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02-27-09 Footnotes
Show 170: Neko Case, U2 and The Pains of Being Pure At Heart Reviews, Jim's DIJ
Listen to the MP3 Stream of this show: (link)
Download the Podcast: (Download the MP3)
1 At the beginning of the show Jim and Greg give an update on a news story they’ve been following—one of the biggest in contemporary music history. Last week they reported the planned merger between Live Nation and Ticketmaster. This week the heads of those companies spoke at a hearings before our nation’s legislators. At the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, CEOs Irving Azoff and Michael Rapino were greeted with skepticism, even sarcasm, as they tried to defend their plan and its effects on consumers. Jim and Greg note that they have a very different feeling after this hearing than they did during the Ticketmaster investigation in the mid-‘90s. This time, they think the law might come down on the side of the consumer.
2 In other sad industry news, New York City landmark Manny’s Musical Instruments will close down in May. The store, which was purchased by Sam Ash in 1999, has served such customers as Benny Goodman and Kurt Cobain over the years. Even our own Jim DeRogatis used to visit the store and “music row” in his youth.
3 This week’s guest is a repeat offender. Neko Case returns to the show to discuss her new album Middle Cyclone. Neko doesn’t want to give away too much though. She explains to Jim and Greg that she likes to leave a bit of mystery for the listener. Along with mystery, the singer-songwriter has packed this album with passionate tales of tornadoes, killer whales and mating frogs. And, she is literally a “man eater,” as you can hear in the song “People Got a Lotta Nerve.” Check out all of the live songs Neko performed with vocalist Kelly Hogan and guitarist Paul Rigby.
4 Irish super rockers U2 have a new album out called No Line on the Horizon. It’s the band’s 12th album and after a brief stint with producer Rick Rubin, they’ve returned to working with Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois. Greg was pleased to hear that after a couple of “U2 by numbers” albums, they’ve returned to emphasizing sound. They’ve restored the sense of mystery and atmosphere on a handful of tracks. But, Greg wishes the entire album was like that. He doesn’t feel they quite pulled it off and gives No Line on the Horizon a Burn It. Jim is shocked to hear himself say it, but he disagrees. Bono was wrong to suggest this record is the band’s best, but Jim thinks they are definitely still relevant. And he finds the good tracks so extraordinarily good that they overshadow the bum ones. Jim gives the new U2…a Buy It!
5 After getting a lot of notice from their singles and EPs, Brooklyn quartet The Pains of Being Pure at Heart has released their full-length, self-titled debut. Jim admits the band has a formula—equal parts jangly pop and heavy bottom. But, for him it’s a great formula, especially when combined with some of the twisted lyrics. He gives the album a Buy It. Greg is surprised to hear Jim say this. He doesn’t hear anything fresh or unique here, and thinks there are better bands using this formula today. Greg gives The Pains of Being Pure at Heart a Burn It.
6 As discussed earlier, U2, and countless other artists, turn to Brian Eno as a producer. For this week’s Desert Island Jukebox pick, Jim wanted to illustrate why. Eno is a magician in the studio. He turns one sound into another and the result is pure joy. You can hear this in Eno’s 1975 song “St. Elmo’s Fire” from Another Green World.
Songs Featured in Show #170
Joe Jackson, "Breaking Us In Two," Night and Day, 1982
Neko Case, "Polar Nettles," Middle Cyclone, 2009
Neko Case, "Don't Forget Me," Middle Cyclone, 2009
Neko Case, "People Got a Lotta Nerve," Middle Cyclone, 2009 Live in the Studio
Neko Case, "The Next Time You Say Forever," Middle Cyclone, 2009
Neko Case," Vengeance is Sleeping, " Middle Cyclone, 2009
Neko Case, "Middle Cyclone," Middle Cyclone, 2009
Neko Case, "Don't Forget Me," Middle Cyclone, 2009 Live in the Studio
Neko Case, "Prison Girls," Middle Cyclone, 2009
U2, “No Line on the Horizon,” No Line on the Horizon, 2009
U2, “Moment of Surrender,” No Line on the Horizon, 2009
U2, “I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight,” No Line on the Horizon, 2009
The Pains of Being Pure At Heart, “A Teenager in Love,” The Pains of Being Pure At Heart, 2009
The Pains of Being Pure At Heart, “Stay Alive,” The Pains of Being Pure At Heart, 2009
Brian Eno, “St. Elmo’s Fire,” Another Green World, 1975
Earthless, “Godspeed,” 2009 (0:10)
Electric Light Orchestra, “Telephone Line,” A New World Record, 1976
David Byrne and Brian Eno, “One Fine Day,” Everything That Happens Will Happen Today, 2008
Frightened Rabbit, “Good Arms Vs. Bad Arms,” Midnight Organ Fight, 2008
The Crystals, “He Hit Me (And It Felt Like a Kiss),” Back to Mono (1958-1969), 1991
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