radiobombast

You Feel the Fear Inside, There's Nothing Wrong: Transmission 188, 2015 February 16

Welcome, friends, to the Griot Hour. Or what should have been, had DJ Godfrey not been blessed with some real work. Does this count as hero time? No, it is me time. As I say in the opening, I'm out after curfew, not to observe Lundi Gras or Mardi Gras (only thing "gras" around here is my sense of self-importance) but instead Jhonn Balance's (would-be) birthday. This is what devotion demands.

Anyway, it might well have been "nine below zero"; it was a couple of weeks ago. February was a historically cold month in the listening area, and at this time of writing I have to say I have finally had it with winter. My gym's closed on account of flooding from burst pipes and I'm on a real serotonin low. I'm told I should avoid alcohol and caffeine so as not to inhibit what little comes my way; you might as well tell me to drink the blood of yaks or something. Good grief. Don't be surprised if some real "FTS" programs start happening.

BOMBAST playlist, 2015 February 16, 2300-0100 February 17:

1. "Wrong Eye" | Coil | Unnatural History III | Threshold House | "Physical Evidence"
2. "Thriller Killer" | Maestro | Thriller Killer | Tigersushi
3. "Remote Control Memory" | Double Knots | Double Vision EP | International Feel
4. "Transition >T<" | Karl Hector & The Malcouns | Unstraight Ahead | Now-Again
5. "Irish" | The Fall | Re-Mit | Cherry Red
6. "(Take Me to the) Mardi Gras" | Bob James | (Take Me to the) Mardi Gras | Get On Down
7. "Baby Food" | Coil | Unnatural History III | Threshold House | "Physical Evidence"
8. "Pulsar" | Mind Against & Locked Groove | Elysium / Pulsar | Hotflush
9. "Chambre Bleue" | Saschienne | Golden Prints | Kompakt
10. "Lost Rivers of London" | Coil | Unnatural History III | Threshold House | "Physical Evidence"
11. "Der Amboss" | Visage | Fade to Grey - The Singles Collection | Polydor - Polygram
12. "Wa-Wa" | Manu Dibango | Africadelic | Aurora
13. "Nova Scotia" | Ultramarine | Every Man And Woman Is A Star | Rough Trade
14. "Stories" | Shortcircles X Parks Burton | Impossible Architecture | Hush Hush
15. "Meaning What Exactly?" | Coil | Unnatural History III | Threshold House | "Physical Evidence"
16. "Torpedo" | Tijuana Panthers | Wayne Interest | Innovative Leisure
17. "All Fall Away (demo)" | Lost Girls | Lost Girls | 3 Loop
18. "Bewitched" | The Wedding Present | Bizarro | Edsel
19. "Nine Below Zero" | Muddy Waters | Muddy "Mississippi" Waters Live | Music On Vinyl
20. "Lykk Trep - R Hi - Lose" | Papir | Live at Roadburn | El Paraiso
21. "Scope" | Coil | Unnatural History III | Threshold House | "Physical Evidence"

next time: forgetting without forgiving. Enjoy the music! --kid catharsis

Poison Kills the Weak and Feeds the Best: Transmission 187, 2015 February 15

As I age I have to admit that I know less and less about more and more. So I cannot say whether any of this program's selections clear the "psychedelia" bar as perhaps they should have done, given that I was filling in for Dusty Visions on this night. They were certainly long, though! I think I just said "screw it" and went with a bunch of chestnuts.

So, naturally, this was a pretty good program. It's weird how sometimes a segue will make total sense when I am planning it out, then sound terrible in the moment, and then sound good again when I listen to the show later. Perception! Subjectivity! I can't even deal, I'm telling you. Oh, but I finally got a chance to air, in its fullness, the In Camera tune that serves as the "Hall of Vengeance" underscoring. So we managed to accomplish something on this night.

BOMBAST playlist, 2015 February 15, 2100-2300:

1. "A Huge Ever Growing Pulsating Brain That Rules from the Center of the Ultraworld" | The Orb | The BBC Sessions 1989-2001 | Universal - Island
2. "Snake in the Grass" | The Black Angels | Directions to See a Ghost | Light in the Attic
3. "What Does Your Soul Look Like (Part 2)" | DJ Shadow | Preemptive Strike | FFRR
4. "Afrodisco Beat" | Tony Allen & Afrika 70 | Progress | Kindred Spirits
5. "The Graves at Lamphead" | Buick | Sweatertongue | Lather
6. "Poetic Dub" | Linton Kwesi Johnson | LKJ in Dub Volume 3 | LKJ
7. "Imidiwaren" | Tinariwen | The Radio Tisdas Sessions | Modern Classics
8. "Just A Little Boy (For Chester Burnett)" | Swans | To Be Kind | Young God
9. "Ants Are Cavemen" | Thin White Rope | When Worlds Collide | Munster
10. "Mama Liza" | Konono No. 1 | Congotronics | Crammed Discs
11. "The Fatal Day" | In Camera | Fin | 4AD

next time: sidereal sound. Enjoy the music! --kid catharsis

Boredom Is an Invasion of Time into Your Set of Values: Transmission 186, 2015 February 10

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:

1. "Walk Don't Run" | Los Straitjackets | Los Straitjackets Play the Great Instrumental Hits!!! | Yep Roc | "Physical Evidence"
2. "Way Out" | Gaiser | False Light | Minus
3. "Moto sincrono" | Alessandro Alessandroni | Industrial | Dead-Cert
4. "Baby Doll" | The Spiders | Everywhere Chainsaw Sound 1 | Feed the Mind
5. "You And I" | Gala Drop | II | Golf Channel
6. "Winter Boredom" | Natalie Beridze | John Beltran Presents: Music For Machines | Delsin
7. "Phantom Delia" | Lena Willikens | Phantom Delia | Comeme
8. "Dirty Epic" | Underworld | Dubnobasswithmyheadman | Universal [Japan]
9. "Orca" | Jonas Munk | Pan | El Paraiso
10. "Winterfall Winds" | Winter Flags | John Beltran Presents: Music For Machines | Delsin
11. "Misirlou" | Los Straitjackets | Los Straitjackets Play the Great Instrumental Hits!!! | Yep Roc | "Physical Evidence"
12. "For Val" | Sons of Melancholia | John Beltran Presents: Music For Machines | Delsin
13. "Junk Culture" | Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark | Junk Culture | Universal
14. "Body" | You Still Have Friends | Near Memory | Finity
15. "Annie" | Andrew Liles | Nightingale Variations | Kooky
16. "Theme From A Summer Place" | Los Straitjackets | Los Straitjackets Play the Great Instrumental Hits!!! | Yep Roc | "Physical Evidence"
17. "Lockin' Up My Heart" | The Marvelettes | The Marvelous Marvelettes | Motown | "Hall of Vengeance"
18. "Light Years" | EM.MA | Keysound Recordings Presents...Certified Connections | Keysound
19. "Night" | Windy and Carl | Nightingale Variations | Kooky
20. "Wild Weekend" | Los Straitjackets | Los Straitjackets Play the Great Instrumental Hits!!! | Yep Roc | "Physical Evidence"
21. "Drive" | M Dwinell | Golden Ratio | Amish
22. "Slow Dawn" | Void Vision | Sub Rosa | Mannequin
23. "Sisters and Brothers" | Hey Colossus | In Black & Gold | Rocket
24. "Before Morning's Arrival" | Blair French | John Beltran Presents: Music For Machines | Delsin
25. "Fly" | Slipstream | Nightingale Variations | Kooky
26. "Sleepwalk" | Los Straitjackets | Los Straitjackets Play the Great Instrumental Hits!!! | Yep Roc | "Physical Evidence"
27. "Aerospace" | Epoch | Keysound Recordings Presents...Certified Connections | Keysound

next time: epic soundtracks and fatal days. Enjoy the music! --kid catharsis

Festival of Evidence v2.1: Transmission 185, 2015 February 7

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:

1. "Rocking Steady" | Hot & Rich | Rocksteady - with Lynn Taitt & The Jets and Beverleys All Stars | Reggae Retro | "Physical Evidence"
2. "Tearjerker" | The Creepers | Rock 'N' Roll Liquorice Flavour | Red Rhino | "Physical Evidence"
3. "I'm Nowhere" | The Durutti Column | Return of the Sporadic Recordings | Kooky | "Physical Evidence"
4. "Pentatonic Skull" | Design A Wave | A.R.M. 1 | No Label | "Physical Evidence"
5. "Cybernetic" | The Grid | Volume 5 | Volume | "Physical Evidence"
6. "Look for the Question Mark" | Wallflowers (Wally Waller & The Strange Flowers) | In Fuzz We Trust | Stag-O-Lee | "Physical Evidence"
7. "Rise Dub" | Annie Anxiety Bandez | As I Lie In Your Arms | One Little Indian | "Physical Evidence"
8. "Bye Bye Baby" | Prince Buster | Judge Dread Rock Steady / She Was A Rough Rider | DOJO | "Physical Evidence"

next time: lucha libre. Enjoy the music! --kid catharsis

We Are At Once Nowhere and Everywhere: Transmission 184, 2015 February 3

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:

1. "I Wanna Be Famous In Ithaca" | The Tea Jennies | Senseless Violins | not on label
2. "Decoy Point" | Ultramarine | Sampler (et Sans Reproche) | Factory Benelux
3. "Saturday Mourning" | The Skull Defekts | Street Metal | Monkeytown
4. "I'll Ze" | The J.B.'s | These Are The J.B.'s | Now-Again | "Physical Evidence"
5. "Kali" | Envee | U Know Warsoul EP | Pets
6. "Stereometry" | A2B2C2 | John Beltran Presents: Music For Machines | Delsin
7. "Beat On The Brat" | Ramones | Morrissey Curates the Ramones | Rhino
8. "When You Feel It Grunt If You Can" | The J.B.'s | These Are The J.B.'s | Now-Again | "Physical Evidence"
9. "Art Ebb Lull Us" | Brassica | Man Is Deaf | Civil Music
10. "Observatory" | Roland Tings | Roland Tings | Internasjonal
11. "Lucioles" | Loscil | For Greta | Bandcamp self-release
12. "Sommadub" | Sir Horatio | Sextet | Factory Benelux
13. "Miguel El Salam" | Forever Pavot | Rhapsode | Born Bad
14. "These Are The J.B.'s Pt. I & Pt. II" | The J.B.'s | These Are The J.B.'s | Now-Again | "Physical Evidence"
15. "Object 15" | The Notwist | Messier Objects | Alien Transistor
16. "Pearls Girl" | Underworld | Second Toughest In The Infants | Universal [Japan]
17. "Four Dark Traps" | Paul Haig | Sampler (et Sans Reproche) | Factory Benelux
18. "Outer East" | Horse Lords | Hidden Cities | NNA Tapes
19. "Saturn" | Teielte & Sonar Soul | U Know Warsoul EP | Pets

next time: introducing Nikkolai. Enjoy the music! --kid catharsis

Stay With Me, You'll See The Hard Times Changing For Better: Transmission 183, 2015 January 27

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:

1. "Age of Consent" | New Order | Power, Corruption & Lies | Factory
2. "Real Cool Trash" | Tav Falco and His Unapproachable Panther Burns | Tav Falco's Wild & Exotic World Of Musical Obscurities | Stag-O-Lee
3. "Lovin' Just My Style" | The Caravelles | The Best Arizona Garage Bands 1967-1970 | HDM
4. "Another (Terminal)" | Le Revelateur | Air Texture, Vol. IV | Air Texture
5. "Skipscada [Peel 1981]" | A Certain Ratio | Sextet | Factory Benelux | "Physical Evidence"
6. "Mirage" | The Cannanes and Steward | Communicating at An Unknown Rate | Chapter
7. "Gangster of Love" | Bliss | The Best Arizona Garage Bands 1967-1970 | HDM
8. "Mr. X" | Pauline Murray & The Invisible Girls | Sampler (et Sans Reproche) | Factory Benelux
9. "Trembling Hands" | Magic Castles | Sky Sounds | A Recordings
10. "Dive Bomber" | The Carnations | The Best Arizona Garage Bands 1967-1970 | HDM
11. "Stella" | Ultramarine | Every Man And Woman Is A Star | Rough Trade
12. "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart" | Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds | Kicking Against The Pricks [reissue] | Mute
13. "P.S. Goodbye" | The Chameleons | John Peel Sessions | Blue Apple
14. "Mmm Skyscraper I Love You" | Underworld | Dubnobasswithmyheadman | Universal [Japan]
15. "Djin Ku Djin" | Vaudou Game | Apiafo | Hot Casa
16. "Knife Slits Water [Peel 1981]" | A Certain Ratio | Sextet | Factory Benelux | "Physical Evidence"
17. "Gary" | Shellac | Dude Incredible | Touch & Go
18. "Long Arm" | Gulls | Patterns Is Life | Boomarm Nation
19. "Sante" | Vaghe Stelle | Air Texture, Vol. IV | Air Texture
20. "Colour Screen" | Fenin | Werkschau03 | Shitkatapult
21. "Day One [Peel 1981]" | A Certain Ratio | Sextet | Factory Benelux | "Physical Evidence"
22. "Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role" | Swearing at Motorists | While Laughing, the Joker Tells the Truth | A Recordings
23. "Silver Machine" | Brian Harris | Behind the Mask | self-released
24. "Modern World" | Wrangler | Sampler (et Sans Reproche) | Factory Benelux
25. "Clowns and Ballerinas" | Negativland | A Big 10-8 Place | Seeland
26. "Faint Light" | Egokind & Ozean | Transition | Traum
27. "Stylomezzo" | Gebruder Teichmann | Werkschau03 | Shitkatapult

next time: the new theme song. Enjoy the music! --kid catharsis

Hero Time: Transmission 182, 2015 January 25

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:

1. "Weird Gear" | Ultramarine | Every Man And Woman Is A Star | Rough Trade
2. "Metropolis" | NTFO & Karmon | Composit | DIYNamic
3. "Bring It On Down" | Karl Hector & The Malcouns | Unstraight Ahead | Now-Again
4. "Love Walls" | Ted Alexander | XXX | Stem
5. "Afro-Soul" | Manu Dibango | Africadelic | Aurora
6. "Ghost Lights" | The Children | Ghost Lights | Division 68
7. "Take Me I'm Yours (BBC Radio 1 John Peel Session - 24 May 1988)" | The Wedding Present | Bizarro [reissue] | Edsel
8. "Rolling Stone" | The Dub Club | Foundation Come Again | Stones Throw
9. "Inside Out (feat. Katharina Busch)" | High Heels Breaker | High Heels Breaker | Drumpoet Community
10. "The Mechanics of Joy" | Echologist | The Mechanics of Joy | Prologue
11. "Two Months Off" | Underworld | A Hundred Days Off | Universal [Japan]
12. "Mr. Smart" | Leroy Smart | The Don Tells It Like It Is | Bunny Lee
13. "Helios" | Rival Consoles | Rival Consoles | Erased Tapes
14. "People Ain't No Good" | The Cramps | A Date With Elvis | Big Beat
15. "Looking From A Hilltop - BBC Version" | Section 25 | From The Hip | Factory Benelux
16. "Soon" | Bostro Pesopeo | Cheer Up EP | Permanent Vacation

next time: the absolute worst. Enjoy the music! --kid catharsis

It's Her Hall of Vengeance, She Does What She Likes: Transmission 181, 2015 January 20

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:

1. "Sparkle" | Blende | The Green Collection | Eskimo
2. "Valley of the Kings" | The Rootsman Meets Celtarabia | Intifada / Valley of the Kings | Partial | "Physical Evidence"
3. "Low Rider" | War | The Very Best of War | Avenue - Rhino | "Hall of Vengeance"
4. "Heat" | The Brian Jonestown Massacre | "plus minus" EP | 'a'
5. "British Summertime" / "Saratoga" | Ultramarine | Every Man And Woman Is A Star | Rough Trade
6. "Something In The Way" | Tricky | Adrian Thaws | False Idols
7. "It Makes The Room Look Bigger" | Half Man Half Biscuit | Saucy Haulage Ballads | Probe Plus
8. "Valley of Dub" | The Rootsman Meets Celtarabia | Intifada / Valley of the Kings | Partial | "Physical Evidence"
9. "Looking Inwardly" | The Chameleons | John Peel Sessions | Blue Apple
10. "I Idolize You" | Gail Harris with The Wailers | Girls With Guitars | Ace
11. "Prepare" | Pulshar | Blood & Mathematics | Desolat
12. "Ghost Note" | Kraak & Smaak | The Green Collection | Eskimo
13. "Climb That Tree" | She Trinity | Girls With Guitars | Ace
14. "PF01" | Tuff City Kids | Parallel Forest EP | Internasjonal
15. "Mesh" | New Order | 1981-Factus 8R-1982 | Warner
16. "Stones" | The Ace of Cups | Girls With Guitars | Ace
17. "Rialto" | A Certain Ratio | Sextet | Factory Benelux
18. "Intifada" | The Rootsman | Intifada / Valley of the Kings | Partial | "Physical Evidence"
19. "DNA" | The Children | Ghost Lights | Division 68
20. "She Cracked" | Jonathan Richman | The Modern Lovers | Beserkley
21. "Pourquoi Es Tu Devenue Si Raisonnable?" | The Wedding Present | George Best [reissue] | Edsel
22. "Compliant" | Shellac | Dude Incredible | Touch & Go
23. "The Eternal / Heart and Soul" | Joy Division | Preston 28 February 1980 | Drastic Plastic
24. "She Cracked" | Siouxsie & The Banshees | Through The Looking Glass | Polydor
25. "Intifada Dub" | The Rootsman | Intifada / Valley of the Kings | Partial | "Physical Evidence"

next time: a time slot in question. Enjoy the music! --kid catharsis

Did I Say Rockstudy? Transmission 180, 2015 January 13

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:

1. "Discovery" | Ultramarine | Every Man And Woman Is A Star | Rough Trade
2. "Drain" | Khost | Copper Lock Hell | Cold Spring
3. "Deep Conga" | Gulls | Patterns Is Life | Boomarm Nation
4. "Candomble (Dreems Remix)" | Thomas H | Multi Culti Japan | Multi Culti
5. "It's Not Unusual" | The Wedding Present | Bizarro [reissue] | Edsel
6. "Don't Fall" | The Chameleons | John Peel Sessions | Blue Apple
7. "Slow Train" | Hot & Rich | Rocksteady - with Lynn Taitt & The Jets and Beverleys All Stars | Reggae Retro | "Physical Evidence"
8. "Ithaca Chasma of Tethys" | Moonpunk | Live | Bandcamp self-release
9. "It's Not Unusual" | Belly | Moon | Sire - Reprise
10. "Shakin' All Over" | Wanda Jackson | The Party Ain't Over | Third Man
11. "NYC" | Lost Girls | Lost Girls | 3 Loop
12. "Race Mixing" | Lydia Lunch Retrovirus | 3x3 EP | Bandcamp self-release
13. "Outta Reach" | She | Girls With Guitars | Ace
14. "Mango Walk" | Hot & Rich | Rocksteady - with Lynn Taitt & The Jets and Beverleys All Stars | Reggae Retro | "Physical Evidence"
15. "Black Crow King" | Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds | The Firstborn Is Dead [reissue] | Mute
16. "Guantanamera" | Hot & Rich | Rocksteady - with Lynn Taitt & The Jets and Beverleys All Stars | Reggae Retro | "Physical Evidence"
17. "Interplanetary Music - Dub" | Mickey Moonlight | Multi Culti Japan | Multi Culti
18. "The Prince" | Madness | One Step Beyond | Stiff - Nova
19. "Zambesi" | Hot & Rich | Rocksteady - with Lynn Taitt & The Jets and Beverleys All Stars | Reggae Retro | "Physical Evidence"
20. "Wari Vo Dubwise" | Mark Ernestus | Glitterbeat: Dubs & Versions I | Glitterbeat
21. "Day One" | A Certain Ratio | Sextet | Factory Benelux
22. "Raindance" | Call Super | Suzi Ecto | Houndstooth
23. "What the Heck Them Expect" | Deadbeat and Paul St. Hilaire | The Infinity Dub Sessions | BLKRTZ
24. "Chic Cheer" | Chic | C'est Chic | Atlantic | "Hall of Vengeance"
25. "On My Mind" | Hot & Rich | Rocksteady - with Lynn Taitt & The Jets and Beverleys All Stars | Reggae Retro | "Physical Evidence"
26. "Shakin' All Over" | Raylene & The Blue Angels | Girls With Guitars | Ace
27. "Font Hill" | Hot & Rich | Rocksteady - with Lynn Taitt & The Jets and Beverleys All Stars | Reggae Retro | "Physical Evidence"
28. "International Girl" | The Beas | Girls With Guitars | Ace
29. "Sediments" | Losoul | Immanent EP | Another Picture

next time: summer in the valley of dub. Enjoy the music! --kid catharsis

The Hall of Legends - Heidi Berry: Transmission 179, 2015 January 6

We herewith induct Heidi Berry into the BOMBAST Hall of Legends, where she joins The Durutti Column, John Peel, Breathless, This Mortal Coil, The Wolfgang Press, The Dub Syndicate, A.R.Kane, Little Annie, Dif Juz, Prince Far I, Coil [part 1, part 2, part 3, and part 4], Billy Childish, Stereolab [charter members], and The Fall [charter members].

Welcome to all, but first-time visitors especially. I hope you stick around and listen to a "regular" program or two sometime, whether live or at your convenience. This website is not just an archive of the program, but a blog / diary / collection of unpublishable prose / whatever. It's free to you, so I make no apologies for what's here! You want audio only? Just page-down until you find the link.

"I don't like singer-songwriters," I once told my boss at the record store. We were arguing the merits of...oh, probably better if I don't say. "Ah, this must have been before Heidi Berry," you are thinking. No--it's still true, I don't like singer-songwriters. (Regular listeners will have gleaned this.) But I do like Heidi Berry's music, and always have. That it hasn't turned me on to Nick Drake, or Sandy Denny, or Tim Hardin, or Bridget St. John, or whoever, could well say something about my shortcomings as a person. Or maybe, instead, it says something about the Heidi Berry records, and what complete experiences they are.

In the Lost Girls liner notes, Patrick Fitzgerald describes Heidi's voice as "stately...demanding to be heard." And it did make this demand of me, under circumstances that now seem completely accidental.

We've been over the issue of compilations. I love them, but not everyone does. Why I bought Doing It For The Kids, exactly, I don't know. It must have had something to do with liking Felt, and how difficult it was to find Creation records 6000 miles from London, and how dirt-cheap this record was. [Aside--if you think I never wrote to Alan McGee about how expensive Creation records were, much less wrapped that note around a demo tape to which he never responded, YOU DON'T KNOW ME AT ALL.] Anyway, I remember getting hold of it sometime around its release, listening to it once, not having it make an impression on my addled, distracted consciousness.

For whatever reason I was drawn back to it sometime later, no doubt during some adolescent crisis or other. I found myself listening to it really late at night, and quietly, so as not to wake my roommates. Somehow, amidst all the "boy rock bands," it was that song that stood out: "Northshore Train," with that voice, insistent. "who is THIS?" I more or less told myself it didn't matter, because I'd never see one of her records. Oh, well; at least I'd have this tune, which was much better than nothing.

The thing about working at record stores, though--sooner or later everything comes through. In comes a seller, looking to unload Below the Waves and Firefly: yoink! "Wonder what she's up to now," I thought, with a few more Creation comps (there certainly were a lot of them) in my collection, and no sign. This must have been 1991--news travelled so slowly pre-internet. Then, a few months later, 4AD and Warners trumpet their ill-fated marriage with yet another compilation--the Lilliput cd/book/t-shirt combo [you know I still have the shirt], with--what?--WHAT--on it? A Heidi Berry song? But what's she doing here? And how did my store and my radio station miss her latest album, which was almost a year old at this point? [I'm telling you, life was rough.] Anyway, my point, to the extent that there is one, is about accidents, and music falling into one's hands against all probability.

I've learned, often the hard way, that nothing is meant to happen. There is only what actually happens. Happily this music crossed my path (those comps are good for something), and now it's crossing yours, if it hasn't done so already.

But here's another thing I said once: "I have to listen to Heidi Berry records all day." I said this just the other day, to Lady Catharsis, as I was finalizing the tracklist you see below. Listen: you'd do well to hear a record with Heidi Berry on it every day [I AM A DOCTOR AND I PRESCRIBE THIS], just like you'd probably enjoy a decadent dessert every day. All day, though? "I wish I could be more direct sometimes," Heidi tells me in the interview, but personally I couldn't take much more directness than what I think is already on display in these records. Noise, beats, bleep-bloop, textural studies, distancing? This I can listen to all day. There's plenty of it archived on this site--knock yourself out! It's perfectly cool, I have much fun with it, but TBH it doesn't always demand to be heard. Is that a new criterion for Legend status? What do we call it--intensity? I'll have to think on it.

Anyway, thank-you to Heidi for her music and time. And to you, for your indulgence.

BOMBAST playlist, 2015 January 6, 2100-2300:

1. "Needle's Eye" | Lost Girls | Lost Girls | 3 Loop
2. "Scheherezade" | Heidi Berry | not on album | Soundcloud self-release
3. "Gather All the Hours" | Heidi Berry | Below the Waves and Firefly | Rockville | "Physical Evidence"
4. "For the Rose" / "Follow" / "Ariel" / "Dawn" | Heidi Berry | Heidi Berry | 4AD
5. "Abduction" | Lost Girls | Lost Girls | 3 Loop
6. "Up In The Air" | Heidi Berry | Love | 4AD
7. "Nobody Tells on You" | Heidi Berry | Below the Waves and Firefly | Rockville | "Physical Evidence"
8. "Unholy Light" | Heidi Berry | The Moon and the Sun | 4AD
9. "Firefly" | Heidi Berry | Below the Waves and Firefly | Rockville | "Physical Evidence"
10. "Houses Made of Wood" | Heidi Berry | Below the Waves and Firefly | Rockville | "Physical Evidence"
11. "Below the Waves" | Heidi Berry | Below the Waves and Firefly | Rockville | "Physical Evidence"
12. "Forgiven" | Lost Girls | Lost Girls | 3 Loop
13. "Folk Fuck" | Lost Girls | Lost Girls | 3 Loop
14. "All Fall Away" | Lost Girls | Lost Girls | 3 Loop
15. "You Upset the Grace of Living When You Lie" | Heidi Berry | The Moon and the Sun | 4AD
16. "Japanese" | Lost Girls | Lost Girls | 3 Loop
17. "The Mountain" | Heidi Berry | Miracle | 4AD
18. "All For You" | Heidi Berry | Below the Waves and Firefly | Rockville | "Physical Evidence"

next time: how about one of Patrick's songs? Enjoy the music! --kid catharsis