Radio Deliver Me From Nowhere

I’ve been listening to the radio for the first time in years. Specifically, I’ve been playing New York’s new rock station, 101.9 WRXP. It’s a reasonably interesting concept – a mixture of classic rock and indie rock/alternative. (Thankfully, the classic rock played so far hasn’t been that predictable.) Certainly, it’s the only station I’ve ever heard where the Hold Steady follows Billy Joel and Ra Ra Riot follows the Rolling Stones. It’s not a Jack-FM concept (radio as iPod) – it’s a simply a station that makes the claim that rock is a long continuum, one in which pre-punk and post-punk rock can live harmoniously with one another.

Unfortunately, it’s a continuum that excludes great soul and r&b. Following a decades old tradition, the number of black artists recurrently played on rock radio amounts to one – Jimi Hendrix. It’s too predictable to be dispiriting – but the station would sound a hell of a lot better with some James Brown, P-Funk, Marvin Gaye and Al Green.

That being said, I’ve been enjoying hearing the juxtaposition of newer artists next to the classic rockers. What jumps out at me when listening to the new stuff is that they don’t seem to be writing singles. Perhaps it is because for most of the indie bands (American ones more so than British ones), being on commercial radio is never even seen as a possibility. But while most of the new stuff sounds good and has a cool vibe, it doesn’t leap out of the speakers, make you stop what you’re doing and wonder, “Who IS that?”

There’s one exception: The Hold Steady’s “Sequestered In Memphis.” I’m still not quite sold like others are on their new album, but the vibrancy of the song jumps out of the radio and has me turn it up every time. In a never-ending era of detachment and cool, Craig Finn and company’s passion remind that there’s still a vociferous crew of people out there that still feel about music the way I do.

An Unexpected Classic Rock Day

Yesterday was one of those days where the long shadow of classic rock enveloped me in all of it's familiarity. And it was good.

The day didn't start like that - I woke up with Mingus on the brain. But when I had the iPod on shuffle while riding the subway, Joe Walsh's "Walk Away" came on, and damn, it really sounded good, so I listened to his Greatest Hits album in full and enjoyed the hell out of it. I don't think I had listened to a Joe Walsh album of any sort since the 80's, but I was really struck by how much fun the songs were - and how well they were embedded in the grey matter of my brain. "All Night Long," "Funk 49," "Life's Been Good," and "Rocky Mountain Way..." it was like I was experiencing Freedom Rock on the F train.



Joe Walsh doing "Funk 49" in 1972:



After hearing Blood On The Tracks played in it's entirety while I killed time at a coffee shop before a business meeting and running some errands, it was time for dinner and karaoke with some of my peeps. We went to Sing Sing Karaoke on Ave A and 5th Street. Now this was not the kind of karaoke where you do one or two songs over the course of the night while getting bombed. We got a private room for just three of us, so this was like doing a full on set. And for whatever reason, I didn't/couldn't perform any soul songs. It just seemed ridiculous to me. So we hit the classic rock - and it was good. Tracks performed included:

"You're In My Heart" - Rod Stewart
"Hotel California" - The Eagles
"Paradise By The Dashboard Light" - Meatloaf (Yes, I know the entire Phil Rizzuto part by heart)
"Tenth Avenue Freeze Out" (I pop my Bruce karaoke cherry on this one.)
"Suspicious Minds" - Elvis (done as a duet with L - possible highlight of the night)
"You Don't Bring Me Flowers" - Neil Diamond/Barbra Streisand (oooof)
"Roadhouse Blues" - The Doors
"The Joker" - Steve Miller
"Maggie's Farm" - Bob Dylan
"I Want It That Way" - Backstreet Boys (I did not take part in this)
"Wild Horses" - The Rolling Stones (I nailed the Keith background part!)
"You Can't Always Get What You Want" - The Rolling Stones
"Levon" - Elton John
"Rocket Man" Elton John (We sang it so well that there was nothing left to do except go home)

It was more fun than should be allowed legally. And there's nothing better than the classic rock for karaoke.

I think I need to listen to I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You all day long to get back in the groove.

Download: Joe Walsh - "Funk 49"
Download: Joe Walsh - "Walk Away"
Download: Joe Walsh - "Rocky Mountain Way"
Download: Joe Walsh - "Life's Been Good"