I'm from Glasgow!

Just realized I started writing this and never finished posting it...

Hugh Reed & the Velvet Underpants: Six to Wan
Franz Ferdinand: Michael
Headlights*: Put Us Back Together Right
Nouvelle Vague*: Ever Fallen in Love
Trash Can Sinatras: Thrupenny Tears
Scritti Politti*: Mrs. Hughs
Yo La Tengo*: Black Flowers
The Velvet Underground & Nico: I'll Be Your Mirror
Canasta: The Model
Grizzly Bear*: Little Brother
Zerostars: Dad's Dress
The Magnetic Fields: Reno Dakota
The Aluminum Group: Rrose Sélavy's Valise
Nice Nice*: Down Down Down Pt. 1
Art Brut**: Emily Kane
Mountaineer*: A Line for Every Letter
Cocteau Twins: Carolyn's Fingers
Boom Pam*: Munt
Milton Allen: Don't Bug Me Baby
The Vandervoorts: He's Realistic
Radio Birdman*: We've Come So Far (to Be Here Today)
Brisa Roché**: Warned
Ratatat*/**: Wildcat
Brian Eno**: No One Receiving
The M's: Banishment of Love
Eurythmics: Put the Blame on Me

* from our new request list
** requests

Labels: playlists

posted by Tony at 7:37 AM | 0 comments

The continuing story

I will keep Finn and Charlie in France until I run out of jokes to make about it.

I've got some more inspired punchlines coming up. I think.

Labels: comic

posted by Tony at 10:32 PM | 0 comments

My cats are old and sick

Bad news from the vet.. both cats are sick. Ernie, who is about 17 years old, has a thyroid condition and hypertension; both are treatable and curable. Rupert, who is only 13, has chronic renal failure: treatable, but not curable. I'm feeling sad about this.

Labels: personal

posted by Tony at 3:06 PM | 3 comments

Restaurants with poor taste

Absolutely true yet hard to believe story here. Or at least, if Reuter's says it's true, it must be, right? Anyway, there are the pictures to prove it... without the pictures, I'd have trouble wrapping my brain around this one.

Extra points to you if you noticed the misplaced apostrophe on the awning. The ability to notice a small typographical error next to an enormous red swastika is, I think, one of the 9 signs of genius.

posted by Tony at 10:48 AM | 0 comments

Move like a bullet

Today's show, at the usual time:

Ladytron**: Discotraxx
Neneh Cherry: Move with Me
Feist*: Lonely Lonely (Frisbee'd Mix)
Six Organs of Admittance*: Attar
Final Fantasy: Many Lives -> 49MP
Nobody & Mystery Chords of Memory*: Coyote Song (When You Hear It)
The Coctails: Miss Maple
Darc Mind*: BMOC
Ojos de Brujo: Bailaores
Radio Mango: Bailar
The Beautiful South: Don't Fear the Reaper
Hank Wiliams: I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry
Nouvelle Vague*: Heart of Glass
The Judybats: Native Son
Throwing Muses: Hook in Her Head
Nina Simone: Sinnerman
The Pixies**: Hey
Bobby Conn: No Revolution
The B-52's: Girl from Ipanema Goes to Greenland
Gonzales, Feist, & Dani*: Boomerang 2005 (cover of Comme un Boomerang)
John Cale: Mr. Wilson
The Cells: Grocery Store
Matt Friedberger*: I Started Using Alcohol at the Age of Eleven
Sufjan Stevens*: Adlai Stevenson
The Mountain Goats*: Half Dead
White Whale*: What's an Ocean For?
Frank Zappa**: Bobby Brown Goes Down (live)

* from our new request list
** requests

Labels: playlists

posted by Tony at 6:34 AM | 0 comments

Took off to the land of naught

Subbed for another DJ this morning, for a 3-hour show.

Tom Waits: Singapore
David Bowie: Quicksand
Sufjan Stevens*: Chicago (acoustic)
Scritti Politti*: Sow in Sun
Andrew Bird's Bowl of Fire: Tea & Thorazine
Thom Yorke*: The Eraser
Ben Folds: Jesusland
Nobody & Mystic Chords of Memory*: Broaden a New Sound
Blondie: Pretty Baby
The Husbands: Tell Me Your Love is Only Mine
Radio Birdman*: Locked Up
ZZZZ: Forget It
Each Other: Ivan on Ivan
Dizzee Rascal: Stand Up Tall

Siouxsie and the Banshees: Kiss Them for Me (Kathak #2 Mix)
Feist*: Mushaboom (Mocky Mix)
Easy Star All*Stars featuring Toots and the Maytals*: Let Down
The Aerovons: Resurrection
The Mountain Goats*: Woke Up New
The Blow*: Babay (Eat a Critter, Feel its Wrath)
Martha & the Muffins: Swimming
The Aluminum Group: Sad Gay Life
Pizzicato 5: Baby Love Child
Lee Baby Simms*: Meanside
The Shifties: On My Way

The Clash: Spanish Bombs
Canasta: Slow Down Chicago
Matt Friedberger*: The Cross & the Switchblade
The Thermals*: Test Pattern
Os Mutantes: Desculpe, Babe
Pajo*: Let It Be Me
The Breeders: Saints
The La's: Doledrums
Billy Bragg & Wilco: Hoodoo Voodoo
Broadcast*: Poem of Dead Song
The Go! Team: Bottle Rocket
Ladytron: Oops Oh My
Deee-Lite: Good Beat
Quantic featuring Ohmega Watts*: Ticket to Know Where
Las Malas Amistades: Necesidad (Electro Mix)

* from our new release list

Labels: playlists

posted by Tony at 7:33 AM | 2 comments

Puis-je acheter du baume aux lèvres sans parfume?

And Finn and Charlie are off to France. In the world of weekly comics, you don't need to do that much planning to send someone on a European tour.

The original script for this comic had a lot more text, but it didn't fit. Charlie was going to express concern that French lip balm might be perfumed. I did once buy lip balm in France and find it to be perfumed. I couldn't use it.

Labels: comic

posted by Tony at 11:16 PM | 0 comments

¡Oye Chamaco!

I'm always fascinated by the question of how translators manage translating a joke or situation that involves a reference to the target translation language. For example, on the Simpsons, in Spanish translations, Bumblebee Man speaks gibberish instead of Spanish (I'm told). And on an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer in which Xander dreams people are telling him important information in French, I listened to the French translation, and it seemed to me the French was swapped for Russian.

So, today's FoxTrot (which I receive in email, in both English and Spanish, because I'm a GEEK that way):

Where the English indicates that Peter thinks he's in the Land of Giant Burritos by having him speak Spanish, the Spanish needs to get more clever to create the same impression, so it adds the word "chamaco" ("kid"), which appears to be specifically a Mexican Spanish word. So it's sort of the equivalent of indicating a visit to the Land of Haggis with "Where am I, laddie?"

Mind you, Justin tells me that burritos were actually invented in San Francisco, but humor doesn't have to be accurate to be funny.

So, a question to any native Spanish speakers reading this, is the Spanish version funny? Is my explanation of the joke correct? Does it work as well as the English version?

Labels: neat stuff

posted by Tony at 5:24 PM | 0 comments

Rain ponchos and gardenias

Today as I entered the el station, I saw a person on the landing of the staircase, who looked to be in the process of pulling of a blue plastic rain poncho. I thought this was odd as there is no threat of rain today. As I got to the landing I noticed (along with the guy climbing the stairs with me) that in fact this person was not pulling off a rain poncho, but rather standing stock-still with a rain poncho draped over his or her head. I have no idea what was going on, but the air was suffused with the smell of gardenias (or perhaps ylang-ylang).

Related? Who knows.

Both were pretty unusual occurrences, but I'd have to say people behaving erratically is much less unusual than the train station smelling nice.

Labels: personal

posted by Tony at 11:37 AM | 0 comments

Moving into the universe, she's drifting this way and that

The weather today is so perfect, it's an insult to be trapped indoors. *SIGH* I should be a gardener. But then my fingernails would never be clean.

This morning's playlist:

Talking Heads: And She Was
Canasta: Sympathetic Vibrations
Radio Birdman*: Remorseless
Joan of Arc*: Didactic Prom
Kate Bush: There Goes a Tenner
The Aerovons**: Everything's Alright
The Trash Can Sinatras: Only Tongue Will Tell
Fiest*: Mushaboom (Postal Service remix)
Filipe Mukenga / remix by Underground Sound of Lisbon: Hailwa Yonge Oike Mbela
Brisa Roché*: Flying Too High
Saint Etienne: She Is the One
Sufjan Stevens*: No Man's Lands
Troubled Hubble: Morning Person
Jens Lekman: Rocky Dennis
Meryn Cadell: Strength
On No featuring Wordsworth*: Know Better
Bootsy Collins: What So Never the Dance
Baby Teeth: Celebrity Wedding
Quantic featuring Noelle Scaggs*: Politick Society
Cesaria Evora: Bondade e Maldade (Yoruba Soul Mix by Osunlade)
White Whale*: Yummyman Farewell
Goober and the Peas: MacArthur Park
Colin Meloy*: Barbara Allen

* from our new release list
** request

Labels: playlists

posted by Tony at 7:05 AM | 0 comments

Wrapping up the Candy storyline

New Hitched, only a day late. I had a different punchline in mind initially, and then I decided to go with this one. I'm not entirely happy with it — I think I missed some level of subtlety — but I'm pleased enough.

Labels: comic

posted by Tony at 11:55 PM | 1 comments

Sarita Chiquita is closing

After three years, my good friend Sarah Cativo is shuttering her store and moving on. It's a bit sad, because the store was such a reflection of her personality, and it was something she had always wanted to do... and yet at the same time, she is moving on to some pretty exciting things, and is happy about the future. So I guess it's sort of bittersweet. I'm sorry I won't be in town to bid a fond farewell to the store. I wish Sarah all the best in this next stage of her career.

Labels: personal

posted by Tony at 11:43 PM | 1 comments

Crazy crazy August

WLUW is in the midst of its end-of-the-fiscal-year pledge drive; I'm working phones for that, pitching during my regular show, and I made a mix tape to encourage pledges. Meanwhile I'm in physical therapy three days a week (no big thing — just some leg pain that needed attention); it's all a bit much.

Eric on the other hand is preparing for Lillstreet's annual open house and studuent sale. He's assisting with organizing, and he's selling some of his own stuff. He's been spending upwards of 60 hours a week at the studio lately.

So we are both exhausted.

Anyway, consider pledging to WLUW, and visiting Lillstreet this Saturday to buy some stuff.

Also we have a bounty of summer vegetables; aside from our immoderate purchases at the farmer's market last weekend, today I harvested about 6 giant gorgeous tomatoes from our yard. Yum.

Labels: personal

posted by Tony at 10:59 PM | 0 comments

If you love rock and roll so much, why don't you marry it?

This morning's show was the start of the pledge drive, so there was a little less music. I put together a mix CD as a pledge premium for anyone who donated during my show. There were only two donations during that hour (which isn't too unusual for that time of day), and only one requested the CD... but she was apparently quite excited about getting the CD, so I feel very flattered. Next week will be the pledge drive again, and I'll offer the CD one more time.

Here's what I played this morning:

Tom Waits: Eggs and Sausage
Vyvienne Long: Seven Nation Army
The Husbands*: You Know What, Sadie?
New Order: Fine Time
Scritti Politti*: E Eleventh Nuts
Golden Smog*: Corvette
Matt Friedberger*:
Zapruder Point: Stunning at Something
Sergent Garcia: Acabar Mal
Pansy Division: Luv Luv Luv
Luxury: Green Hearts
Joan of Arc*: For a Half-Dead Girl Named Echo
Frank Zappa: Camarillo Brillo
Smoking Popes: Stormy Weather
The Dyno Tones: Gear Grinder
Brisa Roché*: Billionaire
P:ano: I Feel His Presents/Doing the Can Can
Meryn Cadell: Organ
Oneida*: The Adversary
Everything but the Girl: Corcovado
Sufjan Stevens*: Chicago (Multiple Personality Disorder version)
Nina Simone: See-Line Woman
The Coctails: Postcard
Anavan*: Waiting List

* from our new releass list

Labels: playlists

posted by Tony at 8:15 AM | 0 comments

Sunday Sunday

Yes, it's Sunday, so I've posted a new Hitched comic for your enjoyment. Wheee! I got maybe 60% of what I wanted to done this weekend, but at least the comic is up there.

I've begun physical therapy for my problems with my left leg. The place is Russian-owned and there are many Russian speakers working there, so as you can imagine, a good number of the patients are elderly Russians. This makes for a surreal experience. My physical therapist seems to be Thai... at least, that's my educated guess. Anyway, the problems are minor and the therapy should take care of them. First appointment last Friday, next appointment this Monday. Zoom zoom.

Labels: comic

posted by Tony at 11:10 PM | 0 comments

Benefit show for the whole family at the Montrose Saloon

The fourth annual WLUW benefit at the Montrose Saloon, 2933 W Montrose, will be next Sunday afternoon, August 13.

Weather permitting it will be outside in the big back yard. 12 noon or as soon as the Ecuadorian Independence parade finishes (a bonus for those who get there early) till 7pm. Family/Kid friendly. After the event you can head to the jukebox and play some Sex Pistols. The food is $1.00 hot dogs or order from their extensive collection of delivery menus from local eateries, Thai, Mexican, Indian, etc. Warning for friends and relatives, The Montrose is cash only.

Partial lineup, not in order of appearance:

• Professor John - New Orleans style
• John and Ellen Wright
• Rick Veras - Gypsy Jazz
• REO Chuckwagen
• Sexfist
• Dime Store String Band with David Bragman
• Bucky Hackler
• Kent Rose - The best dressed Chicagoland singing mailman
• Possibly Ronnie "Elvis" Vegas

posted by Tony at 4:10 PM | 0 comments

That odd moment

I had another one of those odd moments today where I walk past someone wearing the same cologne I used to wear religiously in college. Smells are very evocative, and somehow I find the smell of this particular cologne disorienting when I'm out on the street.

It's not as popular as is used to be, and I don't spend much time around scented people, so it doesn't happen very often. This sort of accentuates the effect.

Eternity by Calvin Klein, of course.

Labels: journal, personal

posted by Tony at 4:05 PM | 2 comments

This moment in time... it doesn't belong to you...

So hot these days... so I played a heat-and-summer themed show. That is, songs whose sound somehow made me think of heat and summer — not so much songs that are actually about heat or summer.

I thought it was a good show today! Also, I succesfully played songs of the iPod for the first time. Wooooo for me!

Kate Bush: Jig of Life
Jane Siberry: All the Candles in the World
The Husbands*: Bar-B-Q
Paul Weller*: Long Hot Summer
The Folk Implosion: One-Part Lullaby
The Cowboy Junkies: I'm So Open
Sufjan Stevens*: Dear Mr. Supercomputer
Quantic*: Bomb in a Trumpet Factory
Nina Simone: Break Down & Let It All Out
Baby Teeth: Diaghalev Was Right
Franz Ferdinand & Jane Birkin*: A Song for a Sorry Angel
The Shifties: Girl Car
The Judybats: Convalescing in Spain
Tom Waits: Raindogs
The Junkers: High Noon
Oneida*: The Misfits
Anavan*: Eel Air Camera
Ojos de Brujo: Color
The Smiths**: There is a Light that Never Goes Out
Brisa Roché*: Flying Too High
M. Ward*: Chinese Translation
The Shangri-Las: Give Him a Great Big Kiss
Awesome Color*: Hat Energy
The B-52's: Party Gone Out of Bounds
The Spinto Band**: Oh Mandy
The Cells: They Don't Know
Quasar Wut-Wut: Enola Gay
Meryn Cadell: Window of Opportunity
Las Malas Amistades: Por Todo Lado

* from our new release list
** requests

Labels: playlists

posted by Tony at 6:54 AM | 0 comments