Episodes
Friday Feb 27, 2015
Friday Feb 27, 2015
Like an ocean wave turned slurpee, I have slowed in this endless arctic time. Apologies for that. Would it help if I also explained that real life is hectic right now? I didn't think so, but I had to try. At any rate, here is a program from two weeks ago.
And a decent one it is! Once you look past the usual follies, there are some nice tunes here and even some decent transitions. I had a realization this morning as I was thinking about my inability to do a "perfect" show that it is really the embodiment of my permanent condition. Life, you see, is just a never-ending string of near-misses and almosts. Is it not true that a genuine work of art captures some of its creator's essence? I'm determined to find victories where I can.
BOMBAST playlist, 2015 February 10, 2100-2300:
- "Walk Don't Run" | Los Straitjackets | Los Straitjackets Play the Great Instrumental Hits!!! | Yep Roc | "Physical Evidence"
- "Way Out" | Gaiser | False Light | Minus
- "Moto sincrono" | Alessandro Alessandroni | Industrial | Dead-Cert
- "Baby Doll" | The Spiders | Everywhere Chainsaw Sound 1 | Feed the Mind
- "You And I" | Gala Drop | II | Golf Channel
- "Winter Boredom" | Natalie Beridze | John Beltran Presents: Music For Machines | Delsin
- "Phantom Delia" | Lena Willikens | Phantom Delia | Comeme
- "Dirty Epic" | Underworld | Dubnobasswithmyheadman | Universal [Japan]
- "Orca" | Jonas Munk | Pan | El Paraiso
- "Winterfall Winds" | Winter Flags | John Beltran Presents: Music For Machines | Delsin
- "Misirlou" | Los Straitjackets | Los Straitjackets Play the Great Instrumental Hits!!! | Yep Roc | "Physical Evidence"
- "For Val" | Sons of Melancholia | John Beltran Presents: Music For Machines | Delsin
- "Junk Culture" | Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark | Junk Culture | Universal
- "Body" | You Still Have Friends | Near Memory | Finity
- "Annie" | Andrew Liles | Nightingale Variations | Kooky
- "Theme From A Summer Place" | Los Straitjackets | Los Straitjackets Play the Great Instrumental Hits!!! | Yep Roc | "Physical Evidence"
- "Lockin' Up My Heart" | The Marvelettes | The Marvelous Marvelettes | Motown | "Hall of Vengeance"
- "Light Years" | EM.MA | Keysound Recordings Presents...Certified Connections | Keysound
- "Night" | Windy and Carl | Nightingale Variations | Kooky
- "Wild Weekend" | Los Straitjackets | Los Straitjackets Play the Great Instrumental Hits!!! | Yep Roc | "Physical Evidence"
- "Drive" | M Dwinell | Golden Ratio | Amish
- "Slow Dawn" | Void Vision | Sub Rosa | Mannequin
- "Sisters and Brothers" | Hey Colossus | In Black & Gold | Rocket
- "Before Morning's Arrival" | Blair French | John Beltran Presents: Music For Machines | Delsin
- "Fly" | Slipstream | Nightingale Variations | Kooky
- "Sleepwalk" | Los Straitjackets | Los Straitjackets Play the Great Instrumental Hits!!! | Yep Roc | "Physical Evidence"
- "Aerospace" | Epoch | Keysound Recordings Presents...Certified Connections | Keysound
Friday Feb 20, 2015
Festival of Evidence v2.1: Transmission 185, 2015 February 7
Friday Feb 20, 2015
Friday Feb 20, 2015
BOMBAST doesn't do moderation. Hour-long programs are for other people. It's either a feature-length film or a sitcom for us. This is one of the latter, staged as part of some radio station "house party" whose end-use I do not grasp.
The idea, supposedly, was that we would have a party at the station for staff, and that instead of having usual programming run at that time (which would have been just fine, and perfectly party-ish), we should "take advantage" of the presence of multiple djs and have several of them do short sets. I guess the benefit is that it prevents one person from being sequestered away from the party for a prolonged time, and that sequestration wouldn't be fun for anyone who likes parties. And I suppose another benefit is that the listener at home (or wherever) could get a sampling of different programs without investing too much time.
All the same it must be awkward, listening in on a "party" to which one isn't really invited. We are at pains to say that we're a community radio station ("we're your community radio station!") and that of course you should feel free to come down to the studio and walk right in on whatever we're doing. But only sociopaths crash parties where they don't know anyone. Is that what we want? [ed. apparently, "yes."]
Well. I don't "work" parties as a DJ [it shows] and I can barely attend parties as a human. But if someone is giving out airtime I am all over it. What's the alternative, that someone else should occupy this half-hour? That simply won't do. I'm convinced that I'm special, one way or the other. I was born with the moon VOID OF COURSE, don't you know. I'm destined to be either Spinoza or one of the dudes who torched Alexandria. Am I "John Peel" special? Of course not. Peel was a teacher. I have nothing to teach anybody. You can ask around--I would start with the attendees of the last party for which I made a mix tape, if you can track them down.
I have spent many an hour being upstaged by unruly young people, and this is one such episode. Say hello to Nikkolai, everyone. I would love to have him on future programs, and just let him interject wherever most or least appropriate. I fear that he has bigger and better things to do.
BOMBAST playlist, 2015 February 7, 2030-2100:
- "Rocking Steady" | Hot & Rich | Rocksteady - with Lynn Taitt & The Jets and Beverleys All Stars | Reggae Retro | "Physical Evidence"
- "Tearjerker" | The Creepers | Rock 'N' Roll Liquorice Flavour | Red Rhino | "Physical Evidence"
- "I'm Nowhere" | The Durutti Column | Return of the Sporadic Recordings | Kooky | "Physical Evidence"
- "Pentatonic Skull" | Design A Wave | A.R.M. 1 | No Label | "Physical Evidence"
- "Cybernetic" | The Grid | Volume 5 | Volume | "Physical Evidence"
- "Look for the Question Mark" | Wallflowers (Wally Waller & The Strange Flowers) | In Fuzz We Trust | Stag-O-Lee | "Physical Evidence"
- "Rise Dub" | Annie Anxiety Bandez | As I Lie In Your Arms | One Little Indian | "Physical Evidence"
- "Bye Bye Baby" | Prince Buster | Judge Dread Rock Steady / She Was A Rough Rider | DOJO | "Physical Evidence"
Thursday Feb 19, 2015
We Are At Once Nowhere and Everywhere: Transmission 184, 2015 February 3
Thursday Feb 19, 2015
Thursday Feb 19, 2015
New month, new and more competent approach. And a new theme song to boot, courtesy of The Tea Jennies. I am charmed speechless by this. Anyway, this was a fun night. That J.B.'s record is really, really good, you guys.
Also, you should really consider checking out the rest of that Loscil EP on Bandcamp. It is truly sublime, and supports a good cause.
I think I might actually be out of things to say. I do remember predicting once that if nothing went wrong I wouldn't have anything to discuss, and this seems to be one of those times. Happy February!
BOMBAST playlist, 2015 February 3:
- "I Wanna Be Famous In Ithaca" | The Tea Jennies | Senseless Violins | not on label
- "Decoy Point" | Ultramarine | Sampler (et Sans Reproche) | Factory Benelux
- "Saturday Mourning" | The Skull Defekts | Street Metal | Monkeytown
- "I'll Ze" | The J.B.'s | These Are The J.B.'s | Now-Again | "Physical Evidence"
- "Kali" | Envee | U Know Warsoul EP | Pets
- "Stereometry" | A2B2C2 | John Beltran Presents: Music For Machines | Delsin
- "Beat On The Brat" | Ramones | Morrissey Curates the Ramones | Rhino
- "When You Feel It Grunt If You Can" | The J.B.'s | These Are The J.B.'s | Now-Again | "Physical Evidence"
- "Art Ebb Lull Us" | Brassica | Man Is Deaf | Civil Music
- "Observatory" | Roland Tings | Roland Tings | Internasjonal
- "Lucioles" | Loscil | For Greta | Bandcamp self-release
- "Sommadub" | Sir Horatio | Sextet | Factory Benelux
- "Miguel El Salam" | Forever Pavot | Rhapsode | Born Bad
- "These Are The J.B.'s Pt. I & Pt. II" | The J.B.'s | These Are The J.B.'s | Now-Again | "Physical Evidence"
- "Object 15" | The Notwist | Messier Objects | Alien Transistor
- "Pearls Girl" | Underworld | Second Toughest In The Infants | Universal [Japan]
- "Four Dark Traps" | Paul Haig | Sampler (et Sans Reproche) | Factory Benelux
- "Outer East" | Horse Lords | Hidden Cities | NNA Tapes
- "Saturn" | Teielte & Sonar Soul | U Know Warsoul EP | Pets
Friday Feb 13, 2015
Friday Feb 13, 2015
Hoo boy, where to start? This is a radio program, I think it's safe to say. It definitely aired on the radio. What else it has going for it...well, I like to think the selection is good. There's that. At least I played the A Certain Ratio tracks without errors [that I can remember]. There are probably 1 or 2 really good segues in here [but I don't remember]. Otherwise, let's just call my continued presence on the air "managerial privilege." There are miscued songs, dead air, cueing noises in the middle of songs already playing, you name it. This sound file has been touched up so as not to sound as awful as it probably did on the night, and I know somewhere in the archive I blathered on about a documentary philosophy in my postings, but we all deserve a Lena Dunham moment every now and then.
In my defense I was probably dinking around with my laptop trying and failing to get a wifi connection at the studio, you see, so I was hella distracted. As a manager type at the station I've been ultraconservative about our networking setup because seemingly every time someone tweaks it the system goes haywire. And--what do you know--someone had tweaked it the previous weekend, and haywire had been achieved. I believe on this night I even threatened to quit my "job" at the station--talk about WhiteWhining (TM)! Anyway, the next time I visited the station, everything worked, although there was no explanation for it--other than the Radio gods telling me it's not my time yet.
BOMBAST playlist, 2015 January 27, 2100-2300:
- "Age of Consent" | New Order | Power, Corruption & Lies | Factory
- "Real Cool Trash" | Tav Falco and His Unapproachable Panther Burns | Tav Falco's Wild & Exotic World Of Musical Obscurities | Stag-O-Lee
- "Lovin' Just My Style" | The Caravelles | The Best Arizona Garage Bands 1967-1970 | HDM
- "Another (Terminal)" | Le Revelateur | Air Texture, Vol. IV | Air Texture
- "Skipscada [Peel 1981]" | A Certain Ratio | Sextet | Factory Benelux | "Physical Evidence"
- "Mirage" | The Cannanes and Steward | Communicating at An Unknown Rate | Chapter
- "Gangster of Love" | Bliss | The Best Arizona Garage Bands 1967-1970 | HDM
- "Mr. X" | Pauline Murray & The Invisible Girls | Sampler (et Sans Reproche) | Factory Benelux
- "Trembling Hands" | Magic Castles | Sky Sounds | A Recordings
- "Dive Bomber" | The Carnations | The Best Arizona Garage Bands 1967-1970 | HDM
- "Stella" | Ultramarine | Every Man And Woman Is A Star | Rough Trade
- "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart" | Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds | Kicking Against The Pricks [reissue] | Mute
- "P.S. Goodbye" | The Chameleons | John Peel Sessions | Blue Apple
- "Mmm Skyscraper I Love You" | Underworld | Dubnobasswithmyheadman | Universal [Japan]
- "Djin Ku Djin" | Vaudou Game | Apiafo | Hot Casa
- "Knife Slits Water [Peel 1981]" | A Certain Ratio | Sextet | Factory Benelux | "Physical Evidence"
- "Gary" | Shellac | Dude Incredible | Touch & Go
- "Long Arm" | Gulls | Patterns Is Life | Boomarm Nation
- "Sante" | Vaghe Stelle | Air Texture, Vol. IV | Air Texture
- "Colour Screen" | Fenin | Werkschau03 | Shitkatapult
- "Day One [Peel 1981]" | A Certain Ratio | Sextet | Factory Benelux | "Physical Evidence"
- "Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role" | Swearing at Motorists | While Laughing, the Joker Tells the Truth | A Recordings
- "Silver Machine" | Brian Harris | Behind the Mask | self-released
- "Modern World" | Wrangler | Sampler (et Sans Reproche) | Factory Benelux
- "Clowns and Ballerinas" | Negativland | A Big 10-8 Place | Seeland
- "Faint Light" | Egokind & Ozean | Transition | Traum
- "Stylomezzo" | Gebruder Teichmann | Werkschau03 | Shitkatapult
Thursday Feb 12, 2015
Hero Time: Transmission 182, 2015 January 25
Thursday Feb 12, 2015
Thursday Feb 12, 2015
A few Sundays ago, I threw myself into a radio program on very short notice. It is a real Winter of Sickness in the listening area. I forget exactly what it was or who it was on this particular day, but someone couldn't go, so I did. I think maybe some work was happening, or supposed to happen, with the airplay computer, which would preclude airing pre-recorded material, so a warm body was necessary. I decided to be it; perhaps I even convinced myself that it would be like "the first time" at WRFI. That is my sickness.
Sadly it wasn't novel or nostalgic, but it was a pretty well-executed show for a while, multi-tasking notwithstanding. The selection was "haphazard," as I advertised, but things have a strange way of fitting together either better than I expect or much, much worse. I really did biff the beginning of that Cramps tune, though.
BOMBAST playlist, 2015 January 25, 1600-1730:
- "Weird Gear" | Ultramarine | Every Man And Woman Is A Star | Rough Trade
- "Metropolis" | NTFO & Karmon | Composit | DIYNamic
- "Bring It On Down" | Karl Hector & The Malcouns | Unstraight Ahead | Now-Again
- "Love Walls" | Ted Alexander | XXX | Stem
- "Afro-Soul" | Manu Dibango | Africadelic | Aurora
- "Ghost Lights" | The Children | Ghost Lights | Division 68
- "Take Me I'm Yours (BBC Radio 1 John Peel Session - 24 May 1988)" | The Wedding Present | Bizarro [reissue] | Edsel
- "Rolling Stone" | The Dub Club | Foundation Come Again | Stones Throw
- "Inside Out (feat. Katharina Busch)" | High Heels Breaker | High Heels Breaker | Drumpoet Community
- "The Mechanics of Joy" | Echologist | The Mechanics of Joy | Prologue
- "Two Months Off" | Underworld | A Hundred Days Off | Universal [Japan]
- "Mr. Smart" | Leroy Smart | The Don Tells It Like It Is | Bunny Lee
- "Helios" | Rival Consoles | Rival Consoles | Erased Tapes
- "People Ain't No Good" | The Cramps | A Date With Elvis | Big Beat
- "Looking From A Hilltop - BBC Version" | Section 25 | From The Hip | Factory Benelux
- "Soon" | Bostro Pesopeo | Cheer Up EP | Permanent Vacation
Thursday Feb 05, 2015
Thursday Feb 05, 2015
Most of the time, unless you have had a specific experience, you can't make judgments about what someone else having that experience conducts themselves. But at the same time, if you've had the experience, it teaches you that you can't judge anyway. I certainly had heard Still by Joy Division--and that awful moment in the live set where the keyboard runs out of batteries, or whatever happens to it--before I was in a band. But having been onstage while things went catastrophically wrong, I can no longer remember what I thought about that passage before. I only have access to what I think when I hear it now--"yes, that's a real thing." No doubt the Preston record is a similar listening experience, and probably will be for you, and is probably metaphoric w/ regard to the sloppiness of this program.
Thankfully it's been long enough since I listened to it that I can't identify the specific things that went wrong, but I'm sure they are still evident, if I wasn't so embarrassed as to cut them out. I don't think we've reached that point yet in our run of January programs, but I can promise you it's coming. I can say that the Senior Catharses were quite complimentary about this program, though. I suppose that's because of the Rootsman and Celtarabia, which is as good a guess as any.
BOMBAST playlist, 2015 January 20, 2100-2300:
- "Sparkle" | Blende | The Green Collection | Eskimo
- "Valley of the Kings" | The Rootsman Meets Celtarabia | Intifada / Valley of the Kings | Partial | "Physical Evidence"
- "Low Rider" | War | The Very Best of War | Avenue - Rhino | "Hall of Vengeance"
- "Heat" | The Brian Jonestown Massacre | "plus minus" EP | 'a'
- "British Summertime" / "Saratoga" | Ultramarine | Every Man And Woman Is A Star | Rough Trade
- "Something In The Way" | Tricky | Adrian Thaws | False Idols
- "It Makes The Room Look Bigger" | Half Man Half Biscuit | Saucy Haulage Ballads | Probe Plus
- "Valley of Dub" | The Rootsman Meets Celtarabia | Intifada / Valley of the Kings | Partial | "Physical Evidence"
- "Looking Inwardly" | The Chameleons | John Peel Sessions | Blue Apple
- "I Idolize You" | Gail Harris with The Wailers | Girls With Guitars | Ace
- "Prepare" | Pulshar | Blood & Mathematics | Desolat
- "Ghost Note" | Kraak & Smaak | The Green Collection | Eskimo
- "Climb That Tree" | She Trinity | Girls With Guitars | Ace
- "PF01" | Tuff City Kids | Parallel Forest EP | Internasjonal
- "Mesh" | New Order | 1981-Factus 8R-1982 | Warner
- "Stones" | The Ace of Cups | Girls With Guitars | Ace
- "Rialto" | A Certain Ratio | Sextet | Factory Benelux
- "Intifada" | The Rootsman | Intifada / Valley of the Kings | Partial | "Physical Evidence"
- "DNA" | The Children | Ghost Lights | Division 68
- "She Cracked" | Jonathan Richman | The Modern Lovers | Beserkley
- "Pourquoi Es Tu Devenue Si Raisonnable?" | The Wedding Present | George Best [reissue] | Edsel
- "Compliant" | Shellac | Dude Incredible | Touch & Go
- "The Eternal / Heart and Soul" | Joy Division | Preston 28 February 1980 | Drastic Plastic
- "She Cracked" | Siouxsie & The Banshees | Through The Looking Glass | Polydor
- "Intifada Dub" | The Rootsman | Intifada / Valley of the Kings | Partial | "Physical Evidence"
Wednesday Feb 04, 2015
Did I Say Rockstudy? Transmission 180, 2015 January 13
Wednesday Feb 04, 2015
Wednesday Feb 04, 2015
Trying to emerge from hibernation; I wish I had something better to serve for breakfast. This was the first of a string of semi-disastrous programs that filled a very weird January. I've said many a time that my sharpest radio focus comes from radio anger, so I guess the corollary is that happiness is sloppiness. But I don't remember being happy at this time, so I don't know where that leaves us.
Anyway, we do have another installment of the "Hall of Vengeance," a gathering of artists that is coalescing very slowly, for no good reason. And I was very happy to find the Rocksteady record, even though it does have sort of an "Eddie Murphy as Clarence the Fifth Beatle" thing going. But the groove wins out, always!
BOMBAST playlist, 2015 January 13, 2100-2300:
- "Discovery" | Ultramarine | Every Man And Woman Is A Star | Rough Trade
- "Drain" | Khost | Copper Lock Hell | Cold Spring
- "Deep Conga" | Gulls | Patterns Is Life | Boomarm Nation
- "Candomble (Dreems Remix)" | Thomas H | Multi Culti Japan | Multi Culti
- "It's Not Unusual" | The Wedding Present | Bizarro [reissue] | Edsel
- "Don't Fall" | The Chameleons | John Peel Sessions | Blue Apple
- "Slow Train" | Hot & Rich | Rocksteady - with Lynn Taitt & The Jets and Beverleys All Stars | Reggae Retro | "Physical Evidence"
- "Ithaca Chasma of Tethys" | Moonpunk | Live | Bandcamp self-release
- "It's Not Unusual" | Belly | Moon | Sire - Reprise
- "Shakin' All Over" | Wanda Jackson | The Party Ain't Over | Third Man
- "NYC" | Lost Girls | Lost Girls | 3 Loop
- "Race Mixing" | Lydia Lunch Retrovirus | 3x3 EP | Bandcamp self-release
- "Outta Reach" | She | Girls With Guitars | Ace
- "Mango Walk" | Hot & Rich | Rocksteady - with Lynn Taitt & The Jets and Beverleys All Stars | Reggae Retro | "Physical Evidence"
- "Black Crow King" | Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds | The Firstborn Is Dead [reissue] | Mute
- "Guantanamera" | Hot & Rich | Rocksteady - with Lynn Taitt & The Jets and Beverleys All Stars | Reggae Retro | "Physical Evidence"
- "Interplanetary Music - Dub" | Mickey Moonlight | Multi Culti Japan | Multi Culti
- "The Prince" | Madness | One Step Beyond | Stiff - Nova
- "Zambesi" | Hot & Rich | Rocksteady - with Lynn Taitt & The Jets and Beverleys All Stars | Reggae Retro | "Physical Evidence"
- "Wari Vo Dubwise" | Mark Ernestus | Glitterbeat: Dubs & Versions I | Glitterbeat
- "Day One" | A Certain Ratio | Sextet | Factory Benelux
- "Raindance" | Call Super | Suzi Ecto | Houndstooth
- "What the Heck Them Expect" | Deadbeat and Paul St. Hilaire | The Infinity Dub Sessions | BLKRTZ
- "Chic Cheer" | Chic | C'est Chic | Atlantic | "Hall of Vengeance"
- "On My Mind" | Hot & Rich | Rocksteady - with Lynn Taitt & The Jets and Beverleys All Stars | Reggae Retro | "Physical Evidence"
- "Shakin' All Over" | Raylene & The Blue Angels | Girls With Guitars | Ace
- "Font Hill" | Hot & Rich | Rocksteady - with Lynn Taitt & The Jets and Beverleys All Stars | Reggae Retro | "Physical Evidence"
- "International Girl" | The Beas | Girls With Guitars | Ace
- "Sediments" | Losoul | Immanent EP | Another Picture