This week’s show is a celebration of sonic invention, genre-defiance, and creative collaboration. We’re diving deep into the world of Bang on a Can, a musical collective that’s been reshaping the sound of contemporary classical and experimental music since the late 1980s. Bang on a Can was founded in 1987 by composers Julia Wolfe, David Lang, and Michael Gordon. Frustrated by the boundaries of academic classical music and inspired by punk, minimalism, noise, world music, and jazz, they envisioned a space where new music could thrive—wild, visceral, and unbound by category. What started as a marathon concert in a SoHo art gallery became a movement: a group, a label, a festival, a touring ensemble—the Bang on a Can All-Stars—and an ecosystem supporting boundary-pushing music around the world. Today’s playlist features founding composers, All-Star performers, guest artists, and offshoot collaborations.
Playlist for the week of July 14, 2025:
00:00:00 Michael Gordon; Bang On A Can All-Stars – “Gene Takes a Drink”
00:09:55 Conlon Nancarrow (arr. Ziporyn) – “Studies for Player Piano No. 3c: Boogie-Woogie Suite” 00:13:16 Julia Wolfe; Choir of Trinity Wall Street – Anthracite Fields: IV. Flowers 00:19:53 van Ziporyn – Music from Shadowbang: No. 1 Angkat
00:22:53 Jeffrey Brooks – After the Treewatcher
00:30:43 Meredith Monk – The Games: Spaceship
00:35:02 Julia Wolfe – “Reeling”
00:43:02 Don Byron – “Fyodorovich”
00:45:25 Michael Gordon; Icebreaker – “Yo Shakespeare”
00:56:09 Terry Riley – “See Them Out There”
00:59:00 David Lang – “Cheating, Lying, Stealing”
01:09:30 Lao Luo & 龔琳娜 – “Tan Te”
01:12:54 Brian Eno; Robert Wyatt; Rhett Davies – “1/2”
This week Next to Silence presents some the best recordings of 1970’s Ghanaian guitar Highlife.
The early 1970s marked a golden chapter in Ghanaian highlife music—a moment when village wisdom, city innovation, and post-independence energy converged in song. This was music built for both the dance floor and the spirit, composed of storytelling lyrics, percussive drive, and glowing melodic lines that seemed to float above it all. What you’ll hear in this playlist is a living memory of Ghana’s musical heartbeat—highlife in its guitar-band prime.
These are songs to move to, but also to sit with. They come from the people, and they bring the people together. These songs are meditations in groove, built to move both body and spirit. Let’s step into the pulse of early 70s Ghanaian highlife.
This show is dedicated to my brothers and sisters of Peace Corps Ghana 1970, along with the former students and teachers at Kadjebi Secondary School.
Playlist week of July 7, 2025:
00:00:00 African Brothers International Band – Ɛna Ɛye A Mane Me
00:08:01 Francis Kenya; The Riches Big Band – Ensuah Nzema Kotoko – The Nezema Kotoko Family
00:14:16 Oyihwam Internationals – Anoma Franoas
00:22:08 Ashanti Afrika-Jah Int Band of Ghana – Ede Mabo
00:29:41 African Brothers International Band – Abusua Nnyɛ Asafo
This week NEXT TO SILENCE presents a heartfelt tribute to one of the towering figures in American music—Brian Wilson, who passed away last week at the age of 82.
Brian wasn’t just the creative force behind The Beach Boys—he was a visionary who changed the shape of modern music. He taught us that pop could hold deep sorrow, spiritual yearning, and sheer beauty—all in the same breath.
With his passing, we’ve lost a singular voice, but the harmonies he created still echo in our lives. Tonight, we honor his journey: from the early days of surf and sunshine, through the introspection of Pet Sounds, into the kaleidoscopic ambition of Smile, and finally his brave return in later years.
Playlist for the week of June 30, 2025:
00:04:01 Surfin’ U.S.A. – The Beach Boys
04:06:27 The Warmth of the Sun – The Beach Boys
00:09:19 Help Me, Rhonda – The Beach Boys
00:12:24 California Girls – The Beach Boys
00:15:09 Please Let Me Wonder – The Beach Boys
00:17:58 In My Room – The Beach Boys
00:20:10 When I Grow Up (To Be a Man) – The Beach Boys
00:22:12 Don’t Worry Baby – The Beach Boys
00:25:00 And Your Dream Comes True – The Beach Boys
00:30:19 Wouldn’t It Be Nice – The Beach Boys
00:32:40 You Still Believe in Me – The Beach Boys
00:35:10 That’s Not Me – The Beach Boys
00:37:35 Don’t Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder) – The Beach Boys
00:40:30 God Only Knows – The Beach Boys
00:43:19 I Know There’s an Answer – The Beach Boys
00:46:35 Here Today – The Beach Boys
00:49:37 Caroline, No – The Beach Boys
00:56:09 Good Vibrations – The Beach Boys
00:59:45 Heroes and Villains – The Beach Boys
01:03:25 Vegetables – The Beach Boys
01:05:31 Darlin’ – The Beach Boys
01:07:42 ’Til I Die – The Beach Boys
01:10:10 Child Is Father of the Man – Brian Wilson
01:12:28 In Blue Hawaii – Brian Wilson
01:15:27 Surf’s Up – Brian Wilson
01:19:31 Love and Mercy – Brian Wilson
01:22:25 Summer’s Gone – The Beach Boys
01:28:40 I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times – The Beach Boys
A Reminder:
Next To Silence streams live at:
1700AM and on the web at PeaksIslandRadio.com
On:
Mondays Fridays @7:00PM
Tuesdays @Noon
You can find the archives of past shows at PeaksIslandRadio.com. Click on SCHEDULE – scroll down to NEXT TO SILENCE
This week, we find ourselves holding a shared, quiet grief. Two titans of American music—Sly Stone and Brian Wilson—have left us. Each, in his own way, redefined what pop music could be: Sly, with his electrifying fusion of funk, soul, and social revolution; Brian, with his fragile genius for harmony, melody, and emotional truth.
They were architects of joy and beauty, of rhythm and reflection, and their music will echo long past this moment.
This week we commemorate the music of Sly Stone and the Family Stone, and next week’s show is a tribute to Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys.
Sylvester Stone was the preacher, the prophet, the mad scientist of funk—mixing black and white, male and female, gospel and psychedelia into a sound that wasn’t just music, but movement. At his best, he gave us the soundtrack to liberation and joy. At his worst, he was the echo of a dream cracked under the weight of its own idealism.
Playlist for the week of June 23, 2025:
00:00 Sly & The Family Stone – Dance to the Music
06:31 Sly & The Family Stone – Everyday People
08:51 Sly & The Family Stone – Sing a Simple Song
12:44 Sly & The Family Stone – I Want ToTake You Higher
19:11 Sly & The Family Stone – Stand!
22:18 Sly & The Family Stone – Hot Fun in the Summertime
25:46 Sly & The Family Stone – Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice ElfAgin)
30:34 Sly & The Family Stone – You Can Make It If You Try
34:10 Sly & The Family Stone – Family Affair
37:13 Sly & The Family Stone – Runnin’ Away
40:06 Sly & The Family Stone – Time
44:23 Sly & The Family Stone – Just Like a Baby
49:30 Sly & The Family Stone – If You Want Me To Stay
52:28 Sly & The Family Stone – Babies Makin’ Babies
On this Next to Silence, we’re diving headfirst into the many shades of “crazy.” Not the clinical kind, but the kind that colors everyday life—when emotions run hot, logic takes a back seat, and the heart writes its own script.
There’s the giddy madness of falling in love, and the slow unraveling when it doesn’t work out. There’s the chaos of desire, the ache of obsession, and the wild, spinning joy that comes from dancing too close to the edge. Sometimes “crazy” means laughter that doesn’t quite stop; other times, it’s the quiet confusion of feeling too much, too fast.
This playlist is a collection of voices caught in those moments—songs from the brink, the breakthrough, and the beautiful mess in between. Whether you’ve been driven crazy, called someone crazy, or felt a little crazy yourself, there’s a place for you here today.
Playlist for the week of June 16, 2025:
00:00:00 Prince – “Let’s Go Crazy”
00:08:03 Fine Young Cannibals – “She Drives Me Crazy”
00:11:37 Heart – “Crazy On You”
00:16:31 Patsy Cline; The Jordanaires – “Crazy”
00:19:14 Paul Anka – “Crazy Love”
00:21:39 Van Morrison – “Crazy Love”
00:24:14 Joni Mitchell – “The Crazy Cries of Love”
00:28:06 Smokey Robinson & The Miracles – “Crazy About The La La La”
00:34:16 Jim Kweskin – “Crazy Words-Crazy Tune”
00:36:16 Peggy Lee; Toots Thielemans – “You’re Driving Me Crazy (What Did I Do?)”
00:38:32 Simi; Tiwa Savage – “Men Are Crazy”
00:41:38 Queen – “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”
00:44:12 The Clash – “Let’s Go Crazy”
00:48:46 Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band – “Crazy Little Thing”
00:51:22 ABBA – “Crazy World”
00:58:30 Johnny Clegg; Savuka – “Cruel Crazy Beautiful World”
01:02:52 Bob Marley & The Wailers – “Crazy Baldhead”
Today we enter the world of Bond—James Bond—told not through gadgets or gunfire, but through music. These theme songs are more than title tracks. They’re portals. Each one carries the fingerprint of its era, the tone of the man who played him, and a mood that outlives the movie.
So pour a martini, shaken not stirred, settle into the shadows, and let’s begin.
Playlist for the week of June 9, 2025:
00:00:00 John Barry – The James Bond Theme
00:05:41 Matt Monro – From Russia With Love
00:08:13 Shirley Bassey – Goldfinger
00:11:01 Tom Jones – Thunderball
00:13:52 Nancy Sinatra – You Only Live Twice
00:16:48 Louis Armstrong – We Have All the Time in the World
00:21:50 Shirley Bassey – Diamonds Are Forever
00:24:29 Paul McCartney & Wings – Live and Let Die
00:27:41 Lulu – The Man with the Golden Gun
00:30:16 Carly Simon – Nobody Does It Better
00:33:50 Sheena Easton – For Your Eyes Only
00:36:52 Rita Coolidge – All Time High
00:39:55 Gladys Knight – Licence to Kill
00:46:35 Tina Turner – GoldenEye
00:51:14 Sheryl Crow – Tomorrow Never Dies
00:56:03 Garbage – The World Is Not Enough
00:59:57 Jack White & Alicia Keys – Another Way to Die
01:04:18 Adele – Skyfall
01:12:24 Billie Eilish – No Time To Die
The Many Grooves of Bond: A History of James Bond Films Since his cinematic debut in Dr. No (1962), James Bond has evolved from Cold War assassin to emotionally complex antihero, but what’s remained constant is the mythic pulse of the character—a rhythm that plays differently in each actor’s hands. Each Bond reflects the age he inhabits, but just as crucially, each actor brought a different groove to the role: a unique mix of timing, temperament, and backstory that shaped the music of the movies. Behind every tuxedo was a man with a surprising path to the part.
Sean Connery, a former milkman and bodybuilder from Edinburgh, seemed an unlikely choice. When producers Albert “Cubby” Broccoli and Harry Saltzman first saw him, Connery walked away from their meeting with a panther-like swagger that clinched the deal. Though Ian Fleming initially doubted him—calling Connery “an overgrown stuntman”—he changed his tune after seeing Dr. No. Connery’s Bond was muscular jazz: sleek, swinging, and dangerous, with a sardonic glint in the eye. He invented the template—every Bond since has either echoed or rebelled against his beat.
George Lazenby was a model with no acting experience when he bluffed his way into the role. He bought a Rolex, tailored a suit like Connery’s, and faked a film résumé. The producers were so impressed with his audacity that they gave him the part. In On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969), Lazenby offered a Bond who could fall in love and cry—a soft, minor key moment in the symphony of the franchise. Though his tenure was brief, the emotional resonance of his Bond would echo decades later in Daniel Craig’s arc.
Roger Moore, already famous as TV’s The Saint, was long considered for Bond but was initially too busy—or too suave. When Connery finally stepped down for good, Moore took over with effortless charm. His Bond was the lounge act version: smooth, light, and ironic. The groove shifted into disco mode—flared pants, outlandish plots, and eyebrow-arching double entendres. Moore’s Bond knew it was all a bit much, and that was the point.
Timothy Dalton was a serious Shakespearean actor who had turned the role down in the ’70s, feeling he was too young. When he finally stepped in during the late ’80s, he brought gravitas and emotional complexity. His Bond didn’t quip—he brooded. The Cold War was ending, and Dalton’s groove was stripped-down and stormy, more noir than fantasy. He offered a foretaste of the darker realism that would define Bond’s 21st-century incarnation.
Pierce Brosnan had been poised to take over in 1987, but his contract with the TV show Remington Steele kept him out—just barely. When the role came around again in the ’90s, he seized it with a balance of Connery’s toughness and Moore’s polish. His Bond was built for the globalized, digital era: slick, corporate, and always ready with a one-liner. The action ramped up, the gadgets went high-tech, and Brosnan’s groove was pure techno-thriller—adrenaline on a soundtrack.
Daniel Craig was met with skepticism: too blond, too rough, too un-Bond. But Casino Royale (2006) rebooted the franchise with brutal elegance. Craig, a classically trained actor with indie credentials, brought a bruised physicality and emotional depth. His casting marked a shift toward a more psychologically complex Bond—less fantasy, more fracture. Over five films, Craig’s arc traced Bond’s inner life as much as his missions. His groove was stripped and rhythmic, like a heartbeat under pressure—wounded, human, and mythic.
Now, with Craig’s departure, Bond stands again at a crossroads, waiting for his next incarnation. What makes this franchise endure is not the martinis or the Aston Martins, but the ability to let the rhythm shift with time. Each Bond grooves to the beat of his moment in history—and in doing so, he teaches us something about the fantasies we cherish and the silences we try to fill.
This week Next To Silence enters the electric labyrinth of fusion jazz—music that rewired the language of jazz with power, groove, and spirit.
Fusion was born the moment Miles Davis plugged in. In 1969, *Bitches Brew* blurred jazz and rock into something primal and strange. But its deeper legacy lives on in the musicians who played on it—and then carried its wild DNA into their own bands.
This week’s show, “Fusion: Sons of Bitches Brew*” features these legends. Each track is a chapter in the unfolding story of electric jazz.
Playlist for the week of June 2, 2025:
00:00:00 Weather Report – Black Market (Live)
00:11:34 Herbie Hancock – You’ll Know When You Get There
00:21:47 Mahavishnu Orchestra – Meeting of the Spirits
00:28:36 Return to Forever – Medieval Overture
00:33:51 Weather Report – Birdland
0:44:03 Herbie Hancock – Ostinato (Suite for Angela)
00:57:10 Billy Cobham – Spectrum
01:02:58 Return to Forever – Captain Señor Mouse
01:11:15 Mahavishnu Orchestra – Birds of Fire
01:22:17 Keith Jarrett – Improvisation #4 (Live at the Cellar Door)
A Reminder:
Next To Silence streams live at:
1700AM and on the web at PeaksIslandRadio.com
On:
Mondays Fridays @7:00PM
Tuesdays @Noon
You can find the archives of past shows at PeaksIslandRadio.com. Click on SCHEDULE – scroll down to NEXT TO SILENCE
This week Next To Silence drifts through the cinematic world of Paul Thomas Anderson—not through his scripts or his directing, but through the songs he chooses to haunt them. From the aching retro-pop of Boogie Nights to the vulnerable crescendos of Magnolia, the stoned California sprawl of Inherent Vice, and the bittersweet sunshine of Licorice Pizza, Anderson has a rare ear for popular music that deepens character, suggests the unsaid, and lingers like smoke after the scene ends. These aren’t just soundtrack choices—they’re emotional engines, ironic mirrors, and secret narrators.
Playlist for the week of May 19, 2025:
00:00:00 The Emotions – “Best of My Love”
00:05:19 KC & The Sunshine Band – “Boogie Shoes”
00:07:28 Melanie – “Brand New Key”
00:09:51 Rick Springfield – “Jessie’s Girl”
00:13:03 Three Dog Night – “Mama Told Me (Not To Come)”
00:16:18 The Beach Boys – “God Only Knows”
00:21:14 Aimee Mann – “One”
00:24:06 Aimee Mann – “Momentum”
00:27:33 Aimee Mann – “Driving Sideways”
00:31:19 Aimee Mann – “Wise Up”
00:36:37 Jonny Greenwood & Ella Fitzgerald – “Get Thee Behind Me Satan”
00:40:21 Jonny Greenwood & Jo Stafford – “No Other Love”
00:43:40 Jonny Greenwood & Helen Forrest – “Changing Partners”
00:47:26 CAN – “Vitamin C”
00:50:57 The Marketts – “Here Comes The Ho-Dads”
00:53:10 Minnie Riperton – “Les Fleurs”
00:56:26 Kyu Sakamoto – “上を向いて歩こう”
00:59:33 Chuck Jackson – “Any Day Now”
01:02:56 David Bowie – “Life On Mars?”
01:06:42 Chris Norman & Suzi Quatro – “Stumblin’ In”
01:10:38 Gordon Lightfoot – “If You Could Read My Mind”
Welcome to Next to Silence—I’m Dave, and today we’re stepping into one of jazz’s most legendary rooms: The Village Gate. From the early ’60s through the club’s final notes in the ’90s, the Gate was a sanctuary for improvisation, intensity, and innovation. What you’re about to hear are moments captured live—raw, soulful, and swinging—from artists like Nina Simone, Jimmy Smith, Mongo Santamaría, and Horace Silver. These aren’t just performances; they’re time capsules from a smoky basement where history was made one solo at a time. So settle in. The lights are low, the crowd’s buzzing. Let the music speak.
On this week’s show we take a musical journey across the vast and vibrant continent of Africa. We’ll be hearing voices and rhythms from nine African countries — including Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Libya, Benin, South Africa, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Each artist tonight brings their own story, sound, and spirit — together forming a living tapestry of what African music can be.
Playlist for the week of May 5, 2025 ☞
00:00:00 Fela Kuti- “Zombie”
00:14:42 Johnny Clegg; Savuka – “Cruel Crazy Beautiful World”
Boho Dreams of Space and Time 