As many of you already know, Paul Westerberg is back with a new project with Juliana Hatfield of The Blake Babies called The I Don’t Cares. The album, Wild Stab, is a classic slice of Westerberg with a strong sense of melody as strengthened by Juliana Hatfield. She always had a way with a melody. And while Westerberg is one of the finest indie musicians, period. His solo work has ranged all over the map. So, it is nice to see him return to that Stonesy influenced post punk/indie that we all so deeply love. And a great example of that is the reworking of a past Westerberg solo tune… Born for Me.
Yeah, life is good. New music from Paul Westerberg and Juliana Hatfield, a new Bob Mould record on the way; it’s an ok day. What new music are you excited about? Let us know at drjwudr over there on Twitter and Gmail.
Our new friends Gary, Amanda, Todd, and Duane of Goodnight Goodnight spent time with us this week talking about their EP, Don’t Fade Out, the genesis of the band and their unique sound. Thanks guys! Go see them if you get a chance! Like this Saturday at the Canal Public House! And according to Duane, you should individually sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to Gary and Todd.
Today on Your Tuesday Afternoon Alternative we are joined by the terrific band, Goodnight Goodnight! We saw them during Holidayton and were simply blown away by how good they were during their set! You need to check into this band! One way you can do that is by listening to the show today (remember 3-6pm on WUDR)!
We will talk about their EP Don’t Fade Out which came out this past November and is a great collection of songs about secrets, being overwhelmed, and the meaning that we find in everyday life as it is lived by real people. You should go see them January 16th at the Canal Public House in Dayton, Ohio and in Eaton, Ohio on February 29th at Taffy’s for a free All-Ages show! See you there!
What can one say when you lose your heroes, the visionaries, the innovators, the musicians who change the way you experience something near and dear to your heart? We often say here that a day without music, for us, is like a day without oxygen.
For the past few days we have been trying to find the words to express what it means to lose David Bowie. And Dr. J demonstrated that sense of loss, of mourning while he struggled with the emotion of losing a musical hero. It is alright to have no words to express what this means to you. It is proper and true to take a moment and thank about the music, the songs, the impressions that were made by such an adventurous artist.
So, instead of trying to write a memorial of some kind, instead of trying to write something like a reflective piece — how do you write a comprehensive career retrospective on someone like Bowie? — You simply can’t. We here at YTAA would like to share a version of a story that Art shared on his Facebook wall.
I was up late one night watching television in West Central Minnesota. We had recently moved from the farm where we only got four channels. Seriously. Only four channels. The town we moved to was small — 550 people. Music discovery was based on the rare trip to a mall record store or Crawdaddy magazines. Sometimes both.
I had been very bored with the pop music on the charts. I spent a lot of time listening to Pink Floyd, Queen, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and early Kiss records. Suddenly the video for Ashes to Ashes came on the television. I think it was 1980. I do not remember what the program was — I only knew that I was bored until the video and music started.
My mind was blown. My father who was up late with me did not understand any of it. He derided the music, the song… All of it. The lyrics, the visuals, the sound… None of it made any sense to him. But me — I was transfixed. It was like a lifeline to someone who was lost and had never known that they were lost. I remember thinking – I have never seen anything like this. I have never heard anything like this. Before you judge me, let’s just say that where I lived – music on radio, on television, available in nearby stores was very limited. I yearned for something new, some unique sounds, something I could call my own and would speak to my identity.
After that experience. I could not sleep. The visuals, the color, the sound, the texture of the instruments was unlike anything I had ever seen or heard before. I tracked down as much Bowie as I could find. What a voyage of discovery. That moment of playing each record was like the introduction to another new nation of music. The contours of sound discovery with each new record numbed me. How could one artist explore such different sounds?
I remember the first time I played Hunky Dory, The Man Who Sold The World, Ziggy Stardust, Diamond Dogs, Young Americans, Low, Lodger, Station to Station…
The world was opened up to me. The unique approach to song craft was unlike anything I had experienced up to that time. It was not simply glam rock — it was sonic adventure. And after that I became so much more adventurous in my musical choices. I became interested in alternative music. And I felt that the questions I was asking about music, lyrics, identity, acceptance were represented by this musician and the music that he made.
Thank you sir for all of the adventures.
We can be Heroes
We can be Heroes
We can be Heroes
Just for one day
We can be Heroes
We’re nothing, and nothing will help us
Maybe we’re lying,
then you better not stay
But we could be safer,
just for one day
Another year has passed and a new year is still young. All too often there are commentators who pontificate about “how no new great music is being made today.” Normally, these “authorities” bemoan the lack of musical experimentation and excitement. They either point to the state of the Top 40 and the debacle(s) that was/were the New Years Eve shows on the broadcast networks or they extol the virtues of past “classics” that the music on the charts cannot possibly ever come close to appreciating.
These music critics and commentators complain about how utterly underwhelmed they are by the music on the radio, music on the satellite channels, and the music that is widely available via nearly endless repetition to the point of illness. And, of course, these critics are entitled to their opinions. But we believe to focus on some nostalgia overlooks the opportunities for invention and discovery. To that perspective we answer that quite simply you are looking in the wrong place for exciting new music. And yes, the music industry is over-focused on the idea of big selling “hits.” An excellent analysis of this “machine” can be found in Seabrook’s excellent book The Song Machine.
Every year for the past 12 years we have found amazing music from the margins, the outskirts, the unsigned, the overlooked, the local, the regional, the self-distributed, the incredible music being made in cities outside the orbit of the record labels and opinion makers with thousands of followers on any name your poison social network. We invite you to join us this year for a year in music discovery — and not just on Tuesdays when we create Your Tuesday Afternoon Alternative — but throughout the week and throughout the year! It is surprisingly simple, just go to your local music stores and browse the local, regional, self-produced section of your record stores and music outlets. Skip past the major label stuff — do not worry, you will be exposed to that over and over regardless of your enthusiasm for that music. However, there is new music, interesting music, exciting music being made in every genre in locations near and far.
In addition, to seeking out new sounds and new bands in the record stores, you can also take chances on local bands wherever you might call home. There are literally thousands of interesting bands playing any night of the week in any place. Go out. Listen to some new stuff. Buy some merchandise. As we used to say every T-Shirt sold represents gas in the tank or a hot meal. Support folks who wear their musicianship in the lines of every song that they write, every note that they play, and every idea that they share. Go out and support those musicians.
And when you find something that interests and excites you, reach out to us at Your Tuesday Afternoon Alternative and let us know! You can reach us here or at drjwudr on twitter and gmail. We welcome new suggestions, interesting performances, and new discoveries for both our radio program and for the sheer joy of listening to new music.
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