Woah, is it really October already?! Judging by the clock at the bottom right of my computer screen and the flannel shirt wrapped around my torso, it must be. Where has all the time gone? It seems like April was only a few minutes ago, and now the year is damn near over. I've been to a bunch of shows, crossed a couple of folks off my live bucket list (New York Dolls, Wanda Jackson), and spent probably a few grand on records, and what do I have to show for it? Slightly more damaged eardrums and a whole buncha physical media that will be a real pain in the ass to lift if I ever move into a new place, I reckon. Seriously though, 2011 might have already topped 2010 as one of the best music years since the mid-90s, and it's not over yet!
Random Old Records Podcast #36 is out now, and it's loaded with just over an hour of jams, starting off with the raging opening salvo from Let's Wrestle's new LP, "In Dreams Part II." It sounds so much like the aforementioned mid-90s that you'd swear that 15+ years of godawful over-produced mainstream rock didn't kill good music after all and that the kids really and truly are alright. The kids really ARE alright, even though their space phone zombie walks and Twitter posts suggest otherwise. Forget about the waves of whiny bedroom folk and trendy corporate "garage rock" wannabes, there's real and VITAL rock n' roll still being cranked out by the truckload all over the world. No better example can be found than the second track on this here podcast, a sizzling blast from the brand new 10" LP from smooth punk titans Bare Wires, who continue their unparalleled streak of insta-classic bangers with "Sweet Little Stranger." That nasty fuzz and snarling vocal might just lift you out of your plush computer chair, Mr. Internet cynic!
Elsewhere, you'll hear the lead-off single from the Strange Boys' highly anticipated new LP out in a few weeks, which finds the Austin garage rockers moving even closer to that Exile On Main Street vibe, another perfect 80s pop jam from the new Dum Dum Girls album, some delightfully evil synth punk from Swedish noise terrorists Black Bug, a fuzzed-out Beach Boys homage from Moonhearts mainman Mikal Cronin's debut solo nod on Trouble In Mind, some obnoxious analog oscillations from California's Blasted Canyons, some dusty reverb rock from Texas teenagers Fungi Girls, and a catchy beach-pop latecomer from the former Mika Miko members in Bleached. Random Old Records #36 finishes up with 18 or so minutes of classic mid-90s indie rock from Material Issue, Hazel, The Spinanes, and Sebadoh, who I'll be glad to cross off that live show bucket list in a couple weeks. Bakesale was released 17 years ago, and if that's not enough to make a guy feel old, I don't know what does. In between the tracks, you’ll hear a series of spooky inserts from “Death Of A Doll,” an episode of Inner Sanctum Mysteries originally aired October 18th, 1948. Right in time for Halloween, it will send a chill up your back!
Random Old Records Podcast #36 is out now, and it's loaded with just over an hour of jams, starting off with the raging opening salvo from Let's Wrestle's new LP, "In Dreams Part II." It sounds so much like the aforementioned mid-90s that you'd swear that 15+ years of godawful over-produced mainstream rock didn't kill good music after all and that the kids really and truly are alright. The kids really ARE alright, even though their space phone zombie walks and Twitter posts suggest otherwise. Forget about the waves of whiny bedroom folk and trendy corporate "garage rock" wannabes, there's real and VITAL rock n' roll still being cranked out by the truckload all over the world. No better example can be found than the second track on this here podcast, a sizzling blast from the brand new 10" LP from smooth punk titans Bare Wires, who continue their unparalleled streak of insta-classic bangers with "Sweet Little Stranger." That nasty fuzz and snarling vocal might just lift you out of your plush computer chair, Mr. Internet cynic!
Elsewhere, you'll hear the lead-off single from the Strange Boys' highly anticipated new LP out in a few weeks, which finds the Austin garage rockers moving even closer to that Exile On Main Street vibe, another perfect 80s pop jam from the new Dum Dum Girls album, some delightfully evil synth punk from Swedish noise terrorists Black Bug, a fuzzed-out Beach Boys homage from Moonhearts mainman Mikal Cronin's debut solo nod on Trouble In Mind, some obnoxious analog oscillations from California's Blasted Canyons, some dusty reverb rock from Texas teenagers Fungi Girls, and a catchy beach-pop latecomer from the former Mika Miko members in Bleached. Random Old Records #36 finishes up with 18 or so minutes of classic mid-90s indie rock from Material Issue, Hazel, The Spinanes, and Sebadoh, who I'll be glad to cross off that live show bucket list in a couple weeks. Bakesale was released 17 years ago, and if that's not enough to make a guy feel old, I don't know what does. In between the tracks, you’ll hear a series of spooky inserts from “Death Of A Doll,” an episode of Inner Sanctum Mysteries originally aired October 18th, 1948. Right in time for Halloween, it will send a chill up your back!
Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE to Random Old Records via Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or RSS. If you like the show, please rate it and write a review! You can also go the traditional route and stream or download the new episode below. Come back next month (or so) for another episode of Random Old Records. As always, thanks for listening!
1. Let's Wrestle - "In Dreams Part II"
(Nursing Home, Merge 2011)
2. Bare Wires - "Sweet Little Stranger"
(Cheap Perfume, Southpaw 2011)
3. Fungi Girls - "Honey Face"
(Some Easy Magic, HoZac 2011)
4. Mikal Cronin - "Get Along"
(Mikal Cronin, Trouble In Mind 2011)
5. The Ketamines - "Line By Line"
(Line By Line 7", HoZac 2011)
6. The Wrong Words - "Summer's Gone"
(The Wrong Words, Trouble In Mind, 2011)
7. XRay Eyeballs - "Big Toe"
(Not Nothing, Kanine 2011)
--Death Of A Doll
8. The Strange Boys - "Me And You"
(Live Music, Rough Trade 2011)
9. Colleen Green - "Green One"
(Green One, Hardly Art 2011)
10. Black Bug - "Shard Of Glass"
(Police Helicopter 7", HoZac 2011)
11. Blasted Canyons - "Death And A Half"
(Blasted Canyons, Castleface 2011)
12. Burning Itch - "Dead End Street"
(Burning Itch, Tic Tac Totally 2011)
13. Wax Museums - "Mosquito Enormo"
(Eye Times, Trouble In Mind 2011)
--Death Of A Doll, Part 2
14. Dum Dum Girls - "Heartbeat"
(Only In Dreams, Sub Pop 2011)
15. The Pretenders - "Wait"
(The Pretenders, Sire 1980)
16. Bleached - "Think Of You"
(Carter 7", AF 2011)
17. The Spinanes - "Noel, Jonah, and Me"
(Manos, Sub Pop 1993)
18. Hazel - "Blank Florida"
(Are You Going To Eat That?, Sub Pop 1995)
--Death Of A Doll, Part 3
19. Material Issue - "A Very Good Thing"
(Freak City Soundtrack, Polygram 1994)
20. The Figgs - "Favorite Shirt"
(Low-Fi At Society High, Imago 1994)
21. Sebadoh - "Rebound"
(Bakesale, Sub Pop 1994)
22. Unrest - "Make Out Club"
(Perfect Teeth, 4AD 1993)
