WPRB 103.3FM

Wed 5/16, 8PM: Tim Foljahn live on WPRB

Jon Solomon — Mon, 14 May 2012 16:00:57 +0000

Listen to 103.3 fm WPRB on Wednesday, May 16th at 8:00 pm ET as Jon Solomon welcomes Kiam recording artist Tim Foljahn to the Doctor Cosmo Production Studio for an exclusive live performance.

Here’s what Kiam had to say about Foljahn’s simultaneously bleak and uplifting new record “Songs For An Age Of Extinction”:

Tim Foljahn is a Michigan-born, New York-based singer-songwriter/guitarist who has more than likely played on one of your favorite records.

Some highlights from the tip of his iceberg-sized resume: He was the guitarist on the first two Cat Power records. He toured with and worked on the final Townes Van Zandt recordings. He lent his guitar skills to Half Japanese as well as the Boredoms. He played on the fantastic Thurston Moore solo record Psychic Hearts.

All the while, Foljahn released a series of his own brooding and lovely song cycles and experimental recordings under the moniker Two Dollar Guitar. With Sonic Youth’s Steve Shelley on drums and a revolving cast of band and tour mates, including Smokey Hormel, Chris Brokaw and Christina Rosenvinge, the group released six albums on Shelley’s Smells Like Records label.

Songs For An Age Of Extinction is Foljahn’s first “song-based” record since Two Dollar Guitar’s The Wear and Tear of Fear from 2006 and his first release for Kiam Records. The wait has been long, but worth it.

The seven songs on Songs For An Age Of Extinction are long and languid—the shortest is over four minutes and the longest is over ten. But even marathon tracks like “The Dust of Exploded Stars” never wander aimlessly: Foljahn knows just where the songs are headed and you just have to have the trust and patience to follow him there.

On the album’s third track “Faded”, Foljahn sings the question, “How do I leave what’s gone?” His voice is searching but also somehow sounds comfortable in its sense of unease. It’s a defining, poignant moment on a record full of them.

“We really are in an age of extinction,” Foljahn said. “Species disappearing in droves – that as a fact and as a metaphor. It’s not the end of the world. Time, space, beliefs, people, relationships come and go and other stuff comes in. It’s a little corny but it is kind of cycle of life type stuff and how the universe interacts with us.”

The sound of the record is typically awash in Foljahn’s distinct, lush guitar playing and deep, rich vocal melodies, but also features a new element: piano.

“There are always songs kicking around but I think what made me think I had a record going were the songs I started writing on piano,” Foljahn said. “That seemed like a new direction worth exploring. I love the full resonance of the Wurlitzer. Like guitar, it functions so well by itself, can do chords and melody lines. But I think the real reason I was drawn to the piano is that I have lost a lot of the primitiveness and crudeness in my guitar playing, and I think I really missed that sort of simplicity. I have that in spades on the keys. There is nothing subtle or fancy happening there.”

Songs For An Age of Extinction was recorded by Foljahn at his home studio over the course of a year and mixed by Tom Beaujour at Nuthouse Recording in Hoboken. Foljahn plays everything on the record with two exceptions: Alexa Wilding plays piano and sings on “War Song” and Kirsten McCord plays cello on “Faded.”

Beaujour was particularly impressed with Foljahn’s recording skills: “When you get tracks that were recorded in an apartment with less than $500 worth of equipment that sound as good as Tim’s did, your initial impulse is to fucking light all the pricey gear in the studio on fire and go fishing. Once that passes, you just want to make sure that you do the work justice and don’t make anything worse than it was when it came in the door.”

Here is video of Foljahn covering a Ramones song at Time Out New York.

Look for an equally excellent cover in their WPRB session!

Spring Fundraiser Premiums: Level 1 Button Set

joanie — Thu, 10 May 2012 22:16:26 +0000

As part of our current fundraising campaign (read all about it here), we’re giving you the chance to get some awesome premiums as thanks for your pledge. We’d appreciate any gift that you could spare in order to directly help WPRB’s pressing web and computing needs. Here’s a look at the reward we’re offering at pledge level 1, all for the very affordable donation amount of $15:

On the left, an extremely classy WPRB Vinyl logo. On the right, the classic 90s Hypnotized Cheese design, making its 20^th anniversary comeback. Now, imagine them on buttons. Imagine those buttons pinned on your tote bag. On your jacket. On your Star Trek uniform (we won’t judge). Can you look at those button designs and honestly say that you don’t have a place for them in your wardrobe/world? We didn’t think so.

Go here to pledge today and let everyone know that you support the best radio around.

Announcing the WPRB Spring Fundraiser!

dipika — Mon, 07 May 2012 14:42:10 +0000

Dear Lover of Great Radio,

WPRB’s transformation to a listener-supported station in 2007 was no accident of timing. The proliferation of online streaming music services and subscriber based satellite radio sealed the fate for countless college and community radio stations. But where others saw defeat, WPRB saw a unique challenge: to stay relevant in an ever-changing mediascape. After six years of successful membership drives, it’s clear that thousands of listeners around the world appreciate our unorthodox style of programming and desire ways to engage with it more directly. This month, we’re holding a fundraising campaign to greet these challenges head on, and I hope we can count on your pledge. In the hopes of winning your financial support, we’re adding an opportunity to declare your love publicly with some great WPRB swag.

Unlike our annual on-air membership drive, this fundraising campaign will not interrupt our normal programming, nor will any money earned from it go towards mere ‘operating expenses.’ Instead, proceeds from this mailing will go directly to where they are most needed: to rehabilitate our in-house computing and website needs. In order for WPRB to better serve its increasingly tech-savvy listener base, we have to upgrade our technology so that podcasts, interactive playlists, and alternate content streams become a reality.

WPRB Hypnotized Cheese T-Shirt

We know it’s a big deviation from past traditions to ask for your help twice in one year, and we wouldn’t be doing it if there wasn’t a palpable sense of new energy around the “20th floor of the WPRB communications complex,” as dear Dr. Cosmo used to call it. To show our gratitude towards our most dedicated supporters, we’re bringing back one of the station’s most legendary t-shirt designs on the occasion of its 20th anniversary (Hypnotized Cheese! See above.) Since these shirts will be made only to meet the demand of this mailing, this bit of 90’s nostalgia is bound to be an instant collectible. If you’re so inclined, you can pledge at a higher level and you’ll not only get the shirt, but also the WPRB coffee mug and button set (see below) which will certainly make you the object of envy in the office, the dorm, or wherever else your travels may take you.

You can make your tax-deductible pledge online by clicking here! Remember, your contribution goes directly to help WPRB reach you, our loyal listeners, and expand the scope of the programming you’ve come to know and love. I hope to hear from you!

Dipika Sen
WPRB Station Manager

Princeton Record Store Day 2012: Reflections

tom — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 20:42:38 +0000

They say that Christmas comes just once each year. Maybe this is true. But I urge my reader not to be boxed in by Decemberistic definitions of that magical gift-giving day. For once every April, there comes a glorious day for audiophilic vinyl junkies and music snobs alike. I speak, of course, of National Record Store Day. It’s exactly what it sounds like, folks. A celebration of that obscure, hole-in-the-wall record store in your hometown that you’ve probably heard of but never actually seen, much less ventured into. On this day, the best of indie acts and classic rock figureheads put out exclusive vinyl releases and other novelties priced too high yet seemingly so valuable in the right hands. On this day, devoted fans line up outside their favorite local record store, sometimes camped out all night, to get their hands on that ever-elusive RSD-only release. I can only liken it to the sort of crazed Star Wars fans of the ‘70s lining up outside the movie theater, some decked out in full costume, waiting for the premiere of the next movie. Jack White’s Third Man Records in Nashville represents the ultimate Mecca for many record lovers, with such Willy Wonka-esque creations as the liquid filled record and the record-within-a-record. But for those who can’t travel to Nashville every April 21st, there’s always some bud of hope popping up just north of campus this time of year.

For those of you who think that this article, and Record Store Day itself, belong only to those whose favorite book and movie is High Fidelity, I implore you to consider the weight that Record Store Day carries with it. In so many ways, RSD represents the national celebration of the underdog. A gathering of perhaps otherwise unrelated Average Joe’s championing the small business, the homegrown, close-to-the-heart sort of tradition that runs like a vein somewhere through American cultural consciousness. In the most perfectly timed spring awakening, we get to be like the kids in the candy store yet again, celebrating with complete strangers what may as well be the thrill of the chase, the grabbing of that elusive record and blowing your allowance in one morning. There is no trampling of fellow patrons like Black Friday. No, instead there is a sense of sanctity, respect, and just plain fun that culminates in the happenings of National Record Store Day.

I myself looked forward greatly to participating in this year’s Record Store Day, in a new environment, with new places and faces. I had spoken briefly to Princeton Record Exchange general manager Jon Lambert about the “big day,” and there was nothing short of sheer enthusiasm and excitement in the conversation between the two of us. He of course spoke of “the big day” with a sort of business owner’s professional excitement that can only come when fandom and work intersect. Added he on one email, “The [release] I am most interested in is the Flaming Lips double LP “The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends” featuring Nick Cave, Erykah Badu, and a slew of others.” With all this anticipation in mind, I ventured over to the Princeton Record Exchange on Saturday afternoon and found that very familiar sight of a long line snaking through the stacks of CDs and records. Outside sat other devoted representatives such as the great WPRB and the ever popular “free stuff” table, and the general hustle and bustle surrounding PRex was clearly a very welcome sort of heavy traffic for a Saturday.

I waited in line with my girlfriend, pointing out various albums that I enjoyed and cool album artwork that we saw, all the while hoping to convey to her, an eager rookie to the magic that is Record Store Day, the excitement that surrounds this glorious occasion. With an excited thumb-twiddling anticipation, I awaited my turn to pick through the coveted RSD-only releases, everything from elusive box sets to crazy vinyl collaborations to otherwise unattainable B-sides from everyone’s favorite bands. When I got my chance to look into the great trove that Prex held, a lot had already been picked through, I guess by those truly devoted vinyl-heads who camped out at 6:00am, but the search was nonetheless rewarding. To use yet another Willy Wonka analogy, it felt something a little like Charlie Bucket ripping open countless Wonka bars to finally find that golden ticket, a sort of Golden Fleece kind of find that is well worth the year long wait. I came out of there with a couple solid 7” records (one Jack White, the other Mikal Cronin) and one oldie 12” (the Byrds’ Greatest Hits), but I could have easily emptied my wallet and more in there.

They Might Be Giants perform outside the Princeton Public Library on Record Store Day

With a few precious records and a couple free posters (the “free stuff” may be the best part of RSD), I headed back to campus to catch a quick nap before the fun continued that evening. Any respectable local record store usually has some live music playing as part of Record Store Day, and the Princeton Record Exchange was no exception. The plaza outside Princeton Public Library was graced with the presence of Grammy-nominated jokesters They Might Be Giants, and what a spectacle it was. Sure, the stage was tiny, and the underwhelming sound system got lost in the outdoor atmosphere, but, ah, to see so many people come together, seemingly out of nowhere, to unite on this day of days for the Average Joe and his average little passions! I didn’t even know that many people lived in Princeton, but the sight of grown men, bobbing and singing along with their young daughters on their shoulders, struck a chord that really summed up the whole glorious occasion. Record Store Day has been, is being, and will continue to be. The small business, the average Joe, and the music junkie have cause to celebrate. Because maybe, just maybe, Christmas could come again in April.

WPRB Top 30 (Week Ending 20 April)

arjun — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 03:09:17 +0000

Happy Friday everybody! Here are our top albums for the week just past:

1 CHEERS ELEPHANT Like Wind Blows Fire Self-Released
2 DR. DOG Be The Void Anti
3 DIRTY GHOSTS Metal Moon Last Gang
4 ESCORT Escort Escort
5 FRANKIE ROSE Interstellar Slumberland
6 GOLDFRAPP The Singles EMI
7 GRIMES Visions 4AD
8 LEE RANALDO Between The Times And The Tides Matador
9 MANY ARMS Many Arms Tzadik
10 PONTIAK Echo Ono Thrill Jockey
11 TENNIS Young And Old Fat Possum
12 TRUST TRST Arts And Crafts
13 WHITE HILLS Frying On This Rock Thrill Jockey
14 BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB A Different Kind Of Fix A&M-Octone
15 ERRORS Have Some Faith In Magic Rock Action
16 FEEDTIME Today Is Friday
17 FUNGI GIRLS Some Easy Magic Hozac
18 JAY FARRAR & BEN GIBBARD One Fast Move Atlantic
19 K.S. CHITHRA K.S. Chithra Audiotracs
20 PALOMAR Sense And Antisense Self-Released
21 RADAR EYES Radar Eyes Hozac
22 RHYTON Rhyton Thrill Jockey
23 SCHOOL OF SEVEN BELLS Ghostory Vagrant
24 BRIXTON RIOT Palace Amusements Modern Hymnal
25 WOODEN OWLS Through the Looking Glass s/r
26 TIM FOLJHAN Songs for an Age of Extinction Kiam
27 VIVA VOCE The Future Will Destroy You Vanguard
28 WOWSER BOWSER Wowser Bowser
29 YANN TIERSEN Skyline Anti
30 YOUNG MAGIC Melt Carpark

From the Nassau Weekly: Nasstalghia

joanie — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 17:56:46 +0000

This week, at The Nass:

Tom Markham makes a case for the poetic soul of Alex Turner (of The Arctic Monkeys):

There’s no denying that poetry is one of the oldest forms of writing that we mere mortals have fleshed out onto whatever stone tablet or papyrus leaf or iPad may have been convenient to us at the time. Whether as a form of tribute, social critique, or emotional outlet, poetry has for many eons been an impressively telling pulse check on where our minds and hearts are wandering in a certain decade or century. And yet, here we stand, in what may or may not be our last year ever, and poetry is largely regarded as a thing of the past. I wonder how many of us could name the last great American poet. Off the top of my head, maybe Frost? Or Plath? Or dare I say Billy Collins? …

Jessica Welsh dissects the popularity of “Call Me Maybe”:

A little over a month ago, the Nass ran an article titled “Who the &#@% is Lana Del Rey?” To be honest, I didn’t know either. After reading the piece, however, I now know that Lana Del Ray, “a self-styled gangsta Nancy Sinatra” according to one Guardian writer, is an Internet singing sensation whose disastrously awkward Saturday Night Live television debut made her one of January’s hottest news items. And I know that several Nass writers were convinced enough of her significance within the landscape of American popular culture that they insisted she be featured in our “Blue Ivy League” issue …

And much, much more! If you dare step outside the bounds of music commentary, that is.

Wed 4/18, 8PM: Nervous Curtains live on WPRB

Jon Solomon — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 16:00:10 +0000

Listen to 103.3 fm WPRB on Wednesday, April 18th at 8:00 pm ET as Jon Solomon welcomes Latest Flame trio Nervous Curtains all the way from Texas to the Doctor Cosmo Production Studio for an exclusive live performance.

Here’s the press release for the band’s fine second album “Fake Infinity”:

With their amplified synth-rock and creeped-out, cryptic vocal hooks, Nervous Curtains’ new record takes you into a world of Fake Infinity where everything you think you know is wrong. The canvas here is filled out by black space organ and pulverized synthesizers. The grand piano that dominated the Dallas, TX-based trio’s 2010 debut, Out of Sync with Time, is used sparingly, lending these songs an aura of impenetrability. Sean Kirkpatrick, formerly of The Paper Chase, has written a record that wakes you up and shakes you out of the usual stupor.

Taking the dislocation and anxious agitation of 70s post-punkers such as Magazine or early Ultravox and injecting a jagged noise rock aesthetic and dynamic moodiness, Nervous Curtains avoids retro devotion while producing a memorable and authentic sonic experience. Kirkpatrick creates narrators whose pathologies and disorders put them at odds with the world around them on “Moody Photos,” “Wired to Make Waves” and “The Crooked Telepathic.” “Come Around Viral” subverts the usual feel-good aesthetic of spiritual connectedness with a darker undercurrent. Album centerpiece “It’s the End of Eternity” brings you into the post-apocalyptic world of your own adulthood.

The song is a landscape where discarded metal bakes on the broken concrete foundations of abandoned buildings and carefree summers of youth have given way to oppressive heat waves. As naive optimism and idealism have been destroyed, the band seeks a new kind of beauty in the rubble.When the world is at its end, it is whatever you make it to be. Once you understand that we’re living in Fake Infinity, a new concept of personal success is born within the crumbling system. When the final track, “Letter of Resignation,” tells you to “kill your dreams before they kill you”—you’re grateful for the advice. Nervous Curtains promises you, this is no beach party.

Nervous Curtains has released a series of videos for songs from this release. Below you’ll find one built around the track “Come Around Viral.”

WPRB (tries to) Dominate at Princeton University’s Annual Dodgeball Tournament

gabbie — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 02:21:00 +0000

In a valiant effort to vanquish the devilish “Projects Board,” WPRB embarked on a vicious quest for victory in Dillon Gym for Princeton University’s dodgeball tournament.

It was a bloodbath. At the sound of the first whistle, WPRB-ers rushed towards the centerline to acquire all the dodgeballs. The Projects Board, however, had the same idea, and they too rushed to the center with a slightly more aggressive and naturally quicker gait. WPRB would not let this minor problem of having fewer balls get it down. With a fair number of strong lasses and lads and a couple of balls, we began to catapult the enemy. The enemy responded in turn, hitting innocent yet strong WPRB staff members out to the sidelines. Fortunately, WPRB-ers had a variety of strategies. Some went right in for the kill, attempting to hit the large, overly muscular members of the Projects Board with the utmost power. Others hid behind their teammates, just waiting for the moment to throw their victory throw.

Esteemed Music Director Devika Balachandran employed this second method until she was the last member standing. She dipped, she dived, she dodged, just not as aggressively as one might hope. With the entire Projects Board against her, she did not run. She remained strong in the face of danger and did not collapse on the ground with a heartattack. And as a video of Devika shows, she created a new dance move while she ran around the dodgeball court.

It was a slaughter, but a noble slaughter. The Projects Board was a fierce opponent, and as we knights say against the heat of the foul dragon’s breath, “At least I tried.” (In this badly constructed metaphor the knights are WPRB staff members, and the foul dragon’s breath is the Projects Board.)

(Hit the jump for the more intimate details of our apparel)

Okay, but legit. We should have won.

Reason number one: we had matching outfits. You know those awesome “ghost gal” t-shirts from the membership drive this year? Yeah, we were wearing them and totally looked awesome. The major fault of our apparel, however, probably was that we weren’t wearing any matching spandex.

Reason number two: there were so many of us! Seriously, mad props to all who came out and the random Princetonians who joined our team. To give you the inside scoop, the limit for our team bracket was 20. We had 19, so perfect domination could have happened. Again, though, this might’ve caused a problem: the randos were plotting against us and were probably paid by the Projects Board to ruin our chances.

Reason number three: do I really need another reason? We are WPRB, for goodness sakes. We have really great tastes in music, are really attractive, and have the voices of gods.

Unfortunately, I think we underestimated the connection between spinning crunk vinyl and throwing round balls. For example:

Does not equal

As you can see, one is in fact a sphere. Shoot.

Next year, however, I know WPRB will last longer than six minutes (just kidding, five minutes). We have the talent and the spirit. For example, Traffic Director Gerry Veltri said, “I got a couple of them out.”

We just need to remember how to dodge, dip, duck, dive, and dodge. And even if we don’t learn those things, WPRB will always be the team of my heart.

Here are some really good iPhone pics:

Gerry makes some moves

The evil Projects Board

Devika and Gerry, the last (wo)men standing

Get to Know WPRB’s DJs: DJ Reed

joanie — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 04:40:46 +0000

DJ Name: Reed

Show: Thursdays 3-5 pm

Type of Music Played: Indie rock, House, Dubstep, Electronic

Accounting for Taste: I only learned about the American music scene from overseas through Pitchfork and other sites, and since they mainly focus on Indie music I started out listening to that. By and by, I developed a taste for electronic music. I think it’s the freshest type of music out there these days, and it can go in so many directions. There’s just so much unexplored terrain.

Reasons for being a DJ: When I came to Princeton, I immediately tried to join as many clubs as I could because I was afraid of not being able to compare to the other Princeton kids. I saw WPRB’s presentation in the music building during frosh week, and I figured since I liked music so much I might as well try it out, and I’m glad I did.

Day Job: student.

Hometown: Chiang Mai, Thailand

Musical Idol: Claire Boucher (Grimes)

Currently Listening to: Hôtel Costes 14 mix by Stephane Pompougnac

Currently Reading: My COS 126 book.

Favourite City Visited: Pattaya, Thailand

Anything else? Listen to my show!!

WPRB Music Charts – April 7

arjun — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 19:03:23 +0000

Hello, listeners! Hope you are enjoying this lovely weekend, and what better way to do so than with one of WPRB’s top albums of the week:

1 GRIMES Visions 4AD
2 SCHOOL OF SEVEN BELLS Ghostory Vagrant
3 ESCORT Escort Escort
4 TRUST TRST Arts And Crafts
5 AIR Le Voyage Dans La Lune EMI
6 ALFREDO RODRIGUEZ Sounds Of Space QWEST
7 BRAD MEHLDAU TRIO Ode Nonesuch
8 CHEERS ELEPHANT Like Wind Blows Fire Self-Released
9 COMET GAIN Howl Of The Lonely Crowd What’s Your Rupture
10 DR. DOG Be The Void Anti
11 G. GREEN 45 12XU
12 GREG HARRIS VIBE QUINTET Glass Gold
13 KATE MCGARRY Girl Talk Palmetto
14 MANY ARMS Many Arms Tzadik
15 NADA SURF The Stars Are Indifferent To Astronomy Barsuk
16 PRINCE RAMA Trust Now Carpark
17 SIC Thought Noises Dark Entries
18 SNARKY PUPPY Ground Up
19 TENNIS Young And Old Fat Possum
20 ANDY KUNCL Musik/Dance/Love Self-Released
21 BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB A Different Kind Of Fix A&M-Octone
22 DIRTY GHOSTS Metal Moon Last Gang
23 GOLDFRAPP The Singles EMI
24 GONJASUFI MU.ZZ.LE Warp
25 JASON URICK I Love You Thrill Jockey
26 MIND SPIDERS Meltdown Dirtnap
27 PALOMAR Sense And Antisense Self-Released
28 KILLS The Last Goodbye Domino
29 WIRE The Black Session Pink Flag
30 YOUNG MAGIC Melt Carpark