D.C. Radio’s Last Rock Overturned – washingtonpost.com

Legendary Classic Rock DJ Cerphe Signs Off as WTGB Switches Formats – washingtonpost.com

No more Zeppelin. No more Skynyrd or Tom Petty or Rolling Stones. And not a whole lot more Don Cerphe Colwell, either.

Classic rock and the DJ who brought that music to local radio audiences long before the rock was considered “classic” are both fading from the airwaves. Beginning Monday, Colwell’s station, WTGB (94.7 FM, “The Globe”), will switch to playing contemporary pop tunes. With the demise of the region’s only classic rock outlet, the music that helped transform FM radio into a cultural force in the 1970s will become just another baby boomer memory.

Just 2 years ago I blogged about the new format for 94.7 to “The Globe” featuring classic rock. Lots of goals for a greener more community based station. As I suspected, it didn’t last.

Radio in DC sucks.

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Tags: music, radio, Washington DC, rock, pop, culture, life

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Wired News – NASA to Launch Beatles Tune Into Space

The Beatles are about to become radio stars in a whole new way. NASA on Monday will broadcast the Beatles’ song “Across the Universe” across the galaxy to Polaris, the North Star.

This first-ever beaming of a radio song by the space agency directly into deep space is nostalgia-driven. It celebrates the 40th anniversary of the song, the 45th anniversary of NASA’s Deep Space Network, which communicates with its distant probes, and the 50th anniversary of NASA.

“Send my love to the aliens,” Paul McCartney told NASA through a Beatles historian. “All the best, Paul.”

Wired News – AP News

I know this is a corny stunt but I like it. Probably because I love this song. If we are going to send anything out into space, let it be music.

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Tags: beatles, polaris, north star, song, music, radio, NASA

 

NPR : StoryCorps: ‘Listening Is an Act of Love’

NPR : StoryCorps: ‘Listening Is an Act of Love’

Every once in a while I listen to NPR in the morning. If I’m lucky, I get to here a recording from the StoryCorps, an independent project recording stories/oral histories around the country. I truly wish my parents could have participated since they both had stories that were both individual and yet universal.
I believe it’s crucial that we tell the next generation our stories and those of the past generations. It’s through stories that people are truly remembered – videos and photographs are not enough.

“By listening closely to one another, we can help illuminate the true character of this nation—reminding us all just how precious each day can be and how truly great it is to be alive.”
-Dave Isay, Founder, StoryCorps

You can listen to the StoryCorps podcast through iTunes or listen to storys through the StoryCorps website and blog.

Here is a spot that ABC did about Dave Isay, the founder of StoryCorps. He wrote/compiled the book, Listening is an Act of Love, sited above:

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Tags: StoryCorps, stories, NPR, oral-history, family, life, culture

 

NPR podcast: Krauss and Plant: Opposites Attract on a Sweet CD

NPR : Krauss and Plant: Opposites Attract on a Sweet CD

I would never have paired these two together. I love Alison Krauss but I’ve never been a Robert Plant/Led Zeppelin fan (Stairway to Heaven reminds me too much of high school). Hearing the snippets of them singing together on this podcast makes me want to buy this CD.

I shouldn’t be surprised that I like this CD since it was produced my T-bone Burnett who has produced so many great artists – Tony Bennett, k.d.lang, the Wallflowers, O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack) including his wife, Sam Phillips.

The NPR site has three of the songs available for a listen. I especially liked Gone Gone Gone by the Every Brothers. Do listen to the interview if you can.

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Tags: Krauss, Plant, CD, music, NPR, podcast, radio

 

Ian McKellen in "King Lear”

NPR : McKellen Takes On Another Dark Mountain: ‘Lear’

I would kill to see this production. I love Shakespeare and I’ve seen many productions (including McKellen as Richard III here in Washington DC). I suspect this will be one of the best performances of the season. It’s already sold-out in Brooklyn and it’s only going to Minneapolis and Los Angeles in the US.

The link is for the article and the radio broadcast which includes exerpts of the performance.

technorati tags:Ian-McKellen, RSC, Lear, Shakespeare, Brooklyn, Theatre

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40th Anniversary of the Loving Decision

Loving Decision: 40 Years of Legal Interracial Unions

NPR : Loving Decision: 40 Years of Legal Interracial Unions

I subscribe to the NPR Story of the Day podcast and today’s entry was about the Loving Decision when the Supreme Court struck down anti-miscegenation laws across the country. The podcast covers not only the details around the Loving’s and their struggle but also interviews a young woman from Caroline County in Virginia (where the Lovings hailed from) and her comments about her own “mixed marriage”. This 13-minute piece is well worth the listen.

technorati tags:anti-miscegenation, SupremeCourt, Loving, race

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The art of storytelling

This American Life

What is This American Life? I think it’s small slices of Americana given through storytelling. It’s like sitting around and listening to stories from the relatives who have the best stories and great memories.

My niece Sarah introduced me to this radio broadcast. I subscribe to it as a podcast through iTunes. This way I’m not tied to a radio broadcast time and I can stop and start it as needed.

I wish my dad could have heard this program. He would have liked it. He was a great storyteller. So was my mom. I miss hearing their stories told by them. Sometimes I tell them to myself but it’s not the same. I wish I could have captured some of their stories on tape.

I recommend this show not only for the great stories but to serve as an inspiration to ask your family to tell their stories.

technorati tags:storytelling, family, NPR, radio, podcast, Americana

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New rock radio station in D.C.

94.7 The Globe – World Class Rock – Go Green in Your Home

In recent years, several D.C. -area rock stations have changed format (some mid-day) and others have been taken over by the Clear Channel type groups to offer some of the most over-played and anemic rock in history.

The Globe promises a return to real DJ’s and musical diversity along with a “green” slant. I must admit that the artists and song selections are wide-ranging – well, for this area. I’m still hearing some of the mainstream groups but the lesser-known (and often better) artists are played as well. There doesn’t seem to be a playlist with the same songs being played over and over ad nauseum. However, I only started listening a few days ago.

Here’s their Mission Statement:

1. THE GLOBE We All share and have a vested interest in The Globe.
2. MUSIC MATTERS Music is our priority. That’s why we’re here.
3. THINK GLOBALLY, ACT LOCALLY As a Local Radio Station, we’ll support our community…because we live here too.
4. REAL DEEJAYS, REAL PEOPLE Our DeeJays know The Music and have a say in what they play.
5. LISTEN TO THE LISTENERS This is your radio station. You will co-create it and author its evolution.
6. MUSIC DIVERSITY Do you know anyone who likes just one kind of music? Neither do we.
7. BE ADVENTUROUS We’ll be open minded about new ideas, innovation and New Music.
8. DEEPER TRACKS As we all know, there are songs worth playing that are not just the Hit Singles.
9. LESS REPETITION Without repeating, belaboring, or saying this over and over and over again…well, enough said.
10. WE WON’T INSULT YOUR INTELLIGENCE The Globe will have commercials (got bills of our own to pay) but we will try to keep them to a minimum and present them in a way that respects our listeners and our advertisers.
11. LET’S HAVE FUN None of this is a joke, but seriously…let’s have some fun.
12. WE’RE NOT TRYING TO SAVE THE WORLD Oh wait…see #1.

I really hope they live up these goals. It’s a wait-n-see game now.

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Classical music returns to WETA!

WETA 90.9 FM

Thank goodness! Commercial free classical music is back in Washington
DC! While I’m sorry about the demise of WGMS, it’s playlist was miniscule
and it’s commercials were completely obnoxious. The nation’s capital
deserves better. When WETA moved to an all news format in 2005, I stopped supporting it. I won’t be sending in a my membership money immediately, but I will be listening and hoping that it won’t disappoint me again. Welcome back, WETA!

technorati tags:Classical, Music, WETA, Public, Radio

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Why are there no decent music radio stations in Washington DC?

7 – 8 pm

7:57 Soul Asylum – Tied To The Tracks
7:53 Liars – It Fit When I Was a Kid
7:48 Amadou & Mariam – Senegal Fast Food
7:44 Young MC – Bust A Move
7:40 Van Hunt – No Sense of Crime
7:35 The Little Willies – Tennessee Stud
7:29 Mia Doi Todd – The Last Night of Winter
7:26 Nina Simone – I Want a Little Sugar in my Bowl
7:21 Air – You Make It Easy
7:19 Urbs – The Lord’s Dub feat. Christine Jones
7:15 Fiona Apple – Better Version of Me
7:10 Rufus Wainwright – Cigarettes and Chocolate
7:05 Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint – Who’s Gonna Help Brother Get Further?
7:00 Editors – Fingers In The Factories

MPR: Radio Listening: The Current Playlist

Is this one of the best radio set lists in creation? And it’s only one hour of airtime. The rest of the list is just as good and sometimes better. Seriously – Rufus Wainwright, Nina Simone, FIona Apple, The Little WIllies, Elvis Costello and Soul Asylum in one hour. On public radio.

Why can’t I have a radio station like this is Washington DC? The Nations capital has the worst music radio stations in the country – it’s pitiful. I’m torn between being glad that this station is on the Net and crying because it’s on the Net and it will never come to my town.

technorati tags:Radio, music, setlists

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