The Lovers' Album of the Week

Loney, Dear Loney, Noir

I Am John

The Mid-Week Recommendation

Jeff Mangum Orange Twin Field Works Volume 1

Orange Twin Field Works is not a lost recording of Jeff Mangum (Neutral Milk Hotel/Indie Cult God), but a Mangum field recording of his trip to the National Festival of Bulgarian Folklore, a three day festival of traditonal Bulgarian music in Koprivshitsa. The festival, which is held every five years, has been rapidly growing since it's formation in 1965, having nearly 15,000 performers in 2005 (take that Bonnaroo!). In 2000, two years after recording "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea," Mangum continued to frustrate his fan base by ignoring the studio, and instead, treking over 5,000 miles with only his recorder and microphone at hand ready to capture the eclectic sounds of the Bulgarian people. Instead of an album of seperate track recordings, Mangum has assembled the entire event into a thirty minute composition, having one song drift into another as ambient sounds of crowds, traffic, and general atmosphere linger in the background. The result feels like a sampling of the weekend, showcasing various instrumentations, odd rhythms, and singing styles. At times, Mangum only allows the listener a few minutes of a song before his interest moves along to something else. Sure, Mangum is fascinated by these artists, but unlike famous field recorders like Alan Lomax whose recordings are documentations of the artist, Orange Twin Field Works Volume 1 is a documentatoin of the recorder's experience.

New Releases Tuesday

Wow, it's a very slow week for new releases. I suppose the biggest release is Lucinda Williams' West. However, also check out the early release of Explosions In The Sky's All Of A Sudden I Miss Everyone. The album isn't scheduled to come out until February 20, but it's already available on iTunes. Head over to the band's label Temporary Residence for a free mp3 of the song "Welcome, Ghosts".

And, are iTunes Live Sessions the new Peel Sessions? The newest in the Apple series is a set from The Rapture.

On the Emusic front, there is an advance release from Brooklyn's The Subject's called With the Ease Grace Precision and Cleverness of Human Beings. If you're in the Chicago area, you can check them out twice on Feb. 20: 1) Reckless Records in store performance 2)Empty Bottle CD Release Party.

"Hounds Of War"
from With the Ease Grace Precision and Cleverness of Human Beings

Free Music Monday - Podington Bear

So, do you need a reason to look forward to Mondays? Well, how about this one? Every Monday (as well as Wednesday and Friday), the Portland based Podington Bear (aka P Bear, not Panda Bear) releases upon the online sharing community a new electropop instrumental track that's 100% free. It's an experiement that he started on Janurary 1st and plans to continue until the end of the year (that's 52.177457 weeks or 156.532371 songs!). Despite the rigorous schedule put upon himself, P Bear's songs don't sound rushed. While the compositions are relatively simple, they're also highy layered with plenty of unexpected twists and turns. Some are bouncy, feel good distractions. Others are slow, calming, and reflective. I like to think of it as the perfect background music, meaning it's clever enough for a closer listen, but also an ideal listen at the office, working around the house, or even walking the dog. Highly recommended!

Go To Sleep
A sweet song today. This one already satisfying a request to do a song about dreaming. Part 1 is the lullabye. Part II is sleep (or non REM stages 1-4. Listener Tod can visualize his baby sleep-laughing here). Then something happens! - P Bear

(A similar experiment was undertook by my friends The Hometown Nobodies. You can check them out here.)

Albums of the Month (January)

Here are some of my favorite releases from January. And, expect for the Album of the Week's feature to start up again next week. Let's get started:

Of Montreal Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?

Of Montreal's lastest album is all primal scream therapy as singer/songwriter Kevin Barnes takes the listener on a journey of his past year full of resentment, heartache, depression, and divorce. Still, such subjects have never sounded this joyful. Along with their debut Cherry Peel, this is Of Montreal's second masterpiece.

Animal Collective People EP

Noah Lennox (or Panda Bear) just might be the most talented guy working in indie pop these days. Here is a four song EP to tide us over until the full length comes out from both Animal Collective and his solo record Person Pitch (which is already being labeled the best album of the year).

Radicalfashion Odoir

Odori means "dance" in Japanese, but don't expect to be busting out your best dance moves. Odori is a highly textured album combining samples, electronics, and piano to create something rather serene.

Ghost In Stormy Nights

Those Japanese psych/prog rockers are back with another strong outing with In Stormy Nights. I'm waiting for the tribute album to Ghost to emerge, highlighted by performances from Ian Anderson, Robert Wyatt, Rick Wakeman, and Robert Fripp. (Really, it's only in my mind, so don't start googling it.)

Exploding Star Orchestra We Are All From Somewhere Else

A jazz outfit led by Rob Mazurek of The Chicago Underground and Isotope 217 and containing such Thrill Jockey heavyweights as John McEntire, Jeff Parker, Jim Parker, and Nicole Mitchell. Now, there is an awe indusing reasoning behind each of these songs, somehow relating to our cosmic universe and electric eels and sting rays and rebirth. But, honestly, all that information really just seems to get in the way. So, forget the backstory, and take in the recording which, if it's not the best jazz release thus far, it's certainly the best post-rock.

TML Monthly Review Playlist - Episode #3

1. +81 - Deerhoof from Friend Opportunity
2. Sleeping Lessons - The Shins from Wincing The Night Away
3. Elephant Gun - Beirut from Lon Gisland EP
4. Underwater (You & Me) - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah from Some Loud Thunder
5. A House Is Not A Home - Field Music from Tones Of Town
6. Canyon Arrow - The Autumn Defense from The Autumn Defense
7. Jacket - David Vandervelde from The Moonstation House Band
8. Knife (Girl Talk Remix) - Grizzly Bear from Online Exclusive
9. The Troglodyte Wins - Busdriver from RoadKillOvercoat
10. The Past Is A Grotesque Animal - Of Montreal from Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?
11. The Old Men Of The Shells - Alasdair Roberts from The Amber Gatherers
12. Caledonia - Ghost from In Stormy Nights
13. Tikwid - Animal Collective from People EP
14. Under the Sun - Junior Boys from Live Session (iTunes Exclusive)
15. Electro Karaoke In The Negative Style - Fujiya & Miyagi from Online Exclusive
16. Thousand (feat. Carl Stone) - Radicalfashion from Odori
17. Frogs In Tuxes - Podington Bear from Online Exclusive (January)
18. Mr. Me Too (Z.A.K. Remix) - Clipse from Online Exclusive
19. Cosmic Tomes For Sleep Walking Lovers, Pt.3 - Exploding Star Orchestra from We Are All From Somewhere Else
20. My Rain - Boris (w/Michio Kurihara) from Rainbow
21. Not Nice - Chris Garneau from Music For Tourists
22. Bro's - Panda Bear from Bro's (single)

This Week on the Lovers

My favorite new releases from month of Januaray, including such artists as The Shins, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Of Montreal, Beirut, Animal Collectice, Deerhoof, and many more...

Today, 4-6pm on WEVL 89.9FM or online.

New Episode - This Tuesday!

The Music Lovers Monthly Review (Episode #3 ) will air this coming Tuesday (2/6) from 4-6pm. Tune in to hear all my favorite songs from those albums released in January. As always, you can listen online.

- I just updated to the new Blogger (powered by Google), so I just noticed that I had been left comments on previous posts. Just so you know that I wasn't ignoring you.

The Music Lovers Monthly Review Playlist for 12/5/06

1. Trouble - Voxtrot from Your Biggest Fan EP
2. Go Lucky - The Curtains from Calamity
3. Grain of Salt - The Morning Benders from 3 Songs
4. The Light - White Magic from Dat Rosa Mel Apibus
5. Big Julie - Jarvis from Jarvis
6. True Affection - The Blow from Paper Television
7. Cosmia - Joanna Newsom from Ys
8. Master of None - Beach House from Beach House
9. I Do Have Weapons - Mogwai from Zidane, A 21st Century Portrait
10. The Sinking Belle (Blue Sheep) - SunnO)))/Boris from Altar
11. Elq Milq - The Octopus Project/Black Moth Super Rainbow from The House of Apples & Eyeballs
12. In The City - Xiu Xiu vs. Grouper from Creepshow
13. Steal the Blue Prints - +/- from Let's Build A Fire
14. Cut From The Cloth - The Evens from Get Evens
15. My Children, Be Joyful - Rock Plaza Central from Are We Not Horses
16. Brother - Annuals from Be He Me
17. Cold & Wet - Bonnie "Prince" Billy from Cold & Wet EP
18. Worlds Away - Daylights for the Birds from Trouble Everywhere
19. Let's Go Driving - Barzin from My Life In Rooms
20. Sons and Daughters - The Decemberists from The Crane Wife
21. The Sun's Gone Dim and the Sky's Turned Black - Johann Johannsson from The Sun's Gone Dim and the Sky's Turned Black EP
22. Safe Travels - Peter & the Wolf from Lightness
23. Bottom of the World - Tom Waits from Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards
24. Our Prayer - R. Keenan Lawler from Music for Bluegrass States
25. Been Here Before - Jeremy Enigk from World Waits

Update: The Music Lovers Monthly Review

Check out the new program The Music Lovers Monthly Review starting this Tuesday (12/5) from 4-6pm. I'll be playing all my favorite new releases from the past month. You can think of it as a monthly "best of" of The Music Lovers. The new program will air every first Tuesday of each month. And as always, you can check here for the playlist.

WEVL Halloween Special Playlist

1. Joost Visser - It's Halloween
2. Arch Oboler - Introduction To Horror
3. Evangelicals - Halloween Song
4. Bing Crosby, Victor Moore, and Boris Karloff - Halloween
5. Arch Oboler - I'm Hungry
6. John Zacherle - Dinner With Drac
7. Nouvelle Vague - Bela Lugosi's Dead
8. Hot Blood - Soul Dracula
9. Gene Defcon - Frankenstein
10. Jad Fair and Daniel Johnston - Frankenstein vs. The World
11. Jad and David Fair - Frankenstein
12. Harry Belafonte - Zombie Jamboree
13. R.E.M. - I Walked With A Zombie
14. Bruce Lenkei - Moonllight Zombie Dance
15. Crewnecks - Rockin' Zombie
16. Vincent Price - How To See Ghosts Or Surely Bring Them To You
17. The Specials - Ghost Town
18. Roky Erickson & The Aliens - If You Have Ghosts
19. Sheldon Allman - I Don't Stand A Chance With A Ghost Like You
20. Jumpin' Gene Simmons - Haunted House
21. Whodini - Haunted House Of Rock
22. Loretta Lynn - This Haunted House
23. Creepy Clyde - Haunted House
24. Screamin' Jay Hawkins - Voodoo Priestess
25. The Chants - I'm Your Witchdoctor
26. The Sonics - Witch
27. Goblin - Suspiria (Main Title)
28. The Barbarellatones - Monster Surf Party
29. Jack and Jim - Midnight Monsters Hop
30. The Misfits - Monster Mash
31. The Cramps - I Was A Teenage Werewolf
32. Wally Ford - I Was A Teenage Mental Case
33. Thrul Ravenscroft - Teenage Brain Surgeon
34. The Blanks - Happy Halloween

Chicago Blog Is Up!

If there is anyone still left out there who is checking this blog, I am here to inform you that the Chicago blog is up. The wife and I are still working on it but I couldn't wait to get some updates up! So expect it to look more flashy as time goes by.

Welcome to A Mild Uproad of Fun!

A message from Chi-caw-go

Hey there! I just wanted leave a quick message to say that I think that both Tate and Andrew are doing a great job in my old time slots. Check out Andrew on the Memphis Beat every Tuesday from 1-2pm. And Tate during the old time slot for the Lovers every Thursday from 4-6pm.

P.S. Thanks Tate for all the kind words and for my song!

P.S. #2 Look out for another blog about my new life in Chicago to start real soon. Miss you!

A Lovers' Goodbye

Well, I guess that's it! It has been a lot of fun bringing you The Music Lovers each week. I will certainly miss it. Thanks for listening!

- And if you enjoyed The Lovers, you should be checking out these other programs on WEVL: Hi Fidelity, Janet's Planet, Siren's Muse, Welcome to the Working Week, Out on the Side, Pathways, Thursday Morning Throwdown, and every Tuesday Afternoon 4-6pm.

(Thanks Kenya for humoring me with the picture.)

The Lovers' Album of the Week

The Mountain Goats Get Lonely

The Music Lovers playlist for 8/24/06 (Final Show)

1. The Music Lovers - Destroyer from Notorious Lighting and Other Works
2. Here's Your Future - The Thermals from The Body, The Blood, The Machine
3. Mini T.V.'s - Chad VanGaalen from Skelliconnection
4. Almost There - Like A Fox from Like A Fox
5. Country Girl - Primal Scream from Riot City Blues
6. No Backbone - The Lemonheads from The Lemonheads
7. Rolling One Sun Blues - Wooden Wand And The Sky High Band from Second Attention
8. Ghost of York - As Tall As Lions from As Tall As Lions
9. She Is - Sufjan Stevens from Dream Brother: The Songs of Tim and Jeff Buckley
10. The Lamests Shows - The Tyde from Three's Co
11. The American Line - Dog Age from Reefy Seadragon
12. Collection Of Stamps - I'm From Barcelona from Let Me Introduce My Friends
13. Golden Star - My Brightest Diamond from Bring Me The Workhorse
14. Be Good - Tokyo Police Club from A Lesson In Crime
15. White Light/White Light - Supersystem from A Milliion Microphones
16. Cybele's Reverie (Remastered) - Stereolab from Serene Velocity: A Stereolab Anthology
17. Count Souvenirs - Junior Boys from So This Is Goodbye
18. Dorothy At Forty - Cursive from Happy Hollow
19. I'm On Fire- Electrelane from Singles, B-Sides & Live
20. Lex - Ratatat from Classics
21. Let Down - Easy Star All-Stars w/Toots and the Maytals from Radiodread
22. No Surprises - Easy Star All-Stars w/The Meditations from Radiodread
23. As You Said - Tortoise from A Lazarus Taxon
24. Chinese Translation - M. Ward from Post-War
25. What Were The Chances - Damien Jurado from And Now That I'm In Your Shadow
26. Memphis Moon - Magnolia Electric Co from Fading Trails
27. The Race Is On Again - Yo La Tengo from I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass
28. Woke Up New - The Mountain Goats from Get Lonely
29. The Music Lovers - Destroyer from Yer Blues

This Week on the Lovers - Final Show

New releases from:
The Mountain Goats, The Lemonheads, Primal Scream, Cursive, My Brightest Diamond, The Tyde, Chad VanGaalen, Junior Boys, Damien Jurado, Magnolia Electric Co, M. Ward, Ratata, Supersystem, The Thermals, Lambchop, Electrelane, Tortoise, and many more...

Back To The Country playlist for 8/22/06

1. Marty Stuart - Get Back To The Country
2. Buck Owens - Above and Beyond
3. Ernest Tubb - Soldier's Last Letter
4. George Jones - Her Name Is
5. George Jones - Blue Moon of Kentucky
6. Hank Williams - Honky Tonkin'
7. Loretta Lynn - I'm A Honky Tonk Girl
8. Hank Thompson - When God Calls His Children Home
9. Lucy J. Dalton - Hard Times
10. Louvin' Brothers - Kentucky
11. Emmylou Harris - Blue Kentucky Girl
12. Charlie Rich - Behind Closed Doors
13. Jim Reeves - Blue Side of Lonesome
14. Bobby Osborne - The Hard Times
15. Tara Nevins - Troubles
16. The Sons of the Pioneers - Tumbling Tumbleweeds
17. Connie Smith - Ribbon of Darkness
18. Tanya Tucker - Blood Red and Goin' Down
19. Dolly Parton - Harper Valley PTA
20. Jimmie Rogers - T.B. Blues
21. Riders In The Sky - That's How The Yodel Was Born
22. Rex Allen, Jr. - Can You Hear Those Pioneers?
23. Gene Autry - Back In The Saddle Again
24. Carl Smith (by request) - Hey Joe
25. Bill Monroe - I'm On My Way To The Home
26. Johnny Horton - I'm Coming Home
27. Jimmie Dale Gilmore - Tonight I Think I'm Gonna Go Downtown
28. Dwight Yoakman - Guitars, Cadillacs
29. Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Three - One Piece At A Time
30. Dave Dudley - Six Days on the Road
31. Don Gibson - Waitin' Down The Road
32. Tennessee Ernie - Mule Train
33. Doc & Merle Watson - Freight Train Blues
34. Fred Eaglesmith - I Like Trains
35. Asleep At The Wheel - My Baby Thinks She's A Train
36. Freddy Fender - Wasted Days and Wasted Nights
37. Charlie Rich - Sittin' and Thinkin' (by request)
38. Johnny Bond - Sick, Sober, and Sorry
39. James Hand - In The Corner, At The Table, By The Jukebox

    Album Feature:
    In Concert w/Charley Pride, Chet Atkins, Ronnie Milsap, Dolly Parton, Jerry Reed, Gary Stewart

40. Charley Pride - Kaw-Liga
41. Charley Pride - Mississippi Cotton Picking Delta Town
42. Charley Pride - Louisiana Man
43. Dolly Parton - Jolene
44. Dolly Parton - Love Is Like A Butterfly
45. Dolly Parton - Coat Of Many Colors
46. Dolly Parton - The Bargain Store
47. Gary Stewart - Out Of Hand
48. Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed - Colonel Bogey
49. Charley Pride - For The Good Times
50. Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed - John Henry

    - End of Album Feature -

51. Billy Walker - Thank You For Calling
52. Willie Nelson - Hello Walls
53. Patsy Cline - Three Cigarettes In An Ashtray
54. Ernest Tubb and Loretta Lynn - Who's Gonna Take Your Garbage Out
55. Gail Davies - Love Love Love
56. Roy Acuff - Pins and Needles (In My Heart)
57. June Carter Cash and Carl Smith - Love Oh Crazy Love
58. Jimmie Dal Gilmore - Braver New World
59. Merle Haggard - Wonder If They Ever Think Of Me

Blues on the Bluff - Part 2 Photos

Sorry, I didn't take that many photos from Part 2 since I wasn't able to get to the event until the start of the Kenny Brown Band. But I shall share what little I captured:

Blues on the Bluff - It's Tonight!