Cool new video of "Spacious Thoughts" from Kool Keith and Tom Waits...a must-see with wonder glasses....

OPC Playlist for Thursday November 19, 2009

~8:05 Beau Hunks, "Birdlife in the Bronx", A Celebration...

8:07 The Books (featuring Jose Gonzales), "Cello Song", Dark was the Night

8:11 Andrew Bird, "Anonanimal", Noble Beast

8:15 Emily Wells, Symphony #5, The Symphonies...

8:19 Laura Veirs, "Lake Swimming", Year of Meteors

8:23 Flaming Lips, "One More Robot/ 3000-21", Yoshimi...

8:27 Radiohead, "Weird Fishes, Arpeggi", In Rainbows

8:33 Lemon Jelly, "Closer", Lost Horizons

8:41 Citizen Cope, "Back Together", Every Waking Moment

8:44 Nina Simone, "Feeling Good (Joe Claussel ReMix)", Verve Remixed

8:50 Nat King Cole, "Anytime, Anyday, Anywhere (Amp Fiddler Rmx)", Re:Generations

8:53 Sia, "Electric Bird", Some People Have Real Problems

9:00 Los Felinos, "Electrocutango", Tango: Putumayo

9:04 Gianmaria Testa, "Preperisco Cosi", Altre Testa

9:08 Emily Wells, Symphony #10, The Symphonies...

9:12 Andrew Bird, "Not a Robot, But a Ghost", Noble Beast

9:17 Iron & Wine, "Wolves (Song of the Shepherd's Dog)", The Shepherd's Dog

9:21 Flaming Lips, "Waiting For A Superman", The Soft Bulletin

9:26 Cake, "Waiting", Pressure Chief

9:29 They Might Be Giants, "Clap Your Hands", A Users Guide to...

9:31 OK Go, "Shooting The Moon", New Moon Soundtrack

9:35 Eliott Lipp, "The Outside", The Outside

9:38 Flaming Lips, "Feeling Yourself Disintegrate", The Soft Bulletin

9:44 Shirley Bassey, "Diamonds Ae Forever", Shirley Bassey ReMixed

9:48 NASA, "Way Down", The Spirit of Apollo

9:53 N.A.S.A., "Spacious Thoughts (Feat. Tom Waits & Cool Keith)", The Spirit of Apollo

OPC Thursday, November 12, 2009

~8:06 Beau Hunks, "Birdlife in the Bronx", A Celebration on the Planet Mars

8:08 Paul McCartney, "Great Day", Funny People Soundtrack

8:10 Tom Waits, "Please Call Me Baby", The Heart of Saturday Night

8:15 Billie Holliday, "Don't Explain", Verve Remixed

8:19 Taken By Trees, "Watch The Waves", East of Eden

8:23 Gianmaria Testa, "Il Viaggio", Putumayo Italia

8:28 Lemon Jelly, "Come", LemonJelly.KY

8:33 Elbow, "Starlings", The Seldom Seen Kid

8:39 Emily Wells, "Symphony 2 & the Click Boom Boom", The Symphonies...

8:44 Beck, "Dark Star", The Information

8:47 Zero 7, "Everything Up", Yeah Ghost

8:53 Kleptones, "Last Words

8:56 William Orbit, Waveforms

9:03 Beth Orton, "Central Reservation", Central Reservation

9:07 Ceu, "Cordao Da Insonia", Vagarosa

9:12 Cake, "Thrills", B-Sides & Rareties

9:15 Cymande, "Genevieve (Greyboy w/ Bart Davenport), Rewind! 3

9:22 Fink, "Walkin' in the Sun", Sort of Revolution

9:27 Cake, "Wheels", Pressure Chief

9:30 Beck, "Soldier Jane", The Information

9:37 Radiohead, "Jigsaw Falling Into Place", In Rainbows

9:41 Radiohead, "All I Need" In Rainbows

9:46 Elbow, "The Bones of You", The Seldom Seen Kid

9:50 Spoon, "I Turn My Camera On", Gimme Fiction

9:55 Rikki Lee Jones, "Roadkill", Ghostyhead

9:59 Monkey Bars, "Baby Elephant Walk", Upstairs at Larry's

. . . chatterbox w/ Wind . . .

Obsequious Purple Clairvoyant Playlist November 5, 2009

~8:03 Beau Hunks, "Birdlife in the Bronx", A Celebration on Planet Mars

8:05 Emily Wells, "Whiskey and Rags", Dirty

8:09 Oren Lavie, "Her Morning Elegance", From the Opposite Side of the Sea

8:15 Fink, "Walkin in the Sun", Sort of Revolution

8:18 Beth Orton, Central Reservation, Central Reservation

8:23 Laura Veirs, "Where Gravity is Dead", Year of Meteors

8:26 Fink, "Six Weeks", Sort of Revolution

8:30 David Bazan, "Hard to Be", Curse Your Branches

8:35 Nino Moschella, "Stella", Boomshadow

8:47 Zero 7, "Pop Art Blue", Yeah Ghost

8:52 Ceu, "Sonambulo", Vagarosa

8:55 Beth Orton, "Stars All Seem to Weep", Central Reservation

9:07 Nina Simone, "Feelin Good" (Joe Claussell ReMix), Verve Remixed

9:14 Nat King Cole, "Anytime, Anyday, Anywhere" , Re-Generations...

9:18 Ceu, "Cordao Da Insonia", Vagarosa

9:20 Zero 7, "Everything Up", Yeah Ghost

9:30 Mike Doughty, "Nectarine", Golden Delicious

9:33 Brendan Benson, "Eyes on the Horizon", My Old Familiar Friend

9:36 TV On The Radio, "Love Dog", Dear Science

9:45 Laura Veirs, "Parisian Dream", Year of Meteors

9:50 Emily Wells, "Fountain of Youth", Beautiful Sleepyhead &...

9:53 David Bazan, "Heavy Breath", Curse Your Branches

9:57 David Bazan, "When We Fell", Curse Your Branches

10:00 Dodos, "The Fables", Time to Die

10:06 Monkey Bars, "Baby Elephant Walk", Upstairs at Larry's

. . . chatterbox w/ skipperific . . .

Obsequious, Purple & Clairvoyant Show Playlist 8-6-09

OPC 6 August 2009...

~8:00am

Beau Hunks, "Birdlife in the Bronx", A Celebration on the Planet Mars

Elbow, "Starlings", The Seldom Seen Kid

The Books & Jose Gonzales, "Cello Song", Dark was the Night

Chumbawamba, "Unpindownable", The Boy Bands Have Won

Emily Wells, Whiskey & Rags, Dirty

The Blue Roses, "I Am Leaving", Blue Roses

David Bazan, "God Bless This Mess", Curse Your Branches

Mike Doughty, "Nectarine", Golden Delicious

Leonard Cohen, "Democracy", More Best of...

Chumbawamba, "El Fusilado", The Boy Have Won

Emily Wells, "Symphony #3", The Symphonies...

Radiohead, "15-Step", In Rainbows

The Dodos, "Fables", Time To Die

~9:00am

Monsters of Folk, "Say Please", single

Ray LaMontagne, "Jolene", Trouble

Emily Wells, "Take it Easy, San Francisco", Dirty

Bob Dylan, "Talkin' World War III Blues", The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan

Mike Doughty, "Unsingable Name", Haughty Melodic

Bowerbirds, "In Our Talons", Hymns for a Dark Horse

Andrew Bird, "Nomenclature", Noble Beast

Gotan Project, "Epoca", La Revancha Del Tango

Rikki Lee Jones, "", Ghostyhead

David Byne & Brian Eno, "Strange Overtones", Everything That Happens...

AR Rahman, "Ringa Ringa", Slumdog Millionare

MOn key Bars, "Baby Elephant Walk", Upstairs At Larry's

. . .with Skip the Socio-Political Detective . . .

Obsequious, Purple & Clairvoyant Show Playlist 7-30-09

OPC PLaylist....

~8:00

Beau Hunks, "Birdlife in the Bronx", A Celebration on Planet Mars 

Emily Wells, "Whiskey & Rags", Dirty EP

Fruit Bats, The Ruminant Band, The Ruminant Band

Fleet Foxes, "Sun It Rises", Fleet Foxes

Fleet Foxes, "Blue Spotted Tail", BBC Glastonbury Hub Session

Emily Wells, "Take t Easy San Francisco", Dirty EP

Gianmaria Testa, "Tuareg", Altre Latitudini

Devotchka, "Charlotte Mittnacht", How It Ends

Brett Dennen, "Ain't No Reason", So Much More

Dodos, "Fables", Time to Die

Spoon, "Black Like Me", Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

The Beatles, "I Am the Walrus", Cirque du Soleil Love sndtrk

Andrew Bird, "Not a Robot, But a Ghost", Noble Beast

Sonos, "Everything in its Right Place", single

Royskopp, "Triumphant", The Understanding

Voices in Your Head, "Magic", Ben Folds Presents: University A Capella

Beck, "Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometimes", Eternal Sunshine...

Zero 7, "Everything Up", Yeah Ghost

Radio Citizen (feat. Bajka), "The Hop", Berlin Serengeti

Janelle Monnaie, "Sincerely, Jane", Metropolis: the Chase Suite

Stevie Wonder, "Ghettoland", Songs in the Key of Life

Gil Scott Heron, "The Revolution will not be Televised", ...

Galactic w/ Ladybug Mecca, "Squarepusher", From the Corner...

Meters, "People Say", Funkify Your Life

Los Mono, "Se Puede", Somos Los Que Estamos

Groove Armada, "Suntoucher", Goodbye Country, Hello Nightclub

Monkey Bars, "Baby Elephant Walk", Upstairs at Larry's

. . . chatterbox w/ Skp . . . 

Obsequious, Purple & Clairvoyant Show Playlist 7-16-09

OPC Playlist 16 July 2009...

~8:00

Beau Hunks, "Birdlife in the Bronx", A Celebration on the Planet Mars

Emily Wells, "Symphony 9", The Symphonies: Dreams...

Mike Doughty, "Nectarine", Golden Delicious

Zero 7, "Everything Up", Yeah Ghost

Regina Spektor, "The Calculation", Far

Beck, "Orphans (acoustic)", Modern Guilt

Spoon, "Black Like Me", Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

Beatles, "A Day The Life", Cirque Du Soleil Love soundtrack

Elvis Costello, "The Great Unknown", Goodbye Cruel World

Grizzly Bear, "Two Weeks", Veckatimest

Billy Collins, "The Order of the Day", Live...

Mike Doughty, Navigating By the Stars At Night, Golden Delicious

Lemon Jelly, "Nothing", LemonJelly.KY

Cake, "Thrills", B-Sides & Rareities

David Byrne & Brian Eno, "Help Me Somebody", My Life in the Bush of Ghosts

David Byrne & Brian Eno, "I Feel My Stuff",  Everything That Happens...

Radiohead, "Homesick Subterraen Alien", OK Computer

Citizen Cope, "Awe", Every Waking Moment

Beck, "Cellphone's Dead", The Information

Morphine, "Buena", Cure For Pain

They Might Be Giants, "Clap Hands", No!

Mike Doughty, " Just Want the Girl in the Blue Dress...", Golden Delicious

The Real Tuesday Weld, "At the House...", The Return of the Clerkenwell Kid

Ani DiFranco, "If he tries anything", Out of Range

Emily Wells, "Symphony #2", The Symphonies...

Citizen Cope, "107", Every Waking Moment

Monkey Bars, "Baby Elephant Walk", Upstairs at Larry's

. . .chatterbox w/ Skiptone. . .

Obsequious, Purple & Clairvoyant Show Playlist 7-9-09

OPC 9 July 02009...

~8:00

Beau Hunks, Birdlife in the Bronx, A Celebration on Planet Mars

Citizen Cope, "Every Waking Moment", Every Waking Moment

Jamie Lidell, "Little Bit of Feelgood", Jim

Mocky, "In the Meantime", Navy Brown Blues

Angelique Kidjo, "Summertime", Keep on Moving

Dana Bryant, "Extreme Heat", Wishing From the Top

MC Solaar, "Illico Presto", Paradisiaaque

Beatless/Aaron Neville, "Hercules", Rewind

Bittersweet, "Heaven", The Mating Game

Stevie Wonder, "Pastime Paradise", Songs In the Key of Life

Emily Wells, "Symphony #6", The Symphonies

Zero7, "Everything Up", Yeah Ghost

~9:00

Dana Bryant, "Heavy Mellow", Wishing From the Top

Jon Cleary, "Just Kissed My Baby", Jon Cleary & The Absolute Monster Gentlemen

Galactic & Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, Second & Dryades, From the Corner...

The Meters, "Fire on the Bayou", Funkify Your Life

Eliot Lipp, "The Area", The Outside

Shirley Bassey, "Diamonds Are Forever", The ReMix Album

Jon Cleary, "More Hipper", Jon Cleary & The Absolute Monster Gentlemen

Red Hot Chilipeppers, "Behind The Sun", Uplift Mofo Party Plan

Spoon, "Don't Make Me  Target", Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

MGMT, "Electric Feel", Oracular Spectacular

Jim's Big Ego, "Feelin' Groovy", Don't Get Smart

Monkey Bars, "Baby Elephant Walk", Upstairs At Larry's

   . . . chatterbox w/ Skiptone . . .

Obsequious, Purple & Clairvoyant Show Playlist 6-11-09

OPC 6-11-09....

~8:00

Beau Hunks, "Birdlife in the Bronx", A Celebration on the Planet Mars

Andrew Bird, "Tenuousness", Noble Beast

M Ward, "Hi-Fi", Transistor Radio

Emily Wells, "Fountain of Youth", Beautiful Sleepyhead and the Laughing Yaks

Fleet Foxes, "Ragged Wood", Fleet Foxes

Air, "Mike Mills", Talkie Walkie

Zero 7, "Everything Up", Yeah Ghost (downloaded here)

Open Door, "Breathe", Rewind

Andrew Bird, "Anonanimal", Noble Beast

Radiohead, "Pyramid Song", Amenesiac

M Ward, "Post-War", Post War

Elvis Perkins, "Send My Fond Regards...", In Dearland

~9:00

Lemon Jelly, "Nice Weather for Ducks", LemonJelly.KY

Elbow, "One Day Like This", The Seldom Seen Kid

Panic at the Disco, "That Green Gentleman", Pretty. Odd.

The Shins, "Australia", Wincing the Night Away

Elizabeth & The Catapult, "Taller Children", Taller Children

Yo La Tengo, "Periodically Double or Triple", (download it here)

Gomez, "Airstream Driver", A New Tide

Elbow, "Bones of You", Seldom Seen Kid

Monkey Bars, "Baby Elephant Walk", Upstairs at Larry's

. . .chatterbox w/Skip. . .

And this is just plain amazing to watch...

I love this man's anti-authority spirit...he uses the words, "evil witch queen"...he sings an eery, strange song in resistance...and he gets superpowers from the cops' taser gun...WOW!

How Twitter will change life on earth as we live it...

...or something like that.

It's always funny to read a heady pronouncement like this (or just plain annoying) but when Steven Berlin Johnson is behind it, there's likely something worth checking out.

One of my favorite technology writers, Johnson is at it again--with more pronouncements about how new tech will change the world as we know it. I recently posted his Wall Street Journal musings about the coming e-book revolution.

Now he's writing about Twitter, in the latest issue of Time Magazine:

How Twitter Will Change the Way We Live

I haven't read the whole article, and haven't really gotten into twitter either, but Johnson is always worth a read.

Here's how his article starts:

"The one thing you can say for certain about Twitter is that it makes a terrible first impression. You hear about this new service that lets you send 140-character updates to your "followers," and you think, Why does the world need this, exactly? It's not as if we were all sitting around four years ago scratching our heads and saying, "If only there were a technology that would allow me to send a message to my 50 friends, alerting them in real time about my choice of breakfast cereal."....

Enjoy!

History's dustbin: Green Tambourine by The Lemon Pipers

Currently residing in the "where are they now" file....

Some might call this song a rip-off of the Beatles (right down to that mournful, gull-cry sound from "The Walrus")....But still, a number one hit from 1968.

There's an unmanageable amount of chaos in this little vid. And get a load of the stony, post-performance interview with the clean-cut host (who looks like an extra from Star Trek, somehow...)

Bein' Green

Ray Charles supposedly loved Kermit's special song...this performance is a rare recording, with a fuzzy cast of characters...

Green song of the day....

Obsequious, Purple & Clairvoyant Show Playlist 6-4-09

OPC Playlist, and the Green Set...

David Bowie, Oh! You Pretty Things, Hunky Dory

Dan Bern, "Estelle", ...

Grizzly Bear, Two Weeks, Veckatimest

Nellie McKay, Suitcase Song, Get Away From Me

Breeders, "Drivin on Nine", Last Splash

Elvis Perkins, "Send My Fond Regards to Lonelyville", In Dearland

William Orbit, "Humming Chorus", Hello Waveforms

Tom Jones, Green Green Grass of Home, Best of...

Tom Waits, "All the World is Green", Blood Money

Ken Nordine, "Green", Colors

Ray Charles, "It Aint Easy Bein Green", Renaissance

Booker T and the MGs, "Green Onions", Very Best of...

Sugarloaf, "Green-Eyed Lady", Classic Rock Remastered

William Orbit, "Sea Green", Hello Waveforms

Coldplay, "Green Eyes", A Rush of Blood to the Head

Panic at the Disco, "That Green Gentleman", Pretty. Odd.

Edie Brickell, ""Green", Picture Perfect Morning

Joni Mitchell, "Little Green", Blue

Jethro Tull, "Velvet Green", Songs from the Wood

The Kinks, "Village Green Preservation Society", To the Bone

Herb Alpert/Sol Lake, "Green Peppers", Re-Whipped

George Baker Selection, "Little Green Bag", The Heritage Colossus Story

Little Barrie, "Greener Pastures", We Are Little Barrie

Everclear, "Pale Green Stars", Sparkle and Fade

Booker T and the MGs, "Green Onions", Very Best of...

Ken Nordine, "Olive", Colors

Ray Charles, "Greenbacks", Genius & Soul

Nat King Cole/Cee-Lo Green, "Lush Life", Re-Generations

They Might Be Giants, "Clap Your Hands", A Users Guide...

Beck, "Youthless", Modern Guilt

Chris Joss, "Little Nature", Sticks

Portishead, "Mysterons", Dummy

Chris Joss, "Charmer", Sticks

. . . chatterbox w/ Skip . . .

Obsequious, Purple & Clairvoyant Show Playlist 5-28-09

songslist...and a little soup...

New Wilco download, "Jolly Banker", by Woody Guthrie, here. From forthcoming Wilco (the album).

Listen to Dark Night of the Soul, the as-of-yet unreleased Dangermouse/Sparklehorse/David Lynch album , here.

OPC 5-28-09 playlist:

~8:00 am

Beau Hunks, "Bird LIfe in the Bronx", A Celebration on the Planet Mars

Randy Travis, King of the Road", ...

Red Stick Ramblers, "Main Street Blues", ...

Tom Waits, "Jockey Full of Bourbon", Rain Dogs

Shivaree, "Goodnight Moon", ...

Henry Grady Terrell, "Old John Henry Died on the Mountain", Classic Railroad Songs

Tangle Eye, "John Henry Blues", Alan Lomax's Southern Journey

Jude, "You Mama You", No One s Really Beautiful

Chris Whitley , "Accordingly", Dirt Floor

Ollabelle, "Brokedown Palace", Before This Time

Ollabelle, "See Line Woman", Riverside Battlesongs

Ani Di Franco, "Here For Now", Evolve

~9:00 am

Emily Wells, Mt Washington, Beautiful Sleepyhead and the Laughing Yaks

Cat Power, "Free", You Are Free

Spoon, "They Never Got You", Gimme Fiction

Head Like A Kite, "No Ordinary Caveman", There Is Loud Laughter Everywhere

Tosca, "Elitsa", No Hassle

Mike Doughty, "27 Jennifers", Rockity Roll

DangerMouse/Flaming Lips, "Revenge", Dark Night of the Soul

Fisk Industries, "In Tangents", EP and Rareities

MGMT, "Electric Feel", Oracular Spectaular

DangerMouse/GruffRhyss, "Just War", Dark Night of the Soul

Spoon, "I Turn My Camera On", Gimme Fiction

Elbow, "The Fix", The Seldom Seen Kid

Bon Iver, "Woods", Blood Bank

Arcade Fire, "No Cars Go", Neon Bible

...

Obsequious Purple & Clairvoyant Playlist 5-7-09...

OPC Playlist, but first....


~8:00
Beau Hunks, Birdlife in the Bronx, A Celebration on the Planet Mars
The Appletrees, "Look Up To The Sky", The Green Owl
Beatles, "Rocky Racoon", White Album
Elbow, Starlings, The Seldom Seen Kid
M Ward, "For Beginners", Hold Time
Iron & Wine, "The Trapeze Swinger", Around the Well
Nomo, "Nocturne", Invisble Cities
Radiohead, "", In Rainbows
Breeders, "We're Gonna Rise", Mountain Battles
Flaming Lips, "It's Summertime", Yoshimi Battles...
Grizzly Bear, "Two Weeks", Veckatimest
Silversun Pickups, "Draining", Swoon
Zero 7, "Simple Things", Simple Things
fill..
~9:00
David Axelrod, "Holy Thursday", Blue Break Beats
Howard Johnson & Gravity, "Fever", Right Now!
Nomo, "Patterns", Invisible Cities
Mocky, "Chubby Cheeks", Saskamodie
MC Solaar, "Caroline", Rebirth of Cool
Feist, "Honey, Honey", The Reminder
Phileas, "Henley Road", Spoken World
Sia, "Electric Bird", Some People Have Real Problems
Nomo, "Crescent", Invisible Cities
Sonos, "Everything In Its Right Place", Sonos...
Radiohead, Let Down, OK Computer

. . . chatterbox w/ Skipperific . . .

Time lapse...

....need I say more....?

Cinco De Mayo Carnival from Andrew Curtis.

Salvador Dali on "What's My Line?"

Oh, for the days when truly trippy individuals made it to prime time...

...Even more strange: the words spoken at the opener are from the great dadaist sound poem, "KARAWANE", by Hugo Ball....

Obsequious, Purple & Clairvoyant Show Playlist 4-30-09

OPC Playlist 4-30-09

~8:00

Beau Hunks, "Birdlife in the Bronx", A Celebration on the Planet Mars

Harry Nilsson, "Coconut", Nilsson Schmilsson

Emily Wells, "Symphony 6", The Symphonies...

Noah and the Whale, "Rocks and Daggers", Peaceful the World...

The Boy Least Likely To, "A Balloon on a Broken String", The Law...

fill...

Chumbawamba, "Sing About Love", The Boy Bands....

Sonos, "Everything in it's Right Place", ...

Radiohead, "All I Need", In Rainbows

Andrew Bird, "Not a Robot, But A Ghost", Noble Beast

fill...

DJEarworm (Django Reinhardt/Paul Simon) "Brazilian Diamonds", ...

Ant Neely, "What This Country Needs", Not Fit For Human Consumption

~9:00

Flaming Lips, "One More Robot/Sympathy 2000-21", Yoshimi Battles...

Rikki Lee Jones, "Road Kill", Ghostyhead

Spoon, "They Never Got You", Gimme Fiction

David Bowie, "Ashes to Ashes", Scary Monsters

Superfurry Animals, "The End of the World", 

Cracker, "Big Dipper", The Golden Years

Golden Smog, "Radio King", Stay Golden, Smog

Tim Easton, Burgundy Red, Porcupine

Gomez, Airstream Driver, A New Tide

Chris Whitley, "Bordertown", Living with the Law

. . . chatterbox with Jason . . .

It's been a awhile....

....I've been asleep. But now I'm awake.

Obsequious, Purple & Clairvoyant Show Playlist 4-9-09

Special pledge drive edition: 527-4868 or 1-866-KVNF-NOW

But first, the world's biggest iPod!

Hard at work....

....on a day of rest....

Happy Venusian New Year!

OPC Playlist 4-2-09...

OPC Playlist 4-2-09...

~8:00 am

Beau Hunks, "Birdlife in the Bronx", A Celebration on Planet Mars

Woods Brothers, "Postcards From Hell", Loaded

The Kinks, "A Well-Respected Man", The Singles Collection

The Shins, "Australia", Wincing the Night Away

M Ward, "For Beginners", Hold Time

Chris Whitley, "Loco Girl", Dirt Floor

Andrew Bird, "Anonanimal", Noble Beast

Emily Wells, "Symphony #9", The Symphonies...

Shivaree, "I Close My Eyes", Who's Got Trouble?

Mocky/Anita O'Day, "Tenderly", Verve Remixed 4

Bittersweet, "Our Remains", The Mating Game

Bebel Gilberto, "Aganju", Bebel Gilberto

Material/William Burroughs, "Seven Souls", Seven Souls

Ryoksopp, "Silver Cruiser", Junior

~9:00 am

Radiohead, "Reckoner", In Rainbows

LemonJelly, "Ramblin Man", Lost Horizons

The Bird and the Bee, "Love Letter to Japan", Ray Guns Are Not Just...

Cut Chemist, "Day In Day Out", Nat King Cole: Re-Generations

Janelle Monae, "Sincerely, Jane", Metropolis: The Chase Suite

The Belle Stars, "Iko Iko", The Belle Stars

Beck, "We Dance Alone", The Information

Lewis Taylor, "Stoned", Stoned

Gotan Project/Sarah Vaughan, "Whatever Lola Wants", Verve Remixed 2

Stevie Wonder, "Ordinary Pain", Songs in the Key of Life

Monkey Bars, "Baby Elephant Walk", Upstairs at Larry's

. . . and chatterbox w/ Skip . . .

Rainbows, rainbows, rainbows....!

A film by The Glue Society..

Android 207...

....make some popcorn, sit back and looky...!


Android 207 from Carrotkid on Vimeo.

Looky looky...

...bunnies with guns...fluent in Japanese!




Enjoy....(...I think...)...!

Obsequious Purple & Clairvoyant Playlist 3-26-09...

Obsequious Purple & Clairvoyant Playlist 3-26-09...
~8:00
Beau Hunks, "Birdlife in the Bronx", Celebration on the Planet Mars
Ray Charles, "Confession Blues", The Genius Anthology
Squirrel Nut Zippers, "Prince Nez", Hot
Dorsey Brother's Orchestra, "Minnie The Moocher's Wedding Day", Stormy Weather...
Louis Prima, "Whistle Stop", Collector's Series
Giorgio Conte, "Cannelloni", Italian Cafe
Red Stick Ramblers, "Main Street Blues", Big Ol' Box of New Orleans
Tom Waits, "The Piano Has Been Drinking", Small Change
Glover Gill, "Ballad 3", Waking Life...
Velvet Underground, "I'm Sticking With You", VU
They Might Be Giants, "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)", Flood
Gianmaria Testa, "Dentro Al Cinema", Italian Cafe
Tom Waits, "Depot Depot", Heart of Saturday Night
The Delta Rhythm Boys, "Dry Bones", Dry Bones
Nina Simone, "I Put A Spell On You", Verve Jazz Masters 17
Oren Lavie, "Her Morning Elegance", The Opposite Side of the Sea
~9:00
Mary Chapin Carpenter, "Mellow Yellow", Steal This Movie
David Bowie, "Life on Mars?", Hunky Dory
Mott the Hoople, "All the Young Dudes", All The Young Dudes
Lou Reed, "New York Telephone Conversation", Walk on the Wild Side...
Beck, "Dark Star", The Information
Emily Wells, "Symphony #3: The Story", The Symphonies...
Radiohead, "15 Steps", In Rainbows
Lemon Jelly, "Page One" LemonJelly.KY
Elbow, "The Bones of You", The Seldom Seen Kid
Andrew Bird, "Not A Robot, But a Ghost", Noble Beast
Sia, "Electric Bird", Some People Have Real Problems
Spoon, , Gimmee Fiction
Fisk Industries, "In Tangents", EPs and Rareities
Elbow, "The Fix" The Seldom Seen Kid
Monkey Bars, "Baby Elephant Walk", Upstairs At Larry's
...and chatterbox with Captain Clearwater...

Stories from Las Vegas (part 1)...

Ladies and gentlemen, there are unbelievable deals in Las Vegas:


I have a story on NPR's Day to Day (audio available online here, later today) about the revival of interest in the city's long-forgotten mid-century modern homes. The frenzy of real estate speculation in Las Vegas, and the huge suburban expansion has left the city's neighborhoods without much of a sense of community. Neighborhoods are emptying out; many residents are alienated.

Well, there's a seed of hope in these mid-mod homes at the city's center. In the last several years, urban hipsters have re-discovered these little architectural gems, built in the 1950's and 60's. Younger people have moved in, and are bringing new energy to downtown neighborhoods that had become run down.

And in a city a disassociated communities, the irony is these homes and neighborhoods were designed with socializing in mind: large, airy open spaces; rooms that open into rooms; sunken lounges and walls of glass that open onto patio and poolside areas, so that the inside and outside become one giant space. Here's an upscale example of the Morelli House in Las Vegas, recently rescued from the bulldozer by the Junior League:


Most of the mid-mod homes downtown are more modest in scale, and affordable for mere mortals. They are, in short, the perfect antidote for a city where people don't know their neighbors.

Obsequious Purple & Clairvoyant Playlist 2-26-09...

OPC playlist for February 26th....and smidgens of clairvoyance...

~8:00am
Beau Hunks, "Bird Life In The Bronx", Celebration on the Planet Mars
Tom Waits, "Can't Wait To Get Off Work", Small Change
Tom Waits, "Diamonds on My Windshield", Heart of Saturday Night
Tangle Eye, "John Henry's Blues", Alan Lomax's Southern Journey
M Ward, "Blake's View" Hold Time
Peter Mulvey, "Sign O' the Times", Goodbye Bob
Ani DiFranco, "Phase", Evolve
Emily Wells, "Symphony #1", The Symphonies....
Bon Iver, "Woods", New EP
Thievery Corporation, "Omid (Hope)", The Richest Man in Babylon
Oren Lavie, "Her Morning Elegance", The Opposite Side of the Sea
Ollabelle, "See Line Woman", Riverside Battle Songs
Ollabelle, "Brokedown", Before This Time
Andrew Bird, "Oh No", Noble Beast
~9:00
Benji Hughes, "All You've Got To Do Is Fall In Love", A Love Extreme
Beck, "Soldier Jane, The Information
Beatles, "Come Together/Dear Prudence", Love Soundtrack
Ollabelle, "Soul of A Man", Ollabelle
Stevie Wonder, "Pastime Paradise", Songs in the Key of Life
Dosh, "Um, In Square Circles", The Lost Take
Emily Wells, "Symphony #3", The Symphonies...
Stevie Wonder, "Ordinary Pain", Songs in the Key of Life
Natacha Atlas & Burnan Ocal, "Habibi", A Night in Istanbul
AR Rahman, "Ringa Ringa", Slumdog Millionaire Soundtrack
Zero 7, "Salt Water Sound", Simple Things
Galactic, "Squarepusher", From the Corner to the Block
Theivery Corporation, "Warning Shots", The Cosmic Game
Monkey Bars, "Baby Elephant Walk", Upstairs at Larry's"

. . . . and chatter box w/ Monsieur Clearwater . . . .

*over and out*

Obsequious Purple & Clairvoyant Playlist 2-19-09...

And woe betide the cactus face...


OPC Playlist for 2-19-09

~ 8:00.am
Beau Hunks, "Birdlife in the Bronx", A Celebration on Planet Mars
Oren Lavie, "Her Morning Elegance", The Opposite Side of The Sea
David Byrne, "The Man Who Love Beer", Grown Backwards
M Ward, "One Hundred Million Years", Hold Time
Noah & The Whale, "Rocks & Daggers", Peaceful the World Lays Me Down
Jimmy Scott & Flea, "Love Will Keep Us Together", Lounge-A-Palooza
Robert Bradley, "Once Upon A Time", Robert Bradley's Blackwater's Surprise
Fisk Industries, "In Tangents", EPs & Rarities (fill)
Crash Test Dummies, "God Shuffled His Feet", God Shuffled His Feet
Elvis Costello, "Watching The Detectives", My Aim Is True
Flaming Lips, "Are You A Hypnotist?", Yoshimi Battles...
Cibo Matto, "Working For Vacation", Stereo Type A
David Bowie, "Oh You Pretty Things", Hunky Dory
Seu Jorge, "Rebel Rebel", Life Aquatic Soundtrack

~9:00.am
Lemon Jelly, A Tune For Jack", LemonJelly.KY (fill)
Talking Heads, "Letting the Days Go By", Remain In Light
The Bird and the Bee, "Love Letter to Japan", Ray Guns Are Not...
My Brightest Diamond, "Tainted Love", Guilt By Association
The Cure, In Between Days, Staring At The Sea
Jim's Big Ego, "Better Than You", They're Eevrywhere
Royksopp, "Triumphant", The Understanding (fill)
The Who, "Magic Bus", Magic Bus
Morphine, "Buena", Cure For Pain
Jenny Lewis, "See Fernando", Acid Tongue
Golden Smog, "Radio King", Stay Golden Smog
Brendan Benson, "What I'm Looking For", The Alternative To Love
Raconteurs, "Old Enough", Consolers of the Lonely
Cake, Arco Arena, Comfort Eagle
Lucinda Williams, "Can't Let Go", Car Wheels...
The Shins, "Turn A Square", Chutes Too Narrow
Monkey Bars, "Baby Elephant Walk", Upstairs At Larry's
. . . . . and chatterbox w/ Skip

Saturday morning cartoons...

Greetings earthlings...


Take me to your leader.

Obsequious Purple & Clairvoyant Playlist 2-12-09...

OPC Playlist....and the contortionist makes her second appearance (click on the photo for a closer look...)


~8:00
Beau Hunks, "Birdlife in the Bronx", A Celebration on the Planet Mars
John Legend, "Sun Comes Up"
M Ward, "One Hundred Million Years", Hold Time
Andrew Bird, "Nomenclature", Noble Beast
Sia, "Academia", Some People Have Real Problems
David Byrne & Brian Eno, "Strange Overtones", Everything That Happens...
Lemon Jelly, "Come", LemonJelly.KY
Beck, "Dark Star", The Information
Spoon, "They Never Got You", Gimme Fiction
Miho Hatori, "Barracuda", Ecdysis
Beck, "We Dance Alone", The Information
Sia, "Electric Bird", Some People Have Real Problems
~9:00
William Orbit, "", Waveforms
Frou Frou, "Let Go", Garden State Soundtrack
Emily Wells, "Fare Thee Well...", The Symphonies...
Andrew Bird, "ouo", Noble Beast
Andrew Bird, "Not A Robot, But A Ghost", Noble Beast
A R Rahman, "Ringa Ringa", Slumdog Millionaire Soundtrack
David Byrne & Brian Eno, "I Feel My Stuff", Everything That Happens...
Lemon Jelly.
Animal Collective, "My Girls", Merriweather Post Pavilion
Spoon, "The Book I Write", Stranger Than Fiction
M Ward, "Stars Of Leo", Hold Time
Spoon, "I Turn My Camera On", Gimme Fiction
Monkey Bars, "Baby Elephant Waltz", Upstairs At Larry's
...and chatterbox w/ Captain Clearwater...

Where I'm calling from...

The view from here, home, this morning.

(click on photo for a larger view...)

Emptiness...

...w/ bulldozer, telephone pole, pink bus, stop sign, and long afternoon shadows.

(click on photo for a more expansive view...)

say hello....

...to the contortionist.


Hello good pilgrims. I'm in Las Vegas, and went to a late-night cabaret yesterday (...off-off strip...) where a number of Cirque du Soleil (and similar performers) try out new material. This woman works as a dancer in of the shows, and is plying this other trade on the side...

The pioneer bar....

I'm in Elko, Nevada, sitting in the Western Folklife Center's Pioneer Bar, with old clinky saloon piano music piped over the stereo....at first glance, the place looks like a tidy picture of the old west. Until you notice the formica tables, the glowing green Exit sign (they didn't have federal egress laws back then...) And then there's that cowboy on the lower right, typing on his laptop.

Ah yesteryear....how can we hold onto thy sweetness, and leave the saloon stink behind?


It's a beautiful room. Lots of ambiance, for sure, and people seem to enjoy hanging out here. The Western Folklife Center is housed in the old Pioneer Hotel, in downtown Elko. There's a theater, bar, museum and giftshop on the first floor, and offices upstairs.

This is the center of the cowboy poetry beehive.

Everyone can yodle....

I went to a workshop yesterday, taught by Wylie Gustafson who believes that everyone can yodle. Not so sure about that, but I reckon everyone can try....


Gustafson grew up in Montana, and has been yodling for 30+ years. Yesterday he was teaching kids, employing creative teaching tools such as, among others, the "knock-knock yodle":

Knock-knock.
Who's there?
Little old lady.
Little old lady who?

Can you hear the last line sung as a yodle?

Gustafson's yodle is arguably the most widley heard yodle, ever. In the history of the planet earth. Really. Just go here, and click on the exclamation point at the top of the page.

The kids were enrapt with Gustafson's playing and singing. And the ranks of his army of yodlers (with whom he planst take over the world, at some point) grew a dozen or so stronger yesterday morning.

Singalong, little doggie....

Michael Martin Murphy leads a sing along at the Elko Convention Center.

Fall madly in love with the earth's fickle ways...

Meet Paul Zarzyski...


This year, Zarzyski's poem, "Putting the Rodeo Try Into Cowboy Poetry" is emblazoned on the front windows of the Western Folklife Center in Elko. Zarzyski writes mostly in free verse, and has been shaking things up at the festival (in a good way) for 23 years. Traditional cowboy poetry is written in rhyming couplets....

To rhyme or not to rhyme...that is the question.

Welcome to Elko...

I'm at the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, Nevada, for the rest of the week. Last night, John Dofflemeyer read a few poems. These cowboys love their hats and neckerchiefs, their way of life, the American West, and anything having to do with the open range.


Oh, and they love their horses too. Here's John Dofflemeyer's poem about his old bay horse:

Bay

At 28 he sleeps standing, head heavy
in September sun, inches from
its shadow. He cannot hear me

for the sounds in his dreams:
the sudden crack of manzanita
or the chorus of bawling calves -

and men. I see the faces gone,
shake hands again and ride within
the old horizons on the edges

of our eyes - and grins. We were
the band that ran these hills
with cows. We were the hands

and proud to hold the wild within
these dark shadows, come alive
as he shrinks into the ground.

Space travel...

I drove 480 miles from Las Vegas to Elko yesterday evening. Steered my little metallic green Hyundai through rain and snow, north up 93 through Pioche and Ely and then to Interstate 80 and Wells. I'm learning to use a new camera...

Navigating by the stars at night.

Obsequious Purple & Clairvoyant Playlist 1-22-09

Craig Childs trying to eat my brain...he always tries to do that when we get together...and those teeth were made to open a skull cavity...

OPC Playlist for January 22, 2009. Stream it live Thursdays, 8-10am Mountain Time, here.

~8:00

Theme Music: Beau Hunks, "Birdlife in the Bronx", Celebration on the Planet Mars

Oren Lavie, "Her Morning Elegance", The Opposite Side of the Sea

Radiohead, "Dollars & Cents", Amnesiac

Andrew Bird, "Privateer", Noble Beast

Beck, "Soldier Jane", The Information

Phileas, "Welcome", Spoken Word

4 Bonjour's Parties, "Magpie Will Peck A Hole In My Plaster Cast", Pilgrims Drift Down...

William Orbit, "Humming Chorus", Hello Waveforms

Bon Iver, "Woods", unreleased EP

Radiohead, "Let Down", OK Computer

Elbow, "Starlings", The Seldom Seen Kid

Andrew Bird, "ouo", Noble Beast

Andrew Bird, "Not A Robot, But A Ghost", Noble Beast

Lemon Jelly, "Nice Weather For Duck", Lost Horizons

~9:00

Mike Doughty, "Ways And Means", Rockity Roll

Sigur Ros w/ Dr Joseph Lowery's Benediction (full benediction here)

Mike Doughty, "Fort Hood", Golden Delicious

Feist, "Sealion Woman", The Reminder

Jamie Lidell, "Multiply", Mulitply

Dana Bryant, "Heavy Mellow", Wishing From The Top

Marc Broussard, "Yes We Can, Can", S.O.S Save Our Soul

Zero 7, "Salt Water Sound", Simple Things

Nina Simone, "Feeling Good", Verve Remixed

Beck, "Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime", Eternal Sunshine...

Mike Doughty, "I Wrote A Song About Your Car", Golden Delicious

Animal Collective, "My Girls", Merriweather Post Pavilion

Chatter box w/ "Baby Elephant Waltz" Upstairs At Larry's

More time travel...

Legend has it that Bessie Smith didn't need a microphone when she performed...that, even with a large ensemble of players, you could hear her voice clearly. Anywhere in the room. Even outside of the building where she was singing on the street. A big voice.

At least that's what Bobby Lounge told me, when I interviewed him for an npr story several years ago. Eccentric, reclusive, Bobby Lounge is worth his own blog post (at least one...)

But that will come in the future. For now, climb into this little Bessie Smith time machine (a youtube video) with its own anti-climactic, supa-highway weirdness. The machine: just a single shot of a record spinning....

When you get tired of looking, close your eyes and listen to the power of Bessie Smith's voice slicing from the distant past into your ear drums, taking you back...



Bessie Smith. A voice that cut through wax, walls and thick slabs of decadetime.

My favorite moments of this morning's ceremony...

God of our weary years
God of our silent tears
Thou who has brought us
thus far along the way
Thou who has by thy might
let us into the light
keep us forever in the path we pray
Lest our feet stray from the places our god
where we met thee
Lest our hearts drunk with the wine of the world,
we forget thee...

There were so many fine moments to watch. It's wonderful to have a president, once again, who has a way with words. Obama's speech was great, of course... (A wise friend of mine places it third in the pantheon of great inaugural speeches).

But it was Dr. Joseph Lowery's benediction that got me. Lowry words were eloquent and wise and funny and well-wrought. I love his old, leathery voice, and his choice of opening words from James Weldon Johnson.

Dip your cup into the deep wells of democracy and take a long, cool drink:

This explains a few things...

Caffeine linked to hallucinations.