14 March 2012

Featured Five: "No Soap, Radio!" 3/10/12

It’s always a little hard to explain exactly why I play what I do on my show. Still, for your enjoyment, I will attempt to dissect five of my selections for you here. Hopefully, you won’t decide it’s all too much nonsense for you to handle but, if you do, I’m sorry. (Actually, no I’m not. It’s 1 until 3 a.m. on a Saturday morning. Insanity is status quo at that point in the weekend. Just embrace it.)

1). “Ich Erinnere Mich An Die Weimarer Republik” - The World / Inferno Friendship Society
I started out the show with this gem from The World / Inferno Friendship Society. The piano and brass in the intro just blew me away the first time I heard it and I’ve been meaning to include it in one of my playlists for a long while now. But, what really sold me, are the lyrics: “You think your scene’s dead? / Well, mine got killed / by some dimwit’s triumph of the will.” There’s a slightly irked, but not vitriolic, undertone to this track that makes it much more than just a bouncy, danceable number and, well, that’s typically the music to which I’m drawn.

2). “Off the Books” - Guignol & Mischief Brew
If the last track’s anger was subtle, this one lays it all out front. There is, however, a jovial revelry in the song which, paired with lyrics condemning materialism, make me think Leo Tolstoy would dig it. And, anything Leo Tolstoy would dig gets a pass by me. (What? I need a better reason than that to play something? Too bad, sometimes things don’t have to be deep.)

3). “Lovers Are Waterproof” - Herman Düne
Yes, I realize that’s a totally lame name for a song. Even the band agrees, but you’ll have to listen to it to find out how. Anyway, Herman Düne is an absolutely remarkable Swedish anti-folk pair I’ve been listening to a lot of lately. The singer’s accent adds a nice addition to the lyrics, which are in English, and make the non-native pronunciations of words like “beer” and “weed” seem completely natural. I’d put this at the top of my featured list, but then it wouldn’t be in chronological order.

4). “Candy Shop” - Fatima Spar Und Die Freedom Fries
If you guessed I picked this song purely because of the band name, you’d be half right. Fatima is Turkish, but the Freedom Fries are an Austrian group, and their sound is something else altogether. Oh, and it should be mentioned that this isn’t a cover of some awful pop-rap song but, instead, a cover of the Andrew Bird track. I’m pretty sure I’d have liked the jazzed-up version of either, but it is always good to see Andrew Bird getting some recognition.

5). “Goodnight Ladies” - Lou Reed
That’s right; I ended my show with Lou Reed’s “Goodnight Ladies.” Everything about this song makes it a perfect closing number: Lou’s voice is pure gold, the lyrics reference a T.S. Eliot poem and that final note could serve is a segue to almost anybody else’s show. Honestly, I try to end most of my shows with this song. It’s just that good.

##

That's all until next week. You can find the whole playlist for the show over on the WTJU website and, if you missed the live broadcast for some reason, there's a streaming copy available for two weeks on the WTJU Tape Vaults

12 March 2012

Adds'n'Passes 2012.03.12


Band Album Label Verdict Words
Bear in Heaven I Love You, It's Cool Dead Oceans ADD a plethora of honeycomb and picnic baskets
Bird, Andrew Break It Yourself Mom&Pop ADD autoadd
Ceremony  Zoo Matador ADD autoadd
Jandek Indianopolis Saturday Corwood ADD autoadd
Mind Spiders Meltdown Dirtnap ADD autoadd
Now, Now Threads Trans ADD poppy shoegaze melodies
Poor Moon Illusion Sub Pop ADD fleet foxy bros
Roberts, Luke The Iron Gates at Throop and Newport Thrill Jockey ADD lucas roberts makin fancier tunes
Sioux, Mariee Gift for the End Almost Musique ADD some psych
The Kills The Last Goodbye Domino ADD autoadd
V/A Memoryhouse Mix CD Roughtrade ADD autoadd
VCMG Ssss Mute ADD electro noises from Mute
White Hills Frying on this Rock Thrill Jockey ADD autoadd
Wire The Black Session Redeye ADD autoadd
Zammuto EP Temporary Residence ADD dude from the books
Bains, Lee III & the Glory Fires There is a Bomb in Gilead Alive PASS mmmeerhhhh
Black Shades, The Told Ya So make and model PASS
Bright, Crystal & the Silver Hands Muses & Bones s/r PASS
Daughter The Wild Youth Glassnote PASS
El Grande Music of Alan Grandy s/r PASS
Elan See Us Spin s/r PASS
Essense The Journeyman s/r PASS
Fanfarlo Rooms Filled With Light Atlantic PASS
Fels, Jerry and the Jerry Fels Evil is the Root of All Money Nobodys Favorite PASS
Figure 45 The Open Moment s/r PASS
Forman Day of Delta s/r PASS
Giblythe Lost in Space s/r PASS to Jazz
Imaginary Cities EP s/r PASS
Kuncl, Andy Musik/Dance/Love s/r PASS
Lost in the Trees A Church that Fits its Own Needs Anti- PASS
Miniature Tigers Mia Pharoah Modern Art PASS
Mona S/T Mercury PASS
My Body Sings Electric Changing Color s/r PASS
Nickels, John Not Alone s/r PASS
Peace Mercutio Weather The Storm s/r PASS
Races Year of the Witch Frenchkiss PASS
Rhys, Arn Chapel of the Fool s/r PASS
Rickman, Eliza O, You Sinners s/r PASS
Rosen, Nick Violet Porter PASS
Say Anything Anarchy, My Dear Equal Vision PASS
Seventeen Evergreen Steady On, Scientist Lucky Number PASS
Sunshone Still The Way the World Dies Potato Eater PASS
Vertacyn Arc Materializer That's a Negative on The Leapfrog 10 GeV PASS
Votolato, Rocky Television of Saints Undertow PASS

05 March 2012

Radio Wowsville 3/4/12: A Little Bit Davy

This week's Wowsville is dedicated to Davy Jones of the Monkees, who passed away last week at the age of 66. We played as many of our favorite Davy/Monkees tracks as the RIAA will allow, and gently remembered the diminutive Brit who swooned the masses. For more on the late teen idol, his life and (yes) his ties to Virginia, click here.

The illustration is by our good buddy Pat McGeehan, a true daydream believer. It's an old sketch from 1981, he says, finished around the same time he purchased a used copy of "More of the Monkees" Thanks Pat!

You can hear a stream of this episode of Radio Wowsville, along with other great WTJU shows, by clicking
right here.






1."A Man Without a Dream" - The Monkees - Instant Replay [Colgems: 1969]
2."Baby Please Don't Go" - The Ballroom - 45 [Warner Brothers: 1967]
3."Temporary" - White Rabbits - Milk Famous [White Iris: 2012]
4."Puts Me To Work" - Cate Le Bon - CryK [Control Group: 2012]
5."Cellophane" - The Wondermints - Bali [Varese Saraband: 2000]
6."The Times To Come" - London Phogg - Where the Action Is [A&M / Rhino: 1969]


7."Good People Sometimes" - Mister Rogers - Come On and Wake Up! [Mr. Pickwick: 1973]
8."Your Sweet Lovin'" - Margie Joseph - 45 [Volt; 1970]
9."I Belong in Your Arms" - Chairlift - Something [Kanine/Columbia: 2012]
10."Wear Suits" - Yellow Ostrich - Strange Land [Barsuk: 2012]
11."Silent Song" - Daniel Rossen - Silent Hour/Golden Mile [Warp: 2012]
12."Somebody Groovy" - The Mamas and Papas - If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears [ABC-Dunhill: 1966]
13."Gemini" - Del Shannon - The Further Adventures of Charles Westover [Liberty; 1967]
14."See the Farmer" - Bunches a Good - Sounds of She [Weirdo]
15."Don't Take my Sunshine Away" - Sparklehorse - Dreamt For Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain [Astralwerks: 2006]
16."Words (demo)" - Boyce & Hart - Where the Action Is: Los Angeles Nuggets [Rhino: 1965]
17."You and I" - The Monkees - Instant Replay [Colgems: 1969]
18."Someday Man" - The Monkees - 45 [Colgems: 1969]
19."I Can Make It With You" - The Pozo-Seco Singers - 45 [Columbia: 1966]
20."Oh! What a Fool I've Been" - The Sweet Inspirations - Sweet Inspirations [Atlantic: 1967]
21."The Sailing Ship" - Cryan Shames - A Scratch in the Sky [Columbia: 1968]
22."Fall Breaks and Back to Winter" - Beach Boys - Smiley Smile [Capitol: 1967]
23."The Goat Looks On" - The High Llamas - Gideon Gaye [Alpaca Park: 1995]
24."Foggy Dew" - Two Banks of Four - Under and East Coast Moon [2012]
25."Gone" - Bob Seger System - Ramblin' Gamblin Man [Capitol: 1971]
26."No Sad Song" - Oscar Toney Jr. - 45 [Bell; 1967]
27."Think For Yourself" - Kennelmus - Folkstone Prism [Sundazed; 1971]
28."Star Collector" - The Monkees - Pisces Aquarius Capricorn and Jones Ltd. [Colgems: 1967]




Radio Wowsville only aims to please the young celebrities!
Every Sunday night at 11PM on WTJU 91.1FM and
wtju.net.




29 February 2012

Adds'n'Passes 2012.02.29


Band Album Label Verdict Words
Ava Luna Ice Level Infinite Best ADD weirdo prog rock/jazz/R&B stuff.. Someone might want it.
Behold the Profit S/T Lowatt ADD droppin' big names.. Flying Lotus, Caribou, RJD2 etc.
Black to Comm Earth (Soundtrack) De Stijl ADD autoadd
Delta Spirit S/T Rounder ADD autoadd
Dirty Dishes The Most Tarnished Birds S/R ADD autoadd
Eux Autres Sun is Sunk Bon Mots ADD steve malkmus' ex-girlfriend and some dudes make tunes
Fields, Lee Faithful Man Truth and Soul ADD ol' Lee Fields, y'all!
Funk Ark, The High Noon ESL ADD DC funk collective, groovy
Hunx Hairdresser Blues Hardly Art ADD autoadd
Magnetic Fields, The Love at the Bottom of the Sea Merge ADD autoadd
Nite Jewel One Second of Love Secretly Canadian ADD autoadd
Pond Beard, Wives, Denim Modular ADD members of Tame Impala, Australia psych-rockers' debut LP
Sleigh Bells Reign of Terror Mom + Pop ADD autoadd
TOPS Tender Opposites Arbutus ADD montreal 4-piece concocts some vintage-tinged spring jams
V/A Mint Records Sampler Mint ADD 20 years of Canadian Indie Rock
Admiral Fallow Squealing Pigs S/R PASS
Beyond Conception Flow Tinderbox PASS
Caravan of Thieves The Funhouse UFO PASS to Folk
Concept, The Gimme Twice EP S/R PASS
Dead Ships, The Electric Ahab S/R PASS
Duologue A-B Wild Game PASS
Hadwynn Monuments EP Lucas Gambit PASS
Herzog Cartoon Violence Exit Stage Right PASS
Italian Japanese S/T Tinderbox PASS
jonRamsey Everything's for Sale S/R PASS
Kay, Nila Serial Love Tinderbox PASS
Kelly, Paul The A to Z Recordings One Louder PASS
neyBuzz, The Rebellion S/R PASS
Oberhofer Time Capsules II Glassnote PASS
Panic Years The Month's Mind Tinderbox PASS
Pink Floyd The Wall (Immersion Edition) Capitol PASS
Ramblin' Ambassadors, The Ramble On Mint PASS
Scan Hopper Scan Hopper 2 S/R PASS
Secret Music S/T Black Bell PASS
Shining Twins, The Cum Play with Us Hall of  PASS
Spoek Mathambo Father Creeper Sub Pop PASS
Stereo Crowd The Urban Alternative S/R PASS
Stevens, Ted Sally's Alright S/R PASS
Throat Sprockets  Methadone Picnic Cat Sandwich PASS
Tribecastan New Deli Evergreen PASS to World
Tulipomania The Whispering Campaign S/R PASS
Voltaire Twins Romulus EP S/R PASS
White Rabbits Milk Famous TBD PASS
Wilson, Jack S/T Fluff & Gravy PASS
ZZ Ward Eleven Roses S/R PASS

20 February 2012

Adds'n'Passes 2012.02.20


Band Album Label Verdict Words
2 Bears, The Be Strong DFA ADD kinda house-ey goodness from DFA
Black Bananas Bad Times Xpress IV Drag City ADD souper sawlid
Bonobo Black Sands Remixed Ninja Tune ADD Si Greens latest album gets a serious re-work
Bowerbirds The Clearing Dead Oceans ADD well-acquainted folk-pop
Bright Moments Natives Luaka Bop ADD grooves w/ guitar/trumpet/sax etc
Busdriver Beaus$Eros Fake Four ADD fun fact: "a$$ to mouth" is not an FCC violation!
Chithra, K.S. EP Finders Keepers ADD autoadd
Ciani, Suzanne EP Finders Keepers ADD autoadd
Debelle, Speech Freedom of Speech Big Dada ADD decent lady-rapping… rhymes are questionable.
Dirty Ghosts Metal Moon Last Gang ADD some sweet grooves, feat. Aesop Rock on drum programming
Farrar, Johnson, Parker, Yames New Multitudes Rounder ADD Monsters of Folk II. But no, some Woody Guthrie songs.
Field Music Plumb Memphis Industries ADD autoadd
Gibson, Laura La Grande Barsuk ADD slow alt cowgirl tunes
Grimes Visions 4AD ADD autoadd
Houghton, Beth Jeans & The Hooves of Destiny Yours Truly, Cellophane Nose Mute ADD mute-ey
Mallard, The Yes On Blood Castle Face ADD a la Thee Oh Sees, Ty Segall, Bare Wires, Blasted Canyons
Memoryhouse The Slideshow Effect Sub Pop ADD autoadd
Perfume Genius Put Your Back N 2 It Matador ADD autoadd
Phenomenal Handclap Band Form & Control Tummy Touch ADD funtimes for all!
Prinzhorn Dance School Clay Class DFA ADD more DFA goodies
San Cisco Awkward Island City ADD sleepy rock from Australia
Terry Malts Killing Time Slumberland ADD "punk-flavored power-pop"
Walkabouts, The 7" EP Fin ADD add vinyl, slow banjos n such
Twilight Sad, The No One Can Ever Know FatCat ADD autoadd
Watussi 1000% Guapo MGM ADD world grooves, one track feat. Curren$y
Wild Belle Keep You EP Sandhill Sound ADD first song is good
Woon, Jamie Mirrorwriting Candent ADD dance music, dude has cred.
Yellow Ostrich Strange Land Barsuk ADD marginally listenable eccentric rock pop stuff
Arctic Monkeys Humbug Domino PASS it's from 2009
Boo Hoo Hoo The Exgirlfriends Club s/r PASS
Carvelli EP s/r PASS
Caustic Casanova Someday You Will Be Proven Correct Mad Love PASS
Cursive I Am Gemini Saddle Creek PASS
Fun. Some Nights Fueled by Ramen PASS
Greater the Risk, The Say What You Never Said s/r PASS
Jonquil Point of Go Dovecote PASS
Loga Ramin Torkian Mehraab Six Degrees PASS to world
Mars Volta, The The Malkin Jewel Warner Bros PASS
Moffatt, Ariane MA Audiogram PASS
Moon, Damon & The Whispering Drifters Lungs, Dirt & Dreams Adair Park PASS
Morgan, Neal In the Yard s/r PASS
New Cassettes Winterhead s/r PASS
Peck, Joe In the City Lights s/r PASS
Ramon and Jessica Fly South Porto Franco PASS
Ray, Amy Lung of Love Daemon PASS to eclectic woman
Rudely Interrupted Tragedy of the Commons s/r PASS
Say Anything Single Equal Vision PASS
Shanimal Rough & Tumble s/r PASS to eclectic woman
Shipp, Matthew Trio Elastic Aspects Thirsty Ear PASS to Jazz
Skipping Girl Vinegar One Chance EP Secret Fox PASS
Teitur Let the Dog Drive Home Arlo & Betty PASS
Toy Horses Toy Horses Albino Sparrow PASS
Ugglians, The Eat Your Head s/r PASS
Vaura Selenelion Wierd   PASS
Voytas, Evan Feel Me Dovecote PASS
Weinstein, Noam Clocked No Songs PASS
Woven Tide From the Mouth of the Sun Experimedia PASS
Zundel, Mati Amazonico Gravitante Waxploitation PASS

10 February 2012

The Rock Marathon Is Coming!!

WTJU Rock's 2012 Fundraising Marathon starts on Monday, Feb. 13. And there is much rejoicing!

Listeners will be treated to a week full-to-bursting with special radio tributes (covering everything from Dubstep to the career of John Lennon to classic soul music), specialty programs (check out the weeknight slots devoted to music from past decades), and live in-studio performances from standout regional bands (Borrowed Beams of Light, Mountains, Girl Choir, Fire Tapes and Corsair). You'll want to super glue your dial to 91.1 FM and wtju.net all week long -- the 2012 WTJU Rock Marathon is slated to be a music lover's aural paradise.

And if you want to get ahead of the curve, click here to donate to WTJU's Rock Marathon (Go left and hit the "Support WTJU" button)

Because that is what the WTJU Rock Marathon is all about - raising money so that the Sound Choice in Central Virginia can continue to be Virginia's non-commercial, non-formatted radio alternative for not only rock music, but Classical, Folk, Blues, Jazz, Country, World Music and all of the sounds in between.

During the marathon, your humble Radio Wowsville hosts will participate in a bevy of noteworthy shows:



The 1962 Show (Monday, Feb. 13 at 7 p.m.)
Join Colin "Brother Breakdown" Powell as he teams with fellow DJs B-Side and Hummingbird Feeder for two hours devoted to a very underrated year in rock history. Find out the facts about the Duke of Earl (pictured: Gene Chandler), learn how to do the Locomotion and develop a craving for "Green Onions." Your time machine awaits.

I Wanna Testify: Detroit Soul and R&B (Thursday, Feb. 16 at noon)
The b-side counterpoint to Ann Porotti's highly-anticipated Motown Show (which is slated for 9 a.m. on Thursday), Brother Breakdown will tell you all about the other side of the Detroit soul and funk experience - and that includes George Clinton's groundbreaking work with the Parliaments (pictured) and Funkadelic.


The Beach Boys and "Smile." (Sunday, Feb. 19 at noon)
In 1966, Brian Wilson produced what he called “a teenage symphony to God.” It became the most famous “lost” album in rock ‘n’ roll history. Last year, Capitol Records finally released those legendary sessions, provoking a new appreciation for the work that Wilson conceived 45 years ago with cohort Van Dyke Parks and his often-confused (but always sweet-sounding) band. Join Don Harrison and Dominic DeVito as they pay tribute to “Smile” and all of the incredible "Good Vibrations" that (despite an official non-release) Wilson's masterwork has commanded over the years.





The Virginia Funk and Soul Spectacular (Sunday, Feb. 19 at 2 p.m.)
Do you know about Richmond's Little Tommy? How about Hampton's the Deceptions (pictured)? Does the mention of Sir Guy (from Norfolk) make you move like a chicken? It really doesn’t matter because the Virginia Funk and Soul Spectacular is going to bring you in step with the Old Dominion’s great indigenous funk vamps and mournful soul ballads –- classic cuts by Mr. Wiggles, Lenis Guess, the Soul Duo and many more ear-bending artists from the ‘60s and ‘70s. It’s the show that will make you ask: “What? That was from Virginia??!!” So don’t touch that dial, Prof. Hackenbush – get with Colin and Don as they are joined by the Scorpio Brothers (orignators of the great Funky Virginia blog) and
"Ol' Virginia Soul" impressario Brent Hosier, to put some hometown pep in your step and some regional glide in your stride.



The Disco 12-Inch Exhibition (Sunday, Feb. 19 at 7 p.m.)
The 12-inch record has wider spacing between the grooves than a regular vinyl album does and is often played at 45-RPM. The invention of the 12-inch came about as an accident during the Disco era but what happened next was no accident. Join Don Harrison and the Radio Wowsville Stylus Stylists as they not only recount the history of the 12-inch single – its influence and dance club experimenters – but compel you to shake your body to the best disco dance sounds of the mid-to-late ‘70s, everything from the Jacksons to Donna Summer and Sylvester to lesser known wonders such as Gary Toms Empire and the Michael Zager Band. Mirror balls and afro wigs are optional. Booty shaking is assured.








The Classic Crock Show (Sunday, Feb. 19 at 11 p.m.)
OK, so here’s the deal: Every so often, we allow this half-delusional laid-off classic rock DJ named Don Arlo two hours of airtime (usually during the Radio Wowsville timeslot) to “really rock the place” with playlists filled with the likes of Rush, Blue Oyster Cult, Heart, Steve Miller Band (pictured) and the Guess Who. Why do we do this? Well, Don Arlo’s specialty is playing the “deep cuts” – the stuff you rarely hear on the commercial classic rock stations. Hmmm... maybe that was why he was laid off. And maybe that’s why he’s so perfect for WTJU. So get the Led out and make that call. Support community radio while you still can. There is unrest in the forest, and there is trouble with the trees (FYI: the maples want more sunlight and the oaks ignore their pleas).




See the full schedule and check out more marathon information by clicking right here.

And you can listen live by hitting this link!

06 February 2012

Adds'n'Passes 2012.02.06


Band Album Label Verdict Words
Archers of Loaf Vee Vee Merge ADD re-release
Bare Wires Cheap Perfume Southpaw ADD good tunes
Del Ray, Lana Born to Die Interscope ADD "hate it or love it the underdog's on top" - 50 Cent
DJ Food The Search Engine Ninja Tune ADD three EP's combined, groovy.
Heartless Bastards Arrow Partisan ADD man where were these guys. Decent record.
Jurado, Damien Maraqopa Secretly Canadian ADD some out there psych shredding
Lambchop Mr. M Merge ADD re-release
Lanegan, Mark Band Blues Funeral 4AD ADD Mark of Screaming Trees, QOTSA, etc.
Of Montreal Paralytic Stalks Polyvinyl ADD for Toronto
Phantom Family Halo, The When I Fall Out KFR ADD psych-rocky enough
Pink Mink S/T Little Veronica ADD okay-ish girl rockers, to garage sale, maybe?
Rose, Frankie Interstellar Slumberland ADD dreamy pop from Vivian and Dum Dum girl
Shearwater Animal Joy Sub Pop ADD autoadd
Tennis Young & Old Fat Possum ADD jugamos el tenis
Van Etten, Sharon Tramp Jagjaguwar ADD SvE y'all.  Sserpents is a ssuper ssolid ssong
Young Magic Melt Carpark ADD global psychedelic art pop
Balkan Beat Box Give Nat Geo PASS  
Chua, Inch Wallflower s/r PASS  
Dunes Noctiluca PPM PASS  
Francois & the Atlas Mountains E Volo Love Domino PASS  
Joker Remix EP 4AD PASS  
Kellen & Me S/T Audiotree PASS  
Lovely Bad Things, The New Ghost Old Waves Volcom Entertainment PASS  
Mae, Audra and the Almighty Sound Side One Dummy PASS to Folk
Miss Massive Snowflake Like A Book North Pole PASS  
Rabid Hat Trick Beet Salad PASS  
Rarefaction the dancer, the dance Leperkiss PASS  
Red Jacket Mine Listen Up EP Lincoln Barr PASS  
Right the Stars Hello Yes Ok Cousteau PASS  
Staves, The Mexico EP Atlantic PASS due to copyright protected CD's
Without a Fight If It's War You Want s/r PASS  
Without a Fight The Sunnyside of Northwood s/r PASS