Wednesday, February 22, 2012

The Toasters: concert review, interview, and radioshow

Enjoy this coverage of The Toasters which includes a concert review, an interview, and a radioshow about the Toasters concert at the Firebird.

***

Saxophones bellowed, trombones blared and guitars wailed Tuesday night at The Toasters concert.

The Toasters, a Ska band, are a St. Louis staple who attempt to show up in our fair town once a year. If you are unaware, Ska traces its origins to Jamaica, where it evolved from Reggae and Dub. It made its way across the pond to England and became a world-wide phenomenon in the ‘90s. (Bands like Reel Big Fish and Save Ferris might be more familiar.) Ska is characterized by a walking bass line, upbeat guitars and brass instruments.

Tuesday was not the best of days to have a concert. Several inches of snow and just four hours before Valentine’s Day were two strikes. But The Toasters did not disappoint.

Some local talent opened the show that frosty evening. A band in its early stages called Captain Dee and the Long Johns started off on the right foot, with a bit of Ska on the more punk side of things. They were followed by All Things Aquatic, who must have been members of a high school jazz band that stayed together to rock around St. Louis. Their six piece ensemble contained a trombone, a saxophone and a trumpet, to give the brassy feel Ska fans search for. They played an enjoyable cover of a Streetlight Manifesto song as well as a song of their own creation called “Silverlake.”

Needless to say, the masses were skanking the night away.

Skank is the dance counterpart of Ska. A song by the Ska band Mustard Plug called “Skank By Numbers” explains it best: “One, get off your seat. Two, stomp your boots to the beat. Three, throw your knees in the air, like you don’t care!” For those acquainted with dances of the ‘80s, it’s almost exactly like the running man, and a bit similar to the Melbourne Shuffle.

The last bit of St. Louis talent to take the stage was Samuriot, a local five-piece band that was missing a keyboardist. They had some extremely comedic lyrics, and the best trumpet player of the night. They had an excellent song about the Pillsbury Dough Boy getting over drug addiction, and they threw Valentine’s Day-themed Little Debbie snack cakes at the audience after every song.

The Toasters took the stage after an audio intro filled with clips from strange T.V. commercials— and not a soul stood still. The small crowd skanked for almost the whole set. The familiar camaraderie of a great Ska show in a small venue enveloped the scene. Buck, the lead singer and guitarist, struck up a great stage presence, while generally making fun of St. Louis and everyone in at the show.

After playing Toasters classics, such as “2-Tone Army” and “I’m Running Right Through The World,” Buck delivered a speech about his distaste for politicians, which ended with “Don’t Let The Bastards Get You Down.”

Below is my interview with Buck from The Toasters








Below is the radioshow crafted for this concert (show playlist at the bottom of the page)








And some pictures



AND THE PLAYLIST

What a Gwan - The Toasters

Interview with Buck

S.U.D.S - Captain Dee and the Long Johns
Silverlake - All Things Aquatic
Ten Years - Samuriot
One More Bullet - The Toasters

Foolish Pride - The Dropsteppers
Skank By Numbers - Mustard Plug
Talk of Revolution - Car Full of Midgets

Russian Roulette - Do it with Malace
Gas Money Millionairs - Survay Says
Physical Distraction - Reaching Scarlet

Monday, February 20, 2012

Brazilian Music Showcase








So, Brazil has an awesome music scene. On PPR we've listened to rockabilly, ska, and punk from Brazil. When I interviewed Buck from the Toasters he said they had a great reggae scene. So, this week we are going to listen to some great music from Brazil. ENJOY!

Amor Psycho - Voodoo Zombie
Beer and Flesh Meat - Sick Sick Sinners
Pussy Cat - Banane Metalik

Sem Palavras - Móveis Coloniais de Acaju
Pobre Plebeu - Skamoondongos
O Guarani - Orquestra Brasileira de Música Jamaicana

Jah sabe Jah vê - Mato seco
Presente de um Beija Flor - Natiruts
A estrada - Cidade Negra

Mix - DJ PUTU
All Around Us - Cavalaska
"Bingo Bango" - Bruno Belluomini ft MC Soom T

Barumba - Dom Salvador
Mr. Funk Samba - Banda Black Rio
Chica chica boom chic - Bebel Gilberto e Carlinhos

Psychopath Fever - catalepticos
Dançar com você - La Bamba
Sapo Rastaman - Sapo Banjo



Thursday, February 16, 2012

Ska Reboot: Toasters Interview, concert review, and ska showcase








Time to SKANK YOUR FACES OFF! The track above contains an interview with Buck the lead singer and guitarist for The Toasters. Enjoy some music journalism and some quality bands.

What a Gwan - The Toasters

Interview with Buck

S.U.D.S - Captain Dee and the Long Johns
Silverlake - All Things Aquatic
Ten Years - Samuriot
One More Bullet - The Toasters

Foolish Pride - The Dropsteppers
Skank By Numbers - Mustard Plug
Talk of Revolution - Car Full of Midgets

Russian Roulette - Do it with Malace
Gas Money Millionairs - Survay Says
Physical Distraction - Reaching Scarlet

Saturday, February 11, 2012

KSLU Training is Active!

Are you interested in being a DJ for KSLU? Good, the KSLU training program is now active and ready for your participation. You can find all pertinent information about the training program through the below Google Doc.

Google Doc - https://docs.google.com/document/d/11NecK1cKn7r8UP_GV9tDOaGgemZLU8D6hek3ihqu_6o/edit?pli=1

24 Hour Broadcast Aftermath

The KSLU community really came through today (2.11.12) to put together a really fun day of radio goodness. Sam took the 8am early bird shift before regular programing handled it until 7pm. Then the party really started with some munchables. A sizable group of food getters arrived and rocked out to a 90's trivia showcase won by our own Wilson, Bryan came in second place. During this Trivia event Sam put the mobile DJ equipment together and played the macarena on loop for about an hour while everyone danced with awesome laser lights. Jason, Matt, Simon, Charles, and Kate played various instruments in the recording studio including a bari-sax. Training videos were filmed and the last men standing were Brett, Charles, Jason S., Matt, and Jason M.





Matt and Jason Rocking out










Thursday, February 9, 2012

Kill ACTA and TPP!

Stop ACTA & TPP: Tell your country's officials: NEVER use secretive trade agreements to meddle with the Internet. Our freedoms depend on it!

Entering your e-mail, country, and clicking WRITE THEM NOW will send the below text to your representatives!

Lasers, Fire, and Electronic Music - Winter Warpdrive VII

To listen to the audio version, go to the bottom of the post.

Behind invasive pat-downs and metal detectors, a spectacle raged in perpetual motion.

DJs manipulated towers of electronic instruments, high-powered lasers traced patterns in the fog of smoke machines, and fire and belly dancers hypnotized the crowd. And yet, the real show was the glow stick-adorned mass of fans that pulsed with life.

Winter Warpdrive is an electro-music festival, currently in its seventh year and its largest venue. With a humble beginning in abandoned warehouses, the festival has come a long way and pulled out some big name artists in recent years. It all went down last Saturday, Feb. 4, at the Family Arena in St. Charles.

This year the festival featured Eoto, a unique Dubstep duo that does every set live and improvised, like Jazz musicians of old. Jason Hann pounded on the drums while Michael Travis used a combination of live looping, keyboard and guitar.

In stark contrast with classic rock musicians, electro artists are not the stars rocking a packed stadium, with groupies screaming from the front row. Electro artists stand behind pulsating racks of keyboards, mixers and laptops, keying out melodies and beatmatching tracks. Even from the front row, it is hard to see the musician's face. Most artists even choose to fill the stage with fog, to intensify the effect of the laser show going on around them.

At an electronic festival such as WWVII, the electro musician is just one part of the event, and not the main focus. The shows focus is a fan’s experience. The dedicated electronic fan spends weeks crafting their costume, and perfecting their hula-hoop skills. At an electro concert, you do not have a packed mass of people worshiping the guitar god on stage, but a group of fans that become friends through the experience of hearing their favorite songs together.

At about 1 o’ clock in the morning, BT took the stage and charged the crowd like only a Grammy-nominated artist can. His anthem inspired beats echoed through the re-purposed basketball stadium. Most outside the scene do not know his name, but BT has songs that appear in the movies “American Pie” and “Blade II.” He has also produced for such artists as 'N Sync and Sting. However, BT's greatest claim to fame is an audio technique of his own invention called Stutter Edit, which is expected to dominate pop music like auto-tune's sweep in the late millennium.

While these titans of electro ripped the air a new one, a group known as The Fire Technicians performed dances inspired by aboriginal peoples of the world, with hoops and batons ablaze. The Valhalla Dance Collective performed the Arabian art of belly dance as a synchronized group, with lasers and strobes to back them up.


In the wee hours of the morning, Marco V took the stage, as the dance floor ignited with energy few have witnessed and even fewer have been a part of. The fists of hundreds pumped to Marco V's remix of The Killers’ song “Mr. Brightside.” As the final electronic drumbeat echoed through the stadium, fans left feeling more satisfied than they were seven hours before.

- Jason McCoy

Wanna hear a radioshow made about this show? Listen below! (playlist at the end of the post)




My pictures of WWD7


Playlist

Mr. Brightside - Killers remix Marco V

Cherry Ticker - Luke Hansen
Let the Music - Andy B
Marley-Hammer - VibesquaD

Creepin - EOTO
All that Makes us Human Continues - BT
Stimulated - Marco V

Cuckoo - Tipper
Blue Monday - New Order
Don't You Want Me - Thomas Gold

Camel Bend - EOTO


Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Toasters at The Firebird on Tuesday (Feb 13th) 8pm!

Fellow Ska kids, I have an important announcement.

The Toasters will be at The Firebird this Tuesday (2.13) at 8pm! (doors - 7:30). Those less familiar with Ska should note that Ska is a musical genre that started in Jamaica in the 50s, moved to England for it's 2nd wave, and is fairly worldwide now. The third wave of ska features a walking baseline, upbeat rhythms, and lots of brass (trombones, trumpets, and saxophones).

The Toasters will be playing with Samuriot, All Things Aquatic, and Captain Dee and the Long Johns.

Get your tickets at the Firebird website (click here)

Enjoy some Toasters music below!



Want to listen to a radioshow on Ska? Popeye's Pirate Radioshow will be rocking out next Thursday the 16th from 10:30pm to 12am. Check out PPR's Ska Reboot on Facebook. No facebook? The PPR blog has all the information you need!

Monday, February 6, 2012

Winter Warpdrive 7: Radioshow, Shownotes, Pics, and WBC Protest Report









On Feb 4th of this month I went to Winter Warpdrive 7 to write a review for the U News. I couldn't let it remain without audio, so I based my show around the review. Enjoy! (Click for the review!)

Mr. Brightside - Killers remix Marco V

Cherry Ticker - Luke Hansen
Let the Music - Andy B
Marley-Hammer - VibesquaD

Creepin - EOTO
All that Makes us Human Continues - BT
Stimulated - Marco V

Cuckoo - Tipper
Blue Monday - New Order
Don't You Want Me - Thomas Gold

Camel Bend - EOTO



If you didn't know. The Westboro Baptist Church sent it's evil agents to disturb the students of Clayton High School today, I have been told the WBC arrived at Clayton High School to protest the schools decision to declare that no one should be discriminated upon over sexual orientation. The students of SLU didn't let that pass without a fight.

Julie, co-host of Doc Wilson's flux capacitor from 6-7 on Thursdays and a Student teacher at Clayton High School had this to say about the WBC protest "I was really impressed by the Clayton High school students, there was such a positive attitude. We weren't sure how the studens were going to act, but the high school was really up for the task. The signs were respectful and funny. There was a kid in a Chewbacca costume with a sign that said "WOOKIES LOVE EVERYONE" also a sign that said "Mine is a Shakesperian romance, all parts are played by men." Everything went really smooth. 1/3 of the students wore love conquers hate t-shirts"

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Laser Tag Aftermath

KSLU's Laser tag prowess is nothing to be scoffed at. All 15 of our members tore our opponents a new one in what must the the College Radio Laser Tag tournament of the century.

RESULTS AND RANKING (all places are out of between 45 and 60 people)

Game 1
2nd - Sam
4th - Wilson
9th - Bridget
18th - Big J
12th - Frenchie
13th - Julie
23rd - Grant
25th - Erin
26th - Jackie

Game 2
1st - Sam
5th - Wilson
4th - Frenchie
8th - Big J
10th - Grant
12th - Frenchie
15th - Erin
16th - Jackie
22nd - Julie
280184656th - Bridget

Game 3
2nd - Sam
3rd - Wilson
10th - Frenchie
12th - Julie
21st - Jackie
26th - Bridget
27th - Big J
28th - Grant
35th - Erin

Saturday, February 4, 2012

Krazy Karnival Aftermath

KSLU had a quite sticky time on Tuesday (1.31.12). It's not really possible to gather thirty college students in a room with snow cones and cotton candy and expect the room to stay clean. KSLU directors, DJs, committee members, and listeners played pool, ping pong, and stick hockey like the sugar fiends we were. Check out the pictures

Sam (GM) and Bridget (events) enjoying some cotton candy. (Right)





(Left) Bridget (Events) rocking her full clown costume


Robbie (The Flight of Your Life) enjoying his diabetes on a stick. (Left)













From left to right: Bridget (events), Alex (Flux Capacitor), Bryan (Metal), KC (listener), Julie (Kickin w/ Karate Chop)












Look, everybody's having a good time! (Right)


'

ArcAttack plays Iron Man on Midi Controlable Tesla Coils

This is undeniably cool

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Happy 2112!

It is 2/1/12 or 2112 for you Rush fans. What better day than today to listen to the twenty minute masterpiece.