A petty fixation LIII

This afternoon, a radio station identification breaker played, and then---nothing.

"That's odd," I thought.  "The top-of-the-hour news isn't starting."

Then, looking at the clock, I saw that the top of the hour was still two minutes away.

After two minutes of silence, the news finally started.  In the grand scheme of things, this wasn't a big deal.  Two minutes of dead air feels like a long time, though, when it happens accidentally. 

International common ground

Whenever Casey Kasem said every week that "American Top 40" was "heard in the 50 states and around the world on great radio stations like...," I always wondered if he'd name the St. Louis station--KSLQ in the early years, or KHTR in later years--on which I heard the show.  

I also liked hearing the names of international radio stations that carried the countdown.  I especially remember Kasem mentioning Radyo Iloilo in the Philippines.  I just looked it up, and that station now has a news/talk format.  It's nice to know, though, that decades ago, people who lived so far away were enjoying the same music and musical trivia I was.  Here's hoping they enjoyed hearing Kasem's acknowledgment of Radyo Iloilo as much as I liked hearing the nods to St. Louis affiliates.

Persistent earworm alert CDLIII

Recently, an algorithm served up multiple online articles for me about forgotten and underrated sitcoms.  When reading about one such sitcom, I was transported back to 1987.  I only saw one episode of "Rags To Riches" when it aired originally.  I didn't dislike it, but I hadn't thought about the show since that airing.  I remembered it was about orphaned girls who lived with a benefactor and sang.  All I remembered about the episode was the last line of the theme song, "We'll get through it, hand in hand in hand," and that the girls sang a cover of "Little Bitty Pretty One."

Now, those two musical extracts are cemented on a mental loop--and it's helping to blunt the edge of present day reality, in which the news is less than great, to put it mildly.  I'm wary of AI and custom-tailored news,  but there are times when I like that an algorithm knows what I need--even when I wasn't aware that I needed it.

Context? CDLVIII

While driving yesterday, I was surprised when a radio talk show host mentioned on-air that he sees 14 doctors.  My reaction to that is the same for anyone in that situation: May you always get the health care you need, when you need it.

Context? CDLVII

Last night, a Classical radio program host informed his listeners of some proper etiquette.  He introduced a concert performance of a Strauss waltz by telling the audience, "You're not allowed to walk out, but you are allowed to get up and dance."

I complied with the invitation.  At two pivotal moments during the piece, I got up from the kitchen table and waltzed my cat, Collette, around the room in two 10-second intervals.  I figured that was as much dancing as she would tolerate without biting or scratching me--or at least fidgeting.

When the piece concluded, I told her, "Thank you for tolerating 20 seconds of waltzing." 

I'd like to think that both of us showed proper etiquette, within reason.

SiriusXM highlights CLXXIX

Standout tunes heard today:

1st Wave Deep Cuts

• Leave In Silence-Depeche Mode (Alas, some relationships are destined to fizzle out.)

'60s Gold

• Ain't That Peculiar-Marvin Gaye (Rhythmically and vocally, this 1965 oldie never wears out its welcome.  This is an excellent example of how to build to a chorus in a fast tune.) 

Alt 2K

• Brick By Boring Brick-Paramore (A compelling case for not living exclusively in one's own world, as understandable as it might be.)

Bakersfield Beat

• Come On Home-Mel & Carl (The vocal harmonies are reminiscent of The Everly Brothers.)

Escape

• Fields Of Gold-Brian Withycombe (A pleasant piano rendition of one of Sting's most compelling hits.)

Lo-Fi Sleep

• Midnight, Somewhere-Idealism (An endearingly halting piano melody anchors this instrumental.)

Real Jazz Just Music

• Fula (Live)-McCoy Mrubata (Rhythmically compelling bass and piano set the stage for expansive saxophone wailing.)

Watercolors

• Silver Lining-Andrea Lisa (This unhurried smooth jazz guitar groove sounds like it's going to lead into some '70s R&B vocals at any moment.)

FM dial scan highlights CCCXII

Today marks 12 years since I started this blog, and scanning the FM dial for compelling music is just as captivating to me as it was on September 1, 2014.  Here are five standout tunes I heard this morning:

WSIE 88.7 FM

• Digits-Clark Terry (An effective doubling up of a sunny melody from Johnny Griffin on saxophone and Terry on trumpet.)
• Bountiful-Kayla Waters (I'd play "Quiet Storm" by Ramsey Lewis before this because one pleasant jazz piano instrumental deserves another.)

KCLC 89.1 FM

• Black Is Black-The Verbs (This respectable cover of the 1966 Los Bravos hit, which used to be a staple cut of oldies stations, approaches the lyrics from a female perspective.)
• Get Down-They Might Be Giants (I never expected to hear this group's brand of cerebral rock detour into a '70s-style dance pastiche with horns, but it kind of works.)

KLOU 103.3 FM

• I Can See Clearly Now-Jimmy Cliff (As comforting as Johnny Nash's original version is, the backbeat on Cliff's faithful rendition gives the tune a bit more rhythmic vigor.)