69 to 99 Moving Finds: Part Two

I’ve become so deeply immersed in the education of the suicide prevention movement over the past six years that it’s hard to remember a time when I wasn’t involved. My reasons for initially discovering the campaign were both serendipitous and personal, and it turned out to be, what I believe to be, one of the most meaningful accomplishments in my life.

Six years and five overnight walks later for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, I’ve heard stories of loss that would break the most jaded heart, traversed more miles in the name of a cause than I ever though possible and met some of the greatest and strongest people imaginable who I now consider the best of my friends.

While on the 69 to 99 Moving Finds expedition, I came across the shirt for the first walk I did in late June of 2010, and it definitely brought up some memories.

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69 to 99 Moving Finds: Part One

“Moving sucks” is an oft-repeated phrase which I can’t add to in any way.I’m currently in the midst of leaving a place I’ve been in for 10 years. That’s a large chunk of time. Certainly the longest I’ve ever been in one place for any one period of time. Hell, maybe ever.

My old address is 69…moving to 99.

I’m digging up some things I haven’t seen in quite awhile that I thought would be interesting to post and reminisce briefly about. An early business card is up first, story behind it after the jump.

OG Business Card MC

Continue reading “69 to 99 Moving Finds: Part One” →

“I Was Spinning Free…”

This week marks the 15th anniversary of Jimmy Eat World’s breakthrough effort Bleed American.  To mark the occasion, I did a short piece on the record for Diffuser. But personally, the album remains one of those which represents a particular period in time; in this case the summer of 2001.

Having just graduated from college, there was a glaring sense of, “Alright, now what?” I shoulda traveled the world then, but have always been a bit behind when it comes to those sorts of things and would wait a few years for that part of my life to begin. What I did end up doing was heading out on a fairly destination-less cross country road trip with noted culture vulture the Ninja. It was a sense of lingering adventure to do something “big” before entering the so-called real world.

When I say there was no set plan, there was absolutely no set plan. It was for the most part a bit like an Abbott & Costello episode (those who still have both grandparents living can ask them to define that reference). We crashed in random dorms, shelters, hostels and on various couches. There was one concrete idea to attend the Green Party affiliated Campus Greens’ “Rally for Radical Change” held at Chicago’s Congress Theater on August 10.

An e-mail about the event was sent to college mailing lists which stated:

Confirmed speakers and performers include Ralph Nader, Winona LaDuke, Robert Miranda and Jello Biafra.

Invited speakers and performers include Cynthia McKinney, Howard Zinn, Michael Moore, Amy Goodman, Ani Difranco, Radiohead, Common, Chuck D, Zach de la Rocha, and many, many more!

“Holy shit!!” the Ninja and I collectively thought. “That ‘invited speakers and performers’ list is ridiculous.” Radiohead! Chuck D! Zach de la Rocha! Michael Moore! Howard Zinn! The “many, many more” could only make the whole thing even astronomical.

Off we went to take part in this thing and pick the brain of Chuck D.

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‘Even Gods Must Die’

It was announced this week that the 15 year running River Gods in Cambridge, MA would be shuttering its doors for good. This came a a massive disappointment to many in the area, as it was a place which had great food, a better atmosphere and music for anyone’s taste. Each night featured a different DJ doing a different kind of music or theme. Dream pop. Soul. Deep house. Electronic. Vintage Rock and Roll.

I started off there partnering up with Jed Gottlieb of the Boston Herald doing “Prom Nights.” The way it was setup was to take a high school name from a famous film and play the music from the era in which it was set. For instance, ‘Prom Night: Lee High School, 1976’ took the high school name of Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused, and we spun rock and roll from the mid-70s.

Fun times.

Eventually I started coming up with my own nights, first doing soul and funk, calling it ‘Cold Sweat,’ then kicking it up a few notches with rock dubbed ‘It Might Get Loud,’ but nothing too crazy. Eventually I started doing an ‘Across the Pond’ theme which fully allowed me to embrace Brtipop and anything else from Europe. The sets were accompanied by images and film shown on a big blank wall, like when doing a funk night, I’d have The Night James Brown Saved Boston playing along with the music. I’m gonna miss that hot, tiny little booth that overlooked the Central Square crowd of revelers.

Here’s a flyer I did for the last Across the Pond event, and after the jump are some of my additional favorites.

Dec 9 Continue reading “‘Even Gods Must Die’” →

Voltage Factory Playlist 30 June 16

One of the bands I fell really hard for in the mid-90s was Sponge. They’d had a hit with “Molly (Sixteen Candles)” and “Plowed,” at which point they were on my radar, but nothing more. Then, in 1996, the Detroit outfit put out their second album, Wax Ecstatic, and it resonated for some reason. It was just one of those time and place things I suppose. Sponge played the Tower Records in Philly during an in-store, then I saw them while I was spending some time in California at Slim’s in San Francisco that summer. I thought the record was excellent, which is why it’s featured in the Classic Album Spotlight this week on the occasion of turning 20.

Things kicked off with the Stone Roses, and the show was broadcast from NYC where I went to see them at Madison Square Garden. Brilliant time. The second segment went out to all the madness in England with the Brexit vote coming down, beginning with the Killer Cover of Motörhead taking on Sex Pistols’ “God Save the Queen.”

It’s also the last show before a short summer break, so I tried to fit a little bit of everything. New music from Crash Midnight and Filter, and some heaviness courtesy of Iceland’s Dimma and the Vintage Caravan and a doubleshot of Iron Maiden.

Here are some highlights from this week:

Classic Album Spotlight: Sponge – Wax Ecstatic (20th anniversary)
Volt Vault: The Cult – “Love Removal Machine (Peace Mix)”
Killer Cover: Motörhead – “God Save the Queen” (Sex Pistols)
Double-shot: Iron Maiden

As always, after a new show runs, I’ll be posting the wrap-up here before the rebroadcast. New editions of the Voltage Factory on VanyaRadio run every Thursday night at 8:00pm EST with an opportunity to hear it again the following Monday at 10:00pm EST. This week’s full playlist is after the jump.

Sponge Continue reading “Voltage Factory Playlist 30 June 16” →

Voltage Factory Playlist 23 June 16

It’s summertime, officially, so I got to do one of the theme nights I’m so fond of doing every now and again on the Voltage Factory. The show kicked off with one of my favorite songs by The Dears, “Summer of Protest,” which got me into the band in the first place when it came out in 2002. There’s such a mood to it – nothing sunny at all mind you – which is kind of the point of some of the other “summer” tracks I cued up. “Dirty Black Summer” by Danzig, “Endless Summer of the Damned” from Bauhaus, “Die in the Summertime” by Manic Street Preachers and “My Own Summer (Shove It)” from Deftones were some of the irony laden offerings.

Out of the #VoltVault came Van Halen and the excellent Sammy Hagar-era song “Humans Being” which initially appeared on the soundtrack to the film Twister. Hardcore VH fans know this as the one that did in the Hagar-led lineup in 1996, opening the quickly revolving door for a brief return of David Lee Roth and ultimately the ill-fated time with then ex-Extreme singer Gary Cherone. Could’ve spent an entire show explaining that one.

Here are some highlights from this week:

Classic Album Spotlight: AFI – Decemberunderground (10th anniversary)
Volt Vault: Van Halen – “Humans Being”
Killer Cover: Type O Negative – “Summer Breeze” (Seals & Crofts)
Double-shot: Marilyn Manson

As always, after a new show runs, I’ll be posting the wrap-up here before the rebroadcast. New editions of the Voltage Factory on VanyaRadio run every Thursday night at 8:00pm EST with an opportunity to hear it again the following Monday at 10:00pm EST. This week’s full playlist is after the jump.

Dears - Protest Continue reading “Voltage Factory Playlist 23 June 16” →

Voltage Factory Playlist 16 June 16

The Cult have always been a band that never quite fit into any one period of time, though it’s not for lack of trying. During the mid to late 80s, they had the big hair and glammed out look, but never the trite songs. When grunge hit big in the early 90s, the UK outfit tried to mimic the musical style to such a degree that when it didn’t work, they ended up on a lengthy hiatus where it looked like frontman Ian Astbury and guitarist Billy Duffy might never repair their relationship. Thankfully the two made nice and returned with Beyond Good and Evil in 2001, a heavy, groovy, satisfying work. It turns 15 years old this month, and was the subject of the Classic Album Spotlight.

From the #VoltVault, I grabbed “Jump in the Fire” from Metallica’s original 1982 No Life ‘Til Leather demo. Drummer Lars Ulrich said recently they wanted to put out an expanded reissue of the long bootleged item, but that they were facing some hurdles, which could be issues created by former bassist Ron McGovney or ex-guitarist Dave Mustaine, both of who played on it. Fans are doubting either of the two are looking for more money though, and signs are pointing to someone on the production or studio end that wants a bigger cut.

Here are some highlights from this week:

Classic Album Spotlight: The Cult – Beyond Good and Evil (15th anniversary)
Volt Vault: Metallica – “Jump in the Fire [’82 Demo]”
Killer Cover: Anthrax – “Ball of Confusion” (The Temptations)
Double-shot: Queensrÿche

As always, after a new show runs, I’ll be posting the playlist here before the rebroadcast. There is an opportunity to hear it again as the Voltage Factory repeats the following Monday at 10:00pm EST on VanyaRadio. The full playlist is after the jump.

TheCult2001
A 2001 flyer to promote The Cult’s Beyond Good and Evil tour

Continue reading “Voltage Factory Playlist 16 June 16” →