Harsh Distractions Playlist 01/19/10

Here is the playlist for last weeks episode of Harsh Distractions. Download links are at the bottom.

1. Chapterhouse - Breather - Whirlpool (Intro Music)
2. Parade - Penelope Shoes - A Red Button - 2005
3. The Exploding Hearts - (Making) Teenage Faces – Shattered – 2006
4. Girls in the Eighties - Yesterdays Don't Mean Shit - Teenage Royalty – 2009
5. Kill Your Idols - Hardcore Circa 1999 - Something Started Here – 2007
6. Souls She Said - Sunken City - As Templar Nites – 2006
7. Turn Cold - Shattered - S/T 7"
8. Starflyer 59 - Good Sons - Talking Voice Vs. Singing Voice – 2005
9. In The Red - Red Light - 4 Song Demo - 2004
10. Failure - Enjoy The Silence (Depeche Mode Cover) - Rare/Demos
11. Paleo - Boring Together - May 19, 2006 - Carpet Samples from The Song Diary - 2006
12. Last Priest - Here On The Ground - We All Failed - 2005
13. Descendents - Clean Sheets - Liveage! – 1987
14. Stay Gold - 40 Smith And Wesson - Pills And Advice - 2002
15. Loose Dudes - Black Preacher – Demo – 2009
16. Pale Saints - Under Your Nose - Slow Buildings - 1994
17. Times New Viking - DROP-OUT -Rip it Off - 2008
18. Right Brigade- More Than I've Got - Right Brigade/A Poor Excuse Split 7" - 1999
19. Oxymoron - Bored & Violent - F**k The Nineties...Here's Our Noize! - 2006
20. Knapsack - Less Than - (Don't Forget To) Breathe – 1997
21. Bad Moon Music - Dirty Words - Empire - 2004
22. The Trouble - We Are The Blood - Nobody Laughs Anymore – 1998
23. Seaweed - Thru The Window - Actions And Indications
24. Ringworm - Take Back What's Ours - Birth Is Pain - 2006
25. National Skyline - A Night At The Drugstore - This=Everything – 2001
26. Crooked Fingers - New Drink For The Old Drunk - Crooked Fingers - 2000
27. The Church - The Unguarded Moment - Of Skins And Heart - 1982
28. Alcian Blue - Fall Behind - Years Too Late - 2007
29. Beat!Beat!Beat! - Sinking Slow - Living In The Future - 2006

1/19/10 Hour 1
1/19/10 Hour 2

Whirl - Demo

Whirl are a fantastic new Shoegaze/Dream Pop band from Northern California. I don't know much about them at all, but in the few days I've had this demo, I've listened to it no less than 30 times. As a long time fan of this genre, one of my biggest issues is with some of the recordings. Too often, bands go for a slick, overproduced sound that takes the warmth away from the songs. Two prime examples of this are Slowdive's Just for a Day and the Cocteau Twins' Heaven or Las Vegas. Both have incredible songs, but the production is so bright and full treble I'd rather listen to something else.

Thankfully, Whirl avoids this pitfall by having a warm and inviting recording, perfect for listening to through headphones. There is a sound permeating through the demo that sounds like tape hiss, but rather than being a nuisance, it adds an extra element of texture to the songs as it kind of clips in and out. The first track entitled "Leave" is a beautiful and distant yet blown out wall of sound that definitely takes some cues from Loveless. The haunting indecipherable male/female harmonies bring it together and sound so gorgeous I wish the song was 3 hours long. There are days where I can listen to songs on repeat, and I could spend the rest of this grey Chicago afternoon listening to this track over and over again. "Meaningless" is a bit more of an up-tempo rock song carried by a driving riff and the layered male/female vocals that show the other side of Whirl. With this demo only being two tracks, I'm left wanting more and I'm anxious to hear what else they will bring to the table in the future. If you like shoegaze/dream pop or trust my opinion, give this demo a listen. You won't regret it.


Whirl - Demo

Turn Cold - S/T 7"

Turn Cold was a fairly short lived hardcore band from Brighton, UK that released a demo and a 7" and cd EP on Courage to Care. They played fast, dark hardcore that took more than a few cues from early 2000's Boston hardcore, especially in the imagery and lyrics. As a fan of those bands, Turn Cold always resonated with me, so I was kinda bummed when they called it a day. Singer Nick Worthington now sings for Bridge 9 band Dead Swans who kind of picked up where Turn Cold left off, only heavier and more "pro" sounding.

Turn Cold - S/T 7"

Harsh Distractions Playlist 12/08/09

Goodrich from Iron Rain came in to chat and play some songs from their upcoming 7" into some other songs under the theme of The Fest. Sadly, the first hour was cut off due to a technical problem, but here is the second hour of the show.

1. Iron Rain - Silent Sins - Silent Sins 7"
2. Dillinger 4 - Super Powers Enable Me to Blend in with Machinery - Midwestern Songs of the America's
3. Ty Segall - Standing at the Station - Lemons
4. Drive Like Jehu - New Math - Yank Crime
5. Good Luck - 1,001 Open Hands - Into Lake Griffey
6. Kylesa - Nature's Predators - Static Tensions
7. My Bloody Valentine - Sunny Sundae Smile - Sunny Sundae Smile EP
8. Mudhoney - Hate the Police - Superfuzz Bigmuff Plus Early Singles
9. Off With their Heads - Die Today - Hospital
10. Paint it Black - New Folk Song - New Lexicon
11. Touche Amore - Honest Sleep - ...To the Beat of Dead Horse
12. The Vaselines - Let's Get Ugly - The Way of the Vaselines: A Complete History
13. Real Estate - Fake Blues - Real Estate
14. Iron Rain - Illusion of Truth - Silent Sins 7"
15. Olehole - Ostinato - Holemole

Hour 2

Harsh Distractions Playlist 11/10/09

On 11/10/09 frequent Harsh Distractions guest and contributor Joel B came in and we discussed our favorite fall songs.

Chapterhouse - Breather - Whirlpool (intro music)

1. Boris - Farewell - Pink
2. Slowdive - Alison - Souvlaki
3. Autolux - Audience No. 2 - Audience No. 2
4. Jens Lekman - Pocketful of Money - Oh, You're So Silent Jens
5. The Beatles - She Said She Said - Revolver
6. Built to Spill - LIfe's A Dream - There is no Enemy
7. The Pixies - Here Comes Your Man - Doolittle
8. Sic Alps - Love is Strange - Description of the Harbor
9. The Strokes - Hard to Explain - Is This It?
10 The Raveonettes - Gone Forever - In and Out of Control
11. The Clientele - We Could Walk Together - Suburban Light
12. Woods - Rain On - Songs of Shame
13. New Order - Ceremony - Substance
14. Owls - Everyone is my Friend - S/T
15. Braid - Urbana's too Dark - Frame and Canvas
16. Hot Snakes - Lax - Suicide Invoice
17. Dinosaur Jr - On the Way - Where You Been?
18. Darker My Love - Two Ways Out - 2
19. Cold Cave - Youth and Lust - Love Comes Close

Hour 1

Hour 2

Harsh Distractions Playlist 11/17/09

In mid November Drew from Weekend Nachos and formerly of Convicted came in and we discussed Chicago underground music both new and old. Here's what we played:

Chapterhouse - Breather - Whirlpool (intro music)

1. Alkaline Trio – Message from Kathlene – Goddamnit
2. Canadian Rifle In A Land Of Flakes Nothing Sticks - Canadian Rifle 7"
3. Slapstick – Broken Down – Lookit!
4. Boiling Over - Trash City – Trash City 7"
5. Houseboy – Puke is on the Way – V/A Achtung Chicago Drei
6. Gods Reflex - A Chance in a Disaster - When It's Down To This
7. Oblivion – Bob and Weave
8. The Catburglars - I Hate My Job - Holy Shit
9. Sig Transit Gloria – Chapter One – Red Line Distribution Compilation
10. Smith Westerns - Be My Girl - Smith Westerns
11. Apocalypse Hoboken – Jerk Lessons - Easy Instructions for Complex Machinery
12. Duress - Allergic To Hope – V/A The World Itself Is A Bad Dream
13. MK-Ultra – Killing for College Money – Melt 7”
14. Like Bats – Lousy – Demo
15. Thirty Seconds Deep – Champion – Hot Carl 7”
16. Screeching Weasel – Cindy’s on Methadone – My Brain Hurts
17. Daylight Robbery – Bent Out of Shape – Washtenaw EP
18. Tuesday – Disappear – Freewheelin’
19. The Ponys – Another Wound – Celebration Castle
20. The Broadways – 15 Minutes – Broken Star
21. The Repos - More Kicks Than Bricks - Hearts And Heads Explode
22. The Mushuganas – Disappointed – V/A Lo-Cal A Taste of Chicago Compilation
23. 88 Fingers Louie – Past Mistakes – 88 Fingers Up Your Ass

Hour 1

Hour 2

Harsh Distractions Playlist 11/24/09

Here is the playlist for the 11/24/09 episode of Harsh Distractions. A bit late, I know, but the songs are still good.

Chapterhouse - Breather - Whirlpool (Intro Music)

01. Felt - The Day the Rain Came Down - Ignite the Seven Cannons
02. The Bitters - East - East b/w Foreign Knives
03. Former Ghosts - Us And Now – Fleurs
04. Have A Nice Life -Trespassers W – Voids
05. Rival Mob - Mob Rules All - Raw Life
06. Aloha -You've Escaped - Here Comes Everyone
07. Summer Camp - Ghost Train - Single
08. Best Coast - Feeling Of Love - Make You Mine 7"
09. Toro Y Moi - Blessa - Causers Of This
10. Insted - There's Nothing Like It - Bonds Of Friendship / We'll Make The Difference
11. Wide Awake - The Truth - 25 Song Discography
12. Heaven and Breakfast - More or Less - Water Lines and Anti-Light
13. Carry On - Fuck Your Politics - It's All Our Blood
14. R'N'R - I've Had It - I've Had It b/w Your Rules
15. The Lucksmiths - Synchronised Sinking - Why That Doesn't Surprise Me
16. The Church - North, South, East And West – Starfish
17. Negative Approach - Can't Tell No One - 7"
18. Silent Majority - Party at Rich's - You Would Love to Know
19. The Libertines - Cola Queen - Single
20. G.B.H. - No Survivors – Single
21. The Untouchables - Nic Fit - Flex Your Head Compilation
22. Dead Boys - What Love Is - Young, Loud and Snotty
23. Nouvelle Vague - Teenage Kicks - Nouvelle Vague
24. Matt Pond PA - Measure 3 - The Green Fury
25. Deathreat - Pay No Mind - The Severing Of The Last Barred Window...Plus Early Tracks '97-99
26. Interpol - Precipitate - Precipitate EP
27. The Lightning Seeds - Pure – Cloudcuckooland
28. Ida - Maybelle - Will You Find Me?
29. Dead Serious - Delaware Hall - It's What You Can't See

Hour 1
Hour 2

Harsh Distractions Playlist 12/01/09

My friend Dan came on the show early in December and proposed the theme of "Ignorance" to me. I never thought I'd end up playing Fury of V on my show, but there I was, listening to "Takin' Respect." I guess there is a first time for everything. Download the episode below.

Chapterhouse - Breather - Whirlpool (intro)
1. Clipse - Doorman - Til the Casket Drops
2. Merauder - Gangsta - God is I
3. Harm's Way - Delusion - Reality Approaches
4. In Cold Blood - Straight Flush - Suicide King
5. Melvins - Goin' Blind - Houdini
6. Mobb Deep - Drop a Gem on Em - Hell on Earth
7. The Black Dahlia Murder - Funeral Thirst - Unhallowed
8. Agnostic Front - Public Assistance - Cause for Alarm
9. Fear - Fresh Flesh - The Record
10. No Warning - Short Fuse - Ill Blood
11. Cro-Mags - Crush Demoniac - Best Wishes
12. Birdman - Money to Blow - Pricele$$
13. Fury of Five - Takin' Respect - At War With the World
14. Outburst - The Hard Way - V/A: The New Breed Comp.
15. Hate - Scab Nation - Crimes 7"
16. Cam'ron - Leave me Alone Pt. 2 - Purple Haze
17. Rick Ross - Magnificent - Deeper than Rap
18. Antidote - Foreign Job Lot - Thou Shalt Not Kill
19. Stigmata - Nothing But Enemies - Hymns for an Unknown God
20. M.O.P - Ante Up - Warriorz
21. Weekend Nachos - Nights - Unforgivable
22. Biohazard - Chamber Spins Three - Urban Discipline

Hour 1

Hour 2

Loose Dudes on Harsh Distractions 1/12/10

Last week Loose Dudes came on the show played a live set and played some songs they brought in. Here is the first hour:

Chapterhouse - Breather - Whirlpool (intro)
1. Devo - Don't You Know - Freedom of Choice
2. Henry's Dress - Can't Make It Move - Henry's Dress/Rocketship Split 7"
3. Duress - Indifference - Indifference 7"
4. Pissed Jeans - Human Upskirt - King of Jeans
5. Snuff Film - Director - Snuff Film
6. The Horrors - I Can't Control Myself - Primary Colours
7. Damages - Dreamt a Little Dream of You - Love's Labor

Loose Dudes Live Set

Mission of Burma - Red - Signals, Calls, and Marches
Canadian Rifle - Infinity - Visibility Zero
Hunks and his Punks - Cruising - Gay Singles
Young Governor - Summer Girls
Double Dagger - No Allies - More
Birdman Ft. Drake & Lil Wayne - Money to Blow - Pricele$$

Loose Dudes on Harsh Distractions 1/12/10

The Saturday People - Twilight Story b/w The Castle 7"

Prior to the release of their self-titled LP The Saturday People released a handful of great singles, all of which were rearranged and rerecorded for the album. On this 7" are the original versions of "Twilight Story" and "The Castle," two essential, shimmering 60's pop gems worthy of repeated listens. More Saturday People material will be posted soon.


The Saturday People - Twilight Story b/w The Castle 7"

Harm's Way - Live on Harsh Distractions - 12/22/09

A few days before they embarked on a west coast tour, Harm's Way came and played some new songs on my radio show. If you happen to catch them, they have tapes available for sale with these songs. For everyone else, here is an mp3. I can't wait until they record these properly for their upcoming 7" on Closed Casket Activities.


Harm's Way - Live on Harsh Distractions 12/22/09