Well it’s that time of year – the lists are being drawn up left right and centre, and heck – who are we to buck a trend? Dionne still has a lava lamp for goodness sake. So this week we have the first of two shows dedicated to the best stuff that came out in 2009; this week, it’s albums. If you’ve been listening regularly, you’ve probably got a good idea of what’s going to be in there, but you may also be surprised at one or two decisions…
The show wouldn’t be complete without some more ‘best of’ stuff from the show, so there’s lot’s ill-preparadness from Matt, and from Dionne there’s the usual spectrum of idiosyncrasies, including silly voices (“Nuuuuumber thureee”), giggle fits and crazy dance moves. These were just for the best of show you understand – not any other reason like unprofessionalism or the like, goodness me no…
Stay tuned, because next week we’ve got a whole show of the best TRACKS of 2009. Merry Christmas, and happy listening!
It must be the time of year – the heady mix of mulled wine and brandy butter in the bloodstream – but this week, Totally Wired flew by in a storm of OfCom-baiting guffaws and woops. In order to not preempt next weeks (first of two) Best of 2009 show (more of which later), you’ll hear a fair smattering of oldies from such disco wizards as Siedah Garrett, The Units, Lisa, Comateens and Stargaze. It wouldn’t be Totally Wired though if there wasn’t a whole raft of up to the minute works of minor (and major) genius, and filling that particular niche this week were newbies from Yeasayer, Hot Chip (two big albums coming early next year from them), as well as Appaloosa, Foreign Born, Chapel Club, Silje Nes, Slow Club and Cinnamon Chasers.
The headline news however is not one, but two amazing bands, interviewed this week just for us. The first is Sweden’s oddball popsters Little Dragon, who spilled the beans to Dionne after their triumphantly sweaty sold-out show this week. Topics covered included meeting at school, the music scene in Gothenburg, and a February sea swim in Brighton. Scandinavians are CRAZY.
Next in the interview hotseat were Brighton super-pop synthsters :Kinema:, who we caught up with before they soundchecked for their Little Dragon support slot. They told us all about the roadtrip of their conception, about searching for a producer only to find him in the band all along, about their upcoming Circles EP and about their love for Ne-Yo. Neato!
Well, this is our last normal (so to speak) show of the year. Next week we’ll be rounding up our favorite albums of the year, climaxing in a countdown of the top ten of 2009, and the week after we’ll do the same for our fave standalone track of the year. Give the show a listen right here – it’s a bloomin’ corker!
On these occasional weeks in the month where we don’t have a show, and you all get so musically parched you start wondering whether Steve Wright in the Afternoon is really as bad as you remember it being (it is), we thought we’d do the humanitarian thing and post some of the interviews we’ve done, so you can listen to them as nature intended, without being cut to fit on the radio show.
We also have some pretty excellent sessions that we’re dying for you to hear, so we’re going to pop them up here too whenever there’s a down week.
First in the series are the charming Wave Pictures, who came in and chatted about their most recent album If You Leave It Alone, about recording it in 2 days in Berlin, and about egg mayonnaise. They also did a super acoustic version of their track Now You Are Pregnant. Goosebumps!
Wave Pictures Interview
Now You Are Pregnant by The Wave Pictures, live acoustic session
¡Hola! ¿Cómo estás? That right there is the LA hardcore band The Bronx. EXCEPT it’s not! It’s all the members of the Bronx, and they’re a band, but it’s a band called Mariachi El Bronx and they’re a mariachi group. Crazy! They got an airing on this week’s Totally Wired.
Christmas being just round the corner, there was a tentative step in the direction of festive tunes with a track from Slow Club’s Christmas EP. Elsewhere in the indie drawer, you’ll find Chapel Club, Vampire Weekend (inspired by their amazing new video), Yeasayer (inspired by their FREAKIN’ amazing new video), a track from the new Kings of Convenience album, Get Back Guinozzi, The Smith Westerns and Do Make Say Think.
Of course, there is a disco drawer in the Totally Wired chest, and this week, the contents included Vega, Klymaxx, Shy Child, Weird Tapes, Donna Summer, Datarock and a ZE remix by Norwegian disco-dude Todd Terje.
Keep your eyes peeled for that Wave Pictures interview and exclusive interview we did a while back – we’re finally going to post it this week. Also look out for the last 2 shows in 2009, where we’ll be playing out fave tunes and albums of the year!
One of the Amazing Crystal Orbs of Revelation that hovered forth from this weeks Totally Wired radio show is that neither Dionne nor Matt have an album predominantly sung in Hebrew in their collections. Can you imagine two more backward radio presenters? Shameful. Well all of that changed this Sunday, with the Album of the Week – Fool’s Gold by Fool’s Gold. We’ve played their first single Surprise Hotel a few times, but now that the album has turned up, we decided it was time to bestow that glowing prize upon the LA troupe.
We also afforded two plays to Beach House, the dream-pop blog darlings, with both Apple Orchard and Norway. Speaking of Norway, Dionne pieced together a spotlight on that bit of Scandinavia after her trip to Bergen, so expect Whitest Boy Alive, Casiokids and The New Wine.
Also in with the waffley mush are new tracks from Yeasayer (wow is that song amazing or what!?), Vampire Weekend, Shy Child, Solange Knowles (THAT Dirty Projectors cover), Brighton’s very own :Kinema: with their Animal Collective cover, plus the amazing Mayer Hawthorne and a couple of classics from Ruby Andrews and Neil Young.
Happy listening!
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Part2:
Part3:
** UPDATE: We lost the second half of Part 3 down the back of the Totally Wired sofa! Dionne’s having a fish around down there right now, but so far has only pulled out a half-sucked sweet covered in fluff… we’ll keep looking. Sorry!**
Yeasayer
Ambling Alp
We Are Free
Miike Snow
Black & Blue
Columbia
Logg
(You Got) That Something
BBE
Vampire Weekend
Cousins
XL
Beach House
Norway
Bella Union
Red Drapes
Reflection
Unsigned
:Kinema:
My Girls
Unsigned
The New Wine
Communication
Unsigned
The Whitest Boy Alive
Don’t Give Up
Bubbles
CasioKids
En Vill Hest
Moshi Moshi
Fool’s Gold
Surprise Hotel
I Am Sound
Ruby Andrews
You Made a Believer out of Me
Zodiac Records
Shy Child
Criss Cross
Wall Of Sound
Mayer Hawthorne
Your Easy Lovin’ Ain’t Pleasin’ Nothin’
Stones Throw
Beach House
Apple Orchard
Bella Union
Solange Knowles
Stillness Is The Move
Geffen
Platinum Pied Pipers
50 Ways to Leave Your Lover
Ubiquity
Fools Gold
The World is all there is
I Am Sound
Neil Young
Sample and Hold
Geffen
Aural Exciters
Spooks in Space (Luke Howard and Felix Dickinson Edit)
A week off (you’ve probably realised by now that Anna does one show a month) yielded this gem in the crown of radio broadcasting. Excitingly, The Wave Pictures came visiting and we had a little chit-chat and they were kind enough to play a song for us too – Now You Are Pregnant. You can hear the broadcast version of our chat here, but keep your eyes peeled, because later this week, we’ll be posting the full version for you to listen to.
Elsewhere, we hinted at one or two of our albums of the year, with tracks from Little Dragon, the Drums and the Whitest Boy Alive. Since the day had a ‘Y’ in it, we played Phoenix (albeit a remix), and there was also a visit from the future in the shape of a new (AMAZING) Yeasayer track, foreshadowing their album, which is due in February.
Elsewhere, Wavves, Datarock, Do Make Say Think, (Trans-era) Neil Young, OMD, Alice Russell, and The Gap Band all musically lubricate the passing of two hours, along with the never-ending syrup-stream-of-consciousness that is Dionne and Matt’s endless wafflesome chatter. Enjoy!
Part 1:
Part 2:
Part 3:
The Gap Band
Big Fun
Total Experience
Wavves
Beach Demon
Bella union
Little Dragon
My Step
Millenium
Datarock
The Pretender (Holy Ghost Remix)
Nettwerk
Yeasayer
Ambling Alp
We Are Free
Whitest Boy Alive
Courage
Bubbles
Do Make Say Think
Do
Constellation
The Drums
Saddest Summer
Moshi Moshi
Nneka
Heartbeat
Yo Mama
Alice Russell
Remember to Forget
Tru Thoughts
Roland Brival
Sakitayo
K7
Wild Palms
Over Time
Popular Recordings
The Wave Pictures
If You Leave It Alone
Moshi Moshi
The Wave Pictures
Now You Are Pregnant
Moshi Moshi
Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark
Messages (Greg Wilson ReEdit)
Factory
Beirut
After The Curtain
Ba Da Bing!
Blue Roses
Imaginary Fights
XL
Frightened Rabbit
Swim Until You Can’t See Land
Fat Cat
The Randy Watson Experience
Be Still (Bastardisation)
NPR
Phoenix
Fences (The Soft Pack remix)
V2
Ellie Goulding
Under The Sheets
Neon Gold
Kid Creole and the Coconuts
Annie, I’m Not Your Daddy (Soul Mekanik ‘Bounty Girls’ Edit)
The week preceding this show saw one event stand head and shoulders above all others (much like Thomas did): seeing Phoenix at London’s Brixton Academy. We’ve been raving about their album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix all year, and the gig inspired us to play one or two of our favorite cuts. Also on the bill that evening were Chairlift, and we thought we’d make amends for their numerous sound problems by playing the highlight of their set in all it’s studio glory – Le Flying Saucer Hat!
In another fun gig recap, we also played some Wave Pictures. Listen out a week on Sunday for some EXCLUSIVE chit chat and a session track from the Moshi Moshi Loughborough lovelies. We’ll also be streaming the full length interview and session track right here on the website after the show is aired. Ain’t we good to you?
Looking forward to upcoming shows, we played some Staff Benda Bilili and Pyramiddd (formerly Starfucker – nice PR move guys). We also played a track from the new ZE Records comp, ZEvolution, a couple of joints from the upcoming Kitsuné Maison 8 compilation, the newly-reprieved Fools Gold, a Chromeo Remix, the frankly mental Foot Village, a couple of classic cuts from Q-Tip and The Prophet, plus a couple of spooky Halloween jams from Outkast and The Flirts.
Matt had a bit of a DFA love-in, playing the newly reissued Pylon, and new tracks by Free Energy and LCD Soundsystem, plus Chromeo, Alan Vega, our interviewees next week the Wave Pictures, and and MGMT remix. Dionne was in a serious mode (albeit briefly), with a seminal and pertinent airing of a Stevie Wonder classic, plus our new tambourine-crush, The Drums. Elsewhere, you’ve also got Naomi Punk, Wavves, Atlas Sound, Simian Mobile Disco, The Dirty Projectors and Brighton dudes Bellows and Dizrali.
I’m off to other reaches of the internet where the girls aren’t guys…
Posted by Mattatat 
Posted by Mattatat 
Posted by Mattatat 
