5:4

(click HERE to listen)

Another week, another mixed bag of tunes ... and in the true spirit of mixing things up I've enlisted the help of a couple of listeners in choosing this weeks track list. I'm going to make "the Guest List" a weekly feature on the show because let's face it, there's a tonne of great music to be heard and not nearly enough time to listen to it all yourself. I'll feature 5 or so songs chosen by listeners along with a little blurb about why they dig those particular songs.

First up is the Port City duo of Shalala & Reef. Not much is known about these guys, but one thing is for sure... they LOVE the exclamation mark!!

I was asked to setup a list of five tunes that I wanted to showcase in this week's installment of Restless Radio, so I enlisted the help of my friend Reef to get'er done. Together we sat down and came up with six songs... not five like I was asked to but six! I just couldn't drop any tune off the final list. So here we go!

- We start things off with some Electropunk. Reef and I had the benefit of catching this band in Saint John (NB) at Elwoods. You Say Party! We Say Die!'s 'Monster' does not disappoint anyone who's looking to go out and hear something new!
- The follow-up is one off Reef's picks: 'Mama, won't you keep those castles in the air and burning' by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! I was a little reluctant with this song at first, but after listening to the build up throughout the song I couldn't help but want to put it in this list.
- Next up, an easy sleeper tune titled Not About To by Ruby Jean and the Thoughtful Bees. They hail from Halifax and I must say they do not disappoint whatsoever! Rebeckah Higgs's vocals fit this Folktronic tune perfectly.
- 'Nantes' by Beirut is Reef's next pick. I had this album on my computer but never really gave it a good listen until Reef pushed me to hear this particular song. I listened and was automatically sold right from the get go! Not to mention that Zach Condon (Beirut) recorded this entire album by himself on a Macbook! Reef directed me to watch this video of him playing in Paris on the street and I was in utter shock how it could sound so amazing.
- I wanted to follow it up with something upbeat so I threw the song Yes! Yes! Yes! by Newfoundland's own Hey Rosetta! If a band puts an exclamation mark at the end of their name they've gotta be rockin', right?
- Lastly, I have been really impressed with the new Wintersleep album 'Welcome to the Night Sky'. I chose the song 'Laser Beam' because its the one tune that really caught my attention from beginning to end without leaving me astray. A real solid tune.

Many thanks to Shalala & Reef. Nice work guys, not a dud in the bunch!

- This past week Radiohead performed via webcast from their rehersal/jam spot. They played songs from their new album 'In Rainbows' along with a few choice covers. A highlight of the show was the bands performance of the opening track to this weeks show, 'Jigsaw Falling Into Place'. Check out the video here. For a behind the scenes write up check out Adam Buxton's website.
- The Kings of Leon have been a Restless Radio favorite for years now and to be quite honest I'm not sure why it's taken me so long to feature a song of theirs on the show. As far as rock bands go these guys are the real deal. I'm partial to their sophomore release 'Aha Shake Heartbreak', but 'Camero' is taken from their most recent lp 'Because of the Times'. They've got a tight rhythm section and wear tight jeans ... rock 'n roll!
- The Black Keys are my 2nd favorite rock duo. They've released a bunch of great records over the past 5 years, but listening to them you'd think they had recorded their stuff in the early 70's in a garage somewhere. White-Bar-Blues.
- I'm a big Skydiggers fan, so I couldn't resist featuring one of their founding members again this week. Peter Cash was the principal songwriter for the Diggers in their early years, but after leaving the band he teamed up with his singer/songwriter brother Andrew in 1999 to form the Cash Brothers. This track appeared on their '01 release 'How Was Tomorrow'.
- Since starting this whole podcast thing I've revisited a lot of old favorites I hadn't listened to for a while, and one of those is Hayden. He has a knack for writing great songs and 'Hollywood Ending' is one of those songs.
- Elf Power's song 'An Old Familiar Scene' was sent to me by a listener who has really helped us out recently here at Restless Radio. Joey over at NicelyDunn fixed by broken XML link which was causing some problems for those trying to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes. The problem is now fixed so feel free to click the 'Subscribe' link in the upper right corner of the page to download all the newest shows directly into iTunes. Thanks again Joey!
- Herman Dune is one of those bands that grabs you and just won't let go. Originally from Sweden, these guys were part of the New York 'Anti-Folk' scene for a while before breaking out to a wider Euro audience thanks to legendary BBC radio host John Peel's love of their sound. Songwriting duties were originally shared by brothers David and Andre for their first 6 albums, sadly Andre left the band last year to pursue a solo career as 'Stanley Brinks' playing mostly in Germany. Nevertheless, the band continues to tour and are a fantastic live act. 'Going to Everglades' is from their Switzerland Heritage lp.
- I've been digging My Morning Jacket for sometime now and was lucky enough to see them live opening for Pearl Jam last year. Jim James has one of those unique rock 'n roll voices that is instantly recognizable and the band as a whole can lay down a groove like non other. Off the Record is from their album 'Z'.
- To cap off this weeks podcast I leave you with a great little number by Magnolia Electric Co. titled 'Hammer Down'. MEC is one of the many projects fronted by Jason Molina. This guy is about as prolific as you can get when it comes to songwriting and is so great at putting together a fantastic song. I often describe his full band sound to that of Neil Young & Crazy Horse... guitars, bass, drums, and a case full of soul.

May your weekend be a good one.
MD

track list
1. Jigsaw Falling Into Place - Radiohead
2. Camero - Kings of Leon
3. Black Door - the Black Keys
4. Nerve - the Cash Brothers
5. Hollywood Ending - Hayden
6. Monster - You Say Party! We Say Die! **
7. Mama, Won't you keep those Castles ... - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! **
8. Not About To - Ruby Jean and the Thoughtful Bees **
9. Nantes - Beirut **
10. Yes! Yes! Yes! - Hey Rosetta **
11. Laser Beams - Wintersleep **
12. An Old Familiar Scene - Elf Power
13. Going to Everglades - Herman Dune
14. Off the Record - My Morning Jacket
15. Hammer Down - Magnolia Electric Co.

** = Guest List picks