Ear Hammer: Recent Episodes
Rommel Wood
Http://radiofreebrooklyn.com
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Photographed: (L --> R) Margot Adler, Manoli Wetherell, Renee Montagne in the summer of 1981. This week I interview NPR sound engineer legend Manoli Wetherell about her nearly 39 years at NPR.
Harry Styles "Sign of the Times" fan art provided by: https://twitter.com/ArtMohit/status/8...
I was joined in the studio by my buddy Tori Turner -- we went tit for tat, and alternated song for song in the culmination of four total sets.
I was joined in the studio by friend of RFB, Tori Turner! We put our Spotify songs on shuffle and let fate take the wheel.
I pay homage to my favorite jukebox in Brooklyn -- Sharlene's.
If you don't believe how wonderful her place is, don't take my word for it: http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/201...
In light of the election results and the season 3 finale of Ear Hammer on Radio Free Brooklyn I went off script and took some requests. I also cried, freely, and openly on the air at length. Thank you to everyone who sent me your requests. It's a nice feeling to know you're never alone when you don't want to be.
This week I was joined in the RFB studio by Chandeli'ers' keyboardist and all around fantastic lady Marisa Bergquist. She currated 2 excellent reggae 45 sets. We also talked all about her new record "Breaker." We had some mic difficulties in the first break, but everything cleared up at the 1 hour mark.
For anyone keeping score at home, I still look like this in a bathing suit! This week I celebrated my one "ear" Radio Free Brooklyn anniversary. You'll hear the best of Ear Hammer season 1, season 2, a guest performance by RFB's Everybody Plays the Fool's Shane Gasteyer and a guest set by Mouth Feel's Brock Mahan. I'm moving to Wednesday nights 8-10 pm starting this week!
Season two of Radio Free Brooklyn is winding down and I only have ONE MORE SHOW before I celebrate one year of Ear Hammer on RFB! On this week's show I played some tunes by Juan Wauters, Stevie Wonder, The Amps, and Buzzcocks. I'll be back in the studio on Thursday May 12th 8-10 pm!
Spring seemed to linger // in the little bunch of flowers he pressed into my hand // Little bunch of flowers, didn’t cost a dime // Picked them in the park in their prime
Season 2 is winding down and spring is winding up! You'll hear tunes from Joe Bataan, Albert Hammond, The Bats, Cate Le Bon, and Parquet Courts this week!
This week we learned that my B12 levels are OUTSTANDING but I could stand to incorporate a little more vitamin D into my system. It's also April Fools' week around here an I played "fool" songs or songs that seemingly play tricks on your ears given how similar they sound to OTHER songs.
It's the tyme of the seeeaaasonsssssss, happy springtime everyone! This week on Ear Hammer I featured a handful of songs from Charles Brandley's new upcoming release "Changes" and fumbled through a description of The Monkees movie "Head" -- we also heard the ONLY line Jack Donovan gets in the entirety of Dolores Claiborne in this week's installment of ~The Dolores Claiborne Minute~
Anyhoo, welcome to the Spring of 2016!
This week on Ear Hammer I welcomed back co-hosting alum Josiah Madigan (@josiah10000, and co-host of the ID Boys podcast). The theme: No english allowed! It was a show void of all english. It was also the 38th installment of the Dolores Claiborne minute.
The days are starting to become as long as Paul Newman's eyes were blue... This week on Ear Hammer (Thursday evenings 8-10) I played all law/judicial/the County of Kings related tunes in honor of my stint on jury duty.
This week I stayed warm by featuring lots of tunes from March 1966/March 1976 as well as a couple of songs by Mr. Jonathan Richman. Photo Credit: Streaker Michael Angelow, a merchant seaman, hurdles over the wicket at the non-striker’s end at Lord’s during Ashes 1975 © Getty Images
I don't need no wah-wah and I don't need more February. Amen.
The photo I used for this week's episode was taking in a diner in Philadelphia. I wish my house looked like this. I would also like to take a tour of american diners where I could sample all of their rice puddings.
Welp, I am a woman of many faults. This show had a couple of turntable blunders but hey, that's par for the course! The issues happened around the 35 minute 30 second mark -- so if you want to skip right on ahead to 40 minute mark that would be probably MORE enjoyable for you.
Show art this week provided by Julie Cockburn.
It's February so I played some sentimental tunes that will tug on the balls of your heart. I'm pretty proud of this one. I hope you like it.
I was joined in the RFB studio by the one and only Ms. Tori Turner. We talked about our 7+ year friendship and music sharing habits. She also played two excellent guest sets. Additionally: we talked about cat farts.
Another dollar another day another new Ear Hammer! You'll hear from The Cigarettes, Lee Hazlewood, Seth Kaufmann, and a radio friendly vinyl set for radio enthusiasts and novices alike.
This week I got a little WILD... The show had a theme and that theme "animals" in honor of the new Chinese zodiac. This week's tunes ranged from Italian mice named, Pepino, to iguanas, to honey bears. I also mercy killed the Grateful Dead's Terrapin Station roughly 7 minutes into the cavernous 16 minute long song.
This is the first official Ear Hammer of 2016 and it was free form funkiness at it's finest. I talk about angry sales clerks, cat turds clogging toilets, my favorite Bee Gee (Hubcap Gibbs) and so so so much more. You'll also hear tunes from 1976, 1966, Jesse Winchester, and Buddy Holly respectively.
I ushered in 2016 with two of my favorite things: vinyl and a live performance from two of my most excellent and most talented friends, Shane and Ruth.
Full of nog and general holiday cheer I played some of my favorite Christmas songs peppered in with some non Christmas songs that fill my heart full of joy, and a little sadness. I love the first set of six songs so much, I wish I could build a log cabin inside of them and pretend I'm a TC Boyle character. Happy Holidays everyone, I'll be BACK in the RFB studio on Rockin' New Year's Eve!
After a brief break, Ear Hammer is back! I missed the studio almost as much as Lenny missed drooling all over things/me. This episode you'll hear from the dB's, Suzi Quatro, Kathy Heideman, Kevin Ayers, and more. This week was also the 27th minute of The Dolores Claiborne Minute! My care package to Stephen King is going out in the mail today... Stay tuned.
This week is the start of season 2 of Ear Hammer on Radio Free Brooklyn! I choose to kick off the season with an ode to the late great Allen Toussaint and alllll of his many aliases. This episode also features an interview with Brooklyn native and new season 2 host, Scott Einhorn.
Season 1 of Ear Hammer has come to an end BUT season 2 kicks off next week. I'm moving from Mondays to Thursdays and I couldn't be more jazzed. To celebrate, here is a photo of me in my grandpa's back yard chasing balloons at my 2nd birthday party.
Thank you for listening, it's been a nutty first season.
The darkness... is coming for us all. So let's celebrate with some comfy cozy songs. Kind of like a blanket or a sweater or a nice cover song!
This week I recapped the the Radio Free Brooklyn season 1 wrap party/fundraiser and welcomed new season 2 hosts Brock Mahan & Barry Champlain to shadow my show and run tech! You'll hear songs from Trini Lopez, Tommy McLain, and The Supremes!
Take off your party dress, this week you will hear a couple of Elvis Costello inspired sets as well as a spook-tastic set featuring Timber Timbre!
This week's Dolores Claiborne minute goes technicolor... AGAIN.
MEET THE METS! C'MON AND GREET THE METS!
Also, Columbus was a crook.
Tonight's episode of Ear Hammer on Radio Free Brooklyn is full of 1970 cutting room floor gems, some Hawaiian cuts, annnnd a bunch of great new/old 45s and records I found this weekend. Happy listening and L-E-T-S G-O M-E-T-S. #MakeTheDreamWork
1970 was a nutso year for music. I listened to almost every album released in the year the 60's ended (minus compilations and live records). Did you know that every every Beatles released a solo album in 1970? Did you know that Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, AND Ringo Starr all released MULTIPLE albums that year?
You'll hear from all these bands and moreeeeee.
This episode of Ear Hammer features a bunch of songs directly or indirectly about space. There is also a nice little mini set in the middle that mention flowers. So, if you like songs about space or if you like songs about flowers -- you're in luck. This has it all.
You'll hear from Ahmad Jamal, Allen Toussaint, Lil Green, and Leonard Nimoy!
I welcomed my favorite fur coat/fanny pack/cigarette enthusiast Caroline Golum to the studio. We did a good old fashion West Coast (California, Caroline) vs. East Coast (New York, me) music showdown in the Radio Free Brooklyn studio.
You'll hear everything from The Turtles to the Talking Heads.
It's the return... Of Josiah "Cool Lobster" Madigan. This week we broke down a house party mix in three acts.
Act 1: Initial Nervousness/Hellos
Act 2: D-A-N-C-E/act like an idiot
Act 3: Please leave my house
You'll hear tunes from Party Supplies, Ween, Serge Gainsbourg, and Billy Idol.
Smell ya later summer... Smell ya later forever. Kidding! It's 90 degrees outside today. This is a very Labor Day-errific episode of Ear Hammer featuring songs from The White Album, Dion, R. Stevie Moore, and more!
This week I celebrating my one year anniversary in the studio with my favorite dude/husband, Brock Mahan. We played tunes from the 19+ mixtapes he's made me throughout our time together. It honestly wasn't as barfy as you would imagine and was heavy on tunes by The Replacements, The dB's, Bob Dylan, and Sir Paul McCartney.
This week in The Dolores Claiborne minute marked the first time a character said "Sometimes being a bitch is all a woman's got to hold on to." B-O-O-M.
This week I put my underpants on backwards and it was only uphill from there! You'll hear from Lee Field, Saun & Starr, Mr. Twin Sister AND a surprise cameo from Ms. Tori Turner in the Radio Free Brooklyn studio. I also read an excerpt from Comrade Rockstar about Records on Ribs (hence the spooky image this week).
I went "Mano a Womano" with WFMU's Listener Support Director Joe McGasko. We went 45 for 45 and it was marvelous! He also joined me for The Dolores Claiborne Minute and humored me with a game I like to call, "Who's More Punk Rock? Classic TV Show Edition."
You'll hear from Lonnie Youngblood, ABBA, Avant Garde, and Ollie Nightingale.
I welcomed my good buddy/mom charmer Max into the studio this week. He played a bunch of wonderful deep cuts from his hometown, Memphis Tennessee. We also talked about Woodstock and tales from driving a NYC cab.
You'll hear from Big Star, The Scruffs, The Breakers, and Furry Lewis.
“You have a boyfriend, I’m just the guy who farts in your face and makes you smile.”
This week's episode has a THEME (!) and that theme was songs about telephones. You'll hear from Chuck Berry, The Nerves, and Paul McCartney. There was also a bumpy but eventful records inner chapter this week.
The first 6 minutes of the show are basically inaudible because we got a new board and I'm an idiot. BUT I had a fun show none-the-less in the new and improved RFB studios spinning vinyl AND not knocking anything expensive looking over.
The latest installment of The Dolores Claiborne minute is also heating up when John C.(lam Chowda) Rielly makes his 1st appearance!
I was joined in the Radio Free Brooklyn Studio by fellow RFB Host, MSG. We talked about The Ramones and played the game, "Who's More Punk Rock? Daytime TV Host Edition." You'll also hear tunes from Camper Van Beethoven, The Zombies, Tame Impala, and more...
I was out last week exploring haunted bowling alleys and diving horses in Yulan New York, and Lake George (respectively). I also discovered first hand the healing powers of essential oils. But I'm back this week with a whole new show. Happy listening and an even happier July to you all.
Murphy's Law was STRONG with this episode. We have a few technical hiccups at the beginning of the show but I think, ultimately got back on track. I welcomed to the studio my good friends/expecting parents/zine & bad movie enthusiasts Matt & Kseniya. We talked about some of our favorite cover songs and Russian pop. Happy listening!
I was joined in the studio this week by my favorite Swede/Cool Lobster/Comedian/Friend/ Josiah Madigan. He did two guest sets full of songs that formed his musical taste. We talked about Chicago (the band), Kate Bush (the person), and counting things while in the bathroom. You can follow him on twitter @Josiah10000.
When I got done humble bragging about OVERPAYING my student loans and eating too much hummus -- we really got down to it. This week on The Dolores Claiborne minute, Kathy Bates broke a $8,000 rolling pin and we met Jennifer Jason Leigh who was SMOKING inside. So that tells you what era NYC was in when this movie came out.
Minute three of Dolores Claiborne is CRAZY! Also got some tech/moral support in the studio from my good buddy Matt Carman.