In House #1875: The National's Boxer; New Adult Swim Compilation

A couple of years ago, The National released what would prove to be a truly slow burn of an album with their third effort, entitled Alligator. Although it hit stores early in 2005, it received little more than a casual reception. By the time the end of the year lists were upon us, however, Alligator had worked its way into more than a handful of top fives. Others still wouldn't discover its brilliance until well into 2006. No chance of a similar scenario unfolding this time around, as The National's Boxer has been at the top of the "much anticipated" list for many for the last couple of months. A bit moodier and more reserved than its predecessor, the album is marked in its brooding dignity, as Matt Berninger's words and vocals once again cast a dark musical hue. Songs like "Fake Empire," "Mistaken For Strangers," and "Start a War," are moving even before one deciphers the cryptic lyrical snippets which comprise them, and the deliberate intensity is perhaps best coupled with the liquor of your choice. Measured, intelligent, and occasionally caustic, Boxer is music that requires listening. The rewards will follow. The National embarks on a North American tour beginning next week in New York.

The National

In House #1875.
Airdate: 5/22/07
Focus: New release from The National, Boxer, plus selections from a new compilation from Adult Swim, featuring music from Broken Social Scene, The Raveonettes, TV On the Radio, Sound Team, and more.

BONUS MP3s-
The National, from Boxer:

"Fake Empire" (MP3)

"Slow Show" (MP3)

Selections from Warm & Scratchy, presented by [adult swim]-

The Raveonettes: "Dead Sound" (MP3)

The Brother Kite: "Half Century" (MP3)

TV On the Radio: "Me-I" (MP3)

PLAYLIST

In House PODCAST #313

In House #1874: The Meat Puppets Play Salt Lake City Tonight

Just ahead of their first studio release in seven years, The Meat Puppets play Salt Lake City's Urban Lounge tonight. The rather legendary trio, including the brothers Kirkwood, Curt and Cris, return in July with Rise to Your Knees, perhaps an apt description following a 25+ year career that has seen the band hit plenty of low points. Cris Kirkwood, in particular, has weathered his share of stormy events, including a well-publicized heroin addiction and the overdose death of his wife, and a bizarre run-in with a post office security guard that left him shot in the back and in prison. Following his release last year, the Kirkwood brothers announced plans for a regrouping of sorts and began work on the new album, their eleventh. The album finds them settling back in to the comfortable sound of much of their more polished, post-SST work, with songs like "On the Rise," and "Enemy Love Song," playing to the pop side of things before the psychedelic guitar noodling of "Disappear." Rise to Your Knees drops July 17th to be exact on the Anodyne label.

The Meat Puppets

In House #1874.
Airdate: 5/21/07
Focus: New music from The Meat Puppets, playing Salt Lake City tonight. Plus, new music from The Shaky Hands, Backyard Tire Fire, The Mendoza Line, and more.

BONUS MP3-
The Meat Puppets, from Rise to Your Knees:

"Rise to Your Knees" (MP3)

Two Gallants, from The Scenery of Farewell (due 6/19):

"Seems Like Home" (MP3)

PLAYLIST

In House PODCAST #312

In House #1873: Julia Dawn Live; New Utah Carol

Today's in-studio guest is Fresno, CA-based singer-songwriter Julia Dawn, in Pocatello for a performance tonight at Portneuf Valley Brewing. The up and coming artist recently released the Falling EP, an effort that features a disparate mixing of sonic elements that led one reviewer to compare her sound to Bjork if she performed in the 1930's. Indeed, Dawn's music is easily described as genre-shifting, moving between pop, folk, americana and speak-easy jazz to create emotionally-charged numbers like "Darwin's Fall." Also included on her latest is a rare minor-key take on the classic "You Are On My Sunshine," slowed to a crawl and utterly changed in meaning. Julia Dawn's been out on the road for the past month, playing solo dates in California, Arizona, Texas, Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah before being joined by Joe Simpson on keys and trumpet for remaining dates in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.

Julia Dawn

In House #1873.
Airdate: 5/18/07
Focus: Fresno, CA-based singer-songwriter Julia Dawn live in the studio, plus new music from Vermillion Lies, Utah Carol, Kristy Kruger, Rocky Votolato, and more.

BONUS MP3s from today's live set-

"Thank God I'm Ugly" (MP3)

"Darwin's Fall" (MP3)

"Sweet Lord" (MP3)

PLAYLIST

In House #1870: New Releases From Feist, Rufus Wainwright

The music of Canadian singer Leslie Feist is a study in contrasts, much like the musical path she's taken since she was a teenager. The Reminder, her third release as simply Feist, jumps and mixes genres, wrapping her smooth vocals around pop, jazz, bossa nova, and indie forms, as well as hybrids thereof. With such versatility on display, it shouldn't necessarily surprise that she got her start fronting a Calgary punk band before going on to serve as one of the essential ingredients in the Toronto-based musical collective Broken Social Scene. New songs like "So Sorry," and "The Water," testify to her strength as a torch song singer, while she appropriates Nina Simone's own appropriation of "Sea Lion Woman," into something synth-tinged and glorious. For months prior to its release, the buzz was that The Reminder would be the effort that announced Feist to the world at large. It seems that it's succeeded in that capacity, and then some.



Also today, out this week is Rufus Wainwright's fifth studio full-length, entitled Release the Stars. The album once again finds Wainwright's recognizable voice skirting over lushly orchestrated, at times almost operatic, pop. As has been the case with recent efforts, he delves further into socio-political commentary in new songs like "Going to a Town," (with its refrain of "I'm so tired of America") and "Do I Disappoint You," both at least partially addressing a society that seems obsessed with topics like gay marriage, gay adoption, etc. Recorded in Berlin and London with Pet Shop Boy Neil Tennant, Release the Stars and its theatrics do nothing to diminish the reputation of an increasingly outspoken, if occasionally over-reaching, talent.

In House #1870.
Airdate: 5/15/07
Focus: New releases from Feist, The Reminder, and Rufus Wainwright, Release the Stars, plus new music from Ferraby Lionheart, Grant-Lee Phillips, The Sea & Cake, and more.

BONUS MP3s-
Feist, from The Reminder:

"Sea Lion Woman" (MP3)

Rufus Wainwright, from Release the Stars:

"Between My Legs" (MP3)

PLAYLIST

In House #1864: Dinosaur Jr.'s Beyond; New Comas

It's apparently the going thing right now, this whole "gettin' the band back together" bit. From The Police to the (Smashing) Pumpkins, James to the Jesus & Mary Chain, the old are new again, and only a small percentage of reunionees seem to be doing it for reasons other than the fact that their core audience is more upwardly mobile now than they were back in the heyday. Of course, it's one thing to tour and play the summer festivals with a catalog of old favorites and entirely another to actually record new material, the sheer act of which drives ridiculously meteoric expectations destined for a fiery crash in the used bin. This is what makes Dinosaur Jr.'s Beyond such a remarkable achievement. It's a recording reunion roughly nineteen years in the making, but somehow makes good on the promise of the band's original line-up (J. Mascis, Lou Barlow, and "Murph"). And then some. In fact, one who didn't know any better would be hard-pressed to claim that songs like "Crumble," and "Been There All the Time," aren't vintage Dinosaur Jr. recordings as they feature Mascis' trademark world-weary delivery amongst an amalgam of gloriously fuzzed-out pop. Undoubtedly, the trio-- in particular the traditionally warring Mascis and Barlow-- have benefited both from touring since originally reforming a couple of years ago, and world views that are undoubtedly more nuanced and relaxed than they were in 1989. Beyond dropped last week on the Fat Possum label, while the band begins an extensive North American tour later this week beginning on the west coast.

Dinosaur Jr.

In House #1864.
Airdate: 5/7/07
Focus: New release from Dinosaur Jr., Beyond, plus new music from The Comas, Menomena, Modest Mouse, Buffalo Tom, and more.

BONUS MP3s-
Dinosaur Jr., from Beyond:

"Almost Ready" (MP3)

"We're Not Alone" (MP3)

PLAYLIST

In House PODCAST #305

In House #1863: Cyril Barrett Live

The story of Cyril Barrett, at least as his subject relates to this radio show, goes back a while and calls for a bit of back story. Late in 1999, when KISU was still in its initial months of operation and carried no local programming, a CD mysteriously appeared in the studio. It was modest looking, an unflashy black silhouette on brown, and from a personal standpoint I expected little if anything from it. From the first strains of Larry Barrett's The Big Slowdown, however, it was clear there was something else entirely going on (note- Larry Barrett has since taken the name of his father, Cyril). In short, I was completely floored by the album, a simply-recorded, mostly introspective batch of tunes fleshed out by guitar, cello, harmonica, and mandolin as it featured Barrett aided by a group of friends that included Pam Barger (Pretty Mary Sunshine, Two Nice Girls, Frownland), Lori Goldston (Black Cat Orchestra), Emily Marsh (Black Cat Orchestra), and Tucker Martine (production credits for The Decemberists, Laura Veirs, et. al.), among others. Needless to say, the music's been a constant for me over the past seven years or so, and it's enjoyed a generous share of spins on the show during that time.

As for the man behind it, it turns out he was born and raised in Pocatello, though the last quarter century or so found him in Seattle, serving for part of that time at least as the manager of musical watering hole Hattie's Hat. Aside from The Big Slowdown, he's released three other full-lengths on Germany's renowned Glitterhouse label, all of them prior to 1999. A couple of years back, Barrett made the switch to Tucson, Arizona, and a creative scene that finds him rubbing elbows with Howe Gelb, Calexico, and Neko Case, among others. It's an absolute treat today, then, as we're joined by Cyril Barrett in the studio for a performance and interview that represents his only performance in the area this go around. We only had to wait seven years.

Cyril Barrett in Europe, 2003

In House #1863.
Airdate: 5/4/07
Focus: Cyril Barrett live in-studio, plus new music from the Avett Brothers, the Meat Puppets, John Doe, and more.

BONUS MP3s, from today's live set-

"The Ballad of the Sunset Hotel" (MP3)

"One Day in Texas" (MP3)

...and from The Big Slowdown:

"Hilltop Monks" (MP3)

In-studio photos of Cyril Barrett here

PLAYLIST

In House #1858: Scott Von Duo Live; New Bob Dylan

It's a live in-studio visit today with Fort Collins, Colorado singer-songwriter Scott Von. He's been described as a "roots musician," for lack of a better term, and his songs get plenty of mileage out of that classification as they combine elements of Americana, folk, blues, jazz, and more. A relative newcomer, Von has quickly established himself throughout the region as a top-notch composer and performer, sharing stages with the likes of Chris Smither and Peter Mulvey while winning fans troubadour style, a handful at a time, and drawing comparisons to established masters like Greg Brown and John Hiatt. He's recently joined forces with guitarist Cary Morin to form the Scott Von Duo, which is how we'll hear his songs today. The duo is out for a brief trip to some new locations, including Vino Rosso tonight in Idaho Falls, and Portneuf Valley Brewing tomorrow night in Pocatello. Scott Von's latest full-length effort, and second overall, is last year's Moving Stones.

Scott Von

In House #1858.
Airdate: 4/27/07
Focus: Colorado-based singer-songwriter Scott Von live In House, plus new music from Bob Dylan, Scott Miller & the Commonwealth, John Prine & Mac Wiseman, and more.

BONUS MP3s from today's live set with the Scott Von Duo-

"Two Eyes" (MP3)

"Down By the Sea" (MP3)

Photos from today's in-studio right here.

PLAYLIST

In House #1857: Laura Veirs' Saltbreakers; Richard Swift in Salt Lake City This Weekend

It's been a busy four years or so for Laura Veirs. The singer-songwriter has released three excellently-crafted and well-received albums, each more high profile than the last, toured exhaustively in their support, endured a failed relationship (which is well-documented in her new material), and made the move from Seattle to Portland. Of course, it's just such a schedule that has allowed her to go so far so quickly as she has organically grown her fan-base one at a time. Her latest effort, Saltbreakers, is also the third album with her current backing band (also called, you guessed it, The Saltbreakers), and a lineup that includes Tucker Martine, who also produced the album. Understandably, the band is close and it tends to come through in the music as they flesh out Veirs' whip-smart songs to great effect. Most impressive on the new release are the instances of new sonic exploration, sounding far more removed from 2005's Year of Meteors than a mere two years. "To the Country," features Veirs' ghostly call and response with the Cedar Hill Choir, with flourishes of solo fiddle further removing the song from Veirs' past repertoire. Elsewhere, "Phantom Mountain," rocks out like she never has before, adding garage-fuzz guitars and bombast. Following a string of European dates, Veirs begins a US tour May 8th in Chicago.



Also today, music from Richard Swift, who plays Kilby Court in Salt Lake City this Saturday night in what will be his final U.S. performance before he heads to the U.K. for a series of dates in early June. As his sound indicates, Swift is a true throwback, a pure pop songwriter that finds common ground amongst the likes of Paul McCartney (the good, 70's, songwriting version) and Tom Waits, among other artists of yesteryear. Maybe it's that circular taste thing working, but he somehow channels those retro leanings into a finished product that sounds entirely fresh and intriguing. Not one to be pigeon-holed into one decade, Swift broke ground on the 1980's earlier this year when his version of Prince's "Paisley Park," appeared as the B-side to his "Kisses For the Misses" single. His most recent full-length is this year's excellent Dressed Up For the Letdown.

In House #1857.
Airdate: 4/26/07
Focus: New release from Laura Veirs, Saltbreakers, plus Richard Swift plays Salt Lake City this weekend. Also, new music from Elliott Smith, Chrisopher Blue, Winterpills, Andrew Bird, and more.

BONUS MP3s-
Laura Veirs, from Saltbreakers:

"Saltbreakers" (MP3)

Richard Swift, from The Novelist/Walking Without Effort:

"As I Go" (MP3)
...from the Kisses For the Misses 7":

"Paisley Park" (MP3) (Prince cover)

Elliott Smith, from New Moon (due 5/8):

"Pretty Mary K (Other Version)" (MP3)

PLAYLIST

In House PODCAST #300

In House #1856: New Martin Sexton, Playing Salt Lake City Tonight

Over the past twenty years or so, singer-songwriter Martin Sexton has built a reputation as an artist with a consistently interesting and diverse output. One need only seek out a handful of selections from his catalog to find an artist that has rarely, if ever, conformed to anyone's expectations but his own, and he's excelled at several different genres because of it, often over the course of the same album. Seeds, his sixth studio full-length but first in seven years excluding 2005's holiday-themed Camp Holiday, is no different in this regard. Over the course of thirteen new songs and one version of a soul classic, Sexton ambles between pop, rock, folk, country, gospel, soul, and even a little jazz, showing off his trademark vocal range in the process. Whereas in the past such diversity has caused his efforts to sound pieced together, Seeds somehow keeps its overall focus amongst the genre-jumping. "Wild Angels," features Sexton backed by a choir of himself, foreshadowing the gospel inflection on the later "There Go I." "Will It Go 'Round In Circles," meanwhile, is Sexton's take on Billy Preston's classic, proving that an entire album's worth of such material from him would surely be of more use to the world than similarly-themed releases from the likes of Rod Stewart and Michael McDonald. Martin Sexton plays The Depot in Salt Lake City tonight, along with up and coming opener Jonah Smith.

Martin Sexton

In House #1856.
Airdate: 4/25/07
Focus: New release from Martin Sexton, Seeds, also playing Salt Lake City tonight. Plus, new music from Willy Mason, Mavis Staples, Wilco, and more.

BONUS MP3s-
Martin Sexton, from Seeds:

"Goin' to the Country" (MP3)

Mavis Staples, from We'll Never Turn Back:

"On My Way" (MP3)

PLAYLIST

In House PODCAST #299

In House #1855: Cloud Cult's Meaning of 8; New Britt Daniel

It's one thing to be prolific but another entirely to be prolific and brilliant. Our occasional tendencies to engage in hyperbole aside, Minneapolis' Cloud Cult has been something close to both for the better part of the decade now, while still somehow managing to be kept under wraps like a special secret. With the release of Meaning of 8, the band's fifth full-length in the past seven years, their underground darling days may soon be at an end. The nineteen-track collection is a sprawling, stuffed to the gills festival of pop, at times so lyrically and musically dense that it's impossible to believe that it doesn't fall right over on its face. But no, Craig Minowa and friends succeed where so many have failed, and their pop pastiche brings to mind the best (and long-lost) moments of the Flaming Lips, the tribal righteousness of the Arcade Fire, the nearly unhinged lunacy of Modest Mouse. Songs like "Chemicals Collide," perhaps the best example of a pure pop song in 2007 this side of Peter, Bjorn & John's "Young Folks," literally beam with...we'll call it hope (and that's OK); "Please Remain Calm," meanwhile, suggests a Beta Band heir in the land of Sinclair Lewis. Meaning of 8 is a lot to take in at once, but it's a varied and captivating lot-- what more can you ask than that? The band that passes out environmentally-minded fact sheets at their gigs and looks like your college drama troupe just might be the emerging face of American indie-pop, and it's about time. Cloud Cult play two Montana dates this week, tonight in Bozeman and tomorrow night in Missoula, before heading for the west coast.

Cloud Cult

In House #1855.
Airdate: 4/24/07
Focus: New release from Cloud Cult, Meaning of 8, playing Montana shows tonight and tomorrow night, plus new music from Britt Daniel, The National, Pela, Modest Mouse, and more.

BONUS MP3s-
Cloud Cult, from Meaning of 8:

"Take Your Medicine" (MP3)

Spoon's Britt Daniel, from Bridging the Distance: A Portland Covers Compilation:

"Bring It On Home To Me" (MP3) (Sam Cooke cover)

BONUS Vid- Cloud Cult's "Chemicals Collide":


PLAYLIST

In House #1854: New Patti Smith, Leonard Cohen Reissues

A busy show today features two legends of pop music, each of whom never really seems to get their full due. Fresh off of her induction this year into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Patti Smith returns with a covers album, entitled Twelve. Smith tackles a vast range of styles and artists, covering nearly forty years of musical output in the process. Versions of the Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter," and Jefferson Airplane's "White Rabbit," might almost be said to be expected, and Smith rather nails them accordingly. Also in the mix, though, are eyebrow-raising takes on Tears for Fears' "Everybody Wants to Rule the World," and Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit," given a six-minute, banjo-backed treatment the reverence of which is the yin to the original's unruly yang. Interestingly, Smith almost exclusively chooses to cover songs sung originally by male leads, trying her hand at numbers by The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Neil Young, and Stevie Wonder, among others. Twelve is out tomorrow on Columbia.

Also today, music from the first three releases from the legendary French-Candian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen, each of which gets a deluxe reissue treatment tomorrow courtesy of Sony Legacy. On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the release of Cohen's debut, the label will issue remastered, deluxe versions of Songs of Leonard Cohen (1967), Songs From a Room (1969), and Songs of Love & Hate (1971), each including bonus tracks. A true giant amongst both musical and literary circles, Cohen's artistic influence has been incalculable on many of those that have come after him. This initial trio of releases shows him in top form as it includes such staples of his catalog as "Suzanne," "So Long, Marianne," "Bird On a Wire," and "Famous Blue Raincoat," among others. Still going strong at 72, Cohen's most recent release, his eleventh, was 2004's Dear Heather.

In House #1854.
Airdate: 4/23/07
Focus: New covers album from Patti Smith, Twelve, plus music from three new Leonard Cohen reissues out tomorrow, as well as from the new Nonesuch release, A Tribute to Joni Micthell.

BONUS MP3s-
Patti Smith, from Twelve:

"Everybody Wants to Rule the World" (MP3)

Leonard Cohen, from the reissued version of Songs of Leonard Cohen:

"Blessed Is the Memory" (MP3) (bonus track)
...and from Songs of Love & Hate:

"Famous Blue Raincoat" (MP3)

PLAYLIST

In House PODCAST #298

In House #1853: Los Straitjackets' Rock En Espanol, Vol. 1

For over a decade, the Nashville-based quartet Los Straitjackets has taken to stages donning Mexican wrestling masks, concealing the faces behind the guitar-fueled instrumental powerhouse. Theirs has been the sound of Dick Dale, Link Wray, and The Ventures heard through a modern filter, a mysterious, slightly ironic blend of retro surf and twang. Rock En Espanol, Vol. 1, the band's latest out on Yep Roc, marks their first spanish language album and features guest vocal turns by Thee Midniters' Little Willie G., Big Sandy, and Los Lobos' Cesar Rosas, who also produced the album. Though the thirteen songs (+1 instrumental) are sung in Spanish, most of them are imminently recognizable '60's pop songs, some of which are directly modeled here after Spanish versions of the time recorded by the likes of Los Freddys, Los Rockin' Devils, Los Teen Tops, and Rebeleos de Rock, among others. The Kinks' "All Day and All of the Night," therefore, becomes "De Dia y de Noche," while Jackie Wilson's "Lonely Teardrops," (given an excellent turn here by Big Sandy) is "Lagrimas Salitarias." Others, meanwhile, are given less literal translations, including Larry Williams' "Dizzy Mizz Lizzie," known here as "El Microscopico Bikini," and The McCoys' "Hang On Sloopy," which is changed to "Hey Lupe." The collection also features songs made popular by The Troggs, The Coasters, and Marty Robbins, among others. It's a fresh take and a new perspective on a genre that has always been English-dominated. Los Straitjackets are currently touring along with Big Sandy.

Los Straitjackets with Big Sandy

In House #1853.
Airdate: 4/20/07
Focus: New release from Los Straitjackets, Rock En Espanol Vol. 1, plus music from The Tornados, Band of Bees, The Detroit Cobras, Jon Rauhouse, and more.

BONUS MP3s-
Los Straitjackets, from Rock En Espanol, Vol. 1:

"El Microscopico Bikini" (MP3) (with Cesar Rosas)

"Lagrimas Solitarias" (MP3) (with Big Sandy)

The Tornados, from Vampires, Cowboys, Spacemen, & Spooks: The Very Best of Joe Meek's Instrumentals:

"Ridin' the Wind" (MP3)

The Detroit Cobras, from Tied & True (due 4/24):

"As Long As I Have You" (MP3)

PLAYLIST

In House PODCAST #297

In House #1852: New Cowboy Junkies, Playing Boise Tonight

Twenty-one years ago, the Cowboy Junkies issued a fairly unassuming debut made up almost entirely of covers, featuring songs by the likes of John Lee Hooker, Bruce Springsteen, Robert Johnson, and others. Whites Off Earth Now!! was marked in its hazy, almost drugged-out take on classic country and blues, the beginnings of a signature sound from a band that has been called "country on valium." Low meets Neil Young might have been an apt descriptor if the band hadn't predated the former. The Junkies released their twelfth studio album earlier this week, entitled At the End of Paths Taken, and while they've certainly branched out and expanded their sound over the past two decades to include rock, pop, and folk, the deliberate pace remains in many cases, not to mention the cool coo of Margo Timmins. The album, however, also continues a recent trend with the band's music to eschew traditional song structure resulting in the kind of extended jams and meditations that are the anti-3-minute-pop songs. One need look no further than the 7-minute plus "Mountain," for proof, as it spreads an atmospheric soundscape over a recording of the Timmins' (Margo and Peter, who are both in the band) father reading from what sounds like it could a personal history piece. It's a long way from Robert Johnson, to be sure, but there are plenty of more traditional moments here, including the electric blues dirge "Cutting Board Blues," and the stunning "Spiral Down." The Cowboy Junkies play the Egyptian Theatre in Boise tonight.

Cowboy Junkies

In House #1852.
Airdate: 4/19/07
Focus: New release from the Cowboy Junkies, At the End of Paths Taken, also playing Boise tonight. Plus, new music from the Golden Smog, Ian Hunter, Grant-Lee Phillips, Patti Smith, and more.

BONUS MP3-
Cowboy Junkies, from At the End of Paths Taken:

"Spiral Down" (MP3)

PLAYLIST

In House PODCAST #296

In House #1851: The Rosebuds' Night of the Furies; Elk City's New Believers

United in love and music, the married duo that make up North Carolina's Rosebuds returned last week with their third full-length for Merge records, entitled Night of the Furies. To hear it, though, you'd hardly know it was them. After two albums of sometimes blissful, sometimes wistful indie pop laden with hooks, Ivan Howard and Kelly Crisp perform a musical about-face with a collection of songs glossed over by synths, drum machines, and dance beats. They've traded in their Go-Betweens records for New Order and even the Pet Shop Boys, in other words, and once one gets over that shock it works quite well. Often dark and occasionally deliberately kitschy, anthemic choruses abound on Furies, notably on both the title track and the dancefloor leaning, "Get Up Get Out." Elsewhere, "Silja Line," rides the only naked guitar passage on the album to a slow burn and eventual choral climax with guest vocals from the Shout Out Louds. The Rosebuds begin an extensive U.S. tour in mid-May.

Also today, the first new release in five years from Elk City, New Believers, which came out yesterday on Friendly Fire. The band announced their arrival back in 2000 with the promising if uneven status, and returned a couple of years later on Touch & Go with Hold Tight the Ropes. A few line-up changes later, including the addition of Luna's Sean Eden, and Elk City sounds better than ever. Renee LoBue's siren vocals continue to lead the charge, as she makes more than good on the "female Bowie" comparisons she's enjoyed over the years. Look no further than one of this year's best singles, "Los Cruzados," for definitive proof of Elk City's rebirth.














In House #1851.
Airdate: 4/18/07
Focus: New releases from The Rosebuds, Night of the Furies, and Elk City, New Believers. Plus, new music from The Concretes, Feist, Blonde Redhead, and more.

BONUS MP3s-
The Rosebuds, from Night of the Furies:

"Get Up Get Out" (MP3)

Elk City, from New Believers:

"Los Cruzados" (MP3)

"Cherries In the Snow" (MP3)

PLAYLIST

In House PODCAST #295

In House #1850: New Live Scott Miller; Ray Price in Idaho Falls

It's a common complaint: a band is a bring-down-the-house, whirling dervish of raw energy live, but for whatever reason can't sustain that mojo when committing their sound to a recorded product. Indeed, there have been more than a handful of post-gig impulse buys made by folks who are later disappointed when the same magic doesn't happen in their respective living rooms. Some bands are just better taken live, it seems. While similar complaints may, or may not, have been directed toward the Knoxville, Tennessee-based Scott Miller & the Commonwealth, they wear live well on the new Reconstruction, recorded over three nights last December at the Down Home in Johnson City, TN. While it's been difficult to quibble with the results of the first three studio releases from Miller and his band, they truly sound in their element here as they tear through their back catalog including stellar versions of "Amtrak Crescent," and "Eight Miles Per Gallon," as well as Neil Young's ever-pertinent "Hawks & Doves." The album is now out on Sugar Hill.



Also today, music from the legendary country singer Ray Price, who plays the Colonial Theatre in Idaho Falls tonight. As you may recall from our recent feature, Price, along with Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard, issued Last of the Breed last month on Lost Highway. After recording his first single in 1949, Price later single-handedly founded the 4/4 country shuffle on his 1956 version of "Crazy Arms," and the form would go on to dominate the country recordings of the late 1950's and early 1960's. Other hits included "Don't Let the Stars Get In Your Eyes," "Release Me," and "City Lights." Price will also play several dates in Montana later in the week, before joining forces with Nelson and Haggard for The Last of the Breed Tour later this year.

In House #1850.
Airdate: 4/17/07
Focus: New live album from Scott Miller & the Commonwealth, Reconstruction, plus the legendary Ray Price plays Idaho Falls tonight. Also, new music from Willie Nelson & Merle Haggard, Asleep At the Wheel, and more.

BONUS MP3s-
Scott Miller & the Commonwealth, from Reconstruction:

"Amtrak Crescent (LIVE)" (MP3)

Ray Price, recorded in 1956:

"Crazy Arms" (MP3)

PLAYLIST

In House PODCAST #294

In House #1849: Bill Callahan's Woke On a Whaleheart; New Clientele

Now the man formerly known as Smog (or, alternately, (Smog)), Bill Callahan releases the first effort under his own name, entitled Woke On a Whaleheart, tomorrow on Drag City (edit-Actually, that's only if you're in Texas. Everyone else has to wait until next week). A prolific, previously mysterious artist, Callahan has released no fewer than twelve previous full-lengths over the past seventeen years or so. His frayed-edge, lo-fi beginnings have gradually been polished up and expanded, though his work has remained consistently dark and interesting, much of it built on the foundation of his caustic sense of humor. The latest takes the general direction of his last few albums, the most recent being 2005's A River Ain't Too Much to Love, a step or two further with nods to gospel and Americana-based folk. "Diamond Dancer," meanwhile, lays a looped string chorus over a fat bass-line of the Stax variety and ends up light years away from the bedroom hiss of his early output. It's fitting that this is the album's standout track, as it sums up the evolution of an artist who has nevertheless managed to remain edgy and captivating through it all.

In House #1849.
Airdate: 4/16/07
Focus: New release from Bill Callahan, Woke On a Whaleheart, plus new music from The Clientele, Apostle of Hustle, Julie Doiron, and more.

BONUS MP3-
Bill Callahan, from Woke On a Whaleheart:

"Sycamore" (MP3)

The Clientele, from God Save the Clientele (due 5/8):

"Bookshop Casanova" (MP3)

PLAYLIST

In House #1848: Bright Eyes' Cassadaga; New Holly Golightly

For whatever reason, be it his past precocious earnestness or his premature crowning as New Musical Savior by journalists hungry for another Dylan, Conor Oberst has always been something of a polarizing figure. Add to the equation those instances where he has appeared to be trying too hard to be just that savior, and his detractors have had ammunition to use. Cassadaga, Oberst's sixth release as/with Bright Eyes, seems to find him turning lyrical and musical corners as he offers up a surprisingly straight-forward collection almost entirely devoid of the kind of self-indulgence that has weighed on his work in the past. M. Ward, Janet Weiss, Gillian Welch, and David Rawlings all appear in the mix in one capacity or another, helping Bright Eyes to what is at once their slickest-produced yet most traditionally-oriented work to date. Oberst and company appear to have benefited from finally moving the recording side of things outside of their Omaha-based studio, as the mix here is easily their most varied to date with plenty of strings, horns, pedal steel, and female backing vocals. Inevitably, the detractors will remain (some, no doubt, will even count themselves as former fans), but Oberst at 27 finally sounds like a guy at least somewhat worthy of that early Dylan hyperbole. Bright Eyes plays Salt Lake City's Kingsbury Hall on April 29th with opener Oakley Hall.

Bright Eyes

In House #1848.
Airdate: 4/13/07
Focus: New release from Bright Eyes, Cassadaga, plus new music from Holly Golightly & the Brokeoffs, Kristy Kruger, Paul Duncan, Centro-Matic, and more.

BONUS MP3s-
Bright Eyes, from Cassadaga:

"Four Winds" (MP3)

"No One Would Riot for Less" (MP3)

Holly Golightly & the Brokeoffs, from You Can't Buy a Gun When You're Crying:

"Devil Do" (MP3)

PLAYLIST

In House PODCAST #293

In House #1847: Ron Franklin's City Lights; Blues Traveler in Pocatello Tonight

There's not a wealth of information around about singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Ron Franklin. He's been in a few bands, managed to play with some Memphis legends here and there, and self-released a handful of albums. Though some sources call him Memphis-based, others describe a permanent itinerant, spending time far and wide in whatever towns his fancy takes him. Franklin's general demeanor is little help. He's unforthcoming with personal details in interviews, from his early background to his exact age, in the process creating a bit of mystique around this guy that sings something like early Dylan and plays a mix of country, blues, gospel, boogie woogie, and R&B. City Lights, his first release with a proper label, distribution, and promotion, was released earlier this year on Memphis International. In addition to the songs themselves (nine originals, an arrangement of a traditional, and Chuck Berry's "Thirty Days"), the album is impressive in its production values, or decided lack thereof. The result is a true "oldness" to the sound, primal, sincere, almost as if recorded by accident. In the mix is none other than the legendary player and producer Jim Dickinson, lending his considerable talents to keys. Franklin, meanwhile, seems to be a man out of time, with one foot on Leadbelly's porch and the other in The White Stripes' garage.



Also today, music from Blues Traveler, playing tonight on the campus of Idaho St. University. First rising to fame in the mid-90's on the strength of songs like "Run Around," and "Hook," the band has maintained a loyal following of fans despite a diminished presence on commercial radio. The band is fronted by the heavily armed John Popper, who also knows his way around a gob iron. Showtime is at 7:30 in Holt Arena.

In House #1847.
Airdate: 4/12/07
Focus: Debut full-length from Ron Franklin, City Lights, plus Blues Traveler plays Idaho St. University in Pocatello tonight. Also, new music from The Mother Hips, Wilco, Tori Amos, and more.

BONUS MP3s-
Ron Franklin, from City Lights:

"Little Suzie" (MP3)

The Detroit Cobras, from Tied & True (due 4/24):

"As Long As I Have You" (MP3)

PLAYLIST

In House #1846: The Long Winters & The Broken West in Salt Lake City

It's a triumvirate of indie pop tonight at Salt Lake City's Kilby Court as The Long Winters, The Broken West, and Stars of Track & Field all take to the stage for one of the final shows on thier current tour together. By far the most established of the three, The Long Winters released thier third full-length album, Putting the Days to Bed, last year on Barsuk. The band serves as a showcase for the smartly-written, classic pop tunes of frontman John Roderick, who seems to contain no shortage of wit, in or out of his songs. Their When I Pretend to Fall was one of this show's top five album picks of 2003, and remains an utterly relistenable masterpiece of pop music.



The other two acts on the bill are both technically classifiable as "up-and-coming bands," though they have each managed to come a long way in a short period of time. The Los Angeles-based Broken West issued their debut album, I Can't Go On, I'll Go On earlier this year on Merge, and have not taken long to capture the attention of a diverse audience with power-pop leaning tunes that sound like that place where Big Star never met up with Gram Parsons. The Stars of Track & Field, meanwhile, hail from Portland, Oregon, where they must stand out easily among that city's generally more lo-fi musical element. Their's is a big sound full of swirling guitars, ethereal vocals, and electronic blips, making comparisons to the likes of Radiohead apt. They begin a tour opening for Joseph Arthur later this week in Montreal.


In House #1846.
Airdate: 4/11/07
Focus: The Long Winters, The Broken West, & Stars of Track & Field play Salt Lake City tonight, plus new music from Grand Archives, The Ponys, Sea Wolf, and more.

BONUS MP3s-
The Long Winters, from Putting the Days to Bed:

"Pushover" (MP3)
...and from When I Pretend to Fall:

"Stupid" (MP3)

The Broken West, from I Can't Go On, I'll Go On:

"Down In the Valley" (MP3)

"Brass Ring" (MP3)

PLAYLIST

In House PODCAST #292

In House #1845: The Asylum Street Spankers Play Boise Tonight

The irreverence of the Asylum Street Spankers makes a rare appearance in the region tonight, as they play The Neurolux in beautiful downtown Boise. The Austin, TX-based outfit has been bringing their unique and varied sound (marked by instances of political smart-aleckry, blue humor, and assorted strains of retro) to the people since 1994. Their seventh and latest studio full-length, Mommy Says No!, is a bit more "child-oriented," shall we say, than we've heard from The Spankers in the past, but still manages to come across like they might sound if Shel Silverstein joined the group. Still, for a band whose past catalog includes EPs with titles like Naughty Novelties and Dirty Ditties, not to mention the full-length ode to substance use Spanker Madness, the new release represents uncharted territory.

Asylum Street Spankers

In House #1845.
Airdate: 4/10/07
Focus: The Asylum Street Spankers in Boise tonight, plus new music from Asleep at the Wheel, Jon Rauhouse, John Doe, and more.

BONUS MP3s-
Asylum Street Spankers, from Spanker Madness (2000):

"Winning the War On Drugs" (MP3)
...and recorded live in Rochester, NY (2004):

"Asylum Street Blues" (MP3)

John Doe, from A Year In the Wilderness (due 6/12):

"The Golden State" (MP3) (with Kathleen Edwards)

The Linemen, from Through Side One:

"Through Side One" (MP3)

BONUS Vid-
Asylum Street Spankers' "Stick Magnetic Ribbons On Your SUV":


PLAYLIST

In House PODCAST #291