1985 In Film Continued

 

(image from the IMDb)

On this week's episode of Self Help Radio, we played some more of my favorite music from 1985.  Ou friend Chuck stopped by to talk about foreign films released in 1985.  You can listen to that show if you want at the Self Help Radio website & also at the KBOO website, & there are other places you can explore the stuff Chuck watched & recommends.

His Twitter feed.

He made a Youtube playlist of foreign films from 1985.

Here are the Letterboxd reviews of films from 1985.

This is an IMDb list of films available to stream free elsewhere.

& finally here's the list of all films released in 1985.  Find your favorite!

Back In 1921

(image from here)

There's something I don't talk much about on this blog, which is the other radio show I do, which is The Dickenbock Report, which airs on Thursdays from 8-10am on Freeform Portland.  The main reason I don't talk about it is because this blog is supposed to be about Self Help Radio, but I'm too lazy to start another blog for The Dickenbock Report & too cheap to spring for another web page for it.  So I talk about the show on the SHR Twitter feed as well as on the SHR Facebook page, but don't really want to repost anything about the show here, since I only write on the blog once a day five days a week.

But the last couple of shows I've done I quite liked, so I thought I'd take the time today to talk about one of them, which aired a week ago.  I thought I would play a couple of hours of music from one hundred years ago.  It was an interesting time - there wasn't really any folk or country to speak of, & the idea of one person with a guitar singing the blues hadn't yet been committed to record.  There was jazz, & the rise of the woman blues singer, & of course plenty of what we'd now call "pop" music.  It was fun to gather & put together, so I thought I'd share.

The show is on the Self Help Radio website, which you can go to directly at this very link.  Since it's on the website, you'll need a username - SHR - & a password - selfhelp - to access the file.  The songs I played are below.  I hope you dig.  It was, I'll say again, just a joy to put together.

The Dickenbock Report 071521: Back In 1921

"Margie" Original Dixieland Jazz Band _The Complete Original Dixieland Jazz Band_

"Say It With Music" Paul Whiteman & His Orchestra _Greatest Hits_

"Brown Skin (Who You For)" Daisy Martin & Clarence Williams _Clarence Williams 1921-1924_

"That's My Cup Blues" Katie Crippen with Henderson's Novelty Orchestra _Fletcher Henderson & The Blues Singers Volume 1 (1921-1923)_

"Laughing Rag" Sam Moore _Classic Ragtime: Roots & Offshoots_

"She Gave Them All The Ha Ha Ha" Eddie Cantor _The Early Days (1917-1921)_

"All By Myself" Ted Lewis Jazz Band _Is Everybody Happy?_

"Wabash Blues" Isham Jones & His Orchestra _Anthology: The Deluxe Collection_

"He's A Darn Good Man (To Have Hanging 'Round)" Alberta Hunter _Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order Volume 1 (1921-1923)_

"Oh How I Hate That Fellow Nathan" Fanny Brice _Stars Of The Ziegfeld Follies, Vol. 1 (Recorded 1916-1925)_

"Saxophone Blues" Brown & Terry Jazzola Boys _Ragtime To Jazz 2 (1921-1922)_

"Eve Cost Adam Just One Bone" Bert Williams _His Final Releases, 1919-1922_

"Aunt Hagar's Children's Blues" Ladd's Black Aces _The Complete Ladd's Black Aces 1921-1924_

"Die Walküre, Act 1: Der Männer Sippe Saß Hier Im Saal" Lotte Lehmann _In Opera (Vol 1 1916-1921)_

"Don't Tell Your Monkey Man" Tim Brymn & His Black Devil Orchestra _Early Jazz 1917-1923_

"How Many Times?" Lavinia Turner _Lavinia Turner 1921-1922_

"I'll Be Good But I'll Be Lonesome" Southern Negro Quartette _The Earliest Negro Vocal Groups Vol. 3_

"Wait Until You See My Madeline" Frank Crumit _Frank Crumit Returns_

"Love Will Find A Way" Inez Richardson _Vocal Blues & Jazz 1921-1930_

"Ain't We Got Fun" Van & Schenck _Wonderful Nonsense: Fun Songs Of The Roaring Twenties_

"Dangerous Blues" Mamie Smith & Her Jazz Band _Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order Volume 1 (14 February 1920 To 18 August 1921)_

"Arkansas Blues" Lucille Hegamin with Her Blue Flame Syncopators _The Rise & Fall Of Paramount Records 1917-1927, Volume 1_

"Preacher Man Blues" Norfolk Jazz Quartet _Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order Volume 1: 1921-1923_

"Oh Daddy" Ethel Waters with Cordy Williams' Jazz Masters _1921-1923_

"April Showers" Al Jolson _Early Al Jolson, Vol. 1_

"Nervous Blues" Edith Wilson & Johnny Dunn's Original Jazz Hounds _Rules & Regulations_

"Home Again Blues" Aileen Stanley _1920s Blues & Jazz Vocals_

"Sweet Adelyne" Four Harmony Kings _Four Harmony Kings (1921-1924)_

"There Ain't No Nothin' (Gonna Take The Place Of You)" Black Swan Dance Orchestra _Fletcher Henderson 1921-1923_

"The Harlem Strut" James P. Johnson _1921-1928_

"I Ain't Got Nobody" Marion Harris _Columbia 1 (1920s Jazz Vocals)_

"Corale" Luigi & Antonio Russolo _Awakening Of A City_

"Baltimore Buzz" Eubie Blake & His "Shuffle Along" Orchestra _Ragtime, Vol. 2_

"When My Baby Smiles At Me" Art Hickman's New York London Five _The Best Of Art Hickman: Original Recordings_

"Tropical Blues" Joseph Samuels' Jazz Band _Jabberwocky_

"Bad Land Blues" Lillyn Brown & Her Jazz-Bo Syncopators _Esther Bigeou (1921-1923)_

"If You Don't Want Me Send Me To My Ma" Mary Stafford & Her Jazz Band _Female Blues Singers Volume 13: R/S (1921-1931)_

Self Help Radio 072021: 1986 Continued

(All images found on Discogs.)

Here it is!  The continuation of my favorite music from 1985!  Listen: I could do a two-hour radio show just called "The 1985 Show" & make it a point not to repeat artists more than once a month & it would be excellent.  I kind of wish that was my thing.  Just a radio show based on a particular year.  Because I have spent six hours playing music from 1985 & I think I have three more hours in me.  Maybe more.  Hell, I made a list of records I didn't even know about from 1985 that I need to find so I can't imagine what I've missed!

& oh yeah, this was the first show I've done in a radio station live since March 12, 2020.  That means I went 496 days - almost 500 days! - without doing radio live at a radio station.  The last time I went that long was after I left KVRX in 1999.

By the way, I used this website to calculate the days - & it told me that 496 days is also 70 weeks & 6 days, or 1 year & four months & nine days.  & it was just too long.  Let's hope the delta variant doesn't fuck stuff up so I can continue to do this.  Please.

The show is at self help radio dot net of course & also at the KBOO website.  It's mainly me being giddy & nervous & playing tunes although Chuck stops by to talk about foreign movies from 1985.  I think it's fine.  What is played is below.  I hope you enjoy.

Self Help Radio 1985 Continued Show

"Pop Life" Prince & The Revolution _Around The World In A Day_

"Would I Lie To You?" Eurythmics _Be Yourself Tonight_

"Don't You (Forget About Me)" Simple Minds _Don't You (Forget About Me)_

"A Day" Clan Of Xymox _Clan Of Xymox_

"Tremble (My Girl Doesn't)" The Wolfgang Press _Water_

"Walk Away" The Sisters Of Mercy _First & Last & Always_

"Hazey Daze" Chris & Cosey _Technø Primitiv_

"Yü-Gung (Fütter Mein Ego)" Einstürzende Neubauten _Halber Mensch_

"One Of Our Psychedelic Beakers Is Missing" The Dentists _Some People Are On The Pitch They Think It's All Over It Is Now_

"Soul Monday" Martin Newell _Songs For A Fallow Land_

"Stealing In The Name Of The Lord" Yeah Yeah Noh _Cutting The Heavenly Lawn Of Greatness...Last Rites For The God Of Love_

"Every Conversation" The June Brides _There Are Eight Million Stories..._

"God Bless" The Bodines _God Bless_

Chuck stops by to talk about foreign films from 1985

"Can't Get There From Here" R.E.M. _Fables Of The Reconstruction_

"Letter To A Fanzine" Great Plains _Naked At The Buy, Sell, & Trade_

"Empty Bottles" Opal _Northern Line_

"Blue Eyes" Zeitgeist _Translate Slowly_

"Splinters" The Bongos _Beat Hotel_

"Jacob's Ladder" The Monochrome Set _The Lost Weekend_

"When All's Well" Everything But The Girl _Love Not Money_

"What's The Morning For?" The Apartments _The Evening Visits... & Stays For Years_

"Hearts Are Like Flowers" Jacobites _Robespierre's Velvet Basement_

"Sail Through" The Wake _Here Comes Everybody_

"Lesson 1: The Payoff Mix" Double Dee & Steinski _Lesson 1, 2, & 3_

"The Show" Doug E. Fresh & The Get Fresh Crew _The Show_

"Leader Of The Pack" UTFO _UTFO_

"I Can't Live Without My Radio" LL Cool J _Radio_

"Bite This" Roxanne Shante _Bite This_

"Shakespeare's Sister" The Smiths _Shakespeare's Sister_

"Once More" The Wedding Present _Once More_

"Aikea Guinea" Cocteau Twins _Aikea Guinea_

"The Exploding Boy" The Cure _In-Between Days_

"Move Me" The Woodentops _Move Me_

"Tight Connection To My Heart (Has Anybody Seen My Love)" Bob Dylan _Empire Burlesque_

"My Funny Valentine" Nico & The Faction _Camera Obscura_

"Last Dance" The Mekons _Fear & Whiskey_

Whither 1985 Continued?

(Image from here.)

Two things about that image up there.  One, I have zero memories of storms & floods at the beginning of 1985.  None whatsoever.  I do have a memory of driving my old 1976 Ford Granada home from a friend's house & my windshield wipers refusing to work so I drove with my head hanging out of the car being battered by rain.  But I'm sure that was in the spring because it was a school night & it wasn't freezing out.  Second, my family never read the Morning News.  That was the conservative paper.  We read the Times Herald which also had the best comics, especially Doonesbury.  But a search for 1985 Dallas Times Herald on the googla image search found nothing.  You write your blog posts with the images you got.

You may know that around the time of my birthday, on Self Help Radio, I play songs from the a year in my life.  I started when the started with 1968, the year I started, & I have done it yearly, adding a year to my regular life & to the show's theme.  I covered 1985 earlier this year, & you can listen to that show over on the Self Help Radio website & also on the KBOO website.  But for me 1985 was such an amazing year in music I couldn't just stop at three hours.  I needed another show.  & that show is tonight.

Not only is it tonight it's my first show live in the KBOO studios since March of 2020.  So I am pretty excited.  & almost certainly going to screw things up in hilarious fashion.

Tonight!  On 90.7 fm KBOO!  & online at kboo.fm!  From midnight to 3am!  I know you won't be awake to listen but spare me a passing thought - "Oh yeah, that dumb show's live tonight, cool" - before you pass out, will you?

Preface To 1985 Continued: There's A Film Called 1985?

(Image from here.)

Yep.  There's a film called "1985."  According to the Wikipedia (link below the image above), "Set in Texas in 1985, the film stars Cory Michael Smith as Adrian Lester, a closeted gay man returning home to Dallas after several years living in New York City to tell his family goodbye, but not disclosing that he is dying of AIDS."  It was made in 2018, it's very well-received, having good scores on Rotten Tomatoes & the IMDb.  But.

My objection is, won't people seeing the title think it's somehow related to George Orwell's 1984?  I sure did.  I mean, I didn't think it was trying to be a sequel, but I did imagine that it might have some sort of thematic relation.  That feels a bit like a bait & switch.

Like maybe if it were called Nineteen Eighty-Five it wouldn't feel weird to me.  Or perhaps The Year 1985.

Anyway, I haven't seen it, though I guess I'd watch it if the situation presented itself.  I might be a little peevish in the first few minutes, but ultimately I'd be engrossed.  It's one of the images that popped up with the goggled "1985" on the Googla.  That's literally the only reason I know I exists!

Smoggy Fort Worth Sunrise

This photo was taken on this day in 2017.  In the morning.  When it was smoggy.  So it's called "Smoggy Fort Worth Sunrise."  It's the view from a park we walked to every morning.  & since it was July, & a summer in Texas, we often started walking well before the sun rose - so we got to the park in time for sunrise.

Three of the four dogs we moved back to Texas with in 2016 are here with us in Oregon, & they have gone soft.  They act utterly miserable when it hits the high 70s Fahrenheit.  Those mornings in Texas in July & August, it was often the mid-80s at 5:30am.

Just four years ago.  & so much has changed.  It's almost never smoggy in Portland.  When the skies look like they do in this picture, it's because of wildfires (!).

Exciting News!

Can I confess something?  I wanted to tell you news that's exciting to me so I went to googla image search & looked for "exciting news" & I was all like, "Hey! I could make that myself" but really I don't have the motivation or interest so you get that graphic up there.  Which I did make myself.  It's very exciting isn't it.  It exudes excitement.  I think it's the two exclamation marks.  But maybe the boring font ruins it?

Anyway, here's the news: I'll be back in the KBOO studios Monday night/Tuesday morning & I'll be doing Self Help Radio live again at KBOO!  That's pretty exciting, right?  I honestly can't believe it.  So maybe it won't happen.  I think it will, but maybe it won't.

No one noticed, but I slept through the Dickenbock Report yesterday.  I didn't announce it or live tweet it & I woke up about a third of the way through but no one cared.  It was recorded, so it aired, but I missed some of it.  So I suspect me doing SHR live won't be that big of a deal either.

But I'm excited!

Self Help Radio 071321: Volcanoes

(Original image here*.)

Let's see.  Should I write "this show was a blast!"  No.  No.  How about "this week's Self Help Radio was an explosion of music & fun!"  Still not getting the correct feel for the show.  Hm.  I've already rejected "you're gonna lava it" as well as "it's erupt to the highest standards for the show" & especially "be careful walking around this solid show - you might krak-a-toa."  That one would get me arrested.  I guess I'll just go with the safest bet:

This week's Self Help Radio, a show about volcanoes, probably didn't suck.

Nailed it!

Listen to the show, which flowed I think quite well, at both the KBOO website & also at the Self Help Radio website.  It's the same show either way.  It's three hours long & lots of songs get played & other stuff happens & all that is detailed below.

Even though this is supposed to be some kind of self-help for me at least, I am still very afraid of volcanoes.  & I live close to lots of them.

Self Help Radio Volcanoes Show

"Volcano" The Jets _Gomen Nasai (Forgive Me)_

"Volcano" Billy Preston _R'n'B Meets Northern Soul Volume 1_

"Volcano" The Band _Cahoots_

introduction & definitions

"Volcano" Paper Moon _Hey! Where'd The Summer Go?_

"Volcano" Turbo Fruits _Turbo Fruits_

"Volcano!" Grand Duchy _Petits Fours_

"Volcano" JoJo Effect _Ordinary Madness_

"Volcano" Antipop Consortium _Fluorescent Black_

our friendly librarian Carole stops by to talk about volcano books!

"Volcano" U2 _Songs Of Innocence_

"Volcano" The Wave Pictures _Brushes With Happiness_

"Volcano" Guided By Voices _Surrender Your Poppy Field_

"Volcano" Eartheater _Phoenix: Flames Are Dew Upon My Skin_

"Volcanoes" Islands _Return To The Sea_

interview with volcano fan Travis O'Rourke

"The Volcano Song" Logan Whitehurst & The Junior Science Club _Goodbye, My 4-Track_

"Born To Love Volcanos" The Dead Milkmen _Beelzebubba_

"King Volcano" Bauhaus _Burning From The Inside_

"Lava Man" Gee Mr. Tracy _Harmony! Rhapsody! Destiny!_

"Lava" The B-52's _The B-52's_

interview with volcanologist Dr. Magda Petrovich

"Mt. St. Helens" Jim & Jennie & The Pinetops _Rivers Roll On By_

"Krakatoa" Colourbook _Colourbook_

"Etna" Misstress Barbara _I'm No Human_

"Under The Volcano" Nickodemus _Moon People_

"Under The Volcano" Momus _Athenian_

a discussion of volcano movies

"Human Volcano" The Hummingbirds _Va Va Voom_

"Volcano Girls" Veruca Salt _Eight Arms To Hold You_

"Good Lava" Esperanza Spalding _Emily's D+Evolution_

"Volcana!" The 6ths _Hyacinths & Thistles_

"Volcano Lagoon" Eerie Wanda _Hum_

"Tell It To The Volcano" Miniature Tigers _Tell It To The Volcano_

a sensitive question answered: did human sacrifice humans (especially virgins) to volcanoes?

"Cities In Dust" Siouxsie & The Banshees _Tinderbox_

"Pompeii Am Götterdämmerung" The Flaming Lips _At War With The Mystics_

"Vesuvius" Saloon _If We Meet In The Future_

"Vesuvius" Vic Chesnutt _Ghetto Bells_

"Vesuvius" Sufjan Stevens _The Age Of Adz_

conclusion & goodbye

"Red Lava" Tristen _Dream Within A Dream_

"Eve's Volcano" Julian Cope _Saint Julian_

"Volcanoes Erupt" Say Hi _Bleeders Digest_

* "Mount St. Helens Eruption — 1980" by U.S. Geological Survey is marked with CC0 1.0

Whither Volcanoes?

(Image from here.)

Hot on the heels of last week's show about disaster, Self Help Radio quickly gets more specific & present a program about volcanoes.  But why so soon after disaster?  Why not have a couple of volcano songs along with the earthquake & flood & famine songs from last week?  Because Self Help Radio enjoys getting annoyingly specific.  A disaster show is simply about disaster - you see, there can be more shows, one about floods, one about earthquakes, one about famine, & - tonight! - one about volcanoes.

Fair enough.  But why volcanoes?  Were you even paying attention to your schedule?  Look, I've been grooving to Momus' new record Athenian.  When I got to the track, "Under The Volcano," I thought, Could there be many songs about volcanoes?  & I began to gather them.  & when I felt I had enough, I scheduled the show.  I didn't pay any attention to what preceded it.  Because who has the time for that?  Certainly not a radio show that gets annoyingly specific!

Lots of fun songs & fun guests & (because I was craving them) funyuns on tonight's Self Help Radio.  It's on midnight to 3am on 90.7 fm in Portland (& its environs) & online everywhere at kboo.fm.  Portlandites: we do have active volcanoes near, & I worry the show will seem provocative.  If you're near any active volcano, let them know I am doing this out of love.  Thanks.

Preface To Volcanoes: Pictures Of Lava

Okay, maybe it's better I say "pictures tagged lava."  I've never actually seen lava in real life.  I think I'd poop myself.  But here are some pictures I've taken that I somehow thought they featured lava.  I haven't looked at these, I will see them for the first time when I post them here.

This is from May 27, 2014, I just titled it "Lava Door."  I guess I thought the door looked like it was formed by lava?

This is from June 18, 2014.  This was a painting of a lava lamp on an old head shop which was in our neighborhood which I never visited.  Well, I went in one time to put up a WRFL flyer.  It seemed like it had been there for a long, long time.  & yet I never saw any customers in there.  It was called "New Age Gifts" & according to Google Maps, by 2015 it was out of business, its sign gone & only the Grateful Dead bears left on the white facade.  For a time it was a skate shop, & a place to see bands (I never saw a band there though.)  Now it looks like it's just offices?  I'll ask my friend Jon - he still lives nearby.

Finally:

This is from January 19, 2017.  It's called "Lava Lamps" because duh.  I believe I took that picture on a night walk during the winter of some neighbor who had lava lamps in their window.  That's all.  I don't remember the neighbor though.  Or where it might have been taken - you know, except I was in Fort Worth at the time.  But maybe I was coming back from a show or something.  Who knows?

One day I may actually take photos of real lava!  But also I'll need a change of pants.

Disaster At The Movies

(image from the IMDb)

This week's Self Help Radio was a disaster & also was about disaster & you know you can listen at the Self Help Radio website & also on the KBOO web page & when you do listen well into the second hour so you can hear another installment of the series Chuck's Happily Unsophisticated Cinema Korner.  This one focused on disaster flicks naturally.  Here are important links:

Chuck's Twitter feed - keep up with what he's watching here.
Here's his Youtube playlist of disaster films.
Chuck also wrote reviews of the movies he watched on Letterboxd.
Finally, here's the IMDb search list for disaster.

Check out what Chuck's watching!  You're bound to find something that you'll dig.

The Most Insidious Song

Might I make a confession?  In the year 1986, I began college, & although I confess I checked in with MTV from time-to-time, I watched very little television - especially dramas & sitcoms.  To this day, I've never seen a single episode of Matlock, which began that year.  Honestly, I've never seen an episode of Hill Street Blues, which ended a year after that.  I didn't watch much television drama, is what I'm trying to say.

But what's more, I didn't watch much television comedy.  I completely missed the television show Head Of The Class, despite starring Howard Hesseman, who was an early inspiration as Dr Johnny Fever on WKRP In Cincinnati.  Well, thanks to the magic of streaming services, the wife & I have been watching the show, which I find occasionally rises above its tired sitcom tropes, & shows some real heart.  Not always, but sometimes.

However, I find the theme song quite problematic.  I don't enjoy it, I use the "skip intro" function at every point, & yet - it has found its way into my headspace.  It begins with a pleasant flute/harpsichord type interaction - probably done entirely on synthesizers - & then vomits itself into the worst 1980s sounding theme possible.  I find it tiresome & toxically catchy & I hate the fact that the opening sequence has star Hesseman, as teacher Charlie Moore, trying to get to school in busy NYC, & buying a hot dog for breakfast.  Maybe it was different in the 1980s, but those guys aren't open for breakfast.  I once approached a hot dog guy at 10:55am & was not spoken to until the clock struck 11.  Sure, the show was shot in Los Angeles like every other TV sitcom but holy smokes they should've known.  No hot dog vendors peddling their wares at 7:30 am!

Which has nothing to do with the theme, which I can't get out of my head.  Still, I enjoy the show.  I plan to watch it even after Hesseman leaves.  I sometimes daydream about remaking the show in a modern way but keeping the 1980s setting & having the kids be more complex & problematic.  Like the 1980s.  Complex & problematic.

& I hope to finish the series soon because I hear its incidental music when I walk into a room.  Why does it affect me so?  It's troubling.  It's quite troubling.

Self Help Radio 070621: Disaster

(Original image here.*)

Yeah, yeah, Self Help Radio usually is a disaster.  I already made that joke! You can't hurt me more than I already hurt myself!  That's the power of low self-esteem!

However, I do want to say that I thought the show did a decent job of discussing the idea of "disaster" without spending too much time bogged down in specific disasters.  Because specific disasters could be entire other Self Help Radio shows!  My logic is a bit desperate I know.  But since next week's show is about volcanoes I think I've made my point.

You can listen to the show both at the KBOO web site & also at the show's web site.  The show had lots of guests & they're listed below.  & if you must have disaster in your life, let it be a dumb radio show & not actual disaster.

Self Help Radio Disaster Show

"Disaster" Blind Ravage _Blind Ravage_

"Disaster" Leroy Brown & His Defence Force _Prayer Of Peace_

"Disaster" The Mynabirds _Generals_

introduction & definitions

"Natural Disaster" Andrew Bird _Noble Beast_

"Natural Disaster" Sarah Bethe Nelson _Weird Glow_

"Latest Disaster" George Carlin _More Napalm & Silly Putty_

"Disaster" MC Frontalot _Zero Day_

"Disatrous" Del The Funky Homosapien _Both Sides Of The Brain_

interview with Hollywood disaster movie producer Denver Smith

"Another Day Another Disaster" Zoey Van Goey _Propeller Versus Wings_

"World Is A Disaster" Mikey Melody _World Is A Disaster_

"Wally Ballou: Disaster Prone" Bob & Ray _Classic Bob & Ray: Volume 2_

"Walking Disasters" The Wombats _This Modern Glitch_

"Disaster Strikes Again" Ferns _On Botany_

interview with my spiritual advisor the Rev Dr Howard Gently

"The Train To Disaster" The Voice _Nuggets II (Original Artyfacts From The British Empire & Beyond 1964-1969)_

"Disaster Area" Milt Matthews Inc. _Good To The Last Drop (Rare Sixties & Seventies Soul From The Ember Tape Vaults)_

"Disaster At Sea" Les Barker _The War On Terrier_

"Disco Disaster" Human League _The Golden Hour Of The Future_

"Natural Disaster" Fischerspooner _Fischerspooner_

our librarian friend Carole stops by to recommend books about disasters

"The Brink Of Disaster" Shirley & Lee _The Sweethearts Of The Blues_

"Brink Of Disaster" Lesley Gore _Sunshine, Lollipops, & Rainbows (The Best Of Lesley Gore)_

"How Much Time Do We Have (Disaster On A Big Scale)" Civil Defense Spot _Atomic Platters: Cold War Music From The Golden Age Of Homeland Security_

"Disaster" Died Pretty _Doughboy Hollow_

"Disaster In Motion" Robert Forster _Songs To Play_

interview with writer Tom Shade, author of My Life Is A Disaster

"Little Miss Disaster" The Damned _So, Who's Paranoid?_

"Living Disaster" Gary Myrick & The Figures _Gary Myrick & The Figures_

"Airline Disaster" Shapes _Songs For Sensible People_

"Nuclear Disaster" The Hippies _Nuclear Disaster 7"_

"Total Disaster" John Holt _Reggae Sound War, Volume One_

another installment of Chuck's Happily Unsophisticated Cinema Korner - about disaster movies!

"Disaster Movie" The Exile _Short Sharp Shock_

"Ann Disaster" Ben Kweller _On My Way_

"Mind Disaster" The Initial Shock _Mind Disaster_

"Disaster" Julian Cope _The Followers Of Saint Julian_

"Natural Disasters" Enon _High Society_

"Walking Disaster" Boy Wonder _Wonder Wear_

this airbreak is a disaster!

"Courting Disaster" How Many Beans Make Five _One Last Look_

"Small Disaster" Wilson's Prom _Welcome To The Prom_

"Tonight Was A Disaster" Casiotone For The Painfully Alone _Pocket Symphonies For Lonesome Subway Cars_

"Human Disaster" The Juan Maclean _The Future Will Come_

"Morning Disaster" L'Altra _Different Days_

"After Disaster" Safety Scissors _Tainted Lunch_

conclusion & goodbye

"Dear Disaster" This Microwave World _Love Your Zine, Let's Go To Bed_

"Headquake Disaster" Flow _Headquake_

* "Panorama of the Molasses Disaster site" by Boston Public Library is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Whither Disaster?

(Image from here.  The article is depressing though.)

What the what?  A radio show about disaster?  What is wrong with Self Help Radio?

Listen, I know there are plenty of disasters going around - the pandemic isn't over yet, that condo collapsed in Florida, wildfires are already burning all over Oregon - & on & on.  But I'm hoping that the show instead focuses on the idea of "disaster" - whether literal or figurative - rather than individual disasters.  Because like I said there are so many of those.

With that in mind, we have a ton of guests tonight.  I weighed them, all together they weigh two thousand pounds.  Not really.  I'll talk to a Hollywood disaster movie producer, to my spiritual mentor (I hope to ask him about how to deal with "spiritual disasters"), & to a writer whose life is a disaster.  As well, our friendly librarian will talk about books about disasters, & our resident cinephile will discuss disaster movies.  & all those songs.  Three hours worth of songs.

That's tonight on Self Help Radio on 90.7 KBOO in Portland & online at kboo.fm from midnight to 3am.  Usually, you know, the show itself is the disaster.  But not tonight!

Preface To Disaster: The World Without Us

(image from here.)

It occurs to me I don't talk about books much on this blog, perhaps because I don't consume books at the rate at which I consume records, which is why I guess I play records on my show & not snippets from audio books, but the theme of "disaster" makes me think of this fascinating book called The World Without Us that posits what would happen if humans just disappeared one day.  Some folks have called it "disaster porn" but for me it was a difficult learning experience about how humans have manipulated the planet for their own gain, & how important it is for human to maintain the changes they've made.  The chapter on nuclear reactors gave me nightmares I hadn't had since Reagan was president.

Do I recommend it?  I do.  Do I recommend you buy it from Amazon or some other behemoth bookseller?  Please don't.  Find it at a local bookstore.  Or get it from your nearby library.  Please don't support giant chains that will bring a world without us sooner than we might expect.  Unless you're into that.  Some people can't pull the trigger so hope the world burns them up instead.  They're fools & cowards but they should be allowed to do whatever they want.

It's a fascinating read.  I suspect there's something in it for you.

Also, you know, happy fourth of July & shit.

Portal

This picture is called "Portal."  It was taken in Lexington, Kentucky, on this day in 2016, five years ago.  I called it "Portal" because I've always wanted to believe mirrors were like doorways to a different universe.  It's a strange thing to want to believe, since if you see yourself in a mirror, you're doing the exact same thing but backwards.  So it's not like anything different is happening there.  But you read a comic or a sci-fi book & it suggests that & your mind is electrified.

& then there's this, from (I believe) Breakfast Of Champions:

Trout did another thing which some people might have considered eccentric: he called mirrors leaks. It amused him to pretend that mirrors were holes between two universes.

If he saw a child near a mirror, he might wag his finger at a child warningly, & say with great solemnity, "Don't get too near that leak. You wouldn't want to wind up in the other universe, would you?"

Sometimes somebody would say in his presence, "Excuse me, I have to take a leak." This was a way of saying that the speaker intended to drain liquid wastes from his body through a valve in his lower abdomen.

And trout would reply waggishly, "Where I come from, that means you're about to steal a mirror."

And so on.

That's a Kurt Vonnegut quote.  Maybe I should've called this image "Leak."

Can't. Help. Myself.

Why do they even do it?  Why put a card that is easily erased & used for one's one purposes?

It just seems silly.

Self Help Radio 062921: It's Cool

(Original image here.*)

From what I reckon, it's perhaps twenty degrees cooler today than it was at this time yesterday.  In fact, last night, there was a record temperature drop - a cooling down for the history books - & what was happening at that time?  That's right, Self Help Radio.  It was a cool show this morning.  So.  You're welcome, Portland.

But we mustn't be content, thinking the weather has righted itself after an outlier, no.  We must continually advocate for cooler temperatures until Portland is cold, rainy, & dreary like it's supposed to be!  & I suppose one way to do that would be to listen to this show over & over.  It's like having to take unpleasant medicine - you hate it but it keeps the sickness away.

Just a quick note: the show is just me & a bunch of cool songs.  It was just too hot to bring guests on. & they were in their basements anyway, pressed close to the cool concrete floor.  I promise, I keep the talking to a minimum!

Listen to the show now or anytime at either the KBOO website or the Self Help Radio website. It's the same show!  The songs I've played are below.

Okay, we can have a little more sun before the cold grey rainy days return, but let's not do the triple digit thing again, okay?

It's A Cool Self Help Radio Episode

"Cool" Pylon _Gyrate_

"Cool" Throw That Beat In The Garbagecan _The Cool Album_

"Cool" Ascii Disko _Ascii.Disko_

"Super Cool" Carrie Riley & The Fascinations _Florida Funk_

"Super Cool" Black Heat _No Time To Burn_

"Cool" Del Close & John Brent _How To Speak Hip_

"Kool Thing" Sonic Youth _Goo_

"A Real Cool Time" Ramones _Halfway To Sanity_

"You're So Cool" Colleen Green _Sock It To Me_

"Cool Places (feat. Jane Wiedlin)" Sparks _In Outer Space_

"Be Cool To The Pizza Dude" Sarah Adams _This I Believe: The Personal Philosophies Of Remarkable Men & Women_

"But I Was Cool" Oscar Brown Jr. _Sin & Soul ...& Then Some_

"Super Cool (You're Just Super Fool)" Pat Hunt _Moaning, Groaning, Crying - A Galaxy Of Soul_

"Everything Is Cool" John Prine _The Missing Years_

"Cool Water" Nellie Lutcher _Hurry On Down (27 Original Mono Recordings 1947-1951)_

"Being Cool" Kimya Dawson _My Cute Fiend Sweet Princess_

"The Gatekeepers Of Coolness" Patton Oswalt _Werewolves & Lollipops_

"Way Cool" Freestyle Fellowship _Innercity Griots_

"Ain't Never Been Cool" Lucky Soul _The Great Unwanted_

"In Kingdoms Of The Cool" The Cleaners From Venus _Golden Cleaners_

"You Seem Cool" Mike Birbiglia _My Girlfriend's Boyfriend_

"She's So Damn Cool" Felix Da Housecat _Devin Dazzle & The Neon Fever_

"Cool Blue" Eurythmics _Touch_

"Losing My Cool" The Shrew Kings _The Sound Of Leamington Spa Volume 5_

"Can't Keep My Cool" Durand Jones & The Indications _Durand Jones & The Indications_

"Blew My Cool" The Oblivians _Soul Food_

"How To Be Cool" Brian Gaar _Never Gonna Be Famous_

"Cool Brunette" The Virgin-Whore Complex _Succumb_

"Cool Dance" Rasputin Stash _Devil Made Me Do It_

"Cool Jerk" The Capitols _Beg, Scream, Shout: The Big Ol' Box Of '60s Soul_

"Relax Baby Be Cool" Serge Gainsbourg _Aux Armes Et Caetera_

"Fuck You I'm Cool" Juicy _For The Ladies_

"Yr Version Of Cool" Mad Planets _Music Makes Me Think Of You_

"Cool Kids" Shana Falana _Here Comes The Wave_

"Three Cool Cats" The Coasters _The Best Of Burlesque (50 Original Club Classics)_

"Cool Chick" Comateens _Comateens_

"Cool Guitar Boy" Heavenly _Heavenly Vs Satan_

"Cool Cool Girl" Fightmilk _Contender_

"Cool Guy" Todd Glass _Thin Pig_

"Cool For Cats" Squeeze _Cool For Cats_

"Real Cool Time" The Stooges _The Stooges_

"Cool It Down" The Velvet Underground _Loaded_

"We're So Cool" Au Pairs _Playing With A Different Sex_

"Cool" The World _First World Record_

"Cool N' Out" Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros _Global A Go-Go_

"Cool Meditation" Third World _Journey To Addis_

"Through Being Cool" Devo _New Traditionalists_

"Cool Hand Luke Main Title" Petra Haden _Petra Goes To The Movies_

"Cool Sound" The Smittens _A Little Revolution_

* "Cool City Limit" by jimmywayne is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Whither It's Cool (aka The Cool Show)

(I found this image on the Willamette Week website.)

It's probably pretty obvious that I wanted to do a "cool" show at some point during the summer.  It's one of my rare attempts to be somewhat topical.  Usually I am topical by accident.  But I remembered it got warm in July so I thought the theme "It's Cool" might be fun - especially if it were still a bit chilly, as it was in early June.

Ha ha ha no.  It turns out the week I planned for the show was a nightmare hellscape here in Portland.  The last three days have been the hottest days on record in this town.  It is currently 110 degrees Fahrenheit.  When I was out & about earlier - who knows why - I saw bank signs reading as high as 116 degrees.  It has been very, very hot.  So it's strangely appropriate Self Help Radio would try to be cool this week.

Of course there are other meanings of cool & we'll cover those, too.  I have three hours to fill.  & though I'll be doing the show in the comfort of my air-conditioned home, I know that others are truly suffering.  They had to shut down the rail service in town because of the extreme heat!

Anyway.  Self Help Radio tries to be cool & help you cool down tonight on 90.7 fm KBOO & kboo.fm from midnight to 3am.  It won't really help, but I can pretend, can't I?

Preface To It's Cool: He's Cool

("Is he cool?" "Yeah, he's cool." From this.)

For the purposes of this story I'm about to tell, I need you to know my father was an alcoholic & his drinking destroyed his marriage.  It also meant I basically grew up without a father.  When I did see him, he was invariably drunk.  & it was unpleasant.  So I grew to hate drinking &, because my young mind didn't really see much difference, drugs.

The weird thing is, drugs were everywhere in my youth.  Two of my older brothers were big potheads & I recently discovered that they were dealers at the time, too.  They had bongs & rolling papers everywhere.  I'm not sure I knew what they were - I guess I thought they were for tobacco or perhaps were some kind of trinket or knick knack.  Or I knew they were for marijuana & secretly scorned them.  I just know I took the anti-drug stuff in school quite literally.  I swore to myself I'd never drink or do drugs ever.

In the apartments where we lived there was a sweet fellow named Bubba.  He was a tough kid, he took a liking to me & my little brother, he would often stand up for us when my sister Karin's friends messed with us because we were in fact little pests.  In his own way, Bubba was cool like the Fonz.  He was gentle, soft-spoken, but obviously would get into a scrap at a moment's notice.  I liked hanging out with him because he was nice to me.  His best buddy Bobby - it's true, it was Bobby & Bubba - he hated us & I think Bubba enjoyed irking him by having us around.

One day I was in Bubba's apartment - I'll bet I was in sixth grade at the time - just hanging out & listening to Bubba tell stories - probably wildly exaggerated stories about his adventures, when a group of teenagers - & let's be clear, Bubba was probably just sixteen or seventeen years old himself - came into the apartment & had something with them.  It was a bag of grass.

Little me was entirely unaware what was going on.  As they opened the package on a table & took to preparing it for use, one of the teens - whom I'd never seen before - said, "Is he cool?"  Bubba didn't even look at me.  He said, "Yeah, he's cool."  I got side-eyed a bit after that.  & I figured out they what they were doing.  & what it was all about.

By & by I made an excuse to leave, obviously before the drug-doing would commence.  I was so incredibly angry.  I knew what "being cool" meant!  I didn't want to be that kind of "cool"!  How dare Bubba - who I thought was the coolest guy I knew - call me that kind of cool!  If that was cool, I never wanted to be cool, ever!

The truth is, I lost a lot of respect for him that day, & didn't really want to hang around with him any more after that. I never knew if he made any connection - he remained kind to me until he moved from the apartments.

As for me, I broke my promise about drinking & doing drugs at some point later.  I have however kept my word about being cool.  I have never in my life been cool.

Movie Mania

(image from the IMDb)

This week's Self Help Radio was a show about mania (you can of course listen at the Self Help Radio web page or at the show's KBOO page) & our resident cinephile Chuck appeared with another installment of Chuck's Happily Unsophisticated Cinema Korner, this time focusing on films about delusion (which can be a symptom or manifestation of mania) & on films featuring maniacs.  These are the links you can follow should you want to see his recommendations.

This is his Twitter feed, where he keeps you apprised of what he's watching: @robotmonkeycat

He made two Youtube playlists this week: one for delusion, one for maniacs.
Here are the reviews he wrote on Letterboxd for this week's films.

Always something of value here - take advantage of Chuck's expertise & enjoy some time at the movies!

Africa O-Yé 062421: Ghana Selection

(Image from here.*)

Given the chance to sit in on KBOO's show Africa O-Yé this week, I chose to play some of my favorite music from Ghana.  I wish I knew enough about the country & its music to have curated it in some discernably interesting way but I don't so you'll have to settle for a mix of music that I like put in the order that came naturally to me.

This show will be archived on the Self Help Radio website next week, but it's already available for you on the KBOO website.  In case you'd like to listen.  What I played is there & also below.

Africa O-Yé 062421: Ghana Selection

"God Bless Our Homeland Ghana (National Anthem Of Ghana)" The National Anthems Orchestra _Football World Cup 2010: 32 National Anthems_

"I Go Die For You" Kyeremateng Atwede & The Kyeremateng Stars _Ghana Special (Modern Highlife, Afro-Sounds & Ghanaian Blues 1968-81)_

"Gyae Corruption (Stop Corruption)" Aaron Bebe Sukura & The Local Dimension Palm Wine Band _N'Yong Acoustic Ghanaian Highlife_

"Wanyame Som Mponi" Dr Paa Bobo _Osobro Kyee: The Greatest Mix Of Dr. Paa Bobo_

"I Walk Alone" Marijata _This Is Marijata_

"Heaven" Ebo Taylor _Life Stories (Highlife & Afrobeat Classics 1973-1980)_

"Wiase" King Onyina's Guitar Highlife _King Onyina_

"Deingo Sanga" Atongo Zimba _Barefoot In The Sand_

"W'ama Aboroso" City Boys International Band _Kwae Anoma_

"Okpe See" Pagadeja _Afro-Beat Airways: West African Shock Waves - Ghana & Togo 1972-1979_

"Aye Yi" Thomas Frempong _Aye Yi_

"Nyame Waye Awie" Roadmaster & Agyemang _The Old Highlife_

"Tigantabame" Bola _Volume 7_

"Seprewa Kasa (Seprewa Speaks Guitar Answers!)" Seprewa Kasa _Seprewa Kasa_

"Maria" Okukuseku International Band Of Ghana _Yebre Ama Owou_

"Tua Na Woho Nkom" K.K.'s No. 2 _Heavy Mama_

"Moko Baba" Salaam & His Cultural Imani Group _The Guitar & The Gun (Highlife Music From Ghana)_

"Je Caime Larsey" Lady Talata _Mekunu Hoye Fe Paa Hi-Life_

"We-Nyeme" SK Kakraba Lobi _Gandayina: Xylophone Music Of Ghana_

*"Independence Arch - Accra, Ghana" by George Appiah is licensed under CC BY 2.0 

Self Help Radio 062221: Mania

(Original image here.*)

Would you describe Self Help Radio as manic?  I think it's a pretty sedate show myself.  Possibly even reflective?  Maybe just sleepy.  In any event, we thought we possessed enough of a reserved quality to take a thoughtful look this week at mania.  Not just mania - manias.  Like pyromania.  Or manic things.  We even felt comfortable enough to have a look at maniacs.  Maybe comfortable is not the right word.  We were in fact too lazy to turn away.

But in addition to lots of manic songs about mania & maniacs, we talked to a writer about his own experiences with mania, with a neuroscientist about the mechanics of mania, & our friend Chuck talked about films dealing with aspects of mania.  It was I hope a good time.  Maybe even informative.  Possibly entertaining?

You can listen to the show any time you want, it's at both Self Help Radio dot net & KBOO dot fm.  All the songs that were played are listed below as are the things that happened between the songs.  Most of them, anyway.

Self Help Radio Mania Show

"Mania" Throwing Muses _Hunkpapa_

"Mania" Tiger High _Inside The Acid Coven_

"Mania" Port Juvee _Crimewave_

introduction & definitions

"Kafe Mania!" Deerhoof _The Magic_

"Monomania" Deerhunter _Monomania_

"Erotomania" Big Hat _Shimmer_

"Dromomania" Helvetia _Dromomania_

"Cinémania" Stereo Total _Do The Bambi_

interview with writer Carlton Priest

"Manic" Racquel Jones _IgnoRANT_

"My Manic & I" Laura Marling _Alas, I Cannot Swim_

"Manic Monday" Slumber Party _Covers Up_

"Manic Depression" The Jimi Hendrix Experience _BBC Sessions_

"Megamanic" Bob Mould _The Last Dog & Pony Show_

interview with neuroscientist Dr. Amanda Dragg

"Pyromaniac" The Verlaines _Getting Older 1981-1991_

"Junior Pyromaniacs" Hypnolovewheel _Space Mountain_

"Pyromaniacs Anonymous" Kingmaker _Sleepwalking_

"Solar Pyromaniac" Spud Cannon _Next Time Read The Fine Print_

"Pyromaniac" Oh Land _Wish Bone_

another installment of Chuck's Happily Unsophisticated Cinema Korner

"Maniac" Cinerama _Va Va Voom_

"Maniac" John Maus _Songs_

"Maniac" The Beat _Public Confidential_

"The Gospel Maniacs" Steve Martin _The Steve Martin Brothers_

"Dance Like A Maniac" The Dollyrots _Whiplash Splash_

a quick round of "Stump Ned Dry!"

"Egomaniac's Kiss" DNA _No New York_

"Ego Maniac" Chris Mars _Horseshoes & Hand Grenades_

"Egomaniac" The Human League _Credo_

"Maniacs In A Living Hell" Coyle & Sharpe _Audio Visionaries: Street Pranks & Put-Ons_

"Megalomaniac" Frank Tovey _Snakes & Ladders_

"Megalomania Blues" Outrageous Cherry _The Digital Age_

an impromptu performance of Michael Sembello's "Maniac" by Major Captain McCheese

"A Million Manias" Marc & The Mambas _Torment & Toreros_

"Circles Of Mania" Coil _Horse Rotorvator_

"Sex Maniac" The Countdowns _The Essential Pebbles Collection - Volume Three_

"Sex Maniac" Bobby Nunn _Private Party_

"Sax Maniac" James Chance & The Contortions _Lost Chance_

conclusion & goodbye

"Merengue Mania" Johnny Conquet, His Piano & Orchestra _Raisins & Almonds: Cha Cha Cha & Merengues_

"Mambo Mania" Bert Kaempfert & His Orchestra _That Latin Feeling..._

"Boogaloo Mania" Charlie Palmieri _The Rough Guide To Boogaloo_

"Sitar Mania" Ashwin Batish _Sitar Power # 2_

* "Series Mania - 06Apr10, Paris (France)" by °]° is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 

Whither Mania?

(That's a cool image.  It's from here.)

The word "mania" can mean two different things.  I know, you're like, whoa Gary a word in English having more than one meaning what the fuck?  Hey!  I don't need your snark right now, okay?  I got shit to do today.

Anyway, the two meanings of mania - one an actual mental condition, an affliction which can encompass euphoria, delusion, obsessiveness, & hyperactivity - the other a synonym for a fad or a craze or just a lot of enthusiasm - these two meanings are sort of hard to integrate into a show.  A song about manic disorder followed by a song about Beatlemania can perhaps seem clumsy at best & insulting at worst.

Not to mention the "manias" like pyromania, megalomania, even egomania that are sometimes the subjects of songs.  Gathering materials for this week's show I felt like I had to walk a tightrope of sorts - I didn't want to be disrespectful to people who have to deal with what their brain does to them but I also had lots of songs about maniacs.  What to do, what to do.

Find out tonight from midnight to 3am on 90.7fm KBOO here in Portland, online everywhere at kboo.fm.  Lots of songs, some guests, even a "live" "musical" "performance."  It might even be informative & fun!

Hope you come along.

Preface To Mania: Brain Stuff

(Image from here.)

Among the heartbreaking things one is completely unprepared for as a child that I've discovered happens with sad regularity in adulthood is the way your mind can betray you.  Memory fails, unfounded beliefs harden, curiosity wanes, &, in the worst cases, your brain chemistry changes in a way that can quite severely alter your life.

& which is you?  Let's say you discover you're a schizophrenic at the age of 25.  Are you the you you're supposed to be or has that changed?  Was 24-year-old you the real you & you get to spend the rest of your life a shadow of who you used to be, with medication trying its damnedest to get you as close to that as possible?

My mother had late-onset Alzheimer's in her last few years &, like many, many others have with their loved ones, I watched her fade.  Some aspects of her dimmed while some just disappeared.  It's not just hallucinations, or delusions, or memory loss - she spent less time on the phone with me, she seemed to have less to say, or to have lost all patience for conversation.  Her mind closing up shop as it were.

Maybe I won't talk much about this on this week's show but it's something I think about a lot.  About how much of me will be left as I near the end (assuming I die in my elder years & not sooner).  About whether or not I will notice.  But the topic of "mania" - as a condition, not in the sense of a "craze" - makes me think about my brain.  I wonder what it's got planned for me.