Ms. Bags ends WDBX Membership Drive w/ massive pledge to “Style City”

Thanks to the incredible generosity of a long-time WDBX listener, this year’s Spring Membership Drive ended early, with a massive pledge allowing the station to meet its $13,000 goal! Ms. Bags, the pseudonym of an anonymous donor and fan of many shows at WDBX, made her pledge to “Style City” in support of the Friendly Badger Committee. For those not aware of the Friendly Badger Committee, it is a cross-species effort made by Badger University at Style City to promote understanding between badgers and humans, with adopt-a-badger programs and reduced-price meals for senior badgers.

 

“It’s Too Damn Early” moving times!

Starting Sunday, April 15th, you can hear experimental music, avant-garde works, and sound art from 5-6 p.m. at the new “It’s Too Damn Early” showtime. Since it’s no longer “too damn early,” we’ll have a new name to go along with the time switch– be sure to listen Sunday, when I reveal the new name!

For everyone with a sentimental side, join me one last time on April 21st, from 4-6:30 a.m., for the “farewell” broadcast of my overnight hijinks. I’ll play the music, and you can dance while the ship goes down.

“It’s Too Damn Early” 12/17/11

I had a party. There were warm cookies, and a lot of noise. It was fun, but it would have been way more awesome if you’d been listening in. Actually, I didn’t have a party at all. I lied about that, because I know how much you like warm cookies. It was pretty noisy, though.

RP Collier — All Christmas Songs At Once (otherwise unreleased) (and check out some of Collier’s amazing handmade instruments!)
Dohi Moon — Perhaps, reminisce (this, and next, from “XXXII Concorso Internazionale Di Musica Elettroacustica E Rumore 2010,” on Monochrome Vision)
Damien Depannemaeck — Stadt Test
Grey Park — Report One (otherwise unreleased)
Screwtape — Please God, Wash All the Filth Away (Screwtape’s Bandcamp)
Stanislav Kreitchi — Birth of Vertical (from “Ansiana,” on Electroshock) (some interesting background here)
Stanislav Kreitchi — Ocean: Waves, Winds & Birds
Stanislav Kreitchi — Ocean: Tam-Tams of the Green Islands
Stanislav Kreitchi — Ocean: Dolphins’ Play
Stanislav Kreitchi — Ellipsiada 1 & 2
Stanislav Kreitchi — Six Days of Creation
Dear Beloved Henry — Untitled, Side A (from “Dear Beloved Henry/Albert Materia” split cassette on Hyster Tapes)
Albert Materia — Untitled, Side B
DACM — Party (from “Stéréotypie,” on Asphodel)
DACM — Vidya
DACM — Angel
DACM — Marie

“It’s Too Damn Early,” 11/26/11

Had to ask Bob D. to sit this one out– sorry man, the public demands more Arctic Circle improv!

Jennifer Walshe — Nature Data (from “Nature Data,” on Interval Recordings)
Myriam Lavoie — Chercher (this, and next two, from “Cache 2007” compilation)
Theo Mathien — Eolian Erosion
Elliot Vaughn — Icely Unsect
Ministry of Rites — Nightlight (from “Grid,” on Edgetone)
Octopus Inc — Goldbug (this, and next 7, from “Penguin Mechanics III” compilation from KracFive)
Bauri — Computercuddle
Pthalocyanine — Metalo-meld-mechano
Lackluster — Third Pie
Brothom States — Not Kava
Miragliuolo — Sandwich Train
Pacman — Citybuilder
Colongib — Angry Robot Locked in Compartment Wrenches Itself Free
Bearly Queen — Hairy Palm Adventures I-VII (on Luovaja, album of same name)

“Opera Overnight” no.2, 11/20/11

Today’s installment of “Opera Overnight” is our second episode, but my first– as you may know, I’m co-producing “Opera Overnight” with Doug Flummer, host of “The Galaxy.” I’m hoping that my contribution will be towards making opera more familiar to listeners, not because I am an authority, but because we’ll take this journey together. In that spirit, I have selected two operas from Hungarian composer Ferenc Erkel; 1861′s “Bánk Bán,” and 1844′s “Hunyadi Lázsló.”

Perhaps, like me, you’ll be less interested in the details of the plot and more intrigued by hearing something new to your ears. In the future, I plan to make similar challenges for you– but for now, let’s just enjoy these. –DaveX

Ferenc Erkel — Bánk Bán
Ferenc Erkel — Hunyadi Lázsló
Johannes Brahms — Hungarian Dance No.1 in G minor
Johannes Brahms — Hungarian Dance No.2 in D minor
Johannes Brahms — Hungarian Dance No.3 in F
Johannes Brahms — Hungarian Dance No.4 in F sharp minor

 

“It’s Too Damn Early,” 11/12/11

“These are the jokes, kid.” Helping with inner ear problems since 4 in the AM.

Rune Lindblad — Månens Död (from “Death of the Moon,” on Pogus)
Rune Lindblad — Evening
Rune Lindblad — Nocturne
Martin Alejandro Fumarola — Callejuelas (this and next from “Travels of the Spider,” on Pogus)
Alejandro Iglesias Rossi — Ascención
Ashtray Navigations — Darwin’s Seal, Animal Tracks and Bones (from “The Love That Whirrs,” on Last Visible Dog)
Ashtray Navigations — She’s Like Black Glass On A Pinball Table, Threatening The Love That Whirrs
Seeded Plain — Tarpaper Neutrality (from “Entry Codes,” on Creative Sources)
Seeded Plain — Vacuum Insect
Seeded Plain — Czar of Thumbs
Seeded Plain — Waxwing Lettuce
Nolls — Tsunami Arms (from Hiss Nausea/Nolls split cassette on Hyster)
Nolls — Sunrape
Nolls — Invisible Summer
Nolls — Alpha Mail
Nolls — Night City
Nolls — Hallucinatory Forest
Rotkappchen — Xerox and Infinity (from Knirschen Knacken/Rotkappchen split cassette on Ikeukuro Dada)

All this talk of “qualified”…

It got me thinking– and I ended up here. Now I can’t stop giggling, picturing some sort of Barry White/SIUC administrator pillow talk. Classy? Icky? I’ve never been so confused!

Opening Night for “WDBX Opera Overnight,” Sunday 11/13

Here’s a “heads-up” for opera fans– WDBX is adding more opera to our current schedule! With the departure of the JLDJ’s “All Music No Talk,” long-time WDBX hosts Doug Flummer and DaveX have teamed up to present “WDBX Opera Overnight,” a 5-hour program of full-length, uninterrupted operas!

“WDBX Opera Overnight” will air weekly, following “The Galaxy,” from 2-7 a.m. Monday mornings. Future programs will include ‘s “Pelléas et Mélisande,” Ashley’s “Perfect Lives,” Erkel’s “Hunyadi Laszlo,” Monteverdi’s “Orfeo,” and many others representing the best of opera both old and new.

“It’s Too Damn Early,” 11/5/11

Robert Ashley introduces the bank employees– “she likes it.” Anna Maria imitates birds, and Umin digitizes a ukulele. Capped everything off with Seeded Plain and Hal Rammel grinding one sound against another to make flame. Keeping it weird on this foggy day.

Margaret Noble — Safer Is Better (from “Frakture“)
Margaret Noble — Watched
Margaret Noble — Consistent
Margaret Noble — Drowning on Land
Margaret Noble — Crossing Over
Margaret Noble — The Object of Power Is Power
Margaret Noble — Interlude Before the End
Margaret Noble — Distopia
Anna Maria Kieffer, Leo Kupper — Annazone (from “Ways of the Voice,” on Pogus)
Marko Marin — Kaikki jotka pimeää hengittävät (from “Heijastu, Katoa Ja Ole Valmiina,” on Luovaja)
Dolphin Logic — Hits From The Holographic Bong (from “Replicant Embolisms” self-release)
Robert Ashley — Perfect Lives; The Bank: Victimless Crime (from “Perfect Lives,” on Lovely Music)
Coin Gutter — Zero Article (from “Pigeonless,” on Vanity)
Coin Gutter — Third Conditional (for V)
Umin — Quill (from “Umbr,” on Abandon Buildings)
Umin — Nelm
Umin — Uke15
Umin — Umbr
Umin — 00
Umin — redvrtd
Seeded Plain, Hal Rammel — Hook and Eyespots (from split LP with DBH, co-release from Friends & Relatives Records, Gilgongo Records)

Townsend on Peel

I saw this quote in an otherwise dull BBC article featuring Pete Townsend:

The guitarist praised John Peel, who died in 2004, for his dedication to listening to the music he was sent by up-and-coming acts.

“Sometimes he played some records that no-one else would ever have played, and that would never be played on radio again,” he said.

“But he listened, and he played a selection of records in the course of each week that his listeners knew – partly because the selection was sometimes so insane – proved he was genuinely engaged in his work as an almost unconditional conduit between creative musicians like me to the radio audience.”

John Peel is a big hero to me– and certainly not just for his awesome barn full of vinyl! I listen to a tremendous amount of new music each week, and air anything I think is worthwhile. Sometimes this means 180g vinyl from famous bands and artists, other times, it’s a battered cassette tape from a complete unknown. Providing this opportunity to musicians and listeners means a lot to me. Hopefully, you’ll check out my show next week, Saturday at 4am.

Liveblogging! “It’s Too Damn Early,” 10/30/11

Covering “Style City” for Emma today. My big apologies to Jimerson Montgomery Phillips III, whose text-to-voice message alerted me this afternoon that I had insulted his delicate and finely-tuned musical sensibilites with my radio selections. If you know him, take heed– he is a rare and fragile snowflake!

Joe Lasqo — Choshi (from “Turquoise Sessions,” on Edgetone)
Gen Ken Montgomery — Friedhof (from “Birds + Machines,” on Pogus)
Dolphin Logic — Her Eyes Were A Burning Laser (from “Replicant Embolisms,” self-release)
BKPR — Kollateral (from “BKPR,” on Autumn Abattoir and Seasonal Affect)
Charlie Morrow — Central Park 1850 (from “Toot!,” on XI Records)
Robert Ashley — Perfect Lives, pt.2; The Supermarket: Famous People (from “Perfect Lives,” on Lovely Music)
Warren Burt — La Strega Bianca Della Luna (this, and next two, from “Sonic Circuits VI,” on Innova)
David Barnes — Panic in Legoland
Rasmus B. Lunding — Det Nødvendige

“It’s Too Damn Early,” 10/29/11

You’ve seen attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. You’ve watched c-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser Gate– why do you keep missing my show?

Margaret Noble — Where Am I (from “Early Works,” on FEM Records)
Margaret Noble –Fingers
Margaret Noble — Atonement
Margaret Noble — Door Number Two
Margaret Noble — Kira’s Murder
Margaret Noble — The Walk Home On Ashland
Chefkirk — Vegan Buttermilk (from “We Must Leave The Warren,” on Eh?)
Chefkirk — Quiet Parts of In-Between
Chefkirk — Gross Pyramids
Psychotic Quartet — Entropy Is Information (from “Sphaleron,” on Eh?)
Psychotic Quartet — We Are All 11 or 26 Dimensions
Federico Barabino — Can You Listen To The Silence Between the Noise? (from album of the same name on Eh?)
Andrea Pensado — Ktotam (from album of the same name, on Zeromoon)

“It’s Too Damn Early,” 10/22/11

Had some hot chocolate before the show– took my voice from froggy to fabulous. Now I’m going full Sagan on the mic. Another incredible set. So sorry to hear you slept through it.

Andrea Pensado — Bircho Raro (from “Ktotam,” on ZeroMoon)
Andrea Pensado –BR+DSC
Andrea Pensado — Desconcierto (1)
Howl Jolson — Shibu Inu Dreams (presently available via Howl Jolson’s Soundcloud)
Howl Jolson — Flowery
Andrea Pensado — Desconcierto (2)
Bjork — Dark Matter (from “Biophilia,” on One Little Indian)
Bjork — Hollow
Bjork — Virus
John Cage — Third Interlude (from “Sonatas and Interludes for Prepared Piano,” on Naxos)
John Cage — Sonata IX
John Cage — Sonata X
Joe Lasqo — Alingana (“Interlock”) #1 (from “Turquoise Sessions,” on Edgetone)
Joe Lasqo — Etenraku in Mode Hyo
Andrea Pensado — Ktotam
Sonic Dada — Apart at the Seams (this, and next two, from “Serge Modular Users 2009,” on Resipiscent)
David Talento — Crisis Mountain
Lowenzahn — Unravel With Ease
Charlie Morrow — Central Park 1850 (from “Toot!” on XI Records)
Charlie Morrow — Breath Chant
Charlie Morrow — Late Afternoon Chant
Charlie Morrow — Chorale Bounce 2
Charlie Morrow — Central Park 2007

“It’s Too Damn Early,” 10/15/11

What? Tiger lilies? Thanks for the call. Keeping it weird in the AM– enjoy your playlist, Mr. Blogapus.

Mor Monsen — Ramah (from “Lastenfound,” on Ambolthue)
Mor Monsen — Kanutten
Mor Monsen — Trass
Marina Rosenfeld, George Lewis — Wordless Feline (from “Sour Mash,” on Innova)
Marina Rosenfeld, George Lewis — Linseed Flowers
John David Eriksen — Live at Liminal Collisions (from “Endings, Beginnings” on Hymns)
PBK, Telepherique — Ecosystem Interrupt (from “Noise-Ambient Connection,” on Monochrome Vision)
PBK, Telepherique — Sun Continue to Shine
PBK, Telepherique — The Very End of Mine and Taper
Robert Ashley — Improvement (Act II)
Alan Courtis — Coriandro (from “Unstringed Guitar and Cymbals,” on Blossoming Noise)

 

“It’s Too Damn Early,” 10/8/11

 

 

 

 

 

It’s been an interesting show today. Brought the weird straight out the gate with Mr. Blue Sky and a dream about the nutritional value of babies in a post-apocalyptic bedroom society of theater lovers, then quickly moved into an extended noise set. Some calming hand signals from Circle and Verde brought us back to our usual color set, quickly discarded for analog monochome flailings from Skozey Fetisch. Finishing strong with some Merzbow– and still had time for an entire Dimitri Voudouris cut!

Mr. Blue Sky — Something To Read By
BKPR — Kollateral (from “BKPR” on Autumn Abattoir, Seasonal Affect)
Circle, Verde — Tower pt.1-4 (from “Tower,” on Last Visible Dog)
Skozey Fetisch — Seas Freeze (from “Spectral Freight,” on Crippled Intellect)
Skozey Fetisch –Solar Fibrillation
Skozey Fetisch — Structures Fandangled
Skozey Fetisch — Shirt Fengors
Skozey Fetisch — Subjective Fill
Dimitri Voudouris — Palmos (from “NPFAI/Palmos,” on Pogus)
Asmus Tietchens — Teilmenge 4 (this and next from “Ponder This…” on Submergence)
Merzbow — Pier 39

Liveblogging! “It’s Too Damn Early,” 10/1/11

Last week, the Hi-Life Room felt like a camel’s womb. This week, I’m wearing my coat. Some tomfoolery is surely at work, but it hasn’t stopped me from putting together the greatest set of experimental music ever since last week’s broadcast.*

I think the Catastrophic Mermaids On Parade album is really putting things over the top, and opening with a George Korein project never hurts, either. As always, my thanks to the handful of people who dug “It’s Too Damn Early” as it happened– you’re a special lot, and believe me when I say that someday, there will be a cure for your insomnia. Until then, enjoy reading this fine playlist.

Naked Mall Rats — There Must Be Somewhere On the Internet (from “Somewhere On the Internet,” on Bat Hot Axe)
Rev 99 — Radical Episcopalianism (from “Everything Changed After 7-11,” on Pax Recordings)
Rev 99 — Etude Brut
A_Dontigny — Turner (from “Geisteswissenschaften,” on NoType)
A_Dontigny — All-Over
A_Dontigny — Werkungsgeschichtesbewusstein
Don Campau — Planck Era (from “Jungle of Misunderstanding,” on Lonely Whistle)
Don Campau — De Sitter Expansion Interrupted For Lunch
Matt Davignon — Markhor (from “Living Things,” on Edgetone)
Matt Davignon — Freshwater Hydra
The Green Kingdom — Late Summer (from “Laminae,” on The Land Of)
The Green Kingdom — A Hidden Stream (alternate)
Catastrophic Mermaids On Parade — Lonely Eyes of Amnesia (from self-titled album on Urck Records)
Catastrophic Mermaids On Parade — Underwater Orbit Donuts
Catastrophic Mermaids On Parade — The City Night Prayer I Become
Catastrophic Mermaids On Parade — Valentine’s Cluster Wank
Bearly Queen — Rainbow’s End? (from “Rainbow’s End?” on Luovaja)

*Trust me, I’m a DJ.

“It’s Too Damn Early,” 9/3/11

Next week, we start the 2011 Fall Membership Drive. It’s been a weird, financially-draining year at WDBX– in other words, we’re going to need your help. Start thinking about it now, and see what you can do when the pledge drive rolls around next week. As always, I appreciate your listenership and support. –DaveX

Davenport — Joy! By Numerals Act (from “Free Country,” on Last Visible Dog)
Davenport — Thou Shall Be Waking
Fonogram — Invisible City (from “Fonogram,” on The Land Of)
Fonogram — Light & Dark
Fonogram — Cruz del Sur
Fonogram — Victory Days
Sandoz Lab Technicians — The Western Lands (from album of the same name, on Last Visible Dog)
Charlie Morrow — Marilyn Monroe Collage (from “Toot!” on XI Records)
Transitional Phase — Phase Two (from “Transitional Phase,” on Last Visible Dog)
Transitional Phase — Phase Three
Transitional Phase — Phase Four
Transitional Phase — Phase Five
Dan Warburton — Al-Sabaah (from “Profession Reporter,” on Aural Terrains)
Stefano Pilia — The Holy Ghost Bird (from “Healing Memories and Other Scattering Times,” on LVD)
Stefano Pilia — Present Tension
Stefano Pilia — This Deepraum Blanket

“It’s Too Damn Early,” 8/27/11

Ralph White & The Hora Flora Sound System — A Space Between A Chimney And A Swift (from self-titled album on Resipiscent)
Charlie Morrow — Wave Music I for 40 Cellos (from “Toot!,” on XI Records)
Dan Warburton — Al-Dhahiira (from “Profession Reporter,” on Aural Terrains)
If, Bwana — Hoffman, Bored (from “I, Angelica,” on Pogus)
If, Bwana — Furry
If, Bwana — The Railway Station Fire
If, Bwana — Quad or Knee?
Seeded Plain — Kneaded Gum Eraser
Robert Ashley — Improvement, Act I

Today! WDBX Spin Party @ Attucks Park

I’m hanging out in the WDBX Hi-Life Room with DJ Emma (Style City) right now, but later on, I’m planning to make it out for the Spin Party at Attucks Park. Bring your family, and join us for some good music, and even a movie! (I’m pretty sure they’re showing Shrek 4.)

The music starts at 5pm, and the movie shows around dark.

Everything wraps up around 10pm– we’d love to see you there!

“It’s Too Damn Scratchy,” 8/6/11

I’m covering for Sarah’s “Scratchy Vinyl” this morning, so I’m having my own little LP freakout here in the Hi-Life Room. Enjoy the playlist!

Pete Johnson — Death Ray Boogie (from “Kansas City Piano 1936-1941″)
Lenny Dee — I’m Leaving It All Up To You
Tim Kaiser — Numbers Station (from side B of “Numbers Station”)
Pierre Henry — Psyche Rock
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi — excerpt from side A of self-titled LP
Various — The Sounds of Mammals (from “Communication In Animals”)
Chevrolet Singers — Cities And Towns
Chevrolet Singers — Nowhere Fast
Dick Hyman — Danke Schoen
Fat Albert — Halloween (excerpt)
Grateful Dead — Mornin’ Dew (from self-titled LP)
Hank Snow — Tangled Mind (from “The Southern Cannonball”)
Jimi Hendrix — Message To Love (from “Crash Landing”)
Rick Wakeman — Anne Boleyn ‘The Day Thou Gavest Lord Hath Ended’ (from “The Six Wives of Henry VIII”)
Iron Butterfly — Are You Happy (from “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida”)
Captain Sky — Bubblegum (I Chewz You) (from “Concerned Party #1″)
Mister Rogers — A Place Of My Own
Mister Rogers — It’s Such A Good Feeling
Mister Rogers — You Are Pretty
Neil Young — Long May You Run
Mahavishnu Orchestra — Smile of the Beyond (from “Apocalypse”)
Your Wonderful World of Sewing — Preparing the Machine for Sewing
Timothy Leary — Live and Let Live (from “You Can be Anyone This Time Around”)
Mandre — M3000 Opus VI (from “M3000″)
The Coasters — Along Came Jones
The Electric Company — Your Rich Uncle Died
The Coasters — Yakity Yak
The Mighty Sparrow — Sailor Man
The Mighty Sparrow — Melody Pie