As always, full show notes including a track listing and links to the artists/sources are after the break!

Download this show (right-click, save as)

Opening song clip: The Device Has Been Modified by Victims of Science

• Careless Love by Lena Horne
• At The Mall by Emerald Park, from the album For Tomorrow
• I Don’t Need You by Ay-14Ice
• Big Butter & Egg Man* by Louis Armstrong
• Amber Haze – Maximus Productions
• Out Of My Head – [dK], from the EP I’m a Visionary
• Dinner For One – Amity In Fame, from the album Dinner For One
• Honky Fonky – Triplexity, from the album Between Light And Shadow
• Tell Me – Ay-14Ice

*NOTE: Big Butter & Egg Man is mislabeled as Fly Me To The Moon on the Archives.

Music for this week’s show has been sourced from the following sites:

• The Public Domain/Open Source recordings at Archive.org
• Jamendo.com
• The Netlabel recordings at Archive.org

Also note, new podcasting setup. I’ve tried to normalize the sound as best I could, but find the final product a bit lacking. I’ll keep working on that. Sorry for the somewhat odd levels, folks!

It’s been a crazy busy week, which finds me recording and publishing Radioactive State on a new day. That’s right – moving forward, you can expect shows on Mondays as opposed to Wednesdays. (I get into just why the shift was needed on the podcast, but it’s a very exciting change! Yay!)

This week there’s a pretty wide mix as the last week or so has alternated between frenetic activity and needing slacktastic downtime to recharge the mental and spiritual batteries. As such, this show is a combination of older music and bands you’ll likely have heard of combined with my normal globe-scampering mishmash of cool new stuff.

In an effort to force myself to go a bit further away from sets, this week’s songs are quite literally presented in the random order in which they loaded into my MP3 player. All are great songs I’ve been jamming out to over the last while (or in for years in one case), so I hope you enjoy them as well!

As always, show notes with full band credit and links are after the break. Enjoy!

Download link (right-click, save as!)

Opening song clip: The Device Has Been Modified by Victims of Science

• Lieslieslies [Cognitive Dissonance Mix] – Ministry, from the album Rio Grande Dub(Ya)
• War Song – Post Death Soundtrack, from the album Music as Weaponry
• Tui Moana – Te Vaka, from the album Haoloto
• Member of No Tribe – The Fenwicks, from the album Member of No Tribe (Catch them on Facebook!)
• Take Over [feat. Tippa Lee] – Tommy Dubs, from the album En Los Campos
• Isis Unveiled [Radio Edit] – …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead, from the album Century of Self
• Permanent Revolutions – All India Radio, from the album 002
• Cruise Control – Azoora, from The Big Bang EP

The Fenwicks appear here with written permission of and many thanks to  Steve Schub and Jim Corrieri. If you get a chance to see these guys perform in any format, take it. That said, when their musical wonder-twin powers connect in a worldwide skasplosion of epic proportions with the Fenwicks, it is the pinnacle of do not miss showmanship. Trust me on this.

Some of the music used in this week’s podcast was sourced from Mevio’s Music Alley at musicalley.com. Other music was taken from the CC-licensed collection at Jamendo.com. All music is used under Creative Commons or by written permission of the artists. If you enjoy their music, please consider picking some up or making a donation to the bands. Community support makes independent artists viable.

Radioactive State is licensed under a Creative Commons 3.0, Attribution, Non-Commercial, No Derivative Works unported license.

For those who love what they hear and want to know more, show notes with the band info and links to where you can get this great music for your own are after the break!

Opening song clip: The Device Has Been Modified by Victims of Science

• Balrog Boogie – Diablo Swing Orchestra, from the album Sing Along Songs For The Damned & Delirious
  
• Train Across Ukraine – Golem, from the album Citizen Boris (courtesy of JDub Records)
• Put ‘Em Up – Soulico [feat. Lyrics Born & Axum], from the single Put ‘Em Up (courtesy of JDub Records)
• Lost – Ember After, from the album Grasping At Straws
• Lloza – Xera, from the album Lliendes
• Hill – Hungry Lucy, from the album Pulse Of The Earth
• Tortuga – Talco, from the album Combat Circus
• Papillions – WhiteRoom, from the album WhiteRoom

Special thanks to JDub Records for allowing me to showcase Golem and Soulico, and Orren Merton for the use of Ember After’s music. Please note that those three songs are not available under Creative Commons licenses.

Some of the music used on this week’s podcast comes from either the artist’s own sites (linked above) or:

• Mevio’s Music Alley at musicalley.com
• Jamendo.com

This podcast is released under Creative Commons: Attribution, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives.

Suggestions? Want to tell me about an awesome independent band/artist I should feature? Drop me a note to krystalle[at]radioactivestate[dot]com, or leave a comment below.

Also, don’t forget, you can pick up the show on iTunes now!

All you have to do to pick the show up for your Apple mobile device is to clicky this particularly handy podcast subscribing iTunes link. From there, hit the “Subscribe” button, and you’ll be set. Of course, if you’ve been listening to the show thus far and would like to leave a note telling others how cool it is – or just click the stars for a fast ‘review’ – I’m certainly not going to complain about that.

If you’re picking the show up in an RSS reader, or a podcatcher, the feed is at http://www.radioactivestate.com/feed/podcast – potentially a change for some of you, since I had to switch the podcasting plugin I was using.

-_ambrown on flickr

Before anyone freaks out – no, I’m not planning to abandon Radioactive State. To be honest, very little could probably get me to stop this particular side project, as it brings me far too much joy. While I’m no longer DJing out in the clubs, this show still allows me to share music, which is what I always used to love. (And hey, I don’t have to lug craploads of music from place to place!)

The problem is that I haven’t really been thinking like a radio-style DJ when it comes to Radioactive State. I’m still thinking like a club DJ, and that’s just not working with this format. Let me explain….

When you’re putting together music for a club set, there’s always something thematic about it. Even in a location that allows for an eclectic mix, you want to stick with a certain feel, or a certain idea. So as opposed to building “shows” I’ve been building “sets” – songs that follow one particular concept/genre. When it comes to radio – especially an on-demand medium like podcasted shows – thematic shows don’t really fit the bill unless you’re sticking within a neighborhood or two of a particular genre at all times. (And don’t get me wrong, I’m not knocking those who do! It takes a lot of dedication to mine one genre for all the best that’s out there.) Since my intent on this project has never been to stick to one genre, doing thematic sets requires taking the full two weeks to find enough excellent Creative Commons licensed music to fit that one idea.

The other problem with using a club-style thematic mix as opposed to a more eclectic radio-style show is that I can’t really spend time looking up much information about the band. I feel this really does the bands a huge disservice, considering they work their butts off to produce great music and deserve more than a quick nod in the show notes and a link to their site.

What this means for you is that starting with episode #5, you’ll be getting a mix of all manner of great music in each and every show. The other thing is that by (easily) halving research time, I’ll be able to take the podcasts to a weekly schedule. More new music for you, more information on the bands and songs, and less stress in compiling shows. It’s a win-win!

Also, this means I’ll finally have enough time to iron out that annoying iTunes feed issue.

I hope you’ll join me next Wednesday as I take you on a musical ride around the world – and through all manner of different music!

[Edited to add]:  After wrestling with the .htaccess file, purging the permalink cache, and doing a very intricate voodoo dance wherein I sacrificed a toaster with wings glued on it, I believe the RSS feed is now working properly. (At least, that’s what the feed validation services are telling me, so I’m going to go with it.) I’ve resubmitted the feed to the Choirmaster at the Temple of Jobs for inclusion on iTunes.

Let’s hope that the third time I submit it is indeed the charm, and they pass it this time.

By popular demand, this week I’ve turned my ear towards geeky music – although I should note that I’ve left the definition a bit broad. From well-known favorites like Jonathan Coulton, to soon-to-be favorite artists you may not have heard of yet, this is an extra-long podcast full of music that should set many a heart a-twittering. (Or will at least get Tweeted a few times, anyway.) So, if you love geeky music, or have ever been a fan of Dr. Demento, this particular episode should make you happy.

Hopefully.

Be warned that while this podcast is relatively tame, there is the odd f-bomb. You’ll want earphones if you’re listening to this one at work or around kids… Unless, of course, you happen to work in a very laid-back office, or have kids who swear anyway.

It also includes more of me talking, since I got a couple of notes that I didn’t talk enough on the last one. (Blame them if I’m talking too much for you now. ;D)

As always, the independent artists make this podcast possible. So, if you find a song or artist you really like please consider buying some music from them!

Radioactive State – Episode #4, Volume #1

Show notes are behind the break for those of you who want more details on the tasty music in episode #4.

• Skullcrusher Mountain – Jonathan Coulton
• The Hyrule Connection – Rocket-Propelled Geeks
• I’m Not Your Personal IT Guy – Devo Spice
• Mac vs. Woman – Smart Bomb Radio
• Platform Wars – Devo Spice [featuring the great Luke Ski and Dual Core]
• Gamer Funk – Rob Balder
• The Swashbuckling Rum Run of Tom Lefting – We Are They
• World War Z – Conyeezy
• Take Off Your T-Shirt – WW III (a side project of Watt White)
• Internet Girl – The Gorskys
• The Girl At The Video Game Store – Parry Gripp (Released for G4‘s Attack of the Show)

Some of the music used on this week’s podcast comes from either the artist’s own sites (linked above) or:

• Mevio’s Music Alley at musicalley.com
• The Funny Music Project at thefump.com

This podcast is released under Creative Commons: Attribution, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives.

Image courtesy of lechampiondumonde.com on flickr

Also be sure to check out two of the main shows that inspired me to start my podcast – Henry Rollins’ incredible radio show, Harmony in my Head, and Wil Wheaton‘s excellent Radio Free Burrito.

Feedback is welcomed! Feel free to leave a comment, or email me at krystalle [at] radioactivestate [dot] com with your requests, suggestions, proposals, death threats, or anything else you feel weird leaving in the comments below.

- pablin89 on flickr

I had several requests for a nerdcore & geek music podcast after the last episode, which I have taken up the call for. Perhaps because I’m a flaming geek myself, this one is probably the easiest bunch I’ve compiled to date.

Some of them are artists you most likely know – which means that part of this next upcoming podcast will be a great singalong for some of you. Others are a bit more off the beaten path, but definitely worth a listen.

That said, this one will probably weigh in nearer to the 45 minutes mark as opposed to my regular 30, but considering the level of interest this genre seemed to get, I don’t think you’ll mind it too much.

Be sure to check back on Wednesday when Radioactive State, Episode 4 goes live! (And on time this week!)

Originally, I’d had this crazy idea to make a podcast full of polka music for April Fool’s day, but then I realized I’d have to listen to it to master it.

Needless to say, this is a guaranteed 100% polka-free podcast. Sorry polka fans, but short of Weird Al, I don’t tend to gravitate towards it.

This episode is also 100% safe from April Fool’s pranks. It does, however, feature some excellent rockabilly and ska with a dash of punk and reggae in there for good measure because that’s my springtime music — and the weather here in Florida has been pretty damn fantastic lately.

Thanks to the awesomeness of bands releasing their music for more podcasters to use, there are a couple of surprises in this podcast’s lineup. If you like being surprised, be sure to listen to the show before checking the show notes.

Of course, if you’re into spoilers, the full listing of tracks and artists can, as always, be found after the break!

Radioactive State – Episode #3, Volume #1

1. Johnny Dangerously – Guitar Slingers
2. Everything Sux – Descendents
3. Rock ‘n’ Roll Is Here To Stay – Shakin’ D.T’s
4. Like A Rocket – Guitar Slingers (Note: lyrics NSFW!)
5. Don’t Give It All Away – Bombskare
6. Fan Of The Bean – The Clintons
7. Don’t Say – Subcity Dwellers
8. World Turned Upside Down – Bombskare
9. Forever Moore – Fishbone

All music used on this podcast was released for free use in podcasts through Music Alley. As such, this podcast is released under Creative Commons: Attribution, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives.

Not all songs may be available as free downloads at the time this is released or accessed, so please support independent artists you like by buying some music!

Music sourced from Mevio’s MusicAlley service at musicalley.com.

Image courtesy of joiseyshowaa on flickr

The next show is going to be a salad of springtime stuff with both energetic and more laid-back songs in the mix. So be sure to check back on Wednesday Thursday when Radioactive State Episode #3 goes live!

Oh, and yes, still working on that iTunes feed thing. They’ve rejected it twice now, but I’ll keep at it.

Because I’m sappy and sentimental, this episode is chock full of love just in time for Valentine’s Day. This episode skews more towards alternative rock, although there’s a bit of jazz, blues, and even a bittersweet acoustic track in the mix.

I did warn you I listen to just about everything.

I’m also playing with the format a bit – less talking, more music! As always, feedback is welcomed, so feel free to drop a comment, or drop me an email to krystalle [at] radioactivestate [dot] com.

Enjoy!

Radioactive State – Episode #2, Volume #1

As always, complete show notes behind the break.

1. Let Somebody In – Shawn Fisher *Warning: Music auto-plays!*
2. Theater, Girl – Moving Castles
3. My Funny Valentine – Debbie Cunningham
4. Melt Into You – Sara Haze
5. Didn’t Mean To Think About You – Galia Arad
6. Love Bites – Will Tang
7. Open Your Eyes – Shawn Fisher *Warning: Music auto-plays!*

Ending music from the video Charlie Schmidt’s Keyboard Cat, seen on any fine purrveyor of viral Internet memes.

All music used on this podcast was released under Creative Commons license for use in Podcasts through Music Alley. As such, this podcast is also released under Creative Commons: Attribution, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives.

Not all songs may be available as free downloads at the time this is released or accessed, so please support independent artists you like!

Music sourced from Mevio’s MusicAlley service at musicalley.com.

Image courtesy of ♥ellie♥ on flickr

And yes, the podcast plugin doesn’t seem to be pulling ID3 tags properly for the inline player, but they are on the source file. Working on it!