Ear Candy for Insomniacs

Episode 50: The Final Show

2006-09-26T03:26:00.000-05:00

     Over the last 20 months, I’ve been conducting an experiment. The main questions I was attempting to answer were the following. (1) Would it be possible to do an adult-centered radio show (rather than an obscurantist indie-snob show) drawn entirely from my own CD library? (2) Could I do said show without ever repeating a song that I had played on a previous episode? And, in the end, (3) would I find or develop a significant audience in the process? That is, would I be able to open listeners’ ears in the way that some of my favorite DJs of the last few decades—e.g., Vi Francis on Fisk University’s WRFN, Dick Shannon on Nashville’s WKDA and Matt Swanson on Vanderbilt University’s WRVU in the 1980s; Liz Copeland, Martin Bandyke and Judy Adams on Wayne State University’s WDET in the 1990s and the early part of this decade—managed to do, unwittingly, for me?
     The answers to the first two questions are an easy “yes.” The answer to the last question, at least based on the evidence at my disposal, is a resounding “no.” In part, I think the group of people who might be most interested in my show is not coterminous with the one that regularly listens to WHPK. But I knew that from the start. Initially, I hoped that the promised, near-horizon arrival of webcasting might be the bridge between my show and those listeners. What I couldn’t have known is that the implementation of webcasting at the station is about as likely to happen as is your receiving a lot of money if you respond to one of those e-mails issuing from “Nigeria.”
     Nonetheless, the show was a lot of fun to do. I got to discover a lot of new things in the process of searching for music that would make for satisfying, sometimes revelatory shows. Along the way, I also improved markedly as a radio DJ, making the most of a frequently imperfect monitoring situation in the studio as well as not always well-maintained equipment.
     For those I can name as being among my most loyal listeners (some of whom listened in real-time, others of whom heard the secret podcast), I have nothing but heartfelt thanks for their support, feedback and commentary (this means you, Dawn, Michael, Melissa, Dan, Mariel, Lauren, Rashida and Michelle). I don't have any plans to return to radio—not even when, if ever, WHPK does start to webcast. Neither do I have the desire to produce a podcast, as some people have suggested. I’m most interested right now in getting back to the mode of listening I had before starting the show—one that was about tickling my ears and expanding my sonic world without the need to please an audience (or not piss off a program director/format chief—though there’s no evidence I ever did). Even more, though, I want to do some things that mean a lot more to me that have sadly been on the back burner for the duration of ECI’s run: writing and recording music as well as, gasp, doing the research and writing that I enjoy and that, let’s face it, pays my bills.
     So where do you go, now that ECI is no more? Well, in addition to whatever other sources you have for your music jones, you might try these, all of which I listen to on a fairly regular basis:

Vidro Azul. Since I described this show (available as a podcast) in a previous post, I’ll not repeat myself here. Use the link to read what I wrote.
Alternate Take with Liz Copeland . Many of my friends know that LC is one of my favorite radio DJs ever. Using the link included, you can hear the five previous five-hour episodes of her show. The procedure, however, is a bit user-unfriendly: you have to select a show and a date before you receive a Windows Media stream, and you always have to do so manually. But the show itself is great.
Morning Becomes Eclectic. While I preferred the version of this show that aired in the late 1990s, when Chris Douridas was the host, it’s still one of the best places to hear an eclectic mix of music, one that equally embraces obscure and popular artists alike. While there isn’t a podcast option that covers the broadcast program (you'll have to stream individual episodes), you can use the podcast option to hear the live, in-studio performances by bands who are visiting the Los Angeles area, using this link.
Pandora. This isn’t a radio program per se, but in some ways it functions like one. I include it here mostly because it can be a great way for you to learn about music similar to those things you already like, and especially tracks from other genres that you might not ever have thought to give a try.

So ... you probably want to know something more about the track listing below. Before I can get to the show proper, there’s the matter of the song in parentheses at the top of the show. David Waldman, host of the Evil Show wanted to leave the studio a little early, so the Beth Orton track could be considered a prelude to the show I had planned. And on that show, there isn’t a track that I don’t absolutely adore. Figuring out the sequence was, as was the case last week, exceedingly difficult. In the end, the strategy that worked was placing the killer tracks at the beginning and end of each hour. Beyond there, I tried to distribute all the others in a way that sonically made sense, judiciously sprinkling noisy and/or long tracks throughout the three hours. Thus, while it might make sense to think of the last hour as containing the best of the best—and to a degree that’s true—you shouldn’t necessarily think that those ten tracks are better than the rest. Likewise, you might not want to sleep on the tracks come between the beginnings and ends of hours. What you can believe, with absolute certainty, is that the track that closes the show—all the more fitting because it comes from the last new release by the band in question—would be the one I’d want to hear if I knew that after it played I would never hear music again. It seems the most proper way to say goodbye. While I wasn’t at all sure whether I would be wistful putting the show to bed for the last time, I did almost get choked up right at the end but managed to save the sadness for the walk home.
Thanks for reading, and thanks even more for listening. I hope you enjoyed the ride as much as I did....

12:00–1:00 a.m.:
(Beth Orton, “She Cries Your Name,” Trailer Park, Dedicated)
The Apartments, “No Hurry,” Apart, Hot
The Sundays, “My Finest Hour,” Reading, Writing and Arithmetic, Geffen
Allen Toussaint, “Brickyard Blues,” The Complete Warner Brothers Recordings, Rhino
Morsel, “Pieces,” Para Siempre, Small Stone
Dead Can Dance, “The Cardinal Sin,” Spleen and Ideal, 4AD
Split Enz, “One Step Ahead,” Waiata, Mushroom
Junior Boys, “Three Words,” Last Exit, Domino
Wham!, “Careless Whisper,” Make It Big, Columbia
My Bloody Valentine, “Soon,” Glider EP, Sire
The Blow Monkeys, “Wildfiower,” Forbidden Fruit EP, RCA
Radiohead, “Climbing Up the Walls,” OK Computer, Capitol

1:00–2:00 a.m.:
Bob Marley and the Wailers, “Babylon System,” Survival, Tuff Gong
Leslie Feist, “Let It Die,” Let It Die, Polydor
The Waterboys, “The Pan Within,” This Is the Sea, Chrysalis
The Flaming Lips, “Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell,” Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Warner Brothers
World Party, “Ship of Fools,” Private Revolution, Chrysalis
The Cinematic Orchestra, “Man with the Movie Camera,” Every Day, Ninja Tune
Nina Simone, “I Put a Spell on You,” I Put a Spell on You, Philips
Apostle of Hustle, “Animal Fat,” Folkloric Feel, Arts and Crafts
Slowdive, “Souvlaki Space Station,” Souvlaki, SBK
David Sylvian, “Before the Bullfight,” Gone to Earth, Virgin

2:00–3:00 a.m.:
The Durutti Column, “Tomorrow,” Bread and Circuses, Factory
The Smiths, “This Night Has Opened My Eyes,” Hatful of Hollow, Rough Trade
Red House Painters, “Medicine Bottle,” Down Colorful Hill, 4AD
Sam Cooke, “A Change Is Gonna Come,” Ain’t That Good News, RCA Victor
Prince, “Scandalous,” Batman, Warner Brothers
Blur, “Strange News from Another Star,” Blur, Virgin
Tanya Donelly, “The Storm,” Beautysleep, 4AD
Hope Sandoval and the Warm Inventions, “On the Low,” Bavarian Fruit Bread, Rough Trade
Cocteau Twins, “Pearly Dewdrops’ Drops,” The Spangle Maker EP, 4AD
Talk Talk, “After the Flood,” Laughing Stock, Polydor

Episode 49

2006-09-19T03:31:00.000-05:00

     So, here it is: the playlist for the second-to-last episode of this show. Despite my best efforts to include all the things I wanted to play, I still found myself, literally at the eleventh hour, having to omit a couple of prized tunes. Rather than say what they were, I hope you’ll find the ones I chose to keep stimulating.
     To the degree that this episode has a plan, it’s quite a simple one. The first six tracks come from fairly recent releases—three of which came out just last week. Picking which single selections to play from was particularly agonizing, since I knew that those tracks would be the last new material I would play on the show. That said, those six—my favorites from the respective albums—work really well together. And for those people who actually heard last week’s episode, the horns in the TV on the Radio track are sure to bring those in the Fela Anikulapo Kuti track I played last week to mind. For that matter, though, the Eric Dolphy-penned arrangement for the Coltrane tune also features some brilliant (low) horn writing. That track and the following one by Wayne Shorter are two of the jazz selections that always energize and astonish me. Of course, the fact that both tracks feature the same rhythm section—McCoy Tyner, piano; Reggie Workman, bass; and the late Elvin Jones, drums—may have something to do with why the horn soloists sound so great.
     Thereafter, I removed/ignored every constraint I ever placed on myself for programming this show: tracks that made appearances on previous episodes, ones that were (gasp) hits, ones that were difficult to fit in previous playlists, and ones that I was saving for a rainy day are all represented. How else can I explain the presence of the tracks by Gus Gus, Lush, Brian Eno/John Cale, Wire, Broken Social Scene and Big Star (in the former category); Lauryn Hill, The Family Stand and Juan Luis Guerra y 400 (in the second); Astor Piazzolla and Cassandra Wilson (in the third); and Nick Cave, Jeff Buckley, Neil Finn, The The, Ron Sexsmith and Siouxsie and the Banshees—plus many of the remaining tracks (in the latter)? Sure, I could say that the whole lot could be described as tunes that were revelatory to me when I first heard them, ones that either blew open my aural understanding or completely changed what I thought about artists whose work I’d previously ignored. Whatever my reasons for choosing the tracks, this episode comes dangerously close to being the perfect show: three hours of radio that I could listen to over and over. But to hear the perfect show, you’ll have to tune in next week....
     (As has been the case in the past, the tracks listed in parentheses below are ones that weren’t part of the show proper. The difference this time is that they were tongue-in-cheek selections to fill time while the last-minute sub, Bailey, gathered enough discs to start her show. Why do I write “tongue-in-cheek”? Dig the last lines of each song: “Scuse me while I disappear” and “I just had to let it go,” respectively)

12:00–1:00 a.m.:
My Brightest Diamond, “Dragonfly,” Bring Me the Workhorse, Asthmatic Kitty
The Roots, “In the Music,” Game Theory, Def Jam
Dani Siciliano, “Think Twice,” Slappers, !K7
Jessica Bailiff, “Pressing,” Feels Like Home, Kranky
TV on the Radio, “Things You Can Do,” Return to Cookie Mountain, Interscope
Junior Boys, “Like a Child,” So This Is Goodbye, Domino
John Coltrane, “Song of the Underground Railroad,” The Complete Africa/Brass Sessions, Impulse
Wayne Shorter, “Deluge,” Juju, Blue Note
Gus Gus, “Polyesterday,” Polydistortion, 4AD
Lauryn Hill, “The Sweetest Thing,” Love Jones (Soundtrack), Columbia

1:00–2:00 a.m.:
The Family Stand, “Ghetto Heaven,” Chain, Atlantic
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, “The Mercy Seat,” Tender Prey, Mute
Jeff Buckley, “Lover, You Should Have Come Over,” Grace, Columbia
Green on Red, “Gravity Talks,” Gravity Talks, Warner Brothers
Astor Piazzolla, “Knife Fight,” The Rough Dancer and the Cyclical Night (Tango Apasionado), Nonesuch
Interpol, “Obstacle 2,” Turn on the Bright Lights, Matador
Lush, “Sweetness and Light,” Gala, 4AD
Hooverphonic, “Out of Tune,” Blue Wonder Power Milk, Epic
David Sylvian, “Taking the Veil,” Gone to Earth, Virgin
Neil Finn, “Secret God,” One Nil, Parlophone
Latin Playboys, “Lemon ’n Ice,” Dose, Atlantic
Juan Luis Guerra y 440, “Carta de Amor,” Bachata Rosa, Polygram Latino

2:00–3:00 a.m.:
Brian Eno and John Cale, “Spinning Away,” Wrong Way Up, Warner Brothers
Wire, “Ahead,” The Ideal Copy, Mute
The The, “Flesh and Bones,” If You Can’t Please Yourself You Can’t Please Your Soul, Some Bizarre
Broken Social Scene, “KC Accidental,” You Forgot It in People, Arts and Crafts
New Order, “Age of Consent,” Power, Corruption and Lies, Qwest
Everything but the Girl, “Low Tide of the Night,” Temperamental, Atlantic
Ron Sexsmith, “In Place of You,” Ron Sexsmith, Interscope
Cassandra Wilson, “Until,” New Moon Daughter, Blue Note
Siouxsie and the Banshees, “Blow the House Down,” Hyæna, Geffen
Big Star, “Big Black Car,” Third/Sister Lovers, Ryko
Cocteau Twins, “Seekers Who Are Lovers,” Milk and Kisses, Capitol
(Frank Sinatra, “Angel Eyes,” Only the Lonely, Capitol)
(John Lennon and Yoko Ono, “Watching the Wheels,” Double Fantasy, Capitol)

Episode 48

2006-09-12T03:28:00.000-05:00

     In assembling the last three episodes, I’ve had some hard choices to make, for there’s no shortage of great music. Over a span of about four weeks, I continually added candidates for the final show to a list that in the end had over 60 items. At that point, having enough material for slightly more than two three-hour shows, I had to start the painful process of paring things down, moving items that didn’t make the cut for the final show to episode 49. Then, episode 49 was too long to accommodate the September 12 releases that I’ve been looking forward giving a spin (e.g., Junior Boys, TV on the Radio, Shawn Colvin and Dani Siciliano). In any event, the next two shows are going to be jam-packed with really great stuff.
     For that matter, though, so is this one, though it also features a compromise of sorts. As my previous posts about the final episode have made clear, there are a number of tunes I love that I’ve kept in reserve, some of which you’ll hear next week and many more in the week following. One of those tracks has been held back for an additional reason: it’s over 20 minutes long. I decided yesterday that if I didn’t get it on the air this morning, I never would. And thus it is that my hands-down favorite track by Fela is taking up nearly a third of the last hour of the show. It’s an engaging third, even though the track’s inclusion meant that other worthy things had to be omitted.
     Among the other gems on offer this week is a track from a hard-to-find release by Barbara Gogan (it’s yet another collaboration between her and Hector Zazou). There’s also a selection from the latest release by Susana Baca—who’ll be back at the University of Chicago performing previewing a collaboration with Luna Negra on 13 October. The Thom Yorke track below is the first exception to a rule I developed a few years ago: whatever song I like the least on a recording will be the one released as a single (relatedly, the song I like most will forever be only an album cut). For once, though, my tastes and those of a recording company/artist aligned. If there had been time, I would have played the extended version, but, well, you’ve read enough about time constraints, no? If you’ve got some time to kill (and you must if you’ve gotten this far), check out the video for the tune.
     I’ll say only one more thing about this show. Unbeknownst to you, I have been playing tracks by artists who’ll be represented on the final two episodes for the last several weeks. The question for you, of course, is this: “Which among the dozens of tracks are from those artists or groups?” Comparing the recent playlists with those in the archives might give you some clues. If you’re up for a challenge, you could put a guess in the comments. Still, I doubt that anyone will guess which artist gets the coveted last slot. Most of my friends would probably supply the same answer, and they would unfortunately be wrong. That particular artist or group will more than likely have the second-to-last slot. Once again, stay tuned....

12:00–1:00 a.m.:
Stevie Wonder, “Love’s in Need of Love Today,” Songs in the Key of Life, Motown
Billy Bragg, “Ideology,” Talking with the Taxman about Poetry, Elektra
Carla Bozulich, “Evangelista II,” Evangelista, Constellation
Cibelle, “Phoenix,” The Shine of Dried Electric Leaves, Six Degrees
Public Image Ltd., “Rise,” Album, Elektra
Stephen Malkmus, “Kindling for the Master,” Face the Truth, Matador
Kaki King, “Gay Sons of Lesbian Mothers,” ...Until We Felt Red, Velour
Juana Molina, “Yo No,” Son, Domino
The Pretty Things, “Defecting Grey,” S.F. Sorrow, Snapper Classics
Broadcast, “Black Cat,” Tender Buttons, Warp
Sol Seppy, “Slo Fuzz,” The Bells of 1 2, Gronland

1:00–2:00 a.m.:
The Style Council, “It’s a Very Deep Sea,” Confessions of a Pop Group, Polydor
Neko Case & Her Boyfriends, “South Tacoma Way,” Furnace Room Lullaby, Bloodshot
The Delgados, “The Drowning Years,” Hate, Minty Fresh
Daníel Ágúst, “Intersection,” Swallowed a Star, One Little Indian
Nina Nastasia, “This Is What It Is,” The Blackened Air, Touch and Go
Elliott Smith, “Baby Britain,” XO, Dreamworks
Vinny Miller, “On the Block,” On the Block, 4AD
Feist, “When I Was a Young Girl,” Let It Die, Polydor
Barbara Gogan with Hector Zazou, “Your Radio’s On,” Made on Earth, Crammed
Thom Yorke, “Harrowdown Hill,” The Eraser, XL
Nine Horses, “A History of Holes,” Snow Borne Sorrow, Samadhi Sound

2:00–3:00 a.m.:
Cocteau Twins, “Violaine,” Milk and Kisses, Capitol
Fela Anikulapo Kuti and Egypt 80, “Just Like That,” Beasts of No Nation, Shanachie
The Sundays, “More,” Blind, Geffen
Bark Psychosis, “The Loom,” Hex, Caroline
Eric Matthews, “Courage,” Foundation Sounds, Empyrean
Susana Baca, “Una Copla Me Ha Cantado,” Travesías, Luaka Bop
Neil Finn, “Dream Date,” Try Whistling This, Work
Talk Talk, “I Believe in You,” Spirit of Eden, EMI

More about Episode 47

2006-09-07T13:16:00.000-05:00

     So after getting some much-needed rest and finishing a couple of work-related projects, I can finally say a bit more about what made Tuesday’s episode so special. First off, this is the time of year when record labels tend to release a lot of their best material—perhaps just at the moment when people in their most prized demographics are going back to school (and flush with infusions of cash from mom and dad). I think I passed out of the demographic two birthdays ago, but I still love the bounty that comes with the autumn. And so it is that nearly a third of the tracks on this episode come from new releases—and the majority of those artists were being played for the first time by me. Some of them really great, and if the show weren’t coming to an end soon, you’d surely hear a lot more of My Brightest Diamond, Amy Millan, Jessica Bailiff and M. Ward, among others. Alas, there are still other new releases that I haven’t programmed yet (e.g., Juana Molina), so there are some difficult decisions for me to make about episodes 48 and 49.
     Even more notable, though, is that I did something that I’d been promising/threatening to do for a long time Tuesday morning: I played a track by George Michael. Whenever I mention how much I love a couple of his albums, especially Older, my auditors often assume his music is some sort of guilty pleasure for me. It’s nothing of the sort. A guilty pleasure is something you like despite the fact that you know it has bad qualities, despite knowing that others might think ill of you for liking it. I think that album is brilliant. Full stop. I won’t listen to it furtively, hoping that I won’t get caught. I proselytize on behalf of it, pointing out the palpable influence of, say, Antonio Carlos Jobim on the songwriting or noting the clever final track that deftly recontextualizes elements from every other tune on the album. The only reason why I delayed playing his music for so long is that station personnel can sometimes be, as one person put it, “indier-than-thou” in a way that is beyond annoying. Of course, anyone with that kind of bratty/snobbish outlook should set his sights on the final episode. Among the tracks chosen is a great object for his scorn/derision. And if he laments the sorry state of college radio (or just my show) at that point, I will simultaneously be pitying him for unnecessarily and arbitrarily limiting shutting out possibilities for enjoyment. But I digress...
     The last two new episodes are going to be, in part, housecleaning. I’m going to play a lot of things I’ve been meaning to play, even as I fold in new releases. The selections will probably seem even more disparate as I try to include all those little gems, whether they be beautiful, noisy or beautifully noisy. While the ride will end soon, there is still much to look forward to....

Episode 47

2006-09-05T07:03:00.000-05:00

Had things gone the way they normally do, this post would have appeared more than three hours ago. I’ll spare you the details (which you could easily supply) and say only that my show was more than twice as long as usual. What you see listed below, including the tracks in parentheses, was as much as I could reasonably include as my show. The items not listed there, which carried me until about 6:40 a.m., were simply a way for me to get through the morning. Perhaps later in the day, I’ll amend this post (or add another) with my thoughts on this episode. Until then, enjoy imagining how the show might have sounded....

12:00–1:00 a.m.:
Do Make Say Think, “End of Music,” & Yet & Yet, Constellation
Midlake, “Young Bride,” The Trials of Van Occupanther, Bella Union
Pajo, “Prescription Blues,” 1968, Drag City
Cass McCombs, “What Isn’t Nature,” A, Monitor
Giardini di Mirò, “Malmoe (...my supreme idea of love),” The Soft Touch EP, Contact
Bebel Gilberto, “Alguém,” Tanto Tempo, Six Degrees
Gorillaz, “Latin Simone,” Gorillaz, Virgin
The Free Design, “Umbrellas,” Kites Are Fun, Light in the Attic
Saint Etienne, “Don’t Back Down,” Sound of Water, Sub Pop
Sufjan Stevens, “Pittsfield,” The Avanlanche, Asthmatic Kitty
.O.Rang, “Mind on Pleasure,” Herd of Instinct, Echo

1:00–2:00 a.m.:
The Posies, “Everyone Moves Away,” Dear 23, Geffen
The Beautiful South, “I Love You (But You’re Boring),” Welcome to the Beautiful South, Elektra
Lisa Germano, “Red Thread,” In the Maybe World, Young God
George Michael, “To Be Forgiven,” Older, Dreamworks
Kenny Garrett, “2 Down and 1 Across,” Songbook, Warner Brothers
Bahia Black, “Gwagwa o De,” Ritual Beating System, Axiom
Nick Drake, “Man in a Shed,” Time of No Reply, Hannibal
The Czars, “Autumn,” The Ugly People vs. the Beautiful People, Bella Union
Amy Millan, “Wayward and Parliament,” Honey from the Tombs, Arts and Crafts
M. Ward, “Right in the Head,” Post-War, Merge
The Cowboy Junkies, “I Did It All for You,” Open, Latent/Zoë

2:00–3:00 a.m.:
Jeru the Damaja, “Come Clean,” The Sun Rises in the East, Payday/FFRR
The Cinematic Orchestra, “Reel Life (Evolution II),” Man with a Movie Camera, Ninja Tune
My Brightest Diamond, “Disappear,” Bring Me the Workhorse, Asthmatic Kitty
Mirah, “La Familia,” You Think It’s Like This but Really It’s Like This, K
Héctor Buitrago, “Lamente Zen,” Conector, Nacional
Espers, “Mansfield and Cyclops,” Espers II, Drag City
Jessica Bailiff, “Spiral Dream,” Feels Like Home, Kranky
Steel Pulse, “Soldiers,” Handsworth Revolution, Mango
Fiona Apple, “The Way Things Are,” When the Pawn..., Clean Slate/Epic
Felix Laband, “Red Handed,” Dark Days Exit, Compost
Glenn Kotche, “Fantasy on a Shona Theme,” Mobile, Nonesuch
(Cocteau Twins, “Lazy Calm,” Victorialand, 4AD)
(Lady and Bird, “La Ballade of Lady and Bird,” Lady and Bird, Yellow Tangerine)

Episode 46

2006-08-29T03:42:00.000-05:00

     It’s as good a time as any to start the countdown. After this episode, there are only four more installments of ECI, and now that the playlist for the final show is nearly complete, I can finally tell you what to expect. In a previous post, I mentioned that I had two possible ways to approach episode 50 without saying what they were. The first, admittedly banal idea was for me to search the archived playlists selecting from them the best tracks that would make an interesting three-hour show. The second was for me to dig into that cache of songs so cherished that I’ve never played any of them on air—reserving them for a time when my inspiration might flag. That mental cache is filled with songs that I love more than anything else. Predictably, the tracks chosen for the final show result from a mixture of both approaches. There’s one more conceit, suggested by one of my friends as she wondered aloud how I could decide what to play: to make the show something of a listening autobiography. To a degree, the final episode will function in that way, but the sequence will be guided more by sound than chronology if I choose to go that route.
     As for this morning’s show, I’ve wanted for a long time to begin an episode with the Parliament track listed below. My playing it even sparked an interesting conversation between me and David Waldman, host of the Evil Show (the show which comes on before mine and always closes with Otis Rush’s “I Wonder Why”). Unfortunately, those whose interest was piqued by George Clinton’s lyrical suggestion to “stay tuned for Starchild” were probably disappointed to hear, instead, me talking about what a gray, dreary day Chicago had experienced. But the day was inspiration for the episode’s second track, another tune I’ve been wanting to play for a while.
     The rest of the show finds me already digging into the cache and pulling out some tracks (by, e.g., Rickie Lee Jones, the Last Poets, the Style Council, Kraftwerk, Siouxsie & the Bansheees and Elvis Costello) that have been hovering at the edge of my radio consciousness for some time. This episode features, as well, a few tracks from things that have recently caught my ear. Right now, I can’t say that one of them, the new OutKast release Idlewild is better than its predecessor (Speakerboxxx/The Love Below), but given the new album’s status as a soundtrack, I can be a bit more relaxed in evaluating it—and it is good. I managed to include tracks this morning featuring both Andre 3000 and Big Boi, respectively. With careful planning, I’ll be able to slip a few more into the remaining episodes. Doing so will be difficult, though, because there’s a considerable backlog of equally suitable material on my list at home. Even more, there are about twelve new CDs that I’ve been eagerly anticipating that are being released (and that I’ll be acquiring) over the next three or four weeks. Those releases, including albums by M. Ward, My Brightest Diamond, Pajo, Chad VanGaalen, Amy Millan and Junior Boys, are going to offer OutKast (and anyone else) a lot of competition. And that means, perhaps, that the arc for the final four shows will be one of increasing quality. Stay tuned...
     (Note: Once again, the show went a little longer than expected. The final two tracks, the ones in parentheses, were fine last-minute additions not originally included in the playlist.)

12:00–1:00 a.m.:
Parliament, “P-Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up),” Mothership Connection, Casablanca
The Jimi Hendrix Experience, “Rainy Day, Dream Away,” Electric Ladyland, MCA
Mali Music, “Spoons,” Mali Music, Honest Jon’s
Trembling Blue Stars, “Sleep,” Broken by Whispers, Sub Pop
The Beatles, “I’m Only Sleeping,” Revolver, Parlophone
The Clash, “(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais,” The Clash, Epic
The Waterboys, “This Is the Sea,” This Is the Sea, Chrysalis
Yuka Honda, “Some Days I Stay in Bed for Hours,” Memories Are My Only Witness, Tzadik
Sol Seppy, “Move,” The Bells of 1 2, Gronland
Mono, “Playboys,” Formica Blues, Mercury
Rickie Lee Jones, “Away from the Sky,” Flying Cowboys, Geffen

1:00–2:00 a.m.:
The The, “Heartland,” Infected, Epic
The Stone Roses, “Made of Stone,” The Stone Roses, Silvertone
XTC, “Summer’s Cauldron/Grass,” Skylarking, Geffen
OutKast, “Life Is Like a Musical,” Idlewild, LaFace
The Last Poets, “Time,” This Is Madness, Douglas
OutKast, “Bamboo & Cross (Interlude)/Buggface,” Idlewild, LaFace
Chocolate Genius, “Life,” Black Music, V2
Scritti Politti, “Petrococadollar,” White Bread Black Beer, Nonesuch/Rough Trade
The Style Council, “Changing of the Guard,” Confessions of a Pop Group, Polydor
Pavement, “Type Slowly,” Brighten the Corners, Matador
Mice Parade, “Milton Road,” Obrigado Saudade, Bubble Core
Sondre Lerche, “Days That Are Over,” Two Way Monologue, Astralwerks
Kraftwerk, “The Hall of Mirrors,” Trans-Europe Express, Capitol

2:00–3:00 a.m.:
Siouxsie and the Banshees, “Bring Me the Head of the Preacher Man,” Hyæna, Geffen
Tones on Tail, “Real Life,” Everything, Beggars Banquet
The Sugarcubes, “Water,” Here Today, Tomorrow Next Week!, Elektra
Nine Horses, “Serotonin,” Snow Borne Sorrow, Samadhi Sound
Brookville, “Today,” Life in the Shade, Unfiltered
Sing-Sing, “Going Out Tonight,” Sing-Sing and I, Aerial
The Smiths, “Unloveable,” Louder than Bombs, Sire
Tom Waits, “Clap Hands,” Rain Dogs, Island
Nick Lowe, “Time I Took a Holiday,” Dig My Mood, Upstart
Elvis Costello, “Brilliant Mistake,” King of America, Columbia
Lady and Bird, “Blue Skies,” Lady and Bird, Yellow Tangerine
Stina Nordenstam, “Murder in Mairyland Park,” And She Closed Her Eyes, East West
Robin Guthrie, “As I Breathe,” Continental, Darla
(Red House Painters, “Evil,” Red House Painters [II], 4AD)
(Sonic Youth, “Pink Steam,” Rather Ripped, Geffen)

Episode 45

2006-08-22T03:27:00.000-05:00

     For the last few days, I’ve had an overriding sense of calm and satisfaction as the end of the show draws closer. Almost as though it were approaching from the horizon, its outlines are becoming more and more clear. A few of my close friends know something of the selection principles that will generate the final playlist. I’m still not ready to reveal anything definitive, wanting to let the mystery linger a little longer. I will say only that I know—as I have since the first episode of the show—what the last ECI song will be. In case anyone wants to try to figure out what it will be, here’s a vague hint: the track, which is nearly fifteen years old, will apparently be featured in a film that premieres in German theatres in late October. (And, for the record, that’s not why I picked the track.)
     “Yeah, yeah,” you say, “enough with the teasing: what do you have to say about this morning’s episode?” Lots, it turns out. First, big thanks go to Dawn, Michael and Jason for inadvertently giving me a number of ideas about artists to play on this show and in the future (especially the R&B tracks). Nothing like good friends to open one’s ears. Next, for at least two reasons, I’ve long been wanting to play the Joe Henderson track listed below on the show. One, it’s a great tune that features top-notch soloists playing with a stellar rhythm section. And two, the Henderson album’s liner notes (written by Don Heckman) provide some of the lyrical material for the second of the Digable Planets tunes below (the one after the slash). By themselves, the DP tunes are wryly self-referential, but, like the quotation I just mentioned, the external sonic and lyrical allusions are perhaps even more clever. The remainder of the cleverness here comes from a series of artist/tune pairings that might at first glance seem incompatible. The list of the examples runs throughout the entire show: Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth/Tanya Donelly, Digable Planets/Spain, UB40(!)/Fennesz, Grandaddy/D’Angelo, Bill Withers/Polyphonic Spree. As is always the case, though, the proof is in the hearing.
      Finally, though, the highlight of the show for me, and indeed the preceding day, was a gift from the mail carrier: my pre-ordered copy of Eric Matthews’ first new, full-length album in, what, nine years? For so auspicious an occasion, I had to play two tracks, one from the album proper and the other from the bonus EP that came with discs pre-ordered from the label. I haven’t given either of them a proper, concentrated listen, but I suspect that will happen later today. And one last silly observation. It didn’t occur to me until I was finalizing the playlist that there was a subtle style descriptor in the name of the last band played on this morning’s episode. After all, I have never had a reason to say the name out loud or be concerned about its pronunciation. Now that I have, I appreciate the cleverness of it.
     Are you sick of the word “clever” and its many derivatives yet? I am, so I’ll slink off to bed, leaving you to ponder the list below....

12:00–1:00 a.m.:
Elk City, “Solar Girl,” Status, A Hidden Agenda
Television Personalities, “Then a Big Boy Came and Knocked It All Down,” My Dark Places, Domino
Carl Craig, “I Have Got Garlic Hanging on My Front Door,” Onsumothasheeat, Shadow (a remix of a track originally found on Marasma’s Signals, Freerange)
Spleen, “Un Danse Pour Dick et Bob,” Soundtrack to Spleen, Swari Finger
P.J. Harvey, “Goodnight,” 4-Track Demos, Island
Devendra Banhart, “Lazy Butterfly,” Cripple Crow, XL
Shearwater, “Hail, Mary,” Palo Santo, Misra
The Art of Noise, “Comes and Goes,” Into Battle with the Art of Noise, ZTT
Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth, “Carmel City,” The Main Ingredient, Elektra
Tanya Donelly, “So Much Song,” Beautysleep, 4AD
Islands, “Humans,” Return to the Sea, Equator
Cowboy Junkies, “Dragging Hooks (River Song Trilogy: Part III),” Open, Latent/Zoë

1:00–2:00 a.m.:
World Party, “Here Comes the Future,” Dumbing Up, Seaview
Sly & the Family Stone, “Frisky,” Fresh, Epic
A Certain Ratio, “Rialto,” Sextet, Factory
Joe Henderson, “Short Story,” In ’n Out, Blue Note
Digable Planets, “Escapism (Getting’ Free)/Appointment at the Fat Clinic,” Reachin’ (A New Refutation of Time and Space), Pendulum
Spain, “Ten Nights,” The Blue Moods of Spain, Restless
George Harrison, “Let It Down,” All Things Must Pass, Capitol
UB40, “King,” Signing Off, Virgin
Fennesz, “The Point of It All,” Venice, Touch UK
Sinéad O’Connor, “Just Call Me Joe,” The Lion and the Cobra, Chrysalis
The Pixies, “Ana,” Bossanova, 4AD

2:00–3:00 a.m.:
Eric Matthews, “And the World Will Go,” Foundation Sounds, Empyrean
Eric Matthews, “Million Errors,” Foundation Sounds—Limited Edition EP, Empyrean
Grandaddy, “‘Yeah’ Is What We Had,” Sumday, V2
D’Angelo, “Alright,” Brown Sugar, EMI
Bill Withers, “Let Me in Your Life (Live at Carnegie Hall),” Still Bill, Columbia/Legacy
The Polyphonic Spree, “Days Like This Keep Me Warm,” The Beginning Stages of ... the Polyphonic Spree, Hollywood
Sam Prekop, “So Shy,” Sam Prekop, Thrill Jockey
The Album Leaf, “Twentytwofourteen,” In a Safe Place, Sub Pop
Massive Attack, “Butterfly Caught,” 100th Window, Virgin
Scheer, “Face the Sun,” ...And Finally, Schism
Dif Juz, “Gunet,” Vibrating Air EP, 4AD

Episode 44

2006-08-15T03:39:00.000-05:00

     This episode has to be among the most difficult I’ve ever put together. The issue wasn’t a lack of good material. When I started working on the show Sunday afternoon, I already had 90 minutes of material that hadn’t made it into previous episodes. By the time I finished going through the list of other items that I might include, I found myself with another three hours of music. No, the challenge this time was that I had a set of contenders that were mostly ambient/hazy songs with medium-to-slow tempos. While I eventually found a way to vary the mood and pacing of the show, it took some time and ingenuity.
     While many of the artists (and albums) listed below have appeared on previous playlists, there are a few items that I programmed for the first time—some of them after having tried in vain to find a place for them before. Thus, even though I bought Wolf Parade’s Apologies to the Queen Mary last December, I’ve only recently warmed enough to the disc to give it a good listen and feel one of its tracks might nicely follow, say, a HNIA tune. Something similar is true of the Uncle Tupelo track. In contrast, when I first listened to Lisa Germano’s latest, the question wasn’t whether I could get something into the show, but which among the tracks I would play first. As for some of the artists showing up for the first time (The Cranberries, Translator), chalk their inclusion up to nostalgia.
     Much of the remainder of the show has me almost rediscovering artists I haven’t featured in months, e.g., Kings of Convenience, Sade, Yuka Honda and the Cinematic Orchestra. The latter group is probably the one that has gone the longest without ECI airplay. If you were look through the archived playlists, it would take some time to find the last time I played something by the group. In fact, you would have to go all the back to here, where you would find “The Man with a Movie Camera” nestled in the second hour of the very first episode.
     As we come closer to the end, you can expect to see more reflexive playlists, ones where I revisit recordings that seem to have been lost in my never-ending stream of new acquisitions. Don’t worry, though, my desire to keep the show interesting means that the new releases coming between now and September’s end will also be given their due. With so much great stuff coming and so much more already in the queue, it should be easy for me to make the last six episodes a lot of fun....

12:00–1:00 a.m.:
Piano Magic, “The Tollbooth Martyrs,” The Troubled Sleep of Piano Magic, Green UFOs
Rachel’s, “Reflective Surfaces/Unclear Channel,” Systems/Layers, Quarterstick
Kings of Convenience, “The Weight of My Words,” Quiet Is the New Loud, Astralwerks
Cibelle, “Mad Man Song,” The Shine of Dried Electric Leaves, Six Degrees
Translator, “Everywhere That I’m Not,” Heartbeats and Triggers, 415
Sleater-Kinney, “Entertain,” The Woods, Sub Pop
Odawas, “Kids,” The Aether Eater, Jagjaguwar
Bow Wow Wow, “Baby, Oh No,” I Want Candy, RCA
His Name Is Alive, “*C*A*T*S*,” Detrola, Silver Mountain
Wolf Parade, “Dinner Bells,” Apologies to the Queen Mary, Sub Pop
Hooverphonic, “Eden,” Blue Wonder Power Milk, Epic
Sade, “Slave Song,” Lovers Rock, Epic

1:00–2:00 a.m.:
Wire, “Kidney Bingos,” A Bell Is a Cup Until It Is Struck, Mute
The Dukes of Stratosphear, “Collideascope,” Chips from the Chocolate Fireball, Geffen
Los Lobos, “Saint Behind the Glass,” Kiko, Warner Brothers
Broadcast, “Corporeal,” Tender Buttons, Warp
Logh, “Ahabian,” A Sunset Panorama, Hydra Head
Uncle Tupelo, “Anodyne,” Anodyne, Sire/Reprise
The Cranberries, “Put Me Down,” Everybody Else Is Doing It, Why Can’t We? Island
The Durutti Column, “Helen,” Keep Breathing, Artful
Lisa Germano, “Into Oblivion,” In the Maybe World, Young God
Rose Melberg, “Little Bird,” Cast Away the Clouds, Double Agent
Great Lake Swimmers, “I Could Be Nothing,” Bodies and Minds, Misra
Dave Navarro, “Mourning Sun,” Trust No One, Capitol
Blue States, “Looking Glass,” Nothing Changes Under the Sun, Eighteenth Street Lounge

2:00–3:00 a.m.:
The Roots, “Ain’t Sayin’ Nothin’ New,” Things Fall Apart, MCA
Beth Gibbons and Rustin Man, “Spider Monkey,” Out of Season, Sanctuary
Yuka Honda, “Night Diving,” Memories Are My Only Witness, Tzadik
Celebration, “China,” Celebration, 4AD
Mojave 3, “When You’re Drifting,” Excuses for Travellers, 4AD
Carla Bozulich, “Prince of the World,” Evangelista, Constellation
The Cardigans, “Couldn’t Care Less,” Long Gone Before Daylight, Stockholm
Violet Indiana, “Angel,” Roulette, Bella Union
The Cinematic Orchestra, “Burn Out,” Every Day, Ninja Tune
Boards of Canada, “Tears from the Compound Eye,” The Campfire Headphase, Warp
Sybarite, “Three Sided,” Nonument, 4AD

Episode 43

2006-08-08T03:29:00.000-05:00

     Alright, maybe last week it was just the heat. Putting this week’s episode together and getting to the studio was much easier this time out. Of course, choosing which songs to play was, as always, a study in the minutiae of timing, transitions, and strategy. Where to start? Where to end? How to create a sense of flow and/or drama?
     There are some wonderfully fortuitous things that the selection of songs I devised allowed me to do. Take the first hour of the show, for example. While the tracks by Syd Barrett and Love are obviously there in tribute to performers who recently died—Barrett a couple of weeks ago and Arthur Lee, the singer and one of the main songwriters of Love, at the end of last week—the latter track was the beginning of set focused on oblique anti-war, anti-government and anti-capitalist tunes that just worked together. Immediately following that set is one whose conceit, as silly as it may seem on screen, was one that just came together when I realized that, without trying, I had picked three songs by artists with basically the same first name. It helps, of course, that I love all three of the source albums. (There is a bit of cheating here, though: both Buitrago and Zazou rely on other vocalists—Andrea Echeverri and Barbara Louise Gogan, respectively.)
     Similar things are at work in the second and third hours. A set focused mostly on songs that rely on synths and drum machines (Depeche Mode through Mark Eitzel) ends with a cover. The subtle connector between that set and the next? The Nick Cave tune is also a cover. And, oddly, writing down the label information for the Sing-Sing tune reminded me that I hadn’t played anything from Kate Bush’s recent album since late last year. In addition, throughout the show, there are as usual places where the sounds at the end of one song made it really clear what the next one should be. When things go this well, I could almost regret my imminent departure from the airwaves. Almost.
     This episode has its share of new material and choice older material. Where the former is concerned, expect to hear more from Héctor Buitrago, Lady and Bird, and Scritti Politti as we inch closer to the show’s finale. Where the latter is concerned, more and more of my CDs stand unfiled in piles on the floor of my living room, affording me a visual guide to what I haven’t played on the air. When September ends, I think I’m going to have a massive shelving job to do. Anyone who wants to volunteer to help is more than welcome....

12:00–1:00 a.m.:
Múm, “Weeping Rock, Rock,” Summer Make Good, Fat Cat
Komeda, “Flabbergast,” What Makes It Go?, Minty Fresh
Robert Wyatt, “Sea Song,” Rock Bottom, Thirsty Ear
Syd Barrett, “Dark Globe,” The Madcap Laughs, Capitol
Love, “The Red Telephone,” Forever Changes, Elektra
The Police, “Invisible Sun,” Ghost in the Machine, A&M
Gang of Four, “Of the Instant,” Songs of the Free, Warner Brothers
Héctor Lavoe, “El Todopoderoso,” La Voz, Fania
Héctor Buitrago, “Ooohhhh,” Conector, Nacional
Hector Zazou, “Sahara Blue (Brussels),” Sahara Blue, Tristar
Do Make Say Think, “The Landlord Is Dead,” Goodbye Enemy Airship The Landlord Is Dead, Constellation

1:00–2:00 a.m.:
Jane Siberry, “Goodbye,” The Walking, Reprise
Depeche Mode, “Love, in Itself,” Construction Time Again, Sire
Scritti Politti, “The Boom Boom Bap,” White Bread Black Beer, Nonesuch/Rough Trade
Mark Eitzel, “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?,” Music for Courage and Confidence, New West
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, “The Carnival Is Over,” Kicking Against the Pricks, Mute
The Lilac Time, “Wait and See,” And Love for All, Fontana
Donald Fagen, “Mary Shut the Garden Door,” Morph the Cat, Reprise
Vinny Miller, “Bagged and Tagged,” On the Block, 4AD
Common, “Jimi Was a Rock Star,” Electric Circus, MCA
Sing-Sing, “Unseen,” Sing-Sing and I, Aerial
Doves, “Firesuite,” Lost Souls, Astralwerks

2:00–3:00 a.m.:
The Pogues, “Dirty Old Town,” Rum, Sodomy and the Lash, WEA
Low, “Bright,” Transmission EP, Vernon Yard
Stina Nordenstam, “Crime,” And She Closed Her Eyes, East West
A.R.Kane, “Suicide Kiss,” Sixty Nine, One Little Indian
Nick Drake, “Parasite,” Pink Moon, Hannibal
Lady and Bird, “Run in the Morning Sun,” Lady and Bird, Yellow Tangerine
Neko Case & Her Boyfriends, “Porchlight,” Furnace Room Lullaby, Bloodshot
Suzanne Vega, “Thin Man,” Nine Objects of Desire, A&M
Dead Can Dance, “Advent,” Spleen and Ideal, 4AD
Kate Bush, “Nocturn,” Aerial, Columbia
Vetiver, “No One Word,” To Find Me Gone, Dicristina
Robin Guthrie, “Monument,” Continental, Darla

Episode 42

2006-08-01T03:30:00.000-05:00

     Today, it seems, the grind of weekly shows is finally starting to wear on me. Or maybe I’m still suffering from the effects of being outdoors in greater-than-95° weather for two days this past weekend at the Pitchfork Music Festival. And, as if the drain of the weekend wasn’t enough, people in the Chicago area know that the heat will continue sucking the life out of us all for at least another 36 hours (it was still near 88° when I walked to the studio at 11:30!).
     For me, in comparison to last year’s event, this year’s occasion for hipsters to roast in the sun (the aforementioned festival) was underwhelming. Were it not for surprisingly good sets by Diplo, Glenn Kotche, the Chicago Underground Duo, Os Mutantes, Yo La Tengo, Destroyer and Aesop Rock & Mr. Lif (the first three of which were in the small tent), I might have come away wanting my weekend back (for the record, I missed Jens Lekman). I haven’t yet gotten my hands on the latest recordings by the acts I really dug at the festival, so expect to hear more from them in the coming weeks. On this episode only one group from the festival is included: Mission of Burma. I joked to one of the guys in the small party that I hung with for both days that MoB’s spirited performance provided inspiration for middle-aged punks everywhere. Then again, Yo La Tengo’s did the same for aging “alternakids.”
     As for the rest of this morning’s show, what can I say that I haven’t said already about previous episodes? If I were to point out how strangely effective following Kris Kristofferson with P.J. Harvey was, you would recognize the conceit. The same would be true if I observed that the choice of tracks by Kristofferson, Curve, the 19.5 Collective, Iris DeMent, Big Star and Morsel was the result of my getting reacquainted with my home CD library. There is one new thing I can say: next week will feature a lot of great new stuff (that is if all of the deliveries make it to my apartment by next Monday). Stay tuned....

12:00–1:00 a.m.:
Scheer, “Babysize,” Infliction, 4AD
Russian Futurists, “Pine Prisonyard,” Method of Modern Love, Upper Class
Mission of Burma, “Einstein’s Day,” Vs., Rykodisc
Aden, “Left Off Here,” Black Cow, Teenbeat
Elliott Smith, “Christian Brothers,” Elliott Smith, Kill Rock Stars
The Posies, “Mrs. Green,” Dear 23, Geffen
Green on Red, “Over My Head,” Gravity Talks, Warner Brothers
Curve, “Sandpit,” Doppelgänger, Charisma
The Glove, “Sex-Eye-Make-Up,” Blue Sunshine, Polydor
Rickie Lee Jones, “Scary Chinese Movie,” Ghostyhead, Reprise
Pet Shop Boys, “Later Tonight,” Please, EMI
Gema y Pável, “Noche de Ronda,” Cosa de Broma, Nubenegra/Intuition

1:00–2:00 a.m.:
Iris DeMent, “Easy’s Gettin’ Harder Every Day,” My Life, Warner Brothers
The Delgados, “Coming in from the Cold,” Hate, Minty Fresh
Daníel Ágúst, “Sparks Fly,” Swallowed a Star, One Little Indian
Trembling Blue Stars, “Snow Showers,” Broken by Whispers, Sub Pop
Brian McBride, “Our Last Moment in Song,” When the Detail Lost Its Freedom, Kranky
Le Volume Courbe, “Harmony,” I Killed My Best Friend, Honest Jon’s
Cass McCombs, “Equinox,” PREfection, Monitor/4AD
Kris Kristofferson, “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down,” Kristofferson, Monument
P.J. Harvey, “The Garden,” Is This Desire?, Island
Brookville, “Break Yourself,” Life in the Shade, Unfiltered
The 19.5 Collective, “This Isn’t Jupiter,” The 19.5 Collective, Planet Ant
Matthew Herbert, “Waste Land,” Plat du Jour, Accidental

2:00–3:00 a.m.:
Sufjan Stevens, “Sister,” Seven Swans, Asthmatic Kitty
Rachel Goswell, “Plucked,” Waves Are Universal, 4AD
Anja Garbarek, “Beyond My Control,” Balloon Mood, RCA
Ryan Adams, “Wild Flowers,” Gold, Lost Highway
Crowded House, “Kare Kare,” Together Alone, Capitol
Morsel, “Wreck,” I’m a Wreck, Small Stone
Sol Seppy, “A to N,” The Bells of 1 2, Gronland
This Mortal Coil, “Come Here, My Love/At First, and Then,” Filigree & Shadow, 4AD
Asobi Seksu, “Red Sea,” Citrus, Friendly Fire
Lloyd Cole, “My Other Life,” Music in a Foreign Language, One Little Indian
Big Star, “Dream Lover,” Third/Sister Lovers, Ryko

Episode 41

2006-07-25T03:37:00.000-05:00

     I made the announcement on air this morning. After the show whose playlist you see below, there will be only nine more episodes of ECI. I’ll put off giving an explanation until the final blog entry, which you’ll see shortly after 3:00 a.m. on 26 September. What I’m going to do for episode 50 is still up in the air. Right now, there are two possibilities—about which I’ll write more before the final entry—that will more than likely be combined.
     As was the case last week, this episode started in a more straight rock vein than some of you might have grown accustomed to getting from me, but by the end of the hour more standard ECI fare was again on offer. You know the drill: there seemingly can’t be a show without something by an artist on 4AD, Drag City, Arts & Crafts or Matador. While I’ll cop to liking almost everything ever released on 4AD, the Drag City, Arts & Crafts and Matador recurrences are purely coincidental (as are any others you might have noticed).
     There are a few goodies sprinkled throughout the show, thanks to what seems to be my insatiable desire for buying new CDs/clearing off my Amazon Wish List in addition to mining every CD I already own for show-worthy tracks. So keep your virtual ears peeled for tracks from Carla Bozulich and Television Personalities among the new releases and Deep Rumba, the Au Pairs, Edith Frost, Roddy Frame, D’Angelo, Gang of Four and Stevie Wonder among the deep and not-so-deep catalog material. As always, it’s all good stuff. I just hope I can keep finding great things for the next nine weeks. Though with new releases coming from Eric Matthews, Midlake, Lisa Germano, TV on the Radio and several reissues in the pipeline (including a total of six from Depeche Mode and the Cure), I think everything will be fine....

12:00–1:00 a.m.:
Medicine, “Miss Drugstore,” Shot Forth Self Living, Def American
Liz Phair, “Only Son,” Whitechocolatespaceegg, Matador
My Morning Jacket, “It Beats 4 U,” Z, ATO
Islands, “If,” Return to the Sea, Equator
Dinosaur Jr., “Poledo,” You’re Living All Over Me, Merge
The Au Pairs, “Fiasco,” Stepping Out of Line: The Anthology, Castle Music
Logh, “Trace Back the Particle Track,” A Sunset Panorama, Hydra Head
Sondre Lerche, “Track You Down,” Two Way Monologue, Astralwerks
Jason Collett, “Tinsel and Sawdust,” Idols of Exile, Arts and Crafts
Roddy Frame, “Big Ben,” Surf, spinART
Celebration, “Good Ship,” Celebration, 4AD
Deep Rumba, “Negro and Andy Run This Very Night into the Rumba,” Esta Noche en una Rumba, American Clave

1:00–2:00 a.m.:
Joe Henry, “Sold,” Tiny Voices, Anti
Broken Social Scene, “Guilty Cubicles,” Feel Good Lost, Arts and Crafts
Stevie Wonder, “Jesus Children of America,” Innervisions, Motown
The Art of Noise, “Who’s Afraid (Of the Art of Noise)?,” Who’s Afraid of the Art of Noise, ZTT
Malcolm McLaren, “World’s Famous,” Duck Rock, Island
Gang of Four, “If I Could Keep It for Myself,” Solid Gold, Warner Brothers
Pixies, “The Happening,” Bossanova, 4AD
The Flaming Lips, “My Cosmic Autumn Rebellion,” At War with the Mystics, Warner Brothers
Prefab Sprout, “Weightless,” Andromeda Heights, Kitchenware
The Czars, “Caterpillar,” The Ugly People vs. the Beautiful People, Bella Union
Electrelane, “I Keep Losing Heart,” Axes, Too Pure
Carla Bozulich, “Steal Away,” Evangelista, Constellation
Edith Frost, “Who,” Wonder Wonder, Drag City

2:00–3:00 a.m.:
Prince, “The Ballad of Dorothy Parker,” Sign ‘o’ the Times, Warner Brothers
Dali’s Car, “The Judgement [sic] Is the Mirror,” The Waking Hour, Beggars Banquet
Japan, “Sons of Pioneers,” Oil on Canvas, Virgin
The Sugarcubes, “Birthday,” Life’s Too Good, Elektra
Mercury Rev, “Diamonds,” The Secret Migration, V2
Finley Quaye, “It’s Great When We’re Together,” Maverick a Strike, Epic
D’Angelo, “Spanish Joint,” Voodoo, Virgin
Paul Weller, “It’s Written in the Stars,” Illumination, Yep Roc
Television Personalities, “You Kept Me Waiting Too Long,” My Dark Places, Domino
Colin Newman, “2-Sixes,” Commercial Suicide, Crammed
Sam Prekop, “The Shadow,” Sam Prekop, Thrill Jockey
Cowboy Junkies, “Blue Moon Revisited (Song for Elvis),” The Trinity Session, BMG

Episode 40

2006-07-18T03:25:00.000-05:00

     This morning’s show began in a much more straightforward rock vein than normal. I spent a good portion of the last week listening to things that I don’t normally have queued up in the stereo. And thus it was that I found myself really digging into the R.E.M. albums I rarely listen to (like many people, I’m partial to Murmur and Reckoning) and putting myself back in the sound world of Mitch Easter (the producer of both albums and the leader of Let’s Active). The songs that followed them just sort of flowed from there. Indeed, most of the show seems to be the result of my digging in the crates—pulling out Cibo Matto, the Blue Nile, Magazine, Blur, the Associates, some Detroit techno, etc.
     There are, to be sure, some new things sprinkled in the sequence. There’s an obligatory, non-single track from Thom Yorke’s The Eraser (released last week). There is, as well, a track from the newest release by Asobi Seksu, a band that many reviewers have described as trying to keep alive the “shoegazing” sound associated with My Bloody Valentine, Ride, Lush and Slowdive, among others. Alongside those items is at least one curiosity. The recent reissue of Robert Fripp’s Exposure includes all of the vocals done by Daryl Hall during the initial sessions for the album. Pressures from both Fripp’s label and Hall’s management resulted in all but two of them being re-recorded with different singers for the first release of the album. While I don’t want to be critical of the other singers (Terre Roche and Peter Hamill), it is nonetheless a revelation to hear the “lost” tunes—like the alternate take included below—as Fripp (and Hall) originally intended them. (And, yes, it is that Daryl Hall, the vocalist and keyboardist of Hall & Oates fame.)
     I can’t think of anything else to write, and rather than strain further to devise a clever sign-off, I’ll just leave you with a playlist to ponder....

12:00–1:00 a.m.:
R.E.M., “Leave,” New Adventures in Hi-Fi, Warner Brothers
Let’s Active, “Still Dark Out,” Big Plans for Everybody, IRS
The Jesus and Mary Chain, “Just Like Honey,” Psychocandy, Blanco y Negro
Badly Drawn Boy, “Another Pearl,” The Hour of Bewilderbeast, XL
American Analog Set, “Play Hurt,” Set Free, Arts and Crafts
Rhythim Is Rhythim, “Strings of Life (Piano Mix),” House Music All Night Long (The Best of House Music, Vol. 3), Profile
Robert Fripp, “Mary,” Exposure (Expanded Edition), Discipline
Gillian Welch, “I Made a Lovers Prayer,” Soul Journey, Acony
Neko Case, “Deep Red Bells,” Blacklisted, Bloodshot
Modest Mouse, “The Good Times Are Killing Me,” Good News for People Who Love Bad News, Epic
Jim O’Rourke, “Fuzzy Sun,” Halfway to a Threeway EP, Drag City
Cibo Matto, “Clouds,” Stereo Type A, Warner Brothers

1:00–2:00 a.m.:
Scott Walker, “Dealer,” Climate of Hunter, Virgin
New Order, “Leave Me Alone,” Power, Corruption and Lies, Qwest
Andrea Echeverri, “Baby Blues,” Andrea Echeverri, Nacional
The Blue Nile, “Automobile Noise,” A Walk Across the Rooftops, Linn
Magazine, “Permafrost,” Secondhand Daylight, Caroline
Mojave 3, “You Said It Before,” Puzzles Like You, 4AD
World Party, “You’re a Hurricane, I’m a Caravan,” Dumbing Up, Seaview
Jeff Buckley, “Grace,” Live at Sin-é (Legacy Edition), Columbia
Sigmatropic, “Introduction (‘On Stage: 2’),” Sixteen Haiku and Other Stories, Thirsty Ear
Herbert, “The Final Meal of Stacey Lawton,” Plat du Jour, Accidental
Lush, “Laura,” Spooky, 4AD
Sing-Sing, “Command,” The Joy of Sing-Sing, Manifesto

2:00–3:00 a.m.:
The Associates, “Q Quarters,” Fourth Drawer Down, Beggars Banquet
Beth Orton, “Don’t Need a Reason,” Trailer Park, Dedicated
Blur, “Death of a Party,” Blur, Virgin
Asobi Seksu, “Lions and Tigers,” Citrus, Friendly Fire
Murcof, “Rostro,” Remembranza, Leaf
Thom Yorke, “And It Rained All Night,” The Eraser, XL
Sarah Dougher, “Drunk #1,” Day One, K
Red House Painters, “Smokey,” Old Ramon, Sub Pop
Rose Melberg, “Constant and True,” Cast Away the Clouds, Double Agent
Bark Psychosis, “Eyes & Smiles,” Hex, Caroline

Episode 39

2006-07-11T03:47:00.000-05:00

     I’ve checked the calendar now (well, actually, I counted weeks on my fingers), and it seems that the still not-yet-announced final episode won’t fall exactly where I had hoped. Sigh. This lowly mortal can do little at this point (if ever he might have) to affect the calendrical intersection of the beginning of the academic year, the end of the station’s summer schedule, and nice, round-numbered episodes. Things may work out in my favor, so I’ll give away nothing more until everything is certain.
     This morning’s episode might seem wonderfully jumpy if you’re scanning the playlist without actually knowing all the tunes and how they fit together into sets. Does a Pavement tune actually follow one by Fiona Apple? Do Espers really segue into Van Hunt? Does Terence Trent D’Arby lead into Talk Talk? (The answers are yes, no and yes, respectively). Of course, those of you who read the secret ECI page, know that there were some other surprises (all for me) that made this playlist into something other than what I intended. Such, I guess, are the pleasures of live radio.
     The only other thing remaining for me to say about this episode is that two of its most beautiful selections come to you via two friends with great taste and wide open ears. After going back and forth for several weeks, I finally forked over the money to buy the (import-only) Sol Seppy CD that Jason recommended to me. Suffice it to say that I’ll be playing lots more from it in the coming weeks. Ditto for the Daníel Ágúst release, whose existence I learned of through J., co-host of WHPK’s Radio Zero. Interestingly enough, his recommendation was a double shot: not only did he recommend a good CD, he did so after seeing that I had played Gus Gus on a few previous shows. Yes, kids, no matter how hip you might be, there are, in fact, other hip people who read this web page. Maybe when it’s all done, I’ll have you all by for tea. It’ll be lovely....

12:00–1:00 a.m.:
Cass McCombs, “She’s Still Suffering,” PREfection, Monitor/4AD
My Bloody Valentine, “Soft as Snow (But Warm Inside),” Isn’t Anything, Creation
Shearwater, “La Dame et la Licorne,” Palo Santo, Misra
M83, “Safe,” Before the Dawn Heals Us, Mute
Vetiver, “You May Be Blue,” To Find Me Gone, Dicristina
The Go-Betweens, “The Wrong Road,” Liberty Belle and the Black Diamond Express, Beggars Banquet
Stars, “Elevator Love Letter,” Heart, Arts and Crafts
The Finn Brothers, “Homesick,” Everyone Is Here, Nettwerk
Fiona Apple, “O’ Sailor,” Extraordinary Machine, Epic/Clean Slate
Pavement, “Serpentine Pad/Grounded,” Wowee Zowee, Matador
Public Image Ltd., “Poptones,” Second Edition, Warner Brothers

1:00–2:00 a.m.:
Cibelle, “Minha Neguinha,” The Shine of Dried Electric Leaves, Six Degrees
Paul Weller, “Shadow of the Sun,” Wild Wood, Go! Discs/London
Espers, “Widow’s Weed,” Espers II, Drag City
Van Hunt, “No Sense of Crime,” On the Jungle Floor, Capitol
Gus Gus, “Very Important People,” This Is Normal, 4AD
Daníel Ágúst, “Till I Know,” Swallowed a Star, One Little Indian
Stereolab, “Baby Lulu,” Sound-Dust, Elektra
Elliott Smith, “No Name No. 5,” Either/Or, Kill Rock Stars
Great Lake Swimmers, “To Leave It Behind,” Bodies and Minds, Misra
Sol Seppy, “Love’s Boy,” The Bells of 1 2, Gronland
The Durutti Column, “Maggie,” Keep Breathing, Artful

2:00–3:00 a.m.:
Cassandra Wilson, “Poet,” Thunderbird, Blue Note
Lamb, “Wonder,” Between Darkness and Wonder, Koch
Love Spirals Downwards, “City Moon,” Flux, Projekt
Richard Buckner, “Reuben Pantier,” The Hill, Overcoat
Rain Tree Crow, “Pocket Full of Change,” Rain Tree Crow, Virgin
Keren Ann, “Roses & Hips,” Nolita, Blue Note
Prefab Sprout, “Dublin,” Protest Songs, Columbia
Terence Trent D’Arby, “It Feels So Good to Love Someone like You,” Neither Fish nor Flesh, Columbia
Talk Talk, “New Grass,” Laughing Stock, Polydor
Low, “Condescend,” Songs for a Dead Pilot, Kranky
Brian Eno, “By This River,” Before and After Science, EG

Episode 38

2006-07-04T03:39:00.000-05:00

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)

Episode 37

2006-06-27T03:34:00.000-05:00

     If you listened to this morning’s show, you already know that the two songs at the end of the first hour were played in tribute to the legendary producer and arranger Arif Mardin, who died on 25 June at the age of 74. The cause was pancreatic cancer. His importance for the careers of a number of notable performers—among them Aretha Franklin, Donny Hathaway, the Bee Gees and even Norah Jones—is immeasurable. His passing is even more tinged with sadness since, just last week, the Culture and Tourism Ministry of his native Turkey awarded him its Culture and Art Achievement Award. He was obviously unable to attend the ceremony. An informative précis of his background, his education, and the musicians whose careers he nurtured over nearly 40 years in the recording industry can be found in Billboard’s online obituary.
     Otherwise, I think this morning’s show was quite good and nicely varied. Thinking about Arif Mardin obviously put me in the mood to explore tunes with great arrangements: I’m thinking especially of the work of Thom Bell, who co-wrote, produced and arranged the Stylistics track on this morning’s show. In addition to the Stylistics and the two Mardin-associated tracks, there was a lot more classic R&B on offer this week, as well as more electronic items alongside the pretty, pretty songs that you have perhaps come to expect from ECI. A glance over the playlist should make clear just how eclectic a mix there was. Whenever the station starts webcasting (if it does so before I stop doing my show: I’m close to deciding an end date), those of you in the wider world may actually get to do more than read these lists. I certainly hope so.
     (By the way, if you were wondering, there are no typos for the second hour: James Brown did indeed record a version of Kurt Weill’s “September Song.” As I said on the air, the personnel on the recording are an even more unexpected crew: Imagine JB singing to the accompaniment of the Louie Bellson Big Band, playing arrangements written by Oliver Nelson.... Yeah, it’s that out ... and that good.)

12:00–1:00 a.m.:
Vetiver, “Double,” To Find Me Gone, DiCristina
Pale Saints, “Time Thief,” The Comforts of Madness, 4AD
Mobius Band, “Radio Coup,” The Loving Sounds of Static, Ghostly International
Sia, “Sea Shells,” Colour the Small One, Astralwerks
Can, “Mushroom,” Tago Mago, Spoon
The Czars, “Roger’s Song,” The Ugly People vs. the Beautiful People, Bella Union
Mazzy Star, “Five String Serenade,” So Tonight That I Might See, Capitol
Grandaddy, “Where I’m Anymore,” Just Like the Fambly Cat, V2
AOKI Takamasa and Tujiko Noriko, “Fly -Variation-,” 28, Fat Cat
Aretha Franklin, “Baby, Baby, Baby,” I Never Loved a Man the Way That I Love You, Atlantic
Donny Hathaway, “A Song for You,” Donny Hathaway, Atlantic

1:00–2:00 a.m.:
James Brown, “September Song,” Soul on Top, Verve
Spring Heel Jack, “Bells 2,” Busy Curious Thirsty, Trade 2
Sonic Youth, “Beauty Lies in the Eye,” Sister, SST
Seu Jorge, “Fiore de la Città,” Cru, Wrasse
The Stylistics, “Children of the Night,” Round 2, Amherst
Various Artists, “Canon (Part 2),” Weird Nightmare: Meditations on Mingus, Columbia
Public Enemy, “Night of the Living Baseheads,” It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, Def Jam
Mojave 3, “Big Star Baby,” Puzzles Like You, 4AD
Kraftwerk, “Elektro Kardiogramm,” Tour de France Soundtracks, Astralwerks
Mogwai, “Travel Is Dangerous,” Mr. Beast, Matador
Boards of Canada, “Turquoise Hexagon Sun,” Music Has the Right to Children, Warp
Me’shell Ndegéocello, “Love Song #2,” Comfort Woman, Maverick

2:00–3:00 a.m.:
Tim Buckley, “Anonymous Proposition,” Lorca, Elektra
Low, “Transmission,” Transmission EP, Vernon Yard
Murder Inc., “Mania,” Murder Inc., Futurist
Tears for Fears, “The Prisoner,” The Hurting, Mercury
The Specials, “Rat Race,” More Specials, Two Tone
The Clash, “The Guns of Brixton,” London Calling, Epic
The Auteurs, “Bailed Out,” New Wave, Caroline
Seekonk, “Powerout,” Pinkwood, North East Indie
Slint, “Darlene,” Tweez, Touch and Go
Chocolate Genius, “It’s Going Wrong,” Black Yankee Rock, Commotion
Bark Psychosis, “A Street Scene,” Hex, Caroline
Cocteau Twins, “Pandora (For Cindy),” Treasure, 4AD

Episode 36

2006-06-20T04:07:00.000-05:00

So, this is the second week in what will be a summer marathon for me. Thankfully, this early in the race I’m not showing any signs of strain—but I also haven’t consulted a calendar to see exactly how many stations there are between now and the end.
I’ll keep my comments brief this morning, not because there isn’t lots to say, but because I’d rather let (most of) the show “speak” for itself. What I will write is that there are some aurally delicious new releases and reissues in the mix—items from the Au Pairs, Shearwater, Seke Molenga/Kalo Kawongolo, Espers and Brookville, among others. Combining those with the other new releases I’ve gotten this year, those that are scheduled for the coming weeks, and my deep digging in my own library, the future’s going to sound just as good as the past ... at least where this show is concerned....

12:00–1:00 a.m.:
Lori Carson, “Breathe,” Stars, Restless
XTC, “Jason and the Argonauts,” English Settlement, Virgin
Herbert, “The Nine Seeds of Navdanya,” Plat du Jour, Accidental
Seu Jorge, “Bem Querer (My Dear),” Cru, Wrasse
The Soft Pink Truth, “Out of Step (Minor Threat),” Do You Want New Wave or Do You Want the Soft Pink Truth?, Tigerbeat6
Mercury Rev, “Pick Up If You’re There,” Deserter’s Songs, V2
The Au Pairs, “Headache for Michelle,” Stepping Out of Line: The Anthology, Castle Music
Lou Barlow, “Morning’s After Me,” Emoh, Merge
Jim White, “Stabbed in the Heart,” Wrong-Eyed Jesus!, Luaka Bop
Shearwater, “Failed Queen,” Palo Santo, Misra
The Smiths, “The Hand That Rocks the Cradle,” The Smiths, Sire
R.E.M., “Time After Time (annElise),” Reckoning, IRS

1:00–2:00 a.m.:
Seke Molenga and Kalo Kawongolo, “Bad Food,” African Roots, Trojan
Caribou, “Yeti,” The Milk of Human Kindness, Domino
The Beatles, “You Won’t See Me,” Rubber Soul, Parlophone
World Party, “Beautiful Dream,” Egyptology, Chrysalis
Throbbing Gristle, “Beachy Head,” 20 Jazz Funk Greats, Mute
The High Violets, “Nocturnal,” To Where You Are, Reverb
P.J. Harvey, “Horses in My Dreams,” Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea, Island
Animal Collective, “The Softest Voice,” Sung Tongs, Fat Cat
Espers, “Dead Queen,” Espers II, Drag City
Cat Power, “Names,” You Are Free, Matador
Brian Eno, “Baby’s on Fire,” Here Come the Warm Jets, EG

2:00–3:00 a.m.:
Roxy Music, “Both Ends Burning,” Siren, Virgin
The Blow Monkeys, “Atomic Lullaby,” Limping for a Generation, RCA
Simple Minds, “Somebody Up There Likes You,” New Gold Dream (81–82–83–84), Virgin
Siouxsie & the Banshees, “The Sweetest Chill,” Tinderbox, Geffen
The Creatures, “A Strutting Rooster,” Feast, Polydor
Talking Heads, “Pull Up the Roots,” Speaking in Tongues, Sire
The Cardigans, “Do You Believe,” Gran Turismo, Stockholm
Thomas Dolby, “Screen Kiss,” The Flat Earth, Capitol
Red House Painters, “San Geronimo,” Ocean Beach, 4AD
Brookville, “Crawling in Circles,” Life in the Shade, Unfiltered
Rose Melberg, “Spin,” Cast Away the Clouds, Double Agent

Episode 35

2006-06-13T03:24:00.000-05:00

When two-hour shows are the norm, three hours seems like a long time. Now that the station is on its summer schedule (through the end of September) and my show is scheduled to air weekly, programming three hours really does seem daunting. My long-followed strategy of making a note of every song I might possibly play the moment the thought hits is again revealing its value. When I finished sequencing this morning’s playlist, I was surprised to see that I had enough leftover material to fill at least an hour of next week.
In some ways, this episode is like the last in that it reflects the increased time I’ve had to listen to recordings in recent weeks. (To be sure, that listening has taken place while I was trapped in front of the computer writing or stuck, pen in hand, marking papers.) Digging deeply into my home library has helped me to loosen my self-imposed reins and play more pop-oriented material without, I hope, sacrificing consistency. I’m inclined to think I’ve been successful so far, given how much more dreamy and noisy the episodes have become, even in the presence of poppy material. Putting Björk and Cibelle alongside the Rain Parade might seem strange, but I think it worked. Ditto for following Wire with Raul Malo, or John Lee Hooker with This Mortal Coil. In some ways, I guess, it’s all about the transitions, song to song, set to set. Handled well, they are elegant or deliberately jarring. Even when they aren’t, I hope those of you who got to listen enjoyed the ride and will come along for those that are to follow....

12:00–1:00 a.m.:
Mark Eitzel, “Homeland Pastoral,” Candy Ass, Cooking Vinyl
Sigmatropic, “Haiku Nine,” Sixteen Haiku and Other Stories, Thirsty Ear
Felix Laband, “Black Shoes,” Dark Days Exit, Compost
Rachel Goswell, “Coastline,” Waves Are Universal, 4AD
The Durutti Column, “Tuesday,” Keep Breathing, Artful
Andrew Bird, “Sovay,” The Mysterious Production of Eggs, Righteous Babe
NOMO, “If You Want,” New Tones, Ubiquity
Jack DeJohnette (featuring Bill Frisell), “Entranced Androids,” The Elephant Sleeps but Still Remembers, Golden Beams
Cassandra Wilson, “Last Train to Clarksville,” New Moon Daughter, Blue Note
Robert Wyatt, “A Last Straw,” Rock Bottom, Thirsty Ear
David Sylvian, “Late Night Shopping,” Blemish, Samadhi Sound

1:00–2:00 a.m.:
The Kinks, “Wicked Annabella,” The Village Green Preservation Society (Deluxe Edition), Sanctuary
Rain Parade, “This Can’t Be Today,” Emergency Third Rail Power Trip, Restless
Björk, “Heirloom,” Vespertine, Elektra
Cibelle, “Instante de Dois,” The Shine of Dried Electric Leaves, Six Degrees
Television Personalities, “When Emily Cries,” They Could Have Been Bigger than the Beatles, Velvel
Piano Magic, “(Music Won’t Save You from Anything But) Silence,” Writers without Homes, 4AD
Stephen Malkmus, “Deado,” Stephen Malkmus, Matador
Interpol, “A Time to Be So Small,” Antics, Matador
Love and Rockets, “Love Me,” Express, Big Time
Sinéad O’Connor, “I Am Stretched on Your Grave,” I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got, Chrysalis
China Crisis, “Here Come a Raincloud,” Working with Fire and Steel, Possible Pop Songs, Volume Two, Virgin
The Apartments, “All the Birthdays,” The Evening Visits ... and Stays for Years, Hot

2:00–3:00 a.m.:
Culture, “See Them A Come,” Two Sevens Clash, Shanachie
Massive Attack, “Better Things,” Protection, Virgin
Jenny Lewis & the Watson Twins, “It Wasn’t Me,” Rabbit Fur Coat, Team Love
Wilco, “Via Chicago,” Summerteeth, Reprise
The Cure, “One Hundred Years,” Pornography, Elektra
Wire, “Point of Collapse,” The Ideal Copy, Mute
Raul Malo, “Since When,” Today, Omtown
Cortijo y Su Combo con Ismael Rivera, “Si Te Contara,” Quitate de la Via, Perico, Rumba
John Lee Hooker, “Dimples,” The Very Best of John Lee Hooker, Rhino
This Mortal Coil, “Strength of Strings/Morning Glory,” Filigree & Shadow, 4AD
Rachel’s, “Water from the Same Source,” Systems/Layers, Quarterstick
Morsel, “Like a Gift,” Para Siempre, Small Stone

Tripling Your Pleasure...

2006-06-10T12:56:00.000-05:00

Unless something changes soon, it appears that there will be a lot more ECI this summer—in at least two ways. First, since a surprisingly small number of DJs signed up for summer shows, nearly every one who agreed to do a show, including yours truly, will be on the air every week rather than every other week. Second, and less surprising, each episode will be three, rather than two, hours in length (as is always the case in the summer). Added together, those two items will result in there being three times more music from me per two-week cycle. Hopefully, I’ll be able to keep up with the accelerated schedule without sacrificing consistency and quality. Stay tuned....

Episode 34: 6/6/6

2006-06-06T02:27:00.000-05:00

     With all the work that 20th Century Fox is doing to promote its remake of the classic 1976 film The Omen, even the most ostrich-like U.S. resident would have a hard time not knowing that today’s date, in shortened form, resembles the fabled “mark of the beast.” Thinking about the admittedly thin symbolism of the day, I started plotting a few days ago to program songs dealing with the anti-Christ, the apocalypse, etc., but since my show never includes metal, I had to settle for a compromise: playing songs about the Devil. As a conceit for a show, this one had the potential to get quickly out of hand, so I kept it simple. Four songs about the Devil, two in each hour. From their titles, three of them should be obvious (and they are fairly obvious choices). The fourth was a last-minute find on a CD I’ve rarely taken off the shelf: The Geraldine Fibbers’ Lost Somewhere Between the Earth and My Home. The track listed below has the distinction of being a song wherein the Devil is a woman. I hope you dig/dug it.
     There is at least one other notable item on the playlist for this morning: a track from Scott Walker’s The Drift, available later today in your favorite record store (or at least one that carries 4AD releases). It’s Walker’s first release since 1995’s Tilt, and, like its predecessor, it is not a recording for the casual listener. Believe it or not, the track I played is among the least challenging ones on the album. If the early reviews are any indication, though, this release will end up on the year-end, best-of lists of many listeners who pride themselves on their sophisticated, eclectic tastes. Right now, I’m not sure whether it will be on mine, but chances are slim. Hmmm. What does that say about me? (Oh, yeah. In case you were wondering how I got a CD that is not yet released and that the station does not yet possess, I found a copy of it in a local store over the weekend. I’m not sure why or how they had a copy on the shelves, but I chose not to inquire.)
     Oh, yeah. There is one more thing: Green on Red’s Gravity Talks. It is one of those brilliant albums from the mid-80s that most listeners who weren’t around then, no matter how hip they think they are, have never heard. And that’s a shame. I could bore you with the tale of how revelatory the afternoon was when I first heard it, played in my high school’s studio art class by an upperclassman who also turned me onto the Rain Parade (David Roback’s pre-Mazzy Star band), but why? I could likewise recommend a few songs for you to track down (no, the album isn’t available from iTunes or eMusic); instead I’ll simply suggest that you stay tuned. I’m certain that a few more the album’s tracks are going to slip into the rotation in the near future....

12:00–1:00 a.m.:
The Rolling Stones, “Sympathy for the Devil,” Beggars Banquet, ABKCO
Sparklehorse, “Apple Bed,” It’s a Wonderful Life, Capitol
Odawas, “The Unnamed Sphinx,” The Aether Eater, Jagjaguwar
Celebration, “Foxes,” Celebration, 4AD
The Geraldine Fibbers, “Richard,” Lost Somewhere Between the Earth and My Home, Virgin
Green on Red, “Blue Parade,” Gravity Talks, Warner Brothers
Billy Bragg, “Levi Stubbs’ Tears,” Talking with the Taxman about Poetry, Elektra
Neko Case, “I Wish I Was the Moon,” Blacklisted, Bloodshot
Great Lake Swimmers, “Song for the Angels,” Bodies and Minds, Misra
Beth Gibbons and Rustin Man, “Romance,” Out of Season, Sanctuary
Eric Matthews, “Fried Out Broken Girl,” It’s Heavy in Here, Sub Pop
Brookville, “Home,” Wonderfully Nothing, Unfiltered

1:00–2:00 a.m.:
Múm, “We Have a Map of the Piano,” Finally We Are No One, Fat Cat
Dani Siciliano, “She Say Cliché,” Likes..., !K7
Herbert, “Down,” Scale, !K7
Keren Ann, “For You and I,” Nolita, Blue Note
Robert Johnson, “Me and the Devil Blues,” The Complete Recordings, Columbia
Scott Walker, “Buzzers,” The Drift, 4AD
Cass McCombs, “Cuckoo,” PREfection, Monitor/4AD
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, “Up Jumped the Devil,” Tender Prey, Mute
Edith Frost, “Lucky Charm,” It’s a Game, Drag City
The Czars, “The Hymn,” Goodbye, Bella Union
His Name Is Alive, “The Bees,” Stars on E.S.P., 4AD
Seekonk, “Air,” Pinkwood, North East Indie

Episode 33: Stealing from Blue Glass (And Myself)

2006-05-23T02:32:00.000-05:00

Don’t worry: I’m not going to give every single show a subtitle. Aside from my unsure powers of creativity, my continuing to do so would probably quickly become annoying. There is a good reason, however, for this particular subtitle. The first part of it refers to the fact that I derive a lot of inspiration from (and spend a lot of money based on) the programming decisions of other DJs. For the last couple of months, I’ve derived immense pleasure from a weekly show called Vidro Azul (Blue Glass) broadcast (and podcast) by Ricardo Mariano from the University of Coimbra in Portugal. When my friend Pedro first sent me the link for the show, I was struck by the amount of overlap there is between what Mariano plays and what I often try to do. His show reveals impeccable taste and gives me something to aspire to. To be sure, I don’t dig everything he plays, but if you like my show, chances are really high that you’ll love his. Several of the items in this morning’s episode, indeed, are by artists I heard for the first time on Vidro Azul, but you wouldn’t have known that without this disclosure.
The part of the subtitle in parentheses is a nod to how my insane workload over the last several weeks has ironically afforded me more time to listen to the varied CDs I have at home. As a result, I’ve been able to dig more deeply into the things I own, love, and have never played on the radio. In other words, all of the listening has given me another challenge: can I create a show that sits well alongside the others, but doesn’t rely heavily on the large but relatively stable set of artists I often program? I guess you, dear listeners, will be the judges of that....

12:00–1:00 a.m.:
The Pretenders, “Brass in Pocket,” The Pretenders, Sire
Bauhaus, “Kick in the Eye 2,” Mask, Beggars Banquet
Peter Murphy, “Roll Call,” Deep, Beggars Banquet
The Jesus & Mary Chain, “Drop,” Automatic, Blanco y Negro
Odawas, “Song of Recompense,” The Aether Eater, Jagjaguwar
Radar Bros., “Papillon,” The Fallen Leaf Pages, Merge
The Lilac Time, “The Nursery Walls,” Looking for a Day in the Night, spinART
Johnny Cash, “That Lucky Old Sun (Just Rolls Around Heaven All Day),” American III: Solitary Man, American Recordings
Cousteau, “Mesmer,” Cousteau, Palm Pictures
Celebration, “Holiday,” Celebration, 4AD
Rachel’s, “Artemisia,” Selenography, Quarterstick
The Apartments, “Everything Is Given to Be Taken Away,” Apart, Hot

1:00–2:00 a.m.:
Primal Scream, “The Lord Is My Shotgun,” Evil Heat, Epic
Galaxie 500, “Strange,” On Fire, Ryko
Cass McCombs, “My Pilgrim Dear,” A, Monitor
Frankie Goes to Hollywood, “Fury/Born to Run,” Welcome to the Pleasuredome, ZTT
Grandaddy, “Campershell Dreams,” Just like the Fambly Cat, V2
Colin Newman, “Troisieme,” A–Z, Beggars Banquet
AOKI Takamasa and Tujiko Noriko, “NOLICOM,” 28, Fat Cat
Sondre Lerche, “On the Tower,” Two Way Monologue, Astralwerks
Richard Buckner, “Lil Wallet Picture,” Devotion & Doubt, MCA
Johnny Adams, “Reconsider Me,” Night Train to Nashville: Music City Rhythm & Blues, 1945–1970, CMF/Lost Highway
Cassandra Wilson, “Lost,” Thunderbird, Blue Note
XTC, “The Last Balloon,” Apple Venus, Vol. 1, TVT

Episode 32: Tributes and Memories

2006-05-09T02:23:00.000-05:00

     On days when things are going well, there is something almost magical and inspired about the way a show comes together. In some ways, my process makes that possible but doesn’t necessarily ensure that things will go well. Usually, I spend the time between shows reading print and online reviews and features, buying CDs, doing a lot of listening and slowly compiling a list of songs I might play. By the time I sit down to make final decisions, I have more songs than can fit in a two- or three-hour show, so I keep the leftovers for future episodes. Deciding what to exclude is only one difficult part of the process. Sometimes a tune that I really was excited about just doesn’t work so well alongside the others—because of its sound, its length, etc. And, in other cases, more pressing circumstances intervene to make some choices more timely than others (more on that below). In any event, the next, perhaps more difficult step is deciding the running order. Which tune will start the show? Which one will close the show? How can I group things together in (and, yes, it is this precise) sets that average about 13 minutes and 30 seconds? And, most importantly, how do I manage the transitions from song to song and set to set?
     So, what makes this morning’s show so special? First, I really love the tracks and the transitions. Second, I think I responded well to two news items: one that came on Saturday and another that, as far I know, has gotten much less attention: the death of Grant McLennan of the Go-Betweens and the approaching 25th anniversary of Bob Marley’s death (11 May), respectively. The two tributes, as you see below, get pride of place on this episode. I’m especially pleased with the Marley segment, as it begins with an oblique but knowing tribute from Stevie Wonder and then proceeds with less-often heard pieces from Marley’s output: an early Wailers tune, the B-side of the “Waiting in Vain” single, and one underrated tune (my favorite) from the second-to-last studio album released during Marley’s lifetime. Third (remember, we were counting), this episode features a number of tracks that carry resonant memories for me: Selecter reminds me of the early days of free-format programming on MTV; the Aztec Camera tune takes me back to high school; the Héctor Lavoe song reminds me of my time in New York when I really started understanding and digging salsa; and the Bill Frisell tune reminds me of one my mentors in graduate school, the late Mark Tucker, who played that song for me on a brilliantly beautiful spring afternoon almost exactly nine years ago.
     So, yes, this morning’s show came together quite well. I hope those of you who got to listen enjoyed it, even without having as much time or memory invested in it. But, then again, maybe you have (or created) your own touchstones. And maybe, just maybe, this episode contained a revelatory moment for you....

12:00–1:00 a.m.:
The Go-Betweens, “Twin Layers of Lightning,” Liberty Belle and the Black Diamond Express, Beggars Banquet
Lisa Germano, “We Suck,” Excerpts from a Love Circus, 4AD
Robert Wyatt, “5 Black Notes and 1 White Note,” Ruth Is Stranger than Richard, Hannibal
The Selecter, “Celebrate the Bullet,” Celebrate the Bullet, Chrysalis
Stereolab, “‘Get a Shot of the Refrigerator,’” Fab Four Suture, Pure
Boards of Canada, “Telephasic Workshop,” Music Has the Right to Children, Warp
Aztec Camera, “The Birth of the True,” Knife, WEA
The High Violets, “Invitation,” To Where You Are, Reverb
The Flaming Lips, “Vein of Stars,” At War with the Mystics, Warner Brothers
Great Lake Swimmers, “Let’s Trade Skins,” Bodies and Minds, Misra
Héctor Lavoe, “La Verdad,” Comedia, Fania
Cheikh Lô, “Toogayo M’Bedd,” Lamp Fall, Nonesuch

1:00–2:00 a.m.:
Stevie Wonder, “Master Blaster (Jammin’),” Hotter than July, Motown
The Wailers, “Hammer,” Songs of Freedom (Boxed Set), Tuff Gong
Bob Marley & the Wailers, “Talkin’,” Talkin’ Blues, Tuff Gong
Bob Marley & the Wailers, “Roots,” Rebel Music, Tuff Gong
Bob Marley & the Wailers, “One Drop,” Survival, Tuff Gong
Gastr del Sol, “Eight Corners,” Mirror Repair, Drag City
Bill Frisell, “One of These Days,” Nashville, Nonesuch
Inara George, “No Poem,” All Rise, Everloving
Van Hunt, “Character,” On the Jungle Floor, Capitol
The Impressions, “We’re a Winner,” The Anthology 1961–1977, MCA
Neil Finn, “Truth,” Try Whistling This, Work
Slowdive, “Sing,” Souvlaki, SBK

Episode 31

2006-04-25T02:51:00.000-05:00

I am so ready for sleep right now, but I can’t totally commit to it until this post is complete. Another show is in the can, and more than some recent others, I’m looking forward to hearing this one. I’m still toying with transitions and fades between songs, but given the less than ideal monitoring options in the studio (what we hear is not even an approximation of the processed signal going out over the airwaves), much of what I can do is guesswork in the moment, followed by listening to the show later, and trying to correct things on the next show. I hope the time I’ve spent results in a better experience for those of you in the WHPK listening area.
There’s not much more to be said about this morning’s show. It mildly realizes some of the promises I made in the previous post. You can, over time, expect to hear many more things that might at first seem incongruous. It’s all part of my plan for world domination. You did know about my plan, didn’t you? Oh, no, I’ve said too much....

12:00–1:00 a.m.:
The The, “Soul Mining,” Soul Mining, Epic
Lush, “De-Luxe,” Gala, 4AD
Sherman Irby, “Big Mama’s Biscuits,” Big Mama’s Biscuits, Blue Note
Mice Parade, “Steady as She Goes,” Bem-Vinda Vontade, Bubblecore
The Soft Boys, “Where Are the Prawns?” Underwater Moonlight … and How It Got There, Matador
Jenny Lewis & the Watson Twins, “Born Secular,” Rabbit Fur Coat, Team Love
Billy Bragg, “The Tracks of My Tears,” Talking with the Taxman about Poetry (Expanded Edition), Yep Roc
Mick Karn, “The Three Fates,” Dreams of Reason Produce Monsters, Virgin
Blue States, “Your Girl,” Nothing Changes Under the Sun, Eighteenth Street Lounge
David Bowie, “I Have Not Been to Oxford Town,” Outside, Virgin
Sia, “Don’t Bring Me Down,” Colour the Small One, Astralwerks
Apostle of Hustle, “Song for Lorca,” Folkloric Feel, Arts and Crafts

1:00–2:00 a.m.:
Konono N°1, “Masikulu,” Congotronics, Crammed
Marianne Faithfull, “There Is a Ghost,” Before the Poison, Anti
Johnny Marr & the Healers, “Something to Shout About,” Boomslang, ARTISTdirect
Gang of Four, “I Will Be a Good Boy,” Songs of the Free, Warner Brothers
His Name Is Alive, “Send My Face,” Detrola, Silver Mountain
Liz Phair, “Canary,” Exile in Guyville, Matador
New Order, “Elegia,” Low-Life, Qwest
Cat Power, “Where Is My Love?” The Greatest, Matador
Al Green, “Summertime,” Green Is Blues, Hi
The Arcade Fire, “In the Backseat,” Funeral, Merge
Cocteau Twins, “Primitive Heart,” Tishbite (II), Fontana
Shawn Colvin, “Twilight,” Cover Girl, Columbia

Departing from Principle ... Accidentally

2006-04-16T23:33:00.000-05:00

In a previous post, I mentioned that at some point in the second year of ECI’s existence, I would relax my policy of not playing selections that had appeared in any previous show. I thought I hadn’t arrived at the relaxation point yet. So, imagine my surprise when, checking items for the next show, I learned moments ago that a track I played on Episode 30 — Laurie Anderson’s “Smoke Rings” — was also played way back there, on Episode 12. I mention this, of course, only because there might be someone out there with way too much time on his/her hands who might want to point that out. I’m just saying that I already know. While I am saddened and disappointed in myself, I will go on. But, frankly, I’m enjoying the variety policy as a way of avoiding falling into a rut. For now, that is all....

Episode 30

2006-04-11T02:50:00.000-05:00

If you’ve been paying attention to the playlists over the last several months, you might have noticed that ECI is basically a rock show with occasional R&B, country, dance/electronic or hip-hop tracks thrown in. In part, that’s because my initial idea for the show was for it to be ethereal, gauzy and showgazey. While I’m still more or less committed to that vision, there are times when it seems a bit too confining and doesn’t give me the chance to explore the breadth of things that I like and want to program.
So this morning’s show was perhaps a sign of things to come. There are so many more pop-oriented things in this show that some of you might wonder whether the same DJ was putting it together. And I was the same person — just showing some different sides. If things keep going the way they are, it won’t be long before you hear George Michael on the show. And that’s not a threat. Think of it as a promise....

12:00–1:00 a.m.:
Soul II Soul, “Feeling Free,” Keep on Movin’, Virgin
Bob Marley and the Wailers, “Sun Is Shining,” Kaya, Island
T. Rex, “Planet Queen,” Electric Warrior, Reprise
Icehouse, “Hey, Little Girl,” Primitive Man, Chrysalis
Ron Sexsmith, “Several Miles,” Ron Sexsmith, Interscope
Edith Frost, “My Lover Won’t Call,” It’s a Game, Drag City
Van Hunt, “Daredevil, Baby,” On the Jungle Floor, Capitol
Gil Scott-Heron, “The Bottle,” Winter in America, Strata East
Morcheeba, “Slow Down,” Charango, Reprise
Lamb, “Fly,” Fear of Fours, Fontana
EPMD, “So Wat Cha Sayin’,” Unfinished Business, Priority
The Juan Maclean, “My Time Is Running Out,” Less Than Human, Astralwerks

1:00–2:00 a.m.:
Laurie Anderson, “Smoke Rings,” Home of the Brave (Soundtrack), Warner Brothers
Tom Waits, “Heigh Ho (The Dwarfs Marching Song),” Stay Awake: Various Interpretations of Music from Vintage Disney Films, A&M
The Books, “S Is for Evrysing,” The Lemon of Pink, Tomlab
The Flaming Lips, “Pompeii am Götterdämerung,” At War with the Mystics, Warner Brothers
Cassandra Wilson, “Strike a Match,” Thunderbird, Blue Note
John Martyn, “Don’t Want to Know,” Solid Air, Island
Donald Fagen, “What I Do,” Morph the Cat, Reprise
Tim Buckley, “Song to the Siren,” Works in Progress, Rhino
Siouxsie and the Banshees, “Green Fingers,” A Kiss in the Dreamhouse, Geffen
Eurythmics, “This City Never Sleeps,” Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This), RCA
Madness, “Coldest Day,” Mad Not Mad, Geffen
Andy Bey, “River Man,” Shades of Bey, Evidence

Episode 29

2006-03-29T03:28:00.000-06:00

     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

2006-03-20T03:50:00.000-06:00

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

2006-03-14T03:26:00.000-06:00

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

2006-03-03T04:55:00.000-06:00

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...

2006-03-02T21:10:00.000-06:00

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....

Episode 25

2006-02-16T02:19:00.000-06:00

After the whimper that was the anniversary/love song show (I’ve heard nary a peep in response to it), this morning’s show was probably a welcome return to form for some listeners. As those who heard my on-air commentary know (or those who are savvy in scanning the playlist could determine), this episode was spiked with new releases. I think they fit in nicely among the other items included. And who knows? Maybe the one regular listener whose eyes roll back in her head at the mention of one group in the list might revise her thoughts about them. But I won’t hold my breath.
While the sidebar says the next show will be on 2 March, I have yet to determine when the next show will take place. More than likely, there’ll be a sub in my regular slot two weeks’ hence, for it would be difficult for me to make it back from the Logan Square Auditorium, where Mogwai are performing on 1 March, in time for a midnight show. Once everything is sorted out, I’ll post a clarifying note here. So check back often. And keep your ears open: there are even more exciting things coming soon....

12:00–1:00 a.m.:
Mogwai, “Hunted by a Freak,” Happy Songs for Happy People, Matador
His Name Is Alive, “You Need a Heart,” Detrola, Silver Mountain
Sam Phillips, “Soul Eclipse,” Fan Dance, Nonesuch
Depeche Mode, “I Want It All,” Playing the Angel, Sire/Reprise
Ryan Adams, “Sweet Lil Gal (23rd/1st),” Heartbreaker, Bloodshot
Cody ChesnuTT, “Up in the Treehouse,” The Headphone Masterpiece, Ready Set Go
Saint Etienne, “Avenue,” So Tough, Warner Brothers
Slowdive, “She Calls,” Morningrise EP, Creation
Bow Wow Wow, “Mile High Club,” I Want Candy, RCA
Belle & Sebastian, “Song for Sunshine,” The Life Pursuit, Matador
Anja Garbarek, “The Gown,” Smiling & Waving, Virgin
Talk Talk, “April 5th,” The Colour of Spring, EMI

1:00–2:00 a.m.:
The Dukes of Stratosphear, “25 O’Clock,” Chips from the Chocolate Fireball, Geffen
Piano Magic, “Already Ghosts,” Writers without Homes, 4AD
Low, “Shame,” Long Division, Vernon Yard
Mazzy Star, “Take Everything,” Among My Swan, Capitol
Nick Drake, “River Man,” Five Leaves Left, Hannibal
Felt, “All the People I Like Are Those That Are Dead,” Forever Breathes the Lonely Word, Cherry Red
The Smiths, “I Don’t Owe You Anything,” The Smiths, Sire
The Russian Futurists, “These Seven Notes,” Our Thickness, Upper Class
Self, “Ilovetoloveyourlovemylove,” Gizmodgery, Spongebath
Stereolab, “Hallucinex,” Sound-Dust, Elektra
Cat Power, “Willie,” The Greatest, Matador
Beth Orton, “Pieces of Sky,” Comfort of Strangers, Astralwerks

Episode 24: The Love Song Show

2006-02-02T02:28:00.000-06:00

     So, if you heard it live, you already know the tale of this morning’s show. If you didn’t, here’s what you need to know: this was my celebration of the first anniversary of ECI, and for it I decided to do a love song-focused show. One listener called wondering whether he was listening to the right show, given how, at least for him, what I was playing departed so much from what he expected/normally hears. (In actuality, 8 February is the date, but, since I will not be on air then, I opted for an early rather than late celebration.
     I am certain that some of you might quibble with my choices of tunes for this morning, and for the record, I might quibble, too. But I chose the selections that ensured a good flow for the whole two hours—and in the process I eliminated another three hours’ worth of equally worthy material. Maybe I’ll get to the others down the line. Maybe not. Putting this show together was more taxing than the process for any previous one, and I won’t repeat the experiment any time soon.
     Anyway, if you know the songs, you can follow the show’s arc: from desire to fulfillment, questioning, dissolution, hurt, anger, defiance and, oddly, reconciliation. Whether that’s how things work for you, I don’t know. Whether it makes for good radio, I don’t know. You will have to let me know.
     Thanks again to the folks who called and made requests and actually let me know they were listening. I really appreciate it. We’ll do it again in two weeks’s time....

12:00–1:00 a.m.:
Roxy Music, “To Turn You On,” Avalon, Virgin
The Cardigans, “Happy Meal,” Life, Minty Fresh
The Spinners, “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love,” The Spinners, Atlantic
The Platters, “Twilight Time,” The Platters—Golden Hits, Mercury
Ron Sexsmith, “Right About Now,” Whereabouts, Interscope
Dusty Springfield, “So Much Love,” Dusty in Memphis, Atlantic
Stevie Wonder, “Happier than the Morning Sun,” Music of My Mind, Motown
Marvin Gaye, “You Sure Love to Ball,” Let’s Get It On, Motown
XTC, “Big Day,” Skylarking, Geffen
Lloyd Cole & the Commotions, “Four Flights Up,” Rattlesnakes, Capitol
The Gun Club, “She’s like Heroin to Me,” Fire of Love, Slash
Prefab Sprout, “When Love Breaks Down,” Two Wheels Good, Epic
Joe Jackson, “Breaking Us in Two,” Night and Day, A&M
Joy Division, “Love Will Tear Us Apart,” Substance, Factory/Qwest
Patsy Cline, “Leavin’ on Your Mind,” 12 Greatest Hits, MCA

1:00–2:00 a.m.:
Elvis Costello with Burt Bacharach, “I Still Have That Other Girl,” Painted from Memory, Mercury
Willie Nelson, “My Own Peculiar Way,” Teatro, Warner Brothers
Prince, “How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore?,” “1999” (Single), Warner Brothers
Beth Orton, “I Wish I Never Saw the Sunshine,” Trailer Park, Dedicated
Shelby Lynne, “Thought It Would Be Easier,” I Am Shelby Lynne, Island
Meshell Ndegéocello, “Fool of Me,” Bitter, Maverick
Bauhaus, “Crowds,” “Telegram Sam” (Single), 4AD
Scheer, “Wish You Were Dead,” Infliction, 4AD
Damien Rice, “The Blower’s Daughter,” O, Vector
Nikka Costa, “So Have I for You,” Everybody Got Their Something, Cheeba Sound
Van Hunt, “Down Here in Hell (With You),” Van Hunt, Capitol
Lori Carson, “16 Days,” Stars, Restless

Episode 23

2006-01-19T02:43:00.000-06:00

For a number of reasons I am not at liberty to discuss, I was annoyed in the extreme throughout this morning’s show. Despite the bizarre circumstances, I still think things turned out well. I spoke with a couple of the show’s regular listeners before I left for the studio and suggested that it was going to be one of the most downtempo, potentially depressing ones ever. I won’t know for sure how the show turned out or whether it drove anyone to despair, though, until I can actually listen to the whole thing and hear from a few folks. Stay tuned.
There is good news, however. The next episode will mark the one-year anniversary of ECI (actually, it’ll come a day after the anniversary), and, given the show’s proximity to a major greeting-card holiday, I’ve finally decided what to do: the long-rumored love song show. I have yet to decide on the progression or the tunes, but suffice it to say that lyrically the tunes will cover a lot of bases: seeking love, finding love, losing it and perhaps even finding it again. Along the way, there’ll be many expressions of bitterness, elation and everything in between. It’ll definitely be worth hearing....

12:00–1:00 a.m.:
Low, “Tonight,” Trust, Kranky
M. Ward, “Helicopter,” Transfiguration of Vincent, Merge
The Jam, “The Bitterest Pill (I Ever Had to Swallow),” Snap!, Polydor
Blur, “The Universal,” The Great Escape, Virgin
Awry, “Brave Elephant,” Awry, AwrySense
This Mortal Coil, “FYT/Fond Affections,” It’ll End in Tears, 4AD
Mojave 3, “After All,” Ask Me Tomorrow, 4AD
The Incredible Moses Leroy, “The Fourth of July,” Become the Soft.Lightes, iMusic
David Bowie, “The Bewlay Brothers,” Hunky Dory, Ryko
Medicine, “Time Baby III,” The Crow—Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, Atlantic
The Cure, “If Only Tonight We Could Sleep,” Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Elektra

1:00–2:00 a.m.:
Tupelo Chain Sex, “Our Lady of Hollywood,” Spot the Difference, Selma
The Velvet Underground, “Who Loves the Sun,” Loaded, Warner Bros.
Erwin Thomas, “Inside a Stormglass (The Sailor’s Song),” Songs from My Apartment, Quartermain
Bark Psychosis, “Big Shot,” Hex, Caroline
Chocolate Genius, “Rats Under Waterfalls,” Black Yankee Rock, Commotion
Galaxie 500, “Tugboat,” Today, Ryko
Nine Inch Nails, “Something I Can Never Have,” Pretty Hate Machine, TVT
Lush, “Last Night,” Lovelife, 4AD
Swans, “Real Love,” Children of God, Young God
The English Beat, “Drowning,” Wha’ppen, IRS
Violet Indiana, “Liar,” Roulette, Bella Union
Murcof, “Retrato,” Remembranza, Leaf

Episode 22

2006-01-04T03:47:00.000-06:00

     If you were actually one of this morning’s lucky listeners, you got to hear what a great job Chris, a trainee, did during the first part of the show. Keep checking the WHPK web page for the winter quarter schedule: Chris’s show will be worth hearing.
     My show, on the other hand, is still a work in progress. The mistakes this morning were, of course, mine. Hopefully they weren’t too jarring. I guess your comments in person or on this page will let me know. I did have one major disappointment. There was a song I wanted to play really badly, and not only did the station’s players refuse to recognize the copy I bought 15-odd years ago, but there were also no CD or vinyl copies in the WHPK library. I won’t say what the recording is, but you can find it on the soundtrack of one of my favorite films ... ever. Guesses are welcome as to either what the song is or what the film is.
     Now, however, I simply must get some sleep....

12:00–1:00 a.m.:
The Occasion, “You May Know Me,” Cannery Hours, Say Hey
Pajo, “Baby, Please Come Home,” Pajo, Drag City
The Style Council, “The Whole Point II,” Here’s Some That Got Away, Polydor
A Camp, “Angel of Sadness,” A Camp, Stockholm
Mobius Band, “Twilight,” The Loving Sounds of Static, Ghostly International
Mice Parade, “The Boat Room,” Bem-Vinda Vontade, Bubble Core
Apostle of Hustle, “Sleepwalking Ballad,” Folkloric Feel, Arts and Crafts
Kate Bush, “Watching You Without Me,” Hounds of Love, EMI
This Mortal Coil, “Inch-Blue/I Want to Live,” Filigree & Shadow, 4AD
Sam Prekop, “Dot Eye,” Who’s Your New Professor?,Thrill Jockey
Split Enz, “Dirty Creature,” Time and Tide, Mushroom
Broken Social Scene, “Canada vs. America,” E.P. to Be You and Me, Arts and Crafts

1:00–2:00 a.m.:
Outkast, “Prototype,” Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, Arista
Handsome Boy Modeling School, “Metaphysical,” So ... How’s Your Girl, Tommy Boy
Bright Eyes, “Lover I Don’t Have to Love,” Lifted, or the Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground, Saddle Creek
Boards of Canada, “Sunshine Recorder,” Geogaddi, Warp
Low, “Broadway (So Many People),” The Great Destroyer, Sub Pop
Massive Attack, “What Your Soul Sings,” 100th Window, Virgin
Edith Frost, “A Mirage,” It’s a Game, Drag City
American Music Club, “Only Love Can Set You Free,” Love Songs for Patriots, Merge
Robin Guthrie and Harold Budd, “Twilight,” Mysterious Skin—Music from the Film, Commotion
Slowdive, “The Sadman,” Just for a Day, SBK/Creation

2:00–3:00 a.m.:
The Cramps, “New Kind of Kick,” Bad Music for Bad People, IRS
Brian McBride, “The Guilt of Uncomplicated Thoughts,” When the Detail Lost Its Freedom, Kranky
Shara Nelson, “Pain Revisited,” What Silence Knows, Chrysalis
Wire, “Piano Tuner (Keep Strumming Those Guitars),” Document and Eyewitness, Mute
Nine Horses, “The Banality of Evil,” Snow Borne Sorrow, Samadhi Sound
Sonic Youth, “Theresa’s Sound World,” Dirty, Geffen
Prefuse 73, “It’s Crowded,” Surrounded by Silence, Warp
Apollo 440, “Pain in Any Language,” Electro Glide in Blue, 550 Music/Sony
The Sundays, “My Finest Hour,” Reading, Writing and Arithmetic, Geffen

Update (especially for the RSS folks)

2005-12-30T11:42:00.000-06:00

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

2005-12-19T04:28:00.000-06:00

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

2005-12-12T13:50:00.000-06:00

     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

2005-12-06T03:21:00.000-06:00

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

2005-11-22T02:51:00.000-06:00

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

2005-11-08T02:41:00.000-06:00

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

2005-10-25T02:39:00.000-05:00

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

2005-10-11T02:20:00.000-05:00

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

2005-09-20T03:44:00.000-05:00

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

2005-08-30T03:22:00.000-05:00

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

2005-08-16T03:25:00.000-05:00

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

2005-08-02T04:10:00.000-05:00

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

2005-07-19T03:53:00.000-05:00

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

2005-07-08T01:47:00.000-05:00

     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

2005-07-05T05:09:00.000-05:00

     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

2005-06-24T21:30:00.000-05:00

     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

2005-06-21T12:45:00.000-05:00

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

2005-05-31T02:51:00.000-05:00

     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

2005-05-17T02:46:00.000-05:00

     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

2005-05-16T21:44:00.000-05:00

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

2005-05-03T02:24:00.000-05:00

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?

2005-04-27T04:18:00.000-05:00

     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

2005-04-19T02:45:00.000-05:00

     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

2005-04-05T02:39:00.000-05:00

     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

2005-04-03T17:17:00.000-05:00

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 ....

2005-04-02T02:48:00.000-06:00

     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

2005-03-24T03:36:00.000-06:00

     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

2005-03-16T19:50:00.000-06:00

     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

2005-03-08T04:28:00.000-06:00

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...

2005-02-27T14:31:00.000-06:00

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

2005-02-23T02:44:00.000-06:00

     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

2005-02-22T04:29:00.000-06:00

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

2005-02-17T21:32:00.000-06:00

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

2005-02-08T04:30:00.000-06:00

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

Almost There...

2005-02-08T00:13:00.000-06:00

A number of people have asked what the first song I would play on the show would be. I didn’t give it a lot of thought until the third person asked.
I know now what it’ll be. If you live in the station’s limited broadcast area, you’ll know in a little less than two hours. If you don’t, well, maybe I can let you hear the recorded version of it if all goes well. Suffice it to say that the tune is by someone whose work I love so much that I named my main recording drive after her/him. It’s a geeky tribute, to be sure, but it’s a tribute nonetheless....

Missed Opportunity

2005-01-25T22:27:00.000-06:00

So, while I spent Monday night/Tuesday morning in the near-final stages of the hell called the flu, I apparently missed my first radio show. This is not as pitiable as it might seem when I say that no one informed me that my first show was to be this morning. Oh, well, the missed show raises an interesting question: does it really matter? Even if I had known about my time slot, would I still have struggled to the station to do the show? Not likely....
I guess this just means that when the inaugural show happens--on 8 February 2005 between 2 and 4 a.m. (CST or GMT -0600)--I’ll be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Or something like that....

Welcome

2005-01-14T11:04:00.000-06:00

This blog is going to be a low-traffic affair. What you'll get here will be playlists for the above-named radio show and other occasional announcements. As soon as my time slot is confirmed and the station's webcasting is in place, I'll put the relevant information here. Stay tuned....