Of course I named the show after the great album by the Smittens and I pay homage to the band by using a clip of their song 11:11 for my theme. I hope the band doesn't mind, but when I have talked to various members of the band after shows they seem like nice people whom I think would be good with it.

I also use this name for my DJ night happening occasionally at the Jane Bond in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.

Note that the links to shows older than 6 months might not be working, if you really want those shows please send me an email and I can get them to you. (Note that prior to 2018 I called my podcast FireballXL5, so don't be confused if you look at an old setlist)

Special thanks to Jeff Woods for finding my a place to host my mp3s!


December 10, 2009

Theme: The call it Twee-mas
On Air: Frank

I decided not to talk much during this show, just a whole lot of Christmas music, look for my best of 2009 and best of the decade show in January.

Happy Holiday's everyone!


Fireball XL5 Setlist - December 10, 2009
TALK
Fucked Up - Do They Know Its Christmas
David Carswell and Megan Barnes - I Wanna Kiss You This Christmas (C)
Irene - Christmas On The Beach
Jens Lekman - Run Away With Me
Lucky Lucky Pigeons - Red Santa
Pointed Sticks - Power Pop Santa
Shumai - California Christmas
The Chills - Christmas Chimes
The dB's - Christmas Time
The Eels - Everythings Gonna Be Cool This Christmas
The Headcoatees - Santa Clause
The Wedding Present - Holly Jolly Hollywood
Belle and Sebastian - Santa, Bring My Baby Back to Me
Elisa Gabbai Winter In Canada
Metro Jets - Jingle Jangle Christmas
Darryl Reimer - Merry Big Old Christmas (C)
Hello Saferide- I pod X-mas
Shadetree - Christmas Peace
Stufan Stevens - Get Thee Behind Me Santa
Trekky Yuletide Orchestra - All I Want For Xmax
Yukon and You - Marxist Christmas
B-Lines - I'm Watching TV On Christmas Day (C)
Boyracer - I Wish it Could be Xmas Everyday
Buzz of Delight - Christmas
Eux Autres-Another Christmas At Home
Fireflies - X-mas song
Le Sport Montt Mardie Mr Suitcase - Last Christmas
Red Sleeping Beauty - Christmas
The Awkward Stage - Christmas Time Is Here (C)
Rose Melberg and Gregory Webster - Merry Christmas (I don't want to fight tonight) (C)
The Diskettes - Noel (C)
The Morissettes - Canadian Christmas
Young and Sexy - Santa Claus Likes Rich Kids Better (C)
Annika Norlin David Sandstr Fairytale of New York
Darren Hanlon - Spend Christmas Day With Me
Jill Barber - The Christmas Song (C)
Flyaway Minon - Sleigh in the Snow
Julie London-Id Like You for Christmas
Kate and After - Snow Angel
The Gems - Love for Christmas

(C) - Canadian Content

November 27, 2009

Theme: I thought she talked about Mark E Smith
On Air: Frank

As this was my last new music show for a while (Christmas show next, then best of shows) I tried to get rid of a lot of leftover songs that I have collected over the last year. Some of them seem very old to me as I have been listening to them for a while on my MP3 player, but I was surprised when I checked my archive and had never played them on the show. Nobody should be shocked that most of the show was in the indie pop/twee side of the musical spectrum.

The third set was loosly related to the Jens Lekman song "Maple Leaves" which came up during a shuffle play while a bunch of us were at Erik's place. The song is a story about a guy who misinterprets his girlfriend saying that thier love was "make believe" but he thinks they she said "Maple leaves". Similarly there is confusion between the fall of their relationship and the band with Mark E. Smith, so that's why I played the Fall and the other two songs are just related to people where were also there.


Things I referenced on the show:

Various blogs I read:

http://happyhappybirthdaytome.blogspot.com/
http://alex-loves.blogspot.com/
http://cloudberryrecords.com/blog/
http://heavenisabove.blogspot.com/
http://indiemp3couk.wordpress.com/


Fireball XL5 Setlist - November 27, 2009
TALK
Boa Constrictor - Out of Nothing
Butcher Boy - Carve A Pattern
Red Sleeping Beauty - Summer Tells Stories
Cars Can Be Blue - Do You Remember?
TALK
The Servants - Present
Northern Portrait - Crazy
Laura Walting - Let's go
The Hidden Cameras - In The NA (C)
TALK (Jens and related set)
Jens Lekman - Maple Leaves
The Fall - Totally Wired
Sambassadeur - Days
Woods - Born To Lose
TALK
Summer Cats - Super
Xylos - In The Bedroom
Suburban Kids With Biblical Names - World Music
The Micropops - Telephonebaby!
TALK (female pop set)
Leaving Mornington Crescent - Seventeen **See Note 1
Liechtenstein - This Must Be Heaven
Hari And Aino - A Considerate Kind Of Home
Sexy Kids - Sisters Are Forever
TALK
Fireflies - Winter
Brown Recluse - Night Train
The Late Call - Linnea
The Blind King - Driving In America
TALK
David Cassidy - How Can I Be Sure

Note 1: Dedicated to two of my nieces who are both seventeen



(C) - Canadian Content

October 29, 2009

Theme: What I stole from Cental Services
On Air: Frank

A lot of this show, especially the first set was stolen from the show Central Services, a great radio show that was formerly on CKMS but can now be found on CFRU (www.cfru.ca). Corey and I have very similar tastes in music as you can see from the description of his show:

Host Corey W. Schmidt delves into his massive record collection and shares with you some independent pop music delights from around the globe. Side trips are also taken into the worlds of 60s sugar, 70s prog noodling, disco thunder and hot buttered soul, 80s synthesized glam, 90s shoegazing as well as other strangeness that lurks in thrift shop dollar bins. All in all, the best pop music you'll hear all week.

You can download the last few Central Services shows from the CFRU website, I highly recommend them.

Back to this current show which started out with a funky set that followed along from my top song and then an electro pop set because it seemed to fit there, it was only after these that I got back to my bread and butter indie pop sets.

And my big ending that was over 10 years in the making didn't happen. Here is the story, back when I was doing my Masters I remember playing a song with the lyrics "going for my Masters, calling bullshit on my PhD". At the time I thought I would never do a PhD, but then I did do one and I thought that I should really play that song when I was done. Well fast forward to the present and a few weeks ago I had my convocation for my PhD so I thought I should play the song. I had it in my mind that it was by a guy named Wierd Paul (who was popular at CKMS as the time), I went so far as to borrow the album from a friend, but when I listened to the album I couldn't find the song. My search continues for that song I was looking for, but in the meantime I ended with a song by Wierd Paul song anyway.


Things I referenced on the show:

Weird Paul's website http://weirdpaul.com/


Fireball XL5 Setlist - October 29, 2009
TALK
Pizzicato Five - Happy Sad (CS)
Gila - Why Don't We Do It (CS)
Gino Soccio - Turn It Around (CS)
Brandi Disterheft - Twilight Curtain
Sandy Edmonds - Daylight Saving Time **See Note 1
TALK
Lioness - You're My Heart
Fritz Helder and the Phantoms - Lagerfeld Lady
Mr. Suitcase - You Don't Smile Anymore
Nakatomi Towers - Cut Me Out
Lusine - Two Dots
TALK
Afternoon Naps - Postcard (CS)
Dylan Mondegreen - Girl In Grass
The Gladeyes - Monika
Wildwood lights - Town and Country
Milky Way - In Love (CS)
TALK
Red Sleeping Beauty - Season's Change
My Teenage Stride - We'll Meet At Emily's
Marching Band - Make No Plans
Hari and Aino - Maple
Dent May And His Magnificent Ukulele - You Can't Force A Dance Party
TALK (sort of kinda the British set)
The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir - One Night Stand
Town Bike - Hey Hey Ho
The Apple Moths - Miserable Town
Golden Glow - Streetligher ** See Note 2
Joy Division - Transmission
TALK
Wierd Paul - Whalin' the Shit Out Of Guys

(CS) - Song stolen from Central Services


Note 1: The show was recorded the weekend before the clocks changed for daylight saving time

Note 2: This song sounded so much like Joy Division I had to play them after.

October 24, 2009

Live DJ show Jane Bond.
The Coolest Thing About Love 2 - Convocation edition
October 24, 2009

September 25, 2009

Theme: I heart Cloudberry Records
On Air: Frank

This show started with two sets dedicated to the record label Cloudberry records ( www.cloudberryrecords.com ). Their website describes themselves as "an indiepop label purveying the sound of jangly guitars based in sunny Miami, Florida", how could I not love them. They look to specialize in shorter products such as 7 inch vinyl, split CD singles, and mini-CDs. The other cool think is that for pretty much all their releases they have at least one song that you can download for free.

I also put in an ectro-pop and funky set, something I haven't done in a while, so that was nice.


Things I referenced on the show:

Maia Hirasawa - The Wrong Way Live:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEnMc9xakeg

link to soul sides blog:

http://soul-sides.com/


Fireball XL5 Setlist - September 25, 2009
TALK (Cloudberry Records 1)
The Parellelograms - Dream On Daisy
The Shandy Express - Surfing On Love's Wave
Girl Alliance - Frances And The Dancing Fairies
Pale Man Made - In Your Bed
Play People - Goes Out
TALK (Cloudberry Records 2)
Twig - Ciao Ciao Bomb
Kevin McGrother - A Week Of Wednesdays
The Tartans - My Baby Doesn't Care For You
The Westfield Mining Disaster - Hank Williams Saved My Life
The Cavalcade - Meet You In The Rain
TALK
So Many Dynamos - New Bones
Golden Glow - Adore Me
Voxtrot - Trepanation Party
Astrid Swan - Unrelated
Bad Hands featuring Nina Kinert - Badn Hands
TALK
Jenny Wilson - Only Here For The Fight
The Bandwagon - Breaking Down The Walls Of Heartache
Lydia Marcell - The Girl He Needs
The Impossibles - Easy To Be Heard
Melvin Bliss - Synthetic Substitution
TALK
The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - Higher Than The Stars
Horse Shoes - The Imperial School
Rubik - No Escape
Afternoon Naps - Beach Bums
Maia Hirasawa - The Wrong Way
TALK
Free Energy - Free Energy
The singles - can you go out tonight


(C) Denotes Canadian Content

September 5, 2009

Theme: I Wanna Go Surfin'
On Air: Frank

This was a 4 song set kind of show, just kind of worked out that way. My top song for the show was a song that I heard a while back at the NYC popfest this spring. But I was reminded of the great performance by Karim and his Brown Coach of Leisure podcast ( http://silenttalkie.com/ ). I just can't get the song out of my head. They are also releasing their first EP soon that I'm very much looking forward to.

I tried not to talk a lot during this show as I felt there was a lot of talking during the Hillside review show. Keeping with the same sentiment I won't write a lot about the show except to say that I was happy with how it came together. Even got a slow set in which is relatively rare for me.

And do listen to the end of the show as the last song by the band Death By Chocolate was fighting to be my top song, but I still can't describe it, you just have to listen.


Things I referenced on the show:

See video of the performance by The Drums at the NYC Popfest:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RC4W5SEwdOk

Download the Celestial song here:
http://musicismygirlfriend.com/celestial/hop-you-know/


Fireball XL5 Setlist - September 5, 2009
TALK (Theme)
The Drums - Let's Go Surfing
Dylan Mondegreen - Wishing Well
Girl Alliance - Straight To My Heart
The Champagne Socialists - Blue Genes
TALK
Papermoon - What are you going to do with me? (c)
The San Marinos - On Our Way
The School - And Suddenly
The Darling Buds - Burst
TALK
Downdime - Lessons
The Charade - A tough Decision
Cut Off Your Hands - Happy As Can Be
The Mugs - Could It Be
TALK
The Faintest Ideas - Procrastination Of Every Day Tasks
Knight School - Pregnent Again
Candy Panic Attack - Heartbreaker
Casa Murilo - 19th Floor
TALK
Empire Of The Sun - Walking On A Dream
Horse Shoes - Changing Winds
Voxtrot - Berlin, Without Return
The Radio Dept. - David
TALK
Margo & The Nuclear So and So's - As Tall As Cliffs
Landon Pigg - Falling In Love At A Coffee Shop
Tiny Microphone - Home
Celestial - Hope, You Know
TALK
Phantogram - When I'm Small
Glass Cake - We'll Work It Out
Jenny Wilson - Like A Fading Rainbow
The Understudies - Flickknives
TALK
Death By Chocolate - Magpie



(C) Denotes Canadian Content

August 9, 2009

Theme: Hillside review
On Air: Frank

A lot of this show was dedicated to my review of the Hillside Festival that took place in Guelph in late July. Apart from the artists that I previously knew about, it is always cool to find out about bands that I didn't know existed. My favourite find this year were the Library Voices, as I said in the show, if Los Campesinos! grew up in Regina instead of Wales, they would have been the Library Voices. Another band I quite enjoyed was FRED, apologies to Bernard for not seeing them at the Starlight for St. Patrick's Day.
The first song of the show I first heard on a patio overlooking Niagara Falls, thanks to S for helping to find out the name of the song. The last song was from the movie "500 Days of Summer", a movie I liked on its own but the peppering of indie music throughout made it all the better, thanks to M for getting the song for me. The rest of the show was my usual indie mix.
Things I referenced on the show:
link to lightning strike at Hillside: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQE_JbE2zRU
link to Final Fantasy at Hillside: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7WxTP3ger8
Acid House Kings twitter: http://twitter.com/acidhousekings


Fireball XL5 Setlist - August 9, 2009
TALK (Theme)
Lavender Diamond - Open Your Heart
Ivy - Get Enough
Basil Pieron - Don't Ever Go Away Again
Stars In Coma - Invisibility Trick
Pop Art Toasters - Go Ahead
TALK (Hillside Review 1)
Library Voices - Love In The Age Of Absurdity (C)
Winter Gloves - Hillside (C)
Gentlemen Reg - We're In A Thunderstorm (C)
Coeur De Pirate - Ensemble (C)
Dancehall Free For All - Kelsey (C)
TALK (Hillside Review 2)
FRED - Skyscrapers
Sunparlour Players - If the Creeks Don't Rise (C)
Great Lake Swimmers - Concrete Heart (C)
Clues - Crows (C)
Final Fantasy - The Butcher (C)
TALK
The Acid House Kings - Boyish Holiday
The Legends - Always The Same
Love Is All - Wishing Well
The Fizzbombs - The Words That
The Pooh Sticks - Girl Who Made Me Smile
TALK
The Mockingbirds - That's How It's Gonna Stay
Francis - Beat, Beat, Beat
Hey Marseilles - Rio
The Mayfair Set - Desert Fun
The Paper Merchants - I Don't Care
TALK
Mumm-Ra - She's Got You High

(C) Denotes Canadian Content


July 18, 2009

Live DJ show Jane Bond.
The Coolest Thing About Love
July 18, 2009

July 10, 2009

Theme: Give me the green light
On Air: Frank

Uncharacteristically I started this show with a funky set as it went well with my pick for my top song of the week. A few of the songs in that set are a bit long so I hope you can make your way through them. The rest of the show was back to the indie pop sound.

As well as a leftover set from last show's spotlight on the blog Heaven Is Above Your Head, I also played the song "Heaven Is Above My Head" by Louis Philippe that I assume the blog was named after. As coincidence would have it I heard the Philippe song on another podcast last week.

I ended with the song Istanbul (Not Constantinople) by They Might Be Giants in honour of the Toronto Raptors signing free agent Hedo Turkoglu (I stole this idea from Peter).

Also, a note to anybody looking for something to do on the evening of Saturday, July 18th that I'll be DJing live at the Jane Bond Cafe in Waterloo starting at 10 pm. So if you can make it that would be great and as I wanted to have a more "indie-pop" name I'm calling the DJ nights "The coolest thing about love" after the song by the Smittens.


Things I referenced on the show:

The One and Other art project - http://www.oneandother.co.uk/


Fireball XL5 Setlist - July 10, 2009
TALK (Theme)
Johnny Legend - Green Light
Cut Glass - Without Your Love
All Because Of You - Dramatics
Greyboy featuring Jeremy Ellis - Colour In Between The Lines
Johnny Burnette Trio - Honey Hush
TALK (leftover HIAYH set)
Ann Perry - That's The Way He Is
Lois Lane - Turn Me Loose
Jackie Deshannon - Find Me Love
Bobble Smith And The Dreamgirls - Now He's Gone
Patti And The Emblems - It's The Little Things
TALK (Female indie pop)
Pocketbooks - Fleeting Moments
Comet Gain - A Kind Of Loving
Steso Songs - The Worse
The Popguns - Where Do You Go?
God Help The Girl - God Help The Girl
TALk
My Teenage Stride - To Live And Die In The Airport Lounge
The Mary Onettes - Dave
Fireflies - Butterscotch
Hotels - Kite Flight
Louis Philippe - Heaven Is Above My Head
TALK
Little Big Adventure - Happiest Time
The Paper Merchants - I Don't Care
Loney Dear - Airport Surroundings
Ketch Harbour Wolves - So Long To The Ground
The Blind King - Driving In America
TALK
AA-Awesome - I Wish I Were A Belgium **From Karim
Harlem Shakes - Sunlight **From Sari or Michelle
Candy Panic Attack - What's He Got That I Haven't
Love Is All - Wishing Well
Project A-Ko - Molten Hearts
TALK
They Might Be Giants - Istanbul (Not Constantinople) **Stolen from an idea by Peter



(C) Denotes Canadian Content

June 26, 2009

Theme: Heaven is above your head
On Air: Frank

As often happens, as soon as I find a new source of music I go crazy and get obsessed about getting all the music from that source ignoring my regular go-to sources. For this show it was my discovery of the great MP3 blog/podcast called "Heaven is above your head", the blog is based in New Zealand but it appears that it started out in Sweden. The blog seems to have been going a few years and this past February they started a podcast that unfortunately seems to have ended this past week. Although the blog mostly plays the same sort of indie pop that I love, the podcast also has a heavy focus on 60s and 70s soul songs which is very cool. It just kind of worked out that about half of the songs from this show are from HIAYH as well as a set specifically focused on those cool soul songs.

http://heavenisabove.blogspot.com/

Even with the focus on HIAYH the show was back to the normal sets divided by different musical types and of course I had to end off with a song by the recently departed Michael Jackson. I know that I haven't really been into anything he has put out in the past 20 years, but when I was growing up Thriller was certainly an album that I (like the rest of world) was in love with. I went with P.Y.T. (Pretty young thing) instead of one of the more famous songs as I remember particularly liking that song back in the day.

Also, a note to anybody looking for something to do on the evening of Saturday, July 18th that I'll be DJing live at the Jane Bond Cafe in Waterloo starting at 10 pm. So if you can make it that would be great and as I wanted to have a more "indie-pop" name I'm calling the DJ nights "The coolest thing about love" after last show's top song by the Smittens.

Things I referenced on the show:
Video for the Biker Boy songs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocBZUaFG7C8

video for Juni Jarvi: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7SaJr58qHw

Video for Little Boots: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUs9YzY7t-8


Fireball XL5 Setlist - June 26, 2009
TALK (Theme)
Sandstream - Teenage Love
Biker Boy - Where Do You Go To?
Juni Jarvi - Looking At You Is Like Looking At The Sun
Baby Doll Lounge - Paisley Shirt (HIAYH)
Bunnygrunt - We Suspect He Was Trying To Spell Monkey (HIAYH)
TALK
Baby Daylinger - You Push, I'll Go
Little Big Adventure - The Hateful Eye
Mike Snow - Animal
Passion Pit - The Reeling
Little Boots - New In Town
TALK
God Help The Girl - Come Monday Night
Au Revoir Simone - All Or Nothing
Asobi Seksu - Transparence
Helen Love - We Love You (HIAYH)
Stolen Hearts - Fire (HIAYH)
TALK
Even As We Speak - I Won't Have To Think About You (HIAYH)
Fireflies - Sledding
Godsmania - All Gone Wrong Today
The Seven Inches - Open-ness And Honesty (HIAYH)
The New Breed - Summers Coming (HIAYH)
TALK (HIAYH spotlight)
Paul Sindab - You Dropped Your Candy In The Sand (HIAYH)
Ty Karim - You Just Don't Know (HIAYH)
Ann Perry - That's The Way He Is (HIAYH)
Mickey And Silvia - Love Is Strange (HIAYH)
The Moments - You Said (HIAYH)
TALK
California Gold - Love Is All You Need (HIAYH)
World Atlas - Inner city Kids (HIAYH)
Matt & Kim - Good Ol' Fashion Nightmare
Moustache Of Insanity - The Cat Chicken Song
The Windmills - Beach Girls
TALK
Michael Jackson - P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)


(C) Denotes Canadian Content
(HIAYH) Denotes song from Heaven is above your head

June 11, 2009

Theme: The New York City Popfest
On Air: Frank

This show highlighted my experience at the New York Popfest back in May, in fact the first two sets were from CDs that I bought at the festival. The next set was a combination of other bands that played the festival and songs that were covered during the shows.

Overall, it was a great time and of course being in New York City is always cool, especially walking around Harlem at 2 in the morning. The best conversation I overheard on the subway was one teenage girl telling her friend that she was bummed that she didn't have her iPod, the cops took it when she got busted and she hasn't had the time to get up to the Bronx and get it back, but she only has a month to do it.

I won't go into a detailed description of the festival here as you can see the daily summary of my impressions of the New York Popfest on the Wall the Fireball XL5 radio show facebook group:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=2437232020

Fireball XL5 Setlist - June 11, 2009
Smittens - 11:11
My Teenage Stide - Grim Wind
Cats On Fire - Steady Pace
Eux Autres - When I'm Up
TALK
Suburban Kids With Biblical Names - Loop Duplicate My Heart
Burning Hearts - Iris
Pants Yell! - Tried To Be Good
A Faulty Chromosome - Bad Things
TALK
The Radio Dept. - Freddie And The Trojan Horse
The Drums - Me And The Moon
Very Truly Yours - Homesick
The Sixths - Falling Out Of Love (With You)
Matt Pond PA - In The Aeroplanes Over The Sea
The Go-Betweens - People Say
TALK
The Lucksmiths - Good Light
Spent - Excuse Me While I Drink Myself To Death
Surf City - Dickshakers Union
Pretend You're Happy - The Other Side Of The Earth
Matt & Kim - Daylight
TALK
Threatmatics - Big Man
The Interiors - My Little Pony
Ribbons - Plain
The Fizzbombs - Sign On The Line
TALK
Nouvelle Cuisine - Comunicacion no verbal


(C) Denotes Canadian Content

May 8, 2009

Theme: Derek Weiler (1968-2009)
On Air: Frank

This was at the same time the easiest show to do and the hardest. As most of you probably heard my very good friend Derek Weiler passed away in April. I felt that just playing a set or two in a regular show wasn't enough thus this entire show is about Derek.

It contains songs that had special connections between me and Derek from the first day we met to the last time I saw him. His influence on my musical tastes (and those of countless others) will be evident in the music I listen to for the rest of my days.

If Derek thought that you had even a hint of interest in music you were sure to receive a mixed CD or back in the day a mixed tape. And it wasn't just about the music, but it was about the handwritten linear notes, with special notations for the songs he thought you would really like.

Since meeting Derek at a Johnny Cash concert back in the fall of 1991, I can't count the number of bands that I first heard of from him, be it from a mixed tape, mixed CD, in a car, or being dragged to a concert by a band I had never heard of but ended up loving. Apart from going to countless concerts together we also co-hosted a weekly radio show for a little over a year (Jan 1993 to April 1994) called Wackyland, this was the real start of my musical education. This education never stopped as I played a song he recommended on my last podcast and finally got to another recommendation on this show.

Every once in a while in the past month I've heard a tidbit about a band and I think "I should really e-mail that to Derek", but then I realized that I can't do that anymore, and that's something I'm going to miss every single day.

Again most of you probably know about this, but if not you can see all the things that people have written about Derek on the Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=69655274189


Fireball XL5 Setlist - May 8, 2009
Jian Ghomeshi tribute to Derek Weiler
TALK (First meeting)
Johnny Cash - Sunday Morning Coming Down
Smashing Pumpkins - Today
TALK (First recommendation)
Magnetic Fields - 100 000 Fireflies
The Sixths - Heaven in a Black Leather Jacket
TALK (More recommendations)
Belle and Sebastian - Dirty Dream No. 2
Yo la Tengo - Autumn Sweater
TALK (Wackyland memories)
Jerry Jerry and the Sons of Rhythm Orchestra - Beautiful Loser (C)
Kids in the Hall - Dave's I know (C)
Sam-n-the-swing - Sweetforu (when I'm with you)
TALK (mixed tapes and CDs)
The Beginnerz - Reckless Girl
Flamin' Groovies - Shake some Action
TALK (memories of Phil's)
The Farm - Groovy Train
Joy Division - Transmission
TALK (road trips in particular Montreal Pop)
Stars - Elevator Love Letter (C)
The Dears - Heartless Romantic (C)
TALK - (unfinished business)
Moondog - Paris
Jonathan Richman - Velvet Underground
TALK - (Day 12)
SF Seals - Day 12
Lykke Li-Dance Dance Dance
TALK (Recent recommendations)
Murder Mystery - What My Baby Said
Hooded Fang - Land of Giants (C)
TALK (Last concert)
Junior Boys - So This is Goodbye (C)
Clip from my last radio show on CKMS


(C) Denotes Canadian Content

April 6, 2009

Theme: Back in action
On Air: Frank

Yes it has been a while since the last show, sorry about that. The good news is that I managed to submit my PhD thesis this week, the downside was that I wasn't able to put out a show for over 2 months. Hopefully I should be able to keep a regular schedule from now on.

The thing is that I never stopped accumulating music over the past 2 months so I really have enough material for about 4 shows, but I didn't think that putting out a 6 hour show was a good idea. So I kept it down to its usual 2 hours and just took a small dent of the backlog.

Apart from playing all the pent up songs from the last 2 months I also did a spotlight on Wee Pop records ( www.weepop.net ). This is a record label out of England that specializes in TWee pop on the format of mini-CDs so each one can only hold about 20 minutes of music. Each release has a very limited edition and the liner notes are all handmade, this combined with the size just makes each release really cute. But they do pose a storage problem as they don't fit well with regular CDs. I got a delivery of 5 releases from Wee Pop just after the last show.

Hopefully it won't be such a long break before the next show.

Fireball XL5 Setlist - April 6, 2009
TALK-Theme
My Teenage Stride - Ears Like Golden Bats
Young Rival - Your Island
Hooded Fang - Land Of Giants (C)
Cuddle-pop - You
Moustache of Insanity - I Need MORE!!!
TALK
Dent May and His Magnificent Ukulele - Meet Me In The Garden
Nickel Eye - Brandy Of The Damned
The Very Most - April Is The Kindest Month
FemBots - My Hands Are A City (C)
Ezra Furman & The Harpoons - Take Off Your Sunglasses
TALK (Wee pop records spotlight)
One Happy Island - Temporary Tattoo
Horowitz - Drop The Hat
Megamoog - Icicle
Little My - Sellotape My Hands
The Endless Bummer - Boring But Beautiful (C)
TALK
The Dodos - Winter **See Note 1
The Magnetic Fields - I Don't Really Love You Anymore
Camera Obscura - My Maudlin Career
Red Sleeping Beauty - Don't Say You Love Me
The Killers - Spaceman
TALK
Suburban Kids With Biblical Names - 1999
The Sound Of Arrows - M.A.G.I.C.
Lowood - Crash
Niels Nielsen - It's All In My Head
Architechture In Helsinki - That Beep
TALK
Black Kids - Listen To Your Body Tonight **See Note 2
Mates Of State - My Only Offer

Note 1: The banjo and voice on the song by the Dodos reminded me a lot of Stephin Merrit, thus the reason for playing the Magnetic Fields right after

Note 2: I went to see The Black Kids and Mates of State in Toronto just after the show


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January 30, 2009

Theme: Lots of new music
On Air: Frank

Between my Best of 2008 and the Christmas show, it has been a while since my last show of new music. And of course you have to remember that most of the music I play is stuff that I've been introduced to in the past month or so as well as some familiar songs sprinkled in.

So it was nice to get back to playing some of my recent finds along with one set of music from CDs that I picked up from other people during the holidays. So thanks to Derek, Sari, and Michelle for their contribution to the show.

In that set I also played a song that I found out from the resurrection of a great show that used to be on CKMS called "The Brown Couch of Liesure". Karim, the host of that show, finally got his act together and is now putting out a weekly podcast from his website ( silenttalkie.com ). He is always listening to great music and I recommend that everybody listen to his podcast and of course I'm sure I'll be stealing lots of stuff from his playlists in the future.

Fireball XL5 Setlist - January 30, 2009

TALK-Theme
Damn! - I'm Not Going To Live A Day Without You
Beau Jocque And The Zydeco Hi-Rollers - Tighten Up
Second Hand Rumours - Summer Night Tune
The Endless Bummer - Rio Grand Sandbar, 2001 (C)
TALK
My Darling You - Everything Alright
The Lucksmiths - California In Popular Song
The Servants - Present
Kevin McGrothers - Summer Starts On Sunday
Let's Say We Did - Straight Back To You
TALK (songs from other people's CDs or podcasts)
Vivian Girls - Where Do You Run To **Michelle
Paul Weller - Cold Moments **Derek
Datarock - The Most Beautiful Girl **Sari
Suburban Kids With Biblical Names - Little Boys In The Ghetto **Karim
TALK
Longwave - No Direction
All Girl Summer Fun Band - Something New
The Lodger - The Good Old Days
Islands - Creeper (C)
TALK (Female Indie Pop)
Strip Squad - Pervert/Expert
One Happy Island - Temporary Tattoo
Celestial - Crystal Heights
Faded Paper Figures - North By North
TALK (Electro Pop)
Little Boots - Mathematics
The Bridal Shop - Ideal State
MFMB - Control
Bag Raiders - Shooting Stars
Foals - Olympic Airways
TALK
The New Deal - Don't Blame Yourself (C)


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Welcome to The Coolest Thing About Love

Watch this space for information about the DJ night called The Coolest Thing About Love happening the fourth Saturday of every month at the Jane Bond in Waterloo, Ontario.

After each show I hope to post a setlist of what I played, when the show is going on live, you can follow the twitter feed.

Of course I named the show after the great album by the Smittens and I pay homage to the band by ending every night with their song 11:11 which contains the line "That's the coolest thing about love".

Januray 2, 2009

Theme: Best of 2008
On Air: Frank

As usual not much to say about this show, simply my best singles and albums from the past year. It shouldn't be much of surprise that my number one album from the past year was Lykke Li's Youth Novels, a great album from top to bottom that I never get sick of listening to. I was also happy to have seen her twice during the year, once in Seattle and then in Toronto for my birthday.

It is also not surprising that just like Lykke Li, Black Kids (my second favourite album from 2008) also had a single on my list from 2007. I had to put Black Kids on as number two as every time I was listening to my MP3 player on shuffle and a song came up that I didn't recognize that I liked when I looked it up it was often by the Black Kids.

You can listen to my reasoning for my other picks from the show.

On the setlist I have tried my best to remember how I found about the bands on the setlist.

Fireball XL5 Setlist - January 2, 2009

TALK-Theme
Armand Mirpour - Curly Boys Law **Swedesplease
Erik Hallden - If I Ever Get Married **Swedesplease
Kings Have Long Arms F. - Big Umbrella **Popcasting
Montt Mardie - Set Sail Tomorrow **Swedesplease
TALK
The Pains of Being Pure At Heart - Everything With You *Indie MP3
Sunny Summer Day - So Much Fun
Lyrics Born - Like It, I Love It **KEXP
Voldis - Flashlight **The Wedge
She & Him - Sentimental Heart **Mary
TALK
Moby - Live For Tomorrow
Los Campesinos! - Ways To Make It Through The Wall
The Stolen Minks - Bring It
The Bicycles - Once Was Not Enough
TALK
Masonic - Every Time This Happens **Derek
Gonzales - Working Together
The Gresham Flyers - Student Nurse **Indiepopradio
TALK
Herman Dune - On A Saturday
Herman Dune - When The Sun Rose Up This Morning
TALK
Black Kids - Hurricane Jane
Black Kids - Look At Me (When I Rock Wichoo)
TALK
Lykke Li - Breaking It Up
Lykke Li - I'm Good, I'm Gone

(C) Denotes Canadian Content