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Artist
Scharpling & Wurster
12+ albums
WFMUcomedythe best show on wfmuRulesi should keep an eye on this one
about
On a fateful night back in early 1997, WFMU disc jockey Tom Scharpling and his comedy partner Jon Wurster orchestrated what they thought would be a one-off goof. Wurster called Scharpling’s radio program posing as Ronald Thomas Clontle, the author of Rock, Rot & Rule, a highly-dubious and aggressively idiotic tome that promised to be the “ultimate argument settler” by filing every musical artist into one of three vague categories – “rock”, “rot”, or “rule.” The phones exploded with angry and baffled callers falling right into the duo’s comedic trap. Scharpling navigated the ruse with expert faux incredulity, while Wurster plowed ahead undeterred, as Clontle’s bizarre justifications (David Bowie and Neil Young rot because of “too many changes”) and blatant inaccuracies (“Madness invented ska”) stirred up endless, unsettled arguments. A tape of the call started making the rounds and soon became an underground hit, especially with touring rock bands. To meet the demand, Scharpling and Wurster formed Stereolaffs Records and released Rock, Rot & Rule on CD in 1999. Their pieces now anchor Scharpling’s “The Best Show on WFMU”, a weekly, three-hour dose of mirth, music, and mayhem that hit the airwaves in 2000. Scharpling also continues to work as a writer/executive producer for the television show Monk, and Wurster, the longtime drummer for indie-rock pioneers Superchunk, has recently toured with former Guided By Voices frontman Robert Pollard and the Mountain Goats. The duo
top songs
albums
Rock, Rot & Rule
The Art Of The Slap
New Hope For The Ape-Eared
Hippy Justice
Chain Fights, Beer Busts And Service With A Grin
The Best Of The Best Show
The Best Show on WFMU
At The Speed Of Sound
Live at Third Man Records
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The Best You Can Do Is Be Worse Than The Best Show Compact Disc
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Scharpling & Wurster
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The Best Of Scharpling And Wurster On The Best Show On Wfmu Volume 4: The Art Of The Slap