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On most days before 2007, you could walk down Saint-Laurent Boulevard in Montreal and find a fragile, bespectacled man working the crowd that often lined up outside of Schwartz’s Hebrew deli. As the smells of smoked meat wafted from the front door, the 50-something man who was known as the “unofficial” doorman at Schwartz’s would perform mime, do a dance, or make impromptu drawings for a Loonie or two. Other times he’d just hold out his hat and ask, “Sp-pare any change?”
Nearly forty years earlier, however, this loveable drunk without a permanent home was a 26-year-old Academy Award nominee for his psychedelic-influenced "Walking", a five-minute-long cartoon that’s been lauded as one of the most influential works in animation history. But that was a long, long time ago.
Throughout the 1990s and most of the 2000s, this man, Ryan Larkin, didn’t care that strangers could see him piss out on the street in broad daylight. The people of Montreal either knew him -- “I have people that expect me to be there in front of Schwartz’s restaurant,” Larkin said, “and I don’t want to disappoint them.” -- or they talked behind his back in agitated whispers: “I’ve seen that man scream at people when they refuse to give him money,” a woman said after her friend gave Larkin some change. He said that panhandling was “a job like any other job… You have to be there on time. You have to wear the right clothes. You have to be nice to your clients…” When his daily shift in front of Schwartz’s ended, he’d bury himself in his alcoholism by drinking beer after beer at the “far-from-hip” Copacabana Bar down the street. Then he’d be off to the Old Brewery Mission for the homeless once it was time to go to bed. The Academy Awards were a long time ago, indeed.
Ryan Larkin’s career in animation was brief---he only completed four short cartoons throughout his lifetime. His last was 1972’s "Street Musique", which he finished before turning 30. That incredibly brief oeuvre, however, is regularly described as “genius.” People who know animation still point to Larkin’s "Walking" for
Announced at the recent Comic-Con, Kiss will be teaming up with Archie Comics for "In your face tales of Kiss/Archie". Apparently Kiss will come to Archie's hometown of Riverdale in the pages of Archie #627, that will kick off a 4-part "Archie Meets Kiss" storyline. Yes, to the left is Veronica, Jughead, Betty and Archie donning Kiss makeup. I don't know about you, but the phrase "in your face" was not exactly a phrase that I equated with Archie Comics or any of those characters at all. To my surprise, it looks like others have visualized grown up versions of Archie as well. Here's a trailer for a fictitious movie called "Riverdale," with a new take on the Andrews clan - it doesn't have the naivete and lightness that I remember from the original Archies years ago, but I think it's well done in teen/vampire network style.
My path happened to cross with Mark Barkan, who authored the B-side of the Sugar Sugar single; a song called Melody Hill. I was awestruck at my discovery - he also wrote theBanana Splits theme as well as She's A Foolfor Lesley Gore, and he was kind enough to autograph my copy of Melody Hill/Sugar Sugar on the Calendar/Kirschner label. That single was the number one song in Billboard in 1969, and to this day I still think Melody Hillis the superior track. Just days after getting Mark's autograph, Archie was back in the news with the Kiss team-up announcement. I haven't kept up with Archie as of late, and think I'll leave it that way. My bubblegum pop history and B-sides are all I need. If I want, I can gawk at the cast of Archie in Kiss makeup- at least we know what they look like without it already! My dark side might watch this trailer a couple of times. Am I not getting with the program? I don't think so, certain things I'd rather not revisit, I'll stick with my original preference... I'll take Melody Hill anyday!
Going record shopping? Have you played everything you have?!
Monica this week played "Further On Up The Road" by James Brown. Notice how straight the track's rhythm is: surprising until you consider that "funk" is a label attached to this master's music. Masters don't work to adhere to a label, but do what they want, when they want.
Here's more proof. John Allen ended a show last month with "Mina Loy" by Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth. In one way, the acoustic guitar track is miles from Sonic Youth's electric six string assaults. But Moore's track shares the raw, minimally produced energy that is Sonic Youth's sound.
Paul McCartney has a more recognizable sound than anyone, but is more experimental than a superficial listen may reveal. On Surface Noise, Joe McGasko played a bonus track from his McCartney II album: hear the mix of sound collage and funk on "Check My Machine."
Duane played "The Night" by the Four Seasons after "Love Train" by The Third Wave, a Philippino vocal group George Duke produced in 1969. The harmonies are the obvious connection, but the Four Seasons non-hit track provides a surprising drive, different from their classic singles.
On Kamikaze Fun Machine, Diane played "Gypsy Rider" by Blue Cheer. Daniel Blumin played an alternate version of "Black Sabbath" from the band's first self-titled album. Brian Turner played the James Gang's "Women." Brian says the drum break here was sampled by Blues Control.
I often collect many obscure records by obscure artists, never getting to little known cuts by the giants. WFMU always reveals in-front-of-your-face material, collecting dust.
On an unrelated topic, singer Amy Winehouse died in London last weekend at 27-years-old. Her old school jazz and soul vocals proved an artist can succeed without freeze-dried, modern mainstream sounds. On Cherry Blossom Clinic, Terre T. played "Love Is A Losing Game." Therese played "Tears Dry On Their Own." R.I.P.
Taking into account all my years on WFMU, including my original tenure doing the weekly Hip Bone program (1984-1999), this live performance, a world debut by the Raspberry Bulbs 4-man combo, is one event that I shall place among the highest, most gratifying events I have ever had the decided privilege of presenting on the radio. Infused as it is, with a taste of the original rock 'n' roll energy, spirit and earnest delivery that made parents in the 50s fear Gene Vincent, and corporations in the 70s suppress the efforts of The Sex Pistols, this RB set is music + power defined. Something to spring on my hopefully appreciative grandkids.
I purchased the Raspberry Bulbs' debut cassette, Finally Burst...With Fluid, in 2009, from the man himself, long-time Bone Awl drummer, founder/proprietor of Seed Stock records, also known as He Who Crushes Teeth. My intense Bone Awl fandom re-ignited, as he described the tape as a solo project of his own, and my need to be on tap with all things Bone Awl was further satisfied, when I got home, and played this little motherfucker of a tape. The similarities to the parent project were there, sure, but the songs struck an instant chord of originality as well, owing more to first-generation punk, Oi!, and garage rock, and goddamn if the songs weren't catchy as hell.
Thus began a casual email discourse between Mr. RB and myself, I knowing that the tape (and the others that followed) were a one-man effort. I nonetheless threw it out there that were he to ever organize a combo to render this material live, the My Castle of Quiet program would be a welcome place to roll the dice, the invitation was open.
Fast forward to the first third of this year, and much to my pleasant surprise, a Raspberry Bulbs appearance on the show, not only a live set but a sheer *debut* of the newly formed RB combo, was now in the planning stages. And here it is, fulfilling and surpassing any expectations I might have had, like human gunpowder, well-rehearsed and ready to take the world over. Saying "thanks" at this point seems trite, despite my earnest gratitude, as RB & Co. surely know by now that they killed it, bagged it, and took it home.
What to say? Live appearances will follow, and I can't encourage you strongly enough to attend one or all (Saturday 6/30 @ Red Light District, as part of Burning Fleshtival III, and Sunday, 8/21, as part of a great bill @ Secret Project Robot.) Much credit must go to WFMU's own Diane "Kamikaze" Farris, who engineered the set, and lent her expertise, while at the same time being open to input from the band, and myself, as the live sound was fine-tuned. Thanks also, as always, to Tracy Widdess, for rendering my abysmal-as-ever iPhone capture of the band, making it something worth looking at more than once.
Today's topical song is all about an extremely highly publicized execution in Utah. On January 17, 1977 the state of Utah executed convicted murderer Gary Gilmore, marking the first time a prisoner the United States had been executed since 1967, when the state of Colorado put Luis Jose Monge to death. Monge's death was followed by an unofficial moratorium on capital punishment that gained formal legal backing in 1972 when the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Furman v. Georgia brought all death penalty sentences to a temporary halt.
Because Gilmore was the first prisoner to be executed after this extended hiatus, his case drew considerable press attention both domestically and internationally. Adding to the public's fascination with the case was the fact that Gilmore essentially agreed with the verdict and hastened his own death by refusing to appeal his sentence. Referring to his death sentence, Gilmore said laconically, "It's been sanctioned by the courts and I accept that."
"Gilmore's Last Request" refers to Gilmore's wish to see his death sentence carried out swiftly, a desire from which he never wavered. Given the choice of death by hanging or firing squad, Gilmore chose the latter. Reportedly, his last words were "Let's do it."
Although the Sundowns failed to find commercial success with their Gilmore song, over in the UK the Adverts managed to make a pretty sizeable hit of one of their own songs about the case, "Gary Gilmore's Eyes." Recorded not long after Gilmore's execution, the song refers to the fact that Gilmore was an organ donor and is told from the point of view of the recipient of the murderer's eyes.
More recently, the Pine Valley Cosmonauts, fronted by Jon Langford of the Mekons and the Waco Brothers, recorded a version of Gary Gilmore's Eyes in a rockin' country vein for The Executioner's Last Songs, a 2002 release on the Bloodshot label.
The duo Downliners Sekt will join DJ/Rupture on Mudd Up! Monday evening -- listen as they talk with him about their particular brand of "shattered electric soul music." More about them can be learned on their site here. 7/25, from 8 to 9 PM.
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Wednesday from 6 to 7 PM, Ken and Andy return to the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in Manhattan for a live, star-studded broadcast of Seven Second Delay. Their guests this week will be comedian/director David Wain; filmmaker and novelist John Sayles; and Mike Doughty of Soul Coughing. Expect Andy to also make fun of Ken's recent head injury. The UCB Theater is at 307 West 26th Street -- admission is $5.
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Also on Wednesday, People Like Us welcome Israeli experimental musicians Alex Drool and Zohar "NicoTeen" Shafir. Alex Drool has collaborated with Blood Stereo, Adam Bohman, Fritz Welch, and others, and co-curates Israel's Primate Arena. "NicoTeen" Shafir (l.), based in Tel Aviv and part of the duo Casexxe Vibrato, creates tunes using toy synthesizers, vocal harmonies and lo-fi recording methods. Hear them both 7/27, from 8 to 9 PM.
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Later, Evan "Funk" Davies is delighted to present a unique live performance by Urge Overkill. 16 years after the release of their last album, UO has put out Rock & Roll Submarine, with a lineup of original members Nash Kato and Eddie "King" Roeser plus Mike "Hadji" Hodgkiss (Gaza Strippers) and Brian Quast (Cherry Valence, Polvo). Their special acousti-lectric WFMU set, part of a recent two-week tour, will include songs from the new album as well as a few 1990s favorites. Listen on Wednesday 7/27, from 9 PM to midnight.
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Noah brings back former Coffee Break for Heroes and Villains guests Thanksgiving Brown and Peter Agoston of Female Fun Records late Wednesday night. Tune in to hear recordings from the Female Fun catalog and elsewhere, as well as stories about the likes of Jay-Z, MF Doom, Creedence Clearwater Revival and more. 7/28 (Wednesday night/Thursday morning), from midnight to 3 AM.
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Nashville's The Paperhead come to Talk's Cheap with Jason Sigal on Thursday to play a set. The psych-rockers, formerly known as The Looking Glass, released a tape on Nashville-area label Infinity Cat called "Focus In On... The Looking Glass," which sold out and is soon to be reissued on Trouble In Mind's TIM imprint. (Trouble in Mind also released the group's self-titled LP.) The Paperhead are currently on a national tour. Listen on 7/28 from 9 AM to noon!
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Finally, to prepare for the Ponderosa Stomp Girl Group Extravaganza at Lincoln Center (more about that below), Norton Records' Billy Miller will visit Dave the Spazz with a selection of rare girl group 45s. You'll hear tracks that range from the Ronettes and Shangri-Las to Beverly and the Donuts and Tootie and the Bouquets. That's 7/28, from 9 PM to midnight.
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On Saturday, July 29th, WFMU will pre-empt its regular programming for nine hours of girl-group mojo! At the Damrosch Park bandshell, Lincoln Center Out of Doors and the Ponderosa Stomp Foundation will present the most comprehensive array of female vocalists ever assembled on one stage -- and WFMU is broadcasting the performance live.
She's Got the Power is a stage spectacular featuring Ronnie Spector, Lesley Gore, and over a dozen other greats from such groups as the Crystals, the Raindrops, and the Angels (and more). The show runs from 5 to 10 PM; WFMU's festivities will kick off with a live broadcast of Rex's Fool's Paradise at 1 PM. There will be tunes, interviews, and excited patter courtesy of hosts Rex, Debbie D., Dave the Spazz, and Gaylord Fields. Best of all, the event will be another WFMU listener meet-up -- all the more reason to come down/up to Lincoln Center and experience it all in person. See you there.
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But that's not even all! Marty is doing an all-cassette show; Matt Bauer stopped by Irene Trudel's program; The Men are coming up next week. Please check WFMU's Upcoming page for all the details, and for a link to upcoming fill-ins.
Here's a 45 released by the legendary Franklyn MacCormack. While it features two of the readings he was well known for delivering on his radio show, in this case, the first of the two is directly dedicated to "My Good Friend and Brother Noble" (as it says on the label) William "Bud" Weisenborn. It's curious that this is the way the record is credited, as the narration makes it clear that the record is dedicated just as much to Bud's wife of 32 years, Lillian, and in fact the reading on the first side is dedicated to and directed towards her, during which she is mentioned as many times as her husband. The label features pictures of two people who I assume are Bud and Lillian. (Another curious feature: The organist on the record, Adele Scott, receives more significant billing - in all caps - than Franklyn MacCormack or his friend.) The side featuring MacCormack's most familiar reading, "Why I Love You" starts with the dedication I've just described. Sorry to say, my copy of this record has not one, but two cracks, both of which are very apparent during the first halves of both sides of this record:
On the flip side, MacCormick reads another one of his favorites, "A Father's Prayer", again dedicated to his friend, although Bud goes unmentioned in this performance:
A tall, neon approximation of Dean Martin's face once radiated a mysterious ambiance down on the Sunset Strip. The sign could be spotted in episodes of Dragnet, the Billy Wilder film Kiss Me Stupid and even an episode of The Andy Griffith Show. Much of the time it was treated as if it were just a typical building facade that fictional characters would drive past without comment. But today, to see a giant neon Dean Martin face makes one arch an eyebrow. What in Lord's name is that!?
Dino's Lodge was a real-life Los Angeles restaurant that lasted twenty years. It is primarily remembered by fans of the television series 77 Sunset Strip. Ed Byrnes played the pseudo-hipster character Kookie, a kid working as a valet at Dino's Lodge, which was a neighbor to the private eye headquarters of the program's protagonists. When Dino's Lodge first opened it was a happening nightspot frequented by the Hollywood elite. When 77 Sunset Strip made it famous to television viewers, it descended into a tourist trap and was abandoned by its celebrity clientele. By the early seventies, this restaurant that had once hosted parties for Frank Sinatra, was part of a cornball travel agency package that advertised a two-hundred and forty-dollar "guided tour of a motion picture studio, a full day at Disneyland and dinner at Dino's Lodge."
From the very beginning the weird looking sign was one of Hollywood's campiest icons. "Dino's Lodge was immensely popular," says Shawn Levy, "serving home-style Italian food and grilled entrees in a wood-paneled atmosphere meant to replicate the great roue's den." Behind those wood-panels, however, hides a story of mismanagement, lawsuits and vindictive Jerry Lewis spite. The project, in the words of Dean Martin himself, was one of "total regret."
By popular demand, the last three cuts are here for your perusal from Volume Two of Tales of the Frightened, most of which was recently presented here. It's one of my favorite Boris Karloffrecords, and I love them all, but the unusual noise stylings and music that are provided by Tom Dissevelt (perhaps with Kid Baltan, I'm still not sure if he is on these recordings) put this lp in a class by itself. The full cover art is here.
Last time we played some of this, we were alerted to a remake/tribute project with music by Eban Schletter and voiced by Vernon Wells, about which you might find some info here (or over at Oglio Records where its released). In the meantime - let's get spooky!
WFMU will preempt its regular irregular programming on Saturday, July 30th, to bring forth the most stunning and comprehensive array of female vocalists ever assembled on one stage! Live from the Damrosch Park bandshell in Manhattan, Lincoln Center Out of Doors and The Ponderosa Stomp Foundation will present She's Got the Power: A Girl Group Extravaganza. The lineup promises a veritable cornucopia of feminine vocal and songwriting prowess, and WFMU has been entrusted to disseminate every single blessed note to you in return.
This five-hour-long stage spectacular, from 5pm to 10pm ET, is a roll call of girl group and female solo vocal greats: Ronnie Spector (the Ronettes' namesake was just added to the bill), Lesley Gore, La La Brooks (of the Crystals), Arlene Smith (of the Chantels), Maxine Brown, Barbara Harris (of the Toys), Margaret Ross (of the Cookies), Brenda Reid and Lillian Walker Moss (of the Exciters), Peggy Santiglia Davison and Jiggs Sirico (of the Angels), Beverly Warren (of the Raindrops), Nanette Licori (of the Delrons), Baby Washington and Toni Wine.
Yet WFMU's commitment to this event will have us on the air for nine — count 'em, nine — hours, beginning at 1pm ET! The festivities will be hosted by WFMU boss jocks Rex, Dave the Spazz, Debbie D. and yours truly, Gaylord Fields — we'll be the ones committed to wearing our new matching gold blazers in the sweltering summer heat — beginning at 1 with a live broadcast of Rex's Fool's Paradise program. The radio proceedings continue with tunes and interviews, cranking up the anticipation till the ladies strut their stuff onstage at the 5 o'clock hour.
To whet your appetite, on the Thursday, July 28th edition of Music to Spazz By, Dave the Spazz will host a 45 party, with Billy Miller of Norton Records prying open his record vault to musically air out some of his rare girl group singles. And if that's doesn't sate you, if you're in the greater NYC area and plan on attending the absolutely free concert on Saturday, stop by the officially sanctioned WFMU Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban Internet stream meet-up. Hoist a brew with Debbie D. and the rest of the Gold Blazer Gang at P.J. Clarke's from 3 to about 4:45 to get in the mood to sing along once the show starts.
Alice Bag (who goes by Alicia Velasquez these days) was one of the main figures in the first wave of punk. As a member of ground-breaking bands like The Bags and Castration Squad in Los Angeles, she paved the way for an entire generation of female musicians inspired by her ferocious performance style, her confrontational, provocative attitude and of course, her great and powerful music. She remains committed to her punk roots, and her website is an invaluable treasure trove of flyers, photos and interviews with many important figures from the early days of punk. As if that wasn’t enough, she is also a talented author, and her new book Violence Girl will be released this autumn on Feral House. She was kind enough to speak with us via email recently, and I am very pleased to share our conversation with you below.
NAmag: How did you get started in music?
Alicia Velasquez: Music has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. My father's Mexican rancheras and my sister's soul music were the soundtrack of my childhood. In school, the music teacher Miss Yonkers noticed that I could sing and singled me out when she needed help. She assigned a portion of the class to follow me when teaching two-part harmony or when we sang in rounds. I was still in elementary school when I got my first job singing for bilingual cartoons, so I thought of myself as a singer from a very early age.
NAmag: Like probably a lot of people, I was introduced to your music when I saw The Decline of Western Civilization in the early 80s. Your music really stood out against the other bands in the film, being very iconoclastic and hard to pin down, at least for me, being a teenager growing up in Billings, Montana. What were your musical goals at the time? Do you have any specific memories regarding the film? I understand there are full-set recordings from the shoot-- is anyone trying to find/release them?
AV: The Bags' performance in The Decline of Western Civilization documents a time when the band itself was in decline. We were pulling in different directions and had just had a major falling out with founding member Patricia Morrison. It's no wonder that you have a hard time figuring out what we were going after, I think we were having the same issue. By the time the film was released, the band itself had broken up. I couldn't watch the Decline for many years because I didn't think it had captured the band at its best, but I'm over that now. I think despite the band's struggle, you can still see some of its good qualities and the film had a tremendously positive effect on many people. I ran into Penelope Spheeris a few years ago and she mentioned releasing a Decline DVD, possibly with additional footage but I haven't seen it.
NAmag: We are running a Bags performance from 1978 that is pretty fiery and aggressive-- do you remember this show specifically or why it was video taped? What was the general reaction to the band live? Were you supported in LA?
AV: This particular show is at The Troubadour in West Hollywood. It was the first time that the Troubadour, a club accustomed to hosting “soft rock” opened its doors to punk. Aside from that, the thing that sets this show apart is that it’s part of a bigger story which has come to be known as the “Trashing of the Troubadour.” It was during this show that my boyfriend (and our drummer at the time) got into a fight with the singer Tom Waits, who was in the audience. It’s a long story. The mayhem resulted in punk being banned from the Troubadour for a couple of years. It was a rough show but certainly not the rowdiest crowd or performance for the Bags. We had a reputation for wild shows and between us and the Germs, we probably had the most out of control audiences of the early punk scene. This particular show was videotaped for a student documentary about the LA punk scene. Clips from it surface from time to time but as far as I know, it has never been officially released.
I don't know if this answers your question. The Bags were very popular in L.A. We could play a club twice in one night and sell it out both times but aside from that we were all part of a growing yet intimate punk community. We all went to each other's shows and supported each other.
NAmag: I also really like Castration Squad, at least, the very little I can find on the internet about the band. Did you release any records?
AV: The Castration Squad did not release any records. There was talk a few years back when the band reunited for a one- time show, of doing some recording but we never got around to it.
NAmag: I read in an interview on your blog that, as of 2005, Castration Squad is working together again-- what is the status today?
AV: Well, I'm living in Arizona right now and the other girls are in California so that's one obstacle. I love working with the women of CS and if I had the chance I would play with them again in a heartbeat. I don't know if we'd have an audience anymore and we might not even need to play out. Just hanging out with my old friends and playing music would be enough for me.
NAmag: Seeing as this is part of our "Women in Punk" week, what do you think the legacy of female artists from the first wave of punk is in 2011?
AV: You're having Women in Punk week? I think you need 52 of those!
The legacy of punk is not determined by gender. Any legacy that punk has left behind is as much due to women's contributions as it is to men's. The DIY ethic, the challenge to the status quo, the confidence to pick up an instrument, a paintbrush, a camera or any other tool that you have not been trained to use and to discover your power for yourself without feeling intimidated are all part of having a punk attitude. I see punk attitude in the women of Saudi Arabia who recently got in the driver’s seat of their cars to challenge that country’s restriction on women driving. I see the legacy of punk in hacker groups like Anonymous who target corrupt governments and corporations. The legacy of punk is not in its musical style, it’s having the audacity to actively participate in shaping our world.
NAmag: Indeed. The music industry has changed significantly in recent years, especially in terms of distribution-- do you see any emerging opportunities women should take advantage of? Do you think it is easier for young women to get started in music today?
AV: Yes, I do think it's easier in some ways but more difficult in others. It seems that anyone can produce a recording and sell it on the Internet but I think it's difficult to build an audience without first creating a community. A community is a powerful support system. Without it, an individual artist can get lost in a sea of talented individuals.
NAmag: To turn one of your standard interview questions back on you, what are you listening to now?
AV: I love Amanda Palmer, Girl in a Coma, the Gossip. I also sometimes listen to Lady Gaga. She is different from the other women I mentioned in that she does straight-forward dance music but I find her creativity undeniable and I admire her strong commitment to gay rights and her contributions to homeless youth.
The divide between top forty AM radio and free form FM broadcasting went out with the rotary phone. Old AM pop is now part of the mosaic at WFMU--one of the few remaining beacons of FM free form radio
The Partridge Family is quintessential early seventies AM pop. On Underwater Theme Park, Meghan played their theme song, "Come On, Get Happy," next to "Shiny, Happy People," by R.E.M.. The R.E.M. track became "classic rock" radio fare long after most AM radio became talk stations. It's unlikely you've heard these tracks juxtaposed. Meghan's segue works because it links the female vocal in the R.E.M. track to the Partridge's high harmonies.
On 100% Whatever, Mary Wing played a track by the 5th Dimension that was not a hit, a cover of Cream's "Sunshine Of Your Love," next to the dark electronica of Broadcast. The tracks have a diametrically opposed energy, which gives the segue a strong surprise element. A set on Nazario Scenario grouped more closely related music: the scrappy garage pop of Paul Revere And The Raiders before hard rock by Skip Spence.
FM DJs have always done sets with thematic links. Joe Belock on Three Chord Monte taught AM songs FM tricks, grouping songs about the end of summer by Dusty Springfield, The Raspberries, Stevie Wonder and Johnny Rivers.
Rob Grill of The Grass Roots recently died. Bob Brainen played "Things I Should Have Said," to mark Grill's passing The band used folk and pop and blue-eyed soul to create tracks tailored for 1960's AM radio. Diane played a set of their hits on Kamikaze Fun Machine, followed by The Minutemen.
I would never ambush you with an oldies hit parade post on the WFMU blog. But I hope these archives shine new light on some of the better top forty music that got dismissed in the heyday of free form FM radio, so long ago.
Hopefully, you are already locked in to join us for fun, sun, rides, freaks, and fireworks tomorrow night, when WFMU invades Coney Island. Mr. Fine Wine will be spinning soul 45s, as we broadcast "Downtown Soulville" live from the boardwalk, 8-9pm. More details about the meet-up here.
WFMU has two more listener meet-ups in the works:
Saturday, July 30th (3-5pm) - Ichiban Listener Meet-Up in Manhattan Pre-Party for Lincoln Center's Girl Group Extravaganza
Join WFMU's Ichiban Rock 'n Soul stream Empress Debbie D. for a drink or two at P.J. Clarke's Lincoln Square (44 W. 63rd St, Manhattan), then head over to Lincoln Center to check out She's Got the Power!: A Girl Group Extravaganza -- the most stunning and comprehensive array of female vocalists ever assembled on one stage (and it's free)! Details and RSVP here.
Come on down to the Clash Bar (39 Harding Ave) in Clifton, NJ for a night of stand-up comedy, live music, and a horror/sci-fi movie featuring WFMU's Professor Dum Dum! Toss back a drink with Wm Berger! Details and RSVP here.
It's a slow 'news week' again, so I went back to the archive and dug up some super rare Skinny Puppy footage from the 1980's. This material was originally scheduled to be released by their label. Only, it never happened. Both shows were recorded in Washington DC in 1986 and 1988. Enjoy.
Terrible news this weekend, as Silent Barn -- the one-of-a-kind venue/laboratory/gallery/space/place in Ridgewood, Queens -- was robbed of $15k-worth of gear/equipment (read the note here or after the jump | UPDATE THERE IS NOW A KICKSTARTER).
Among the many amazing components of Silent Barn -- the Baby Castles video game installations + hacker meetups, murals and art everywhere, live performances booked by some of the city's best curators -- here's one of my favorites:
Party Lab hosts straight-to-cassette mixes of not just the live performances, but everything that's going on in and around the entire space at that moment in time. Just look at the diagram -- there were microphones everywhere, even outside! It's all part of G Lucas Crane's vision of a "Center For Non-Amoral Surveillance," which he explains with this manifesto. I remember this one show, being so stunned by Grasshopper's set, I went over to the Party Lab booth to ask James (who'd been doing some mixing while hanging by the door) how he thought the recording turned out. "Great!" he said, "An ambulance came by, got some of that in the mix, plus a fight broke out so that's in there too..."
This spring I excitedly told friends and family that I'd be interviewing one of my childhood idols, singer/actress Toyah Willcox. This announcement was met with blank stares and silence from those who assumed they didn't know her due to their age or a "Who's that?" from the unembarrassed. At least one responded with, "Oh, Robert Fripp's wife." When I explained she was a household name in the UK, with huge hits like "I Wanna Be Free," and "It's a Mystery," they may have thought I exaggerated her fame because of my excitement.
So why don't people in the U.S. know Toyah Willcox? Her biggest claims to fame here, aside from the Fripp connection, may perhaps be her appearance in the film "Quadrophenia," or her narration of "Teletubbies." Toyah blames her reluctance to tour outside the U.K. for her relative anonymity. But there are other English performers who never played the U.S. -- Kim Wilde and Kate Bush for example -- who still managed to have American hits in the '80s. So what is it about Toyah that people here never picked up her records? Why no airplay?
If you follow WFMU's Record of the Day series (on twitter / facebook), you already know that today's pick is Leave Home by Brooklyn's AmRep-style spacerock/punk group The Men. This Sacred Bones release is the third full-length to-date from a band active since 2008, and clearly doing it for all the right reasons. Looking over The Men's discography reveals that all of their releases -- including the sold-out cassettes, a 7", and a 12" EP -- are also available for free download via mediafire. Who knows how long it'll last, but The Men was kind enough to let us mirror their 2nd LP, Immaculada, via the Free Music Archive:
After selling out of two self-released pressings, Deranged Records has a third Immaculada LP pressing available, and you'd be wise to pick up a copy now before it sells out again! While you're browsing the catalog of this top-notch Canadian hardcore label -- home to classics by the likes of Fucked Up an Total Abuse -- check out new releases by some of Canada's finest young punk bands including White Lung, Nü Sensae, and Brutal Knights (link).
Today, Irene Trudel is very pleased to present a live set from legendary baroque pop group the Left Banke. (At left: recent reunion show at Joe's Pub in New York.) Hear it, and listen as the Left Banke's Tom Finn talks with longtime producer Ralph Affamato and Irene about the band's rich career. Monday 7/18, from noon to 3 PM.
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On Dark Night of the Soul, Julie hosts a live performance by Last July, the UK-based darkwave/electronica band. Tune in and be transported to a hot summer night at the Camden Purple Turtle, as their bouncy synth loops and energetic female vocals stir up the crowd. Early Tuesday morning, 7/19, from 3 to 6 AM.
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Wednesday evening, Gwilly Edmondez pays a visit to Do or DIY with People Like Us with a special mix of new, improvised material as well as some of his recent and forthcoming Kakutopia releases. Gwilly, who comes from South Wales and is now in the Northeast of England, is also the creator of the critical practice journal Felt Beak. Listen on 7/20, from 8 to 9 PM.
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Eminent alt-country/garage rockers the Sadies return to Three Chord Monte on Thursday, behind their new album Darker Circles which is out now on Yep Roc! Join them -- guitarist brothers Dallas and Travis Good, drummer Mike Belitsky, and bassist Sean Dean -- and Joe Belock 7/21, from noon to 3 PM.
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On The Long Rally, Scott McDowell will welcome jazz/freestyle musicians Tomas Fujiwara and the Hook Up Trio (a scaled-down version of Fujiwara's band The Hook Up). Drummer and composer Fujiwara (l.), along with Mary Halvorson on guitar and Mr. Bungle's Trevor Dunn on bass, will play selections from their 2010 album Actionspeak, as well as some new work. Experience them Friday morning, 7/22, from 9 AM to noon!
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Saturday morning on Michael Shelley's show, hear one of Michael's (and maybe your?) favorite bands of all time, Fountains of Wayne, who will give an acoustic performance and interview at the advent of their brand-new release "Sky Full of Holes." Clever songwriting and power-pop hooks will abound on 7/23, from 11 AM to 1 PM.
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Finally, indie rock's Grooms will grace Beastin' the Airwaves! Sunday morning. Brooklyn-based Grooms (formerly Muggabears), a house band at DIY music venue Death By Audio, reunite with Keili to perform a live set of their guitar-driven, loud-yet-precise sounds. Sunday 7/24, from 6 to 9 AM.
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WFMU's next listener meet-up is taking place this Friday at various places in Coney Island, NYC. If you attend, in between Wonder Wheel and Cyclone rides, clams and beers and hot dogs, you'll get to hear/watch Mr. Fine Wine play 45s live! In case you've not heard his excellent show, Downtown Soulville, before, check out the archive from last week's. Learn more about the meet-up here.
Today marks the 42nd anniversary of the death of Mary Jo Kopechne. On July 18, 1969, Kopechne left a party with Senator Ted Kennedy who piloted his Oldsmobile 88 off the side of a nearby bridge and into the water below. He managed to escape, but Kopechne drowned in the car. In an act of indefensible cowardice, Kennedy fled the scene and did not get around contacting the police until 10AM the next morning.
A couple of years back, I posted two other songs about the incident at the Chappaquidick bridge.
