Songs With Mellotrons

We dedicated a two-hour radio show to the Mellotron, which was a popular keyboard instrument using tape loops as a sound source - the first sampling keyboard, (analog) - popularized in the 1960s in "Strawberry Fields Forever" and many other songs. Though we couldn't totally avoid King Crimson, Zombies, and early Genesis, the show focused on recent examples. Featuring incidental mellotron music by Paul Kotheimer. Afterward hear a bit of a live in-studio concert by Santah. Download the playlist.

Byrds

Professor Philip Graham, the world's preeminent Byrds scholar, joins us for a lively conversation about the surprising, important legacy of America's first folk-rock, raga-rock, bluegrass-rock, and country-rock band.

Scott Walker

On a stormy 11/22 Honcho emerged from the mists to collaborate on a long-awaited Scott Walker show.

We covered Walker's career in chronologic order, touching on every solo album along the way.

Get serious.

Songs About Champaign

On November 1, John Steinbacher of Smile Politely Radio joined us, expertly mastering the WWII-era WEFT mixing board, and hosting a show of songs by national artists that mention "Champaign" (Illinois), and then, to fill the remaining hour and 45 minutes, songs by national artists that mention other downstate Illinois communities, songs by downstate Illinois bands that mention Champaign, songs with "Champaign" in the title that are about something else, and bands that have the word "Champaign" in their name. At no point was REO Speedwagon played. Nor, apparently, does anybody have anything to say about "Urbana."

Songs About Trains

This is as much fun as we've ever had...so much material to fight over and argue about...

Bowie Rarities

To give the listener a unique trip, Honcho and William may have neglected album tracks which cannot, in most cases, be improved upon by David Bowie or by anybody else. Still, with nearly half a century of solid material to edit into two hours, something had to get neglected. We present David Bowie in roughly chronologic order, from 1967 through the turn of the millennium. Commentary aplenty, including a withering dissection of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's latest round of draft picks.

Those Darlins at the IMC

They kicked me in the ear; I saw stars. This is the honest truth. When Those Darlins plowed onstage and started into wringing the necks on some guitars, slapping a bass, and shaking the teeth out of a ukelele hole, notes were flying. This combo pretty much bootstomped the mud off of one IMC stage. Nikki was recovering from a broken arm and only able to kick 110% ass but I swear to you, reader, that if she had broken that very arm punching this reporter in the face then no way would I ever put makeup on that sweet bruise. Poor thing was in pain: those cans of Busch just collapsed into crumpled tin when she inhaled them. Jessi got that look in her eye. Kelley was playing that electrical guitar like driving a police car through a brick wall. They smoked us and rolled us over like pigs on a spit. They led; the crowd danced. There was nothing between them and us but a couple half-empty bottles and a ton of respect. After they got into it, they even came out into the crowd and did things I can't tell you. This was no posture, no altar; we were finally getting down to some honest rock and roll, folks. Those Darlins set fire to the place and burned a hole clear through to the sky leaving only a harvest moon and old Jupiter looking down in wonder at the beauty of transience: how the cruel beast of time can now and then be pistol-whipped into the truth of chords. I swear to Elvis and Joan Jett this was the best show I have ever seen.

The Future and Past of Music: Janelle Monae and Of Montreal at the Canopy Club 22 September 2010

It was gratifying to see Janelle Mon´e on the same stage where I saw Funkadelic. Though her music comes to us through a time tunnel from an altogether different millennium, like George Clinton she frames physically persuasive, danceable music with complex, cerebral narrative.

Monae was radiant. She had an electric, formal stage presence -- post-Victorian Gibson girl meets Grace Jones -- with a dignity and drama worthy of her muse Fritz Lang. Above the stage, her image reproduced in black-and-white on two video screens had a grainy newsreel quality, as if we were in the future watching footage of the historic events of the present.

The acoustic space was filled to bursting by a sharp trio playing guitar, drums, and keyboard. The stage was haunted by costumed extras: wraiths, birds, buccaneers, fallout survivors, jet pilots, and queens. Crowded by these ghosts of her nightmarish imagination, Mon´e performed a fantastic set.

I have seen the future: it's a strobe-lit, amplified, dangerous time... but very stylish.


After a steamy Janelle Monae left the stage, the Canopy Club was a hot and fetid tropical locker room. Few bands could have followed her into that sweatbox and pleased me.

Of Montreal gets credit for using some of the best performance ideas of David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, the Residents, Prince, and Pink Floyd (Alan Parker). While a surplus of eight musicians underlined the beat (or just waved their arms in the air), impressively costumed dancers elbowed their way to the edge of the stage. This unwieldy ensemble made even the generous Canopy stage seem unmanageably cramped, with randomly-attired stage hands (one in white t-shirt, one in shirt and tie) dashing back and forth to maneuver into place various large props.

Some of these apparitions that wandered in from stage right were majestic and terrifying, though the best costume designs of any concert I have seen had apparently been given no script other than contorting sexually with two blonde women in gold bikinis.

It's good to see a young band try so hard to do something other than play great songs. I admire the effort to add a dimension of spectacle to alt-disco music. Frontman Kevin Barnes tried to push his magnetism, charisma, and beauty past its limits to lead the crowd into a rave atmosphere of unrestrained sexuality. But in the end this felt less liberating than shallow.

I applaud the effort to have a stage show, am impressed by the disturbingly surreal costumes, but found it all undermined by haphazard choreography and question whether the thin foundation of dance music can support the art they try to build on top of it.

Midway through the set was a moving performance of two newer songs, including "Casualty of You." With a stripped-down instrumentation, disturbing animation, and a biting electric violin solo, this moving ten minutes of the show showed me what the band could accomplish if they did more serious writing.

And then for an encore they did the song about how the singer can "do it." I clapped loud for another encore. From Janelle Monae.

Power Pop: Mixtured

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13 September 2010: Doug Hoepker joins us to play more than twenty power pop classics, launching his new online collaborative mix project Mixtured.

The Rock Inbox

30 August 2010: DJ Tony Money helps us tear the envelopes off a stack of new arrivals as we bring you the Rock Inbox: totally new music. Chaos, madness, ecstasy, and thirty fingers on the pulse of rock.

Radio Freestyle Anderson

6 September 2010: Honcho spins freestyle. Soul, soundtrack, and rare seven inch treasures from the archeology of music. Hear about his trip through the midwest and recent concerts.

Songs About Cars

23 August 2010: Rick Halberg joins us to discuss the history of rock and roll music as viewed through the lens of songs about cars. In the words of the Dude, I fucking hate the Eagles man. But what Glen lacks, Ike Turner got. And what neither Frey nor Turner can provide, Freddie Mercury got covered. A splendid mix, deep and educational. Featuring Rock Geek News: hilarity ensues.

Mod Bit: Ashley's Dust

Meanwhile, William hosted an episode of Alex Lazarevich's contemporary classical show Mod Bit, dedicated to music with or against text. This show is two hours long, and half of it is part of Robert Ashley's creepy spoken word opera Dust. Look at the playlist or download the MP3.

Syd Barrett

In this episode, we are joined by Honcho, who leads us on a two hour discussion of Syd Barrett, featuring original and rare songs from Syd, early "The" Pink Floyd, and various cover artists.

Out of Their Element & Jazz / Rock Fission

On 28 June 2010 Cristy and William were joined by guest host percussionist and jazz scholar Jason Finkelman, who took us on a tour of the wild, sophisticated borderland of jazz and rock.




On June 21, abetted by the crew of Rock Geek F.M., DJ "Two Tone" Tony Money birthed his brainchild, "Out of Their Element," in which we identified instances where bands attempted to create music in styles that they were not suited for. Such as Brian Wilson's rap track.

This show felt like it quickly disintegrated into total, wanton anarchy.

Radio for the Church Community

Honcho is back from Normal, this time with another maniacally thorough radio show dedicated to Australia's The Church. He has been working his imaginary WEFT Press Pass, and procured exclusive interview footage as well as some possibly illegal bootleg recordings given the nod by the gentlemen of the Church.

Roky Erickson

On April 19, to celebrate both the triumphant release of the new Roky Erickson album and the announcement that Roky and Okkervil River would be performing at Urbana's Pygmalion Music Festival, Honcho from Normal took us on a tour of Roky's rich, twisted catalog.

Clientele and Songs About Weapons

Here are two MP3 uploads of recent broadcasts for your electronic audio pleasure.

15 February 2010: A show dedicated to the band the Clientele, starring Rock Honcho "Oscar" Anderson from the weird city of Normal.


5 April 2010: Songs about weapons. Guns, knives, bombs, nuclear warheads, and yes, one rocket launcher.

Radio Freestyle Anderson

Perhaps the best themes for shows are musical ideas that can't be put into words.

On a dark, frozen, dangerous snowy night, DJ J Anderson joined us for a night of lesbian vampire soundtrack weirdness that can only be surrendered to.

At the end you can hear a song performed live in the studio by Cara Maurizi on WEFT Sessions.

Banjology

Banjologist and Bookglutton CEO Travis Alber hosted our show last night, spinning independent rock featuring the banjo. The show was fun, but educational, but haunting, and yet homey.

Microtonal Radio

Andrew Heathwaite and Paul Kotheimer joined William Gillespie on Jay Eychaner and Jason Finkelman's experimental music show Fanfare for the Speeding Bullet, and they spent an hour explaining, discussing, playing, and performing microtonal music, with an emphasis on just intonation and equla divisions of the octave.