WYEP Music Blog

The Dodo’s are a band that is getting alot of critical praise this year for their release “Visiter”. It’s totally deserved. They’re a duo from the San Francisco bay area, made up of Meric Long and Logan Kroeber, who seem to enjoy harmonies, percussion, and rock n’ roll with their folk music. That’s at least what I keep reading, and it’s all true. I would just add that like most good music, it holds elements of a lot more than that. I’m not going to join the superlative bandwagon on this one. I’ll just say I find it highly enjoyable.

Long is apparently rather interested in the West African style of percussion know as Ewe drumming. It’s very rhythmic, and you can hear this throughout their music. Pounding drums mixed in with Longs finger picking, that reminds you almost of bluegrass at times, makes for a rather unique sound.

I had a chance to see them this past spring at the Garfield Artworks, and their just as good live. They were playing as a trio that night, with the third member adding more percussion to the mix (xylophone, trash cans, toy pianos, etc.). It created a sound in the small venue that pounded against your chest, while the great melodies stuck in your head.

If I had to pick the best album of 2008 right now, so far, this would be it.  You can hear them on my show from time to time.  Tuesday evenings from 8pm-12am.

-Andy, Tuesday Evening Mix

Sometimes you discover a song in the most unlikeliest of places – a figure skating exhibition.

Such was the case for me when I heard “Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen)”.  It was a #1 hit in the UK for Baz Luhrmann in 1999.  Yes, you could cast a vote for it as one of WYEP’s Top 100 Songs of the 90s.

This lyric has quite a history.  The Sunscreen Speech goes back to a 1997 column in a Chicago newspaper.  A commencement address that never took place, but perhaps should have.  The essay actually called “Advice, like youth, probably just wasted on the young” was written by Mary Schmich and was popularized in music by Baz Luhrmann.  Mr. Luhrmann added the opening words to the song:  “Ladies and gentlemen of the class of ‘99″.

The song just recently re-entered the UK Singles Chart.

Lines like this continue to hold true today:

The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 p.m. on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing everyday that scares you.

Sing.

Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss.

But trust me on the sunscreen.

Barb S. - Sunday Mix Host

Pavement had received alot of critical praise for their release “Slanted and Enchanted” in 1992. It’s still a great release, but Pavement would become more focused and sharper with the sophomore release, “Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain”.

Once again, growing up in the 90’s, I remember hearing it first when I saw the video. It was on MTV’s “120 Minutes”. The video featured the band going into a barber shop and one by one getting their haricut. Crazy things happen as each member steps up. One seems to turn into a gorilla as he sits down, while another starts drinking the blue liquid that the combs are stored in. Someone else sneezes out a kitten, and Stephen Malkmus, the leader of the band, has a crown put on him. It was goofy and fit the band perfectly. The song just makes me feel great every time I hear it to this day. It’s just one of those songs that makes you smile.

Pavement put out three more full lengths, and Stephen Malkmus has had a successful solo and fantasy baseball career. It all started for me, though, with this song.

-Andy , Tuesday Evening Mix

“Losing My Religion” is simply a great song. I haven’t always thought so. I’ve liked R.E.M. since I was a kid, but I heard this song so much when it came out I couldn’t listen to it for a long time. Also, to be honest, people talk about how great the video is, but I could do without it. R.E.M. has had lots of great videos, but in my book, this is not one of them. I would take the video for “Everybody Hurts” or “It’s The End Of The World As We Know It” anyday over this one.

Anyway, I purposely didn’t listen to this song for quite some time. About 6 or 7 years ago, I was listening to the release it is from, “Out Of Time”, and I was going to skip over it but decided to give it a go. Oh, how wrong I had been. I could appreciate it now that there was some distance and time from when it came out. It’s one of the best songs R.E.M. has ever written. Easily.

-Andy, Tuesday Evening Mix