You might remember that we at Viva were nicely involved in one of the more innovative and community-oriented musical performances that NYC has seen in a while - 77 BOADRUM. Held on July 7th, 2007 (07/07/07), the event was somewhat of a spectacle with 77 drummers aligned in a sort of helix formation, with the core of the ensemble consisting of the 4 members of Boredoms featuring the illustrious Yamataka Eye.

There was extensive documentation of the performance as well as the preparation that went into it, from high-profilers like VBS.tv (and us) and everymen like this and this.

And now - the official record of this special happening is coming to you not only on DVD via Thrill Jockey this September 7th, but also to the big screen! That is, if you live in NYC and dare to venture down to scary Kent Ave. in Williamsburg. Sike! Everybody knows that the corner of S. 2nd and Kent is one of the most inviting zones to visit for entertainment in that neighborhood. The only threat there is the cops, who circulate at an alarming frequency when people are having too much fun.

Anyhow, IndieScreen will be showing the film in its entirety TWICE, first at 8 PM then at 10 for $11 both times around. Be sure to grab a copy of this DVD if you can't make it to the theater and don't forget to revisit the little nook that we've reserved for our feature on the event, which will always be special to us.

Viva Radio? More like Fever Radio! Besides occasionally speaking too fast and misleading people to think that this is the actual name of this here station, I am officially nicknaming it right now. We've got a fever, possibly of the cat scratch ilk. Because listening to this 89th edition of Me + You is akin to rolling around on an oriental rug with a feral feline during a summer night stupor. Joined by one of the swedest guests we've had around in a while, Jenny Wilson simultaneously cooled us down and heated us up with her numbers.

Performing solo with just a Fender Rhodes to accompany her soulful yet fragile voice, at times there is a very human and vulnerable quiver which is contrasted by her charming ability to quickly bounce back with fervor and precision, hitting all the right notes with gusto. This polymorphous quality applies to her lyricism as well, which is punctuated with exclamations, onomatopoeias, and generally playful outbursts. Jenny Wilson's taking you mood-swing dancing!

She really launches into it without dillydallying - kicking the session off with "Strings Of Grass", at first Margo Guryan's "Timothy Gone" comes to mind but this is quickly dismissed: it is clear that Jenny is going to stray from the rhythm, that she is going to flutter, fluctuate, and fool around as much as she can. She gives us an explanation less than a minute in, sweetly announcing, "This is a love song," followed by a stifled laugh. She's drawing listeners in but overloading them at the same time, simulating the overwhelm that is... love. It's all a bit of a runaround in that we're not sure whether she's planning on actually letting us in but not too much later, she stops the song by her own accord and in a smooth Laurie Anderson-like spoken word moment she finally takes us into her world. It's romantic and melancholy, with the following tune "Anchor Of Gold" approaching the same territory but with a more of a bounce and even more narrative intricacies than the previous song.

The final track is a real standout - kicking off with a pseudo-rap JW style, "Only Here For The Fight" soldiers on from start to finish. She's seemingly prepped and primed for battle but whether she's going to emerge victorious is uncertain, as is the nature of the fight; it's possible that the struggle in question is part of everyday life, ongoing and inevitable. No matter what though, Jenny's wild delivery and far out attention to detail places her as a top notch contender! Seriously, there are moments throughout this session wherein she sounds like the white, long-lost Jackson sister.

She's an awful lot of personality and excitement for one person, although she's not in it alone... Constant references to "the choir" in her lyrics indicate a gospel sense of reinforcement. Hence, it's easy to picture her on stage in Sweden with 11 other people, 6 of them being a small gospel choir. Although it would surely be a marvel to experience it in real life, for by the end of this performance, she was preaching to the converted.

We urge you to attend the next time Jenny Wilson's congregation rolls through your town, but for a remote listening experience tune into Me + You @ 12 PM on Monday, August 30th!











Photos by Sara Jacobson.

The D(etroit) is shakin' as ever while we cool down into what WDIV two-time Emmy winner Chuck Gaidica has declared "The Ultimate Pure Michigan Indian Summer". We've been hot on V Count's heels for a minute at Viva Radio watching him chopper around in the extravagant "So Damn Busy" video and take us for a ride through the mall in the "Food Court Kingz" clip.

Now the Macula man is back with some feel good pills to wash away all the children's cares during the dog days of summer. Might as well go out with a bang and pass out on some mega-dose painkillers while upside down on Batman the Ride at Six Flags. Once again, V Count crafts a hefty beat that I can crank on my longboard ride to Staples for back to school supplies. That is if I don't become a vegetable from too many Percocets.

V Count Macula - "Pills"

I'm picking up a lot of different vibes from San Fran's Still Flyin'. Are they an artist collective? Do they all live together? Are they obsessed with The Comsat Angels? Whatever the case, we might be able to accommodate all 27 members at the Viva Radio studio at some point. Legal occupancy? Fire hazards? Pssh!

Lead track "Bull Riff" sounds like Still Flyin' were jamming some serious Joe Jackson while watching the 80s masterpiece Real Genius. This song could have soundtracked the scene where Val Kilmer skates down the dry ice slicked dorm hallway or parties poolside with the beauty school girls at the end of the laser beam trail. "Bull Riff" has a footloose and fancy free, Chris Knight spirit that many groups just can't own up to these these days. I'm giving Still Flyin' a serious spin in Lazlo Hollyfield's RV this summer! See you on the Golden Gate Bridge.

Still Flyin' - "Bull Riff"

How fitting that this next session falls in the 80s of our M+Y count...

Everybody hang chung - Wang Chung, original chungwavers/chillwangers came on in for Me + You 88! Regardless of the previous sentence's obnoxious wordplay, you'll just have to accept the fact that this group belong to a chapter in musical history that laid the foundation for many recent groups' MO - soaring, romantic yet detached, mechanical electronic pop music infused with somewhat oblique imagery + references. While today's chillwave camp incorporate the notion of the musician as the self-sufficient home producer enabling a more personal, emotionally invested experience, there is an undeniable coldness to the point-and-click production values that leaves the end result somewhere in limbo between the typical unattainable vibe of the 80s and the character-drenched strain of pop championed by A. Pink, for instance.

Wang Chung seem to have experienced both sides of the story: enjoying a somewhat unfathomable degree of fame (at least in these times) with a couple of big-time hits over 20 years ago such as "Dance Hall Days" and of course "Everybody Have Fun Tonight", that period in the WC tale does pertain to an era when artists were backed by major labels with a lot of money to provide facilities for high-tech hit-making. And even though that type of luxury could result in comfortable experimentation both musically and lyrically, the Chung still kept their material sweet and relatable for a commercial audience, because the audience did exist. However, introducing the very notion of "Wang Chung"ing was a prime example of capitalizing off of something imaginary and inexplicable. Absurd in the sense that the name doesn't mean a thing, it was embraced by generations of pop culture hounds as anything from a euphemism to a catch phrase.

Nowadays, the group are reflecting upon their former standing as caricatured pop stars who rested atop a cloud of renown that eventually dissipated, as cumuli tend to do. This is best exemplified by the title of their new self-released double EP, Abducted By The Eighties. Not nearly writing off this most important portion of their oeuvre, the release features re-recordings of 4 classic tracks - the two aforementioned hits as well as "Let's Go" and "To Live & Die In L.A.", taken from the soundtrack of the 1985 William Friedkin film with the same name, which these fellows scored. This track in particular has the most stimulating reworking in an acoustic adaptation that is remarkably fresh and refreshing (kid you not, this version actually quenched our thirst) while the others are surprisingly similar to the original versions.

What's most exciting, however, is the 2nd disc in the digital release - *4 brand new tracks*, the standout being "Rent Free". If only this jam were in the hands of one of today's blog darlings, a rapturous response would ensue. Seriously, "You've been living rent free in my head for far too long"? Like New York City wouldn't gobble this song's balls. And that's just the lyrical content... The instrumentation is a healthy mix of organic sounding guitar, square-wave synth with some nice leads too, and a propulsive programmed drum beat. Skillwave in 2010 for real.

Enjoy this brand new gem out alongside one other new one and "Dance Hall Days". Naturally this session is peppered with choice dialogue between Tedward and the players, this time in a 4-piece configuration of the two OGs Jack Hues + Nick Feldman with two solid sidemen. This kind of music is straight up Ted's vibe so he's really in his element here, even getting the guys to play a little word association and shed light on their special relationship with producer Chris Hughes.

A good reminder of a great band, Me + You 88 airs Monday August 10 @ NOON












*

Dear Mom,

First off, it's been great writing these letters to you all summer! I'm glad that we're finally touching base and really getting our emotions out on the table. Dad tells me you've been very busy riding the bicycle and working on some paintings as well. That's great to hear.

I also hear you've been getting a little more acquainted with a new pet. Dad had mentioned something about you and the new animal. But I figured it was maybe a cat or dog. That's definitely a very unique animal to take in the house. I'll be honest with you I had no idea you had such magical hands and were so adept with opossums. This is news to me. But you know, whatever makes you happy!

I suppose it gets a little lonely at night when Dad leaves for those long business trips during the week. Needless to say I'm glad those ointments and massage classes I got you for your birthday finally came in hand. Looking forward to seeing you here next week and I'll try to open some more of my spiritual channels as well!

Love,

Ted

Dedicated, savvy, and *treasured* Viva contributor Brother Horden has arrived at a milestone moment.

Yes, listeners, the Northern Soul UK program is now at episode #100!! Having started back in September '08, hard to believe that the show has already been on our station for almost 2 years while still sounding fresh as ever.

Consistently thorough in its reach within this particular genre, N. Soul UK has ties not just to a bygone era but the community wherein Horden resides. Recently involved with contributing rare, vintage style accessories in the effort to lend authenticity to a feature film entitled SoulBoy (slated for UK release in late August) and sponsoring the installation of a plaque at the former location of legendary N. Soul mecca The Catacombs in Wolverhampton, Horden is instrumental in actualizing this culture's place in society and surviving it throughout history.

Check out this custom Viva jingle, conceived and carried out by the Bro himself, and enjoy the video of his soulful peers commemorating the Catacombs newfound landmark status after the jump! Let us not forget to say: congratulations!

To allow this post a brief preface, it should be noted that the 80s produced a number of groups with hardcore punk and/or noisier, experimental tendencies. Occasionally, some of those groups stuck it out with open minds and by the turn of the decade had developed into something quite different, while still retaining their original, brash signifiers e.g. Sonic Youth evoking equal parts dub legacy + punk militancy and My Bloody Valentine w/ its slasher-flick, campy connotation. Another prime example is Washington D.C.'s Unrest.

Unrest had a token one-word, distressed-sounding, politically suggestive noisy punk band name AND sound. However, even from the start their music showed a progressive + melodic element that would lend less of a surprise to the fact that 10 years after the band's formation, they had become full-fledged indie pop experimentalists. What's most surprising is how hard it is to pin down the Unrest sound + M.O., even if they embody the classic indie picked bass and thin-sounding drum kit combination. Plus, founding member Mark Robinson's voice isn't necessarily obtuse or uncharacteristic - on the contrary, his vocal style is practically the blueprint for all dramatic, white boy indie crooners. Still, from their noisy 1st phase that ended with the Kenneth Anger/cult film-reference titled album Kustom Karnal Blackxploitation to their 4AD-endorsed sugary 2nd phase (with finalized line-up of Bridget Cross & Phil Krauth - also an OG member), Unrest were always skirting and shirking the "expected", avoiding straight answers and indulging themselves entirely.

Fortunately for you, they indulged us here at Viva by coming in during their reunion mini-tour to take part in Me + You 87! Still avoiding straight answers, the interview segment definitely moves at a "day after 4th of July" pace, which is totally charming w/ Robinson's howling laughter punctuating the various silences. Tedward picks their brain appropriately, dropping some Robinson-approved insights on the topics covered such as the group's HQ: the seminal Teen Beat label, which according to Ted was an experiment in graphic design and according to some others was Mark's stab at starting his own Factory Records.

And boy did they cull together a classic set: drawing 2 tracks each from their two most celebrated releases Imperial Fffr & Perfect Teeth, this was surely a summer scenario. For instance, rockin' on the catalog standout "Isabel" and an update of "(So) So Sick" indicates that we've got an essential batch of tracks on our hands here.

So get essenced, and check Me + You 87 w/ this special group on Monday, August 1st @ noon.