Mid-January Rotation

Here’s a list of things, in no particular order, in my listening rotation this month.  (You’ll notice the fair amount of 2010 releases, as I’ve been considering my top ten list of albums from last year.)

1. Texas Fever – Orange Juice (Polydor/1984)
2. Love And its Opposite – Tracey Thorn (Merge/2010)
3. Losing Sleep – Edwyn Collins (Heavenly/2010)
4. “The Cord Unwinds” (digital single) – Transmit Pulse (Scatterplot Sounds/2011)
5. The Lady Killer –  Cee-Lo Green (Elektra/2010)
6. The ArchAndroid – Janelle Monáe (Bad Boy/2010)
7. Spilling Over Every Side – Pretty Lights (Pretty Lights Music/2010)
8. Beach Fossils – Beach Fossils (Captured Tracks/2010)
9. Sounds of the Universe – Depeche Mode (EMI/2009)
10. “Paradox Messenger” (digital single) – Transmit Pulse (Scatterplot Sounds/2011)

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Episode 67: Closer to Heaven

Sometimes I wonder how people will perceive my opinions in these shows.  It’s not because I’m unsure of them, it’s that I don’t want to be that hipster who trash entire albums (or an artist’s entire career!) after listening to only a few songs.

I don’t want to claim I’m above such behavior or stake my identity in not being those pretentious guys.  (That just creates another problem, right?)  But rest assured that I usually do my homework before spouting off, criticising an important pop icon like Diana Ross in this episode.  Just look at my record collection, and you’ll see what I mean.

At any rate, you know I’m a fan of getting awesome music for free.  I start this week’s show with a Pretty Lights* track from one of the three (!) EPs it released last year.  Pretty Lights is Derek Vincent Smith’s sample-crazy project, and he gives away all his music, in exchange for an email address.  Trust me, while the songs may start like RJD2, Jay Z or Moby, Smith turns your expectations on their head with some insane beats and just flat-out sick synth lines.  The music is mind-blowing, and the price is right.  Enjoy.

1. “Total Fascination” – Pretty Lights (Making Up a Changing Mind / Pretty Lights Music / 2010 )
2. “Up the Ladder to Roof” – The Supremes (Right On / Motown / 1970)
3. “Cheap Lovin'” – The Supremes (The Supremes Produced and Arranged by Jimmy Webb / Motown / 1972)
4. “Throw Me Over” – Common Children (Skywire / Tattoo / 1996)
5. “Wildflower” – Cee-Lo Green (The Lady Killer / Elektra / 2010)

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1415312/67radiofreeraytown.mp3″

Radio Free Raytown – Episode #67 (1/14/11)

*I’m listening to this show as I type, and I realized that I introduced the first artist as Pretty Things, not Pretty Lights.  The Pretty Things were, indeed, an awesome band, but not this band.  Sorry for the confusion.