Below is my playlist on CHIRP Radio for Sunday, October 2, 2011 6:00 am – 9:00 am. Tracks can be streamed individually on tumblr:

8:53AM The Rapture It Takes Time To Be A Man In the Grace of Your Love (DFA)
8:51AM Baths Overseas Pop Music / False B-Sides (Anticon)
8:46AM Fuyuko’s Fables Buildings Fuyuko’s Fables (self-released)
8:38AM Roll the Dice Maelstrom In Dust (Leaf)
8:37AM Battles Dominican Fade Gloss Drop (Warp)
8:31AM Gui Boratto The Third III (Kompakt)
8:26AM The Beatles Within You Without You Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Capitol)
8:21AM Ananda Shankar River Ananda Shankar and His Music (Fallout)
8:17AM Twin Sister Daniel In Heaven (Domino)
8:14AM Alberta Cross Lucy Rider The Thief and The Heartbreaker (Geffen)
8:09AM Pallers Come Rain, Come Sunshine The Sea of Memories (Labrador)
8:02AM Jean Michel Jarre Diva Zoolook (Disques Dreyfus)
7:57AM Walls Sunporch (Holy Other Remix) single (Tri Angle)
7:52AM Beirut The Rip Tide The Rip Tide (Pompeii)
7:50AM Gardens & Villa Thorn Castles Gardens & Villa (Secretly Canadian)
7:44AM Kathleen Edwards Wapusk (feat. Bon Iver) Voyager (Rounder)
7:41AM St. Vincent Cruel Strange Mercy (4AD)
7:37AM Paranoid Castle Orca Champagne Nightmares (Fake Four Inc.)
7:23AM Peter Frampton Do You Feel Like We Do? Frampton Comes Alive (A&M)
7:18AM Girls Saying I Love You Father, Son, Holy Ghost (True Panther Sounds)
7:15AM The Drums You’re the One That Makes Me Happy Best Friend EP (Moshi Moshi)
7:10AM Johnny Osbourne We Need Love Truths and Rights (Studio One)
7:05AM Dâm-Funk Don’t You Know (That This Funk Iz Real) InnaFocusedDaze EP (Scion A/V)
7:02AM White Arrows Save Me A Place (Fleetwood Mac cover) Our Versions (self-released)
6:51AM Essa 3 Coalesce untitled (Zoe Magik)
6:45AM Bullion Time For Us All To Love Young Heartache EP (One Handed Music)
6:42AM Gem Club Breakers Breakers (Hardly Art)
6:38AM Jens Lekman The Wrong Hands Oh You’re So Silent, Jens (Secretly Canadian)
6:31AM Peter Broderick And It’s Alright Home (Hush)
6:27AM Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks No One Is (As I Are Be) Mirror Traffic (Matador)
6:24AM Cat Stevens Where Do the Children Play Tea for the Tillerman (A&M)
6:20AM Zola Jesus Vessel Conatus (Sacred Bones)
6:15AM Ladytron Black Cat Velocifero (Nettwerk)
6:10AM Oregon Bike Trails Cayucas High School Lover’ 7 (Father/Daughter)
6:05AM Ohbijou Niagara Metal Meets (Last Gang)
6:00AM Perplexa Flood Gone Beyond (CDBY)

Below is my playlist on CHIRP Radio for Sunday, September 25, 2011 6:00 am – 9:00 am. Tracks can be streamed individually on tumblr:

8:54AM Primus Have a Cigar (Pink Floyd cover) Miscellaneous Debris (Interscope)
8:48AM Astronautalis Lift the Curse This is Our Science (Fake Four Inc.)
8:44AM Baths Exit the Mine single (self-released)
8:41AM Apparat Sweet Unrest The Devil’s Walk (Mute)
8:37AM John Maus My Whole World is Coming Apart Love Is Real (Upset the Rhythm)
8:33AM Active Child Playing House You Are All I See (Vagrant)
8:25AM Dave Mason Look at You, Look at Me Alone Together (Blue Thumb)
8:19AM The Jayhawks Black-eyed Susan Mockingbird Time (Rounder)
8:14AM Walkmen The Rat Bows + Arrows (Record Collection Music)
8:10AM Turn Off Your Television Southern lights of home – Part 2 Turn Off Your Television (self-released)
8:05AM Pajama Club From a Friend to a Friend Pajama Club (Lester)
8:03AM Neutral Milk Hotel Engine In The Aeroplane Over The Sea (Outtakes) (NMH)
7:56AM Boom Bip Reveal Zig Zaj (Lex)
7:50AM Atlas Sound Terra Incognita Parallax (4AD)
7:43AM How To Dress Well Suicide Dream 2 (Holy Other remix) single (Yours Tru.ly)
7:40AM A Winged Victory for the Sullen Minuet for a Cheap Piano A Winged Victory for the Sullen (kranky)
7:37AM The Rapture Pieces Of The People We Love Pieces Of The People We Love (Universal)
7:31AM AM & Shawn Lee Somebody Like You Celestial Electric (ESL Music)
7:25AM Genesis Squonk A Trick of the Tail (Atco)
7:21AM Tomorrows Tulips Casual Hopelessness Eternally Teenage (Galaxia)
7:18AM Dum Dum Girls Bedroom Eyes Only In Dreams (Sub Pop)
7:14AM Grouper Invisible Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill (Type)
7:08AM Gem Club Twins Breakers (Hardly Art)
7:04AM Clap Your Hands Say Yeah Hysterical Hysterical (self-released)
7:02AM Dusk Warrior Dusk Television Show Overdrive Sunrise (self-released)
6:56AM Peter Wolf Crier Right Away Garden of Arms (Jagjaguwar)
6:50AM Bukka White Gamblin’ Man Where The Fun Starts Early In The Day (Music For Dreams)
6:45AM Barn Owl Turiya Lost in the Glare (Thrill Jockey)
6:41AM CSS You Could Have It All La Liberación (Co-op)
6:38AM Flora Eagles Flora EP (Old Ugly)
6:32AM Gotye Somebody That I Used to Know (Faux Pas remix) single (self-released)
6:27AM Syd Barrett Gigolo Aunt Barrett (Harvest)
6:21AM Darling Mako Sica Keep Out 7″ (Cardboard Sangria)
6:13AM The Horrors Sea Within a Sea Primary Colours (XL)
6:06AM Stormy Famous Laughs Chicago Cassette Compilation (twosyllable)
6:00AM Tomi Lebrero Noche en la pampa Me Arrepiento De Todo (self-released)

Photograph by JT

Tracklist (1 hour and 20 minutes):

[00:00] Hayden Calnin Winter City EP (self-released)

[02:28] City Calm Down Sense of Self single (self-released)

[07:48] Radiohead Codex (Illum Sphere RMX) TKOL RMX 1234567 (Ticker Tape Ltd.)

[12:16] Blithe Field Bible School Beautiful Wave ’74 (Messy Life)

[15:46] James Brown King Heroin King Heroin (Polydor)

[19:34] HEALTH Goth Star (Pictureplane remix) single (self-released)

[23:18] The Drift Horizon Blue Hours (Temporary Residence Ltd.)

[27:43] Roll the Dice Calling All Workers In Dust (Leaf)

[35:55] Hayden Calnin Summer City EP (self-released)

[40:05] Gotye I Feel Better Making Mirrors (Eleven)

[43:19] Turn Off Your Television I Just Cleaned the Floor self-titled (self-released)

[47:01] Kurt Vile The Creature So Outta Reach EP (Matador)

[52:32] Max Richter Written On The Sky The Blue Notebooks (FatCat)

[54:01] The Field Then It’s White Looping State of Mind (Kompakt)

[61:47] Young Man Tired Eyes Ideas of Distance (Frenchkiss)

[65:42] Yes Know Dynamics Place (self-released)

[71:12] Guitar Wild Fennel It’s Sweet to Do Nothing (Claire)

[73:58] Rough Fields You As You You As You Casette (Bomb Shop)

Download mp3
Stream at Mixcloud
Subscribe to podcast through iTunes

Show my playlist on CHIRP Radio for Sunday, September 18, 2011 6:00 am – 9:00 am:

UPDATE 9/29/2011: My playlists on CHIRP Radio will now be documented like so.

A lot of you have said to me, “Richard Paul, I need more music from comps4jenna more regularly.” To which I replied, “Alright, I’ll become a DJ for the new local independent radio station, CHIRP.” Then a lot of you said to me, “Richard Paul, how can I hear your radio show at a more convenient time?” And when I say “a lot of you” I mean none of you, actually. But, it is part of my job description to know what you’re all thinking.

Unfortunately, it would be illegal for me to post my shows online, but hopefully one day CHIRP will begin archiving shows. For now though, I will be posting my radio show playlist on comps4jenna the day that it happens and for every track that the artist or record label (or other reputable source) has posted on soundcloud/bandcamp possible, the stream will be provided next to the track on tumblr.

This first announcement fittingly coincides with my second announcement. I will be moving to the even less convenient Sundays 6am to 9am slot starting this weekend. To anyone booing right now, I sincerely apologize. CHIRP asked if any DJs would want to move to this slot and it just so happens that the move would more nicely mesh with my personal schedule (read: I like to get crunk on Friday nights).

Below is the first installment of my interactive CHIRP playlist recaps. Also, because I liked the show so much, I’ve retroactively posted the September 3 playlist below, as well. Oh yes, and if you are yet to do so, please “like” comps4jenna on facebook. You can increase your chances of catching my latest blog posts. Similarly, you can also follow me on twitter. Thank you for listening and I hope that I provide pleasing music for your ears.

Show my playlist on CHIRP Radio for Saturday, September 10, 2011 6:00 am – 9:00 am:

Through the what seemed like bombardment of incredible good music yesterday (or maybe it was just the fact that I was listening to it in this great weather we’re having) one album announcement stood out above everything else. The Drift will be releasing their new album, Blue Hours, on October 4 via Temporary Residence, Ltd. and it sounds like this is gonna be a whopper. This album embodies the grieving process after the loss of the band’s trumpet player, Jeff Jacobs. From what I’ve heard so far, there seems to be a bit of anger but also a bit of light-heartedness, maybe honoring what Jeff would wish upon all of us. All-in-all though, it sounds like this could be heart-wrenching. The now trio have transformed their sound on this album to be slightly more loopy, and no doubt, meditative. The absence of Jeff’s trumpet is like an instrument in itself.

Friend of the band and film maker, Paul Clipson, created a music video for the album’s opening track, “Dark Passage.” Here’s that along with the mp3 of another track from Blue Hours entitled “Horizon” courtesy of TRL, where you can preorder the album now.

⇓   Download mp3:

The Drift – Horizon Blue Hours (Temporary Residence Ltd. 2011) (Buy)

Retroactively posted as detailed here.
Show my playlist on CHIRP Radio for Saturday, September 3, 2011 6:00 am – 9:00 am:

Photograph by JT

Tracklist (1 hour and 22 minutes):

[00:00] Umber - Spark Mountain Morning’s Pass (self-released 2011)

[05:50] In Tall Buildings - The Way to a Monster’s Lair In Tall Buildings (Whistler 2010)

[10:19] Soul Clap - Sex in the Kitchen R&B Edits (Juno 2010)

[17:14] Fishing - Watersport Hookz 3 Maccullochella Peeli (self-released 2011)

[20:38] Gardens & Villa - Thorn Castles Gardens & Villa (Secretly Canadian 2011)

[22:42] Brian Eno with Rick Holland - Glitch Drums Between the Bells (Warp 2011)

[25:35] The Fine Arts Showcase - Dance With Your Shadow Sings Rough Bunnies (Adrian 2011)

[28:21] Corduroi – The Everglade Leafhouse single (self-released 2011)

[30:45] Twin Sister – Bad Street In Heaven (Domino 2011)

[35:26] The Caretaker - All You Are Going to Want to Do is Get Back There An Empty Bliss Beyond This World (History Always Favors the Winners 2011)

[39:12] Pogo - Mellow Brick Road single (self-released 2011)

[43:20] J.J. Cale – Artificial Paradise Anyway The Wind Blows (Island Def Jam 1997)

[47:05] Porn Sword Tobacco - Always Enjoy The Silence Vol. 2 (Mule Electronic 2011)

[53:03] Moonface - Fast Peter Organ Music Not Vibraphone Like I’d Hoped (Jagjaguwar 2011)

[61:00] Robag Wruhme - Ende Thora Vukk (Pampa 2011)

[66:00] Gotye - Somebody I Used to Know Making Mirrors (Samples n’ Seconds 2011)

[70:02] Fusioon - Tocata y Fug Absolute Belter (Finder’s Keepers 2010)

[73:40] Beirut - The Rip Tide The Rip Tide (Pompeii 2011)

[77:57] Greeen Linez - Palm Coast Freeway Feel The Pressure (Diskotopia 2011)

Download mp3
Stream at Mixcloud
Subscribe to podcast through iTunes

Explosions in the Sky, Radio City Music Hall, NYC 04/06/2011. Photograph by Nick Simonite.

For the longest time, I have not been able to find an artist that I invest in even half as much as I do in Explosions in the Sky. I have never so deeply and consistently cared about release after release from an artist than I have about EITS’s albums (and I’m sure I’m not the only case). So after much reflection, here is my personal review of their latest album released about a month ago, Take Care, Take Care, Take Care.

To properly judge the seventh release to come from Explosions in the Sky, Take Care, Take Care, Take Care, I must look at its relation to the rest of the band’s releases. In their infancy, How Strange, Innocence was released in 2000 and it was apparent that a star was born; something truly brilliant and bright. It was of course a little raw- and amateur-sounding, but… well, to say that the potential was there would be a massive understatement. Riding this new and exciting phenomenon that was Explosions in the Sky’s sound, the band released Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Die, Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Live Forever in 2001. The argument could be made that the peak or epitome – but I wouldn’t say masterpiece – of their existence was 2003′s The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place. This is surely when EITS was crowned king of whatever you want to call the hill. This peak carried over a bit into the Friday Night Lights Soundtrack but what didn’t make the public eye (or ears) was that during their studio time writing for FNL, the band played around with various instruments and even wrote a lot of material that was shied away from in favor of their previous album releases when it came time to selecting the “right” pieces for the scenes. The band’s experimentation did not stop there as they soon released The Rescue EP which brought with it the introduction of piano, vocals, sampling and even spoons. It was again raw- and a little amateur-sounding and still in its infancy, but exploration is certainly a good thing. The first full-length product of their experimentation was 2007′s All of a Sudden, I Miss Everyone. While it is a solid album, I couldn’t help but feel that this was a premature exposure at a vulnerable time, a time at which experimenting was still in progress.

In Take Care, Take Care, Take Care, the band shows a newfound maturity and wisdom. Repeat listens are a must for this album. Take Care does not have all the hooks of exciting and new as their past albums do. Climaxes are more modest and given less emphasis. Take Care dabbles in innovative sounds involving strings, more sampling and other electronics but remains true to the band’s roots in guitars and a drumset. Take Care‘s tracks tie techniques of old and of late together: The guitar sounds and effects that EITS has perfected, the incorporation of piano and vocals, and the purity of their beginnings. The repetition in the album name blurs together and forms two of the primary feelings invoked by the album. The first, “Take Care,” the always sorrowful (no matter how big or small) feeling of a goodbye. The second, “Care Take,” the warming, comforting feeling of being cared for.

The opening track of Take Care, “Last Known Surroundings,” is the only one that I’m unsure about. It is sounding almost too pretty and and is half invoking in me the All of a Sudden feelings mentioned above but also half proclaiming “We have grown.” “Human Qualities” explores all that makes us human from our eyes to our toes back to our mouth as the vocals and a heartbeat are all we hear amidst the silence in the middle of the song. Then with the most masterful grace I’ve ever heard from EITS, the instruments return from the silence and build up to the eureka! discovery of just how magnificent the human being is. In “Trembling Hands,” EITS does two things they have never done before: Create a 3-1/2 minute song and create a song that is one continuous rock-out throughout the entire song; no crescendos or decrescendos. In “Be Comfortable, Creature,” we are slowly eased into a warm comfort zone and then in the final quarter of the song, we’re pulled out of our body to look around us and realize the refuge that we’ve been so kindly provided. “Postcard from 1952″ has a vintage quality to it (as my wife – I think aptly – points out) and utilizes vintage EITS sound as well. Lastly, if you like tragic endings, you’ll love the album closer, “Let Me Back In.” The climax (both heartfelt and painful) occurs in the middle of the song; it is rather short-lived and restrained; whereas in the past albums, this pivotal emotional point of the song might be longer and more epic. It might also be much more “finale,” but instead we have a nearly four-minute-long fadeout after the climax where we are left to be alone with only our thoughts. Or… is Explosions in the Sky there with us too? As they often are.

View an excellent recording of Explosions in the Sky’s show in Brussels on 05/24/11 in its entirety here.

⇓   Download mp3s:

Explosions in the Sky - Human Qualities Take Care, Take Care, Take Care (Temporary Residence Ltd. 2011) (Buy)

Explosions in the Sky - Be Comfortable, Creature Take Care, Take Care, Take Care Temporary Residence Ltd. 2011) (Buy)