rfg #32 - "Feeling like diving slowly into the sea"

This is an example of campus radio.

After missing last week's show due to illness, I placed that planned playlist on hold and went with what was scheduled for this week: a tribute to shoegazing. Exclaim!'s article on shoegazing was the primary inspiration, which itself was apparently created as news of the reunion tour by My Bloody Valentine sets hold in North America. (New York's concerts are sold out, could I make it to Toronto's?) After missing The Jesus & Mary Chain's recent tour stop in Seattle, I figure seeing Kevin Shields again live would be equally abrasive (I caught Shields during a tour he did with Primal Scream several years ago, which was more riotous than gazy).

However, part of the show was sketched out with temporary tracks to be replaced with other songs from the station library. So I rifled through about 40 albums and singles to come up with suitable replacements, which somehow didn't skip in the preview studio but started causing problems in the booth when live. Hence, the rescue by Adorable at the start of the show after the J&MC disc started to stutter away in the player. Same thing happened with the Lost in Translation soundtrack, though I managed to rely on the cart and the backup tracks to save me.

Adding to all the fun was that this week's show was timed to land during the mandatory SOCAN tracking, meaning I had extra paperwork to fill out during the show. Sticking with the iPod would've been ideal during times of additional forms, but since SOCAN helps pay Canadian artists for any of their performances, I spent some more time locating dream pop from my home and native land to complement the Guitaro and Southpacific tracks I had; hence, An April March and Sianspheric.

Sadly, all this shifting around bumped a few acts off the playlist, so acts like Panda Riot, the Swirlies and M83 will need their own time to shine later. As well, the Mogwai profile was truncated, which cast aside some of their wilder songs along with leaving only one track from their soundtrack to Zidane: a 21st Century Portrait.

Overall, I should have spent more time on this show, just to better flesh out the entire shoegaze movement from the precursory elements to the second wave acts. It didn't help that I worked most of the Labour Day weekend, and when not working, celebrating about five birthdays in the wee hours of the morning. Still, the show developed its own ramshackle charm, almost like seeing the Jesus & Mary Chain live in their unpredictable prime.

Playlist commences: