Saturday, July 28, 2007

UWA 37: Featuring Sir Cedric Faintingmode

It's another dip into my pile of platters that spin at 78 rpm, including two peeks at the "Flying Saucer" mania of the mid-1950s.

I reprise Buchanan and Goodman's marvelous "Flying Saucer" record from 1956 to set you up for a (to any family members, I apologize) remarkably unfunny knock-off called "Out of This World With Flying Saucers" by Dave Barry and Sara Berner, who I'm sure were nice people.

Surrounding those are such lost gems as "Hotta Chocolatta" by the De John Sisters ... "Who's Sorry Now" by Les Stevens' Clover Gardens Orchestra ... "Hi Ho Trailus Boot Whip" by Anita O'Day ... "Oh Baby What a Night" by Billy Murray and Walter Scanlon ... and "Look Who's Talkin'" by Ted Daffan's Texans.

As usual the show is also peppered with other great moments from pop culture history. Download by clicking the pod icon and enjoy!

Friday, July 20, 2007

UW's Attic #36: Pretensions of immortality

I'll give you eclectic, my pretty -- and your little dog, too!

The lineup:

"Immortality," William Jennings Bryan (1908)
"Welfare Blues," Josh White (1934)
"Address to American Indians," President Woodrow Wilson (1913)
"Asleep in the Deep," William F. Hooley (1911)
Live PSA for safe driving (1953)
"Minor Swing," The WhizBang Shufflers (2004)
"The Radio Guy," Warren Bluhm (1996; recorded 2007)
"Destination Unknown," The Rebel Soul Band

Click Pod icon or here to download; or just play the player.

Thursday, July 19, 2007

UW Attic #35.5: The Radio Guy

This short story will be part of UWA 36, but I'm releasing it separately for those of you who like your tales to stand alone.

Click the icon or this link.

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

UW's Attic #35: The Aileen Stanley Story


From the wild and wooly 1920s comes the story of one of the era's biggest recording stars, who apparently lost a fortune in the 1929 stock market crash but is making a modest return to the spotlight thanks to intrigued fans like moi. I've been contemplating "The Aileen Stanley Story" ever since I started finding other tunes in the wake of the big reaction to "Keep Your Skirts Down Mary Ann" way back in UWA #3.

Here's the jazzage1920s.com biography that I lean on for much of the info in this episode ... and here's another interesting source. And if you'd like to explore more of her music, here and here are a couple of links to the Internet Archive.

Click on the podcast icon or here.

Thursday, July 05, 2007

More WhizBang Shufflers

Rick from the WhizBang Shufflers says thanks for the plays in UWA 34 and points to a video the group made. "We made this video during our mandolin player's bachelor party. We conceived the idea, shot all the footage, and edited it within 24 hours," Rick says. Well, it kind of shows, but that's part of the charm. "The Stag" is an homage to bad slasher movies, and it also has some fun picking. Enjoy, but fair warning - remember the part where I mentioned slasher movies? No musicians were harmed in the filming of this video, but, well, I warned ya.


Monday, July 02, 2007

UWA 34: Give me liberty or give me 'Wildflower Man'

For this Independence Day edition of Uncle Warren's Attic, and to make up for the long silence, this show features two dramatic readings - one many of you have heard before is my short story "Wildflower Man," and the other is a reading of a speech you may have heard some of, but may not have ever heard in its entirety - Patrick Henry's address to the Virginia House of Burgesses on March 23, 1775. It's still pretty electric.

Musical friends include the WhizBang Shufflers, who present the opening and closing tracks of their absolutely free album "Baffle the Bird of Death" - the irrepressible "It's All New" and the bonus track "bonus track."

We also hear from Five Star Fall and The Kokoon, whose work you can find at Magnatune, where the slogan is "We Are Not Evil." And we also have a reprise of Giles' rousing version of "Freedom." Oh, and thanks to Kirsten of Enjoy Every Sandwich for her kind words and actions.

I tried to make it worth the wait - let me know how I did!

Direct download here.