More bacon than the pan can handle

I'm sure you'll be hearing more from me about Mike Doughty in the coming weeks (I have tickets to see him at the Pabst on March 21), but I wanted to take a moment to put the official LTF stamp of approval on his latest album, Golden Delicious. It's a totally likeable pastiche of the rhythmic power-pop he became famous for with Soul Coughing and the pop culture poetry that he has honed in his solo career, while displaying elements of the electronic music he's been dabbling in recently. The result is excellent.

All of the tracks are solidly enjoyable, but early standouts include "I Just Want the Girl in the Blue Dress...", "Like a Luminous Girl," and the first single off the album, "27 Jennifers."

To listen to two of those songs, visit his MySpace page.

Sidenote: Doughty's last album, Haughty Melodic, is one of my desert-island discs. There is nothing I don't like about it and I swear it actually gets better with every listen. If you haven't heard it yet, listen to "I Hear the Bells" on his MySpace page and then, get the album.

Oh, and: Listen to the album first, and then check out this live set and interview originally broadcast on WXPN, now archived on NPR.org. Hear stories about smoking pot with Ani Difranco, how he reveres Jose Gonzalez, and how he thinks the universe began with an E Major chord.

Xponentially awesome

Searching for a great mix of indie, new wave, classic rock and everything in between? I recommend the Xponential radio stream from WXPN - the University of Pennsylvania's unparalleled NPR music station. Recently played artists include XTC, KT Tunstall, Cake and David Bowie. Where else are you going to see all those names in one place?

While you're there, check out the concert archives for live sets from Rhett Miller, Martin Sexton, Rufus Wainwright, Andrew Bird, the Guillemots... basically everyone I've been telling you to check out all year.

By the way, this is also where you can hear the "Folk Alley" channel I told you about a few posts ago...