As It Is When It Was

A promise betrayed, a self-critique, a question, and a video treat.

As it turns out, it's not a lack of energy that hinders an elaboration of my New Order comments from the other week.  It's a lack of will.

As with hosting a radio program, music criticism is a thing I used to do.  It takes the same passion, but a different approach.  You must contend with, and discuss with awareness and humor, things you don't like.  In my humble estimation I got pretty good at this, and stopped voluntarily when my expanded role as "arts critic" conflicted with my budding artistic ambitions.  In short, I'm pretty good at taking apart people and things with words.  But I don't do that "professionally" anymore, it's even less relevant in 2013 than it would have been 25 years ago--even if that isn't true, I don't really think anyone cares--and it has nothing, and should have nothing, to do with BOMBAST.

Sometimes those old verbal tendencies surface unexpectedly.  I do think some "old" works of art are like "old" friends--no matter how much time has passed, when you encounter them again you become the person you were when you "knew them" well.  Hence the as-yet-unwritten but implicit "currency" policy at BOMBAST--to be retrospective is always to be retrogressive, at least a little bit.  I love those old New Order records, probably more than anyone should love inanimate objects.  The problem with love is that it produces words, and that in my case those words are unnecessarily comparative and brutal, because that's the person I was when this doomed affair began.

So I'm just going to leave it this way.  What a fantastic band New Order was.  Full stop.

I do wonder--does anyone know of any current groups that sound like the one in this video?  I would love to hear one.

At least I warned you that this would be improvised.  I kept that promise.

“A Work of (Pretty Close to) Genius”: Transmission 12, 2013 January 16

If I should ever do a "perfect" show, meaning one in which factual errors and malapropisms don't spill out of my mouth, and in which every track I play is the intended one, properly cued, I will be at a loss for a "topic" of weekly commentary. As you might guess, that hasn't happened yet. I will let you listen to this week's episode and see what happens, as I do realize I give too much away in these notes of apology. My tribute to John Peel was intended as a one-time thing back in December, not an ongoing weekly genuflection, but "fortune presents gifts not according to the book."

Hey--if I might make a request--and I might--if you're visiting this page but don't happen to be a "friend" of the show on Facebook, would you consider "liking" us? We're vain that way. Also, there's this, which is well worth "liking" too. You could also, oh, I don't know, write a "comment" to someone telling them how much you like the show, or something like that.

The past two weeks have blended together somewhat, with repeat appearances by Konkoma, Chico Mann, Debruit, Kelpe, et. al.  What can I say?  These are terrific records.  "Grail overfloweth." Konkoma, in particular, is generating much positive feedback. Nevertheless, in what seems to be an ongoing dialectic of style, the electronica's been predominant lately, and I've flown solo for three weeks in a row, which, amazingly, hasn't happened before on WRFI. To address these myriad issues we hope to have a co-host next week, so stay tuned, literally.

BOMBAST playlist, 2013 January 16, 8:00 - 10:00 p.m.

1. Lapalux: "Forgetting and Learning Again" [Brainfeeder]
2. Magit Cacoon: "Show Up Show Down (LaFleur Remix)" [Whatpeopleplay]
3. Felipe Venegas: "Sueno Lucido" [Cadenza]
4. SCNTST: "Rhythm Sticks" [Boysnoize]
5. Joy Division: "Warsaw" [London Records Japan]
6. Fun Boy Three / Bananarama: "It Ain't What You Do" [Chrysalis] ***"Listening Parlour"
7. DeRobert and the Half-Truths: "Nashville Country Bump" [G.E.D. Soul]
8. Kelpe: "City" [Svetlana Industries]
9. Debruit: "Cri (Kelpe Remix)" [Civil Music]
10. Konkoma: "Sibashaya Woza" [Soundway]
11. Other Lives: "Dead Can" [TBD]
12. Dan Friel: "Exoskeleton" [Thrill Jockey]
13. Kumbia Queers: "Tropikalipsis" [Comfortzone]
14. Terakaft: "Awa Adounia" [World Village]
15. Joanna Newsom: "Emily" [Drag City] ***"Listening Parlour"
16. The Perfect Disaster: "Where Will You Go With Me" [Fire]
17. Moreno and L'Orch First Moja-One: "Aoko (Danger Girl)" [Stern's]
18. Konkoma: "Sibashaya Woza (Chico Mann Remix)" [Soundway]
19. Chico Mann: "Dilo Como Yo - Te Estan Llamando" [Soundway]
20. Monokle: "Swan (Daisuke Tanabe Remix)" [Ki]
21. Godspeed You Black Emperor!: "Strung Like Lights at Thee Printemps Erable" [Constellation]
22. Boris Noiz: "Aurora" [Yellow Machines]

next week: more talking, probably, but less of it by me--kid catharsis

“I Gave You the Good Side”: Transmission 11, 2013 January 9

This week's commentary will take the form of a list of confessions.  You have to go where the information takes you.

• I think Catharsis Junior might have more discerning taste than mine.
• Phone calls unnerve me when I am on the air.
• I goofed on the label that released the Jodis record; it is Hydra Head, not Hyper Head.  Hyperhead was the name of a band that, if I recall correctly, rose from the wreckage of Gaye Bikers on Acid, whose music somehow eluded me in its time, but--let's be honest--would probably have piqued the interest of Young Master Catharsis when he was expending too much effort on alternative cool.  I more or less enjoy the one Hyperhead song that I have heard, which features this guy on drums.
• I feel no shame about the length or run-on quality of my sentences.
• It gives me great pleasure to write "TT Shakin" no less than three times, that being this week's "label that we dare not announce."  Technically that probably does not qualify as obscenity, but who wants to argue that in court?  Not us.
• I too enjoyed the Partridge Family.  When I was about six years old.  And we had that record in my house.  This song was a personal favorite.
• A more substantive explication of the New Order thing must wait, as I don't currently have the energy.  When I do, it will probably be ad hoc anyway.

BOMBAST playlist, 2013 January 9, 8:00 - 10:00 p.m.

1. Zombie Nation: "Schoove" [Turbo]
2. Xinobi: "(I Hate the Sound of) Guitars" [Discotexas]
3. Debruit: "Ouest Wind's Seagulls (Mweslee Remix)" [Civil Music]
4. Alex Gopher: "Hello Inc. (DJ Falcon Remix)" [GO4 Music]
5. Kelpe: "Bags of Time" [Svetlana Industries]
6. Vatican Shadow: "Peace Rage" [Hospital Productions]
7. Konkoma: "Kpanlogo (Debruit Remix)" [Soundway]
8. Talking Heads: "And She Was" [Sire] ***"Listening Parlour"
9. Leslie Winer: "He Was" [The Wormhole]
10. J. C. Davis: "The Splib, pt. 1" [TT Shakin]
11. Jodis: "Corridor" [Hydra Head]
12. Blind Idiot God: "Wise Man Dub" [SST]
13. The Originals: "The Whip" [TT Shakin]
14. Lincoln Chase: "Miss Orangatang" [Jazzman]
15. Chico Mann: "Luz" [Soundway]
16. Fela Kuti: "Zombie" [Celluloid]
17. The Partridge Family: "Bandala" [Bell] ***"Listening Parlour"
18. Yma Sumac: "Five Bottles Mambo" [Capitol]
19. Sven Kacirek: "Narratives (Opiate Rework)" [Pingipung]
20. The Frantics: "The Whip" [TT Shakin]
21. Deetron: "Crave (Dub Mix)" [Music Man]
22. Morgan Zarate: "BHC" [Hyperdub]
23. Frikstailers: "Guacha (Los Reyes de la Milanga Remix)" [ZZK]
24. Deux: "Everybody's Night" [Minimal Wave]
25. Brassica: "Modern Magic" [Civil Music]
26. New Order: "Ecstasy" [Factory / Qwest]

next time: epic durations. --kid catharsis

The Only God I Need

There will probably be a lot of electronic numbers in this week's program, to [over?]compensate for the mostly organic sounds we played last week. But here, have a rock song.

h/t Boing Boing

You Aren’t Supposed to Do That.

Apologies for the delay in posting the most recent podcast.  Here, have a "video" to tide you over.  I had meant to play this the other night--there just wasn't time--as it wound up under our Christmas tree thanks to the Gibsons of Cambria.  Thank you!  I love this record--brand new but "vintage" all at once.  Who isn't sick of Snow Patrol?  Not me.

Podcast no later than Monday, pinky promise.

“It’s My Thing?”: Transmission 10, 2013 January 2

[UPDATE: audio restored 2014.08.07.]

Most Light in the Attic releases, except for those by The Black Angels, don't sound "like BOMBAST" to my ear, idiosyncratic though they may be.  I said as much to Lady Catharsis after the program--"it didn't sound like me"--despite feeling that it was a good show. Shades of "I Feel Merely Marvelous" by Esquivel!

As Dale the Exterminator says on a King of the Hill episode, sometimes things are done through you and not by you.  It was that kind of week.  That 10th-anniversary series of 7-inch singles is quite good, even though I elected to play a mere 9 out of the 10 sides.  Speaking of "10s" and orders of magnitude, this week marked a couple of BOMBAST milestones.  This was our 10th program, a point I thought I might not reach, and somehow this website has cracked the "1000 visitors" mark.  Thanks to all who listen and visit: who are you?  Sometimes, as when I play Magnetophone for 17 minutes and no one calls to complain, I wonder whether anyone is paying attention at all.  Internet counters wouldn't lie, though, would they?

BOMBAST playlist, 2013 January 2, 8:00 - 10:00 p.m.

1. The Breeders: "New Year" [4AD / Elektra]
2. Betty Davis: "If I'm in Luck I Might Get Picked Up" [Light in the Attic]
3. Hortense Ellis: "Mark My Words" [Attack]
4. Iggy Pop and Zig Zags: "If I'm in Luck I Might Get Picked Up" [Light in the Attic]
5. DeRobert and the Half-Truths: "I Got Burned" [G.E.D. Soul]
6. Town Hall: "Mississippi Heavy Water Blues" [Mason Jar]
7. The Black Angels: "You on the Run" [Light in the Attic]
8. Ernest Wilson: "I Know Myself" [Digikiller]
9. Sweet Tea: "After Laughter Comes Tears" [Light in the Attic]
10. Wendy Rene: "After Laughter Comes Tears" [Light in the Attic]
11. No Regular Play: "Birdfeathers" [Wolf and Lamb]
12. Donnie & Joe Emerson: "Baby" [Light in the Attic]
13. Elmore Judd: "Wires 2" [Honest Jon's]
14. Propaganda: "Femme Fatale - The Woman with the Orchid" [ZTT] ***"Listening Parlour"
15. The Invisible: "LDN GRL" [Ninja Tune]
16. Karen Dalton: "Same Old Man" [Light in the Attic]
17. Sam Willis: "Twirled with Your Slight Fingers" [Half Machine]
18. Mark Lanegan: "Same Old Man" [Light in the Attic]
19. Spacemen 3: "Repeater" [Munster]
20. Magnetophone: "Benny's Trip [A Sonic Boom Remix]" [4AD]
21. Uncle Tupelo: "No Depression" [Rockville] ***"Listening Parlour"
22. Lucius: "Wayfaring Stranger" [Mason Jar]
23. Rodriguez: "I'll Slip Away" [Light in the Attic]
24. Charles Bradley & The Menahan Street Band: "I'll Slip Away" [Light in the Attic]
25. Marva Whitney: "It's My Thing" [Polygram]
26. Lightnin' Hopkins: "Happy New Year" [Rhino]

Next time we will require more electronics. --kid catharsis