WFMU's Beware of the Blog

DJ Compilation Of The Month: Bethany's Fly On The Wall

For her 2005 Marathon CD, Bethany paid tribute to the segmented eyeball set. Here's how she described it back then:

"A collection of sonic emissions from the insect kingdom and the humans who imitate them. Highlight include hypnotic cicada choruses, cacophonous swarms of bees, the peculiar similarities between crickets and electronics and a thrilling (but tragic) sonic tour of a day in the life of a fly. 800,000 species can't be wrong!"

Audio Artists - markfogcricketsalice   |   Solitary Bee - Untitled

Jim Carroll - Praying Mantis   |   Malaysian Rainforest Cicada - Untitled

Devendra Banhart - Little Yellow Spider   |   Sarah Peebles - Higurashi in Yamanashi

Ferenc Rofusz - The Fly   |   Gabriel Faure - Papillon Opus 71 for Cello   |    Joseph Celli - Improvisation

Martin Schutz and Hans Koch - Amplified Insects I   |    Chris Watson - Deathwatch Beetles

T'boli Musician - Call of the Cicada   |    David Dunn and Hildegaard Westerkamp - Village Cricket

Douglas Lilburn - Cicadas, Oscillators and Treefrogs   |    Chris Watson - Insect Hidden

Josquin Desprez - The Cricket   |    Single Cricket - Untitled   |   G Pacchioni - Il Grillo

Roger Frampton - Living with Insects   |   Fats Waller - The Spider and The Fly

Cricket Chorus - Untitled   |    Stephen Merritt - Cricket Problem

Denis Dufour - Trepidopteres   |    Tucker Martine - Broken Hearted Dragonflies

Gregory Whitehead - The Thing About Bugs

DJ Compilation of the Month: Monica's Feelin' Bitchy (MP3s)

This month's WFMU DJ mp3 collection is Monica's stunning "Feelin' Bitchy" from 2005, featuring the awe-inspiring Feelin' Bitchy Monologue Medley, (mp3) produced by the one and only Steinski. (14 mp3s below)

Here's how Monica tagged it for the '05 FMU marathon:

A sassy stash of 60s and 70s soul sisters bust out the baddest and bitchiest man-eating monologues, raunchy raps and "tell it like it is" tracks. Dedicated to the fine art of homewreckin', heartbreakin', and all other manner of down low drama. Let the door knob hit ya where the good lord split ya.

Feelin' Bitchy Monologue Medley   |   Sugar Pie De Santo - I Want To Know

Irma Thomas - Baby Don't Look Down   |   Barbara Stephens - Wait A Minute

Ruby Andrews - Everybody Saw You

Denise La Salle - Breaking Up Somebody's Home

Ann Sexton - It's All Over But The Shouting   |   Vera Hamilton - But I Ain't No More (G.S.T.S.K.D.T.S.)

Denise La Salle - Here I Am Again   |   Millie Jackson - Loving Arms   |   Pointer Sisters - Fairytale

Bessie Banks - Try To Leave Me If You Can (I Bet You Can't Do It)

Linda Jones - Precious Love   |   Millie Jackson - Disco Shit

cover art by Steve Miglio starring Tamara Dobson.

UPDATE: By popular demand, here is the track listing for the Feelin' Nitchy Monologue Medley:

1. Natalie Cole "I'm Catching Hell (Living Here Alone)"
2. Marlena Shaw "Yu-Ma/Go Away Little Boy"
3. Loleatta Holloway "Dreamin'" (Acappella)
4. Ann Sexton "I'm His Wife (You're Just A Friend)"
5. Millie Jackson "Leftovers"
6. Barbara Mason "Another Man" (Rap)
7. Big Maybelle "Hair Dressin' Women"
8. Loleatta Holloway "Part Time Lover, Full Time Fool"
9. Shirley Brown "It Ain't No Fun"
10. Margie Joseph "Women Talk"
11. Linda Clifford "Don't Give It Up"
12. B Beat Girls "For The Same Man"
13. Vanity 6 "If A Girl Answers (Don't Hang Up)"
14. Betty Wright "Clean Up Women Medley"
15. Gloria Gaynor "Casanova Brown"
16. Millie Jackson "All I Want Is A Fighting Chance"
17. Esther Phillips ""I'm Gettin' 'Long Alright"
18. Big Maybelle "Gabbin' Blues"
19. Marlena Shaw "Suddenly It's How I Like To Feel"
20. Ann Peebles "I Didn't Take Your Man"
21. Laura Lee "Rip Off"
22. Irma Thomas "She'll Never Be Your Wife"
23. Mattie Moultrie "Saddest Story Ever Told"
24. The Three Degrees "Maybe"
25. Sugar Pie DeSanto "I Want To Know"
26. Irma Thomas "Baby Don't Look Down"
27. Barbara Stephens "Wait A Minute"
28. Ruby Andrews "Everybody Saw You"
29. Denise LaSalle "Breaking Up Somebody's Home"
30. Ann Sexton "It's All Over But The Shouting"
31. Vera Hamilton "But I Ain't No More (G.S.T.S.K.D.T.S.)"
32. Denise LaSalle "Here I Am Again"
33. Millie Jackson "Loving Arms"
34. Pointer Sisters "Fairytale"
35. Bessie Banks "Try To Leave Me If You Can (I Bet You Can't Do It)"
36. Linda Jones "Precious Love"
37. Millie Jackson "Disco Shit"

DJ Compilation Of The Month: Obey The New Wave

This month's DJ comp harkens all the way back to 2001 (and 21 years further back from there), from the late great program Rhubarb Cake. Here is Douglas' marathon premium from that year, titled Obey The New Wave - 1980 and all that-- UK DIY, etc. Here's how Douglas described it at the time: 23 blurts of intense, delicious, mysterious and staggeringly unusual UK DIY and art-post-punk, circa 1980. Grab this comp quick - these tracks will be up for one week only.

Nancy Sesay and the Melodaires - C'est Fab   |   Blurt - Get

Furious Pig - I Don't Like Your Face   |   Androids of Mu - Bored Housewives

Gerry and the Holograms - Gerry and the Holograms   |   The 49 Americans - Newton's Laws

Diagram Brothers - We Are All Animals   |   Fish Turned Human - 24 Hour Shop

Electric Chairs - So Many Ways   |   The Suspicions - The Laughing Policeman

General Strike - My Body   |   Hermine - Torture   |   Michael Nyman - Mozart

The Flying Lizards - Hands 2 Take   |   Galactic Symposium - Money

"Fatal" Microbes - Violence Grows   |   Gl*xo Babies - Christine Keeler

People In Control - When It's War   |   Dum Dum Dum - Dum Dum Dum

The Filmcast - Admission (Yours)   |   Aqsak Maboul - A Modern Lesson

The Friendly Hopefuls Salute The Punks of 1976

DJ Compilation Of The Month: The Great Copycat Contest

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then popular music is ready for induction into the Sincerity Hall of Fame. This month's DJ-produced compilation is Bill Zurat's 2005 marathon collection, Copycats, Imitators and Soundalikes.

See if you can identify which well known band is, ahem, being paid homage to in each track below. The first correct listing in the comments section to this post wins the WFMU T-shirt of your choice. Since some tracks rip off more than one band at a time, the final arbiter will be Bill Z himself. Keep your guesses in the right order please!

Luv - Shoes Off (Boots On)   |   Primitive Romance - The Spirit's Still There   |   Neu Elektrik - Cover Girl

Scott Wilk and The Walls - Radioactive   |   Marc Eric - California Home

Sidney Joe Quails - How Can You Say Goodbye   |   Sleepy Hollow - Am I Talking Out of Turn

Blue Things - It Ain't No Thing Babe   |   Redeye - Games   |   Repetition - A Still Rephlex

The Divorce - Family   |   Edgar Broughton Band - It's Falling Away

Steve Tilston - Simplicity   |   Tin Tin - Lady In Blue   |   Jobriath - Blow Away

DJ Compilation of the Month: Subway Music MP3s

From November 2001 until May 2002, Dan Bodah's Airborne Event program featured a weekly dose of free-range sounds from both above and below the streets of New York City. It was called The Subway Music Series, and it featured wildly varied music- everything from drum squads and Chinese erhu players to classical guitarists, bagpipe marching bands, and down-on-their-luck soul singers.  Dan's 2003 marathon premium, Beautiful Sounds from Under the Ground, collected the best of these recordings on one CD. Here are all nine tracks as MP3s. You can see all of our previous DJ Compilations of the Month right here.

The Ewlis Mason Quintet   |   Drums On The Number Six Platform   |   J. Darryl Williams

Ayan Drumming in Times Square   |   Sax Duo Saco and Erica at Columbus Square

Dimali Drumming in Union Square   |   Thai Erhu Music at The Port Authority

Tin Pot Drummer at The Port Authority   |   Nelson Singing a Medley at Castle Clinton

(Photo by Marcus Hartel.)

DJ Compilation of the Month: Metal Genre Education Kit (Metal MP3s)

(25 MP3s below the jump)

6/6/06 is only days away! If you were tied to the goat head alter and forced to differentiate between Grind Skronk and Math Prog Metal, would you be able to do it? Well, wouldja, punk? There's no better way to bone up on all your sub-genres of metal than with The Belly of the Beast's 2005 marathon collection The Metal Genre Education Kit. Stefan's been playing metal, propaganda and other sounds in the middle of the night on WFMU for several years now - for an interview with him about his show, go here. And to hear WFMU Program Director Brian Turner recite metal genres in the company of metal industry intelligentsia such as Dave Mustaine, Lars Ulrich and Slash, see this post here.

Here's what Stefan had to say in way of introduction to his Metal Genre Education Kit, then follow the jump for all the MP3s and more notes from Stefan. (Genres are in parentheses.)

First of all... Thanks for your donation, and thanks for supporting WFMU!! Second of all... there was no way I could cover all the metal genres that are out there, so I've left off the metal thatyou already know about, the 70's and 80's metal like Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden, etc., and focused on metal from the 90's and 00's that I particularly like, and you may not yet love as much as you should, such as...

Songs Of Energy Crises Past (MP3s)

(MP3s: nine of 'em in this post)

With gas heading north of three bucks a gallon, let's take a stroll down memory lane to those bad old days of 1973 and 1979, when an entire generation of Americans was raised while waiting on line for gasoline. Eventually, the situation grew so dire that a batch of novelty songs came out about it, which I am going to share with you here, whether you like it or not:

Diana Gardiner - President Nixon, Don't Ration My Gas (MP3)
Despite Diana's pleas, the US did implement a form of rationing in 1973, using the last digit of a car's license plate to determine if gas could be purchased on an odd- or even-numbered day of the month. The restrictions remained in place until 1976, although they were largely ignored after mid-1974.

Bobby B. Baker - Take Your Oil and Shove It (MP3)
A musical response to David Allen Coe's Take This Job and Shove It, using the Iranian Revolution and Hostage Crisis and the subsequent second energy crisis in 1979 as the backdrop.

Bobby Butler - Cheaper Crude Or No More Food (MP3)
A song of economic retribution written by Brent Burns in 1979, this song was supposedly the only song ever played on the Paul Harvey show, selling hundreds of thousands of copies within a few days. Today, the specter of $1.50 per gallon of gas seems so... quaint.

Newark Boys Choir - N-R-G (MP3)
Using a solar-powered wah wah pedal, the Newark Boys Choir take President Carter's cardigan sweater and "moral equivalent of war" speech to heart in 1979, urging people to make incremental sacrifices around the house to save energy.

DJ Compilation Of The Month: Heaven's Radio (Gospel MP3s)

This month, we get right with God for a change, and offer up Kevin Nutt's great Gospel CD from 2004, Heaven's Radio. In case you're new to it, Kevin does the best gospel show on the radio, Sinner's Crossroads, Thursday nights from 7-8pm, in between Joe Frank and Dave the Spazz. Here's how Kevin described this premium during the 2004 marathon:

Tossing a wide net and covering the gamut of Gospel from all God's children, Sinner's Crossroads brings you: hymns, prayers, radio preachers, thumpin' white boy quartets, hot quartet toe-tappers and sanctified visionaries. You will be blessed.

Follow the jump for all 28 MP3s:

DJ Compilation of the Month: Shut Up and Play, Vol 1

This month's DJ compilation is Shut Up and Play Volume One - Forgettable Moments on Stage, Brian Turner's 2001 Marathon premium CD. Ranging from Klaus Kinski's "I Am Jesus" tour to Jim Morrison's drunken on-stage ravings to regrettable ramblings from Elvis and Mike Love, Shut Up and Play isolates amusing between-song banter from the distracting musical numbers that often accompany it. Here are 27 MP3s of on-stage breakdowns, rantings, musings and tunings:

Elvis Presley 1  |  Freddie Hubbard  |  Donovan  |  Slayer  |  Mercyful Fate

Mark E. Smith  |  Nirvana Fan  |  Venom  |  Jim Morrison 1  |  Jim Morrison 2

Steve Albini  |  Klaus Kinski  |  Jefferson Airplane  |  Courtney Love 1

Stoned Hippy MC  |  Roger Waters  |  Anonymous Folksinger

Black Sabbath Tour Manager  |  Courtney Love 2  |  Woodstock MC

Tom Jones  |  Lou Reed  |  Elvis Presley 2  |  Iggy Pop

Mike Love 1  |  Mike Love 2  |  Mike Love 3

 

DJ Compilation Of The Month: Songs From The Midnight Matinee

MP3s: 26 of them below the jump.

Long before the the great convergence of all media into one, John Schnall was remixing movies for the radio on his WFMU program The Midnight Matinee. The show combined dialogue from movies with music in various ways, and turning such cinematic classics as Jerry Lewis' feel-good Nazi flick The Day The Clown Cried into hour-long radio programs. In the process of remixing, songs were sometimes created out of the dialogue and musical snippets. Many of the the full shows are archived in realaudio on this page. Here are 26 of John's Midnight Matinee songs, along with the title of the episode each song came from, which often suggests the film that provided the original source material.

DJ Compilation of the Month: The Incorrect Music Companion 2001

MP3s: 22 Incorrect Music artifacts below the jump.

This month's DJ compilation is the Incorrect Music Companion, a collection of Outsider Music compiled by Irwin Chusid and Michelle Boule. Irwin and Michelle did the weekly Incorrect Music hour from 1997 to 2002. You can still hear all their realaudio archives from this page. This collection was their fundraising marathon premium from the March 2001 fundraiser. It includes such Incorrect standard bearers as Mr. Snuggles (MP3), Mother Rage (MP3) as well as an early appearance by the Langley Schools Music Project (MP3). (Illustration by Michelle Boule)

DJ Comp of the Month: Mac's Big Seven Inch Collection

MP3s: 29 of them below the jump.

This month's MP3 compilation comes from our own Mac, host of the Antique Phonograph Music Program, who compiled a batch of sales-oriented seven inches for the WFMU record library. This collection was never offered during our marathons, Mac put it together specifically for the WFMU record library. So sing along with the Telephone Pioneers of America, shed a tear with Art Linkletter, and lasso some tefillin with Harold Stern, the Jewish Cowboy. If you like these, be sure to also check out Mac's Museum of Carboard and Oddity Records, one of the hidden gems of our vast website.

Machines Vs. Music: Mechanized Music MP3s

MP3s: 17 of them below the jump.

This month's DJ MP3 compilation comes from once and future DJ David Suisman of the Inner Ear Detour, who, in between searching for the greatest trousers in North America, made this collection for our 2002 fundraising marathon. It's called Machines Vs. Music and David described at the time this way:

Musicians - who needs 'em? Just to prove it, here's a collection of music performed exclusively or partially by automated machines, from music boxes and orchestrions to mechanical manipulations by Conlon Nancarrow, Pierre Bastien and others.

Click below for the MP3s:

Spazzy Answer Songs

MP3s: 28 of them below the jump, plus a handful of streaming realaudio archives.

All these periodic payola inquiries would lead you to believe that the only way to get a song played on the radio is by delivering duffel bags full of cash, cocaine and Adidas sneakers to a station's doorstep. Not so. For several decades, another time-tested method was to shamelessly hitch your tune to an already established single, a phenomenon known as the Answer Song.

In 2003, Dave the Spazz collected 28 answer songs for his WFMU marathon premium CD, which are now presented here as MP3s, with a few of the originals linked as realaudio archives.

Culture Shock MP3s From Doug

MP3s: 20 of them contained in this post.

Disco from India? Doo-Wop from Malawi? Rap from Vietnam? Salsa from Scotland? With bagpipes?

They're all included here in the online version of Doug Schulkind's 2004 marathon premium, Culture Shock. Dont pass up this amazing collection of jaw-dropping, mind jarring cross-cultural music hybrids. Eighty minutes of melodious map-melters that set the world on its ears. A bonus: The music is not just goofy, it's good!

1. Salsa Celtica - Fuerte
Combining rumba with reels, son montuno with ceilidh tunes, this Scottish conflagration has the hots for Latin music. And speaking of hot, check out the scorching bagpipes - doing the violin's charanga part no less - on this track from 2000. Download MP3

2. The King Elio Boom - El Fulo
Identified as "highlife ragga" on the disc this comes from, "El Fulo" has more in common with Congolese soukous. It's a slice of funk typical of the champeta created by the African-music-crazed youth of Baranquilla and other port cities on Columbia's Caribbean coast. Download MP3