The first week of the New Year always seems to drag at the office. All of the half days, impromptu dessert sightings and generally good-natured co-workers give way to the more typical overtime, week-old bagels and awkward water cooler conversations.
To make matters worse, my iTunes shuffle keeps somehow randomly selecting that one Switchfoot song I “accidentally” downloaded a few years back, and Pandora Radio won’t get it through its thick, android skull that I don’t want to listen to Coldplay. Artificial intelligence, my ass.
So I decided to take Tyler’s advice and check out some offerings from an area radio station. Not quite feeling angry enough to metal up my Thursday morning, but not quite far enough away from all sharp objects to chance hearing Rod Stewart, I decided to settle on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee from 10:43 a.m. to 11:43 a.m. What follows is my musical mystery tour:
“Morning Glory” by Oasis
Outside of a minor run-in with R.E.O. Speedwagon at the Red River County Fair in Fargo, N.D., Oasis was the first band I saw in concert. A fitting beginning to my workday-betterment quest, indeed! Now if this experiment stays true to the “chronological history of bands that Kevin has seen live” formula, I should be expecting plenty of Sponge, Local H and Ass Ponies in the next hour.
“Hey Hey Hey” by Michael Franti & Spearhead
Well, so much for that premise. But hey, this isn’t a bad jam. A bit on the depressing side at times with its rather dark assessment of our current culture, this song is ultimately about finding the positives in life. Advice I can use as this workday mercilessly drags along.
“Dilly” by Band of Horses
Love me some Band of Horses. I’ve heard this song before, but I haven’t had a chance to give the band’s latest album, Infinite Arms, its due listen yet. If the rest of it is anything like this jam, though, it will be well worth my time.
“The One I Love” by R.E.M.
My spirits must be looking up, because I actually don’t mind listening to this song right now. It’s no “What’s the Frequency, Kenneth?” but I think this one has officially passed my personal statute of limitations for an overplayed ’90s anthem.
“Say It All” by Sondre Lerche
This is the first song they have played that I am not familiar with, and I think I kind of like it. I’m notoriously tough on songs that I hear for the first time, so this upbeat, jangly sing-along must have something going for it.
“Tropicalia” by Beck
Yeah, now we’re starting to roll! The first single off of Beck’s follow-up to the wildly successful Odelay, this song never really took off like the eclectic alterna-rocker’s earlier work. But my ill-tempered mood doesn’t stand a chance against this flamenco-flavored auditory margarita with an extra shot of pure nonsense. I just hope my boss doesn’t bust me. I’m really digging on the variations of musical style that Radio Milwaukee seems to stress.
“Sambawete” by Herman Astro
All right, a little local music thrown into the mix. Although the band is rather new, Herman Astro has done quite a bit to make a name for itself since stepping onto the scene. This undeniably enjoyable, upbeat bastard child of the Talking Heads and Barenaked Ladies was actually the most-played single on Radio Milwaukee in December. That speaks very highly of both the song and the radio station.
“Mass Appeal” by Gang Starr
And then there was rap. This song is not my first option when it comes to the rap game, but I guess it might be kind of tough to work “Afro Puffs” by Lady of Rage into late morning rotation. But come on, you couldn’t kick it old school with a little Y2Khai?
“Aquele Abraco” by Gilberto Gil
I think my radio must have cut out and picked up a Spanish station out of Chicago for a few minutes. And you know what, I didn’t hate it. In all seriousness, this song es muy bueno. Mad Brazilian rhythms are the perfect antidote for the inevitable late-morning caffeine crash.
“Howlin’ for You” by Black Keys
I admit it: I’m not really much of a Black Keys fan. I know that the band is the next big thing, and my confession will almost certainly cost me my Snooty Music Critics Club membership, but the band just doesn’t do it for me. Damn, I was up for Treasurer this year, too.
“Beautiful Day” by U2
Ugh.
“Shut Up and Let Me Go” by The Ting Tings
Back on track a bit with this funky little diddy about not freakin’ or fakin.’ For the love of god, just shut up and let the poor girl go!
“Fadeaway” by The BoDeans
I feel like I should be disappointed that my Radio Milwaukee listening experience is going to come to a close with The BoDeans, but I guess it is cool to hear two local bands on the radio within an hour. And I think there is actually a state law requiring a BoDeans song to be on at least one Wisconsin radio station at all times. I guess I just lucked out on this one.
Overall, I can’t really complain about my 88Nine Radio Milwaukee experience. A couple local songs mixed in with a truly eclectic mix of (for the most part) enjoyable tunes. And with my newfound sense of urgency to pick up the latest Band of Horses album, the station has done its job of successfully spurring musical commerce. Now to get down to the business of requesting some Y2Khai.
