Episode 184: A Family Affair Part VI

27 September, 201230 March, 2014 ~ Austin Rich ~ Leave a comment

Episode 184: A Family Affair Part VI
(Featuring a star-studded Family Affair episode with Karly, Kyle, Marti, Brandy, Ruben, Sydney, Tanner, Jeff… and me!)

Some people like to keep their family at arms length when it comes to their creative life, and aside from the David Sedaris’ of the world, family and art rarely cross paths. However, we’ve always thought differently on this program, and going back to our humble beginnings in the late ’90’s, family have often made appearances on the air as we head in the broadcast booth. As I was spending all of last week in Washington state (visiting family) – and more to the point, now that our show has entered the realm of the Inter-Web-A-Tron – it only made sense to record a program while “on the road.”

While I would be the first to say that our family is unique, I don’t think that any of us disagree in the slightest, and more to the point, the overall dynamic of having a family at all is about the unique combinations of personality and social development coming together in a way that demands that you love each no matter what. We are all strange and confusing in our own ways, and I only need to look at the fact that I’m recording a radio show alone in my office every week for 14 years in a row to make that point abundantly clear to anyone who might say otherwise. Fortunately for us, music has always bound my family together from the very beginning, and this makes radio the perfect place to try and reinforce these bonds. I have always been lucky in that my family might not understand why I do a radio show every week, but they are more than happy to participate in it when they are able to do so.

This episode is unique in that it has more family members participating than any previous show ever has. Not only do we kick things off with a song written and recorded by my mother, but we also get conversations with her, Karly and Kyle, all vetrans of this program, and in the case of my mom, an ex-DJ herself. I also managed to get some candid recordings of my Grandmother when Karly and I visited her, and as if that weren’t enough, some candid campfire conversations in their backyard with my Cousin Brandy, her kids (Sydney, Tanner and Reuben), and her boyfriend Jeff. (That segment is Sidney and Tanner heavy, but you can hear the others here and there too. You will probably hear overhead planes in that segment, as Boeing is not too far away.) I wanted to try and get a few others into the mix too, but time and logistics prevented me from doing more. Still, there’s a lot to digest in this mostly-interview heavy show, and it offers a little insight into the musical world that my extended family lives within.

As mentioned in the Mini-Cast, this program was late, mostly due to the fact that I wanted to spend time with my family, and not editing audio. I’m still one show behind for the month, so stay tuned, as I will try to rush another show out before too long. And while I haven’t had a chance to mention it yet, tune in to Closet Radio this saturday (29 September 2012) for a live performance by Not Now, Not Ever, engineered by yours truly at 1 PM. It should be a lot of fun, as working with Miss Rikki Lee is ALWAYS fun.

That’s it for now. Talk to you soon!

A Family Affair Part VI

Part I: Getting The Party Started
01.) Butt Dialed (a.k.a. Ode To Kathleen) * Marti Grissom * YouTube.com
02.) Family Affair * Sly & The Family Stone

Part II: Radio, The Bookstore & More (featuring Marti Grissom & Karly Rich)
03.) Look At Me, Look At You * Dave Mason
04.) Message To Myself (Live) * Melissa Etheridge * Yahoo.com Live Series (2007)

Part III: Grandma’s Boyfriend & Campfire Chatter (featuring Evelyn Martin, Karly Rich, Cousin Brandy, Sydney, Tanner & Reuben, and her boyfriend Jeff)
05.) The Rant * Bo Burnham, Sidney & Tanner
06.) Comatose * Skillet

Part IV: Kitchen Confidential (featuring Kyle & Karly Rich)

Mini-Cast #8

18 September, 201230 March, 2014 ~ Austin Rich ~ 1 Comment

Mini-Cast #8
(Featuring my brother Kyle – and my sister Karly – announcing the impending “A Family Affair” episode that is running a little late.)

Since I am out of the Lava Lamp Lounge this week, away on a trip visiting family, our next program is going to be a little late. But! I can now safely reveal that it will be a new installment in our on-going A Family Affair series. It’s been quite a while since we’ve had anyone from the extended family on the program, and we are excited to be able to incorporate a larger cast and crew with this particular show. While Kyle and Karly are sure things, we are also looking to include my mother, Marti Grissom, as well as recordings of our grandmother, and possibly even our Cousin as a surprise guest. I’m hoping to pull in a cast of characters to talk about music, and give the family perspective. Hopefully it’ll be as much fun for you as it will be for us.

So, sit tight. There’s a full show on the way. In the meantime here’s a teaser of what to expect. We should have the complete show available by the end of the week. In the meantime, let these two track satisfy your need for a new show.

Patience, dear listener. Soon.

Mini-Cast #8
01.) Starship Enterprise Idling
02.) Today’s Tom Sawyer * Rush * Moving Pictures
03.) Do It With A Rock Star * Amanda Palmer * Theatre Is Evil

Episode 075: A Family Affair Part IV

18 July, 201030 March, 2014 ~ Austin Rich ~ 2 Comments

Episode 075: A Family Affair, Part IV
(Featuring music selected by Buck & Karly Rich, with help from Kyle via the phone.)

KPSU Playlist

At this point, I’m running out of family members that have yet to make an appearance on this show. As Karly – practically a radio veteran at this point – was in town for a few scant hours, she managed to accomplish the previously-thought-impossible task of getting our brother Buck out of Oregon City, and into the KPSU studios. For an entire hour, members of the Rich clan (no connection to actual wealth) were picking the hits on the air, and this is the result. And, as if that weren’t enough, our brother Kyle makes a phone appearance near the end of the show. All four of us contained in one hour. Is it possible?

This show in particular seems to be a good example of what we listened to growing up. Beastie Boys, They Might Be Giants, DJ Jazzy Jeff And The Fresh Prince and “Weird Al” all manage to capture the kinds of things that were popular among all four of us growing up. On the whole, we had our particular interests, best represented by the songs that we each picked individually (Me: Devo; Kyle: Pearl Jam; Buck: Craig Morgan; Karly: Raconteurs). We were lucky, in that our parents were into music when we were growing up, and encouraged us to discover new music. While there were definitely musical journeys that we undertook that they refused to join us on (I’m thinking nearly all things Hip Hop), I don’t ever remember being told that there was something I couldn’t listen to. I think that openness helped all of us find the musical universes that served each of us the best.

I would like to point out that I also used this show to highlight two albums that I think are worth the time and effort to seek out: the new Devo album (Something For Everybody), and the new Black Keys album (Brothers). Both are fantastic releases that I’m really starting to groove on, and I highly recommend them to fans of the show.

We closed this show with, “The Biggest Ball of Twine In Minnesota,” something that is near and dear to all of our hearts. There was a time in my life where I could recite the entire song, without missing a word, in some some of Dionysian ritual on a regular basis, always feeling some sort of triumphant thrill when I made it to the end. While I have always loved Al’s parodys, there is something about his original compositions that capture his personal sense of humor in a way that nothing else does, and I’m mostly surprised at how good that song in, even after all these years. I have always wanted to play it on the show, but never felt right about it. The time has finally come.

For the next two weeks I will be out of town, and sadly Blasphuphmus Radio will have to go into podcast re-runs while Ricardo Wang covers for the show in that time. I hate to take any time off right now, as there are some great shows coming in the pipe for the remainder of the summer. But I have been offered a wonderful opportunity to spend time with my family in Seattle, and I don’t want to miss it. I will return August 7th for another live show to make up for it. I have a couple more absences in August that I also hate to miss, but after that I should be back to doing weekly shows for most of the rest of the year, Holiday Season not withstanding. Weird.

Keep your eyes peeled for a variety of retrocasts during the off weeks, and some possible podcast-only episodes, all in an effort to keep relevant in an ever-changing world. So it goes.

See ya in seven.

# Track * Artist * Album * Label
01.) Family Affair * Sly & The Family Stone * The Essential Sly & the Family Stone * Epic Records
02.) Rich Kid Blues * The Raconteurs * Consolers For the Lonely * Third Man / Warner Bros. Records
03.) Paul Revere * The Beastie Boys * License To Ill * Def Jam Records
04.) Don’t Shoot (I’m a Man) * Devo * Something For Everybody * Warner Bros. Records
05.) Just Breathe * Pearl Jam * Backspacer
06.) Sweet Georgia Brown * Django Reinhardt * Jazz Masters 38 * Verve Records
07.) This Ain’t Nothing * Craig Morgan * That’s Why * BNA Records
08.) Tighten Up * The Black Keys * Brothers
09.) Put Your Hand Inside The Puppet Head * They Might Be Giants * They Might Be Giants * Restless / Bar/None Records
10.) I Think I Can Beat Mike Tyson * DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince * And In This Corner… * Jive Records
11.) Belleville * Django Reinhardt * Jazz Masters 38 * Verve Records
12.) Liza (All the Clouds’ll Roll Away) [Excerpt] * Django Reinhardt * Jazz Masters 38 * Verve Records
13.) One Last Woo Hoo * Sufjan Stevens * Illinois
14.) Sometimes Always * The Jesus And Mary Chain * Stoned and Dethroned * American Recordings
15.) The Day * They Might Be Giants * They Might Be Giants * Restless / Bar/None Records
16.) Daphne * Django Reinhardt * Jazz Masters 38 * Verve Records
17.) Biggest Ball Of Twine In Minnesota * “Wierd Al” Yankovic * UHF Original Motion Picture Soundtrack and Other Stuff * Warner Bros.

Episode 066: A Family Affair Part III

16 May, 201030 March, 2014 ~ Austin Rich ~ Leave a comment

Episode 066: A Family Affair Part III, featuring Karly Rich!
(With a selection of tunes picked by my sister Karly, including Evelyn Evelyn and Gogol Bordello.)

KPSU Playlist

Having been absent from the airwaves for several months now, it was good to bring Karly back into the booth, to offer a selection of tunes that are near and dear to her heart. For this particular show, I really let her make all the big decisions, and while I always love hearing The Flaming Lips, this show really was all about her. Evelyn Evelyn, The Raconteurs, Gogol Bordello, and Beck are just some of the selections featured, and all the while I just got to sit back and make the radio happen. Sometimes, it’s the little things in life that help.

It’s always fun to have Karly on board, and I always find her musical perspective extremely fascinating. This one has a definite ebb and flow to it, and works really well as a backyard BBQ soundtrack, or just lazy afternoon music as you do a few chores. Either way, you’re in for a wonderful treat, courtesy of another member of the Rich Family Clan. Yeah, we’re all sort of like this.

See ya in seven.

# Track * Artist * Album * Label
01.) Family Affair [Excerpt] * Sly & The Family Stone * The Essential Sly & the Family Stone * Epic Records
02.) Best Clean Shirt * Railroad Jerk * Third Rail * Matador Records
03.) Have you Seen My Sister Evelyn * Evelyn Evelyn * Evelyn Evelyn
04.) Prey For Rock & Roll * Gina Gershon * Prey For Rock & Roll Soundtrack * Hybrid Recordings
05.) Sexx Laws * Beck * Midnite Vultures * Interscope Records
06.) Battle Without Honor or Humanity * Tomoyasu Hotei * Kill Bill Vol. 1 * Warner Bros. Records
07.) My Companjera * Gogol Bordello * Trans-Continental Hustle * Columbia Records
08.) Elephant Elephant * Evelyn Evelyn * Evelyn Evelyn
09.) Tired of Being Sorry * Ringside * Ringside * DGC Records
10.) Old Enough * The Raconteurs * Consolers Of The Lonely * Third Man Records
11.) Popcorn * Caustic Window * Joyrex J4 EP * Rephlex Records
12.) Watching The Planets * The Flaming Lips * Embryonic
13.) Universes Collide * Gogol Bordello * Trans-Continental Hustle * Columbia Records
14.) Malague’a Salerosa Chingon * Kill Bill Vol. 2 * Maverick Records
15.) MySpace * Evelyn Evelyn * Evelyn Evelyn

Episode 030: A Family Affair Part II

26 July, 200930 March, 2014 ~ Austin Rich ~ Leave a comment

Austin (Left), Karly (Center), Kyle (Right)

Episode 030: A Family Affair Part II
(Featuring music picked out by my brother and sister.)

To make up for missing my regular broadcast yesterday, I increased the cast of my show two-fold as I brought in two of my blood relations to help DJ the hour away. Let me introduce you to Karly and Kyle Rich, appearing during a special Sunday coverage broadcast (covering PDX Soundtracks, the show on Sundays at 3 PM).

Next week we’ll be back at our regular day and time, so tune in for a DJ set like none other.

See ya in six.

Episode 020: A Family Affair Part I

17 May, 200930 March, 2014 ~ Austin Rich ~ 1 Comment

Episode 020: A Family Affair w/ Karly Rich
(Featuring a selection of songs picked by my sister, Karly.)

This week, on Blasphuphmus Radio, we redefine the meaning of the words “family radio” with a very special broadcast, with a very special guest: my sister, Karly.

This time, I let her run the show, and play all her favorite songs, inspired by the Ben Folds show we saw last night. Be prepared for the only hour of “family radio” that you might have to preview before playing for your children.

See ya in seven.