Friday, June 1st, 2007 ... 6:45 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. ... KZSU, 90.1 FM

With the school year having just ended, there was a blank spot in the schedule right after my show, where baseball used to go. No one stepped up to fill it this particular week, and I was feeling energetic, so I took the opportunity to do another "Rorshach's Dance" show, where the idea was to touch on as many different genres as possible. It's fun for me, anyway; I still question how much listeners like it, although a couple of other DJs noted they enjoyed the show.

Format:
ARTIST -- "TRACK TITLE" -- ALBUM TITLE (LABEL, YEAR)
Horizontal lines denote microphone breaks.

The Beatles -- "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!" -- Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Capitol, 1967)

For the 40th anniversary, same reason I spun the disk earlier this day. There aren't many tracks on this album that haven't been worn into powder by classic rock radio. If I'd had to make a third pass, it'd have to be "Good Morning Good Morning" or maybe the infinite-playing inner groove that was on the original European LPs.

Stiff-beat circusy sound, kind of a reggae hip-hop blend. A very modern but appropriate transition out of the swirling weirdness of Mr. Kite.

The Apples in Stereo -- "The Rainbow" -- Discovery of a World Inside the Moone (Spin Art, 2000)

Bubbly happy indie pop, very '60s sound.

Constantines -- "Underneath the Stop Signs" -- The Modern Sinner Nervous Man (Suicide Squeeze, 2002)

Fairly aggressive indie-pop, but nothing like ...

Loud stuff, verging on metal but with a foot still back in hardcore punk. Screamed-out lyrics like punk, thick chunky guitars like metal. From Hamilton, Ontario.

Previously noted here. It's from a jazz album, but this is a spiritual little chant piece: "Spiiiirit ... won't you come on in the room..." It's a groovy little beat, actually, done a capella with hand claps, which made for a smoother transition than an outright jazz track would have.

Big dramatic pop, happy stuff, a very '80s flavor. A bit too -- I don't know, mainstreamed? soundtrack-like? -- for my ears, but not all that bad; plus, they're playing in town this weekend.

Baikida Carroll -- "Against Your Warmth" -- Door of the Cage (Soul Note, 1995)

A nice ballad. I was playing this CD during the mic breaks, since it was still lying around, and I suddenly remembered I had to read the Concert Calendar at 7:30. So after this particular mic break, I let this song play out to buy extra time to get that ready. Good soft stuff.

Gentle, sad, country/bluegrass. Carson plays violin and sings; she's a 22-year-old young lion of the genre.

* Vance Gilbert -- "Root Beer for Breakfast" -- V/A: One Meat Ball: The Album, The Cookbooklet (Appleseed, 2006)

Fun idea: It's a cookbook, with recipes contributed by various folk artists brought together by Christine Lavin. Each artist contributes a song too, of course, although the song and recipe aren't necessarily related.

Gilbert, a Boston-based singer/songwriter, brings his poached pears recipe and a not-so-nutritious song, done up in harmless blues rockin' style that wouldn't be out of place on a kids' record. He goes into a fun James Brown-style freakout. ("I put them right in the cup, and I fill the cup up! That's my recipe!")

Lavin, if you don't know, built up quite a fan base with songs ranging from gorgeously precious to cynical and funny. She's used her popularity to try to call attention to like-minded artists.

The Bay Area's own answer to King Crimson, some nice proggy guitar instrumentals, at once complex and rocking.

The local duo of Bob Marsh (cello, processed vocals) and Dave Michalak (lap steel guitar), producing spooky improvisations, like stuff out of a dark sci-fi movie. The vocals are all distorted, sounding high-pitched and spongy, often unintelligable, and scary in a slow eerie way. A different sound from your usual improv session.

Hip-hop with a soft jazz backing and devotional Christian lyrics. Didn't realize the latter part until it was spinning.

Soft guitar-laden indie-pop. A pretty instrumental.

* "Weird Al" Yankovic -- "Trapped in the Drive-Thru" -- White and Nerdy (Volcano, 2006)

Most of the time when I do one of these all-genre shows, or even a straight rock show, I hit a point where I need some time. I've run out of ideas, or I'm under the gun about something (putting away CDs, answering phones/door, etc.) Whatever the reason, I usually keep an emergency "out" handy, some 10-minute song as a way to stall while I catch up.

Hence, this. It was actually in rotation, even. An 11-minute epic sung, apparently, to the tune of an R. Kelly song (I've no idea; to me, "RKelly" stands for Roberto Kelly in the box scores, and he usually leads off). It tells the tale of, well, going to the drive-thru and getting food, basically. It's about nothing, and that's what makes it so hilarious. It takes four minutes before Weird Al and his wife (who isn't heard) decide to even GO to the drive-thru, after a lengthy exchange along the lines of "What do you want to eat?" "I dunno." And the saga continues from there in a drawn-out, ridiculously detailed way. It's like having a friend tell you the most boring story ever, except it becomes hilarious in Weird Al's hands. The rhymes help in that regard.

Weird Al rocks. You can't convince me otherwise.

Previously noted here. Hard-cutting hip-hop with intelligence and political savvy, edgy stuff with a solid sense for its jazz/soul music. Brought this one out because it impressed me so much during the first Rorschach's Dance. And this particular track is a hoot, packing puns based on '80s hair-band names. Great soul sample with wah-wah guitar and flute makes the backing.

Big happy pop with a booming bass-drum beat to kick it off. Very UK-sounding to these ears.

Soft loungy jazz song from Brazil, very airy and sexy.

* Jessica Bailiff -- "Spiral Dream" -- Feels Like Home (Kranky, 2006)

Previously noted here.

She calls her band "Ilene Wiess with PMS," because the band guys' names are Paul, Marc, and Steve. This is another dose of urban folk, a la Vance Gilbert or Christine Lavin, taken from the beginning of Weiss' career. The song is about waiting for an answer to come while pacing around Manhattan -- a statement about the self-doubt that clouds everyone in modern life. A pretty song that makes you feel good.

Electronia duo that uses guitars and "real" percussion in the mix. This one's a pleasant, steady beat with an indie-pop feel to it, but lots of electronics glitches, even disrupting the beat occasionally. In hindsight, too obvious a choice to follow Ilene Weiss, given the major-key tonality this track has, although the songs did go well together.

Yes, I know what I said before about the seven-minute song and the need for a time lapse. This wasn't the case here; I was just prepping the Hebden/Reid track and figured the hideous screeching on this one (technically the conclusion to the preceding track, "The Talking Drum") would make a great transition.

Discipline is the best King Crimson album. This one's a close second.

Wynton Marsalis -- "From the Plantation to the Penitentiary" -- From the Plantation to the Penitentiary (Blue Note, 2007)

Previously noted here.

* = Item in KZSU rotation
? = Item not in KZSU library

-- Go back to Memory Select playlists.
-- Bay Area free/improv music calendar: http://www.bayimproviser.com.