Last night, as I’d mentioned I had Toromiro (myspace) in studio at KZSU for a live performance. They played a nice set of subdued indie folk. They were funny and nice to boot.

Here’s their setlist and some exclusive mp3s:

• Ode to Pancake
• The Last Couple
  Toromiro – The Last Couple (Live at KZSU) (exclusive mp3)
  
• Cinnamon
  Toromiro – Cinnamon (Live at KZSU) (exclusive mp3)
  
• Sometimes
  Toromiro – Sometimes (Live at KZSU) (exclusive mp3)
  
• [Untitled Instrumental]
• I am Important
  Toromiro – I am Important (Live at KZSU) (exclusive mp3)
  
• the Fisherman
• These Lines
• The Light in Your Soul [traditional]

They don’t have any shows or releases coming up in the near term (though they are working on writing and recording), but William and Wendy are displaying some art this Saturday from 7-11pm at Queen Nails’ Annex as part of Art Clash’s Fun-a-day project.

Thanks to the band for coming down and to Smurph, as always, for engineering. And thanks to Andy for help editing and cleaning up the mp3s.

Joe Pug (myspace) was on KZSU on Thursday night. We pre-recorded the session earlier in the evening and then aired it at 9:15pm. Joe played a great set of old and new songs and was really nice and professional throughout.

Setlist and exclusive mp3s:

• Call It What You Will
  Joe Pug – Call It What You Will (Live at KZSU/ ipickmynose session) (exclusive mp3)
  
• Nobody’s Man
• Lonely Heart
• A Thousand Men [sound bed]
• Song of an Open Door
• Hymn #101
  Joe Pug – Hymn #101(Live at KZSU/ ipickmynose session) (exclusive mp3)
  
• Hymn #35
  Joe Pug – Hymn #35 (Live at KZSU/ ipickmynose session) (exclusive mp3)
  

He also did a really nice version of “Not So Sure” during a (failed) test recording.

He’s got tour dates in Wisconsin, Texas, Colorado and the east coast coming up. Check out dates on his myspace page.

Last night Winterbirds came down and did a really beautiful in-studio session with me at KZSU. Their dark and slow songs came through well in their stripped down set of guitar with two vocals. Remco and Lia (also of) were really nice to boot.

Since I first saw the band almost five months ago, I’ve been listening to their songs on their myspace page and their EP. They’ve taken a while to sink in fully, but they’re really good. Their voices work together so well and Remco’s guitar style works well with the music.

Here’s their set list and some mp3s from the session:

• the Garden
  Winterbirds – the Garden (Live at KZSU) (mp3, exclusive)
  
• Cold Hand Killer
• the Thing We Will Forget
  Winterbirds – the Thing We Will Forget (Live at KZSU) (mp3, exclusive)
  
• Really the One
• Where Shall We Meet
• Run in Silence
  Winterbirds – Run in Silence (Live at KZSU)) (mp3, exclusive)
  
• Rosewood Casket (American traditional)
  Winterbirds – Rosewood Casket (Live at KZSU) (mp3, exclusive)
  

I think the highlight of the night was the 7 and a half minute long “Run in Silence”. The way it alternates between sparse (on both guitar and solo vocals) and fuller and more incessant works to build the song up very well.

It was revealed yesterday that there are only about 50 copies–each with hand-made packaging–of their EP left and it doesn’t look like there will be more after that. You can get your copy by messaging the band through myspace or email the band at info -at- winterbirdsmusic -d0t- com.

Last night San Francisco band Birdmonster (myspace, blog) came down and did an acoustic ipickmynose/ KZSU in-studio session. It was a good time and they sounded good.

Here’s their playlist and some mp3s:

• My Love for You
• Concrete Lights
• the Iditarod
  Birdmonster – the Iditarod (Live at KZSU) (mp3, exclusive)
  
• Born to Be Your Man
  Birdmonster – Born to Be Your Man (Live at KZSU) (mp3, exclusive)
  
• Only One
• Our Ashes
• Lost at Sea
• I Might Have Guessed
  Birdmonster – I Might Have Guessed (Live at KZSU) (mp3, exclusive)
  
• Black Tornado (Dan Bern Cover)

Their next show in the Bay Area is September 3 at Great American with Nada Surf. Country-wide dates are still being added to their tour so check back on that if they’re not already coming to your town.

Don’t forget to tune in next Wednesday, August 20, at 9pm for a live in studio from Winterbirds.

To end the series of four bands on KZSU in five weeks, I had the Ian Fays in the studio on Wednesday.

Performing as a two-piece, the band played a very clean-sounding set of their distinctive intimate pop tunes. I think it turned out pretty well.

Here’s their set list and some exclusive mp3s:

• Broaches and Buses
  the Ian Fays – Broaches and Buses (Live at KZSU) (mp3, exclusive)
  
• Lemon Tree

the Ian Fays – Lemon Tree (Live at KZSU) (mp3, exclusive)


• 16 Weeks
• All the Phones are Broken in this House, Sir
  the Ian Fays – All the Phones are Broken in this House, Sir (Live at KZSU) (mp3, exclusive)
  
• Saint Catherine of Siena
• Soda Bottles
• Balogna
• Haunted House

Their next Bay Area show is Friday, June 20 at the Uptown in Oakland. They have a tendency to have a different coordinated outfit for each show; report back and let me know what it is if you go.

Two Sheds (myspace) came down to do a live set at KZSU last night. They were the third of four bands that I have lined up.

They played a great set, as they did the other times I’ve seen them. The set had a handful each from their EP and Perfect Ammunition, their album. It also had two new songs in it, one so new it didn’t have a name yet. Check out some of the songs below.

setlist:

• [unnamed song--potentially "Roomful of People"]
• The Ballad of Salty Dog
• Undertow
  Two Sheds – Undertow (Live at KZSU) (mp3, exclusive)
  
• To Be Alive
• You
  Two Sheds – You (Live at KZSU) (mp3, exclusive)
  
• Perfect
• Mindwrecker
  Two Sheds – Mindwrecker (Live at KZSU) (mp3, exclusive)
  
• It’s Hard
  Two Sheds – It’s Hard (Live at KZSU) (mp3, exclusive)
  
• Mama

Thanks as always go to KZSU’s live engineer, Smurph, for making things sound so good.

Their next show should be a good one. It’s a really solid line-up and it’s pretty inexpensive:

6/11 Geographer, Two Sheds, Friday Mile, Maribelle Phoenix @ Annie’s Social Club, 8pm, $7, 21+

I’ve been recommending their album and EP . Definitely worthwhile listens.

As I mentioned, the Botticellis (myspace) came down to KZSU last night to do an in-studio session. They played a great set of tunes off of their recently released album Old Home Movies (which came out Tuesday on Antenna Farm Records) as well as some new songs and a cover.

Here’s their setlist and some exclusive mp3s from the session:

• I Feel Betrayed
• Table by the Window
• Stay with my Brother
• Old Home Movies
• Lucy Lucia
• New Room
• When I Call
• Up Against the Glass
  the Botticellis – Up Against the Glass (live at KZSU) (mp3, exclusive)
  
• Flashlight
  the Botticellis – Flashlight (live at KZSU) (mp3, exclusive)
  
• Awaiting on You All
  the Botticellis – Awaiting on You All (live at KZSU) (mp3, exclusive)
  

I think the sound turned out really well, thanks to Smurph, KZSU’s live sound engineer, and Alexi and the Botticellis. I’ve heard a lot of live sets at KZSU and none of them have sounded quite like this. I think it turned out pretty well.

The new tunes sounded great, especially the lead off tune, “I Feel Betrayed”, which I’ll be looking forward to hearing a studio version of.

You can check out my photo album for a few more shots of the band.

Make sure you tune in next week’s live session with Two Sheds.

As predicted Geographer brought their lush pop down to KZSU last night.

It was the third time I’d seen them live and it looks like the last two times weren’t just getting lucky. They’re consistently good.

Here’s their set list:

• Rushing In, Rushing Out
• Each Other’s Ghost
• Asleep
• Can’t You Wait
• Sad-eyed Casio
• Wonderful
• Native Son
• Heaven Waits

Most of those tracks come off of their forth-coming album, save “Sad-eyed Casio”. Studio versions of “Rushing In, Rushing Out” and “Can’t You Wait” have been released as a free CD single and I believe you can also grab them at the band’s myspace.

I know what you’re saying: I don’t want to read what they played. I want to hear it! Well, just this once I will bend to your wishes and offer you up some exclusive mp3s of the in-studio:

Geographer – Each Other’s Ghost (Live on KZSU) (mp3, exclusive)

Geographer – Native Son (Live on KZSU) (mp3, exclusive)

Geographer – Wonderful (Live on KZSU) (mp3, exclusive)

Thanks as always go to KZSU’s awesome live engineer, Smurph, for making things sound great.

Last night I hosted ipickmynose-fav Or, the Whale (myspace) on KZSU.

I didn’t know beforehand, but they decided to do an acoustic set: guitars, banjo, accordion, a variety of percussion and lots of voices. Given their sound and this set up, it had a real front porch feel to it. It was loose and fun while still keeping the musicianship that the stage show has.

Here’s what they played:

• Call and Response
• Threads
• Crack a Smile
• Bound to Go Home
• Givin’ up Time*
• Shasta*
• Isn’t She Awful
• Death of Me

* unreleased songs

Here are a couple tracks from last night’s show. It was a challenging set up for our sound engineer. It sounded pretty good, but these are slightly on the rough side. I think they capture the fun of set up.

Here’s a slow and subdued version of their normally upbeat-rocker “Call and Response”. I almost didn’t recognize it.

Or, the Whale – Call and Response (Live at KZSU) (mp3, exclusive, originally on Light Poles and Pines)

“Shasta” is a new tune I first heard at their Starry Plough show a few weeks ago. I really love it. It’s slow and beautiful and definitely worth a listen.

Or, the Whale – Shasta (Live at KZSU) (mp3, exclusive, unreleased)

As I mentioned earlier, I had an hour yesterday with John Vanderslice on KZSU during which he did a few songs and we chatted a bit. I asked him about the blog videos and the title of “nicest guy in indie rock”. I’m not sure how interesting an interview it was for everyone else—it felt more like JV and I were just talking and it happened to be over the radio than anything else—but I sure had fun.

I’ve know JV for a while, going back to his last appearance on KZSU and we hang out enough that we’re friends, but I didn’t expect him to pull out so many stops as far as the music goes. I’d talked to him just a few hours earlier and had some requests for songs, some of them he hardly ever plays. He seemed reluctant on a couple because he didn’t know how to play them and I told him I understood.

Well, by the time he got down to the studio (literally about 5 hours later) he’d learned both “Peacocks in the Video Rain” and “Dead Slate Pacific”, writing the chords out on his lyric sheets (which is what those links go to). I had asked for “Pale Horse” because I love that song, especially when he does it live with people clapping along, and he brought a never-before-played b-side from Emerald City. (We were walking into the station. “Hey, I brought this Emerald b-side. Would you want to play it?” “YES!”)

Here’s what he played:

• John Vanderslice – Numbered Lithograph (Live at KZSU) (mp3, exclusive)
  
• John Vanderslice – Peacocks in the Video Rain (Live at KZSU) (mp3, exclusive)
  
• John Vanderslice – Dead Slate Pacific (Live at KZSU) (mp3, exclusive)
  
• Holland (world premier Emerald City B-side)
   
• John Vanderslice – Pale Horse (with KZSU Clapping Ensemble) (Live at KZSU)[1] (mp3, exclusive)
  
• John Vanderslice – Trance Manual (Live at KZSU) (mp3, exclusive)
  

All of these tracks were engineered by Smurph, so thanks to him for that.

JV pretending to play guitar for the camera

And one photo from Jin: here is on with the clappers on “Pale Horse”; check out Jin’s photo set for more great photos.

Stay tuned for a transcription of the interview portion!

All of JV’s releases, including Emerald City available at Barsuk.

[1] The KZSU Clapping Ensemble included me, Isa (John’s girlfriend), Scott and two of Scott’s friends that came down to the studio to watch the in-studio performance called Stuart and Dan.

The Dodos (myspace) came down and did a great set on KZSU last night. I always enjoy seeing their unique style of high energy folk music and the guys were both nice and generous.

Here’s what they played (I might have gotten some of these slightly wrong):

• Horny Hippies
• the Ball
• Fools
• Trades and Tariffs
• the Park Song(?)
• Paint the Rust/ Untitled
• Chickens

The Dodos – The Ball (Live on KZSU) (mp3, exclusive*)

View the rest of the photos here.

My show followed directly afterwards. If you’d like you can listen to it here (mp3) and the my playlist is here. I played it pretty loose and I was pretty happy with the results. I’ve found a lot of great music in the last few weeks and I got to share that.

*As always, a big thanks to Smurph for engineering this KZSU session.

The Morning Benders (myspace) came down and did a set on KZSU’s “Wednesday Night Live” show this week. I acted as the host for the week.

I’ve liked these guys since I saw them open for the Long Winters in early March. They have an interesting and eclectic indie pop sensibility.

During their set they just gunned through twelve tunes, not even pausing much between songs. Here’s the playlist:

• Damnit Anna
• Cross-eyed
• Boarded Doors
• Loose Change
• Heavy Hearts
• Fools Rush In [Ricky Nelson Cover]
• Patient Patient
• Work the Fight
• Shedding My Skin
• Waiting for War
• Crying [Roy Orbinson Cover]
• [unknown]

Both of those covers are available at the band’s blog, Gigantic.

Three tracks have been in my head for the past few days: “Loose Change”, “Boarded Doors” and “Patient Patient”. “Loose Change” on the EP of the same title is a good and interesting song, but the version they did live blew me away. There was a lot more emotion (without being emo) and sentiment (without being sentimental). I think the way Chris just goes for it on the vocals might (might) garner some comparisons to Conor Oberst, but Chris delivers it without the annoying.

The Morning Benders – Loose Change (Live at KZSU) (mp3, exclusive)

There were a few things I realized during their set: their EPs are good but their live energy/ presence adds to that. Their material is only getting better and better. Chris Chu’s voice is pretty much amazing. I can see these guys getting a lot bigger.

The Morning Benders play at the Great American soon:

6/12 The Rosebuds w/ Land of Talk, the Morning Benders @ Great American, 8pm, $14, 6+

You can buy the Morning Benders CDs and merch here.

Beatbeat Whisper (myspace) came down and did a set of their signature reminiscent-of-traditional-folk-not-quite-like-the-60s-”folk” folk music on my radio show yesterday. Here’s their set list:

• Old River
• the Whistler
• Cowboy Song
• Up the Long Tracks
• Lulu
• Don’t Let it Pass You By

That was going to be the end of their set, but, by demand, they came in for one more song:

• Door to Door

They were really nice and played well. I think it sounded nice in the small and intimate environment and it was cool to get a sense of them personally when we chatted.

Beatbeat Whisper – Up the Long Tracks (Live at KZSU) (mp3, exclusive)

I also saw Beatbeat Whisper tonight at their Stanford Cantor Arts Center gig. They played a couple new songs and I was surprised how well the intimate, small-room type sound carried into an open, outdoor venue with lots of space. Good job, Ayla and Davyd.

Last night on my radio show, I had the local SF indie pop band Blammos (myspace) on and they did a live acoustic set. Arthur, Joelle, David and Tim were all nice and I had a lot of fun with them on my show. We also had an on-air moment when David and I realized we were from rivaling towns outside of Pittsburgh and we’d seen each other perform before in the respective marching bands. (I also found out later that Joelle was cousins with an old friend’s first girlfriend.)

The set up was a bit odd: I was running the mix myself with a limited number of inputs, so we ended up having 3 room mics positioned in front of Arthur (vocals/ guitar), David (drums/ vocals), Joelle (vocals), respectively, a room mic farther away and then Tim’s bass on DI. I think the mix worked out decently. Check out this super exclusive only available here mp3!

Blammos – They Turn a Screw (live at KZSU) (mp3)

Blammos played the following:

• Bashful
• We’ll be Free; We are Free
• Under It
• They Turn a Screw
• Girl of My Dreams (duo version)
• How Do You Know? (world premier of this demo)[1]

Here’s the rest of the playlist. There was so much more I wanted to play. I probably could have done 3 more hours. If you want to hear the whole show, including the full Blammos set, listen in (mp3, only available for a limited time).

[1] Unfortunately this skipped/ froze on air, which I feel bad about.