It’s the Top 91.3 Listener Voted Countdown. Vote for your seven favorite oldies to help us compile it and you could be the winner of a 10-CD set from Collectible Records, “The History of Rock and Roll,” original hits from 1953-1973. But get your votes in, here’s how.
Write your 7 favorite oldies plus your name, address, and daytime phone number on a post card and send it to:

Mike Piazza
WTSR-FM
Kendall Hall
2000 Pennington Road
Ewing, NJ 08628-0718

Or, even quicker:

Email your 7favorites along with your name, address, and daytime phone number to mrmusicwtsr@comcast.net.

Will “In the Still of the Night” be number one again? That’s up to you. Get those votes in now. Then, tune in on Sunday, November 29th at 9 AM when the “A” Man, Joe Accardi starts the countdown at #94. Then, before the Top 10 is played, the winner of the CD set will be drawn.
WTSR Staff Members and their families are not eligible to win the prize. One ballot per person please.

Princeton
“Cocoon of Love”
4.5 out of 5 Stars

Princeton sound like a Wes Anderson film. Not just the soundtrack, but the movie itself. They sing of flawed, quirky characters, allusions to history and literature, and fleeting poignancy. Of course they’re a bit ostentatious. They named themselves after an Ivy League college and write about books that make you feel smarter just by flipping through them. But Princeton’s full length debut of breezy indie pop rises to the occasion amidst lofty aspirations.

“Cocoon of Love” subscribes to the Vampire Weekend school of indie rock. While it remains contemporary, it works off an expansive palette of influences from years past. They use strings, but not in a supplemental way as most of their contemporaries. “Sylvie” sounds like it could’ve been written as an orchestral piece and only fitted with chirps of guitar as a closing thought. Even their simplest moments, such as the “I love you, let’s shout it out” hook of “Shout It Out” are wrapped in swirling casings of instrumentation that suggest the shear breadth of their influences.

“Cocoon of Love” is a brilliant debut that could have sat between The Kinks and Simon and Garfunkel in the ’60 just as effortlessly as it will undoubtedly be grouped with indie pop acts Ra Ra Riot and Andrew Bird. An essential, yet still very underground listen for autumn ’09.

Key Tracks: “Sadie & Andy,” “Calypso Gold.”
-Chris Payne

Every October, music-minded people like ourselves try to make Halloween mixes and desperately fail. Problem is, there are tantalizingly few respectable songs written that tie in with Halloween festivities. “Thriller”, “Psycho Killer”, maybe some “Ghostbusters Theme” and the well pretty much runs dry. But look on the bright side- WTSR has some awesome new jams that have absolutely NOTHING to do with the holiday. So tune in this month to hear these favorites… or just crank that “Monster Mash”.

Brother Ali- “The Preacher”
Brother Ali is back! His sophomore record isn’t quite as kick-ass as his 2007 debut, The Undisputed Truth, but Us is another rock solid slab of underground hip-hop that’s not afraid to tackle the tough subjects. On it’s best track, Ali is no nonsense. His flow is fast and in-your-face, matching the energy of the big time production behind him.

The Big Pink- “Dominos”
The Big Pink are yet another bunch of lads the NME thinks are out to save rock music. What’s good is it seems nobody told them that- this top cut off their debut is a silky smooth Stone Roses-esque groove that has no time for pretension.

BLK JKS- “Molalatladi”
Forget about silly comparisons to TV On The Radio- South Africa’s BLK JKS are ready to take on the United States on their own genre-bending merit. The first track on their debut record is an invigorating trip through prog, punk, and traditional African music punctuated by a guest spot from the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble. For the record, the title translates to “rainbow”.

Rain Machine- “Give Blood”
TV On The Radio may be on a break, but their go-to buy for falsetto and facial hair isn’t taking any time off. “Give Blood” is the standout track on his solo debut and an open invitation to fans of his day job to check out his freakier side. Expect plenty of proggy soundscapes, intricate guitar work, art rock hooks, and beard.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart- “Falling Over”
Brooklyn’s best noise pop merchants weren’t satisfied to bank on their fabulous debut LP for the rest of 2009 and rushed back into the studio to record another EP for Slumberland Records. Though there’s not a bad song on it (surprise! surprise!) I’m going with this sparkling ode to Orange Juice (late 80s band) as its standout. “Falling Over” plays off the aesthetic of LP tracks like “Stay Alive” and explores the quartet’s contemplative, keyboard-leaning side, urging listeners to get up and dance as much as ever.

-Chris Payne

WTSR was nominated for the CMJ Award as “Most Supportive of Local Scene,” cited as “Always willing to help NY bands.” Needless to say, this is awesome.

Link to Article

The Raveonettes
“In And Out of Control”
3.5 stars out of 5

Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo, also known as the Raveonettes, have been considered Copenhagen’s most promising export since one of their debut performances at the New York City music club CBGB landed them a deal with Columbia records.

Since then, they’ve done their fair share of label-hopping, going from Columbia to Fierce Panda and finally ending up on the magazine Vice’s label last year.
Following their last minimalist album “Lust Lust Lust,” “In and Out of Control” straddles the line between ’50s melodies and post punk noise.

The low-key tonality of “Last Dance” shows a quieter, more romantic side of the pair, while the hypnotizing riffs on songs like “D.R.U.G.S” or “Heart of Stone” will bring listeners back to their initial comparisons to The Jesus & Mary Chain. The Danish duo tackles every topic from rape to drugs, and suicide to breaking up.
Foo’s harmonic vocals help to flesh out their sound and give everything a more accessible feel.

Key Tracks: “Last Dance,” “Heart of Stone,” “Breaking Into Cars”
-Melissa Virzi
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Kid Cudi
“Man on the Moon: The End of Day”
3 stars out of 5

Kanye West’s influence on Kid Cudi, a Cleveland rapper who would hit it big with the single “Day ‘n’ Nite” six months after being featured on Kanye’s “Welcome to Heartbreak” as a complete unknown, is evident in “Man on the Moon.”

On his debut record, Cudi introduces himself as rap’s new “spaceman.” While Kanye only based a tour around the idea of being a hip-hop astronaut, the concept has now been taken to the album level. From blast off to return home, the whole tale is narrated by Common, with indie artists MGMT and Ratatat making unexpected cameos along the way.
Backed by modest beats and murky synthesizer, Cudi’s opening statement is dusky and subdued, laced with self-examination and paranoia.

“Day ‘n’ Nite” fits in wonderfully at track seven, while fellow single “Make Her Say (Poke Her Face)” sounds awkwardly out of place.

Aside from the album’s overreaching concept, “Man on the Moon” is a successful unveiling of Kid Cudi that straddles the territory between alternative and mainstream hip-hop.

Key Tracks: “Day ‘n’ Nite,” “Soundtrack 2 My Life”
-Chris Payne