New Video - Some New Stuff + BTS of My Radio Show

Here is my newest video. I've been a little under the weather lately, but I didn't want to fall behind on things, so I toughed it out and made a video anyway. In this one, I show off a few new records I've gotten in the last week or so, and then I offer a behind the scenes look at me doing my radio show, New Day Rising. I brought a camera along with me last week, and now you will know what it looks like when I'm presenting you with my three hours of radio excellence every week. Enjoy.

 

My Rock n Roll Weekend?

As mentioned on Friday, I did go to Sokol Underground to see The Thermals play. In fact, I did more than just go to the show, I actually worked the door. Obviously, that means I was there for the entire show -- all three bands. The first band, a local called Thunder Power, was pretty good. Nice, indie pop. Nothing mind blowing, but they are still very new. The second band, Reporter, was a trio from Portland traveling with The Thermals. I wasn't really feeling their set. They weren't bad, just average. Which left only The Thermals to really "rock out" and make my night worthwhile. Did they? Well, yeah, pretty much. They played about an hour, and the set was quite rocking. Attendance was sort of mediocre at the show - maybe 100 or so people. Not horrible, but much lower than I was expecting. I didn't bring my laptop down to the show because I thought I'd be busier. Someone near me commented on the crowd by saying "This indie pop stuff is dead." Sadly, as far as concert attendance in Omaha is concerned, he may be right.

Saturday night, I hit the Trail of Dead show at Waiting Room. This time, I was not working. I got to the WR around 9:30 and luckily caught most of Virgasound's set. Solid, as usual. Why are those guys not a bigger local band? Makes no sense to me. Anyway, after chatting up some friends at the show, and having a few Bacardi and Diet Cokes, I was more than ready for TOD to take the stage. The ex-major label band from Texas played a very energetic, albeit short, set featuring mostly tunes from their last three albums. The crowd went apeshit for "Caterwaul" and for the set closer, "Another Morning Stoner." The main thing I took away from the show was that I didn't realize how often the band members switched instruments. It's always impressive when bands can pull that off.

Sunday was spent in my usual fashion - watching football (Packers are now 8-1) and making the play list for my show. Though I had a good show last night, I felt that a lot of my listeners were at the Meat Puppets concert, and not glued to their radios. I gave away tickets to see some crappy band called Straylight Run and only one person called in. One! WTF? I know the band blows, but c'mon, it's free.
I had a real tough time falling asleep after the radio show, so I watched last night's episode of Dexter. I know I keep saying this, but damn, Dexter is the best show on TV. I am really confused about what will happen this season. Dexter's sponsor for his non-existent drug addiction, Lila, has finally shown her dark side. After inadvertently causing the break-up of Dexter and Rita, she and Dex have become something of a couple. Dexter learned last week that he was able to "quiet" the voices in his head with more aggressive sex. Lila is a more than willing partner. Dexter was in the clear with Rita and the two could have gotten back together, but Dexter then admitted he had slept with Lila. It was a surprising move, and the resulting lack of normalcy in Dexter's life is taking its toll in other ways.

This week, Dexter's conflict with Sgt. Doakes came to a head in a major way. It is ironic that a serial killer like Dexter can work in a police station and none of the cops have any sort of clue about his true nature - except Doakes. Doakes was warned by the Lieutenant to leave Dexter alone, and to stop tailing him at night. He basically gave up on Dexter when he "caught" him in a recovery group. However, after learning that Dexter is not actually an addict (well, at least not a drug addict), Doakes' suspicions were increased. This week, Doakes began looking into the case of the murder of Dexter's mother. This news sent Dexter into a rage, and he decided to finally deal with Doakes.
At a crime scene, Dexter intentionally lied to Doakes about what the blood spatters represented. Doakes took the bait, and treated an innocent man like a criminal during an interrogation. Dexter then quietly slipped an accurate blood report onto Doakes' desk, and told the Lieutenant that Doakes was harassing an innocent man. He was reprimanded for the error. Later, in Dexter's lab, the two had their first serious confrontation. Dexter all but admitted that Doakes is right about him, but that he will never be able to do anything about it. He then gave him a head butt, and walked away. This prompted Doakes to run into the main police building and attack Dexter in front of all of his co-workers. Doakes was then put on leave, and had to turn in his badge and gun. Mission accomplished.

There was so much more in this episode (like the possible romance between Dexter's sister and FBI agent Lundee, Dexter sending the police a fake manifesto from the "Bay Harbor Butcher," or Lila's setting her house on fire), but I can't dissect every piece of this puzzle. All I know is that I wasn't sure how this season could top last season, yet it has. Dexter is worth the cost of Showtime.

Trail of Dead Dumps Interscope

Austin, Texas band ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead has dumped Interscope Records. Yes, you read that correctly. The band dumped the label. Five years or so ago, Trail of Dead made the jump to the major label, and it seemed like things were going fine. However, despite constant touring and critically acclaimed albums, TOD's record sales have been declining. So, the band decided to get rid of the big corporate label that was (apparently) holding them back. On their Interscope blog, band leader Conrad Keely let forth this comedic attack on his former employers:

So as has already been announced, ...Trail of Dead has once again made history, this time being the first band to drop Interscope. OK, we're not the first. Actually, Trent Reznor beat us to it. Let's just say we're the first rock band to do so... this year. Ever since label head Jimmy Iovine started dating the lead singer guy of the Pussycat Dolls it became impossible to get him on the phone, so that was a first bad sign. Then their idea of marketing became keeping it a secret that we'd released a record. The industry is in a strange place these days, and the only way they can make money is to sell urban pop music. Which is what I thought we were writing, but apparently I was wrong.

That's not saying the label didn't do great things for us. At the expense of a massive debt to them of half a million dollars, they really helped us to grow. They've taught us about the worthlessness of A&R people, how to yell at idiots running an art department, and how to shake hands with smiling retailers who have no idea who you are. And I love Jimmy Iovine for having worked with John Lennon and Phil Spector on the Rock and Roll sessions. I mean, that was thirty years ago, and the Rock and Roll sessions sound pretty bad over all, and John Lennon is now dead and Phil Spector has murdered people since then, but hey, that was really cool that Jimmy did that, thirty years ago, back then, and dated Stevie Nicks. He's had a great dating record, he just won't have the next TOD record.

The posting was taken down, but a cached version still exists. Here is a video of one of my favorite TOD songs, "Another Morning Stoner," from their 2002 Source, Tags and Codes CD. (h/t Stereogum)