The Current Music Blog: May 5, 2009 Archive

Today In Music History: Remember When She Was Christine Kerr For a While?

Posted at 8:13 AM on May 5, 2009 by Steve Seel (1 Comments)

Birthdays:

Tammy Wynette is 67.
Ian McCulloch (Echo And The Bunnymen) is 50.

1956 - Elvis Presley scored his first US No.1 single and album when 'Heartbreak Hotel' went to the top of the charts.
1963 - On a recommendation by George Harrison, Dick Rowe Head of A&R at Decca records, (and the man who turned down The Beatles), went to see The Rolling Stones play at Crawdaddy Club, London. The band were signed to the label within a week.
1968 - Buffalo Springfield played their last concert in Long Beach, California.
1969 - The Beatles single 'Get Back' was released in the US.
1984 - Simple Minds singer Jim Kerr married Chrissie Hynde in a horse drawn carriage in Central Park, New York.
1984 - Duran Duran were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'The Reflex', the groups second No.1.
2002 - Two disc jockeys from Denver's KRFX-FM, Rick Lewis and Michael Floorwax, stopped a live radio interview with Detroit rocker Ted Nugent after he used derogatory racial terms for Asians and Blacks. The station received dozens of complaints.

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Patron Saint of The Actor?

Posted at 9:33 AM on May 5, 2009 by Barb Abney

Today marks the release date of Annie Clark's second full-length record, Actor. We're celebrating by giving you the the tune "The Strangers" for free on our Song Of The Day podcast. You probably know Annie better as St. Vincent, she dropped by for an in-studio interview/performance a couple of years ago. Here's some video of her practicing "The Strangers" during SxSW. She'll be playing First Ave. on June 4th along with Patterson Is Movement.
Follow St. Vincent on Twitter.

3 songs with a "silly component"

Posted at 12:33 PM on May 5, 2009 by Barb Abney

Amanda Jackson from St. Paul picked today's My 3 Songs set because..."These songs all have a silly component. Either you will look silly dancing to Sleepyhead or sound funny impersonating Anni's impulses. And when you want something silly to sing along with... who could resist the drums, the drums, the drums?"

Passion Pit - "Sleepyhead"
Anni Rossi - "Machine"
The Ting Tings - "Great DJ"

Make your "My 3 Songs" requests here.

Tunes on the telly tonight:

Posted at 12:59 PM on May 5, 2009 by Barb Abney

Lily Allen on Carson Daly
Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings on Jimmy Fallon

Introducing Lucia Pets: Episode 1 - Goats

Posted at 3:23 PM on May 5, 2009 by Mary Lucia (9 Comments)

My only exposure to little animals has been your standard urban fair: kitties, puppies, squirrels, and the occasional mangy city rabbit. When The Wells Fargo Family Farm at The Minnesota Zoo invited me to come and see animals up close and even hold some of them, I couldn't wait.

Welcome to Lucia Pets.

This is the first in a series of five videos. This series isn't overly deep: I like little cute things, I like to hold them and kiss them.

We have five of these vides, but we're going to start with Goat kids! I'd never come face to face with a goat so the juxtaposition of their slightly demonic eyes on the body of a cute Disney character made me so happy.

We'll be doing this every Tuesday for the next couple weeks, so stay tuned.

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10 new songs you should check out!

Posted at 5:01 PM on May 5, 2009 by Melanie Walker (1 Comments)

Hey, it's Melanie Walker the Music Director here at The Current! My main job here at The Current is to find you, our audience, the best new music out there. Well, I've been digging deep in the depths of the vast world of music blogs. I've surfaced with brand spanking new tracks I really think you should check out! Some you might already be familiar with. Some might be new discoveries! Consider it a preview of some of the summers best new releases! Just click on the artists name to go to the site to listen. What do you think? Any winners out there?

Delphic - Counterpoint
Introducing Delphic, from Manchester England. I really don't know much about them at all. I don't think many people do. Should be exciting to see what becomes of them this next year!

The Big Pink - Velvet
The Big Pink, a duo out of London, sound nothing like The Band album they're named after. They recently signed to 4AD and have a new album due to release this summer.

God Help The Girl - Come Monday
What has Stuart Murdoch of Belle & Sebastian been up to lately? Why he's been making the final touches to his new project God Help The Girl. It's a story set to music that he's been working on for the last 5 years!

White Denim - Mirrored and Reversed
White Denim are from Austin, TX. I didn't think much of the band when I first heard them at SXSW in 2007. I thought they sounded just like your average garage rock band. But, after hearing this new track, I'm really curious which direction their taking. Sounds like they ventured out of the garage on a fantastical magical mystery tour.

The Rumble Strips - London
I'm a sucker for The Rumble Strips. Horns, yelps and a beautiful british brogue that is just impossible to resist. Mark Ronson is producing their new album due to drop this summer.

Discovery - Orange Shirt
Discovery, is Rostam Batmanglij of Vampire Weekend and Wes Miles of Ra Ra Riot. Talk about a dream team! Discovery's new LP is due to drop this summer.

The Gossip - Heavy Cross
The Gossip are HUGE in the UK. Lead singer, Beth Ditto, even has a doll made in her likeness in England. I'm wondering if their new album might possibly bring them more success in the US with their new track Heavy Cross.

Basement Jaxx - Raindrops
Just when you thought you'd never hear anything but Where's Your Head At, duo Felix Buxton and Simon Ratcliffe aka Basement Jaxx, return with a new track that has the potential to be just as much of an earworm, Raindrops. Their new album Scars is set to release this fall.

Voxtrot - Trepanation Party
Voxtrot, an Austin based band, already has made quite the impression upon the indipendant music scene after their recent release in 2006 titled "Mothers, Sisters, Daughters & Wives. Trepanation Party is a track from their highly anticipated forth coming album.

Jack Penate - Tonight's Today
Jack Penate hails from London England. Tonight's The Day is a track from his second album due to release this summer. You might already be familiar with him after hearing us play his tracks Spit At Stars or Second, Minute Or Hour.

Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros - 40 Day Dream
Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros are an eleven peice band out of Los Angeles, that were named one of the best new bands to emerge from this last South By Southwest Confrence in Austin, TX. They have a new album debuting this summer!

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Down On The Farm

Posted at 11:54 AM on May 5, 2009 by Steve Seel

Tying in with tomorrow night's Policy and a Pint, which concerns "eating locally" and organic farming: your assignment today for the 9:30 Coffee Break was songs about farms. Check that: songs with "farm" in the title.

Now, as you might imagine, Dylan's "Maggie's Farm" got a huge showing. But we thought we could put a slightly unexpected twist on that one.

1) Rage Against The Machine, "Maggie's Farm"
2) Paul McCartney and Wings, "Junior's Farm"
3) Spinal Tap, "Sex Farm"

To all those who wrote saying, "you just made my day by playing Spinal Tap": well, it was our pleasure. Oh, and thank the many, many listeners who requested it.