the first music podcast i listened to was a show called Accident Hash, hosted by C.C. Chapman. his show is based in Boston, featuring "podsafe" rock and roll (i.e., permission granted by the artists before playing). while the music might not be my cup of tea, i do like how the shows are structured, although depending upon which show you listen to, you could make a drinking game out of every time he says, "these guys ROCK."

it was through C.C. Chapman's show that i found out about another show called In Over Your Head. Julien Smith hosts this podcast comin' straight outta Canada - he's a crack-up. his music selection is somewhat reflective of my own tastes. he plays a lot of independent hip-hop - Anticon artists get love from him more often than not - but also dives into some indie rock and electronic stuff from time to time. that and i just like him as a host...Julien's a main part of why i'm drawn to the show. his ramblings don't feel aimless or over-the-top and i dig that about him. always funny, always observational. been taking some notes from this show, seeing as how i'm testing the waters with a podcast of my own. been listening to a number of different music podcasts to hear how the host and music flow. i keep coming back to Julien's, though: the combination of the music and the rants just feels right.

recently checked out the first edition of Podshow Music Rewind, a weekly show featuring the best moments from the Podshow music podcasts. out of all of the music podcasts getting larger exposure over at Podshow, i'm feelin' In Over Your Head the most. you can feel the difference when Julien's featured compared to the others, in my opinion, although i will say that it's good to experience all those different shows in one place - smart idea on Podshow's part. still i can't see myself putting on the "power radio" voice of the PMR host (check out the show, you'll see what i mean...). i hear that voice and i think to myself...i thought podcasts were supposed to offer an escape from all that. but hey, that's just me talkin'.

basically, i'm learning from others who have come before me...just like back in the day during my years at WCDB. if i remember the lessons from the past and stay open to what can happen with Radio BSOTS in the future (and keep at it), i think i'll do alright...

JOHN RIFLE - Fracas Nurture

to be frank, Kevin (the guy responsible for this) is REALLY SICK IN THE HEAD. and i love him for it. fans of sound collage crews like Negativland will be down with this one. melancholy piano work, complex song structures, and chock full of samples from movies, news broadcasts, music, comedy skits, and more. it's a concept album that my good buddy David (who's friends with Kevin) describes as "the rise and fall of an imaginary rock star..." but the album is so much more epic and nightmarish than that blurb suggests. honestly, if movie director Oliver Stone had decided to record an album during his Natural Born Killers period, it might have turned out something like this.

i consider myself a lifelong student of the sound collage, and i can honestly say that even during my finest hours splicing tape, making pause button mixes, or playing around with my four-track recorder, i can only aspire to the "straight outta Bellevue" moments alluded to in Fracas Nurture. this is next level insanity right here...

so, what else is there to say about the man behind this project? oh, yes...he's obsessed with bunnies (as his website proves beyond doubt) and the movie Donnie Darko, which is one of my personal favorites. beyond that, there is a small but rabid "strangecore" contigent within Albany, NY that worships the ground this man walks on.

this one ain't for everybody, but the sonically adventurous can check out his website for more info as well as click here for free and fully authorized downloads of album selections.

Mos Def - "Katrina Klap"

the protest songs look like they're pouring in. and i'm sure that this is only the beginning.

freedom ain't free, folks. this is america. act like you know.

(and even if it was free, it would cost you more for gas to get there...)

TV On The Radio - "Dry Drunk Emperor"

more musical voices of dissent. the natives are getting restless. hell, the natives have BEEN restless. nothing like a national tragedy to kick things into high gear. words fail me when it comes to this song. i imagine that they will be performing this one a lot at their live shows. i love this group.

The Legendary K.O. - "George Bush Doesn't Care About Black People"

what hath Kanye wrought? i suppose it had to happen sooner or later. consider this an extended remix of Mr. West's now infamous quote as pondered by The Legendary K.O., spittin' over the instrumental to Kanye's summer jammy jam, "Gold Digger." it's good for a chuckle or two. totally made me smile today when i heard it.

so how long before the conversative lyricists of the world holla back with an answer defending Dubya and the Bush administration? maybe something by Brooks & Dunn featuring Lee Greenwood?

you and i both know it's coming, so you may as well prepare yourselves...

i've been sleeping on this group for far too long, but Little Brother has been killin' it. Comprised of MCs Phonte Coleman, Big Pooh, and producer 9th Wonder, LB is one of those hip-hop crews that cuts through all of the subgenres we like to place the music in. they have a great underground following, but it's not as if they're against everything that's happening above the surface within mainstream circles. 9th Wonder's production has blessed many albums. in addition to the work he does for LB, it was more than likely the work for Jay-Z that really got his name out there, plus he's even done stuff for Destiny's Child. for me, it was his work on "Church" for De La Soul's The Grind Date that got me open. my introduction to LB occurred through a side project called The Foreign Exchange released last summer on BBE. it was a collaboration between Phonte and Nicolay of the Justus League - absolutely beautiful album. once i heard that, i knew i had to catch up with LB. i heard a few selections from their Chitlin' Circuit mixtape that were pretty good.

today is the release date of Little Brother's major label debut The Minstrel Show on Atlantic Records. one of the singles, "Lovin' It" feat. Joe Scudda, has been permanently etched into my brain. 9th Wonder flips a sample from a Stylistics song for the track - just gorgeous. there's a video for it, but you won't see it on BET: reportedly, they think the video's "too intelligent" for their audience. whatever. support these brothers...they represent the hip-hop nation lovely.

been listening to WFMU a lot lately. they've had some great shows in tribute to New Orleans. so i've been in a blues/jazz/funk/soul state of mind as of late, diggin' on sounds from Fats Domino, Louis Armstrong, Eddie Bo, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, etc. you may want to check the archives from the Aircheck radio program: one hour dedicated to various radio transmissions from around the world. about a week ago, Aircheck played host to a December 2004 broadcast on WWOZ, a community radio station based in New Orleans. Sadly, Hurricane Katrina wiped out this station, and WFMU is trying to help them get an internet broadcast going.

in addition, Aircheck put together a special show this past Thursday called "9/11 On The Air". this show includes various newsanchors reporting on the 9/11 attacks as they first occur. very interesting to hear what was being said on the air from the time the first plane struck until after both towers fell and how people were trying to piece together the motive for the attacks. it's not for everyone, but still an important audio document.

okay...you really need to check this out RIGHT NOW.

just checked out the latest Aircheck show on WFMU. yesterday's show featured audio archives of a radio program featuring The Black Pope, a New Orleans on-air personality during the 1970s-1980s. hear the self-proclaimed "human radio station" in all his glory, singing over "Slow Hand" by The Pointer Sisters, shouting over "She's A Bad Mama Jama"...and being insanely braggadocious in general. IT'S BLOODY BRILLIANT. i wish i had this much juice back in my college radio days...

"so, PUH-LEEZE, what's 'n' ever you do...don't call me no disc jockey...I'M A HUMAN RADIO STATION, GOT IT?!?!?"

last Friday, Missy Elliott's "Lose Control" was number seven on BET's 106th and Park top ten video countdown. in the midst of songs from the likes of Yin Yang Twins, Mike Jones, and R. Kelly and The Game, techno got represented. don't front, people. regardless of the fact that Missy's rapping over it, Ciara sings over it, and Fatman Scoop screams over it, the backing track is straight outta Detroit and Berlin. sounds like something Juan Atkins would've done 15 years ago. it even samples the vocal line from "Music Makes You Lose Control," an uptempo electronic jam by Les Rhythmes Digitales from 1998 released on the Wall of Sound label in the UK. it was a relatively sizeable hit overseas.

yet black folk don't like techno? negroes kill me...

anybody reading this blog often enough knows that i love me some WFMU. here are a pair of summertime shows worth writing home about:

Music Of Our Times with the Good Doctor

love this cat's show. mellows me right out. one week he's playing live concerts featuring Sun Ra, the following week he features live shows from James Brown and Bootsy's Rubber Band, the week after that it's a Latin show, and just last week he got all '60s psychedelia on us, playing stuff from Frank Zappa and a bunch of others. the latest show features masters of the Hammond B-3 organ (Jimmy Smith, rest in peace...)

Bring That Beat Back with Billy Jam

yes, it's the same Billy Jam of Hip Hop Slam Records fame. this show is BRILLIANT. four-hour excursion through independent hip-hop joints, punk and hardcore, some electronic dance stuff, found sound, indie rock, mashups...just a great show. it's my new friday morning ritual at work to get me through the dog days of summer. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED...