What’s On The Box #6 January 31, 2007
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Well first of all the good is that’s there’s a new edition of the Signal on its way to Radio Magnetic very soon!
In the meantime here’s a classic cathode ray clip of one of the true pioneers of 20th Century music. On Christmas Day we said goodbye to the Godfather of Soul, James Brown – always the hardest working man in showbiz. I’ll be picking out some fave JB material on the next show, but to keep your dancing feet moving till then, here’s a clip of the great man groovin’ to “Mother Popcorn”…
Singles And Albums Of The Year 2006 December 31, 2006
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Well despite the promises below unfortunately technical difficulties have put paid to both our Signal Christmas party and end of year round-up! I haven’t been able to put together the planned shows, but thought I’d post our list of favourite singles and albums of 2006 here.
Not sure when the first Signal of 2007 will be online – hopefully sometime in January. There’s loads of great music coming up plus a few interviews stashed away that are overdue their broadcast so still plenty to look forward to.
Meantime here’s the end of year countdown. Any thoughts or lists of your own very welcome!
The Signal’s Top 20 Singles Of The Year 2006
- CAMERA OBSCURA – Lloyd, I’m Ready To Be Heartbroken
- PETER BJORN AND JOHN – Young Folks
- THE BE BE SEE – You K Gold
- THE LONG BLONDES – Weekend Without Make-Up
- THE GOSSIP – Standing In The Way Of Control
- JARVIS COCKER – Running The World
- HOT CHIP – Over And Over
- JUSTICE VS SIMIAN – We Are Your Friends
- LOVE IS ALL – Busy Doing Nothing
- BONNIE PRINCE BILLY – Cursed Sleep
- CSS – Let’s Make Love And Listen To Death From Above
- THE RAPTURE – Get Myself Into It
- BELLE & SEBASTIAN – Funny Little Frog
- THE VIEW –Wasted Little DJs
- HOWLING BELLS – Setting Sun
- GNARLS BARKLEY – Crazy
- BE YOUR OWN PET – Adventure
- THE RIFLES – Repeated Offender
- YOUNG KNIVES – Weekends And Bleak Days
- THE ORGAN – Brother
The Signal’s Top 50 Albums Of The Year 2006
- JOAN AS POLICEWOMAN – Real Life
- LONG BLONDES – Someone To Drive You Home
- CAMERA OBSCURA – Let’s Get Out Of This Country
- EL PERRO
DEL MAR – El Perro
Del Mar - ARCTIC MONKEYS - Whatever People Say I Am That’s What I’m Not
- JARVIS – The Jarvis Cocker Record
- CAT POWER – The Greatest
- LOVE IS ALL – Nine Times That Same Song
- THE GRATES – Gravity Won’t Get You High
- OPPENHEIMER - Oppenheimer
- THE GOSSIP – Standing In the Way Of Control
- CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG – 5:55
- ROGERS SISTERS – The Invisible Deck
- MATTHEW SWEET & SUSANNAH HOFFS – Under The Covers Vol. 1
- THE RIFLES – No Love Lost
- BONNIE PRICE BILLY – The Letting Go
- M. CRAFT – Silver And Fire
- SPARKLEHORSE – Dreamt For Light Years In The Belly Of A Mountain
- ISOBEL CAMPBELL & MARK LANEGAN – Ballad Of The Broken Seas
- THE YOUNG KNIVES – Voices Of Animals And Men
- YO LA TENGO – I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass
- CSS – Cansei De Ser Sexy
- REGINA SPEKTOR – Begin To Hope
- PIPETTES – We Are The Pipettes
- THE RAPTURE – Pieces Of The People We Love
- COMET GAIN – City Fallen Leaves
- YEAH YEAH YEAHS – Show Your Bones
- GIANT DRAG – Hearts And Unicorns
- LADYFUZZ - Kerfuffle
- THE LIKE – Are You Thinking What I’m Thinking?
- THE ORGAN – Grab That Gun
- NICKY WIRE – I Killed The Zeitgeist
- GNARLS BARKLEY – St. Elsewhere
- HOT CHIP – The Warning
- THE CONCRETES – The Concretes In Colour
- BE YOUR OWN PET – Be Your Own Pet
- BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE – Broken Social Scene
- GRAHAM COXON – Love Travels At Illegal Speeds
- BELLE & SEBASTIAN – The Life Pursuit
- HOT CLUB DE
PARIS – Drop Til It Pops - THE LEMONHEADS – The Lemonheads
- GUILLEMOTS – Through A Window Pane
- PETER BJORN & JOHN – Writer’s Block
- HOWLING BELLS – Howling Bells
- RACONTEURS – Broken Boy Soldiers
- SEAN LENNON – Friendly Fire
- BECK – The Information
- CORTNEY TIDWELL – Don’t Let The Stars Keep Us Tangled Up
- SOL SEPPY – Bells Of 1 2
- ALBERT HAMMOND JR – Yours To Keep
A Christmas Gift For You from The Signal December 16, 2006
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Well it’s that time of year when the sleigh rides are in motion, snowmen called Frosty wrinkle their noses and I start to gorge myself on a Marshmallow World. It’s Cwistmus and The Signal on Radio Magnetic is celebrating with our Signal Office party. I’ll be at the decks spinning the alternative hits of Christmas past and present, with a few of the new singles that are released in December but not actually covered with tinsel. Plus we’ll have an interview with Mark Linkous from Sparklehorse and no doubt be scoffing a few too many mint matchmakers.
The Signal Christmas Special should be online on the next few days – watch out for the playlist here!
The Signal Show 2006-07 Playlist December 6, 2006
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featuring The Long Blondes and 1990s
The new edition of the Signal is online now! Just click the link above to hear the show.
On this edition of The Signal, Stuart Flanagan interviews two bands signed to Rough Trade Records who recently toured together, and features a competition to win a copy of The Long Blondes debut album.
The 1990s are a Glasgow 3 piece formed from the ashes of The Yummy Fur and V-Twin. Their debut full release on Rough Trade records is a stomping glam-rock disco-pop classic and the band’s debut album, produced by Bernard Butler, will be one of the early classics of 2007. 
The Long Blondes are one most exciting bands in the
UK, and are particular favourite with The Signal! The
Sheffield band’s long awaited debut album “Someone To Drive You Home” was finally released to rapturous acclaim in November 2006 and features 12 tales of kitchen sink drama laid to indie-disco melodies, managing to namecheck Edie Sedgewick, Billy Wilder and reference film noir along the way. We caught up with Screech from the band for a detailed look at the recording of the album.
Also we have classic pop moments from The Wombats, Jarvis Cocker and The Grates as well as classics from Chicks, The Jam and Gene, plus your chance to win a copy of The Long Blondes’ “Someone To Drive You Home”.
THE SIGNAL SHOW 2006-07
Featuring the 1990s and The Long Blondes Interviews & Competition1. THE WOMBATS – Moving To New York (Kids)
2. TOKYO POLICE CLUB – Nature Of The Experiment (Memphis Industries)
3. YO LA TENGO – Bean Bag Chair (Matador)
4. TUNNG – It’s Because We Got Hair (Full Time Hobby)
1990s Interview
5. 1990s – You’re Supposed To Be My Friend (Rough Trade)
6. 1990s – You Made Me Like It (Rough Trade)
7. THE GRATES – Science Is Golden (Polydor)
8. THE JAM – A Bomb In Wardour St (Polydor)
9. THE DIVINE COMEDY – “Three Cheers for Pooh, Cottleston Pie, Piglet Ho” (Rough Trade)
10. BELLE & SEBASTIAN – The Monkeys Are Breaking Out The Zoo (Rough Trade)
11. ROGERS SISTERS – Never Learn To Cry (Too Pure)
12. DE ROSA – Father’s Eyes (Chemikal Underground)
13. JARVIS COCKER – Fat Children (Rough Trade)
14. PULP – Tomorrow Never Dies (Island)
15. ISOBEL CAMPBELL – Willow’s Song (V2)
THE LONG BLONDES Interview
16. LONG BLONDES – Lust In The Movies (Rough Trade)
17. LONG BLONDES – Giddy Stratospheres (Rough Trade)
18. LONG BLONDES – Weekend Without Make-Up (Rough Trade)
19. LONG BLONDES – Only Lovers Left Alive (Rough Trade)
20. CHICKS – Let Me Go (Remo)
21. THE MOTORETTES – I Am Blister, I Am (Kitchenware)
22. THE TACTICIANS – Girls Grow Up Faster Than Boys (Dancing Giraffe)
23. GENE – Save Me, I’m Yours [BBC Session] (Polydor)
24. WE ARE SCIENTISTS – Hoppipolla [BBC Session] (Virgin)
25. CANSEI DER SEXY – Alala (Sub Pop)
What’s On the Box? #5 November 25, 2006
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The Be Be See – You K Gold [Video]
This time out there’s no time-travelling in our cathode ray jukebox – this is straight from the present day.
Sometimes you hear a song that you just can’t shake outta your head – infesting your brain like sticky treacle, you end up singing it to yerself all day. Such is the nature of The Be Be See’s You K Gold, the debut single from this London trio. It’s very probably one of the great releases of 2006 and the video suggests our heroes have perhaps got a fondness for the sublime Look Around You, especially the perfect first series.
Of course the true genius of this song is the octave leap from the second verse on – we present The Be Be See : punning their way to pop perfection.
The Signal Show 2006-06 Playlist November 17, 2006
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featuring THE PIPETTES Interview & Session & Competition
To listen to this edition of The Signal, click on the logo above and then click on Listen WMA Broadband or Dial-up.
This edition The Signal is proud to present an exclusive session from The Pipettes and an interview with all 3 girls from the band. The Pipettes’ session includes casio versions of 2 tracks from the debut album “We Are The Pipettes”, and Becky, Rosay and Gwenno joined us in the Signal Studio for a chat about their influences, songwriting and The Cassettes.
You can win a signed copy of the Pipettes’ “We Are The Pipettes” CD by listening in to the show and sending an email with your answer and contact details.
Also in this show we have amazing power pop from The Be Be See and Art Brut, as well as classic tunes from Billy Bragg and Pulp, plus the best tunes from our ever expanding new releases box!
1. 1990s – You’re Supposed To Be My Friend (Rough Trade)
2. ART BRUT – Nag Nag Nag Nag (Mute)
3. THE BE BE SEE – You K Gold (At Large)
4. THE MACCABEES – First Love (Fiction)
5. CAT POWER – Could We (Matador)
6. JOAN AS POLICEWOMAN – Christobel (Reveal Records)
7. DARTZ! – St Petersberg (XtraMile Recordings)
8. THE LONG BLONDES – Who Are You To Her? (Rough Trade)
9. BILLY BRAGG – Sexuality (Cooking Vinyl)
10. THE STYLE COUNCIL – A Solid Bond In Your Heart (Polydor)
11. THE YOUNG KNIVES – The Decision (Transgressive)
12. HOT CLUB DE PARIS – Sometimesitsbetternottostickbitofeachotherineachotherforeachother (Moshi Moshi)
13. VOXTROT – Soft & Warm (Playlouder)
14. FANFARLO – Talking Backwards (Fortuna Pop)
15. THROWING MUSES – Counting Backwards (4AD)
16. THE PIPETTES – We Are The Pipettes (Signal Session)
17. THE PIPETTES – Judy (Signal Session)
18. THE PIPETTES – I Love You (Memphis Industries)
19. YPPAH - Again With The Subtitles (Ninja Tune)
20. THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE QUEEN – Herculean (Parlophone)
21. GRAHAM COXON – Bloody Annoying (Parlophone)
22. BROADCAST – Where Youth And Laughter Go (Warp)
23. DUSTY SPRINGFIELD – I Close My Eyes And Count To Ten (Eclipse)
24. SPARKLEHORSE – Shade And Honey (EMI)
25. SOL SEPPY – Come Running (Gronland)
26. PULP – Mile End (Island)
27. ODEON BEAT CLUB – Last Gasp (Beat Club Recordings)
28. ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN – Silver (Korova)
29. NICKY WIRE – Break My Heart Slowly (Red Ink)
30. THE GOSSIP – Standing In The Way Of Control (Headman Remix) (Back Yard)
Thanks to the Pipettes for coming in to the studio to record an interview and a few session tracks for us. Becky, Gwenno, and Roasy recorded this session with their trusty Casio keyboard on the 2nd October 2006, before their gig in
Belfast that night.
In other news, thanks to my chums at Radio Indie Rock for giving The Signal a great write-up! Modesty doesn’t prevent me from reprinting their kind words here!
“As the old Radio Indie Rock was breathing its last, we came across a British DJ who was the best potential recruit I’d seen in years – Stuart Flanagan. Great taste in music, and put together a fine-sounding show. Problem was, we were shutting down the station.
But everything seems to have worked out, as Steven and I are still at it, and Stuart has now launched his own show, The Signal. Check it out – highly recommended.” Radio Indie Rock
What’s On The Box? #4 November 16, 2006
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Altered Images – Happy Birthday [Video]
Time to go square-eyed again and take a trip into pop’s past with our time-travelling jukebox. No explanation for today’s selection other than pure ecstatic happiness and self-indulgence! Here’s Altered Images and “Happy Birthday” from 1982…
Lee Hazlewood Special November 11, 2006
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Lee Hazlewood is a living legend. He’s a cowboy, a poet, a fool and a bum. He is everyman. He is also one of my heroes.
Lee’s about to release his final album “Cake Or Death”, a curtain call on magnificent life in music as performer, songwriter, DJ, producer and arranger. Born in Oklahoma in 1929, Lee moved to Phoenix in the 1950s to work as a radio presenter, before finding his true voice as a songwriter and producer. In subsequent years Lee has worked with some of the all time greats: he wrote songs for Duane Eddy, Nancy Sinatra, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Elvis Presley, was mentor and advisor to Phil Spector and Gram Parsons, and has inspired a host of musicians such as Tindersticks, Lambchop, Nick Cave, Jarvis Cocker and Sonic Youth.
His songs have given world-wisdom and white high-heeled boots to a generation of teenage girls, and navigated a thousand lonely cowboys through a million lonesome nights. And with a baritone voice that could melt your heart, he wasn’t a bad singer either.
Here at The Signal we’re preparing a special tribute to the genius of Lee Hazlewood. We’ll be featuring some of his best known songs, such as Nancy Sinatra’s These Boots Are Made For Walkin and How Does That Grab Ya Darlin’?, as well as many of his stunning duets with Nancy (Some Velvet Morning, Sand) and other muses such as Ann-Margret, and dipping into his wonderful selection of solo albums. Plus of course we’ll be featuring tracks from the brand new album and highlighting some of the best and most startling cover versions of Lee’s back catalogue.
I’d like to hear from fans of Lee Hazlewood around the world. I’d really like to hear your thoughts on Lee’s music and what makes it so special to you – which are your 
favourite songs, and why do think his music and songs stand the test of time?
Maybe you’re a fan of Lee’s voice and love to hear him cover other artists? Which Lee albums would you recommend to a new fan? Have you ever seen Lee play live? And any favourite covers of Lee’s songs?
Also I’m hoping to send a copy to Lee himself, so contact me if you
have a special message for the great man.
If you want to get in touch – email us at thesignal@radiomagnetic.SPAMcom (don’t forget to remove the SPAM!)
What’s On The Box? #3 November 9, 2006
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Shangri-Las – Give Him A Great Big Kiss [Live on Shindig!]
The latest edition of The Signal is completed and will be online soon! This time round we’ll have an interview with the Pipettes and 2 exclusive session tracks. The girls came to the Signal studio to record special Casio versions of “Judy” and We Are The Pipettes”!
Plus we’ll have a competition to win signed copies of the Pipettes’ debut album!
Meantime here’s some footage, courtesyof Youtube, of one of my favourite ever groups. We played a Shangri-Las rarity on the last show, but here’s chance to see them in action doing one of their best known hits. The 4 girls created a unique soundtrack to those heartbroken tears-down-your-face, croak-in-your-voice moments of your life with their swooping and stomping melodramapop.
Enjoy “Give Him A Great Big Kiss” from a 60s edition of ShinDig and always stay good-bad, but not evil.
The Signal Show 2006-05 Playlist October 29, 2006
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THE SIGNAL SHOW 2006-05
featuring RUSSIAN FUTURISTS Interview
- Our feature interview in this show is with Matthew Adam Hart from the Russian Futurists. The Toronto based singer songwriter has a distinctive indie-hip-hop mash-up sound, honed over the course of three self-produced albums since 2000. Memphis Industries have just released a compilation of tracks from these albums, entitled “Me Myself And Rye”. We caught up with Matthew before a recent gig in London.
- Don’t forget you can hear a full live set from the Russian Futurists at Radio Magnetic’s Live Circuit.
- Also in this show we feature brand new music from Jeremy Warmsley, Yo La Tengo and Clinic, catch up on some of our favourite recent releases, and get ourselves all excited about the new singles from Dead Disco and Sean Lennon!
1. THE RAPTURE – Get Myself Into It (Vertigo)
2. THE HUSSY’S – Napoleon Dynamite (Fat Cheerleader)
3. GUILLEMOTS – Trains To Brazil (Polydor)
4. JEREMY WARMSLEY – I Believe In The Way You Move (Transgressive)
5. TO MY BOY – I Am X-Ray (Abeano)
6. HELEN LOVE – Junk Shop Discotheque (Elefant)
RUSSIAN FUTURISTS INTERVIEW
7. RUSSIAN FUTURISTS – Paul Simon (Memphis Industries)
8. RUSSIAN FUTURISTS – Let’s Get Ready To Crumble (Memphis Industries)
9. YO LA TENGO – Mr. Tough (Matador)
10. ALBERT HAMMOND JR. – Everyone Gets A Star (Rough Trade)
11. SEAN LENNON – Dead Meat (EMI)
12. LONG BLONDES – Once And Never Again (Rough Trade)
13. THE YOUNG KNIVES – Another Hollow Line (Transgressive)
14. DEAD DISCO – Automatic (Fierce Panda)
15. THE TACTICIANS – London’s Alright (Dancing Giraffe)
16. THE CAGES – Out Of Control (www.myspace.com/thecagesband)
17. I’M FROM BARCELONA – Oversleeping (Interpop)
18. IDHA – Sweet September Rain (Creation)
19. BONNIE PRINCE BILLY – Love Comes To Me (Domino)
20. HOWLING BELLS – Setting Sun (Bella Union)
21. CAMERA OBSCURA – Let’s Get Out Of This Country (Elefant)
22. DR. DOG – I’ve Just Got To Tell You (Rough Trade)
23. SPARKLEHORSE – Don’t Take My Sunshine Away (EMI)
24. THE LA’S – Callin All [BBC Session] (Go! Discs)
25. THE HOUSEMARTINS – Over There [BBC Sessions] (Go Discs!)
26. CLINIC – Harvest (Domino)
27. SHANGRI-LAS – Bulldog (RPM)
28. HIDDEN CAMERAS – Awoo (Rough Trade)
29. CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG – The Songs That We Sing (Because Music)
30. SERGE GAINSBOURG – Initials B.B. (Mercury)
31. PULP – His ‘n Hers (Universal)
