Tuesday Ramblings from BTR’s Program Director

We had a great session with Gold Streets last night! I’m excited about this band, and their new album is being released next week on 8 x 8 Records. Next Thursday they’re playing a CD release show at Crash Mansion with some other BTR favorites. More on them later! You’ll be able to tune into BreakThru Radio soon to hear that live session.

We just got some tracks in from Matt The Electrician – looking forward to the DJs spinning those. Attention San Francisco area BTR listeners: Annuals are performing tonight (at Bimbos 365) and The Dollyrots will be at the Bottom of the Hill.

The bottom of a rather large hill. If you’ve been to that club, you know those 3 or 4 hills in Potrero Hill are pretty unbelievable. Maybe that seems like an obvious statement since SF is known for it’s hills, but seriously – there’s this one hill near Bottom of the Hill where you can see the whole city in front of you and then you keep driving and feel like you’re dropping off a cliff. Luckily it’s nice and sunny up on that hill, and you can look at the fog rolling out across the city. If I remember there’s a pretty good pizza place over there too – Goat Hill maybe?

But anyways, I digress. Kristin Hersh is here in New York City! It’s great to see so much new stuff happening with Miss Hersh. She’s a living legend in my book. Check out her tour blog here. BreakThru DJs have really been enjoying spinning new tracks from Learn To Sing Like A Star.

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Here are the highlights of what we’ve got airing on BreakThru Radio today, Tuesday April 24th:

1) DJ Emily’s Mix – Your favorite Tuesday DJ is spinning Pacemaker Jane, Vagabond Opera, Officer Flossie (our Artist of the week!), Someone Still Loves you Boris Yeltsin, Coppershot, Gotye, and more.

2) DJ Lottie’s Sideshow Acts – a brand new BTR show debuts at 12 noon today from Lottie. It’s pretty damn unique – klezmer music, gypsy music, circus music, accordions, handlebar moustaches.

3) BTR Live Studio – Today we’re broadcasting an exclusive live performance from Illinois. They stopped by our studios before their NYC gig at Mercury Lounge to record a BreakThru session. After driving back to Brooklyn to pick up a forgotten guitar, popping a banjo string and re-stringing the whole instrument, and some vocal warm-ups, Illinois delivered an awesome, AWESOME set.

4) DJ Mojo’s Maximum Music – Mojo’s bringing you songs from Umami, Tourists on Horses, Skeleton Breath, She Keeps Bees, Penny Royal, and more.

It’s a busy week here in the New York office. We’ve got a big ol’ business trip at the end of the week. Heading down to Philly! See ya!

Maia

It’s Friday! The Sun is Shining! Life is Good!

Okay, so I’m a little (a lot) tired, but whatevs! Check out BreakThru Radio.

The sun is shining in our windows here at the BreakThru Radio offices. DJ Jeff K’s got Jay Nash & Amber Rubarth doing a really good sounding live performance on today’s Friday edition of BTR Live Studio.

I met up with The Sundresses yesterday at our studios before their Crash Mansion show to record a session for BTR Live Studio (Tuesday edition!) Everyone was in good spirits, and they didn’t even get a $115 ticket for illegal parking (accidental, of course). Watch this space for news on when their session will air. It will be soon! Head over to Cake Shop tonight to see them yourself. Mackenzie has her trombone with her and The Sundresses play a mean ‘Strange Fruit’. You won’t be disappointed.

There are 8 billion shows going on this weekend. Search our full listings on the BTR Concert Calendar. Beautiful flags all over the country and world for your viewing pleasure. It looks a little something like this:

The best way to support independent musicians is to buy their albums and go to their live shows. Show some love! On tomorrow’s edition of the Folk Wave, the majority of the artists I’ll be playing are touring a lot a lot a lot.

I’ve been trying to listen the My Brightest Diamond remixes all afternoon but there is a cement truck doing it’s thing right outside:

At least its keeping a steady beat.

Steady beats. Steady beats. DJ Wynn’s got a brand new show premiering tonight! It’s rounding out BTR’s party scene (Thurs Night is Latola’s Dapper Hour! Saturday night is J Dayz Party Hour! Friday night is REVOLVER). This is a whole new kind of “dance” music. Wynn is playing those indie songs that move you. In an actual feet/ass moving kind of way, in addition to the brain/heart kind of way. Revolver debuts tonight at 9 PM but you can catch it anytime after that. That’s the beauty of on-demand radio!

There’s work to be done! We’ve got some special stuff in store for you….. enjoy your weekend everyone! Come listen to the Folk Wave tomorrow. It’s going to be good!

Oh yeah, did I forget to mention we’ve got our sweet Friday lineup today? DJ Latola is spinning Radio Citizen (Come on, you know you love The Hop), Another Cynthia, Plus Device, Annuals, Dr.Israel, El Perro Del Mar, and more!

until next time.

-maia (btr program director and DJ)

BTR Music Round-Up

We don’t condone violence here at BreakThru in any way, but we do hope you enjoy the BTR Music Round-Up. Here I’ll give you a sneak peak at what’s going on in the music department. There’s a lot of stellar music hitting the airwaves (streamwaves? whatever) and you’re not gonna want to miss anything.

First up, I’ve got to mention our BTR Artist of the Week, The Attorneys. Check out their album Stereocracy. It’s available on iTunes and has reached a high chart position on CMJ (they are our #1 this week!) Head on over to BreakThru to check out the article covering my interview with the band, and hear their kick-ass tunes all over our site. There is also an audio interview with the band, but that went all kinds of awkward places- but hey, if you’re into discussing why the moon landing was staged, go for it!

Some other goodies you can find at BTR right now are: The Alternate Routes, The Dollyrots, Big D and the Kids Table, Get Set Go, Tyler James, Tripsitter, Hooray For Earth, Officer Flossie and more!

So what are you waiting for? GO!

-annie

Day at the Beach

Here’s DJ Jeff K and I at the beach. I brought my ’97 tape and he brought his boombox.

Wishful thinking.

It’s another gray-ass day here in New York. Not sure when its going to stop. But you can only talk about the weather for so long, I guess. I am back to let you know whats happening on BreakThru Radio today.

We’re airing an exclusive live performance from The Attorneys, who are a highly enjoyable band and also some good guys – also, they finally made use of the studio piano which was much appreciated (listen for that near the end of the set). Also you can check out DJ Annie’s lovely interview with The Attorneys. Annie’s brand new show is premiering tomorrow! The Mixtape show. Mixed tape. Mixtape. You get the point. You know I haven’t made a mix tape in a very long time. To pat myself on the back a little, I think I was really good at making those puppies in middle school. Sometimes I wonder if the ability to skip a track is a blessing or a curse?

Anyways. Here are The Attorneys at Blue Ribbon Sound for their BreakThru Radio session:

In other news, our friends Ra Ra Riot are playing tonight in New York City at the Bowery Ballroom. Art Brut is headlining, with Holy Hail sandwiched in the middle. a tasty sandwich. We’re very excited for all new RRR recordings. When we get them, you will hear them!

What else? Head over to Brooklyn to the charming Barbes to catch Slavic Soul Party! Tune in to BTR one week from today for a lively new show from DJ Lottie – Lottie’s Sideshow Acts – she’s gonna be spinning tunes from Slavic Soul Party and many others in the same ilk.

What does ilk mean?

It’s almost time for a new episode of the Folk Wave. I’m pondering what fresh new folk tunes to play for you this Saturday. If there’s anything you’ve been dying to hear, email me at maia AT breakthruradio.com . f – f- f folk wave.

I see Square Wave Punch has some new shows lined up – including an acoustic gig at the Sidewalk Cafe here in New York – that’ll be next Tuesday, April 24th. Then they are headed to glorious New Jersey for two shows, including one at The Goldhawk in Hoboken. The last time I was in Hoboken was about 6 years ago when I saw Melissa Ferrick play at Maxwells, then missed the last path train (the last train leaves WAY too early. at least it used to?) and had to take a ridiculously expensive cab home. Use caution! But go see Square Wave Punch. They recorded a pretty sweet set for BTR a few months ago. Click here to listen. I’m feeling a little picture happy so here’s a picture SWP:

You can hear their track “Alice” on DJ Emily’s show today. Emily is also playing tracks from Mumsdollar,The Heathens, Sufjan, The Ones to Blame, IamIsee,The Selmanaires,Morningbell,Islands, The Brobecks, The Black Angels, Of Montreal, Bebel Gilberto,Dub Trio, Golden Dogs, Hidden Cameras, and more.

Mojo is spinning songs from Audra Kubat,Boulevard,Bell Hollow, The Hero Cycle, and more on Maximum Music.

See you all later. I’ve gotta catch some rays.

The Northwest Show

Right now in Seattle Washington it is 47 degrees and cloudy. Here in New York City it is 43 degrees, lightly raining, and persistenly gray. What a great day for the Boston Marathon!

I’m not sure if you’ve visited BreakThru Radio today but you should head over because we’ve got some great shows today. DJ Wynn spills his guts and mends fences with music from Headlights, The Dears, John Reuben, Bad Veins, The M’s,Broken Social Scene, Gotan Project,New Buffalo, Amadou & Mariam, and more. Listen

Anyone here from the Northwest? I have to admit, I haven’t been over yonder since I was a kid, but I do miss it. I know that Northwest is a whole region, but to be honest I’ve only ever been to Seattle. I remember a really big hill coming up from the market, a magic store in that funny shopping center at pike place, my cousins being really into the Supersonics and the Mariners, and drifting out on Lake Washington in a sailboat a few times. Oh memories! I’ve never made it to Portland, Oregon, but I know that some of the best people I’ve ever met were Portland born and rasied! Ohh these lands that gave rise to Sleater-Kinney, coffee,the Oregon Trail, the Willamette Meteorite.

Today on BreakThru Radio, DJ Joanna brings us the best new music from the northwestern United States, and interviews Brian Cook from These Arms Are Snakes. This edition of The Northwest Show spins Mise En Abyme, Jonah, Mines, Invention, Bookmobile,The Tallest Building In the World,Denelian, Hello Damascus, Bobcats, Sophe Lux,These Arms are Snakes,The Royalty, and Menomena. Listen to the Northwest Show.

Our arist of the week is THE ATTORNEYS. Click here to read music director Annie’s feature article. Tune into BTR Live Studio tomorrow to hear an exclusive live session from the band.

Mondays at BTR also mean The Darkside and Dancehall

Check out all of our shows in the program guide.

-Maia (BTR Program Director)

Hump Day and lots of Montreal

It’s still too cold to be mid-April, but we’ve got some great tunes to warm you up whenever, wherever (to quote Shakira…)

On today’s 90 minute BreakThru Radio mix, DJ RePete spins Jesse Malin,Krister Axel, Get Set Go, Kyle Mann Combo,Nelson Bragg,Circe Link,Tripsitter, Onion, Piebald, The Cat Empire,Peter Adams, Of Montreal,The Charms, Peter Bjorn and John, DJ Monkey,Rekless Intelligence,Marta Gomez, The Golden Dogs, and The Gates of Berlin, Stars of Track and Field. Listen

Stars of Track & Field are currently touring all over the place – tonight they’re performing in Salt Lake City, Utah.

SOTAF begin their tour with Joseph Arthur on April 15th in Montreal hitting up some of my favorite spots – The Middle East in Cambridge(4/18), Southpaw in Brooklyn(4/19) ,Maxwell’s in Hoboken(4/20), Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco(5/6), The Engine Room in Houston (5/13), and coming back here to good old NYC with a show at Bowery Ballroom on May 23rd. Busy guys!

Wednesdays also mean another BTR Worldwide hour. Rainy days in Miami have inspired a Worldwide Hour with more of a down-tempo vibe. Jasmon leads the way, teaming up with Nubian-Egyptian singer Mohammed Mounir on “Hanina,” a track that takes your hand and strolls slowly along Northern African grooves. Elis Regina offers pitch perfect bossa nova while the “barefoot diva,” Cesaria Evora seduces your shoes off with her home made “naughty sauce.” Doesn’t that sound appealing? All it takes is an hour of your time. DJ Wynn also spins Jorge Ben, Amsterdam Klezmer Band, Amadou and Mariam, Ska Cubano,Wasis Diop, Laye Sow,Ali Farka Toure & Toumani Diabate, and Tribalistas. Listen

Oh but there’s more. Hump day also means it’s time for DJ Jeff K’s singer-songwriter showcase, “Front & Center”. I am pretty excited about today’s show because, in addition to featuring Jason Reeves, Matt The Electrician, and the Ryan Montbleau Band, Amber Rubarth is on the show! Our paths were supposed to cross a few weeks back at the Brooklyn Songwriter’s Exchange but a sickness snafu made it tres imposible. Check out today’s show to hear tunes from these four talented singer-songwriters. Listen

-maia

Tuesday Tuesday!

Hey there…this is Maia posting from BreakThru Radio – just want to wish everyone a happy Tuesday and let you know about the freshest shows airing on BTR. Check em out.

DJ Emily is spinning tunes from The Blow, papercranes, Grizzly Bear, Circe Link, The Spinto Band, The Dollyrots, Rose Kemp, Plan B, Mixel Pixel, Walter Meego, Peter Bjorn and John, Amycanbe, Easy Tiger, Lovedrug, X:144 & SPS, The Telephones, John Reuben, Sun Kil Moon, No.4, and The Whigs. Listen

On BTR Live Studio, one of BreakThru Radio’s many live programs, we are featuring an exclusive live performance from The King Left. Check out the show on BTR today, and go see them live tomorrow at Piano’s on New York City’s lower east side. They are playing an April residency there, that continues tomorrow April11th and next week on April 18th. Their April 11th performance will be an acoustic set to benefit the New York Center for Autism. Listen

DJ Mojo is spinning The Nick Vivid Effect, The Thieves, Eyes Like Knives, and Kid Casanova, among others. Listen