I apologize, it's been far too long since I've used this blog to geek out on radio news. A few recent happenings have drawn me out of this whole "working in radio" thing and into talking smack about it on the internet for a few minutes!



First up: Webcasting Royalties

In case you haven't heard, webcasters and SoundExchange (the web streaming arm of the RIAA) have renegotiated terms for webcasting royalties. Instead of accepting SoundExchange's initial offer of web performance royalty rates that would surely put webcasters out of business, webcasters threw a fit (we were part of the fit), held rounds and rounds of negotiations, and over a year later accepted a new rate scheme that would only nearly put them out of business. These new terms, which for large webcasters is a minimum of 25% of annual revenue, have been lauded by some. However, if you look at typical performance royalty rates for satellite radio (6.5% in 2009), or ASCAP/BMI royalties for terrestrial radio (roughly 1 - 3%), that 25% figure starts to look bloated. Luckily for WFMU, NFCB and CPB made separate negotiations with SoundExhange including more affordable rates, and we are covered under these terms.

New FCC Chair

The Obama administration's nominee for FCC Chair, Julius Genachowski, was recently confirmed by the Senate. After outgoing FCC Chair Kevin Martin thoroughly angered congress and the public with scandalous antics like that Details magazine spread, relaxing media consolidation rules, and "losing" an important study on media ownership (and all the while leading the fight against broadcast indecency) Genachowski has some mopping up to do. The good news is, Genachowski has heard of the internet: he believes in net neutrality and might actually re-do the FCC's website to make it a little less 1996ish (more on the Genachowski team here). The bad news is, Genachowski leans towards the gestapistic view of broadcast indecency (he supports enforcing fines for fleeting profanity), and the FCC's main proponent of 1st Amendment protections, Jonathan Adelstein, will be leaving the commission soon.

Oh my gawd, y'all, when these people were in Love Room, it was all I could do to keep myself from reaching through the glass and gently stroking their faces as they sang.

The two sexiest voices in English-speaking Frenchpop, covering Sex Pistols, Violent Femmes, Depeche Mode, and Talking Heads....DANG!

As you can see, this volume is titled after the famous song-poem "Peace and Love" (aka Blind Man's Penis) written by the infamous John Trubee (which I'm happy to include here with John's permission) and performed by Ramsey Kearney.  If you haven't read the story behind the song, click here.

Also, the last track on this volume isn't technically a song-poem, but was originally included on the ASPMA site because you just have to hear it.

1.  Dick Kent - Never Seen A Thing

2.  Erica Campbell - Remember Me Darling

3.  Chuck Jones and The Links - Sputnik Hit The Moon

4.  Bonnie Haven - Total Woman

5.  Jim Wheeler - What I Like

6.  Liza Evans - Yea, That's Me!

7.  Dick Kent - Your Body's Makin' Eyes At Me

8.  Prof Marcell Collegians - The ACL and The SAL

9.  Prof Marcell Collegians - Be No Fool, Play It Cool, Stay In School

10. The Melodiers - Barbra

11. Lew Tobin's Orchestra - Darling Don't Put Your Hand On Me

12. Dick Kent - George's Song

13. Rod Keith - Get Down and Wiggle It A Little

14. Bobbi Blake - I Got A Record

15. Dick Rogers - I Understand Him

16. Bob Gerrard - Joedy Is A Wise Guy

17. John Fulker - An Unpredictable Girl Like Julia

18. Jerry Britton and the Downtowners - Lazy Old River

19. Dick Rogers - I Wouldn't Hide The Moulding Rock

20. Cara Stewart (with Lee Hudson Orchestra) - Mr Memory

21. Cara Stewart (with Lee Hudson Orchestra) - New Year Song

22. Gene Marshall - Nurse Nurse

23. Bobbi Blake - Sometime Somewhere

24. Dick Kent - Unlock My Chains

25. Jim Hall and the Radio Pals - Hydrogen Nitrogen Potassium

26. Norm Burns and the Five Stars - Whirl Whirl Whirl

27. Rodd Keith - Danny's Return

28. Ramsey Kearney - Peace and Love

29. W.L. Horning - Rockin' And Rollin'

(click here to download artwork zip)

Last year a friend loaned me his copy of Commando, the Arnold Schwarzenegger action film that may be the most pure and concise example of the manly-man manness that typified the action movies of my teenage years. I had never seen the film before, because during the rise of the Reagan-era Hollywood action hero I was too busy watching David Lynch films and being all arty and shit. Little did I know what I had been missing.

And so, I hit up the video rental store and filled my Netflix queue with nothing but action movies from those formative years (approximately 1983 - 1992, my cut off date being a combination of the influence of Terminator 2 and the rise of Michael Bay, which I think lead to a new era of action films that were more action-effects-explosion driven). For two months my brain was crammed with nothing but testosterone, ass whoopins, gun play, and witty quips. I decided to share a little of what I learned from this experience by putting together a few examples of the best of what the 80s Action Movies really have to offer.

Here is part one of a continuing series, which features a sampling of some of my favorite (and iconic) witty retorts. I'm sure I missed some good ones (and some I held back on purpose for use in upcoming videos), so please chime in with your own favorites in the comments.

If you would like a full rundown of the films of the era, check out the Ruthless Reviews Guide to 80s Action, which was pretty much my bible while submerging myself in the blood and guts and guns and muscles of the Reagan era hero.

Transpacific Sound Paradise host Rob Weisberg has been pretty busy lately, and will be bringing some more live sounds from NYC to the WFMU air/netwaves this Friday, July 10th as he does a special fill-in show from 7-11PM from Lincoln Center's Midsummer Night Swing Series! First we'll hear from the Occidental Brothers Dance Band International, a Chicago-based collaboration between American jazz players and two former members of the highly regarded Ghanaian highlife band Western Diamonds.The Occidentals, who just released their first CD, are building a following playing shimmering old-school West African and Congolese electric dance music. Then at 9 pm, we'll be treated to a performance by one of the all-time great singers of Congolese style electric dance music, Samba Mapangala with Orchestra Virunga. While based in Kenya in the early 80s, Samba and Virunga recorded one of the all time African classics, Malako. And Samba's still going strong today: his 2008 election song "Obama Ubarikiwe (Obama Be Blessed)" was a YouTube sensation.

Last summer WFMU first found itself outdoors working with the fine folks at Lincoln Center when we held one of our 50th Anniversary free NYC concerts with the Ex, Getatchew Mekuria, Mahmoud Ahmed, Alemayehu Eshete, Either/Orchestra and Extra Golden under a beautiful sky in Damrosch Park with 10,000 enthusiastic attendees and a night of music we won't soon forget. While we won't be co-producing these shows this time around, we're kindly being allowed to broadcast some more of LC's great outdoor upcoming events, including two nights of Ponderosa Stomp to be aired on Dave the Spazz's show (July 16th airing live and July 17th airing later on Dave's July 30th show). It's an amazing place to see music in the city if you've never been, but if you can't make it out, be sure to catch these special broadcasts.

Video: Occidental Brothers "Grupo OK" (live at the Old Town School of Folk Music)

Video: Samba Mapangala "Nyama Choma" clip from 2006

Give the Drummer Some's

10 Favorite Downloads from the MP3 Blogosphere

(see Comments, below, for helpful info about downloading)

Thanks to the good souls at the terrific blog Uncle Gil's Rockin' Archives, word is spreading about the poor health of original Sun Records rocker Billy Lee Riley. Riley, who's endured an awful string of medical problems is now battling stage-four bone cancer and is in dire need of financial assistance. (Follow this link for info on how you can help.)

Cancer seems to be more everywhere than ever before. Some say it's all due to the general aging of the population, but that doesn't make it any easier to stomach. The Miner just lost a friend in Chicago to cancer and skipped last week's post to spend time with his mum, who underwent cancer surgery. Talk about your Motherlode. Just be sure to take good care of yourselves and loved ones and don't forget to smell the audio roses along the way.

 



He's Made it Through Three Hip Replacements and a Quintuple Bypass

Billy Lee Riley  ~  "Rock With Me Baby"

(Blog: Free Rockabilly Music

This Pistol-Brandishing ex-Soap Star Is Now a Senator

Irma Serrano  ~  "Exitos de Siempre"

(Blog: Música Popular Mexicana)

From the album: La Martina (mp3)









Bailamos con Tito Nieves and Crew

Conjunto Clasico  ~  "Si No Bailan con Ellos, no Bailan con Nadie"

(Blog: La Musica Latina)







[7 more roses, after the jump]

I Got You, Jewell

Jewell "Babe" Stovall  ~  "Babe Stovall"

(Blog: Blues Everyday)

The Sound of Philly (in Paris)

Byard Lancaster/Keno Speller  ~  "Exactement"

(Blog: Ile Oxumaré)





 



Pre-Prog Debut, With Vinicius Canutária on Drums!

O Têrço  ~  "O Têrço"

(Blog: Abracadabra-LPs Do Brasil 2)

From the album: Antes de Você... Eu (mp3)









Great Nickname for a Man With no Front Teeth

Smiley Lewis  ~  "Caldonia's Party"

(Blog: Be Bop Wino)

[password=greaseyspoon]





 



I'll Have What She's Smoking

Janet Helms  ~  "Ship On"

(Blog: Classic and Rare Soul Sisters)

From the album: Bird Song (mp3)









Save the Wales

Meic Stevens  ~  "Ghost Town"

(Blog: Música Ácida)







Italian Jazzers Sizzle

Quintetto Santucci-Scoppa  ~  "Looking Around"

(Blog: Orgy in Rhythm)

Listen for music from these and other incredible finds on

Give the Drummer Some, Fridays on WFMU, 9 to Noon (ET).



Check out every installment of Mining the Audio Motherlode