Hey I'm pretty excited about making my big debut on the stage of the Fitzgerald Theatre this Thursday...but i need help! If you're into poster art or graphic design of any kind, come down to ask some sensible questions because i'm sure i am going to clam up and just sit on the stage with my mouth wide open staring up into the rafters thinking...how did i get here, how did i get to be as big as the Snuggles bear?!?! It's free but we need you to register, so check out the Graphic Noise icon on the front page, and i'll seeya there!

Actually Wheat that dude was very cool and I think Puppet is the next logical step from Seed Art portrait.
You're an icon like the Eifel Tower or the Snuggles fabric softener bear.

Although in this case, it seems to be "rocks" of the igneous or sedimentary variety. I've not been able to find the lyrics to Loquat's song "Rocks" online, but it seems to be very much a geology lesson. How cool! And I thought the only band who wrote songs like that was Rush.

It's been a fab year and we really have celebrated well haven't we?! At the party at the Ave on Saturday, it really was rewarding to be able to say thank you to so many people who have helped us out, volunteers and listeners. Valet and P.O.S. were the only bands I could concentrate on watching and both put on impressive, yet totally different shows. The rest of the time was spent bouncing from one gaggle of Currentheads to another. One always worries in those situations that you aren't going to say something dumb...I did.
I met a very friendly Puppeteer called Chris, who I embarrassed into admitting that he would try to make a puppet of me, that would be so awesome! Looch couldn't believe my audacity...in the cold light of day, neither can I! Sorry Chris, I'm sure you have better things to do.

"Sipping on an Oxygen cocktail, with an ambulance chaser."
Firewater
Car Crash Collaborator

Thanks everybody for comin' to our big birthday shindig at First Avenue on Saturday night! We had a blast saying hello to everyone, enjoying sets from Rob Skoro, White Light Riot, Valet, and P.O.S. (who floored the crowd with a practically athletic set armed simply with a mic and his iPod), spinning sets in the DJ booth (that was an honor that won't likely come again in this lifetime), and just hanging out and saying thanks for your support.

I also enjoyed catching sets in The Entry by Born Under Punches and Brice after the party ended in the Mainroom. After Lucia remarked the other day that the group Daara J was equivalent to "musical Prozac" after a moody day, I thought of Brice -- those guys have the same affect on me as Daara J did for Mary. They are the "smilingest" local band this side of Dave King. (And who can't smile after seeing a band with a pineapple maracca?)

Sunshine and Moonbeam Jones are the San Francisco duo Dubtribe Sound System. Their final studio album “Baggage” was released last January (2005) on Imperial Dub Recordings. They are no longer recording under that name. The duo spent most of 2005 doing a farewell tour of sorts –they have an army of fanatical followers throughout America and are well-known for their live shows.
Sunshine has just finished a new album for King Street called “Seven Tracks in Seven Days” which will be released sometime later this year and also compiled this exclusive mix;

1. KNAVE – Thinkin’ (Dubtribe Sound System Remix)

2. DUBTRIBE SOUND SYSTEM – Don’t Neva Stop

3. DUBTRIBE SOUND SYSTEM – Rideline (Sunshine’s Cielo Remix)

4. JOHN BROWN – Music Takes Me

5. PATRICE RUSSHEN – Forget Me Nots

They have their own label which still has stock of their material;
www.imperialdub.com

I haven't checked my voicemail at my desk for 3 months.. it's been so long that now I'm afraid to even hear the automated voice tell me how many messages I have.
I never have given this # to anyone... How did they find me?
More importantly, What is wrong with me?

We would love to see you tomorrow night at First Ave for our first ever Listener Appreciation Party. It's our way of thanking you for your support and love over the past year.

Other than that, it could be a wacky weekend. We're literally running some of the gear on extension cords hung from the ceiling this week, as we break down the old studios and move to the new ones next door. So all I'm sayin' is, if your announcer sounds a little harried and freaked-out between now and Monday, he/she likely has good reason -- something has probably just come unplugged. Be patient with them!

Wish us luck and see ya Monday.

I don't watch a lot of TV, this shift makes sure of that, but it is my fave way of spending Sunday night at home with the missus. If you missed the first episode of Bleak House on TPT 2 you can catch up tomorrow night, it's worth it;
Masterpiece Theatre: Bleak House
Sundays, Jan. 22-Feb. 26 at 8PM
Fridays, Jan. 27-March 3 at 8PM

Charles Dickens' complex tale of young love, murder and the quest for a mystery-man's identity unfolds in a sumptuous six-part adaptation by screenwriter Andrew Davies. Gillian Anderson (Skully from X-Files, of which I was a hooj fan in the early days) stars as Lady Dedlock.
It looks awesome and the editing and musical shifts punctuate the action perfectly, gorgeous.

There's some cool musical things on this weekend too!
Dusty Springfield: Reflections
Friday, January 27 at 7PM

Hosted by Petula Clark and B.J. Thomas, this program features 16 of Springfield's most memorable performances, shown in their entirety, including "The Look of Love," "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" and "Son of a Preacher Man."

Austin City Limits: Ryan Adams followed by Tift Merritt
Saturday, January 28 at midnight

... the "Music Genome Project:"

Will this be the end of how we learn about new music from our friends? (I actually think not, but it might make for an interesting discussion nonetheless).

I came into work this morning with a heavy mind and heart and found out unexpectedly I was to do an in studio with Dara J, the hip hop band fom Senegal. (Playing tonight at Cedar Cultural Center)
Sitting in the studio with the three of them ,there was no way I could hang onto the feelings I came in here with. So uplifting, incredible music, lovely people.
Check it out, we'll run it today during my show.

I've adopted a new kitty. And some people say you can't buy friends...

Will I be seeing you Saturday night? It's the first ever listener and member appreciation party at First Ave! Enjoy some live music and Current DJ's spinning some tunes. I heard there's pizza and beer too.

See you Saturday night.

-Jill

Local stalwarts The Plastic Constellations will join me at 8p.m. Thursday, playing live and chatting about their long and storied career in the TC's music scene. The new cd Crusades came out this week and they play two shows at the Triple Rock Friday to celebrate. Then they are going out on tour with The Hold Steady representing the cream of our scene down in Austin for SXSW. I'm jazzed to have them on.

Seel here, checking in a little later than usual today. We've got a lot of plates spinning around here, and I'm proud to say I'm working on a couple of 'em. We're excited to be bringing a one-hour special your way in a couple weeks: it's "Live Current, Behind The Scenes," where we revisit some of our more exciting in-studio appearances over the past year. Also, if you haven't yet, check out a little show we call Musicheads, hosted by Bill DeVille, that's heard in podcast form only. You can subscribe to it on the MPR podcast page, here. This week, Jill Riley joins host Bill DeVille and regular Mark Wheat to talk about some new releases.

We have been very blessed with all the media attention that has been focused on us for todays birthday, but I want you the Cue Crew, to know that they whole organization deserves the praise, not just us on The Current. One year ago, as Steve suggested, some were not sure what they had done BUT they trusted us and supported us, putting their reputation on the line and, throughout the company, working extra hours as the new station has demanded so much attention...as all new borns do! It has been a pleasure to see them invigorated by our success, fulfilling their desire to better serve the community.
We were able to give them a slice of cake today, but I cannot thank everyone enough within MPR for giving us the chance to be living our dream life! (Hence yesterdays post:))

To echo Seel.. one year ago today I walked around this building for hours feeling nauseated. I did my first show with the waste basket right next to me just in case.
When I finished at 7pm I was floating, replaying every mistake I made and wincing at the amount of times I said something was "cool".
Whenever I really care about something, I could throw up.
Thanks to everyone for making me sick all year long!

We certainly hope to be celebrating many, many birthdays here at The Current. Today is an incredibly special day for all of us, and we hope you too. Here's to you -- for listening, for supporting, for critiquing, complaining and cajoling, and for holding our hands as we figured out what in the heck we were doing.

A couple favorite memories: (MPR President) Bill Kling standing outside the booth as Atmosphere's "Shhh" played, with a look of "oh God, what have I done" on his face; the thousands of unsolicited membership contributions pouring in over the subsequent week, from people clearly answering, "the right thing, that's what;" the offices in near-darkness as we ran the building on generator power (a digging crew had broken a power line in St. Paul that day) and the asphyxiating smell of diesel fuel from the generator in the basement wafting up through the elevator shafts, giving us all a feeling of, "we will put this station on the air, if it kills us;" Lucia coming out of the booth after her innagural show on that first day and collapsing onto the carpet in exhausted triumph.

Thanks again for listening, and supporting.

What does it mean when you think you're dreaming all day and then never dream while asleep?

What's the loose teeth dream suppose to represent again?

There's been some discussion around here today about the phrase "shoe-gazer music," after it's usage in an article about The Current this past weekend. (one member of MPR's classical music team -- KSJN et. al. -- sent an e-mail around wondering what the term meant). There seems to be some confusion in the general public as well, and understandably so, since the term seems like it could denote generally dour, depressing music that would cause one to bow one's head.

Well not quite. For those of us who loved (and still love) the form, accuracy of terms is important. Wikipedia, for my money, has the definitive entry.

Given that background, I'll pose the question: does The Current play too much? (My first reaction was, "You're kidding, right? Of course we don't"). But, people hear different things, of course.

Jason has been producing and DJing in the TwinCities for about 10 years. He started with the Groove Garden label and appears on the Freeloaded compilations under the name of Anamoly. He also worked with Brother Sun Sister Moon. He has just started doing a regular Saturday night, every two weeks at The Lounge 411 2nd Ave in the Warehouse District of Mpls and will be there tomomorrow, Jan 21st with special guest Fourfeet. He's often joined by his partner in Roomsa, Lady Sarah on vocals....theloungempls.com
Here's the tracklisting:

1. Rithma "We Rock and Roll" Utensil Recordings
2. The Beard "For Me (Kaskade remix)" Inspirit
3. Chuck Love "Livin At Night" OM Records
4. M.O.D. "Never Say Never Again" Gee K
5. Jon Cutler "It's Yours" Chez Music
6. Sydenham and Ferrer "Sandcastles Defected

More info at;
www.myspace.com/roomsa

Keeping in mind that I am a wicked city mouse anything that's not a squirrel or a pigeon seems exotic to me.
Everyday on my drive in from S Mpls on 35 W I see this HUGE hawk sitting high atop the freeway lamp post.. it is so cool.
I looked it up I think it's a red tail Hawk?
Is it weird that this bird is hanging in the hood? Of course I don't know there could be hundreds of them but for some reason I'd like to think it's just one.
I'm going to call him Phil.

As I mentioned on the air yesterday, lat week I read 1984 ... for the first time. Yep, I somehow didn't have it as assigned reading in any of my classes in high school, and it recently occured to me that it might be a relevant read, given the times. My suspicions were certainly correct. The maleability of reality, truth, belief, the changable nature of the past, the "memory hole" ... in a way, it's too bad Orwell titled the book with a year that would eventually pass, because it's perhaps the greatest cautionary tale of what could always come to pass in our future if we're not vigilant.

After mentioning on the air that I'd recently read the book, a listener wrote in to talk about the character of O'Brien. If you're familiar with the book, here's my question for you: was he always with The Party, or did they get him after he and Winston toasted their allegiance?

Last night people must've been in great moods. I had so many nice calls and some sweet emails. Someone even emailed and said they were listening online in Vietnam! And then came an email from someone in Thailand. How cool is that? Sometimes I forget just how international The Current is. God bless the internet.

If you're listening online, where do you listen from?

The Community Current that I do at 9pm gets a few calls and emails
particularly this week for some reason, so here's what I covered;
Mon...MLK speech on MPR.org and it will be shown on TPT 17 Sunday.
Tue...metacritic.com do an awesome job of collating music reviews.
Wed...Oak Street cinema needs help and support, go see a movie there!
Thurs... Fun things to do on a lake, but check they are frozen!
Soap Factory art project on Medicine lake ongoing Noon-7pm Call 612.623.9176 or visit www.artshantyprojects.org. and
Kite Fest on Lake Harriet this Sat 612.673.3000. Noon to 4:00 pm.

Do you ever find yourself defending the music you like?
I deem 2006 the year of no apology.

And boy, it's good to be home. I was in Florida for week, visiting family. Sure, it's warm, it's green, there are a lot of restaurants. But, as somebody once said, "It's impossible to create good art in good weather." Two words for you: Matchbox 20. (Okay, that's one word and one number. Here's one word: Creed).

Just read tonight that Metric are supporting The Rolling Stones at Madison Sq. this week! That's awesome for them but makes me think... they'll blow the Stones away, no? There were stories recently of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah touring with The National as a support band and after a few nights they had to reverse the order...ouch!
I remember the very first time I saw The Flaming Lips they were supporting someone...I can't think who now...exactly, they caught me totally by surprise.
Ever seen that happen when the support...er..renegaded on their job?

Who thinks the flute belongs in music made in the last 100 years?

Tonight I innocently asked what people are doing while they listen to the station at night and got some interesting answers;

"I like to play along with songs and make dinner. Actually the whole reason I'm writing this is to thank you for playing The Beatles. I just learned Revolution."...Derek from Mpls.

"What are your listeners doing? Well, I've been at war with the *%$#@!$ servers the past two nights, having a REALLY BAD TIME trying to rebuild one particular box . . . I saved the data "YEAH" but it has defeated me again tonight. " ...m from Mpls.

"I was on google earth exploring the world, and while the tune by the mendoza line was playing, i was looking at santiago chile and one of the suburbs that came up on the map was a city called mendoza. strange "...Lance from Oakdale

Do you know anyone who has worked for Prince?

With the irresistible news that a self proclaimed vampire is running for Governor in Minnesota, the door has been opened for other mythical creatures to seek high office.
Who should run?
Frankenstein, of course.
Frankenstein is an enemy of long standing where Dracula is concerned, and so he is a natural choice to form an opposition party. There has been at least one film called “Dracula vs. Frankenstein”. If you look at his movie history, Frank likes to fight, having squared off against The Wolfman and The Chipmunks in two separate films. I believe he loses every time. Voters don’t like losers, but what can you expect when your position on every issue is “Mmmaaaaaaaaaugh!”
Still, if you happen to be a Banshee, a Cyclops, a Doppelganger, a Gorgon, a Mermaid, a Minotaur or a Unicorn, it’s got to lift your spirits to see that there is a place for you and your kind in our political process.
Are there any other imaginary entities planning to throw their headgear (or head) into the ring?

After reading how pathetic this years Oscar nominations are likely to be in this Sundays NY Times...which is a shame because I really want to watch Jon Stweart host it...again I urge you to check out the Movie Maven blog. Kudos to Euan for coming up with a lucid description of what is happening at the Oak Street! I hope they can save the place.

Born in an area of Nigeria called Ibadan to an English father and Jamaican mother he was schooled in the UK before coming to NYC and Philadelphia where he started DJing in the mid 80's. He worked as an A&R man for several labels including Atlantic before starting his own in '95 to put out his own records remixes and those of friends like, Dennis Ferrer, Kerri Chandler and Danny Kravit...
ibadanrecords.com
He has several solo cd's out and has done a bunch of compilations for Yellow in Japan. this is a set that he mixed live at Neighbourhood in London and was released last year under the title of "Explosive Hi-Fidelity Sounds"
1. Ferrer & Sydenham: Sandcastles
2. Laid: Punch Up
3. Trentemoller: Physical Fraction
4. Harrison Crump: Ride
5. Sydenham & Chandler: A Demo By 6:23
6. Instant House: Awade

Next Week...tune in for a local DJ set from Jason Heinrichs who spins every Saturday at The Lounge in downtown Mpls. His set starts with a Jerome track, purely by coincidence!

Thanks for listening!

Thanks to everyone who made it down to Glueks yesterday.. not only seeing and meeting listeners it was sweet to see so many of my fellow co-worker/friends from The Current there.
I still can't get past the notion that people would be bored LOOKING at a radio show, but you're all helping me work through my issues. Heh.

Are you superstitious? Will Jason Voorhees be paying you a visit tonight? Mwahhhhahahaha!

Did you know the phobia word for fear of Friday the 13th is "Paraskevidekatriaphobia"? (pair-uh-skee-vee-dek-uh-tree-uh). I heard if you can pronouce the word, your phobia of Friday the 13th will be cured. Maybe that's just a superstition...

If the Timberwolves lose to Denver Nuggets tonight I might have to get upset.

The Oak Street Cinema is having a membership meeting that it has invited the community to, because of what seem to be unspecified problems. If you like going to see classic, weird or arty movies on the big screen, then Saturday night might be worth your time, PLUS they're showing what some say is the best movie ever, Citizen Kane.
Jan 14th 7.20pm
Check ...
mnfilmarts.org and an article in the City Pages called Kane Mutiny.
AND
Our very own Movie Maven column on the mpr.org page where Euan has been tracking the story.

On a personal and professional level, the news was miserable this morning. Our friend Bob Feldman died yesterday. For over 20 years Bob swam against the tide as president of an independent record label - Red House Records in St. Paul. In that role he made a lasting contribution to the music scene in Minnesota, nationwide and around the world.
Bob had a sensitive ear and an unquenchable enthusiasm for the artists on his label and elsewhere. He was a frequent guest host on The Morning Show and did his own weekly broadcast (Urban Folk) on KFAI. In our private and public conversations, I never heard him say an unkind word about a musician. He was invariably supportive – which is not to say he liked everything he heard, but I think Bob genuinely admired people who could sing, play and write songs, whether he chose to work with them or not.
He was a true music fan who simply wanted to share what he had found, and he did it in spite of astounding odds against the success of small record labels in the 80’s, 90’s and today. Those with equal energy but less heart would have given up early. Bob didn’t. Maybe he couldn’t. Bob Feldman’s impulse to spread around the music he loved turned out to be a great gift that we’ll continue to enjoy, even as we mourn his passing.

I was checking out a lot of different blogs last night. I can't believe how many times I laughed out loud. I don't really read a whole lot of blogs online, but I think I should start. I almost busted a gut a few times last night.

What other blogs do you read besides The Current Cue?

For the last couple of months I've had the pleasure of being asked to be a guest on this show that comes out of L.A. and is heard all across the country. I was featured on the last show which you can still see and hear on the web, look for the Indie Picks;
http://weekendamerica.publicradio.org/programs/

If you were listening late last night you might have heard me almost speechless as I had just got an email from one of the members of the band nous non plus, who I talked about on the show;

"we all listened to you talk about us as if you had been among us all along.how did you do it? how very strange and wonderful at the same time to see (hear) someone we've never met understand us so completely!"

I must say I am very flattered but also a little worried, as they are known to be a little ironic and hilarious as performers, so they might be joking!

I stumble over "Mercury Rev" and "Brewery" every time!

There are many who suspected Bert was evil. But why did it take us so long to realize he was also aerodynamic?

for me to spell, weird irony huh?

Not THAT kind of rythme!
That's what I call the tune that I play at 9pm for the Community Current and then talk over. I know some people think it sounds silly but I really love to do it, riding the rythme of the music as I speak and hope it helps the presentation. I have been changing the music every week since I started doing it, then last week almost decided to stick with one piece because it seemed to work so well. I played it tonight in its entirety, Gabor Szabo remixed by Prefuse 73 from a new compilation called 'Impuulsive!'. But then last week I also discovered a new guitar piece that works well too, from Jose Gonzalez' new cd ep 'Stay in the Shade'. So perhaps I'll keep changing it to discover more new ones...or should I stay with one piece, as a sort of theme, or stop doing it altogether!?!

I went to the bookstore looking for a book about Japanese Interment Camps and came out with a Big Star biography.

I've been asked to do it, Karaoke. Should I attempt it?

Not sure yet if I'm going to be the baby of the bunch.

Many thanks to our listener Abby and to Don Markstein’s Toonpedia for filling in some crucial information about She-Hulk this morning, picking up on the suggestion from Spin Williams that the amusement park at the Mall of America be re-themed around this mighty green character.
She wasn’t the Hulk’s girlfriend after all. She was his cousin, and a meek lawyer until a stray bullet and an “emergency” transfusion turned her ornery.
Sounds impossible, I know, but there actually ARE meek lawyers.

Sorry I keep finding myself talking about which were my faves of last year and decided tonight that it has to stop.
I guess some closure is needed but a chart is so 20th Century;

Fave Release; The Fall "Complete Peel Sessions".
I know it's kinda cheating but this is obviously a dream come true for a fan of the band and the DJ. The packaging was excellent too and they sound awesome!!

Top Album; Sufjan Stevens "Illinois".
Because it got so many mentions at the top of indie music media polls. I still love the concept, the best example of artists using a concept to link songs together on a long playing CD, which is a re-birth of the album as a product in the age of the ipod.

Best Live Show; Sigur Ros at State Theater.
Lucky enough to talk to Jon the guitarist and vocalist of the group before hand and the spectale that they unveiled was one of the best live performances I have witnessed EVER!

Fave New Discovery; Clap Your Hands Say Yeah .
Yes I can hear Talking Heads in their sound, perhaps even a bit of Pere Ubu, but that is not a bad thing! I love their word play and they've that chaotic sound of a band about to collapse who JUST keep it together.

Fave Local cd; Cloud Cult "Advice from the Happy Hippopotamus".
Have got more calls about the 'Transistor Radio' song than any other local or otherwise!

Local live act; STNNNG...most aptly named band ever!

1) Is the sunshine, after what seems like four months of clouds.

2) Is Jill making a reference to Ricky Smith from Better Off Dead ("Gee, I'm sorry your mom blew up, Ricky").

3) Is a Line 6 DL-4 delay modeler pedal.

4) Is the keyboard break in XTC's "Ball and Chain" that sounds like Selling England By The Pound - era Genesis ... also, listening to that song for the first time in probably eight years, at least.

Bill DeVille reminded me it was Elvis Presley's birthday today. The King would be 71. Can you believe that? Wow.

I've never really dabbled in nasal sprays. I always associate nasal spray with Ricky Smith from the movie Better Off Dead. But- since I'm stuffy... today is the day I will experiment with snorting something up my nose. I had some lovely nasal spray suggestions from listeners today. Thanks.

Morgan grew up in a log cabin in Vermont, started DJing on a college station before he graduated high school and went on to the big college station in Boston, WERS. He now lives in L.A. and at 23 already has an envious remix resume. He just released a collection
"Cease and Desist" that includes remixes of Tegan & Sara, Imogen Heap, Bowie and The Kills!
This is an exclusive set...did you hear the station ID's he put in there for us!?... that was a first and it was funky;

Andy Caldwell 'Brand New Day'
Micali, Ajami and Wasley 'Set You Free' (Morgan Page remix)
The Timewriter 'The Booty Song'
Mylo 'Paris Four Hundred'
Suicide Sports Club 'I Don't Know' (King Unique Remix)
Morgan Page 'Take Me Back'
Vic Budai 'I Love Deep' (Timewriter Remix)

http://www.morgan-page.com/

Got an e-mail from a listener today who mentioned that she found herself sitting next to Mason Jennings at a coffee shop the other day, and, as she said, "I didn't even say 'hello' or 'you rock' or something," and that she's been kicking herself ever since. That got me thinking about such situations. I often find myself at a loss for words too, and don't want to come off as an even bigger weirdo than I already am ... so quite often I just say nothing and move on. Then I feel like a complete loser anyway. There's no winning. Ever been in that situation?

We’re planning to move the Morning Show CD library to new quarters over the weekend. Twenty years of accumulated discs, sifted, loaded into carts, wheeled down the hall and up one floor, then re-ordered and alphabetized on new shelves for easy access. Jim Ed and Mike and I are going to report for duty on Saturday to do this personally, even though professional movers were offered. Too many bad memories of ancient college dorm re-locations and house-to-house transitions where favorite recordings were “lost” have made me wary of letting anyone else handle the music, even though I’m sure the guys are completely reliable.
Maybe it was the “Acme Refuse” logos on their dark blue shirts or the realization that they planned to transport our collection in smelly metal dumpsters that gave me pause.
Wish us luck! Or not, depending on how you feel about the Morning Show collection.

Thank you Ellen, she filled in on the Wednesday overnight so I could recover from a very evil sinus infection. Wow, it really slapped me right across the face too! Sinus Infections are weird. They start as a little cold and then they hit you. You can't breathe, you can't think and if anything touches your face it's way painful. As if that wasn't enough the sore throat and ear ache was mixed in too.

Whoa is me.

On the Current Community tonight at 9p.m. I featured a place called The Garage in Burnsville, a venue run by teens for the underage crowd to discover the joy of seeing live music in a safe environment.
They have open mics on Fridays and shows most weekends, keep up with them here; thegarage.net
They are also looking for used guitars, they have a lot of young people looking to learn to play and a bi-lingual instructor donating time to teach. Contact Eric the Manager - THE GARAGE, City of Burnsville, 100 Civic Center Parkway Burnsville 952-895-4578

For a comprehensive list of all age friendly venues this is an amazing list; http://blogs.citypages.com/pscholtes/allages/

... are on my mind today. First, there's this thread on the forum that I've enjoyed; that got me reminiscing about favorite (obnoxious) yuks from my adolescent years. I thought I'd never, ever listen to another comedy album, until I discoverd this guy (I'm a bit late to the party).

I woke up this morning with these 2 thoughts.....

1. Why when they give the Publishers Clearinghouse Oversized check to the winners do they never live in an apartment.

2. Why are they always home?
Geez get a job.

I mentioned the World Cup yesterday and I got all excited about the festival which is months away!! I still love watching the beautiful game and the USA have as good a chance as England do of doing well, so I have two teams to support...er...I guess the missus being German gives me 3 and they're the home team!
I often wonder if it is wird talking about football on the air, but in the UK footie and music are always mixed. How many of you follow footie at all, English or otherwise, which teams do you support?

When one of my nice coworkers goes on a coffee run I couldn't be more grateful than if they had donated a kidney to me.

And another thing. The EAS Test! Double gah.

Here's the deal. The FCC requires us to do various different kinds of test of the Emergency Alerts System; you know, "The following is only a test..." Well, most of those are under our control. Once a month, though, a test happens that the DJ has no immediate control over. One simply hopes it doesn't happen in the middle of the point you're making. Sometimes, one isn't so lucky. Today is one of those. My apologies. But hey! At least the system still works.

Gah. I'm just a toungue-tied moron today. Every have one of those days?

Among my doofus moments: forgetting the studio phone number while asking for requests, then partially insulting one of my favorite artists ... ugh. I just wanna go back to bed.

I'm sure this all has to do with the fact that I overslept.

The confusing and ultimately tragic news from the mine in West Virginia sent me to the library in search of songs written about the hazards of the work underground and the sadness of generations who have seen no option but to risk their lives bringing up coal.
I wish there were no reason to write songs like these, even though several of them are quite beautiful. We played four this morning:

Hillcrest Mine by James Keelaghan – about Canada’s 1914 disaster.

Schooldays Over by Mary Black – written by Ewan McColl.

Black Leg Miner by Richard Thompson – a Steeleye Span favorite.

Lydia by Slaid Cleaves – written by Karen Poston.

What did we miss?

1.Prog rock will make a big comeback this year...but no one will call it progrock because that phrase has been so villified in the music press.

2.Genre labels will be officially banned as useless, saving labels and the music press a ton of ink, so they don't have to do this any more; "is a genre defying, mind bending epic, a antique-futurist- disco-hip-hop- electro-funk- glam-rock- glitched-out sound clash!"

3. The official World Cup song will be a good one for the first time EVER!

Got any predictions?

Queen with Paul Rogers?

Thanks to the over TWO HUNDRED people who made requests over the past month to help us get our new feature "My Three Songs" off to a great start today. The innaugural set went to Therese of Minneapolis, known to many as Auntie Smedley from The Current Forum.

I've had a lot of fun pouring over the requests this past month. So, how to have a better chance of getting your set played, you ask? Well, be creative! Tell a good story, or come up with a connection between three songs that other listeners will enjoy experiencing. It's your chance to have some fun.

My Three Songs airs every weekday at noon. You can make as many requests as you like!

Jeez, it seems like it was about a year ago that we all gathered around here to make a new radio station out of thin air. Whaddya know, it was a year ago.

Chiming in with Mary's post below, I wanna say thank you ... for allowing us to do this thing with as much "hey everybody, let's put on a show!"-esque glee as actual grown-ups ever get to experience.

Here's to many more years.

Just wanted to say a heart felt thanks to everyone who has supported The Current this past year.
From the bottom of my slightly blackened soul I appreciate all of you being there.
Like the Grinch my heart grows a little bigger every day.
xo,
lucia

Monday, January 2nd. A Holiday or not?
When a major festival falls on a weekend, it simply doesn’t count as a day off for the regular work-week stiffs and we get the following Monday as a make-good. But what about the weekend crew? Not only do they have to work the holiday as if it’s a normal day, but on Monday, their normal day off, they have to put up with the rest of us lounging around the shopping malls, occupying the playing fields and the coffee shops, crowding the movie theaters and the icy lakes and generally cluttering up the recreational landscape. They are cheated twice, correct? Maybe we need a special weekend-only holiday just for people who work those irregular hours.
But what would we call it? Balance of Relaxation Day? Equal Leisure Opportunity Day? All’s Fair Day?

Reticence – Catharsis

Morning Zephyr Empire Builder – Voltaic

Molly Maher – All of the Secrets (LIVE)

Gini Dodds – Extraordinary You

The Great Depression – Mangy Pony

Patrick Harrison – Rosebud Tonic

Molly Maher – 3200 Miles (LIVE)

Frankie Lee – Trading Lies

Bethany – Tendencies

Molly Maher – I Hope they Find You (LIVE)

Mandrew – Monica Faust

Ghost Band – I Can’t Jazz