A function of age LI

Tonight, I gave up on listening to an AM station when a loud hum on the radio blocked the station's frequency.

Yes, that happened, and yes, it's not a sentence many people under age 55 say these days. 

Persistent earworm alert CDXLV

This morning, I thought about how much work I'd done throughout the long, draining night and how long the rest of the week and month feel.  While contemplating this, the circus music opening of Three Dog Night's "The Show Must Go On" ran through my mind.

That goofy carnival-like theme is still there now.  I'm glad my mind, at least, feels subconsciously whimsical even when I don't.

Persistent earworm alert CDXLIV

Talk about having to be on my game this weekend.  Between Friday night and Sunday morning, I'm scheduled to work 22 hours in a 34-hour span.  Financially, this is a plus, and fortunately, the first big chunk of working hours is already over.  By Sunday morning, however, I expect I'll be delirious.  I've been keeping things in perspective, though, with a mental soundtrack of "People Make The World Go Round" by The Stylistics.

So far, this has been an effective tactic.  We'll see how I feel Sunday morning, however.

Separating the theme from the show

Many reviewers regard season six as the worst or one of the worst seasons of "Saturday Night Live."  While listening to the "Not Ready For Season 6" podcast recently, I thought, "The show wasn't great that season, but the theme song SNL used that season isn't bad.  It's sunny, bouncy, and saxophone-driven, setting the audience up for the comedy to follow."

It's a shame such a well-composed theme has to be tied to a season in which laughs were mostly few and far between.

Online radio sampler highlights CCCIV

Five standout selections heard today:

KUNV (Las Vegas, NV)

• Everything Is Fine-Nicole Henry (An easy, relaxed bounce supports Henry's strong vocals.  Rhythmically and lyrically, Al Jarreau's "We're In This Love Together" could segue with this.)

KWAX (Eugene, OR)

• Frederic Chopin: Mazurka in C minor, Op. 56, No. 3 (Emanuel Ax, piano) (This graceful, melancholy melody had me leaning in to ingest it.)

KXCI (Tucson, AZ)

• Follow Your Heart-The Paladins (With a guitar intro this intense, I don't doubt the conviction of the lyrics that follow it.)

WKYN (Mount Sterling, KY)

• Seven Year Ache-Rosanne Cash (Cash has always been adept at crafting cross-categorical tunes that fit just as easily in the singer-songwriter genre.  "Seven Year Ache" chronicles someone's inability to grapple with a relationship that's falling apart.  The synthesizer part has 1981 stamped all over it, appealingly.)

WSCA (Portsmouth, NH)

• Swingin' At Newport (Live)-Count Basie (Basie sets the template with a "Choo Choo Ch' Boogie"-style rhythm on the piano, and his band maintains its swing for eight minutes.  I'm glad that in 2026, there's a place on the air where you can still hear a vinyl recording of this.)

Segue suggestion XVIII

For a smooth jazz station seeking two compatibly bouncy tunes, I recommend pairing Kenny G's "The Shuffle" with Tom Grant's "Eye Of The Hurricane."  I played "The Shuffle" many times on KNJZ, but surprisingly, I have yet to hear "...Hurricane" on any station or stream.  This pairing offers a graceful way of gliding from an upbeat saxophone instrumental into rhythmically compatible vocals.

Retro FM dial scan highlights VI: 7/7/97

During my FM dial scan 29 years ago, one radio station after another was testing the Emergency Broadcast System.  Despite encountering that repetitive tone on station after station, I still managed to hear some music along the way.  Among the highlights:

WSIE 88.7 FM

• Poinciana-Gary Burton (This is a pleasant, expansive take on this standard, with Fred Hersch's piano playing and Burton's vibraphone stylings maintaining a mellow mood.) 

KCFV 89.5 FM

• Down By The Water-PJ Harvey (This of-its-time earworm's whispered refrain, "Big fish, little fish, swimming in the water...," still creeps me out decades later.)

WFUN 95.5 FM

• On The Wings Of Love-Jeffrey Osborne (Considering how radio-friendly this well-sung 1982 staple ballad of dedication shows is, I was surprised to learn that it wasn't a bigger hit.) 

KFAV 99.9 FM

• How Was I To Know?-John Michael Montgomery (Jann Arden's "Insensitive" could segue with this.)

KEZK 102.5 FM

• Someone Saved My Life Tonight-Elton John (This holds up, in my opinion, as one of John's best hits.  The piano underscoring, vocals, and lyrics check all the boxes that need to be checked.)