Viva-Radio

What You Need Wednesdays: Trajano! - Terror en el Planetario

Wed, 16 May 2012 14:39:00 GMT

This week's segment of What You Need Wednesday comes over from Madrid, Spain via new-wave quartetTrajano!

Back in February, the band released their debut Terror en el Planetario, a five song EP equally influenced by 80's Scottish post-punk and German new-wave. Opener "Mono" lays down the groundwork for the whole EP; the guitars lean toward that anxious but poppy blend of post-punk/pop Josef K and Orange Juice perfected, while the synths, thick yet minimal, rarely rise to the front of the mix. Vocalist/guitarist Lois Brea is a solid singer varying between impassioned vocals (all sung in Spanish) as well as a flat, Boyd Rice-esque delivery; this is great, as it allows him to sing songs about global terror and the blood of androids, yet evade cheesiness.

Given the variety of moods covered on the EP, the band knows how to pace itself well. Songs like "Discopatia" and "Carrie" operate like "Interzone" does on Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures album, offering an energetic breath of relief from the otherwise heavy material.

Enough of my jibber-jabbin', though: check out the video for "Discopatia" above and listen to and download Terror en el Planetario in its entirety here.

Me + You 114: The Jezabels

Mon, 14 May 2012 15:43:00 GMT

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.

What You Need Wednesdays: Psychobuildings - "Baby Cops"

Thu, 10 May 2012 04:34:00 GMT

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.

Contributor Spotlight: Summer Recreation Camp - Soundgazing

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 19:43:00 GMT

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 Subir�. We caught up with Subir� 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 Ill�n
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.

Naked Fridays 67: Nutritious

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 18:08:00 GMT

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

Now Playing: Elena Reimeryte of Silent Killers

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 17:35:51 GMT

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

What You Need Wednesdays: Ava Luna - Ice Level

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 15:14:00 GMT

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.

Naked Fridays 66: Renkas (Tonight at 4 PM)

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 19:00:00 GMT

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.

Heads Up! - Kraftjerks at Big Sky Works

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 17:00:00 GMT
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.

What You Need Wednesdays: Norte Sonoro - EP-1

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 03:43:00 GMT

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.

'La Espina del Cardenche' by Algod�n Egipcio

This first time out featured a great cast. International collaborators - Algod�n Egipcio (Venezuela), DJ/Rupture (US), White Rainbow (US), Chancha V�a 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.

'Swaggadrozo' by White Rainbow

You can download EP-1 for free right here.