Monday, December 30, 2024

Radio Free California Episode 2453, Radio Station notes, and see you next year!

One last week in the year, so one more playlist! New music this week from Ryan Adams, Lenox Hills, The Antinomy Insurrection, Hairpin, Cloakroom, Chloe Slater, Charlie Hickey, St. Lucia and much more. Enjoy!

ALBUM SHOW NOTES

There is no Album show this week. No one releases an album in the last week of the year.

The Album Show plays on Thursdays at 9am and 9pm Pacific Standard Time. 


RFC 2453

For those of you who stay away from Spotify we set aside Wednesdays for just the new additions for the week. This week that's 25 songs (including the monster 33 minute track by The Antinomy Insurgency) which we will play in the same order that they're in on the Spotify playlist of the same name up at the top of this post. So if you tune in at just about any time on Wednesday you will hear the whole playlist. 

10 at 10

One last programming note: Every Thursday at 10pm and again on Sunday at 10am and 10pm we will feature our show "10 at 10", where we play 10 (and sometimes 11 or even 12!) songs from a year we pick at random. Again, all times are PST. Last week I played a group of songs from 2001 and this week we're going to pick one of the few years we haven't gone to yet. Specifically, 2024. We're going to go extra long.

As always, you can go to https://global.citrus3.com:2020/public/radiofreecalifornia to listen to the station, and there is an imbed below. And did you know the station is available as an app? It's only for Google Play (sorry iphone users - Apples terms and conditions were too restrictive for me) but you can listen on your phone at your convenience too.


No Cheap Shots this week. There will be plenty of time for that.

And because I love you, here is one of my best discoveries of 2024 Lola Young, singing her latest hit on the road, some of it in my adopted home town:



Monday, December 23, 2024

Radio Free California Episode 2452, Christmas programming, special times for shows this week, and so on.

 


New music this week from Darkcave, Jesse Welles, Vulfmon, Elettrodomestico, Guided By Voices, Soul Asylum, The Ceys, Girl Scout, The Lathams, Housewife and much more. Enjoy!

In theory, there could be an episode next week. I will see what comes out, but usually the last week of the year tends to be very slow - no sign artist wants to release new material while every radio station on the planet is playing a "best of the previous year" show. Tune in to this blog for updates. Meanwhile...

RADIO FREE CHRISTMAS

We have special programming this week. I have made no secret of the fact that I HATE most Christmas music. It dominates every aspect of life outside the home from radio to TV to shopping to even my fucking Chiropractor's office. It' makes me see red. That said, I'm not a Grinch or a pre-reform Scrooge. I actually enjoy the holiday and believe in the gift-giving and spending time with family - I will be doing all of those things. But good lord how many times do you need to hear Burl Ives singing "Frost The Snowman"?

But I will relent on December 24th and 25th. There are songs I like and I will be playing them for 48 hours, starting one minute past midnight Pacific Standard Time on December 24th through just before midnight on December 25th. Some of the songs are traditional. Some are quite profane (one of them is called "Fuck Christmas"). Yes, Christmas Wrappings and Christmas Rappings will be played, as well as that Pogues song, an incredibly nasty and swear-filled duet between The Hives and Cyndi Lauper, and I've even added some new music to the list this year from artists like Skafish, Jacob Collier and Toad the Wet Sprocket. There is a Spotify Playlist here, but the radio station will play them in random order for two days. As a result, our usual Wednesday programming will be shifted by a day. See below.

ALBUM SHOW NOTES

Darkcave is an artist that I've been following for a few years now, and I'm just about the only one. He has no social media presence, no following on any of the various streaming services and I'll be honest I no longer remember who I discovered him. What he has been is consistently solid in his songwriting and performing and he's one of the few artists to put out an album this week. When you have onyh 20 followers on Spotify you can afford to not worry about radio. His new album is called "Hansen, Saul & Fuller. Welcome"

Other new releases worth your time include "Ed" by Ellettrodomestico, which is technically an EP and has some interesting guests such as The B-52's Kate Pierson, "Slowly but Shirley" from Soul Asylum which is kind of a throwback to before they were a signed act, and "New Old Horse" from Twine.

All albums are available in all the usual places.

The Album Show plays on Thursdays at 9am and 9pm Pacific Standard Time. 


RFC 2452

For those of you who stay away from Spotify the current week's additions are usually played on Wednesdays, but this week we will be playing them all on Thursday the 26th because of the special programming we are doing the previous two days. The playlist will be inturrupted by The Album show and 10 at 10, but will otherwise play the entire day. Every other day will be the usual rotation, but we set aside Wednesdays Thursday for just the new additions for the week. This week that's 29 songs which we will play in the same order that they're in on the Spotify playlist of the same name up at the top of this post. So if you tune in at just about any time on Wednesday Thursday you will hear the whole playlist. 

10 at 10

One last programming note: Every Thursday at 10pm and again on Sunday at 10am and 10pm we will feature our show "10 at 10", where we play 10 (and sometimes 11 or even 12!) songs from a year we pick at random. Again, all times are PST. Last week I played a group of songs from 2010 and this week we're going to pick one of the few years we haven't gone to yet.

As always, you can go to https://global.citrus3.com:2020/public/radiofreecalifornia to listen to the station, and there is an imbed below. And did you know the station is available as an app? It's only for Google Play (sorry iphone users - Apples terms and conditions were too restrictive for me) but you can listen on your phone at your convenience too.


No cheap shots this week. Face it, we all need a break. rest up folks, the Resistance starts shortly. For now, how about we try to be nice to one another? 

And because I love you, if you haven't been checking out the US version of "Have I Got News For You" that started this year, hosted by Roy Wood and featuring Amber Ruffin and Michael Ian Black and broadcast on CNN of all things, let's give you a taste:



Tuesday, December 17, 2024

Radio Free California Episode 2451, Radio Station notes, cheap shots and more.

 


New music this week from Envy of None, The Darkness, Juice Webster, Molly Payton, Sofie Royer, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Rival Sons, The Ceys, Snoop Dogg (with a little help) and much more. Enjoy!

ALBUM SHOW NOTES

Molly Payton is a New Zealand transplant living in London who up until now has been releasing EPs. She has an extensive resume thanks to this, including opening for such acts as Beabadoobee and Arlo Parks, as well as playing the festival circuit in Europe. She now has a full album out called YOYOTTA and it's a good one. Kind of alt, kind of folky, and solid songwriting throughout. I don't see it doing anything other than increasing her appeal and moving her career forward, and we're going to play the album in full and un-inturrupted on this week's show.

Other new releases worth your time include Sofie Royer's "Young-Girl Forever" - especially if you like your music a little funkier, Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre's "Missionary" which is a rap album that sshows you just how it's done, aand on the more acoustic side is Andrew Bird and Madison Cunningham's debut collaboration "Cunningham Bird".

All albums are available in all the usual places.

The Album Show plays on Thursdays at 9am and 9pm Pacific Standard Time. 


RFC 2451

For those of you who stay away from Spotify the current week's additions will be played on Wednesdays. This is a change from prior programming: what we're going to do going forward is just play the music added this week only. Every other day will be the usual rotation, but we set aside Wednesdays for just the new additions for the week. This week that's 33 songs which we will play in the same order that they're in on the Spotify playlist of the same name up at the top of this post. So if you tune in at just about any time on Wednesday you will hear the whole playlist. 


10 at 10

One last programming note: Every Thursday at 10pm and again on Sunday at 10am and 10pm we will feature our show "10 at 10", where we play 10 (and sometimes 11 or even 12!) songs from a year we pick at random. Again, all times are PST. Last week I played a group of songs from 1980 (a good year, really), and this week we're going to pick another year we haven't gone to yet.

As always, you can go to https://global.citrus3.com:2020/public/radiofreecalifornia to listen to the station, and there is an imbed below. And did you know the station is available as an app? It's only for Google Play (sorry iphone users - Apples terms and conditions were too restrictive for me) but you can listen on your phone at your convenience too.


Cheap shots:

Kinda figured this would be the case.

Quoting The Onion yet again, again, seems kind of hopeless at this point.

The headline says it all, but let me add that ABC fucked us all.

Oh, by the way, the Federal Government runs out of money in 5 days.

Wow. Imagine having one of these for schools.

<sarcasm>Oh really?</sarcasm>

With all due respect, fuck you.

"You're not going to lose the polio vaccine. That's not going to happen." Narrator: "We lost the Polio Vaccine."

Do you honestly believe that this man will ever have a Library?

And because I love you, here's a little Chuck Mangione you might not know, from one of his later releases:

And why not have an extra? This is The Darkness and Ed Sheeran rehearsing a surprise appearance at one of The Darkness' shows in 2023. The actual performance can be found easily enough, but the rehearsal is kinda special:


Monday, December 9, 2024

Radio Free California 2450, radio station notes, cheap shots, and the great Dick Van Dyke

 


New music this week from Sub-Radio, The Aerovons, Charles Connoly, Hinds, Manic Street Preachers, Nada Surf, Phil Makes, Kim Wilde (yes, THAT Kim Wilde), Dream Theater and much more. Enjoy!

ALBUM SHOW NOTES

Charles Connolly has been releasing single after single for several months now, and I've added almost all of them to the radio station. At long last there is a full album containing those singles and more. He doesn't have a big following, but I like his work and I think you will to. From his Spotify Bio: "Charles Connolly is a critically acclaimed songwriter and producer from London, with pop songs spanning multiple genres. Originality, versatility and melody being the key attributes to his sound, Charles writes, sings, plays, sequences, produces and mixes his material entirely solo. His catchy melodies are bound to get stuck in your head with a fond familiarity yet a fresh vibrancy." It's actually a good description, and we will be playing the new album "Hands Up!" on the Album Show this week.

Other new releases worth your time include "Vicious Creature"by Lauren Mayberry, "Continental" from Phil Makes, "Moon Mirror" from Nada Surf, "Come And See" from Gurriers, and the Madrid, Spain-based Hinds gives us a bonus track edition of "Viva Hinds!" The album is mostly in English.

All albums are available in all the usual places.

The Album Show plays on Thursdays at 9am and 9pm Pacific Standard Time. 


RFC 2450

For those of you who stay away from Spotify the current week's additions will be played on Wednesdays. This is a change from prior programming: what we're going to do going forward is just play the music added this week only. Every other day will be the usual rotation, but we set aside Wednesdays for just the new additions for the week. This week that's 32 songs which we will play in the same order that they're in on the Spotify playlist of the same name up at the top of this post. So if you tune in at just about any time on Wednesday you will hear the whole playlist. 


10 at 10

One last programming note: Every Thursday at 10pm and again on Sunday at 10am and 10pm we will feature our show "10 at 10", where we play 10 (and sometimes 11 or even 12!) songs from a year we pick at random. Again, all times are PST. Last week I played a group of songs from 1965, and this week we're going to pick another year we haven't gone to yet - another one I've never covered before and the deepest dive into the vault EVER.

As always, you can go to https://global.citrus3.com:2020/public/radiofreecalifornia to listen to the station, and there is an imbed below. And did you know the station is available as an app? It's only for Google Play (sorry iphone users - Apples terms and conditions were too restrictive for me) but you can listen on your phone at your convenience too.


Cheap Shots:

I know I'm going to be saying this a lot over the next 4 years, but Incorrect, shithead.

Why Joe, why?

Incorrect, shithead. We want exactly the opposite.

How about let's tell them to Fuck Off instead. Don't play ball with these assholes.

I also think I'll be saying, "I tried to warn you" a lot too.

I admit that my first reaction here was to hope that he's not related to Chuck.


I guess he really is the new First Lady.

He sure seems to be stacking the next administration with losers, doesn't he.

Everything that happened in Syria happened pretty damned fast so I'm not fully up to speed, but this seems to ba a good move.


I hate to frame it this wasy, but when the American Care Act (i.e. Obamacare) gets gutted next year, will Congresspeople "have it coming"?


And because I love you, while I'm not a fan of the song this video is tear-jerking Gold - in a happy way:



Monday, December 2, 2024

Radio Free California Episode 2449, radio station notes, and so forth

 

Slightly shorter week for new music (happens this time of year) but still great stuff from total tommy, Hamish Hawk, Homecomings, Hot Chip with Sleaford Mods, CAKE, Lola Young, 37AM, Peach Fuzz and much more. Enjoy!

ALBUM SHOW NOTES

Once upon a time there was an electro-pop band from Melbourne, Australia called Essie Holt. It was mostly one person, Jess Holt, and it was pretty good but nothing groundbreaking. Even Ms. Holt recognized it and decided to take a couple of years off and redirect her sound. She has a new project, called Total Tommy, and it's some distance away from where she started. Dream-like guitars, solid riffs and great vocals.No electronica/keyboards. Not really. I first dicovered her when she released her first single, "microdose". As more singles have come out I've added them all to the radio station. Well there's now a full album called "bruises" and it's well worth your time, and we're going to feature it on The Album Show.

Other good albums out this week include "see you, frail angel. sea adore you." from the Japanese band Homecommings, "A Firmer Hand" from Hamish Hawk (picture a proudly gay Peter Murphy), Suburban Eyes self-titled debut album, and "Tigers Blood" from Waxahatchee. All good albums.

All albums are available in all the usual places.

The Album Show plays on Thursdays at 9am and 9pm Pacific Standard Time. 


RFC 2449

For those of you who stay away from Spotify the current week's additions will be played on Wednesdays. This is a change from prior programming: what we're going to do going forward is just play the music added this week only. Every other day will be the usual rotation, but we set aside Wednesdays for just the new additions for the week. This week that's 34 songs which we will play in the same order that they're in on the Spotify playlist of the same name up at the top of this post. So if you tune in at just about any time on Wednesday you will hear the whole playlist. 


10 at 10

One last programming note: Every Thursday at 10pm and again on Sunday at 10am and 10pm we will feature our show "10 at 10", where we play 10 (and sometimes 11 or even 12!) songs from a year we pick at random. Again, all times are PST. Last week I played a group of songs from 1996, and this week we're going to pick another year we haven't gone to yet - another one I've never covered before and the deepest dive into the vault EVER.

As always, you can go to https://global.citrus3.com:2020/public/radiofreecalifornia to listen to the station, and there is an imbed below. And did you know the station is available as an app? It's only for Google Play (sorry iphone users - Apples terms and conditions were too restrictive for me) but you can listen on your phone at your convenience too.


No cheap shots this week either. I mean good fucking lord every pick is either grossly unqualified or firmly against what they've been put in charge of. This is the most corrupt America has ever been.

And because I love you, would you believe I had never heard this song until yesterday? Video is pretty terrible, but the song slaps.