Thursday, May 29, 2008

05.27.08: ROBYN HITCHCOCK


"Robyn Hitchcock is one of England's most enduring contemporary singer/songwriters and live performers. Despite having been persistently branded as eccentric or quirky for much of his career, Hitchcock has continued to develop his whimsical repertoire, deepen his surreal catalog, and expand his devoted audience beyond the boundaries of cult stature. He is among alternative rock's father figures....."

Tonight, we bring you over 30 years worth of Mr. Hitchcock's musical legacy. From his early excursions with the Soft Boys to his '80s mainstay, the Egyptians, on through the '90s and '00s with his solo and current work with his new group, the Venus 3, it will all be addressed with our usual array of hits and rarities .......

05.13.08: MOMUS


Momus was the alias of Nick Currie, a Scottish-born singer, songwriter, and provocateur whose music careened from acoustic ballads to electro-pop to acid house and back again. Born in 1960, Currie spent time living in Greece and Canada before returning to Scotland to attend university; in 1981, he dropped out of school to form the Happy Family, a band additionally comprised of three prior members of Josef K. After signing to the 4AD label, the group recorded only one LP, 1982's The Man on the Street, before disbanding.

After returning to (and graduating from) university, Currie moved to London in 1984. After cutting a deal with el Records, he released Circus Maximus in 1986; the first offering released under the Momus name (chosen in honor of a Greek god banished from Mount Olympus for daring to criticize the wisdom of Zeus), the album spotlighted Currie's rich baritone and fascination with themes of psycho-sexuality and cultural crises, recurring motifs throughout his extensive catalog of work.

A move to Alan McGee's Creation label preceded the release of 1987's melancholy The Poison Boyfriend, followed by 1988's homoerotic Tender Pervert. Even more frankly sexual was the next year's Don't Stop the Night, a collection exploring taboo topics including incest and necrophilia. With 1991's Hippopotamomus — dedicated to the late Serge Gainsbourg — Momus came under attack; the album, dubbed "a record about sex for children," drew fire from feminists as well as a lawsuit from Michelin UK, which objected to a lyrical reference to their mascot, the Michelin Man. (The suit was subsequently settled out of court, and all remaining copies of the album were destroyed.)

Undeterred, Momus returned in 1992 with a pair of new records, The Ultraconformist and the ambient-styled Voyager, inspired by the work of Yukio Mishima. After writing the 1993 album Shyness for Japanese performer nOrikO (who adopted her stage name Poison Girlfriend in tribute to Momus) and releasing Timelord (his final work for Creation), Currie made tabloid headlines for his 1994 marriage to 17-year-old Shazna Nessa, the daughter of a Bangladesh-born restauranteur. Currie and Nessa first met when she was just 14; after her parents learned of the relationship, she was sent back to Bangladesh to enter into an arranged marriage, but escaped to return to London to marry Currie, forcing the couple to go underground for fear that Nessa's family would kidnap her.

Currie, now living in exile in Paris, subsequently signed to the Cherry Red label and resurfaced in 1995 with The Philosophy of Momus, an eclectic set veering from reggae to blues to techno which featured "The Sadness of Things," an indie hit recorded with Ken Morioka of the Japanese pop band Soft Ballet. Slender Sherbet, a collection of re-recordings of material from the Tender Pervert era, followed later in the year as Momus suddenly found success in Japan writing and producing for the Lolita-pop songstress Kahimi Karie, with whom he notched a string of five consecutive Top Five hits.

20 Vodka Jellies, a collection of demos performed by Momus and intended for Karie, appeared in 1996, and was the first of his records issued in the U.S. In addition to writing and producing material for Nessa's band Milky and the CD-ROM magazine Blender, Currie rounded out the year by writing, producing and programming the CD-ROM collection This Must Stop. He issued Ping Pong in 1997, returning a year later with The Little Red Songbook. 1999's Stars Forever was arguably Momus' most controversial and provocative artistic statement yet — mounted to help defray massive legal costs facing Currie's U.S. label Le Grand Magistery, each of its songs was "commissioned" for $1000 apiece by everyone from Japanese pop mastermind Cornelius to the staff at New York City publicity firm Girlie Action to the members of the Indiepop List (http://www. geld. com/tweenet/list/) and written to the various "patrons'" specifications. Folktronic followed in early 2001, and two years later, Momus debuted on the American Patchwork label with Oskar Tennis Champion. Analog put out the two-disc Forbidden Software Timemachine: Best of the Creation Years, 1987-1993 compilation in 2003, followed by Otto Spooky and Ocky Milk in 2005 and 2006.
(Biography by Jason Ankeny)

05.06.08: DAVID BOWIE


"The cliché about David Bowie says he's a musical
chameleon, adapting himself according to fashion and
trends. While such a criticism is too glib, there's no
denying that Bowie demonstrated remarkable skill for
perceiving musical trends at his peak in the '70s.
After spending several years in the late '60s as a mod
and as an all-around music-hall entertainer, Bowie
reinvented himself as a hippie singer/songwriter.
Prior to his breakthrough in 1972, he recorded a
proto-metal record and a pop/rock album, eventually
redefining glam rock with his ambiguously sexy Ziggy
Stardust persona. Ziggy made Bowie an international
star....." (Stephen Thomas Erlewine - allmusic.com)

From Ziggy onwards through the '70s into the present,
Bowie has shapeshifted through unique and bizarre
interpretations of Philly Soul, German art-rock, '80s
pop and mutant techno The result is a sound that his
uniquely his and has influenced MANY artists
throughout the years.

Tonight, we will try to cram as much Bowie into 2
hours as we can. You'll hear a range of classics,
early singles and collaborations from across the Bowie
Universe.....

04.29.08: MISSION OF BURMA


Of all the punk-inspired bands that came out of Boston in the early '80s, none were better than Mission of Burma.Arty without being too pretentious, capable of writing gripping songs and playing with ferocious intensity, guitarist Roger Miller, bassist Clint Conley, drummer Peter Prescott, and tape head Martin Swope galvanized the city's alternative rock scene, and despite a too-short existence, set a standard for excellence that has rarely been equalled — a standard the band upheld when they unexpectedly reunited in 2002.



Burma's music is vintage early-'80s post-punk: jittery rhythms, odd shifts in time, declamatory vocals, an aural assault similarly employed by bands such as Gang of Four, Mekons, and Pere Ubu — Burma's peers as well as their influences. Also, conspicuously present in the mix was the proto-punk of the Stooges and Velvet Underground (with just a dash of Led Zeppelin and Roxy Music), bands that inspired Burma's darker songwriting impulses and tendencies toward longish, repetitive jams capable of holes into your skull. What Burma added was a sonic texture through the use of extreme volume. Roger Miller's guitar enveloped the band in thick, distorted cascading chords, erupting into squealing solos and (intentional) squalls of feedback. With Prescott and Conley furiously bashing in support, the band's sound was extremely physical (ask anyone who saw them live) to the point of leaving the audience feeling slightly bruised, battered, but extremely happy.(-John Dougan,All Music)



Tonight we will be spinning 2 hours of Mission Of Burma and related projects including Birdsongs of the Mesozoic, Sproton Layer, No Man, Volcano Suns, Kustomized, and more.

04.22.08: Guest BEN MANCELL (Tribute to THE FALL)


Our guest Dj for the evening will be Ben Mancell.





Ben has played in numerous bands including Rael Raen, MHz (Mega Hertz), and his latest offering, Brooklyn's own IMAGINARY ICONS....and he's the brother of your very own co-host Josh. They also back up Bruno as his U.S.band for the current incarnation of The Homosexuals .





Tonight we will be paying tribute to "THE FALL"


"Out of all the late-'70s punk and post-punk bands, none were longer lived or more prolific than the Fall. Throughout their career, the band underwent a myriad of lineup changes, but at the center of it all was vocalist Mark E. Smith. With his snarling, nearly incomprehensible vocals and consuming bitter cynicism, Smith became a cult legend in indie and alternative rock. Over the course of their career, the Fall went through a number of shifts in musical style, yet the foundation of their sound was a near-cacophonous, amelodic jagged jumble of guitars, sing-speak vocals, and keyboards.(Stephen Thomas Erlewine, DavidJeffries - allmusic)

Tonight, we will do our very best to cover 30 years of The Fall! Album tracks, B-sides, radio sessions and splinter groups such as The Creepers, Blue Orchids and Von Sudenfed. Chase that pint of lager with an espresso (or vice versa) and travel to the Wonderfuland Frightening World of Mark E.Smith and The Fall ~

04.15.08: OUTSIDER MUSIC


For every tiny sub-genre that Rock Music has spawned over the last 40 years or so, there have been musicians who have dwelled on the outskirts. Some of these artists have simply co-existed in obscurity only to be recognized much later. Some have been sought out with great enthusiasm by adventurous music fans who demand more than what has been force-fed to them. Either way, tonight we'll unearth a variety of musicians who (at least at some point of their existence) have not let popularity get in the way of their mission...... You will hear the likes of Daniel Johnston, Billy Synth, the Shaggs, Jandek, R. Stevie Moore, Jim Sheppard, DNA, Amor Fati, Jad Fair, Annie Anxiety, Nervous Gender, XEX, Psyclones, and many more.

04.08.08: YOKO ONO


Few women in the history of rock & roll have stirred as much controversy as Yoko Ono. Ono's own work as an artist and musician didn't mitigate the public's enmity toward her; to the average man on the street, her avant-garde conceptual art seemed bizarre and ridiculous, and her highly experimental rock & roll (which often spotlighted her primal, caterwauling vocals) was simply too abrasive to tolerate. That view wasn't necessarily universal (or true), and in fact the merits of her work are still hotly debated. Regardless of individual opinion, Ono has left a lasting legacy; she was an undeniably seminal figure in the history of performance art, and elements of her music prefigured the arty sides of punk and new wave (whether she was a direct influence is still debated, although the B-52's did admit to drawing from her early records). Moreover, between Lennon's assassination and the myriad drubbings she's taken in the press and the court of public opinion, an alternate portrait of Ono as a strong, uncompromising survivor has emerged in more recent years. (All Music -Steve Huey)

Tonight we celebrate the amazing music of Yoko Ono. Through her avant garde and experimental rock n' roll, down to her gorgeous beautiful ballads, you will be listening to 2 hours worth of magic!
Non-believers need not apply. We don't want you anyway!!!

04.01.08: A GUY CALLED GERALD


"Since the 80’s, Manchester UK native, A GUY CALLED
GERALD, born Gerald Simpson, has proven to be among
the most innovative modern music figures. His
influence is international, and through his
versatility he has spawned genres and generations of
music culture. From his early experimentation with
techno and acid house to his groundbreaking
contributions to drum & bass music, GCG’s art and
craft has perpetually evolved regardless of his
individual successes in each of those genres." (from
Gerald's website: aguycalledgerald.com)

Tonight, we bring you 2 hours of A Guy Called Gerald's
innovative music. From his early acid techno work with
808 State to his overground dancefloor anthems to his
underground self-released singles which combined
elements of hardcore breakbeat, reggae, and what would
become known as jungle/drum 'n' bass to his more
recent excursions into experimental soul, Gerald has
always maintained his unique musical identity without
the benefit (or detriment) of being a celebrity
(outside of the electonic music community).

03.25.08: SST RECORDS


"SST, the record label, was formed in 1978 when Black Flag guitarist/founder Greg Ginn needed an outlet to release his band's music......The band had been going for two years and had built up a solid fan base in the LA area, and so spurred on by the DIY spirit of the time, he did what many others like him did: he started his own label.....Ginn then went on to release records by other LA greats like the Minutemen and Saccharine Trust, before branching out across the US with other musical titansof the day such as Husker Du, the Meat Puppets and the Dicks.By 1984-5, the ball was rolling and SST had aroster that piqued the interest of various well-known critics and indeed resulted in several of its artists'records being listed in the usual sundry "Year's Best"rundowns in annual polls (Sonic Youth, Bad Brains, Tar Babies, etc)" - Dave Lang (excerpt from 'The SST Records Story' - Perfect Sound Forever online magazine)

Tonight we'll pay tribute to one of the great forward thinking independent labels: SST!

You will hear punk and beyond noises from Black Flag, Minutemen, Saccharine Trust, Husker Du, Dinosaur Jr, Sonic Youth, the Meat Puppets, Screaming Trees, Bad Brains, Subhumans (Canada), Bl'ast, Saint Vitus, Das Damen, Angst, Firehose, Painted Willie, the Last, the Stains, Zoogz Rift, Tar Babies, the Flesheaters, the Dicks, Wurm, Overkill, Swa, the Descendents, Negativeland, Blood on the Saddle, These Immortal Souls, Human Rights, Volcano Suns, PaperBag, Grant Hart, No Man/Roger Miller, Opal, Pat (Ruthen)Smear, Death Folk, any many more from SST +related bands and subsidiary/affiliated labels such as New Alliance and Cruz Records.

03.04.08: Guest RICHARD HENDERSON

The renovation at Little Radio is complete and we'reback in the mix!

Tonight on Little Radio, our guest will be Richard Henderson: longtime contributing writer to WIRE magazine, music supervisor supremo, executive rockologist and fellow ex-motor city dweller living in exile.
Richard will be revisiting his sordid past asan upstart Detroit scenester from back in THEE day.We're talking MC5 at the Grande Ballroom, Brother John Sinclair getting railroaded by the man for two jointsand a healthy dose of the local blues and R&B thatprovided a foundation for the high energy rock that Detroit is known for.You will hear local R&B legends such as: Alvin Cash, Andre Williams and Nathaniel Mayer as well as theirrock and roll offspring: the Stooges, the MC5, (late'60s model) Bob Seger, Black Merda and many more.....

02.12.08: MINIMAL MAN (aka PATRICK MILLER)


It's too easily the case that so many artists of that came out of the late seventies punk uproar -- and those of the other parallel scenes already coalescing at that time -- aren't as readily remembered or appreciated because they couldn't be specifically pigeonholed. Such was the case with Californian Patrick Miller aka Minimal Man, whose recorded work through the eighties spanned everything from near white noise to calm ambient reflections, scattered among a variety of labels. Born in Glendale in 1952, Miller, originally a student in art and design, moved to San Francisco in the late seventies, starting to explore both film and music more thoroughly as a result. He soon found friends and collaborators via the Subterranean label, notably including members of Tuxedomoon, and under the Minimal Man guise -- what Miller described once as a character who had ‘everything against him…rather than fixing a problem the correct way, he would make up his own delusions to get by' -- he began regularly performing what one critic called ‘antimusic' -- aggressive keyboards, shouted vocals and the use of tapes almost made him a one-person equivalent to Throbbing Gristle, as captured on the debut live single "He Who Falls"/"She Was a Visitor" in 1980.

By the time of the first full album, The Shroud Of, the band was more or less a trio, with Miller -- who specifically preferred and encouraged a rotating rather than permanent membership with his band -- joined by flute/sax/bass player Andrew Baumer and drummer Lliam Hart, along with a slew of guests. 1983 brought a second self-released single, "Two Little Skeletons"/"Tired Death," while in the following year was a slightly more conventional release in the form of sophomore album Safari, with Miller and Baumer joined by Blaze Smith on guitar and John Serell on drums. Shortly after this Miller followed the example of Tuxedomoon and relocated to Europe, where the remaining Minimal Man albums were recorded and released. The fairly brutal Sex With God was the first in 1985 on the Dossier label, with Miller joined this time by Blaise Smith on various instruments and Kristin Oppenheim on various instruments; an excerpted and perhaps remixed EP reduction of the album, simply called Minimal Man, appeared later that year on Fundamental. Miller then moved to the Play It Again Sam label in Brussels, who released Slave Lullabyes the following year, featuring Tuxedomoon members Peter Principle and Luc Van Lieshout among the many performers. The Mock Honeymoon EP appeared in 1987, also featuring Principle and Van Lieshout, while 1988 brought the final two Minimal Man albums.

Hunger Is All She Has Ever Known continued the Principle/Van Lieshout partnership (as well as that with keyboardist/drummer Ludo Camberlin, also a veteran since Slave Lullabyes), while Pure, released on the LD label in Belgium, was an interesting reinterpretation of early recordings by Miller from his late seventies San Francisco days, with Van Lieshout and guitarist Gerry Vergult providing new parts. Miller moved back to the United States in the early nineties, battling a variety of personal demons, particularly drug abuse, and setting aside music to create more art, finally settling down in Southern California again doing set dresser work in Hollywood. After contracting hepatitis C, Miller passed on in December 2003, survived by family and friends. In 2004, the LTM label, via its Boutique sub-imprint, reissued The Shroud Of on CD for the first, perhaps signaling a further overall reissue of Miller's often unique, striking work. (by Ned Raggett, All Music Guide)

01.29.08: DONOVAN


Upon his emergence during the mid-'60s, Donovan was anointed "Britain's answer to Bob Dylan," a facile but largely unfounded comparison which compromised the Scottish folk-pop troubadour's own unique vision. Where the thrust of Dylan's music remains its bleak introspection and bitter realism, Donovan fully embraced the wide-eyed optimism of the flower-power movement, his ethereal, ornate songs radiating a mystical beauty and childlike wonder; for better or worse, his recordings remain quintessential artifacts of the psychedelic era, capturing the peace-and-love idealism of their time to perfection. (All Music)

Tonight we will be playing 2 hours worth of the most mellow of yellow songs by this sunshine superman.

01.22.08: THE JAZZ BUTCHER


The Jazz Butcher was the vehicle of prolific singer/songwriter Pat Fish, an archetypal British eccentric whose sharp observational wit and melodic gifts navigated the group through over a decade of constant line-up shifts, stylistic mutations and even a series of name changes which found the band performing variously -- and apparently randomly -- under such titles as the Jazz Butcher Conspiracy and the Jazz Butcher & His Sikkorskis From Hell.

Fish first concocted his Butcher persona in 1982, quickly enlisting his Oxford mates to join him in a band of the same name; even from the outset, the group's roster changed seemingly on a daily basis, although Fish found an early mainstay in guitarist Max Eider. The Jazz Butcher's eclectic 1982 debut A Bath in Bacon -- including early skewed pop gems such as "Love Zombie" and "Sex Engine Thing" -- was essentially a Fish solo record, but by 1984's folky A Scandal in Bohemia the roster had stabilized to include ex-Bauhaus bassist David J. Following The Gift of Music, a 1984 compilation of single sides, the Jazz Butcher resurfaced the following year with Sex and Travel, a marvelously odd set ranging in sound from punk ("Red Pets") to cabaret ("Holiday").

After David J left the band to join Love and Rockets, the remaining quartet -- Fish, Eider, bassist Felix Ray and drummer Mr. O.P. Jones -- rechristened themselves the Jazz Butcher and His Sikkorskis from Hell.
Followed the next year by an EP, Hard. Leaving the rhythm section behind, Fish and Eider then recorded 1986's Conspiracy EP, credited to the "Jazz Butcher vs. Max Eider" and foreshadowing the subsequent shift to the Jazz Butcher Conspiracy aegis for Distressed Gentlefolk. Eider soon exited to mount a solo career, leaving Fish to team with guitarist Kizzy O'Callaghan for 1988's Fishcoteque, their first release for the Creation label.

By the time of 1989's Big Planet Scarey Planet, the line-up also included the superb bassist Laurence O'Keefe, saxophonist Alex Green and drummer Paul Mulreany; 1990's Cult of the Basement was recorded with the same roster, but the usual disruptions soon left Fish essentially to his own devices for 1991's Condition Blue and 1993's Waiting for the Love Bus. Upon reuniting with David J, who produced 1995's low-key Illuminate, Fish decided to lay the Jazz Butcher name to rest, and performed a farewell performance in London at the end of the year. He subsequently signed on to play drums with the Stranger Tractors, but in 1999 reunited with Eider for a Jazz Butcher Conspiracy tour of the U.S. The live Glorious and Idiotic appeared the following year and Rotten Soul was issued in fall 2000.

Tonight we will be playing 2 hours worth of the Jazz Butcher, the Jazz Butcher Conspiracy, the Jazz Butcher and his Sikkorskis from Hell, and Max Eider's solo album.

01.15.08: THE WOMEN OF THE UNDERGROUND (Pt. 2)


Around last year this time, we did a feature on Women in Rock. Tonight we will featuring our second installment in this radio series "The Women of the Underground" Pt 2. Our focus tonight will be dedicated to the women in POP! Now this doesn't mean Britney Spears or Mandy Moore. This is dedicated to the underground heroines who have paved the way for pop music of all kinds. From the 60's girl groups to the women in powerpop, new wave, punk, indie-rock, etc.... Tonight we will focus on womens contribution to rock music. We will be playing artists ranging as wide as Slant 6, the Plasmatics, Bikini Kill, Josephine Foster, Fursaxa, Stereolab, Judee Sill, Au Pairs, Crass, Suburban Lawns, Tex & the Horseheads, Nico, Lizzy Mercier Descloux, Teenage Jesus & the Jerks, Fire Party, Helium, and the list goes on and on....

01.08.08: ALAN MCGEE / DICK GREEN (BIFF BANG POW, REVOLVING PAINT DREAM, LAUGHING APPLE)


Many know Alan McGee for his involvement with setting the music industry on its head along with his partner Dick Green (now founder of Wichita Records) with their label Creation Records. What many are not as familiar with are their contributions to music with the bands they were in.

Tonight we will be focusing on 2 hours of Alan and Dick's contribution to music with a tribute to "BIFF BANG POW"..."The REVOLVING PAINT DREAM"...and "The LAUGHING APPLE".

Glaswegian Alan McGee had previously been in the band Laughing Apple (along with Andrew Innes later of the Revolving Paint Dream, Primal Scream, Church of Raism, etc.) , who released 3 singles in 1981/82. After moving to London, McGee formed a new band, Biff Bang Pow!, taking their name from a song by one of his favourite bands, The Creation. The first release on Creation records, "73 in 83"" by The Legend! came with a flexi-disc featuring a split with The Pastels "I Wonder Why?" and Laughing Apple's "Wouldn't You", a song that would later appear on the first Biff Bang Pow! album.

The initial Biff Bang Pow! line-up was McGee on guitar and vocals, with Dick Green on guitar, Joe Foster (Television Personalities/Slaughter Joe) on bass, and Ken Popple on drums, later adding others like Ed Ball (Television Personalities/The Times).



Biff Bang Pow! — the music-making endeavor of Creation Records founder Alan McGee — was for a long time a touchstone for the influential label's definition and development, albeit one that never assumed the limelight or achieved any major hits. (Having named his label for the great '60s aggro-art-mod group, it was probably inevitable that the Glaswegian's band, which never used the Creation for specific musical cues, would take its moniker from one of that band's songs.) From the initial recordings, rife with brisk, neo-psychedelic garage pop, to the spare, acoustic laments at the end, Biff Bang Pow! ambled along, releasing a string of well-conceived and well-executed singles and albums that still sound fresh. (Ira Robbins-Trouser Press)
McGee's position as head of Creation Records perhaps meant that his band were never given a fair hearing by the music press, although they always maintained a loyal fanbase.

The Revolving Paint Dream was not only the most mysterious band on Creation Records' original roster back in 1984, but also one of the most inventive.
After a memorable psychedelia-tinged single, Flowers In The Sky/In The Afternoon, in February, the band disappeared for three years before a strange collection of what seemed like out-takes, OFF TO HEAVEN, reached the shelves in June 1987.
'60s-influenced psych-pop sat alongside weird, distorted soundscapes to create an album that lacked any overall identity but was stacked full with ideas.
It transpired that the band comprised Primal Scream's second guitarist Andrew Innes, Nico-like vocalist Christine Wanless (both present on several Biff Bang Pow! recordings) and Luke Hayes, with some involvement from label organizers Alan McGee and Richard Green , among other members from Creation Records' bands. (like Dave Musker - keyboard player with The Jasmine Minks & Television Personalities). (Taken from www.revolvingpaintdream.com/creation.htm)

Although Alan and Dicks contribution to music through their label Creation Records have certainly not gone unrecognized...unfortunately their own personal musical contributions have not been as recognized. So tonight on We're Gonna Be Timeless we are going to make sure they get the proper due they deserve!

12.11.07: THE MONOCHROME SET


"Amid the austerity of post-punk England, and before
we became awash with irony and archness, we needed a
band who could raise their eyebrows and smirk at it
all without ever being condescending"
-Jason Ankeny (allmusic.com)

The Monochrome Set had its origins in 1979 post-punk
England yet unlike many bands of that era (Joy
Division, PiL, Gang of Four, etc.), they sounded much
cleaner and pop-oriented. Their lyrical approach
however contrasted elegantly against their upbeat,
melodic music. That's not to say the musical backdrop
was merely wallpaper. Their songs were uniquely
constructed and executed and their sardonic lyrics
crystallized them as one of the more subversive pop
groups influencing bands such as the Smiths and Pulp.

Tonight, we'll spin 2 hours of the Monochrome Set as well as solo and side projects by Bid, Lester Square, The Invisible, Scarlet's Well , the Would-Be-Goods, etc...

11.27.07: FLYING NUN RECORDS


"Flying Nun Records was formed in Christchurch in 1981 by music shop proprietor Roger Shepherd in the flurry of new punk rock-inspired labels forming in the early 80s. The intention was to record original local music of Christchurch, but soon the label rose to nationaland international prominence by championing thee merging sound of music from New Zealand.The label grew an incredible reputation worldwide from such success with bands and musicians such as: The Clean, Bailter Space, The Chills, The Bats, Chris Knox, Toy Love, Straitjacket Fits, The 3Ds, JPSE, Tall Dwarfs, Sneaky Feelings, Look Blue Go Purple, The Verlaines, David Kilgour, The D4, The Mint Chicks, and many more..." (from www.flyingnun.co.nz- the flying nun website)

Tonight we will spin 2 hours worth of the greatest noisy, jangly, crazy, innovative punk pop you've ever heard. Courtesy of the amazing Flying Nun Records label. You will hear most of the bands listed above abunch more. This stuff rules.

11.20.07: Guest JOHNNY WITMER (THE STITCHES)


Tonight on WE"RE GONNA BE TIMELESS

Our guest Dj will be JOHNNY WITMER guitarist/songwriter for the STITCHES. We will be focusing on 2 hours worth of "UK POWER POP from 1977-1982"


Formed in the early '90's, the Stitches have remained one of Los Angeles' longest running punk bands that have kept going without breaking up and reforming. With nods to late '70's British punk but still taking cues from the Chuck Berry/Johnny Thunders school of NYC rock they blend their unique take on punk rock. Touring non-stop and releasing a slew of records on such labels as GSL, Suburbia, and TKO.

Tonight we will be turning you on to some of the best tunes from the late 70's/early 80s school of UK power pop!

11.06.07: PROGRESSIVE ROCK


Ahhhh yes, the hipsters will turn their noses up, the
punks will run for the hills and those left behind
will be subjected to 2 hours of PROGRESSIVE ROCK!


As with all of our 'genre tributes', what is prog and
what is not prog will be left up to us.........Prog
Rock is a fairly maligned category due to its long
history of taking rock to 'bloated excesses' and
having the rock element obscured by mathematically
inclined, show off-y musicians. So be it. However, at
its best, Prog Rock (with a little help of its more
accepted cousin, Psychedelic Rock) pushed past the
guitar/bass/drums line-up doing the
verse/chorus/verse/chorus/bridge/ chorus out formula
that had ruled the preceding 5 years or so.
Adventurous song arrangements as well as the
incorporation of non-traditional 'rock' instruments
are now commonplace in various forms of popular music


That being said, tonight we'll get down with the
sounds of such prog legends as King Crimson, Van Der
Graaf Generator and Genesis as well as lesser known
bands such as Sensation's Fix, Slapp Happy and Spring.

10.23.07: SONIC YOUTH


"Sonic Youth was one of the most unlikely success
stories of underground American rock in the
'80s......they began their career by abandoning any
pretense of traditional rock & roll conventions.
Borrowing heavily from the free-form noise
experimentalism of the Velvet Underground and the
Stooges, and melding it with a performance art
aesthetic borrowed from the New York post-punk
avant-garde, Sonic Youth redefined what noise meant
within rock & roll. Sonic Youth rarely rocked, though
they were inspired directly by hardcore punk,
post-punk, and no wave. Instead, their dissonance,
feedback, and alternate tunings created a new sonic
landscape, one that redefined what rock guitar could
do."
-Stephen Thomas Erlewine (allmusic.com)

Tonight we'll pay tribute to a great band that has
survived and thrived for over 25 years without
compromising their auditory adventures.
We'll hit some 'hits', personal faves and an array of
rarities and solo projects.

10.16.07: THE TELEVISION PERSONALITIES


Britain's Television Personalities enjoyed one of the new wave era's longest, most erratic, and most far-reaching careers. Over the course of a musical evolution that led them from wide-eyed shambling pop to the outer reaches of psychedelia and back, they directly influenced virtually every major pop uprising of the period, with artists as diverse as feedback virtuosos the Jesus and Mary Chain, twee pop titans the Pastels, and lo-fi kingpins Pavement readily acknowledging the Television Personalities' inspiration.

The Television Personalities were the brainchild of singer/songwriter Dan Treacy, who grew so inspired by the nascent punk movement that he recorded a 1977 single, "14th Floor," with his friends in the group O Level. The BBC's John Peel became a vocal supporter of the group, which was soon dubbed the Television Personalities. With releases on Rough Trade, Illuminated, and Fire they spawned a new breed of psychedelia throughout the late 70's and all throughtout the 80's.

In 1981 Dan Tracey and Ed Ball launched their own label Whaam!(named after the Roy Litchenstein painting). Both Dan and Ed were leading figures in the contemporary psychedelic revival, and the influence was evident. By 1983 a legal dispute with a pressing plant prohibited Dan from putting out the record on his own Whaam! label so Dan set up the Dreamworld label as the successor to Whaam!, initially to reissue the early TVP albums. He soon began releasing recordings by other bands, including the Mighty Lemon Drops and Hangman's Beautiful Daughter.

By the mid-late 90's Dan Treacy appeared to retire from actively recording and touring. Apart from occasional meetings with record labels for reissues and compilation albums, he kept a low profile. Rumours of depression, heroin addiction and homelessness surfaced from time to time until finally in 2004 Treacy wrote a letter to Iain Baker, an old friend and DJ at London's XFM. In it he disclosed that he was incarcerated on a prison boat in Dorset. Following his release in June of 2004, Treacy set about resurrecting the TVPs, playing some gigs and posting a hilarious web journal. Finally, in March of 2006 a new album, My Dark Places, was released on the influential Domino label.

Tonight on WE'RE GONNA BE TIMELESS we will be taking you on a tour through the world of the Televison Personalities, Whaam! and Dreamworld Records, its various members offshoot bands: Missing Scientists, O'Level, Teenage Filmstars, the Times, Gifted Children, Slaughter Joe, Jowe Head, and artists who we're on Dan and Ed's label: the Pastels, Page Boys, the Mixers, the Direct Hits, Marble Staircase, The Impossible Years, Go! Service, Le Mat, Marine Girls, and the list goes on and on.

10.09.07: 70's OHIO UNDERGROUND MUSIC


The Ohio underground music scene of the 1970s will be
the theme for tonight's installment of 'We're Gonna Be
Timeless'. From the proto-punk of the Electric Eels,
Rocket from the Tombs and the Mirrors to the art
damage of Pere Ubu, (early) Devo, Pressler-Morgan and
Dr. Bloodmoney to the street punk of the Pagans, the
Rubber City Rebels and the Dead Boys plus Peter
Laughner, the Numbers Band, Human Switchboard, Chi-Pig
and a bunch of other Ohio goodies, you will hear it
all squashed into to two hours tonight!

10.02.07: SLY & THE FAMILY STONE


"Sly & the Family Stone harnessed all of the disparate
musical and social trends of the late '60s, creating a
wild, brilliant fusion of soul, rock, R&B,
psychedelia, and funk that broke boundaries down
without a second thought. Led by Sly Stone, the Family
Stone was comprised of men and women, and blacks and
whites, making the band the first fully integrated
group in rock's history." -Stephen Thomas Erlewine
(allmusic.com)

Tonight, Sly and the Family Stone will get 2 hours of
praise and worship.......as always, we'll play some
hits, some deep tracks and some side projects to give
you a proper overview of this legendary group whose
music and message still stands strong today.

08.28.07: NEIL YOUNG


"After Neil Young left the Californian folk-rock band
Buffalo Springfield in 1968, he slowly established
himself as one of the most influential and
idiosyncratic singer/songwriters of his generation.
Young's body of work ranks second only to Bob Dylan in
terms of depth, and he was able to sustain his
critical reputation, as well as record sales, for a
longer period of time than Dylan, partially because of
his willfully perverse work ethic. From the beginning
of his solo career in the late '60s until the late
'90s, he never stopped writing, recording, and
performing. Just as importantly, Young continually
explored new musical territory, from rockabilly and
the blues to electronic music. But these stylistic
exercises only gained depth when compared to his two
primary styles: gentle folk and country-rock, and
crushingly loud electric guitar rock, which he
frequently recorded with the Californian garage band
Crazy Horse." -Stephen Thomas Erlewine (allmusic.com)

Tonight, we'll attempt to cover 30+ years of Neil
Young's career in 2 hours...............classics,
personal favorites and some rarities.

08.21.07: DR. JOHN


Although he didn't become widely known until the 1970s, Dr. John had been active in the music industry since the late '50s, when the teenager was still known as Mac Rebennack. A formidable boogie and blues pianist with a lovable growl of a voice, his most enduring achievements have fused New Orleans R&B, rock, and Mardi Gras craziness to come up with his own brand of "voodoo" music.

In the late '50s, Rebennack gained prominence in the New Orleans R&B scene as a session keyboardist and guitarist, contributing to records by Professor Longhair, Frankie Ford, and Joe Tex. He also did some overlooked singles of his own, and by the 1960s had expanded into production and arranging. After a gun accident damaged his hand in the early '60s, he gave up the guitar to concentrate ..boards exclusively. Skirting trouble with the law and drugs, he left the increasingly unwelcome environs of New Orleans in the mid-'60s for Los Angeles, where he found session work with the help of fellow New Orleans expatriate Harold Battiste. Rebennack renamed himself Dr. John, the Night Tripper when he recorded his first album, Gris-Gris.

He began building an underground following with both his music and his eccentric stage presence, which found him conducting ceremonial-type events in full Mardi Gras costume. Dr. John was nothing if not eclectic, and his next few albums were granted mixed critical receptions because of their unevenness and occasional excess. They certainly had their share of admirable moments, though, and Eric Clapton and Mick Jagger helped out on The Sun, Moon & Herbs in 1971. The following year's Gumbo, produced by Jerry Wexler, proved Dr. John was a master of traditional New Orleans R&B styles, in the mold of one of his heroes, Professor Longhair. In 1973, he got his sole big hit, "In the Right Place," which was produced by Allen Toussaint, with backing by the Meters. In the same year, he also recorded with Mike Bloomfield and John Hammond, Jr., for the Triumvirate album.
- Richie Unterberger (All Music Guide)

08.07.07: Guest STEPHEN HOLMAN

Tonight's show will feature multi-faceted artist,
cheese hurler and all-around creative alchemist
Stephen Holman.....in his own words:

"I'm an animation director, performance artist,
painter and writer, born in Hastings, England but now
dividing my time between San Francisco and Los
Angeles. I work together with my wife Josephine Huang
creating, writing, designing and directing TV shows
via our TV production company (W)Holesome Products
Inc. Over the last ten years, shows we've made have
included "Life with Loopy" for Nickelodeon, "Phantom
Investigators" for Kids!WB and "Dudley & Nestor Do
Nothing" for the Disney Channel.
In the 1980s and '90s I ran the Splattervillian
performance art troupes Theater Carnivale, Torture
Chorus and Poo Poo Bomb and performed in art spaces,
clubs and rock venues around the US, Europe and Japan.
These days I perform mainly solo shows and continue to
produce and exhibit my performance-related paintings".

For two hours, Stephen will be spinning music that has
both influenced him throughout the years and music
from his various cohorts and performances.