Search the Community

Stream or Download Springing forth, all is made new again. On Sunday, April 17, from 4-8 PM Pacific, it’s time once again for Radio Free Aquarium Drunkard on dublab, four hours of freeform sounds from AD selectors. Up first, a springtime stew of dusty country rock, luminous folk, and hazy roots boogies from Chad DePasquale with New Happy Gathering. Then, Jason P. Woodbury takes us in for a set of trancers and dancers with Range and Basin. In hour three, Tyler Wilcox rolls away the stone with Doom and Gloom From The Tomb, centering in on the early ‘70s, with some somewhat west coast-focused zones. And to close, T Craft of Echo Ocho presents First & Last, a glimpse into the world of Japanese private press, or 自主盤, pronounced “jishuban”, which loosely translates to “independent board.” A number of the LPs featured here are titled First Album, or First & Last Album, as many of the artists entered the studio knowing this was their one shot to cut a record…and they made the most of it. Embracing a warts and all approach, the musicians would record whatever they could. Start a song over mid-recording? Cool. If the levels went askew (as they do in the first track of this mix), it didn’t matter. Have more material than what could fit onto one side of a record? Then that side would end in the middle of a track. Whatever it took, the record had to get pressed–typically about 100 copies, but often less, sometimes as few as 15. Thimix, a menagerie of songs from across the spectrum of Japanese private press, serves as an introduction to subsequent mixes. And to close? A few recent favorites featured over at AD. TRACKLIST: New Happy Gathering with Chad DePasquale: Randy Newman, “Mama Told Me Not to Come” ++ John Prine, “Pretty Good” ++ David Nance, “Wet Candles / Bled Inside Each Other’s Wounds” ++ Rosali, “If Not for Now” ++ Cherokee Rose, “Gypsy Wind” ++ Link Wray, “Shine the Light” ++ Melanie, “Babe Rainbow” ++ Tobacco City, “Till the Moon Don’t Shine” (Aquarium Drunkard Lagniappe Session) ++ J.J. Cale, “Cherry” ++ Tobacco City, “Never on My Mind” ++ Lucinda Williams, “I Lost It” ++ Big Thief, “Red Moon” ++ Cactus Lee, “All That While” (Live from Dry Creek Cafe) ++ Link Wray, “In The Pines” ++ Kathy Heideman, “The Earth Won’t Hold Me” Range and Basin with Jason P. Woodbury: John Lurie, “Small Car” ++ Ui, “Drive Until He Sleeps” ++ The Orb With Lee “Scratch” Perry, “Golden Clouds” ++ Bee Pieces, “Dorothy’s On Island Time” ++ Spontaneous Overthrow, “it’s All About Money” ++ Daniel Shurgin, “Ronnie” ++ Darondo, “True” ++ Smokey, How Far Will You Go ++ Resonars, “Before You’re Gone” ++ King Khan, “Theme of Yahya” ++ Broadcast, “In Here The World Begins” ++ Mellotron Variations, “Pulsar” Doom and Gloom From The Tomb With Tyler Wilcox: The Rascals, “Little Dove” ++ Gene Clark w/ the Flying Burrito Brothers, ” Here Tonight” ++ Jack Nitzsche, “Lower California” ++ Beach Boys, “‘Til I Die” ++ Joni Mitchell, “Hunter” ++ Everly Brothers, ” Mandolin Wind” ++ Ian Matthews, “Dirty Work” ++ The Band, “Sleeping” ++ Karen Dalton, “In A Station” ++ Bob Dylan, “Tomorrow Is A Long Time” ++ Randy Newman, “Lucinda” ++ Paul Simon, “Peace Like A River” ++ Chris Darrow, “Move On Down The Line” ++ Harry Nilsson, “Marry Me A Little” ++ Terry Callier, “You Don’t Care” ++ First & Last: Japanese Private Press, Volume 1: 伍円玉 (Goendama) – 天使たちが (1973) ++ きのこ雲 (Kinoko Gumo) – ちいさな生命に名前をください (1972) ++ 南島フォークメイツ (South Island Folkmates) – ひといきWhm (1975) ++ 緑の親指 (Midori no Oyayubi) – いつまでも いつまでも (1973) ++ . ザ・ウィーズ (The Weeds) – じいじいの (1970) ++ . 宿屋飯盛 (Yadoya no meshimori) – 飛んでみたのさ (1972) ++ Noah – 春の歌 (197?) ++ さとうりょうこ (Ryoko Sato) – 渚 (1973) ++ Jupiter 1 – 失恋 (1974) ++ 久利無始洋館 (Kurimushi Yokan) – 一通の手紙 (1975) ++ 日比野てつみ (Tetsumi Hibino) – 愚痴 (1972) AD SELECTS: Wet Tuna, “Raw Food” ++ Steve Monite, “Only You”

As Gleb Anfilov put it, our planet has always been a giant atelier of music creation, of instruments, songs, and also an immense concert hall. The history of West African music and of mid-20th-century rock in particular, as is the subject of this review, is of this planet and both the ingenuity of men and women to produce and perform. On Welcome to Zamrock!, with tools like new and usual instruments and language, all from a metaphorical bag at every musician’s disposal, Zambian musicians seem to be producing percussion-heavy transgression full of noise, psychedelia, distortions, melody, funk, fuzz, and other signs of liberty through art. Ngozi Family - Hey Babe Welcome to Zamrock’s first song ‘Hi Babe‘ by Ngozi Family is in an ultra radio-friendly English vocabulary and Poesia, which is important as English was the language of rock at the time, but rock descended from Boogie-woogie and Texas blues piano playing, as blues lyrics were poems. “When I wake u / in the morning” sounds a lot like Sun Records rock Elvis; that of dressed-up girls and boys, without much of a craving for an Apollonian night, until poets and musicians began to wave at each other while walking through Greenwich Village, New York, or the village. Witch - You Better Know The same simplicity, though not in English, goes for next song ‘Musi-O-Tunya’ by Musi-O-Tunya, a song solid in percussion laying, heavy in distortion, and rooted in belting radio-friendly lyrics rooted in liberty. The rhythm changes at a point which gets great when it’s followed by simple but interesting guitar. ‘You better know’ by Witch is the compilation’s third song, and by then something has jumped out – there is much repetition, as if anaesthetic, in these songs, as if to create a state of trance on the dance floor, a rocking funk. Wow! It becomes clear that Zamrock is its own thing, entrancing with electric instrument harmonies, melodies and rhythms, as African drums and other music have for thousands of years. Ladies and gents, listening to this music, one realizes that Zamrock is a world of its own, built by individuals in a rising Zambia when it became imperative for Africans that colonialism was no longer. Welcome to Zamrock does a great job at anthologizing a wide variety of bands, offering, along with unique liner notes, comprehension, in two volumes, as if an archaeology of what was a time of rhythmic innovation with electric instruments, using what sounds like the same scale as the rock scale but for something else – beat defined by the musicians themselves, something their own. Chrissy Zebby Tempo - Born Black Zambia had better days and then fell into hard times, and that certainly defined Zamrock aesthetic as cultural materialism dictates artistic production, but, it seems to be, as is the case with rock, that individualism came first, then the band, and then maybe collectivity. To listen to these songs is to listen to identities, humans, young men and women who ventured, and that’s what rocks about it, as manifesting youth. Musi O Tunya - Musi O Tunya Blackfoot - Running Dr. Footswitch - Everyday Has Got a New Dream Crissy Zebby Tembo - Born Black Welcome to Zamrock Salty Dog - Fast Teddy Chisi - Funky Lady Crossbones - Rain Sunshine Born Free - I Don't Know Amanaz - Khala My Friend Machine Gunners - Change Namwele Kieth Mlevhu - Dzikolino Ni Ricky Banda - Who's That Guy? Cosmos Zani - Poverty

Download Now For years if you lived in Nashville you were lucky to have the soothing sounds of WAMB 1160 AM, playing glorious easy listening music from the past. But what was truly special about WAMB was their late night programming, from roughly 12 am to 5 am, dubbed ‘beautiful music in the night.’ During this time frame the station would play blocks of old reel to reel mix tapes assembled by the late Nashville radio personality Ken Bramming. Bramming had made these mixes of his own favorite late night music and as many Nashville residents can attest, these hours of soothing and sometimes eerie tunes were the perfect companion as the city slept (or didn’t if you were up listening.) 12 years ago my friend, mentor, and Lambchop bandmate Jonathan Marx let me borrow some cassettes that his partner and brilliant artist Lesley Patterson had assembled. Lesley had the incredible foresight to dub hours of these late night broadcasts direct from radio as she painted in her studio. Some years later Lesley and Jonathan let me borrow the cassettes and with my friend and producer Joe Pisapia we digitized them. Enjoy some radio ghosts of yore- the ghost of Bramming- the ghost of WAMB- the ghost of late night AM ‘old Nashville’.

Download The Footsteps 03:44 When I Needed You 03:01 Send Me the Flowers 04:10 Washinga Here 03:14 Mwe Bafyashi 03:38 Jefferson 03:32 Pumba Joe 03:29 Lonely Highway 03:17 Sounds in my Sleep 03:25 Kanyamawodi 03:50 Blackfoot was a hugely influential Zamrock band in the early 70s. The band was known for its unique and innovative blending of African rhythms, soulful vocals, and psychedelic rock. Blackfoot was made up of a group of talented musicians, including guitarist Michael Mwimbu, bassist Gabriel Mumba, drummer Dick Shuma, and lead vocalist Billy Nyati. One of the band's most iconic albums is 'The Footsteps.' This album served as a perfect example of Blackfoot's incredible sound, creating a unique sonic landscape that captivated audiences of all ages. 'The Footsteps' features a collection of 10 dynamic songs that encompass the heart and soul of Zambia's rich musical heritage. The opening track "Let's Love" sets the tone for the album, with its pulsing beats and soaring vocals, while "Queen of Zambian People" features a haunting, mesmerizing melody paired with a driving rhythm section that keeps you hooked until the end. Most strikingly, the album's title track, "The Footsteps," is a stunning masterpiece that combines the band's excellent musicianship with Billy Nyati's evocative lyrics. The song begins with a gentle acoustic guitar, slowly building momentum to an explosive ending.

TRACKLIST: New Happy Gathering with Chad DePasquale: The Fall, “Fit and Working Again” ++ Yoko Ono & Plastic Ono Super Band, “Yume O Motou” ++ Beat Happening, “Left Behind” ++ Styrofoam Winos, “Wildegeeses” (Michael Hurley) ++ The Raincoats, “No One’s Little Girl” ++ Pisces, “Dear One” ++ Spectrum, “Concerto do Pântano” ++ Shirley Nanette, “All Of Your Life” ++ Fiver, “Golden Guests” ++ White Light, “I Want You To Know Me” ++ Shira Small, “Eternal Life” ++ Hawa Daisy Moore, “Really Love Me” ++ Africa, “Here I Stand” ++ Larry Lewis, “Miriam” ++ Alan Dunham, “Shameful Thing” ++ David Nance, “Break Your Pretzels” ++ Panda Bear & Sonic Boom, “Everyday” ++ Thinking Fellers Union Local 282, “Noble Experiment” Range and Basin with Jason P. Woodbury: Morton Feldmen, “Walking In Space” ++ Joe Strummer, “Burning Lights” ++ Dinosaur, “#5 (Go Bang!) (excerpt) ++ #2 (No, Thank You)” featuring Julius Eastman ++ Pete Drake, “Lay, Lady, Lay” ++ Office Culture, “Elegance” ++ Prairie Wolf, “Journey in Satchidananda” (Alice Coltrane) ++ Bill Pullman’s saxophone freakout as featured in Lost Highway ++ Gunchy, “Oh Since! (Circles)” ++ Brain A Loop (JPW Dub) ++ Duster, “Moon Age” ++ Monde UFO, “Cashout” ++ Gordon Lightfoot, Spin Spin Spin ++ Sinead O’Connor, “John, I Love You” > Ruth Norman, Uriel, “Isis Speaks On Love” from the Unarius Academy of Science > Santo and Johnny, “Off Shore” ++ Alhaji Waziri Oshomah, “Jealousy” ++ Gordon Lightfoot, “The Watchman’s Gone” Doom and Gloom From the Tomb with Tyler Wilcox: Air Waves, “Wait” ++ Chris Forsyth, “Heaven For A Few” ++ Papercuts, “Lodger” ++ Marina Allen, “Getting Better” ++ Modern Nature, “Dunes” ++ Jana Horn, “Jordan” ++ Guma, “Butternut” ++ Anna Butterss, “Blevins” ++ Rich Ruth, “Older But Not Less Confused” ++ Winged Wheel, “Drinking With Flies” ++ Renata Zeiguer, “Alone With Someone Else” ++ Lou Turner, “Microcosmos” ++ Joan Shelley, “When The Light Is Dying” Ephemeral Frequencies with Jarrod Annis: Sonny & Linda Sharrock w/Savages, “Sweet Butterfingers” ++ King Tubby, “Suzie Wong Dub” ++ Kyozo Nishioka, “Gypsy Song” ++ Farm Band, “Keep Your Head Up High” ++ Demola Adepoju, “Igba Aiye” ++ Seawind of Battery, “Summer Hymn” ++ Jennifer Lara, “I Am in Love” ++ Wailias Band, “Eyuwat Sitnafikagn” ++ Cymande, “One More” ++ Keith Hudson, “By Night Dub” ++ Ernest Ranglin, “In The Rain” ++ Azymüth, “Zé e Paraná” ++ Les Rallize Dénudés, “White Awakening” ++ Haroumi Hosono, “Honey Moon” ++ Brenda Ray, “Dreamin’” ++ ML Wah, “Gloriana Hymn (Version)” ++ MV & EE, “Environs” ++ Sonny & Linda Sharrock w/Savages, “Peaceful” Listen Now