Pan-Planetary Patriotism: World Music of the U S of A with Scott Kettner of Nation Beat Saturday, July 4th, 6pm - 9pm
on
Transpacific Sound Paradise with Rob Weisberg
Nation Beat, the rousing New York band inspired by the music of Northeast Brazil but also with New Orleans, Appalachia, rock, funk, even klezmer in the mix, recently found itself effectively censored at a "world music" festival: the band was told that it could only perform its Portuguese-language songs, not the English ones. This inspired Nation Beat to take control of the musical agenda and create a platform to question the informed wisdom about "world music" - by starting its own festival.
The all-day event, "Is America Part of the World?" takes place Saturday July 11 at the Brooklyn Yard in Carroll Gardens. On today's show Nation Beat's leader Scott Kettner stops by to do a little rabble-rousing - as well as spinning selections by festival artists and also some Brazilian faves. And Rob will play tracks by other artists who blur the distinction between music of the US of A and the rest of the planet.
Camera Obscura Sunday, July 5th, 5pm - 7pm
on
Gaylord Fields's show
Glasgow's finest sextet has decided to conclude its monthlong North American tour at WFMU before jetting home to Scotland, and we are all the better for it. Tracyanne Campbell once again proves herself the heiress apparent to the great songwriter crown, as exemplified by Camera Obscura's latest LP, "My Maudlin Career." You'll find yourself bopping around to the peppy tunes, only to be blindsided by the melancholy behind each delectable hook.
Solar-powered Dance Party at Water Taxi Beach f/ Cousin Cole, Pocketknife, and Bad Brilliance!!! Monday, July 6th, 8pm - 11pm
on
Sound and Safe with Trent
Bang! A completely wireless, solar-powered dance party at the
gorgeous and tons of fun Water Taxi Beach
in Long Island City, Queens, overlooking the Manhattan skyline. Featuring Cousin Cole and Pocketknife, famous famous remixers of Bruce Spingsteen and Joanna Newsom - and infamous partymakers on their own accord, as well as balloon-headed, red-carpet rollin' party machine Bad Brilliance. Come out, take your shoes off, get wild, and feel the POWER OF THE SUN! Featuring WFMU and Solar 1's brand-spanking-new techno wonder, the Portable Solar Broadcaster. Check here for directions, or if you REALLY can't make it out, tune in.
The Sediment Club Tuesday, July 7th, 9am - Noon
on
Talk's Cheap with Jason Sigal
Brooklyn's finest all-ages no wave 4-piece. With direct lineage to early '80s NYC post-punk out-funk. Inspired by James Brown, Electric Eels, Sun Ra, Contortions, Liquid Liquid, and of course the Bush Tetras. This is no joke!
Yo La Tengo Tuesday, July 7th, Noon - 3pm
on
Three Chord Monte with Joe Belock
The WFMU staff has returned from a triumphant broadcast from Spain, but the Primavera Sound Festival rolls on with Yo La Tengo! Tune in to hear our local heroes wowing the huge Barcelona audience. After all the years of dedicated marathon-covers service this indie-rock institution has given to WFMU, traveling 3,800 miles to record an amazing set of originals was the least we could do. This should hold you over until their new album comes out in September.
Afterparty Tuesday, July 7th, 3pm - 6pm
on
Brian Turner's show
Texas psychedelic punk meltdown with a full house of assorted past and present players of the Houston underground. Members of Rusted Shut, Pain Teens, Culturcide, Future Blondes and Truth Decay join Brian and get the room sticky with what sounds like a residue extracted from ZZ Top's Afterburner outtakes, with a good dose of Flipper and Revolting Cocks thrown in. Even some Butthole Surfers covers promised!
Climax Golden Twins Tuesday, July 7th, 7pm - 8pm
on
Antique Phonograph Music Program
Coming up on The Antique Phonograph Music Program on Tuesday July 7 will be Rob Millis and Jeffery Taylor aka Climax Golden Twins. They will discuss their musical output and Dust to Digital releases Victrola Favorites and current release, "Take Me to the Water: Immersion Baptism in Vintage Music and Photography 1890-1950." We will play records and talk about the dogged pursuit of 78s. Tune in, turn on and listen to us drop steel needles.
Live broadcast from Lincoln Center's Midsummer Night Swing Series Friday, July 10th, 7pm - 11pm
on
Transpacific Sound Paradise with Rob Weisberg
A special live broadcast from Lincoln Center's Midsummer Night Swing Series, hosted by Rob Weisberg. First we'll hear from the Occidental Brothers Dance Band International, a Chicago-based collaboration between American jazz players and two former members of the highly regarded Ghanaian highlife band Western Diamonds. The Occidentals, who just released their first CD, are building a following playing shimmering old-school West African and Congolese electric dance music. Then at 9 pm we'll be treated to a performance by one of the all-time great singers of Congolese style electric dance music, Samba Mapangala with Orchestra Virunga. While based in Kenya in the early 80s, Samba and Virunga recorded one of the all time African classics, Malako. And Samba's still going strong today: His 2008 election song Obama Ubarikiwe (Obama Be Blessed) was a YouTube sensation.
Robyn Hitchcock and the Venus 3 Tuesday, July 14th, Noon - 3pm
on
Three Chord Monte with Joe Belock
Robyn returns for an encore at WFMU, this time bringing the Venus 3 -
Peter Buck (guitar), Scott McCaughey (bass) and Bill Rieflin (percussion). A late night after wrapping a tour with the Decemberists and some emergency dental work couldn't keep Mr. Hitchcock from returning to Studio B with a band for the first time since his historic session with the Soft Boys seven years ago!
Billy Bao Tuesday, July 21st, 3pm - 6pm
on
Brian Turner's show
When not plopped on a stage at the No Fun Festival spewing barbs at confused audiences, Basque-via-Brooklyn transplant Mattin has helped the experimental and noise scenes chase its tail in circles via assorted musical, anti-musical and multimedia projects (a "collaboration" with Merzbow was pretty much him bringing a glass of water out to Masami Akita in mid-performance). The official bio places Billy Bao as a Nigerian punk rock vocalist fronting a band he fell in with in Bilbao; this rescheduled WFMU airing includes Mattin, Barry Weisblat, Margarida Garcia, Tim Barnes and Taku Unami. It happened while Brian was downstairs paying Ibby's Falafel deliveryman for the band's dinner so he can't quite recount what went on. We still can't quite figure it out either but hope you will enjoy it.
John Wiese Wednesday, July 22nd, 2am - 6am
on
Marty McSorley's show
L.A. based noise artist and experimental musician John Weise stops by the WFMU studios to blast your ear drums into another dimension. With over 200 releases under various names and collaborations with the likes of Merzbow, Man is The Bastard, Amps for Christ, Cattle Decapitation, Wolf Eyes, The Liars, Smegma, and The Haters you might want to think about checking this dude out. And be on the look out for his new album Circle Snare on No Fun Productions as well as as a new colaboration with C. Spencer Yeh (of Burning Star Core) out now on Drone Disco.
Kurt Vile and the Violators Tuesday, July 28th, 3pm - 6pm
on
Brian Turner's show
Chubby Checker, Schoolly D, Hall & Oates, Robert Hazard, Left-Eye Lisa; some of them may have monuments to themselves in their hometown City of Brotherly Love, or at least a signed glossy at Pat's Steaks. Kurt Vile is a Philly talent whose largeness cannot be denied; while his album debut Constant Hitmaker hinted at a future of hazy bedroom-pop Tom Pettyisms, his last few releases on Mexican Summer and Richie Records have painted up expansive Spacemen 3-worthy soundscapes with no lesser songwriting greatness. His next album Chilidsh Prodigy releases on Matador this fall, and Kurt returns to WFMU once again, this time for Brian's show, with his full band the Violators in tow.
Rokia Traore Saturday, August 1st, 6pm - 9pm
on
Transpacific Sound Paradise with Rob Weisberg
Singer / songwriter / bandleader Rokia Traore has always gone her own way. She's Malian by birth and often sings in her native Bamanan, but with a diplomat dad, Traore grew up around the world, and she has based her career in France. She has incorporated traditional Malian music into her sound but she would not call herself a traditional musician. Her lyrics often support women's rights and other socially progressive themes. Her latest CD, the sparse, intimate "Tchamantché" (Nonesuch) takes a step further away from her West African roots - but still does not abandon them completlely. Rob catches up with Rokia Traore for an interview in advance of two free concerts she's playing in NYC this summer, at BAM Metrotech Aug 6 and Lincoln Center Out-of-Doors Aug 7.
The Tel Aviv Show a/k/a Not Quite JM in the PM Saturday, August 8th, 6pm - 9pm
on
Transpacific Sound Paradise with Rob Weisberg
This week Transpacific Sound Paradise time-shifts back to Rob's recent Holy Land Tour for a show recorded at Israel College of Management radio station Kol Ha Kampus ("The Campus Voice"). Kol Ha Kampus is probably Israel's most adventurous and influential non-commercial music station - in fact by some accounts it is the second most listened to radio station in Tel Aviv. Rob is joined by guest-DJs Gil Rouviou of Kol Ha Kampus and Ilan Rosenberg, Tel Aviv native but currently host of Jaffa Jive Sundays at noon on WCBN-FM in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Gil and Ilan give us a multi-genre intro to rootsy contemporary Israeli (and some Palestinian) artists, many of whom have rarely been heard on US airwaves. This is not your stereotypical Jewish music - not a bit of schmaltz, and nary a klezmer song is in the mix. Well except, of course, for Oy Division.
Jeremy Wallace Wednesday, August 19th, 3pm - 6pm
on
Irwin's show
Whisky-voiced country blues picker Jeremy Wallace plays live on Irwin's show, Wednesday, August 19, at 4 pm. The backwoods stylist with a drunk-by-noon delivery will perform in a trio setting backed by bass & drums. Jeremy recently released his third CD, "Suicide Suitcase." This is Wallace's fifth appearance on Irwin's show since 1988.
All times listed are Jersey City time, EDT.
Questions? E-mail Brian or call (201) 521-1416
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