1. David Bowie - "I'm Afraid of Americans"
2. KeiyaA - "A Mile, a Way"
3. Recovery Girl - "Let's Go Bitch"
4. NNAMDÏ - "Everyone I Loved"
5. P22 - "Endling Chorus For The Terminarch"
6. L@s Skagaler@s - "PXPX"
7. Las Nubes - "Demonize"
8. Moody Garland - "Supposed To Be"
9. TV Flesh - "Turning, Turning, Turning"
10. Dead Finks - "Box Office Poison"
11. Jordan Reyes - "Beaten Path"
12. Kali Malone - "Meantone Canon"
13. Shanti Celeste - "Aqua Block"
14. Little Richard - "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On"
NOTES
Contrary to what was said by a now-infamous partier at South Padre Island, the coronavirus does - in fact - exist, and it continues to wreak havoc on the United States, though not entirely in the way you might assume. First, we had the pandemic to worry about, and now we have its agents of destruction - ignorant, entitled Americans desperate to cling to their pre-COVID sense of the world - coughing and spitting on people out of spite, many of which work for the businesses said Americans fought so desperately to reopen, and further spreading the virus to those around them. This is happening all over the country. Yes, even in the Rio Grande Valley, and it's a growing problem that doesn't show any signs of stopping while the pandemic persists.
For someone like myself, who takes no solace in any of the articles being released about potential risk factors of various daily activities, this situation just makes me want to stay home even more than before. Some people would prefer to lean into the slim chance that things will be just fine, and while I can empathize with that, I still think it's ultimately irresponsible for people to try taking their chances while countless others don't have the privilege to do so.
As for the content of today's episode, I'm returning to focusing on music programming. COVID CALLS will continue as new conversations appear, and new episodes will be released accordingly. Today, I dive through the sea of music I purchased on Bandcamp's recent Revenue Share Day - a lot - and also share some jams I've had swirling through my mind from various corners of the internet. It's incredible how much music flies under our radar, only making it to our ears when a chance encounter or perhaps chance swipe? brings it into our life.
KeiyaA's album Forever, ya Girl is one such record. I was watching one of Moses Sumney's homebound IG Livestreams one night, and when someone asked him what he'd been listening to lately, he brought up KeiyaA's album. Speaking very highly of it, he said it had r&b and lo-fi elements, and coming from someone whose music I already adored, I was sold. Listening to it is unlike any r&b album experience I've had (granted, not that many) in that it felt very modern and jazzy in its structure, not so much its music, more like a sound poem.
Las Nubes were one of my many bandcamp finds that truly blew my mind upon first listen. A rockin trio from Miami, I can't even remember how I came across their page on bandcamp, but the first release I heard was their split with Palomino Blond, another Miami group. Admittedly, PB's side of the 12" LP was not as compelling, but Las Nubes' two tracks were good enough for me to order the album anyway. I think you may agree, if hazy rock music is your thing.
Some excellent selections from local (and once local) artist are on the show today as well!
Moody Garland is the new solo project of one Justin Marin, who many older Valley heads such as myself may remember for his ripping guitar work in Brownsville's own explosive rock quartet, White Zebra. Justin's been living in Dallas for a good while now, and has been working with a few bands, but at present only seems to be releasing music under this new pseudonym. His new EP, Emotional Labor, is a heart-on-sleeve tome of dreamy bedroom-pop/rock goodness.
TV Flesh's latest self-titled EP, recorded just a few weeks ago just after shelter-in-place ordinances were lifted, is another step forward for the hungry group of noise-makers into searing, emotionally-charged rock with a bit of a shoegaze-y undertone to it. Like if the band's music were a wine, this undertone would only be palatable if you do the whole sniff-swish-spit business. Not all that excited about the fact that the band met up to put this together, considering the risks it poses to their health, but I suppose they can rightfully say their efforts were not in vain. Hope to see some of these tracks re-recorded in the future.
L@s Skagaler@s, an RGV music scene mainstay carrying the ska-punk torch, contributed a track to this year's Skank for Choice benefit compilation (S4C is a yearly benefit show thrown by South Texans 4 Reproductive Justice, a local org that provides abortion support services) and chose a setlist staple, "PXPX" from the band's self-titled 2016 EP. A band that's always ready to put their politics where their mouth-pieces are, the Skags are no stranger to the program, and always ready to rock out or blow some conservative's head off with the sheer volume of their horn section. For my interview with the band, check out BLASST 92.
At the end of the program, I played a clip from a show Little Richard did in the UK in '64. He blew minds that night, and just might continue to for the uninitiated upon initial viewing of this show. I promised I'd link it below, so here it is.
RIP to the Architect.
More music next week. As always, stay safe, stay healthy, and please, to the best of your ability, stay home. I know it's not realistic to abstain from leaving the house to do stuff, but just keep the risks in mind and do your best to curb them. This is a helpful article a friend shared on social media that helped ease a bit of my concerns since recording this episode. It doesn't change my feelings toward the people in the opening montage, but it does ease my alarm when it comes to seeing people out and about. Read it here.
Also, I'm working on t-shirt designs, so soon you'll be able to take the BLASST / Universal Punk name with you wherever you go (grumblegrumblegrumble) and parade yourself around the world in style!
EDIT: We have a Discord now. It's like a chatroom, but cooler. We'll post updates and build a community form there. To visit it, click this sentence.
AS
For someone like myself, who takes no solace in any of the articles being released about potential risk factors of various daily activities, this situation just makes me want to stay home even more than before. Some people would prefer to lean into the slim chance that things will be just fine, and while I can empathize with that, I still think it's ultimately irresponsible for people to try taking their chances while countless others don't have the privilege to do so.
As for the content of today's episode, I'm returning to focusing on music programming. COVID CALLS will continue as new conversations appear, and new episodes will be released accordingly. Today, I dive through the sea of music I purchased on Bandcamp's recent Revenue Share Day - a lot - and also share some jams I've had swirling through my mind from various corners of the internet. It's incredible how much music flies under our radar, only making it to our ears when a chance encounter or perhaps chance swipe? brings it into our life.
KeiyaA's album Forever, ya Girl is one such record. I was watching one of Moses Sumney's homebound IG Livestreams one night, and when someone asked him what he'd been listening to lately, he brought up KeiyaA's album. Speaking very highly of it, he said it had r&b and lo-fi elements, and coming from someone whose music I already adored, I was sold. Listening to it is unlike any r&b album experience I've had (granted, not that many) in that it felt very modern and jazzy in its structure, not so much its music, more like a sound poem.
Las Nubes were one of my many bandcamp finds that truly blew my mind upon first listen. A rockin trio from Miami, I can't even remember how I came across their page on bandcamp, but the first release I heard was their split with Palomino Blond, another Miami group. Admittedly, PB's side of the 12" LP was not as compelling, but Las Nubes' two tracks were good enough for me to order the album anyway. I think you may agree, if hazy rock music is your thing.
Some excellent selections from local (and once local) artist are on the show today as well!
Moody Garland is the new solo project of one Justin Marin, who many older Valley heads such as myself may remember for his ripping guitar work in Brownsville's own explosive rock quartet, White Zebra. Justin's been living in Dallas for a good while now, and has been working with a few bands, but at present only seems to be releasing music under this new pseudonym. His new EP, Emotional Labor, is a heart-on-sleeve tome of dreamy bedroom-pop/rock goodness.
TV Flesh's latest self-titled EP, recorded just a few weeks ago just after shelter-in-place ordinances were lifted, is another step forward for the hungry group of noise-makers into searing, emotionally-charged rock with a bit of a shoegaze-y undertone to it. Like if the band's music were a wine, this undertone would only be palatable if you do the whole sniff-swish-spit business. Not all that excited about the fact that the band met up to put this together, considering the risks it poses to their health, but I suppose they can rightfully say their efforts were not in vain. Hope to see some of these tracks re-recorded in the future.
L@s Skagaler@s, an RGV music scene mainstay carrying the ska-punk torch, contributed a track to this year's Skank for Choice benefit compilation (S4C is a yearly benefit show thrown by South Texans 4 Reproductive Justice, a local org that provides abortion support services) and chose a setlist staple, "PXPX" from the band's self-titled 2016 EP. A band that's always ready to put their politics where their mouth-pieces are, the Skags are no stranger to the program, and always ready to rock out or blow some conservative's head off with the sheer volume of their horn section. For my interview with the band, check out BLASST 92.
At the end of the program, I played a clip from a show Little Richard did in the UK in '64. He blew minds that night, and just might continue to for the uninitiated upon initial viewing of this show. I promised I'd link it below, so here it is.
RIP to the Architect.
More music next week. As always, stay safe, stay healthy, and please, to the best of your ability, stay home. I know it's not realistic to abstain from leaving the house to do stuff, but just keep the risks in mind and do your best to curb them. This is a helpful article a friend shared on social media that helped ease a bit of my concerns since recording this episode. It doesn't change my feelings toward the people in the opening montage, but it does ease my alarm when it comes to seeing people out and about. Read it here.
Also, I'm working on t-shirt designs, so soon you'll be able to take the BLASST / Universal Punk name with you wherever you go (grumblegrumblegrumble) and parade yourself around the world in style!
EDIT: We have a Discord now. It's like a chatroom, but cooler. We'll post updates and build a community form there. To visit it, click this sentence.
AS
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