Very High Frequencies

Episode: 214 Black Flag

VHF-214 (Black Flag - Punk In The USA) is a mosh pit stew of angst and fury. Get swept up into the eye of the hurricane as we blast through classic after classic of the band’s repertoire. Short anthems lasting less than a minute manage to make quite an impression in a very little while. Longer tracks have a metallic edge. Essential cuts like Nervous Breakdown, Fix Me, Six Pack, TV Party, Annihilate This Week, Drinking and Driving, Wasted, Gimme Gimme Gimme, My War, Police Story, In My Head and Nothing  Left Inside will absolutely  pulverize your mind! 
Guitarist Greg Ginn and his various cohorts and casualties made a hell of a lot of noise. From 1976 to 1985 no band toured more or worked harder. Check out Henry Rollin’s excellent book Get In The Van to really get an idea of just how crazy and intense the punk scene was back in the eighties.
Very High Frequencies- 214 (Black Flag - Punk In The USA) shares a little bit of their legacy. Warning, high volume listeners may find yourself fist bumping and wailing on your favorite air guitar! It’s time to Rise Above!

Episode: 213 English Undead - UK Post Punk Goth Live

VHF-213 (English & Undead - UK Post-Punk & Goth Live) presents seven UK bands performing live. 
We have some early eighties legends such as Echo & The Bunnymen playing in Albert Hall in London in 1984. The group was accompanied by additional musicians on various stringed instruments to make the live versions of their songs sound more lush and engaging.
Post-Punk icons Joy Division aren’t known as a live band but they did actually perform quite a bit, it’s just that Ian Curtis committed suicide at the sadly young age of 23. The band only released one full length album during his lifetime. Thankfully we can revisit the band in 1978 playing at The Factory in Manchester. Before New Order began dominating dance floors and DJ booths Joy Division electrified audiences with a raw energy. Very High Frequencies selected a few highlights for your listening pleasure.
Bauhaus in NYC in 1999 was a celebration of the music and the legacy of the band. Few groups can sound like they are exploring magical realms like Bauhaus. From Hollow Hills to She’s In Parties the dub heavy tribal percussion creates an atmospheric vibe that lays the foundation for Danny’s wailing guitar and Peter’s mournful lament. Theatrical and romantic as well as morbid and emotional. Powerful incantations manifest themselves. 
The Sisters Of Mercy often covered their heroes, both well known and obscure. This episode we check out a couple of their finest tributes to The Stones and Bob Dylan along with a deep cut from the early days.
Siouxsie and the Banshees also cover a sixties song, All Tomorrow’s Parties by the Velvet Underground. And we have a couple of their own songs live that demonstrate how much of a range the band had.
Skulls, spider webs and fog! It’s Bat Cave creepshow Alien Sex Fiend, possibly the most punk and the most Goth band of this week’s episode. Totally bonkers in the fine tradition of English Madmen Nic Fiend and his lovely wife Mrs. Fiend and the crew are absolutely oozing with a throbbing propulsion. It ain’t always pretty luv but it’s frightfully real!
The Cure really need no introduction other than to point out how heavy, bleak and goth they were way back in 1981. It’s a funeral party and everyone is gonna dance. Well, almost everyone.
VHF-213 (English & Undead - UK Post-Punk & Goth Live) proves that these musical pioneers were able to blow away audiences with their live performances. Cheers!

Episode: 212 Switchblade Symphony

VHF-212 (Switchblade Symphony) highlights the San Francisco darkwave band’s three full length albums, Serpentine  Gallery (‘95), Bread And Jam For Frances (‘97) The Three Calamities (‘99) as well as some of their remixes, live songs, cover songs and b-sides. Just a few months ago “Scrapbook”, a compilation of early cassette demos and rarities from the early 90’s was released on CD. We will be checking that out too.
Tina Root, Susan Wallace and a few different drummers and guitarists combined elements of a wide variety of musical styles. While Switchblade Symphony is predominantly goth rock with a slight Siouxsie influence there are also glitchy keyboard sequences that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Ladytron song. Setting  the group apart from their contemporary bands was the use of classical musical flourishes and operatic vocal touches. 
Very High Frequencies episode 212 will take you back to the mid nineties for this week’s high energy Switchblade Symphony show. You’re invited to party like it’s 1999!

Episode: 211 Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross + NIN

Very High Frequencies goes instrumental on this week’s episode. VHF-211 (Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross + NIN) features a selection of music released on soundtracks for two David Fincher directed movies, The Social Network (2010) and The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (2011) as well as instrumental tracks released by Nine Inch Nails, both prior to and after Atticus joining the band in 2008. We especially examine the instrumental NIN double LP Ghosts I - IV (2008) which features former King Crimson member Adrian Belew on several tracks playing lead guitar and performing some programming as well. 
Trent Reznor included non-vocal tracks on his releases beginning with the second NIN non single release, 1992’s Broken EP. We here at VHF managed to squeeze in songs from eight different NIN releases and still check out some of the interesting soundtrack songs from The Social Network and The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (triple album) which marked the beginning of Trent and Atticus’ long and fruitful side job making music for film and television. 
In an interesting bit of serendipity Trent Reznor has just announced that he and Atticus will be releasing music for the upcoming Disney franchise science fiction flick Tron, this time as Nine Inch Nails, so this show is just Part One no doubt.
Join Not Dead Yet Mike for this episode of VHF, may I say it’s excellent as a workout mix because there’s no vocals, it’s all about the beat and the groovy music. Pump it up!

Episode: 210 Suicide - Rev & Vega

VHF-210 (Suicide - Rev & Vega) takes the Very High Frequencies listener for an auditory trip into the highly influential duo’s provocative repertoire consisting of five proper studio albums released sporadically between 1977 to 2002 as well as various live and demo recordings put out for the Uber fans as is customary with any cult act.
Based out of NYC Martin Rev (keyboards ) and Alan Vega (vocals) deconstructed rock music down to its bare essentials. Inspired by the music of fellow NYC artist Lou Reed and his mind blowing band The Velvet Underground, and by seeing the Stooges live with the one and only Iggy going absolutely bonkers, the boys knew what they wanted to do. The whole world was committing suicide and Mr. Rev & Mr. Vega provided the appropriate soundtrack. Armageddon daze is here again.
A crude drum machine beat with a loop of a slightly off kilter keyboard melody was often the foundation for a half sung half spoken word poetic rap about the dregs of society and the bad decisions many of us make on a daily basis. Songs such as Frankie Teardrop are arguably heavier than anything Black Sabbath ever released because the song rings so true and utterly believable. No fairies or wizards to sing about, just unemployed young fathers with loaded guns and a lot of mental pressure. 
Challenging government policy and examining humankind’s tendency for the ultra-violence as a go to strategy may have kept the band off commercial radio (if the groups name hadn’t already sealed that deal) but nonetheless the group was highly influential to aspiring musicians and left a lasting impression on anyone that caught the band live. Notorious for confrontations with the audience Suicide’s live show’s often devolved into mayhem with motorcycle chains swung at anybody foolish enough to get too close. Suicide was eventually banned from NYC club CBGB’s for attracting too many punks and hooligans that engaged in ill behavior.
The duo initially kicked around in the early Seventies with a third member that played guitar. By ‘77 the guitarist was gone and record labels were looking for the next thing. Could it be punk rock? 
Suicide’s First Album (‘77) didn’t sell much but it allowed UK and European touring. The duo’s unique sound and NYC attitude was adored by many of the kids that witnessed them live. A fair amount of them were so inspired they formed their own bands, for example Andrew Eldrith. His outfit The Sisters Of Mercy often performed their interpretation of Suicide track Ghostrider in their early days. 
VHF-210 (Suicide - Rev + Vega) is not always easy listening but perhaps more truly reflects the world we live in, with all of our foibles, fears and hope. Between Alan Vega’s screeching diatribes of drug abuse and war exist mournful laments for compassion, alongside heartfelt pleas for love as we all fight for existence in this crazy world. This  episode of Very High Frequencies is recommended for anyone who is interested in hearing some of the lesser known and under appreciated building blocks of Alternative Music.

Episode: 209: The Tear Garden

Very High Frequencies 209 is a two hour trip through long running experimental electronic project The Tear Garden. Since 1985 Legendary Pink Dots lyricist. vocalist and keyboard player Edward Ka-Spel and Skinny Puppy founder and multi-instrumentalist cEvin Key have been collaborating on producing their unique twist on modern psychedelic music. Various members of both bands have been involved in many of their songs. Very High Frequencies samples a couple of tracks from just about every album and EP they have released as well as the Subconscious Records compilation album Paradigm Shift track, Message 3, which opens the show. Consider headphones for your enhanced listening experience, especially during epic (16:47) album track You and Me and Rainbows from The Tear Garden’s first full length release, Tired Eyes Slowly Burning (1987). Even Skinny Puppy vocalist Ogre makes an appearance along with the late great DR Goettel on keyboards.
VHF-209 (The Tear Garden), Fire up, tune in, turn on, and remember to Have A Nice Trip!

Episode: 208 - XTC

VHF-208 (XTC) is packed with some of the English band’s hits and deep studio cuts, and B-sides from the dozen albums they released. We also feature a few of their side projects like Mr. Partridge (dub remixes) and The Dukes Of Stratosphear (Psychedelic rock) .
This VHF episode  demonstrates how the group consistently evolved with their music. In 1978 they played high energy nerd rock in a similar style as early Talking Heads or Devo.  By the final XTC release in 2000 they had morphed  gradually into a very different sound, experimenting with orchestral arrangements and English  pastoral elements.  Was it Pop? Was it Punk? You decide.
MTV propelled the group into televisions everywhere in the early eighties.  A B-side track from the single “Grass” got played on college radio. Originally left off the Todd Rundgren produced LP Skylarking, “Dear God” received so many requests for airplay that the album was repressed for American audiences with “Dear God” included.  
Very High Frequencies cordial invites you to an evening of musical entertainment by the English rock band XTC. Put on the kettle and have a tea (or pint) with Colin, Andy and Dave. Cheers!

Episode: 207 Orange Goblin

Very High Frequencies highlights London, England metal band Orange Goblin. After 27 years of waving the heavy music flag they are about to drop album number ten, Science, Not Fiction. It’s getting great reviews and based on the three songs released so far I can understand why.
VHF-207 (Orange Goblin) features tracks off of nearly every  OG release to date. While there’s no denying the influence of Black Sabbath on the music they create with just one listen it’s obvious they are also heavily inspired by Motörhead and Lemmy’s earlier outfit, the Space Rock legends, Hawkwind.  Expect guitar solos, bass freakouts, driving drums and clean but gravelly vocals. Occasional keyboards add mood. 
The songs are about riding fast, living hard and standing up for your beliefs. Free spirit or die kind of stuff. OG specialize in scary tunes like brand new  creepy but catchy song “Cemetery Rats.”.
Cover songs pepper the show as well from some expected artists but also a couple surprises too. 
Doom music can be fun and high energy in the right hands. It’s not rocket science but it might make you rock out like a heavy metal superstar! Get out your air guitar and blast VHF-207 (Orange Goblin).

Episode: 206 Concrete Blonde

VHF-206 (Concrete Blonde) presents the alternative rock band born in the sweaty clubs on the Hollywood circuit of the early eighties. Originally known as Dream 6, the three piece group caught the attention of IRS records. Lablemate REM vocalist Michael Stipe suggested changing the band’s name to Concrete Blonde to represent the dynamic range of the band, especially the heartfelt vocal performances of Johnette Napolitano. 
College rock and steady touring payed off with multiple songs from about a half dozen albums getting played. The album Bloodletting (‘90) was a huge success with its Ann Rice tribute to her novel Interview with a Vampire 
As usual Very High Frequencies checks out some of the groups big hits but leaves a couple out so some less overplayed tracks can get their just due. B-sides, extended mixes, a couple live songs, a few interesting covers and a whole set of post Concrete Blonde songs round out VHF-206 (Concrete Blonde). 

Epsiode: 205 Ministry Dubsonic Frequencies

Very High Frequencies is pumping up the bass this week with an alternative mix of Ministry tunes. (VHF-205 Ministry - Dubsonic Frequencies) is compiled of tracks throughout Uncle Al’s long career. We’re focusing on rare tracks; some dating from the very early ‘80’s that record labels initially rejected back in the day. After just about thirty years they finally got released! They’re sonically interesting examples of the early synth pop DNA that created so many iconic dance-floor friendly songs shortly afterwards. 
Besides rare early tracks Not Dead Yet Mike blasts a bunch of the dub remixes of Ministry songs. Heavy percussion and low frequency bass pulsate. Vocals are often distorted into indecipherable gibberish because this is meant to be body music. Let the rhythms wash over you and cleanse your neurons of any negativity or hopelessness. 
B-side deep cuts get their due as well, rather than the usual radio friendly A-side single remix. 
Rounding out this VHF are Ministry performing  cover songs by a who’s who of Uncle Al’s musical heroes. Not a single regular studio track is to be heard on this episode of VHF-205 (Ministry - Dubsonic Frequencies). Pump it up!