1985-03-21 Industrial Strength Music

Image by snaps_at_aquastuff via Flickr

I did an extended late night radio show and featured not only music I had collected but some very interesting music from the vast collection of Arthur Nalis, a music collector introduced to me by Kell Fox (aka Dave Fox back then). It was a real eye-opener. Not for the squeamish or prudish.

Music included: Women of the SS, the Residents. Legendary Pink Dots, Coil, Dave Ball, Wire, Sonic Youth, Cabaret Voltaire, Zazou Bikaye CY1, Nurse with Wound, Monte Cazazza, Aksak Maboul, Anna Domino, Colin Newman, Chrome, Throbbing Gristle, Test Department, (end part 1) Non (Boyd Rice), Tuxedo Moon, SPK, Whitehouse, After Dinner, Per Ubu, (end of part two) Sonic Youth, Bloodfeast soundtrack, Einsturzende Neubauten, Birthday Party, Kill Ugly Pop, Chrome, Anna Domino, Jon Zaleka, Boyd Rice & Frank Tovey, Steven Brown, Wahaha, DNA (end of part three) not sure about the music from this part because no play list was read, but I recognize Legendary Pink Dots, Blaine L. Reininger, Psychic TV, and of course throughout there was a lot more.

Get all of the parts. Right click to download, click to listen right away:
Part One
http://www.uvm.edu/~asnider/listen/cmk850321indstrengthmusic1.mp3
Part Two
http://www.uvm.edu/~asnider/listen/cmk850321indstrength2a.mp3
Part Three
http://www.uvm.edu/~asnider/listen/cmk850321induststrength2b.mp3
Part Four
http://www.uvm.edu/~asnider/listen/cmk850321indstrmusic3.mp3

1985-03-20 Alternative Dance Sample

Image by Darin Barry via Flickr

A great version of "Sister Susan's Astronautica" leads off this show. She did it live in the studio for once. This is 1985 and dance music is just starting to rise in a serious way, and the electronic dance beat is really catching hold. Here are some examples of things that are more (or less) alternative.

Music includes: Cabaret Voltaire (old and new), Stephen Nestor & Slap, Michael Rouse, Andromeda Strain, John Adams, Diamanda Galas, Ray Budegeig, Brian Eno & Harold Budd, Propaganda and a lot more.

Right click to download, click to listen right away:
http://www.uvm.edu/~asnider/listen/cmk850320altdancesample.mp3

1985-02-20 Cold and Hard

Laurie Anderson via last.fm

Not cold and hard in the musical way that I would use it ten years later, but this is the mid-1980's version. Rather eclectic given the theme.

Music included: Edgar Froese, Jane & Jeff Hudson, Dark Day, Fred Frith, John Feckner & the City Squad, Laurie Anderson, Great Society, Section 25, Mitchell Froom, Tangerine Dream, Pink Floyd, Birdsongs of the Mesazoic, Brian Eno, Weather Report, King Crimson, Stranglers, Robert Fripp, Propaganda and a lot more.

Get both parts. Right click to download, click to listen right away:
Part One
http://www.uvm.edu/~asnider/listen/cmk850220coldandhard1.mp3
Part Two
http://www.uvm.edu/~asnider/listen/cmk850220coldandhard2.mp3

1985-01-04 Time

Image by Leo Reynolds via Flickr

This is a three hour installment of "Party Radio," a weekly show on WRUV-FM that people sign up for and do the 8-11 PM Friday night party thing.

I put together a stream of musical and sound increments that related (in some sort of loose way) to the concept of time. It was a lot of fun and people called in and seemed to enjoy it. Lots of requests. Oldies seemed to dominate, but even in 1984 I was an oldie in these parts.

Music included: Doctor Who Theme, a lot of sound effects from my vast collection, Pink Floyd, Chambers Brothers, Chicago, David Bowie, Yes, Association, Beatles, Al Stewart, Bob Dylan, Rolling Stones, The Who, Moody Blues, Crazy Joe & the Variable Speed Band, Wilson Pickett, Oliver, Los Microwaves, Young Rascals, Vogues, Lovin Spoonful, Motels, Soundtrack from Rocky Horror, the Doors, Nina Hagen, Translator, Angela Clemons, Genesis, Guess Who, Radio Alarm Clocks, Carole King, Ray Charles and a lot more.

Get both parts. Right click to download, click to listen right away:
Part One
http://www.uvm.edu/~asnider/listen/cmk850104timeone1.mp3
Part Two
http://www.uvm.edu/~asnider/listen/cmk850104timetwo.mp3

1984-12-19 The Last Word

Image by adriansalamandre via Flickr

It is dark in the studio and apparently also in my mind. Reagan's jokes about nuclear war, songs about apocalypse, an endless stream of evil in the news media, all of these produced the following radio program. Of course, even though the snow continued falling, the mood lightened a bit. Hope always remains.

Music included: Propaganda, the Doors, Afrika Baambata (Timezone), the World, CS Angels, Bonzo Goes to Washington, Air Force 1, New Order, Short Term Memory, Birdsongs of the Mesozoic, Sound Effects of Doctor Who, Thick Pigeon, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Soma Holiday, the Pool, Summers & Fripp, Arto Lindsey, Rebi Jackson, and a lot more.

Download with right click, click to listen right away:
http://www.uvm.edu/~asnider/listen/cmk841219thelastword.mp3

1984-12-12 Feeling Void

Image via Wikipedia

Not sure what this was all about but it seemed like fun. We had some political sound clip fun, then some instrumentals and finished up with some European new wave with a slightly cold side to it.

Music from:
The Dark, Afrikaa Bambaataa, Air Force One, Laurie Anderson, Birdsongs of the Mesozoic, Brian Eno, Harold Budd & Brian Eno, Steven Nestor, Short Term Memory, Thick Pigeon, X Mal Deautschland, Section 25, and (of course) Propaganda.

Click to listen, right click to download:

http://www.uvm.edu/~asnider/listen/cmk841212feelingvoid.mp3

1984-12-05 Jane, Jeff & World Destruction

This week's program had a strange combination. Afrika Bambaataa had a new 12" record out ("World Destruction") and I liked the samples and the bonus tracks but I also featured a duo I had learned about, Jane and Jeff Hudson. I had Dennis Hudson as one of my students and he turned me on to their interesting electronic alternative work. I really liked it, although they never seemed to have much commercial success. This is just the kind of thing that the College of Musical Knowledge was created to memorialize. If you get a chance, check out Jane and Jeff Hudson.

About Jane & Jeff Hudson: The band performed in venues in Boston, New York and Philadephia. The music was electro-pop employing early Roland synths and the TR808 drum machine. For some performances, Wally Gagel appeared on drums with Russ Smith on bass. In 1985 the band stopped performing and recording. In 1986, Jeff started to direct music videos and Jane produced video art. Both were teaching at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. In 1995, JEFF AND JANE reformed and performed for a couple of years and recorded again (ZETA BREW). The new music was more guitar-based and psychedelic. Jeff's project for 1998 was GIGANTOR, a trip-hop techno 3D video multimedia show. This show was performed at The Bank in New York and the Middle East in Cambridge.

About Bambaataa: Afrika Bambaataa is an American DJ from the South Bronx, who was instrumental in the early development of hip hop throughout the 1980s. Afrika Bambaataa is one of the three originators of break-beat deejaying, and is respectfully known as the "Grandfather" and "Godfather" and The Amen Ra of Universal Hip Hop Culture as well as The Father of The Electro Funk Sound. Through his co-opting of the street gang the Black Spades into the music and culture-oriented Universal Zulu Nation, he is responsible for spreading hip hop culture throughout the world."

Click to listen, right click to download, get both parts:

http://www.uvm.edu/~asnider/listen/cmk841205janejeffworlddestruc1.mp3

http://www.uvm.edu/~asnider/listen/cmk841205janejeffworlddestruc2.mp3

1984-11-28 Difficult Listening Hour

Image by lautreamax via Flickr

Laurie Anderson had come to Burlington and blown us all away with her stage show at the Flynn Theater, and her "difficult listening hour" skit was a big part of it. I loved her and was enchanted by the concept of challenging listening, listening that takes some concentration and effort. So, I decided to try it out. I am still playing "mandate my ass." This may not be difficult listening by 2009 standards, but it was bt 1984 standards.

Love the ID for Kathy Fors at the beginning.

Click to listen or right click to download:

http://www.uvm.edu/~asnider/listen/cmk841128difficultlistenhr.mp3

1984-11-23 People Hold On

Image via Wikipedia

At this point I am still bitter about the re-election of Ronald Reagan. Gil Scott-Heron is right on with his notion, "Mandate my ass." A mix of mellow music and some harder beats with lots of sound clips thrown in, such as Gil as well as Malcolm X. Then a journey into some big beats, some scratchin', some Malcolm McLaren and then some dub sides.

Music included:
Davey DMX, Malcolm McLaren, Tyrone Brunson, Dr. Otto and his Patients, Crazy Joe & the Variable Speech Band, and a lot more.

Click to listen, right click to download:

http://www.uvm.edu/~asnider/listen/cmk841123peopleholdon.mp3

1984-11-22 Thanksgiving Day Special

Image via Wikipedia

Not your normal thanksgiving litany, of course. After all, this is the College of Musical Knowledge. Nobody wanted to do radio that day and I was in town, so I did three hours of it to keep the station on the air. I can't even begin to list all of the stuff I jammed into this show -- or stuffing might be a better term. I even helped people cook! The music is pretty mellow and designed for those hanging out at home or working in the kitchen. The pace picks up as the afternoon goes on.

Click to listen, right click to download, remember to get ALL FOUR parts (if you must):

http://www.uvm.edu/~asnider/listen/cmk841122thanksgiving1a.mp3

http://www.uvm.edu/~asnider/listen/cmk841122thanksgiving1b.mp3

http://www.uvm.edu/~asnider/listen/cmk841122thanksgiving2a.mp3

http://www.uvm.edu/~asnider/listen/cmk841122thanksgiving2b.mp3

1984-11-07 After the Election

Image via Wikipedia

Ronald Reagan gets re-elected for four years. Nuff said.

This recording is actually "inside out," in that side B of the casette tape comes first, and then side A. Sorry about that.

I use some light dub music with some very heavy voices -- Jesse Jackson, Farrakhan, Robert Kennedy and some others to try and just get through the Wednesday after the election event. The words are well powerful and really resonated with the audience on that day.

Damn, that Jesse Jackson of 1984 could really give a speech!

Click to listen, right click to download:

http://www.uvm.edu/~asnider/listen/cmk841107aftertheelection.mp3

1984-10-31 Halloween 1984

Image via Wikipedia

It came to be sort of a tradition for me to host a special Halloween radio show, and in the year 1984 I took all three hours of my show to do it up. Lots of strange sounds, halloween novelty music, etc.

There is no way to document all of the stuff included in this show. Three hours may have been a bit too much, but avoiding excess has never been one of my traits. It can be fun, though. Godzilla is my co-host, and we are broadcasting from my secret laboratory atop Pomeroy Hall. Well, it might be more campy than creepy, but here it is.

Click to listen, right click to download, make sure to get both parts:

http://www.uvm.edu/~asnider/listen/cmk841031halloweena.mp3

http://www.uvm.edu/~asnider/listen/cmk841031halloweenb.mp3

1984-10-24 Remembering Grenada

Image via Wikipedia

Ronald Reagan could just not pass up a chance to intervene in the Caribbean. Grenada's leader was flirting with socialism and even talked about UFOs. That simply cannot be allowed. So, in go the US troops with some token support from other Caribbean nations. It is hard to pass up the opportunity to remember the invasion one year later.

Music by:
Propaganda, Art of Noise, Emerson Lake & Palmer, Donovan, Eric Burdon & the Animals, the Clash, Buffalo Springfield, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Morton Gould Orchestra, Battle Stereo, Gang of 4, the Good Guys, Gil Scott-Heron, Afrika Bambaataa, Illusion and a lopt more.

Click to listen, right click to download:
http://www.uvm.edu/~asnider/listen/cmk841024remembergrenada.mp3

1984-10-12 Water

Image by eyesore9 via Flickr

I was sort of into doing theme programs during this period (I was still rather new to radio) and I decided to do one about water. Combining lots of songs about water, water sound effects and other trivia I put together this show. It is amazing how when you start doing something like this people listening buy into it and begin sending you requests -- requests for water songs you never would have thought of. Thanks to all of them. Oh, and Godzilla comes from beneath the sea, you know. From the Island of the Zombies to sailor songs to some funky surf music, this is, indeed, a random collection.

Something to listen to while you are isolated in a hot desert without enough to drink. NOT!

Click to listen, right click to download, get both parts:

http://www.uvm.edu/~asnider/listen/cmk841012water1.mp3

http://www.uvm.edu/~asnider/listen/cmk841012watermusic2.mp3

1984-10-12 Godzilla Revenge

Image by furbychan via Flickr

A sound collage put together sort of randomly and glued together (or blown apart) by sound clips, mostly from my recent acquisitions, Sound Effect of Godzilla parts 1 & 2.

Artists include:
Tangerine Dream, Shriekback, Dream Syndicate, XMal Deutschland, Thomas Dolby, Front 242, Andy Summers & Robert Fripp, Artificial Intelligence, Jon Hassell, Fripp & Eno, and a lot of sound clips from Godzilla and Doctor Who.

Click to listen, right click to download:

http://www.uvm.edu/~asnider/listen/cmk841012godzillarevenge.mp3

1984-09-28 Radio for Ann

Image via Wikipedia

Ann Labrusciano was a radio hero of mine. I loved listening to her program, filled with unusual sound collages and multiple layering that revealed new and different thoughts and perspectives to me. She chopped things up and rearranged them in a very interesting way. William S. Burroughs had said, "When you cut into the present, the future leaks out." When I listened to Ann's show it felt like I was listening to all times rolled into one new experience.

I begin with Shriekback's song "Midnight maps" as a salute and then I enter into a world of sound as a salute to Ann. Imitation is, after all, the highest form, of flattery. Of course, my imitation was weak, but it was a try. I guess this is more a salute for Ann than a real attempt to be like her. Nobody could do that. WRUV FM Burlington.

Click to listen, right click to download, get both parts:

http://www.uvm.edu/~asnider/listen/cmk840928radioforann1.mp3

http://www.uvm.edu/~asnider/listen/cmk840926radioforann2.mp3

1984-09-19 Art as Noise

Image via Wikipedia

It was a time before there were various sound and voice clips in music. Then, Art of Noise broke some real digital barriers to produce some memorable and unusual music. I really liked it and instantly understood that this would change music forever. Trevor Horn (picture at right) is the genius behind this, and I loved the way they mixed current themes (like the US intervention in Greneda) with popular dance music tinges.

Enjoy Art of Noise and other similar groups in this early exploration of what is now a very stock musical technique.

Click to listen right click to download, make sure to get both parts:

http://www.uvm.edu/~asnider/listen/cmk840919artasnoise1.mp3

http://www.uvm.edu/~asnider/listen/cmk840919artasnoise2.mp3

1984-08-18 Ambient Afternoon

Image by gari.baldi via Flickr

A lazy August afternoon in Burlington, Vermont, not too hot but still quiet and a bit heavy. I was really getting into Briann Eno's work at this time and really enjoyed playing so much of it. The guy really knows what "spare" means.

Music included:
Brian Eno, Laraji, but mostly Brian Eno from a number of albums he put out during the early 1980's. I really like it. Good to listen to on an afternoon or when reading or thinking.

WRUV-FM Burlington

Click to listen, right click to download:
http://www.uvm.edu/~asnider/listen/cmk840818ambientpm.mp3

1984-08-17 Atomic Mix/Post Nuclear Party

Image via Wikipedia

I was into theme shows during this period (the water theme is a good one), and as a policy debate coach I am destined to be obsessed with the concept of nuclear war. Even if I was not a debate coach, I might well be obsessed with this threat. As I often do, I approached the problem with a combination of serious dread along with tragicomic humor. There is a lot of music to select from to paint the sort of sonic pastiche I was looking for in this radio program. One of the best things about this is that in the second part things started to look up, people called in and the mood lightened. The second part is actually somewhat optimistic.

Only on WRUV-FM Burlington.

Yes, it is possible that we may survive. As I write this it is 25 years later and the cold war is over, nuclear weapons are still around, but so is the world. I support Greta in her endless struggle against nuclear weapons. Weapons that kill one person are bad, a bunch of people terrible, but millions of people?

Interesting treatments of the Ronald Reagan sound clip "We begin bombing in five minutes." You need to remember when I played these Reagan sound clips he was PRESIDENT of the USA! Also enough respect to Frankie Goes to Hollywood for their "Two tribes" recording, and I had the dub version 12". Extra great stuff on these old 12" records with dub versions, just the sound clips, etc. I culled a lot of old-time songs about nuclear weapons off of a few compilations I located, and then there is always the post-punk experimental groups. Oh, and it was the year 1984.

Join in this melody of protest, commentary, playfulness and determination.

Click to listen or right click to download:

http://www.uvm.edu/~asnider/listen/cmk840817atomicmix.mp3

http://www.uvm.edu/~asnider/listen/cmk840817postnukeparty.mp3

1984-08-15 Funk Over the Hump

Image via Wikipedia

I was actually on the air in the morning this time. Wednesday is a hump day, and the goal is to get over the hump and make a way to the weekend. This radio program is all about that, and the method is to play some funk music to help in that process. Of course, you need to remember that the year is 1984 and the DJ is me (Doctor Tuna), so the term "funk" may be relative. I scatter in a lot of other sound clips and stuff for fun, but the result seems to be acceptable. WRUV-FM radio is the place for such high-jinx.

Download (right click) or just click to listen:

http://www.uvm.edu/~asnider/listen/cmk840815funkoverhump.mp3

1984-07-27 Institute Dance

Image via Wikipedia

The World Debate Institute high school session was in full swing and we decided on Friday night to have a dance. I took the wheels of steel in my hands at WRUV-FM and spun some music for them. It seemed to go well, it was music they liked and they loved being recognized over the radio.

Music included:
A lot of late 80's music to delight and to dance. I can't name all the cuts, but it was a lot of fun. Check it out for yourself.

Two parts to this one:

http://www.uvm.edu/~asnider/listen/cmk840727instidancea.mp3

http://www.uvm.edu/~asnider/listen/cmk840727instidance2.mp3