Update (especially for the RSS folks)

     This post is purely informational. See the sidebar for the date and time of the next episode. It’ll be nutritious and perhaps quite delicious....

Episode 21

     I haven’t done a three-hour show since September. I’d forgotten both what a luxury being able to stretch out for that long is and how much more preparation a longer show requires. All in all, the extended format was a success. I managed to get to a few long-standing requests and, I hope, to play some music for my friend Jeffrey. I’m really exhausted now, so I won’t write much more. There’ll be information about an upcoming show here soon. Until then, happy holidays, happy new year, etc....

• 12:00–1:00 a.m.:
• Mark Eitzel, “Make Sure They Hear,” Candy Ass, Cooking Vinyl
• Johnny Cash, “Wayfaring Stranger,” American III: Solitary Man, American Recordings
• Ron Sexsmith, “In a Flash,” Whereabouts, Interscope
• Donny Hathaway, “Someday We’ll All Be Free,” Extension of a Man, Atlantic
• Stina Nordenstam, “Get on with Your Life,” The World Is Saved, V2
• Syd Barrett, “Feel/If It’s in You,” The Madcap Laughs, Capitol
• Blonde Redhead, “Misery Is a Butterfly,” Misery Is a Butterfly, 4AD
• Do Make Say Think, “Horns of a Rabbit,” Winter Hymn Country Hymn Secret Hymn, Constellation
• Brian Eno, “Blank Frank,” Here Come the Warm Jets, EG
• Caetano Veloso, “Alfômega,” Caetano Veloso, Philips
• Freakwater, “Cricket versus Ant,” Thinking of You..., Thrill Jockey
• Wire, “I Feel Mysterious Today,” Chairs Missing, EMI
• Tom Waits, “Frank’s Wild Years,” Swordfishtrombones, Island

• 1:00–2:00 a.m.:
• Rubén Blades, “Creencia,” Tiempos, Sony
• Neil Young, “Out on the Weekend,” Harvest, Reprise
• Chad VanGaalen, “Kill Me in My Sleep,” Infiniheart, Sub Pop
• Yuka Honda, “Liberation #6—Leaving the Memories Behind,” Memories Are My Only Witness, Tzadik
• Scott Walker, “Face on Breast,” Tilt, Drag City
• Animal Collective, “Bees,” Feels, Fat Cat
• The Auteurs, “School,” How I Learned to Love the Bootboys, Virgin
• Lori Carson, “Christmas,” Where It Goes, Restless
• Broadcast, “America’s Boy,” Tender Buttons, Warp
• Kraftwerk, “The Man-Machine,” The Man-Machine, Capitol
• Dead Can Dance, “Ocean,” Dead Can Dance, 4AD
• Bulgarian State Radio and Television Female Vocal Choir, “Kalimankou Denkou,” Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares, Nonesuch

• 2:00–3:00 a.m.:
• Cheikh Lô, “Set,” Né La Thiass, World Circuit
• Akron/Family, “I’ll Be on the Water,” Akron/Family, Young God
• The Russian Futurists, “Why You Gotta Do That Thang?” Our Thickness, Upper Class
• The Decemberists, “On the Bus Mall,” Picaresque, Kill Rock Stars
• Rogue Wave, “You,” Descended like Vultures, Sub Pop
• Mogwai, “R U Still in 2 It?” Young Team, Jetset
• The Flaming Lips, “The Spark That Bled (The Softest Bullet Ever Shot),” The Soft Bulletin, Warner Brothers
• Pinback, “The Yellow Ones,” Summer in Abaddon, Touch and Go
• A.R.Kane, “Spermwhale Trip Over,” Sixty Nine, One Little Indian
• Red House Painters, “Void,” Old Ramon, Sub Pop

More In-Betweenness

     We are about to go into the interim period again. That means the schedule is going to morph and fluctuate more than the Chicago weather does in this age of global warming. What that also means for you, dear reader/listener, is that the reliable two-week cycle to which you and I have grown accustomed will be temporarily disrupted. I’ll be hitting a little bit before the beat the next time out: on Monday morning (Sunday night) 19 December instead of 24 hours later. Those who listen to podcasts will get an early present, while those who tune in at the regular time will be baffled to hear someone else. Not to fear, though, things will again be predictable come the second or third week of January.
     Now, two appeals. One, if you actually do read this page or have comments on the shows, please post them using the commenting feature. J. Niimi, one of the hosts of Radio Zero, is pretty much the only consistent commenter, and I’ve recently started commenting on his lists because they are oh-so-great. I do steal ideas from him. I admit it. Anyway, I’ve long since stopped publicly musing on whether anyone listens to show or has any opinions on it, but I do still wonder. I really appreciate hearing verbally from some of you, but it would be really cool if you actually posted your comments on this page. Otherwise, it looks as though I have no friends. While that may be true, I at least want to maintain some sort of charade. Dig?
     Two, as we approach February, we also approach ECI’s first anniversary. At that point, I’ll be able to move away from one difficult-to-maintain but unspoken policy: that of not programming songs that I played on any previous regular episode of the show (thus, the show where I had to go for an extra 45 minutes to make up for a late DJ doesn’t count: see the ECI Everything page for a complete list). Having that constraint has kept me honest, kept me searching for new and interesting things to play and forced me not to rely too much on the work of some of my favorite musicians. I’ll keep up the search, but I want to know more about your favorite artists—especially among those that have been played on the show. So, use the “Travis” link in the show description to the left to let me know what you want to hear on the upcoming anniversary show. It’ll air sometime in February, and maybe, just maybe, a couple of you will get to be my guests in the studio that evening....

Episode 20

     So, this morning’s show is yet another whose contours will remain unknown to me until such time as I’ve had the chance to listen to it. It was a lot of fun to do, though in the end I was unable to play a lot of the stuff I took with me. So perhaps on the next show, you’ll hear some of the things left out — from artists like Caetano Veloso, Café Tacuba, Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares, Spoon, and many others. The only glitch in this episode was the Emergency Alert System test, which occurred a little over 2 minutes into the Piano Magic tune. Usually, I’m unaware when an announcement happens, but this time I was on it. While it may not have been the most elegant programming choice, I decided that my dear listeners really did need to hear the whole song, so, when the test was done I played “Theory of Ghosts” again ... from the beginning.
     At both the station and the university, everyone is making preparations for the break. And that means that I have not a clue when my next show will be. With any luck one will take place some time in the next two weeks. This page is the best (and perhaps only) way to find out. The minute I know something, I’ll post it here....

• 12:00–1:00 a.m.:
• Stereolab, “Brakhage,” Dots and Loops, Elektra
• A Certain Ratio, “Crystal,” Sextet, Factory
• Shriekback, “Nemesis,” Oil and Gold, Island
• Animal Collective, “Leaf House,” Sung Tongs, Fat Cat
• Gang of Four, “What We All Want (Live),” Solid Gold/Another Day, Another Dollar, Infinite Zero
• Piano Magic, “Theory of Ghosts,” Disaffected, Darla
• Sybarite, “Fresh Kills,” Nonument, 4AD
• Inara George, “Mistress,” All Rise, Everloving
• Wilco, “How to Fight Loneliness,” Summerteeth, Reprise
• Badly Drawn Boy, “The Shining,” The Hour of Bewilderbeast, Twisted Nerve/XL
• The Cardigans, “Iron Man,” First Band on the Moon, Mercury
• Edith Frost, “If It Weren’t for the Words,” It’s a Game, Drag City

• 1:00–2:00 a.m.:
• David Sylvian, “Weathered Wall,” Brilliant Trees, Virgin
• The Glove, “Like an Animal,” Blue Sunshine, Polydor
• Broadcast, “Michael A Grammar,” Tender Buttons, Warp
• My Morning Jacket, “The Knot Comes Loose,” Z, ATO
• Chris Whitley, “Radar,” Rocket House, ATO
• Radar Bros., “The River Shade,” The Fallen Leaf Pages, Merge
• Pink Floyd, “The Final Cut,” The Final Cut, Columbia
• Four Tet, “And Then Patterns,” Everything Ecstatic, Domino
• Paul Weller, “Up in Suze’s Room,” Heavy Soul, Island
• Cocteau Twins, “Round,” Tishbite (I), Fontana
• Kate Bush, “Somewhere in Between,” Aerial, Columbia
• Imogen Heap, “Closing In,” Speak for Yourself, RCA

Episode 19

      For the time being, at least, it seems that the last show’s anomalies were just that: things that belonged to a specific moment in time. Everything went exceedingly well today, perhaps because I had even less firm plans than I normally do. Still it was a remarkably low-key show. I think I’ll be happy with it after I’ve heard it. Right now, I just want to sleep. So give it a listen if you can, if you dare, and I will write again long after I have passed to the other side of sleep....

• 12:00–1:00 a.m.:
• Boards of Canada, “Chromakey Dreamcoat,” The Campfire Headphase, Warp
• Lisa Germano, “Turning into Betty,” Slide, 4AD
• Heiner Goebbels, “Fita Nos Meus Olhos,” The Man in the Elevator, ECM
• Can, “Bring Me Coffee or Tea,” Tago Mago, Spoon
• John Martyn, “Solid Air,” Solid Air, Island
• Sun Kil Moon, “Space Travel Is Boring,” Tiny Cities, Caldo Verde
• Modest Mouse, “Ocean Breathes Salty,” Good News for People Who Love Bad News, Epic
• Neil Halstead, “High Hopes,” Sleeping on Roads, 4AD
• Freakwater, “Buckets of Oil,” Thinking of You..., Thrill Jockey
• The Specials, “Doesn’t Make It Alright,” The Specials, Two Tone
• Broken Social Scene, “Our Faces Split the Coast in Half,” Broken Social Scene, Arts and Crafts
• Scheer, “Secrets and Lies,” ...And Finally, Schism

• 1:00–2:00 a.m.:
• Steel Pulse, “Uncle George,” Tribute to the Martyrs, Mango
• Swans, “Cry Me a River,” World of Skin, Young God
• Durutti Column, “Drinking Time,” Someone Else’s Party, Artful
• Sam Phillips, “All Night,” A Boot and a Shoe, Nonesuch
• Nick Lowe, “You Inspire Me,” Dig My Mood, Upstart
• Chris Whitley, “Last Million Miles,” Soft Dangerous Shores, Messenger
• Dead Can Dance, “The Ubiquitous Mr. Lovegrove,” Into the Labyrinth, 4AD
• Emiliana Torrini, “Honeymoon Child,” Fisherman’s Woman, Rough Trade
• Gillian Welch, “One Little Song,” Soul Journey, Acony
• Spain, “Before It All Went Wrong,” She Haunts My Dreams, Restless
• Pavement, “Conduit for Sale!,” Slanted and Enchanted, Matador
• The Dream Syndicate, “Tell Me When It’s Over,” Days of Wine and Roses, Slash
• Depeche Mode, “And Then...,” Construction Time Again, Sire

Episode 18

      You know how people sometimes say that if anything can go wrong, it will? Well, this morning’s show was my realization how true that can be. One CD recorder’s settings were horribly off (a mischievous DJ?), as were those on one of the studio’s CD players. There were a few other anomalies—e.g., a mislabeled CD insert on something I bought over the weekend, a printing error that resulted in my playing “You’ll Have to Scream Louder” rather than “Happy All the Time.” Oh, well. The upshot is that the first hour was utter shite. The second one, though, turned out much better. I’m listening to it now, and it sounds most magnificent—even with a wrong song in there.
     Anyway, a lot of what is good about this episode can be attributed to my hanging out with Jason and Pedro last week. Just talking with them and listening to music gave me no less than three inspired ideas for the show. The fourth one came from my listening to another overnight radio show, on a competing station, back in September. It took a while for the CD I subsequently ordered to arrive in the mail, but that blissful, ecstatic track following Lamb wouldn’t be there otherwise. With any luck, inspiration will continue to come, and things will go better next time....

• 12:00–1:00 a.m.:
• Chocolate Genius, “Down So Low,” Black Yankee Rock, Commotion
• Spiritualized, “Stay with Me,” Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space, Arista
• Esthero, “Breath from Another,” Breath from Another, Work
• Gus Gus, “Polyesterday,” Polydistortion, 4AD
• The Selecter, “Too Much Pressure,” Selected Selecter Selections, Chrysalis
• Sparklehorse, “Gold Day,” It’s a Wonderful Life, Capitol
• The Replacements, “Unsatisfied,” Let It Be, Twin/Tone
• The Blow Monkeys, “I Backed a Winner (In You),” Animal Magic, RCA
• Shawn Colvin, “Killing the Blues,” Cover Girl, Columbia
• T. Rex, “Hot Love,” Electric Warrior, Reprise
• Pernice Brothers, “Blinded by the Stars,” Yours, Mine and Ours, Ashmont
• Doves, “Black and White Town,” Some Cities, Capitol

• 1:00–2:00 a.m.:
• Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth, “They Reminisce over You (T.R.O.Y.),” Mecca and the Soul Brother, Elektra
• Television Personalities, “You’ll Have to Scream Louder,” The Painted Word, Fire
• Mice Parade, “Waterslide,” Bem-Vinda Vontade, Bubble Core
• Mono, “Slimcea Girl,” Formica Blues, Mercury
• Robert Wyatt, “Beware,” Cuckooland, Hannibal
• Chad VanGaalen, “The Warp Zone/Hidden Bridge,” Infiniheart, Sub Pop
• Laura Veirs, “Secret Someones,” Year of Meteors, Nonesuch
• The Cure, “All Cats Are Grey,” Faith, Elektra
• Lamb, “Sugar 5,” Between Darkness and Wonder, Koch
• Shirley Caesar and the Caravans, “I Won’t Be Back,” The Best of Shirley Caesar and the Caravans, Savoy
• David Grubbs, “Hurricane Season,” A Guess at the Riddle, Drag City

Episode 17

      Although I was mightily tired and feeling under the weather, I still think I managed to put together an interesting show for this morning. In hindsight, I must be on a flange-y guitar kick right now, given that three songs featured that sound (Siouxsie and the Banshees, Magazine and Killing Joke--must be the Cure deluxe edition reissues I’ve been listening to lately). In fact, those same three are among some of my favorite post-punk tracks from the decade. And dig those now-dated gated drums on the Killing Joke track. Just hearing it again almost makes me nostalgic. Almost.
     Otherwise, those lucky enough to know how to get their hands on the podcast know the drill: pour your favorite libation, light some candles, grab your headphones, dim the lights and let the sounds flow into you.
As for the rest of you, well, you should know me better....

• 12:00–1:00 a.m.:
• Interpol, “Take You on a Cruise,” Antics, Matador
• The Beatles, “Sun King,” Abbey Road, Capitol
• Devendra Banhart, “Heard Somebody Say,” Cripple Crow, XL
• Inara George, “Fools Work,” All Rise, Everloving
• Andrew Bird, “Banking on a Myth,” The Mysterious Production of Eggs, Righteous Babe
• A.C. Newman, “35 in the Shade,” The Slow Wonder, Matador
• Lori Carson, “Something’s Got Me,” Everything I Touch Runs Wild, Restless
• XTC, “I Can’t Own Her,” Apple Venus, Vol. 1, TVT
• Siouxsie and the Banshees, “Into the Light,” Juju, Geffen
• Magazine, “A Song from Under the Floorboards,” The Correct Use of Soap, Caroline
• Cat Power, “Wild Is the Wind,” The Covers Record, Matador
• Broken Social Scene, “7/4 (Shoreline),” Broken Social Scene, Arts and Crafts

• 1:00–2:00 a.m.:
• Killing Joke, “Love like Blood,” Night Time, EG
• The Pharcyde, “Otha Fish,” Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde, Delicious Vinyl
• Joe Henry, “Want Too Much,” Fuse, Mammoth
• The Gun Club, “Fire Spirit,” Fire of Love, Slash
• Tom Waits, “Dirt in the Ground,” Bone Machine, Island
• Ron Sexsmith and Don Kerr, “Tree-Lined Street,” Destination Unknown, n/a
• My Morning Jacket, “Golden,” It Still Moves, ATO
• Luna, “Into the Fold,” Bewitched, Elektra
• The Style Council, “Headstart for Happiness,” Introducing the Style Council, Polydor
• Tones on Tail, “Burning Skies,” Everything, Beggars Banquet
• Sigur Rós, “Sæglópur,” Takk..., Geffen

Episode 16

     I have no idea how this show sounded. I had a trainee come by unexpectedly a few minutes into the show, and therefore had to reconfigure what I planned to do to include him. So, I missed some cues and didn’t always start songs where I intended. Hopefully, the results don’t reflect badly on either me or Alexei. All of the audible mistakes, for the record, are mine. Maybe you’ll enjoy what you hear. I certainly hope you and I do....

• 12:00–1:00 a.m.:
• Cat Power, “Cross Bones Style,” Moon Pix, Matador
• The Fall, “Behind the Counter,” Middle Class Revolt, Matador
• Eric Matthews, “Do You Really Want It?,” Six Kinds of Passion Looking for an Exit, Empyrean
• Low, “Laser Beam,” Things We Lost in the Fire, Kranky
• Paul Westerberg, “Things,” 14 Songs, Sire
• Jason Falkner, “...Nobody Knows,” Jason Falkner Presents Author Unknown, Elektra
• Sly and the Family Stone, “In Time,” Fresh, Epic
• Res, “Golden Boys,” How I Do, MCA
• Jeffrey Lee Pierce, “From Temptation to You,” Wildweed, Solid
• Pernice Brothers, “Water Ban,” Yours, Mine, and Ours, Ashmont
• Jonatha Brooke, “Is This All,” Live, Bad Dog
• T. Rex, “The Motivator,” Electric Warrior, Reprise
• Broken Social Scene, “Hotel,” Broken Social Scene, Arts and Crafts

• 1:00–2:00 a.m.:
• Prince, “Something in the Water (Does Not Compute),” 1999, Warner Brothers
• Goldfrapp, “Paper Bag,” Felt Mountain, Mute
• Siouxsie and the Banshees, “Melt!,” A Kiss in the Dreamhouse, Geffen
• Digable Planets, “Jettin’,” Blowout Comb, Pendulum
• Brookville, “Summer Parade,” Wonderfully Nothing, Unfiltered
• Gomez, “Revolutionary Kind,” Liquid Skin, Virgin
• My Morning Jacket, “Into the Woods,” Z, ATO
• Blur, “Beetlebum,” Blur, Virgin
• Terence Trent D’Arby, “Castilian Blue,” Symphony or Damn, Columbia
• Portishead, “Over,” Portishead, Go! Beat/London
• Richard Davis, “Others,” Details, Kitty-Yo
• Robin Guthrie and Harold Budd, “Loitering/The Writing on the Wall,” Mysterious Skin—Music from the Film, Commotion

Episode 15

     Okay, so it wasn’t the “shameless pop extravaganza” I promised the folks at Jimmy’s, but there were some moments, especially toward the end of the show. In hindsight, I’m struck by how many chill-out/lounge tracks I put on the playlist. And I guess I’m surprisingly pleased by my attempts not to sustain a mood for more than a couple of songs at a time. Whether the end product constitutes a wonderful listening experience (or is something too disjunct for one sitting) is something I’ll have to leave to you, dear reader/listener. So if you know where to go, give it a shot and let me know what you think. I’m starved for feedback. (Oh, yeah, first caller: I really didn’t know you were totally sincere in inquiring about Pugsley Addams’s whereabouts. I live and learn....)

• 12:00–1:00 a.m.:
• Tanya Donelly, “The Storm,” Beautysleep, 4AD
• Willie Nelson, “I Never Cared for You,” Teatro, Island
• Andrew Bird, “Opposite Day,” The Mysterious Production of Eggs, Righteous Babe
• Towa Tei, “Batucada,” Future Listening, Elektra
• Marvin Gaye, “I Want You,” I Want You, Motown
• Broken Social Scene, “Marketfresh,” Bee Hives, Arts & Crafts
• Feist, “Mushaboom,” Let It Die, Polydor
• Stars, “Time Can Never Kill the True Heart,” Heart, Arts & Crafts
• Lamb, “Lusty,” Lamb, Mercury
• Belle & Sebastian, “Don’t Leave the Light On, Baby,” Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant, Matador
• My Bloody Valentine, “Lose My Breath,” Isn’t Anything, Sire
• Clinic, “Mr. Moonlight,” Walking with Thee, Domino
• Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, “Slowly Goes the Night,” Tender Prey, Mute

• 1:00–2:00 a.m.:
• Tim Buckley, “Pleasant Street,” Goodbye and Hello, Elektra
• Prince, “Annie Christian,” Controversy, Warner Brothers
• Piano Magic, “The Nostalgist,” Disaffected, Darla
• Sugarcubes, “Deus,” Life’s Too Good, Elektra
• Jamiroquai, “Space Cowboy,” The Return of the Space Cowboy, Work
• His Name Is Alive, “Fossil,” Livonia, 4AD
• Mazzy Star, “Ghost Highway,” She Hangs Brightly, Capitol
• Thievery Corporation, “Indra,” The Mirror Conspiracy, ESL
• Strange Cargo, “El Ninjo,” Hinterland, Discovery
• Arcade Fire, “Neighborhood #2 (Laika),” Funeral, Merge
• The Delgados, “All You Need Is Hate,” Hate, Minty Fresh
• Devendra Banhart, “I Feel Just Like a Child,” Cripple Crow, XL

• 2:00–3:00 a.m.:
• Bob Marley & the Wailers, “Midnight Ravers,” Catch a Fire, Tuff Gong
• Sigur Rós, “Glósóli,” Takk..., Geffen
• St. Germain, “Sure Thing,” Tourist, Blue Note
• Beatles, “You’re Gonna Lose That Girl,” Help!, Parlophone
• Sexsmith & Kerr, “Your Guess Is as Good as Mine,” Destination Unknown, n/a
• Nick Drake, “One of These Things First,” Bryter Later, Island
• Angelo Badalamenti, “Dance of the Dream Man,” Twin Peaks (Soundtrack), Warner Brothers
• The Style Council, “A Stone’s Throw,” Our Favourite Shop, Polydor
• Trembling Blue Stars, “Sorrow Has a Way,” The Seven Autumn Flowers, Bar/None
• Hooverphonic, “Dictionary,” Blue Wonder Power Milk, Epic
• My Morning Jacket, “Just One Thing,” It Still Moves, ATO
• Starsailor, “Love Is Here,” Love Is Here, Capitol

Episode 14

     I don’t know whether there’s any particular thread tying together the items I picked for this show. That is, no thread besides perhaps consolidation. If my mandate is not to play things that are being programmed on other stations (as I’ve heard in a number of station meetings), this show is miraculously in the clear. Deep album cuts, those that for me are most sonically intriguing, are always on offer on ECI. And a lot of what I program is stuff you would never hear on any commercial station, let alone one of WHPK’s peer college stations. So, for a number of other reasons I need not detail, henceforth and forever I’m going to let my pop flag fly. Put your headphones on....

• 12:00–1:00 a.m.:
• Eric Matthews, “Fanfare,” It’s Heavy in Here, Sub Pop
• Gene Loves Jezebel, “Always a Flame,” Immigrant, Beggars Banquet
• Piano Magic, “You Can Never Get Lost (When You’ve Got Nowhere to Go),” Disaffected, Darla
• Equal I, “Equation,” Anokha: Soundz of the Asian Underground, Quango
• Prefab Sprout, “Michael,” Jordan: The Comeback, Epic
• Prefab Sprout, “Mercy,” Jordan: The Comeback, Epic
• Vetiver, “Amerilie,” Vetiver, DiCristina
• Caetano Veloso, “Zera a Reza,” Noites do Norte, Nonesuch
• Hanne Hukkelberg, “Do Not As I Do,” Little Things, Leaf
• Los Lobos, “Angels with Dirty Faces,” Kiko, Slash
• Van Morrison, “Ballerina,” Astral Weeks, Warner Brothers

• 1:00–2:00 a.m.:
• Frou Frou, “Psychobabble,” Details, MCA
• Jason Falkner, “Revelation,” Can You Still Feel?, Elektra
• Massive Attack, “Protection,” Protection, Virgin
• Sleater-Kinney, “Jumpers,” The Woods, Sub Pop
• Múm, “The Island of Children’s Children,” Summer Make Good, Fat Cat
• Lloyd Cole, “2cv,” Rattlesnakes, Capitol
• Stars, “The Vanishing,” Heart, Arts and Crafts
• Dee-Lite, “Who Was That?,” World Clique, Elektra
• The Flaming Lips, “Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell,” Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Warner Brothers
• The Pharcyde, “Ya Mama,” Bizarre Ride to the Pharcyde, Delicious Vinyl
• Louis Jordan, “Beware, Brother, Beware,” The Best of Louis Jordan, MCA

• 2:00–3:00 a.m.:
• Paul Weller, “The Loved,” Days of Speed, Epic
• Roxy Music, “Mother of Pearl,” Stranded, Virgin
• Richard Davis, “Inbetween Thoughts,” Safety, Punkt
• Sufjan Stevens, “The Seer’s Tower,” Illinois, Asthmatic Kitty
• Common, “Real People,” Be, MCA
• Thomas Dolby, “The Flat Earth,” The Flat Earth, Capitol
• Rickie Lee Jones, “Deep Space,” The Magazine, Warner Brothers
• Me’shell Ndegéocello, “Come Smoke My Herb,” Comfort Woman, Maverick
• Joni Mitchell, “The Hissing of Summer Lawns,” The Hissing of Summer Lawns, Asylum
• Joni Mitchell, “God Must Be a Boogie Man,” Mingus, Asylum
• Red House Painters, “Katy Song,” Red House Painters (I), 4AD

Episode 13

     This was lucky 13, the episode in which I played things that most college DJs would likely avoid. You know what I mean: Sade, Ryan Adams, Van Hunt, Radiohead and the like. And for those who would look askance at anyone’s programming such artists, well, that’s too bad. After all, worthwhile music can in fact come from major labels (and lots of crap issues forth from the most beloved indies). So give the list a look, and if you like what you see (and know the secret handshake) get the podcast version to hear the show in all its ragged glory (e.g., a snippet of a Low song trying to creep into a Beach Boys song before being slapped down by the vigilant DJ)....

• 12:00–1:00 a.m.:
• P.J. Harvey, “Ecstasy,” Rid of Me, Island
• Marianne Faithfull, “Alabama Song,” 20th Century Blues, RCA
• Carla Bozulich, “Just As I Am,” Red-Headed Stranger, DiCristina
• Nina Simone, “Tell Me More and More and Then Some,” After Hours, Verve
• Orange Juice, “Poor Old Soul (Part One),” The Glasgow School, Domino
• Blonde Redhead, “In Particular,” Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons, Touch and Go
• Spoon, “I Summon You,” Gimme Fiction, Merge
• Dani Siciliano, “Come As You Are,” Likes, !K7
• The Beach Boys, “Don’t Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder),” Pet Sounds, Capitol
• Low, “When I Go Deaf,” The Great Destroyer, Sub Pop
• Fine Young Cannibals, “Funny How Love Is,” Fine Young Cannibals, IRS
• The English Beat, “I Confess,” Special Beat Service, London

• 1:00–2:00 a.m.:
• The Art of Noise, “The Army Now,” Into Battle with the Art of Noise, ZTT
• Ryan Adams, “Sylvia Plath,” Gold, Universal
• M. Ward, “I’ll Be Yr Bird,” Transistor Radio, Merge
• Mercury Rev, “The Funny Bird,” Deserter’s Songs, V2
• Anja Garbarek, “The Cabinet,” Balloon Mood, RCA
• The Books, “Vogt Dig for Kloppervok,” Lost and Safe, Tomlab
• Radiohead, “How to Disappear Completely,” Kid A, Capitol
• Van Hunt, “Who Will Love Me in Winter?,” Van Hunt, Capitol
• Sade, “Immigrant,” Lovers Rock, Epic
• Sleater-Kinney, “Steep Air,” The Woods, Sub Pop
• Out Hud, “2005: A Face Odyssey,” Let Us Never Speak of It Again, Kranky
• The Autumn Rhythm, “See You Again,” Secret Songs, Midriff

• 2:00–3:00 a.m.:
• Morsel, “Pieces,” Para Siempre, Small Stone
• Catherine Irwin, “Hex,” Cut Yourself a Switch, Thrill Jockey
• Sufjan Stevens, “Casimir Pulaski Day,” Illinois, Asthmatic Kitty
• Scheer, “Wish You Were Dead,” Infliction, 4AD
• Stereolab, “Rainbo Conversation,” Dots and Loops, Elektra
• Thievery Corporation, “Samba Tranquille,” The Mirror Conspiracy, ESL
• Cibelle, “Deixa,” Cibelle, Six Degrees
• Felt, “Primitive Painters,” Ignite the Seven Cannons, Cherry Red
• Junkboy, “Shadow and Act,” Lost Parade, Enraptured
• Hope Sandoval and the Warm Inventions, “On the Low,” Bavarian Fruit Bread, Rough Trade
• The Sundays, “24 Hours,” Blind, Geffen
• China Crisis, “Strength of Character,” Flaunt the Imperfection, Virgin

Episode 12

     Sigh. Another one down. And another one in which friends of mine played a major part, not only for introducing me to new music but also for re-opening my ears to great things in my CD library. In the former category (and going way back), there’s my high school classmate Rob Baker, who lent me his Walkman on a long spring break trip to visit southern colleges back in 1986. And what was in it when I clicked PLAY, but the Fall album listed below? Despite the fact that I really dug the CD straightaway, it took me nearly 20 years to buy it. But the seed had been planted long ago. In the latter category, big thanks to Mariel and her open ears and sure eye. She steered me back to the Smiths album that I’ve always liked the least and thus gave me the song to open the show. Now I wonder why I disliked the album so when it was released. She also got me to delve a little deeper into the Aluminum Group album below. The song she dug most found its way into the show. In the latter category as well, there’s J. Niimi and Michael O’Flaherty. In one of the playlists for their WHPK radio show, Radio Zero, they programmed a couple of tunes that sent me back to This Is the Sea, one of the most brilliant albums from the mid-1980s. Among other things, what Mike Scott and his fellow Waterboys did was to open my ears to how expansive, groovy, and texturally varied rock could be.
     The only thing left to say is that, in reading what follows the colon, infer the inverse of the normal meaning of the cliché: With friends like these, who needs enemies?

• 12:00–1:00 a.m.:
• The Smiths, “Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me,” Strangeways, Here We Come, Warner Bros.
• Gastr del Sol, “The C in Cake,” Crookt, Crackt, and Fly, Drag City
• Cardinal, “Dream Figure,” Cardinal, Empyrean
• Rickie Lee Jones, “Cloud of Unknowing,” Ghostyhead, Warner Brothers
• Tortoise, “Glass Museum,” Millions Now Living Will Never Die, Thrill Jockey
• The Fall, “L.A.,” This Nation’s Saving Grace, Beggars Banquet
• Andrew Bird, “Skin Is, My,” The Mysterious Production of Eggs, Righteous Babe
• Piano Magic, “You Can Hear the Room,” Disaffected, Darla
• Radiohead, “Climbing Up the Walls,” OK Computer, Capitol
• Linton Kwesi Johnson, “Inglan Is a Bitch,” Bass Culture, Mango
• The Waterboys, “Old England,” This Is the Sea, Chrysalis

• 1:00–2:00 a.m.:
• Saint Etienne, “No Rainbows for Me,” So Tough, Warner Brothers
• Electrelane, “Those Pockets Are People,” Axes, Too Pure
• Electrelane, “The Partisan,” Axes, Too Pure
• Four Tet, “Sun Drums and Soil,” Everything Ecstatic, Domino
• Animal Collective, “Bat You’ll Fly,” Spirit They’re Gone—Spirit They’ve Vanished, Fat Cat
• Bill Frisell, “1968,” Unspeakable, Nonesuch
• Hanne Hukkelberg, “Searching,” Little Things, Leaf
• Sinéad Lohan, “What Can Never Be,” No Mermaid, Interscope
• Blue States, “Season Song,” Man Mountain, XL
• Roland Orzabal, “Maybe Our Days Are Numbered,” Tomcats Screaming Outside, Gold Circle
• Cibo Matto, “Moonchild,” Stereo Type A, Warner Brothers
• Aluminum Group, “Two Lights,” Happyness, Wishing Tree

• 2:00–3:00 a.m.:
• Heidi Berry, “Follow,” Heidi Berry, 4AD
• Apostle of Hustle, “Folkloric Feel,” Folkloric Feel, Arts and Crafts
• Aterciopelados, “Gozo Poderoso,” Gozo Poderoso, BMG
• Laurie Anderson, “Smoke Rings,” Home of the Brave, Warner Brothers
• Sufjan Stevens, “They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back from the Dead!! Ahhh! Illinois, Asthmatic Kitty
• Sufjan Stevens, “Let’s Hear that String Part Again Because I Don’t Think They Heard It All the Way Out in Bushnell,” Illinois, Asthmatic Kitty
• Portishead, “Humming,” Portishead, London
• The Polyphonic Spree, “It’s the Sun,” The Beginning Stages of the Polyphonic Spree, Hollywood
• The Monkees, “Papa Gene’s Blues,” Anthology, Rhino
• Wire, “You Can’t Leave Now,” Send, Pink Flag
• My Bloody Valentine, “Don’t Ask Why,” Glider EP, Sire

Episode 11

     I finally had a totally relaxed, glitch-free show. I featured some of the artists from the two festivals that bracketed this morning’s show: last weekend’s Intonation Festival and this coming weekend’s Lollapalooza. Intonation was fun, though more for the shifting groups of friends with whom I braved the excessive heat, humidity, dust and hipsters. I got to hear some bands whose music I’ll have to listen to more closely (e.g., Andrew Bird, Four Tet, A.C. Newman) and many others who I may never voluntarily listen to again (e.g., Les Savy Fav, Deerhoof and Magnolia Electric Company). I still haven’t become an uncritical supporter of “indie rock,” but I never dislike or put down groups simply because they might be classified that way. That was not necessarily the case in a review written by one of my least favorite critics. For the next few days, you can check out what he had to say about the event free registration required. (The only place we agree is in our assessments of The Go! Team – with apologies to Nate for the Neneh Cherry comparisons.) Given the forecast for the coming days (increasing heat, no rain) and how exhausted I was at the end Sunday night, I think I’m going to have to sit Lollapalooza out.
     Oh yeah. The show contained a few songs that were either suggested or inspired by some special people. They know who they are (and what the songs were) ....

• 12:00–1:00 a.m.:
• Broken Social Scene, “Shampoo Suicide,” You Forgot It in People, Arts and Crafts
• Decemberists, “Leslie Anne Levine,” Castaways and Cutouts, Kill Rock Stars
• Four Tet, “Spirit Fingers,” Rounds, Domino
• Interpol, “The New,” Turn on the Bright Lights, Matador
• Blonde Redhead, “Melody,” Misery Is a Butterfly, 4AD
• Arcade Fire, “Headlights Look Like Diamonds,” Arcade Fire EP, Merge
• New Order, “The Perfect Kiss,” Low-Life, Qwest
• Bobby Womack, “Woman’s Gotta Have It,” Understanding, EMI
• Gram Parsons, “Love Hurts,” Grievous Angel, Reprise
• XTC, “Harvest Festival,” Apple Venus, TVT
• Susana Baca, “Maria Lando,” The Soul of Black Peru, Luaka Bop
• Cocteau Twins, “Road, River, and Rail,” Heaven or Las Vegas, 4AD

• 1:00–2:00 a.m.:
• Jimi Hendrix Experience, “Foxey Lady,” Are You Experienced?, MCA
• Bob Marley and the Wailers, “Satisfy My Soul,” Kaya, Island
• Hooverphonic, “This Strange Effect,” Blue Wonder Power Milk, Epic
• The Sundays, “When I’m Thinking About You,” Static and Silence, Geffen
• Cody ChesnuTT, “The Most Beautiful Shame,” The Headphone Masterpiece, Ready Set Go
• Nick Drake, “Saturday Sun,” Five Leaves Left, Hannibal
• Apartments, “She Sings to Forget You,” A Life Full of Farewells, Hot
• Sufjan Stevens, “John Wayne Gacy, Jr.,” Illinois, Asthmatic Kitty
• Esthero, “Bad Boy Clyde,” Wikked Lil Grrrls, Reprise
• Finley Quaye, “Even After All,” Maverick A Strike, Epic
• Stars, “The Big Fight,” Set Yourself on Fire, Arts and Crafts
• M. Ward, “Four Hours in Washington,” Transistor Radio, Merge
• Henry Threadgill Sextett, “The Devil Is on the Loose and Dancing with a Monkey,” Rag, Bush and All, Novus

• 2:00–3:00 a.m.:
• Mogwai, “Waltz for Aidan,” Come on Die Young,
• Spain, “Untitled #1,” The Blue Moods of Spain, Restless
• David Bowie, “Stay,” Station to Station, Virgin
• Durutti Column, “Never Known,” LC, Factory
• Prince and the Revolution, “Condition of the Heart,” Around the World in a Day, Paisley Park
• Kendra Smith, “Space Unadorned,” Five Ways of Disappearing, 4AD
• Suzanne Vega, “Marlene on the Wall,” Suzanne Vega, A&M
• The Blow Monkeys, “Wildflower,” Forbidden Fruit EP, RCA
• Do Make Say Think, “Goodbye Enemy Airship,” Goodbye Enemy Airship The Landlord Is Dead, Constellation

The ECI Philosophy

     I’m writing now only in response to something I heard a few days ago (last week?). Someone mentioned that s/he thought my show might be cool because — pace the show’s name — s/he thought it was a great idea to play music that would help people fall asleep.

     Wow.

insert befuddled scratching of head and the thought that some may understand eci to mean emi, where the “m” stands for medicine, as in a palliative.

     What I intend could not be further from either description.

     As succinctly as possible and without coming off as morbid, I’ll explain what I’m trying to do: I’m playing music to die by. Before you start getting huffy thinking I am encouraging or valorizing suicide, I’ll say that my aim is to do something quite different, something that in the end is about affirming the value and pleasure of living — the preciousness of each moment. In short, the show comes down to a question that I ask of each song I program: If you knew this were the last thing you were ever going to hear, would you still listen to it?

Episode 10

     More than ever, I really want to hear whether what I played this morning was anywhere near what I intended. What it was, I’m not sure. In the end, it might have been inspired. The CD-Rs will tell....
     Why I am so concerned about this morning’s show?
     Well, Monday night, time got away from me as I sat in front of the stereo, trying out a few more things for the show—with the result that I found myself madly dashing out the door to make it to the station on time. I did make it ... but without my skeletal playlist and without six CDs I wanted to play. Sadly, none of those discs were in the station’s library, so I had to improvise. Thus, my normally well-thought out show gave way to something different. Better?
     (For reasons I am not at liberty to disclose, my show was 45 minutes longer this morning. That is why, if you were wondering, there’s a nearly complete fourth hour below. Oh, yeah, one more thing: I know what the songs I missed were. Expect them to figure prominently in the next show.)

• 12:00–1:00 a.m.:
• Fela, “Water No Get Enemy,” Expensive Shit, Shanachie
• Joanna Newsom, “Swansea,” The Milk-Eyed Mender, Drag City
• Tanya Donelly, “Butterfly Thing,” Whiskey Tango Ghosts, 4AD
• Anja Garbarek, “The Diver,” Smiling and Waving, Virgin
• Jim White, “The Wrong Kind of Love,” No Such Place, Luaka Bop
• Roxy Music, “Triptych,” Country Life, Virgin
• Hanne Hukkelberg, “Cast Anchor,” Cast Anchor (EP), Leaf
• Sun Kil Moon, “Carry Me Ohio,” Ghosts of the Great Highway, Jet Set
• Feist, “Lonely Lonely,” Let It Die, Polydor

• 1:00–2:00 a.m.:
• Me’shell Ndegéocello, “Aquarium,” Spirit Music Jamia: Dance of the Infidel, Shanachie
• Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, “Language of Violence,” Hypocrisy Is the Greatest Luxury, 4th & B’way
• This Mortal Coil, “Barramundi,” It’ll End in Tears, 4AD
• Bill Withers, “Lovely Day,” Menagerie, CBS
• Ron Sexsmith, “Whatever It Takes,” Retriever, Nettwerk
• Wilco, “Reservations,” Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, Nonesuch
• X, “True Love, Part #2,” More Fun in the New World, Elektra
• Broken Social Scene, “Looks Just Like the Sun,” You Forgot It in People, Arts & Crafts
• Minutemen, “History Lesson, Part II,” Double Nickels on the Dime, SST
• Isley Brothers, “Voyage to Atlantis,” Go for Your Guns, T-Neck
• Violet Indiana, “Killer Eyes,” Roulette, Bella Union
• Spoon, “My Mathematical Mind,” Gimme Fiction, Merge

• 2:00–3:00 a.m.:
• Tears for Fears, “Ideas as Opiates,” The Hurting, Mercury
• Aztec Camera, “We Could Send Letters,” High Land, Hard Rain, Sire/Reprise
• Beth Orton, “Ted’s Waltz,” Daybreaker, Astralwerks
• The Russian Futurists, “The Science of the Seasons,” The Method of Modern Love, Upper Class
• Caribou, “Lord Leopard,” The Milk of Human Kindness, Domino
• The Flaming Lips, “Approaching Pavonis Mons by Balloon (Utopia Planitis),” Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Warner Bros.
• R.E.M., “Perfect Circle,” Murmur, IRS
• American Music Club, “I’ve Been a Mess,” Mercury, Reprise
• Colin Newman, “I Can Hear Your...,” Commercial Suicide, Crammed
• Magazine, “The Light Pours Out of Me,” Real Life, Caroline
• Talk Talk, “Tomorrow Started,” It’s My Life, EMI
• Giardini di Mirò, “Trompsø Is OK,” Rise and Fall of Academic Drifting, Homesleep

• 3:00–3:45 a.m.:
• Red House Painters, “Medicine Bottle,” Down Colorful Hill, 4AD
• Sybarite, “The Fourth Day,” Nonument, 4AD
• David Sylvian, “Wave,” Gone to Earth, Virgin
• The Album Leaf, “The Outer Banks,” In a Safe Place, Sub Pop
• David Thomas, “What Happened to Me,” Monster Walks the Winter Lake, Twin Tone
• Aluminum Group, “We’re Both Hiding,” Happyness, Wishing Tree
• Systems Officer, “Signature Red,” Systems Officer, Ace Fu

Sylvian Focus Show Redux

     Some of you might recall the intermittent hours of thought that went into my choosing the first song I would play on the very first episode of Ear Candy for Insomniacs. Once I actually took the time to scan my shelves, the answer was obvious: David Sylvian’s “Before the Bullfight” from Gone to Earth. Following that precedent, it made sense for me to do my very first WHPK Focus Show on Sylvian, especially since I’ve spent the last few days, when I took breaks from academic work, reading Martin Power’s interesting but somewhat flawed biography David Sylvian: The Last Romantic. While I won’t offer a review of the book here, it was good at least for making me dig back into Sylvian’s work with Japan, as a solo artist and as a guest/collaborator with other musicians.
     While I initially thought that I might not have enough material for the show, it turns out that I had so much that I had to make some fairly agonizing decisions about what to play. Thus it is that I have to say that there simply wasn’t enough time for me to play, for example, many of the lengthier but amazing tracks that Sylvian has done—e.g., “The Other Side of Life” from Quiet Life, “Wave” from Gone to Earth, “Wanderlust” from Dead Bees on a Cake, “Brightness Falls” and “Darshan (The Road to Graceland)” from the Sylvian and Robert Fripp album The First Day or the collaborations with Holger Czukay (available on the albums Flux and Mutability and Plight and Premonition). Programming any of them, obviously, would have made it difficult to convey a sense of his career trajectory since 1978 in the allotted time. Whatever the deficiencies of the choice, I decided to opt for comprehensiveness rather than to play all of the material I love.
     That said, I think this was a fine introduction to Sylvian’s work. If you want to know or hear more, you can browse his catalog of recordings in your favorite brick-and-mortar or online record stores. I can’t say which album is my favorite, but the first three albums he did post-Japan—Brilliant Trees (1984), Gone to Earth (1986) and Secrets of the Beehive (1987)—generally fare well in the estimation of many reviewers as does the career-spanning retrospective Everything and Nothing (2000) (note: Sylvian personally remixed many of the tracks on this compilation, in some cases even redoing vocals). For the curious, there’s a wealth of information to be found in various print and online sources, particularly the aforementioned biography, the All-Music Guide’s David Sylvian entry, the official David Sylvian site and a long-running, frequently updated fan site.

• 7:00–8:00 p.m.:
• Japan, “Transmission,” Adolescent Sex, Hansa
• Japan, “Life in Tokyo,” “Life in Tokyo” (12” Single), Hansa
• Japan, “Quiet Life,” Quiet Life, Hansa
• Japan, “My New Career,” Gentlemen Take Polaroids, Virgin
• Japan, “Visions of China,” Tin Drum, Virgin
• Japan, “Ghosts,” Tin Drum, Virgin
• Ryuichi Sakamoto with David Sylvian, “Forbidden Colours,” Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), Virgin
• David Sylvian, “Red Guitar,” Brilliant Trees, Virgin
• David Sylvian, “The Ink in the Well,” Brilliant Trees, Virgin
• David Sylvian, “Words with the Shaman, Pt. 3,” Alchemy (An Index of Possibilities), Virgin
• David Sylvian, “A Brief Conversation Ending in Divorce,” Alchemy (An Index of Possibilities), Virgin
• David Sylvian, “Taking the Veil,” Gone to Earth, Virgin

• 8:00–9:00 p.m.:
• David Sylvian, “Gone to Earth,” Gone to Earth, Virgin
• Mick Karn with David Sylvian, “Buoy,” Dreams of Reason Produce Monsters, Virgin
• Dolphin Brothers, “Pushing the River,” Catch the Fall, Virgin
• David Sylvian, “Mother and Child,” Secrets of the Beehive, Virgin
• David Sylvian, “Let the Happiness In,” Secrets of the Beehive, Virgin
• David Sylvian, “Pop Song,” Everything and Nothing, Virgin
• David Sylvian, “Epiphany,” Approaching Silence, Virgin
• Rain Tree Crow, “Blackwater,” Rain Tree Crow, Virgin
• David Sylvian and Robert Fripp, “God’s Monkey,” The First Day, Virgin
• David Sylvian, “God Man,” Dead Bees on a Cake, Virgin
• David Sylvian, “The Scent of Magnolia,” Everything and Nothing, Virgin
• David Sylvian, “A Fire in the Forest,” Blemish, Samadhi Sound

Focus Show: David Sylvian

     So, the radio station has this weekly program called Friday Focus Show, in which a WHPK DJ will treat her/his audience to two hours of music that is somehow thematically connected. The connection could be that all of the music comes from one label, from one artist, from one style or substyle. It’s really whatever the DJ decides to do.
     So, this Friday, I’m going to do my first Focus Show from 7 to 9 p.m. And for it, I choo-, choo-, choose David Sylvian, who has followed a difficult-to-predict path from his work with the group Japan to a solo career and from collaborator to collaborator beginning in 1978. Few would have expected, upon hearing Japan’s New York Dolls-like Adolescent Sex that year, that the group would go on to make the sublime albums Gentlemen Take Polaroids and Tin Drum. And they perhaps would have been even more surprised to see the group dissolve and to see Sylvian go on to produce fine work with people like Ryuichi Sakamoto, Robert Fripp, Holger Czukay, Jon Hassell, Mark Isham, Marc Ribot and Bill Frisell, among others. Whether you would have expected his career to go the way it did, you can tune in Friday to hear the history—with some stops along the way to check out the post-Japan work of the group’s other members: Mick Karn, Richard Barbieri and Steve Jansen.

Episode 9

     This morning’s show was the last one for the quarter. Since the schedules for the interim and the summer have yet to be finalized, I don’t know when the next show will air. If you check back here in the next week or so, there should be some information posted.
     I met two wonderful people earlier, Mat and Beth, who are training to be DJs at the station. Having gone through training myself only a few months ago, it was somewhat strange for me to be talking as though I had some grand wisdom to impart about operating the equipment in the studio, following FCC rules, etc. But I hope they learned something useful. And I, in return, was reminded (again) that I need to give the more recent, downtempo music of Saint Etienne another chance. I also learned something else: apparently no one who tuned in to the show this morning cared about getting tickets to see Caribou, Junior Boys and Russian Futurists for free (all three groups are playing a show on 7 June at the Empty Bottle). Or maybe none of the listeners were 21 or older. Oh, well....
     Most of the show made it to CD, so I should have a recording available for those in the know (and/or outside the listening area) in the next few days. In the meantime, here’s what you would have heard had you had your radio tuned in:

• 12:00–1:00 a.m.:
• Suicide, “Keep Your Dreams” (Remix), Suicide (First Album), Mute
• Kraftwerk, “Showroom Dummies,” Trans-Europe Express, Capitol
• Cabaret Voltaire, “Seconds Too Late,” The Living Legends, Mute
• Metric, “Hustle Rose,” Old World Underground, Where Are You, Everloving
• Saint Etienne, “Woodcabin,” Good Humor, Sub Pop
• Grace Jones, “Pull Up to the Bumper,” Island Life, Island
• The Cure, “Just One Kiss,” Japanese Whispers, Fiction
• The Glove, “Looking-Glass Girl,” Blue Sunshine, Polygram
• Siouxsie and the Banshees, “Belladonna,” Hyaena, Geffen
• The Monkees, “Daydream Believer,” Anthology, Rhino
• Dukes of Stratosphear, “Vanishing Girl,” Chips from the Chocolate Fireball, Geffen
• Jim White, “Book of Angels,” Wrong-Eyed Jesus, Luaka Bop
• Emiliana Torrini, “Today Has Been OK,” Fisherman’s Woman, Rough Trade

• 1:00–2:00 a.m.:
• Matt Johnson, “Like a Sun Risin’ thru My Garden,” Burning Blue Soul, 4AD
• Mark Hollis, “The Gift,” Mark Hollis, Pond Life
• The Books, “It Never Changes to Stop,” Lost and Safe, Tomlab
• The Russian Futurists, “Your Life on Magnetic Tape,” Let’s Get Ready to Crumble, Upper Class
• Junior Boys, “High Come Down,” Last Exit, Domino
• Caribou, “Pelican Narrows,” The Milk of Human Kindness, Domino
• His Name Is Alive, “I Can See Myself in Her,” Last Night, 4AD
• Komeda, “Cul de Sac,” What Makes It Go?, Minty Fresh
• Mos Def, “Umi Says,” Black on Both Sides, Rawkus
• World Party, “This World,” Egyptology, Chrysalis
• Neil Finn, “Wherever You Are,” One Nil, Parlophone
• Brookville, “This Is How It Ends,” Wonderfully Nothing, Unfiltered

Episode 8

     Due to circumstances beyond my control, this morning’s show was not taped. I generally don’t mind performing a little digital audio trickery to recreate a portion of a show, but the amount of time I’d need to redo an entire show is something I can’t really spare right now. Maybe at some point before the 31 May show, I’ll be able to reconstruct it. If I can’t, you’ll just have to let your eyes scan the playlist and hope your inner ear can take care of the rest.
     All in all, it was an exceptional show, partly for the timeliness of this morning’s tribute. Nearly 25 years ago, on 18 May 1980, Ian Curtis committed suicide—right before Joy Division, the band in which he was the singer, was to embark on its first tour of North America. Shortly thereafter, the remaining members regrouped, calling themselves New Order. I played three songs from that tragic time. The first of them comes from the album that Joy Division would have been promoting, Closer. The second comes from the last live performance the group did (2 May 1980), while the last is one of the first singles recorded by New Order (the original version featured Curtis on vocals). It was pretty bracing music, lightly and not-so-lightly transformed by the production work of Martin Hannett. So, if you’ve got any lying around, give your Joy Division and early New Order recordings a spin tomorrow. And think about Ian Curtis....
     The beginning of the show was inspired by my having seen Mercury Rev and Doves at the Vic Theatre last Friday night. I was (virtually) grinning from ear to ear when the lights dimmed for MR. As images started being projected on the screens behind the stage, I heard the familiar opening of “Lorelei.” Only after the entire track had played did the band members take the stage to perform “Secret for a Song,” the opening track on The Secret Migration, which after being available for a few months in England, Japan and elsewhere, will finally have a U.S. release today. The tracks I played by MR and Doves are ones that I wish that each group had played. On the way back to the South Side, I had a line from a Rolling Stones song repeating in my head: “You can’t always get what you want.”
     Other highlights from this morning’s show include the Hector Zazou track, from an album that featured a number of arty rockers (e.g., David Sylvian, Ryuichi Sakamoto, John Cale, Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry) helping the leader to create musical interpretations of poems by the French Symbolist poet Arthur Rimbaud. Interesting as well was the track by the Twilight Babies: Mikey Brown (guitars), Adam Walker (programming) and Alison Lewis (vocals)—the first two have also been members of the 19.5 Collective. I have really fond memories of meeting Mikey and Adam through my friend Yasmine and hanging with them when I still lived in Michigan. The group has released two other albums since the one listed below, and they have become critically lauded performers on the Detroit scene. They’re definitely worth further exploration....

• 12:00–1:00 a.m.:
• Cocteau Twins, “Lorelei,” Treasure, 4AD
• Mercury Rev, “Nite and Fog,” All Is Dream, V2
• Doves, “Rise,” Lost Souls, Astralwerks
• Sublux, “Dirty Walls, Lonely Plates,” Nothing That Is Still, Selective Focus
• A Camp, “Silent Night,” A Camp, Stockholm
• Joy Division, “Means to an End,” Closer, Factory
• Joy Division, “Ceremony,” Still, Factory
• New Order, “In a Lonely Place,” Substance, Qwest
• Hector Zazou, “Hunger,” Sahara Blue, Tristar
• Cat Power, “Fool,” You Are Free, Matador
• M. Ward, “Fuel for Fire,” Transistor Radio, Merge

• 1:00–2:00 a.m.:
• Múm, “The Ghosts You Draw on My Back,” Summer Make Good, Fat Cat
• Joanna Newsom, “Sprout and the Bean,” The Milk-Eyed Mender, Drag City
• Stina Nordenstam, “Butterfly,” The World Is Saved, V2
• The Sea and Cake, “There You Are,” The Fawn, Thrill Jockey
• Twilight Babies, “Every Little Mistake,” If You Want Me to I Could Write It Down, (no label)
• Apostle of Hustle, “Baby, You’re in Luck,” Folkloric Feel, Arts & Crafts
• Feist, “One Evening,” Let It Die, Polydor
• Galaxie 500, “Summertime,” This Is Our Music, Ryko
• Pavement, “Fillmore Jive,” Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain, Matador
• Dead Can Dance, “The Cardinal Sin,” Spleen and Ideal, 4AD
• Café Tacuba, “11,” Reves/Yosoy, WEA
• Gil Scott-Heron, “A Lovely Day,” From South Africa to South Carolina, TVT

Countdown to Ecstasy

     So, here we are, a little less than two hours away from another episode of ECI. Tomorrow’s show promises to be something like a return to form—in part because I had more time to devote to planning it, in part because I’m feeling much better than I was two weeks ago at this time.
     The big programming event for the show has to do with an important historical event, at least important to me. A sad and pivotal 25th anniversary will occur this Wednesday, and one of the sets, perhaps in the first hour, will be an explicit commemoration of it. And, as long as I’m giving everything away, I should say that there will also be a set of songs by women with strangely girly voices. As I thought about things I might play, I found myself with a few tracks fitting that description. Whether they work as a unit or not is, of course, another matter....

Episode 7

     This was far from being the best show, at least in terms of my engineering skills. Chalk it up to my struggling through most of the show with the (after?) effects of a sinus infection. Still, I think there were some charming moments. (I won’t say what they are in case mine are different from yours). Thanks to those who called in to pledge (as well as those who let me know why they couldn’t or didn’t; maybe next time). Those who did pledge, of course, will get that mp3 CD I mentioned in the last post. It turned out well, I think, and it contains nearly 11 hours of music. And all for a measly pledge.
     I’ll keep this one brief. Sleep beckons, calling me back to good health....

• 12:00–1:00 a.m.:
• Belly, “Full Moon, Empty Heart,” Star, Reprise
• Colin Newman, “Alone,” A–Z, Beggar’s Banquet
• Mono, “The Blind Man,” Formica Blues, Mercury
• Elk City, “Dreams of Steam,” Status, A Hidden Agenda
• The Smiths, “This Night Has Opened My Eyes,” Hatful of Hollow, Rough Trade
• TV on the Radio, “Wear You Out,” Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes, Touch and Go
• New Order, “We All Stand,” Power, Corruption and Lies, Qwest
• Trembling Blue Stars, “All Eternal Things,” The Seven Autumn Flowers, Bar-None
• The Cure, “Sinking,” The Head on the Door, Elektra
• Doves, “Ambition,” Some Cities, Capitol
• Sufjan Stevens, “Seven Swans,” Seven Swans, Sounds Familyre

• 1:00–2:00 a.m.:
• Brian Eno, “Burning Airlines Give You So Much More,” Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy, EG
• Bush Tetras, “Can’t Be Funky,” New York Noise (compilation), Soul Jazz
• Rough Trade, “The Sacred and the Profane,” For Those Who Think Young, True North
• Brian Eno, “Third Uncle,” Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy, EG
• Belle & Sebastian, “Stay Loose,” Dear Catastrophe Waitress, Rough Trade
• The Decemberists, “The Sporting Life,” Picaresque, Kill Rock Stars
• George Harrison, “I’d Have You Anytime,” All Things Must Pass, EMI
• Andrea Echeverri, “Amortiguador,” Andrea Echeverri, Nacional
• The Blue Nile, “Let’s Go Out Tonight,” Hats, Linn
• Junior Boys, “When I’m Not Around,” Last Exit, Domino
• Herbert, “It’s Only,” Bodily Functions, !K7

Pledge of Allegiance?

     As the notice in the sidebar on the left indicates, the next show will be this coming Tuesday morning/Monday night. It falls smack dab in the middle of the annual WHPK pledge drive. For those of you who are NPR listeners, you know the drill: along with the typical programming, you’ll be inundated with impassioned pleas to support non-commercial media. Expect, therefore, to hear me doing my share, being down for the cause, taking one for the team or (substitute your own favorite expression here).
     The show won’t consist entirely of pleading, of course. There’ll be the usual amount of ECI-approved music. This time out, you can expect to have your ears tickled by Trembling Blue Stars, Andrea Echeverri (of Aterciopelados), GusGus and other purveyors of sonic confections....
     But a pledge drive just wouldn’t be worth a damn unless there were premiums. Mine is a modest one: a CD containing mp3 recordings of the five shows I have recorded to date. So, if you’re in the listening area and have been unable to tune in to the show, now’s your chance to do so and make it matter. Each caller who pledges something, anything, to the station during my show will receive this little gem. I slaved over the design for the booklet—which bears a striking resemblence to the theme for this page (created for blogger.com by Todd Dominey of Dominey Design, Atlanta).
     So mark your calendar, listen, enjoy, call, give up something to keep shows like mine on the air, and get to relive the best (and worst) moments of my latest foray into radio programming....

Episode 6

     Another one down. I wasn’t too sure how it would turn out, but a couple of last-minute substitutions made it all work in the end. Thanks to the caller (Seth?) who told me both that he dug the Pavement track and that its placement in the flow of songs worked for him. Just when I don’t think I need validation, it arrives and is as welcome as tonight’s summer-like temperature.
     This was perhaps my first glitch-free show: I made all the fades I wanted to, had all the tracks I needed at my disposal, and even managed to record the whole show without a hitch. Rumor has it the CD recorder’s on the fritz, though. If it’s not, Melissa will in fact be able to hear how and where I placed the Combustible Edison tune she turned me on to, George will get to judge how well the Apartments adapted Robert Lowell’s adaptation of Baudelaire’s “Au Lecteur” (from Fleurs du Mal) and Pedro will be gratified to know that I would not have come to hear and love Mice Parade were it not for his open ears.
     (I wonder whether the beds at the Big O Motel are as comfy as the one this tired DJ is about to climb into ....)

• 12:00–1:00 a.m.:
• Combustible Edison, “52,” Schizophonic, Sub Pop
• Awry, “Earplugs,” Quiet B Sides, AwrySense
• Goldfrapp, “Horse Tears,” Felt Mountain, Mute
• Calexico, “Si Tu Disais,” Convict Pool, Quarterstick
• Aterciopelados, “Transparente,” Gozo Poderoso, BMG
• Rasputina, “Sign of the Zodiac,” How We Quit the Forest, Columbia
• M. Ward, “Hi-Fi,” Transistor Radio, Merge
• Pavement, “Stare,” Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain: LA’s Desert Origins, Matador
• Jandek, “Mostly All from You,” Chair Beside a Window, Corwood
• Tim Buckley, “I Had a Talk with My Woman,” Lorca, Elektra
• The Hope Blister, “Hanky Panky Nohow,” … Smile’s OK, 4AD
• Jeff Buckley, “Opened Once,” Sketches for My Sweetheart, the Drunk, Columbia
• Twilight Singers, “The Killer,” Blackberry Belle, One Little Indian

• 1:00–2:00 a.m.:
• Clinic, “The Equaliser,” Walking with Thee, Domino
• Jesus and Mary Chain, “Sowing Seeds,” Psychocandy, Blanco y Negro
• Mazzy Star, “ She Hangs Brightly,” She Hangs Brightly, Capitol
• The Style Council, “The Story of Someone’s Shoe,” Confessions of a Pop Group, Geffen
• Pinback, “Bloods on Fire,” Summer in Abaddon, Touch & Go
• Apartments, “Welcome to Walsh World,” Apart, Hot
• Colin Newman, “We Meet Under Tables,” Not To, 4AD
• Siouxsie & the Banshees, “Happy House,” Kaleidoscope, Geffen
• Mice Parade, “Open Air Dance Pt. 4,” All Roads Lead to Salzburg, Bubble Core
• Love, “You Set the Scene,” Forever Changes, Elektra
• Tarnation, “Big O Motel,” Gentle Creatures, 4AD

Episode 5

     Hmmm.... there might be something to this time change thing. I don’t mean the change from standard to daylight time. I mean my having a new, earlier time slot. I actually got requests this morning, though I was unable to accommodate the second one, at least not with what was in the studio’s library.
     I think it was a good show, and I got most of it recorded. While I was waiting for the CD of the first hour to be finalized, the phone rang. By the time I finished talking to the caller, it was time to cue the next track, and ... well ... it took about 20 minutes for me to realize I wasn’t recording the second hour. So, when the next installment of huge mp3’s becomes available, part of it (again) will be a reconstruction. And it’s too bad. Right after the Crowded House tune ended, I came on air to explain why I played it: as a tribute to Paul Hester--the drummer in CH as well as in the last version of Split Enz. He had apparently battled manic-depressive illness for a long time and disappeared a couple of Fridays ago after taking his dogs out for a walk. When the authorities found his body the next day, they ruled his death a suicide. Neil and Tim Finn were on tour in London when they got the news, and rather than cancel their show that evening, they performed (with another member of Crowded House) in tribute to Hester. One of the most moving moments of the evening, according to an article I read, was when the three of them sang “Throw Your Arms Around Me” by Hunters and Collectors.
     Anyway, the playlist is below. I hope you can tune in two weeks from now. Maybe by then the station will be webcasting. One can always hope ....

• 12:00–1:00 a.m.:
• Lisa Germano, “Cry Wolf,” Geek the Girl, 4AD
• Lush, “Sweetness and Light,” Gala, 4AD
• Medicine, “She Knows Everything,” The Buried Life, American
• Chris Whitley, “Chain,” Rocket House, ATO
• His Name Is Alive, “No Hiding Place Down Her,” Ft. Lake, 4AD
• Chocolate Genius, “Hangover Nine,” Black Music, V2
• Jimi Hendrix, “Angel,” Voodoo Soup, MCA
• Shuggie Otis, “Aht Uh Mi Hed,” Inspiration Information, Luaka Bop
• Scritti Politti, “The Sweetest Girl,” Early, Rough Trade
• Sun Kil Moon, “Salvador Sanchez,” Ghosts of the Great Highway, Jetset
• Lou Barlow, “Legendary,” Emoh, Merge

• 1:00–2:00 a.m.:
• John Cale, “The Sleeper,” Artificial Intelligence, Beggars Banquet
• Akron/Family, “Italy,” Akron/Family, Young God
• Apartments, “No Hurry,” Apart, Hot
• Piano Magic, “Help Me Warm This Frozen Heart,” The Troubled Sleep of Piano Magic, Green UFOs
• Crowded House, “Private Universe,” Together Alone, Capitol
• Decemberists, “Los Angeles, I’m Yours,” Her Majesty, Kill Rock Stars
• Systems Officer, “Signature Red,” Systems Officer, Ace Fu
• Felt, “The World Is as Soft as Lace,” The Splendour of Fear, Cherry Red
• Tones on Tail, “Twist,” Everything, Beggars Banquet
• The Jazz Butcher, “Partytime,” Bloody Nonsense, Big Time

Plan B

     There’s been a change of plans. The first episode of ECI for this quarter will air on Tuesday, 5 April, rather than on 12 April. Afterwards, I’ll be in the studio every other Tuesday. So, if you’re up tomorrow night and in the listening area, you know where to go on the dial as midnight approaches....

Time Shifting ....

     The more geeky/techie among you might know already what “time shifting” means. For people like me, it goes back to the U.S. Supreme Court decision in the Betamax case in the 1980s, the very one whose precedent may prove important in the current one involving Grokster. In the BM case, it meant recording broadcast material for viewing after air time. In this case, I mean it much more literally ....
     ECI is moving to a new time slot, one perhaps more favorable to potential listeners (whoever they might be, if in fact they exist). For the foreseeable future, the show will be shifted back in time, as it were, two hours. Thus, rather than airing from 2-4 a.m. on Tuesdays, the show will be broadcast from midnight to 2 a.m. on Tuesday mornings (or, and I cringe in saying this, Monday nights), beginning 12 April.
     So, mark your calendars, and get your recording gear in order. And do so especially if you’re interested in hearing what’s been tickling my ears of late (hint: many items are directly related to my second, as-yet-untitled book project). Expect, therefore, to hear songs by Colin Newman, Suicide, Cabaret Voltaire, and various New York No-Wave bands (James White and the Blacks, DNA) when you tune in next. Fear not, though. It won’t be a completely nostalgic show. Tracks from Akron/Family, Pinback, Systems Officer, Lloyd Cole and others might find their way into the mix.
     Are you salivating yet?

Episode 4

     And so it was ... just like I said it would be: a three-hour show noisier than its predecessors. If you got hooked on the low-key thing from previous shows, parts of this one may have been a little much. But then again, they may not have been. There were a few connect-the-dots sets (all explained on-air), and a few items I would not have known about were it not for my friends with good ears (also identified on air). If you’ve ever recommended something to me that I later praised, stay tuned: web-streaming is coming soon, coming soon. You just might get the chance to hear yourself mentioned on air (or online) ....
     I’ve also managed to work out my technical problems with the CD burner, so this morning’s entire show has been archived. (Some of you know where to find it.) In fact, the only glaring glitch in this episode was the result of a malfunctioning light on the studio’s console. As I prepared to cue the Tom Zé track, I accidentally muted the Gorillaz track. Had the light been functioning, of course, I would have known visually that I was muting the song on air. The hiccup is only a second or two. Not enough to send me packing, I hope ....
     As always, feedback on the show is welcome, as are suggestions for things to play on future shows. And, by the way, I have now officially given up on having anyone call the station. So, just in case you were feeling even the slightest pressure, you can relax.

• 12:00–1:00 a.m.:
• Brian Eno/John Cale, “Spinning Away,” Wrong Way Up, Opal
• Slowdive, “Souvlaki Space Station,” Souvlaki, SBK
• Mojave 3, “Billoddity,” Spoon and Rafter, 4AD
• David Sylvian/Ryuichi Sakamoto, “World Citizen” (Long Version), “World Citizen” (Single), Samadhi Sound
• Apostle of Hustle, “Animal Fat,” Folkloric Feel, Arts and Crafts
• Califone, “Apple,” Heron King Blues, Thrill Jockey
• Vetiver, “Angels’ Share,” Vetiver, DiCristina
• Brendan Benson, “Metarie,” Lapalco, Star Time International
• Matt Pond PA, “Lily Two,” Emblems, Altitude
• The Katies, “Jesus Pick,” The Katies, Spongebath

• 1:00–2:00 a.m.:
• Dave Navarro, “Slow Motion Sickness,” Trust No One, Capitol
• Afghan Whigs, “True Love Travels on a Gravel Road,” Uptown Avondale, Sub Pop
• Mercury Rev, “Black Forest (Lorelei),” The Secret Migration, V2
• The Apartments, “What’s Left of Your Nerve,” Drift, Hot
• A.R. Kane, “Down,” i, One Little Indian
• Eric Matthews, “The Pleasant Kind,” The Lateness of the Hour, Sub Pop
• Eric Matthews, “You Will Be Happy,” Six Kinds of Passion Looking for an Exit, Wishing Tree
• Joe Henry, “Richard Pryor Addresses a Tearful Nation,” Scar, Mammoth
• D’Angelo, “Africa,” Voodoo, Virgin
• The Stylistics, “People Make the World Go Round,” The Stylistics, Amherst

• 2:00–3:00 a.m.:
• Wire, “Ahead,” The Ideal Copy, Mute
• The Pop Group, “Thief of Fire,” Y, WEA
• Gorillaz, “New Genious (Brother),” Gorillaz, Virgin
• Tom Zé, “Ogodô, Ano 2000,” Brazil 5: The Return of Tom Zé, Luaka Bop
• Talking Heads, “Listening Wind,” Remain in Light, Sire
• David Byrne, “Angels,” David Byrne, Luaka Bop
• Cocteau Twins, “Theft, and Wandering Around Lost,” Four-Calendar Café, Capitol
• Beth Orton, “Touch Me with Your Love,” Trailer Park, Dedicated
• Stereolab, “Monstre Sacre,” Emperor Tomato Ketchup, Elektra
• XTC, “Wake Up,” The Big Express, Virgin
• Portishead, “Roads,” Dummy, Go! Discs

Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

     Because of the weeklong break between quarters next week, the entire WHPK schedule is in flux. And since I won’t be in town at the time my show would normally air, you won’t hear ECI in its normal slot next week anyway. All is not lost, though. Why?
     [Cue music from The Wizard of Oz] Because, because, because ... [and stop] there will be a special three-hour edition of the show next Thursday morning from 12 to 3 a.m. (and for those who simply cannot grasp the concept of a day beginning at midnight, pretend I just wrote “Wednesday night”). While the playlist and approach are subject to change, expect things to be a little more noisy, but still lush, next week. Right now, I’ve got a mind to play some long-loved tracks by Slowdive, the Apartments, the Katies and--given the news that their reunion show at Coachella has been cancelled because of Liz Fraser’s unspecified personal reasons--Cocteau Twins.
     Lest I forget, I should add that there might another three-hour episode the following week. Afterwards, the station will be back on a regular schedule, one in which the air time of the show may shift by as little as two hours or as much as a day. Stay tuned....

Episode 3

     For someone who fancies himself to be technologically savvy, I sure haven’t had great luck with the real-time CD recorder in the studio. I managed to get the first hour of this morning’s show recorded, but was dismayed to learn at the end that I had neglected to push a button to start the recording of the second hour. Maybe I’ve been spoiled by consumer devices that feature one-touch-record features. Oh, well. There’s still the chance that I’ll have time to reconstruct the second hour without the PSA’s, program announcements, and on-mic filler (such as the stuff at the end of the show where I waxed poetic about the historical significance of Allen Toussaint). The morning’s only snafu was my mis-announcing the name of the Eric Matthews album: I said “It’s Heavy in Here” when I should have said “The Lateness of the Hour.” That mistake is, of course, corrected below.
     If you missed the show, I think you missed something special. I managed to keep it 90% downtempo, and I loved it. If you listened, I hope you did, too. (And, no, Peter, I didn’t play that Pink Floyd thing.) My heart leapt momentarily around 3:15 when the phone rang, but it turned out to be MLK, the next DJ, arriving much earlier than she normally does. Sigh. I guess there really isn’t anybody out there....

• 2:00–3:00 a.m.:
• Icehouse, “Icehouse,” Icehouse, Chrysalis
• Junior Boys, “Three Words,” Last Exit, Domino
• Opus III, “Stars in My Pocket,” Mind Fruit, EastWest
• Kings of Convenience, “Know-How,” Riot on an Empty Street, Astralwerks
• Feist, “Gatekeeper,” Let It Die, Polydor
• Eric Matthews, “Since the Wheel Free,” The Lateness of the Hour, Sub Pop
• Mercury Rev, “Across Yer Ocean,” The Secret Migration, V2
• Replacements, “Swinging Party,” Tim, Sire
• Red House Painters, “Drop,” Ocean Beach, 4AD
• Mountain Goats, “Game Shows Touch Our Lives,” Tallahassee, 4AD
• The Album Leaf, “Story Board,” One Day I’ll Be on Time, Tiger Style
• Hope Sandoval and the Warm Inventions, “Suzanne,” Bavarian Fruit Bread, Rough Trade

• 3:00–4:00 a.m.:
• Split Enz, “One Step Ahead,” Waiata, Mushroom
• Piano Magic, “Saint Marie,” The Troubled Sleep of Piano Magic, Green UFOs
• Durutti Column, “Tomorrow,” Bread & Circuses, Crepuscule
• Everything but the Girl, “No Difference,” Temperamental, Atlantic
• Spiritualized, “I Think I’m in Love,” Ladies and Gentlemen, We Are Floating in Space, Arista
• Aluminum Group, “We’re Both Hiding,” Happyness, Wishing Tree
• Paul Weller, “The Strange Museum,” Paul Weller, Polydor
• The Sea and Cake, “Seemingly,” Oui, Thrill Jockey
• Al Green, “Simply Beautiful,” I’m Still in Love with You, Hi
• Allen Toussaint, “Southern Nights,” The Complete Warner Recordings, Rhino

ECI Updates and Such...

     Some people don’t like having to check web pages and blogs for updates. Others do, but often forget. Here’s where a couple of tools, newly added to this blog, can help you. One, if you have an RSS or Atom feed reader, you can use the FeedBurner button in the sidebar to the left to subscribe to this page’s feed and thus learn about updates, postings, etc., without having to open your browser. Two, if you want to send something from this page to someone who doesn’t normally read it, you can now use the envelope icon at the bottom of any post to give that person a heads-up. S/he will get a link to that post without your having to copy and paste a URL.
     “Push it along; push it along. Push it along; yeah, push it along....”

The Joy of Mercury Rev and Dave Fridmann

     Yesterday’s mini-Dave Fridmann set (Low and the Delgados) was a compensatory, stop-gap measure. What I really wanted to do was to play tracks from the forthcoming release by Mercury Rev: The Secret Migration. Fridmann is a former member of the group and is still remarkably important in helping to craft their sonic identity.
     Earlier, I wrapped my ears around a track or two from that album, and I’ll say only this. 30 seconds in I was logging onto Amazon to order the import version. The album, inexplicably, is out in Great Britain, but won’t be released Stateside until May. With any luck my copy will arrive in time for the 8 March show. And then you can hear what I’m trying not to gush about.
     There unfortunately aren’t any song samples available for download from the band’s web page, but with any luck you’ll get a little taste less than two weeks from now....

Episode 2

The latest show has been put to bed, and hopefully I’ll be able to do the same for my body in the next few minutes. Unfortunately, I got no callers this morning, but maybe that'll change in the future. Maybe as a joke I can play that short track from The Wall, “Is There Anybody Out There?” next time round. Perhaps that’ll be the question that gets a ringing answer....
     In my rush to get to the station on time, I forgot a few CDs and my blank CDRs. Thus, I didn’t record the show--so you’ll have to use your imagination to fill in what I might have said between songs. But do you really listen to radio to hear what the DJ says? Besides, I don’t think this show was as inspired as the last. Best to have no audible record of the decline.

• 2:00–3:00 a.m.:
• Dusty Springfield, “Just a Little Lovin’,” Dusty in Memphis, Atlantic
• Everything but the Girl, “Sugar Finney,” Baby, the Stars Shine Bright, Sire/Warner Brothers
• Feist, “Let It Die,” Let It Die, Polydor
• Ron Sexsmith, “Seem to Recall,” Whereabouts, Interscope
• Dresden Dolls, “Coin-Operated Boy,” Dresden Dolls, 8 Ft.
• Marianne Faithfull, “City of Quartz,” Before the Poison, Anti
• Emmylou Harris, “Wrecking Ball,” Wrecking Ball, Warner Brothers
• Bright Eyes, “Land-Locked Blues,” I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning, Saddle Creek
• Low, “Cue the Strings,” The Great Destroyer, Sub Pop
• Delgados, “Thirteen Gliding Principles,” The Great Eastern, Mantra
• Talk Talk, “Desire,” Spirit of Eden, Nettwerk
• Blur, “Strange News from Another Star,” Blur, Virgin

• 3:00–4:00 a.m.:
• Múm, “The Land Between Solar Systems,” Finally We Are No One, Fat Cat
• Hooverphonic, “Renaissance Affair,” Blue Wonder Power Milk, Epic
• Single Gun Theory, “From a Million Miles,” Like Stars in Our Hands, Nettwerk
• Saint Etienne, “Only Love Can Break Your Heart,” Foxbase Alpha, Warner Brothers
• Paco, “Satie,” This Is Where We Live, Unfiltered
• The Incredible Moses Leroy, “The 4A,” Become the Soft.Lightes, iMusic
• Matt Pond PA, “Holiday Road,” Winter Songs (EP), Altitude
• Chris Bell, “Better Save Yourself,” I Am the Cosmos, Ryko
• Big Star, “Thank You, Friends,” Third/Sister Lovers, Ryko
• Big Star, “Big Black Car,” Third/Sister Lovers, Ryko
• My Morning Jacket, “Steam Engine,” It Still Moves, ATO

Incoming

     If you’re in the WHPK listening area, you can hear the next edition of ECI on Tuesday morning, 22 February, at the regular time. Among the features will be the music of Leslie Feist (known for her work as a solo artist as well as with Toronto’s Broken Social Scene and Norway’s Kings of Convenience) and a couple of tracks by Low, who have a new recording out on Sub Pop called The Great Destroyer. If I can get my hands on it between now and then, I might also include something from Before the Poison, the latest release from Marianne Faithfull.
     It’ll be as dreamy as ever....

Episode 1

     Except for a couple of messy fades, my failure to announce the station’s phone number (773.703.8424) and one spot where I played a track other than the one I intended, I think the first show was a success. Oh, yeah, I also got my first crank call within 2 minutes of the first track’s beginning. I don’t recall ever having heard such slurred speech from anyone. (Apologies to the caller near the top of the second hour, there just wasn't enough time left for me to find a Bush Tetras song before I had to cue the track already in the player. Maybe next time.)

• 2:00–3:00 a.m.:
• David Sylvian, “Before the Bullfight,” Gone to Earth, Virgin
• Gus Gus, “Superhuman,” This Is Normal, 4AD
• Cocteau Twins, “The High-Monkey Monk,” Cocteau Twins (boxed set), Capitol
• Massive Attack, “Angel,” Mezzanine, Virgin
• Robin Guthrie, “Tera,” Imperial, Bella Union
• Violet Indiana, “Poison Gorgeous,” Roulette, Bella Union
• Sparklehorse, “Sick of Goodbyes,” Good Morning Spider, Capitol
• American Music Club, “Home,” Love Songs for Patriots, Merge
• Broken Social Scene, “KC Accidental,” You Forgot It in People, Arts & Crafts
• Magazine, “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin),” The Correct Use of Soap, Caroline
• Gang of Four, “History’s Bunk,” The Peel Sessions, Strange Fruit

• 3:00–4:00 a.m.:
• Modest Mouse, “The Cold Part,” The Moon & Antarctica, Epic
• Jim White, “Corvair,” No Such Place, Luaka Bop
• Hank Dogs, “Daddy’s Arms,” Bareback, Hannibal
• Morsel, “Squeezebox Medicine,” I’m a Wreck, Small Stone
• Cinematic Orchestra, “Man with a Movie Camera,” Every Day, Ninja Tune
• Gomez, “Sound of Sounds,” In Our Gun, Virgin
• Robert Wyatt, “Heaps of Sheeps,” Shleep, Hannibal
• Cowboy Junkies, “Thousand Year Prayer,” Open, Latent/Zöe
• Neil Finn, “Addicted,” Try Whistling This, Work
• Electrelane, “This Deed,” The Power Out, Beggar’s Banquet
• Mercury Rev, “You’re My Queen,” All Is Dream, V2
• Scheer, “Say What You Came to Say,” … And Finally, 482/Schism