The Underrated Blog

Blog Show #21...uh oh, we're legal!

We thought the day would never come, but it has! The Blog Show can now drink...legally! In honor of that we have one of our most interesting shows yet...complete with Nora having a Brit-esque breakdown half way through the show...and it's all my fault. Plus there's that band that sings that song "Ruby" that we talk about, AND you FINALLY get to hear some Jukebox the Ghost. Yay!

Clickity-click right here to listen.

Under My Skin - Jukebox The Ghost
Good Day - Jukebox The Ghost
Hold It In - Jukebox The Ghost

I Can Do Without You - Kaiser Chiefs
Learnt My Lesson Well - Kaiser Chiefs
Thank You Very Much - Kaiser Chiefs

Free Stress Test - Professor Murder
The Mountain - Professor Murder
Champion - Professor Murder

Gets Me Down - Ampop
You Could Be Lovely - Ampop
Two Directions - Ampop

Clamour For Glamour - The Ark

Blog Show #20

From now on, every 10 shows Nora and I will recap the past bunch of artists. This way, you won't forget just how awesome they are. And our clever banter. And something else...that I can't remember right now. I'm so tired.

But seriously, this is a great mix so do head on over to www.breakthruradio.com and click on "The Blog Show." It's a nice collection for this rainy rainy day.

Playlist!

Let's Call It Off - Peter Bjorn & John
Elegy - Beat Radio
Why Not Me? - Locksley
Pile Of Gold - The Blow
Fille A Plumes - Malajube
Labyrinthian Pomp - Of Montreal
All The Days - Aeroplane Pageant
Our Lies + Your Smile - Via Audio
30 Helens Agree - Morning Theft
So Far We Are - French Kicks
Calendar - Bishop Allen
Trouble - Voxtrot
New Shoes - Paolo Nutini
Closer - Hourly Radio
Ex-Girl Collection - The Wrens
Like Cursing Kids - Kevin Devine
No Ace - Seth Kallen & The Reaction
The World Is Smaller Than You Think - Mason Proper
Ruby - Kaiser Chiefs

Wake me up when it's the weekend.

The Blog Show #19! w/ The Muggabears!

Nora and I were very lucky to have The Muggabears stop by this week and play an exclusive set for us, thanks to Jeff and D over at Neon Lights. Make sure you listen to the whole show for that set and an awesome giveaway! If you want to check out the band this Saturday at Delancey, email us at theblogshow (at) gmail (dot) com with "Neon Lights" in the subject line for your chance to win two tickets plus a gift bag full of cds, stickers, and other fun goodies.

Also on this week are some other favorites, plus every other segment Nora and I proclaim we hate each other, so find out why. Clickity-click right here for the best show on the internet.

Playlist!

Hospital Beds - Cold War Kids
We Used To Vacation - Cold War Kids
Hang Me Up To Dry - Cold War Kids

Carmen - Bridges and Powerlines
Mumbles - Bridges and Powerlines
All In - Bridges and Powerlines

Lola Stars and Stripes - The Stills
Animals + Insects - The Stills
In The Beginning - The Stills

Young Folks - Peter Bjorn And John
Amsterdam - Peter Bjorn And John
Paris 2004 - Peter Bjorn And John

The Muggabears Live Set

Check it out (for free) at www.breakthruradio.com.

Blog Show #18: We're legal!

Okay, so I have to tell you that I'm totally obsessed with the Mason Proper album (pre-order here), so that is going to need a separate post altogether. But I can tell you that you should listen to this week's "Blog Show" because I play three songs off the album, plus we have three other super bands.

I also almost kill Nora by show's end, right before we play a new Arcade Fire song, so if that's not reason enough I don't know what is.

Click here to listen, and don't forget to be our friend on myspace.

Playlist!

Deaf Ears - The Hourly Radio
Crime Does Pay - The Hourly Radio
Please Forget - The Hourly Radio

My My (Bad Fruit) - Mason Proper
Mr. Charm - Mason Proper
100 Years - Mason Proper

The Fatalist - Robbers On High Street
Spanish Teeth - Robbers On High Street
Japanese Girls - Robbers On High Street

Tell Me - Catfish Haven
Too Hungover To Headbang - Catfish Haven
Crazy For Leaving - Catfish Haven

Intervention - Arcade Fire

Square Wave Punch @ BTR Live

Ahh. It's been such a crazy week, and it's only Wednesday. My goodness. Life is about to change pretty drastically in the next couple weeks, so let me apologize in advance if I seem a bit scatterbrained. I'll let you in on some good news soon, but until then let's get down to business.

Square Wave Punch came into the BTR Studios for a live set that was nothing short of fantastic. Seriously, this band is what Tyra Banks calls fierce (and I mean that in the best of ways). I keep getting blown away from their songs each time I hear them, and their live set is just as good as the recordings.

Check out the 40 minute set for FREE over at BreakThru Radio (click on Square Wave Punch - Live Studio)

Square Wave Punch will be playing Ace of Clubs next Saturday (February 10). Rumor is they are also playing a Battering Room show in the near future as well.

BLOG SHOW #16

Another super special Blog Show on BreakThru Radio. This time around we had some fun guests stop by (thanks in large part to the fact that I now have a couch!) Rob from the band Morning Theft came by to premiere super exclusive new tracks from their upcoming record. The band is also playing Mercury Lounge tonight, and Nora said drinks are on her if you come by. Success!

To celebrate this pretty cool show I have coming up on Saturday, Seth Kallen stopped by and played a couple tracks, including an amazing solo version of "Strange Man." It was so good, in fact, that I made it into an mp3 for all you.

Seth Kallen - Strange Man (live acoustic)

SPEAKING OF AMAZING LIVE SONGS. If you haven't listened to Undisputed Heavyweights live session on BreakThru Radio, you must do so immediately. I gushed about the set on Tuesday and now I got my favorite song of the set, "Bitches Be Trippin'" in which Casey was top notch. The best I've ever heard this song.

The Undisputed Heavyweights - Bitches Be Trippin' (live on BTR)

But all in all, you must check out the Blog Show this week. It's a good one. Here's a direct link to listen.

PLAYLIST!

Sidewalk Chalk - The A-Sides
Park Avenue - The A-Sides
Here or There - The A-Sides

The Fall - Rob Holmes of Morning Theft (live)
Limb from Limb - Morning Theft
Every Promise - Morning Theft

Wicked Ride - Melody Gardot
Goodnite - Meldoy Gardot
My Sweet Darling - Seth Kallen (featuring Melody Gardot)

Shiver - Seth Kallen (live)
Ryan's Song - Seth Kallen (live)
Strange Man - Seth Kallen (live)

The Plot - White Rabbits

Oh! And come to The Skinny tonight! Nora and I will be there with bells on, perhaps jingle bells if this whole snow rumor is true. We'll keep you warm by dancing up a storm all night, I promise.

Ok, that's all.

The Undisputed Heavyweights live on BTR

So I'm not sure if you've been able to tell by now, but I happen to write about the same bands over and over, basically shoving their music down your throats because, well, it's fantastic and deserves to be heard. One of those lucky bands has been The Undisputed Heavyweights who I've declared as my favorite band to see live in NYC with no hesitation, watched their hysterical podcasts over and over again, reviewed every show (from Philly and back), and gushed, gushed gushed.

I can't help myself. They really are that good.

With that said, here's yet another opportunity to hear what I babble about on a regular basis. Last week we asked the band to record a live session for BreakThru Radio. It was a truly once in a lifetime experience that I know I'll remember fondly for a long time. Being as they are one of my favorite bands ever, I know their songs and live set like the back of my hand. But something was special in that room that night. Perhaps it was the inclusion of bringing in some of their die-hard fans to witness the event, but there for some reason I have never heard the band sound better. Casey's voice was the perfect balance between rasp and soul, and I couldn't stop from running around the room and asking others if it was just me. Nope, it wasn't.

Absolutely amazing.

You can check out the live session (FOR FREE) here. I'll have the session in an mp3 format for all of you by week's end. You must listen.

Sadly as impressed as you will be, you will not be able to make it to their Joe's Pub show this Thursday because it is sold out. I am so so so so so so (insert a million more so's) excited to see this band in this setting for a second time around. And the band just got reviewed by The New Yorker, which is huge. And it was nothing but praise.

"The local favorites in the Undisputed Heavyweights come armed with lounge-ready shtick, but they are more than just tongue-in-cheek hipsters. Brandishing acoustic guitars and a horn section, the Heavyweights deliver an accomplished rock/blues/soul hybrid, and their endearingly uninhibited front man, Casey Shea, puts them right in the tradition of vaudevillian showmanship. With the singer-songwriter Matt Singer."

Now that's what I'm talking about.

More pictures from the session here.

Podcasts: Grammar, Vocab, and something more?

Today was the first day I walked past the two Starbucks on my way to work and did not go in. And while I'm still craving my soy latte, this is part of a revamping of my daily routine that has become quite expensive, and well...boring. I've never like routine, but I am quite good at it. I'm an addictive person by nature, so once I get comfortable, it's hard to break me. So no Starbucks was my first decision. It took me a couple weeks to actually garner the strength to do so.

What's a much more interesting change is my daily listening habits on my way to and from work. I've decided that I listen to enough music while at work, all day, consistently that my mourning commute soundtrack should be a little bit different. After realizing that I listen to either Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" or my Motown #1s album far too many times (it's a good wake up, though), I decided to search through iTunes for more educational choices.

I never thought I'd say this, but I miss school. I hated it and took it for granted while I was there, but now I feel as though I dumb myself down on a daily basis and I'm not happy about it. I miss learning. (gasp!) So I decided that since I am somewhat of a writer (who says?), I might as well learn some tricks through free podcasts that will improve the constant type strokes.

My favorite (and get ready to make fun of me here) is Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing. Sounds so nerdy, I know but it's actually quite fun. I've enjoyed riveting discussions (and songs) about apostrophes and a whole episode on how to politely correct other people's grammar (with guest star Mr. Manners!) You can check out my new favorite girl's website over at grammar.qdnow.com for more information. Call me dorky, but I love me some grammar.

I also subscribed to Webster's Word Of The Day (today's word: cadge, meaning to beg) and The Princeton Review's Vocabulary Minute (although they don't update as frequently as I'd like).

But here's my plea to ask if any of you listen to some really cool podcasts (besides Lostcasts, that is) that would be fun to listen to on a daily basis. Any suggestions?

Blog Show #15

I know I say this every week but this episode of The Blog Show just might be my favorite. Maybe it was the girl scout cookies combined with Trader Joe's wine that made us so fun. Who knows! I think it's the music though. We premiere some new songs from our friends Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, plus awesome tracks from Kevin Devine, The Wrens, and Oh No! Oh My! .

Oh! And blogger of the week goes out to Dave over at Slap You In Public. Pants off dance off!

Check it out here if you know what's good for you.

Playlist!

Brooklyn Boy - Kevin Devine
You'll Only End Of Joining Them - Kevin Devine
Just Stay - Kevin Devine

Love Song No. 7 - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Emily Jean Stock - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Satan Said Dance - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

Walk In The Park - Oh No! Oh My!
I Love You All The Time - Oh No! Oh My!
I Have No Sister - Oh No! Oh My!

Everyone Chooses Sides - The Wrens
Happy - The Wrens
She Sends Kisses - The Wrens

Justice vs. Simian - We Are Your Friends

Blog Show # 14!!

We've gotten so good at this that Nora has lost count on our actual shows. That's just how we roll.

So you can expect the same digressing (we kick it off with a major tangent right from the beginning), the usual babbling and banter, and the always enjoyable music selection. But I do NOT speak French (which is a good thing.) Oh yes, and we play "Ruby" and you can hear how crazy Nora is.

Success!

Playlist...

Fine Dining With The Future - Foreign Islands
We Know You Know It - Foreign Islands
That's How This Goes Down - Foreign Islands

Icicles - Let's Go Sailing
Sideways - Let's Go Sailing
All I Want From You Is Love - Let's Go Sailing

Animal - Saints + Lovers
Kiss It Goodbye - Saints + Lovers
To Pieces - Saints + Lovers

Wraith Pinned To The Mist And Other Games - Of Montreal
Suffer For Fashion - Of Montreal
She's A Rejector - Of Montreal

Ruby - Kaiser Chiefs

Tune in at www.breakthruradio.com and click on "The Blog Show."