DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE BLOGGER DIE, <3 The Blender

Previously, this post was titled "Top 30 albums of 2006 according to a lonely radio DJ", but that was before Blogger froze while I was editing the post, and I had to start over (thankfully I always compose using a text editor). It's probably gonna screw up my formatting as well. POS.

SO! This time I had all this time from 3:30-7 to fill today, so I was like hey why don't I do a top 30 show? Way more trouble than it's worth... but here is the list. I played everything on here in my show in reverse chronological order, with #30 at 3:30 and #1 being played late at 7 cause I can't plan for crap. I hope you enjoyed the best music you never ever heard before ever.

1) BT - This Binary Universe - Binary Acoustics
song: The Anhtkythera Mechanism (10:07)
BT is known for house, vocal house, trance, and more recently for boy band music. It's always been obvious that he is an extremely talented producer, but he's always misused his talents... until now. This is the only album on the list which I have played on my show (over the course of several weeks) in its entirety. Seven songs all 8 to 15 minutes long, all epic with soaring crescendos. And it has the requisite minimum glitches to make me smile :) But wait! This album is actually a collection of soundtracks of animated movies (by varying artists), so you get a cool DVD that comes with the CD. Definitely the best of 2006.

2) Peeesseye - Commuting Between the Surface & the Underworld - Evolving Ear
song: oo-ee-oo (12:46)
These guys just keep getting better and better with every successive album. Obscure random vocalist/free jazz percussionist + electronics guy/pump organist + acoustic/electric guitarrist, only weirder. Yes they do crazy stuff, but they also make sure to maintain a sense of melodic structure as well, resulting in truely amazing music. Previously the tones/notes used were electronically generated, and I love how they're using their acoustic instruments nowadays.

3) Akron/Family - Meek Warrior - Young God
song: The Rider (Dolphin Song) (7:21)
These men ROCK. OUT. HARD. Way better live though, with their epic builds and crashes. This album doesn't really do them justice, but there's still some damn amazing music on here.

4) Hella - Acoustics - 5RC
song: 1-800-Ghost Dance (3:18)
What happens when you lock Hella in a studio with no access to electricity? This nifty little EP, containing some of their more well known songs played with an acoustic guitar and some sort of percussion. They're math rock, but they come off on this EP as Amish IDM.

***NOTE***
Well it looks like I pulled the inexcusable. I accidentally left out The Mathematicians. THE FRIKKEN METHEMATICIANS MAN. Crap. Well here is how the Mathematicians would have looked in my list had I been on top of things. And they would have been #5. Sigh...
4.5) The Mathematicians - Level Two - S/R
The geekiest music you can shake a slide rule at. Insightful lyrics, and music seeking to fit into the hip hop world or the retro 80s world but failing to find friends with similar interests. They not only rock out live, but their musical skill and precision is unsurpassed.

5) Cassandra Wilson - Thunderbird - Blue Note
song: Easy Rider (7:03)
She's known for her amazing deep and beautiful singing voice over jazz music, but she goes on a tangent on this album, with the music taking on a more Massive Attack or Portishead vibe. This song here though is all blues. Man, when she pours her heart out, she pours her heart out! I don't know if she'll be able to top this in her career, but I so badly want to see her try.

6) Dani Siciliano - Slappers - !K7
song: They Can Wait (4:51)
How can this album be so awesome, when her last one was SO HORRIBLE??? One of life's mysteries I guess. While her previous stuff is boring, this is bouncy, quirky, entertaining. This is the direction IDM should be going in. All you kids trying to sound like Autechre need to give this a listen.

7) Aoki Takamasa + Tujiko Noriko - 28 - Fat Cat
song: Nolicom (5:49)
Aoki Takamasa is an amazing glitch artist. In this album, he teams up with vocalist Tujiko Noriko. This is no "Simply Funk", which is probably my favorite album of all time, but the snap, crackle, pop, and stutter of his sine waves with her voice still manage a solid euphoric episode. Wait what am I saying? I shouldn't have put off the reviews on the top of the list till last.

8) Rose for Bohdan - ????? - Death Bomb Arc
song: Covered in Monkeys (6:38)
Noise rock. "Oh, you mean like Merzbow?" No, that's noise, this is noise rock. Infinite loop between this item on the list and two items down. Confused? Good, this is the right frame of mind to listen to this. Really spazzy stuff, I bet they'd kick so much rear live.

***INTERMISSION: AFTER DARK***
Belong - All Equal Now, The Door Opens The Other Way

9) Black Angels - Passover - Light In The Attic
song: Black Grease (4:33)
Two words: Vietnam Rock. I need not say more, but I just wanted to mention how much these guys ROCK THE HELL OUT kthx.

10) PCRV - Big Sky - C.I.P.
song: Excerpt (10:09)
Noise. "Oh, you mean like Japanther?" No, that's noise rock. This is noise, like Merzbow. See when someone unplugs a hot guitar and everyone else winces, I say MOAR, and PCRV is there to fill the void. This song I play the most audience friendly... I was very close to playing Rurality Pt 1 instead. Harsh but pretty. Am I really that weird?

11) Nightmares on Wax - In A Space Outta Sound - Warp
song: Me! (5:57)
Remember their last album? I don't even remember the name of it, it was so boring. What happened to the Carboot Soul days? Well this isn't NOW back from the past, but they are back from the boring, and do a bunch of unexpected stuff on this album. Well worth checking out if you were disappointed by whatever-it-was-called.

12) Another Electronic Musician - Use - N5MD
song: Collapse (4:54)
The first time I heard this guy was back when mp3.com was cool. He's come a long long way since those times, lemme tell ya. Great dubby IDM.

13) Function - The Secret Miracle Fountain - Locust
song: New Music For Bowed Animals (8:15)
This album is a great mix of electronic/ambient music and indie stuff with vocals. Something for everyone! The ambient parts though, are so sweeet.

14) Miho Hatori - Ecdysis - Rykodisc
song: Ecdysis (4:26)
Bjork's lost twin sister, srsly. She's done well for herself since she left Cibo Matto, whatever that band was. I love this album and look forward to more from her.

15) Badawi - Safe - Asphodel
song: The Bedouin Walks Alone (7:10)
Febuary of this year, I said "Definitely one of the top albums of 2006 hands down." Apparently this means 15th... Pretty good year eh? Great beat programming, great lush sound. Like an orchestra from the future in your living room.

16) William Orbit - Hello Waveforms - Sanctuary
song: They Live In The Sky (4:57)
This guy surprised me with this album. Very lush trip hop, something you might more expect from early Nightmares on Wax. Overachiever of the year in my opinion, and a well deserved spot on this list.

17) The Kamikaze Hearts - Oneida Road - Collar City
song: Top of Your Head (3:01)
The covers they do at their live shows are better, but I tend to love anything this Albany band does anyway. Four part harmonies and plenty of stringed instruments, mm mmm! I saw them live at the Sanctuary For Independent Media in Troy, and it was one of the best shows I've been to. (heh and thanks guys for dropping by. someday i'll learn your names...)

18) The Antarcicans -
Teach Children: Fear All Teachings of Eternity, the doom of Self & Nature - The New Black
song: The Ghost of the Trees & the Erase of Man (12:15)
The best post rock since Godspeed You Black Emperor. No lie. I for one welcome the apocalypse.

19) The Album Leaf - Into The Blue Again - Sub Pop
song: Shine (5:53)
Not as good as his previous album, but it still delivers. The usual rhodes and drums and other pretty stuff, though more vocals. His rhodes is way better than his voice, so I chose an intrumental track. Nonetheless I send you my love Jimmy, plz accept it :3

20) Disasterpeace - Atebite And The Warring Nations - Daddy's Dead
songs: The Great Stitch Divide I - Here Comes The Plaid Platoon (6:36)
The Great Stitch Divide II - We Are The Eveready Argyle Army (4:32)
Epic chiptunes with live drums (and occaisionally other ambience/synths). I couldn't pick just one song, since the best work on here is inexplicably split up into multiple parts! It's all good though, very very good.

21) B. Fleischmann - The Humbucking Coil - Morr
song: Broken Monitors (7:08)
Laid back living room electronic music. This track especially reminds me of Ulrich Schnauss, and given how I'm such an Ulrich fanboy, that does score some points with me, heh heh.

22) Skalpel - Konfusion - Ninja Tune
song: Shivers (4:16)
Ninja Tune delivers again! Lots of nice jazz influenced electronic music, as is typical with this outstanding label. This track in particular reminds me a lot of The Cinematic Orchestra, who is also on Ninja Tune.

23) Bitcrush - In Distance - N5MD
song: Falling Inward (9:27)
This song is one of my favorite songs ever, epic and gorgeous. However, not all the songs on here live up to this. Still an amazing album however, a nice mix of post rock and ambient IDM.

24) Glenn Kotche - Mobile - Nonesuch
song: Monkey Chant (11:32)
A percussionist's solo album. He sure plays a lot of different drums, sounds more like an ensemble. At times he will rub the drum heads in such a way that it sounds more like an electroacoustic composition than a percussive piece. An entertaining listen.

25) Elliott Brood - Ambassador - Six Shooter
song: The Bridge (3:04)
Just another alternatice countryish sort of album. Many good songs on here.

26) Birdy Nam Nam - S/T - Uncivilized World
song: Jazz It At Home (5:57)
Some of the best turntablism you will hear, ever.

27) John Medeski & Matthew Shipp -
Scotty Hard's Radical Reconstructive Surgery - Thirsty Ear
song: Round 2 (8:49)
The Blue Series always has some great stuff... hell even Beans was able to impress with his Blue Series album. This is no exception, some great illbient jazz on here.

28) Albumen - Lake Desolation - Treble Hook Sounds
song: Eyes Like Stars (5:38)
Previously, I commented "Starts like your normal underground band, turns electronic, then just rocks out on the last track." I ordinarily wouldn't expect such diversity from such an obviously independent album (its catalog number is #001, way to start your own label kid :D). And from upstate NY to boot! () Continues to be a personal favorite of an album.

29) Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings The Flood - Anti
song: John Saw That Number (4:06)
I *love* her voice! Especially in this song. I don't even bother listening to the lyrics, just to the sound of her perky high pitched voice.

30) Niobe - White Hats - Tomlab
song: Up Hill And Down Dale (4:04)
Really neat vocals on this one, obscure harmonies.

Pomp and Pride: Group Show!

So I had some friends from GZ come down to the station with me to pick out music and hang out, but they decided I was boring or too stressed out with them there to survive so they left like an hour in. Thanks to Drew for sticking around. It's nice to have people around for new music suggestions. With some exceptions of course.

01. Joy Division - Transmission
02. Bright Eyes - Hit the Switch
03. Margot and the Nuclear So and So's - Skeleton Key
04. Grandaddy - The Go In the Go-For-It
05. Belle and Sebastian - String Bean Jean
06. Converge - Homewrecker
^ Nice change of pace
07. Elvis Costello - (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace Love and Understanding
08. Thievery Corporation - Heaven's Gonna Burn Your Eyes
09. The Flaming Lips - Fight Test
10. Mountain Goats - The Best Ever Death Metal Band
11. Bruce Springsteen - The River
^ Peter Paggi's choice, don't blame me.
12. The Zombies - Care of Cell 44
13. Q and not U - I Love a Magician
14. Toots and the Maytals - Pomp and Pride
15. VHS or Beta - Irreversible
16. Xiu Xiu - Brian the Vampire
17. Plus/Minus - Trapped Under Ice Floes
18. Neutral Milk Hotel - Holland 1945
19. The Moog Cookbook - Hotel California
^ Uh, amazing.
20. Eels - Packing Blankets
21. Page France - Chariot
22. Mogwai - Glasgow Mega-Snake
23. Adam Green - Dance With Me
24. Osker - Kinetic
^ Lame
25. Black Eyes - Deformative
26. Minus the Bear - Lemurs, Man, Lemurs
27. Harry Belafonte - Jump in the Line
^v another sweet transition
28. Public Enemy - Can't Truss It
29. The Gerbils - Glue
30. Adam Ant - Kings of the Wild Frontier
31. Pixies - Dig For Fire
32. Sufjan Stevens - The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades Is Out To Get Us!
33. Toots and Maytals - Take Me Home
34. Bishop Allen - The Bullet and Big D
35. The Magnetic Fields - You and Me and the Moon
36. The Mathematicians - Binary Girl
37. The Gerbils - Crayon Box
38. Q and not U - Soft Pyramids
^ Lauren played this the other day but oh well, it's worth it.
39. Van Morrison - Jackie Wilson Said
40. Half Handed Cloud - We Don't Know How it Grows

Jock the Sock 12/15

Boohoo! The last Jock the Sock of the semester. Twas fun. Hope you all have a nice break and happy holidayz!

(pink = my faveritz)

go! motion- dance
hot chip- laws of salvation
the matches- dog eared page
adam sandler- 12 pains of christmas
the apples in stereo- the bird that you can't see
the flaming lips- the w.a.n.d. supernaturalistic (goldfrapp remix)
oranger- shutdown the sun
jets to brazil- morning new disease
the vandals- grandpa's last xmas
the black maria- waking up with wolves
the violent femmes- blister in the sun
bright eyes- a perfect sonnet
bright eyes- silent night
the futureheads- area
the inner banks- glittering sky
beck- sexx laws
beck- black tambourine (remixed by south rakkas crew)
beck- elevator music
belle and sebastian- a summer wasting
frank zappa- don't eat the yellow snow
ok go- do what you want
weird al- white and dirty
animaniacs- the goodbye song

Special Jock the Sock tomorrow!

Tomorrow (Friday) will be a very special Jock the Sock. Why special you ask? Well not only is it the last show of the semester, but there is a bonus half hour!

I will definitely be playing some more Christmas songs, more screwed up than ever, so be sure to listen from 2-3:30PM tomorrow!

Only on WRPI... Troy.

Radio #1 - December 14th Tony Edition!!!

Don't worry, no popahol here. Just Jamie's blend of electronica, since he prepared the playlist for me and all. Here's how I'm playing it.

01. Populous - Pawn Shop Close
02. Tree Wave - Sleep
03. Genghis Tron - Rock Candy
04. Ms John Soda - Track 5 (Don't know the full title)
05. The Organ - Basement Band Song
06. The Faint - Desperate Guys
07. Battles - Hi-Lo
08. The Blow - What Tom Said About Girls
09. Dimitri from Paris - Sacre Francais
10. General Electrics - Terms and Conditions Apply
11. Wevie Stonder - Quest of the Sacred Baboon
12. The Microphones - Monsters
13. Talking Heads - Pulled Up
14. Protishead - It Could Be Sweet
15. The Faint - I Disappear
16. The Emergency - Haunt you
17. Dimitri from Paris - Un Woman's Paradis
18. Wevie Stonder - Kenkeneb
19. Ruth - Roman Photo
20. Servotron - Tri Star Wheel Groove
21. The Microphones - Soundwaves
22. Air - Venus
23. Kraftwerk - Trans-Eurpope Express
24. Satellite Fox - Love in the Snow
25. Ellen Allien - Trash Scapes
26. The Microphones - [6]
27. Leftfield - Original
28. Lali Puna - Fast Forward
29. Cornelius - Tone Twilight Zone
30. A Tribe Called Quest - What?
31. I Am Spoonbender - Hair Is Real

Three Short Words Playlist - Transmitter Failure Edition

Here's the songs I got through today before we had some transmitter trouble. I would have liked to play more!

The Black Keys - Black Door
TV On The Radio - Wolf Like Me
One For The Team - Good Boys Don't Make Noise
Mates Of State - Beautiful Dreamer
Casiotone For The Painfully - Young Shields
Chin Up Chin Up - Landlocked Lifeguards
The Soft Civil War - It's This Way
Sonic Youth - Pink Steam

Ambient Signal's Top 18 Albums of 2006

Yeah..this was a helluva year for great albums. The beginning of the year wasn't very strong in terms of volume, but once it hit august, good albums were coming out every week..its craazy. To rank all the albums, I based my decisions on a few factors: How much I had listened to the album(thanks itunes!), how much it had influenced me to think differently about music, and how good the album was as a whole. Alright..to start the list I'll begin with the lowest and work towards my Number 1 album of 2006.

18. The Decemberists- The Crane Wife
17. Bright Eyes- Noise Floor
16. Ambulette- The Lottery EP
15. Function- Secret Miracle Fountain
14. Brand New- The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me
13. Emily Haines and the Soft skeleton- Knives don't have your back
12. Cursive- Happy Hollow
11. Amy Millan- Honey From the Tombs
----------------------------------------
10. Ester Drang- Rocinate
9. Sunset Rubdown- Shut Up I am Dreaming
8. Talkdemonic- Beatromantic
7. Hammock- Raising your voice trying to stop an Echo
6. Forget Cassettes- Salt
5. Camera Obscura- Let's get out of this country
4. Annuals- Be He Me


3. The Velvet Teen- Cum Laude
The Velvet Teen have been one of my favorite bands for quite some time, and I admire them mostly for their ability to completely reinvent themselves on every album. This album featured heavy use of electronics, distorted vocals, and insane drumming. Only a few songs stood out as just meh, and that knocked them down a few notches..but the songs that are great..are greaaat..
Best Track: Noi Boi
2nd: False Profits



2. The Album Leaf- Into The Blue Again
I am a huuuge fan of the Album Leaf, and they are one of my biggest musical influences, so luckily their new album did not let me down. Jimmy Lavalle returned with his signature rhodes, synths and drum machines and added even more violin and live drums than his previous album. I do not think this album is quite perfect, in that some of the songs lag a bit, but overall it is a very pleasing listening experience.
Best Track: Shine
2nd: Always For You




1. Margot and The Nuclear So and So's- The Dust of Retreat
As whole, this album is completely amazing. Only a few songs are less popular with me than others, but as I listened to the album more and more (it seems that I listened to this whole album about 30+ times this year), all of the songs would become my 'new favorite' until they all became classics. Everything is well crafted, and just where it should be.
Best Track: Talking In Code
2nd: Quiet as Mouse

Addicted to Baked Goods 12/12

Last show of the semester! New music in blue!

song - artist

baby blue sedan - modest mouse
yankee bayonet (I will be home then) - the decemberists
sunshine and the clouds (and everything pretty) - clap your hands and say yeah
sing me spanish tango - the new pornographers
kim's chords - sonic youth
is she wants me - belle and sebastian
concrete bed - nada surf
holland, 1945 - neutral milk hotel
phantom limb - the shins
factory direct - all-time quarterback (ben gibbard)
adlai stevenson - sufjan stevens
barking in the garden of ill repute - casper and the cookies
what went wrong (in your head) - supergrass
i don't really love you anymore - the magnetic fields
elevator music - beck
asleep at the wheel - the new amsterdams
do not feed (the oyster) - stephen malkamus

-Tracy

Ambient Signal Playlist 12/12/06

Tonights playlist is comprised mostly of my favorite songs/albums of 2006
WRPI 91.5fm!
http://www.wrpi.org/ for webcast

Annuals- Brothers
Brand new- Degausser
Forget Cassettes- Salt and Syncope
Ester Drang- Proustian moments
Function- Tuger Cub Samarai
Cursive- Into the Fold
Bright Eyes/The Album leaf- Hungry For a Holiday
Camera Obscura- Country Mile
Margot and the nuclear so and so's- Talking in Code
Emily Haines- Our Hell
Amy Millan- Skinny Boy
Feist- Mushaboom (Mocky mix)
The Velvet Teen- Noi Boi
Dosh- Um, Circles and Squares
Talkdemonic- White Gymnasium
The Inner Banks- Anthem
The Album Leaf- Always for you
Amina- Ugla
Hammock- Shipwrecked(flat on your back)
The Decemberists- The Crane Wife 3
Sunset Rubdown- Shut Up I am dreaming of places where lovers have wings
Sigur Ros- Gong
The Get Up Kids- Walking on a wire
Bright Eyes- Have yourself a merry little christmas
Denali- Gunner

Yeaah..check back soon to see my top 10 albums of 2006..I should have them up by the end of tonigh

Thanks for listening, and check back in january to see the new schedule of indie shows!

monsters get slain

monsters get slain 12/11/2006




petroleum jelly [the jungle nights]
black moth super rainbow [from the see]
tipsy [kitty takes a ride]
hara-kari kitty [game over... p.s. your EBM beats suck]
peppermint pony [kill the arcade]
attractive and popular [we're so pretty]
poo poodles [naked dance]
cornelius [magoo opening]
the zom zoms [hyper lenny]
need new body [pen]
tim kinsella & amy cargill [song for josh]
miracle chosuke [clifton]
the chinese stars [cheap city halo]
astrud gilberto [girl from ipanema]
tracy and the plastics [myth of the front]
gogogo airheart [how i feel tired]
devendra banhart [at the hop]
satellite fox [love in the snow]
xiu xiu [muppet face]
michael jordan touchdown pass [march of insubordination]
ghost mice and paul baribeau [good life]
craig salt peters [good morning glory]
defiance, ohio [letter home]

and that's the end of another successful semester. i'll let you know when i'll be back in january.

congratulations emelie of our little ilikewrpi world for her newly elected position of member at large for WRPI. that rocks so awesome pinkie!

my last (hopefully a little empowering) words of 2006 with a little help from crimethinc.