UsedWigs » Music

Unreleased Concept Album Sequels

Jeff — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 18:19:44 +0000

Remember during the latest Low Times podcast when Patrick Stickles tells Scharpling that he really likes Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell by Meatloaf! Clearly we were all wondering what happened to that bat decades after the fact. Thank goodness Meatloaf gave us the closure we so desperately craved. Seriously though, we’re all allowed to like some silliness (I have four Goo Goo Dolls tattoos. Don’t worry, 2 of them are temporary.) and good for Patrick for fessing up to his love of sweat rock. This audacious, bat-based record did get me thinking about other follow-ups to popular concept albums. Let’s take a look at a few missed opportunities.

Octophenia by The Who – Concept: It is ten years later in Brighton and Quadrophenia’s main mod, Jimmy, now has eight distinct personalities. His new “practical joker” personality is really pissing off the other seven. Whoopee cushions on the GS Scooter and giving the Ace Face the ol’ joy buzzer handshake get old real quick. John Entwistle’s refusal to make fart noises with his bass sounded the death knell for this proposed quadruple double album. Plus, imagine the lost licensing fees for each song’s eventual placement in episodes of the now defunct United States of Tara. Hundreds of dollars, gone.

Read the rest at Low Times>

Good Cover / Bad Cover on Low Times

Jeff — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 15:23:08 +0000

Hi loved ones, in addition to my laborious UsedWigs nonsense-spewing, I’m very excited to be contributing to the mighty Low Times. Here’s my first bit of business for them:

Good Cover / Bad Cover – “Someday I Will Treat You Good”

For every good cover version of a song, there is a bad one. Sorry, that’s just how the universe works.

In all the years I’ve been ~~shouting~~ chatting about music with people, absolutely no one has asked me, “Hey Jeff, what’s your favorite song about being left on the side of the road?” and that really bothers me because I have not one, but two A+ answers. To remedy this, let’s pretend you and I are sitting in a Starbucks getting to know each other, drinking some fartberry-spiced coffees and splitting a $7 doughnut. You say, “Jeff, I know it’s none of my business and we just met but what are your two favorite songs about being left on the side of the road?”

More: Get Down with The Low Times Podcast

Favorite Modern Holiday/Christmas Songs

Jeff — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 07:55:58 +0000

A bit tired of hearing Bruce babbling on about Clarence getting a new sax for Christmas? Us too. Here’s a holly jolly roundup of some little-known originals and some well-known classics done by some of our favorite modern (mostly indie) artists. Have a favorite tune you wish to share? Just Post a Comment (bottom of page) and let us know. Merry Merry!

Boy Least Likely To – “Christmas Isn’t Christmas” - MP3

The Mynabirds - “All I Want is Truth (For Christmas)” – MP3

Duvall – “Do You Hear What I Hear” – MP3

Sufjan Stevens – “Only at Christmas Time” – MP3
and “That Was the Worst Christmas Ever” – MP3

The Dismemberment Plan – “This Christmas” – MP3

Dream Diary – “Christmas All Over” - MP3

Mogwai - “Christmas Song” – MP3

Alexi Murdoch – “Silent Night” – MP3

Andrew Dost – “Yeah, I Know, It’s Christmastime” - MP3

Long Winters - “Sometimes You Have to Work on Christmas (Sometimes)” – MP3

Cliff Hillis - “On A Day Like Christmas” – MP3

Belle And Sebastian – “Are You Coming Over For Christmas?” – MP3

Death Cab For Cutie – Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home) – MP3

Centro-Matic – “Fuselage (It’s Starting to Look Like Christmas Once Again)” – MP3

Descendents - “Christmas Vacation” – MP3

The Swimmers – “A Christmas Sound” – MP3

Adam Arcuragi – “The Christmas Song” – MP3

The Flaming Lips – “A Change At Christmas (Say It Isn’t So)” – MP3

Adventures of Jet – “Waiting for Christmas” – MP3

Pearl Jam – “Let Me Sleep” and “Someday at Christmas” – MP3

Snow Patrol – “When I Get Home For Christmas” – MP3

The Pogues & Kirsty MacColl – “Fairytale Of New York” – MP3 – Video

Chomsky – “Christmas Time Is Here” – MP3

The Soft Lightes – The Last Christmas On Earth – Listen here

The Hives & Cyndi Lauper - “A Christmas Duel” – Video

Harvey Danger - “Sometimes You Have to Work on Christmas (Sometimes)” – Video

Aimee Mann – “Calling on Mary” – Video

The Ramones – “Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want to Fight Tonight)” – Video

Low – “Just Like Christmas” – Video

Matt Pond PA – “Snow Day”

Huffamoose – “Hanukkah And Christmas Hand In Hand”

Chris Stamey & Cathy Harrington – “You’re What I Want For Christmas”

Coldplay – “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”

Man or Astroman – “Frosty the Snowman”

Blink 182 – “It’s Christmas Time Again”

More Holiday Cheer!

Get Down with The Low Times Podcast

Jeff — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 17:00:31 +0000

Three of my most favorite people – Maggie Serota, Daniel Ralston and Tom Scharpling – just launched a new music podcast, Low Times, and as you would expect, it’s super duper! What is it exactly? Well, silly, I’ll let them tell you:

Low Times is a music podcast hosted by Tom Scharpling (The Best Show on WFMU), Daniel Ralston and Maggie Serota. Every episode of Low Times features in-depth discussions with performers and personalities in the music world. Our guest reveal hidden talents, unusual interests and talk about their lives on and off the road.

I love the format of the debut episode, it’s three separate conversations seamlessly meshed into a compact, easy-flowing, good-spirited show. Tom chats with Janet Weiss (Wild Flag), Daniel sits down with Owen Ashworth (Advance Base) and Maggie Serota and Catherine Popper (Grace Potter and the Nocturnals) have a lovely little tête-à-tête. Good stuff all around! In addition to the podcast, there will be lots of music-based goodness (columns, articles, games!) on the site coming in the next few days.

Full Disclosure: I helped these fine folks build the Low Times website.

A Song a Day with Eli Braden

Jeff — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 12:35:18 +0000

You know Eli Braden as Twitter Magazine’s “Man of The Year” and a world-renowned parody song juggernaut (heard on Howard Stern on an almost weekly basis), but did you know for a mere $20 he will craft a mini masterpiece for you or your business or your meth-dealing motorcycle club?

Just two ten dollar bills? That’s an insanely good bargain! If it wasn’t for the talent that is Eli Braden, you would have to pay tens of thousands of American dollars to a team of Weird Al’s to create the high-quality, catchy-as-all-get-out, custom jingles that spew from the throat (and dark black heart) of this man.

Eli just created a Song for UsedWigs Radio Podcast (click link to hear or play below) and thanks to this jaunty jingle, we are now top of the charts and millionaires!

Seriously, check out Eli’s work and enjoy or get yourself a song.

Subscribe/Download: iTunes

Web: asongaday.libsyn.com

Twitter: @elibraden

UsedWigs Radio Podcast 89: Guest Jon Solomon

Jeff — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 12:35:49 +0000

Guest: Jon Solomon has been playing and promoting top-notch indie music for years on the mighty WPRB. He can be heard every Wednesday night from 7:00 – 10:00 pm ET. Listen at wprb.com!

Topics: Pumpkin Chucking, Russ “Fireballer” Starke, Fruit Slingshots, Halloween Superstores, Gig Posters, Jon’s 24-Hour Holiday Radio Show, Lenny & Squiggy, Ric Flair, The Misfits, Big Efforts to See a Band, Merch Tables, Owning a Record Label, Long Songs, Bands Reuniting, Digital Downloads, Jam Bands, Top Scary Movies, Drive-Ins, Bad Date Movies, Benjamin Linus and BBC’s Sherlock!

Teaser: “What’s your noodle song, Jon?”

Audio Note: We used a new audio rig and had a little sound problem, you might need to pump up the volume a bit. Sorry!

Playlist: “Drawn Down the Moon” by Edsel, “Under Heavy Manners” by Dissociates

Play Now: http://www.usedwigs.com/pod/podcast89.mp3

iTunes: Download, Listen and Subscribe

Facebook: JOIN our New Facebook Page! It’s so in your face!

Giveaway: Thanks to our friends at Quirk Books for the super cool “Gig Posters Volume 2″ book by Clay Hayes we gave away to a lucky audience member.

UsedWigs Radio Podcast: Mates of State Interview

Jeff — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 13:58:52 +0000

Todd sits down for a quick chat with the always delightful Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel of Mates of States at the POPPED! Music Festival in Philly. They discuss digital music, Spotify, marriage, parenting, Daniel Johnston and being the house band on “This American Life.”

Play Now:
http://www.usedwigs.com/pod/MatesOfStateInterview.mp3

iTunes: Download, Listen and Subscribe

Website: www.matesofstate.com

More: “True Love Will Find You in the End” by Mates of State

Brian Seymour CD Release Show November 3rd at Tin Angel

Jeff — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 20:29:17 +0000

Join the UsedWigs crew at Brian’s CD Release Party. November 3rd!

TIN ANGEL
20 S. 2nd St.
Philadelphia
Get Tickets Today!

Check out the new video for Every Tomorrow at Brian Seymour music page on Facebook and share with friends.

Website: www.brianseymour.com

Interview: UsedWigs Radio Podcast 88: Brian Seymour

UsedWigs Radio Welcomes Jon Solomon on October 18! Join Us!

Jeff — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:57:12 +0000

Do you like good music? Do you like listening to people who really know good music chat about good music and other fun music-based topics? Are you tired of me saying the word “music”? If so, you are so in luck! Join us at Philly’s most fancy crepe-slinging venue L’etage as we welcome esteemed radio deejay and label owner Jon Solomon (WPRB, Comedy Minus One). Jon has been instrumental in promoting great indie music for years and it’s time we say thanks and also see what part he played in the subprime mortgage crisis that nearly crippled our fragile economy.

Join us for our live podcast recording session!

Tuesday, October 18, 2011 – 8:00pm SHARP!
L’etage
624 South 6th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19147

Admission: FREE!

Past Shows!

This Minor Threat Video is Nuts!

Jeff — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 13:51:31 +0000

You’re a good punk, Charlie Brown!

Video Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2JXOUBQCiQ