As always, when in need of musical accompaniment at the quasi-bi-curious-annual flea markets, AA looks to Viva Radio to deliver the goods and this is just what we're doing. The DJ line-up for Saturday and Sunday is as follows:

As always, when in need of musical accompaniment, they call on Viva to deliver and this is just what we're doing. The DJ line-up is as follows:

Saturday July 4th:

10:00 AM - 11:30 AM - Maximum Thrills (Sheri Barclay & Maxwell Williams)
11:30 AM - 01:00 PM - Red Velvet (Lisa & Christine)
01:30 PM - 03:00 PM - Candice Rivera
03:00 PM - 04:30 PM - Tedward of Gay Beach
04:30 PM - 06:00 PM - Martin & Louise
06:00 PM - 08:00 PM - POSSO the DJ

Sunday July 5th:

09:00 AM - 10:30 AM - Nate Walton
10:30 AM - 12:00 PM - DJ Bwyse
12:00 PM - 01:30 PM - Nite Jewel DJ set
01:30 PM - 03:00 PM - Ryan Hamilton
03:00 PM - 04:30 PM - Maximum Thrills (Sheri Barclay & Maxwell Williams)
04:30 PM - 06:00 PM - Piper K

As outlined by the schedule above, the market starts at 10 on Saturday morning lasting until 8 that night, then proceeds to start up again the next morning on Sunday at 9 until Piper brings it all down until 6, with a final hour of silence leading the whole thing to finish by 7 PM. Pre-sale tickets of $10 entitle you to a two-day pass, front of the line entry and checkout, a $5 gift card to be redeemed at any American Apparel retail location, and one free taco.

Have fun!

Who doesn't love Canada? Hockey, Healthcare, and Hortons! Tim Hortons that is. Today is your day. Call us up on the Viva Radio Hotline and let us know your comments on the many uses of Clearly Canadian! 888-550-8482. Here's a little classic Geddy Lee to get you in true form!

I guess I need to hang out with DJ Steve Porter a little more often! Oh wait, I think I actually saw Porter on a CSI Miami episode last week. Was he the guy that gave special massages to the patrons at the South Beach Hyatt? Or maybe he was giving DJ lessons at Guitar Center on 14th St? I guess we'll be playing this jam on Viva Radio nonstop for the next few weeks. Might balance out all the Michael Jackson we've been hearing nonstop as of late. Needless to say, this is a great reason to be alive in 2009. "Playoffs, playoffs, ohhh playoffs, and Joe Namath kind of takes the prize on this one!

I am not a Nebraskan native, but I have been living out here in the great planes for some time now. Like most people who live on either coast of America, I knew very little about Nebraska & the "mid-west" & only heard of Omaha because of Saddle Creek Records.

I interviewed a friend through work who moved here during the spring semester to intern at Saddle Creek Records, since we both were outsiders it was nice getting to know someone here who could share the same giddy site spotting experience of places mentioned on SC band's albums.



More Nebraskan updates of music/people/events to come.

Keep it Rad!!

Let's talk V Count Macula. The Count has already made a name for himself in Detroit with his stunt-style rap performances and incredible tubing getaways. He lives in Bushwick now and if anyone is poised to revive bicycle jousting in that area, I'm sure it's him. We here at Viva love him not only because of his lyrical truth-telling, but also because of the hilarious station ID he recently did for us. Check him out and stay tuned for more V Count coverage from Viva Radio.

V Count Macula Viva Radio ID (featuring the song "Hostile Nostril"):

"Smooth Wizardz" video (featuring one of the greatest fist bumps of all time):

A good friend of mine is really into girl singer song writers. Sometimes he even goes out of his way to make bootlegged T Shirts for his favorite performers! Thanks for tipping me off to wonderful world of Thao with the Get Down Stay Down! I recently did a little chit chat with Thao who has a terrific album out "We Brave Bee Stings and All" on Kill Rock Stars. We talked about decompressing after tour, where she bought her signature hollow body guitar, and when not to drop your pants on the Public Transit System in San Francisco. The band is getting ready to release a new record in October! Here's the interview!

Two's Company Pt. 2: Thao with the Get Down Stay Down

It's no secret that the combination of somewhat older/contained good-looking New Yorkers with seemingly effortless psychedelic flair and classic pop intentions is a winning formula. We've seen it in MGMT, Chairlift, Amazing Baby, and now we've seen it presented before us in Suckers. This Brooklyn quartet have got all of the aforementioned qualities down to a tee; so much so to the point that one of their members introduced himself as Pan without a trace of irony.

The group came into the studio with a stuffed up Tedward only to clear the stuffy stuff right out of the zone with their therapeutic brand of decongestant tunefulness. Dosage indeed - we were trippin' on the sounds they brought with them. Who'd have thunk that four musicians could come together to trace musical lifelines to a single convergent point that evokes a perfect blend of Brian Eno and Crash Test Dummies?

Suckers they ain't if you consider that they didn't let 90's alterna-rock rot away in their tie-dyed deadhead pasts but rather are stringing the skeletons from their closets by the wrists, wearing their fingerbones round their necks like psych warlord manes. Suckers they are for blissful ballads. Suckers you are if you don't tune into this fabulous edition of Me + You on Monday June 22nd.

British cholo-esque Jack Peñate is mainly known for his guitar-driven punkish yearn-pop songs. Back when his album dropped in 2007, folks abroad seemed charmed by the singer/songwriter who brought a rougher, more hands-on approach to the Cockney pop of Kate Nash and Lily Allen. Meanwhile, his fellow countrymen at NME slagged him for riding the coattails of a nearly exhausted post-punk revival (into which they lumped any band with a Telecaster). I for one remember when he came on the scene via MTV2 UK and thought "Oh shit, this is that guy who's gonna try and bring plaid shirts back." No matter what the opinion was, it seemed like folks were intrigued by Penate as a gritty Britty pseudo-sensation but also as a loud ornament on the leftover Xmas tree that was said angular revival; by this point, it was already Spring.

Two years later, Peñate still seems like the same songwriter but with more breathing room for him to exude the myriad influences that have kept him going. Although there is no need for him to win over the masses what with already having cultivated a nice following, this is definitely Jack's opportunity to say "You misunderstood me the first time around, but it's OK - listen to this." Yes, he will accept your apology. These diverse influences heavily inform his forthcoming second album, Everything Is New, as well as the set he laid down for us on this 29th edition of Naked Fridays!

Selections from Can's Tago Mago, John Martyn, and Smokey Robinson thrown in amongst some of today's freshest e.g. The Big Pink's "Velvet" and Dirty Projectors definitely exhibit a thought process that straddles the esoteric with a playful take on structure. As I mentioned, not that Peñate needs to win anyone over with his tastes, it's just that it'll be harder for the haters to hold him down this time around. And this is the soundtrack for the pre-game that sees him poised for victory.

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The kind folks at RCRD LBL tuned into the stellar Violens edition of Me + You and left satisfied enough to plug one of the highlights of their set - a cover of Death In June's "Fields Of Rape". Of course, the track is a relatively stripped down affair (this is not a rape pun) but evidenced by the whole session, Violens did a fantastic job of getting the maximum out of the minimum.

Lush, eerie, and exclusive - check the track out at the RCRD LBL site and stay tuned for more excellent Me + You sessions on the way.

Attn: All freaky deaky Viva listeners -

If you're down with slow-burning, spine-chilling, and wistfully beautiful psych balladry, then you are already familiar with Bobb Trimble. If you're not, then catch up fast on what you've been missing out on for the past 25+ years, or come see him play at the event we are sponsoring on June 25th.

The collective interest in Trimble gathered over these years has resulted in a cult following that cannot be ignored in today's more experimental pop climate. Surprisingly, despite his east coast home base (Worcester AKA Wormtown, MA) Bobb has never made it down to NYC for a performance... until now!. The ever-open-minded fetishists of the Big Apple have made a nice effort in making sure that this performance is commemorated and memorable for generations both old and young.

Us here at Viva in conjunction with the renowned digital reissue label Anthology Recordings and insider stalwarts Mexican Summer have joined beautiful forces to put out a limited edition 7" for this event. Entitled 2 Sides Of, the record is a "a double trouble selection of songs" by yours ghouly, Bobb Trimble. To add a striking visual element to the mix, Jess Rotter of clothing label Rotter and Friends contributed stunning artwork for the 7", flyer, and tote bag available all for pickup at the event itself.

Where to attend this special happening? It's all going down @:

Rose Live Bar
345 Grand Street (between Havemeyer + Marcy)
9 pm-1 am
RSVP to: rsvp@rotterandfriends.com (that's the only way you're gettin' in, folks)

DJ Sets by Turquoise Wisdom (= Zach Cowie, industry esoterrorist) and [future Viva contributor] Brian Shimkovitz of Awesome Tapes Of Africa will be keeping the ear-caching vibes flowing throughout the night.

If you are looking for a deeply enriched night of psychedelic pondering, then be at this happening.

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Put on your jean jacket and grab a sixer, I just uncovered Ted's long-lost Two's Company interview with Mark Farner of Grand Funk Railroad. Recorded sometime last winter, not only is this interview ripe with snowplows and snowshoes but it also features one man's account of divine inspiration. Did you know "I'm Your Captain" was written by GOD?

Two's Company Pt. 1 feat. Mark Farner of Grand Funk Railroad "I'm Your Captain"

Some boy bands have it all made. Some boy bands love listening to Viva Radio! And, here's the proof right before our eyes. Looks like Joe Jonas from the Jonas Brothers made the right choice wearing a sweet Viva Radio T Shirt on a recent interview featured on myspace. Now if I can just get him in a Gay Beach shirt!

Buy your own Viva Radio T Shirt here.

Also note some another allstar wearing a Viva Radio T Shirt Matt from Psychedelic Horseshit!I knew we could somehow make a connection between these two! Keep us posted if you have any other shots in your collection!

Everyone's favorite witness protection program wise guy, Jon from the Adult Swim sensation Delocated just did an interview with CNN's, Anderson Cooper. Not only are we thrilled to hear about the new sandwich shop, but we're stoked about the 2nd season of Delocated coming soon. Check out this hilarious video featured on Funny or Die!

All photos by Tobias Holzer.

Friday morning of the Distortion Festival was a shake off followed by a roundabout ride through the city center on rented bikes from Christiana, complete with front buggy for friends and fam. If you're not on a bike in Copenhagen, you're a pedestrian (obeying the traffic signals, nonetheless). If you're not a pedestrian, you're probably in an electric car. The forward thinking throttles full on in this environmental capital of Europe.

More daytime block parties and BBQs throughout the Vesterbro neighborhood turned into nighttime Club Clash-ing at "The Disco Trance" party featuring hard / art rock disco and minimal techno split among various areas of the Enghavevej skatepark. After finishing a bottle of Black Label and blasting "Once In a Lifetime" to walking heads from a friend's third story flat, we showed up in time to have missed Vinnie Who and catch the end of Montreal's Desire, a recent addition to the Italians Do It Better label and another cosmic channel for producer Johnny Jewel.





Following Desire, Glass Candy, Johnny's flagship band with Ida No, took the stage through a mess of smoke and lasers. The duo's disco decadence warbled through a wonky sound system and warmed up the main floor crowd for WhoMadeWho. Wearing textbook Danish garb, the trio (including drummer TomBoy, a festival co-organizer) galloped through licks straight outta Josh Homme's guitar tab books and pounded through heavy disco beats for an elated hometown crowd. The set culminated in a cover of Benny Benassi's early 00s anthem "Satisfaction". E-xcellent.









After catching a bit of Ellen Allien's set as part of the Fabric crew Wet Yourself's festival party, strains of effected guitar lead our group back to the mostly abandoned main floor. Those that made it to 4 AM and still had the attention span for "live" music were treated to Paris Suit Yourself, a New York / Berlin / Paris trio supported tonight by guitarist Victor Tricard and vocalist Luvinsky Atche supported by crutches. Sounds-craping through Shields-sick riffs and a Forest of melodic Robert Smith moans, Paris Suit Yourself made a richly dark home in the eerie canal sanctum of the festival. Radical and recommended to anyone around for their New York shows later this month.

I'd be a pretty happy camper if Eugene Mirman was to do my High School Commencement speech. Apparently the real deal happened this past weekend as Eugene gave a roaring commentary on his life, our lives, and the future that lies within at his former High School. That means absolutely nothing and therefore I'll never be giving a commencement speech myself. Whatever the case is. The video is pretty amazing as Eugene warns us that there's an asteroid heading for the earth, and that sometimes you can fail, barely pass, and then become a comedian afterall!

We also spoke with Eugene on the phone the other day to get a Viva Radio ID that you'll be hearing rotating all Summer long. It goes a little something like this!

Eugene Mirman Viva Radio ID

Photo by Tobias Holzer.

Copenhagen's 2009 Distortion Festival continued Thursday afternoon as soon as it ended Wednesday morning with parties in the Nørrebro neighborhood streets. Situated just over the Dronning Louises Bridge on the Northwestern side of the water entrapped center city, Nørrebro is an affordable neighborhood catering to students from the half dozen universities in Copenhagen.


Photo by Tobias Holzer.

A quick, brisk walk (unseasonably cold) across the bridge put us in the thick of the second day festivities. Follow the techno echos and you're bound to find a party, it's a ubiquitous theme throughout the entire festival. Thursday night's Club Clash at the Korgsadehallen may have been the apex of this theme with performances from Detroit techno progenitor Carl Craig and Get Physical's Danish trophy manwives M.A.N.D.Y. Kicking off around 1 AM, Carl Craig stoically raged through a two-and-a-half hour set of classics and new classics keeping the euphoria palpable for the 4000 people assembled at this YMCA turned party zone.




Carl Craig photos by Liesel Burisch.

In an adjacent room of the rave cave (literally, Korgsadehallen is dug into a hillside) during M.A.N.D.Y's set, much different classic soundwaves were being carved by the Messer Chups. Messer Chups are a veteran rock band from St. Petersburg Russia that has collaborated with theremin legend Lydia Kavina and released material through Mike Patton's Ipecac Records. All snarls, double snare beats, and surf tones, the band kept the crowd jitterbugging. Kinda creepy, kinda rad. Day three ahead.

Mind you, when Micachu starting gathering buzz back in late '08 up until the release of her first full-length back in March, she was regarded as an impressive young solo artist. However, when she came into the Viva Studio, she no solo - she shaped up.

There were three of them, Mica, Marc, and Raisa. If you think that has nice ring to it, you best listen to the session they laid down for us here in the studio. It exemplified the best qualities of said debut album, Jewellery, which is faring quite well with critics and commoners alike. They also explained the inclusion of The Shapes, both in spoken word and music.

The minimalist approach taken on the record is where Micachu's material thrives; there is enough space left over for inventiveness and experimentation, which is evidenced in the unique instrumentation employed by Mica. Fortunately for her, the two comrades she finds in The Shapes are deft enough to enhance the music with a creativity that keeps it fresh in the live scenario, but restrained enough to keep it simple and true to the recordings. Fortunately for us, this is exactly what we are looking for in a Me + You - something stripped down yet with all of the essential sounds left intact.

Unfortunately for me, all I could bring them were useless paper cups and an awkward greeting a month later in Europe, but luckily you didn't have to be there for any of that. Rather, you will be privy to hearing the fantastic session they whipped up together with Tedward today, Monday (June 9th) at 12 PM on Me + You.

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I'm going to tip you off on a little "art buzz" for Summer 2009. (read this like Norm McDonald doing Larry King) "Hey folks, if there's one underground artist you should read up on its the wonderful MOMO. His creations are constantly blowing my mind. Whether its the guerilla wheat pastes or the East River Totem Poles this guys the maximum art creator! Do yourself a favor and invest in Momo, it might be better than melting down Gold at this point!"

He's also got a brand new book that you should definitely buy! Here's what Momo has to say: Rojo is publishing a 160 page Book of MOMO, "3AM-6AM". Its a small format, there's no text, just images. All color/form abstraction, its inspiration & precarious life outdoors. I was very moved making this. While some photos are "Best of" like you'd expect, there's also the chance for context, to see it all as a story.

Naked Fridays #23 is a blast from the future past (a rub and scrub of an earlier session) an absolutely imperative listen. Honestly, I'm sitting here overloaded with work and still there is nothing else I can do but freek out about this set from Justin Miller. Maybe because this morning I woke up with the urge to listen to Penthouse & Pavement, which means that it's gonna be a dance day, or maybe because I caught Miller spinning at Glasslands this weekend. Either way, this needs to be heard.

Most times when musicians come into to put together a playlist/set, we are left with an interesting variety of tunes with the added novelty of the fact that it was put together by a notable artist. It's always fantastic when a seasoned, sexual DJ comes into the studio to lay down a session for NF because that novelty is usually washed away by the fact that this person's job is to do what they are doing for us. That leaves us with an artfully crafted seamless sequence of wonderful jams. J Milla is no exception - while I'm not here to debate the du's celebrity status, all I will say is that those who know of him know what he's best at, and if you don't know him yet, this is a good place to start.

Miller's standing at DFA Records contributed a nice edge to the tracklisting as well, which features brand new, unreleased-as-of-yet tracks by Altair Noveau, Q&A, Canyons, and Shit Robot, whose name always evokes not just thrills but also SKILLS. Added to the mix are cuts by Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, Danny Howells, and The Amplified Orchestra. But hey now, I don't wanna give away the whole thing. Well, even if I did, you'd still need to hear this to comprehend why Justin is vital on de scene. Now let me sell you de scene: it's gorgeous, glistening, ahead of our time, and behind a green door that's just begging to be opened. Turn the door knob and the volume know today at 4 PM only on Viva Radio.

As an added bonus, here's a super special link that will allow you to listen to Justin's mix anywhere and anytime that isn't on the Viva watch. *

All photos by Tobias Holzer.

The 2009 Distortion Festival line up begs an international audience to Copenhagen, a capital city constantly at the cultural cusp. The five day festival spreads over various neighborhoods and favors the street and unapparent venues to the club. Festival and Copenhagen Post founder Thomas Fleurquin programs with both a local and worldwide community in mind. With Israel rock monsters Monotonix, Detroit techno legend Carl Craig, and San Fran nu-discophiles Glass Candy set to play, he's on the right and righteous path.



After a series of kick off events and a parade through said streets, Distortion's first night Club Clash politely crashed the Kunsthal Charlottenborg, a Baroque palace built in the 1700s now occupied by Royal Danish Academy of Art. Berlin based trio Brandt Brauer Frick brought their brand of classical (not classic) techno to an early evening crowd in the courtyard. Live, BBF (Best Best Friends?) reconstructs the organic wind, brass, and string compositions from their debut album on Tartelet Records (TomBoy from Who Made Who's label) into a refined and funked out freak out.



Following a short performance piece (I have a feeling I'm in store for many of these) from the Cross Connection Ballet, Monotonix warmed up for the maelstrom with group calisthenics. RIff heavy and far less heady than the outside minimalism, the three piece made a perfect mess of the palace reception hall moving from one end to the other by means of transportation including but not limited to trash cans and crowd hands.







An unintentional mosher head butt to the ol' shnoz halfway through the Monotonix set left me reeling and stumbling back outside to catch the set in progress by We Are the World. The LA based troop choreographed a couple costume changes to a soundtrack jacked from the primitive techno and industrial leanings of Chris & Cosey. Before any further infliction from the exponentially bigger and more inebriated crowd, I followed the water back to the hotel for some jet lagged z's. Carl Craig tonight.