This face? This is my “I am so very, very, very relieved you are over” face. To all the readers of this blog, I hope you are ringing in the new year somewhere safe, and that you are content. Here’s to a fantastic 2008!
Now that I’ve done my end-of-year show, I realized it was time to kick back and bust out the vinyl. Favorite moments: Jon calling in to request the Feelies, Yah Mos Def listening during their photo shoot (ooh la la la), Mike G’s text message (”we love soundgarden”), and Julia calling in the moment I started to cue up the Modern Lovers (lady, you have Jonathan Richman Spider Sense).
Once again, another year’s worth of music put to bed. It’s so hard to sit there and think, “Well, does M.I.A. really sound like #1 material?” I don’t want to say it’s pointless and put down everyone’s hard work, but polls aren’t an acceptable form of consensus in the music critic industry, in my eyes at least. Consensus is what I remember from Ladyfest Philly meetings: endless meetings filled with debate until the group collectively reached a unanimous decision. A year-end poll is quantification with statistics, paling in comparison. (I am really, really excited to run data, if I can get any, through SPSS and see what comes up with it.)
When I am called upon to submit lists for polls, I treat them like mixtapes, with the ordinals acting as the sequence of songs, or artists. I throw all my tunes into a playlist and screw around with them until they sound interesting. I know, I know, my attitude is so, like, flippant.
Doing these shows for WPRB are always a blast because I get to take the whole listmaking thing into another level. I’ve been so down on this year, mainly because I was worried I wouldn’t have enough material to sustain a 3-hour program, but I was wrong. Quite a bit was left out, but many of my favorites from this year made it in.
Other notes: like clockwork, the playlist software died during my show. I think there’s something coded into it that says, “On 12/24 of every year, you will self-destruct.” No lie. The first set really depressed the hell out of me, so I made it super-pop on the second one. I’m back on tonight, 7-10 PM covering for Jon, and it’s going to be an all-vinyl rager.
Last but certainly not least, this show is DoubleSuperFun to do because the one following it is my favorite of the year.
Aside from fucking with its customers for a buck, the whole ad backfires at the moment its employees stand there, unwilling to handle customer grievances. I’m sure Burger King is trying to point out customer loyalty, but you have to wonder what kind of person would be loyal to them after watching this. Wow.
Also, not that I’m really one to care about emo bands, but does Atreyu know about the existence of this ad?
This event is a lot of fun — it’s like our own Zaireeka (kindofbutnotreally) and right up there with strange community ritual performances like the Mermaid Parade, Running of the Santas, and so on. So, don’t miss out. It’s BYOBB (Bring Your Own Boom Box), but I think they’ll have a couple loaners in case you show up without one.
A word of advice, inspired by the howling wind outside my window: “I went to ‘Unsilent Night’ and all I got was pneumonia because I failed to take into account the weather situation when dressing myself that morning” does not sound the least bit hilarious or cool if you ever find yourself in a situation where you have to explain why you’re sick, nor does it make for a vaguely funny t-shirt slogan. A human body loses most of its heat through the head, so whatever you do, at the very least, make sure to wear a hat.
SAT 12/15 at the Khyber: England Belongs to Twee (Labuda & McKee’s Oi-meets-twee night), yrs truly is the guest DJ of the month
MON 12/24 on WPRB 103.3 FM: 3-6PM EST: Pre-gaming for Jon Solomon’s Xmas Marathon with the Her Jazz “Best of 2007″ show.
WED 12/26 on WPRB 103.3 FM: 7-10PM EST: VINYL FIRST MOTHERFUCKERS: An all-vinyl spectacular!
Two radio shows in three days! Jeebus.
I think people are getting really stressed out about their “Best of 2007″ lists. Totally understandable — how exactly do you ordinate a year’s worth of experience? (If you’re anything like me and thought this year was a total wash, then it’s more difficult.) So I give you two choices to de-stress: WPRB DJ Jon Solomon’s “Enter Snowman” column or Crystal Vibrations. Both are win-win.
Redd Kross at the Santa Monica Pier, 1982. Love that quick shot of the girl’s face after a particularly loud shot of feedback.
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Various Artists, Songs on the Green Line
Featuring Denison Witmer, Red Heart the Ticker, the Innocence Mission + more
To commemorate the fifth anniversary of the Green Line Cafe (HJ's coffee shop of choice!), co-proprietors Douglas Witmer and Daniel Thut put together this 13-song compilation. 100% of the profits from Songs on the Green Line will be donated to Cooperativa San Fernando, a farmer-owned coffee cooperative located high in the Andes Mountains of Peru.
Purchase Songs on the Green Line here »
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