The lost playlist -- found!

Actually, I just went to the station and made a copy. Happy New Year. I haven't compiled my best of 2009 list yet. Maybe this weekend.

Here goes for 12/23 new tracks and 80s @ 8:30 Christmas special....

6 pm hour
Dutchess/ Duke -- Scorpio
Alice Donut -- No More Room
Tom Waits -- Goin Out West (live)
Gossip -- Dime Store Diamond
Spiral Beach -- Battery

7 pm hour
The Heavy -- How You Like Me Now?
The xx -- Crystalised
Animal Collective -- On A Highway
Mission of Burma -- 1,2,3 Party!
Avett Bros. -- Kick Drum Heart
Melismatics -- Industry of Cool
Kurt Vile -- Monkey
The King Khan & BBQ Show -- I'll Be Loving You

8 pm hour
Lucero -- Sounds of the City
Flaming Lips -- Watching the Planets

80s at 8:30 Christmas edition

Waitresses -- Christmas Wrapping
Los Lobos -- Rudolph the Manic Reindeer
Chris Stamey -- Christmas Time
Timbuk 3 -- All I Want for Christmas (Is World Peace)
Joan Jett -- Little Drummer Boy
Wall of Voodoo -- Shouldn't Have Given Him a Gun for Christmas
Bongos -- Three Wise Men
Couch Flambeau (request) -- Santa Skips Cudahy

Christmas week 09

I seem to have lost track of my playlist from Christmas Eve eve, if there ever was one (a list, that is). For now, I will give you the artists names of new releases I played this past Monday morning when I filled in for Grant. I didn't write down the titles. I blame it on the fog of the holidays, which I hope are going well for you.
Rich

Monday, Dec. 21

6 am hour
Laura Veirs
Ben Kweller
Mountain Goats
Greg Laswell
Mike Benign

7 am hour
Mark Matos
Anders Parker
Exene Cervenka
The Exotics
The xx

8 am hour
Avett Brothers
Shaky Hands
Black Seeds
Elvis Perkins
Lou Barlow
Chuck Prophet
Langhorne Slim

Be there this Monday morning Dec. 21

I will be 'filling in' for Grant K. this coming Monday morning 6 am to 9 am on WMSE 91.7/ wmse.org. I'll toss in a few holiday tunes but mostly play that somewhat mellow morning Mars mix. Happy holidays, aina?

What's new 12-9-09

Did my best to keep the wattage in your cottage on a frigid Wednesday night. Here's how, at least in terms of new trax and '80s at 8:30 material.....

New trax

6 pm hour

The xx -- Crystalised
13th Floor Elevators -- You're Gonna Miss Me (from the new You're Gonna Miss Me soundtrack)
The Ettes -- No Home
Lou Barlow -- The Right
Melismatics -- Soul Sucker
The King Khan & BBQ Show -- Lonely Boy
Spoon -- Written in Reverse
Animal Collective -- On a Highway

Recurrent track (4-12 mos. old)
Crocodiles -- Refuse Angels

7 pm hour

Lucero -- Sounds of the City
Alice Donut -- No More Room
Black Heart Procession -- Rats
Flaming Lips -- Watching the Planets
Girls -- Morning Light
Exotics -- Spy's Demise
Vivian Girls -- I Have No Fun

Recurrent tracks
Grizzly Bear -- When You Went for the Others
Sonic Youth -- What We Know
White Rabbits -- Percussion Gun

8 pm hour

Gossip -- Spare Me From the Mold
Raveonettes -- Heart of Stone
Tom Waits -- Such A Scream (live)
Slits -- Peer Pressure

Recurrent
Jarvis Cocker -- Caucasion Blues

Da '80s At 8:30

Thanks to my special guest Bunnyman for contributing four of these gems

Beastie Boys -- She's On It
Suburbs -- Cigarette in Backwards
Front 242 -- Least Inkling
Pixies -- Wave of Mutilation
Xmal Deutschland -- Polar Licht
Ministry -- Cold Life
Naked Raygun -- No Sex
Minor Threat -- Stepping Stone

New tracks 11/25/09 (Thanksgiving eve)

I had a fine time playing music on Thanksgiving eve. Nothing like having the next day off. Got way more calls than usual, as well. I'm grateful for that.

New tracks
6 pm hour

Lucero -- Sick of the City
Gogol Bordello -- Immigrant Punk (demo version)
BLK JKS --Taxidermy
Black Heart Procession -- Wasteland
Shaky Hands -- Love Curse
Kurt Vile -- Monkey
Flaming Lips -- Watching the Planets

Recurrent track (4-12 months old)
Dinosaur Jr. -- I Want You to Know

7 pm hour/ New tracks

The Ettes -- I Can't Be True
Exotics -- Spy's Demise
Chuck Prophet -- Where the Hell is Henry?
Viva Voce -- Devotion
Purgatory Hill/ Pat MacDonald -- Reset Me Lord
Black Seeds -- Slingshot
Gossip -- Vertical Rhythm
The Slits -- Lazy Slam
Tom Waits -- Goin Out West (live)

8 pm hour
Drivin n Cryin -- Detroit City
Anders Parker -- Calling Out to You
The High Strung -- Out of Character

The 80s at 8:30

Spandau Ballet (sort of request) -- To Cut A Long Story Short
Jazz Butcher Conspiracy -- Big Bad Thing
Fun Boy 3 (request) -- Faith and Hope and Charity
The Cramps (request) -- The Way I Walk
The Neats -- Sometimes
Couch Flambeau (salute to "The Day the Music Died" making Spin top Pigf--k list) --
Mobile Home
Satan's School for Girls
The Zoo Is Cool
Curtains for You
Santa Skips Cudahy

Way to go Couch Flambeau!

Congrats to Milwaukee's own Couch Flambeau for being named to Spin magazine's top 8 "essentials" for the precursor of grunge, which Spin refers to as Pigf--k. The 1985 Flambeau album The Day the Music Died made the list, along with albums by Scratch Acid, Killdozer, Sonic Youth, the Butthole Surfers and Big Black. See this week's '80s at 8:30 playlist for the tracks I played from The Day the Music Died. Article is in the December issue of Spin.

Whew -- Back2Normal Playlist 11-11-09

The pledge drive is over and done, now we will get back to our regular fun. Here for your entertainment pleasure are this week's new trax and 80's @ 8:30 lineup...

6 pm hour

Drivin n Cryin -- Detroit City
Julian Plenti -- Fly As You Might
The Ettes -- I Can't Be True
King Khan and the BBQ Show -- Animal Parts
Chuck Prophet -- Where the Hell is Henry?
Sea Wolf -- Oh Maria
The Slits -- Peer Pressure

7 pm hour

Girls -- Morning Light
Gossip -- Dime Store Diamond
Fiery Furnaces -- Charmaine Champagne
Yo La Tengo -- Periodically Double or Triple
Har Mar Superstar -- Don't Ask Don't Tell
Raveonettes -- D.R.U.G.S.
Gordon Gano and the Ryans -- Way that I Creep
BLK JKS (Black Jacks) -- Lakeside

Recurrent track
Dinosaur Jr. -- Pieces

8 pm hour
new tracks

Black Heart Procession -- Rats
Flaming Lips -- Trembling Hands
Dirty Projectors -- Stillness is the Move (Radio Edit)
Mission of Burma -- Good Cheer

The '80s At 8:30

The Brains -- In the Night
Dinosaur Jr. (in town soon, had to play 'em twice tonight) -- Just Like Heaven
Soul Asylum -- Freaks
Spanic Boys -- Spark of Love
Del Fuegos -- Don't Run Wild
The Three O'Clock -- Sorry
Dag Nasty -- Trouble Is

Thanx and 80s at 8:30 for 11-4-09

Thanks again to those who helped us hit the minimum goal I set for this week's showgram of $500 so we helped (with Direct Supply) send 5 turkeys to the Hunger Task Force for families in need.

I believe I played only one "new" track due to my pledge drive hit parade. That was the Fiery Furnaces "I'm Going Away."

80s at 8:30
Bonemen of Barumba -- Walking with the Dead Men
Replacements -- We're Coming Out
Agent Orange -- Bloodstains

Spoken word from English as a Second Language (1983)
Jeffrey Lee Pierce - Blacks
Clayton Clark -- Visions of Muhammad Ali
Scott Goddard -- Nikita Krushchev
Bill Inglot -- Retirement of the Badge
Luis Campos -- Fruit Cocktail
Dennis Cooper -- 7 Poests Chosen By John Ashbery

Laurie Anderson -- Sweaters
Plasticland -- Processes of the Silverness
Siouxsie and the Banshees -- Arabian Nights

Pledge Drive Take 2 w/ Turkey

We're talking Turkey now on the WMSE fall pledge drive -- as in when you give, one of our underwriters will donate turkey dinners to the Hunger Task Force. That underwriter is Direct Supply of Milwaukee. Depending on the show, Direct Supply is providing turkeys to hungry Milwaukee-area families to the tune of five for every $500 raised or 10 for every $1,000 raised. I'd like to raise $1k on my showgram this week -- and I'll start with my own pledge of $100. So we need another $400 to $900. Please give a call Wednesday night from 6 to 9 at 414-799-1917.
Also, thanks to Friends of Rich Mars who called with pledges last week -- Ketch Jr., Bro Dan, Uncle Paul, Lady S and others.
Rich Mars

Yee-hah! Pledge time

Please give a call during my showgram Wednesday night from 6 to 9 -- or any of the other fine shows on WMSE 91.7 / wmse.org -- during our fall pledge / membership drive. Lots of cool 'thank you' gifts, led by the Blank Generation calendar of black-and-white photos of the Milwaukee music scene back in the day (Mars remembers, more or less). Call 414-799-1917 or go to wmse.org to do your thang.

New stuff 10-14-09 + Eighties @ 8:30

Weather is crappy at the moment but supposed to hit 60 next week! Musically speaking, there are a ton of good new tracks at the station (and a couple in my possession) to play. Special thing this week was the compilation CDs (by the station, I guess) of late 70s/ early 80s punk/ new wave -- mostly from Milwaukee -- to go with our Milwaukee's Blank Generation 2010 wall calendar fundraiser.

New stuff

6 pm hour
Recent releases
Viva Voce -- Rose City
The Ettes -- Blood Red Blood
Shaky Hands -- You're the Light
Cave Singers -- At the Cut
Yo La Tengo -- Nothing to Hide
Fiery Furnaces -- I'm Going Away

Recurrent (4-12 months old)
Handsome Family -- Wild Wood

7 pm hour
Recent releases
Gogol Bordello -- Immigrant Punk (demo)
Slits -- Peer Pressure
Gossip -- Spare Me the Mold
Box Elders -- Ronald Dean
Yacht -- Psychic City (Voodoo City)
Vivan Girls -- I'm Not Asleep

Recurrent
Heartless Bastards -- The Mountain
King Khan and the Shrines -- Land of the Freak

8 pm hour
Flaming Lips -- The Sparrow Looks Up at the Machine
Har Mar Superstar -- Don't Ask Don't Tell
High Strung -- Out of Charactre
Girls -- Morning Light
Raveonettes -- Oh I Buried You Today
Lou Barlow -- The Right

Recurrent
Eels -- Tremendous Dynamite
Sonic Youth -- Thunderclap for Bobby Pyn

'80s at 8:30
Lubricants -- Activated Energy
Gang War (Wayne Kramer/ Johnny Thunders) -- Like a Rolling Stone (live)
Ama Dots -- Hit Girls
Tense Experts -- Cemetary Secrets
Pretenders (request) -- Waste Not Want Not
Gun Club -- She's Like Heroin to Me
GBH (request) -- Womb with a View
Channel 3 -- True West

Last showgram before Harvest Moon playlist

I did play "Harvest Moon" by Jason and the (Nashville) Scorchers and it wasn't even during the '80s at 8 segment.

Here's the new stuff:
6 pm hour

New trax
Gordon Gano and the Ryans -- Way That I Creep
High Strung -- Guilt Is How I'm Built
Raveonettes -- Bang!
Julian Plenti -- Fly As You Might
Rev. Horton Heat -- Rural POV
War Tapes -- The Night Unfolds
Pat MacDonald/ Purgatory Hill -- Count to Ten

7 pm hour
New trax
Oh My God -- I Dare You to Love Me
Rural Alberta Advantage -- The Dethbridge in Lethbridge
Girls -- Morning Light
Lou Barlow -- The Right
Dinosaur Jr. -- Over It
BLK JKS -- Lakeside
Starlight Mints -- Gazeretti
Fiery Furnaces -- Staring at the Steeple

Recurrent track (4-12 months vintage)
Super Drag -- Filthy & Afraid

8 pm hour
New trax
Yacht -- Summer Song
Yo La Tengo -- Nothing to Hide
Jay Reatard -- Wounded
Shaky Hands -- You're the Light

Recurrent tracks
Say Hi -- One, Two ... One
Eleni Mandell -- Artificial Fire

The '80s at 8 freakin' 30

Buzzcocks -- You Say You Don't Love Me
Buzzcocks -- Mad Mad Judy
X Cleavers -- Mondo Commando
Special AKA -- Racist Friend
Greg Sage -- Straight Ahead
Effigies -- Blue Funk
Fleshtones -- The Dreg (live in Paris)

That would be Stone Roses

not Stone Coyotes for new track in the 8 pm hour.

Da new stuff and Da '80s for 9/16/09

RIP Mary Travers. I'll have to drag out that Album 1700 I bought at the used store.

Here goes somethin....

6 pm hour
New tracks:
Hess is More -- Ssshhh
Shaky Hands -- Loosen Up
Yo La Tengo -- Periodically Double or Triple
Fiery Furnaces -- Charmane Champagne
Cave Singers -- At the Cut
Recurrent tracks (4-12 mos. old):
Jarvis Cocker -- Further Complications
Ratatat -- Shemp
White Rabbits -- Percussion Gun
Eels -- Fresh Blood

7 pm hour
New tracks:
Jay Reatard -- Man of Steel
Los Explosivos -- Quiza
High Strung -- Guilt is How I'm Built
War Tapes -- The Night Unfolds
Raveonettes -- Oh I Buried You Today
Looming Larger -- Gray (live)
The Most Serene Republic -- Catharsis Boo
The Clean -- Are You Really on Drugs?
Recurrent:
Wreckless Eric and Amy Rigby -- First Mate Rigby

8 pm hour
New Tracks:
Stone Coyotes (20th anniversary coll.) -- I Wanna Be Adored (demo)
Dead Weather -- So Far from Your Weapon
Hugh Cornwell -- Wrong Side of the Track
Purgatory Hill (Pat MacDonald) -- Reset Me Lord
Richard Lloyd -- Purple Haze

The 80's at 8!
Mojo Nixon and Skid Roper -- In A Gadda Da Vida
Siouxsie and the Banshees -- Into the Light
Fuzzbox -- Love is the Slug
The Blasters -- One Red Rose (live 1985)
The Selector -- They Make Me Mad
The Minutemen -- The Big Stick
Hoodoo Gurus -- In the Wild
Evan Johns and the H Bombs -- I'm A Little Mixed Up
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five -- White Lines

The newest 9/02/09 + '80s

Here is this week's lineup of new tunes for y'all. As a reminder, EVERY DAY is NEW MUSIC DAY on WMSE/ 91.7/ wmse.org! It's the way we've always done it, dude.

6 pm hour
Yacht -- Psychic City
Pink Mountaintops -- Holiday
Dead Weather -- I Cut Like a Buffalo
BLK JKS (Black Jacks) -- Lakeside
Neil Young -- Fuel Line
King Khan and the Shrines -- Land of the Freak
Dinosaur Jr. -- Pieces

7 pm hour
The Apples in Stereo -- Tidal Wave (Radio Mix)
The Quarter After -- This is How I Want to Know You
Fiery Furnaces -- Charmaine Champagne
Minus 5 -- Your Favorite Mess
Purgatory Hill (Pat mAcdonald) -- Blues of Sin/ Baby Love
Crocodiles -- Soft Skull
Jay Reatard -- Watch Me Fall
Hess Is More -- In the Fridge

8 pm hour
War Tapes -- The Night Unfolds
The Clean -- Simple Fix
Starlight Mints -- Paralyzed
Viva Voce -- Octavio
Los Straitjackets -- Teen Beast

The 80s At 8!
The Photos -- I'm So Attractive
Oh OK -- Such n Such
999 -- Hollywood
Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians -- Goodnight I Say
The Haskels -- Body Language
Dream Syndicate -- Tell Me When It's Over
Love & Rockets (by request) -- Kundliner Express
Husker Du -- Tell You Why Tomorrow
Husker Du -- Visionary

Gnu tracks Aug. 19 '09

6 pm hour
new trax ...
Fiery Furnaces -- Going Away
NASA feat. RZA -- Way Down
PJ Harvey and John Parrish -- Pig Will Not
Sonic Youth -- Thunderclap for Bobby Pyn (a/k/a Darby Crash!)
Jarvis Cocker -- Hold Still
Dirty Projectors -- Remade Horizon
Dead Weather -- So Far From Your Weapons
Crocodiles -- Refuse Angels

7 pm hour
New music ....
Dinosaur Jr. -- Pieces
Handsome Family -- Wild Wood
Brief Candles -- Sink or Swim
Soft Black -- Ashtray Christ
Starlight Mints -- Gazeretti
Ox Haxixins -- Onde Meditar
Pomegranates -- Everybody Come Outside
Ha Ha Tonka -- Pendergrast Machine

Recurrent tracks (4 mos. to one year old) ...
Dan Deacon -- Paddling Ghost
Les Claypool -- Booneville Stomp

8 pm hour
new tracks....
Felice Brothers -- Chicken Wire
Animal Collective -- Summertime Clothes (Analog Lego Mix)
Art Brut -- Alcoholics Unanimous
Los Explosivos -- Quiza

Recurrent track
Heartless Bastards -- Early in the Morning

THE 80's @ 8:30
Yello -- Bimbo
Sugar Cubes -- Cold Sweat
Clash -- Overpowered by Funk
Zeitgeist -- The Sound and the Fury
Dreams So Real -- Golden
Violent Femmes -- Special
Oil Tasters -- I Don't Want to Be an Encyclopedia Salesman
Coolies -- 59th St. Bridge Song
Del Lords -- I Play the Drums

Summer Camp with Mars Friday

I have the honor of doing the stage announcing Friday night at the Miramar Theater for The Wood Brothers with opening act Tristen. Show starts at 8 as part of the WMSE Radio Summer Camp weekend. I'll also be at the WMSE table with another 'MSE cat or two.

That would be new music for 8-5-09

Previous post had wrong year.

Hey Hey new music 8-5-08 + '80s

August already. 90 this weekend. Hot new summer music!

6 pm hour
Dengue Fever -- Tip My Canoe
Brakes Brakes Brakes -- Hey Hey
Micachu -- Calculator
Eels -- Tremendous Dynamite
Los Explosivos -- Ya No Puedes Escapar
Looming Larger -- Gray
Pomegranites -- Everybody Come Outside!

7 pm hour
Starlight Mints -- Zoomba
Soft Black -- Ashtray Christ
Sonic Youth -- No Way
Jarvis Cocker -- Pilchard
Headless Heroes -- Just One Time
Dead Weather -- Cut Like a Buffalo
The Quarter After -- This Is How I Want to Know You

8 pm hour
White Rabbits -- Company I Keep
Viva Voce -- Die A Little
Dinosaur Jr. -- Pieces
Next Door Neighbors -- Liars
Crocodiles -- Soft Skull

The '80s at 8:30!
Comsat Angels -- Waiting for a Miracle
Talk Talk -- Today
Big Country -- Fields of Fire
The Big Boys -- Sound on Sound
The Pandorahs -- I Want Him
The Primitives -- Buzz Buzz Buzz
The Beat Farmers -- Big Ugly Wheels
X -- Universal Corner
Ramones -- Mama's Boy
Ramones -- Bop Til You Drop

New trax Ju-ly 22 '09

Did anyone see Sonic Youth? How was it? I was too tired Monday night from a fine but cool summer weekend.

6 pm hour
Dinosaur Jr. -- Your Weather
Mega Faun -- The Process
Sonic Youth -- Leaky Lifeboat
White Rabbits -- Percussion Gun
Bjork -- Innocence
Viva Voce -- Catch and Release
Jarvis Cocker -- Caucasian Blues

7 pm hour
New
Felice Bros. -- Memphis Flu
Crocodiles -- Refuse Angels
Luminescent Orchestra -- Nasty Tasty
Micachu -- Eat Your Heart
Eels -- Fresh Blood
Grizzly Bear -- While You Wait for the Others
War Tapes -- Mind Is Ugly
Ha Ha Tonka -- Pendergast Machine

Recurrent
Alejandro Escovedo -- Chelsea Hotel
Walkmen -- In the New Year

8 pm hour
Iggy Pop -- Nice to be Dead
Art Brut -- Alcoholics Unanimous
Dirty Projectors -- No Intention

The 80s at 8:30
The Specials -- Nite Klub
Mission of Burma -- Fight Academy Songs
Cherry Cake -- Mrs. Wilson
Pete Shelley -- Homosapien
Minutemen -- Political Song for Michael Jackson
Bush Tetras -- Cowboys in Africa
Grant Hart -- All of my Senses
Sisters of Mercy -- First and Last and Always

Tremendous new trax -- July 8

Whew. Survived the post-holiday back-to-work and two-WMSE-shows in one week scene. I know -- it's tough all over. Here are new trax followed by 80s at 8:30 trax from this week's City Rock Showgram.
BTW, I played 21 new tracks in first 2.5 hours of the showgram (admittedly a bit above my average). The point is that at WMSE, we just play new and local music, as we always have. There are no "new music" days because it's every stinkin day!

6 pm hour
New
Lemonheads -- Dandelion Seeds
Say Hi -- Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh
Dengue Fever -- Tip My Canoe
Eels -- Tremendous Dynamite
John Vanderslice -- Summer Stock
NASA feat. John Frusciante and others -- Way Down
Dirty Projectors -- Cannibal Resource

Recurrent (released 4 to 12 months ago)
KatJon Band -- Do You
Eagles of Death Metal -- Anything Cept the Truth

7 pm hour
Grizzly Bear -- Ready, Able
Dinosour Jr. -- Over It
Pink Mountaintops -- Execution
Jarvis Cocker -- Caucasian Blues
Sonic Youth -- Thunderclap for Bobby Pyn
Junior Boys -- Bits & Pieces
Grand Duchy -- Lovesick
Viva Voce -- Die A Little
Iggy Pop -- Nice to be Dead
White Rabbits -- The Salesman
Bjork -- Declare Independence

Recurrent
Mugison -- Mugiboogie

8 pm hour
Crocodiles -- Soft Skull
King Khan and the Shrines -- Outta Harms Way
NY Dolls -- Nobody Got No Business

The '80s at 8:30
Snakefinger -- The Man in the Dark Sedan
Pogues -- The Good the Band and the Ugly
The Raunch Hands -- What Yer Doin
Julian Cope -- World Shut Your Mouth
Elvis Costello -- Club land
Gang of Four -- I Will Be a Good Boy
Couch Flambeau -- Credit and Hwy 100

Special Rich Mars show Monday morning

Happy holiday weekend!
I will be "filling in " for Grant this Monday morning July 6 from 6 am to 9 am on WMSE/ 91.7. It will be a more mellow scene than my nighttime gig. Regular City Rock Showgram also happening -- Wednesday July 8 from 6 to 9 pm.

New music + '80s @ 8:30 6-24-09

A tropical heat wave of music for your enjoyment....

New trax
6 pm hour
Viva Voce -- Rose City
Felice Bros. -- Chicken Wire
Jarvis Cocker -- Further Complications
Grizzly Bear -- While You Wait for the Others
Art Brut -- What A Rush
John Doe and the Sadies -- It Just Dawned on Me

7 pm hour
Super Drag -- Cheap Poltergeists
PJ Harvey/ John Parrish -- Pig Will Not
Yeah Yeah Yeahs -- Shame and Fortune
White Rabbits -- Percussion Gun
Wooldridge Bros. -- Does She Love Me Loud
Eels - Fresh Blood
Brakes Brakes Brakes -- Hey Hey
Dirty Projectors -- No Intention
NY Dolls -- Cause I Sez So
Cracker -- Time Machine

8 pm hour
Sonic Youth -- Sacred Trixter
Thermals -- When We Were Alive
Grand Duchy -- Black Suit
Los Straitjackets -- Teen Beast

'80s At 8:30 (special Summerfest edition)

Oingo Boingo -- Only a Lad (request)
English Beat -- I'm Your Flag (summerfest)
Translator -- When I Am with You
Semi Twang -- Do It (John Sieger/ summerfest)
R&B Cadets -- Check Your Bucket (Paul Cebar/ summerfest)
Elvis Costello -- Honey Are You Straight or Are You Blind? (summerfest)
Meat Puppets -- She's Hot (summerfest)
Meat Puppets -- Split Myself in Two (summerfest)

Mars email & facebook

Yep, I got both. To join Friends of Rich Mars (FORM) email list, send me one at rmars@tds.net. For Facebook, search on my name. I'm the guy wearing the old black sportcoat in an aqua-blue room (secret Mars music / reading cave).

New trax + '80s @ 8:30 June 10 '09

WMSE and I would appreciate your support Friday, June 12 during our 12-hour $12,000 fundraiser. I'll be calling in my pledge.
Here we go with playlist from this Wednesday night.
6:00 hour
New tracks
Handsome Furs -- All We Want Baby is Everything
Black Lips -- Again and Again
Dirty Projectors -- Cannibal Resource
Viva Voce -- Devotion
Green -- You Silly Cyborg
Eels -- Tremendous Dynamite
Recurrent track
Brazilian Girls -- Nouveau American

7:00 Hour
New tracks
Todd Snider -- Bring Em Home
Sonic Youth -- What We Know
Grizzly Bear -- While You Wait Fortune Others
Grand Duchy -- Black Suit
Los Straitjackets -- Teen Beast
Art Brut -- What A Rush
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart -- Hey Paul
Jarvis Cocker -- Homewrecker
Recurrent tracks
Holdy Steady -- Navy Sheets
Drive By Truckers -- Self Destructive Zones
Nick Cave/ Bad Seeds -- Dig Lazarus Dig

8:00 Hour
New
Brakes Brakes Brakes -- Worry About It Later
PJ Harvey/ John Parrish -- Sixteen, Fifteen, Fourteen
Pink Mountaintops -- Execution
King Khan and the Shrines -- (How Can I Keep You) Outta Harms Way
Recurrent
Giant Sand -- Saturated

THE '80s AT 8:30
Ian Dury and the Blockheads -- I Wanna Be Straight
Tom Tom Club -- Suboceana
Woodentops -- Get It On
Three on Fire -- All Too Blue
The Weeds -- Graceland USA
Throwing Muses -- Fear
Jim Carroll Band -- People Who Died

New Tracks May 27 '09 (belated)

I misplaced my track list and was re-creating it by replaying the showgram -- and then I found the original list. Anyway, a couple days delayed, but here it is.

New tracks
6 pm hour
Los Straitjackets -- Tubby
John Vanderslice -- D.I.A.L.O.
War Tapes -- Mind is Ugly
Jonathan Richman -- You Can Have a Cell Phone That's OK But Not Me (new 45!!)
PJ Harvey -- The Chair
Star F***er -- Bed-Stuy
Cracker -- My Inhaler
Jarvis Cocker -- Further Complications

7 pm hour
Neil Young -- Fuel Line
John Doe and the Sadies -- Night Life
Pink Mountaintops -- The Gayest of Sunbeams
The Obits -- Widow of My Dreams
Art Brute -- Alcoholics Unanimous
Comet Gain -- If I Had a Soul
Grand Dutchy -- Lovesick
King Khan and the Shrines -- No Regrets

8 pm hour
Yeah Yeah Yeahs -- Zero
Heartless Bastards -- Early in the Morning
Les Claypool -- Booneville Stomp
Recurrent track
Vivian Girls -- No

The '80s at 8:30
Godfathers -- Birth School Work Death
EIEIO -- That Love Thang
Screaming Blue Messiahs -- Too Much Love
Iggy Pop -- Pumping for Jill
REM -- 1,000,000
Psychedelic Furs -- Pulse
Drivin N Cryin -- Count the Flowers
The Lyres -- Every Man for Himself

New trax May 13 '09

After the pledge drive, back to my regularly scheduled showgramming!

6 pm hour
New
John Doe and the Sadies -- Detroit City
Grand Duchy -- Volcano
Art Brute -- Alcoholics Unanimous
Comet Gain -- If I Had A Soul
Heartless Bastards -- Out At Sea
The Veils -- The Letter
Super Chunk -- Misfits & Mistakes

Recurrent
Heloise and the Savoir Faire -- Giving You The Business

7 pm hour
New
Amy Rigby and Wreckless Eric -- First Mate Rigby
War Tapes -- Mad Is Ugly
Animal Collective -- My Girls
P.J. Harvey and John Parrish -- Pig Will Not
Bon Iver -- Bracket WI
John Vanderslice -- Summer Stock
Neil Young -- Fuel Line

Recurrent
Elvis Costello and the Imposters -- Stella Hurt
Earlimart -- Cigarettes
Dengue Fever -- Sober Driver

8 pm. hour
New
The Obits -- Talking to the Dog
Condo F***s -- Come On Up
St. Vincent -- The Neighbors
Pink Mountaintops -- track I didn't note

The '80s at 8:30
Simple Minds -- Premonition
Golden Palominos -- Boy (Go)
Billy Bragg -- Help Save the Youth of America (1988 live version)
Tom Verlaine -- Bomb
The Three O'Clock -- Jet Fighter
The Pretenders -- Precious (radio edit)
Fear -- Beef Baloney

Trax from spring pledge drive Apr. 29

I didn't play as many new tracks as usual because during pledge drive I play more "established favorites" and because Richard and I talk way more than usual.
Anyway, here were the new tracks for this week:
The Obits -- Widow of My Dreams
A.C. Newman -- Submarines of Stockholm
Robyn Hitchcock -- What You Is
The Laureates -- track 12, but I can't think of title
Neil Young -- Fuel Line
Heartless Bastards -- Out At Sea
Yeah Yeah Yeahs -- Shame and Fortune
Thermals -- When we were Alive (?)

80s at 8:30
Husker Du -- Eight Miles High
Jesus and Mary Chain -- Upside Down
Beastie Boys -- Cookie Puss (radio edit)
The Prosecutors -- I've Got a Message
The Mercy Seat -- Let Me Ride
The Ramones -- We Want the Airwaves
X -- The Once Over Twice
Chesterfield Kings -- She Told Me Lies

'80s at 8:30 playlist No. 2

Talking Heads -- The Great Curve
Lou Reed -- Doin' the Things That We Want To
Moe Tucker -- Why Don't You Smile Now?
The Revlons -- Red Hot Woman
The Fuzztones -- She's Wicked
That Petrol Emotion -- Belly Bugs
The Cramps -- Human Fly
The Cramps -- Strychnine

New tracks 4-15-09

Tax day and a pile of new music to play. Here goes...

6 pm hour

New tracks
The Thermals -- When We Were Alive
Super Drag -- Filthy & Afraid
John Doe and the Sadies -- A Fool Such As I
The Laureates -- Witching Boots
The Goodnight Loving -- Safe At Home
Wreckless Eric and Amy Rigby -- First Mate Rigby
Dan Auerbach -- Mean Monsoon

Recurrent tracks
Eagles of Death Metal -- High Voltage
Giant Sand -- Saturated Beyond Repair

7 pm hour

New tracks
Heartless Bastards -- Early in the Morning
Luminsescent OrchestrII -- Nasty Tasty
Grand Duchy -- Black Suit
P.J. Harvey and John Parish -- Sixteen, Fifteen, Fourteen
Latvian Radio -- This Is Love?
Les Claypool -- Booneville Stomp
Yeah Yeah Yeahs -- Zero
Robyn Hitchcock and the Venus 3 -- Your Head Here
Say Hi -- One, Two...One

Recurrent
Ladybug Transister -- This Old Chase
Mugison -- To the Bone
Electric Six -- Formula 409

8 pm hour
New
M.Ward -- Never Had Anybody Like You
Mistress Stephanie and her Melodic Cat -- Too Hard
Handsome Furs -- Legal Tender
Animal Collective -- My Girls

Recurrent
Katjonband -- Crackheads Beware

Rich Mars now on Facebook

In case you're not already getting enough from me come and join the club. Surprisingly, there are many Rich Marses on Facebook. I'm the one who looks better than most DJs, excluding Craig.

'80s at 8:30 playlist no. 1

In case you missed it -- or in case you need help remembering -- or, or ... here are tunes I played for the inaugural '80s at 8:30 segment on April 1.

The Suburban Lawns -- Gidget Goes to the Beach
Pylon -- M-Train
The DBs -- Neverland
The Undertones -- Untouchable
Plasticland -- Non Stop Kitchen
Get Smart -- Nothing I Can Do
The Wipers -- Pushing the Extreme
John Lydon and Afrika Bambaata -- Time Zone

New tracks April 1, 09

6:00 hour
New tracks
Yeah Yeah Yeahs -- Shame & Fortune
Say Hi -- One, Two, One
Black Lips -- Short Fuse
A.C. Newman -- The Palace at 4 a.m.
Neko Case -- Fever
Handsome Furs -- Talking Hotel Arbat Blues

Recurrent track
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds -- Midnight Man

7:00 hour
New tracks
The Laureates -- Tomorrow Today
Mistress Stephanie and her Melodic Cat -- Too Hard
Sholi -- Tourniquet
Super Drag -- Cheap Poltergeists
Charles Spearin -- Mrs. Morris (reprise)
Department of Eagles -- No One Does It Like You
Dresden Dolls -- Dear Jenny

Recurrent track
Joseph Arthur -- Dead Saviour

8:00-8:30
New tracks
Ben Lee -- Boy with a Barbie
Les Claypool -- Mushroom Men
Bob Mould -- MM17

'80s at 8:30 starts on April 1 showgram

No foolin, it's a new (old) feature on the Rich Mars Wednesday night City Rock Shogram -- the '80s at 8:30! It won't be the warmed-over Tears for Fears and Roxette you get on commercial radio. We're talking old favorites and obscurities from my collection and the WMSE library. A fun way to traverse the final 30 minutes of the show. Feel free to email me your requests -- or call during the show at 414-799-1917. If I don't get to them this week, I'll dig them up for a future show. I'll keep doing my usual mix of current, and not so current, Mars music from 6 pm. to 8:30 p.m. this coming Wednesday night April 1 on WMSE 91.7/ wmse.org

mp3 of ZMF's last hour

This is a link to a site with mp3 of last hour on WZMF. Check it out..

http://93qfm.blogspot.com/2007/01/wzmf-final-hour.html

ZMF RIP -- 30th!

I can't believe it's been this long, but the folks on the Brew City Radio discussion board reminded me that: " on March 24, 1979 WZMF / Menomonee Falls signed off (to morph to EZ Listening),
and progressive rock radio in Milwaukee (and the Midwest) ended. Sigh."

Man, it was a big sigh for me, too. My UWM pal Roger and I drove out to the station Shady Lane, where it seemed there were hundreds of other young adults milling about, sitting in vans and whatnot. Inside the studio, Downstairs Dan, Bob Reitman and numerous other ZMF DJs from over the years created a great show with some fine -- and self-indulgent -- commentary. Roger and I headed back to the east side totally dejected to soak our sorrows at Hooligan's. I still have cassette tapes of the last four hours that my younger brother Robb made for me that night.

My radio hopes, of course, were renewed when WMSE launched in March 1981, a few days less than two years after the demise of ZMF. WMSE was/ is a totally different animal than ZMF but in the same creative musical spirit.

New trax 3/18/09

I had much fun last night playing the retro late 70s/ early 80s music from the earliest days of WMSE in celebration of our 28th anniversary. A trip back to my own start in radio and a fun and fertile time on the local, national and international music scene. Thanks for the calls and requests.
I did play newer material the first half of this week's City Rock Showgram, and here's the list:
Superdrag -- Filthy and Afraid
Bob Mould -- MM17
Heartless Bastards -- The Mountain
Eleni Mandel -- Artificial Love
Jim Noir -- Don't You Worry
Black Lips -- Again and Again
Sons & Daughters -- track on Halam Foe soundtrack
Handsome Furs -- Legal Tender
Hot Panda -- Sexual Frustration
Vivian Girls -- Such a Joke

I also played one "recurrent" track
The Section Quartet -- Heartbreaker

Retro Mars/ Today Mars

In observance of WMSE's 28th anniversary (officially celebrated on air and at Turner Hall Ballroom Tuesday, March 17), I will bring you a special Rich Mars Now/ Rich Mars Then showgram Wednesday night, March 18. The first half of the showgram from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. will be current tracks and other material no more than a decade old. The second half, from 7:30 to 9, will be tunes from the wayy-backk machine of WMSE's first couple years, as I remember them. I have room for a couple requests, too. I will refrain from playing actual tapes of myself (they exist) because they are incredibly embarrassing.

As always, if you can't catch it live, do the stream via wmse.org, click on schedule (I'm listed with Richard/ Alt Farm Rock).

How I started at WMSE/ WSOE

This appears in the current WMSE email newsletter. The station asked some of its "old timer" DJs to tell the story of how they became involved in the station. Here's mine .....

Rich Mars: Wednesdays, 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. City Rock Showgram

The station known as WSOE at the time (supposedly a campus-only station) you could sorta pick up as far north as UWM and as far west as my Sherman Park flat...

I read in the Xpress or some predecessor of the Shepherd Express, about this station at MSOE playing cool, new music you couldn't hear anywhere else with plans to go to 1,000 watts.

As a reporter for the UWM Post, I decided to do a story and tell UWM students about the station. Chris Jacobsen, who was president of the student club that ran the station, didn't want another story to appear, so I asked if I could be a DJ. He said 'sure' (I'm oversimplifying, here), but I had to attend a meeting of the MSOE Radio Broadcasters Club and get accepted. There was a power struggle at the time among club members about letting 'outsiders' (non MSOE students/alums/staff) be DJs.

The 'outsider' DJs generally were more likely to play punk and new wave (I was guilty as charged) and we were supported by Radio Club members who wanted more 'alternative' music on the station. I did my best to be friendly and not punk-y and the club let me in. I did a few hours of off-air training in the old studio which was in the basement of the old MSOE bookstore, which in turn, was an old church.

I believe my first show on WSOE was in May or June of 1980 and I was on right before or after Jules. I also was with WMSE when it launched in March of 1981, doing an afternoon 'drive time' shift with the air name 'Rich'. In the meantime, I made many new friends who love music as much as I did, hung out at The Starship and Zak's nightclubs and held impromptu after-hours parties at the station."

-Rich Mars

New tracks 3-4-09

New and recently released tracks I played on the Showgram of March 4, listed chronologically by the hour.

6:00
New (Released in last 3-4 months)
Dan Auerbach -- Mean Monsoon
School of Seven Bells -- I Am Under No Disguise
Robyn Hitchcock and the Venus 3 -- What You Is
Eleni Mandell -- Artificial Fire
Joseph Arthur and the Lonely Astronauts -- Winter Blades

Recurrent (last 4-12 months)
Man Man -- Hurly Burly
Drive By Truckers -- You and Your Crystal Meth

7:00
New
Neko Case -- Fever
Animal Collective -- Lion in a Coma
Wooldridge Bros. -- Does She Love Me Loud
Morrissey -- All You Need Is Me
A.C. Newman -- Submarines of Stockholm

Recurrent
King Khan and the Shrines -- Outta Harm's Way
The Kills -- URA Fever
Dressy Bessy -- Simple Girlz
Benji Hughes -- Why Do These Parties Always End the Same Way?

8:00
New
Sholi -- November Through June
Charles Spearin/ The Happiness Project -- Mrs. Morris (Reprise)
Minus the Bear -- Guns & Ammo
Vivian Girls -- Tell the World
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum -- Ossuary

Recurrent
Adam Green -- You Get So Lucky
High Places -- The Tree with Lights In It

Mars back on sked March 4

I'll be back to my reg-U-lar every other Wednesday night City Rock Showgram (!) gig this week on March 4 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on WMSE/ 91.7/ wmse.org.
And, especially for you because YOU visited my blog, I've also soft-launched a Facebook page under Rich Mars. Not much there yet, but check it out and we'll get the thing going.

Panthers nix Showgram -- one night only!

I'll be taking this Wednesday night Feb. 18 off the airwaves to attend the UWM vs. Butler men's basketball game at the Arena. My able (and so much more) replacement will be Craig, who's been tearing it up as the Tuesday morning drive time WMSE host with his show "The Shape of Rock." If you're not at the game, please enjoy Craig this Wednesday night on WMSE/ 91.7/ wmse.org

New trax Feb. 4, 2009

New and "recurrent tracks from my showgram Feb. 4, 2009, listed by the hour I played them and in the order they were played! Recurrent means released in the past four to 12 months. New is four months or newer, hey.

6:00
Kaiser Chiefs - Can't Say What I Mean
Ladybug Transistor - This Old Chase
A.C. Newman - Submarines of Stockholm
Goodnight Loving - Over You
Eagles of Death Metal - Anything Cept the Truth
Buttless Chaps - Broken Transit Broken Soil

Recurrent: Elvis Costello - American Gangster Time

7:00
Hot Lava - Mummy Beach
Animal Collective - Summertime Clothes
The Dials - Am & Shoot
Joseph Arthur - Sunrise Dolls
Margot and the Nuclear So & So's - see track I played Mon.
Grey Skies - Day In
Sparks - I Can't Believe You Would Fall for All the Crap in This Song

Recurrent: Deerhoof - Fresh Born

8:00
David Byrne & Brian Eno - Poor Boy
The Standard - Swimmer
The Dears - Money Babies
The Melismatics - Industry of Cool

Recurrent: High Places - The Tree with the Lights in It (I think)

in honor of a punk legend:

Little did I know when I played the Cramps last night that Mr. Interior was passing, or soon to pass. This is from WMSE's email newsletter.
Rich

And in honor of a punk legend:

To honor the passing of The Cramps' frontman, Lux Interior this morning in Glendale, California (he passed away from a pre-existing heart condition), Buzz will be spinning an hour-long set of The Cramps from 2 p.m. - 3 p.m. tomorrow (Friday, 2/6).

Expect demos and live tracks in addition to the previously-released Cramps recordings. Pay tribute in this musical eulogy to the ingenious gothic Elvis that changed the punk world forever. Tune in to WMSE or dowload it from our archives.

New tracks Feb. 2 2009

I filled in for Grant K. this Monday morning in my old slot. Here are the tracks/ artists I played from new releases, listed by the hour (artist-track-CD title). I may miss a word here or there as I hastily wrote the info in my notes.
If you missed the show, you can stream or download via wmse.org.

6:00
Department of Eagles - No One Does It - In Ear Park
Oren Lavie - title track - The Opposite Side of the Sea
The Last Shadow Puppets - title track - My Mistakes Were Made for You
Sounds From the Ground - Elemental - Bright White Light
Conor Oberst - Sausalito - eponymous
Margot and the Nuclear So and Sos - The Ocean is bleeding salt -- Not Animal
Matt Pond PA -- Snow Day - CD2
Friendly Fires - In the Hospital - eponymous
7:00
Crooked Fingers - Phony Renditions - Forfeit/ Fortune
Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan - The Flame that Burns - Sun at Devil Dirt --(bad notes)
Little Joy - Shoulder - eponymous
Wooldridge Bros. - Love Me Loud -0 Days Went Around
Joseph Arthur - Dead Savior - Temporary People
A.C. Newman - Like a Hitman Like a Dancer - Get Guilty
8:00
Eagles of Death Metal - How Can A Man with so Many Friends... - Heart On
Sparks - Good Morning - Exotic Creatures of the Deep
Goodnight Loving - Safe at Home - eponymous
Lou Reed/ Antony - Candy Says - Berlin: Live at St. Ann's Warehouse
The Real Tuesday Weld - Over the Hillsides - The End of the World
Todd Snider - Mission Accomplished - Peace Queer

Recurrent (4 to 12 months old)
Man Man - Rabbit Habits
Mugison - To the Bone
Giant Sand - Can Do
The Kills - Black Balloon

New tracks Jan. 21 '09

This is a new feature in which I'm listing artists (if I get real ambitious in the future I'll add song titles...) I play on each showgram that are new, or fairly new, releases. The better to keep you hipped to the new material.
I'm listing these by the hour I played them and listing the really new (4 months or less) stuff first and less new "recurrents" (4 to 11 months) after that.

1-21-09

6 to 7 p..m.
Crooked Fingers
Land of Talk
Clinic (Hallam Foe soundtrack)
Hot Lava
Sparks
Joseph Arthur

Recurrent
Ratatat
Giant Sand

7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Kings of Leon
Wooldridge Brothers
Jim Noir
Electric Six
Little Joy
Los Campesinos!

Recurrent
The Walkmen

8 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Deerhoof
The Goodnight Loving
Katjon Band
Eagles of Death Metal
Jay Reatard

Recurrent
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
The Breeders

Asterisk pick of 2008

Matt B's list doesn't allow "Best Of" collections, but I have to say I truly enjoyed "The Supreme Genious of King Kahn and the Shrines" by King Kahn and the Shrines. It's heavy on the J.Geils Band-influenced '70s soul but rocks harder. King Kahn is, the best I can tell, of Indian descent and has lived in England but currently hangs out in Germany. Wild stuff.

One I forgot

One I forgot to mention that deserves to be on the Top 10 or certainly a strong "honorable mention" is Elvis Costello's "Momofuku." It's truly a return to form to the classic Elvis without sounding like he's hidebound or repeating himself