Listening Lyrics: Recent Episodes
Pieter Pastoor
Welcome to an hour of LISTENING LYRICS. Right here on KDRT 95.7FM in Davis, California.
Listening Lyrics is a genre free zone - we feature the artist. What makes them do their thing.
Listen to the hope and satisfaction in their voices. Listen to what only commercial free community radio can bring you.
Close your eyes - open your ears - relax your mind.
Join host Pieter Pastoor and co-host Jeanne Pastoor. Now lets enter, the mother of all that is music and lyrics and the human capability of producing art.
Heads up. Before you listen, please note that the last 10 minutes or so of the broadcast we had some technical diffulties.
Alex Roth is an institution in and around Davis and the Northern California area. Its been a few years since I've heard him sing live and boy, have I missed it. In this one hour Alex playes a few tunes he has recently written. During the past few years he has spent a lot of time on many of the oceans of the world. He does this as he works for International Ocean Discovery Program ( IODP).
On the show Alex talks a bit about his work and creating new music but mostly he sings his tunes. I was blown away by his guitar work, his voice, the lyrics and of course the music.
To sum it up, Alex is a very talented musician but even more his joy as a human being shines through in this broadcast. I was lucky to catch him for his short stay in Davis.
My personal choice is to be around creative people. That of course does not only mean music, but today it does. I spent an hour with someone that is not only creative but also very articulate about his creative process. Meet Kunwoo Wong a jazz musician and creator of music on his lap top with the help of a program called Note Flight. As a musician he plays piano but his true love is percussion. Kunwoo spent the hour going through his process of creating a song along with some of his finished work. Listen in and marvel at how we humans thrive on creativity.
In this hour we listen to some past one-hit (or more) wonders, and learn what happened to the singers and writers.
Check out the playlist. It is amazing how some of these songs became part of our musical heritage.
Guillaume Pastoor joins us this week to share with us his "affair" with the music genre bossa nova. Guillaume carefully selected songs to show us how different singers around the world interpet the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim.
Jacob Johnson and Henry Humphrey of Cowboys After Dark share their thoughts on how music is a language that is universally understood. These two gifted musicians can also articulate what they mean using the common language we know as English.
Jacob and Henry treated us by playing a couple of songs live on the air. Jacob allowed Listening Lyrics to debut "Fungus Funk," an original song from an upcoming rap/funk album aimed at communicating science (especially ecology) to middle- and high-school students and the general public.
The Big Poppies keep transitioning themselves into an extremely talented and tight band. Members Max Van Dyke and Julian Dean, who occasionally perform as a duo, talk about both the band and themselves as a duo in this episode of Listening Lyrics. During the show they share a cut from an upcoming album. I was blown away by it.
Listen for a glimpse into the sound of the Big Poppies.
Unfortunately my guest for today couldn't make it. Fortunately I put together a show with some weird but true stories, complemented by my awesome ability to pick some tunes to highlight the weirdness.
Check it out.
Caden Velasquez is one of the founders (and driving force) of the Davis Rave Company (DRC). He joined Listening Lyrics this week to introduce us to the organization and to look into the underlying goals of a rave concert. In the DRC's words:
"Davis Rave Co. emerged from a rich culture of people who wanted to push the boundaries at the intersection of creative expression and live music. With both ambition and the willingness to adapt, DRC grew to become a full-service creative agency offering artist representation, event production, creative installation consulting, music recording, and so much more. The potential for creative expression is astronomical when ambitious and talented people unite."
Caden picked some tunes to analyze and enjoy. Listen in.
It's not unusual for musicians' guitars to be lost or stolen. When the theft or loss involves a famous musician, it becomes "a story."
That is what today's Listening Lyrics is about -- six lost-but-found guitars owned by Zakk Wylde, Peter Frampton, Jimmy Page, Joe Perry, Bill Corgan and Paul McCartney. Each has a fantastc journey.
Joel Daniel and special guest Alex Jordan discuss how an app like SonicMixer could be a game-changer in live music.
Musicians (artists) are caught between streaming services and the corporatization of music venues. In this episode of Listening Lyrics, Joel discusses an app that works like Airbnb for house shows.
It is extremely difficult for a start-up band (or even an established one) to get a show and cut their teeth. Venues are tough to crack, but houses are abundant and could be used for house shows more than they are.
The app is easy to use and it works. Joel helped to launch it in Austin last November. In the show he talks about how to get more potential hosts to open their homes to the idea.
It's a two-way street. The concerts become a very personal experience for both the artist and the guests. A big plus for artists is that instead of just surviving on what ends up in the tip jar, they walk away not only with new fans, but a source of income to keep going.
On Jan. 14, 2023, the Music Center (link is external)in Los Angeles had a celebration concert to honor Jerry Moss. Many artists participated, and today's Listening Lyrics plays some of their music.
In 1960, Moss moved from New York to Los Angeles, where he teamed up with Herb Alpert,(link is external) forming Carnival Records in 1962 and running the company from an office in Alpert's garage. Discovering that the name was already taken, they dubbed their new company A&M Records.
In 1987, Moss and Alpert sold A&M to PolyGram Records for a reported $500 million. Both continued to manage the label until 1993, when they left because of frustrations with PolyGram's constant pressure to force the label to fit into its corporate culture. In 1998, Alpert and Moss sued PolyGram for breach of the integrity clause, eventually settling for an additional $200 million.
Bapu Vaitla, running to represent district 1 on the Davis City Council, talks about music and share tracks that inspire and galvanize all our efforts towards building a better world today on Listening Lyrics.
From his campaign website: “Bapu Vaitla was born in rural India and spent his childhood in Chicago and Los Angeles. He came to UC Davis for his undergraduate studies, where he forged strong bonds with the social and environmental justice community in town, learning about the power of science to change the world.
"His professional career has been in the global fight against hunger. He earned his PhD at Tufts University, focusing on the politics and economics of hunger, and later did a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard University on climate change and food security. As former chair of the Social Services Commission, he led Davis's groundbreaking public safety reform process, and continues the fight to make affordable housing a policy priority.
"He is a member of the Davis Homelessness Alliance and on the Board of Cool Davis, the leading non-profit organization in town working to build resilience against climate change. His day job is with Data2X, an initiative of the United Nations Foundation that focuses on improving knowledge about the lives of women and girls worldwide.”
Timothy Walker is a folk musician and singer-songwriter originally from the Atlanta area, but currently residing in Davis as he works on his PhD in English literature. He performs and writes music under the stage name Threadbare, Brother. His first full-length record, When the War is Through, was released in 2011. The album explores the themes of spiritual transformation in the midst of personal grief and uncertainty.
After a long hiatus from performing, he is working on a new set of songs that seek to portray the complexities of queer love, loss, and longing in the aftermath of religious trauma. Visit Timothy at https://threadbarebrother.bandcamp.com
Listen to this program over the air, via streaming on www.kdrt.org, via the show archives, or on most podcast apps under Listening Lyrics.
Asking someone to select their top 20 songs is difficult, and picking just one is impossible. But I still asked several people to pick a song that has touched them personally / emotionally and the reason why. That's what we have today: one song from each of several people. I left the genres open.
Music is a mystery that touches us on so many levels at so many different times. It can make us happy, sad, or melancholy. Or maybe we're drawn to the music itself, or to the lyrics; or for many of us a song offers a look back that lets us relive a past moment.
Episode 2 of The Power Of Song features songs from Jeff Shaw, Billy Larkin, Jesse Deere, Neil Heaton, Tomy Edwards and Bart Van der Zeeuw.
Paul Smaldino is the lead singer of The Small Dinosaurs, a strange band dedicated to singing songs about the little things that matter. Their first album, Household Songs, is entirely about household chores, and is available everywhere on the internet. Their second album, Dad Songs, is due out in 2023. Paul will most likely perform a song or two live in the studio. Listen in, get to know Paul, and lern a bit about little things that matter.
Picking one song is impossible, even if I asked anyone to select their top 20 is difficult. I left the genres open along with the reason its your favorite song.
As you heard music is a mystery that touches us on so many levels at so many different times. Happy, sad, melancholy, the music it self, the lyrics, or for many a look back in time and the song allows you to relive that moment that happened in your past.
Songs from, Karin Pastoor Husebosch, Carol Hess, Rod Rodriguez, Preacher, Ed Branam, John Caroll, Jeanne Pastoor and myself. Listen to their stories and be moved by the power of music.
Neil Nayyar at 16 years old plays and owns 117 musical instruments from around the world.
Chances are if you love a particular type of music, Neil plays it, and he plays it well. Classical, Bollywood, jazz, rock, and sounds from all over the globe flow from this musician, but this is not the only amazing thing about him.
Neil’s parents credit much of his ability and love of music to Mozart classics he listened to while still in the womb. However, his talent didn’t surface until he was 5, when he took a drum class and wowed everyone. And this was just the beginning.
A lot of Neil’s talent and abilities as a multi-instrumentalist are natural, but he leaves nothing to chance. He practices music six hours each day, and receives training from 25 musical professionals both locally and internationally.
Neil holds the Assist Foundation’s world record as the youngest person to play all those instruments from all parts of the planet. The foundation provides resources for secondary education opportunities for young people around the world.
Neil sings in six languages. He is releasing his first music book and music album next month. Neil is also selected for Grammy Camp (Recording Academy/Grammy Awards), recently featured in two Honda H-RV commercials, is scoring two films, and will represent KIDS Music Day as the spokesperson on Oct. 7, when more than a thousand locations will offer special events for kids playing music in 50 cities. More information: Kids Music Day | KeepMusicAlive.
Telemakus, 22, is an Indian-American composer/pianist/producer/UC Davis student who has worked on numerous projects and recently put out his critically acclaimed album, The New Heritage. Listing Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, and Butcher Brown as influences, Telemakus aims to delve into the jazz fusion/funk and hip-hop sound. His music is modern, yet pays homage to the past. He grew up listening to jazz and hip-hop, and taught himself to play the piano and make beats.
After honing his craft, he collaborated virtually during the pandemic to finish his album. It was never recorded in a studio, but instead was made through Zoom sessions, with individual parts sent back and forth online. His music, praised on Spotify, Apple Music, BBC 6 Music, Worldwide FM, The New York Times, and more, has amassed more than 2 million streams.
Listen to this program over the air, via streaming on www.kdrt.org, via the show archives, or on most podcast apps under Listening Lyrics.
Listening Lyrics is proud to present Didar Singh Khalsa. Joining Didar is Jeff Brooks, percussion. Didar has played guitars for 52 years, but started writing, singing and recording songs only six years ago, inspired by six consecutive trips to the guitar/songwriting camp taught by the amazing Richard Thompson. He claims the muse is relentless and not even very intermittent. Let’s test that theory.
KDRT, Billy Larkin, Listening Lyrics, Pieter Pastoor
Billy Larkin, who lives in Davis, is an award-winning pianist/composer/arranger who has been bringing his individual brand of musical artistry to audiences for over 40 years. He defies easy categorization and helps define true expression through the collaborative process.
From his website: "Following his studies in piano, music theory, and composition at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Billy worked in New York City as music director for cabarets, and wrote and performed music for the modern dance company Cheryl Wallace Dance Works. He went on to co-found Stone Street Foundation for the Arts in Cincinnati, which received numerous grants from the Ohio Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts for large-scale original productions featuring dance and live music.
"A master of multiple musical styles, Billy has performed his music around the world, including during two trips to Ukraine and Russia as cultural ambassador for the Cincinnati-Kharkiv Sister City Committee. He has written music for film, video, and commercials, and works as a producer and arranger for various recording artists.
"He has also written for and performed on numerous full-length albums both as a solo artist and as director of the ensembles Etheréal, Ekimi, and Sleep Theatre. Recent projects include: a Broadway-style musical based on a popular children’s book, a live original score for a dance work for the Contemporary Dance Theater in Cincinnati, and working as musical director for Broadway veteran Susan Emerson’s one-woman show The Ripple Effect. For the last five years, Billy has been working with a production team in Los Angeles on a new musical.
"Billy also serves as the music director for the Center for Spiritual Living Davis"
Listen to this program over the air, via streaming on www.kdrt.org, via the show archives (starting Friday afternoon), or on most podcast apps under Listening Lyrics
Joey Wisgirda (Big Joe Daddy) has been playing trumpet since the age of 9. He has studied jazz theory and composition with jazz legend John Tchicai, and performed throughout California with a diverse range of players that includes Joe Craven and Rick Montgomery (David Grisman Quintet), Fully Fullwood (Peter Tosh), reggae superstar Alton Ellis, Hamsa Lila, and John Tchicai. He has opened for such acts as John Scofield, Galactic, Charlie Hunter, Bassnectar, Kraddy, and Tipper.
For the past decade, Joey has extended his musical efforts into the computer realm, using soft- and hardware synths, and tying it all together with a Morrison Digital Trumpet (MDT) to morph from jazz and funk to breakbeats and dub. His live performances on Ableton and the MDT are cutting edge.
Listen to this program over the air, via streaming on www.kdrt.org, via the show archives, or on most podcast apps under Listening Lyrics.
Due to his in-depth study of the music of different cultures, Alex Jenkins' playing transcends musical traditions and boundaries. His expression of rhythm is heavily influenced by his study of tabla (a north Indian classical percussion instrument), and he is known for his creative approach to music and for his unique ability to fuse rhythmic ideas from various disciplines into one cohesive sound.
Alex has studied music, drums and percussion at California State University Sacramento, the Ali Akbar Khan School of Music in San Rafael, and Drummers Collective in New York. He spent three months in India studying north Indian music. He performs and records regularly, around California and beyond, playing a variety of music (on both drums and tabla) including jazz, Afro-Cuban, rock, blues, fusion, Indian classical, and just about everything in between.
Alex leads The Alex Jenkins Trio, which keeps a very busy performing schedule. He also teaches workshops and clinics for various schools, including Sacramento State, American River College, Cosumnes River College, California College of the Arts in Oakland, UC Merced, and many more. His extensive private teaching roster has more than 50 students per week. He will appear with the trio on:
- 5/2 @ Luna's Cafe Sacramento, 8 p.m., all ages
- 5/6 @ Drakes (West Sacramento), 6-9 p.m., all ages
- 5/15 @ Jets (Sacramento, Midtown), 7:30-10 p.m., all ages
- 5/21 @ Shady Lady (Sacramento), 8-11 p.m.
- 7/8 @ Morgan's Mill (Woodland), 7-9 p.m., all ages
Listen over the air, by livestream at www.kdrt.org, or find the show on your favorite podcast app under Listening Lyrics.
Brenden Tull/basil tell/Dunno is … an artist … simply because of his specific attention to beauty/each moment on the path to becoming a passive, Taoist non-action. He tastes life wide-eyed and … without a shell of hardness … and in his art, the person takes precedence over the product, the product is nearly extraneous -- something of his nature is carried over.
This week's Paul McCartney featured song will be "Ever Present Past" from his Memory Almost Full album. Brenden will play and re-invent the song.
Listen to Listening Lyrics over the air, via streaming at www.kdrt.org, or as a podcast on most podcast apps.
Racquetbangers is a Davis-based indie rock duo comprised of Timur Katsnelson (piano/vocals) and Robert Polon (guitar). Seeking refuge from the cutthroat music scene in their hometown of Los Angeles, the boys moved north in fall 2017 and never looked back. They soon found themselves fully immersed in the rich Davis culture and began writing songs about their surroundings. Barely scraping by on a diet of Ali Baba, Vampire Weekend, and pucks, Racquetbangers finally caught their big break with the release of their first demo, "Annie Lin." Hopes of an international stadium headline tour were crushed with the untimely outbreak of COVID-19, but the boys are back and buzzing in early 2022.
During the interview, we will play their most popular releases to date, along with a special tribute song to the events in the Ukraine.
For the Paul McCartney section of the show, the Racquetbangers will perform the Beatles' "Love Me Do." Paul has stated he loves to hear how other musicians interpret his songs. The Listening Lyrics family, Paul, and hockey players from around the globe are looking forward to this.
Maxwell Riley, a Davis-based multi-instrumentalist and producer, writes music that ranges from psychedelic jazz fusion to cosmic space funk. Max is inspired by acts like Jeff Beck, Steely Dan, Nile Rogers, Dire Straits, and Pink Floyd, to name a few, and has been producing music since the 6th grade.
Nat Lefkoff is a musician "dedicated to distilling the human condition," his website biography says. "He will disarm you with a modest demeanor as his tectonic voice shifts your consciousness alongside his skillfully crafted lyrics. His acclaimed songs 'Great White Planes' and 'Damn' show off the honesty, vulnerability and intensity of his lyrics and enchanting performance style. The warm tone of his voice sweeps from an understated whisper to an erupting volcano. His performances are a visceral experience that pull at your heart until it surrenders. Nat's music is more than a collection of chords and sincere words, it is the experience of life, masterfully articulated into song."
On this show we dive into pop music -- its definition, and examples of a whole bunch of current and past pop hits.
Boca do Rio was the second band to be awarded the annual Davis Independent Music Initiative (DIMI) grant, in 2021. The committee that awarded it included the 2020 winner, Davis musician Joel Daniel of the Hoots, reported the Sacramento News and Review in July 2021: "The grant is part of an annual effort to boost Davis’s music scene by providing one local band with funding. Daniel’s hope is that it offers musicians who might otherwise seek a career in Sacramento or the Bay Area the support they need to foster their talents closer to home." Applications for the 2022 grant are due by April 1.
We wrap up this show playing a Led Zeppelin song as interpreted by the Alex Jenkins Trio. Here is an All About Jazz review of their newest album, Tri-Cycle, from 2021.
Joel Daniel joins us this week to review the 2022 Davis Independent Music Initiative and City of Davis grant to a Davis-based musician. For more details, visit the DIMI grant page. Plus we have music from Boot Juice, Lillian Francis, Joel Daniel, Racquetbangers, Max Riley, and Stompin' Tom Connors.
Ukraine has been in the news for weeks now. Let's see what are some of the most-listened-to songs are this week, on the radio, in Ukraine.
Plus music from the Alex Jenkins Trio, Boca Do Rio, Giant Rooks and AnnenMayKantereit, Gang of Youths, John and Yoko Lennon.
This is a show for the books. By "the books," I mean the novel called The Music Shop by Rachel Joyce. We follow the story in music, and yes, I will be comparing Aretha Franklin and Beethoven.
On today's progam, Listening Lyrics plays "Murder Most Foul" and spends a little time analyzing the song. This is done by means of playing some of the music Dylan mentions in the song.
From Wikipedia: "Murder Most Foul" by Bob Dylan is the 10th and final track on his 39th studio album, Rough and Rowdy Ways (2020). It was released as the album's lead single on March 27, 2020, through Columbia Records. The song addresses the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy in the context of the greater American political and cultural history.
The song, Dylan's first original music released since 2012, generated an enormous amount of commentary. At 16 minutes, 56 seconds, it is the longest song he has released, eclipsing 1997's "Highlands" by 25 seconds.
Yes, your Listening Lyrics producer was back in the studio. With one heck of a show.
Songs by Nils Petter Molver, Brotherly Mud, Ekimi, The Beatles, The Trials of Cato, Fairport Convention, and even a tune written by Charlie Chaplin. Some holiday stuff, a song about Thomas Paine, and so much more. It's the last show of the year, so hope to see or hear you all next year.
Happy holidays, merry Christmas, and all the best for 2022.
Photo by Ron Lee
Earlier this year, KDRT won a 2021 Hometown Media Award from the Washington, D.C.-based Alliance for Community Media Foundation. Station representatives accepted the award for “Overall Excellence in Community Radio” at a virtual ceremony on June 30, 2021.
So Listening Lyrics is celebrating with music, including a song by Davis band Boot Juice.
* DONATE here *
This week, Listening Lyrics plays songs that reflect the spirit of community radio. Listen in for some great tunes, and for information on how you can help.
This week on Listening Lyrics: songs that a speaker manufacturer uses to check its sound quality. You can also use this great selection of songs to check your ears.
Everybody loves a good train song -- so that's what's happening this week (Nov. 12) on Listening Lyrics, as recorded on Amtrak train No. 11, the Coast Starlight.
Trains are used in so many metaphors in music and art -- listen to the sampling collected here. Check out the playlist and enjoy the train ride -- ALL ABOARD!
Hooray! Slowly the local music scene is coming back to life.
This week (Oct. 29) on Listening Lyrics we feature the music of four local bands that have gigs this weekend: The Gold Souls (pictured), Boca Do Rio, Big Sticky Mess and The Adrian West Band. Also in the playlist are some tunes to bring this hour to one heck of a close.
Incredible stories of guitars lost or stolen for up to 45 years and then returned to their owners. Featuring four stories that involve Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), Peter Frampton (Humble Pie), Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins) and Randy Bachman ( Guess Who).
Pictured is Peter Frampton and his guitar that was destroyed in a plane crash (or so he thought) and returned to him 30 years later.
Today on Listening Lyrics (Oct. 22) we have incredible stories of guitars that were lost or stolen for up to 45 years, and were then returned to their owners. These four stories involve Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), Peter Frampton (Humble Pie), Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins), and Randy Bachman ( Guess Who).
The photo shows Frampton and his guitar that was destroyed in a plane crash (or so he thought), and was returned to him 30 years later.