The Radio Anti-Christ

I just got a hold of a new track off of Jens Lekman's upcoming album that everyone needs to take their hard earned pennies and buy.

This guy is a smile a minute. I got to see him at Pitchfork. Nothing but good times. I mean how you gonna listen to a song about bingo night and not get a little pep in your step?

And yet there is no way you're going to find him on today's radio. The tempo changes. He hits some crazy notes. It's outside the box. It doesn't plod along at 132 with every vocal note stacked 12 times, tuned, and buried under the harmonies. There's a very human quality to his music. Radio doesn't like that. Now who knows, in 20 years radio might be playing stuff like this, but I doubt it. I think it'll be dead in 10.

The Fall Collection...

Every time the temperature dips into the 50's, I get as happy as a second grader at a pizza party. I love this time of year. I know it's only September and it's going to get as hot as two rats fucking in a wool sock again, but hey, like I said.

There's something about the fall that always sends me back to high school. Senior year. First real girlfriend. First tryst with alcohol and drugs. And the first time I ever heard The Bends.

I was laid up at my folks house with pneumonia (probably from the unfiltered cigarettes I was smoking at the time), and I borrowed said girlfriend's CDs. There it was I heard "Just" for the first time.

Now I was known as a musical "purist" back in the day. Anything after '79 was bullshit and all I wanted was more Zeppelin. Lord have mercy. God bless my little soul. The first time I heard "just" I knew Radiohead had changed me. It opened the door to modern music for me.

Now, enough rambling. Back to the point. This time of year always sends me back to senior year, and so a few albums always "creep" back into my CD player. Weezer - Weezer and Radiohead - the bends are number 1 and 2.

I feel like I'm back working at Pizza Perfect in Bellevue and I'm driving the '88 Grand Marquis again. Ah, the fall. It's time to go camping.

Muchas Gracias

...to the lovely Janet for giving my band, and the relatives, a spot on her radio show. She's on WRVU. Check it out