© 2024 KMUW
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Primus Revisits A Child’s Favorite Film, Black Strobe Sallie Ford Wow With New Releases

Friday, October 17: Although he achieved little more than cult status in the United States, Irish-born guitarist Rory Gallagher was well-loved throughout Europe. In 1974 Gallagher and his band mounted a tour of their home country that took them to some of the most troubled parts of Ireland during tumultuous political and social upheaval. The tour went off without incident and Gallagher emerged with one of his quintessential albums, Irish Tour. We’ll hear selections from that release on this episode of Strange Currency as well as from John Hiatt’s 2012 release Mystic Pinball.

Saturday, October 18: The classic Primus lineup of Les Claypool, Larry LaLonde and Tim Alexander reunites on record for the first time in nearly 20 years for a reimagining of the soundtrack to 1971’s Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory called Primus and the Chocolate Factory. The original film, starring Gene Wilder, was a notable influence on the band and the new record is a loving tribute to the classic picture. We’ll hear selections from that release as well as from Slap Back, the new album from Portland, Oregon musician Sallie Ford who calls her new record “an ode to all the babe rockers,” including PJ Harvey, Joan Jett, Heart, and Pat Benatar. It also marks Ford’s first recording with an all-female band.

Monday, October 20: Black Strobe combines elements of electronic music as well as stripped down country and blues. Godforsaken Roads is the new release from Black Strobe and we’ll hear selections from that recording on this episode of Strange Currency as well as from Rips, the new release by the all-woman band Ex Hex, featuring Mary Timony who received wide critical acclaim in the musical project Helium.

Tuesday, October 21: After a highly successful 1988 debut album the Traveling Wilburys faced a major tragedy when key member Roy Orbison passed away unexpectedly. Still, the band reunited in 1990 for one final album, its second overall, titled Volume 3. Featuring remaining members Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, George Harrison and Jeff Lynne, the band experienced some chart success with the sophomore effort which included songs such as “She’s My Baby” and “Wilbury Twist.” We’ll hear from that recording on this episode as well as selections from the 2005 live release from Lucinda Williams Live @ The Fillmore

Wednesday, October 22: Recorded in August 1971 George Harrison’s Concert For Bangladesh album features performances from the former Beatle as well as from his close friends Bob Dylan and Ravi Shankar. We’ll hear selections from this recording as well as material from the 1966 album Yesterday and Today from The Beatles.

  Thursday, October 23: Released in August 1974 Pussy Cats was a promising but often flawed collaboration between close friends Harry Nilsson and John Lennon. Produced by Lennon during his “lost weekend” in Los Angeles (during which he was separated from wife Yoko Ono) the album features an all-star cast including Ringo Starr, Keith Moon, and guitar great Jesse Ed Davis. Although Nilsson leans heavily on outside material throughout the album it contains one of his finest compositions, “Don’t Forget Me.” We’ll hear from that album as well as from Lennon’s Walls and Bridges album, released shortly after Pussy Cats and featuring many of the same session players.

Friday, October 24: Listen for selections form 7 Cities, the 2013 album from Kansas trio Moreland & Arbuckle as well as music from Champion Jack Dupree’s 1958 album Blues From The Gutter.

Saturday, October 25: Released in early 1989 3 was the fourth album from Milwaukee’s Violent Femmes. Driven by acoustic instruments the songs touch on themes of AIDS, parent-child relationships, and spirituality. We’ll hear selections from it as well as music from Violent Femmes frontman Gordon Gano’s other band, The Mercy Seat’s 1987 debut album.

Jedd Beaudoin is host/producer of the nationally syndicated program Strange Currency. He has also served as an arts reporter, a producer of A Musical Life and a founding member of the KMUW Movie Club. As a music journalist, his work has appeared in Pop Matters, Vox, No Depression and Keyboard Magazine.