KTUH Playlist for 08/07/2012, 9 PM-12 AM

Tonight was my second to last show. Shoots! Time really flies, yo. Tonight's show was kind of a mishmash of musical amalgamations, but I think it worked well for the most part.

Next week is the last episode of Post Nothing before I head out to Arizona to hang out in the high desert and spirit quest so you're gonna wanna tune in and turn it up cause it's gonna be a smorgasbord of win. Tune in Tuesday, August 14, 2012, from 9-Midnight HST (GMT +10) to see what I play. Post Nothing airs on KTUH Honolulu, 90.3 FM and live streams on www.ktuh.org.


Artist                      Song                    Album                        Label

All Them Witches – Memory is Time Travel – Breathers vs Divers – S/R *

The Flaming Lips – I’m Working at NASA on Acid (Feat. Lightning Bolt) – And Heady Fwends – Warner *

Mission of Burma – Part the Sea – Unsound – Fire *                          

Polvo – Fast Canoe

Labi Siffre – I Got the Blues

The Drones – Jezebel

Cloud Nothings – No Future/No Past – Attack on Memory

-10PM-

Marriages – Body of Shade – Kitsune

Marriages – Ten Fingers – Kitsune

Wye Oak – Holy Holy – Civilian

Ty Segal Band – The Bag I’m In – Slaughterhouse – In the Red *

Yamantanka/Sonic Titan – Racoon Song – YM//ST

Yamantanka/Sonic Titan – Queens – YM//ST

Fergus & Geronimo – The Strange One Speaketh – Funky Was the State of Affairs – Hardy Art *

Fergus & Geronimo – Roman Tick – Funky Was the State of Affairs – Hardy Art *

Tom Vek – Close Mic’ed – Leisure Seizure

Tom Vek – On a Plate – Leisure Seizure

Blonds – Run – The Band Ones – Gluck Music *

Vic Chestnut – Free of Hope – Is the Actor Happy?

Patty Smith – Amerigo – Banga – Columbia *

-11PM-

Elliot Smith – Needle in the Hay

Dirty Three – Red – Horse Stories

Broken Water – Underground – Tempest – Hardly Art *

The Dandy Warhols – Alternative Power to the People – This Machine

Spacemen 3 – Walking with Jesus – Sound of Confusion

The Ramones – I Don’t Care (Demo bonus track) – S/T **

Minutemen – The Glory of Man – Double Nickels on the Dime

Fugazi – Turkish Disco – Instrument Soundtrack

The Wilderness – Marginal Over – Wilderness

We Ragazzi – Forever Surrender to You – The Ache

Sunny Day Real Estate – Seven – Diary

…And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead – How Near How Far – Source Codes and Tags

Butterfly Explosion – Crash…See You on the Other Side – Lost Trails

Sleep Makes Waves – Now We Rise & We Are Everywhere - …And So We Destroyed Everything – Bird’s Robe Records *

* New Release (will be charted for CMJ) 
** Recommended  

KTUH Playlist for 07/31/2012, 9 PM-12 AM

Welcome to August. Summer is almost over. What's up with that?
UH Manoa is pretty much the noisiest campus I have ever been on. Construction, construction everywhere and not a quiet place to think.
In other news, I shed blood for KTUH yesterday. I mean that literally. Yesterday we were cleaning out the live room for pre-rennovation and and I really got beat up moving stuff around... omfg.

My show, Post Nothing, will be back on the air next Tuesday from 9PM-Midnight, only on KTUH Honolulu, 90.3 FM ktuh.org live stream 24/7. Meh.

Artist                      Song                    Album                        Label

Hot Chip – Motion Sickness – In Our Heads – Domino *
Wildlife Control – Darkness – S/T – S/R *
Bailterspace – Polarize – Strobosphere – Fire *
A Great Big Pile of Leaves – Writing Utensils – Making Moves Vol. 3 – Maddragon **
Versus the World – These Bones – Drink. Sing. Live. Love – Viking Funeral *
Japandroids – The House that Heaven Built – Celebration Rock – Polyvinyl
Japandroids – Continuous Thunder – Celebration Rock – Polyvinyl
Junk Culture – Dwell – Wild Quiet – Illegal Art *
Ormonde – I Can’t Imagine – Machine – Hometapes *
PJ Harvey & John Parish – Black Hearted Love – A Woman, A Man, A Walk
PJ Harvey – The End – Uh Huh Her – Island
-10PM-
Deep Sea Diver – Weekend Wars – History Speaks – S/R *
Admiral Fallow – Isn’t This World Enough – The Bursts in Snow – Nettwerk *
Lorenzo Jovanotti – Mi Fido Di Te – Italia 1988-2012 – AT) *
Conveyor – Woolgatherer – S/T – Papergarden *
Hot Panda – Language – Go Outside – Mint *
Morning Parade – Headlights – S/T – Astralwerks *
Delicate Steve – Two Lovers – Positive Force – Luka Bop *
Sleep Makes Waves – Our Time is Short But Your Watch Is Slow – And So We Destroyed Everything – BRR *
El Ten Eleven – My Only Swerving – S/T
Pelican – Aurora Borealis – The Fire In Our Throats Will Beckon the Thaw
-11PM-
Gregor Samsa – Young and Old – 55:12
The American Dollar – Anything You Synthesize – A Memory Stream
Red Sparowes – A Hail of Bombs – The Fear is Excruciating But Therein Lies the Answer
Godspeed You Black Emperor – Storm: Lift Your Skinny Fists, Like Antennas to Heaven…
The Roots of Orchis – City Like – Some Things Plural
Jakob – Malachite – Solace
Cinemechanica – Burn Tarp – The Martial Arts en
Marriages – Part the Dark Again – Kitsune – Sargent House *
The Wilderness – Marginal Over – S/T

* New Release (will be charted for CMJ) 
** Recommended 

Huge record sale this weekend: HAWAII RECORD FAIR 2012! KTUH staff will be selling some of our vintage vinyl. Be there early for some great deals! Sunday August 5, 2012, 11am-3:30pm in the McKinley High Cafeteria, 1039 King St., Honolulu, HI. www.hawaiirecordfair.com for more info.

KTUH Playlist for 07/24/2012, 9 PM-12 AM

I started out with some noise and went into some indie rock and then got into some punk which lead to a balls out assault of (mostly) old school Boston hardcore. Good times. 

My show, Post Nothing, will be back on the air next Tuesday from 9PM-Midnight, only on KTUH Honolulu, 90.3 FM ktuh.org live stream 24/7. Meh.

Artist                      Song                    Album                        Label

Japandroids – Evil’s Sway – Celebration Rock – Polyvinyl *
Japandroids - For the Love of Ivy - Celebration Rock - Polyvinyl *
Ty Segal Band - Death - Slaughterhouse - In the Red *
Ty Segal Band - I Bought My Eyes - Slaughterhouse - In the Red *
Ty Segal Band - Slaughterhouse - Slaughterhouse - In the Red *
Ty Segal Band - The Tongue - Slaughterhouse - In the Red *
All Them Witches - Believe Me Mam You are Not the First Non-Responsive I've Had - Breathers vs Divers - S/T *
Nada Surf - You Fiddle, We Burn - Nada Surf EP + 3 - Latest Flame *
Volta Do Mar - Music for Countries - At the Speed of Light or Day
Bloc Party - Octopus - Octopus Single *
Super Nice - Death Star - Super Nice EP - S/T *
Smashing Pumpkins - Violet Rays - Oceania - Martha's Music *
Silversun Pickups - The Pit - Neck of the Woods - Danger Bird *
Band of Skulls - I know What I Am - - Here You Are Records
Bouncing Souls - Infidel - Comet - Rise 161 *
Pennywise - Every Single Day (live)
Pennywise - Bro Hymn - Full Circle
Toxic Narcotic - Beer in the Shower
Dropkick Murphys - Amazing Grace
Jerry's Kids - Straight Jacket - This is Boston, Not LA
Jerry's Kids - Uncontrollable - This is Boston, Not LA
Jerry's Kids - Wired - This is Boston, Not LA
Jerry's Kids - Desperate - This is Boston, Not LA
Jerry's Kids - Pressure - This is Boston, Not LA
Jerry's Kids - I Don't Wanna - This is Boston, Not LA
Gang Green - Alcohol - - Taang Records!
Gang Green - Let's Drink Some Beer
Reach the Sky - This Sadness Alone - Warped Tour 2002 Compilation
Converge - Eagles Become Vultures
Bane - Swan Song - The Note
Orchid - I am Nietzsche - Dance Tonight, Revolution Tomorrow!
Only Living Witness - December **
Terror - Stick Tight - Keepers of the Faith
The Hope Conspiracy - Nervous Breakdown - Black to Black: A Tribute to Black Flag
Colin of Arabia - Prozac
Slapshot - No Friend of Mine
Sabertooth Zomie - Shoes
Deep Wound - Dead Babies
SS Decontrol - Boiling Point
SS Decontrol - The Kids Will Have Their Say
Negative FX - Citizen's Arrest
SS Decontrol - Glue
Ten Yard Fight - Hardcore Pride
Negative Approach - Can't Tell No One
DYS - Wolfpack
Laughing Hyenas - Everything I Want - Life of Crime
Blitz - Razors in the Night - Voice of a Generation
L7 - The Masses are Asses
Butthole Surfers - Locust Abortion Technician
Mission of Burma - 7's - Unsound - Fire *
Russian Circles - Young Blood

* New Release (will be charted for CMJ) 
** Recommended

KTUH Playlist for 07/17/2012, 9 PM-12 AM

The show was kind of all over the place tonight. I hope that was a good thing. Meh.
I don't know at what point the 11 PM hour started as I forgot to note it. Meh.
I played a lot of weird old Japanese 45s as background music when speaking on the air this evening; you can all thank the Chef for dragging that box out. Meh.
I got rained on a lot today. Meh.
Time to go home and sleep. Meh.
My show, Post Nothing, will be back on the air next Tuesday from 9PM-Midnight, only on KTUH Honolulu, 90.3 FM ktuh.org live stream 24/7. Meh.

Artist                      Song                    Album                        Label

All Them Witches – Total Recall – Breathers vs Divers – S/T *
All Them Witches – Every Napkin Has a Story – Breathers vs Divers – S/T *
All Them Witches – That’s a Real Head Stretcher – Breathers vs Divers – S/T *
Nihihit – The Heart’s Not – For Ostland – Lo Bit Landscapes *
Nihihit – Ankhames – For Ostland – Lo Bit Landscapes *
Mission of Burma – Second Television – Unsound – Fire *
Mission of Burma – Part the Sea – Unsound – Fire *
Modest Mouse – The World at Large
Rabbit Hole – 21 – Love Like Hate – S/R *
Speck Mountain – Shame on the Soul – Some Sweet Relief – Carrot Top
The Rogers Sisters – Your Littlest World – The Invisible Deck
Wye Oak – Dog Eye – Civilian
Imaad Wasif – Razorlike – Voidist – Tee Pee Records
-10PM-
Jeff Buckley – New Year’s Prayer – Sketches for my Sweetheart
The Calm Blue Sea – Literal – S/T
The Flaming Lips – You, Man? Human – And Heady Fwends – Warner
Fang Island – Daisy – S/T – Sargent House
Guided By Voices – Be Impeccable – Class Clown Spots a UFO – Keep It in Motion *
Sissy Mena – Pay for Some Sins – Young Girl
Serena Maneesh – Degenerate – S-M Backwards
The Charlottes – Venus – Liar

Husky Rescue – Sunset Drive – Country Falls
Mean Red Spiders – Awkward Over Coffee – Still Life Fast Moving – Teenage USA
River City Extension – Point of Surrender – River City Extension – XOXO Records *
Marriages – Ride in My Place – Kitsune – Sargent House *
Crocodiles – My Surfing Lucifer – Endless Flowers – Frenchkiss *
Suno))) & Boris – The Sinking Belle (Blue Sheep) – Altar
Locomotora – Minipax – S/T
The Butterfly Explosion – Vision – Vision
Ready Made – Sam – On Point & Red – Endless Records
British Sea Power – The North Sound – Man of Aran
Japandroids – Evil’s Sway – Celebration Rock *
Japandroids – The Night of Wine and Roses – Celebration Rock *

* New Release (will be charted for CMJ) 

KTUH Playlist for 07/10/2012, 9 PM-12 AM

Well, fuck a duck- another one bites the dust!
Tonight's show was great, in my not so humble opinion. I played a lot of great new stuff and somehow managed to maintain a pretty cohesive sound regardless of the switch-ups of musical stylings. I played one metric ton of new stuff, but then right before the 11:00 PM hour I got way old school.
Post Nothing will be back next week, same Post Nothing time, same Post Nothing channel- 90.3 FM, KTUH Honolulu (http://ktuh.org live stream 24/7).

Artist                      Song                    Album                        Label

The Smashing Pumpkins – Panopticon – Oceania – EMI *

The Smashing Pumpkins – The Celestials – Oceania – EMI *

The Smashing Pumpkins – Violet Rays – Oceania – EMI *

Nihiti – Not These Demons Again – For Ostland – 10 Bit Landscapes *

Nihiti – Sun Shatterer– For Ostland – 10 Bit Landscapes *

All of them Witches – Night Time Hallucinogenic Peanut Butter Sandwiches – Breathers vs Divers – S/R *

Can – Midnight Men – The Lost Mixtapes – Spoon *

Echo Lake – Swimmers – Wild Peace – Slumberland *

Guided by Voices – Keep it in Motion – Class Clown Spots a UFO – S/R *

Communist Daughter – Speed of Sound – Lions and Lambs – Grain Belt *

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros – Man on Fire – Here – Community Music *

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros – Desert Song – Here Comes – Community Music

-10PM-

Faith No More – Easy

Jack White – I’m Shaking – Blunderbuss – Columbia *

Ty Segal Band – I Bought My Eyes – Slaughterhouse – In the Red *

Broken Water – Orange Blossom Stains – Tempest – Hardly Art *

Broken Water – Yanka Dyagileva – Tempest – Hardly Art *

Mission of Burma – Part the Sea – Unsound – Fire *

Japandroids – The House that Heaven Built – Celebration Rock – Polyvinyl *

Japandroids – No Allegiance to the Queen – No Singles – Polyvinyl

June of 44 – Sharks and Sailors – Anatomy of Sharks EP

Shipping News – Louven – Flies the Fields

Unwound – December – Leaves Turn Inside You – Kill Rock Stars

-11PM-

Rodan – Bible Silver Corner – Rusty

Polvo – Vibracobra – Cor-crane Secret – Merge

Slint – Washer

Bastro – Guapo – Diablo Guapo

Bitch Magnet – Dragoon – Ben Hur

The For Carnation – Grace Beneath the Pines – Fight Songs – Matador

The White Birch – Breathe – Star is Just a Sun

Codeine – Loss Leader

Appleseed Cast – Max – Emo Diaries 2

Cloud Nothings – No Future/No Past – Attack on Memory

* New Release (will be charted for CMJ) 

KTUH 90.3 FM Playlist for 06/03/12, 9 PM - 12 AM

Independence day? Bah, humbug!
Well, this weeks show started out hot and heavy on the noise and then shifted toward metal and eventually ran into the realm of punk. Why? Why not? I played a lot of anti-government, anti-war stuff which was a nice detour from what I usually play.
Post Nothing will be back next week, Tuesday 9-Midnight 90.3 FM KTUH Honolulu, http://ktuh.org.

Artist                      Song                    Album                        Label

Japandroids – Younger Us – Celebration Rock – Polyvinyl *

Japandroids – The House That Heaven Built – Celebration Rock – Polyvinyl *

Japandroids – Continuous Thunder – Celebration Rock – Polyvinyl *

The Flaming Lips – Working at NASA on Acid (Featuring Lightning Bolt) – And Heady Fwends – Warner Bros. *

Lightning Bolt – Colossus – Earthly Delights

Mindflayer – The Psychic Fields of Animal Town – It’s Always 1999

Pink & Brown – Live in Brooklyn

-10PM-

Boredoms – Star – Vision Creation New Sun

Bygones – Click on that Smash the Plastic Death

Hella – Biblical Violence

Black Dice – Kokomo – Load Blown

XBXRX – Minds – Wars – Polyvinyl

The Locust – Twenty-Three Lubed-Up Schizophrenics with Delusions of Grandeur – Plague Soundscapes

Machine Head – Locust – Unto the Locust

Corrosion of Conformity – Vote with a Bullet – Blind

Anthrax – Indians – Among the Living – Island      

Slayer – War Ensemble – Seasons in the Abyss – American

-11PM-

Napalm Death – Rise Above

Shadows Fall – Another Hero Lost

Manowar – Holy War – Fighting the War

Sepultura – Amen –

Hatebreed – In Ashes They Shall Reep

Tree – Freedom Rock – Plant a Tree or Die

Sam Black Church – We Come in Peace

Rollins Band – Liar –

Dead Kennedys – Kill the Poor

The Clash – I’m So Bored with the USA

Fear – New York’s Alright If You Like Saxaphones

X – The New World

Bad Religion – Los Angeles is Burning – The Empire Strikes First

Faith No More – We Care a Lot – Introduce Yourself  

* New Release (will be charted for CMJ) 

KTUH 90.3 FM Playlist for 05/26/12, 9 PM - 12 AM

No show this week. I had to have the legendary Steve Stoddard sub in for me due to the excessive rigors of academic life.
I'll be back to do Post Nothing on my regularly scheduled slot July 3, 2012, from 9-Midnight on KTUH Honolulu, 90.3 FM, www.ktuh.org live stream. Tune in if you dare.

KTUH Playlist for 06/202012, 9 PM-12 AM

Here's a picture of my best friend's son taken during their recent tip to China. He's posed to be future leader...

Rain, rain go away. I'm sick and tired of getting wet when I ride. It only rains when I ride!
I had a pretty good show of post rock and post hardcore. No one called in to get the tickets I was giving away.
C U Next Tuesday, Bitches! 9PM-Mid (HST) on KTUH Honolulu, 90.3 FM | ktuh.org live stream.


Artist                      Song                    Album                        Label

Japandroids – Evil’s Sway – Celebration Rock – Polyvinyl *

Japandroids – For the Love of Ivy – Celebration Rock – Polyvinyl *

Japandroids – Adrenaline Nightshift – Celebration Rock – Polyvinyl *-

Explosions in the Sky – The Magic Hours – How Strange, Innocence – Temporary Residence

SIANspheric – Radiodiffusion – Sounds of the Color of the Sun – Sonic Unyon

For Against – Clandestine Holy High – December

Serena Maneesh – Sapphire Eyes

65daysofstatic – The Conspiracy of Seeds – The Destructors of Small Ideas (Monotreme)

Jakob – Malachite – Solace

British Sea Power – Spearing the Sunfish – Man of Aran

-10PM-

Jesu – Star – Silver – Hydrahead

Sissy Mena – Young Girl – Young Girl

Butterfly Explosion – Next Year – Turn the Sky

Modest Mouse – Life Like Weeds – The Moon & Antarctica

Built to Spill – Don’t Try – Ancient Melodies of the Future

Mew – Vacceine – No More Stories are Told Today, I’m Sorry, They Washed Away

Asobi Seksu – New Years – Citrus

Polvo – Fast Canoe – Exploded Drawing

And So I Watch You From Afar – The Voiceless – This is our Machine

-11PM-

Tomahawk – God Hates a Coward

Faith No More – Midlife Crisis –

The Melvins – A Growing Disgust – Freak Puke

Hella – Ungrateful Dead – There’s No 666 in Outer Space

Unwound – December – Leaves Turn Inside You

Drive Like Jehu – Here Come the Rome Plows – Yank Crime

Rites of Spring – For Want Of

Fugazi – Turkish Disco

…And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead – The Rest Will Follow – Worlds Apart

Shellac – Steady as She Goes

Big Black – He’s a Whore

* New Release (will be charted for CMJ) 

KTUH 90.3 FM Playlist for 06/12/12, 9 PM - 12 AM

The above picture is a cake that my sister made. She's a pastry chef and had made some pretty fantastic cakes.
All the tracks in bold below are bands from Hawaii and are on the Flux Hawaii Summer 2012 mixtape. It's a free download available at http://fluxhawaii.com/mixtape/

Artist                       Song                    Album                        Label

Japandroids – Younger Us – Celebration Rock – Polyvinyl *

Japandroids – The House That Heaven Built – Celebration Rock – Polyvinyl *

Japandroids – Continuous Thunder – Celebration Rock – Polyvinyl *

Alice in Chains – Rotten Apple – Jar of Flies

Gnarwal – Gold

GRLFRNDS – Your Angst is Fake

Shindig and LFA’s Thunder Owl Remix - Talisman (Clones of the Queen)

Stephen Augsten and The Fourth Wall – The Second Hand

Maryanne – Waking Up (Produced by Slapp Symphony)

Anton Glamb – Another Rave

Pink Mist – We Are the Stars

Witch Baby – Kaleidoscopes

Welwing – Halfway Around

-10 PM-

Travis Wiggins / Dream Dragon – You Are A Cool Person!

Pinkwing – Stand Still

The Ukus – Heart Street

I Tramonti – Pliable as Water

Megaphone – Surfanholdhands

Clones of the Queen – Braided (Demo Version)

Guided By Voices – Forever Until It Breaks – Class Clown Spots a UFO – S/R *

Animal Kingdom– The Art of Tuning Out - The Looking Away – Mom & Pop *

Jeans Wilder – Dog Years – Totally – Ever Loving *

Motion City Soundtrack – Everyone Will Die – S/T – Epitaph *

Giant Giant Sand – Forever and a Day – Tuscon – Fire Records *

Soul Savers – Gone Too Far – Soul Savers – Mute *

Grey Turns Blonde – Brown Paper Bag

The Drones – Jezebel

The Temper Trap – London’s Burning – S/T – Glass Note/Columbia *

Hot Chip – Night & Day – In Our Heads – Domino *

-11PM-

Kimbra – Come Into My Head – Vows – Warner Bros *

Is/Is – Lie Awake – III – S/R*

Kindness – It’s Alright – World, You Need a Change of Mind – Casablanca *

Electric Guest – American Daydream – Mondo – Downtown *

Beck – I just Started Hating Someone Today – S/T – Thirdman *

Bear in Heaven – Sweetness and Sickness – I Love You, It’s Cool – Dead Oceans *

Exitmusic – The Modern Age – Passage – Secretly Canadian *

The Magnolias – Hello or Goodbye – Off the Hook – Alias

Broken Water – Underground – Tempest – Hardly Art ***

Daughter – Medicine – The Wild Youth – Glassnote

Ava Luna – No F – Ice Level – Infinite Best *

The Dandy Warhols – Slide – This Machine – Beat *

Electrelane – Gone Under Sea – The Power Out

The Drones – River of Tears ***

* New Release (will be charted for CMJ) 

*** Recommended!

KTUH Playlist for 06/05/2012, 9 PM-12 AM

Today I saw the Transit of Venus so hooray for me and fuck you.

Artist                       Song                    Album                        Label

Japandroids – The Nights of Wine & Roses – Celebration Rock – Polyvinyl *

Japandroids – Fire’s Highway – Celebration Rock – Polyvinyl *

Japandroids – Evil’s Sway – Celebration Rock – Polyvinyl *

Japandroids – For the Love of Ivy – Celebration Rock – Polyvinyl *

Japandroids – Adrenaline Night Shift – Celebration Rock – Polyvinyl *

Johnny Guitar Watson – Space Guitar

Pete Drake – The Spook

The Rogers Sisters – Your Littlest World – The Invisible Deck

-10 PM –

The Raveonettes – I Wanna Be Adored

Serena Maneesh – Drive Me Home the Lonely Nights – Fixations

Speck Mountain – Back Sliding (Some Sweet Relief)

Wye Oak – Dog Eyes – Civilian

Free Electric State – The Black Sea – Caress

School of Seven Bells – Bye Bye Bye – Disconnect Desire

Eluvium – Perfect Neglect in a Field of Statues – An Accidental Memory In the Case of Death- Temporary Residence

Yamantaka / Sonic Titan – Reverse Crystal

The Pineapple Thief – Private Paradise – Abducting the Unicorn

Smashing Pumpkins – Raindrops & Sunshowers – Machina

Silversun Pickups – Busy Bees – Neck of the Woods *

-11 PM-

Sigur Ros – Agaetis Byrjun – Hvarf/Heim

The Sky Drops – Hang On – Bourgeois Beats

Ghostwood – Red Version – S/T

Soundgarden – Black Hole Sun – Superunknown **

Kinski – Hiding Drugs in the Temple (Pt. 2)

The Poison Arrows – For Lack of an AK – Newfound Resolutions

A Shoreline Dream – Mid-Decembers – Recollections of Memory

A Place to Bury Strangers – A Shoreline Dream – S/T

* New Release (will be charted for CMJ) 

** Request

Train Spotting

Hawaii used to have several functional rail systems, the most extensive of which was on Oahu. For those that don't know, Oahu is the island where the capital, Honolulu, is situated and it is the most densely populated of all the islands. Something like 2/3 of our population live on Oahu. The rails were mainly used in territorial days as a means of transporting agricultural products, mainly sugar cane. As alternate modes of transportation became available the rail began to be phased out. The and the rails have largely disappeared from the islands. There are a couple places where the trains run on a short span of tracks, mostly for the entertainment of tourists. On Oahu, the Hawaiian Railway Society is an organization that is committed to preserving what is left of Oahu's railway history. They refurbish old engines and cars and they run trains once a week, I think. I haven't ridden on a train here, but I've been to the yard several times to poke around in the old cars. I've posted 5 of my pictures here, the full set can be viewed on flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fightingforward/sets/72157625954560463/with/5455923684/  They do not charge admission to the yard and it's worth going to check out if you're ever in the neighborhood. The ramshackle old cars are really something to see and have a lot of history. There's also the Waianae Mountains in the background for scenery. Also, the surrounding area of Barber's Point and Ewa are FULL of weird abandoned military sites (beware, some have been refurbished for civilian use and there is an active Coast Guard post in the area).

For awhile now there has been an ongoing debate about building a new light rail system on Oahu. We have some pretty ridiculous traffic over here. Basically, there are a lot of jobs in Town (aka Honolulu) and not so many jobs in other parts of the island so a whole lot of people commute. In the morning all the traffic is heading toward town and in the evening it's all headed out. Our freeway infrastructure is pretty lousy and has some major bottlenecks that create huge traffic jams. Other arteries and surface streets are much as you would expect in any other major metropolitan area during rush-hour: slow and treacherous. The freeway, however, is more like a parking lot. So, there has been a lot of talk about how to alleviate that traffic congestion and a rail system is one of the possibilities. There is always a lot of argument both for and against and it always gets shot down. Well, until recently. Now it's supposed to be built, but the nae sayers are still fighting it. Chief reasons of dissent are typically cites as cost inefficiency and system ineffectiveness (i.e. rail would not alleviate congestion). Of course, there are many ways that a train system could be a great success or an even greater failure and it's tough to know what would really happen. There are so many special interests involved (and probably a lot of corruption as well), so who knows how this thing would work out. Another big debate is where to put it. Space is very limited which is part of the reason for congestion. There isn't much space to expand infrastructure and there is more or less only one route to get anywhere due to the giant, jagged, impassible mountains that make up the center of the island.
I have included two articles in this post. One was a recent entry in an issue of AAA Hawaii about the history of the railway in Hawaii entitled, "Iron Giants." Unfortunately, there were a lot of cool vintage pictures and various diagrams in the magazine that were not published online. The second article is an editorial piece from the latest issue of the Honolulu Weekly  written by a professor of Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Hawaii. It's the best argument that I've seen to date that is anti-rail and actually seems to have been based off actual scientific data. I've always been a proponent of the rail, but I know how government can muck things up and I'm afraid they'll do a half assed job. If it isn't built right it will be worthless. We'll see what happens. Change (usually) occurs very slowly in Hawaii...