It hasn't even been a complete week since afternoon talk hosts Bob Sansevere, Mike Morris and Ben Holsen were given their walking papers at third tier Minneapolis-St. Paul sports talker 105 The Ticket but when a barely noticeable radio station cuts the only paid and local on-air staff they have, the writing is usually on the wall.
To begin with, nobody was clamoring for a third sports talk radio station in the Twin Cities -- much less, one spread across three FM frequencies which seem to be a better fit for a niche music format as opposed to fulfilling a contract which owner Cumulus made with CBS Sports to give them an outlet for their national sports talk network.
I know all too well that sports is where the money is and that while a talk format -- especially one using local talent -- isn't cheap to launch, maintain, nurture and grow; it is a gold mine when it comes to advertising because of the ad availability in a talk format. With Cumulus management axing their five hours of local sports talk, they seem to be sending a signal that they either don't care that these three small FM signals could actually make some money with local content even with microscopic ratings or that a new format is on its way.
If the new format route is the future for the stations that, when run as a trimulcast, have featured alternative rock, hard rock, alternative rock, classic R&B, alternative rock, soft oldies, oldies, adult contemporary and now sports talk; the next likely step is the Cumulus broadcasting format of classic country billed as NASH Icons or a return to adult contemporary as they were at the end of the Love 105 format. Cumulus has been sitting on a pile of web domains registered for the NASH Icons format -- one of which seems to coincide with the Minneapolis-area 105 signals so that is at least a possibility.
If Cumulus decides to ride out the CBS Sports format, though, the company is using three frequencies to fulfill a contract. Not knowing the language of the contract with CBS Sports, I am curious if Cumulus could use just one of the frequencies -- 105.7 has the best coverage of the immediate Minneapolis-St. Paul metro -- to broadcast sports talk and throw a music format on the 105.1 and 105.3 frequencies which could actually appeal to listeners and make this clusterfuck of an ownership group some money.
Showing posts with label radio. Show all posts
Showing posts with label radio. Show all posts
Friday, June 12, 2015
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
The Current fires Barb Abney
Broadcast media is a fickle animal — particularly radio. On-air DJ firings and format flips happen regularly. It’s practically expected because it’s just another business chasing a larger profit. When an on-air DJ is fired from a public radio station, though, that’s shocking. When Barb Abney, now-former mid-day on-air host at 89.3 The Current tweeted last night that “I Loved My Job” it was immediately apparent what that meant. It’s a rarity when a public radio DJ is fired. I believe that it has only happened once before at 89.3 The Current in its ten year run and that happened to be Thorn whom Abney replaced.
Barb Abney was definitely an outsider when she came to Minnesota after her former on-air home 97X WOXY in Oxford, Ohio was sold and flipped to a cookie-cutter ass-rock format. She has always had the chops for modern rock and alternative radio. I used to listen to the 97X WOXY stream and remember Abney and instantly recognized the name when she landed in the Twin Cities. I emailed her a short pronunciation guide for some of our hard-to-pronounce-for-outsiders sit names on what must have been her first day on the air at The Current. A few days later she emailed me back and thanked me for listening to her show.
I routinely listened to at least half of her show on The Current and her cover to cover segment was a breath of fresh air and tonal real was like stepping back in time to simpler days. She knows how to connect to the community and even if her style wasn’t for everyone you’d be hard pressed to find a Minnesota music fan who hadn’t seen Abney at a local show at least once. She is passionate about what she does and it has always showed in the way she is the biggest fan of the music she has played. The fact that Barb Abney said that “I Loved My Job” was the best statement she could have ever made. It was obvious, given her passion, that the biggest fan of The Current very well may have been Barb Abney.
Her mid-day on-air replacement, Jade Tittle, will need a lot of patience from MPR management because while she has been on the air doing overnights and fill-ins, her style seems custom-tailored for late nights and overnights. Her mellow tone, to me anyway, seems to be the complete opposite of what is needed for the heart of the 9-5 workday. Her age, too, is exactly what The Current is after as far as listener and member demographics. MPR wants and needs younger listeners as The Current is a feeder for their classical music and news services as those Current listeners age.
I’m not saying that Abney was fired due to her age and a perceived disconnect with the younger listeners the station wants as members but it sure seems possible.
But Barb Abney will survive. The great DJs always do. Maybe the Pohlad family hasn’t completely finalized their on-air line-up for Go96.3. It sure would be a welcome treat to hear a knowledgeable female voice who has shown that she can connect with the Minnesota music scene show up on a locally-owned station which seems to cater to the exact same audience as The Current.
Good luck Babney.
Barb Abney was definitely an outsider when she came to Minnesota after her former on-air home 97X WOXY in Oxford, Ohio was sold and flipped to a cookie-cutter ass-rock format. She has always had the chops for modern rock and alternative radio. I used to listen to the 97X WOXY stream and remember Abney and instantly recognized the name when she landed in the Twin Cities. I emailed her a short pronunciation guide for some of our hard-to-pronounce-for-outsiders sit names on what must have been her first day on the air at The Current. A few days later she emailed me back and thanked me for listening to her show.
I routinely listened to at least half of her show on The Current and her cover to cover segment was a breath of fresh air and tonal real was like stepping back in time to simpler days. She knows how to connect to the community and even if her style wasn’t for everyone you’d be hard pressed to find a Minnesota music fan who hadn’t seen Abney at a local show at least once. She is passionate about what she does and it has always showed in the way she is the biggest fan of the music she has played. The fact that Barb Abney said that “I Loved My Job” was the best statement she could have ever made. It was obvious, given her passion, that the biggest fan of The Current very well may have been Barb Abney.
Her mid-day on-air replacement, Jade Tittle, will need a lot of patience from MPR management because while she has been on the air doing overnights and fill-ins, her style seems custom-tailored for late nights and overnights. Her mellow tone, to me anyway, seems to be the complete opposite of what is needed for the heart of the 9-5 workday. Her age, too, is exactly what The Current is after as far as listener and member demographics. MPR wants and needs younger listeners as The Current is a feeder for their classical music and news services as those Current listeners age.
I’m not saying that Abney was fired due to her age and a perceived disconnect with the younger listeners the station wants as members but it sure seems possible.
But Barb Abney will survive. The great DJs always do. Maybe the Pohlad family hasn’t completely finalized their on-air line-up for Go96.3. It sure would be a welcome treat to hear a knowledgeable female voice who has shown that she can connect with the Minnesota music scene show up on a locally-owned station which seems to cater to the exact same audience as The Current.
Good luck Babney.
Friday, April 25, 2014
The problem with Cities 97
Cities 97, the one-time AAA formatted radio station in the greater Twin Cities area of Minnesota is a shell of its former self. Having reached its peak in terms of quality in the 1990s, the station has recently devolved into a ship without a rudder.
Take, for instance, the fact that they ditched the very identity that put them on the map. No longer do they claim to feature "quality music from then and now" or claim to be "true to the music" (as I believe they once used this slogan). Instead of being able to hear true eclectic rock and new music from singer/songwriters and the occasional new tune from across the pond, listeners are now subjected to the likes of Rihanna, Justin Timberlake, Pharell and Katy Perry in regular and sometimes heavy rotation.
I get that listener's tastes change and that musical styles do the same but I feel that their change in direction has more to do with the fact that there is more money to be grabbed by playing a fairly large percentage of female-friendly pop tunes from sister station KDWB. With a sizable hole in the Twin Cities left by the departure of longtime Adult Contemporary outlet WLTE 102.9 and the fact that KS95 (KSTP 94.5) is basically a top 40 station with better DJs and the shift in music to a more pop sound makes sense. Throw in the fact that the not-so-new place for hip adults in search of new music is 89.3 The Current and the writing was on the wall for Cities 97.
No longer is Cities 97 a national influence. No longer does it break new artists or new hits. Hell, the last artist they laid claim to breaking was Norah Jones and that is well over a decade ago. I'm surprised that Clear Channel's national AAA program director (and Cities 97 program director) Lauren MacLeash managed to hold on to her job for as long as she did given that the station she was running was careening down the hill towards pop music which, given her job duties of the past, is probably not her forte.
Now, though, Cities 97 is home to what could be a decent morning show with Brian Oake but for all of the knowledge he has stored up in his brain he has no outlet to dispense it and play the style of music he cut his broadcasting teeth on and instead spins the likes of Justin Timberlake, Katy Perry and decades-old Goo Goo Dolls. Hi partner in the AM, Keri Noble, pairs well with him but even though she is a fairly notable local artist, she, too, sticks out on Cities 97 given what the station has become.
The DJ following the morning show is a nobody named Melissa (I think) who sounds like she could have been a stay-at-home mom before taking over the midday shift at Cities 97. While she certainly fits the female-friendly bland-fest that Cities 97 has become, she seems to have the same level of musical knowledge as my cat and comes across as little more than a pleasant voice who can read a script. I truly fail to see why there is even a live or pre-recorded voice on Cities 97 between the hours of 10 AM and 3 PM.
Paul Fletcher, the afternoon drive DJ at Cities 97, has certainly done his time in radio (he was once a DJ at 93.7 in the Twin Cities during either in its Edge format or early in the 93X format) but comes off as a fan boy on the air. What he says during breaks between songs often times does little to add to what is left of the experience of listening to Cities 97. The fact that he has the title of Music Director should do little to reassure Fletcher that his job will exist tomorrow given that Cities 97 owner Clear Channel seems hellbent on making its stations sound the same across the country and elimination all local flavor.
Do yourself a favor and replace Cities 97 on your car stereo presets with 89.3 and/or 100.7. Both stations offer far more musical variety and unique sounds than Cities 97 ever has that you'll never look back at the once great Cities 97.
Take, for instance, the fact that they ditched the very identity that put them on the map. No longer do they claim to feature "quality music from then and now" or claim to be "true to the music" (as I believe they once used this slogan). Instead of being able to hear true eclectic rock and new music from singer/songwriters and the occasional new tune from across the pond, listeners are now subjected to the likes of Rihanna, Justin Timberlake, Pharell and Katy Perry in regular and sometimes heavy rotation.
I get that listener's tastes change and that musical styles do the same but I feel that their change in direction has more to do with the fact that there is more money to be grabbed by playing a fairly large percentage of female-friendly pop tunes from sister station KDWB. With a sizable hole in the Twin Cities left by the departure of longtime Adult Contemporary outlet WLTE 102.9 and the fact that KS95 (KSTP 94.5) is basically a top 40 station with better DJs and the shift in music to a more pop sound makes sense. Throw in the fact that the not-so-new place for hip adults in search of new music is 89.3 The Current and the writing was on the wall for Cities 97.
No longer is Cities 97 a national influence. No longer does it break new artists or new hits. Hell, the last artist they laid claim to breaking was Norah Jones and that is well over a decade ago. I'm surprised that Clear Channel's national AAA program director (and Cities 97 program director) Lauren MacLeash managed to hold on to her job for as long as she did given that the station she was running was careening down the hill towards pop music which, given her job duties of the past, is probably not her forte.
Now, though, Cities 97 is home to what could be a decent morning show with Brian Oake but for all of the knowledge he has stored up in his brain he has no outlet to dispense it and play the style of music he cut his broadcasting teeth on and instead spins the likes of Justin Timberlake, Katy Perry and decades-old Goo Goo Dolls. Hi partner in the AM, Keri Noble, pairs well with him but even though she is a fairly notable local artist, she, too, sticks out on Cities 97 given what the station has become.
The DJ following the morning show is a nobody named Melissa (I think) who sounds like she could have been a stay-at-home mom before taking over the midday shift at Cities 97. While she certainly fits the female-friendly bland-fest that Cities 97 has become, she seems to have the same level of musical knowledge as my cat and comes across as little more than a pleasant voice who can read a script. I truly fail to see why there is even a live or pre-recorded voice on Cities 97 between the hours of 10 AM and 3 PM.
Paul Fletcher, the afternoon drive DJ at Cities 97, has certainly done his time in radio (he was once a DJ at 93.7 in the Twin Cities during either in its Edge format or early in the 93X format) but comes off as a fan boy on the air. What he says during breaks between songs often times does little to add to what is left of the experience of listening to Cities 97. The fact that he has the title of Music Director should do little to reassure Fletcher that his job will exist tomorrow given that Cities 97 owner Clear Channel seems hellbent on making its stations sound the same across the country and elimination all local flavor.
Do yourself a favor and replace Cities 97 on your car stereo presets with 89.3 and/or 100.7. Both stations offer far more musical variety and unique sounds than Cities 97 ever has that you'll never look back at the once great Cities 97.
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Jeff Dubay gets fired from his podcast
While very rarely does anyone deserve to be fired, when it does happen at least have the decency to handle the event with some grace. Jeff Dubay, though, obviously never learned that part of how to handle getting fired and with this rant on his now-deleted Facebook page has seemingly managed to blacklist himself in the Twin Cities media.
As a bit of background, Dubay had been fired from his dream gig on KFAN-AM 1130 in 2008 after an arrest for possession of Crack Cocaine. Following his conviction and time served in jail, he entered treatment and bounced around in different treatment programs before announcing that he had kicked his addiction in his own way and was now clean. Dubay resurfaced at KSTP-AM 1500 as co-host of another sports talk show in 2013 but was let go due to budgetary issues early in 2014. He again managed to land on his feet with his own podcast bankrolled by KQRS-FM morning drive personality Tom Barnard.
As you can see from the above excerpt, Dubay seems to have a grudge against Tom Barnard's nephew, Sean Barnard. While nobody will likely ever know the full truth of the reasons behind the demands made by Sean Barnard, the way in which Jeff Dubay handled his exit from the Tom Barnard network makes me feel that Dubay has other issues that go deeper than simply a grudge. His previous drug use and addiction sends up immediate warning flags that he may have again slipped back into using drugs. The other possibility is mental illness. Dubay has a history of anger issues and while anger itself isn't a mental illness, his history of drug addiction and sometimes bizarre on-air behavior seems to somewhat fall in line with the behavior of someone struggling with mental illness.
I hope that he has a support system -- mainly family who cares about him -- because a string of bad luck like Jeff Dubay has experienced this year could easily trigger a relapse into the world of drug abuse if he hasn't already relapsed. Or maybe Dubay is telling the honest truth in the only way he knows how. We'll probably never know.
"Sean Barnard informed me today that he was terminating the agreement for me to be part of the Tom Barnard network. When pressed on the matter Sean said if I passed a drug test he would allow me to continue. This was as insulting as it was unw...arranted.Nonetheless I went to Walgreen's and purchased a test at my own expense, knowing I had nothing to hide. I returned home and phoned Sean to tell him I have met his demands and was ready to take the test and would wait for him if he wanted to witness it. He then went into a new set of conditions that included me going to a clinic and getting an expensive test at my own expense and missing my show on the evening of 4/18. A shouting match ensued as I now saw that I was being given a run around and the rules were changing all the time. Sean hung up and refused my calls, referring me to his attorney."
As a bit of background, Dubay had been fired from his dream gig on KFAN-AM 1130 in 2008 after an arrest for possession of Crack Cocaine. Following his conviction and time served in jail, he entered treatment and bounced around in different treatment programs before announcing that he had kicked his addiction in his own way and was now clean. Dubay resurfaced at KSTP-AM 1500 as co-host of another sports talk show in 2013 but was let go due to budgetary issues early in 2014. He again managed to land on his feet with his own podcast bankrolled by KQRS-FM morning drive personality Tom Barnard.
As you can see from the above excerpt, Dubay seems to have a grudge against Tom Barnard's nephew, Sean Barnard. While nobody will likely ever know the full truth of the reasons behind the demands made by Sean Barnard, the way in which Jeff Dubay handled his exit from the Tom Barnard network makes me feel that Dubay has other issues that go deeper than simply a grudge. His previous drug use and addiction sends up immediate warning flags that he may have again slipped back into using drugs. The other possibility is mental illness. Dubay has a history of anger issues and while anger itself isn't a mental illness, his history of drug addiction and sometimes bizarre on-air behavior seems to somewhat fall in line with the behavior of someone struggling with mental illness.
I hope that he has a support system -- mainly family who cares about him -- because a string of bad luck like Jeff Dubay has experienced this year could easily trigger a relapse into the world of drug abuse if he hasn't already relapsed. Or maybe Dubay is telling the honest truth in the only way he knows how. We'll probably never know.
Monday, December 23, 2013
Steer clear of iLive electronics
Since purchasing a boombox with the brand name of iLive late in the summer of 2013, I have been wary of using any of its functions outside of the FM radio. Since the first time I tried using its bluetooth connectivity, the recurring problem has been its inability to actually remember the FM presents I specified after having the nerve to use other functions outside of the FM radio. I let it slide the first few times, assuming that I needed batteries installed in the boombox for some reason and today actually had the time to call and attempt to resolve the problem. After being unsatisfied with having to spend $20.00 to replace an obviously defective boombox I have written the below letter regarding the iLive IBC233B boombox and its problems including failure to remember FM presents and an LCD screen which is painfully dim.
********
I've had an ongoing problem since purchasing the above listed item in early September where after switching sources on the boombox the FM presents I had specified are reset to the factory defaults. I have tried the holding down the power button to reset the unit "fix" which has not worked. I spoke to customer service via phone and was informed the item in question is out of warranty and could only be replaced for a cost of $20.00. I find this solution unsatisfactory as this item has not worked as it should since the day I purchased it and due to being to busy to troubleshoot an item which I expected to perform normally I am now likely out the cost of this item. While I have no expectation of a company standing behind their poorly designed and non-functioning electronics, I would be pleasantly surprised if someone in an area of power would make an exception in an attempt to satisfy a new customer. All I truly want is for this boombox to function as I expect it should with presets which stay stored after switching sources and an LCD screen which is bright enough to actually read.
********
I've had an ongoing problem since purchasing the above listed item in early September where after switching sources on the boombox the FM presents I had specified are reset to the factory defaults. I have tried the holding down the power button to reset the unit "fix" which has not worked. I spoke to customer service via phone and was informed the item in question is out of warranty and could only be replaced for a cost of $20.00. I find this solution unsatisfactory as this item has not worked as it should since the day I purchased it and due to being to busy to troubleshoot an item which I expected to perform normally I am now likely out the cost of this item. While I have no expectation of a company standing behind their poorly designed and non-functioning electronics, I would be pleasantly surprised if someone in an area of power would make an exception in an attempt to satisfy a new customer. All I truly want is for this boombox to function as I expect it should with presets which stay stored after switching sources and an LCD screen which is bright enough to actually read.
Tuesday, January 08, 2013
A Drive 105 Playlist?
Twin Cities alternative radio station Drive 105, which had a five year run on the airwaves, may have now been gone for almost as long as it existed but today I happened across an 81 video YouTube playlist featuring just some of the rather unique flavor of alternative rock songs which the station featured.
The YouTube user who put this playlist together either has a fabulous memory or kept some sort of spreadsheet chronicling the interesting brand of alternative rock music which was put together for the station's small but somewhat loyal fan base.
Cool stuff that brings back more than a few memories with bands like The Bravery, Low Millions, Weezer, The Kooks, The Killers, Pete Yorn, Tegan and Sara, The Dresden Dolls, The Strokes and artists I had completely forgotten about like Rock Kills Kid, Luce, The Features, Agent Sparks, Razorlight and of course local favorite and The Voice alum Tim Mahoney!
The YouTube user who put this playlist together either has a fabulous memory or kept some sort of spreadsheet chronicling the interesting brand of alternative rock music which was put together for the station's small but somewhat loyal fan base.
Cool stuff that brings back more than a few memories with bands like The Bravery, Low Millions, Weezer, The Kooks, The Killers, Pete Yorn, Tegan and Sara, The Dresden Dolls, The Strokes and artists I had completely forgotten about like Rock Kills Kid, Luce, The Features, Agent Sparks, Razorlight and of course local favorite and The Voice alum Tim Mahoney!
Thursday, December 06, 2012
Cost-cutting or media crumbling
We all know that traditional media (radio, TV, newspapers, magazines) are facing tough times. Whether it's due to overpaying for properties, unrealistic profit projections, living in the past or cutting staff to remain profitable, these are the toughest of times for traditional media outlets.
Just this morning, KFAN radio's (KFXN-FM, 100.3) Mike Morris "The Superstar" was "let go" from his job as host of the stations Power Trip morning show. That leaves the show in the hands, for the time being, of the sidekicks/co-hosts of Chris Hawkey, Sludge (Cory Cove) and Paul Lambert, aka Meatsauce. While I rarely listened, I do know that Mike Morris was the host for a reason. While the show came off as juvenile at best, they covered sports and topics related to their core audience of 18-49 year-old men. Morris was the adult of the team, if nothing else, by age.
The same thing happened last week to the Half-Assed Morning Show on rocker 93X. Longtime host Weasel was let go (again, due to cost-cutting measures) after helming the morning show on KXXR-FM 93.7 for well over a decade. That move leaves the overly juvenile Nick in charge with the other sidekick Josh playing second fiddle along with a new guy, Ben. It's a rudderless ship. While Weasel's input had diminished in the last 18 months of his time on the show, he still provided direction, reigned in the kids and was at least an experienced DJ.
How far, though, can the cost-cutting go? Will listeners still tune in for what is obviously a lesser-quality product? It's a vicious cycle. When you cut the costs of an experienced staffer (regardless of the medium), that experienced voice/talent, if replaced, is replaced by someone less-experienced who is less likely to produce a high-quality product. In turn, listeners/readers (depending on the medium) look elsewhere -- many never return. In happens in radio and it happens in print media and it happens on TV. When those talented faces of their respected medium leave or are cut, advertisers may also leave -- unhappy to have their business appear within/alongside an inferior product.
It never ends. Remember when Tony Fly was relevant and maybe even a recognizable name? Up until a few months ago, he was actually still on the air -- right here in the Twin Cities. Saddled with moronic programming choices, 96.3 KTWN-FM was quite obviously a piss-poor fit for Tony Fly and management saw the opportunity to axe a talented host to save money while retaining an inferior on-air product.
With the combination of the recognizable faces of media organizations leaving for more stable pastures or being unceremoniously axed to cut costs and talented behind-the-scenes staff leaving in droves for alternative, stable careers; traditional media as we know it is becoming a shell of its former self. What they fail to remember is that the most talented individuals are often the highest paid (rightfully so) and when they leave, they leave with the talent and skills which could make the company viable in some form in the future. It's like looking at someone whose dark fate has already been decided.
Just this morning, KFAN radio's (KFXN-FM, 100.3) Mike Morris "The Superstar" was "let go" from his job as host of the stations Power Trip morning show. That leaves the show in the hands, for the time being, of the sidekicks/co-hosts of Chris Hawkey, Sludge (Cory Cove) and Paul Lambert, aka Meatsauce. While I rarely listened, I do know that Mike Morris was the host for a reason. While the show came off as juvenile at best, they covered sports and topics related to their core audience of 18-49 year-old men. Morris was the adult of the team, if nothing else, by age.
The same thing happened last week to the Half-Assed Morning Show on rocker 93X. Longtime host Weasel was let go (again, due to cost-cutting measures) after helming the morning show on KXXR-FM 93.7 for well over a decade. That move leaves the overly juvenile Nick in charge with the other sidekick Josh playing second fiddle along with a new guy, Ben. It's a rudderless ship. While Weasel's input had diminished in the last 18 months of his time on the show, he still provided direction, reigned in the kids and was at least an experienced DJ.
How far, though, can the cost-cutting go? Will listeners still tune in for what is obviously a lesser-quality product? It's a vicious cycle. When you cut the costs of an experienced staffer (regardless of the medium), that experienced voice/talent, if replaced, is replaced by someone less-experienced who is less likely to produce a high-quality product. In turn, listeners/readers (depending on the medium) look elsewhere -- many never return. In happens in radio and it happens in print media and it happens on TV. When those talented faces of their respected medium leave or are cut, advertisers may also leave -- unhappy to have their business appear within/alongside an inferior product.
It never ends. Remember when Tony Fly was relevant and maybe even a recognizable name? Up until a few months ago, he was actually still on the air -- right here in the Twin Cities. Saddled with moronic programming choices, 96.3 KTWN-FM was quite obviously a piss-poor fit for Tony Fly and management saw the opportunity to axe a talented host to save money while retaining an inferior on-air product.
With the combination of the recognizable faces of media organizations leaving for more stable pastures or being unceremoniously axed to cut costs and talented behind-the-scenes staff leaving in droves for alternative, stable careers; traditional media as we know it is becoming a shell of its former self. What they fail to remember is that the most talented individuals are often the highest paid (rightfully so) and when they leave, they leave with the talent and skills which could make the company viable in some form in the future. It's like looking at someone whose dark fate has already been decided.
Monday, October 01, 2012
The constant of change
Music is powerful. It evokes memories of days gone by. It's music that marks milestones in our lives. Music, like our lives, is constantly changing too.
Music, just like breathing, is free. It is beamed in to our cars and homes for free. (Well, almost free. There are commercials and the small investment of a radio to consider.) It can open a world of possibilities and while we bemoan its current state of blandness and lack of energy, there are those occasional bits of genius that make an indelible mark on the collective consciousness of a few.
The passion about music is what breeds such an emotional attachment to it. The people who love it are most attached and losing what you loved and were so attached to can be heard in their voices when it hits them that change has hit and it's inevitable.
The Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul are often billed as a musical mecca. Sure, our fair cities are no Los Angeles or New York City. We can't claim that punk rock was born here. We can't lay claim to birthing an entire genre of music. Hell, it's a melting pot here with well-known acts such as Atmosphere, The Replacements, Husker Du, Lifter Puller, Soul Asylum, Tapes 'n Tapes and of course Prince hailing from here.
It only seems fitting that such a musically rich and diverse region would have an equally rich history of playing the genre-crossing rock and roll that has created memories for hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans.
In the days gone by, radio was the choice for the average music fan to break the monotony of our two seasons. It would warm our cold souls during the winter months and follow us outside during the summer months. For many, music has been and always will be a constant companion. The fanatics will remember these pieces of Minnesota's musical history far better than I will as I have only read about them and write today from the perspective of a fan with much to learn.
Hearing the likes of recorded snippets from KJ104 (KJJO, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis, St. Paul), it's hard to imagine life in the early 90s in the Twin Cities. This radio station which would become a whole host of other formats, landing as JACK-FM most recently, began in the modern heyday of rock music. They missed out on grunge rock as the plug was pulled in 1992 in favor of country but some of the forefathers of modern rock radio in the Twin Cities got their start there. I heard names such as Shelley Miller and BT mentioned during their farewell broadcast. They were a family and they loved what they did. They exposed Minnesotans to homegrown music and to music which wasn't being played elsewhere. The following was never huge but they were dedicated.
A two-year absence of modern rock followed but that drought was ended by the still-remembered REV 105. Yeah, the likes of BT, Mary Lucia, Brian Oake and again Shelley Miller surfaced here and poured their hearts in to the little station that could. Eventually three stations ringing the Twin Cities, REV 105 gained a foothold and a dedicated fan base. The staff knew the music and loved the music. The one thing they didn't have power over was the ownership who sold the station to ABC who ditched the modern/alternative rock format in favor of hard rock sending listeners to the closest thing available, 93.7 The Edge.
A mere nine months later, 105 was reborn as Zone 105 with a somewhat lighter and more "safe" alternative rock format. I still remember being scared to death as my friend's sister drove us down 35W faster than any sane person would drive as I heard Liz Phair coming through her car's speakers. From that moment on, I became a diehard alternative rock fan. As my trips to the Twin Cities became more frequent, I would enjoy whatever Zone 105 had to offer. Yes, even as they floundered around with various flavors of alt-rock and even in to alternative classics. Then one day it vanished. Replacing it was some classic R&B music. It sounded like a bad disco record.
Once again, though, the alternative rock returned. Having sustained my musical tastes for many years on a steady diet of CDs, I discovered one day on my return trip from visiting my girlfriend for the weekend that alternative rock was back on the 105s. Reborn this time as Drive 105, I remember hearing some older Smashing Pumpkins and The Ramones. Those weekends I spent in the Twin Cities, I'd be sure to check out Drive 105 and each time I tuned in, I heard something new that I liked. Sure, it wasn't the same as before but it worked for me. Slowly, my CD collection took a back seat to Drive 105. Even more so as I finally moved to the Twin Cities. I'd listen to 105.7 at work, 105.1 at home and around town and enjoyed it as the station took on an identity of its own instead of competing against Cities 97. Shelley Miller once again was a voice at the station and my ears, for the most part, were happy.
The music wasn't cutting edge but it wasn't being heard anywhere else in the Twin Cities.
Then came 2005 when Minnesota Public Radio and their deep wallets started their own station experimenting with flavors of alt-rock. 89.3 The Current was born and for over two years, I flipped between the two stations. When The Current began, I was exposed to Minnesota rapper Atmosphere and a host of other local music. The more mass appeal acts were on Drive 105. For me, the two stations co-existed well. If the music on one sucked, the other might be the place to be. They were three and five on my car radio's presets.
Then one day in May 2007, I flipped on my desk radio and heard the DJ on Drive 105 say a brief goodbye and that it had been fun. She played "Say it ain't so" by Weezer. It was the end of Drive 105. Hey, five years for alt-rock is a fabulous run. Sure, I was upset by the loss but after well over a year, 89.3 The Current itself has evolved. I still tune in every day to see how Mary Lucia will surprise me in the afternoon. Maybe alternative rock won't ever come back to the commercial airwaves but the listeners support The Current and it's my hope that as long as there is a fan base the music will live on to create more memories for the diehard music fans who still supplement their iPod listening with the tried and true radio.
************
Somehow, this lengthy post sat unpublished since 2008. Here it is if you care.
Music, just like breathing, is free. It is beamed in to our cars and homes for free. (Well, almost free. There are commercials and the small investment of a radio to consider.) It can open a world of possibilities and while we bemoan its current state of blandness and lack of energy, there are those occasional bits of genius that make an indelible mark on the collective consciousness of a few.
The passion about music is what breeds such an emotional attachment to it. The people who love it are most attached and losing what you loved and were so attached to can be heard in their voices when it hits them that change has hit and it's inevitable.
The Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul are often billed as a musical mecca. Sure, our fair cities are no Los Angeles or New York City. We can't claim that punk rock was born here. We can't lay claim to birthing an entire genre of music. Hell, it's a melting pot here with well-known acts such as Atmosphere, The Replacements, Husker Du, Lifter Puller, Soul Asylum, Tapes 'n Tapes and of course Prince hailing from here.
It only seems fitting that such a musically rich and diverse region would have an equally rich history of playing the genre-crossing rock and roll that has created memories for hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans.
In the days gone by, radio was the choice for the average music fan to break the monotony of our two seasons. It would warm our cold souls during the winter months and follow us outside during the summer months. For many, music has been and always will be a constant companion. The fanatics will remember these pieces of Minnesota's musical history far better than I will as I have only read about them and write today from the perspective of a fan with much to learn.
Hearing the likes of recorded snippets from KJ104 (KJJO, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis, St. Paul), it's hard to imagine life in the early 90s in the Twin Cities. This radio station which would become a whole host of other formats, landing as JACK-FM most recently, began in the modern heyday of rock music. They missed out on grunge rock as the plug was pulled in 1992 in favor of country but some of the forefathers of modern rock radio in the Twin Cities got their start there. I heard names such as Shelley Miller and BT mentioned during their farewell broadcast. They were a family and they loved what they did. They exposed Minnesotans to homegrown music and to music which wasn't being played elsewhere. The following was never huge but they were dedicated.
A two-year absence of modern rock followed but that drought was ended by the still-remembered REV 105. Yeah, the likes of BT, Mary Lucia, Brian Oake and again Shelley Miller surfaced here and poured their hearts in to the little station that could. Eventually three stations ringing the Twin Cities, REV 105 gained a foothold and a dedicated fan base. The staff knew the music and loved the music. The one thing they didn't have power over was the ownership who sold the station to ABC who ditched the modern/alternative rock format in favor of hard rock sending listeners to the closest thing available, 93.7 The Edge.
A mere nine months later, 105 was reborn as Zone 105 with a somewhat lighter and more "safe" alternative rock format. I still remember being scared to death as my friend's sister drove us down 35W faster than any sane person would drive as I heard Liz Phair coming through her car's speakers. From that moment on, I became a diehard alternative rock fan. As my trips to the Twin Cities became more frequent, I would enjoy whatever Zone 105 had to offer. Yes, even as they floundered around with various flavors of alt-rock and even in to alternative classics. Then one day it vanished. Replacing it was some classic R&B music. It sounded like a bad disco record.
Once again, though, the alternative rock returned. Having sustained my musical tastes for many years on a steady diet of CDs, I discovered one day on my return trip from visiting my girlfriend for the weekend that alternative rock was back on the 105s. Reborn this time as Drive 105, I remember hearing some older Smashing Pumpkins and The Ramones. Those weekends I spent in the Twin Cities, I'd be sure to check out Drive 105 and each time I tuned in, I heard something new that I liked. Sure, it wasn't the same as before but it worked for me. Slowly, my CD collection took a back seat to Drive 105. Even more so as I finally moved to the Twin Cities. I'd listen to 105.7 at work, 105.1 at home and around town and enjoyed it as the station took on an identity of its own instead of competing against Cities 97. Shelley Miller once again was a voice at the station and my ears, for the most part, were happy.
The music wasn't cutting edge but it wasn't being heard anywhere else in the Twin Cities.
Then came 2005 when Minnesota Public Radio and their deep wallets started their own station experimenting with flavors of alt-rock. 89.3 The Current was born and for over two years, I flipped between the two stations. When The Current began, I was exposed to Minnesota rapper Atmosphere and a host of other local music. The more mass appeal acts were on Drive 105. For me, the two stations co-existed well. If the music on one sucked, the other might be the place to be. They were three and five on my car radio's presets.
Then one day in May 2007, I flipped on my desk radio and heard the DJ on Drive 105 say a brief goodbye and that it had been fun. She played "Say it ain't so" by Weezer. It was the end of Drive 105. Hey, five years for alt-rock is a fabulous run. Sure, I was upset by the loss but after well over a year, 89.3 The Current itself has evolved. I still tune in every day to see how Mary Lucia will surprise me in the afternoon. Maybe alternative rock won't ever come back to the commercial airwaves but the listeners support The Current and it's my hope that as long as there is a fan base the music will live on to create more memories for the diehard music fans who still supplement their iPod listening with the tried and true radio.
************
Somehow, this lengthy post sat unpublished since 2008. Here it is if you care.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Minnesota Twins in at Ktwin (KTWN 96.3)?
With the music format of the station in total disarray since about two weeks after the format's New Year's Day debut a change was inevitable but will the $1,000,000 the family would have made from having KSTP-AM pay for the team's broadcast rights make sense to the Pohlads? A million dollars is a million dollars no matter how you slice it and without K-twin ponying up a million dollars, that leaves the Twins' owners short that much more. KTWN-FM 96.3 is by no means a cash cow in its current state but by the end of the year the station's books will be a bit lighter after the recent firing of Tony Fly and I wouldn't expect to see Eric Perkins return to the D.O.A. K-twin morning show now that he's head honcho of the sports department at KARE-TV.
So, what happens to K-twin? Do they hold on to the mish-mashed music format and wrap it around Twins games? Do they relaunch with another try at a music format that isn't just a seemingly random collection of burned to a crisp songs thrown at the wall? Do they team up with CBS and their soon-to-be-launched national sports network (its full schedule debuts January 1, 2013) and bring a third (for the time being) sports talk radio station to the Twin Cities? Or does some other owner buy up 96.3. Both Hubbard (owners of KSTP-AM 1500) and CBS (owners of WCCO 830, 104.1 & 102.9) have the funding to make it happen.
I'm guessing, though, that K-twin won't be sold and that the Pohlads - kings of poor decisions - will combine Twins broadcasts and the current lackluster music format into one of the worst FM radio stations heard in the Twin Cities (at least inside the 494/694 loop -- because their signal is rather weak) in the past 30 years.
Wednesday, August 01, 2012
Ktwin radio (KTWN-FM) ditches Tony Fly
Ktwin (KTWN-FM), making a bit of an abrupt change to its 7 month-old morning radio show, dumped long-time personality Tony Fly while co-host Eric Perkins is away at the London Summer Olympics for KARE 11. Third wheel Dani Starr appears to be absent as well for the time being with former/current afternoon DJ Dan Riggs.
Tony Fly mentioned, in an interview with City Pages, that Northern Lights Broadcasting management stated that they planned on going in a different direction and that ratings had gone virtually nowhere since the switch to a rather bland Modern Adult Contemporary format.
On a curious side note, the Ktwin website offers up zero mentions of its current DJs. This development, along with the axing of Tony Fly who is as serviceable of a DJ as could be expected given the watering down of the music on Ktwin after its first month on the air, makes me wonder if more changes are in the works at 96.3 KTWN-FM.
Tony Fly mentioned, in an interview with City Pages, that Northern Lights Broadcasting management stated that they planned on going in a different direction and that ratings had gone virtually nowhere since the switch to a rather bland Modern Adult Contemporary format.
On a curious side note, the Ktwin website offers up zero mentions of its current DJs. This development, along with the axing of Tony Fly who is as serviceable of a DJ as could be expected given the watering down of the music on Ktwin after its first month on the air, makes me wonder if more changes are in the works at 96.3 KTWN-FM.
Wednesday, January 04, 2012
New radio stations - thoughts on 96.3 KTWIN and Buz'n 102.9
So far, 2012 has been a year of change. Locally speaking the Twin Cities have two new radio stations. But when I say new, that doesn't mean shit when it comes to radio stations because everything has already been done. That is painfully obvious when it comes to Buz'n 102.9. It's a horrible nickname for the new CBS-owned country music station which replaced the equally horrible Lite-FM on Christmas day. I guess it's all about choice for the country music fans in the cities but now with two big country stations to choose from it seems like people being able to choose from two Walmart stores. They both offer the same crap, the only differences being the employees and location. Maybe one Walmart has a more pleasant person working the deli counter so you choose that one but in the end you can get the same offerings either place so maybe you shop both of them. That's how exciting it is having two country station in the Twin Cities.
The second new radio offering is actually different. Gone is 96.3 Now (formerly hip-hop/R&B as B96) and their slightly more danceable mix of KDWB music and in its place is 96.3 K-TWIN. I first checked out the K-TWIN stream as I did some web design work Sunday evening and was intrigued. The station definitely has a bit of a rock and alternative lean to it but tends to lose me when they throw in an 80s track from Bon Jovi. K-TWIN definitely seems to favor artists like Adele, Kings of Leon and Foster the People while I've also heard Lily Allen, Foo Fighters and Red Hot Chili Peppers more than a few times.
Today (Wednesday) is the first day with live talent on 96.3 K-TWIN and I have been pleasantly surprised with the new morning show featuring KARE-11's Eric Perkins and Tony Fly with the future addition of Danni Starr. Fly and Starr, of course, were both on the previous incarnations of 96.3 and come with that baggage of a more "urban" lean and I've never been a fan of Tony Fly's performance on 96.3. He was terrible in trying to hold down a morning show when it was B96 and even worse in afternoons when the station became 96.3 Now. I'm not sure it was his grating voice or the schtick he tried to pass off.
Perkins, though, feels genuine right off the bat in his first day as a morning drive personality. Maybe it's because he's a personality people can relate to from his current gig on KARE-11 or maybe it's because Fly and Perkins actually work together well on the radio. I'm not sure when their morning show acually ends but they did recycle the two big interviews (Twins manager Ron Gardenhire and St. Paul mayor Chris Coleman) from earlier in the morning in the 9 o'clock hour which doesn't bode well for the first day. Go big right out of the gate, don't mail it in, guys.
Another thing I'm curious about is the involvement if Rick Kupchella's BringMeTheNews.com. Kupchella was in the studio with Fly and Perkins this morning, BMTN provides the twice an hour news segments during the 96.3 K-TWIN morning show and Eric Perkins is also employed by BMTN as a sports reporter. I smell some sort of deeper involvement beyond the purchasing of BMTN newscasts.
Overall, 96.3 KTWN-FM needs a little polishing (get your website up and running) but it should be able to carve out a niche as it refines its music format somewhat. It's different enough from Cities 97 (because it's actually energetic) and features the more upbeat tracks and artists from 89.3 The Current and it avoids the majority of the music played on KS95 and has, to this point, actually managed to hold true to its statement of playing music not found on the majority of stations in the Twin Cities. Add in Blink-182 playing as I finish writing this and I'll keep listening. 96.3 K-TWIN has the familiar music for me and 89.3 The Current covers the new music. Hopefully they can co-exist.
The second new radio offering is actually different. Gone is 96.3 Now (formerly hip-hop/R&B as B96) and their slightly more danceable mix of KDWB music and in its place is 96.3 K-TWIN. I first checked out the K-TWIN stream as I did some web design work Sunday evening and was intrigued. The station definitely has a bit of a rock and alternative lean to it but tends to lose me when they throw in an 80s track from Bon Jovi. K-TWIN definitely seems to favor artists like Adele, Kings of Leon and Foster the People while I've also heard Lily Allen, Foo Fighters and Red Hot Chili Peppers more than a few times.
Today (Wednesday) is the first day with live talent on 96.3 K-TWIN and I have been pleasantly surprised with the new morning show featuring KARE-11's Eric Perkins and Tony Fly with the future addition of Danni Starr. Fly and Starr, of course, were both on the previous incarnations of 96.3 and come with that baggage of a more "urban" lean and I've never been a fan of Tony Fly's performance on 96.3. He was terrible in trying to hold down a morning show when it was B96 and even worse in afternoons when the station became 96.3 Now. I'm not sure it was his grating voice or the schtick he tried to pass off.
Perkins, though, feels genuine right off the bat in his first day as a morning drive personality. Maybe it's because he's a personality people can relate to from his current gig on KARE-11 or maybe it's because Fly and Perkins actually work together well on the radio. I'm not sure when their morning show acually ends but they did recycle the two big interviews (Twins manager Ron Gardenhire and St. Paul mayor Chris Coleman) from earlier in the morning in the 9 o'clock hour which doesn't bode well for the first day. Go big right out of the gate, don't mail it in, guys.
Another thing I'm curious about is the involvement if Rick Kupchella's BringMeTheNews.com. Kupchella was in the studio with Fly and Perkins this morning, BMTN provides the twice an hour news segments during the 96.3 K-TWIN morning show and Eric Perkins is also employed by BMTN as a sports reporter. I smell some sort of deeper involvement beyond the purchasing of BMTN newscasts.
Overall, 96.3 KTWN-FM needs a little polishing (get your website up and running) but it should be able to carve out a niche as it refines its music format somewhat. It's different enough from Cities 97 (because it's actually energetic) and features the more upbeat tracks and artists from 89.3 The Current and it avoids the majority of the music played on KS95 and has, to this point, actually managed to hold true to its statement of playing music not found on the majority of stations in the Twin Cities. Add in Blink-182 playing as I finish writing this and I'll keep listening. 96.3 K-TWIN has the familiar music for me and 89.3 The Current covers the new music. Hopefully they can co-exist.
Monday, May 02, 2011
Tim Mahoney's big break happens Tuesday
When I first heard him on the now-gone Drive 105, I turned my radio up a bit. When I heard the afternoon DJ announce the artists in the previous block of music I was blown away. Holy shit, I said to myself, Tim Mahoney stepped up his game for that track. When his CD, Stay/Leave, landed at Target, I snapped up a copy and when I was organizing my disheveled CD rack yesterday I took note of that disc and how it thanks former Drive 105 DJ J.P. The Radio Slave for getting him on the air on an actual radio station and making him at least regionally popular.
Tomorrow night, though, Tim Mahoney takes to the national stage on NBC's surprise hit The Voice.
His music, especially Piece of You, has the core elements of an excellent rock song with the memorable and sing-along lyrics of a good pop song. He's the type of Twin Cities musician who deserves to be on the larger, national stage and I hope that his national television debut tomorrow night on NBC proves to be successful for him. Check it out locally on KARE-11 at 8 PM C/T.
Tomorrow night, though, Tim Mahoney takes to the national stage on NBC's surprise hit The Voice.
His music, especially Piece of You, has the core elements of an excellent rock song with the memorable and sing-along lyrics of a good pop song. He's the type of Twin Cities musician who deserves to be on the larger, national stage and I hope that his national television debut tomorrow night on NBC proves to be successful for him. Check it out locally on KARE-11 at 8 PM C/T.
Monday, April 04, 2011
Dear whiners: get over your racial sensitivities
Last week, there was a bit of a ripple involving local top 40 radio station KDWB and a parody song entitled "30 Hmongs in a House" done by the Dave Ryan Show's producer, Steve-O, set to the tune of Eric Clapton's "Tears in Heaven". The lyrics, while terribly offensive to some had me laughing when the song originally aired sometime during the week of March 21.
The song, supposedly suggested by a listener in some wacky morning radio bit they were doing between one of the eight songs they play over the course of four hours, poked fun at stereotypes of the Hmong population in the Twin Cities. The Dave Ryan Show has a decent relationship with the Hmong population in the Twin Cities and they love to rib that population -- and it seems to be well received.
But after issuing an apology via the show's Facebook page due to a few persons of Hmong descent being offended, an advertiser has now stepped up and pulled their ads from KDWB. HealthPartners, who had been advertising their online clinic VirtuWell, on Friday yanked all advertising from the station indefinitely.
My advice is to get the hell over it. Because a few culturally sensitive people raised their voices over a song which was heard by about 10% of the entire metro population, the station will likely have to issue some sort of heartfelt apology and maybe even go as far as making a donation to some charity which supports the Hmong population (about 50,000 in the Twin Cities metro area) to appease HealthPartners.
It's just another example of advertisers, for better or worse, having far too much influence over the content of commercial media. I'm not a die-hard Dave Ryan fan but I do admit to listening to the mornng show on KDWB. I don't particularly care for the music but the show does have some comedic value to it. For once I'd like to see a media company thumb their nose at an advertiser who jumped ship due to "questionable content" and stand their ground. An apology, especially when the parody wasn't cruel at all, is all for show no matter what the circumstances are. Do stand-up comedians apologize to people who have been offended by something in their act? There's absolutely no reason to apologize for this parody either? After all, what other young-targeting radio station is HealthPartners going to run to in an effort to get the word out about VirtuWell -- 96.3 Now? Sure.
The song, supposedly suggested by a listener in some wacky morning radio bit they were doing between one of the eight songs they play over the course of four hours, poked fun at stereotypes of the Hmong population in the Twin Cities. The Dave Ryan Show has a decent relationship with the Hmong population in the Twin Cities and they love to rib that population -- and it seems to be well received.
But after issuing an apology via the show's Facebook page due to a few persons of Hmong descent being offended, an advertiser has now stepped up and pulled their ads from KDWB. HealthPartners, who had been advertising their online clinic VirtuWell, on Friday yanked all advertising from the station indefinitely.
My advice is to get the hell over it. Because a few culturally sensitive people raised their voices over a song which was heard by about 10% of the entire metro population, the station will likely have to issue some sort of heartfelt apology and maybe even go as far as making a donation to some charity which supports the Hmong population (about 50,000 in the Twin Cities metro area) to appease HealthPartners.
It's just another example of advertisers, for better or worse, having far too much influence over the content of commercial media. I'm not a die-hard Dave Ryan fan but I do admit to listening to the mornng show on KDWB. I don't particularly care for the music but the show does have some comedic value to it. For once I'd like to see a media company thumb their nose at an advertiser who jumped ship due to "questionable content" and stand their ground. An apology, especially when the parody wasn't cruel at all, is all for show no matter what the circumstances are. Do stand-up comedians apologize to people who have been offended by something in their act? There's absolutely no reason to apologize for this parody either? After all, what other young-targeting radio station is HealthPartners going to run to in an effort to get the word out about VirtuWell -- 96.3 Now? Sure.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
KDWB's War of the Roses is fake
The first clue that the feature entitled “War of the Roses” on local Top 40 station 101.3 KDWB-FM is fake is that when a station calls someone they must inform the person they are calling that they are being recorded. That alone should tip people off that the insanity that ensues when a suspicious woman sets up her man to see who he will send a dozen roses to is entirely fabricated. But some people fail to see the truth.
It’s been discussed back and forth in the inner circles of media insiders
and media watchers but this week it all came bubbling to the surface. Gawker specifically names the faked bit as “War of the Roses”. The name is used nationally and while it’s best known here in the Twin Cities as being a weekly staple of the Dave Ryan Show on KDWB, even the over-exposed Ryan Seacrest in Los Angeles uses the bit on his morning show.
In short, the callers are provided by a company called United Stations Radio Networks (helmed by Dick Clark). The bulk of the talent used for this bit and other pot-stirring radio bits on a number of large Top 40 radio stations are actors plucked from New York City among other places across the country. They are given talking points and a basic outline but the majority is ad libbed and done so quite well.
But it doesn’t stop at staged bits to expose supposedly cheating spouses. When a ludicrous topic is posed by a morning DJ, often times a caller conveniently pops up with an equally ludicrous take on the topic. Many of those scenarios are staged by Dick Clark’s United Stations Radio Network as well. The bottom line is if it sounds too crazy to be real then it’s probably bullshit.
Now while I’m not saying that every wacky bit Dave Ryan (Kibler if you’re all for realism and truth) does on his KDWB morning show is straight up bullshit I think that this company set up by Dick Clark and Premiere Radio Networks (a company under the Clear Channel umbrella) to provide actors for radio bits and calls should be proof enough to be at least skeptical about what you hear during your favorite morning show. Just take t hings with a grain of salt and remember that radio was originally billed as theater of the mind -- not everything you hear is real.
It’s been discussed back and forth in the inner circles of media insiders
In short, the callers are provided by a company called United Stations Radio Networks (helmed by Dick Clark). The bulk of the talent used for this bit and other pot-stirring radio bits on a number of large Top 40 radio stations are actors plucked from New York City among other places across the country. They are given talking points and a basic outline but the majority is ad libbed and done so quite well.
But it doesn’t stop at staged bits to expose supposedly cheating spouses. When a ludicrous topic is posed by a morning DJ, often times a caller conveniently pops up with an equally ludicrous take on the topic. Many of those scenarios are staged by Dick Clark’s United Stations Radio Network as well. The bottom line is if it sounds too crazy to be real then it’s probably bullshit.
Now while I’m not saying that every wacky bit Dave Ryan (Kibler if you’re all for realism and truth) does on his KDWB morning show is straight up bullshit I think that this company set up by Dick Clark and Premiere Radio Networks (a company under the Clear Channel umbrella) to provide actors for radio bits and calls should be proof enough to be at least skeptical about what you hear during your favorite morning show. Just take t hings with a grain of salt and remember that radio was originally billed as theater of the mind -- not everything you hear is real.
Monday, August 09, 2010
How a labor strike changed everything
Immigration has always been a part of our country. It's how our country was built and it's how we became known as the world's melting pot. But now immigration is viewed by many as being a negative. It's viewed as bringing crime and it's assumed by many that everyone who doesn't look like you or I is here illegally. Sure, that's the case sometimes but it isn't always. That's the subject of a Minnesota Public Radio package airing today about my old hometown -- Austin, MN -- being at a crossroads a full quarter century after the Hormel strike which gained national attention changed the landscape of the city forever.
The subject is of particular interest because I grew up in Austin. Well, more specifically a farm outside of Austin but I attended school there and lived in the city until moving in 2003. Throughout that time, those changes were taking place. I remember our very own neighbors being embroiled in the politics of teh Hormel strike. Some crossed the picket line and some stood firm. Those wounds of union men and women and the "scabs" who crossed the picket line are still a sore subject for some but the real changes in the city weren't totally visible until a few years after the strike.
The dad of a friend of mine was at least partially responsible for finding new workers willing to take the lower wages of the newly formed Quality Pork Processors (QPP). I recall advertisements touting a starting wage of a whopping $7.75/hour. These were the same jobs that, under union scale, sometimes paid double that a few years ago. That was the beginning of the immigration influx. It was (and still is) an extremely low wage for an already established but recently unemployed head of household to earn a living with so the logical recruitment target were immigrants and the logical area was south -- particularly Mexico.
There have been rumors for the past twenty years of QPP advertising on billboards in border towns in Texas and even in cities south of the border in Mexico about the high paying jobs in Austin. Supposedly a bus arrives on a weekly basis -- if not more frequently -- in Austin carrying eager, new employees for the cut and kill lines at QPP.
The new racial make-up of Austin has created a cultural divide. While the once high-paying jobs that vanished overnight left many downtown storefronts, the influx of hispanics in the city created a rebirth of sorts in the business community. Suddenly Mexican markets and restaurants sprung up. When I left in 2003 there was one authentic Mexican restaurant in town. Not so any more. The MPR story lists the number of hispanic businesses in the downtown area as nearly a dozen. They pay sales taxes and property taxes and wages, too. It's good to have businesses.
But some view the immigrants as taking over their once whites-only community.
In my last couple years living in Austin, I noticed the fondness that the new immigrants had for the community's parks. They were mostly families grilling on the weekends. Sure the crowds were large and to "old timers" the different culture is intimidating. There are plenty who view them all as bad because of the violence their culture has brought to the city. There have been stabbings and rapes and even murders. It's not a pretty fact but I think of it as a growing pain. If it weren't for the city's latest demographic make-up of 25% hispanic, the city would be a virtual ghost town. The police do their jobs in cracking down on crime but they don't racially profile because that is simply wrong.
The big sticking point is that the influx of hispanic immigrants are very adamant about clinging to their heritage, their language and their culture. That doesn't sit well with established residents.
That quoted point is something I actually agree with. My grandpa immigrated here from Denmark. He worked hard to learn the language and earn a living. He farmed for decades and provided for his large family. I don't recall my dad ever saying that his dad spoke Danish -- even inside the house or with relatives who immigrated here as well. Sure, he hung on to the language because he as well as his relatives corresponded with family members back in Denmark but that was the extent of him keeping his language. May dad can't speak one single word of Danish. My grandpa blended in.
Is it different now? Was it different a century ago? Was it shameful to be proud of your immigrant heritage in 1917? I don't have the answers but I do know that my old hometown has permanently changed and those residents need to confront the change head on, embrace the positives and work with their immigrant neighbors together to make the city better before the few bad apples effectively take over.
The subject is of particular interest because I grew up in Austin. Well, more specifically a farm outside of Austin but I attended school there and lived in the city until moving in 2003. Throughout that time, those changes were taking place. I remember our very own neighbors being embroiled in the politics of teh Hormel strike. Some crossed the picket line and some stood firm. Those wounds of union men and women and the "scabs" who crossed the picket line are still a sore subject for some but the real changes in the city weren't totally visible until a few years after the strike.
The dad of a friend of mine was at least partially responsible for finding new workers willing to take the lower wages of the newly formed Quality Pork Processors (QPP). I recall advertisements touting a starting wage of a whopping $7.75/hour. These were the same jobs that, under union scale, sometimes paid double that a few years ago. That was the beginning of the immigration influx. It was (and still is) an extremely low wage for an already established but recently unemployed head of household to earn a living with so the logical recruitment target were immigrants and the logical area was south -- particularly Mexico.
There have been rumors for the past twenty years of QPP advertising on billboards in border towns in Texas and even in cities south of the border in Mexico about the high paying jobs in Austin. Supposedly a bus arrives on a weekly basis -- if not more frequently -- in Austin carrying eager, new employees for the cut and kill lines at QPP.
The new racial make-up of Austin has created a cultural divide. While the once high-paying jobs that vanished overnight left many downtown storefronts, the influx of hispanics in the city created a rebirth of sorts in the business community. Suddenly Mexican markets and restaurants sprung up. When I left in 2003 there was one authentic Mexican restaurant in town. Not so any more. The MPR story lists the number of hispanic businesses in the downtown area as nearly a dozen. They pay sales taxes and property taxes and wages, too. It's good to have businesses.
"You know, we sound like a bunch of racists down here," said Vincent Maloney, who worked at Hormel for 38 years. "But we're not."
But some view the immigrants as taking over their once whites-only community.
"We've got eight parks in town. Small ones. Big ones," Maloney said. "The white man don't dare go out there. The Mexicans have got them all cornered. And what a mess. They get these piñatas. Beat the hell out of them."
In my last couple years living in Austin, I noticed the fondness that the new immigrants had for the community's parks. They were mostly families grilling on the weekends. Sure the crowds were large and to "old timers" the different culture is intimidating. There are plenty who view them all as bad because of the violence their culture has brought to the city. There have been stabbings and rapes and even murders. It's not a pretty fact but I think of it as a growing pain. If it weren't for the city's latest demographic make-up of 25% hispanic, the city would be a virtual ghost town. The police do their jobs in cracking down on crime but they don't racially profile because that is simply wrong.
The big sticking point is that the influx of hispanic immigrants are very adamant about clinging to their heritage, their language and their culture. That doesn't sit well with established residents.
"Everything is labeled here, making it easier for them to keep their language," she said. "At HyVee, the grocery store, they have the Spanish names for the restrooms and they have the magazines that are printed in Spanish. They just enable them to keep their language. ... I think everyone would feel more accepting if they tried to blend in."
That quoted point is something I actually agree with. My grandpa immigrated here from Denmark. He worked hard to learn the language and earn a living. He farmed for decades and provided for his large family. I don't recall my dad ever saying that his dad spoke Danish -- even inside the house or with relatives who immigrated here as well. Sure, he hung on to the language because he as well as his relatives corresponded with family members back in Denmark but that was the extent of him keeping his language. May dad can't speak one single word of Danish. My grandpa blended in.
Is it different now? Was it different a century ago? Was it shameful to be proud of your immigrant heritage in 1917? I don't have the answers but I do know that my old hometown has permanently changed and those residents need to confront the change head on, embrace the positives and work with their immigrant neighbors together to make the city better before the few bad apples effectively take over.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Sinking even deeper in to my bad music collection
There was obviously a time in the mid-1990s when I had a fondness for novelty CDs. That can be the only explanation for me owning a copy of "Turdy Point Buck" by Bananas at Large.If you're unfamiliar with the song "Turdy Point Buck" then you're obviously not from the upper midwest - or more specifically Minnesota or Wisconsin. The title track, which I had the misfortune of listening to on my commute to my office today, is a tale about a deer hunter sitting in the woods during deer season when he sees and attempts to bag that ellusive thirty (pronounced "turdy") point buck.
For whatever reason, the song gained at least some regional popularity where I grew up (in the greater Rochester radio market - thanks alot KROC-FM). That, in turn, lead me to trudge through what
was likely a snow-filled parking lot at Austin's Oak Park Mall and plop down $10.98 at On Cue for a CD that sported one novelty track that I was sadly familiar with and six more that I could give a shit less about.The CD gave my friends and myself many laughs. I'm sure we sat in my car at lunch outside of the high school and listened to it. I'm sure a certain friend of mine - now a Sherriff's Deputy - prodded me in to playing it again and again because his twisted sense of humor secretly loved the song. I'm also sure that the novelty, just like many others, wore off after about a month.
I have only my old lady to thank for unearthing this blaze orange bastard this morning. She told me she didn't look at CD titles when this one was pulled from the rack but knew that it had to suck based on the color of the spine alone. Hey, at least after listening to it for one final time and reminding myself that I need to punch sixteen year-old me for pissing away money on shit, I can throw this on the spring garage sale. If you find yourself interested in a never-ending buffet of bad CDs, I'll post a link to the Craigslist ad for the sale in late April. Until then, always doubt your musical purchases or you too cold end up with something similar to this blaze orange mistake and find yourself, fourteen years later, listening to this decade's version of "Turdy Point Buck".
Until next time, busy yourself with the archives of MinnPics. I'm sure anything there is better than this week's bad CD.
Monday, February 22, 2010
A penny for my thoughts about the penny
If it wasn't for the radio - yes the radio - I wouldn't have known about the redesign of the penny - or the one cent piece if you're all old-timey. If it weren't for the internet, though, I wouldn't have known just how terrible its new design was.
Which leads me to an actual point. Where do most people get their news? It's been studied and rehashed on an almost daily basis. Newspapers offer up a text and photo-based approach but once a day but to get that particular breed of news in a format you can hold in your hands costs a quarter or two each and every day. Sure, you can get basically the same news as you'd get in print for free on most every newspaper's website but newspaper websites are a pain in the ass to navigate through without using their lousy search functions.
The internet is available, if you don't mind looking over your shoulder, while at work to plenty of office workers. The most accessed time for many news websites in this particular corner of Minnesota is between 11 AM and 1 PM which correlates with lunch time across the different timezones of the United States. But what do you do if you don't want to or can't access the internet for news while at work?
If you're like me, you have a crappy, barely together radio sitting at your desk. My trusty $5.99 earbuds from Menards attached to either it, my iPod or the headphone jack of my computer I keep myself not only entertained/distracted from the outside noise of the office but informed, too. Getting that information/entertainment mix is a bit of work here in the Twin Cities. I can't find a radio station I could tolerate for the course of a workday so I mix it up. I have appointments with certain stations on various parts of the dial but I actually seek out the 4:20-ish news update with Bob Collins on 89.3 The Current. Maybe it's because he has an attitude about the world that matches mine (we're all doomed) or maybe it's because his banter with Mary Lucia is genuine but whatever the case the news he mentions during those few minutes - while not always the biggest headlines - seems almost tailored to my tastes.
And without that newscast and his daily mention - via Lucia's asking - about what's on the News Cut blog, I would have never known about the morons in government with nothing better to do messing with the U.S penny. Screwing with the design of a coin which nobody already gave a damn about is equal to tax forms using a font size 1/2 point smaller than they did previously. Nobody's going to notice! Way to waste money, geniuses! And thank you Bob Collins because without your blog post mentioned on The Current, I would have never known about something most would see as trivial but something I see as wildly maddening.
The only thing more maddening that a new design for the penny is missing an update of MinnPics. Don't miss the kick-ass photos from all over Minnesota including recent name-dropping of Olympic sports. Go now and check it out and subscribe to the RSS feed or I'll write another blog post about curling.
Which leads me to an actual point. Where do most people get their news? It's been studied and rehashed on an almost daily basis. Newspapers offer up a text and photo-based approach but once a day but to get that particular breed of news in a format you can hold in your hands costs a quarter or two each and every day. Sure, you can get basically the same news as you'd get in print for free on most every newspaper's website but newspaper websites are a pain in the ass to navigate through without using their lousy search functions.
The internet is available, if you don't mind looking over your shoulder, while at work to plenty of office workers. The most accessed time for many news websites in this particular corner of Minnesota is between 11 AM and 1 PM which correlates with lunch time across the different timezones of the United States. But what do you do if you don't want to or can't access the internet for news while at work?
If you're like me, you have a crappy, barely together radio sitting at your desk. My trusty $5.99 earbuds from Menards attached to either it, my iPod or the headphone jack of my computer I keep myself not only entertained/distracted from the outside noise of the office but informed, too. Getting that information/entertainment mix is a bit of work here in the Twin Cities. I can't find a radio station I could tolerate for the course of a workday so I mix it up. I have appointments with certain stations on various parts of the dial but I actually seek out the 4:20-ish news update with Bob Collins on 89.3 The Current. Maybe it's because he has an attitude about the world that matches mine (we're all doomed) or maybe it's because his banter with Mary Lucia is genuine but whatever the case the news he mentions during those few minutes - while not always the biggest headlines - seems almost tailored to my tastes.
And without that newscast and his daily mention - via Lucia's asking - about what's on the News Cut blog, I would have never known about the morons in government with nothing better to do messing with the U.S penny. Screwing with the design of a coin which nobody already gave a damn about is equal to tax forms using a font size 1/2 point smaller than they did previously. Nobody's going to notice! Way to waste money, geniuses! And thank you Bob Collins because without your blog post mentioned on The Current, I would have never known about something most would see as trivial but something I see as wildly maddening.
The only thing more maddening that a new design for the penny is missing an update of MinnPics. Don't miss the kick-ass photos from all over Minnesota including recent name-dropping of Olympic sports. Go now and check it out and subscribe to the RSS feed or I'll write another blog post about curling.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
What's the real deal with B96?
When B96 (formerly KTTB 96.3 FM) seemed like its demise was imminent, I hoped for a music format not currently being done in the Twin Cities. We already have Top 40 which leans heavily towards hip-hop, we have rock, classic rock, Hot A/C, A/C, oldies, a watered down A/C that thinks it's a hip and cool AAA station known as Cities 97 and we have FM talk for white guys and and another FM Talker for white women. The Rap/Hip-Hop format that lived on B96 since 2000 was unique. They played DJ mixes, old school hip-hop and even brought in newcomers and local artists on a regular basis.
But it catered to a somewhat niche audience. B96 suffered from a bit of an identity crisis, too. They were more urban sounding than that of the very similar KDWB and that's a hard sell to advertisers because as stereotypes go the format appealed to clud-goers and pawn shops. Sorry, that's just the way stereotypes work. But as David Brauer of MinnPost points out (with help from his commenters), the music played appealed to teens in the burbs, too.
The only problem there is that these kids don't buy much and having ads for pawn shops and downtown Minneapolis clubs next to ads for suburban mall stores is the worst clash of styles you could ever imagine. So the club-goers and the suburban (and inner city) teens lost out. But does the station really matter? For the most part, the same music formerly played on B96 was already being played on KDWB. Sure, B96 did a far better job of connecting with the community and thus the fans of the music but in all actuality that wasn't the station doing that, it was one personality. While his grating voice bothered me deeply, Peter Parker (night DJ on B96) did a hell of a great job connecting with the local hip-hop community.
Parker regularly had guests in the studio either for interviews or performances. He obviously had rather free reign over his show but he didn't abuse that freedom. Instead, he got creative with it and built a community around himself and the music. I won't say he was the most popular radio personality in the Twin Cities but it's been a very long time since radio connected with the listeners and that kind of ethic will take him quite far even with the current terrible state of radio where bland, safe, cheap and distant trumps all else.
Who knows what the future holds for the new 96-3 Now? It will definitely be more safe than its predecessor but safe doesn't always mean abandoning the community but unfortunately safe does pay the bills and music on the radio today is a direct reflection of what advertisers dictate by way of purchasing ad time. The most critically-acclaimed execution of a music format can tank horribly with advertisers but the worst idea ever to those same critics can cast the widest net and thus the most fans and most advertisers. In a way, that's one reason why Jack-FM still occupies 104.1 - it hasn't lasted five (or so) years because it's adventurous. It's lasted because it's cheap to run and that wide variety of safe music appeals to plenty.
Now it's prediction time. Will 96-3 Now (and their shitty logo) last more than a year or two? How long until it's the home to Twins Baseball?
Will MinnPics outlast it? Maybe. It all depends on how much love the internet gives the awesome photos of Minnesota featured daily!
But it catered to a somewhat niche audience. B96 suffered from a bit of an identity crisis, too. They were more urban sounding than that of the very similar KDWB and that's a hard sell to advertisers because as stereotypes go the format appealed to clud-goers and pawn shops. Sorry, that's just the way stereotypes work. But as David Brauer of MinnPost points out (with help from his commenters), the music played appealed to teens in the burbs, too.
The only problem there is that these kids don't buy much and having ads for pawn shops and downtown Minneapolis clubs next to ads for suburban mall stores is the worst clash of styles you could ever imagine. So the club-goers and the suburban (and inner city) teens lost out. But does the station really matter? For the most part, the same music formerly played on B96 was already being played on KDWB. Sure, B96 did a far better job of connecting with the community and thus the fans of the music but in all actuality that wasn't the station doing that, it was one personality. While his grating voice bothered me deeply, Peter Parker (night DJ on B96) did a hell of a great job connecting with the local hip-hop community.
Parker regularly had guests in the studio either for interviews or performances. He obviously had rather free reign over his show but he didn't abuse that freedom. Instead, he got creative with it and built a community around himself and the music. I won't say he was the most popular radio personality in the Twin Cities but it's been a very long time since radio connected with the listeners and that kind of ethic will take him quite far even with the current terrible state of radio where bland, safe, cheap and distant trumps all else.
Who knows what the future holds for the new 96-3 Now? It will definitely be more safe than its predecessor but safe doesn't always mean abandoning the community but unfortunately safe does pay the bills and music on the radio today is a direct reflection of what advertisers dictate by way of purchasing ad time. The most critically-acclaimed execution of a music format can tank horribly with advertisers but the worst idea ever to those same critics can cast the widest net and thus the most fans and most advertisers. In a way, that's one reason why Jack-FM still occupies 104.1 - it hasn't lasted five (or so) years because it's adventurous. It's lasted because it's cheap to run and that wide variety of safe music appeals to plenty.
Now it's prediction time. Will 96-3 Now (and their shitty logo) last more than a year or two? How long until it's the home to Twins Baseball?
Will MinnPics outlast it? Maybe. It all depends on how much love the internet gives the awesome photos of Minnesota featured daily!
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Songs of the year - part two
Yesterday I rattled off a few of the best songs of 2009 in video form - a sort of doudle-edged sword of success for a musician. Today I'll wrap things up with a few more songs that were huge and songs that should have been epic.
Kings of Leon - Sex on Fire
Sure, KOL made it huge with mainstream success this year for "Use Somebody" but anyone who follows the roots of their music in the alternative scene would tell you that these southern boys are definitely not newcomers. I remember hearing them locally with "The Bucket" about four or five years ago. Sex on Fire, while it dind't achieve even a shred of pop success this year was most definitely a hit in certain corners during the summer of 2008 and I think that, based on this year's pop success, KOL can again hit it big if "Sex on Fire" is re-released. It deserves to be the soundtrack to half-naked people on beaches everywhere.
Ida Maria - I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked
Who? Ida Maria could very well fall in to the one-hit-wonder chasm but this song is catchy as hell and the accompanying video is compelling simply because it's different. The lyrics, while simple, are certainly not throw-away crap like for too many songs released this year but the straigh-forward approach of them makes the song that much more appealing. The lyrics can only be interpreted one way.
Airborne Toxic Event - Wishing Well
The instrumental opening of nearly a minute long is so epic that it's hard not to be a fan of this song. The style that the video is edited feels fast, jittery and choppy and matches the underlying, steady kick drum beat that's present throughout the four minutes of the song. In short, even though this is a fan-produced video, it's as good as many bands turn out.
I think I'll stop here but I could go on forever. Sure, this year wasn't as ripe with favorites to me as years past but it's been a blast putting this together. And for the five or six people reading this, I'm toying around with a video site dedicated to Minnesota music - both from here and appearing here - check back from time to time to see if it happens.
But don't forget about MinnPics - it's like a reliable old friend if that friend captured kick ass photographic moments across Minnesota to share with the world.
Kings of Leon - Sex on Fire
Sure, KOL made it huge with mainstream success this year for "Use Somebody" but anyone who follows the roots of their music in the alternative scene would tell you that these southern boys are definitely not newcomers. I remember hearing them locally with "The Bucket" about four or five years ago. Sex on Fire, while it dind't achieve even a shred of pop success this year was most definitely a hit in certain corners during the summer of 2008 and I think that, based on this year's pop success, KOL can again hit it big if "Sex on Fire" is re-released. It deserves to be the soundtrack to half-naked people on beaches everywhere.
Ida Maria - I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked
Who? Ida Maria could very well fall in to the one-hit-wonder chasm but this song is catchy as hell and the accompanying video is compelling simply because it's different. The lyrics, while simple, are certainly not throw-away crap like for too many songs released this year but the straigh-forward approach of them makes the song that much more appealing. The lyrics can only be interpreted one way.
Airborne Toxic Event - Wishing Well
The instrumental opening of nearly a minute long is so epic that it's hard not to be a fan of this song. The style that the video is edited feels fast, jittery and choppy and matches the underlying, steady kick drum beat that's present throughout the four minutes of the song. In short, even though this is a fan-produced video, it's as good as many bands turn out.
I think I'll stop here but I could go on forever. Sure, this year wasn't as ripe with favorites to me as years past but it's been a blast putting this together. And for the five or six people reading this, I'm toying around with a video site dedicated to Minnesota music - both from here and appearing here - check back from time to time to see if it happens.
But don't forget about MinnPics - it's like a reliable old friend if that friend captured kick ass photographic moments across Minnesota to share with the world.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Songs of the year
Everyone and their mother seems to be releasing rather pointless and tired year-end or decade's-end lists ranging from sports moments to fails. But this one is different. This one was created by me...
Without further ado, 2009's songs of the year - in video format because I hear that video is catching on.
Phoenix - 1901
I had never heard of Phoenix until they were the featured musical act on an SNL episode early in the year. I was happy I was watching SNL because they were the only bright spot in that wretched Seth Rogen episode.
Metric - Help, I'm Alive
I had heard so much of this band as 2009 came into being and I simply fell in love with this song. Metric, hailing from Canada, makes exquisite poppy tunes and I think that they have even more mass appeal being a female-fronted band. The vocals of Emily Haines are mind blowing in my opinion. Sadly, no ture official video exists outside of this short film produced for the song.
The band's latest song, "Sick Muse", is equally as satisfying both aurally and visually. It already stands an excellent chance of making my list for 2010.
Green Day - 21 Guns
Green Day, after their "American Idiot" album, found themselves all grown up. They wrote more melodic music and while they still appeal greatly to teens their music is more all-encompassing. "21st Century Breakdown" isn't chock full of hits in my book but it's hard to be fair when "American Idiot" had a hit in nearly every track. The music of "21st Century Breakdown" has far less of an obvious political message and stance but is far more powerful. "21 Guns" is the purest definition of power pop that I heard all year long.
Lady Gaga - Bad Romance
It took me all year to warm up to Lady Gaga. Her first single, "Just Dance", was just annoying. The more I heard it the more I hated it. But then came "Poker Face". I was becoming a fan of Gaga. When "Paparazzi" hit the airwaves I was indifferent - until the MTV VMA performance. She is a true talent when it comes to her live performances - they aren't just music, they are art and that's what her persona as Lady Gaga is. The first time I saw the video for "Bad Romance", off her "Fame Monster" disc, I loved it. It was a turn in a new direction for me because rarely do I like a pop song on the first listen. I predicted on Twitter that by Thanksgiving week it would be played 80 times/week locally on KDWB - that prediction was off by about two or three weeks but this song is huge and amazing in so many ways - plus it sounds great at any volume.
Jay-Z - Empire State of Mind
No, it's not so much Jigga-man's rapping that sold me on this song being one of the year's best, it's his decision to team up with Alicia Keys who makes playing the piano cool. This song and its accompanying video almost make me want to live in NYC.
Carolina Liar - Show Me What I'm Looking For
This is another example of power pop - the only difference is that this song deserved so much more exposure than it received. Carolina Liar is a fairly straight-forward rock band that wrote a ballad of sorts that seemed custom-tailored for touching TV montages and commercials. I know that at one point SoapNet used it but these guys deserve so much more.
In the interest of keeping this as succinct as possible, I'm breaking this in to a two-parter. Check back tomorrow for the reast of my humble list and don't forget to spend a few more minutes of your time at MinnPics because who doesn't like photos?!?
Without further ado, 2009's songs of the year - in video format because I hear that video is catching on.
Phoenix - 1901
I had never heard of Phoenix until they were the featured musical act on an SNL episode early in the year. I was happy I was watching SNL because they were the only bright spot in that wretched Seth Rogen episode.
Metric - Help, I'm Alive
I had heard so much of this band as 2009 came into being and I simply fell in love with this song. Metric, hailing from Canada, makes exquisite poppy tunes and I think that they have even more mass appeal being a female-fronted band. The vocals of Emily Haines are mind blowing in my opinion. Sadly, no ture official video exists outside of this short film produced for the song.
The band's latest song, "Sick Muse", is equally as satisfying both aurally and visually. It already stands an excellent chance of making my list for 2010.
Green Day - 21 Guns
Green Day, after their "American Idiot" album, found themselves all grown up. They wrote more melodic music and while they still appeal greatly to teens their music is more all-encompassing. "21st Century Breakdown" isn't chock full of hits in my book but it's hard to be fair when "American Idiot" had a hit in nearly every track. The music of "21st Century Breakdown" has far less of an obvious political message and stance but is far more powerful. "21 Guns" is the purest definition of power pop that I heard all year long.
Lady Gaga - Bad Romance
It took me all year to warm up to Lady Gaga. Her first single, "Just Dance", was just annoying. The more I heard it the more I hated it. But then came "Poker Face". I was becoming a fan of Gaga. When "Paparazzi" hit the airwaves I was indifferent - until the MTV VMA performance. She is a true talent when it comes to her live performances - they aren't just music, they are art and that's what her persona as Lady Gaga is. The first time I saw the video for "Bad Romance", off her "Fame Monster" disc, I loved it. It was a turn in a new direction for me because rarely do I like a pop song on the first listen. I predicted on Twitter that by Thanksgiving week it would be played 80 times/week locally on KDWB - that prediction was off by about two or three weeks but this song is huge and amazing in so many ways - plus it sounds great at any volume.
Jay-Z - Empire State of Mind
No, it's not so much Jigga-man's rapping that sold me on this song being one of the year's best, it's his decision to team up with Alicia Keys who makes playing the piano cool. This song and its accompanying video almost make me want to live in NYC.
Carolina Liar - Show Me What I'm Looking For
This is another example of power pop - the only difference is that this song deserved so much more exposure than it received. Carolina Liar is a fairly straight-forward rock band that wrote a ballad of sorts that seemed custom-tailored for touching TV montages and commercials. I know that at one point SoapNet used it but these guys deserve so much more.
In the interest of keeping this as succinct as possible, I'm breaking this in to a two-parter. Check back tomorrow for the reast of my humble list and don't forget to spend a few more minutes of your time at MinnPics because who doesn't like photos?!?
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