The Soupy Twist

Like most Soupy Twist episodes, it’s hard for me to conjure up a quick little quirk to entice you–my dear fans–to listen to the show. I mean, let’s face it: the point of my show isn’t predictably and continuity. (If you expected that, well, I apologise unreservedly.) Don’t worry, though, I start you off with Avanti’s Countdown; a ten to one; a preparation; a time to clear your reservations as you listen to the bizarre musical explorations which you’re about to embark upon. I can give you a few head-up tips: 60’s Michigan garage, two-tone ska, the King (I’ll let you guess who), me poorly pronouncing African names, James Brown asking if he could scream, James Brown screaming, bad poetry, &c. Man, that was a great pitch! I should work in advertising.

1. Avanti - Countdown
2. The Tidal Waves - Farmer John
3. El Guincho - Palmitos Park
4. Esau Mwamwaya and Radioclit - Kamphopo
5. Incredible Bongo Band - Duelling Bongos
6. James Brown - It’s A New Day (Parts 1 and 2)
7. Etta James - It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World
8. Ennio Morricone - The Good, the Bad, the Ugly Theme
9. The Clash - Guns of Brixton
10. Madness - Madness
11. Russ Oslen - Sorry About That
12. Violent Femmes - 36-24-36
13. Elvis Presley - So High
14. Neko Case - The Wayfaring Stranger
15. Meursault - Red Candle Bulb
16. Johnny Flynn and The Sussex Wit - Tickle Me Pink (EP Version)
17. Derek Meins - Ex-Her-Size
18. Inspiral Carpets - This is How it Feels
19. DeYarmond Edison - Love Long Gone
20. Brazos - Day Glo
21. Jim Henson as Rowlf the Dog - Eight Little Notes
22. Madness - Chipmunks Are Go
23. District Six - 7 and 7 Is
24. Rain Machine - Give Blood
25. Iggy Pop - Plastic and Concrete
26. Joy Division - Digital
27. Madness - Land of Hopes and Dreams
28. The Unrelated Segments - Story of My Life
29. Joan Jett and The Heartbreaks - Victim of Circumstance
30. The Dixie Cups - Iko Iko
31. Israel Defense Forces - Melodies in Uniform
32. Essex Green - The Late Great Cassiopeia
33. Johnny Cash - If I Give My Soul
34. Joe Pernice - Chim Cheree (Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke Cover)
35. Band of Horses - Plans (Grizzly Bear Cover)
36. Old Canes - Little Bird Courage
37. Banjo or Freakout - Upside Down
38. Alec Ousworth - Holy, Holy, Holy Moses (Song for New Orleans)
39. Agnostic Mountain Gospel Choir - Weasel
40. Inspiral Carpets - Saturn 5
41. Arcade Fire - Headlights Look Like Diamonds
42. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Hysteric (Acoustic Cover)
43. Eliza Doolittle - Moneybox (Jamie from The XX Remix)
44. Kate Bush - Hounds of Love
45. Loretta Lynn - This Old House
46. Jay Jay Pistolet - We Are Free
47. Dr. Dog - From
48. Memory Tapes - Bicycle
49. Violent Femmes - Waiting for the Bus
50. The [English] Beat - Waiting Full Stop’

This episode was recorded live for Florida Atlantic’s Owl Radio on Wednesday from the hours of 4-7pm. For more information, questions, complaints, or just a general asl: davidjshreve@gmail.com, www.davidknowsbest.tumblr.com, or by searching ‘The Soupy Twist’ on iTunes or Facebook.

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I wanted do this week’s episode on that grossly misused and somewhat patronising term for “smart” rappers known as “conscious hip-hop”. All the songs I’ve chosen have in way or another tried to comment on the state of hip-hop and its accepted role within music. Whether it’s by addressing political concerns, attacking superficial glitz, or expressing humanism, these songs beg for more than “guns, bitches, and bling”. These songs are a celebration of lyrical word play.

1. Ghostface Killah - Charlie Brown (DJ Mehdi Remix feat. Mapei)
2. Jay-Zeezer - Say It Ain’t December 4th –“But I feel worthless cause my shirts wasn’t matchin’ my gear Now I’m just scratchin’ the surface cause what’s buried under there Was a kid torn apart once his pop disappeared I went to school got good grades could behave when I wanted But I had demons deep inside that would raise when confronted”
3. K’naan - Wash It Down –“But fear will have you believin’ fear - Paralysed have you bleedin’ tears. This is the therapy needed, so use it. Music is water”
4. Lil’ Wayne - Dr. Carter –“Cause I Mean Every Letter In The Words In The Setence Of My Quotes. […] Wait, As I Put The Light Down His Throat. I Can Only See Flow. His Blood Starting To Flow. His Lungs Starting To Grow. This One Starting To Show. Strong Signs Of Life!”
5. NWA - Express Yourself –“When you got a subject and a predicate, Add it on a dope beat, And that’ll make you think.”
6. Adam Buxton vs NWA - Help the Police
7. Nas - I Can –“Read more, learn more, change the globe”
8. Wale - Opening Title Sequence –“Since Napster the game’s been flooded by has-beens and never-will-be ringtone rappers Hmm, what’s the deal with these ringtones? Niggas buy ringers can’t pay their bill though, Thus contributing to ongoing credit Issues they’re issues pathetic please listen to me”
9. The Coup - My Favourite Mutiny –“Tryin’ to stay out the pen while we face enslavement Had a foolproof hustle ’til they traced the payments I was grippin’ my palm around some sh*tty rum Tryin’ to find Psalm number 151″
10. Busdriver - Imaginary Places –“By real estate in imaginary places”
11. Blackalicious - Supreme People
12. The Cool Kids - Mikey Rocks –“I don’t use bad grammar so please excuse this I’m just tryin to let niggas know who I is”
13. Example - Take What I Want
14. Nice and Nasty 3 - The Ultimate Rap
15. Lupe Fiasco - Heat Under the Baby Seat –“He robbed the candy shop told her lay down on the floor Put the cookies in bag take the pennies out the drawer”
16. Blackalicious - My Pen and Pad — “Lyrics inherited form awareness somewhere in the sky Clearly you’ll give them merit and cherish ‘em better wit’ time There is none ever and on like rivers, so clever I shine”
17. Danny! - Do You
18. DangerDoom featuring Ghostface Killah - The Mask
19. Nas - Hip Hop is Dead — “Most intellectuals will only half listen”
20. The Streets - Turn the Page — “Use war and past injury as my metaphor and simile”
21. Cadence Weapon - Do I Miss My Friends? — “I tried to find you on Friendster’ Well, I haven’t used that since Limewire”
22. Sage Francis - Hopeless “I played connect the dots with your beauty marks And I ended up with picture perfect sheet music I read your musical notes with a composer’s eyes And heard our song for the first time”
23. K’naan featuring Mos Def and Chali - America
24. Afrikan Boi - Paper Planes (MIA Remix)
25. The Clash - The Magnificent Seven
26. De La Soul - Bittes in the BK Lounge
27. 2Pac - Keep Ya Head Up — “But please don’t cry, dry your eyes, never let up Forgive but don’t forget, girl keep your head up”
28. Bashy - Black Boys (Remix #3)
29. ABX - Can You Hear Me Now (MGMT vs Lil’ Kim)
30. The Twang - Either Way (The Streets and Professor Green version)
31. Nas - Hope

This episode is part of my weekly radio series and was recorded live for FAU’s Owl Radio. Tune in live every Wednesday from 4-6pm EST at owlradio.fau.edu!

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I just returned from my first visit to New York City and was inspired enough to centre this week’s episode around everything NYC. All the songs I’ve chosen are about or inspired by this theme, some more obviously so than others. In the midst of travels, studying, and future exams, I must admit I wasn’t fully prepared for this episode, but I had fun doing it.

1. AC/DC - Safe in New York City
2. Branford Marsalis - UMMG (Upper Manhattan Medical Group)
3. Conor Oberst - NYC-Gone, Gone
4. Bob Dylan - Talkin’ New York
5. The Mountain Goats - Lovecraft in Brooklyn
6. Lacrosse - New York or Alingsas
7. Herman Dune - Take Him Back to New York City
8. Jim Henson - New York State of Mind
9. The Mamas and The Papas - Spanish Harlem
10. Harry Nilsson - I Guess the Lord Must Be in New York City
11. Frank Sinatra - Theme from New York, New York
12. Iggy Pop - Girls of NY
13. Duke Ellington - Harlem Flat Blues
14. The Moldy Peaches - NYC’s Like a Graveyard
15. Death from Above 1979 - Black History Month
16. Sex Pistols - New York
17. Oysterband - New York Girls
18. Woody Allen - NYU
19. Telephone - New York Avec Toi
20. They Might Be Giants - New York City
21. Andrew W.K. - I Love NYC
22. Beastie Boys - An Open Letter to NYC
23. Joe Lean and The Jing Jang Jong - Brooklyn
24. Simon and Garfunkel - The Only Living Boy in New York City
25. Bob Dylan - Hard Times in New York
26. Jaco Pastorius - NYC Groove #2
27. Sufjan Stevens - Chicago

I love feedback. Leave me comments, questions, or even hate mail on my Facebook, podbean, tumblr, or email.

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Firstly, it should be noted that I don’t believe Owl Radio plays enough ‘quiet’ music. Evidence of this is that horrible buzzzzzzzz you might notice in the first few tracks; you normally don’t hear it unless the songs being played are dynamically soft. (This is also to blame for the occasional popping in the open pieces.) I managed to locate the source of this nuisance and, subjectively speaking, I feel the rest of the show went well from there.

Expect a lot of neo-traditional compositions on this set. Piano, strings, and the occasional song with an honest and open heart is how I’d like to describe this episode.

1. The Brother Kite - Mere Appreciation
2. Noah & The Whale - Our Window
3. Ólafur Arnalds - Day VII Ljosid 5
4. Wim Mertens - The Scene
5. Mumford & Sons - Timshel
6. Volcano Choir - And Gather
7. Florida A&M University Concert Choir - There is a Balm in Gilead
8. Final Fantasy - Your Light is Spent
9. Sufjan Stevens - Movement III Linear Tableau with Intersecting Surprise
10. Wim Mertens - Iris
11. Sons of Noel & Adrian - Black Side of the River
12. Balmorhea - Baleen Morning
13. Benoît Pioulard - Corpus Chant
14. Noah & The Whale - Instrumental I
15. Johnny Flynn - Shore to Shore (Reprise)
16. Jamie T - Jilly Armeen
17. Langehorne Slim - Blow Your Mind
18. The Avett Brothers - The Laundry Room
19. Dark Dark Dark - Winter Coat
20. Dark Dark Dark - Wild Goose Chase
21. Helen Shapiro - Walk on By
22. jj - Me & Dean
23. Charley Pride - (She’s Just) An Old Love Turned Memory
24. Jean-Jacques Kantorow & Jacques Rouvier - Sonata for Violin and Piano in A ma
25. Frightened Rabbit - It’s Christmas So We’ll Stop (Choir Version)
26. Noah & The Whale - Love of an Orchestra
27. Slow Club - Our Most Brilliant Friends
28. Slow Club - Yeah So’s Hidden Track

As with every episode of The Soupy Twist, this episode was recorded live for FAU’s Owl Radio. It aired October 14th, 2009 from 4-6pm. If you have comments, questions, or simply want to say hello (and I encourage this), send me a message either on my podbean, tumblr, Facebook, or email.

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Today, I had the great pleasure to have an in-studio performance from FAU Theatre student, Eric Jaffe. With his ukulele at his side and the occasional vocal accompaniment of Nikki Bromberg, Eric sang his heart out on some very inventive covers as well as a delightful number of his own songs. Both Eric and Nikki are competing for FAU’s Sing Your Soul Out music competition. If you like what you hear on this episode, watch Eric live this Friday (and Nikki the following Friday) inside Coyote Jack’s at 8:00pm.

1. Eric Jaffe - Circle of Life (The Lion King Cover)
2. Slow Club - Because We’re Dead
3. Eric Jaffe with Nikki Bromberg - Dig, Dig, Dig
4. Eric Jaffe - Irreplaceable
5. Noah and The Whale - Jealous Kind of Love
6. Jay Jay Pistolet - Happy Birthday You
7. Eric Jaffe - (Untitled)
8. She & Him - Why Do You Let Me Stay
9. Port O’Brien - I Woke Up Today
10. Eric Jaffe - All Right (Alicia Keys Cover)
11. Eric Jaffe - Gravity (Sara Bareilles Cover)
12. Royksopp - Happy Up Here
13. Eric Jaffe with Nikki Bromberg - Three is the Magic Number (School House Rock Cover)
14. The Knife - Heartbeats
15. Eric Jaffe - Oh, Wendy

This episode was recorded live for FAU’s Owl Radio. For recommendations, comments, and requests, you can find The Soupy Twist on Facebook, tumblr, podbean, or email.

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