This week’s show was two decades in the making. And I mean that almost literally. Our very special in-studio guests were Sacramento’s own The Decibels!

I’ve known Dean Seavers online for nearly 20 years, and have been a fan of their music since their 2001 release Big Sounds of the Decibels. But here’s the catch–I’d never met them in person–until this past weekend. Why? I don’t know–I live in the same town, but haven’t even been to one of their live shows yet. So we corrected all that this weekend.

Dean Seavers, Brent Seavers, and Brian Machado, 3/4 of the band, came down. We spent 1-1/2 hours together, talking about the band, listening to tracks from their two(!) new albums, “Scene Not Herd” and “Big Hits (Plus Twelve More)”, and the guys even brought down some tracks which influenced their careers.

Oh–and how would one characterize The Decibels’ sound? If I could do it in only three words, it might be “Rickenbackers and suits”. That might seem superficial, but they do play a fun, loud, energetic blend of rock ‘n’ roll. The entire band contributes to the songwriting process, and their team effort leads to a really tight sound. You can find out more at https://www.facebook.com/thedecibelsband.

Enjoy this week’s show!

Artist | Track | Album
R.E.M. | These Days | Lifes Rich Pageant
The Armoires | Responsible (Reuptake) | Side Three
Pete’s Copter | Magic Circle | The Fowl Tone Sampler
The Morning Line | Nostradamus | North
The Rubinoos | Mak Schau | Automatic Toaster
Maxi Dunn | I’m Only Here Because Of You | Edmund & Leo
Sister Seven | The Only Thing That’s Real | Single release
Chris Church | Fall Into Me | Limitations Of Source Tape
Leslie Pereira & The Lazy Heroes | Fly Like A Bird | Fight For Now
JonEmery & The Unconventionals | If You Think You’re Heartbroken Now | Wrecked
Bellygunner | Medicine | Machine Gun Built For Two
Krista D | Penny For Your Thoughts | Look At Me I’m Krista D
Starbelly | Strange Constellations | Four
Sunshine Boys | Glider Pilot | Blue Music
Salt | A Song For Jerome | The Loneliness Of Clouds
The Schramms | Spent | Omnidirectional
The Welcome Matt | My Town | More Empire Days
R. Stevie Moore | Hurry Up | Afterlife
Lannie Flowers | Good | Single release
The Bobbleheads | I Really See You | Myths & Fables
Steve Barton | Before I Get Too Young | Tall Tales & Alibis 3
Felsen | Generals & Majors | Felsen (Loves You)

The Decibels interview
The Decibels | Big Hits | Big Hits (Plus Twelve More)
The Decibels | Thinking About You | Scene Not Herd
The Domino Effect | V Neck Sweater | Listen Up
The Romantics | Running Away | Single release
Squier | I Know A Girl | Single release
The Jam | Boy About Town | Single release
The Decibels | The Truth | Scene Not Herd
Action Now | See If You Can | Single release
The Decibels | Shake Some Action | Big Hits (Plus Twelve More)
Bram Tchaikovsky | Sarah Smiles | Single release
The Decibels | Poor Sidney | The Big Sounds Of The Decibels

June 23, 2019
Categories: Playlists . . Author: twirlradio . Comments: Leave a comment

A bit late with the playlist and blog this week, but no less relevant: this week’s Twirl show was, as they say in the UK, a real corker! (Did I get that right?) We had a couple of guests, and one of them was even from England!

In the first hour, our guest was Matt Langlois of The Welcome Matt, Matt EL, and, well, now of solo fame too. He’d been on the show a couple of times before, and this time, we did a Skype chat with him from his home in San Francisco, to celebrate the release of his new solo record, Merde! [editor’s note: The exclamation point is part of the album title; it’s not just my runaway enthusiasm.] Merde! is a fun little album, chock full of short, punchy, fun songs. It serves as a nice counterpoint to the most recent Welcome Matt release, 2017’s More Empire Days, which was a great, but heavy record. We even learned the origins of the title, and found out that I’d been pronouncing it wrong all this time. Matt’s about to embark on a cross-country tour as part of TheMattPatJoeyTrio. Check out all this and more at welcomemattsf.com.

Later on, we dialed up Mark English of The Gold Needles. He was kind enough to stay up till the wee hours of the morning, chatting to us from Hull, UK. They’ve just released their second album, Through A Window, and it is really good. They’ve improved upon their debut album with a more focused effort which combines jangle and psych sounds, and the trio added a rhythm section to become a 5 piece band. We talked about musical influences, and their recent successful gig at the IPO Festival in Liverpool, where they played to an enthusiastic, attentive audience. More gigs on the way, and they’re already writing new music. To find out more about this band on the rise, visit www.facebook.com/thegoldneedles.

And–enjoy the show!

Artist | Track | Album
Mike Farrell | Rock & Roll Letdown | Tomato Vortex: Another SacPop Album
Richard X. Heyman | Upside And Down | Pop Circles
The Bobbleheads | Listen You Know | Myths And Fables
The Kariannes | Every Word Means No | Single release
Jackpot | Hide In The Frequency | Shiny Things
Mondello | The Girl With Half A Mind | Hello, All You Happy People
Gretchen’s Wheel | Rushing (acoustic) | Moth To Lamplight: Nada Surf tribute

Matt Langlois interview
Matt Langlois | You Are My Weekend | Merde!
Matt Langlois | You Are Here | Merde!

Salt | Crime Spree | The Loneliness Of Clouds
Astral Drive | Summer Of ’76 | Astral Drive
Rachel Taylor Brown | Up You | Run Tiny Human
U2 | In God’s Country | The Joshua Tree
Clifford Ulrich | I’m Going To Miss Her | Single release
Dara Ackerman | A Million Flowers | Partially True Stories
R. Stevie Moore | The Winner | Afterlife
Lloyd Cole | To The Lions | Don’t Get Weird On Me, Babe
Lisa Mychols | Goodbye To All Carousels | Sugar
R.E.M. | Wolves, Lower | Dead Letter Office

Mark English interview
The Gold Needles | Winning A Losing Game | Through A Window
The Gold Needles | Sunset Girl | Through A Window
The Gold Needles | I’m Gonna Try | Through A Window
The Gold Needles | This Autumn Road | Through A Window

Maxi Dunn | Change The Record | Edmund & Leo
Lannie Flowers | Where Did All The Fun Go | Single release
Girls On Grass | John Doe | Dirty Power
Tawny Thiele | Happy Together | The Fowl Tone Sampler
The Armoires | Anemone! | Side Three
Bill Mumy | You’re My Inspiration | Lockford
Krista D | Black Eyed Susan | Look At Me I’m Krista D
Chris Church | Worse Things Happen At Sea | Limitations Of Source Tape

June 20, 2019
Categories: Playlists . . Author: twirlradio . Comments: Leave a comment

Well, I finally did it. Yes. It. What is this “it”, you ask? I finally had David Brookings, of David Brookings and the Average Lookings (one of the best band names out there) on Twirl Radio!

I’ve been a big fan of his music for at least a half a decade, but it’s been a glaring oversight that he hasn’t been on the show until now. So we corrected the injustice this week, on the occasion of the new album Scorpio Monologue. It’s a fine album, probably the best I’ve heard of his so far. Starts out rocking, and doesn’t let up. The care that went into the production, songwriting, and performance of this record shows at every turn. Great original songs, and even a Bob Dylan cover that I wasn’t expecting (and you probably aren’t either): Girl From The North Country. David and the Average Lookings completely make it their own–which is the mark of a good cover.

David’s had an interesting life, all centered aroud music. Born and raised in Richmond, VA, a little hotbed of music, he’s also lived in Memphis and now considers San Jose home. There’s a humorous track on the album, Silicon Valley, which takes a lighthearted look at the area–and if you’ve ever been there, you know.

There’s a good possibility of a tour behind this record starting in fall, and I hope he makes it to Sacramento, and to your town as well. www.davidbrookings.net

It was a fun, lively chat, and we surrounded it with tons of great music, both old and new. I’m really thinking that this 3 hour format thing is going to work out.

Enjoy the show!

Artist | Track | Album
Felsen | Generals And Majors | Felsen (Loves You)
Supersmall | A Better Life | Silent Moon
Cirrone | All I Know | Uplands Park Road
Chancellorpink | Cracking Up | All Of Them Monsters
Lisa Mychols | Endless Daydream | Sugar
Smoking Popes | I Know You Love Me | Destination Failure
Bill Lloyd | Interrupted | Working The Long Game
Faraway Brothers | Semi-Hollow | Hand Me That Cow
Laurie Larson | Aquila | Aquila
The Legal Matters | Rite Of Spring | The Legal Matters
Sparklejet | The World Before Longitude | Single release
In Deed | Another Start | Everest
Steve Barton | When She’s Lost Your Mind | Tall Tales And Alibis 1
The Imperial Sound | Back On Your Table | The New AM
Matt Langlois | Don’t Tuck Your Shirt Into Your Pants | Merde!
Heiskell | The Great Opaque | Songs In The Key Of H
Rogers & Butler | Possibilities | Diana Dors
Maxi Dunn | Will You Forgive Me? | The Neglected Gambit
Chris Church | Bell The Cat | Limitations Of Source Tape
Lost Leaders | Probably Why We’re Here | Promises Promises
Identical Suns | Miss Her Reminiscing | Week Minded
Krista D | Penny For Your Thoughts | Look At Me I’m Krista D

David Brookings interview
David Brookings & The Average Lookings | I Grow Up Fast | Scorpio Monologue
David Brookings & The Average Lookings | And It Feels Like… | Scorpio Monologue

The Rubinoos | Party Insurance | 45
Girls On Grass | Street Fight | Dirty Power
The Cherry Bluestorms | Purple Heart Magic | Whirligig!
The Sleep Junkies | The First Time Is Never The Last Time | The Fowl Tone Sampler
50 Watt Heavy | Absolutely Fading (Nasty) | Better Days
Pugwash | Make It Yourself | Silverlake
Wilkerson | Too Much Of A Good Thing | Wilkerson
The Armoires | The Twelve-Inch | Side Three
Sunshine Boys | Schoolyard Bully | Blue Music
Lannie Flowers | Good | Single release
Braam | Burlington Northern | Living Room
Salt | Eastern Colors | The Loneliness Of Clouds
Duncan Faure | Better Than Ever | Pronounced “Four-Uh”
Elk City | 25 Lines | Everybody’s Insecure

June 9, 2019
Categories: Playlists . . Author: twirlradio . Comments: Leave a comment

This week’s Twirl crossed a new frontier, if you will. Thanks to Access Sacramento, home of KUBU 96.5 FM, we expand from our historical two hour time slot to a full three hours. That’s right, 50% more of everything–more music, more interviews, more music, more chatter, more good vibes, and most importantly, more music! So the situation is this–The Longhair Detectorists Guild, featuring Bill Fuller, will be on from noon to 3:00 p.m., followed by yours truly, from 3:00-6:00 p.m. each Saturday.

So how would you celebrate such a momentous occasion? I know how I would–an interview with Barbara Endes of Brooklyn, NY-based Girls On Grass! It had been three years since we last chatted on the radio, and we made up for lost time. We explored the making of their new album, Dirty Power, which is a lively, driving, Americana/rock’n’roll effort. If you do one thing today–listen to the leadoff track, “Down At The Bottom”. The locked-in bass and drums of Dave Mandl and Nancy Polstein will catch your ear at first, and then the twin guitar attack of David Weiss and Barbara rock hard around Barbara’s heartfelt vocals. The whole song bristles with excitement, and sets up the rest of the wonderful record for you. The album rocks in places, gets a tad political and topical where needed, and is generally a fun listen. Getting Eric Ambel to sign on as producer was a nice move too–he captured a great performance from the band. It’s a worthy sophomore record, and the Girls are gearing up to spend the summer touring it around the Northeast. But don’t worry–I made my pitch to ask if they’d ever consider coming to Sacramento. Just wanted to get that thought out there now.

Check out Girls on Grass at www.girlsongrassband.com.

And enjoy this newly-expanded format of Twirl Radio. Hope you enjoy the show!

Artist | Track | Album
Robyn Hitchcock | Captain Dry | You & Oblivion
Nick Eng | Too Good For Anyone | Long Shot
R. Stevie Moore | Another Day Slips Away | Afterlife
The Armoires | Responsible (Reuptake) | Side Three
Smoking Popes | You Spoke To Me | Destination Failure
Bobby McFerrin | Good Lovin’ | Simple Pleasures
Sunshine Boys | Only A Million Miles | Blue Music

Barbara Endes interview
Girls On Grass | Down At The Bottom | Dirty Power
Girls On Grass | Got To Laugh To Keep From Cryin’ | Dirty Power

Maxi Dunn | The Neglected Gambit | The Neglected Gambit
Lost Leaders | I Will (Fulfill) | Promises Promises
Don Dixon | Praying Mantis (live) | Single release
Robert Poss | I’ve Got A Secret List | Frozen Flowers Curse The Day
William Duke | Hotels And Meetings | Quatro
Victor Sotelo | Hey Paul! | Homeland Insecurities
Lannie Flowers | Everything A Man Could Want | Single release
Diplomats Of Solid Sound | Already Gone | A Higher Place
Anton Barbeau | Baby Can You? | Berliner Grotesk
Pete’s Copter | Magic Circle | The Fowl Tone Sampler
David Brookings & The Average Lookings | And It Feels Like… | Scorpio Monologue
Karen Haglof | Favor Favor | Tobiano
Blake Jones And The Trike Shop | Alchemy C’mere | Make
The Morning Line | South Carolina | North
Karla Kane | Goodguy Sun | Big Stir Singles: The First Wave
The Decibels | Stupidity | Scene, Not Herd
Rachel Taylor Brown | Up You | Run Tiny Human
Addison Love | Unsolicited Phone Calls | Big Stir Singles: The First Wave
The Bobbleheads | Like Oxygen | Myths And Fables
Matt Langlois | You Are My Weekend | Merde!
Krista D | Land Mine | Look At Me I’m Krista D
Richard X. Heyman | About Time | Pop Circles
Duncan Faure | Back To The Day | 4
Elk City | Ride The Slide | Everybody’s Insecure
Bellygunner | Medicine | Machine Gun Built For Two
Melissa Phillips | The Flame | Both Ways
Bill Lloyd | Miracle Mile | Working The Long Game

June 5, 2019
Categories: Playlists . . Author: twirlradio . Comments: Leave a comment