The NeverEndingWonder Halloween Radio Extravaganza will once again be hosting a two day live broadcast marathon on October 30 & 31! The insane Uncle Ozma will begin broadcasting live on NeverEndingWonder Halloween Radio as soon as he becomes conscious on Saturday, October 30, taking listener's requests and DEADications, until he passes out. He'll do it all again Sunday, October 31. On top of that, he'll be giving away prizes galore, to lucky listeners, in celebration of out tenth year on the air! Check out the full list of spooky Halloween prizes here:

Halloween Prizes

The creepy Halloween chat room will be open, so all you crazy Halloween fanatics can chat with each other and the insane Uncle Ozma!

NeverEndingWonder Halloween Radio may not be the biggest Halloween station on the internet, but we were one of the first, and we're certainly the most creative. Nobody can match the variety of our library, which ranges from creepy classical pieces, tin pan alley and big band novelty numbers from the 30s & 40s, early spooky blues songs, the monster explosion of the 50s & 60s, classic rock & pop monster hits, as well as weird electronic music, Goth, metal, psychobilly, punkabilly and selections from horror and sci-fi films contemporary and classic, as well as brand new unreleased Halloween songs sent to us by the artists themselves! It's all mixed together in a unique listening experience with horror film sound bites, old horror film radio ads, UFO abductee witnesses and content from horror fiction and movie writers, actors, directors, special effect and makeup technicians, all recorded specially for NeverEndingWonder Halloween Radio.

Don't miss the big live broadcast marathon and chat! It's all at:

NeverEndingWonder Halloween Radio

Get there early- we expect to get full!

NeverEndingWonder Halloween Radio Empire Online for 2010

The NeverEndingWonder Halloween Radio Empire is now on the air for the 2010 Halloween Season!

For those of you who have never heard of us, The NeverEndingWonder Halloween Radio Empire is a network of three Halloween themed Internet radio stations that broadcasts every year for the month of October. The three stations are:

NEVERENDINGWONDER HALLOWEEN RADIO
This station plays a freeform mix of Halloween & horror related music ranging from creepy classical numbers like Funeral March of the Marionettes and Night on Bald Mountain, to spooky big band tunes like The Headless Horseman and the Ghost of Smokey Joe, to the monster and sci fi craze of the 50s and 60s, to bands that explored the dark side like Black Sabbath and Alice Cooper, up to Goth music, gothabilly, punkabilly, psychobilly, with plenty of territory in between. It also plays selections from horror and sci-fi movie soundtracks vintage to contemporary, and twice a day we even play an hour of old time spooky radio dramas.

WELCOME TO WEIRDSVILLE - THE SILLY SIDE OF HALLOWEEN
This station plays more Halloween comedy and novelty numbers than you ever knew existed.

HALLOWEEN ON BROADWAY
This station plays strange, spooky & odd musical theatre tunes. Everything from Sweeney Todd, Phantom of the Opera and Rocky Horror Show to Little Shop of Horrors, The Buffy musical episode and The Toxic Avenger Musical.

You can tune in to all of these stations right here:

NeverEndingWonder Radio

There's no logins, nothing to sign up for, no downloads, just drop by and tune in!

This is The NeverEndingWonder Halloween Radio Empire's TENTH YEAR on the air and we're going a little crazy. To show you how much we appreciate the support from our wonderful listeners over the years, we're giving away PRIZES on the air EVERY DAY in October! Each day our host, the Insane Uncle Ozma will make a live appearance and give away a prize to a lucky listener. Check out the list of amazing prizes we have lined up right here:

Halloween Prize List

Uncle Ozma will be back for his live broadcast marathon October 30 & 31 again this year, and he will award SEVERAL PRIZES EACH DAY to some lucky listeners!

What else is new this year? There's a new Lucid Dementia album! Galactic madness from prog rocker Erik Norlander! Down home swamp rock with Swamp Voodoo. The House of Dr. Faustus from Ergo Phizmiz. The Slow Poisoner makes his debut on The Empire. Soundtracks making their first appearance this year are Danny Elfman's Sleepy Hollow, the library music selections used in the original Night of the Living Dead, Altered States, Anthrpophagus, 70s slashers Terror and Prey, and much more! No other Halloween station on the Internet boasts the variety we so painstakingly create for our listeners.

We welcome back our hundreds of loyal listeners and we welcome all new friends as well. Come check us out, and win some really evil prizes!

Book Review: Archelon Ranch by Garrett Cook

Garrett Cook's novel Archelon Ranch is a surprising work for a number of reasons. First, it keeps shifting the narrative focus. At the beginning the main character is a sentient hat named Bernard. Later Bernard is a genetically altered human who is the subject of cruel medical experiments. Still later the focus is upon Bernard's revenge obsessed brother, who may or may not be the true protagonist of the novel.

Another surprising element of the book is the presence of Garrett Cook, himself. No, I don't mean we sense his authorial imperative, though, that's an important part of the book as well. No, Garrett Cook, the author, appears as a character- joining the likes of Kurt Vonnegut, Somerset Maugham, Charlie Kaufman, James Joyce, and indeed, even Luigi Pirandello, who all deal with the modern existential question by inserting themselves as characters in their own works.

This act catapults the work into a metaphor for the creative process itself. Such self-examination is usually undertaken by a more mature writer, and one might question the wisdom of an author appearing in his own third novel. Cook seems to delight in his audacity, in a kind of tortured, confused manner that makes his plight appealing. I look forward to seeing what perspective Cook might have as an authorial character twenty years from now.

Some of the characters in Archelon Ranch are aware they're characters in a book, and some are not. It's all bound up in the concept of Deep Objectivity, a characteristic a good author must possess. Cook is objective enough to know his characters suffer at his hands, and his characters are aware enough to hate him for it. It's a masterful technique for imparting insights on the subject of consciousness, and one that is unique in Cook's work. It's the best depiction of some of the realisations I've had while under the influence of certain consciousness expanding substances I've ever seen.

Some themes from Cook's first two novels are seen here - duplicitous religious leaders, frighteningly ominous shopping malls, a society out of touch with itself. You might have noticed I've avoided talking about the plot. That was intentional. I can't describe it, and really, it's kind of irrelevant. I'm not saying the plot isn't strong- because it is. It's just impossible to try and encapsulate in a few sentences, and there's so much else going on in this book that is thought provoking, it's not even necessary to get into the plot for this review.

Cook as an author has grown considerably as a storyteller in this book, which is quite an achievement since all three of his novels have been written in a relatively short period of time. I suspect Garrett felt more at home with the free-wheeling nature of this story, as opposed to the rather tightly plotted Murderland volumes. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys challenging material and surreal storytelling, but who also like to be thoroughly entertained when reading.

Buy Garrett Cook's Archeon Ranch on Amazon here:

ARCHELON RANCH

Interesting New Stuff...

When you think of Bill Mumy you probably think of this:


Or this:


Or maybe this:


Or maybe, if you're really hip, this:


But probably not this:



Bill Mumy's Carnival Sky is an album of 15 folk rock numbers that show a mature individual reflecting on life. Bill has a spare lyrical style that makes the most of the words he chooses. This is one of my favorite lyrics from the album:
"Snow kept fallin’
Rivers froze
Cold confessions
Highway closed
Tumbling words
You could lose your mind
Memories like birds flying
Through a blizzard of time"
I love that metaphor of memories being like birds flying through a blizzard. Mumy has an expressive voice equal to the task of delivering the meaning behind his lyrics. He has a strong band assisting him. This album is well worth many listenings.


Bill Mumy - Speechless
What's even more revelatory than Carnival Sky is Mumy's "Speechless." An album of "ambient blues" or as many might classify it, "new age music." Get the images of sleepy snooze jazz out of your minds though. This is a collection of instrumental numbers, mostly guitar and keyboards that journeys through a lot of territory. Imagine Will Robinson as an adult at rest in a space station, watching the stars float by, if you will.

BillMumy.com

And while we're at it, when I think of Juliette Lewis, I usually think of something like this:


Not this:


Juliette Lewis - Terra Incognita
I'll admit I'm out of the loop. I never knew Juliette Lewis is a rocker grrl... but apparently she's been playing in bands as long as she's been acting. She's pretty darn good, IMO. She really puts everything she has into her music and delivers some gutsy rock n roll. I must say I'm impressed! I'm amazed at the depth of her vocals- at times very bluesy, at times sounding a bit like a young Patti Smith.


Juliette & The Licks - Speaking My Language
This album is more straight ahead rock, but it still impresses.

Here's a new and old contrast:


The Byrds - Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde
This 1969 release was the first album by the "new" Byrds after Chris Hillman and other members left. David Crosby was already long gone. This album continues the country flavor of Sweetheart of the Rodeo and is a fine album in its own right- This Wheel's on Fire, Drug Store Truck Drivin' Man, Stanley's song- all classic material.


John York - Arigatou Baby
Flash forward to present day, and we have one of the members of The Byrds, John York, releasing a solo album. John gives us straight forward singer/songwriter material on this release, anchored by his soulful vocals. Fine work.

John York's website


Brenda Lee Anthology 1956 - 1980
Contemporary with Patsy Cline, Brenda Lee has not had quite the critical regard of Cline. Lee may not have had that sultry croon that Cline had, but her somewhat flatter voice lent itself to more variety in material- country, pop, rockabilly, torch songs. Brenda Lee was just as influential in her time, so enjoy these 40 tracks from her career.

All this and much more can be heard on NeverEndingWonder Radio
Or- on iTunes, in the radio section, find NeverEndingWonder Radio in the Eclectic category

No, I Have NOT Been Sleeping!

Some music added during the past few weeks, from the NeverEndingWonder archives:


Jonathan Edwards - Honky Tonk Stardust Cowboy
Second album from folk/country rock pioneer Edwards is just as strong as his first.


Santana - Abraxas
THE classic album that brought Latin flavored rock to most of America.


Quicksilver Messenger Service - Happy Trails
Second album from QMS, was also the last that featured the founding members. Every number is strong- from their version of Mona to the 25 minute Who Do You Love Suite.


Pig Iron
Fabulous brass heavy band from 1970. They lend support to one of my favorite obscure albums- The Naked Carmen. Their debut album featured worthy covers like I Put a Spell On You, Neighbor Neighbor and I Can't Make It Alone, as well as great originals.


Captain Beyond - Sufficiently Breathless
Pioneering Pro rock outfit's second album finds them issuing a more straightforward sound, that is nonetheless equal to their more exploratory debut album.


Sun Ra - My Brother the Wind Volume 2
This rather schizophrenic album is split between Sun Ra's free jazz side and his electronic experimental side. Some of the moog experiments may sound quaint today, but at the time they were fresh and innovative.


The Nutty Squirrels
Classic novelty album from 1960. When jazz musicians Don Elliott and Sascha Burland heard the Chipmunks, they figured, hey we can do that- only with jazz! The result spawned a couple of top 40 hits, and their animated cartoon actually made it to the tube before the Chipmunks did.

That's just a taste, folks! Tune in NOW to hear what else you're missing!
NeverEndingWonder Radio
On iTunes find NeverEndingWonder Radio in the radio section, Eclectic category.

Coming soon:
Two new albums by Bill Mumy! Yes- THAT Bill Mumy!

New album from Gary Duncan, founding member of Quicksilver Messenger Service!
New album from John York- former member of The Byrds!

Presenting: The Accordion Babes Radio Hour!

March 3rd will launch a whole new era on NeverEndingWonder Radio! 7PM Pacific time on March 3rd will mark the debut of a brand new program, the likes of which the world has never seen before! I speak to you all of:

THE ACCORDION BABES RADIO HOUR

That's right- a one hour show that will play three times every week featuring the music of female accordionists! The Accordion Babes idea began in 2009 with a group of West Coast based accordion players who wanted to provide a sexy, funny, girl-powered makeover for accordions, featuring pro musicians who would tour nationally and around the globe. They also created the most unique calendar ever, in fact, the only calendar to present images of women and their accordions. Here is the cover of the 2010 edition:




You can find more info on the Accordion Babes calendar here:

Accordion Babes 2010 Calendar

The Accordion Babes Radio Hour will feature accordion music from traditional folk melodies to contemporary experimental numbers, and everything in between! Forget everything you thought about what accordion music is- or rather, remember that, but be prepared to have your ideas turned inside out. Sure, you'll hear polkas here, but they're not the polkas you'd hear at the beergarden.

As I've written before, the accordion seems to be experiencing a renaissance these days, as evidenced by projects like The Polka Floyd Show and Veronique Chevalier's Polka Haunt Us. Says Mags Martin, of The Mad Maggies:

"The new Accordion Babes Radio Hour is very exciting because it showcases women, accordions and their music. This show is a first and will do much to dispel the stereotypes about both accordions and the musicians who play them. The diversity of styles alone is worth a listen. Yes, accordions are sexy!"

I am proud to say The Accordion Babes Radio Houris the only radio show anywhere to feature the music of female accordion players. These thoughts are echoed by Salane Schultz, of Salane & Friends:

"I am excited to be a part of an all women's accordion radio show because its a great new idea. I love to do things that have never been done before, and this is right up my alley."

To find more information on all the Accordion Babes who will be featured on the show, you can visit this page on NeverEndingWonder.com:

Accordion Babes Radio Hour


The Accordion Babes Radio Hour will play three times weekly on NeverEndingWonder Radio- Wednesdays 7PM, Fridays 4AM & Sundays at 12 NOON. All times are Pacific Time. You can tune into NeverEndingWonder Radio by going here and clicking on the listen link:

NeverEndingWonder.com

Or with iTunes, go to the radio section and find NeverEndingWonder Radio in the Eclectic category.

Yes, I'm still here!

I'm so sorry for the lack of updates for such a long time. Work was much busier this holiday season, when we usually have several weeks of complete downtime. Not this year. In addition, I'm experiencing some health issues. I have these pains & numbness in my feet that really bother me and make sleeping even more problematic than usual. Yes, yes, I should get it looked into, but I'm a crusty old codger who is extremely stubborn and wants to remain in the dark about health problems. It's difficult to write anything when you can't focus properly.

This doesn't mean there hasn't been a lot of new music added to the station. There has! You may have noticed a lot of accordion music lately. Good- you're paying attention! More on that later.

Hope you all had wonderful holidays and happy new years. Tune in to NeverEndingWonder Radio. It's good for you.