Sydney, Australia indie quartet the Jezabels, winners of the 2011 Australia Music Prize and dominators of their home country's pop charts for the past three years, stopped by the Viva studios last month to contribute to the newest installment of Me + You. These guys and gals from down under were gracious enough to share a few of their breezy and subdued pop songs just before their sold out show at the Bowery Ballroom.

Music-wise, these guys sound pretty close to an international The National, or like Fleetwood Mac, minus the cocaine abuse. The band hit us with two singles from their debut LP Prisoner, "Endless Summer" and "Rosebud", as well as "Sahara Mahala" from 2010's Dark Storm EP.

In between songs, faithful host Tedward learned about Australia (It's "like America, but with more deadly animals," and "there's not enough guns, and not enough tacos."), unorthodox tour schedules, and how half the band got it's musical beginnings in the shower. Collectively, I think everyone in the studio learned something new about tacos.

Check the full segment when it airs today at noon on Me + You.

This June, Me Plus You graduates, Psychobuildings, will release their new EP, Hearts, for WonderSound Records. While we’ve yet to hear all of Hearts, the Brooklyn trio’s lead single “Baby Cops” is available for stream now. Assuming it’s an indication of what’s to come, the EP will help us all reaffirm the party(s) in all of our hearts, bones, hot pants, and dancing shoes.

Psychobuildings - Baby Cops by Lazy Goods

Oh, and don't forget to revisit frontman Peter's dance moves. Take notes people.

Viva Radio gives a big ¡internacional bienvenida! to our newest contributor Summer Recreation Camp. SRC is the aural/visual brainchild of the North West Spain-based Cristian Subirà. We caught up with Subirà to find out a little about his Viva Show, Soundgazing, which made its debut last month. We also found time to chat about his inspirations, the escapism of summer, and his other creative projects.

Image credit: Andrea Illán

VR: Tell us a little bit about Summer Recreation Camp. Where exactly did the name come from? CS: Summer Recreation Camp is the alias I use when I make music or DJ. I've been performing under this name something like 4 years now. In August 2008 I was recording some jams with my friend Matt Ortega and we needed a name for the project. Summer Recreation Camp was one of the names that came out but we ended up not using it. I liked it and decided it reflected more or less what my solo project would be: it's somewhere you go to change your daily routine, but you always have to come back and face reality again.

VR: You use the name Summer Recreation Camp for your band, blog, and radio station. Is there a certain creative or aesthetic choice you have in mind when you use that name for a project?

CS: Right now I use the name for all my creative activities. I thought all the stuff I do is linked in a certain way, so it didn't make much sense to use a lot of names or aliases.

VR: You tend to use strictly audio mixes and photos in your blog. What made you lean towards those two mediums? Ideally, what do you want to leave a blog viewer with?

CR: All the stuff posted on the blog is done by me. Pictures, collages, mixes, videos...I studied in Barcelona's film school so I've always been interested in all kinds of media. I just want to share my hobbies with friends, collegues and anyone else that wants to check it out.

VR: How did you connect with Viva Radio? Do you usually try to tie each show together via some kind of theme? Do you have any prior DJ experience?

CS: I discovered Viva Radio through my friend Jonay P Matos, who is always listening to it. I decided to drop a line to propose an idea I had: a radio show based on non anglo-world music, with some exceptions of course. That's basically the theme. People can expect Cumbia, Krautock, Raga, Salsa, Chanson, Tropicalia, African-Funk, European Prog, etc. Whatever. As far as DJ experience i've been able to share my favourite music in venues/clubs in some cities of Spain, Portugal, and Poland.

VR: What have you been listening to lately? Who are some of your all time favorite artists?

CS: This is a difficult one; I wont think over it too much as it would take me hours to answer this question. Lately: Terry Riley, Change, Amon Duul II, Azitis, Don Cherry, Hunger, Timex Social Club, Lucky Dragons, Peter Walker, The Weeknd, Steve Reich, Drexciya. My all time favorites are quite typical: Marvin Gaye, Pink Floyd, Beach Boys, Fugazi, Caetano Veloso, etc.

VR: Anything exciting you do aside from Viva Radio/Summer Rec Camp that you'd like our listeners to know?

CS: I wouldnt define it as exciting, but maybe inspiring. I also play in the band Narwhal with my talented friend Simon Williams. And if people want to take an hour break from Viva they can check my weekly radio show on ScannerFM.

Catch Soundgazing every Monday from 7-8 p.m on Viva Radio.

Once called "a musical healer" by High Times magazine, NYC-based producer/DJ Nutritious brings us a soul-nourishing mix for our newest edition of Naked Fridays. Trish (is it okay if I call you that?) balances his time between curating his weekly show Gratitude, hosting his own parties in the city, and dabbling in holistic medicine. And by dabbling, I mean he helped write Montel Williams' New York Times bestseller on health and wellness.

Somehow Nutritious found a break from his schedule to contribute a mix to us, and we're stoked to premiere it. True to form, elements of both partying and aural nourishment manifest themselves in this mix, which spends its time fluctuating from posi-party vibes to more spaced out, cosmic ones. You can check out the entire Naked Fridays mix when it premieres today at 4 p.m.

In the meantime, preview the tracklist below:
01. Nutritious - Intro
02. Rayko - Little Baby
03. Stretch - Why Did You Do It
04. Beca - Let's Run Wild (Ashley Beedle Vocal Mix)
05. Prinzhorn Dance School - I Want You
06. Rokyoursoul - The Alpine Touch
07. MustBeat Crew - Mutha Phukin Reel
08. Dimitri From Paris & DJ Rocca - Ero Disco Theme
09. Francis Jilla - Walking on a Beam
10. Jazzanova - I Human
11. Moon Rocket - White Flowers

Ms. Elena Reimeryte from Silent Killers is back with yet another delicious blend of new wave and soaring 70's glam electro pop classics on her latest playlist entitled Tylus Zukikai! You can listen to Silent Killers every Thursday at 9pm and always archived.

Silent Killers - Weekly show
White Fence - Hey Roman Nose
John Maus - No Title (Molly)
White Fence - Balance Yr Heart
Kindness - Cyan
Lotus Plaza - Untitled
John Maus - Head for the Country
White Fence - It Will Never Be
It's No Good Unless You Love Me - The Korgis
This Island Earth - Take me to the Fire
David Bowie - Heathen
Zounds - Dancing
Vitor Hublot - Aller simple
The Big Ben Tribe - Tarzan Loves The Summernight
World's End Girlfriend - Unfinished Finale Shed

Guys and gals, throw on your Sunday's best because there's about to be some straight up praise for the next two or three paragraphs.

Brooklyn sextet (formerly a septet) Ava Luna recently released a stellar album called Ice Level. These guys evade genre, fusing elements of R&B, prog, and free-jazz into A.D.D.-addled pop symphonies. Man, upon re-reading that sentence, that sounds terrible.

But as far execution goes, Ice Level's on point. It's one of those albums that's instantly accessible, but multifaceted enough to reveal something with each listen (Usually logistical, e.g. "Damn, that's an impressive vocal melody. How do people with six separate schedules find time to practice? Can they even all fit in the practice space?").

The one-two of first single, "Wrenning Day," followed by "Sequential Holdings" is the album's highlight. With it's three-piece harmonies and distorted bassline "Wrenning Day" is a song both your R&B loving mother and your thirty-year old brother who still insists Nirvana was the best band of all time can both agree on. And call it blasphemous, but "Sequential Holdings" is better than any song the Dirty Projectors ever wrote.

Amongst all the chaos, the group still knows how to settle down down. The title track is the most straightforward song on the album and an unabashed homage to 90's R&B, propelled by an ultra-familiar guitar line and an awesome Curtis Mayfield-esque string section.

Stream Ice Level in its entirety here or pick up a physical copy here. Check it out if you like pop. Check it out if you like noise. Check it out if you have a prescpription to Vyvanse. Just check it out.

And mark your calendars for June 7, as Ava Luna opens for legendary Bronx-group ESG at Le Poisson Rouge.

Mr. Sasha Renkas, AKA Renkas, is an Amsterdam-based DJ/Producer/Songwriter currently recording for Non-Records. His latest EP, Christabella – released mid last year – is equal parts disco-pump, youth-summer beach wanderings, and nude beach gallivanting. In addition to his own work, he’s prolific in the art of the mix. Today, we’re happy to announce that he’s made a great one, just for Viva-Radio. Naturally, we’re sharing it with all of you – all of our high school sweethearts, and it airs tonight at 4 P.M.

Playlist:
1. Donna Regina - Why
2. Electric Music - TV
3. Colorbox - Tarantula
4. Future Sound of London - Dead Skin Cells
5. The Payolas - Eyes of a Stranger
6. Enormous Shadow - Nightspots
7. Mr Pauli - Ewa V.
8. Propaganda - Murder of Love
9. M.A.R.R.S. - Anitina
10. Juan Atkins - I Love You
11. Rick 'Poppa' Howard - Fourteen
12. The Visitors - Distant Planet
13. Kim Brown - Camera Moves
14. Propaganda - Frozen Faces
15. Chris Isaak - Wicked Game instrumental
16. Anna Domino - Everyday, I don't
17. Moev - In Your Head
18. Renkas - Christabella Distant demo
19. Egyptian Lover - Every Night I Cry
20. Jefferson Airplane - Today
21. Telex - My Time
22. Pink Playground - Dark Bloom
23. Shocking Blue - Demon Lover
24. Renkas - She Welcomes the Spring


In addition to providing to that sweet mix, Renkas was kind enough to answer a few of our most pressing questions – read on for real talk about Kiev, Amsterdam, silicone music scenes and some American labels that are “doing it better”.

VR: Renkas, in the past you’ve done mixes for Vice Magazine, Non-Records and various other places and things – What can listeners expect from your Viva-Radio mix? Did you have anything specific in mind when putting it together?

R: Hi. I was planning to make a mixtape for a long time with tracks that you can just listen to, not only the tracks that you dance to: A nice mix with beautiful music that I like. It's like a cassette tape that romantic boys gave to their girlfriends in the 80s. I think that Viva-Radio will be the right place for that.

VR: You’re originally from Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, one of the oldest cities in all of Eastern Europe, and a world cultural center. Can you talk a little about growing up there? What’s the music scene like?

Renkas - Christabella (radio edit) by nonrec

R: I think most people from Kiev will find it funny if you tell them that they live in a world cultural center. Some nasty things happened to the city during the communist period. I was growing up in the 90s, and the 90s in Kiev were really grimy and dangerous, but never boring. But there was also a strange, dreamy, airy feel throughout the nineties. I think it somehow reflected in the music of that time. It had this dark, melancholic, distant sound and depth. There wasn't really a scene but some great songs were made during that time.

VR: Today, you reside in Amsterdam. When did you move there? Musically, how does it differ from the city of your upbringing? How have the respective cities influenced what you listen to, what you play?

R: I live in Amsterdam for a couple of years now. I don't like Amsterdam so much anymore. I miss some edge here. Amsterdam feels like a museum: sterile and boring. Amsterdam has its nice places, but it has nothing to do with the usual touristic places that it's known for.

I don't think it's possible to find any clear scene in neither Kiev nor Amsterdam anymore. At NON records we share a lot of ideas musically and ideologically, but we are not trying to create a scene. Those kind of things should happen naturally, if you force it you will create some sort of a fake, like a silicone Pamela Anderson.

Somewhere in the early 00's underground culture became mainstream and commercial. But at this point there are some small underground initiatives emerging in Amsterdam and Kiev, as an alternative to the glossy mass culture, and I really like that. But you have to know where to look for them. The separation between underground and mainstream is quite clear in both cities.

VR: What’ve you been playing recently? Any records/tracks/artists we need to be paying more attention to here in the States?

R: Actually in the US you have much more interesting music at this moment: Labels like Mexican Summer and Italians Do It Better. Europe had a really interesting and colorful new wave and postpunk scene in the 80s. Every major European city had its own jewels. They were mostly sung in their own language and had cultural twists from that area. It’s a very interesting world to discover. And every time I dig out some forgotten treasure I feel very happy. You will hear some of those in my mix. My comrade Palmbomen is going to release his very nice album soon, from what I've heard it’s going to be very krautrock and new wave influenced. Keep an eye on him for sure.

VR: You released the delicious Christabella EP, which contains tracks many of our listeners may already be familiar with – Are you working on any original material currently?

R: Thanks! I am working on my album right now. It's going to be a little bit different than the Christabella EP. I'm in love with a more dreamy sound at this moment, but I still like pop music and songwriting. I am trying to bring together all the elements that I love: early house, new wave and industrial ballads.

That was Renkas. You can hear his exclusive Viva-Radio playlist tonight at 4 P.M. right HERE.

Kraftwerk began their eight-night residency at the MoMA on Tuesday, and assuming the computer gods were not in your favor on that fateful February presale day, there's a good chance you didn't get tickets.

Fear not! Joe McGinty (ex-Psychedelic Furs and 100 other projects), Anna Copa Cabanna, and BAMiAM.tv, are offering a "shut out fest for the rest of us" dubbed Kraftjerks: You Are Waiting in the Queue. Ouch.

The series started yesterday, but it carries into tonight, featuring performances and "RE-reinterpretations" of Kraftwerk's Man-Machine, Computer World, and Techno Pop. Cabanna heads up Man-Machine, McGinty mans Computer World, and BAMiAM offers a keytar-triggered light show for the whole thing.

And the best part? No advance tickets.

Get the full info here.

Okay, so this is really awesome. Norte Sonoro, or “North Sound,” is a multimedia project based out of northern Mexico that combines the talents of both resident, “old-school” musicians and visiting, international producers. The disparate worlds – disparate in both sound aesthetic and physical geography – meet in Monterrey, Mexico; they hunker down in a studio and work together for one week. At the end of this week, they’ve got some recorded material. They release it. Then they celebrate with a music festival by the same name.



This first time out featured a great cast. International collaborators – Algodón Egipcio (Venezuela), DJ/Rupture (US), White Rainbow (US), Chancha Vía Circuito (Argentina), Helado Negro (Ecuador/US), and Mumdance (UK) – worked with the local musicians Javier Villarreal, Los Cardencheros de Sapioriz, Grupo Esencias and Osvaldo Lizcano con Enlace Vallenato.



The fruit of their labor is EP-1, and as one can grasp within the first minute of opener “La Espina del Cardenche,” it's mesmerizing. It’s dub, sometimes dubstep. And then it’s electrocoustic, borderline ambient. Sometimes it’s IDM. Sometimes it’s hip-hop. Always it’s something special. Worlds breathe into one another, they communicate, and the results are immediately astounding. That’s the goal. Success.



You can download EP-1 for free right here.

Our good pal Dan Selzer just cranked up a new Pyjamarama playlist this week. He's of course known for his very choice post punk picks each week but has settled down a little this Spring. You'll hear a little folk, a little jazz, and even some melancholy oldies! Check out Pyjamarama on Viva Radio every Tuesday at 1pm!

Jimmie Rodgers - It's Over
Roy Orbison - It's Over
Glen Campbell - Guess I'm Dumb
Phil Ochs - Cross My Heart
Tim Hardin - Don't Make Promises
Bob Bannister - In Christ There Is No East Or
Jackson C. Frank - Marcy's Song (She's Just a Pic
Tindersticks - My Sister
John Cale - Buffalo Ballet
Pin Group - Long Night
Joy Division - From Safety to Where...
The Walker Brothers - The Electrician
The Main Ingredient - Magic Shoes
Schiller Street Gang - Remind Me (1969)
David Axelrod - The Sign (Part 1)
Scott Walker - Such A Small Love

1995. I was just eight, and I don’t remember much. But the Internet tells me it was the year Michael Jordan returned to basketball. The Internet also says it was the year of the O.J. Simpson Trial. The Internet says it was the year Gates released Windows 95 and something called "Yahoo" started. Major stuff, but what did eight-year old me care? What does eight-year old me remember about 1995?

Gangsta’s Paradise.

Coolio and Gangsta’s Paradise. My sister and I in the back of the Suburban, bobbing up and down to Gangsta’s Paradise. My mother and father upfront confused, silenced – powerless amidst Gangsta’s Paradise. Soccer practice, thinking of Coolio. Soccer practice with Coolio. (I wish.) Coolio’s Hair. Dangerous Minds. Coolio’s Hair. Weird Al Yankovic.

But we haven’t really heard all that much from the man since, at least not in the music world. He has released a cookbook, though, and he's pretty big on Twitter. He’s hardly disappeared.

Today. Now. 2012. This is the moment. Viva-Radio is proud to announce that Coolio is starring in an independent feature film. Brain melting. Excitement. The film is called Two Hundred Thousand Dirty, and it's directed by my #1 dude Timothy L. Anderson.

Two Hundred Thousand Dirty - [OFFICIAL TRAILER] from Loop di Loop Productions on Vimeo.

The gist is this: “Two Hundred Thousand Dirty is a dark comedy about blue-collar losers that work in a mattress store who plot to kill somebody – you know, for money.” It’s as though Coolio has grown with me. Also, judging from his appearance in the trailer, his hair is still raising hell. Perfect.

Screenings and festival appearances for the film are coming this year. Follow 200K Dirty on Twitter; like it on Facebook, and check out the official website here. Also, stream/purchase the film’s original soundtrack – featuring tracks from Little Hurricane, Tyler Mckusick and, ahem, uh, me – at the Two Hundred Thousand Dirty Bandcamp.

WYNW's continues the trend of awesome band names; this week's comes from Freedom Fry, a (wait for it) French/American girl/boy duo, named after the infamous 2003 debacle.

The band consists of the Parisian ex-pat Marie Seyrat and NYC-local Bruce Driscoll, and together they offer a blend of catchy, straightforward indie pop backed by some solid arrangements of ukes, harpsichords, and nice warm reverby guitars.

The two released a video for their single "Earthquake" on Valentines Day. Anchored by a steady beat and a Casio keyboard, it's fairly reminiscent of Brooklyn trio Au Revoir Simone (who unfortunately, did not Americanize their name to "Catch U Later, Simone" after the Freedom Fries incident). This song is inevitably destined for an iTunes commercial, as it's a.) catchy as hell, b.) has that one part that everyone looks forward to singing/whistling/snapping to, etc. The "that one part" in this song is the "shka-shka-shake-shake" line in the chorus, and you can berate me in the comments section in a few days when it's still stuck in your head.

The duo has another EP due out next month entitled Outlaws. We've got an exclusive track from that release called "Jesse James." Backed by an acoustic guitar and fuzzy drum machine, this one feels almost like a Beach House/Black Moth Super Rainbow collaboration. Awesome. Check it out below:

Our Viva Contributor Spotlight series continues, this time with long-time contributor John Zahl, a.k.a. JAZ. Embodying every definition of the word "righteous," Zahl is an Episcopalian minister by day, and an all-analog DJ by night. I realize this sounds like the plot out of a Fox Searchlight film, but, no, we can't make this stuff up. When he's not spreading the word or spreading the jams, he's, well, still spreading the jams, via his show on Viva, the Weejun Hour. We sat down with the theistic turntablist to chat about growing up in the South, the Weejun Hour, and, of course, the best Christian dance tracks.

Viva Radio: Hey John. How exactly did you hook up with Viva?

JAZ: I've been with Viva, doing the Weejun Hour, for ages now. At least five, maybe as many as 6 or 7 years. The Beat Broker/Ryan Chimney (who started dreamchimney.com/tracks/) started putting up sets on Viva, pulling from my tracks of the day on that site, so a bunch of my picks were aired on the station before I had a show. I later got in touch with Ted through those channels and started the Weejun Hour.

VR: Do you feel growing up in the South had any effect on your music taste? How has your taste evolved over the years?

JZ: I would say that getting out of Charleston (and the Southeast) was the best thing that ever happened to my taste in music, mainly because the realm of exposure in the Southeast is so limited, though less so today. Back when I was in middle school and high school here, if you were creative and into music, your options were basically classic rock like Zep and Steve Miller and Pink Floyd, or you were into jam bands. The Dead especially, but then Phish and Widespread and Dave Matthews; that kind of music really doesn't interest me.

I honed my ironic side early, you see, and there's little to no ironic cache in that stuff, though I still love some of the Dead's stuff. The weirdest tastemakers that I knew in Charleston in the early 90s were into the Cure, the Pixies and the Residents and Zappa. That stuff was like the outer reaches of space, which definitely appealed, but was also only tip of the ice berg. But the Charleston-vibe gave me an appreciation for quality musicianship, which ultimately led me to appreciate jazz later in high school.

VR: How did you start your foray into vinyl/disco? JZ: A great thing that happened to me after my freshman year of high school: I moved to Zurich, Switzerland. There I discovered early Mercury Rev, and My Bloody Valentine. I remember writing to MTV's 120 Minutes and they read my letter on the air. By the time I got to college, I was all about stuff like Elephant 6 and post-rock stuff, plus getting into trip-hoppy stuff like Ninja Tune. The second half of college was all hip-hop and contemporary electronic stuff for me. It was the love of samples and raw ambiance and the growing desire for greater obscure discoveries that led me back to vinyl.

VR: How did you start to hone such a specific style? JZ: I'm an Episcopal minister, and the same year that I moved from Chinatown, NYC to Oxford, UK for seminary, I also bought two new turntables. I spent most of my free time digging in dusty stores, devouring all things disco, late 70s/early 80s, and traveling to London to hear Mancuso's quarterly Loft parties in Hoxton, Gerry Rooney, DJ Alex and the Voices Collective guys, all playing the most amazing music.

I loved the DJ Harvey vein, and started beat matching and making my own mixes from the record collection that I quickly amassed. It was one part cosmic disco, one part new wave, and all parts funk, with definite elements of Italo and Boogie too. Also, during that time I devoured as many Baldelli tapes as I could get my hands on. The whole world of Balearic stuff from the later half of the 80s came as another big world full of easy on the ears, yet important vibes.

VR: Awesome. How else do you spend your time?

JZ:I played weekly gigs at a swanky restaurant called Fish when I first moved back to the Lowcountry after seminary, and then lots of little boutique-y events, pop-up shops, fashion stuff, but not many straight-up dance parties. Then I met Party Dad (Tay McNabb), Charleston's only other disco-at-heart DJ. We started a monthly disco party at the wonderfully divey Upper Deck about almost a year ago, and that's been a wonderful outlet for an unused part of my record collection.

I also got really into making mixes and edits for different blogs during those years. Some of those ended up on labels like Claremont 56, Beard Science, Messalina, and Libre Ambiance. My attempt has always been to push obscure, genre-bending funky stuff with analog synths on the world, preferably with the help of beautiful, catchy melodies and smart song-writing. I like it all as long as it's smart/conceptual, weird, and listenable.

VR: What can listeners expect from a typical episode of the Weejun Hour? I usually feed my Viva-Show with my current favorites songs. Two recent favorite shows are the two ones I did recently entitled "Christian Music". Those tunes are nuts, and reflect years of digging into unpopular waters for pure gold.

VR: Anything else you want to add? JZ: Thanks so much for the opportunity to talk a little bit about the music I love and the awesome station that is Viva-Radio. You can listen to JAZ every Tuesday at 2pm on Viva and archived anytime!

Fact: Big Deal makes woozy Sunday morning music. Really, seriously, the duo is best heard over herbal tea and crossword puzzles. Listen while petting the cat. Purring music. Make an omelet, casually. But, here they are on Viva-Radio on a Monday. (Brutal.) Shit. But you can still sip some tea! (Probably needs to be caffeinated, though.) And maybe you can sneak some brainteasers in on your lunch break? Do it. Take it easy, man. It’s good for you. Big Deal is good for you. That’s what I’m trying to say.

Here at Viva, we know all this from first hand experience. The duo recently graced our Flatbush Headquarters with an intimate set and an interview. Just a couple of acoustic guitars and voices…they played Elliott Smith’s version of Big Star’s “Thirteen,” which is always great. They talked teaching each other Sonic Youth and Dinosaur Jr. tunes on guitar. They played an original entitled “Talk,” which was sweet. They talked art history and classical civilizations. Not really, though. And they covered Akon’s “Locked Up,” which was awesome. What? Ted couldn’t believe it either. No Big Deal. Like I said, it was awesome.


You can hear it all when it airs today at noon, another Viva-Radio exclusive. It’s Me Plus You 113! Check out a clip and some pictures below. Big Deal’s debut long player, Lights Out is available now on Mute Records. Pick it up here, or wherever good records are sold.

The Easter Bunny came early this year. I know he/she usually brings eggs and chocolate. This year the Viva Bunny is bringing some fresh new designs via the American Apparel print shop. What is this 1985! Print Shop. I love it. But seriously check this out. Not only can you walk around showing off your new shirt, but you can custom design that bad boy to score some extra cool points around the block.

And its super easy to do to. Just follow these fun directions!

Go to Print Shop Men's or PrintShop Women's pick the shirt (or tote bag) you want to print on, click 'customize this item' in the upper right corner, and then click the media gallery icon for Viva Radio contributor t-shirt graphics!

 
Cat Hartwell of Closet Jams:

View on a t-shirt or a tote.

 

Elena Reimeryte of Silent Killers:

View on a t-shirt or a tote.

View on a t-shirt or a tote.

 

Sambarella DJ of The Gruv Gallery:

View on a t-shirt or a tote.

 

Jay Schleidt of Acid Living Room:

View on a t-shirt or a tote.

 

Max Williams of Maximum Thrills:

View on a t-shirt or a tote.

 

Peter Jacobson of wrecks:

View on a t-shirt or a tote.

 

Don't see a contributor t-shirt you'd like? Let us know.

Our good ole Viva alumni pals Lindsay Mound and Billy J, aka COLOR WAR, just shot a brand new video on their IPhone in Maryland this past weekend. It's the future guys. You can shoot videos, sing, dance, and see blossoming trees all before April in 2012. Lindsay used to be our wonderful program manager at Viva Radio and Billy J did this amazing series called the Adolescent Sessions. It was just grand.

The two of them have been at the COLOR WAR since 2009 with plenty of single releases in the last year. This latest one Plate Tectonics has peaks of Stevie Nicks on vocals and plenty of throbbing Mike Oldfield bass lines to soar you throw the spring blossom.

You can also check out COLOR WAR's 8-song EP currently available for download on their Bandcamp page.

There’s a whole lot of history crammed onto Dreads 84 85, the new 7” from Detroit’s Protomartyr. You guys know about Bubba Helms? Protomartyr does. Bubba was that real-life Detroit teen just looking for some fun – momentary respite from his boredom -- that came to embody the whole spirit of a discontent community. Drunk and high, he and Detroit celebrated the Tigers’ 1984 World Series victory with some heavy drinking, some violence, an overturned cop car, and ultimately, a city in flames. Today, the image of Bubba’s Detroit overshadows any baseball game.
Protomartyr - Bubba Helms by Lazy Goods Protomartyr - Cartier Eye Glasses by Lazy Goods

Protomartyr knows Bubba intimately, and on Dreads 84 85 the band tributes his story and his spirit, his pre-riot life and his post-riot life, his boredom and his teenage beer belly for seven glorious, intentionally un-heroic (but somehow heroic) minutes. Seven minutes doesn’t sound like much, but the group’s sludgy, pissed-off sound is quick to not only catalyze this specific past, but also to call into question the present.

You can get your copy now via Urinal Cake Records: There's just 300 copies for the world – the first 100 are pressed on Hot Pants Pink Vinyl. Until then, this video just about sums it up.

Our wonderful Columbus, Ohio veteran contributor Carlos Avendano has been non stop in 2012. As the Full Moon approaches toward the end of March and into April his latest playlist entitled, "A Flute Behind the Grocery Store" is indication that a song is nearby, or at least skirt steak is on sale at Krogers. Don't miss Zestrogen Tuesdays at 10AM and always archived. Find the flute Carlos!

Karen Dalton - Katie Cruel
Ryan York - Please
Lone - Crimson Drank
Thomas Barrandon - Over The Wall
Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill (A Deal W
Kona Triangle - Astoria`s Ascent
Julie Covington - The Way Things Ought To Be
Isabella's Vocal Group - Chiopcy Ktorych Kocham
Badge - It Doesn't Mean
Elza Soares - Chove Chuva
Jan Hammer - Crockett's Theme
David Snell - Windmills of Your Mind
Nina Simone - If I Should Lose You
Lone - Orange Tree
The Millennium - Karmic Dream Sequence #1
Heatwave - Star of the Story
Steve Winwood - Valerie

Similar to Madonna, Jay Schleidt is a full time artist who is sometimes paid to be naked. While Jay doesn't have any Superbowl halftime performances on the horizon, he does have a weekly show on Viva called the Acid Living Room The show, which airs every Tuesday from 10 to 12 p.m., consists of all homemade recordings, running the gamut from pop to experimental. We recently caught up with Jay, a Viva Veteran, to find out more.

Viva Radio: First of all, what is the Acid Living Room?

Jay Schleidt: The Acid Living Room is an inter-dimensional tunnel for communication between otherworldly beings. Usually this takes the form of unique home recordings sent in by musicians and sound artists from around the world.

Viva-radio has aired the show since the beginning of 2007. My friend Andrew secured the show as an extension / rebirth of a couple house venues and college radio show he operated in Murfreesboro, TN. He signed me on originally as a co-host, and I have since taken the reigns in artists communications and episode construction.

VR: Where did the idea for an all home-made music show come from?

JS: I've been a home-taper since I was young, inventing my own music and recording it for personal enjoyment. This led to a desire to release my sounds and those of my talented friends, culminating in a few recording labels over the years. Because of this, people get in touch regularly to let me hear their brand new under the radar music. There is a never ending supply of incredible new music being continually created by amazing people, usually without any sort of outlet except their immediate friends.

VR: And what do you hope to accomplish with this?

JS: Mind expansion. Exposure for unknown geniuses.

VR: Are there any specific genres you tend to gravitate toward when curating each show?

JS: Variety is the key to my heart. I try to quilt each episode together knowing that everybody has something unique to offer. I enjoy all types of music and non-music. The artists who submit are usually working outside of the conventional music norms and might not even consider themselves to exist within a specific genre. Found sound collage folk, avant-garde hip-hop...industrial improv surf witch pop.

Though a great deal of raw experimental styles are featured, I do tend to shy away from having really harsh noise on the show (but since ALR has a late time slot, towards the end of an occasional episode you'll hear a brutal noise composition). In 2012, anybody who wants to do so has the power to record their own brand of music anywhere they desire. I've gotten live performances and studio recordings in addition to the multitude of 4-track tape jams.

VR: Any advice for potential submitees?

JS: Send mp3 tracks (up to 10 minutes each) of your music -or if you run a label, things you've released- to jay.schleidt@gmail.com—physical tapes, cds, vinyl are welcomed too. If I decide to spin it I will let you know. I have gotten a few emails from marketing companies promoting hot new artists with record deals offering me some sort of bandwagon subscription—I ignore those emails.

VR: Aside from Viva, how else do you spend your time?

JS: To pay the bills I pose nude for art classes and design album artwork (hire me!). I just recently created some cool images for a new album coming out by Ember Schrag on the Edible Onion label and Single Girl, Married Girl records. Tons of my hand-made cassette packaging, videos, and all sorts of visual and audible art can be seen here. My creations have appeared publicly in gallery exhibits in places like Oxford, Chicago, Ontario, Nashville, Arlington, San Francisco, Atlanta, Detroit, and Charleston. My recordings run around the track in their sonic variety; I've been on over 100 releases from all sorts of DIY labels. I make video projections for local musicians' live shows. I'm awesome in the kitchen with few ingredients and no recipe. I print shirts. I love making patterned tile backgrounds. I do not own a car, and I have a kitty.