RADIO MISTERIOSO

Two years ago, I guest dj-ed on Radio Misterioso, the program of "In-depth conversations on the paranormal alternating with weird music and audio." It's hosted by Greg "SpaceBrother" Bishop, one of our pre-eminant weird-ologists, and the man behind "Flying Saucer Music" and the new "Music/Not Music."

I shall return! this Sunday, March 1, 8:00pm PST. Here's the previous show, zipped up in one big ol' 2-hour mp3.

Radio Misterioso 1-7-07 Warning! When you click da link, the audio plays automatically.

intro
"Late Great Planet Earth
Jean-Jacques Perrey "Chicken On The Rocks"
The Lamb Sisters "O Come All Ye Faithful"
Dr. Danny Hart "Those Funny Little Saucers In The Sky"
Seksu Roba "Telstar"
P-Model "Kalamari Pop"
The Plastics
Robert the Robot
Satanic Puppeteer Orchestra "Re-Max"
Bent Bolt "Mechanical Man"

talk break

MSR song poem "Oh, That Zipper On My Pants!"
Nancy Dupree & students "James Brown"
James Brown "Future Shock of the World"
"Sesame Street Disco" "Rubber Duckie"
Luie Luie "Touch of the Pharoahs"/"A Touch of Light"
Gerty Molsen "Walk On The Wild Side"
Les Dance & His Orchestra "Let's Dance/Louie Louie"
Bakersfield Boogie Boys "Okie From Muskogee"
Jed Gould (aka KROQ's Jed The Fish) "LA CA Perv"

talk break

Rael "Elohim"
Frank Strange "Flying Saucers Unlimited"
Russ Garcia "The Goofy Peepl of Phobos"
Buchanan & Goodman "The Flying Saucer Goes West"
The Byrds "CTA-102"

talk break

Richard Hayman "Goin Out Of My Head"
Doc Severinson & The Now Generation Brass "Power To The People"
Robert Byrne "Good Morning Starshine"
Fred Carson "There's A Hippy Girl In Town"
Circle of Tyrants - Acid, the Story of LSD
Klaus Weber - Public Fountain LSD Hall

talk break

Edith H. Boxill "Guantanamera" (from the album "Music Therapy for the Developmentally Disabled")

PREVIOUSLY ON LOST

Previously On Lost are a Brooklyn-based band that watch each episode of the "Lost" TV series and quickly write a song about it, posting it online before the next week's episode. It's a great, very entertaining way to remind you of all the confusing stuff in the show's increasingly labyrinthine plot.

Musically it's quite diverse and theatrical, of definite interest to fans of, say, Sparks, or They Might Be Giants. Check out this girl-group/doo-wop pastiche:

Previously On Lost: Ballad of Sayid Jarrah

Their debut album, "The Tale of Season 4 and The Oceanic Six" is now available from their MySpace site. Yep, they start at season 4, so if you want to get hep to the first three seasons, you're on your own, sport.

JEWS FOR JUDAISM

Here's a real outsider oddity: an autobiographical album of original songs and spoken-word narration from an elderly woman recounting her life as a pioneering female Jewish cantor. This 1997 release apparently came with her book of the same name, "Trusting The Song That Sings Within." Looks like you can still buy it.

Dora B. Krakower's singing isn't as horrific as, say, Mrs. Miller or Leona Anderson, but the spare piano accompaniment certainly doesn't hide her voice or pretty it up with lush orchestrations. You get to hear it in all it's operatic glory.

Dora B. Krakower: "I'm Pussyfooting Around My Age"
Dora B. Krakower: "I Keep On Trusting Me/She Calls Herself A Cantor?"

So if you want to hear an older woman singing about her "drooping derriere," look no further then the first song. The second tune contains the memorable lyric: "Shall I recant from the chant/ like a toady syncophant," which she pronounces "psycho-phant."

JEWS FOR JESUS

Jews For Jesus. It sounds like a joke, doesn't it? Jewish comedian Jackie Mason said there's no such thing as a Jewish Christian: "You're either a table or a chair." But they are a real organization, and, like most religions, they have music.

A group with the somewhat unwieldy name of The Liberated Wailing Wall (now, how are they gonna fit THAT onto t-shirts?) have been singing the praises of Y'shua ("Jesus" in Hebrew) since the early '70s, and much of their music is available for free (scroll halfway down this page.) Some of it still retains that early-'70s "I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing" feel to their vocal harmonies, but they command a wide range of styles, most successfully when they kick out the klezmer jams.

Klezmer is a frantic Eastern European polka-like dance with a punk-rock tempo. It's lots of fun, especially when it's a showtune-like bar mitzvah song about a young Jewish boy accepting Jesus. Kinda weird that's it's sung by a woman, but, then again, so is the entire concept of Jewish Christians.

The Liberated Wailing Wall: "Today I Am a Man"

BARACK 'N' ROLL 2: M.C. OBAMA KICKS IT HARDCORE

You may have heard that The Boston Phoenix diabolically extracted all the bad words from President Obama's audiobook reading of his book "Dreams From My Father." Courtesy of the UK's Rediculant, here is an inevitable remix, and a catchy 2-and-a-half-minute bit of 'tard-tronica it is, indeed:

Remute: "The Sweary Remix"

This comes on the heels of producer Revo Lucian's remix of actor Christian "Batman" Bale's on-set meltdown. Lucian's done this before, with a Barbra Streisand on-stage rant, and he throws a bit of Babs into this mix as well:

Revo Lucian "Bale Out"

There's probably a lot of Bale remixes, but I knew this one would be good - Revo Lucian is working on the new RuPaul album after all. So it's been a good week for cursing celebrity remixes.



Thanks to Brent!

HEY CREEPY CHICK!

As a tribute to the recently deceased Lux Interior, lead singer of one of my favorite bands The Cramps, I will not be posting any Cramps material because all the other blogs are doing that (as well they should.) Instead, I'll post some absolutely wonderful, should-have-been-hits ripped-from-vinyl obscurities that I think Lux would have liked.

A "rat fink" was an insult, the crazed character created by pioneering artist/car designer "Big Daddy" Roth, and (as "Rat Pfink") the title mock-superhero in the film "Rat Pfink a Boo Boo" by legendary cult film director Ray Dennis Steckler, who also passed away recently. These tunes all come from the fertile late '50s/early '60s music world that The Cramps drew their life's work from: novelty, surf, garage, rockabilly. Low-down, sleazy, bursting with energy and subversive wit, this is what rock'n'roll was all about, and what Lux & Co. were dedicated to preserving.

In the days before the internet and the reissue mania, there was no way to hear this kind of music unless you were an obsessed record collector, as The Cramps were. Their covers of songs like these brought a whole new world to my (and countless others) tender eardrums.

Mike Russo/Mad Magazine "Let's All Do The Fink" - from the 1961 album "Fink Along With Mad!"

Ron Haydock & The Boppers "Rat Pfink" - One of my all-time fave rockabilly rumblers.

Mr. Gasser & The Weirdos "Hey Rat Fink" - Killer surf instro; "Big Daddy" Roth had some involvement with this album.

Allan Sherman "Rat Fink" - Great rock parody by the man behind "Hello Muddah, Hello Fadah."

The Kornerstones "Doin The Rat Fink"

Dammit, why are all my punk heroes dying before all the boring hippie Baby Boomer acts? Joey, Johnny & Dee Dee are gone, Crosby, Stills & Nash live on. Joe Strummer is worm food while Eric Crap, er, Clapton still draws air. That's not right! I hope his better half Miss Poison Ivy continues the good fight.

SPOOKY SOUNDS FROM SPACE 3: The Northern Sounds

The Cluster spacecrafts record the sounds of "the interaction between the solar wind and Earth’s magnetosphere." That's what creates the Aurora Borealis, "The Northern Lights," that not only look spectacular, but sound pretty cool too - like some hard-core electronics, e.g. Morton Subotnik, David Tudor, Cage, that kinda thing.

But it's also kinda scary, like "Electronic Voice Phenomenon."

Auroral Kilometric Radiation (ESA Cluster mission)

Reminds me of a brilliant bit of retro-techno by the sadly short-lived Richard Maxfield that was inspired by the nocturnal birds and insects he heard in New York City parks. As great as this piece is, it doesn't appear to be in print - I ripped this from a 1967 album called "Music Of Our Time: New Sounds In Electronic Music" that also features famous folk like Steve Reich (the first appearance of his seminal tape-loop piece "Come Out") and Pauline Oliveras.

Richard Maxfield: "Night Music"

Maxfield's obscurity is no doubt due to his brief life and career - he jumped out a window whilst on a bummer trip in 1969 at age 42. Someone reissue this man's works, please!

SUPERSAW!!

Jim "Supersaw" Leonard has a fantastic new collection of songs recorded in the late '70s/early '80s that originally appeared on cassettes sold at folk music festivals. I'm sure many of you have heard saw music before, but not like this - Leonard's innovative technique, allowing him to play a quick succession of notes (as opposed to the saw's usual theremin-ish drones) creates a wibbly-wobbly sound that really does my head in. Makes me feel like I'm hallucinating! A whole album of this could drive lesser men mad.

The album, which consists mainly of early 20th century hits (Berlin, Gershwin, etc) and a few hymns, is a Japanese import, which means that a) it sounds great, and b) the 16 page booklet is written entirely in Japanese. Good pictures, tho. It's available from his website, some shops (I got mine at Amoeba Hollywood) and thru Aquarius Records. Here's his demented take on an old Latin standard:

Jim Leonard: Tico Tico

Jim Leonard lives in a small, remote California desert town, and apart from still playing and teaching the saw, pursues other interests: amateur radio, and astronomy.

SAFARI TO KENYA

It's official - we've got one of the sons of Kenya sitting on top of the world. So let's get to know a little Kenyan culture, shall we? After all, some of the oldest known human fossils have been found there - we may all have a little Kenya in us.
The late, great guitarist Daniel Owino Misiani is responsible for one of my favorite African albums. It's actually one of the few Kenyan releases I own. Though it's capital city Nairobi is as cosmopolitan as any on the continent, Kenya's current pop scene seems to me (and correct me if I'm wrong) largely dominated by reggae, rap, and West African styles like Congolese soukous. Hence, it hasn't really carved out it's own identity. Misiani's "benga" style does indeed favor the soukous influence that swept African music in the '80s and '90s, but he puts a brilliantly unique Swahili spin on it.

On paper, soukous/benga looks a lot like punk: electric guitars, drums kits, simple chord progressions, furious energy level. But the off-kilter rhythms, and dazzling guitar melodies (Misiani tosses off killer licks seemingly at will) take the old guitar/drum/bass lineup to a whole other place. Like soukous, the songs start melodically, shifting from vocals to guitar workouts for the second part of each song. In fact, if you're short on time and just want to skip to the "good parts," you may want to just listen to the last couple minutes of each song. But it's all good.
The lyrics often are derived from the tradtional practice of the "praise song" - only now, instead of praising tribal chiefs, the all-Swahili lyrics (according to the liner notes) praise their friends, a judge, even a furniture seller who employs many local citizens, and whose sofas are so comfortable that "you soon fall asleep."

Daniel Owino Misiani and Shirati Band - Benga Blast!

I'm posting the entire album because I see that it's now out-of-print. In fact, the entire Earthworks label seems to have gone under. Shame, they released some great stuff. Well, what the heck, here's another classic Earthworks release then:
Dudu Pukwana - In the Townships (1973)

This album is totally different - it hails from way down South Africa way, features sax and piano instead of guitar, is mostly instrumental, and is based on the "township jive" mbaqanga style. It does, however, share the same infectiously joyous spirit and unique (to Western ears) rhythms, all serving to create high-energy dance party mayhem. Pick hit: "Nobomyu."

BOSSA OH-NOVA

It's been 50 years since Brazil's greatest gift to the world, the bossa nova, first hit our eardrums, and to celebrate, er, you should really go listen to classic stuff by cats like Antonio Carlos Jobim instead of this silliness. First up, the California-based Grupo Falso Baiano does a great version of that old Brazilian standard, the "Super Mario" theme, complete with furious Carnival-ready percussion:

Grupo Falso Baiano: Irmaos Super Mario

And then there's the not-so-great series of psuedo-bossa classic rock tribute albums coming out of Europe. So far, there's two-count 'em-TWO volumes of Rolling Stones remakes entitled "Bossa n' Stones" (that's how they spell it) and, even more weird, a Guns 'n' Roses tribute, "Bossa n' Roses." Having dutifully listened to these, all I can say is: if cheezy low-energy electro/lounge/house remakes of classic rockers as sung by yet more post-Portishead breathy femme vox is your cuppa, well, knock yourself out, sport.

I have to wonder: why? These albums don't appear to be meant as a joke. Is this simply continuing the long tradition of EZ remakes of hits? But what real rocker would want to listen to something like this?

It is pretty funny, in small doses. Hearing a woman calmly sing Mick Jagger's sexist lyrics adds another layer o' fun:

Anakelly: "Under my Thumb"

Scubba: "Paradise City"

IF DANIEL JOHNSTON WAS A RAPPER...

...he STILL wouldn't be as messed-up as Dan Bull, a 22-year-old self-described autistic, whose album "Safe" is so disturbing, it makes eminem sound like Doris Day. It's a mighty impressive debut, begging comparisons to The Streets, but if ya ax me, this dude's got much better flow. The music is similarly well-crafted.

It starts off fairly innocuous, with a wistful tale of summer, followed by a love song, and that's as happy as it gets - the lover spurns him, and he actually sounds like he's about to break down by the end of the song. From then on it's nothing but pain, alienation, loneliness, and dreams of oblivion to escape his torturous life. Happy New Year!

I don't get the "autistic" diagnosis, though. I thought autistics couldn't communicate? Dan Bull gets his thoughts across loud and clear. I hope it is a real mental health condition - otherwise, there'd be no excuse for a fucked-up lyric about "the day I die will be the greatest day since Sept. 11."

This tune is actually a catchy, musically up-beat, succinct (2 1/2 minute) rocker, if you don't mind lyrics that are along the lines of "mankind is doomed and we're all gonna die."

Dan Bull "Thistopia"

Listen to a lo-fi stream of all the songs here. Can someone in England please put a suicide watch on this guy?

UPDATE: Just got a note from the man himself, who clarifies: "I have a form of high-functioning autism (Asperger syndrome) that means I'm highly literate especially in contexts where I can plan out and write what I'm going to say - hence the wordiness of the album. It's social interaction, sensory overload and the resulting anxiety from these that I struggle with."

KAZOOMZOOM

Now here's a dandy way to kick off the new year. Katya Oddio, who has already done so much for the internet music world with her Oddio Overplay site, has started a new children's music 'net-label:

Kazoomzoom.com

Four releases for free download consumption are now up, including the thoroughly enjoyable various artists comp "Silly Songs," from whence comes this short 'n' sweet number by the accurately named Kazoo Funk Orchestra:

Kazoo Funk Orchestra - The Jagables

Also featured: The Bran Flake's kids-record sample breakbeat grooviness, and, on a seperate release, a collection of century-old ragtime piano rolls. Much of the music is instrumental, though of a decidedly bent nature, e.g. the zany electro of A Smile for Timbuctu should warm the tummy of any Jean-Jacques Perrey fan. Do kids even like instrumentals? Or is this like Twink The Toy Piano Band - child-like entertainment for grown-ups? (Although the booger song should go over well with the tots - I know I would have loved it.)

MASH-TERPIECES

There's been a remarkable batch of mashup/sound collage albums hitting the web recently, going way beyond the usual Top 40 acapella vs rock instrumental. These (mostly) free download albums sometimes feature live vocals, and original lyrics & music mixed with found-sound elements, and richly textured collage soundscapes. Was 2008 the best year yet for illegal music?

The Who Boys: "Now That's What I Call The Who Boys!" These British nutters claim that this is their last album; if so, then they're going out on top with a superior mixture of spoken-word absurdism, '60s kitsch, brutal electro beats, lovely harmony singing, and all the while sampling everything from country auctioneers & scratchy old 78s to headbangin' rock.

The Who Boys: Gotta Hava

Santastic Four: Boston's dj BC has been compiling various-artist Christmas comps for a few years now, and this is the best one yet (and I'm not just sayin' that cuz I'm on it!). New York's ATOM has created a tune so abstract it's almost unrecognizable as holiday music.

ATOM: You Should Be A Freaky Christmas, Baby

Mashed In Plastic: A David Lynch tribute, featuring music, dialogue & sound effects from his films; available as separate tracks or as two seamless, dreamy, disturbing mixes. The website is a feast for the eyes and ears. Best mashup comp ever?

Colatron: "I'll Be There In Twin Peaks"

People Like Us & Ergo Phizmiz: "Rhapsody In Glue" This one, the second collaboration between two primo British eccentrics, does require a small donation, but it's well worth it for another delightful mix of Alice in Wonderland-esque songs and lyrics, cartoonish sound effects, and sampled coolness, like this version of the EZ '60s classic "Theme From A Summer Place":

People Like Us & Ergo Phizmiz: "Carmic Waltz"

RickRawked: Doesn't get more mental then this - a various-artists collection that's basically just old-fashioned acapella + instro mashups...but they're all using Rick Astley's '80s cheeze-fest "Never Gonna Give You Up." Rick slowed down, Rick pitched-up, Rick swings, Rick rocks. Incredibly, it doesn't get dull, and most of it works.

Phil RetroSpector "Ricky" (Rick vs the "Rocky" theme)

This should keep y'all busy for a while - I'll be back in the new year. Thanks to the M4M crew for all your contributions: Chris Weirdo, solcofn, J-Unit 1, and all you lovely Maniacs out there for another year (our fourth!) of sonic sweetness. Keep them cards and letters coming - I may not have the time to post everything you write to me about, but I really appreciate it. As the Cramps advised, stay sick!

THE WORST CHRISTMAS SONG EVER

It isn't often that the world of political talk radio ventures into Music For Maniacs territory, but recently Alan Colmes featured a record from his collection on his show that he described as the "worst Christmas song ever." He may be right. I certainly haven't laughed this much at a Christmas recording since the Richard Cheese album came out, but that was intentional humor.

It's a Mercury Records single from 1975, produced and co-written by Paul Vance, who had an extremely successful string of hits in the '50s-thru-'70s, such as Brian Hyland's "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" and Perry Como's "Catch A Falling Star." Singer Linda Bennett was another pro, with an RCA album and several tv and movie credits under her belt by the time they made this. And, of course, Mercury was a major label. So there was no excuse for this.

It's starts off as a typically bland bit of mid-70s pop, then slowly moves into the twilight zone before arriving at a simply ludicrous, laugh-til-you-cry ending. SPOLER ALERT: Don't read the comments to this post until you've heard the song!

Linda Bennett "An Old Fashioned Christmas"

Bah! Humbug: The Alternative Christmas Album

"Bah! Humbug" is a now-deleted collection of acoustic satirical songs by a bunch of British folkies, with a couple classic American ringers from Tom Lehrer and Loudon Wainwright III. The low-key folk setting is an amusing contrast to such potentially dark material such as "The Man That Slits The Turkey's Throats At Christmas," a lovely acapella vocal number.
 
Funny stuff, and maybe just the thing if you're starting to get sick of Christmas music. Grab the whole thing here:

Bah! Humbug: An Alternative Christmas Album


Thanks to Santa Chris!

Krimus Karuls

Krimus Karuls is a free Christmas-themed download album featuring 7 short tracks by 12-year old Nichole, who seems to be making up the songs as she goes along. Despite the usual juvenile predilections for atonal singing and utterly uninhibited performances, Nichole still seems to posses a strong, confident voice - she might become an excellent "real" singer one day. I think my fave of hers might be "What a Day for a Dog of Gold", but it's only 23 seconds. Heck, this bit unhinged zaniness is the longest and it's only 1:50.

Nichole & The Dreamcatchers: "It's Time To Rejoice"

A couple of '70s-era home-recordings of kids singing Christmas songs are also included. The remainder of the tracks on the album are low-fi rockers by grown-ups in the Beat Happening/Guided By Voices vein. Some of it's pretty good, e.g. the Chrome-esque "Ode to Gandolf and Ye Ole Christmas Spirit," and the peppy organ grinder "It's Jesus' Birthday So He Should Get the Toys." The closer "Red & Green" brings kids back for a lovely lullaby.

POT-BELLIED PIGS SING CHRISTMAS STANDARDS

"The Jingle Bellies Christmas Album" just might be the weirdest holiday CD in my collection. This out-of-print 1994 release by Louisiana-born session cat Bobby Breaux is certainly one of my favorites. The almost flatulent sounds of sampled pig snorts and grunts is often, er, "acapella," though the album opener "Deck The Halls" has a groovy Latin rhythm. Grab the whole thing in all it's 22-minute glory here:

The Jingle Bellies Christmas Album

1. Deck The Halls

2. Joy To The World

3. Medley: God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen; Hava "Nasqueala"

4. Amazing "Grease"

5. Jingle Bells

6. O Come All Ye Faithful

7. Greensleeves

8. Medley: Noel; O Christmas Tree; We Wish You A Merry Christmas

RADIO USE ONLY

Radio Use Only is a fascinating site devoted to those releases record hounds often come across in thrift stores and used-record shops' bargain bins - albums released by radio stations.

The practice "...started out as promotional items to spotlight a certain disc jockey or a particular show on the station. Other early-known radio compilations would feature various popular songs, of the time, in a pre-packaged set. Some of these would also include audio samples of station disc jockeys introducing songs...Starting in the early 1970’s, radio stations began sponsoring albums featuring local, unsigned performers."

The blog has audio samples. I particularly like this "groovy" and "happening" Dallas-area radio station jingle:

KXXK jingle (circa 1968-1971)

Which reminds me of this contemporaneous (and seasonal) jingle from the Free Design:

The Now Sounds of Christmas

CHRISTMAS IS FOR WEIRDOS

Chris Weirdo is back, this time with 2 disks worth of Yuletide oddities that certainly got me into the holiday spirit this weekend. If you've been diggin' his previous comps like Music For Weirdos then you know what to expect.

It kicks off with a delightfully cynical number from 1962 called "Merry Christmas You Suckers" that certainly gives Tom Lerher or Stan Freberg a run for his money (Mr. Freberg, is in fact, represented as well). Never heard of Paddy Roberts before, but I'm a fan now. This is followed by a wealth of Christmas cartoon music, EZ-lounge instros, The Sonic's rip-roaring mid-'60s garage rock, a track from the infamous "Star Wars" Christmas album (hey, I got that one on vinyl), Moogs, banjos, '70s disco and RIAA's self-explanatory mashup " The Six Million Dollar Man & Santa Claus Fight Global Warming." One of the real finds for me was the square-dance version of "Jingle Bells." And who knew Eartha Kitt recorded a sequel to "Santa Baby"?

The second disk features a wealth of swing/jazz novelties from the 78 rpm era. I imagine "Santa Clause Hides in the Phonograph" is from the very early Edison era of recording. Some real stompin r'n'b oldies too: "Mambo Santa Mambo," "Boogie Woogie Santa Claus" - yep, Kris Kringle's down with all the latest dance moves. Then it's laffs galore from the likes of the Three Stooges, cartoon voice legends Jim "Thurston Howell III" Backus & Daws Butler (hipster/beatnik comedy is always welcome), and ventriloquist Shari Lewis. Really glad to have a copy of the Dr Who-inspired "I'm Gonna Spend My Christmas With A Dalek" by The Go Go's - from '60s Great Britain, not the '80s Valley girls. There's the Christmas Beatles novelty record, "Ringo-Deer" by one Gary Ferrier. But my jaw dropped at the, er, "rap" song "A Knightrider Christmas" - oh my, Hoff for the holidays. Christmas Is For Weirdos1
Christmas Is For Weirdos2

So let's all give Chris another hearty "huzzah." As the Teenage Reindeer says, "Like, merry."

.

OUR THANKSGIVING BLESSINGS ARE GREAT

This Thursday is Thanksgiving Day, one of the bigger holidays here in the USA. So let's celebrate with an example of that most democratic of art forms, the song poem.

Norm Burns: "Our Thanksgiving Blessings Are Great"

Didn't we just do Halloween?

Happy Thanksgivoween!