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02-05-10 Footnotes
Show 219: Rock Doctors #9 with Andrew and Kelli, Sade review
Listen to the MP3 Stream of this show: (link)
Download the Podcast: (Download the MP3)
1 Last week Jim and Greg endured what is always a career low-point for them: the multi-hour Grammy broadcast. While they are all in favor of honoring artistic achievement, Jim and Greg explain that the Grammys only presented 9 actual awards last week. For the most part, it’s a show of celebrity spectacle, and one that rakes in big ratings. Of the winners, Beyonce took the most awards home. But, she lost Album of the Year to newcomer Taylor Swift. Jim and Greg wouldn’t fight for any of the nominees to win, and instead point to the Village Voice Pazz and Jop poll as a better measure of the year’s best albums.
1b Despite winning Album of the Year and having the top-selling album of 2009, Taylor Swift hasn’t gotten a lot of Sound Opinions airtime. Jim and Greg give a quick listen to Fearless to see if it’s worth the hype. Jim isn’t sure she’s the most interesting role-model for teenage girls, and doesn’t think she’d have such acclaim if she wasn’t quite the looker. But, Greg hears a lot of relatable content on her album. He thinks she could develop into a credible artist, but for now she’s just a tween, not a queen.
2 Last week Jim and Greg reported on the merger between Live Nation and Ticketmaster. This week they check in with Seth Hurwitz, one of the country’s leading independent promoters and owner of the 9:30 Club in Washington D.C. Hurwitz testified at the Senate hearings on the merger last year and expressed concern over lack of competition in the industry. Now his concerns are reality. As he explains to Jim and Greg, the agreement’s monopoly firewalls provide no consolation. And while Hurwitz feels secure in his business for the time being, he’s worried about a time when Live Nation/Ticketmaster scoops up all of the mid-level acts that have so far avoided corporate arenas. He also warns about major ticket price increases.
3 Jim and Greg open up the Rock Doctors' clinic for the next segment. They take an appointment with two listeners for a Valentine’s Day emergency. Andrew and Kelli are a young couple from Chicago with only one major relationship problem: music. While Andrew is music obsessive, always on the search for something new and underground, Kelli is happy sticking with her favorite radio favorites. And as Andrew points out, for the most part his girlfriend’s music is stuck in that dreaded decade: the 70s. Kelli admits to a fondness for bar music like Boston, Styx and Journey, but is open to new stuff as long as it’s upbeat and fun. She finds a lot of her boyfriend’s tastes (Wilco, Radiohead) to be too cerebral and boring. So, it’s Jim and Greg’s task to find something they will both enjoy.
3b Greg prescribes The Latest by Cheap Trick. He knows a lot of people dismiss this band for being cheesy, but he stands behind their smart lyrics, progressive compositions and terrific drumming. It seems like The Latest should be the perfect remedy, however neither Andrew nor Kelli are tremendously fond of it. Surprisingly, this record is even too cheesy for Kelli. And while Andrew admires the band for rocking out so hard for so long, he won’t be attending any Cheap Trick shows anytime soon.
Jim prescribes the self-titled debut by La Roux. He loves the British duo’s smart electronic pop. Jim didn’t see anything like La Roux on either Kelli or Andrew’s chart, but thinks radical treatment is necessary. He’s right; the couple loves the record. Kelli got her dose of dance music, and Andrew got his artiness. And they won’t have to break-up over rock anytime soon.
4 This week’s review is another possible prescription. What couple wouldn’t like a romantic dose of Sade? The Nigerian-British singer is back with her first album in a decade. Most people associate Sade with that smooth R&B sound of the 80s. Now she’s created a smooth R&B sound for the 10s. As Jim and Greg discuss, Soldier of Love is not a radical departure. But Sade still sounds great, and has brought her complicated and compelling life stories into her music. It’s a welcome return for both critics and a double Buy It.
Songs Featured in Show #219
Taylor Swift, "Fifteen," Fearless, 2008
Rush, "The Big Money," Power Windows, 1985
Panthu Du Prince, "Behind The Stars," Black Noise, 2010
The Who, "Doctor Doctor," Magic Bus, 1968
Cheap Trick, “The Flame,” Lap of Luxury, 1989
Journey, “Don’t Stop Believing,” Escape, 1981
Wilco, “War on War,” Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, 2002
Van Halen, “Somebody Get Me a Doctor,” Van Halen II, 1979
Cheap Trick, “When the Lights are Out,” The Latest, 2009
Cheap Trick, “Times of our Lives,” The Latest, 2009
Cheap Trick, “Alive,” The Latest, 2009
Cheap Trick, “Closer, The Ballad of Burt and Linda,” The Latest, 2009
La Roux, “Fascination,” The Roux, 2009
La Roux, “As If By Magic,” The Roux, 2009
La Roux, “In for the Kill,” The Roux, 2009
Michael Penn, “Seen the Doctor,” Free-for-All, 1992
Sade, “Soldier of Love,” Soldier of Love, 2010
Sade, “The Moon and the Sky,” Soldier of Love, 2010
Sade, “Morning Bird,” Soldier of Love, 2010
Caribou, “Odessa,” 2010
Abba, “Ring Ring,” Ring Ring, 1973
Jay Reatard, “It Ain’t Gonna Save Me,” Watch Me Fall, 2009
The Beatles, “I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Cry (Over You),” Live at the Star Club 1962, 1977
1000 Homo DJs, “Supernaut,” Black Box: WaxTrax! Records - The First 13 Years, 1994
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