WFHB FireHouse Broadcasting

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WFHB's Local Live: Remote Broadcasts, Volume 1 by Joshua Radicke
(originally published in the Ryder)

Much like the station, WFHB's Local Live: Remote Broadcasts, Volume 1 is locally powered, featuring Bloomington artists performing at a variety of Bloomington institutions. The eclectic mix of talent on the disc showcases not only Bloomington's artistic diversity, but that of the station itself.

Remote Broadcasts, Volume 1 is a monumental work that puts the passion and talent of the Bloomington music scene on display, from the staggering amount of source material, all of which came from performances originally broadcast live on WFHB, painstakingly sifted through for the best cuts to the impressive production and the raw talent of the artists. The tracks span a time period from early summer of 2009 through winter of 2010, mostly recorded at Russian Recording Studios with significant contributions from Farm Fresh Studios and Midwest Audio Recording. The art of preserving the ephemeral beauty of a live radio broadcast is challenging, and yet each studio and their respective sound engineers did an amazing job of capturing the live feel of the recordings. It's easy to let the tracks take you into the moment in time of their first broadcast.

The disc opens with a brace of Jazz tracks from Mikaella Holland and the Jazz Fables Quintet, showcasing two standouts from the Bloomington Jazz scene. Those tracks lead into the soulful and spiritual folk of Tim Grimm's “Coyote Dream” and Jennie Devoe's “Healer.” By the time you get to Austin and Bob Lucas's “Rockin' with the Dinosaurs” there's a distinct feeling that all bets are off and just about anything is possible. “Rockin' with the Dinosaurs” is, as one might expect, a track about dinosaurs, their food preferences (plants, meat or other dinosaurs) and favorite hiding places (subways).

Indie rock is well represented too, with the nationally recognized Magnolia Electric Company and Early Day Miners contributing “Rider.Shadow.Wolf” and “Terrestrial Rooms” respectively. Jason Molina's haunting vocals come through as bright and clear as the shimmering guitar reverb on “Rider.Shadow.Wolf,” and the atmosphere of “Terrestrial Rooms” builds and crescendos in a way that you can really only get on a live track.

The most pleasant surprises come from Jenn Cristy and The Calumet Reel, both artists previously unknown to me. Cristy's “Butterfly Wings” is a spritely, plucky piece of piano pop, the kind that I'd expect to hear from Regina Spector. The Calumet Reel are less plucky, but certainly powerful and emotional, taking a little inspiration from Connor Oberst with a slightly indie, slightly folksy rocker.

Before it's over, Remote Broadcasts saunters through afro-pop, reggae, bluesy rock, bluegrass, and even closes with a punk track from Good Luck. It almost defies you to try and not find something you like. Like the music you hear on WFHB, there's almost no predicting what's coming next, and there's no disappointment either. 

This disc is a love letter to Bloomington's thriving music scene reflecting a strong sense of community and culture in Bloomington. WFHB is a volunteer driven station; the bands, studios, and engineers all donated their time, songs, spaces, and expertise to make this disc happen. This disc is a little piece of Bloomington's Heart well worth your time.

Tracklist
1. Mikaela Holland - It Ain’t Necessarily So (George Gershwin arr. Heifetz)
2. Jazz Fables Quintet - Bear’s Boogie (Tom Walsh)
3. Krista Detor - Teeter Totter on a Star (Krista Detor)
4. Tim Grimm - Coyote’s Dream (Tim Grimm)
5. Jennie Devoe - Healer (Jennie Devoe)
6. White Lightning Boys - For the Love of the Mountain (Alan Mills)
7. Austin Lucas and Bob Lucas - Rockin’ With The Dinosaurs (Austin Lucas/Bob Lucas)
8. Whippoorwill - Change the Station (Jason Evans Groth/ Whippoorwill)
9. Bowery Boy Blue - Now We Will Be Brothers (BBB/Lyrics: Zeb Gould)
10. Magnolia Electric Co. - Rider.Shadow.Wolf (Jason Molina)
11. Jenn Cristy - Butterfly Wings (Jenn Cristy)
12. The Calumet Reel - Music Man (David T. James)
13. Andy Hollinden Band - Big Man (Andy Hollinden)
14. The 25th Century Jazz Ensemble - Walse for Sean Michel (Joe Lisinicchia)
15. Santos and the Saints - Message In A Melody (Iuri H. Santos)
16. Dr. Djo Bi & Asafo - Funny Djo (Dr. Djo Bi)
17. Thousand Arrows - Star Man (Pete Schreiner)
18. Early Day Miners - Terrestrial Rooms (Dan Burton)
19. Tammar - Deep Witness (Tammar)
20. Good Luck - Stars Were Exploding (Good Luck)