Radio Dick – 12 for the Next 5 Edition

I’ve never been a Sirius Satellite Radio subscriber, but I think I’m going to take the leap.  I visited my parents in grand Cincinnati this weekend for the holidays and my mother and I also took the winding four hour drive through Tennessee, as they have a vacation cabin just outside of Knoxville.  Along the way, I got to play with the in-dash satellite radio gadget.  Sirius XMU is channel 43 on the dial, and while I’ve long been aware of the existence of the station, it was nice to finally listen in.  The all-indie 24/7 station is fabulous, steering through obligatory nods to bigger indie acts like Arcade Fire, but also dredging up some excellent emerging bands.  While most of the tracks I heard during the eight+ hours of driving were songs we’ve already posted here, it’s refreshing to have a radio station that pushes play for me.  Additionally, the “Blog Radio” portion of the station is well worth it.  They hand the airwaves over to bloggers to steer the track list for an hour or two each day.  Radio shows from Aquarium Drunkard, Gorilla vs Bear, Hipster Runoff, My Old Kentucky Blog, Brooklyn Vegan, and It’s a Trap allow the station to keep new material pumping in.  I caught the tail end of Brooklyn Vegan’s show, and while I’m certain they’ve done better playlists (basically a Kurt Vile/Wavves mashup), it’s the idea behind it all that I rally toward.  On the drive home, I caught the Gorilla vs. Bear radio show, and although Chris is pretty thump and beats heavy, he had a fabulous mix of songs, including an old unreleased song from Brian Wilson, wailing slightly off key with sad and nervous tension.  He also played the Toro Y Moi track “Blessa,” that we’ve got posted below.  In any event, I love that XMU is bringing major bloggers into the mix of the station.  From what I can gather, each DJ throughout the day has their own unique preferences and a nice balance unfolds.  One DJ went with Thao, Alec Ounsworth, while the next brought in The Jesus Lizard, Lightning Bolt, and Harlem.  Super eclectic and unpredictable, the way an indie radio station probably should sound.  My only knock is that if you listen to the station long enough, you’ll hear repeats throughout the day.  This is why the “Blog Radio” idea is the best feature.  I  heard Beach House six times, but the blogger section, no doubt, offered up the variety.

Today’s list probably would not be my exact playlist if XMU ever asked us to present an hour radio show.  That list would be much lengthier and more divergent.  On the other hand, there have been plenty of tracks released over the last week or two that we’ve neglected, in our hectic schedule, to get out to you.   We’ve got the Toro Y Moi track, “Blessa” that I heard during the GvsB blog radio hour, an insanely catch track from The Sandwitches, and a Grizzly Bear remix of The Notwist’s “Boneless.”  I believe Justin posted “Careful With That Hat” from Citay, but I’ve double posted it because I’ve been spinning it all week.  Efterklang’s “Modern Drift” and Boy & Bear’s “Mexican Mavis” are two tracks that are hot right now and for good reason.  I include Fucked Up’s “Neat Parts,” as well, which will be included on the double-disc compilation album due out early in 2010.

For brevity’s sake, and since I’ve got a million things to to do get ready for the work week, here’s a pretty solid list of new tracks for your resting (and digesting) Sunday.

The Kissaway Trail – SDP

The Sandwitches – Back to the Sea

Past Lives – Hex Takes Hold

Chll Pll – Dick Moves

Citay – Careful With That Hat

Boy & Bear – Mexican Mavis

Fucked Up – Neat Parts

Magneta Lane – Love and Greed

the name – Come Out Tonite

Toro Y Moi – Blessa

The Notwist – Boneless (Grizzly Bear Remix)

Efterklang – Modern Drift