“This is Hi-Fi”: Transmission 3, 2012 December 5

This is the first of several shows that happened in quick succession during a week when I spent more time at the station than at my house.  Really, the week was a blur, and I'm sure there are parts of it I should be glad to have forgotten.  At any rate, WRFI has a new control room with new recording capabilities.  I think the music sounds better on this podcast than on the previous ones--the levels are more consistent, anyway.  I sound like I'm on a crap microphone, but our mics got switched around quite a bit last week.  I'm intelligible, at any rate--at least in terms of sound quality.  Bear with it; the sound gets better as the show progresses. This broadcast features a few subtle bits of comedy--it marks the first time that Lady Catharsis and I bickered over a "Listening Parlour" track.  While The Selecter were by no means my favorite band of that temporal/geographic/cultural nexus, they are within the strike zone of what I would play on my show if left to my own devices.  The "Listening Parlour" is meant to be LC's chance to hack the show.  Not to play out the quibble here, but I feel that she has done better, and she will intervene more drastically soon.  Oh, and she's got two "Listening Parlour" segments on this show--it just made more sense to do one per hour than one total.  People really like these respites from me.  It's beginning to make me paranoid. Also, I sound out of breath when back-announcing the Thievery Corporation track because I literally was.  I had just run down three flights of stairs and back to let Allison, fellow volunteer and host of the "Rocket J Canine Radio Hour," into the building.  I really need to get in shape. Oh yeah, and the Mary Lou Lord song is "His Indie World," not "His Indie Scene."  The show wouldn't be complete without basic factual errors. Dec. 5 was the first of many "themed" shows--3 more during the fundraising week, which will be posted soon, as well as a 12-inch tribute on Dec. 12 and an "Apocalypstice" program on the 19th.  On Boxing Day we will resume our usual shambolic mix.  I'm looking forward to it! Near the end, prior to the Bob Marley track, and again after the Steel Pulse track, Rene comes in for some extended on-air pitching.  Say hello to Rene, everyone.  Anyway--he, along with Brian Kerkan, basically finished the building of our new control room.  He is an old-timer, having been with WRFI from the beginning, which is about 10 years ago.  People who love music and would prefer less talking--I did think about editing some of the fundraising segments, but I figured that at the end of the day this is just a humble low-resolution podcast, and once I start surgically removing things that actually happened, even though they might not make for great radio, where does it stop?  Bombast has enough policies at this point.  I think it's more important simply to post the shows as documentary evidence of what actually went out on air. Oh, and by the way, we could still use your money--wrfi.org. Before I leave you, I also want to introduce Catharsis Jr., who does our new intro.  Look for some interesting segments from her, soon. BOMBAST Playlist [2012 December 5, 8-ish to 10:00 p.m.]

1. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark: "Radio Prague" [Virgin]
2. Love Corporation: "Palatial" [Creation]
3. Denim: "Middle of the Road" [Boys' Own]
4. Felix Da Housecat: "Analog City" [City Rockers]
5. Meat Beat Manifesto: "Radio Mellotron" [Play It Again Sam]
6. Mission of Burma: "This is Hi-Fi" [Fire]
7. Kings Have Long Arms: "Rock And Roll Is Dead" [Discograph]
8. The Jazz Butcher: "Road Runner" [Glass]
9. Pablo Moses: "Music Is My Desire" [Mango]
10. The Paragons: "The Same Song" [Trojan]
11. The Selecter: "On My Radio" [Chrysalis] ***"Listening Parlour"
12. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark: "This Is Helena" [Virgin]
13. Thievery Corporation: "Radio Retaliation" [Eighteenth Street Lounge]
14. Mary Lou Lord: "His Indie World" [Kill Rock Stars]
15. The Cramps: "It's Just That Song" [New Rose]
16. J Dilla: "Anti-American Graffiti" [Stones Throw]
17. Justified Ancients of Mu Mu: "Don't Take Five (Take What You Want)" [KLF Communications]
18. The Clash: "Revolution Rock" [Epic]
19. Nearly God: "I Sing for You" [Durban Poison / Island]
20. Bob Marley and the Wailers: "Trenchtown Rock" [Tuff Gong / Island]
21. Steel Pulse: "Sound System" [Mango]
22. Thomas Dolby: "Radio Silence" [EMI] ***"Listening Parlour"
23. Billy Childish and the Spartan Dreggs: "Radio Dreggs" [Damaged Goods"]

next transmission: reggae hits the town.  --kid catharsis