WFMU's Beware of the Blog

LCD Live

Join Andy Breckman, Station Manager Ken, Bronwyn C. and Dave the Spazz along with extraordinary contributor Miriam Linna  (pictured left) at the next (and possibly last) live reading from The WFMU Book, in Brooklyn Tuesday night, January 22nd. The reading takes place at 7 PM at Book Court , located at 163 Court Street in Brooklyn.  Andy Breckman will debut his ventriloquism act, and in exchange, Station Manager Ken has agreed to provide a clog dancing demonstration. Copies of the book will be on sale at the event, or you can use this link to buy it online.(Read more)  LCD (Lowest Common Denominator), was the station's program guide from 1986-2001 and featured many superstar oddballs such as Nick Tosches, Chris Ware, Daniel Clowes, Kaz, Luc Sante, John Marr, Bill Griffith, Gary Panter, Jim Jarmusch, Wayno, and too many more to mention.  Catch up on past LCD readings here.  And watch an excerpt of Andy reading "Why I Don't Play American Pie On My Show" along with Ken reading Don McClean's rebuttal.
 

Brooklyn Phono

Brooklyn Phono presses all of my favorite records.  From Norton to Crypt to Sundazed, the holy trifecta of re-issue labels.  And it all takes place 2 blocks from my house!  They use a Southen Machine & Tool Company record press (left).  A stamper for Side One is placed in the top chamber of the press, while the stamper for Side Two is attached directly below.  A donut of molten vinyl is sandwiched between the two labels and set into position by an automated mechanism.  The stampers then press the materials together to create a two-sided LP with labels.  The hot vinyl is spread across the stampers creating the record grooves.  Excess vinyl on the outer perimeter gets trimmed away to be re-used while the disc is placed on a spindle with the other new records to slowly cool.  The end result sounds like this:

Alvin Robinson-Searchin' - Sundazed Records

Artesians-Trick Bag - Norton Records

Undiluted Joy

From Celebrities At Their Worst .MP3  (18.5 MB's)

Mississippi GodDamn .MP3 (6.2 MB's)

WKRP vs. WFMU

In this corner: Dr. Johnny Fever, Andy Travis,Venus Flytrap

Over here: Gaylord Fields, Dave the Spazz, Rex

Dave the Spazz done wrote himself a song

Mary Weiss, the original lead singer of the fantastic girl group The Shangri-Las, has released a solo album after 40 years of retirement.  Our very own DJ Dave the Spazz co-wrote one of the songs with man-about-town Andy Maltz.  Her backing band is one of my favorite rock 'n' roll bands, The Reigning Sound, featuring WFMU's Dave Amels aka DA the DJ on organ.  The band made their television debut this week on Late Night with Conan O'Brien.  Check it out on youtube.  If you stayed up late enough to watch the show, you may have caught a glimpse of the Spazz sitting behind the house band clapping like a chimp after a commercial break!  Dig an MP3 of Nobody Knows (But I Do) Here and pick up the album Dangerous Game on Norton Records. 

You can catch Mary's interview with NPR here and keep your ears on for a NYC show soon.  In the meantime, watch some clips from a show at the Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland here  as well as over here.

Congratulations to Mary, all the Daves and everyone else involved!

Blast from the past  MP3 or video

DJ Premiums Are Fun!

Let's take a trip down DJ Premium past.

1-Electrifying Mojo   2-Millie Jackson 3-Denise LaSalle 4-The Kinks5-Hoyt Axton 6-George Jones 7-Baby Huey    8-Jimmy McCracklin 9-Roscoe And The Green Men 10-Batman  11-Marga Benitez 12-Lavice And Company 13-Joe Tex 14-Electrifying Mojo 15-Dirtbombs 16-King Coleman

<----JPG via Doctor Superhelga

The Truth Shall Make You Free

The city of Atlanta has proclaimed January 12th Mighty Hannibal Day.  In honor of this momentous event, legendary band the Black Lips backed him up for a short but sweet sold out set at the Earl.  Michael Julian Bond, son of civil rights leader Julian Bond was on hand for the Proclamation and warm up band the Reigning Sound killed it!!  Big thanks to Miriam for making the trek with me.

Get In The Groove MP3 of entire set. 

A Few Nice Things

Bobby's Happy House was the place to be today in Harlem.  Brother Number Eight was gettin' down and gettin' paid.  JB would have loved this (MPG). 

Rest In Peace Soul Brother

Home At Last (MP3)

The Mask Man And The Agents

In 1968 Harmon Bethea decided it was high time to don a Lone Ranger mask.  That makes me happy.  Here are some songs recorded by Harmon aka "The Mask Man" along with his band-The Agents- John Hood, Paul Williams and Tyrone Grey off their "One Eye Open" lp.  Big thanks to Dj Gerald McBoing Boing for this record.

One Eye Open -  Yaw'll - Wigs - Roaches - The World Is A Cafeteria - It's The Thing - In A Crowded Station - Love Bandito

Don't miss part 2 here!

Ponderosa Stomp Update

The annual Soul Meeting of the Mystic Knights of the Mau Mau is fast approaching.  This year's 3 day music festival will benefit New Orleans musicians messed up by the damn hurricane.  Pre-Stomp kicks off Sunday May 7 at the High Tone  Cafe in Memphis with a DJ night hosted by Buck Wilders and featuring a set by our own $$  Mr. Fine Wine. 

Also added-Record Fair on Monday May 8/10-4 PM at Gibson Guitar Factory.  Admission:Free. 

Be sure to catch DJ Rex's  interview with Eddie Bo here.  And Sonny Burgess  here .

MP3's:
Al "Carnival Time" Johnson-Lena 
Chick Willis-Stoop Down Baby 
William Bell-A Tribute To A King
Bobby Patterson-I'm Leroy I'll Take Her   

P/S Ellen's Soul Food
       Rendezvous BBQ

Merry Christmas

Kurtis Blow   - Christmas Rappin' (MP3)

Staple Singers - Respect Your Own Damn Self

Jackie Gleason Depot MP3's

Subway Theme - Cold Crush Brothers

Funky Driver On A Funky Bus - Charles Leonard

In The Subway - 5678,s

Take The F Train - Sato & Jonny

Brooklyn Army Terminal

I thought I could make it in on the NYC Water Taxi.  This was the line at 7:30 AM.  Completely Hopeless.  And Freezing.

Stiles On Your Dials

Intro (MP3)

On Monday December 5, the Dean of Deja Vu, your Vicar of Vintage Vinyl, the mighty KAT MAN! celebrates 58 years on the airways of New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.  Tune in to an aircheck here (MP3) from WEVD in 1966.  Danny Stiles will be appearing at John's Pizzeria in New York City to meet and greet all his fans like Joe Costanzo from Queens, NY.  The hardest working DJ in the biz can still be heard every Saturday night from 8 to 10 PM on AM 820 WNYC.  As well as WPAT-the Gaslight Staion-AND- WNSW-AM 1430 during the week.  You'll hear classic American standards of the '30's and '40's including the Big Bands and swing era, novelty tunes, v-discs, nightclub entertainers and vaudevillians and soundtracks from movies, television and Broadway shows.  Danny also mixes in his own personal stories of the music which is what really makes his show a can't miss Saturday night swing party.  WFMU's Glen Jones interviewed the Kat Man on April 4th of 2005.  Archive here.  Happy Anniversary, Danny, and many more.

Outro (MP3)
 

Parade of the Damned (MP3s)

Spooky Movies-Roy Clark
Lookout Mountain-Chuck Miller
Screemin' Meemies-Merv Griffin
Soul Dracula-Hot Blood
Count Yorga
Dark Shadows
Midnight Monsters Hop-Jack and Jim
Beware-Bill Buchanan
Monster Man-Screaming Lord Sutch
Dinner With Drac-John Zacherle
Rockin' Zombie-Crewnecks   
Bo Meets The Monster-Bo Diddley
Igor's Party-Tony's Monstrosities
Intro Monstro Crescendo-Messer Chups
   
 

Ponderosa Stomp 2006

The Ponderosa Stomp moves from New Orleans to Memphis on May 2 and 3 2006.   Artists tentatively scheduled to appear include Dale Hawkins, Billy Lee Riley, Sonny Burgess, ? & the Mysterians, Billy Boy Arnold, Lady Bo, Scotty Moore, D.J. Fontana and many more to follow.  The money raised will be split between the New Orleans Musicians Clinic and a special fund to be administered by the Mystic Knights of the Mau-Mau — producers of the Stomp — to directly help New Orleans and Gulf Coast musicians. Due to the economic damage of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the Mystic Knight of the Mau Mau want to try to help musicians rendered homeless and jobless by these disasters.  The Stomp originated in 2002 with phenomenal performances by Lazy Lester, Barbara Lynn, Dave Bartholomew Orchestra, Lil' Bob and the Lollipops just to name a few.  Each year has been bigger and better with 2006 promising to be a mind explosion.  Watch the website for ticket updates and in the meantime, dig these tunes recorded live by Dave The Spazz.
Barbara Lynn 2002
Phil Phillips  2003
Brenton Wood 2005

Always Wear A Helmet

45 (MP3)  Ballad (MP3)  Ballad2 (MP3)  SRC  (MP3)
"WHY"
It Seems that wherever in this world I go,
No matter who nor what I know,
People will look; some of them stare,
I wonder if they really care?

They see this cane with its golden crown,
some of them smile, but most of them frown.
I hear them laugh, and I see them cry,
No matter what,
They all ask why?

Well, I'm just like you, and you,
and you and your wife,
We all have a special purpose in life.
This way of life I'm glad that I found,
For like you, I too, make the world go 'round.

We're all alike,
Oh yes, we are
We all have a dream on some faraway star.

For me when it is over and done at the end of a day,
Some can relax, but I go to pray
For I know that tomorrow in some other place,
I'll have that fear again to face.

Could it be the quest for money and fame,
Oh no,
To play with my life is not much of a game.

It's a want  -  a want that's so dear
It's given me faith,
I can face that fear.

Oh, yes, I do think about a day
in life when fate came along and struck my way.
Each time it's happened they've all said,
This guy is lucky he's not dead.

They were right.
But I wanted to get up to try it again.
I kept telling myself that I knew I could win,
so I'd close my eyes and to the Lord I'd pray,
Oh, help me God, let me walk some day.

He did.
And every stitch on every scar
has just brought me closer to my dream afar.

To be a man,
To do my best,
To stand alone is my only quest.

Success is a term that has broad use,
For having none in life there is no excuse.

For you, what I do is not right---
But, for me, it is not wrong.
What I have been trying to tell you all along
is that it's got to be,
You ask why?
Well, just like you, I gotta be me.

Evel Knievel

WFMU Yard Sale Photos

Welk-O-Rama

Scroll down to Sister Carrie's website devoted to everything Welk.

H is for HOLY SHIT

Mr. T raps about his Mama.

Courtesy of Ifilm.