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Friday, May 29, 2009

The FM Showcase Cometh - Tonight, 10PM, 90.5 The Night

This evening at 10pm, tune in, 'cause we've managed to scrape up some great tracks:
  • New tracks from The Horrors, The Joy Formidable, Dizzee Rascal and Armand Van Helden, Elizabeth & The Catapult, Deastro and Jarvis Cocker...
  • Holdovers to put in our Grinder including songs from Art Brut, The Big Pink, The Maccabees, Brazilian Girls with David Byrne...
  • Classic tracks from XTC, The Jam, Ministry, APB, Thomas Dolby...
...and lots more! Tune in on the FM dial if you're in central NJ, at 90.5 The Night, or online at 90.5thenight.org.

Then tune in Monday when we add all this good stuff to the playlists here at altrokradio.com (but don't wait - the tracks that are already there are just as great, ya know...)

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Miss The Melody Reunion Replay? The Daily Retro Has You Covered

An assortment of tracks from the Melody Reunion Replay will be online for your listening enjoyment for two hours every day this week, starting at 11:30am Eastern on the stereo web stream of AltrokRadio.com.

As always...you're welcome.

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Greatest American Band Ever? Green Day

Last night I stayed up to watch Green Day on Letterman. I often don't make it to the band portion of the show which is typically around twelve thirty. But it was a Friday, and I really wanted to see them. I am very glad I did.

Green Day has had some amazing performances over the years on Lettermen. I saw their first way back in 1994 when they played Basket Case and blew the place away. They had just released Dookie and had taken the world by storm.

At the end of that performance the drummer immediately dropped his sticks and sprinted off stage, to the surprise of Dave and Paul, and to the amusement of his band mates. It wouldn't be his last odd performance on Letterman. Catch last night's performance on YouTube.

Last night they played a new song from their just released album 21st Century Break Down called East Jesus Nowhere. I expected Do You Know Your Enemy, but this was just as good. In fact it blew me away. It roared, it rocked, it detonated with the same force as any track from Dookie or American Idiot. Fifteen years on and Green Day hasn't lost any intensity or impact. Few bands if any I can think of rock as powerfully with NEW MATERIAL at that career stage. Maybe none.

Everyone knows of my fondness and appreciation for the Ramones and what the achieved. And I have gone on about how Springsteen is America's master poet. But both bands must yield to Green Day in absolute greatness.

To be as cool and as relevant and as dangerous and as influential as Green Day is right now after 15 years is almost unprecedented in pop music. My beloved Ramones were really only important for five years, after which they spent the next 15 years laboring in obscurity as a tribute act to themselves. Bruce I must say, hasn't be a pop icon for over 25 years. Sure he's continued to put out work, but no one really hears it or thinks about it. The "kids" aren't listening to Bruce. Born in the USA was really his swan song culturally. I don't mean to diminish his greatness (from 30 years ago...), but to clarify his importance now and over all that time.

REM could lay claim from 1983 to maybe 1991, but that's only 8 years. And they've been all but forgotten for 15 years.

But each Green Day album over the last fifteen years has been IMPORTANT. To listen to Green Day now is as if it were 1994 or 1998 or 2000 or 2004. They haven't aged as in gotten old or comfortable, or really changed who they are.

What that really means is that Green Day was as mature and polished and capable as they are now way back in 1994. In fact they were maybe 15 years ahead of themselves because there's no evidence of wear or tear. We could be looking at another 15 years of this magnificence. That would put them in company with only one other band, but no other American band comes close. They are the greatest American Band and they likely have a long way to go.

In the here and now, go buy Green Day's new CD, crank it up and enjoy every moment. Then play Dookie or Warning and ask yourself which came first or which is the debut album. Without knowing, I'm not sure I could tell.

They are the best American Band ever, and they're here right now. Consider yourself very fortunate. I do.

Friday, May 22, 2009

Melody Bar Reunion Replay Weekend - From Midnight Friday Night Until Monday, 11:59PM!

So much to hear - so little time...tune in for the Melody Bar Reunion Replay Weekend, where we'll be airing all of the Melody Bar Reunion Replays we've collected so far (all five; three Old School replays, two All Years replays.) DJs include Matt Pinfield, Pete Santiago, Ed Wong, Andrew Prescott, Lisa Uber, DJ Del, Sean Carolan, Pat Pierson, DJ Drew, IronMike and DJ TM5!

Like I said - so much to hear...all weekend on AltrokRadio.com (stereo stream only.)

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Altrok Radio Music Update #231

MELODY BAR FANS: Check the bottom of this message for a special note.

Firstly, the important stuff:

Altrok Radio is at http://www.altrokradio.com

Please remember to tune in whenever you can - every hour you listen turns into more visibility for the station; we show up higher in search listings, and such like that. And if you'd like to help us keep the stream running, check out the advertisers if they appeal to you; your interest actually helps fund us.

And in the interest of keeping you interested...well, you *do* know about our daily retro feature, right? No? Well...

ALTROK'S DAILY RETRO

WEEKDAYS, 11:30a-1:30p EASTERN

Now then, we've got songs to let you know about.

This week, our Grinders (the stuff we play heavily) include music from:

- Kasabian
- Peter Doherty
- Yeah Yeah Yeahs
- Doves
- Sonic Youth
- Hockey

Plus we've got newly-added music:

- Apostle Of Hustle - Soul Unwind
- Art Brut - Alcoholics Unanimous
- Bombay Bicycle Club - Always Like This
- Camera Obscura - French Navy
- Clem Snide - Beard Of Bees
- The Enemy UK - No Time For Tears
- Fischerspooner - We Are Electric
- The Gossip - Heavy Cross
- Kinky - Those Girls
- The Maccabees - Love You Better
- Metric - Gimme Sympathy
- The New York Dolls - My World
- The Race UK - Rude Boy
- Super Furry Animals - Inaugural Trams

Our Newly-Added Classics:

- Big Audio Dynamite - The Globe
- Blur - Girls & Boys
- Let's Active - Waters Part
- Nick Lowe - Cracking Up
- Melt Banana - Monkey Man
- Morphine - Honey White
- The Screaming Blue Messiahs - Wild Blue Yonder
- Swervedriver - Rave Down
- Yello - I Love You


And don't forget the R/SYN Underground night, every Saturday at the Corner Tavern in New Brunswick, where Drew and IronMike keep you dancing with the most advanced playlist this side of the Atlantic (and where, occasionally, yours truly might show up and spin a coupla tracks...ya never know.)

For those who didn't forget about the Melody Bar Reunion (or even if you did) we'll air all the music that played, from *all* the Melody Bar Reunions, all weekend on Memorial Day Weekend.

- Sean Carolan
Altrok Radio
On your computer now at http://www.altrokradio.com
On the radio Fridays at 10pm, at 90.5 The Night

Monday, May 18, 2009

AltAnimation: "Who's Hungry" by David Ochs

First, watch this (not for the young, impressionable, or squeamish):



...and now marvel at the fact that it was made by a first-year animation student at CalArts who, frankly, has just self-selected as "somebody we gotta keep an eye on". In more ways than one, perhaps.

Labels: ,

Friday, May 15, 2009

Devo On "Fridays", 1980

Yeah, you kinda need to see this:



See?

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Even Better Than The Real Thing?

The other day I was in the mall with the family picking up a few essentials. As expected, the boys wanted to do two things while we were there: To eat at McDonald's and to go to the video game store. I was in a generous mood and granted them both wishes, which had me proclaimed "The best Dad in the World!" For at least the next ten minutes or so.

After the chicken and burgers and fries and cokes, and after making them wait (Hee!)while I picked up a couple of pairs of jeans at JC Penney that was all the way on the other side of the mall, we finally checked out the game store.

Now my boys have the GameCube, but that hasn't stopped them from wanting every OTHER game system available, not to mention every game every made.

But being in a generous mood, I decreed that each could get one thing, provided they spent their own money. By now my "Best Dad in the World" status was pretty secure for the rest of the evening.

The boys dove into the store and were quickly busy looking for what they wanted. I wandered in after them, casually looking at all the latest and greatest games and systems.

It was clear that the Rock Band and Guitar Hero games were the hot items of the moment. I was impressed to discover that for Guitar Hero only the original artists tracks are used, which is how it should be. I found the diversity of bands and styles that come with the game to be pretty comprehensive, from Nirvana and No Doubt to a host of dinosaur bands I refuse to acknowledge.

Further on, I noticed an entire display of accessories for these types of games. I saw guitars, cymbals with full stands, drum pads, microphones, drum sticks, and even a large drum petal presumably for a base drum.

Upon seeing all this I nearly laughed out loud. So much of the gear looked exactly like the real equipment, it occurred to me,that if these folks really want to play music so badly, why don't they just go out and by the REAL equipment? Given the price tags on some of the toys, they'd get a much better deal for their money on a real electric guitar.

It's understandable that one might want to have a virtual reality experience of fighting a war, or driving a race car or flying a jet fighter, as these activities are not easily experienced (or survived)by ordinary folks. But why go to all the trouble to simulate something that is readily done by regular people and is reasonably affordable? I compared it in my mind to having a virtual eating experience. Or maybe more like virtual sex. Give me the burger and the coed every time. Come to think of it, this is just like music pornography.

I wonder what will come from a generation of simulated musicians. Will all this semi-experience on guitar and drums actually inspire thousands of new artists in the next ten years? Or will it lead to hordes of tribute bands who actually play on computer game instruments? Will these kids grow up into teenagers and wake up one morning wanting a real guitar? Or will Guitar Hero champions turn out to be as sexy and charismatic as those they mimic? There might be a need soon for virtual groupie and virtual drug addict games...

I worry that too many kids will have been made to think it's so easy and become quickly disappointed to find out they actually have to work at it, and that the sounds they make in the beginning will be pretty lousy. And that they'll have to tune their gear and come up with their own ideas.

But all that sounds so 20th century.

Thursday, May 07, 2009

Internet Radio, Anywhere I Go? (It's More Likely Than You Think.)

So there's this device that's about the same dimensions as, and about three times as thick as, a credit card. Let's call it a "thingy".

Push the button on the thingy and, wherever you are (assuming you've bought the cellular service that goes with it) you've got a WiFi cloud around you. Start up your Nintendo DSi, iPod Touch or laptop - wherever you and the and thingy happen to be - and you've got fast Internet access.

The New York Times talks about the thingy (the Novatel MiFi 2200, to be precise) and it does appear to be the bestest thing since sliced bread.

Now then, if you sit there watching videos, you'll ratchet up your data bill something fierce...but what if you'd just like to listen to some music?

Bingo. Internet radio anywhere on Earth.

It's coming out this month. Not exactly a flying car, but it'll do.

Meanwhile, terrestrial radio continues to do everything it can to drive people looking for something different to, well, look for something different.

Altrok Radio Music Update #230

Firstly, the important stuff:

Altrok Radio is at http://www.altrokradio.com

Please remember to tune in whenever you can - every hour you listen turns into more visibility for the station; we show up higher in search listings, and such like that. And if you'd like to help us keep the stream running, check out the advertisers if they appeal to you; your interest actually helps fund us.

And in the interest of keeping you interested...well, you *do* know about our daily retro feature, right? No? Well...

ALTROK'S DAILY RETRO

WEEKDAYS, 11:30a-1:30p EASTERN

Now then, we've got songs to let you know about.

This week, our Grinders (the stuff we play heavily) include music from:

- Brakes
- Phoenix
- Spinnerette
- Maximo Park
- Yeah Yeah Yeahs
- Handsome Furs

Plus we've got newly-added music:

- The Big Pink - Velvet
- Brazilian Girls - I'm Losing Myself (Feat. David Byrne)
- Cantinero - Selfish
- Dogs Die In Hot Cars - Pop Nonsense
- Flashguns - Locarno
- Kasabian - Vlad The Impaler
- Marmaduke Duke - Kid Gloves
- The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - Come Saturday
- Passion Pit - The Reeling
- Peaches - Talk To Me
- Silversun Pickups - There's No Secrets This Year
- Sonic Youth - Sacred Trickster
- The Thermals - I Let It Go
- We Have Band - Oh!
- White Rabbits - Percussion Gun

Our Featured Classics:

- Elvis Costello - I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down
- Bill Drummond - I Want That Girl
- Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians - Madonna Of The Wasps
- Inspiral Carpets - Commercial Rain
- Graham Parker - You Hit The Spot
- Liz Phair - Supernova
- The Pixies - Where Is My Mind
- The Strokes - Last Night
- Super Furry Animals - Hello Sunshine
- The Wonder Stuff - Caught In My Shadow [Extended Version]


And don't forget the R/SYN Underground night, every Saturday at the Corner Tavern in New Brunswick, where Drew and IronMike keep you dancing with the most advanced playlist this side of the Atlantic (and where, occasionally, yours truly might show up and spin a coupla tracks...ya never know.)

For those who didn't forget about the Melody Bar Reunion (or even if you did) we'll air all the music that played, from *all* the Melody Bar Reunions, all weekend on Memorial Day Weekend.

- Sean Carolan
Altrok Radio
On your computer now at http://www.altrokradio.com
On the radio Fridays at 10pm, at 90.5 The Night

Sunday, May 03, 2009

Whoops! We Went Retro Today...

Slight error in queueing playlists today - the net result: retro until the playlist runs out, at about 4pm. So there's a whole bunch of alternative classics awaiting you when you tune in (and with an iPhone or net-connected Blackberry, that can be anywhere.)

Enjoy!
 
Please Look At Our Advertisers (Or The Website Gets It)
Congratulations, you've found the hidden text.
 
Welcome to Altrok.com, also available at AltrokRadio.com and AltrockRadio.com. Here's where the remaining listeners of several fine radio stations have retreated, regrouped, and built a replacement strong enough to stand on its own. It builds on the independent legacy of New Jersey's FM106.3, New York's WPIX and WLIR, Oklahoma's 105.3 The Spy, the pre-buyout mindset of KROQ, WBCN and WHFS and of every other alternative station that was destroyed at a moment's notice - not because they weren't making money, but because there was bigger money to be found elsewhere.
 
We've stood by as truly independent alternative rock radio died. Sure, something called "alternative" took its place, but we know for sure that anything that "tests well" with soccer moms just ain't alternative. (Even if some of us happen to be soccer moms.) So we've taken matters into our own hands.
 
This really is independent alternative rock radio, visible here at Altrok.com and audible at our web radio station. It has the classic music that fired our passions back in the day - or that we maybe only heard about from our elders - but it's mostly made of the new music that does precisely the same for us now. We're paying attention to scenes all over the world, watching the energy build, and waiting to see what it creates. Wherever it happens, we'll make sure you can hear about it here. We've been slowly building all this since 2001, and now that you've noticed us, we're glad you're here.
 
Of course, it's only here because you want it to be here, and it can only stay if you help it along - especially by checking out our advertisers (they support us) and by listening (the more that listen, the more visible we are.) Please use the "feedback" link above to let us know whether it works for you, and what you want it to be as the future unfolds. (And if you need help hearing it, let us know that, too.)