WZBC 90.3 FM Newton
Boston College Radio, Chestnut Hill, MA
Student-run radio station at Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Mass. USA
Gulls Window Circus
- Every week on Tue at 5:00 PM
Specialty
With Carl Thien
In the same way that a seagull locates the one good piece of food inside of a crumpled up brown bag blown underneath a car after a worker’s lunch break, Carl finds the one good
song hidden at the end of side 2 on a dusty record in a forgotten corner of a record store,
and brings new finds to you every week on Gulls Window Circus, weaving a story that
never repeats itself as it ebbs and flows through time, geography and genre.
Mar 23, 2021 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
With Carl Thien
#459
Part 12 (the last one!) of the Brazen Ladies series of 7″ played alphabetically by woman bands. This week we start with Tracie and run through Zuzu’s Petals. Tracks you HAVE to hear are by Velocette (love that song!), Velocity Girl, Vibralux, and Vinyl Devotion. In closing this 12 week series, I say go back and be sure to listen to EVERY song, as not one of them snuck in here – they were all deserving and placed with love. A special thanks to Pénélope Bagieu and her ‘Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked The World’ graphic novel for inspiring me to expand a simple idea into a 12 week megadventure.
Mar 16, 2021 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
With Carl Thien
#458
Part 11 of 12-week Brazen Ladies series. We run from Stereo Total to Syrup USA in the first hour, and Team Dresch to Tulips in the second. Stuff you can’t miss includes The Subterraneans, A.Z., Sugarbitch, Super Eight, Suran Song In Stag, Suspects, Tribe 8 and Tsunami, but really every track will capture your heart in some way.
Mar 9, 2021 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
With Carl Thien
#457
Part 10 of 12-week Brazen Ladies series, running from Sleater-Kinney to Soundpool in the first hour, and Sonovac to Stereolab in the second hour. Special treats include a prime-era Patti Smith Group track that was a non-LP B-side, two Susan Springfield tracks (mighty – godlike) and two Starcrawler (goodness of recent vintage) tracks.
Mar 2, 2021 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
With Carl Thien
#456
Week 9 (of 12) in the Brazen Ladies series, all 7″s played alphabetically and spun in real time on vinyl. In the first hour, Jeri Rossi is classic Gull Window Circus, Runaways ‘Heartbeat was a pleasant listen I had forgotten how much I loved, and The Sally Skull track ‘Mean Woman’ will not leave my head. In the second hour Scrawl and SF Seals are crucial.
Feb 23, 2021 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
With Carl Thien
#455
Week 8 of Brazen Ladies series starts with Paper Squares to Pretenders in the first hour, and Pretty Mary Sunshine to The Receptionists in the second hour. Be sure to hear tracks by Pest 5000 in part 1, and Pretty Mary Sunshine, Pylon, Pussycat Trash, Raooul and Razor 18 in part 2.
Feb 16, 2021 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
With Carl Thien
#454
Feb 9, 2021 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
With Carl Thien
#453
Week 6 of the 12-week Brazen Ladies series of 7″ by women played alphabetically. Today in part 1 we start with Joan Jett and end at Lonesome No More. In part 2 we start with Lori & The Chameleons and end at Man Tee Mans. Be sure to listen to Jupiteria, Kenickie, Lois and Lonesome No More from the first hour, and Los Fresones Rebeldes, Lung Leg and Mambo Taxi in the second.
Feb 2, 2021 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
With Carl Thien
#452
Week 5 of 12 of Brazen Ladies series: 7″ singles spun in real time played alphabetically by artist. Today covers from God Is My Co-Pilot to Ivy. This episode is dedicated to the Manga artist Rumiko Takahashi, who created Uresei Yatsura, and to creator of Moomins, Tove Jansson 1914-2001. She coded her life into her famous creation trolls and wrote six comic strips a week for seven years. In today’s show, Huggy Bear have Moomins on the label of their ‘Main Squeeze’ 7″, and God Is My Co-Pilot side-project The Hattifatteners are 100% Moomins inspired. In Moomins mythology, The Hattifatteners are silent beings that are forever wandering around in large herds. The only thing that interests them is reaching the horizon – and once they reach it, they continue on their journey. Let’s continue on with the Brazen Ladies series. Tracks by Go-Kart (reminding me to Julee Cruise), Growing Up Skipper and Guvner in the first hour, and Hello I’m A Truck, Ida and International Strike Force in the second hour must be heard.
Jan 26, 2021 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
With Carl Thien
#451
Week 4 (of 12) of Brazen Ladies series, running from Detroit Cobras to God Is My Co-Pilot. “Our lives are wired, Like our gardenias” (Dog Faced Hermans) can serve as the wisdom for the day. Make sure to become friends with tracks by Dolores Haze, Driver UFO, Emily’s Sassy Lime, Fifth Column in the first hour, and The Geraldine Fibbers, Gilded Lil and Girlfrendo in the second hour.
Jan 19, 2021 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
With Carl Thien
#450
Week 3 of the 12-week Brazen Ladies series of 7″ singles spun in real time and played alphabetically. Today we go from Cheesecake to The Courettes in the first hour, and Cosmetique to Destroy All Monsters in the second hour. I think of the Persian vampire movie ‘A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night’, with its use of vampirism as a metaphor for not fitting in to society. The tracks on repeat in my head this week are from Chia Pet and Coping Saw in the first hour, and Courtney Love, Cub and The Delgados in the second hour.
Jan 12, 2021 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
With Carl Thien
#449
Week 2 of a 12-week series of Brazen Ladies – a new Gulls Window Circus series – inspired by the graphic novel by Penelope Bagieu. All tracks are from 7″ singles, played alphabetically. Today we start with The Budget Girls and end at Cheesecake. Today I think of the Persian vampire movie ‘A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night’, with its use of vampirism as a metaphor for not fitting in to society. I am finding the tracks from Birdie and Black Box Recorder from the first hour, and Butterglove and Cake Like from the second hour running through my head.
Jan 5, 2021 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
With Carl Thien
#448
This week begins the grandest project of Gulls Window Circus ever. Week 1 of a 12-week series I’m calling Brazen Ladies – the idea was conceived independently, but expanded exponentially after reading the graphic novel ‘Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World’ by Penelope Bagieu. The shows are spun in real time on turntable. All tracks are from 7″ singles, played alphabetically.
Dec 29, 2020 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
With Carl Thien
#447
Last show of 2020 is an all vinyl LP tracks comfort show, pulled as if on auto-pilot to showcase some records I love that have undiscovered joys. The show starts right off at peak with Tommy Jay. The 4 song quartet of Danny Graham, Joe Ghatt, Torgeir Waldemar and Irmão Victor capture exactly what I want to say with this show. In the second hour the pair of tracks by Jordan Jones and No Direction carry the torch. BMX Banditos and Velvet Crush close out the 2 hours tying it all together nicely.
Dec 22, 2020 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
With Carl Thien
#446
When Gulls Window Circus moved from the Boston College studio of WZBC to home recording in March, new opportunities opened up – where shows were previously composed of what I threw in a bag, now the whole of my collection was at the disposal of each and every show, and any whim could be followed as inspiration arose. This week you have the first ever Gulls Window Circus Christmas show – I believe it will spread joy and be fun to listen to.
Dec 15, 2020 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
With Carl Thien
#445
All vinyl rock show. Helen Love sing "We love the way you dance in your plastic pants, like a New York Doll" right before the Johnny Thunders track from the just released Live From Zürich 1985 that starts the second hour. A few Black Friday RSD releases included (Jesus People Music, Luther Dickinson, Blue Öyster Cult, The Bangles, Geraint Watkins & The Dominators, Masters Of Reality, Lou Reed). The Lurkers track London Jeepster has been going through my head, despite its nonsense topic (what the hext is a London jeepster?). The Helen Love and Auteurs tracks are pretty nifty as well.
Dec 8, 2020 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
With Carl Thien
#444
The last CD-only rock show in a three week run exposes many many finds that I am glad to bring to your ears. Cover star Mats Wawa cannot go wrong, Paul Levinson welcomes us right before an Opal track, and Ned Doheny reminds me why I defend his so much always. Finally found the right spot for the John Wonderling track I've been looking forward to playing since the Summer, and the second hour closes with two Fanny related tracks that are great.
Nov 24, 2020 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
With Carl Thien
#442
A rarity for Gulls Window Circus - an all CD show. However, this means a whole new trove of records can be excavated and enjoyed, amny of them CD-only releases from the years that vinyl was considered bygone. I would draw specail attwention to the Tommy Bolin-era James Gang track, the reformed Band Of Outsiders track, and the Downsiders/Naked Prey segue.
Nov 17, 2020 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
With Carl Thien
#441
A nice selection of songs and tracks that skirt soul/funk, disco, lovers rock, re-edits and deep house. Everything flows well - I have enjoyed listening to this one! My special fave is the Tavares re-edit, which has been cycling though my head while out on runs (always my best indicator of a track to watch!)
Nov 10, 2020 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
With Carl Thien
#440
A rock show that seemed to gather itself like letters on a Ouija board. Here in the US we just completed a tumultuous election, and this show is like a run in the field that will make you happy.