Its hard to say what side is better to focus on, Outsider music legend Daniel Johnston and his influences (very much worn on his sleeve) or the rabid followers of Daniel who include Nirvana, Sonic Youth, Yo la Tengo, Beck, Tom Waits...and about a million others. Both would make for fantastic radio shows so we tried to combine the best of both worlds while also including a bit of 101 basic history on what exactly Outsider music is and what artists sound like who fall under that very broad term.
Tonight on Cause & Effect from 7PM to 9PM we will be playing many of the groups Daniel grew listening to, have played covers of live of, as well as his music but that ain't all. We will also be playing a sample of the hundreds of DJ covers by well known artists such as Death Cab, Beach House, Firehose, M Ward, and Spiritualized. To take the show one step further we have also included several sets of classic Outsider music such as Jandek, Roky Erickson, Wesley Willis, Syd Barrett, The Frogs, and Moondog too.
There are few genres where the musician truly sheds their skin and the final product is an uncensored, 100% pure reflection of their very being. The music is often painfully personal with a subtle shade of humor and with no professional training these people were driven to make songs; often with the idea of proper production or distribution be damned. This isn't a style of music for everyone but I don't think there is a more honest, expressive form of music out there.
And if you can't hear the pop genius behind Daniel's songs, you might want to get your ears checked.
You can listen to us on the dial in RVA at 97.3 FM or you can stream us live at www.wrir.org - again from 7PM to 9PM every Thursday.
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