radiobombast

You should listen," I said about this program prior to its airing. "It will be good." Verily, I think it was. How often does that happen? Memory may fail me in this regard, but I am trying out a new thing with myself: Benefit Of The Doubt. How am I doing? Feedback welcome.

So I mentioned last time out that a universe was ending--this is the first program from a new, more cautious world. Honestly the past seven weeks have been so full of stress and have gone by so quickly (am I having fun, or something?) that I don't remember what this "felt" like so I can't give you a proper account. To begin with, I guess that it must have been cold, but who can tell anymore? And with that kind of a beginning, is there any point continuing?

If we must talk about things we know, I know that Causa Sui was a highlight, as were SKRS & GULLS, Ride, Leslie Winer & Jay Glass Dubs, The Apostles, and Petar Dundov. What a strong finish! Sometimes there is a point in continuing, just maybe not with speculation and words.

BOMBAST playlist, 2018 March 7, 2100-2300:

1. "The Dawn of Man Intro" | Sefton | Stranded in Passion EP | Ellum Audio

I'm back! Did you miss me? Well, I guess it doesn't have to be mutual. I've missed you, even though I've been "here" every week. This time out, it's a return to one of our recurring themes: "Programs That Aired On The Final Night of a Now-Dead Universe." I suppose every program is such a program, when you consider the "multiverse" and all that, but I only know it's such a program some of the time, and in retrospect. When I know it in advance it will surely be the last time.

And let me tell you: this new universe, which began the night after this program aired, sucks ass. Things are less stable and cozy than I thought they were--a remarkably low bar--and I am filled with worry all of the time. Fittingly, time has frozen since the transition, and it is still winter even now. Are we living in Narnia? Will there be Christmas? It all remains to be seen.

It's fitting, then, that Volume 15 is our special "record" of the evening. That is a lost world too. Songs like "Outside"--where did they go, and when?

BOMBAST playlist, 2018 February 28, 2100-2300:

1. "Convincing People" | Throbbing Gristle | 20 Jazz Funk Greats [reissue] | Mute

Welcome to this week's edition of the program. "Solid" is the word that comes to mind when asked to describe it, though of course no one asked. It's not pantheon-level work in this broadcast but it is a good selection of tunes, delivered without incident. Can we hope for more, in these troubled times? Sadly I'm not sure we can.

Notes: I just found out, and by accident, pretty much, what a "jawn" is. I am so out of touch with the youth! It embarrasses me. Also, the Sam de la Rosa record seems to be a first issue, not a reissue. I can't recall what I said about it during the broadcast, but it sounds so satisfyingly old school (why am I out of touch, again) that I was sure that it came from another time. Finally, it took Lady Catharsis to point out to me that "The Chauffeur" is a Duran Duran song, originally. It seems I have much to learn!

BOMBAST playlist, 2018 February 21, 2100-2300:

1. "Intro" | Jawn Rice | Highlights | Mutual Intentions

I had actually hoped to do a romantically-themed feature for this week's "special time together," as I have taken to calling it. But, as luck would have it, I'd been sick the week prior, and had lost all interest in any sort of planning. So I did the best I could with what I had, leaving us with only "moods and atmospheres" to mark our first Valentine's Day broadcast. But what else is this holiday about, other than keeping the chocolate / florist / greeting card industries afloat?

Strangely--unless it isn't strange--this program "works" for me. Good tunes, good segues--mostly. A brief rock excursion that doesn't make much sense but maintains the overall quality. And Barry Manilow! I have done much, much worse.

BOMBAST playlist, 2018 February 14, 2100-2300:

1. "The Other Stranger" | Doxa Sinistra | 80s Underground Cassette Culture Volume 1 | Contort Yourself

300 hot, screaming kids

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Do you have a favorite genre of diary entry? I do. Mine is "I couldn't tell you what happened on this program if my life depended on it." I am blaming this on sickness--literal sickness that has dogged me at various times this year, including the week after this show aired, when I was listening back to it, such that I feel I haven't really been in my right mind at any point in 2018, and a general malaise that has me not wanting to do or think about much of anything. Isn't it good to hear from me?

So anyway, I can't tell you how this show "felt" at the time, though it was good to be able to speak properly (inasmuch as I do) and not to have to commemorate a death (can't help seeing myself as Casey Kasem here). Looking at the playlist, I can faintly remember some good segues. The selection looks tight. I think you will enjoy this, but who am I to say?

BOMBAST playlist, 2018 January 31, 2100-2300:

1. "Margaritifer" | Dan Terminus | Automated Refrains | Blood Music

I'm going to be petty for a moment and talk about an inconvenient aspect of death. It can really mess with the plans of the living. Here I was, planning on featuring a Leslie Winer record (NB that I did anyway) and in comes the news that Mark E Smith has died. What on earth am I supposed to do with this? I did what I could, and what I always do--I played a Fall song on the radio.

Should I have gone with two hours' worth? Maybe, though frequent listeners will already be overly familiar with my Fall habit. I certainly didn't become acquainted with the band through large doses. Funnily enough, my first relevant memory is of hearing a tune in the car, age 16 or 17, not knowing who it was, having it stick in my head firmly enough to drive me crazy with curiosity, and finding out years later that it was "Barmy." There was also Friend of Bombast Jeremy, who had a copy of Palace of Swords Reversed that he would try to get me to listen to but I couldn't seem to be bothered, most of the time. Still, things stuck with me--bits of "Leave the Capitol," "Fit and Working Again" and "Kicker Conspiracy," and all of "Marquis Cha-Cha." At some point I bought this compilation and was bowled over by the rendition of "Wings." (Ah, this one, here! So good!) I wouldn't call this succumbing instantaneous or gradual; it was very random and staccato. Things just lingered, waiting to be latched onto. Seems fitting.

It's been weird, the last 20 years, watching the man's personal decline--hearing about the belligerence, the drinking, the verbal and physical violence. I have to say that I haven't made sense of it--I'm unable to bracket off the "product" from the personal, but I also can't stop listening. I can't quit him though I know I probably should. It is probably like this for other people.

If this seems like an abrupt ending, that's how life works.

BOMBAST playlist, 2018 January 24, 2100-2300:

1. "Other (Justin K Broadrick as JK FLESH Remix)" | S U R V I V E | RR7387 | Relapse

Finally a good program from 2018! It seems that maybe I have not "lost" it after all. Unburdened by "physical evidence" and "the listening parlour" (I do seem to take joy in saying "it's a featureless program tonight"), I am able to make sense of some segues. Some. It's about damn time. Now, if I could just stop playing Smiths records.

Seems noteworthy that I guess out loud that it's "Roving Iinternational" and not "Raving International." Is that a sign of age, or tiredness, or both, not to mention whatever degree of general malaise I am feeling? To be fair, I'm not really up for raving OR roving these days. A year into--I can hardly name it--our current era, let's say, I'd prefer much of the time to stay in bed. "Were it not that I have bad dreams."

BOMBAST playlist, 2018 January 17, 2100-2300:

1. "How Soon Is Now?" / "Hand In Glove" / "I Want the One I Can't Have" / "Never Had No One Ever" - Live in Boston | The Smiths | The Queen Is Dead [box set] | Rhino

the vowels are missing

I am beginning to think 2018 might not be a good year for this program. You have heard, no doubt, of "women laughing alone with salad." Consider this modification--me, crying alonne with my mixtape--and you begin to get a picture of how I have experienced this particular broadcast. It is not for the faint of heart, to begin with--it is a dark, dubby, moody two hours, but then I am such a person and these are such times. The segues are incomprehensible, which means either that Trench Town Dub is the greatest record of all time or I've completely lost it. I'll let you decide!

Note: I speculate that the recordings on this "physical evidence" record were done prior to its release date of 1989. Well, no duh--what I meant was "significantly earlier," but I may have even been wrong about that. If I'm not mistaken, I hear a gated drum sound on at least one of these tracks, so maybe this is mid-to-late 80s stuff. Yes, I listen carefully even when I am annoyed at what I do.

At least my cold is gone. The dulcet tones are back, baby!

BOMBAST playlist, 2018 January 10, 2100-2300:

1. "Space Movement Section 2" | Creation Rebel | Starship Africa [reissue] | On-U Sound

Please find attached the first Bombast program of 2018, and I must say it is an inauspicious start. "My voice is shot," as I say toward the end of the program when I am giving up on backannouncing, and that's no exaggeration. Elsewhere you will find me experiencing Sean McDonough-worthy adolescent voice cracks, and other indignities. This is on account of a cold I was trying unsuccessfully to fight off, one which would have me convalescing in a Manhattan hotel room a couple days later, during a business trip I was not looking forward to anyway. "A program of many moods and energies?" Not exactly, on this night.

Anyway, we have an elusive 4AD-related piece of Physical Evidence to feature in this program, so that is something. Back in the day, this Garlands compact disc was one of a small handful of reasons why I finally "went digital." It was an expensive medium to jump into, and I had to be convinced, you see. What were the other reasons? As I recall, the cd combining the first two Felt LPs and a 3" (!) cd single by Trisomie 21. For you younger readers and listeners, you have to understand what a novelty it was, in the 1980s, to hear dead silence preceding the onset of music, instead of crackle or hiss. Friend of the program Mr. D. had the cassette of Garlands, which also featured these bonus tracks, and the A/B comparison was mind-blowing. I suppose my mind was easily blown.

BOMBAST playlist, 2018 January 3, 2100-2300:

1. "Stuck in the Track at Salford Priors" | Fret | Over Depth | KarlRecords

With this mixtape we say good riddance to 2017, an awful year from our perspective, truly one of the worst. My perspective may be too narrow and that may be the problem, but this is my opinion and I am sticking with it. The slow descent into fascism, the degradation of fact, personal stresses and crises, an aborted vacation, an austere holiday season, Lady C falling and concussing herself--right now the idea that time only moves in one direction and therefore we will never revisit these moments is the only thing giving me any hope.

So we say "adieu" by featuring the Legendary Little Annie (yep, still not getting paid)--and I can think of no one better for this occasion. To tell the truth about this particular sausage of a program, I have the cd that combines Short and Sweet with In Dread, but if I recall correctly--sorry, too lazy to consult the database at the moment--we have already featured the latter. So it goes! There are odd moments in this program where one song ends abruptly, giving way to the next song's extremely slow and quiet fade-in. A good program for headphone listening, then! Or you could blast it on your hifi and lull your neighbors repeatedly into false senses of calm.

BOMBAST playlist, 2017 December 27, 2100-2300:

1. "Black and Blue" | The Veldt | Thanks to the Moth and Areanna Rose | self-released