A Dirty Three retrospective

Since the show won't be back for the next couple of weeks due to winter break (and my leaving campus tomorrow morning!), I thought I'd share something I found with all you listeners to tide you over. On this music blog, they've started a retrospective of the Dirty Three, a post-rock band I've featured numerous times on the show and one of my personal favorites. Only the first part of three is up right now, but I encourage you to check it out every so often for the next part, as well as some excellent (and not-so-excellent) articles currently up. I certainly will, and I'll post the link for the second part when it's up! Anyway, take care, and happy holidays!

EDIT (12/18/2007): The second part is up! Check it out here!

EDIT (1/16/2008): And here's the third and final part! Some great music writing overall.

Today's show

If you listened in, I hope you enjoyed tonight's show. There won't be another one for awhile because of winter break, but I'll be back early January, same time, same place. Anyway, here's the playlist:

1. Fridge -- Swerve and Spin
2. Do Make Say Think -- Fredericia
3. Autechre -- Dael
4. Boards of Canada -- The Devil Is In The Details
5. Slint -- Don, Aman
6. My Bloody Valentine -- Swallow
7. God Is an Astronaut -- Forever Lost
8. Talk Talk -- After the Flood
9. Godspeed You! Black Emperor -- Sleep
10. Aphex Twin -- Pulsewidth
11. God Is an Astronaut -- All Is Violent, All Is Bright

And because I forgot to do this last time, here's an iMix of the past two episodes! Yes!!!

A poll should be up later today. And there might be something on Facebook too (anyone who uses it anyway...and who doesn't?)! Stay tuned for that!

Yet another cancelled show

Well, even though I promised a show this week, and even though I was looking forward to it, I have no choice but to cancel tonight's show. This is because I have an immense workload right now (for a college radio DJ like myself, studies have to come first, I'm afraid). Plus, have you looked outside your window? It's snowing...and there's SLEET. The National Weather Service is expecting anywhere between 5-9 inches of snow before this latest storm lets up Monday night. So it's actually a little dangerous out there. I for one don't want to risk slipping and falling and breaking something unless I absolutely have to go out there (such as, here again, classes). But I promise you all out there that there WILL most definitely be a show next week, in the little respite between the end of classes and the beginning of exams week. So in the meantime, I'll try to make up for a lack of show with posts at varying times this week, and I hope everyone does well in their last week of classes! Take care, and stay safe.

It's back, and better than ever!

So after a two-week unintentional hiatus (DJ technology, I like you but stop playing so hard to get), the show was back last night!! And I think it was my best yet! Here was last night's playlist:

1. God Is an Astronaut -- The End of the Beginning
2. Maserati -- Inventions
3. Battles -- Ddiamondd
4. Bark Psychosis -- Pendulum Man
5. Talk Talk -- Ascension Day
6. Neu! -- Hallogallo
7. Jesu -- Dead Eyes
8. Fridge -- Furniture Boy
9. DJ Shadow -- Stem/Long Stem
10. Boards of Canada -- Dayvan Cowboy
11. Cocteau Twins -- Persephone
12. Can -- Oh Yeah
13. God Is an Astronaut -- Fragile

(Sorry for not saying what the last song was -- now you know!)

And as always, the poll and iMix should be up later today. Thanks for listening, and see you in two weeks! Happy Thanksgiving!!

Show update

So it turns out I aired nothing but dead air last week after all. Damn. I didn't find out from anyone; I just suspected it. Apparently I still can't get the station to play the songs off my laptop. Oh well. This time I will actually play songs, I promise.

So, here's a heads-up to tonight's program: the playlist will mostly be a repeat of the playlist I was trying to play last week. The exact same songs will play in the exact same order, only this time you should be able to hear them! Then I'll add a few other songs to round out the broadcast. And tonight's will most definitely be very interesting!! So please take a listen!

Also, there will be no program next week, due to Thanksgiving break. Even though I'll be back on campus that night, I would have just returned, and I would probably need the time to readjust to the last three weeks of the semester, which any college student can attest is Crunch Time. I'm terribly sorry for all the inconsistencies in the schedule over the past few weeks...I'll be a lot better next semester, you have my word.

So the situation has been fixed, and now I know what to do should it happen again. Here's to an actually successful show next Sunday! Make sure to listen!

Tonight's Show Cancelled

Due to major technical difficulties, tonight's show had to be canceled. Sorry to anyone who was looking forward to it! I'll see what I can do this week to fix this problem, but in the meantime, stay tuned for next week! It will be fine then, I promise. (Unless, of course, the WRMC staff have completely slaughtered me for not following procedure or whatever. If there isn't a show next week, you know why! ;-)

Episode 5 Run-Down

After a two-week absence, Organized Chaos was back this week! Here's this week's playlist:

1. Mouse on Mars -- Bib
2. Gastr del Sol -- Dry Bones in the Valley (I Saw the Light Come Shining 'Round and 'Round)
3. From Monument to Masses -- The Spice Must Flow
4. Mogwai -- Stop Coming to My House
5. Ride -- Vapour Trail
6. Slint -- Glenn
7. Tortoise -- Cornpone Brunch
8. Rachel's -- Full On Night (Recension Mix)
9. Cul de Sac -- Into the Cone of Cold
10. Mogwai -- Mogwai Fear Satan
11. Tricky -- Black Steel

Hope you enjoyed this week's broadcast! Please give me feedback, either in the comments, or through e-mail, or on the poll I'll put up later today. I really appreciate to see how I'm doing, what you want to see, and what you don't. I really want to cater to you guys, the audience, out there. :-)

There will be no iMix this week, sadly. Why? If I decided to put one up for this week, it would only consist of two songs, and I can't allow that. After that one week with only four songs, I realized it would be best not to do it if it's going to be futile. I'll combine this week's and next week's episode for an iMix next week. In the meantime, take care, and hope everyone has a good week!

Music Video Bombardment, Part Deux

Sorry if I'm bombarding you with videos, but not only do I want to make up for not having a show last night, there are just so many videos I've been finding that I want to share. But this'll be it for a while, OK? I ought to give you all time to enjoy these videos while you can.

First up is some more God Is An Astronaut, with "From Dust to the Beyond." The music is pretty anachronistic compared to the old images, but at the same time it's perfect. Though I should warn you: there clips from executions, so don't watch this unless you're like me and have a stomach of pure steel:



This next one's "All Is Violent, All Is Bright," from the album of the same name. Again about war, but this time the war in Iraq. The opening and ending sequences are also disturbing, so watch out:



And here's them in action live, with "Route 666." The videos you seen online are the kinds of videos they use in their live performances:



Here's Mogwai with their studio version of "Hunted By a Freak," again about animal abuse, and again something the kiddies should stay away from:



Here's Can with "Oh Yeah," off 1971's Tago Mago. This video is a good introduction to their live performances; some clips are from the videos for "Spoon" and "Bring Me Coffee or Tea," which you can also find on YouTube. Gotta love that juggler, too! It also contains covers of all the albums they've done, and...wait, they aired this on MTV? Since when?



This Can video is the song "Paperhouse," which is very different from the version on Tago Mago. This clip's from German TV:



The only Dirty Three album WRMC doesn't have is their most recent, Cinder, which I believe is from 2004. It's just as well, too; they're still amazing, and they experiment with shorter songs and more upbeat tunes like on their early efforts, but Warren Ellis' violins are pushed to the background, and the visceral beauty on their other albums is severly lacking. Nonetheless, here's a cut from that album called "Great Waves." It's one of the few times there's vocals in a D3 song; here they're provided by Chan Marshall from Cat Power:



Finally, here Neu!, a Krautrock band in a similar vein to Can. The video for this song, "Negativland," off their 1972 self-titled debut, isn't very interesting, but the music is, and the video does tell you all you need to know:



Enjoy all these videos, and I'll see you next week! Take care!

No show this week

I've decided not to do a show this week. After all, it's midterm break, and 3/4ths of the campus is pretty much gone. Sorry about that if you've been expecting a show tonight, and I also apologize for making a decision on such short notice.

Anyway, I'll use this to post some videos of bands I would like to play on the show, or perhaps have played. First is a band I'm really trying to get a hold of, but the WRMC doesn't have any of their stuff. The band is God Is An Astronaut, and they hail from Ireland. Compared to most other post-rock bands, their stuff is fairly straightforward, but that doesn't mean it's not powerful or complex in its own way. They've released three albums so far: 2002's The End of the Beginning, 2005's All Is Violent, All Is Bright, and Far From Refuge, which came out not too long ago.

This first video is for "Fragile," the first track off of All Is Violent.... A mind-blowing video that goes well with the music, but avoid it if you're squeamish about seeing animal torture ('cuz that's what this video is about, I'm afraid):



The songs from their debut album are more electronically-based and have more synths, but GIAA have favored more organic sounds recently. Synths or not, it doesn't matter; their sound is still amazing, so like and yet so unlike other bands you may have heard. Here's "Coda," from their debut:



And it's back to the doomsday visions with "The End of the Beginning," off the album of the same name. I absolutely love the intro to this song:



Sigur Rós, the quintessential post-rock band from Iceland, is not one of my favorite bands. The music is just a touch melodramatic, the lead singer's vocals makes Thom Yorke sound like Dennis Haysbert, and there's just something about them that doesn't quite click with me. But they could sure make some amazing videos. Their 1997 debut Von (Hope) is tough to find, so it's best to stick with 1999's Ágætis byrjun (Alright Start), 2002's (), and 2004's Takk... (Thanks...). Keeping with the apocalyptic theme, here the video for the first track off (), also called "Vaka":



This one's called "Viðar Vel Til Loftárasa," which roughly translates to "Good day for an airstrike," off of Ágætis byrjun:



How about something a little happier? Here's "Glósóli," off Takk...:



This is the only Flying Saucer Attack video on YouTube. It's called "Beach Red Lullaby":



I've been playing Boards of Canada a lot lately, but the library doesn't have 2005's The Campfire Headphase, which is too bad since I can't play this amazing song, "Dayvan Cowboy':



How about some more Radiohead? Here's the long-awaited "Nude":



This is More, an Oscar-nominated short film by Mark Osborne. The music for this is "Elegia" by New Order:



Finally, a little something more fun: I probably will never play Yo La Tengo on the show, but the video for "Sugarcube" is amazing and hilarious! This is what I'm battling against, people! Check it out:



Enjoy!

Episode 4 iMix

And here's the iMix! Granted, it's a little on the small side, but I guess I can try to make it bigger next Monday. Can't promise you anything, though. ;-)

Here it is...the weekly word dump!

So! First things first, last night's playlist:

1. Radiohead -- Reckoner
2. Mogwai -- Superheroes of BMX
3. The Notwist -- Pick Up the Phone
4. Dirty Three -- Authentic Celestial Music
5. Frog Eyes -- "Stockades"
6. The Sea and Cake -- Lamont's Lament
7. Fly Pan Am -- Éfférant/Afférant
8. Can -- Paperhouse
9. Ui -- Back Up
10. The Velvet Underground -- Heroin
11. Labradford -- Untitled #3 (E Luxo So)
12. Flying Saucer Attack -- Whole Day Song
13. Dirty Three -- I Remember a Time When Once You Used to Love Me

Please check out this week's poll to decide what songs you liked best!

Now, here's what I was talking about early on in the program: the Radiohead song "Reckoner", which is on their latest effort In Rainbows, is not the same version that they shopped around six years ago. It used to be a thrashy, trashy song they only performed once live; now it's one of the two songs on the album that wasn't available as a live bootleg before it was officially released last Wednesday. Here, you can compare! Here's the original "Reckoner", also called "Pulled Apart By Horses" (a better version is on the Towering Above the Rest bootleg collection, which anyone can find online, just as easily as anyone can play guitar):



And here's the new version:



The iMix of this show should be up sometime this evening. In the meantime, enjoy my favorite Dirty Three song, "I Remember A Time When Once You Used To Love Me", as our first download! (It's also kinda because it's not available on iTunes.) Check it out here: http://www.zshare.net/download/42397360af4f56/

Take care, and have a good week!

Notice

The playlist, iMix, and promised Reckoner videos by Radiohead (just so you can hear the glaring differences between the two), not to mention the poll, should be up sometime tomorrow afternoon. Wait for it! Thanks for the cooperation! And leave a comment if you have any comments, questions, or concerns! Thanks again!

Episode 3 iMix

This week's playlist

Here's the playlist from last night's show:

1. Slint -- Breadcrumb Trail
2. Cul de Sac -- Dust of Butterflies
3. Explosions In the Sky -- Have You Passed Through This Night?
4. My Bloody Valentine -- To Here Knows When
5. Labradford -- P
6. Menomena -- Muscle'n Flo
7. Dirty Three -- Some Summers They Drop Like Flys
8. Boards of Canada -- Sixtyten
9. Gastr del Sol -- Even the Odd Orbit
10. To Rococo Rot -- Telema
11. Mogwai -- Hunted By a Freak
12. Blue Man Group -- Klein Mandelbrot
13. Can -- I'm So Green
14. Boards of Canada -- Roygbiv

The new poll and the iMix should be up later today. Thanks a lot for listening last night!

And here's that iMix I promised earlier...

Enjoy!

Brain Dump

All right, so first up, here's the playlist from last night:

1. Dirty Three -- Red
2. My Bloody Valentine -- All I Need
3. Can -- Halleluhwah
4. The Octopus Project -- Tuxedo Hat
5. Blonde Redhead -- (We Are a Real Team) Harry and I
6. Oceansize -- Catalyst
7. Dirty Three -- Indian Love Song
8. Mogwai -- Radar Maker
9. Flying Saucer Attack -- Past
10. Gastr del Sol -- A Watery Kentucky
11. Boards of Canada -- Happy Cycling
12. Tortoise -- Along the Banks of the Rivers

So, apparently of the four people that replied to the previous poll (pathetic, people! Absolutely pathetic! XD), 3 really loved it and 1 is sorry s/he didn't listen. Another poll will be up shortly (it should by the time you read this).

An iMix of the show should also be up later tonight or early tomorrow.

And I know this is really, really old news by now (even though it came out last night...). I mean, all the other music blogs out there have probably covered this a million times over (but not WRMC's...seriously, WTF?), and I don't think I can add anything more. But let me say it with enthusiasm:

WOOO-HOOOO!!!!!!!! NEW RADIOHEAD ALBUM!!!!!! WOO-HOOOOO!!!!!!! OCTOBER 10TH BABY!!!!!!! CHECK IT OUT!!!!!!!

Ahem.

So Radiohead's seventh LP, In Rainbows, will be out in 10 days. Count it. 10 days. And the news came out yesterday. Talk about short notice. However, they way they'll be distributing it is going to be a little weird. It will only be available on the 10th as a download in which you can pay any amount. Yeah. You heard me right. ANY AMOUNT. As in, "O hay, got mah Radiohead album fer free!" There's also a ridiculously expensive "discbox" they'll be shipping out around December 3rd, which contains the CD, a bonus CD, two 12" heavyweight vinyl records, and the album artwork by the ever-amazing Stanley Donwood, all in a nice little case. The standard CD, from what I make of it, won't be out until early next year. So. That's that. Here's some more information on the latest from my favorite band:

http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/46015-new-radiohead-album-aaaaaaahhh
http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/page/news/46028-radiohead-album-coming-out-as-regular-cd-too
http://www.greenplastic.com/
http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1666973,00.html

That should give you plenty more information than you actually absolutely need, but then again, this IS the Internet.

By the way, who went to the Regina Spektor concert on Saturday? And Ivan Kuraev's performance at the Grille last night? 'Cuz I'ld like to make my shout out right here. Leave a comment, or e-mail me at jhexter@middlebury.edu.

Take care, everybody. ;-)

Starting wit' the iMixes

So I've decided to publish iMixes of previous shows of Organized Chaos on iTunes. Not every song is going to be on there, of course (iTunes doesn't carry every band I'll be playing, plus I don't own all the music on the playlists, a situation I plan on rectifying soon...), but at least it will be a place to buy any music from bands you find interesting. I posted last week's show today, but I promise I won't take so much time doing it next time! Here it is; happy listening!

First show is complete!

Well, even though I got nervous and screwed up royally, especially at the beginning with the dead air and playing two songs at once and acting all nervous, I think I had a pretty good first show! What did you think? Did you like the music? Please reply! I could use the feedback! You can also contact me at jhexter@middlebury.edu .

Here was tonight's playlist:

1. Mogwai -- Summer (Priority Version)
2. Slint -- Good Morning, Captain
3. Dirty Three -- Sue's Last Ride
4. Boards of Canada -- Telephasic Workshop
5. Can -- Mushroom
6. The Books -- An Animated Description of Mr. Maps
7. Tortoise -- The Taut and Tame
8. Fridge -- Eyelids
9. Red Sparowes -- Buildings began to stretch across the sky, and the air filled with a reddish glow.
10. Blue Man Group -- Rods and Cones
11. My Bloody Valentine -- Only Shallow
12. Mogwai -- Tracy
13. Boards of Canada -- Amo Bishop Roden
14. Can -- Vitamin C
15. Mono -- A heart has asked for the pleasure

Want more information about a song or artist? Want an MP3? Let me know, and I'll do my best to get you what you want. After all, that's what I'm here for, right? Well, good night, and take care!

13 Hours and Counting! (A Reminder)

So, the first show of Organized Chaos will be TONIGHT, 1:30-3:00 AM on WRMC, 91.1 FM in the Middlebury area, and online at http://wrmc.middlebury.edu/ . That's less than 13 hours! When I'm on air, you can call me anytime at x6323 on campus, and (802) 443-6323 off campus. Take care, and hope to hear you all tonight on Organized Chaos!

Welcome!

So. You've reached the official blog of the WRMC radio show Organized Chaos. Welcome!

As you can see right now, there's not much here. Just a mostly black, mostly blank page with this lonely post. Like the show, this is going to be a work in progress. (Of course, if you're reading this a couple of weeks or months after I'm writing this, this place will probably be filled with posts and look a little less, well, empty. In that case, savor the dramatic irony of what I'm saying, and stop reading. Why the hell are you reading this when you can read the other posts? Or, you know, doing homework or something?)

So what purpose will this blog serve? How about several:

1) To promote the show. (After all, a show that airs late Sundays/early Mondays at 1:30 in the morning needs as much help as it can get.)
2) To put up the playlists for the past episode. (Another place of reference beside the WRMC website.)
3) To allow you to sample some of the music played on the show in case you missed it. (Perfectly legal, of course.)
4) To get to talk to you, the audience. (Yes, I'll read and respond to almost everything you write. Except if you want to tell me to screw myself, which in that case, I'll laugh and blissfully ignore you. It's the only mature response to immaturity like that.)
5) To introduce amazing bands and get news about them.
6) Anything else I damn well want to do with it.

I'm gonna use the space here to thank Middlebury College and WRMC for giving me this opportunity to air some of the best experimental rock around. Post-rock, Krautrock, IDM -- it's all gonna be here, and on WRMC late Sunday nights. If you have any questions, concerns, want to wish me good luck, or just want to tell me to jump off a cliff, you can e-mail me at jhexter@middlebury.edu.

Join me Sunday nights (early Monday mornings if you're really technical about it) from 1:30-3:00 AM on WRMC, 91.1 FM in the Middlebury, VT area, and online at http://wrmc.middlebury.edu/, for Organized Chaos. You'll be glad you did. (I hope.)