WFMU's Beware of the Blog

Adventures in the NWW List, Part 3

For background information on the NWW List and related links, see my previous posts.

The Sperm - Shh! (1970) - The 60s counterculture hit Finland with explosive results.  Even prior to the late 60s, Finland was considered an important center for contemporary electronic music and avant-garde art and performance.  If you then consider psychedelic and progressive rock on into the 70s, the Finnish scene was so rich that once you start listening you'll never run out of new discoveries; certainly, a wealth of curious releases remain unissued on CD. Several key titles have been made available on CD by Love Records.  For a detailed account of what went on, and the artists that propagated the mayhem, see the Finnscene site.  Also look for the indispensable compilation CD Arktinen Hysteria - Suomi-Avantgarden Esipuutarhureita (Love Recs), featuring several artists from the NWW List and other notable Finnish maniacs.

The Sperm were formed in 1967 by Pekka Airaksinen (who also features independently on the NWW List), J.O. Mallander and other giants of the Helsinki art/music scene, making them sort of an underground "supergroup."  They organized happenings, and made outrageous music using electric guitar, tape manipulation and other noises, spiritual grandaddys to the likes of Throbbing Gristle, Merzbow, Matthew Bower and The Dead C.  Yes, this album really is that good. [Heinäsirkat mp3]

Also quite worthwhile is the recently released Pekka Airaksinen/Sperm 2-disc collection including unreleased goodies, Madam I'm Adam (features 2 other tracks from the Shh! album.)

Patrick Vian - Bruits Et Temps Analogues - Excellent moog-based rock album released in 1976 on the legendary Egg label.  It's a wonder this hasn't been reissued, what with the intense interest in all things analog, to say nothing of the dozens of "sampleable" grooves herein.  Similar to early Heldon, or mid-period Tangerine Dream, but really its own thing and a very enjoyable recording.  Patrick Vian had previously led the group Red Noise (1970), also featured on the list.  [Grosse Nacht Musik mp3] [Tunnel 4 Red Noise mp3]

The Return of UbuWeb

UbuWeb is back. After a summer of rebuilding, the site is back with thousands of avant-garde MP3s and is chockfull of new content including:

Music With Roots in the Aether: A seminal series of interviews and performances concieved and realized by Robert Ashley in 1976, consisting of 14 hours worth of video and audio. Subjects and performers include: David Behrman, Philip Glass, Alvin Lucier, Gordon Mumma, Pauline Oliveros, Terry Riley, and Robert Ashley. Robert Ashley says: Music with Roots in the Aether is a series of interviews with seven composers who seemed to me when I conceived the piece-and who still seem to me twenty-five years later-to be among the most important, influential and active members of the so-called avant-garde movement in American music, a movement that had its origins in the work of and in the stories about composers who started hearing things in a new way at least fifty years ago."

The Charlotte Moorman Archive: UbuWeb is proud to host the audio archive of Charlotte Moorman (1933-1991), containing hours worth of unreleased works and collaborations by Nam June Paik, John, Cage, Earle Brown, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Terry Jennings, Toshi Ichiyanagi, Jackson Mac Low, David Behrman, La Monte Young, Sylvano Bussoti, George Brecht, Dick Higgins, Giuseppe Chiari and others. The selection is curated by Stephen Vitiello, with special thanks to Barbara Moore / Bound & Unbound.

People Like Us: The Complete Recordings 1992-2005 UbuWeb now hosts the complete works of the UK-based People Like Us. The brainchild of Vicki Bennett, these hundreds of MP3s feature solo works and collaborations with Matmos, Negativland, Wobbly, The Evolution Control Committee, Ergo Phizmiz, Irene Moon, The Jet Black Hair People, Xper. Xr., Messer Chups, Kenny G and Tipsy.

Christof Migone: Montréal-based Migone is a multidisciplinary artist and writer. His work and research delves into language, voice, bodies, psychopathology, performance, video, intimacy, complicity and endurance. UbuWeb is pleased to present an audio retrospective of Migone's work, both solo and with collaborators. Also featured here are numerous writings by Migone, including a book-length work, La première phrase et le dernier mot, which is comprised of the first sentence and the last word of every book in Migone's library.

Videos: Soulwax, Sun Ra, Pink Floyd, Joy Division and a Cheesy Euro Disco Instructor

Here's a batch of videos, and not a single one has anything to do with Katrina!  All these videos must be downloaded before viewing. (For Katrina videos, go here.)

First off, the most recent video, NY Excuse by Soulwax, aka 2 Many DJs, celebrating trash and culture, not necessarily in that order. Or is it a culture of trash? The archival footage is nicely done, as is the Barbara Kruger-esque agit-prop. Download video (Windows Media file)

Here is a video mashup of Pink Elephants On Parade, with music by Sun Ra and the visuals from the movie Dumbo. The Sun ra tune originally appeared on Hal Wilner's Disney tribute LP. I saw the Arkestra perform this at The Bottom Line shortly before Sun Ra dies, and they played it as they paraded around the club. Download video (Quicktime video)

For many Cheesy Euro-Disco aficionados, merely watching the sensual gyrations of Dschingis Khan or Tommy Seeland does not suffice. Action is needed, but can the Cheesy Euro Disco moves actually be learned, or are these abilities genetically inbred? Unfortunately, the moved can be learned, and here is a video to prove it. Download video (mpeg file) More Cheesy Euro Disco links here. And yes, "Cheesy Euro Disco" is now one of the most popular search strings bringing people to this blog.

Here is a video of Syd Barrett and Pink Floyd performing Jugband Blues, sort of his farewell song from their album Saucerful of Secrets. Not sure where this came from, but it's clearly been transferred from film. The sounds is good, but why does that sousaphone sound like a kazoo? Actually, the horn moments appear to be spliced in, and the rest of the film seems to include an actual performance. Download video (mpeg file)

Before your mental image of Ian Curtis is forever destroyed by Jude Law's portrayal of him in the forthcoming Joy Division movie, have a look at the real item performing She's Lost Control. Download video (realvideo file). And before your mental image of Iggy is sullied by Elijah Wood's portryal of him, have a look back at the young Iggy performing and rubbing peanut butter all over himself in Cincinatti, ca. 1970.
 

 

From the WFMU News Vault: WWOZ-in-exile and Thomas Edison's Attic

A couple of articles this week about the WWOZ-in-Exile stream:

This is a long article from the Nashua Telegraph.  It features interviews with both WFMU and WWOZ Station Managers and a rather somber photo of our own Station Manager Ken.

This is a article about preserving the cultural heritage of New Orleans. (registration required)  WWOZ-in-Exile gets a mention in a few paragraphs.

Speaking of the efforts to save WWOZ, thanks to the many WFMU listeners and WWOZ supporters who have pledged so far!

Also in the news this week: 

A fascinating article (registration required) about Thomas Edison's wax cyclinder recordings.   Jerry Fabris, host of WFMU's Thomas Edison's Attic and curator at the Edison National Historic Site, talks about these early recordings and efforts to preserve them in digital format for future generations to enjoy.

Click here to listen to the August 23, 2005 episode of Thomas Edison's Attic.  (RealAudio)   All playlists and archives for the show can be found here.

The Last Time I Saw My Brother-in-Law

I got in the van and was handed a Budweiser tallboy in a can, courtesy of John, swiveling around in the passenger chair. The barrage began. We talked about cars - one of the few safe reference points - until Cliff started in on my brother, telling me how Rich and his girlfriend recently shafted him out of $300. While Cliff spoke John would jump in and ask me questions. There was an ebb and flow to the way they’d each address me, then one another, then me again - and so on. It was obvious these guys spent alot of time around each other.

Alien Nation

MP3s: Ronald Reagan - speech to UN mentioning aliens (excerpt) | Roswell Radio Broadcast from 1947

This site is dedicated to kids who have been abducted by aliens. Read up on the abduction process, why the green men want us, how a thought screen helmet can protect you, and check out plenty o' drawings by children, post-abduction. Oh, and their factoid list states that aliens do not use radio nor can they understand our languages when they are transmitted via radio, so you'll want to stay on our good side until judgment day. (via del.icio.us)

This rendezvous with our interplanetary pals reminded me of a friend who attended college at UC Santa Cruz: he signed up for a course called "Anthropology: Culture and Religion" and became mighty suspicious when the reading list included The Field Guide to Extraterrestrials. Although he failed to read the course's subtitle ("Alien-Nation and Outer Space") before enrolling, I believe the semester-long investigation of ufology (official university-sanctioned term) prepared him well for our day of reckoning.

The Books of August

Hello, Everybody—nice seeing you again.

I thought August was a pretty good month for me. I’ve been feeling better and was able to get out and have a little summer fun--I went to a couple of parties, an art opening, and a wedding, and I saw Jean Nathan speak in Bryant Park about her brilliant book, “The Secret Life of the Lonely Doll.” But then I looked at the books I’ve read over the past month, and I started to wonder about what’s really been on my mind: Two of ‘em are about my childhood homeland, two of ‘em have the word “gothic” in the title, one of ‘em is about surviving in extreme circumstances, and one of ‘em made me think of a very dear, dead friend.

American Signs: Form and Meaning on Route 66, by Lisa Mahar (2002, The Monicelli Press). Is there anything better than reading a book by someone whose mind works just like yours? Lisa Mahar traveled Route 66 from Chicago to L.A. and analyzed the motel signs along the way--their history, evolution, construction, function, and the messages they convey--with charts, illustrations, and many photos. The fact that she even thought to do this thrills me, but the execution--the book itself--is even better. Here is the caption to one of my favorite illustrations: “Motels signs that included a saguaro [cactus] illustration were relatively common along Route 66, but none were located within the natural range of the species. This illustration, which locates the motels in relation to the plant’s native habitat, is based on an illustration in Douglas Towne’s ‘The Mysteries of the Wandering Cactus Unearthed.’” Okay, maybe she could have used a better copy editor, but the book is a real treasure. It’s 272 pages long, and I thought of Mr. Boyd as I read every page.

It Was Only a Matter of Time…

This past Friday, the Wall Street Journal had an interesting article about Saatchi & Saatchi’s new “content arm” called GUM:

"In an effort to reach young people who increasingly tune out traditional advertising, London ad agency Saatchi & Saatchi is offering marketers an unusual proposition- the opportunity to own their own hip-hop band as a way to spread their advertising messages.

Saatchi & Saatchi said it assembled that as-yet-unnamed band as part of its launch yesterday of a division it is calling GUM, which will target teenagers and people in their 20s for advertising disguised as entertainment.

Saatchi & Saatchi said it is offering potential advertisers naming rights for the all female band, or the chance to have their products appear in the band’s music videos or on stage with it.”

Gonadically Speaking, R Shand is The Embalmanization of The Rap Game

U Wanna Be A Grip?

"Listen, learn & comprehend the sheer joyfultudinal sounds as R Shand raps about the eggstimatic joy of being a grip."

"It's raw, uncut, & Bangin G ! Dang...if Shand woulda gone to those classes, his flow mighta been too refineded & sonically correct....and that ain't what's happening in New School."

"Euphemistically speaking, the aural flatulence of his thrombamatic sounds will discombobulate the senses."

"No one has ever quite captured this fecal bliss quite like one R Shand."

"His flow is better than Fitty Sense, he conjures up Nastonian sounds out the Ying Yang twins!"

"Not even Kanye can flow quit like R Shand & gonadically speaking, he is the embalmanization of the Rap game."

"R Shand has bought a bubonic smile to my face like the plague & he has given me esteferic hope for the future of Rap."

"We have seen the future of Hip Hop/R&B & he is called R Shand."

"U Wanna Be a Grip takes rap to a new level! I was taken into a world of rhymes spit out at micro speed and hydro proximate lucidity. These rhymes grip you and send you into spasmatic convulsions of the cranial cortex. I felt so gripped, and no one can gripe about his spitability!!! In other words the boy be baaad..... Thank You R. Shand, I'm gripped and ripped and you are so hip!!!"

"Songs like this need to be on the radio because I get tired of hearing 50 Cent, The Game, and Kanye West talking trash when you have undiscovered talent waiting in the wings like R. Shand!!! He makes me want to become a grip. Thanks for music that will outlast what's hot right now, R. Shand!!! BUY THIS!!!!!!"

Blame should go to Otis Fodder and even more blame to Phil Milstein.

WWOZ Update Three: Saving The Record Library

Here's another update from David Freedman from the streets of New Orleans. David is General Manager of WWOZ, the great community station of New Orleans. WWOZ's studios and record library were spared severe damage in Katrina and only suffered moderate flooding and no looting. But in recent days, David's been struggling to protect WWOZ's record library and equipment from being destroyed by subsequent rains - Katrina left OZ's studios and library exposed to the elements.

David also discovered that the WWOZ broadcast tower was in fact severely damaged, contrary to their first observations from a distance. In the course of dealing with these issues, David observed pockets of normalcy in New Orleans next to armed checkpoints, and he also reports on the non-state of forced evacuations.

First, a recent story from the New Orleans Times-Picayune, followed by David's update.

Times-Picayune - Saturday, September 10, 2005

Roof damage threatens priceless WWOZ record collection

By Dave Walker
TV columnist

The studio equipment and irreplaceable record and CD collection at noncommercial WWOZ 90.7 FM, the public radio outlet that beamed New Orleans music and culture to the region and, via the Internet, the world - survived Hurricane Katrina but might not survive the city's current lockdown.

Batch of Katrina Videos

I long to care about Silly Bullshit again.

Every once in a while, I hear the faint sound of Silly Bullshit calling my name throught the pines.. "ken... keennnn.." I turn my head towards the voice, but it is gone. Just the wind blowing through the non-existent pines. No Silly Bullshit.

I thought I was close to getting back to the Silly Bullshit today, when I looked at this video by Katrina evacuee Charmain Neville, who is indeed related to Art and Aaron.

After you've taken a look at that, download this Blame Game video (quicktime file). It includes the now-famous "Fuck Yourself, Mister Cheney" clip. But of far greater interest is the ever-eloquent Bill O'Reilly, who equates stranded hurricane victims with drug addicts, and finds the silver lining which we all missed.

But I agree. It is too early for playing The Blame Game. Now is the time for tarring and feathering those responsible, without casting aspersions.

Here is the video (quicktime file) of that genius, Wolf Blitzer, referring to the residents of The Big Easy as "so poor... so black." Who is dumber, Wolf Blitzer or Larry King?

Before the hurricane even hit, this CNN weatherman (windows video file) proved himself to be The King Of The Hissy Fit. And this New Orleans resident (quicktime file) correctly told a Fox reporter to fuck off. But who's laughing now?

Finally, here is the repaired (but still FCC-Unfriendly)  version of the Kanye West Goldiggers remix,  George Bush Dont Like Black People (MP3). via FWMJ via boingboing

I hope to return tomorrow with more videos, this time of Silly Bullshit.

Other videos via del.icio.us/tag/system:media:video

Arthurfest in LA: Photo Roundup

Had the severe pleasure of getting to spin records through mighty megawatt stacks outdoors this past Labor Day Weekend at Arthur Magazine's two day blowout in Los Angeles, land of L Ron Hubbard and a thousand taco stands and wanted to share some pics (see the L Ron HQ left, which I snapped walking to the show). For the uninitiated, Arthur has grown to be a staple for free-minded noise/folk/psych-loving heads everywhere over the last few years, and after a successful showcase at SXSW in Austin last year it seemed like a natural progression to do a two-day blowout with names near and dear to the mag's readers: Sonic Youth, Yoko Ono, Spoon, T-Model Ford, Comets On Fire, Sleater-Kinney, Cat Power and Devendra Banhart were among the stars that studded the line-up, with many many more also turning up as well on three stages scattered around the hilltop loveliness that is Barnsdall Art Park in the Los Feliz section overlooking Hollywood.

From the Trenches - Triac In the WFMU Live Room

They came from Baltimore to grace the WFMU airwaves; TRIAC, featuring one member of Hatebeak, were musical guests last night on Andrew Listfield's fill-in program for Pat Duncan. Listen here (about 22 minutes in) for the MP3 version of their set; here to check it out in RealAudio. Triac treated the listening audience to an onslaught of 10 songs of their trademark sludgy, furious grind. The new cd, Dead House Dreaming, that features cover artwork from artist extraordinaire Stephen Kasner, is just recently out on the Reptilian label. The Cosmic Cowboy got a good aerial shot of them while clutching onto a ceiling fan for dear life, fearful of dropping into the whirling madness of the room below. Before they left, we chatted off-mic about things near & dear; Route 17 and the Paramus Mall, a website where you can listen to the entire HAWK album and other classic 80s metal finds, cutlery and good posture. Check out the archive, buy their album, see them live, Triac commands you!

Update on WWOZ, New Orleans

Here's the latest from WWOZ General Manager David Freedman, who managed to get back into New Orleans to inspect the station's damage.

Below is a report of my first hand inspection of our facilities in New Orleans and some of our options:

Damond Jacob (our Chief Engineer) and I, along with Robert Carroll and Ron Curtis, Chief Engineer and Operations Manager of WWNO, entered the city by night (Wednesday) and stayed on the outskirts at the home of a friend who happens to be a sherrif's deputy and who also happens to have electricity and running water! His house had flooded, and the floor boards were buckling.It smelled moldy and felt dank. Outside, 50 pounds of rotting shrimp from his freezer added quite a heady aroma.

He had food and bottled water. Indeed, the next morning we were able to purchase groceries at a neighborhood CVS pharamcy. This might have been the only place in New Orleans where this was possible, and only because it was on the outermost perimeter of the city. There were no groceries or convenience stores once we were in the city proper-- just pallets of MRE's.  We drove over to the west bank Wednesday night to inspect WWNO's tower facility. There was about 250 feet of transmission line wrapped around a guy wire. Otherwise, everything seemed to be in shape.

9/11 On The Air

If you missed it, last night's episode of Aircheck was incredible. It's an hour of 9/11 radio coverage from live news/talk stations in New York City. The archives are up here: Streaming Realaudio | Streaming MP3.

Hearing this coverage brings back the confusion and chaos of that day four years ago, and it also puts into perspective the current coverage of Katrina and the storm's aftermath.

You'll hear all the rumors and spreculation (some right, most wrong) as they fall off the presses and off the lips of announcers at WOR, WABC, WCBS-AM and other New York City stations. A propeller plane has hit the South Tower. The FBI announces that the attack was NOT terrorism. The left half of the south tower has collapsed.

Great editing job to Evan for this episodem and to Brian for the great Aircheck Series, and hats off to The Professor for capturing all this when it happened.

FEMA Rap

Presenting the FEMA disaster rap for kids, which obviously prepared our nation's youth for the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina... brought to you by the same agency that, via the EAS (Emergency Alert System), accidentally evacuated the entire state of Connecticut for one hour, warned residents of a forthcoming flood by announcing that "a civil authority has issued a civil emergency," and didn't bother to relay any disaster-related messages on 9/11/01 because they didn't want to alarm anyone.

Thanks to Station Manager Ken for passing this one along

The Church of Neil Peart Without Neil Peart

In what I fervently hope becomes a trend, legendary Rush drummer Neil Peart's 30th Anniversary drumkit - affectionally known as the S.S. Professor - is going on tour... without him.

Now if they'd only send Syd Barrett's Binson Echorec out on the road...

Radio-Free Astrodome

The latest ingenious bureaucratic decision following 8 days of flawless coordination between local and federal rescue efforts post-Hurricane Katrina: the Astrodome shall have no radio station. Radio nerds at the FCC teamed up with Houston independent media organizers, Democracy Now and Sony to construct a kamikaze LPFM station in the Astrodome and distribute 10,000 radios to boost the dissemination of critical information to displaced hurricane survivors. In spite of an FCC-issued emergency broadcast license and readily available hardware, the Joint Information Committee (JIC) apparently does not see the need for a centralized media resource in the Astrodome. As you can see in the photo to the left, the current system of post-it-cluttered bulletin boards appears to offer a superior method of mass-communication.

UPDATE 9/14/05: LPFM wins out at the Astrodome; KAMP (Katrina Aftermath Media Project) 95.3 FM is currently broadcasting 6 watts to folks still housed in the Astrodome and surrounding buildings.

Adventures in the NWW List, Part 2

For the background and explanation of the Nurse With Wound list, see last week's post.  Also, last week I neglected to link to this great NWW List site, chock full of useful information.

Now on to this week's list of exceptional recordings.

Urban Sax - I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I avoided listening to Urban Sax for years.  You see, I have a thing about names, and the name Urban Sax conjured up visions of the stereotypical street alto player, clad in a loose-fitting geometric print blouse and a leather Stetson, bopping David Sanborn riffs to the aether somewhere near 72nd and Broadway.  How wrong was I?  Very wrong indeed.  Upon cautious investigation, I found that the "urban" in Urban Sax refers to the original project concept of creating sound environments in cityscapes via a large group of selectively positioned brass players.  Urban Sax is the creation of progressive music icon Gilbert Artman, founder of Lard Free and member of the experimental trio Catalogue with Jac Berrocal.  The band's discography up to and including the Spiral album in 1991 is varied and stellar, and perhaps most importantly, not what you might imagine.  Their sound is low on skronk, high on drone and performer interplay, such that the expected saxophone sounds are often submerged in harmoniously unrecognizable waves of tone, color and percussion.  For more information (and if you can at least somewhat read Francais) see their homepage; also see their brief but informative Wikipedia entry.  Though I believe that most of the Urban Sax catalog has appeared on CD at one time or another, nowadays the discs are reasonably hard to find.  Their self-titled 1977 album is a masterpiece, comprising four sidelong pieces of organic waft and shimmer. [Urban Sax Part 3 mp3]

Osamu Kitajima - Benzaiten - Debut rock/ethno/psych album released on Antilles in 1974, incorporating traditional Japanese instruments (koto, biwa, wood flute) into the standard rock mix. Largely instrumental and proto-new age, but definitely a rock record first and foremost, with heavy electric guitar passages.  Kitajima has an extensive discography, though my guess is that Benzaiten will appeal most to fans of the list.  Today he is "Dr. Kitajima," and runs new age label East Quest records. [Benzaiten (repris) mp3] 

Bearded Lady at Megastore

Devendra Banhart ad for September 13 Union Square Virgin Megastore performance, now keeping Yo La Tengo good company in the Name-Oft-Mangled-By-Promoters Sweepstakes. Though as far as I know, Ira, Georgia and James never had their genders reassigned (however they did do a cover of the man who wrote "Lola" at their Virgin store appearance). One can see some confusion on Richard Branson's part; after all, he has employed quite a few questionable-gender-in-appearance artists (Boy George, David Bowie, Geri Halliwell), but come on. Spend less money on building that Megastore on the moon and keep some copy editors around for your ads.