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WFMU is preparing for its yearly marathon. Today from 3-6pm, Kurt Gottschalk will feature premium CDs from other DJ's on Miniature Minotaurs. Last week, Kurt played "Rocking Chair" by Swedish Mobilia, who function on 100% improvisation.
On Beastin' The Airwaves, Kelli played "Dirty And Dumb" by Labretta Suede And The Motel 6. The band will be her guests on Sunday, 6-9am. Brian Turner played "Jam Song" by the Twerps. They will perform live at WFMU in April (I will post details as this comes closer) with Feedtime. Brian says the Austrailian Feedtime had an influence on many early 1990's grunge bands.
How deep are chart-topping hits embedded in your subconscious? Nat Roe broadcast a segment called Really Small Amounts Of Time; 400 milliseconds of every number one hit from 1956-1977 was played. You should be able, says a study from Cornell University, be able to identify 25%.-
Therese played new music by Tindersticks. Sometimes compaired to Nick Drake, this band is known for their dark chamber folk. Frank O'Toole, on More Exciting Moments, played a track from a reissue of The Fantastic Adventures Of Dillard And Clark. This was one of the first California country rock experiments, done by two respective members of The Dillards and The Byrds, originally released on A&M in 1968.
Cinema, spirits and soul! Monica opened her show with a set that included Niobe, Spiritualized, The Stylistics, and Nino Rota.
Sharon Van Etten recently played her entire new album, Tramp, at the Mercury Lounge. She and band mate Heather Woods will be on Jeffrey Davison's Shrunken Planet this Saturday, February 12th from 6-9am. Last week, Jeffrey played "Ask" from the album.
Jeremiah Lockwood, whose father was a cantor, grew up steeped deep in Jewish Music, but also enjoyed country blues guitar. He mixes the two in his band, The Sway Machinery. Marty McSorley played their track, "Youba" Rob Weisberg will have the group on Transpacific Sound Paradise, also on the 12th, from 6-9pm.
From Jewish-influenced country blues to black metal, Chris M. played Mutilation Rites on Imaginary Radio. The Brooklyn-based band will be his guest this Sunday, February 13th from 3-6am. From 6-9am, Kelli will have New Zealand's Labretta Suade And The Motel 6 on Beastin' The Airwaves. Kelli played their "Mean Mouthed Mama."
Liz Berg played music from Bob Bruno, followed by Dustin Wong, who creates "one man symphonies" using a guitar and loop pedals. Dustin will be on Liz's show on Monday, February 15th, from 9am-Noon.
The Old Codger will fill in for Mac on Tuesday, February 16th, from 8-9pm.
Sometimes music makes climbing the Monday mountain more palatable. On More Exiting Moments, Frank O'Toole played an MP3 of The Butterfield Blues Band, from a 1966 live Filmore Show. Liz Berg played a set that included Richard Papercuts, The Skunks, and Baby Tears. Irene Trudel played Curved Air next to 1971, pre-disco Bee Gees, and Colin Blunstone. Singer Joy Askew will be Irene's guest, Monday, Febuary 6th from Noon-3pm
This Saturday, Febuary 4, from 6-9am, Jeffery Davison will have the Rhode Island folk duo Brown Bird as his guests on Shrunkin' Planet He played their "Severed Soul" last week after a track by the band South China. From 6-9pm on Transpacific Sound Paradise, Rob Weisberg will have Scott Knetter of the band Nation Beat as his guest DJ.
On Monday, Feburary 6th, from 9am-Noon, Trouble will have Ben Graves as a guest on This Is The Modern World, playing the space-age sound of Cold War era soundtracks. On her last show, Trouble played new music from The Howling Hex and Zombe.
Mac played an 89-year old recording "The Lovelight In Your Eyes" by the Manhattan Dance Orchestra on his Antique Phonograph Music Program. Mac will be doing next weeks show from The Brooklyn Farmacy 8pm-9pm, Tuesday, February 6th.
Scott Williams played two pieces of spacey music, one from big band leader Don Ellis, then one from The North Sea. Ellis specialized in complex time signatures, and was using electronics on his albums two years before Miles Davis made In A Silent Way.
Fred Cash, who sang in the Impressions with Curtis Mayfield, will be Michael Shelly's guest this Saturday, from Noon-3pm. Last week, Michael began his show with a set composed in part of The Leopards, Amsterdam, and Delbert Barker.
Marty McSorley played Terminator X, followed by new music from U.S..Girls. He also payed tribute to disco bandleader Jimmy Castor, who died last week. On Tuesday, January 31st from 6-9am, Black Pus will be Marty's guest.
Monica played new music from 9th Ward Marching Band, who only perform during New Orleans carnival season. Jimmy Castor was featured, as was Etta James. James recorded many blues and R&B records, "At Last" perhaps the best well known. She died last week.
Frank O'Toole started the week on More Exciting Moments, playing new material from Christine McBride next to Thriller Houseghost's remix of Radiohead. TKOL also remixed the band: "Little By Little" was selected by Jesse on the Fro Show.
"3E" by the No Wave band Mars was played on Marty McSorley's show, from a reissue of their 1978 album, Live Artists In Space. This week, Tuesday, the 24th, 6-9 AM, Marty will have live music on his show from The Immaculates Miniature Minotaurs with Kurt Gottschalk, today from 3pm-6pm, will also have a live guest, composer Eve Beglarian. Last week, Kurt included music from Matthew Shipp in his Friday The 13th Monkathon.
On Tuesday the 24th from 12pm-2pm, Scones radio will Podcast DJ Space Jam, who will be playing 90's house music. Space Jam is the resident DJ at New York dance club, TURBOTAX. The last Scones Radio show kicked off with the track "Lover" by Blondes. Also on the 24th, On Three Chord Monte, Joe will have Brooklyn garage punk band The Siberians from Noon-3pm.
Bill Dees, who wrote "Pretty Women" and "It's Over," for Roy Orbison will be on Night People, 7-8pm on Thursday, January 26th.
On Imaginary Radio, Chris M. played some of his favorite 2011 dance music, including Joker, Skream, and Nero, before a guest spot from Norwegian DJ VLR, who continued with a set of his dance music picks for '11. He recommended "forget about '92 and discover '11."
Many WFMU DJ's have been revisiting their picks of last year's music, including reissued music. Joe McGasko played "Judith" by Lucho Perez, from The Original Sound Of Cumbia, on the Soundaway label. Another recent reissue is of the 1966 Beach Boy Smile Sessions, music composed by Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks. Bob Brainen played the orchestral psychedelia of "My Only Sunshine."
Kelli, on Beastin' The Airwaves, played music from, among others, Caged Animals and Zola Jesus. She then interviewed music writer John Swenson, who talked about his new book, New Atlantis:Musicans Battle For Survival In New Orleans. Kelli then hosted a live set from Idgy Dean.
Here is some WFMU Blog news: starting now, the archive picks post will also announce upcoming live events, and you'll hear more live performances in the archive selections, Today, different versions of Thelonious Monk's "Friday The 13th" will be featured on Miniature Minotaurs with Kurt Gottschalk, 3-6pm. Transpacific Sound Paradise will be live from The Golden Festival, Saturday, 6-9pm. On Daniel Blumin's show, Reinhold Fried of The Zeitkratzer (Time Scraper) Ensemble will appear Saturday, 9pm-Midnight. Barry Adamson will be on Imaginary Radio with Chris M,.3am-6am. Twin Guns will be on Three Chord Monte with Joe Belock, Tuesday, Januray 17 from Noon-3pm, and Scones Radio with Brad and Momo will podcast Sammo Soundboy and DJ Sliink from Noon-2pm.
Jeff M. started 2012 on Noise And Syrup playing "Duldrums" from the new Atlas Sound album, Parallax, next to Skyneedle. Both songs have a spacey nuance, but notice how Jeff segues from the floating time of "Duldrums" to the more rhythm driven sound of "Creepertown," the Skyneedle piece.
John Allen played music from Gary War, then Arthur Russell. Here, the rhythms match more, as John segues a steady electronic pulse into a piece of driving dance music. On Zzzzzzero Hour, Bill Mac played two tracks presenting more contrast: Asha Puthli's cover of George Harrison's "I Dig Love," next to "Pineapple Crabapple" by the Free Design. The voices working at similar pitches in these songs is Bill's segue hook.
Joe Belock played new music by The Gardens before playing the Thermals on Three Chord Monte. During his lead-in, Joe mentioned other DJs also played this band. Mike Sin played "Alive In 5D" on Optical Sound. Therese played "Ideas To Use."
Two more new recordings: Marty McSorley played "L Train" by from the new Dirty Beaches album, and on This Is The Modern World,. Trouble played "Heaven Help The Working Girl" by Norma Jean after Nina Simone.
WFMU never makes habit of playing stale Christmas carols, but has its holiday traditions. Stan annually plays the entire first Rotary Connection album: this 1968 piece never made it to "classic rock" formats, but hear how its choral treatment of rock and soul covers has aged like fine brandy, taken out for special occasions.
How about Holiday surrealism? Kurt Gottschalk filled in for Dan Bodah with Miniature Minotaurs, playing "Santa Dog '92" by the Residents. The big, digital production gives this track modern classical grandeur. Tamar filled in for Liz Berg, playing Meredith Monk, Hazel Meyers, and Billie Holiday on Are We There Yet.
Nazario Scenario's Amanda filled in for Jesse, playing Bob Dylan next to Memphis Minnie, then Merle Haggard next to Chuck Berry. Amanda tilted these sets towards music distinctly rootsy and distinctly American. This is a fascinating gambit. A DJ's show sound is all in the DJ's choices, and Amanda creates her sound by linking organic sounding tracks of different genres. She uses genre without being boxed in by genre. This is just one way to skin the free form cat, but indeed an effective one .
Soullllllllllllllllllllllstice! Gaylord Fields greeted winter with huge blocks of 1960's-70's soul, playing Bobby Patterson And The Mustangs, Maxine Brown and Barbara Lynn. Gaylord says on his playlist page "Fannee Doolee loves free form programming but hates eclectic shows." The value of well-executed ecelticism is priceless, but you can't deny the joyous power of long grits and butter sets of soul--perhaps the 60's music that ages best
Music need not be soul music to have soul: Monica played Donald Byrd's performance of "Blind Man, Blind Man," complete with chorus. Fascinating is how Byrd extracts the choral element from pre-soul, "square" music--Bing Crosby, Burl Ives, Four Freshmen-and adds swing and blues to make it hip. Compare Byrd's approach to The Freshmen singing "Holiday," played by Dennis Diken. The middle ground is Syd Dale's "Penthouse Suite," often used during 1960's TV "technical difficulties," played here by Bob Brainen.
Cast this net wider and find a planet of soundtrack and "program" music revolving around funk, pop and lounge jazz. Nat Roe played Goblin from the score to Dario Argento's film, Deep Red. Rich Hazelton played Henry Mancini from the Touch Of Evil Soundtrack on Inflatable Squirrel Carcass. We''ll deal with much more of this music in the future, but finish by watching the below clip, with 1969 music by Jerry Goldsmith. Could this sound fit on a soul jazz album from the era? Absolutely!
We know jazz musicians, even those playing the most advanced jazz, marinate in the blues. Monica played Mary Lou Wiliams in a set with the Bees and Ry Cooder. Listen to the blue thread Monica runs through her set. Want more blues? Here is Maria Lavitsky playing Al Kooper & Shuggie Otis on Day For Night.
Blues is music boiled to pure essence; so is the pristine guitar of John Fahey. John Allen closed his show playing this shining acoustic music next to Meg Baird and Cain Nugent
Here's a set from Nazario Scenario mixing post-punk and power pop, including Gang Of Four, The New York Dolls, The Move, and Camper Van Beethoven. The power pop cultivated in the 1960's by The Move was made dark and ironic in the 1970's by Big Star, played by Therese. Run this thread to our era and find Bobby Conn, played here with his Glass Gypsies on Airborne Event With Dan Bodah. Power pop, new wave, glam, art rock, Conn's songs are multi-faceted arrow tips of 1970-1990 rock. Here is another aspect of his work below, "Angels." Enjoy.
Duane's show last week had several high points: he dug out quality rare vinyl. One record was Hammer, a San Fransisco group whose 1970 album got FM airplay when current, then vanished. Duane also played soul singer Jo-Ann Garret. Hear the heavy echo and old style back up vocals.
Scott Williams played the Turkish rock of Erkin Koray in a set with Mercury Rev and Spacemen 3. I love the tar thick bass lines of early 1970's Turkish psychedelia--almost heavy enough for modern dance music. (Listen to the Koray next to "Beat The Clock" by Spark, played by Trent On Sound And Safe.) More important, Scott plays a broad range of psychedelic rock--enough to make his set diverse but cohesive.
New Yorker Archie Bunker probably didn't appreciate such free form FM greatness, even during its early 1970's Big Apple hay day. On 100% Everything, Mary Wing used the All In The Family sketch "Scranton"--and a Cordova add--before playing "Wrong Way" by Brian Eno and John Cale. The implications: old TV as pure sound, locations as a theme, (Scranton--Wrong Way), widening the range of DJ source material. Think about it if you like, or appreciate the comedy..
Radio as archeology is fascinating. On Ariel View, Chris T. played tapes from Dallas's KILIf AM from November 22, 1963, the day President John F.Kennedy was killed. There are endless levels to listen on, but here are a few:. Listen to the air checks as old style, just-the-facts journalism. Listen to the air checks as pre-Beatles top 40 radio. Listen, especially, to the adds: popular culture before rock permeated that culture. Popular culture with naivete the Kennedy murder brought to an end.
Now to present day, free-form FM. Brian Turner played the dark psychedelia of Les Rallizes Denude, Though organic and 1960's influenced, the bass and trippy nuance remind me of Portishead's "Half Day Closing," played by Irene Trudel. Some say Portishead extracted this bass line from "American Metaphysical Circus" by The United States Of America, played by KBC on Bitslap.
Liz Berg did a set that included 1970's synthesized cinema music from Ilayaraaja, and hip-hop from Volume Five of Madlib's Medicine Show. There are tracks between these two, but I found the use of driving vocals in both to create two very different tone colors was a powerful thread binding Liz's set. Listen and see if you agree.
In a half hour, I heard two radically different but excellent female singers. Irene Trudel played Sandy Denny singing a demo of "Who Knows Where The Time Goes," which Denny sang in completed form on Fairport Convention's Unhalfbrickling in 1969. Scott Williams played the free improvisation of Linda Sharrock with her guitarist husband, Sonny. Scott narrates trying to explain Sharrock's voice to his six-year old, Llia, who adopted Linda's style and saranaded dad. For me, the Sharrock team invokes early Lennon/Ono work such as "Touch Me," also selected by Scott.
If Sharrock's electric avant-shards are too "out" for you, Monica played blues guitarist Freddie King after The Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra. I'm always talking about segueing organic sounds with modern electronic sheens, but Monica segues a layered arrangement into a small combo where King's six string shines like a razor--an equally gratifying contrast.
Let's end by me shutting up for an archive blitz. Liz Berg played.Orbits and The Black Hollies. John Allen, Pulse Emitter. Therese played Acid Baby Jesus. Sue P. played Sex Church next to Druids Of Stonehenge on Solid Gold Hell.
A happy and safe holiday weekend for everyone and I'll catch you next Friday.
Just when you've almost forgotten a DJ on the WFMU bench, he or she does a killer fill-in show. Dave Mandl substituted for Gayloard Fields, playing Red Balune. This primarly Dutch band features Fred Frith of Henry Cow, which Bill Mac played on Zzzzzzero Hour.
Across the pond, about six years before Henry Cow's ultra-complex Canterbury progressive rock, Curt Boettcher produced The Association, and formed his own band, Millennium, played here by Irene Trudel. This is some of the best, under-heard baroque vocal pop of the era. Brian Turner played more straight-forward rock of the period, Bump.
Lest you think I'm spoon feeding you too much hippy-dippy sunshine, on Dark Night Of The Soul, Julie played the dark drone of Nico And The Faction. Scott Williams played the wonderfully eerie resonating drums of Pheeroan ak Laff. Joe Belock played The Black Lips on Three Chord Monte.
I'm no minimalism expert, but know when it when I hear it. Daniel Blumin played "Kungo Sogoni" by N. Hawa Doumbi. Listen to how the track feeds off a repetitive instrumental motif. Steve Reich, played on Mudd Up! With DJ/Rupture, employed repetition in "Come Out" in 1966, creating aural hypnosis using a voice loop Robert Fripp and Brian Eno used loops on "Swastika Girls," played by Dan Bodah on Airborne Event. For GREEDY! minimalists, Scott McDowell played Eno, Terry Riley, and Can on an edition of The Long Rally.
This progressive rock improvisation form Flasket Brinner, played by Scott Williams, is far from minimal. Listen to the driving percussion. (Can you hear the reference to Chicago Transit Authority?) For more song oriented prog, hear Patto, played by Brian Turner.
Last archive call: On This Is The Modern World, Trouble played two artists who should be more famous. Caetano Veloso was called the "Bob Dylan Of Brazil." He was jailed for his political stance under Brazil's 1960's dictatorship. He is still making music, and here covers the Beatles "Elanore Rigby." Abbey Lincoln was married to be-bop drummer Max Roach, and contributed vocals to his albums--perhaps the most experimental of any artist coming out of be-bop..Here she is with Roach in 1961, singing "Mendacity" on Are We There Yet, with Tamar.
The best artists are often known by the company they keep.
Here's an unusual DJ move: Monica used Nat Roe's 1958 Chart Sweep after Betty Logan's "I Got My Hot Pants On." Nat's composition of layered sound becomes a unified track in Monica's set. That's not the only example. Liz Berg played Joe McGasko's remix of Sun Ra's "The Planet Is Doomed." Is the song the composition? The Remix? The set? Answer: If the sound delights the heart and ears, it doesn't matter.
Not unusual is a DJ grouping tracks with a similar sound. Duane did this with 1960's harmony pop, playing the Sandpipers theme to Russ Meyer's 1970 film, Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls, Cyrcle, then Giant Jellybean Copout's "Look At The Girls," which is really the Critter's experimenting with light psychedelia."Look At The Girls" was the flip side to the Copout's only single "Awake In A Dream" played by Todd-O-Phonic Todd.
John Allen played jazz guitarist Howard Roberts from his 1975 Equinox Express Elevator, a very late issue from the ABC Impulse! label. There's no sturdy black and orange spine, which singles out 1960's Impulse! recordings, such as Albert Ayler's "New Grass/Message From Albert," played by Jesse on the Fro Show.
On Surface Noise, Joe McGasko presented a show decked with soul. Listen to this New Birth. song. After annoucing, he continued with late 1970's Isaac Hayes. Compare the lush instrumentation to modern, mechanzed grooves: Small Change returned to WFMU this month for several editions of Nickel And Dime Radio. Hear "Bach Goes Balie Funk" by Ophex, followed by two N-ron tracks.
Joe Belock on Three Card Monte played 1966's "Show Me The Way" by Great Scots, then "The Answer Was You" by Sloan. Both have a straight-foward rock vibe, but notice the Sloan selection is much more lush. Sloan continually mines Beatles/Small Faces layering.
You won't hear this in Sonny Sharrock, free jazz's most famous guitarist after Derek Baily. Hear his atonal six string shards on "Portrait Of Linda, All Three Colors." Sharrock probably offered his music's best description. "I'm a horn player with a really fucked up axe."
Finally, as this weekend's record fair approaches, WFMU began Singles Going Steady week. The station plays only 7" records. Irene Trudel ended this week's show sounding exactly like early 1970's FM radio, playing Joni Mitchell, Judy Collins, The Lovin' Spoonful, and John Lennon,. If , like me, you weren't there in those days but wish you were, begin here!
Here's a great Monday morning eye opener. Liz Berg played "Saquito" by Diana Ureta, described by Liz as "out there and fun." Listen to how the whimsy of this track segues into the much rougher textures of Kraus. Not good enough? You can get Ureta's work on the WFMU Free Music Archive. '
If you woke earlier than me, you may have heard Frank O'Toole on More Exciting Moments playing "I''ve Been Trying," a track from DJ Shadow's new album, The Less You Know, The Better. The blues may not come to mind when you first hear the track, but Shadow's song takes on a blues essence when played by Frank next to "Black Girl," done here by Long John Baldry and Maggie Bell. This is a Leadbelly song passed down through generations, changing lyrics and titles. Nirvana covered the track under the name "Where Did You Sleep Last Night."
On This Is The Modern World this week, Trouble's guest, record collector Pat Longo, DJ'd the second half of the show. Listen to this set, starting with Martha Whitney, and including Sharon Jones And The Dap Kings, and The New Jersey Kings Featuring Monica Vasconcelas. This sequence jumps out of its stable, maintaining a galloping, funky propulsion.
Brain Turner played the early 1970's blues-hard-rock grind of Leaf Hound, followed by the modern guitar acrobatics of Drakar. The two tracks have two very different production styles, but notice how the grinding, organic sound of the Leaf Hound track, "Stray," sets up the razor shined axes of Drakar's "Crazy Boy,"
While searching the archives this week, Bill Mac's Zzzzzzero Hour list made me do a double take. Bill played Bobby Goldsboro's "Honey," This 1968 #1 track, with its sappy strings and cuddly as a cocker spaniel puppy textures could be THE counterpoint to 1960's FM progressive radio. But Bill used the track to launch a set that also included Brenton Wood, The Isley Brothers, and Scott Walker. Whatever you think of "Honey," you have to admire how Bill went to top forty extremes to launch a set that shows the eclecticism of old style top forty programming.
Finally, guitarist Bert Jansch died last week. Jansch was a founding member of Pentangle. His dexterous, jazzy acoustic playing made Pentangle one of the most musically accomplished bands of the late 1960's. On Shrunken Planet, Jeffrey Davison played the group's "Bruton Town." John Allen played an entire set of Jansch's solo work, starting with "Strolling Down The Highway." R.I.P
It's seldom I see pre-avant garde classical music on a WFMU playlist, so I look twice on spotting it. Bob Brainen played "Jeux" by Claude Debussy next to "Shadows Breaking Over My Head" by the Left Banke., Maybe my surprise is uncalled for. True, modernist influences flooded into 1960's rock (Varese-Zappa, Stockhausen/Reich-Can.) But Bob's segue reminds us that bands like the Left Banke, Beatles, Beach Boys and Zombies built much of their music using the symmetrical, melodic structures of 18th and 19th century composers. Listen to Jesse on The Fro Show playing a Tim Smolen mix Brian Wilson's "Smile Part 1," stirring together Bach and Americana, from Wilson's 1966 sessions with Van Dyke Parks, not released until Wilson redid the project in 2004.
Does remixing a song make the remix the composition of the remixer? It's subjective, but on the Long Rally, Scott McDowell used "You're Nogood," a 1967 piece where Terry Riley manipulated tape loops of a Harvey Averne song. 1960's experimentation is modern practice. Buy records, chop and alter, and, many would argue, you have your own music. We can listen to Billy Jam on Put The Neddle On The Record playing DJ Shadow's "Number Song" which Shadow made by layering about a dozen records he found on vynal binges. Or! we can listen much closer to home--Wednesday morning, 3am, to hear Nat Roe. Here's his Tightknit R&B Cutups mix. DJ's use everything. Just watch one shop at the record fair later this month, and if he or she is buying a Disney record from 1962, you may hear a millisecond of it in a show or mix, coming soon.
Segueing, composing, some sets meld so well together as one piece, the line is blurred, On Nickel And Dime Radio, Small Change opened one with a set that started with Weldon Irvine and included Chris Joss, Lightenin' Hopkins, and Can. Small Change's trademark dance hall electronic siren, forward moving momentum, and thundering, noise-added transitions make this set dominate with amazing continuity,. Is it composition? Does it matter? This is a radio dance party for post graduate music heads, not an egghead seminar. You decide for yourself, but while doing so, don't forget to embrace visceral free form joy.
