07.22.08: GUEST Director: JEFF FEUERZEIG's tribute to SPACEMEN 3

Our guest DJ will be JEFF FEUERZEIG.

He will be spinning a 2 hour mix of all things SPACEMEN 3 plus highlights from their equally stunning post-S3 projects such as Spiritualized, Spectrum and E.A.R. (Experimental Audio Research).



Jeff Feuerzeig directed, wrote and created from scratch The Devil and Daniel Johnston (2006), which forever changed the way documentaries are made through the rare combination of high-class production values and the dismissal of a rule book. Released theatrically by Sony Picture Classics, 'Devil' has earned ecstatic reviews all over the world, astonishing, enchanting, and devastating audiences. For this work, Feuerzeig won the Best Director prize for a documentary at the Sundance Film Festival 2005. His earlier films include the feature documentary Half Japanese: The Band That Would Be King (1994) and PBS’ Jon Hendricks: The Freddie Sessions (1990). Feuerzeig has just completed the screenplay for God Bless Tiny Tim, a feature biopic about the legendary singer who Tiptoe’d Through the Tulips in 1968.



SPACEMEN 3 - "Three chords good, two chords better, one chord best” just barely chips away at the secret of the iceberg of greatness that is Spacemen 3. Like a few dead artists worth fawning over – their fire burned white hot and they died young leaving behind a beautiful corpse - 5 perfect albums, Sound Of Confusion, The Perfect Prescription, Playing With Fire, The Dreamweapon, and Recurring - all killer and no filler – only to live on and continue the Lords work in Spectrum and Spiritualized. Peter Kember aka "Sonic Boom" and Jason Pierce aka "Jason Pierce" did this while playing sitting down - which should be a lesson to all. Hugely influential, often copied and never equalled - their sound was minimal and maximal at the same time. Their willingness to cover and share their influences: The Velvet Underground, the Rolling Stones, the Stooges, the MC5, early Captain Beefheart, out-there jazz legend Sun Ra, the Silver Apples, garage punk of the 1960s such asthe 13th Floor Elevators, Red Krayola, and the Electric Prunes; the Beach Boys, Jan and Dean and other surf bands; ’80s rockabilly groups the Cramps, the Gun Club, Tav Falco; blues and gospel acts like Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, the Staple Singers and John Lee Hooker; and the production techniques of Joe Meek, and Brian Wilson proves that there is no accounting for good taste.

" - (Jeff Feuerzeig)

07.15.08: ELLIOTT SMITH

Elliott Smith has been a patron saint of the indie scene since his days helming Portland heroes Heatmiser. As a solo artist, Smith led a revolution of home four-trackers, from Beck to Cat Power, out of the bedroom and into the studio, where Smith's fondness for Beatlesque melody led to some of the most beautifully orchestrated pop of the last decade.
(Anti Records website)

Folk-punk singer/songwriter Elliott Smith rose from indie obscurity to mainstream success in 1997 on the strength of "Miss Misery," his Academy Award-nominated song from the film Good Will Hunting. A native of Portland, OR, Smith began writing and recording his first songs at age 14, later becoming a fixture of the city's thriving music scene; as a member of the band Heatmiser, he debuted in 1993 with the LP Dead Air, issuing his first solo effort Roman Candle on the tiny Cavity Search label a year later. For his 1995 self-titled album, Smith signed with the noted Kill Rock Stars label; Either/Or followed in 1997, around the same time that filmmaker and longtime fan Gus Van Sant requested permission to use the singer's music in his upcoming Good Will Hunting. Smith also composed a handful of new songs for the soundtrack, among them "Miss Misery," and when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced its Oscar nominations the following February, the track was a surprise entry in the Best Original Song category. Although he did not win, Smith performed the song live at the televised Oscar broadcast, appearing on-stage alongside superstars Trisha Yearwood and eventual award-winner Celine Dion in one of the most notably surreal musical moments in recent memory. Smith's DreamWorks label debut, XO, followed later in 1998. Two years later he delivered Figure 8, which indulged in lush arrangements and orchestrations more so than any of his previous solo efforts. For the next two years, Smith labored over what was to be his next album, From a Basement on a Hill. He would not live to see its completion, however — to the shock of friends and fans alike, Smith's body was found on October 21, 2003. To date, the coroner has been unable to determine the cause of death, and the Los Angeles Police Department's investigation remains open. From a Basement on a Hill was released two days shy of the first anniversary of his death to critical acclaim. In 2007, Kill Rock Stars issued a two-disc set of some of the late singer's unreleased work, all of which had been recorded between 1994 and 1997. Entitled New Moon, the 24-track collection contained three songs that had been previously released on hard-to-find compilations or soundtracks, an early version of "Miss Misery," and a live favorite of his, a cover of Big Star's "Thirteen." (-Jason Ankeny)




Tonight we will be playing 2 hours of Elliott Smith. From his beginnings with Heatmiser to his solo material. Also demos, rare live performances and interviews, as well as guest appearances with Quasi, Jon Brion, Mary Lou Lord, Pete Krebs, and more

07.01.08: THE PASTELS

Although virtually unknown outside of indie rock circles, the Pastels were one of the most inspirational and enduring groups of their era, spearheading a movement towards a renewed sense of wistful musical primitivism and willful naivete known variously as "shambling" and "anorak pop; " in addition, their influence helped bring international notice to a resurgent Scottish musical community, with frontman Stephen Pastel's legendary 53rd and 3rd label helping to launch the careers of bands including the Jesus & Mary Chain, Shop Assistants, BMX Bandits, the Vaselines and the Soup Dragons.



Tonight we will be playing 2 hours of the Pastels. Also records from bands that we're on Stephen Pastels 80's label "53rd & 3rd" (Vaselines, Househunters, Shop Assistants, BMX Bandits, etc..) and bands from the Pastels own current label "Geographic" (Future Pilot AKA, Maher Shalal Hash Baz, etc..).

06.24.08: THE BLUES

"Blues is about tradition and personal expression. At its core, the blues has remained the same since its inception. Most blues feature simple, usually three-chord, progressions and have simple structures that are open to endless improvisations, both lyrical and musical. The blues grew out of African spirituals and worksongs. In the late 1800s, southern African-Americans passed the songs down orally, and they collided with American folk and country from the Appalachians. New hybrids appeared by each region, but all of the recorded blues from the early 1900s are distinguished by simple, rural acoustic guitars and pianos. After World War II, the blues began to fragment, with some musicians holding on to acoustic traditions and others taking it to jazzier territory. However, most bluesmen followed Muddy Waters' lead and played the blues on electric instruments. From that point on, the blues continued to develop in new directions -- particularly on electricinstruments -- or it has been preserved as an acoustic tradition." (allmusic.com)

Tonight's show will not attempt to be conclusive more of a personal faves overview including blues artists from the 1930s-70s including such legends as John Lee Hooker, Buddy Guy, Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson and their legions of followers such as Peter Green, Alexis Korner, Jeff Beck and John Mayall.