underneath the radar: week six

Nice to be back in SYN studio for another week. Really big show with lots of great tracks and special features.

Songs from the Front Row featured a rare live collaboration between Ben Folds & Rufus Wainwright (singing Wham, yuhuh) & Franz Ferdinand performing an early Beatles track

Fallen Figures examined incredibly stupid rock star behaviour & its contribution to the downfall of artists, the KLF. In their short time at the top,

they managed to get around their lack of conventional promotion by indulging in extensive billboard graffiti

at 92's Brit Awards, Drummond opened blank semiautomantic fire on the crowd during their performance

there was delivery of dead animals to afterparties

a few days later their back catologue was deleted

in the early hours of the 23 August 1994, in a boathouse on Jura off the west coast of Scotland, Jimmy Cauty and Bill Drummond burned the assets of the foundation — £1 million in £50 notes.

last year they said they regretted it..

Apologies to the KLF but if you indulge in such recklessly stupid behaviour you don't get airplay on Radar. But what a mess, my god.

This week, Radar also looked at the Demise of Pop with special reference to how the genre died, how it lives today in mashed up genres and how we regard pure pop music now. Tracks from Head Automatica proves one of the most interesting mashed up piece, including inherently pop, indie and heavy metal influences. Rooney indicate how much the corporate pop genre is still scorned, nearly 8 years after its "offical death". I included Elle Milano too because they like pop and use it an unusual influence. That and they're very good.

Electronic Ecstacy featured Depeche Mode, Chemical Brothers, Client & Pet Shop Boys.

Playlist for Jan 24
Placebo - The Bitter End
The Departure - All Mapped Out
Bloc Party - Pioneers
Ben Folds & Rufus Wainwright - Careless Whisper (live)
Franz Ferdinand - It Won't Be Long (live)
No Standing - Drive On
Hives - Two Thousand Timing Broken Bones
Polyphonic Spree - Hold Me Now
Art Brut - Good Weekend
Dogs Die In Hot Cars - Passtimes and Lifestyles
Arkarna - Rehab
Wheat - I Met a Girl
Rooney - Popstars
Elle Milano - La Presidente
Head Automatica - Heart Beating Baby
Depeche Mode - Dream On
Chemical Brothers - Believe (feat. Kele Okereke)
Pet Shop Boys - Home & Dry
Client - Pornography (feat. Carl Barat)
Elefant - Tonight Let's Dance
The Dears - Who Are You, Defenders of the Universe?
The Smiths - Pretty Girls Make Graves
Guster - Two Points for Honesty
Bright Eyes - Lover, I Don't Have to Love

Coming up: Talks with Audrey from the Polyphonic Spree (she wears the PINK robe!), Adam from Elle Milano and the lead singer Andy from fabulously dark, intense and goodlooking New York act, Prosaics. See ya next week!