Ken Cormier is editor and producer of THE LUMBERYARD, a radio magazine of poetry, prose, and music broadcast on WHUS, 91.7FM, in Connecticut. His first book, BALANCE ACT, a collection of poems and short stories, was published by Insomniac Press in 2000. He has released two CDs of original music, GOD DAMN DOGHOUSE in 2000 and RADIO-BUENO in 2002, with Elis Eil Records. Ken is currently a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Connecticut, where he is also an instructor of creative writing. He has taught poetry and performance workshops in high schools around the state, and at the York Correctional Institute, a women's prison in Niantic. REVIEWS OF KEN CORMIER'S WORK Radio Bueno (2002) Ken Cormier's second ELIS EIL release! Building on the qualities that have always made his music so compelling, Ken Cormier broadsides pop music with his second release for ELIS EIL Records. RADIO BUENO is the careful distillation of Ken's activity throughout the late '90's. The short disc (22 minutes) is streamlined for a very clear and focused musical/lyrical statement. Rich and quilty in its various textures yet pared down to what is most effective. From the sinewy and virtuostic vocals on Bug Dreams to the comically blunderbuss bass line of Everybody Kind, RADIO BUENO shimmers as a testament to Ken's enormous talent as a singer/songwriter. 2/20/02 Patrick Penta RADIO-BUENO - album reviews Unlike his first album, the 2000 collection God Damn Doghouse, Ken Cormier's Radio-Bueno is a more relaxed, subdued effort. It would be quite hard to match the oddball charm of that release, so instead Cormier explores the poppier side of his sound that was just below the surface on his previous material. "Bug Dreams" opens with one of the creepiest skits ever recorded, but it turns into a good-natured acoustic funk jam that reawakens his manic energy. He also tries to explore the psychotic folk-rap that he attempted on the last album with the ugly "Everybody Kind," a psychedelic mesh of Kraftwerk keyboards and Ween vocals. With his thin voice and keen ear for melody, he often sounds like an evil Peter Holsapple. This is apparent on "I Know You Know" and "The Avenue" especially, which are by far the two most normal songs he has ever released. Cormier is a bright talent that is filled with ideas; whether or not he could ever harness his energy into one genre or one style is another matter entirely. As it stands, Radio-Bueno is a more mature take on his twisted debut, and should appeal to anyone who enjoys this kind of whacked-out indie pop. ~ Bradley Torreano, All Music Guide