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Boston art-hardcore veterans Fat Day are coming to the Werehouse (the former PS211) in Winston-Salem on Thurs., Aug. 26. As a matter of full disclosure, I must admit that I was in college radio with these gentlemen a decade ago in Boston, but that doesn't take away from the fact that they put on an intense, intelligent show and have many great records. I fondly recollect many Fat Day shows in the basement of Fat Day house in Somerville, MA; opening for national acts at the Middle East club in Central Square; in the basements, common rooms, squash courts, and residence rooms of Harvard; and down in the old Mem. Hall basement studios of WHRB. They have been together for going on 12 years now, and they now have out a new collection of all their singles on their own 100% Breakfast! Records called Snarl of Pulchritude. They also have a new record coming out on Load Records in September. I understand that they still have quite a following among the kids in certain hardcore circles, and they are big in Japan. Certainly catch them if you can because it isn't every day they make their way down to North Carolina. Other North Carolina dates are:

Wednesday, August 25--Asheville, NC at Vincent's Ear: www.vincentsearcafe.com
Friday, August 27--Charlotte, NC at Queen City Underground: http://www.solidgoldempire.com/

This Sunday from 10 to 12 PM is likely my final show on WQFS. Summer air is finishing up, I am moving in September at some point, so I won't have a show next semester. I have been on the air for about two years at WQFS, and it has been a lot of fun. It gave me something to do in a new town and helped me connect with the local scene. I did radio in college in Boston, and it has been completely natural getting back into the swing of it after over five years off the air. I am moving to New York and I will be busy in a new job, so it is not very likely I will do radio there; but I would like to get back to it someday. There is always the possibility of an internet based show in the future. The technology is easy enough; it is just a matter of paying rights.

I will be maintaining this blog (I will probably change the name but not the web address) as a mostly music blog after I move. I will probably review shows and records. I may even branch out into other cultural matters and more personal things. We will have to see what develops.

For my probable last WQFS show on Sun. night, I will be doing a Record Hospital greatest hits show. I will be playing my favorite songs by some of my favorite bands. But most of the songs will also have some sort of emotional importance. They may, for me, represent a time, a place, or certain people. So, some of my favorite bands will be left off in favor of a one off song that I love. It should be fun. I'd really like to record it to CD if anyone can help me with that technology.

It was a fun, high energy show this week. I even got a number of requests, but I couldn't find any of them back in our depleted, mis-alphabetized stacks.

1. Vibrators, "I Need a Slave," CBS Records, 1977.
2. Dicks, "Dicks Hate the Police", Alternative Tentacles: Reissue of track originally on Radical Records.
3. Avengers, "Car Crash," Dangerhouse Records, 1977.
4. Cosmic Psychos, "Crazy Woman," Mr. Spaceman Records, 1985.
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5. Threats, "Pacivity," Playlist Records, 1981: From the Scottish 7" comp Backlash!
6. Chronic Disorder, "I See Red," Self Release, 1984: From the Fred 7". Great Connecticut punk/hardcore. Nothing funnier than listening to Connecticut boys say, "Oi! Oi! Oi!"
7. Damned, "Feel the Pain," Stiff Records, 1977.
8. Metal Urbain, "Panik," Cobra Records, 1977: Wild French synth punk. If you like this, check out the comprehensive Metal Urbain retrospective on Acute Records.
9. Fat Day, "Lil' Things," 100% Breakfast Records, 2002: Check out Fat Day at the Werehouse on Aug. 26. Each tour is different. Two years ago they wore and played home made synth helmets and did songs mostly composed by fans of the band (who sent in a write-your-own-song postcards included in their last record). This time is sure to bring something else. They now have out a singles retrospective and soon have out a new album.
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10. Chris Knox, "Song for 1990," Flying Nun Records, 1990.
11. Clean, "Billy Two," Merge Records, 2003: Originally from the Boodle, Boodle Boodle ep.
12. V;, "Wardrobes in Hell," Self Release, 1980.
13. Frogs, "I don't care if u disrespect me (just so you love me)," Homestead Records, 1989.
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14. Reducers, "Let's Go," Rave On Records, 1984.
15. All Girl Summer Fun Band, "Down South, 10 Hours, I-5," k Records, 2003.
16. Alternative TV, "How Much Longer," Deptford Fun City Records, 1977.
17. George Harrasment, "Calvary," Hyped to Death/Messthetics/Morphius Records, 2004 (new release): A Homosexual side project from the just out Homosexuals retrospective three cd set.
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18. Erase Errata, "Walk Don't Fly," Troubleman Unlimited Records, 2001.
19. Feelies, "The Boy With the Perpetual Nervousness," Stiff Records, 1980.
20. Split Enz, "I See Red," Mushroom Records, 1979.
21. DNA, "Blond Red Head," No More Records, 2004: From the retrospective cd.
22. Mud Hutters, "Danger," Defensive Records, 1979.
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23. Magnetic Fields, "Long Vermont Roads," Merge Records, 2004 (new release): From the three cd comp in honor of the Merge 15th anniversary.
24. Homosexuals, "Prestel," Hyped to Death/Messthetics/Morphius Records, 2004 (new release): From the same retrospective set as the George Harrasment tune above. Originally from the second Homosexuals 7".
25. Bailter Space, "Grader Spader," Flying Nun Records, 1988.
26. Teddy and the Frat Girls, "Clubnite," Alternative Tentacles Records, 1984: Florida band. They originally self-released this on a 7".
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27. Pere Ubu, "On the Surface": Originally from the Dub Housing lp. I took it off the box set.
28. The Ex, "Fashionation," Homestead Records, 1988.
29. Liars, "We Got Cold, Coughed and Forgot Things," Hand Held Heart/Sound Virus Records, 2000.
30. Beep Beep, "I am the Secretary," Saddle Creek Records, 2004 (new release).
31. Dow Jones and the Industrials, "Can't Stand the Midwest," Hardly Music, 1980: I took this off the Bloodstains Across the Midwest comp from 1994.
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32. Scissor Girls, "Atomic Boys/love-Sick," 1994.
33. Fiery Furnaces, "Straight Street," Rough Trade Records, 2004 (new release).
34. Sister Ray, "Feel Like This," SAD Records, 1988.
35. Lyres, "No Reasons to Complain," Ace of Hearts Records, 1986.
36. Blitz, "Someone's Gonna Die," Get Back Records: Originally from 1981 on No Future.
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37. An Albatross, "Electric Suits and Cowboy Boots," Ace Fu Records, 2003.

In three issues, Glenn McDonald is ending his weekly self published (mostly) music column, The War Against Silence. He will end with issue 500 (to state the mathematically obvious, that is almost 10 years of work). His homepage says that will end the "weekly run", so maybe that means we can look forward to an occasional column. However, we can no longer count on a fresh column when we wake up every Thursday morning, and that is a sad thing indeed. Go to this post to see what it takes to write the column, and you will understand why he is leaving the grind behind.

I don't always agree with Glenn's analysis, sometimes I am not even familiar with the bands he writes about (I know nothing about Japanese rock), and sometimes his tastes are too mainstream for me, but the column is always well written and thought provoking. Plus, I like reading other Harvard grad music geeks.