Some favourite music this week according to my Last FM page.

01) R.E.M.
One of my all-time favourite bands had a strong week in at home listening powered by a review I read on Pitchfork. Pitchfork reviewed the classic R.E.M. record ‘Reckoning.’ I don’t have that disc on my laptop but I do have a compilation of 80s era R.E.M. that has more than a couple ‘Reckoning’ cuts on it. I love the tracks “7 Chinese Bros.” “So. Central Rain (I’m Sorry)” and “(Don’t Go Back to) Rockville.”

02) Wilco
Wilco has a new album out now, their 7th or 8th depending who you ask. I downloaded this record because it turns out… I must have like 4 or 5 Wilco records. I never really considered myself a fan till I started paying attention to what I listen to on my playlists and when I randomize a set. If Wilco pops up, I have to stop to go check out who the band is.
Listening to new Wilco made me nostalgic for an old Wilco song I have from the Jim Carrey film, ‘Me, Myself, and Irene.’ The song is “Any Major Dude Will Tell You.” That might be the first time I ever had to stop and go, “hey what was that?”

03) Interpol
I never get tired of their first album, ‘Turn on the Bright Lights.’ To me, every song is special but I truly love the opening cut, “Untitled.”
I will surprise you sometime
I’ll come around
When you’re down
simple lyrics (that is basically it), very moody, tense and sexual.

04) Lou Reed
My weekend guy… I suppose I blogged about him yesterday a bit. Sometimes I get the song “Perfect Day” in my head so fiercly, I have to listen to Lou Reed like two or three times in a row before I can move on to the next song. Isn’t that pathetic?
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I haven’t felt very good the past couple days? weeks? but today I woke feeling chipper! I usually feel creatively bankrupt come Friday. I hop in the studio to jam out the modern rock countdown and I also have usually a fairly good ‘to-do’ list of commercial projects. By the time I go on the air at 3PM, the last thing I want to do is make a really good radio show. On top of that, I read this book that at first was inspiring, but after a few days to settle in… I asked myself some honest questions and I didn’t like the answers… damn word in a book! damn you!
What tends to happen is either or both:
The request time at 6PM rips and it makes me happy for humanity again AND/or I go out to the pub in Langford and meet so many great Zoners. Then all weekend, I can’t wait to hop on the radio again on Monday to repeat the cycle.
I was thinking about why I like making the countdown so much (which is a half truth because I also hate it). I love making the countdown because it is created in the studio. I can take some time with the breaks, add a soundtrack, find clips, use my best callers from the week. The one thing I don’t like about the show is that its not live. But live makes the show rushed.
I was thinking of trying some of the things that I like about the countdown and incorporating it into the live show. It’ll require a little more focus, but maybe I’ll give it a try and see how it sounds.
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Coral has been hard at work this weekend with her girlfriends and sister working on the invitations for our wedding. They look specatacular! Can’t wait to show them off.
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Go with yourself.