WFMU's Beware of the Blog

The Week in WFMU: 11/8 - 11/14

On Monday evening, British comedian Chris Morris will be the special guest on Too Much Information with Benjamen Walker. Join them as they talk about Morris's new film Four Lions, a satire about suicide bombers (cowritten with Peep Show creators Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain). 11/8, from 6 to 7 PM.

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Immediately afterward, DJ/Rupture hosts guests Julianne Escobedo Shepherd and Dapwell. Shepherd, writer/journalist and editor at The FADER, will be talking about her taste in dance music and divas, and playing select tunes. (For the curious, some articles of hers can be seen on the blog Cowboyz 'n' Poodles.) Dapwell of Das Racist and other projects will also be on hand to comment. On Mudd Up! Monday 11/8, from 7 to 8 PM.

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Vocalist Jen Shyu comes to Miniature Minotaurs with Kurt Gottschalk on Wednesday. As she prepares for the upcoming Vital Vox festival at Issue Project Room, she will treat WFMU listeners to a live session in which she accompanies herself on piano, erhu, and moon guitar. Hear her 11/10, from noon to 3 PM.

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Thursday night at midnight, Wm. Berger presents a live set from Philadelphia's Heavy Medical. Their Threats EP is available here; they also have shows upcoming at Death By Audio (11/10) and Party Expo (11/18). Tune in to My Castle of Quiet 11/12 from midnight to 3 AM for more violent, infectious noise/metal excitement.

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On Friday, Put the Needle on the Record with Billy Jam features visits from legendary rapper Schoolly D and rising-star rapper/producer Erk Tha Jerk. Schoolly D, a presence in gangster hip-hop since long before the term "gangsta rap" was coined, became famous for referencing gang themes in the record "P.S.K. What Does It Mean" in 1985. He has produced music for the films of Abel Ferrara and, most recently, Adult Swim's Aqua Teen Hunger Force. West Coast newcomer Erk Tha Jerk releases his debut album, Nerd's Eye View, this week. 11/12, from 3 to 6 PM.

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On Saturday morning, songwriting great Chip Taylor returns to Michael Shelley's show. Taylor, writer of such #1 hits as "Angel of the Morning," "Wild Thing," and "Try (Just a Little Bit Harder)," will talk with Michael about his new release The New Bye and Bye, which compiles the best of his work with Carrie Rodriguez. Listen on 11/13, from 11 AM to 1 PM, for the interview.

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And on Saturday evening, Rob Weisberg and friends will recount some of what happened this year at WOMEX, the annual expo that is world music's version of CMJ or SXSW. The festival took place in Copenhagen on October 27 - 31. On Transpacific Sound Paradise of 11/13, from 6 to 9 PM, Rob will be joined by editor Tom Pryor of the National Geographic World Music website and Oliver Conan, proprietor of the club and record label Barbès, to share the news.

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Have you ever heard this version of "16 Tons," sung by Noriel Vilela, in Portuguese? I just did -- last night on Monica's show (just after the German "City of New Orleans"). It made me glad and I hope you like it too.

Chiller Theatre 20th Anniversary

Halloween weekend has passed us, and I had to update you on my exploits at The Chiller Theatre Expo! Check their website, as many fans contribute their own photos-my interests may not be the same as yours! I got my Paul  Revere and the Raiders- Greatest Hits LP signed by Mark Lindsay (at right)! There was an I Dream of Jeannie reunion that I did not partake in, but had to walk through and take a look at Barbara Eden, Larry Hagman and Bill Daily. I also did get to meet Richard Roundtree (photo below), Patricia Quinn- photo below (Magenta from Rocky Horror), Zacherley the Cool Ghoul, Ernie Hudson, Patty Duke, and Gomez Addams himself-- John Astin! He and I had a lovely conversation about headstands; here's what he told me..."I was always pretty good at doing them, so whenever the story called for it, I just popped up and did one. Every so often if I was tired or not feeling 100% I would have them put one of those donut shaped pillows under the carpet, but for the most part, I did all my headstands without a worry." He said it had been awhile since he'd done one, but wouldn't rule out ever doing one again, "never say never, there's no fun in that!" He is heavily associated with the John's Hopkins Theatre Department in Baltimore, and Mr. Astin performs a one man Edgar Allan Poe show from time to time that I have not gotten a chance to see, but would love to. Keep your eyes peeled for this guy, upside down, or right side up! Below is a YouTube clip of him reading Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven" a couple of years ago. I had Chiller originator Kevin Clement on the Fun Machine a couple of weeks ago because Chiller celebrated it's 20th anniversary this year, check the archive here- and here's a pic of the cake! 

I was also thrilled to see that one of the sharks from JAWS was there, and proceeded to ham it up... you're welcome!

Ricardo Gallo's Tierra de Nadie @ Joe's Pub

Tierra de Nadie ("No Man's Land") is a relatively new group led by the young Colombian pianist Ricardo Gallo, who has already recorded several times as a leader with his Cuarteto. The past few years, however, have seen Gallo moving more and more into the territory of out-jazz (I hesitate to call his work "free"); this year, for example, he appeared with firebrand Peter Evans for the trumpeter's Live in Lisbon disc on Clean Feed. Gallo has maintained his relationship with the Portuguese label, who will imminently release Tierra de Nadie's first album, The Great Fine Line. The CD release party is next Thursday (the 11th) at Joe's Pub.

I first saw Gallo perform as TAUOM, a still-unrecorded trio with Satoshi Takeishi (percussion) and Dan Blake (saxophones). I was immediately impressed by their intricate compositions and staunch refusal of jazz cliches. Tierra de Nadie is a significantly larger group, and the recording features all three musicians aided by an older vanguard of improvisers: former Henry Threadgill drummer and current Oliver Lake sideman Pheeroan akLaff, as well as the well-recorded bassist Mark Helias and trombone giant Ray Anderson. The quintet/sextet has made recent appearances at The Stone and Cornelia Street Cafe, sometimes with Tony Malaby filling in on reeds, sometimes with Tom Blancarte on bass. The group has a richly textured sound, rhythmically anchored even when several players are soloing at once, and tinged with the chordal palette of Gallo's native Colombia. I think he has a great talent for balancing cerebral abstraction with strong rhythmic comping, fluidly moving between classical flourishes and hard-edged grooves. I'm listening to the unedited master for only the second or third time, so here I go spouting cliches... Nevertheless, their adventurous freebop reminds me not only of recent releases on the Jazzwerkstatt label, but also, oddly enough, of pianist Misha Mengelberg's 1983 LP Regeneration (with Roswell Rudd, Steve Lacy, Han Bennink and Kent Carter). Obviously, this group isn't interpreting Monk and Nichols, but their admixture of traditional jazz values with avant-garde technique descends from the same genealogy. Which I mean as a compliment to all the musicians mentioned above.

[You can see some videos on Youtube, though the audio quality leaves something to be desired.]

Tierra de Nadie is playing on Nov. 11th, 7:30 PM, at Joe's Pub, 425 Lafayette St, New York, NY.

Pack

Happy to see this awesome footage of the stellar German punk group Pack, whose "Terrorist" and "Robot" rank up there for me as punk anthems worthy of "Neat Neat Neat" or "Oh Bondage Up Yours" status. Killer! Thx Russ Waterhouse.

Rate Your Music: Another early band from an unlikely place, Bavarian Munich. The Pack was founded by Jörg Evers (ex-Amon Düül II), who yearned for more "direct and straightforward" music after after a trip to London. Still in 1977, they recorded the single, Com' On in a former WW2 bunker, released by Teldec in 1978. Of course, they claim this to be the first "true" punk record, while others say they're hippies... The following LP Pack doesn't seem to have been so successful -- it was the last. The opener "We Better Get Ready" is an absolute gem of trashy, noisy punk. Today, Jörg Evers is president of the GEMA, the German ASCAP. Punk has come a long way.

December 9th: WFMU co-presents Psychic TV at Europa

Psychic TV/PTV3's only American show of 2010 happens on Thursday, December 9th at Europa (98-104 Meserole Ave., Greenpoint/Brooklyn) and WFMU will be co-presenting the show along with Scenic and Edward O'Dowd. Tickets are on sale here (it is not, by the way, a benefit for WFMU). Psychic TV's direction in the last years has waded deeper into psychpunk realm, especially evidenced on their latest, Alien Brain Vs. Maggot Brain (Vanity Case label), and live shows have been a visual treat as well. In fact, WFMU has had a close-up peep at the band in action, check out MP3s from a performance on Fabio's show in September 2006 below (via the Free Music Archive). Genesis also performed recently at WFMU with O'Dowd and Tony Conrad (MP3s on the FMA here), and Fabio hosted a round-table discussion in our studios with the then-reunited Throbbing Gristle here.

Billy Beer Drinkin' Fan (MP3s)

       

Rick Pilgreen  -  Billy Beer Drinkin' Fan  (2:03)

Keith Reedy  -  Drinking Billy's Beer  (2:34)

Bill Gibbs  -  Beer Drinkin' Billy  (2:00)

Sure, Billy Carter was a bit of a raffish lout and a perpetual embarrassment to his brother, President Jimmy Carter, but he sure did liven up the joint. 

By the way, is there a chance in a billion we'll ever elect another president named "Jimmy"?

Who knows.  But here's a few tunes devoted to Billy and the wretchedly lame beer that he endorsed.

Legendary Pink Dots live on WFMU (MP3's)

Formed in London in 1980 by mainstays Edward Ka-Spel and Philip Knight and relocated to Amsterdam in 1984, the Legendary Pink Dots have created a massive discography of over 40 LPs, not counting the many Ka-Spel solo outings. On the latest, Seconds Late For the Brighton Line (ROIR) they continue their enduring, abstract, psychedelicized vision that has landed them as somewhat spiritual kin to the likes of Nurse With Wound and Current 93: dark, keyboard-inflected pop, Kraut-informed electronics, acidy industrial soundscapes all meld with Ka-Spel's unique lyrical and vocal stamp. They stopped by WFMU's studios to play on my show and also played live at Le Poisson Rouge in New York on October 29th and Irving Plaza on Halloween. The Dots continue south then west, check out the 30th Anniversary tour dates here. The lineup today: Edward Ka-Spel, the Silverman, Erik Drost, engineering Raymond Steeg. For more info on the LPD's see their site, also find their music at outlets like Soileilmoon, Beta-Lactam Ring, and ROIR. Thanks to Flloyd for the Dots-personalized baked goods and photo from the FMU visit!

 

 

Sub Pop's Andy Kotowicz

 
From Sub Pop Records:

Last Thursday evening, October 21st, driving his young daughter Anna home after picking her up from daycare, our co-worker Andy Kotowicz was involved in a terrible car accident that, so incredibly sadly, proved fatal. In what qualifies as nothing short of miraculous and definitively heroic, his daughter was pulled from the remains of the car, while it was on fire, by a local business owner who witnessed the accident. Though this same person tried and was unable to rescue Andy, I can think of no greater favor to our friend than saving his daughter’s life. And, in some small measure of thanks, we will all be eating as many Rizzo’s French Dip sandwiches as we can hold for a very long time. “Thank you” seems ridiculously inadequate, but thank you. Thank you.

Andy was under care at Harborview Medical Center in a coma until Saturday evening when he was taken off life support in the company of his immediate family. He was an organ donor and a recipient for his kidneys was found very soon after his passing. This is a small indication of the kind of guy he was.

Anna suffered some bruises and a broken arm, but is now home with her mother and family and is, we are told, recovering and adapting. There is a lesson here about the resilience and redemptive powers of children that we can all hope to learn from.

And so, those are the facts as we know them regarding the accident.

The facts as I know them regarding my friend, our friend, I am, I’m sorry to admit, unable to fully present right now. It’s too, too much. He was smart and funny and enthused; passionate in his love of music and his family; a patient and steadfast friend. He worked here at Sub Pop for the past ten and a half years and his contributions here, to the bands and artists we work with, and to us are innumerable and though I will be forced to do so, we all will, I cannot imagine any of it without him. I admired him, respected him, turned to him when I needed help and he never failed me. I know the rest of his family here feel the same. He was universally loved and it was all of our great good fortune to find ourselves in his company.

There will be more to say and write about this later, but right now, our friend has died and we are simply and utterly heartbroken.

This news hits us heavily here at WFMU as Sub Pop and Andy have always been extremely vocal in their dedication to listening to us at their Seattle offices, and while I personally never met him and only corresponded some on email over the years with him, I recognized his spirit as being one of a real music lover. It was crystal clear when he'd drop a line jazzed about whatever he heard on the station, and indeed artists like Pissed Jeans, Comets on Fire, Kelley Stoltz, and Jennifer Gentle who were beloved in our spheres here were also beloved staples of Sub Pop's which brought us closer together in many ways, radio/label relations/support aside. If anything over the last decade since our internet presence expanded, WFMU began to recognize new friends in every corner of the USA and world, and pretty much everyone from Sub Pop's roster and offices passing through our studios reported the extensive cheerleading on Andy's behalf to which we're super touched and grateful. An Andy Kotowicz Family Foundation site even kindly cites WFMU as a source for donations in his memory. We in turn hope you can offer support in his memory to his family's direction. We're sorry we never met him, and our hearts and thoughts go out to every one of his friends, co-workers and family members. Sub Pop will soon be getting together a silent auction as well, of which we will be a part. Stay tuned to their site for further details.

Mining the Audio Motherlode, Volume 90

Give the Drummer Some's
Favorite Downloads from the MP3 Blogosphere

How the hell am I supposed to sit here and write heartfelt descriptions about music I find enormously meaningful in the aftermath of an election when it seems the whole goddamn country has gone to shit? OK, yeah, not the whole country, but a big, bleak scary-ass chunk of it. (Props to Oklafuckinghoma for banning Sharia Law.) I know. I should just calm down, blah blah, and focus on the beautiful things in this world, focus on how this sudden shift in political power is to be expected in mid-terms, especially with such a crap economy, but I just don't feel like it.

I do feel like running screaming out my front door. Like racing down the block to my neighbor's car sporting the John Birch bumper sticker. Like pounding its fender off with a baseball bat. But I am not a violent person. I am a contemplative person who easily sees beauty in simple things. Maybe if I just chill out a bit with my headphones on blasting some of this gorgeous music, I'll feel a little better. I don't want to feel better, I want to be really pissed off. But I'll give it a try.

 Blasting the ugly with beauty...

Evolution Ensemble Unity  ~  "Concrete Voices"
(Blog: 9 Grey Chairs)

It's Only Ketchup
"Anyone not having had the opportunity to discover Toshinori Kondo, or who has only heard the very disappointing pop jazz and fusion collaborations with Bill Laswell, can be assured that this is the real deal comparable to a great many wonderful independent releases from Europe, and the States in the 'Golden Era' of the late '70s. How to describe this varying record is another matter ... ecstatic yes ... thoughtful and replete with moments of sensitive interplay ... as well! This touches a number of bases ... from familiar tunes such as Monk's "Brilliant Corners," and Lacy's "Bone," both of which are accorded excitingly rag-tag rambunctious performances.... to all out Free improv."  [Description by Sotise at 9 Grey Chairs]

 

Ashiedu Keteke Cultural Group  ~  "Gbo Ofo Mino"
(Blog: Osibisaba)

Mal Content
"I think this album by The Ashiedu Keteke Cultural Group is amazing, one of my favorites in the Ga cultural style played by groups like Wulomei, Suku, Dzadzeloi, etc. (there are dozens more). Ashiedu Keteke is one of Accra's eleven sub-metro areas, containing the dynamic neighborhood of Ga Mashie in old Accra, the historical center of the capital city of Ghana. This Ga area is rich in history, encompassing places like Jamestown, Ussher Town, Bukom and others. It is where the Ga cultural style was born during the '70s (and continues to flourish) along with somewhat older "traditional" styles like Kpanlogo, Gome, and Kolomashie. Ga Mashie currently faces some economic hardships in terms of development and poverty alleviation, yet this area remains beautiful, vital and inspiring."  [Description at Osibisaba]

Archie Fisher, Barbara Dickson, John MacKinnon  ~  "The Fate O' Charlie"
(Blog: Time Will Tell You)

The Devil You Know
"Although Archie Fisher is a legendary figure in the Scottish folk music world—everybody's favorite singer and an enormously influential presence both musically and philosophically—he has remained largely unknown to the greater pop music mainstream. While the mainstream's a poorer place for that, one gets the idea it suits Archie Fisher just fine."   [From bio by Stewart Mason at All Music]

Cicala Mvta  ~  "Ching Dong: The Return of Japanese Street Music"
(Blog: Jazz Archives)

Spaghetti Occidentale
"Chindon is one of the stranger musical combinations in the world. It comes from both the street music and avant garde jazz scenes in Japan, defying the conformity of tradition and yet reveling in the connections to it. This brass/woodwinds based music merges jazz, klezmer, brass band, Japanese folk (and anything else it can get its hands on), into a wonderfully twisted and always surprising hybrid, unique unto itself. Cicala Mvta includes tuba, drum, percussion, cello, fiddle and electric guitar players, led by clarinetist/composer Wataru Ohkama. Ohkama was a member of the seminal Masami Shinoda bands, who took the chindon off the streets and into the edgy world of hard jazz and rock."  [Review by CF at Jazz Archives]

 

Listen to my radio show Give the Drummer Some—Tuesdays 6-7pm, on WFMU and Fridays 9 to noon—on WFMU's web stream Give the Drummer Radio.
Send your email address to get on the mailing list for a weekly newsletter about the show, the stream and Mining the Audio Motherlode.

Check out every installment of Mining the Audio Motherlode

 

Struggling Electric and Chemical: A Dustdevils Interview

Despite being an 80's New York noise rock band with sonic ties to Glenn Branca and no wave, the Dustdevils are a far different group than the Sonic Youth who they are frequently compared to. Michael Duane's group, which at points had consisted of Pavement's and future Sonic Youth-er Mark Ibold, Glenn Branca compadre and sometime Don Caballero member Dave Reid, New Yorker rock critic Sasha Frere-Jones, and countless others, is unfortunately an example of a great act that never really got its chance to shine in the ethos of American indie rock. 

"Struggling Electric and Chemical", the group's 1990 album, is sonic gold, opening with a cover of the Fall's "Hip Priest," in which frontwoman Jaqi Dulaney casts the track into a sultry stomp that Mark E. Smith was never capable of. The real masterpiece on the album is the second track, "The Revenge of Cruiser Gurner," complete with a coda that sounds like the child of King Crimson and Sonic Youth. 

I was able to interview Michael Duane via e-mail, who provided me with a fascinating history of the group, scars included. Check it out after the jump. 

Imagining Sound

(Yes, a photo of my mother).

 

My idea for this posting evaporated, and only the original title remains, the rest not being so lucky. For most of my life, I've come up with the title before anything else (yes, school papers too), so that I can by pretence, at least, have something. I can then look back at the title for further enthusiasm, were I to reach a state of depletion.

This time, though, no enthusiasm when I look above. Where has it gone? I will draw it from elsewhere.

How about, from a record I just got?  My new theme: (taken from the album title of Fred Gerlach's 1970 Takoma LP) "Songs My Mother Never Sang." It still relates to the original title above (or at least I will make you believe it (like I made my school teachers, who, reaching the end of my essays, would cry out, "Now, this isn't really about that at all, Mr. Hay...").

Does anyone still sing songs their mother sang? Does anyone's mother still sing? If she didn't, do you?

I hope I am flooded with audio recordings proving me wrong.

Here are the songs:

#1) The Jenkins Family - 'If I Could Hear My Mother Pray Again' 78 RPM (Okeh #40214) (1924)

 This recording and its A-Side (The Church in the Wildwood), though not the family's own compositions, are one of the first recordings of a family playing together on disk (this predates the Carter Family 's first recordings by several years). The title could almost be changed to 'If I could hear my mother [sing] again.' Aren't they often one and the same?

Listen

The Week in WFMU: 11/1 - 11/7

Most shows that have already passed can be heard anytime via the show archives page. Go!

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On Monday, Liz Berg hosted a live set from Dustin Wong, the guitarist of Ponytail and Ecstatic Sunshine, whose new solo album Infinite Love - A Square Defining a Circle is out now on Thrill Jockey. The album, presented as a double LP or double CD, begins with the same opening on each first side/disc but soon diverges into different paths: the listener chooses which path to take. Read more here and listen to the archive of Monday morning's show: 11/1, 9 AM to noon.

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Diane Kamikaze will be airing live music from Altar -- special material from their incredible set at the All Tomorrow's Parties festival last September. Altar, which consists of the members of Sunn O))) and Boris plus other contributors, put on a blistering show at ATP which you can hear on Diane's program Tuesday, or on the archives for a limited time only -- 3 weeks. Tune in to Diane's Kamikaze Fun Machine 11/2 from noon to 3 PM to hear the epic scope of their sound.

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The Legendary Pink Dots, in town on their 30th anniversary tour, join Brian Turner on Tuesday to play live. Seconds Late for the Brighton Line, their latest release in a discography of over 40 LPs since 1980, is another masterpiece of dark, industrial-flavored psychedelic pop with the unique vocal stamp of Edward Ka-Spel. If you missed them at Le Poisson Rouge last week (or if you didn't and want more), listen to Brian's program on 11/2 from 3 to 6 PM.

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Zombie expert Nick Robbins joins Bronwyn and Jay on the Thunk Tank for his second appearance, this time as part of their Dia de los Muertos special. Tune in on Tuesday, 11/2, from 7 to 8 PM, for a discussion of various cultures' views on death -- especially as it relates to zombies.

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On Nat Roe's show early Wednesday morning, hear a live session from Robedoor with previously unreleased material. The drone/psych/doom duo out of LA, Alex and Britt Brown, have recently added a third member, Ged Gengrass, on drums. They've released many records, CDs, and cassettes on Britt's label Not Not Fun and others, the latest of which is the 7" Pacific Drift. They'll be on the air 11/3, from 3 to 6 AM.

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Filmmaker Jon Rafman will talk to Bennett4Senate about his new project Codes of Honor, which mixes documentary footage of New York's arcade game scene with a fictional narrative "filmed" in the virtual world of Second Life. Jon will chat with Bennett and play a set of video game music that inspired the film. Hear it on Awesome New Place Thursday morning, 11/4, from 3 to 6 AM.

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Dave the Spazz hosts a set from Brooklyn rock-'n'-rollers the Piggies on Music to Spazz By, Thursday 11/4 from 9 to midnight.

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Lastly, Billy Jam is still in Ireland and presents a live broadcast from the Bell, Book and Candle in Galway, where hip-hop, experimental, and traditional Irish musicians will gather to perform together. Listen as "Irish traditional meets Irish hip-hop," Friday afternoon 11/5, from 3 to 6 PM (New Jersey time). Scheduled guests include The Old Soul Brigade, Pervish, MC Mimmic, Vince Mack Mahon crew, MyNameIsJohn, Chiwawa Studios, Bitwise and Madec, Rumble Digits, Lineage Crew, Mupeid, Sebi C, Longy, and Irish beatboxing champion Mr. L.

Fuel, Wine, Carpets and More! (Exploring My Reel-to-Reel Catacombs, Volume Nine) (MP3)

Today, a romp through a few odds and ends from my collection of reel to reel tapes. First up, a raw session tape from the recording of a narration for some sort of advertisement for "Wisco Wonderful", a one-time product of Wisconsin. The narrator here sounds to me like he may be the same guy who did the "Homko Narration", which I posted in the first edition of this Catacombs Series, and which came in the same style box with similar writing.

Unknown - Wisco Wonderfuel (MP3)

Next, here are two recording sessions found on the same tape. First is a short series of attempts at completing a Mogen David ad, then, a lengthier segment in which the announcer (I'm not sure if this is a different person than is heard in the above or not) tries to perfect a commercial for the Chicago carpet cleaning institution, Boushelle. The first time through, the announcer even sings their famous (to Chicagoans, anyway) phone number jingle.

Unknown - Mogen David Wine (MP3)

Unknown - Boushelle Carpet Cleaning (MP3)

Tape Box (JPG)

Finally, and on a completely different note, here are some young adults, carrying on a conversation while listening to a jazz album, and taping 15 minutes of it for posterity. The where and when of this is unknown (the tape box is unmarked), but there are some interesting points in the conversation, for those who care to have a listen.

Unknown - A Conversation with Jazz (MP3)

The Cannibal Song / and Other Cheery Things

As usual, this season brings on the urge to wallow in monster movies and suchlike media, and a bit of a dredge through the record pile to play those once-every-year-or-two discs that are mainly pulled on holidays. Not much I wanna say about these three giants today, we have Vincent Price reading an old Navaho legend, Boris Karloff with a story from 'Tales of the Frightened' volume two, as written by Michael Avallone and featuring the terrific electronic noise stylings of (uncredited) Tom Dissvelt, and last but by no means least, 'The Cannibal Song' from an old Disney arithmetic lp, as wonderfully performed by Thurl Ravenscroft and Cliff Edwards (gosh, he's another favorite of mine).  Enjoy.

  "I sat in my car, listening. I couldn't see the lighthouse or the light standing out in Lonesome Bay. I could only hear the Horn, the Horn, the Horn. It sounded like the monster calling.

  I sat there wishing there was something I could say."

-----Ray Bradbury, The Fog Horn

Boris Karloff / The Ladder               Vincent Price / The Lonely Grave              The Cannibal Song / Thurl Ravenscroft and Cliff Edwards (with Rica Moore)

 

Hugh Cornwell (ex-Stranglers) joins FMA with Free Album & WFMU session! (mp3's)

Hugh Cornwell (yes, Hugh Cornwell formerly of the Stranglers) made a visit to the Fun Machine and WFMU studios this past week. In tow was drummer extraordinaire Clem Burke; known to some as Elvis Ramone, known to (probably many more) as the drummer in Blondie; and Steve Fishman on bass. They banged out 4 numbers, and Hugh spoke with your hostess long enough for me to carve out a 3-hour Hugh Cornwell/Stranglers special which can be found here. Hugh's album, "Hoover Dam" has been offered as a free download on his site since it had been released, as he is always doing something special for his fans! As of about 15 minutes ago, were are proudly hosting ALL of Hoover Dam on the Free Music Archive site- here is that specific link! Along with that, dear listener, give your ears a treat by checking out all 4 of the live tracks they performed here in the Love Room at the station. To the right is the band killing it at the Mercury Lounge on Oct. 26th; and here is the Hoover Dam album in it's entirety, woo hoo, thanks, Hugh!

Kang Tae Hwan & Sainkho Namtchylak

Kang Tae Hwan was a name in the world of jazz entirely unfamiliar to me prior to this summer, when I read the Right Honorable Nathaniel Roe's excellent article on Korean experimental music, covering its early stages to its present fertility ("Sweet Seoul music," Wire, May 2010). An extraordinary saxophone player, Hwan is one of the grandfathers of the Korean musical avant-garde after the late taepyongso/hojok player Kim Seok Chul, with whom he collaborated. According to Nat, the great achievement of the Kang Tae Hwan trio (active from 1978 to 2004, I believe) was its marriage of a cosmpolitan openness with traditional Korean shamanism, touring outside Korea and working alongside Western musicians. The group's stature can be measured in part by the fact that they remain the only experimental musicians to perform at a major Korean cultural event, the 1988 Seoul Olympics, riding high on an initial wave of Democratic reforms that would quickly peter out into the original status quo. Korean experimentalists returned underground, recording very little--but, strangely, not particularly caring one way or another who heard their music.

The Shamanic principles are apparent in Hwan's performance style, which can be seen today in numerous Youtube videos. "Kang would typically perform cross-legged, with bare feet and closed eyes," writes Nat. "His tone is as rich and complex as a vintage wine, with layered overtones collapsing into one another, and notes stretched with circular breathing for minutes on end." It's little wonder that we find him in the 1990s collaborating with the likes of Ned Rothenberg, who not only utilizes the same extended techniques but fully admits a strong Asian influence in his own playing.

Live, a duo recording with the great vocalist Sainkho Namtchylak, was released in 1993 on the Japanese label Free Improvisation Network and is now out of print. If, like me, you've only heard Hwan's Seven Breath (2002), Live will open your eyes to another side of the saxophonist's artistry. Namtchylak is a Tuvan-born singer who has appeared on numerous improvised sessions, lending her intimate knowledge of the Siberian traditions to those adventurous enough to work with her; When the Sun is Out You Don't See the Stars (FMP, 1992), a collaboration with Peter Kowald, Werner Ludi and Butch Morris, is a particularly successful entry in her catalogue. Hwan and Namtchylak complement each other so well that Teruto Soejima, who penned the liner notes for Live, went so far as to call their performance "the crystallization of the Asian mentality." Whatever that may be, it is certain that this is a sorely underappreciated recording illuminated by Hwan's repetitive, incantatory alto and Namtchylak's bestial but utterly precise vocals; indeed, her machine-gun trillings at the upper register and rhythmic grunts put the caterwauling of a Maja Ratjke or a Diamanda Galas to shame. Hwan shuns pyrotechnics and instead aims for a rich, hypnotic, enveloping sound full of throaty reverberations and microtonal explorations, producing the same effect achieved by his partner's windpipe.

By the way, Sainkho has two new CDs out on Leo: Not Quite Songs, a duo with electro-acoustic performer Nick Sudnick, and Terra, a recording from the Vilnius Jazz Festival in the Lithuanian capital with Wolfgang Puschnig (reeds) and Paul Urbanek (piano); I personally find the latter a little too 'smooth jazz' for my taste, but hearing Namtchylak in a more lyrical vein is not without its charms.

Kang Tae Hwan & Sainkho Namtchylak - Live (Free Improvisation Network, 1993)

1.) Improvisation 1 (Duo)

2.) Improvisation 2 (Solo)

3.) Improvisation 3 (Duo)

4.) Improvisation 4 (Solo)

5.) Improvisation 5 (Duo)

Special thanks to Brian Turner for selling me this great disc for $1 in the last 15 minutes of the WFMU Record Fair.

From Sainkho Namtchylak & Nick Sudnick - Not Quite Songs (Leo, 2010)

1.) Play 1

9.) Play 9

From Namtchylak / Puschnig / Urbanek - Terra (Leo, 2010)

02.) Terra 2

Signing Sine Waves

Art: Jason

Tony Coulter here, on the screen in front of you, pushing a passel of roundish soundings. Said sounds are mostly private, and six of ten are clothed in black and white.  A burst of color flashes at the end, emerging from the longhaired quarter.

And gnow, dear mir or sadam, please turn, turn, turn the page....

Mining the Audio Motherlode, Volume 89

Give the Drummer Some's
Favorite Downloads from the MP3 Blogosphere

Welcome to the first-ever ALL SOUNDTRACKS installment (non-Bollywood division) of Mining the Audio Motherlode. Though my appreciation of film music is nothing new (read this short piece I posted back in 1998), I've been obsessing on the subject more than usual this past week thanks to a tip from a long-time listener of my radio program Give the Drummer Some. During my show last Friday, Listener Annie (who herself writes contemplative and lovely ruminations on nature and food here) hipped me to a Curtis Harrington–directed picture Night Tide from 1961 starring Dennis Hopper (in his first lead role) with some absolutely fantastic music sequences.

Here is the whole blessed film:

 

 

 

 

 

The score by David Raksin is a thrill throughout, but if you don't have 85 minutes to spare, check out the sizzling "Blue Grotto" sequence (at 2:28) and the campy "white girl dances to ethnic drumming" scene (at 27:07). Thanks Annie!

Another major inspiration for this movie-themed post can be found in the landmark five-volume compilation served up as the first offering below.

 

...Roll sound...Action!

Various  ~  "Written in Blood: Classic, Unreleased, Unused and Out-of-Print Romantically Macabre Soundtrack Music"
Volumes 1  |  2  |  3  |  4  |  5
(Blog: Ghostcapital)

It's Only Ketchup
In celebration of the Halloween season, musician/graphic artist Nate Ashley along with the proprietor of the exceptional blog Ghostcapital have teamed up to launch this ambitious five-volume compilation of the loveliest scary music you're ever going to hear. Skip over the rest of my pithy wisecracks and climb aboard each one of these velvet-lined capsules plummeting straight into celluloid hell.

 

Mal Waldron  ~  "Sweet Love, Bitter"
(Blog: Book of Prayer)

Mal Content
The theme of this 1967 film—"angry black artist, simultaneously grateful and resentful for the adoration of his white patrons, OD's on hate and smack"—sounds like it was ripped from the pages of a James Baldwin novel. (I adore James Baldwin.) The film actually is based on Night Song by the wonderful writer John A. Williams, who wove more than a few autobiographical sinews into the story. The film's protaganist, embittered sax player Richie "Eagle" Stokes, is played by Dick Gregory.

Sergio Ricardo &  Glauber Rocha  ~  "Deus e o Diabo na Terra do Sol"
(Blog: Loronix)

The Devil You Know
"Uma câmera na mão e uma ideia na cabeça" ("a camera in the hand and an idea in the head") was a fitting manifesto for the revolutionary Brazilian film movement Cinema Novo, for which 1964's Deus e o Diabo na Terra do Sol was a crowning achievement. I love this recording because director Glauber Rocha saw to it personally that several melodramatic orations given by the film's lead actors be included.

Riz Ortolani  ~  "I Giorni dell'Ira"
(Blog: San Pasquale Ent.)

Spaghetti Occidentale
Being an Italian soundtrack composer is a tough gig. If the colossus Ennio Morricone doesn't blot out your sun, then Nino Rota's hulking talent surely casts one hell of a shadow. One of my favorite film scorers is Riz Ortolani, who earned his way into the pantheon in 1962 with his soundtrack (with Nino Oliviero) for Mondo Cane. Ortolani would go on to produce work for more than 200 films, including Tonino Valerii's classic Spaghetti Western I Gironi dell'Ira. Gorgeous stuff. Plenty of tuneful clips are posted on Ortolani's Facebook page.

 

Sun Ra  ~  "Sun Ra & the Blues Project Do Batman and Robin"
(Blog: WFMU's Beware of the Blog)

Takes One Caped Crusader to Know Another
Technically this isn't a soundtrack, but it also isn't the "Sensational Guitars of Dan and Dale" either. Originally posted here on Beware of the Blog back in 2006, it was then described as "one of the greatest uncredited session combos of all time, including the core of Sun Ra's Arkestra and Al Kooper's Blues Project." Ka-Pow!

 

Listen to my radio show Give the Drummer Some—Tuesdays 6-7pm, on WFMU and Fridays 9 to noon—on WFMU's web stream Give the Drummer Radio.
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Check out every installment of Mining the Audio Motherlode

 

Germani Country

  Here's one I picked up at the WFMU record fair last weekend.  If you're wondering where Mama is, head on over to Ichiban.

Connie Hall - Daddy Doesn't Live Here Anymore (mp3)

Total Recall: An Interview With Zach Hill

Zach Hill is an innovator. Booming out of Sacramento in the late 90s to make a name for himself playing drums with Hella, Marnie Stern, Wavves, Team Sleep, Boredoms, and countless others, Hill plays the drums like David Lynch writes movies--- frantic, perplexing, troubling--- but ultimately, completely euphoric. Earlier this month, Hill released Face Tat, the follow up to his first official solo album Astrological Straits. 

It's a bit hard to say what Face Tat sounds like, as its constantly changing forms and songs will take an infinite number of listens to truly grasp, but the feelings one can get from listening to the album make it as addicting as some type of all consuming Entertainment. But this is more than just entertainment, this is Face Tat. And it rocks. And rolls. Really hard. 

I was able to speak with Zach about the album, including where he got the title "Face Tat" from, and some other endeavors via e-mail. Check it out after the jump!