A few people asked for the songs I played on the Stagger Lee demo show and exact titles, so here they are in play order:
1. Mississippi John Hurt – Stack O’Lee
2. Duke Ellington – Stack O’Lee Blues
3. Woody Guthrie – Stackolee
4. Fats Domino – Stagger Lee
5. Wilson Pickett – Stagger Lee
6. The Clash – Wrong em’ Boyo
7. The Trojans – Stack-A-Lee
For those of you following the plot, I’ve been apprenticing at the local community radio station here in Austin, KOOP, with the goal of getting my own show.
Competition is tough, there are a lot of talented programmers out there, with great ideas for their shows. I was able to get into the studio tonight, and stream a short, 30 minute version of my show, “From the Other Side of the Mirror”. The concept behind the show is explained at the beginning.
So please beg my indulgence, here is it, captured from the live stream. Let me know what you think, if you’d listen to something like this.
Thanks to everyone for your support. I know who you are.
When is something big or large enough?
I live in a quiet 1940’s neighborhood, and on a street round the corner something large is growing. A brand new McMansion is rising. While I’m sure the house is being built to city codes (that’s another matter altogether), what struck me about this house is its abject lack of suitability for its surrounding houses, or apparent lack of consideration for its new neighbors.
The developer has built the largest possible house on the lot, and on both sides, the house is built right up to the property lines, towering above its long established neighbors.
BTW (click on any photo for the McM in full size glory).
The stone facade stuck onto the exterior, smacks of nouveau riche modernism, in stark contrast to the wooden sidings of just about every other house on the street and in the neighborhood.
I mean it’s as if someone just dropped it smack down in the lot with no forethought for the feel, scale, or aesthetics of the place. Maybe I’m letting my inner curmudgeon get the better of me, but would scaling the damn thing back 10-15% really mean whoever buys it would “suffer” from only having 4,000 sq ft instead of 4,500?
Use the savings to upgrade the environmental aspects, install appropriate xeriscape landscaping or use better quality materials. I’m sure a smaller place would have a more efficient green footprint, made the neighbors on each side a whole lot happier, and helped preserve the feel of the neighborhood.
Is that too much to ask these days? The application of a little common sense and neighborly consideration? Bah humbug…..
As a few people have asked what I’m currently listening to, here’s the next installment of what’s gracing the Turner turntable right now, in no particular order…….
Serge Gainsbourg – Gold (madman who became a national hero in France, sample his trademark musical debauchery)
Economics – Economics (Canadian bedroom pop, file under relaxing)
Les McCann & Eddie Harris – Swiss Movement (live from 68 Montreaux Jazz Festival, seminal soul jazz)
The OKeh Rhythm & Blues Story (classic, vintage history of R&B)
Beach House – Devotion (dreamy, haunting lo-fi)
The Birthday Party – Prayers on Fire (nick cave’s 1st band, when I feel like screaming, this is what I listen to, he just screams better than me)
13th Floor Elevators – The Psychedelic World of the 13th Floor Elevators (Roky Erickson and his fellow travelers travel from 60’s Texas into inner/outer space)
Townes Van Zandt – Delta Blues Momma (Van Zandt’s lyrics and melodies were filled with a kind of haunting truth and beauty)
Ryuichi Sakamoto – Sweet Revenge (ex leader of Yellow Magic Orchestra lush, sophisticated pop)
That’s all for now. Support your local indie music stores!
As many of you know, I’m volunteering with KOOP community radio and hope to get a show on the air later this year. As the station is a nonprofit and run almost entirely by volunteers, it depends on the support of the community and music-lovers at large to keep broadcasting. So outside of asking for a donation, thought I’d share this short video, shot inside the studio, featuring KOOP radio’s Art Baker of Jamaican Gold, demonstrating how to use one of our great thank-you gifts.
Pledge now at http://KOOP.org to support Austin’s volunteer-run community radio …
Vodpod videos no longer available.
Think that old vinyl 45’s aren’t worth much? Think again.
Recently, a collector John Tefteller won an eBay auction that featured a previously unknown 45 rpm record on the Sun record label for $10,323.00
The record, “Lonesome Old Jail” and “Greyhound Blues”, features country blues artist, D.A.Hunt. Apparently it was Hunt’s first and only record and sold few copies.
The now legendary Sun record label, based in Memphis, Tennessee, is most famous for breaking Elvis Presley, but also recorded a lot of blues artists especially in their early years.
While some of you “young un’s” may not understand why anyone would pay over $10,000 for an old vinyl 45, in the eyes of the music aficionado, such items are like gold. A tangible piece of history, to be treasured and cherished. Kind of like owning a Warhol painting, or the Mona Lisa, instead of just the postcard.
As long as you can afford it of course.
As a volunteer with KOOP radio, if ever there was a time to show your support for local, authentic, innovative, community based radio it is now. KOOP radio is a non-profit organization, run by volunteers that serves all of the Austin community through its diverse and eclectic programming.
If you are a free thinker, enjoy listening to or unearthing music outside of the Billboard 100, are interested in the arts, politics or commercial free radio in general, KOOP radio is the place for you.
Their fall membership drive starts August 28th. I hope you will have a listen, and any donation large or small, will be put to good use, maintaining the station that maintains Austin. You can donate 24/7 at www.koop.org
Thanks in advance for any help you can provide. KOOP radio is found at 91.7 FM or www.koop.org
KOOP is a community radio station owned and operated by its members. Any member of the community can apply to produce a radio program, and KOOP provides facilities and training. KOOP has about 60 different locally-produced programs airing every week, in time slots of 30, 60, 90, or 120 minutes. Each of these programs is produced by an individual member or by a collective of members. KOOP provides a diverse array of programming, emphasizing programs that deal with local issues and/or serve communities which are under-served by the mainstream media. We generally schedule music programs during the day, and news/public affairs programs in the late afternoon.
The mission is to provide high quality, innovative, and diverse community- oriented programming to Austin with an emphasis on those communities that are ignored or underserved by mainstream media; including serving and promoting specific communities of African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Chicanas/os, elders, gays, lesbians, homeless, immigrants, Indigenous peoples, Latinos/as, peoples with disabilities, women, working and poor people, youth, and other underserved communities.
KOOP Community Radio supports the struggle for social justice and peace. KOOP Community Radio will operate with a high level of participation and accountability to the communities being served.
So what’s your dream?
One of mine has always been to host a radio show. Not a show programmed by some faceless bureaucrat or ratings whore, but my own show. One where I get to choose what is played, and explore the vast musical vaults to take listeners on an interesting, provocative journey.
Fortunately, due to a marvelous community radio station, KOOP, based right here in Austin Texas, I may get my chance to fulfill that dream.
I’ve been an apprentice programmer at KOOP now for a few weeks, assigned to the show This Great White North (hosted by the mighty Canuck with pluck, Doug G.), and am in the final throes of program training and FCC testing. If I pass, then I can submit my show to the programming committee for consideration. So, aside from looking for a new job, I’m giddy with excitement that my dream may actually come true.
Wish me luck! And I promise it won’t be a sonic attack if I ever get on-air…well maybe not all the time.
So the English Premier League finally gets back into action tomorrow, Saturday August 15th, 2009. My nerves are jangling, the tension is palpable. Juvenile?
I know, but after 40 plus years, my team still has my heart.
I was born minutes away from Highbury, the beautiful, old, art deco home of Arsenal F.C. Most of my mum’s family were Arsenal supporters, my dad’s side, Tottenham Hotspur. The arch enemy….and what exactly is a Hotspur anyway?
The usual questions still cloud the air around the current Arsenal team. No depth, experience, or enough quality? My crystal ball tells me they just might be maturing into a major force, but I do worry about the squad depth. Barring serious injuries, top 3 for sure, but unfortunately I have a nagging doubt it might be Chelsea time next May….and Gilles Peterson at least agrees with me on this one!
So it’s game on time. Enjoy the ride and support the passion in your heart!
One of the great untouchable bands has been Joy Division.
Thou shalt not disparage them, or have the audacity to cover their work. The intimidation factor is at 11.
So, I was pleased to hear Canada’s Broken Social Scene suitably melancholy cover version of Joy Division’s anthem, “Love Will Tear Us Apart”, for a new movie, The Time Travelers Wife.
Anchored by a sparse piano and played at a slower tempo, Kevin Drew’s vocals provide just the right atmosphere to invoke the ghost of Ian Curtis and the Factory Records boys finest hour.
Here it is, let me know what you think.
john
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