How It Went Down: June 17, 2011

As always, lots going on here on TGIFR. My first guest of the night is Jordan Fine, who records under the moniker Fine Canadian Forces. His record, Hebrew Lessons, is a recent favourite and he joins me by phone. Also by phone is Paul Nolin, artistic director of the Jazz Winnipeg to give us the rundown on the fest (which started last night and runs til next weekend). Finally, Zoppa will be joining me for a live set and interview.

Set One: 6:30 PM - 7 PM

Ocote Soul Sounds - "Pathways" [ESL]
Interview with Jordan Fine of Fine Canadian Forces
Fine Canadian Forces - "Breaking It Away" [Independent]
John Maus - "Streetlight" [Ribbon Music]
Malajube - "Synesthesie" [Dare To Care]

Set Two: 7 PM - 7:30 PM

Handsome Furs - "When I Get Back" [Sub Pop]
Interview with Paul Nolin
Robert Glasper - "Butterfly" [Blue Note]
Nat Baldwin - "Lifted" [Western Vinyl]

Set Three: 7:30 PM - 8 PM

Zoppa - "Lovin' Train" [Live at UMFM]
Zoppa - "Somewhere Beyond The Ocean" [Live at UMFM]
Interview with Zoppa
National Parks Project - "Bruce Beckons" [Last Gang Records]
Zoppa - "To Those Who Bask In the Blue" [Live at UMFM]
Charlotte Cornfield - "Construction on the Street" [Independent]

Next week I'll be joined by A Waste Odyssey for a live set and interview, plus more to be confirmed...

How It Went Down: June 10, 2011

So, as promised in my last post, tonight's episode was a barn burner featuring not one, but two live bands in the studio. Kongress and The Details both put our new live band room through its paces and Mike Feuerstack talked handball and Snailhouse by phone.

The Details CD release show is tomorrow (June 11th) and if you're not able to make it to the West End, Kongress are playing alongside Salinas and The Blisters at the LO Pub.

Here's what was played:

Set One: 6:30 PM - 7 PM

Shad - "A Good Name" [Black Box Recordings]
Trombone Shorty - "Hurricane Season" [Verve Forecast]
Snailhouse - "Every Day" [White Whale/Forward Music]

Set Two: 7 PM - 7:30 PM

Kongress - "Money and Cigarettes" [Live on UMFM]
Kongress - "Before The Sun" [Live on UMFM]
Kongress - "Christmas 3:16" [Live on UMFM]
Gt. Dane - "Noah, Let Yer Ark Door Slam" [The Calm Before The Music]

Set Three: 7:30 PM - 8 PM

The Details - "Weightless In The Dark" [Live on UMFM]
The Details - "Paperweight" [Live on UMFM]
Fine Canadian Forces - "Higher Love" [Independent]

Next week on the show I've confirmed interviews with Jazz Winnipeg Festival artistic director Paul Nolin and with Jordan Fine, the man behind Fine Canadian Forces whose Hebrew Lessons album is a recent favourite.

UMFM Open House & TGIFR

So this Friday (June 10th), I'll be hosting a special broadcast of TGIFR as part of UMFM's Open House events [further details here].
















And speaking of Details, I'll have Winnipeg's own pop-rock perfectionists The Details in studio to kick things off at 6:30. They'll be playing a set in our new live band room, and talking about their new record Lost Art, which gets its release at the West End on Saturday June 11th.

My second guest will be joining me by phone - Mike Feuerstack is better known as Snailhouse and is also known as one of my favourite artists - whether he's working in Wooden Stars or Snailhouse. I'll be talking to him about his latest great album, Sentimental Gentleman.

And my final guest is Kongress, who will also be gracing TGIFR with a live performance.

If you want to get in on all the action, feel free to come down to 308 University Centre at the Fort Garry campus of the University of Manitoba between 6:30-8pm and see how live radio is made. I can't promise you'll get to go on air or anything like that, but I will have prizes for my guests and the seats are comfortable so that's something. If you can't make it down, tune in at 101.5 on the FM dial or stream it live on UMFM.

How It Went Down - January 7 2011

Kicking the year off right with some great guests in the studio (and really testing the capacity/capabilities of the temporary studio space while renovations continue). John Smith joined me to talk about his new record It's True Because It Rhymes, available now on Marathon of Dope.

Romi Mayes came in and played a few live songs to give a bit of a taste of what her live album recording will be like this Friday, January 14, 2011. Great stuff as always.

The show this week is preempted for Bison Hockey.

Here's what was played:

Set One: 6:30 PM - 7 PM

John Smith - Underdogs [Marathon of Dope]
John Smith - You Ain't Never Been feat. Hellnback [Marathon of Dope]
Destroyer - Kaputt [Merge]

Set Two: 7 PM - 7:30 PM

Les Jupes - Someone Lit A Fire Under Kruschev [Head In The Sand]
Romi Mayes - The Other Dame [Live on UMFM]
Romi Mayes - Heavy Heart [Live on UMFM]

Set Three: 7:30 PM - 8 PM

Lighty Singers of Ellis, SC - In The Morning When The Trumpet Sounds [Mississippi Records]
Steve Earle and Allison Moorer - After The Fire Is Gone [Sony]
Melissa Laveaux - Needle In The Hay [Spectra Musique]
Laura Peek - Laundry [Just Friends]
Alpha Couple - Edna Pontellier [Independent]
Teddy Hotbody pronounced Holtby - I'm The Coolest [Bandcamp]
The Bongolian - Talking Synth [Blow Up Records]

Back in the saddle.

Well I've been doing my show intermittently while on parental leave, but I'm back at it and have all sorts of things planned in the coming weeks (Greg MacPherson performing live in-studio, Hannah Georgas on the phone, graphic novelists David Robertson and Scott Henderson, and much more).

As for what I had on last Friday (which will be up as a podcast on the UMFM website SOON), the show included an interview with Tyler Shipley (Consumer Goods), talking about his solo album Sentinel Road, an interview with novelist Drew Hayden Taylor - who discussed his 're-telling' of the Nanabush legend in Motorcycles & Sweetgrass, as well as a host of new music.

Here's the setlist:

Set One: 6:30 - 7 PM

Magnum K.I. - Eyes On Fire [Independent]
Interview with Tyler Shipley
Tyler Shipley - A Woman In The Strike [Grumpy Cloud]
Ben Sollee & Daniel Martin Moore - Sweet Marie [Sub Pop]
Bird Of Wales - My Lady In July [Sparks]
Ryan McGrath - Way West [Independent]

Set Two: 7 - 7:30 PM

The Sea & Cake - Exact To Me [Thrill Jockey]
Interview with Drew Hayden Taylor
Sally Seltmann - Harmony To My Heartbeat [Arts & Crafts]

Set Three: 7:30 - 8 PM

The Apples In Stereo - Dream About The Future [Yep Roc]
Mantler - Breaking Past The Day [Tomlab]
Woodhands - Talk [Paper Bag Records]
Booka Shade - Havanna Sex Dwarf [Physical Records]
Nice Nice - One Hit [Warp]
Lullabye Arkestra - The Icy Hand That Guides Us [Vice]

The Royal "We" Have Royal Wood On...

I've actually already put tomorrow's episode to bed because I'll be attending a wedding when I'm normally on air. This special pre-record features an amazing live-in-studio set from Royal Wood who played Islendingadagurinn last weekend and the Park Theatre this Wednesday. He was also gracious enough to sit down for an interview which will air during the second set. All sorts of great new music on tomorrow's show including lead-off track "Trapped In The New Scene" by White Whale recording artist Octoberman. His new record Fortresses is a pretty solid rock album in the vein of Wilco's more recent 'dad-rock.'

Here's what will air in my stead:

Set One: 6:30 - 7pm

Octoberman - Trapped In The New Scene [White Whale Records]
The Envy Corps - Screen Test [Tempo Club]
Vincat - Bells & Whistles [The Hive]
Jesse Matheson - Orgy In Portland [Copperspine Records]
Lightning Dust - The Dreamer [Jagjaguwar]
The Penelopes - Saved [Citizen / Module]
Stew Gunn Band - The Dart [Independent]

Set Two: 7 - 7:30pm

Royal Wood - Weigh Me Down [Live at UMFM]
Royal Wood - I'm So Glad [Live at UMFM]
Royal Wood - Thinking About [Live at UMFM]
Royal Wood - Found [Live at UMFM]
Interview with Royal Wood

Set Three: 7:30 - 8pm

Velodrome - Sonic Triptych (First Panel) [Arctodus]
Velodrome - Sonic Triptych (Second Panel) [Arctodus]
Kronos Quartet - Mugam Beyati Shiraz [Nonesuch]
Yppah - Sunflower Sunkissed [Ninja Tune]
Amanda Blank - Shame on Me [Downtown]
Aufschlag - Begleitautomat [WWFREC]