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Since Autumn 2003 People Like Us have been doing a weekly show on WFMU, called DO or DIY. The aim of the show is to mix highbrow with lowbrow to challenge whether there is much difference. Also, many artists played on DO or DIY get very little radio play (a google search for many of these bands brings the show's airplay at the top of the results). Each weekly show has been known to have excess of 50,000 listens per year (based on average Realplayer stats archives collected over the space of one year).

Here are the archived playlists and realaudio streams of at least 150 shows from 2003 to the present day. www.wfmu.org/playlists/PL

Subscribe to the Podcast of DO or DIY by clicking here - it will prompt your iTunes program to open, where you will receive the podcasts.

DO or DIY biog

DO or DIY is a freeform sound art radio show broadcast weekly by Vicki Bennett (project name People Like Us) on WFMU.

This show has been in existence since 2003, and has broadcast more than 150 shows.

The philosophy behind the show is simple. That within the realms of avant-garde and experimental sound art the goalposts defining "accessible" and "inaccessible" are constantly moving. As the radar rises and dips, fragments and shards of underground creations unearth, and popular culture and artist resonate, shifting shapes accordingly with one another in reflections of changing spotlights. The avant-garde and popular culture rely on each other's energy. People Like Us collage both "hard to listen" works and popular listening matter, showing that in fact, beyond the restrictions of genre, genre IS the restriction and it is possible to like many kinds of art and music. The key is finding the door - DO or DIY leads the way into new and unusual realms of listening and hope to show the way in.

Each show consists of collages made of sound works from the 20th and 21st century, often layered and looped many times over, resulting in an album type effect on each show.

Suggested Listening:

"The Avant-Retard Mixathon" - A selection of the best of one season of DO or DIY from 2005.

ABOUT WFMU

WFMU are very influential to NYC area record buyers, particularly ones who search for music out of the ordinary. The station was listed as #1 station in the USA by Rolling Stone critics for 4 consecutive years, was voted #1 station at 1999's Gavin Convention, subject of a New York Times magazine feature, and has gotten accolades from the WIRE, John Peel, Matt Groening & other luminaries. The format covers anything from home cassettes, noise, old country, rockabilly, electroacoustic, experimental, electronic, metal, out-jazz, krautrock, schlock, hip-hop, collage, garage, and pop from all decades. They've hosted Senegalese rappers, Japanese black metal bands, Tuvan psychedelic rock groups, Brit folk legends, indie rock darlings, and played about 2000 other genres they can't even begin to list.
"WFMU is known as an oasis in the airwave desert. While most stations practice one-dimensional 'narrow-casting', WFMU embraces everything in the wonderful world of sound." - SPIN
"WFMU is the best freeform radio station in America." - NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
"Fantastic website, great archives. It is truly eclectic programming, unlike other stations, which claim to be eclectic." MATT GROENING, SIMPSONS CREATOR
"There's nothing better late at night in this town than climbing into the car and turning on and tuning into WFMU cracklin' across the river with whatever weird shit they're playin' tonight." - LEE RANALDO, SONIC YOUTH
"Romping through the history of recorded sound, WFMU's disc jockeys often come up with unbelievable artifacts, revelatory juxtapositions and songs you thought you'd never hear again." - NEW YORK TIMES
This is one full-on Limey who believes believes believes that when it comes to transformation through sound, we should support WFMU for their percipient ur-cultural bravado. It's the 21st century and WFMU is here to celebrate our coming of age! - JULIAN COPE, MUSICIAN/AUTHOR/HISTORIAN

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

16 June - 6 October 2008
People Like Us return to the WFMU airwaves

People Like Us will return to terrestrial radio and a one hour weekly show for the Summer Season on WFMU. The show starts on Monday 16th June and will run weekly until 6 October. Tune in live every week and follow the accuplaylist at 7pm Mondays NY time, that is midnight Mondays UK time. Alternatively you can tune in afterwards, and to archive shows, at http://www.wfmu.org/playlists/PL. You can also subscribe to the podcast here (if this link doesn't open your iTunes automatically, copy and paste the link into iTunes/Advanced/Subscribe to a podcast)

3 June 2008
Exclusive Digital Single From People Like Us & Ergo Phizmiz

We are pleased to announce two brand new downloadable tracks from People Like Us & Ergo Phizmiz, available to the web exclusively from WFMU's Free Music Archive and Beware of the Blog. The Music to Run Fast By digital 7'' is based around the idea of "The Chase", where Vicki and Ergo sourced from and collaged as many fast moving sounds as they could possibly think of! This music was originally conceived for a live soundtrack to Christian Marclay's film "Screen Play", performed by WFMU's delightful duo in London last year (link). It was then developed into "The Chase" episode of their "Codpaste" podcast on WFMU. Check out more very fast music from People Like Us & Ergo Phizmiz in the Codpaste archive at http://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/25405

Download the mp3s at the WFMU Blog

If you own a horse then do take this on your ipod next time you go out for a trot.

20 May 2008
Listen to the archive of WFMU's PLU Special on The Phuj Phactory

If you missed it at the time, listen to the wonderful job that Ergo Phizmiz did interviewing Vicki here (will download a Realplayer link).

3 December 2007-17 March 2008

We are pleased to announce Codpaste - a new weekly podcast series brought to you by People Like Us & Ergo Phizmiz, who will be teaming up and trying to compose collage music for you... with emphasis on the word "trying." It's reasonably rare that music is broadcast to you when it's not all finished, polished and dusted, but we're going to spew out the guts and gore to you, dear listener, so do bring a spoon.

From Monday 3rd December 2007, WFMU will be hosting the podcasts of:

(i) audio sources, the tracks used as the basis for the collage in the episode
(ii) sketches, mixes, and collages combining track elements with added instrumentation, electronics, vocals, etc.
(iii) fragments, layers, and multitracks of the collage compositions

These elements will be tied together by snippets of light-hearted, tangential conversations and introductions and occasional mental overload and verbal meltdown.

Subscribe to this free weekly podcast by visiting WFMU's Podcast page. Or you can go straight to iTunes, go to the menu bar, then Advanced, then Subscribe to Podcast and paste this in http://wfmu.org/podcast/CT.xml and iTunes will do the rest for you. The podcast proper starts on Monday 3rd December, but in the meantime you'll get a little welcome message.

We're having great fun recording this and we think it will reflect in the program. Do try it out.

Episode 1 - 3rd December 2007 - Cartoon Music - http://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/25395
Episode 2 - 10th December 2007 - The Chase - http://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/25405
Episode 3 - 17th December 2007 - Hooked On Classics - http://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/25406
Episode 4 - 24th December 2007 - ThEdit - http://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/25429
Episode 5 - 31st December 2007 - Fwms Bo Wo - http://wfmu.org/playlists/shows/25530
Episode 6 - 7th January 2008 - Snow Day - http://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/25533
Episode 7 - 14th January 2008 - Banjos, Pots, Pans and Squeezeboxes - http://wfmu.org/playlists/shows/25819
Episode 8 - 21st January 2008 - Collage - http://wfmu.org/playlists/shows/25942
Episode 9 - 28th January 2008 - I Can't Tell A Waltz From A Tango - http://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/25966
Episode 10 - 4th February 2008 - Nana Mouskouri - http://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/25655
Episode 11 - 11th February 2008 - Song Song - http://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/25970
Episode 12 - 18th February 2008 - Comedy - http://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/26276
Episode 14 - 17th March 2008 - Finale - http://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/26515 - and at the WFMU blog

What's next? 18th March-30th April - making an ALBUM inspired by all of this.

Further program information can be found here.

23 December 2007
Listen to DO or DIY in Australian national radio!

Starting 23rd December for several weeks of their summer season on ABC Radio National, the radio program The Night Air will be rebroadcasting People Like Us's show, DO or DIY on WFMU - this means you can tune in on your transistor radio or online, or listen afterwards to the archive. Go along to their website now and check it out - the program details for the first episode are here.

People Like Us guested on The Night Air back in 2001, alongside friends Irene Moon and The Evolution Control Committee - you can hear that here.

 6 November 2007
DO or DIY resumes this week

After a month off, we have now resumed weekly podcasting of DO or DIY on WFMU - the next podcast will hit your iTunes next time you open it up, if you are already subscribed. You can subscribe for free by opening up iTunes, going to the menu at the top of your screen, clicking on Advanced, then Subscribe to Podcast, then copy this from below and paste it in.

http://wfmu.org/podcast/PL.xml

Then it will arrive all by itself. Amazing.

4 October 2007
Downloadable DO or DIY

In keeping with what is now becoming a tradition, the last on air edition of DO or DIY with People Like Us has been delivered alongside an album
sized chunk of a megamix with the bitesize title of "Wet Sounds - The Best Of All Things Particularly Avant Retard 2007".

Download the album and artwork at the WFMU Blog

3rd December 2007
People Like Us & Ergo Phizmiz
Special podcast series:
Codpaste

People Like Us & Ergo Phizmiz will be making an album... but it will be different to usual processes - we are going to let you in on the whole thing and document the making as a series of podcasts, starting in December. More info pages coming nearer the time!

8 June 2007
"On The Rooftops Of London" for sale

Due to popular demand we've made a CD Single available of the radio session we did for Mixing It on BBC Radio 3, since otherwise it would never be heard again since Mixing It is no more on the station. You can get it here.

DO or DIY RETURNS!!!!!
7 June - 4 October 2007
People Like Us return to the WFMU Summer Season

People Like Us will return to terrestrial radio and their one hour weekly show for the Summer Season on WFMU. The show starts on Thursday 7th June and will run weekly until 4 October, when People Like Us will revert back to making podcast only shows for the Winter Season. Tune in live every week and follow the accuplaylist at 6pm Thursdays NY time, that is 11pm Thursdays UK time. Alternatively you can tune in afterwards, and to archive shows, at http://www.wfmu.org/playlists/PL. You can also subscribe as ever to the ongoing podcast (copy and paste this link into iTunes/Advanced)

Here's the New WFMU Schedule

1 June 2007
People Like Us megamix on Oceanclub Radio, Radio Eins

People Like Us have made a megamix for the above show to be broadcast on 1st June. Here is the Oceanclub link http://www.oceanclub.de/ The direct link to the audio archive will be http://www.radioeins.de/_/programm/audios_jsp/activeid=174/key=beitrag_147.html

21 March 2007
New weekly free People Like Us podcast begins

As a stopgap between Summer Season broadcasts and 3 hour occasional webcasts on WFMU we have decided to start a weekly podcast through wfmu.org.

At the moment if you are subscribed to the PLU podcast at the fmu site you will be receiving archived shows from the last season of DO or DIY and the occasional three hour show. But shortly after the end of the WFMU marathon you will be able to receive around 15 to 20 mins of DO or DIY programming every Wednesday or every time you open up your iTunes after each Wednesday. You don't have to do a thing once you have subscribed.

Subscribe to the DO or DIY with People Like Us podcast at the link below. There is also simple technical information for first time podcast subscribers.

http://wfmu.org/podcast

There is a direct link here:

http://wfmu.org/podcast/PL.xml - copy and paste that link into iTunes/Advanced/Subscribe to Podcast...

15 February 2007
DO or DIY 3 Hour Special on WFMU

The next DO or DIY will be on WFMU from 6-9am NY time - that is 11am-2pm UK time, on 15th February.

It is archived here

9 February 2007
People Like Us Session on BBC Radio 3's "Mixing It"
10.15pm (UK time)

People Like Us are pleased to announce the forthcoming broadcast of a 20 minute long session of brand new material, plus a special "show remix" of for Radio 3's best experimental music show "Mixing It". Over the last 16 years, Mixing It have been a big supporter of PLU, and we are very sad (and somewhat outraged) that it is being axed by the BBC next month for no good reason that we could possibly imagine. Our session will be aired on the last programme of the show.

Mixing It Website

20 December 2006
Download a seasonal radio show

Here is another chance to not only hear but download the Xmas edition of DO or DIY with People Like Us from 2003, with Special Guest and now WFMU DJ, Ergo Phizmiz!Ê

http://blog.wfmu.org/freeform/2006/12/people_like_us_.html

14 December 2006
3 Hour Special of DO or DIY on WFMU

People Like Us will be broadcasting a web-only edition of DO or DIY on WFMU on 14th December from 6-9am EST, which is 11am-2pm UK time. The show will be archived afterwards at wfmu.org/playlists/PL. The show will feature a 45 minute special on RIAA (Recording Industries Are Archaic)

Find the show archived here

2 October 2006
DOwnloadable DO or DIY on WFMU - last program of the present season special mp3 download

To commemorate our summer season of DO or DIY on WFMU we have made available a special downloadable "album" of the best of DO or DIY on WFMU. We will be skipping the next (Winter) season in order to pursue other projects so grab it while you can (not that it's going anywhere) in mp3 form here at WFMU's BEWARE THE BLOG.

Also, while we take the season off you can access the show's archives (which number over 60 hours now) here at http://www.wfmu.org/playlists/PL

Go to WFMU now

RADIO SESSIONS FOR DOWNLOAD

DO or DIY on WFMU
(Summer Schedule) - 2006

The final show of the 2006 summer season of People Like Us's radio show on WFMU, a megamix of the best parts of the series
Playlist here

WFMU website

Download here at WFMU's BEWARE THE BLOG.

TouchRadio
The Bits In Between
http://www.touchradio.org.uk/

From digital gutter, here lie all the soundbytes edited out of mic breaks for People Like Us's radio show DO or DIY on WFMU from June to September 2005. The show is all about cutting together avant with pop, and the only aspect of this one hour a week that has ever felt slightly out of place has been the necessary mic breaks. So now we do them justice by taking the entire unedited 3 hours, and in Language Removal Service style we take out all the meaning and are left with 34 minutes of delicious background noise, voice glitches and hesitations.

The file is here http://bulletin.touchmusic.org.uk/touchradio/Radio10/Radio10.m3u
If you go into iTunes you'll work out through the info page how to download it as an mp3 too.

Subscribe to Touch Podcasts here:
http://www.touchmusic.org.uk/TouchPod/podcast.xml
- or just open iTunes, go to "Podcasts" then "Advanced" on your menu settings. Then you can "Subscribe to podcast" by pasting in the above address.

DO or DIY on WFMU
(Summer Schedule) - 2005

The final show of the 2005 summer season of People Like Us's radio show on WFMU, a megamix of the best parts of the series
Playlist here

WFMU website

The Avant Retard mixathon
Artwork here
and here

DO or DIY Christmas Special on WFMU
with People Like Us & Ergo Phizmiz
(WFMU) 2003

People Like Us and Ergo Phizmiz are making the MP3 of their 2003 Christmas radio special available for download: download 80 meg MP3 From the underwater North Sea lair of People Like Us, Vicki declares: Tis the season not only of Good Will, but also of Irritainment Music - but we don't agree that all Xmas music is bad! So just to illustrate the point, here is another chance to not only hear but download the Xmas edition of DO or DIY with People Like Us from 2003, with Special Guest and now WFMU DJ, Ergo Phizmiz! Pour yourself a nice drinky and careful you don't crack your nuts. Wishing you a pleasant Xmess!

Mp3 here
WFMU website

"In my country, we are having it the wanderful musics, the military marches. Is good for the war, but sometime is not so good for the Christmas, extremely when we have too many of the pahtchnyiks at the Christmas Party. (Pahtchnyik is special drinking for to see who will drinking the most, but still to stand up straight. But everybody always end up getting the most drunked. Hah hah hah.) Some times the drunks are getting kind of pushy and yelly, and is making everybody to be piss off, so then somebody starting the fight, and everybody having to bonk them at the head, the drunks, for that they will sleeping it off. So that is not so good for having nice party of the Holiday Time. Also too, is not so good for the Christmas, when everybody supposed to make peace on you, and the good will at everybody. So now we are having this nice musics, of the Ergo Phizmiz and Vicki and Bennett, and everybody still getting pahtchnyik, with nose like Rudolph the Pahtchnyik Reindeer, but hey...everybody now not fighting so much, for these happy musics are Happy People of Christmas now in my country. So thanking you now, from us, to Merry Christmas on Everybody. Ho Ho!"

DO or DIY on WFMU
(Winter Schedule) - 2003/4

The DJ Premium for People Like Us's radio show on WFMU for the 2004 WFMU Marathon. Not for sale
WFMU website

Track 1
Track 2
Track 3
Track 4
Track 5
Track 6
Track 7
Track 8
Track 9
Track 10

CD inlay / CD label / CD cover

People Like Us and Kenny G - Nothing Special
(CD on Mess Media) - 2003

01. I'm From
02. Wake Up
03. Nothing
04. So Sorry
05. Close To Me
06. You'll Be A
07. More Sorry
08. Counting Time
09. Give Up It's Mine

10. Greatest Nobody
11. It Wouldn't It Be Nice In Yr Face
12. Too Far
13. I've Got You

And here's the full 3 hour WFMU show that this album was edited from - Nothing Special with Kenny G
Kenny G website
Mess Media through Soleilmoon website

BBC Radio 1 Session
(radio - John Peel) - 2003

01. talk *
02. talk *
03. Abridged Too Far
04. talk *
05. talk *
06. Cattle Call
07. talk *
08. talk *
09. The Doody Waltz
10. talk *
11. talk *
12. talk *
13. talk *
14. Do or D.I.Y
15. talk *

John Peel website

People Like Us and Wobbly - There Goes Nothing
(CDr only release) - 2002

01. The Way In *
02. Naked Little Girl *
03. Sheep Laid Out To Dry *
04. Okay *
05. Goodbye *
06. Woman *
07. The Working Title For Our Opera *
08. SwingLargo *

09. A New Baby *
10. Bitter Dregs *
11. Pain
*

People Like Us and Wobbly Live on KZSU, Pal Altos, California

Wobbly website

People Like Us, Wobbly and Don Joyce - Baby Makes Three 2 on Over The Edge, KPFA
(unreleased) - 2002

01. Baby Makes Three 2 *
02. Baby Makes Three 2 *
03. Baby Makes Three 2 *
04. Baby Makes Three 2 *
05. Baby Makes Three 2 *
06. Baby Makes Three 2 *
07. Baby Makes Three 2 *
08. Baby Makes Three 2 *
09. Baby Makes Three 2 *
10. Baby Makes Three 2 *
11. Baby Makes Three 2 *

12. Baby Makes Three 2 *
13. Baby Makes Three 2 *

An edit from a 3 hour show from 10 October 2002 on KPFA in Berkeley, California. Thanks to Negativland.

People Like Us, Irene Moon and The Evolution Control Committee
- ABC Radio National, Sydney, Australia
(unreleased) - 2001

01. People Like Us, Irene Moon and The ECC *

Thanks to Brent Clough

People Like Us, The Jet Black Hair People and Wobbly
- Campfire Special on KZSU
(unreleased) - 2000

01. Track 1 *
02. Track 2 *
03. Track 3 *
04. Track 4 *
05. Track 5 *
06. Track 6 *
07. Track 7 *
08. Track 8 *
09. Track 9
*
10. Track 10 *

Thanks to Mike Howes at KZSU

People Like Us, The Jet Black Hair People, Wobbly and Don Joyce
- 2000 Announcements on Over The Edge on KPFA
(unreleased) - 2000

01. Woman As Sexual Criminal *
02. Bright Giant Love Balls *
03. Steel Pole *
04. Nice Music*
05. Finale *
06. Credits *

An edit from a 3 hour show. Thanks to Negativland

Guide To Broadcasting
(3"CD on Staalplaat) - 1994

01. Guide To Broadcasting
02. TV Dinner

Originally sessions made for VPRO in Holland

deleted