Loch-spotting

She's back! My favorite legendary creature of the loch, Nessie, has been filmed again!

EDINBURGH, Scotland - She's as much an emblem, and a tourist draw, as tartan, bagpipes, and shortbread. And now Nessie's back. An amateur scientist has captured what Loch Ness Monster watchers say is among the finest footage ever taken of the elusive mythical creature reputed to swim beneath the waters of Scotland's most mysterious lake.

"I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw this jet black thing, about 45-feet long, moving fairly fast in the water," said Gordon Holmes, the 55-year-old a lab technician from Shipley, Yorkshire, who took the video this past Saturday.

Is that cool or what? I've gotta get to Scotland, have a drink with Nessie, and then sleep with Ewan McGregor. Oh wait, did I say that out loud?

David Lynch Approved

Last Thursday on Little Radio, I was lucky enough to have Great Northern as special guests on my show. They played a little guitar, sang some beautiful melodies, and chatted about Lynch & Badalamenti. (Hint: they love the scores, and got their name from that TV show David did.) To give a listen, download the show here. It's pretty special.

And here's everything else that got played that night!

Little Radio playlist: 5/24/07

Great Northern Interview! - ends with the track Just A Dream
Mistaken For Strangers - The National
Tears - The Chameleons
Come In Out of the Rain - The Engineers
Judas Mon Coeur - Belly (for Tyler)
Man-Size Sextet - PJ Harvey
Furnace Room Lullaby - Neko Case
Driver's Seat - Sniff n the Tears
My Flash On You - Love
Midnight to Six Man - The Pretty Things
Damage - You Am I
Summer Stay - All Smiles
Anything Could Happen - The Clean
Green Eyes - Husker Du
High On A Mountain Top - Loretta Lynn
3 Nights Drunk - Kristin Hersh
Jimmy - Henry's Dress
Bloodstains - Agent Orange
Ready Steady Go - Generation X
Last Caress - The Misfits
Code Blue - T.S.O.L.
Stay With Me - The Faces
Depth Charge Ethel - Grinderman
Misdemeanor - Little My
Do Me A Favor - Arctic Monkeys
People in Love - Art Brut

Till next week...

Let Me Tell You A Secret

This weekend, while I'm fighting traffic in order to get to San Diego and recovered my second car casualty within the space of a year, there will be super top secret fun to be had in Los Angeles. Especially if you're into rock and roll.

Topanga Days! Check out what the yippies and their kids do in the gorgeous firetrap that is Topanga Canyon. The Topanga County Fair runs from May 26-28, 11-6pm at the Topanga Community House located at 1440 North Topanga Canyon Blvd.. There's a bunch of cool music, like Carina Round, the Young Dubliners, John Doe, Spindrift, and Chevy Metal. Chevy Metal, you say? What the hell?

Well, that's the pseudonym for THE FOO FIGHTERS. They don't usually play Foo Fighters stuff, though - they switch it up and Dave gets back on the drums and hell breaks loose. Good times!

Also, on Sunday the 27th, Perry Farrell will be doing his record release party at the Little Radio Electric Vehicles Warehouse in Venice. It's secret, so crash it if you can! That's located at 602 Venice Blvd in Venice. Hot rumor on that one is that, um, he'll be performing a bit as well...

So enjoy your holiday weekend!

Up, Up and Away

This evening on Little Radio... tune in as I somehow got lucky enough to score an interview with the kind and lovely GREAT NORTHERN!


Eenie Meenie Records breakout stars have just released a beautiful new album of billowy dream pop... a record I think you're going to be hearing a hell of a lot of all summer long. They'll be in the studio at 8pm sharp, which means we're gonna start on time this week!

TONIGHT!
The Mo Show
LittleRadio.com
8-10pm PST Thursdays (11EST, 5am Friday in Berlin and 3pm Friday in Sydney!)

And we'll have the podcast available for you later if you miss the live action...

Check ya then!

Debaser

Warning: drunk post ahead. If I was really trying to be silly, I'd skip the spell check on this one.

Today my friend Scott posted a Pixies bootleg from 1989 on his blog. I'd recommend you all try to download it while you can... It's a bootleg from 1989, Vienna. Soundboard quality. Go here.
It'll only be there a little while...

I don't know why the Pixies captivated me the way they have. Many, many years ago, the BFF called me and said: "Go buy this record. "Come On Pilgrim." It's got a picture of a guy with a hairy back on the cover." I bought it. (I just trust myBFF that much.) And what I heard woke up something primitive and wild in me.... something that caused me to follow this band around
the state of California, and even go to a show after I'd had my foot broken the previous night in a Pixies moshpit.

To this day, I still can't explain it. When the Pixies first reunited and played the Glasshouse in Pomona the night before theirCoachella gig, I stood in front, shouting: "Thank you, thank you..." Is that not the dorkiest thing ever? Well, that's what happened. Even the next day, in front of
50,000 people, I was still testifyin'.

This is the band that inspired TV On The Radio to bust out "Mr. Grieves" in full on Planet Mars audio barbershop quartet. That got Kristin Hersh to do the Wave of Mutilation. That had thousands of college kids, outside of Boston, even, learning Spanish... That had the 7th guy I'd ever slept with too say, "Then God is 7." Dorky, yes, but not in my world. And it sorta matched his initials anyway. Sorta.

I had Pixies friends. People I went to the shows with, people who looked out for me in the pit... and vice versa. I'm still friends with them. The very first show my baby brother ever saw was with me, and it was in October 1989,at the UCSD Price Center,and it was the Pixies, with Bob Mould opening. I remember noticing my little brother was gone...Oh, wait... he's crowdsurfing...

I went to school at UC Berkeley and used to make fun of Deadheads. Then I realized I kind of was one - except for a different band. I followed this band up and down the state. And I can't exactly tell you why. When the Pixies reunited, I went to every Bay Area and LA show. Two shows in one night? I went to both. All. Whatever.

Stuck here out of gas...out here on the Gaza strip... from driving too fast...

All Right Now

Last night on Little Radio, I had another special guest! This one was the lovely and talented Raquel, who I couldn't coerce to do more talking on the mic but who went song for song with me on the tunes. We had a wonderful time - and I hope you did too. I mean, you should have - who doesn't like a little girl-on-girl action?

Little Radio Playlist
5/18/2007

Sporting Life - Actionslacks
Sporting Life - The Sea & Cake
One Plus One - Grant McLennan
Pelican Narrows - Caribou
Dead - Komeda
Someone Great - LCD Soundsystem
Allergic - Ken Andrews
Heartbeats - The Knife
Going Nowhere - Cut Copy
Double Vision - The Ponys
The Model - Big Black
No Wow - The Kills
Red Right Hand - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Ain't Got No Home - Clarence Frogman Henry
Because I Do - X
Words - Missing Persons
Tu Veux Ou Tu Veux Pas - Brigette Bardot
Bottle Rocket - Go Team
Make Me Yours - Phyllis Dillon
How Do I Let A Good Man Down - Sharon Jones
Mercy Mercy Mercy - Marlena Shaw
Supa Dynamite - Asamov
Ring Finger - RJD2
Lying - Martina Topley Bird
The Lady Loves Me - Elvis Presley & Ann-Margaret
Repeater - Helio Sequence
She Bangs the Drums - The Stone Roses
The Hard Light - Mere Mortals
Faust 72 - Dynastie Crisis
All Right Now - Free
Smiling Faces Sometimes - The Undisputed truth
But It's Alright - JJ Jackson
Sad Sad Song - M. Ward

Wanna hear the song? it's available online here! Download it and let us know what you think!

And remember, I'm on Little Radio.com every Thursday at 8pm PST. It's a blast. Join in!

It's Not Over Yet...

Okay everybody...

Our actions may not have swayed the Copyright Royalty Board, but it did do something!

The US House of Representatives has introduced H.R. 2060, The Internet Radio Equality Act, to invalidate the Copyright Royalty Board's devastating decision and set Internet radio royalty rates equal to the reasonable rate that satellite radio pays. Please call your House Representative and urge them to sign on as a cosponsor of this important bill!

As many of you have heard, the US Copyright Royalty Board recently set new royalty rates that all webcasters must pay for the music they play. The rates as adopted are triple the current rates (even more for some webcasters) and will likely mean the long-term extinction of most Internet radio. While the royalty ruling will be appealed over the coming months, the immediate killer is that the new rates go into effect on July 15th and are retroactive to January 2006. Some webcasters are facing royalty bills that will immediately bankrupt them.

The Copyright Royalty Board quickly and casually dismissed the webcasters' request for a rehearing on April 16th, and at this point, the only thing that is going to stop a large swath of webcasters from going silent on July 15th is Congressional action.

Please visit :SaveNetRadio.org

Learn more about the situation, contact your Congressional representatives, sign the petition and find out what you can do to help save Internet radio.

Drop your Congressional Rep a line so that they support this bill, or we're toast.

Unpretty

I hate Fergie.

I was never really a fan of the Black Eyed Peas, but I also didn't hate them. I really didn't care one way or another. They were just another Top 40 band that didn't need my help and so I didn't think about them.

But in August of 2005, Fergie peed.

At the San Diego Street Scene, an event that actually used to take place in the street, the Black Eyed Peas were one of the headlining acts. Not only did they hit the stage an hour late, causing the real headliners - The White Stripes - to go on way after scheduled, they were bombed. So bombed that at one point Fergie wandered into a corner and pissed her pants. Then kept performing, piss stain and all.

After the fact, their publicists tried to say it was sweat. Vag sweat? Ass sweat? If that was true, that might actually be more nasty than pissing yourself. Maybe. Then Fergie tried saying that since the band was late, those mean ole concert promoters wouldn't let her even use the ladies room before she hit the stage. So instead, she hit the stage. And pissed on it. Well, that showed them!

At that moment, I realized: I hate Fergie.

Well, she's disgusting pig. A double bagger, as a friend put it. A decent rack and good abs doesn't make up for it. She's known for her "lady lumps?" Is it me, or is that term incredibly non-sexy?

Here are the facts: she can't sing, she doesn't create her own music, she's hideous, and she pisses in public.

Now hand over your babysitting money!

I look forward to the day she goes away. In the meantime, maybe I'll just indulge in that scene in Poisedon where she gets killed by the ocean, finally smashing though the windows of the upturned luxury liner. As my friend Kevs put it, "Any movie that kills Fergie can't be all bad."

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

And now, I'm going to tell you how old I am.

This year, I've been invited to my 20th high school reunion. I wasn't actually invited to my 10th because "they" couldn't find me. "They" were obviously pretty stupid, because my father is a science teacher at the high school I went to, and HE STILL TEACHES THERE. Never mind. I found out about it, and I went.

The reason I went, really, was because of a girl named Tawny Schultz (and I'm sure I've spelled her name wrong). I saw her in a Weight Watchers commercial, and thought, "Tawny! She was so cool. I'd love to see her and find out what the hell she's been up to!" I have a small posse of good friends from high school to this day, and high school wasn't a bad experience for me, so I figured... what the hell. I told the posse about Tawny, and they reacted the same way I did. "Let's go see Tawny!"

We all went together, as we do. One member of the posse, Doug, is also my closest friend in the entire world, but was my boyfriend all through high school. Needless to say, when we walked in together, jaws dropped. Everyone assumed we had gotten married, but -ick! - no way! We had to clear that up real fast in case Doug wanted to hit on any divorcees in the room.

We had fun, but I felt like I had almost nothing in common with anyone in that room. I was working in radio and happily unmarried and living in the Bay Area. They were married, divorced, parents, 9-5. They thought I was really living the life, and I think I was. Am. But everyone was happy and slightly drunk (and very stoned later on... Hey, it's a San Diego beach town - that's what we do!) and it was, genuinely, quite nice to see everyone.

And we did see Tawny Schultz.

And now the 20th reunion is creeping up... And I'm going. I think. I'm trying to convince Doug to go because my Dad has said he would back us up on any lies we may want to tell this time. Like married with 7 kids and a house on each continent or something like that. My Dad works with some of my former classmates and sees the ones who stayed in town at the supermarket or the beach and stuff. That alone could make it a blast.

We'll see. The posse is mostly on board. And we look great for our age. That's what really counts, right?

Faith To Arise

Last night on Little Radio, I was lucky enough to interview a couple of the guys from the LA band EVEREST, and they were as nice as could be. We talked about music, their music, and they picked some other people's music to play as well. They even got me a little drunk afterwards.

The podcast should be available here anytime now...

Little Radio Playlist: 5/10/07

We All Belong - Dr. Dog
What Can I Do For You - Illinois
Black Mountain - Isobell Campbell & Mark Lanegan
Golden Brown - The Stranglers
Who's Gonna Mow Your Grass - Buck Owens
Let Her Dance - The Bobby Fuller Four
Strawberry Letter 23 - The Brothers Johnson
Watch That Man - David Bowie
Bea - Throwing Muses
Headsfull - Amy Millan
Evening On the Ground - Iron & Wine
(interview with Everest)
Into Your Soft Heart - Everest
You Burn Bright - Everest
It's Only In Your Mind - Everest
The Last Resort - The Eagles
Cut the Leash - Chairlift
Faith to Arise - Terry Reid
Roll On the Rusted Days - Howlin Rain
The Day I Turned to Glass - Honeycut
Launderette - Vivien Goldman
Goin' To A Go Go - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
Love Me Like You - The Magic Numbers
The Middle - Great Northern
Wedding Bell Blues - Laura Nyro
Just A Little Lovin' - Dusty Springfield
You Got the Love - Rufus with Chaka Khan
Substitute - The Who

Till next time...

A Different Light

Kristin Hersh played a show last night with a band, including strings. It was only when we got there that my friend Kevs said to me, "I've never seen her play her solo stuff with a band before."

Then I thought, "Oh yea... this should be good." And it was.

The show was at the El Rey, which was a little on the big side for the evening but still contained a nice crowd of enthused fans. Some overly enthused - obviously, they'd never made it to a KH show and they were STOKED! Personally, I think it's great when someone is that thrilled to be at a show, especially when it's in such a jaded town as LA.

The tunes were mainly from her latest, Learn to Sing Like A Star, and I was happy to hear my favorite from that CD ("Wild Vanilla") right off the bat. The band sounded strong and dreamy... rather, somewhat nightmarish at times. There is a brooding and intensity to her music which was brought out in a completely new way with the full band... and strings. The strings were pretty spectacular, especially on "Sundrops" which was nothing but cello and guitar and vocals. Perfect.

Anyone missing the Throwing Muses would appreciate this particular tour - along with anyone who just wants to see Kristin Hersh rock out without blasting them through the walls like her 50 Foot Wave project is known to do from time to time. So if you haven't already missed this tour, check the website and see if you can still catch it - cuz you should.
(This pic was actually taken elsewhere, but you get the idea.)

Ain't No Mountain High Enough

This week on Little Radio, I'll have special guests. I know! Crazy!

The fellas from EVEREST will be spending a little time with me, talking about themselves and their earthy indie. Their bio says they are "are on the druggier, sleepier side of the latest indie-country wave, but their songwriting is way stronger and (gasp!) actually unique, and they play with about two busloads more feel, coherence, and dynamics than anybody else." And I think that's pretty accurate.

Everest consists of some people you may have heard of:

Pictured here from left to right (sorta): Davey Latter (earlimart, Great Northern), Joel Graves (earlimart, Wild Gift), Russ Pollard (Folk Implosion, alaska!), J. Soda (Everest Recorders) and Rob Douglas.

They'll be releasing an EP soon which was recorded at New Monkey Studios (Elliott Smith's place) with producer Mike Terry (Foo Fighters, The Eagles!), and they'll be playing at the Hotel Cafe on Sunday, May 13th.

Tune in and check out how swell they are, at about 8:30pm on Thursday, May 10th. LittleRadio.com. It'll totally rule. And I'll ask them if they named themselves after that mountain.

Burn Hollywood, Burn...

Haven't I used this title for a post recently? Maybe, but that's because for the third time in as many months, the Hollywood Hills have gone up in flames.

There was a little one that only residents noticed, and there was a bigger one that the world noticed, because when fire rages behind the iconic Hollywood sign, folks think the end of the world is near. Why? Because that's what they've seen in the movies. You know Los Angeles has been destroyed if the Hollywood sign goes down.

Tonight is a rager behind the Griffith Observatory, a much more beautiful symbol of LA. And it's been in the movies too! (That's where James Dean gets into trouble in Rebel Without A Cause, ditto for the crime fighting gals in Charlie's Angels.) The fire started this afternoon. I was having a leisurely sick day up by my friend's pool under the Hollywood sign, enjoying the 90 degree heat and slight Santa Ana winds, when we saw the smoke rise. Raquel sent me a photo from her place down the street:

As the day went on, the smoke came and went, and helicopters zoomed over us on their way to refill their water buckets at the Lake Hollywood reservoir. Finally it seemed to be going away and the reports said it was contained... until it leaped over the ridge and started creeping towards the Observatory. Then all the rich people in Los Feliz were evacuated to Marshall High in Silverlake (which is the high school they used in Grease. Really, how many movies can I reference today?)

This is how it looks from my living room window:

Already our place is getting all ashy. Animals at the zoo have gone indoors, but there are still no structures in the fire line. About 600 acres of Griffith Park have burned. Now helicopters (a regular occurrence in LA anyway - hey, did you see Short Cuts? It's true!) are zooming past our windows to collect water from the Silverlake reservoir (that's our "silver lake," people. Raymond Chandler calls it "Grey lake" in The Big Sleep.)

And the best part about it is... It looks like arson. Gotta love it when that happens. Especially when we still have at least 6 more months of scorching hot and dry weather, in a year where LA has seen about 4 inches of rain. Not the time of year to chuck your cigarette butt aimlessly.

Nasty Girl

Last night, Jimmy pointed out to me that I said both "pussy" and "rat bastard" during the course of my show.

One of those times, I was referring to my cat.

Here's the set - it was a funk and soul revue last night, and my ass has been thoroughly shook, baby! As I was exceptionally tired last night, there are WAY more technical flubs than usual, but it;s all about the music right? Yea, sorry about that...

Little Radio Playlist
5/3/07

If There's A Hell Below We're All Going to Go - Curtis Mayfield
Anti Love Song - Betty Davis
Mo Jo Hanna - Tami Lynn
Every Man Oughta Have A Woman - William Bell
Hurts So Good - Millie Jackson
Sookie Sookie - Don Covay & the Jefferson Lemon Blues Band
I'm A Man - Steve Winwood
Hang on In There - The Stovall Sisters
One Monkey Don't Stop no Show - Honey Cone
How Long Do I Have To Wait For You - Sharon Jones
Natural Man - Lou Rawls
Mr. Kicks - Oscar Brown Jr.
Rock Creek Park - Black Byrds
Chained & Bound - Otis Redding
Be For Real - Marlena Shaw
Margarita - Sleepy Brown w/ Pharrell & Big Boi
Foxy Girls in Oakland - Rodger Collins
The Chopper - Ike & Tina Turner
Let Me Down Easy - Betty LaVette
You Ain't the Only Man (God Created) - Jeanie Reynolds
Feelin' Alright - LuLu
Things Got to Get Better - Lyn Collins
I'm A Good Woman - Cold Blood
Inner City Blues (Makes Me Wanna Holler) - Marvin Gaye
Hard Times - Baby Huey & the Babysitters
Carry On - Jean Knight
What's on Your Mind - Rasputin's Stash
I Changed My Mind - Quannum feat. Lyrics Born and the Poets of Rhythm
Are You My Woman - The Chi-Lites
Sally Go 'Round the Roses - The Jaynettes
I Hear A Symphony - The Supremes
Why (Am I Treated So Bad) - The Sweet Inspirations
Everybody Is A Star - Sly & the Family Stone
I'll Be Around - The Spinners

Remember, you can download shows here. Thanks!

Cuz I'm A Punkrocker

No I ain't.

But I've been to plenty of shows with very active mosh pits. And shows that deserved it too... X and Oingo Boingo (in the 80's, fool!); I was even knocked out at a Fishbone show. Don't challenge me in a Mudhoney pit. And I proudly wear my greenstick foot fracture from a Pixies show on my sleeve, er, foot, er... you know.

But people nowawdays will mosh/slam/stagedive to anything. Which means I guess I shouldn't be surprised by the fact that I was nearly taken out at a Teddybears show.

While the punkers of eras past were at the Patty Smith show across town, I was invited to the El Rey to see Honeycut open for The Teddybears. My friend Bart Davenport is the singer for this Bay Area band, which is comprised of SF superstars and well regarded musicians around the globe. These boys got together to play as a lark, but wound up becoming one of Quannum Records most successful acts and indie groove darlings on their own. Their debut (because I hope there will be a second release), The Day I Turned to Glass, is a trippy collection of soul psychedelia with an electronic beat and a big fuzzy heart and left leaning politics to go along with it.

They had just come from a sold out gig in SF at the Fillmore opening for Jarvis Cocker, who Bart said was "a class act. He even let me fix his hair before he went onstage!" But here they were, playing in oh-so-unwelcoming LA, and getting a $20 bill shoved at them by a happy audience member (he we later found out was the guitar player for the Teddybears.) But the crowd somewhat willingly danced along, and the boys sounded awesome.

Of course, they were the opening act. The place was soon packed with fanatical Teddybears fans, a Swedish act (with at least one member of the Ceasars in the group) which does that rock and roll electronica that Fat Boy Slim made so popular. Guest vocals and stuff. Guitars, keyboards, drums, bass. A real band, now that I point it out. Except for the drummers (there are 2), the Teddybears wear suits and giant bear heads on stage. "I put on one of those heads backstage," Bart told us. "I don't know how they can play - you can't see a fucking thing!" Well, I suppose if you practice enough...

The show was fun. The music was fun. The bear heads were mildly unsettling. The videos in the background were all clips from famous cult films (The Warriors, Spinal Tap, Clockwork Orange, Scarface, etc...) where the main characters in the scene had their heads digitally replaced with the Teddybear heads. That was kinda cool.

Now either the El Rey has the weakest stage security ever, or the Teddybears have the cleverest drunken fans ever, because people just kept getting up on stage. Usually, a security guy would escort them off, and then you'd see them back up a little while later. Everyone was rowdy and dancing. Then, a guy decided to stagedive. Because the Teddybears have a song called "Punkrocker" which features Iggy Pop, maybe? They weren't doing that song at the time, but maybe just the idea of it? I know I feel compelled to stagedive at dance music shows. Right.

Anyway, he takes his flying leap, right towards me & Raquel & Bart. Since the crowd doesn't really know what to do in this situation (and the guy was diving at a bunch of girls, and, well, Bart's on the small side) the seas parted and the guy hit the floor. Not before he kicked Raquel in the chest, punched Bart in the balls, and knocked me to the floor on top of a collection of bottles and glasses. Then he was gone. Thankfully my lip didn't get too swollen from the hit, and Raquel got some ice for the welt on her chest, and Bart could feel his nuts again by the end of the night (which was a bonus since he met a hot Brazilian girl).

But really - at the Teddybears show? I wonder how that guy would have reacted if he'd been dropped into a Germs pit circa 1978...

You Better Listen (to the Radio!)

MO!! ON LITTLE RADIO!
Thursdays
8-10pm PST, 11pm EST, 5am Friday in Berlin, and 3pm Friday in Sydney...

TONIGHT: the funk and soul revue. Git down wit yo' bad self! 3 hours of shakin', wailin' and groovin'... Na na na - gonna have a good time!

Some of my shows (including the last one) are now archived on the Little Radio site so y'all can listen anytime...

Check 'em out here.

Try out some of the other shows too - they're way cool!

Thank you, and SAVE INTERNET RADIO! The House of Representative has introduced a bill that will nullify what the Copyright Royalty Board is trying to do - but YOU need to tell your rep to support it. It's not over yet! Go here to help.

Keep On Runnin'

Please...

CALL YOUR CONGRESSPERSON NOW TO ASK THEM TO CO-SPONSOR H.R. 2060, THE INTERNET RADIO EQUALITY ACT.

There is a bill just introduced in Congress that will save Internet radio from the devastating royalty fee increases that will put thousands of Internet webcasters out of business on May 15th. Please call your Representative in Congress as soon as possible and urge them to co-sponsor H.R. 2060, the Internet Radio Equality Act.

We aren't out of danger yet... go here to get in touch with your rep.

Thank you!!!