Pick of the Week | Stand in My Sunshine 0

I like Bad Weather California.  I literally just stumbled upon this band a few minutes ago and dug the album cover so I took a listen and here’s what I think:  The band’s new album Sunkissed has got a summery name and summery cover art and 11 summery tracks.  Before you roll your eyes and tell me you’re tired of California indie bands playing the same cute poppy music about the beach (ahem Best Coast), take a listen to this new album.  Sunkissed is sunshine with an edge.  Stand out “Stand in my Sunshine,” is driven by its beachy rhythm guitar and bass line with occasional brass interludes.  Singer Chris Adolf’s voice, a kind of mellow whine, toes the line between speaking and singing.  This song derives its edge from the way he modulates his vocals from speaking, to singing, to screaming, toning up the whine and the growl for dramatic effect.  Other tracks, like “Shine a Light,” take a more forboding tone, with more growl and less mellow, and an awesome afro-beat.  The album as a whole is unusual and eclectic.  It will make a nice addition to your “I WANT SUMMER” playlist (move over Morning Benders).

Pick of the Week | Voice of Ages 0

2012 marks the 50th anniversary of arguably the most famous Irish traditional folk band, The Chieftains.  To celebrate the occasion, the Chieftains, working with producer and mastermind T-Bone Burnett, have released an album of 15 tracks, fourteen of which feature a collaborator from the modern indie rock, indie folk, or alt-country scene.  The aptly named Voice of Ages underscores how much of a debt each of these artists (from Bon Iver, to the Decemberists, to the Carolina Chocolate Drops) owe to bands like The Chieftains and how much staying power these Irish ballads have in both American and Irish/English folk music.  So often the “Americana Revival” in indie music, personified by bands like Mumford and Sons and The Decemberists, seems to be evoking but not actually connecting to the regional, cultural roots of American and Celtic folk music.  An album like this one helps bridge the gap.  I particularly suggest you listen to the collaboration with The Decemberists, a cover of Dylan’s “When the Ship Comes In” which was, in turn, based on a traditional Celtic song.  Also check out “Lily Love” with the increasingly popular alt-country duo The Civil Wars.

The Tobolowsky Files live at The Coolidge Corner Theater (2/27) 0

Describing Stephen Tobolowsky as “the bald guy in Groundhog Day” is guaranteed to get one of two reactions: “I never saw Groundhog Day” or “Ned!”

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The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore (loved it!) 0

You probably know that the Oscars are going on this Sunday night, but did you know that the Kendall Square Cinema is showing the animated and live short action films that are nominated?  I highly recommend checking out 6-7 films at once, especially since some of them end just as you’re about to get bored of them.  However, there was one animated short film that I thought was fantastic all the way through.  Maybe it’s because the main character reminded me of a few people close to me, or that the underlying message reverberated so truthfully in my mind, but ultimately it’s an entertaining fifteen or so minutes.

If you can’t make it to the theater to watch any of the short films, maybe you might be interested in seeing just this one.  Watch it full screen and without interruption if you can to get that movie theater feeling.

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore: Youtube (good quality), Huffington Post/Vimeo (better quality)

Album Review : Tramp by Sharon Van Etten 0

Tramp, Sharon Van Etten’s third album, is washed in a plaintive mood but is driven by an urgency that keeps it interesting. On more optimistic songs like “Leonard”, Sharon Van Etten’s vocals become operatic, one word stretched across a few scales creating constant crescendos. Where someone like Rufus Wainwright would break into a falsetto with a horn section blaring, Van Etten lets the sound swim around as an accompaniment to her voice.  At times her slight lilt is taunting the music to catch up to her. Songs like “All I Can” that build softly musically would benefit from a little more variation that the welcome back up vocals from Beirut’s Zach Condon on “We are Fine” bring. Produced by Aaron Dessner of The National, Tramp is a nice medium between Van Etten’s quieter singer-songwriter style and the strong, loud work she jumped to with 2010′s Epic.

Sharon Van Etten performs Thursday, February 23rd, at The Paradise.

Classic Rock Mine – Spotlight on Lucifer’s Friend 0

At Classic Rock Mine we are dedicated to turning you on to classic rock that you would not otherwise hear. You may be familiar with some of the bands we play, but you won’t hear the same tired singles that myopic, commercial radio stations play to death. Classic Rock Mine goes beyond those familiar bands to bring you classic rock artists that you have never heard before, such as Lucifer’s Friend.

Lucifer’s Friend is a perfect example of a foreign band that had considerable success in their native country, Germany, but failed to make a dent in the US. Lucifer”s Friend traces their musical roots to the group German Bonds, whose first recordings were released in 1965. In 1970, members of German Bonds hooked up with John Lawton, former vocalist for the British band Stonewall, and future vocalist for Uriah Heep. The newly formed group put out two albums in 1970, the first under the name Asterix, was an upbeat, hard rock effort and the second was Lucifer’s Friend’s self-titled debut.

The Lucifer’s Friend sound on this first album is a heavy mixture of keyboard and guitar driven hard rock, early metal, and prog, comparable to Uriah Heep, Deep Purple and Black Sabbath. Lucifer’s Friend’s next three albums were: “Where the Groupies Killed the Blues,” (1972), “I’m Just A Rock & Roll Singer,” (1973) and “Banquet,” (1974). Each varies slightly from the other, but the band never loses their heavy edge. Lawton would leave the band in 1976 and join Uriah Heep the following year, only to return to Lucifer’s Friend in 1981. The band parted ways in 1982, but re-formed for a last gasp in 1994.

Bottom line, if you dig early metal, you will dig Lucifer’s Friend. Start with the first album and then give the second a try. You won’t be disappointed. If you’d like to learn more about Lucifer’s Friend, consult your local library. Or, better yet, just tune into Classic Rock Mine Saturday nights from 9pm-11pm.

The Mashup Episode 13! 0

The Mashup, your only college comedy radio source, will feature Haydn Forrest and Ken Floogan this Sunday at 3p on WMFO!

Haydn Forrest is a sophomore hailing from Austin, Texas. He is a member of the Tufts Stand-Up Comedy Collective which means that he brings the LOLZ. He has yet to declare a major… one may say his Major is Undecided… get it… other comedy group… (but seriously, Haydn, get on it).

And then, the triumphant return of QVC host extraordinaire, Ken Floogan! He’ll be sharing some new products with us, as well as his thoughts on life, love, and salesmanship.

Check them out from 3-4pm on Sunday afternoon! You can also listen to past episodes of The Mashup here:http://www.mixcloud.com/themashup/

Los Campesinos! at the Paradise 0

Midway through their set, one of Los Campesinos!’s (not sure to punctuate that) keyboards died. It didn’t break; it ran out of batteries. The batteries they had been using were given them at a previous show by a fan who took them out of his camera so that the show could go on. Gareth, Los Campesinos!’s frontman, apologized to the crowd: “We were going to play a popular song, I guess we can’t play it now.” He then quipped, “Here’s where you go home and write on your blog one of two things- either we were sloppy and unprofessional, or, you got to sit in on a band practice!” A few songs later, batteries procured, the band ripped through the previously skipped “We are Beautiful, We are Doomed.”

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The Mashup Episode 12! 0

The Mashup, your only college comedy radio source, IS BACK! This Sunday, we will welcome Matt Nazarian and DJ Kyle!

Coming back for the second time is Mashup favorite, Matt Nazarian. Matt is the founder and self-proclaimed dictator of The Tufts Stand-Up Comedy Collective. He also enjoys sunsets (or so we assume. Seriously, who doesn’t like sunsets?!)

DJ Kyle will also be stopping by. As his name suggests, he is a DJ, but what people may not know is that DJ Kyle is quite the lothario. Join us to learn some of his impressive tips.

Check them out from 3-4pm on Sunday afternoon! You can also listen to past episodes of The Mashup here:http://www.mixcloud.com/themashup/

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Classic Rock Mine, But Were Afraid To Ask. 0

Classic Rock Mine is dedicated to bringing you the best in classic rock music. I go beyond the traditional playlist of commercial classic rock stations to bring you a better variety of classic rock music. B sides by artists you know; A sides by artists you don’t know, including top acts from around the world. You’ll hear great classic rock that rocks from places like Japan, Norway and Argentina, as well as the US and UK. If you love classic rock, I mean really love classic rock, then you will dig my show.

US and UK bands in regular rotation include Mott the Hoople, Uriah Heep, Eric Burdon, Nazareth, Grand Funk Railroad, Black Oak Arkansas, Mountain, Johnny Winter, and of course, Foghat. International artists you can discover on the show include Lucifer’s Friend (Germany), Pappo’s Blues (Argentina), The Human Instinct (New Zealand), Flower Travellin’ Band (Japan), and November (Norway). Upbeat and rocking, and chock full of great classic rock that hasn’t been overplayed to death, Classic Rock Mine is sure to satisfy. Saturday nights from 9pm-11pm right here on WMFO!