Episode 38

     I haven’t really looked ahead to see how often this is going to happen between now and the final episode of ECI, but hopefully this will be one of the last shows to fall on some special day/holiday. Today, of course, is Independence Day in the U.S., and I used the occasion to play a couple of obvious tracks and one a little less so. The first two both have today’s date in their titles, while the third (the track by the Blow Monkeys) is an oblique, barely there mediation on America. (If the stories I heard in the mid-1980s are true, the song’s title and the singer/bandleader’s ardent socialism kept the band from getting a visa to tour the U.S. Unfortunately, the band was denied said visa at a crucial point—shortly after the release of their album Animal Magic and its first single “Digging Your Scene,” both of which potentially might have made them big on this side of the pond.) Sure, I could have chosen tunes to commemorate the 4th that were clearly patriotic and/or celebratory, but, well, that’s just not my style. I believe the three I chose work perfectly.
     The rest of this morning’s episode contains what I hope are a few unexpected gems—among them Grace Jones floating on a rhythm bed provided by Sly and Robbie; a rarely heard tune by Slowdive; one of the most darkly beautiful tracks ever recorded by David Sylvian; a dance floor workout from Spoon; and a stunningly beautiful closer by Islands (Yes, I know there’s another track after that one, but it was my reserve just in case the next DJ was late; and she was. The Islands tune is the official end of the episode). Those of you who are familiar only with Sufjan Stevens’ most recent work might be shocked by how, um, abrasive that track from his debut solo album is. Likewise, anyone who knows Gene Loves Jezebel only from “Desire” and the material that followed it might be pleasantly surprised by how pretty “Stephen” is. Those kinds of sonic surprises are, I hope, among the reasons why you tune to the show (or scan its playlists for your own nefarious purposes). More next week, if not sooner....

• 12:00–1:00 a.m.:
• Galaxie 500, “Fourth of July,” This Is Our Music, Ryko
• Los Lobos, “Little Japan,” Colossal Head, Warner Brothers
• Tortoise, “Night Air,” Tortoise, Thrill Jockey
• Clinic, “Distortions,” Internal Wrangler, Domino
• Belle & Sebastian, “Sukie in the Graveyard,” The Life Pursuit, Matador
• The Pixies, “Hey,” Doolittle, 4AD
• Sufjan Stevens, “A Loverless Bed (w/o Remission),” A Sun Came, Asthmatic Kitty
• The Mountain Goats, “Dinu Lipatti’s Bones,” The Sunset Tree, 4AD
• Sam Prekop, “C + F,” Who’s Your New Professor?, Thrill Jockey
• Grace Jones, “My Jamaican Guy,” Living My Life, Island
• Cat Power, “Water & Air,” What Would the Community Think?, Matador
• Laura Veirs, “Rapture,” Carbon Glacier, Nonesuch

• 1:00–2:00 a.m.:
• Soundgarden, “4th of July,” Superunknown, A&M
• Scott Walker, “Hand Me Ups,” The Drift, 4AD
• The Art of Noise, “Opus 4,” In Visible Silence, ZTT
• Felix Laband, “Dirty Nightgown,” Dark Days Exit, Compost
• Spoon, “Was It You?,” Gimme Fiction, Merge
• Jason Collett, “Parry Sound,” Idols of Exile, Arts and Crafts
• Four Tet, “Hilarious Movie of the 90’s,” Pause, Domino
• Konono N°1, “Paradiso,” Congotronics, Crammed
• NOMO, “Reasons,” New Tones, Ubiquity
• Do Make Say Think, “Fredericia,” Winter Hymn Country Hymn Secret Hymn, Constellation

• 2:00–3:00 a.m.:
• The Blow Monkeys, “My America,” Forbidden Fruit EP, RCA
• Siouxsie and the Banshees, “Mirage,” The Scream, Geffen
• Joy Division, “Candidate,” Unknown Pleasures, Factory
• Slowdive, “J’s Heaven,” Pygmalion, Creation
• Ron Sexsmith, “Wishing Wells,” Retriever, Nettwerk
• Spain, “It’s All Over,” She Haunts My Dreams, Restless
• Freakwater, “When the Leaves Begin to Fall,” End Time, Thrill Jockey
• David Sylvian, “The Boy with the Gun,” Secrets of the Beehive, Virgin
• Gene Loves Jezebel, “Stephen,” Immigrant, Beggars Banquet
• David Bowie, “D.J.,” Lodger, Virgin
• Herbert, “Movie Star,” Scale, !K7
• Islands, “Ones,” Return to the Sea, Equator
• (Television, “Elevation,” Marquee Moon, Elektra)