Context? IX

"All right, you CD players!  Take that!  And that!"

--Heard on a noncommercial FM station in the early '90s, along with sledgehammer sound effects

I still wonder why the DJ was pretending to destroy the CD players.  Did they skip too often?  Were new ones being installed soon?  Did she prefer the sound of records in mint condition?  Ironically, the sledgehammer sound effects sounded as though they were being played on a CD.  What would drive an announcer to want to destroy the equipment?

Persistent earworm alert XIX

An early '70s groove has lodged itself firmly in my mind this morning.  The artist co-wrote and sang backing vocals with James Brown.  You'll probably pick up on that right away, as the song that keeps playing in my head is heavily in Brown's style.  Its recurring riff sustains it until it ends abruptly.  The repeated vocals work, although any number of lyrics could likely be sung over the rhythm without compromising it.  The tune?  Bobby Byrd's "I Know You Got Soul."  I first heard it while driving and found it creeping into my mind today while listening to other stations, even news-talk ones.  That's a riff with staying power.

Making an effort

During a critique session at broadcasting school, a student apologized to the instructor for putting in a mediocre effort on his mock radio shift tape.  "My mind wasn't really on this," he said, listing various distractions from his life.  The instructor replied, "I'll give you some advice that a program director once gave me.  He told me, 'When you're on the air, you can't do anything about the rent or anything else outside the studio.  Why not put in your best effort at work?  That way, at least one thing in your day will have gone right.'"

I never knew if the student turned in a better tape during his next session, but I always thought the instructor's advice was sound.

FM dial scan highlights LIV

Five strong tracks that I've heard today:

KDHX 88.1 FM

• Call Off Your Dogs-Lake Street Dive (A fun, new tune with a groove and vocals that would have been at home on the radio during the late '70s or early '80s; it's one of the catchiest tunes of 2016, so far, and would flow well after Queen's "Another One Bites The Dust" or "Christmas Wrapping" by The Waitresses.)
• You Won't See Me-The Beatles (A forthright yet tempered way to express exasperation with someone.  It's not immediately obvious, but lyrically, "Call Off Your Dogs" and "You Won't See Me" are two sides of the same coin.  Both tunes, in distinctly different ways, implore someone to see the light and be more reasonable.  Also recommended from the "Rubber Soul" album: "In My Life," "I'm Looking Through You," and "Wait.")

WSIE 88.7 FM 

• Here's That Rainy Day-Ben Haugland (An engaging combo, featuring Haugland on piano, turns in a straight ahead rendition that lets the song breathe.  Trumpet and saxophone solos enhance the tune without overpowering it.)

KCLC 89.1 FM

• When We Were Young-Adele (A moving reminder of what drew two people together.  As usual, Adele emotes with full-throated conviction.)

WFUN 95.5 FM

• That Girl-Stevie Wonder (How satisfying it must be for an artist to have such a strong assortment of hits that he can compile an "Original Musiquarium I" in which every track is a winner.  "That Girl"'s sly atmosphere kicks in right on the first note and keeps the listener hooked.)

Only in college XIV

Receiving a phone book recently reminded me of the time KCOU staffer Mike reviewed the phone book as if it were an album.  KCOU staffer Jeff then wrote a rebuttal to Mike's review.

Mike's review: "100,000+ cool local artists got together and put out this overwhelming compilation.  The production is clean without being slick.  Mostly raw, punchy offerings, though it drags in parts (Smith, Jones, etc.)  Check out the cool liner notes.  A true voice for an anonymous society."  In the review sheet's comments section, Mike wrote, "Many of these artists have appeared on similar phone book compilations, but they've never been in finer form than they are here!!"  In the best cuts section, Mike listed the names of several individuals and businesses as they appeared in the phone book.

Jeff's rebuttal: "No, this is not KCOU material.  This merely shows the corporate brainwashing of our society.  This whole collection is sponsored by some money-grubbing corporate conglomerate trying to take over society.  Look at you, Mike, drooling over organization and orderliness.  @#&* the alphabet.  Long live randomness."

That's the kind of inspired creativity you only get at a noncommercial college radio station.  When I've told people about what made KCOU so quirky and interesting, I've cited this example often.

The proper response to clenched teeth

The bassists had a tricky entrance in a piece the orchestra was sight-reading.  Even though the score said to start playing on an off beat, our ears fooled us into thinking otherwise.  Consequently, all six of us missed the entrance.  The conductor stopped us and said, "Hang on; we need to get this."  I thought he would follow up with, "This is where you come in," or "Please remember to count, and don't let your ears fool you."  He surprised us, however, by saying, "Bassists, do you know how foolish a conductor looks when he goes like this, and no one responds?"  While asking this, he raised his arms, clenched his teeth, and made his eyes bulge menacingly.  A passerby, upon seeing this unflattering pose, might have thought the conductor had just escaped from an asylum.

The next time around, all six of us played our entrance correctly.

Stingray Music highlights XIV

Appealing selections heard Tuesday morning:

Alt Rock Classics

• 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.)

Canadian Indie

• We Draw Lines-Blinker The Star (Good guitar-heavy rock with lyrics and structure that build on themselves and keep the listener hooked.) 

Cocktail Lounge

• I'm A Fool To Care-Les Paul & Mary Ford (Ford's vocals and Paul's guitar mesh well in this musical lament I wish I'd played on WEW.)

Cool Jazz 

• Bing, Bing, Bing!-Charlie Hunter Trio (The saxophone, guitar, and drums produce a midtempo groove with instant atmosphere that would be at home on a traditional or smooth jazz playlist.)

Jazz Masters

• Gaslight-Duke Pearson (A sly stroll of a melody; Pearson grounds the tune on piano.  With heavy hitters, such as trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, saxophonist Joe Henderson, and bassist Ron Carter on board, it's no surprise that the track is such a winner.)

Nature

• Nocturne 2-Boreal Owl-Ken Johnson (Ideal piano accompaniment for owl-watching.)

Retro R&B

• Ode To Benny B.-Earl Van Dyke (The lead and rhythm instruments, especially the harmonica, coalesce to produce a great uptempo instrumental that ranks with the best Stevie Wonder backing tracks.) 

Samba & Pagode

• Eta Amor-Pericles featuring Xande (An ideal tune for an outdoor concert; its upbeat vocals, flute, and percussion could easily prime an audience for an enjoyable evening.)