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

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.

Back to Regularly Irregular Programming

My goodness! It's taken me this long to get around to posting a thank you to everyone. It's been insane at work. Anyway- October 2009 was the BEST YEAR EVER for the Annual Halloween Extravaganza! Thanks to everyone who tuned in! We had very high numbers all day October 30, and Halloween we were sold out most of the time. The website got so much traffic it used up all its bandwidth! A great time was had by all in the NeverEnding Halloween chat room and it was just generally a great time! Next year is the 10th Anniversary of the Halloween Extravaganza, so something really special is sure to happen!

We're back to the regular crazy mix on NeverEndingWonder Radio, with some fabulous new music. Welcome to Weirdsville remains on the air! you can tune in at:

Welcome to Weirdsville

What's new on NeverEndingWonder Radio?

THIS JUST IN:


Mags, from The Mad Maggies sent me a surprising package- the 2010 West Coast Accordion Babes Calendar with companion CD. A deluxe 12" X 12" calendar with wild, weird & winsome photos of female accordion players, all from the West Coast. For fans of the outre' this is the perfect gift. You can order the calendar & cd at:

SqueezeboxGoddess.com

And you can hear the CD on NeverEndingWonder Radio!

Harp46 - Entanglement

I was a big fan of Harp46's 2005 debut, Passage. Jazz fusion harp, who'd have thunk it? This new release finds them moving into the World Beat arena, with just as much assurance and finesse. It's beautiful!

Mike Longo Trio - Sting Like a Bee

Mike Longo studied piano with Oscar Peterson and played with Dizzy Gillespie. He's a journeyman jazzman, and this CD shows him in fine form, accompanied by Bob Cranshaw on bass and Lewis Nash on drums.

David MacKenzie and Josh Johnston - Notes Home

Take swing jazz, add some blues and Latin influences and you have this warm and colorful album.

John Steiner - Into the Green

Minimalist solo piano that reveals a deft sensitivity to sound and silence.

That's all for now! Come join us at:

NeverEndingWonder Radio
Or- in iTunes, find us in the radio section under Eclectic.

Lots of Obscure Psychedelia, Some Classic Rock & Some New Indies

I've recently added four volumes of the "Love, Peace & Poetry" series- a very cool series of anthologies collecting psychedelic music from various countries. I've added the volumes collecting Brazilian, Mexican, Latin American and Japanese music from the 1960s and 1970s. Really cool stuff that shows United States and Europe were not the only places to feel the psychedelic influence.



Also added three volumes of the Girls in the Garage series showcasing early rock n roll by women.

Stone the Crows - Teenage Licks
Great bluesy/hard rocking band from the 60s with vocals by Maggie Bell.

Frank Zappa - Cruising With Ruben and The Jets
When this album was originally released there was no indication it was a Frank Zappa album.It was simply released as "Cruising" by some band named Ruben and The Jets. If you were a Zappa fan, however, there was no mistaking his twisted take on doo wop music.

Casey Redmond - Real Life Adventures of a One Man Band
Cool five song EP from crazy man Casey Redmond who pens songs like Ian King of Beers and Rockin' the PTA. Reminds me a bit of an acoustic Link Wray. He promises a full album of monster songs for Halloween! I'm waiting!


Jennings - Storybook EP & Femtastic
Powerful singer/songwriter Mary Jennings has a strong voice and a varied musical palate to enthrall us. Her Femtastic release includes two discs- one fully produced and one "stripped down." It's an interesting and revealing technique. We get to evaluate the songs on several levels. The more recent Storybook Ep reveals songwriting just as strong, but with a somewhat more polished production. Both worth a listen.

Korla Pandit - Exotica 2000
Korla Pandit, who, like Yma Sumac had created an elaborate alternate identity for himself, was one of the founding father of Exotica music. Unlike other Exotica practitioners like Martin Denny or Richard Lyman, Pandit didn't pepper his music with musical tricks and sound effects- it was just him and his Hammond B3. He came to fame in a daily 15 minute TV show in which he simply played his unusual arrangements of songs on his organ while he stared intently at the camera. He was a sensation.

I've also been beefing up my selection of Summer music. We switch to our Summer music lineup on June 1st and we've got some great surprises for you!

You can hear all this music on NeverEndingWonder Radio
Or tune in via iTunes by going to the radio section and finding us in the Eclectic section.

Richard Bliwas - Uncovered

I was listening to Richard Bliwas' new release, "Uncovered" and wondering what was going on. This latest CD from jazz pianist/keyboardist Bliwas contains 17 tracks and ten of them are covers. But the name of the CD is UNcovered. And there are pictures of baskets everywhere- front, back, inside- even the disc itself is printed with a woven basket graphic.

Bliwas reveals a wealth of influences here- show tunes like "I could Write a Book," a venerable standard (That Old Black Magic), several Lennon/McCartney compositions, even a folk song and a country tune - all surrounded by Bliwas originals. Then I realised what he was doing. Bliwas is showing us his musical influences, his heritage- he's uncovered them for us, and like a great basket weaver, these influences are woven together with Bliwas' own unique style, the strands and twines of this basket revealed to us in its complex pattern.

Here is Malvina Reynolds' "Little Boxes" as you never thought you'd hear it- bubbling and bleeping with Richard's intricate rhythms and time structures. Same with Lennon & McCartney's "Julia." Bliwas turns it into a haunting evocation of memories as his voice weaves in and out of the melody along with piano runs and organ fills. "That Old Black Magic" seems like a magical spell of its own- the various elements swirling and mixing together to create a unique yet familiar potion.

Listening to the album creates a tapestry of forces and emotions. It's a bit like an experimental jazz version of The Residents Third Reich and Roll. Richard Bliwas is a brave musician- - he has uncovered his musical past for us and woven it into a brand new creation, a unique vision. It's a lovely, startling, rewarding basket. Pick it up, feel it, listen to it, explore it. It's a wonderful treasure.

Check out Richard's website:
Richard Bliwas

And tune in to hear Uncovered on NeverEndingWonder Radio:
NeverEndingWonder Radio
(Or in iTunes, go to the radio section and find NeverEndingWonder Radio in the Eclectic category)

The Mad Maggies

Certainly one of the greatest joys I have running NeverEndingWonder Radio is discovering new music by new artists that simply delights and amazes me to the point it becomes part of my life - music that I consider all time favorites, that I can visit any time when I want to feel that sense of belonging, that sense of being at home, of being centered. These new musical masters join the world of musical icons that I grew up enjoying- Donovan, Melanie, Spike Jones, Perrey & Kingsley, Philip Glass, Frank Zappa and so many more. New delights I've discovered via submissions to NeverEndingWonder Radio include The Mod-Est Lads, Shari Elf, Troy Lukkarila, Lucid Dementia, the prime time sublime Community Orchestra, Coyote Poets of the Universe, Veronique Chevalier and many others. They speak to me on a personal level. Their music reaches inside me and opens a smile in my heart.

I've recently made another such discovery- The Mad Maggies. Their music could best be described, I guess, as "alt cabaret" though, really, they defy categorization. The Mad Maggies utilize instrumentation that by any means should be considered out of fashion, or at the very least "quaint" - trombone, cornet, tuba, clarinet, and of course accordion. What they manage to do instead is fashion a sound that is timeless. You might find them at a dockside bar in some elder time singing a lonely sea shanty, or you might find them at some Oktoberfest accompanying drunken revelers. You might find them in a coffee house in the 60s singing a beautiful folk tune. You might find them in your town next week setting the crowd on fire with a instrumental that is nothing short of thoroughly contemporary.



A track from their first release, "Crazed and Enthused" (a title which pretty damn well describes the band itself), "Luna Marie," does an excellent job of outlining their musical territory. With the tuba oomphing away in the background, songwriter, accordionist & vocalist Maggie Martin sings the lyric that sends you on a journey into a timeless era, in some far away star-crossed land:

"With moons in her finger and moons in her toes
A faraway look in her starry eyes
Luna Marie was the belle of the ball
In a town with a lonesome past
Her nights were spent in the old dance hall
Stepping to tunes from a bygone time
Her heart was heavy yet it skipped a beat
When she saw the stranger come in...
Oh Luuuna, Luuuuna we're spinning around in a cold dark sky
And loving makes that seem okay"

Such deftly crafted lyrics evoke images, time, place and emotional context like a great poet, and Martin knows just how to deliver those lyrics with her voice that tugs at our hearts. It's a beautiful thing.

And then, a few minutes later she's singing a song about love with short people that features a sax riff by J.X. Jones that's right out of some 1950s roadhouse. The Mad Maggies refuse to be type cast. They seem to delight in turning musical styles on their end. "Heaven on Earth" presents a syncopated, almost Calypso beat. "Furey's Polka (The Furious)" puts you back there at that Oktoberfest and dares you to remain stationary. "Hearts Ride a Big Wheel," with its driving electric guitar from Gary Wium and wailing sax show us that The Mad Maggies can hold their own and rock out when they want to. "Sleepy Maggie" even puts drummer Billy Dee Boom up front. There are no slackers in this band! Every member is accomplished and passionate.



Their second album, 2007's "Magdalena's Revenge" opens with an instrumental that reminds you just who you're listening to. There are a number of these somewhat somber instrumentals that reveal to us various influences- Balkan, Celtic, Klezmer, Cajun. Even within a particular style The Mad Maggies can't help but being eclectic. In fact, of the eight tunes offered on this album, only three have lyrics. Of the three, "Are Ye Sleepin' Maggie?" is the standout. It's a terrifying tale of magic and mayhem told in the mode of a sea shanty:

"Fearfu' soughs the boontree bank
The rifted wood roars wild and dreary
Loud the iron yett does clank
The cry of hoolits makes me eerie
Oh are ye sleepin; Maggie?
Oh are ye sleepin' Maggie?
Let me in for loud the linn
Is howling o'er the Warlock Craggie"

Based on an old song from the 1700s, The Mad Maggies know exactly how to deliver it.



Their third album, "Skull and Magpie," released this year is their most accomplished and eclectic. One song in particular, "Fair Winds," has grabbed my attention. A wistful love ballad penned by bandleader Maggie Martin, and sung with such sweetness and longing it brings me to tears:

"As the hours pass on a shadowy night
her thoughts drift towards the ocean
where moonlight draws a silvery sword
across her lonely heart
He sailed away one wintery morn
to work along the southern coast
They’d sworn their love with a fiery kiss
And the promises all lovers make
I will return
I will come back to you
I will return to hold you
in my arms
May a fair wind blow
to speed your way
and bring you back, back to me
safely, back to me"

Sung to the simple accompaniment of guitar, accordion and drums, with perfectly timed accents from the rest of the band, the song is a masterpiece, touching, effective, hopeful. It almost brings hope back to my heart. But Mags doesn't rest with one magnum opus, she gives us more. "High Seas Lament," sung in the same hopeful, wistful voice, and accompanied by the same simple instrumentation, catches my imagination just as strongly:

"If I could live my life at sea
I'd spend my days in mutiny
Rising up when'ere I please
No land or Lord could hinder me
As I made my way across the sea
Free from tyranny and toil"

Who could not be touched by such sentiments? It cries to our inner pirate. And Mags' impeccable phrasing betrays a talent of the highest degree. "Navigate," another wonderful song from this release carries a more contemporary sound, and a jazzier style, yet features the same hopeful message of the joy to be found in the journey of life. "The Folly of Fame," with its wordless vocals conjures the image of a mad cabaret band on the road, searching for the next gypsy camp.

I would be doing a great disservice to the band if I didn't mention every member. Everyone contributes equally to this magic sound- Michael Ashby on bass, Johny Blood on Tuba, Lawrence Jarach on trombone, Rhian Robinson on whistle and clarinet, Adrian Gormley on sax, Billy Dee Boom on drums, Gary Wium on guitars, and leading the whole ragtag crew into musical adventures unknown, Mad Mags Martin singer, songwriter and accordion player. Together since 2004, there have been some changes to the personnel, but the band remains the same entity. The eclecticism of the music helps here. The vision and spirit of adventure get stronger with each release. If this band ever heads north from their Bay Area home base I'll quit my job to go see them.

Do yourselves a favor and go check them out:
The Mad Maggies



And tune into NeverEndingWonder Radio to hear them.

NeverEndingWonder Radio
Or- on iTunes, in the radio section, look for NeverEndingWonder Radio in the Eclectic category.

Independent Artist Links

For YEARS I've been working on updating the links to Independent Artists I play on NeverEndingWonder Radio. Well, for a long time I worked really hard on it, then for a long time I just kinda pushed the project aside because it's so massive an undertaking. I finally just decided to put the pages up a they were- something is better than nothing. It's very out of date- there are hundreds of artists not listed yet. Some of the links are probably outdated by now. The interface sucks- it's minimal and disorganized. Very little info is included. Meh. As I said- it's better than nothing. I'll continue to work on adding all the artists not yet included and then I'll work on making it more user friendly. Finally I'll work on adding more meat to the bones.

To all you amazing artists who have donated CDs to NeverEndingWonder Radio over the years- my apologies on my sloth. Anyway- here's the new link to independent artists we play on NeverEndingWonder Radio:

Independent Artists

Krautrock and King Cole

There's so much that has been added to NeverEndingWonder Radio in the past few weeks I hardly know where to begin. I'll try and touch on some of the highlights.

I've added two great box sets by the two greatest Krautrock bands- Can & Faust.


Can - Anthology
This 25 track anthology includes selections from their entire discography and is a great representation of the different phases and permutations of the proto-movement that became known as Krautrock- an experimental, progressive approach to rock music practiced by several groups of individuals in Germany, starting in the late 60s. The movement featured a high degree of improvisation as well as experimental techniques.


Faust - The Wumme Years 1970 - 1973
Faust are probably the crowning example of the Krautrock approach. Some musicians who had been informally jamming together were contacted by journalist Uwe Nettelbeck, who had secured a contract from Polydor Records to produce some kind of rock album. The musicians - Werner "Zappi" Diermaier, Hans Joachim Irmler, Arnulf Meifert, Jean-Hervé Péron, Rudolf Sosna and Gunter Wüsthoff- sensing a great adventure, demanded a recording studio and an unlimited amount of time to produce whatever they wanted. Amazingly, the label agreed. The band was given an old school building which was turned into a recording studio/living space. They moved in, started doing drugs, hanging out, and occasionally playing music. Fortuitously, they were also provided an engineer, Kurt Graupner, who managed to get the insanity onto tape. Graupner was one of the best recording engineers in Germany at the time, and created many new recording techniques and devices in an attempt to capture what the musicians were doing. The three years Faust spent recording at Wumme netted two albums and a wealth of material, some of which was used for later albums. The Wumme Years contains 59 tracks ranging in length from 25 seconds to 22 minutes. It includes the entirety of the first two albums and much unreleased material, many pieces being experiments. The experiments themselves are quite intriguing- they might not really go anywhere, but they show a creative band of musicians searching for unique material.



Nat King Cole
Another incredible box set- this gives us 100 tracks by one of the greatest vocalists of all times. Ranging from his earliest jazz recordings in the 40s (including his often overlooked piano virtuosity) to his popular work in the 50s and 60s. There's even an unreleased gem- a seven minute opus titled Mr. Cole Don't Rock N Roll. Cole is one of the most popular vocalists of all time, second in hit records only to Frank Sinatra. His smooth delivery is distinctive. During his career he conquered every medium- live performance, recordings, radio, television and films. His recording of Mel Torme's "The Christmas Song" is arguably THE quintessential Christmas recording. He wrote many of his songs, including the familiar "Straighten Up and Fly Right."

That's all for now. I'll write more as soon as I get a chance.

You can hear all this music, and much more on:

NeverEndingWonder Radio
Tune in via the above link or in iTunes, look in the radio section under "Eclectic."

Eclectic Offerings!

Lots of new music added to NeverEndingWonder Radio in the past few weeks. Here we go:

The Barbarians
Fine band who had a short career from 1964 - 1968. The novelty tune "Are You a Boy or Are You a Girl?" mirrored the sentiments of the nation perfectly. I distinctly remember my mother disparagingly asking if a passing hippie was a boy or a girl one day. How disappointed she must have been when I started growing my hair long. Anyway, The Barbarians are remembered today for their drummer- Victor "Moulty" Moulton- who had one arm!


The Bantams - Beware The Bantams
How cute. Three brothers- Jeff, Mike, & Fritz Bantam, and they're kids, see? And they sing and play and have their own band. Yes, it's the Broadway Kids of rock. Covering such tunes as Ticket To Ride, Please Mr. Postman and Susie Q it's as off-kilter and disturbing as it sounds.


Things To Come - I Want Out
Great psychedelic outfit from LA. Their only album was supposedly only released as a tax dodge- only 50 copies were pressed. It's a shame they never got a break, as their material is really nice. Mostly remembered today for their drummer- Russ Kunkel- a top session man of the 60s-70s and member of The Section. He continues to work to this day. His pedigree reads like a who's who of the music scene. Artist's albums he has appeared on include Crosby Stills & Nash, Warren Zevon, James Taylor, Carly Simon, Bob Seger, Joni Mitchell, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Carol King, BB King, Bob Dylan, Jackson Brown and dozens of others. That's not the only reason to listen to Things To Come, though. They're a great band all around.


Who's Afraid of The Art of Noise?
The first full album released by electronic sample artists The Art of Noise. Formed by producer Trevor Horn in 1983 to showcase the then revolutionary instrument Fairlight CMI sampler, which could take audio samples and play them back via a keyboard. While other groups were using samples as embellishment, Art of Noise was the first high-profile band to base their compositions solely on samples. This album is a great example of experimentalism finding its way into the mainstream.


Cream - Wheels of Fire
What can be said of Cream? The first power trio. They were so innovative and accomplished they became superstars. Though Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce never had the amazing career that Eric Clapton did after Cream broke up, they both continued to produce fine work. This double album contained one studio disc and one live disc. Included herein are the classics White Room, Toad, Crossroads and much more amazing music.


Wheat - Per Second, Per Second, Per Second... Every Second
Major label debut of indie band Wheat went through many hardships and delays before it was released. I don't know why but I just love this band's sound.


Wreckless Eric - Donovan of Trash
Eric Goulden, who records and performs as Wreckless Eric, has been a cult figure for decades. Part of the original Stiff lineup of artists, he left the label due to artistic differences. Donovan of Trash is one of Eric's best albums- presenting him in an unadulterated, spare form. Don't miss his tribute to Joe Meek.


Steve Reich - Early Works
Just like it says- early works from experimental electronic pioneer Steve Reich, several of which feature experiments in phase shifting.


Conlon Nancarrow - Studies for Player Piano
It doesn't get any more creative than this. Experimental compositions for the player piano, recorded in 1948. Nancarrow built his own device for punching the piano rolls and composed his pieces directly onto the rolls.


The Bevis Frond - Vavona Burr
Exemplary collection by lo-fi pioneer Bevis Frond.


Only in America Volume 2
Another collection of audio oddities released by bold label Arf Arf. Stunning original tunes such as Stinky Poodle and Cheese Eating Flea Market Cowboy as well as a truly inept cover of Purple Haze and many other lost and forgotten recordings from the annals of music. Beautiful.


Trevor Wishart - Red Bird/Anticredos
What is it about bird songs that compels people to compose music for bird songs they've recorded? This is like an entire sub-genre of experimental music. It's fascinating work. Anticredos is an experimental work for human voice.


Also entering the library this week are more comedy bits from Otis 12, former member of Ogden Edsl and a selection of New Age, Blues and Jazz tunes by a variety of indie artists. Enjoy!

It can all be heard here:



NeverEndingWonder Radio