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Music
Saturday Night Stereolab – A Spectacle That Rhymes
Stereolab are an alternative music band formed in 1990 in London, England. The band originally comprised songwriting team Tim Gane (guitar/keyboards) and Lætitia Sadier (vocals/keyboards/guitar), both of whom remained at the helm across many lineup changes blah blah read the rest here.
They’re known for experimental krautrock pop lounge music in space, or something. Space definitely figures into their work, what with songs like “Super Falling Star,” “K-Stars,” “Space Moment,” “Sudden Stars,” and “Space Age Bachelor Pad Music” (which, I suppose, is probably as good a description of their music as will ever be).
It’s been said that Stereolab lyrics are often Marxist or socialist, which the band denies. Half the lyrics are in French anyway, so it’s not like I would even know it if they starting singing socialist economic theory in mid-song. the song most notorious for alleged politicalisms is “Ping Pong,” a rather catchy tune –
Original studio version and video here.
Regardless of lyrical messaging, the band has always pushed envelopes out where the Post Office won’t deliver them. Such as “Metronomic Underground,” which I suspect most of you won’t care for but I rather like –
Studio version here.
Singer Laetita Sadier lent her voice to a rather mediocre song by Common for his song “New Wave” in 2002. Her vocals sounded great, but were unfortunately only relegated to the choruses. and yes, she does have a predilection for swearing
My favorite Stereolab song is Miss Modular, heard here live in 2000 –
And the studio version, to close things out with a nicely rhyming spectacle –
Radionomactivity
One for all you internet radio junkies…
So I’ve been listening to Radionomy for a while now. My default station is a stream called “Generic Male DJs – Ultimate 80s“, which plays ” 80s New Wave, Alternative, Synthpop and Dark Wave music.” Recent tracks include R.E.M., Devo, Siouxsie And The Banshees, Peter Gabriel, and Depeche Mode. Playing right now is the legendary supergroup Haircut One Hundred. That should give a basic impression of the station.
But what caught my interest is that one can start their own station through Radionomy. It starts out for free, but over time the station needs to get a certain number of listener hours or a charge will be incurred. If a station picks up enough listeners, the station can make some cash.
I’m kicking around the idea of starting a station. Inflicting my music on the world is only proper.
It’s Hard To Understand Him From The Language He Used
They Might Be Giants goes to the movies… [kinda NSFW, a little]
I’ve never actually seen the movie, outside of a short bit here or there. I’m thinking that needs correction.
Leap Day
On this rare day, one of the rare Madonna songs I actually like a lot. With parkour.
Speaking of parkour –
Saturday Night Studio – Tik Spok
… I got nothin’. Life’s been keeping me busy. So until I get time to do a real studio, have some space party.
Used To Be In The Eagles
Mojo Nixon mildly cheered up but maintains it should have been the other one.
I liked a handful of Eagles songs, especially after Joe Walsh joined the band. I had a concert ticket for their 1994 tour, but it got cancelled due to Frey being ill. I did see them in concert when they finally resumed the tour in 1995.
I didn’t care much for Frey’s solo work – what I heard of it, anyway – but I always did like this song…
Happy New Year!
They say nothing changes on New Year’s Day. But this past year has me reeling. Remember when Bill Cosby was the family man and America’s Dad, and Steely Dan were the shady freaks singing about Bad Things instead of grocery store Muzak?
2015
You’ve got to admit it
At this point in time that it’s clear
The future looks bright
On that train all graphite and glitter
Undersea by rail
Ninety minutes from New York to Paris
Well by seventy-six we’ll be A.O.K.
-
Donald Fagen, “I.G.Y. (What A Beautiful World)”*
2015 has been a crazy year, in the most literal sense of the word. Grab your spandex jacket and go have a great night.
* International Geophysical Year, July 1 1957 – December 31 1958
Night Sky Radio 20th Anniversary
Night Sky Radio first began broadcasting on this date* in 1995, as one of the first internet-only radio stations. Streaming began with some of the best then-current songs and then broadened into wider genres and even discussion formats. With a stunning grand total of 4 listeners. But onward the station pressed, much like the PLAY button in the booth.
There were interruptions in service and periods of dormancy… in fact, Night Sky Radio has been off the air more than on. But since 2012, the station has been streaming continuously. And since then our average listener count has broken two digits.
Here’s a look back at the first four songs ever broadcast on Night Sky Radio…
POE: “Hello” – a fitting introductory song, and it’s about computer hacking. How appropriate for an internet station –
ALICE IN CHAINS: “Heaven Beside You”– AIC has always been a favorite band around the station, who had just released their new (and final featuring Layne Staley) album at the time, this wintery song was soon released as a single but was already being played on radio stations –
THE BEATLES: “Christmas Time Is Here Again” – The Beatles Anthology had just come out and this song from 1967 was on the B-Side of the just-released “Free As A Bird” single. Also, it was only days before Christmas, so it had to be on the list –
COLLECTIVE SOUL: “December” – Take a guess.
Thanks for listening all these years, and looking forward to many more.
Just for fun, take a look at how Night Sky Radio appeared in 1995.
* Which later became significant for other reasons as well. Naturally, we celebrated at the station.
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