the village buzz

i was SO hoping to have this cd for my road trip.. i REALLY wanted to add this to my ipod for the desert trip..

anyway.. i have listened to it about three times this afternoon, and it has grown on me for several reasons.

cathryn comes from a long line of musicians and music folks in my life. most have changed their vocations, changed their dreams.. changed themselves.. it’s always comforting to know that i can check in with cathryn, and not be shocked..

i have been waiting for her new album for a LONG time.. it came in the mail today.. it’s all i hoped for..

here are some of my favorites:

drive america - if the aaa or some car chain does not pick up this song for a campaign, they are nuts.

you know - this song has always been the perfect soundtrack song to me. i am not sure where i would fit it in, or how i would fit it in, but i would do it somehow..

good to be - this is an older song. i have heard several incarnations of it.. and every time i hear it again.. i smile.. a real smile… not a “let’s get this over with” smile..

my old flame - i have not heard this one before.. it’s a standard style of song, but there is something extra to it that makes it smokey and classic.. i think the part that makes the song pop is the way cathryn sings “you didn’t cry when i went away..” oooh…

special words - there is just something wile about playing in front of a bunch of strangers.. and talking about shit you normally never talk about in real life..

two dates - this is the kinda song that makes me hope against hope that some girl i have wronged is not sitting somewhere.. thinking that i was like this.. yeah, at 22 .. everything is cattywumpus.. i just hope at sometime i would be forgiven..

anyway. enough with all the gushy gush..

for those of you out there who closed down cleveland clubs and bars with me back in the day, you know what cathryn is about.. this time, she is a little more acoustic.. a little more alt country.. and her backup band (as should be expected) can play the hell out of their instruments..

see for yourself.. you can check the songs by clicking here.

i just picked this dvd up last night.

i have always been a big simon and garfunkel fan for a whole lot of different reasons, but there was a point in my life (that has since long passed) where they were a huge part of the soundtrack of my life.

most interesting to me was the nature of their friendship. close friends for a SHORT time. closer than family, but for whatever reason, they could not get along. in the few years that they could refrain from killing each other, they produced magic. after that, it was a closed chapter. they didn’t speak anymore, and never worked together. a 50 year friendship, open and closed rather quickly.

watching the two back together on stage after such distance between them (and hearing ‘american tune’ sung as a simon and garfunkel tune) i started to think about some of the friendships that i have had in the past that have dissolved quickly and cleanly.

is this really such a bad thing? should we worry when things don’t work out between two people? shouldn’t it be okay if two people at a certain time in their life just can’t get along?

should we worry about this and try to salvage every friendship we make?

i am not sure on this one, so i vote to let the excess baggage go. someday in the future, if things are meant to work out, they will.

at this point, i wouldn’t waste too much time on folks who just give me grief.

I met my old lover On the street last night She seemed so glad to see me I just smiled And we talked about some old times And we drank ourselves some beers Still crazy after all these years

P. Simon

This song came to mind when I saw u2 take the stage the other night. Not that the fellas from the band and I had ever had anything that resembled a love affair, but I did share secrets and endless nights with the music they made in the 80’s. We stayed up all night on Friday nights together while USA network pumped the Red Rocks concert into my living room. We camped out in front of Music Plus to get concert tickets together. U2 and I were tight back when I was flailing around, trying to find out which end was up. They hung out with me at 3am when my world was surely ending, and pumped away through my walkman. Their albums seemed to feel magical in my hands. Come to think of it, their music was sort of like a secret lover. The kind where there were no commitments, no drama, no hassles. Only my closest of friends knew about the whole thing, and they understood completely. It was the kind of secret that I hated to let out. Not that I wanted to horde some secret information, I just didn’t want to let anyone in who might not get it. It seemed that if more people got involved, it would just end up a big confused mess. Then, one afternoon, The Joshua Tree was released. We ditched school that day. We bought our copies at Salzer’s in Ventura. I still have mine. It’s on vinyl and the poster is still in good shape. I listened to it last night. I think it sounds better than it ever did. As soon as The Joshua Tree hit, U2 mania was unleashed. This was a great thing for the band, but for me, it was disheartening at best. Although it was great that we got to see the band on TV actually doing interviews, it got to be too much. It was like seeing your secret lover in bed with the football team. I soon lost interest. I moved on to different things and different places. U2 and I would run into each other every now and then. When we did, it was awkward. We were different people than we were when we met. Bono became the fly or whatever the hell he was. They were not only in bed with the football team, but the soccer and basketball teams, too. We had nothing in common anymore. We fell out of touch. I listened to their new records not out of curiosity, but out of hype. I didn’t recognize them anymore. The other night, it was different. It was like meeting that same friend again, 20 years later. We are a little older. A little grayer. A little wiser. Oddly enough, we are now the same people we were when we met. All the wild experimentation and confusion are gone. It was like old friends meeting again, and realizing that even after all the drama, we are who always were. No more, no less. I think this is the first time I have been that much aware of the fact that no matter what the years throw at us, we still are who we were. And that is not a horrible thing. Thanks, guys.

by Dave Mandl

Listen to local radio for four consecutive hours (come on, you can do it!), randomly changing the station every so often. Start with 500 points, and add or subtract points as indicated for each occurrence of an event listed here. Then check your city’s score against the scale below–the lower the score, the more awful.

Each advertisement subtract 2

Public station: Pseudo-classy “underwriting” ad by prestige-seeking corporation or foundation subtract 10

Any straight-faced claim that station is “the best” (”The Best Music,” “San Diego’s Best Rock,” etc.) subtract 20

Purportedly “non-stop” music that is in fact interrupted subtract 25

The word “relaxing” used in description of station’s format subtract 20

The phrase “Classic Rock” used in any way subtract 20

Contest requiring listeners to embarrass themselves by answering their phones with asinine promotional slogan subtract 25

Station giving out 900 number for requests, polls, or anything subtract 25

Violation of FCC regulations (obscenity, failure to air legal station ID when required, etc.) add 20 (If obviously deliberate add an additional 10)

Live in-studio interview with band or author that is not trying to sell anything (tour, new record, book, etc.) add 30

Interview with really stupid band with nothing to say subtract 25 (If they take calls live on the air subtract an additional 15)

Kids’ show actually produced by kids add 30

Any song you’ve heard played on the radio in the past three days subtract 20

“Stairway to Heaven,” “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” or any other ’70s stadium-rock anthem subtract 30

Any song or other recording featuring sounds of people having sex, but only if it includes men add 25

Any song by Nick Drake add 30

Any piece of music from a Touch cassette add 30

Piece of non-Western music played for no reason (i.e., not part of a special or specialty show) add 25

Any Beatles song except “Old Brown Shoe” subtract 25

“Jesus Was Way Cool” by King Missile subtract 50

Any record not easily purchasable add 15

Any piece of music longer than six minutes add 20

Any piece of music longer than 14 minutes subtract 20

Song so bad you have to change the station before it’s over subtract 30 (If intentional add 10 instead)

Song promoting shoplifting or other blatantly illegal act add 35

Heavy metal song that actually frightens you add 20

Cynical attempt to feign affinity with wage-slave listeners (”Thank God it’s Friday,” reference to Wednesday as “Hump Day,” etc.) subtract 40

Bona-fide pirate station received add 45 (If station plays any record you’ve heard on a commercial station in the past three weeks subtract 30 instead)

DJ coughing, sneezing, etc. on mic add 20 (If trying to be arty subtract 25 instead)

DJ reading poetry on the air subtract 20 (If DJ’s own poetry subtract an additional 15)

A half-hour or more of continuous music without bragging about it add 20

Patriotic remark of any kind subtract 30

Anti-Cuba remark subtract 25

Pro-Cuba remark subtract 25

Racist remark or joke subtract 35

Anti-American remark add 35 (If DJ is a Third World Nationalist type subtract 30 instead)

Anti-cop remark add 35

Use of the expression “politically correct” by right-wing talk-show creep subtract 30

Anti-music business remark add 20 (If by someone selling “alternative” product subtract 25 instead)

Any anti-drug remark or advertisement subtract 40

Advertisement read personally by DJ (unless comically flubbed or deliberately sabotaged) subtract 25

Any discussion of the weather subtract 15

Jazz shows only: Excessive time spent reading personnel or session information for a track subtract 4 for each minute over 1 minute

Approving references to Satan or Satanism by anyone 15 or younger add 40

Approving references to Satan or Satanism by anyone older than 17 subtract 25

Self-promotion by DJ of his/her own book, record, or other project subtract 4 for each minute it goes on

Use of the pretentious non-word “musics” subtract 20

DJ referring to what he/she is doing as “radio art” subtract 25

Prank phone call made live on the air, if it’s entertaining add 30 (If to a government or corporate official add an additional 25)

College stations: DJ talking about self for more than two minutes consecutively, unless it’s really funny subtract 20

College show underwritten by local “hip” record store subtract 25

College DJ mispronouncing person or place name during news reading subtract 25

Gratuitous reference to fellow DJs by name, or other “in” station reference subtract 20

Joking or bantering with station colleague who is off mic (i.e., inaudible) subtract 5 for each 5 seconds it goes on

During public station fundraising drive: Excessive repetition of pledge-line number subtract 5 for each mention more than 6 per half-hour

Denunciation of people who listen but don’t pledge as “ripping the station off,” etc. subtract 30

Either of the following offered as membership premiums: coffee mug, tote bag subtract 20

Anything at all that makes you laugh uncontrollably (I’m assuming this isn’t easy to do) add 50

Each Christmas song played during Christmas season subtract 1/2 (”Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” by Bruce Springsteen subtract an additional 15)

Any holiday song played during the wrong season add 25

SCORING: -500 or lower: Even worse than I thought -200 - -499: About average -1 - -199: Not bad at all 0 or higher: Check your math

[Previously published in the book “Radiotext(e)” and “Zingmagazine“]

for those of you who have emailed asking about miss wirewaist, i have received a VERY cool package from one of you guys out in internet land..

first off, i received a cd with recorded shows from back in the 80’s on LA public radio..

i have a few episodes of:

• Miss Wirewaist - KPFK
• Reggae Beat - KCRW
• Drumbeats and Dreads - KXLU

if anyone drops me an email or comment, i will go ahead and seed them on bittorrent so you can get them..

also, the same person sent me a BOX of tapes with of these shows.. i am in the process of recording them to itunes now..

if there is interest, i can put those up too..

so.. if you miss your childhood in the 80’s, listening to reggae on southern california public radio, i have a treat for you.

speaking of which.. i suppose i COULD make a podcast of these..

is that legal?

dangit..

i am not sure why this is not part of osx, but this is a really keen thing to have..

i have a sirius receiver at work.. i have a set of speakers that connect to my laptop so i can listen to music on nicer speakers (not that my laptop speakers suck, there is just no subwoofer in the package..) while i work..

i needed a way to port the line-in to the headphone-out port of my laptop. this doesn’t work out of the box. i found this app (along with airfoil, which ROCKS) at rogue ameoba.. it does just what i needed.. very cool..

and it’s free… nice..

this could not have come sooner. i just about killed my subscription to the service becuase of this. the deal was, while this is a great service, it doesn’t work with linux or macosx, the only os’s i really use.

when i signed up, i was in pretty much a windows only world. nowadays, everything is different. i loved this service and the idea of the service, but when i got home, i couldn’t use it anymore..

well, now, it works!

CAVEAT!!!

they still have not gotten the “my library” function working yet, so if you have a favorite set of libraries set up, they will not make the switch. bummer, i know, but things could be worse.

i would imagine that they are at work on this right now..

this is the latest concert review for the kids over at score music magazine.. enjoy!

this is playlist i made of songs i discovered during an autumn at some point.. looking back, these songs do fit in with autumn really nicely.. this was built with real rhapsody..

1. Driver 8 - R.E.M.
2. Talk About The Passion - R.E.M.
3. Anesthesia - Luna
4. Baby Can I Hold You (LP Version) - Tracy Chapman
5. See How We Are - X
6. Popsicle Toes - Michael Franks
7. Here’s Where The Story Ends - The Sundays
8. In A Lonely Place - The Smithereens
9. Save It For A Rainy Day - The Jayhawks
10. Come Pick Me Up - Ryan Adams
11. Pink Moon - Nick Drake
12. Fade Into You - Mazzy Star
13. Speeding Motorcycle - Mary Lou Lord
14. Like The Weather - 10,000 Maniacs
15. Can’t Ignore The Train - 10,000 Maniacs
16. Restless - Alison Krauss
17. Sleep With Me Instead - Louise Goffin
18. Season Of Hollow Soul - K.D. Lang
19. Damaged Goods - Jesse Valenzuela
20. Sleepy Maggie - Ashley Macissac
21. Shine On - House of Love
22. Bad Reputation - Freedy Johnston
23. Be My Downfall - Del Amitri
24. Rain Or Shine - Francis Dunnery
25. This Time Of Year - Better Than Ezra
26. Porcelain - Better Than Ezra
27. Misguided Angel - Cowboy Junkies
28. Home Again - Carole King

this is an old blog entry to an old blog.. i hated to see this thing die..

bands listen up! proper use of the -core modifier..

when describing your band, please refrain from excessive use of the modifier -core. and when you use it, mean it..

one of the only acceptable uses is.. hardcore.. and if you say you are a hardcore band.. you must understand what you are saying. hardcore is not metal..

not sure what i mean?

here are some examples, and their meanings..

emo-rapcore - we sound just like korn, but we wear converse!

alterna-roots-core - we only play at bernies in c-bus. no one comes, because we are too good, and no one gets it. other bands are just jealous.

hemp-core - we play jam music. mostly in the summer, at obscure festivals, like “weed riot ‘93.” we are too stoned to know our instruments are outta tune.

trucker-grease-core - we look like truckers, and are all greasy, and our instruments are all messed up. but we paid more money for our messed up clothes than you paid for your good ones. we broke our own instruments to give them the “we don’t care” look. we put duct tape on spots that really aren’t broken.

christian-salvation-core - we rap gansta style and scratch wicky wicky on the turntable about god and jesus, but we are not aware that even they are embarrassed by this.

punk-core - we don’t know what the hell we’re talking about, but you should see how hot all the girls in my english class get when i say that!

folk-core - i picked the name of my genre out of a hat.

slow-core - i spend way too much time on the luna or galaxie 500 mailing lists. i am really sad about everything all the time. my hair is greasy.

anger-core - i am a social misfit, and even in the music world, no one likes me.. i cannot, under any circumstances, take a joke. i know this comment is aimed at my band.

death-metal-core - we are obsessed with the imagery of early black sabbath. we sound alot like them, but we are all pudgy and doughy..

gangsta-rap-core - we are white guys, but we like to say “nigga” alot.. we have never been: in trouble with the law, in a fist fight, with a (REAL) freaky chick, or committed a crime other than speeding. but we can talk gangsta talk with our g-dawgs like crazy.. we like to talk about our bitches, when our girlfriends are not around.

garage-style-core - our band is named after the only place that will let us play. my mom’s garage. we think metallica is the coolest band, and i bet they would like to hang out with us, even though we are older than them.

ska-core - we play the new sound in ska. we don’t know what the old sound in ska is, but ours is better. we wear plaid clothes and wingtips. we bought our clothes at the salvation army, and when we grow up, we wanna jam with the bosstones..

grind-core - our distortion pedals go to “11″. we sing songs about being REALLY pissed.. but we’re really not..

electroni-core - when i first heard that chumbawamba record, i knew my calling. i have all the audio software i could find on morpheus. i don’t know anything about midi, but i say it ALOT. i talk alot about beatmatching, too.. in my daydreams, my name is dj wicky wicky..