New Hampshire college & LPFM stations

A brief guide to college, independent and LPFM radio stations in New Hampshire:


WUNH – 91.3 – Durham: University of New Hampshire – the granddaddy of all college radio in NH, this station has been on the air since at least the early 1970’s and has a fantastic digital signal with 6,000 watts reaching all of eastern and southeastern New Hampshire, northern Mass and southern Maine. http://www.wunh.org/.

WSCS – 90.9 – New London: Colby-Sawyer College – station where I have DJ’ed since 2000, sincere and energetic college radio for the Kearsarge Region of New Hampshire. www.colby-sawyer.edu/wscs

WPCR – 91.7 – Plymouth: Plymouth State University – commercial free listening as you drive North on 93 toward the White Mountains. Mostly hard rock but occasionally some classical! www.wpcr.edu

WKNH 91.3 – Keene: Keene State College – excellent variety and now broadcasting 24/7! www.wknh.org

WNEC 91.7 – Henniker: New England College – great little indie station broadcasting 24/7 with a wide range of tunes ... brought back to life by Chip Colcord and Dan Freese. Chip's show, Out of the Woods, can be heard on Fridays at 4 pm.

 WSPS 90.5 – Concord: Saint Paul’s School – an awesome variety of music, great signal, but often on automation! Live community oriented DJ’s would be appreciated! http://wsps.sps.edu WCNH - 94.7 - Concord NH - 80 watt classical music station heard mostly within Concord city limits. http://www.wcnh.org/

WXGR - 101.5 - Dover NH - Great tunes. Automated 24/7 but does broadcast "Democracy Now" http://www.wxgr.org/

WLLO - 102.9 - Londonderry NH: Automated mix of folk and rock music. Operated by the Londonderry School District.

WSCA – 106.1 – Portsmouth NH – the Seacoast's awesome low power fm community station! www.wscafm.org


WFPC-LP 105.3 in Rindge NH operated by Franklin Pierce University - I don't know anything about this station!
and across the state line into Vermont ...

WOOL - 100.1 - fantastic community station based in Bellows Falls VT with local program hosts bringing the airwaves to the community and the community to the airwaves. www.wool.fm

Small Mountain Bear

One of the joys of being a DJ at a college radio station (WSCS) is rummaging through the stacks and discovering something totally new and wondrous. Small Mountain Bear definitely fits both adjectives.

In this promo cd, Will Read has collected twelve original songs, each with its own musical sensibility. There is an occasional homage to Paul Simon or the Kings of Convenience on this cd but in the context of Read's skillful songwriting and musicianship and indie folk/pop ethos, this is a good thing. From the opening "Untitled (Spy Song)" with both acoustic and wah wah guitars, cymbals and catchy melody / chorus, I knew I was in for a treat. In the true indie spirit, the artist distributes his music for free via downloads on his website. How cool is that?

Listen up at www.smallmountainbear.com

A word from Larry Knutson ... thank you so much!

Just ran into this three year old blog entry concerning WSLE in Peterboro, NH. I was the night shift DJ with that station, from 1977 to early 1979. Joel Gray (Music Director) was morning drive, Tim Tobin (Program Director) was mid-day, and Ken McKay was afternoon drive time. Debra Budreaux (sp?) was the Station and Sales Manager and Fritz Weatherbee the News Director and personality in his own right. WSLE was the first of the true east coast Indie Stations. Yes, WNEW in NYC was the major metro rules ground-breaker, and later the Boston Phoenix station was incredible. However, the Boston station's format was clearly a knock off of what Tim Tobin put together at WSLE. I can remember doing the night show, many times, when a national artist would "stop by" his/her favorite east coast station, WSLE. Taj Mahal, Bonnie Raitt, Noel Paul Stookey, Dr. John, Jorma Kaukonen, George Thorogood, Bob Weir,,,,those jump to memory immediately, but there were MANY more incredible visits and experiences in that little studio in Southern N.H. It's nice to see that someone still remembers those halcyon early days of free-form radio, which didn't last long, but arguably formed some of the bedrock for today's web based stations, such as Folk Alley and Radio Paradise.

Travel Well friends,
Larry Knutson
WSLE 1977-1979

Release of the Summer 2010 ... Ryan Kickland's "The Mountain"

Wow. I'm determined to revive this blog after way too long a hiatus. Might only get to post every so often ... so rather than posting a release of the month I am presenting a Release of the Season this time around.

One of the reasons I am excitied to revive the blog is a promo cd that I generously received from Ryan Kickland. If the Decembrists Hazards of Love is a rock opera, then Ryan Kickland's The Mountain is a folk opera that rocks. The songs follow a natural arc, the story of transformation of one man in communion with the natural world. Kickland's songs are simultaneously universal and intensely personal. His music is wonderfully masculine, as the musician calls forth this inner magician, warrior, king and lover. One doesn't stumble across music this deep very often - the "Songbread / Another Ocean" lp by Bird By Snow comes to mind, yet only in the sense that both lps involve rich imagery and unique voices telling it "how it is" from the soul.

Now more than ever we need to embrace our place in the natural world. Humanity is not different from nature, but an essential part of the ecosystem. How we navigate our place in the natural world will impact our survival as a species, and the overall health of what is left of our environment. Journeys like The Mountain may tip the scales in the direction of personal and environmental healing.

For more information visit www.kickland.com

First post in 100 years!!!

Okay ... maybe not *that* long ... but close enough

A free radio friend tells me that there are two new radio programs from early to mid 2000's shortwave pirate stations posted at the website below ... so I'm getting the word out!

Mystery Science Radio (2010 Episode 1):
http://www.mediafire.com/?9gihehqot3sqis5

Purple Nucleus of Creation (2010 Episode 1):
http://www.mediafire.com/?rwf0r2urb275xv0

DJ Frederick's top two internet sites for buying music

1. CD BABY – CD Baby was started by one man, Derek Sivers, a musician who was asked by a few friends to sell their cds on the his band’s website. CD Baby now distributes music by over 80,000 artists. Every imaginable genre is represented, and I have personally found some of the most intriguing and obscure indie music on the planet via CD Baby. There are numerous payment options, reasonably priced cds, and the cds arrive fast. There really *is* a whole world to explore. www.cdbaby.com


2. DUSTYGROOVE - funk, soul, rock, jazz, cds, lps, 45's ... what's not to love? Dustygroove is part of the indie / lesser-known music camp ... exceptional service, selection and prices. If I don't stop now I'll sound like a commercial.

http://www.dustygroove.com/

Guitar Soli - Wayfaring Strangers

The Numero Group returns with more obscure beauty. Expanding their distinctive quality, Rob Sevier and company resound tastefully yet again,

but with a new reissue direction for a new year. Further strengthening their contention that esoteric is better, Wayfaring Strangers: Guitar Soli pulls selectively from the 15 transformative years between two guitar paradigms — American Primitive Guitar of the Sixties and New Age of the Eighties — showcasing lesser known innovators who challenged the narrative depths found in a 6 or 12 string guitar.

The song selection maps fingerstyle’s frontiers from 1966-1981, suggesting Numero as a label retrospectively in discussion with John Fahey’s Takoma Records and William Ackerman’s Windham Hill Records. Likewise, the life stories painstakingly detailed in Guitar Soli’s spirited 40-page booklet affirm the authenticity of the players alongside their compositions, thereby acknowledging both the stylistic traditions and regional environments that nurtured such songwriting — idiosyncratic American locales like Northern California or rural Wisconsin. From Ted Lucas playing sitar on Motown records to Brad Chequer never making it past Windham Hill’s slush pile, these literally unsung songs and players had a tangible presence in their day.

More than anything, Guitar Soli embodies a latter-day American folk aesthetic, when impressions of a changed and changing society evolved into verve and musical self-discovery. For instance, listen to this compilation’s bookends — two haunting compositions by Dana Westover and Dwayne Cannan — that function as Guitar Soli’s overtures, and yet feel just too powerful to be mere ruminations. Thriving on complementary opposites, these songs linger loudly and quietly, the players sounding out a self-determination that surely includes loneliness. The 14 voices on Guitar Soli shimmer with 14 personalized guitar stylings, each marked by an independence in composition through discipline and mastery.

Essential Listening #2

What??!!! Three Dog Night???!!!

I was watching an episode of "Lost" a few months ago when in a critical scene this song cranked over my speakers and once again into my consciousness after many years. The lyrics are spiritually healing and uplifting - a rarity in the music industry.

Wash away my trouble
Wash away my pain
With the rain in shambala
Everyone is helpful
Everyone is kind
on the road to shambala
How does your light shine
in the halls of shambala?

Since when has a pop song expressed this essence of hopefulness? Listen, immerse, and enjoy.

Essential Listening #1

I've decided to take a break from doing a "Release of the Month" for April and instead pose the question: if I had to grab a record or three from a burning building, what would they be? High on the priority list would be this 7" vinyl released by Bruce Licher's Independent Project Records back in the early 1990's in miniscule amounts. Half String's Oval / Sun Less Sea are sonic journeys that stay embedded in your consciousness. Sun Less Sea is one of my favorite songs of all time - starting off with a meandering but melodic jangly guitar line and building to a wall of sound crescendo that shows you how to soar with the gods before drifting slowly back into the atmosphere. Pure bliss. You could get lost here.

Release of the Month: February 2007 - North Sea Radio Orchestra

How can you *not* love a UK musical collective that call themselves the North Sea Radio Orchestra? Their name conjures images of staticy shortwave radio signals, rain-battered ships and formidable waves. Their music conjures images of a different nature - clean, well-lighted, intimate theaters and performance spaces. Neo-classical in tone, with a healthy mix of instrumentals and vocal based songs, North Sea Radio Orchestra is a rare gem ... akin to the American based neo-classical group Rachel's. Is it pretentious? If quiet is the new loud, this cd roars.

Release of the Month: January 2007 - The Harpeth Trace On Disappearing

Following the eloquent and exceptional debut EP "Man and the Cousin", The Harpeth Trace has released a gem of haunting folk and psychedelia. In my mind's eye, I imagine the band rolling into a cramped studio around 3 am to start recording sessions in the quiet cloak of night. In fact, the word nocturnal comes to mind when swimming through their slowbeat haze of guitar, drums and bass. On Disappearing is the perfect title for the meditative, blues-tinged quality of Harpeth Trace's first full length cd ... one can almost fade into the shadows and silences in these songs. Not that The Harpeth Trace can't rock out ... as they do on "The Numbers in Your Hair".

All of their song titles are impressionistic, with hints of the Clientele's wordsmithing --- but The Harpeth Trace is uniquely it's own band, defying reference points. With On Disappearing they have created a masterpiece that flows and works its magic from track to track --- the way an album was meant to be listened to.

Release of the Month: October 2007 - PIRATE RADIO USA

If you've searched for Pirate Radio related documentaries on film, you'll know that less than a handful exist- if you can unearth them. They don't exactly atract lucritive distribution deals and glowing reviews from the mainstream press. Just in time to save us from the tedious monotony of this year's films, B-Side has released Pirate Radio USA on DVD.

DJ Him and DJ Her take bring the viewer on a live tour of the underground world of unlicensed broadcasting in America. Radio Davids battle Media Goliaths and find out the real price of freedom. This film immediately connects with the audience - the hosts are friendly, have a retro sense of humor, and know their subject intimately - they have been pirate radio operators for many years. Pirate Radio USA covers almost a decade from the 1996 Broadcast Act which spawned unprecidented media consolidation into the hands of a few mega corporations. DJ Him and Her narrate their personal quest to connect with other pirate radio stations, document the micro-radio coverage of the World trade Organization protests in Seattle, and educate us on the finer points of why free radio is so important to communites. This film is far from fair & balanced - but then, corporate media and the National Association of Broadcasters have million dollar lobbyists & countless media platforms from which to shout their stories.

I have a simple formula for whether a documentary is worth my time. Does the film hold my attention? Does it stimulate learning? Pirate Radio USA achieves both, proving that you don't need a budget to present an entertaining film on topics ignored by mainstream media.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled blog.

Release of the Month September 2007: Hobbyhorse - Break In the Clouds

This wonderful album opens with the swirling sustain of an organ, lilting percussion (bodhran?) quiet, precise guitar and earthy vocals & builds from there. Traditional in one sense, quietly experimental in others, Hobbyhorse's Break in the Clouds embodies the magic that is woven in the art of folk music - and by folk music I mean music that is authentic, spirited & manifest from the love of creation rather than 'music industry' profit motive. Each song is a delight of discovery.

Hobbyhorse is Annie Aronson and Phil Campbell. They have created an online music & art community at www.hobbyhorsecafe.com - an experience of sound and vision to explore and enjoy ... an online space to envision yourself sipping the most delicious cup of tea surrounded by mesmerizing beauty.

Ringing Down the Years

Oh man. I was borned & razed in manchester new hampshire and managed to drop out of high school while I could still think for myself. As soon as I got my hands on a friend's car I remember haunting the local record shops of Southern NH and Northern MA looking for unknown (to me) bands and obscurities. One day I found a 7" vinyl by Jonee Earthquake Band. I recognized Jonee from manchester, and thought - I have to buy this. One listen confirmed I was right - it was a slice of pure guitar joy, a rockin' rave-up ode to vinyl records called Black Plastic and a reggae tinged tune called Batten Down the Hatches.

While digging through the vinyl archives at WNEC, where I somehow hold the miraculous title of Community Program Director, I came across four vinyl gems by Jonee & krew. Looking up the interweb I discovered his website & sent a few dineros for some very inexpensive cds. Holy fuck, local punk/folk music lives with a vengeance. This dude is a still a brilliant songwriter, and thats no shit - one listen to "Up With Piracy" and I'd discovered a theme song for Seldom Heard Radio. As long as no one listening to WNEC turns me in to the FCC. Or as long as no wizard turns me into the FCC. There are worse fates but I can't think of them at the moment. Read this: FU FCC. Thanks for stealing our airwaves and selling them to Clear Channel, etc.

Cruise over to joneeearthquake.com. Don't be such a recluse like ye olde DJ here, go see a show, or at least fork over some bucks for some cds. Most of them include bonus tracks by other bands.

Release of the Month May 2007 - The Christ Tree

My personal history with religion is checkered at best. I was raised a mainstream protestant christian, had brushes with the Unification Church and born-again fundamentalism, converted to anglican catholicism and had a brief existance as a third order monastic, became an atheist after some emotional upheaval, then finally a quiet pagan. Now, I believe that there is no way that god and goddess don't exist (oops, double negative) ... God as We Understand God To Be is too deep to fit inside one limited set of beliefs called a religion.

Imagine my delight upon hearing The Trees Community The Christ Tree and not just tolerating the christian references, but revelling in them. This is music like no other - meditative, prayerful, organic, joyous, ponderous, a full-on masterpiece of the mid 1970's era. From the Trees Community's website: "80 Acoustic instruments and more are nestled in the Christ Tree. Starting with an initial collection of Indian Sitar, Tamboura and drums, Venezuelan folk harp, American Guitar, French Flute, Austrian Zither and Tibetan Gongs, we began to add more and more instruments. Everywhere we went people gave us full blown instruments or noise makers, ranging from finger cymbals to Japanese Koto; from African Belanji to American Dulcimer".

I only wish I had been adventurous and purchased the 4 cd box set before it went out of print. This one cd version includes:

1. Psalm 42

2. The Parable of the Mustard Seed

3. Psalm 45

4. Invocation (O Little Town of Bethlehem)

5. Village Orchestra

6. Jesus He Knows

7. I Will Not Leave You Comfortless

8. Chant for Pentecost

9. Psalm 46

10. Bird Song

11.Lift Your Weary Hand

12.Your Name...is an ointment poured forth

13.Raga*

14.Psalm44

15. Annunciation

16. Symphony of Souls*

17. Baptism

18. There is Such a Love...that steals into the heart, planting a kiss on deep wounds

* previously unreleased, not included on the box set

Praise the Lord and pass the headphones. Pray that more recordings are forthcoming from this psychedelic christian commune. For more information see www.somedarkholler.com

Release of the Month April 2007 - Kevin Hume

This morning I listened to a cd that inspired me to start a new feature on this blog & in my radio broadcasts ("Release of the month") that may inspire me to update this blog more frequently.

When the first track started spinning in my cd player, my musical attention was immediately caught, probably for the first time since New Year's ... and I have listened to a lot of new releases since then. Warm morning sunlight filtered through my windshield as I drove South on Route 89 toward work. At first I thought ... this is curiously different, then a few moments later ... wow, this is closing in on sustained brilliance. I was transported back to the first time I'd heard the Penguin Cafe Orchestra more than 20 years ago --- hearing something that felt entirely fresh, a blush of discovery. Kevin Hume's The Truth About Ants and Aphids is an astonishing piece of work ... musically adventurous in every respect. His music weaves in elements of guitar, mandolin, glockenspiel (my favorite instrument of late), cello, violin, harp, flute, trumpets ... these songs embody both the fragile beauty of Spring and the melancholy haze of night. Thematically coherant yet transcending boundaries of folk, jazz, and classical music, The Truth About Ants & Aphids is easily one of the most intriguing releases of the year ... one that will receive numerous spins (all tracks!) on my WSCS and WNEC broadcasts.

Check out www.premiumfantasymusic.com for more information.

Sound of Birds

Sound of Birds has released a generous sixteen track
cd of "home demos & such" with beautifully crafted songwriting by Michael Red. The atmosphere on Home Demos & Such ranges from acoustic meditations to bone-crunching downtempo melancholy. This band takes shoegazing one step further - right through the stage floor. A DIY ethic infuses this CD with incredible energy.
This cd is one to listen to in the late nights or hushed mornings.

For more information visit myspace.com/soundofbirds.

Little Somebody Records

The psychedelic folk underground / aboveground / forest is alive with voices, guitars and bells. I'm just discovering Little Somebody Records, an independent label that has birthed releases by Arrowwood, The Joy of Nature, and novemthree.


Given time I may write more in depth reviews of these releases, in the interim, when you emerge from the mists, log onto http://www.myspace.com/littlesomebody for a delighful sample for the ears. Little Somebody Records plans releases by Cloud Temple & Green Mistletoe among others. We are truly blessed with new music of the woods.

The Boy With A Broken Leg

More proof that the revolution won't necessarily be broadcast, televised, or brought to you by corporate music industry behemoths. The Boy With A Broken Leg is from Lisbon, Portugal & a unique voice in the realm of indie music. His recordings feature hushed voices, otherworldly melodies, waking dreamscapes and an abundance of songwriting craft. I'm looking forward to introducing listeners to his music on my radio broadcasts.





For information & song samples check out
http://www.myspace.com/theboywithabrokenleg

Nobody and the Mystic Chords of Memory

Recently I have been exploring new worlds of 7" vinyl and songs & sounds that delight my esoteric ears. One outstanding discovery is the new 7" single by Nobody and the Mystic Chords of Memory released on Earsugar Records http://earsugar.com.

These two songs "Memory" and "Broaden a New Sounds" are glimpses into their forthcoming cd Tree Colored See. Nobody (DJ Elvin Estella) collaborates with the Mystic Chords of Memory (Jen Cohen and Christ Gunst) on a sunshine-soaked folk pop masterpiece. If these two songs are any indication, the forthcoming cd will be timeless and a must have for any psychedelic pop music affectionado. Gunst's vocals are dreamy to the point where they float unassumingly over an immaculately balanced production while Nobody blends in bubbling shuffles of percussion as subtly as possible. Pure bliss.

Seldom Heard Radio special broadcast on shortwave!

A special broadcast of Seldom Heard Radio will be heard on shortwave in Europe on 6240 kHZ this coming week via Jolly Roger Radio International in Ireland. Thank you Joe Vincent! The photo at right is part of JRRI's broadcast studio. More shortwave transmissions will hopefully be forthcoming!

Shine On You Crazy Diamond

Late last week, the planet lost another light warrior.

Author, peace advocate, film producer, spiritual seeker, father, lover and friend Steve Diamond moved on to another dimension. Steve was a nomadic ambassador of spiritual devlopment, an original member of the Liberation News Service and co-founder of a long running New Age commune in northwestern Massachusetts, which he chronicled in his 1972 book What The Trees Said - Life on a New Age Farm.

Rather than type a lot of words that can not possibly express my deepest feelings for the wonderful soul that Steve is, please check out his essay The Wand and the Lake at www.colorwheeljournal.blogspot.com.

Safe journey and many blessings, Steve. I know that wherever you are, you're shining.

an interview with Josh of The Harpeth Trace

Independent bands like the amazing The Harpeth Trace are a major reason why I broadcast on radio and publish this blog - to play lesser known music over the airwaves that needs to be heard & to share information among the alternative radio community. I am working on the capacity to host on-air interviews with musicians and indie media folks (the technology at both WNEC and WSCS is primitive at best - kind of the way I like it!) so please stay tuned as this effort evolves over the coming semester. In the interim, written interviews will continue to appear in this blog.

Thankfully Josh Kasselman from The Harpeth Trace agreed to a written interview for the Seldom Heard Radio blog:

DJ Frederick: What are the origins of your band’s name (The Harpeth Trace)?

Josh: My family lived on Harpeth Trace Drive in Nashville for a couple of years when I was growing up. It's got to be one of the most unwieldy band names ever, but I like to think it's memorable--even if it doesn't exactly roll off the tongue.

DJ Frederick: How did your band form? What has the creative process been like for songwriting and arrangements?

Josh: Rune (bass) and I were in a band called Boxing for a number of years, and Rob (drums) was very nearly brought on as the drummer of that band when we needed a replacement. It didn't pan out (he was in another band at the time and the schedules didn't jive), but we'd always run into him at shows and it seemed pretty likely to me that we'd work with him at some point. When Boxing split, The Harpeth Trace formed very gradually, with people drifting in and out. It's been organic if not immediate, and the lineup is continuing to evolve. For Man and the Cousin, I basically wrote the songs on guitar and then everyone chipped in ideas for parts and arrangements. Pretty standard. We completely lucked out and found a private recording studio (complete with dusty piano) that we rent by the month, so we had the luxury of trying lots of different stuff without having to pay for studio time by the hour. We recorded everything ourselves onto an 8-track cassette deck, which is what I've used to record just about everything I've ever done. I love the thing dearly.

DJ Frederick: What are your current projects & future plans for the Harpeth Trace?

Josh: We have a new addition to the band, a fella named Barry. He plays a variety of instruments and brings a tremendously open approach to songwriting and arranging with him. It's been a huge shot in the arm, and we're currently wading through all the new material we've come up with in the month or two he's been around. We hope there's an LP in there. Probably there is. In the meantime, we're just putting out Man and the Cousin in mid-January, so we're going to tour a bit in support of that.

DJ Frederick: What are your thoughts on the state of radio in the United States?

Josh: Heh. Uhhh… well, I think satellite radio is the most interesting point of discussion. On one hand, the breadth of stations allows for a more individualized approach to broadcasting. However, there's surely a danger that such a specialized approach might create narrow-minded listeners. Still, I can't see it being any worse a prospect than what we have now; save a few college and community stations--whose playlists are growing increasingly similar if you ask me--the radio is pretty much pointless. I guess I still get my news from NPR.

There's the obvious rant about payola and about the commercial stations being too scared to take a chance on anything. But the scary thing is when you look at it on a smaller scale… It's nearly impossible for an independent artist to get widespread college radio play anymore unless they can afford to hire the same promoters that the other larger indie labels use. It's like a JV version of what happens on commercial radio. Ahem, sorry to get so bleak on you. Thanks for the forum.

Editor's note: The Harpeth Trace debut EP grows more intricate with each listening. For more information on ordering Man and the Cousin check out the band's website at www.theharpethtrace.com

The Harpeth Trace

The Harpeth Trace
Man & The Cousin EP
2005 Robert Barry Construction Associates

1. Cottontail
2. A Letter to the Room
3. The Man & The Cousin
4. Ghost and You Know it



I first listened to The Harpeth Trace while driving into town on an overcast pre-dawn morning after little sleep the night before. This cd has rarely left my stereo in the handful of days since. Mercurial and dreamy, these songs are infused with mystery. "A Letter to the Room" starts off uptempo like a Clientele riff then flows into jazzy territory. "The Man & The Cousin" opens with delicately strummed guitar, reverb soaked vocals, and melodica & piano drifting in on a minor key that feels rooted in traditional blues and folk. By the fourth track "Ghost and You Know It" this DJ was fully under the spell of The Harpeth Trace's creative energy. Man & The Cousin EP is available for purchase from www.theharpethtrace.com

Voice of the Seven Woods

One of the most beautiful 7" vinyl releases in memory, Voice of the Seven Woods is perfect for contemplating winter. The four pieces feature acoustic guitar backed with minimal but effective percussion.

Five eventful summers have passed since the young Rick Tomlinson stumbled in to Manchester's vivid musical landscape as a vinyl hungry psyched-out sidekick to Andy Votel and Dom Thomas on their formative Twisted Nerve radio show. Rick, a self taught musician, has since drawn influence from an oblique archive of obscure LPs and bizzare instruments and forged his own unique approach to making music. A potent mixture of krautrock, folk, jazz, tropicalia and Welsh progressive rock has seduced stalwarts of Manchester's alternative music scene into countless collaborations with Rick. Various impromptu appearances at local folk clubs have earned Rick a reputation amongst mainstays of the folk scene such as John Renbourne who recently asked Rick to accompany him on future live appearances.

This debut EP can be ordered from www.voiceofthesevenwoods.com.

Mini Review: The Anvil - The Gush

In the past decade, artists such as Matt Valentine and Ben Chasney (Six Organs of Admittance) have opened the door for experiemental folk-blues-psychedelic ragas and song stylings. Fortunate for us. The next wave of musical creations is flowing ...

The Anvil is UK musician Matthew Fullwood, who has recorded a beautiful, shifting collection of psychedelic excursions. Throughout this recording, he uses guitar, bells, percussion, organ, piano and other instruments to amazing effect. These songs drone in places, melodies weave in and around subtle drums, guitar scales, and hushed vocals. There are hints of woodlands, and an earthy rhythm of another time.


From the Woven Wheat Whispers write-up: This album will appeal to fans of 60s psychedelic folk, experimental acoustic, psychedelia and modern folk song. It’s influences range broadly and are too numerous to mention but we certainly haven’t heard many bands who fuse them so well and evolving from that a music which is an expression of their own creativity.

The Gush is available for download from the excellent Woven Wheat Whispers music service at
www.wovenwheatwhispers.co.uk

Mini Review: Phantom Dog Beneath the Moon - In a Light

available as a download from www.wovenwheatwhispers.co.uk

When driving home from work recently, listening to Phantom Dog Beneath the Moon and in danger of slipping into a state of dissociated reverie, a voice in my head intoned (maybe it was Carl Jung's?) "This is music of the guaze psyche."

Phantom Dog Beneath the Moon pulls one into the netherworld with hints of isolation, yet also celebration of the self, the charting of the inner world. The nine songs that comprise "In a Light" are wrapped in guitar and synth and awash with ethereal male vocals. From the Woven Wheat Whispers website: "This is modern folk trying to find its way home through the fog of communication signals and electronic transmissions"

Perfect ghost radio music. What's the frequency, Aaron?

Eye Candy Zine / Sweet Candy Distro

Eye Candy Zine is the ironically named zine created by Sage Adderley. While this publication is visually appealing, it is much more than eye candy.

The Fall 2005 issue is titled "Community" and features an interview with writer Niku of Radical South & other projects, an interview with Jennifer, organizer of Southern Swag Market, articles by Sage Adderley, Kenneth Hickey and other, and also a selection of poetry! 36 half-sized pages in all. Eye Candy is available from Sweet Candy Distro, Sage's excellent distro service. Click on www.eyecandyzine.com for more info. It is very reassuring to discover zines of this quality that feature a diversity of articles, writing and art related to DIY and community endeavors.

In Julia's Mind Scene - an interview

Samhain has passed & November is upon us. Already I am considering writing a "best releases of 2005" list for the Seldom Heard Radio blog and guaranteed to be included is In Julia's Mind Scene.

Their music blends folk rock with psychedelic and progressive florishes to create a timeless recording that feels right at home in 1970 or 2005.

In Julia's Mind Scene is comprised of: Mark Versteegen on acoustic guitar and vocals; Gijs van der Heijden (piano and electric guitar); Niels van Heuman (trumpet and flugelhorn); Pitrik Koeerts (bass) and Martijn Buser playing drums, percussion and vocals.

This old indie radio DJ recently flew his private pirate station in the sky lear jet to the Netherlands for an exclusive interview with Martijn. Oh, alright - it was via e-mail.

DJ Frederick: What was the inspiration / history behind forming In Julia's Mind-Scene?

Martijn: The first version of the band came together in 2000, then named The Colossal Heads of Magican County. This group was leaded by Mark Versteegen, Niels van Heumen and Martijn Buser. We wanted to form an ensemble with musicians moving in and out, and with a big ‘hello’ to Godspeed You Black Emperor! Unfortunately the idea didn’t work out well, so the nine members split up. Mark and Niels stayed in contact playing acoustic guitars and trumpet. In 2001 Martijn rejoined the group which was then named In Julia’s Mind-Scene.

With fingerpickin’ acoustic guitar, trumpet and drums we were searching for a double bass-player, the right instrument for the intimate songs which were mostly written by Mark and some from Niels. At first we wanted to make beautiful songs just to please ourselves, but in the end we wanted to let them hear to others. And we’re glad we did! We wanted to record the songs and did so in September 2004. The double bass-player is not with us anymore, but since October 2004 we have a piano-player (Gijs van der Heijden) and a new bass-player (Pitrik Koerts). Now we want to make music which we can play live. We want to touch ourselves with our music, we want to be inventive, not making music which is already recorded. Not that we are an experimental band (we still want to touch other people) but the groups individuals create something which is more that the sum of our influences. Now we’re very ambitious. We want to play more live, record more material and want to be a household name in the Netherlands. And we hope we can play outside the Netherlands as well!

DJ Frederick: Where does your wonderful band name come from?

Martijn: The name In Julia’s Mind-Scene was made up by me. The name was in my head one day. I have all of these crazy names (The Colossal Heads of Magican County was also made up by me). We know it doesn’t actually mean something in English, but is sounds beautiful when pronounced. Maybe Julia is a beautiful girl, I hope we’ll meet her once.

DJ Frederick: Who are some of your musical influences?

Martijn: The debut-record was produced by Mark, Niels, Daniël (the double bass- player) and Martijn. As we were only with four people, our inspiration for this record ranged from Nick Drake and John Fahey to Talk Talk and Chet Baker. With the new band we have a great classical pianist/arranger (Gijs) and a fusion-minded bass-player (Pitrik), which makes our music more diverse then before. Fingerpickin’ folk, postrock, jazz, krauthop, hiphop, minimal music, Belgian-styled popmusic, country and singer/songwriter are some of our influences right now.

DJ Frederick: What have your live gigs been like?

Martijn: Live the band is expanded with violin and tenor sax, which means we play with seven people. Our live-performances are getting better every time we play, and the audience is really listening to our songs. But that depends on what kind of stage or venue be perform of course. From May on we’ve played seven times and in January we’ll be doing four acoustic sessions in the Netherlands and Belgium. I hope the audience will like that too. You can listen online to three tracks which were recorded live on September the 15th and which will be recorded for the second album: http://antenne.zomp.nl/platenspeler.php?type=2.

DJ Frederick: What plans does the band have for gigging and recording over the next few months?

Martijn: Well, it’s going to be a hell of a time. We’ll record our second album this December, and we hope we can release it somewhere in April or May. We hope we can promote our album in April, May and June in the Netherlands and Belgium and play lots of gigs. We will also release two EP’s with collaborations with two Dutch acts, Machinefabriek and qrter. The first one will be something like Krauthop, the second one with more The Books-minded electronics. We also have an impro-session recorded and hope we can release that as well. In July and August the band will travel to Spain and we hope we have enough material to record the third longplayer and release that in October or November. And when you think that’s enough there’ll also be an EP with a singer/songwriter called Alexis Vos. This record with 5 songs was recorded last August and will be released sometime in the new year.

DJ Frederick: Have you found that there is an audience for indie music in the Netherlands? Do you get any radio airplay or support?

Martijn: There ís an audience for independent music. Last May and September we played for about 150 people and we get lots of attention in Utrecht. We know the music-scene in Utrecht is supporting us. They play us regularly on the local radio-station. This support in Utrecht makes us more aware that we have chances outside of Utrecht! But then again, you have to do it yourself all the way. But like we said earlier: we are ambitious!

DJ Frederick: There's no question that In Julia's Mind Scene is ambitious and this DJ looks forward to the forementioned recordings.

Check out www.injuliasmindscene.nl for more information!

Venice Is Sinking - an interview

Positive energy and vibrant enthusiasm abound in the new cd-ep by Georgia band Venice is Sinking, a split cd with the band What We Do Is Secret recently released by One Percent Press (www.onepercentpress.com).

Venice Is Sinking is Daniel Lawson on vocals and guitar, Steve Miller on bass, Lucas Jensen on drums, Karolyn Troupe on viola and vocals, and Alex Thibadeaux on keyboards. Their music is infused with crafted songwriting, gorgeous vocals and harmonies, and seamless musicianship. It’s criminal that bands this excellent don’t get much radio exposure, which is significant part aspect of why I produce Seldom Heard Radio in the first place – to play a small role in turning adventurous listeners on to music they may not have otherwise discovered.

I made a conscious decision only to promote and review music, radio stations, zines & other media in this blog that are engaging & that that I enjoy immensely. Lucas and Daniel kindly consented to an interview for this blog, for which I am grateful!

DJ Frederick: Tell me about the song Pulaski Heights and the making of the video that is on your website (I personally found the imagery of the television everywhere very effective)

Daniel: The video was shot and directed by our friends Chris Poules and Tim Hayden of Wow!Bang!Science! Productions. The filming was done over the course of a few days spread out over two weeks. Chris and Tim did the editing in one 24 hour session in an attempt to meet a deadline that we later found out had been extended. Most of the video was shot in and around the Pulaski Heights neighborhood in Athens, Ga. We trespassed on a construction site for the final shots. The cops showed up but kept driving. It was fun. The lyrics to the song are about losing your keys and breaking into your apartment a 4:00 am.

Lucas: I can tell you that I've never changed my drum part once on that song. That was probably the quickest collaboration processes we've ever had. Daniel just brought in that wah-wah-wah thing at the beginning and it seems like the song finished itself. To be fair, the song is the same chords over and over again and my drum part is pretty basic. The title, "Pulaski Heights," refers to the neighborhood in which the band originally practiced, more or less, and I think that all of us have great memories of our times there, drinking mimosas at three in the afternoon and hitting golf balls at trains. But I can't remember who came up with the idea for the TVs in the video. I think Tim and Chris, the directors, came up with that. I thought it was funny. I decided that I would be cutting would with a Skil Saw. That's about it.

DJ Frederick: Tell me a little about the process of collaboration among the band members and is everyone as cool and eccentric sounding as on the website bios?

Lucas: Well, I would say that none of us is very cool, except maybe Steve. Eccentric maybe. I like a lot of George Michael/Wham records. Is that eccentric? It's surely not cool. As you can probably guess, those bios are a little, um, embellished.

As far as collaboration goes, it works like this: first we consecrate the blood of seven Melanesian virgins. Then we call on Az'grodnok, He of the Third Phase of the Destructors.

I kid, I kid. Actually, collaboration for us is a pretty easy process. Usually Daniel brings in the bare-bones idea for a song: riffs, melodies,keyboard hooks, and the like. Then we sort of jam our way through it and Karolyn and Daniel work out the harmonies and lyrics and stuff. Lyrics are usually the last thing added. Steve's pretty good at figuring out amazing bass parts at the beginning. It's actually not that long of a process for us...it's just getting around to doing it at practice. It's never been contentious.

Daniel: When we first started we weren’t really a band at all. We started out just meeting at a friend’s house at 666 Pulaski Street and improvising. We were much more experimental back then. Eventually, I started bringing in pop songs I had been working on and it went from there. Everyone added their own parts and everything got much more structured. Nowadays, we write songs as a band which is nice. It’s actually a lot like when we first started.

DJ Frederick: How are you promoting your music and how successful has that been?

Daniel: We try to play out of town as much as possible and so far the response has been pretty good. We put songs on the internet for people to hear and things like that. Once our record comes out in March we plan on doing a lot more in the promotion department.

Lucas: We haven't really started promoting stuff beyond small tours and some local and internet press, but we are planning a big campaign starting soon that will last through March, when our full-length is slated to come out. I am a publicist, so that's handy. Hopefully we will find some success.

DJ Frederick: What are your feelings on the state of radio in the US?

Daniel: The only radio I listen to anymore is NPR and certain shows on AM radio. Sometimes I listen to the local college radio station which can be great and sometimes can be annoying. The rest of the dial is pretty bleak though. I think satellite radio is amazing and overwhelming at the same time.I think podcasting is pretty interesting though I really don’t know much about it.

Lucas: Radio in the US? What kind of radio? I like the top 40 stations, to be honest, because they don't claim to be anything else than what they are. I don't want to hear Creed on classic rock radio and Dave FM...well that's just a stupid name. There are exciting new developments in the world of podcasting, the Jack format, and more, but I think that people forget that college radio, however amateur, has been educating and providing great radio in most markets in America for quite some time. I'm a major college radio devotee. Actually, I listen to a lot of AM radio, and, let me tell you, it's as crazy as ever.

DJ Frederick: What is your band doing in the upcoming few months for gigs, recording, etc?

Lucas: We're hoping to record some new songs for an EP. I have this idea about creating new songs completely out of loops, like the band Menomena. We have a bunch of out-of-town gigs coming up, so there's that. And of course the eventual release of our first LP, tentatively titled Pig Manure Mash Up.

Daniel: We’re taking off for most of December to work on new songs for our next release and to start promoting our full length record which should be out in March. We can’t wait to start recording again, it’s been way too long since we’ve been in the studio.

Editors note: Venice Is Sinking have a visually stunning website with sound samples, the video for Pulaski Heights, band bios & more at www.veniceissinking.net.

Paul Pena 1950 - 2005

I'm sad to report that Paul passed away Saturday October 1, 2005 in the early evening at his apartment in San Francisco. He'd been through a long battle with Pancreatitis and Diabetes. This is a huge loss for all of us.

Thanks to the documentary film, Genghis Blues, Paul Pena is now known and appreciated throughout the world for his amazing accomplishments as a musician, particularly for having taught himself the techniques of traditional Tuvan singing.

Paul Pena was born on January 26, 1950 in Hyannis, MA, the oldest child of Jack and Virginia Pena. His grandparents came from the Cape Verde Islands off the west coast of Africa. He was born with congenital glaucoma. When he was five, he began school at the Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown (a suburb of Boston). He graduated in 1967 and then attended Clark University in Worcester, MA.

As a young child, Paul soon showed his talent for music. His mother heard him picking out melodies and chords on a baby grand piano that had been found in the town dump and brought home, 'as a toy that a blind child might enjoy.' He developed 'perfect pitch.' Soon Paul was studying the piano, guitar, upright bass, violin and 'a little trumpet.' He played and sang popular jazz and Cape Verdian ballads with his father, a professional jazz musician, and also sang in his school choruses. Paul appeared in a talent show, and while in college, performed in coffeehouses in Worcester.

In 1969, Paul played in the Newport Folk Festival 'in the Contemporary Composer's Workshop with such people as James Taylor, Joni Mitchell and Kris Kristofferson.' In 1971, Paul moved to San Francisco and recorded his first marketed record for Capital Records, which was released in 1973.

In his musical career Paul played with many of the blues greats, John Lee Hooker, B.B. King, Muddy Waters, Mississippi Fred McDowell, 'Big Bones,' and T. Bone Walker. His song, 'Jet Airliner,' recorded by the Steve Miller Band, was a hit in the 1970s. Another album, recorded by Bearsville Records, was never released.

During this period Paul's wife, Babe, suffered kidney failure. Paul gave up his musical career at that point in order to take care of her. She died in 1991. He suffered greatly from her loss.

Paul first heard a fragment of harmonic singing on a shortwave Radio Moscow broadcast on December 29, 1984 and he was so struck by it, he spent almost eight years trying to track down its source. In 1991 he was finally able to locate a recording of Tuvan music and taught himself the vocal techniques known as 'Khoomei, Sygyt, and Kargyraa'. In addition, he learned a good bit of the Tuvan language using English-Russian and Russian-Tuvan dictionaries and an obsolete 'Opticon' scanning device which translates text into sensations. In 1993, Paul attended a concert sponsored by the Friends of Tuva organization and met Kongar-ol Ondar after the performance. Paul gave Kongar-ol an impromptu demonstration--and astonished him with his talent and mastery of traditional Tuvan singing. The two men formed a strong friendship along with their musical collaboration.

1450 kHz - WKXL

This may be the first and only posting on this blog in praise of 1) a commercial radio station and 2) an AM commercial radio station! WKXL 1450 kHz in Concord NH is the shining exception to the insanity of the corporate owned commercial broadcast industry. Calling itself "Thoughtful Community Radio", WKXL has a signal radius of about 15 miles witha powerful and diverse schedule of community based and locally hosted programs. The program line-up includes health news, arts events, local politics, sports, and a range of shows that highlight everything from books to movies to the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Their local news department is the best in New Hampshire, probably in all of New England. And yes - they survive on local advertising revenue!

Here is WKXL's mission statement from their website:

Our mission is to make our community even better by:

• Offering useful information that makes listeners’ lives more productive, wholesome entertainment that brightens each day, and spiritual programs that provide comfort and direction
  
• Helping our advertising clients solve problems and sell their goods and services;
  
• Helping worthy community organizations attract support for their charitable works;
  
• Creating interesting and rewarding careers for our Team Members;
  
• Earning a respectable return on investment;
  
• Setting an example of excellence for our industry.In summary, our mission is to become the very best AM station in the country.

My jaw drops when I read those words. Commercial radio does not get any better than this. WKXL is providing an outstanding service to both advertisers and listeners in the community. Check out www.wkxl1450.com for online streaming, mp3s, and more information!

The Sixth Great Lake - Sunday Bridge

It's barely mid October & wintery rain, clouds and wind have enveloped New England in a melancholy grey for over a week. Perfect weather for listening to my personal favorite vinyl only release of 2005, Sunday Bridge by Vermont band The Sixth Great Lake.

These twelve songs highlight the storytelling / songwriting skills of Michael Barrett and the unhurried musical craft of The Sixth Great Lake. One easily becomes immersed in the dreamscapes of each of the twelve songs. Mellow, absorbing, and pressed on deep blue vinyl ... Sunday Bridge is a work of art on every level.


Listen to Sunday Bridge online at www.apolloaudio.com & check out the Sixth Great Lake's webpage at www.sixthgreatlake.com .. enjoy!

The Moscow Coup Attempt - an interview with Derek Whitacre

If you’ve tuned up or down a shortwave radio spectrum for any length of time you may have heard mechanical female voices droning a series of numbers into the ether … or crisp high-toned notes chiming a folk tune several times in succession. These transmissions are mysterious signals thought to be messages broadcasts to spies and agents all over the world. They are referred to as “spy number stations” and appear and disappear regularly on both varied and fixed frequencies. For more information please investigate http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Numbers_station.


Derek Whitacre is the architect of The Moscow Coup Attempt and the delightfully cryptic new cd The Failure of Shortwave Radio which incorporates and weaves samples of shortwave numbers stations throughout blissful washes of melody. The title is somewhat poignant for me as a shortwave radio listener who has witnessed the landslide of shortwave stations discontinuing their broadcasts to North America over the past five years including the BBC, and RVI from Flanders.

Graciously, Derek Whitacre sent me a promotional copy of The Failure of Shortwave Radio and agreed to an interview for this blog:


DJ Frederick: How did you discover shortwave radio in general and number stations in specific?

Derek: National Public Radio. I heard a story about Numbers Stations and a CD collection of Numbers Stations called The Conet Project. From that point I was hooked.

After weeks of research into the subject, I went searching for myself. Using online shortwave radio networks, I was finding numbers stations every once in a while. It's quite a tricky feat, but if you have the right information on their occurrences, you can find them. Anyway... some of my recordings actually made it onto the album. Others I got from sources world 'round, with permission of course. I'd also like to state for the fact, that NONE of my recordings came from The Conet Project collection. I say this because the individual that compiled it is quite letigious on record.

DJ Frederick: What are you thoughts on the state of radio in the US?

Derek: Short answer, it's dead. Long answer... The corporations that own most of the stations in the US could give a shit about music. It's all about bottom line. And to them, America is the same no matter where you go. We're all a faceless horde of consumers, who will take whatever we're given. So now they have the SAME STATIONS in different cities with the SAME PLAYLISTS. "Keep them listening so we can sell more add time... Oh, this playlist works in LA, so it must work in Denver, and Atlanta, and Boston." And where do those playlists come from??? Dying major labels that don't want to invest in anything but a limited scope of "artists" because to be different is bad. Do what works until it doesn't work. Then do it again with a new hot young piece of ass and call it new. Ok, ok... yes, there are a handful of "indie" stations (most of which are owned by these same corporations) playing different blends of music. But they are few and far between.However, I don't really care all that much because I really don't do what I do to get played on KROQ or STAR or Teenie-Bopper-of-the-moment-.7 FM. If I could get on KCRW or other low budget indie eclectic shows, that would be cool. What was the question again?

DJ Frederick: What is a Moscow Coup Attempt live concert experience like?

Derek: I give everyone a gram of dried mushrooms at the door and we just stare at a bug-zapper set up in the middle of the room. Yeah, actually it's kind of like going to see a really loud art film. I play with laptop and synth and other toys to a film montage I cut to the music. It's all archival footage, really creepy images, some not, ancient war footage, NASA development shite...There's a trailer for it on the "Moscow" website. Eventually I'd like to get rid of most of the computer oriented pieces and replace them with real honest to monkeys people playing instruments that don't require wall sockets.

DJ Frederick: I’m wondering if you could talk about some of your film / visual projects?

Derek: Well, other than what I just described, I've written scores for a couple short films no one will see. Actually, one of them is a good little film about fathers and sons called "Ringside Hero," directed by John Covarrubias. There have been some video games I've written stupid little LimbBuzzcut style songs for. I'm also into photography... a lot of macro-lens laden images like the photos I did for the "Failure" album art. RIGHT NOW... I'm thinking about the next film I want to do for "the Coup." Where as I wrote this album thinking about cinema and it being music for "a movie that never was," I might go the other direction and write and film and music together. More of a narrative structure than abstract expressionism.

* * *

One listen to The Moscow Coup Attempt folds the listener into a world of “eyelid movies” and beyond. For sound samples, video and more information cruise over to www.moscowcoupattempt.com.

The Failure of Shortwave Radio is available to purchase from cd baby via www.cdbaby.com/cd/tmca

Derek's cd was released on Capitalist Records (somehow being a non-capitalist I love that name!) which has a website forthcoming at www.capitalistrecords.com. The image on the temporary page made me smile.

A brief intro to shortwave listening

Shortwave listening (abbreviated SWLing) is tuning for radio stations located on shortwave frequencies, between 1710 kHz (the upper limit of the AM broadcasting band) to 30 MHz (the lower limit of the tuning range of most scanner radio). In between those two frequencies, a shortwave radio is capable of letting you hear news, music, commentaries, and other feature programs in English and other languages from stations located round the world.

Why bother listening to shortwave in this era of communications satellites and cable television news channels? Perhaps the biggest reason is that SWLing can give you a unique perspective on events that you simply cannot get from American media. If you watch coverage of an event in Iraq from CCN or CBS News, you get the American perspective on what is happening from an American journalist. If you listen to China Radio International, you might get a very different interpretation of events.

No one knows the exact number of shortwave listeners (SWLs) in the United States, most estimates place the number in the millions. Shortwave radio sales have increased dramatically in the US since September 11, 2001.

Of course, not all shortwave stations broadcast in English. If you’re studying a foreign language—or want to maintain your proficiency in one—shortwave radio will offer you an unlimited supply of contemporary practice material. If you enjoy music, shortwave will let you hear sounds you probably can’t find in the even the most specialized record and CD shops. Ever heard a lagu melayu song? It sounds like a cross between Indian-style instrumentals and an Arabic vocal style, and it’s very popular in Indonesia. You can hear such songs over the various shortwave outlets of Radio Republic Indonesia. The so-called "world beat" popular with young people had its origins in the "high life" music broadcast by shortwave stations in Africa. Other SWLs arise before dawn to catch the haunting huayno melodies coming from stations in Bolivia and Peru. Some SWL music fans have compiled tape-recorded libraries of folk and indigenous music from shortwave broadcasts that many college and university music departments would envy.

DXing (distance listening) is a manifestation of shortwave’s biggest weakness—the fact that shortwave reception is highly variable compared to the AM and FM broadcasting bands. Reception of a shortwave station on a given frequency will usually vary greatly with the time of day and season of the year. Shortwave reception is heavily influenced by solar activity as indicated by the number of sunspots visible on the Sun. Solar flares and storms can disrupt shortwave reception for hours and even days. Fading is also common on the shortwave bands. While shortwave can offer you listening you cannot find on your local AM and FM stations, it unfortunately cannot offer you the same reliable reception or audio quality from day to day or even hour to hour sometimes.

Many shortwave stations welcome correspondence from listeners, especially reports on how well the station is being received and comments on their programming. Stations often respond to such letters by sending out colorful souvenir cards, known as QSL cards, for correct reports of reception. Some station reply with QSL letters instead of cards, and a few send other items, like pennants with the station’s name or call letters, to lucky SWLs.

1420 kHz

An interview with Pam Berry of UK indie folk pop band The Pines.

Tell me about your previous and present bands - when did you realise you were in love with music?

I realised music was the best thing since iced raisin bread long before I had any kind of involvement with making it myself. My parents had a big beautiful cabinet stereo that finally bit the dust only about a decade ago, the kind with the stack-o-vinyl spindle on the turntable. I've got an old Christmas polaroid from when I was three of me and my younger brother standing next to what must've been our first record player, with seven-inches without sleeves strewn about the place. Old record filing habits die hard!

The first band I sang in that put a record out was Black Tambourine. I couldn't sing very well but it didn't matter, writing songs and playing with friends was the best time ever. Every band I've been in since then has been the same ace situation of playing with friends and if I still lived in the US I'd hope to be playing music with the same people, I miss them! Speaking of those folks, lemme just say how many times a day I'm compelled to play When You Come Around by The Saturday People, can I get a witness?

I'm presently playing in The Pines with my friend and guitar wonder Joe. These days we record everything at home in my South London flat on a digital 16-track portastudio with my husband at the controls. Joe and I stay pretty busy with our jobs and don't see each other as much as we'd like, but we record more than we play out - we just played our first and last show of the year at what is turning into our annual live gig at the Bush Hall in London. I also join in when I can for Snowdrops recordings with Keith and Dick, who live in Brighton.

Which would you consider your 'day-job' band?

Don't make me laugh! Playing and recording is great but at the rate we do things, I'd be wiser to work on one of the ten gazillion other things that are more appealing than working 9 to 5, like world craft domination or starting London's foremost homemade pie delivery service.

Tell me a little bit more about the process of releasing Pines records - you've recorded for various labels - what is your relationship with them all?

The first Pines release was a song on a comp CD that came with an issue of Papercuts magazine that our friend Stevie put out in 2000. Our first seven-inch came out on the label Long Lost Cousin, which is run by Mark who currently plays in the fantastic Pipas. Mark used to record us on his Mac before Mike and I got the Akai, he wanted to start a label, I was keen to make some sleeves, and it was done. In the earlier days Joe and I didn't really work much on recording until someone asked us for songs, having some kind of deadline would kick our butts into recording action. We've been lucky because the labels who have asked us for songs like Becalmed, Annika, Foxyboy and Matinee have committed to putting out a Pines release and trusted that they'll like the songs without hearing them first! I've known Jimmy from Matinee for ages but still couldn't bring myself to tell him after we recorded that True Love Waits Volume 2's first song was a capella and the last song clocked in at 9 minutes, I just sent along the finished songs and hoped for the best. Only recently have we started recording songs that don't have a home yet.

How many volumes of the 'True Love Waits' eps will there be?

Volumes 1 and 2 are the whole shebang, Joe wrote the songs as a group, though we didn't record them all at once. A long time ago we got asked to release some songs on a new indie mini-CD label and decided to start recording the first half of the True Love Waits bunch of ten. When the label crashed and the record wasn't going to happen after all, Ara from Foxyboy offered to release the songs. Matinee then kindly offered to put out the second batch of five, which mirrored the first five nicely and completed the TLW set.

Did you start 'Chickfactor' with Gail O'Hara - or just work on it for a while? How did they come about?

I started Chickfactor with Gail in 1992 and though she did take on more of the reviewing burden and was a friend to the deadline in a way I never was, we were right there together transcribing, putting on shows, pasting candies and hair thingies on the covers and stapling pages together until I left after issue 11 in 1995. All told, Gail did put much more work into Chickfactor than I did (she hit people up for ads for instance, something I could never do) and though I miss doing a fanzine I really think of it as her mag. Good thing, then, that she carried on doing it after I left and now has a wonderful webspace devoted to it! Check it out for a complete history of Chickfactor, fab pictures by Gail and awesome web-only CF articles (like Peter Paphides waxing excited about choc!).

Do you and Joe have different ideas about how The Pines should sound? Is there any element of compromise when you're working together?

Joe and I have very similar ideas about how The Pines should sound, which is why recording is something I look forward to. We also have very similar ideas about how much lazing about should be done during any day of recording and how much cheese should go on top of the pasta bake made on the day of recording. Doing any kind of creative activity with someone else will always involve elements of compromise but we've yet to have fisticuffs over where the melodica fades out or anything like that, and since we have all our recording gear at home we have the luxury of trying things out different ways, without the pressure of time or expense that recording in a studio would have.

Would you like to be more prolific?

Yes, and not just in music. In music, I'd love to be recording more frequently and getting more Pines records out. In everything else, I'd love to finish even half of the projects I start and get my small biz up and running this year. More music, more bags, more gocco fabric stamping, more mass pierogi-producing and more hat-making!

Jose Gonzalez

Jose Gonzalez is a brilliant singer/songwriter guitarist with a full length CD and 3 EPs available from www.parasol.com

Veneer is the debut album by Swedish-born minstrel José González…already a certified quiet-is-the-new-loud legend in his native Sweden. Who needs bells and whistles (outside of a forlorn trumpet and some subliminal percussion) when songs are this strong and the voice is this perfect? When all that you need to hold an audience in blissful rapture is what you can balance on a barstool? Jose’s sensual, sensitive, powerful vocals and supernaturally gifted guitar playing truly recalls artists like Nick Drake, Elliott Smith, Hayden, and Mark Kozelek. He’s earned the accolades by writing incredible songs and staying true to his heart, keeping the songs barebones simple.

The José González song "Crosses" was featured on the season finale of The OC.U.S. press now rolling in:

Entertainment Weekly:"A Nick Drake manqué without — we hope — the suicidal tendencies, José González is a gifted Swedish singer-songwriter of Argentinean descent, whose deft, syncopated fingerpicking and hushed vocals are hypnotic on Veneer, and never more so than when he covers the Knife's ''Heartbeats,'' turning a synth-pop assault into a heartbreaking lullaby."

Harp Magazine:"A succinct acoustic meditation-11 cuts in 30 minutes-that includes hypnotic guitar figures (“Deadweight on Velveteen,” in particular) that create the feeling that you’ve stumbled into a pre-dawn workout for emerging finger-pickers..."

Chicago Tribune:"Everything about guitarist-songwriter Jose Gonzalez surprises you. The first surprise is that he's Swedish. Second, unlike most of his rock-crazed countrymen, Gonzalez's hushed, solo acoustic guitar work recalls the eclectic yet introspective "folk" of British troubadours Bert Jansch and Nick Drake... "Veneer" really is a kindred spirit to Drake's classic "Pink Moon"..."

Pitchfork:"It's taken two years for the debut album by singer/songwriter José González (Swedish, obv.) to reach these shores, and it's easy to see what nudged it here. González's sparse recordings showcase hushed, double-tracked vocals, haunted imagery, and a clearly gifted classical guitarist. His gripping acoustic cover of countryfolk the Knife's electro-pop "Heartbeats" was even a minor hit in his homeland. An ethereal, sometimes-aloof troubadour, González will sing you to sleep and then dash off under cover of night..."

Uncommon Folk:"Minimalism is the word on Veneer. Soft, hushed vocals, immaculate and brilliant guitar picking, and soft and subtle songs are the stuff that make up González’s work... Though very classical in style, though very personal in nature, Veneer sounds and feels new, with the ability to connect with new people and the new emotions of an ever-changing world..."Plenty of UK press to peruse as well: Time Out London: "Veneer displays an intense yet hushed talent, equally in thrall to the floating drone of post rock as to the elegant finger picking of Bert Jansch…"Uncut Magazine: "Mentioning a new artist in the same breath as Nick Drake has become shorthand for anyone with an acoustic guitar who favors melancholy restraint. Such a comparison, however, only hints at the talents of Jose Gonzalez. The Swedish singer-songwriter marries Drake’s mournful minimalism to deftly picked, Latino guitar. The results – melodic purity, a mesmeric rhythmic drive and stark emotionalism – are extraordinary."

Telegraph: "It's not just the dreamily introspective vocal and minor key melodies, the 11 songs of Veneer are all powered by Gonzales's mazily intricate guitar picking. He cites a mix of Beatles, flamenco, bossa nova and classical as his influences, but it's old Nick who springs to mind…[a] melancholy mood leavened by a very Drake-like fondness for playing cat and mouse with the beat."

Mojo Magazine: "Dark, still, yet oddly powerful elliptical folk songs that suggest Paul Simon’s Duncan or John Martyn’s Solid Air adrift in Arthur Russell’s "World of Echo"."

Q Magazine: "Lo-fi folk doesn't get any more exotic. 25-year-old Gonzalez was born and raised in Gothenburg to Argentinian parents, grew up listening to bossa nova and Joy Division, and deftly picks at his classical guitar with a flamenco flourish, singing in a hushed voice somewhere between Paul Simon and Nick Drake. Luckily, he's also very good. Occasionally, as on the gorgeous Heartbeats, his sparse music –just brooding guitar and double-tracked vocal—is uplifting. But the bulk of this 30-minute journey is downbeat, a little bit suicidal, and the most intimate music you'll hear all year."

All Music Guide:"Don't let the name fool you; singer/songwriter Jose Gonzalez is the Swedish born and raised son of Argentinean parents. His debut album, Veneer, is a striking collection of hushed and autumnal indie pop bedroom songs that reside on the hi-fi end of the lo-fi spectrum. Gonzalez is definitely a member of the "quiet is the new loud" school as founded by Elliott Smith and the Kings of Convenience. Veneer is about as intimate as they come; it sounds like he is sitting right on the end of your bed singing just for you. At times, Gonzalez is a little more forceful than most of his schoolmates, often working himself into a tightly spinning ball of emotion (as on the driving "Lovestain" and the bluesy "Hints"). At these moments his voice is reminiscent of Mark Kozelek, only without the wild flights of pretension. Mostly though, he is content to cruise along on mellow vocals double-tracked behind gently plucked and strummed acoustic guitars. The beautiful "Heartbeats," "Deadweight on Velveteen," and the gently rollicking "Stay in the Shade" are the high watermarks of a remarkably focused and promising debut."