Episode 29

     This has been a particularly exhausting time in ECI-land. For the third week straight, I’ve put together a three-hour show. I keep wondering when I’ll run out of items in my personal CD library to play on air. Somehow, though, every time I sit down to start plotting out a show, I find more than enough songs that will tickle my ears and yours for the duration of the show. (Yes, I know I could use the station’s library, but where would the challenge be in that? Besides much of what I like to program isn’t on offer in it.)
     On this morning’s show, I got to a few things that I’ve been wanting to play for a while, but for various reasons wasn’t able to fit into the program. Among them was the Pat Metheny track, which I had intended to play (I believe) back in January, but the station’s CD players apparently had different ideas then. For a long time, I’ve also wanted to play something by the Jacobites and, upon learning of Nikki Sudden’s death last week, figured it was time actually to do so. The Jacobites remind me of the early and mid-1980s, when I spent most of my time listening to WRVU-FM from Vanderbilt University in my hometown. Waxing nostalgic about those years led me back to one of the other artists I heard there frequently: the Nashville-based songwriter, singer and guitarist Bill Lloyd. Just thinking about him (and other artists like Will Rambeaux) meant that I had to program his best-known tune.
     The schedule for the spring quarter is still being put together, but should start next week. I’ve put my requests in. Now I just have to wait to see what comes out. Soon all will know....

• 12:00–1:00 a.m.:
• Blur, “Oily Water,” Modern Life Is Rubbish, SBK
• Laura Veirs, “Snow Camping,” Carbon Glacier, Nonesuch
• Sia, “Moon,” Colour the Small One, Astralwerks
• Nine Horses, “Darkest Birds,” Snow Borne Sorrow, Samadhi Sound
• David Bowie, “Rebel, Rebel,” Diamond Dogs, Virgin
• Chris Bell, “I Am the Cosmos,” I Am the Cosmos, Ryko
• Jacobites, “Silver Street,” Jacobites, Glass
• Tanya Donelly, “Golden Mean,” Whiskey Tango Ghosts, 4AD
• Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins, “You Are What You Love,” Rabbit Fur Coat, Team Love
• Sublux, “Memory of Rain,” Nothing That Is Still, Selective Focus
• Pat Metheny and David Bowie, “This Is Not America,” The Falcon and the Snowman—Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, EMI
• Blonde Redhead, “Hated Because of Great Qualities,” Misery of Certain Damaged Lemons, Touch and Go

• 1:00–2:00 a.m.:
• Prince, “The Word,” 3121, NPG
• Bill Lloyd, “Feeling the Elephant,” Feeling the Elephant, DB
• Neko Case, “Star Witness,” Fox Confessor Brings the Flood, Anti
• Catherine Irwin, “Power of My Love,” Cut Yourself a Switch, Thrill Jockey
• Electrelane, “The Valleys,” The Power Out, Too Pure
• The Sea and Cake, “The Leaf,” Oui, Thrill Jockey
• M. Ward, “Paul’s Song,” Transistor Radio, Merge
• Frou Frou, “Breathe In,” Details, MCA
• Esthero, “That Girl,” Breath from Another, Work
• Gomez, “1000 Times,” In Our Gun, Virgin
• Prefab Sprout, “The Ice Maiden/Paris Smith,” Jordan: The Comeback, Epic
• Sondre Lerche and the Faces Down Quartet, “Nightingales,” Duper Sessions, Astralwerks

• 2:00–3:00 a.m.:
• The Cure, “At Night,” Seventeen Seconds, Fiction
• Split Enz, “Six Months in a Leaky Boat,” Time and Tide, Mushroom
• Modern English, “Dawn Chorus,” After the Snow, 4AD
• Talking Heads, “Drugs,” Fear of Music, Sire
• Vortex Original Soundtrack, “Black Box Disco,” New York Noise, Vol. 2: Music from the New York Underground, 1977–1984, Soul Jazz
• Sufjan Stevens, “Vito’s Ordination Song,” Greetings from Michigan, The Great Lake State, Asthmatic Kitty
• Stereolab, “Excursions into ‘Oh, A-Oh,’” Fab Four Suture, Pure
• Mercury Rev, “Tides of the Moon,” All Is Dream, V2
• The Style Council, “The Paris Match,” Introducing the Style Council, Polydor
• Emiliana Torrini, “Thinking Out Loud,” Fisherman’s Woman, Rough Trade
• Cocteau Twins, “Pink Orange Red,” Tiny Dynamine, 4AD

Episode 28

     As time goes by, I have greater and greater admiration for people who do radio shows every single day without running out of ideas. Of course, I presume that most people who do so are not volunteers but paid employees, who presumably have planning time built into their schedules. Either way, doing two three-hour shows in less than a week’s time has strained me a bit. I still think I turned out another quality show, but I did so only by pulling out some favorites that I have been saving for just the proper occasion.
     The schedule for the spring quarter should be finalized soon, and with any luck, I’ll be back in the time slot that I had for most of last year and should have had last quarter. As soon as I know what my slot is, I’ll update the sidebar so that you, dear listener, can know when next to tune in....

• 12:00–1:00 a.m.:
• My Bloody Valentine, “To Here Knows When,” Tremolo EP, Creation
• Jeff Buckley, “Vancouver,” Sketches for My Sweetheart, the Drunk, Columbia
• Lisa Germano, “Reptile,” Slide, 4AD
• Grandaddy, “Lost on Yer Merry Way,” Sumday, V2
• Aztec Camera, “The Bugle Sounds Again,” High Land, Hard Rain, Sire
• Los Super Seven, “Siboney,” Canto, Columbia
• Erwin Thomas, “Adult Anxiety,” Songs from My Apartment, Quartermain
• Boards of Canada, “Oscar See Through Red Eye,” The Campfire Headphase, Warp
• Brian Eno, “Driving Me Backwards,” Here Come the Warm Jets, EG
• Belle & Sebastian, “We Are the Sleepyheads,” The Life Pursuit, Matador
• The Roots, “Proceed,” Do You Want More?!!!??!, Geffen
• Black Star, “K.O.S. (Determination),” Black Star, Rawkus

• 1:00–2:00 a.m.:
• Gil Scott-Heron, “Home Is Where the Hatred Is,” Pieces of a Man, RCA
• A.C. Newman, “Drink to Me, Babe, Then,” The Slow Wonder, Matador
• The Cardigans, “And Then You Kissed Me,” Long Gone Before Daylight, Stockholm
• Neil Finn, “Elastic Heart,” One Nil, Parlophone
• Sigur Rós, “Svefn-g-englar,” Ágætis Byrjun, Fat Cat
• Mogwai, “Glasgow Mega-Snake,” Mr. Beast, Matador
• Wire, “Madman’s Honey,” The Ideal Copy, Mute
• Japan, “Despair,” Quiet Life, Caroline
• Radiohead, “The Amazing Sounds of Orgy,” Pyramid Song EP, Capitol
• The Album Leaf, “Over the Pond,” In a Safe Place, Sub Pop
• Gus Gus, “Barry,” Polydistortion, 4AD

• 2:00–3:00 a.m.:
• Broken Social Scene, “Late Night Bedroom Rock for the Missionaries,” You Forgot It in People, Arts and Crafts
• Mark Hollis, “The Daily Planet,” Mark Hollis, Pond Life
• Robert Wyatt, “Just a Bit,” Cuckooland, Hannibal
• X, “Dancing with Tears in My Eyes,” Under the Big Black Sun, Elektra
• Jim White, “That Girl from Brownsville Texas,” Drill a Hole in That Substrate and Tell Me What You See, Luaka Bop
• The Sundays, “Leave This City,” Static and Silence, Geffen
• Shriekback, “This Big Hush,” Oil and Gold, Island
• Herbert, “Suddenly,” Bodily Functions, !K7
• Joe Henry, “Curt Flood,” Fuse, Mammoth
• Massive Attack, “Black Milk,” Mezzanine, Virgin
• Le Volume Courbe, “Locarno,” I Killed My Best Friend, Honest Jon’s

Episode 27

     Ahhh. Another one finished. There are still a couple of hours of encoding and uploading ahead of me, but I think this one turned out quite well. Sure, there may be a few messy fades, but those just let you know that I really am doing the show in real time.
     I managed to fit a lot of tracks from new releases and new reissues into the playlist, and there are many more on tap for coming shows. For once, it seems, the indies and the major labels are releasing a number of really good recordings every few weeks. I hope the trickle continues, for that can only mean more good shows with things that you will have to go out to buy. Thanks again to all the callers and text messagers — you know who you are....

• 12:00–1:00 a.m.:
• Portishead, “Mourning Air,” Portishead, Go! Beat/London
• Brian Eno, “Sky Saw,” Another Green World, EG
• Wire, “Children of Groceries,” Manscape, Enigma/Mute
• Sam Prekop, “Two Dedications,” Who’s Your New Professor?, Thrill Jockey
• Violet Indiana, “Close the World,” Russian Doll, Bella Union
• His Name Is Alive, “Your Bones,” Detrola, Silver Mountain
• Pavement, “Pueblo Domain,” Crooked Rain Crooked Rain: L.A.’s Desert Origins, Matador
• Tears for Fears, “I Believe,” Songs from the Big Chair, Mercury
• Glee Club, “Remember the Years,” Mine, 4AD
• Le Volume Courbe, “I Shall Skip Your Judgement [sic],” I Killed My Best Friend, Honest Jon’s
• Felt, “Vasco da Gama,” The Strange Idols Pattern and Other Short Stories, Cherry Red
• Neko Case, “Dirty Knife,” Fox Confessor Brings the Flood, Anti
• Harold Budd, “L’enfant Perdu,” Avalon Sutra, Samadhi Sound

• 1:00–2:00 a.m.:
• Donald Fagen, “Florida Room,” Kamakiriad, Reprise
• Van Morrison, “Sweet Thing,” Astral Weeks, Warner Brothers
• Dr. Robert, “Circular Quay,” Realms of Gold, Pure
• Sonic Youth, “I Dreamed I Dreamed,” New York Noise, Vol. 2: Music from the New York Underground, 1977–1984, Soul Jazz
• Mercury Rev, “The Dark Is Rising,” All Is Dream, V2
• Songs: Ohia, “Blue Factory Flame,” Didn’t It Rain, Secretly Canadian
• Beth Orton, “What We Begin,” Comfort of Strangers (Bonus Disc), Astralwerks
• Sly & the Family Stone, “Time,” There’s a Riot Goin’ On, Epic
• Richard Davis, “Empty,” Details, Kitty-Yo
• Cat Power, “Living Proof,” The Greatest, Matador
• Heidi Berry, “Cradle,” Love, 4AD

• 2:00–3:00 a.m.:
• Japan, “Still Life in Mobile Homes,” Tin Drum, Virgin
• Joe Henry, “This Afternoon,” Tiny Voices, Anti
• Giardini di Mirò, “Dancemania,” Giardini di Mirò, Zum
• Slint, “Washer,” Spiderland, Touch and Go
• Lamb, “The Night Has a Thousand Eyes,” What Sound, Koch
• Stars, “Sleep Tonight,” Set Yourself on Fire, Arts and Crafts
• Red House Painters, “River,” Old Ramon, Sub Pop
• Dead Can Dance, “Indoctrination (A Design for Living),” Spleen and Ideal, 4AD
• Feist, “Amourissima,” Let It Die, Polydor

Episode 26

     Well. Everything went swimmingly on this morning’s show ... that is, right until the very end. Rose, the DJ who was coming on after me, arrived close to the end of a song, and I rushed to get downstairs and back before the track ended. And I apparently rushed too quickly, forgetting to prop open a door that otherwise automatically locks. So, for about 8 minutes after the song ended, there was dead air. Luckily, campus security arrived quickly enough and got us back into the studio before all was lost.
     I think there is quite a bit of interesting music on this show, which I did to make up for missing the regular slot. Hopefully when I’m back in my regular time slot I’ll be more alert and won’t make any (noticeable) mistakes....

• 2:00–3:00 a.m.:
• The Stone Roses, “I Wanna Be Adored,” The Stone Roses, Silvertone
• Rogue Wave, “Catform,” Descended Like Vultures, Sub Pop
• M83, “Don’t Save Us from the Flames,” Before the Dawn Heals Us, Mute
• Pajo, “Francie,” Pajo, Drag City
• The Minutemen, “Do You Want New Wave, or Do You Want the Truth?” Double Nickels on the Dime, SST
• X, “I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts” More Fun in the New World, Elektra
• The The, “Uncertain Smile,” Soul Mining, Epic
• Mark Eitzel, “Song of the Mole,” Candy Ass, Cooking Vinyl
• Beck, “Nobody’s Fault But My Own,” Mutations, Geffen
• Laura Veirs, “Galaxies,” Year of Meteors, Nonesuch
• Slowdive, “Rutti,” Pygmalion, Creation

• 3:00–4:00 a.m.:
• XTC, “The Smartest Monkeys,” Nonsuch, Geffen
• Stewart Copeland, “Don’t Box Me In,” Rumble Fish (Original Score), A&M
• Can, “Vitamin C,” Ege Bamyasi, Spoon
• Miles Davis, “Black Satin,” On the Corner, Columbia
• Nick Lowe, “Faithless Lover,” Dig My Mood, Upstart
• Broadcast, “Tears in the Typing Pool,” Tender Buttons, Warp
• Galaxie 500, “Another Day,” On Fire, Ryko
• Doves, “Darker,” Lost Souls, Astralwerks
• Mogwai, “Like Herod,” Young Team, Jetset
• Cranes, “Fourteen,” Population Four, Dedicated
• The Hope Blister, “Sweet Unknown,” ... Smile’s OK, 4AD

Oops...

     So I’ve been too busy the last couple of weeks to actually make an entry explaining why there was not going to be a show yesterday. And the reason is a bit selfish: I had tickets to see Mogwai last night and really didn’t want to have to leave the show early to make a midnight start time. Thus, instead of me, you heard Sam doing his own brand of audio magic. Many thanks to him for doing the show on two days’s notice.
     As a karmic favor, I will be subbing for someone else overnight tonight. That is, a mere 26 hours later than what you might have expected, there will be ECI. And a small crowd of people, somewhere off to the left, will quietly rejoice....