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Russ



Last Updated: 11/16/2009

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Gender: Male
Status: Married
Age: 36
Sign: Libra

City: MARSHALL
State: Minnesota
Country: US
Signup Date: 6/7/2004

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Monday, September 14, 2009 

Current mood:  grumpy
Category: Music
I couldn't stomach another two hours that featured Russell Brand.  I'm sure it was all grand and overproduced and blah. 

Oh, and Kanye had a point.  Yeah.  I went there.  Perhaps I'm biased. 

No, I am biased.  Taylor Swift can go and win CMT awards until she's blue in the face.  Put me in the minority that wonders what the hell is the big deal about her anyway.  I'll give her credit for actually writing her own songs, but that's it.  I won't give her credit for writing anything other than what you could find in most teenage girl diaries about boys. 

MC Lars said it best on Twitter, which is down right now.  Basically, it pointed out that MTV gives out awards for something that has become a very small part of their programming. 

I'm going on record right now: I'll never watch another awards show unless I have a ticket or I'm getting an award.  Since those two are beyond highly unlikely, you know the rest.
3:34 AM 
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Wednesday, September 09, 2009 

Current mood:  depressed
Category: Music
Yeah, we took it easy on Labor Day.

KKCK:

Pink "Funhouse"
If I'm not mistaken, this might be the most fun  yet lyrically dark song of 2009.  It gets my vote.

Ester Dean "Drop It Low"
This one will test your bass.  After that, it makes a nice ringtone.  A year later, we'll see if anyone remembers it.

Muse "Uprising"
I have a few friends who love Muse, but I've never really been able to get into them.  I like this song a lot more than other Muse songs I've heard, and since we have a small history of playing hot Muse songs, I thought what the heck.  Some of the synth parts sounded very 80s, which I liked (and some Muse fans probably find it insulting I thought that). 

Pink to click: Pink

One of my favorite MySpace bloggers is thinking about deleting her account.  I double post everything at MySpace and WordPress, but I'm not planning on deleting either.  If you're somebody who reads this, who used to post on MySpace, drop me a comment or a note to where you're posting now, if that's something you'd like to share.  One of my favorite pastimes back in the mid 2000s was checking all the new MySpace blogs that I had to read each day, and now I'm lucky if there's one or two from non-bands to read.  I have a folder of bookmarks for blogs, and I'm always looking for a few more to read.

Today hasn't been the best day, so I'm not feeling overly communicative.  There's always next week, so I'll spend the next six days thinking of what to write next Wednesday.  The week after that the new music blog will go up either Tuesday or Thursday, as Wednesday is Braeden's 1st birthday, so I'll be away from the computer almost all day.
9:02 PM 
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Wednesday, September 02, 2009 

Current mood:  mellow
Category: Music
Fact or Crap?  You pick which is which.

KKCK:

Black Eyed Peas "Meet Me Halfway"
A)  For years...no, decades...I have waited for a hip-hop group to utilize and sample Kenny Loggins' forgotten power-ballad anthem featured in the Sylvester Stallone arm-wrestling movie Over the Top.  Alas, after one listen I realize my wait continues.
B)  The Black Eyed Peas are so big no matter what they release is destined for big-hit-a-tude, so purple banana foxtrot whippoorwill gobbledygook. 

Sean Kingston "Face Drop"
A) Sean Kingston really faked me out with this song, as the first several seconds lead one to believe he's gone crunk or at least borderline hardcore, but then the Sean Kingston we all know and some love kicks in.  Well played.
B)  Sean Kingston's ode to failed plastic surgery is a heartfelt number, and the pain he feels is conveyed very well with his inflection, which balances out the humor of his voice sounding more like droopy dog.

Hey Monday "How You Love Me Now"
A)  While the song is a decent enough power-pop-punkish song in the vein of a more mainstream Paramore, Columbia/Sony tips their hand on the band's website.  Their bio screams "creation of their record label" and freely acknowledges that they signed the singer first, and put the band together behind her.  I'm not here to rail against major labels assembling bands to fill a new niche, but at least try to hide it a bit.
B)  Sorry.  The top one is fact.  You might still like the song...I do.

AFI "Medicate"
A) Avenging Furries Incorporated shred so fast they make Dragonforce sound like a folk duo.  This radio friendly metal screamer is only equaled by the cuteness of their new stage outfits!  Sqeee!
B)  The structure of this song reminds me a lot of "Miss Murder" yet manages to both be faster and yet less memorable.  Sometimes it takes a while for AFI songs to grow on me, which is not a trait I share with our listeners (they seem to take to them a lot quicker).

Pick to click: Black Eyed Peas

SONG REVISION:
3OH!3 "Starstrukk" is now 3OH!3 w/Katy Perry "Starstrukk (remix)"
This went from "should be a hit" to "will be a hit".  The only thing that might hold it back is the lack of airplay it will get from AC leaning stations.

Hey, it's September.  How did that happen?

A friend recently asked me if I was having a midlife crisis, because I was "dressing like a teenager".  I'll give him that my pants were quite baggy that day, and my hoodie was also baggy and tattered.  Today I'm wearing Southpole jeans and a black Superman logo shirt.  Sometimes I wonder if there will come a day when I stop dressing in the same style I've been dressing since forever ago.  Granted, there have been some modifications (flannel shirts and black shirts w/black jeans are mostly gone, hoodies were added in the last five years) but the overall theme has remained.  Just yesterday I read a quote attributed to Tegan Quin of Tegan and Sara about how if one dresses like a teenage boy, they never age.  That honestly isn't my intent, but if true it's a nice bonus.  Some days I actually wonder if I should start dressing more my age, but that argument has never gained a lot of traction.

Life around the homestead has been pretty good.  Kate's back is doing a lot better, and Braeden is doing that cute thing kids do: growing up too fast.  He can run, say a few words, and get into all kinds of trouble.  His laughter at the word "no" indicates that my mom's desire for me to go through what she went through is coming true.  Thanks mom.

Kate and I have been thinking about taking a weekend trip.  We have some cheap lodging in Sioux Falls, but for some reason I'm hankerin' for a sojourn to Fargo.  I'm not sure why, but every fall I feel Fargo tugging at me.  Perhaps it's because I spent my first fall out of college there.  Maybe it's because I was born in Fargo in the fall (would that make me part salmon?).  I may never figure out why the town tugs at me three months out of every year.

Since this is usually the time of year summer is declared over, I'll wish everyone a great autumn. 
11:27 PM 
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Thursday, August 27, 2009 

Current mood:  indescribable
Category: Music
The who, the what, the where, the when, the why?

KKCK:

Weezer "I Want You To"
THE WHO: Weezer, that's who. 
KKCK has a long tradition of hopping on the first Weezer single from a new album.  It at least goes back to "Hash Pipe" but might go back to Pinkerton, but that's speculation on my part.  Records of the Pinkerton era were lost in the great "we never kept decent records until early 1997" storm.  Some aren't fond of Weezer's sound since the green album, but I don't get the hate or the fascination with Pinkerton that some folks have.  Any Weezer is better than no Weezer in my book.

Whitney Houston "Million Dollar Bill"
THE WHAT: Comeback of the decade? 
She's a late entry, but I remember when Whitney was supposed to be the next Aretha.  One Kevin Costner movie and marriage to Bobby Brown spun her singing career off the rails, but her new album is supposed to get it back on track.  This single has a real retro sound to it that might just work (and the fact it was written by Alecia Keys doesn't hurt).  I'm rooting for her.

Bon Jovi "We Weren't Born to Follow"
THE WHERE: Nowhere near Nashville.
I was worried Bon Jovi was going to stay in Nashville after their country success with their last album.  Instead, they decided on getting back to their rock roots and doing a rock album unlike other that they've done.  In terms ofBon Jovi, this is a bold and daring move.  Well, Richie Sambora said it would be "unlike any other" Bon Jovi album.  The first single doesn't live up to that promise, but the Midwest, like Jersey, always loves a new Bon Jovi song.

Fabolous w/The-Dream "Throw It in the Bag"
THE WHEN: Um...when there's a bag handy?
Okay, this one is a stretch, at least in terms of the question.  In terms of the song, Fabolous decides to skip the slow jam for a more fun, uptempo number.  The-Dream provides a smooth vocal compliment to Fabolous's smooth flow.  What I'm trying to say is that this is a fun, smooth, uptempo bouncer. 

Flyleaf "Again"
WHY: Past success
KKCK had a lot of luck with Flyleaf the last time around, so why not try 'em again?  I dare say the new single is almost begging for crossover appeal.  Usually a band like this will drop a song thatgalvinizes their rock cred first, then go for mainstream crossover.  Instead, they're trying to have it both ways with a song that tries to do both and almost succeeds.  Then again, I said "I Gotta Feeling" by the Black Eyed Peas was a "meh" song and that's morphed into the summer jam of '09, so I don't know why anyone puts stock in anything I say.

Pick to click: Weezer

My dear old eMac is still in the shop, and life keeps giving me other things to focus on for the moment.  I'll shoot for a full-on blog when my computer is back safe and sound.
2:05 AM 
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Wednesday, August 19, 2009 

Current mood:  determined
Category: Music
Not that there's anything wrong with that.

KKCK:

Backstreet Boys "Straight Through My Heart"
So, Backstreet's back...again.  The last time they came back, the song that heralded their return was pure boy band mush.  This time, they come back with a song with some zing, and it's a more welcome comeback.  It's also a more daring choice, and I'll give them credit for that.

Lady Gaga "Paparazzi"
In just about a year, Lady Gaga went from being a curiosity to being able to drop a single on us that will do really well no matter what I say.  Rather than just type gibberish, I'd like to thank Lady Gaga for all the material she's given KKCK music news.  Be it crazy fashion, crazy quotes, or straight up crazy, Lady Gaga has been a gold mine.  I hope she never goes away, or at least doesn't while I'm doing music news.

Owl City "Fireflies"
This one is starting to make a run at CHR, while also surging on the alternative chart.  I can understand the Top-40 aspirations of the song, but I'm not sure why it's rising so fast on the alt-chart.  The first time I heard this song it immediately registered as a pop rock song.  It doesn't sound like anything else we're playing, which is always a plus in my world.

3OH!3 "Starstrukk"
I really don't want to like this song.  I don't care for the lyrics, and even the edited version makes me nervous.  Something about the herky-jerky beat is irresistible to my ears, no matter how I try to remember why I don't want to like the song.  3OH!3 is coming off a #1 single, so the follow up is almost always a sure thing on the charts, with few exceptions.

Bowling for Soup "My Wena"
In all my years of radio broadcasting, no song has prompted an angrier caller than this one, and that includes "The Bad Touch" and "Birthday Sex".  The song is as catchy as any other B4S hit, but the band does go a bit far with the lyrics.  I didn't think this one would cause too many problems, but I might have misjudged the market.  At least now I can say " 'my wena' got me in trouble at work, but I didn't get fired."

Pick to click: Lady Gaga

About a year and a half ago, I started using Wordpress as a blogging site, while continuing my weekly (kinda) work blog at MySpace (and later mirrored at WP).  Eventually my WP account had swelled to seven blogs, all dealing with different things.  While I wish I had enough time in the day to update them all regularly, there just isn't a good way to do that.  I don't want to spend my son's childhood at work eight hours a day, and at a computer when I'm home and he's awake.  Nor do I wish to spend every waking second typing and miss out on spending time with my wife, who has been nothing but supportive of my writing endeavors.  About the time I started writing, I started working on a book that fit my mental state at the time.  However, the actual writing process brought me to a place where I couldn't work on the book I had started.  I bought a small notebook that I could jot other book ideas in, and soon I had filled over fifty pages with ideas for stories, books, and other things I wanted to write about.  One of those ideas was another novel concept, and I started working on that a few months ago.  With my writing time already spread out among other blogs, the work on this new project has been slow.  The other day an old friend posted a link to a humorous article by a book editor, which detailed the best ways to not get your manuscript looked at.  There was a link to another of her works, which was a test on being cut out to be a writer.  I took the mini quiz, and I scored in the range that said I was close, but it was time to get serious. 

If you're reading this on MySpace, there's no cause for alarm.  I've been doing these weekly new music blogs since 2004, and they won't stop.  My blogging at russ4life will now be more sporadic, and 52 Cards is going on hiatus.  Cliffhanger Theater 2 may be postponed, and the 13 Shots blog will be largely unaffected, since I rarely post there anyway.  I may delete fanwitch entirely, but I haven't decided yet.  I get a few views there, but the bulk of my views are still at my MySpace blog.  The time has come to focus the majority of my energy on finishing the big project, and then submitting it.  The odds of anything happening with it are astronomically low, but I at least want to make an effort. 

It's been a while since I made the sentiment, but I want to thank all the regular readers for being regulars.  It means a lot.
8:34 PM 
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Wednesday, August 12, 2009 

Current mood:  stressed
Category: Music
Boot 'em up.

KKCK:

Flo Rida w/Ne-Yo "Be On You"
Mr. Rida was way overdue for a slow-jam hit.  Adding Ne-Yo all but insures this as a top ten single.

Jason Derulo "Whatcha Say"
He's new on the solo scene, but he's been behind the scenes as a songwriter for some time.  It sounds like he spent all  his royalty money in shares of the company that sells auto-tune equipment, and/or on auto-tune equipment.

Rise Against "Savior"
Rise Against has never quite clicked with me.  I don't know why.  They've been chipping away at me one song at a time, and this song takes out a sizable chunk.  I'm curious to hear from Rise Against fans as to what song they'd recommend as essential Rise Against listening.

D.K. "About My Bread"
Marshall's very own D.K. offers up his second single, and it sounds a lot bigger than a song that was self-financed and recorded on a home studio.  Lyrically, I liked "Gettin' to the Guap" better, but there's nothing about this song that should

Pick to click:  Flo Rida w/Ne-Yo

Things at the casa de Russ have been great...if your name is Braeden.  If not, the hurt locker is a popular destination.  I tripped on the steps going into the house last week, resulting in a doozy of a shin bruise, along with doing something to my knee.  I haven't seen anyone about it, but stairs hurt like the dickens.  I bought a knee brace at Kmart, which is helping quite a bit.  The last few nights, my knee hasn't even hurt after I've taken it off.  I'll just keep doing that for a while and hope that works.  The only bonus is that I mentally pretend I'm putting on a Delta-6 accelerator suit from the new G.I. Joe movie.  Kate has it a lot worse than me right now.  She's had this back that's been acting up off and on for months, and recently it acted up worse than ever.  After muscle relaxers didn't do the trick, she had an MRI which revealed two herniated discs in her back.  We're waiting for a referral on a back specialist, and after that it's more drugs and physical therapy...or surgery.  The worst part of it is she's not allowed to lift over 20 pounds (and she can't), which means she's not allowed to pick up her own son.  I know the pain is hard enough on her, but not being able to pick up Braeden is really taking a toll on her.  I'm trying to help as much as I can, but we're having to bring in a sitter to help during the day so I'm not missing as much work.  Hopefully we can see a specialist soon and get her feeling better as quickly as possible.

In better news, I really enjoyed the G.I. Joe movie.  Countless reboots to other franchises all turned out to be the perfect preparation for me to buy into one for a movie version of G.I. Joe.  The ending could have been better, but I can live with it since it should lead right into a sequel (should one get made).  The real surprise in this movie for me was Arnold Vosloo as Zartan.  I've been skeptical of that casting choice since it was announced, but I'm glad to be so wrong.  Vosloo's Zartan came across as dangerous, heartless, and very much his own man who wasn't about to totally throw in with Destro's plans. 

I've been somewhat oblivious to music for the last month or so, no thanks to G.I. Joe and a few health issues.  I'm looking for any good album suggestions, so suggest away. 
Currently reading:
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, Vol. 2 (GI Joe) (Marvel)
By Larry Hama
11:43 PM 
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Thursday, August 06, 2009 

Current mood:  stoked
Category: Music
SwingbattabattabattaSWING

KKCK:

Beyonce "Sweet Dreams"
I honestly don't know what to make of this one.  I'm usually more keen on non-ballad Beyonce songs, but this song is a bit on the odd side.  Normally, I like that too.  Maybe it just needs to grow on me some more, because right now I'm just not hearing it.

Miley Cyrus "Party in the U.S.A."
"The Climb" crossed over and gained her a few new fans, and this song won't necessarily squander them.  However, it is really aimed more at her built in (and younger) core audience.

Take Cover "Resolution"
A co-worked said they sounded like old school Panic at the Disco.  I agreed, especially since Panic at the Disco sounds more like "Mild Unrest at the Local Bar" nowadays.  Anyway, the sound is tight and they're from Minnesota.  What's not to like?

Madonna "Celebration"
Do I detect a bit of nostalgia creeping into Madonna's Europop sound?  Madonna has always been looking ahead, but a look forward after a quick glance back is what I get out of this one.  I have a hunch the other new song on her best of package will do a wee bit better, as it has a wee bit more Lil' Wayne.

Pick to click-click-BOOM: Miley Cyrus?  This week it could really be any of the four songs.

After some thought on the subject, I'd like to make a blog-related announcement.  I will NOT be doing my annual MTV VMA blog this year.  I know a few people look forward to it every year, but I just can't deal with another three hours with Russell Brand.  At least the categories make sense again this year, after MTV abandoned giving the categories new names and such.  I look forward to going to work that night and just reading the results.

Tomorrow night I'll see the midnight showing of G.I. Joe, and all my friends will be happy that I'll stop talking about it.  It's so surreal to see it finally hit the big screen.  I remember discussing casting with friends back in the day about who should play Duke, Scarlett and Wild Bill.  I remember not being interested in G.I. Joe until one fateful morning the day after Thanksgiving.  WGN ran "The Revenge of Cobra" as a movie and I was hooked.  I found my first figure, Zartan, at the Pamida in Wapheton (my first Joe was Torpedo, purchased at a Ben Franklin in Britton).  I remember my mom picking up issue #34 of the Marvel run at a drug store in Sisseton for me.  Even today, I could probably tell you where I bought almost each figure that I own, and what adventures they may have had while in my collection.

I don't need an Oscar winner.  I don't need anything deep.  I just want a G.I. Joe movie that is at least as fun to watch as any of the old five parters.  As long as I don't leave the theater feeling ripped off, I'll call it a success.

Tune in next week for my take on it.
Currently listening:
Graduation
By Kanye West
Release date: 2007-09-11
3:59 AM 
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Wednesday, July 29, 2009 

Current mood:  tired
Category: Music
More on that in a jiff.

Jay Sean w/Lil' Wayne "Down"
Amy from sales called this a "fun summertime song".  Good enough.

Justin Bieber "One Time"
The two strikes against this song include a name that I'm never sure I'm saying right even when I am, and he sounds like a chick in some inappropriate parts of the song.  The big label push and lots of screaming tween fans cancel that out, more or less.

All American Rejects "I Wanna"
AAR had little luck with their last single, which sounded like a slam dunk ballad.  This one is much weaker, but it's on pace to do better.  This is why I don't work for a record label.  That and there are no Taco Johns in Los Angeles.  That and I never tried.

Cascada "Evacuate the Dancefloor"
After an exhaustively quick check of wikipedia, this song is not a remake, nor does it borrow part of another song.  This is 100 % pure Cascada.  Well, it's 100 % Cascada like Juicy Juice is 100 % juice.  No matter what flavor of Juicy Juice you buy, it's mostly apple juice.  No matter what Cascada you hear, it's mostly Euro-pop-techno.  Our market is weird in that the occasional Euro-pop-techno song does very well for us.

Jay-Z w/Rihanna & Kanye West "Run This Town"
For the love of Biz Marke, I could produce a song with those three and it would be a hit.  You'd have to try and make a bad song to keep that trio from scoring with a song.

Pick to click: Jay-Z w/Rihanna & Kanye West

How is your day going?

Yesterday I finished another blog that I had due Thursday early, so my next goal was to get this one done before 5 PM for once.  While I'm pretty close, it didn't go down like I planned.  I'm at home right now.  This morning at about 6:30 AM I woke up with the charley horse from hell.  After hopping around, I heard the baby was awake.  I decided to go use the bathroom, then come back up and get him to start the day.  As I was walking down the stairs, I started feeling like I was about to throw up.  The closer I got to the bathroom, the worse it got.  Once I was in the bathroom, I became dizzy, disoriented, and I broke into a cold sweat.  I somehow managed to take care of why I was in the bathroom, and I remember looking in the mirror above the toilet and thinking that I didn't look ill.

The next thing I remember I'm on the bathroom floor, and Kate is asking what the loud thud was.

I tried to cover up, but I was still dizzy and nauseous.  Once the truth was out, I was on my way to the ER.  They did lab work and kept me for two hours, but all my tests came back "exemplary".  I was told to take the day off from work.  I've been relaxing most of the day upstairs.  It really didn't sink in until Kate noticed that part of my fall involved the bathroom sink, which now has a large crack in the faux-marble counter-top.  I woke up in such a way that I have no idea how I could have even hit the sink during my fall.  It's probably nothing, but it has shaken me considerably for what are probably stupid reasons.  Once in a while my brain zeroes in on thinking about death, and lately it had been on one of those kicks.  I know the chances of this being something that is indicating a larger problem are probably small, but even a small reminder of one's mortality is a reminder nonetheless.  It's a far cry from the drive to the ER, where I was so not worried about the incident that I was jokingly thinking that it was just my luck to die just before the G.I. Joe movie came out.

Originally, I was going to post a bunch of YouTube videos that involved the movie and talk about that.

Now, I'm just going to bring this entry to a close, while trying not to ponder things too much.  Hopefully this is all a distant memory next week.
Currently listening:
Be Your Own Pet
By Be Your Own Pet
Release date: 2006-06-06
8:41 PM 
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Thursday, July 23, 2009 

Current mood:  sleepy
Category: Music
I'll let you decide.  

KKCK: 

Kelly Clarkson "Already Gone" 
Uptempo/uptempo/ballad is a time honored tactic. Kelly Clarkson has played it perfectly so far. While "Already Gone" should do very well, in the grand scheme of KC's career, this song might be one of the more forgettable successes. I've heard it a bunch and I couldn't tell you the chorus due to the fact it's so...bland. 

Michael Franti & Spearhead "Say Hey (I Love You)" On the other side of bland, we have this fun track that almost sounds like something KKCK would have played in the more free-for-all days of the mid to late 1990s. The funny part about us adding this song is that some anonymous posters at a radio board have been on our case for playing this song for months (I have no idea what station they were listening to). If the song ends up becoming a big hit, that would amuse me to no end. 

Pitbull "Hotel Room Service" When the "super extra clean" version still warrants a daypart, I know the kids will go nuts for it. 

Rita "Love Has Begun" It's been a while since we spun an indie record, so we decided to give this singer a go. Her info indicates she's big in Israel, and I can't remember playing an artist who had that claim to fame before. 

Pick to click: Pitbull 

Looking back over some recent entries, I get the impression I'm really rushing through these things. I remember when the Wednesday MySpace music blog was the reason I looked forward to Wednesdays (now the big deal on Wednesdays is a new Zero Punctuation review). I'm not sure if it's because I'm writing other stuff elsewhere, or because MySpace's struggles and diminishing popularity. I'm still trying to figure out how I ended up more busy at work and yet it seems like I get less done. Age? Incompetence? Bad luck? Farkle? 

Pure speculation. 

I don't talk about albums I've heard lately, but I haven't heard too many lately. I had mixed feelings about the Dead Weather, but if the Raconteurs are any indicator, I'll really like their second album more than the first. I'm starting to wish I'd started a savings account just for the deluge of G.I. Joe related stuff coming down the pipe right now. The fact I bought G.I. Joe shirts at ShopKo still blows my mind. 

Here's the problem with writing late at night. I tend to get sleepy, and then I just awkwardly wrap things up with no real warning. 

That's all for this week. Comments on the new songs are always welcome, or on songs you think we're lacking.
Currently listening:
When You're a Boy
By Susanna Hoffs
Release date: 1991-02-02
4:46 AM 
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Wednesday, July 15, 2009 

Current mood:  sleepy
Category: Music
So, how you doin'?

Paramore "Ignorance"
It's power pop punk that ditches most of the pop and a good chunk of the punk.  That just leaves power, and the song hints that Paramore might make this album a statement of rock cred more than an easy cash in.  I'm curious to see how it turns out.

Boys Like Girls "Love Drunk"
I was never a huge fan of any of the previous BLG songs, but our listeners were.  They strike me as a band that does everything good but nothing great.

LMFAO "I'm In Miami Trick"
I'm torn on this one.  I love the music, but the lyrics are pure frat-rap, and not even good frat rap.  Case in point: rhyming kahunas (as in boobs) with Coronas (as in beer).   Another song that will be huge for a month or two, and will be quickly forgotten in a year or so.

Shakira "She Wolf"
Dude, the song is called "She Wolf".  It has howling and panting.  It might be the most bizarrely awesome song I've gotten to play on the air.  Let the She Wolf out of the closet!

Pick to click: LMFAO

Lately when I'm writing in my office, I've been listening to old mix tapes.  I have a plastic bin full of old tapes by Sony, TDK, Memorex, Scotch, and a few lesser known brands.  Some are labeled, some aren't.  I know somewhere in the bin are a few old KSSU radio shifts.  I'm not exactly excited to listen to those, but I might pull one out one of these days.  I'm a little curious to hear a 60 - 120 minute snapshot in time of the earliest days of my career.  As I'm writing this, I'm listening to something called "Son of KSSU Bootleg".  Back when I was the GM of the college station, I had a habit of going into the studio during finals week and making a mix tape of songs I was currently digging without having to buy the CDs.  It's weird to think about that now, as I have two stick drives I use to bring music home from work.  I even have a few unopened blank cassettes that will probably never get used.

Things at the station are going well from my angle.  I'm still busier than ever since the shifting of a few shifts, though I'm not sure why.  Things at home are going well too.  Braeden is almost 32 inches tall already, and he's currently cutting most of his back teeth way ahead of schedule.  He seems to be in a huge hurry to grow up.  Lately, he's also been in a huge hurry to wake up.  Hence, Kate and Russ are pretty sleepy of late.  

I'm losing the caution in my cautious optimism for the G.I. Joe movie.  I had read a few negative reviews from test screenings, but now I'm reading a lot of positive ones.  Even if I hate the movie, I want it to do well.  Previous attempts to keep the G.I. Joe vs. Cobra story/toyline alive have been met with mixed success.  I don't know how many more chances Hasbro is willing to give it before they start looking for the next incarnation of G.I. Joe.  If that happens, fans of the ARAH era and the Adventure Team era will have some common ground.

I thought there was another subject I was going to touch on tonight, but I'm drawing a blank.  We'll shoot for next week.
Currently listening:
Only Everything
By Juliana Hatfield
Release date: 1995-03-28
10:35 PM 
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Thursday, July 09, 2009 

Current mood:  blah
Category: Music
Where's my new ZZ Top album at?  Ah well, until then...

KKCK:

Pussycat Dolls "Hush Hush"
This one starts slow, but kicks in about a minute in.  It's the perfect PCD song if you can't decide between "Don't 'cha" and "Stickwitu" and don't mind their second album.

Collective Soul "Staring Down"
Just when I think this band is finally down for the count, they find a way to rise once again.  I don't recall us ever having a bad reception to a new C-Soul song.  I'm sure their price tag has gone down enough for this town to book 'em.  I think that show would do quite well.

Dave Matthews Band "Funny the Way It Is"
We haven't spun DMB like we used to, but that's no reason not to give them another shot.  Like C-Soul, we've had good luck with them in the past.  Their new CD is selling well, and since a promotion we're doing involves mentioning them a lot, it's a nice tie-in.

Pick to click: PCD

I don't have much else tonight.  I've had trouble sleeping for some reason.  It's not stress or anything like that.  I just can't fall asleep even when I clear my mind, which sometimes takes more effort than just rolling with whatever my mind thinks about.

The other night I dug out an old mix tape I made in college.  Among the songs on it I need to find for my iPod:
Rolling Stones "Love Is Strong"
John Parr "Naughty Naughty"
T-Ride "Bad Girls & Angels"
Proclaimers "500 Miles"
Kon Kan "I Beg Your Pardon"
Kiss "Reason to Live"
Yeah, I didn't really listen to college-type music until long after college.

My mom is starting to move a lot of old junk out, and she's getting affairs in order for the day when she and my step-dad have to sell the house and move into a home, or something more depressing.  If you've gone through this with your parents, I'm feeling you.  If you haven't yet, I don't know of a way to prepare you for that day.

It just sucks.

I'd leave you on a happy note, but I'm listening to Chickenfoot.  Just another example of how in rock music the sum of the parts is sometimes less than the parts.  Time to click next.

Until next time.
Currently listening:
Chickenfoot
By Chickenfoot
Release date: 2009-06-05
4:35 AM 
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Monday, July 06, 2009 

Current mood:  loved
Category: Life
It was two years ago on this night I was in bed watching the first Transformers mini-series on a small TV in my bedroom.  It was the night before the wedding, and not just any wedding.  This was the one where I was moving from supporting character to main character.  Kate was having a get-together with some of her bridesmaids in Canby, and I'd already had my bachelor party the night before.  I was alone in the house, except for the cats and my mom (who was sleeping on the couch downstairs with the TV on AMC or Turner Movie Classics with the volume almost all the way up, just like she sleeps at home).  So, on my last night of being single, why was I watching a cartoon that hadn't aged very well since 1984? 

Honestly, I first thought it was just me trying to get the recently released Michael Bay movie out of my head.  Upon further review however, it was more.

Thinking back to that night, it really was the end of the life I had been living.  Before Kate, I'd frequently stay holed up in my apartment for an entire weekend.  I'd surf the net, watch old cartoons on DVD, and maybe read or play a video game.  Monday I'd go back to work, and most weekends would be a repeat of the net/toons/games.  Sure, friends and a few girlfriends tried to shake me out of this pattern.  The pattern was too comfortable, too ingrained, and too tied into who I was, and my slowly evolving destiny into an anti-social apartment dweller.

Kate was the game changer.  She shook me out of that pattern, out of that life that was unfolding in front of me.  There were many lonely nights where I just curled into a ball in bed and just told myself that this was how it was going to be.  It wasn't a horrible life, but it was a lonely one most of the time.  I didn't feel important, I didn't feel loved, and I didn't feel like I had a future to work towards.  Kate came into my life and shook up the old routines.  She moved around things I hadn't moved in years.  She gave me a renewed reason to come home from work.  She made me want to plan things for the weekends.  She got my mind thinking...what about the future?

July 6th, 2007 was the last night of my old life...the old me.  That night I chose to spend it just like I'd spend old weekends in the old apartment, which was now a faint memory (we bought a house in 2006).  I remember propping my head up a bit so I could see the TV.  I remember the DVD player not working right away.  I remember the show starting.

Then I remember waking up.  The DVD menu screen had been playing all night.  My old life had gone out like it was destined to:  without a fight, without a notice, and without really being acknowledged. 

July 7th my life got a soft reboot, which it needed more than I realized.  I had been playing the same game of solitaire for years.
Kate was a game changer then, and a game partner now.

I can't thank her enough for coming into my life. 

That's why tomorrow I'll be way more celebratory than I am tonight.
Currently listening:
The Transformers: The Movie - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Release date: 1992-03-10
11:46 PM 
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Thursday, July 02, 2009 

Current mood:  insubordinate
Category: Music
So, let's chat.

KKCK:

Sean Paul "So Fine"
This song is more of what Sean Paul does well, and at a pace that suits him.  It probably won't be another "Get Busy", but it could at least be a "We Be Burnin".

Parachute "She Is Love"
This song tries to mine for some "Hey There Delilah" fans looking for the next song they can play on acoustic guitar to impress the ladies/gents/whatever.  Every summer needs a jam, but every summer also needs an "Endless Summer Nights" kinda song.  Yeah, I just went to the Ricard Marx well.  Even though it don't mean nothin', I should've known better.

Okay, I'm done.

Wait wait, I shouldn't hazard a chance to hold on to the nights?

Okay, that was reaching.

Jet "She's a Genius"
Simply put (and I'm behind so simply putting is a good thing), this song takes all that was good about Jet's first album, and nothing from their wince-inducing second album.  That is behavior that should be rewarded, so we'll bring 'em back.

Pick to click: Sean Paul

Until it ended a while ago, I read a webcomic called "June Sux".  This year I lived the name (thankfully not the strip...I think all the main characters died).  June did have some ups, and those ups were big.  However, there were enough downs of the small and medium variety to put a dampener on the month as a whole.  July started out rather iffy, so I'm worried this is a summer thing.  I always liked Autumn better anyway.

I realize the word is overused, but the new Transformers film gets a solid "meh" from me.  If you were to hear this word from me, it would sound more enthusiastic than my "meh" for the first movie, so in that sense I liked it more.  Just a little over a month until the G.I. Joe movie.

Braeden said his first word today.  Rather than "mama" or "dada" he took the odd route and went with "cat".  It makes sense, since cats outnumber people in our house.

I'm in a bit of an odd mood tonight.  I set my iTunes to just play Ani DiFranco, and next I'm working on my next 52 Cards blog.  It's a not quite living.
Currently listening:
Revelling/Reckoning
By Ani DiFranco
Release date: 2001-04-10
3:22 AM 
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Wednesday, June 24, 2009 

Current mood:  bummed
Category: Music
Blarararaararararararagh

KKCK:

Mariah Carey "Obsessed"
It's Mariah Carey, so it doesn't matter what it sounds like.

Britney Spears "Radar"
See Mariah Carey

Green Day "21 Guns"
See Britney Spears

Flo Rida w/Nelly Furtado "Jump"
See Green Day

Jay-Z "D.O.A."
See Flo Rida

pick to click: see Jay-Z

Wait, wait, wait.  That didn't come out right.  Let's try again.

KKCK:

Mariah Carey "Obsessed"
I thought she'd drop a faster track for a new single, but this one should work just fine. 

Britney Spears "Radar"
Okay Britney, knock it off.  We all know your albums are a few hits and a lot of filler.  You don't usually drop the filler as a single, so why are you doing it now? 

Green Day "21 Guns"
On its own, this would be one of Green Day's biggest ballads.  However, the spectre of "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" and "Wake Me Up When September Ends" will be hovering about.  It could go either way.

Flo Rida w/Nelly Furtado "Jump"
What Mr. Rida lacks in critical acclaim and indie cred, he makes up for with some of the catchiest hip-hop that's ready for mass consumption.  The addition of Nelly Furtado is a real plus as well.

Jay-Z "D.O.A."
Will this song kill auto-tune?  Probably not, but it's nice to hear Jay-Z come back with a song full of swagger and moxie.  The older I get the more I appreciate Jay-Z.

pick to click: this is a tough one, as all five artists are big guns, but I'll go with Flo Rida.

If you know me at all, you know I don't embrace some changes in my life without some kind of fight/mopefest/resentment.  Since about 1990, I've had a checking and savings account with the Roberts County National Bank.  When I went to college, I drove to Brookings to make deposits.  When I lived in Fargo, I drove back to Sisseton to make deposits.  When I moved back to Marshall, I once again drove to Brookings to make deposits until Brookings no longer had a compatible ATM.  Then I drove to Sioux Falls for a few months until Marshall finally had an ATM that would take my deposits.  Now, the Marshall ATM has switched networks and I can no longer deposit anything without a trip to Sioux Falls.  Due to gas and time constraints, I just can't justify two trips to Sioux Falls a month.  I'll be slowly transitioning to a new account in town, while keeping my RCNB account with a small amount in it, in case the situation changes.  For some reason, this really brought me down today.  RCNB has been a super nice bank, and I don't have anything even close to a bad word to say about them.  Is it odd to have such loyalty to a bank?

In other news, Kate shocked me on Father's Day by giving me a
Wii!  I've finally moved on to the next gen, or current gen, or 7th gen, or whatever.  So far, we only have Wii Sports, but that's still fun.  I've also been making Mii's of various fictional characters from G.I. Joe (Duke, Baroness, Roadblock, Lady Jaye), Daria (Daria, Jane Lane), and webcomics (Weedmaster P from Overcompensating, Hannelore from Questionable Content).  If anyone has suggestions for games to buy or download for the Wii, I'm all eyes.

In other news, my cat Weevil is in lock up until Saturday.  He's one felonious feline for sure.  Long story short, he wasn't up to date on his rabies shot and he bit the little one. 

Quarantine is rough, but it beats the test for rabies.

Have a swell rest of the [time of day when you read this].
Currently listening:
Tonight:Franz Ferdinand
By Franz Ferdinand
Release date: 2009-01-27
10:43 PM 
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Thursday, June 18, 2009 

Current mood:  happy
Category: Life
After work Wednesday, I hauled myself and the small black cloud hovering over me home.  I proceeded to haul the mower out of the shed and gas it up for a quick trim of the lawn.  As I was pushing our ancient mower East and West by the patio door, Russ 2.0 (latest Braeden nickname) pushed himself up against the glass.  He proceeded to flash his newest goofy smile at me every time I came towards the house.  I could see him giggling and laughing every time I acknowledged him. 

When I became old enough to help mow the lawn at home, I hated it at first, but grew to secretly enjoy it.

When I lived in an apartment, I would feel nostalgic about mowing a lawn when the maintenance crew would mow.

Now I have a lawn, and mowing became yet another item on a list of things to do.

Last night, mowing the lawn made me happier than I'd been all week.

That is all.
Currently listening:
Death Magnetic
By Metallica
Release date: 2008-09-12
4:33 PM 
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