The Coolest Thing About Love

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 16, 2011

I hope everyone has a great Christmas season and you enjoy annual Fireball XL5 Christmas podcast.

First song of the show (best song I heard since the last show):
Emmy the Great and Tim Wheeler - Home For The Holidays (See the very cute video to the song here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URCNMEbgd_w )

You can download the latest show directly here:

http://76.163.12.179/2011-12-16_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 - December 16, 2011
TALK
Emmy the Great and Tim Wheeler - Home For The Holidays
Hello Saferide - I pod X-mas
Luckly Lucky pigeons - Red Santa
Irene - Christmas on the beach
The Forest & The Trees - Santa Claus is coming
Poly Styrene - Black Christmas
JJ Barnes - Snowflakes
The Sonics - Don't Believe in Christmas
Amos Milburn - Christmas Comes But Once A Year
Meaghan Smith - It Snowed
Rosie Thomas - Why Can't It Be Christmastime All Year
Metro Jets - Jingle Jangle Christmas
Eux Autres - Another Christmas At Home
Darryl Reimer - Merry Big Ole Christmas
The Wedding Present - The Wedding Present - Holly Jolly Hollywood
David Carswell and Megan Barnes - I Wanna Kiss You This Christmas
Elisa Gabbai - Winter In Canada
The Futureheads - Christmas Was Better In The 80s
The Wombats - Is This Christmas
The Birthday Girl vs Alexander's Festival Hall - Hey Santa
The Fall - (We Wish You) A Protein Christmas
Strawberry Whiplash - Santa Needs a Holiday
Slottet - A Cold Christmas
Frightened Rabbit - It's Christmas So We'll Stop
The Awkward Stage - Christmas Time Is Here
The Raveonettes - Come On Santa
El Perro Del Mar - Oh What A Christmas
Lucky Soul - Lonely This Christmas
Claudine Longet - Snow

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, 2011

Live DJ show Jane Bond.
Setlist for Coolest Thing About Love 12 - Prince Edition

The Kooks - Junk of the Heart
The Sweet Homewreckers - Wild America
Amida - It Started in Naples
Air Miami - World Cup Fever
The Whitest Boy Alive - Intentions
Young Galaxy - Peripheral Visonaries (already the second Canadian song tonight)
Prince - Diamonds and Peals (the first of many Prince or Prince related songs I'll be playing tonight)
Margie Johnson - One More Chance
Eddie Hollins - I Couldn't Cry If I Wanted to
The Airborne Toxic Event - Does This Mean You're Moving On?
Here We Go Magic - Collector
Pipas - Jean C
Vic Pitts Cheaters - Loose Boodie
Tower of Power - You're So Wonderful, So Marvelous
Prince - Guitar (from his album Planet Earlh)
The Virgins - Private Affair
Men Without Hats - Sideways
The Modern Lovers - Astral Plane (this one might be kind of stretch for this crowd)
Hooded Fang - Land of Giants (more great Can Con)
Shrag - Rabbit Kids
Matt & Kim - Daylight
Chalk and Number - He Knew
The Chambers Brothers - Uptown
Weird War - Girls Like That
Ruth Brown - 5-10-15 Hours
Otis Redding - Shout Bamalama (a request from the audience and a good one)
Prince - Delerious
Mr. Suitcase - You Don't Smile Anymore
Cut Copy - Saturdays (another great request from the same person)
Simian Mobile Disco - Cruel Intentions
The Cure - Hot Hot Hot
Fatboy Slim - Talkin' About My Baby (you have to slow things down every once in a while)
Ivy - Streets of Your Town
The Crash - Pony Ride
Paul Weller - From the Floorboards up
Yuck - The Wall
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Say No to Love
Dump - Erotic City (yes Prince covers count)
The Wedding Present - Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah
Wild Nothing - Live In Dreams
Persian Rugs - Always All
Razika - Why Have We To Wait
Craft Spells - You Should Close The Door
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Round and Round
Prince and Sheena Easton - You've Got The Look
Sheila E - The Glamorous Life
Milton Wright - My Ol' Lady (one of the best soul songs I've heard lately)
Billy Butler - Right Track
Mark Ronson With Amy Whinehouse - Valerie
Mayer Hawethorne - Your Easy Lovin' Ain't Pleasin' Nothin'
The Stone Roses - Fool's Gold
Saint Etienne - Lose That Girl
Lykke Li - Breaking it up
Jonna Lee - Dried Out Eyes (just got a thumbs up from an audience member for the Lykke Li)
Acid House Kings - Would You Say Stop?
Go Sailor - Windy (probably the most twee I'll get tonight)
TV Girl - Baby You Were there
Jens Lekman - Maple Leaves
The The - Slow Emotional Replay
Dent May and His Magnificent Ukelele - When You Were Mine (another Prince cover)
Prince and the Revolution - I Would Die 4 U
The Time - Jungle Love
Oscar Toney, Jr. - No Sad Songs
Shirley Ellis - Waiting
Black Grape - Reverend Black Grape
Unknown Mortal Orchestra - How Can You Luv Me
Metronomy - She Wants
Cults - Abducted
Säkert! - Weak Is The Flesh
Pomegranates - Prouncer
Neon Indian - Hex Girlfriend
Art of Noise featuring Tom Jones - Kiss (Prince cover)
Vanity 6 - Nasty Girls (that's the top of the mountain, we are chilling from now on)
Prince & the New Power Generation - Money Don't Matter 2 Night
Kool and the Gang - Joanna
Moby - In This World
Massive Attack - Live With Me
Velvet Underground & Nico - Sunday Morning
She & Him - Sentimental Heart
The 6ths featuring Sarah Cracknell - Kissing Things
Johnny Mathis - When I Fall In Love
Prince - The Beautiful Ones (I really hope he plays this next week in Toronto)
Smittens - 11:11 (and that's a wrap)

November 4, 2011

Interesting story behind my top song of the week, Anika Norlin is a Swedish artist who sings under the band name Säkert! when she sings in Swedish and Hello Saferide when she sings in English. In a strange but cool twist she decided to translate the Swedish songs almost word for word into English and record the songs again. The result is an album called "på engelska" which translates to "in English" and although the songs were written in a different language they really work well (of course it doesn't hurt that I have a crush on Norlin as well). She explains her songwriting process in more detail here: http://cani.saekert.com/about

The rest of the show was a selection of my recent indie pop acquisitions ending with a softer low-key set. And I know it really looks like a set up, but my random ending song was by Prince who I happen to be seeing perform live in a few weeks for the first time, I swear it just worked out that way.

Websites I mentioned during the show,

Download "Man of God" by Stevie Jackson here:
http://soundcloud.com/john1306/man-of-god

See what song is today's Brassland 10th Anniversary song-a-day giveaway:
http://brassland.org/giveaway/

First song of the show (best song I heard since the last show):
Säkert! - Weak Is The Flesh (Listen to it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcVkS2_Fcf4 )

You can download the latest show directly here:
http://76.163.12.179/2011-11-04_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 4, 2011
TALK - Theme
Säkert! - Weak Is The Flesh
Razika - Why Have We To Wait
Wild Nothing - Summer Holiday
Kisses - People Do The Most Amazing Things
Stevie Jackson - Man of God
TALK
Veronica Falls - The Fountain
The Front Bottoms - The Boredom Is The Reason
Brilliant Colours - Value Lines
Comet Gain - Clang Of The Concrete Swans
The Slow Club - Giving Up On Love

TALK

The National - High Beams
Steel Train - You And I Under Cover
The Morning Benders - Excuses
The Weeknd - The Morning
Pocketbooks - Sparklers
TALK - Random Ending
Prince And The New Power Generation - Daddy Pop

(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

October 21, 2011

My top song this week came from a mix that was made for the New York City Popfest way back in May (yes I finally got to it) by the website Brooklyn Vegan. I missed the popfest this year partly because I didn't recognize any of the bands, but listening to this collection of songs makes me think it still would have been a great time. You can download the songs yourself from the link below.

The second set featured someone that I had not heard from in too long of a time, the old timers out there will remember a band from KW called War Wagon which eventually evolved into Finnegan's Tongue. After releasing an album of songs that were all based on historical events or people from the Waterloo Region the band went their separate ways. Well Mike Wert from that band is finally writing some new material and with help from his former FT bandmates he sent me the song "Tom Longboat". Hopefully the is just the first of much new material coming from him.

Websites I mentioned during the show,

Download the NYC popfest mix from Brooklyn Vegan:

http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2011/05/a_guide_to_nyc.html

See the video for the Let's Whisper song "All Happy Endings":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWTXPLFxzlI

First song of the show (best song I heard since the last show):
Go Sailor - Windy (Watch the video for a liver version of the song here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D45gRalwSio )

You can download the latest show directly here:
http://76.163.12.179/2011-10-22_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 - October 21, 2011
TALK - Theme
Go Sailor - Windy
Shrag - Rabbit Kids
Chalk And The Numbers - He Knew
The Felt Tips - Boyfriend Devoted
CUFFS - Albert Knox
TALK
Mike Wert - Tom Longboat (C)
Joe Jack Talcum - Sex Sting
Wan Light - Two Worlds Away
Wakey!Wakey! - Twenty-Two
Jeffery Lewis And The Junkyard - Broken Broken Broken Heart
TALK
The New Division - Starfield
Metromony - The Look
Let's Whisper - All Happy Endings
Hyperbubble - Better Set Your Phasers On Stun
Kidstreet - Penny Candy (C)
TALK - Random Ending
Fatboy Slim featuring Macy Gray - Demons

(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

September 23, 2011

I had a hard time picking my top song this week and either of the first two songs could have made the cut, but in the end I went Cold Mailman, one of the bands that I saw at the Oya festival in Norway this summer. However, the other song by Craft Spells is also awesome and that album has a good chance of being one of my favourite albums of the year. I also really liked the rest of the first set making it one of the best ones I've played in a while.

I planed the second set to be more on the rocking side of indie pop, but I'm never sure if it ever works out, and I ended with a funky set, that I'm pretty sure that worked.

Websites I mentioned during the show,

Download the Pocketbooks song Promises Promises here:

http://pocketbooks.bandcamp.com/track/promises-promises

Download the Generationals EP here:

http://www.parkthevan.com/mediumrarities/

The great How Does It Feel To Be Loved Podcast:

http://www.howdoesitfeel.co.uk/podcast.html

Find out about the Heavyweights Brass Band here:

http://www.heavyweightsbrassband.com/

First song of the show (best song I heard since the last show):
Cold Mailman - Pull Yourself Together And Fall In Love With Me (Watch the video for the song here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2V3jp3e1Fg )

You can download the latest show directly here:
http://76.163.12.179/2011-09-23_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 23, 2011
TALK - Theme
Cold Mailman - Pull Yourself Together And Fall In Love With Me
Craft Spells - After The Moment
The Kooks - Junk Of The Heart (Happy)
Pocketbooks - Promises, Promises
P.S. I Love You - Facelove
TALK
Yuck - Get Away
Electric Trickle Machine - Part Of Me
Tilly And The Wall - Nights Of The Living Dead
Generationals - Greenleaf
Kids On A Crime Spree - I Don't Want To Call You Baby, Baby
TALK
Eddie Hollins - I Couldn't Cry If I Wanted To
Shirley Ellis - Waiting
Michael Dunston - Soul Revolution
Heavyweight Brass Band - Beat It
Simian Mobile Disco - Cruel Intentions
TALK - Random Ending
The Style Council - Speak Like A Child

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 9, 2011

It was a funky start to this show all stemming from the top song, Erik Hassle's Hurtful, which turns out to be a song from a few years ago that was recently made a free download on Amazon that caused its resurgence. I found out about it from the great popcasting podcast ( http://popcastingpop.com/ ).

The next set consitsted of recent indie-popular songs that I discovered through satellite radio when my rental car was upgraded. There are a couple of great satellite radio stations that play indie pop and at one point they were both playing The Cults, that was a sign that I had to play them at my DJ night at the Jane Bond (details here: http://thecoolestthingaboutlove.blogspot.com/ ) as well as on the podcast.

The last set were a bunch of songs that I have been listening to forever on my MP3 player and finally had a chance to get them out. The Random Ending song, randomly chosen from my music collection, was Sloan's Everything You've Done Wrong, still my favourite Sloan song.

Websites I mentioned during the show

Great video for Birthday Boy by Kidstreet:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lwWvxnnCJw/

Find out about Sirius XMU here:

http://www.siriusxm.com/siriusxmu

First song of the show (best song I heard since the last show):
Erik Hassle - Hurtful (Watch the video for the song hereDownload the song here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXAbXYE8iQk )

You can download the latest show directly here:
http://76.163.12.179/2011-09-09_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 9, 2011
TALK - Theme
Erik Hassle - Hurtful
Kidstreet - Crazy (C)
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffitti - Round And Round
The Chambers Brothers - Uptown
Kool And The Gang - Ladies Night
TALK
Cults - Bumper
Real Estate - It's Real
TV Girl - Baby You WereThere
Smith Westerns - Still New
Here We Go Magic - Collector
TALK
Burning Hearts - Into The Wilderness
Jane Pow - Sophia Green
The Definite Article - Six Foot Two And Real
The Andersen Tapes - Visual Explanations
The Momeraths - The Boyfriend Song
TALK - Random Ending
Sloan - Everything You've Done Wrong

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