The Righard Kapp and Ramon Galvan Show

I hosted this show by myself in the end, because the guests, Righard Kapp and Ramon Galvan, offered to co-host, ie bring a lot of their own favourite tunes to play. The first hour was spent with us talking about their new albums, both having just released new solo albums. Righard's is called "Strung Like A Compound Eye" and Ramon's "Outer Tumbolia" (available on Righard's label, Jaunted Haunts Press). Both are quite experimental musicians as those familiar with their past output will know. They each played a live in-studio track too, Righard did the wonderful opening track off his album called "August" and Ramon the delicate "Luminark", both of which sounded really awesome on my headphones - I hope they did out there on the frequency too! (I really like Ramon's vocals, it reminded me a bit of Antony & the Johnsons.) We also spoke about other projects they're involved with, such as the experimental music festival Edge of Wrong (which happens annually in about February) and Righard's role in the re-release of the classic KOOS album from the late 80s. But most of all, we played lekker tunes (including, we believe, a first ever bit of airplay for the new BLK JKS tune...), and here they are:

1. Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) - Nancy Sinatra
2. A Boy Named Sue - Johnny Cash
3. Untitled - Alex Omega
4. Cheerleader - Grizzly Bear
5. Luminark (live) - Ramon Galvan
6. August (live) - Righard Kapp
7. Strung Like A Compound Eye - Righard Kapp
8. Trying To Tell - Ramon Galvan
9. Take Me Under Your Wing For The Entire Holiday - Righard Kapp
10. You Flossed The Stars - Ramon Galvan
11. Ek Is My Dilemma - KOOS
12. The Source Of Uncertainty - Tortoise
13. Binta Madiallo - Francis Bebey
14. Molalatladi - BLK JKS
15. Joy Shapes - Charalambides
16. Chimacum Rain - Linda Perhacs
17. Part 1 - André van Rensburg
18. First Light - Fred Frith
19. Ex-Lion-Tamer - Wire
20. Heartbreak Hotel - Fever Pussy

The Sam and Toast Turkish music Show

As per usual – the show would definitely be considered something on the interesting side. The Unhappy Hour doesn’t do ordinary very easily. The theme of the evening – at least for the first half – was a dedication to Turkish music, new and old. Toast, who has just been in Turkey, brought back some tidbits of Turkish rock as well as some old school Sufi inspired music, which was just beautiful. Before launching back into the jukeboxes of the Western World, we went via Ouagadougou, South Korea and Zimbabwe with a few choice favorites. The second half of the show we took it easy with some old favorites to keep us company. New stuff from Bonnie Prince Billy and the Felice Brothers – with more to follow from both those new CD’s in Unhappy Hour shows to come. Our favorite track of the night was Oliver Mtukudzi’s Makaitei. And surprise awesome hit of the night was Baby Shoes by South Africa’s own Jay Bones – from his new CD and alterego- Rambling Bones. 

Tracklisting - 
Bang Abng My Baby Shot Me – Nancy Sinatra
Forever Young – Johnny Cash
Rudiger – Mark Knopfler
Everybody Hurts – REM
Bosu Bosuna – Hakan Kursun
Ikarus – Yuksek Sadakat
Seni Gormem Lazim – Bututsuzluk Ozlemi
Jenerik (Hatirla Sevgili) - Gurel, Guney, Yildez
Cecom – Babazula
Hymn in Acemas Iron Mode – Gursel Kocak
Kimse Bilmez – Gurel, Guney, Yildez
Sukiiri – Alif Naaba
Track 10 – My Sisiters Barbers Shop (Korean)
Makaitei – Oliver Mtukudzi
This is How It Always Starts – Granddaddy
Yours Truly, the Commuter – Jason Lytle
Porchlight - Neko Case
Songbird – Rose Thomas
Snow Camping - Laura Veirs
I’ll Fly Away – Alison Krauss and Gillian Welch
Rise and Shine – Felice Brothers
Baby Shoes – Rambling Bones
I am Goodbye – Bonnie “Prince” Billy
Started Out With Nothin – Seasick Steve
Go Down Easy – John Martyn
Tell Me More and More and Then Some – Nina Simone

The Andries "Roof" Bezuidenhout Show

One of our best shows this year... we don't often get a show where everything goes just right. We always put in 110% but you don't always get that out. Roof was great to have and the tracks from his new album stirred something in everyone that was tuned in and had us filled to the brim in the studio. We'll keep you posted on when the album comes out and any other details we'll pass on via the blog. 

The Really Bad Actor's Show

I'm really bad at interviews and roped Mavis Vermaak in to give me a hand. As always the show went well and I could not have done it without her help. Richard and Louis were great guests and their part time manager/sister/friend, Belinda popped round to help me make some coffee for the boys and feed them some of my home baking. My wife was there too and it was great seeing her involved. The Really Bad Actors brought along some great music and Mavis took care of the rest. They were great to interview and a band you really should be checking out. They have played many venues around town and and a jam packed schedule till the end of the year. 

1 - when the man comes around - johnny cash
2 - my darling sambo - jay munly
3 - new england - billy brag
4 - in liverpool - suzanne vega
5 - bottle of wine - the really bad actors
6 - funky funny - the really bad actors
7 - i grieve - peter gabriel
8 - iris - googoo dolls
9 - gabriels oboe - ennio morricone
10 - selling advertising - david bazan
11 - a day in the life - the beetles
12 - until it's time for you to go - buffy saint-marie
13 - ring them bells - bob dylan
14 - mexico - cake
15 - america - simon and garfunkel
16 - springbok nude girls
17 - ball of confusion - the temptations
18 - push - matchbox 20
19 - reachout - iron maiden
20 - death is not the end - nick cave and the bad seeds
21- smells like teen spirit - paul anka

The Alex Omega Show

Alex Omega was ons in-studio guest. Hy was fantasties - eerstens het hy in swart geklee opgedaag, in lyn met die Unhappy Hour se Man in Black worship
en ook omdat hy nou maar eenmaal die original Afrikaner Gothick Kid (die
title van een van sy beste songs) is. Dit was maar die eerste keer in 5 jaar
dat Alex uit sy vrywillige hiding in Stellenbosch na die Kaap toe uitgebreek
het - net die rit Kaap toe met die N1 was vir hom exhilarating. Hy het 'n
great song live gespeel - 'n ou song genaamd 'Lorelei' (dit het voorheen 'n
ander title gehad). Ons het lank met hom gesels en hy't ons vertel van die
verskillende tipe songs wat hy het - 'n Ginseng Psalm is een van hierdie
tipe songs. Dis hoekom sy songs meestal nie titels het nie, hulle pas net in
sekere genres wat hy self geskep het. Hy't ons ook vertel hoe dit Mark
Knopfler was wat hom laat besluit het om ook musikant te word. Verder was
daar staaltjies oor op plase werk in Engeland ("mens is nooit buite in
Engeland nie, selfs as jy buite is is jy nie buite nie"), laatnag 5FM
luister na Barney Simon en Chris Pryor ("dit was 'n lifeline") en die kuns
van die bedroom recording ("as ek nou een ding bemeester het, is dit die
Dictaphone - ek kan vir jou presies sê hoe pap die batterye moet wees om 'n
sekere tipe distortion te kry"). Die goeie nuus is dat Alex reken dat hy
teen die lente weer so paar live gigs gaan speel, so ons sal julle op hoogte
hou!

1. Bang Bang (Baby Shot Me Down) - Nancy Sinatra
2. If I were a carpenter - Johnny Cash
3. Gettysburg Address - Lambchop
4. Lonelier than this - Steve Earle
5. Where do you go to my lovely? - Peter Sarstedt
6. Lorelei (live) - Alex Omega
7. Ginseng Psalm - Alex Omega
8. Christian Sands - Tricky
9. Two Nations - The Streets
10. T.I.K. - Brasse Vannie Kaap
11. Letters - Marching Band
12. Deadends - Matthew van der Want & Chris Letcher
13. Harlequin Jack - Ella Joyce Buckley
14. Valley of the Snake - The Wild Eyes
15. Ons Land - Radio Kalahari Orkes
16. More Reward - David Kramer
17. Liars' Bar - The Beautiful South
18. Western World - Jim Neversink
19. Fortunate Son - Todd Snider

Now also on Facebook Show

According to my (probably not very reliable records) Sunday night, the
3rd of May, was my 59th Unhappy Hour. I can't believe there have been
that many – we've been on air for more that two years now – and on the
other hand it's hard to believe I ever got by without the Unhappy
Hour. Most of the things I thought would be great as a kid, like being
an adult or stoned, turned out to be rather deeply disappointing.
However, playing my favourite sad songs with friends to whoever wants
to listen (or maybe more accurately: to whoever wants to listen and is
strangely able to pick up Bush Radio) turned out better than I dared
dream. I still feel an undeniable, inexplicable sense of
accomplishment when we've put a great playlist together or a rare
beauty of a tune drifts out into the charged night-air. It feels like
sharing great wealth freely.

Sitting with Clive on Sunday night, drinking a cup of the excellent
Kenian coffee he brewed, while Paul Anka was playing his swing version
of The Cure's "Love Cats", I felt deeply content, happy actually.
Especially when Clive told me that he must've been born in a casino
between the one-armed bandits or in a hotel lobby, because, man, he
loves a good lounge singer. I was reminded of Raymond Carver's poem,
"Happiness", an old favourite:

Happiness
Raymond Carver

So early it's still almost dark out.
I'm near the window with coffee,
and the usual early morning stuff
that passes for thought.

When I see the boy and his friend
walking up the road
to deliver the newspaper.

They wear caps and sweaters,
and one boy has a bag over his shoulder.
They are so happy
they aren't saying anything, these boys.

I think if they could, they would take
each other's arm.
It's early in the morning,
and they are doing this thing together.

They come on, slowly.
The sky is taking on light,
though the moon still hangs pale over the water.

Such beauty that for a minute
death and ambition, even love,
doesn't enter into this.

Happiness. It comes on
unexpectedly. And goes beyond, really,
any early morning talk about it.

Here is your playlist:

The Mavis Vermaak(sagte klankies) Show

Lekker met Mavis Vermaak gekuier! We had a fabulous time. As usual I baked some awesome cupcakes and we washed it down with some strong Kenyan coffee. Mavis was a fabulous guest dj as usual and brought some serious melancholy in both English and Afrikaans. We also got to play a track from her brand new EP.

"Dankie vir die lekker Unhappykuier Sondagaand, die Keniaanse koffie (is jy seker daai goed is wettig?) en jou heerlike tuisgebak. Altyd pret om saam met jou twak te praat :D. Hoe is dit tog dat ‘n hartseer liedjie mens altyd so diep gelukkig maak?" Mavis Vermaak

So this what we played:

the matador - johnny cash
will the circle be unbroken - june carter-cash
bartender - ernest tubb/loretta lynn
everyday is like sunday - morrissey
breathing - kate bush
razzmatazz - pulp
these golden jewels - the handsome family
i've always known - dead brothers
oitte rent juan penguin
hemel op die platteland - fokofpolisiekar
lied van afrika - gereformeerde bluesband
long blond hair rose red lips - johnny powers
swart - nul
bo ten qu'luta - one love family
a still tongue - african brothers
got a secret( i aint gonna keep) - buddy griffin
no surprises - radiohead
nothing man - pearl jam
chances are - bob marley
it's always springtime in nassau - delbom johnson
annies cousin fanny - the dorsey brothers
good day for the blues - ruth brown
julia- the beatles
hel - mavis vermaak
talking about revolution - tracy chapman
i shall be released - nina simone

The Africa Music Show

Holy Camoly – The Unhappy Hour studio rocks to 120 bpm this Sunday in a rare moment of happiness. African beats (kwaito, nogal) from Cape to Cario, via Burkina Faso kept the cold away – all climaxing with Brenda Fassie’s Weekend Special. Undoubtedly song of the show for me!! Whether you’re in the queue at the bank, in the traffic to work or at a braai with your cousin…you can’t help but feel your shoulders start moving and your head bopping to this one. To complete the African-ness we munched on biskuitjies from a tuisnyweheid in Prince Albert and sipped coffee from Kenya. Mmmm..

We left the studio with TONS of African music still unplayed…so beware: more is coming!

Shoo weee! What a show. We really shot from the hip. Sam decided we needed to have an African music show including South African and Afrikaans music too. It turned out really awesome. We played everything from Hirsham Abbas from Egypt to Tidalwaves down here on the Cape FLats. We visited Reunion and Mali and North Ghana and many other places on the continent.

The main topic on air and off air was finding a "Johnny Cash of Africa". There were many contenders like Oliver Mtukutzi, Johnny Clegg, Fela Kuti, Salif Keita, Alpha Blondy, Danyel Waro and even Ismael Lo. Mail us theunhappyhour@gmail.com if you have any contenders for the race. Someone even suggested Anton Goosen. So start pledging. We will anounce the list so far and update it as we go.

1 - redemtion song - johnny cash with joe strummer
2 - intil waheeda - hirsham abbas
3 - molofo hall - ndumiso
4 - sindi - alif naaba
5 - baba - salif keita
6 - street kid - oliver mtukudzi
7 - kunandi - rokia traore
8 - vision - mo'kalamity and the wizards
9 - le realite - amadou and miriam
10 - mlisa - bafo bafo
12 - bahlalefi - black sunshine
13 - shawns uhadi samba - hotep idris galeta
14 - across africa - big voice jack
15 - tyinn bob - ddanyel waro
16 - african shadow man - johnny clegg
17 - great kids - fela kuti
18 - without blame - ismael lo + marianne faithful
19 - pata pata - miriam makeba
20 - nubu gubus - jackson kaujeua
21 - lalogo - alpha blondy
22 - suffer in africa - african show boys
23 - weekend special - brenda fussy
24 - sana lwan - zola feat. unathi
25 - hartseerland - tidalwaves

Vars uit die oond uit... we play some new stuff...

Besides us raving on and on about the new Andrew Bird record, Noble Beast and the Neil Halstead song... the show was great and we had the best time off air listening to all the new stuff ourselves. Here is the playlist:

Sam and Clive dj's together for the first time

Sam came onboard at a time when I was very busy and took lots of time out from the show. I was very glad to hear two weeks ago that we were doing a show together. The show was fabulous! She was so warm and funny and I envied her world travels and live bands trivia. She shared some truly rare moments with me off air too. Thanks for a wonderful show Sam, am so looking forward to doing a few more with you. 

...here is the playlist we shared:

1 - cry cry cry - johnny cash

2 - hook and ladder - vetiver

3 - bend to the road - calexico

4 - dark horse - bowerbirds

5 - writen over - miles benjamin anthony roberts

6 - carolina - m.ward

7 - rise - john rouse

8 - measuring cups - andrew bird

9 - there are maybe ten or twelve

10 - good eye - bruce springsteen

11 - lady day - felice brothers

12 - all you can do - willy mason

13 - slipped dissolved and loose - lamb chop

14 - don't forget your love - jerk with a bomb

15 - jump in - lightning dust

16 - the perfect boy - the cure

17 - neko case

18 - lived in bars - catpower

19 - the bats mouth - bat for lashes

20 - skipskop - david kramer

21 - haaie onder ons - somerfaan

22 - bloekomboom - rian malan

23 - padam padam - edith piaf

24 - both sides now - joni mitchel

25 - walkin after midnight - patsy cline

26 - ring of fire - runnin' wild

27 - hero - lucky dube

28 - billy jean - shinehead

The Retreats Live in our Studio

Yesyes – show was lekker...
Erns and I had a lekker chat with Nic, Andrew and Roscoe from The Retreats. Roscoe jammed their song ‘Vote in vain’ live in the studio – it’s a lekker kiff political song and that got us onto the subject. They’re big on COPE and reckon it’s a party we can build up from the ground, really be part of it without all the tribalism and so on (we’ll have to see about that…). The Retreats got together after they saw Kaiser Chiefs (the band) play live at Cokefest – they reckoned that the band sucked and that they could do better, so they decided to start The Retreats. They’ve been playing at venues like Gandalf’s in Observatory, but they’ve got a gig in the winter at Mercury Live which they’re very excited about. We played some of their influences such as Mars Volta and Pink Floyd. Ultimately they say they’d like to be like those prog bands, where you reach a level of musical competence where you can just do anything.

The weirdest tune we played tonight was Die Kopkaas Insident’s song called ‘Vanaand sal ek jou kry’, a seriously twisted lovesong of sorts all the way from our gritty brothers in Garsfontein-Oos who also brought you Die Plesier Parade last year. If you want to order the Kopkaas Insident CD (it’s free), just email skarmunkel96@yahoo.com.

We’re gonna try to get Righard Kapp from Jaunted Haunts Press (www.jauntedhaunts.co.za) into the studio in coming weeks to come talk to us about the KOOS album re-release, so checkit.

Playlist:

  1. Forever young – Johnny Cash
  2. Corvair – Jim White
  3. Honderd-en-een persent bang – KOOS
  4. Vote in vain (live in studio) – The Retreats
  5. Apparition – The Retreats
  6. Inertiatic ESP – Mars Volta
  7. The great gig in the sky – Pink Floyd
  8. Seven Swans – Sufjan Stevens
  9. Binne in bas – Rozanne Stoman
  10. Wish you were sleeping – Elvis Perkins
  11. For those in peril on the sea – Gert Vlok Nel
  12. Vanaand sal ek jou kry – Die Kopkaas Insident
  13. Little Girl Blue – Nina Simone
  14. Unsuffer me – Lucinda Williams
  15. Love will tear us apart – Susannah and the Magic Orchestra
  16. Leavin’ – Shelby Lynne
  17. Sisters coming home – Emmylou Harris ft Tanya Tucker
  18. Time – Cassette
  19. It’s a man’s, man’s, man’s world – Mercury Rev

 

R.I.P. Lux Interior and Creatures of the Night Show

Hi this is Clive, the show went really well. It was just a pity that Lux had to pass away for us to do a show like this. I being heavy into Psychobilly and Rockabilly have always managed to sneak some monster stomp into my playlists over the last two years. Danie suggested that since we had such a great time, we should do another show. Well... it will happen in a few weeks time. Keep checking your mail, it soon come. Seeing as this is the first post for our blog it will only be my voice. I will try and get the guys to post their feeling on individual shows with every posting.

Ps: My wife baked some cupcakes for the event and I made some great coffee as usual.

show hosted by danie and clive
and here is the playlist: