Happy 33rd birthday, KDHX! I've heard such an eclectic array of artists from so many diverse genres on that station over the years. I don't know if I'll be around 33 years from now, but if I am, I hope I'm congratulating KDHX then on 66 years of invaluable service to St. Louis and beyond. Here are nine noteworthy tunes I've heard on KDHX and two other stations this morning:
KDHX 88.1 FM
- Little Lamb-Tim Heidecker (How do you tell people that their image of you is outdated or incomplete? This August release's lyrics are one polite way of doing that.)
- Release & Let Go-Acceptance (This well-produced, well-sung August release is energetic rock suited for a huge venue. It could segue with A Sunny Day In Glasgow's "In Love With Useless.")
- Saskatchewan To Chicago-Dolly Varden (This husband and wife duo sing compellingly, suggesting to me how Tracy Chapman or The Kennedys might sound as indie country-rock artists.)
- Through My Sails-Neil Young & Crazy Horse (Young provides lyrical reassurance that a fresh start will likely turn out well. This is one of Young's warmer tunes, so I should get to know it better.)
- Dying To Believe-The Beths (This infectious, guitar-laden April release from vocalist Elizabeth Stokes and company segues well with the band's own "Happy Unhappy." Also recommended: the tune's video in which the band helpfully shows how to write a song.)
WSIE 88.7 FM
- Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You-Erin Bode (I'm impressed that WSIE plays Bode's excellent cover of this Bob Dylan tune. I saw Bode perform this live in 2007 and '08, and the synergy between the keyboard and Bode's vocals was perfect.)
- African Breeze-Jonathan Butler (A sunny, fast--and yes, breezy--melody for guitar and flute.)
- Godchild-Miles Davis (This is my favorite and most-played tune from the renowned "Birth Of The Cool" album. This recording from 1949 finds Davis playing trumpet in more of a big band style than he would adopt in later phases of his distinguished career.)
KEZK 102.5 FM
- Lovefool-The Cardigans (If you listened to WVRV when this was a hit, you
probably heard it a lot. Nina Persson's quirky vocals and the tune's
memorable chorus plant themselves firmly in the listener's mind and
don't leave easily. This was the group's big American hit starting in late 1996 and lasting through the majority of 1997. If you like the tune's hook, seek out "Carnival" and "Fine," which should have been American hits, as well.)
