radio free download

#64 Crystal Castles

2009-04-11T12:12:00.005-05:00

Almost an entire year later, I'm back with a playlist dedicated to last year's new discovery Crystal Castles. Looking back, I'm trying to figure out what made them new and popular...

1. Knights by Crystal Castles from the self-titled album.

2. Crimewave (Crystal Castles vs. Health remix) from the Crystal Castles EP.

3. Trash Hologram by Crystal Castles from the album Courtship Dating.

4. Trash the Rental (Crystal Castles remix) by Sohodolls.

5. Hunting for Witches (Crystal Castles remix) by Bloc Party from Remixes.

6. Untrust Us by Crystal Castles from Demos.

7. Good Time by Crystal Castles from the self-titled album.

8. Air War (Casanova remix) by Crystal Castles.

9. Magic Spells by Crystal Castles from ... .

10. Make it Hott (Crystal Castles remix) by Uffie from http://wewererockstars.blogspot.com

11. Through the Hosiery by Crystal Castles from the self-titled album.

12. Alice Practice by Crystal Castles.

13. Atlantis to Interzone (Crystal Castles remix) by Klaxons from www.fader.com

Extra Popcorn

2008-04-28T18:37:00.001-05:00

Bonus Tracks: Gems that somehow couldn't quite make the 2 official volumes of Popcorn playlists...

1. Popcorn by Die Weiss-blauen Ludwigs-Buam (marching band)
2. Popcorn by Guru Josh.
3. Popcorn by Rmx2 (goth)

#63 Popcorn Versions (electronic)

2008-04-28T10:09:00.005-05:00

1. Popcorn by Indigo Blue.
2. Popcorn by toytone.
3. Popcorn_6 by Anonymous.
4. Popcorn (binaerpilot bambam 8bit mix) by Hot Butter.
5. Popcorn by Comso & Tom.
6. Popcorn by Denki Groove.
7. Popcorn by Pole.
8. Popcorn (Radio Edit) by Essem & Aitch.
9. Popcorn by DJ Bell

#62 - Popcorn Versions (acoustic)

2008-04-21T14:13:00.003-05:00

1. Popcorn by The New Dreamers.
2. Popcorn by Tom Adams.
3. Popcorn by Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra.
4. Popcorn by High Tide.
5. Popcorn by Bim Skala Bim
6. Popcorn by Ricky King
7. Popcorn by Trios corpo di Bacco
8. Popcorn (midi-file) by UNKNOWN 2
9. Popcorn_Mix by Anonymous
10. Popcorn by James Last
11. Popcorn The Fairfax High School Marimba Band
12. Popcorn by Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet
13. Popcorn by Wezzler wezzling

#61 - Radiohead Redone

2007-12-31T19:09:00.000-05:00

It took me a little while to make another playlist after Beautiful You.

I made some effort to share that with a some friends and it took up half the time. The other half, I spent doting on the following mix and even encouraging a live off the floor recording of Tammy Lin Foreman with "Karma Police."

When I heard Mark Ronson's cover of Radiohead's "Just," I thought "Wow. That is amazing. Someone has finally made something better than the original." It inspired this mix for the holidays and to mark the end of year 2007. I also just really had to share this mind-blowing track by Overdub. Happy New Year. Listen in health. Peace. And all the greatest, Lester

1. Just by Mark Ronson feat. Alex Greenwald (Phantom Planet)
2. Fog by Sebadohead
3. Electioneering by Cold War Kids
4. Karma Police by Tammy Lin Foreman
5. Paranoid Android by Sia
6. Lucky by My Brightest Diamond
7. No Surprises by Marissa Nadler (feat. Black Hole Infinity)
8. Exit Music (For a Film) by Vampire Weekend
9. Black Star (live) by Gillian Welch
10. Climbing Up the Walls by The Twilight Sad
11. Kid A by John Mayer
12. Fake Plastic Trees by Travis
13. Creep by Damien Rice
14. Exit Music (For A Film) by Cinematic Orchestra
15. What a Wonderful Surprise by Overdub

#60 - Beautiful You

2007-11-05T14:11:00.001-05:00

1. The King by See-I
2. Beautiful You by Lateef & The Chief are Maroons (album: Ambush)
3. Bust by Hexstatic (album: When Robots Go Bad!)
4. Release the Beast by Breakwater (album: Discovered: A Collection of Daft Funk Samples)
5. Two Face by Ticklah (album: Ticklah vs. Axelrod)
6. You Are Never Alone by Socalled (album: Ghettoblaster)
7. Hold On by Holy Ghost! (album: Hold On)
8. Heavy by Oh No (album: Dr. No's Oxperiment)
9. D.A.N.C.E. by Justice (album: +)
10. Move by Thousand Foot Krutch (album: X The Album)
11. Solta o Frango (crstbl rmx) by Bonde Do Role (album: CRSTBL)
12. The Salmon Dance by Chemical Brothers feat. Fatlip (album: We are The Night)
13. The Sound (Ben Trucker's Back To 95 Mix) by The Rapture
14. Beats Mistake by Kim Hiorthoy (album: My Last Day)
15. I Get Around (Midnight Juggernaut Mix) by Dragonette (album: Kitsune Maison Complilation Vol. 4)

Sometimes, I just need a particular kind of music to give myself a little push. I want to start the week with some music that clears the way and elevates. A tiny voice inside my head said to me: "Make the party mix and THE PARTY WILL COME!" Time to get down. Get up. Hey!

#59 - Our Endless Numbered Days

2007-10-29T13:33:00.000-05:00

1. Better Days by Peter and the Wolf (album: The Ivori Palms)
2. Suckers by Super Furry Animals (album: Hey Venus!)
3. I've Got Some Friends by Akron/Family (album: Love is Simple)
4. Going to a Town by Rufus Wainwright (album: Release the Stars)
5. The First Place by The Grey Reverend
6. The Rejection Letter by The Strugglers (album: You Win)
7. Launching Pad by Arctic (album: Music for Rain)
8. Honour and Promotion by foxface (album: This is What Makes Us)
9. All That Numbs You by Anywhen (album: The Opiates)
10. Dinah and the Beautiful Blue by Anywhen (album: The Opiates)
11. Sodom, South Georgie by Iron & Wine (album: Our Endless Numbered Days)
12. Frankie Machine by Luke Tan (album: The Suicide King)
13. La Nuit On a Toujours Tout by Delaney (album: Delaney)
14. Long Time Healing by Fireworks Night (album: It's a Wide, Wide Sea)
15. Lie by Arco (album: Transparency)
16. Times Arrow by Tom Thumb (album: ...songs from holiday)
17. Make a Deal with the City by East River Pipe
18. Bad Feelings by The Robot Ate Me (album: Carousel Waltz)

There's a place for sad mixes. Sometimes, when I'm feeling down, I just like to put on a sad mix and wallow in all that dark miasma. This mix is a bit sad but there's also a positive twist in there and it makes for a good listen. Try it after you break-up a relationship, lose a job, or immediately after stubbing your toe. There will be better days. Thanks to La Blogotheque and Acousticwood for these awesome links. Enjoy!

#58 - 38th Adventure

2007-10-22T13:02:00.000-05:00

1. 38th Adventure by Hot Springs (album: Volcano)
2. Boyz (live on KCRW. Aug. 2, 2007) by M.I.A.
3. Champagne and the Starlite by Theya Hermann (album: Satin Dustbin)
4. Charm by Junior League (album: OH Dear)
5. Dance This Mess Around by The B52's (album: the B-52's)
6. Ex Models by Coin Op (album: Favourite Subjects)
7. Grow Grow Grow by PJ Harvey (album: White Chalk)
8. Headlines by White Williams (album: Smoke)
9. Keep the Car Running (live at Judson Memorial Church NYC. Feb. 17, 2007) by Arcade Fire.
10. Love Will... by Malcolm McClaren (album: Love Will...)
11. My Beautiful Leah by PJ Harvey (album: Is This Desire?)
12. She's a Rejecter by Of Montreal (album: Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?)
13. North American Scum by LCD Soundsystem (album: Sound of Silver)
14. Search for Cherry Red by Jonathan Fire Eater (album: Tremble Under Boom Lights)
15. Violet Stars Happy Hunting! by Janelle Monae (album: Metropolis - Suite I: The Chase)
16. Walking Machine by Revl9n (album: Walking Machine)

Thanks to Elie for introducing me to Songbird; it's a desktop Web player, a digital jukebox and Web browser mash-up that really streamlines the work of the audio blogger... Now I have time to re-start RADIO FREE DOWNLOAD after a six-month hiatus...with these fresh picks from Fluxblog.

#57 - Rated E for Emo

2007-04-18T15:21:00.000-05:00

Radio Free Download
Playlist #57

MP3 of original broadcast on Trent Radio: April 18, 2007.
Available here.

Rated E for Emo

1. Ipod by Serengeti
2. The Witch by The Never
3. A Jagged Gorgeous Winter by The Main Drag
4. Strip to the Sky by Love of Everything
5. E is Stable by Menomena
6. Chewing Bottles by Radical Face
7. Brokered Heart by The Acorn
8. Catasinmo by Right from the Tree
9. Meyowch by Experimental Dental School
10. A Nervous Tic Motion of the Head to the Left by Andrew Bird
11. Holy Night Fever by Deerhoof
12. Not Enough Crayons For Everyone by Twink
13. Tall Trees by Lost in the Trees
14. Jimmy Down the Well by Monkey Swallows the Universe
15. Postcards from Italy by Beirut
16. Mel Gibson by Nervous Cabaret
17. Gay Cowboys by Corey Dargel
18. Get Over Yrself by The Oxygen Ponies
19. Perrier by Ecstatic Sunshine

This being the last show of the season, I present my highlight mix of artists I've discovered since doing the show on Trent Radio in September. The songs are culled from 14 mixes I created over the past few months.

#56 - Knowing the Things That I Know

2007-04-04T10:20:00.000-05:00

Radio Free Download #56
Knowing the Things that I Know

We are winding down the season on Trent Radio. I'm getting really sentimental in a rock / folk kinda way. This mix took a little longer to put together because I wanted it to be really good. I got really into Ben Cooper (appearing in this playlist as Radical Face and Electric President.) One of the most astonishing tracks on this playlist is Tim Fite's Away From the Snakes. Hope you enjoy it. All the greatest, Lester

MP3 of original broadcast on Trent Radio: April 4, 2007.
Available here.

1. Glory by Radical Face
2. Chewing Bottles by Radical Face
3. Smile by Radical Face
4. Step Aside (Efterklang cover) by Tobias Hellkvist
5. Insomnia by Electric President
6. Good Morning, Hypocrite by Electric President
7. Private Honeymoon by Benjy Ferree
8. Tokyo, Japan by Princeton
9. Knowing The Things That I Know by The Blow
10. Fight Against Darkness by Chet
11. Away From the Snakes by Tim Fite
12. The Road by The Finches
13. Shuffle Your Feet by Marla Hansen
14. Lonesome Warrior by Eric Bachmann
15. The Indifference Curve by Princeton
16. The Acorn by Tin Fist

#55 - MyFriends on MySpace

2007-03-21T22:06:00.000-05:00

Radio Free Download #55
MyFriends on MySpace

This rushed mix of styles and sensibilities are exclusively from MyFriends on MySpace who have free downloads on their profiles. The mix works it's random way and I like it. It's difficult to give you the link to the actual downloads because of the way MySpace keeps their files but I provided links to their profiles so you can check them out yourself. Peace out. cheers, Lester

MP3 of original broadcast on Trent Radio: Mar. 21, 2007.
Available here.

1. Foreverlong (Demo) by Love, Anna
2. Fear By Popular Demand by Love, Anna
3. Paper Machette by Love, Anna
4. Days by The Psycadelicacies
5. Golden Vanity The Psycadelicacies
6. Say You Will by Josh Rifkin
7. World's Gonna End by Josh Rifkin
8. A Movie Song by Right From the Tree
9. Catasinmo by Right From the Tree
10. The Funeral Band by Right From the Tree
11. Find Me An Otter by Right From the Tree
12. 99 Months by The Burning Hell
13. Dance Dance Dance by The Burning Hell
14. It Happens in Florida by The Burning Hell

#54 - A Loop

2007-03-07T16:21:00.000-05:00

Radio Free Download #54

The end of the last song connects to the beginning of the first song in a perfect hour-long loop. A black mirror that reflects another reflecting each other ad infinitum. Enjoy it forever. All the greatest, Lester

MP3 of original broadcast on Trent Radio: Mar. 7, 2007.
Available here.

RFD #54 - A Loop

1. Black Mirror by The Arcade Fire
2. Infinifold by !!!
3. Kein Bock by Audionom
4. Meet Me In The City by The Black Keys
5. Different Daylight by Maher Shalal Hash Baz
6. Wishbone (Franc Tetas Remix) by Architecture in Helsinki
7. Guns of Brixton by Nouvelle Vague
8. Meyowch by Experimental Dental School
9. Davinare by Daniel Johnston
10. Strip to the Sky by Love of Everything
11. My Little Heart by The Postmarks
12. Once Upon a Time by Air
13. A Nervous Tic Motion of the Head to the Left by Andrew Bird
14. Whoo! Alright-Yeah... Uh Huh by The Rapture
15. A Real Realizer by Missing Numbers
16. Four Three by All India Radio

#53 - The Revolution Will Be Streaming

2007-02-21T16:00:00.000-05:00

I started out wanting to make a playlist with songs under the "experimental" genre. I went looking in the "experimental" vaults at 3hive.com. In the end, I thought the playlist didn't sound particularly "experimental." I like the playlist though. Maybe the revolution is between the lines. cheers, Lester

1. Shousetsu by Radicalfashion
2. Tall Trees by Lost in the Trees
3. Wet and Rusting by Menomena
4. Hotaru by Kama Aina
5. Song Song Song by Final Fantasy
6. Making Rain by WJ Kington
7. I'm Talin by WJ Kington
8. The Witch by The Never
9. Arctic Circle by Final Fantasy
10. The Revolution Will Be Streaming by Saxon Shore
11. Shimokitazawa Face by The North Valley Subconscious Orchestra
12. Frequency Transmission Systems by The New Sound of Numbers
13. E is Stable by Menomena
14. I'm Afraid of Japan by Final Fantasy
15. Crows Upon the Roof by WJ Kington
16. Popeye, the Sailor Man (1931) by Al Dollar & His Ten Cent Band with Billy Murray

Download the Feb. 21, 2007 radio broadcast on Trent Radio with your host Lester Alfonso. Click Here.

#52 - The Perfect Me

2007-02-09T11:38:00.000-05:00

Playlist #52 - RADIO FREE DOWNLOAD

"The Perfect Me"

1. Summer Song by James Yorkston
2. You Are an Effigy by Inlets
3. When I Am Gone by Sparrow House
4. Icicle by Corwin Trails
5. The Perfect Me by Deerhoof
6. Look Up, The Sky is Beautiful by Sachiko Kanenobu
7. Pictures of Trees by Inlets
8. Sally Goodin by Obed Pickard
9. And Now The Day is Done by Ron Sexsmith
10. Gasoline Gus and His Jitney Bus by Billy Murray
11. Sunfed Shapes by Inlets
12. Heretics by Andrew Bird
13. My Sword Hand's Anger by Apostle of Hustle
14. O, Ohio by The National Lights
15. Yodelin' Bill (1926) by Al Bernard & Frank Kamplain
16. Moving Pictures Silent Films by Great Lake Swimmers
17. In Our Own Places by Blake Miller
18. Summer She's Hiding by Blake Miller

A really good moody rock/folksy mix. Enjoy. Download the Trent Radio broadcast here. ( Feb. 7, 2007)

with MP3s hosted by
http://www.salon.com, http://www.archive.org, http://www.sparrowhouse.net, http://www.zerogaudio.net, http://www.toolshed-media.com, http://www.hatesomethingbeautiful.com, http://www.bloodshakerecords.com, http://www.misrarecords.com, http://www.exitstencilrecordings.com, http://www.fanaticpromotion.com

#51 - "Talkin' Trash"

2007-02-04T16:04:00.000-05:00

Jan. 24, 2007. On the fly mixing during the radio show, I took the mix Julie Drazen put up on her MySpace profile and slammed it together with some spontaneous downloads from Salon.com's Conversations column. I played an interview with Carly Simon and David Lynch.

Talkin' Trash (48:56) by Julie Drazen

Download the Broadcast here

One Free Download RFD#50

2007-01-20T20:34:00.000-05:00

Megarectangle by Jonah K. Good for speeding things up a bit...washing dishes, driving, dancing, enjoying life.... enjoy

DOWNLOAD the Broadcast from Trent Radio (Jan. 10, 2007)

Nights Full of Longer Hours - RFD#49

2006-12-13T23:00:00.000-05:00

RADIO FREE DOWNLOAD
PLAYLIST #49

The closest you could get me to make a holiday themed playlist. Happy Holidays. L.A.

"NIGHTS FULL OF LONGER HOURS"
(original broadcast Dec. 6, 2006)

1. Mel Gibson by Nervous Cabaret
2. Conversations: Sean Lennon Salon.com podcast (David Marchese)
3. Jagged Gorgeous Winter by The Main Drag
4. Think Niles Drink by About
5. Perrier by Ecstatic Sunshine
6. When Planets Collideby Viva Voce
7. Let's Go Driving by Barzin
8. I Wish Upon a Star by Cake on Cake
9. Lonely Song by Cake on Cake
10. Animals and Humans by Cake on Cake
11. My Melody by Cake on Cake
12. Free Radio Post-Apocalyptic Metropolis Blues by Christians and Lions
13. That's Kwanza by Dave Toby (Georgeous Georgie Revue #4)
14. One Small World by E.B. Allan-Davis, Kait Dueck, Jill Staveley (Georgeous Georgie Revue #4)
17. My First Vacation by WEBmadman
16. Unemployed Blues by Dosh
17. Hjertebarn by Under Byen

"POST POP" on Trent Radio

2006-11-26T12:22:00.000-05:00

For RFD #48 - I talked to Wayne "WEBMADMAN" Elliott about his new independent release Dancing Circles Round 5: Post Pop - available exclusively on his website www.webmadman.net. The Trent Radio broadcast MP3 archive is available for download here.

RFD #48 - POST POP
(original broadcast: Nov. 22, 2006)

Dancing Circles Round 5: POST POP by WEBMADMAN

1. Bass Riff Magician[OGG]
2. Budabed [OGG]
3. Budabed (bedtrack only) [MP3]
3. Scratch Pop [OGG]
4. Hard Core Test [OGG]
5. Moody [OGG]

PLUS
6. Banana Jazz Hop by Toye
7. Theme from Chase by the Burning Hell
8. Spring Theme by Hot Piss
9. Mojave Mojo Showdown by The Burning Hell

from Hot Pie Records and the ever generous and expanding universe of Radio Free Peterborough

RFD #47 - EVERYDAY IS HALLOWEEN

2006-11-09T21:37:00.000-05:00

A mix inspired by this moody time of year when it seems like everyday has that spooky Halloween feel...

RFD #47 - EVERYDAY IS HALLOWEEN
(original broadcast date: Nov. 8, 2006)

1. Glittering Sky by The Inner Banks
2. Acoustic by The Inner Banks
3. The Easy Way Out by Josh Ottum
4. It's All Right by Josh Ottum
5. Freedom Is As Thick As A Heart by Josh Ottum
6. Steam and Sequins for Larry Levan by Matmos
7. Rain by Muggs
8. Goodbye (spooky ruben edit) by The Postmarks
9. Every Day is Halloween by The Postmarks
10. Not Without You by Roger O'Donnell
11. I Love You, Blowtorch Eyes by She, Sir
12. Someone to Keep Us Warm by The Silent Years
13. Road to Peace by Tom Waits
14. The Incident by Urbs
15. Siberia by The Inner Banks

Music for the Environment RFD #46

2006-10-25T23:33:00.000-05:00

I talked to Sarah Harmer for about 25 minutes to start out the radio broadcast at Trent Radio. I asked her what she had for breakfast. (!) She said she had granola and soy milk apparently stolen from "significant other" because there was no real milk. I was curious if we get to see what she has for breakfast in her new film "Escarpment Blues" made by Andy Keen. The trailer can be dowloaded from here. They screen the film and then have a music concert after. Hmmm... I was just talking to North of Summer of doing something along the same lines with The Gold Rushes. I will be posting the interview with Sarah Harmer on my archive of RFD broadcasts at Original Plastic.

MUSIC FOR THE ENVIRONMENT RFD#46

1. I Am Aglow by Sarah Harmer
2. Surfin' in Cairo by Splinter (Ian Osborn)
3. Wings of Night Splinter (Ian Osborn)
4. The River Begins by The Nameless Faceless
5. Griot by Telefunk Sound System
6. Pull Up If I Pull Up by Jab Mica Och El
7. Opposite of Addiction by The Jimmy Cake

RFD#45 "Walk Real Slow"

2006-10-11T11:40:00.000-05:00

A rainy Wednesday afternoon inspires this mix.

Walk Real Slow (Playlist #45)
(original broadcast date: Oct. 11, 2006)

1. Jaw Modulation by The Head Set
2. Sex & Mayhem by Devastations
3. Get Over Yrself by The Oxygen Ponies
4. Goodbye by Elephant Parade
5. Riding in your Car by Elephant Parade
6. The Hop by Radio Citizen
7. Why oh Why? by Becky Stark
8. Ipod by Serengeti
9. Alice! by The Life Force Trio
10. Doctor Monroe by Casey Dienel
11. Prepared (2) by Lambchop
12. Holding Pattern by DJ Enso
13. Marla by Grizzly Bear
14. Walk Real Slow by Lady & Bird
15. Saltwater by Beach House

Radio Free Download Moves to Daytime

2006-10-10T14:54:00.000-05:00

Radio Free Download with your host Lester Alfonso
Now you can hear Radio Free Download broadcasts in the Peterborough area through Trent Radio 92.7FM or streaming on the net through trentradio.ca EVERY SECOND WEDNESDAY AT 4PM.

In honour of Peterborough Artsweek 2006, the playlist features Peterborough musicians with websites and/or Myspace sites with free downloads.

Timothy Kingston of North of Summer posted a track on their myspace site at zero hour and called me at the station while the show was in progress and I went with the flow, downloaded it and put it on air. 21st century, baby.

Radio Free Download - Peterborough Artsweek
playlist #44 (original broadcast date: Sept. 27, 2006)

1. Float Along (living like a ghost) - Nick Ferrio
2. Sleepy Smoke - Nameless Faceless
3. Playin in the Woodpile - Washboard Hank
4. Sweeter than Turpentine - Jill Staveley
5. It's Hardly Fair - James Kent
6. Don't Let Go - Ben Rough
7. March of the Canine Collective- Mike Duguay
8. WW III - Knifehammer
9. Knowledge of the Holy - North of Summer
10. For You - the Psycadelicies
11. Tour One (Question Why) - WEBmadman
12. Olde Tymes - Benj Rowland
13. Whiskey Talkin - Tammy Foreman & Sam Allison
14. Your Hometown - James McKenty & the Spades
15. Hangin On - Beau Dixon
16. We Most Certainly Disagree - J.D. Macallen

links
toughdrum.com
webmadman.net
thenamelessfaceless.com
beaudixon.com
thespades.ca
myspace.com/thenamelessfaceless
myspace.com/jdmcallen
myspace.com/benrough
myspace.com/mikeduguay
myspace.com/knifehammer
myspace.com/psycadelicacies
myspace.com/washboardhank
myspace.com/jillstaveley
myspace.com/jameskent

RADIO FREE DOWNLOAD #43

2006-06-29T21:03:00.000-05:00

I like this mix a lot. I love making mixes. A mix can be a powerful form of self-expression simply created by meticulously sequencing other people's material. I try to make each playlist hover around the one hour mark and to have some kind of sonic cohesion in theme and/or sound. This playlist is a heady mix of quirky pop melancholies underlined by some kind of cynical hope. And it also just happened that way.

Playlist #43
LEFT OF TOWN

1. Amante De Una Noche by Arab strap
2. Passe Muraille by Syd Matters
3. Lonely Love by The Gray Kid
4. All Together Now by Brian Joseph Davis
5. Everybody Daylight by Brightblack Morning Light
6. My Jubilee - Mayn Yovl by Anthony Coleman
7. Lies by Carl Hancock Rux
8. Wilderness by Shapes and Sizes
9. Islands Gone Bad by Shapes and Sizes
10. Jimmy Down the Well by Monkey Swallows The Universe
11. Sheffield Shanty by Monkey Swallows The Universe
12. Hemipode by Anima
13. Strike You As The Enemy by About
14. Holy Night Fever by Deerhoof
15. Not Enough Crayons For Everyone by Twink
16. What do you want me to say? (Drop Dynasty Remix) by Dismemberment Plan
17. Town by Ticonderoga

RADIO FREE DOWNLOAD

2006-06-07T09:27:00.001-05:00

What once was a radio show on Trent Radio now becomes an audio blog proper. Over at Original Plastic I did try to keep up with the weekly broadcasts and posted links on the website to the songs I played on the show fairly quickly. Now that I have stopped doing the radio broadcasts, there's really nothing pushing me to create playlists on a weekly basis anymore.

I've been missing the new music in my life though. It's got me thinking about getting into podcasts. Maybe that would regulate my output. Somehow think that I would have to really do something extraordinary for a project that calls for recording my voice and uploading an internet archive. I feel like I'd have to be saying something pretty darn good to make that worthwhile. For the project of sharing free music on the internet worth listening to, a blog will do just fine.

Playlist #42
POSTCARDS FROM ITALY

1. Postcards from Italy by Beirut
2. Tricycle by Psapp
3. Took Some $$ by Troy Von Balthazar
4. This Lamb Sells Condos by Final Fantasy
5. Gay Cowboys by Corey Dargel
6. Want the Want by Winterpills
7. Roses by Skeleton Key
8. Away by Kathleen Edwards
9. Seventeen Devils by The Starlight Mints
10. Sun Trolley by Town and Country
11. Hospital Beds by Cold War Kids
12. Truth is Marching In by Marc Ribot

The above playlist started out as a mix CD I wanted to make for a friend who was going away to work in a Northern outpost for a few weeks. As per my habit, I checked out Thomas Bartlett's AUDIOFILE over at Salon for some new songs and immediately got intrigued by the title "Postcards from Italy" from a band called Beirut.

The connection I made in my head is to the paragraph I had just written as a freefall writing exercise that was to be sent to friend of a friend travelling in Italy.

During my one night in Rome, I was under special protection.
Christina managed to tap me on the shoulder, while I was looking at a
display of postcards, without alerting my bodyguards. She told me
that she loved my films. I was touched and I nodded slightly. It
might have been jetlag. It might have been the fact that the mission
was nearly over and I knew that I had failed. Christina took out a
postcard from her Hermes handbag and handed it to me. It was a
duplicate from the display I was just looking at yet this one was a
bit tattered and I soon discovered the writing on the other side, the
beautiful stamp and postmark from a year ago. Christina said I
looked as if I didn't recognize her or the postcard. Indeed, it was
a little while until I realized the note on the postcard was in my
own handwriting. It was sent to her address in St. Croix with a note
imploring her to meet me at this same postcard display case at the
Rome airport. I had a distinct feeling of being in a dream as I
looked at my wrist watch and realized that I was, in fact, at the
prescribed location at the exact time without any recollection of
writing the postcard or meeting Christina before. And I thought to
myself: "Things happen that way."

I don't know how those words came out of me. I realize later that it's somewhat a cross between Last Year at Marienbad and Griffin & Sabine with some Stanislaw Lem thrown in.

Listening to the song "Postcards from Italy" (which sounded very cool) I had not one epiphany - but two, about my current life and projects. I found out later that the computer was merely glitching out the song in an interesting way and the song isn't really as life changing as all of that. Yet I still have those epiphanies. I'll be carrying them around. I'll always be thankful for that.

My friend sent it to his friend Christina and she responded with this:

I can't believe Lester finally remembers our meeting in Roma. However
something went slightly awry as I am certain he is talking about the
female counteragent who infiltrated his security forces. I do not
carry an Hermes handbag. I have a Prada thigh holster, this is true,
but my handbag is a cheap knockoff that I purchased on the street in
Accra for $17 US. The postcard he received is an excellent forgery but
does not contain the secret message written in 2% milk which is only
revealed when the postcard is lightly toasted over an open flame. All
this aside, I still love his films.

STAY TUNED FOR MORE.