WRMC 91.1 Middlebury College Independent Radio

WRMC History Lesson

2012-01-13T18:02:00.003-05:00

Back in 1981, Middlebury student Don Kreis penned a two-page feature for the Campus on the history of radio at Middlebury. Although it's not current, it's interesting both on its own and in comparison to the way things work now, radio-wise. You can access all past issues of the newspaper, including this one (from March 27, 1981) via the library's digital archives. Go to this link: archive.middlebury.edu/cdm4/search.php and type "history of radio" into the second search line, labeled "exact phrase." The one result should be the March 27, 1981 issue. The article is on pages 12 and 13. Enjoy!

Seasonally Appropriate

2011-12-11T09:02:00.015-05:00

As 2011 winds down, you may be taking a moment or more in the next couple of weeks to reflect on all the great music you heard this year. Remember James Blake's debut LP? That was in January! Everything since then has all been this year! Many, many great albums and singles were released in 2011. I've never tried to compile a list of favorite songs from a year before, but I decided to do a two-week special highlighting my top 50 songs of the year on my radio show this January. Making that list turned out to be a lot harder than I'd expected -- firstly, because I couldn't believe that songs I was really into by solid artists such as Lykke Li, Blouse, Radiohead, the Rapture, Tennis, Dirty Beaches, and Panda Bear didn't make the cut; secondly, because qualitatively ranking songs turned out to be really hard. How is any music fan supposed to reconcile that music which falls nearer to being "high art" with music that's satisfying because it's just dumbly glorious pop? In others words, do I really like Colin Stetson more than Beyonce? Or the other way around? Why -- and how can I justify that? Then I remembered reading, a little over a year ago, this essay by Mark Richardson, and I reread it, and realized that such dilemmas just plain don't matter. If you, too, have anxiety about compiling a year-end list, or if you enjoy perceptive writing about pop music, you may find it of interest. It's also very concerned with the meaning of sharing music you love, which ideally any DJ with a music show is doing at least once a week (on his/her radio show, get it?), so it's probably of interest to everyone who might for some reason be reading this blog.

Speaking of the art/pop dichotomy that may or may not exist, you may also want to read this excellent review of Fuck Death, the new album from Frog Eyes/Swan Lake frontman Carey Mercer's side project Blackout Beach, by Cokemachineglow's Conrad Amenta. It's extremely well-written and contains some important thoughts that pertain to the practice of music criticism in general, not just to the record at hand (which is amazing -- listen to one of the best songs here). It makes for an interesting pairing with the same website's review of Drake's newest full-length, Thank Me Later.

Lastly, on the subject of year-end lists, here's an unusual one for 2010, from I Was Young When I Left Home, a strange and beautiful (aesthetically, poetically, sentimentally) little music blog whose posts are rare but often deeply gratifying to read. If you're working on a "Best of 2011" list of your own, perhaps it will provide inspiration for a new way to go about an old project.

Best of luck with Finals Week!

MONDEGREEN: New issue out now!

2011-12-07T19:05:00.010-05:00

Hey DJs and WRMC blog enthusiasts!

The brand-new Fall 2011 issue of MONDEGREEN, Middlebury College's very own music and culture magazine, hit the stands (?) today! You can find stacks of Mondegreens in strategic locations all over campus. Take one, read it cover to cover multiple times, tell all your friends how great it is, and then lend it out, bring it back for another to enjoy, or covet it for its interesting contents and gorgeous binding until it's worn to tatters. This issue features: interviews with Chamberlin and Apollo Run; reviews of new albums by current WRMC rotation favorites such as M83 and Real Estate; a helpful map; pretty pictures; essays on subjects you care about like teen angst and censorship; Eminem's face; and Goat Pack. Don't miss it!

noun

a word or phrase resulting from a misinterpretation of a word or phrase that has been heard.

Compare eggcorn.

The Future Is Not What It Used To Be

2011-12-05T19:26:00.026-05:00

Once simply a (frighteningly addictive) anonymous mix exchange, Tiny Mix Tapes is now one of the foremost online publications about independent music and popular culture currently running. Its contributors' broad-ranging tastes run more toward the experimental and esoteric; this, as well as their seriously well-read, probably college-educated (hey!) backgrounds in philosophy, sociology, and literary theory (references to thinkers from Freud to Foucault abound in their reviews), set TMT writers apart from their colleagues at other major online music publications. TMT can be counted on to remember, when other music publications do not, that true cultural criticism is a serious intellectual endeavor, not -- as their review of Lars von Trier's new film Melancholia argues -- the "simple criticizing" of a cultural text, despite the apparent kinship between the two concepts.

I bring this up now because, as it happens, TMT contributor Jonathan Dean has just published an incredibly intelligent, perceptive, and rather bleak essay on TMT entitled "2011: Dispatches From the Pop Museum: The Future Is Not What It Used To Be." The essay sharply assesses the state of contemporary popular music/culture -- and if you're not a regular TMT reader, take note of how much more substantiated its criticisms are than those of essays posted on more popular, less theoretically well-versed music sites such as Pitchfork. "The Future Is Not What It Used To Be" follows in the wake of preeminent British pop music historian Simon Reynold's excellent new book Retromania as an academically credible work unenthused by pop culture's recent obsession with nostalgic reenactment of itself. If cultural theory interests you -- and if you play pop music on the radio, it probably should at least a little! -- I recommend Reynolds' book. It'd be a good pick if you've got time over the upcoming break...but in the meantime, please check out Dean's truly wonderful essay (note: I am not proposing that these two works make the same points) here.

PS. And here's Pitchfork (I know I just kinda said they're intellectually inferior writers who pander to the masses but whatever) editor-in-chief Mark Richardson's interview with Simon Reynolds about his book Retromania: Pop Culture's Addiction to Its Own Past. AND here's a now-notorious anti-chillwave article by Wire journalist David Keenan that deals with similar themes and was one of the most talked-about pieces of music criticism during the summer of 2009, when what Keenan calls "hypnagogic pop" was initially in ascendancy -- featuring, among other things, a few words from Zola Jesus' Nika Roza Danilova, which is reason enough to read anything! Although, really, Keenan is a distressingly reactionary critic unwilling to grasp the pervasive postmodern logic described by Dean, and Reynolds' book does little except clarify a very interesting but ultimately obvious problem...so just read the Dean essay! It's great, I prooomise. It's only three pages. That's a mere fifth of the length of the paper I should be but am not writing right now! So short!

Bon Iver's Video Epic

2011-12-05T13:03:00.001-05:00

Last week, Bon Iver released the deluxe edition of their 2011 self-titled album, featuring 10 videos corresponding to each track on the cd. Bon Iver's official website described the videos as "the comprehensive vision for the record captured in moving picture. The visual works both complement and enrich the audio on the album...while not music videos per se, these visual accompaniments are striking in their distinctive atmosphere, and compelling works in their own right." Each video features stunning cinematography done by various artists, including Bon Iver's own Justin Vernon, who brings a whole new dimension to one of this year's best albums. Check out the video for "Holocene" below, and head to Bon Iver's official YouTube page to see them all. -Diane Martin

Pet Radio

2011-12-03T09:50:00.002-05:00

You might not realize it, but you could be broadcasting to more than just people. Recently Uzoo, the #1 source for animal videos, released a clip about DogCatRadio, a radio station for pets. It's been around for a few years now, though its current status remains a little ambiguous. I'm thinking this will provide some inspiration as we start thinking about programming for the spring. Watch the video here.

Music Video: YACHT "I Walked Alone"

2011-12-01T16:52:00.002-05:00

The new YACHT seems to at first to be a mere epileptic fit, but it quickly evolves into something much more. The video is supposed to convey a sense of community, and for that there are many circular camera pans that create a sense of gathering around a central figure--YACHT's newest song. By starting the video with a vast and empty landscape, YACHT contrasts the end nicely with the stark colors and enclosed spaces that characterize the latter half. This is definitely worth five minutes of your time. -Steph Roush

So Organic: A Show Profile of "Bitter Gourd," WRMC's One and Only Botanical Talk Show

2011-11-30T19:44:00.012-05:00

Bitter Gourd is Anjali Merchant and Carly Shumaker’s talk/music show about plants.

It’s on on Saturdays from 10-11 am.

This is its first semester on air.

Anjali and Carly describe Bitter Gourd as a “botanical talk show interspersed with college rock music.” It is perhaps the only show of this kind on radio anywhere. I set out to find out how it came into existence. Here you have it.

Discussed: anthropomorphized plant friends, opposite vs. alternate tree branching, the favorite musical genres of plants, the true value of organic beginnings...

WRMC: Ok so, why plants?

CARLY: One year when I was a kid a pumpkin plant unexpectedly grew in my garden. And I decided it was going to be like my child, my plant child. I loved this pumpkin plant. And she grew up and her name was Henrietta and I took care of my pumpkin plant. And then I believe I went away for a little and when I came home Henrietta was dead. And I was so upset. And then from that moment on I just loved plants.

C: Anjali how did you get interested in plants?

ANJALI: Sam Safran, Abigail Borah and I had to do a research project last semester and we chose to do it on invasive species. So we went up to Breadloaf and we were walking around a power line that ran through a forest and there was a small sapling growing in a clearing near the power line and it was the most symmetrical tree I have ever seen. It was opposite- you can either have opposite branching (A, below) or alternate branching (B). It was opposite all the way up. We spent like an hour admiring this sapling. We took a lot of pictures. We didn’t know what kind it was. We found out it was an ash sapling, and that was the moment when I knew I wanted to study trees and plants. I wish you guys could see it.

W: Anjali you’re a bio major, right?

A: Yeah. I take a lot of plant classes.

W: Is there a specific area within plants that you’re interested in?

A: After volunteering at the organic garden, I’m interested in the how biology interacts with food. Food is such a crucial part of our lives and so much is governed by biology. I’m really interested in that.

W: So how did you decide that you want to have a plant show? I mean, you guys are both interested in plants but lots of people have interests that they don’t end up making talk shows about. Why a plant talk show?

C: It was so organic…

A: I worked in the [Middlebury organic] garden this summer.

C: Anjali and I were friends before, but I wouldn’t say we were good friends and then she showed up to Middlebury the last three weeks of summer and started volunteering in the garden every day with me and we worked together and bonded over our love of plants.

W: So you have this deep connection where like…plants connect you.

C: So organic, right?

W: So who suggested a plant talk show? Was it a joke at first?

A: No…

C: No…

W: Does the music relate to the talk?

A: It’s the kind of music you would want to play to your developing plant.

C: A combination of classical and heavy metal does the best. That’s true. Anjali did a study on it.

A: We did this project where we grew plants in the green house. There were four treatments: one of them was a Mozart treatment in which the plants listened to Mozart continuously, one was a metal treatment, in which plants listened to metal continuously, one was a Mozart and metal treatment in which plants listened to Mozart for six hours and then metal for six hours, and one was a no-music treatment. And the plants in the metal and Mozart treatment grew significantly higher than the plants in all the other treatments.

W: So that was your first coming together of music and plants.

A: The first time when my passions collided I’d say.

C: Also cows benefit from music…

M: What kind of response do you get to the show? Is there anyone that’s ever like “I really have been wondering that about soybeans for so long!”

C: Martin Sweeney said he learned more in one radio show in one hour than he learned all week.

A: As a kid you’re really only interested in animals because they’re moving and you can anthropomorphize them, where as with plants that’s a lot harder to do. So there’s not a whole lot of interest in plants I guess unless you’re really into the environment. So we just wanted to make plants more accessible– accessible and exciting.

C: Plants are awesome…

A: A lot of our inspiration comes from my plant bio class.

C: And a lot of it also comes from our summer at the garden.

W: So the show kind of grew out of this academic interest in plants, and then both of your love for plants, and then your bond over plants and that all came together to be Bitter Gourd.

C: It all came together and this is the pinnacle…

W: And you can hear it every Saturday at 10.

(From left to right: Carly Shumaker, some girl, Anjali Merchant)

A Little Late, but...

2011-11-21T20:25:00.006-05:00

...Here's an informative New York Times article about the changing shape of college radio in our increasingly digital era. (Thanks, Mom!) It includes a little college radio history, some bleak prospects, and the definition of shoegaze. A worthwhile read to catch up on the state of things and understand the pressures that we're up against.

Music Videos Recap: 11/15/11

2011-11-15T13:34:00.001-05:00

There were some dope music videos released today. First, WU LYF (World Unite Lucifer Youth Foundation) dropped a video for the standout track "We Bros" off of their stellar LP, Go Tell Fire to the Mountain. It features teens running away from a decrepit cityscape, through a forbidden forest, eventually making their way to an ocean. Additionally, The Black Lips released their video for "Raw Meat" off of their latest, Arabia Mountain. They pay corrupt NYC cops riding around, causing havoc. Both videos are embedded below:

Black Lips - "Raw Meat" from Urban Outfitters on Vimeo.

Interview: The Milkman's Union

2011-11-07T23:57:00.005-05:00

A couple weeks ago two great bands came to Middlebury for a fun show in the Hepburn Zoo. One of these bands, The Milkman's Union, spent some time with yours truly shooting the breeze about their awesome name, Maine lobsters, east vs. west side, and how to skin a cat. Ok, not that last one. They also played an acoustic version of their song "The Dog with the One Red Ear," which includes Jeff drumming on a piece of styrofoam. No joke, it's amazing.

The interview will air in it's entirety

Thursday 11.10 @ 4pm
during BedRock with Peter DiPrinzio.

Don't miss it - but we may post it here after it airs! In the meantime, check out their new single: Texas Hold Me ft. Lady Lamb the Beekeper

Stream Los Campesinos! "Hello Sadness"

2011-11-07T13:27:00.001-05:00

Right now you can head over to NPR's webpage to stream Los Campesinos! latest LP, entitled Hello Sadness, in its entirety. The 40 minute album finds the band in the same snarky mindset of their previous three efforts. While it may lack the more abrasive, harsh sounds of 2008's Hold On Now, Youngster, this decisively more polished effort finds the band maturing and graduating from their LiveJournal-esque rants to a more melodic, catchy effect. Head over to NPR's site HERE to stream Hello Sadness.

Photos: Caroline Smith & The Goodnight Sleeps

2011-11-03T15:13:00.000-04:00

In case you missed it last Friday, here are some pictures from the set in the Hepburn Zoo. Shout out to all the bands that played: Caroline Smith & The Goodnight Sleeps, The Milkman's Union, and Middlebury's very own Alpenglow. It was a fantastic show filled to the brim with great folk music.

Check out the rest of the pitures at WRMC's Flickr: HERE.

Music Video: Beyoncé - Party feat. J. Cole

2011-10-26T21:48:00.000-04:00

What does Beyoncé like to do at a party? Apparently mow the lawn, wear yellow fur coats, and change her hairstyle about a dozen times. Solid. Check out the embedded music video below:

Show Profile: Second Hand Groove Machine

2011-10-20T18:00:00.001-04:00

DJs: Erik Benepe 13.5, Jebb Norton 13.5

Time: Monday 1:30-3:00am

Semesters on air: Three

Discussed:Mysterious text messages, Abraham Lincoln, Orc blood, Parlament Funkadelic’sinfluence on De La Soul.

WRMC: Your show is on late at night, what’s the strangest call youhave received while on the air?

Jebb Norton: Erik’s brother’s really weird. He’s done some weird stuff.

Eric Benepe: Once, a long time ago, I was with my brother and I gota text from a number I didn’t recognize. There were no words; it was just a picture of somebody’s eye. Then, last year, he called me when Iwas at the station and used one of those online voice modifiers and was like,“Hello, I sent you a picture of my eye a few years ago.” I was pretty freaked out.

WRMC: Are you guys proud of any certain segments in your show’shistory?

JN: We were covering your show (“Nixxon.OK”—Fall 2010) at eight o’clockon a Friday night and we decided to download a bunch of speeches from variouspeople and eras, and then we did an all instrumental set with a lot of hip-hopbeats, and then we played the speeches over it. And that’s kind of, since then, become a staple. Something that we’ve done a decentamount is, like, speeches or movie quotes and clips—all played over beats. And a lot of times it’s cool becauseyou can play contrasting music. For example, you could do, uh, Abraham Lincoln’s speech over BobMarley. And then it seems like thespeech and the music are synced up a lot of the time.

EB: I think it works well because speeches already have a certainrhythm to them, and they have a lot of space and clear diction, which worksreally well.

WRMC: Like, on Kanye’s latest album he has Gil Scott-Heron speakingover a bunch of his beats, so I guess that’s kind of a thing now.

JN: Yeah, he consulted us on that… He called up and asked if wewould help him.

EB: I forgot to mention he’s one of the random callers we get.

WRMC: Can you give me five nouns that accurately describe yourshow?

JN: Cactus and grapefruit.

EB: Yeah, and Pyramid, The Joy of Cooking, and Orc Blood, for sure.

WRMC: What has been your favorite album of the past year?

JN: The Wild Hunt by TheTallest Man on Earth

EB: LCD Soundsystem’s This IsHappening

WRMC: Do you guys have a favorite older record?

EB: Electric Ladyland isup there, Jimi Hendrix.

JN: I got Paul Simon’s Graceland.

WRMC: And you guys, on your show, play a mixture of older stuff andnewer stuff, right?

JN: Yeah, it’s cool when you can play someone that was active inthe ‘60s and ‘70s then right after that someone modern.

EB: It’s nice to see a connection like that. You can, for example, that this song byParliament Funkadelic then follow it up with De La Soul or, like, some rapperwho samples them, you know?

WRMC: Do you remember the first record you ever owned?

EB: Americana by TheOffspring

JN: Hell yeah, that was one of mine too. That and Take Off YourPants and Jacket by Blink-182.

EB: Also, White Blood Cellsby the White Stripes, that was great in middle school.

JN: Shaggy, for sure.

WRMC: Do you guys have a favorite song of all time?

EB: I’m gonna go with “Little Wing” by Jimi Hendrix.

JN: I’ll say “Fireworks” by Animal Collective.

WRMC: What’s one band every WRMC DJ should know and play?

EB: Television. Word, they’re dope.

WRMC: Dubstep: friend or foe?

JN: Um, friend. Idon’t think we’ve every played it on the show, though.

EB: Friend for the first five minutes, then it’s dubious.

Radio on Radio: Virgin Mobile Live

2011-10-18T20:00:00.001-04:00

Who wants a radio station that plays new music, doesn’t repeat songs all day, and has personality and character – that, in short, doesn’t SUCK? Well, WRMC, duh, but what about when we’re on break, like this upcoming long weekend?

Here at WRMC have some recommendations of other radio stations that we like almost as much as our own, and that’s why we’re going to be posting these live aural gems once by one in a series we like to call: Radio on Radio. Check back before each break this fall (Fall Break, Thanksgiving Break, and Winter Break) for tips on where to tune your ears while WRMC dj’s are too busy stuffing themselves with grandma’s Turducken to play any jams. First up: Virgin Mobile Live

Virgin Mobile Live

Honestly, I have no idea where Virgin Mobile Live came from, who listens to it, or why it exists. My best guess is that it is the world’s best airline radio station. It would be reason enough for me to fly Virgin for my next weekend in Paree.

Regardless, the music selection on VML speaks for itself. Here’s a random sample: Vetiver, Dirty Hands, The Drums, Reptar, Ludacris, Mayer Hawthorne, Florence and the Machine, Twin Shadow, Clubfeet, Kid Savant, Two Door Cinema Club, New Young Pony Club, Body Language, Jet.

It’s an incredible and sometimes eclectic mix of genres that trends towards upbeat and new music. They’re not afraid to play bands nobody’s heard of and sprinkle in classics to keep it interesting. If you can’t deal with jumps from rock classics, to the newest indie band, to a sweet hip-hop remix, it may not be for you. What you will get is a non-stop stream of quality tracks that keep you guessing and up-to date in new, non-top 40 music.

Then there’s Abby. The first time I listened to Abby Braden’s show between 12pm and 2pm weekdays, I thought it was a WRMC dj. Compared to bland top-40 djs that say the same crap err’ day, Abby keeps it fresh and picks her own set every day and posts it on her blog. She is smart, fun, and does great live in-studio interviews with bands almost every day. For the twitter-inclined, she also live-tweets the show, asks for requests, and responds to fans (like me, once!). There’s also an encore broadcast of her show every night from 9pm-1am.

It’s too bad this isn’t broadcast over the airwaves, only online here: http://www.virginmobilelive.com/ I’ll tune in while WRMC is run by the robots this weekend, and you should too.

Show Spotlight: Something to Talk About

2011-10-10T12:51:00.001-04:00

Every Saturday morning I scramble out of bed at 11 and have a fantastic day. This is, obviously, due to the fact that "Something to Talk About" is the best start to a Saturday morning I could ask for. Hilarious banter, poignant cultural observations, and general tom-foolery is the status quo. Peep the promo video, embedded below, to see for yourself. "Something to Talk About" airs every Saturday from 11am to 12:30pm.

New Releases: 10/5/2011

2011-10-05T12:41:00.002-04:00

Feist's fifth LP, Metals, was released on Tuesday. After her fourth album, The Reminder, brought her mainstream media attention, Leslie Feist took a four year hiatus from writing music. Now, she is back with a collection of songs that is not as pop-driven or immediately accessible at the now-infamous "1234," but instead a grittier, more hard-hitting sound that Pitchfork describes as [LINK] "a refreshing and slyly badass statement of artistic integrity." KCRW recently recorded a live session with Feist featuring some of these new songs. It will be released in its entirety on October 28, but for now check out the stripped down version of her single "The Circle Married the Line."

In other news, Zola Jesus also released a new album on Tuesday entitled "Conatus." The best way to listen to this CD, which I have done many times since getting my hands on it approximately 36 hours ago, is to listen from start to finish without interruptions. The raw emotion of the vocals set with the backdrop of intense synths and drums just isn't something that can be turned off halfway through. Highlights include "Vessel," "Seekir," and "In Your Nature," but again...just listen to the LP in its entirety. You won't regret it. The official video for "Vessel" was also revealed on Tuesday and is being featured on the New York Times Style Magazine blog along with an interview. Click here to check it out.

-Diane Martin

Stream Future Island's "On The Water."

2011-10-03T14:10:00.001-04:00

Two posts back-to-back--way to be, NPR. Future Islands, the Baltimore band who killed it at Sepomana 2010, will release their third LP, On The Water, October 11th. More subdued than 2010's In Evening Air, the album makes full use of the Samuel Harring's melancholie lyrics and gravely vocals. You can stream On The Water in its entirety at NPR's First Listen website. Click here to listen.

Wilco Live: Merriweather Post Pavilion

2011-10-02T16:06:00.001-04:00

As you should already know Wilco just released their album, The Whole Love. A LP that finds the band squarely back in their Yenkee Hotel Foxtrot sonic realm, it features beautiful melodies and grating sounds that combine to form a delicate and complex soundscape. NPR recently recorded Wilco performing a two hour set full of both new cuts and classics from as far back as 1995's A.M. Obviously this recording is something special. Click here to stream.

Setlist:
Art of Almost
I Might
Black Moon
I'm Trying to Break Your Heart
One Wing
Bull Black Nova
One Sunday Morning (Song for Jane Smiley's Boyfriend)
Impossible Germany
Born Alone
Handshake Drugs
Jesus, Etc.
It Dawned on Me
Box Full of Leters
Standing O
War on War
A Shot in the Arm
----
Via Chicago
Whole Love
36 Inches High
Heavy Metal Drummer
I'm the Man Who Loves You
Monday
Outtasite

Leave Me Alone, Mom!

2011-09-21T13:34:00.000-04:00

So, I guess I should start off this post with a disclosure: I'm good friends with two members of this band. However, if I has stumbled upon their EP on my own, I would still be writing this post. Based out of Oberlin College--Leave Me Alone, Mom brings a fresh face to the scene of "Surf Punk." With tracks entitled "Beat Me Up" and "R.I.Pet" it's easy to get an image of their sound before even downloading it. They are tough but with a hint of vulnerability. Self-doubt runs through the album, giving it a feeling of self-loathing reminiscent of Weezer's Pinkerton. Despite this, the album still hits hard due to it's fuzzed out guitars, mottled vocals, and aggressive drumming.

"Pool Boy,"a song featuring a Mrs. Robinson-esque suitor and a sexually inexperienced protagonist, is lofted by self-deprecating lyrics, "Please don't make me cry / I've only kissed one girl before," as a chorus adds the decisive, "She thought I was someone else." This lack of esteem runs throughout the album; on "Creep by TLC," a woman is quoted as saying, "I'm trying to sleep so stop calling me now / And I try to leave when you're hanging around / And you're such a sleaze when I see you in town / So don't call me / I'm not your f****** girl." Heavy stuff.

The EP is free at their bandcamp; stream and download below:

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://leavemealonemom.bandcamp.com/album/leave-me-alone-mom-ep"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Leave Me Alone, Mom EP by Leave Me Alone, Mom&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

New Releases: 9/13/2011

2011-09-13T20:26:00.000-04:00

A post to keep y'all in the loop this Tuesday night: There have been some killer releases today. St. Vincent released "Strange Mercy." Her third effort, the LP is held down by singles "Surgeon" and "Cruel." She has received numerous favorable reviews, including a "Best New Music" nod from Pitchfork.

Additionally, Neon Indian's sophomore LP, "Era Extraña" was released today. Tracks to check out include "Polish Girl" and "Hex Girlfriend." The just-released music video of the former is embedded below. A collaboration between The Creator's Project (Vice and Intel) and director Tim Nackashi, it tells the story of "a futurist romance between a data-mining outcast and the woman he loves."

Finally, several notable music videos were unveiled today. Scroll down to view Cut Copy's "Blink And You'll Miss A Revolution" and a director's cut of Das Racist's latest single "Michael Jackson." The videos feature post-apocalyptic monkey-men and a Michael Jackson impersonator respectively.

Video: "Holocene"

2011-08-23T17:24:00.003-04:00

Bon Iver's latest, self-titled LP is superb. Evoking strong emotions and visions, the layered tracks are serene yet jarring. The recently released music video for the single "Holocene" is beautiful. Consisting of only a young boy exploring the natural beauty of Iceland, each scene fits into the track like a puzzle piece. As the clip progresses, nature subtly changes: rocks grow, a stone turns into a bird, and ripples move strangely. This departure from reality creates a visual accompaniment to the off-putting, droning synthesizers that reach into and throughout the song. The video is worth a watch if only for the Planet Earth-esque scenery, let alone the fact that it's a Bon Iver video.

cultic

2011-07-14T12:26:00.002-04:00

Go Outside, by Cults from Boing Boing on Vimeo.

summer programming

2011-06-29T20:06:00.005-04:00

oh la la summer programming has begun!

Tune your car dials to 91.1 fm and your interweb to http://boombox.middlebury.edu:8000/WRMC192.m3u for some supreme beats hosted by your favourite deejays. Note that summer time at Middlebury also means language school (!!!), so be sure to expand your musical palette with some world music and/or improve your listening proficiencies with Spanish, Hebrew, Chinese, French, Italian, German, Portuguese, and Russian school throughout the week.

banana ripple

2011-06-13T04:16:00.003-04:00

Junior Boys - Banana Ripple by DominoRecordCo

WRVU and College Radio

2011-06-12T09:53:00.011-04:00

WRVU out of Vanderbilt University in Nashville (which also broadcasted on 91.1) played its final tune last Tuesday--the station's license was sold by the Vanderbilt Student Communications organization to the local public radio station. Freddie O'Connel offers some good commentary on the station's end and the value of college radio in today's NYT.

There’s a false but widespread image of college radio as a pointless, narcissistic exercise — that it’s nothing more than a crew of campus oddballs who like playing D.J., even though no one is listening.
WRVU demonstrated how wrong that image is. Not only did it command respect and interest on campus, but, thanks to a longstanding and farsighted policy, it allowed and encouraged members of the off-campus community to volunteer as D.J.’s — and so drew on the rich cultural heritage of Music City U.S.A. as well.
My co-host and I shared the airwaves with Ken Berryhill, who calls himself the world’s oldest D.J. and played country classics; the encyclopedic Pete Wilson, who spun a mind-bending mix of old R&B, rock ’n’ roll and blues on his show “Nashville Jumps” (and had the sad honor of playing the last song on WRVU, Johnny Thunders’s “You Can’t Put Your Arms Around a Memory”); and countless college students, balancing their awkward moments of dead air with delightfully original musical sensibilities.
The result was a cornerstone of the local community. Students learned from veterans, townies got to know Vanderbilt and Nashvillians got access to a chunk of the public commons otherwise dominated by big business: the airwaves.

It's sad to see the plug pulled at another college (and community) radio station, but discussions on the issue like this piece help reiterate their special value. For what it brings to a campus, town, its broadcasters, and its listeners, I see the unique college radio format as explicitly irreplaceable.

july

2011-06-06T02:09:00.006-04:00

Slow, hazy, and somewhat unremarkable, the first minute of "July" recalls the torpor of summer. Don't be put off, as the song rewards patience. With the gradual addition of a triangle, keyboard, guitar, and tambourine, the layers coalesce until the sharp crack of a drum at 2:50 brings the glory of summer suddenly into focus.

July by Youth Lagoon

It's Not Dead: An Interview with Diego Russell, WRMC's 'Best Solo DJ of the Year'

2011-05-27T00:33:00.009-04:00

Show name: Jammin' High

Is in it's: Sixth semester running

Genre: Jazz (one of the proud few on WRMC)

So I set out to see what Diego Russell, who was just awarded the title of WRMC's Best Solo DJ of the Year, could tell me about his show—the process behind creating it and its history—and that took us a few places, from his childhood sorting through his dad's CD collection to science fiction to his favorite trumpet players. When I walked into the studio Diego was advertising a fake lima bean festival going on in Middlebury on air, so I pretty much immediately counted on our half hour together being interesting, and it was. This is Jammin' High:

Discussed: Space Jazz, mail order pop compilations, the vitality of jazz in the modern age, BIO 145, and New Orleans jazz radio, among other things...

Me: Can you tell me a little bit about how you conceptualize or structure the show weekly?

Diego: Every week I'm just constantly gathering music, usually illegally. I'll be looking around and I'll find something that is new to me and I'll just start playing it. I'm a big fan of jazz and blues and funk and hip-hop and I'll pursue those genres.

One time I had this theme space jazz. There's a really good artist, Ornette Coleman, who does free jazz and he's really into space-themed songs. Sun Ra is another great and he has this album called The Heliocentric Worlds of Sun Ra. So those two guys got into space jazz. Also Herbie Hancock and his use of electronic music, that type of shit in the 80s, all that compiled into one show to become space-themed.

But I don't know, last week I was reading science fiction and I came across this opera that was based on a science fiction book by one of my favorite authors, Phillip K. Dick, and so I just started playing opera music, even traditional opera music, on my show. It's kind of spontaneous what my show's about for the most part, but I like it to have some kind of theme.

M: So do you see this as a jazz show or more just as your thing?

D: I predominately play jazz. But I don't think I can call it a jazz show anymore, but I wouldn't call it any other specific type of music either.

M: It's pretty rare to hear Jazz on college radio shows. (There's only one other Jazz show on WRMC). How did you get into the genre?

D: Mostly through my father's taste in music. A lot of the music I listen to comes from him. He's a fan of a lot of different kinds of music, but jazz kind of just took me. I've been listening to it since early high school and trying to kind of just accumulate as much jazz music as I can. What it means historically to musical development in this country I think is beautiful.

M: Did you start listening to a couple guys and kind of branch out from there? Or did you start listening mostly to the guys your dad listened to? I guess, where did your relationship with jazz start and how did it evolve?

D: I remember listening to Stanley Clark's album School Days really early on. I remember listening to Billie Cobham's Spectrum. I'll play a song from there called "Snoopy's Search." That's one of my earliest memories of weird music. I remember dancing to this when I was maybe eight or six. It has a really funny beginning that I would just freak out at and then it got into this really sick rhythm. The guy who wrote it is a drummer, it's just awesome. Hearing that on my dad's stereo system turned up really loud was really cool. [In the studio: fiddling with the aux cable, changing computers, some static, and then...]

M: When did you start discovering music on your own? And how?

D: Being at home alone, I had an older brother. My dad had a really large collection so we would just rove through that and play stuff. But also, I don't know if you remember this, but there used to be those ads in magazines like '21 CDs for 1 cent.' We would get CDs that were poppy and stuff, I remember Alanis Morrisette and Green Day and stuff, but that was more for my brother and that kind of wore off. Really where my music developed was from my dad's collection.

M: Do you play jazz yourself?

D: I play a little trumpet. I'd love to play a lot, but it's hard to find time. And I play a little trombone, which I just picked up this year. I love horns and brass music. Recently, as in this semester, I've really been listening a lot to this radio station streaming out of New Orleans called WWOZ. Check that out.

M: Has playing horns influenced what music you've looked for?

Yeah, I tried to pay attention to more trumpeters, like Freddie Hubbard, Lee Morgan, those kind of bop, post-bop guys. Who else is good in that sense? Donald Byrd, Miles Davis, but he's not just a trumpeter you know. But yeah, listening to trumpet and kind of knowing how it works more so than another instrument that I've never touched before definitely makes me want to pursue that sound and understand the goodness of it.

Also, there's a jazz festival in my town. I live in Cape May, New Jersey, and there's a jazz festival there every spring and fall. I haven't been since I left high school, but that was also really, really awesome as a kid, seeing some awesome groups. Like I saw McCoy Tyner and Bobby Hutcherson play there.

M: Has the show always been Jammin' High?

D: No, it's evolved. I forget what they used to be, man. I had so many.

M: So has the idea for the show changed over the semesters?

D: It's just what I've been listening to. That's changed a lot or gotten enriched you know. It's always been around jazz, but I've gone off in different areas of it. Latin jazz; to some New Orleans jazz; to jazz from California— cool jazz kind of stuff; jazz that's influenced by samba— Brazilian stuff. There are so many different types of jazz.

M: What's your interaction with the Middlebury community like in terms of the show? Do you get calls or people talking to you about the show?

D: I get calls every once in a while from people. The time I got the most calls was when I had a slot like 6-8 and all these people would call and be like, 'we were listening during dinner and it was awesome.' There's this one guy, who I know other DJs have gotten calls from—his name is Peaches, and he suggested some cool music that I listened to. He called every week for seven weeks one semester.

Right now BIO 145 listens to my show. I think they decided to put on the radio one time and I was playing some real funky stuff and the professor liked it a lot and was like we should listen to this all the time.

M: Anything else you want to say?

D: I'd say listen to jazz. It's still alive. There's plenty of young artists. To give out one name, one trumpeter who's awesome: Jeremy Pelt. I saw him in Philly a month or so ago. It's not dead.

-Interview by Moss Turpan

New York in the Summatime: Land of So Many Good Concerts

2011-05-26T01:14:00.004-04:00

So since it seems like people flock to NYC over the summer for internships and jobs and such things, I thought I'd share links to the few websites that will direct you to most of the good live music in the city over the summer. The idea was born out of a conversation I had in the library that literally went something like "Oh you're going to be in NY this summer for the first time? You're going to hear SO much good music. Here are the websites that can tell you where and when:"

For all things indie:

Ohmyrockness.com

(The feature where you can choose what bands you like and get e-mails when they announce new shows is great, but a lot of the summer shows have already been announced so I'd recommend looking through the listings for the time you'll be there. There's a nifty 'save this show' feature so you don't forget which ones you want to see).

For many of the same things indie, from a different source:

Bowerypresents.com

(A lot of the big indie venues of the city— all the ones owned by Bowery Ballroom group— are listed on this website. Sometimes I end up coming across stuff here that I don't see on Ohmyrockness, but if you don't feel like spending the time, Ohmyrockness should have most of it).

And for Jazz, check out:

http://www.wbgo.org/calendar

(There are a zillion shows listed, so you definitely have to pick and choose the ones that you think sound best. To pare it down a little, it might be worth checking individual venue websites if you find/hear about venues that sound good.)

Have awesome, music-filled summers all of you who are there! I'm jealous!

Middlebury Presents: Martin Sweeney

2011-05-25T23:43:00.002-04:00

My hall-mate, Martin Sweeney, has a talent that he kept hidden from me until the final week of school. A talented producer and standout WRMC DJ, Martin has made several solid mash-ups and remixes. Standouts include a mash-up of Crazy Town's "Butterfly" with The xx's "Intro" and an original remix of Phoenix's "1901." They're both embedded below.

Butterfly/Intro by shweeneypeas

1901 - Sween Talk Remix by shweeneypeas

repatriated

2011-05-25T18:37:00.007-04:00

It's hard to be disappointed about Wolf Parade's hiatus with imminent releases by both Spencer Krug and Dan Boeckner. While Krug will be releasing Organ Music under the moniker Moonface on 2 August, the third album from Boeckner's Handsome Furs, Sound Kapital, drops on 28 June (zomg so soon). Below is "Repatriated", the second single from Sound Kapital, a track that embodies the one thousand and ten reasons why I heart a synthesizer.

Handsome Furs - Repatriated by subpop

Soak it Up

2011-05-24T17:38:00.006-04:00

To commemorate the beginning of summer, I mixed a tape of songs. RIYL: sand in the bottom of your backpack, air conditioned libraries, swimming to the buoy, and multiple tan lines.

Download the zipfile here:

http://www.mediafire.com/?34thz9672w1c0di

Star Slinger – Mornin’
Saskatchewan – Dreamboat
Beat Connection – Silver Screen
Taragana Pyjarama – Ocean
Houses – Soak It Up
Washed Out – Eyes Be Closed
Mood Rings – Indian Hills
How to Dress Well – Ready for the World (Star Slinger Remix)
Washed Out – Feel It All Around
Summer Heart – Please Stay
Sun Airway – Oh, Naoko
Broken Social Scene – Shampoo Suicide
Foxes in Fiction - School Night

The World at Large

2011-05-23T19:28:00.007-04:00

Although Broken Social Scene ranks amongst my favourite bands, a BSS cover of “The World at Large” had me dubious. Given that Issac Brock’s lisping vocals are what define the sound of Modest Mouse, any attempt to emulate the whistling, bah-bah-bahpping glory of “The World at Large” seemed risky. Yet pared down to a snare, saxophone, and guitar, “The World at Large” becomes Broken Social Scene’s own. Slightly longer than the original song, the sparseness and sprawl of BSS’ rendition imparts a hazy yearning absent in the Modest Mouse version.

Check it:

Broken Social Scene » Modest Mouse from The Voice Project on Vimeo.

WRMC Presents: Top 91

2011-05-17T22:49:00.000-04:00

WRMC DJs have voted and the powers that be (read: the exec board) have tallied. Before you sits the top 91 songs of the past 365 days. If you missed the live broadcast from The Mill last Sunday night, shame on you. However, WRMC holds no grudges. If you know what is best, make a playlist with the following 91 songs and dance unabashedly in your room. There's no reason that the soundtrack to your summer can't be the best songs of this past fall, winter, and spring.

91. Matt & Kim - Cameras
90. Cee Lo - Fuck you
89. Das Racist - Rapping 2 U
88. Flo Rida - Club Can't Handle Me
87. Radiohead - Codex
86. J. Cole - Blow Up
85. Peter Bjorn & John - Second Chance
84. Radiohead - Lotus Flower
83. Rihanna - Only Girl In The World
82. Tallest Man On Earth - Like The Wheel
81. Tyler, The Creator - Yonkers
80. The Radio Dept. - The One
79. Twin Shadow - Castles In The Snow
78. Young Galaxy - We Have Everything
77. Smith Westerns - Imagine pt. 3
76. Girls - Heartbreaker
75. Patrick Wolf - The City
74. Oberhofer - I Could Go
73. Summer Camp - Jake Ryan
72. Architecture In Helsinki - Contact High
71. Balto - The Lover
70. Adele - Rolling In The Deep
69. Baths - Apologetic Shoulder Blades
68.Childish Gambino - Freaks And Geeks
67. Yuck - Operation
66. Star Singer - Mornin'
65. Toro y Moi - New Beat
64. Skrillex - Scary Monsters
63. Robyn - Indestructible
62. Kanye West - Lost In The World
61. Panda Bear - Slow Motion
60. Kanye West - Runaway
59. Peter Bjorn & John - Lies
58. Lil Wayne feat. Cory Gunz - 6 Foot 7 Foot
57. Panda Beat - Jetty
56. Robyn - Fembot
55. Lord Huron - Mighty
54. Rihanna - What's My Name?
53. Small Black - Despicable Dogs
52. Patrick Wolf - Time Of My Life
51. Kurt Vile - Jesus Fever
50. Kanye West - Devil In A Dress
49. James Blake - The Wilhelm Scream
48. Destroyer - Kaputt
47. Destroyer - Chinatown
46. Fleet Foxes - Ocean Grown
45. Deerhunter - Coronado
44. Cults - Oh My God
43. Ceo - Come With Me
42. Britney Spears - Till The World Ends
41. Big Boi - Shutterbugg
40. Best Coast - When I'm With You
39. Arcade Fire - Half Light II
38. Akron/Family - So It Goes
37. Yuck - The Wall
36. Wye Oak - Civilian
35. Wavves - King Of The Beach
34. Tennis - Marathon
33. Sufjan Stevens - Get Real Get Right
32. Robyn - Call Your Girlfriend
31. Oberhofer - Away FRM U
30. Janelle Monae - Cold War
29. Dirty Gold - California Sunrise
28. Destroyer - Suicide Demo For Kara Walker
27. Cults - You Know What I Mean
26. Braids - Lemonade
25. Best Coast - Boyfriend
24. TV On The Radio - Will Do
23. tUnE-yArDs - Bizness
22. Small Black - Photojournalist
21. Robyn - Hang With Me
20. Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - Heart In Your Heartbreak
19. Oberhofer - oO0OoO0O0
18. Janelle Monae - Tightrope
17. Cut Copy - Take Me Over
16. Crystal Castles - Not In Love feat. Robert Smith
15. Smith Westerns - Weekend
14. Lykke Li - I Follow Rivers
13. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
12. Deerhunter - Helicopter
11. Cults - Abducted
10. Arcade Fire - Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)
9. Duck Sauce - Barbra Streisand
8. Yuck - Get Away
7. The Strokes - Under The cover Of Darkness
6. James Blake - Limit To Your Love
5. Delicate Steve - Butterfly
4. Kanye West - Monster
3. Kanye West - All Of The Lights
2. Delicate Steve - Wondervisions
1. Cut Copy - Need You Now

Final Radio Event of The Year

2011-05-14T12:46:00.002-04:00

So WRMC's Top 91 will air this Sunday at 9pm. The top 91 songs of the year as decided upon by the greater WRMC DJ community. Tune in to hear some of the best music of the past 365 days (yeah, we adhere to the school calendar, Jan. 1 is meaningless) hosted by a slew of WRMC DJs.

The annual WRMC Awards will also be given out in the following categories:

Best Show Name

Best Duo or Group

Best Solo DJ

Sexiest Radio Voice

Strangest Radio Voice

Best Show Concept

First-Year Award

Most Attractive DJ (pair or singlet)

Most Attractive Programming Directrice

Best Non-Music Show Award

Worst Attendance Award

3-5 AM Appreciation Award

WRMC Lifetime Achievement Award

Lastly, there has been some talk of senior week programming by graduating seniors, so if any of your favorite DJs won't be coming back next year, keep your ears perked!

Study Bands: Diamond Rings

2011-05-10T14:03:00.005-04:00

For everyone here at Midd it's a tense time of year. But, as everyone knows, finals go a little bit easier with some solid background music. However, not all music is designed to sit in the background without distracting while still remaining interesting. For me, Diamond Rings fits the bill perfectly. While 2010's album Special Affections isn't necessarily hot off the press, I feel that it deserves a shout-out over this finals week. John O'Regan, the creative force behind Diamond Rings, hails from Toronto, Canada. He takes the stage alone and recently finished a tour with Robyn.

His synth backed, droned-out songs sit perfectly in the background of a study sesh and his melancholy lyrics fit into the mix well. On "It's Not My Party" O'Regan straightforwardly sings, "And if you wanna throw a party I can cry tonight / You would cry too if it happened to you right / I keep falling in and out of love with you / I never loved anyone the way I do you." I don't know about you, but I can write a paper to that.

Check out the videos for "It's Not My Party" and "Something Else" embedded below.

Balls of Steel - Acidstep EP

2011-05-08T15:54:00.003-04:00

Hello radioheads,

Yours truly, Balls of Steel, has just self-released his debut EP, the Acidstep EP. It's acid (the music, not the drug)-influenced dubstep. The first track is a dubstep stomper, and the second is some weirder late night business featuring the sultry vocals of the mysterious "Messmore" (who could this Messmore be?).

Acidstep EP by Balls of Steel

You can stream or download the tracks above. Do with them what you will.

In Case You Missed Sepomana...

2011-04-25T17:22:00.004-04:00

If you weren't at Sepomana this past Friday, I'm going to assume that either: a) You were west of the Mississippi, b) You were in jail, or c) You made a terrible decision and have subsequently learned a valuable life-lesson. In case you missed it, your kind bloggers here at 91.1 WRMC-Middlebury College Radio have decided to round up the best Sepomana-related videos the internet has to offer. Check out Peter's post below for pictures from the event itself.

SEPOMANA Pics!

2011-04-24T16:46:00.002-04:00

Only 40 short hours since the final beats of Sepomana 2011 echoed through McCullough Social Space, THE PICS ARE IN!!

Courtesy of Elma Chapin Collins Burnham IV.

Check 'em out, and relive your Friday night...or see what you missed!

Curren$y's New Mixtape

2011-04-20T17:22:00.004-04:00

Curren$y, the weed-rap expert from New Orleans has released a new mixtape today. Peep the date--of course he would.Covert Coup features some great guests and showcases Curren$y's flow. The mixtape is a collaboration with producer The Alchemist, from Beverly Hills, who is currently Eminem's touring DJ. The beats on the album are as lazy and laid-back as Curren$y's flow--just make sure to invest is a system with some bass to get the full experience. What really makes the mixtape are the guest artists. While Curren$y's flows are always solid, his laid-back tone fits well against the harsher verses of all his collabs on the mixtape. Check the standout track "Scottie Pippens feat. Freddy Gibbs" for a great guest verse by the Indiana rapper. The beat in "The Type feat. Prodigy" is slow and churning while Curren$y and Prodigy boast about how they "bust these raps like we bust these gats." Scary stuff.

Download or stream the mixtape HERE.

New Friendly Fires Single

2011-04-19T14:44:00.005-04:00

St. Albans' dance punk crew, Friendly Fires, have a new album, entitled Pala, coming out May 16th. You can check out the new single, embedded below. "Live Those Days Tonight" fits in well with their previous sound: dancy and synthy with strong beats. The new single feels well produced and is anything but down-tempo. It sounds like a Chromeo lyric met up with the synths from Cut Copy's album Zonoscope and then took Miike Snow's production team out to a futuristic-themed '80's underground club. Maybe you should just listen to it...

Are You Missing Coachella?

2011-04-17T21:22:00.003-04:00

Never fear. Check out the live stream HERE. If you click it right now you can watch Best Coast playing a new song--of course it's about dank. "...I wish she was my girlfriend."

TV On The Radio's Movie!

2011-04-14T12:03:00.005-04:00

As you probably know, the Brooklyn band TV on the Radio have released their latest LP, Nine Types of Light. This post, however, will skirt around a review of the album. Instead, I would like to focus on the movie that TVotR have released, composed of a separate music video for every song on the album.

Each individual music video was directed by either friends of the band or filmmakers they admire. The general concepts were developed by Tunde Adebimpe, frontman of the band. "The movie is ment to be a re-imaging of the record" states the band's youtube page, and that truly seems to be the case. For example, the song "Forgotten" (34:19) does not immediately bring to mind zombies, celebrities, and guns--but somehow it fits.

The most powerful parts of the film, however, are the interviews framing each song. Local New Yorkers were interviewed and presented in short snippets speaking about such topics as: "dreams, love, fame, and the future." These real-world viewpoints tie together the extreme imagery presented in the musical segments. Overall the video is a great way to get a first or second listen to the album. Even if it does seem claustrophobic and cluttered at times, there are some real gems. Look into "Will Do" (24:47) for a heartbreaking take on virtual reality and "Killer Crane" (39:29) for a documentary-style video of the band touring followed by a haunting scene depicting the band meeting up, post-haitus, for the first time in ten years (45:36).

Everybody's Looking Forward to "The Weeknd"

2011-04-12T14:05:00.002-04:00

SO yeah, you liked James Blake? Then you copped that Frank Ocean? Basically, R&B is the hippest genre on indie scene right now and these bros from Toronto are about ONE SECOND from blowing up all over your skinny jeans. They even sample Beach House. And leave out vowels! The Weeknd - House of Balloons

Classics: Dr. Dre-Still D.R.E.

2011-04-11T22:31:00.005-04:00

I'm not sure how I feel about Dr. Dre. On the one hand, he is one of the most respected and accomplished rappers and producers in hip hop. On the other, he has a line of overpriced headphones and a collaboration with Hewlett-Packard selling computers. Regardless of his recent questionable exploits, Dre has an ear for production and an eye for style that are only rivaled, if at all, by artists that he signed-Eminen, Snoop Dogg, and 50 Cent to name a few. I'd like to take this time to remind you on the classic "Still D.R.E."

The track serves as an announcement. Proclaiming that Dr. Dre's still the baddest in the game, "Still D.R.E." sits on top of a tight-strung, guitar riff. Featuring lyrics like, "Ladies, pay homage, but haters say Dre fell off / How nigga? My last album was "The Chronic" / They want to know if he still got it / They say rap's changed, they want to know how I feel about it," the track attacks naysayers and doesn't skirt around the fact that hip hop changed since Dre's heyday.

"Still D.R.E." is boastful and filled with the good doctor's well-known bravado. Snoop Dogg, his faithful sidekick, holds down the intro, chorus, and outro. The Hype Williams-directed video's embedded below. Pay close attention to fact that rappers rarely use seat belts. RIP Biggie.

Video: Fun in the station

2011-04-11T00:18:00.000-04:00

DJs have the most fun.

Video: "Heart in Your Heartbreak"

2011-04-09T14:24:00.003-04:00

New York City rompers, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, have released the music video for their single Heart in Your Heartbreak. It features the band working at a guitar/instrument retailer reminiscent of Guitar Center and involves a plot against a controlling manager who just hates good music. The playful video is definitely worth a watch and is a great introduction to a band reminiscent of Pavement, Yuck, and The Cure. Check it out below.

Live: Cut Copy

2011-04-06T19:07:00.008-04:00

Cut Copy can get a crowd moving. Having recently seen them in Montreal, I can attest to their powers. Hailing from Melbourne, Australia, the foursome have three steller LP's under their belts. Their freshman effort, Bright Like Neon Love, feels like a midnight joyride through a futuristic NYC. This is manifested in the album art: a model's face and futuristic sunglasses that reflect a nighttime New York skyline. Its standout opening track, "Autobahn Music Box," features swirling synths layered under accessible lyrics such as, "I watch the sun go down and up again and think of you / You're just too busy seeing red when all I see is blue / I'm sorry baby, for what I did to you." Their second LP, In Ghost Colours, is decidedly more electronic. It's songs build momentum and erupt euphorically, running together as a cohesive set of beats, yearning motifs, and synth layers. Check out the cheesy video for the track "Hearts on Fire" below. Their latest album, Zonoscope, sees the band maturing, not only writing more obscure lyrics but also exploring darker, more pulsing synth patches.

From the album opener "Need You Now," to the fifteen minute synth-epic closing track "Sun God," the album finds Cut Copy in a more grounded and yet ambiguous place. Aiming squarely at the nostalgic '80's resurgence that acts such as Twin Shadow and Toro y Moi are a part of today, Zonoscope is a thumping yet delicate electronic soundscape. The LP shines live, where bass can be felt and attendees are able to vibe off of and dance with those around them. Dan Whitford, the lead singer, is energetic and expressive. He beats his chest and reaches out towards the crowd longingly. At first this came off as contrived, but soon I was won over by the energy he puts out. Tim Hoey, guitarist and backing vocals, was animated and talented, at one point convulsing as be beat his guitar with a drumstick and eventually handing it into the crowd to hammer sounds out of.

Cut Copy are a well versed band with a polished stage presence. They have hit songs that crowds look forward to. They know how to make extended synth-jams feel fresh and important. With lyrics like, "House is burning, she is so cold / Hands of steel, they're hands of gold / Rising from a pyramid / To take you where the pharaohs live," it's impossible not to enjoy a Cut Copy song, but I can attest to the fact that it is even harder not to enjoy them live.

LPFM and the Future of Radio In America (!)

2011-03-26T23:32:00.004-04:00

AN ARTICLE worth reading for anyone who's interested in radio. This is perhaps part of the future for us small-timers.

Reggie Watts Is The Man

2011-03-24T11:50:00.004-04:00

Reggie Watts is the man. He's got a fantastic afro, a fantastic persona, and a fantastic falsetto. THIS LINK will prove that to you. I'm stoked to see him at Sasquatch Music Festival this summer but am also seriously concerned for his health under the bright, Washingtonian sun. Reggie Watts is a comedian, musician, and slam poet. He performs under varying personas in a single show and makes up impromptu soul-ballads while delivering jokes ranging from racial issues he faces to toilet humor.

Reggie was born in Germany and has five names: Reginald Lucien Frank Roger Watts. Epic. He was raised in Montana and took piano and voice lessons through his childhood. Watts currently resides in Brooklyn and performs frequently. He opened for Conan O'Brein on the Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour and for, oddly enough, Regina Spektor. Watts even contributed vocals to Spektor's track "Dance Anthem of the 80's." He has performed all over the world and has his own Comedy Central Special Presentation entitled, "Why S*** So Crazy?"

Reggie Watts clearly has a beautiful stage presence. He's commanding, likable, and clearly knows his way around audio loops and soul hooks. Plus, he seems like the most down-to-earth dude coming out of Brooklyn these days. Check out his videos below.

The Perils of Pusha T's Drug Pushing

2011-03-19T16:51:00.004-04:00

Pusha T has clearly been around the block. Clipse, his duo with Malice, permanently spit about moving kilos of both powder and green. In the single Wamp Wamp (What It Do) he raps about Ferraris, selling drugs, and how the art of hustlin' seems to be recession proof with lines like: "Down to the watches, alligator strap / Six different timezones, I don't set her back / 17 a brick, yeah, go and tell 'em that / I got the wamp wamp when I move it, it's still damp" and "What's under the couch? Probably freeze up Santa / Whatever it cost, baby, we got answers / Line outside full of Jo Jo Dancers / 'We got it for cheap,' That's the re-up anthem." The bravado of Clipse, and Pusha T in particular, is something that turned me off until recently. Being a group that is often the only mentioned member of the sub-genere labled "coke-rap" never encouraged me to delve into their catalogue very deeply.

Despite this, I was won over by Kanye West. Featured on the G.O.O.D. Friday track "Looking For Trouble" in addition to two tracks from My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy--"So Appalled" and notably "Runaway"--Pusha T is now a household name, if your family listens to good music. Malice and Pusha T are taking a break from Clipse for the moment, giving Malice time to write a book currently entitled Wretched, Pitiful, Poor, Blind & Naked. Pusha T has been busy durring this break. He recently signed to Kanye West's record label and has two new singles out. Clearly he's still rapping about his European rides and the copious amounts of powder he's involved in.

Featuring improved production, clearly a product of his teamwork with Kanye, the singles showcase the raspy side of his flow, emphasizing the emotion in Pusha T's life. He even goes as far to show his weaknesses in the new track "Alone In Vegas" with lines like, "Seems like I'm doomed to dealing with women who / Relationships with their fathers won't allow them to bloom." The two tracks don't deviate much from his signature boasting, but that's fine; it's nice to hear a Pusha T that's more in tune with his emotions, even if they do still involve the hardships of selling drugs by the kilo.

His new LP, entitled Fear Of God drops on March 21st. Stream and download the singles HERE.

1990's 101

2011-03-17T12:07:00.004-04:00

Pavement is the greatest band in the world. Inherent in their sound is a sort of nonchalant swagger that is rarely reproduced. Their albums function as both separate entities and as a complete discography while their tracks can more than stand alone. But for me, it's Stephen Malkmus's off-the-cuff lyrics that truly hit home. Ranging from the apologetic yearning of Gold Soundz-"And you're the kind of girl I like / Because you're empty and I'm empty / And you can never quarantine the past"-to the absurdity of Blue Hawaiian-"Aloha means goodbye, and also hello--it's in how you inflect"-Malkmus crafts songs that both grow and mature with repeated listenings.

Yuck, a band who's self-titled debut was released in February by Fat Possum Records, is essentially the 90's. They manage to embody the detached aspect of Malkmus's delivery while maintaining a sense of longing that is present in many of Sonic Youth's tracks. However, the entire album feels fresh. It may be its juxtaposition with the bleep-bloop, chill-wave music being pumped out of independent labels recently, but the entire album strikes me as being unusually raw and tangible. I can only hope more will come from Yuck in the future.

Tracks to download immediately include the album opener and first single, Get Away, and the slow-jam, entitled Sunday.

Yuck is also playing a show in Montreal on April 30th. Be there or be square.

Civilization - Justice

2011-03-16T15:50:00.005-04:00

The soundscape of 2007 was one of a “operatic-disco” in which bass lines were fuzzed and disco-tropes were fizzled out and strung back together. The commercial success of Justice and their album † was substantial for its label, Ed Banger Records, when, in 2007, the Justice remix of Simian’s “Never Be Alone” charted well in addition to the Uffie single entitled “Pop The Glock.” The sound of summer 2007 was dominated with the ubiquitous track “D.A.NC.E.” Given its multitude of remixes, samples, and mash-ups, “D.A.N.C.E.” is still seeing play counts today. But all of this may be no more.

Justice is back with a new single. While their sophomore LP is not set for release until April 4, 2011, the track “Civilization” is featured on a current Adidas commercial. As of now, there is no released version without the overwhelming foreground sounds of skateboarding, soccer matches, boxing, Katy Perry rehearsing, Super Bowl cheerleaders, and basketball games. But, for me, that’s just fine considering that I’m listening to a new Justice banger.

The single features an intense buildup and eventual beat drop, which is characteristic of pretty much every house track this side of David Guetta. But the track features a surprisingly unfiltered piano in the back. While this is not necessarily a new feature of dance music, it does play well with the huge synthesizer-power-chord-equivalent that is every-present is any Justice or Justice-produced project. While it is hard to talk about a track having only seen it in an Adidas commercial, I get the feeling that “Civilization” is a harbinger for an April filled with the truth that is Justice.

Kanye West's "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy": A Review By Matt Postler

2011-01-24T23:35:00.006-05:00

After what is now known as the “Taylor Swift Incident,” from the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, rapper Kanye West retreated from society, going underground as seemingly the whole world turned against him.

Before he became a praised artist himself, West was known for his production, crafting classic songs for many of hip-hop’s elite such as Jay-Z, Scarface, Common, and Ludacris. His own widely celebrated debut, 2004’s The College Dropout, cemented his place in hip-hop as not only a brilliant producer but as a captivating lyricist.

West returned this past fall to the same stage that had crowned him Public Enemy Number One, this time as the closing performer at MTV’s Video Music Awards. Backed by single piano keys, West used an MPC machine to add sampled sound bites to a beat, literally crafting a one-of-a-kind song right in front of the listeners. This song, “Runaway,” is a representation of West’s struggle with himself and the acknowledgement of his antics that the public has been exposed to over the years (see 2005 Hurricane Katrina/George W. Bush comments).

In the run-up to the album, West has crafted what can only be seen as a brilliant marketing scheme: he took to the social networking device Twitter and has already amassed millions of followers, he agreed to release a new song every Friday until Christmas in what he has dubbed “G.O.O.D. Fridays” (and through these songs has introduced the world to his new posse of artists signed to his G.O.O.D. Music record label), and has also appeared on dozens of talk shows and interviews, even performing on this past year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Hip-hop fans couldn’t believe their ears and waited in anticipation as legendary producers such as Pete Rock, Q-Tip, and RZA spoke about collaborating with West on his new album. DJ Premier even said that West was “done with electro” and that the album was “strictly hard beats and rhymes.”

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is not just an album, it’s a raucous musical event. Though it features enough guest appearances to make even a compilation album seem bloated, West is still the shining star. “All Of The Lights,” with its 14 featured artists and five-minute length will no doubt be a radio hit, while “Lost In The World” featuring a Bon Iver sample, with its banging tribal drumming is guaranteed to get you moving. Arguably the best song on the album is “Blame Game” featuring John Legend and comedian Chris Rock, where West contemplates a failed relationship, placing the blame on himself as well as his unnamed companion of the time.

MBDTF falters when West replaces his quick-witted lyrics and soul-sampled production for simple, one-verse songs and electronically driven beats. Fans that appreciate his backpack-esque hip-hop style will find it hard to relate to the new, emotionally-driven Kanye. For a short album, 13 tracks, much of it is comprised of instrumentals, including three minutes of inaudible autotune at the end of “Runaway.” A quarter of the album is just a rehashing of his G.O.O.D. Friday releases (“Monster,” “So Appalled,” and “Devil In A New Dress”), and another two are strictly instrumental, one featuring Elton John on piano and the final song featuring spoken word poetry by Gil Scott-Heron. The “hard rhymes” DJ Premier spoke of are, for the most part, absent.

MBDTF is not Kanye West’s magnum opus, but instead serves as a testament to the type of music that can be made when under the pressure to return to a once-known spotlight. In this sense, this comeback album is a definite contender for one of the best of the year, but in terms of the Kanye West we once knew, this new music that has emerged is G.O.O.D. but not quite great.

-Matt Postler

Business Director and Hip-Hop Music Manager

It's Bigger Than Hip-Hop

2011-01-17T20:47:00.007-05:00

This is hip-hop. A documentary filmed during the "Great Day In Harlem '98," in which hundreds of hip-hop artists gathered together for a photoshoot. It commemorates the "Great Day In Harlem 1958," where jazz legends all came together for an iconic moment.

Okay, let's talk about what's really going on here.

2011-01-11T15:40:00.002-05:00

http://defpenradio.com/britney-spears-hold-it-against-me/

If anyone else has been storing their glittered foam finger in their shoe closet for three years now, get ready to raise it again for Britney. Her new single, which was officially released today on iTunes (buy it! seriously!), is really really hot.

Now apparently one of the first pop artists to frontier dub-pop, along with the Black Eyed Peas- with "The Time (Dirty Bit)," (you could argue Ke$ha is on the frontlines as well with "Blow" from her new release 'Cannibal'), Britney is back with the not-so-flimsy, dark lyrics that invaded earworms like 'Toxic' and 'Womanizer.' She might not be a comeback kid, but she has two kids she can't see, and she's having a comeback.

PWK

Pictures from Small Black

2010-11-21T21:50:00.001-05:00

Photos from Small Black at Middlebury College

Small Black in the Big Apple

2010-11-21T20:48:00.000-05:00

If you either missed the sweet Small Black concert this weekend or loved it so much you can't get enough, (Anjali) here's a couple videos of them playing live in NYC. But they're not in a studio, nor a concert hall.

The blog the Gothamist has decided to pair up some of it's favorite bands with some of its favorite NYC buildings that architecturally match the band's sound. For Small Black, they picked the abandoned building at 5 Bleeker Street in Greenwich Village. I can't help but noticing that the building they picked for Small Black is rather...big and white. Sorry for that.

Check out the original post for more pics and videos.

Small Black – "Camouflage" – Gothamist House from Foglight Films on Vimeo.

See more band from the series, like the Walkmen at the New York Public Library

All Day (everyday)

2010-11-18T15:12:00.001-05:00

http://illegal-art.net/allday/

See you this weekend!!!

------------------------->

2010-11-17T23:26:00.000-05:00

Bump it. Stream it.

Grasscut! Because Ninja Tune just can't go wrong.

2010-11-16T18:48:00.007-05:00

You know what's been missing from your life? The Glitch-folk-tronica band none other than GRASSCUT.

Recently signed to the renown Ninja Tune label, Grasscut consists of award winning film score composer Andrew Phillips and the multi-talented Marcus O'Dair, both reigning from the great county of Sussex, England. After starting with remixing the likes of Bonobo, Coldcut and Jaga Jazzist, they released their Debut album "1 Inch/1/2 Mile" spans many powerful moods created by ethereal stings, blips, atmospheric vocals, big beats and soaring synths. Their main influences (Brian Eno, Sigur Rós, Eskmo, Thom Yorke, Amon Tobin and Debussy) can be clearly heard whilst maintaining a distinct authenticity to their very unique sound. Their stand out track is the chaotic but hopefully epic "Muppet", but don't leave them at that as you would only be getting 1/9th of their oh so versatile repertoire.

Listen to: Muppet, High Down, Meltwater, Passing, The Keeper (Grasscut Bitter Peace Remix).

http://www.myspace.com/grasscutmusic

Jay Electronica signed to Roc Nation

2010-11-15T17:25:00.002-05:00

Jay-Z has just signed Jay Electronica to Roc Nation. It's about to be a problem. MP

This kind of music should be called "Siren Rock." I just patented that.

2010-10-25T23:47:00.007-04:00

http://www.myspace.com/summercampmusic

I don't want to beat a dead horse, or beat a horse to death (uhh??), or get all preachy keen about something that you already know about, because talking about music is probably THE MOST ANNOYING THING SOMETIMES, but I am sitting in my dorm room right now, reading a play and drinking seltzer (COLLEGE!!!!, RIGHT GUYS???), and Summer Camp, a band that I have a really deep-seeded attachment to, came on. The name in itself is a draw: it has been statistically proven that 73% of people who listen to music that you don't went to summer camp (43% of them Jewish camps). Have you heard them? GUYS! They are, as James Brown once put it, "so good!" If you've been looking for a band that sounds like driving at night during the summer through a backroad lately, look no further!
In late 2008, their track "Ghost Train" leaked, and after that, they remained one of those phantom acts, that dropped only one track and left you all tingly, like Eden's Crush, or whoever wrote the MTV Reality Show "Rich Girls" theme song (the hit being the "Rich Girls" theme song). Anyways, check out their MySpace. They are GOOD!

Which reminds me: "The High Road" by Pearl Harbor. It's just perfect rainy night music.

Middlebury Radio Theatre of Thrills & Suspense Season Six Premiere Tonight!

2010-09-25T13:33:00.003-04:00

Tune in tonight, Saturday, at 6:00pm for the illustrious premiere of our sixth season on the air. We promise all manner of thrills and suspense in tonight’s colossal episode, including the newest addition to Charles Giardina’s galactic epic Hearts & Minds with Origins of the Dead. And stay tuned for laughs and silly accents with Dave Malinsky’s adaptation of Black Adder: Amy and Amiability, starring Steve Barash. And listen in for an exploration of the horrors of this supersonic age with Attack of the 50-Foot Woman, adapted for radio by Noah Mease.

But that's not all! Don't miss all the fun surprises throughout the show, planned and otherwise - the excitement of live radio theatre. Tune your radio to 91.1FM, listen online, or wait for the free podcast at mrtots.com, or on iTunes.

Fall Programming

2010-09-13T15:49:00.003-04:00

Fall programming started today!
You can check out our complete line up of shows this fall here: http://wrmc.middlebury.edu/schedule/
Tune in! Make Requests! Enjoy!

<3WRMC

COOL

2010-09-13T14:00:00.003-04:00

Check out this new project by video artist Chris Milk and The Arcade Fire. Its called "The Wilderness Downtown" and features the Arcade Fire song "We Used to Wait."

Also, it says you need Google Chrome to view it. That's a lie, its just a plug for the Google monster Firefox will work just fine.

WRMC ALL DJ MEETING

2010-09-02T09:13:00.002-04:00

TIS that time of year again, where we all get together to discuss how not to fuck up on air, and to dole out the precious show times to all the good little boys and girls. Yes, the biannual all-dj meeting, known to some as the most important social event of the season. Be there or be square.

Mccullough, 8pm, the first thursday of school (aka the 9nth). Come ready with show ideas. Hope on the facebook event for more info. LINK

A moment for...

2010-08-21T19:07:00.003-04:00

Menomena.

Why is this band not incredibly popular? They have been tweaking a unique sound for some years now, and their most recent record "Mines" is a stand-out of the summer (if you don't have it, you should). How can I post songs on this blog? Lemme know and I'll post my favorite trax (tracks) from the album. I'm sure someone reading this knows how to do that. Seriously. And don't write it in non-english. I want something legible.

Adam

2010-08-11T18:46:00.012-04:00

\000/

Above, you will find evidence of the sole visual and audio stimulation I have needed this summer. Above, you will also find that this summer I have created a textual way to convey more efficiently that I like to "chill out".

I trust that everyone else's summer has been number 1.

Respectively,

Richard Snakedust

LCD Soundsystem (and Sleigh Bells!) Playing in Burlington

2010-08-10T21:28:00.010-04:00

Do you regret not going to a festival this summer?

I was right there with you... Until I found out that LCD Soundsystem is coming to Burlington September 27!

Even better - Sleigh Bells is opening for them.

These are two of the best reviewed artists this year performing under the same roof in the same night.

I don't think anyone who frequents this blog needs anymore convincing as to why they should spend $38.50 (steep, I realize) to go see these guys.

Tickets went on sale last Friday and you can still get them here. I am positive this show will sell out.

Don't be the person desperately searching Craigslist last minute.

From the Past Few Months

2010-08-07T12:25:00.003-04:00

Hey all,

I have been busy and not able to write anything non-fiction, let alone a review, interview, ethought, etc. on this brilliant but under-utilized blog space. I haven't been in a cultural vacuum, though, and with this entry, I plan to lay out what I've been spinning, watching, and hearing about recently. Some of the things are old, and some of them new, but dig it.

The song "Marathon" by the band Tennis. A fuzzy, doo-wop vibe, with the sweetest little lyrics about travelling around on a sail-boat, make this an essential summer song. On the subject, two songs from the days of yore that have been getting mad play this summer: "Summer in the City" by the Lovin' Spoonful and "Time of the Season" by the Zombies (a funny picture proceeds if ye click that link: you've been warned). "Time of..." was a crucial part to a movie I saw recently (on Netflix instant queue) and found interesting called "Dear Wendy". It's written by Lars Von Trier and was directed by the guy who did "The Celebration" (which I also saw recently and liked).

The Arcade Fire, I think, have been killing it recently. Though I haven't yet gotten "The Suburbs", I've listened to it a few times and it definitely is unique from AF's previous records. I like it a lot, though, and like this grown, mature direction their music has gone in. I also like the live performance they did on youtube a few days ago, directed by Terry Gilliam (who used to be the only American member of Monty Python before he became a famous director). You can see them performing "Wake Up" here, or a new cut "Rococo" here. I think the Arcade Fire are a lot like Radiohead, in that they are immensely successful and use that as credibility to experiment. Good for them!

There's a documentary out directed by Banksy called "Exit Through the Gift Shop", and its being touted as the first street art disaster movie. You have to see it to understand, and I highly recommend the experience. Banksy is perhaps the most forward thinking artist around. Another movie I saw recently and liked was "Cyrus", the new movie by the Duplass brothers, who after a long string of successful independent pictures featuring unknown actors, are finally moving into the mainstream and working with professionals. The movie has a strong, strange performances from Jonah Hill, and John C. Reilly is very subtly funny as the guy caught up in this unfortunate situation. Particular kudos to Marissa Tomei, who steals every scene she's in as Cyrus's mother. Catherine Keener is also in the movie, and I think I could be fascinated watching her talk about cereal. I just googled to see if she's married; she was, but divorced. Apparently she also lives in North Carolina, where I live... Fate?

The new Kanye single, "Power", is the dopest thing he's done in a long time. I think his next album is going to win back over everyone he alienated with his Katrina comments, the Taylor Swift debockle, the misstep that was 808s and Heartbreaks, etc. I've also been bumping the new discs by Curren$y (Pilot Talk) and Big Boi (Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty). Click this link and scroll down to see all the mixtapes Curren$y has put out and has available for free download. He played second fiddle to Wayne before switching over to a new label for Pilot Talk.

What have you guys been doing with your summer? Post it on up, respond, keep being culturally active. Sometime next week I'll put up a list of things to look forward to.

Peassss,

Adam

Osheaga 2010

2010-08-03T13:24:00.010-04:00

The Osheaga Music Festival took place in Montreal last weekend over two beautiful weekend days. I was lucky enough to attend the first (and better) day and was busy from morning til night running around from stage to stage, show to show. Here's a quick breakdown of the day.

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros: Full stage of bearded men and one adorable Jade as usual. Their eclectic live show thrives on the crowd buying into their happy-hippy aura which was hard, and semi-unsuccessful on the massive stage they were put on. Their music was spot on great as usual but as a fan I would have rather seen them on the smaller stage.

Jimmy Cliff: Old Jamaican reggae legend struggled to get a young crowd energized but eventually his dancers got people's hands in the air. He seemed to be having a blast which was cool to see from a veteran performer, but he didn't play "The Harder They Come" which would have made the show for me.

K'Naan: Only saw him from a far but the crowd that was close seemed to be loving him. He had a live backing band which is always cool for a hip hop show. His live performance of "Waving Flag" was pretty impressive given its post World Cup hype.

Stars: They are old, way older than I expected, which threw me off for the first portion of the show. Right off the bat they had some serious technical issues that they never recovered from. Frontman Torquill Campbell was furious at the sound crew and when he wasn't singing, he was freaking out on stage throwing water bottles and mic stands at the tech guys. This was very distracting from the professional and solid performance being put on by the rest of the band, particularly guitarist Amy Millan.

Jamie Lidell: I only caught the end of the brit-psych-rocker's weird set but I was impressed and wish I saw more, he seemed to have total control of the crowd and his sound.

Beach House: After taking significantly too long to soundcheck, they showed why with their perfectly mellowed out performance full of reverb, pedals, and angst. Singer/keyboardist Victoria LeGrand is a great performer, using her crazy mane of hair to her advantage to play up both the stoicism and the intensity of certain tracks.

The National: Everyone said I had to see them live to understand them. I get it. Vocalist Matt Berninger is one of the best live performers I've ever seen, it's amazing to imagine him getting that into it every night.

Arcade Fire: The headliners lived up to their hype, trotting out a full stage of their multi-instrumentalist line up for a hour and a half long set of songs new and old. Wyn Butler and Regine Chassagne have great stage presence and chemistry and the entire band was incredibly humble and greatful. Every song they played rocked, all the way through their finale, "Wake Up" which got a packed house of tired festival goers to dance and chant all the way to the subway home.

Great job all around by the people behind Osheaga from the artists to the little details of the venue. Festivals like this have the possibility of being uncomfortable events and organizational nightmares and Montreal really came through big in every way here.

It's just a jump to the left!

2010-08-02T14:35:00.002-04:00

And then please look to your right.

Down a bit.

Yes, there. That shiny new calendar gizmo - it's an embedded version of our Community Calendar. It will provide information about concerts, benefits, WRMC parties - we mean, meetings, et cetera.

Yes, many of the concert listings may appear to have been lifted whole-sale from the Middlebury Arts calendar. We tried to convince them to input the data on their own, in the hopes that they would select the most relevant, pithy, and comprehensible bits, but failing that we used some copy and paste action. The UVM information we had no hope of translating.

If you are a community group/member/NGO/friend, or an artist or group that will be playing in our listening area or Burlington, please feel free to shoot us an email with your event data at wrmc911@gmail.com and we will add items to our calendar at the management's discretion.

Any and all comments and suggestions welcome as to how we can improve this service.

Love,

WRMC

PRIMUS TONIGHT!

2010-07-29T10:43:00.002-04:00

Your favorite childhood wierdos are playing in B-town tonight! The guys that brought you Pork Soda are playing at Higher Ground! Doors are at 5:30 and its worth getting there early because Gogol Bordello is opening. Fuck work on a Friday, get up to Burlington for what promises to be an evening of the bizarre, the brilliant, and plenty of bass.

Podcast de la Radio L'Ecole Francais

2010-07-26T15:26:00.004-04:00

Radio de l'Ecole Francais Emission 1

Radio de l'Ecole Francais Emission 2

Radio de l'Ecole Francais Emission 3

Radio de l'Ecole Francais Emission 4

Radio de l'Ecole Francais Emission 5

Best of 2010 (So Far) Podcast

2010-07-07T11:58:00.009-04:00

In a special broadcast on Tuesday July 6th, a panel of WRMC DJs featuring Toren Hardee, Tamara Hilmes, David Foote, Jordan Valens, Brad Becker-Parton, and Ben Wessel discussed their favorite albums of the year so far. Check out the full list and listen to the podcast below.

Best of 2010 So Far Podcast

Toren:

LCD Soundsystem (Home)

Titus Andronicus (A More Perfect Union)

The National (Afraid of Everyone)

Bonobo (El Toro)

Fang Island (Careful Crossers)

Delta Spirit (Bushwick Blues)

Zeus (Kindergarten)

Brad:

The Roots (Walk Alone)

Big Boi (Shutterbugg)

The Dead Weather (Blue Blood Blues)

Black Keys (She’s Long Gone)

Janelle Monae (Cold War)

J. Cole (Higher)

Tamara:

Mumford & Sons (Little Lion Man)

Tame Impala (Solitude Is Bliss)

Phosphorescent (Mermaid Parade)

First Aid Kit (Sailor Song)

Peter Wolf Crier (Untitled 101)

Oberhofer (I Could Go)

Peter:

The Tallest Man On Earth (The Drying of the Lawns)

Joanna Newsom (‘81)

Beach House (Norway?)

The Radio Dept (Heaven’s On Fire)

Local Natives (World News? Sun Hands?)

David F:

Flying Lotus (Nose Art)

Drive-By Truckers (I Told You So Horse)

Tobacco (Heavy Make-Up)

Deer Tick (Blood Moan)

Feathers (Belly of June)

Jordan:

Gorillaz (Empire Ants)

Delorean (Stay Close)

Ratatat (Mandy)

Morning Benders (Excuses)

Dom (Living in America)

Sheepdogs (I Don’t Get By)

The Perfect Feature

2010-06-30T15:39:00.002-04:00

The new roots album, "How I Got Over," is a really successful album overall. Its definitely a return to their classic hip-hop band form, merging many genres and styles. the standout track, in my opinion, is the ninth track on the album, "Right On," which features indie-fairy songstress Joanna Newsome. Newsome's signature child-voice style of folk singing is perfect for the hook of a hip-hop song. so many radio hip-hop songs feature a squeaky, processed, overproduced female or child's voice in their hook, but the roots, always musically innovative, take advantage of Newsome's natural singing style to get the same effect in a truer and far more aurally pleasing way.

check it: http://www.mediafire.com/?rfjrakzdvfm

Deer Tick Come Back With New Album The Black Dirt Sessions

2010-06-30T15:18:00.004-04:00

Sophomore albums always pose a Catch-22 for artists. Fans inevitably hate it because it sounds nothing like the first album, or they bitch about how it sounds just like the first release. Unfortunately I was one of those same fans when it comes to the disappointment that was Born on A Flag Day. War Elephant set the bar high, but still, except for a few songs I rarely go back Deer Tick’s sophomore slump effort. I won’t be saying the same for their third release, The Black Dirt Sessions. Instead of sacrificing songs for distortion that happened over and over on Flag Day, the band shifts the focus back to the song craft. The result is a softer, sadder songs dealing with faith and salvation that you wanna hear in a smalltown Southern bar after too many lonely beers.

For most bands this would be dangerous cliché territory especially for some young boys outta Rhode Island, but it never comes off as affected. John McCauley III is a gifted enough songwriter to go back to old tropes of loneliness and losing friends and still sound like he was one of the first to go there. Even when he occasionally does stray into a cliché, the pure raw grit of his voice carries him over it. Pulled out of the bottom of countless ashtrays and bottles of bourbon, McCauley’s voice is at times just gravelly notes that save him from the weak lines or off rhymes that he stumbles over at times. Screaming “everyone is alone” on a song would sound like the worst kind of angst out of anyone else’s mouth, but he somehow pulls it off.

It’s this voice and the songwriting that doesn’t make this your typical sad bastard fare. “Piece by Piece and Frame by Frame”, “Good-bye, Dear Friend”, and “Blood Moon” are some of the best of sad bastard tunes these boys have made. “Mange” is a dense, rollicking, reminder that Deer Tick can still rock, while “I Will Not Be Myself” is proof is a nice reminder of War Elephant. Some of the songs are weak or incomplete, with “Sad Sun” being the obvious sore thumb on what is all in all going to be an album I am going back to again and again.

...and we're back.

2010-06-21T14:06:00.005-04:00

summer programming is underway, click on the schedule below for old favorites at new times, exciting new shows, and the best time for fans of russian post-grunge-shoegaze-electro-pop to tune in.

wrmc.middlebury.edu/schedule

World Cup Tiiime!

2010-06-20T16:51:00.000-04:00

I think any good music blog (except maybe a Country one) would be remiss about now if it didn't have at least one post on the music of the World Cup. With a much improved American team this year and many big-name teams playing worse than my grandma, there is definitely a growing interest in the Copa Mundial here in the States. So, here's some music of the Cup:

1. Starting out with the best, listen to Wavin Flag by K'naan. The orginal is truly the anthem of this year's cup, but below is a really cool collaboration version by a bunch of young Canadian (oh well) artists. And it's for Haiti, cool.

2. According to the Official Fifa 2010 World Cup Album, this is the "Official Anthem of the 2010 World Cup." I think Wavin Flag is the real one, but this ain't half bad either. It's called Sign of a Victory by R. Kelly featuring the Sowetto Spiritual Singer. Good Stuff.

3. Here's an acapella favorite of mine, it's called Weltmeister. I really have no idea what it means, but I'm pretty sure it's about the World Cup (fyi - it's in German). I did learn that Weltmeister means Champions, a title that looks unlikely to go to the Germans after their pathetic loss to Serbia (who?).

4. Finally, check out songs from each of the World Cup countries put together by KCRW. The collection really shows the musical diversity of these countries. It features Phoenix representing France, the Pinker Tones representing Spain and the very official sounding Mexican Institute of Sound. Listen to the MUSIC OF THE WORLD CUP! Here's the American entry - World Cup Fever by Air Miami

Further Exploration:
Feel the Spirit by the Roumbar Girls - Free Download Here
Three Lions (Football's Coming Home) by Baddiel, Skinner & The Lightning Seeds

Keep Me In the Dark

2010-06-13T14:01:00.002-04:00

The Fiery Furnaces - "Keep Me in the Dark" {Download}

A head bop and a grin. Coffee mug in hand, the boy paraded back to his desk. His business shoes were worn, the scrapes created cheetah like blemish spots on the dark brown leather revealing the material’s lighter more vulnerable shade. One could imagine him with the same smile the first day he put those shoes on. “Do you want a bag?” the shoe store lady asked. “No, I believe I will wear them out thank you very much!” The boy said as he handed her a pair of tattered tennis sneakers. With the bag of old shoes in hand, out the wide glass door he tore off onto the linoleum floored freeway of the mall. He didn’t even bother to check his rear view mirror or signal left before merging out of the store front, no need to, he was moving too deliberately for people not to watch out. He cut through the crowds of shoppers and that unique salty smell that fills the entire building, beginning in the depths of the parking garage below. It is a smell that no single nor coupling of food can create, it is the culmination of all that the mall is. Starting with squeaking cars and dirty door handles, continuing with the fountains filled with pennies and toy shops that leak a symphony of 8 bit sounds, it is the smell of hasty shopping, naïve first flirtations and hopeful glances. The boy cuts through all of this and briskly leaves it all behind him in an invisible wake. Arms swinging, hand clasped into a fist around the bag, keeping an eye out for anything reflective that will frame himself, and his recently acquired $56.95 worth of leather bound glory.

Now, compared to the other shoes in his office the scrapes shout out imperfections. Yet perfections do not tell stories, perfections polished to a T reveal the mundane truth that, they merely have no imperfections because they have not been tested in any form or function. They haven’t walked through the woods late at night to meet friends at a fire, kicking around embers. They haven’t lifted a skateboard into the air, receiving a single hash mark where the smallest toe resides, notching the event. They haven’t been scraped to reveal the true color of the leather and their owner.

Let's Be Rill

2010-05-14T17:13:00.004-04:00

The year is almost over. Just a few more finals to go. Here is a track to get you through.

What You Know Bout Bein' Rill? - Sleigh Bells x T.I. by Big Burd

Big Burd is from my hometown (DYT). Everyone loves Sleigh Bells. And we can't get enough of T.I.

What more could you need?

Check out his other stuff here.

GOLD N' FLY

2010-05-14T13:10:00.002-04:00

Tech N9ne - Everybody move (Intro)

sleeping bags. 4 player mode. mountain dew. musty basements. mines.

Ah. sweet nostalgia

In a Telescope now

2010-05-13T01:33:00.011-04:00

{The Joy Formidable - "The Greatest Light is the Greatest Shade" Download}

“I used to hate this place you know.”

“That’s impossible. Nobody hates Kora.”

They stood on the bank of the lake. The tops of their feet slowly becoming numb in the frosty water. It smelled like late fall. Wet leaves mixed with a sharp burning fragrance from some distant fire.

“I wish all girls smelt like this. I might start bottling this scent.”

“It doesn’t work like that”

“I know that, but still. I wish. I would keep it in a small glass bottle with a cork in my pocket.”

Across the lake, windows glowed, offering warmth to any onlooker. It’s like chasing a shot of whiskey with imagery, he thought to himself.

“Every time we would come to Kiona when I was younger I pretended to not care, I sort of regretted it actually. Secretly, I loved it here, and it never stayed a secret for very long. I couldn’t help being happy making forts in the hills and swimming in the water, exploring the islands.”

“I just couldn’t stand it leaving me. That’s how it felt every time we drove away from the cabin. Staring past our dog, still wet in the way back, as small rocks pinged the side of our car humbly rumbling down the dirt road. It was leaving me.”

“For weeks, I would stay up at night thinking about Kora, of how I could convince my parents to move here. It was nice to think about. It was also torture. I could never sleep.”

“Eventurally I decided to hate it. It’s easier to forget about things you hate than things you love.”

The two started walking back up to his idling station wagon. Shoes and socks in hand.

“I always thought I’d end up here. I’m happy that someone did.”

Both doors slammed.

Just A Lil More Sunshine To Your Week

2010-05-07T11:22:00.004-04:00

Lil Miss Stuntshine - Lil Wayne x Birdman x Mychael Danna by cdelacruz

Download Here

Middlebury Radio Theatre of Thrills & Suspense: The Penultimate Episode

2010-04-30T23:58:00.002-04:00

Only two more to go before Mr|Tots goes on Summer Vacation, but we sure make it count with this overstuffed episode. First, find out what happens to the heroes of David Seamans’ fantasy-comedy-adventure, The Oneironauts. They’ve escaped from the smelly horrors of a labyrinth, and said goodbye to a mysterious cow, but Part II will bring them face to face with even more strange and terrible foes.

And stay tuned for Noah Mease’s retelling of a tragic Arthurian romance with Isolde.

And don’t miss this season’s final Nightshade Radioplayhouse fairy tale, The Juniper Tree, written by Noah Mease, directed by Sasha Rivera, and told by Steve Barash.

Tune in from six ’til eight on Saturday night to hear it live!
And if you miss it, visit our website, mrtots.com, to stream our podcast, or to listen to Part I of the Oneironauts.

Trippy Music Video Tuesdays feat. Born Ruffians

2010-04-27T21:27:00.002-04:00

I'll Say It .

Born Ruffians are one of my favorite bands.

Which brings me the pleasure to post their video (released today) for their newest single off of their upcoming album, Say It.

This was done with a real oscilloscope. For real.

Director Jared Raab states "the footage was shot once on video, edited, converted for use on the oscilloscope and then shot again directly off the vintage machine."

I'm super excited for their new album, coming out June 1st.

They also are touring Europe and the U.S. so go to http://www.myspace.com/bornruffians to get all of your Born Ruffian needs.

M.I.A and the Ginger Conceit

2010-04-26T09:31:00.002-04:00

"Born Free", the dope, new track from M.I.A. with a video by Romain Garvas (sp?)

*Warning: More graphic than a normal music video... Already removed from Youtube... Proceed with caution

M.I.A, Born Free from ROMAIN-GAVRAS on Vimeo.

Trippy Music Video Tuesdays feat. Kid Cudi

2010-04-20T18:32:00.004-04:00

4/20... Getting Cudder on campus... Trippy Music Video Tuesdays...
As you can see this video is super topical.

Not only that. It's awesome.

I came across this video randomly when searching for the Pursuit of Happiness video I originally enjoyed. Then I see this other video and am completely shocked by how cool it is.

It reminds me of something directed by Michel Gondry.

Supposedly Cudi wanted a bit more than a stylistic video of him walking through a party in slow motion and got this guy Megaforce to direct a new video.

I'm going to say it was a pretty good decision.

I mean Ratatat is actually in this one.

For another video directed by Megaforce check this out as well (I dig his style):

Bands from the Big Apple: The Postelles

2010-04-16T14:53:00.004-04:00

here's some music for your weekend...

As a native New Yorker, I love nothing more than finding and listening to great bands representing the Big Apple. In recent history we've had Vampire Weekend, the Strokes and MGMT rising above the skyscrapers to national prominence.

I think these guys may be next - they're called The Postelles. Described as "a healthy diet of equal parts sweet Motown sound and New York's grit and grime," they have a fresh-yet-retro indie pop-rock sound that produces catchy, upbeat songs that you can listen to all day. Strokes guitarist Albert Hammond helped them produce their first EP "White Night" and their first full album has a release date of July 27th. You can download the title track of the EP for free here:

In my opinion, their best song is "123 Stop," which will be released officially on their full album this summer. Watch a live version below and if you really like it, check out the acoustic version.

If you're still not convinced, here's a quote from the lead singer Daniel Balk on their upcoming album: "It's going to be bigger than 'Avatar,'" Daniel exclaims with assured bravado. "James Cameron can suck...on a piece of candy."

Middlebury Radio Theatre of Thrills & Suspense Presents:

2010-04-10T14:41:00.005-04:00

Tonight we take you to strange lands with three original and especially adapted radioplays. Bill Noble explores the mysterious spaces beyond life and death in Death for Sure, an original story based on true events. In the newest installment of our very own Nightshade Radioplayhouse, Claire Sibley embarks on a hero’s journey through an ever-shifting landscape of terror in The Red Ettin. And Sasha Rivera falls down the rabbit hole in a new adaptation of the beloved novel Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, starring Katie Zurbach as Alice.If you miss the show live, or want to listen to past shows, check out our website at mrtots.com or find our podcast on iTunes.

SEPO/MANA

2010-04-09T14:07:00.004-04:00

Theo-phil-us don't pronounce it WRONG!

cover me

2010-04-07T13:45:00.003-04:00

Emancipation Proclamation

2010-04-06T08:01:00.001-04:00

Bam! Guest post.

I’ve long since left the hallowed halls of WRMC for the rat race of DC, but I was reading over the blog and I was inspired to contribute some new music of my own.

Emancipator just released his second album, ‘Safe in the Steep Cliffs’ back in December, and I love it.

I hope you do too, here’s a little listen courtesy of YouTube.

Tonight on the Middlebury Radio Theatre of Thrills & Suspense...

2010-04-03T14:09:00.005-04:00

...we bring you a retro-futuristic smorgasbord!
First, Noah Mease's original adaptation of The Stepford Wives looks at the unsettling horrors of a perfect suburban life in the early seventies.
Then, Charles Giardina takes us to the distant future of the year 2001 in his original space opera, Hearts & Minds.
Tune in live at 6:00pm on WRMC 91.1FM, Middlebury College Radio.
And visit us at mrtots.com for past shows and more Radio Drama news.

A New Generation of Remixes

2010-03-29T11:21:00.003-04:00

Stop chopping and get melodic.

Blowing up on Hype Machine, RAC (Remix Artist Collective) is reclaiming remixing as an art.

Above the Fold: Remixing with André Anjos of RAC from Justin Andert on Vimeo.

Theophilus Who?

2010-03-23T00:54:00.002-04:00

Get ready.

Download "Life of a Lover" (New Single)

Tycho - "The Daydream"

2010-03-15T16:18:00.002-04:00

Celebrate the approach of spring by listening to this blissful track by up-and-coming mellow, washed-out electronica maven Tycho. Come on, just do it. Everybody else is.

Finally! A Show Worth Seeing This Semester In Vermont!

2010-03-15T11:18:00.005-04:00

Who? The Morning Benders

Where? Monkey House in Winooski, VT

When? April 16th, 8 PM

Yours Truly Presents: The Morning Benders "Excuses" from Yours Truly on Vimeo.

Let's start a caravan!