Solid State

I'm putting together an article on WRUV's long running live local music program, Exposure.

Obviously, it's going to focus on the folks running it now, as well as last year's roster and this season's lineup.

But it would be great to have some quotes from bands who have played on the program. From what I understand, it has been running since the early '80s. Please feel free to post here if you have any info on Exposure's history, or e-mail me at [email protected]. You can call, too: 802-865-1020 x.18.

I extend the invitiation to former DJs and program hosts as well.

So please help if you can. Exposure is a great show that deserves to be lovingly profiled.

I'm going to the Champlain Valley Fair this weekend to see the Village People!

It's sort of an assignment; I'm supposed to write a "Scene@" for the paper.

I can't believe they still have the Indian. Do they call him that, or do they use the PC term Native American?

Unlike Menudo, the group still features mostly original members. Actually, I think only the Biker/Leatherman is a newbie. And he's been there for 10 years!

Oh yeah, K.C. & the Sunshine Band are playing too. Yippee!

When I was growing up, everybody thought they were so clever in asking me, "Hey Casey — where's your sunshine band?" It still happens occasionally.

I'm usually able to suppress the rage. I guess all that counseling helped. But I still bite my nails.

Well, sort of. One of my favorite local blogs, False 45th, wants to get VPR to start playing some indie rock. I think it's a great idea, too. I suggest a tagline for the campaign: "Come for Death Cab for Cutie, Stay for This American Life.

Go here to read the scoop.

And bookmark the blog — it's consistently great.

Seven Days' 10th Birthday Bash!

I'll probably write up an official manifesto/diatribe in SoundBites, but here's a sneak peek. I'm psyched to have the Jazz Guys round out the evening. I'm not sure what a "funk collection" is, but I'm assuming it's a collection of, ahem, funk.

  Metronome:

  Seven Deadly Sins — Created by God. Produced by Shawn Lipenski & Seth Jarvais.

  Features performances by:

  Dan Bolles
  Brooke Dooley
  Hedwig & the Angry Inch
  Nathan Jarvais
  Seth Jarvais
  Kim Jordan
  Shawn Lipenski
  Michael Nedell
  Dave Stockhausen
  Herb van der Poll

That stuff will be followed by Retronome.

And don't forget the 10 Decade Dance at Nectar's:

Seth Yacovone
Funk Collection
The Jazz Guys

RAWK!

The great Bob Moog is now the late Bob Moog.

Rest in Peace.

As some of you might already know, I occasionally go deaf in my left ear, often when I truly need my hearing for professional reasons. I know I should see a specialist (regular outpatient services have provided no relief) but there's usually a long waiting list. Not to mention that it costs a ton of dough.

So for now I'm just kicking back and reading Mojo magazine, waiting for the problem to go away, as it often does.

The latest issue features an interview with Iggy Pop, which are always entertaining.

Here's a quote from the Igster about the first Stooges album being lambasted in Rolling Stone.

"I thought at the time they were just trying to insult us. But that whole Rolling Stone thing -- Rock Goes to College -- is not where it came from, dude. The requisite energy does not reside in American centers of young adult learning, I'm afraid, and never will. Nirvana is better than Phish, period!"

While I'm inclined to agree with Mr. Pop, I must say that I've been enjoying some live Dead lately. That could be because I'm half-deaf and blitzed on Sudafed. Still, I heard a verson of "Tennesse Jed" that melted my mind.

Let my tale be a cautionary one.

The bad news is that the Christopher Walken  presidential candidacy was a hoax — thanks, Ben!

The good news is that we're getting a new server!

I know it's been rough on those of you who read our paper online. Trust us — it sucked trying to upload stuff as well.

I think it'll be up and running next week.

Stay tuned for details on our 10th birthday party, which takes place September 10 at Nectar's &  Club Metronome.

I got a new cellphone. My ringtone is "Roundabout" by Yes.

I don't think they had "Heart of the Sunrise." Bummer.

Eric Olsen posted this over at the Icebox site.

Yes, it's true. Walken is running for president. Since it's pretty early in the game, I'm gonna see if I can't compose a campaign song!

Although working on other people's music is rewarding, it's time consuming. Especially since I'm incredibly anal-retentive about audio. In fact, one of the reasons I'm loathe to release my own music — besides the fact that I invalidate even my most recent projects with new experiments — is because I can't control the listening environment once the music leaves my hands. I shudder to think of people listening to my stuff on shitty boomboxes.

That's what I like about mixing, editing and mastering other people's music. it allows me to disconnect myself (to some degree, anyway) from that level of obsessive control. And I enjoy playing George Martin or even Brian Eno on projects where I can aesthetically or creatively be involved.

Some engineer/producers like my friend Daryl Rabidoux, prefer the Steve Albini approach, where straight documentation of the band's live sound is sacrosanct.

That's why it's fun to mix bands that Daryl has recorded. I know I'll get the best quality tracks that capture the most inspired performances. He knows (I hope) that I can conjure the spatial elements that'll give the record color and character, while performing "stealth edits" to ensure the record holds up in a crowded marketplace.

It's an interesting process that usually involves a lot of discussions and sharing of ideas between band, engineer and mix geek.

So far I've had the luxury of only working on projects I'm really interested in, So I guess it works for now. But I will have to call a moratorium on outside projects this winter. I really need to record some of my own material again. Not to mention the fact that doing gear reviews for Grooves and music articles for other publications takes quite a bit of my free time.

But it'll have to wait — Daryl and Swale have begun work on the group's upcoming full-length, and supposedly I'll be involved in the mix. Yes! I absolutely LOVE working with them. They're so freaking creative.

OK — back to work.

Anybody out there familiar with the book The Rock Snob's Dictionary? It's a handy A to Z compendium of artists and terminology used by us notoriously jaded and snarky critic-types.

It was written by a couple of Vanity Fair rock geeks, and was published last April.

Yes, now you too can drop references to Joe Meek, Captain Beefheart and use cool crit words like plangent.

Highly recommended.

I have gotten a few scathing e-mails lambasting my "tone," which, according to some, comes from the fact that I'm a "jaded ex-musician."

To set the record straight, I'm not really an "ex" anything.  However, I am semi-retired from performance. Nevertheless, I have my hands full every week working on one audio project or another.

And those who know me well can attest to the fact that I've always been an armchair cultural anthropologist. Even at my most musically active, I always enjoyed the critical and historical analysis of art. My main area of focus just happens to be the aural.

So there.