Episode 110: On Route to Somewhere

Come see this show, bring lots of friends and buy Robert’s music!

I usually despise the term singer/songwriter. But then again, I have to check myself, as some of the most life-changing music has come from dudes pouring out their hearts in stories and arpeggios on acoustic guitar. I believe Robert Deeble is one such guy. When I hear his music, I imagine he has spent (un)healthy amounts of time in his bedroom listening to Songs from a Room or The Times They Are a’Changin’ and perfecting his own songs. As you might guess, I’m no casual fan. Gallons of virtual ink could easily be spilled on the importance of Deeble’s music in my life over the past 15 years. My wife is also a huge fan of his music, and counts him among her favorite interviews from her days in music journalism.

A while back, Deeble began talking with us about the possibility of hosting a small concert. As long-time fans, we greeted this discussion with enthusiasm and are happy to announce that he will play at Morton Hall in Westport on October 4, 2013. To help promote the show–and his music in general–this week’s show is dedicated to his songs. Hopefully you can attend the $5 show, but at the very least, I hope this show piques your interest to check out his catalog on Bandcamp.

Enjoy.

1. “Heart Like Feathers” (Heart Like Feathers/Dead Letter Records/2013)
2. “Peter and the Lion” (Thirteen Stories/Pete Records/2004)
3. “Two Statues” (Earthside Down/Jackson Rubio/1998)
4. “The Colors of Dying” (Heart Like Feathers/Dead Letter Records/2013)
5. “Lovers on Route” (Earthside Down/Jackson Rubio/1998)

[audio https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1415312/110radiofreeraytown.mp3 ]

Radio Free Raytown – Episode #110 (9/15/13)

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Episode 95: Like a Wrecking Ball

Motel Beds' most recent album, Tango Boys

The thing I hate (and that some of my friends love) about best-of lists is the sheer act of making a definitive statement. No matter how much time I sink into them, I inevitably return to my lists and realize an omission. This was again the case with my Fifteen Favorites of 2011 list that I posted only two days ago. Only a few hours after posting it, I realized I had left Real Estate’s new album off the list. So take my lists (and especially the albums’ rankings) with a grain of salt.

At any rate, a friend suggested I take some episodes to play a song from each album in that list. I don’t know I can remain focused enough for more than one show, but I’ll give him at least this one. I tried to pick songs you may not have a chance to hear (like with the Robert Deeble and Motel Beds tracks) and deep album cuts I don’t want you to miss (as in the case of Wire, The Decemberists and The Joy Formidable).

Enjoy.

1. “Hopeless” – Motel Beds (Tango Boys | No More Fake Labels | 2011)
2. “Nightcrawlers” – Widowspeak (Widowspeak | Captured Tracks | 2011)
3. “A Flat Ten” – Wire (Red Barked Tree | PinkFlag | 2011)
4. “Heart Like Feathers” – Robert Deeble (Heart Like Feathers | independent | 2011)
5. “Chapter 2” – The Joy Formidable (The Big Roar | Atlantic | 2011)
6. “This is Why We Fight” – The Decemberists (The King is Dead | Capitol | 2011)

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1415312/95radiofreeraytown.mp3″

Radio Free Raytown – Episode #95 (1/6/12)

Episode 85: Undressing the Soul

Taking a picture of Jeff Coffin taking a picture of Bird's grave on Monday.

The internet is an amazing thing.  I can’t imagine just how much farther I would have fallen into the pit of musical discovery if I had Allmusic, Wikipedia and YouTube available to me on my phone 13 or 14 years ago.  This week, I introduce musique concrète and play the work of Pierre Schaeffer, a movement and artist ridiculously far-removed from mainstream music, but brought near with just a mouse click.

I cannot emphasize this nearly enough:  if you are even a little curious about electronic music, you must own OHM: The Early Gurus of Electronic Music.  It’s a compilation of ground-breaking electronic artists, from which I picked this week’s Pierre Schaeffer track.  To paraphrase Brian Eno from the liner notes, every aspect of how we experience music is influenced by these pioneers; everything is electronic, from assemblage of sounds in the studio to amplification at concerts.

On a completely unrelated note, I also discuss Robert Deeble’s new record, Heart Like Feathers.  Please join his Kickstarter campaign to get this thing released.  He’s an amazing storyteller, and just a fascinating artist.  Line his pockets, folks.

Enjoy the show.

1. “Etude Aux Chemins De Fer” – Pierre Schaeffer (OHM: The Early Gurus of Electronic Music | Ellipses Arts | 1948)
2. “Kitchen Sink” – Amon Tobin (Foley Room | Ninja Tune | 2007)
3. “Eclipse” – Robert Deeble (Thirteen Stories | Pete Records | 2004)
4. “Redux: Porky, Boots and Floyd” – Jeff Coffin and Charlie Peacock (Arc of the Circle | Runway Market | 2006)

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1415312/85radiofreeraytown.mp3″

Radio Free Raytown – Episode #85 (7/22/11)

Episode 20: Decay

I’ve decided to go with the theme of decay for episode 20 that  Joel Atkinson suggested over two weeks ago.  In only 24 minutes, I’ve attempted to explore the topic through sound and lyric.  I hope the results are not too heavy and philosophical.  Enjoy!

1. “Quartz” – Brian Eno (Music for Films/EG/1978)
2. “Two Statues” – Robert Deeble (Earthside Down/Jackson Rubio/1998)
3. “Losing Touch With Everyone” – Joy Electric (Unelectric/BEC Recordings/2000)
4. “Snowstorm” – Galaxie 500 (On Fire/Rough Trade/1989)
5. “I Fall Apart” – Company (Company/Metro One/2002)

Radio Free Raytown – Episode #20 (12/4/09)

By the way, I have compiled episodes 11-16 into a zip file.  You may download it here.