Tuesday, April 26, 2011



The Charles Lloyd Quartet: Dream Weaver


This one just feels good. Plus, hold on to your hats.


the players:
Charles Lloyd - tenor sax
Keith Jarrett - piano
Cecil McBee - bass
Jack DeJohnette - drums

Saturday, April 23, 2011


Elvin Jones: Moon Dance

Recently, Emmett, my brother, and I took in a show by saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa , which was great, and after surviving near fisticuffs before, and nearer desperate housewives after, we can now all sit down and enjoy this; some Elvin Jones with Bunky Green which I got from this post by Rudresh himself, over at destination out. Turn the lights down and enjoy, for this is Yuri Gagarin country.

This goes out to William Shakespeare.

Friday, April 22, 2011



Wreckless Eric: Whole Wide World

"We're going to blow the lid on this myth of France because Americans always think of France as the land of love and culture and good food, and it's all beige floor tiles, 40 watt light bulbs, polyester, tin brussel sprouts, and going to bed at 8:30 at night, not because of love, but because you've got to get up at 5:30 to drive a tractor - in the freezing wet."

My brother tipped me off to this interview with Wreckless Eric and Amy Rigby on Radio Free Song Club from Bloomsday, a year ago. The magic begins at about the 13:00 mark (earlier if you want to hear a reading of some of Joyce's Ulysses). And here's the song they play, which I've had in steady rotation as of late.

Wreckless Eric and Amy Rigby: Do You Remember That?

Thursday, April 21, 2011


The Cure: In Your House

Saturday, April 16, 2011


Traffic - Dream Gerrard

Thursday, April 14, 2011



Hank Mobley: The Best Things in Life Are Free

One for the optimistic song titles category.

The players:
Hank Mobley, tenor sax
Grant Green, guitar
Wynton Kelly, piano
Paul Chambers, bass
Philly Joe Jones, drums

Monday, April 11, 2011

Jefferson Airplane

Jefferson Airplane: She Has Funny Cars

Saturday, April 09, 2011


Agnetha Fältskog - Wrap Your Arms Around Me

Music to lose your virginity to from Sweden's Agnetha Fältskog, best known as the first "A" in ABBA, featuring a bold 'n' brassy guitar riff and an embarrassingly forthright chorus. Many thanks to Michele Cesana of the great Sci-Fi Pogo blog for the tip in this sparkling mix.

Friday, April 08, 2011


Junior Wells: Ships on the Ocean

That'll do nicely, thank you very much.

Thursday, April 07, 2011


Lou Rawls:Trouble Down Here Below


And this is how one should learn the alphabet...

Sunday, April 03, 2011


The Beach Boys - The Little Girl I Once Knew

I'm fine with the song, but mainly I just want to crank the intro, especially when it reappears at 2:06.

From Wikipedia:

The last new original song the group produced before the album Pet Sounds, it was not included on any regular Beach Boys album.

The song is notable for innovative use of two dramatic periods of near-silence lasting several seconds each. Although one of the Beach Boys' most exuberant songs, it was poorly received by radio stations preferring to avoid dead air time, which may account for its relatively low chart rating among their other singles of the period, including "California Girls" and "Barbara Ann". It is still rarely heard on oldies radio.

Capitol Records' rushed release of "Barbara Ann" in December ruined any chance "The Little Girl I Once Knew" had of continuing up the charts. Just after its release, John Lennon gave it a favorable review; another what-if for the Beach Boys.

Friday, April 01, 2011


A Hundred Birds - So Eye On

...back from Ireland. Shortly before I left I purchased this CD from a semi-homeless dude on W. 72nd St., and this track is a standout on the comp. A historical reënactment of what could have been recorded by the Salsoul Orchestra in 1978, but was in fact done by some gentlemen in Osaka in 2003.

Kicking off Spring/Summer 2011 with this one... are you ready for love?

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Emmett Presents: The End Is Not In Sight



Side A
Modern Folk Quartet - This Could Be The Night
Twin Engine - Mistress Of The Morning
Nancy Sinatra - Sugar Me
Lio - You Go To My Head
Step Lang - Airborn
George Martin & His Orchestra - Theme One

Side B
Bachdenkel - Long Time Living
Caramba - Fedora (I'll Be Your Dawg)
Split Enz - Six Months In A Leaky Boat
Tomita - Clair de Lune
Tuesday - Sewing Machine
Helen Banks - Do You Know

Side C
Up 'N Adam - Rainmaker
El Tigre - Figure
Hybrid Kids - D'Ya Think I'm Sexy?
William Onyeabor - Good Name
John Keating - Rocket Man

Side D
Violeta Parra - Arauco Tiene Una Pena
The Carpenters - Superstar (Rapson re-edit)
Simon & Garfunkel - So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright
Jerry Garcia - Eep Hour
Ozark Mountain Daredevils - Spaceship Orion

all-in-one zip file

Featuring music from six continents, and dedicated to the people of Japan. I'm going to Ireland for two weeks, but when I get back... IT'S ON.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011


Simon & Garfunkel: Punky's Dilemma [demo]

Sunday, March 06, 2011


Eddie Addenbury - Captain Jones

I can't fully follow the narrative on this nautical pop nugget (produced & arranged by Mike Batt), but this much is clear: the further down you go, the more phasing there is on the vocals. Another sunken treasure mined from this compilation.

Thursday, March 03, 2011

The Slits

The Slits: Love Und Romance

Wednesday, March 02, 2011


new Viva show (#105) in the archives

Tuesday, March 01, 2011

Doug Sahm

The Sir Douglas Band: Nitty Gritty

Sunday, February 27, 2011


William Onyeabor - Love Is Blind

William sounding vaguely new wave to me on this one. I haven't heard anything about if/when any Onyeabor reissues will appear. Mr. Comb & Razor, any news?

Saturday, February 26, 2011


The Cryan' Shames - The Sailing Ship

To me this sounds more like a '90s retro-psych outfit trying to write a psych tune than an actual '60s psych tune. (Indeed, the Brian Jonestown Massacre covered it.) Kudos to Jim Fairs for the Baby You're A Rich Man-style psychedelic bagpipes.

Official Cryan' Shames National Fan Club
P.O. Box 473
Oak Brook, Illinois

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Phone Booth in Chelsea Hotel

Lee Hazlewood: Dark In My Heart

"I asked a girl for lovin' and she walked in the phone booth,
That ain't cool - in the phone booth"

Monday, February 21, 2011


The Honeybus - For Where Have You Been

Draw an afghan blanket over your knees and curl up beside the fire with this Colin Hare-penned ditty, notable for its surprising (to me) chord changes, great lyrics, and velvety harmonies that might be influenced by the word "thyme" in "Scarborough Fair."

What's that? I hear my tea boiling on the kettle. Talk soon...

Tuesday, February 15, 2011



New Viva show (#104) in the archives. Designed for an imaginary pre-concert lot hang.

Sunday, February 13, 2011

FROM THE ARK HIVES

Legend - Heather On The Hill

original air date: 3/10/09

This is a by-request archival repost, going out to Robert in Lawrence, Kansas. Is it me or does the tape warble a little at the beginning of this?

Thursday, February 10, 2011



Courtesy of JB, who sent me a link to this Playmobil performance of Joy Division's "Transmission" as performed on BBC2's "Something Else".
When evil grooves happen to good people.

Friday, February 04, 2011


The Grease Band - New Morning

As I mentioned previously, there's a new mastermix in the works. It'll be a combination of highlights from the last six months and a fresh batch of "new" songs. But these things take time, and so to stem the creeping tide of moribundity I offer this amuse-bouche, featuring British journeyman legends Henry McCullough (Eire Apparent; Wings) on vocals and guitar and Alan Spenner (Wynder K. Frog; Roxy Music) on vocals and bass. Kind of like with this one, I'm not sure I ever really noticed the melody on this tune until I heard this version. A huge number of bonus points are bestowed for the Harrisonian arpeggios at 0:28.

Soon come, rastas. Soon come.

Tuesday, February 01, 2011



Is city life dragging you down? Get it together in the country tonight with a charming mix of sylvan obscurities, courtesy of Mr. Dave Lerner. The mix airs tonight at 6 PM on Viva Radio, and you can always hear it after the fact here.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011


The Rolling Stones: Neighbo[u]rs


I mean we all have them, right? me, you, Jimmy Stewart, Grace Kelly. Neighbors, that is.





New megamix in progress, new Viva show (#102) in the archive.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011


Todd Rundgren: Love of the Common Man

I've been burned in my prime

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Rock and Roll Suicide

David Bowie: Rock'N'Roll Suicide

"Give me your hands, cause your WONDERFUL!"

Closing track on 'The Rise and Fall...' yet issued as a single in '74 with 'Quicksand' as the b-side.

Would have been fantastic to hear the album at Colleen Murphy's club.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Studio (band)

Studio: West Side

If early New Order had Robert Smith guest on vocals.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011


James Burton: Fools Rush In

Don't they though?

Friday, January 07, 2011


greg condon

Hazel Dickens and Alice Gerrard: Who's that Knocking?

Thursday, January 06, 2011


greg condon

John Lennon: Old Dirt Road

Wednesday, January 05, 2011


greg condon

The Grateful Dead: The Stranger

Tuesday, January 04, 2011


greg condon

Charles Mingus: Duke Ellington's Sound of Love

Monday, January 03, 2011


greg condon

Dennis Brown: Silhouettes

Friday, December 31, 2010


Modern Sound Corporation - Safari (pt. 2)

Produced by Barry Guard. Distributed K-Tel Sweden.

...and a very happy New Year to all the listeners, friends, and family out there! Let's toast to the surprises (musical and otherwise) that 2011 will bring...

Thursday, December 30, 2010


Ann Steel - My Time

Too essential not to post. Music by Roberto Cacciapaglia, lyrics by Giada Di Villahermosa. Recorded in Milan.

Does the insistent pulse symbolize the mechanization of time in modern life?
New Years Eve 1971
Two tracks to help ring in your New Year.
Cheers!

David Ruffin: Anything That You Ask For

Ray Barretto: A Deeper Shade of Soul

Wednesday, December 29, 2010


Gimmicks - Bermuda Inn

They don't make 'em like this anymore; in fact, they never made them like this. Recorded in Stockholm and produced by Leif Carlqvist.

Tuesday, December 28, 2010


The Roches - Hammond Song

Big thanks to Greg for featuring this one on his female folk mix. Produced by Robert Fripp, with Frippertronics invading at the 2:11 mark.

You'd be OK if you'd just stay in school...

Monday, December 27, 2010


Juanita Rogers - A Love Letter Full Of Promises

Available on this. And I'm still looking for suggestions for an all-acapella playlist. It will be a hard row to hoe, but we're well on the way with some great suggestions here.

Thursday, December 23, 2010


Johnny Paycheck: Friend, Lover, Wife

Wednesday, December 22, 2010


Inga Humpe - Do I Have To

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Curved Air
Curved Air: Hide and Seek

This slice of life goes out to Mr. Beer N. Hockey. The title is definitely fitting to the music -- with all the corners and alleyways in this song you wonder if you are lost or actually going the right way, but no worries cause by the end you'll slam right smack into the person you were looking for. Album review here.

Saturday, December 18, 2010


David Allan Coe: Funeral Parlor Blues

Friday, December 17, 2010


Cornershop Presents Bubbley Kaur - Topknot

I wanted to do a vinyl rip of this, but records ordered on November 22nd still haven't arrived from snowy England, so we're doing this amazon mp3-store-style. I rarely say no to a double-tracked vocal and the chorus on this prayerful jam is no exception.