upcoming BBC Radio programmes of note

if you're not at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend in Swindon for the next 2 days like many of the bands I'm digging right now, don't fret. there's still good music programmes to be had from the comfort of your own home...

as usual, BBC radio programmes are available for 7 days after original broadcast on the BBC iPlayer.

6music
David Byrne special on Music Week (Sunday 10 May 13.00 London time, 8.00 East Coast time)

Radio2
Geordie band Maximo Park and reformed ska legendary band Madness join Dermot O'Leary on Saturday 9 May 15.00-18.00 BDT (10.00 to 13.00 Eastern)

in honour of Billy Joel's 60th birthday, the second half of a show about his life at 22.00 (18.00) on Saturday night


ah yes, and belated birthday wishes to Rob Lee (aka Wax Stag), touring bassist/percussionist with Friendly Fires. (this was discerned from Jack Savidge's Twitter, and I know missed Jack's birthday sometime the 2nd or 3rd week of April, sorry about that dude :)

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edit 16.05: in the wee hours of the morning of Monday 11 May, the Rob da Bank and Friends programme of Radio1 had Friendly Fires on (my latest English band obsession) with their A-Z chosen tracks. catch it if you can here. if not, here's the tracks they chose:

A. Adonis – ‘No Way Back’ (Trax)
B. Boredoms – ‘Heart’ (Warners Japan)
C. Chic – ‘I Want Your Love’ (Atlantic)
D. George Kranz – ‘Din daa daa’ (Hot Productions)
E. ESG – ‘Dance’
F. Friendly Fires – ‘Jump In The Pool (Thin White Duke remix)’ (XL)
G. Gza – ‘4th Chamber’ (Geffen)
H. Hot Chocolate – ‘Heaven’s In The Back Seat of My Cadillac’ (EMI) - one of FF's fave pregig pump-up tunes
I. Inner City – ‘Big Fun’ (Virgin)
J. Junior Boys – ‘Under The Sun’ (KIN)
K. Kanye West – ‘Paranoid’ (Roc-a-Fella) - apparently Kanye is a fan?
L. Friendly Fires – ‘I’m Good, I’m Gone’ (Lykke Li cover)
M. Matthew Dear – ‘Dog Days’ (Spectral Sound)
N. Nas – ‘It’s Ain’t Hard To Tell’ (Columbia)
O. O’Jays – ‘Put Our Hands Together’
P. Public Enemy – ‘Can I Get A Witness’ (Def Jam) - Chuck D and posse stormed FF's dressing room for a photo shoot at Coachella, to
Q. Q and Not U – ‘Line In The Sand’ (Dischord)
R. Kate Bush – ‘Running Up That Hill (Ashley Beedle re-edit)' - Edd thinks this is the ultimate karaoke song
S. Cerrone - ‘Supernature’
T. My Bloody Valentine – ‘To Here Knows When’ (Creation Records)
U. Burial – ‘Near Dark’ (Hyperdub) (album: 'Untrue')
V. Gang Gang Dance – ‘Vacuum’ (Social Registry)
W. Wax Stag – ‘Gold Gold’ (People In The Sky)
X. Mogwai – ‘Xmas Steps’ (Rock Action Records)
Y. Broken Social Scene – ‘time=cause’
Z. Zed Bias – ‘Neighbourhood’ (Locked On)

Whale watching (photos first)

link to my Popwreckoning review

now, before I give my personal thoughts on the gig last Saturday, here are the photos from the Noah and the Whale gig (Anni Rossi and Ferraby Lionheart supporting) on 2 May 2009, the last night of NATW's 2-week tour.

to save some time, I've shoved them on here, and they might not fit in the view of the browser you're using, so just click on the pic and you'll get the full version. ok?

Anni Rossi




Ferraby Lionheart and touring bandmembers










Noah and the Whale

this week's Roundtable

this week's report is late owing to your faithful writer being pulled in too many directions this week. needless to say, I am glad it is Friday and tomorrow is when I see Noah and the Whale. owing to a massive matter known to me as a painful and swollen foot (owww) I shall be patronising several D.C. taxis for the first time, ever.

Roundtable returned for another week, with Martin Fry from ABC, Billboard Magazine's Mark Sutherland and Little Boots

1. Jarvis Cocker - "Angela" - I didn't know this was Jarvis - haha! sorry man, not feeling it.

2. Florence And The Machine - "Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)" - I'm not a big fan of Florence, and this song is a little too balls-to-the-wall for me. everyone in the studio liked it, so who knows if my opinion means anything :)

3. La Roux - "Bulletproof" - I love Elly, so you can't expect a unbiased opinion on this. while it doesn't have the heavy dance immediacy of "Quicksand" or croony "In for the Kill," it still has little La Roux's stamp on it.

4. the winner - the Eels - "Fresh Blood" - this is down and dirty more than me or Victoria Little Boots likes it. I dunno, does this mean grunge is back? interesting...it sure paints a nice contrast with all the other retro sounding music coming out as of late.

5. Gossip - "Heavy Cross" - hmm. I'm ambivalent on this. I like the sound generally, but it's lumping in with everyone else that sounds like them right now.

6. Goldheart Assembly - "So Long Saint Christopher" - this has a very American AC likeability, so I was a little shocked that Lammo likes it. it's a little slow, but it reminds me of a rough Simon and Garfunkel. the twangy guitars help too. haha Mark Sutherland thinks it sounds like "A Whiter Shade of Pale." that's what I was thinking of!

7. Prince's new album - "Dance For Me" and "There'll Never Be (Another One Like Me)" in full - WTH is wrong with Prince's voice? it sounds like he swallowed a gallon of helium. christ! thank you Martin Fry for saying the last good thing he did was "Purple Rain."