Decor determines gestures: we will build passionate houses
-Situationist International Slogan
My new radio show, running on KXLU 88.9 is called "Fanfare For The Playing Man". While I enjoy saying it, it also has a very personal meaning for me.
The "Fanfare" portion is an obvious reference to composer Aaron Copland's "Fanfare for the Common Man". The immediate point of this reference is to create a sense of celebration for each of us. My show, as opposed to Copland's composition, is a celebration of an urban existence: isolated while perpetually surrounded. The use of Copland also creates a uniquely American experience, separating itself from the very French Situationst International reference found in the term "playing man".
To the Situationists, the city is designed around the working man. Each structure makes human capitol more efficient, from roads, to bus stops to cramped apartment complexes, every aspect of the city is made to accommodate work. Some artists of the movement decided to design cities of their own, not to cradle the working man, rather modeled for the playing man.
It is for this reason that modern graffiti and skateboarding are still two activities that are kindred spirits to the Situationist movement in France in the late 50s. The two activities take a city, designed for work, and rob it of its seriousness; they transform pre-laid objects of work into platforms for play.
It is this concept that guides my show during drive-time. To transform a morning commute, the cattle march to the office, into a time of play is all I can hope to do while celebrating each anonymous individual.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Monday, March 16, 2009
Friday, March 13, 2009
Wayne Coyne Shit Talks Arcade Fire In Rolling Stone
I don't know why, but this makes me very happy.
Justin Timberlake has had his moment. Wayne Coyne is bringing friendly back.
Here's what he had to say in a disturbingly re-formatted and smaller Rolling Stone (note to Jan Werner: I know you say people will get used to and even like the new format of the magazine, but you are wrong):
"I'm a fan of them on one level, but on another level I get really tired of their pompousness ... We've played some shows with them and they really treat people like shit. Whenever I've been around them, I've found that they not only treated their crew like shit, they treated the audience like shit. They treated everybody in their vicinity like shit. I thought, 'Who do they think they are?' I don't know why people put up with it. I wouldn't put up with it. I don't care if it's Arcade Fire or Brian Eno. If either of them walked into a room and treated people like shit I'd be like, 'Fuck you, get outta here.'
... People treat Arcade Fire like they're the greatest thing ever and they get away with it. Those sort of opinions change my view of their music. They have good tunes, but they're pricks, so fuck 'em. Who does Arcade Fire think they are? I've been around groups. I've been around the Edge from U2 and he's the fucking sweetest guy ever. I was around Justin Timberlake when he was young and he was just a normal, nice, kind person. Anyone can be polite and kind and people who have the privilege and money and attention should understand that. If they don't, then fuck 'em."
Okay, in honor of Wayne Coyne, here is the trailer to his movie which was weirdly and unexpectedly good (better than the trailer lets on anyway). I sat down to watch just a few minutes and was so oddly transfixed the credits started rolling and I realized it was 3am and I had to work in the morning.
Without further adieu, Ladies and Gentlemen, We Are Floating In Space...no, wait, that's someone else:
Justin Timberlake has had his moment. Wayne Coyne is bringing friendly back.
Here's what he had to say in a disturbingly re-formatted and smaller Rolling Stone (note to Jan Werner: I know you say people will get used to and even like the new format of the magazine, but you are wrong):
"I'm a fan of them on one level, but on another level I get really tired of their pompousness ... We've played some shows with them and they really treat people like shit. Whenever I've been around them, I've found that they not only treated their crew like shit, they treated the audience like shit. They treated everybody in their vicinity like shit. I thought, 'Who do they think they are?' I don't know why people put up with it. I wouldn't put up with it. I don't care if it's Arcade Fire or Brian Eno. If either of them walked into a room and treated people like shit I'd be like, 'Fuck you, get outta here.'
... People treat Arcade Fire like they're the greatest thing ever and they get away with it. Those sort of opinions change my view of their music. They have good tunes, but they're pricks, so fuck 'em. Who does Arcade Fire think they are? I've been around groups. I've been around the Edge from U2 and he's the fucking sweetest guy ever. I was around Justin Timberlake when he was young and he was just a normal, nice, kind person. Anyone can be polite and kind and people who have the privilege and money and attention should understand that. If they don't, then fuck 'em."
Okay, in honor of Wayne Coyne, here is the trailer to his movie which was weirdly and unexpectedly good (better than the trailer lets on anyway). I sat down to watch just a few minutes and was so oddly transfixed the credits started rolling and I realized it was 3am and I had to work in the morning.
Without further adieu, Ladies and Gentlemen, We Are Floating In Space...no, wait, that's someone else:
Thursday, March 12, 2009
California Teacher Layoffs - Please Help
Hey everyone,
As you may or may not know, The state of California is about to send out 10,100 pink slips in the next few days to let teachers know that they may be laid off. This is due to a $4 Billion cut in education spending in the new California budget.
It is not too late. These slips are not layoffs, but a legally required warning that layoffs are coming. The budget, as it was in 2003, can be revised.
I am asking everyone of my friends in California, not simply as a future teacher, but as a person who believes that education is the strongest stimulus for long term growth in our country, to click this link and find out how you can help protest these layoffs.
If you would like to know more about the cuts, there is an informative article in the San Francisco Chronicle CLICK HERE FOR ARTICLE
The California Teachers Association also has information on the subject (spoiler alert: they're siding with the teachers) CLICK HERE FOR CTA
I hope you can all help.
Thanks!
Josh
As you may or may not know, The state of California is about to send out 10,100 pink slips in the next few days to let teachers know that they may be laid off. This is due to a $4 Billion cut in education spending in the new California budget.
It is not too late. These slips are not layoffs, but a legally required warning that layoffs are coming. The budget, as it was in 2003, can be revised.
I am asking everyone of my friends in California, not simply as a future teacher, but as a person who believes that education is the strongest stimulus for long term growth in our country, to click this link and find out how you can help protest these layoffs.
If you would like to know more about the cuts, there is an informative article in the San Francisco Chronicle CLICK HERE FOR ARTICLE
The California Teachers Association also has information on the subject (spoiler alert: they're siding with the teachers) CLICK HERE FOR CTA
I hope you can all help.
Thanks!
Josh
Save The Little Joy
It seems that my blog about the downfall of The Little Joy gained some attention.
My friends at the bar have asked Danny and I to come out one more time and try to have a night of remembrance. We want to have a night like it used to be: good music and good people.
After so many years of this bar being good to us, Danny and I want to celebrate everything that was once great about the Little Joy and recreate it for a night (as long as we can ignore the new lighting and paint).
As mentioned in my last post, I have been on a record shopping binge, so I'm excited.
Please come out and support our friends who work at the bar. If they don't get a break from Aerosmith and whatever Quentin Tarantino soundtrack the new DJ is playing off of his computer, people might die. Do it for the community!
More updates to come. Maybe even a snarky flyer. We're thinking about actually putting effort into this...that's how important it is! Mark your calendars and tell your friends.
Thursday, March 19
My friends at the bar have asked Danny and I to come out one more time and try to have a night of remembrance. We want to have a night like it used to be: good music and good people.
After so many years of this bar being good to us, Danny and I want to celebrate everything that was once great about the Little Joy and recreate it for a night (as long as we can ignore the new lighting and paint).
As mentioned in my last post, I have been on a record shopping binge, so I'm excited.
Please come out and support our friends who work at the bar. If they don't get a break from Aerosmith and whatever Quentin Tarantino soundtrack the new DJ is playing off of his computer, people might die. Do it for the community!
More updates to come. Maybe even a snarky flyer. We're thinking about actually putting effort into this...that's how important it is! Mark your calendars and tell your friends.
Thursday, March 19
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
The Final Broadcast of Passing Through
At about 11:30 PM last night I received the call: The Wednesday morning 6-10 am DJs on KXLU would no longer be continuing their show. The Wednesday drive-time slot, starting next week, will be mine. I am moving out of the graveyard shift! I have been waiting a log time for this, but my schedule has forced me to turn down the 6-10 shift on other weekdays. To have a day that works is the most exciting feeling in the world!
As I have been blathering about for the past few weeks or so, my passion for DJing has really been rekindled lately, and this is the pinnacle. I have been so excited that I have been buying records as if I were a character on Sex In The City, and if by records I meant shoes. Fabulous!
So, this news left only one loose string: my final 2-6am broadcast...and the big finish that I promised after the very first song that I ever played on KXLU. It has been a pleasure (though, admittedly, sometimes an exhausting one). I will miss my graveyard shift companions, and hope that they can stay up long enough to follow me to 6-10. I will especially miss playing songs with curses in them!
Well, enough of that, here is the final Passing Through set list with commentary:
1) Jonah Ray - Courtney Love Truth or Dare
An amazing true story about playing truth or dare with Courtney Love by Jonah Ray off of his comedy 7" "This Crazy Mixed Up Plumbing". Seriously, a comedy 7"...how pretentious is that? That's why I love him...sigh.
2) Abe Vigoda - Don't Lie *
3) Captain Ahab - Health/Foot Village Mash Up
I saw this spray painted record for sale at Family. It didn't say what was on it. I actually thought it was just a split 12" with Captain Ahab, Foot Village, Health and Jason Forrest as all that belied what was on the record was their names spray painted over and over. Well, it turns out that one side is a Foot Village remix by Jason Forrest that I will save for another posting, but the A side is the above mentioned mash up from the mad geniuses (the complaint "the word genius is thrown around so easily" is thrown around so easily don't you think?) at Deathbomb Arc. This remix might be better than the Crystal Castles remix of Health. It flies out of the gate and absolutely pummels you for the duration of the record. This is exactly the kind of track that makes you pissed off that you thumbed your nose at electronic music for so many years just because you hated glow sticks and grown men with pacifiers. Dear God is this record good!
4) Portishead - Machine Gun
I'm really trying to get the beats matched up between this track and the above Captain Ahab. I have a sneaking suspicion that this might be the perfect transition. Both songs are so hard and intense, but where the mash-up brings an energy that is almost destructive in its force, Machine Gun is dark and brooding. This track is the cherry on top of what may well be the best album Portishead has ever released.
5) Boris - Farewll
See the theme?
6) Kasio Antaxia - Traveling To Space +
Request from Derrik
7) Sonic Youth - Kool Thing
8) Curtis Mayfield - Move on Up
Keeping the theme going!
9) Primal Scream - Movin on Up (live)
Woo hoo!
10) Public Image Limited - Rise
This is my favorite track off of "Album". I think this record is underrated. David Scott Stone, who was in the studio with Damian prior to my show told me, and allmusic.com confirms that the guitarist on this record was Steve Vai. What the fuck, right?
11) Bruce Springsteen - Dream Baby Dream (Suicide Cover)
That's right. You didn't just momentarily forget how to read and start replacing the now jumbled codes of letters with crazy thoughts...that really does say Bruce Springsteen covering Suicide. Thank you is due to Danny Gabai for turning me on to this. UK Label BLAST First is releasing a series of 10"s of bands attempting to cover Suicide. This is the first tasting, and wow! The B side includes a rare live performance of Dream Baby Dream by Suicide and a really great cover of Mr. Ray by Beat The Devil (which will definitely see some play on future broadcasts). Anyhow, if you are like me, then you grew up in New Jersey. In that case you are legally obligated to worship Springsteen. If you are also like me, you left New Jersey and are, to say the least, hesitant to listen to anything New Jersey tells you about culture or taste. Yet there is just something about The Boss that is so...likeable. He seems...really...kind of...cool. Just look at his cameo in High Fidelity. "I want to hang out with that guy" you think to yourself right up until the point when New Jersey starts drunkenly screaming the lyrics to "Born In The USA" while you watch in horror as flecks of pizza crust fall from New Jersey's mouth all over New Jersey's sweatshirt and you just want to scream "put your fucking hat on forward, lose some weight and stop playing beer pong, you are an adult!" but New Jersey is much bigger than you, so you just keep your mouth shut. You turn your back on the boss and his legions of mutated man-children. Then he goes and covers suicide...and it all comes rushing back to you...this guy is okay! Pick up this record, it's limited to 4000 and you will be a happier person for owning it (unless you believe that all possession is theft, in which case you probably won't be happier).
12) Suicide - Cheree
13) Stone Roses - Fools Gold +
Request from "Average Listener" who refused to give her name. Probably in Witness Protection
14) Do Dada - Dance *
15) Heaven 17 - At The Height of The Fighting +
I'm so sorry, I forgot who made this request
16) The Shivers - Beauty +
Request by Tara. These guys played in my friend James's living room on Saturday and were amazing. James was also kind enough to let me DJ after the bands were finished. It should be mentioned that the second time that I ever DJed was a New Years party at James's house. We have all come a long way since that night! Peter and the Wolf also played as did my friends Petecia and Frankie of Fawnhawk. All in all an amazing night!
17) Harry Nilsson - It's Not Easy Bein' Me
Wow, I've played this song many times, but never actually blogged about it. Perhaps you remember the movie, Popeye, staring Robin Williams and Shelly Duvall (who was clearly born to play Olive Oyl. What you may not recall is the soundtrack. Mostly, because it wasn't that spectacular (with the notable exception of "He Needs Me")...until you hear the demos. It seems that Robert Altman recruited Harry Nilsson to write all of the music, who in turn brought on Van Dyke Parks to arrange all of the music. You can get hold of the demos and they are amazing! Thank you to Autumn DeWilde for making me aware of this record!
18) Inara George - Dirty White
Half of The Bird and The Bee and one third of The Living Sisters (Becky Stark, Eleni Mandell, Inara George), this is Inara's solo record. It is breathtaking and..oh...completely arranged by her Godfather, Van Dyke Parks.
19) Ikettes - Trouble's On My Mind
20) Edgar Allen and The Poes - Panic Button
21) Nite Hawks - Chicken Grabber
Hip Hop Collaboration Time:
22) Quasimoto - Come on Feet
Collaboration between Madlib and Quasimoto (aka Madlib)
23) Jaylib - The Red
Collaboration between Madlib and J Dilla
24) Madvillian - Money Folder
Collaboration between Madlib and MF Doom
25) Danger Doom - Basket Case
Collaboration between MF Doom and Danger Mouse
26) El P - Delorean
El P featuring Aesop Rock
27) Blackstar - Definition
Collaboration between Mos Def and Talib Kweli
28) Handsome Boy Modeling School - Holy Calamity
Collaboration between Dan The Automator and Prince Paul
29) Cold Cut - More Beats and Pieces
Matt Black and Jonathan More
End Hip Hop Collaboration set
30) Nirvana - The Man Who Sold The World +
Request from the wonderful Mel Yiasemide who wrote the Best of LA Weekly article on KXLU and talked about my show. Read the article by clicking here
31) David Bowie - Cygnet Committee
Early Bowie. This song clearly shows Bowie about to move out of his early adoration and emulation of Bob Dylan. It is an early hint of what was to come with Ziggy Stardust and songs like Five Years and Rock 'n Roll Suicide. It's on the Space Oddity album, which is really a collection of singles and EPs released early in Bowie's career.
32) Lou Reed - Sad Song
33) War On Drugs - Taking The Farm
34) Neutral Milk Hotel - Gardenhead
35) Modern Lovers - Don't Let Our Youth Go To Waste
Only performed live. This song was always performed by Jonathan Richman singing with zero musical accompaniment. Often he would finish the song in tears. It is so stark and jarring yet beautiful. Galaxy 500's DVD is named after their cover of this song.
36) Velvet Underground - Black Angel Death Song
From the discovered acetate of the original and, subsequently, rejected version of Velvet Underground and Nico.
37) ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead - A Perfect Teenhood
They just wrecked their van touring, but should hopefully still be here to play the Echoplex on March 17. See you there?
38) Divo - Uncontrollable Urge +
Request by Ludlow
39) Lush - De-Luxe +
Request by Ludlow
40) Animal Collective - My Girls *
41) Prefuse 73 - The End of Biters International
42) Triangle - Ride My Bike
43) Liquid Liquid - Optimo *
44) Hello - Back In The New York Groove
45) Black Dice - Things Will Never Be The Same
46) Syd Barrett - No Good Trying
47) David Bowie - Red Money
This is the big finish to my show that I promised after the first song I ever played on KXLU. During the recording of Station to Station, Bowie moved to LA and was under such constant drug influence, he became convinced that the Devil was living in his swimming pool. In the meantime, Iggy Pop was in a hospital trying to kick heroin with no regular visitors other than Bowie. Bowie struck a deal, if Iggy could kick heroin, he could join Bowie's band as the guitarist to tour Europe in support of Station to Station. During the trip, the two decided to move as far from LA as possible and decided on Berlin. Bowie decided to quit making music and instead would only produce Iggy's first solo record, The Idiot.
Recording in Cologne with producer Tony Visconte, Bowie became so inspired he decided to record his own album after all, adding Brian Eno to the mix of collaborators. Though Low was technically released first, The Idiot is often considered the first album of "The Berlin Period" as it was begun first and was the reason they were in the studio to begin with.
The first song on The Idiot is Sister Midnight. Two years later would mark the end of the Berlin Period with Bowie's 1979 release, Lodger. The very last song on Lodger is Red Money. Red Money is the same song as Sister Midnight. Bowie reused the instrumental tracks and re-recorded the vocals with new words and melodies (except the fact that the middle of both songs is each singer, respectively, singing "can you hear me at all" repeatedly).
The very first song I ever played on my show was Sister Midnight with the express intention of bookending my show the same way that the Berlin period was bookended: with this one song made two.
Well, that's all for Passing Through. The name of the show was a reference to the idea that between 2-6am the majority of people listening would be on crazy road trips seeking good music at the bottom of the dial which fades in and out of range as they pass through each new town and city. The name doesn't really make sense in the same way from 6-10am. I think it will be retired. I will keep you updated as I come up with a new name.
Thanks for reading and listening. Please listen in while you wake up/drive to work/work on Wednesday Mornings from 6-10 am.
WOO HOO!!!!
* KXLU new add
+ Request
As I have been blathering about for the past few weeks or so, my passion for DJing has really been rekindled lately, and this is the pinnacle. I have been so excited that I have been buying records as if I were a character on Sex In The City, and if by records I meant shoes. Fabulous!
So, this news left only one loose string: my final 2-6am broadcast...and the big finish that I promised after the very first song that I ever played on KXLU. It has been a pleasure (though, admittedly, sometimes an exhausting one). I will miss my graveyard shift companions, and hope that they can stay up long enough to follow me to 6-10. I will especially miss playing songs with curses in them!
Well, enough of that, here is the final Passing Through set list with commentary:
1) Jonah Ray - Courtney Love Truth or Dare
An amazing true story about playing truth or dare with Courtney Love by Jonah Ray off of his comedy 7" "This Crazy Mixed Up Plumbing". Seriously, a comedy 7"...how pretentious is that? That's why I love him...sigh.
2) Abe Vigoda - Don't Lie *
3) Captain Ahab - Health/Foot Village Mash Up
I saw this spray painted record for sale at Family. It didn't say what was on it. I actually thought it was just a split 12" with Captain Ahab, Foot Village, Health and Jason Forrest as all that belied what was on the record was their names spray painted over and over. Well, it turns out that one side is a Foot Village remix by Jason Forrest that I will save for another posting, but the A side is the above mentioned mash up from the mad geniuses (the complaint "the word genius is thrown around so easily" is thrown around so easily don't you think?) at Deathbomb Arc. This remix might be better than the Crystal Castles remix of Health. It flies out of the gate and absolutely pummels you for the duration of the record. This is exactly the kind of track that makes you pissed off that you thumbed your nose at electronic music for so many years just because you hated glow sticks and grown men with pacifiers. Dear God is this record good!
4) Portishead - Machine Gun
I'm really trying to get the beats matched up between this track and the above Captain Ahab. I have a sneaking suspicion that this might be the perfect transition. Both songs are so hard and intense, but where the mash-up brings an energy that is almost destructive in its force, Machine Gun is dark and brooding. This track is the cherry on top of what may well be the best album Portishead has ever released.
5) Boris - Farewll
See the theme?
6) Kasio Antaxia - Traveling To Space +
Request from Derrik
7) Sonic Youth - Kool Thing
8) Curtis Mayfield - Move on Up
Keeping the theme going!
9) Primal Scream - Movin on Up (live)
Woo hoo!
10) Public Image Limited - Rise
This is my favorite track off of "Album". I think this record is underrated. David Scott Stone, who was in the studio with Damian prior to my show told me, and allmusic.com confirms that the guitarist on this record was Steve Vai. What the fuck, right?
11) Bruce Springsteen - Dream Baby Dream (Suicide Cover)
That's right. You didn't just momentarily forget how to read and start replacing the now jumbled codes of letters with crazy thoughts...that really does say Bruce Springsteen covering Suicide. Thank you is due to Danny Gabai for turning me on to this. UK Label BLAST First is releasing a series of 10"s of bands attempting to cover Suicide. This is the first tasting, and wow! The B side includes a rare live performance of Dream Baby Dream by Suicide and a really great cover of Mr. Ray by Beat The Devil (which will definitely see some play on future broadcasts). Anyhow, if you are like me, then you grew up in New Jersey. In that case you are legally obligated to worship Springsteen. If you are also like me, you left New Jersey and are, to say the least, hesitant to listen to anything New Jersey tells you about culture or taste. Yet there is just something about The Boss that is so...likeable. He seems...really...kind of...cool. Just look at his cameo in High Fidelity. "I want to hang out with that guy" you think to yourself right up until the point when New Jersey starts drunkenly screaming the lyrics to "Born In The USA" while you watch in horror as flecks of pizza crust fall from New Jersey's mouth all over New Jersey's sweatshirt and you just want to scream "put your fucking hat on forward, lose some weight and stop playing beer pong, you are an adult!" but New Jersey is much bigger than you, so you just keep your mouth shut. You turn your back on the boss and his legions of mutated man-children. Then he goes and covers suicide...and it all comes rushing back to you...this guy is okay! Pick up this record, it's limited to 4000 and you will be a happier person for owning it (unless you believe that all possession is theft, in which case you probably won't be happier).
12) Suicide - Cheree
13) Stone Roses - Fools Gold +
Request from "Average Listener" who refused to give her name. Probably in Witness Protection
14) Do Dada - Dance *
15) Heaven 17 - At The Height of The Fighting +
I'm so sorry, I forgot who made this request
16) The Shivers - Beauty +
Request by Tara. These guys played in my friend James's living room on Saturday and were amazing. James was also kind enough to let me DJ after the bands were finished. It should be mentioned that the second time that I ever DJed was a New Years party at James's house. We have all come a long way since that night! Peter and the Wolf also played as did my friends Petecia and Frankie of Fawnhawk. All in all an amazing night!
17) Harry Nilsson - It's Not Easy Bein' Me
Wow, I've played this song many times, but never actually blogged about it. Perhaps you remember the movie, Popeye, staring Robin Williams and Shelly Duvall (who was clearly born to play Olive Oyl. What you may not recall is the soundtrack. Mostly, because it wasn't that spectacular (with the notable exception of "He Needs Me")...until you hear the demos. It seems that Robert Altman recruited Harry Nilsson to write all of the music, who in turn brought on Van Dyke Parks to arrange all of the music. You can get hold of the demos and they are amazing! Thank you to Autumn DeWilde for making me aware of this record!
18) Inara George - Dirty White
Half of The Bird and The Bee and one third of The Living Sisters (Becky Stark, Eleni Mandell, Inara George), this is Inara's solo record. It is breathtaking and..oh...completely arranged by her Godfather, Van Dyke Parks.
19) Ikettes - Trouble's On My Mind
20) Edgar Allen and The Poes - Panic Button
21) Nite Hawks - Chicken Grabber
Hip Hop Collaboration Time:
22) Quasimoto - Come on Feet
Collaboration between Madlib and Quasimoto (aka Madlib)
23) Jaylib - The Red
Collaboration between Madlib and J Dilla
24) Madvillian - Money Folder
Collaboration between Madlib and MF Doom
25) Danger Doom - Basket Case
Collaboration between MF Doom and Danger Mouse
26) El P - Delorean
El P featuring Aesop Rock
27) Blackstar - Definition
Collaboration between Mos Def and Talib Kweli
28) Handsome Boy Modeling School - Holy Calamity
Collaboration between Dan The Automator and Prince Paul
29) Cold Cut - More Beats and Pieces
Matt Black and Jonathan More
End Hip Hop Collaboration set
30) Nirvana - The Man Who Sold The World +
Request from the wonderful Mel Yiasemide who wrote the Best of LA Weekly article on KXLU and talked about my show. Read the article by clicking here
31) David Bowie - Cygnet Committee
Early Bowie. This song clearly shows Bowie about to move out of his early adoration and emulation of Bob Dylan. It is an early hint of what was to come with Ziggy Stardust and songs like Five Years and Rock 'n Roll Suicide. It's on the Space Oddity album, which is really a collection of singles and EPs released early in Bowie's career.
32) Lou Reed - Sad Song
33) War On Drugs - Taking The Farm
34) Neutral Milk Hotel - Gardenhead
35) Modern Lovers - Don't Let Our Youth Go To Waste
Only performed live. This song was always performed by Jonathan Richman singing with zero musical accompaniment. Often he would finish the song in tears. It is so stark and jarring yet beautiful. Galaxy 500's DVD is named after their cover of this song.
36) Velvet Underground - Black Angel Death Song
From the discovered acetate of the original and, subsequently, rejected version of Velvet Underground and Nico.
37) ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead - A Perfect Teenhood
They just wrecked their van touring, but should hopefully still be here to play the Echoplex on March 17. See you there?
38) Divo - Uncontrollable Urge +
Request by Ludlow
39) Lush - De-Luxe +
Request by Ludlow
40) Animal Collective - My Girls *
41) Prefuse 73 - The End of Biters International
42) Triangle - Ride My Bike
43) Liquid Liquid - Optimo *
44) Hello - Back In The New York Groove
45) Black Dice - Things Will Never Be The Same
46) Syd Barrett - No Good Trying
47) David Bowie - Red Money
This is the big finish to my show that I promised after the first song I ever played on KXLU. During the recording of Station to Station, Bowie moved to LA and was under such constant drug influence, he became convinced that the Devil was living in his swimming pool. In the meantime, Iggy Pop was in a hospital trying to kick heroin with no regular visitors other than Bowie. Bowie struck a deal, if Iggy could kick heroin, he could join Bowie's band as the guitarist to tour Europe in support of Station to Station. During the trip, the two decided to move as far from LA as possible and decided on Berlin. Bowie decided to quit making music and instead would only produce Iggy's first solo record, The Idiot.
Recording in Cologne with producer Tony Visconte, Bowie became so inspired he decided to record his own album after all, adding Brian Eno to the mix of collaborators. Though Low was technically released first, The Idiot is often considered the first album of "The Berlin Period" as it was begun first and was the reason they were in the studio to begin with.
The first song on The Idiot is Sister Midnight. Two years later would mark the end of the Berlin Period with Bowie's 1979 release, Lodger. The very last song on Lodger is Red Money. Red Money is the same song as Sister Midnight. Bowie reused the instrumental tracks and re-recorded the vocals with new words and melodies (except the fact that the middle of both songs is each singer, respectively, singing "can you hear me at all" repeatedly).
The very first song I ever played on my show was Sister Midnight with the express intention of bookending my show the same way that the Berlin period was bookended: with this one song made two.
Well, that's all for Passing Through. The name of the show was a reference to the idea that between 2-6am the majority of people listening would be on crazy road trips seeking good music at the bottom of the dial which fades in and out of range as they pass through each new town and city. The name doesn't really make sense in the same way from 6-10am. I think it will be retired. I will keep you updated as I come up with a new name.
Thanks for reading and listening. Please listen in while you wake up/drive to work/work on Wednesday Mornings from 6-10 am.
WOO HOO!!!!
* KXLU new add
+ Request
Saturday, March 7, 2009
The Downfall of The Little Joy
I feel like a friend has died and I missed the opportunity to say goodbye. I have avoided going to The Little Joy for a week. I forgot that Danny and I were supposed to DJ there last Thursday. We never showed up and I felt terrible about it. Finally, I decided to apologize to Drew, the manager, and to start off the weekend at my favorite bar.
I approached the door and saw my friend Pete was working, checking IDs. Pete had been in Alaska, salmon fishing and otherwise taking a cold road to better money. He was back. As we caught up, something struck me as odd: "is that The Black Crowes playing 'hard to handle'" that I'm hearing"? "Oh, you haven't heard?" Pete responded, "just wait, it gets worse".
I walked in and the song changed from "Hard to Handle" to "Jungle Boogie". Some dude (and I use that word explicitly) threw his fist in the air and grinded up on his lady's leg. I saw Drew and told him that I owed him a huge apology. "For what" he asked. I didn't bother explaining. It seemed that he had forgotten that we were supposed to DJ as well, just like the month before when he double booked us with another DJ. Don't get me wrong, I have known Drew for a long time and have always and will always like him, but the DJ calendar has fallen to the wayside of late. Not that it matters, I flaked on my own night, so who am I to complain?
I gave Heather, the bartender, a hug. She had a look of total contempt for the crowd and the DJ on her face. Aerosmith was playing "Walk This Way".
I screamed and worked my way out of the room. I found Pete still at the door. "What did I tell you"? He explained that after Joe (the old manager) was fired, the owner made the woman who had cleaned the place for 14 years a partner. Now, I'm all for rewarding that kind of loyalty and I think that the move was very generous, but I have a few complaints:
1) The woman who cleans the place? I didn't know that the place got cleaned. If you have ever been inside you know; part of the charm of the Little Joy is that it looks as if there may or may not have been a recent fire.
2) Why couldn't she remain a silent partner? I'm cool with good suggestions coming from anyone and anywhere, but these changes are atrocities! She bought "furniture" but apparently has the decorative eye of a burned out janitor. I was told, as P-Funk's Flashlight came on, that the DJ was a friend of her son.
The crowd had changed too. It had the slight feel of the East Side's answer to Saddle Ranch. I said to Pete that it seemed like all of the people inside were people that Joe would have kicked out for no reason at all other than that he didn't like the cut of their jib. It was exactly this attitude that led a lot of people to hate the little joy and to hate Joe. He was always a friend to me, though. He was the first person to ever let me DJ and for that at the very least I will always owe him. He was always good to my friends and I, and I know many others also felt that way. Say what you will, but Joe ran the bar like it was his living room. If he didn't like you he didn't want you in his home and he let you know it. Certainly, claims of exclusivity or snobbery are valid here, but his bouncing policy was not nearly as "discerning" as any Hollywood velvet rope and didn't really have its root in elitism. The policy (as far as I could tell) was that if there was a hint of douchiness you were out. Joe was the sole barometer...at his best he was a benevolent dictator and, admittedly, at his worst he needlessly excluded some good people. Not two minutes after I had mentioned this to Pete (I swear this is true) someone walked into the bar and says to his friend, "Bro! I haven't been to this bar since I got kicked out that time".
This scene flooded my mind:
I know I am inviting calls of snobbery, but we all choose who we let in our living rooms. We all try to expel certain vibrations from the place we feel most comfortable. That is why, if you loved The Little Joy it felt like home like no other bar could.
As I was leaving the bar with the sounds of The Strokes' "Last Night" playing over the speakers it made me laugh. Strokes drummer, Fab Moretti named his new band (at the behest of his bandmate and girlfriend, Binki) Little Joy after the bar (Whose album I have been listening to as I write this). In one interview it was said, "What I always thought was beautiful about the bar, is that it’s just a door in the corner all full of stickers and you see a very mixed crowd hanging out there-hipster kids, old Chinese men from the restaurant across the street-all kinds of people. There’s pool and they play good music". The stickers are gone, the music is awful and the crowd has changed. I do get a kick out of the thought that someone, someday might visit the Little Joy to see what this band found so great, walk in and say, "what the fuck were they talking about"?
I approached the door and saw my friend Pete was working, checking IDs. Pete had been in Alaska, salmon fishing and otherwise taking a cold road to better money. He was back. As we caught up, something struck me as odd: "is that The Black Crowes playing 'hard to handle'" that I'm hearing"? "Oh, you haven't heard?" Pete responded, "just wait, it gets worse".
I walked in and the song changed from "Hard to Handle" to "Jungle Boogie". Some dude (and I use that word explicitly) threw his fist in the air and grinded up on his lady's leg. I saw Drew and told him that I owed him a huge apology. "For what" he asked. I didn't bother explaining. It seemed that he had forgotten that we were supposed to DJ as well, just like the month before when he double booked us with another DJ. Don't get me wrong, I have known Drew for a long time and have always and will always like him, but the DJ calendar has fallen to the wayside of late. Not that it matters, I flaked on my own night, so who am I to complain?
I gave Heather, the bartender, a hug. She had a look of total contempt for the crowd and the DJ on her face. Aerosmith was playing "Walk This Way".
I screamed and worked my way out of the room. I found Pete still at the door. "What did I tell you"? He explained that after Joe (the old manager) was fired, the owner made the woman who had cleaned the place for 14 years a partner. Now, I'm all for rewarding that kind of loyalty and I think that the move was very generous, but I have a few complaints:
1) The woman who cleans the place? I didn't know that the place got cleaned. If you have ever been inside you know; part of the charm of the Little Joy is that it looks as if there may or may not have been a recent fire.
2) Why couldn't she remain a silent partner? I'm cool with good suggestions coming from anyone and anywhere, but these changes are atrocities! She bought "furniture" but apparently has the decorative eye of a burned out janitor. I was told, as P-Funk's Flashlight came on, that the DJ was a friend of her son.
The crowd had changed too. It had the slight feel of the East Side's answer to Saddle Ranch. I said to Pete that it seemed like all of the people inside were people that Joe would have kicked out for no reason at all other than that he didn't like the cut of their jib. It was exactly this attitude that led a lot of people to hate the little joy and to hate Joe. He was always a friend to me, though. He was the first person to ever let me DJ and for that at the very least I will always owe him. He was always good to my friends and I, and I know many others also felt that way. Say what you will, but Joe ran the bar like it was his living room. If he didn't like you he didn't want you in his home and he let you know it. Certainly, claims of exclusivity or snobbery are valid here, but his bouncing policy was not nearly as "discerning" as any Hollywood velvet rope and didn't really have its root in elitism. The policy (as far as I could tell) was that if there was a hint of douchiness you were out. Joe was the sole barometer...at his best he was a benevolent dictator and, admittedly, at his worst he needlessly excluded some good people. Not two minutes after I had mentioned this to Pete (I swear this is true) someone walked into the bar and says to his friend, "Bro! I haven't been to this bar since I got kicked out that time".
This scene flooded my mind:
I know I am inviting calls of snobbery, but we all choose who we let in our living rooms. We all try to expel certain vibrations from the place we feel most comfortable. That is why, if you loved The Little Joy it felt like home like no other bar could.
As I was leaving the bar with the sounds of The Strokes' "Last Night" playing over the speakers it made me laugh. Strokes drummer, Fab Moretti named his new band (at the behest of his bandmate and girlfriend, Binki) Little Joy after the bar (Whose album I have been listening to as I write this). In one interview it was said, "What I always thought was beautiful about the bar, is that it’s just a door in the corner all full of stickers and you see a very mixed crowd hanging out there-hipster kids, old Chinese men from the restaurant across the street-all kinds of people. There’s pool and they play good music". The stickers are gone, the music is awful and the crowd has changed. I do get a kick out of the thought that someone, someday might visit the Little Joy to see what this band found so great, walk in and say, "what the fuck were they talking about"?
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