Episode 171: metal

23 June, 201230 March, 2014 ~ Austin Rich ~ Leave a comment

Episode 171: metal
(A sort of companion show to Episode 074, from the 10th of July, 2010.)

On crummy days like this I like to get my chores done early, eat a massive breakfast, and listen to a lot of sludgy metal to accompany the strange weather. Often I like to clean my office, too. It’s the kind of day that was meant for reflective listening and clearing out the cobwebs, and there’s nothing better than a nice dose of metal. Sure, it works for a number of other occasions, too, but rainy house-bound days call for nothing more than making a wasted Saturday suddenly awesome with the addition of metal. And, to match the mood, let’s call for some sludgy doom!

There’s really not much to this show. I wanted to hear some metal, I listened to some metal. And now you can enjoy it, too. While by no means an expert, or someone who can claim “metal guru” status, I can say that I knows whats I likes, and I likes me some KARP, Pentagram, Black Sabbath, and Melvins. What can I say? It hits the spot.

Any hopefully it hits yours. This should be me on track for shows that I owed up until last Tuesday. Hopefully I can get one out for this week on time, and we can return to business as usual. Until then, enjoy this blast of hearty metal for a rainy day, and we’ll meet again in the Lava Lamp Lounge with more crazy stuff soon enough.

See ya then!

metal

01.) Thor Is Like Immortal [Edit] * The Fucking Champs * IV
02.) Into The Grave * Bedemon * Child Of Darkness
03.) Electric Funeral * Black Sabbath * Paranoid
04.) The Nile Song * Pink Floyd * Relics
05.) Queen Of Bees * Witchcraft * Firewood
06.) All Along The Watchtower * Träd, Gräs Och Stenar * Träd, Gräs Och Stenar

07.) Schuylkill [Edit] * Stinking Lizaveta * …hopelessness and shame.
08.) When The Screams Come * Pentagram * First Daze Here
09.) Meet Me In Lacey * KARP * Suplex
10.) The Green Manalishi (With The Two Pronged Crown) * Melvins * The Maggot
11.) Nostos Algos * Thrones * Day Late, Dollar Short

Episode 130: Anastatica, LIVE!

10 September, 201130 March, 2014 ~ Austin Rich ~ Leave a comment

Episode 130: Anastatica, Live! w/ Johnathon Boober!
(Featuring a live performance by Psyche Doom / Melodic Black Metal Oly hopefuls, Anastatica!)

Listeners of this show will find a short delay near the beginning, as we are allowing a very special What’s This Called? episode spill over into our show. But, don’t think that means there’s only filler during this hour. Stay tuned, as Johnathon Boober and myself bring you a live performance by Olympia’s Anastatica, a Psychedelic Doom / Melodic Black Metal band, currently on tour, and will be playing in Portland on September 13th at the Red & Black Cafe. They will also be playing Eureka California, Bellingham & Seattle too, so this would be a great way to check them out before the shows.

They were a very fun band to host. Initially, we ran into trouble, as they did not have their kick drum pedal when they arrived. But within 45 minutes, (after a furious round of calling and texting), and friend and fan showed up with a pedal, and their rock-faces on. It was a pretty excellent moment for radio, and it saved the show. Well played.

While we’re plugging things, check out their latest release – Ephemera – recorded and mixed in analog, and is a great representation of what you can expect from the band. You can get digital downloads of these tracks by following the above Bandcamp link, or by finding them on tour, and picking up their CD or cassette of the album. It is well worth your effort.

Johnathon, naturally, helped with the DJing and engineering for this show, and as usual, I owe him a debt of thanks. He always makes these things possible, and I appreciate it in a big way.

Next week: tune in for a special extended DJ set with Paco Jones! This is gonna be great.

See ya in seven! Rock!

Program Playlist:

# Title * Artist * Album * Label

01.) Twist The Sky * The Tri-Cornered Tent Show * Alien Trackways * Edgetone Records
02.) Missed Court Dates * The North Sea * Bloodlines * Type Records
03.) Rise * The Nether Dawn * Well Song * Porter Records
04.) Live, In-Studio! * Anastatica * 10 September 2011 Performance * Blasphuphmus Radio
05.) ii-Yo * Nymph * Nymph * Social Registry Records
06.) Rue * Anastatica * Ephemera * Self-Released
07.) Last Eclipse * Anastatica * Ephemera * Self-Released
08.) Polylog * Frank Bretschneider * EXP * Raster-Noton Records
09.) Node * Frank Bretschneider * EXP * Raster-Noton Records
10.) Orion * Frank Bretschneider * EXP * Raster-Noton Records
11.) Perseid * Grex * Live At Home * Self-Released
12.) El Todopoderoso * Héctor Lavoe * Salsa Explosion * Fania Records
13.) Much Obliged fer Diggin’ Taters with You * Pilesar * Radio Friendly * Public Eyesore Records
14.) Who Do You Sue? * The Billy Nayer Show * BNS Presents: The Billy Nayer Show * BNS Productions

KPSU Playlist

Picasa Photoset

Episode 120: SLOTHS, Live!

4 June, 201130 March, 2014 ~ Austin Rich ~ 1 Comment

Episode 120: SLOTHS, Live! w/ Hogwash
(Featuring a Live performance by local Metal accolades, SLOTHS!)

While to many, Sloths are merely the newest local metal band, sludging it out with the likes of Yob and Wizard Rifle. However, KPSU allumni will recognize their drummer as none other than the host of Snack Time, a long lost show from yesteryear that contained the youngest KPSU DJ to know knowledge (Nate was just 12 when he started). Now, he’s all grows up, and plays in a killer and vicious band that is crawling out of your stereo, into your ear canals, and giving you the music you cannot live without.

Again, this episode is a Hogwash special, and while I’m running the sound, he is providing an excellent DJ set to keep the mood flowing. This show was tons of fun, and I really hope you get a chance to enjoy the beautiful sounds these kids created. Very, very worth it.

Rock!

Picasa Photoset (by Austin Rich & Closet Photography)

Episode 116: Valkyrie Rodeo, LIVE!

7 May, 201130 March, 2014 ~ Austin Rich ~ 2 Comments

Episode 116: Valkyrie Rodeo, LIVE! w/ Hogwash
(Featuring a special Pledge Drive performance by local noise metaloids, Valkyrie Rodeo!)

Hogwash had been talking about these guys for quite some time, so it was a real treat to get them on the radio for Pledge Drive. Creating their own special blend of metal weirdness, these guys are beyond description. My recommendation is to just listen.

Picasa Photoset

Is This Music? w/ RABBITS, Live!

13 February, 201130 March, 2014 ~ Austin Rich ~ 2 Comments

Is This Music? w/ RABBITS, Live!
(Featuring a live set and interview by Hogwash and Austin Rich.)

Picasa Photoset

Boy, did I get lucky this week. Hogwash of Is This Music? was lucky enough to have Portland’s own RABBITS come in for a live performance, to help plug their new record, Lower Forms, which comes out on Tuesday on Relapse Records. The upshot was that I got to run the sound for it.

I love this band, and it was really cool to meet them, and help engineer the show. These guys are pros, all the way, and their songs totally show it. I took some pictures and a video of one song, so I’ll try to get those posted soon. In the meantime, you’ve got this awesome performance that I’m really proud of. If you like quality metal (and I know you do), then this is the program for you.

Episode 085: Wizard Rifle, LIVE!

19 September, 20107 May, 2014 ~ Austin Rich ~ 1 Comment

Episode 085: Wizard Rifle, LIVE! w/ Hogwash
(Featuring a live performance by an amazing local band, Wizard Rifle!)

A while back Hogwash called me and asked if I wanted to see Wizard Rifle at Duckett’s. By their second song, I turned to him and insisted that we get them on KPSU as soon as possible. The continued to kick out the jams, and while I don’t remember anything about the other bands that night, they managed to rock the airwaves for almost an hour, threw down a hilarious interview, and helped Hogwash DJ for the rest of the show. I was looking forward to this one for quite some time, and they really stepped up to the plate. For the evidence, you need to listen to this show.

If you haven’t seen Wizard Rifle live, it’s really hard to define what kind of music they play. Metal? Rock? Noise? Confused Modern Fantasy? Fuck if I know. They’re one of those bands that will constantly get pigeon-holed as being a two-piece band, which sucks because they are so much more. Their musical prowess is only matched by their sense of humor and their energy. If they didn’t talk it up enough during the show, they’re kicking off the first night of the Fall Into Darkness on October 7th at Berbati’s Pan. Hopefully that’s not the only reason you go to the festival (ahem, Rabbits, Red Fang, Witch Mountain, ahem), but regardless, they’re awesome.

For this show, I ran the sound, and Hogwash ran the board. He, more or less, runs KPSU on Sundays, and has been in radio for quite some time. His show, Is This Music?, is a great way to wake up on a Sunday morning. I was really stoked to do a show with him, and I’m hoping to do more radio with him now that we’ve worked out this dynamic. He and I picked out some of the music for the DJ sets, but he basically ran the show for this one. We have pretty similar tastes, so it worked out great.

See ya in seven.

Wizard Rifle
# Track * Artist * Album * Label
01.) Glitter * No Age * Everything In Between
02.) That’s When I Reach For My Revolver * Mission Of Burma * The Definitive Collection
03.) Man Of Steel * Jay Reatard * Watch Me Fall * Matador Records
04.) Heathen Child * Grinderman * Grindman 2
05.) Live In-Studio Performance * Wizard Rifle

KPSU Playlist

MyFacester+ Photoset

Episode 074: METAL

10 July, 201030 March, 2014 ~ Austin Rich ~ 3 Comments

Episode 074: METAL
(Featuring an hour of stoner, sludge, doom, proto, and just plain old Metal.)

KPSU Playlist

It’s no secret that I love rock music, and without a guitar in the mix, I’m often uninterested. But the deep dark secret that I often have trouble admitting is that, at the end of the day, I really am a metalhead. All those jazz records, lo-fi indie cassette releases, hours of Old Time Radio, and Mancini albums are really just a smokescreen for wanting to listen to the Slayer and Sabbath with a lava lamp and a tightly rolled J. My years trying to front as a hipper-than-thou ex-punk with an extensive musical vocabulary entirely betrayed the fact that the Melvins were, secretly, one of my all time favorite bands. Where there is loud music, beer, and a love of the riff, I am sure to follow, banging my head along the way.

However, recent months have found my show lacking in Vitamin M, and as much as I tried to increase the sludge ratio of my shows, it just wasn’t happening. With that in mind, I set out to do a full-on Metal show, stopping only long enough to bring you between-song banter on why this stuff is meaningful to me. Some of my first live concerts were hair metal shows my mom took me to (Bon Jovi, Skid Row, etc.), and I grew up with a healthy dose of Led Zeppelin, The Who, and The Doors, all precursors to the music I would later learn to love. While I had a Sabbath album, and few other oddities here and there, it took a while for me to finally discover The Melvins, and after that, there was simply no hope. I was hooked for life, and have added this to the scads of other kinds of records I cannot live without.

This one rocks pretty hard, so I recommend grabbing a few Cold Ones, kicking it on the porch with a BBQ on the way, and thumb through the local paper with an eye for a dirty bar to rock out in. Really, it’s for your own good.

See ya in seven.

METAL
# Track * Artist * Album * Label
01.) Work Zombie [Excerpt] * Stinking Lizaveta * …hopelessness and shame. * Compulsive Records
02.) Another Fourth of July * Big Business * Here Come The Waterworks * Hydra Head Records
03.) Day One * Enemy Mine * The Ice In Me * Up Records
04.) Circle Of Servants Bodies * Saviours * Invaders * Kemedo Records
05.) Rip Van Winkle * Witch * Witch
06.) Nwobhm 2 * The Fucking Champs * IV * Drag City Records
07.) Be Forewarned * Pentagram * First Daze Here * Relapse Records
08.) Sweet Leaf * Black Sabbath * Master of Reality
09.) Serpent Venom * Bedemon * Child of Darkness
10.) Work Zombie * Stinking Lizaveta * …hopelessness and shame. * Compulsive Records
11.) Pink * Boris * Pink * Southern Lord Records
12.) Pistolwhipped / Plumbing Game * KARP * Freighty Cat EP * Atlas Records
13.) Elk Takes Night * Black Elk * Black Elk * Crucial Blast Records
14.) Nwobhm 2 [Excerpt] * The Fucking Champs * IV * Drag City Records
15.) The Bit * Melvins * Stag * EMI Records

signal-to-noise ratio w/ Enemies of Carlotta, LIVE!

24 March, 201030 March, 2014 ~ Austin Rich ~ Leave a comment

Enemies of Carlotta on signal-to-noise ratio!

signal-to-noise ratio w/ Enemies of Carlotta, LIVE!

Flickr Photoset.

Not one to turn down a favor for Ranger Mike, I was more than happy to render my sound services for an up-and-coming math-metal group comprised of a number of KPSU alum.

Both Sean and Johnny have made a number of appearances on KPSU in a variety of incarnations and permutations, so it was really excellent to see them in their latest form. Hopefully you’ll be seeing these guys around town more often, but for the time being you can enjoy them via this incredible on-air performance. Honest: you need to hear this one. It’s pretty much one of the best bands I’ve gotten to record.

I’ll be appearing on the last two episodes of signal-to-noise ratio in two different capacities, and the episode on the 31st is a two-hour show (extending into All 7″). Ranger Mike will be leaving KPSU to pursue a wife and a job, and we hate to see him go. But life goes on, and we’ll have to enjoy the precious little time we have left with him. Honestly, all of radio will be suffering with his absence. I will do my best to work double-time in an effort to fill the void he will leave behind, but there really isn’t anything like the real thing. Good luck, where ever you end up.

See ya soon.

Prize Country, LIVE!

20 October, 200630 March, 2014 ~ Austin Rich ~ Leave a comment

Prize Country, LIVE! (Live Friday 073)

Consisting of ex-members of Glance Failed, Clarity Process, Shamelady and Union of the Snake, Prize Country borrows nothing from it’s past. Moving onward, these four gentlemen have decided to take music back to its basic and most inspirational form – ROCK AND ROLL. Big guitars and drums mixed with thick storming bass licks blaze through understandable compositions. Forget the math-rock, forget the jazz-improv-metal-fusion mixture, forget the emo-screamo, bleed-your-heart, cry-on-your-shoulder sentimentality. Rock is back. Prize Country blends influences from mid 90’s era stalwarts a la Failure and/or Barkmarket, with a serrated punk undercurrent of earlier era Dischord, like Fugazi. But make no mistake – this is point blank rock and roll, and you can here it here on Live Friday.

Jason Wilhite

3 January, 200630 March, 2014 ~ Austin Rich ~ Leave a comment

Jason Wilhite (KPSU Phase I Episode 080)

For this episode, I brought in my buddy Jason who is a huge fan of various strains of metal and punk. He’s been trying for weeks to turn me on to all these bands while we’ve been out at bars and whatnot, so it finally made sense to bring him in and just go to it. At this time, our show was on from 5 P.M. – 6 P.M.

01.) Vangelis Again * The Fucking Champs
02.) Sin Egen Motståndare (One’s Own Enemy) * Totalitär
03.) Who’s Next * Inepsy
04.) Dark Eyes Of My Past * Brainoil)
05.) Underground Heroes * The Uncurbed
06.) Mutants Of War / Knife Fight * Municipal Waste
07.) Evil * Half Rounded Bastard File
08.) Internal Suicide * Call The Police
09.) Intrinsual Lost * Fall Of The Bastard
10.) Derkrieg * Order Of The Vulture
11.) 10,000 Years * High On Fire
12.) The Awakening * Wolfbrigade
13.) Den Yttersta Dagen * Skit System
14.) Killing Is My Business (And Business Is Good) * Megadeth
15.) I Love The Spirit World And I Love Your Father * The Fucking Champs
16.) Usurper * Celtic Frost

Shamelady

2 September, 200530 March, 2014 ~ Austin Rich ~ Leave a comment

Shamelady, LIVE! (Live Friday 025)

Portland’s Shamelady are a convoluted, rumbling wall of sound laced with a few bong hits of introspection that delivers a devastating yet thoughtful sound. The post hardcore noise is certainly well timed considering the growth and popularity of bands like Mastodon and Isis, but Shamelady won’t be plying their trade on MTV any time soon as they have a caustic, visceral sound that keeps them purely underground. The tumbling, squealing, angular riffs are gritty and opulently heavy, with just enough puffs of hazy ambiance to give them a nasty nicotine aftertaste.

Mid-Valley Mutations

Experimental Radio the way grandma used to make."

METAL