Pledge of Allegiance?

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

Episode 6

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

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

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

Episode 5

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

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

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

Plan B

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

Time Shifting ....

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

Episode 4

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

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

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

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

Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

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

Episode 3

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

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

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

ECI Updates and Such...

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

The Joy of Mercury Rev and Dave Fridmann

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

Episode 2

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

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

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

Incoming

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

Episode 1

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

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

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

Almost There...

     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

     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

     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....