Eddy Owt's blog

This week's Audio Ecotone features Nicole Laurenne of The Darts (US) and Black Viiolet. Nicole sat down with KDRT DJs Eddy Owt and Jess Goddesse to discuss touring, musical parenting, her Davis connections, balancing legal and music careers, Journey, the pitfalls of dating a musician, the Michigan Marching Band and her mom's punk rock BFFs. Be sure to tune in Friday at 3:00 pm on 95.7 FM KDRT FM in Davis and online at kdrt.org. The interview will replay on Saturday at 6:00 pm and Tuesday at 7:00 am.

Additional exerpts from the interview will be posted on The Audio Ecotone program page following the broadcast.

Follow Eddy Owt and The Audio Ecotone on Bluesky: @eddy-owt.bsky.social

It may have lacked the jazzy groove of the Hammond B3 or the soulful sophistication of the electric piano, but the raspy, wheezy, oh-so-slightly out-of-tune electronic whine of the combo organ was in integral part of the garage and psychedelic sounds of the 1960s and beyond. While the name of one of the largest manufacturers -- Farfisa -- is often used to refer to them, a number of manufacturers produced these instruments during their heyday in the 1960s and 1970s: Vox, Yamaha, Gibson, Fender, Acetone, Elka, Cordovox, Rheem (yes, the water heater folks) and a bunch more. Though they were supplanted by digital synthesizers in the 1980s, their distinctive sound can still be heard today not only in rock, but also in jazz, international, alternative and even contemporary classical music.

On this week's Audio Ecotone, we'll explore some of these sounds with selections from The Sir Douglas Quintet, Stereolab, Elvis Costello, The Darts, Dengue Fever, Steve Reich and more. And we'll make a special announcement about an upcoming show! So listen live on Friday, 2/21 at 3 p.m. Pacific on KDRT 95.7 FM in Davis or online. The show replays Saturday at 6 p.m. and Tuesday at 7 a.m.

In the 1930s and 1940s, musicals provided a weary world a little bit of respite and reminders of joy to help revive and recharge the spirit. Sadly and incomprehensibly, this is needed again. On this Valentine's Day,  my valentine to you, faithful Audio Ecotone listeners, is a little bit of escapism, with favorite selections from musicals from the 1920s to 1980s as well as a surprise appearance by the Nicholas Brothers! Listen live at 3 p.m. Pacific on KDRT 95.7 FM in Davis or online at kdrt.org. The show replays at 6 p.m. on Saturday and 7 a.m. on Tuesday, and is archived for two weeks at https://kdrt.org/program/audio-ecotone.

For more show and music announcements, follow me on Bluesky at @eddy-owt.bsky.social.

Rain ... oh, you're a fickle visitor. Sometimes you stay too long; sometimes you don't come at all. In the Davis area, we've gone nearly a month without the wet stuff, much to the chagrin of farmers, gardeners and water managers. That's about to change with this weekend's storms and we'll be doing some celebratory rain dances on the Audio Ecotone to the music of Bessie Smith, Madness, the California Honeydrops, Old 97s, Chyi Yu, the Brangs, Tom Waits and more! Listen live Friday at 3-4 p.m. Pacific on KDRT 95.7 FM in Davis or online at kdrt.org. Replays Saturday 6-7 p.m. and Tuesday 7-8 a.m.

Yes, it's that time of year when everyone and their grandma (at least those who have radio shows) play all of their favorite Christmas songs. Here at the Audio Ecotone Laboratories, we are not immune from celebrating the annual solstice-adjacent holidays, but we do things differently — so no Mariah, no "Santa Baby" and, for gawd's sake, no "Wonderful Christmastime"! Instead our holiday audio fruitcake is studded with morsels from Sufjan Stevens, Shemekia Copeland, Low, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, Duke Ellington, BeauSoleil, and more surprises. Listen live on Friday, Dec. 20, at 3:00 pm on KDRT 95.7 FM or online at KDRT.org.