Altrok Music Update #241

We have, once again, pulled up a lot of great new music and alternative classics for you to dig your teeth into. As always, we ask that you listen as much as possible (it helps the ratings) and check out our advertisers (they help us when you click on them.)

We've also provided Amazon.com links for all the music we've added - there are some bargains to be had, and every purchase helps us, so feel free to check 'em out...

This week, our Grinders (the stuff we play heavily) include music from:

• Datarock
• O Children
• Fanfarlo
• Zoot Woman
• Florence & The Machine
• Julian Plenti

Plus we've got newly-added music:

• Animal Kingdom - Tin Man
• Julian Casablancas - 11th Dimension
• The Craters - Cool Enough For School
• The Cribs - We Were Aborted
• Dead Man's Bones - In The Room Where You Sleep
• Echo & The Bunnymen - Think I Need It Too
• Hounds Of Hate - I Like Triangles
• Metronomy - Not Made For Love
• The Rumble Strips - Back Bone
• Screaming Lights - Phenomena
• The Spring Standards - In the Underground
• them:youth - Halo (Ski Bunny Remix)
• Times New Viking - Move To California
• Zero 7 - Everything Up (Zizou)

Our Newly-Added Classics:

• The 25th Of May - What's Goin' On
• Butthole Surfers - Pepper
• Buzzcocks - Promises
• The Cure - Friday I'm In Love
• Depeche Mode - Walking In My Shoes
• The Farm - Groovy Train
• The Feelies - Crazy Rhythms
• Modern English - Tables Turning
• The Replacements - Unsatisfied

Concert Listings: Back In Operation!

A hard disk crash some time ago doomed our Shows pages (including our listings by Artist and by Venue) to suspended animation, but we've managed to thaw them out.

They're back online, and being fed once again by Jeff Raspe's reliable collection of listings over at his website. You can always head over there for the source, or come here for handy reshuffled version - your call.

Altrok's FM Showcase #241 Preview - Tonight, New Time!

Here's the lowdown on tonight's Altrok Radio FM Showcase...

New Time! 11PM Eastern at 90.5 The Night on your radio in central NJ, or at 90.5thenight.org. If you're using it to soundtrack a party, we'll be on for more of it - and you should honestly consider that possibility...

...because there's lots of new tracks to enjoy, with new music from the likes of The Cribs (featuring Johnny Marr), Zero 7, Screaming Lights, and Echo & The Bunnymen...

...another brand-new Altrok Radio Underground Pick Of The Week from Jeff Raspe...

...classics from the 70's, 80's and 90's, from Buzzcocks, The 25th Of May, The Farm, Depeche Mode, The Replacements...

...and returning champions in our Grinder, from O Children, Datarock, Fanfarlo, Julian Plenti and more...

...and, of course, me telling you this.

So tune in and get refilled - no charge (unless you rub your feet on the carpet.)

The Altrok Radio FM Showcase
Fridays, 11PM-1AM Eastern
90.5 FM in Central NJ
90.5thenight.org worldwide

David Bowie, Lux Interior and Ween on DVD. Where?

On the first 100 episodes of Spongebob Squarepants, of course, for a price that nets out to $13 a season, not to mention lots of extras.

SpongeBob SquarePants: The First 100 Episodes

(There's Pantera, Davy Jones, and John Lurie, too. How 'bout them apples? I'd call this shameless commercialism, except that I'm buyin' it.)

Altrok Radio Music Update #240

We have, once again, pulled up a lot of great new music and alternative classics for you to dig your teeth into. As always, we ask that you listen as much as possible (it helps the ratings) and check out our advertisers (they help us when you click on them.) This week, though, we've provided links to all the music we've added - there are some bargains to be had, so feel free to check 'em out...

This week, our Grinders (the stuff we play heavily) include music from:

Jack Penate
Yacht
Arctic Monkeys
Bad Lieutenant
La Roux
Among The Oak And Ash

Plus we've got newly-added music:

A Place To Bury Strangers - It Is Nothing
The Boxer Rebellion - Semi-Automatic
The Cribs - Cheat On Me
Datarock - True Stories
Everything Everything - Photoshop Handsome
HEALTH - Die Slow
Miles Hunt and Erica Nockalls - Catching More Than We Miss
Julian Plenti - Games For Days
Los Campesinos - The Sea Is A Good Place To Think Of The Future (Free download!)
Miike Snow - Black & Blue
The Raveonettes - Last Dance
The Sound Of Arrows - Into The Clouds
The Von Bondies - This Is Our Perfect Crime
Your Twenties - Billionaires

Our Newly-Added Classics:

The Comsat Angels - Day One
Elvis Costello - Getting Mighty Crowded
Fatboy Slim - Praise You
Lene Lovich - Stateless
Nine Inch Nails - Head Like A Hole
The Plimsouls - Zero Hour
The Psychedelic Furs - Heartbeat
Tim Scott - Swear (Also On "Just Say Yesterday")
The Smiths - Still Ill
Soft Cell - Say Hello, Wave Goodbye

Show #240 Preview - Tonight On The Radio...

Not that I'm not normally excited by my shows, but this one just kinda came together in just the right way. There's Datarock doing a Talking Heads pastiche to start the show, Julien Plenty, a new Miike Snow track, HEALTH, a bit of Hunt-ing courtesy Jeff Raspe, and this one from Everything Everything...which I wish I'd realized existed back when it came out in February, but better late than never...



So for that, and all the other stuff that'll time out to two hours of your precious time, tune in...

The Altrok Radio FM Showcase
10PM Eastern
90.5 On Your FM Dial in central NJ
http://90.5thenight.org everywhere else

The Periodic Reminder (Once Again, With Feeling)

As you know, you can depend on Altrok every day for a great eight-hour mix of new music and classic alternative...and that's just today. Tomorrow, we'll pull out another eight hours that'll be just as good. Hey, it's what we do.

So what can you do to keep us doing it? Funny you should ask...

It all comes down to money. (Doesn't it always?)

We're not passing the bucket directly, of course, but it's always helpful if there's a bit of money coming in, and that's why there's advertisements here on the page. There's one just before the first post on the page, and then there's a small collection of them at the bottom.

When you show your interest (assuming you're interested, of course) by clicking on those ads, those sponsors throw a little cash our way. Not a great pile, mind you, but enough to keep us thinking this isn't such a bad idea to keep running.

Also, if you happen to shop at Amazon.com, doing so through this affiliate link tosses us a bit of change whenever you use it to buy something. That's kinda helpful, too. (By the way, it doesn't matter what you buy, as long as you head to Amazon through the link.)

In short, we can always use a little help, and you can be the source of that help. Check out the advertisers, and you'll be doing your part.

Alrighty, enough begging. Click into the web radio stations above and enjoy the music. We enjoy bringing it to you.

New Music And Classic Alternative Today On Altrok Radio

TUNE IN Today For Vampire Weekend, Animal Collective, Shy Child, Jack Penate, Darker My Love, ABC, Kasabian, The Horrors, The Killers, Skint and Demoralised, Micachu & The Shapes, The Statistics, Art Brut, Cantinero, Wire Daisies, Them Youth, Backlash and 109 more!

Pavement To Tour...Next Year

Looks like the nearly-inevitable "let's play some shows" bug has hit Stephen Malkmus and his erstwhile compatriots in Pavement...

Pavement, Beloved If Enigmatic Indie Rock Band, to Reunite (Link to NY Times)

...tickets go on sale Friday, about a year in advance of the show.

Cinematic Titanic In L.A.

The crowd at Cinematic Titanic (five itinerant Mystery Science Theater 3000 alumni: Joel Hodgson, Trace Beaulieu, Frank Coniff, Mary Jo Pehl and J. Elvis Weinstein) continue to please the movie riffing gods (for they may in fact be them.) For our readers in Los Angeles, heads-up:

Hey Everyone,
We’re excited to announce our next live shows: 5 NIGHTS/5 MOVIES at LARGO at the CORONET in Los Angeles. Come join us OCTOBER 25-29th at one of our favorite venues as we perform some of our very favorite riffs:

SUNDAY OCT. 25th , 7:30pm– “LEGACY OF BLOOD”

See the first-time live riff of one of our favorite DVD releases!

MONDAY OCT. 26th, 7:30pm – “DANGER ON TIKI ISLAND”

Living on an island near a nuclear testing zone has its downsides – i.e. being terrorized by one of the worst movie monsters ever!

TUESDAY OCT. 27th , 7:30pm – “SANTA CLAUS CONQUERS THE MARTIANS”

See the fully re-riffed version of an MST3K classic.

WEDNESDAY OCT. 28th, 7:30pm – “THE ALIEN FACTOR”

Aliens invade Baltimore, and they have no budget!

THURSDAY OCT. 29th, 7:30pm – “EAST MEETS WATTS”

Stud Brown and Larry Chin take on a drug cartel in this “Kung-sploitation” classi…uh, movie.

Tickets available NOW!

$35.00 - available by calling 310-855-0350 (visa/mastercard only)
or drop by the Largo box office mon,wed,fri 2-7pm
366 N. La Cienega Blvd. Los Angeles CA 90048

Largo at the Coronet - www.largo-la.com
Doors 6.30 show 7.30

We hope to see you there! Each night will be an event as we have different special guests lined up too! Not to mention the warm-up artistry of Dave (Gruber) Allen (on his home turf)!

Oh, and yes, while we’re all together in LA, we’ll be filming our next DVD releases.

Best,
The CT Gang

If NYC is in the future, I'd better save up a bit of scratch...

Day old News, Day old Fish

We all heard about the big news that came out of the VMA's from Sunday. Kanye West had gone bonkers and jumped up on stage to hijack Taylor Swift's moment of glory. As shocking or annoying as that might have been, what disturbed me the most was that the stupid VMA's were not broadcast live.

Now correct me if I am wrong, but as far as I know they were recorded on Sunday, and first telecast on Monday night. Why on earth wouldn't we want to see it live?

How pathetic is it that one of the few events on TV that might actually be interesting to watch because of some spontaneous outburst isn't live. How much more fun would it have been to have been surprised by all the wackiness. Isn't that what MTV is supposed to be about?

Since the whole thing is on a pay to watch cable channel, they technically don't fall under any of the FCC indecency rules. And of course since Washington is currently run by the Democrats, they wouldn't likely get so upset at some ordinary profanity or nudity the way the conservatives did in the Bush regime.

The bottom line is that MTV is an old, established business about as revolutionary as baseball. So they are more focused on perfect production, perfect presentation and perfectly scripted events, less likely to upset sponsors, and more likely to bore viewers. How more un-rock and roll can you get?

I say run the show live and let the characters act out. Let 'em curse, bare their nipples and insult the pope, the president and/or Taylor Swift.

I miss the days of the wild and crazy and zany video awards from 20 years ago. They wer much more fun, because they were live and out of control.

We all need more fun.

Oh yes, and Green Day was great. And so was Lady GaGa.

Are You Getting Tired Of Us?

Just curious. Things have been a bit...slow...around here. So we were wondering if there's anything we're doing that annoys you.

Possibly maybe our little reminders that we run on the web radio station about our advertisements and the fact that the more you listen, the better we look? We just removed them (starting at 11:30am, when the Daily Retro starts.)

Anything else you need? Let us know. If you're not there, we don't make a sound.

Altrok Radio Music Update #239

Firstly, the important stuff:

Altrok Radio is at http://www.altrokradio.com

Please remember to tune in whenever you can - every hour you listen turns into more visibility for the station; we show up higher in search listings, and such like that. And if you'd like to help us keep the stream running, check out the advertisers if they appeal to you; your interest actually helps fund us.

And in the interest of keeping you interested...well, you *do* know about our daily retro feature, right? No? Well...

ALTROK'S DAILY RETRO

WEEKDAYS, 11:30a-1:30p EASTERN

Now then, we've got songs to let you know about.

This week, our Grinders (the stuff we play heavily) include music from:

- Flashguns
- Good Shoes
- Band Of Skulls
- Ida Maria
- Pearl Jam
- Bouncing Souls

Plus we've got newly-added music:

- Among The Oak And Ash - Bigmouth Strikes Again
- Arctic Monkeys - Dangerous Animals
- Delphic - This Momentary
- Fanfarlo - The Walls Are Coming Down
- Freeland - Borderline
- Ghostcat - E.B.O.T.D.F
- O Children - Dead Eye Lover
- Still Flyin - The Hott Chord Is Struck
- them youth - F.R.A.N.C.E.
- Throw Me The Statue - Ancestors
- Visqueen - Hand Me Down
- Vivian Girls - Can't Get Over You
- Wavves - Mickey Mouse

Our Newly-Added Classics:

- Arab Strap - The Shy Retirer
- The B-52's - Strobe Light
- Big Audio Dynamite - Medicine Show
- The Damned - Smash It Up (Parts I & II)
- The Dukes Of Stratosphear - Open A Can (Of Human Beans)
- Franz Ferdinand - Eleanor Put Your Boots On
- The Hoodoo Gurus - Poison Pen
- Gloria Jones - Tainted Love
- The Members - Radio
- Sinead O'Connor - Mandinka

And don't forget the New Brunswick Alternative night, every Saturday at the Corner Tavern in New Brunswick, where Drew and IronMike keep you dancing with the most advanced playlist this side of the Atlantic (and where, occasionally, yours truly might show up and spin a coupla tracks...ya never know.)

- Sean Carolan
Altrok Radio
On your computer now at http://www.altrokradio.com
On the radio Fridays at 10pm, at 90.5 The Night

So, How Was That Melody Reunion, Anyway?

It was a hell of a lot of fun, in actual fact. Buncha people showed up, got drunk, and danced to a lot of the good stuff, which is all you can ask for.

Myself, TM5, Rusty, IronMike and Drew all went for broke, and the floor responded. Even to the obscure stuff. (Though I was a bit taken aback at the floor clearing for "What Kind Of Girl" until everyone finally realized it was APB and piled back out on the floor. A few people won bar bets based on that.)

The Corner Tavern's dance space was finally cleared fully, too - the pool tables finally got dealt with properly. (That's always been a hindrance.) The bartenders faced their busiest night, possibly ever - the Corner's not usually a big draw, even though we proved it ought to be Saturday.

Next Saturday, it's all up to you. It won't be a Melody Reunion, but it will have Drew and IronMike manning the wheels of steel, and you now know what's in their collection. It's up to you to ask for it...

The Web Station, The FM Showcase, And The Melody Reunion

Three orders o' bizness today:

• Right this very second, you can TUNE IN and (sometime within the next eight hours) hear The Untouchables, Micachu & The Shapes, The Cure, The Subways, Sonic Youth, Field Music, La Roux, Simian Mobile Disco, Camera Obscura, White Lies, Siouxsie And The Banshees, Captain, Elvis Costello, The Drums, LCD Soundsystem, U2, Whitey and tracks from 109 more bands!

• Tonight at 10pm, you can hear the newest tracks we're adding to Altrok on our FM Showcase, over at 90.5 The Night. Off the top of my head, there's new and classic music from Arctic Monkeys, Franz Ferdinand, Deastro, The Damned, Arab Strap, Throw Me The Statue...and we'll hear the original Tainted Love (released the year I was born, actually, but sounding way ahead of its time) plus lots of engaging commentary from yours truly.

• And then Saturday night, it's the 2009 All-Eras Melody Bar Reunion. Go to the corner of Easton and Somerset in New Brunswick (that's the Corner Tavern) and do it early, 'cause it's gonna be tight. 9pm's probably safe, but we'll start the music as soon as we can.

Lots of stuff to do, then. Go do it!

Big Bands Rock...

...so here's one behind Paul Weller and Amy Winehouse, bringing home a very nice version indeed of "I Heard It Through The Grapevine".



Yep, Jools Holland is the facilitator. Isn't he always?

Brakes, Morrissey, Wombats, Lou Reed on Altrok Today

In fact, here's more: TUNE IN Today For Long Blondes, Wintersleep, Damned, Gaslight Anthem, HTRK, Matt & Kim, Now Now Every Children, Brazilian Girls, Kasabian, Bombay Bicycle Club, Pat DiNizio, Dramarama, Cure, Hockey, Bat For Lashes, Project Jan Project Jenny and 110 more!

(You know where to click. You don't? Try the top of the page...)

2009 All-Eras Melody Bar Reunion

Yet another friendly reminder: the All-Eras Melody Bar Reunion happening this Saturday, September 12 is going to happen at the Corner Tavern.

(That's "CORNER", as in "at the CORNER of Easton and Somerset, in New Brunswick." Is this becoming a habit with me?)

A bit more detail is required, and so here it is:

We're featuring a bunch of DJ’s that all have spun @ The MELODY, mostly in its later years.

• Sean Carolan (ahem - okay, I'm covering the early years. Mostly.)
  
• DJ Rusty
• DJ TM5
• DJ Iron Mike
• DJ Drew

There will be some jugs around the bar for donations to a worthy cause to be named later, so please donate till it hurts.

We will have some great lighting, great audio, great music and great memories….maybe a special guest or two. Hope to see you there.

Keeping Altrok Healthy - A Periodic Reminder

As you know, you can depend on Altrok every day for a great mix of new music and classic alternative - dipping into today's selection, I can see we've got tracks queued up from The Temper Trap, Echo & The Bunnymen, The Wombats, Thomas Dolby, King Crimson (the later, funkier version), The National, Emma Pollock, Peter Doherty, Kid British, The Bouncing Souls, The Sea And Cake, La Roux, Ex-Lion Tamer, The Thompson Twins (the earlier, more anarchic version), Good Shoes, The Shout Out Louds and 110 other bands...

...and that's just today. Tomorrow, we'll pull out another eight hours that'll be just as good. Hey, it's what we do.

So what can you do to keep us doing it? Funny you should ask...

It all comes down to money. (Doesn't it always?)

We're not passing the bucket directly, of course, but it's always helpful if there's a bit of money coming in, and that's why there's advertisements here on the page. There's one just before the first post on the page, and then there's a small collection of them at the bottom.

When you show your interest (assuming you're interested, of course) by clicking on those ads, those sponsors throw a little cash our way. Not a great pile, mind you, but enough to keep us thinking this isn't such a bad idea to keep running.

Also, if you happen to shop at Amazon.com, doing so through this affiliate link tosses us a bit of change whenever you use it to buy something. That's kinda helpful, too. (By the way, it doesn't matter what you buy, as long as you head to Amazon through the link.)

In short, we can always use a little help, and you can be the source of that help. Check out the advertisers, and you'll be doing your part.

Alrighty, enough begging. Click into the web radio stations above and enjoy the music. We enjoy bringing it to you.

Following John Lennon: How Jerry Lewis Did It

On the "Anthology" collection of John Lennon's odds and ends, there's a two minute clip of the aftermath of a performance John and Yoko did (with Elephant's Memory, I believe) on the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon. Here's a little bit of video...



...and here (from the album) is Jerry dealing with the crowd afterward.

And, for good measure, from this year's telethon, here's The Smithereens, introduced by Tony Orlando.



Now, if anyone can find a copy of Casey Kasem introducing X from (I believe) the 1982 MDA Telethon, there's a big prize waiting for you in the hereafter.

(I know all this seems random, but I'm an inveterate telethon watcher...)

The All-Eras Melody Bar Reunion - This Saturday!

Remember, the All-Eras Melody Bar Reunion happening this Saturday is going to happen at the Corner Tavern.

Say it with me... "COR-NER".

C. O. R. N. E. R.

As in "the intersection of two line segments."

As in "at the CORNER of Easton and Somerset, in New Brunswick."

As in "not anywhere one might potentially think of a gavel or judicial robes."

Now don't get us wrong - there are other venues in New Brunswick whose continued existence we fully support and wish to promote. Just not at the moment.

At the moment, we're promoting the All Eras Melody Bar Reunion.

This Saturday, September 12.

At the CORNER Tavern.

On a CORNER.

...got it?

Touch Yello

Touch Yello here.

You know you want to.

Less cryptic? Fine:

New Yello out October 2. A tantalizing excerpt is featured at the link above. It's got tha funk.

We'll be playing it.