Monthly Archives: February 2010

80’s Music Rules ~ Legendary DJ David Marsden and His New Broadcast Schedule

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(Click the link for previous posts about David Marsden.)

Canadian DJ David Marsden has been an icon of free-form broadcasting for the past four decades. Imagine radio as you would personally program it, and look no further. David has given life to the word “eclectic” by successfully combining music that is multi-genre, spans different musical periods, and is usually found way under the radar.

Marsden’s most well-known accomplishment, besides being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, was launching CFNY back in the late 70’s from a small yellow house in Brampton, ON. It was here that he gave life to little-known bands, and coined a name for his type of off-the-cuff broadcasting – “free-form.” CFNY became such a vital presence to radio broadcasting that it was the subject of Rush’s 1980 hit “Spirit of Radio.”

Recently, David has been a well-received and popular fixture at 94.9 FM The Rock out of Oshawa, Ontario Canada. Broadcasting live and streaming over the Internet, his show has had a solid seven-year run on Thursday and Friday nights from 7 p.m. to midnight (EST). Four years ago, “Sistahmar,” roving Ambassador for the Marsbar Theatre, opened a chat room located on a portalx server. While the show is in progress, fans from all over the world gather in the chat room to discuss life, the universe, and above all, music amongst themselves and with David himself. It’s a cheerful, warm gathering place for like-minded folks to kick back, relax, and form lasting bonds. The members of the “Marsbar Family” celebrate each other’s victories and hold one another up through life’s challenges. Newcomers are warmly welcomed and encouraged to visit.

So, you can imagine the international uproar as a result of last week’s announcement with David stating on the air he had something very important to share with all of us. He thought he would be able to make the full announcement this past Thursday night, but was foiled by a legal snafu. Instead, all he would share, before closing the show, was that it would be the last Thursday he would be broadcasting from The Rock.

This news stunned everyone, and spread like wildfire via email and social networking sites. Speculation abounded, not all of it positive. Was David going to retire? Was he only going to broadcast Friday nights? Was he leaving The Rock and moving on to another venue? Friday dragged by and stomach butterflies multiplied for many of us as we waited for 7 p.m. and the start of the show. Status statements on FaceBook were not encouraging as a number of fans came to grips with worst-case scenarios. Bottom line, no matter what David had decided, we all only wanted the best for him. After giving his entire life to making others happy, he more than deserves the same happiness for himself.

At approximately 9:20 p.m. last night, David finally shared his plan with us. In addition to the untold thousands tuned in worldwide, a record-breaking fifty-five fans gathered in the chat room to hear the news. It was awkward for those of us on time-delay (43 seconds for the broadcast to reach my speakers here in south Florida) as the comments in the chat room flew by. They started out being full of fear and consternation, and ended up as cheering and verbal high-fiving. As David’s words finally reached my ears, I was already overjoyed by the reactions I was reading as they scrolled by in super-fast motion. The announcement: David was staying on with The Rock and moving his two-night show to Saturday and Sunday nights from 7 p.m. until midnight, starting March 6th. What a win-win situation – for David, his fans, and The Rock.

Here’s to the start of a new Marsbar Theatre era; one that is sure to be filled with laughs, fantastic music, warmth, good cheer, great friends, and above all, David Marsdens’s own unique brand of fan-centric free-form broadcasting. It doesn’t get any better than this.

To view David’s music lists, visit RalphD’s website.

Some music you might hear on David Marsden’s show from 94.9 The Rock:

“Japan – Quiet Life” via YouTube user ecallender:

“Slave to the SQUAREwave – Healing Hands” via YouTube user slavetothesquarewave:

 “Brendan Canning – Love Is New” via YouTube user artscrafts:

“Sisters Of Mercy – Lucretia, My Reflection” via YouTube user rhubarbcream:

“Timber Timbre – Lay Down In The Tall Grass” via YouTube user fluffywalrus:

 “Lou Reed – Dirty Boulevard” via YouTube user jasonjarvis1988:

No Retrospect Tonight

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Ed-FM’s rare/obscure 80’s music show Retrospect from CFRC has been pre-empted tonight in favor of a marathon to promote homeless awareness. Please join us next week at 8 pm EST.

80’s Music Rules ~ Criminally Underrated Artists/ Bands ~ Seona Dancing (Ricky Gervais)

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The most fun and interesting thing about researching criminally underrated artists and bands for this weekly feature is the amazing facts that I uncover. Amazing to me, because prior to writing these short posts, I know very little other than what I have heard of the music via David Marsden or Ed-FM.

This week’s entry has a bit of a twist. I spend most of my time listening to music and doing research, when I am not working. The time spent in front of the tube or in the movies is very minimal; because of this, I am not very savvy about actors, movies, TV shows, etc. But, I have moved up a notch in my knowledge base thanks to Seona Dancing.

Seona Dancing formed as a duo in the UK in 1982, consisting of Ricky Gervais and Bill Macrae. They were signed early on by London Records and released two New Wave/electropop singles: “More to Lose” and “Bitter Heart.” Even though this duo had a great 80’s-centric sound, the singles didn’t fare well in the charts.

The shortlived pairing broke up in 1984. Gervais went on to a lucrative comedy and acting career, spanning both TV and film. Macrae went on to sell records. The sad news for the music-listening public is that the duo only made one demo tape containing sixteen songs.

Seona Dancing music can be purchased on 80’s compilation records here.

“Bitter Heart” via YouTube user joelzaar:

“More To Lose (12” mix)” via YouTube user mandaluyongboy:

“You’re On my Side” via YouTube user Antelope6:

“Tell Her” via YouTube user Antelope6:

 Discography

1983 – “More to Lose” b/w “You’re on My Side” (7″ and 12″ singles)
1983 – “Bitter Heart” b/w “Tell Her” (7″ and 12″ singles)

80’s Music Rules ~ More from Retrospect CFRC-FM ~ 02-16-10

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Turn the thermostat down….Ed’s show was so hot that just listening to it raised the temperature across the planet. Did you hear that? I think it was the sound of the polar icecaps melting. Either that, or it was echoes of some of the most incredible rare 80’s tunes you’ve never heard.

Be sure to tune in to Ed and his “hotter than asphalt in Florida on an August afternoon” 80’s Retrospect show on CFRC-FM from 8 pm until 10 pm on Tuesday nights. Ed takes requests by phone: (613) 533-CFRC (2372) or email: retrospectcfrc at yahoo dot ca. Indulge yourself in some “80’s Music that doesn’t suck.” I guarantee die-hard 80’s New Wave/Post-punk fans will not be disappointed.

CFRC-FM Playlist February 16, 2010

Basement of Carruthers Hall in Queens University, Kingston, Ontario
ED-FM ~ Retrospect
80’s Music That Doesn’t Suck
If the “Listen Live” link on the CFRC Website doesn’t work, copy and paste this URL into your Windows Media Player: http://sunsite.queensu.ca:8000/
Join us in the Chat Room during the show – either click the link on the right menu under the Rave and Roll graphic, or here.
To listen to any shows that you may have missed, go to the CFRC website and look up the archives under the “Programming” drop-down menu. You can enjoy Ed’s previous shows in one-hour increments.

1.     Blue Peter – Don’t Walk Past (12” single)
2.     Moev – The Sentencing
3.     National Velvet – Equus
4.     Shriekback – Fish Below The Ice (plankton enriched mix)
5.     English Beat – March Of The Swivelheads
6.     Ohama – Midway
7.     Wall Of Voodoo – Tomorrow
8.     Rational Youth – Heredity
9.     Orchestral Manoeuvers In The Dark – Bunker Soldiers
10. Dalek I Love You – Heaven Was Bought For Me
11. Luba – Let it Go (acoustic)
12. Moral Support – Living With Fashion
13. Orange Juice – Rip It Up
14. Nash The Slash – Who Do You Dub?
15. Sexbeat – Sexbeat
16. Nails – Home Of The Brave
17. Simple Minds – The American (12” single)
18. Kraftwerk – The Model (Catabonic Mix)
19. The Hush – Highway Of Love
20. Barbie and the Kens – Not Your Stepping Stone
21. Damned – Edward The Bear
22. Seona Dancing – More To Lose
23. Yello – Haunted House

80’s Music Rules ~ Criminally Underrated Artists/ Bands ~ Killing Joke

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Today’s entry is a walk on the Post-punk wild side. You may know Killing Joke for their quasi-hit “Love Like Blood” released in 1985. Truthfully, they are another 80’s band I wasn’t aware of until many years after their debut, thanks to the tasteless wasteland of South Florida radio.

Killing Joke formed in Notting Hill, London, England in 1978, right in the midst of a punk scene taking the world by storm. Founding members were Jaz Coleman (vocals, keyboards) and Paul Ferguson (drums). Geordie Walker (guitar) and Martin Glover (bass) joined after responding to an ad.

Starting out as purely punk, the group’s style was eventually coined as “industrial.” Several well-known bands that formed later on cited Killing Joke as an influence: Ministry, Nine Inch Nails, Soundgarden, Jane’s Addiction, to name a few. Legendary DJ John Peel became enamored of the band’s early sound and promoted them with heavy airplay. Coleman’s caustic vocals, along with instrumentation that evolved more towards heavy metal, earned them a large and enthusiastic following in the UK. The band took its show to the road and gained some well-deserved fame.

As with most bands that never really broke through in a big way worldwide, Killing Joke was plagued with controversy. They were accused of promoting fascism with their appearance and the design of their album covers. The band denied any link to fascism, claiming instead they were apolitical and merely making an ironic statement against the state of the world. At one point, the members moved to Iceland to avoid what they perceived as the upcoming global apocalypse. Once they realized the world wasn’t really coming to an end, they returned to the UK to pick up recording and touring.

After releasing a couple more moderately successful LPs and several singles, Killing Joke changed their sound and veered towrds the use of more electronica. By 1987, Coleman was recording on his own and trying to make a go as a solo act. The record company resisted for budgetary reasons, insisted the material be released as Killing Joke, and the album Outside The Gate was met with mixed reviews. Killing Joke went through another in a long, persistent series of personnel changes, hit the road to tour, and began to once again experience insurmountable personality conflicts. The 80’s were over at this point, and effectively, so was the 80’s iteration of the band.

Coleman and Walker have persevered off and on thoughout the years, and Killing Joke continues to record and tour today. Even though the band was continually plagued with internal squabbles, music critic run-ins, and negative appearance issues, that fact remains that it was strong enough to influence other fledgling-to stardom groups, as well as its own genre of music. If you’re not familiar with Killing Joke, and like your music with a healthy dose of raw edginess, this is a band definitely worth listening to.

Purchase Killing Joke music here.

“Love Like Blood” via YouTube user jim90290:
 

“Requiem (Demo)” via YouTube user spineyExtra:

“Requiem (Live)” via YouTube user wattage:

“Eighties” via YouTube user dentoxic:

80’s Discography

Killing Joke (1980)
What’s THIS For….! (1981)
Revelations (1982)
Fire Dances (1983)
Night Time (1985)
Brighter Than A Thousand Suns (1986)
Outside The Gate (1988)
The Coutauld Talks (1989)
Extremities, Dirt & Various Repressed Emotions (1990)

80’s Music Rules ~ More from Retrospect CFRC-FM ~ 02-09-10

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It is the big funding drive at CFRC…and Ed was right on the money with his selection of opening songs. No discounted music on Retrospect: nothing but the rare and the priceless. And that’s just the way we like our music.

 Be sure to tune in to Ed and his “Wap Bam Boogie” 80’s Retrospect show on CFRC-FM from 8 pm until 10 pm on Tuesday nights. Ed takes requests by phone: (613) 533-CFRC (2372) or email: retrospectcfrc at yahoo dot ca. Indulge yourself in some “80’s Music that doesn’t suck.” I guarantee die-hard 80’s New Wave/Post-punk fans will not be disappointed.

 CFRC-FM Playlist February 9, 2010

Basement of Carruthers Hall in Queens University, Kingston, Ontario
ED-FM ~ Retrospect
80’s Music That Doesn’t Suck
If the “Listen Live” link on the CFRC Website doesn’t work, copy and paste this URL into your Windows Media Player: http://sunsite.queensu.ca:8000/
Join us in the Chat Room during the show – either click the link on the right menu under the Rave and Roll graphic, or here.
To listen to any shows that you may have missed, go to the CFRC website and look up the archives under the “Programming” drop-down menu. You can enjoy Ed’s previous shows in one-hour increments.

1.      Flying Lizards – Money (That’s What I Want)
2.      The Box – With All This Cash
3.      Vicious Pink – Take Me Now
4.      Controlled Bleeding – The Fodder Song
5.      This Fear – Soldier Of This Fashion
6.      The Hush – Dancing In East Berlin
7.      BB Gabor – Jealous Girl
8.      Room 9 – Angels Sing
9.      Psyche – Thundershowers
10.  Stabbings – Falter
11.  Matt Bianco – Wap Bam Boogie
12.  Moral Support – Strange Day For Dancing
13.  Yello – Call It Love
14.  Data Bank A – Etiquette Of Travel
15.  Big Supreme – Don’t Walk
16.  Poly Rock – Love Song
17.  Ohama – Where Do You Call Home
18.  Numan & Sharpe – Change Your Mind

80’s Music Rules ~ Criminally Underrated Artists/ Bands ~ Front Line Assembly

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Bill Leeb (keyboards, vocals) formed the Canadian underground “band” Front Line Assembly around 1985 out of Vancouver BC, Canada. For a few months, Leeb’s attention was split with another band called Skinny Puppy, before finally turning his full attention to cultivating FLA.

FLA’s music is described as electro-industrial, decidedly cutting edge for a fledgling band in 1985. The synthesizers that were a vital part of the New Wave era were starting to turn a bit more serious and brooding mid-to-end of the 80’s decade. Even Gary Numan, considered by many to be the Godfather of Electronica, switched gears to create music that was moody and contemplative. New Wave’s popularity was showing signs of waning, while industrial, goth, dream pop, house, grunge, and shoegaze began to take hold.

Leeb recorded and produced a demo tape titled Nerve War in 1986. Only 50-100 copies of Front Line Assembly’s official debut were made and distributed. Shortly after, Rhys Fulber (keyboards, percussion) joined ranks with Leeb and together they produced a second full-length demo, Total Terror.

In 1987, Front Line Assembly debuted its first official album, The Initial Command. Michael Balch (keyboards) joined the duo about this time. As FLA’s popularity and name recognition grew, the trio ended up releasing State of Mind outside of Canada to a worldwide audience.

The three members continued their collaboration which culminated into releasing two EPs Corrosion and Disorder. These two compilations were later combined into a full album, Convergence.

The next album, Gashed Senses And Crossfire, netted a single “Digital Tension Dementia” which fueled the band’s underground popularity. Ed-FM played this song during this weeks’ Retrospect show from CFRC-FM, catching my attention and leading to this feature. About this time in the band’s evolution, Balch left Front Line Assembly to join Ministry.

Front Line Assembly has weathered many line-up changes over the years, and currently continues to record and perform live. I have listed only those titles in their discography released through 1991 because this blog focuses on 80’s music. For a full listing of their catalog and to find out shat FLA si up to today, check out Wikipedia and the Front Line Assembly MySpace site. If you prefer your 80’s electronica edgy, serious, and accompanied by a dollop of angst, FLA is definitely worth your time to discover.

“Digital Tension Dementia” via YouTube user djoscafox:

“Nerve War” via YouTube user Akira625:

“Total Terror” via YouTube user Akira625:

“Provision” via YouTube user MetalKael:

80’s Discography

1986: Nerve War
1986: Total Terror
1987: The Initial Command
1988: State of Mind
1988: Corrosion
1988: Disorder
1988: Convergence
1989: Gashed Senses and Crossfire
1990: Caustic Grip

80’s Music Rules ~ More from Retrospect CFRC-FM ~ 02-02-10

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There wasn’t a still derriere in the house last night. Ed-FM did his best to get toes tapping, hands clapping, and butts flapping with some of the hottest and rarest songs he could dig up. It truly was an exciting two hours that flew by in the blink of an eye.

Be sure to tune in to Ed and his “look what I found in the bargain bin” 80’s Retrospect show on CFRC-FM from 8 pm until 10 pm on Tuesday nights. Ed takes requests by phone: (613) 533-CFRC (2372) or email: retrospectcfrc at yahoo dot ca. Indulge yourself in some “80’s Music that doesn’t suck.” I guarantee die-hard 80’s New Wave/post-punk fans will not be disappointed.

CFRC-FM Playlist February 2, 2010

Basement of Carruthers Hall in Queens University, Kingston, Ontario
ED-FM ~ Retrospect
80’s Music That Doesn’t Suck
If the “Listen Live” link on the CFRC Website doesn’t work, copy and paste this URL into your Windows Media Player: http://sunsite.queensu.ca:8000/
Join us in the Chat Room during the show – either click the link on the right menu under the Rave and Roll graphic, or here.
To listen to any shows that you may have missed, go to the CFRC website and look up the archives under the “Programming” drop-down menu. You can enjoy Ed’s previous shows in one-hour increments. 

1.   Martha & The Muffins – Several Styles Of Blonde Girls Dancing
2.   Wang Chung – Wait (extended mix)
3.   Human League – Open Your Heart
4.   Front Line Assembly – Digital Tension Dementia
5.   Pigbag – Papa’s Got A Brand New Pigbag
6.   Extras – Turning It Out
7.   Eye Eye – Living For The Fire
8.   The Glove – Like an Animal (12” single)
9.   Grace Jones – Pull Up To The Bumper (12” single)
10. Creatures – Standing There (Andalusian mix)
11. Divine – Man Talk
12. Yeah Yeah Noh – Blood Soup
13. Yello – Goldrush (12” single)
14. Maurice & The Cliches – Soft Core
15. Ryan Paris – La Dolce Vita
16. Frank Zappa – Valley Girl
17. Rational Youth – Cite Phosphore (Razormaid mix)