Tuesday, August 26, 2008

08.26.08 Guest NELSON BRAGG (Tribute to "No Wave"...and beyond)



We will be spinning records from bands that either formed what would be termed "No Wave", or were directly influenced by this genre.
You will hear sounds from La Monte Yong, Arto Lindsay (DNA), James Chance (Contortions), Mars, Theoretical Girls, Y Pants....to Lydia Lunch (Teenage Jesus & the Jerks, 8 Eyed Spy, Beirut Slump), Lizzie Mercier Descloux, R.L. Crutchfield (Dark Day, DNA), Feotus, Ikue Mori (DNA, Tenko,etc.), Lounge Lizards, the Swollen Monkeys, Doctor Nerve, the Public Servants, Noise'r Us, the Trolls, the Microscopic Septet, Konk, Sonic Youth, Pere Ubu, Tenko, Teddy & the Frat Girls, and our very own guest Dj Nelson Bragg's band Big Noise from 1981 (Woodstock, Ny).

A brief background on our guest Dj:

Nelson Bragg played in several bands from 1979-1999 including positions as a pit drummer for over 20 stage musicals. (Emerson College theater in Boston, New London Barn Playhouse, New London, NH among others) His bands include the horn driven/post-punk dance band, Big Noise, (1981-1987, Woodstock, New York) and Farmhouse (1989-1992), a harmony based folk-rock group based out of Northampton, Mass. Nelson moved to Los Angeles in 1999.


In 2000, Bragg finally found a successful path joining several L.A. pop bands that include The Now People, The Quarter After and Cloud Eleven. In 2001, he joined "Stew" for his "Naked Dutch Painter" CD and played subsequent shows and residencies promoting it. That CD was "Entertainment Weekly's "Album of the Year" for 2002. He also played with The Negro Problem, Stew's former band and alter ego. In 2003, Nelson got the call to join Brian Wilson's band as percussionist/vocalist to perform Wilson's legendary unreleased album "Smile". That now legendary February 2004 premiere in London and tour, was followed by a formal recording of "Smile", released in September 2004, winning a Grammy award, ironically in the "Best instrumental" category ("Mrs. O'Leary's Cow" featuring Bragg on virtually all of the whistles and sound effects at the top of the piece.) In 2005, the Smile 2 DVD set was released featuring a full-length documentary of Brian Wilson's incredible Smile story and the making of it both in 1966-67 and newly in 2004. That documentary aired on Showtime in October 2004 and was directed by Beach Boys and pop authority David Leaf. A live concert performance of Smile is featured on the second disc.


In 2003, prior to his position with The Brian Wilson Band, Bragg started recording a solo album which was completed and released on Side B Music in 2007. "Day Into Night" was reviewed very favorably and continues to garner college and Internet airplay worldwide. It boasts the talents of Nick Walusko, fellow Brian Wilson band-mate and Wondermint, Mike Randle, Guitarist with Baby Lemonade and longtime member of Arthur Lee and Love, Morley Bartnoff, keyboardist with Burning Sensations and currently with Dramarama, Rob Campanella, organist/guitarist with The Brian Jonestown Massacre and The Quarter After, Probyn Gregory, fellow Brian Wilson band-mate and Wondermint, Severo Jornacion, Bassist with The Smithereens and Debbie Shair, keyboardist with Heart. It also features The Stockholm String Ensemble on seven of its twelve tracks. Nelson performed all acoustic guitars, vocals, drums and percussion among other instruments on the record. The record is influenced by CSNY, George Harrison, The Byrds, The dB's, Canada's The Grapes Of Wrath, and was produced by well known L.A. pop/garage producer Steve Refling.


Nelson has been involved with many bands including drumming live and recording cd's with the aforementioned Now People, the Quarter After, Cloud Eleven and with The Mello Cads, Keven Kane (The Grapes Of Wrath), Andrew Sandoval and most notably The Mockers. Bragg has garnered 3 tours of Spain with The Mockers in 2002, 2005 and 2007. A documentary about The Mockers and the American dream is in the works with a 2008 release in mind.


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