Jim Kaiser as Petit Mal live at Heco's Palace, Oakland, CA, 2007
filmed by Kevin Brown
Last week, I found out that my good friend and fellow Amoeba Music alum, Jim Kaiser had passed. Jim was many things to many people: A wellspring of knowledge in experimental music and sonic oddities; an incredible musician, with a unique mastery of the bicycle wheel that would leave you both, awestruck and perplexed; a smart-ass, brimming with wry sarcasm and wit; but most of all, he was unbelievably kind.
Being the new kid on the block, having just moved to Northern California on a whim (without ever having been there prior) right before my twenty-first birthday, one could say that I was pretty wet behind the ears. The generous staff of Amoeba Berkeley kindly took me in, and for the next five years, provided me with people whom I could call family (and a paycheck to boot!). Among them, Jim stood out. He'd reach out to me if I was feeling down, offer me a couch to crash on if we were at a show together so that I wouldn't need to leave early to catch the last BART, and he'd always recommend the best music. I'm still processing all of this. It's hard to believe that you're gone, and that I won't get to see and hear you say, "Hey, man. (slowly slides CD across to me.) I found you something. (smiles)"
Today's show is dedicated to you, Jim Kaiser. In my second hour, I'm going to play songs that remind me of you (bands that you'd listen to, music you made, and other Kansas City bands that you recommended to me). I'm playing Boris and Sunn 0))), because I vividly remember going to their show at Slim's in S.F. on Halloween, 2005 with you and Andy. To this day, it remains the loudest show that I've ever been to. We ended up moving to the very back of the venue, and I could still feel the bass reverberating through my chest and head. I'm playing the acoustic version of "Cranberries" by Chris Brokaw, because I know that Come was one of your favorite bands. Thank you for recommending the album, Wandering as Water, because I can't find any streams/vids of it online, anywhere. The album is truly amazing, and I get to share it with everyone today because of you.
I would have filled all three hours with songs for you, but I don't think that I have the emotional fortitude for that right now, as I still very much would like to keep one foot in denial...at least for now.
Jim, I love you. You will forever be in my heart, and I will make sure to be weird enough for both of us from now on.
To quote David Tibet of Current 93's words of farewell to his late father, from the liner notes of Sleep Has His House:
You have entered the blood-red eye of the immaculate golden storm.
Rest now in the Thunder Perfect Mind:
Your face is all the sky.
Jim Kaiser lives on in song here: petitmalmusic.bandcamp.com
London Grammar Rooting For You
Timbre Tantrums - Tue., noon - 3pm on KTUH, 90.1 FM, Honolulu
London Grammar Rooting For You
Jai Wolf feat. MNDR Like It's Over
Car, the Garden (카더가든) 너의그늘 (lean on you)
June One Kim idreamedaboutu
Deeb Flakes
PREP Who's Got You Singing Again
Nina Persson & David Arnold Theme From Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased)
The Postmarks No One Said This Would Be Easy
-----12:30pm-----
Blonde Redhead Luv Machine
Mono Life in Mono
볼빨간사춘기 (Red Cheek Puberty) Dream (드림)
Radiohead Spectre
Garbage The World Is Not Enough [U.N.K.L.E. remix]
Zella Day Man on the Moon
Nina Simone Love Me or Leave Me
------1:00pm-----
Bedhead Psychosomatica
Shiner Spook the Herd
The Get Up Kids Your Petty Pretty Things
Siouxsie and the Banshees Dear Prudence
Strawberry Switchblade Since Yesterday
Boris Buzz-In [Optimo remix]
------1:30pm------
Boris Laser Beam
Boris & Sunn 0))) N.L.T.
Petit Mal Too Late (The Last Goodbye)
Chris Brokaw Cranberries [Wandering as Water version]
Carla Kihlstedt Rooting For The Shy Librarian
Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson/Current 93 Falling
The Capsules Someday
Kayo Dot A Pitcher of Summer
------2:00pm------
Oddisee Things
TOKiMONSTA feat. Anderson .Paak Found In You
El Speaker feat. Leila Lanova Put Your Love
Eli Way Girls
Madnap & Ehiorobo Fast Forward
JIDA (지다) feat. Rachel Lim High
Roosevelt Colours
Little Simz feat. Syd Shotgun
------2:30pm------
Daniel Caesar feat. Kali Uchis Get You
Tycho Adrift [Shigeto's Adrift a Dream mix]
주영 (JooYoung) Lucy
Taylor (테일러) Crazy Luv
EHBONI Killing Roses [prod. by SOS]
SOSUPERSAM feat. P-Lo So [prod. by esta]
Breathe Carolina & IZII Echo (Let Go)
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