Harsh Distractions Playlist - 10/20/09

Chapterhouse - Breather - Whirlpool (Intro)
01. Girls - Lust For Life - Girls 2009
02. The One AM Radio - Witness - A Name Writ in Water 2004
03. Harm's Way - Warriors Will Reign - Reality Approaches – 2009
04. Against the Wall - Burning Identify - Me 7" 1988
05. Trash Talk - Birth Plague Die - Trash Talk – 2008
06. The Sound - Words Fail Me - Jeopardy 1980
07. Thee Oh Sees - I Can't Get No – Help - 2009
08. Seam - Get Higher - The Pace Is Glacial – 1998
09. (Smog) - I Break Horses - Accumulation: None 2002
10. Treason – Altamont – Demo – 2003
11. Chris Walla - St. Modesto - Field Manual 2008
12. Some Girls - The Rains – The Rains 7” – 2002
13. On Various Days - Between Time - Demo – 2009
14. Grass Widow - Thirsty Again - Grass Widow EP – 2009
15. Epic45 - Ghosts On Tape - In All The Empty Houses – 2009
16. Vivian Girls - Can't Get Over You - Everything Goes Wrong 2009
17. Chain Of Strength - Just How Much? - True Till Death 7” – 1988
18. First To Leave - Drag the Lake - Forging a Future – 2007
19. Sheer Terror - Here to Stay - Just Can't Hate Enough – 1990
20. The Postmarks - Winter Spring Summer Fall - The Postmarks – 2007
21. Slices - Coping Mechanism Slices 7" – 2009
22. The Mary Onettes - Lost – S/T – 2007
23. Cult Ritual - Failed – LP – 2009
24. Cock Sparrer - We're Coming Back - Shock Troops – 1982
25. The Daysleepers - Stereo Honey - The Soft Attack EP – 2006
26. The Hope Conspiracy - Greed Taught - True Nihilist – 2009
27. Deep Wound - Sick of Fun - Almost Complete 2006
28. The Estranged - Don't They Know - Static Thoughts – 2008
29. James Mercer - Gone for Good – Live Radio Set
30. Knife Fight - Open Your Eyes – 7” – 2002
31. Sunday's Best - Sons of the Second String - Sons of the Second String 7" – 1999
32. Teenage Cool Kids - Awkward Type of Girl - Queer Salutions 2007
33. Cursive – The Radiator Hums – Domestica - 2000

Hour 1
Hour 2

I'm this weeks guest blogger on Primitive Future.

My friend Todd asked me to make a mix for his blog Primitive Future. Head over there and check it out! The songs are very weather appropriate (at least if you live in Chicago).

Hate on Harsh Distractions - 10/06/09

Last night Hate came on the show and played a set live in the studio. We had some technical difficulties so the show started WAY later than it should have, but in the end I think things turned out well.

Harsh Distractions - 10/06/09 - Hour 1 with Hate

Harsh Distractions - 10/06/09 - Hour 2 with Hate


Chapterhouse – Breather - Whirlpool (intro music)
01. Failures - I've Done Unspeakable Things Again – Failures – 2008
02. Crowbar - Like Broken Glass - Broken Glass – 1996
03. Swearing At Motorists - One More Next Time - Number Seven Uptown – 2000
04. Horror Show - Stuck Again – Demo – 2002
05. Kings Of Convenience - Mrs. Cold - Declaration of Dependence – 2009
06. Superchunk - Phone Sex - Here's To Shutting Up – 2001
07. Let's Get Invisible - Kabrit Sans Cor - Three Little Bones EP - 2009
08. Vaccine - Demo
09. Charles Manson - Arkansas - Lie: The Love and Terror Cult
10. Hate - Spreading Infection - Crimes 7"
11. Berzerker - Spare Parts - The Reawakening

Harsh Distractions Playlist 9/29/09

Last week my friend Joel came on the show and we chatted about music. There was no overwhelming theme going into it, but a lot of the songs have kind of an end of summer/fall vibe to them. Perhaps we're just products of our environment now that the weather in Chicago is cooling down. Here's what we played, download links are below.

Harsh Distractions - 9/29/09 - Hour 1
Harsh Distractions - 9/29/09 - Hour 2

Owen - Good Friends, Bad Habits - New Leaves
01. Amusement Parks On Fire - In Our Eyes - Young Fight
02. Renee Heartfelt – Sirens – Death of the Ghost
03. Califone - Funeral Singers - All My Friends Are Funeral Singers
04. Page France– Say Wolf in the Summertime – Pear EP
05. The Raveonettes - Gone Forever - In and Out of Control
06. ...And you will know us by the Trail of Dead – How Near, How Far – Source Tags and Codes
07. Mew -Why Are You Looking Grave?(feat. J Mascis) - And the Glass Handed Kites
08. Catfish Haven - Tell Me - Tell Me
09. The Magnetic Fields - Old Fools - Distortion
10. Babyshambles – Fuck Forever – Down in Albion
11. A Place to Bury Strangers - In Your Heart - Exploding Head
12. American Analog Set – Born on the Cusp – Set Free
13. Pavement - Gold Soundz - Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
14. The Promise Ring – Forget Me – Nothing Feels Good
15. My Bloody Valentine - Come In Alone - Loveless
16. New Buffalo – I’ve Got You and You’ve got Me – The Last Beautiful Day
17. Owen - Good Friends, Bad Habits - New Leaves

Hate - Demo's

Tomorrow on my radio show Harsh Distractions, Chicago hardcore band Hate will be playing some songs live in the studio. They released 7" entitled Crimes on their own label Vanthrax Records a few months ago that is fantastic. The songwriting is a bit more varied than these demos and a giant step forward in them becoming more than just a project band. Definitely pick it up. Here are their first three demos for your listening pleasure. Tune in tomorrow from 7-9pm CST on Fearless Radio and click 'Listen Now.'

HATE - I


HATE - II


HATE - III

Say Goodbye - Anti- Social EP

Say Goodbye were a great hardcore/punk band from the Boston area that put out a handful of stellar releases, particularly their debut 7" entitled Anti-Social. The songs are fast, raw punk/hardcore that remind me of an updated take on early 80's Boston bands. Don't get me wrong, they aren't merely an '82 rehash band like a lot of what's been coming out. Say Goodbye mixes it up and know when to slow it down to deliver these crushing, non-broish mosh parts. The lyrics are overflowing with hate and disgust and the vocal delivery matches perfectly. I had the good fortune to see them once and I thought they were great, but it seemed like they weren't as appreciated as they should have been. Perhaps that's just how things were here. Either way, check out this record and anything else you may come across by them.

Say Goodbye - Anti-Social EP

Death Cab for Cutie - Dream Scream (Daniel Johnston Cover)

I've been a fan of Death Cab since I was in high school and though their newer records grab my attention less and less, I will always have a soft spot in my heart for them. Ben Gibbard is an incredible songwriter with a unique voice and writes fantastic lyrics and I think that's something that will never really change. One thing that I've always found appealing about them (and Gibbard when performing solo) is their affinity for covers. I have numerous rarities and b-sides of them covering everything from John Vanderslice to The Ocean Blue to Darlene Love's classic, Phil Spector produced, "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)." The latter, being one of the greatest Christmas songs ever written.

One of my favorites though, is their cover of this Daniel Johnston song "Dream Scream." Johnston is the epitome of "cult musician," shrouded in personal problems and mystery, but loved for his simple, incredibly unique songwriting style. He did a lot with very little and figured out cool ways to double track on very simple recording devices. I could go on about his influence, but you should just watch the documentary about his life entitled
The Devil and Daniel Johnston. It's a pretty heartbreaking but uplifting story.

That aside, Death Cab really brings it on this lush, sprawling rendition of a song about a girl. Gibbard's voice sounds sad and lonely and accurately portrays the protagonist, making Johnston's pain his own.

Death Cab for Cutie - Dream Scream