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WRFL 88.1 FM Alumni Show, 16 October 2018

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WRFL 88.1 FM Alumni Show, 16 October 2018

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Kerosene by Big Black
Just Too Bloody Stupid by Close Lobsters
Planet Of Sound by Pixies
Digital Meltdown by Pop Will Eat Itself
Ambition by Velvet Elvis
Misinformed by Overhead
Somewhere by Scissor Sisters
Fait Accompli (Single Version) by Curve
The Upstairs Room by The Cure
Pity For The Self by Poesie Noire
Control I’m Here by Nitzer Ebb
If You Want by Depeche Mode
This Boy’s In Love by The Presets
Hot Doggie by Colourbox
Give Me Back My Man by The B-52’s
The Big Sky by Kate Bush
Feurio! by Einsturzende Neubauten
Now, An Explosive New Movie by Severed Heads
Love’s Secret Domain by Coil
This Corrosion (Single Version) by The Sisters Of Mercy
You Often Forget (Benign) by Revolting Cocks
Rise by Public Image Limited
Academic by New Order
September Song by The Young Gods

“I was born in this town, lived here my whole life…”

During a recent trip to my hometown of Lexington, Kentucky, I had the opportunity to go back on the air at WRFL 88.1 FM for an alumni show. Co-host Brian Manke joined me for two hours of classic college rock (with a few new things thrown in), and reminiscing about my time at the station.

(Full disclosure: I didn’t mention this on the air, but I was in the band Overhead. The song Misinformed was written by Brian Fifield and myself, recorded and self-released in 1995. Brian is singing lead.)


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The Beat Bash – 22 May 2014

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The Beat Bash – 22 May 2014

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Hallelujah by Happy Mondays
Feel Every Beat by Electronic
Faît Accompli by Curve
Kiss Them For Me by Siouxsie And The Banshees
Fascination Street by The Cure
Body by Public Image Limited
Hippychick by Soho
101 by Finitribe
Now by Meat Beat Manifesto
Mother Universe by The Soup Dragons

“It crawls into your system when your guard is down, becomes the ball that you drag around…”

This one’s a good mix of indie rock, shoegaze, and hip hop beats.

While sitting on the couch a few nights ago watching blocks of videos from 120 Minutes, my husband noted that if Curve had formed just a couple of years later, they would have had Garbage’s career.

The Beat Bash – 15 May 2014

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The Beat Bash – 15 May 2014

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Head Like A Hole by Nine Inch Nails
Quite Unusual by Front 242
Breakaway by Big Pig
Join In The Chant by Nitzer Ebb
Strangelove by Depeche Mode
Keep On by Cabaret Voltaire
Bizarre Love Triangle by New Order
So In Love by OMD
The Promise by When In Rome
Hooked On Love by Dead Or Alive

“Omina, doke doe ominea…”

At one time I’d found an article on the web where the members of Big Pig gave the translation of that phrase, but for the life of me I can’t find it. Maybe it was Aboriginal in origin?

This week’s mix is back to basics. Sometimes I tend to over-think the tracks, but really, this is what a typical episode of the show sounded like. This is why we had an audience.

The Beat Bash – 8 May 2014

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The Beat Bash – 8 May 2014

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New York, New York by Nina Hagen
Fashion by David Bowie
Total Eclipse by Klaus Nomi
Kinetic by Hilary
World Destruction by Time Zone
Moody by ESG
Can’t Afford by 52nd Street
Heart Of Glass by A Primary Industry
Commercial Rain by Inspiral Carpets
Walking Down Madison by Kirsty MacColl

“Peter’s moaning for his teddy, for his teddy bear…”

The first proposed tracklist of this mix was equal parts New York art rock and Madchester, but I showed it to my friend Andrew, and he wrinkled his nose. I kinda wasn’t feeling it either, so I ditched all but the first three tracks and started over. My husband said “Why don’t you just make it all New York art rock”, and he was right (although a little Madchester still found its way in).

At first glance, some of these aren’t your typical dance songs, yet I’ve danced to all of them. I have distinct recollection of Brian and Michelle playing Nina Hagen and Time Zone on Beat Bash Mk1. Nina references Bowie, who pulled Klaus into his orbit long enough for an appearance on Saturday Night Live. ESG was a New York-based sister act produced by Martin Hannett, and 52nd Street was a Manchester-based sibling act produced by Bernard Sumner after New York opened his eyes and ears to dance music. A Primary Industry does a grinding cover version of New Yorkers Blondie, and Kirsty sings a song about New York that was co-written by Johnny Marr. There’s a lot of cross-influence happening.

Time Zone was a collaboration between Bill Laswell, Afrika BamBaataa, and John Lydon, a year before Laswell was tapped to produce Public Image Limited’s masterpiece Album.

The Beat Bash – 1 May 2014

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The Beat Bash – 1 May 2014

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Mmm… Skyscraper I Love You by Underworld
Greater Reward by Severed Heads
She’s A Secretary by Celebrate The Nun
So Many People by Hubert Kah
Cha Cha Heels by Eartha Kit And Bronski Beat
I’m Raving by L.A. Style
Jacky by Marc Almond
Elevate by Crystal Trip
Pineapple Face by Revenge
Dancing In Heaven (Orbital Be-Bop) by Q-Feel

“Become all-knowing, my beard so very long and flowing…”

I asked some friends to chime in with requests, and there’s a number of them here: Underworld, Severed Heads, Celebrate The Nun, L.A. Style, and Q-Feel. I’m always happy to take requests providing you understand the format.

The version of Greater Reward is my own re-edit, done several years ago with Tom Ellard’s blessing. Severed Heads is a very important group for me, to the point that I have the cover of Bulkhead tattooed on my arm.

Mmm… Skyscraper I Love You is dedicated to the one and only Skyscraper, Mr. Mark D. Hurte. The genderfuck drag he was doing in Lexington in the ’80s and ’90s would be right at home on RuPaul’s Drag Race today.

The Beat Bash – 17 April 2014

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The Beat Bash – 17 April 2014

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Welcome by Gino Latino
Heat It Up by The Wee Papa Girl Rappers
Get On The Dancefloor by Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock
Doin’ The Do by Betty Boo
Come Into My House by Queen Latifah
Blame It On The Bassline by Beats International
Do What You Want by 2 In A Room
I’ll House You by Jungle Brothers
This Is Acid by Maurice
It’s Percussion by M Doc

“Use the up and down and crossfader…”

Continuing on the vibe of last week, here’s a hip house mix. Hip house was the late ’80s sweet spot where rap and house music converged.

Two of the tracks here sample from the Jacksons’ album Destiny: Get On The Dancefloor uses Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground), and Blame It On The Bassline uses Blame It On The Boogie.

The Beat Bash – 10 April 2014

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The Beat Bash – 10 April 2014

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So Hard by Pet Shop Boys
Cold by LaTour
Love Baby by Fortran 5
Cold World by Jamie Principle
Lack Of Love by Charles B
Set Your Body Free by Inner City
Pump Up The Jam by Technotronic
Hey Music Lover by S’Express
Rosebud by Fred
It’s Alright by Pet Shop Boys

“The children say…”

And here we have Chicago by way of London, Belgium, Detroit, and, well, Chicago.

Before William “Bud” LaTour scored a hit with People Are Still Having Sex he was a frequent contributor to the Dr. Demento Show. Bud worked as a studio musician on a number of house records, and also got exposure to the Wax Trax gang through the Chicago studio circuit.

Jamie Principle first released It’s A Cold World in conjunction with Frankie Knuckles on Trax Records. The re-recorded version here was produced by Steve “Silk” Hurley and released in 1989. I’ve always preferred this slower, smoother version.

Fred is otherwise known as Fred Giannelli, a Boston-born musician who became part of Psychic TV in the late ’80s, and collaborated with Genesis P. Orridge during their acid house phase. Rosebud was on his first solo EP, relased on Wax Trax in 1991.

Apart from Pet Shop Boys, none of these artists have appeared in previous episodes.

It’s Alright by Pet Shop Boys

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It’s Alright (The DJ International Mixes) by Pet Shop Boys

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It’s Alright (Tyree Mix)
It’s Alright (Sterling Void Mix)

“’cause the music plays forever…”

I’m recovering from a nasty cold, and just as I started getting better my husband got sick. I honestly haven’t had time to record this week’s show, but I’ll have it online by Saturday evening.

What I did have time to do, however, was see Pet Shop Boys in Oakland on Tuesday night. They’re bringing the Electric tour to Coachella over the next two weekends, so here in the Bay Area we were treated to our second PSB gig in only 6 months.

Before they came on stage, a short mix set of tracks by the late Frankie Knuckles was played over the PA. Chris Lowe in particular loves his house music, as evidenced by the Boys’ 1989 cover of It’s Alright by Sterling Void, a.k.a. Chicago artist Duane Pelt. They even got Pelt to bring it full circle and remix their cover for a limited 12″ single titled The DJ International Mixes (paired with a remix by fellow Chicago house producer Tyree Cooper). It’s Alright is one of my favorite Pet Shop Boys singles, so I was knocked over when it showed up during the encore, mashed up with Vocal from the most recent album. I’ll be following suit, using it as the closing track in this week’s mix.

The restoration job here was done by Bruce Bartlett, who remastered all the New Order singles for the Recycle project. Please to enjoy!

The Beat Bash – 3 April 2014

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The Beat Bash – 3 April 2014

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I Don’t Need God by Greater Than One
Touched By The Hand Of God by New Order
God O.D. by Meat Beat Manifesto
Skeletons By Nature by Dessau
Godlike by KMFDM
Kaleid by Depeche Mode
Hallucination Generation by The Gruesome Twosome
Salvation! Have You Said Your Prayers Today by The Hood
No Devotion by Revolting Cocks
Pity For The Self by Poésie Noire

“Building it up just to tear it down again / Tearing it down just to build it up again”

This one turned out to be a theme show.

I grew up in an evangelical Christian household, and was still quite active in both my faith and the church at the time I started my involvement with The Beat Bash. When I first heard songs like I Don’t Need God and No Devotion they were quite shocking to me. Within a couple of years I would come out, and, well, I won’t go into my current religious views, but I think I’ve provided more than enough clues in this week’s track selection.

This isn’t even the show I’d planned to do – My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult and Jane Child among others – but I’ve been laid up with a nasty cold all week, and I’ve been cranky. I’m much happier with this show instead.

Greater Than One was the performance art husband/wife duo of Michael Wells and Lee Newman (RIP 1995). Their work was released via Wax Trax in North America, and was remastered and reissued in 2008 via the Brainwashed Archives. Dessau was an industrial band from Nashville that got Al Jourgensen to produce and remix a few of their tracks.

This week also features a couple of my personal favorites – Kaleid, which is the B-Side to Depeche Mode’s Policy Of Truth, and one of the last stomping dance tracks they produced during their imperial phase; and Pity For The Self by Belgian goths Poésie Noire.

The Beat Bash – 27 March 2014

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The Beat Bash – 27 March 2014

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Buffalo Stance by Neneh Cherry
Pop Muzik ’89 by M
Sound And Vision by David Bowie vs. 808 State
Rage Hard by Frankie Goes To Hollywood
Love Train by Holly Johnson
Shame by Eurythmics
I’m Not Perfect (But I’m Perfect For You) by Grace Jones
Move Your Ass by Erotic Dissidents
p:Machinery by Propaganda
Let Me Go by Heaven 17

“You with yer brand new shoes and / You with yer greasy hair and / You with yer mother’s pride and poetry”

This one is for Andrew. xox