbucks Used to Be” by John Wesley Harding
“Headlong Into the Abyss” by We Are Augustines

Set 3
“Blue Door” by Two Harbors
“Wild Window” by Fool’s Gold
“Big Baby” by Spectrals
“Pineapple Girl” by Mister Heavenly*

Set 4
“Satisfied” by Tom Waits
“Methamphetamine Blues” by Mark Lanegan
“Job’s Coffin” by Tori Amos
“The Hula Hula Boys” by Warren Zevon

Set 5
“Everlong” by Foo Fighters
“Breed” by Nirvana
“When She Begins” by Social Distortion
“I Don’t Wanna Go Down to the Basement” by the Ramones
“Suzanne Beware of the Devil” by Nicky Thomas

Set 6
“I Can’t Hardly Wait (The Tim Version)” by the Replacements
“Not Fade Away” by Buddy Holly
“The Rat” by the Walkmen
“Stone Free” by the Jimi Hendrix Experience

Outro
“Rubber Biscuit” by the Blues Brothers

*Post-Show Note: It would have been nice if I had something to say about Mister Heavenly during the program. The band is made up of members of Islands, Modest Mouse, and Man Man, and Michael Cera used to be the touring bass player.

The Sonic Parthenon Show – Episode 30: “Ode to the Auteur”

The Sonic Parthenon Show – Episode 30: “Ode to the Auteur”

SPS30.mp3



Intro
“Hooray for Hollywood” featuring Benny Goodman and various artists

Set 1
“Blank Generation” by Richard Hell & the Voidoids
“I Wanna Be Your Dog” by the Stooges
“You’re Pretty Good Looking (For a Girl)” by the White Stripes
“There’s An End” by Holly Golightly & the Greenhornes

Set 2
“Down, Down, Down” by Tom Waits
“Mystery Train” by Elvis Presley
“Tommy Gun (Live)” by Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros
“I Put a Spell on You” by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins

Set 3
“Misirlou” by Dick Dale & His Del-Tones
“Rumble” by Link Wray & His Ray Men
“Let’s Stay Together” by Al Green
“Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) by Nancy Sinatra
“Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” by Santa Esmerelda
“Goodnight Moon” by Shivaree

Set 4
“Who’s That Knocking?” by the Genies
“Layla” by Derrick & the Dominoes
“Breakaway” by Sidney Stripling

Set 5
“I’m Shipping Up to Boston” by Dropkick Murphys
“Sail on Sailors” by the Beach Boys
“Like a Rolling Stone (Live Version)” by Bob Dylan
“Devil Got My Woman” by Skip James

Set 6
“Judy is a Punk” by the Ramones
“Everyone” by Van Morrison
“Mongoloid” by Devo
“Ooh La La” by the Faces

Set 7
“Chains of Love” by the Dirtbombs
“Don’t Kiss Me Goodbye” by Ultra Orange & Emmanuel
“24 Hour Party People” by Happy Mondays
“True Faith” by New Order
“I Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)” by Kenny Rogers & First Edition
“In the Jailhouse Now” by the Soggy Bottom Boys
“Signed, Sealed, Delivered” by Stevie Wonder

Outro
“I’ll See You in My Dreams” by Woody Allen

The Sonic Parthenon Show – Episode 29: “All The Love That’s Fit to Print”

The Sonic Parthenon Show – Episode 29: “All The Love That’s Fit to Print”

SPS29.mp3



Intro
“Love Stinks” by J. Geils Band

Set 1
“My Love for You” by the Dirtbombs
“Love Bomb” by Grinderman
“I Hate Myself for Loving You” by Joan Jett
“Ever Fallen in Love” by the Buzzcocks

Set 2
“Oh Oh I Love Her So” by the Ramones
“I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend” by the Rubinoos
“Honey in the Sun” by Camera Obscura
“Second, Minute, or Hour” by Jack Penate
“What a Wonderful World” by Sam Cooke

Set 3
“Say No to Love” by the Pains of Being Pure at Heart
“Lovesick Blues” by Hank Williams
“Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright” by Bob Dylan
“That Was Yesterday” by Wynonna Judd

Set 4
“Obsessed With You” by the Orion Experience
“The Seed 2.0” by The Roots (with Cody Chestnutt)
“Come on Over (Turn Me On” by Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan
“We Don’t Have to Take Our Clothes Off” by Jermaine Stewart

Set 5
“High Fidelity” by Elvis Costello
“Lovers Who Wander” by Dion
“Thinking About You” by Norah Jones
“My Lover’s Prayer” by Otis Redding
“Love That Girl” by Raphael Saadiq

Set 6
“Palaces of Montezuma” by Grinderman
“Encrypted” by the Dirtbombs
“Be My Wife” by David Bowie
“All I Want Is You” by U2

Outro
“I Love You, Suzanne” by Lou Reed
“Goodnight Irene” by Leadbelly

The Sonic Parthenon Show – Episode 28: “The Pennypacker Shuffle, Vol II”

The Sonic Parthenon Show – Episode 28: “The Pennypacker Shuffle, Vol II”

SPS28.mp3



Intro
“Sunshine” by Regina Spektor

Set 1
“Mood Indigo” by Duke Ellington & His Orchestra
“Twistin’ the Night Away” by Sam Cooke
“The Great Communicator” by Ted Leo & the Pharmacists
“Dance with Me” by the Modern Lovers
“Smoke and Mirrors” by the Gentlemen Callers

Set 2
“I Think I Smell a Rat” by the White Stripes
“Stadium Love” by Metric
“(Baby) I’m Your Fool” by the Black Hollies
“Be My Somebody” by Norah Jones
“I Hate You, I Love You” by the Dead Milkmen

Set 3
“Primal Scream” by Motley Crue
“Perfectly Good Guitar” by John Hiatt
“Temptation” by Elvis Costello
“Going to California” by Led Zeppelin
“Tiny Dancer” by Elton John

Set 4
“Acony Bell” by Gillian Welch
“Now, Right Now” by Reverend Horton Heat
“Like a Secret” by Sam Champion
“By My Side” by the Gentleman Callers
“She Put the Hurt on Me” by Otis Redding

Set 5
“Sex Objects” by the Briefs
“Riding With Mary” by X
“Come in Alone” by My Bloody Valentine
“Children of the Grave” by Black Sabbath
“Girls” by Marina & the Diamonds

Set 6
“Freedom” by Jimi Hendrix
“A New Day Yesterday” by Jethro Tull
“A-Tisket A-Tasket” by Ella Fitzgerald
“Broken” by the Love Me Nots

Outro
“Race for the Prize” by the Flaming Lips

The Sonic Parthenon Show : Episode 27 – “Bands A-Z, Vol. 2: No Good Lousy Punks”

The Sonic Parthenon Show : Episode 27 – “Bands A-Z, Vol. 2: No Good Lousy Punks”

SPS27.mp3



Intro
“Woo Hoo” by 5.6.7.8’s

Set 1
“Chinese Takeaway” by The Adicts
“X Offender” by Blondie
“I Don’t Mind” by the Buzzcocks
“White Riot” by the Clash
“Uranium Rock” by the Cramps

Set 2
“New Rose” by the Damned
“Sonic Reducer” by the Dead Boys
“Rock and Roll Evacuation” by Electric Six
“Modern Kicks” by the Exploding Hearts
“Let’s Have a War” by Fear
“Swagger” by Flogging Molly

Set 3
“Ready Steady Go” by Generation X
“Hey Hey, We’re the Gories” by the Gories
“Get off the Phone” by Johnny Thunders & the Heartbreakers
“Declare Guerre Nucleaire” by the Hives
“Sailor Itch” by the Intelligence
“In the City” by the Jam

Set 4
“Dock It #8” by the King Khan & BBQ Show
“No Love Lost” by LCD Soundsystem
“Corona” by Minutemen
“(You Must Fight to Live) on the Planet of the Apes” by the Mummies

Set 5
“Trash” by the New York Dolls
“Something for Nothing” by the Oblivians
“Boys from County Hell” by the Pogues
“Punk Rock Girls” by the Queers

Set 6
“Havana Affair” by the Ramones
“Fuck School” by the Replacements
“Holidays in the Sun” by the Sex Pistols
“If the Kids are United” by Sham 69

Set 7
“Paper” by Talking Heads
“See No Evil” by Television
“Teenage Kicks” by the Undertones
“Love Comes in Spurts” by Richard Hell & the Voidoids

Set 8
“Red Bowling Ball Ruth” by the White Stripes
“Ex Lion Tamer” by Wire
“Sex and Dying in High Society” by X
“Oh! Bondage up Yours!” by X-Ray Spex
“Date with the Night” by Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Outro
“Inergy” by Zero Boys

The Sonic Parthenon Show – Episode 26: “Alliances: Holy and Unholy Alike”

The Sonic Parthenon Show – Episode 26: “Alliances: Holy and Unholy Alike”


SPS26.mp3




Intro
“Walk This Way” by Run D.M.C. with Aerosmith

Set 1
“Common People” by William Shatner with Joe Jackson
“I’m Waiting for the Man” by David Bowie and Lou Reed
“Strange Overtones” by David Byrne and Brian Eno
“Disorder in the House” by Warren Zevon with Bruce Springsteen
“When Love Comes to Town” by U2 with B.B. King

Set 2
“Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off” by Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong
“Hootchie Cootchie Man” by Muddy Waters and the Rolling Stones
“The Weight” by the Band with the Staples Singers
“Ball & Biscuit” by Bob Dylan and Jack White

Set 3
“Date to Church” by the Replacements with Tom Waits
“Dear John” by Ryan Adams & the Cardinals with Norah Jones
“I’ll Fly Away” by Alison Krauss & Gillian Welch

Set 4
“Tramp” by Otis Redding & Carla Thomas
“It’s a Natural Fact” by Billy Childish & Holly Golightly
“Post Modern Girls” by the Strokes & Regina Spektor
“Ode to L.A.” by the Raveonettes with Roni Spector

Set 5
“La Di Da Di” by Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick
“The Girl from Ipanema” by Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto
“U Got the Look” by Prince with Sheena Easton
“Where the Wild Roses Grow” by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds & Kylie Minogue

Set 6
“Carpetbaggers” by Jenny Lewis with Elvis Costello
“You’re Never Alone in New York” by Mark Mallman
“Mama Told Me Not to Come” by Tom Jones & Stereophonics
“History Repeating” by Propellerheads with Shirley Bassey

Outro
“My Sweet Hunk o’ Trash” by Billie Holiday and Louis Armstrong

The Sonic Parthenon Show: Episode 25 – “Paging Dr. Rock… or…The Show Must Go On…”

The Sonic Parthenon Show: Episode 25 – “Paging Dr. Rock… or…The Show Must Go On…”

SPS25.mp3

Intro
“The Show Must Go On” by Pink Floyd

Set 1
“Dr. Rock” by Ween
“Girl You Have No Faith in Medicine” by the White Stripes
“Planet Health” by Chairlift
“I’m Sick Y’All” by Otis Redding
“The Sick Bed of Cuchulain” by the Pogues

Set 2
“Miracle Man” by Elvis Costello
“If You Don’t Start Drinking (I’m Gonna Leave)” by George Thorogood & the Destroyers
“In the Midnight Hour” by Wilson Pickett
“Sunday Papers” by Joe Jackson

Set 3
“Younger Us” by Japandroids
“When You Go Down” by Gross Relations
“Why Can’t We” by Asa
“Palomino” by Mates of State
“East Harlem” by Beirut

Set 4
“Banquet” by Bloc Party
“Being Here” by the Stills
“Them or Me” by Finding Fiction
“It’s Casual” by Maritime
“The Runout” by Maps of Norway

Set 5
“Kids in America” by Kim Wilde
“Say What You Want” by Texas
“Red, White, and Blue” by Cast of Thousands
“Rebellion (Lies)” by Arcade Fire
“What is Life” by George Harrison

Set 6
“Waterloo” by ABBA
“Working on a Building” by Elvis Presley
“Career Opportunities” by the Clash
“1 2 3 4” by Feist
“Wagon Wheel” by Old Crow Medicine Show

Outro
“Coming Down” by Dum Dum Girls

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

Deniz Tek; Ivan Julian @ the Bell House

Deniz Tek; Ivan Julian
@ the Bell House
Brooklyn, NY - August 26, 2011

Why is punk rock n roll so good? I don't know. Well I do. But for tonight, let's just say the reason is that punk rock fears not an impending hurricane. It was Good Night, Irene at the Bell House as first Voidoid Ivan Julian and then Radio Birdman Deniz Tek, the Iceman himself, gave this tropical storm the middle finger. Ivan Julian ran the gamut of punk rock, shuffling his boots through the classic approach as well as through some blues, country, and that No Wave Blank Generation vibe (yes, that song was played). Deniz Tek didn't mess around, slashing between punk rock and some sludgy blues, backed by some pomade-happy, tatooed-up twins with some extra help by Keith from the Fuzztones. The "New Race" ending was smashing.

And in the ultimate expression of why it's ok to be a punk rock elitist: There were more people in the front bar at the 80's dance party (few if any of the participants appeared to be old enough to remember the 80's) than there were in the back room for the gig. These bubble gumming yuppie hipsters had no idea who exactly was back there. You know what? That's OK.

Tommy Stinson @ Bowery Electric

Tommy Stinson; the Jay Vons
@ Bowery Electric
New York, NY - August 25, 2011

Someone shouted out "Replacements!" when Tommy Stinson speculated on what to play next. His response was as follows: "I will forever be. But I will never play again. Unless Paul decides he wants to have fun again maybe." And that's all there is to say about that.

I mean...I could take this opportunity to write about my long winding come-around to loving the music of the Replacements in the last couple of years. How I only liked a few songs for a good while but liked them more as an idea, as more than the sum of their parts. And that only in the last few months have I finally gone over and decided that the entire catalog is actually worth a damn. But whatever...that's just what someone, somewhere would want me to do and in true 'mats fashion, I'll do something else instead.

Tommy Stinson played his solo work, wrapping up his residency at Jesse Malin's Bowery Electric. After years of Minnesota nice, classic rock upbringing, 80's non-stardom, his own post-non-stardom project, and an addendum in Los Angeles that has included something that used to be Guns n Roses, the result is a very-understandable, easy-to-like, sound. Tommy Stinson is just a guy that wants to play nice sounding rock music. And he succeeds. He has an able voice to go with the reserve of hooks and melodies. There's a nice run of across-the-board rock, not surprisingly absorbing country and blues in its essence. And the backing band, assembled for the residency, may as well have been his full time band.

The Jay Vons are a local soul-garage band that made me nostalgic not for the era of music they play (I can't be nostalgic for that, I wasn't born yet), but for about 5 to 10 years ago when this kind of retro-fitting rock n roll was all the rage. Before the 80's synths and the bearded folkies came back full blown, there was a lot of this going on. And it was up my alley. Boy howdy. To fit in with today's crowds, the Jay Vons have a guy with a mighty beard on the order of Garth Hudson or a Winter brother. But they don't need to fit in. They need to keep doing what they are doing.

The Sonic Parthenon Show – Episode 22: “On My Mind”

The Sonic Parthenon Show – Episode 22: “On My Mind”

SPS22.mp3



Intro
“Romance” by Wild Flag

Set 1
“Color Me Impressed” by the Replacements
“Dyslexic Heart” by Paul Westerberg
“Girl Who Lives on Heaven Hill” by Husker Du
“I’m Sorry, Baby, But You Can’t Stand in My Light Anymore” by Bob Mould

Set 2
“Radioactive” by Kings of Leon
“Taken for a Fool” by the Strokes
“Julius” by Phish
“Spasticus (Autisticus)” by Ian Dury & the Blockheads

Set 3
“My Mistakes” by Eleanor Friedburger
“Ten-Twenty-Ten” by Generationals
“King of Diamonds” by Motopony
“Dressed Sharply” by An Horse

Set 4
“Scent of a Woman” by Cheap Trick
“What Do I Get?” by the Buzzcocks
“Sick to Move” by Superchunk
“I’m Gonna Change Your Life” by the Thermals

Set 5
“This Ain’t No Picnic” by Minutemen
“3 Dimes Down” by Drive-in Truckers
“Don’t Come Home a-Drinkin’” by Loretta Lynn
“Fallin’ & Flying” by Jeff Bridges

Set 6
“50’s” by Pomegranates
“Collide” by Elks*
“Butch” by Saint Motel
“Albatross” by Besnard Lakes

Set 7
“Rolling in the Deep” by Adele
“Pop Song 89” by R.E.M.
“Excitable Boy” by Warren Zevon
“We Started Nothing” by the Ting Tings

Outro
“Rock and Roll Babe” by Cocktail Slippers

*(Update on August 30, 2011: It turns out indeed that the Elks band I mention performing in September at Union Pool is quite NOT the Elks band I played on this particular program. The Elks band that is playing is in fact a hardcore thrash band - to wit).

Cheap Trick @ Coney Island

Cheap Trick
@ Coney Island
August 18, 2011

Cheap Trick is often a duality, a yin-yang unto itself. Back in the day, they were both a pretty-boy-pop-band and a classic rock n roll phenom. In the later years, this translated to being both a perceived-has-been-relic and a reliable-still-damn-cool-almost-punk-in-their-spirit legend. And let's not forget the time they did a hair band ballad better than any hair band could muster on their best day ("The Flame").

I used to hate this band. "I Want You to Want Me" was ruined for me by smug, suburban assholes of America. This was all I knew. Then in 2003, "Scent of a Woman" was released. Who would have thunk that not only did Cheap Trick make a song of the year, they made a song of my life? To this day and beyond, that recording will be one of perennial favorites. When that broke, I had no choice but to give the band a second chance. And it worked. They even made That 70's Show tolerable.

That duality remains. This is a band arrogant enough to come out on stage to the tune of their own music, but also a band humble enough to come out to the audio of all of the references made to the band on The Simpsons.

Robin Zander and Rick Nielsen hide behind sunglasses at night and their usual off-kilter fashion senses. Nevertheless, the pretension drops when the riffs wail, and the band pumps rock n roll like "Rocket '88" never went out of style.

Now a dose of reality: the truth on this August night is that Cheap Trick is freaked out. We nearly lost them at a storm-caused stage collapse last month in Ottawa. They made no bones about that in this abridged set, still feeling it from that incident (and not helped by last weekend's deadly stage collapse in Indiana and today's deadly stage collapse at Pukklepop in Belgium). "Union rules" caused the storm-threatened show to cut short (and there was no opener to boot because of the storms) but I gathered from Zander's emotional distance and Nielsen's "make the best of it" earnestness, that the band was a bit rattled. Also, no Bun E. Carlos on the drums. That doesn't help (not that Nielsen's son Daxx is a slouch). I briefly worried Bun was still in Tinted Windows. Someone assure me that is not the case.

So only a handful of songs. But there's that Cheap Trick duality. It wouldn't surprise me as I walked away that the band would come back for a full set. They are that kind of band. They always have been.

The Sonic Parthenon Show – Episode 21: “Elwood’s Blues”

The Sonic Parthenon Show – Episode 21: “Elwood’s Blues”

SPS21.mp3




Intro
“Early in the Morning” by the Gories

Set 1
“Stop Breakin’ Down Blues” by Robert Johnson
“Stop Breakin’ Down (Live, at Maida Vale)” by the White Stripes
“Stack O’ Lee Blues” by Mississippi John Hurt
“Stagger Lee” by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds

Set 2
“Low Down Mojo Blues” by Blind Lemon Jefferson
“What is a Soul of a Man?” by Blind Willie Johnson
“Broke Down Angel” by Blind Willie McTell
“Blind Man Blues” by Muddy Waters

Set 3
“Boogie at Russian Hill” by John Lee Hooker
“Madison Blues” by George Thorogood & the Destroyers
“Midnight Special” by Leadbelly
“Bluebird” by Howlin’ Wolf

Set 4
“T’aint Nobody’s Bizness If I Do” by Bessie Smith
“Foreclose on the House of Love” by Marcia Ball
“What am I to You?” by Norah Jones
“Black Cat Bone” by Mr. Airplane Man

Set 5
“John the Revelator” by Son House
“Bundle Up & Go” by Dooley Wilson
“Goin’ Back to Memphis” by Soledad Brothers
“Birdsnest” by Mr. David Viner

Set 6
“Red House” by the Jimi Hendrix Experience
“Pride and Joy” by Stevie Ray Vaughan
“Shotgun Blues” by Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band
“Are You Gonna Go My Way? (MTV Unplugged) by Lenny Kravitz

Set 7
“Statesboro Blues” by the Allman Brothers Band
“If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day” by Eric Clapton
“Spoonful’” by Scott H. Biram
“Hey, Hey (What Can I Do)” by Chris Thomas King

Set 8
“The Thrill is Gone” by B.B. King
“You Gonna Need Somebody When You Die” by Charly Patton
“Way Down in the Hole” by the Blind Boys of Alabama
“Sweet Home Chicago” by the Blues Brothers

Outro
“Ride On” by AC/DC

The Sonic Parthenon Show: Episode 20 - "Don't Panic"

The Sonic Parthenon Show – Episode 20: “Don’t Panic”

SPS20.mp3



Intro
“Just Like Honey” by the Jesus and Mary Chain

Set 1
“Lord I’m Discouraged” by the Hold Steady
“Fight Test” by the Flaming Lips
“Fall Down Lightly” by VHS or Beta
“Cold Hands, Warm Heart” by Brendan Benson
“Collect Call” by Metric

Set 2
“Fix You” by Coldplay
“Chasing Cars” by Snow Patrol
“Life is Beautiful” by Vega4
“Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own” by U2

Set 3
“Orange Sky” by Alexi Murdoch
“Pink Moon” by Nick Drake
“The Wind” by Cat Stevens
“Tomorrow is a Long Time” by Bob Dylan

Set 4
“Pet Sematary” by the Ramones
“The Only Living Boy in New York” by Simon & Garfunkel
“Manhattan” by Kings of Leon
“Pale Blue Eyes” by the Velvet Underground

Set 5
“Sometime Around Midnight” by the Airborne Toxic Event
“Wrapped in My Memory” by Shawn Smith
“Spirit” by the Caesars
“I Don’t Want It” by Ween

Set 6
“Thru and Thru” by the Rolling Stones
“The Lengths” by the Black Keys
“Nothin’ Left to Say” by Erica Cashman
“More News from Nowhere” by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds

Outro
“Stay Positive” by the Hold Steady