http://www.historymania.com/american_history/upload/thumb/a/a0/800px-Map_of_USA_showing_state_names.png
Okay, enough of the geography lesson for today. But since it`s such a big place, I thought I`d represent both halves of it in tonight`s show.
When I first met the Corner Laughers a few months ago, they surprised me and brought along the legendary KC Bowman. They just introduced him as “KC Bowman”, but as the interview progressed, they started referring to him as legendary, and it just kind of stuck in my head that way. I almost can`t think of his name without putting “legendary” in front of it!
KC is from the San Francisco Bay Area, and has made quirky, intellectual pop music his stock in trade. He`s in a band called the Preoccupied Pipers, he`s in a new project with various Corner Laughers called the Agony Aunts, and he`s made some brilliant, sunny pop records on his own. His clever lyrics are noteworthy. Sometimes the songs are short—about a minute or so—always leaving you wanting more. Well, for those who want more—just play it twice! He sent me his late 1990`s album Fresher Tin Villages, and we`ll feature one of the tracks on this week`s show.
http://www.myspace.com/preoccupiedpipers
Also—check out this great review at: http://popfair.blogspot.com/2009/07/there-lot-of-people-who-havent-yet.html
Nashville, Tennessee. Music City. The world`s capital of country music. Nope, it`s not in California, and there`s a reason for that. Tennessee is wide where California is tall—and therefore, it simply won`t fit! But besides the geographic contrast in the shapes of the two states, there`s a difference in musical styles as well. Although some of the best-known classic country music was made in Nashville—and to their credit, is still the predominant musical style on the Grand OleOpry (broadcast every Saturday night)--at some point, things changed in Nashville. It wasn`t recent—it happened somewhere in the 1970s or 1980s. A good example is the legendary Dwight Yoakam. He couldn`t find musical success in Nashville—legend has it that he was told that his sound was “too country”. Pathetic. But obviously not debilitating. He simply moved to Los Angeles, and became a huge superstar. His biggest influences included Buck Owens and Merle Haggard (Bakersfield, California).
I told you that to tell you this. Skip Heller wrote and performed the single finest country song I`ve heard in the last decade. And he`s based in Los Angeles. So there! I was kind of surprised to read in one of his biographies online that he started in jazz, back in Philadelphia. And he mentioned to me once that he had the honor of playing in NRBQ for a short time, filling in for Johnny Spampinato. You need serious chops to keep up with those guys! Like Dwight—his music actually means something. It`s not that fluffy Southern pop that comes out of Nashville. It`s painstakingly-crafted songwriting that reaches into the inner depths of your soul, and makes you feel something. And it sounds good too. If you`re not a country fan—do me just this one favor. Listen to Skip Heller. It might change the way you think about this genre. Oh yeah—that great song I mentioned? I`ll be playing it on this week show for you!
http://www.skipheller.com/
If you`d like to make a request, just drop me a line at mike(at)rechargedradio.com. If you`d like to become an honorary California citizen, drop me a line at the same address. And if you`d like to hear all this great music—simply tune in to the Tuesday Night Diner, Tuesday night, 8:00-10:00 p.m. (GMT), 12:00-2:00 p.m. Pacific, only at Recharged Radio—www.rechargedradio.com.
See you then!
Chef Mike
mike(at)rechargedradio.com
MN2BDNC
Okay, enough of the geography lesson for today. But since it`s such a big place, I thought I`d represent both halves of it in tonight`s show.
When I first met the Corner Laughers a few months ago, they surprised me and brought along the legendary KC Bowman. They just introduced him as “KC Bowman”, but as the interview progressed, they started referring to him as legendary, and it just kind of stuck in my head that way. I almost can`t think of his name without putting “legendary” in front of it!
KC is from the San Francisco Bay Area, and has made quirky, intellectual pop music his stock in trade. He`s in a band called the Preoccupied Pipers, he`s in a new project with various Corner Laughers called the Agony Aunts, and he`s made some brilliant, sunny pop records on his own. His clever lyrics are noteworthy. Sometimes the songs are short—about a minute or so—always leaving you wanting more. Well, for those who want more—just play it twice! He sent me his late 1990`s album Fresher Tin Villages, and we`ll feature one of the tracks on this week`s show.
http://www.myspace.com/preoccupiedpipers
Also—check out this great review at: http://popfair.blogspot.com/2009/07/there-lot-of-people-who-havent-yet.html
Nashville, Tennessee. Music City. The world`s capital of country music. Nope, it`s not in California, and there`s a reason for that. Tennessee is wide where California is tall—and therefore, it simply won`t fit! But besides the geographic contrast in the shapes of the two states, there`s a difference in musical styles as well. Although some of the best-known classic country music was made in Nashville—and to their credit, is still the predominant musical style on the Grand OleOpry (broadcast every Saturday night)--at some point, things changed in Nashville. It wasn`t recent—it happened somewhere in the 1970s or 1980s. A good example is the legendary Dwight Yoakam. He couldn`t find musical success in Nashville—legend has it that he was told that his sound was “too country”. Pathetic. But obviously not debilitating. He simply moved to Los Angeles, and became a huge superstar. His biggest influences included Buck Owens and Merle Haggard (Bakersfield, California).
I told you that to tell you this. Skip Heller wrote and performed the single finest country song I`ve heard in the last decade. And he`s based in Los Angeles. So there! I was kind of surprised to read in one of his biographies online that he started in jazz, back in Philadelphia. And he mentioned to me once that he had the honor of playing in NRBQ for a short time, filling in for Johnny Spampinato. You need serious chops to keep up with those guys! Like Dwight—his music actually means something. It`s not that fluffy Southern pop that comes out of Nashville. It`s painstakingly-crafted songwriting that reaches into the inner depths of your soul, and makes you feel something. And it sounds good too. If you`re not a country fan—do me just this one favor. Listen to Skip Heller. It might change the way you think about this genre. Oh yeah—that great song I mentioned? I`ll be playing it on this week show for you!
http://www.skipheller.com/
If you`d like to make a request, just drop me a line at mike(at)rechargedradio.com. If you`d like to become an honorary California citizen, drop me a line at the same address. And if you`d like to hear all this great music—simply tune in to the Tuesday Night Diner, Tuesday night, 8:00-10:00 p.m. (GMT), 12:00-2:00 p.m. Pacific, only at Recharged Radio—www.rechargedradio.com.
See you then!
Chef Mike
mike(at)rechargedradio.com
MN2BDNC
With Music From.......
Nacional - Telephone
Kaz Murphy - Hardly Think About That
Maple Mars - The Excursion
Chad Neaves - Something In My Soul
Dirty Amps - Fingertips
June & The Exit Wounds - Idly By
Maxi Dunn - Weather Warning
Anton Barbeau - Plastic Guitar
Terese Taylor - I'm Here
The Taters - Such A Good Day
K.C. Bowman - Capital I
Laurie Biagini - Ridin' The Wave
Jespa - Loves Lost Tourists - Church of Steve Honest session
Nushu - Another Rainy Weekend
Todd Dillingham - Crimson Spires
Auction for the Promise Club - Under China
Joey Oskys - Better Days
The Corner Laughers - For The Sake Of The Cat
Rich McCulley - Far From My Angel
The Complete Short Stories - One Blank Channel
Laurie Larson - Corporate Chew Toy
Amnesiac Syndrome - Not Tired
Sparklejet - Let's Behind That Place
Skip Heller - I Used To Love California
Allyson Seconds - Dig My Pig
Joseph Swidenbank - Coming Up For Air
Beth Thornley - Still Can't Hide
Soundserif - King Of The Night
Kate Burkart - Better Then
Handcuffs - Gotta' Problem with Me?
Splitsville - The Kids Who Kill For Sugar
Kaz Murphy - Hardly Think About That
Maple Mars - The Excursion
Chad Neaves - Something In My Soul
Dirty Amps - Fingertips
June & The Exit Wounds - Idly By
Maxi Dunn - Weather Warning
Anton Barbeau - Plastic Guitar
Terese Taylor - I'm Here
The Taters - Such A Good Day
K.C. Bowman - Capital I
Laurie Biagini - Ridin' The Wave
Jespa - Loves Lost Tourists - Church of Steve Honest session
Nushu - Another Rainy Weekend
Todd Dillingham - Crimson Spires
Auction for the Promise Club - Under China
Joey Oskys - Better Days
The Corner Laughers - For The Sake Of The Cat
Rich McCulley - Far From My Angel
The Complete Short Stories - One Blank Channel
Laurie Larson - Corporate Chew Toy
Amnesiac Syndrome - Not Tired
Sparklejet - Let's Behind That Place
Skip Heller - I Used To Love California
Allyson Seconds - Dig My Pig
Joseph Swidenbank - Coming Up For Air
Beth Thornley - Still Can't Hide
Soundserif - King Of The Night
Kate Burkart - Better Then
Handcuffs - Gotta' Problem with Me?
Splitsville - The Kids Who Kill For Sugar
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