There are two What’s This Called? programs left for 2019 on Freeform Portland, Saturday December 7th (fragments of which are listenable below), and Saturday December 21st which will be a special from Noon until 4 PM Pacific Standard Time.

In honor for what your host Ricardo Wang sincerely believes to be the best year in recorded music since he began DJing some 35 years ago, both programs will focus on music from the What’s This Called? soon to be released Favorite 100 Albums of 2019. The past few years, your host has had a hard time coming up with a top ten albums, but 2019 has seen many, many artists old and new at the top of their respective games.

Unfortunately, this episode featured technical difficulties with the Freeform server that led to interruptions in the live stream and gaps in the digital archive. Bleh. Everything below sounds great, it’s just not as much as people listening on terrestrial radio got to hear. Let this be a lesson to all who put total faith in little zeros and ones. Sometimes the ones go away and you are left with the zeros. Thankfully we saved the great samples below at least.

HEAR SOME OF THE FIRST HOUR HERE!: 

HEAR THE END OF THE SHOW HERE!: 

PLAYLIST:

• Search Ensembles “AC DC CP SK” [Prescient/Legend]
• Juniana “Opening Thread in Room” [Ordinary Devotions]
• Neil Campbell “Cloud Drag 1979 (1-4)” [Cloud Drag 1979]
• Tom Dyer “Everything in the World is Returning to a State of Nature” [1+1 = ?]
• Column Shifter “Let Us Now Praise the Dust” [Congregation]
• Mecca Normal “Man Thinks Woman / Strong White Male / I Walk Alone – Live” [Brave New Waves Session]
• Taylorshit “DietLad” [Taylorshit.net]
• Tearpalm “Wake Up and Smell the Coffin” [To the Happy Few]
• Disxiple 113 “No Curtains” [Sidraw]
• Noispoetnobody “Concrete Vitalist Part 3” [Concrete Vitalist]
• Spirit Duplicator “Goat Boy Goes to Tacobell” [Duplex Cremes]
• Erin Jane Laroue “The Future is Au Revoir” [Chalant]
• Goh Lee Kwang “2-4 Avalanche II” [Avalanche Herbal Concrete Disc 1902-2]
• Blake DeGraw “pity this busy monster, manukind” [Music for Hollow Voices]
• Stuart McCleod “neuropera 4” [neuropera]
• SONOLOGYST “Memorex” [Phantoms]
• Amy Denio “Race Along the River” [Eureka]

Only two hours of sunlight after the fog finally lifted in Portland today, and I was blessed to spend them in the Freeform Portland dj booth!

HEAR THE 1st HOUR HERE:

HEAR THE 2nd HOUR HERE: 

PLAYLIST:

• Wire “40 Versions – 2006 Remastered Version” [154]
• Astrid Sonne “Strong, Calm, Slow” [Cliodynamics]
• Edward Ka-Spel “Laughing Gas” [Dream Logik 1]
• Ute Lemper sings Elvis Costello “Punishing Kiss” [Punishing Kiss]
• The Beach Boys “I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times – Remastered” [Pet Sounds (Original Mono & Stereo Mix Versions)]
• Sonic Youth “Antenna” [The Eternal]
• Qweerteest “Clouds” [Anthology of Persian Experimental Music]
• Arthur Russell “You Have Did The Right Thing When You Put That Skylight In” [Springfield]
• almost automatic landscapes “leave your reality aside” [International Experimental Music Compilation Volume II]
• Dave Phillips “Categorical thinking doesn’t do justice to the complexity of life” [INTERACTIONS A Guide to Swiss Underground Experimental Music]
• Earthmonkey “Descent Into Basecloud” [Be That Charge]
• Bark Psychosis “Nothing Feels” [Independency]
• Bill Horist “Requiem for Endless Days” [Covalent Lodge]
• Clara! y Maoupa “Truenos” [Luna Nueva]
• Sharkbait “Mr. Fernando” [The Big One]
• The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown “I Put a Spell on You” [The Crazy World of Arthur Brown]
• The Pink Fairies “Uncle Harry’s Last Freakout” [Never-Neverland]
• Lou Reed “She’s My Best Friend” [Coney Island Baby]
• bullfinch “audio voluntary” [International Experimental Music Compilation Volume II]
• Amy Denio/Pale Nudes “Axis” [Tutto Bene]
• Daevid Allen “Fastfather” [Divided Alien Playbax 80]
• Moodring “Mixer” [phoolan devi]

What’s This Called? is proud to be moving into our second year at Freeform Portland, which we honestly believe to be the coolest station the program has ever lived at. It’s that time of year where we implore you that come to WTC for the most obscure and independently produced experimental audio work around to help keep the station where we make the shows afloat! https://www.freeformportland.org/donate/

Your host Ricardo Wang was joined by frequent cohost DJ Victrola of Guitar Shop to make the case for why Freeform Portland is doing revolutionary work fighting the culture wars on behalf of diversity and free creativity. Much great experimental music was shared in the process.

HEAR THE FIRST HOUR HERE:

HEAR THE SECOND HOUR HERE:

PLAYLIST:

• Savage Republic “Next to Nothing” [Tragic Figures]
• Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 “The Piston and the Shaft” [Strangers from the Universe]
• Bardo Pond “White Turban (The Traveller) “ [All Tomorrow’s Parties 1.1]
• Nate Trier “Palehound” [Palehound in a Sea of Color]
• Marlo Eggplant “Tandem” [Exercises]
• George & Caplin “Horse Fair When I’m 32” [He Really Got Through to Advertising]
• Iggy Pop “We Are The People” [Free]
• Whirling Hall of Knives “2-Bar Heater and Smoke” [Electic Lava]
• Somesurprises “High Rise” [somesurprises]
• The Continental Cousins “Kana Kapila” [60s Jungle Garage Teen Beat]
• Miss Murgatroid “Ballad of the Panatonic” [Myoclyonic Melodies]
• Nyctalllz “The Humanity Demise” [The Humanity Demise]
• Rhys Chatham “Hard Edge (the Wire Editions)” [The Wire Tapper 2]
• Sonic’s Rendezvous Band “Electrophonic Tonic – The Best Stuff You Havent Heard” [Sonic’s Rendezvous Band]
• Negativland “True False” [True False]
• Kim Gordon “Get Yr Life Back” [No Home Record]

Yolo on a pilgrimage we’re at Freeform Portland an extra week. So between two What’s This Called? is this space that is also but not entirely the same. Go to your mirror and turn it upside down. Watch carefully.

HEAR THE FIRST HOUR HERE:

HEAR THE SECOND HOUR HERE:

PLAYLIST:

• Ennio Morricone “The desert – Il deserto” [The good, the bad and the ugly]
• 헤이스트링 “A bottomless pit” [Salto]
• Between “Devotion” [Soul Jazz Records Presents DEUTSCHE ELEKTRONISCHE MUSIK: Experimental German Rock and Electronic Music 1972-83]
• Jen Morris “Auterepart” [Interactions A Guide to Swiss Underground Experimental Music]
• Staruha Mha “Tar B Tymahe” [Unknown Files]
• Surya “Serenade Upgrade” [Music to Watch]
• Amy Denio “Wolf Moon” [Eureka]
• Lixo “Writer’s Block (feat. Trim)” [Writer’s Block]
• Flying Lotus “Takashi” [Flamagra]
• The Idealist “Bad Things Happen Dub (Wire Tapper edit)” [The Wire Tapper 51]
• The Soft Moon “Primal Eyes” [The Soft Moon]
• Spectral Bazaar “Neptune” [The Planets]
• Sky High Diamonds “The Discoverer” [Witchcraft & Black Magic in the United Kingdom]
• Adrian Belew “She Is Not Dead” [Desire Of The Rhino King]
• Lightning Bolt “Halloween 3” [Sonic Citadel]
• Kim Gordon “Air BnB” [No Home Record]
• Negativland “Destroying Anything” [True False]
• Lene Lovich “Writing on the Wall” [Stateless]
• Hans Castrup “Full of Used Notes” [The world is all that is…]
• Kollectiv “Rambo Zambo” [Deutsche Elektronische Musik (Experimental German Rock And Electronic Musik 1972-83)]
• Farouk Adil “Surface Crack” [Anthology of contemporary music from Middle East]
• Buck Young “Bell Jar of Whiskey” [Buck II: Where Do You Want It?]
• The Caretaker “Stage 6: Place in the World fades away” [Everywhere at the end of Time]

Featuring acapella folk jams and classic noisecore/queercore recordings by Joshua Ploeg/Plague who is the author of 11 cookbooks, was the lead vocalist/lyricist in Mukilteo Fairies and Behead the Prophet No Lord Shall Live as well as playing in Kiss Me Kill Me, Lords of Lightspeed, and The Special Friend. In addition to both noise and acoustic folk solo sets he currently performs in Select Sex and Sanctuary of Sound.

Ricardo and Joshua have know each other since Ricardo procured a zine from Joshua outside the Capitol Theater in Olympia in 1993. Tune in to hear the story of what the zine was about.

LISTEN TO THE FIRST HOUR HERE:

LISTEN TO THE SECOND HOUR HERE:

PLAYLIST:

• Negativland “This Is Not Normal” [True False]
• Art Ensemble of Chicago “We Are on the Edge (radio edit)” [We Are On the Edge: a 50th Anniversary Celebration]
• Thurston Moore “Galaxies (edit)” [Spirit Counsel]
• Select Sex “Strategies Against Ameteurs” [Strategies Against Ameteurs]
• Sanctuary of Sound “The Merry Witches” [Hymns & Conjurations]
• Tarot Twilight “Tarot One” [Tarot One]
• Joshua Ploeg “Tam Lin” [Live on What’s This Called?]
• WaqWaq Kingdom “Doggy Bag” [Doggy Bag]
• Kim Gordon “Don’t Play It” [No Home Record]
• The Fall “Eat Y’Self Fitter” [Perverted By Language (Expanded Edition)]
• Lords of Lightspeed “White Chocolate and Brimstone” [Lords of Lightspeed]
• Behead the Prophet, No Lord Shall Live “Clenching the Veil” [Behead the Prophet, No Lord Shall Live]
• Richard Skelton “Altar Valley” [Border Ballads]
• Grey Frequency “Elegy for Vinegar Tom” [Witchcraft & Black Magic in the United Kingdom]
• Joshua Ploeg “Ditties Live” [Live on What’s This Called?]
• Pharoah Chromium “Gaza Requiem” [Anthology of contemporary music from Middle East]
• Parliament “Mothership Connection (Star Child)” [Mothership Connection]
• Joshua Ploeg “Americana Ditties” [Live on What’s This Called?]
• Pan Sonic “Urania” [Vakio]
• Daft Punk “Rollin’ & Scratchin'” [Homework]
• Mukilteo Fairies “Closet Check” [Closet Check]
• Sun Ra “Somebody Else’s World – a.k.a. Somebody Else’s Idea” [My Brother the Wind, Vol. 2]

Weekend comes and now you feel
Like your afterlife

HEAR THE FIRST HOUR HERE:

HEAR THE SECOND HOUR HERE:

PLAYLIST:

• Psanck “Dau Cant Un Deg Wyth” [Psanck II]
• Noijzu “Invisible” [INTERACTIONS A Guide to Swiss Underground Experimental Music]
• Spectral Bazaar “Neptune” [The Planets]
• Purpura “Cruel” [INTERACTIONS A Guide to Swiss Underground Experimental Music]
• Unwound “October All Over” [Leaves Turn Inside You]
• Guapo “Obscure Knowledge (Wire Tapper Edit)” [The Wire Tapper 38]
• Satori “Hag of Hair” [Witchcraft & Black Magic in the United Kingdom]
• Oneohtrix Point Never “Sleep Dealer” [Replica]
• Violent Vickie “The Wolf” [Monster Alley]
• Therminal C “Sputnik Crash” [INTERACTIONS A Guide to Swiss Underground Experimental Music]
• Daniel Williams “Do You Believe in Witches?” [Witchcraft & Black Magic in the United Kingdom]
• Tarkamt “Death Takes a Vacation” [Live at the Necropolis]
• Joan Baez “Diamonds And Rust” [Diamonds & Rust]
• Crystal Cortez “Samhain” [Soundcloud]
• Lelani “Floating” [Fantastic Planet]
• Sonologyst “Phantoms” [Phantoms]
• John 3:16 “Into The Abyss” [Ten]
• David Bowie “Lazarus” [Blackstar]
• Cream “SWLABR” [Disraeli Gears]
• Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds “Ghosteen” [Ghosteen]
• rarescale “Apparition and Release” [Apparition and Release – Rarescale Plays Michael Oliva]
• Howlround “Crypt of Saint John” [Witchcraft & Black Magic in the United Kingdom]
• Vanilla Fudge “Season of the Witch – 2006 Remaster” [Renaissance]

In 1993 I began my 6th ever radio program, and first for KAOS Olympia. 26 years and two stations later I am still doing What’s This Called? This week marks our first year completed at the remarkable Freeform Portland station! We celebrated with a 4 hour show that began by saying a sad goodbye to Daniel Johnston , included a lengthy sampling of the Unexplained Sounds Group compilation Anthology of contemporary music from Middle East , new music form Aidan Baker, Kim Gordon, and Negativland, and so much more!

HEAR THE FIRST HOUR HERE:

HEAR THE SECOND HOUR HERE:

HEAR THE THIRD HOUR HERE:

HEAR THE FOURTH HOUR HERE:

PLAYLIST:

• • Daniel Johnston “Happy Time” [Fun]
  • TV On The Radio “Walking The Cow” [The Late Great Daniel Johnston: Discovered Covered]
  • Daniel Johnston “Loner” [Don’t Be Scared]
  • Daniel Johnston “I Killed The Monster” [Artistic Vice]
  • Spectrum “True Love Will Find You in the End” [Their Sympathetic Majesties Request]
  • Daniel Johnston “Death” [Why Me? (Live Volksbühne Berlin)]
  • Daniel Johnston “King Kong” [Yip Jump Music]
  • Built To Spill “Some Things Last A Long Time” [The Normal Years]
  • Calvin Johnson “Sorry Entertainer” [The Late Great Daniel Johnston: Discovered Covered]
  • Jad Fair “What The World Need Now” [It’s Spooky]
  • Rebecca Moore “Cartoon Lust” [Home Wreckording 1997-1999]
  • Sin Ned & Uneasy Chairs “Gwai” [Zeitgeist]
  • The Silverman “Nature of Illusion (edit)” [Nature of Illusion]
  • The Social Stomach “Live @ Lombard Pub” [Freeform Portland Benefit]
  • Alex Reagan “Central Square Mausoleum” [Horse Printer]
  • Nilufer Ormanli “Art of Dying” [Anthology of contemporary music from Middle East]
  • Pharoah Chromium “Gaza Requiem” [Anthology of contemporary music from Middle East]
  • Ahmed Selah “Khitam” [Anthology of contemporary music from Middle East]
  • Guy Galem “Parallels” [Anthology of contemporary music from Middle East]
  • Eric Hausmann “Callarobbie (feat. RLLRBLL)” [16 Degrees]
  • Kim Gordon “Air BnB” [Air BnB]
  • Adrian Belew “The Rail Song” [Desire Of The Rhino King]
  • Negativland “Discernment” [True False]
  • Cabbage Patch Kill Dolls “Forget About Me” [Cabbage Patch Kill Dolls]
  • Skip Martin “Hammer Blow” [The Music From Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer]
  • Lord Nelson “Shango” [Rough Guide To Voodoo]
  • Ravi Shankar “Hollywood Dhun” [Hollywood, 1971]
  • Savant “The Neo-Realist” [Artificial Dance]
  • Overdose the Katatonic “Nodded Into Bliss” [Unreleased Track]
  • Einsturzende Neubauten “ZNS” [Strategies Against Archetecture II]
  • The Tape-Beatles “Desire “ [Death of Vinyl]
  • Mouse On Mars “Maus Mobil” [Rost Pocks]
  • Bardo Pond “Destroying Angel” [Ticket Crystals]
  • Black Dice “Endless Happiness – Eye Remix” [DFA Records Compilation #2]
  • MC5 “The American Ruse” [Back In The USA]
  • Big Star “September Gurls” [#1 Record/Radio City]
  • Aidan Baker “Lurking In Some Corner” [The Forever Tapes]
  • Unwound “Behold the Salt (Live ATP)” [All Tomorrow’s Parties 1.1]
  • Melvins “Let Me Roll It” [Freak Puke]
  • Fad Gadget “Back To Nature” [The Fad Gadget Singles]