Thursday, December 31, 2009

DJ Emmett presents fin de la décennie spectacular

Good Time Coming - Mustard
Lucy Lu - Bob Summers
I Won't Step On Your Shoes - Barnaby Bye
Asmodaï - Tac Poum Système
Eanie Meany - Jim Noir
I Won't Let You Down - Ph.D.
The EMI Song - Alex Chilton
Gemini - Marcello Giombini
I Need You Tonight - The Punkin Machine
Right Off (excerpt, -8) - Miles Davis
No Train To Stockholm - Lee Hazlewood
Spiralys - Daniela Casa
L'idole des jaunes - Stella
Run For The Sun - Brett Smiley
Il Veliero - Lucio Battisti
My Love Will Shine - Pat Thomas & Marijata
Pyjamarama - Sartre's Lobster
Bilbao Song - Bernie Leighton
Trouble - Lindsey Buckingham
Perpetrator - Stew Lane
Poison Lips - Vitalic
Schwerkraft - Schaltkreis Wassermann
2010 - Andy Summers
Art Decade Chant - Big B

(or, get them all in one zip file)

Wednesday, December 30, 2009


Dear friends: the new Viva show drops today. A retrospective of musical highlights from 2009, i.e. an assortment of some of the best stuff I "discovered" this year. Enjoy at 2 PM on Viva Radio, or after-the-fact here.

I'll also be posting about 22 songs tomorrow morning - stay tuned!

Auld Lang Syne: Scottish and North English: 1. old times, esp. times fondly remembered. 2. old or long friendship. [lit., old long since, i.e., old long-ago (days)]

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

PAVEMENT

The Death of Mistakes Means The Death Of Rock
Rosemary Lane Bert Jansch

Bert Jansch: Wayward Child


Anne Murray: Danny's Song

This is a Kenny Loggins joint. Wikipedia can tell me it was written for Kenny Loggins's brother's child, that doesn't stop me from thinking about Dan Fouts.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009



The Temptations: Smiling Faces Sometimes

That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain...

Monday, December 21, 2009



Fairport Convention: Tried So Hard

The FC doing old GC...

Saturday, December 19, 2009

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Black on White Affair

Play loud & often during holiday festivities.

[original air date 11.07.08]

Black on White Affair: Auld Lang Syne

Realize this tune is a wee early for pending New Year's celebrations but for those wishing to imbibe today this soulful elixir tastes great anytime of day.

Friday, December 18, 2009



Eurythmics: Love is a Stranger

You think this is the best stanza ever written on the topic of love:

It's savage and it's cruel
And it shines like destruction.
Comes in like the flood
And it seems like religion
It's noble and it's brutal
It distorts and deranges
And it wrenches you up
And you're left like a zombie.


But then, a mere 23 seconds later, you're confronted with this:


It's guilt edged,
glamorous and sleek by design
You know it's jealous by nature
False and unkind
It's hard and restrained
And it's totally cool
It touches and it teases
As you stumble
In the debris.


So...you know...
Mark E Smith

Imagine if Mark E. Smith were Santa Claus.
O.K., let's not.

The Fall: L.A.


"The Seventies never ended." Sean the Philosopher Bateman this time. What a stupid thing to say, I'm thinking. What a strange and supremely stupid thing to say. He smiles at me and thinks it's profound. I feel sick. I want them to turn the music down.

-Bret Easton Ellis, The Rules of Attraction, 1987

Thursday, December 17, 2009



Herbie Hancock: Junku

Off of Sound System and evidently written for the '84 Olympic games in LA.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009



Chick Corea: What Game Shall We Play Today?

The players:
Chick Corea, electric piano
Joe Farrell, flutes, soprano sax
Flora Purim, vocals, percussion
Stan Clarke, electric bass, double bass
Airto Moreira, drums, percussion

This reminds me of a cross between Vince Guaraldi and the TV (Sesame Street, 3-2-1 Contact, the Electric Company) I watched as a kid.

Wednesday, December 09, 2009


Wednesdays simply don't get any bigger than this, people. Not only does our sparkling new Viva Radio show drop today at 2 PM (hear it on viva-radio.com), but to add to the insanity I'm playing records TONIGHT at Heathers Bar, 506 East 13th Street between A & B, 9 PM - close. Come through, New York - for good music and good times.

Monday, December 07, 2009



The Flatmates: My Empty Head

Band bio here or here.

Friday, December 04, 2009

SAVE YOUR DATE

This Wednesday, December 9th, DJ Emmett rides the wheels of steel at Heathers Bar, 506 East 13th Street, between avenues A & B, 9 PM - close. Featuring probable guest appearances by Mike and Sheridan Dupre XVI, plus a unique spoken-word performance from Big B (via satellite) at midnight! Come down for good music and good times in a judgement-free atmosphere, and tell all your friends. Hope to see you there.

THIS IS A FREE EVENT


Dave Brubeck: Thank You (Dziekuje)

Off of Jazz Impressions of Eurasia.

Thursday, December 03, 2009



The Chambers Brothers: Love, Peace and Happiness

No serial comma, no problem.

Wednesday, December 02, 2009



The Beach Boys: Farmer's Daughter

Tuesday, December 01, 2009



Ten Years After: As the Sun Still Burns Away

Shall we get our Ten Years After on? Methinks the answer is yea.

Monday, November 30, 2009

James Carr

James Carr: A Message to Young Lovers



Howard Tate

Howard Tate: Hold Me Tight

Wednesday, November 25, 2009



David Kilgour: Wooden Shed

Tuesday, November 24, 2009



"Tell the Mahareesh to Keep It Warm"

Thought it was long enough since the last post of
Flo & Eddie. Enjoy.

Monday, November 23, 2009

Nick Lowe's So It Goes

Nick Lowe: So It Goes

At first you want to start singing:

You know that chick that used to dance a lot
Every night she'd be on the floor shaking what she'd got
Man when I tell you she was cool, she was red hot
I mean she was steaming


So, is there some trivia here that I don't know about? Both singles were released in '76.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

The Byrds: He Was a Friend of Mine

President John F. Kennedy was assassinated 46 years ago in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009


You didn't hear? The 80th installment of our Viva Radio show drops today at 2 PM, featuring some new-to-me stuff (including a hot "new" Bob Summers jam) and a kaleidoscopic overview of the ever-expanding A.D. archives. Listen live here, or in on-demand mode here.

Thursday, November 12, 2009



David Holland Quartet: Conference of the Birds

"While living in London I had an apartment with a small garden. During the summer around 4 or 5 o'clock in the morning, just as the day began, birds would gather here one by one and sing together, each declaring its freedom in song. It is my wish to share this same spirit with other musicians and communicate it to the people." - David Holland

The players:

David Holland, bass
Sam Rivers, reeds, flute
Anthony Braxton, reeds, flute
Barry Altschul, percussion, marimba

You guys are going like this. I know it.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

emmett's october playlist



Le Nozze Di Figaro (Overture) - Symphonie-Orchester Berlin
Wind - Sons Of The Pioneers
Holiday On Saturn - Del Kent
Liquidation - Ernest Ranglin
Georgia On My Mind - Bob Summers Revival
Lazy Bones - Bob Summers Revival
No More White Horses - T2
Blue Boots - Eric Donaldson
Blue Boot - Eric Donaldson
Just Wanna See His Face - Rolling Stones
Be Thou By My Side - The Honeybus
Life And Death In G & A - Chairmen Of The Board
Give It Up - Billy Nicholls
I Need More - Pat Thomas & Marijata
Fantastic Man - William Onyeabor
Parigi - Paolo Conte
Pilotes - Performance
Comin' At Ya - Pyramid Plus
The Deep - Eye To Eye
Cherry-Coloured Funk - Cocteau Twins
Everything Flows - Saint Etienne

download the whole shebang as a zip file

Wednesday, October 21, 2009


Our latest show for Viva Radio, entitled "Midnight Rainbows", premieres today at 2 PM. See comments for tracklist. Archived shows are always available here.

Like Delroy Wilson, I'm still waiting for records in the mail. Rest assured, an epic October playlist will be posted soon. And we won't stop... cause we can't stop.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

WAITING FOR RECORDS IN THE MAIL

The October playlist is coming soon, pending the arrival of some records in the post.

Soon come, rastas; soon come.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009



Ever wonder what to do with some of your old tape cassettes?

Brian Dettmer, Cassette Tape Skeletons

Wednesday, October 07, 2009


New Viva show drops today at 2 PM! Entitled "First Day in L.A.", this one is guaranteed to blow your mind... anytime.

Listen live or in the ark-hive...

Tuesday, October 06, 2009



Lee Michaels: Do You Know What I Mean?

This always reminds me of an outtake from the Born in the USA sessions. Not high praise perhaps, but you know what I mean.

Monday, October 05, 2009

peter and the wolf

I think these songs fit together nicely.

Bowie: The Supermen
Broadcast on the BBC, October 4, 1971.

Midlake: We Gathered In Spring
Broadcast on an iPod on a cold October night in '06.

Friday, October 02, 2009



Lou Reed: Endlessly Jealous

Oh beware, my Lord, of Jealousy
It is the green-eyed Monster which doth mock
The Meat it feeds on.

Thursday, October 01, 2009

Leo Sayer: When I Need You

Co-written by Albert Hammond Sr.

And this from 1978 definitely deserves your attention. Though it does raise more questions than it answers.

Wednesday, September 30, 2009



Note: Our latest program for Viva Radio premieres to-day at 2 PM. Featuring some new-to-me stuff, some old favorites, and a handful of dusky diamonds from the furthest recesses of the A.D. archives. Please enjoy.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Brigitte Fontaine

Brigitte Fontaine: Il se passes des choses

Following in the footsteps of Mrs. Fontaine's last visit to AD.


Lonnie Liston Smith & The Cosmic Echoes: Summer Days

It doesn't feel like summer anymore, not today anyways, but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy this. Off of 1974's Expansions.

Summer Days is a kind of hymn to New York. "When I'm travelling," Lonnie explains, "I always look forward to coming back to New York because there's always so much going on here. And there's such variety in New York. You can really see it in the summertime -- so many different kinds of people on the street; and in Central Park, you can hear so many different kinds of music while people are riding bikes and looking in at all the little festivals going on. I sure wish New York City would become the Fifty-First State and get out from under the control of the state capitol in Albany. Everybody else in the state is pimping off New York City; they don't care what happens to New York."
--Nat Hentoff [who else? - ed]

This man borders on the prophetic.

Friday, September 18, 2009



The Stranglers: Sweden (All Quiet on the Eastern Front)

...only country where the clouds are interesting

"Too much time to think, too little to do" has become all too meaningful to me lately.

Thursday, September 17, 2009



Billy Bragg: The Marriage

From Talking with the Taxman about Poetry.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009



Melanie: Brand New Key

On the hunt to track down the facts regarding my Mom's alleged attendance at a Melanie concert which she can't remember, I get the following note from my Uncle, her brother:

"I remember it well Lad! Your Mamma & I went to the Valley Forge Music Fair and had Coors Beer on the way up, I believe it was 1976! In 1985 I saw James Brown there- the stage was round & revolved from set to set!!"

Case closed.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009



Steve Forbert: Goin' Down to Laurel

Off Alive on Arrival, Forbert's debut produced by John Simon (who did the same for The Band). Forbert, aside from apparently drawing comparisons to Bob Dylan, played Cyndi Lauper's tuxedo clad boyfriend in the "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" video.

Monday, September 14, 2009



Sonny Rollins: Blue 7

Off of Saxophone Colossus. This cooks.

The players:
Sonny Rollins — tenor saxophone
Tommy Flanagan — piano
Doug Watkins — bass
Max Roach — drums

Saturday, September 12, 2009



Woody Allen: I Shot a Moose...

The moose mingles.

Just a classic bit of comedy for this Saturday afternoon.

Friday, September 11, 2009



Dire Straits: Walk of Life

Remember how we all bought this tape in Caldor's and couldn't wait to wrestle it from its cumbersome medieval plastic packaging?

Good times.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

EMMETT'S SEPTEMBER PLAYLIST

Wait 'Til The Sun Shines, Nellie - Buddy Holly
Love Hurts - Everly Brothers
Wonderful Summer - Robin Ward
After Midnight (1966 version) - J.J. Cale
Sand And Foam - Donovan
Earwigs To Eternity - Alice Cooper
Sands Of Time - Fleetwood Mac
Help Me Make It Through The Night - Ken Parker
Sooner Or Later - Pilot
Fire For Awhile - Shoes
Do The Do (MVD's swamp funk edit) - Bobby Rush
Messidor - Durutti Column
Dream On - Gino Soccio
Heaven (Sunshine Jones edit) - Rolling Stones
The Money Will Roll Right In - Fang
Vote Bowie For President - Sidwho?

Summer's gone but the time's still right for dancing in the streets. I'm experimenting with a monthly playlist format this month; let's see how this goes. Stay tuned for a possible sound quality upgrade on the Ken Parker track. Commentary to follow.

Tuesday, September 08, 2009

Zakarrias: Cosmic Bride

The last song from the only release by Zakarrias.
[Thanks to my bro for this find.]

Tuesday, September 01, 2009

adrian tomine

The Clean: Linger Longer

From my fave Clean album 'Modern Rock'. Image courtesy of Adrian Tomine.

Monday, August 31, 2009

rick nelson garden party

"can't please everyone, so ya got to please yourself"

Rick Nelson: Garden Party

For the curious, story behind the song here.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009



Joni Mitchell: Twisted

With Cheech and Chong. Yes, Cheech and Chong.

Flip city.

Friday, August 21, 2009



Lloyd Cole and the Commotions: Forest Fire

it's just a simple metaphor...