Episode 98: Crucial Point Becomes a Crime

Super awesome krautrock band, Harmonia

I have a friend who claims to merely like the music that he enjoys and not necessarily fill his iPod with only good, critically-praised music. While this seems a cop-out when faced with criticism for guilty pleasures, he has certainly got me thinking this week about what influences my musical taste.

I think I can not-too-flippantly claim to liking music that I sincerely enjoy. While critics can obviously inform opinion, my taste has developed mostly through listening to lots of music. Simply put, discernment comes from listening to good records.

Hopefully that’s where this blog comes in. I hope to not only share my enthusiasm for music (It really is okay to prefer records to talk radio after college!) but also other bands and styles to investigate. You can decide what you like, but make it an informed decision. Enjoy.

1. “Chanson Sans Issue – Ne Vois-Tu Pas)” – Autour de Lucie (Immobile | Netwerk | 1998)
2. “Den Her Sang Handler Om At Fa Det Bedste Ud Af Det” – Under Byen & The Danish Radio Sinfonietta (Siamesisk | Paper Bag Records | 2008)
3. “Gollum” – Harmonia (Deluxe | Brain | 1975)
4. “Age of Consent” – The Golden Filter (Mojo Presents Power Corruption & Lies Covered | Mojo magazine | February 2012)

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1415312/98radiofreeraytown.mp3″

Radio Free Raytown – Episode #98 (2/10/12)

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Episode 82: Loneliness is a Very Special Place

Eminem + spacesuit = Randy VanWarmer

I’m going to have a son.  Although we went in for the ultrasound on Wednesday, the news didn’t really sink in until yesterday.  I don’t know how that really relates to this blog, except that my output here will probably slow down as we approach his dude date in November.

Summertime is always a wonderful time of music-listening for me.  Because it makes so much sense on hot, summer walks, I’m working my way through New Order’s entire discography right now.  I feel an itching to do the same with Fugazi, too.  And I’ll probably have lots of time for that in July, as today is the last day of summer school.

Anyway, this week’s show is insane.  I found this Randy VanWarmer record, Terraform, at the Half Price Books in Westport.  Although it was on Bearsville, I had no idea what it would sound like.  I figured it was maybe some middle-of-the-road 70s singer-songwriter stuff, but since VanWarmer was wearing a spacesuit on the cover, my curiosity was piqued.  The album delivered super-average yacht rock, but with a mind-blowing title cut.  Enjoy.

1. “Dunkerque” – Françoiz Breut (À L’Aveuglette | Le Pop Musik | 2008)
2. “Thoughts of You” – Dennis Wilson (Pacific Ocean Blue | Caribou | 1977)
3. “Field” – New Order (Get Ready sessions | London | 2001)
4. “Terraform” – Randy VanWarmer (Terraform | Bearsville | 1980)

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1415312/82radiofreeraytown.mp3″

Radio Free Raytown – Episode #82 (6/30/11)

Episode 24: Push was sure enough comin’ to shove.

I’m giving you your money’s worth this week with seven songs and mind-blowing commentary in 26 minutes. It’s almost like Christmastime all over again.

1. “I Am I Am” – Smokey Robinson (Pure Smokey/Tamla/1974)
2. “Teenage Kicks”/”I Don’t Wanna See You Again” – The Undertones (True Confessions: Singles = A’s + B’s/Sanctuary/1999)
3. “America the Beautiful” – Greg Brown (Milk of the Moon/Red House/2002)
4. “Crazy You” – Prince (For You/Warner/1978)
5. “Push Comes to Shove” – Gil Scott-Heron (1980/Arista/1980)
6. “Isolation” – New Order (In Session/Strange Fruit/2004)

Radio Free Raytown – Episode 24 (1/8/10)

Episode 9: The pleasure zone

Katy and I are going to the land of milk and honey Ohio and Kentucky for almost a week, so there will not be an episode next week.  But that time off will give me an opportunity to plan out the next episode.  You see, I want to take suggestions for that show.

For every tenth episode, I have decided to do a themed show.  Please leave suggestions for episode ten in the comments portion of this post.  I will consider any idea, but please refrain from the trite (love, peace, abortion) or the absurd (make it sound like a jar of dill pickles).  The more creative you are, the better the results will hopefully be.

This week, I pulled off the gloves and made my best mix yet.  Hopefully you have room to dance in your cubicle.

1. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark – If You Leave (1986)
2. New Order – Perfect Kiss (1985)
3. Franz Ferdinand – No You Girls (Vince Clarke remix – 2009)
4. Radiohead – Blow Out (1993)
5. The Violet Burning – We Close Our Eyes (2001)

Radio Free Raytown – Episode Nine (9/5/09)