Radio1190 - The AM Revolution

DJ PAUL'S VINYL DAY PLAYLIST (11A.M.-NOON)

2009-04-22T12:59:00.003-06:00

Radio 1190's very own Paul from Sunday's "Krewe de Louisianne" show dj'd today from 11 a.m. until noon and broadcast the following playlist:

Bull "Moose" Jackson - "Big Ten Inch Record" out on a 45 from Gusto Label
Fellini - "Rock Europeu" from The Sexual Life of the Savages
Beenie Man - "Dude" from The Strictly For The Dreads Roots Issue
The Humpers - "Baby 89" out on a 45 from Sympathy For The Records Industry
The Dioboliks - "Twist With Me" from the 10" record Itching For Action
The Hides - "Don't Be Difficult" Burghers Vol. 1 Classic Sounds From Steeltown
Dave Dudley - "Two Six Packs Away" from their Greatest Hits album
The Cramps - "Shortin' Bread" from Stay Sick
Billy Emerson - "Aunt Molly" from Twistin' Rumble Vol. 3
The Crowns - "Call Me" from Black Is Soul Vol. 1 PAMA singles
Moby Grape - "Omaha" from the self titled Moby Grape
Beatnik Termites - "Strawberry Girl" out on a 45
Mr. Airplane Man - "Johnny Johnny" from Red Lite
Detroit Cobras - "Shout Bama Lama" from Life, Love, Learning
Courvairs - "Shake Baby" from Shine On Sweet Starlight
Los Hentchmen - "Red River Rock" out on a 45 on the Norton Records
Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers - "Do You Love Me" from D.T.K. Live At The Speakeasy

Poster Madness

2009-03-28T12:02:00.034-06:00

Ah, gig posters. The art form that gained most of its popularity in the LSD driven subculture of the late 60s is alive and well today. Though the contemporary work is not consistently psychedelic, the inspired D.I.Y aesthetic of artists like Stanley Mouse (see 13th Floor Elevators print; right) and the psychedelic movement has not been abandoned by younger generations. Local artists Lindsey Kuhn and Jeff Holland (our very own Uncle Jeff of Route 78 West) are a prime examples (See Cramps for Kuhn; Dick Dale/Mermen for Holland; on next page).

If you are interested in seeing more of the prints that continue to inspire silkscreen and poster artists today head down to The Denver Art Museum where "The Psychedelic Experience: Rock Posters from the San Francisco Bay Area, 1965-1971" exhibit is currently running.

A friend once suggested to me that posters were not "art" because they were promotional materials, advertisements. I don't think she could have been more wrong, but spend some time on the Gigposters.com forum and decide for yourself.

DJ ALISHA RECORD REVISIT: D.J. Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince - He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper

2009-03-27T23:51:00.000-06:00

Hey! Its been two weeks, and I'm excited to do another Record Revisit for you! If you're new to Radio 1190's newish blog, this is where I re-review an album from my record collection each Friday that I haven't listened to in years. How do I choose the record? Well you vote on which one I review! Oh and I don't let myself use google for band info. n' stuff, I just review based on my memories of the record.

So you had a choice of albums by Papa M, The Busy Signals and D.J. Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince... and you chose the one album I was hoping you'd choose! YAY... so here goes.

VITAL STATS:
Artist: D.J. Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince

Album: He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper
Label: Zomba (Jive)

Year: 1988

...first of all a quick note of excitement-

Dear Memory Lane,

I am so excited to listen to this and journey back to 4th grade when two songs in particular from this album were in my mind the best songs ever!

Your Friend,

DJ Alisha (and yes I know I will never be as good of a DJ as Jazzy Jeff)

Upon the record's release, the first single I heard from this record was "Parents Just Don't Understand" on the radio and it was instantly my favorite song! Then after getting the tape, I discovered a song about Freddy Krueger on there, then "Nightmare on My Street" was my favorite! I remember listening to this tape A LOT, but also just fast-forwarding and rewinding to get to those two songs. I also watched a lot of MTV enjoying the video for "Parents Just Don't Understand," and there was always a rumor that "Nightmare on My Street" was supposed to debut late at night on MTV, but I never saw it. I don't even know if it exists.

Okay, now that I'm done getting all diary on you, let's LISTEN!

Yay, the album starts off with "Nightmare on My Street" and I can recite about 97% of the song still. I really like cartoony/comedic rap like this, especially about Freddy! I've always wanted to interview Will Smith and ask him about this song and what he thinks of it today. I mean who doesn't love lyrics like "He wears the same hat and sweater every single day/ And even if its hot outside he wears it anyway." The album then goes into another song "Here We Go Again" which is a pretty strong song too. The Fresh Prince has a great voice, but Jazzy Jeff is the true star on this track... I love the beats! Another notable track is "He's the D.J., I'm the Rapper." This song shows what great chemistry these two have.

There's definitely some hit and miss songs as I continue to listen to this record. It falls short for me as an adult, but when this came out I couldn't think of a more fun record to listen to.

Some interesting things looking at the liner notes... Will "The Fresh Prince" Smith only thanks "God, my family and friends!" on the record as opposed to D.J. Jazzy Jeff thanking just about everyone he knows by name. And also The Fresh Prince is nicknamed "Nutty as a Fruitcake" which makes me think the rumors of him liking boys a little bit may be true. Its okay FP, I don't judge and you are like the biggest star in the world so you can laugh all the way to the bank if this is your little secret. Everyone knows that you do love your wife and kiddos even if you are "nuttier than a fruitcake" in that way that some folks in Hollywood gossip about you. I met you in person a few months ago, you are very nice and handsome.

One last thing about the liner notes, if you're looking to bulk up your collection of classic hip-hop, use the liner notes as a directory of artists because they shout out to everyone from Grandmaster Caz to Public Enemy and even 2 Live Crew in the "We Would Like to Acknowledge" part.

All in all fun record, but I'll stick to my favorite singles-

Thanks for reading and now here's your chance to vote on what I listen to next week:

1)New Order - Republic

2)David Bowie - Love You Till Tuesday

3)Tom Waits - Rain Dogs

HOW TO VOTE... COMMENT BELOW AND VOTE FOR NEXT WEEK'S RECORD REVISIT!

Peace out,

SXSW Recap: Julie Doiron at Spider House

2009-03-26T14:55:00.007-06:00

I was so happy to get to see Julie Doiron since I'm so in love with her recent album. I'm even more in love with her after seeing her play. She was one of the sweetest performers I've seen - she kept asking the audience for requests and got so disappointed when someone shouted out a song she didn't remember. We heard all about the taxi ride she got to the venue, what she had had for breakfast and other details of the day she felt obliged to share. Her simple line-up with Fred Squire on drums and herself on guitar worked really well. They made some of the songs a lot funkier than they are on the album which I liked a lot.

Pictures by Courtney Fellion.

Best use of Arcade Fire in a trailer...

2009-03-26T10:51:00.005-06:00

With all the "BEST OF WESTWORD" news going on in Denver, I thought I'd just award the guys who made the trailer for the new film Where the Wild Things Are my own "Best use of an Arcade Fire song in a trailer." Thumbs up!

This film has been in the making (and remaking) for quite some time and I'm excited that the film studio is finally happy with Spike Jonze's work. Many cool people in addition to Jonze helped with the film, including Dave Eggers who helped with the screenplay and music is by Carter Burwell and Karen O. The cast is cool too including Catherine Keener, Paul Dano, Lauren Ambrose and other well-respected actors.

I do so hope Maurice Sendak enjoys the big screen version of his beloved and most wonderfully illustrated children's book.

It is scheduled to be released on October 16, 2009, one day after my birthday. Mark your calendars (for the film... and my bday)!

<3,

SXSW Recap: Golden Triangle at Spider House

2009-03-26T10:28:00.010-06:00

At the encouragement of Ed from Under the Mattress we checked out Golden Triangle, a garage rock/post-punk band whose members from Austin, Atlanta and Memphis have converged in Brooklyn. We were very impressed by their drummer's unwavering vocals that reminded us a little bit of Mark E. Smith and the wild tambourine shaking of their two front ladies.

I wish I could say that 1190 has some of their music, but all their super limited releases have slipped by us. Their most recent record was released by Mexican Summer, a very new label that focuses on glitzy limited edition vinyl releases available only through subscriptions.

Also: check out the band's Top 10 list from Dusted Magazine.

Pictures by Courtney Fellion.

Candy Claws on Local Shakedown

2009-03-26T09:29:00.003-06:00

Tune into the Local Shakedown this Friday from 4-6 pm to hear a live set and interview with Candy Claws. These cutie pies are a band from Fort Collins with a solid psychedelic pop sound.

Radio1190 - Best Non-commercial Radio Station

2009-03-25T15:41:00.014-06:00

Looks like some of the Westword Best of Denver awards were
announced today online and Radio1190 is pleased to be recognized once again! The full list of awards will be published tomorrow.

Best Radio Station — Non-commercial
Radio 1190
By its very nature, Radio 1190, the University of Colorado at Boulder's station, has a very fluid staff, with DJs coming and going at various times of the year. But despite these frequent changes, 1190 has some important constants. The vast majority of hosts are more interested in exploring the variety of independent sounds being created today, as opposed to focusing on the most predictable or heavily hyped stuff — and instead of phonying up their presentations, their straightforward talks comes from the heart. That's giving it the old college try.

Read on for some of our other favorite award winners!

Best Band Overhaul
Achille Lauro
Once upon a time, an Achille Lauro show was a rare and remarkable event. With multi-instrumentalist/singer/songwriter Brian Joseph on the road working sound for hotshots like the Fray and Bon Iver, the group just couldn't pull together very often. A few months ago, however, Achille Lauro and Joseph decided it made sense to head in different directions. This decision has made for more frequent public appearances and has also completely transformed the band's sound. More electronics have been added, giving the outfit a Steely Dan-meets-Radiohead vibe, and dueling frontmen Luke Mossman and Matt Close make an even stronger impression with their voices and musicianship. Even the songwriting seems to have taken a turn that is simultaneously more experimental and poppier. A recent gig at the hi-dive proved that Achille Lauro is a Denver act to watch — now more than ever.

Best Label
Bocumast
Some labels have a sound, others have a mission. Bocumast falls into the latter category, and what a mission it is! The defining characteristics of Bocumast's diverse roster, which ranges from the oddball post-punk guitar funk of Natural Selection to the oceanic electronic bliss pop of Iuengliss, are simple: They're all excellent, and none of them are afraid to take chances. The results are always surprising and consistently strong. At a time when record labels seem to be heading for obsolescence, Bocumast is ensuring its continued relevance by showing us the best stuff we might have otherwise overlooked.

Best Local Concert
The Fluid
Bluebird Theater, June 20, 2008
Band reunions that take place more than a decade down the line are generally sad affairs that tend to accentuate the passage of time rather than causing it to stand still. But even though the original members of the Fluid — John Robinson, Garrett Shavlik, James Clower, Rick Kulwicki and Matt Bischoff — hadn't played together since the early '90s, they marked Sub Pop Records' twentieth anniversary by making a racket every bit as thrilling as the stuff they churned out in their heyday, to the delight of a crowd populated by many of Denver's biggest music lovers. What a wonderful exception to the rule.

Best Punk-Rock Reunion
The Frantix
Wax Trax Records, September 20, 2008
A Fluid reunion show seemed unlikely fifteen years after the band broke up, but fortunately for us, it happened. Even more unlikely was the reunion of one of the true punk-rock legends of the Colorado scene: the Frantix. Before Matt Bischoff and Ricky Kulwicki helped to form the Fluid, both were in the Frantix, an act whose infamous song "My Dad's a Fuckin' Alcoholic" earned lasting notoriety, even though the outfit broke up in 1983. In the fall of 2008, the band got back together for one show at Wax Trax to remind us that real, raw, ferocious punk rock happened in our town long before most of us ever got to hear it.

Best New Recording
Everything Absent or Distorted (A Love Story) The Great Collapse
Needle Point
Readers' Choice: The Flobots
Everything Absent or Distorted's strong debut, The Soft Civil War, should have been difficult to improve upon — a sophomore slump would have been acceptable, even expected, from Denver's resident bombastic pop big band. But somehow the group pulled out all the stops and delivered a second album that not only fulfilled the promise of its stellar debut, but flat-out obliterated it. Sanding off some of the first album's charming rough edges and streamlining the eclectic songwriting and sound, The Great Collapse is an accomplished, symphonic masterpiece that delivers its heartbreaking barbs and beams of hope in the form of a dozen perfect pop songs destined to become classics.

Best local-music reissue Bum Kon
Bum Kon Drunken Sex Sucks
Smooch
Many of today's most extreme Denver bands were influenced by Bum Kon without even knowing it — and thanks to Drunken Sex Sucks, they can now fill in the gaps of their musical education. Only five of the 25 cuts here received a proper release, with the remainder appearing on an album for the first time. Tracks like "Giving In" capture the spirit of '80s thrash that Bum Kon exemplified even as "Slow Death" and others point toward a future that other groups would eventually experience.

Best Companion DVD for local re-release
The VSS Nervous Circuits
Hydra Head Records
The re-release of the VSS's final album, Nervous Circuits, hardly needs recommendation. But Hydra Head, the label that put out the reissue, included a bonus DVD of live footage of the band from periods seemingly across its career, including shows at actual venues in Chicago, D.C., Brooklyn, Berkeley and Boulder, as well as at a church in Philadelphia. None of the footage is really professional-quality, but what makes it most interesting and significant is that it captures the essence of what it must have been like to experience those performances, flaws in sound and all. The footage also shows what a vital, powerful and important band the VSS really was.

Best New Band
Young Coyotes
Young Coyotes has been around for less than a year. In that short time, however, the act has released two EPs, embarked on several cross-country tours, recorded a Daytrotter session, been hailed on numerous blogs and attracted a high-powered manager in Blee Music's Brian Swartz (Rose Hill Drive). Seemingly milliseconds after forming, the band went from playing Saturday matinee sets at places like Lifespot last summer to garnering choice gigs at Monolith's VIP party and Hot IQs' annual holiday party — which led to discriminating music fans across the city howling for Young Coyotes. Why all the fuss? That's easy: The music, which is sparse but fiery and melodic, like Akron/Family channeling the best moments of the Shins with the vitality and conviction of Arcade Fire.

Best Supergroup
Moonspeed
Being dubbed a "supergroup" can be a bit of a curse, but when your band includes members of local luminaries such as Bright Channel, Space Team Electra, Moccasin and Monofog, that term seems somewhat justified. But it would be meaningless if the resulting music was one iota less powerful, uplifting or sonically inventive than the music of Moonspeed. With eleven members, this band could easily have been an unholy mess ready to go off the rails. Instead, the group is a well-orchestrated affair, with all members contributing significantly to the beautifully textured, soothingly hypnotic yet exhilarating tapestries this outfit weaves at every performance.

Best Musical Collective
Hot Congress
Other Denver musical collectives have smartly put together bills and showcases of like-minded acts at various venues. And while Hot Congress has a similar agenda, its roster is impressively diverse, including bands as decidedly different as Action Friend, Widowers and the Jim Jims. This more inclusive approach seems likely to succeed where past efforts have not, especially since the collective intends to release a series of compilations featuring its artists. By supporting bands both obscure and well known, Hot Congress appears poised to make Denver known for more than a small handful of musicians.

Best Guitar Hero
Cole Rudy
The games Guitar Hero and Rock Band have made far too many people of all ages think that playing guitar well is easy. Good thing someone as diversely talented at the instrument as Cole Rudy lives in Denver to show us how to do it right. Educated in jazz guitar, Cole is probably best known for his stints as the guitar wizard of Wetlands and Mike Marchant's solo material, but he's also contributed to the indie pop of Chuck Potashner and performs regularly with a jazz ensemble at hotels. The guy can play any style of guitar better than most people can play, period, and our scene is richer for it.

Best Confrontational Band
Spellcaster's Rock and Roll Time Travel Committee
It's hard to say if this is really a band or a performance-art group or both — or if it even matters to make such distinctions. It seems laughable to say that the act has developed since its debut early last year, but it has, adding various members along the way. "Spellcaster" is the group's vocalist, and throughout live performances, he seems to verbally abuse the "band" as well as the audience, which is also treated to out-and-out sonic chaos from the musicians, one of whom sometimes plays guitar while wearing boxing gloves. You never quite know what's in store at a Spellcaster show, but it's all imbued with a much-needed sense of danger.

Best Hip-Hop Album
3 the Hardway, Set in Stone
Colorado rapper A.V.I.U.S., producer Es-Nine and DJ Cysko Rokwel each had their own thing going on before they came together as 3 the Hardway: Cysko Rokwel was taking out DJs nationwide in the DMC Championships; Es-Nine was producing for local and national artists; and A.V.I.U.S. had just dropped his solid debut album, Patience. But with all three talents combined in one package, you couldn't ask for a more thorough project, from Es-Nine's hard-hitting beats and A.V.I.U.S.'s heart-on-his-sleeve lyrics to Cysko making the DJ essential in hip-hop albums again. If you cop one Colorado hip-hop disc all year, this is the one to get.

Best Rapper West of Colorado Boulevard
Whygee
The curious case of Whygee: He's an unaffiliated Colorado hip-hop nomad who wanders all around the city but is mostly found near the center. His unique gruff voice is instantly recognizable and, with his thought-provoking and brash lyrical prowess, he's one of the best MCs in Colorado. He's proven this not only during his live show, but also on the excellent Suicide Watch EP, a collaboration with rapper Sunken State and producer Kid Hum. He's currently working with Naeem Oba as N.O. Why, on a project titled You're Not One of Us, which is due out in April, followed by a new mixtape with DJ Sounds Supreme featuring DJ Low Key that will drop sometime this summer. After that, there's a hip-hop/soul collaboration on tap with singer charleyBRAND slated for sometime next year. And he promises it will all be free. Word, gee!

Best DIY DJ Night
Bring Your Own Records Party!
Carioca Cafe2060 Champa St.303-296-1250
Everyone who has been around the scene within the last decade either knows Sarah Slater or has seen her at some of the most interesting shows, local and otherwise. For the past couple of years, she's organized and hosted her Bring Your Own Records night at various places, now mostly Carioca Cafe (aka Bar Bar). Basically, you bring a handful of vinyl instead of CDs or — perish the thought — iPods, and do your thing. What Sarah's doing may seem incredibly retro, but really, it's just a great way to bring people together to share music.

Best Blog
Donnybrook Writing Academy
http://godonnybrook.com/
The Donnybrook Writing Academy combines insightful, amusing writing and an ironic embrace of elitism for an unfailingly snarky look at the Denver music and arts scene. Music is the core concern of the Donnybrook crew, but the topics don't stop there. You can find everything from the invaluable sex advice of Ivyy Goldberg and opinions on Denver's most fuckable rock stars to the Snobcast podcast. This is also one of the most beautifully designed blogs not only in Denver, but in all of the worldwide blogosphere. In fact, it's your one-stop shop for proof that elitism in the defense of elitism is no vice. This blog should be required reading for hipsters everywhere.

Best DIY Live Recordings
The Flat Response
www.theflatresponse.com
You may not know Lance Stack by name, but if you've been going to certain shows, you've probably seen his impressively portable, live recording setup. For over two years, Stack has been making high-quality recordings of live shows and posting them online. After getting a band's permission, he posts the tracks at his website, the Flat Response. A casual perusal of that site reveals a breathtaking treasure trove of live audio, including the kind of technical information any audio geek would want to know. By any standard, Stack's website is an important document of what's been going on in Denver music.

SXSW Recap: Coathangers at Spider House

2009-03-25T15:20:00.002-06:00

I caught the Coathangers in Austin at a venue called the Spider House - a sprawling coffee shop that had four different stages going. Definitely my favorite venue of the trip. The Coathangers are an all-girl punk/garage rock band from Atlanta. They were on the very top of my list of bands not to miss at SXSW. I want to be best friends with the girls in the band but I also think that they'd probably tear me apart. When they first took stage I immediately noticed the bruises all up and down the drummer's leg. (She's the tattooed one in the pictures below.) During one of the last songs when she started wailing on her leg with a tambourine I realized where they came from. These girls are super cute and also really good musicians - they rotated through all the instruments. The way they thrashed around and screamed in ear-splitting tones exuded fearlessness and I couldn't help but dance. I love seeing shows like this that make me feel like I could be in a really badass all-girl band myself if I just picked up an instrument. I wish they had gotten to do "Nestle in My Boobies," but the sets are short at SXSW and they were mostly playing brand new stuff.

Their brand new album "Scramble" will be in rotation very shortly!

Pictures by Courtney Fellion.

-Katherine (Coathangers' #1 fan)

Highlights in Rotation

2009-03-25T15:14:00.000-06:00

Let me tell you about some of my favorite albums in rotation at the moment!

Drag the River - Bad at Breaking Up [Suburban Home]
This alt-country band from Fort Collins has been around for quite awhile and it seems like they're always getting better. Definitely on par with other heart-crushing groups like Lucero. This is a collection of 20 rarities from the band including 7" tracks and B-sides. The packaging alone looks like reason enough to buy this one for yourself. The band "broke up" in 2007, but that hasn't seemed to have stopped them from playing shows. In fact, members Jon Snodgrass and Chad Price are releasing brand new solo records this year which will probably be popping up in rotation themselves sometime soon!

Julie Doiron - I Can Wonder What You Did With Your Day [Jagjaguwar]
Julie has been around the independent music scene for quite awhile. In the 90s she was in the notable band Eric's Trip and last years she appeared on an album with Phil Elverum. (Our CD of the month from October!) This album has been bashed a bit for returning to the fuzzy distorted sounds of Eric's Trip, but that sound was so good I don't mind hearing it again. There are some cutesy happy songs that are pretty good, but the best ones are sad and lonely. All the songs sound so big and all are solid indie rock anthems. This record bears repeated listens.

Various - I Woke Up One Morning in May [Mississippi Records]
Mississippi Records is one of my absolute favorite record labels around right now. They find the best music you've never, ever heard and put it out on affordable limited edition vinyl. And they're so hip they don't even have a website. Thurston Moore seems to have been involved with the label at some point, but I'll let wikipedia explain that better than I can. On this album we have a collection of blues from 1927-1934. These extra crackly tunes are refreshingly barebone, with just voice and guitar and simple lyrics. Maybe these unrelenting Depression-era songs are just what we need for our current situation.

-Katherine (music director)

Catching Wavves

2009-03-25T09:47:00.008-06:00

I was pretty excited to catch Wavves in Austin during SXSW. Here's a little video taken at Emo's of "Summer Goth" from Wavves' 2009 full-length Wavvves (Fat Possum); a record I'm confident I'll be revisiting when it's time for "2009 Best Of" lists.

Wavves - Summer Goth

You can listen to a couple more tracks from Wavvves here:

- Ed Post (Under The Mattress)

ALELA DIANE - To Be Still [Rough Trade]

2009-03-24T20:37:00.004-06:00

In a dive urbanized java-stop I'm giving a first listen to Alela Diane's latest Rough Trade release, To Be Still. This CD is so deck it's killing me, the grayed out bohemian goofing my mind through ear-buds and window reflections, typing on a single-finger keyboard and getting off to the effortless melodies and seemingly overcast lyrics. All the while tapping my foot and abusing the free Wi-Fi, searching out exactly who is Alela Diane Menig?

Running up and around the west coast between Northern California, S.F., and Portland brewed up the smooth loathing Psych Folk style Alela is becoming known for. Her lyrics float and sink on cloudy mountains and snow-covered paths. Windy relationships pull at this child like a sedated kite over a rocky beach. The range of her voice spans the clarity of Arctic ice and the mellowness of a 56 year old whiskey I just dug out of my dead father's liquor stash.

Sniffing through the world-wideness does not give up much dirt on Alela's backing band, except it consists of her father Tom Menig (Deadbeats), hipster Michael Hurley (hepcat fiddler with Son Volt, Calexico and Lucinda Williams) and a host of musically adept friends she keeps in her kitchen by feeding them grilled cheese sandwiches and smoky lyrics.

This 11 track CD is a complete joy and I predict it to be my top pick for 2009... now I am committed. The vocals are right out front and the accompaniment includes a diversity of stringed instruments (cello, fiddle, mandolin, banjo), plenty of tribal beats and interesting effects. It all fits so perfectly with Alela Diane's vocals.

The eerie stillness of "Every Path" makes it my favorite track. Other joys of solace include the walking beat with steel guitar in "To Be Still" and the somewhat traditional folk sound of "The Alder Trees".

Alela Diane Menig is playing SXSW this week, then directly off to the UK for a European tour through April. She returns to the states in early May to play Seattle's Triple Door with Iron & Wine. I can only imagine the harmonic possibilities of a Sam Beam/Alela Diane duet.

Previous releases by Menig include The Pirate's Gospel [Holocene Music, 2006] and two self-released EP's, Forest Parade [2003] and The Pirate's Gospel, [2004].

-Jay Niemoth

"To Be Still" is Radio1190's CD of the month for March 2009.
Read more reviews at Vitamin Fuzz.

Casiotone for the Painfully Alone Interview

2009-03-24T19:40:00.005-06:00

I caught up with Owen Ashworth, also known as Casiotone for the Painfully Alone, after one of his shows at SXSW. He played at one of the fantastic Todd P parties put on at Ms. Bea's. If you're unfamiliar with his music, the band name gives you a pretty good idea of what you're in for. He's been making lo-fi melancholy songs with a keyboard for about 12 years now out of San Francisco.

KP: So this was your first time at SXSW?
OA: Yeah, this is the first time.

KP: Did you like playing at the shows here?
OA: The shows are really fun. It's so...I get really stressy really easily. And the parking and the loading in and out just made me super crazy. This was the best of all of the shows, this was so much fun.

KP: The Todd P showcase?
OA: Yeah, absolutely. We had an official showcase last night and also there are so many bands playing everywhere that I don't think anything can sound that good because there's so much bleed and, I don't know, it just doesn't feel like the best environment for music. But this was great. I mean I felt like everyone here was...it felt less like an industry thing and more like just people who were excited. Like really enthusiastic. So this was super fun.

KP: What are some of the other bands you've been excited about who are playing at SXSW?
OA: The Parenthetical Girls and No Kids are also on Tomlab and we played at the same showcase last night and I really love them. I really was happy to see them. My friends the Donkeys played earlier today and I saw them and they were great. There's this woman named Dri. She's amazing, she's so great. She's playing tonight, we're going to go try and see her. I haven't seen...I saw Mirah for like a minute and then had to go load the car. I haven't seen a ton of stuff. Best Friends Forever were cool, but it's just been the logistics. It takes a long time to set up for a show.

KP: How did you like playing at a big festival like this compared to a show on tour?
OA: I would generally rather just play like a normal small show, because it's easier. But you know I totally see the purpose of it - it's totally exciting I feel like when people who have the stamina for that much music can come and get excited and see like 40 bands in a weekend. It feels like a special thing. When I was a teenager I went to Lollapalooza and that was, I mean I didn't get to go to concerts very often, and that was so exciting. There was so much music. I remember I only knew a couple of the bands playing. I knew Nick Cave and I was walking by one of the smaller stages and I saw Stereolab playing, but I didn't know them. I just saw this band playing one chord for three minutes and I was so confused - I had never seen anyone do that before. And then years later I heard one of their records and really liked it. I was really glad that I was exposed to that maybe before I was ready for it. But I think it's great to be able to see a lot of kinds of music happen. It's totally valuable, but I don't know, I just think especially because I tour and I'm at so many shows. I mean I go to shows more nights than I don't in my life. Because of that I really have a hard time concentrating on more than a couple bands at a time. I love going to see one or two bands that I really like and that's enough for the night for me usually. My ears start to hurt otherwise.

KP: What are you working on with Casiotone? What are your future plans?
OA: Well right now I just finished this record and there's going to be a lot of touring through the summer. I'm going to Europe with a full band for April, May and then I'll be touring in the US in June, July, August. And I'm getting married in the Fall, so I'm going to take a little time off to do that. And then I'm probably going to make another record in the Fall. Another tour in the Fall, but I'm gonna try and record another record. It's like half done.

KP: Awesome. Thank you.
OA: Sure thing. What was the radio station?

KP: It's KVCU in Boulder, CO.
OA: Oh yeah, that's where my Dad lives. I'm gonna be out there in end of July/early August.

Keep your ears tuned to 1190 for some brand new Casiotone records soon!

DJ ALISHA: High Five of Awesome

2009-03-23T23:49:00.002-06:00

5 things that are awesome-

REAL Lucha Libre coming to Denver: Top-Name Luchadores straight from Mexico, including L.A. Park, Tinieblas Jr, Rey Misterio and Mascara Sagrada... plus masked heroes Quantum and Lucifer - all descend in one spot for full-tilt, top-rope-flying, mask-wearing madness! First time in Denver -- don't miss it, amigos! My friend Sid Pink is hosting some of this show and I cannot wait. I've only gone to Mexican Wrestling once and a semi-pro thing another time and had some of the most fun ever sitting in bleachers at these shows.

Date: Saturday, April 4, 2009
Time: 7:00pm - 10:00pmLocation: National Western Complex - Arena Stadium
Street: I-70 & Washington
City/Town: Denver, CO

Buy tickets on-line at www.FMLL.ticketleap.com/OR at any Illegal Pete's location/ OR at FashioNation! 13th & Pearl

OH AND GUESS WHAT, I'll be giving away tickets on Wednesday from 4-6pm!

Twilight on DVD: Its more the teasing of it being on dvd. I read the books and of course I'm one of the girls to be fond of the main character Edward Cullen, but as a journalist I'm more fascinated rather than obsessed with the whole Twilight phenomenon! However, it is on dvd and I'm borrowing it from my neighbor so I can relive the book through film. And I also joined the Facebook club "Because I read Twilight I have unrealistic expectations in Men" just cuz. Oh and I "Stuff on My Cat" my cat with the Twilight dvd. Do you think I should post it to their site, the pic isn't good and was taken on a camera phone and taken impulsively not earnestly?!

$5 t-shirt sale at Threadless.com: Great designs for everyone all discounted until March 30, nuff said!

New Fever Ray album: Um, the sister of the duo The Knife has a side project that is equally as rad as her and her brother's band. There has been a couple videos and mp3s online of this for months, but the album is out today on Mute and I promise its super good!

Movie news: Trailer for Year One online, the first draft of the new Muppets script has been completed and is supposed to be really great oh and best of all, Sam Raimi says that he and Bruce Campbell are going to team up for another Evil Dead film! Holla!

Love to you,

The coolest guy ever!

2009-03-23T16:13:00.004-06:00

Omar Souleyman
"Leh Jani"
Sublime Frequencies

Sublime Frequecies

2009-03-23T15:30:00.004-06:00

My recent obsession has been the Seattle-based recording label Sublime Frequencies. I first heard of SFs at the behest of a friend who sent me a copy of '1970's Algeria Proto-Rai Underground, at which point I was hooked.

As a devotee to other-worldy sounds, I became fascinated with every SF release I could get my hands on. Unfortunately, all of the vinyl copies have have long since sold out during my indoctrination and I am left with solely with the mp3 option.

Explore this label!!

http://www.sublimefrequencies.com/

-Charles

Radio 1190 T-Shirts, Lakeside Waffles, DKBC oh my!

2009-03-22T10:57:00.011-06:00

Just got back from breakfast at Lakeside Waffles. I live in that hood so it was a very nice Sunday morning treat. I ordered the "Waffles in Stereo" which I kept calling Apples in Stereo because it was an apple-y waffle (I think the band influenced the name but I forgot to ask Aaron, one of the owners).

I ran into the "John Cougar Mellencamp" DKBC team eating there and an old friend that has some history with 1190 is on the team. I saw Ian from "Ian's Emo Corner" a segment on Milkman Dan's afternoon radio show that he hosted before he took the morning show over from me circa 2001ish. Ian is now in a pretty successful band here in Denver called Laylights. They are looking for a new bassist if you're looking for a band to play in.

I love that the DKBC is alive and well and more competitive and costume-y as ever. I haven't played in 7 years... since before the DKBC existed. I need to free up my schedule a little more and participate, or at least be a cheerleader. I love kickball. Radio 1190 has a kickball team and they're all getting super excited for the new season. I hear the draft is next week at hi-dive.

When I was leaving Lakeside Waffles today, I saw a guy walking his dog wearing a Radio 1190 t-shirt, which made me giddy because I've got nothing but love for this great station! Which reminds me... the Radio 1190 Pledge Drive is coming up meaning a new t-shirt design to add to your collection. I do so hope you support our station again this year. We wouldn't be here without you!

This last hour of my life reminded me of what a great community we have. I love Radio 1190 so much... the music and the people add value to my simple and quirky little life.

<3,

DJ ALISHA RECORD REVISIT & Austin Stories...

2009-03-20T17:17:00.004-06:00

Its been a little quiet on the 1190 blog lately... I blame SXSW. Therefore, no new RECORD REVISIT this week. But here's your chance to vote for the next record from my collection that I re-review!

VOTE FOR NEXT FRIDAY'S RECORD REVISIT:

1)The Busy Signals - Baby's First Beats
2)DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince - He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper
3)Papa M - Live in a Shark Cage
VOTE BY LEAVING A COMMENT IN THE COMMENT SECTION BELOW!

To view past RECORD REVISITS see:

Destroyer - City of Daughters

Ween - Pure Guava

Land of the Loops - Bundle of Joy

Okay, so the whole SXSW thing. I've gotten exciting texts from friends over the last week about who they're seeing on the streets, how much bbq they can eat, what shows they've liked and its made me kind of wish that I was in Austin myself.

But since I can't be there this year, I'll just pull out my old VHS tapes of the tv show "Austin Stories." Did you ever see this show? There's only 12 episodes and it was on MTV back in the 90s.

I don't believe its out on dvd, but you can watch pretty much all episodes on youtube.

Enjoy your weekend,

HELLS Yeah Yeah Yeahs!

2009-03-19T11:52:00.004-06:00

How about a little YEAH YEAH YEAHS to rock your socks?!

I finally got a chance to watch the new Yeah Yeah Yeahs video for "Zero" and I love it. The director captures the feel of all the great 80s videos that I watched over and over again as a growing girl. Karen O. really does a great job at pulling off the attitude, body movements and facial expressions of music videos from ladies like Madonna and Pat Benatar. And the band is sounding as great as ever with Mz. O's vocals channelling Dale Bozzio or Siouxie Sioux.

The video won't embed, so you have to click on YEAH YEAH YEAHS above. Its so good, I hope you watch.

YYY's new album "It's Blitz" comes out on March 31, 2009.

<3,

Alisha.

Robbert Bobbert and His Bubble Machine

2009-03-18T09:59:00.000-06:00

Robert Schneider from The Apples in Stereo has a new side-project called Robbert Bobbert and His Bubble Machine and he released the debut album last month.

The rad thing about this is that its a children's album so its nice and poppy! I haven't listened to it yet, but I know it will be. Well I've only listened to the few songs on myspace and need to get my butt over to iTunes and buy the album. I love Robert's voice, songwriting and think this is a perfect fit for him. Like when TMBG went all kid or Devo.

Or ya know, if you want to visit the opposite side of the age spectrum, check out this video of old people listening to and reviewing "today's hottest music" like Animal Collective!

Tune in from 4-6pm today, I'm on-air!

This week at the IFS

2009-03-17T22:23:00.006-06:00

Well friend, sadly there's no IFS this week. This means my friend Pablo who programs it won't be on the show with me tomorrow to give away free tickets... so I expect you to call and make a request or just call to say 'hey'! IFS is taking a Spring Break 2009 hiatus and will resume April 1st.

The rest of the films on the calendar span awesomeness from all over the world like France, Japan, Denver...

So what to do until the IFS resumes...

SNUGGIE up with a loved one and watch a film from home.

<3,

When a father loves a daughter

2009-03-16T23:08:00.003-06:00

We just got a reissue of a Serge Gainsbourg album originally released in 1971. I'm reviewing it so I decided to do a little research on the man himself. I knew he was worshiped in his native France and his libido was seemingly endless as well as tactless. However, this video exceeded everything I though he could be capable of. It's is good for a laugh or two if you don't mind feeling guilty afterward.

So many things about this. The fact he's shirtless and she's pantless. The fact she looks like a boy. The fact she was 13 and he was 54 when they recorded it. The fact the bed looks like it's already in hell. The amazingly 80's synth beat. The goddammed cheery chorus spouting in English over everything. The fact they're father and daughter. Holy crap. I don't know whether to laugh or call Dateline.

~Rev. Adam (Culture Clash, Tues. 9-11pm)

DJ ALISHA: High Five (things I love)

2009-03-16T08:28:00.008-06:00

Here's 5 things I'm lovin' on:

2)Parker Lewis Can't Lose coming to DVD in June. You know, I haven't seen this show since its original run. I know I could probably go to youtube right now and watch parts of an episode, but I think it will be worth the wait. Now, it will probably be not as awesome as I remember it to be, but it'll be fun to relive. It was on Sunday nights on Fox, right?

3)Cake Mania on the iPhone! I'm like so obsessed with this game. I had it on the Nintendo DS and would stay up all night trying to bake, frost, decorate and deliver the cakes in record time. I even beat it so well that I got a special extended level. This game was so addictive that I would play it between bands at concerts. So yeah, its on the iPhone now and I'm SO looking forward to seeing what has changed with the game and if there's secret levels.

4)Let the Right One In: Swedish vampire flick. I finally saw it! Its about a 12 year old boy who at school is continually bullied, but after school he starts up a relationship/friendship with a girl who turns out to be a vampire.

5)Tocabe: a newish food joint in Denver (corner of 44th and Lowell) that is Native American fare meets Chipotle. Native American style tacos (which means the tacos are served on fry bread) and Chipotle in its design... assembly line style, simple menu and cheap. Fry bread is so good, and their salsas are awesome too. I'm hooked. (pic from Westword)

To see past High 5zzzzz clicky:

Week 1

Week 2

What are you lovin' on? Post in the comments!

Talk soon,

A Neo-Psychedelic Gem

2009-03-15T00:44:00.003-06:00

Coexisting with such 80's era psychedelic-revival juggernauts as The Bevis Frond, Purple Overdose created some mind bending sounds from of all places Athens, Greece.

Enjoy
-Charles

DJ ALISHA RECORD REVISIT: Destroyer - City of Daughters

2009-03-13T15:16:00.002-06:00

Its time for another edition of DJ Alisha's Record Revisit. This is where I re-review an album from my record collection that I haven't listened to in years and you vote on which one I review!

So you had a choice of albums from Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Galaxie 500 and Destroyer. You chose Destroyer.

VITAL STATS:
Artist: Destroyer
Album: City of Daughters
Label: Triple Crown Audio
Year: 1998

A few things before I review this. My love affair with Destroyer started when his album Thief came out in January 2000 and Radio 1190 made it their "CD of the Month." I loved this album so much I went to Wax Trax when it was still around on the hill to get the rest of his music.

Oh and if you don't know, Destroyer is a project of Canadian artist Dan Bejar and Dan Bejar is also a member of The New Pornographers and Hello, Blue Roses and probably some other groups that you can find when you google him.

(LISTEN LISTEN LISTEN TO CITY OF DAUGHTERS)

I'm a few songs in and its definitely a lot more stripped down than Thief (which is just what I will compare it against, since its my favorite). But there's a good balance of instrumentation and vocals, which I like so that his lyrics don't get lost in the music. Its very sparse and lo-fi. Its great.

Songs I'm diggin' on: "The Space Race" is really upbeat and poppy, "Comments on the World As Will" is pretty and "I Want This Cyclops" is just a really great song. "You Were So Cruel" is pretty good too, its both a lot of reverb and stripped down at at the same time. I really like his songwriting on "State of the Union." The closing track "Son of the Earth" is a perfect ending to a really great album.

Dan Bejar has long been an indie crush of mine. Last year (well I guess end of 2007) when I saw The New Pornographers in concert he was wearing a scarf and just looked so handsome and dapper, but had this messy hair that was so fitting for how I wanted him to look--- he would hang out backstage, but then when it was a song that he was a part of, he'd come onstage, sing and then leave. SO COOL (hee hee)! I actually thought he was looking like a younger version of Tim Burton. But I'm not an "all looks" kind of girl, I love voices, and that's why I'll always love Dan Bejar and his project Destroyer.

So City of Daughters is a great record, but I must say I love Thief more. I love Theif more because the songs are more poppy and I'm a pop girl. But there's no denying how great of a songwriter Bejar is and what an incredibly well-written and poetic album this is. Give City of Daughters a listen, then Thief... if you've never listened to Destroyer before or not too much or not in a long time like me, you may find yourself wanting to go on a Destroyer kick!

Here's some of my City of Daughters faves-

Did you like this segment? Now tell me what I should listen to next...

VOTE FOR NEXT FRIDAY'S RECORD REVISIT:

1)The Busy Signals - Baby's First Beats
2)DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince - He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper
3)Papa M - Live in a Shark Cage

VOTE BY LEAVING A COMMENT IN THE COMMENT SECTION BELOW (you don't need a login and you can vote anonymously if you want to).

To view past RECORD REVISITS see:

Ween - Pure Guava

Land of the Loops - Bundle of Joy

Happy Friday,

Grandmaster Flash interview

2009-03-12T20:09:00.003-06:00

Grandmaster Flash, a.k.a. ‘The Wheels of Steel” is one of the originators of hip-hop, making up the triad of forefathers along with Kool Herc and Afrika Bambaataa. Leading the MC crew, The Furious Five, Flash unleashed some of the most renowned hip-hop of the 70’s and 80’s, including the 1982 classic “The Message”, which transformed hip-hop from party music to a conscious culture with a socio-political message. Now more than 30-years after the music’s inception Grandmaster Flash is back with The Bridge, his second release on Strut following the innovative The Official Adventures of Grandmaster Flash, which tells Flash’s story through a mixtape-like format, weaving together interviews with old and new material.

When I spoke to Grandmaster Flash he was at his home in New York City, packing his suitcase for an eight day Australian tour. Excited to leave New York’s winter for the Australian sun, he was eagerly packing shorts and sandals and excited to venture ‘Down Under,’ mentioning that they are “deep into hip-hop, both old school and new.”

Bardos Freedoom: Where did you get your nickname, “The Wheels of Steel”?

Grandmaster Flash: People call me that? Well the wheels of steel are the turntable platters, so I guess people think of me as a turntable.

BF: Your new album is called The Bridge; can you talk about some of the bridges you’ve crossed throughout hip-hop’s history?

GMF: I created the album like a DJ set. It’s got a 70’s template with a 2009 feel. The bridges refer to going from one genre to another. Like in a DJ set you might move from “Apache” to Jay Z. But the album is also a mirror of international talent that I have been lucky enough to experience while traveling the world. On the track “We Speak Hip-Hop”, there is a mix of international MC’s rapping in English, Swedish, Spanish and Spanglish. I wanted to create an album with a diversity of tracks to reflect the diversity of hip-hop; pairing famous MC’s with unknown MC’s and American MC’s with international rappers.

BF: Do you think hip-hop is now a global music?

GMF: Hip-hop is the most popular music in the world. It used to be country, but now it’s hip-hop. Journalists say that hip-hop is global. But I think for hip-hop to truly be global you have to be able to turn on the radio and hear a track with American and overseas influences. And that hasn’t happened yet. But music is a universal language so it will happen.

BF: Do you think hip-hop has stayed true to your “Message”?

GMF: The last thing I am thinking about is politics. I am a DJ, I jam. I play funky breaks for dope audiences. I love KRS-One and Public Enemy and that facet of hip-hop, but if I only thought about one facet of hip-hop, we wouldn’t have the diversity that we do.

BF: Hip-hop began as a DJ centered culture, where rapping served the purpose of prepping the audience for the next record, but today MC’ing has become the primary focus. Because of this change some people mistake you as an MC even though you’re a DJ and producer. What are your feelings about this?

GMF: There was a time when people thought I was an MC, but thank God that doesn’t happen anymore. That confusion was mostly because someone in my crew decided to steal my name. So people were like, are you the hairy or the bald Grandmaster Flash. But that’s over now.

BF: The Bridge features guest appearances by Q-Tip, Big Daddy Kane, Snoop Dog, KRS-One and many others. What is it like to make an album with such a large and rotating cast of artists?

GMF: It’s interesting. When I made these tracks I would burn a CD, put it into my car stereo and drive around for hours listening to them. With “Swagger” I was like that is a Snoop track, and so I found him. With “Bounce Back” I thought, man I miss the old school Busta Rhymes, so I contacted Busta and told him that I missed his old flow style. After we did the track he thanked me for getting him to go back to his roots.

BF: On The Bridge you feature mainstream and underground MC’s and DJ’s, what differences and similarities do you notice between these two cultures?

GMF: From my point of view I am just pro hip-hop. I don’t see a difference, I just see one being more accessible than the other. A lot of the underground shit is dope and a lot of the mainstream stuff is dope. But I did think the album would be incomplete without unknown talent.

BF: Why do you think mainstream hip-hop is more accessible than the underground?

GMF: It’s you journalists, TV announcers and the media from the Internet. Journalists are the new boombox’s, the new hand fliers. And I think it is a shame more underground artists aren’t covered. There are so many people in hip-hop from the 70’s that never get interviewed and are being forgotten. Everyone always asks me about the 80’s, which is when the music became commercial. But that is just the way it is. As for the Internet, I don’t want people to find out about Grandmaster Flash on the Internet. You know I could be in your town and we could jam in your car. I don’t want to be a folklore just yet. In order to leave an impact you have to connect with people.

BF: I think women’s impact on hip-hop is very underappreciated. On “Those Chix” you feature all-female MC’ing with Byata, Princess Superstar, Hedonis de Amazon and Syndee. What are your opinions about women’s impact on hip-hop and whether or not they have been misrepresented?

GMF: I agree, they have been misrepresented. I had to do that song. I wanted to put women MC’s who come from a different walk of life to an up-tempo beat.

BF: Where do you want to see hip-hop in another 30 years?

Growing. That’s all I can say. I want it to keep growing.

-Bardos Freedoom (Chicago correspondent)

Read more interviews and reviews at Vitamin Fuzz.

MARISSA NADLER - Little Hells [Kemado]

2009-03-12T13:59:00.001-06:00

The unsuitably named genre free-folk has gained enough praise and attention in the past couple of years to raise its leading artists to rock star status; specifically Devendra Banhart, Coco Rosie and Joanna Newsome. In doing so the music has practically wilted away, becoming stale and formulaic. The name ‘free-folk’ implies a devotion to free-improvisation and unconventional structures; yet few artists have followed these obvious implications. Apart from Sunburned Hand of Man, Jeweled Antler Collective, No-Neck Blues Band and a few other intrepid souls, most artists choose the formula to success rather than the more uncharted path of exploration. Marissa Nadler on the other hand is a bit of an enigma. She too doesn’t employ free-improvisation and although she is stylistically connected to some of the more famed names of the so-called free-folk scene, her traditional style is somehow distinct, a mirror of the past with a haunting ghost-like presence. Perhaps her uniqueness is because she’s managed to stay under the radar, which has enabled her from selling-out. However, I don’t think her distance from mediocrity is as dogmatic as fame equals unauthentic art, but rather because the honesty of her songwriting is unwavering.

In the same desolate vein of Songs III: Bird on the Water, Nadler’s latest offering winds through a decaying forest of isolation, heartbreak and longing. But it would be foolish to expect an album called Little Hells to be a strict joie de vivre. But unlike her sorrow filled contemporaries, namely Jason Molina and Mark Kozelek, Nadler’s delivery offers an unspoken sense of hope, like on “Ghosts & Lovers” as she gorgeously utters, “I’m more than blue, I’m violet.”

Little Hells utilizes the dramatic change of seasons as an allegory for the unpredictably of love. Change shapes more then the lyricism of Little Hells; Nadler leaves behind the barren instrumentation of her usual guitar and voice for a beautiful warmth of organs, strings, percussion and steel-guitar, which together with lyrics like, “I know we had a beautiful life, but things change like the leaves on the vine” and “the flowers died a long time ago”, craft a poignant impression. When Nadler sings, “cob webs and rose pedals define her,” on the albums title track, although she is speaking of “a dark cloud of little hells”, it is also a fitting line for Nadler herself: an emblem of her dusty sound, sincere soul and austere charm.

-Bardos Freedoom (Chicago correspondent)

Little Hells is currently featured in Radio1190's new rotation.
Read more reviews at Vitamin Fuzz.

VARIOUS ARTISTS - Fly Girls! B-Boys Beware: Revenge of the Super Female Rappers [Soul Jazz]

2009-03-12T13:51:00.000-06:00

Perhaps the most underappreciated element in popular music is women’s immense contribution to hip-hop. An impact that has been suppressed by prearranged mainstream strategies to enforce hip-hop through ridiculous notions of hypermasculinty and chauvinism. Telling the true tale of hip-hop is long overdue and fortunately Soul Jazz Records has once again stepped up the task with the celebratory compilation: Fly Girls! B-Boys Beware: Revenge of the Super Female Rappers. A fitting title, for revenge is best served cold on two turntables and a microphone.

Fly Girls commemorates thirty years of women MC’s on record. Sugar Hill Records entrepreneur Sylvia Robinson produced the first commercial hip-hop album in 1979 with “Rappers Delight”. Nevertheless, women in hip hop follow a lineation further back than Sugar Hill Records and can be traced to the funky-sassy-attitude of Millie Jackson “The Grandmother of Rap” and depending on how flexible your definition is, to Nina Simon’s “Funkier than a Mosquitoes Tweeter”. But Soul Jazz’s timetable on Fly Girls is appropriate for the sound we’ve come to identify as hip-hop today.

Soul Jazz has done a bang-up job blending legendary names from the Golden Age, with the likes of Queen Latifah, MC Lyte and Roxanne Shante, with forgotten artists like JJ Fad and Cookie Crew, while also mixing in contemporary names such as Missy Elliott. From the old school to the new, from boom-boom-bap, club bangers and G-funk to dope jazzy beats, with so much diversity, Fly Girls is sewn together with the flow of empowerment.

-Bardos Freedoom (Chicago correspondent)

Fly Girls! is currently featured in Radio1190's new rotation.
Read more reviews at Vitamin Fuzz.

Denver Supergroups

2009-03-12T13:20:00.001-06:00

There are two pretty new local supergroups with upcoming shows I've been getting really excited about!

HOUSES
Houses is an indie-pop group with members of Widowers, Blue Million Miles, Hearts of Palm, Harpoontang and a bunch of others. They'll be at the Hi-Dive on Friday March, 20th opening up for other local bands D. Biddle and Everything Absent or Distorted. Definitely check out this show because D. Biddle shows are few and far between these days.

SNAKE RATTLE RATTLE SNAKE
This band features members of Bad Luck City, Monofog, Mr. Pacman and Hawks of Paradise. They're so secret and hip there's not much info about them to be found on the interweb. They'll be at the Hi-Dive also on March 26th opening up for Ideal Fathers and Lion Sized. Don't miss them either!

-Katherine (Local Shakedown)

Theramin

2009-03-12T12:32:00.000-06:00

An article about the Russian Physicist who invented the electronic instrument that became a sound effect staple of Science Fiction and also found it's way onto the Beach Boys hit "Good Vibrations". This article is taken from the Denver-based Russian newspaper 'Gorizont'('Horizon'). Unfortunately its all in Russian, but cool nonetheless.

"The Mistake of the Engineer Termin: Leev Termin-Musician, Inventor, Spy"

My Bloody Valentine Tours Denver

2009-03-12T09:48:00.001-06:00

Did you see that My Bloody Valentine is coming through Denver in April?

A friend of mine in NYC just texted me the news and I had to google!

Yay for Kevin Shields! Get ready to get your wall of noise on!

Here's the skinny:

My Bloody Valentine

April 24

Fillmore

Denver

Presale tickets available on March 13, which is tomorrow!

Have a listen at MBV's most-requested song at 1190:

Chairlift on New York Noise

2009-03-12T00:14:00.000-06:00

New York Noise is a really awesome TV show in NY which covers indie and underground music. They have features on the web with lots of 1190's favorite bands - Yeasayer, Les Savy Fav, Simian Mobile Disco and way more. They just put up a clip with the electro-pop group Chairlift. While Chairlift are off in Brooklyn these days, they were once dear DJs/employees of 1190. Watch Chairlift show off their fancy NY apartment.

These guys will also be in town at the Bluebird on April 19th!

-Katherine

Denver Best of Poll

2009-03-11T21:32:00.000-06:00

It's time again for Westword's annual Best of Denver voting. You can go here to nominate your favorite local everythings in all sorts of categories. Remember to put your favorite Radio1190 DJ in there for #11 - Best Local Radio DJ! Get your votes in before Thursday, March 19th.

Punk Rock Singles #1 - The Adverts

2009-03-11T19:20:00.000-06:00

I've decided to start a segment here highlighting some of Punk's famed and not-so famed 7-inchers. Each post will include some (often misguided) insights and both sides of the record, as well as suggestions for further listening and reading if available. I've got a short list of singles I'm planning on posting about so if you have any suggestions send them my way via the comments button.

Punk Rock Singles #1 - "One Chord Wonders" B/W "Quickstep" by The Adverts (Stiff 1977)

Form it's feedback drenched opening to its sustained power-chord close "One Chord Wonders” is a classic, highlighted by its snotty self-aware lyrics and “fuck you” attitude. It's flip "Quickstep" ain't too shabby either; despite being omitted on the Adverts' 1978 full-length debut. Three minutes and eighteen seconds of immature electricity. Both songs come complete with energy driven How-Tos for B ored Teenagers.

“Come back when you’ve learned to play!” Why wait?

-Side A- -Side B-

---------------------------------------------------------

*Further listening: Crossing The Red Sea With The Adverts [Ultimate Edition] (Fire UK 2002); Anthology (Import 2003).

SXSW!

2009-03-11T13:42:00.000-06:00

For those of you going to Austin:

Check out the SXSW music player. It's a random stream of all the bands who will be playing in Austin. Good way to find out about all those bands you've never heard of!

For those of you not going to Austin:

Denver's Decider has made a list of all the SXSW-bound bands who are also coming through Colorado. Radio1190 is presenting nearly all these shows, so maybe you can even go for free!

All day I dream about Tim & Eric.

2009-03-11T10:45:00.000-06:00

While bloggers seem to *still* be gossiping about "Wayne VS Win," the recent engagement of teen-star Mandy Moore to indie-hunk Ryan Adams or MIA telling the press to f-off because she doesn't want to reveal her brand new baby son's name, all I want to blog about today is my love for Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim.

They haven't done anything "gossip" worthy but just remain two rad comedians/writers/directors/producers/adorable guys that make the best sketch comedy show I can't get enough of.

Their surreal sketches, hilarious/infectious songs and sometimes gross-me-out characters on the show Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! is all I can think about right now!

You can watch episodes and clips of Tim and Eric on Adult Swim! They just posted a new episode called "Tommy" where they hire cult-director Tommy Wiseau (don't even ask how many times I've seen The Room) to direct a sketch. Also in the episode Fred Willard stars in a sketch called "Mancierge" and Denver is mentioned in it! Please watch it by clicking on "Tommy." Also spend some time at this link watching some more clips.

I love that they have an amazing rotating cast of characters involved in the show including some of my favorites like Willard, Bob Odenkirk, Zach Galifianakis and John C. Reilly to name a few. But they also have discovered some great lesser know gems like David Leibe Hart. I wish they needed a lesser funny DJ girl to add to the cast, I have worked in tv before, ya know... <3

I'm listening to their album Awesome Record, Great Songs right now wishing someone was here with me to laugh along. Some of my favorite songs "Come Over," "Father and Son," "Rolo Tony," "Long Legs," "Petite Feet," "Raz," "Lost in the Wheel" and well most of the 47 tracks on the record.

Indie rock heroes The Shins and Built to Spill both cover songs on the record, but I actually like the originals better. There's an amazing song on here sung by Aimee Mann called "Hearts" which is so pretty. If you know the show, "pretty" is not really a word that people would use to describe the show or the songs, but these guys are truly genius writers and can write "pretty" songs even if the lyrics are gross or the sketch the song compliments is twisted, they sure know how to make it sound real pretty.

I think Tim and Eric deserve every penny they earn and then some. Hollywood shouldn't be paying big bucks to Will Smith and Tom Cruise when there's guys like Tim and Eric who are my leading men.

LYLAS,

(PS: I'm on-air today from 4-6pm)

Roctober zine

2009-03-11T00:20:00.000-06:00

I was at Kilgore Books in Denver a few weeks ago and noticed an issue of the Roctober zine in their racks. It's put out in Chicago and ended up in Kilgore via local cartoonist John Porcellino who is friends with the creator. Since I had just spent so much money at Wax Trax I passed this up, but ended up ordering a copy online after I realized how awesome it is! It's got tons of musical content and comix. The issue I got in the mail is a zine "tribute" issue, which means they scanned in tons of articles from other old zines. My favorite parts were:

-Teenlife article about the Walker Brothers. "What they're like out of the public eye." Well apparently they were a bunch of jerks making ridiculous demands like any other rock band I guess. This article was pretty funny.
-Extensive biography of the garage rock group The Standells written by the late Greg Shaw of BOMP!
-Interview with John Holmstrom, an underground cartoonist who started Punk Magazine. He was an originator of the term "punk rock."
-Lester Bangs article about Nico which was supposed to run in New Wave Rock magazine, but got cut in favor of a story about the recent Nancy Spungen (girlfriend of Sid Vicious) murder.
-A million one-liner music reviews...Melt-Banana "Scratch or Stitch" (Skin Graft) - There is no other band with as much harmony between their name and their sound as this one.
-Offbeat comix about musicians by Slink Moss.

It's a hefty zine at about 70 pages and it was just 3 bucks! Most issues also feature interviews done by Nardwuar the Human Serviette.

There are tons of back issues available from the Roctober site. You can get brand new issues from Dusty Groove, King Cat distribution or Kilgore. Check it out! I think the next one I order will be Issue #27 -- Psychedelic Superhero, featuring a story about the Wax Trax record label in Chicago...

-Katherine (i heart comix)

Fort Collins Music Experiment

2009-03-10T22:54:00.000-06:00

Did you know that Fort Collins is home to tons of great bands? In fact, so many that they're putting on the first ever Fort Collins music festival this April! It's called FoCoMX and it's happening on April 10th and 11th at 12 different venues in downtown Fort Collins. A two-day pass is only $10 until April 1st! Then the price goes up to $15. Some of the bands I'm excited about checking out are: Otem Rellik, Feeling Beastly, Candy Claws, M. Pyres, Rad Vibes, The Tanukis, Chad Price and Paean.

Go here too to learn more about Fort Collins music: Fort Calling.

-Katherine (fort collins native)

This week at the IFS

2009-03-10T07:43:00.000-06:00

There's a whole lot of awesome going on over the next week at the IFS on the CU Boulder campus.

PAPRIKA
* Rad Anime Fantasy Film

Wed March 11
7:00 & 9:00

I KNOW WHERE I'M GOING!
* Romance film from 1945
Thu March 12
7:00 only

MOMMA'S MAN
* Director Casts His Parents in a Present-Day Peter Pan Tale
Fri March 13
7:00 & 9:00

BRAKHAGE SYMPOSIUM
* Two-Day Event Exploring Moving Visual Arts
Sat & Sun March 14 & 15
10:00am - 9:00pm

HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH
* Cult Hit Director John Cameron Mitchell In Person!
Mon March 16
7:00 only

MY PICK OF THE WEEK IS... tough to decide:
While the Brakhage Symposium is going to be wonderful, I have to go for Hedwig and the Angry Inch. I saw this at the IFS during its original run and I just thought this was such a fun film. And the director will be at the screening this week, so its extra COOL! Oh and did I mention there's free admission!

Go to the IFS website for more info.

See you at the movies!

30th Century Man comes to Denver

2009-03-09T22:10:00.000-06:00

30th Century Man, the first documentary made about Scott Walker, just opened at the Starz Film Center in Denver. You might recognize the film's namesake track from the soundtrack to "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou".

Scott Walker started making music with the Walker Brothers in the 60s. They moved to Britain and became part of the British Invasion, but when the band broke up Scott launched his own solo career. His orchestrated baroque pop and crooning voice made him very successful across the pond. David Bowie and Brian Eno were fans of his. He released several albums in late 60s and early 70s but then became quite reclusive when his commercial success came to an end. Since then each album of his has gotten weirder and weirder. For proof, check out this song off his latest album "The Drift," released by 4AD in 2006. The girl Clara mentioned in the title is in fact the mistress of Mussolini who was killed alongside him in 1945. The sounds of meat being punched are used in the song to emulate the beatings that the bodies received in Italy. As you can guess, this song is a pretty dark one.

Check out an extended trailer of the movie:

I've read lots of good reviews, but let me know what you thought if you've seen it!

-Katherine (Music Director)

DJ ALISHA: High Five

2009-03-09T06:52:00.000-06:00

Here's five things I'm loving on:

1)FuseTV is going to broadcast the 2009 Rock N Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony live! Now I don't have cable, but I'm gonna beg a friend to TiVo it for me so I can watch it (or just watch the highlights online). Among the musicians being inducted- Run-D.M.C., Metallica and Wanda Jackson. The live broadcast will be on April 4 @ 7pm MST on Fuse.

Here's a clip from Fuse's "greatest moments"-

....HAHAHA, I love the Sex Pistols!

2)New trailer released online for Jim Jarmusch's next film The Limits of Control. He has a great cast including Bill Murray and Tilda Swinton who have been in a few of his previous films. It comes out May 22. Here's a little info. on the film & the trailer via www.jim-jarmusch.net-

"The Limits of Control is the story of a mysterious loner, a stranger, whose activities remain meticulously outside the law. He is in the process of completing a job, yet he trusts no one, and his objectives are not initially divulged. His journey, paradoxically both intently focused and dreamlike, takes him not only across Spain but also through his own consciousness."

3)FLY GIRLS - B-BOYS BEWARE: REVENGE OF THE SUPER FEMALE RAPPERS. We just got

this record in the studio and I'm awaiting my copy to arrive so I can soak it all in and read the amazing booklet it comes with! Its a double-disc compilation of the past 30 years of female rappers. It features some of my favorites like: JJ Fad, MC Lyte and She Rockers. Its out on Soul Jazz records and you can listen to clips here!

4)A preview of Sonic Youth's new album "The Eternal" thanks to Newsweek:

"The Eternal" Montage for Newsweek.com - Sonic Youth

...I love vocal-heavy rock albums from these guys!

5)And lastly, I'm so happy I was able to catch up on the last few episodes of LOST. I'm not saying anything, NO SPOILERS from my typing fingers.

Thanks for reading and <3,

The Exploding Hearts

2009-03-06T18:41:00.000-07:00

I've been on a real power pop, punk, and new wave kick as of late. Blondie, The Nerves, The Real Kids, 20/20, and especially The Jam have all been getting a lot of attention over at Casa De Ed. What's been driving the interest even more is that I've recently been hipped to a band quickly becoming a favorite.

Why the hell did it take me so long to hear about The Exploding Hearts?

I guess the Portland-based quartet just slipped under my radar. They weren't exactly a household name, but they did get some people buzzing after the release of their first and only official full-length Guitar Romantic released on Seattle's Dirtnap records in 2003.

If three out of the four members hadn't been killed in a car crash while returning home from a gig they might still be riding high. Somewhere next to The Eddie Current Suppression Ring and The Busy Signals. Shame.

In 2006 Dirtnap released Shattered, which compiles early demos, alt. versions, rare singles, and previously unreleased material. It's currently blaring away in all it's rockin' glory on my table as I type.

These guys really did have something going for them. Listen for yourself...

-Ed (Under The Mattress)

Local Hip Hop

2009-03-06T12:44:00.000-07:00

The Colorado Rap Report blog just put up a free comp of local hip hop artists including 1865, Maneline, Pirate Signal, 1190's Kid Hum and a bunch of others. The perfect way to learn about our thriving local hip hop scene! Click on the image to get to the download link and tracklist. I'll be playing some songs from the comp on today's Local Shakedown show from 4-6. Tune in!

Thanks to the Westword blog for this tip!

-Katherine (Local Shakedown)

DJ ALISHA RECORD REVISIT: Ween - Pure Guava

2009-03-06T10:32:00.000-07:00

Its Friday and that means that its time for DJ Alisha's Record Revisit.

If you don't know what that means, check out my previous blog here about this new segment I've started.

So you voted and this week's Record Revisit winner is Ween's album Pure Guava.

VITAL STATS-

Artist: Ween
Album: Pure Guava

Label: Elektra
Year: 1992

I must have bought this album after hearing Ween on Beavis and Butt-head. You remember the "Push th' Little Daisies" skit? Well I loved their voices and needed to own their music.

Nowadays when I play Ween on the radio, I find myself wanting to play songs from Mollusk, 12 Golden Country Greats or their latest album La Cucaracha. I remember for a while "Freedom of '76" from Chocolate and Cheese would get requested ALL the time, to the point it was annoying that I never play songs from that anymore, even though I really like that album (and I know guys like the cover of that album).

So I'm listening to Pure Guava and I'm drugged up now on cold medicine and all I can think right now is this is a really great stoner record. I don't smoke "the pot," however, its kind of transforming me into the mindset as if I was. I feel all noodle-y and I realize I don't play songs off this record on the radio because there's a lot of curse words.

"Push th' Little Daisies" is still a cool quirky song, but I'm liking "Touch My Tooter," "Don't Get 2 Close (2 My Fantasy)," "Tender Situation," "The Stallion Pt. 3" and "Poop Ship Destroyer" better. A song that killed my "noodle-y" buzz is "Pumpin' 4 the Man" ...its a little too cloying for me in my snot-nosed, flu-like state. But then the album redeems itself with the next song, a slow song, "Sarah" with female vocals. "Big Jilm" is pretty kooky cute too.

I don't know about you, but I group Ween together with the group The Frogs and out of the two bands, I listen to The Frogs more, so I'm glad I'm revisiting this album again today. All in all, I like this album (actually a lot), but I don't see myself putting this on as "my album" again anytime soon. Its definitely one of those albums that complimented a different time in my life.

I really like the Ween brothers (BTW: they're not really brothers by birth, but they might as well be), they have a great sense of humor and are great songwriters even if their music many sound "weird" to some.

I saw them at Red Rocks a while back and they have such devoted fans. My brother is a huge fan. At one of their Red Rocks shows he was doing a cookout in the parking lot handing out "weeners" to people and making friends who love Ween just as much as him. I like them a lot, but I wouldn't consider myself a "Ween-hard" or whatever the fans call themselves. A few years ago I remember reading this great A.V. Club interview with Dean Ween where he said that fans come to the town in Pennsylvania where they live all the time to find them. Dean said that while he used to love hanging out with fans, he doesn't want to be bothered much anymore (I need to find that article, it gave me a fresh perspective to the band at that time).

Ween has been making records for about 25 years and I appreciate all of them, even if they're not "culturally important" on a mass scale, I think they at least deserve a listen. I'm glad I revisited Pure Guava for you today.

Rock out with me, won't you:

NOW FOR NEXT WEEK, VOTE FOR THE NEXT RECORD REVISIT:

1)Galaxie 500 - Copenhagen

2)Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - The Good Son

3)Destroyer - City of Daughters

VOTE BY LEAVING A COMMENT IN THE COMMENT SECTION BELOW (you don't need a login and you can vote anonymously if you want to).

LYLAS,

SXSW parties

2009-03-05T20:09:00.000-07:00

Planning to go to SXSW later this month? I was thinking of buying a badge, but after seeing how many free parties are going on with incredible bands I think I can do without it. Although I might still pay to see the Sonics...Here's where to find out about all the parties: Ultra8201 & Austin360. Most require RSVP's.

I also wanted to give a shout-out to all the Denver bands who will be in Austin - Overcasters, Dressy Bessy, Wovenhand, Meese, Pictureplane, Laura Goldhamer, Epilogues, Young Coyotes, Born in the Flood, The Photo Atlas. That's a lot!

A few of us from the station are going down to Austin and will be telling you all about how much fun we're having right as it happens.

-Katherine (really excited for sxsw)

The Astounding Problem of Andrew Novick on CBS

2009-03-05T18:02:00.000-07:00

Alisha wrote earlier about Andrew Novick's display up at The Lab at Belmar. This Friday evening at 5:30 Andrew and his collection will be featured on the Assignment American portion of CBS News! If you can't tune in then (because you'll be listening to the Local Shakedown) it will be up on the internet soon.

The Astounding Problem of Andrew Novick will actually be the last exhibit ever at the Lab, as they recently announced that they'll be moving into the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver. The exhibit is up until May so go visit! On the last Saturday of each month at 3:00 pm Andrew will be giving gallery talks and he keeps bringing in new things to the exhibit!

**Update: Here's a link to the video!

-Katherine (local shake-shake-shakedown)

Brooks Center Arts to close

2009-03-05T10:05:00.001-07:00

I just got an email yesterday from Laura Goldhamer announcing that the Brooks Center Arts: Underground Teahouse will be closing. The Underground Teahouse is located in the basement of the Brooks Center for Spirituality off of Colfax and Williams. Laura has been using the space to put on shows and classes. They have put on many incredible events like Mt. Eerie's show last fall and always made community and potlucks a part of their events.

The decision to close the space was not made by Laura and came as a surprise to her. You can read more about it here and offer input.

Upcoming shows that have me in a tizzy

2009-03-05T08:37:00.000-07:00

There's starting to be a lot of talk about SXSW this year, but I'm not going so I thought I'd feature some upcoming concerts that I can't wait to attend here in D-town.

Stereo Total & Leslie and the Ly's: Its no lie, I love both of these acts. I've seen them both in concert and I love Stereo Total's songs and Leslie's live act!

3/27/09

Bluebird Theater

Mirah: She's such a cutie pie. Her album "You Think Its Like This But Really Its Like This" was the first album I reviewed at 1190.

4/12/09

Hi-Dive, 16+

Yann Tiersen: The only time I've tried to see him in concert was in London and he was supposed to be playing with Calexico. Then he cancelled. I was sad. This is my chance! PS: He composed the soundtrack for Amelie if you didn't know.

4/24/09

Bluebird Theater, 16+

Leonard Cohen: I'm taking my dad, I can't wait. Red Rocks+Mr. Leonard Cohen=Heavenly

6/02/09

Red Rocks

David Byrne & DeVotchKa: This is just so wonderful. Everything about this show screams perfect. On one hand, I am just so excited to see David Bryne perform, but I'm also thrilled for local-bred, worldly adored DeVotchKa open for him. I hope David watches them play! OH & I heard David Byrne is going to perform songs that he did with Brian Eno. The only thing that would make the show better is if Brian Eno would be there too. Will he be there, do you know anything? Let me know ASAP! <3

6/21/09

Red Rocks

There's other great shows coming up... just look at 1190's Concert Calendar to see when Akron/Family, Junior Boys, Mates of State, Conor Oberst, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy and other cuties are playing!

Hope to see you at the shows. I'll be the nerdy girl with the big glasses.

<3,

Local Shakedown Vol. 3 CD

2009-03-04T21:35:00.001-07:00

There's a Local Shakedown CD Benefit show planned for May 16th at the Hi-Dive, which can only mean one thing....a 3rd volume of the Local Shakedown CD series is in the works! Bad Luck City, Overcasters and Cowboy Curse are going to be playing at the show and they are three of 40ish local bands who will be featured on the new CD. I'm very excited to get this together!

-Katherine (I <3 local music)

RICHARD PINHAS/MERZBOW- Keio Line [Cuneiform Records 2009]

2009-03-04T16:17:00.000-07:00

Merzbow is the king of dense Japanese noise-scapes, and Richard Pinhas is one of the most innovative French electronic pioneers, founding Heldon in the mid-seventies and continuing to explore his layered guitar and sequencer based walls of sound. This disc is surprisingly good, showing why both of these artists have longevity and interest today. The melding of each's individual styles is seamless. The only beats are the propellant hum of the machines. The trick that many current experimental-noise projects miss is that density of sound is not the only criteria! This release exhibits swells and levels of drones and melodies panning across the frequency spectrum. The clarity of the recording results in a shimmering mesmerizing dose of sound.

Since the tracks are long, the best way to play some of this in 1190's mix would be to cross-fade in at some of the times noted. Merzbow now has hundreds of releases, driving noise collectors nuts. Richard Pinhas was heavily influenced by Robert Fripp & Eno's experimentation with Revox tape-loops in the early '70s (No Pussyfooting and Evening Star), and even titled an early Heldon track "In the Wake of King Fripp". Building on the sound developed across Electronique Guerilla and the Chronolyse LPs released on obscure French labels, Pinhas's looped methodology has advanced with technology. Merzbow's anchoring pulses in the mix are reminiscent of Germany's Klaus Schulze, making this release both a referential and contemporary polyglot of global electronic experimentation.

-Uncle Jeff (Route 78, Sundays 10-12)

Adam Franklin - Spent Bullets [Second Motion]

2009-03-04T16:12:00.000-07:00

Swirly super-melodic post shoegazing yummy-ness from the man behind Swervedriver. This is Adam Franklin's second release under his own name, following on the heels of 2007's wonderful "Bolts of Melody" disc. Here we have the distillation of Hendrix-y psychedelic whirly-whammy and a truely English sensibility of what a surf and art damaged pop song should sound like. Folks who were at the Marquis in Denver at the Swervedriver reunion show last year know what that amazing and under-rated band can do. Adam Franklin's solo efforts have expanded on the trippy production values and stellar hooks, while making futuristic sounds. Records in your collection it sounds like: Syd Barrett, Early Who, The Creation and Mark Kozelek/Red House Painters. Track 6 quotes "Crimson In Clover"...

-Uncle Jeff (Route 78, Sundays 10-12)

"Spent Bullets" is currently featured in 1190's new rotation.

More reviews at Vitamin Fuzz.

The Cure - Grinding Halt (John Peel Session 1979)

2009-03-04T09:03:00.000-07:00

Apparently infuriated by the nearly universal adoration for Radiohead’s revolutionary “pay what you wish” scheme, Robert Smith (of The Cure) recently published a lengthy diatribe on The Cure’s official blog (in which he neglected to utilize the space bar numerous times in his frenzied indignance.) Despite his incendiary tone, Smith makes some valid arguments and raises compelling points about the perceived and prescribed value of art (read: music) in the information age.

Check it out:

http://thecure.com/blog/default.aspx?nid=20628

And in case that rant left you hungry for more Smith-isms, here’s some obscure, dated scathingly hilarious, deliciously musical commentary, this time directed at disgruntled critic Paul Morley, circa 1979:

-Zane, your friendly neighborhood Rotation DJ

Belle and Sebastian Soup

2009-03-04T08:50:00.000-07:00

I made Belle and Sebastian soup for dinner last night.

The recipe is taken from Lost in the Supermarket: An Indie Rock Cookbook that I received for Christmas. I've made this soup maybe four or five times since I got the book. The recipe is easy, healthy and not time-consuming.

I thought you might like to try the recipe too.

BTW: If you have the cookbook, the Calexico Tofu Scramble is delish too.

Thai Sweet Potato Soup

By: Belle and Sebastian

INGREDIENTS:

1 large onion
2-inch chunk of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped finely

1 tbsp Thai red curry paste
1 stalk lemongrass*, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed or finely chopped
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
3-1/2 cups veggie stock/broth
1-3/4 cups coconut milk (which is a can)
Juice of half a lime
OPTIONAL 4 or 5 Kaffin lime leaves

Splash of olive oil for frying

*lemongrass should be found by the fresh basil, rosemary and other packaged herbs in the fruit/veg section

PREPARATION:
1. Start by frying the onion with the ginger, curry paste and lemongrass. Fry until soft.
2. Add the garlic and fry for 1 minute
3. Add the sweet potatoes and the stock
4. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the sweet potato is soft
5. Add the lime juice, lime leaves (if using) and the coconut milk and liquidize
6. If you like it hotter, add a red chili (seeded and chopped) at the start (along with the onion)

And don't forget to listen to them while you cook, its like they're right there with you... sort of!

Enjoy,

Time Capsule III

2009-03-03T18:00:00.000-07:00

This is a tri-fold promotional hand bill from the early 90's. As my previous posts have indicated, 1190 am KVCU-Boulder, was originally 530 am on campus/104 cable fm off campus KUCB. This lasted until 1998. I posted this image for reasons 01.) to display Dervish, the kimono dragon-esque mascot of the early nineties.02.) The show Dervish stomping the Grateful Dead Bear to death. (disclaimer: I don't advocate violence or hostility towards the Grateful Dead or their fans in any way, and neither does Radio 1190 am. I in fact own and enjoy most of their early discography.)

-Charles

Go to the IFS!

2009-03-03T09:53:00.000-07:00

When was the last time you went to the International Film Series? The IFS offers the best films (old and new) to be seen on the big screen in Boulder. And its the cheapest place to see a film too.

If you're strapped for cash you can tune into the show I host Wednesdays 4-6pm for your chance to win tickets (that's you plus one) to see any film you want!

Here's what films are playing at the IFS this week:

WEDNESDAY MARCH 4, 7 & 9:30pm

12 Monkeys

* Classic Terry Gilliam film

THURSDAY MARCH 5, 7pm

Times and Winds

* Coming of age Turkish tale

FRIDAY & SATURDAY MARCH 6 & 7, 7 & 9pm

Time Crimes

* Totally creepy looking Sci-Fi film from Spain

SUNDAY MARCH 8, 7 & 9pm

The Pool

* A film by the guy who did American Movie!

My pick for the week is: Time Crimes

I wanted to see this at Sundance last year, but it was sold out. Here's the trailer... OH, and don't let this character creep you out-

Hope to see you at the IFS,

Time Capsule II

2009-03-02T10:16:00.000-07:00

Here's another KUCB program guide. Currently I'm focusing on scanning the covers, but in the near future I will scan and post some of the articles and Interviews including but not limited to: Skinny Puppy, The Cramps, and The Warlock Pinchers.

-Charles

DJ ALISHA: High Five

2009-03-02T09:05:00.000-07:00

Hi, How Are You?

DJ Alisha here... how was your weekend?

I used to do a feature years back when I dj'd the morning show called "High Five" where I'd feature five things in the world of pop culture that I loved each week. So I thought with the new 1190 blog, I'd start it up again.

From me to you... let's share a HIGH FIVE! This week I'm lovin' on:
1)Ricardo Baca's Denver Post article yesterday featuring our very own DJ and Music Director Katherine! Baca says this of her graduating this year: "she should also get an honorary degree in independent music study," and I totally agree! We love her around here.

2)My "Holy Ba Jesus" dress designed by Leanne Marshall, who apparently won Project Runway last season. Its cute cute cute and H-O-T! Now I need to find the perfect shoes to wear with it...

3)The brand new book I got for Valentine's Day, Daniel Johnston. I like how it doesn't refer to Daniel as an outsider artist, which I often find myself calling him to people who don't know who he is. The book features his amazing artwork as early as his high school years and the print quality is so good, it almost seems as if you were at a gallery looking at the original. Also in the book- a great interview with Daniel, plus an equally awesome essay from Jad Fair and other folks. The book came out last month and its SOOO good!

4)Watching episodes of Doctor Who. I love Netflix On Demand! I sometimes watched the original Doctor Who series on tv as a youngster, but didn't really get into it. But now I'm enjoying episodes of the 21st-century remake! I just finished the first season and had a lot of fun it. I'll be starting season two when I can. FYI: Christopher Eccleston who plays the Doctor in this season is going to be in the live-action G.I. Joe film as Destro out this summer!

5)Neko Case's new album Middle Cyclone. It comes out tomorrow, but of course you can listen to clips online and we've been bumping it in our rotation at the radio station for the last week or so! You should request "Next Time You Say Forever" on our request line, the song shows off her super-awesome song writing skills. In a recent interview of hers I read, she brags about being into quilting and that she got the idea for many of her songs on this new album in her dreams. Her dreams were filled with tornadoes (hence the weather reference in her album title) and in one of her dreams a tornado talked to her and asked if she would read him a book. This is her first album in three years and it sounds real nice.

We should talk... what are you into right now? Leave a comment, I'd love to hear from you!

<3,

Chic-a-go-go!

2009-03-01T20:32:00.000-07:00

Chic-a-go-go! is a bad ass public access TV show in Chicago. Don't let the puppet and the tagline "Chicago's dance show for kids of all ages" fool you. They have a cool band come on every week and "perform" one of their songs while a bunch of kids (and hipsters) dance to it. Really, the band pretends to play the song while it plays over the speakers. Sometimes there's quality advice for kids from the bands too.

Here are some of my favorites:

EDITH FROST

LIGHTNING BOLT

RATSO INTERVIEWING WILL OLDHAM

-Katherine (youtube director)

KUCB Program Guide

2009-03-01T13:29:00.000-07:00

Here's a program guide going back to 1997 when the station was KUCB and only available on campus. It reminds me of the EC comics/William Gaines aesthetic.If you were ever involved with KUCB during the 90's please feel free to share some anecdotes in the comments section before the tyranny of time thwarts the persistence of memory.

Time Capsule

2009-03-01T13:08:00.000-07:00

I found this artifact tucked away in an old file cabinet. If you read it you will notice that the two people interviewed concerning the suicide of Kurt Cobain were Bonnie Burton, former Music Director for 530 am KUCB (Which became 1190 am KVCU in 1998) and John Martinez aka Jonny Trrrash "Lunch Hour" fame (Sundays 12-2).

-Charles

The Loss of the Rocky is Huge

2009-02-27T14:40:00.000-07:00

Colorado didn't have an indie rock scene in 1859, but they did have William Byers. At the age many people graduate these days, 28, Byers lugged a thousand pound printing press from Omaha to what was barely Denver and managed to beat another newspaper visionary by 20 minutes in printing the first edition of his Rocky Mountain News. It made for one of the best episodes ever of the old TV show "Death Valley Days."

Coincidentally, today the Rocky Mountain News enters the valley of death. For Colorado to lose this most excellent of newspapers is a shonda on every level. You will see great and lofty editorials of bellyache and remorse over this. Hopefully somewhere, sometime, an appropriate free press will trace the roots of this tragedy because it isn't your normal American failure story. The Rocky won Pulitzers, the Rocky had readers, the Rocky had spirit, spunk, and integrity. And, the Rocky made money. The catch was, it didn't make enough money.

The blame will center around the internet, the declining readership, the changing world that will demand video games over newspapers. Somewhere though, there were decisions made, no matter how well intentioned, that doomed the Rocky big time. Today the Rocky ran out of time, just shy of a 150th birthday party that's been canceled for all time. Sorry, Mr. Byers. Your independent spirit and legacy really deserved better.

--
Mike Flanagan
General Manager
Radio 1190 KVCU

DJ ALISHA RECORD REVISIT: Land of the Loops - Bundle of Joy

2009-02-27T09:08:00.000-07:00

Hey Friend,

I'm gonna start a weekly exercise on here... a project if you will, and I need your help.

Here's what I'm doing- Picking a record I own that I haven't listened to in years and re-review it!

How you can help- Comment on what album you think I should review next. I'll leave you three choices and whichever gets the most votes, I'll revisit for the following Friday.

My personal rules laid out for myself- No google, you don't want to hear me try and sound "super smart" by "regurging" other peoples' thoughts on the album. I will only write about what I remember about the record/artist and how the songs make me feel. I can read the liner notes in the cd to get album info. Also, I want to post a song so you can hear what the album sounds like, so I may use youtube or another source to post audio. I might also use google images to add a little pizzazz to the entry.

One last thing- Beware, I may accidentally post "incorrect" info about a band members name or somethin', so if I do, feel free to correct me in the comments area on this blog entry. I'm trying to use the filofax of musical information in my head and not rely on the internetzzzz.

<3

Sound good? Okay, let's begin!

VITAL STATS-

Artist: Land of the Loops

Album: Bundle of
Joy Label: Up Records
Year: 1996

What I remember about Land of the Loops... I think Alan Sutherland is the guy behind this project and if I remember correctly, he has a Denver connection. Maybe with Robert from The Apples in Stereo?! His albums are weaved together by using "found" audio like cassettes from thrift stores which help to tell a story/ compliment a song.

I found out about them via an old roommate who owned this record. When I heard him play it over dinner one night, I knew I needed it too. Why I own this album... the song "Multi-Family Garage Sale (Bargain Bin Mix)." I have played this song so much over the last ten years. It has even landed on many a mixtape that I've made.

Now, its time to listen to the record. I can see why I liked it back then, but now I feel like there's too many audio clips that its a little distracting for me. I find myself just wanting pop songs without the added recording that takes away from the songs. It still holds up with a few good/great songs and the clips are are cleverly put together.

As I listen to this, I'm making connections in my head. Its starting to sound very "late-90s" to me. In a great way. Its putting me back where I was musically at this time in my teens and reminding me why I liked and still like this genre. I liked it because its lo-fi, but well produced enough to be listen-able. It honored the Casio keyboard, it used samples of clips from filmstrips 'n stuff that you would never encounter otherwise. It has cute girl vocals. This album actually really reminds me of Bran Van 3000 and their album Glee. I used to LOVE that album too.

I liked this music because it was a quirky and poppy retreat away from the rock and crybaby stuff I loved equally as much back then like Modest Mouse and Radiohead. Looking back, I think it was good for me to not be immersed into the rock all the time... Land of the Loops was like listening to Erasure, but I didn't need to get up and dance to it if I didn't want to. It was enough to put me in a happy place, but I could do my homework to this album.

Overall, this isn't a 5-star record on a mass scale, but at the time it was for me. I would say that if there were mp3s for download ten years ago (a la iTunes Store), I maybe would have just bought the "Multi-Family Garage Sale..." song, but I'm glad I own the whole album, because I was able to discover a cool concept album with more than one great song on it.

Notable songs/tracks:
-I Confess
-Growing Concern
-Burning Clutch (Five-Speed Dub)
-Heidi Cakes
...and here's my jam, "Multi-Family Garage Sale (Bargain Bin Mix)." But wait! Before you press play, I just want to ask you not to watch the video. Close your eyes or have another window open. Its clearly a fan video as it doesn't appear that there was an official music video and it may ruin the listening experience. value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZgEUQDao1kM&hl=en&fs=1">

EDIT: I'm now on my second listen of the record and I like it even better than the first listen. I kind of want to listen to Bran Van now.

This concludes my first Record Revisit, what'd you think? Will you help me sustain this segment by voting for next week's record?

VOTE FOR NEXT WEEK'S RECORD REVISIT- 1)Jurassic 5 - Quality Control 2)Sixteen Horsepower - Low Estate 3)Ween - Pure Guava

BTW: I chose these records at random by looking up at a lonely pile of cds on a really tall shelf in my office. I can't even tell you the last time I've listened to any of these as a whole.

MAKE SURE TO ADD A COMMENT BELOW AND VOTE FOR NEXT WEEK'S RECORD REVISIT!

Thank you,

Soviet No-Wave

2009-02-27T00:39:00.000-07:00

СОВИЕТСКАЯ РОК-ГРУПА "АКВАРИУМ"

Aquarium "Ashes" (Akvarium "Pepel") 1982

Before "Glasnost" in 1985, only a handful of Rock groups were signed to the only state-sanctioned recording label "Melodija", the rest were relegated to obscurity. Such was the case of "Akvarium".

Charles

“Send Black Flowers” Release Party this Friday

2009-02-26T14:35:00.000-07:00

There's more than one reason I frequently rant and rave about Denver locals The Omens, but the most important is very simple; they are incredibly good at what they do.

I'm not the only one who has taken these guys in either. 2008's “Make It Last” b/w “Won’t Be Ashamed” (45rpm Hipsville) got spins on legendary New York freeform station WFMU and was also picked up for distribution by the good folks at Bomp! records; home of the late great Greg Shaw.

2005's "Destroy The ESP" was a killer and I can't tell you how long I've been looking forward to a new Omens full-length. Suffice to say, I'm ecstatic the day has finally come. I’ve had the privilege of previewing their upcoming release “Send Black Flowers” and I can say in full confidence, The Omens do not disappoint. Get ready for another heavy dose of fuzzed out beat-punk, raved-up R&B workouts, and the occasional mild psych-freakout.

You can hear some cuts off their brand new release this Friday from 4-6pm on The Local Shakedown.

If you're still not convinced you can see them for yourself later that day at the Hi-Dive as they celebrate their CD/LP release party (that's right it's also being released on vinyl; with a limited number of color vinyl copies to boot!) You'll also find the psychedelic swirl of The Overcasters, and the Hawks of Paradise on the bill.

Ed (Under The Mattress Sun. 4-6pm)

Grouper/Center City - Split 7" [Self-released 2009]

2009-02-26T14:04:00.001-07:00

Grouper, the moniker of Portland’s experimental song crafter Liz Harris, showed up on numerous best-of lists last year with her debut for Type Records, Dragging a Dead Dear up a Hill. The moody landscapes and darkly delicate vocals parallel the title in its resemblance of a wistful forest, at times howling only to be followed by faint whispers. For Harris’s first release of 2009, she’s self-released a split 7-inch with City Center, the latest lo-fi project of Fred Thomas, of Saturday Looks Good to Me and His Name Is Alive.

The A-side, “False Horizon,” harbors the familiar sound of Grouper’s previous release, yet the vinyl gives her murky strums and croons added warmth. City Center’s “This Is How We See in the Dark” utilizes backward masking and vocals hidden behind the haze of the instrumentation to create a lovely odd-pop number to finish the split. All that on limited-edition clear vinyl.

Group Bombino - Guitars from Agadez [Sublime Frequencies 2009]

2009-02-26T13:59:00.000-07:00

The desert is often romanticized in modern music. From Josh Homes’Desert Sessions and Six Organs of Admittance’s “The Desert Is a Circle” to Magic Lantern’s “Cactus Raga,” the desert's vast desolate landscape and its encompassing mystery is revered for its ability to inspire. As a Southwesterner, I've often fallen pray to this admiration, and I generally flock to music associated with the desert in any way. The Sublime Frequencies label hails from Seattle (a lush location for the home of so many arid sounds), but it has found a more authentic desert sound than most of the American underground. Group Bombino's Guitars From Agadez Vol. 2 is a further exploration into the Saharan guitar culture, and the music doesn’t merely rely on desert themes or use the desert as a muse; it is entirely a product of the desert.

Sublime Frequencies has proven that Saharan guitar culture is flourishing. The label introduced the scene to Western audiences through the auditory documentary Folk Music of the Sahara: Among the Tuareg of Libya and the group Tinariwen, which translates to "many deserts" (after the Tuereg belief that the Sahara is a region of numerous deserts). Since its initial Tuereg guitar release, the label has put out Group Doueh’s Guitar Music from the Western Sahara and Group Inerane’s Guitars from Agadez.

It's the second in the Guitars from Agadez series, but it's a perfect introduction to the Tuereg guitar sound because it features the two fundamental styles. The first side displays what Sublime Frequencies calls “dry guitar,” a stripped-down acoustic style, whereas the second side boosts the vigor with the Tuereg electric sound. Propelled by the innovative guitarist Omara Mochtar, Group Bombino offers a vivid glimpse into one of the most hidden regions and ethnic groups on the planet.

The Tuereg, a suppressed minority group in the Western Sahara (primarily in Mali and Niger), have struggled for autonomy for nearly a century: Group Bombino’s revolutionary sound parallels this struggle. The area of Agadez, where Group Bombino resides, has been shut off from the rest of the region. Although the political turmoil in Agadez is as dismal as the harsh environment that encompasses the region, Bombino’s reverberations are hopeful, optimistic and fertile.

-Bardos Freedoom

Guitars from Agadez is currently featured in 1190's new rotation.

A Super Group, if there ever was one

2009-02-26T12:03:00.000-07:00

Peter Brotzmann, the leather-lunged reedist from Germany and his group 'Last Exit' consisting of ubiquitous bassist/producer Bill Laswell (Herbie Hancock, Material & c) Sonny Sharrock (Herbie Mann, Miles Davis, Space Ghost Coast-to-Coast) and Ronald Shannon Jackson (Albert Ayler) live in Frankfurt in 1986.

Witness the carnage. Submit to the sonic assault. Destroy Communism (the pent-up aggression expressed with this music can only be an allegory for tearing down the Berlin Wall)

"Mr. Brotzmann, Tear down this wall!"

-Charles
Production Director

DJ ALISHA INTERVIEW: My Favorite Local Celebrity Andrew Novick

2009-02-26T09:44:00.000-07:00

Hi Peeps,

I interviewed Andrew Novick last month about his art show "The Astounding Problem of Andrew Novick" which is currently on exhibit at The Lab.

You may know Andrew as the former frontman of the legendary late-80s group Warlock Pinchers, or have seen him around town perform his current solo project Get Your Going, or maybe you've even witnessed his Microsoft Powerpoint project For Sale 1989 Toyota Corolla.

For the interview I to talk to Andrew as an artist and collector who has an art exhibition at the Belmar Lab appropriately titled "The Astounding Problem of Andrew Novick" which in short exhibits about 5000 items that he's collected over the years including: Barbie dolls, clown paintings, 90210 memorabilia, fake fingernails, phonebooks or one of my favorites cereal dust.

We talk about all this and more... and you'll get to hear a Warlock Pinchers song about stalking Crispin Glover and afterward Andrew will tell you what Mr. Glover thinks of the song!

When it comes to six degrees of separation, Andrew is my Kevin Bacon of cool stuff and a lot of his collections are on exhibit right now. Maybe if you go, you can take me... as a date!

Here's the interview: OKAY, LISTEN HERE, JUST CLICK ALREADY!

And so here's the deets of the show:
The Astounding Problem of Andrew Novick
The Lab at Belmar
404 S. Upham St. in Lakewood
Running through May 12
www.belmarlab.org

PS, Tod Kapke Opticals
PSS: Radio 1190 is the best!

When is there going to be an indie dance craze?

2009-02-25T22:15:00.000-07:00

I'm not a party gal. I don't go frat it up on a regular basis, or at all really. But whenever I do get dragged along, I am bound to come across a trend that I cannot avoid...

The inevitable dance-off, with the song du jour.

I still don't know the Soulja Boy dance. I don't know what to crank when. Something about Superman? It's always bad when a row of people try to do it, and one stumble causes a domino effect of squeals and ankle snaps.

Beyonce has the Single Ladies dance, which has been parodied on SNL and countless remixes on Youtube. I saw a drunken man at Hapa do his best to show off his ring finger. By the look on his girlfriend's face, he was bound to be a single lady himself for a long time.

I don't listen enough to regular radio to get in the loop on what's the new dance craze, and it's a little unsettling. I don't want to be the old lady looking back on her youth and realizing, oh my gosh, I though the Mashed Potato was a side dish! I though the Twist was a soccer injury!

So I hereby propose an all-out call for indie artists to make dance songs. I'm not talking about any electronic hip-shaker, but a dance with specific steps, with style and grace and booty bouncing ingrained in the very lyrics. I want to go to a show at a dusky hole in the wall dive, and have everyone there suddenly break out of their head bobbing and gentle swaying for a line dance that only tightly-panted individuals could pull off. I want dances like the Soul Bleeder, the My-Girlfriend-Dumped-Me-Again-And-I-Hate-Her-But-Still-Love-Her Shuffle, the Refusal-to-Wash-My-Hair Twostep.

Mainly, on the off chance that I go to a frat house and by some blessed mistake Bon Iver comes on the iPod, I want to have the moves to impress. I want to dazzle. I want to be, dare I say, suave? Or the lady equivalent. Lady suave.

-Carolyn (That DJ who rambles, the girl who draws stuff for flyers)

All Music Is World Music

2009-02-25T21:18:00.001-07:00

We all know the South by Southwest music festival is coming up soon, March 13-22 in Austin, Texas. I found a great batch of podcasts showcasing international artists at SXSW since 2005. Check em out here. They're gonna keep adding performances from last year up until this year's festival begins. It's a fantastic primer for the festival and a great introduction to some world artists.

~Adam (Culture Clash, Tues 9-11pm)

Bring Your Own Records Party

2009-02-25T17:15:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of the Bring Your Own Records Party? It happens at Bar Bar down in Denver on a semi-monthly basis. Bar Bar is at 21st and Champa, near LoDo. Don't worry though, it's a million times dirtier and hipper than any of the clubs in LoDo. Anyways, the premise of the party is that everyone brings a few songs on vinyl and DJs a mini-set. It starts around 10pm and the next one is scheduled for Saturday, March 14th.

Get cool!

2009-02-25T15:38:00.000-07:00

I've been too tired lately to get an intelligent post together, so here are some links to my favorite sites for learning about music!

Perfect Sound Forever - Online music magazine with tons and tons of articles about under-recognized artists (Peter Brotzmann), interesting facets of the independent music world (Psycho-Geography of Record Fairs), overviews of obscure music genres (L.A. Orchestra Pop) and long-forgotten stories (Lost Music Venues). Every article is endlessly interesting and they put a new issue up every two months.

Dusted Magazine - Esoteric CD reviews, charts compiled from several hip radio stations (including us!) and band interviews/tributes. Since it's volunteer-run the features aren't updated super often, but since they've been around since 2002 they've got lots of content. My favorite feature is Listed in which a pair of bands are asked to make lists. Usually they list favorite artists or albums, but sometimes the lists cover other topics, like Melt Banana's 10 favorite bands from Aichi and the kind of sushi each band brought to mind. Quality content always.

Cerysmatic Factory - This site is specifically about Factory Records, the former home of great bands like Joy Division and A Certain Ratio. Factory Records was interesting because they had a very strong asthetic that made album covers into a new art form. They had a catalogue numbering system for all their releases, which included posters and other objects in addition to music. They also started their own club and were very innovative in the way they did business with their artists. They pioneered the idea of "handshake" contracts and a 50/50 deal with artists, ideas which have been emulated by other labels like Touch and Go. This website has biographies about every band ever on the label and a huge number of images of Factory artifacts.

Awesome Tapes from Africa - A blog dedicated to tapes from Africa. There are a lot and you can listen to them all! It's hard to go wrong with African beats and rhythms.

Phoning it In - A radio show which features all of your favorite bands playing songs over the phone. They have years of archives up on the site. Fun fact - Colorado's very own Chris Adolf (Bad Weather California) was the first band ever to be featured on the show!

-Katherine (of music director fame)

Should we talk about the weather?

2009-02-25T10:09:00.000-07:00

Wow. Its so gorgeous today that I'm celebrating by sitting in my sunny living room cueing up videos on youtube to compliment the weather.

Talking about the weather always seems so impersonal, but not when there's awesome music involved to be your soundtrack.

Here's what I've rocked out to in the last 15 minutues:

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - "Everything With You"

...I do so love this song.

But not as much as one of my favorite rollerskating songs that would make me squeal with excitement at the rink as a young lady. I'm talking about Lisa Lisa and the Cult Jam's "Lost in Emotion." I would embed this song too, but unfortunately "embedding has been disabled by request," so you're gonna have to go there and jam with me in spirit. While you're there, listen to her equally infectious song "Head to Toe"

LYLAS,
Alisha (don't forget to listen to me Wednesdays 4-6pm)

Paolo Angeli & Janet Feder

2009-02-24T19:44:00.001-07:00

On the morning show tomorrow (Wednesday) Dan will be interviewing Paolo Angeli and Janet Feder. Tune in at 9:30 am to hear what they have to say and possibly win tickets to their show at the Bug Theatre!

A Shoreline Dream

2009-02-23T17:07:00.000-07:00

Local shoegaze band A Shoreline Dream have been getting lots of great write-ups lately!
Wired did an interview with them.
They were highlighted in Yahoo's music blog.
And Westword wrote an article about their DIY approach to releasing music.

Check them out at the Bluebird this Thursday evening with sonic brethren Moonspeed and Sonnenblume. It's a CD release show for the brand new album "Recollections of Memory".

-Katherine (local shakedown)

Current 93 and Me

2009-02-23T12:31:00.000-07:00

I know there are a lot of old industrial and apocalyptic folk nuts in Denver.

Every time I end up talking about music with some stranger, which gets sparked by some 1190 apparel that one of us is wearing, they get really excited and tell us to play more Coil or Boyd Rice. This time I'm referring specifically to the clerk at Argonaut who told me how the first time he tuned into the station he heard Coil and flipped his shit. Anyway, let's consider this the birth of the dark ages for me. A week later I think I'm approaching the renaissance, but since then I've been in some helpless stupor where David Tibet is constantly whispering to me, "stay in bed, existence is ripe with rot, their souls will perish when the black ships eat the sky. . . " As painful as existence is, I've been having a lot of fun exploring Death in June, Current 93, Coil and early Swans in a much more absorbed way than I ever did before. I'm telling a certain crowd in Denver everything they already know, but this shit is amazing, I can't tell if it's the awful state of depression it puts me in that makes me like it, or its distinct musical quality that makes me nod and stroke my chin with modest approval.

Drunk with the nectar of submission, I retire, until next time when I will convince you that Älgarnas Trädgård are the greatest psych obscurity of the early 70s (seriously though)

Your Program Director
-Tyler

Sad news

2009-02-23T10:34:00.001-07:00

One of my absolute favorite labels, Touch and Go, announced last week that they're downsizing. They're not completely shutting down, just stopping the distribution services they used to run. Instead of distributing music by other indie labels like Merge, Thrill Jockey and Dim Mak they are going to focus solely on being an independent record label. There have been different reports on whether they'll still be signing new acts.

In honor of Touch and Go check out the new Sholi album that's in rotation right now on T & G's sister label Quarterstick. Really pretty math rock that's not boring like math rock often can be. The band also put out a great 7" last year that has one cover of Joanna Newsom and another cover of Iranian pop-goddess Googoosh.

-Katherine (the mighty music director)

First Post

2009-02-22T16:48:00.001-07:00

Radio 1190 now has a blog, and now you, the beloved listener have a source for exclusive content, album/concert reviews, and radio 1190 events .

Something to look forward to:
Program guides/ promos of yore are currently being compiled for digitalization. If you're feeling nostalgic for the past, or if you at all curious as to the previous 1190 aesthetic(s) then check back with us in the nearby-future.

See You Then!!

--Charles (Mon. 10-1) radio 1190 am

Under Construction

2009-02-21T15:50:00.001-07:00

Radio 1190's blog is currently under construction. Bear with us as we make some stylistic changes.

Welcome to the Radio 1190 Blog

2009-02-21T13:48:00.001-07:00

We have just started up our own official Radio 1190 blog. Check back soon to get great new posts and fantastic Radio 1190 content.