To complement our Northwest Quatrain, please enjoy this Commentary Track with Xeres Furd and myself, recorded immediately after our Northwest Quatrain.
As we tried to keep the chatting to a minimum, and just play music, this is a chance for us to casually discuss the material Xeres played, why he played it, and other significant things that are worth mentioning, that were not in the regular broadcast.
Continuing our four-hour journey into Northwest Music that doesn’t get nearly enough play these days, Xeres of Xeron and I have returned to KMUZ and Northwest Notes to bring you more selections from his personal collection of rare and rarely-heard recordings and performances by artists from right here, where you are from.
This show also happens to be a Pledge Drive show, but don’t let that fool you. We do our best to bring you a huge helping of music, in spite of all of that, and this one gets very personal, in the best possible way. We focus on a handful of artists this show, and dig into their back-catalog with songs from demo tapes and poorly-distributed home-recordings, by artists who have become incredibly popular since their time in the area. And, finally, we delve more into the recorded works of Xeres himself, which is always a wonderful treat.
This one is something I’m quite proud of, and I could never have done it without the hard work and thoughtfulness of Xeres of Xeron himself. So dig in, and enjoy our Northwest Quatrain.
Amy Denio (rhymes with Ohio) has been a prolific stalwart of the Seattle avant-garde jazz scene since the mid-1980s, with a penchant for quirky compositions influenced by international folk idioms and saxophone experimentalists such as Roland Kirk and Pharoah Sanders. In addition to the sax, she also plays accordion, bass, guitar, and whatever else suits her fancy – all of it self-taught. She also sings beautifully and does humorous spoken word bits. Her world travels and collaborative spirit have combined her talents with the likes of Chris Cutler, Derek Bailey, Chuck D, and Fred Frith. She is credited as a performer on a vast diversity of albums by groups such as Curlew, Pale Nudes, Kultur Shock, The Science Group, FoMoFlo, Billy Tipton Memorial Saxophone Quartet, and of course Tone Dogs.
Tone Dogs was a project Amy did with bassist Fred Chalenor, along with Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron (later replaced by drummer Will Dowd.) Perhaps best described as a prog band with whimsical leanings, Tone Dogs released two albums in 1990 and 1991.
41.) Vomit Comet * Amy Denio * Never Too Old to Pop a Hole * Spoot Music (1988)
42.) Marshall’s Whitey Wipes * Amy Denio * Never Too Old to Pop a Hole * Spoot Music (1988)
Fred Chalenor and Amy Denio, Tone Dogs reunion, Olympia, WA, 2013
43.) Czechered Pyiamas * Tone Dogs * 27 July 1991 * Tone Dogs (1991)
Fred Chalenor then went on to found his band Caveman Shoestore, which later evolved into Caveman Hughscore when Fred hooked up with Hugh Hopper of Soft Machine fame. After a struggle with early-onset Alzheimer’s, Fred passed away just last summer (2018).
44.) Surfing and Dreaming * Fred Chalenor * Caveman Shoestore demo * Fred Chalenor (1990)
Prior to starting Caveman Shoestore, Fred passed out this proof-of-concept demo tape to interested musical comrades. It’s unobtainable, but you heard it here.
45.) A Better Mousetrap * Fred Chalenor w/ Pete da Fraser * Ask the Mice * bandcamp.com (2016)
In 2016, spoken word vocalist Pete da Fraser of The Giant Worm visited Fred at his La Center, Washington home to record a series of improvised duets which feature Chalenor on the stand-up acoustic bass. A collection of Fred’s collaborations with Pete and with The Giant Worm can be found at this link.
46.) Disgruntled Postal Worker * Billy Tipton Memorial Saxophone Quartet * Box * New World Records (1996)
47.) Dubya & His Pa * Amy Denio * Prodigal Light * Spoot Music (2013)
48.) Maybe I Don’t Care * Amy Denio * No Bones * Spoot Music (1986)
Part V: Trey Treasures
Trey Gunn was a member of King Crimson between 1994 and 2003. But in the ’80s he went to college in Eugene, Oregon and got his degree in classical music composition at the U of O School of Music. During this period in Eugene, he had a band called Punishment Farm, and he also produced cassette releases of his solo work. His friends recall that Trey stated his intention to meet Robert Fripp some day, and get some guitar lessons out of him, even though Fripp was not teaching at the time. Yet this is exactly what happened after Trey left Eugene. Fripp founded his League of Crafty Guitarists, with Trey Gunn as one of his prize pupils. Trey is also known as a proponent of the Chapman stick, sort of a combination of a guitar and bass on a single fretboard. Prior to performing in King Crimson with the stick, he toured on his own to demonstrate its virtues and his virtuosity on the instrument. Another cassette-only release documents this phase of his career.
49.) Mighty Joe Young’s Yoga School * Trey Gunn * Food for Thought * Trey Gunn (1983)
50.) Bed Bugs * Punishment Farm * Greatest Hits * Punishment Farm (1983)
51.) XOXXOXO * Trey Gunn * Magic If * Trey Gunn (1986)
52.) Fifth Spin of the Sun * Trey Gunn * I’ll Tell What I Saw * 7d Media (2010)
53.) Shimmering * Trey Gunn * Raw Power * Trey Gunn (1989)
54.) Nicole * Trey Gunn * Food for Thought * Trey Gunn (1983)
55.) Magnificent Jinn * Trey Gunn * I’ll Tell What I Saw * 7d Media (2010)
56.) Togaku Ritsu * Trey Gunn * Playing with Borrowed Time * Trey Gunn (1985)
HOUR 4:
Part VI: Home Recordings
Just some amateur stuff recorded by me and some friends of mine.
57.) Curse of the Devils * Daniel Ramirez * Solo Spam * Daniel Ramirez (1987)
Dan was guitarist for Stick Against Stone during their Eugene and San Francisco years. Eugenians may also remember him as the guy who drove the Genesis Juice delivery van.
58.) Oven Door * Keven Dow * Oven Door * Keven Dow (1991)
That’s spelled Keven with two E’s. Keven was enrolled in the LCC electronic music workshop when he created this piece as a class project. Although he was a friend of Derryl Parsons, he was not a member of the EEMC. He also played guitar in Fate vs. Free Will Turn Signals. This piece was composed on a Yamaha DX7 using samples of a squeaky oven door.
59.) AIDS Quilt * Xeres Furd & Rob Dowling * Radio Jam * Xeres Furd & Rob Dowling (1987)
At the height of the HIV epidemic, this somber dirge was recorded as an experiment using samples from a CNN news report run through a rack-mount digital delay.
60.) The Plains of Girg * Fate vs. Free Will Turn Signals * Klepto and Other Manias * Fate vs. Free Will Turn Signals (1988)
The percussion for this piece was provided by soda cans, beer bottles, and a toy drum set.
61.) Singin’ Acapello * Blue Light Studio * Bluelight ’88 * Blue Light Studio (1988)
Several musicians from the Salem vicinity gathered at Blue Light Studio, which was originally located in the Falls City bedroom of my friend Lee Ballard. Lee played bass and founded a number of Salem bands, including a bar band called Triple Thret. Lee, sorry man, I lost your email address several years ago. Get back in touch with me through this blog if you’re out there!
62.) Circle K * Paul Sturtz & Elizabeth Rieman * Circle K * Paul Sturtz & Elizabeth Rieman (1988)
Paul Sturtz was a DJ at KRVM Eugene in the mid-80s. Later in life he served as a member of the Columbia, Missouri city council, and he founded the True/False Film Festival there. Elizabeth Rieman was working at the U of O Bookstore at the time. She is now a massage therapist, coincidentally also in Columbia, Missouri.
63.) Mousey Centauri * The Giant Worm * Mousey Centauri * The Giant Worm (2018)
Our first time in a professional studio. Recorded in July of 2018 at dB Nation in Multnomah Village in Portland.
64.) She Heard the Screams of Charles * Daniel Ramirez * Solo Spam * Daniel Ramirez (1987)
Part VII: Remember Valsetz
Valsetz was a mill town in Polk County, west of Falls City, which was shut down by Boise Cascade in 1983, and was subsequently abandoned and completely torn down. The band Remember Valsetz made logging issues the focus of its lyrical content, with sympathy for both environmental concerns and timber workers alike. They were known for performing at the remote locations of timber sale protests, as well as the steps of the state capitol building. Helmed by lead vocalist and lyricist John Dorbolo, nothing could be more Northwest than Remember Valsetz.
26 November 1989 at the Butte Tavern in Eugene, Oregon. Here’s an entire live performance:
65.) Poetrees * Remember Valsetz * Live 26 November 1989 * Remember Valsetz (1989)
66.) Woodchuck * Remember Valsetz * Live 26 November 1989 * Remember Valsetz (1989)
67.) Big Paul * Remember Valsetz * Live 26 November 1989 * Remember Valsetz (1989)
68.) Percussion / Log Jam * Remember Valsetz * Live 26 November 1989 * Remember Valsetz (1989)
69.) Spotted Owl * Remember Valsetz * Live 26 November 1989 * Remember Valsetz (1989)
70.) Momento Mori * Remember Valsetz * Live 26 November 1989 * Remember Valsetz (1989)
71.) The Diff * Remember Valsetz * Live 26 November 1989 * Remember Valsetz (1989)
Xeres of Xeron is no stranger to KMUZ, and he and I have done some great radio together. But when Mick asked me to cover for Northwest Notes, and Xeres and I had already been bonding on some of the secret gems of the Northwest that are only available on poorly distributed physical media, we felt like it was a good idea to bring you four hours of rarities and gems from Xeres’ collection of tapes and records, and from a few other sources here and there.
This show contains rare recordings by artists you have heard of that you can’t hear anywhere else… mostly because they were only released on tapes that have never made it to other formats. We don’t talk about these tunes much, but below are some extensive show notes by Xeres himself, that address some of the more interesting (and lesser-known) elements of this very amazing scene.
This show also contains special weather reports by The Ramen City Kid.
We hope our walk through the music of the Northwest adds to the work that Mick does on this show, but offers a flavor that is 100% Xeres of Xeron.
01.) Oregon (I Can’t Go Home) * Blackhawk County * “Oregon” b/w “Helplessly” * Seagull Records (1974)
This was a hit single in 1974, #16 on Billboard, and #1 in the NW for 9 weeks. It’s about U of O student Joann McDaniels from Coos Bay, who was in a Turkish prison at the time. The band Blackhawk County is from Monmouth, Oregon. The whole story can be found using this link.
02.) Ol’ Coos Bay [Live] * Christopher Todd Davis * Live * Christopher Todd Davis (2014)
Seattle based country folk-rock artist, originally from Coos Bay.
03.) Goin’ Huntin’ * Griffin, Fard & Furd * End of the World in D-Minor * Griffin, Fard & Furd (1978)
Home recording done in Coos Bay, 1978.
04.) Ford Fairlane 500 * Billy Dwayne & the Creepers * Billy Dwayne & the Creepers * Billy Dwayne & the Creepers (2000)
Seattle based rockabilly performer, originally from Coos Bay. He’s currently looking for a new stand-up bass player!
05.) Beer Run * Todd Snider * New Connection * Oh Boy Records (2002)
Country & folk singer, born in Portland. At 15 he ran away from home in Houston back to Portland.
06.) Small Still Voice * Ben Bochner * Heartland * Ben Bochner (2012)
Ben Bochner (1956-2018), Eugene based singer-songwriter, was just beginning to get known in the Austin, TX circuit – perhaps on the brink of national recognition – when he died last spring. In 1987 Ben took part in Ken Kesey’s novel writing class at U of O, which resulted in the collaboratively written 1990 novel Caverns by O. U. Levon (which is backwards for Novel U of O.) The whole story of Ben’s role in that process can be found at this link.
07.) Birth of a Stream * Michael Harrison * Collected Recordings * Michael Harrison (1980)
Michael Harrison grew up in Eugene, studied composition at U of O, and could often be heard improvising on the piano in the student union hall. He went on to release recordings on the Windham Hill label. He became known for tuning his piano using Just Intonation (as opposed to Equal Temperment.) However, this piece was recorded prior to Harrison’s interest in just intonation.
08.) Naiads * Oregon * Music of Another Present Era * Vanguard (1972)
Two of this jazz fusion group’s founders had first met and collaborated as students at U of O in the early 60s.
Part II: Panic Favorites
This segment is intended to expand upon a recent interview of Jeff Cellers, founder and curator of the Panic on 13th blog, which is devoted to archiving Eugene’s music scene from 1980 to 1995. The interview was conducted by Austin Rich, and can be found at this link.
Most of these tunes were downloaded from the Panic on 13th blog, along with some related material from my own collection. This playlist does not necessarily highlight the best or most representative selections from the Panic blog, which deserves much more exploration. These are just a few of my personal favorite tunes and bands. The Panic on 13th blog can be found at this link
09.) Anorexia * Headhunters * Tioga Studio tape * Panic On 13th (1985)
This delightfully politically incorrect tune was a local favorite, and got some airplay on KRVM, Eugene around 1985. When this band relocated to Austin, Texas in 1985, they re-named themselves Voice of Reason.
10.) New World Babies * Moose Lodge * New World Babies * Moose Lodge (1984)
11.) Liberals * White Liberals * Cat Behavior * Solid Citizens Records (1985)
12.) Short Narrative * Snakepit * Panic on 13th * Dunghill Records (1986)
13.) Treasure in the Pity City * Moment’s Notice w/ Elizabeth Rieman * Moment’s Notice * Moment’s Notice (1990)
A song about Robert Christie of Snakepit.
14.) Bad Boy (Live) * Los Xploreres * Live * Los Xploreres (1981)
Featuring another Coos Bay homey, the incomparable Marlin Reiber on vocals.
15.) Work * Stick Against Stone w/ HR * HR Sessions * Stick Against Stone (1986)
Stick Against Stone was founded in Pittsburg, PA, but moved around a lot. While in New York, they established a friendship with the band Bad Brains. In 1984 and ’85, Stick Against Stone settled in Eugene for a spell. In 1986, in San Francisco, Stick Against Stone began to make some recordings with Bad Brains vocalist HR. Due to personal disagreements, these recordings were never completed or released.
16.) Life on the Farm * Michael Billings * Old Shorteyes Is Back * Dunghill (1988)
17.) Old Shirt * Bunny Summer * Failure… An Instructional Tape * Disgraceland (1996)
The host of the Panic blog is Jeff Cellers, and he was in this band called Bunny Summer.
18.) Spaztech Culture * Sow Belly * Sow Belly * Sow Belly (1990)
19.) Hard and Heavy * Stick Against Stone w/ HR * HR Sessions * Stick Against Stone (1986)
Another unobtainable piece featuring HR of the Bad Brains, combined with ex-Eugenians, Stick Against Stone.
20.) Someone Else * A Few Chairs * demo * A Few Chairs (1986)
21.) Pollution in Disguise * Insidious Menace * Get Paid Somewhere Else * Insidious Menace (1991)
22.) Every Band Sucks (But the Drills) * the Drills * Every Band Sucks (But the Drills) * Every Band Sucks (But the Drills) (1983)
23.) Ode to a Motorhome * E-13 * No Mercy for Swine * Fatal Erection (1986)
24.) Misguided Missile Youth * E-13 * No Mercy for Swine * Fatal Erection (1986)
25.) Eddie * E-13 * No Mercy for Swine * Fatal Erection (1986)
26.) Sport Pack * E-13 * No Mercy for Swine * Fatal Erection (1986)
27.) Humor Demons * E-13 * No Mercy for Swine * Fatal Erection (1986)
28.) Free the Cheese * E-13 * No Mercy for Swine * Fatal Erection (1986)
29.) Swizzle Stick * E-13 * No Mercy for Swine * Fatal Erection (1986)
30.) Clowns Are Experts at Making Us Laugh * E-13 * No Mercy for Swine * Fatal Erection (1986)
31.) Pankreatitis * E-13 * Drinking Is Great * Fatal Erection (1985)
32.) Quest for Gilligan * E-13 * Quest for Gilligan * Fatal Erection (1984)
33.) Cheesehead Alert * E-13 * Quest for Gilligan * Fatal Erection (1984)
E-13 was Eugene’s most legendary punk band. This is a collection of their material from the No Mercy for Swine EP, the Quest for Gilligan 7″, and the Drinking Is Great compilation. Tracks 27 – 31 Above are “podcast only” inclusions, that were not aired on KMUZ due to FCC Regulations.
The K is silent. This is the only selection in this show that was selected by Austin, as it is one of his favorite bands from Eugene, and he quite enjoys this rendition of a Johnathan Richman tune.
Part III: Switched Off Eugene
This segment is intended to expand upon recent interviews of Brian Magill (aka Phyllyp Vernacular) and Peter Thomas, co-founders of the Eugene Electronic Music Collective, and both featured on the new compilation album Switched-On Eugene released by Numero Group. These interviews were conducted by Austin Rich.
These are some tunes that were not included on the Switched-On Eugene compilation. But some of these could have been, while others are included as an update on the more current electronic music scene in Eugene and the Northwest.
35.) Self-Regulation I * Carl Juarez * Confessions of a Mobile Intelligence Unit * Glass Onion (1985)
The compilation album features Self-Regulation II. So I wanted to complete the picture here by playing Self-Regulation I.
36.) Soil Count * David Stuart * The Laundry * David Stuart (1988)
David worked at an industrial laundry, and sonically emulated his experience using broken guitars and stacks of effects boxes. A scant few copies of this cassette were released in 1988 and put on consignment at House of Records. While perhaps not among the earliest pioneers of industrial music, the genre was not yet well known or well liked, so David was gutsy to put this out at that time. Not to be confused with the guy from the Eurythmics, David Stewart (different spelling!)
37.) Lost City * Derryl Parsons * Free Fall * Eugene Electronic Music Collective (1984)
The inspiration for the Switched-On Eugene compilation was a prior self-released cassette compilation by the Eugene Electronic Music Collective called Free Fall. This is a selection by the late Derryl Parsons, taken from the Free Fall album.
38.) Shadow * Onomatopoiea * Womb * 13 Records (1996)
Electro-industrial wizards of trance dance ritual Onomatopoiea were not involved in the EEMC, but clearly influenced and were influenced by them.
39.) Saragosso * Heather Perkins * Little Humans * Land-O-Newts Records (2008)
Heather’s early work is featured on the Switched-On Eugene album. This is an example of her somewhat more recent work.
40.) As Our Bodies Die * Entrail * 100 Years Remaining * Flossless Audio (2017)
Experimental violinist, vocalist, and electronic noise-maker Entrail was not around in the days of EEMC, but is included here to represent the current (2017) evolution of Northwest electronica. Entrail originated in Eugene, but is currently living and performing in Olympia, WA.
History Lesson: Before ’75 (2011 Retrocast) (Featuring a near-chronological overview of the origins of punk music. Originally broadcast on KPSU on 3 September 2011, & podcast on 31 August 2015.)
As someone who grew up in the ’80’s and ’90’s, Punk was already transmuting into a plethora of other kinds of music by the time I reached musical consciousness. While I came to appreciate everything that spawned from it, I had a real interest in where it came from, which has informed my musical sensibilities in that time. While my interests now may range far and wide, the net that is cast embodies all that is punk, in the way that I define it.
This episode features edited samples from the IFC film Punk Attitudemixed with a variety of music that helped get the ball rolling. I also include a few clips from other sources, to help flesh out the story when needed. If you look at “punk” as a mode of music making, the genesis itself lies in The Blues, leading to Rock ‘n’ Roll. Punk music is often steeped in the roots of Chuck Berry riffs, but as an ethos, encompasses so much more. I try to provide as much musical insight as I have into the music that was bubbling under the surface when 1975, an important year for Punk Rock, was in full swing.
I open the show with the fantastic Pere Ubu version of “Final Solution.” In a lot of ways, Punk was about searching for a Final Solution. Music needed to be forever affected by something new in order to break away from some of the mainstream crimes that had been committed. But the people themselves, desperate and hungry for something else, were also looking for a social Final Solution, a way to put behind them all the pain and horror that the world could inflict. While Punk may not have made any massive, or permanent changes that could be considered “Final,” I think this song really sets the tone for the kind of people that made punk possible. They were those who were searching for that Solution, and punk is the story of what came of their efforts.
This show was a real pleasure to make, and it features some of my favorite music that has ever been recorded. While this is the only show that is completed in this form, I hope to continue this series much more frequently in the near future. The Grumpy Punk has been reawakened in a way that I cannot sated with a mere two hour show. I wouldn’t be surprised, October and future guests not withstanding, that this will be the foreseeable format of the show for the time being.
There is a lot that could be said of the artists in this show, and I could wax poetic for pages. But I’ll let the radio do the talking. It tells the story much better than I could, that’s for sure. I will say that, before the show even started, I was getting comments and e-mail from people who wanted to make sure that I didn’t leave stuff out. And, of course, I did. Humorously enough, I managed to fit one or two in at the last minute. There is an out-of-chronology Kinks song, sadly, but getting “Louie Louie” in near the front was a wise, wise move. I have plans, after I finish the initial run of this show, to go back and plug all the holes, and expand on the work I did in this show. Hopefully, I don’t loose motivation by then.
That’s it for this week.
See you in seven.
*
History Lesson: Before ’75
Part I
01.) Part 01 * Interviews * Punk Attitude * Shout! Factory
02.) Final Solution (Cleveland, Ohio, 76) * Pere Ubu * Terminal Tower: An Archival Collection * Rough Trade Records
03.) Louie Louie * The Kingsmen * “Louie Louie” b/w “Haunted Castle” * Wand Records
03.) Part 02 * Interviews * Punk Attitude * Shout! Factory
04.) “What Have You Got?” * Marlon Brando * The Wild Ones * Columbia Pictures
04.) Search & Destroy (Ann Arbor, Michigan, 73) * Iggy & The Stooges * Raw Power * Columbia Records
05.) Part 03 * Interviews * Punk Attitude * Shout! Factory
06.) Maybellene * Chuck Berry * The Chess Story: 1947 – 1975 * Chess Records
07.) Part 04 * Interviews * Punk Attitude * Shout! Factory
08.) Incense And Peppermints * Strawberry Alarm Clock * Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965–1968 * Rhino Records
Part II
09.) Part 05 * Interviews * Punk Attitude * Shout! Factory
10.) 96 Tears * ? & The Mysterians * “96 Tears” b/w “Midnight Hour” * Pa Go Go Records
11.) Part 06 * Interviews * Punk Attitude * Shout! Factory
12.) Strychnine * The Sonics * Here Are The Sonics!!! * Norton Records
13.) Part 07 * Interviews * Punk Attitude * Shout! Factory
14.) Riot on Sunset Strip * The Standells * The Best of the Standells * Rhino Records
15.) Part 08 * Interviews * Punk Attitude * Shout! Factory
16.) Psychotic Reaction * The Count Five * “Psychotic Reaction” b/w “They’re Gonna Get You” * Double Shot Records
17.) The Gift (Edit) * The Velvet Underground * Peel Slowly And See * Polydor Records
18.) Part 09 * Interviews * Punk Attitude * Shout! Factory
19.) Lou Reed on Andy Warhol * Lou Reed * Interview * Flora.tv
20.) All Tomorrow’s Parties (1965) * The Velvet Underground * Peel Slowly And See * Polydor Records
Part III
21.) Pushin’ Too Hard * The Seeds * The Seeds * GNP Crescendo
22.) Part 10 * Interviews * Punk Attitude * Shout! Factory
23.) Boy In The Sandbox (1968) * Michael Yonkers Band * Microminiature Love * Sub Pop Records
24.) Part 11 * Interviews * Punk Attitude * Shout! Factory
25.) White Responsibility * Huey Newton Punk Attitude * The Complete Malcom X on DVD * http://malcolmxfiles.blogspot.com/
26.) Feel It (1970) * It’s All Meat * It’s All Meat * New Music Records
27.) Part 12 * Interviews * Punk Attitude * Shout! Factory
28.) Kick Out the Jams (1969) * MC5 * Kick Out the Jams * Elektra Records
29.) Part 13 * Interviews * Punk Attitude * Shout! Factory
30.) Helium Head (I Got A Love) (1970) * Sir Lord Baltimore * Kingdom Come * Anthology Recordings
Part IV
31.) Queen Of Stars (Loop) * Kim Fowley / Austin Rich * Unreleased * Blasphuphmus Radio
32.) Part 14 * Interviews * Punk Attitude * Shout! Factory
33.) Light My Fire (Edit) (Live) * The Doors * Alive, She Cried * Elektra Records
34.) Part 15 * Interviews * Punk Attitude * Shout! Factory
35.) Long Way To Go (71) * Alice Cooper * Love It To Death * Warner Bros. Records
36.) Part 16 * Interviews * Punk Attitude * Shout! Factory
37.) Not Right (1969) * The Stooges * The Stooges * Elektra Records
38.) Part 17 * Interviews * Punk Attitude * Shout! Factory
39.) Buick Mackane (72) * Marc Bolan & T.Rex * The Slider * Reprise Records
Part V
40.) Politicians In My Eyes (Loop) * Death / Austin Rich * Unreleased * Blasphuphmus Radio
41.) Part 18 * Interviews * Punk Attitude * Shout! Factory
42.) Hang On To Yourself (72) * David Bowie * The Rise And Fall of Ziggy Stardust & The Spiders From Mars * RCA Records
43.) Part 19 * Interviews * Punk Attitude * Shout! Factory
44.) Space Age Love (LA 74) * Zolar-X * Timeless * Alternative Tentacles Records
45.) Part 20 * Interviews * Punk Attitude * Shout! Factory
46.) Vietnamese Baby (NYC, 73) * The New York Dolls * The New York Dolls * Island Records
47.) Part 21 Vietnamese Baby
48.) One Way Spit (Chickasha, Oklahoma, 75) * Debris * Static Disposal * Anopheles Records
49.) You Really Got Me * The Kinks * “You Really Got Me” b/w “It’s All Right” * Reprise Records
Part VI
50.) Part 22 * Interviews * Punk Attitude * Shout! Factory
51.) You’re A Prisoner (Detroit, Michigan, 75) * Death * …For The Whole World To See * Drag City
52.) Part 23 * Interviews * Punk Attitude * Shout! Factory
53.) Master Race (NYC, 75) The Dictators * The Dictators Go Girl Crazy! * Epic Records
54.) We Ended Up * The Mumps * How I Saved The World * Sympathy For The Record Industry
55.) Part 24 * Interviews * Punk Attitude * Shout! Factory
56.) The Gift (Instrumental Edit) * The Velvet Underground / Austin Rich * Unreleased * Blasphuphmus Radio
57.) Ain’t It Fun (Cleveland, Ohio, 75) * Peter Laughner * Take The Guitar Player For A Ride * Tim Kerr Records
It is with no small amount of fanfare and excitement that I am able to bring none other than The Weatherman of Negativland fame to Mid-Valley Mutations. If you have been a long-time listener, or know anything about the kind of radio and music that I do, you’ll probably be saying something like, “Don’t you just try to imitate them with your work anyway?” And to that I would say: yes, poorly!
To say that Negativland has influenced me is a bit of an understatement, but their impact on this show is only one reason why it is interesting that I have The Weatherman on. This year, he has taken to social media, and for the reclusive (and often counter-cultural) artist that he is, this action took the Inter-Web-A-Tron by storm. His live feeds (full of Booper jams, mixes of radio and TV with whatever is on his VCR, and other odds and sods) are incredible, fascinating, and according to various, “terms and service agreements,” entirely illegal in the same way that sampling and collage art was deemed so in the first place. So, in many ways, he has not changed a bit.
The Weatherman and I talked for quite some time, about his current performances online, his history with Negativland, CBs and Jamming Culture, the legendary U2 single and how he found himself singing those well-known copywritten words, his relationship with Richard Lyons and Don Joyce (two band members who have both passed recently), and as if that weren’t enough, he performs The Booper, LIVE and reads The Weather!
Personally, this was a dream come true. This band and their radio show have been a focal point for the kind of work I want to create, and has guided my attitudes toward culture and art for my entire adult life. To find out that, not only are the members of this group extremely friendly and approachable, but game to go along with my nonsense too, is a very cool experience, for sure.
If you listened to the live broadcast, this podcast version has about seven minutes of bonus material, available only to the podcast listeners of the show. Scan to the end; we pick up the conversation exactly where you feel like we stopped. I would also urge you to tune in on 24 November for an interview with Mark Hosler, and on 1 December for an interview with Wobbly, completing Negativland November! It’s been a pleasure to talk to them all; now, hear what they had to say.
So, open up a fresh Club Soda, tune in KMUZ with your home-brewed radio console, and enjoy this frank and enlightening conversation with one of my favorite artists: The Weatherman.
01.) Austin FM Theme * Paco Jones * Austin FM Theme * Self-Released (2016)
02.) Interview Part 1 * The Weatherman * 2 October 2017 * Mid-Valley Mutations (2017)
03.) Theme From ‘A Big 10-8 Place’ * Negativland * A Big 10-8 Place * Seeland Records (1983)
Part II: “You’re scholarly!”
04.) Interview Part 2 * The Weatherman * 2 October 2017 * Mid-Valley Mutations (2017)
07.) Pure Full Stereo Rototiller * Negativland * Over the Edge Vol. 1½: The Starting Line with Dick Goodbody * Seeland Records (1995)
HOUR 2
Part IV: “How dare you call it a band.”
08.) Interview Part 5 * The Weatherman * 2 October 2017 * Mid-Valley Mutations (2017)
09.) Live Performance * The Weatherman * 2 October 2017 * Mid-Valley Mutations (2017)
Part V: “I’m not a musician, I just experiment with sound.”
10.) Interview Part 6 * The Weatherman * 2 October 2017 * Mid-Valley Mutations (2017)
Don gets added to the group, Night Sky Music, digitizing analog work properly, The Weatherman’s creative process, nonsense words and phrases, image 1image 2 & image 3, the act of selection, Night Flight‘s influence.
11.) Happy The Harmonica * Negativland * Free * Seeland Records (1993)
Part VI: “This Is The Weatherman.”
12.) Interview Part 7 * The Weatherman * 2 October 2017 * Mid-Valley Mutations (2017)
Media memories, strange noises from the sky, voice to skull transmissions andother conspiracies, performing live online, Over The Edge, and more Firesign Theater,
Part VII: “I never leave this house, pretty much.”
13.) Interview Part 8 * The Weatherman * 2 October 2017 * Mid-Valley Mutations (2017)
There are things you can talk about with old friends, and even more-so when you used to be in a band with that person. But kiisu is not just the sum of the band he’s currently in, and to try and distill the music he makes into just one representation is to omit so much stuff that is a joy for weirdo’s like me. Our friendship goes back 20 years, and to a band we both shared together, but you may know him best now as the guitar player for The Secret Light, who just put out their first LP, and have been playing around extensively as an up-and-coming new wave group. And while we do play songs from that release, and in that vein, this show is a whole lot more.
In many ways, this is a companion piece to the show I did with Semi-Colin of /root_DIR back in May, as we were all in that same band together way back when, but we’ve ally maintained a kind of weird friendship over the years that has a lot to do with shared ideals and experiences, and a rural Oregon Background, that sent all of us out looking for more. Colin found hardcore, I found radio, and kiisu… well, you’ll have to tune in and find out for yourself.
Shows like this are always a pleasure, as I get to hang out with a friend, listen to great music, and share it with you.
And, if you’re lucky, you’ll have remembered your potato, too.
Topics Include: The Secret Light, semi Colin, rural Oregon, learning to record and play music, making tapes, Cathead, Neutered Prunes, the years of experience applied to making new music, Empty Room (Kelly, Troy Mercy & Maile, theXplodingboys), The Oblik (Marshall, Jess & Joe), trying to impress girls, Necrotome, Johnathan Christ, /root_DIR, and more The Secret Light.
HOUR 1
Part I: Like Clockwork
01.) Austin FM Theme * Paco Jones * Austin FM Theme * Self-Released (2016)
02.) Interview 1 * kiisu d’salyss * 22 September 2017 * Mid-Valley Mutations (2017)
03.) Clockwork * The Secret Light * Mirror Mirror * Knife Camp (2017)
Part II: Vestigial
04.) Interview 2 * kiisu d’salyss * 22 September 2017 * Mid-Valley Mutations (2017)
05.) Vestigial Organ * kiisu d’salyss * Vestigial Organ * Previously Unreleased (198?)
06.) Interview 3 * kiisu d’salyss * 22 September 2017 * Mid-Valley Mutations (2017)
07.) A Second Try * Cathead * 0 * WANC Records (1994)
Part III: Noise For Nixon
08.) Interview 4 * kiisu d’salyss * 22 September 2017 * Mid-Valley Mutations (2017)
09.) Noise For Nixon * kiisu d’salyss * Noise For Nixon * Previously Unreleased (1993)
10.) Interview 5 * kiisu d’salyss * 22 September 2017 * Mid-Valley Mutations (2017)
11.) Welcome to Apocalypse (Radio Edit) * Cathead * April 2013 Practice Tape * Previously Unreleased (2013)
12.) Interview 6 * kiisu d’salyss * 22 September 2017 * Mid-Valley Mutations (2017)
13.) Truck Nuts and Man Boobs * Neutered Prunes * Truck Nuts and Man Boobs * Previously Unreleased (2013)
Being isolated out in the Pacific Northwest, we do our best to enjoy music from everywhere. But our location causes us to have complications with local scenes from elsewhere. It is hard enough to stay on top of what’s happening here, let alone everywhere else. But I’m usually trying my hardest to be on the lookout for anything that might float my so-called boat, and one such example was when Attic Ted reached out about visiting our fair part of the world.
Attic Ted – known as Grady Roper off stage – is a performer from Texas, the mastermind behind Pecan Crazy Records, and like many of us, is a traveler and artist who is chronicling the art that often falls between the cracks. In this episode, we chat about making music, traveling the world, releasing records, and supporting art that is important to both Attic Ted and Grady Roper. During the show we feature music, including a few demo recordings that are only a month or so old, and have not appeared on any of his records.
There are often scenes that become famous, but even near them, there is a whole other microcosm of artists who would love to find a way to carve out their own niche. Attic Ted is not only at the center of an incredible microcosm, but has been touring around, finding these microcosms, all across the world. We are happy that he found ours, and this is merely a small sampling of what his corner of Texas is like.
This episode is a little different, in that the podcast version contains explicit language, while the broadcast version was censored. (Attic Ted and his friends are very passionate in their use of language.) Furthermore, there are two bonus tracks on the podcast version. More than anything, it was an attempt to fit in more of this incredible music that you will not find anywhere else.
Closing out the show is another installment of Dimestore Radio Theater, with The Adventures of Rocky Jordan.
Enjoy.
Spinitron Playlist
The Attic Ted Interview
HOUR 1
Part I: Here We Are
01.) Austin FM Theme * Paco Jones * Austin FM Theme * Self-Released (2016)
02.) Daddy’s Medication * Attic Ted * Marginalized * Pecan Crazy Records (2012)
03.) Interview Part 1 * Attic Ted & Austin Rich * 9 August 2017 * Mid-Valley Mutations (2017)
04.) Here We Are * Attic Ted * The Attic Tedland suite * Pecan Crazy Records (2015)
05.) Interview Part 2 * Attic Ted & Austin Rich * 9 August 2017 * Mid-Valley Mutations (2017)
06.) Nitemare * The Carnys * Stranger In The Ringer * Pecan Crazy Records (2010)
Part II: Hyperbole
07.) Interview Part 3 * Attic Ted & Austin Rich * 9 August 2017 * Mid-Valley Mutations (2017)
08.) 14 Hours (demo) * Attic Ted * 14 Hours (demo) * Soundcloud.com (2017)
09.) Interview Part 4 * Attic Ted & Austin Rich * 9 August 2017 * Mid-Valley Mutations (2017)
10.) Hyperbole (demo) * Attic Ted * Hyperbole (demo) * Soundcloud.com (2017)
11.) Interview Part 5 * Attic Ted & Austin Rich * 9 August 2017 * Mid-Valley Mutations (2017)
12.) Melted Ice * Pataphysics * My Phones About To Die * Pecan Crazy Records (2015)
Part III: Pecan Crazy Records
13.) Interview Part 6 * Attic Ted & Austin Rich * 9 August 2017 * Mid-Valley Mutations (2017)
14.) RUDA * How I Quit Crack * Transitional Herbs * Pecan Crazy Records (2015)
15.) Interview Part 7 * Attic Ted & Austin Rich * 9 August 2017 * Mid-Valley Mutations (2017)
16.) The Plague * Gardenella * Gardenella * Pecan Crazy Records (2016)
17.) St. Anne * Toxic Water * Toxic Water * Pecan Crazy Records (2015)
18.) Putrid Person * Oozer * The Songs of Music * Pecan Crazy Records (2017)
HOUR 2
Part IV: Gummo Style
19.) demo tape * The Rebel * The Rocket Breaks Down * Pecan Crazy Records (2005)
20.) Traditional Fish Sex * Critical Dad * New Parents * Pecan Crazy Records (2015)
21.) Gummo * Mom Jeans * Chub Rub * Pecan Crazy Records (2016)
22.) Interview Part 8 * Attic Ted & Austin Rich * 9 August 2017 * Mid-Valley Mutations (2017)
23.) On Your Phone (demo) * Attic Ted * On Your Phone (demo) * Soundcloud.com (2017)
24.) Interview Part 9 * Attic Ted & Austin Rich * 9 August 2017 * Mid-Valley Mutations (2017)
Part V: Climbing Up
25.) Climbing Up * Attic Ted * The Attic Tedland suite * Pecan Crazy Records (2015)
26.) Interview Part 10 * Attic Ted & Austin Rich * 9 August 2017 * Mid-Valley Mutations (2017)
27.) UFC * Attic Ted * 3rd 7″ * Pecan Crazy Records (2010)
Part VI: Dimestore Radio Theater
30.) Journey To Nashier * Rocky Jordan * 26 June 1949 * CBS Radio (1949)
There are so many people in Oregon who have been woodshedding for years that I could spend the rest of my days just inviting them on the show to hang out and play their music. But in Xeres’ case, he has been at it for nearly 40 years, producing music that is clearly from the planet Xeron, and this show is just the tip of the ice-planet-berg.
Join us, for this two hour exploration of Xeres’ career. We barely scratch the surface of his career with The Giant Worm, where he is the junior member at only having been involved with them for 30 of their 40 year career. But we do get to present a new Giant Worm track, and play nearly two hours of previously unreleased work created by Xeres himself. Essentially, only a couple of tracks have seen the light of day before – and even then, largely on self-distributed cassettes – but we play it all on this show, and explore what life is like on planet Xeron.
Xeres has been an archivist of music for decades, and a huge supporter of Mid-Valley Mutations almost before we were on the air, and The Giant Worm’s appearance on the program in November was a great example of who they are and what they’re up to.
But in this show, we get to rummage through four track tapes and CD-Rs of music that has not been heard anywhere else.
The Eclipse of Planet Xeron w/ Xeres Furd of The Giant Worm!
HOUR 1
Part I: The Larch
01.) Austin FM Theme * Paco Jones * Austin FM Theme * Self-Released (2016)
02.) Interview Part 1 * Xeres & Austin Rich * 18 August 2017 * Mid-Valley Mutations (2017)
03.) First Eclipse * anon. * Mixed Voices 28 December 2009 * KLCC Radio (2009)
04.) Dwinc * Xeres * Early Experiments * Previously Unreleased (1979)
05.) Interview Part 2 * Xeres & Austin Rich * 18 August 2017 * Mid-Valley Mutations (2017)
06.) Symphony in Uh * Xeres * Early Experiments * Previously Unreleased (1979)
07.) Interview Part 3 * Xeres & Austin Rich * 18 August 2017 * Mid-Valley Mutations (2017)
08.) Larch * Matt Griffin & Xeres * Larch * Previously Unreleased (1981)
Part II: I Want to Do Your Laundry
09.) Interview Part 4 * Xeres & Austin Rich * 18 August 2017 * Mid-Valley Mutations (2017)
10.) Rhetoric * Stick Against Stone * Stick Against Stone cassette EP * Self-Released (1985)
11.) Interview Part 5 * Xeres & Austin Rich * 18 August 2017 * Mid-Valley Mutations (2017)
12.) I Want to Do Your Laundry * Fate vs. Free Will Turn Signals * Wolf in a Pulpit * Self-Released (1987)
A Northwest Quatrain (Commentary Track) w/ Xeres of Xeron!
This show also happens to be a Pledge Drive show, but don’t let that fool you. We do our best to bring you a huge helping of music, in spite of all of that, and this one gets very personal, in the best possible way. We focus on a handful of artists this show, and dig into their back-catalog with songs from demo tapes and poorly-distributed home-recordings, by artists who have become incredibly popular since their time in the area. And, finally, we delve more into the recorded works of Xeres himself, which is always a wonderful treat.
This show contains rare recordings by artists you have heard of that you can’t hear anywhere else… mostly because they were only released on tapes that have never made it to other formats. We don’t talk about these tunes much, but below are some extensive show notes by Xeres himself, that address some of the more interesting (and lesser-known) elements of this very amazing scene.
History Lesson: Before ’75 (2011 Retrocast)
Join us, for this two hour exploration of Xeres’ career. We barely scratch the surface of his career with 
Xeres has been an archivist of music for decades, and a huge supporter of Mid-Valley Mutations almost before we were on the air, and 
Mid-Valley Mutations 