This Week’s Theme: 10-Year Anniversary (Music from 2011)
The last few Faux Shows have focused on older music, but this week’s show is set firmly in the 21st century. There are still some older songs mixed throughout, but 18 of the 30 tracks are from the year 2011. This is in no way a best of 2011 list. As usual, I have attempted to include a variety of genres and styles, and I’ve organized the songs into mini-themes when possible. Please enjoy a brief trip back into the recent past.
Welcome to Radio Faux Show number twenty-seven.
First things first – click a link to start listening and then come back to read about this week’s songs.
Theme Selections
Adele “Someone Like You”
Kiran Ahluwalia “Mustt Mustt”
Beastie Boys “Make Some Noise”
The Black Keys “Lonely Boy”
Down to the Bone “A Universal Vibe”
Elbow “lippy kids”
Gang of Four “You’ll Never Pay for the Farm”
Jay Z “Otis”
Mamani Keita “Gagner l’argent francais”
Sondre Lerche “Private Caller”
Ziggy Marley “Forward to Love”
The Mountain Goats “Damn These Vampires”
Radiohead “Lotus Flower”
Raphael Saadiq “Heart Attack”
They Might Be Giants “Can’t Keep Johnny Down”
Frank Turner “I Still Believe”
Vulfpeck “It Get’s Funkier”
Wilco “I Might”
Theme Highlights
Frank Turner’s fantastic ode to the power of rock and roll is a great way to start any playlist.
Adele’s 2nd album still impresses ten years later. “Rolling in the Deep” and “Someone Like You” were both #1 hits and made her album 21 the best selling album in the world for both 2011 and 2012.
You can read about The Mountain Goats in Radio Faux Show #18. Any day you listen to The Mountain Goats is a good day.
Any day you listen to Radiohead is a good day.
Any day you listen to Wilco is a good day.
Elbow is a band who should be incredibly famous but they just never got the attention they deserve outside of the UK. They had already put out four incredible albums by the time they released their 5th album in 2011. The three albums they released since then have hit #1 in the UK. They are still going strong after twenty years.
Artist of the Week: Bob Newhart
Laughter is the Best Medicine
Bob Newhart “An Infinite Number of Monkeys”: Before he became a television star, Bob Newhart was one of the most successful stand up comics in the US. His act featured one-sided phone conversations, a style of standup that goes back to vaudeville, and Newhart was a master. At one point in 1960, he had the top two albums on the Billboard pop charts for almost thirty weeks with The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart and The Button-Down Mind Strikes Back. The Button Down Mind is still the 20th best selling album in Billboard history and was the first comedy album to win a Grammy for Album of the Year.
Newhart turned his stand up success into a television show in 1972. The Bob Newhart Show aired for five years, is one of the most beloved shows ever produced, and is still hilarious fifty years later. In 1982, he starred in yet another hit tv show, Newhart, which ran for eight years and is just as beloved as his ’70s show. In both shows, his deadpan delivery allowed his costars to provide the punchlines, while his response would bring in the big laugh. He is a master of this technique, which was originated by comedians such as Jack Benny but perfected by Newhart.
In addition to his stand up comedy and tv career, Newhart has appeared in many films. Most notable are his roles as Major Major Major Major in 1970’s Catch-22 and as Papa Elf in 2003’s Elf. Newhart still works in television and is a living legend of American entertainment.
3 Chunks of Punk
Generation X “Ready, Steady, Go”: Before he let out a “Rebel Yell,” Billy Idol was lead singer for punk band Generation X. This is from their 1978 self-titled debut.
Gang of Four “You’ll Never Pay for the Farm” and “I Found That Essence Rare”: Gang of Four aren’t as famous as The Sex Pistols or The Clash, but their first full length album, Entertainment, is a flawless punk masterpiece. “I Found That Essence Rare” is one of many great tracks from Gang of Four’s influential 1979 debut. “You’ll Never Pay for the Farm” is from their 2011 album Content.
Happy Birthday (September 5)
Jesse James: Jesse James was an infamous outlaw and leader of the James-Younger gang. After less than honorable careers as confederate soldiers in the American Civil War, Jesse and his brother Frank spent the next 15 or so years robbing stagecoaches, banks, and trains. In general, Jesse James was a pretty horrible person, but his legend is not about the real man. He is the stuff from which folk music is made, and he is often characterized as a Robin Hood who fought for the rights of the less fortunate. The Kingston Trio’s “Jesse James” is a fairly traditional version of the 19th century folk song, while Warren Zevon’s “Frank and Jesse James” is an original composition from his self-titled 2nd album.
Sondre Lerche: Sondre Lerche is one of the best rock/pop artists you have never heard of.
John Cage: See Difficult Listening below.
Loudon Wainwright III: Loudon Wainwright III is a singer/songwriter who has released dozens of albums and appeared in several tv shows and films over his 50+ year career. “Dead Skunk” is my favorite of his songs.
Al Stewart: Al Stewart is a Scottish singer/songwriter who found massive success for a brief period in the late ’70s. “Year of the Cat” is the title track from his seventh and most popular album.
Bob Newhart: Bob Newhart is the Artist of the Week.
Mel Collins: Mel Collins is an extremely prolific session musician. He has played saxophone and flute on hundreds of recordings for dozens of artists, most famously for King Crimson in the early ’70s and then later in the band’s 21st century incarnation.
Freddie Mercury: Freddie Mercury was the lead songer of Queen from their inception until his death in 1991. He is an iconic lead vocalist and Queen are one of my favorite acts.
John Stewart: By the time John Stewart joined The Kingston Trio in 1961 they were already a popular folk act, and they remained popular for the six years he was with the band. He played banjo and guitar for the band until the original members decided to move on in 1967. In addition to his time with The Kingston Trio, Stewart was a prolific songwriter and solo artist. During his 40-year career he recorded almost 50 records and wrote songs for many artists. His best selling song as a solo artist was in 1979, a #5 hit called “Gold.” He also wrote the Monkee’s hit “Daydream Believer.”
Let’s Take a Trip Around the World (in 2011)
This week’s trip around the world includes four songs from 2011.
India
Kiran Ahluwalia “Mustt Mustt”: Kiran Ahluwalia is an award-winning singer who has been performing for the last twenty years. This song is from her fifth album, Aam Zameen – Common Ground.
Mali
Mamani Keita “Gagner l’argent francais”: Mamani Keita is a vocalist who has released four albums over the last twenty years. This song is the title track from her third album.
Jamaica
Ziggy Marley “Forward to Love”: Ziggy Marley is Bob and Rita Marley’s son. He has many great records. This is from his 2011 album Wild and Free.
Norway
Sondre Lerche “Private Caller”: Sondre Lerche has released dozens of albums, EPs, and singles over the last twenty years. His music incorporates rock, pop, jazz, and other styles. He is one of those artists who can write extremely catchy hooks, beautiful melodies, and quiet ballads, and he does it all well. This song is from his self-titled seventh album.
Hits
Adele “Someone Like You”
Loudon Wainwright III “Dead Skunk”
Al Stewart “Year of the Cat”
Queen “Somebody to Love”
2 for “Two”day
Gang of Four “You’ll Never Pay for the Farm” and “I Found That Essence Rare”
Queen “Brighton Rock” and “Somebody to Love”
Difficult Listening
“Music is all around us, if only we had ears. There would be no need for concert halls if man could only learn to enjoy the sounds which envelop him, for example at 7th and Broadway at 4pm on a rainy day.” – John Cage
John Cage “Performance Introduction” and “Excerpts – 7pm to 8pm”: John Cage is one of the most important composers of avant-garde music in the 20th century. One could write chapters attempting to explain his works and influence (many have), so let’s just say that any serious understanding of experimentation in music, especially live performance and recording, must begin with an understanding of the work of John Cage. “Performance Introduction” and “Excerpts – 7pm to 8pm” are an explanation of the recorded performance he called Variations IV and the first excerpt of that performance.
3 Chunks of Funk
All three chunks of funk are from 2011.
Vulfpeck “It Get’s Funkier”: This track is from Vulfpeck’s debut EP. Great neo-funk, and they only get better after this.
Down to the Bone “A Universal Vibe”: I discovered this artist while compiling this week’s show. They remind me a lot of Snarky Puppy, one of the Faux Household’s favorites, and they appear to be a UK equivalent. They are called “the kings of UK jazz groove” and Snarky Puppy could easily be called the US kings of jazz groove. The vibes kick this one off nicely and the drummer gets deep in the pocket.
Raphael Saadiq “Heart Attack”: Raphael Saadiq was a member of Tony! Toni! Tone! before going solo. This track from his album Stone Rollin’ kept the Faux household bouncing all over the place ten years ago. Stone Rollin’ is his fourth album, and a great retro-Motown recording.
The Get Down
Jay Z and Kanye West “Otis”: To be honest, I am not a fan of either of these artists, although I understand how important and influential they both are. However, I’ll listen to them rap all day long if they use a classic Otis Redding song as their breakbeat.
Beastie Boys “Make Some Noise”: This is from the band’s last album, which was released just before MCA died in 2012.
Thanks for listening (and reading!)
Track List
| Track | Artist | Song Title |
| 1 | Frank Turner | I Still Believe |
| 2 | Generation X | Ready, Steady, Go |
| 3 | Gang of Four | You’ll Never Pay for the Farm |
| 4 | Gang of Four | I Found That Essence Rare |
| 5 | The Black Keys | Lonely Boy |
| 6 | Adele | Someone Like You |
| 7 | Radiohead | Lotus Flower |
| 8 | Elbow | lippy kids |
| 9 | King Crimson | Cadence and Cascade |
| 10 | Kiran Ahluwalia (featuring Tinariwen) | Mustt Mustt |
| 11 | Mamani Keita | Gagner l’argent francais |
| 12 | Ziggy Marley | Forward to Love |
| 13 | Sondre Lerche | Private Caller |
| 14 | Wilco | I Might |
| 15 | They Might Be Giants | Can’t Keep Johnny Down |
| 16 | Bob Newhart | An Infinite Number of Monkeys |
| 17 | John Cage | Performance Introduction |
| 18 | John Cage | Excerpts – 7pm to 8pm |
| 19 | The Kingston Trio | Jesse James |
| 20 | Warren Zevon | Frank and Jesse James |
| 21 | Loudon Wainwright III | Dead Skunk |
| 22 | Al Stewart | Year of the Cat |
| 23 | The Mountain Goats | Damn These Vampires |
| 24 | Vulfpeck | It Get’s Funkier |
| 25 | Down to the Bone | A Universal Vibe |
| 26 | Raphael Saadiq | Heart Attack |
| 27 | Jay Z and Kanye West | Otis |
| 28 | Beastie Boys | Make Some Noise |
| 29 | Queen | Brighton Rock |
| 30 | Queen | Somebody to Love |
The Radio Faux Show 
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