radiobombast

Have Love Will Travel: Transmission 35, 2013 June 01

"I just wanted to chill," says our host, figuratively and literally. June makes a scorching debut, and BOMBAST rocks out in an air conditioned studio [sort of] with little regard for exterior conditions. I had paid my outdoor dues, earlier in the day, at our Ithaca Festival booth, conveniently located in the wind tunnel that was the Cornell Daily Sun lot. Breezes are nice, even artificial ones, but dear god what miserable weather we were having. AFAIAC, anyone whose favorite season in Ithaca is not "Winter" is a straight-up crazy person. Please do not speak to me of the road-soiled, shrinking piles of snow that characterize our Spring, or the two or three days of "Fall colors" that Nature grants before subjecting us to eight weeks of slimy, wet, brown leaves underfoot. As for "Summer," I would like to imagine universal agreement on the point that 91-degree days in Ithaca are good for nothing more than finding out just how much a human being can sweat, but I suppose it takes all kinds. Wednesday night, parade night, was much more refreshing--a 15-minute thundershower giving way to a moderate evening for walking [or rolling, in my case] through the streets of downtown. Our float and live broadcast were raging successes, or so I am told. Check out the pictures at our Facebook page. Musically, this program was a lot of fun. I don't feel as good about many shows as I do about this one. No doubt Thee Michelle Gun Elephant plays a large part in this, but in general the segues are tight and the voice-overs are delivered more smoothly than usual. The Program Director in me thinks that maybe this Kid Catharsis has a future in radio after all, which probably means that next week's show will be a shambles. Also, it was great to receive a phone call from Switzerland immediately after the program. While we try to press forward mercilessly as far as music is concerned, history and legacy mean something to us, so it was a privilege to speak to a broadcasting legend. BOMBAST playlist, 2013 June 1, 1500-1700:

1. The Lionheart Brothers: "The Drift - Morten Oby & Prins Thomas Edit" [Full Pupp]
2. Dur-Dur Band: "Garsore Waa Ilaah" [Awesome Tapes from Africa]
3. Stiv Bators: "Have Love Will Travel" [Bomp]
4. Kinski: "Skim MILF" [Kill Rock Stars]
5. Ackin', M. Akamatsu: "Tembezi - Marcellus Pitman Remix" [Internasjonal]
6. Thee Michelle Gun Elephant: "Smokin' Billy" [Alive] / "Physical Evidence"
7. Chymera: "Disc" [Dirt Crew]
8. Justin Walter: "Awakening" [Kranky]
9. Scott Wood: "Chicken Rock" [TT Shaker]
10. Throwing Muses: "Ride Into the Sun" [4AD] / "Listening Parlour"
11. Dub Spencer & Trance Hill: "Supercops" [Echo Beach]
12. Gray: "Mockingbird" [Plush Safe]
13. Witch: "Kangalaitoito" [Now-Again]
14. Jerry Johnson: "Zion Rock" [Deeper Knowledge]
15. Thee Michelle Gun Elephant: "West Cabaret Drive" [Alive] / "Physical Evidence"
16. Rodion G.A.: "Caravane" [Strut]
17. The Black Keys: "Have Love Will Travel" [Fat Possum]
18. Thee Michelle Gun Elephant: "Satanic Boom Boom Head" [Alive] / "Physical Evidence"
19. Aera: "Baby / Comet / Face" [Aleph]
20. The Black Dog: "Cult Mentality" [Dust Science]
21. Thee Michelle Gun Elephant: "Free Devil Jam" [Alive] / "Physical Evidence"
22. Jesse Ruins: "Uxbal in A Allusive" [Lefse]
23. Lalo Guererro: "Los Chucos Suaves" [Jazzman]
24. Fredda: "Journal Intime" [Le Pop Musik]
25. Tom Waits: "Childrens Story" [Anti-] / "Listening Parlour"
26. Man or Astro-Man?: "Defcon 4" [WARM Electronic]
27. Swamp Dogg: "Total Destruction to Your Mind" [Alive]
28. Thee Headcoatees: "Have Love Will Travel" [Vinyl Japan]

Enjoy the music! --kid catharsis

Saturday Night Style: Transmission 34, 2013 May 25

Professional obligations conflicted with the afternoon time slot, so Bombast did a switcheroo with "Blues Unlimited" (not "Blues Station") and went nocturnal once again. I have to say, it felt good. I think the afternoon experiment has been fun, but this is my natural habitat. Also, the lovely Julia Holter tunes sound like nighttime transmissions from...elsewhere. It is indeed a small world, wherein my old station makes a recording, which is then issued by a German record label, and subsequently played by me on my new station. The whole thing gives me a warm feeling inside. There was a work party Saturday night, complete with pizza, and little kids running all over the place. We had to produce about 600 fundraising letters on very short notice, and get the envelopes stuffed and stamped. It is always great to see the office buzzing with activity, and fun to be involved in collective projects. Good times! If you're in the terrestrial-broadcast listening area, watch for us in the Ithaca Festival parade, Wednesday 5/29, and visit our table in the Cornell Daily Sun lot on Friday the 31st and Saturday the 1st. Meanwhile, it does indeed seem that BOMBAST will have two more Saturday afternoon hullabaloos, this week and next. BOMBAST playlist, 2013 May 25, 2100-2300:

1. Mikey Dread: "Saturday Night Style" [Mojo Magazine]
2. The Fall: "Victrola Time" [Cherry Red]
3. Classixx: "Hanging Gardens" [Innovative Leisure]
4. Wild Nothing: "Ride" [Captured Tracks]
5. Julia Holter: "Maria" [Human Ear] / "Physical Evidence"
6. Âme: "Erkki" [Rush Hour]
7. Akron/Family: "Whole World is Watching" [Dead Oceans]
8. Witch: "Nasuka" [Now-Again]
9. Stiv Bators: "Morrison Rant" [Bomp]
10. Danny Scrilla: "Fallout - Goth Trad Remix" [Civil Music]
11. The Collins Kids: "Shortnin' Bread Rock" [Sony Special Products] / "Listening Parlour"
12. Roman Flugel: "Duck and Cover" [Rush Hour]
13. Bibio: "The First Daffodils" [Warp]
14. Marcus Worgull, Motor City Drum Ensemble: "Onassis" [Rush Hour]
15. Julia Holter: "A Gold Thunder [Human Ear] / "Physical Evidence"
16. Andy Cato: "Rear Window" [Apollo / R & S]
17. Julia Holter: "2HB" [Human Ear] / "Physical Evidence"
18. Pure X: "Rain at Dawn" [Acephale]
19. Frikstailers: "Meloteamo" [ZZK]
20. The Lions: "New Girl" [Stones Throw]
21. COH: "Aniki" [Editions Mego]
22. Julia Holter: "Je Vivroie Lament" [Human Ear] / "Physical Evidence"
23. Beaches: "Weather" [Chapter Music]
24. American Music Club: "Bad Liquor" [Demon] / "Listening Parlour"
25. Brother JT: "T Rex Blues" [Thrill Jockey]
26. Julia Holter: "In the Same Room" [Human Ear] / "Physical Evidence"
27. Acoustic High-End Research: "Beer and Air" [Rush Hour]

next time: machine gun etiquette, misconstrued.

When You Sing, the Itching Stops: Transmission 33, 2013 May 18

Bombast completes a hat-trick at the expense of iTunes, et. al., this week, thanks to the meatspace-only [as of now] release of LSXX by The Breeders, which contains the 7 tracks from Live in Stockholm that serve as this week's "Physical Evidence." Also, an irregular feature called "Junior Selector" makes its debut, with Catharsis Junior inserting two excellent songs into the playlist. The real magic happens in the last half-hour of the program, thanks to my adherence to two basic guidelines: 1) When Jim Murphy, to whom I feel I basically owe this program's existence, asks me to play a record, I comply; 2) not coincidentally, the answer to most "improvisational" situations in live performance is to say "yes." Enjoy the David Roter Method, everyone. I don't have much time to write this week [sorry], but I want to point out that: a) our schedule will be a bit inconsistent over the next couple of weeks, as the station and I run the personal and public gauntlet that is the triptych of weekends prior to, including, and after Memorial Day--watch the show's Facebook page and the station's Facebook page for updates; b) we hope to bring you some special things over the summer, including live in-studio performances and (hopefully) the fruit of some recent "outreach" that I have conducted. Stay tuned.

BOMBAST playlist, 2013 May 18, 1500-1700:

1. Visage: "Tar" [Polydor] / "Listening Parlour"
2. Lukas Bohlender: "Club Chateau" [Compost Black]
3. Lee "Scratch" Perry: "Inakaya (Japanese Food)" [M.O.D. Technologies]
4. Dub Spencer & Trance Hill: "A Fistful of Dub" [Echo Beach]
5. AM & Shawn Lee: "Steppin' Out" [Park the Van]
6. John Fred and the Playboys: "Boogie Children" [BBE]
7. Witch: "Lazy Bones" [Now-Again]
8. Dance of Freedom Project: "Stubborn Girls" [Not on Label] / "Junior Selector"
9. Klaus Dinger & Japandorf: "Sketch No. 1_B" [Gronland]
10. Dur-Dur Band: "Halelo" [Awesome Tapes from Africa]
11. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds: "I'm Gonna Kill That Woman" [Mute / Homestead]
12. Survival: "Tragedy Reprise" [Thrill Jockey]
13. Beaches: "Keep on Breaking Through" [Chapter Music]
14. Co La: "Remarkable Features" [Software]
15. John Lee Hooker: "Drug Store Woman" [Vee-Jay]
16. The Breeders: "Shocker in Gloomtown" [Breeders Digest] / "Physical Evidence"
17. The Breeders: "New Year" [Breeders Digest] / "Physical Evidence"
18. The Breeders: "Hellbound" [Breeders Digest] / "Physical Evidence"
19. The Breeders: "Saints " [Breeders Digest] / "Physical Evidence"
20. The Breeders: "I Just Want to Get Along" [Breeders Digest] / "Physical Evidence"
21. The Breeders: "S.O.S." [Breeders Digest] / "Physical Evidence"
22. The Breeders: "Roi" [Breeders Digest] / "Physical Evidence"
23. Frikstailers: "Mueve la Cuchi" [ZZK] / "Junior Selector"
24. David Roter Method: "Bambo" [Unknown Tongue] / [Jim Murphy Selection]
25. Blondie: "Here's Looking at You" [Chrysalis] / "Listening Parlour"
26. Way Yes: "Tog Pebbles" [Not on Label]
27. John Hughes Daydream: "Ebony Eyes" [Cut Mistake]
28. Destroyer: "Leave Me Alone " [Mojo Magazine]
29. The Men: "I Saw Her Face" [Sacred Bones]

next week: "phoning it in." Enjoy the music! --kid Catharsis

Incorporate and Amalgamate: Transmission 32, 2013 May 11

This week's episode was a difficult puzzle to complete, and I admitted as much during one break when I said I couldn't find a segue into the Lord Kitchener song. Other than that, somehow this week's trail mix hit the spot; I received a nice compliment online and picked up a couple of virtual friends. I rely on this kind of thing since my own self-assessments are untrustworthy. I don't have time for an extended post. But I will say that this past Saturday was a lot of fun. We broadcast some important and exclusive "public affairs" content and survived our first live sporting event on-air. During my show, the studio was bustling--in the "live room" next door, another host was doing a four-person recording for later broadcast, while a couple of management-types were shuttling equipment out to the Cass Park rink for that evening's roller-derby coverage, and yet another volunteer was taking a GPS unit up to our new transmitter location so that we can report accurate coordinates to the FCC. I'm comparing this level of activity and capability with the way things were when Bombast began. The next episode effectively marks our six-month anniversary. We had what must be one of the softest launches in history, debuting the night before Thanksgiving with a couple of hours' notice and no promotion. The first two programs were mixed on a small console more appropriate for home recording than professional broadcast use, and I received strict instructions not to adjust any of the faders before being left completely alone in the studio. No one came in on any kind of business, and I knew that no one would--there was very little "business" then. It almost feels like a real radio station now. BOMBAST playlist, 2013 May 11, 1500-1700:

1. Marnie Stern: "Nothing is Easy" [Kill Rock Stars]
2. West African Rhythm Brothers: "Adura" [Honest Jon's]
3. Dub Spencer & Trance Hill: "Rasta Pasta" [Echo Beach]
4. Akron/Family: "Way Up" [Dead Oceans]
5. King Timothy: "Gerrard Street" [Honest Jon's]
6. Paula Kelly Orchestra: "Life for Life" [Brainwashed] / "Physical Evidence"
7. The African Messengers: "Highlife Piccadilly" [Honest Jon's]
8. Walls: "Ecstasy" [Mojo Magazine]
9. Wolf People: "NRR" [Jagjaguwar]
10. Adventure: "Nervous" [Carpark]
11. Matmos: "Staircase" [Brainwashed] / "Physical Evidence"
12. Eric Hayden: "Give Her the No. 1" [Honest Jon's]
13. Kristin Hersh: "What'll We Do with the Baby-O" [4AD] / "Listening Parlour"
14. Dean Blunt: "Dread" [Hippos in Tanks]
15. Beacon: "Late November" [Ghostly International]
16. Lord Kitchener: "My Wife's Nightie" [Honest Jon's]
17. Nudge: "Greener" [Brainwashed] / "Physical Evidence"
18. Melvins: "Carpe Diem" [Ipecac]
19. Danny Scrilla: "Thorium" [Civil Music]
20. Young Growler: "V for Victory" [Honest Jon's]
21. PJ Harvey: "Victory" [Island]
22. Lord Beginner: "Mix Up Matrimony" [Honest Jon's]
23. U Roy: "Drive Her Home" [Virgin / Frontline]
24. Johnny Cash: "I Got a Boy and His Name is John" [Columbia] / "Listening Parlour"
25. Colin Stetson: "What Are They Doing in Heaven Tonight?" [Constellation]
26. Randweg: "Comico Pera" [Funken]
27. A Place to Bury Strangers: "Sunbeam" [Brainwashed] / "Physical Evidence"
28. Ulrich Schnauss: "A Ritual in Time and Death" [Scripted Realities]

Just so you know, I almost wrote the phrase "I couldn't find a segue into 'My Wife's Nightie.'" But I stopped myself, until I didn't.

Test Pattern: Transmission 31, 2013 May 7

In a surprise show thrown together on short notice, Bombast cleans out the "junk drawer," unleashing a host of tunes that were scheduled for airplay at some point in the past but were shelved for various reasons. Listen, and you will hear little difference between this and a "real" Bombast program. Whether that demonstrates that even the "overflow" music is great or that my "regular" selection isn't that good is something you can decide for yourself. The introductory sound file at the top of the program does something I don't expect it to do, which actually turns out to be a blessing--like a pitcher who gives up a base hit in the first at bat, I no longer feel the pressure to throw a perfect game, and I settle in. Yes, Billy Bragg was in town a couple of weeks ago, and no, we did not get to see him--no money and no time. Months and months ago I had big plans for his arrival, but did not expect back then that I would become a "management type" and be saddled with "responsibilities." So things kind of fell through the cracks. Then, my sporadic, unofficial "Bombast v. iTunes" feature intervened--I'm not in charge of when records are released, I just "answer the call"--and even my minimal nod to Mr. Bragg had to be deferred. It was weird and disappointing that no one asked us whether WRFI was "doing anything" related to Billy Bragg's concert at the State; maybe I overestimated the number of people who care. I had deemed Billy Bragg too well-appreciated for the Bombast Hall of Legends, but I will have to re-think that. At any rate, as it always was with my heroes at Factory Records (this would be a non-sequitur, right here), all my "big ideas" wind up being several days late and several dollars short. Lately the word "pathology" has repeatedly surfaced in our online and in-person radio discourse, and thankfully, that has referred to other people--at least it has when I've been party to the discussions. My experiences in radio past and present demonstrate that it brings out the weirdness in people, and I don't put myself above that. My involvement in WRFI is a kind of therapy for me, and therapy is not meant to be easy. I am learning a good deal about my own pettiness, insecurity, and jealousy. Some days I do a pretty good job managing it; some days I feel as though the bad stuff is being triggered. I had some "triggering" experiences Tuesday night but, listening to the program, I think I hid it well. Anyway, speaking of pathologies--did you know that I have a cyber-stalker? It's true. A few weeks ago I posted a notice about a programming change on someone's Facebook page--not even the station's, mind you--and an individual unknown to me shared that post with one of my colleagues. I actually received an incoherent and minor scolding for it. I'm not trying to make light of stalking--I was once stalked in real life, by someone dangerous enough to be institutionalized--but it does amuse me that someone feels compelled to follow and report on my volunteer-community-radio-station moves on the Internet, as if there are real stakes, and it strikes me that that's appropriate punishment in and of itself. Anyway, say hello to the mole, everyone--I'm sure that person is among us here. It is "true" that our schedule is supposed to change in the next few weeks. I have an idea of where I'm hoping Bombast will fit into the week, but we're getting ahead of ourselves. BOMBAST playlist, 2013 May 7, 2100-2300:

1. Fugazi: "Steady Diet" [Dischord]
2. Janka Nabay & Bubu Gang: "En Yay Sah" [Luaka Bop]
3. Toby Tobias: "Running Away (Homeboy Dub)" [Burek]
4. Billy Bragg: "Strange Things Happen" [Dutch East India Trading] / "Physical Evidence"
5. Wild Billy Chyldish and the Spartan Dreggs: "The Sir John Hawkins Memorial Car Park" [Damaged Goods]
6. Burning Spear: "Institution Dub" [Mango UK]
7. The Evens: "Wonder Why" [Dischord]
8. Dawda Jobarteh: "Tama Silo" [Stern's Africa]
9. Girls Against Boys: "Kitty-Yo" [Slate / Adult Swim]
10. Billy Bragg: "Love Gets Dangerous" [Dutch East India Trading] / "Physical Evidence"
11. Kiasmos: "Thrown (FaltyDL remix)" [Erased Tapes]
12. Billy Bragg: "A New England" [Dutch East India Trading] / "Physical Evidence"
13. Fallou Dieng: "Jog Leen" [Stern's Africa]
14. Withered Hand: "Heart Heart" [Brother & Dad]
15. Bad Brains: "Riot Squad / The Meek Shall Inherit the Earth" [PVC]
16. Cassegrain: "The Rain is a Spilling Lake" [Prologue]
17. Half Man Half Biscuit: "The Coroner's Footnote" [Probe Plus]
18. Billy Bragg: "Fear is a Man's Best Friend" [Dutch East India Trading] / "Physical Evidence"
19. Ablaye Thiossane: "Talene Lampe Yi" [Stern's Africa]
20. John Talabot: "Zanzibar (80s tapemix)" [Permanent Vacation]
21. Billy Bragg: "A13, Trunk Road to the Sea" [Dutch East India Trading] / "Physical Evidence"
22. Scream: "Still Screaming" [Sixth Int'l / Dischord]
23. Gabriel Ananda: "Short Story" [Basmati]

Next time: some pieces for moms. Enjoy the music! --kid catharsis

Shakespeare in Dub: Transmission 30, 2013 May 04

This week's highlights include Lady Catharsis smacking the stuffing out of two belt-high fastballs with a pair of "dreary" selections, one from the 1/4-Welsh Velvet Underground and another from the fully-Welsh Tom Jones, as well as a host of new tunes, several of which also happen to come from Wales. It just transpired that way. Bombast does not focus on "international" music, or on "obscure" music--it just works out that much of the music I like is under-appreciated stuff from all over the place. This week marked one of those happy confluences of events: I finally "found" a record that had been on my radar (Y Record Las, released on Recordiau Lliwgar) and Neon Neon released a new album, prompting me to do something I'd been meaning to do, which was to give old favorites Llwybr Llaethog their turn under the "Physical Evidence" microscope. As much as I would like to tell you a story about "Da!" that involves difficulty of acquisition, failed romance, or some similar adventure, I don't have any particular memories about this record. I've simply owned it for 25 years [or whatever it is], and consider it one of the treasures of my collection. It doesn't take me back to a moment in time, because Llwybr Llaethog never really had a "moment." I guess you could say there was a brief period when various parties--Side Effects Records, ROIR, the "Funky Alternatives" people--thought maybe there was some interest in what Llwybr Llaethog were doing, but if it ever translated into "success" for the band, I missed it. While other people must own Llwybr Llaethog records, I have never met one. I'm not boasting about that, merely stating a fact. Bombast isn't really about how awesome my record collection is [okay, maybe it is a bit]; it is meant to give exposure to great music you're not likely to hear in other places. When is the last time you heard Llwybr Llaethog on the radio? Exactly. Now you can consider yourself a dabbler in Welsh industrial/dub/hip-hop music. This is some good science to drop at your next cocktail party. Don't thank me, it's my pleasure. Oh, and in other news, the people at Soundway dropped another absolute bombshell this week, the "Kenya Special" collection. We will definitely hear more from that later. If only Google Translate offered "Bantu" as an option. BOMBAST playlist, 2013 May 04, 1500-1700:

1. Afro 70: "Afrousa - Move On" [Soundway]
2. Ymarfer Corff: "Hi Yw'r Haul" [Recordiau Lliwgar]
3. The Lulus Band: "Mutumia Muriu" [Soundway]
4. Llwybr Llaethog: "Ai Bod" [Side Effects] / "Physical Evidence"
5. Cheick Hamala Diabate: "Prudence (Jon Kennedy Mix)" [Electric Cowbell]
6. Ifan Dafydd and Alys Williams: "Celwydd" [Recordiau Lliwgar]
7. Tom Jones: "Delilah" [Parrot / Decca] / "Listening Parlour"
8. Born Losers: "Mindwaves" [Mean Disposition]
9. Seekae: "Ultraviolence" [Mojo Magazine]
10. Dur-Dur Band: "Aada Fududey Iga Ahow" [Awesome Tapes from Africa]
11. Llwybr Llaethog with Rufus Mufasa: "Rhagfarn" [Recordiau Lliwgar]
12. Section 25: "Program for Light (Outernationale Mix)" [Factory Benelux]
13. Ital Tek: "Re Entry" [Civil Music]
14. Lord Kitchener: "Kitch's Mambo Calypso" [Honest Jon's]
15. Fela Kuti and Africa 70: "Monkey Banana" [Knitting Factory Records]
16. Neon Neon: "Praxis Makes Perfect" [Lex]
17. Llwybr Llaethog: "Cyfundrefn Gyfalafol" [Side Effects] / "Physical Evidence"
18. The Mombasa Vikings: "Kibe Kibe" [Soundway]
19. Dub Spencer & Trance Hill: "Armagideon Time" [Echo Beach]
20. The Velvet Underground: "Black Angel's Death Song" [Verve] / "Listening Parlour"
21. H. Hawkline: "Cric Yn Y Cymlau" [Recordiau Lliwgar]
22. The Men: "Bird Song" [Sacred Bones]
23. Llwybr Llaethog: "Megamics" [Side Effects] / "Physical Evidence"

Next time: a special "pre" Mother's Day piece of Physical Evidence. Enjoy the music! --kid catharsis

The Hall of Legends (Prince Far-I): Transmission 25, 2013 April 13

Welcome welcome welcome to the Hall of Legends. It has been a while since the doors have opened, but the committee has finally reconvened to induct the Hall's fifth member: Spanish Town's own Michael James Williams, a.k.a. King Cry Cry, best known as Prince Far-I. He joins The Fall, Stereolab, Billy Childish, and Coil in the sparsely populated Hall. Prince Far-I's life was cut short under senseless circumstances on September 15, 1983. Since it has been a nice round number of years since then, I considered holding off until the "anniversary," but went ahead and did it now for a few reasons. One, no one knows what the future holds for any of us, least of all for Bombast, so I figured we might as well fire off this salvo light this candle while we are still on the air. Second, since I don't really share Prince Far-I's belief in "eternal life" and think instead that we only get one a finite chance at this thing, I don't think deaths are anything to commemorate [although there are exceptions]. It is much better to celebrate lives, which can be done whenever. Third, some free airtime opened up, which allowed me to take a scenic detour from the relentless, willful progress of the show, whose mission is indecipherable sometimes even to me. I don't remember when I encountered my first Prince Far-I recording or even what it was. I am pretty sure that it was either Free From Sin or one of the Singers & Players records, and it had to be sometime in the mid-1980s. I guess it doesn't matter, aside from illustrating that this music and I go way back. I have been trying to figure out why exactly that is--most likely because there are few cases in which a voice is so well-suited to the material, and even fewer cases where apparent hard-liners like Prince Far-I seem like they would be such cool people with whom to chill. Metaphysics are reggae's weak point and the elephant in the room when it comes to appreciating this music. I have very little to say on the topic, other than that I bracket them off when I listen, just as when I visit Notre Dame cathedral I bracket off all the bad things that have probably happened inside. I very much consider these tunes cathedrals of dub [well, technically, they are "versions," to continue our lesson in nomenclature from the program, but whatever]; while Linton Kwesi Johnson termed himself a "dub poet," surely Prince Far-I got there first, and as he reminds us, "first is first and second is nothing." [That's a bit unfair to LKJ, who, far from "nothing," is a possible Hall candidate although pretty well-appreciated.] Getting back to the business of spirituality, I do appreciate that Prince Far-I truly seems a "man of the book" and a willful obsessive after my own heart. Far from dropping the occasional "chant to Jah" just to maintain his Rasta cred before launching into more important topics like motorcycles, loose women, and collie, as some of his deejay colleagues have a tendency to do, he really seems to mean what he says. And yet when he does take detours, what charm and hilarity he exhibits. "Quante Jubila," "Autobiography," "Water the Garden," and "Bedward the Flying Preacher" are four of my favorite tunes, by anybody, period--one of my personal criteria for measuring a song's greatness is how ridiculous and/or terrible an imagined cover version would sound. Don't even bother--these, and many others from today's program, should be left to stand alone. Technical note--some crazy stuff began to happen in the studio during the "Physical Evidence" segment--our airplay computer, on which we depend for automated programming that keeps us in compliance when we can't have a live human being at the controls, failed during an otherwise routine reboot. As I scrambled to fix the problem, frantically sending out texts and emails, the show got a bit...sloppy. I won't spoil it with words; just listen and enjoy. "What you hear is what you hear." BOMBAST playlist, 2013 April 13, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. :

1. Singers & Players: "Autobiography" [On-U Sound]
2. Prince Far-I: "Reggae Music" [Trojan]
3. Suns of Arqa: "Brujo Magic" / "83 Struggle" [Arka Sound]
4. Prince Far-I: "Wish I Have a Wing" [Frontline / Virgin]
5. Prince Far-I: "Coming In from the Rock" [Trojan]
6. Prince Far-I: "Free from Sin" [Trojan]
7. Prince Far-I: "Foggy Road" [Frontline / Virgin]
8. Prince Far-I: "Shuffle and Deal" [Blood and Fire]
9. Prince Far-I: "When the King Comes on Earth" [Pressure Sounds]
10. Prince Far-I: "Commandment of Drugs" [Frontline / Virgin]
11. Singers & Players: "Water the Garden" [On-U Sound]
12. Prince Far-I: "The Lord's Prayer" [Carib Gems] / "Physical Evidence"
13. Prince Far-I: "Psalm 87" [Carib Gems] / "Physical Evidence"
14. Prince Far-I: "Psalm 24" [Carib Gems] / "Physical Evidence"
15. Prince Far-I: "Psalm 48" [Carib Gems] / "Physical Evidence"
16. Prince Far-I: "Psalm 49" [Carib Gems] / "Physical Evidence"
17. Prince Far-I: "Farmyard" [Virgin]
18. Singers & Players: "Quante Jubila" [On-U Sound]
19. Prince Far-I: "African Queen" [Kingdom]
20. Prince Far-I: "The Big Fight" [Joe Gibbs]
21. Singers & Players: "Bedward the Flying Preacher" [On-U Sound]
22. Prince Far-I: "Give I Strength" [Trojan]
23. Suns of Arqa: "What You Gonna Do on the Judgment Day" [Arka Sound]

next time: the usual Bombast thing, whatever that is. Enjoy the music! --kid catharsis.

Sheer Excellence, But You Knew That: Transmission 23, 2013 March 30

This week, Little Marcy serenades us as we try to settle into our Saturday afternoon slot. Forgive me--the sun was out on this particular day, and like every other local who hasn't caught a glimpse of Helios for four months, I was distracted almost to the point of incompetence. Musically speaking--there aren't many songs about Easter, specifically, but there are a ton of rock songs about sin. Indeed, where would we be without this topic? So, we wind up playing a bunch of newly-released tunes we probably would have played anyway. Just Bombast bein' Bombast. And then there is the Jesus and Mary Chain, who, ironically, have nothing to do with religion, unless your objects of worship are black leather, hollowbody guitars, and the Shin-Ei FY-2 "Companion Fuzz" pedal [and why not?]. Now that I think of it, they did once offer a hypothesis on the true identity of a certain spiritual icon, which seems legit enough, but I digress. "Some Candy Talking," this week's entry in the "Physical Evidence" parade, is one of those singles that was slated to conquer the world but didn't, for whatever reason. Its seeming irrelevance to on-demand internet music providers is their loss but our gain. As I suggest during the broadcast, this is a transitional record for the JAMC. Wee Bobby Gillespie had left for pastures that were not yet greener but were certainly other. The less said about early Primal Scream, the better--check out that band's anthologies, even they seem to agree--but has he ever done well. Here at BOMBAST we played some of the Scream early on, when our legs were still wobbly, and yet again on the Night of Three Roky Erickson Songs, so we cannot feign indifference. But we have also played "Judas" by the Wake, which shows Wee Bobby Gillespie to be an unremarkable bass player, and a cursory listen to Psychocandy or any of the JAMC's early singles will reveal him to be an unremarkable drummer as well. He has turned out to be a frontman and fanboy with excellent taste, and there are worse things to be. But how perfect his Moe Tucker stylings were for this group, and how wonderfully chaotic those records sound on account of them. The "3 dudes and a drum machine" version of JAMC was destined never to stack up. To channel Rick Pitino, "Upside Down" was not about to walk though that door, folks, and "Never Understand" was not about to walk through that door. They were quite game on this single, though, doing the absolute minimum with their digital metronome and giving us a taste of their "old selves" on the B-side "Hit"--this particular song is partly how I choose to remember them, having seen the "3 dudes and a drum machine" incarnation live in 1987 and thinking it was a delicious, surprisingly visceral mess. Speaking of drum machines, if you have listened to BOMBAST at all you know we love them. We will have plenty more to say about this next week, when we play strictly old-school hip-hop and electro to recognize the "Now Scream" exhibit at Cornell's Kroch Library. As they say..."CAN'T WAIT!" BOMBAST playlist, 2013 March 30, 3:00 - 5:00 p.m.

1. Onward Chariots: "Opening / This Is My Confession I" [Skipping Stones]
2. Dub Spencer & Trance Hill: "Ethiopian Dub (live)" [Echo Beach]
3. Family Atlantica: "Myths and Proverbs" [Soundway]
4. Deux: "Dance With Me" [Minimal Wave]
5. Kraftwerk: "Numbers / Computer World 2" [EMI]
6. The Jesus and Mary Chain: "Some Candy Talking" [Blanco Y Negro] / "Physical Evidence"
7. Gary War: "Zontag" [Care in the Community]
8. Gyedu-Blay Ambolley: "This Hustling World" [Academy LPs]
9. Little Marcy: "Climb, Climb Up Sunshine Mountain" [Zondervan] / "Listening Parlour"
10. Wild Billy Childish and the Spartan Dreggs: "Garden of Gethsemane" [Damaged Goods]
11. Heavy Hawaii: "Airborne Kawasaki" [Art Fag]
12. Witch: "Blood Donor" [Now-Again]
13. Jerusalem in My Heart: "3anzah Jarbanah" [Constellation]
14. The Jesus and Mary Chain: "Taste of Cindy (acoustic)" [Blanco Y Negro / 1972] / "Physical Evidence"
15. Mogwai: "This Messiah Needs Watching" [Rock Action]
16. In the Nursery: "Third Movement" [ITN Corporation]
17. The Jesus and Mary Chain: "Hit" [Blanco Y Negro / 1972] / "Physical Evidence"
18. Tarwater: "We All Stand" [Mojo Magazine]
19. Carmen Villain: "Lifeissin" [Smalltown Supersound]
20. Onward Chariots: "This Is My Confession II" [Skipping Stones]
21. Hollis Brown: "Walk on Water" [Alive Naturalsound]
22. Scott & Charlene's Wedding: "I Wanna Die" [Critical Heights]
23. U Roy: "Deck of Cards" [Clocktower]
24. Ash Pool: "Death Has No Mother" [Hospital Productions]
25. Le Carousel: "My Saviour" [Phil Kieran Records]
26. Akitsa: "Arraché A La Mort, Forcé A Vivre Et Mourir Encore" [Hospital Productions]
27. Little Marcy: "When Mr. Satan Knocks at My Heart's Door" [Zondervan] / "Listening Parlour"
28. Ergo Phizmiz: "It's a Sin" [Care in the Community]
29. The Jesus and Mary Chain: "Psychocandy" [Blanco Y Negro / 1972] / "Physical Evidence"
30. Onward Chariots: "Confession III" [Skipping Stones]

next week: when I aim for fire [?!], I never miss. Enjoy the music! --kid catharsis

An Unquiet Skull: Transmission 21, 2013 March 20

In part 2 of their Hall of Legends induction, Coil provide a soundtrack for the Spring Equinox. A "stealth" tribute* continues. I almost mislead listeners into thinking the late R. L. Burnside once played guitar in the Cocteau Twins--or maybe it was that Robin Guthrie was a foul-mouthed Mississippi blues curmudgeon, and not a foul-mouthed Scottish post-punk curmudgeon. In other words, it is a typical week of arbitrary, dogged self-indulgence. I realized while the show was airing that I would have very little to say about it, Ellen Allien having fried my brain each time I heard her new piece. Hopefully you emerge from the experience more intact. The odds favor it. The big news is that, for a couple of reasons, the BOMBAST phenomenon is moving to Saturday afternoon. While the obsolescence of our "hump night" poster [just visit the facebook page and scroll down] saddens us, we see this move as a positive thing. In the pre-internet era of WRFI, we think there are probably more listeners at that time, and we are trying to minimize our "canned" programming on the weekends. I am still trying to figure out what this contingent of listeners will hear, since I feel a decent percentage of what I play is "nocturnal" music, but it will come, and if it doesn't, I will force it. Hopefully the "extra" show makes up for "legendary lost program" #19. I spend my time looking for little signs that its disappearance won't haunt me for life. Thank you for humoring me. BOMBAST playlist, 2013 March 20, 8:00 - 10:00 p.m.

1. Karl Bartos: "Atomium" [Bureau B]
2. New Order: "Confusion (Rough Mix)" [Factory] / "Listening Parlour"
3. The Dur-Dur Band: "Amiina Awdaay" [Awesome Tapes from Africa]
4. Coil: "Moon's Milk or Under an Unquiet Skull (Part 1) [Eskaton] / "Physical Evidence"
5. Dump: "Ode to Shaggs' Own Thing" [Morr Music]
6. Robin Guthrie: "Circus Circus" [Darla]
7. R. L. Burnside: "See What My Buddy Done" [Fat Possum]
8. Blancmange: "22339" [London / Sire] / "Listening Parlour"
9. Tape Deck Mountain: "Kellies" [Lefse]
10. Zombie Zombie: "The Beach" [Mojo Magazine]
11. Coil: "Moon's Milk or Under an Unquiet Skull (Part 2)" [Eskaton] / "Physical Evidence"
12. Ellen Allien: "LISm" [BPitch Control]
13. Le Carousel: "Winter Months" [Phil Kieran Records]

* not that stealthy.

He Held the World in His Iron Grip: Transmission 19, 2013 March 6

I suppose it is a mark of "professionalism" that a couple of raging "backstage dramas" at the station remained backstage during what was otherwise a pretty good show. The burden of the "performer," however, is that both onstage and backstage events combine to form a memory of the evening. I felt quite weird while doing this show, and would probably always be reminded of it when I listened. Who am I kidding? I never have time to listen to these recordings more than once. Anyway, as I suggested, the music's quality was high this week, as we had Bombast Hall of Legends inductees Stereolab in the "Physical Evidence" segment and a cornucopia of wonderful new releases filling out the rest of the program. Musically, it was a good week. I had another lengthy, thoughtful dissertation planned, but screw that. Life is busy. I am now, suddenly, a member of the WRFI Board of Directors. I don't know what I have gotten myself into. Stereolab good, drama bad. There is your commentary. You are welcome. Oh, but there is some bad news. Somehow, in a week in which other aspects of "data management" went really well, I accidentally deleted the sound file from the program. [Yes, it really was an accident--I am not being sarcastic.] So I guess I am not to be tormented, except in my own head. And--bonus for you--here is an opportunity for you to catch up on one of the other fine programs available on the website. BOMBAST playlist, 2013 March 6, 8:00 - 10:00 p.m.

1. Deathfix: "Better than Bad" [Dischord]
2. Weird Guilders: "Sentimental Journey" [Rush Hour]
3. Autechre: "jatevee C" [Warp]
4. Tony Allen: "Ariya Revisited" [Comet]
5. Stereolab: "Low Fi" [Too Pure] / "Physical Evidence"
6. Ludwig Amadeus Horzon and Peaches: "Me My Shelf and I" [Martin Hossbach]
7. Lee "Scratch" Perry and ERM: "Capricorn" [Rubis Management]
8. Tom Dissevelt: "Syncopation" [Trunk]
9. FaltyDL: "She Sleeps (Gang Gang Dance Remix)" [Ninja Tune]
10. Stereolab: "(Varoom!)" [Too Pure] / "Physical Evidence"
11. Doldrums: "Sunrise" [Souterrain]
12. Fréhel: "Si tu n'étais pas là" [Victoires / Virgin] / "Listening Parlour"
13. B/B/S: "Gather Part 1" [Miasmah]
14. Stereolab: "Laissez-faire" [Too Pure] / "Physical Evidence"
15. Permanent Makeup: "Don't Self-Destruct" [New Granada]
16. Boris: "Cosmos [Parts 1-3]" [Invada]
17. Stereolab: "Elektro (he held the world in his iron grip)" [Too Pure] / "Physical Evidence"
18. Frikstailers: "Cumbianchamuyo" [ZZK]
19. Chico Mann: "El Paragua" [Soundway]
20. Fredda: "Constant" [Le Pop Musik]
21. Wayne Hancock: "Ride" [Bloodshot]
22. The KVB: "Human" [Cititrax]
23. Deux: "Ministry of Love" [Minimal Wave]
24. Edith Piaf: "Non, je ne regrette rien" [Columbia] / "Listening Parlour"

Next week: let's just try to get some audio up. thanks for your patience! --kid catharsis