shoes are for work

booooo2

2009-10-18T15:13:00.003-06:00

Trick or Treat? You decide; we took a break from talking this episode to bring you more than an hour of great music. Some of it's local, some of it's spooky, some of it is just plain fun. Shamon.

mp3 shoebox
SAFW Podcast~Episode 23

To subscribe in iTunes - click the "Advanced" menu then choose "Subscribe to Podcast" in the dialogue box type "http://shoesareforwork.libsyn.com/rss"

tracklist:
BETTY DAVIS - Talkin Trash
HUNX & HIS PUNX - You Don't Like Rock & Roll
KURT VILE - Freak Train
WHY? - This Blackest Purse
A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS - In Your Heart
MISSION OF BURMA - 1,2,3, Partyy!
BUILT TO SPILL - Pat
THE SOUND - The Fire
MILES BENJAMIN ANTHONY ROBINSON - The Sound
ISLANDS - Vapours
ANTI-POP CONSORTIUM - Volcano
THAO WITH THE GET DOWN STAY DOWN - Know Better Learn Faster
FLAMING LIPS - Worm Mountain
EARLY BEAT - Lightning Bug
RUM FELLOWS - Bully In The Alley
MEAN SPIRITS - Lon Chaney
HOPE SANDOVAL & THE WARM INVENTIONS - Blanchard
DEAD MAN'S BONES - My Body's a Zombie For You

nice legs

2009-09-07T12:52:00.003-06:00

This episode is pretty large. Lots of new releases and some great gateway music. With summer winding down, looks like we may be able to be a little more frequent. Hope you enjoy.

mp3 shoebox
SAFW Podcast~Episode 22

To subscribe in iTunes - click the "Advanced" menu then choose "Subscribe to Podcast" in the dialogue box type "http://shoesareforwork.libsyn.com/rss"

tracklist:
OS MUTANTES - Teclar
CIRCULATORY SYSTEM - Round Again
DAVID BAZAN - Bless This Mess
IMOGENE HEAP - First Train Home
SIX ORGANS OF ADMITTANCE - Bar-Nasha
ARCTIC MONKEYS - Crying Lightning
PISSED JEANS - Dream Smotherer
EL PASO HOT BUTTON - Runner
MT. EERIE - Stone's Ode
REIGNING SOUND - Debris
VIVIAN GIRLS - Can't Get Over You
FLAMING LIPS -Kuhndalini Express
KITTY, DAISY, & LEWIS - Mean Son Of a Gun

!!!GATEWAY DRUGS!!!
DEAD KENNEDYS - Terminal Preppie/Moral Majority
BEDHEAD - Crushing
music under talking - Inglorious Basterds OST

hot in herrre

2009-08-09T16:41:00.003-06:00

It's summer and things slowed down, but Tom & Will have managed to piece together a few new releases for your hot night listening.

mp3 shoebox
SAFW~Podcast Episode 21

To subscribe in iTunes - click the "Advanced" menu then choose "Subscribe to Podcast" in the dialogue box type "http://shoesareforwork.libsyn.com/rss"

tracklist:
STARLIGHT MINTS - Paralyzed
COLD CAVE - The Trees Grew And Emotions Died
FRUIT BATS - My Unusual Friend
JULIAN PLENTI - Games For Days
DRUG RUG - Never Tell
JAY REATARD - It Ain't Gonna Save Me
NURSES - Caterpillar Playground
HATCHAM SOCIAL - Crocodile
GANGLIANS - Valient Brave
TINY VIPERS - Dreamer
TY SEGALL - Standing At The Station
AMANDA BLANK - Make Up

!!!GATEWAY DRUGS!!!
Prince - Sister
Nar - Cool District

yeah yeah

2009-06-28T09:43:00.003-06:00

Despite the relentlessness of Jazz In June and the onslaught of dead celebrities, Tom, Will, and Travis have put together another episode of recent releases.

To subscribe in iTunes - click the "Advanced" menu then choose "Subscribe to Podcast" in the dialogue box type "http://shoesareforwork.libsyn.com/rss"

mp3 shoebox
SAFW Podcast~Episode 20

Tracklist:
SUNSET RUBDOWN - Idiot Heart
LIECHTENSTEIN - All At Once
WILCO (the band) - Wilco (The Song)
REGINA SPEKTOR - Laughing With
TORTOISE - Prepare Your Coffin
BUSDRIVER - Me-Time (With Pulmonary Palimpsets)
DIRTY PROJECTORS - Stillness Is The Move
DINOSAUR JR. - Over It
SONIC YOUTH - Sacred Trickster
GOD HELP THE GIRL - Come Monday Night

++!!GATEWAY DRUGS!!++
DOSH - Naoise
Yé-yé GIRLS - FRANCOISE HARDY - Tous Les Garçons Et Les Filles

with background noise from CHUCK, THE SECRET STARS, THE FIELD

campers

2009-06-04T08:06:00.002-06:00

It was time for a field trip. Will, Tom, and Travis take it outdoors for this episode. To subscribe in iTunes - click the "Advanced" menu then choose "Subscribe to Podcast" in the dialogue box type "http://shoesareforwork.libsyn.com/rss"

mp3 shoebox
SAFW Podcast~Episode19

GRIZZLY BEAR - Cheerleader
TYVEK - Hey Una
BLANK DOGS - Blue Light
THE INTELLIGENCE - Thank You God For Fixing The Tape Machine
THE WARLOCKS - Red Camera
CLUES - Perfect Fit
BLACK MOTH SUPER RAINBOW - Born On A Day the Sun Didn't Rise
STARDEATH & WHITE DWARFS - Age Of The Freak
POINT JUNCTION, WA - Sick On Sugar
NAOMI SHELTON & THE GOSPEL QUEENS - What Have You Done?
PISCES - Dear One
SIR RICHARD BISHOP - Kaddak El Mayass
IGGY POP - I Want To go To The Beach
LOXSLY - Battalions
playing in the background during talking because it's so fucking long
SUNNO))) - Alice

liars

2009-06-04T08:03:00.002-06:00

Tom, Will, And Travis are back with some bombastic half truths and hyperbolic narratives.

mp3 shoebox
SAFW Podcast~Episode 18

tracklist:
MEAT PUPPETS - Rotten Shame
JARVIS COCKER - I Never Said I Was Deep
JEFFREY LEWIS & THE JUNKYARD - To Be Objectified
BRICOLAGE - Bayonets
VASELINES - You Think You're A Man
THE WOODEN BIRDS - False Alarm
PASSION PIT - Little Secrets
JABEE - Little Earth feat. L.E.G.A.C.Y and Ob-one
I AND I- The Top
SAMANTHA CRAIN & THE MIDNIGHT SHIVERS - Long Division
JORGE BEN - Ponta De Lança Africano (Umbabarauma)
JOHN VANDERSLICE - Fetal Horses

++GATEWAY DRUGS++
PULP - Do You Remember The First Time?
UNWOUND - Petals Like Bricks
WIPERS - Over The Edge

this is sooo creepy

2009-05-01T17:42:00.002-06:00

The new SAFW podcast is up and ready for download. Travis, Tom, & Will get a special surprise visitor & play new tracks from recent album releases!
You can avoid downloading manually by going to the Advanced menu in you iTunes and choosing "Subscribe to Podcast". Type (or cut and paste) http://shoesareforwork.libsyn.com/rss in the little ol' box and it'll all be automatic from here on out.

Tracklist:
PEACHES -Serpentine
AKRON/FAMILY - Creatures
ST. VINCENT - The Strangers
GREAT NORTHERN - Fingers
SILVERSUN PICKUPS - Panic Switch
MICACHU - Just In Case
ART BRUT - Slap Dash For No Cash
MIKA MIKO - Sex Jazz
THEE OH SEES - Enemy Destruct
WOODEN SHJIPS - For So Long
PINK MOUNTAINTOPS - While We Were Dreaming
JOKER'S DAUGHTER - Under The Influence Of Jaffa Cakes
CAMERA OBSCURA - French Navy

!!GATEWAY DRUGS!!
THE REPLACEMENTS - Kiss Me On The Bus
THEE OH SEES - If I Had A Reason

mp3 shoebox
SAFW Podcast ~ Episode 17

sweet sixteen norman music festival edition

2009-04-06T10:39:00.003-06:00

It took some work, but Will and Tom have put together a podcast of select artists from the 2nd Norman Music Festival line-up. With more than five stages and 70+ acts, this is going to blow away last year's party on Main Street. Plan on making a day of it April 25th.

mp3 shoebox
SAFW Podcast~Episode 16 Norman Music Festival Edition

tracklist:
EL PASO HOT BUTTON - Strobelight Honey
STUDENT FILM - Ye Tremble, Carcass?
MAN MAN - Ballad Of Butter Beans
STARLIGHT MINTS- Popsicle
OF MONTREAL - Beware Our Nubile Miscreants
STARDEATH & WHITE DWARFS - Chemical
UGLYSUIT -...And We Became Sunshine
BILLY JOE SHAVER - Thunderbird
LOCUST AVENUE - Frenzy
RAINBOWS ARE FREE - Crystal Ball
SUGAR & GOLD - Sex in the City
DORIAN SMALL - Newlyweds
TEA LEAF GREEN - Red Ribbons
EARLY BEAT - Back & Forth
CROCODILE - We Speak For Everyone

this stuff is horrible

2009-04-02T18:36:00.002-06:00

Here it is, seems like forever since we recorded last. Episode 15 is chock full of music we don't like. Not really, there's a lot of good stuff packed into this one.

mp3 shoebox
SAFW Podcast~Episode 15

psst...tracklist in comments

denopolis

2009-03-16T07:22:00.003-06:00

Efterklang are joined by Human Highway (w/ Nick from Islands) in a Danish invasion of the Opolis tonight as they make their way to SXSW with some 1200 other bands. I expect that there will be upwards of 7-8 people on stage as Efterklang, who make their home in Copenhagen, bring their unique mix of Sigur Ros (was that too easy?) and Arcade Fire to Opolis's smallish room. This will definitely be something to see and remember and one hell of a nice kick off to your Spring Break week. Get there early - you don't want to miss Human Highway!

mp3 shoebox
Efterklang~Mirador
Efterklang~Cutting Ice To Snow
Efterklang~Towards The Bare Hill
Efterklang~Monopolist
Human Highway~The Sound

fun with furrys

2009-03-09T09:00:00.002-06:00

Portland sextet, Blitzen Trapper, make a return visit to the Opolis tonight. Their latest album Furr has been a huge success what with its catchy tunes and all.
Also playing tonight is psych folky singer songwriter, Alela Diane. Her latest album, To Be Still, was just released on Rough Trade. We played a song from the album on podcast Episode 13 or you can take a listen below.
I can't think of any reason you shouldn't be there tonight, so go already. You may want to pick up advance tickets for this one - check Guestroom Norman early today (they may be gone already).

mp3 shoebox
Blitzen Trapper~Gold For Bread
Blitzen Trapper~Furr
Alela Diane~White As Diamonds

your socks are slipping

2009-03-08T21:23:00.004-06:00

Ahhhh - Episode 14 of the SAFW Podcast is now living. Take a listen then buy some music. I dare you.

mp3 shoebox
SAFW Podcast~Episode 14

tracklist in comments.

told you i was going to do show previews

2009-02-27T09:07:00.005-06:00

photo by xian pitt

Tomorrow's a big day, well night anyway. It's the first Starlight Mints show that I can remember in a while. Think of it as a dress rehearsal for their upcoming tour to support the new album (now being wrapped up) and their big stage show at the Norman Music Festival in April. There's a new direction in the new songs for the Starlight Mints and I can't wait to hear these songs live at the Opolis.
Opening the night is Crocodile, one of my favorite local bands. They've started to get some recognition beyond Oklahoma and are playing a showcase at SXSW next month. The family ties trio are also working on recording a new album as the follow-up to their well recieved EP, The Great Depression.
Tickets for the show are availible at Guestroom Norman (no surcharge) and OKCTickets.com (ridiculous surcharge).

mp3 shoebox
Crocodile ~ August Is Over
Starlight Mints ~Pumpkin
Starlight Mints ~ Inside Of Me
*sorry kids, you have to go to the show to hear the new ones!

deathisode 13

2009-02-23T15:30:00.003-06:00

Episode 13 of the podcast is live and we got a special friend with us this time!
Tracklist:
Dark Was The Night/The National - So Far Around the Bend
Morrissey - I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris
...And You Will Know us By the Trail Of Dead - Isis Unveiled
Alela Diane - White Diamonds
Vetiver - Everyday
Asobi Seksu - Me & Mary
Black Lips - Short Fuse
Psapp - The Monster Song
Sholi - Tourniquet
Mi Ami - New Guitar
Odd Nosdam - Fly Mode
Abe Vigoda - Don't Lie
Iran - I Can See the Future

GATEWAY DRUGS!
Sheffield synth pop
Cabaret Voltaire - Kino

Touch & Go is closing!
Jesus Lizard - Thumbscrews

RIP Lux Interior
The Cramps - Green Fuzz

mp3 shoebox
SAFW Podcast ~ Episode 13

it's been 10 years since this podcast was this good

2009-02-11T09:57:00.003-06:00

Look kids! It's Episode 12 of the SAFW podcast!

mp3 shoebox
SAFW Podcast ~ Episode 12
tracklist in comments

keep it smooth

2009-01-19T10:53:00.003-06:00

Here comes Episode 11 of the podcast. Keep the fire; keep it smooth. Here are a few new releases from the last week or so and an introduction to a very special man.
Tracklist is in comments.

mp3 shoebox
SAFW Podcast - Episode 11

Episode 10

2008-12-29T10:16:00.004-06:00

It's about bleedin' time. A new episode of the podcast is now up. Number ten - packed with best of the year goodness!

Tracklist in comments.

mp3 shoebox
SAFW Podcast ~ Episode 10

doing it anyway, you bastards

2008-11-21T19:50:00.003-06:00

There's a new podcast ready for your lovin'.

mp3 shoebox
SAFW Podcast ~ Episode 9

tracklist in the comments

DCMA wiped me out!

2008-11-07T17:07:00.002-06:00

Hey there. Apparently, I don't have permission to play things on the podcast that are sent to me with the express intention that I share them. Thus, to cover their own asses, blogger has removed the post from this site that had the last podcast (episode8) on it.
If you want a link to the podcast, hit me up in an email and it shall be yours.
This really pisses me off. More so because I haven't been told what track was the cause of the alleged offense, only that something was and now the post is gone. You can't see it. I can't see it.
If you are the jerks who think I don;t have the permission you or your representation gave me - email me and I will fix it. It says so right over there in the space under the picture of shoes. Email me and I will remove whatever you want without asking any questions or argument.

btw, I suspect it was bloc party.

again

2008-11-05T10:08:00.000-06:00

AMERICA AGAIN.

Let America Be America Again

by Langston Hughes

Let America be America again.
Let it be the dream it used to be.
Let it be the pioneer on the plain
Seeking a home where he himself is free.

(America never was America to me.)

Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed—
Let it be that great strong land of love
Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme
That any man be crushed by one above.

(It never was America to me.)

O, let my land be a land where Liberty
Is crowned with no false patriotic wreath,
But opportunity is real, and life is free,
Equality is in the air we breathe.

(There's never been equality for me,
Nor freedom in this "homeland of the free.")

Say, who are you that mumbles in the dark?
And who are you that draws your veil across the stars?

I am the poor white, fooled and pushed apart,
I am the Negro bearing slavery's scars.
I am the red man driven from the land,
I am the immigrant clutching the hope I seek—
And finding only the same old stupid plan
Of dog eat dog, of mighty crush the weak.

I am the young man, full of strength and hope,
Tangled in that ancient endless chain
Of profit, power, gain, of grab the land!
Of grab the gold! Of grab the ways of satisfying need!
Of work the men! Of take the pay!
Of owning everything for one's own greed!

I am the farmer, bondsman to the soil.
I am the worker sold to the machine.
I am the Negro, servant to you all.
I am the people, humble, hungry, mean—
Hungry yet today despite the dream.
Beaten yet today—O, Pioneers!
I am the man who never got ahead,
The poorest worker bartered through the years.

Yet I'm the one who dreamt our basic dream
In the Old World while still a serf of kings,
Who dreamt a dream so strong, so brave, so true,
That even yet its mighty daring sings
In every brick and stone, in every furrow turned
That's made America the land it has become.
O, I'm the man who sailed those early seas
In search of what I meant to be my home—
For I'm the one who left dark Ireland's shore,
And Poland's plain, and England's grassy lea,
And torn from Black Africa's strand I came
To build a "homeland of the free."

The free?

Who said the free? Not me?
Surely not me? The millions on relief today?
The millions shot down when we strike?
The millions who have nothing for our pay?
For all the dreams we've dreamed
And all the songs we've sung
And all the hopes we've held
And all the flags we've hung,
The millions who have nothing for our pay—
Except the dream that's almost dead today.

O, let America be America again—
The land that never has been yet—
And yet must be—the land where every man is free.
The land that's mine—the poor man's, Indian's, Negro's, ME—
Who made America,
Whose sweat and blood, whose faith and pain,
Whose hand at the foundry, whose plow in the rain,
Must bring back our mighty dream again.

Sure, call me any ugly name you choose—
The steel of freedom does not stain.
From those who live like leeches on the people's lives,
We must take back our land again,
America!

O, yes,
I say it plain,
America never was America to me,
And yet I swear this oath—
America will be!

Out of the rack and ruin of our gangster death,
The rape and rot of graft, and stealth, and lies,
We, the people, must redeem
The land, the mines, the plants, the rivers.
The mountains and the endless plain—
All, all the stretch of these great green states—
And make America again!

capital vice 7

2008-10-31T06:48:00.003-06:00

Looky there (p.76 or so)! We got mentioned twice in the new issue of Oklahoma Magazine. I am forced to admit, despite my snarky attitude and my general disdain for that publication, I kinda dig the local acknowledgment and it's good to see the larger piece on Ryan and the work he does with Oklahoma Rock.com.

Back to matters at hand...
Tonight, in a room sure to be crowed with ironic and witty-esque costumes, Magnolia Electric Co. plays the Opolis. This is the second night of Hallopolis, the first was last night and my review for that show which featured local heroes, Evangelicals, doesn't exist because I was kept away by evil forces. Allergies. Bad, bad allergies.
Magnolia Electric Co. is fronted by one Jason Molina. Molina seems to always be touring and is one of the most prolific songwriters I know. Evidence of such can be found in last year's Sojourner Box Set which contains four complete albums from which he wittled 2006's Fading Trails release. He also has a collaborative project with Will Johnson (Centro-Matic) scheduled for release early next year as well as post-tour recording for a new Magnolia Electric Co.. This guy never stops. Magnolia has a powerful Neil Young vibe driven by Molina's soulful voice and guitar work alternating between crunchy and delicate. Tonight is guaranteed to be a spectacular evening...see you at the Opolis.

mp3 shoebox
Magnolia Electric Co.~The Dark Don't Hide It
Magnolia Electric Co.~Lonesome Valley
Magnolia Electric Co.~Doing Something Wrong
Magnolia Electric Co.~Farewell Transmission

flatliners

2008-10-28T08:44:00.002-06:00

It's official, Wired has declared that blogs are dead. In order to bring myself into compliance, I am killing off Shoes Are For Work. Sort of.
We (I) will now narrow our (my) focus, only posting local show recaps or previews and podcast updates. The music that is usually here will now only be found in those two contexts. Look for a new format and logo/banner to accompany this new focus as well. You know how the death card in a tarot deck isn't all bad? Well, this'll be like that.
mp3 shoebox
Bloc Party - Trojan Horse

first of several changes

2008-10-24T06:49:00.002-06:00

It's been two weeks and we're back with a nice dose of healing for your ails. Not only that, but we've added a new segment! Change is everywhere.
This episode's tracks:
Deerhoof - Offend Maggie
Japanese Motors - Better Trends
Jay Reatard - Always Wanting More
Giant Sand - Belly Full Of Fire"
I'm From Barcelona - Ophelia
Tobacco - Dirt (ft. Aesop Rock)
The Dears - Money Babies
Sebastian Grainger - Who Do We Care For?
Jolie Holland - Mexico City
Of Montreal - Id Engager
Pit Er Pat - Evacuation Days
Parts & Labor - Nowheres Nigh
White Hinterland - Chant De Grillon
++Gateway Drugs++
Buzzcocks - What Do I Get
Kind Of Like Spitting - When I'm Gone

mp3 shoebox
SAFW Podcast~Episode 7
Sebastian Grainger~American Names
Electric Six~Formula 409
Secret Machines~Atomic Heels
BMSR~Happy Melted City

garden party

2008-10-07T08:43:00.002-06:00

Tomorrow the Opolis presents mr. Gnome and locals, Junebug Spade. mr. Gnome jumped into the #1 blogged about band with their release of "Pirates" from their latest album and have an intriguing mix of Pelican, PJ Harvey, and Blonde Redhead in their sound. I think you need to check this show...

Guitarist/vocalist Nicole Barille and drummer Sam Meister began experimenting a few years ago with a sound based on minimalist instrumentation and the rigid dichotomy of soft vs. loud and masculine vs. feminine. Within a year, the two released their first EP, Echoes On The Ground, and were touring the regional circuit. Their second EP, self-titled (Mr. Gnome), was released in November of 2006 and the two, having hooked up with Lost Barrio Artists, a booking agency based out of Tucson, AZ now found themselves touring nationally. After completing their first two national tours, Barille and Meister found it hard to go back to the daily grind and felt an immediate urgency to continue traveling the countryside.

With the road calling, Barille and Meister ditched their belongings in a storage space and temporarily parted ways with the Midwest. mr. Gnome, an officially homeless band, began touring the United States, living out of a van and sleeping on random couches for the second part of 2007. With a handful of new material in their set list, the two used practice spots along the way to complete the writing of their new creation and by the force of their journey, discovered both Larry Crane’s Jackpot Studios (Elliott Smith, Cat Power, The Shins, The Decemberists) in Portland, Oregon and Craig Schumacher’s Wavelab Studios (Calexico, DeVotchka, Neko Case, Animal Collective) in Tucson, Arizona where they recorded their first full-length album with engineers Kendra Lynn, and Chris Schultz. mr. Gnome headed back to Cleveland to put the finishing touches on their album at Ante Up Audio (Bone Thugs N’ Harmony, Tori Amos, Guided By Voices) working with Michael Seifert. The album was then mixed at Butch Vig’s Smart Studios in Madison, Wisconsin by Beau Sorenson (Death Cab For Cutie).

mp3 shoebox
mr. Gnome ~ Pirates
mr. Gnome ~ Rabbit
mr. Gnome ~ Night Of The Crickets
viddy:

can't get it right

2008-10-06T07:43:00.002-06:00

Hey look! It's a new post. This one is for the podcast. I had some bandwidth trouble a week or so ago and have been too lazy to make things happen on this page. As some sort of poorly conceived consolation, I offer Episode 6 of the SAFW Podcast.
Tom and I have a boatload of new releases in this episode.

tracklist:
TV On The Radio - Dancing Choose (Prefuse73 remix)
Jobriath - I'm A Man
Cold War Kids - Something Is Not Right With Me
Pica Beats - Hope, was Not A Smith Family Tradition
Yelle - Je Veux Te Voir
Jenny Lewis - Acid Tongue
Emiliana Torriini - Big Jumps
Dungen - Finns Det Nagon Mojlighet
Joseph Arthur & The Lonely Astronauts - Faith
Dear And The Headlights - I'm Not Crying, You're Not Crying, Are You?
Mogwai - Batcat
Polysics - イロトカゲ
Vivian Girls - Such A Joke
Fucked Up - Crooked Head
Department Of Eagles - No One Does It
Women - Black Rice
Margot & The Nuclear So And So's - Holy Cow!

mp3 shoebox
SAFW Podcast~Episode 6
Dungen ~ Set Att Se
Beaujolais ~ Friday The Thirteenth: The Loft
Western States Motel ~ Oh World
Mercury Rev ~ Senses On Fire
Koushik ~ Lying In The Sun 2