Roy's Posts


Roy's Photo I'm a veteran KDHX programmer, host of Feel Like Going Home every Wednesday morning from 7-10 a.m. Central. Follow my blog for news and reviews of recent and vintage indie rock, twang, soul, folk and everything in between. And come visit me on Myspace and Twitter, Posterous and Facebook. And here are my Top Ten Albums of 2010.

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Discovery: Field Music gives a guided tour of ‘A New Town’ (MP3 download)

Force Field PR

I’m sucker for a good stereo mix of doubled or tripled drums — see every other track on “Soft Bulletin” and “Yoshima” — and also a pushover when it comes to the bass stating the hook — see jazz — but I’m on the fence when it comes to blowing bubbles in music. I suppose there are some days when I just really need to hear “Octopus’ Garden,” but it’s been a while.

Still, I’ve found myself playing “A New Town,” the new single by UK group Field Music, quite a bit of late. It’s got all the aforementioned, plus falsetto, melodica, more statement of melody from a remote acoustic guitar and a persistent sense of dread that juxtaposes nicely with the overall fruitiness of the track. If this is where highly-studio-crafted indie pop is headed in 2012, sign me up. New album “Plumb” is due out February 14 on Memphis Industries.

“A New Town” – Field Music

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Posted by | January 17, 2012 | Music | Comment 

Thursday morning music news: Spotify pulls the plug (or nearly), Spin downsizes and Tom Ardolino and Bob Weston pass on

facebook.com/SharonVanEttenMusic / Allison Kaye

Kickstarter generated a cool $20 million for music projects this year.

Mashable reports on Spin’s whacky new Twitter album review project.

Revolver says these are the “most metal” books of the year.

Watch Jerry Garcia and Mick Jagger wait around for a helicopter in 1969.

It’s 2012 and Charlie Watts really wants the Stones to tour.

Tom Ardolino, NRBQ’s terrific drummer, has died.

NPR reviews the late Gil Scott-Heron’s memoir “The Last Holiday.”

The not-even-close-to-late Mitch Ryder has his own memoir out.

Pop & Hiss chats with Wilco’s Glenn Kotche. And did you see that green room video of the band + Nick Lowe + Mavis Staples rehearsing “The Weight”? Wonderful.

The Wire gets so much great stuff in its mailbox.

The Spotify free-music-all-the-time party is over.

Did Dierks Bentley rip off Jason Isbell? Kinda sounds like it.

Indie rock + webcomics = “The Chairs.”

NPR is streaming new releases by Laura Gibson, Kathleen Edwards, Howler and the Little Willies.

Relive the nightmare of being a DJ in the ’50s.

The Coachella lineup is out. Not bad, but it would have been better with Black Sabbath. RFT Music gives you tips on making your own Coachella in St. Louis.

More seriously, Tony Iommi has been diagnosed with lymphoma.

Leonard Cohen shares another song from his forthcoming album.

The Guardian goes on a rather arduous journey: Finding the perfect wedding first-dance song.

Justin Townes Earle’s new album will be called “Nothing’s Gonna Change the Way You Feel About Me Now.” Download the title track.

Ex-Fleetwood Mac guitarist Bob Weston has died at the age of 64.

Is R.E.M. the go-to band when you can’t think of a book title? Maybe.

A Norwegian disco-dub remix of Roxy Music? Pitchfork shares.

Let’s say you’ve got a cross-country trip planned (yeah, it’s January; bear with me) and you want to do some record shopping. Matablog has the tour for you.

Jay-Z and Beyoncé had a baby and Jay-Z wrote a song about it. They weren’t the first.

Justin Vernon starts his own label.

Listen to the Cure cover David Bowie’s “Young Americans.”

The Dean’s List for 2011 is out. Read Mr. Christgau’s essay on the whole shebang.

Next time you go to the symphony, make sure that iPhone is off.

Posted by | January 12, 2012 | Music, News | Comment 

Discovery: of Montreal’s dazzling, dancing MP3 single ‘Dour Percentage’

facebook.com/ofmontreal

The new of Montreal single has everything you’d expect from the Athens, Ga. band — that is if you’ve just returned from a month-long cruise where the imperial ballroom house band plays nothing but ELO, Steely Dan and David Bowie covers — sign me up for the next departure — and the weather was gorgeous with intermittent showers of flutes, Fruit Loops and cherry cola.

If that seems too good or too sugary to be true, make up your own adventure by downloading the track below. Recently, band founder Kevin Barnes described the forthcoming album “Paralytic Stalks” (due out February 7 on Polyvinyl) as “a bit more esoteric, and it’s probably not something everybody’s going to like. The songs are way more intimate and confessional.”

“Dour Percentage” – of Montreal

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Bonus: Listen to the band’s recent Live at KDHX session.

Posted by | January 10, 2012 | Music | Comment 

Thursday morning music news: Ting Tings tour, Bonnie Raitt comes back and Coldplay, Jay-Z and Kanye cash in

facebook.com/thetingtings

Thin Lizzy fans get the best present ever: 700 unreleased songs.

World music star Youssou N’Dour is running for president of Senegal.

Coldplay can retire now. Really. Ditto for Jay-Z and Kanye.

You’ve got your iPod, ear buds and messenger bag. Good to go. Then this dude shows up.

Reunited: Peter Frampton and his 1954 Les Paul guitar.

Black Joe Lewis, Rich Robinson, Trey Songz, Ruthie Foster and Barry Manilow lead the week in concert announcements for St. Louis.

Guided By Voices perform “The Unsinkable Fats Domino” on Letterman. Watch.

The Record explains what’s up at Sub Pop.

Complex Music counts down the top 25 biggest hip-hop fails of the year.

The Ting Tings are going to tour this year.

Hear a new song by John K. Samson of the Weakerthans.

Robert Dickey, the Bobby in James and Bobby Purify, has passed away at the age of 72.

SoundCloud gets a bump — a $50 million bump.

Jack White drives a hard bargain on American Pickers this Monday night.

Duke Ellington would have made a great CEO.

What was hot in 2011? Sirius XM Radio, for one.

No one buys albums anymore, right? Think again. Soundscan reports that 2011 marked the first positive album-sales year since 2004.

Bonnie Raitt announces first new album in seven years.

Listen to D’Angelo cover Soundgarden.

Download Memoryhouse’s cover of the Zombies’ “This Will Be Our Year.”

NPR looks back at the musicians who passed away in 2011.

Watch an early, as in 1982, set from R.E.M.

RIP Jennifer “Miro” Anderson of SF punk band the Nuns.

Paul McCartney’s new record will be called “Kisses on the Bottom.”

You want it, you hate it, you want it: The box set on steroids.

Posted by | January 5, 2012 | Music, News | Comment 

Thursday morning music news: Music trends take heat, Van Halen hits the road and Sam Rivers and Jim ‘Motorhead’ Sherwood pass on

flickr.com/photos/tommarcello/487341556

Lady Gaga will be dropping the big New Year’s ball in New York.

The Woody Guthrie Archive has a new home in Tulsa.

Stereogum looks back on all the bands we lost this year, even if we didn’t know they existed in the first place.

Alina Simone explains her name change.

Van Halen will tour in 2012.

Headphones ruled in 2011.

The Guardian rounds up its top music stories of the year.

Spin may not be the best authority on such matters, but its list of 2011′s best experimental albums is neat.

Guess what? Phil Spector really hated Christmas.

A conductor explains what a conductor does.

How well is Spotify doing in the U.S.? This well.

Wired explains how your Android phone is an electronic music machine.

RIP Jim Sherwood of the original Mothers of Invention.

The NPR staff picks the best music books of 2011.

Jeffrey Goho is really sorry about starting that whole Jon Bon Jovi is dead rumor.

The Quietus scores an interview with the Mekons.

Pitchfork’s list of 50 best albums of the year is out. Fluxtumblr compares sales figures. Meanwhile, Flavorwire analyzes the geography of Pitchfork’s top 100 tracks.

The Miami New Times hates these music trends.

Speaking of music trends: Pop music and profanity.

Breaking: Musicians said a lot of silly stuff this year.

Axl Rose complains about corporate radio to Pop & Hiss.

Jazz great Sam Rivers has died at the age of 88.

Members of Yes and Genesis form supergroup called Yesenis Squackett.

PETA names Janet Jackson “Grinch of the Year.”

Posted by | December 29, 2011 | Music, News | Comment 

Thursday morning music news: The Beach Boys revive, Woody Guthrie goes viral and Cesária Évora and Ralph MacDonald pass on

Cesária Évora

commons.wikimedia.org / Bremond

The great Cape Verdean singer Cesária Évora has passed away.

KDHX’s Best of 2011 coverage continues with lists of the top Live at KDHX videos, best underground hip-hop releases, best bluegrass and much much more.

Maya Angelou tsks tsks Common.

Whatever you may think of Adele, her 2011 album “21″ has sold more copies than any record since 2004.

We know what you think of Rebecca Black, and we concede that 180 million YouTube views can be wrong.

Billboard rounds up the year in musician arrests — with mug shots.

Wired has the ultimate holiday geek soundtrack.

The Mountain Goats spread some holiday cheer. Meanwhile, this Tumblr spreads Mountain Goats cheer, full stop.

Spin picks its favorite dance albums of the year.

Jon Bon Jovi’s death has been greatly exaggerated.

The Seattle Times reports on the link between music and the amount of money you’ve blown on Christmas shopping.

According to Stereogum, these are the hottest indie rock crushes of the year.

This is not an Onion headline: The Grateful Dead arise in new video game.

Jody Rosen kicks off Slate’s annual music critic roundtable.

Etta James’ battle with leukemia is nearing an end.

The Current shares an infographic on — what else? — the world of online music.

If MySpace builds a new music player will anyone care?

Prolific percussionist Ralph MacDonald has died at the age of 67.

The Quietus thinks “retro” is dead. Who knew it was even sick?

The Beach Boys are reuniting. Mike Love loves it.

The peerless Terri Gross interviews Trent Reznor.

Rapper Slim Dunkin has been slain in Atlanta.

“Bat Chain Puller” is the great lost Captain Beefheart album. And it’s now set for release.

Boing Boing and almost all of Facebook share Woody Guthrie’s New Year’s resolutions circa 1942.

Posted by | December 22, 2011 | Music, News | Comment 

Thursday Morning Music News: Mumford & Sons go doom folk, Matisyahu gets a haircut and Dobie Gray and Billie Joe Spears pass on

Mumford & Sons at the Pageant by Nate Burrell

Mumford and Sons photo by Nate Burrell

KDHX kicks off its Best of 2011 coverage with lists of top national spins, top local spins and DJ top 10 favorite albums.

Moby is such a helpful chap. He’ll even explain all that electronic jargon for you.

The LA Weekly asks: Is “Exile” the best Stones’ album? Or is it “Some Girls”? The correct answer is the former, but that won’t stop the revisionism.

NPR shares footage of early Talking Heads doing “Psycho Killer.”

RIP to a country soul man and a country soul woman: Dobie Gray and Billie Joe Spears.

Last.fm is still alive and kicking. Last.fm Discovery is its latest app.

Impose Magazine yawns at 200 albums from this year.

The single most valuable record in the world? It’s by the Sex Pistols.

Questlove picks his 5 favorite hip-hop concept albums.

The new Mumford & Sons album will be like a mashup of Black Sabbath and Nick Drake. We’re not kidding.

Miss Wild Flag on Letterman? Watch it now.

Mental Floss rounds up the epic Christmas song fail.

Nick Cave says Grinderman is no more.

Get ready for some rare, early David Bowie on Top of the Pops.

The Shins ready new album, “Port of Morrow,” due out in March.

Pokey LaFarge and KDHX writer pj del exchange letters. Behold the old school correspondence.

Das Racist gets into the year-end craze with a review of 25 2011 tracks.

The New York Times reports on the efforts of jazz musicians to secure pensions.

The Magnetic Fields announce tour and new album, “Love at the Bottom of the Sea.”

Hey punk rockers. You think you got troubles with the man? This year, give thanks that you don’t live in Indonesia.

Orthodox jew and unorthodox reggae star Matisyahu has shaved. Whoah.

Thinking about streaming the new Black Keys album? Forget about it.

Say farewell to the Ford Econoline. The jammin-est van ever.

Posted by | December 15, 2011 | Music, News | Comment 

Thursday Morning Music News: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame gets some new stars, Drive-By Truckers look for new bassist and Hubert Sumlin and Howard Tate pass on

flickr.com/photos/xopher/240193718 / Xopher Smith

The Rock and Hall of Fame welcomes Donovan, Laura Nyro, Beastie Boys, the Faces and Guns N’ Roses.

Hubert Sumlin, one of the most influential of all blues guitarists, has passed away at the age of 80.

And might as well get all the bad news out of the way: Great soul singer Howard Tate has died at the age of 72.

When it comes to cracking down on piracy, the RIAA has a really weird definition of success.

The Afghan Whigs are back.

Madonna gets the the nod for Super Bowl half time show.

Animal Collective gets to work on a new album.

The Quietus turns in its big list of psychedelic, noise, experimental you-probably-haven’t-heard-these albums of the year.

Shonna Tucker has left Drive-By Truckers.

Simon Reynolds takes electronic music to the max in his year-end reflection for Pitchfork.

You think you have a lot of band t-shirts? You got nothing on this guy.

This is not an Onion headline: NBC suits to approve Questlove’s song choices for Fallon.

What do Mitt Romney and Kid Rock have in common? A campaign song.

What do Johnny Marr and Sammy Hagar have in common? Something about speed limits.

In Pyrrhic victory news: Ticketmaster is issuing refunds on those processing fees you hate, but said fees are not going away any time soon.

Sub Pop pulls together Top 10 lists for 2011 from friends and artists alike.

Mindy McCready and her 5-year-old son have been found in Arkansas.

Billboard lists the most successful women in music. Ms. McCready is not one of them.

Wu-Tang Clan’s GZA goes to Harvard. Join him.

NPR looks back on the life and music of New York club DJ Larry Levan.

Acid Mothers Temple sets the gold standard for tour diaries.

This year’s Best Music Writing 2011 will be the last for Da Capo Press.

The Boss will be keynote speaker at SXSW 2012.

NPR reports on the sad, screwed-up story of marching band hazing.

Houston, we have a problem — with those Rush box sets.

The Smoking Gun has the scoop on Adele’s silly tour rider.

It’s pretty clear the US Postal Service is in trouble. Not convinced these PETA vegetarian musician stamps are the answer.

Posted by | December 8, 2011 | Music, News | Comment 

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