Very High Frequencies

Episode 246: The Legendary Pink Dots

Very High Frequencies goes psychedelic once again, this week highlights long running outfit The Legendary Pink Dots. They recently released a new album entitled So Lonely In Heaven. We’re checking out a few tracks off of that as well as a wide variety of songs from the band going all the way back to the early eighties. Rather than focusing on one album Not Dead Yet Mike is showcasing the immense repertoire that Edward Ka-Spel and his band have put out. 
The Dots have always existed in their own universe and VHF-246 (The Legendary Pink Dots) demonstrates what an unusual group they are. They don’t sound like any other group. Perhaps a lesser known band but their tenacity is to be commemorated. Take a mind blowing audio trip this week on VHF, they’re called Legendary for a reason!

Episode 254: Pink Floyd LIVE

VHF-245 (Pink Floyd Live) features the band performing their unique music in the ‘60’s, 70’s, and early Eighties. The acrimony that would tear the band apart was not evident in their live shows. Sadly Syd Barrett seemed unable or unwilling to actually sing his songs in the existing live concert catalog. However, his idiosyncratic guitar propelled the band’s early music. Very High Frequencies features a few tracks from 1967, the Summer Of Love. 
By 1968’s half live album Umma Gumma Syd was permanently awol and David Gilmour was on guitar and vocals. Roger Waters was sharing portions of his songs with the group still. 
In 1975 Pink Floyd jammed some new unreleased material. We will check out a little of that as well as some amazing tracks from ‘80 - ‘81’s tour for double album The Wall. Is it sacrilege to not play a concept album in its entirety? Find out this week on VHF-245 (Pink Floyd Live).

Episode 244: Roky Erickson

Very High Frequencies takes another trip back through Roky Erickson’s catalog. The Texas psychedelic rock star garnered his initial success as a fifteen year old singer /songwriter with two singles released by his band The Spades. 
In 1966 he cofounded 13th Floor Elevators. Initial album The Psychedelic Sounds Of… was the first album to use the word psychedelic to describe the music they were creating. 
The more polished Easter Everywhere came out in ‘67 and blew minds across the world with its explorations of free thought and third eye mind trips. 
While the hippies loved the band the local police did not. Eventually Roky was busted with one joint. He would plead insanity which backfired badly. The judge sentenced Roky to a prison for the criminally insane. From ‘68 - ‘72 he was subjected to electric shock therapy and powerful antipsychotic drugs. 
After this experience his lyrical output morphed into horror and sci fi themes. Conspiracy theories and myths wove through his songs. VHF-244 (Roky  Erickson)will check out the unusual music Roky released with his many bands throughout his career. 
Despite the odds Roky persevered and had a successful solo career late in his life. Tragic and odd, his story deserves to be heard by fans of alternative music.

Episode 243: Rozz Williams

ery High Frequencies presents an evening with the late great Deathrocker Rozz Williams and his various bands, projects and collaborations. Prolific in between bouts of crippling heroin addiction, Rozz went through a lot of musicians but certainly left a lasting impact on them all. 
We will be checking out his bands, Daucus Karota, Shadow Project, and of course his groundbreaking LA outfit Christian Death. Rozz was only in his teens when he recorded 1982’s classic death rock album, Only Theatre Of Pain. Highly influential but doomed for self destruction, Rozz created an entirely new group of musicians for the next Christian Death album, 1984’s Catastrophe Ballet. More mature both lyrically and musically the album largely abandoned punk influences and adapted what would be marketed as Goth. 
Like Andrew Eldrith, Rozz rejected the Goth classification, instead preferring the term Deathrock to describe his early work. Other Rozz fronted bands were inspired by his love of artists and bands such as David Bowie, Lou Reed, Alice Cooper and Roxy Music. He recorded many covers and in typical VHF fashion we will be blasting a few! 
Rozz will have been gone from this mortal realm for twenty seven years on April Fool’s Day. We’re celebrating his unique talent, not his sad suicide. Like many great artists his life was short but his artistic  contributions are still amazing. Listen to VHF-243 (Rozz Williams) and you’ll realize why he’s so fondly remembered.

Episode 242: Franz Ferdinand

Very High Frequencies highlights Glasgow, Scotland dance punks, Franz Ferdinand. Catchy, hooked filled songs from all of the bands studio albums and their remix album, Blood will propel you into a frenzy!
There’s just too many hits and it’s a very big party this episode of VHF-242 (Franz Ferdinand). The band wants to get high and they make no secret of it. 
Just a few of their songs Not Dead Yet Mike spins include tracks off the brand new The Human Fear album such as “Audacious “, “Hooked” and “Night Or Day “. Other popular songs featured are “Right Action”, “Ulysses”, “Can’t Stop Feeling “, and “This Fire”. 
VHF also checks out the spin off collaboration project FFS which is Franz Ferdinand with Sparks. The self titled album is packed full with ear worms waiting to crawl through your ears and into your brain! Songs like “Johnny Delusional “, and “Collaborations Don’t Work “ are both humorous and musically satisfying.
VHF is all about Franz Ferdinand this week. Put on your dancing shoes and get high with the band!

Episode 241: Peter Hammill VDGG

Epsiode 241 is another high frequency exploration of UK Prog Rock legend Peter Hammill, occasionally featuring his fellow collaborators in long running outfit Van Der Graph Generator.
Prolific since the very early seventies, VHF samples tracks from over forty years of Peter Hammill material to demonstrate the range and depth of the music he’s created. Even Opera gets its due with collaborations from Andy Bell and Lene Lovich performing on an interpretation of Edgar Allen Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher. 
Hammill is a multi instrumentalist known primarily for his electric guitar and unique vocals. As a lyricist he can be morbid, romantic, gothic, as well as contemporary and even cosmic. Storytelling is occasionally over twenty plus minute songs. 
Very High Frequencies invites you to share a pint with English musician Peter Hammill on this week’s prog rock episode. Cheers!

Episode 240: The New Wave of British Heavy Metal

A throwback to the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal. From around 1977 to 1985 dozens and dozens of bands released hard music in the UK.
It all began with Editor Alan Lewis, when he coined the term NWOBHM for an article by Geoff Barton in a May 1979 issue of the British music newspaper Sounds to describe the emergence of new punk influenced metal bands. 
Metal for Muthas followed, a compilation album that features Iron Maiden, Angel Witch and other highly influential groups. Some are still active today while most are a fond memory of a distant past. 
Diamond Head, begins this week’s episode with anthem Am I Evil, struck heavy metal lightning when Metallica covered the song and made the band some serious money.
The amount of NWOBHM bands with the word WITCH in their group’s name was astounding. We check out three of them, the aforementioned Angel Witch, Witchfynde and last but certainly not least, Witchfinder General. Escapist fare ruled the day and lyrics were often about getting wasted in one way or another. 
Another interesting aspect of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal was the proliferation of all girl heavy metal bands. We feature two, Girlschool and Rock Goddess. They rocked as hard as the boys and they can prove it! Girlschool just toured with Saxon, another long running outfit that takes pride in their humble beginnings as metal maniacs. 
VHF-240 (NWOBHM) can’t possibly have all the great groups within this genre but it’s an excellent entry point to the wider world of metal. Blast it loud, the guitars should crank and the vocals should scream!

Episode 240: The Ramones + NYC Punk

VHF-239: The Ramones - NYC Punk, blasts tracks from their debut right up until they said, “Adios Amigos”. That’s wall to wall punk rock classic after classic, representing fourteen - yup 14 - full length studio albums. This is the Very High Frequencies episode that will make you bop til you drop!
Not Dead Yet Mike also selected half a dozen choice cover songs that demonstrate some of the influences that inspired the group. Some are perhaps more expected than others but no spoilers here! 
Nobody else sounds like the Ramones. You never get confused. It’s reassuring knowing Joey is always going to sound like Joey. They did try to incorporate various genres into their music but it always came out pure NYC Punk, Ramones style. The proof is in the pudding as the saying goes.
Gabba gabba hey, Let’s Go! Do yourself a mental and physical favor and turn up VHF-239 (Ramones - NYC Punk).

Episode 238: Test Department

Very High Frequencies is quite a racket this week! Percussion heavy? How about banging on slabs of steel and metal. It’s Test Dept on this episode of VHF. 
After a two decade nap Test Dept came back in 2019 with Disturbance, expressing anger and feeling like Speaking Truth To Power. Known for creating their own instruments out of found sources the band has been pulverizing people since 1981. Call it a comeback album if you want but it’s also got an uglier mix album version called Disturbance Disordered. Songs get mutilated for your listening pleasure. The music and vocals as well as samples can get quite heavy at times, the remixes especially show no mercy! 
To occasionally lighten the mood VHF-238 (Test Dept) intersperses some of their older tracks from the 90’s into the set. More dance oriented than Disturbance, the music consists mainly of drums and more drums with vocals that are more user friendly.
Check out Test Dept, an UK percussion heavy outfit with occasionally politically charged lyrics this week on Very High Frequencies. Entertainment for your mind and body. They might make you dance , they might make you think.

Episode 237: Heaven & Hell Live!

VHF-237 (Heaven & Hell - Live) is an all Dio Sabbath show that highlights the late great singer fronting for Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Vinny Appice. After Tony lost the rights to the band name “Black Sabbath “ to Sharon and Ozzy the Dio led version named their band after their first album. They no longer felt it necessary to play any of the old Ozzy Sabbath songs, instead playing tracks from the three studio albums they recorded as Black Sabbath and songs from 2009’s Heaven & Hell album, The Devil You Know. 
We feature songs from 1980’s album Heaven and Hell and 1981’s Mob Rules. You might be surprised how good 1992’s underrated Dehumanizer tracks sound live. 
This  episode of VHF features the best of two different concerts, one from 2007 at Radio City Music Hall and the other from Wacken Open Air Festival in Germany in 2009. Sadly Ronnie James Dio would pass away shortly afterwards. 
Crank up the volume, and get those  devil horns pumping up for this week’s Very High Frequencies, Heaven & Hell - Live!