Lulu & The Lampshades "You're Gonna Miss Me"

My wife, who teaches at an elementary school, had been out late the previous night.

The students and teachers had put on a talent show, and she'd attended to show support.  The next morning, she was talking about how 3 different groups of kids did "the cups song" thing.

What is "the cups song" thing?

Instead of answering me, she got a plastic cup out of the cupboard and went off to her computer.

She had a vague memory of how to do the cup thing, but needed to bring up a Youtube video, to re-train herself.

With just a little bit of practice, it all came back to her.  Here she is, accompanied by my son and a bowl of pasta.


See it on Youtube.

What the heck is that, and why are kids doing it?

Well, you can watch this appearance on David Letterman by actress Anna Kendrick, but the short version is this:  Kendrick had learned to do the cup trick from a viral video, and when the folks who were making the movie "Pitch Perfect" saw her do it, they wrote it into the movie.


See the Letterman interview on Youtube.

So if your kids know "the cups song" thing it's probably from seeing "Pitch Perfect" and then Googling this viral video, that Kendrick had studied.


See the viral video on Youtube.

But that doesn't explain how my wife knew how to do it.  She hadn't seen "Pitch Perfect," and wasn't aware of the song.

"How do you know the routine?"

She was a bit sheepish.

"It's from a drinking game.  We used to do this in college.  When you get to the last step, you send the cup to the person on your right.  If you mess up the routine, you drink."

A drinking game, of course.  Now appropriated by grade schoolers everywhere.

Next talent show?  Quarters!


PS.  One more fun version:

See the viral video on Youtube.

The Muppets "Sequestered In Memphis"

I had time off last week which, on the whole, was okay, but was full of doctors appointments, sick family members, a flat tire, a downed tree, power outages and other side tracks.

But through all those hassles, I kept thinking about this video, and smiling.

A radio/records person on my Facebook feed posted this and suggested that everyone play this song on 3/1.

3/1?  What happens on 3/1?

It took me a while to put it together, but, aha!  The government's "Sequestration" cuts take effect on 3/1.

So, in the face of crippling budget wacks, please enjoy these Muppets singing a Hold Steady tune.


See the video on Youtube.

Cassidy Lynn/Judd Fuller/Dana Radford "Gardener In The Graveyard"

I got this email from mvyradio's former News Director, Toby Wilson:

Hey PJ,

Former Islanders Judd Fuller and Dana Radford are one of the top 10 finalists for the CMT songwriter awards. The song is about the caretaker at Able's Hill Cemetery, and how he knows the history of all the people buried there.

So spread the word and help out some Vineyard-favorite musicians!

See all the contestants.

See what they'd win.

Hear the song:

Get More:

Bobby Rush "Down In Louisiana"

While we at MVY don't actively try to get ourselves an FCC violation, we don't freak out about the possibility of getting in trouble either.

I can't say this is true for many of our peers in radio however.

The fear of an FCC fine, for whatever reason, looms large, and that fear has created a kind of tense culture between stations and the record promoters who service them.

It seems perfectly reasonable to receive a new album that comes with a sticker on the cover that tells you, for instance, "Tracks 2 and 7 are not FCC friendly."

Okay, so maybe the songs say "Fuck" or "Shit" or something that you don't want to unwittingly put on your airwaves.  Perfectly reasonable to point that out.

But often, the CD comes with a one-sheet, that tells you the same information.  And you get an email, or two, with a reminder.

Seems like a bit of overkill. 

True, WMVY has never been fined for airing a swear word.  Maybe some of these other stations have been fined, and they are skittish.

Because WOE BE UNTO THE PROMOTER who sends out a CD only to discover, after the fact, that a song, or songs, on the record have swear words.

Expect that poor promoter to issue multiple Mea Culpas and emails, and a reminder via a phone call, that the album is un-stickered and you shouldn't play on the People's Airwaves lest the bureaucratic wrath of the Federal Communications Commission rain hellfire down upon you.

It's all a little much.  And while I might want to tease the promoters about it, surely they are just reacting to the over-reacting of some radio folks.

Which is what makes this so funny . . .

Upon returning from vacation, I found one of those standard apology/correction emails from Lindsay Reid of Thirty Tigers.  He was warning folks about the opening track on the new Bobby Rush record.  "My apologies on this, as I was told it was FCC clean."

No doubt, the record had gone out un-stickered, some radio person played it and let Lindsay know that there WAS a swear word on it.  So it would have seemed . . . 

Hilariously, less than 24 hour later came the correction to the correction.

The song IS FCC clean.  But check out the lyrics below.

Dirty?  Nah.  Incomprehensible?  Hell yeah!

Listen in at that 1:10 mark, and you'll hear why folks thought Rush was swearing . . .


Hear the song on Youtube.

Way Down In Louisiana

Down In Cajun Land

Folks got somethin’ goin down there

That you might not understand

Diggy on the Scooby di lord

Diggy on the Scooby doo

Doin’ anything girl that you wanna doo

You ol Pooky Poo You

Oh’ what I’d like to do to you

Get Hip to the consultation to the Boolawee

Way Down In Louisiana

Down In New Orleans

Folks got somethin’ goin down there

Queue fauex cootsie tootsie

Diggy on the Scooby di lord

Diggy on the Scooby doo

Little Girl what I, what I’d like to do to you

You ol Pooky Poo You

Oh’ what I’d like to do to you

Get Hip to the consultation to the Boolawee

Golly golly Miss Molly

Everything is Copasetic now

Girl look at you, You ol Pooky Poo You

What I’d like to do to you You ol Pooky Poo You

Oh’ what I’d like to do to you

Get Hip to the consultation to the Boolawee
Get Hip to the consultation to the Boolawee

JJ Fad "Supersonic"

Here's another Weekend Post:

When I was searching for yesterday's "Supersonic," this one popped up too, and it made me laugh, thinking of the early days of MTV.  I love how positively quaint (if garish), the whole thing is---the hair, the outfits, the "attitude."  It was a cute song . . .


Hear the song on Youtube.

Weekend posts are a chance to revisit songs that have happy memories, not of anything in particular, other than just hearing the tunes.

Many of these songs were tracks that I played during my 90s stint as an Alternative/Modern Rock radio show.  They're tunes that I hardly hear these days, but are wonderful to revisit.

Click on the "Weekend Posts" label below, to see other posts like this.

Oasis "Supersonic"

Here's another Weekend Post:

I was thinking about what a big dang hit this one was, and how I never seem to hear it any more.  "Wonderwall" and "Champagne Supernova" are floating out there, but this one seems to have slipped throught the cracks . . .


Hear the song on Youtube.

Weekend posts are a chance to revisit songs that have happy memories, not of anything in particular, other than just hearing the tunes.

Many of these songs were tracks that I played during my 90s stint as an Alternative/Modern Rock radio show.  They're tunes that I hardly hear these days, but are wonderful to revisit.

Click on the "Weekend Posts" label below, to see other posts like this.
 

Steve Miller Band "The Joker"

All this week, words I learned because of songs.  Today's word is:  Pompatus

You can spend hours googling the word "Pompatus" but in my day, if you wanted to know the origin of a word, you had to rely on Urban Legend and the "playground talk" of your peers.

Maybe Steve Miller made it up.  Maybe he lifted it from a 50s song.  Maybe it's a variation of pompous.  Maybe it means nothing.

Is "pompatus" truly a word?  I still don't know.  But I learned it in a song . . .


Hear the song on Youtube.


PS.  "Googling Pompatus" might be an awesome title for my first book.


Steve Miller Band
The Joker
Some people call me the space cowboy, yeah
Some call me the gangster of love
Some people call me Maurice
Cause I speak of the pompitous of love
People talkin' 'bout me, baby
Say I'm doin' you wrong, doin' you wrong
Well, don't you worry baby
Don't worry
Cause I'm right here, right here, right here, right here at home
Cause I'm a picker
I'm a grinner
I'm a lover
And I'm a sinner
I play my music in the sun
I'm a joker
I'm a smoker
I'm a midnight toker
I get my lovin' on the run
Wooo Wooooo
You're the cutest thing
That I ever did see
I really love your peaches
Want to shake your tree
Lovey-dovey, lovey-dovey, lovey-dovey all the time
Ooo-eee baby, I'll sure show you a good time
Cause I'm a picker
I'm a grinner
I'm a lover
And I'm a sinner
I play my music in the sun
I'm a joker
I'm a smoker
I'm a midnight toker
I sure don't want to hurt no one
Wooo Woooo
People keep talking about me baby
They say I'm doin' you wrong
Well don't you worry, don't worry, no don't worry mama
Cause I'm right here at home
You're the cutest thing I ever did see
Really love your peaches want to shake your tree
Lovey-dovey, lovey-dovey, lovey-dovey all the time
Come on baby and I'll show you a good time

Barenaked Ladies "Brian Wilson"

All this week, words I learned because of songs.  Today's word is:  Pedagogue

I immediately got the reference to The Beach Boys when I first heard this Barenaked Ladies tune.  I knew about the sandbox, and the weight-gain and other parts of the Brian Wilson legend.

But it wasn't until years later that I learned a little about Wilson's relationship with Dr. Landy, and that made me want to understand further what Dr. Landy (in the song) tells the narrator.

ped·a·gogue 
Noun
A teacher, esp. a strict or pedantic one.

See the lyrics below


Hear the song on Youtube.

"Brian Wilson"

Drove downtown in the rain nine-thirty on a Tuesday night,
just to check out the late-night record shop.
Call it impulsive, call it compulsive, call it insane;
but when I'm surrounded I just can't stop.
It's a matter of instinct, it's a matter of conditioning,
It's a matter of fact.
You can call me Pavlov's dog
Ring a bell and I'll salivate- how'd you like that?
Dr. Landy tell me you're not just a pedagogue,
cause right now I'm
[Chorus]
Lying in bed just like Brian Wilson did
Well I'm lying in bed just like Brian Wilson did.
So I'm lying here, just staring at the ceiling tiles.
and I'm thinking about what to think about.
Just listening and relistening to Smiley Smile,
and I'm wondering if this is some kind of creative drought
because I am
[Chorus]
And if you want to find me I'll be out in the sandbox,
wondering where the hell all the love has gone.
Playing my guitar and building castles in the sun,
and singing "Fun, Fun, Fun."
[Chorus]
I had a dream that I was three hundred pounds
and though I was very heavy,
I floated 'til I couldn't see the ground
I floated 'til I couldn't see the ground
Somebody help me, I couldn't see the ground
Somebody help me, I couldn't see the ground
Somebody help me because I'm
[Chorus]
Drove downtown in the rain nine-thirty on a Tuesday night.
Just to check out the late-night record shop.
Call it impulsive, call it compulsive, call it insane;
but when I'm surrounded I just can't stop.

The Beatles "The Ballad Of John And Yoko"

All this week, words I learned because of songs.  Today's word is:  Mac

Oh, did I torture my parents with questions about The Beatles.  I didn't understand that my folks wouldn't know every little thing about every little song.

And as I became more accustomed to their later work, I found myself running into things my parents were definitely not quite ready to address, like slang.

But for whatever reason, my folks DID know what a Mac (short for Mackintosh) was.  The "Man In The Mac" was a much clearer vision in my mind, as soon as they explained it was another work for raincoat.

To this day, however, we don't really know the meaning of the acorns tied in a sack.


Hear the song on Youtube.

The Ballad Of John And Yoko

Standing in the dock at Southampton
Trying to get to Holland or France
The man in the mac said, "You've got to go back"
You know they didn't even give us a chance

Christ you know it ain't easy
You know how hard it can be
The way things are going
They're going to crucify me

Finally made the plane into Paris
Honeymooning down by the Seine
Peter Brown called to say
"You can make it OK
You can get married in Gibraltar, near Spain"

Christ you know it ain't easy
You know how hard it can be
The way things are going
They're going to crucify me

Drove from Paris to the Amsterdam Hilton
Talking in our beds for a week
The newspapers said, "Say what you doing in bed?"
I said, "We're only trying to get us some peace"

Christ you know it ain't easy
You know how hard it can be
The way things are going
They're going to crucify me

Saving up your money for a rainy day
Giving all your clothes to charity
Last night the wife said
"Oh boy, when you're dead
You don't take nothing with you
But your soul, think!"

Made a lightning trip to Vienna
Cating chocolate cake in a bag
The newspapers said, "She's gone to his head
They look just like two gurus in drag"

Christ you know it ain't easy
You know how hard it can be
The way things are going
They're going to crucify me

Caught an early plane back to London
Fifty acorns tied in a sack
The men from the press said, "We wish you success
It's good to have the both of you back"

Christ you know it ain't easy
You know how hard it can be
The way things are going
They're going to crucify me
The way things are going
They're going to crucify me

Til Tuesday "Believed You Were Lucky"

All this week, words I learned because of songs.  Today's word is:  Acquiesce

At my old radio station, we had a 45 of this Til Tuesday song, and the lyrics were right on the paper sleeve.  My old roommate/co-worker would always comment that he was impressed with a songwriter like Aimee Mann, who would use "acquiesce" in a pop song.


ac·qui·esce  
Verb
Accept something reluctantly but without protest.

See the lyrics below.



Hear the song on Youtube.

"(Believed You Were) Lucky"
So I guess I'll give it up
Yeah I guess I will
What's the use in pushing
When it's all uphill
I can't be appointed
Keeper of the flame
Without two to carry
It won't burn the same
Oh, it seems obvious to me
But then again
Could be
You just never felt that way
I wish you believed in life
Believed in fate
Believed you were lucky
And worth the wait
'Cause life could be lovely
Life could be so great
It gets so embarrassing
So I acquiesce
And I'll change my mind again
You change your address
Oh, it seems logical to me
But then again
Could be I was simply not that smart
I wish you believed in life
Believed in fate
Believed you were lucky
And worth the wait
'Cause life could be lovely
Life could be so great
There must be some other door that they are saving
Behind which my happiness lies
I won't be wasting my words
To tell you hopes that I had -
We can just leave it alone for now
I wish you believed in life
Believed in fate
Believed you were lucky
And worth the wait
'Cause life could be lovely
Oh life could be fucking great

The Monkees "Sweet Young Thing"

There's a line in Dave Kish's radio station biography, where he writes about learning to read by looking at album covers.  I always thought that was funny, if slightly improbable.

Then, not long ago, I was looking at list of songs by The Monkees, and I saw the title "Sweet Young Thing," a deeper cut off their first album, and it brought back a flash of a memory.

I was obsessed with The Monkees, right about the same time I was learning to read.

And I remember holding an album cover in my hand and sounding out the title to this song:

"Sssweeeet  Ewwwing Thing.  Sweet Eww-ing Thing."

From my "Learning To Read" work in school, I knew the word "Sweet" and I knew the word "Thing" and I knew the word "You."

But I didn't know what "You" with an "NG" on the end was.

Listening to the record, I figured it out . . .

Thus began a long history of learning words and phrases and definitions, via music.

All this week, I'll post about how a love of music has taught me a vocabulary word or two.


Hear the song on Youtube.

Primus "Tommy The Cat"

Here's another Weekend Post:

Fun weekend diversion:  Learn to imitate and recite Tom Waits' speech in this song.


Hear the song on Youtube.

Weekend posts are a chance to revisit songs that have happy memories, not of anything in particular, other than just hearing the tunes.

Many of these songs were tracks that I played during my 90s stint as an Alternative/Modern Rock radio show.  They're tunes that I hardly hear these days, but are wonderful to revisit.

Click on the "Weekend Posts" label below, to see other posts like this.

Letters To Cleo "Here And Now"

Here's another Weekend Post:

Fun weekend time diversion:  Can you sing the chorus to this song?


Hear the song on Youtube.


Weekend posts are a chance to revisit songs that have happy memories, not of anything in particular, other than just hearing the tunes.

Many of these songs were tracks that I played during my 90s stint as an Alternative/Modern Rock radio show.  They're tunes that I hardly hear these days, but are wonderful to revisit.

Click on the "Weekend Posts" label below, to see other posts like this.

Marshall Tucker Band "Heard It In A Love Song"

The storm was over.   Figuratively and literally.

The Blizzard of 2013 had spun itself out of the area.  The skies were clearing.  The Governor had reopened roads.

And 2 1/2 months of a whirlwind fundraising campaign to Save mvyradio, had culminated with the station signing of 92.7 for the last time, right in the middle of a Blizzard.

I'd spent the night at the radio station, and I was ready to venture out into the new world.

People have asked me, over and over, about my feelings on signing off 92.7.

Honestly, I was okay with it.  Not to say that I was happy about it.  But to be in a stable radio job for 13 years is extremely uncommon in my field.  And to have survived a station sale is even rarer.

I couldn't really begrudge our former owner, Aritaur Communications, for selling 92.7.  By all rights, they should have fired most of the staff years ago, to cut costs.  To their credit, they never did.

And I couldn't really begrudge WBUR for buying the signal.  Someone was going to.  I suppose that it's good that it went to someone who a) didn't want to take the parts of the station that it didn't need, and b) isn't really going to be a competitor, going forward.  It's just business.

So I didn't have much anger, and only a hint of sadness through this process.  And truthfully, most of those feelings were completely drown out by the adrenaline associated with effort of raising over half a million dollars in 60 days.

I walked away from my night of saying goodbye to 92.7, feeling at peace.

Hungry, I went down to The Black Dog in Vineyard Haven, one of the few restaurants open the day after the storm.

Stepping inside, I felt a punch in the gut.

On the overhead speakers, a Classic Rock radio station from Cape Cod was playing "Heard It In A Love Song."

Now, had this been any other business on the Island, I wouldn't have thought twice about it.  But this was The Black Dog.

The folks who run The Black Dog have been superior partners to WMVY over the years.  I don't know how they see us, but I know that I see The Black Dog in much the same way that I see the station---we are long-standing Vineyard institutions that folks who visit the Island feel embody the Island.  Listening to mvyradio, or wearing a Black Dog t-shirt says, "I have a connection to Martha's Vineyard."

No matter what Black Dog location you walk into, they are always playing mvyradio, because it gives the store/bakery/restaurant that Island feel.

But now they were playing someone else.

That hurt.

Not that The Black Dog had chosen to play another station, but that someone, a stalwart friend, was unable to listen.

I won't say I cried---I mean, I was eating a BLT with bacon stacked nearly to the ceiling---but it was the closest I'd come to crying all day and night.

A few days later, I saw Dan, who works for The Black Dog, who told me that the bakery isn't internet-ready, but that they were still playing MVY in their other locations.  We'd be back on their sound system as soon as they were wired up.

I guess this is the new reality.  We're losing some friends who can't come with us into this new technological world, and out of contact for a while with others . . .




Hear the song on Youtube.

Gillian Welch "Make Me A Pallet On Your Floor"

When leaving my house on the Friday morning of the Blizzard, I was kissing my wife and kids goodbye as I do every morning, but I was also explaining to the kids that I would probably be gone overnight, due to the storm.

Before walking about the door, my daughter screamed, "WAIT DADDY!!!"

She disappeared down the hall and moments later re-appeared with a big white ball of fuzz.

"I want you to take this with you, so you have something to remember me by."

Let it be know that the Blizzard Of 2013 is when I knew for certain that my daughter would one day win the Oscar for drama.  And I expect that her acceptance speech will include a mention of her Dad, and the Unicorn pillow she made me take to work.

At the end of the night, I pulled a couple of cushions off the soft chairs from the mvyradio lobby, GM Greg had brought in a blanket and a comforter, and I took the unicorn pillow off the record player, and rested my weary head upon it.  That pile of fluff in the foreground of the On Air studio, was my bed for the night.

I don't know if you've ever had the experience, but it is pretty funny to be the only person at your workplace, and to have your workplace become your home for a day.  I made sure to make myself comfortable, hanging out the next morning in my pajamas.

The only drawback to studio life, was the very, very small coffee pot.  I mean, look at the pot, next to a normal sized mug?!?

Hear the song on Youtube.

Fats Domino "Blueberry Hill"

There are many occurrences in fiction, of the actual joy of being the last man on Earth, from the Twilight Zone, to I Am Legend.  Mutants and broken glasses aside, that is. 

Being the only man on Earth does allow you to indulge, unhindered, into whatever you feel like doing.

I was at mvyradio for the last night on 92.7, which happened right in the middle of Nemo the Blizzard. 

Barbara and Jess live within a mile of the station, so shortly after midnight, they went home.

But I stayed behind.

First, it was going to be near impossible for me to get home, in the thick of the storm.  Much easier to stay put.

Second, if I stayed, then no replacement DJ would have to come in until the storm was over.  I could keep music going, and be live when necessary.

Third, there was a blueberry pie.

Yes, some very, very generous soul was in The Black Dog on Friday morning, and heard us on the stereo, talking about our last day.  They were buying themselves a pie, and they thought to buy one for the mvyradio staff.

Early in the day, Laurel had a small piece.  But by the time the whole gang had left, I realized that no one else had taken a bite.

The pie was mine. 

Through the night, and for breakfast on Saturday, and for lunch, and for an afternoon snack, I cut myself pieces of pie.

Yes, it did seem indulgent.  Decadent.  But on the other hand, I was the last man on Earth.

Who would begrudge me?


Hear the song on Youtube.

Snap! "The Power"

I GOT THE POWER! POWER!

We were without power at my house, due to the storm, all the way through Monday evening.

This is the first time in 2 years that I missed two days in a row of blogging.

Happy and thankful to have had a hot shower, a home cooked meal, to wake up in my own bed and so many of the other perks that come with being home.

Thank you to Bruce, Karen, Greg, Jimmy, Josephine, Gram & Tim, Stephanie, Salty and everyone else that helped my family out in these last few days.

More storm story blogging to come, later this week.


Hear the song on Youtube.

Stevie Ray Vaughan "Riviera Paradise"

I know people were wondering---were concerned, even---as to what we would play as our last song on 92.7FM.

We didn't have to think about this question for long, before coming to the conclusion that there was really no right answer.

Anyone who cares about 92.7 probably had their version of the "ideal" last song.  And it was going to be different for everyone.

So were weren't likely to please the majority of folks.

Instead, we talked about the criteria for a good final song.

It should be something we regularly play.

It should be something thoughtful and reflective, but not necessarily sad.

It should be something that we (and hopefully our listeners) associate with listening to on the radio.  (Songs that remind you of videos, commercials, TV themes, youtube clips, were off the table).

It should be something that listeners associate with listening to, specifically on MVY.  Meaning, this is the kind of tune you rarely hear elsewhere.

It should be beautiful.

Barbara was the one who suggested "Riviera Paradise."  It seemed like a great choice to me.

When I came to MVY in 2000, I had never heard the song before.  And I have never before, nor never since, heard another radio station play it (I'm sure a few do, but I haven't heard it anywhere but MVY).

Way back when, when we would do the station's legal ID ("You're listening to WMVY, broadcasting on 92.7 . . ."), a portion of "Riviera Paradise" was the music bed.  So, for many of our longtime listeners, the tune is forever hitched to us saying our frequency.

But that wasn't the last thing heard on 92.7.

Again, it was Barbara's very clever idea, to end with the Legal ID, stripped down.

Normally, we say "This is listener supported mvyradio, broadcasting on 92.7 WMVY, Tisbury, Martha's Vineyard, Cape Cod, Nantucket and Newport."

But legally, the legal ID only needs the frequency, the call letters and the city of origin.  So that's what Barbara did.

"This is 92.7 WMVY, Tisbury, Martha's Vineyard . . ."

And then we let silence hang there.  Dropping the rest of the Legal ID created an absence, which was filled only by silence, to mark the end of a chapter, and an era for this little Island station.

We did this at 11:30, but we still had a half-hour before the official switch over at midnight.

It was my idea to fill the rest of our time with ocean waves.  It was a peaceful passing to another plain . . .



Hear the song on Youtube.

Led Zeppelin "All Of My Love"

I've had this song in my head this week, as we wind down our time on 92.7fm and go internet-only.

"Is this to end or just begin?"

I think I'll play some Zeppelin today.


Hear the song on Youtube.

David Alan Grier "It Ain't Necessarily So"

Yesterday, I mentioned the Comedy category at the Grammys.

Today, I'll point out two comedians who have Grammy nominations, but not for comedy.

David Alan Grier, of "In Living Color" fame, is a Yale trained actor, and has won great acclaim for his role in the recent revival of "Porgy And Bess."  Hear him sing a bit of "It Ain't Necessarily So," from the Grammy nominated Soundtrack in the Best Musical Theater Album category.

And Ellen Degeneres is up for Best Spoken Word Album, for her audiobook version of her book "Seriously, I'm Kidding."


Hear the song on Youtube.


Hear Ellen on Youtube.

Jimmy Fallon/Neil Young "Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air"

The thing that sets Jimmy Fallon's imitations above the rest, is that he can actually fool you for a second.

Watch once he gets the hat and wig on---he believably looks like Neil Young.  And his voice is shockingly close to Young's too.

And on top of getting the look and the tone down, he nails the delivery too.  To a casual ear, it does sound just like Neil Young.

Fallon's album "Blow Your Pants Off" is up for a Grammy this weekend, in the Best Comedy Album category.

PS. Make sure you watch the video to the end, as he tells a funny/cute Neil Young story.


Hear the song on Youtube.

John Fullbright "Gawd Above"

The Best Americana Album category at the Grammys is usually pretty good to MVY.  Often it is the only category featuring 4 or even 5 nominees that you can hear on the station.

I was not surprised to see The Avett Brothers and Mumford & Sons in this category this year.  I was pleased (but a little surprised, because I don't think of her as Americana) to see Bonnie Raitt.  And The Lumineers had a big year, so I see how they made the list.

Then there's John Fullbright.

Lindsay Reid, one of the promo folks I regularly talk to, has been evangelizing (in his typically low-key way) about John Fullbright, for much of the last year.

"Gawd Above" has been circling on my iTunes playlist for months on end, but things never reached critical mass for me, where I liked it a lot, AND I saw it succeeding on the national charts AND/or listeners were asking for it, or any of the other things that might push me closer toward adding a song.

But a Grammy nomination does get my attention.

What do you think?  Do you hear this one on MVY?


Hear the song on Youtube.

Mumford & Sons and Birdy "Learn Me Right"

The Grammys are on Sunday, and, as usual, there are a ton of weird-category nominees that might surprise and interest you.

No surprise that Mumford & Sons is up for a number of Grammys, including Album Of The Year, Best Rock Song, Best Rock Performance and Best Americana Album.

But they snagged a couple other nominations, in places you would not expect.  And if you are not a full-on obsessive Mumford fan, you may not know about these tracks at all.

The band is up for Best Song Written for Visual Media, for a track (featuring vocals by Birdy) that appeared in the excellent Pixar movie "Brave."

And they are up for Best Long Form Music Video, as part of "Big Easy Express," a concert-film/road-trip documentary, also featuring Old Crowe Medicine Show and Edward Sharpe And The Magnetic Zeroes.


Hear the song on Youtube.


See the trailer on Youtube.

NBC "Brotherhood Of Man"

In case you missed this one last year, I think the "Brotherhood Of Man" certainly extends to this year's Super Bowl.

And speaking of extended, make sure you watch the Extended Version all the way to the end, for one last cameo.

(Fun game, see if you can count all the shows that have been canceled/stars who've left the network in one short year!)

John Mayer "Shadow Days"

I don't know why this image popped into my mind, or why it makes me laugh, but I get cracked up at the thought of Punxsutawney Phil retiring to his underground den after having seen his shadow, sensitively singing this John Mayer song, as he resolves to return above ground.

I’m a good man with a good heart
Had a tough time, got a rough start
But I finally learned to let it go
Now I’m right here, and I’m right now
And I’m hoping, knowing somehow
That my shadow days are over
My shadow days are over now

Enjoy that image for Groundhog Day!


Hear the song on Youtube.

Widespread Panic "The Ballad Of John & Yoko"

I learned two new fun terms from an old friend.

Facebook is great for that---catching up with people you haven't seen since high school.

You do a lot of "Here's what I've been up to, what have you been up to?" back and forth.

And, because of my job, the conversation often turns to music.

We were going back and forth about shows we had seen.  And, unlike 90% of the folks I talk to, he'd seen as many shows as or more shows than I have.

And then he bested me:

"Gonna' whip out the concert penis here . . ." and went on to talk about how many times he'd seen Widespread Panic.

I'd never heard the expression "Concert Penis" before, but I knew exactly what he meant.

There is that conversation that I've had a million times before, where someone tries to impress you with the size of their musical knowledge or experience.  And maybe you volley with, "Oh nice, you've seen them 9 times?  I saw them 20 times, including once in a small club."

That's whipping out your Concert Penis.

Particularly with jam bands, the number of times you've seen the band, and the earliest date of your first show, is currency within the fan base.

And he explained, that within the Widespread Panic world, they call it your "Panis."

That made me laugh out loud.

If only there were such thing as a Blog Penis, I could impress the ladies by saying that mine is 1155 posts long!


Hear the song on Youtube.