=============================================
**AIRPLAY INFO SESSION 09/30/2009**



Want to get involved?
Come find out how you can get involved with the Airplay Show. Join us this Wednesday for an informational session where we will discuss all aspects of the show from hosting to booking to engineer live bands on the radio. The session is open to everyone--students, alumni, faculty, and community members. We hope you can join us!

September 30, 2009
9pm-10pm
Louis Hall Room 118
1877 Campus Dr
Northwestern University, Evanston

WNUR AIRPLAY SHOW
Saturday, July 11, 2009 4pm-7pm

Listen to us live in Chicago on 89.3 FM or online at http://www.wnur.org.

=============================================
**THIS SATURDAY 07/11/2009**

BOX OF BABY BIRDS (live on-air!)
2nd Airplay appearance for Chicago's Box of Baby Birds who last time came in for an acoustic set of beautiful chamber-pop. Their debut, self-released album is lush and multi-layered, incorporating sweeping string arrangements, delicate harmonies and the occasional harmonica and southern twang. The last live performance featured a more stripped-down version of those songs, yet maintained the serene ebb and flow captured so nicely on the disc. Looking forward to hearing the full band this time. Tune in to hear the performance and possibly win a copy of their new EP or tickets to their show at the Hideout on July 23!
http://www.myspace.com/boxofbabybirds

On CD Baby - http://cdbaby.com/cd/boxofbb
Hideout - http://www.hideoutchicago.com/

ANDUIN (from 7/6/09)
Richmond, Virginia sound artist who played ambient music containing field-recordings done that morning. The first part of this set was Anduin solo and then Jasper TX joined in later.
http://www.smtgltd.com/anduinore

On MySpace - http://www.smtgltd.com/anduinore/

JASPER TX (from 7/6/09)
Swedish guitarist and sound artist who stopped by on his tour with Anduin. The first part of this set is Anduin and then Jasper TX joins in later.
http://www.myspace.com/jaspertx


=============================================
**UPCOMING**

Sonic Celluloid Bands
Anduin
Jasper TX
Box of Baby Birds
Dao Strom (Jul 13)
Micachu and the Shapes (Jul 13)
Tim Daisy/Jeb Bishop/Daniel Levin (Jul 17)
Jeff Marx (Jul 18)
Okkyung Lee (Jul 20)
Andy B. White (Jul 25)
Alex Cuba (Aug 5)
Mahjongg (Aug 20)
Magnetars (Aug 22)
James Falzone (Aug 29)
Conductive Alliance (Sep 5)
Panda Riot (Sep 19)

=============================================
you should...
--send us an email at airplay@wnur.org
--request an old set at http://airplay.wnur.org
--subscribe to our weekly email newsletter at http://airplay.wnur.org/subscribe/
--befriend us on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/wnurairplay
--follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/wnurairplay
--find us on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/wnurairplay
--give us a call during the show at: 847.866.WNUR
--shoot us an IM during the show at WNURdj

Have a great 'end!
-Airplay Gang

WNUR 89.3 FM
Attn: The Airplay Show
1877 Campus Dr
Evanston, IL 60201

--"Hitting switches, Sendin' shit to masses through frequency-based shit."

WNUR AIRPLAY SHOW
Saturday, May 30, 2009 4pm-7pm

Listen to us live in Chicago on 89.3 FM or online at http://www.wnur.org.

=============================================
**THIS SATURDAY 05/30/2009**

ANIMAL HOSPITAL (from 5/28/09)
When Animal Hospital, aka Kevin Micka of Boston, MA, brought in his drum set, guitar, keyboard, PA speakers, and mixer, among other equipment, into the WNUR studios we wondered, "how is he going to play all of that?" Answer: the magic of looping! He surprised by starting barely audible and slowly crescendoing throughout his 47 minute set. Tons of unusual guitar techniques abound, as well as some rocking drum set and electronic manipulation of all the interlocking repetitions. Some parts more post-rocky, some parts more noisy. Listen to tracks from his self-titled release, "Memory," and "Good or Plenty, Streets and Avenues," or check out his tour schedule on his website.
http://animalhospitalmusic.com/

On MySpace - http://www.myspace.com/animalhospital

=============================================
**UPCOMING**

=============================================
you should...
--send us an email at airplay@wnur.org
--request an old set at http://airplay.wnur.org
--subscribe to our weekly email newsletter at http://airplay.wnur.org/subscribe/
--befriend us on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/wnurairplay
--follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/wnurairplay
--find us on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/wnurairplay
--give us a call during the show at: 847.866.WNUR
--shoot us an IM during the show at WNURdj

Have a great 'end!
-Airplay Gang

WNUR 89.3 FM
Attn: The Airplay Show
1877 Campus Dr
Evanston, IL 60201

--"Hitting switches, Sendin' shit to masses through frequency-based shit."

WNUR AIRPLAY SHOW
Saturday, May 23, 2009 4pm-7pm

Listen to us live in Chicago on 89.3 FM or online at http://www.wnur.org.

=============================================
**THIS SATURDAY 05/23/2009**

GINO ROBAIR AND ANDREW ROYAL (from 5/22/09)
Percussionist, composer, and master creative improviser Gino Robair came in this week for an intricate, solo/duo double-set of electroacoustic micro-improv. Robair finds his home in the California Bay Area and hasn't performed in Chicago in nearly 20 years. He has recorded and performed with an uncountable list of improv legends, names like Anthony Braxton, Derek Bailey, and the ROVA Saxophone Quartet. He also runs his own creative music label Rastascan Records. The first set in this performance has Robair by his lonesome with a circuit-bent noise box, drums, bows, chimes, bells, and though still unconfirmed, what could only be described as an assortment of vibrators, electronically operated sexual devices repurposed for this most unlikely of scenarios. The second set has Robair with Chicago native, violinist Andrew Royal who also had electronics and a homemade springed instrument. Scraping, burbling, squeaking, and rumbling are just a few of the many sonic classifications implemented within this collabo. A fully freeform exploration.

Gino Robair will be running a workshop from 1 to 5 PM on Strategies for Multidisciplinary Group Interaction at ENEMY (1550 N Milwaukee 3rd Floor) on Saturday, May 23rd and then later that day (10pm) the workshop participants perform Gino's opera “I, Norton” as a culmination of the afternoon’s activities at Heaven Gallery (2nd Floor) as part of the Protest Heaven concert series. The whole thing is open to: instrumentalists, vocalists, electronic musicians, dancers, visual artists, videographers, computer artists, etc. No experience necessary and participants of all skill groups are welcome. Find out more about the concert, workshop, and Gino Robair via the links below.
http://www.myspace.com/ginorobair

Workshop - http://groupimprovworkshop.tumblr.com/
I, Norton - http://www.myspace.com/inorton
Rastascan - http://www.rastascan.com/

=============================================
**UPCOMING**

Jeff Marx

TV Ghost

Pillars & Tongues

Sonic Celluloid Bands

C. Spencer Yeh + others

Animal Hospital (May 28)

Gregg Kowalsky (Jun 9)

Calusa (Jun 13)

See Diagram (Jun 20)

Cosio (Jun 27)

Anduin (Jul 6)

Jasper TX (Jul 6)

Dao Strom (Jul 12)

Tim Daisy/Jeb Bishop/Daniel Levin (Jul 17)

Andy B. White (Jul 25)

Mahjongg (Aug 20)

=============================================
you should...
--send us an email at airplay@wnur.org
--request an old set at http://airplay.wnur.org
--subscribe to our weekly email newsletter at http://airplay.wnur.org/subscribe/
--befriend us on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/wnurairplay
--follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/wnurairplay
--find us on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/wnurairplay
--give us a call during the show at: 847.866.WNUR
--shoot us an IM during the show at WNURdj

Have a great 'end!
-Airplay Gang

WNUR 89.3 FM
Attn: The Airplay Show
1877 Campus Dr
Evanston, IL 60201

--"Hitting switches, Sendin' shit to masses through frequency-based shit."

WNUR AIRPLAY SHOW
Saturday, May 9, 2009 4pm-7pm

Listen to us live in Chicago on 89.3 FM or online at http://www.wnur.org.

=============================================
**THIS SATURDAY 05/09/2009**

THE INJURED PARTIES (live on-air!)
Chicago poet and songwriter Larry O. Dean is back this week on Airplay after several years, this time fronting his solid indie-pop power trio, The Injured Parties. Back at the turn of the millennium, Airplay presented two of his other talented Chicago pop bands, Post Office and The Me Decade. The Injured Parties have been playing for a few years now, but they're just about to release their debut record, Fun With A Purpose, which will be available this summer. Tune in to this performance to hear songs from the new disc and then also check them out at the Darkroom on June 11.
http://theinjuredparties.com/

On MySpace - http://www.myspace.com/injuredparties
Darkroom - http://darkroombar.com/

ZIP-TIE HANDCUFFS (pre-recorded)
Zip-Tie Handcuffs is a punk rockin' band out of Boston, MA coming through the Midwest to tear things up. Influenced by artists from Hendrix to The Descendants, Zip Tie Handcuffs plays their own type of punk rock. The group was formed by Matt Ford after a recording project for a class at the Art Institute in Boston. Joined by Ian on guitar/bass and Max on drums, the trio continued to write, record and perform new material.
http://www.myspace.com/ziptiehandcuffs


CARS ON MARS (pre-recorded)
Cars on Mars is Jon, Anthony, Clark and Dana. The boys are on their first tour away from the East Coast, which is powered by gasoline, indie music, vocal harmonies and good buds. Formed in March of '08, Cars on Mars transcends genres with songs woven from folk in indie fashion.
http://www.myspace.com/carsonmarsmusic


=============================================
**UPCOMING**

Animal Hospital

Dao Strom

The Enright House

Pillars & Tongues

Love of Everything

Ajilvsga with Mike Weis

Gino Robair (May 22)

C. Spencer Yeh + others (May 23)

Gregg Kowalsky (Jun 9)

Cosio (Jun 27)

Anduin (Jul 6)

Jasper TX (Jul 6)

Tim Daisy/Jeb Bishop/Daniel Levin (Jul 17)

Mahjongg (Aug 20)

=============================================
you should...
--send us an email at airplay@wnur.org
--request an old set at http://airplay.wnur.org
--subscribe to our weekly email newsletter at http://airplay.wnur.org/subscribe/
--befriend us on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/wnurairplay
--follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/wnurairplay
--find us on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/wnurairplay
--give us a call during the show at: 847.866.WNUR
--shoot us an IM during the show at WNURdj

Have a great 'end!
-Airplay Gang

WNUR 89.3 FM
Attn: The Airplay Show
1877 Campus Dr
Evanston, IL 60201

--"Hitting switches, Sendin' shit to masses through frequency-based shit."

WNUR AIRPLAY SHOW
Saturday, May 2, 2009 4pm-7pm

Listen to us live in Chicago on 89.3 FM or online at http://www.wnur.org.

=============================================
**THIS SATURDAY 05/02/2009**

BRIGHTEN UP (live on-air!)
Brighten Up have surged onto the Chicago music scene in the last year. This local duo consists of Dan Smith and Justin Bean, who between the two of them loop together a whole lot of electronics, dreamy vocals, and pulsing percussion. Each part churns together hypnotically, reminiscent of Brian Eno's ambient work and minimalist rhythms. You could categorize them as soft noise, but there's a real versatility to their sound--some tracks are more electronica-esque, some more noisy or shoegazy. But on each track, the rich, dreamy washes of electroacoustics cohere to characteristize that Brighten Up sound. Both introspective AND danceable. What more could you want? Brighten Up plays the Empty Bottle on May 7.
http://www.myspace.com/brightenupchicago

EP - http://www.mediafire.com/?nytnyjmjdwy
Empty Bottle - http://www.emptybottle.com

DARLING (live on-air!)
Described as "Neil Young meets Television," Darling channels both folky harmonies and new wave guitar riffs to create a fun yet aggressive blend of music. Darling's songs feature a variety of different styles; while some songs have crunchy power chords, others may focus on ambient soundscapes. Darling resides and continues to play in the Chicago area. Darling plays the Hideout later that night.
http://www.myspace.com/darlingchicago

Cardboard Sangria - http://www.cardboardsangria.com/catalog.html
Hideout - http://www.hideoutchicago.com/

EFTERKLANG (from 4/5/09)
A couple of weeks back we packed an 8-piece band in our recording studio, jumped over cables for about 2 hours and drank a lot of coffee. The subsequent recording turned out to be 3 pop-oriented, orchestral songs full of harmonies, backed by bursting drum beats, horns and electronics. Efterklang began their music-making career in 2000 in Copenhagen and have since released 2 albums, the latest of which, Parades, is exactly what its name implies, provided the make-up of the parade would be musically inclined danish equivalents of civil-war bears and toy soldiers. Mermaids and vikings perhaps?
http://www.efterklang.net/home/

On MySpace - http://www.myspace.com/efterklang
Parades - http://leaf.greedbag.com/buy/parades-0/

=============================================
**UPCOMING**

Animal Hospital

Dao Strom

Pillars & Tongues

Love of Everything

Ajilvsga with Mike Weis (May 3)

The Injured Parties (May 9)

Gino Robair (May 22)

C. Spencer Yeh + others (May 23)

Gregg Kowalsky (Jun 9)

Cosio (Jun 27)

Anduin (Jul 6)

Jasper TX (Jul 6)

Tim Daisy/Jeb Bishop/Daniel Levin (Jul 17)

Mahjongg (Aug 20)

=============================================
you should...
--send us an email at airplay@wnur.org
--request an old set at http://airplay.wnur.org
--subscribe to our weekly email newsletter at http://airplay.wnur.org/subscribe/
--befriend us on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/wnurairplay
--follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/wnurairplay
--find us on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/wnurairplay
--give us a call during the show at: 847.866.WNUR
--shoot us an IM during the show at WNURdj

Have a great 'end!
-Airplay Gang

WNUR 89.3 FM
Attn: The Airplay Show
1877 Campus Dr
Evanston, IL 60201

--"Hitting switches, Sendin' shit to masses through frequency-based shit."

WNUR AIRPLAY SHOW
Saturday, April 25, 2009 4pm-7pm

Listen to us live in Chicago on 89.3 FM or online at http://www.wnur.org.

=============================================
**THIS SATURDAY 04/25/2009**

JIMMY BENNINGTON'S COLOUR AND SOUND (live on-air!)
Live in the studio this week is Jimmy Bennington's Colour and Sound with Fred Jackson (as,ss), Jeff Marx (ts,ss) and Mike Staron (b). Led by master drummer, Jimmy Bennington, a Chicago transplant from from Texas, by way of the west coast, and former drum tech for legendary drummer Elvin Jones, this quartet specializes in a solid mix of a adventurous post-bop and all-out free jazz. This will be the third time Bennington has found himself in our studios; previously it was a duo with clarinet giant Perry Robinson and a trio with Ben Boye and Dan Thatcher. Bennington's live sets are often spacious and evocative with the energy narrowly focused like a beam of light. Colour and sound indeed. Check out the band Sundays at 8pm at the Morseland.
http://www.benningtonjazz.com/

Morseland - http://morseland.com/

WASTELAND JAZZ UNIT/THREE LEGGED RACE/C. SPENCER YEH (from 4/10/09)
These 4 artists came and played a set before their quasi-secret show at the Mopery last Friday and it was as if a party of experimental music was in progress. They all improvised 15 to 20 minutes sets, each as like as chalk and cheese from each other: Wasteland Jazz Unit went first and played horns aggressively, erratically, in a duet, to the point that we almost turned down the volume for fear of hearing loss (we didn't). Three Legged Race's set was electronically generated noise, with contact mics changing pitches and even some minimal melodies. And, C Spencer Yeh double-handedly played the violin, switching from harsh to strident to intermittent plucking and back again. We kinda felt guilty for being the only people there to see them, so make sure you listen to this!
http://www.dronedisco.com/bxc/

Three Legged Race - http://www.myspace.com/mountaain
Wasteland Jazz Unit - http://www.myspace.com/wastelandjazzunit
C. Spencer Yeh - http://www.myspace.com/cspenceryeh

NEAL MORGAN (from 4/17/09)
You don't find one-man singer-drummer lo-fi indie rock very often. But Neal Morgan makes it work. Formerly a member of Nevada City, CA based Golden Shoulders, Morgan has since moved to Portland and gone solo. He played material from new release "Drum and Voice Record" in studio last week after a show at the Hideout. He croons simply and sweetly, reminiscent of indie rock, folk, and some sort of unidentifiable spiritual, singing about idiosyncratic subjects like the inner lives of slave whales. But when Morgan begins to drum, he manages to combine brash virtuosity with delicate subtlety. This set involved a number of extended techniques on percussion, from muted cymbals, to rim clicks, to bent pitches on toms. Make sure to keep an eye pealed for the release of "Drum and Voice Record."
http://www.myspace.com/nealmorganmusic


=============================================
**UPCOMING**

Efterklang

Pillars & Tongues

Love of Everything (Apr 28)

Brighten Up (May 2)

Darling (May 2)

Ajilvsga with Mike Weis (May 3)

The Injured Parties (May 9)

Gino Robair (May 22)

C. Spencer Yeh + others (May 23)

Gregg Kowalsky (Jun 9)

Cosio (Jun 27)

Anduin (Jul 6)

Jasper TX (Jul 6)

Tim Daisy/Jeb Bishop/Daniel Levin (Jul 17)

Mahjongg (Aug 20)

=============================================
you should...
--send us an email at airplay@wnur.org
--request an old set at http://airplay.wnur.org
--subscribe to our weekly email newsletter at http://airplay.wnur.org/subscribe/
--befriend us on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/wnurairplay
--follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/wnurairplay
--find us on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/wnurairplay
--give us a call during the show at: 847.866.WNUR
--shoot us an IM during the show at WNURdj

Have a great 'end!
-Airplay Gang

WNUR 89.3 FM
Attn: The Airplay Show
1877 Campus Dr
Evanston, IL 60201

--"Hitting switches, Sendin' shit to masses through frequency-based shit."

WNUR AIRPLAY SHOW
Saturday, April 18, 2009 4pm-7pm

Listen to us live in Chicago on 89.3 FM or online at http://www.wnur.org.

=============================================
**THIS SATURDAY 04/18/2009**

GAROTAS SUECAS (from 4/1/09)
Far from all the reverb, lo-fi sounds of the current string of indie-popular bands, Garotas Suecas play soulfully fresh sounding rock you actually have fun dancing to. After all, they are Brazilians. Acute, colorful guitars, playful keyboards and tambourines in the background, sometimes accompanied by trumpets and harmonicas, and silly (we assume..) Portuguese lyrics. Hint: their name translates into Swedish Girls and they have songs called Code Dynamite and Cool Cool, but that's really all we could understand. That said, you know a band is good when you make an ass of yourself by singing/mumbling along in a poor accent.Check out this Brazilian website where they let you download their songs (http://tramavirtual.uol.com.br/artista.jsp?id=38162) and then tune in on Saturday and listen to the nifty recording they did a couple of weeks ago for WNUR.
http://www.fotolog.net/garotassuecas

  On MySpace - http://www.myspace.com/garotassuecas

LESLIE (from 4/9/09)
Also this Saturday, a set recorded last week by Charleston, South Carolina trio Leslie.  Even though this was a stripped down, all-acoustic session, these songs are giant, stadium-sized monsters and you can definitely tell how sweet Leslie's live concert is.  Currently, the band is on tour all over the country supporting The Rebel Souls EP, a recent 4-track nugget delivery device with a blues rock sound so classic it reminds of Raw Sienna Savoy Brown or a Zeppelinian roots fest.  Sadler Vaden's guitar must have taken a pounding during this short set and I can't imagine Jonathan Carman's tamborine hand was feeling too nice either.  Yowzah.  check out their slicked-out MySpace page too.
http://www.myspace.com/leslierock

  Twitter - http://twitter.com/leslieband
  YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/lesliemusic
  Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Leslie/5672039718

POLITE SLEEPER (from 4/5/09)
Brooklyn trio Polite Sleeper came to Airplay for the first time with some good indie folk that will be great for your Saturday afternoon.  Acoustic guitar, narrative singing, organ and subtle, driving drumming combine in an impeccably clean combination of sound.  Electric piano and accordion also make their own appearances, considerably diversifying a more traditional folk instrumentation.  Some great punk drumming near the end.  Overall though, this is good music for sitting by the riverside.
http://www.politesleeper.com/

  On MySpace - http://www.myspace.com/politesleeper

=============================================
**UPCOMING**

• Efterklang
• The Enright House
• Burning Star Core
• Three Legged Race
• Wasteland Jazz Unit
• Neal Morgan
• Pillars & Tongues (Apr 24)
• Love of Everything (Apr 28)
• Brighten Up (May 2)
• Darling (May 2)
• Ajilvsga with Mike Weis (May 3)
• The Injured Parties (May 9)
• C. Spencer Yeh + others (May 23)
• Gregg Kowalsky (Jun 9)
• Anduin (Jul 6)
• Jasper TX (Jul 6)
• Mahjongg (Aug 20)

=============================================
you should...
--send us an email at airplay@wnur.org
--request an old set at http://airplay.wnur.org
--subscribe to our weekly email newsletter at http://airplay.wnur.org/subscribe/
--befriend us on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/wnurairplay
--follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/wnurairplay
--find us on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/wnurairplay
--give us a call during the show at: 847.866.WNUR
--shoot us an IM during the show at WNURdj

Have a great 'end!
-Airplay Gang

WNUR 89.3 FM
Attn: The Airplay Show
1877 Campus Dr
Evanston, IL 60201

--"Hitting switches, Sendin' shit to masses through frequency-based shit."

WNUR AIRPLAY SHOW
Saturday, April 11, 2009 4pm-7pm

Listen to us live in Chicago on 89.3 FM or online at http://www.wnur.org.

=============================================
**THIS SATURDAY 04/11/2009**

CONDUCTIVE ALLIANCE (live on-air at 6pm)
Conductive Alliance returns to Airplay for the third time this Saturday.  This all-acoustic Chicago group of two guitars, upright bass, and percussion produces a lush orchestration, interlocking and warm riffs, and deftly shifting meters that hint at nostalgia.  This is a true Chicago group, with the same ear for the minimal, the sparse, and the hypnotically repetitive as Town and Country.  And few can produce odd meters so natural and flowing.  Conductive Alliance's finger-picking, harmonics, bowed bass, and hand-drumming on doumbek, produce a sense of wonder that accompanies such a uniquely rich soundworld. -AC
http://www.myspace.com/conductivealliance

  Reformer Records - http://www.reformerecords.com/

SHALLOBOI (live on-air at 4pm)
It's difficult to box Shalloboi in.  Chicago locals Shalloboi employ, viola, violin, guitar, cello, drums, and breathy male and female vocals to create an engaged and open feel.  The minimal density and movement of the music provides opportunity to listen to the rich tones of this unique instrumentation, which produces feelings of relaxation and expansion.  Their fifth and latest album, "Down to Sleep," produced many of its sounds "with the use of large spaces serving as echo chambers (i.e. stairwells and large empty spaces in the congress theater)" (according to the website), and successfully employs a number of strikingly elegant string lines.  Their latest in the works vinyl-only EP seeks to be the most minimal, most condensed approach the band has taken yet.  Make sure to catch their Elastic Arts gig next Saturday, April 18, at 7pm. -AC
http://www.shalloboi.com/

  On MySpace - http://www.myspace.com/shalloboickmates
  Elastic - http://www.elasticrevolution.com/

EYESEARSNOSE (from 4/6/09)
Also this Saturday, a brand new one recorded this week from burgeoning Chicago noise-pop group Eyesearsnose.  With fuzzed out bass and crazy, warped vocals, Eyesearsnose has an undeniable attraction to the glimmer of freakout nonsense.  Yet their songs are still accessible, even singable.  There's a certain charming unpredictability and quaint midwestern swagger to these guys because, simply put, they're just less interested in quibbling over notes and song structure than your average pop band.  Eyesearsnose has the spark of a creative uprising and we expect good things.  Check them out at Schubas on Monday, April 13. -MC
http://www.myspace.com/eyesearsnose

  Schubas - http://www.schubas.com/

=============================================
**UPCOMING**

• Garotas Suecas
• Efterklang
• Polite Sleeper
• The Enright House
• Leslie
• Neal Morgan (Apr 15)
• I Fight Dragons (Apr 22)
• Pillars & Tongues (Apr 24)
• Brighten Up (May 2)
• Darling (May 2)
• Ajilvsga (May 4)
• The Injured Parties (May 9)
• Gregg Kowalsky (Jun 9)
• Anduin (Jul 6)
• Jasper TX (Jul 6)

=============================================
you should...
--send us an email at airplay@wnur.org
--request an old set at http://airplay.wnur.org
--subscribe to our weekly email newsletter at http://airplay.wnur.org/subscribe/
--befriend us on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/wnurairplay
--follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/wnurairplay
--find us on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/wnurairplay
--give us a call during the show at: 847.866.WNUR
--shoot us an IM during the show at WNURdj

Have a great 'end!
-Airplay Gang

WNUR 89.3 FM
Attn: The Airplay Show
1877 Campus Dr
Evanston, IL 60201

--"Hitting switches, Sendin' shit to masses through frequency-based shit."

     
      Many musicians come to America to find their audience; some have to leave its shores for England or continental Europe to reach a dedicated fanbase. Few of them pack their bags for the South Pacific for the sake of their careers, but Mark V. Roberts, alias The Enright House, has done just that. He began his career in Chicago but headed for New Zealand a few years ago, where he released his debut LP A Maze and Amazement and did several tours. A Maze and Amazement is a delicate yet expansive effort, incorporating healthy amounts of ambient atmospherics and programming alongside guitars, vocals and live drums. Its constantly shifting textures and stylistic variation make it a lastingly rewarding listen, one that most review sites seem to have missed when it was first issued in 2007.

      A Maze and Amazement’s leadoff track, “Scattering the Sun Like Gunshot”, begins with an extended instrumental passage brimming with windswept sadness, and it comes almost as a surprise to hear the subdued vocals enter relatively late in the piece. Sounding just a bit like a stoned Jim Kerr fronting Explosions in the Sky, “Scattering” fuses ‘80s British indie and pop with recent-vintage post rock, and given the somewhat anthemic tendencies of both styles, it’s a wonder that the combination is not heard more often. “We Might As Well Have Stayed Young” is a lost slowcore classic, glacially marching onwards with a simple yet haunting melody and ending with a memorable closing line: “We might as well have stayed young / For it’s been useless to grow older”.

      While most of the tracks on A Maze and Amazement feature vocals, the record takes many of its cues from groups that work primarily in the instrumental realm. “Darkwave Equals MC Squared” is more Album Leaf than its titular genre, hewing more to the soundscapes Jimmy Lavalle explored on the Into the Blue Again release than to the Cure-inspired electronica of Projekt-family bands. “Up” and “Do Re Mi” both echo the sadly gone Telefon Tel Aviv, featuring warm, atmospheric electronics accompanying sometimes-live, sometimes-processed percussion and Roberts’s quiet, shoegazey vocals. “A Car Facing Mountains” feels like an instrumental piece, even though it has no long instrumental passages; Roberts evokes the structure and slow-building passion of Tristeza and Unwed Sailor while compellingly grafting lyrics onto the substrate. “Solitaire” and “Remember the Stillness” introduce spoken-word female vocals, provided by Mary E. Jones (who is also the cover artist). The former features Roberts singing above Jones’s oration, while on the latter she speaks on her own; both tracks include extended sections of wordless, sung vocals which ache with bleak beauty, shattering the stoic solemnity of the spoken-word passages.

      New Zealand may be where Roberts found his muse, but due to its geographical circumstances, it has a very insular music scene, and Kiwi groups rarely see success internationally (Crowded House excepted). Now back in the United States for a nationwide tour, Roberts is finishing up a second full-length, but his debut was sorely overlooked and deserves a wider audience.