teething veils playing records at taking the p*ss

For the last nine years, The Kaiser and The Pen-Striped Rebel have hosted Taking the P*ss, Mt. Pleasant's monthly night for indie oddities, at the venerable Marx Cafe at 3203 Mt Pleasant St, NW WDC. I've been humbled to play records with them on a few occasions. Here are the songs from those sets.

February 21, 2014
set one:
hot cha cha “ticket away from prague”
lee ranaldo and the dust “last night on earth”
the replacements “takin’ a ride”
the mountain goats “broom people”
the who “so sad about us”
weekend “mirror”
dum dum girls “trees and flowers”
girl loves distortion “weighing”
camper van beethoven “take the skinheads bowling”
holly and the italians “I wanna go home”
james “sit down”
linea aspera “eviction” (nathan j. birthday tribute)
screen vinyl image “we don’t belong”
ladytron “deep blue”
ars phoenix “elegant vapor”
the radio dept. “the worst taste in music”
berntholer “my suitor”

set two:
stereolab “cybele’s reverie”
gene “be my light, be my guide”
morrissey “jack the ripper”
sandie shaw “hand in glove”
kirsty maccoll “a new england”
billy bragg “sexuality”
we are hex “twist the witch’s titty”
daredevils “rules, hearts”
smoking popes “need you around”
the jam “going underground”
screen vinyl image “siberian eclipse”
cranes “jewel”
blonde redhead “23”
dinosaur, jr. “outta hand”

September 21, 2012
dum dum girls ‘bedroom eyes’ 5/4 ‘dream of you dead’ garbage ‘tell me where it hurts’ last tide ‘shapeshifter’ screen vinyl image ‘siberian eclipse’ america hearts ‘be my jones’ dinosaur, jr. ‘out there’ foul swoops ‘colossal sized picassos’ we are hex ‘twist the witch’s titty’ cheniers ‘sad city’ the prids ‘break’ prom concussion ‘I don’t want to leave’ german measles ‘color vibration’ the perennials ‘oh kimmy’ trophy wife ‘dead composers dance alone’ ladytron ‘deep blue’ pet shop boys ‘minimal’ blonde redhead ‘messenger’ camper van beethoven ‘take the skinheads bowling’

For this edition, I included Fell Types' "November 20th" alongside our hosts' choice gems, on the monthly sampler.  Clocking in at five and half minutes, DC trio Fell Types' "November 20th" is a fuzzy but pointed example of the band's sharp songwriting and fine playing.  Gripping melodies (the singing) and intricate counter melodies (the bass) swirl here & there, letting us get lost as listeners, a sensation that comes just as easily at one of the band's live shows.    

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February 18, 2011

set one

siouxsie and the banshees - peek-a-boo
kate bush - running up that hill
kirsty maccoll - see that girl
james - sit down (1989 version)
glowfriends - charade
last tide - shapeshifter
sonic youth - dirty boots
pulp - pink glove
etc - adolesce
pet shop boys - love, etc

set two
pet shop boys - this must be the place I waited years to leave
radio dept - the worst taste in music
cranes - jewel
girl in a coma - si una vez
soft complex - barcelona
kirsty maccoll - a new england
bikini kill - new radio
james - sit down (1991 version)
morrissey - one day goodbye will be farewell
the jam - going underground
francoise hardy - la sieste
joy division - love will tear us apart
stereolab - french disko
garbage - tell me where it hurts
kirsty maccoll - you just haven't earned it yet, baby
we are hex - cutter / giver
hawnay troof - bad news from the stars
julieta venegas - eres para mi
lush - sweetness and light
girl loves distortion - you better run, your highness
tom tom club - genious of love
liza minnelli - don't drop bombs
pet shop boys - did you see me coming?
le tigre - deceptacon
pulp - she's a lady
shellac - wingwalker
the jam - precious

For this edition, I included Etc's "Superhero, Incognito" alongside our hosts' choice gems, on the monthly sampler. Etc make literate pop songs from their corner of southeast Asia. Largely ignored in their hometown but championed by the likes of John Peel and Nile Rodgers, their body of classic songs continues to grow with this 2010 Christmas single.

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August 20, 2010

set one
the sundays- here's where the story ends

teenage fanclub- the concept
catherine wheel - crank
cranes- reverie

my bloody valentine- when you sleep

the smiths- jeane

stereolab- cybele's reverie

dum dum girls- bhang bhang I'm a burnout

wire- once is enough

slowdive- 40 days

screen vinyl image- until the end of time

fangs out- omerta

the jam- town called malice

bikini kill- new radio

ian brown- illegal attacks

hot cha cha- j'accuse

silkworm- cotton girl

berntholer- my suitor

set two
kirsty maccoll- a new england
felt- I didn't mean to hurt you

kate bush- running up that hill

girl in a coma- bb

morrissey- lifeguard on duty

alzo boszormenyi and the acid achievers- present the illusion

lush- hypocrite

blonde redhead- spring and by summer fall

joy division- twenty four hours

pulp- razzmatazz

girl loves distortion- weighing

the evens- mount pleasant isn't

we are hex- teeth collection

mt. eerie- cold mountain

mary margaret o'hara- body's in trouble

smoking popes- need you around

For this edition, I included Hot Cha Cha's "Jacusse" alongside our hosts' choice gems, on the monthly sampler. Hot Cha Cha are each 18, married, wear red shoes, are blonde and slim. they play everything: jazz, classical, rock, country, modern as long as it is loud. NEW ALBUM, "The World's Hardest Working Telescope and the Violent Birth of Stars" is out! Find it on Itunes or Exitstencil.org

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May 22, 2009
(As we neared the end of set one, a big black record that was positioned on a shelf above the turn tables slipped from its sleeve, landing on berntholer's "my suitor," which was playing at the time, causing the berntholer record to lose its place.)

set one
kirsty macoll "you just haven't earned it yet, baby"
cranes "jewel"
the blue nile "stay"
the pagans "ice"
we are hex "I N D P L S"
girl loves distortion - weighing
kate bush - running up that hill
the microphones - the moon
big black - the power of independent trucking
tijuana no - spanish bombs
berntholer - my suitor (interrupted by big black LP)

set two
berntholer - my suitor
morrissey - king leer (birthday song)
blue angel - maybe he'll know
shellac - prayer to god
lush - hypocrite
stereolab - french disko
catherine wheel - crank
five four - dream of you dead
tijuana no - pobre de ti
prom concussion - cicada swell
joy division - disorder
lush - last night
slowdive - primal
pulp - this is hardcore
pj harvey - sheela na gig
young marble giants - colossal youth
a place to bury strangers - to fix the gash in your head
the jam - funeral pyre
nancy sinatra - let me kiss you
glowfriends - charade
mt. eerie - cold mountain
daniel johnston - no woman's gonna make a george jones outta me

For this edition, I included We Are Hex's "I N D P L S" for the monthly sampler.  We appreciate and echo DJ Hostettler's sentiments regarding this mighty, unforgettable band, found on Martian Dance Invasion.