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75OL-163 Jeff the Postman - The Postman Speaks

Jeff the Postman, 'The Postman Speaks' is a collaboration between Prescott Cronin and poet Jeff the Postman. The words on this recording were written by Jeff the Postman. The entire process from inspiration, conception, practice, to production occurred in 02885, the smallest town, in the smallest county, in the smallest state in the U.S.A. Jeff the Postman offers his eternal thanks to all his neighbors who let him practice his delivery. This project was tracked entirely on an iPhone, using samples and live instruments, at 90 Union, except for "As a Guest," which was recorded in the elevator at Parker Mills in Warren, RI. 'The Postman Speaks' is an epic work that exemplifies what can be done these days with small equipment and conviction. 150 silkscreen copies on compact disc, you can purchase a copy at the label webpage.

Joe Mecca's Big Mouth podcast

If there's anyone in the Rhode Island area who should have a microphone in front of his face, it's Joe Mecca. As someone who had the pleasure of talking face to face with him for a decade, I have missed being exposed to his worldview for a couple of years now and couldn't be happier to listen to him expound on a variety of topics. So, what's this "pubcast" all about? It's Joe Mecca's opinion on the role of government, politics at the national and state level, how Joe would solve the problems we face, how to cook a giant pig, which certain words that make the co-host most uncomfortable, and sports. Co-host and producer RSB wryly brings out the best in Joe Mecca, allowing enough sidetracks to keep things breezy, but always steering Joe back to the original topic. Recorded very matter of factly by placing a microphone on a table between them at the Wild Colonial Tavern, be prepared for the clanking of beer mugs and passersby stopping at the table to say hello. You can also expect the conversation to end at any time after twenty minutes, replaced with searing death metal from Providence band White Mice to scare the shit out of your comfortable listening experience and bring the show to a close.
Updated: Every two weeks
Running Time: 25-40 minutes
Guests: No
Twitter: @MeccasbigMouth, @RSBinPVD
Joe Mecca's Big Mouth on Facebook

Joyful Noise Flexi Disc Subscription Series for 2012

Joyful Noise continues to expand the niche packaging and format market with their latest Flexi Disc Subscription Series for 2012. Not content with reissuing indie classics on cassette with screen printed boxes in limited runs, Joyful Noise past artists are top notch (Dinosaur Jr, Of Montreal, Marmoset, etc), and also for this Flexi Disc Series - Jad Fair, Of Montreal, Tortoise, Lou Barlow, Richard Swift, Danielson, Racebannon, and others. Granted, their target audiences have yet to learn of the downfalls of these resurrected formats - tapes getting eaten, the sound quality slowly getting worse, and the fun of trying to locate a particular song, or the flexi disc sound quality in general - but grabbing the music collector geek's attention seems to be working. So here's the details - each release is limited to just 500 copies on clear, one-sided flexi discs, which will ship once per month. There are no downloads available, and all the songs are exclusive to the subscription. There's two levels to the subscription, one with a screen printed box ($89 with shipping) and one without ($69 with shipping).

The Jesus Lizard's 'Club' on 2xLP

Chunklet has announced the release of The Jesus Lizard's 'Club' on 2xLP with gatefold design on December 7, 2011. This is limited to 1,000 copies and is the soundtrack to the DVD of the same name recorded in Nashville in 2009 and released in September 2011. 22 track in all, any copies ordered directly from Chunklet will received the colored vinyl version and apparently there will not be a second pressing. Order it here.

Jacky Stone and his Ugly Bones - BLARG! All Over Wrigley

Take a pinch of the first two Sebadoh records and subtract the incoherence, tape experimentations and one of the two songwriters (sorry Lowenstein), and you are left with Jacky Stone and his Ugly Bones. It's stripped down four track acoustic experimentation with multi-layered spoken word/screaming word interludes, made by former day trader/present attic dweller Jacky Bones out of Flagstaff, Arizona. The music is pretty straight forward, even for the primitive means by which it was made. Stream the songs or donate what you think it's worth.

Jawbox - For Your Own Special Sweetheart: Remastered (Desoto) [upcoming shows] [audio]

1994 started a mid-'90s trend of punk bands switching to major labels to make great punk albums. One of those bands was Jawbox, whose For Your Own Special Sweetheart hit the airwaves with a thud. A thud that left jaws hanging in exuberant disbelief throughout the punk and alt-rock crowds, but didn't come any closer to the mainstream than 120 Minutes. This is an often overlooked gem, and the remastered & extended re-release puts every instrument out front, sonically showcasing how this album is so essential.

Kelly Jones - SheBANG! (self released) [audio]

SheBANG! is a superb combination of '60s girl group swagger and '80s pop rock. On the opening track "There Goes My Baby", Ms. Jones struts her sweetness with such shockingly shameless self-assurance that you'll want to be sitting down before hitting the play button, while new wavy tracks like "Girl with the Silver Lining" prove she's more than pure bubblegum. With the Northeast's finest power-poppers on board (including Mike Viola, Ducky Carlisle & Adam Schlesinger), the result is one delightful toe-tapper after another.

The Jim Jims - Bottom of the City EP (Fly Apart) [audio] [upcoming shows]

A deep-throated vocalist in the style of Interpol, angular guitars shifting between an amped up Sonic Youth when it's loud and early U2 when it's soft. In either case, everything is much more catchy than dissonant. The lyrics on the Devo-esque "Horny" blatantly crow "She's drunk, I'm horny, we're gonna have some super sex tonight" while "Strobe Light" directly quotes Men Without Hats. If this is what's to come from what the kids are calling aggressive nu-wave, as long as the emphasis remains on aggressive, I am sold.

Jeremih (Def Jam) [audio] [upcoming shows]

Poor Jeremih. He seems like a good kid, but he came along at the perfect time to be used by Def Jam as an in-house hybrid of Kanye, Ne-Yo and The-Dream, competing on the charts with those very artists. In a vacuum, his debut album would be something special. There's a lot of melody in his voice, and in the club-oriented arrangements (the best of which, "My Sunshine," packs a punch like Em's "Lose Yourself"... except sweet). The timing invites comparisons, though, and those comparisons will forever damn Jeremih to underdog status.

Junior Boys - Begone Dull Care (Domino) [audio] [upcoming shows]

When I first heard Begone Dull Care, I nearly pulled a muscle trying to bestow all sorts of praise upon it. But the inviting pop sheen that then seemed so brilliant has worn off over time, exposing a collection of songs not as strong as originally believed. Begone Dull Care collects sparkling arrangements and beats, and even some hummable melodies, but at its core it's just a going-through-the-motions kind of record compared to the duo's earlier work. Beware the sugar high.