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Thursday, October 29, 2009

Three questions on three songs
Current mood:

busy
Category: Music

I don't normally fish for comments, but please feel free to answer the questions in the comments below. Extra credit for unique answers.

KKCK:

Rihanna "Russian Roulette"
1. The guitar at the start of the song is
(a) cool (b) a bad fit (c) too long (d) "play some Skynyrd man!
2. Opening a new album with this as the first single is
(a) brilliant (b) ballsy (c) not the best idea (d) curious
3. This particular song is the best song called "Russian Roulette" since
(a) like, EVER! (b) pre="">Southgang's "Russian Roulette" (c) that GSN game show 'Russian Roulette' (d) other [please specify]

Timbaland with Nelly Furtado "Morning After Dark"
1. Timbaland should totally have a producer-off with
(a) Robert John "Mutt" Lange (b) Rick Rubin (c) Butch Vig (d) other [please specify]
2. Nelly Futado also dropped a new CD recently. How is it?
(a) great! (b) meh (c) average (d) I don't know Spanish, so I don't know
3. Timbaland's last CD produced a few #1 hits. Does this one have what it takes to pull that off?
(a) Yes! (b) No! (c) Maybe? (d) needs a remix version

Boys Like Girls with Taylor Swift "Two is Better than One"
1. BLG's last ballad, "Thunder", didn't do so hot. Is this song better?
(a) hells yes! (b) yes? (c) not quite (d) uh, "Thunder" was the shiznit yo
2. The band campaigned to have Taylor Swift appear on the CD. Is this because
(a) they're huge fans of her music (b) she's kinda hot (c) adding her to their album means a for-sure hit single (d) no really, it's c
3. If BLG had gotten Kanye instead, this song would have been
(a) a lot different (b) confusing? (c) best song OF ALL TIME (d) perfect for a PG remake of Judgement Night.

Pick to click: Rihanna

BTW, my answers are c, c, b, a, d, c, c, c, d. There's extra credit if anyone remembers the Judgement Night soundtrack without looking it up.

The new music blog is a day late due to a trip to Sioux Falls to see a neurologist. I don't remember her name, but she was quite possibly one of the best doctors I've ever seen my wife see. She was able to get Kate back on a good migraine medication, and hopefully that combined with a highly recommended herbal supplement will mean the end of the headaches in Kate's life. Granted, I'm still married to her, so she still has that to deal with.

I was going to write some more, but I might save that for another day. Have a great Halloween everyone!

Currently listening:
Judgment Night
By Original Soundtrack
Release date: 2008-02-01

8:52 PM

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Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Four songs that don't need my help
Current mood:

exhausted
Category: Music

Seriously.

KKCK:

Jay-Z & Alicia Keys "Empire State of Mind"
One of the best rappers in the game AND Alicia Keys? The only thing that might slow this down is that "Run This Town" is still going up.

Kris Allen "Live Like We're Dying"
As the reigning American Idol, airplay is pretty much a given (although it wasn't on KKCK for Taylor or Fantasia).

Shakira w/Lil' Wayne "Give It Up to Me"
Seriously, these two would do well on their own, but for them to team up AND let Timbaland produce it? That doesn't even seem fair.

Lady Gaga "Bad Romance"
Everything she drops turns to platinum. Game over.

Pick to click: Lady Gaga

After one listen, I'm let down by the new Bowling for Soup album. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it's the first one of their albums that didn't grab me out of the gate. I've been listening to Steve Martin's bluegrass album on and off while doing dishes. I'm no big bluegrass fan, but I can appreciate Mr. Martin's mad banjo skills. In the next week I'm hoping to hear the new albums from Electric Six, Weezer, and Tegan and Sara. Something tells me Tegan and Sara will be the belle of that ball.

Meanwhile on the non-music part of my life, things are going pretty smoothly. Braeden is now in his "throw everything at everything" phase, so there's that. It's hard to remember those parts of the day, as my mind chooses to think about the times I get him from his crib when he wakes up, because it's so obvious how happy he is to see me. I hope I can still remember that when I'm waking up a surly teen to get his butt to school. Kate has been outstanding as always, but I'm starting to think she did some kind of spell or something to me in regards to headaches. I've been getting them more than her in the past few weeks, which hasn't given me cause for concern yet.

It isn't much, but it's a bit more than last week, right?

11:49 PM

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Thursday, October 15, 2009

Four songs at four words each
Current mood:

hopeful
Category: Music

Why? It's late and I'm pretty spent for the day.

KKCK:

Ke$ha "TiK ToK"
Tarty. Poppy. Spunky. Auto-tuned.

We the Kings "Heaven Can Wait"
Ballad. Sweeping. Guitary. Okay.

Jordin Sparks "S.O.S. (Let the Music Play)"
Dancy. Uptempo. Fun. Shannon?

Quietdrive "Jessica"
Rocky. Not-poppy. Upcoming. Show.

Pick to click: Ke$ha

I'm sorry the music part of the blog is a bit shorter than usual. Between a busy day at work, talking to my mom on the phone, spending QT with the wifey and Mythbusters doing an hour about duct tape, my blogging time is a bit limited.

I did want to get this one in just before midnight, as this is my last blog at my current age. Thursday I flip over another year on the personal odometer. A friend of mine was going off about how the best years of our lives are behind us. I told him the best was yet to come.

He said I was on crack.

We'll see.

4:22 AM

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Wednesday, October 07, 2009

4 again? Would it kill me to go with 3 or 5?
Current mood:

bouncy
Category: Music

It might.

KKCK:

Britney Spears "3"
If this song was about most anything else, it probably would hit the top ten, then quickly drop and be forgotten. However, the risky nature of the lyrics might be good enough to get this song to top five territory. I was a bit excited to hear she was working with Max Martin again, but the result isn't quite what I had in mind. Maybe it'll grow on me?

Shinedown "If You Only Knew"
I'm sorry, the only song with "If", "Only", and "Knew" in the title that will live forever is [Embedding disabled by request]. It's really too bad, since the Shinedown song is one of those rare songs that works as well on rock radio as pop radio.

Jesse McCartney w/T-Pain "Body Language"
T-Pain doesn't get you out of being the poor woman's Justin Timberlake. Actually, Justin Timberlake not releasing anything lately has left a void you've filled pretty well. Keep doin' what you're doin' not-Paul McCartney.

Phoenix "1901"
It looks like the little French band that could is finally getting a bump, so I'll give them a go in the light category. The song actually doesn't sound too bad alongside other KKCK songs, which is a great sign for French alt-rock bands on the rise.

Pick to click: Britney Spears (not a stretch, it already hit #1 on our Hot 9 last night)

I don't have a lot on my mind today, but I know the following five things to be true:

1. The Twins/Tigers one game playoff will go down as one of the best baseball games of the year, decade, and perhaps even the new century.

2. I'm curious to listen to my copy of the new KISS album, but I'm downright stoked to hear Matthew Good's Vancouver.

3. New Mythbusters episodes are way overdue (but new ones start tonight).

4. Kate is still the best mom I know, and Braeden has yet to stop making me smile (I put them at 4 because 4 is my favorite number)

5. I want some nachos.

Well, in honesty, 5 is true almost every day of the year.

11:48 PM

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Wednesday, September 30, 2009

4 songs and seven years ago...
Current mood:

awake
Category: Music

I can't believe I didn't use that one sooner.

KKCK:

Leona Lewis "Happy"
Surprise! That leaked song of hers with Justin Timberlake isn't the first single from her new album. It reminds me of "I Will Be" in spots, but not enough for a direct comparison. If you've liked Leona's other stuff, there's nothing about this song that will make you like her any less.

Foo Fighters "Wheels"
I'm a bit surprised more stations aren't jumping on this track. This is about as radio-friendly of a song I've ever heard from the Foo Fighters. I like it more every time I hear it, which is good. If pop radio gives this song a chance, we'll be hearing it a lot.

Nickelback "Never Gonna Be Alone"
When "Mutt" Lange produces a power ballad, he makes sure you know he produced it. I hear bits and pieces of this song that remind me of songs like "Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad" by Def Leppard, "Do I Have to Say the Words" by Bryan Adams, and "Still the One" by Shania Twain. If "Mutt" Lange was a football coach, he'd be that guy who moved from job to job with the exact same playbook that always worked, regardless of the players on the team. By the way, if you dislike Maroon 5 you might want to look into going deaf, as Mr. Lange's next CD is their next one.

David Guetta w/Akon "Sexy Chick"
It sounds like Akon got in a fight with a drunken Daft Punk and it was a draw, but I mean that in the best way possible.

Pick to click: Nickelback

Since last week, things have been going incredibly well. The only real downside to life of late is a lack of sleep, but that's due to just not being able to stay asleep. I wish I could roll on just five or six hours of sleep like I did in college, but those days are way gone. Also gone are my days of being able to sleep past 10 AM. This has taught me both that there's very little that's watchable in the morning, and that DVR might be the best invention of my lifetime.

I've developed a love/hate relationship with the new Marvel "Super Hero Squad Show" on Cartoon Network. It's aimed at little kids, much of the humor is quite childish, and most of the time the show tries to hard to be funny. However, the theme song is stuck in my head, sometimes the show floats a joke only adults will pick up on, and the show has a great grasp of the possibilities of humor with the characters (Hulk being stupid, Thor being vain, Cap being a senile old man, Silver Surfer being a surfer 'dude', etc...). This show is not for everybody, but if you're looking to laugh with Marvel when they're laughing at themselves, check it out.

After hankering down on my new writing project, I've reached the point where the rough draft is 3/8ths done. I know that's an odd fraction, but that's based on word count. I know, I know...word count is a horrible way to track progress on a book. I feel the need for benchmarks and a way to track my progress, and that seems like the best way. I've heard that once a book is done, the real work begins. I'm trying to keep that out of my mind, because if I don't get it done I'll never have to worry about the next part. I am concerned about my ending...or lack thereof. I have an ending in mind, but I really don't like it. I keep thinking that if I just keep writing, the ending will come to me. To quote a William Shatner song, "It hasn't happened yet".

I'd write more, but I have a few other irons in the fire that need my attention.

September was a pretty spiffy month, so I'm hoping for more in October. That isn't too much to ask, is it?

11:28 PM

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Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Talkin' about four songs from the home office
Current mood:

happy
Category: Music

It's Russ 2.0's first birthday, so I'm home today. I'm writing some during naps, and the rest after he's in bed.

KKCK:

Alicia Keys "Doesn't Mean Anything"
I'm not sure how long it's been since Ms. Keys' last CD, but for me it was too long. This song reminds me a bit of "No One" but only slightly.

Iyaz "Replay"
It's a rare occasion when I have absolutely no opinion about a song, but this song pulls that off. It hit #40 on Monday, and it's the only song in the top 40 we weren't playing. So, I thought I'd give it a go. Sometimes the process is really that uninteresting.

Mariah Carey "I Want to Know What Love Is"
Until I heard Mariah sing this, I never thought of this old Foreigner song as one that would sound like a song Mariah Carey would sing. Mariah uses her entire vocal range on this track, and she does her best to own it. The only knocks are that she's not had the best luck remaking rock songs (her Def Lep cover was pretty bad) and the original was one of VH1's "awesomely bad love songs" or some other such nonsense.

Death Cab for Cutie "Meet Me on the Equinox"
Look, I'll be frank here. This is a shameless attempt to cash in on all the New Moon hype. Sure, it gives us an excuse to play DC4C again, but the song hasn't grown on me yet. It does sound better with each listen, so if I wrote these after more distance from the add date my write-up would probably be different.

Pick to click: Alicia Keys

A few quick notes about a few albums.

Cobra Starship's Hot Mess is going in one ear and out the other. All their albums do, but for some reason I keep buying them. Perhaps my subconscious is a big fan.

Laughin' and Cryin' with the Reverend Horton Heat might be the best RHH album I've heard since Lucky 7. Granted, since then there have only been two. Still, this might be the second best album I've ever heard from the Reverend Horton Heat. I highly recommend it if you like punk-a-billy in the least.

Endgame by Megadeth has gotten rave reviews, and after listening I wonder if I didn't read too many. I was ready for an album that had gotten some comparisons to Rust in Peace, but this album just didn't grab my attention like I thought it would. I'm not ready to give up on it, but as of right now I think I liked their last two (United Abominations and The System Has Failed better).

Sick of Sarah's self titled debut is very enjoyable female alt-pop-rock. There are a few moments on the album where I'm reminded of the dearly departed Sleater-Kinney, but I wouldn't say they sound a lot like Sleater-Kinney. This could be my dark horse candidate for album of the year.

After reading MTV's James Montgomery rave about how great it was, I gave The Fame by Lady Gaga a listen. Near the end I was reminded of his glowing recommendation of Animal Collective, which I just couldn't get into at all (one of the few albums I deleted from my iTunes library). I still give Mr. Montgomery's opinions some consideration because without him I wouldn't have given Against Me a chance, and now they're one of my favorite bands.

Also, "CNR" might be the best song/video "Weird Al" has done since "Amish Paradise". No foolin'. It's on the new Internet Leaks EP, and it is by far the highlight.

I'm off to continue the celebration of Braeden turning one. It doesn't seem like a year already, but calendars don't lie.

9:40 PM

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Wednesday, September 16, 2009

3 songs Kanye won't interrupt
Current mood:

busy
Category: Music

After all, he's in one of them.

KKCK:

Push Play "Midnight Romeo"
I'm not sure what to make of this song. They're on Wind-Up records, but they sound like a band I'd hear on a station like ours, or something more AC like Q102 in Willmar. I've never thought of Wind-Up as being a home for pop radio friendly artists, but it might just be one of those songs that is misleading about how the rest of the album sounds. Also, they sound young. Really young. "Like Jo-Bro" young.

Drake w/Kanye West, Lil' Wayne, and Eminem "Forever"
This song might have too much star-power. There seems to be a line in the hip-hop world where just enough guests will ensure a big hit, but too many guests dooms the song to a quick rise and a quicker fall. Worse, the line seems to vary by year and artist. Drake is still new to the game, but one wonders how a song with Kanye, Lil' Wayne and Eminem in it can fail. If star power was all that mattered, the first Travelling Wilburys album should have been the biggest selling album of all time.

Sick of Sarah "Bittersweet"
After a month of spins on the Shag, I thought these Minneapolis gals would sound just fine against the rest of the music. I don't know if the music biz is in the right spot for a tight sounding female alt-rock band, but one can hope. A good sign for hope is that on the Shag I gave away nine of their CDs, and each winner was from a different town.

Pick to click: Drake and the other guys

I hate to blog and run, but business is pickin' up. Have a good rest of the week.

8:07 PM

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Monday, September 14, 2009

If you're wondering where my VMA post is
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

3 is it?
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

Four songs agree on a game
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

Five songs to answer five questions
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

Five songs, then a lot of blah-blah
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

Please insert four songs to reboot system
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

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Thursday, August 06, 2009

Four songs for an album to be named later
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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