Randy Newman "I'm Dreaming Of A White President"

I thought long and hard about whether or not to post this video, because I have some mixed feelings about it.

I enjoy satire, but when does satire go to far?

Randy Newman's basic thesis here---that there are people in this country who are deeply prejudiced---is in no way incorrect.

But does this song illuminate that?  Or combat that?  Is it combating it by simply deriding it?

Something about this feels like it goes too far.

Or do I just have that unsettled feeling because the subject at hand is such an ugly matter, that simply to look at it in the light is upsetting.

I don't know.

But with the recent addition of "I Looked At The Internet Today So You Don't Have To," I decided to post it, so you could have it in front of you, and decide to watch it or not watch it, yourself.

Please note, if I were you, I wouldn't play this at work, or within earshot of anyone who might take offense.  Headphones are nice.  And if you are looking for satire that is more silly that cutting, try the "You Didn't Build That" video below.


Hear the song on Youtube.

Get a free download of this song.



Hear the song on Youtube.

John Hiatt "Pirate Radio"

Don't you hate it when you go to work, not in green, only to realize it's St. Patrick's Day?

Then please note, today is International Talk Like A Pirate Day.

Plan accordingly!


Hear the song on Youtube.

We're playing the new John Hiatt album, "Mystic Pinball" as tonight's mvyradio Album Of The Week.

Ben Folds Five "Do It Anyway"

Late Sunday morning, we were sitting in friend's backyard when someone mentioned Bloody Marys, and suddenly, we were at the Quahog Republic.

The Quahog Republic makes a killer Bloody Mary, but the coup de grace is that instead of giving you a swizzle stick, they put a giant piece of vodka-soaked bacon in your glass.  Man, do I love bacon.

I was marveling at the salt-n-peppery deliciousness of my drink, when one of my friends suggested that you could make the drink even more indulgent by making it chocolate-covered bacon, which is something she'd recently run across.

I stammered out something about how that would just be too much, too too much.  I don't think my mind could compute that level of excess.

That's kind of how I felt when I stumbled upon this video today.

I was an enormous fan of Ben Folds Five, back in the 90s.  And word of their recent reformation, with a full album and tour, just seemed to good to be true.

I am also an enormous fan of all things Muppets (as evidenced by the many many posts about them on this blog), including the beloved, but rarely-spotted-these-days Fraggles.

Just the first few seconds of the video had me stammering "Ben . . . Fraggles . . . Folds . . . video . . . gaaaahhh . . . "

So for those of you practicing for the SATs:

"Chocolate Covering" is to "Bacon," as "Ben Folds Five reunion" is to "Fraggle Rock returning."

Make sure you watch all the way to the end of the music video for a fun extra, and check out the "making of" on the video below that.




See the video on Youtube.


See the making of, on Youtube.

Spottiswoode & His Enemies "Youngest Child"

Here's another song I was reminded of, while cleaning last week . . . 

My wife is a Public School teacher, and most of her career has been spent in a Grammar School setting.

From time to time, we'll be out in public and she'll run into one of her kids.

"Mrs. Finn!  What are you doing here?"

As if teachers don't, you know, grocery shop.  Or go to restaurants.

When we think of musicians, we think of them doing normal musician things, like playing on stage.  Or being interviewed at a radio station.  Or riding in a van to the next gig.

Generally, when you think of a musician, you do not picture them ironing.

But yeah, musicians need to iron too.  Especially the dapper ones.

Barbara and I were representing mvyradio at a convention that brings together non-commercial and independent radio stations, and the record labels and artists who appear on those stations.  It's called Non-Comm, and in 2005 it was being held in Philadephia.

Non-Comm is 3 days of a handful of panels, discussing the state of the industry, and a whole bunch of music showcases---abbreviated sets of music from artists that have new records.  They start as early at 10 in the morning, and go on well past midnight.  Much of it takes place right in a hotel conference room---not exactly Red Rocks, but it's a really great chance to see for yourself if this much-buzzed-about artist is "the real deal."

Not being ones ever let an opportunity to relax and enjoy ourselves get in the way of working a little extra, we had set up some interviews with some of the performers.  And because the whole convention takes place in a hotel, we did the interviews right in Barbara's hotel room.

And that's where we met Johnathan Spottiswoode, of Spottiswoode And His Enemies.  He was charming and dry and English, and he was happy to join us for an on-the-mic chat.

But he was most happy that he could, after the interview, iron his shirt before his showcase performance.

So while I thoroughly enjoyed the interview and the acoustic songs he played in it, and I enjoyed the full band performance later in the day, I most enjoyed chatting with him casually, as he pressed his outfit.

Because there's nothing more real-deal than that.


Hear the interview in the mvyradio archives.


Hear the song on Youtube.

Rob Cantor "Actual Cannibal Shia LaBeouf"

Here's another "I Looked At The Internet Today So You Don't Have To" feature.

My Brother-In-Law, known for his impeccable taste in music, shared this song with me at our most recent family dinner.

I have to say, it is the best song I've ever heard about Shia LaBeouf.

And, as a bonus, a song featuring Christian Bale!

(the tunes/videos are NSFW!!!)


Hear the Shia LaBeouf song on Youtube.


Hear the Christian Bale song on Youtube.

Psy! "Gangham Style"

Here's another "I Looked At The Internet Today So You Don't Have To" feature.

Heard of "Gangham Style" by Korean Pop Star Psy! yet?  You should probably take 4 minutes and laugh your tail off watching this.  Or perhaps it will motivate you to dance your tail off.

And if you need explanation, Nightline spells it all out in a way people over 40 can understand.


Hear the song on Youtube.


See "Nightline" on Youtube.

Led Zeppelin "Celebration Day"

Welcome to a new feature called "I Looked At The Internet Today So You Don't Have To."

For those of you with your head not buried in a music hole, you may have missed or have only vaguely heard about some viral video or questionable rumor or unearthed performance.  So I'll occasionally post these, much like I put up the "Weekend Posts" which don't rise to the level of evoking a memory, but are worth sharing/reminding you of. ***

While rumors of a Led Zeppelin reunion seemed too good to be true, that's exactly what we found out we're getting---a video of the most recent Led Zeppelin reunion, which happened back in 2007.

It's coming to theaters, then DVD and such.  Just in time for the holidays . . .


See the trailer on Youtube.

***Also, let's face it, after 1,000 posts, I'm running out of memories to write about, so I'll pad things a little between personal anecdotes.

Sandi Thom "I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker"

Some people do Spring cleaning.  But we're more likely to do our Spring cleaning, in the Fall.

In these parts, in a Summer tourist town, from May to August, most of your energy is expended as you just try to keep up with the day to day of it all.  There is no time for maintenance.

I did not mow my lawn for the entire month of August.  Much to the chagrin of my neighbors.

Similarly, there isn't much time to file or pile or sort or cull through the mounting detritus on the desks and shelves and offices of mvyradio.

But then one day in early September, as you are racing through your daily routine and you finish, you look up . . . and there is still time left on the clock.  You've cut your commercials and answered your voicemails and filled out your reports.  And you rejoice, as you realize that the season's rush has abated, and you can start putting your life back in order.

So that's what I've been working on this week.  An hour of my day, each day, has been devoted to clearing out the CD shelves in the studio.

Real estate is hard to come by in our little building.  And if you've ever been here, you know that the walls in nearly every room burst with CDs.

But because Real estate is scarce, only a limited number of CDs can be in the main studio with the DJs.  So we try to limit those shelves to the ones that we play in regular rotation.

Of course, what stays in regular rotation, what is essential, does change from year to year.

So that was my task, to pull out the CDs that maybe, at one time were important to us, but are now so rarely (if ever) played, that they can go on a shelf elsewhere in the building.

This includes some artists who just aren't in rotation anymore.  Sorry Pink Floyd!

And it also includes young artists we took a chance on, but who's songs didn't break through or make enough of an impact to have lasting power.

I was certain that this Sandi Thom song would rise above novelty status and break out.  But it never really caught on with listeners.

So it goes to a shelf in the basement.

But check it out, if you've never heard it.  It's fun!


Hear the song on Youtube.

Van Morrison "Open The Door"

I had to laugh at myself when I first caught this song on the radio.

Has there been a music review of Ray Lamontagne, since he appeared on the scene 8 years ago, that doesn't compare him to Van Morrison?

After a few seconds of hearing this unfamiliar tune, I asked myself, "Is that a new Ray Lamontagne song?"

When I realized it was Van, and that I'd gotten things backwards, I laughed.

Somehow I suspect neither Van nor Ray---neither known for being a hilarious dude---would have found it as funny.


Hear the song on Youtube.

Bruce Springsteen "Darlington County"

I used to be this huge Simpsons geek.  Up to a certain point (through the first fifteen seasons or so) I had seen every episode.**

At the time it came out in 1997, "The City Of New York vs. Homer Simpson" was one of my least favorite episodes.  The plot involves Homer, his car ticketed and booted between the World Trade Towers, waiting for his car to be released by the police.   I remember thinking that a lot of the jokes were weak (though there is a really funny "crab juice" gag) and the target ("New York City sure is a rough, unfriendly place!") was a been-there-done-that concept.

After September 11th, 2001, when this episode comes on in syndication, I stop and watch.

Same thing if I happen to catch the opening "Working Girl," where they show the ferry going into the city.

I can't really explain why.  I had never, and have never, been to the World Trade Center.  I can't really tell you what I am looking for.

But its what keeps "Darlington County" in rotation on mvyradio, too.

It's a perfectly serviceable Bruce Springsteen song.  While it is funny and full of well-realized details, it probably doesn't even make the list of the top 40 Springsteen songs. 

But hearing him try to impress a couple of girls by saying "Our pas each own one of the world trade centers" for some reason makes me want to hold on to it.


Hear the song on Youtube.

**Once I got married and started having kids, my ability to be an episode completest was vastly diminished.