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NEW "MAKE HER SPACE" EPISODE AVAILABLE NOW

9/19/2020

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watch the latest streaming episode HERE of MAKE HER SPACE on MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC as MAGIE presents an all-female playlist!

past episodes of MAKE HER SPACE as well as other MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC shows like DEER GOD RADIO, NOWHERE FAST, THE SYNTHESIZER SHOW and CLASSICAL-ISH WITH NUTMEG are available here at the DEER GOD website.

and if you haven't done so already get the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience!

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CHECK OUT THIS ARTIST | LADYHAWKE

9/18/2020

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i'm a total sucker for a hook. i don't look down at pop music in the slightest, when its done right its a great thing. RIHANNA, CHARLI XCX, SIA, KYLIE MINOGUE. NEW ZEALAND's LADYHAWKE is another i'd add to that list.

when i first heard the singles "MY DELIRIUM" and "MAGIC" off her debut album back in the day i was immediately transfixed. do yourself a favor look up her self-titled debut. you will not be disappointed.

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NEW "SYNTHESIZER SHOW" EPISODE AVAILABLE NOW

9/17/2020

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click HERE for another episode of THE SYNTHESIZER SHOW on MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC where Reed and Vince again from their secret lair in MASSACHUSETTS present another playlist of electronic goodness!

as always, you can access all past episodes of THE SYNTHESIZER SHOW via the DEER GOD website as well as those of MAKE HER SPACE, NOWHERE FAST, DEER GOD RADIO and CLASSICAL-ISH WITH NUTMEG.

and if you haven't done so already get the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience!

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SPOTLIGHT | THE PURSUIT OF TONE

9/16/2020

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before the creation of its current STRING THEORY series of YOUTUBE videos showcasing modern guitarists and guitar-based songwriters speak about their influences and love of all things amplified, ERNIE BALL had briefly created a longer-format series of videos called THE PURSUIT OF TONE that treaded the same territory except much more in depth.

my assumption is that they realized that these long-form videos could generate more traffic and viewership on YOUTUBE if chopped up into smaller chunks a la STRING THEORY. its also why these longer form videos are no longer on the main channel, instead reposted by numerous unauthorized third parties on YOUTUBE. oh well.

the four i could locate following the inspirations, techniques and gear behind MIKE NESS of SOCIAL DISTORTION, CHICAGO BLUES icon BUDDY GUY, BILL DUFFY of THE CULT, TOM DELONGE of BLINK 182 and producer BUTCH WALKER. quite the diverse roster of guitarists and you really get a feel for their approach and individual aesthetic regarding the instrument.

i understand why they didn't pursue it further but i'm glad these exist. enjoy!

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FILM REVIEW | THE GIRL FROM IPANEMA: BRAZIL, BOSSA NOVA AND THE BEACH

9/15/2020

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zthe harmonic complexity and intoxicating rhythms of BOSSA NOVA are on full display in THE GIRL FROM IPANEMA: BRAZIL, BOSSA NOVA AND THE BEACH (BBC, 2016), q recent documentary recounting the birth, development and dissemination of this unique BRASILIAN phenomena in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

after centuries of colonialism and authoritarian rule, BRASIL in the 1950s found itself with a new leader PRESIDENT JUSCELINO KUBITSCHEK, who promised and delivered on economic expansion and modernization of both industry and infrastructure. BOSSA NOVA became very much domestically the soundtrack to an era of optimism and promise. i can't imagine the pride of being alive during that era, withe PELE and the national team playing like dancers and ANTONIO CARLOS JOBIM and JOAO GILBERTO performing at the peak of their powers. it makes me sigh. then again i am completely biased, i was lucky enough to visit RIO DE JANIERO (article linked HERE) back in october 2014. its funny, i even spoke with the same owner of the BOSSA NOVA record store interviewed in this documentary about the cultural dialogue between AFRICA with BRASIL. how SAMBA relates to WEST AFRICAN musical traditions. good to see he is sharing his passion to a wider audience!

part of this film is about recounting the development of the genre and giving due to its originators, middle class SAMBA and WEST COAST JAZZ aficionados like CARLOS LYRA, LUIZ EVA, ROBERTO MENESCAL, SYLVIA TELLES and NARA LEAO ,that lived a charmed, bohemian lifestyle in apartments near COPACABANA BEACH and IPANEMA BEACH. the group circled around muse and gifted singer, NARA LEAO. they took what was a more somber genre and lifted it harmonically. this sound found its way to JAZZ artists like GERRY MULLIGAN and CHARLIE BYRD who initiated a fruitful, mutually beneficial dialogue that created a SAMBA/JAZZ hybrid sound.

sadly, the film also retraces how the style became a stateside fad and how MADISON AVENUE sucked the lifeblood out of such a special gift. the perfect example of such is the legendary track "THE GIRL FROM IPANEMA" which originally had PORTUGUESE lyrics by renowned poet VINICIUS DE MORAES which touchingly spoke of the grace of an unknown woman and the salvation one may find by being in her company. it is incredibly romantic and full of religious sentiment, even referencing the VIRGIN MARY in describing a level of passion and appreciation for such a graceful creature. the AMERICAN version had lyrics "translated" by NORMAN GIMBEL who wrote the lyrics to the HAPPY DAYS theme song. his version just describes a beautiful woman. its vulgar in comparison and a lost opportunity, and of course the biggest hit and cultural touchstone from BRASIL. its just so depressing an apt metaphor for how AMERICAN commerce and by extension society cares little for authenticity and exoticizes the unknown. the amount of products from the early 1960s that bear a BOSSA NOVA tag outlined in the documentary makes this point plain. ugh, so gross.

what is interesting is how ASTRUD GILBERTO, wife of JOAO, rose to prominence from this single. she was not classically trained but carried the tune in a naive manner sans vibrato in a wistful, seductive manner with a slight accent that won over the world. she sang it largely because she was in the room and she spoke english. it was an accident of fate. funny how pop culture works sometimes. second most recorded song of the 20th century. gulp.

and it is that song that has largely defined the image that has been projected on BRASILIAN WOMEN ever since. which is undoubtedly problematic. i remember when working in VENEZUELA talking to BRASILIAN friends who spoke about the fact that the cultural pressure to get plastic surgery was intense, largely based on cues from watching AMERICAN television shows and films. its a death spiral im telling you.

sadly in 1964 a military coup (backed by the UNITED STATES) ended this golden era of optimism and democracy under PRESIDENT KUBITSCHEK. BOSSA NOVA artists were blacklisted from the radio. culturally it was abandoned as quixotic anachronism that didnt fit the new harsh reality of the new oppressive political reality. it was too light and airy.

BOSSA NOVA originator and muse NARA LEAO pointed the way with a more sonically experimental and lyrically aggressive sound that celebrated the roots and underclass of BRASIL which led the way to TROPICALIA. JOBIM and GIBERTO had long since found success in the UNITED STATES, making sophisticated records designed for the middle class, a far cry from the reality back home. JOBIM even collaborated with FRANK SINATRA. BOSSA NOVA in essence became part of global repertoire, a classical music of sorts.

when i visited BRASIL it seemed that they celebrated this form, with several markers in IPANEMA identify residences and clubs that housed the major players of the movement.

great introductory documentary on the BOSSA NOVA. makes me want to go back. not that seduction of the music resembles the reality of the place. i saw a guy rob a bus at gunpoint at noon on a sunday a block away from the famous RIO DE JANEIRO CATHEDRAL. i found the reality much more interesting than the idealization. travel wisely and be careful out there.

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BOOK REVIEW | "THE LONG HARD ROAD OUT OF HELL" BY MARILYN MANSON WITH NEIL STRAUSS

9/14/2020

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i recently went about revisiting MARILYN MANSON's memoir THE LONG HARD ROAD OUT OF HELL (HARPERCOLLINS, 1998) that he co-wrote with NEIL STRAUSS during the early peak of his career post ANTI-CHRIST SUPERSTAR. it's funny how much this book is a product of its time with MANSON more or less self-defining his image in a pre-COLUMBINE media landscape that largely took his bait and made him into a scapegoat for society's ills.

this book came about a few years before his interview in MICHAEL MOORE's documentary BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE (UNITED ARTISTS, 2002) where MANSON presented himself as a thoughtful commentator on AMERICAN culture and society with respect to gun violence. he told MOORE that basically the media turned them into martyrs through their non-stop news coverage, providing incentive for future mass murderers. dude was totally on point and we are still dealing with this death spiral of bullying, media coverage and access to automatic weapons.

i would argue that he comes across as equally thoughtful in this book, if for other reasons as here he seems interested in familiar early career ROCK band fodder like infighting between ex-bandmates, record labels, rock journalists, groupies and a healthy amount of requisite self-mythologizing.

its odd thinking about all these ALTERNATIVE ROCK bands from the 90s that pushed back against society during the CLINTON administration (RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE similarly comes to mind). where are these button-pushers now when we need them? or is it that the buttons they pressed no longer work in our overly-saturated social media landscape that trades and sells on outrage. maybe MANSON and his ilk (OZZY OSBOURNE, ALICE COOPER, etc) are anachronisms from another era when people cared enough to get angry and protest. that's what i kept thinking when recently rereading his memoir, which i recommend for its intelligence and debauchery. just like the man himself.

then again, i don't know what to believe anymore about his character. recently his former girlfriend EVAN RACHEL WOOD made public allegations that he "groomed" her as a teenager when he was in his mid 30s back in the late 2000s. another former girlfriend, ROSE MCGOWAN, has praised him for his steadfast support and outspokenness as a fervent ally of the #METOO movement.

so... yeah, i dont know.

maybe he is a monster after all. maybe he isnt. not sure who to believe here.

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"DEER GOD RADIO 103: ROOTS REGGAE" LIVE TONIGHT AT 8PM EST ON MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC

9/13/2020

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join us tonight at 8PM EST for an all new episode of DEER GOD RADIO on MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC as we explore the politics, history and music of ROOTS REGGAE. gonna be a fun show.

past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO as well as other MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC shows like MAKE HER SPACE, NOWHERE FAST, THE SYNTHESIZER SHOW and CLASSICAL-ISH WITH NUTMEG are available here at the DEER GOD website.

and if you haven't done so already get the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience!

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NEW "CLASSICAL-ISH WITH NUTMEG" RADIO SHOW AVAILABLE NOW

9/12/2020

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click HERE for NUTMEG's latest streaming CLASSICAL-ISH radio show on MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC where she presents a playlist of material influenced by birds and birsong in honor of a MOCKINGBIRD that has visited her several times this week. definitely check it out.

don't forget that you can also access other MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC shows like MAKE HER SPACE, NOWHERE FAST, THE SYNTHESIZER SHOW and DEER GOD RADIO here at our website.

and if you haven't done so already get the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience!

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CHECK OUT THIS BAND | NO JOY

9/11/2020

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MONTREAL outfit NO JOY is the emblematic of the emotive depths available within the restless, waves of feed-backed sonic bliss within the genre of SHOEGAZE. listening to them makes me relive my introduction to MY BLOODY VALENTINE and SLOWDIVE all over again.

definitely check them out.

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NEW "NOWHERE FAST SHOW" AVAILABLE NOW

9/10/2020

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its so great to see people back in the studio! a somewhat return to normalcy during these crazy, unprecedented times.

click HERE for the latest episode of THE NOWHERE FAST SHOW on MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC as host TOM FERRIE presents all the new vinyl he collected so far during the pandemic.

also remember that past episodes of THE NOWHERE FAST SHOW as well as other MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC shows like DEER GOD RADIO, MAKE HER SPACE, THE SYNTHESIZER SHOW and CLASSICAL-ISH WITH NUTMEG are available here at the DEER GOD website.

and if you haven't done so already get the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience!

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SPOTLIGHT | YES MINISTER

9/9/2020

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i cant recall when i became aware of the classic BRITISH comedy show YES MINISTER (BBC, 1980-84) but the premise of the show still feels relevant today in a political climate full of commonly used conspiracy terminology like the deep state and fake news.

the premise deals with a lowly minster newly sworn in to a minor department in the BRITISH bureaucracy. idealistic, wet behind the ears and naive to the machinations of government he is routinely put in ever more dire situations by his aide. every statement he makes is taken and interpreted in a manner that makes the minister look weak, uninformed and daft. as the aide and other "backbenchers" of the civil service are present and unchanging throughout all administrations, the show gives off the impression that it is really they that hold the reigns of power, not public officials. the main aide to the MP, expertly played by SIR NIGEL HAWTHORNE, is as ruthless and linguistically manipulative a character as SHAKESPEARE's IAGO.

comedy-wise it is a much smarter version of any BUGS BUNNY / ELMER FUDD cartoon, often lampooning the OXBRIDGE and ETON/HARROW/RADLEY crowd and their pretensions of incontestable refined sophistication and intelligence. the fact that an aide and an anonymous sea of civil servants could upend this dunce is almost a victory for common BRITAINS.

obviously now in the age of TRUMP this who premise is reversed, these civil servants seen at best as obstructionists to the will of the people and at worst an enemy within.

beyond interesting, and deeply hilarious, example of BRITISH comedy made even more timely in our current climate. whats even more biting is the fact that the follow-up series was YES PRIME MINISTER (BBC, 1986-88) as the blabbering idiot of an MP, deftly played by PAUL EDDINGTON, moved up the food chain, kinda like our resident idiot.

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FILM REVIEW | LET'S GET LOST

9/8/2020

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seductively filmed by noted fashion photographer BRUCE WEBER in stark black and white, LET'S GET LOST (ZEITGEIST FILMS, 1988) lulls the viewer into an ephemeral world of romance and sophistication much like the music of its subject, WEST COAST JAZZ musician CHET BAKER. both the cinematography and the music make it easy to interpret the magnetic power of such musician, who seemed tailored-made for his era, having JAMES DEAN looks and a smooth, effortless prowess on his instrument that has made him an icon of 1950s AMERICA ever since.

but it is a lie. BAKER is a conman.

the beauty of this film is that much like his three wives and countless girlfriends before, we the audience are being wooed. you would think the man would have regrets about wandering astray from his responsibilities as a father, husband and son, but he seems entirely focused on his pursuits, even in his 60s when this film was made. what is presented is a man for whom everything came easy. a natural musician with a smooth croon of a voice, he didnt labor hard at his craft or all that came with it. women gravitated to BAKER, but he was only faithful to his own whims which eventually included narcotics.

we are presented with an unreliable narrator and those that he took advantage of. most tragic is the admission by his own mother that he was a bad son and that he disappointed her. in interviews his own children speak of him with a sense of frustrated mockery, which you assume has been years in the making. its almost DORIAN GRAY-like how this talented, handsome man with the smooth, intoxicating touch on the trumpet left such a wake of carnage in his personal life. this documentary is his final attempt at convincing us otherwise.

it seems the highly stylized cinematography succeeds in demonstrating this gulf between the facade and the reality which is uncomfortable and seemingly tragic.

its a life wasted.

LET'S GET LOST is a unique, smart documentary on a flawed icon. definitely recommend seeking out and watching this challenging gem of a documentary if you can locate a copy.

note: FLEA has a forgettable role asking questions about MILES DAVIS to BAKER when he is holding court with random photogenic young people. didn't get why that made the cut, but there you have it. maybe its because FLEA plays trumpet.

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BOOK REVIEW | "I DREAMED I WAS A VERY CLEAN TRAMP" BY RICHARD HELL

9/7/2020

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any time there is a progression in literature, art or (in this case) music, there is a transition period when new ideas are experimented with and eventually solidified into new forms and orthodoxies. in his memoir I DREAMED I WAS A VERY CLEAN TRAMP (ECCO PRESS, 2013), PUNK ROCK originator and pioneer RICHARD HELL of TELEVISION, THE HEARTBREAKERS and THE VOIDOIDS fame sets straight his account of the narrative of the CBGBs mid-70s scene and the literary aspirations that underpinned it.

what is lost in the worship of THE RAMONES, SEX PISTOLS and others that popularized PUNK ROCK in the late 70s was how at its root the scene traced itself to the lower east side of MANHATTAN in the mid 70s was eclectic and quite avant garde. in many ways the NO WAVE scene that followed it in NYC largely kept its spirit alive. HELL does not attempt to hide the fact that he is not a trained musician, but rather he is a lover of books, poetry and ideas despite his being a high school dropout with a troubled childhood. it is his love of the written word that elevated him and helped him initiate a community that is largely intact today. for me that is his greatest accomplishment as his work is still relatively obscure in comparison to colleagues like BLONDIE, PATTI SMITH, THE TALKING HEADS, THE DEAD BOYS and the aforementioned RAMONES.

his take on that scene is interesting in that he felt PATTI SMITH was full of shit with a mediocre band that mimicked early TELEVISION, that BLONDIE was lackluster and an excuse for people to gawk at DEBBIE HARRY and that THE RAMONES were a one trick pony, a surf rock band on speed. i found it very interesting that he felt such animosity for SMITH given that she seemingly had such similar literary ambitions as himself, these barbs almost come off as projection, but interesting nonetheless.

throughout his memoir makes repeated note of reasons why he never gained commercial success, those being his band(s) lack of a repeated streamlined sound or core identity brought on by his literary aspirations. he also recognizes his aloofness in interviews that came off as conceited and self-absorbed, whereas the next generation played the game. in many memoirs it is common to see people become jaded and jealous of those they influenced to greater fame and notoriety. HELL here, to his credit, heaps praise on the SEX PISTOLS for taking his sense of fashion, worldview and aesthetics and fine-tuning them for maximum impact. it seemed he was living vicariously through their nihilism and unguarded critique of BRITAIN's rigid social class system and conservative government.

this memoir was a little dry in places as HELL has a tendency to lose the plot in places and give expert descriptions of people and places that have no real value narratively, but when he does share his opinions on the scene, both its origins and legacy as a means of setting the record for posterity, those moments are golden. the book closes in 1984 when he sought treatment for his heroin dependency and quit music to begin his writing career.

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NEW "MAKE HER SPACE" EPISODE AVAILABLE NOW

9/6/2020

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watch the latest streaming episode HERE of MAKE HER SPACE on MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC as JEN welcomes back MAGIE after her sabbatical from the show the past few weeks. make sure to check the latest wares from her recent creative endeavor RASCAL SQUARE!

past episodes of MAKE HER SPACE as well as other MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC shows like DEER GOD RADIO, NOWHERE FAST, THE SYNTHESIZER SHOW and CLASSICAL-ISH WITH NUTMEG are available here at the DEER GOD website.

and if you haven't done so already get the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience!

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NEW "SYNTHESIZER SHOW" EPISODE AVAILABLE NOW

9/5/2020

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click HERE for the latest episode of THE SYNTHESIZER SHOW on MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC where Reed and Vince are live from MASSACHUSETTS presenting another killer playlist.

as always, you can access all past episodes of THE SYNTHESIZER SHOW via the DEER GOD website as well as those of MAKE HER SPACE, NOWHERE FAST, DEER GOD RADIO and CLASSICAL-ISH WITH NUTMEG.

and if you haven't done so already get the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience!

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