Very High Frequencies

Episode 236: The Cure - Doppelgängers

VHF-236 (The Cure - Doppelgängers) presents the long running UK band in an alternative universe. Not Dead Yet Mike has gone through pretty much every remix of all of your favorite Cure tunes. Just as the familiar Deja Vu sets in the well known songs take a different direction. It’s the Cure as you’ve never quite heard them before! The same, but different, like a twin or a doppelgänger!
We have extended mixes of tracks from the early Eighties right up to 2018’s Torn Down remix compilation. Almost all of the songs are remixed by Robert Smith himself. Very High Frequencies also features a couple of remixes of cover songs by Robert’s favorite artists. 
It’s The Cure as you have never heard them before, this week on Very High Frequencies 236 (The Cure - Doppelgängers.

Epsiode 235: Echo And The Bunnymen vs Side Projects

VHF-235 (Echo & The Bunnymen vs Sideprojects) ping pong’s between classic Echo tracks and solo and side projects from Will and Mac.
You know and love the big hits by Echo & The Bunnymen but there’s a lot of other cool music by these talented musicians. From Will (& Les) there’s psychedelic instrumental project Poltergeist. Ian gets tracks highlighting a couple of his most recent solo albums, Slideling and Pro Patria Mori. Very High Frequencies also checks out Electrafixion, Mac and Will’s band together in 1995. It’s a little more grungy than E&TB and deserves to be heard!
It’s not rocket science this week but it’s a real good time with Echo & The Bunnymen versus their various side projects on Very High Frequencies. 

Episode: 234 Alien Sex Fiend - Pt 2

VHF-234 (Alien Sex Fiend - Part 2) is a whole new setlist of ASF hits and deep cuts. The London based band started releasing singles & albums in 1983 and have been at it right up to 2018’s masterpiece, Possessed. We check out a little bit of nearly every album. Did we mention cool cover songs too? Oh yeah, Silver Machine and more. 
Starting out in London’s Bat Cave scene, ASF is the rare band that didn’t eventually say they aren’t Goth. The music has evolved over time, never remaining static. 
Nik Fiend on lead crazy is just the right frontman for songs about all things creepy and dead. Mrs. Fiend propels the storyline with her keyboards. Guitars come and go but the heavy percussion always remains. 
Influenced by Hawkwind and the Sex Pistols, noisy anarchy is running amok. Don’t be Zombiefied by a boring job! Drop out and listen to these punks instead, you’ll be glad you did. Nik and Mrs. Fiend have the rock and roll in their blood! It’s oozing out and making quite a bloody racket. 
The whole planet is bonkers mad so getting a little crazy is the only sensible thing to do! VHF-234 (Alien Sex Fiend - Part 2) will blast you out of this world!

Episode: 233 Black Sabbath Live

VHF-233 (Black Sabbath - Bloody Live) is packed with Ozzy era classics from the early seventies through the final tour in 2013. We are blasting some  heavy deep cuts rather than the usual radio staples. Paranoid and Iron Man get a rest, as well as a few other over played songs. 
After scouring the entire time space continuum for live Sabbath shows Very High Frequencies has compiled a selection of primo tracks that show what an amazing live band they could be. Ozzy has a reputation for putting more emphasis on the show than the music but this episode will put that assumption to rest. Before teleprompters and perhaps wearing beer googles occasionally lyrics could get a little “unique “ but as a whole it’s quite impressive.
On bass guitar, Geezer Butler is always locked into Tony Iommi’s never ending guitar solos. Bill Ward swings and bashes the drums on nearly every song this week but not quite, sadly. (He missed the 2913 shows over financial issues.)
The Birmingham band that gets credit for inventing an entire genre of music is bloody live on this episode of Very High Frequencies. It’s been said that Black Sabbath is Satan’s favorite band and this episode will show you why!

Episode: 232 - Tom McRae

Very High Frequencies takes the show to merry England to hear the enraptured music of Tom McRae. Tom has been doing various musical projects since his first self titled debut album in 2000. Duets, chamber music, rock and roll, and so much more, each recording has a unique and interesting sound. 
A fairly prolific songwriter, VHF-232 (Tom McRae) highlights a track or two from nearly every release of his to date. This week we explore Just Like Blood, Recorded At Gunpoint (Live EP), All Maps Welcome, The Alphabet Of Hurricanes, King Of Cards, The Buzzard Tree Sessions, The Streetlight Collection, From The Lowlands, Evans McRae, Ah, The World! Oh, The World!, Underneath The Arches, From The Solo Lands, Did I Sleep and Miss the Border, and  Etrange Hiver and a digital download single, Birdsong. 
Tom is a literary fellow and waxes poetic about his favorite books, especially Moby Dick. Listen closely and you might catch some references to the novel. 
I suggest Tom is a bard, in the tradition of the traveling minstrel. Get swept away by the emotionally moody and character driven tales of flawed people trying to do their best in an indifferent world. Pour yourself a big glass on the rocks for this episode of Very High Frequencies and toast alongside Tom. 

Episode: 230 Cheap Trick

VHF-231 (Cheap Trick) checks out a large chunk of the long running four piece’s catalog. No less than sixteen different albums are featured on this episode. 
The hits get their due but we managed to squeeze in a few misfits, live cuts and cover songs.
Perhaps considered a mushy love song band, this Very High Frequencies will dispel that assumption. 
The Rockford, Illinois group released their first album in 1977 and have barely slowed down. Always known for their energetic live shows, the band knows how to write for the stage. 
You’re gonna want to have the volume up for this show! The Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame awarded outfit may even surprise you with imaginative sounds, studio wizardry and clever lyrics. The vocals are usually candy coated but the sarcastic commentary is often pointed. It’s mainly Sex, but rock and roll and even drugs will be mentioned or implied. 
VHF-231 (Cheap Trick) will keep you rocking like a hyperactive teenager! Kurt Cobain loved them so they had to be doing something cool and fun. 

Episode: 228: B O W I E

VHF-228 (Bowie - Total Blam Blam) is a wild ride backwards in time. 
Very High Frequencies laser beams some very early tracks before Fame came a calling. Mind bending gems about gravediggers and London hipsters dying for your attention. Mr. Bowie’s songs from ‘66 & ‘67 may BLOW YOUR MIND! 
We will also take a listen to some of the songs from 1974’s dystopian nightmare Diamond Dogs. Perhaps Ziggy’s less attractive sibling, the album is sounding oddly current. 
Lost one off tracks get a spin too, tracks like the gorgeous “Let Me Sleep Beside You “ from ‘68 and Ziggy era freakout “Holy Holy”. 
Oddball and/or lesser renown albums spanning over nearly five decades get another chance tonight as well as David’s rock band Tin Machine. The music they released is quite heavy and may even surprise you at its aggressive onslaught. 
We all miss the legend that was The Man Who Sold The World, the thin white duke, Ziggy and so many other characters. This episode of Very High Frequencies is for the David Bowie fan that isn’t afraid to explore his vast catalog rather than hearing the same overplayed hits. Let’s dance; but this week to some of the freaky and creative Bowie songs that can inspire us all. VHF-228 (Bowie - Total Blam Blam)

Episode: 227 DEVO vs LEGO

VHF-227 (DEVO vs LEGO) is the mega mix of Mark Mothersbaugh movie music and DEVO tracks, ping ponging between the highly optimistic and beat driven soundtrack for the 2014 release of The Lego Movie Original Motion Picture Soundtrack and fifty years of de-evolution with Devo. All songs contain the same DNA in the molecular structure of the music. Nobody sounds like Mark Mothersbaugh and his band Devo or anything like his many soundtrack albums. 
Thematically Very High Frequencies structures an arc, with a beginning, middle and ending like all great stories do. Emmett is an Everyman thrust into a wild ride, meeting characters and building a new team to conquer the world! 
Devo is social commentary in which the same type of Everyman is stuck in an indifferent world that seems to not even acknowledge one’s existence. Do we need to go backwards in order to go forward? If less is more then having nothing must be everything in this crazy time. 
Fear not, all is not lost thanks to inspiring heroes like Emmett and Wyldstyle. It’s a beautiful world for you if realize that everything is AWESOME! VHF-227 (DEVO vs LEGO) is the mashup you need. Crank it up and whip it good!

Episode 226: Neil Young

VHF-226 (Neil Young & Crazy Horse) highlights live tracks from shows from 1970 to 1991. This episode of Very High Frequencies emphasizes the heaviest material the four piece band released. No fiddles and harmonicas are  to be heard this week, just voice, bass, drums, guitars and feedback.  
Well known tunes get blasted in front of an audience with energy bouncing off the rafters. 
Songs like Hey Hey My My (Into The Black), Cinnamon Girl and Rockin’ In The Free World and others demonstrate the band’s unique sound. Deeper cuts like Surfer Joe & Moe The Sleaze rock hard.  A far cry from the melodic harmonies of CSNY, Crazy Horse played a more crunchy type of guitar based rock.  Even the lyrics are more basic, especially evident in the track, Fuckin’ Up.  Distortion and feedback help express the frustration and self doubt of the narrator.  
Social and political issues also populate Mr. Young’s songs.  Neil also likes to cover songs by his favorite artists.  Dylan’s Blowin’ in The Wind gets a loudly distorted guitar workout .  
VHF-226 (Neil Young & Crazy Horse ) is packed full with the music of the long running band recorded at venues across the world.  You may be surprised how much you enjoy this show!

Episode: 225 Fight & Two

VHF-225 (Fight & Two) relives the early Nineties outfits thrash and electro industrial music. We pick up this episode in 1991. Rob Halford left his long running band Judas Priest after getting bored with their commercial leanings. Wishing to demonstrate his love of truly heavy music he formed what he termed a street metal band, Fight. Thrash guitar dominated over crushing pounding drums and occasional surprisingly political lyrics. The high pitched shriek was countered with a growl often laced with vulgarities and profanity. This was a far cry from Breaking The Law or Living After Midnight. 
Fight released two full length albums and an interesting remix album that was genre blending in ways that may have alienated some of the old fans that didn’t want to be challenged with a different style than on their favorite Priest album. 
After Fight toured America Rob Halford met Trent Reznor. Together they created the band Two. (1997) Two released one album, Voyeurs. It wasn’t metal and sadly the album tanked. We will reevaluate the album and determine if it deserves another chance. 
Obviously and unsurprisingly Rob Halford went back to Judas Priest (after a decade or so) because he realized his fans wanted him back where he ruled as the undisputed Metal God. That fact doesn’t mean Rob’s solo era wasn’t amazing. Blast up the volume for this episode of Very High Frequencies because we will be rocking hard! (VHF-225 Fight & Two).