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!


Best albums of 2014

Fireball XL5 best albums of 2014

1. Alvvays - Alvvays



2. Alpaca Sports - Sealed With A Kiss



3. Peaking Lights - Cosmic Logic



4. Future Islands - Singles



5. Lykke Li - I Never Learn



6. The Smittens - Love Record Breaker




7. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Days of Abandon



8. Chromeo - White Women



9. Fear Of Men - Loom



10. The Popguns - Pop Fiction



December 19, 2014

A nice electro-pop start to the show with my top song from a band a know very little about, but I do like their name "Kero Kero Bonito".  That grove continued for the duration of the first set which was then followed by a couple of sets of indie pop.

Best song I heard since the last show - Kero Kero Bonito - Fortune Teller - See the video for the song here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoG18tMZpS0

Other links from the show:

You can download the latest show directly here:
http://76.163.12.179/2014-12-19_final.mp3

About Kero Kero Bonito (first band in first set):
https://www.facebook.com/kerokerobonito/info?tab=page_info

About The June Brides (first band in the second set):
http://www.junebridesmusic.com/

About Wild Balbina (first band in the third set):
http://elefant.com/bands/wild-balbina

For information on how to sign up for the podcast or join the Facebook group, see the bottom of this message.

Fireball XL5 Setlist - December 19, 2014
TALK - Theme
Kero Kero Bonito - Fortune Teller
Navigateur - Bright Lights
Gui Boratto f/ Come and Hell - Take Control
The Juan MacLean - Love Stops Here
Lia Ices - Higher
TALK
The June Brides - Being There
Icepops for Breakfast - Keep Up, Don't Catch Up
The Airplanes - Paper Hearts
The Dentists - Gas
Drowners - A Button on Your Blouse
TALK
Wild Balbina - Stay Alive
Day Ravies - Sun Up
Indiepop or Whatever - When Nalda Became Punk
The Autumn Stones - Endless War
The Creases - Static Lines
TALK
The Russian Futurists - Why You Gotta Do That Thing?


Fireball XL5 Podcast Homepage: http://www.fireballxl5.ca/

Podcast link: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/19384881/fireballxl5.rss

Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fireball-XL5-Podcast/225528710795185

November 19, 2014

This show started with the Belle and Sebastian song that I was lucky enough to be an extra in, if you haven't already you can read my summary of the experience at the link below.  It would have been nice to get a close up in the video, but I only made the background of a couple of scenes, a link to the video is also below.  I really like the song (or maybe it is just because I heard it 50 times during the weekend), it is a lot more "dancey" than some of their other songs and I look forward to the new album next year.

As this was kind of a dance oriented set and I had not played a funky set for while, I went a bit old school and brought the funk.  The last set came back to some really great indie pop.

Best song I heard since the last show - Belle and Sebastian - The Party Line - See the video for the song here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vS1Hf3CVGs

Other links from the show:

See my rundown of being in extra in the Belle and Sebastian Video:
http://fireballxl5podcast.blogspot.ca/2014/11/i-was-fake-dj-in-belle-and-sebastian.html

Here other songs from The Soft City:
https://soundcloud.com/the-soft-city


You can download the latest show directly here:
http://76.163.12.179/2014-11-19_final.mp3


For information on how to sign up for the podcast or join the Facebook group, see the bottom of this message.

Fireball XL5 Setlist - November 19, 2014
TALK - Theme
Belle and Sebastian - The Party Line
Peaking Lights - Breakdown
I Am The World Trade Center - Metro
Post Modern Team - The Girl I Never
Glasser - Shape
TALK
The Orlons - South Street
D Train - Keep Giving Me Love
Bobby Nunn - Don't Knock It (Until You Try It)
The Bar-Kays - Freakshow On The Dance Floor
The Dazz Band - Swoop
TALK
The Soft City - Young and Dumb
The Zebras - Chase
Bodyheats - Silhouettes
Here We Go Magic - How Do I Know
Peach Kelly Pop - Dreamphone
TALK
Junip - Always


Fireball XL5 Podcast Homepage: http://www.fireballxl5.ca/

Podcast link: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/19384881/fireballxl5.rss

Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fireball-XL5-Podcast/225528710795185

I was the fake DJ in a Belle and Sebastian video

This post chronicles my experience in being part of the video shoot for the Belle and Sebastian song "The Party Line".  Note that I'm writing this before the video has been released (although I was not allowed to post it until after the video was released), so I don't know what scenes made the final cut of the video.

It all started on the Belle and Sebastian twitter feed with a tweet that said they needed extras for a video being made for one of the their songs in Toronto.  The website explicitly said that the band would not be present, and even though it was a long time commitment (10 hours both Saturday and Sunday) I could not let a chance like this pass me by.

In the email we got from the production company were were told that for the video "We are trying to recreate the look of Northern Soul Movement from the 70’s" and they sent us some pictures.  I hoped I got the look right when I showed up on Saturday morning.  I was happy to see a familiar face when my friend Scott was there, I often see him at shows, but neither of us knew the other one was going to be there.

After dropping off our stuff in a room, the 30 or so people who showed up as extras were led downstairs under the main room of the Great Hall in a space called the Black Box Theatre (a venue in west Toronto).  The room we were in was relatively large with a balcony around it.  During the wait while the crew set up the first shoot, the "fashion police" came by (in reality the woman in charge of the wardrobe) and would point to people who would then go around the corner and come back with a new outfit.

For me everything changed when a crew member came by and asked if anybody had ever DJed before, myself and Scott put our hands, maybe Scott's piercings caused the crew member to point to me and said they needed someone to play the DJ at the club in the video and if I was interested.  Obviously I couldn't say no.

Once I got the stage the table they had set up for the DJ it was obvious it was too short (I'm rather tall) so they had to get some risers so it didn't look silly.  Although no sound would actually be coming out of the equipment, they wanted the two turntables (without needles) and the mixer connected and plugged in to make it look realistic.  They had also got some bins of 7 inch singles (45s) from a local record store to complete the look.

Here is picture of the DJ set up.  I tried to get the more interesting singles covers and put them around the turntables, but in the end they were worried about copyright issues so we couldn't show any of them.  I also turned some of the singles in the bins as if I was actually DJing I would have some "goto" songs ready in case I needed them.  I think it also made the set up look better.



Here is picture of the DJ booth from the floor (picture from Scott):



And a picture of me at the DJ booth courtesy of Scott (note I never wore the headphones like that again as I found they left a weird residue on my neck):



Although I wasn't actually playing the records (we didn't get needles for the turntables until the second day) I just want to note that I did have the turntables set to 45 rpm so that they would be spinning at the correct speed.  Even as a fake DJ, I take my responsibility seriously.



As it is typical for these kinds of things, the day consisted of shooting the same scene over 6 or 7 times from one angle, then moving the camera angle and shooting the same scenes again.  As well they were using different types of cameras such as a boom camera and a steady cam.

I wasn't really given any direction about what I should do as the DJ, so during the first couple of takes I developed a routine that I repeated throughout the day.  I figured that it was important to be consistent if they wanted to put together scenes.  So my routine was that as the song hits the first beat after a quiet introduction I would exaggerate starting one of the turntables, then I would stop the other turntable, remove the single, put on another one and cue it up, even pretending to turn it back half a turn like I was taught back in my college radio days.  Then I would sort through a stack of singles and take one out.  I always took out this one because it looked cool:


I would occasionally adjust some of the knobs and levels on the mixer and have a drink from a fake beer bottle (the bottles were real, but they were filled with water).  As my hands are big enough, I can hold a stack of singles using the middle hole and shake them like a maraca, I thought that was a good look as I was grooving to the song.



(While I was doing this I thought that it was probably I good thing I got the fake DJ gig as apart from Scott I don't know if any of the other extras would have actually every played a vinyl record)

I wasn't sure if I was doing it right until the crew member who was moving people around with a megaphone announced before a song that he had to "give it up to the DJ, because he is doing a great job".  This made me feel like I must be doing something right.

It should be noted that I had a much easier time than the other extras who were dancing on the floor.  Not only did they have to dance realistically during each scene, they also had to stand around as the crew changed a lens or moved the cameras.  After 2 days of this they were all pretty exhausted as it was like they were at a club for 10 hours two days straight.  At the DJ table I had a stool, so I could rest between scenes, plus when they shot from my direction I just got to watch.

Here are some random shots I took during the shoot from the DJ booth (after I took them I asked a production assistant if I could post pictures to social media, she said she would ask, about 10 minutes later the megaphone guy said that we were not to post any pictures until after the video had been released, as this was about 3 hours into the shoot and there were a bunch of young people sitting around for many hours doing nothing, I'm pretty sure some other shots were posted.  They really should have told us about the no posting policy at the beginning.  That's why I didn't publish this post until after the video was released, although I wrote it before).







I should probably describe the video a bit.  The premise is that a group of friends meets at an apartment and then go to a club, they dance, drugs are taken, hearts are broken.   However, apart from the regular club dancing there were also dancers from the National Ballet School who do a modern choreographed dance around the other dancers.  I think this was the hardest part for the extras as they had to start dancing, then when the professional dancers started they had to get out of the way, but not too fast, and then merge back in after they were done.  Here is a video of the entire sequence from the DJ booth perspective:



As you can see the professional dancers had quite the routine to do and as you can imagine doing it 6 or 7 times in a row was quite taxing on them.  Basically, once they warmed up they shot the scenes with them and then they rested over lunch and in the second half of each day they warmed up again and did the routine as many times as they could before they had to stop.

The first day ended off with some scenes on the balcony, however as I was too distinctive as the Fake DJ they couldn't use me as an extra in the group scenes.  After I had been "wrapped" for the day, the director of photography (DOP) came up to me and said that I had become an important part of the video and he hoped that I would be coming tomorrow (they probably should have checked before casting me).  But anyway, I didn't want to tell him that I would sleep there to make sure I would be part of the shoot the next day, but of course I was going to be there.

They had been hoping for more people, so during breaks the production assistants were going around to everyone encouraging us to invite our friends for the second day.  I don't know if they realized that B and S fans are by definition loners who listen to quiet indie pop in our bedrooms, friends? not going to happen.

The second day was similar to the first,  just with different camera angles and a bit more of the "story" of the video involving the actors coming into the bar, coming down stairs, and drunkenly kissing each other.  For a good stretch of a few hours, the camera was in front of me so I didn't have to do my routine.  But this was also interesting as I got to see the camera monitors and it was amazing how different it all looked when the camera was focused on the actors and the extras were dancing behind them with the disco lights flashing.  I thought that when the video comes out we are going to say, wow that looks like a really fun party, I wish I was there!  Just to realize that we were there and it was actually a really long party, that was really repetitive and at times a bit boring.

There was an interesting separation between the crew, actors, and professional dances who generally didn't really know about Belle and Sebastian (although a few did) and the extras who were mostly obsessive fans (obviously as we agreed to give up our weekend to be unpaid extras in one of their videos).  As such, the fans knew that the week before the shoot, B&S had released the cover art for the new album.  Scott gave me the great idea of printing out the album art for the new album the night between the shoots and putting it in among the singles in the DJ booth.

I did print out the album art and put it in a plastic sleeve at the beginning of the second day, then I showed it to the DOP and he loved the idea.  They made sure to do some shots from the perspective of the DJ with the B&S album cover as one of the singles in the background.  I hope that one of these scenes makes the video as it would make a nice "Easter egg" for fans.

As you can see in this picture, needles were acquired for the second day of shooting, this allowed for
some close ups of the spinning records, again note they were spinning at the correct speed:



By the end of the second day we had heard the first two minutes of the song "The Party Line" about 50 times, good thing that it is a great song.  However, near the end of shooting everyone was getting a bit tired and goofy, here is a video I took near the end when they were just getting generic dance floor scenes:



During the shooting breaks and during the lunch breaks it was a really nice friendly atmosphere amongst the extras (the crew and actors got to eat upstairs where the food was better).  Not surprisingly we all had similar interests and stories of shows we had seen.  During the second day's lunch break I decided to bridge from fake DJ to real DJ by playing songs I put on my phone over the sound system.

Once I was "wrapped" for the second day there were still a number of scenes to shoot on the balcony and outside so I decided to help take down the DJ booth.  As everybody else was upstairs it hit me that this fake DJ gig was ending just like a real DJ gig with me alone in an empty bar putting away equipment and music.  After the equipment was gone they were still shooting scenes on the balcony and playing the song, so I finally got to dance to song on the dance floor.  I think this amused everyone who was watching from the balcony.

Talking to the extras we all agreed that although it had been a couple of long days with some boring parts, once the video comes out it will be awesome to be able to say that we were in a Belle and Sebastian video.  The production company staff and the crew were all very nice, even the guy with the megaphone who had the unenviable job of yelling at people to move around the dancefloor.

Personally, I had a great experience being the fake DJ and I am thankful to the band and production company for letting us be part of it.

People ask me if I have caught the bug and would try to be an extra in other video and movie shoots.  Although I had a good time and it was fun to do once, unless I really liked the band I don't see myself volunteering for something like this for a while.  That being said, if anyone out there needs a fake DJ to rock the house for your video send me a note and I'll consider it.




October 17, 2014

A big source of songs that I get for my podcast in general comes from the twitter feed of Indie Pop Saved My Life (see link below).  This show seemed to be a bit heavier on those songs so I thought I would highlight this musical source and recommend it for everyone.

As I didn't recognize my random pick when it came up during the show, I can now say that it came from a great compilation that I picked up this year called Too Slow To Disco (music you can almost dance to).

Best song I heard since the last show - Ariel Pink - Put Your Number On My Phone - See the great video for the song here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYoQ6WLuMq4

Other links from the show:

You can download The Popguns song here:
https://soundcloud.com/matinee-recordings/the-popguns-red-white-and-blue

See the Twitter feed for Indie Pop Saved My Life here:
https://twitter.com/indiepopsml

And his list of the best of the first half of 2014:
https://www.facebook.com/indiepopsavedmylife/posts/672691192812835

You can download the latest show directly here:
http://76.163.12.179/2014-10-17_final.mp3


For information on how to sign up for the podcast or join the Facebook group, see the bottom of this message.

Fireball XL5 Setlist - October 17, 2014
TALK - Theme
Ariel Pink - Put Your Number On My Phone
Space Daze - Line Up On The Solstice
My Favorite - Dance With A Stranger
The Bilinda Butchers - Heaven Holds A Place
Yumi Zouma - The Brae
TALK
The Popguns - Red White and Blue
The Icicles - Margie
The Church Grims - Seen It All
Starry Eyed Cadet - On The Run
Melbourne Cans - Final Fight
TALK
Strange Babies - Holiday
Cosines - Out Of The Fire
Bill Pritchard - Invisible State 1989
Boyish - Blindfold
Let's Be Loveless - A Boy's Irrational Bedtime Fear
TALK
Alessi Brothers - Do You Feel It

Fireball XL5 Podcast Homepage: http://www.fireballxl5.ca/

Podcast link: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/19384881/fireballxl5.rss

Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fireball-XL5-Podcast/225528710795185

September 19, 2014

This entire show focused on the second release from the Eardrum Pop label in the Between Two Waves series.  Eardrum Pop is a net-label that puts out a lot of great stuff and the bonus is that you can download it all from them for free (but if you like their stuff you should probably make a donation).  The Between Two Waves series takes members from two different bands and they have to write a new song and make up a new band name.  The first compilation came out in 2009 and this one continues on with this great tradition.

Best song I heard since the last show - Franklin's Kite and Postal Blue - Mumble - See the video for the song here: https://soundcloud.com/eardrumspop/franklins-kite-mumble

Other links from the show:

The label that put out the compilation:
http://www.eardrumspop.com/

Find out about the second wave compilation and download the songs:
http://www.eardrumspop.com/2014/05/14/some-words-and-news-about-the-upcoming-between-two-waves-the-second-wave-compilation/


You can download the latest show directly here:
http://76.163.12.179/2014-09-19_final.mp3


For information on how to sign up for the podcast or join the Facebook group, see the bottom of this message.

Fireball XL5 Setlist - September 19, 2014
TALK - Theme
Franklin's Kite and Postal Blue - Mumble
What We Did On Our Holiday - A World Apart
The Saint Valentine State - Moments Are Moments
The Grave Lobby - Singing Pines
Greenland Sea - Who Needs The Bureau De Change
TALK
The Sarah Palin Theme Song - In My Scene
Guards! Guards! - Go Nowhere
EVIL- Play It Sam
Mikroflirt - Girl In A Tree
TALK
Shekon and Anna - She Chromatic
Photon - La Fuite En Arriere (En-joy)
Ivor MacGyver - Saliva
Field Glass - Postcards
TALK
Wonder For All - Holiday

Fireball XL5 Podcast Homepage: http://www.fireballxl5.ca/

Podcast link: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/19384881/fireballxl5.rss

Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fireball-XL5-Podcast/225528710795185

August 22, 2014

No theme to this show, just lots of great indie-pop music that I have found recently.


Best song I heard since the last show - Saint Pepsi - Fiona Coyne - See the video for the song here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bw_7UrqzNUg

Other links from the show:

See Teen Canteen video for You're Still Mine:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAo5cLa5UhU

See the video for Martha's "1967, I Miss You, I'm Lonely":

Information on Tiger Trap:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiger_Trap

You can download the latest show directly here:
http://76.163.12.179/2014-08-22_final.mp3


For information on how to sign up for the podcast or join the Facebook group, see the bottom of this message.

Fireball XL5 Setlist - August 22, 2014
TALK - Theme
Saint Pepsi - Fiona Coyne
Red Deer People - Early Warning System
Ivy - Wish It All Away
Gingerlys - Jumprope
The Leaf Library - The Greater Good
TALK
Teen Canteen - You're Still Mine
Pale Lights - Manhattan
Heart Noir - Left Behind
Boyracer - The Kind Of Man You Really Are
Why We Love - Patina
TALK
Martha - 1967, I Miss You, I'm Lonely
Burnt Palms - The Girl You Knew
Fabienne Delsel & The Bristols - He'll Never Come Back
Heavy Friends - Storm The Matchbook
Tiger Trap - My Broken Heart
TALK
Pixies - Planet Of Sound

Fireball XL5 Podcast Homepage: http://www.fireballxl5.ca/

Podcast link: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/19384881/fireballxl5.rss

Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fireball-XL5-Podcast/225528710795185

July 16, 2014

Live DJ show Jane Bond.
Setlist for Coolest Thing About Love 19 - NYCPopfest 2014 Edition
  
The Fondas - Can't Live Without Love
The Godfathers - Birth, School, Work, Death
Tullycraft - The Punks Are Writing Love Songs
Neverever - Coconut Shampoo
Frankie Rose - Gospel/Grace
Metronomy - She Wants
The Dirtbombs - Sugar On Top
Spearmint - The Gleaners (first of the NYCPopfest 2014 bands)
Fear of Men - Green Sea
PHEDRE - In Decay
Swinging Medallions - Double Shot of My Baby's Love
Soul Swingers - Brighter Tomorrow
Colonel Abrams - I'm Not Gonna Let
Donna Summer - Bad Girls
Cayucas - High School Lover
Bocce - Jetpack
Lost Tapes - Poetry Dates (NYCPopfest 2014)
Chocolate Barry - Popmusic Crazy
Go Sailor - Together Forever in Love
Go Violets - Teenager (yes, 2 Go ... bands in a row)
Beach Day - Boys
The Muffs - Kids in America
The Amps - Tipp City
The Ramones - My Brain is Hanging Upside Down (RIP Mikey)
Dead Kennedys - California Uber Alles (request from the floor)
The Flatmates - You Held My Heart (NYCPopfest 2014)
Sugar - Helpless
Icky Blossoms - Babes
Saint Pepsi - Fiona Coyne (I like what I have heard from Saint Pepsi)
Diamond Rings - Hand Over My Heart (I should listen to more of my Diamond Rings collection)
Don't Cry Shopgirl - Bring Me Home (NYCPopfest 2014)
My Favourite - Absolute Zero (NYCPopfest 2014)
Band a Part - Verano Azul, Iniemo Nuclear (NYCPopfest 2014)
The Orlons - South Street (going back to the funk)
Dusty Springfield - Won't Be Long
Lee Fields - Mighty Mighty Love
The Dovells - You Can't Sit Down (I guess I better stand up for this one)
The Dazz Band - Swoop (I guess I should probably play a different song by them)
The Bar-Kays - Freakshow On The Dancefloor
William Onyeabor - Fantastic Man
SOS Band - Take Your Time
George Benson - Just The Two Of Us (somewhere I have the vinyl 45 of this song that I got from a cereal promotion)
Expressos - Hey Girl
Wild Flag - Romance
Blondie - Hanging On The Telephone
The Kelly Affair - Be Your Own Pet
The Julie Ruin - Ha Ha Ha
Hard Fi - Hard To Beat
Elefant - Misfit (I always thought those two songs went well together)
Deadly Snakes - I Can't Sleep At Night
Colour Me Psycho - Sinister Urge
Martha - 1997 Passing In The Hallway (NYCPopfest 2014)
Heathers - Teenage Clothes (NYCPopfest 2014)
The Spook School - Are You Who You Think You Are
Habibi - Sweetest Talk
Haim - If I Could Change Your Mind
Future Islands - Seasons (Waiting on You)
Electronic - Late At Night
Talking Heads - Life During Wartime
Kidstreet - Penny Candy
Erik Hassle - Hurtful
Girls Aloud - The Promise
The Pipettes - Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me
Barbara Perry - A Man Is A Mean Thing
Remains - Why Do I Cry
The O'Jays - Put Your Hands Together
The Whispers - And The Beat Goes On
Kasso - Brazillian Dancer
JJ Jackson & The Jackals - Oo-Ma-Liddi (this old soul stuff is working well with the crowd)
Ruby Velle & The Soulphonics - Medicine Spoon
Lonnie Mack - Sticks And Stones
Ramona King - Run Johnny Run
Merry Clayton - Usher Boy
Ron Molina - Esmarella
Tommie Young - You Can Only Do Wrong So Long
Gonzales - Let's Ride (start of the slow down)
Lemon Jelly - Make Things Right
Klaus and Uschi - Young Stud
B Fleischmann - Le Desir
Louis Armstrong - We Have All The Time In The World
Roxy Music - Avalon
The Beautiful South - A Little Time
Hannah Peel - Blue Monday
Lykke Li - Love Me Like I'm Not Made Of Stone
The Smittens - 11:11

July 18, 2014

After an opening set of some great indie pop (including a cover of a Galaxie 500 song by Finnmark! that I didn't realize was a cover at the time), the next set highlighted bands that were at NXNE this summer.  I didn't go to any of the paid events of NXNE, but I saw a great trio of bands at The Gap of all places.  Not only was it free but they were giving out homemade gourmet Popsicles and of course seeing three great bands in an intimate setting was awesome.  I also included a few bands in the set that I didn't see but heard about from the great Indie Underground blog (links below).


Best song I heard since the last show - Go Violets - Teenager - See the video for the song here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCZ6gSOIbIw

Other links from the show:

Read the Indie Underground blog:
http://indieunderground.ca/


See The Flatmates performing Shimmer at NYCPopfest 2014:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEhNzxscP74

See Spearmint performing Sweeping The Nation at NYCPopfest 2014:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIIM33PRlZI

See Colour Me Wednesday performing Bitter Boys at NYCPopfest 2014:


You can download the latest show directly here:
http://76.163.12.179/2014-07-18_final.mp3


For information on how to sign up for the podcast or join the Facebook group, see the bottom of this message.

Fireball XL5 Setlist - July 18, 2014
TALK - Theme
Go Violets - Teenager
RIP Chix - Tempura Nights
Boyracer - The Kind Of Man You Really Are
Finnmark! - Tugboat
Close Lobsters - Now Time
TALK
Beach Day - Boys
Craft Spells - Twirl
Joywave - Anemone
Mas Ysa - Why
Dan Croll - In/Out
TALK
The Bleachers - You're Still A Mystery
Beko - My Sunny Day
Fear Of Men - America
Ablebody - Phantasy
Lykke Li - Love Me Like I'm Not Made Of Stone
TALK
The Troggs - I Can't Control Myself

Fireball XL5 Podcast Homepage: http://www.fireballxl5.ca/

Podcast link: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/19384881/fireballxl5.rss

Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fireball-XL5-Podcast/225528710795185

June 20, 2014

A special podcast where I played music that I heard at this year's edition of the New York Popfest.  This year had only heard of a few of the bands that played, but as always Maz brought together a great collection of music that made it well worth the trip.  During the podcast I talk mostly about the bands I saw, but also a little bit about the people I met and the other things I did in New York City that weekend.


Best song I heard since the last show - Popguns - Waiting For The Winter - See them perform it live at NYCPopfest 2014  here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smXNCMumum4

See some other performances from NYCPopfest 2014:

See The Flatmates performing Shimmer at NYCPopfest 2014:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEhNzxscP74

See Spearmint performing Sweeping The Nation at NYCPopfest 2014:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIIM33PRlZI

See Colour Me Wednesday performing Bitter Boys at NYCPopfest 2014:

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Fireball XL5 Setlist - June 20, 2014
TALK - Theme
Popguns - Waiting For The Winter
Colour Me Wednesday - Bitter Boys
The Haywains - Pull The Other One
The Spook School - Are You Who You Think You Are
Marine Life - The Young And The Free
TALK
Don't Cry Shopgirl - Bring Me Home
My Favourite - Absolute Zero
Lost Tapes - Poetry Dates
Spearmint - The Gleaners
Band A Part - Verano Azul, Invierno Nuclear
TALK
Bart and Friends - I Was
The Zebras - First and Last
Heathers - Teenage Clothes
The Besties - What Would Tim Armstrong Do
Martha - Sycamore
TALK
The Flatmates - You Held My Heart

Fireball XL5 Podcast Homepage: http://www.fireballxl5.ca/

Podcast link: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/19384881/fireballxl5.rss

Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fireball-XL5-Podcast/225528710795185

May 16, 2014

This show started with a funky set after a fantastic top song called "Fantastic Man" by a mysterious man named William Onyeabor.  Basically he released 8 albums in the late 70s and early 80s in his native Nigeria and then pretty much disappeared.  Recently the albums have be re-discovered, even prompting a tour this year of musicians such as David Bryne doing his songs.  You can see his entire story in the video link below.
For the rest of show I presented some recent indie pop along with a lo-fi sort of set at the end.

Best song I heard since the last show - William Onyeabor - Fantastic Man - See the great video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyL4c_LDCl0&feature=kp

Websites I mentioned during the show:

See the video about William Onyeabor here:
http://noisey.vice.com/en_uk/you-need-to-hear-this/fantastic-man-full-length----a-film-about-william-onyeabor

Video for Jacques Dutronc f. Francoise Hardy - Mini, Mini, Mini:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ye7XYuW_fE8&feature=kp

You can download the latest show directly here:
http://76.163.12.179/2014-05-16_final.mp3


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Fireball XL5 Setlist - May 16, 2014
TALK - Theme
William Onyeabor - Fantastic Man
S.O.S. Band - Take Your Time
Donna Loren - Love's A Secret Weapon
Midnight Star - Midas Touch
Odyssey - Don't Tell Me Tell Her
TALK
The Swapsies - Another Game On Saturday
Finnmark! - Everyone's Dying
Making Marks - Lemon Sheets
The Prophet Hens - High Times
Quiz Kids - Hey You
TALK
Cath Carroll and Steve Albini - King Creole
Jacques Dutronc f. Francoise Hardy - Mini, Mini, Mini
The Groupies - Primative
Melodica, Melody and Me - Piece Me Back Together
Hannah Peel - Tainted Love
TALK
Kidstreet - Birthday Boy

Fireball XL5 Podcast Homepage: http://www.fireballxl5.ca/

Podcast link: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/19384881/fireballxl5.rss

Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fireball-XL5-Podcast/225528710795185

April 18, 2014

Yes, I know that everyone has heard of Future Islands by this point, but it would have been a great shame if they were not one of my top songs this year.  I had heard them before on Satellite radio but seeing their performance on Letterman (link below) really put them over the top.

This led to a set of electro pop that I quite enjoyed, followed by a more traditional indie pop set.  After the final set that was more on the rockin' side the random ending were The Diskettes a great band that I haven't heard in a long time (I guess that is the point of the random ending).


Best song I heard since the last show - Future Islands - Seasons (Waiting On You) - See their great performance on Letterman here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ee4bfu_t3c

Websites I mentioned during the show:


Video for In Decay by Phedre (NSFW):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unrn-wf4cDg&feature=kp

Get the debut album by Alpaca Sports:
http://alpacasports.bandcamp.com/album/sealed-with-a-kiss


You can download the latest show directly here:
http://76.163.12.179/2014-04-18_final.mp3


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Fireball XL5 Setlist - April 18, 2014
TALK - Theme
Future Islands - Seasons (Waiting On You)
Pendentif - Embrasse Moi
Frankie Rose - Gospel/Grace
PHEDRE - In Decay
Lemaitre - Cut To Black
TALK
The Blanche Hudson Weekend - Let Me Go
Chocolate Barry - Popmusic Crazy
Let's Whisper - It'll Be OK
Math and Physics Club - That's What Love Is
Alpaca Sports - Telephone
TALK
Shrag - Faux Coda
Marnie Stern - Immortals
The Sparkles - No Friend Of Mine
DIANA - Strange Attraction
Weaves - Take A Dip
TALK
The Diskettes - Art

Fireball XL5 Podcast Homepage: http://www.fireballxl5.ca/

Podcast link: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/19384881/fireballxl5.rss

Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fireball-XL5-Podcast/225528710795185

March 21, 2014

My first show with new music for a while that started out with a great band that I heard about through the new radio station in Toronto called Indie88, which is definitely the best commercial radio station I have heard in a long time.  The band is named Alvvays and that isn't a mistake, they use 2 "v"s instead of a "w", I assume that is because there is another band named Always (but I haven't been able to find them).  Anyvvays, I saw the band live a few weeks band and they were really good, I hope to hear a proper album or at least some more songs very soon.


Best song I heard since the last show - Alvvays - Adult Diversion - See the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZHPCcFmEjc&noredirect=1

Websites I mentioned during the show:

Information about The Fireworks:
http://whenyoumotoraway.blogspot.ca/2013/11/the-fireworks-runaround-7.html

Information about the Males:
http://whenyoumotoraway.blogspot.ca/2013/01/introducing-males.html

See the lyrics to the Girl From Ciputat:
http://thesilentlove.bandcamp.com/track/the-girl-from-ciputat


You can download the latest show directly here:
http://76.163.12.179/2014-03-21_final.mp3


For information on how to sign up for the podcast or join the Facebook group, see the bottom of this message.

Fireball XL5 Setlist - March 21, 2014
TALK - Theme
Alvvays - Adult Diversion
Habibi - Sweetest Talk
Tiny Migrants - Fishpond Goldmine
Popguns - Still A World Away
The Silent Love - The Girl From Ciputat
TALK
Tender Trap - Could This Be The Last Time?
The Farmers Boys - I Built The World
Males - So High
The Fireworks - Runaround
French Films - Where We Come From
TALK
Billy Watkins - The Ice-Man
J.J. Jackson And The Jackals - Oo-Ma-Liddi
The Charmaines - I Idolize You
Eddie Johns - More Spell On You (One More Time)
Blood Orange - You're Not Good Enough
TALK
Catatonic Youth - I've Had It

Fireball XL5 Podcast Homepage: http://www.fireballxl5.ca/

Podcast link: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/19384881/fireballxl5.rss

Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fireball-XL5-Podcast/225528710795185

February 14, 2014

This was the second part of my Best of 2013 shows, this one focused on albums.  This time I counted down my list from the bottom to the top ending with my top album of the year Haim's Days Are Gone.  As I said on the show, the most mainstream album I have had as my top pick in a long time.

Websites I mentioned during the show:

See my actual Best of 2013 album with links:
http://fireballxl5podcast.blogspot.ca/2013/12/best-albums-of-2013.html


You can download the latest show directly here:
http://76.163.12.179/2014-02-14_final.mp3


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Fireball XL5 Setlist - February 14, 2014
TALK - Theme
Au Revoir Simone - Just Like A Tree
She & Him - I Could've Been Your Girl
Charles Bradley - You Put The Flame On It
French Films - Where We Come From
Yo La Tengo - The Point Of It
TALK
The Liver Transplants - Fake Priest (C)
The Proctors - Fun Sunday
The Pastels - Illuminum Song
Chvrches - Recover
TALK
Veronica Falls - Tell Me
Veronica Falls - Buried Alive
TALK
Capital Cities - I Sold My Bed, But Not My Stereo
Capital Cities - Kangaroo Court
TALK
Haim - Falling
Haim - Days Are Gone

(C) - Canadian Content

Fireball XL5 Podcast Homepage: http://www.fireballxl5.ca/

Podcast link: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/19384881/fireballxl5.rss

Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fireball-XL5-Podcast/225528710795185

January 17, 2014

What will be by definition be my best show of the year, as it was me playing all my favourite singles from 2013.  Not much of a mystery as I did tweet all of these songs during the month of December.  To be honest any of the top 4 could have been number 1, but there always has to be a winner.


Best song I heard all year - Jessie Ware - Imagine It Was us
 - See the video here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u03f5Wnwff0

Websites I mentioned during the show:

Line to video for the Pastels "Check My Heart":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjxYLFWxR6E


You can download the latest show directly here:
http://76.163.12.179/2014-01-17_final.mp3


For information on how to sign up for the podcast or join the Facebook group, see the bottom of this message.

Fireball XL5 Setlist - January 17, 2014
TALK - Theme
Jessie Ware - Imagine It Was us
Capital Cities - Safe and Sound
The Pastels - Check My Heart
The Short Stories - Are You Listening Now?
Daft Punk - Get Lucky
TALK
Chvrches - Gun
The Mini Skips - Evil/Shy
Alpaca Sports - He doesn't even like you
Veronica Falls - Waiting For Something To Happen
Haim - Don't Save Me
TALK
California Wives - Marianne
Robberie - Four Seasons
Disclosure - When A Fire Starts To Burn
Au Revoir Simone - Crazy
Yo La Tengo - Is That Enough
Camera Obscura - New Year's Resolution
TALK
Foals - My Number



Fireball XL5 Podcast Homepage: http://www.fireballxl5.ca/

Podcast link: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/19384881/fireballxl5.rss

Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fireball-XL5-Podcast/225528710795185