Well, hello again and thanks for reading! I've got a couple more CD's to mention-some artists you should be listening to, 'cause they've made great albums, as well as some recent shows I've seen and a brief glimpse behind the scenes here at WBOS...
Chandler Travis Philharmonic, Tarnation & Alastair Sim: First things first...Chandler is f***ing nuts. That's a good thing. Chandler is a local institution, with his band The Incredible Casuals performing every Sunday at the Beachcomber in Wellfleet from Memorial Day thru Labor Day for the past 27 years. The Chandler Travis Philharmonic made this 48-track opus in a lightning-quick 5 years (take notes, Axl), and it's worth the wait. Sure, many of the tracks aren't really songs at all, just random oddities such as answering machine messages, silence, strange noises and the like, but the songs themselves-killer. We've been featuring the tracks "Wireless" and "Money Won't Buy You Happiness" on Boston Music Sundays, but there's so much more here. Straight jazz, rave-up rockers, Princelike funk, the entire gamut, all rooted in Chandler's witty, smart lyrics. Get this record (BUY it...he needs the money), put it on at your next houseparty, and watch the smiles light up the room. "Dance Goddamit" might be my favorite song for the summer. Get more info, listen to song clips, and read some of Chandler's insanity here: http://www.sonictrout.com/bands/chandler/tarnation/tarnation.html
Sarah Borges & The Broken Singles, Diamonds in the Dark: One of the brightest lights on the Boston music scene comes into their own on their Sugar Hill Records debut, a brilliant follow up to 2005's Silver City. Sarah combines elements of trad-country luminaries like Wanda Jackson and Tammy Wynette with the swagger of Lucinda Williams and an undercurrent of punk rock/indie vibes into a package all her own. Day We Met has a twang and a hook that'll stick with you for days. Stop and Think It Over has a girl-group sunshiney energy that gets better with every listen. The standout, for me, is Around 9, a heartbreaker of a ballad that features an achingly beautiful slide solo from guitarist extraordinaire Mike Castellana. This record announces the arrival of a MAJOR talent...trust me. But if you have trust issues, go to www.sarahborges.com and discover for yourself.
Saw some good shows recently too...if you were there, let me know your thoughts (dginsburg@wbos.com). Last Monday, Joss Stone & Ryan Shaw at Avalon brought neo-soul sounds to life before a packed crowd. Ryan Shaw kicked it off with his vintage Al Green/Otis Redding/Muscle Shoals sound & energy. We've been fans of this guy (all of 26 years old) for a year now, having seen him at a radio convention last summer at 1 in the morning, when he absolutely brought the house down. His self-titled debut is available now (you're hearing Nobody on WBOS these days), but it's his live show that showcases his extraordinary talent. Great voice, tremendous charisma, and a backing band that delivers the soul goods. Come see him at Copley on August 2, you won't be disappointed. And he's a helluva nice guy too.
Joss Stone has a tremendous voice, and touring behind her 3rd record at the tender age of 20. While she has stage polish and the voice is the real deal, I found the show somewhat lacking in energy. Too many mid-tempo numbers strung together didn't make for the right ebb-&-flow dynamic I wanted to hear. She was feeling under the weather that day, so we'll chalk it up to her not being 100% for the show and give her a pass until next time.
Mika at Avalon on Wednesday was remarkable in its own way. First, opener Sara Bareilles delivered a stunning solo set that won her a legion of new fans. We'll be hearing more from her in the near future. Mika though...wow. This was a show. His falsetto in top form, Mika hit the stage before a jam-packed throng of adoring fans and delivered his unique combination of Bee Gees meets Queen flavored uptempo danceable soul in a lightning-quick 60 minutes. But oh, what an hour it was. Big Girls featured...well, a couple of larger ladies in lingerie as backup dancers. Love Today was the smash singalong, with Mika pogoing gleefully like a giddy child after too many pixie sticks. Grace Kelly brought the house down before the full band returned to the stage for an encore dressed in animal costumes, with balloons dropping from the ceiling. For a minute, it felt like I was suddenly at Elton John's bachelor party...which of course I wasn't, since I don't know Elton and not sure he had a bachelor party before he got married last summer. But I digress...
On Saturday night (I'm a busy boy!), I went to the Sarah Borges & The Broken Singles CD release show at Johnny D's in Somerville. Another packed room, sweaty and blissful, as SB & BS delivered the goods, again. Sarah is a true frontwoman, charismatic and in complete control, resplendent down to her white cowboy boots. The band was tight, the room rocked, many beers were drunk, and a little bit of Nashville honkytonk was right here in our little slice of the world. Castellana tore it up on various guitars, bassist Binky was yet again a showman par excellence (and Bink, dig the new Johnny Thunders-esque tattoo)...I'm tellin' ya, see this band.
Finally, we had our first-annual Father's Day Over Easy this past Sunday. A live audience of 'BOS listeners came in to see George Knight in action, enjoy breakfast, and see a pair of local legends perform up close & personal, Jake Brennan and his dad Dennis. (I mentioned Dennis' excellent new CD Engagement in my last posting, but I'm plugging it again-it's that good. Pick it up today. Discover for yourself at www.dennisbrennan.com.) WBOS has been very supportive of Jake Brennan for a couple of years now, and deservedly so-this kid is a huge talent waiting to be discovered by the masses (www.myspace.com/jakebrennan or www.jakebrennan.org). Anyway, Jake & Dennis came in on Sunday and wowed the crowd...they don't play together very often, so this really was a treat. The songs are posted on www.wbos.com now, under the "Sights & Sounds" tab. Check it out, enjoy, and remember-support your local musicians. There's a great scene in Boston these days.
That's all for now...I've been in the office for 12 hours and need to go to that place where my stuff is kept...right, home. Back soon, y'all. In the meantime, feel free to post a comment or send me a message directly: dginsburg@wbos.com. Thanks again for reading...and thanks for listening to WBOS!
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
From the corner office...
Here we go...it's 2007; time to join the bloggerazi. Who am I? What do I do? Excellent questions...
Who am I? (And I don't ask that question in the existential sense; that's a different blog altogether). I am David Ginsburg, the Program Director at WBOS since November 2006. I've been at WBOS for seven years, starting as the Asst. Promotion Coordinator (i.e. "paid intern") in March 2000. I became Promotion Coordinator, then Promotion Director, working under and learning from some very talented people. In January 2004, with no programming experience but a lifelong burning passion for music (and a love for radio as a medium-but that's for another post), I convinced the powers that be that I'd be a good fit for the open position of Music Director. Michele Williams was the PD at that point, and we both worked under the legendary Buzz Knight. Michele left WBOS about 8 months later, and I was suddenly challenged to keep the ship afloat while still figuring out what my job actually entailed. Thankfully, Buzz and I began working closely together, and that gave me an opportunity to learn from one of the best this business has ever seen. I still work very closely with Buzz, and learn from him every day. He's brilliant, and still as passionate about radio as ever.
Last November, following the departure of Dave Douglas as PD (Dave's a good guy too, great guy to work for, and learned quite a bit from him...so thanks again, Dave), I became PD. It took a bit to sink in, that's for sure. But it's a phenomenal challenge and opportunity to lead the WBOS team, and I am surrounded by the strongest team in the station's history. Dana Marshall came aboard as Music Director in January; she is my right-hand woman and has added tremendously to the station. Jenn Carr & Crystal Margolis run our Promotions department; both are as motivated to make WBOS succeed as I am. The airstaff-George Knight, John Laurenti, Dominick Lewis, Dana, all the part-time staff...just a great crew to work with. We are all exceptionally passionate about this station, about the music we play and the special things we do, from EarthFest to Copley to Studio 7 (and big kudo's to Sarah Borges & The Broken Singles for killing it at noon today!) and everything else.
What do I do? In short, I'm ultimately responsible for everything WBOS. It's my job, with input from all of the above in various capacities, to put on the best station possible for our audience. The music we play, the concerts & events we do, the integration of Sales elements (hey, they pay the bills) as a fit...all of it. I'm here not only to bring WBOS up to it's fullest potential, but to win. I'm very competitive.
I'm all about the music...
Yeah, yeah, lots of people say that. Many of those same people mean it. I certainly do. I was a music geek long before I was a radio guy (especially as I haven't been in radio very long...this is the only station I've ever worked for. My whole career has been an anomaly). My dad is a big opera/classical music buff, so my earliest memories are of listening to Beethoven's Fifth with the Red Sox game on tv, volume down (no mute button in those days). After my parents split up, I drifted towards a bit of heavy metal-buying a Kiss record because the cover looked cool, for instance. When I was about 12, my mom was dating an ex-hippie named Carter who had the sickest record collection ever. First-edition vinyl Dylan albums. "Sticky Fingers" with the zipper on the cover. All that stuff. That became my education...I'd come home from school & just start digging through, listening to Dylan, Springsteen, The Dead (still a 'head, btw), Neil Young, The Byrds, The Stones, on & on. Read "Rolling Stone" obsessively (still have stacks of them in the basement of my mom's house), and would read interviews with artists I'd grown passionate about and then go back and listen to the artists who influenced them. At some point along the way, I got into the blues and then heavily into classic R&B, stuff like Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, Al Green...I remember being in high school, wearing acid washed jeans & Miami Vice style sportcoats (hey, it was the 80's. In Worcester) and listening to Sam Cooke "Live at the Copacabana" on my walkman while the rest of the kids were cranking Motley Crue records. Anyway. The passion's always been there, and still is. I still get geeked about music, new bands, old bands (especially Outlaw Country in the past several years; I've become a huge fan of Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings), just everything. Still call them "albums" and "records," regardless if the lingo is outdated. Don't care. Big fan of the local music scene in Boston, too...we're fortunate to live in a city with so many great bands and artists, doing so many different things. Go out any night of the week in Allston, Cambridge, Somerville, wherever, and you'll find them yourself. That's why the WBOS Boston Music Sunday has been so enjoyable for me, especially in hearing the feedback from the bands themselves. People still get a thrill hearing their stuff on the radio, even in the digital/iPod/MySpace DIY era. Old-fashioned terrestrial radio can still provide the thrills.
Before this reaches the equivalent length of a Tom Wolfe chapter, I'm going to shift gears to the original plan I had for this inaugural blog: namely, listing some records that I'm way into right now & hope you'll dig too. You can find all this stuff online, in record stores, wherever...agree or disagree with my opinions, it's up to you. Just let me know. dginsburg@wbos.com. And yes, I will write you back.
Ok then...some listening picks:
Wilco "Sky Blue Sky:" This may well be the best record I've heard all year (and we listen to a lot of 'em. Nature of the job). Love Wilco, although wasn't so keen on the last one, A Ghost is Born. This one harkens back to their earlier stuff, especially Summerteeth and A.M. Loose, comfortable-in-it-own-skin Americana rock & roll with a leader in Jeff Tweedy who finally seems at peace with himself and his place in the music landscape of his time. The band's secret weapon this time out is guitarist Nels Cline, who's a friggin' monster player. Check out their fantastic live CD Kicking Television for more Nels highlights. And put Kicking Television in the pantheon of great live albums like Ya-Ya's and Live at Leeds. But I digress...go get Sky Blue Sky, listen to it repeatedly in your car, your house, or wherever you can listen to music and let your mind wander. It's that good, and keeps getting better. If you're going to the Wilco show on the 28th at the BOA Pavilion...I'll see you there. I'll be the oddly handsome fella with the dorky grin, unable to sit still.
Fountains of Wayne, "Traffic & Weather:" Sure, it took 'em four years to make, but worth the wait. Great hooks, very witty lyrics, and a cohesive record overall. Some songs will make you laugh, some will bring a tear to your eye, and all will make you think. Very evocative...listen to "'92 Subaru" and try NOT to picture driving thru Vermont during ski season.
Brandi Carlile, "The Story:" No sophomore slump here. She follows up her self-titled debut triumph with an even stronger, more personal record. And she's all of 24 years old. There's a long career in the making here, and well-deserved. I've had the great fortune to get to know Brandi a bit over the past few years, since her first visit to Studio 7 in '05, and she's among the most genuine artists you'll ever meet. Nice, too. But the record...you've heard the title track on 'BOS for some time now. Check out "My Song," and make it your song. She sings from the heart and sings her heart out, every time. And she absolutely kicked ass at her Avalon show last month, from the opening solo-acoustic cover of "The Times They Are A-Changin'" to the final note 2 hours later, and then hung out by her bus signing autographs until she'd satisfied every request. Can't wait to see her at Copley July 12th...and to finally buy her the lobster dinner I owe her afterwards. Long story.
John Butler Trio, "Grand National:" What a player. No, not that kind of player. Guitar player. John Butler is one of the best guitarists in the world right now. Listen to this latest JBT album and see if you find yourself asking "how does he get those sounds?" But it's more than sounds...it's songs, it's emotion. From the funky paean to his wife on "Daniella" to the hippie dream of "Better Than" and the fiercely political "Gov Did Nothin," JBT hits on all cylinders and cements their place near the top of the rock & roll heap. Oh, and they may well have stolen the show at WBOS EarthFest last month.
Dennis Brennan, "Engagement." Finally, a local legend gets his due. Dennis is a criminally overlooked talent; he's a superb songwriter, and his live shows with his ace backing band have become near mythical. This record, a mix of Americana, alt-country, and Stones-y rock & roll, half studio recording and half live recording, is an absolute treat to listen to. "Sugar Falls" is the great Stones riff Keith missed somewhere along the way (maybe while practicing his pirate act?). "Crying on the Avenue" is a great old-school country 3-am drunk outside the bar lovers' lament. "Everybody's Running Away" just rips. Buy this record, listen closely, then go see Dennis play live, and see for yourself. Hell, he's probably playing somewhere in town right now.
I think this is enough for now. I've got a stack of records in the car all ready for me. I'll be back soon...and would love to hear from you on any of the above or anything else you may care to ask or proffer. Email is dginsburg@wbos.com. Be well.
Who am I? (And I don't ask that question in the existential sense; that's a different blog altogether). I am David Ginsburg, the Program Director at WBOS since November 2006. I've been at WBOS for seven years, starting as the Asst. Promotion Coordinator (i.e. "paid intern") in March 2000. I became Promotion Coordinator, then Promotion Director, working under and learning from some very talented people. In January 2004, with no programming experience but a lifelong burning passion for music (and a love for radio as a medium-but that's for another post), I convinced the powers that be that I'd be a good fit for the open position of Music Director. Michele Williams was the PD at that point, and we both worked under the legendary Buzz Knight. Michele left WBOS about 8 months later, and I was suddenly challenged to keep the ship afloat while still figuring out what my job actually entailed. Thankfully, Buzz and I began working closely together, and that gave me an opportunity to learn from one of the best this business has ever seen. I still work very closely with Buzz, and learn from him every day. He's brilliant, and still as passionate about radio as ever.
Last November, following the departure of Dave Douglas as PD (Dave's a good guy too, great guy to work for, and learned quite a bit from him...so thanks again, Dave), I became PD. It took a bit to sink in, that's for sure. But it's a phenomenal challenge and opportunity to lead the WBOS team, and I am surrounded by the strongest team in the station's history. Dana Marshall came aboard as Music Director in January; she is my right-hand woman and has added tremendously to the station. Jenn Carr & Crystal Margolis run our Promotions department; both are as motivated to make WBOS succeed as I am. The airstaff-George Knight, John Laurenti, Dominick Lewis, Dana, all the part-time staff...just a great crew to work with. We are all exceptionally passionate about this station, about the music we play and the special things we do, from EarthFest to Copley to Studio 7 (and big kudo's to Sarah Borges & The Broken Singles for killing it at noon today!) and everything else.
What do I do? In short, I'm ultimately responsible for everything WBOS. It's my job, with input from all of the above in various capacities, to put on the best station possible for our audience. The music we play, the concerts & events we do, the integration of Sales elements (hey, they pay the bills) as a fit...all of it. I'm here not only to bring WBOS up to it's fullest potential, but to win. I'm very competitive.
I'm all about the music...
Yeah, yeah, lots of people say that. Many of those same people mean it. I certainly do. I was a music geek long before I was a radio guy (especially as I haven't been in radio very long...this is the only station I've ever worked for. My whole career has been an anomaly). My dad is a big opera/classical music buff, so my earliest memories are of listening to Beethoven's Fifth with the Red Sox game on tv, volume down (no mute button in those days). After my parents split up, I drifted towards a bit of heavy metal-buying a Kiss record because the cover looked cool, for instance. When I was about 12, my mom was dating an ex-hippie named Carter who had the sickest record collection ever. First-edition vinyl Dylan albums. "Sticky Fingers" with the zipper on the cover. All that stuff. That became my education...I'd come home from school & just start digging through, listening to Dylan, Springsteen, The Dead (still a 'head, btw), Neil Young, The Byrds, The Stones, on & on. Read "Rolling Stone" obsessively (still have stacks of them in the basement of my mom's house), and would read interviews with artists I'd grown passionate about and then go back and listen to the artists who influenced them. At some point along the way, I got into the blues and then heavily into classic R&B, stuff like Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, Al Green...I remember being in high school, wearing acid washed jeans & Miami Vice style sportcoats (hey, it was the 80's. In Worcester) and listening to Sam Cooke "Live at the Copacabana" on my walkman while the rest of the kids were cranking Motley Crue records. Anyway. The passion's always been there, and still is. I still get geeked about music, new bands, old bands (especially Outlaw Country in the past several years; I've become a huge fan of Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings), just everything. Still call them "albums" and "records," regardless if the lingo is outdated. Don't care. Big fan of the local music scene in Boston, too...we're fortunate to live in a city with so many great bands and artists, doing so many different things. Go out any night of the week in Allston, Cambridge, Somerville, wherever, and you'll find them yourself. That's why the WBOS Boston Music Sunday has been so enjoyable for me, especially in hearing the feedback from the bands themselves. People still get a thrill hearing their stuff on the radio, even in the digital/iPod/MySpace DIY era. Old-fashioned terrestrial radio can still provide the thrills.
Before this reaches the equivalent length of a Tom Wolfe chapter, I'm going to shift gears to the original plan I had for this inaugural blog: namely, listing some records that I'm way into right now & hope you'll dig too. You can find all this stuff online, in record stores, wherever...agree or disagree with my opinions, it's up to you. Just let me know. dginsburg@wbos.com. And yes, I will write you back.
Ok then...some listening picks:
Wilco "Sky Blue Sky:" This may well be the best record I've heard all year (and we listen to a lot of 'em. Nature of the job). Love Wilco, although wasn't so keen on the last one, A Ghost is Born. This one harkens back to their earlier stuff, especially Summerteeth and A.M. Loose, comfortable-in-it-own-skin Americana rock & roll with a leader in Jeff Tweedy who finally seems at peace with himself and his place in the music landscape of his time. The band's secret weapon this time out is guitarist Nels Cline, who's a friggin' monster player. Check out their fantastic live CD Kicking Television for more Nels highlights. And put Kicking Television in the pantheon of great live albums like Ya-Ya's and Live at Leeds. But I digress...go get Sky Blue Sky, listen to it repeatedly in your car, your house, or wherever you can listen to music and let your mind wander. It's that good, and keeps getting better. If you're going to the Wilco show on the 28th at the BOA Pavilion...I'll see you there. I'll be the oddly handsome fella with the dorky grin, unable to sit still.
Fountains of Wayne, "Traffic & Weather:" Sure, it took 'em four years to make, but worth the wait. Great hooks, very witty lyrics, and a cohesive record overall. Some songs will make you laugh, some will bring a tear to your eye, and all will make you think. Very evocative...listen to "'92 Subaru" and try NOT to picture driving thru Vermont during ski season.
Brandi Carlile, "The Story:" No sophomore slump here. She follows up her self-titled debut triumph with an even stronger, more personal record. And she's all of 24 years old. There's a long career in the making here, and well-deserved. I've had the great fortune to get to know Brandi a bit over the past few years, since her first visit to Studio 7 in '05, and she's among the most genuine artists you'll ever meet. Nice, too. But the record...you've heard the title track on 'BOS for some time now. Check out "My Song," and make it your song. She sings from the heart and sings her heart out, every time. And she absolutely kicked ass at her Avalon show last month, from the opening solo-acoustic cover of "The Times They Are A-Changin'" to the final note 2 hours later, and then hung out by her bus signing autographs until she'd satisfied every request. Can't wait to see her at Copley July 12th...and to finally buy her the lobster dinner I owe her afterwards. Long story.
John Butler Trio, "Grand National:" What a player. No, not that kind of player. Guitar player. John Butler is one of the best guitarists in the world right now. Listen to this latest JBT album and see if you find yourself asking "how does he get those sounds?" But it's more than sounds...it's songs, it's emotion. From the funky paean to his wife on "Daniella" to the hippie dream of "Better Than" and the fiercely political "Gov Did Nothin," JBT hits on all cylinders and cements their place near the top of the rock & roll heap. Oh, and they may well have stolen the show at WBOS EarthFest last month.
Dennis Brennan, "Engagement." Finally, a local legend gets his due. Dennis is a criminally overlooked talent; he's a superb songwriter, and his live shows with his ace backing band have become near mythical. This record, a mix of Americana, alt-country, and Stones-y rock & roll, half studio recording and half live recording, is an absolute treat to listen to. "Sugar Falls" is the great Stones riff Keith missed somewhere along the way (maybe while practicing his pirate act?). "Crying on the Avenue" is a great old-school country 3-am drunk outside the bar lovers' lament. "Everybody's Running Away" just rips. Buy this record, listen closely, then go see Dennis play live, and see for yourself. Hell, he's probably playing somewhere in town right now.
I think this is enough for now. I've got a stack of records in the car all ready for me. I'll be back soon...and would love to hear from you on any of the above or anything else you may care to ask or proffer. Email is dginsburg@wbos.com. Be well.
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