March 31, 2012

An Indie Pop / Shoegaze Band You Might Not Know, But Should!

Formed in 1988 as the Giant Polar Bears in England, they soon changed their name to The Charlottes. They released three singles (on Molesworth, Subway, and Cherry Red) followed by a full length entitled Love Happy and Things Come Apart in 1990. (Subway and Cherry Red)

Musically they sound like the lost link between female fronted noisy indie pop and full blown chainsaw guitar shoegaze. Not only were they a John Peel Favorite but the drummer Simon Scott went on to join Slowdive. Guitarist Garham Gargiulo went on to form Barefoot Contessa; no not the foodie show, the band.









March 30, 2012

Terrible Truths : New Favorite Band

What is going on with Australia. They keep churning out the best bands! I give you the trio Terrible Truths, for fans of Slant 6, post punk girl fronted groups, and Love of Diagrams.







Christopher Thompson : Sunny Day Real Estate Artist

I met Chris Thompson while living in Seattle in the early '90s and if memory serves me right, we went on a date or two. During this brief time period I ended up with a few of his pieces of art and yeah, they rule in a Star Wars tribute sorta way.

Chris is perhaps best known for his artwork for Sunny Day Real Estate but his paintings and tattoo work deserve recognition way beyond that a few album covers and liner notes.




French Music Show 2012 Recap

If you missed last night Cause & Effect on WRIR, you can download it from this site along with other past shows too.

Sara and I always end up talking more than we we expect so we didn't get to play a few songs. Luckily most of the artists have songs on YouTube. Here is what we did't get to.










March 29, 2012

Boob Tube Redefined

This Nona Hendryx video has me wondering how the back up dancers are keeping their barely dresses from a serious wardrobe malfunction. How is it that these girls don't expose their breasts with all that shaking? It must be disco voodoo.

March 29th, 2012: Cause & Effect : Annual French Music Show

My lovely friend and occasional DJ partner Sara Gossett are helping to kick off Richmond, Virginia's annual French Film Festival with our own annual French music radio event. From 7PM to 9PM this evening we will play nothing but French speaking music from our personal collections spanning 5 decades of styles, genres, and multiple countries.

For those of you who are familiar with me or my blog, you know how much I love French music so this new annual Cause & Effect tradition has quickly become my favorite show of the year.

The timing couldn't be any better as the television show Mad Men's season 5 opener has sparked an interest in vintage French Pop thanks to this little number being covered in a perfectly sexy, campy way by Don Draper's gorgeous second wife played by Jessica Paré. 


Tune in to WRIR tonight at 97.3 FM on your dial if you live here in town or stream us live at www.wrir.org anywhere in the world!

We pulled a pretty diverse set for tonight and here are some examples of the artists to expect to hear.













March 26, 2012

Chelsea Wolfe at SXSW : A Death Folk Favorite

   

What you probably don't know about me is,

I have a thing for big beat, old school electronic music. It probably has to do with me working at Caroline Distribution for a little over a decade during a time period where we were releasing some of the most groundbreaking records representing this genre at the time via Astralwerks.

This is why I am excited about this Chemical Brothers documentary / live film.

Vinylmania Documentary

A 75 minute ode to the love of vinyl; records that is.



March 24, 2012

Don't Try This At Home


A Christian Marclay mini documentary on making art with records and turntables.

March 22, 2012

March 22nd, 2012 : Cause & Effect : Motorhead

Tonight I have a guest DJ (Adam G) who will take over Cause & Effect for two hours and school us in all things Motorhead. Don't expect a straight up hard Rock / Metal show, their influences range from rockabilly to folk and beyond.

Tune in TONIGHT from 7PM to 9PM on WRIR; 97.3 FM on your dial for locals and for the rest of the world, stream us live here.















March 15, 2012

"Friends of the Enemy" NZ Music Documentary 1982

Holy greatness. Fans of The Clean, The Chills and The Verlaines, take note.

March 13, 2012

You know what is really, really, really weird?

When you see a post on Tiny Mix Tapes about a new documentary in the works that highlights the life of a 71 year old percussionist ("one of the most curious of New York’s under-sung improvisers") and it turns out to be your Mom's mysterious first husband. (and no, not my Dad.)

Life is weird. Really really really weird.


Cleve Pozar: "I Did the Number" from Blind Escrow Productions on Vimeo.

Scion Makes Hating Corporate Sponsors a Little Harder

A new Melvins EP - FREE - all thanks to Scion doing their whole poking around the indie underground thing, selecting artists of all kinds to release a free record with, and in turn attach their name to a subculture that I can only assume this car company has decided is a target market with money to spend.





March 9, 2012

157 Bids Thus Far on Ebay


World Famous MELVAN, MELVINS Tour Van with Artwork by Kurt Cobain (NIRVANA) 


Current bid: US $99,999.99
Reserve  not met
1972 Dodge Sportsman Royal Van, better known as the "MELVAN" Featured in many books, Cobain Unseen, Come As You Are  ETC. & Many NIRVANA documentary films. This is a very unique piece of MEVINS/NIRVANA history & truly one of a kind. The KISS Mural on the side was hand drawn by Kurt Cobain using sharpie markers shoplifted from the Thriftway grocery store in Montesano Washington. (former employer of King Buzzo) This was one of the first MELVINS tour vans & was used on at least one U.S. tour. Kurt himself was often times known to drive this van to local shows, also included are two former registration's, one signed by  Roger Osborne (King Buzzo) & the second signed by former MELVINS bass player Matt Lukin !   Bid High & Bid Often ,this will probably be your one & only chance to own this unique piece of music history !

Non refundable down payment of $10,000 due within 72 hours of auction end, balance due at, or before vehicle pickup (Must be picked up within 30 days of end of auction) All Sales Final

Buyer responsible for all shipping charges & arrangement's

Cause & Effect Wrap Up : The Rapture

It is nearly impossible to do a normal Cause & Effect show during a fund drive because we have to break in every 5 minutes to talk about it and there is at least two or three people in the studio at the same time making it even harder to stay on track. I know for fans of the show or the featured band, it makes for tough listen so I wanted to do three things. First say thank you for all your donations last night; we doubled our goal! Truly, thank you. Secondly I have never done this before so I though I would be transparent in how I prepare the show. Below are the notes (edited down believe it or not) I use while I am on air. I am not kidding when I say I spend at least 10 hours preparing for each show and this is the final product that I read off of to do Cause & Effect. I read and watch hundreds of interviews, articles, and reviews, take notes, and then transfer them into the set list. I don't always use everything on air but I like to have more than less information to work off of when I do a typical Cause & Effect. Lastly I have put both shows on Radio4all.net so you can download both without our talking and if you are really feeling energetic, can follow along using my notes below.


One last thing - thanks again Luke Jenner for picking all two hours of the show!


Tonight’s special fund drive show : The Rapture is an  Indie rock  band based in  New York City . The band mixes influences from many genres including  post-punk acid house disco electronica  and  rock , pioneering the  post-punk revival  genre. - Wiki



"The mistake most bands make is not going back far enough. They'll be influenced by something, but stop there. I really love Otis Redding and Al Green, but for me it's really important to go back to figure out what they were into. Otherwise, you come up with something shallow that doesn't sound very unique." – Luke

Stairway To Heaven 8:03 Led Zeppelin -Led Zeppelin IV - classic rock was king if you grew up listening to radio in the '70s and '80s. Luke is 36 so be exposed to classic rock as a kid was the norm.

In 1998 drummer Vito Roccoforte and guitarist/vocalist Luke Jenner formed the Rapture   in California.  Raised outside of San Diego, post high school moved to SF, then Seattle briefly, and eventually settled in NYC.

The Wizard 4:21 Black Sabbath - Symptom of the Universe: “A big contention point with us (bass player Matt -v- Luke) was that with the last record I got really into heavy metal. The two things that really influenced that record for me the fact that I got really into the Uli Jon Roth period of Scorpions and I got really into Depeche Mode. Matt just hated heavy metal, hating Black Sabbath and all this stuff that I kind of grew up on. I mean I grew up in the grunge era; I loved bands like Helmet and Therapy? “- Luke
The Sails Of Charon 4:24 Scorpions -Gold - :Rapture frontman Luke Jenner is a big fan of the Scorpions. Jenner calls "the missing link between Sabbath and Metallica in the evolution of rock," even though "they get NO respect." It's a slightly odd or at least surprising area of focus for a man of Jenner's station, but 1978's Taken By Force (his favorite of them all) features a few little vocal yelps and peals of guitar that one can imagine Jenner laying down on a Rapture record. There's an insistent throb and thump in "Sails of Charon," too, that could do damage to a dance floor given the right vibe." eMusic
Disarm 3:17 
Smashing Pumpkins -Siamese Dream 1993 - when indie broke into the mainstream culture – impressionable on people Luke’s age.

"Initially inspired by regional 91X alternative rock discjockey Mike Hollerin, who’d lived in England, then garage-soul mecca Detroit, before hitting sunny Southern California, the duo began listening to ‘80s Brit-pop obscurities Echo & the Bunnymen, New Order, and Jesus & Mary Chain" - beermelodies.com


No Surprises 3:48 Radiohead -OK Computer - Many Echoes reviews mention radiohead  – “I grew up in the era of grunge where you had Kurt Cobain, I read every Nirvana book to see how it was done, how they made it. I loved Billy Corgan and Black Francis and the first John Lennon solo record. There’s the whole idea that in order to make something that beautiful you have to go through a horrible experience and it has to be excruciatingly painful. I feel that that’s not true” -Luke

Loser 3:55 Beck -Mellow Gold - 1993  -huge while Luke and Vito in their teens - west coast - Beck also cross pollinates many genres - alternative to alternative

In Between Days 2:58 The Cure- The Head On The Door - Luke is forever compared to vocalist robert smith - especially on early records
Notes 2:12 The Rapture - Mirror - 1999 debut on gravity records - angsty - dark - goth - dance art punk
I Don't Want To Be Happy 3:22 James Chance -Twist Your Soul - no wave with a sax - 2003 Echoes - Gabriel Andruzzi plays sax on the Rapture records.Can't talk post punk and sax and not mention this artist.
Smells Like Teen Spirit 5:02 Nirvana - Nevermind  An almost unavoidable anthem pick for an alternative kid growing up in the early 90s.
Ditch Digger 4:50 Rocket From The Crypt -Circa: Now! – “I started going to all ages shows; getting into Rocket From the Crypt and buying lots of cassette demos of local bands no one remembers except for me. “ - Luke
Peanut Butter 2:29 Fluf -Mangravy - records on cargo - San Deigo's answer to grunge movement that pitchfork / rocket / drive like Jehu / screamo bands on Gravity Records

Death to Dead Things 2:57  Trumans Water - The Peel Sessions – more San Diego goodness - "Truman’s Water were like the four dorkiest kids in high school but they had a shit load of energy. The first time I saw them there were only two or three people there, yet they put everything they had into it. It was quite inspiring.” - Luke

Out Of The Races And Onto The Tracks 4:05 The Rapture -Out Of The Races - 2001 sub pop - height of the post punk sound in the indie underground

Poptones 7:50 Public Image Ltd. - Second Edition - often mentioned as an obvious / key influence and often compared to.



Bassist Matt Safer joined the band prior to the 2001 release of the six-song  EP   Out of the Races and Onto the Tracks  on the  Sub Pop  label.

Fat Lady Wrestlers 3:25 Happy Mondays -Bummed – “My mum was severely emotionally ill and my grandmother took her own life as well, she walked out into the ocean in Swansea to escape from a mental institution. My mum was British and my family is from Wales, so that always had a big influence on me, I was always aware of British artists like David Bowie and all that kind of stuff. It was on a different level to the average kid from San Diego because my mum was English and very proud of it. She was born in Bristol. " - Luke . Influence - "Techno-derived ecstasy-riddled late ‘80s Madchester hipsters the Happy Mondays also proved to be effectual instigators. Just listen to acid house sound “Heaven” for solid proof. But what The Rapture may have benefited from mostly was the British rave scene’s uplifting devotional unity” - beermelodies
It's A Mugs Game 5:25 Soft Cell- The Very Best Of Soft Cell - compared to more in recent years
Movin' On Up 3:51 Primal Scream- Screamadelica  “I loved the idea of the album ‘Screamadelica’, the idea that you could go everywhere, that’s the kind of sprawling music that I loved like the first Roxy Music record which was just all over the map and The Beatles as well.” - Luke
Rocket U.S.A 4:18 Suicide -s/t 1977 -" Listening to their self-titled 1977 debut from the vantage point of late 2002, it's all so obvious: the synthpop, techno, and industrial dance sounds of the '80s and '90s, and now the new New Wave of electroclash, all gesture back to that foundational album." Sputnikmusic.com
House Of Jealous Lovers 5:05 The Rapture -Echoes - 2003 With the help of the DFA production team, (. DFA Records is an independent record label and production team, launched in September 
2001  by  Mo' Wax  co-founder  Tim Goldsworthy , musician  James Murphy  (of LCD Soundsystem) ]  and manager  Jonathan Galkin . [2]  The label has an exclusive distribution deal with major record label  EMI . [3]  DFA Records began on a series of 12" single vinyl releases starting with  The Rapture 's "House of Jealous Lovers" and  The Juan Maclean 's "By The Time I Get To Venus". ) The band recorded "House of Jealous Lovers" in 2003 and eventually released their first full-length album Echoes. Gabriel Andruzzi joined the band full time after the record was completed to help tour. The Rapture opened for the Sex Pistols in a soccer stadium in England, and underwent a large major bidding war eventually signing with Universal Music. - Wiki

“We wanted to go a few steps further to find their broader based influences. We used guitars so it came out like Liquid Liquid. It was more of a subliminal or subconscious thing. A band like Public Image Ltd. was drawing from dub music. I liked no wavers DNA and Arto Lindsay’s full on Latin take. So we draw from all those influences. But with Echoes, we really tried to make straight up house music. The vocals to “Olio” sound like The Cure, but we were trying to emulate early Chicago house records with the 909 drum machine and 202 bass machine.” – Luke

No Way Back - Adonis 4:58 Adonis - Chicago Trax - Volume - Adonis is a Chicago acid house pioneer who made his name with the classic 1986 tracks 'No Way Back' and 'We're Rockin Down The House'.
Move Your Body - 
Marshall Jefferson and On The House 7:43 -  Jefferson's 1986 single for Trax, "Move Your Body (The House-Music Anthem)," the first house song to use piano, [3]  was a popular and influential song in the genre.  Lead single How Deep Is Your Love from Raptures most recent recalls the heady days of piano-led Chicago house a la Marshall Jefferson and is pure classic disco in the very, very best sense of the phrase. Hands in the air / tears in your ears".  - cheeseontoast.com

How Deep Is Your Love? 6:28 The Rapture- In the Grace of Your Love - turning point for the band - new / old smaller line up, birth of Luke's first child, mom committed Suicide - making peace with the past - less angry - playing on a softball team, going to church and singing in a choir - return to DFA after leaving Universal - life cycle comes back again - death and rebirth - return to DFA
You're the First, the Last, My Everything 4:32 Barry White- You're the First, the Last, My Everything -. "Since I got married, Barry White's got me thinking about love and sex in a new way... positive eternal love..." - Luke
The Kneeling Drunkard's Plea 2:53 Louvin Brothers -Satan Is Real  



"Yeah. I got really into gospel and its big, uplifting vocals. That's what I'm trying to do on 'How Deep Is Your Love' or 'Come Back to Me,' or even 'In the Grace of Your Love' — it's my interpretation of gospel music. Some of those songs are prayers, literally. The subject matter is bigger than myself and trying to communicate with that universe, or whatever you want to call it: God. Being in the church choir was really cool -- I got involved with some cool music."  - Luke

His Hand In Mine 3:15  Elvis Presley-  Elvis Ultimate Gospel Gospel
How I Got Over - Clara Ward 2:58  Clara Ward  -The History of Black Gospel Volume 2 - "One of the first gospel artists that really hit me was Clara Ward. She has a voice similar to my range. She was Aretha Franklin's hero and who she was trying to emulate."  - Luke
MLK 2:34  U2 - The Unforgettable Fire - Luke actually celebrated his 18th birthday by going to see U2 play in San Diego. – Luke’s more belty rock voice earning comparison's to Bono on newest record. - ending with because U2  is a no brainer as the bands often ends with this song live. The Rapture is managed by the same company who works with U2 now.

March 8, 2012

March 8th, 2012 : Cause & Effect : The Rapture

If I had a nickle for every time I read or heard an interview with a musician that talks about the importance of radio helping to shape and inspire them as creative beings, I would be a wildly rich woman. Radio (especially independent music radio programming for me personally), offers two incredible things to the listener, free music that we may or not be familiar with and a DJ (a real live human!) who schools us on the music they have selected. These on air volunteers become our tastemakers, our music professors, and are our gateway to what is going on in our community (and the world!)

Here is a quote from Luke Jenner of the Rapture about the importance of expanding one's music knowledge and below it is a snippet from an article where Luke mentions how San Diego radio (where he and Vito grew up), was a part of The Rapture's learning curve.

"The mistake most bands make is not going back far enough. They'll be influenced by something, but stop there. I really love Otis Redding and Al Green, but for me it's really important to go back to figure out what they were into. Otherwise, you come up with something shallow that doesn't sound very unique."


"Initially inspired by regional 91X alternative rock discjockey Mike Hollerin, who’d lived in England, then garage-soul mecca Detroit, before hitting sunny Southern California, the duo began listening to ‘80s Brit-pop obscurities Echo & the Bunnymen, New Order, and Jesus & Mary Chain"


And here is a quote taken from a recent Pitchfork interview with the band and the line about radio comes from Gabriel Andruzzi who plays many rolls in the band, keyboard, sax, bass, percussion, and vocals.



Pitchfork: Since the popular perception of dance-punk is that it burned-out really fast, what do you think of what you guys did with those early records with DFA now? Do you see a lasting impact from it?
GA: I run into people all the time who talk about how excited those records made them. That's an important thing for me to remember as a musician-- those qualities of experiencing music. That goes back to when I was 10 listening to the radio, getting records, going to my first shows, and being really inspired by those things. For this new record, it was important for me to remember that I'm making something to bring somebody joy.



This is why I thought The Rapture would be a perfect candidate for our very special fund drive Cause & Effect. Singer / guitar player Luke Jenner has kindly hand selected a two hour playlist for this evening's show to reflect his musical journey from music loving kid into an adult musician revered across continents for genre bending not just from record to record but from song to song. Luke may be a talented artist but he is also a rabid music fan, interested in music of all kinds, from all decades, as you will hear tonight from 7PM to 9PM.


My introduction to Luke and Vito happened in the Fall of 1999. Within The Rapture timeline this is when the band had moved from San Francisco, then to Seattle briefly, landing them in NYC where I was living at the time. Their debut full length Mirror had been released earlier that year and they were in the process of searching for creative inspiration while writing their one and only Sub Pop Records release, Out of the Races and Onto the Tracks. Luke was seeing a friend of my first husband and I and in turn we all became friendly. Luke and Vito (Matt had yet to join them at this point in time) would come over to our apartment  quite a bit. We would occasionally feed them, play them records from our collection, and basically geek out about music. Withing our indie music community bands like Radio 4 were growing in popularity and in general the post hardcore community who were previously dabbling in emo and hardcore (screamo too) were growing a little older (myself included) and seemingly all discovering post punk at the same time. (Gang of Four, Wire, P.I.L., James Chance, ETC) The Rapture landed smack dab in the middle of this scene and quickly rose to become one of the best known bands playing a style of music heavily rooted in post punk. 


As I mentioned, The Rapture are passionate music fans of all kinds so it really isn't surprising that the band since the late '90s has continued to explore new styles of music from house to Gospel. They have gone on to produce an eclectic body of work and continue to branch out in new directions. Like any band they have had their share of peaks and valleys and while we will go into some of that this evening, the show's focus this evening will be playing Luke's set list from start to finish and us as your DJ's at the helm helping to to explain how these songs fit into the group's timeline of influence. Metal, classic Rock, indie Rock, Brit-Pop, post punk, Dance, Country, and Gospel are all a part of tonight's show and Luke has also selected his four favorite Rapture songs to round it all out. 


Tune in to 97.3 on your dial if you live in Richmond, VA or stream us live at WRIR.ORG. from 7PM to 9PM tonight. If you enjoy our show, our radio station, the gift that is community radio, please consider making a donation during our show. We will have a bounty of special prizes available to those who donate and best of all, you can help keep independent radio's heart beating. We may be the volunteers who bring WRIR to your ears but it is your donations that make it all possible. 


Thank you Luke Jenner for your time, support, and a chance to revisit our friendship in such an illuminating way. Music nerds unite! 


To put this evening's show on your Facebook calendar, go to our event page here.

To follow Cause & Effect on Facebook, go here.

The two pictures of Luke were taken at my birthday party in 1999 at the Cowgirl Hall of Fame in NYC.

March 7, 2012

Nicolas Provost and Köhn

A huge thank you to Tiny Mix Tapes for turning me onto this stunning video work. Grim yet gorgeous.

Dunebuggy Record Release Party : NYC


Hello friends! 
    If you find yourself in NYC on Friday, April 13th please drop by our free Dunebuggy record release party to say hello. In case you forgot, I run a small record label called Little Black Cloud Records and our next release is coming out in April. 
                                                   ****************************
Dunebuggy's LP comes out via Little Black Cloud Records on 4/17 and you are cordially invited to their listening party that is taking place 4 days sooner than their official street date. You will not only b e among the first people on the planet to hear all of these these songs ,you will also have the opportunity to buy their record, hob nob with the band, and hear a DJ set including some of our favorite '90s indie bands. 

Come celebrate the long awaited release (like 17 years!) from Dunebuggy, a posthumous collection in LP form that marks the first time many of these songs have ever been heard. Those that have been previously released feature alternate recordings or mixes and all tracks have been freshly re-mastered. Not only will we be playing the record for all to hear for the first time, but we will also have it available for purchase for $20. For those who buy this record at the event they will also be given an extra special bonus prize. The records are limited to just 100 copies and come on white vinyl so needless to say they are VERY LIMITED. Attending this party will give you the best chances of actually getting your hands on a copy. Founding Dunebuggy members Jon-Michael Procopio and Keith Renna will be in attendance too, making this the next best thing to a reunion show. 

If the release of their incredible music isn't enough, the party will be held at our favorite East Village bar Hi-Fi (AKA THE Hi-Fi BAR) which to many of us old timers might be better known as the location of NYC's seminal indie rock venue Brownies (RIP). Who could ask for a better, more appropriate location for this record release. 

And the icing on the cake? DJ's Lightning's Girls (Little Black Cloud Records owner) and KJC (the label's art director) will also be Djing their most beloved '90s indie Pop records (vinyl!) in the vein of The Lemonheads, Blake Babies, Helium, Beat Happening, Built To Spill, Pavement, ETC.

We would love to turn this fantastical record release party for Dunebuggy into a reunion of sorts for those of you who grew up in the NJ/NY/CT indie Rock / Pop scene in the '90s who probably also grew up going to shows (and playing shows at Brownies).



band link 
hi-hi link
label link  
youtube link 

March 5, 2012

This Thursday : A Very Special Cause & Effect by Luke Jenner of The Rapture

Created exclusively for Cause & Effect, Luke Jenner of the Rapture has hand picked a set list highlighting his personal influences through the 14 year history of the band. While Luke will not be in our studio, on March 8th from 7PM to 9PM we will be sharing his picks on air to create a very special WRIR fund drive program.

Luke's set is a shining example of what makes Cause & Effect so special, it tells his creative journey through the music of others including his four favorite songs from The Rapture catalog.

The Rapture recently followed up their critically-acclaimed 2011 album In The Grace Of Your Love with a remix EP for “Sail Away,” which features re-workings of the single by Cut Copy, Cosmic Kids and Aeroplane.

The Rapture is also playing Coachella on April 13 and 20, along with two additional tour dates with Justice in Oakland and Las Vegas.

About WRIR:

Powered by a community of volunteers, WRIR provides you with music, news and views that you care about. WRIR’s programs are centered around the community. We promote the culture and diversity that is Richmond, VA.

WRIR-LP 97.3 is radio for the rest of us and your donations keep us on the air.

A donation of $50 or more gets you the WRIR Spring Fund Drive ‘12 t-shirt. If you donate $100 or more, you will receive the t-shirt, as well as the WRIR logo patch. A donation of $200 or more gets you all of the above plus the exclusive WRIR black hoodie. Donations of any amount are welcome. Give what you can.Your donation pays for the programs you hear and enjoy every day. Each show is also offering unique prizes so no two shows will be offering the same thing!

Why this is more than just a fundraiser.

The WRIR Fund Drive is your chance to know more about your community radio station. During the fund drive, bands will be playing live in our studio. Local restaurants are bringing their cuisine to the station for all to share. Take this opportunity to drop by the station and see what WRIR is all about. Find out how you can volunteer and get more involved.

97.3 FM for locals or stream us live at www.wrir.org .
Donate on line here. https://wrir.wufoo.com/ forms/ fund-drive-donation-wrirlp- 973-fm/

Our weekly program and WRIR can't survive without your support.



Check out the invite and click going to keep it marked on your Facebook events calendar. 

March 1, 2012

March 1st, 2012 : Cause & Effect : Mark Lanegan


It is difficult to fathom what it would be like to own a voice that when it sings, sounds as if the weight of the world is being channeled through it. When I imagine what sorrow, lament, and regret sounds like (with the addition of whiskey and cigarettes) there are a few voices that come to mind. Johnny Cash and Leadbelly would be at the top of that list but Mark Lanegan would be right up there too.

What is strange about an artist owning a voice so distinctly mournful is that hearing him doesn't make me sad. It comforts me in the way that it reminds me that in life there are highs and lows, and the valleys are just a part of living. Mark's voice naturally helps carry the burden of tough times and there is something marvelously reassuring and uplifting about having someone prove that you aren't alone in that temporary pain. I believe people misinterpret the kind of voice Mark Lanegan has for being strictly melancholy but tonight I am out to prove that there is an unmistakable joy and beauty buried in the throats of those who sing the Blues.

From 7PM to 9PM tonight I will spend two hours exploring the multitude of projects associated with Mark starting with the Screaming Trees, his solo catalog, and then the seemingly endless numbers of collaborations that  perhaps he has become best known for. (Twilight Singers, Gutter Twins, Breeders, Mad Season, QOTSA, Maggie Bjorklund, UNKLE, Isobel Campbell, Soulsavers, and so on)

WWW.WRIR.ORG to stream live or 97.3lp FM for locals.