The Executioner’s Rite Of Spring

No.163, aired March 21, 2012, the annual “Rite Of Spring” Episode, where an innocent audiobook is sacrificed to the punishing rhythms of Stravinsky’s violent modernist ballet. This year’s sacrificial victim “The Four Disciplines Of Execution,” a corporate manifesto by Steven R. Covey and Chris McChesney, was rudely interruped with songs by The Subhumans, Capleton, and some tracks from Voivod’s recently uncovered early masterpiece, To The Death ’84.

Part 1

1. Stop And Go – Emetics
2. Young Girl’s Dances – Igor Stravinsky (comp.) / Chicago Symphony Orchestra
3. Bursting Out – Voivod
4. Naval Aviation In Art? – Frank Zappa
5. Mock Abduction – Igor Stravinsky (comp.) / Chicago Symphony Orchestra
6. Danger Zone – Capleton
7. Round Dances – Igor Stravinsky (comp.) / Chicago Symphony Orchestra
8. Death To The Sickoids – Subhumans
9. Games Of Rival Tribes / Wise Elder’s Procession – Igor Stravinsky (comp.) / Chicago Symphony Orchestra
10. Live For Violence – Voivod
11. Dance Of The Earth – Igor Stravinsky (comp.) / Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Part 2

1. Dance Of The Earth / Mystic Circles – Igor Stravinsky (comp.) / Chicago Symphony Orchestra
2. Apt Urbane – Emetics
3. The More Them Try – Capleton
4. Glorification / Summoning The Ancients – Igor Stravinsky (comp.) / Chicago Symphony Orchestra
5. No Productivity – Subhumans
6. Ancients’ Ritual – Igor Stravinsky (comp.) / Chicago Symphony Orchestra
7. Condemned To The Gallows – Voivod
8. Sacrificial Dance – Igor Stravinsky (comp.) / Chicago Symphony Orchestra
9. Pissed Off ... With Good Reason - Subhumans

Oh Canaduh

No.127, aired June 29, 2011. An all-Canadian episode, featuring tracks from the Oh Canaduh vol.2 CD, a compilation of Canadian punk rock cover versions, and readings of Canadian poet Earl Birney.

Part 1

1. Oh Canaduh – The Subhumans
2. Naval Aviation In Art? – Frank Zappa
3. Oh Canada (Can’t Help Standing On Guard For You) – uncredited final track on Oh Canaduh CD.
4. Try Not To Stutter – Puritans (originally by Nomeansno)
5. Elan For Orchestra – Linda Bouchard -- Slug In Woods / World Winter / Ulysses – Earle Birney
6. Living On Top – Stand GT (originally by Jerry Jerry & The Sons of Rhythm Orchestra)
7. Slaughterhouse – Little Miss Higgins -- El Greco: Espolio – Earle Birney
8. Shamrock Bang – Titans (originally by U.I.C.)
9. Divertissement: Andante Allegro – Pierre Mercure -- Mapmounde / Bushed – Earle Birney

Part 2

1. Machine Shop – Junior Varsity (orginally by The Spys)
2. Dripsody – Hugh LeCaire -- Can Lit – Earle Birney
3. Barbara – More Fun (originally by The Modernettes)
4. Snowin’ Today: A Lament For Louis Riel – Little Miss Higgins
5. Oh Canaduh – Cub (originally by The Subhumans)
6. Carnival Overture – Oskar Morawetz -- Ellesmereland / A Walk In Kyoto – Earle Birney
7. The Grey And The Black – Nomads (originally by the Demics)
8. 1000 Cigarettes – MSTRKRFT -- Vancouver Lights – Earle Birney
9. Broken Ship – Immaculate Machine

The Liberal Hater's Rite Of Spring

No.115, aired March 23.

This was my annual Rite Of Spring episode, in which I sacrifice an audiobook to the pagan death ritual of Igor Stravinsky’s violent 1912 ballet.

This year’s sacrificial victim was Ann Coulter’s How To Talk To A Liberal (If You Must), which fought bravely before fainting under a barrage of angry modernist hornblast & percussion, heckling from various birds (from a BBC sound effects CD), and rude interruptions from various punk rock bands. For overall sonic violence combined with accidentally appropriate song choices, this one gets a nomination for “best episode ever” honours.

Part 1

1. Rite Of Spring (Introduction) – Igor Stravinsky (comp.) / Chicago Symphony Orchestra
2. I Hate You – D.O.A.
3. Young Girl’s Dances – Igor Stravinsky (comp.) / Chicago Symphony Orchestra
4. U-J3RK5 Work For Police – U-J3RK5
5. Mock Abduction – Igor Stravinsky (comp.) / Chicago Symphony Orchestra
6. Sorceress – Cancer Bats
7. Round Dances – Igor Stravinsky (comp.) / Chicago Symphony Orchestra
8. Bullshit – Dishrags
9. Games Of Rival Tribes – Igor Stravinsky (comp.) / Chicago Symphony Orchestra
10. Wise Elder’s Procession – Igor Stravinsky (comp.) / Chicago Symphony Orchestra
11. Mothra – Anvil
12. Dance Of The Earth – Igor Stravinsky (comp.) / Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Part 2

1. Mystic Circles – Igor Stravinsky (comp.) / Chicago Symphony Orchestra
2. Nuan Gabo – U-J3RK5
3. Glorification – Igor Stravinsky (comp.) / Chicago Symphony Orchestra
4. Harem Of Scorpions – Cancer Bats
5. Summoning The Ancients – Igor Stravinsky (comp.) / Chicago Symphony Orchestra
6. Gasoline – American Flamewhip
7. Ancients’ Ritual – Igor Stravinsky (comp.) / Chicago Symphony Orchestra
8. Heat Sink – Anvil
9. Sacrificial Dance – Igor Stravinsky (comp.) / Chicago Symphony Orchestra
10. Fuck You – Subhumans
11. Pissed Off ... With Good Reason - Subhumans

Weird Incantations

No.108, aired February 2, 2011. Second-last episode to feature Joseph Conrad’s Heart Of Darkness.

Part 1

1. Pray For Darkness – Cancer Bats
2. In C – Terry Riley
3. Baby Please Don’t Go – Muddy Waters
4. Lunchmeataphobia (‘Think! It Ain’t Illegal Yet’) – Funkadelic
5. Naval Aviation In Art? – Frank Zappa
6. No Productivity – Subhumans
7. Wherever I Go – Eric Dolphy
8. Macrosolutions To Megaproblems – Voivod

Part 2

1. Firing Squad – Subhumans
2. Love Me – Eric Dolphy
3. Mannish Boy – Muddy Waters
4. Deserts, 3rd Interpolation – Edgard Varese
5. P.E. Squad / Doo Doo Chasers – Funkadelic
6. Broken Ship – Immaculate Machine
7. Pissed Off ... With Good Reason – Subhumans
8. Sailin’ On – Bad Brains

Strange Celestial Roads ... or Nationalist Fervor?

Episode no.77 celebrated the height of summer by playing all three tracks from Sun Ra’s 1979 jazz-rock exploration Strange Celestial Roads. To add a parallel strange journey, Joseph Conrad’s Heart Of Darkness was played along with Sun Ra, sometimes in the foreground, as if Conrad was on stage with the band, and sometimes receding to the backround, as if you were in a jazz club and were hearing Conrad telling his dark tale at the next table.

And to acknowledge July 1 (which began at the end of the program), we heard some national-themed Canadian punk rock.

For more information on W.B. Yonder (a.k.a. Regina’s Patrick Johnson)’s Oh Canada or for free downloads, visit: http://www.wbyonder.citymax.com/firstpage.html

Part 1

1. Oh Canada – W.B. Yonder
2. Oh Canaduh – Cub (originally by The Subhumans)
3. Naval Aviation In Art? – Frank Zappa
4. We Hate The Bloody Queen – Mudhoney (originally by the Queen Haters)
5. Celestial Road – Sun Ra
6. Proud To Be A Canadian – Dayglo Abortions
7. Say – Sun Ra

Part 2

1. Maple Leaf Rag – Saxology (Scott Joplin)
2. Truck Stop Nun – Von Zippers (originally by Da Shyme)
3. I Am Canadian – D.O.A.
4. I’ll Wait For You – Sun Ra
5. Oh Canaduh – The Subhumans

Canadadaday

July 1, 2009 Canada Day episode, featuring live readings of E.J. Pratt's Towards the Last Spike, F.R. Scott's The Canadian Social Register and Scott's brief retort to Pratt, All the Spikes But the Last. Readings were accompanied by orchestral works by various Canadian composers.

Part 1
1. Oh Canaduh - Subhumans
2. Canadian Customs - Frank Zappa
3. Divertissement for String Quartet - Pierre Mercure
4. The Only Junior Fiction - Godfried & Soy
5. Inquisition Day - Subhumans
6. Carnival Overture for Orchestra - Oskar Morawetz
7. Surfin' Canada - Lungbutter
8. Look at the Dawn - Subhumans

Part 2
1. Naval Aviation in Art? - Frank Zappa
2. Ronald McRaygun - Dayglo Abortions
3. Concerto For Piano & Orchestra: Allegro - Michael Conway Baker
4. Staggering Into the Night - Swelter
5. So Fine - The Real Slow Drag
6. Canadian Mosaic, Suite for Orchestra: The Contented House - Jean Coulthard
7. Elan for Orchestra - Linda Bouchard
8. Proud To Be a Canadian - Dayglo Abortions
9. Broken Ship - Immaculate Machine

Talking to Death

Aired June 3, 2009. Featured text was Edgar Cayce: Channeling Your Higher Self: A Practical Method to Tap into Higher Wisdom and Creativity, an Audio Renaissance production written by Stanley Ralph Ross & read by Mark Thurston

Part 1:
1. Repons (Section 1) - Pierre Boulez / Ensemble InterComporain
2. It's All Over - Headstones
3. Naval Aviation in Art? - Frank Zappa
4. Death Was Too Kind - Subhumans
5. Oh My God! - Headstones
6. III Meditation - Pericardium
7. The Dead Speak From Beyond - Pericardium
8. The Walking Dead - Eugene Chadbourne
9. Losing Control - Headstones

Part 2:
1. Repons (Section 1) - Pierre Boulez / Ensemble InterComporain
2. Cut - Headstones
3. I Talked To Death In Stereo - Eugene Chadbourne
4. Death To The Sickoids - Subhumans
5. Cemetery - Headstones
6. Anime Eyes - The Awkward Stage