Playlist for
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Arpil 25, 2008

Hosted by Greg Lyon on FRIDAYS at 2-4 pm
on WPVM Asheville (103.5 FM and www.wpvm.org)

Notes:

– Aaaahhh, finally back to normal here at the The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. No more fund drive shows. Don’t get me wrong–I love doing the fund drive shows, as they’re pretty exciting, but I prefer not begging for money and getting stressed out about it all. I feel pressure to do something "special" and entertain you people out there more than I normally do. It affects the art, man, such as it is. In contrast, in a "normal" show, I get to play a lot of NEW music. And to be quite honest with you, new music (or at least new to me) is what it’s all about. This was also the first show I’ve done solo in a good while, which I’ve figured out puts a much more laid-back vibe into the show. I play more jazz when I’m by myself, for example. So today, here’s what kicked my ass…

– Right out of the gate, the new Mississippi Records release (out of Portland, Oregon) is flat-out sublime: a reissue of a 1970 African album (from Mali) by the Regional Orchestra of Kayes. Everything on that record is stand-out, and I’ve listened to a lot of good African music lately. Pick it up before it disappears, like all that Mississippi Records stuff. You can learn more about the album at Graeme Counsel’s super-informative Radio Africa website (and also find out what he thinks of Mississippi Records–it’s not pretty). I also played the Elder Charles Beck’s "Rock & Roll Sermon" from the second pressing (minus the bonus 7") of Mississippi’s Life Is a Problem compilation. Don’t you dare call that music they’re playing rock ‘n’ roll because that would be evil–no, sir, it’s gospel (uh, I guess).

– Don Cavalli is a French dude who’s tapped into a particularly rich primitive American garage-rock/blues mainline. That "New Hollywood Babylon" riff is not likely to let me enjoy uninterrupted silence for at least a few weeks. It’s that catchy. And the rest of the album is strong too–definitely one of the best I’ve heard yet this year.

– That new Be Your Own Pet album is pretty disappointing. I won’t say it sounds like a sell-out (ok, I didn’t say it), but it lacks the extra-special sauce that their debut had. Yawn. Playing "San Francisco’s Doomed" by Crime after it simply wasn’t a fair fight.

Background Music: Walt Dickerson - Jazz Impressions of Lawrence of Arabia (Dauntless, 1963)

Playlist for
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Arpil 18, 2008

Hosted by Greg Lyon on FRIDAYS at 2-4 pm
on WPVM Asheville (103.5 FM and www.wpvm.org)

Notes:

– I called in the ringers for this radio program, the second of my two WPVM Spring 2008 Fund Drive shows. Peter Poffenberger of the fabulous Ooze Out radio program (Tuesday nights, 10pm - 1am) stopped by from outer space and helped mesmerize the listeners out there into unloading their wallets. He and the great Justin Farrar (aka Larry) brought the "Heavy Music"–much rural rock, some bubblegum, and the super-tasty "Meatballs" (that one really got the phones to ring). We did a Velvet Underground Worship block, a Neue Deutsche Welle set (courtesy of Justin’s Zick Zack 7" collection, which I lust after), and most importantly made some serious dough for WPVM! Thanks to everyone who donated. Justin and I look forward to taking some of you to an Asheville Tourists game (one of our special thank-you gifts).

Playlist for
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Arpil 11, 2008

Hosted by Greg Lyon on FRIDAYS at 2-4 pm
on WPVM Asheville (103.5 FM and www.wpvm.org)

Notes:

– First of two Spring Fund Drive shows. Trains and the French were the themes. There was no reason for this other than whimsy. Thanks to all who donated, and it’s not too late–ever–to donate to WPVM.

– My favorite track of the week, however, was brought in by Shaina, namely the Genya Ravan nugget, "I Won’t Sleep on the Wet Spot," a sentiment that truly needed a song written about it. And it had nothing to do with trains or the French. In fact, we had a plan to do a "women’s music" segment at the end of the show (because I love "women’s music" so much), and we managed to do so for the last two sets, but of course it was insufficient to cover such a ridiculously broad topic. You’ll just have to listen to WPVM’s women’s music show, Siren’s Muse, which airs Sundays 3-5 pm with hosts AJ and Susan. And if you want to hear more French music, check out the wonderfully original Paris of the South Radio Hour, with host François, which airs on WPVM Wednesdays from 9-10 am and again on Saturdays 7-8 pm.

Background Music 1: Steam in 60’s Volume 2 (Mobile Fidelity)
Background Music 2: Verve Records and Esquire Magazine, Sound Tour: France (Verve)

Playlist for
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Arpil 4, 2008

Hosted by Greg Lyon on FRIDAYS at 2-4 pm
on WPVM Asheville (103.5 FM and www.wpvm.org)

This show is available for listening as an archive for one week after its airing at WPVM’s Archive Page (click on the STREAM button for this show–under the letter ‘G’)

Notes:

– Ah, Tragic Mulatto… One of the most shocking live acts of the 80s, this San Francisco outfit was also an instrumental oddity: they used the tuba (or was it baritone horn?), trumpet, and the sax, in addition to the usual rock suspects. I played a track about cops and Japanese bikes ("Tac Squad") from their 1984 debut on Alternative Tentacles, Judo for the Blind, which has an unspeakable cover picturing Jesus on the can and a lovely lady discovering the pleasures of a forceful bath spout. The names of the band members changed constantly, even when the people inhabiting them did not: on this album they were called Fluffy, Blossom, Flossy, Sweetums, and "A Piece of Eczema" (on sax). On stage, you could count on most of the band to be clad only in diapers, except for the paint, feathers, or tin cans (when I saw them) duct-taped to the breasts of the lead singer and tuba player. I could only find pictures of the band from the website commemorating the late 80s/early 90s L.A. underground scene’s HIP Magazine. I couldn’t decide between the two, so I give you both. Enjoy!

– Shaina brought in the Yellowman and picked the Shonen Knife. She brought in several other artifacts, but I was a hog and didn’t get to them. She really liked the epic-length Kirsten Ketsjer the Rock Band cut I played, "The Bridge."

– Word has it that the Feelies are reuniting–with Bill Million in tow–for a July 4th weekend reunion playing with Sonic Youth in Central Park. I’ve also heard that Bar/None will be reissuing the first two Feelies records by the end of the year. This is all excellent news. They were a great band. It’s hard to believe it’s been about 20 years since I first saw them in Chapel Hill, with Yo La Tengo opening up.

– But the most exciting news for me this week was the reappearance of Todd Rittmann, one-half of the ax-wielders in U.S. Maple, who were without question one of my favorite bands of the late 90s/early 00s. He’s teamed up with Adam Vida (the drummer for the last U.S. Maple record), Adam’s brother Ben (from Town & Country), and Robert Lowe (from 90 Day Men and Lichens) to form a new band called Singer. I haven’t had a chance to listen carefully, but I was in a state of ecstasy as I shuffled through the disc. Just hearing that guitar makes me incredibly happy. The song was good. Maybe even very good.

– And lastly, RIP Klaus Dinger, drummer and co-founder of Neu!, Krautrock masters and a huge inspiration to later post-punk, electronic, and avant-rock bands–I think immediately of This Heat and even Negativland, who took their name from the Neu! track I played today. Dinger also was in an early version of Kraftwerk, and then after Neu! went on to form La Düsseldorf and then La! Neu? There was even a nice obit in the NY Times. Viva la motorik!

Background Music: Music to Read James Bond By - Volume Two (United Artists)