FM dial scan highlights CCCIII

Five standout tunes heard today:

WSIE 88.7 FM

• If That's True-Esperanza Spalding (This jazz combo cooks, to say the least, and Spalding's bass playing provides the foundation.)
• Scenes From An Italian Restaurant-Billy Joel (Joel's best song, in my opinion; the way the song comes full circle, the well-told coming together and estrangement of Brenda and Eddie, an impressive piano part...There's a lot to like here.)

KCLC 89.1 FM

• 'Til My Heart Stops-The Beths (There's an endearingly honest vulnerability in the lyrics and vocals.  The more I hear of The Beths, the more their consistency impresses me.)

KWUR 90.3 FM

• Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?-Grant Green (A hip jazz guitar cover of the Chicago hit.  Grant plays the theme upfront and then expands upon it compellingly for the duration.)
• Anna-The Menzingers (A high energy, appealingly guitar-heavy way of conveying how much you miss someone.)  

The allure of shuffle mode XCVI

I was intrigued this afternoon when iTunes shuffle mode segued Erin Bode's "Out Of Time" with "A Darker Kind Of Blue" by Brooks Williams.  After listening to those songs separately for years, I hadn't thought to pair them.  Lyrically, it's a compatible twosome; whether it's a relationship or a problem-plagued life, possible solutions come with expiration dates.

Persistent earworm alert CDXXXI

Since enduring a storm with loud hail this morning, "Popcorn" by Hot Butter, a synthesizer instrumental, has been on my mind.  Popcorn, to me, mimics the sound of hail, and Hot Butter's 1972 hit conveys the turbulence of a storm.  With an ominous forecast for more stormy weather later today, "Popcorn" will likely park itself in my mind again for hours.

Incidentally, I don't think I've ever heard anyone play "Popcorn" outside of "American Top 40."  It's one of those set-firmly-in-its-time instrumentals that didn't make the jump to oldies radio rotations.

Segue suggestion XV

While listening to Bruce Cockburn's "Deer Dancing Around A Broken Mirror" recently, I realized how well it would segue with a comparable guitar instrumental, Leo Kottke's "The Fisherman."  The tunes could follow each other in either order, as both of them show how it's possible to be placid and uptempo.

Steering into the skid X

I'm not 100% sure, but I think I first heard Maura O'Connell's "Feet Of A Dancer" on the former KDHX show, "Blue Highways."  I've rarely heard it since then, but a few times over the years, I've thought of it when I've tripped and had to grasp onto a sofa or chair.  I've adjusted the opening lyric for those incidents by thinking, "I do not have the feet of a dancer..."

I've reminded myself that as long as I'm coordinated enough not to break any bones, an occasional fall is tolerable--provided there's a sofa, chair, or other soft landing option within my grasp. 

Community Radio St. Louis highlights IX

Five of the stronger tunes played today on crstl.fm:

Sweet Inspiration 

• Mental Revenge-Linda Ronstadt (It's interesting hearing Ronstadt in this 1970 context, with prominent fiddle backing, tempo shifts, and more of a country bent.  Lyrically, this is an honest way of saying, "I can't stand you," and it could be a companion piece with "You're No Good.")

Beyon' Cray

• Please Pardon Me (You Remind Me Of A Friend)-Rufus featuring Chaka Khan (With vocals and instrumental backing this strong and heartfelt, how was this 1974 track not a hit?)
• Cosmic Ray-Ray Charles & Milt Jackson (An enjoyably energetic piano-and-vibraharp instrumental.)

Dangerous Curves

• Drink The Ocean-Gabi Hartmann featuring Oracle Sisters (There's a relaxed, fanciful, floating vibe in the vocals and instrumentation.)
• No-Mina (Whether translating this from Italian to English or just listening to it in Italian, this is a pretty direct rejection of someone.)

Context? CDXXXV

A morning radio personality recently opined that "Todd Rundgren doesn't get enough credit."  I didn't hear what he said beyond that, but I agree.  When Rundgren crafts an excellent tune, it holds up decades later.  Five examples:

• Couldn't I Just Tell You? (This is one of many well-produced, well-played, and well-sung Rundgren tracks.  It sports a great sing-along hook and a guitar part that could make potentially great players resume taking lessons.  The perfect intro draws listeners then and keeps them there as the song picks up steam.)
• Hello, It's Me (It's not surprising that this was Rundgren's biggest hit.  It's a well-structured tune that builds to its chorus effectively with a hook that's not forgotten easily.  Seek out the full album version for its extended refrain, "Think of me...")
• I Saw The Light (In my view, "I Saw The Light" ranks up with "What A Fool Believes" by The Doobie Brothers as a perfectly constructed song.  Right from the intro, it stands out vocally and instrumentally among pop songs, and it's still one the best ways I've heard of saying, "You're the one for me.") 
• Property (The tune's robotic rhythm is hard to forget, which makes it good driving music.  Regarding the lyrics: If you're unmarried and nod in agreement with the viewpoint Rundgren espouses, marriage might not be for you.  Or, at least, you'd be wise to choose your spouse carefully.)
• Something To Fall Back On (Rundgren's layering of his own voice makes this overlooked tune stand out.  Since first hearing it, I've always thought it would make a strong theme for a quirky, underappreciated sitcom.)