Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

PLAYLIST: Mondo Radio (12/25/13)

Here's the playlist for this week's very special holiday edition of Mondo Radio, which you can download or stream here. This episode: "Santa Came on a Nuclear Missile", featuring a selection of freaked-out Christmas tunes for your seasonal enjoyment. If you like what you hear, be sure to also find the show on Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter!

Artist - Song - Album
Dungeon Broads Feat. Jacob Berendes - O Christmas Tree - A Very Messy Holiday
Dungeon Broads - My Gift To You - A Very Messy Holiday
Bugs And Rats - Santa - Merry Christmas (Single)
Bugs And Rats - Merry Christmas - Merry Christmas (Single)
The Fireflies - Pretty Christmas - The Fireflies Tackle Your Christmas Tree
The Fireflies - Jingle Jangle - The Fireflies Tackle Your Christmas Tree
Wall Of Voodoo - Shouldn't Have Given Him A Gun For Christmas - Just Can't Get Enough: New Wave Xmas
Root Boy Slim & The Sex Change Band With The Rootettes - Xmas At K-Mart - Just Can't Get Enough: New Wave Xmas
Free Weed - Feliz Navidad - Gnartivity Scene
The Memories - Have A Merry Christmas (And A Happy Hanukkah Too) - Gnartivity Scene
Ramma Lamma - Rock 'N' Roll Lady - Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie (Single)
Ramma Lamma - Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie - Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie (Single)
Wooden Shjips - Auld Lang Syne - Holiday Cassingle (Single)
Wooden Shjips - O Tannenbaum - Holiday Cassingle (Single)
The Border Brass - Tijuana Christmas - Tijuana Christmas
Sparks - Thank God It's Not Christmas - Kimono My House
Harry Nilsson - Remember (Christmas) - Son Of Schmilsson
Heidecker & Wood - Christmas Suite - Starting From Nowhere
Johnny Cash - Christmas As I Knew It - Christmas With Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash - Blue Christmas - Christmas With Johnny Cash
Norris The Troubadour/Seaboard Coastliners - Christmas Time Philosophy - The American Song-Poem Christmas: Daddy, Is Santa Really Six Foot Four?
Heather Noel - Santa Came On A Nuclear Missile - The American Song-Poem Christmas: Daddy, Is Santa Really Six Foot Four?
Kid Stuff Records - Somedays Are More Important - Pac-Man Christmas Album
Kid Stuff Records - Friends Again - Pac-Man Christmas Album
Dma-Sc - The First Blip Blop Noel - The 8bits Of Christmas
Hally - Xmas Songs Arcade Punk Mix - The 8bits Of Christmas
Bob & Doug McKenzie - Twelve Days Of Christmas - Great White North
The Salsoul Orchestra - The Little Drummer Boy - Christmas Jollies
The Salsoul Orchestra - Merry Christmas All - Christmas Jollies
Jimmy Smith - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - Christmas Cookin'
Jimmy Smith - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town - Christmas Cookin'
Ray Charles - Christmas Time - The Original Soul Christmas
The Fuzz - It's All Over (Prelude) - The Fuzz
James Brown - Santa Claus Is Definitely Here To Stay (Vocal) - The Singles, Vol. 7: 1970-1972
Solomon Burke - Presents For Christmas - The Original Soul Christmas
Nate Dogg - Be Thankful - Christmas On Death Row
Tha Dogg Pound - I Wish - Christmas On Death Row

CONCERT REVIEW: Call Me Lightning, Liquor Store & Canadian Rifle (The Cactus Club, Milwaukee)

A hotly-anticipated bill bringing together three hard-rocking bands lures Milwaukee fans out to the Cactus Club in full force, and doesn't send them home disappointed.


Wednesday, December 18, 2013

PLAYLIST: Mondo Radio (12/18/13)

Here's the playlist for this week's edition of Mondo Radio, which you can download or stream here. This episode: "My Painting Box", featuring psychedelic and progressive folk. If you dig it, be sure to also follow the show on Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter!

Artist - Song - Album
Dr. Strangely Strange - Strangely Strange But Oddly Normal - Kip Of The Serenes
Dr. Strangely Strange - Dr. Dim And Dr. Strange - Kip Of The Serenes
Syd Barrett - Baby Lemonade - Barrett
Syd Barrett - Love Song - Barrett
Comus - The Prisoner - First Utterance
Comus - Drip Drip - First Utterance
Pearls Before Swine - I Shall Not Care - One Nation Underground
Pearls Before Swine - Uncle John - One Nation Underground
The Boogie Boys - Friend Or Foe - Survival Of The Freshest
The Holy Modal Rounders - Radar Blues - Indian War Whoop
The Holy Modal Rounders - Sky Divers - Indian War Whoop
Sandy Bull - No Deposit - No Return Blues - E Pluribus Unum
Leonard Cohen - Master Song - Songs Of Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen - So Long, Marianne - Songs Of Leonard Cohen
David Bowie - Let Me Sleep Beside You - The World Of David Bowie
David Bowie - Come And Buy My Toys - The World Of David Bowie
The Incredible String Band - The Mad Hatter's Song - The 5000 Spirits Or The Layers Of The Onion
The Incredible String Band - Painting Box - The 5000 Spirits Or The Layers Of The Onion
Fairport Convention - Come All Ye - Liege & Lief
Fairport Convention - Farewell, Farewell - Liege & Lief
John Cale - Amsterdam - Vintage Violence
Nick Drake - Sunday - Bryter Layter
Nick Drake - At The Chime Of A City Clock - Bryter Layter
Bobb Trimble - Glass Menagerie Fantasies - Iron Curtain Innocence
Bobb Trimble - Killed By The Hands Of An Unknown Rock Star - Iron Curtain Innocence

FEATURE: Woody Allen Moves Toward the Serious: Love and Death

Woody Allen envisioned 1975's Love and Death as a simple and fun stopgap project, but the production quickly turned into a costly, frustrating mess. In the long run though, the difficult experience pushed Allen's career toward bigger and better things.

Read the full piece here.

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

PLAYLIST: Mondo Radio (12/11/13)

Here's the playlist for this week's edition of Mondo Radio, which you can download or stream here. This episode: "Cease to Exist", featuring no wave and noisy post-punk. If you like what you hear, be sure to also connect with the show on Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter!

Artist - Song - Album
DNA - New New - A Taste Of DNA
DNA - Blonde Red Head - A Taste Of DNA
Teenage Jesus And The Jerks - The Closet - No New York
Contortions - I Can't Stand Myself - No New York
Mars - 3E - The Complete Studio Recordings NYC 1977-1978
Mars - N.N.End - The Complete Studio Recordings NYC 1977-1978
Theoretical Girls - Chicita Bonita (Second Version) - Theoretical Girls
Theoretical Girls - Computer Dating - Theoretical Girls
Y Pants - Luego Fuego - Y Pants
Y Pants - Beautiful Food - Y Pants
Ama-Dots - Hit Girls - History In 3 Chords: Milwaukee Alternative Bands 1973-1982
The Police - Miss Veg-O-Matic - History In 3 Chords: Milwaukee Alternative Bands 1973-1982
The Ex - A Sense Of Tumour - Disturbing Domestic Peace
The Ex - Warning-Shot - Disturbing Domestic Peace
Sutherland Brothers & Quiver - Dark Powers - Slipstream
Screamers - Punish Or Be Damned (Live At The Whisky, 01/07/78) - In A Better World
Screamers - I Wanna Hurt (Live At The Whisky, 01/07/78) - In A Better World
Suicide - Mr Ray (Live At CBGB's 1977) - Suicide
Suicide - I Remember (Live At CBGB's 1977) - Suicide
Chrome - Insect Human - Blood On The Moon
Chrome - Blood On The Moon - Blood On The Moon
Material - Metal Test - Memory Serves
Material - Square Dance - Memory Serves
Pere Ubu - Over My Head - The Modern Dance
Pere Ubu - Sentimental Journey - The Modern Dance
Flipper - One By One - Gone Fishin'
Flipper - In Life My Friends - Gone Fishin'
Sonic Youth - Death Valley '69 (Live) - Smart Bar - Chicago 1985
Sonic Youth - Intro/Brave Men Run (In My Family) - Smart Bar - Chicago 1985
Transmitters - Count Your Blessings #2 - Count Your Blessings (1987/89)
Transmitters - God Give Me Strength - Count Your Blessings (1987/89)
Nirvana - Hairspray Queen - Incesticide
Nirvana - Aero Zeppelin - Incesticide

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

PLAYLIST: Mondo Radio (12/04/13)

Here's the playlist for this week's edition of Mondo Radio, which you can download or stream here. This episode: "Stars in Your Eyes", featuring garage rock, punk and an interview with Thomas Alvarez of Audacity! If you dig it, be sure to also find the show on Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter!

Artist - Song - Album
JEFF The Brotherhood - U Got The Look (Live) - Live At Third Man
JEFF The Brotherhood - Heavy Days (Live) - Live At Third Man
Dogs In Ecstasy - My Brain Is Killing Me - Dat Cruel God
Dogs In Ecstasy - Celeb Friends - Dat Cruel God
Spaceships - Ghost - Cool Breeze Over The Mountains
Spaceships - Limit - Cool Breeze Over The Mountains
Charles Albright - I Wanna Hold You - I'm On Drugs (Single)
Catholic Spray - Kiss The Smack - Fruits Of The Moon
Catholic Spray - Beast In The Bushes - Fruits Of The Moon
Go Genre Everything - Everyday Robots - Domestic Dreams And Robots
Go Genre Everything - Giant Robot - Domestic Dreams And Robots
Free Pizza - Come Close To Me - Kool Is The Rool
Free Pizza - Porty - Kool Is The Rool
Vitamin Pets - Popeye's Adventure - The Fang
Vitamin Pets - Danny's Midway - The Fang
Good God - Dragon Song - Good God
Sexy Water Spiders - Black Gold - Black Gold
Sexy Water Spiders - Bad Boys By The River Bed - Black Gold
Black Lips - Bone Marrow - Arabia Mountain
Black Lips - The Lie - Arabia Mountain
King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard - Dead-Beat - Willoughby's Beach
King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard - Dustbin Fletcher - Willoughby's Beach
King Tuff Feat. Gap Dream - She's On Fire - Garage Swim
Mikal Cronin - Better Man - Garage Swim
Gap Dream - Leathe (Live) - Live At WFMU On The Evan Funk Davies Show 10-24-12
Gap Dream - Generator (Live) - Live At WFMU On The Evan Funk Davies Show 10-24-12
Hunx And His Punx - It's Not Easy - Street Punk
Hunx And His Punx - Don't Call Me Fabulous - Street Punk
Big Eyes - Why Can't I - Why Can't I (Single)
Big Eyes - Your Lies - Why Can't I (Single)
Dead Waves - Happy - Kill The Youth EP
Dead Waves - Break Apart - Kill The Youth EP
Audacity - Cold Rush - Butter Knife
Audacity - Tell Yourself - Butter Knife
Appleseeds - Free Time - Appleseeds
Appleseeds - Leavin' Town - Appleseeds
Space Wolves - Ethel - Space Wolves IV
Space Wolves - Die Trying - Space Wolves IV
The Delphines - Drifters - Fear EP
The Delphines - Fear - Fear EP

Monday, December 2, 2013

CONCERT REVIEW: Goblin & Zombi (Turner Hall Ballroom, Milwaukee)


It's sort of baffling to consider that legendary Italian prog rock institution Goblin just recently, after forty years in existence, embarked on their first North American tour. What's even more surprising though is that rather than merely sticking to the usual New York-Chicago-LA axis for their overdue stateside debut, the band, best known for scoring a number of 1970s horror film staples, mostly by Italian giallo auteur Dario Argento, extended their stay for a second string of dates in smaller, often ignored, cities scattered across the Midwest and down the East Coast. If the announcement was a little unexpected though, nobody in Milwaukee was about to start asking any questions as to why Goblin picked now to visit our fair city, and instead made tonight's stop at Turner Hall one of the most anticipated concerts of the year. Thankfully, all that excitement was justified.

Opening the show was Pittsburgh duo Zombi, who take their name and a great deal of their ominous aesthetic from the soundtrack Goblin composed for the European release of George A. Romero's 1978 masterpiece Dawn of the Dead and found a predictably warm welcome from the assembled mass of metalheads, prog dorks and synth aficionados of every stripe, some of who had come in from out of town specifically for the show. Shortly after their intensely spacey 45-minute set, and a fair amount of meticulous soundchecking, the esteemed headliner's long-awaited appearance began, oddly, with a lithe, black-clad ballerina twirling a ribbon over this synthesizer and that, as if to bless the stage, before the band emerged and took their places; guitarist Massimo Morante out front, looking very Spinal Tap with his long, teased-out hair and leather vest, especially in contrast to his more-modest bandmates. 

Bold fashion choices aside, Morante and the rest of the group, drummer Agostino Marangolo, keyboardist Maurizio Guarini, bassist Fabio Pignatelli and newcomer Aidan Zammit on synths (replacing founding member Claudio Simonetti, who had returned for the earlier US dates, but now fronts the separate entity "Simonetti's Goblin"), attacked a set that was epic from the first note and only climbed higher from there. For 45-minutes or so, they focused on hard-rocking deep cuts, including material off 1976's Roller, before moving on to highlights from their most celebrated film scores, the aforementioned Zombi along with Argento projects like Suspiria, Profondo Rosso and the funky Tenebre. They seemed to be enjoying themselves, effusively thanking the crowd in broken English, the audience showing their appreciation in turn by reveling enthusiastically in every bout of ten-ton riffage and every soaring synth solo, just happy to have them there.

Sunday, December 1, 2013

ALBUM REVIEW: Faux Fir - Fashionable Life


In many ways, Fashionable Life, the debut full-length from Milwaukee synthpop group Faux Fir, probably wouldn't exist were it not for the for the Internet. To begin with, the band got its start when Adam Bartell and Ryan Rupprecht, who had both recently relocated to Milwaukee, found each other on Craigslist and, after a string of well-received splits and EPs, found themselves working on their first proper album via email and Instant Messenger, passing files between the core of the band in Milwaukee, Bartell, who'd since returned to Portland, and producer Ryan Weber, now living 8,000 miles away in Kenya.

Fashionable Life, however, doesn't suffer for the physical distance between its makers, sounding conceptually well thought out and cohesive over the course of its roughly 40 minute runtime. That's not to imply that the record is lacking in dynamics, in fact it lands on a quite lively commingling of modern dance pop à la Hot Chip, classic synthpop tropes and a dose of the spritely electronic psychedelia of Of Montreal. The sound comes together best on a handful of standout tracks, like the bouncy lead-off single "Pleasure Prose" or the dreamy "The Wingdings", but it's charmingly bright and catchy throughout.

The mix, while appropriately clean and sparkling energetic, could use some more oomph in the low end, an imbalance which, along with Rupprecht's twangy vocals, can make some passages feel shrill, but, all things considered, Fashionable Life, accessible as it is, should appeal to a broad cross section of listeners and deserves some attention from local radio ("Pizza Hut" seems like a song 88.9 should be beating into the ground). Yet while there's nothing particularly radical or groundbreaking included here, it's an assured, ingratiating release, one which, like the band, owes an unspoken debt to the World Wide Web. 
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