Uncle Warren's Attic

Promo for "The Imaginary Revolution"

Sun, 3 Aug 2008 01:10:00 GMT

You're going to want to have your podcatcher primed and ready for UWA #54, that's all I'm sayin' folks.

UW Attic 53: Monsters, Campaigns and An Imaginary Announcement

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:44:00 GMT

Barack Obama's comment about the need for "aggressive diplomacy" with Iran reminded me of an Anakin Skywalker line, which led to a little audio collage that also incorporates The Prisoner and that other guy running for Big Guy this year.

Other features of this 53rd trip to the Attic: Two versions of "I'm a Monster" by the inimitable Scotty MacGregor ... The memorable "Oh, The Thinks You Can Think" from the lost Dylan Hears A Who project ... "That's Cool" by Adam and the Couch Potatoes ... and a big announcement about upcoming episodes.

Project Reboot

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 12:11:00 GMT

I've been doing some musing of late about how to reboot my various creative efforts to improve the quality and consistency. The problem is not in your set. I hope to be completing the muse process in the very near future and bear some fruit.

Thank you for your patience, and feel free to browse to make sure you've sampled the entire set of 53 trips to the attic, starting from Day One â not to mention the semi-classic episodes of The Imaginary Bomb that started my podcasting career.

Meanwhile, please stand by.

UWA 52: From Independence Day to Orchestraville

Mon, 7 Jul 2008 02:50:00 GMT

Even if I'm a couple of days late for Independence Day, I have to read from the Declaration and play the Hurtado Brothers Royal Marimba Band version of "The Stars and Stripes Forever," don't I? I mean, it's tradition! Also within this slightly longer trip to the Attic are a couple of tunes by Red Ingle and his Natural Seven and the complete and unabridged Rusty in Orchestraville, one very interesting adventure. Oh, and there's a little Spike Jones in there, too.

UW Attic 51: RIP kyfho and Danny

Sun, 8 Jun 2008 22:09:00 GMT

What made me hesitate: eulogies to my friend kyfho and to Danny Federici, as we return to the Attic at last. Highlights include:

"Hold On To Your Freedom" from Jennifer Avalon ... quite a few clips from Firefly and Serenity among other memorable movie moments ... "Don't Let Us Get Sick" by Warren Zevon via the Internet Archive ... old ads for Rheingold beer and Good N Plenty ... "What Have You Got That Gets Me" from the Bob Crosby Orchestra with Marion Mann ... another Animal Story ... and "Undecided" by The Ames Brothers.

And I add this in memory of kyfho:

"As a juror, I will exercise my 1000-year-old duty to arrive at a verdict, not just on the basis of the facts of a particular case, or instructions I am given, but through my power to reason, my knowledge of the Bill of Rights, and my individual conscience. When needful, I will judge the law itself." -L. Neil Smith

The 51st visit

Mon, 12 May 2008 11:27:00 GMT

Yeah, yeah, I know, get up to the Attic, w.p., all that stuff is piling up and you haven't been sorting through it much lately. Spring cleaning reminds you about the accumulation of stuff like nobody's business.

There'll be a touch of sadness in this episode, as I'm going to devote a little time to the memory of a friend who passed away a couple of weeks ago â not to mention Danny Federici. But I found some fun stuff to remember them by, so you won't have to wear black to this gathering.

Maybe I take too much time putting these little adventures together, maybe I don't work on them fast enough, but I enjoy the finished product, and I hope you do, too. I just wish I could finish a little more frequently. Oh well, it's always fun or else they wouldn't get finished. Watch this space.

Amen!

Sat, 3 May 2008 15:38:00 GMT

The first review is in

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 12:33:00 GMT

A long time ago in a state far, far away, I somehow encountered a fellow teenager named Wally Conger, who like me was a comic book fan. Oddly, we became friends, odd because we never met (to this day!), he was a Californian and I was a New Jersey kid. There's something in our makeup that overcomes that little 3,000-mile gap (now more like 2,000 since I've become a converted Badger). He published fanzines, one of which was called Fantasy World and featured superhero and science-fiction stories. I contributed tales of a guy I named H-Man.

I mentioned FW and H-Man when I put Wally in touch with the world of Myke Phoenix, and he understood completely judging from the review he posted this week. Thanks Wally!

Branching into print

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 12:34:00 GMT

"The universe shifted, and something dark burst from a yawning crack in the nature of being."

That's how The Adventures of Myke Phoenix begins. What happens next is kind of fun, if I do say so myself. You should buy it (or download it) and check it out for yourself.

Go ahead. Check it out.

Uncle Warren's Attic #50

Sat, 12 Apr 2008 21:17:00 GMT

THE BIG 5-OH ... Oh boy ... 50 trips up to the Attic ... who woulda thunk. I'm rushing this up online and then taking off for a Saturday night date with Red â talk amongst yourselves and I'll be back with the show notes at a later date ...

UPDATE â OK, here we go. First, an authentic no-prize to the first person to name the five sources of the audio in my "explosive" introduction to the show. Hint: Four are movies.

As the show moves along, highlights include ads from Schaffer Beer, Doublemint gum, Mr. Clean and the new 1958 Edsel. The musical numbers:
+ Teddy Boy Stomp - The Buggs
+ I Can Always Find a Little Sunshine in the YMCA - Lambert Murphy with Orpheus Quartet
+ Who Could Be More Wonderful Than You - Aileen Stanley and Billy Murray
+ Always Love You - w.p. bluhm
+ Good Vibrations - James Gadson
+ Stardust on the Moon - Shep Fields and his Rippling Rhythm Orchestra
+ We Go Well Together - Cab Calloway and his Orchestra

Thanks for coming along for 50 episodes, and hang in for the next round of 50! Oh yeah, and about that other project I mention in this show: Check this out.

Coming Around Again

Wed, 2 Apr 2008 11:40:00 GMT

I decided to do a small celebration of UWA hitting the big 5-0. These are teeny-tiny works of art, doncha know, and producing 50 works of art is kind of something, more or less, isn't it?

Anyway, I'm planning a new theme song, an explosive kickoff, and musical selections from many of the folks who have made the first 49 shows so memorable. Watch, er, listen for Uncle Warren's Attic #50 sometime over the next few days!

UW Attic 49: A Bit of a Hoedown

Sun, 23 Mar 2008 15:27:00 GMT

After a false start by The King, we pull a bushel of corn down from the Attic, including a couple of Animal Stories by Uncle Larry and Lil' Tom, and a movie ad from the legendary National Lampoon Radio Hour. Our musical selections:

+ Peter Cottontail - Mervyn Shiner
+ Roving Gambler - U.S. Sen. Robert Byrd
+ Another Brew Bartender - Whitey Knight
+ Wang Wang Blues - Elliot Everett and his Orchestra
+ Easy - Harry James
+ When You Come Back - Raymond Dixon and Orpheus Quartet
+ Dirty Water - The WhizBang Shufflers

Uncle Warren's Attic #48: Myke Phoenix Rising

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 16:45:00 GMT

He's ba-ack ... with a sneak preview of the new book The Adventures of Myke Phoenix, along with a smattering of other shtuff: "In Malibu" by Johnny Proctor ... and off the 78's, "Learn to Do the Strut," written by Irving Berlin and performed by The Georgians ... "A Little Bit of Heaven" by Charles Harrison ... "My Eyes (Get Me in Trouble)" by the inimitable Muddy Waters ... and the "William Tell Overture" by the even more inimitable Spike Jones and his Orchestra.

Hiatus almost over

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 13:54:00 GMT

By now there's some fidgeting in the front rows as people figure out it's been more than a month since my little medical episode and still no sign of UWA 48. I went through my list of possible excuses and couldn't find one that would sound convincing.

It's funny, on New Year's Eve I set a modest goal of churning out a podcast every other weekend. That didn't seem so hard at the time. Still doesn't. I just have to sit down and do 'em. Maybe by setting a schedule, I doomed myself by making it seem like work or something. Whatever the reason, according to that schedule, Show #52 is coming up this weekend.

I keep doing things like write little posts about doing the show instead of actually doing the show. I don't know why I â oh, I'm writing a little post about doing the show, aren't I?

Hold that thought.

Video: Jay of Jay and the Americans: 'Cara Mia'

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 15:10:00 GMT

I saw Jay & the Americans somewhere around 1970 and remember being blown away by the live performance of "Cara Mia." That's not an easy song to sing! You can tell Jay Black was still blowing away audiences 30 or so years later when this recording was made ...

Video: Pre-Idol Brooke White

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 14:14:00 GMT

Guilty Pleasures: Red and I like to relax with American Idol, and this has been a pretty good season so far. (Holy moley, how 'bout that smokin' "She's A Woman" by Chikezie!)

One of the folks we're rooting for is the lovely Brooke White, who (like most people) had a life before we met her on TV ... This is a song for an independent CD she did in 2005 called "Songs From the Attic" (Hey, I do like this girl), which seems to be out of print now. I saw one copy online for $79 â OK, I don't like her that much ...

She's not getting old - she's getting better

Tue, 4 Mar 2008 10:09:00 GMT

Well, what's keeping me

Sun, 17 Feb 2008 18:32:00 GMT

So here I was, looking forward to doing a new UWA this weekend - the goal is to show up every couple of weeks now - and working along doing my thing, which got me home late Thursday night.

It seems I have a touch of stomach flu or something, and I didn't notice how queasy it was making me until I lost consciousness and landed with a thud on the bathroom floor. After a few minutes, I heard shouting in the distance, and as I became more aware again, I realized it was Red yelling at the 911 operator that launching the ambulance was more important than telling the operator what my birthday is. She's very practical that way. She had heard the crash, pushed her way into the bathroom and found me lying completely unresponsive with my head bent over the side of the tub. The poor thing thought I'd had a stroke, which runs in my family.

I'll spare you the gruesome details, but the bottom line seems to be that I had gotten myself dehydrated, and several hours and a couple of saline bags later, I came home for a long wintry weekend of convalescing. The experience has sapped some of my ambition for podcast-producing, so I hope you'll forgive a slight delay. Tank you berry much.

UW Attic 47: The Charlie Francis Story

Sat, 2 Feb 2008 21:55:00 GMT

Who is Charlie Francis? He had some surprisingly tasty tunes on a series of budget albums in the early to mid-1960s, and a search for Charlie resulted in a surprise I should've seen coming.

In this edition, we hear Charlie Francis sing "A New Love," "Mountain of a Man," "Just Tell Me When," "Believe in Me" and "Little Girl." If you haven't heard the show yet and want to be surprised with me, don't click on this, the link I refer to during the story.

Also, the megahit "I Got a Crush on Obama," thoughts on creativity by Dave Slusher of the Evil Genius Chronicles, and classic Robot Theater from the legendary Illinoise! podcast by Just Pete and NASA Janet.

Last but not least, an unabashed plug for The Imaginary Bomb by B.W. Richardson, edited and published by moi over at Lulu.com.

The Prodigal Podcaster Prepares to Return

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 14:43:00 GMT

OK, it's hard to get tanned and rested when you wake up Sunday morning and it's 13 below zero, but the vocal chords are rested, the cats have received enough attention, and I'm preparing for a return to the airwaves â err, to the podwaves â as February arrives.

In addition to playing with the kitten, I have been ramping up a venture that involves the ubiquitous Brian Wilson Richardson, whose novel The Imaginary Bomb was the subject of my first podcasting venture the summer before last. The I-Bomb is finally available in print form, and as editor and publisher I heartily recommend you consider parting with a modest amount of money so you can hold this little effort in your own hands. The goal is to publish four different books this year, and this is the first.

Watch for a resumption of podding behavior before the Super Bowl kicks off, alas without my beloved green-and-gold.

A break in the action

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 12:19:00 GMT

Cross-posted to Ikthuscast

For a variety of reasons, I'm temporarily suspending my podcast activities, but I assure you the passion remains and I don't intend for this to be a lengthy break. I apologize to anyone who looks forward to these little bursts of creativity.

In the meantime, enjoy the upcoming NFC Championship Game at Lambeau Field. Go, Pack, Go!

UWA 46: New Year's Rockin' Attic II

Mon, 31 Dec 2007 05:44:00 GMT

New Year's Eve is a time of review and renewal and resolutions, and I share some of my big plans for Ought-Eight in between fun shtuff, including:

Auld Lang Syne, Rockosaurus Rex
Hi-Diddle-Diddle, Guy Lombardo
Wildroot Cream commercial, King Cole Trio
Anybody Here Remember Radio?, Stan Freberg
The Boogie Woogie Flying Cloud, Hank Snow
Just Today, w.p. bluhm
Re: Your Brains, Jonathan Coulton
A Wee Deoch an' Doris, Harry Lauder

UWAttic 45: Scandinavian Zombie Holiday Greetings

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 18:33:00 GMT

Actually, no, Mary Woronov (pictured) does not appear in this episode, but we do share several clips from one of her greatest cult hits, when she played conflicted scientist hero Audrey White.

I spend most of the show rummaging through the Attic in search of this thing I saw in the newspaper once - UWA 45 is sandwiched between "A Laptop Like You" and "Podsafe Christmas Song" by Jonathan Coulton. Featured tunes include "Deck the Halls" by Rockosaurus Rex ... "Giggling Gertie" from Vaughn de Leath ... "O Lutefisk" by Molly and Sonny Boy ... "Emilia Polka (Laughing Polka)" by Lawrence Duchow ... my dramatc reading ... and "I Yust Go Nuts at Christmas" by Yogi Yorgesson.

UWA 44: Life at 78 rpm

Sun, 2 Dec 2007 22:42:00 GMT

I emerge from the Attic covered with dust and shellac. We begin on a serious note, bringing renditions of "Trees" by John Charles Thomas and Ponchielli's "Dance of the Hours."

Moving from the sublime to the ridiculous, here are "I Want to Be Bad" by Helen Kane, who was boop-boop-a-dooping before Betty, and in fact she boops in this song at least once ... the immortal "I'm My Own Grandpa" by Lonzo and Oscar ... and "Yingle Bells" by Yogi Yorgesson.

If you're feeling a little down - we had six inches of snow over the weekend so I understand - The Revelers remind us that "Just Around the Corner" could be sunshine. And Jonathan Coulton offers the sounds of the season from "Chiron Beta Prime."

A little longer wait

Fri, 30 Nov 2007 04:39:00 GMT

Call it my ahtistic temperament. I finished Uncle Warren's Attic #44 and just decided it wasn't what I was shooting for. Hate to leave so much space between shows, but I'm going back to square one on this one. See ya soon - sorry about this!

Uncle Warren's Attic 43

Wed, 14 Nov 2007 21:36:00 GMT

Back to rummaging around the Attic. In addition to some lovely clips from It Happened One Night and other flicks, UWA 43 includes:

"Don't Blame Me for What Happens in the Moonlight," from Perry Botkin Jr. and friends ... "Hello Again" by Herb Oscar Anderson ... the immortal "Pachalafaka" from Soupy Sales ... "Great Balls of Fire" from the New Grass Revival ... a showdown between The Shadow and a nutcase ... "Sweet Potato Piper" with Bing Crosby featuring John Trotter's Pan Fried Five ... and our beloved Aileen Stanley and Billy Murray round it off with "When the Leaves Come Tumbling Down."

UWA 42: Remember, remember

Sun, 4 Nov 2007 19:53:00 GMT

Hi folks, I turn the microphone over to a special guest host in order to get out a Fifth of November edition of Uncle Warren's Attic. I hope you enjoy the change of pace!

Featured tunes:

"Free the People," Los Gallos
"Guy Fawkes Day," Paul Melancon
"1812 Overture," Amsterdam Concert Orchestra
"Ballad of Serenity," from the film of the same name

And if you don't own V for Vendetta yet, well, click here.

UW Attic 41: Back to the 78s

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 20:32:00 GMT

In addition to the usual collection of odds and ends, this edition brings you:

"March of the Toys," from Babes in Toyland, by the Victor Concert Orchestra conducted by Nathaniel Shikret

"Phonograph Blues," Robert Johnson from the Internet Archive

"Mama Don't Rush Me Blues," Willie Jones (whom you can also hear singing "Sweet Patunia" in UWA #19)

"You Blacked My Blue Eyes Once Too Often" by Lonzo and Oscar

"Chicken Reel" by Les Paul

"Oh! Sweet Mystery of Life," Bing Crosby

All of it brought to you by Fruity Oaty Bars - they'll make a man out of a mouse, etc.

Happy Halloween - again

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 12:10:00 GMT

Click here to download the now-famous Uncle Warren's Attic #6, featuring my hookup with an online news network that goes terribly wrong when Mars invades.

Where'd he go?

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 12:10:00 GMT

UWA 41 coming soon. Really! Would I make that up?

I don't know why I've been away from the microphone. No excuses. Just ... well, no excuses. When you hit a lazy streak, you're just lazy. That's all.

I've been accumulating a lot of them thar old-fashioned CDs that spin at 78 rpm and have only one song per side. Don't be surprised if the next show (or several of 'em) is (are) a bit heavy on those. But that's a good thing, I think.

Talk to ya soon.

UWA 40: Beedle-bees and Rum-a-doodle-dum

Fri, 5 Oct 2007 04:03:00 GMT

Uncle Warren unplugged: Red and I on the road, a couple of my old folk tunes ("You Can Tighten My Belt" and "Hi Horse Tweedledum Ladies"), and a taste of what the Attic might sound like if I paid the license fees and played non-podsafe stuff.

You'll hear "fair use" clips from the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Judee Sill, Tommy James and the Shondells, Leahy and Copper Box, and a complete tune from podsafe bluegrass gods The WhizBang Shufflers. Enjoy!

UWA 39: Webby Wanderings

Wed, 12 Sep 2007 04:05:00 GMT

Itâs long past time I gave you a little more taste of Maria Daines with her partner and guitarist guitarist Paul Killington. After launching the show with Carne Crudaâs âAmazing Artichoke of World Peace,â? we dive into Mariaâs âTear Down the Wallsâ? and âAlright When The Morning Comes.â?

After we sing the praises of the 1960 Studebaker Lark, itâs time for Aileen Stanley and Billy Murray and the 1924 classic âYouâll Never Get to Heaven With Those Eyes.â? Then, from the Internet Archive, Warren Zevon sings âVeracruzâ? - thanks Kirsten for the heads-up on this terrific recording.

We extol the wisdom of saving Top Value Stamps, and then itâs time for a little Boo Boo Davis. The tasty blues tunes âTell Me What to Doâ? and âBooâs Boogie Woogieâ? close out our 39th adventure together. By the way, Maria and Boo Boo were last heard back in the legendary Episode #20.

UWA 38: I Like Ike - Jan. 17, 1961

Mon, 3 Sep 2007 22:49:00 GMT

We start out the show with an authentic recording of the Uncle Warren's Attic show from Jan. 17, 1961, as President Dwight D. Eisenhower presents his farewell speech to the nation. It's a historic address, and it provides a lot of room for thought about what's happened in the past 46 years or so.

Also on the show are a 1966 ad for the film "Lady L" from the Jean Shepherd show ... "Liar Liar" by singer-songwriter Julie Harris ... "Grow" by singer-songwriter April Start ... and "I'm Beginning to Remember" by Jimmy Lee and Johnny Mathis - no, not that Johnny Mathis.

It comes with a promise to be back in a week - what am I thinking?!?

State of the Podcast Address

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 23:23:00 GMT

Um, hi there, ladies and gentlemen. Thanks for stopping by to see if there's anything new. As you can see, well, here's something new.

I keep wandering up to forage around in the attic and I've found some cool stuff. I just haven't had time to put together a podcast.

You may have noticed that I've been keeping a steady dose of Ikthuscasts going, and maybe you suspect that I care more about that show than Uncle Warren's Attic. No, no, this is my first podcast and my first love, and if you're familiar with both you know the Attic is a much more complicated production. It takes 2-3 hours to finish a 30-minute UWA, compared with a matter of minutes for Ikthus. I often have a few minutes available, not so often 2-3 hours.

What I'm planning at this stage is to return with a weekly dose of UWA no later than early September. My best guess is "the new season" of UWA will start just before the regular season of the NFL opens. I'll try to keep you updated with a note or two or three here.

Thank you, and God bless America. We now turn to CNN, Fox News, et al, for instant analysis of how many times this speech was interrupted by applause and what that all means.

UWA 37: Featuring Sir Cedric Faintingmode

Sat, 28 Jul 2007 17:57:00 GMT

It's another dip into my pile of platters that spin at 78 rpm, including two peeks at the "Flying Saucer" mania of the mid-1950s.

I reprise Buchanan and Goodman's marvelous "Flying Saucer" record from 1956 to set you up for a (to any family members, I apologize) remarkable unfunny knock-off called "Out of This World With Flying Saucers" by Dave Barry and Sara Berner, who I'm sure were nice people.

Surrounding those are such lost gems as "Hotta Chocolatta" by the De John Sisters ... "Who's Sorry Now" by Les Stevens' Clover Gardens Orchestra ... "Hi Ho Trailus Boot Whip" by Anita O'Day ... "Oh Baby What a Night" by Billy Murray and Walter Scanlon ... and "Look Who's Talkin'" by Ted Daffan's Texans.

As usual the show is also peppered with other great moments from pop culture history.

UW's Attic #36: Pretensions of immortality

Sat, 21 Jul 2007 02:47:00 GMT

I'll give you eclectic, my pretty -- and your little dog, too! The lineup: "Immortality," William Jennings Bryan (1908) "Welfare Blues," Josh White (1934) "Address to American Indians," President Woodrow Wilson (1913) "Asleep in the Deep," William F. Hooley (1911) Live PSA for safe driving (1953) "Minor Swing," The WhizBang Shufflers (2004) "The Radio Guy," Warren Bluhm (1996; recorded 2007) "Destination Unknown," The Rebel Soul Band

UW Attic #35.5: The Radio Guy

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 14:15:00 GMT

This short story will be part of UWA 36, but I'm releasing it separately for those of you who like your tales to stand alone.

UW's Attic #35: The Aileen Stanley Story

Wed, 11 Jul 2007 12:22:00 GMT

From the wild and wooly 1920s comes the story of one of the era's biggest recording stars, who apparently lost a fortune in the 1929 stock market crash but is making a modest return to the spotlight thanks to intrigued fans like moi. I've been contemplating "The Aileen Stanley Story" ever since I started finding other tunes in the wake of the big reaction to "Keep Your Skirts Down Mary Ann" way back in UWA #3.

Here's the jazzage1920s.com biography that I lean on for much of the info in this episode ... and here's another interesting source. And if you'd like to explore more of her music, here and here are a couple of links to the Internet Archive.

UWA 34: Give me liberty or give me 'Wildflower Man'

Tue, 3 Jul 2007 02:57:00 GMT

For this Independence Day edition of Uncle Warren's Attic, and to make up for the long silence, this show features two dramatic readings - one many of you have heard before is my short story "Wildflower Man," and the other is a reading of a speech you may have heard some of, but may not have ever heard in its entirety - Patrick Henry's address to the Virginia House of Burgesses on March 23, 1775. It's still pretty electric.

Musical friends include the WhizBang Shufflers, who present the opening and closing tracks of their absolutely free album "Baffle the Bird of Death" - the irrepressible "It's All New" and the bonus track "bonus track."

We also hear from Five Star Fall and The Kokoon, whose work you can find at Magnatune, where the slogan is "We Are Not Evil." And we also have a reprise of Giles' rousing version of "Freedom." Oh, and thanks to Kirsten of Enjoy Every Sandwich for her kind words and actions.

I tried to make it worth the wait - let me know how I did!

While you're waiting ...

Sat, 23 Jun 2007 18:19:00 GMT

While you're waiting for a new edition of Uncle Warren's Attic (hey, it's summer, have you been outside lately?!?), here's a fantastic video of a fantastic Jonathan Coulton tune ...

UW Attic #33: The Sealed Weasels etc.

Fri, 15 Jun 2007 02:40:00 GMT

What has happened here is something which, up until a few days ago, was entirely beyond the scope of man's imagination ...

You have heavy doses of a sixties-style band called The Sealed Weasels (Remember "Zen Hot Dog" in UWA 20?), along with seasonings from movies and TV, a little Andy Partridge, Anna Burck, Eisenhowers, Carl T. Sprague and John Charles Thomas ... but not a great deal of Uncle Warren ... at least not Uncle Warren's voice, just Uncle Warren the sound editor.

What does this episode mean? Philosophers will be debating that question for centuries. I wonder why the wonder falls ...

PROMISED UPDATE: So what all was in there? Well, the Sealed Weasels sang "Cold Turkey Sandwiches," "The Illuminati and Me" and "Bionic"; That was the first verse of Carl T. Sprague's "Oh Bury Me Not On the Lone Prairie"; Andy Partridge sang the theme from my second-favorite TV show of all time, "Wonderfalls"; Sonny Rhodes sang the theme from my all-time favorite, "Firefly"; and the Eisenhowers sang "Everything is Not Enough"; John Charles Thomas wanted to be "Home On The Range"; and a Marvel-style no-prize goes to anyone who can tell me where the "Alice, will you marry me?" clip comes from. There's other stuff in this show, but I hate to give away all my secrets ...

Oh! One last acknowledgement: Anna Burck's Music iQuiz is one of the funnest podcasts out there!!

Uncle Warren's Attic #32: Claim the Moon

Wed, 30 May 2007 03:23:00 GMT

Goodies I unearthed this week in Uncle Warren's Attic:

"The Mining Ship the Red Dwarf," by Marc Gunn & The Dubliners
"Excelsior," Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, dramatic reading by moi
"Get Happy," Raymond Scott and his Orchestra
"Let's Claim the Moon for the U.S. - Now!" by Pierre J. Huss, Mechanix Illustrated, February 1957. Sharp-eared listeners will note that your humble host, who performs the dramatic reading, managed to throw in a sci-fi element by reading the headline as "Let's Claim the U.S. for the Moon." Not sure why moon beings would want to annex a piece of earthly real estate, but there you have it.
"We'll Be Dancing On The Moon," Trade Martin
"Ingrian Polka - Kuppari Eeva," Off to California. Yes, the reason the title isn't mentioned on the show is I wasn't sure how to pronounce it!
"Jasper Tabby Kitty Cat-y," Marc Gunn & The Dubliners

Uncle Warren's Attic #31: Name that voice

Mon, 21 May 2007 03:38:00 GMT

Can you identify the voice in the Peter Pan commercials? No big prize awarded, just the satisfaction of knowing his name before I tell you at the end.

Speaking of peanut butter, much tasty stuff in this edition, along with a semi-promise to drop by more often again!

The musical numbers: "Glow Worm" by Homer and Jethro ... "Ghost Riders in the Sky" by the Sons of the Pioneers and by Scat Man Crothers ... "Listening House" by Lazarus and the announcement of Ikthuscast ... "It's a Bloody War" by Homer & Jethro and "28th of January" by the Piney Creek Weasels ... "Pull the String" by Jonathan Coulton ... and "Bye Bye Blackbird" by Gene Austin.

Coming soon!

Fri, 18 May 2007 12:44:00 GMT

It's been a busy couple of months, but I expect to be back more frequently again soon. I apologize to the ever-shrinking but supportive bunch of you who keep checking back and stay subscribed. Coming soon, the long-awaited Aileen Stanley story, a look at the work of Scotty MacGregor, and a dramatic reading of an important 1957 essay about why the United States should claim the moon as its sovereign territory. What fun!

I also plan to debut a new project very soon, which I'll tell you about in Uncle Warren's Attic #31. Watch for UWA 31 sometime next week.

Have fun in the meantime!

UW's Attic #30: Digging through the 78s

Mon, 7 May 2007 02:53:00 GMT

A half-dozen gems uncovered during a trip to the antique store last week.

"Behind the Clouds (There's Crowds and Crowds of Sunbeams), Gene Austin
"Sailing Down the Chesapeake Bay," Pete Daily's Chicagoans
"Limehouse Blues," Curly Hicks and his Taproom Boys*
"O Sole Mio," Nat Shilkret and the Victor Orchestra
"Little Rock Getaway," Les Paul
"Over the Rainbow," Del Courtney and his Orchestra

Make sure you check the links this week ... lots of fun info!

*Couldn't find a link for these guys - best I found was a phorum entry where someone asked (at the bottom, "Anyone know anything about this group? They recorded a dozen or so discs for Bluebird around 1940. Can't decide whether they're a country band, a jazz band, or a polka band. Features accordion and vibraphone leads with guitar, bass, washboard and drum rhythm. Kind of addictive."

UW Attic #29: About that day job

Wed, 25 Apr 2007 20:05:00 GMT

Your Uncle Warren and Dave Slusher have thoughts (separately) about the value to the creative process of having a day job. Dave, of course, is the guy behind the Evil Genius Chronicles and other important endeavors, and in this particular episode he refers to Hugh MacLeod's "Sex and Cash Theory."

Along the way we bring you music from the Podsafe Music Network and myself: "Write About Me" by Jeff Coffey ... "The Future," an aural collage by w.p. bluhm ... "Slugbug" by The Egerton Boyz ... "The Maid on the Shore" by Ceili Moss ... "She's Wild" by People Coyote ... and finishing with "Sweet Sarah Wilde" by w.p. bluhm.

UWA #28.5: Special Edition - Farewell Sanjaya

Thu, 19 Apr 2007 13:45:00 GMT

If you haven't been watching "American Idol," this little seven-minute tribute will make no sense to you. If you have, it speaks for itself.

Back soon with a "real" episode.

UW's Attic #28: Parallelograms

Fri, 6 Apr 2007 02:50:00 GMT

Linda Perhacs made one of the great "lost" albums that has recently been found and re-released to great acclaim. This week's UWA gives you a mini-tour of Parallelograms. Then it's off to the late 1930s and Pretty Kitty Kelly. A little Ames Brothers ... a little Zax ... another taste of "The Dog Song" ... a Piney Creek Weasels encore ... and before you can say "Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters," we're outta there again. Have fun!

Uncle Warren's Attic 27: First Week of Spring Blues

Sat, 24 Mar 2007 16:06:00 GMT

A bevy of blues and other goodies off the old 78s and such. The show launches with a mystery track, though, followed by "If You Don't Somebody Else Will" by Jimmy Lee and the "other" Johnny Mathis.

Then there's the legendary Kelly Harrell recording of "I Wish I Was A Single Girl Again," recorded a half-century before Prince, retrieved from the Internet Archive.

It's mostly blues the rest of the way: Josh White and the "Stormy Weather Blues," Furry Lewis and "Mean Old Bedbug Blues," the "Phonograph Blues" from Robert Johnson, and finally "Whoa Back Buck" by Leadbelly with the Golden Gate Quartet. Which reminds me: This episode contains a small dose of "adult language."

The show closes with "The Vamp" from 1919, performed by the Joseph C. Smith Orchestra with Harry MacDonough and Billy Murray.

Uncle O'Warren's Attic #26

Thu, 15 Mar 2007 04:36:00 GMT

After a montage of great movie moments, Dennis Day sets the stage with his celebration of a jolly Irish hooligan, "Clancy Lowered the Boom."

In a track the Internet archive labels "Edison machine rehearsal (1914)," Harry Houdini offers a $1,000 reward to anyone who can reveal a certain one of his secrets.

I had a very odd dream the other day, and the only memory that lingers is the haunting melody in the background, which I recognized at once as "The Prisoner's Song," the 1924 Vernon Dalhart recording that (I'm told) was a huge hit in its day.

Another nod to March 17 is the Podsafe recording of "Leis A Lurrighan" by Ceili Moss, which oddly enough is a Belgian band. Then it's off to the instant classic "Green Eggs and Ham" by, um, Bob Dylan. I first heard this incredible recording on Jawbone Radio. Thanks, Len and Nora.

From there it's off to "Summertime" by Peach Stealing Monkeys - very compelling, says I - and all of a sudden we're out of time and all that's left to do is dance a "Night Dance" with Green Druid.

UW's Attic 25: Free The People

Thu, 8 Mar 2007 04:23:00 GMT

Freedom's on my mind a lot, and I got to thinking about freedom after reading about the Copyright Royalty Board and its ridiculous new fees for Webcasters. So this show includes a lot on that subject, including a huge tip of the hat to everyone participating in ventures like the Podsafe Music Network.

I have become an instant fan after hearing the Rebel Soul Band, and UWA 25 has two great tunes from this "groovin' rock 'n' roll band" devoted to "creating music with a message." I kick off the show with "Where You Going?" and move into a celebration of freedom with their song "Big Brother."

After a quick reminder about a certain important document of freedom, if you've listened before, you already know "Free the People" by Los Gallos, one of the best songs I've heard on this theme in a very long time.

Giles then wraps up the cycle by reinventing Richie Havens' classic tune "Freedom."

After I rave about the new TV show "Heroes," time has already run out, but not before we close with a cover by podsafe guru Jonathan Coulton. This edition also includes a small pile of goodies culled from old Mets broadcasts ... enjoy!

Uncle Warren's Attic #24

Fri, 2 Mar 2007 00:43:00 GMT

This week ... odds and ends ...

"I Found a Million Dollar Baby" by w.p. bluhm (1991)

"How'd You Like To Spoon With Me" by Franklyn Wallace (1905)

An interesting report from the early days of radio (1937)

"The Touchables," a seldom-heard novelty record by Dickie Goodman (1950-something)

"To Be An Angel," an often-played podcast hit by Uncle Seth (2006)

And Elmer Davis with news and commentary circa 1939.

#23 - Uncle Warren: The Early Years

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 15:35:00 GMT

Once upon a time there was a lovesick college student named Warren, his guitar named Herbie, and a pair of stereo cassette machines. The four of them spent quite a bit of time together.

For reasons I have yet to fathom, I hauled the old tapes out this week and decided to inflict some of my earliest songwriting and recording efforts on my small but patient audience. Here, then, are 1973 recordings of:

Bacon in the Jell-O
Pretty Baby
Emerald
Wish You Were There
Baby Baby
Do You Believe in Magic
Pleasant Mary

You may be able to detect, in these tapes, hints of what would come later, after I became an uncle and all. It'll either be interesting or excruciating, hopefully not boring. I will completely understand if you flee for your life - but please come back for #24.

Have fun!

What a pretty Speedbump

Mon, 19 Feb 2007 13:15:00 GMT

It has been a while since I provided an update about Pumpkin a k a Speedbump, the kitten whose discovery at 4 weeks along U.S. 41 I have chronicled here and here and here. With the hibernation of the Green Bay Free Radical, I move these musings into the Attic.

This morning I chased Pumpkin off the top of the fish tank, where he was nudging his nose along the 1-inch gap between the edge of the lid and the side of the tank. I thought I'd stop him before he realized his paw could fit in there - not that his declawed little appendage could cause any damage, but why tempt fate?

A remarkable side effect of having a new kitten is that the former kitten, 3 1/2-year-old Hemi, has become even more affectionate. Always a lover, Hemi has made more frequent trips to available laps, where he purrs as if to remind us that the orange one is not the only cute little friend in the house.

They say staring at fish for a time lowers blood pressure and relieves stress. I say the same thing about a houseload of cats. I don't necessarily say that while cleaning the litter box or investigating a 3 a.m. crashing noise, but on the whole I'm healthier for the feline companionship. At least I feel healthier. They're so cu-u-ute ...

Speaking of stress, while worrying about the podcast being late, I came to the sudden conclusion that Uncle Warren's Attic is not on a schedule. UWA 23 will be up soon. What does "soon" mean? It means "soon." I'll get back to you on that one!

And now a word ...

Sat, 17 Feb 2007 14:44:00 GMT

I just noticed that the cost of the Firefly DVD set has dipped down to Uncle Warren's recommended price for buying DVD sets - $19.99 or less. My attic is packed with stuff from Firefly and its cinema sequel, Serenity. If I had to toss away everything TV-related I own except one thing, this would be it.

(OK, now, ask for the sale, UW.) If you want to own what in my opinion is the best TV show ever to grace the tube, click here to purchase through the Uncle Warren's Attic A-Store. I'm not sure if this price is permanent or temporary, so I'd suggest doing it now. Thanks!

UW's Attic #22: Explosions of happiness

Mon, 12 Feb 2007 04:13:00 GMT

The name of the boys choir that performs "Gloria" and "Credo" on today's show is les troubadours du roi baudouin. I wasn't going to insult them by trying to pronounce that! The link will take you to the reproduced liner notes of their long-out-of-print LP, "Missa Luba."

I was surprised to see that Osibisa is still active, or rather that the band became active again about 20 years ago after its flurry of recordings in the early 1970s. The recording of "Che Che KulÃ on this show is from a somewhat worn copy of their album "Heads"; please forgive the pops and crackles.

After a commercial break from the immortal Jean Shepherd, Will Rogers submits some thoughts about Congress for us to mull, and then we head off to the battlefield singin' a song. From 1915 and the Great War, Albert Farrington sings "It's A Long Way to Tipperary," and then from 1942 and World War II, Carl Hoff and his Orchestra (featuring the Murphy Sisters) present an unpleasant little ditty directed at the rulers of the Japanese Empire. The words are unpleasant, but the music is sprightly.

This episode represents a return to normal (or what passes for such) after a couple of "theme" weeks. Enjoy!!

Check out Aunt Fritzi's chest

Wed, 7 Feb 2007 14:54:00 GMT

I'm on the verge of declaring Fritzi Ritz the official Aunt of Uncle Warren's Attic - OK, Red might object to that, so maybe I'll declare Aunt Fritzi the official cartoon mascot of the Attic. obviously Fritzi and I are kindred spirits - she talks about old music a lot, her T-shrts are a constantly changing homage to pop music (today "Property of Apple Records," yesterday "Del Reeves," last Friday "Wild Weeds Fan Club") and today, we learn that she has an attic full of old shtuff.

"I keep 'em all," Nancy's aunt says, "I've got 78s, 33 1/3s, 45s, 8-tracks, reel to reels, cassettes, Betamax, VHS, laser discs ..." Sigh! Why can't she be real? (Oops ... sorry, Red, just kidding!)

Nancy was one of the guilty pleasures of my childhood; even though it usually had a silly or even lame premise, I kept coming back to the adventures of Nancy, Sluggo and Fritzi Ritz, and Ernie Bushmiller became a name in the back of my mind. Bushmiller died in 1982 and the strip, when I checked in from time to time, seemed to be foundering. The current creators, Guy and Brad Gilchrist, have revived Nancy bigtime, and Fritzi has been reinvented as a very hip but aging baby boomer - not that you'd notice the "aging" part.

The Gilchrists have made Fritzi's chest a continuing homage to pop music - many's the time I've gone searching and found lost treasures by doing a Web search for the obscure reference on her T-shirt - such as the aforementioned Wild Weeds. Go ahead click the link; I never heard of these guys, but now I really want to hear them.

IMHO, Fritzi has supplanted Vicki, the biker alter ego of Rose Gumbo, as the sexiest babe on the comic strip pages. And now she has an attic, too. Sigh! Why can't she be real? (Oww! I said I was kidding, Red ...)

UW's Attic #21: The Batman Band Blowout

Tue, 6 Feb 2007 01:55:00 GMT

In addition to assembling the six remaining tunes in my Batman songs collection for you, this episode debuts Mobile Uncle Warren, as I introduce the songs while driving to work and talking to my new digital recorder. I promise not to use it too often - unless you want me to!

The songs, by The Meriettes or The Bats, if you will:

"The Battiest Car Around"

"Here Comes the Batmobile"

"It's the Batman"

"Ho Ho Ho The Joker's Wild"

"The Wonderful Boy Wonder"

"Look Out It's the Batman"

And once again, warning: Listening to these songs all at once may make your brain explode. I won't take responsibility if you ignore this warning.

P.S. I forgot to mention during the show that the sound quality of "The Wonderful Boy Wonder" suffers because the record was actually manufactured off center, so as the song progresses it develops a bit of a wobble. Hey, I bought it for 49 cents ...

And thanks again to Red for another stellar cameo performance, this time as herself.

UW's Attic #20: The Top 40 Show

Mon, 29 Jan 2007 04:59:00 GMT

Fair warning: This one is different from everything that came before.

Everyone who has ever been on the radio has a dark place in their soul. Maybe it comes out on the full moon, maybe it comes out when they realize how silly life in general is ... but every so often they sneak off to that dark place and become ... a Top 40 DJ.

Recently, listening to tunes I'd downloaded from the Podsafe Music Network and Sub Pop Records, I found myself falling into that dark place, and before I realized what was happening ...

It was too late.

UNCLE WARREN'S ATTIC TOP 7

1. Rollin' - Maria Daines

2. Sin City - The Legendary Hucklebucks

3. Zen Hot Dog - The Sealed Weasels

[tie] The Dog Song - Piney Creek Weasels

5. Say I Love You - Ruby James

6. Atlantica - Speed Limit 35

7. The Ghost of an Unkissed Kisses - Trembling Blue Stars

UPDATE: I can't believe I forgot to acknowledge the contributions of my partner, Red, who makes her podcast debut in the roles of news reader Red Roberts (not her real name!) and Jeanie, Caller #15. Thanks, hon! It wouldn't be the same without you.

Guy & Brad Gilchrist are music lovers

Sun, 28 Jan 2007 21:53:00 GMT

Coming attractions

Tue, 23 Jan 2007 12:13:00 GMT

For the first time, I have a clear idea what the next two shows will be like. Browsing through the songs at the Podsafe Music Network the other night, I suddenly started imagining them in the context of an oldtime top 40 show. If it's as much fun as it sounded in my brain, UWA 20 will be a milestone. I'm working up sounders and jingles right now, and I'm trying to recruit Red for her podcast acting debut; watch for it in a few days. There should be good rockin' that night.

Then I got a listener suggestion that instead of trickling out the remaining tunes in my collection of records in the Batman series of kids' 45 rpm tunes, I do a "Batman band blowout" episode. It has a certain appeal. He also let me know the songs were once collected in an album and the band has a real name: The Merriettes. They're not credited on the 45s. At the moment, I'm slating that one for UWA 21. But I have to admit, these little tunes are easier to take one at a time. When I digitized the remaining six tunes in one sitting, my brain exploded. I may yet chicken out on this idea.

UW's Attic #19: Historic sounds

Sun, 21 Jan 2007 13:48:00 GMT

This show ended up revolving around sounds that you don't hear much anymore: A telephone ringing, an electric typewriter, a steam engine. Along the way, as always, we unearth a few tunes.

The centerpiece - or the longest piece - is a 1993-ish radio report I did about the Milwaukee Road 261's visit to Green Bay. This magnificent steam engine was restored to its original working condition, and capturing its sounds was one of the highlights of my halcyon radio days.

Musical entries are "Hobo Bill's Last Ride," a 1930 recording by Jimmie Rodgers you can find at the Internet Archives ... "North of Milwaukee, South of Green Bay" by Big City Bob and the Ballroom Gliders. A Web search will land you a guy named Big City Bob, but this record seems to predate the contemporary Bob's musical activity ... "Sweet Patunia" by Willie Jones a k a Will Baker, a 1927 recording for which precious little info is "out there."

'America, where are you now'

Wed, 17 Jan 2007 14:31:00 GMT

My friend B.W. Richardson put down some good thoughts this morning about the classic Steppenwolf album "Monster." Now, my mind doesn't often go straight to Steppenwolf when I think about my favorite rock bands, but its stuff has weathered time well. "Monster," in particular, seemed to be outdated at one point in recent history, but revisiting it now, it may be more relevant than ever.

I sometimes forget that the first rock concert I ever attended was a Steppenwolf date. The memories are faded - I remember John Kay with his sunglasses - the fascinating instrument the guitarist put in his mouth that allowed his guitar to talk, literally - and something that you're not allowed to see anymore: a smoky haze over the whole auditorium. That last fact is indicative of why "Monster" is still a song for our times.

Eek! Where'd everybody go?

Tue, 16 Jan 2007 15:46:00 GMT

According to the stat machine, there's been a precipitous drop in the number of people downloading the show. This is what Dave Slusher must have meant when he said the true measure of a podcaster is what he would do when almost no one is listening: If he quits then, he wasn't in it for the right reasons. (I'm paraphrasing.)

Well, I'm doing this because it's just too darn fun. Maybe a poddy audience is like the proverbial bar of soap: If you try to hold it too tight, it slips away. Maybe I've been thinking too hard about how to keep the audience happy, when what made the audience happy in the first place was I was just having fun poking around in my attic. As long as most of you are gone, maybe I'll just throw what makes me happy into the next show.

Of course, the other possibility is that the stat machine is malfunctioning again and the audience is bigger than ever ... in which case, talk amongst yourselves and ignore this note.

UPDATE: OK, now I'm sure it's a malfunction. The counter hasn't changed for three days, and I've been getting comments from people who've downloaded the show within the last three days. Yippee! You still like me! You really like me! (Down, Sally.)

Uncle Warren's Attic #18: Fond memories

Sat, 13 Jan 2007 23:28:00 GMT

... of working in radio, covering the news and Studebakers are interspersed with some tasty music by Los Gallos, the Young Iroquois Drummers, Paul Whiteman and Melanie Lewis (pictured). The exact set list goes like this:

"Amor Prohibido," Los Gallos (from the Podsafe Music Network)

"Honor Song," Young Iroquois Drummers of the Oneida Nation, from UW's personal stash of tapes from his radio news career

Thoughts about radio and podcasting from Dave Slusher of the Evil Genius Chronicles, via the Podcast & Portable Music Expo

"Anything Goes," Paul Whiteman & his Orchestra, from the Internet Archive

"Satisfy Me," Melanie Lewis (from PMN)

"Golden Hawk," w.p. bluhm (from the forthcoming album "Songs From The Attic")

Enjoy!

UW's Attic #17: Hurry up

Sun, 7 Jan 2007 22:16:00 GMT

New music, live music, old music and a peek inside Spider-Man comics. What more could you ask for? It's UWA 17!

The musical features: The opening salvo of "Rama Lama Ding Dong" by The Edsels ... a brand-new version of "Hanky Panky" by The Vultures ... a smidgen of "Smile" by The Beach Boys ... the old chestnut "Gee" by The Crows ... the enigmatic "Double-Double: A Waltz for Voice" by Uncle Seth ... the psychedelic pop nugget "Sunday Girl"* by The Telling Eye ... and Springsteen's "Dancing in the Dark" by Greensky Bluegrass. And a couple of other surprises.

* On the show I identify it as "Sunday's Girl," but there is no apostrophe-s in the song title. I also didn't realize until later it's a cover of a Blondie song - a very good song, I might add.

Sources include the Podsafe Music Network and the Internet Archive.

Everything Aileen

Wed, 3 Jan 2007 08:31:00 GMT

I haven't been able to get that Billy Murray-Aileen Stanley song out of my head, so I went Googling for Aileen this morning and found this comprehensive review of her life. I'm drinking up the available recordings, so don't surprised if she turns up on the show sometime soon.

If you enjoyed "Keep Your Skirts Down, Mary Ann," make sure you check out "Bridget O'Flynn" at the bottom of the Jazz Age link!

UW's Attic #16: New Year's Rockin' Attic

Tue, 2 Jan 2007 03:18:00 GMT

Celebrating 2007 and the spirit of freedom with nifty stuff from 1922 to the present day! The show is peppered with moments from the classic James Stewart vehicle Shenandoah, which should be mandatory viewing for kids of all ages.

The picture of Hemi the cat in the sink has nothing to do with this show; I just think it's cute. Hemi occasionally drapes his body over my left arm and falls asleep while I'm typing, so he's kind of a silent partner to the podcast.

Courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network comes Rockosaurus Rex with "Auld Lang Syne," the only way to start the new year, says I.

After a Marines recruiting ad from Lefty Frizzell, we welcome back Billy Murray and Aileen Stanley, who spiced up UWA #3 with their rendition of "Keep Your Skirts Down, Mary Ann." This time around they perform a piece I found at the Internet Archive called "I'll Stand Beneath Your Window Tonight and Whistle." All that whistling inspired me to follow it up with a vintage excerpt from Lux Radio Theater; I bet you can guess what it is!

"I Wonder How You're Doing" is a song I wrote and recorded at home in 1985; it becomes the latest Uncle Warren project to be hauled out of the attic and shared with the world.

Then it's back to the present day for Jonathan Coulton's wonderful a cappella tune, "When You Go," and a brand-new piece by Los Gallos called "Free the People" - a terrific sentiment to start the new year with, says I.

After an ad for the new Sunday edition of Newsday, we close out with Huddie "Leadbelly" Ledbetter doing his song "Where Did You Sleep Last Night," perhaps best known as the piece that Kurt Cobain made his own when Nirvana played MTV's "Unplugged."

All this and 22 seconds of Firefly, too - what are you waiting for? Download the darn thing!

Uncle Warren's Attic #15: Podsafe heaven

Fri, 29 Dec 2006 13:54:00 GMT

My little attic studio is still under reconstruction, so nothing from my collection this time, but lots from the Podsafe Music Network!

"The Awful Green Things from Outer Space," Clouseaux

"Joy," Michael Lucklow

"Married a Magician," Dust Poets

"Betty," The Lascivious Biddies

"Loopy" (GarageBand experiment), w.p. bluhm

"Rocking Harder," Lee Rocker

"WNBC," Gentlemen's Gun Club

Back to something resembling normal next time - in the meantime, Happy New Year and see ya soon!

Those incessant carols ...

Mon, 25 Dec 2006 04:18:00 GMT

It seems there are only about 20 Christmas songs, and they get repeated in endless permutations for six weeks. "Oh Come All Ye Faithful," "Hark the Herald Angels Sing," "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" and the other 16 songs seem to have been recorded by every artist on Earth, and several times each.

But still ...

Today in church "Silent Night" reminded me of the glisten in my mom's eyes when she heard it sung ... by anyone.

And "Glo-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-ria, in excelsis deo" brought me back 23 years to the time a children's choir, string quartet and the adult choir sent my heart soaring and converted "Angels We Have Heard On High" from an also-ran into my favorite Christmas carol.

When the aches and pains of the years have healed or at least faded, the sweet memories remain. The familiar carols carry us back to happier times, comfort food for the soul.

Merry Christmas and/or any other holiday greeting you prefer!

UW Attic 14 - The Christmas Show

Sat, 23 Dec 2006 02:44:00 GMT

A new era begins in Uncle Warren's life as he produces his first GarageBand podcast. Bert, what do you know about that? Merrrrry Christmas!!!!

This is an odd one, because the musical selections are either from 78 rpm records or .mp3s - there's no in-between. Among the gems here:

"Joy to the World," Robert Shaw Chorale

"March" from "The Nutcracker Suite," Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Eugene Ormandy.

"Chiron Beta Prime," Jonathan Coulton

"The Cherry Tree Carol," Robert Shaw Chorale

"Twelve Days of Christmas," Robert Shaw Chorale

UW's Christmas memories, music "The First Noel," Mario Ajero
a nifty piece I found at the Podsafe Music Network

"Podsafe Christmas Song," Jonathan Coulton

UPDATE: Whoops! I forgot to mention Orson Welles and Lionel Barrymore from the 1939 radio performance of "A Christmas Carol"

"Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy," Philly Orchestra

As I say in the podcast, this show is to celebrate the holiday season. If youÃÂÃÂÂÃÂÂre celebrating something besides Christmas, Happy Hannukah, or Merry Solstice, Awesome Kwanzaa - whatever greeting you prefer, consider yourself greeted. Pour out a glass of milk, grab some cookies, and settle in!

Are you kidding me?

Fri, 22 Dec 2006 02:07:00 GMT

I started trying to figure out how to produce a podcast using the GarageBand and iTunes software on my new iMac - my Christmas present to myself - and as often happens when I work with Macintosh stuff, I am overwhelmed with how downright easy it is.

My original plan was to record the UWA Christmas show the same as the first 13: Tape it on my trusty old reel-to-reel recorder, dub it to CD, and convert it to .mp3 on the sturdy old Windows 98 machine. That was based on the thought that I probably couldn't figure out a new program (GarageBand) quickly enough to do the Christmas Show justice.

My new plan is to use my new toy. I just love it! Why doesn't everybody own a Mac?