Context? CDL

A '90s memory: I'd been asked to read a critic's review of a rock concert for our company's information-by-phone service.  Ordinarily, I did voiceovers for events-around-town listings, business updates, and instructions for users on how to access various features.  I'd never read a concert review for that service before.  I read the review, I thought, with appropriate enthusiasm and gravity.  It struck me as slightly odd, however, that the reviewer referred to the band's performance as "a Dionysian delight."  I read it just as he'd phrased it while thinking, "That might be perfectly accurate, but Dionysian?  Why not just say the performance was emotive, passionate, or refreshingly unstructured?"

"The artist's work is an amalgamation of gourds and seed pods," from an events-around-town promotion, was the most offbeat sentence I ever read while recording voiceovers.  I never recorded a remotely comparable sentence during voiceover sessions again.  Similarly, I never expected to refer to anything as Dionysian, and not surprisingly, that review was the only voiceover I recorded containing that word.

Segue suggestion XIX

I'm going to surprise myself today by recommending a Dolly Parton solo track as part of a graceful segue.  For years, I've thought that Parton's voice works best in the context of backing vocals on "Creepin' In" by Norah Jones or with Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris on their cover of Neil Young's "After The Gold Rush."

However, despite not hearing Parton's solo hit, "Here You Come Again," in many years, I've realized this week how well it could segue with Sheena Easton's "Morning Train" or Natalie Cole's "This Will Be."  All three songs have compatible bounces suitable for oldies station segues. 

SiriusXM highlights CLXXVII

Standout songs heard today:

Acoustic Guitar Instrumentals

• Renaca-Nicola Cipriani/Brad Myrick (A somewhat bittersweet midtempo melody.) 

The Big Easy

• Right On-The Dirty Dozen Brass Band ("Use Your Brain" is my go-to track from this band, but this could be effective underscoring for a turbulent scene.)

The Coffee House

• I Thought I Saw Your Face Today-She & Him (Lyrically and structurally, this sounds like a Carpenters song to me.)

North Americana

• The Returner-Allison Russell (I don't always agree with the expression, "That which does not kill us makes stronger," but Russell's lyrics make a solid argument in its defense.)

Piano Instrumentals

• Between Raindrops-Joshua Zimmerman ("After Hours" by Rickie Lee Jones could segue with this, as there's a compatible delicacy between both tracks.)

Real Jazz

• Baby Elephant Walk-Ted Nash (It impresses me that this version of a distinctive Henry Mancini tune sounds like it might swerve into Herbie Hancock's "Cantaloupe Island" at any moment.)

The Village

• Hymn For The Unholy (Live)-Emily Scott Robinson (A well-written, sincerely sung acknowledgment that much of life is uncertain and a certain resilience comes with surviving the curves it throws you.)

Watercolors Instrumental

• Lifted-Phil Denny (A steady, easy-on-the-ears smooth jazz saxophone groove.  I would segue this with Freddie Ravel's "Sunny Side Up.")

Community Radio St. Louis highlights XII

Seven recommended tunes heard today:

The Mix-Up 

• Any Old Fool-Thee Sacred Souls (This April release has appealing throwback R&B stylings in its vocals and instrumentation.)
• You're Never Around-Lake Street Dive (This tale of a dysfunctional relationship is set to a great driving beat.  Rachael Price's vocals pack an effective punch here, and this July release makes its point forcefully in just two and a half minutes.)

Memphis To Manchester 

• Sweet Sixteen Bars-Ray Charles (This classy piano instrumental could stand in for "Saturday Night Live"'s closing theme.)
• These Days-Glen Campbell (When covering this Jackson Browne song in concert, Erin Bode praised Browne for penning such grown-up sentiments at a young age.  Campbell's version, recorded late in his career, shows the gravity these lyrics carry with age.  Thematically, "These Days" pairs well with...)
• Reminder-Margaret Glaspy (...this new lyrically brave release, which acknowledges that some of our decisions will be missteps, but that shouldn't stop us from making the effort.  Sometimes, we have more agency to make people's lives better than we think.)

The Now Sound

• Universal Heart-Beat-Juliana Hatfield (There's an appealing energy in this tune about the inevitability of heartache in everyone's life.  If I'd been at KCOU in 1995, I would have played this on the air.)
• Lifetimeline-The Spongetones (If you're going to remind listeners that a lot of life involves just holding on and riding the waves, it's refreshing to sing about it as The Spongetones do here--in a way that's truthful without being heavy-handed.)

Online radio sampler highlights CCCVII (International edition)

Today, I decided, "Why limit the radio stations I sample for this blog to just American ones?"  Hence, my first international edition of Online radio sampler highlights.  These are seven standout tunes I've heard today:

CJRT-FM (Toronto, Canada) 

• Follow You, Follow Me-Chester Thompson Trio (Thompson's drumming underscores this pleasant jazz piano-led version of one of the best Genesis hits.)

Connemara Community Radio (Connemara, Ireland)

• The Wedding Jig-Gerry O'Connor (I'm always up for this type of spirited, uptempo fiddling.)

FIP (Paris, France)

• I Can't Turn You Loose-Otis Redding (Rhythmically and lyrically, this would segue easily with "I Can't Help Myself" by The Four Tops.)
• Confusion Song-Luna Li (Swirling, celestial instrumentation augments the endearing dream pop vocals compellingly.)
• Melanie-Gary Burton (Warm vibraphone jazz with just enough dissonance to keep things interesting.)

Tilos Radio (Budapest, Hungary)

• New Day (Quentin Harris Remix)-Atelewo (Sometimes, with techno music, less is more.  When you have a beat that works, why not stay with it and keep it relatively undistracted?)
• Relics-Studio Pressure (This track illustrates how critical percussion is in underscoring certain techno arrangements.)

Context? CDXLIX

As I drove to my polling place this morning, a newspaper reporter said on the radio, "You can't be too cynical when it comes to politics."

That's generally true, unfortunately.  A vote for someone is a leap of faith that the candidate is seeking office for noble reasons and aims to make people's lives better.  That's why I always look forward to voting in every election.  When my preferred candidates and propositions prevail, I'm proud of helping to make that happen.

As contradictory as it sounds, I'm an idealistic, jaded cynic.  I'll continue to cast my ballot every chance I get.

A studio fit for a polar bear

In retrospect, I'm surprised that the DJs were allowed to control the thermostat in one particular studio.  I was one of at least two DJs who liked the studio freezing cold, so in the later months of my employment there, I set the temperature to near David Letterman studio levels.  While I still like a cool residence or office on a hot day, I've never set the thermostat anywhere near that low in my own home.

It's interesting how your definition of a comfortable temperature changes when you know you'll have to pay the electric bill.