WFMU presents:
The Best 
of 2004
according to.....

Irene Trudel
Lou Ziegler
Bob Rixon
Bob Weyersberg
Robin Edgerton
Fabio
Dave Mandl
Henry Lowengard
Douglas Wolk
Dave the Spazz
Bob Brainen
Joe Belock
Brian Turner
Bill Kelly

Eva Neuberg
Mike Lupica
Evan Davies
Rich Hazelton
Irwin Chusid
Jeffrey Cobb
Jeffrey Davision
Diane Kamikaze
Stefan
Trouble
Tom Scharpling
Frank O'Toole
Donna Summer

Rob Weisberg
Chris T.
Dorian
Rex
Michael Goodstein
Mr. Finewine
Doug Schulkind
Bill Zurat
Noah Zark
Terre T.
Charlie
OCDJ
Monica


IRENE TRUDEL (Mondays 3 - 6pm)

CDs that inhabited my CD player the most in 2004 (a baker's dozen):
  1. Espers [Espers] (Locust Music)
  2. Robyn Hitchcock [Spooked] (YepRoc)
  3. Elliott Smith [From a Basement On a Hill] (Anti-)
  4. Gravenhurst [Flashlight Seasons] (Warp Records)
  5. Jon Brion [I (Heart) Huckabee's Soundtrack] (Milan)
  6. Vitamin D [Build Another] (Vitamin D Music)
  7. Vetiver [Vetiver] (DiChristina Stairbuilder)
  8. Nick Castro [A Spy in the House of God] (House of Ghaud Records)
  9. Adem [Homesongs] (Domino)
  10. Iron and Wine [Our Endless Numbered Days] (Sub Pop)
  11. Haco & Hiromichi Sakamoto [Ash in the Rainbow] (Detector/ReR)
  12. Bill Fay [From the Bottom of An Old Grandfather's Clock] (Wooden Hill)
  13. Wilco [A Ghost is Born] (Nonesuch)

Back to Top


LOU ZIEGLER - The Push Bin (Fridays 2am - 6am)

Heard, Seen and Tasted - Lou's Best of 2004
  1. The Rock: Paik - Satin Black, Circlesquare - Pre-Earthquake Album, Lansing-Dreiden - The Incomplete Triangle, Dungen - Ta Det Lugnt, Mclusky - the difference between me and you is that I'm not on fire
  2. The Beats: M.I.A. - Piracy Funds Terrorism, Mad Villain - Mad Villainy, Ellen Allien - Berlinette, Shitmat - Killababylonkutz, Various Artists - Shockout
  3. Reissues: Various Artists - Wheedle's Groove: Seattle's Finest in Funk & Soul 1965-75, DNA - DNA on DNA, The La's - Lost La's: Calling All, Bakerloo - S/T, Various Artists - So Young but So Cold: Underground French Music 1977-1983
  4. Noisy Bits and Such: Black Dice - Creature Comforts, Growing - The Soul of the Rainbow and the Harmony of Light, Luc Ferrari - Les Anecdotiques, Wolf Eyes - Burned Mind, Fe-mail - Syklubb fra haelvete
  5. Books: Love Saves the Day: A History of American Dance Music Culture, 1970-1979, Tim Lawrence, Hard Revolution George Pelecanos, Nobody Runs Forever - Richard Stark
  6. Film: Dig, Coffee and Cigarettes, Kill Bill Vol. 2, Hero, Napoleon Dynamite
  7. T.V.: Little Britain (I am so depressed that BBC America pulled this show off the air.), Peep Show (O.K. they have redeemed themselves), The Wire, Amazing Race, Deadwood
  8. Restaurants in Manhattan: Minado (all you can eat Japanese in mid-town Manhattan), Roll n Roaster (there is one in Manhattan now!), Congee Village, Lil' Frankie's Pizza, Max
  9. Live Show: I have to say that watching The Speaking Canaries play right in front of you is pretty damn great.
  10. Live Show Runner-up: Kinski w/ Kawabata Makota

Back to Top


BOB RIXON (Fill-in DJ)

A FEW 2004 FAVORITES
American String Quartets, 1950-1970; Performed by Concord String Quartet (Vox CD). Music by Stefan Wolpe, Earle Brown, John Cage, Leon Kirchner, Christian Wolff, George Crumb, Lejaren Hiller, Jacob Druckman, Morton Feldman. Released in 1972, great then, even better on CD.

Bela Bartok: Works for Orchestra; Minnesota Orchestra, conducted by Stanislaw Skrowaczewski (Vox 3 CDs o/p). I dig the composer, the conductor, & the band.

Choice Cuts: Music from the films of John Carpenter, Wes Craven, Brian DePalma & Others (Milan CD).

Jim Cohn: Quien Sabe Mountain: Poems 1996-2004 (Museum of American Poetics, Boulder Co, 2004). The most pleasurable of this visionary poet's books.

Dahon folding bike: 16" wheels, 3 speeds. Made in the USA.

East New York Ensemble de Music: At the Helm (Ikif/Folkways CD reissue). "World Music" before it was called that.

Hugo Friedhofer: One Eyed Jacks; (Liberty Records, 1961, LP o/p). One of the finest western soundtracks, Friedhofer's score, like Brando's film, fits uneasily between "The Searchers" & "Fistful of Dollars." The electric guitars aren't there yet, but you can almost hear them among the bongos & occasional tart dissonances.

Hoof & Mouth Sinfonia: WFMU's amazingly versatile "house" band.

Charles Ives: Piano Sonata No. 1., William Masselos, piano (RCA 1967, LP o/p). Composed between 1904 & 1910, Ives' 1st Sonata was reconstructed by Lou Harrison in the late 1940s, premiered by Masselos in 1949, the version recorded here. More messy, jazzy & funny than the famous 2nd.

Rainbow Body; Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Robert Spano. (Telarc 2003). Music by Christopher Theofanidis, Jennifer Higdon, Samuel Barber, Aaron Copland.

Nino Rota: Il Capella di paglia de Firenze (The Italian Straw Hat). With Federico Davia, Magda Olivero; Orchestre Du Theatre Royal De La Monnaie, conducted by Elio Boncompagni (Gala 1999 CD, recorded live 1976). Rota's music is of one broad cloth, including this silly opera composed in 1955.

Ralph Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 7 for soprano, small female chorus, & orchestra ("Sinfonia Antartica"); Symphony No. 8 in D minor; Bournemouth Sinfonietta, conducted by Kees Bakels (Naxos). Brrrrr!

Plus, a Mea Culpa:
Brian Wilson: Smile (Nonesuch 2004). I was 18 years old when this project collapsed & was always openly skeptical about Smile. This proved it was for real, or could have been. Because unfortunately it's not a Beach Boys album, so the performances are uncanny rather than authentic. The overall tone of Smile draws from California novelty doo wop more than anything else. I hope Jan Berry is smiling.

Back to Top


BOB WEYERSBERG (Fill-in DJ)
  • Jaga Jazzist show at Knitting Factory July 6
  • Blockhead "Music by Cavelight"
  • Calexico's cover of "Si Tu Disais"
  • Stereolab show April 10 in Toronto
  • va: "365 Days Project Vol. 5"
  • Montreal winning 3 straight to beat Bruins in play-offs
  • Destroy All Dreamers show at Casa del Popolo jan. 16
  • documentaries Out Foxed, Farenheit 9/11, The Corporation, the Yes-Men
  • the Moon eclipse on Oct. 27
  • Southampton Publick House's Saison beer

Back to Top


ROBIN EDGERTON (Fill-in DJ)

Robin's most-played-at-my-computer tracks of 2004(in no particular order) (though all acquired through mp3 web-logs, I did actually purchase the accompanying commercial release for 50% of these)
  1. Feist "mushaboom (demo)"
  2. Shaznay Lewis "radio"
  3. De la Soul "the grind date"
  4. Teddybears STHLM "cobrastyle"
  5. Cee-Lo Green "the art of noise"
  6. Hidden Cameras "In the union of wine"
  7. Kanye West "jesus walks"
  8. Ratatat "seventeen years"
  9. Mya (feat. Chingy) "fallen (zone 4 remix)"
  10. A.C. Newman "drink to me babe then"

Back to Top


FABIO - Strength Through Failure (Thursdays Noon - 3pm)

FILM:
(in no particular order)

"Decasia" by Bill Morrison. The Multi-screen version, projected with live "surround sound" orchestra, at St. Ann's Warehouse, Brooklyn.

The Brown Bunny - Vincent Gallo Director/Writer.

Padre Padrone - Taviani Brothers (1977) on Video. Based on the life of the author of the book, this film is absolutely breath taking in it's examination of a life filled with pain and suffering, but also beauty and humanity. (Italy)

Dogville - Lars Von Trier (Denmark)

The 5 Obstructions - Lars Von Trier & Jorgen Leth. (Denmark)

Days of Being Wild - Wong Kar-Wai (1991, re-released, screened in New York) (Hong Kong)

Crimson Gold - Jafar Panahi (Written by Abbas Kiarostami) (Iran)

S21: The Khmer Rouge Killing Machine - Rithy Panh. Documentary on the Khmer Rouge death camps.

Films by Jack Goldstein screened at the Whitney Biennial (Spring 2004)

Films/Videos of Early Performances by Chris Burden 1971-1974 (bootleg video)

Herzog/Kinski DVD box set with Aguirre, Nosferatu, Woyzeck, Fitzcarraldo, Cobra Verde and My Best Fiend. Directed by Werner Herzog, starring Klaus Kinski. Anchor Bay Entertainment. A mindblowing set of films.

MUSIC:
(in no particular order)

John Tchicai - Afrodisiaca lp (MPS, 1969)

Luis de Pablo - Nosostros (We) lp (1970)

Pascal Comlade & his Playtoy Orchestra - Book and CD (KRTU, Spain)

Sun Ra - Disco 3000 lp (1978, Art Yard re-issue)

Philip Besombes - Libra OST (1974, re-issue)

DNA on DNA CD reissue/collection (No More records)

Storm Bugs - Up the Middle Down the Sides lp (Fusetron)

Ramon Sender - Worldfood (locust CD)

Kemialliset Ystavat - Varisevien Tanssi/Silmujen Marssi (Keyvt Nostalgia lp)

Matt Valentine & Erika Elder - Ragas & Blues /Fantastic String Music (Idea lp)

Howard Menger - Authentic Music from Another Planet. lp (195? recording, Slate Enterprises Inc.)

Asahito Music Group Musica - Comtemporary Kagura-Metaphysics CD (Fractal)

Ghedalia Tazartes - Diasporas/Tazartes CD (ALGA MARGHEN reissue)

Other Stuff:
(in no particular order)

Lamset Inn, Koh Samui island, Thailand

La Recoleta Cemetery, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Josh White and Gary Panter Light Show at Anthology Film Archives

Watching films on the side of the silo at The Funny Farm (summer), Meaford, Ontario, Canada

The Ocean and the Bluffs - Montauk, Long Island

Scott Walker Bootleg DVD of various TV appearances (bootleg)

Perfecting a Puttanesca sauce in my kitchen, Brooklyn.

Doug Aitken - Diamond Sea Video installation (1997)

Chris Burden: A 20 Year Survey, 1988. Catalogue from the Newport Harbour Art Museum.

Cucumber Castle.

Lamination Retrospective by Egnekn (AKA Gen Ken Montgomery) Chelsea, NYC

Dinner At Social Paraiso, Buenos Aires. Argentina

Back to Top


DAVE MANDL - World of Echo (Wednesdays 8 - 11pm)

Top 10 Reissues of 2004:
  1. Arthur Russell: World of Echo + DVD (Audika)
  2. Homosexuals: Astral Glamour (Morphius)
  3. Kinks: Village Green Preservation Society (Sanctuary)
  4. Albert Ayler: Holy Ghostbox (Revenant)
  5. A Certain Ratio: Sextet (Soul Jazz)
  6. East New York Ensemble de Music: At the Helm (Ikef)
  7. Simon Finn: Pass the Distance (Durtro/Jnana)
  8. United States of America: United States of America (Sundazed)
  9. V/A: Popular Electronics: Early Dutch Electronic Music (Basta)
  10. Pearls Before Swine: The Wizard of Is (Water Records)

Back to Top


HENRY LOWENGARD (Webhamster)

Webhamster Henry's Top 10 Imaginary Recordings of 2004

1. Countdown to Math (Educatorz 1965)
New Math at its most inscrutable.
One side: someone counting from 0 to 1000 , every second. The other side, a lot of instructions about games like Buzz where you have to jump on every number with a 7 in it or divisible by 7, but instead with variations like "x plus 1 is a square"

2. Layoff 2002! (Anonymously leaked )
Impersonal voicemail sent to 1400 or so of the anonymous submitter's co-workers.

3. Left In the Dark (Polarads 2004)
Right-wing Rock Band "Heaven 527" almost gets you to flip the wrong lever with their hooky anti-Kerry vitriol filled EP featuring "Swift Boat to Hell", "Makin' Flippy-floppy", "Saddam = 9-11" and other disinformation.

4. Blacktop (Reams of Eames, 1952/2004)
The long-lost original soundtrack to the classic Charles and Ray Eames abstract film "Blacktop" features the sound of soapy water on asphalt. Soothing, and, strangely affecting when replacing the cool-jazz soundtrack it's so famous for.

5. V(i)@gg(r)@ Slam (SPAMUSIC, 2004)
A tag team of eight poets reading a day's worth of e-mail Spam, including those amazing strings of words having nothing to do with anything. Ah, had W. S. Burroughs only lived!

6. Rhythm All Around (Musicator, 1971)
Nice little educational 10" finding rhythm in almost everything: ping pong games, various bouncing objects, old mechanical calculators, phone dials, ski lift cables... perfect as a bed for further enhancement!

7. Analogue World Record (Source Of Uncertainty, 2004)
This was fun! Through an internet mail list, about 240 analog synth fans showed up at an impromptu party in a just-shut down supermarket, where they plugged roughly 28,000 modules together, trying for a world record that nobody knew existed. The recording was made by running down the aisles with a shopping cart full of Nagras.

8. Heliox research tape (Cover research, 1973/2004)
A longtime underground fave, passed from grad student to grad student, featured sober research on the effects of breathing heliox - Oxygen mixed with Helium instead of Nitrogen - on humans and other animals. Researchers that sound like they've escaped from Ross Bagdasarian's unconscious describe each animal's behavior as it freaks out. Somehow, an early generation copy has surfaced here!

9. "He told me to do it." (private tape 2003)
Disgruntled elementary school teacher Lynda U. surreptitiously tapes her whiny, complaining charges as they try to weasel out on the schoolyard/lunchroom fracases they provoke, playing it back for their parents. Sheesh!

10. Victory 2004 (EZ Campaigns, 2004)
On this CD (with workbook), a completely generic political campaign, with speeches, endorsements, "real people", "news", "attack ads" and, on the CD-ROM portion, a fully customizable website so you can seem to run for public office. Revised every two years, you can subscribe!

Back to Top


DOUGLAS WOLK (relocated Fill-in DJ)
  1. M.I.A./Diplo: Piracy Funds Terrorism vol. 1 (no label)
  2. Lewis Trondheim: "Mister O" (NBM)
  3. The Homosexuals: Astral Glamour (hyped2death)
  4. Arthur Russell reissues (Audika/Soul Jazz)
  5. David Best's "Temple of Stars"
  6. Black Leotard Front: "Casual Friday"
  7. www.dieselsweeties.com
  8. The Thermals: Fuckin A (Sub Pop)
  9. rosemary-roasted hazelnuts
  10. The Fiery Furnaces: Blueberry Boat

Back to Top


DAVE THE SPAZZ - Music To Spazz By (Thursdays 8 - 11pm)

Top 10 (or so) Live Shows of 2004
  • Lone Wolves at Hank's Saloon
  • King Coleman at Alligator Alley (Ft Lauderdale)
  • Little Killers at The Hook
  • Sato & Jonny & the 5678's at Southpaw
  • Devo at Central Park
  • 5678's, Fevers, Jet Boys at Mercury Lounge
  • Knights of the New Crusade at Union Pool
  • The Flakes & The Okmoniks at the Double Down Saloon (Las Vegas)
  • Sleepy LaBeef at Brooklyn Botanic Gardens
  • Zodiac Killers & The Plungers at Siberia
  • Nathaniel Mayer & The A-Bones at Union Pool

Back to Top


BOB BRAINEN (Sundays 7 - 9pm)

'Top 12' of 2004 - in loose order
  1. Sandy Denny - Boxful of Treasures - Box set 5 cds - Fledg'ling (U.K.)
  2. Byrds Cancelled Flytes - Box-set 5 7" records - Sundazed
  3. NRBQ Transmissions - 2 cd set -Caraway (Japan)
  4. Albert Ayler-Holy Ghost - Box set-10 cds - Revenant
  5. Faces-Five guys walk into a bar... - Box set-4 cds - Rhino
  6. Space Opera - Space Opera - Collector's Choice Music
  7. Family-BBC Radio One: Volume One 1968-1969 - Hux (U.K.)
  8. Eddie Hinton-Playin' Around: The Songwriting Sessions, Volume 2 - Zane (U.K.)
  9. Robyn Hitchcock -Spooked - Yep Roc
  10. Top 40's Classic Soft Drink Commercials of the 60's -Volumes 1 and 2 (both 2 cd sets) - X-static Productions
  11. Madeleine Peyroux -Careless Love - Rounder
  12. Steven Bernstein-Diaspora Hollywood - Tzadik

"Top MP3"
Andy Partridge-Theme from Wonderfalls

"Best read"
Bob Dylan - Chronicles, Volume One

Honorable mention:
Chris Stamey - Travels through the South - Yep Roc
Nervous Norvus - Norton
Big Al Anderson - (self released)
Free Design - Stars/Time/Bubbles/Love and one more reissue - Light in the attic

Back to Top


JOE BELOCK (Tuesdays Noon - 3pm)

Top 10 albums of 2004
  1. Mr. Airplane Man - C'mon DJ (Sympathy)
  2. Insomniacs - Switched On! (Estrus)
  3. Reigning Sound - Too Much Guitar (In the Red)
  4. Southern Culture on the Skids - Mojo Box (Yep Roc)
  5. Gris Gris - s/t (Birdman)
  6. Dexter Romweber - Blues That Defy My Soul (Yep Roc)
  7. Fall-outs - Summertime (Estrus)
  8. Blackouts - Living In Blue (Lucid)
  9. Thee Fine Lines - s/t (Licorice Tree)
  10. Knights of the New Crusade - My God Is Alive, How About Yours? (Gabriel's Trumpet)
wfmu.org/joeb/best2004.html

Back to Top


BRIAN TURNER - Music & Program Director (Tuesdays 3 - 6pm)

RECORDS AND STUFF:
  • Witchcraft / s/t (TMC)
  • Sun City Girls / Carnival Folklore Radio 11/12 (Abduction)
  • Hearts of Darknesses / Music For Drunk Driving (Schematic)
  • Isaiah Owens / You Without Sin Cast the First Stone (Case Quarter)
  • The Stars / Will (Pedal)
  • The Gris Gris / s/t (Birdman)
  • The Ex / Turn (and live) (Touch & Go)
  • Fe-Mail / Skylubb Fra Haelvete (Important)
  • Jay Munly / Munly & the Lee Lewis Harlots (Alternative Tentacles)
  • Konono No. 1 / Lubuaku (Terp)
  • Residual Echoes / s/t (self-released)
  • Comets On Fire / Blue Cathedral + promo thing of jams/live (Sub Pop)
  • Trapist / Ballroom (Thrill jockey)
  • Yob / The Illusion of Motion (Metal Blade)
  • Kazuki Tomokawa / Itsuka Toku Mite Ita (PSF)
  • Various / Space Is No Place 2 (Psych-O-Path)
HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF:
  • Monoshock / Runnin' Ape-Like From the Backwards Superman (S-S)
  • The Faces / Five Guys Walk Into a Bar (Rhino)
  • Phil Pearlman reissues: Beat of the Earth/Electronic Hole/Relatively Clean Rivers
  • SCTV, Cassavettes DVD boxes
  • Family / BBC Sessions (Hux)
  • Terry Reid / Silver White Light (Water)
  • The Mice / For Almost Ever Scooter (Scat)
  • Xex / Group: Xex (The Smack Shire)
  • The Homosexuals / Astral Glamour (Hyped 2 Death)
LIVE STUFF:
  • Boris somewhere in Tribeca
  • Trad Gras Och Stenar at Tonic
  • Rush at Radio City
  • SONAR fest in Barcelona
  • 3puen at the WFMU Record Fair
  • Patton Oswalt at Luna Lounge
  • Devo in Central Park
And of course, hosting live sessions in studio in '04: Calexico, The Hototogisu, Oxbow, David & Hamish Kilgour, Steve Mackay & the Radon Ensemble, AfriRampo, psi, To Live and Shave in L.A., The Hospitals, Rope, Fat Worm of Error.

Back to Top


BILL KELLY - Teenage Wasteland (Sundays 3 - 5pm)

The Top Ten "R-r-real Rock & Roll" CD's from 2004:

10) The Donnas..."Gold Medal"
9) The Flesh Eaters..."Miss Muerte"
8) The Priests..."Tall Tales"
  7) The Charms..."So Pretty"
  6) The Hellacopters..."By The Grace Of God"
  5) The Coral..."Magic And Medicine"
  4) The Maharajas..."Unrelated Statements"
  3) The Maggots..."Do The Maggot"
  2) The Defectors..."Turn Me On"
  1) Thee Fine Lines...(eponymous) 

Back to Top


EVA NEUBERG (relocated DJ)
  • Komeda Kokomemedada
  • Destroyer Your Blues
  • Dengue Fever, live at Sunset Junction
  • Dig!
  • White Magic Through the Sun Door
  • Bobbie Gentry Chickasaw County Child
  • The Apes
  • Wimp Factor 14 Reunion shows
  • Living in a city with an Amoeba Records
  • Songwriter (1984 movie starring Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, and the great Rip Torn)

Back to Top


MIKE LUPICA (Saturdays 11pm - 2am)

Mike Lupica's thoughtlessly ranked top 10 of 2004

1. My whole trip to London, especially the Saatchi Gallery. Richard Wilson's amazing "Oil Room" and Ron Mueck's "Mask" were enough to give me nightmares (the good kind) for weeks!

2. "Sideways", the movie. Expecting my generation's version of "The Big Chill", (where loser people in their 30s discover that there is such a thing as starting over and that you really can fall in love all over again -- wretch), I was not enthused about being taken to this movie. It turned out to be the best of my many miscalculations for calendar year 2004 -- Completely hilarious and incidental plot curveballs that made the audience recoil in abject horror. Great!

3. Completely freaking out a good friend of mine by spending 10 days re-typing the text of all the letters he mailed me while we were teenagers and he was at art school in California, and then emailing them to him unannounced and anonymously.

4. The same friend getting revenge on me by showing up outside of a restaurant I was eating in with my girlfriend, and then doing a robotic dance with a broomstick in the style of that kid Alphonso from Silver Spoons, so that only I could see him.

5. A good game that was invented at a possibly frightening party I went to with a bunch of other FMU people. This party was almost entirely populated by philosophy graduate students, so we made up a game in which we would each get points for engaging in conversations with these graduate students about philosophical things. For example, you would get a point for successfully using any of the following terms or phrases: hegemony, hermeneutics, distributive justice, Wilhelm Dilthey, or Black Sabbath. Anyone who snogged a graduate student in the bathroom would get 5 points, (no one did) and anyone who snapped the embarrassingly-visible thong of one particular graduate student who had the personality of Charles Manson would get 5000 points and get to leave early. (No one did this either, but knowing the option was out there made it pretty hard for all of us to not laugh every time the thong would appear.) WFMU's Blast of Hot Air co-editor Amy wants it known that she won the game handily after gently encouraging an earnest young philosophy student to sing Black Sabbath songs for all the assembled party-goers for a daunting 100 points.

6. Robyn Hitchcock's completely trance-inducing set recorded live on Irene's Trudel's show.
(Click here to listen to it!). He's still the classiest guy in the game.

7. Learning the deep, dark (and in many cases, utterly terrifying) secrets of my WFMU compadres via the intimate details revealed on our Airwave Idol Trading Cards.

8. Discovering the incredibly awkward crease you can put in any conversation by suddenly interjecting with the phrase: "This is no joke."

9. The WFMU Web-Only Re-Mix of the Republican National Convention. Having the absolute freedom to do or say anything with a live mic in our faces prompted some really stupendous web radio.

10. And how about all the incredible new tracks (click to hear 'em!) by Circle, Funkstorung, Pedestrian, Turn Me On Dead Man, Maxi Geil & Play Colt, Dykehouse, The Scoundrelles, The Shadow Huntaz, Lansing-Dreiden, Bjork with Dokaka, Dungen, M.I.A., The Flaming Stars, Mos Def, Sage Francis, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, The Enablers, Fourtet, Dalek, Radio 4, Aeroc, McSleazy, Wiley, Shitmat, Exodus, and if I keep goin', someone's gonna kill me.

Back to Top



EVAN "FUNK" DAVIES (Fill-in DJ)

TOP 10 AND MORE OF 2004
  1. Rocket Freudental - Die Weisheit Wachst Auf Baumen (Lautsprecher / Pavlek)
  2. The Insomniacs - Switched On (Estrus)
  3. Eagles Of Death Metal - Peace Love Death Metal (Ant Acid Audio)
  4. Cobra Killer - 76 / 77 (Monika)
  5. Fu Manchu - Start The Machine (DRT)
  6. Dollhouse - Rock + Soul Circus (Dim Mak)
  7. Nagg - Nagg (Dollar Record Records)
  8. The Faint - Wet From Birth (Saddle Creek)
  9. The Reigning Sound - Too Much Guitar (In The Red)
  10. The Briefs - Sex Objects (BYO Records)
  11. Lansing-Dreiden - Incomplete Triangle (Kemado)
  12. Mr Airplane Man - C'mon DJ (Sympathy for the Record Industry)
  13. Paybacks - Harder and Harder (Get Hip)
  14. The Prototypes - Tout Le Monde Cherche Quelque Chose A Faire (Boxson)
  15. Dungen - Ta Det Lugnt (Subliminal Sounds)
MORE BEST-OFs, in the order I thought of them:
  • Mission of Burma - OnOffOn (Matador)
  • The Concretes - The Concretes (Astralwerks)
  • The Dwarves - Dwarves Must Die (Sympathy)
  • Witchcraft - Witchcraft (TMC)
  • The Ex - Turn (Touch+Go)
  • Motorhead - Inferno (Sanctuary)
  • Troy Gregory - Laura (Fall of Rome)
  • Lost Sounds - Lost Sounds (In The Red)
  • Alec Bathgate - The Indifferent Velvet Void (Li'l Chief)
  • The Rogers Sisters - Three Fingers (Troubleman)
  • Loretta Lynn - Van Lear Rose (Interscope)
  • The Hives - Tyrannosaurus Hives (Interscope)
  • The Sirens - The Sirens (Get Hip)
SINGLES/12"/EPs
  1. Bad Cassettes - No One To Have Sex With (Below)
  2. Circle - Circle (Fonal)
  3. Beyonder - Revolutionary Leaders (Brick)
  4. The Locomotions - Claudette (Big Neck)
  5. Seger Liberation Army - East Side Story (Big Neck)
  6. Lili Z - Leatherlution (S-S)
  7. The Perceptionists - Memorial Day (Def Jux)
  8. Nurse With Wound - Having Fun With The Prince Of Darkness ep (United Durtro/Jnana)
  9. Knaughty Knights - I Love It To Death (Perpetrator)
  10. Gazelles - Plastic Panthers (Goodbye Boozy)
COMPILATIONS
  1. DFA Compilation #2 (DFA)
  2. Satin Dustbin (Ursula 1000) / Glitterbest (RPM) / Glittering (Ursula 1000)
  3. Tremors vol. 1: British Hard Rock Nuggets, Obscurities, & Rare Cult Classics 1969-1974 (Castle)
  4. Rough Trade Field Guide To Music (Rough Trade)
  5. Cherrystones Hidden Charms (Mercury)
  6. Meet Me In The Time Tunnel (Wizzard-in-Vinyl)
  7. History Of Memphis Garage Rock-the 90s (Shangri-La)
  8. Perverted By Mark E Smith: a Tribute To the Fall (Zick Zack)
  9. Garage Beat 66 vol 1: Like What Me Worry (Sundazed)
REISSUES
  1. Candi Staton - Candi Staton (the Fame years) (Honest Jon's)
  2. Mirrors - Another Nail in the Remodeled Coffin (ROIR)
  3. The Mice - For Almost Ever Scooter (Scat)
  4. Zolar X - Timeless (Alternative Tentacles)
  5. Stiv Bators - Disconnected / L.A. L.A. (Bomp!)
  6. Stavely Makepeace - The Scrap Iron Rhythm Revue (RPM)
  7. Cain - A Pound Of Flesh (Monster)
  8. Young Flowers - 1968-1969 (Sonet)
  9. The Obsessed - Incarnate (Southern Lord)
BEST SONG OF 2004 TO LISTEN TO REALLY REALLY REALLY LOUD
"Make Them Believe" - Fu Manchu (from Start the Machine)

STILL ONE OF THE BEST SONGS EVER
"1x 2x Devastated" - DM3

THE FIRST AND LAST TIME THIS BAND WILL EVER APPEAR IN MY BEST-OFs
Rush - Feedback (Atlantic)

BEST ANIMAL ACTS
1. Hatebeak
2. Caninus

Back to Top



RICH HAZELTON - Inflatable Squirrel Carcass (Fill-in DJ)

10) Marku Peltola "Buster Keatonin Ratsutilalla" (Klangbad) - This is technically not a 2004 release having been released as an import in 2003. But, in 2004, it became available domestically thanks to the good folks at Klangbad. One of the few rules that the Carcass adheres to when judging a Top 10 is availability. If I can find it in a store in New York, then others can also. Why would I tell you about something you can't find? This would have been much higher last year or this year but due to the distribution factor it falls onto what I consider to be a non-linear cusp or the taint of time. Next year the Islaja release "Meritie" on Fonal will appear in this very same spot.

9) Philip Jeck/Janek Schaefer "Songs For Europe" (Asphodel) - I think Philip Jeck is great and hope that someday he performs in America. This is a collaboration between Jeck and Schaefer created from LPs and singles of Turkish and Greek music. Many people seem to have problems with experimental music and I think that's because they don't know how to listen for the "fun" aspect of the music; moments where that grin of the musician takes on a communal aspect. There are many such moments on this record.

8) Jis "Cats Don't Exist" (Fantagraphics Books) - Only one comic on the list this year. "Cats Don't Exist" is a series of sketches, strips and general weirdness that has a style similar to Sheridan and Schrier's great "Mother's Oats", "Meef", and "Mindwarp" comix of the 70s. It sends messages that bang around inside your skull like a Superball in an alleyway. Other great comics this year included David B.'s "Babel", Richard Hahn's "Lumakick 2", Alan Moore's "Promethea", Charles Burns' "Black Hole" (which will be collected next year) and the continuation of Krazy Kat reprints.

7) Fiery Furnaces "Blueberry Boat" (Rough Trade) - I didn't like their first record and, in general, I'm not a huge pop fan. I like pop and I enjoy playing it on the radio but I don't need to own it. But I like this record. It sounds like they've been listening to a variety of music and, instead of proudly wearing their influences, have decided to mix it up to create something recognizable but tweaked. So not only do you get the Beatles/Brian Wilson/etc. stuff but they throw in some Canterbury style and it's catchy and I like music that's tweaked.

6) Popular Electronics: Early Dutch Electronic Music From Philips Research Laboratories 1956-1963 (Basta) - I avoid box sets unless they are something special and affordable, which is why I own two: this box and the Pere Ubu box from several years back. This is a four CD set that contains works by Kid Baltan, Tom Dissevelt, Henk Badings and Dick Raaijmakers. Incredible electronic music that is similar to the BBC Radiophonic Workshop in that they are interested in the sounds themselves and not trying to dilute it with sympathetic strings, hallucinatory harp and a sultry, floating woman on the cover to sell it (though, admittedly, I'm a sucker for a good sultry, floating woman...on the cover). The packaging and design is first-rate; attractive to look at, informative and filled with admiration for the composers. Obviously a labor of love.

5) Guy Maddin "The Saddest Music In The World" - The only movie on the list this year is this absurdist, indescribable without giving it away, perfect WFMU movie. The scene with the digeridoo/bagpipe battle, the unconscious winner being sent down the slide into the large glass of beer, the legs and the performance of "California Here I Come" are still vivid. Other movies I liked: "Sideways" the best drunk driving movie since the 70s; "The Incredibles" fun homage to Bond and superheroes with a really good soundtrack; "Hero" beautiful cinematography by Christopher Doyle.

4) Irwin Chusid "The Mischievous Art Of Jim Flora" (Fantagraphics Books) - Irwin put this together and it is a beautiful book that examines the work of Jim Flora (the guy whose artwork was used for our t-shirt two years ago and our bumpersticker last year). Not only do you get full page photos of many of the album covers, you also get design for corporate magazines (Coda, Columbia's preview magazine), illustrations for the books of Robert Lowry, an interview and something to take off the shelf and look at for inspiration.

3) Besombes/Rizet "Pole"; Philippe Besombes "Libra"; Flamen Dialis "Symptome-Dei" (MIO Records) - This was the year of the re-release. Besides the three releases from MIO, 2004 saw the re-release of Sun Ra "Disco 3000", Shades Of Joy "Music Of El Topo" and Wired "Free Improvisation Sound", three records I have spent much time searching for knowing, that at least for two of them, I would not be able to afford them if I found them. But MIO deserves special mention for re-releasing three records I knew nothing about that fall into that strange era of European releases where everything comes together and you feel like you've licked the toad again.

2) Rammellzee "Bi-Conicals Of The Rammellzee" (Gomma) - Everytime I find hip hop that I like and want to play on a regular basis, the band breaks up; Disposable Heroes Of The Hiphoprisy, A Tribe Called Quest, Anti-Pop Consortium all sadly no longer with us and what has followed is usually a very sad reminder of group dynamics (Beans possibly being the one exception). Rammellzee, however, is an individual (to put it mildly) and this record could not have been created by a group. This is a record about participating in the everyday ("Do We Have To Show A Resume?", "Pay The Rent") by someone who made the Mothership Connection and came back with their findings. The artwork includes a philosophical treatise that makes for great reading. It's an angry record made by someone that has a sense of humor and that is the best kind of angry.

1) Life With Tamar - Continues to be Number 1 and I imagine it will continue to stay in this spot. However, I have talked it over with her and if someday we suddenly find ourselves the recipients of a very large sum of cash that will allow us to fulfill our dreams and live our lives the way we would like to, that year Life with Tamar can be Number 2. Working in my chosen profession for seven months of this past year was also very good and I'm hoping this year to do so for 12 months.

Back to Top



IRWIN CHUSID (Wednesdays Noon - 3pm)

TOP ONE OF 2004
The Mischievous Art of Jim Flora (Fantagraphics Books)

Back to Top


JEFFREY COBB (Thursdays 2am - 6am)
  1. British Columbia
  2. Quebec
  3. Ontario
  4. Nova Scotia
  5. Alberta
  6. Prince Edward Island
  7. New Brunswick
  8. Manitoba
  9. Newfoundland
  10. Saskatchewan

Back to Top


JEFFREY DAVISON - Shrunken Planet (Saturdays 6am - 9am)

(Not in order, and new 2004 releases only)
  • Jolie Holland--Escondida (Anti)
  • Joanna Newsom--The Milk-Eyed Mender (Drag City)
  • Jack Rose--Raag Manifestos (vhf)
  • Pelt--Pearls From the River (vhf)
  • Sir Richard Bishop--Improvika (locust)
  • Iron & Wine--Our Endless Numbered Days (Sub Pop)
  • Espers--Espers (locust)
  • Sufjan Stevens--Seven Swans (Sounds Familyre)
  • The Lonesome Sisters with Riley Baugus--Going Home Shoes (Tin Halo)
  • Laura Veirs--Carbon Glacier (Bella Union)

Back to Top


DIANE KAMIKAZE - The Kamikaze Fun Machine (Thursdays 3pm - 6pm)

Personal Highlights:
  • The Mystery Spot- Santa Cruz
  • Going to Montreal for the SAAs
  • Seeing the Lurkers & Mad Parade on the West Coast
  • Devo at Central Park (yes, in the pouring rain!)
  • Holland's mighty Dynamo Festival
  • Trip to Philly - Laibach, Mutter Museum & Voodoo
Engineering for:
Watch Them Die & Mastodon on the road
At WFMU- Reigning Sound, Mike Watt/Secondmen, Weirdos, X-Wife

Treats on DKFM:
Sicbay Live

New Discoveries or Bands that Still Kick Ass Live:
The Faint, Goatwhore, Children of Bodom, UK Subs, Deep Purple, Ludicra, Artimus Pyle, Kylesa, Entombed, Pelican, DOA, Napalm Death, Jabbers, Cattle Decapititation, Judas Priest, Noxagt, Khanate, Death Angel, Dead Moon, Alabama Thunder Pussy

Killer Releases:
Decapitado, Lost Sounds, Goons, Hatebeak, Cult of Luna, Floor, Planes Mistaken For Stars, Mochipet, Probot, The End, Anaal Nathrakh, Exodus, Apes, Sunday Morning Einsteins, Yob, Hidden Hand, Zolar X, Knifehandchop, Wire

Back to Top


STEFAN - The Belly of the Beast (Thursdays 3am - 6am)
  • Fred Anderson and Hamid Drake - Back Together Again (Thrill Jockey)
  • Various: Shockout (Tigerbeat 6)
  • Antibalas - Who Is This America? (Ropeadope)
  • Fingathing - 2 Player EP (Grand Central)
  • King Missile III - Royal Lunch (Important)
  • The Mass - City of Dis (Crucial Blast)
  • John Butcher and Gino Robair - New Oakland Burr (Rastascan)
  • Necrophagist - Epitaph (Relapse)
  • Genghis Tron - Cloak of Love (Crucial Blast)
  • Noam Chomsky - Wars and Occupations 2004-12-07 (Radio Free Maine)
  • Thorr's Hammer - Dommedagsnatt (Southern Lord) (2004 reissue)
  • Brian Eno - Ambient 4: On Land (Astralwerks) (2004 reissue)

Back to Top


TROUBLE (Thursdays 9am - Noon)

top ten of 2004
  • Coco Rosie: La Maison de Mon Reve
  • Fourtet: My angel rocks back and forth. He can not do any wrong.. I love all of his releases.
  • Yesterday's New Quintet: Stevie. Killer covers of Stevie Wonder in his best period.
  • You are My Flower. Elizabeth from Ida making the most listenable( even for the four hundredth time) and singable sounds for the under 4 set. Riffing off of old standards, blues and the Carter Family.
  • Antena: Camino del Sol, reissue with extra tracks. An underrated 80's gem sooped up and repackaged. Fab!
  • VARIOUS ARTISTS comps: Gilles Peterson in Brazil: Various Artists, 2 CDs, one of old fabulous smooth grooves, the other: newer hot vibes
  • I am still listening to Folk, Rock and Faithful. More from the good people at RPM; British 60's babes who aren't afraid to strum a guitar with a string of daisies looped about their crown, with a big backbeat.
  • The Golden Apples of the Sun. Contempo folkish avants, compiled by Devendra Banhart.
  • ALWAYS DOING FANTASTIC STUFF: Turntables on the Hudson, Matt Valentine and Erika Elder, Wagon Christ, Erland Oye, in all of his guises. Pure Brazil comps of sixties/seventies sounds; Trojan box sets, ridiculously cheap and full of solid great stuff: Reggae Chill out, Suedehead, Duets, Woman, etc.
  • SONGS: Benjamin Diamond, 'We gonna make it'. Can not stop dancing....
  • Kenny Dope feat. Screechy Dan, 'Boomin in Ya Jeep', from Nice up the Dance compilation of Jamaican contempo sounds. killer beats
  • Mary Lou Williams 'Praise the Lord'. Can't say enough, it NEEDS to be heard.
  • PERSONAL HIGH: Interviewing Vashti Bunyan...She was so peaceful and inspiring, something I don't feel a lot of in these political days.

Back to Top


TOM SCHARPLING - The Best Show on WFMU (Tuesdays 8 - 11pm)

TOP TEN-PLUS FOR 2004 (in no particular order)

'Tom Goes To the Mayor' (TV show) - Amazingly great 'limited animation' show on Adult Swim. Created by Tim and Eric, who have been providing great video to the World Wide Web for awhile now. Check out Cinco at their website -
www.timanderic.com

'Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy' (movie) - Maybe the best movie of the year. Definitely the funniest movie of the last five years. DVD with bonus movie comes out 12/28. I can't wait.

'Collateral' (movie) - Tom Cruise plays a fantastic shitheel (see 'Magnolia') and Jamie Foxx didnt make my skin crawl. Saw it at a late show in LA then drove the same streets on the way home. Creepy!

'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' (movie) - Assuming you saw it.

'Da Ali G Show' (movie) - Sacha Baron Cohen taking it to the next level.

'The Incredibles' (movie) - Best animated film in the last however many years. The best superhero movie EVER. There is no need for a 'Watchmen' movie now.

'I Heart Huckabees' (movie) - A can understand people not liking it. I can understand people outright hating it. But I really liked it.

'Tragically I Was An Only Twin - The Complete Peter Cook' (book) - Compiling the works of the funniest man of the last forty years in one place.

'Arrested Development' (TV show) - Where the sitcom should hopefully evolve.

'Viva La Bam' (TV show) - I enjoy watching it a lot. So fuck you, snobs.

The stand-up comedy of Patton Oswalt, Paul F. Tompkins, Todd Barry and Todd Glass (people) - Funny people!

Blues Explosion live at Maxwell's - Jon Spencer is a lifer. And the band is operating on an almost psychic level. Show some respect.

Guided By Voices live at Irving Plaza - Saw the first GBV NYC show. Saw the last one. And I liked pretty much all of the stuff in between.

Reigning Sound live at Maxwell's - Greg Cartwright is the real deal. Worship him.

And in 2005 I'm looking forward to:

My escape from many of my current situations and the painful deaths of my enemies! Whee!

Back to Top


FRANK O'TOOLE (Fill-in DJ) The Top "whatever" (More Than A Few) Things That Jazzed Me in 2004...
  1. The unbelievable realization of "Smile" by Brian Wilson, and the live performance of it at Carnegie Hall.
  2. "Beautiful Dreamer", a documentary about all of the above (thanks, RSM)
  3. "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"
  4. Being able to hear the FMU - internet broadcast (of the RNC debacle) by Cosmic Cowboy, after his altercation with the NYPD.
  5. The launch, and subsequent success, of Air America.
  6. "Fahrenheit 9/11"
  7. "Bush's Brain", and "Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism", as well as finding www.oreilly-sucks.com on the web.
  8. "Chronicles Vol.1" by Bob Dylan
  9. Each and every radio fill-in that I get to do.
  10. "Arrested Development" and "The Simpsons" (which continues to mock FOX).
  11. "The Wire", "Deadwood", and "Carnivale" (HBO)
  12. "A Very Long Engagement"
  13. "Lies, and The Lying Liars..." by Al Franken
  14. The output of Go Home Productions.
  15. "Dig".

Back to Top


DONNA SUMMER - Advanced D&D (Thursdays 6 - 7pm)

1. Moving to Berlin
Fantastic place! Such a relaxed environment, full of supportive, creative types, who just want to hang out and be friendly.

2. Jaga Jazzist: The Stix- small town supersound
I think these guys drip with a musicianship we rarely see these days. It's like the most progressive rock and jazz but with this experimental thing going too. They are awesome, and I've listened to this record a million times.

3. End: Sounds Of Disaster-Ipecac
A brilliant record from beginning to end. It's like a surf film being imploded by breakbeat demons. So listenable, and still surprising.

4. Phoenix: Alphabetical- some major label
A pop record like they don't seem to make anymore, and one that is also surprisingly hard and digital. But the stuck-in your-head thing these guys got going on is the best part. A Cd you want to listen to, and then can't stop.

5. Food For Animals: Scarengers
These guys are the real fuckin deal. It's like crazy harsh noise, but then with completely sick Mc-ing that makes you really take notice. Sort of like a collaboration between Vast Aire, Merzbow, and The Books. Yeah, really.

6. Shitmat
He's put out a bunch of releases, all top quality (mostly on Planet Mu). He's mashin beats and dropping the hardest Amens around, but yet you always have a smile on your face and want a bit more.

7. Drop the lime
All his 12"s and a 7" too, TB6, Peaceoff, and Broklyn Beats. He's a phenomenon. It's like hearing about the discovery of the X-ray, he's so inventive. Harsh beats and noise and ravey bits, but with the smooth vocals that drive the ladies mad.

8. Kelis: Tasty - some major label.
A nice match to DTL actually, she's doing some of the more adventurous mainstream stuff, and the rest of the album is way better than "milkshake". Sort of like what is happening in Breakcore, but in a millions-selling way.

9. Sickboy - shake hands with a clenched fist - Mirex/TB6.
If Drop The lime is the smooth scientist, and Shitmat is the Insane Clown Posse, then Sickboy is the drunken Sinatra. He's ready to party and looks good doin it.

10. Discovering so much great music:
Gerry Rafferty, 10cc, Van der Graff Generator, and various other "Am Gold" (thanks Alan!) There's so much more too, but that's a good start.

Back to Top


ROB WEISBERG - Transpacific Sound Paradise (Saturdays 8 - 11pm)

Ten individual artist cds I played over and over (in alphabetical order):

Bryan Vargas y Ya Esta: Afro Latino Soul / Mofongo Music
DAAU: Tub Gurnard Goodness / Radical Duke
Earth Wheel Sky Band: Waltz Rromano / Asphalt Tango
Jaojoby: Malagasy / Harmonia Mundi
Luis Dias y Las Maravillas: Radio Macana / Diasong
Oki Kano: No One's Land / Chikar Studio
Rene Lacaille: Mapou / Riverboat
Roberto Rodriguez y Septeto Rodriguez: Baila! Gitano Baila! / Tzadik
Rokia Traore: Bowmboi / Nonesuch
Tinariwen: Amassakoul / World Village

2004 saw a bunch of interesting multi-culti artist-collaboration projects; here are six faves (in alphabetical order):
African Guitar Summit / CBC Global Village
David Darling and the Wulu Bunun: Mudanin Kata / World Music Network
Enzo Avitabile and Bottari: Save the World / Wrasse
Introducing Vakoka / World Music Network
Mandeng Eletrik / Mulatta Records
Youssou N'Dour with Fathy Salama and orchestra: Egypt / Nonesuch

Notable in other categories:
Most-played compilations : Charlie Gillett's World 2004 / Wrasse; Tulear
Never Stops / Sterns

Favorite Artist Retrospective:
Bembeya Jazz: The Syliphone Years / Sterns; honorable mention to Henri Guedon: Early Latin and Boogaloo Recordings by the Drum Master / Comet and Tarika: Beasts, Ghosts & Dancing With History / Triloka

Fave reissue:
Orchestra Makassy: Agwaya / ArcMusic

Fave dj/remix comp:
Electric Gypsyland / Six Degrees (Crammed Discs in Europe)

Best world-music ringer:
The Ex: Turn / Touch and Go (and extra credit to the Ex for touring with and releasing a live cd by Konono No.1)

Cool archival / ethnographic / reissue label of the year:
SWP, Utrecht, the Netherlands, for archival recordings from southern Africa by Hugh Tracey and others.

Back to Top


CHRIS T. - Aerial View (Fridays 6 - 7pm)

Some things that made 2004 bearable (in no particular order), by Chris T.:
  • Friends
  • WFMU
  • WFMU's staff
  • WFMU's volunteers
  • Diesel (Fuel)
  • Hangin' in Hollywood with Kaz
  • "The Wire" on HBO - the TV crime drama reaches near-perfection
  • The Meadowlands Flea Market - Open all year 'round!
  • eBay
  • Weather.gov website
  • The RNC Remix Project on wfmu.org.
  • Sideways
  • The Saddest Music in the World
  • Da Ali G. Show

Back to Top


DORIAN - The Speakeasy (Mondays 6 - 7pm)

Byzantium: Faith and Power (1261-1557) exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art NYC and book (same title, Yale University Press) - one of the most stunning shows ever

Battle of Algiers - it's a banner year when director Gillo Pontecorvo's 1966 film classic is both rereleased in theaters and is issued on DVD (Criterion) with many extras. A lesson could have been learned by a measured viewing of this one by Our Leaders.

SCTV Vol. 1, Network 90 and Vol. 2 - finally released on DVD by Shout!Factory, and they promise over 25 hours of non-stop laughter.

Chuck Close Prints: Process and Collaboration show at the Metropolitan Museum of NY and book (same title, Princeton University Press) - great insights into the creative process in general and master printmakers' work in particular

Wong Kar-wai DVD Box set (KinoVideo) - five earlier works by Hong Kong's most stylish Second New Wave auteur. Includes Chungking Express,Fallen Angels, Happy Together, As Tears Go By, and the sublime Days of Being Wild.

The Kinks - Are the Village Green Preservation Society [ORIGINAL RECORDING remastered, Special Edition on Sanctuary, UK) - one of the greatest albums ever given the full treatment, at long last.

Comic Grotesque: Wit and Mockery in German Art 1870-1940 - must-see show for all fans of modern art. At the Neue Galerie, NYC, and accompanying book (Prestel Publishing)

Paul Krugman - thanks to this sage economist for his twice weekly New York Times column and book (The Great Unraveling (W.W. Norton, Pub.), which kept so many of us in the loop and sane.

Curb Your Enthusiasm - both the latest season on HBO and the DVD's of seasons 1 and 2(HBO) comfort us with the fact that life can be at its funniest when everything's going wrong.

Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson - he makes the list this year for what was perhaps one of the the greatest moments in passive-aggression: when announcing his resignation from the post of Secretary of HHS, he added,"For the life of me, I cannot understand why the terrorists have not attacked our food supply because it is so easy to do."

Back to Top


REX - Fool's Paradise (Saturdays 6 - 9pm)

Yet another banner year for records, books, and BBQ. Here's some highlights in no particular order:
  • Cheap Laffs by Mark Newgarden. Finally, the straight dope behind timeless novelties like plastic barf and fake dog doo. Told by the man born to do so...
  • Nervous Norvus "Stone Age Woo". The Jimmy Drake canon reads like a flippin' honor roll: "Ape Call", "The Fang", "Dig" only begin to tell the story...
  • Larry Williams "The Very Best". An Ace double disc of incendiary Specialty sides from one of the great rockers and pimps of our time.
  • Deke Dickerson's All Star Garage Frat Band at the Rockaround in Las Vegas. By 4 AM, Deke had everyone of the 200 hearty souls remaining doing the worm...
  • Arkoff Film Library DVD Series. The finest of the AIP cinematic jewels like Cool & The Crazy, Reform School Girls, and The Brain Eaters get a snazzy DVD treatment out of the UK.
  • The Yankee collapse. Rooting for the NY Yankees is like rooting for Microsoft.
  • Spinning 45s at the Norton Halloween Bash at Union Pool. Drunken, table-top dancing to the Sonics...my kind of crowd.
  • When Sex Was Dirty by Josh Alan Friedman. More inspired essays about the Deuce back when it was the home of the topless shoe-shine.
  • Trailer Park Boys on BBC America. This Canadian comedy about a bunch of hapless crooks, sluts, and morons is the best thing I've seen on television in the last 25 years.
  • Just Shuckin' Around: Wild & Crazy L.A. R 'n B. Salacious CD set of obscuro RnB rockers with faves like "Wine Head", "Papa Shotgun", and "Half Ton Tillie".

Back to Top


MICHAEL GOODSTEIN - Choking on Cufflinks (Tuesdays 11pm - 2am)
  1. toronto (see: city. location. symbol). bands from toronto. (see: the blocks recording club: the barcelona pavilion, the hank collective, les mouches, final fantasy, domaine d'or, kids on tv, ninja high school etc.). kids from mississauga.
  2. sparks (see: energy drink. way of life)
  3. walnut/lentil panini (with rosemary/tomato aioli) (see: food item. counter restaurant, nyc)
  4. franz ferdinand (see: jumping on the band wagon at a ridiculously late point, drinking with, afterparty of the year, june 2004, philadelphia)
  5. vegan mudslides (see: alcohol. kahlua. vanilla stoli. soymilk. ice. blender)
  6. misshapes (see: new york city nightlife)
  7. new indie pop (see: love is all, the long blondes, cause co-motion, johnny boy, the boyfriends etc.)
  8. international text messaging (see: technology)
  9. vegetarian duck w. basil (see food item: chai, williamsburg. nyc)
  10. america's next top model season 3 (see: television)

Back to Top


MR. FINEWINE - Downtown Soulville (Fridays 7 - 8pm)

  1. pistons over lakers, nba finals
  2. jacques torres hot chocolate available by the cup at a tiny cafe about 15 blocks from my apartment
  3. discovering that although rio mar closed in january, it had a sister restaurant with the same menu, riazor, a few blocks away
  4. freezing my ass off for election protection, november 2, detroit
  5. procuring la vice & co.'s elusive "two sisters from bagdad" lp
  6. nathaniel mayer and the fabulous shanks live at the car wash on east jefferson, detroit
  7. paying practically nothing for bobby williams & the mar kings' "all the time" at the allentown record fair
  8. finding fredrick knight's "steppin' down" filed away in a box in my apartment, unlistened to for more than ten years
  9. yo la tengo, "i'm your puppet," live at maxwell's
  10. tie: turning 40/leaving my job after a way-too-long decade

Back to Top


DOUG SCHULKIND - Give the Drummer Some (Fridays 9am - Noon)

Here's a more detailed look at
Doug Schulkind's favorites of '04

Jackson C. Frank "Blues Run the Game"

"Sonata for Jukebox: Pop Music, Memory, and the Imagined Life" by Geoffrey O'Brien (book)

Mike Osborne "Border Crossing / Marcel's Muse" (reissue)

David Darling & the Wulu Bunum "Mundanin Kata"

Perez Prado "Primal!"

Joanna Newsom "The Milk-Eyed Mender"

Tinariwen "Ammasakoul"

The Vandermark Five "Elements of Style...Exercises in Surprise"

Various "Ghana Soundz: Afro-Beat, Funk and Fusion in '70s Ghana, Volume 2"

Iris DeMent "Lifeline"

Any one (all, actually) of the amazing records released by Sublime Frequencies

Also have to mention:
Albert Ayler "Holy Ghost" box on Revenant
Various "Goodbye, Babylon" box on Dust to Digital

Back to Top


BILL ZURAT (Saturdays 2 - 6am)

10 best albums or at least what i liked in no particular order:
  • The Whiles - Color of the Year
  • The Child Readers - Memory and Fantasy
  • Arboga Teenage Riot - Ugly Crew Demos
  • Brown Bunny OST
  • Teatteri Moderni Kanuuna - Ooperse Le Feti Le Grande Anaale
  • Devendra Banhardt - Nino Rojo
  • Smoosh - She Like Electric
  • Islaja - Meritie
  • Eagles of Death Metal - Peace Love Death Metal
  • Zombi - Cosmos

Back to Top


NOAH ZARK - Coffee Break for Heroes and Villains (Tuesdays 2 - 6am)
  1. Fat Hed - "Need Some More" 12" - Dope Discs
  2. Mass Hysteria - "It Aint Safe" 12" - Rhymesayers
  3. Rob Sonic - "Dylsexia" 12" - Definitive Jux
  4. Prince Po - The Slickness LP - Lex Records
  5. Q-Unique - "Me, That's Who" 12" - Uncle Howie Records
  6. Living Legends - "Blast Your Radio" 12" - Up Above Records
  7. Masta Killa - "Old Man" 12" - Nature Sounds
  8. Louie Bricks & Nest - "Loose Control" 12" - Home Style Cooking
  9. The Perceptionists - "Medical Aid" 12" - Definitive Jux
  10. R.A. The Rugged Man - "Lessons" 12" - Nature Sounds

Back to Top


TERRE T. - The Cherry Blossom Clinic (Saturday 3 - 6pm)

TOP TEN BEST FAVES OF 2004
  1. The Reigning Sound - Too Much Guitar (In The Red)
  2. Mr Airplane Man - C'mon DJ (Sympathy for the Record Industry)
  3. The Ponys - Laced With Romance (In The Red)
  4. The Ex - Turn (Touch+Go) HOLLAND
  5. Rocket Freudental - Die Weisheit Wachst Auf Baumen (Lautsprecher) GERMANY
  6. Eagles Of Death Metal - Peace Love Death Metal (AntAcid Audio)
  7. X-Wife - Feeding The Machine (Nortesul, www.x-wiferocks.com) PORTUGAL
  8. Blues Explosion - Damage (Sanctuary)
  9. Joel RL Phelps & the Downer Trio - Customs (Moneyshot)
  10. Nagg - s/t (Dollar Record Records)
MORE BEST FAVES IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER
  • Nikki Sudden - Treasure Island (Secretly Canadian) UK
  • The Hives - Tyrannosaurus Hives (Interscope) SWEDEN
  • Futureheads - s/t (679 Recordings) UK
  • Elf Power - Walking With The Beggar Boys (Orange Twin)
  • Loretta Lynn - Van Lear Rose (Interscope)
  • Paybacks - Harder and Harder (Get Hip)
  • Comets On Fire - Blue Cathedral (Sub Pop)
  • Lost Sounds - Lost Sounds (In The Red)
  • Ted Leo & the Pharmacists - Shake the Streets (Lookout)
  • Insomniacs - Switched On (Estrus)
  • The Prototypes - Tout Le Monde Cherche Quelque Chose A Faire (Boxson - FRANCE)
  • Les Breastfeeders - Dejeuner Sur L'Herbe (Blow The Fuse) CANADA
  • Bobby Conn & the Glass Gypsies - Homeland (Thrill Jockey)
  • Mission of Burma - OnOffOn (Matador)
  • The Dwarves - Dwarves Must Die (Sympathy)
  • Mob Stereo - Too Young To Go Steady (Dollar Record Records)
  • Blackouts - Living In Blue (Lucid)
  • Troy Gregory - Laura (Fall Of Rome)
  • Starlite Desperation - Violate A Sundae (Coup De Grace/Cold Sweat)
  • The Thermals - Fuckin A (Sub Pop)
  • Dollhouse - Rock + Soul Circus (Dim Mak)
  • The Briefs - Sex Objects (BYO Records)
  • Lansing-Dreiden - Incomplete Triangle (Kemado)
  • Nikki Corvette - Wild Record Party (Base)
YE OLDE STUFF MADE NEW
  1. Homosexuals - 3CD reissue plus insane info-packed booklet (www.Hyped2Death.com)
  2. Transplants - Boston 76-79 (Dionysus)
  3. The Mice - For Almost Ever Scooter (Scat)
  4. Mentally Ill - Gacy's Place: the Undiscovered Corpses (Alternative Tentacles)
  5. Prefects - Are Amateur Wankers (Acute)
  6. A-Bones - Daddy Wants A Cold Beer (Norton)
  7. Mirrors - Another Nail in the Remodeled Coffin (ROIR)
  8. Buffalo - Only Want You For Your Body (Akarma; vinyl reissue of 1974 lp)
  9. Stiv Bators - Disconnected (Bomp)
  10. Cain - A Pound Of Flesh (Monster)
  11. Chemicals Made From Dirt - Ike (Hyped2Death; long island late 70s early 80s artwave)
  12. Notekillers - s/t (Ecstatic Peace)
DEMOS
  1. Be Your Own Pet - Damn Damn Leash
  2. Mutronium - Tri-Lateral (mutronium@hotmail.com)
  3. Konks
  4. Jeffrey Novak
  5. Knife Skills
SINGLES
  • California Lightning/Sic Alps - 4 Virgins (Inconvenient Press)
  • Circle - s/t (Fonal)
  • The Locomotions - Claudette (Big Neck)
  • Seger Liberation Army - 2+2 = ? (Big Neck)
  • Little Killers - You Got It Made (Sweet Nothing)
  • Bad Cassettes - No One To Have Sex With (Below)
  • River City Tan Lines - Drag You Down To My Level (Black Knight)
COMPILATIONS
  • Meet Me In The Time Tunnel (Wizzard-in-Vinyl)
  • Satin Dustbin (Ursula 1000)
  • Glittering (Ursula 1000)
  • Glitterbest (RPM)
  • Tremors vol. 1: British Hard Rock Nuggets... '69-'74 (Castle)
  • History Of Memphis Garage Rock-the 90s (Shangri-La)
  • Rough Trade Field Guide To Music (Rough Trade)
  • Rip-Off Records 3rd Wave of Hits (Rip Off)
  • Verschwende Deine Jugend (Atatak)
  • Fort Worth Teen Scene vols 1-3 (Norton)
OTHER BEST FAVES (NON-MUSIC CATEGORIES)

Radio Stations:
Air America - I'm as glad for these guys being on the air as I am for WFMU being on the air.

Movies:
  • Napoleon Dynamite - one of the funniest movies i've seen in a long time
  • Fahrenheit 9/11 - one of the best movies ever
  • Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (movie)-another insanely funny movie
  • I Heart Huckabees - another funny movie. but not sidesplitting funny, more existentially funny.
Television:
  • Aqua Teen Hunger Force (TV show-Cartoon Network)- high-larious surreal cartoon, on the cartoon network
  • Tom Goes To the Mayor (TV show-Cartoon Network)- My prediction: TGTTM is to 2005 as ATHF was to 2004.
  • Da Ali G Show (TV-HBO) -One of the scariest/daring and over-the-top funniest things i have ever seen anywhere: Watching Sacha Baron Cohen as "Borat" sing his "Uzbeki" national song "Throw the Jew Down The Well" to a rodeo bar filled with rednecks as they all slowly start singing along.
  • The Daily Show (Comedy Central)- daily dose of sanity
  • Arrested Development (TV show-FOX) - the Bluth family: so completely rich and evil, and yet I love them.
  • The Office (TV-BBC America)- the special brought tears to my eyes. Tim and Dawn, nuff said.
  • Crossballs (Comedy Central)- Matt Besser's send up of political chat shows
  • Reno 911 (Comedy Central)- Lt.Dangle... the hot pants wearing cop...hello!
THE WORST OF 2004:
I can't believe this schmuck got elected again. 4 more years of war, gore, torture, corporate raiding, ginormous national deficit, removal of environmental protection laws, destruction of the environment and decreasing civil rights. The Dicks' 1984 single "I Hope You Get Drafted" seems amazingly current.

Back to Top


CHARLIE (Mondays 9am - Noon)

ten top albums (plus one):
  • deerhoof - milkman (kill rock stars/5 rue catherine)
  • felix kubin - matki wandalki (a-musik)
  • laura veirs - carbon glacier (nonesuch)
  • stina nordenstam - the world is saved (v2)
  • soundtrack - dawn of the dead: the unreleased incidental music (trunk)
  • butterscott - throwing meatloaf at the sun (rev-ola)
  • smoosh - she like electric (pattern 25)
  • various - thai beat a go go (subliminal sounds)
  • various - new music series vol 1: porky pig (standard oil)
  • various - cambodian cassette archives (sublime frequencies)
  • gelbart - four track improvisations (defekt; gelbart)
ten great songs (plus one), released or re-released in 2004:
  • jon brion - "monday" - i heart huckabees soundtrack (milan)
  • r. stevie moore - "everything" - conscientious objector (r. stevie moore)
  • joanna newsom - "sprout and the bean" - the milk-eyed mender (drag city)
  • iqu - "under the cherry blossom" - sun q (sonic boom)
  • david greenberger & the shaking ray levis - "crackpots" - mayor of the tennessee river (pei pei)
  • the streets - fit but you know it - a grand don't come for free (vice/atlantic)
  • the caravelles - "hey mama you've been on my mind" - folk rock and faithfull (rpm)
  • the three degrees - "collage" - the sound of philadelphia (soul jazz)
  • sharon tandy - "our day will come" - you gotta believe it's sharon tandy (big beat)
  • jorge mautner - "sheridan square" - para iluminar a cidade (universal brasil)
  • the majestic arrows - "if i had a little love" - eccentric soul: the
  • bandit label (the numero group)
from the wfmu mp3 library:
  • various - someone's rough trade singles collection
  • noah creshevsky - hyperrealism
  • various - homo sonorus: an international anthology of sound poetry
  • vintage bob and ray, vol. 1
  • walter franco - ou nao / revolver
  • asa-chang and junray - senaka (ep with koizumi kyouko)
  • wing - wing sings all your favorites
  • arrigo barnabe - clara crocodilo
  • percy thrillington - thrillington
  • various - the lowest form of music (los angeles free music society box)
and a buncha web downloads:

Back to Top


OCDJ - Plug & Play (Fridays 11pm - 2am)

top 20 albums of 2004
  1. aMute - A Hundred Dry Trees - (intr_version)
  2. Sagan - Unseen Forces - (Vague Terrain)
  3. Xiu Xiu - Fabulous Muscels - (5rc)
  4. Dino Felipe - I'm You - (Schematic)
  5. Knifehandchop - How I Left You - (Tigerbeat6)
  6. Icarus - I Tweet The Birdy Electric - (Leaf)
  7. Joanna Newsom - The Milk-eyed Mender - (Drag City)
  8. stendec - a study of 'and' - (expanding)
  9. Electrelane - The Power Out - (Too Pure)
  10. The Futureheads - The Futureheads - (679)
[11-20](in no order)
  • Frog Eyes - The Folded Palm (Absolutely Kosher)
  • Shitmat - Full English Breakfast (Planet ΅)
  • Machine Drum - Bidnezz (Merck)
  • Putsch 79 - Putsch 79 (Clone)
  • Fly Pan Am - N'ecoutez Pas (Constellation)
  • Mitchell Akiyama - If Night Is A Weed And Day Grows Less (Subrosa)
  • Devendra Banhart - Rejoicing In The Hands (Young God)
  • The Casual Dots - The Casual Dots (Kill Rock Stars)
  • holkham - komatta saru (expanding)
  • Niobe - Voodooluba (Sonig)

Back to Top


MONICA (Fridays Noon - 3pm)

A DOZEN NEW OR RECENTLY REISSUED ALBUMS (IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER):
David Darling & The Wulu Bunun/Mudanin Kata (World Music Network)
Niobe/Voodooluba (Sonig)
Un Caddie Renverse Dans L'Herbe/Like A Packed Cupboard But Quite... (Dekorder)
James Brown/Soul On Top (reissue) (Verve)
Candi Staton/Candi Staton (Honest Jons)
Sharon Tandy/You Gotta Believe It's... Sharon Tandy (Ace)
Geraint Watkins/Dial 'W' For Watkins (Yep Roc)
Arthur Russell/World Of Echo (reissue & DVD) (Audika)
Tom Waits/Real Gone (Anti)
Noonday Underground/Set Sail (Vroom)
Mary Lou Williams/Mary Lou Williams Presents: Black Christ of Andes (reissue) (Smithsonian Folkways)
Kimya Dawson/Hidden Vagenda (K)

COMPILATIONS:
Nicky Siano's The Gallery: The Original New York Disco 1973-77 (Soul Jazz)
Good Girls Gone Bad: Wild, Weird And Wanted (Ace)
Shibuya Jazz Clash! No Wave In Jap Jazz And Funk '75-'86 (Solid)
The Third Unheard: Connecticut Hip-Hop 1979-1983 (Stones Throw)
Folk Rock And Faithfull: Dream Babes, Volume Five (RPM)
The Sound Of Philadelphia: Funk, Soul And Roots Of Disco 1965-73 (Soul Jazz)
Cherrystone's Hidden Charms (Mercury)

BOX SETS:
Hittin' On All Six: A History Of The Jazz Guitar (Proper)
Music From The New York Stage 1890-1920, Volumes I-IV (Pearl) (four 3-CD boxes)

LABELS (COULDN'T DO MY SHOW WITHOUT 'EM!)
Sublime Frequencies, Tuff City & subsidiaries, Rosetta, Classics, Proper, Ace, and many more.

CRIMINALLY OUT-OF-PRINT:
Sugar Pie DeSanto/Down In The Basement (Chess)
Jimmy Durante/Jimmy Durante Live (In Person) At The Piano (Decca)

HEARTBREAKER:
Bessie Banks/"I Still Love You (I Bet You Can't Do It)"/ Dave Godin's Deep Soul Treasures Taken From The Vaults, Volume 1 (Kent Soul)

HOMEWRECKER:
Denise LaSalle/"Breaking Up Somebody's Home"/On The Loose (Westbound)

SHOULDA BEEN:
Yvonne Fair/"It Should've Been Me"/The Bitch Is Black (Motown)

NEVER WAS:
Shirley Horn/"My Future Just Passed"/Loads Of Love/Shirley Horn With Horns (Mercury)

IT'S GOING TO BE A BUMPY RIDE DEPT.:
Bette Davis/Give My Regards To Broadway! (AEI)
Tallulah Bankhead/Give My Regards To Broadway (AEI)

MOST ASTOUNDING SONG I CAME ACROSS IN THE WFMU LIBRARY:
Charlotte Dada/"Don't Let Me Down"/Money No Be Sand (Original Music)

HAD IT IN MY COLLECTION ALL THESE YEARS BUT NEVER BOTHERED LISTENING UNTIL NOW:
Tic And Toc/"Hey Jay (Is It True What They Say)" 12" (Place To Be)

VINTAGE HAWAIIAN:
Various/Vintage Hawaiian Legends Vol. 1: The Kalima Brothers & The Richard Kauhi Quartette (Hana Ola)
Various/From Honolulu To Hollywood (Old Masters)
Various/Steeling Around The World Hawaiian Style (Harlequin)

THAT OLD TIME RELIGION:
Various/Religion Is A Fortune: Sacred Harp Singing
Various/Beautiful Beyond: Christian Songs In Native Languages (Smithsonian Folkways)
Allison's Sacred Harp Singers/Heaven's My Home 1927-1928 (County Records)

BEST TRACK FOUND ON ONE OF THOSE DADBURNED MP3 BLOG SITES:
Actitud Maria Marta/"Estado Resignado" (live)

STRANGE MP3 SITE:
Stephen P. McGreevy's Ground-Based ELF-VLF Recordings
www-pw.physics.uiowa.edu/mcgreevy

OUTSIDER IN:
Dave Cloud/All My Best (Thee Swan)

MISHMASH:
Fuckintosh/Johnny Cash Vs. AC/DC (Fuckintosh)
No Business/"Shame 69" (Putout)

POP PERFECTION:
Scissor Sisters/"Comfortably Numb"

LYRIC:
"Your lips were like a red and ruby chalice, warmer than the summer night The clouds were like an alabaster palace rising to a snowy height. Each star it's own aurora borealis, suddenly you held me tight, I could see the Midnight Sun."
      - Midnight Sun (lyrics by Johnny Mercer, music by Lionel Hampton)

TWO TINYS I'M AWFULLY FOND OF:
Tiny Grimes Sextette and Quintet
Tiny Hill and His Hilltoppers

OLD TIMEY SONGS THAT HIT MY SWEET SPOT:
"When The Sun Says Goodnight To The Mountain"
"When I Grow Too Old To Dream"
"Blue Skies," My Blue Heaven"
"I've Got Rings On My Fingers" / Blanche Ring

WFMU RECORD FAIR FIND:
Holiday City Hot Cha Kitchen Band/Hey Look Us Over (Jotone)

BIG BAND:
Don Redman and His Orchestra

BABY VOICED CHANTEUSE:
The Frank Cunimondo Trio Feat. Lynn Marino/Introducing Lynn Marino (Mondo)

RAIN SONG:
Sammi Smith/"Here Comes The Rain, Baby"/The Best Of Sammi Smith (Mega)

COVER:
The Esso Trinidad Steel Band/"Apeman"/Van Dyke Parks Presents The Esso Trinidad Steel Band (BRG)

12" BOOTLEG:
Celestial Choir/"Stand On The Word" (unreleased Larry Levan remix) (Larry 02), aka Joubert Singers

LIVE IN CONCERT:
Helen Humes/"Million Dollar Secret"/Welcome Back To... Town (El Toro)
Dusty Springfield/"Lose Again" (cover of Karla Bonoff song) /The Look Of Love: Her Greatest Love SoNgs (Universal)

LONGTERM LISTENING PROJECT:
Complete Stax/Volt Singles 1959-1975 (Stax, Atlantic)

DIDN'T THINK I'D LOVE YOU LIKE I DO:
Tanya Tucker/What's Your Mama's Name/Would You Lay With Me (Collectables)
Shirley Horn/Travelin' Light (Impulse!)
Damita Jo/Damita Jo Sings, The Very Best Of Damita Jo (Collectables)
Bette Midler/Songs For The New Depression (Atlantic)

BLACK COLLEGE MARCHING BAND:
"Crazy In Love"/"You're The First, The Last, My Everything" Medley/Florida A&M Marching Band

VOCAL VERSION OF INSTRUMENTAL HIT:
The Kane Triplets/"Theme From Mission Impossible"?Girls Go Zonk! (RPM)

RIP:
Billy May, Timi Yuro, Syreeta, Freddie Perren, Cy Coleman, Doris Troy, Illinois Jacquet, Joe Barry

CLOSING THEME:
"Music Maestro Please"/The Caretaker/V/Vm: Zatsu Ongaku (V/Vm)

Back to Top


Listen on the Internet  |  Contact Us  |  Music & Programs  |  LCD  |  Support Us  |  FAQ

20k Real Stream  |  20k Windows Stream  |  128k MP3 Stream  |  32k MP3 Stream

Search this site


design - Megan M. © 2004 WFMU.
All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of WFMU is prohibited.