Transmusic Airwaves

After a lengthy sabbatical, I'm releasing more vintage programming from my very first program on SFCR/KUSF-in-Exile, VICOTIN POPSICLES.

On this episode(#29), which originally aired on November 9, 2012 there is music that is somehow related to the posted photo...a full hour of things inspired by "THE MOON,THE STARS (Trek?), AND OTHER CELESTIAL BODIES". Dialogue from television (take a wide guess which show) and music from such notables Spirit, The Cosmic Jokers, Captain Beefheart, Leonard Nimoy(Spock Thoughts), Duke Ellington (Moon Maiden) and Brian Eno will be played in today's special segment.

Other great tunes include new stuff from the Cure’s Robert Smith, Imogen Heap/Deadmau5, John(s), Cale and Hiatt, Ry Cooder, and “Vault” plays from Henry Cow, Louie Armstrong, Portsmouth Sinfonia, The Chocolate Watch Band, and the Buffalo Springfield.....

For a complete play list please click on the link below:
http://spinitron.com/radio/playlist.php?station=kusf&playlist=795#here

Zero the Hero and Captain Capricorn are just two of the alter egos of legendary guitarist DAEVID ALLEN’S persona as founding member of the British psychedelic band GONG and as principle protagonist in it’s other worldly mythology. On today’s special installment, the bi-monthly “Character Study” on TRANSMUSIC AIRWAVES(#58), the final two hours of the show will be devoted to his and the bands impact over the last four decades.

I’ll explore Daevid’s musical career from his earliest days as a founding member of Canterbury’s Soft Machine, his work in establishing GONG’S reputation as innovators in the psychedelic scene, his extensive solo career, and his influence on contemporary music. There’s plenty of rare, live, and unique material from Daevid and the band’s sizable catalog that I’ve gathered in presenting today’s special and you’ll also hear music from GONG’S other members and offshoots including GILLI SMYTH, STEVE HILLAGE, PIERRE MOERLEN’S GONG, THE UNIVERSITY OF ERRORS, and GONG/ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE.

During the first hour leading up to this special there’s plenty of great music in store including new material from BECK, BROKEN BELLS, THE NEP TUNES, TIN CAN LUMINARY, PETER HAMMILL & GARY LUCAS and BRIAN ENO (singing Peter Gabriel’s “Mother of Violence”).

Here's today's playlist:

SET #1:
BROKEN BELLS “Lazy Wonderland” from After the Disco**/MORPHINE “You Speak My Language”/TIN CAN LUMINARY “RUOK” from Um..Uh..Gum..Eh?**/BRIAN ENO (Peter Gabriel) “Mother of Violence” from And I'll Scratch Yours**/DAVID THOMAS AND TWO PALE BOYS “New Orleans Fuzz”/SPIRIT “All Along The Watch Tower"/BECK “Blue Moon” from Morning Phase**/

SET #2:
THE NEP TUNES “Flake Off” from The Nep Tunes and Other Natural Disasters**/PINK FLOYD “A Spanish Piece”/MANU CHAO “Claudestino”/ROBERT REICH TRIO (featuring Ralph Carney) “There Goes My Gun”/GOMEZ “Ping One Down”/THE TEMPTATIONS “Ungena Za Ulimwengu (Unite the World)”/ISSA BAGAYOGO “Madomba”/PETER HAMMILL & GARY LUCAS “2 Views” from Other World**/
DIALOGUE "Peabody Here" Peabody and Sherman TV show/SALVATION “The Village Shuck”/
** = New release

CHARACTER STUDY: "DAEVID ALLEN & GONG"

DAEVID ALLEN TRIO “My Head Is a Nightclub (Live)” from Live 1963
SOFT MACHINE “You Don't Remember” from Jet-Propelled Photographs
GONG “Magic Brothers (1969 Demo)” from The History and the Mystery of the Planet Gong
DAEVID ALLEN “Stoned Innocent Frankenstein” from Banana Moon
GONG “Tropical Fish/Selene” from The Peel Sessions
GONG “The Pot Head Pixies” from Radio Gnome Invisible Part 1
GONG “Castle in the Clouds” from Angel's Egg
GONG “Oily Way"(Live) from Gong Live Ect.
GONG “Sprinkling of Clouds”(Live) from Gong est Mort (Live at Hippodrome Paris 1977)
GONG “Wingful of Eyes” from Shamal
GONG “Night Illusion” from Gazeuse!
DAEVID ALLEN & EUTERPE “Have You Seen My Friend” from Bananamoon Obscura No.1: Studio Rehearsal Tapes 1977
DAEVID ALLEN “Poet For Sale” from Now Is The Happiest Time Of Our Life
GILLI SMYTH “I Am a Fool” from Mother
GONG “Opium for the People"(Live) from Planet Gong - Live Floating Anarchy 1977
DAEVID ALLEN “Professor-SharpStrings Says/Oh Man No” from N'Existe Pas
STEVE HILLAGE “Light In the Sky"(Live) from Live Herald
NEW YORK GONG “Much Too Old” from About Time
DAEVID ALLEN “I Don't Wanna Be” from Bananamoon Obscura No. 8 - Divided Alien Playbax (Disc 1) [Live At the Mistake In Cleveland]
DAEVID ALLEN “Bananareggae” from Dividedalienplaybax80
GONGMAISON “Bellyfull of Telephone” from Live At The Glastonbury Festival 1989
DAEVID ALLEN & THE MAGICK BROTHERS “Zero Theme” from Live At The Witchwood 1991
DAEVID ALLEN “Death Of Rock” from The Death of Rock & Other Entrances
DAEVID ALLEN “Sitting in a Tea Shop” from Dreamin' A Dream
DAEVID ALLEN & KRAMER “The Punter from Purgatory” from Hit Men
GONG “Zero Where Are You?"(Live) from 25th Birthday Party (Live at the London Forum October 8 & 9,1994)
GONG “Elephant La Cuisse” from ShapeShifter
DAEVID ALLEN “Salt Peanuts” from Eat Me I'm a Jellybean
GONG “The Mad Monk"(Live) from Live 2 Infinitea - On Tour Spring 2000
DAEVID ALLEN & THE UNIVERSITY OF ERRORS “Olde Guitar Body O' Mine” from E2x10=Tenure
GONG & ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE “Olde Fooles Game” from Acid Motherhood
STEVE HILLAGE (System Seven) “Wave Bender” from Golden Section
GONG “Dancing With the Pixies” from 2032

For more information on Daevid Allen and Gong:
http://www.planetgong.co.uk/

For live streaming of SFCR/KUSF-in-Exile:
http://savekusf.org/listen-to-kusf-in-exile

To hear podcast's from the San Francisco Community Podcast Network:
http://savekusf.podomatic.com/

On this week’s TRANSMUSIC AIRWAVES (#49), my special “Character Study,” an in depth look at an artist/group that’s had a significant impact on contemporary music, returns with a look at the career of PETER HAMMILL and the legendary band, VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR.

Beginning with the bands first single in 1967 (“People You Were Going To”) today’s feature will include some rare “live” recordings of the group (“Still Life” from the BBC Radio Sessions and “Sphinx in the Face” from the John Peel Program), Peter Hammill’s collaborations with Robert Fripp (singing the song “Chicago” from Fripp’s Exposure album) and Roger Eno (“Rush In” from The Appointed Hour), and even a rare piece from Hammill’s musical adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher.”

Selections from Peter Hammill’s sizable solo catalogue will also include a number of “live” recordings (“The Future Now” and “A Better Time”) from his lengthy career, and a sample of Van Der Graff Generator’s musical output spanning each era of the group’s tumultuous history will be heard.

For more info on this show:
http://spinitron.com/radio/playlist.php?station=kusf&playlist=2591#here

For more information on Peter Hammill:
http://www.sofasound.com/index.htm

For more information on Van Der Graaf Generator:
http://www.vandergraafgenerator.co.uk/

On this weeks TRANSMUSIC AIRWAVES (#32), it’s time for another installment of the monthly series, “Character Study,” a look at an individual or band that has had an important influence on modern music. The legendary “Avant-garage” band, PERE UBU, and their founder, DAVID THOMAS are the focus of today’s feature.

Beginning as Cleveland’s unabashedly unique punk pioneers ROCKET FROM THE TOMBS, PERE UBU evolved from those roots into one of rocks most innovative and uncompromising musical acts. Today’s program will look at the nearly four decades of the bands recordings, with “live” recordings peppered in and include a sizable taste of founder DAVID THOMAS’S individual releases as well. The program will run in the final two hours of todays show.

In the first hour today, we’ll listen to more new songs from SIGUR ROS, IGGY AND THE STOOGES, JOSEPH ARTHUR, PRIMAL SCREAM, and JOANNIE PALLATTO/BRAD SPARROW. Other music from Anthony Moore, Ken Nordine, Ali Farka Toure & Ry Cooder, and Material will be heard.

** = New Releases

For information on Pere Ubu & David Thomas or to purchase their music:
http://ubuprojex.com/

For more info on this program:
http://spinitron.com/radio/playlist.php?station=kusf&playlist=2148#here

This week’s TRANSMUSIC AIRWAVES (#22) contains another special installment of “Character Study,” a look at an individual or group that has had a substantial influence on modern music. In the final two hours of today’s program, I’ll cover the life and music of the multi-talented LAURIE ANDERSON. Laurie was born on June 5, 1947 in Chicago, Illinois and moved to New York City to attend college and begin her career after graduating from high school. I’ll look at the evolution of Laurie’s career as a performance artist, writer, storyteller, and musician from her early beginnings through her most recent efforts.

Included today will be rare early recordings from the albums New Music for Electronic and Recorded Media (“Time to Go”) and Airwaves (with songs “It’s Not the Bullet That Kills You It’s the Hole” and “Two Songs for Tape Bow Violin.”) I’ve also included a segment showing the earliest version of Laurie’s spoken word piece, “America on the Move,” and it’s evolution into various songs that would later appear on the ground breaking albums BIG SCIENCE and UNITED STATES LIVE and an additional segment of Laurie’s collaborations with Hector Zazou, husband Lou Reed, and Brian Eno and Peter Schwalm.

During the first hour of today’s show songs from Atoms for Peace (new!), Jesca Hoop (new!), Alice Cooper, The Kronos Quartet, Beck, and Roxy Music will be played.

For more info on this show:
http://spinitron.com/radio/playlist.php?station=kusf&playlist=1847#here

For info on Laurie Anderson and to purchase her music:
http://www.laurieanderson.com/

My special monthly feature, “Character Study,” returns today after a short sabbatical during the final two hours of this weeks TRANSMUSIC AIRWAVES (#17). Today’s feature will be the German “Krautrock” pioneers, CAN!

Formed in Cologne, Germany in June 1968 by two students of avant garde composer Karlheinz Stockhausen, CAN celebrates it’s 45th year this month so it seemed appropriate to feature them today. We’ll look at their extensive recording career from their initial release, “Monster Movie,” in 1969, through their 1989 reunion effort, “Rite Time.” Also featured will be a sampling of the band’s individual solo projects, and a song from newly discovered music recently released on the box set “The Lost Tapes.”

Also heard during the first hour of today’s show, music from Foxygen (“San Francisco”), David Byrne & St. Vincent (“Cissus” from the new Brass Tactics EP), The Swell Season (doing “I Don’t Want to Know”), and Herman’s Hermits (Doing Billy Idol’s “White Wedding”), plus Adrian Belew, Gentle Giant, and Karlheinz Stockhausen.

For program details:
http://spinitron.com/radio/playlist.php?station=kusf&playlist=1674#here

Form info on where to get CAN and related projects:
http://www.spoonrecords.com/

On today’s edition of TRANSMUSIC AIRWAVES (#11), I return to my Alma Mater Kent State University) where I began my broadcast career in 1976, and commemorate the 43rd anniversary of the shootings of unarmed students there on May 4th, 1970 by Ohio National Guardsmen.

Music and interviews from a special recording, “THE KENT STATE MAY 4TH CD PROJECT” will be heard. Local Northern Ohio alumni artists the Pretenders, Joe Walsh, Tin Huey, The Numbers Band, Tiny Alice,The Kent 25, and many more contributed to this recording which features a special re-mastering of the John Lennon/Yoko Ono song “Give Peace a Chance” updated and enhanced by YOKO ONO for this record.

Also included will be DEVO doing their cover of Neil Young’s “OHIO,” the JEFFERSON AIRPLANE (“Volunteers”), ZIGGY MARLEY (covering Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind”), plus music from Holly Near, Rolly Brown, and Jimmy Imij.

Also today, more new material from RICHARD THOMPSON, CRACK THE SKY, THE FLAMING LIPS, THE BRYAN FERRY ORCHESTRA, NIKI AND THE DOVE, and KEITH RICHARDS & TOM WAITS (Doing “Shenandoah” from “Son of Rogues gallery Part 2.”) Plus a vault “classic",’ “Fazon,” by SOPWITH CAMEL and “Metro Logic” from TIM BLAKE’S album, Crystal machine.

For a more details of this show:
http://spinitron.com/radio/playlist.php?station=kusf&playlist=1464#here

Today on Transmusic Airwaves and I’ll be featuring another segment within the show called “Character Study,” a monthly feature that devotes two hours to an artist or band that has made significant contributions to the world of modern music.

In today’s show, a look at the life and music of songwriter/guitarist JOHN MARTYN. Born Iain David McGeachy in London on September 11, 1948 to opera vocalist parents, John later grew up in Glasgow, Scotland after his parents divorced. He began playing guitar and in his late teens, was discovered by Island Records and signed to a recording contract, releasing the album “London Conversation” in 1968. This feature will include music from his rather sizable catalogue (including live recordings and lesser known studio recordings), and will be interspersed with biographical information about his life. This “Character Study” will be aired in the final two hours of today’s show.

In the first hour today, new songs from the Crack the Sky, Dr. John, Animal Collective, and several more songs including Ry Cooder’s (“Suitcase in My Hand”), Pharaoh Sanders’ (Astral Traveling”), Toubab Crewe’s (“Bani”), and David Bowie’s (“Sons of the Silent Age”).

For a playlist of this show:
http://spinitron.com/radio/playlist.php?station=kusf&playlist=1379#here

To learn more about John Martyn or purchase his music go to:
http://www.johnmartyn.com/

On this special Podcast today, you'll hear another two hour segment from the groundbreaking Progressive/alternative college radio program, FRESH AIR, captured on cassette tape on June 22, 1978. I was a host on WKSU-FM's "Fresh Air," the late night, student run program during the heyday of Northeastern Ohio's prevalence in rock and alternative musics in the 1970's and 80's. Today's archival tape, restored and remastered by Dr. Woo,(a former Program Director of the show) is one of over 200 hours of tapes of this legendary program which aired from 1973 until 1981.

Fresh Air was coming into it's own by the date of this tape, having recently moved from a midnight to 3 AM time slot to a 11PM to 6 AM spot almost every night. The program had debuted an "Artist of the Week" feature to better educate the audience (and the DJ's as well) as to the styles of music we were playing back then. Artists like Brian Eno, Peter Hammill, Gong, and John Martyn were among those featured.

The show had begun printing it's bi-monthly "Fresh Air Program Guide" at the time and distributing it in record stores all over Northern Ohio. We had also added a weekly "Import Album Premiere" every Saturday night and had begun an interview/music program called the "Industrial Wasteland" with many of the artists we played. Fresh Air and WKSU also began co-sponsoring concerts with Kent State's "All Campus Programming Board" and other outside venues.

To hear more of this groundbreaking program and it's innovative style of free form, progressive radio and the numerous interviews with those performers we played go to the link provided below:
http://xerographicoppossum.blogspot.com/

Here then, is the playlist from Fresh Air on June 22, 1978:

SET #1:
DAVID GILMOUR-"No Way"-1st Solo LP/
JEFF WAYNE/Various Artists- "Horsell Common and the Heat Ray (Part 1)- War of the Worlds/
ROY BUCHANAN-"You're Not Alone"-You're Not Alone/
JEFF WAYNE-"Horsell Common and the Heat Ray (Part 2)-War of the Worlds/

SET 2:
JIMI HENDRIX-"Are You Experienced?"/
STOMU YAMASHTA - "Surfspin-Time is Here"- Go Live in Paris/
THE DOORS-" Not to Touch the Earth"- Waiting for the Sun/
TIN HUEY-"Puppet Wipes"-(EP)/
PERE UBU-"Cloud"- Datapanik in the Year Zero(EP)/
SYD BARRETT-"Baby Lemonade"-BARRETT

SET #3:
EGG-"Ennaegram"-Civil Service/
JUKKA TOLONEN-"Witch Drum"-Cross Section/
ALAN PARSONS PROJECT-"Voyager & What Goes Up"- Pyramid/
THE STRAWBS-"Ghosts"-Ghosts/
FAR EAST FAMILY BAND-"Timeless Phase"-Tenjukin/

SET #4:
FRANK ZAPPA-"Big Leg Emma"-Zappa in New York/
KEN NORDINE-"The Videot"-How Are Things in Your Town?/
JOE BYRD-"American Way of Love"- The United States of America"/
TANGERINE DREAM-Part 1"- Phaedra/
TOM GLASER & DOTTIE EVANS-"Zoom a Little Zoom Rocket Ship"-Space Songs
(**played in the middle of the Phaedra Part 1 cut)
TANGERINE DREAM-"Part 2"-Phaedra

As I ready the DEBUT of TRANSMUSIC AIRWAVES, I've unearthed a rare PODCAST find...One of the LEGENDARY broadcasts of "Progressive Radio" from listener tapes of WKSU-FM's FRESH AIR (not to be confused with a popular interview show- this program came well before that one- with it's beginnings in 1972) by students in the broadcasting program at KENT STATE UNIVERSITY. (I was one of those students, and worked on this program beginning in the fall of 1976- I was on the six year undergraduate plan!)

There are nearly 200 hours of these tapes that have been lovingly restored by the shows former program director (although he'd dispute the word director as it was more like herding cats....most of whom were into the "catnip" beforehand.) Dr. Woo has worked for over a decade restoring these great programs that were captured in a time well before CD's, I-Pod's, and MP3's and is to be commended for his passion and efforts here.

This particular archived show captures a moment in time, in the case of this tape, 32 years ago as Cleveland and Northeastern Ohio rode a wave of groundbreaking musical idealism. The area was by now, well known for breaking acts nationally, and it had a burgeoning music scene that allowed a diverse style of music to come forth.
Here then is two plus hours and one night of my program that featured a segment called "Artist of the Week,' and in this case, it was San Francisco's "It's a Beautiful Day." Recorded from 11 pm on January 8, 1981, the show begins with Lol Coxhill and Stephen Miller's "Chocolate Field" and proceeds through the sets listed below.

There is actually a link to this groundbreaking program and it's innovative style of free form, progressive radio. Many interviews (which also included music by the artists) from the late 1970's with performers such as the Talking Heads, Peter Gabriel, Peter Hammill, Kraftwerk, and Laurie Anderson are provided at the link below as well. Check it out!
http://xerographicoppossum.blogspot.com/

Here then, is the playlist from Fresh Air on January 8, 1981 hosted by yours truly, Paul Ciminero: (the host is the geeky looking individual in the center of the photo)

SET #1: Coxhill/Miller-"Chocolate Field"/ Nik Turner's Sphinx-"The Hall of Double Truth"-Xintintoday/Steve Hackett-"The Steppes"-Defector/Mike Quatro - "In the Court of the Crimson King"-Paintings/Jimi Hendrix-"1983"-Axis Bold as Love"/

SET #2: David Bowie-"Always Crashing in the Same Car"-Low/The Residents-"Elvis and His Boss"-Duck Stab/
Cale/Eno/Ayers/Nico-"Heartbreak Hotel"-June 1, 1974/John Lennon-"I Don't Want to be a Soldier"-Imagine/Brand X-"Hate Zone"-Moroccan Roll/Captain Beyond-"Sufficiently Breathless"/

SET #3: Jerry Garcia/Howard Wales-"1 am Approach"- Hooterroll/Zappa and the Mothers-"Call Any Vegetable"-Uncle Meat/Pentangle-"Reflection"/M-"Transmission (World is at your Fingertips)" - Official Secrets Act/Walter Carlos-"Country Lane"-A Clockwork Orange/Terje Rypdal-"Waves"/

SET #4: "It's a Beautiful Day" Artist of the Week feature
"The Dolphins"-Marrying Maiden
"Place of Dreams"-Choice Quality Stuff

Set #5: It's a Beautiful Day" - Conclusion
David Laflamme-"White Bird"- David Laflamme
I.A.B.D-"Bulgaria"-1st album
I.A.B.D-"watching You, Watching Me"-Today

Set#6
Tangerine Dream- "Ricochet (Part 1)"-Ricochet