SOUNDTRACK: The Core: WVPH, 90.3 FM.
The Core is also from Rutgers University. How do they have two radio stations? Interestingly, the station is shared with Piscataway High School. For several hours a day Piscataway High School takes over the airwaves. Although I admit that I have not listened to any of the PHS stuff because the first block is at 6 in the morning, and the other block is from 1- 3PM.
The college folks, however, play a pretty excellent selection of alternative music. They’re not quite as indie and out there as WRSU, but they’re not commercial either. To me, they’re more of the kind of college station I’m used to from my days as music director at the University of Scranton.
In the few days that I listened, I heard a lot of familiar alternative artists, with a nice focus on new bands. What I especially liked about the station was that they didn’t play too much in the way of commercial alternative (your U2s and R.E.Ms who were once alternative but are now mainstream). Rather, they played bands like Art Brut, The Decemberists, Portishead and Neutral Milk Hotel: bands that many people have at least heard of, but that you won’t find anywhere else on the dial.
This is the station that I would turn to most if my CD player busted permanently.
The only thing I didn’t like about it, but which also reminded me of my days as a DJ, was that college DJs tend to talk A LOT. We all think that we are imparting precious wisdom to the masses. And often, that is true. Although in this one case, the DJ said that the name of the band was Art Brut Vs Satan, which is in fact just the album name. (See, I’m still a pretentious music snob!). However, when I’m having dinner and reading a book, I don’t need a seven minute update about that last concert that you went to.
[READ: May 19, 2009] Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
When I first heard about this book (as a punchline on Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me at my brother-in-law Tim’s house), I couldn’t believe it was real. I was so intrigued by the concept, and then so impressed by the reviews, that I couldn’t wait to read it.
And this book does not disappoint.
For those out of the loop: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is, as the title suggests, Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice with good old zombie action thrown in. Elizabeth and Darcy… What?
Yes. Zombies.
Seth Grahame-Smith has taken Pride and Prejudice, changed a few details and then added an entire…well, subplot is not right…more like an underlying condition to the story. It turns it from a story of love and marriage into a story of love and marriage amidst zombie brain-lust. (more…)
SOUNDTRACK: WRSU 89.7 FM.
Coming straight out of Rutgers University in New Brunswick (my grad school alma mater), this was the first station that I happened upon while I was scanning the lower numbers on the radio station.
I hadn’t heard of this book, although actually I’m sure I had–but I ignored it. Roy Blount Jr is on 
SOUNDTRACK: 89.5 WSOU.
This station is one that I used to listen to quite often back at my old house. It comes from Seton Hall University and it is an excellent resource for heavy metal. I haven’t tuned them in in about five years, and I was delighted to hear that they are still around and still rocking.
SOUNDTRACK: WRFF 104.5 FM & WRXP 101.9 FM.
The CD player in my car died. I have been listening to the radio these last few days. At first I was a little 
excited at the thought of listening to these stations that I so recently discovered. But let me say, when working outside in the yard, you don’t mind what the stations are playing as much as you do when confined in a car.
I had read this short book about six months ago, but decided to read it again before posting on it. The second time through was a much more satisfying read for some reason.
SOUNDTRACK: ——-
The CD player in my car died.
I also have 2 CDs in the player, and they won’t play or eject! The one disc is no biggie, Sabotage by Black Sabbath, easily replaceable and for cheap too. The other one, however, is The Tragically Hip’s Live from the Vault Vol. 4 which came free with their new album, 
We Are the Same. I don’t think it’s available anywhere (not even on their website yet). When I go in for my 60,000 mile tune up next month, I’m going to hope they can rescue it.
SOUNDTRACK: AIRBORNE TOXIC EVENT-“Sometime Around Midnight” (2009).
I’ve been hearing this song on the radio a lot lately (WRFF especially seems to play it a lot). But they never said who it was! I liked it, but I was sure it sounded like an old song. Ack, but what was it? I kept coming up with a band called Dear Mr. President. And then I heard the truth. It was the Airborne Toxic Event.
SOUNDTRACK: BILLY IDOL
Billy Idol plagues my existence. Ever since he popped up on the scene (my first exposure was “White Wedding”) I thought he was kind of goofy. He has some kind of claim to cred and fame from being in Generation X, and yet I have never heard a song by Generation X and I never hear them mentioned anywhere except as being the band that spawned Billy Idol.
SOUNDTRACK: WRFF 104.5 FM.
I stumbled upon this station by accident one day. I was working outside, trying to tune in a radio station, and, although I was near a classic rock station from New York, I heard a very cool alternative song. So, I tuned in this staticky station and later learned that I was listening to 104.5, WRFF out of Philadelphia.
I feel like I never really knew this song until I heard Cartman getting cattle-prodded for not knowing the words. I listened to that version all the time (but I can’t tell if I like that version or the one on Mr. Hankey’s Christmas Classics better [“Fall on your knees, and hear the angels… something” “VOICES!”]), and what it did was give me a real appreciation for what a cool song this is. The chord changes are very satisfying without being really obvious. And, it’s not an easy song to sing. But I have liked every 
version I’ve heard: from Cartman to Avril Lavigne (whose first two verses on Maybe This Christmas, Too are the most vibrato-free singing I have ever heard. I’m quite certain she’s flat all the way through, and yet her voice is so unaffected it’s totally disconcerting. Tell me what you think…it’s available 
Boy I can’t stand this song. I know it’s supposed to be cute and racy and risque or whatever, but I simply can’t stand how crassly materialistic it is. And I’m not one who thinks Christmas is all about, like, Jesus’ birth or being good or anything. I know it’s all about the presents; however, this song is just….so…wrong. And if the Eartha Kitt version (the one you hear most of the time) 
weren’t bad enough, the Madonna version (on A Very Special Christmas) is just abysmal. She sounds like a sexually deranged Betty Boop (which I suppose is not unusual for her circa this release, but still). Stop trying to seduce Santa! Make it go away!
I Just Read About That... 