Monkey Vortex Radio Theater

Warm Honey

PLAY: Warm Honey
snippet: "...that's when things got complicated."
time: 2:20; specs: 2.15 MB mp3

words and sounds by: Cecil Vortex

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They ask us to think of tomorrow. To take precautions. To invest our time. And we trust them because they have credentials. But what if tomorrow the task becomes the reward? What if that warm honeyed pain/pleasure grows legs and walks out the door? Will you follow? Will we all follow? -CV

I, Baby Robot

PLAY: I, Baby Robot
snippet: "Red 7, is the Baby Robot in place?"
time: 3:04; specs: 2.8 MB mp3

written by: Cecil Vortex; starring: Jeff Green, Heather Gottschalk, Christian Crumlish, EB, Hans van Boetzelaerlaan, M. Smith, and Cecil Vortex

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Who knows what lurks in the hearts of men? Baby Robot knows. And now Pete, Reggie, and the whole gang are about to find out. What Baby Robot knows. About what lurks.

The Phone Call, Part I

PLAY: The Phone Call, Part I
snippet: ""I was a done deal. Yesterday's news. And yet…"
time: 5:06; specs: 4.8 MB mp3

written by: Bill Cassel, with Cecil Vortex; produced by: Tony Jonick; starring: Benson Hurst, Bee Nisbet, M. Smith, Tony Jonick, and Spencer Watkins

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Who is the mysterious Bunsen? Why does he refuse to answer his phone? Do the two thugs at his door want to kill him, beat him up, or take him to lunch? And what meat product does his secretary resemble?

One of these questions will be answered in Part 1 of the long-awaited Monkey Vortex epic "The Phone Call."

Quiet and Comfortable

PLAY: Quiet and Comfortable
snippet: "...David was different. He was unusual. And when no one else was around, he'd sit very still...and prove it."
time: 1:25; specs: 1.3 MB mp3

words and music by: Cecil Vortex; starring: Robert Birnbach
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(Very) loosely following in the tradition of Clowney, here's a short short story about a hep cat mathlete with unusual hobbies. And shoes. He also has shoes! Enjoy, and regardez the skies, -CV

Holding On

PLAY: Holding On
snippet: "I cursed her too as she kissed away my frown."
time: 2:14; specs: 2 MB mp3

written and produced by: Tony Jonick

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This is something unusual. Something you may have never encountered before. Disco poetry. And I think yes. The world needs more. Beautifully honest, carefully crafted, heartfelt disco poetry. I've been a big fan of this particular poem for a while now and asked local poet and MVRT stalwart Tony Jonick to record it for us. What he did with it in his studio was entirely unexpected. And that's a great thing. Enjoy. And watch the skies, -CV

Poem with Its Second Line by Nada Gordon

PLAY: Poem with Its Second Line by Nada Gordon
snippet: "...here is an opportunity to rest your head among the green blaze of mountains..."
time: 1:15; specs: 1.1 MB mp3

words by: Rodney K.; music by: Yaniv Soha

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After an extended, hard drive-induced hiatus, MVRT is back with our most rockin'-est transcontinental Poet Makes a House Call yet. Some say Soha and Koeneke are like the Scylla and Charybdis of our time. Me, I�m not even sure what that means. But I do know this: my four-year-old asked me to play this week's number some twenty-odd times in a row. And you just can't beat a review like that. Enjoy. And now more than ever: watch the dang skies, -CV

Letters

PLAY: Letters
time: 1:17; specs: 1.2 MB mp3

snippet: "From director Ridley Scott, and his albino brother Tony..."
script by: Cecil Vortex; voices: Eileen Dahl, Bleu Smith, K. Smith, and CV

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Some say pop culture is swiftly moving beyond parody. We say: those folks clearly haven't seen the ads for CBS' "Numbers."

Enjoy. And watch the skies, -CV

Bobba Bebba

PLAY: Bobba Bebba
time: 1:43; specs: 1.6 MB mp3

script by: Cecil Vortex; voices: Hans van Boetzelaerlaan and CV

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Today's episode marks a return to our bread and butter: short pieces about empathetic aliens watching alternate-reality Earth-TV as they orbit dying suns. And may God have mercy on our souls.

Enjoy! -CV

The Good Friend

PLAY: The Good Friend
snippet: "...I know, I know, what could be so bad, right? Well listen up: it's all about the wine tasting."
time: 2:58; specs: 2.7 MB mp3

script by: eb; voice and keys by: Cecil Vortex

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From the folks what brought you Clowney comes the story of Mike, a guy with a problem. Sure, he likes a glass of wine now and again. And yeah, ok: maybe he's become a tad fancified of late. But really, that's the least of it.

See, the late-night crickets are out in force, chirping along beneath bass and keys. And there's Mike's pal, down by the fence. He's a bit concerned, and he's feeling awful chatty. What's his name? Oh, I don't know. How 'bout we just call him: The Good Friend. Enjoy. And watch the skies, -CV

Eerie Wampum

PLAY: Eerie Wampum
snippet: "...like Casper the Friendly Ghost, teamed up to solve the mystery of Camp Wampum with Richie Rich, the sad little rich boy..."
time: 1:42; specs: 1.6 MB mp3

words by: Rodney K.; music by: Yaniv Soha

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Regulars visitors to this site are already well versed in the the work of Rodney K. Suffice it to say, if Monkey Vortex had a Poet Laureate, Rodney K. would be the poet our Poet Laureate would plagiarize. He's that good.

This week, Rodney teams up transcontinentally with Yaniv Soha. (Incidentally, Yaniv is frequently and incorrectly credited as the inventor of the light bulb. In fact, the inventor of the light bulb was Thomas Alva Edison.) Eerie Wampum is a powerful, evocative poem, set to swank, swinging guitar. In short, it's just the sort of headphone-friendly sonic brain transfusion today's hep cats demand.

But wait! As an extra special bonus this week, for you and just for you: a remix of a Rodney K. poem we originally posted last October. Inspired by Yaniv's Egyptian Reggae, it's the same great poem, now refortified with a tad more funkngroove. Et voila: Welcome to the City of Wetumpka, the Funknfortified Edition. Enjoy, and watch the skies, -CV

Lucky Liver Lumps Minute Murder Mysteries: The Sounds of Violence

PLAY: Lucky Liver Lumps Minute Murder Mysteries: The Sounds of Violence
snippet: "...a mystery show's program director had been done in..."
time: 3:04; specs: 2.8 MB mp3

written and produced by: Tony Jonick; starring: Robin Brady, Jerry Williams!, Shannon O'Hare, Alanna Dill, Tony Jonick, and Cecil Vortex

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Some say "The Sounds of Violence" was Wycliffe Saint Hampstead-Liftgate's masterpiece. Clearly, it was his most experimental piece -- a three-minute one-minute mystery produced literally decades before that became the norm.

This time out, the action turns in on itself as Inspector Jowls is summoned to the BBC to investigate the recent murder of an audio program director. This is rough stuff -- replete with the kind of anti-sound-effect-engineer bias so common back in the '30s. Still, if you listen closely you can literally hear the envelope being pushed back and to the left.

While you're in this neck of the woods, don't forget to catch last week's episode of LLL, and the one afore that, posted two weeks back. Or better yet, ifn ya got the bandwidth, kick back and download all three in one handy, albeit fairly huge combo-file.

Enjoy! And watch the skies, CV.

Lucky Liver Lumps Minute Murder Mysteries: Dead as a Dormouse

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PLAY: Lucky Liver Lumps Minute Murder Mysteries: Dead as a Dormouse
snippet: "I found Dinah lapping at the tea in the hat!"
time: 2:39; specs: 2.4 MB mp3
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written and produced by: Tony Jonick; starring: Robin Brady, Jerry Williams!, Shannon O'Hare, Emily Jonick, Samantha Jonick, Alanna Dill, Tony Jonick, and Cecil Vortex
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The Dormouse is dead. Alice, distraught. But have no fear -- Inspector Jowls is on the case. That's right, it's another two-minute "one-minute murder mystery," from the groovy gourd of the late great Wycliffe Saint Hampstead-Liftgate. If you only listen to one recently rescued 1930s radio show, we say: "let...this...be...the one...that you listen to!" And if you listen to more than one, well then don't forget to play last week's episode too. Enjoy! -CV
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Lucky Liver Lumps Minute Murder Mysteries: Caught in the Trap

PLAY: Lucky Liver Lumps Minute Murder Mysteries: Caught in the Trap
snippet: "Henrietta entered before me and was treated to a rum sight."
time: 2:18; specs: 2.1 MB mp3

written and produced by: Tony Jonick; starring: Robin Brady, Jerry Williams!, Tony Jonick, and Cecil Vortex

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MVRT recently lucked into possession of a set of groundbreaking British radio programmes originally recorded back in the 1930s. Written by Wycliffe Saint Hampstead-Liftgate and starring his soon-to-be-legendary "Inspector Jowls," these fast-paced pieces broke all the rules. For example, this first "minute murder mystery" is actually two minutes long! And that's just the start! These are rich, dense, satisfying pieces, worth playing 12 or possibly 14 times. So drink deep! And be sure to watch this space for more LLLMMM episodes...coming soon... -CV

Me Down

PLAY: Me Down
snippet: "Me down she did in her book."
time: 44 seconds; specs: 690K mp3

written and performed by: Lee Kaye; featuring the voices of: Eileen Dahl and Shonny Vortex; plus beats by: Shoeless Adams; sliced and diced by: Cecil Vortex

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"Poet Makes a House Call" returns with a chunk of dense-packed, multi-layered, pocket-sized verse, featuring two MVRT debuts -- east coast poet Lee Kaye and west coast drummer Shoeless Adams.

It's like there's this stream, see? And you're floating in it. About forty yards down you spot a large, metallic alien-tripod-thing by the shore -- half in the water, half out. It's doing a shimmy, splashing around. It's making a rhythmic noise. And it's headed your way fast. One word of advice: play twice. Cuz it slips right past. Enjoy. And watch the skies, -CV

John, Paul, George, and Ringo

PLAY: John, Paul, George, and Ringo
snippet: "It's these two guys. They wanna join the Beatles."
time: 1:46; specs: 1.6 MB mp3

written by: Cecil Vortex; starring: John Kerry, George W. Bush, Benson Hurst, and Cecil Vortex

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What if, hypothetically speaking, the two presidential candidates, by bizarre coincidence, bore the first names of the two Beatles who've left this mortal sphere? OK, now hold that thought. What if, once again, speaking entirely hypothetically, what if the two remaining Beatles were therefore obligated to consider the aforementioned presidential candidates for induction into the world's greatest rock band?

What if? What if indeed. Enjoy, and watch the skies, -CV