Bermuda, Bahamas, come on pretty mama...

Tonight's show featured an interview with Afie Jurvanen from Bahamas (or maybe I should sake "aka Bahamas" rather than "from Bahamas" as it's his project plus guests). Anyway, he's on the road to Ottawa after playing Pop Montreal the other night and he'll be rolling into Winnipeg on October 18th to open for Amy Millan at the West End Cultural Centre. Since his new album on Nevado is called Pink Strat, we talked gear for a bit.

I also interviewed Mat Brooke from Seattle's Grand Archives. That band is headed to Winnipeg via the Yellowhead, having just played Edmonton yesterday and Saskatoon tonight. They're playing a killer triple bill alongside the Most Serene Republic and locals Royal Canoe at the Pyramid tomorrow night. We talked about the ghost stories behind their new album Keep In Mind Frankenstein and about the origins of "Louis Riel" off their self-titled debut.

Here's what I played tonight:

Set One: 6:30 - 7 PM

A Fine Frenzy - What I Wouldn't Do [Virgin/EMI]
Minto - Tonight I Lay My Head [Independent]
Whale Tooth - Six Billion [Independent]
Said The Whale - Out On The Shield [Hidden Pony]
Zrada - Give Me Liquor [Independent]
The Lytics - Stay Humble [Pipe and Hat]
Ghostface Killah - Guest House (feat. Fabolous) [Def Jam]

Set Two: 7 - 7:30 PM

vitaminsforyou - He Closed His Eyes So He Could Dance With You [Sfeericle]
Junior Boys - Bits & Pieces (fr. Everybody Dance Now v.4) [93.3 CFMU]
Bahamas Interview
Bahamas - Sunshine Blues [Nevado Records]

Set Three: 7:30 - 8 PM

Russian Circles - Melee [Suicide Squeeze]
Grand Archives Interview
Grand Archives - Willoughby [Sub Pop]
Zrada - While I'm Still Alive [Independent]
Quiet Nights Orchestra - Chapter One [Do Right!]

Out of town, but still on the air...

Headed to Brandon for the Western Canadian Music Awards this weekend. In fact, I won't be around for my show but I managed to put together a pre-record that includes a very interesting interview with author and Yiddish scholar Michael Wex where we discuss his new book "How To Be A Mentsh (& Not A Schmuck)"

That takes place in the second segment, but here's the rundown on the what I played, including brand new songs from Basia Bulat and the Kings of Convenience.

Set One: 6:30 - 7:00 PM

Basia Bulat - Gold Rush [Secret City Records]
Kings Of Convenience - Boat Behind [EMI]
Chad VanGaalen - Willow Tree [Flemish Eye/Sub Pop]
Boats - Classic Rock Weekend [Independent]
Keith Price - Confucius Corner [Independent]
Woon - You're Not Alone [Tru Thoughts]
Sleep Whale - Sleep Whale [Western Vinyl]

Set Two: 7:00 - 7:30 PM

The Wilderness of Manitoba [Independent]
Interview with Michael Wex

Set Three: 7:30 - 8:00 PM

Mum - A River Don't Stop To Breathe [Polyvinyl]
Lightning Dust - Dreamer [Jagjaguwar]
Volcanoless In Canada - London In Love [Independent]
The Michael Parks -It Hurts So Much To Fall In Love [Independent]
The Wooden Sky - My Old Ghosts (fr. Friends In Bellwoods 2) [Out Of This Spark]
Bocce - Inspiration Bellwoods (fr. Friends In Bellwoods 2) [Out Of This Spark]
Islands - No You Don't [Anti-]
The Black Seeds - Love Is A Radiation [Easy Star Records]

Two recaps in one...

Well, apologies to those who read this blog that I haven't been more on-the-ball about getting info and playlists updated sooner. Two weeks ago I had a shortened show due to the Bison Football broadcasts with the pre-game interview show beginning at 7:30pm. This is what I played during the one hour I was on air:

Set One: 6:30 - 7 PM

Joe Bataan - Mestizo [Vampi Soul]
The Very Best - Kamphopo [Green Owl Records]
Dirty Projectors - Stillness Is The Move [Domino]
Ndu - Wats Good [Raw Livin Records]
Fox Jaws - Two By Two [Nevado Records]
Young Galaxy Long Live The Fallen World [Arts & Crafts]

Set Two: 7 - 7:30 PM

Keith Price - Zoom Zoom (Part Two) [Independent]
Medeski Martin & Wood - Wonton [Indirecto Records]
John Mayall - An Eye For An Eye [Eagle Records]
Ohbijou - Make It Gold [Last Gang Records]
Basia Bulat - My Heart Is A Warning (from Friends In Bellwoods 2) [Out Of This Spark]

As for last Friday, it was a busy show capping off a busy week here at UMFM. September 10th and 11th saw the station hosting two days of live music as part of the UMSU Orientation Week events. One of the featured groups on our stage joined me afterward for an interview: The Lytics. This young rap group made a great impression live and were an engaging interview as well. I also sat down with guitarist (and former Dig! Radio host on UMFM), Keith Price to talk about his new album Breakfast of Champions which will be released this Friday (September 18th) at the Park Theatre. Speaking of this Friday - I'll be in Brandon to cover the Western Canadian Music Awards so there will be no show, but when I return on the 25th we'll have Calgarians Miesha & The Spanks performing as well as so featured interviews from the WCMAs.

Here's what I played on the 11th...

Set One: 6:30 - 7 PM

The Wooden Sky - Bit Part [Black Box Recordings]
The F-Holes - Don't Get Me Started [Independent]
Interview with Keith Price
Keith Price - Zoom Zoom (part one) [Independent]

Set Two: 7 - 7:30 PM

Fink - Six Weeks [Ninja Tune]
Speech Debelle - Better Days (feat. Micachu) [Big Dada]
Interview with The Lytics

Set Three: 7:30 - 8 PM

The Lytics - Last Bit (Lovely Words) [Pipe and Hat]
Miles Jones - Coast To Coast (feat. Kae Sun) [Mojo Records]
Japandroids - Heart Sweats [Unfamiliar / Polyvinyl]
Lullabye Arkestra - Get Nervous [Vice Records]
Bloodshot Bill - Gee Whiz [Transistor 66]
Del Barber - The Party Song [Independent]

How It Went Down: August 28, 2009

Tonight's show featured my interviews with Mike from The Afterbeat talking about their new recordings and tomorrow night's performance at Stage 8/29 and a very in-depth conversation with author Richie Unterberger about his latest book, White Light/White Heat: The Velvet Underground Day-By-Day, released by Jawbone Press recently.

Here's what I played in between interviews:

Set One: 6:30 - 7 PM

Still Life Still - Flowers And A Wreath [Arts & Crafts]
Polvo - Right The Relation [Merge]
Little Foot Long Foot - King Hipster [Independent]
Sondre Lerche - I Cannot Let You Go [Rounder]
The Afterbeat - Change The System [Independent]

Set Two: 7 - 7:30 PM

Fish & Bird - Burst Into Flower [Fiddle Head Records]
The Dustin Bentall Outfit - Take The Money [Impala Records]
Grant Davidson - Fool Of Me [Dollartone Records]
Richie Unterberger Interview

Set Three: 7:30 - 8 PM

Richie Unterberger Interview (continued)
Sally Shapiro - Looking At The Stars [Paper Bag Records]

How It Went Down: August 21, 2009

Forgot to post my playlists from Friday's show here that night (or over the intervening weekend). Ah well, was enjoying time at home with the family.

I had Ryan McCullagh from the Paper Cranes talking about their new album Chivalry Is Dead, Odario from Grand Analog talking about the new album Metropolis Is Burning as well as the band's upcoming gig at Stage 8/29, and Winnipeg Ska & Reggae Fest organizer / UMFM Station Manager Jared McKetiak giving us the rundown on the weekend's festivities.

Here's what was played:

Set One: 6:30 - 7 PM

Los Gatos Negros - Hey Hey Bunny [from Sensacional Soul Vol. 2, VampiSoul]
Mayer Hawthorne - Maybe So, Maybe No [Stones Throw]
Ultra Mega - Shimmy Shimmy Ya [Independent]
Canadian Wildlife - Winter's Moon [from Friends In Bellwoods 2, Out Of This Spark]
The Paper Cranes Interview
The Paper Cranes - Ice-Burgs [Unfamiliar Records]

Set Two: 7 - 7:30 PM

Two Hours Traffic - Wicked Side [Bumstead Records]
Grand Analog Interview
Grand Analog - Take It Slow [Urbnet]
Jack Penate - Be The One [XL Recordings]

Set Three: 7:30 - 8 PM

Helado Negro - espuma negra [Asthmatic Kitty]
Miesha and the Spanks - Baby You're Gone [Transistor 66]
The Hidden Cameras - Kingdom Come [Arts & Crafts]
JFK & The Conspirators - Boom Sha La La La [Bacteria Buffet]
Jay Haze feat. D:exter - I Can't Forget (Fuckpony Discotech Dub) [Fabric London]
Chicago Wasted Youth - Mars Or Bust [Fabric London]

This coming week (August 28th) I'll be talking to the Afterbeat, Alana Levandoski and author Richie Unterberger who has a great new book about the Velvet Underground out.

Congratulations, there's no show this week...

A hearty congratulations to the winner of the Wooden Sky contest, Sara Wray Enns. Don't forget that the Wooden Sky are playing Ragpickers TONIGHT!!

On a less congratulatory note, there's no episode of TGIFR this Friday the 14th. Not even a pre-record. I'm headed down to Minneapolis for a weekend of beer, baseball and brats (not the child kind, the sausage kind) in honour of my birthday. I'll be back next week and things will be ramping up as we head into the fall broadcasting season. Lots of great guests in the not-too-distant future.

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]