Culture
Music From the Radio Free Athens Crew: April 11, 2020
< < Back toLike most everything else, Radio Free Athens has been impacted by the current situation pertaining to COVID-19, which the World Health Organization has deemed a pandemic. Although you won’t get to hear your favorite DJs on the air until at least May, we will be supplying faithful listeners with playlists in the meantime. Find them below!
From R@T
Grateful Dead – “Althea”
Suzzane Vega – “China Doll/Cassidy”
Lyle Lovett – “Friend of the Devil”
Billy Strings – “Wharf Rat”
Cracker – “Loser”
Willie Nelson – “Stella Blue”
Courtney Barnett – “New Speedway Boogie”
Jane’s Addiction – “Ripple”
Los Lobos – “West L.A. Fadeaway”
Buddy Miller – “Deal (Live)”
Dwight Yoakam – “Truckin’”
Jorma Kaukonen – “Sugaree (Live)”
Akron/Family – “Turn On Your Love Light”
Los Lobos – “Bertha (Live 1997)”
Queen Jane Approximately – “Dylan & the Dead”
From Michael T.
Speaking at London’s Royal College of Music in 2016, composer and pioneer of minimalism Steve Reich told the assembled students, all world-class players, “Do not confuse your personal taste with your assessment of quality; they are not the same thing.”
I have been fortunate to have seen and spoken with many extremely talented musicians; some of them (notably classical, jazz, folk and ‘outside’ artists) when asked, will reveal a disinterest or outright disdain for popular music. This always puzzled me, and I’ve often pondered doing a radio show of nothing but perfect pop songs to win them over. This week’s selections are an admittedly short part of that list. These were either hit records or should have been – but they’re just perfect.
1) Joe Cocker – Feelin’ Alright
2) K.D. Lang – Constant Craving
3) Angela Perley & The Howlin’ Moons – White Doves
4) Syd Barrett & Pink Floyd – See Emily Play
5) The Psychedelic Furs – Love My Way
6) Todd Rundgren – We Gotta Get You A Woman
7) The Beatles – Paperback Writer
8) The Turtles – The Walking Song
9) David Bowie – Life On Mars
10) St. Vincent – Digital Witness
11) Shocking Blue – Venus
12) Blur – There’s No Other Way
13) The Teardrop Explodes – When I Dream
14) Lene Lovich – New Toy
15) Martha & The Muffins – Echo Beach
16) Blondie – Dreaming
17) Go-Gos – Fading Fast (2011 Remaster)
18) Swing Out Sister – Breakout
19) Soul II Soul – Back To Life
20) Caroline Rose – Jeannie Becomes A Mom
From DJ Grumpy G
Another week in the midst of a global pandemic! I’m thinking I’ll probably steal John Prine’s plans for when I get to heaven: when I get there I think I’ll make myself a cocktail, smoke a 9-mile long cigarette, open a club called “The Tree of Forgiveness” and forgive everybody that ever did me wrong.
I also had a serious “Baba O’Riley” (rare song, doubt you know it) moment with “First Girl I Loved” by The Incredible String Band last night. One of the last records I bought before the pandemic was a used copy of the comp Relics of The Incredible String Band, which has all the hits! It wasn’t my introduction to ISB, I’m a fan since childhood since I have a cool dad who bought me a copy of The Hangman’s Beautiful Daughter when I was in middle school — but you know, sometimes it feels like the real first time you hear something and that happened to me last night. It is pretty exciting to have a brand new favorite song. It had me jumping on furniture last night! Maybe the sparse, barely held together beauty of ISB is just what we need right now.
Cutler Station is my favorite regional band, and I am very proud of the Radio A Session myself and my colleagues put out! “Wither Away” is my favorite of the session, even though it is technically the “mistake take,” but the way it uncoils at the end is a thing of unparalleled beauty in my opinion.
“Easter Woman” was the first ever song that truly scared me, and I love it for that. It’s also Easter weekend, and this song feels appropriate for the general climate right now.
John Prine – “When I Get to Heaven”
The Incredible String Band – “First Girl I Loved (Chelsea 1967 Demo)”
Cutler Station – Radio A Session: “Iced Coffee,” “Dream,” “Cellophane and Plastic,” “Wither Away”
The Incredible String Band – “Everything’s Fine Right Now”
The Residents – “Easter Woman”