radio gaga
I’ve been mixing up my radio listening habits lately. For quite a long while, I pretty much listened to NPR exclusively, either via WDET/Detroit Public Radio, or Michigan Public Radio out of Ann Arbor, but for some reason, I started getting bored with them toward the end of last year. For a while, I kind of rotated between the NPRs and WDRQ/DOUG-FM, one of the new-format “random playlist” stations (“We play everything”) … but eventually the fact that Mr. Doug has a rather limited view of “everything” got really annoying.
I happened to chance upon 93.9/The River as they were playing The Killers’ “Human” some time ago and was hooked by both the song and the station. For those of you who don’t know, The River is what, in an earlier age, might have been called a college rock station, and in an earlier but more recent age would probably have been labeled an alt-rock station (in fact, their bumpers still trade on this, describing the station as “Detroit’s real rock alternative”). The River kept me interested for quite a while and I can still listen to it without complaint but a month or so ago I again became bored with what I started to recognize was a fairly limited playlist. To be fair, the jocks at 93.9 seem to have fairly individualized and eclectic tastes, but since I’m a creature of habit and happen to be listening the radio during fairly regularly patterned times, I only ever got to hear the same 1 or 2 jocks (and, really, wtf kind of name is Gnyp, anyway?).
All of this is background to the fact that I’ve been branching out and switching mostly between two stations lately: 97.9/WJLB and 106.7/The Beat. WJLB (“The Strongest Songs in Detroit”) is the pre-eminent rap/hip-hip/urban/r&b station in the Detroit area. I’ve started listening to it as part of my ongoing project (launched on Facebook some time ago) of developing some greater appreciation for these styles of music. On the whole, that project has been a mixed success. To my surprise, I’ve discovered I really like Jay-Z, but some of the other things I’ve tried have met with kind of a resigned “meh.” Anyway … the JLB playlist is refreshing if only because I haven’t heard many of these songs before–even if they’re not all going to end up as personal favorites (like, say, the execrable Robin Thicke track they debuted this morning, “Sexual Therapy”) I’m enjoying the novelty of the different format. Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind,” which I first heard on JLB, is maybe the best song of this year. I also find myself delighted by the sheer balls-out ego of Trey Songz’s “Invented Sex,” whose chorus goes as follows:
Girl let me get u to the crib (let me get u to the crib)
Upstairs to the bed (upstairs to the bed)
Girl you gonna think (x4)
Girl when I pull back them sheets
And you climb on top of me
Girl you gonna think (x4)
You gonna think I invented sex (x3)
These lyrics are remarkably stupid, and yet, danged if I haven’t been humming this track to myself (incessantly, to the point of madness) for two weeks now.
The other station I’ve been listening to, more than I’d like to admit, is 106.7/The Beat of Detroit. I guess this used to be a country station until about two months ago, when it relaunched in its current format as a … urgh … dance music station (or, as Michiguide calls it, “Rhythmic Adult Contemporary”). This station was suggested to me by the ex, and while he might love it, I remain skeptical. I am not a dancer, nor am I prone to rhythmic movement. But … I will admit to grudging enjoyment of this station at times. Those times are when they play just about anything by Lady Gaga (I really dig “Poker Face,” but I suspect it is about fellatio) or that kind of cool remix/cover of “Time After Time” (though I have no idea who performs it). It’s also reminded just how idiotic the song “It’s Raining Men” really is, since I think they’ve played this song once an hour on the hour in the scant few days I’ve been listening. Observe:
It’s Raining Men! Hallelujah! – It’s Raining Men! Amen!
I’m gonna go out to run and let myself get
Absolutely soaking wet!
It’s Raining Men! Hallelujah!
It’s Raining Men! Every Specimen!
Tall, blonde, dark and lean
Rough and tough and strong and mean
There’s not subtext here. There’s barely even text. I’d say the best way to appreciate this song is as an artifact of camp culture, but I think that’s doing a disservice to perfectly good pieces of camp. Ah well.
now and venn
Like most people native to North America, I love Venn diagrams. Here’s one from David Byrne, formerly of the Talking Heads:
Romantic Destiny (2003) by David Byrne
i am also blog’s music post too
This continues the previous music post, which I didn’t finish ‘cos of my own laziness.
i am blog’s music post
Some time ago, I vowed to start producing more posts about music, and have so far failed to do so. Well, today I correct that oversight.
After trading in some old CDs and splurging a little, I bought the following CDs this past weekend. Yes, I know the CD is practically obsolete and all, but I like the material experience of the CD: opening the package, leafing through liner notes, even enjoying the different looks of the CDs themselves. I do have an iPod, and I often use it when I want to have a stream of music that I don’t have to stop and change every 35-60 minutes (so wen I’m plowing through a stack of books for a class or project, for example). On the other hand, my iPod is stocked primarily with stuff ripped from my CD collection rather stuff I’ve bought from iTunes, eMusic or (illegally) downloaded.
So, here’s the list of recent acquisitions:
seen a face
For reasons that remain my own, the following song has been really big with me lately. It’s “I’ve Just Seen a Face,” from the Beatles’ album Help!.
I’ve just seen a face,
I can’t forget the time or place
Where we just met.
She’s just the girl for me
And I want all the world to see
We’ve met, mmm-mmm-mmm-m’mmm-mmm.
Had it been another day
I might have looked the other way
And I’d have never been aware.
But as it is I’ll dream of her
Tonight, di-di-di-di’n'di.
Falling, yes I am falling,
And she keeps calling
Me back again.
I have never known
The like of this, I’ve been alone
And I have missed things
And kept out of sight
But other girls were never quite
Like this, di-di-di-di’n'di.
Falling, yes I am falling,
And she keeps calling
Me back again.
Falling, yes I am falling,
And she keeps calling
Me back again.
I’ve just seen a face,
I can’t forget the time or place
Where we just met.
She’s just the girl for me
And I want all the world to see
We’ve met, mmm-mmm-mmm-di’n'di
Falling, yes I am falling,
And she keeps calling
Me back again.
Oh, falling, yes I am falling,
And she keeps calling
Me back again.
Yeah.
right now i’m
- Compiling notes for my 7064 presentation.
- Learning how to tie a noose.
- Still pissed at one her.
- Thinking of another her.
- Imagining the following exchange and its possible outcomes:
Me: When you’re not smiling, when you’re just, you know, listening to someone or thinking or just staying quiet, your face looks very serious. Somber maybe. Even sad. But when you smile . . . it’s like the sun breaking from behind a cloud, and your whole face just lights up and it’s beautiful.
Her:
- Listening to (nearly) the complete works of Radiohead on iTunes. I’m missing some EPs, I know.
- Blogging.
- Planning options for the M.A.
- Reminding self to check with Dr. J or Kay to see if my e-mail earlier this week was received.
- Itching to go watch some Lost.
- Trying to remember what the allegedly humorous idea I had for a comic strip to follow up Mild Sauce earlier today was.
- Figuring out how to balance the 7064 work, grading, and making progress on the M.A. project.
- Realizing blogging does not really fit into above.
- L’il Foucault. That was the comic strip idea.
- Considering likelihood that affection for Her 2 above is a) misguided, b) probably just brief infatuation, c) unrequited
- Wishing that a), b), & c) had all been true of Her 1 above.
- Wondering when pics of Finnegan Walker will find their way to Intarwebs.
- Wishing July 18 would get here a damn sight sooner.
- Stretching for other items for this list.
- Mulling possibility of another glass of juice.
- Realizing that, at times, Radiohead’s The Bends can get a little boring.
- Weighing options for texts for Spring/Summer courses.
- Ending list.
cds i’ve purchsed in the past week
James Brown, 20 All Time Greatest Hits: I dug the Sly Stone disc I bought this weekend, so I thought I’d try the Godfather again. I owned, briefly, Live at the Apollo some years ago, and though I liked it sort of, I didn’t keep it. So James Brown, take two.
Sly & the Family Stone, Greatest Hits: I tried the remastered Stand! a few months ago and was intrigued but not a huge fan. Now that Hits has been remastered, I picked this up too. Pretty sweet.
Original Soundtrack, American Graffiti: Because it’s too hard to find a nice sampler of late 50s and early 60s pop. Where’s the Dion, though?
Buddy Holly, Greatest Hits: Second time I’ve owned this (though I briefly owned the two-disc Ultimate Collection in between). Has anyone written such simple and affective pop since his death? If so, it’s a close call.
Frank Sinatra, Sings for Only the Lonely: Okay, it’s a creepy/silly cover. But the music is the most blissfully orchestrated melancholy known to man.
Frank Sinatra, Songs for Swingin’ Lovers: Ring-a-ding-ding, baby! Let’s swing! It’s socko time for those commie punks!
The Clash, The Singles: This is the third time I’ve owned this, believe it or not. I usually own it for five or so months, decide I don’t want it, and then want it again a year later. Will I keep it this time? Who knows?
Elvis Presley, 30 #1 Hits: Second time I’ve owned this. I’ve had a hankering for this again for a while, and my local Marte du K had it on sale, so I picked it up again. Sweet.
Aphex Twin, Selected Ambient Works 85-92: I used to own Ambient Works Volume Two, but got rid of it in the great Ambient Music Purge of 05-06. Now, I want ambient music again. Thus.