Fantasy & Adventure! (A Pledge Drive Show) (#105)
(Featuring music and songs discussing the nature of Heroes and Villains and our inevitable Future, originally broadcast on KPSU on 4 July 2010 and 19 June 2010.)

Pledge Drive Season is in full force, and with that in mind we offer a show that is a two-for-one deal, and a great example of the kind of show Mid-Valley Mutations offers every week. The most important thing is that you follow the link and visit kmuz.org, and make a donation to keep our shows on the air. Donors who make a contribution to KMUZ in the name of our program will receive a piece of media from my collection as a thank-you gift, tailored to your interests. That’s the Mid-Valley Mutations guarantee.

Having spent his life dedicated to the preservation of musical taste in all of its inherent forms, I don my headphones regularly in the never-ending battle against terrible radio in all of its inherent forms. This week I am faced with one of my toughest challenge yet, as I square off with music that meditates on the nature of heroes and villains themselves. Will I succeed? There’s only one way to find out, by tuning in to the first Hour, and finding out!

As I’m sure you can guess, I’m a big fan of Comics, and I have often been excited by those rare musical moments when the two converge. It is not very common, believe me; music loves to tell different kinds of stories than the ones you encounter in your typical staple bound beauty, and while I have always felt that there was a huge connection between Comics and Rock ‘n’ Roll (ahem, The Ramones, ahem), you don’t always think about the one when the other is mentioned.

But with a little digging, I was able to uncover a good hour’s worth of material that managed to follow and particularly four-color theme. The only inclusion that feels a little off is the Sabbath song; while I am a huge fan, it is the only representation from Marvel Comics in this particular show. My only defense is that I have always been a DC guy, and I get the references of their Distinguished Competition than I do the ones from the Bullpen. For anyone else who were able to follow those references: We meet at the comics shop every Tuesday; where have you been?

After we finish reading comics, it’s time to hop into the Time Machine, and visit… THE FUTURE! For generations, mankind has always tried to make sense of what lies ahead of them. Time and again, artists have hedged their bets on their particular version of what is to come, ironically leaving a trail of creative evidence in the past. But what of us doomed to forever remain rooting around in the most horrific of moments, the now? As usual, I have considered your needs, and thus have designed this show as a way of dealing with that very problem. Ladies and Gentlemen, I bring you: The Future.

I myself needed a show like this, as my own life seems to be resting on its own divide between the future and the past. As I lay suspended in that in-between place, attempting to chart new paths based on places I’ve been, it seemed very appropriate to meditate on other visions of The Future, to see if I could help make sense of where I might want to go myself. Often, there is a certain amount of Science Fiction associated with perceptions of The Future (with capital letters), and while this show veers into that territory occasionally, my interpretation seems to have more of the dream-like quality of Blade Runner rather than the frantic, technological advances of Minority Report. Weather or not this differentiation is meaningful to anyone else but myself is something academics will have to argue at another point in time.

Special thanks again to Will for making sure I remembered to play a Devo song, something that completely slipped my mind somehow. (I know. I know. It shan’t happen again.)

More than anything, I hope you enjoyed these presentations, and that they helped you decide how you can support KMUZ.org. Every little bit helps, and we really could use your support, now more than ever!

Enjoy!

 

Fantasy & Adventure!

 

HOUR 1

Part I: Who Was That Masked Man?

01.) Austin FM Theme * Paco Jones * Austin FM Theme * Self-Released (2016)
02.) The Autobiography of Dreams * WILT * Nocturnal Requiem * No Part of It Records
03.) Super-Intro [Edit] * Austin Rich
04.) Batman * John Zorn * Naked City
05.) Superman * R.E.M. * And I Feel Fine… The Best of the I.R.S Years 1982 – 1987 * E.M.I. / I.R.S. Records
06.) Supergirl * The Readymades * Homework #2 * Hyped 2 Death Records
07.) Greatest American Hero * Zoinks * Bad Move Space Cadet * Dr. Strange Records

Part II: Who Was That Masked Man?

08.) Green Lantern Theme * Announcer * The Superman / Aquaman Hour of Adventure * Filmation Records
09.) Doctor Who: Main Title * Delia Derbyshire * Brain in a Box: The Science Fiction Collection * Rhino Records
10.) Superhumans * The Flaming Lips * Transmissions From The Satellite Heart * Warner Bros. Records
11.) My Hero, Zero * The Lemonheads * School House Rock! Rocks * Atlantic Records
12.) The Shadow Knows * Link Wray & His Wray-Men * Rumble! The Best of Link Wray * Rhino Records

Part III: Who Was That Masked Man?

13.) The Lone Ranger (“March of the Swiss Soldiers”) * Gioachino Rossini / The Lone Ranger / Announcer * William Tell Overture * Mutual Broadcasting System Radio
14.) The Thunderbirds: Main Theme * Barry Gray * Brain in a Box: The Science Fiction Collection * Rhino Records
15.) Doomed Metropolis * Bishop Of Battle * Prequel Plus * Know Wave Records
16.) Go Monkey Go * Devo * The Powerpuff Girls: Heroes and Villains * Rhino Records
17.) Monkey vs. Robot * James Kochalka Superstar * Monkey vs. Robot * The Orchard Records
18.) Taut * Gricer * Gricer * Taut Recordings
19.) Superheroes * Brad, Janet & The Criminologist * The Rocky Horror Picture Show * Ode Sounds & Visuals Records

HOUR 2:

Part IV: The Future

20.) Primeval Forest-Sentinel * Machine Listener * Sentient System * No Part of It Records
21.) Sue’s Future * Refect Refect * The Future: Sue P. Fox & Matt E. Moon * Kill Rock Stars Records
22.) Scientist Of The Future * Stinking Lizaveta * Caught Between Worlds * At A Loss Records
23.) Five Years * David Bowie * The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars * RCA Records

Part V: The Future

24.) Man Seeks The Future * Attileo “Art” Mineo * Man In Space With Sounds * Subliminal Records
25.) Secret Agent Man * Devo * In The Beginning Was The End: The Truth About De-Evolution * Rhino Records
26.) Talkin’ ‘Bout The Smiling Deathporn Immortality Blues (Everyone Wants To Live Forever) * The Flaming Lips * Hit To Death in the Future Head * Warner Bros. Records
27.) N.O.U. Future Vision Hypothesis * The Nation Of Ulysses * Plays Pretty for Baby * Dischord Records
28.) Ingenious Scientist Invents Car Of The Future * Jad Fair & Yo La Tengo * Strange But True * Matador Records
29.) Future Right * The Fastbacks * Answer The Phone, Dummy * Sub Pop Records

Part VI: The Future

30.) A Future Confronting The Past Which Is Our Future * Negativland * Over The Edge Vol. 7: Time Zomes Exchange Project * Seeland Records
31.) The Future, Wouldn’t That Be Nice? * The Books * The Lemon of Pink * Tomlab Records
32.) Future Myth [Excerpt] * Akron/Family * Angels Of Light & Akron/Family * Young God Records
33.) Matt’s Future * Refect Refect * The Future: Sue P. Fox & Matt E. Moon * Kill Rock Stars Records
34.) The Future Is The Past * NoMeansNo * All Roads Lead to Ausfahrt

Part VII: Bonus Tracks

35.) Heroes And Villains * Brian Wilson * Smile * NoneSuch Records
36.) Lost In The Future Take 1 * The Stooges * 1970: The Complete Fun House Sessions * Rhino Handmade Records
37.) Iron Man * Black Sabbath * Paranoid * Warner Bros. Records