Touch My Clickwheel

Another Year, Another Macromashup

2010-01-04T13:27:00.000-05:00

Happy 2010, friends and lovers!

Last year at about this time, your favorite trio of clickwheel-touching ladies were all in DC, busy worrying about our theses, Med School FAFSAs, and our massive senior spring break plans. We also posted TMC-fave DJ Earworm's United States of Pop 2008. This year, we're more spread out, and our undergraduate days are over, but its comforting to know that some copyright-tweaking, mind-blowing, hit-sampling things remain the same ...

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present The United States of Pop 2009:

Streets of Philadelphia

2009-08-03T20:11:00.004-05:00

This past weekend, I re-watched Philadelphia AND visited Bruce Springsteen's hometown of Asbury Park. It's only appropriate then that I post "Streets of Philadelphia" by Bruce Springsteen. He wrote it for the 1993 film Philadelphia and later won the Academy Award for Best Original Song.

I was only 6-years-old when "Streets of Philadelphia" came out, so its awesomeness only struck me recently. I think a lot of younger folks might be on the same boat.

Check out this cheesy video for "Streets of Philadelphia." Embedding is disabled for the original.

TMC Likes... Kenny Rogers?

2009-07-22T10:23:00.005-05:00

With "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town," TMC thought we were just adding on to the long list of Cake songs we loved. We have since realized our affections should be directed elsewhere: to Kenny Rogers and The First Edition. Kenny wasn't the first to record"Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town", but his version is perhaps the most popular. It climbed the charts reaching #1 in the UK and #6 in the U.S.

Before today, TMC was more likely to make fun of Kenny Rogers than to praise him (see his 1985 performance in "We Are the World"). Now, we honor Rogers with his inclusion on this extremely high profile blog.

Here's Kenny Rogers' "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town" and below, Cake's rather faithful cover song that got us hooked in the first place.

Steve Martin, BAMF and Banjo-Player

2009-07-21T10:42:00.002-05:00

If you're a celebrity, you can record an album at any time regardless of talent: see Paris Hilton and David Hasselhoff. But if you're Steve Martin, you can release a good album and play a mean banjo. You can also write best-selling novellas (Shopgirl) and a screenplay based on aforementioned novella. Steve Martin released an album in January 2009 called The Crow: New Songs for 5-String Banjo. So if you like yourself some good ol' Americana, check it out.

When I grow up, or more realistically when I grow older, I hope I can be a little bit like Steve Martin.

Here's a performance from 2007 featuring Steve Martin. Enjoy!

Local Natives cover "Cecilia"

2009-07-03T20:33:00.002-05:00

Local Natives does what few bands are able to do with covers: they take a song you love and make you love it more. Here's Local Natives doing an amazingly fun backyard cover of Paul Simon's "Cecilia".

Enjoy! (via You Ain't No Picasso)

More Metric Love

2009-06-11T08:21:00.002-05:00

Unfortunately for me (and fortunately for my wallet), 9:30 Club's 6/18 Metric show is sold out. However, I continue to indulge myself in Fantasies. The next track that's grabbed my attention is "Gimme Sympathy." At first, I thought it was a little over the top with it's Rolling Stones and Beatles references, but I am won over. Here's the official video for "Gimme Sympathy" and a pretty good acoustic version below.

If you haven't bought a Metric album before, go out and get Fantasies. There's an acoustic version of both "Gimme Sympathy" and "Help, I'm Alive" included on the album.

St. Vincent in the Park

2009-06-10T14:08:00.010-05:00

Ages and ages ago, my parents went to Simon and Garfunkel's Concert in the Park - their first reunion, featuring an appearance by Ed Koch. Now that I'm back home for the summer (at least), its possible to go to a concert in the park - Millennium Park, that is - at least once a week.

The city of Chicago sponsors free performances three or four nights a week in a Frank Gehry-designed concert pavilion looking out over a big lawn and gardens. This past Monday, St. Vincent and Allà kicked off "New Music Mondays," drawing a young crowd even further from the candelabra-wielding Ravinia crowd of outdoor music goers than the usual Millennium Park fare. While a slight rain kept the lawn crowd down, the seats and most of the grass pretty much ran the gamut of hipsterdom, from steampunk'd men to gamine Urban-clad ladies. It was the kind of crowd in which I kept wondering if I'd see someone I followed on tumblr; even with worn out chucks and a Manhattan Portage bag, your faithful correspondent was way outgunned.

Allà (pronounced Aiya) opened with long jams that occasionally veered towards a 1970's fusion jazz sound . Their songs and their performance as a whole were notably light on words, except for a slightly misplaced-seeming shout of "viva México!" from the lead singer. Since I'm a sucker for lyrics, I wasn't quite won over. Allà's almost psychedelic music wasn't something I'd normally seek out, but their biggest problem may have been the setting; the crowd had to have been the largest they'd played for, and though it was relatively responsive to the band, the performers had not quite figured out how to make their music translate in such a large, open venue. I suspect they would have seemed much less awkward in a small music club.

St. Vincent - guitarist/singer Annie Clark's nom de pick- had no such problem. I first saw her the summer of 2007 at the Rock and Roll Hotel in DC, with Scout Niblett opening, just after her first album, Marry Me came out. RnR Hotel is on the smaller, darker end of the three major DC indie rock venues, and St. Vincent really made the room work. One of the friends I dragged along bought her album at the end of the night because he said he felt like he had to after she made so much eye-contact with him. Clark, who is now touring in support of her album Actor didn't quite manage this level of intimacy, but she did a good job of commanding the large venue, her violinist and sax (extra points for good use of brass) fanned out across the stage. In an interview with her that I just recently saw, she described her guitar playing as violent and dirty. This wouldn't typically be my cup of tea, but the rough instrumentals balance nicely with Clark's resolutely bright voice. Even when she introduced "The Party" as a sad song, the vocals weren't quite bleak.

The set was nicely balanced between new and old material, starting off with "Marry Me John" and "Now, Now," a song I was very glad to be reminded of. Monday was also my first time hearing "Actor Out of Work" and "Save Me From What I Want," both of which were enjoyable. My favorite new song by far, however, was "Black Rainbow," something which I haven't been able to track down online. The real treat of seeing St. V at the Rock and Roll Hotel was hearing her perform "These Days" as an encore - sadly I had to run out a bit early to catch a train, so I'm not sure if Millennium-Park-goers had the same pleasure.

Check out Allà on myspace (link above), and a smattering of St. Vincent below.

"Now Now" by St. Vincent from Marry Me
"These Days" by St. Vincent which possibly appeared on an EP called Paris Is Burning?
Buy Marry Me from Insound here.

Give Me Metric

2009-06-07T16:58:00.003-05:00

There's still room for some pretty voices in rock 'n roll. See Emily Haines, the voice of Metric. I hear a ton about Beth Ditto (The Gossip) and even Karen O (Yeah Yeah Yeahs), but give me Emily Haines! Sometimes it's the juxtaposition of electro/rock/pop and a pretty mezzosoprano, rather than rock and more rock, that does it for me.

Here's "Help, I'm Alive" from Metric's latest album Fantasies and below, the song that first made me fall in love with Metric: "Calculation (Theme)."

Great Lake Swimmers and Honda

2009-05-03T14:43:00.002-05:00

I found the Great Lake Swimmers' "See You on the Moon!" years ago on the You Ain't No Picasso blog. I included it on a cd mix I made for my toddler nephews, and now it has found new life in a Honda Insight commercial.

Emmy The Great = Great

2009-05-02T21:08:00.002-05:00

TMC will be back with more frequent posts beginning Summer 2009. Get ready. In the mean time, Emmy The Great with an old favorite, "Canopies and Grapes."

We're Back... with "Pale Blue Eyes"

2009-04-25T12:13:00.005-05:00

I am descending from the depths of academics to revive the Touch My Clickwheel blog. TMC will be back for a few more weeks of sweet online radio tunes, and I will be posting shows from past semesters online for your listening pleasure so stay tuned for updates.

In the mean time, here's "Pale Blue Eyes" by The Velvet Underground. "Pale Blue Eyes" is a Kate pick, which is only appropriate since she's the only blue-eyed member of TMC. It's a sleepy morning song and, for that reason, I am in love with it. I am also a sucker for simplicity in adjectives, and "Pale Blue Eyes" includes many. Mad, sad, angry, and happy. It takes nothing more to win me over.

Deleted Scenes on the Red Line

2009-04-21T11:12:00.008-05:00

I was not aware of the Deleted Scenes until only just now, but they have combined two of my very favorite things: music and public transportation! I am quite won over.

Better yet, this performance is of endearingly folky guitar music, and in Washington, DC's very own Metro system. Makes the extra $0.35 seem worth not riding the Circulator, where spontaneous music is hardly ever performed. There is an especially nice moment when a man wearing Apple earbuds walks by just as the lyrics knock their lack of bass.

Check out DC's (admittedly more lo-fi) answer to the Black Cab sessions below:

Listen to more Deleted Scenes on MySpace.

And just because the subway might be a good way for a good man to go down:
Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters by Elton John
Buy Honky Chateau here.

Proof that Foreign McDonalds' are Best...

2009-03-25T11:13:00.005-05:00

Pharrell throws down in a Paris MacDo, trying to Charm his way into the lunch menu when they are only serving breakfast....

Don't love that I found this on Perez Hilton, but it is a pretty great, if questionably spontaneous, performance. Maybe this is the new I'm lovin' it? Cos I am.
EDIT: Embedding is questionably working right now... so link to it here.

Lykke Li featuring Drake and Mickey Factz

2009-03-21T11:33:00.005-05:00

Although she looks perilously Olsen-like here, for some reason, the ladies of Touch My Clickwheel can't seem to get enough of Lykke Li. In a very Scandi show - even by our standards - featuring Sweden's Shout Out Louds and Norwegian Erlend Oye's The Whitest Boy Alive, she is still a stand out.

When the wrong (read: original) version of "Little Bit" made it onto the playlist, we promised to correct our error.

Find Little Bit by Lykke Li feat. Drake and Mickey Factz here.
Buy Youth Novels here.
And, if you really really must, check out the Swedish national anthem here.

We're Baaaaaaaaack!

2009-03-19T14:49:00.004-05:00

TMC friends and lovers, get ready.

After weeks of technical difficulties, school vacations, etc., Touch My Clickwheel will return to the radio full force. Be sure to check out WGTB tonight from 8-10. Expect music from some of our favorite Swedes and French(wo)men, a new mashup, and discussion of the geographic anomaly that is Los Angeles.

As a thank you for your patience in the first part of this semester, check out this radiolicious classic from Van Morrison - one of Lauren and my faves while rocking out in southern Colorado last week.

MP3(senduit): Caravan by Van Morrison. Buy Moondance from Insound here.

Berry Gordy is a Musical Genius: Part 2,057

2009-03-18T15:17:00.002-05:00

The much more prolific and in-the-know music bloggers over at am.fm.pm recently posted a pretty great Motown story I hadn't heard before:

The same day that The Four Tops' "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)" hit number one in 1965, Columbia Records, the Tops' former label, re-released "Ain't That Love" in an effort to ride Motown's coattails to the top of the charts.

Naturally, Berry Gordy was furious. Reaching out to the songwriting crew Holland-Dozier-Holland, Berry decreed that a new Four Tops single was to be released in one day's time. Their solution: reversing "I Can't Help Myself" with the same chord progressions in tact. By the time evening fell, the Tops had recorded the track, now titled "It's The Same Old Song". By 3pm the following day, 1500 singles were in the hands of DJs across the country.

One of pop music's great dodges.

Find the full post - and a fun Four Tops/Kings of Leon mashup - here.

Some Cool Jazz

2009-03-16T18:55:00.002-05:00

In honor of our Wednesday jazz test, I give you one of the more enjoyable pieces we've gone over: Dave Brubeck Quartet's "Blue Rondo A La Turk."

Not much to say, but just give it a listen and then perhaps go discover some more jazz. Stay away from Charlie Parker and bebop, friends. It hurts the ears.

Posting Posters

2009-03-02T16:42:00.005-05:00

The Ladies of TMC have found their greatest success right here on the World Wide Web, thanks to all of you fine people. Since we are entering our last semester as college radio djs, however, we thought we'd try a new strategy... promoting ourselves at Georgetown. If you have any great, witty ideas, we'd love to exploit them for our own good. Till then we'll be scraping together some money for an epic Kinko's run.

Mashup of the Year

2009-02-26T15:38:00.005-05:00

TMC is always looking for the next great mashup - check out Jess' post on the Eddie Money vs. the Ting Tings below. For a long time now, my personal favorite mashers have been The Arbiters, a LA-based dj trio responsible for the first mashup I really liked - "Sure Side of Fame" - and my long-time ringtone - "Missing Sweet Love".

Unfortunately they haven't put out much new that I've been able to find in quite a while, and I've been looking to fill the gap. I think DJ Earworm may have finally filled the bill. He really got me with his Beyoncé vs. Tom Petty "If I Were a Free Fallin' Boy", and I'm a sucker for his cleverly themed songs. Check out his tour-de-force "United State of Pop 2008" here, a mash of the year's most popular songs that somehow manages not to feel too forced. Other pluses: his website is definitely a notch above your average MySpaceMusic account, and! he posts mp3s of all of his work.

Listen for more of DJ Earworm on TMC and suggest some new mashing virtuosos for us to check out....

"Sure Side of Fame" by The Arbiters

"If I Were a Free-Fallin' Boy" by DJ Earworm

Usually this is where we'd encourage you to go out and buy albums if you like the tracks... but I don't know that you could buy from these guys if you tried. Instead, we guess you could hire them to dj your next hipster event.

Oren Lavie's "Her Morning Elegance"

2009-02-23T13:58:00.004-05:00

We are alive and kicking at TMC, but I have been busy. Hence, no posting...

I've seen some visitors via StatCounter, so here's something to tide you over. Perhaps you've heard Oren Lavie before in the commercial for the classy Chevy Malibu or at your local coffee shop. He's multi-talented: a singer, songwriter, playwright, and theater director from Israel. Now in New York, he's made it big with this stop animation video for "Her Morning Elegance."

I won't say that all stop-motion videos are hits, but... a good song with stop-animation is gold. Also, I love beds. I love lying in beds. And I love covers. TMC co-host, Kate, would agree. Enjoy!

The Ting Tings and Eddie Money

2009-01-28T19:41:00.004-05:00

I was watching The L Word and heard the guitar intro of what I thought would be Eddie Money's "Baby Hold On." Instead, it was The Ting Tings' "Great DJ." I liked "Shut Up and Let Me Go" but not enough to look further into The Ting Tings', but "Great DJ" has got me curious. Here's "Great DJ" and Eddie Money's "Baby Hold On" for some reference of where The Ting Tings' got their chords from.

Check out this mashup of the two graciously hosted by Popbytes from mashup artist Party Ben.

TMC Likes You Better When...

2009-01-27T12:46:00.002-05:00

... you're naked. Ida Marie scored a hit in the UK with her pop punk song, "I Like You Better When You're Naked." Her voice reminds me of Brody Dalle's of The Distillers. It's good to see a girl (that's not Katy Perry) with a strong, rock 'n roll voice. Here's "I Like You Better When You're Naked" and also The Distillers' "Drain the Blood" for old times' sake.

Crystal Castles

2009-01-23T00:28:00.003-05:00

I'm currently obsessed with "Love Theme" from St. Elmo's Fire, but I don't think people would enjoy that. Instead, I'll post my other obsession: "Untrust Us" by Crystal Castles. They're a Toronto-based band consisting of a vocalist and multi-instrumentalist... so... fun, dancey, electronic music.

Some of their music reminds me a little of the 8-bit electronica of Sweden's Adventure Kid. The vocals are a bit indescribable. A bit androgynous, heavy with effects.

Dance your hearts out, friends. It's been a long week.

Bon Iver Blood Bank EP

2009-01-04T18:18:00.003-05:00

Bon Iver is set to release his Blood Blank EP on January 20th. This follows his debut album, For Emma, Forever Ago, topping numerous Best of 2008 lists. If you didn't like For Emma, Forever Ago, you probably won't love the EP. But if you did, check it out. It's the same heart-wrenching melancholy that we've come to expect from Bon Iver. Here's "Blood Bank."

Head over to Aquarium Drunkard to download "Blood Bank".

Matt and Kim

2009-01-03T16:59:00.005-05:00

The Touch My Clickwheel blog has dissolved somewhat, so I offer my apologies to the few remaining loyalists out there. I was terrible at posting the podcasts for the last few weeks of the show.

Depending on how things go this semester, I will try to hop back on the bandwagon. Until then, you can check out the Gitnerblog, where I sometimes post music. Unfortunately or fortunately, you'll have to deal with posts about non-music things.

Check out Matt and Kim's "Daylight." I'm usually wary of two-piece bands, but "Daylight" has me hooked. Warning: their debut album doesn't have the most polished sound, but it's just a ton of fun. They're from Brooklyn, NY and are about to release their second album Grand on January 20. Still, there's not a lot of places for a two-piece to go in terms of sound. So... let's see if I tire of Matt and Kim.

You can head to Green Label Sound to download it for free or catch them on tour with the likes of Cut Copy.

Sia: Honorary Lesbian Rocks

2008-12-09T18:00:00.003-05:00

I haven't gotten my act together with posting podcasts. BUT here's a badass CSS (Cansei de Ser Sexy) remix of Sia's "Buttons." I'm really digging it and hopefully you do too.

Pending Podcasts

2008-11-16T20:14:00.002-05:00

Apologies, loyal TMC-ers. I am two podcasts behind, but get ready for an influx of TMC shows for your listening pleasure. Until then, check out "Paper Planes" from I'm From Barcelona's newest album Who Killed Harry Houdini?.

Excused Absence

2008-10-27T11:43:00.005-05:00

Last night, TMC skipped out on our weekly radio show for good reason. TMC+1 ventured to the seedy GW Lisner Auditorium to see The Magnetic Fields perform. I will review the concert in the next few days but in the mean time, please check out opener Shugo Tokumaru.

Shugo Tokumaru is a Tokyo-based singer/songwriter with the voice of Jónsi Birgisson (Sigur Rós) and the guitar skills of a less percussive Kaki King. Check out Tokumaru's whimsical folk pop for yourself with the first track from his latest album Exits.

EDIT: When Shugo Tokumaru performed this song, I thought it was called "Brown Shoe." That said, it would be great if either Wes Andersen or Sofia Coppola could make a new movie just so we could enjoy charming quirky moments set to this music. - Kate

Station Identification

2008-10-20T23:32:00.002-05:00

Touch My Clickwheel is a wholly internet-dependent operation, but our home station, WGTB, was an actual radio broadcast station for quite some time, until their influence and politics got them booted off the airwaves. I just ran across this brief overview of the most interesting part of WGTB's history - it was a cover article for the City Paper back in 1999 (god, that seems like a lifetime ago). In any case, it is recommended reading for radio aficionados, and any one interested in the environment at Georgetown during the Vietnam war era.

Touch My Clickwheel Contest

2008-10-20T21:19:00.003-05:00

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Some deviant (Kate) pressed the space bar during a song, and there was some terrible radio silence.

The first person to email us the time location of the awkward pause in podcast #5 will win a t-shirt personally decorated by TMC and a 6-pack of some decent beer.

The beer is only for Georgetown locals, but the t-shirt is up for global grabs! When is the pause?? 13:52? 1:30:41? You tell us.

Fall Podcast #5

2008-10-20T13:23:00.004-05:00

Here's the podcast from yesterday's Touch My Clickwheel show.

We discuss long-term decisions, our awkward topic of the week, as well as "retarded" as the new "gay". Of course, we've got some great music coming your way.

Listen to:
Fall Edition #5

Send us some love! We'd love to hear some feedback or suggestions for future shows.

And Now for Something Completely Different...

2008-10-19T23:30:00.004-05:00

.... a navel-gazing post inspired by the last post. While we may have a soft spot for Hear Music and the pleasing albums sold at Starbucks, we've still got a little coffee street cred.

Check out:
Mecca in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Intelligentsia in Chicago and Los Angeles
& Saxby's in Washington (Jess swears by their iced vanilla lattes, I dig their Tanzanian Peaberry blend)

And sip on these:
Black Coffee by Ella Fitzgerald
A bold, classy blend.
Buy The Best of Ella Fitzgerald here.

Two Beds and A Coffee Machine by Savage Garden
A guilty pleasure with all the calories of a frappucino.
Buy Savage Garden here. Seriously.

UPDATE: Amy MacDonald

2008-10-19T17:16:00.005-05:00

TMC has a long(ish) history of embracing Starbucks music. Say what you will, but I was charmed by Paul McCartney's "Dance Tonight," released on their label, and Lauren was just thankful that they convinced Joni Mitchell to get back in to the recording studio. We've also spotted the Fleet Foxes debut album on sale next to the after-coffee mints!

Most importantly for TMC loyal readers, or perhaps just for those with good taste in music, Starbucks' free download of the week (in collaboration with iTunes) is none other than "Run" by Amy MacDonald. Check for the cards with the download codes if the smattering of mp3s we posted didn't satisfy your appetite for music even more delicious than Edinburgh's famed fried Mars bars.

Fall Podcast #4

2008-10-13T13:47:00.005-05:00

Here is the podcast from yesterday's Touch My Clickwheel show.

We discuss dancing, our awkward topic of the week, as well as scent/smells and homecoming weekend events. Of course, we've got some great music coming your way. Please excuse how often I say the word "like." I blame this on illness.

Listen to:
Fall Edition #4

Send us some love! We'd love to hear some feedback or suggestions for future shows.

The (Other, More Northern) British Invasion

2008-10-13T13:30:00.000-05:00

I spent Spring Break this past year in the British Isles, some of it wandering the London's Portobello Road with Jess, and the rest of it riding around Scotland in a ridiculous bus. Organized tours aren't really my thing, but some friends and I wanted to make it up to the Highlands and the Isle of Skye (home to both some supposed TMC forbearers, and also electronic music wizard Mylo), and there didn't really seem to be any other way.

Our tour guide/drive also filled in as a dj, and played us a lot of Amy MacDonald, who came out of the Glasgow music scene and had just made it big in Scotland. She plays mostly pleasant guitary-y music, and I really like her distinctive inflections, and slightly deeper voice. I spent a long time looking for her music after hearing it, and her album This is the Life has finally dropped in the U.S. If you need good driving tunes, or mellow music, she's worth checking out.

Tasty MP3s:

"This is the Life" by Amy MacDonald

Scottish favorite "Caledonia" by Amy MacDonald

"Sweet Child of Mine" (Guns n Roses cover) by Mylo

Buy This is the Life here.

Buy Mylo's Destroy Rock & Roll here.

UPDATE: Lykke Li's Lacy Little Bits

2008-10-13T12:20:00.005-05:00

Jess posted earlier about the exciting use of "Little Bit" by Lykke Li in the most recent Victoria's Secret commercial, and for those of you who didn't catch it on television, Stereogum has the video here.

This has been a big year for European TMC faves finding commercial success stateside, with Noah and the Whale's "5 Years Time" making for one of the few advertisements for an automobile I have been able to bring myself to watch.

N.B. This photo is actually not from Vicky's Secret, but is from possibly my favorite lingerie ad campaign: Maggie Gyllenhaal for Agent Provocateur. She's better cast here than she was in The Dark Knight.

Fall Podcast #2... Abridged

2008-10-02T15:20:00.003-05:00

Friends and lovers,

TMC had a great second show, but due to some recording problems, we lost Kate's second set and both of Lauren's. But never fear, we still have some good music and topics captured on podcast! Topics include GEMA Rocks, dinner dates, and cell phones at the dinner table.

Listen to:
Fall Edition #2

Be on the lookout for this week's uncomfortable topic, and tune in Sunday 6-8PM EST at geogetownradio.com. Also, be sure to email us any suggestions for future shows or just to chat!

Lovingly,
TMC

Lykke Li and Victoria's Secret

2008-09-25T19:17:00.002-05:00

Did anyone spy Lykke Li's "Little Bit" in Victoria's Secret Ipex commercial? I did.

If Lykke Li doesn't win you over with her recorded songs, her live versions will. The stomping, the tambourine... mmm, good.

Lykke Li - "Little Bit"

Buy Lykke Li's Youth Novels

Overlooked: Joe Purdy

2008-09-23T20:50:00.002-05:00

Here's a nice little song I heard today in my Songwriting Seminar. I've never heard of Joe Purdy, although this song "Wash Away" was featured on LOST back in Season 1. According to his wikipedia article, his songs have also appeared on Grey's Anatomy. His voice is a lot like Ben Harper's, but I get the feeling he slants more towards friendly pop folk than Harper. I think I'll go on an excursion to purchase Julie Blue, one of his ten albums, very soon. Enjoy!

Fall Podcast #1

2008-09-23T17:10:00.003-05:00

Friends and lovers,

TMC had its first Fall '08 Show this past Sunday and with great speediness, here is the show for listening/download. Topics discussed include marriage proposals, the Apocalyptic Sex Theory, and juicycampus.com. And of course, there's some sweet music. Thanks for listening!

Listen to:
Fall Edition #1

Passion Pit

2008-09-18T12:41:00.004-05:00

I'm listening to TMC's Podcast of Show #9, where we played Passion Pit's "Sleepyhead" and it's damn catchy. The worst thing about poring over the blogosphere for good songs is that the ones I find are often forgotten unless I seek out a full album. Alas, I'm here to make a mends.

"Sleepyhead" is the first single from the new vinyl label NEON GOLD, owned by the blogger from Good Weather For Airstrikes. I'm happy for the guy, but I also mourn the loss of the source of some great music finds.

Backstock... Podcasts #8 and #9

2008-09-17T18:34:00.007-05:00

Friends and lovers,

As TMC prepares to kick off the fall semester with our first show this Sunday, Sept. 21, we invite you to check out the last 3 podcasts of the summer that we hadn't posted... until NOW.

Listen to:
Summer Edition #8
Summer Edition #9

You can listen directly from Zshare without downloading, so laugh at us, laugh with us, and enjoy good music and commentary!

EDIT: Jared was right. I had already posted podcast #7 meaning I'm less irresponsible than originally thought. Here it is anyway: Summer Edition #7

Love,
TMC

Noah & the Whale Album

2008-09-17T11:08:00.003-05:00

Noah & the Whale, one of my favorite UK bands, has finally released their debut album, and it is with great shame that I totally didn't notice! But thanks to Google Reader and You Ain't No Picasso, I've realized the error of my ways. Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down, available at Amazon, is on its way into my outstretched arms as we speak.

I'll let you know what I think of it when I listen, but until then, here's a new video for "Shape of My Heart."

Adventure Kid

2008-09-08T13:01:00.004-05:00

Hello TMC passers-by,

We've been on a short hiatus for the past few weeks, because summer has come to an end and we are awaiting for our Fall '08 time slot to be announced.

Posting has suffered, but I'm here to make a mends. Check out Adventure Kid, a Swedish dude making electronic music with a video game feel. His website is definitely 8-bit inspired and his video for "De Lorean Motor Company" is too. If this played at the end of a Super Mario level, maybe I would have tried a little harder to beat ol' Bowser.

So check out Adventure Kid below. I think AK could become my new Ratatat. Mmm.

We Haven't Forgotten... Completely

2008-08-22T10:44:00.003-05:00

Alright, Touch My Clickwheel loyal passers-by. I have fallen a bit behind on updating the podcasts, but stay tuned... With the start of the school year comes renewed dedication to TMC.

Until then, here's Cut Copy's remix of Fleetwood Mac's "Never Forget." I've been obsessed with it ever since Kate played it on our first show of the summer.

I'm the Baby, Gotta Love Me - Dinosaurs

2008-08-08T14:34:00.002-05:00

The fact that I forgot I used to watch this show all the time is alarming. Relive some of the magic of Dinosaurs circa 1991-94 with some full episodes here or catch a few snippets below.

TMC Podcast Summer Edition #7

2008-08-04T21:50:00.003-05:00

We're finally all caught up with this podcast, so liisten to us mock Lauren for her inability to Reply-All in emails and, of course, hear some bangin' tunes. Thanks for listening!

Download from Zshare: TMC Summer #7

TMC Podcast: Summer Edition #6

2008-07-31T20:35:00.006-05:00

Friends and lovers,

Excuse my tardiness in posting TMC's 6th podcast. It was my monumental 21st birthday last week, and I was slightly more absent from the internet than usual. Listen as we discuss giving/receiving compliments, emailing, and more Olympics controversy with special guest Cameron! As always, we've got some bangin' beats. So check us out!

Download from Zshare: TMC Summer #6

Note: If you download and listen through to the end before 8PM today, you'll notice that I forgot to fade out the last song. Whoops. It will be fixed shortly.

Thanks for listening and check back for this week's podcast later this week. Happy almost Friday!

Life After 50.. with Cyndi Lauper

2008-07-18T12:30:00.004-05:00

We closed this past week's show with Cyndi Lauper's "Into the Nightlife," an infectious club track from Lauper's upcoming album Bring Ya To The Brink. Check out this interview with Lauper below and more importantly, shake your moneymaker to "Into the Nightlife."

via The Music Slut

In a battle of Cyndi Lauper vs. Madonna, I'm gonna give this one to Cyndi.
"Into the Nightlife" video

TMC's Third Podcast

2008-07-17T00:14:00.004-05:00

Friends and lovers,

We recorded the podcast for our fifth show of the summer. Topics of talk include the Olympics, Garth Brooks, hand-holding and more! As always, there's good music to be heard.

Download from Zshare: TMC Summer #5

We appreciate your listening and hope you're enjoying our amateur creations. Thanks for all your support!

Podcast Failure #2

2008-07-11T09:03:00.005-05:00

Well, show #4 has come and gone and unfortunately, the recording did not work out as planned. So loyal friends/listeners, stay tuned for next week's show. Lauren will finally be back and TMC will return with more light-hearted banter and good music!

Here's Goldfrapp's A & E, which we played on this week's show. Mellow with a bit of a build-up. It's a chick flick embodied in a song, if there is such thing. I dig the dancing bushes/leaf creatures.

Fleet Foxes at Black Cat

2008-07-08T13:50:00.004-05:00

Robin Peckhold, lead singer of Fleet Foxes, has the humility of a much less hairy Japanese man. He brushed aside his long hair like a timid maiden and thanked the crowd repeatedly, almost bowing. From behind his beard, he seemed to be genuinely surprised at the size of the sold-out crowd at the Black Cat. "This a staggering amount of people... staggering."

Fleet Foxes have sold out venues for their last few dates, been named band of the week by Slate Magazine, have received 4 stars from Rolling Stone for their self-titled debut, and given a 9.0 rating on Pitchfork. Can someone alert Robin to his own greatness, please? That's not to say I didn't appreciate their humble attitude. TMC was charmed by their rugged lumberjack attire and liberal amounts of facial hair. My heart melted when the guitarist drank a can of coke and Robin sipped tea from a mug. Collective "aw."

The harmonies were stunning, as you can hear by listening to the recorded show on NPR's Live in Concert. Perhaps the only thing I would've appreciated more is a little momentum of the set; there were frequent pauses between songs, but I will forgive them because Robin was under the weather.

Long story short, buy the Fleet Foxes album (and their Sun Rises EP) and get tickets to their nearest show. The recent praise of Fleet Foxes is highly deserved and with tickets as low as $10, it's a bargain spiritual experience. Men with beards and sweet angelic harmonies? Count TMC in.

TMC's Second Podcast

2008-07-03T13:44:00.007-05:00

Friends and lovers,

TMC recorded a podcast for our third show of the summer! Topics of talk include prostitution, the word "lovers," and more! Of course, there's good music to be heard. Please excuse our charming technical flubs.

Download from Zshare: TMC Summer #3

We sincerely appreciate all the downloads of the first show, and we hope everyone continues to listen in the future. Thanks for all your support!

Mates of State on KEXP

2008-07-02T12:42:00.004-05:00

Is it the fact that they're a husband and wife duo that makes them so cute? Judge for yourself with this live performance at Seattle's KEXP... and then listen to TMC tonight 8-10PM EST at www.georgetownradio.com. We'll try to podcast this time.

Technical Difficulties

2008-06-25T22:52:00.002-05:00

Sorry loyal listeners: Due to unforeseen and rage-inducing technical difficulties, I was unable to record tonight's show for podcasting. I'm probably the only one who's upset, but thanks to all who were planning to download it or to all who downloaded last week. It feels good to see so many downloads on zshare. Thanks again!

-TMC

Same Old Drag? Not at TMC.

2008-06-25T13:14:00.007-05:00

Robert Schneider has a weird voice, but TMC isn't complaining. Check out The Apples In Stereo's "Same Old Drag," which we'll be playing tonight on our show 8-10PM EST tonight on Georgetown Radio! We'll be posting a podcast of the show later on, but tune in if you can to hear some bangin' beats and banter (please excuse the alliteration). Later pals.

WGTB Stream

2008-06-20T09:14:00.001-05:00

... is back up on the website now too, as the university belatedly ponied up for georgetownradio.com expenses.

Noah & the Whale in Saturn Commercial

2008-06-20T07:08:00.002-05:00

Noah and the Whale's "Five Years Time" appears in a Saturn car commercial. I guess they've made it?

"I didn't sell out, son. I bought in." - SLC Punk

TMC's First Podcast

2008-06-19T12:38:00.008-05:00

Friends and lovers,

TMC has successfully recorded its first podcast, the first show of the summer! This is a good thing, since WGTB informed us that the Center for Student Programs forgot to pay our bills and the stream was largely unavailable for live listening...

Topics of talk include boobs vs. breasts, Norwegians, obesity, and more! And of course, there's good music to be heard.

It can be downloaded in two parts (due to upload limits) below.

TMC #1, Part 1
TMC #1, Part 2

We sincerely thank you for downloading and hope you enjoy it. We hold ourselves to the highest standards of amateur podcasting (kind of), but please excuse any technical errors and excessive laughing into the microphone. Apologies.

NOTE: The image is misleading as we don't actually have an RSS feed, but give us (Jess) time... someday.

Guilty Pleasure: Lollipop

2008-06-12T05:17:00.003-05:00

Every once in a while, TMC is gripped by the power of club hits i.e. "Umbrella," "The Way I Are," and "Call On Me." Now... it is "Lollipop."

I actually first heard of this song by watching this Jason Mraz-ish bro do his cover. I say "bro" because look at him. He's straight out of the "Bro Rape" video.

Gender Mashup Mix

2008-06-11T21:50:00.005-05:00

In honor of my bright-shiny-newly gained fact that Minneapolis/St. Paul has the largest transsexual community in the country, a mix of gender b(l)ending songs:

EXHIBIT A: Lola by the Kinks. Buy Lola vs. the Powerman & the Money-Go-Round, Pt. 1 here.
EXHIBIT B:Halah by Mazzy Star. Buy She Hangs Brightly here.
EXHIBIT C:Your Woman by White Town. Buy Women in Technology (what a great album name) here.

The last two songs of this are also good argument for the awesome that was the last decade of the last century.

Disclaimer: this post is probably offensive in some way to someone or, in fact, many ways to many people. My excuses.

Pump It

2008-06-11T21:39:00.001-05:00

Pump it !! from Capucha on Vimeo.
This is the ballingest dance video ever.

Converse Promo

2008-06-10T15:29:00.004-05:00

Head over to the Converse website to download the free track "Drive-Thru," a collab of Julian Casablancas (The Strokes), Santogold, and N.E.R.D. It's just alright and had the potential to be better. The beginning reminds me of Prince's "Kiss" and there's this little flittering sound that makes me hallucinate my cell phone is ringing every time. As opposed to the Josh Ritter/Hilary Hahn collaboration, this is an example of where mixing musicians from different genres doesn't always end with the best results. Not terrible, but not amazing either. Why am I posting it then? Because I don't want to study for my last exam.

Josh Ritter with a Classical Twist

2008-06-09T16:28:00.003-05:00

I just heard about violinist Hilary Hahn's collaboration with folk musician Josh Ritter while listening to NPR's Bryant Park Project podcast. According to BPP, Ritter and Hahn have been playing joint bills to audiences of half classical fans and half folk fans. Hahn improvises over Ritter's songs and Ritter plays with Hahn on Paganini's Cantabile.

The moral of the story? Classical musicians can school the humble singer-songwriters any day. But wait. We already knew that. The real moral of the story is that the rap mash-up is not the only way to combine two dissimilar genres. "Girl in the War," featuring Hahn's improvisation, is a really nice addition to Ritter's simple strumming and melody. Check it out below, along with Paganini's Cantabile. Volume on the videos is inexplicably low, so as Rage Against the Machine said... "TURN THAT SHIT UP!"

"Girl in the War"

Paganini's Catabile

So You "Love" Me

2008-06-08T17:35:00.004-05:00

I've been getting a lot into The Magnetic Fields' i album and this is one of my favorite songs from it. This version is possibly even better thanks to the amped up synth. I must confess, I'm not a big fan of their latest album Distortion; it's too loud for me and lacks the simplicity of the older albums. Still, The Magnetic Fields have released enough material to make me a happy camper for a long time, so there's no use complaining. Here's "I Don't Believe You." Quirky and fun, as always. You better bet I'm posting "Washington, DC" in a few days because, in fact, it is paradise to me.

Whitney Nostalgia No Longer the Only Option

2008-06-08T13:49:00.002-05:00

Not that it isn't a good option.

Possibly this is only a move of reassurance, since its been official word for more than a year, but Whitney Houston is back in the studio, and based partly on how much better she's been looking lately (see right), and partly on how amazing "Its Not Right But Its Okay" is, I'm really hoping something will come of it. I couldn't find an embeddable version but clicking through is well worth it - Whitney's mouth is totally mesmerizing.

In related news, Whitney Houston's song titles are so long. Like, always.

Bonus! Download: Don't Call Me Whitney, Bobby by Islands here.
Buy Return to the Sea here.

@#%&*! Aimee Mann

2008-06-06T18:36:00.004-05:00

Ok, so I might not score "cool" points with the indie kids and hipsters for liking Aimee Mann, but I can't deny it... I do.

She released her latest album @#%&*! Smilers this past Tuesday and though I haven't gotten a chance to pick it up, I've listened to a few songs and my conclusion is exactly that which I had after seeing her at the Birchmere last summer: Aimee Mann is an amazing songwriter. Her ability to produce such quality for almost twenty years is a rarity in music today.

As I listen to her more, I realize that her voice is something to get used to but I don't quite understand the influx of comments about Aimee Mann being overrated. NY Johnny left the following on a CNN story: "It's exceedingly rare that someone so far out on the fringe of mainstream is overrated... but Aimee Mann pulls it off." Well, NY Johnny, let's agree to disagree.

"Freeway" is typical Aimee Mann and the first track of @#%&*! Smilers. It's driven me back to revisiting her entire discography. If you're interested in Aimee Mann, I suggest trying out Bachelor No. 2. Every song is good... on every album, basically.

Alright. I'll stop there with the praise and I'll balance it out with some criticism. Aimee Mann hates music piracy. She's the female Lars Ulrich, so beware music-loving downloaders. Enjoy "Freeway" and buy her album.

Album Coming Soon... from Emmy the Great!

2008-06-02T10:31:00.003-05:00

Hello from the depths of studying.

A quick and exciting note that London favorite Emmy the Great will be (finally) releasing her debut album, tentatively titled First Love, in September. Thanks to Chromewaves for the tip, since I'm not too vigilant about following artist MySpaces. Head over to Chromewaves to download a really good live version of "Two Steps Forward". (Or just click that link). Get a lil' taste of the song from her Black Cab Session below.

As I've mentioned, the incestuousness of the London music scene is charming. "Fiddle Me This" man is from Noah & the Whale, another London favorite that probably has hoards of fans awaiting the release of their debut album, me included. Alright. Godspeed, folks.

Tower of Song

2008-06-01T08:31:00.004-05:00

I stumbled upon this video while "studying" at the library, and now have an inkling that I might embark on a little quest for Leonard Cohen knowledge this summer. I really like the lyrics, so I'll post a little snippet, but just listen carefully and enjoy.

My friends are gone and my hair is grey
I ache in the places where I used to play
And I'm crazy for love, but I'm not coming on
I'm just paying my rent every day
Oh in the tower of song

Here's Martha Wainwright on the David Letterman show performing "Tower of Song."

French Toast

2008-05-31T12:30:00.003-05:00

Dear faithful, steamy TMC readers. I haven't been posting around these parts lately, and while Jess has turned a tour-de-force one woman performance, I do apologize for the reckless abandonment. I've spent the past five months in France, and while the French may sell themselves convincingly as the world's cultural capital, the country's taste in music is dubious in the very best of lights. Techno remix of Seven Nation Army? Check. Cheesy new-age "classical" concerts at the opera? Check. Awarding of literally the highest honors in the nation to Kylie Minogue and Celine Dion (not that they don't both have their moments...)? Check. I suppose this doesn't mean that there isn't mind-blowingly good music happening all over France, but I think some of the Eurovisionesque music has made that hard to find.

To give you a taste of what is the toast of France just at the moment, the following videos are currently both top-ten in the country:

What Planet U On? by Luciana and Bodyrox. I know nothing about them. This doesn't necessarily sadden me, though the actual planet sequence at the beginning is guilty pleasure-y .

Beeper by Kid Sister. Kid Sister is a Chicagoan rapper and she is definitely the high point of this song. The ironic beeper part drives me nuts. That said, the Kid Sister I've run into state-side is much more fun.
Download: Pro Nails by Kid Sister featuring Kanye West.
Buy Pro Nails here.

Regina Spektor on the True Colors Tour

2008-05-31T08:24:00.004-05:00

It is officially summer, but I am still a prisoner of exams. This song, after a yearlong hiatus, has reappeared in my favorite playlists to suit the current mood. Regina Spektor's "Summer in the City" can be missed among all the other hits of Begin To Hope, but I think it's one her best.

Catch Regina Spektor, along with other big names like Tegan & Sara, Cyndi Lauper, the B-52s, and other LGBTQA artists/comedians, on the True Colors Tour passing through major cities throughout June. With this lineup, both the gays and straights will be battling it out for tickets. Sadly, I won't be in DC for the June 7th date at D.A.R. Constitution Hall, but it's good to see they've gone for a bigger venue this year.

Download The Mixtape About Nothing

2008-05-30T04:49:00.002-05:00

Head over to 10.Deep to download Wale's Seinfeld-inspired mixtape for free. Haven't listened yet, but it's set to go on my Ipod. Serenity now!

Ode to Mac OSX

2008-05-26T05:15:00.003-05:00

I've heard of The Bird & The Bee and the "Again & Again" is nice and poppy, but I'm posting it mostly because of their video, an ode to the Mac OSX. Mac lovers, prepare to glow with pride. PC users, grin and bear it. Here at TMC, it's a 2-1 Mac-to-PC ratio. But hey, as the PC-user, in this trio, I think I'm doing just fine.

W.A.L.E.D.A.N.C.E.

2008-05-25T18:24:00.003-05:00

Another reason to have pride in DC: DC's resident big-time rapper, Wale. This track is not part of the upcoming Seinfeld-inspired album, The Mixtape About Nothing, but it's good for creating some buzz. That's right. Seinfeld. Inspired. Album.

It's produced by Mark Ronson and set to drop May 30th. Also, Julia Louis-Dreyfus makes a cameo in a skit. In an email to EW.com, she comments, "Wale is my favorite artist because he's the only one who ever included me in a mixtape -- hear that, P. Diddy?” Schwing.

While you're counting down the days until you can get your hands on the album, read more about it here and check out "W.A.L.E.D.A.N.C.E." and it's sweet video.

I know I'm an Internet Junkie When...

2008-05-23T15:57:00.003-05:00

I recognize every YouTube spoof in the the new Weezer video for "Pork and Beans." It's a little bit alarming that I have so much useless pop culture knowledge packed in my brain. Nevertheless, it's a nice return to good ol' Weezer. They're not quite doing much differently, but it's good to see something new.

A few of my favorites in the video are: 1.) Dramatic chipmunk; 2.) gay Britney fan; 3.) Kevin Fed/Popozao. Ch-ch-check it out.

Lykke Li on Black Cab Sessions

2008-05-21T15:57:00.002-05:00

Man, I forget to look at the Black Cab Sessions for a while and I miss a ton! Here's Lykke Li with "I'm Good, I'm Gone." I should be seeing her live in London in two weeks or so, and based on this little cab performance, she'll be good. Enjoy.

Sweet Sounds with the Commodores

2008-05-21T11:54:00.005-05:00

This song is pulling me through days of studying Econometrics. I don't know why, and I don't care. It's damn good. Motown in the 80s is gold. Smooth vocals with synth-y instruments. It's a Marvin Gaye and Jackie Wilson tribute and the references make it even better. "Sweeeet sounds."

Kaki King at ULU, London

2008-05-17T18:06:00.003-05:00

While my impressions are still fresh, here's what I thought of Kaki King's concert at ULU tonight:

Kaki King had, by far, the best stage banter of any performer I've ever seen. And I like to think that means something, because although I'm a ripe 20 going on 21, I've been to a fair amount of shows. Touring with Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters in Australia, the awkwardness of playing at Japanese jazz clubs, and eating meat and getting drunk in Istanbul were among some of the laugh-out-loud anecdotes.

The last time I saw Kaki, she was touring with a keyboardist and drummer, which nicely complimented her material from her latest album at the time, ...Until We Felt Red. But this time around, I was a little glad she had only brought her guitars and her friend Dave Brannigan on synthesizer, because I felt the new album, Dreaming of Revenge lacked the bare bones guitar work of her previous albums. That's not to say there's not a lot of fancy guitar-playing; as always with Kaki King, there is. You just need to listen harder for it and with the stripped down version, it was immediately apparent. Listening to the album again, I almost have trouble recognizing the album versions of the songs even though I know she played a lot of songs from Dreaming From Revenge.

Some songs from the set (in no particular order):
1. Life Being What It Is
2. Yellowcake
3. Doing the Wrong Thing
4. Jessica
5. Lovestoned (Justin Timberlake cover)
6. Tomorrow (Morrissey cover)
7. Everlong (Foo fighters cover... not quite a cover but part of a story)
8. Montreal
9. Close Your Eyes and You'll Burst Into Flames
10. Happy As A Dead Pig In The Sun (a crowd member requested it and although she couldn't remember it, she gave it a good shot)
11. Night After Sidewalk
12. Playing With Pink Noise
13. Ingots (I could be imagining she played this)
14. a song she wrote in Japan that sounded like a score for anime, according to Kaki

I don't know. The set was really long and had the ULU allowed her to continue, no doubt she would have encored with "Gay Sons of Lesbian Mothers." Oh well. I'm glad she ended with "Jessica," just because someone requested it and she was going to do it.

It was a great show. If you get a chance to see Kaki King live, do itttt. Good times are to be had.

This live recording of "Life Being What It Is" captures Kaki pretty well. "Fuck, I practiced this too." Her voice might be something to get used to, but it's sincere and not arrogant and overall pleasant. Enjoy.

Smoosh! Another Reason I Feel Old

2008-05-06T08:28:00.004-05:00

I'm over the fact that I'm old enough to like bands whose members are younger than me, so I might as well like Smoosh, the indie-pop sister trio whose oldest member is 16. I've had a song or two in my Itunes for a few years now, but recent Smoosh buzz on the blogs (NPR's Bryant Park and Chromewaves) has inspired me to revisit them and post my own praise.

I hadn't heard their cover of Bloc Party's "This Modern Love" but I'm thoroughly impressed. I think I like their girly (in the best way possible of course) indie-pop version to the original.

Also, I hear these girls have Swedish parents? Yet another reason why Scandinavia rocks.

Here's an old favorite and one of their earliest songs "Find a Way" from their 2006 performance on Jimmy Kimmel live. Now that's the way to grow up... playing Jimmy Kimmel at 14 years old.

Touched Down in London Town

2008-04-29T14:48:00.004-05:00

It's probably the references to London, which aren't even clever, which make me like "American Boy" by Estelle ft. Kanye West. But I'll be damned. I DO like it. Kanye does it yet again. And who is Estelle? She's a native West London-er who impressively released material on her own label before getting signed to John Legend's label.

I first heard this song on the radio in Croatia. Where have I been? It's been a number one single in the UK since March 23!

The best part is Laura Marling

2008-04-27T19:47:00.003-05:00

Driving through Croatia and flipping through the radio stations, the last voice I expect to hear is Laura Marling's.. but amongst the Italian and Croatian jabber, I did. She's featured on the new Mystery Jets' song "Young Love" and I will admit that I think she's the best part.

I don't know much about the Mystery Jets, but they don't stand out among the slew of other UK bands I've heard. This may be an unfair judgment since I haven't heard their other material. But still, this song deserves a listen for Laura Marling if not for the Mystery Jets. It's pleasing to both the eyes and ears.

"Young Love"

"Young Love" (live)

We Love You, Dan

2008-04-09T18:57:00.004-05:00

Arriving back from Italy, I was excited to catch up on my podcast subscriptions, particularly Dan Savage's Savage Love. I was disappointed to see that they were re-runs but upon visiting the website of the home paper of Savage Love, TheStranger.com, I'm sad to report that his absence is due to the unexpected death of his mother.

As Kate and I are huge Dan Savage fans, I thought I'd repost his poignant "thank-you note," as he put it, to his mother. May we all be remembered with the good humor and gratitude that Dan remembers his mother.

I thought I could bang out a column today—a regular column, a column about my readers' problems and their freaky fetishes and all those asshole politicians out there. You know, the usual.

The day my son was born, I managed to slip out of the maternity ward and write a column; I wrote one the day I was indicted by the state of Iowa for licking Gary Bauer's doorknobs. (I was actually indicted for voter fraud—on a trumped-up charge, your honor—but Bauer's knob needs all the attention it can get.) I've written columns on days that I was dumped and on the morning of 9/11. So I figured that I could bang out a column today.

I opened my laptop and started reading your letters. I love reading your letters—I do. But I couldn't get into it. I just don't have a column in me this week. I'm disappointed in myself. I write this column at Ann Landers's desk, for crying out loud, and the old lady banged out a heartbreaking, truncated column when her marriage collapsed. If Landers could bang one out under that kind of emotional strain, then I could damn well bang one out, too. Just do it, right? Just fucking do it. But I just fucking can't.

My mother died on Monday.

Perhaps a sex-advice column isn't an appropriate place to eulogize an articulate, elegant woman, a practicing Catholic named for the patron saint of hopeless causes and, perhaps consequently, a Cubs fan. I mean, really. Eulogizing my mother back here with the escort ads? So let's not think of this as a eulogy. Let's think of it as a thank-you note, the kind of nicety that my mother appreciated.

Forgive the cliché: My mom gave me so much. She gave me life, of course, and some other stuff besides: her sense of humor, her bionic bullshit detectors, her colossal sweet tooth. She also gave me—she gave all four of her children (Bill, Ed, Dan, Laura)—her unconditional love. Long after I came out, she told me she always suspected that I might be gay; I was the quiet one, the boy who liked Broadway musicals and baking cakes and shared her passion for Strauss waltzes. When I asked my parents to take me to the national tour of A Chorus Line for my 13th birthday, that should have settled the matter. Your third son? Total fag, lady. But my parents were Catholic and religious and it somehow still came as a shock when I told them. My mother came around fast and she came out swinging—rainbow stickers on her car, a PFLAG membership card in her wallet, and an ultimatum delivered to the whole family: Anyone who had a problem with me had a problem with her.

But the real reason I feel compelled to thank her in this space, back here with the escort ads, is because I wouldn't have this space if it weren't for her.

My mother, as my brother Bill likes to say, made friends like Rockefeller made money and George W. Bush makes mistakes—and she was that friend you confided in and went to for advice. I was a mama's boy—hello—and I spent a great deal of time in my mother's kitchen listening to her tell her friends exactly what they needed to do. Sometimes gently, sometimes brusquely, always with a dose of humor. My mom liked to say that her son got paid to do something that she did for free—and isn't that the way the world works? Women cook, men are chefs; women are housewives, men are butlers; she gave advice, I got paid to give advice. (And for a few years, she did too; my mother and I wrote a joint column for a couple of websites in the 1990s.)

So I want to thank my mom. I wouldn't be writing this column today if it weren't for her gifts and her ability to find the humor in even the most serious of subjects.

Even death, even her own.

After a long struggle, we had to go into my mother's hospital room and tell her that nothing more could be done. She didn't go into the hospital expecting to die and she was not ready to go. But she took the news with her characteristic grace. She said her farewells, asked us never to forget her (as if), and paused for a moment. Then Mom lifted an eyebrow, shrugged, and said...

"Shit."

My mother wasn't crude; I didn't get my foul mouth from her. She used profanity sparingly and then only in italics and quotation marks. When she said "shit" on her deathbed, we understood the joke. What she meant was this: "Now, the kind of person who casually uses profanity might be inclined to say 'shit' at a moment like this. But I'm not the kind of person who casually uses profanity—and certainly not at a moment like this. But if I were the kind of person who casually used profanity, 'shit' might be the word I would use right now. If I were that kind of person. Which I'm not."

Everyone gathered around her bed—my mother's husband (my son has two fathers and so do I), my sister, my aunt—knew what Mom wanted: She wanted us to laugh. This woman, so full of life, who wanted so badly to live, having just been told she would not, she was trying to lift our spirits. ("Shit," for the record, wasn't her last word. Those were just for the family.)

Anyway, my mom is dead, and I am not in the mood, as she used to say. ("You are so," one of us kids would usually respond. "You're in a bad mood.") So I'm going to take a week or two off, from the column and the podcast, hang out with the boyfriend and the kid, and burst into tears in coffee shops and grocery stores. I'll run some greatest hits in this space while I'm away—I'll find a column or two featuring Mom—and then I'll be back, just as filthy minded as ever. In lieu of flowers, please send pictures of your boyfriends' rear ends. (Lesbians may send flowers.) If you're the donation-making type and you're so inclined, my mother would be pleased to see some of your money flow to PFLAG (www.pflag.org) or the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (www.pulmonaryfibrosis.org).

Oh, one last thing: I was supposed to take my mother to see the national tour of The Drowsy Chaperone in Chicago this Friday, April 11. It was her birthday present. I got us great seats: seventh row, on the aisle. But I won't be able to use our tickets now. Not because it would be too depressing to go without my mother—not just because—but because, as rotten, stinking fate would have it, I'm going to be at my mother's wake on Friday night.

But I'm practical, like Mom, and I'd hate to see perfectly good tickets to a national tour of a hit Broadway musical go to waste. And it occurs to me that there has to be a teenage boy out there—in Chicago or close enough—who likes musicals and has a mother who loves him for the little musical-theater queen that he is. If you know that boy or you are that boy or you were that boy a decade ago or if you're that boy's mother or grandmother, send me an e-mail and I'll arrange to get these tickets to you.

Like I said, they're great seats. I would go if I could. But I can't.

Shit.

mail@savagelove.net

RIP Torrent Spy

2008-04-06T10:23:00.002-05:00

I'm saddened to hear of Torrent Spy's decision to shut down, but their reasons are legitimate. I'm glad they chose to shut down rather than compromise the privacy of their users. Well... it was a good run. Here's their message below:

Friends of TorrentSpy,

We have decided on our own, not due to any court order or agreement, to bring the Torrentspy.com search engine to an end and thus we permanently closed down worldwide on March 24, 2008.

The legal climate in the USA for copyright, privacy of search requests, and links to torrent files in search results is simply too hostile. We spent the last two years, and hundreds of thousands of dollars, defending the rights of our users and ourselves.

Ultimately the Court demanded actions that in our view were inconsistent with our privacy policy, traditional court rules, and International law; therefore, we now feel compelled to provide the ultimate method of privacy protection for our users - permanent shutdown.

It was a wild ride,

The TorrentSpy Team

"Big Brother in the form of an increasingly powerful government and in an increasingly powerful private sector will pile the records high with reasons why privacy should give way to national security, to law and order [...] and the like." - Justice William O. Douglas

Metallica Revisited

2008-04-06T09:22:00.003-05:00

I haven't been listening to a lot of new stuff lately, but recent guitar-playing has brought Metallica back to my attention. This is Rodrigo y Gabriela doing a classical guitar interpretation of Metallica's "Orion." I had never heard of the group before but walk into any HMV and their album is on the bestseller rack. I don't think they've really hit the U.S. but I'm impressed that they could become so popular in London. Go instrumentalists, go.

British Fun with Pete & the Pirates

2008-03-24T12:39:00.003-05:00

Apologies for no new TMC posts, readers. I've been traveling a bunch and haven't had the inspiration to post. After an influx of London bands blowing my mind, there's been a little bit of a dry spell. Vampire Weekend came to play at Rough Trade but I wasn't impressed by them , although the rest of the blogosphere certainly is enamored with them.

Here's some Pete and the Pirates. They played a show that I skipped, regrettably, at Rough Trade. They sound a bit British for some people's tastes but their album is solid.

Bitch Is the New Black

2008-02-25T15:10:00.000-05:00

Laura Marling article

2008-02-13T09:47:00.003-05:00

There's some pretty good articles on Laura Marling this week, since her debut album Alas, I Cannot Swim came out on Monday. I took the picture to the left during the ICA show and it captures her on-stage demeanor pretty well.

Here's the article in full or you can read it at the London Paper here.

"I can't stand being compared to these people because the only thing we have in common is we're female and we're young."

So says 18-year-old Berkshire singer Laura Marling of her contemporaries, the likes of Lily, Amy, Duffy and Adele. "I hope people don't only want to hear my music because I'm a female songwriter, that's just lame," she snipes.

With an obsession for female singers not seen in the UK since a toothsome Vera Lynn won the nation's heart, there's a chance the subtle charms of Marling may be lost in the bluster of competitive foghornery from Adele etc, or the tabloid tribulations of Misses Allen and Winehouse. This would be a shame. What Marling is offering is something less obvious but equally satisfying.

Alas I Cannot Swim is a gently rocking boat of melancholy folk and dreamlike pop with an uplifting jangle.

For such a young talent, she has a voice of grave character and the gentle storytelling ability of Suzanne Vega, layered with lyrical morsels such as, "He wants to die in a lake in Geneva, where the mountains cover the shape of his nose" on the entrancing My Manic And I.

"It's meant to be one continuous sound – it's very much a sad sound in a way, although there are some happier songs on there," she says.

A far cry from the confident high-kicking stage school brigade, Marling is on the shy side. She wishes she'd chosen a "nom de chant" like Bat For Lashes ("It gives you much more freedom and it's a better way of keeping anonymous.")

She doesn't like giving interviews, either: "I'm not really very talky and I've got this huge paranoia that I'm the least funny person ever."

She also seems a bit paranoid when I bring up her age. "I'm not a knobhead teenager," she assures me, as if I were about to chastise her for alcopop consumption.

I merely mean to enquire whether her job, at her age, increases certain anxieties and as it happens, I hit the nail on the head: "I'm quite an anxious person and I suffer quite badly from panic attacks. When I'm on stage, I'm pretty much concentrating that my heart doesn't fall out of my chest."

She has another surprising confession. "I don't really go out. Sad as that must sound and – this is bad –I don't like being the focus of attention. I don't wear make-up when I do gigs, I don't want to be the pretty little girl. Because my music is not clean-cut and perfect so why should I be?"

"Because it sells records," I want to counter, but she knows that and at 18, she's got time to change her mind.

Noah and the Whale + Pull Tiger Tail @ ICA

2008-02-12T12:27:00.001-05:00

I posted this on my other blog, but since I would write about Noah and the Whale here as well, I thought copy+paste would be a bit easier on me...

I saw Noah and the Whale at the ICA near Trafalgar Square and I have to say, the ICA is a hidden gem of a venue. I was right up there at the stage (I took the picture to the left) and although it was sold out, it had the intimacy and electric vibe of the 9:30 Club without the crushing crowd that sometimes encroaches my personal space.

We arrived promptly at 7:30, but decided to hit the pub and wait it out for a little while. After a pint of Kronenbourg and healthy conversation at a really spacious pub near Westminster, we headed back to ICA.

Noah and the Whale came out dressed in blues and yellows. They fit the stylistic bill for many indie acts these days, but their sound set them apart. In one song I hadn't heard before, the fiddle came in with a riff similar to the one in "Sweet Child O Mine" and got everyone bumping and clapping. The bassist had a full-time job playing the xylophone (or something similar) and harmonium in addition to his bass. Laura Marling shook the shit out of the egg shaker but was still a little timid. With her new haircut, fresh from last Monday's in-store, she still won me over, but I wish she'd realize how good she is and come out of her shell. They played... around seven songs including "Five Years Time," "Jocasta," "Rocks and Daggers," "Mary," "Give a Little Love," two or three others I didn't know, and an encore cover of The Smith's "Girlfriend In A Coma." All of their live versions had more energy and momentum than their recorded versions, but that's saying a lot since their recorded stuff is great. Look for their songs on Hype Machine.

These guys deserve to get famous immediately. And also... I want a cd. So far, they've only released two singles on vinyl. Bah. All I know is I've found myself a new favorite band. Catch these guys at SXSW for anyone going.

I've already talked a lot about Noah and the Whale, so let's talk about the opener Pull Tiger Tail. These guys from Shakespeare's own Stratford-upon-Avon made me regret my decision to spend the majority of their set drinking beer at a pub. I was glad I caught a bit of their stuff and I'll be hunting down some mp3s on the internet. Until then, here's some YouTube videos of my favorite Pull Tiger Tail songs performed. Here's "Animator" and "Let's Lightening." Their live performances are pretty true to the recorded version so see if you like them. Enjoy.

Bald Inspiration

2008-02-10T14:55:00.000-05:00

While waiting weeks for my hair dye to come in so i could get rid of the nasty blondy-orange streak i was rocking, I began to contemplate shaving my head. For those of you that know me...this is something i contemplate every so often. I was asking my sister if she would do it with me and of course she refused, so I was stuck waiting for the hair dye. So the dye finally came in and my streak has returned to the bluish-purple greatness that it was originally!! This is all very exciting but i still want to shave my head, which got me thinking about how much I love Sinead O'Conner. Let's face it...she's awesome. I was watching vh1 the other day and she was on a one hit wonder show for Nothing Compares to You. I didn't think she was considered a one hit wonder, cause she has a lot of good songs and I thought she was popular for a while. Anyway...this song is awesome and I thoroughly enjoy that the God figure is black and that Sinead takes off her wig and displays her beautiful baldness...If i could pull it off like Sinead i totally would! Maybe some day I will
So enjoy...

Soulja Boy 182

2008-02-06T15:41:00.000-05:00

My illicit past with Blink 182's music is widely known, so it is with great pleasure that I post this Travis Barker remix of Soulja Boy's "Crank Dat."

Say what you want about him, but he always manages to look damn cool while drumming. The high arms, how he throws his head into every beat, etc.

This remix appears in Nike + Apple's 30-minute jogging workouts. Go cross promotion! Pretty smart idea. The playlist is "designed to build speed and endurance." So ch-ch-check it out. Now if only I was a runner...

Teddy Thompson, Folkin' Good.

2008-01-31T16:51:00.000-05:00

Awhile ago, I talked a lot about the Jaymay show I went to, but let's talk more about the headliner Teddy Thompson. He's son of famous guitarist Richard Thompson and sings with a bit of country flavor. I think Teddy Thompson is proof that there's huge numbers of talented musicians out there that never quite see the spotlight and only upon chance do people like me get a chance to discover them.

Some fun Teddy Thomspon facts:
1.He is good friends with Rufus and Martha Wainwright, as they both share the second generation musician stigma; both of Teddy's (as well as Rufus and Martha's) parents are folk-rock artists.
2. Rolling Stone Magazine listed Teddy's father, Richard Thompson, as #19 Best Guitarist of All Time, which begs the question... Why haven't I heard of him before??
3. Teddy contributed two songs to the Brokeback Mountain soundtrack, one of his own and one with Rufus Wainwright.
4. He also participated in the famous Leonard Cohen tribute film, Leonard Cohen - I'm Your Man.

Here's Teddy Thompson with two songs on the Jools Holland show, both which he played at the show I saw. "Everybody Move it" is a favorite. I also stumbled upon Teddy playing "One Man Guy" with siblings Martha and Rufus Wainwright that's pretty good. Enjoy.

Nick Drake in Brokeback Mountain... Maybe.

2008-01-30T11:40:00.000-05:00

I was listening to Nick Drake's album Pink Moon for some inspiration in reading Development Econ and I couldn't help noticing a similarity between his "Horn" and the music from Brokeback Mountain. I know they're not the same and I'm not suggesting Santaolalla ripped anyone off, but it just seemed like "Horn" could be dropped right in the movie. Just an observation. See for yourself.

Here's "Horn."

And here's Gustavo Santaoalla's opening theme for Brokeback Mountain.

Ignoring Indie Backfires: MGMT

2008-01-30T08:51:00.000-05:00

I've seen MGMT's name splashed on a lot of the blogs I follow, but I've been ignoring them... until now. I'm going to a Noah & the Whale show in two weeks and I noticed that MGMT (pronounced "Management") have a sold out show at the same venue. So I checked them out on YouTube, picked up their album, and have thoroughly enjoyed myself. These guys, who formed while at Wesleyan, have toured with Of Montreal, possibly why I didn't take a serious listen. Yes, I like Of Montreal sometimes, but albums upon albums are too much. I think they're a bit easier to digest than Of Montreal. Nice and dance-y. Anyways, check out "Time to Pretend" and "Kids."

The Bitch (Lauren) Is Back!

2008-01-28T15:24:00.000-05:00

So I have only posted once and feel the need to share my new music love with the world...so here it goes.

I have recently become obsessed with Kim Carnes' "Betty Davis Eyes" and I feel the need to share this obsession with the world. Also I am currently depressed about the lack of Touch My Clickwheel action going on here at Georgetown seeing as Jess and Kate have abandoned me here and I cant do the show without them. Touch My Clickwheel will be back next year, but I'm not sure I can wait that long. In the absence of expressing my feelings on air, I will have to blog instead.

Lightspeed Champion... is Champ

2008-01-17T10:44:00.000-05:00

I've already called it that Lightspeed Champion will be a huge success in the indie world, but as a lot of the other music blogs out there are doing, I need to declare it in a post.

I saw Lightspeed Champion perform at Rough Trades East in London on Monday and I was impressed by his live performance, solid and true to the recorded tracks, something I value as opposed to Andrew Bird-like shows. Anyways, what I didn't realize is that Emmy the Great was providing backing vocals. Was she at the in-store? Probably. Can I be sure? No, because I couldn't see anyone but Dev Hynes, Mr. Lightspeed Champion himself.

The London anti-folk scene is a bit incestuous. Emmy the Great, once a member of Noah & the Whale, playing with Lightspeed Champion as well as solo. Laura Marling, amazing solo as well, replaced Emmy in Noah & the Whale. Noah & the Whale... I'll devote a new post to them later.

Here's the full 10-minute version of "Midnight Surprise" by Lightspeed Champion. I like it better than the radio edit. It's got the variety that say... Rilo Kiley's "Pictures of Success" accomplishes in its 7 minutes. It's also got a bit of the twang that RK has incorporated in their later work. Enjoy! (My favorite part starts at about 7:54 and lasts 'til the end)

St. Vincent covers

2008-01-16T08:19:00.000-05:00

St. Vincent is no slouch in cover songs. From The Beatles' "Dig A Pony" in London's Black Cab Sessions and to "Yeah! Oh Yeah!" by the Magnetic Fields, she rarely disappoints. I spotted this on You Ain't No Picasso, but decided to re-post here since I enjoyed it so much. "Yeah! Oh Yeah!" is one of Stephen Merritt's 69 Love Songs and until now, has been one I have overlooked. Here's a cover of it from St. Vincent and John Vanderslice from a show at the Echo in LA.

And to renew your love of "Dig A Pony," here's St. Vincent playing fuzzy electric guitar in the back of a cab. I never quite appreciated the guitar work until I saw St. Vincent play it... and until I played it terribly in my room after being inspired by her performance. Enjoy.

Emmy the Great

2008-01-05T17:53:00.001-05:00

Continuing my ode to London anti-folk, here's a great performance by Emmy the Great in a Black Cab Session. Especially likeable are the fiddle plucks. TMC-ers are suckers for them, as well as hand claps, shoop shoop's, bop bop's, and la la's; occasionally, we are also suckers for banjos, accordions, and xylophones.

I don't know what the song below is called, but it's enjoyable. Also check out "Canopies and Grapes," one of my favo(u)rites, through the ol' Hype Machine. At first, it seems like it's an unbelievably emo break-up song, but when she sings that she "feels worse than when S Club 7 broke up" I can't help but smile a little.

Thoughts on "Best of Lists"

2008-01-05T17:16:00.000-05:00

It's really boring when Best of 2007 lists from various staff members of a blog are 50 albums in 10 different sequences. Here at Touch My Clickwheel, we take pride in liking music that we're not supposed to like... especially Lauren. Perhaps a tardy "Best of" list will show up sometime soon.

Lover, Please: Laura Marling

2008-01-02T20:33:00.000-05:00

I've been coveting Laura Marling for myself. I wanted to tell everyone about her and keep her a secret at the same time, but good things must be shared and Laura Marling is a good thing. She's only 17 (and I am a talentless 20) and she sings poetic and true. Her voice is refined but not overly formal and reminds me of the typical female singer/songwriter but with some more. "Ghosts" is my absolute favorite and has been on repeat for the past week. Check it out, as well as "New Romantic," down below. Luckily for me, she is based in the UK and will be in London in February. New Yorkers check her out in January. I hear she's a bit shy on stage but her performances are not to be missed.

Check out her myspace at http://www.myspace.com/lauramarling.

UPCOMING SHOWS

Jan 14-15: New York, NY at Sidewalk Cafe

Jan 16: Hoboken, NJ at Maxwell's

Jan 17: New York, NY at The Annex

Jan 18: Brooklyn, NY at Union Hall

Feb 1: London, UK at Soho Revue Bar

(See MySpace for further tour dates)

Chromeo: More Synth!

2007-12-18T17:37:00.000-05:00

Talk box + synth + more synth = gold. Go stalk this guy at Columbia University.