MootPOINT

A Brief History of Music Creation

2012-01-31T18:01:00.000-08:00

Via: thomashayden.tumblr.com

Truth: this is how EVERY piece of media should be packaged

2012-01-29T13:11:00.000-08:00

Karma

This Sounds About Right

2012-01-25T10:07:00.001-08:00

Americans Listen to Radio 14.6B Hours Each Month

2012-01-24T18:44:00.000-08:00

With an ever-growing number of media choices, Americans' preference for and reliance on radio continues to endure year after year. In the latest Radio Today by the Numbers, Arbitron's quarterly highlight of consumers radio usage, found that 93% of everyone in the U.S. listens to radio each week and that … more

What is this I don't even...

2012-01-21T18:11:00.000-08:00

Nation's Sound Engineers Gather To Talk About Their Ponytails

2012-01-18T12:52:00.000-08:00

AUSTIN, TX—Sound engineers from around the country converged on the Hilton Garden Inn Saturday for their annual convention in which they discuss their ponytails. Read on

New Facebook DJ Feature

2012-01-12T15:46:00.000-08:00

Taking Social/New Media to the next level:

Facebook DJ Feature of the Day: Facebook has launched its new “Listen With” feature, allowing friends to DJ for one another using Facebook Music-supported services Spotify and Rdio.

The “Listen With” button will appear in Facebook Chat, and you’ll see your friends listening with each other in your news feed. Clicking “Listen With” next to a friend’s name will allow you to listen in on whatever that friend is playing in real-time.

Each user can have up to 50 listeners at a time, and friends will only be able to listen with you if your privacy settings allow them to view your music listening activity. Services like Turntable.fm have already experimented with similar social listening

genomes but this definitely better integrates with the mainstream.

“Listen With” will be out later today for Spotify, and Rdio will be supported over the next few days.

[techcrunch]

Aha Radio partners with Subaru and Honda, brings social media to 2013 vehicles -- Engadget

2012-01-10T17:28:00.000-08:00

At last year's CES, Aha Radio brought its hyper-connected social media ways to two high-end Pioneer head units. This year, however, the service is about to make a bigger splash by announcing it'll be built into select 2013 Subaru and Honda vehicles. Equipped autos will have access to "thousands of personalized, web-enabled stations" like MOG, Rhapsody and Slacker, appearing as a selectable source alongside more traditional AM, FM and satellite radio options.

Read More (Endgadget)

Public Radio Blood Feud 2012

2012-01-06T14:14:00.000-08:00

On January 5th, 2012 the public radio show This American Life tweeted an olive branch to the public radio show On The Media: "It's a new year - should we end our blood feud?" The feud was of course imaginary, but it did result in an amusing thread.

Read The Thread Here: Public Radio Blood Feud 2012 via Storify

When people tell me my generation's music sucks...

2011-12-29T15:56:00.000-08:00

NBC Will Stream Super Bowl

2011-12-20T16:34:00.000-08:00

NBC announced Tuesday that it will stream Super Bowl XLVI live on Feb. 5 from Indianapolis, as well as its two wild card playoff games on Jan. 7 and the Pro Bowl on Jan. 29.

This is the first time the Super Bowl has been streamed.

NBC Will Stream Super Bowl - NYTimes.com

Loud TV Commercial Ban of the Day

2011-12-16T18:59:00.000-08:00

The Federal Communications Commission cracked down on commercials that are much louder than actual shows by passing the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation Act on Tuesday.
The act requires cable and satellite TV providers, as well as local broadcasters, to keep the volume on commercials in check. It was developed in response to a bill passed in Congress last year that called on the FCC to come up with some enforcement mechanism for overly loud advertising.

The FCC has known about the problem for decades.

“I cannot tell you how many hundreds of citizens have told me — personally, through emails and letters, at public hearings, even across the family dinner table — how obnoxiously intrusive they find loud commercials,” said FCC Commissioner Michael J. Copps.

Even the people who make commercials are happy about the change.

“We like it better when the public feels good about our ads,” said Dick O’Brien of the American Association of Advertising Agencies.

Unfortunately for TV viewers everywhere, the new measure doesn’t take effect until December 2012.

[latimes]

Tagged: commercial volume, FCC, loud commercial ban, loud commercials, tv commercials

Submitted by: Unknown

Artist sketches what NPR personalities look like based on voice | WBEZ

2011-12-11T08:39:00.000-08:00

More Artist sketches what NPR personalities look like based on voice | WBEZ

Sweet Jams

2011-12-04T19:33:00.000-08:00

Top 5 Online Music Trends in 2011

2011-12-01T04:04:00.000-08:00

Music has been a huge part of the Web since the days when Geocities-hosted fan sites offered Nirvana MIDI files and 15-second clips of songs in WAV format. A decade ago, we saw the rise and fall of Napster, the remnants of which were recently sold yet again. From the ashes of Napster rose a new era of digital music, fueled in large part by the iPod and iTunes Music Store. The traditional structures of the music industry may never return to what they once were, and that's okay. Today we have access to more music than ever before and the tools for creating it are available to anyone who can afford a laptop.

Top 5 Online Music Trends in 2011

Say hello to Spotify Apps

2011-11-30T20:31:00.000-08:00

Radio DJ Invites Whole Town To Some Bullshit

2011-11-30T19:59:00.000-08:00

TULSA, OK—According to an on-air announcement, KWPA disc jockey Johnny the Radio Bomb is inviting the entire populace of Greater Tulsa to some bullshit or other happening this Sunday. The bullshit, which is taking place in the parking lot of Kirk's Mattress Warehouse off the Broken Arrow Expressway and may or may not be in a tent, will feature free hot dogs, an unbearable local blues-rock band, a bunch of other bullshit, and an appearance by Johnny the Radio Bomb himself. "Everyone's welcome," the Radio Bomb said as he cued up "Feels Like The First Time" and "Juke Box Hero" for a Twofer Tuesday rock-block. "Hop on down to [the bullshit] between two and five." In addition to picking up bullshit bumper stickers and stupid-ass balloons for the kids from the KWPA Prize Patrol, visitors can register to win a 2012 Toyota Corolla.

Via The Onion

FAIL Nation: It’s LMFAO 24/7

2011-11-29T14:08:00.000-08:00

Looking for just the FAILs? FAIL Nation has all your classic epic FAILs in one place!

Radio and online music services

2011-11-25T23:34:00.000-08:00

Study: FM Radio Is Still the Biggest Source for Music Discovery...

2011-11-25T12:12:00.000-08:00

One of the oldest platforms is still the biggest vehicle for new music discovery, even among more dedicated music fans. In a just-released joint study from NPD Group and NARM, FM (and AM) radio consistently emerged as the most important place for discovery, with word-of-mouth falling second.

You'd think platforms like Pandora and places like Pitchfork would beat out local stations and their repetitive playlists, at least among more dedicated music fans. But here's a look at the ranking for the most dialed-in, 'committed' music fans. This is a group spends an average of $267 per year, plus an additional $139 on live shows. Read On

Universal Sues Grooveshark

2011-11-24T06:00:00.000-08:00

Universal, the biggest of the “big three” record labels, is suing music streaming service Grooveshark, alleging that the service has uploaded 113,000 tracks that infringe Universal copyrights.

At $150,000 a song, Universal is asking for up to $17 billion. That’s more than 10 times what Grooveshark has raised in funding thus far.

Universal says it has emails and other records that prove Grooveshark employees uploaded copyrighted music to the service themselves, a claim Grooveshark’s lawyers reject.

Grooveshark attorney Marshall Custer says Universal’s case is based around “an anonymous, blatantly false internet blog comment” and a “gross mischaracterization of information that Grooveshark itself provided to Universal.”

The lawsuit doesn’t yet have a court date.

[nme]

The Story Behind WKRP's Turkey Drop Episode

2011-11-20T05:35:00.000-08:00

The Story Behind WKRP's Turkey Drop Episode: In 1978, WKRP in Cincinnati aired what is now considered a classic episode where the fictitious radio station dropped live turkeys from an airplane as an advertising stunt. ("WKRP in Cincinnati" Publicity Photo)...
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Radio Guilt

2011-11-17T21:56:00.000-08:00

Google Music Officially Launches

2011-11-17T17:54:00.000-08:00

Google debuted its Google Music service in a press event Wednesday afternoon in Hollywood, offering a digital download store to compete with Apple's iTunes Store and Amazon. Google Music debuted in Beta in the spring, but only offered a cloud storage service for up to 20,000 digital songs. As reported this week, three of the four major labels have inked licensing deals with Google. Warner Music is the lone holdout. The service still offers over 13 million songs for sale out of the gate.

Google will also sell music via the Android store, which already offers books and movie rentals. Google Music also integrates with the Google+ social networking service and has a recommendations engine, using your friends' music preferences to help users discover new music. Users can share songs they've purchased via Google Music with friends on G+.

The service also includes Artist Hub, a section for musicians to distribute and sell their own music, setting their own price. Artists create their own page in Google Music for $25 and keep 70 percent of the revenue generated.

As part of the launch of Google Music, the service is offering six, previously-unreleased Rolling Stones live concerts. Coldplay will play an exclusive concert for the service, while Busta Rhymes is giving away a new song via the service. Google promises a free song to download every day. Google is also partnering with T-Mobile, with T-Mobile customers able to buy songs via their account with the mobile provider. They will also access more new, free content.

Where Did All The REAL Journalism Go?

2011-11-17T17:53:00.000-08:00

Bob Costas did not do a great interview of Jerry Sandusky so let's all calm down. We are so hungry for good journalism that a fair and solid, but not unordinary interview, was thought of as "great," "hard-hitting," and even "unprecedented." This was a man who WANTED to be interviewed and very likely reached out to Costas himself. For a generation that rarely sees or hears actual reporting it might have been unprecedented but Jacob Riis, Nelly Bly or Woodward and Bernstien it wasn't. Read More

What NPR will consider this afternoon

2011-11-16T02:58:00.000-08:00

Record guy meets program director

2011-11-11T15:25:00.000-08:00

What’s Radio’s Future? That’s the Wrong Question

2011-11-11T04:58:00.000-08:00

What’s going to happen to radio in the future?

That’s what everybody wants to know, and it’s the wrong question.

Here’s a better one: How do broadcasters leverage the relationships we have between our consumers and our clients mediated in our presence or, as I like to put it, our “sandbox”?

Do our brands need a regularly updated website or a mobile app? Again, the wrong questions.

It’s not about the fads you should follow, it’s about what business you are in and how to maximize that business.

What follows is a really good interview with me recorded just prior to my presentation at this week’s National Association of Farm Broadcasters conference.

Listen! You won’t regret it. Yes, it’s short.

Download mp3

The interviewer is Chuck Zimmerman of AgWired. You can check out his write-up of the Q&A and the conference here. Thanks for the interview, Chuck!

(You can subscribe to all the MRM video and audio via iTunes and get the goodies before everybody else. You can also get advance notice of this content if you “like” MRM on Facebook or follow me on Twitter).

Radio Great Turns to Podcasting

2011-11-07T04:08:00.000-08:00

Radio Great Turns to Podcasting: (by Brian Baltosiewich) For over four decades, Detroit radio and Dick Purtan (pictured) were nearly synonymous. Nationally, he has a collection of awards like "Major Market Air Personality of the Year" (twice,) NAB's Marconi Award and four times he received R&R's Personality of the Year. His radio show has been included in the Museum of Radio and Television Broadcasting. Dick Purtan is as good as it gets in radio.

Read More

Introduction to PRX, The Public Radio Exchange

2011-11-06T07:20:00.000-08:00

All Radio Is Local

2011-11-04T10:19:00.000-07:00

All Radio Is Local: (by Ivan Braiker) "There's one obvious loser: the guys in the middle, local radio stations. With free online music services appealing to those of us on a budget and SiriusXM taking the high-end, luxury listeners, there may not be any middle ground left … Streaming services and national programs may be the future of radio, but that will be cold comfort indeed." –John R. Quain, "Local Radio Is Getting Tuned Out –Thanks Internet," November 1 ,2011

Tip O’Neill famously stated, “All politics is local” – that a politician's success is based on his or her ability to understand the issues of their constituents. The same could be said for local radio (from the article I quoted above, Quain also states, “There's a comfort and cohesiveness you get from hearing the local jock rant about fighting the snow storm to get to work, just before you head out into the same storm”) – there’s a shared experience that listeners can only truly get through their local stations. But there are a number of forces that are making it more difficult for local broadcasters to engage with their audiences.

Technology and market forces are radically altering the landscape for traditional broadcast radio—but particularly at the local level. Already challenged by satellite radio, podcasts and online services like Slacker and Pandora, local outlets have been further affected by recent, widely-reported announcements from corporate owners—eliminating local programming, programmers and on-air talent.

College Radio Heads - Off the Dial via NYTimes.com

2011-11-04T09:59:00.000-07:00

Fredonia Radio Systems, WCVF & WDVL featured in NY Times article focusing the changing climate for College Radio & highlighting the frontrunners in the field

By KYLE SPENCER

Published: November 4, 2011

RADIO YOU CAN SEE Clair Donovan, foreground, a junior at Fordham, videotapes the Canadian group Austra for the Alternate Side, the Web counterpart of the Bronx university's station, WFUV.

INSIDE a broadcast booth, at the radio station of the State University of New York Fredonia, Jud Heussler was presiding over his hourlong comedy show “The Morning Inferno.” In a barreling voice, he announced that he would soon be throwing a few things up on the show’s Facebook page: a photo of a drunken moose he had uncovered online; a YouTube clip used for his segment “The Yoga Minute,” in which he and his co-host hyperventilate giddily along to the words of an earnest yoga instructor; and a video clip of the comedian Donald Glover, who was to perform on campus that night.

“Call, text, Facebook, whatever you want,” Mr. Heussler shouted to his listeners as he logged onto Facebook to check out who was posting on the show’s wall. Meanwhile, he sipped apple juice and fiddled with knobs on the audio board, plotting one of the day’s big activities: the videotaping of a campus groundbreaking. Who would shoot it? Someone who knew how to operate the station’s beloved Flip camera — flipping, as it’s called.

If none of this sounds like classic college radio, it’s not. Fredonia, a campus of 5,700 about an hour southwest of Buffalo, has two stations. And WDVL, the more popular, is so far removed from traditional radio it can’t even be found on the FM dial. Instead, that station streams on the Internet, which means tousled-haired disc jockeys in faded band T’s are constantly encouraging listeners to check out a rolling supply of podcasts, YouTube clips, photos and campus news on the station’s Web site.

Mr. Heussler, a senior majoring in audio-radio production, is general manager of both stations. He pointed boastfully at a printout of the station’s latest stats. “You could argue that WDVL has a bigger impact beyond the campus than we do on it,” he said. The station has about 350 online listeners a day; 40 percent of them live almost 300 miles away in the New York City area, while a mere 4 percent are on or near campus. Other log-in clusters? Los Angeles and the Czech Republic. “People listen from everywhere,” he said.

Fredonia’s radio station, with its tattered band posters and fading stickers, rickety desks and swivel chairs, and the occasional forlorn turntable or microphone jack, is plush by college standards. There is a mustard-colored couch from the 1960s in the lounge and an oversize banner of the call letters in red and black draped over an office divide. And nostalgically, a large closet houses thousands of dusty vinyls and CDs.

Most of the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System’s 700 college members now stream on the Internet along with, or instead of, their broadcasting efforts. The Web’s freedom from Federal Communications Commission regulations is not the point. At stations like Fredonia’s, the goal is to transform themselves into the multimedia platforms they believe students with unprecedented tech appetites actually want, and it is changing the ethos, content and vibe of collegiate stations.

www.fredoniaradio.com

Read more at the NY Times College Radio Heads - Off the Dial - NYTimes.com

Emergency Alert System of the Day

2011-11-04T09:51:00.000-07:00

FEMA will conduct the first ever test of the Presidential Emergency Alert System at 2 PM on Wednesday, November 9th.

According to the FCC, the warning system “requires broadcasters, cable television systems, wireless cable systems, satellite digital audio radio service providers, and direct broadcast satellite providers to provide the communications capability to the President to address the American public during a national emergency.”

The system seems like a good idea, but the test has already caused something of a panic.

Originally, the test was supposed to last for 3 minutes, but there has been some concern that many people may not be aware that it is just a test. This issue arose from an announcement that was made by FEMA, which states:

The audio message will be the same for all EAS Participants; however, due to limitations in the EAS, the video test message scroll may not be the same or indicate that “This is a test.” This is due to the use of a “live” national code – the same code that would be used in an actual emergency. In addition, the background image that appears on video screens during an alert may indicate that “This is a test,” but in some instances there might not be an image at all.

Due to the lack of clarity in the images, and the length of the test, it was feared that many would think there was actually an actual national emergency taking place.

The test has now been shortened to just 30 seconds.

[Gawker]

Tagged: best laid planplans, emergency, fema, president

Submitted by: Unknown

Why You Should Never Shout 'Martian' on the Radio

2011-11-01T11:59:00.000-07:00

Why You Should Never Shout 'Martian' on the Radio: On October 30, 1938 Orson Welles led a young troupe of actors and radio players known as The Mercury Theatre in a broadcast called, "War of the Worlds", based on ...

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30 Day Song Challenge (condensed)

2011-05-22T15:47:00.000-07:00

You know, I usually don't participate in these type of Facebook quiz/game things, but this was was alluring enough (aka I was bored enough to give this a shot. )

day 01 - your favorite song "Manual" by Hot Water Music

flashvars="hostname=cowbell.grooveshark.com&songIDs=2519321&style=wood&p=0" allowScriptAccess="always" wmode="window" />

day 02 - your least favorite song "Tik Tok" By Ke$ha

day 03 - a song that makes you happy "Kangarooster Meadows" by HORSE the Band

day 04 - a song that makes you sad "Hush Hush Hush" by Annie Lennox & Herbie Hancock

day 05 - a song that reminds you of someone "Overkill" by Colin Hay

day 06 - a song that reminds you of somewhere "One Armed Scissor" by At the Drive-In

day 07 - a song that reminds you of a certain event "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" By Tears for Fears

day 08 - a song that you know all the words to "Me N My Friendz" by Facing New York

flashvars="hostname=cowbell.grooveshark.com&songIDs=25764463&style=wood&p=0" allowScriptAccess="always" wmode="window" />

day 09 - a song that you can dance to "PYT" by Michael Jackson

day 10 - a song that makes you fall asleep "Moonchild" by King Crimson

day 11 - a song from your favorite band "Cities And Years" by Every Time I Die

day 12 - a song from a band you hate "How You Remind Me" by Nickelback

day 13 - a song that is a guilty pleasure "Blue Dream" by Dance Gavin Dance

day 14 - a song that no one would expect you to love "Better Days" Citizen King

day 15 - a song that describes you "Not So Well" by Polock

day 16 - a song that you used to love but now hate "State of Friction" by ALO

day 17 - a song that you hear often on the radio "Teenage Dream" by Katy Perry

day 18 - a song that you wish you heard on the radio "#StupidFacedd" by Wallpaper.

day 19 - a song from your favorite album "10 Speed (of God's Blood & Burial)" by Coheed & Cambria

day 20 - a song that you listen to when you’re angry "Yesterday's Ghost" by Age of Ruin

day 21 - a song that you listen to when you’re happy "Space Cowboy" by Jamiroquai

day 22 - a song that you listen to when you’re sad "Ice Monster" by Minus the Bear

day 23 - a song that you want to play at your wedding "Pick Up The Pieces" - Buddy Rich version

day 24 - a song that you want to play at your funeral "Walking Man" by James Taylor

day 25 - a song that makes you laugh "T-Rex" by Wallpaper

flashvars="hostname=cowbell.grooveshark.com&songIDs=25164810&style=wood&p=0" allowScriptAccess="always" wmode="window" />

day 26 - a song that you can play on an instrument "Fireshaker' by Maynard Ferguson

flashvars="hostname=cowbell.grooveshark.com&songIDs=25027825&style=wood&p=0" allowScriptAccess="always" wmode="window" />

day 27 - a song that you wish you could play "Behaving Badly" by Animals as Leaders

day 28 - a song that makes you feel guilty "In Step" by Frankmusik

day 29 - a song from your childhood "Swingset" by Boy Sets Fire

day 30 - your favorite song at this time last year "Tschipiso" by The Roy Hargrove Big Band

flashvars="hostname=cowbell.grooveshark.com&songIDs=25900713&style=wood&p=0" allowScriptAccess="always" wmode="window" />

Please Help Me Save Public Broadcasting

2011-03-19T06:56:00.000-07:00

Every month over 170 million Americans use public media – through 368 public television stations, 934 public radio stations, hundreds of online services, education services, and in-person events and activities.

Every month over half of all Americans use public media.

As you may or may not know, the recently elected Republican Congress has made modes to de-fund all of Public Media. What I ask here today is not to instill a Red V Blue, Liberal V Conservative war.... what I ask is for help preserving what i and many others see as the last shred of dignified; qualified journalism in broadcast. Maybe you find it dry & boring, but before you write off NPR & PBS please consider the small communities with little more than a low power FM local and/or church based station, or virtual lack of high-speed cable television & internet... not to mention the schools that depend on public support to educate and involve the next wave of broadcasters.

While we are still recovering from a devastating recession I can sympathize with politicians trying to save money, but the overall effect of de-funding would provide less than 1% of federal returns while devastating up to 20% of some stations budgets. And while there are certainly some 'bleeding hearts' on the executive board that may deserve to be punished; just listening to NPR or watching PBS proves that the majority of the operation does not... This is about a petty disagreement about partisanship and competitive affiliation. And besides, do you really want future generations growing up without Sesame Street?

Without government assistance, many stations will not be able to afford dues, many wont be able to produce and participate in public exchange and we will see the demise of many more outlets... or worse yet: the pandering to the private sector in desperate need for sponsorship thereby sullying the non-commercial appeal.

The bill passed the House today...Please help me take action! This bill becoming law would impact all stations

Submit a plea to your senator here > http://ow.ly/4gLkh

Some of us are fortunate enough to be able to contribute to the corporation for public broadcasting to support and show our appreciation but many can not. If you can, please donate to your local public station from NPR.org ... every dollar helps.

These resources are not 'just another medium' and no one will benefit from shrunken options on the dial. As a member and prior partner of NPR, Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Save NPR and PBS (Again)

2011-02-13T03:25:00.000-08:00

We're only a few weeks into the 112th Congress, and Republicans are already attempting to pull the plug on public media.

In a budget proposal made public on Wednesday, House Republicans announced plans to zero out all funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the nonprofit responsible for funding public media including NPR, PBS, Pacifica and more.

If the Republicans are successful, it would be a tremendous blow to the entire public interest media sector.

We cannot allow Republicans to destroy public media.

Tell Congress: Fully fund NPR and defend public service media!

Republicans are disingenuously claiming that they need to cut funding for public media because of budgetary constraints. But what they fail to highlight is that national public broadcasting is remarkably cost effective, providing local news and information, free of charge, for millions of viewers while only receiving about .0001% of the federal budget.

More to the point, it's nearly impossible to put a price tag on the actual value of public broadcasting.

Public media is one of the last bulwarks against the corporate media where the combination of consolidation and profit-motive has long since shifted the focused to infotainment rather than substantive news. In many rural and less affluent communities, broadcasters rely on federal funding to provide the only available high-quality news and public affairs programming.

Without public media, corporate media monopolies would increase their already large control of what we see on television, hear on the radio or read in the newspaper.

This outcome should deeply worry all of us. The increased accumulation and consolidation of corporate power is a threat to our democracy. And nowhere is this more evident than in our media.

At a time when media consolidation is shrinking the number of perspectives we have access to over the airwaves and when newsrooms are shrinking, we need more diversity in our media not less. And we simply cannot afford to lose what public media brings to the table.

Tell Congress: Fully fund NPR and defend public service media!

Conservatives have longed for any opportunity to defund NPR, PBS and other public media. And with Speaker Boehner wielding the gavel, it looks like they may finally get their wish.

Don't let Congress pull the plug on NPR and PBS! Tell them reject cuts to public broadcasting.

Sign the petitions via CREEDO Action and MoveOn.org please. These institutions are essential to our daily lives, educational foundations and pillars of modern media. This is a stunt and an especially ill-conceived and moot one at that for the conservative party. It's time to line up and show our support loud & proud.

The Fredonia Jazz Ensemble

2011-01-24T16:00:00.000-08:00

...or the FJE as it has been known to be called...

Is a completely student conducted and governed big band group with an existence almost as old as the State University of New York at Fredonia NY itself.

Yearly turnover prevents any consistent membership but has been known to work with people such as Bruce Johnstone of Maynard Ferguson & Maynard Ferguson & Big Bop Nouveau. I was proud to be a member of this organization & work with as both a performer & assistant between the years of 2004-2007 while attending college. This is a collection of various recordings by the band that I thought I'd share. The band has grown & reshaped over the years citing a vast number of influences but the principle of 'best friends hanging out playing awesome jazz' stayed true and I was privileged enough to partake. More can be found at www.last.fm/music/fje

Fredonia Jazz Ensemble by bryanvangelder

The Best of 2010

2010-12-29T13:03:00.000-08:00

1. Coheed and Cambria - Year of the Black Rainbow (Here We Are Juggernaut)

I am disgustingly biased over my absolute favorite... but deal with it. It's my blog. Coheed's the best thing to happen to (prog) rock in a while so here's the premiere single from the latest prequel effort by the Upstate NY band.

2. Minus the Bear - Omni (My Time)

I was late to the party with this band (fell in love with the soulfully chilling Planet of Ice) and have held strong ever since. I keep saying they are the next "Tears For Fears"... and now for the catchiest song from their repertoire.

3. Animals as Leaders - Animals as Leaders (CAFO)

More prog-rock? *SHOCK&AWE* Still, when a friend dropped this in my lap I must have listened to the beautifully instrumented & ever so slightly vicious record front to back on loop at least a dozen times. THIS is serious string & percussive talent.

4. Chromeo - Business Casual (Night By Night)

Back and better than ever with what I dare say is their absolute best album. Tons of fun that we've been anxiously awaiting ever since "Dj Kicks". Also, who the hell knew he could dance?

p.s. This ran dangerously close with the team-up Chromeo did with Daryl Hall as part of the ongoing Live From Daryl's House series (www.lfdh.com)

5. Chief - Modern Rituals (Night & Day)

Hands down: best vocal harmonies I have heard ever. That's all I really have to say.

6. Vampire Weekend - Contra (Cousins)

More upbeat than my standard picks but these guys really caught my ear this time around. Also the video is exciting & fascinating to watch. Hipster quirkiness be damned.

7. Dr. Dog - Shame, Shame (Shadow People)

Bob Dylan called, he wants his everything back. No seriously though, these guys are great. And truly versatile albeit unnecessarily so.

8. Protomen - Act II: The Father of Death (Light Up The Night)

This came out of nowhere for me, but throw on epic pseudo futuristic concept tunes coupled with Delorean implementation? I'm sold. It's Meatloaf without the Meatloaf ... and I call that perfect.

9. The Scarlet Ending - Ghosts (Phoenix)

A major shout out to some friends on this one. The sisters Goldsworthy have been a musical force for many years but with the release of full length "Ghosts" the band as a whole truly has an opportunity to flourish.

10. Ellie Goulding - Lights (Guns & Horses)

I may have fallen a bit in love with this lady. To me, its few and far in-between you find a seriously talented female musician with a legit uniqueness to her overall sound & presentation. Can't wait for more from Ellie.

11. Free the Robots - Free the Robots (Jazzhole)

My buddy Gbenga turned me on to this little trip-hop project and its been my go to soundtrack for uber-chill concentration music for months. If only all hip-hop beats were this good.

12. The Damned Things - Ironiclast (We've Got A Situation Here)

This is the supergroup I've been waiting for. Party metal perfection. Hopefully this won't be just some single-shot trip.

13. Lissie - Catching a Tiger (When I'm Alone)

She can churn out outstanding folk-ish rock tunes on a steady basis AND can take any crappy pop song cover and make it a whole new jam all her own. Love this girl.

14. Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More

I really don't need to say how excellent this group is because everybody already knows. But who's gonna mind one more chance to take a listen to this song of champions?

15. Two Door Cinema Club - Tourist History

Kinda missed out on these guys early on... have only recently re-discovered but man it's a great pop sound. Nothing generic about it.

16. 22-20's - Shake Shiver & Moan

Kinda dark, kinda eerie; very driving... altogether what I feel is great motivational tune-age.

17. Andrew W.K. - Mother of Mankind/Close Calls With Brick Walls (U.S)

Thank "god" this guy is back. What a bummer with all of the controversy but so glad to have the king of party playing the states again.

18. We Are Scientists - Barbara

Fun. Plain and simple. Probably just as much fun to watch the dudes without the music as well. True entertainers with a solid post-punk vibe.

19. Listener - Wooden Heart

I really don't have words. It's kind of like Me Without You, if Daniel Day Lewis (as Daniel Plainview from "There Will Be Blood") yelled vocals. Usually don't give a rat's ass about lyrical content 'cuz most of it's diluted swill anyways but this guy is a genius. Also check out his work with The Chariot. Intense.

20. Hey Champ - Star (Neverest)

and the award for WTF!? goes to...

21. Facing New York (honorable mention)

Only an honorable mention because they didn't release anything in 2010... but hands down has been my absolute favorite music of the past 12 months. I've collected the entire catalog... it's on Grooveshark.com for on demand listening pleasure. It's brilliant, jazzy, rockin', and the ideal soundtrack for any 20-something douchebag trying to figure shit out.

22. Trap Them - Filth Rations (honorable mention)

Saw them open for Every Time I Die (another one of my all-time favorites) and they blew me away... also terrified the poops outta me. 2010 brought the EP "Filth Rations" but I wanna throw back to a track from a couple years ago (from a previous full length) because... well... its brutal.

23. Gonculator - Omnomnom (honorable mention)

Wanna give a shoutout to these guys too. Old friends from Rochester/Fredonia and have always loved their music. Only wish I could find a video or something to share.. .*HINT*

Seriously though, been a rough year for them and their sound has truly matured. They deserve all the attention they can get. www.myspace.com/gonculator

[REPOST] FM Or Bust: Why Student Radio Stations Refuse To Sign Off

2010-12-13T15:30:00.000-08:00

Friend & co-hort in the 'fed-up & opinionated member of media' Joshua Kopstein A.K.A. Zen Albatross has taken it upon himself to editorialize upon a recent NY Times article titled "Waning Support for College Radio Sets Off a Debate." Recently he and I conversed over the topic and he came up with this thought piece which begins...

"Since the advent of citizen broadcast, radio has been a technology that embraces the breadth of human experience. Our 21st century internet owes most, if not all of its success to the diverse palette of voices delivered by the 20th century’s ubiquitous radio transmissions. And while getting on the air isn’t as easy these days as, say, starting a blog, radio broadcast still provides an invaluable outlet for diversity and training for the media professionals of tomorrow — an outlet which, amidst budgetary cutbacks and bureaucracy, is quickly going the way of the telegraph."...

Follow along to read the rest of Zen Albatross' article via Motherboard.tv

http://www.motherboard.tv/2010/12/11/fm-or-bust-why-student-radio-stations-refuse-to-sign-off

Joshua Kopstein (Zen Albatross) is a Chipmusician artist and journalist from Brooklyn, NY who likes to write about art, airships, bleeps, bloops and other swell things.

My Alma Matter > www.fredoniaradio.com

Obligatory Early Thanksgiving Post

2010-11-18T15:15:00.001-08:00

This actually is RELEVANT... enjoy.

Bear in mind the societal effect of any promotional effort...

A Brilliant Zinger

2010-10-14T11:29:00.000-07:00

With the voting concluded and the induction ceremony looming you would think any 'stiff-competition' & 'drama' behind the Radio Hall of Fame inductions would be thoroughly ceased. Wait a minute, what am I saying? Competition and drama... surrounding the Radio Hall of Fame???

Up until this very moment I had been torn between what I thought were two terrific contenders: Carl Kasell of NPR & the infamous Howard Stern. Love him or hate him, Stern has had a tremendous impact in the industry & at the ridicule of many I always supported his shock jock tendencies as it not only re-invigorated the industry & brought attention back to a dying breed... it unarguably WORKED and attained the ultimate goal of any broadcaster; gained listeners.

Ultimately, I myself gravitated toward Carl Kasell (for what some would say obvious reasons) in sheer regards for his years of experience & service, respectability and overall career notoriety. I never could have anticipated any kind of 'rivalry' between such unlikely (and expectantly mutually dignified) impassioned personalities.

Then, this happened:

Carl Kassell responds to Howard Stern from WBEZ on Vimeo.

A beautiful zing if I ever witnessed one. I guess this is why every week I look forward to 'Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me" (previously every day to Morning Edition) and have yet to purchase a satellite radio. Oh, and I guess why there was a crystal clear winner. Congratulations Carl and thank you for all of your years of service. You are a gentleman and a true inspiration.
http://www.radiohof.org/

My Music Sampler

2010-09-27T15:59:00.000-07:00

Here is a mashup medley of some of my favorite studio visits. I was lucky enough to have the privilege to do 'live' / 'acoustic' / however-the-hell-we-could-pull-it-off studio session with the likes of Mumford & Sons, Phoenix, Brandi Carlile, Dr. Dog, Hot Hot Heat, Keane, Passion Pit, Ra Ra Riot, Cage the Elephant, City & Colour, Jack Johnson, The Cribs, We Are Scientists, Andrew WK and many more... so here's a taste!

Live Music Production Sampler by Bryanvangelder on Mixcloud

Some Kickass Interviews

2010-09-27T15:55:00.000-07:00

So here are a handful of my best interviews that I'd like to put forward as some sample work. . These include Every Time I Die, The Ghost Hunters, 3, Bruce Johnson (of Maynard Ferguson's Big Bop Nouveau,) and Horse the Band.

Interview with 3 by Bryanvangelder on Mixcloud

Interview with Bruce Johnstone by Bryanvangelder on Mixcloud

Halloween Special and Interview with the Ghost Hunters by Bryanvangelder on Mixcloud

Interview with Every Time I Die by Bryanvangelder on Mixcloud

Interview with HORSE the Band by Bryanvangelder on Mixcloud

Yesterday and Today

2010-08-25T07:44:00.000-07:00

Please excuse me, but I simply could not resist this little time-line/graph which so perfectly articulates the extent of over-saturation we have reached in the past 20 years of media distro. Don't get me wrong... web 2.0 is obviously my bread and butter, but this behavior borders on the edge of obsessive-compulsiveness. It's almost depressing how fleeting nearly every 'artist' (and I use the term loosely) is anymore; and how they all simply revolve around our snapshot response to their initial premiere. Oh well, I'll stop before I end up in a long-winded rant... but this did give me a cheap laugh this morning... hope you enjoy!

This is Pretty Self Explanatory

2010-08-16T08:53:00.000-07:00

I just want to pledge my full support and undying admiration behind Rolling Stones recently published slam against the record suits. In the age where the number 1 free-speech concern is (and will be for some time) net-neutrality; following debacles like Napster vs Metallica; the death of Pirate Bay and the on-going civil-war that is new media development...this is poignant, hysterical & of the ut-most relevance. I await the shockwaves that this will inevitably stir and once again: I tip my hat to you Rolling Stone.

Follow Up to Favorite Mobile App

2010-07-07T11:41:00.000-07:00

After a terrific discussion on Facebook, as promised here is my detailed run-down of the more 'formal' mobile radio app's that I have come across. I try to present it as objectively as possible as I initially put this together as a rough report for work related research. Hopefully interesting non-the-less!

What is Your Favorite Mobile Radio App?

2010-07-04T07:58:00.000-07:00

Just out of sheer curiosity (and because I am bored on this great American holiday) ... I would like to know what everyone's favorite streaming/on-demand radio application for MOBILE PHONE is. This of course is subject to various phone models & service plans not to mention the weighing factor of free vs premium accounts... I've done a full review of a long list of various types and brands of radio apps (for iPhone) that branch far beyond the big-boys (Slacker, Pandora, Last.fm) ... I'll post the document as a follow up to this post in case you all would like to expand upon your current listening situation but I'd really like to know what YOU currently prefer for listening and why. Whether it be podcasts, music, or simply you stick to your own built in mp3 player... post it up and lets discuss!

Sounds & Recordings

2010-06-01T08:29:00.000-07:00

Being a big of an audiophile myself I could not resist sharing with this little gem of a find. It's a diverse collection of various recordings that otherwise would probably have never popped into your little earholes. Ranging from the first EVER made recordings. Period. All the way up to what we as sentient beings have been able to collect from our current deepest reaches into outer space (sounds of Jupiter... my personal favorite in this collection.)

I hope everyone can really learn to appreciate the subtle nuances of something like this... I mean... I have experimented with audio based projects for ages. In college I did the traditional: live music, radio drama, film soundscaping, etc... Extracurricular projects included the YES nerdy and weird but otherwise fascinating prospect of EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomenon) AKA recording ghosts. Hopefully I'll get a chance to share some of these items with you just because I have learned not only to appreciate but legitimately love the powerful implications that comes with audio based recordings. That would be a great topic for the podcast (if I can ever find the time to get that up and running again :-\): A formal discussion of the rhetoric of sound. Any interested takers for a Skype-cast in the near future? Talk to you then... for now enjoy the 10 Most Bizarre Sounds You'd Not Have Heard Before

http://www.smashinglists.com/10-most-bizarre-sounds-youd-not-have-heard-before/

Radio's flip to conformity

2010-05-28T14:01:00.000-07:00

Im starting to get really bummed out about how many stations are making the flip to CHR & TOP40; its like a redundant-redundancy. In a world where the mainstream presides increasingly within the digital bubble, doesn't it seem ironic that more and more FM's are jumping ship and in effect becoming more uniform? I personally feel like this is prime real-estate for these entities to open up to diversification. Thoughts?

BVG's Most Brutal Breakdowns

2010-01-29T16:14:00.000-08:00

Yo! I was feeling 'creative' so I made my attempt at a pseudo mashup-mixtape... its not perfect but it oughta get you rev'd up.

Being a lifelong metal head I felt obligated to merge my gospel into this priceless little project through mixcloud.com

There is no real purpose outside of the fact that I wanted to make a collection of self-elected brutal breakdowns. These are the tunes (bound together in no particular order besides mixing result) that I can guarantee will get me out on the fuckin dance floor.

BVG's Most Brutal Breakdowns by Bryanvangelder on Mixcloud

MootPOINT Episode 7

2010-01-14T16:48:00.000-08:00

HOLY CRAP A NEW EPISODE

Heres an archived moment that I nearly forgot about. While Pat was off gettin' hitched I pulled together a small panel of my closest friends and allies in the radio field to have an open discussion about relevance of new media in the broadcast medium.

Ryan Welsh, Jon Nungesser and Nicholas Gunner (all of SUNY Fredonia *WCVF/WDVL) hop on board to better flesh out Ryan's personal project concept about how he hypothesizes radio will start to change direction in coming months and years. As always we look and theorize about how social/new media will become a MVP and a special focus regarding some interesting ways to better use the HD standard.

Some questions on the table: is specialization helping or hurting (music) radio?
and which angle has a stronger influence: intimacy and the human element vs. sheer audience preference in listening?

--We call this the 'solution' to our on-demand society.

So feel free to tune in; we hope you enjoy... and look forward to however much you want to feed back!

All the best!

BVG

The MootPOINT Episode 7 by Bryanvangelder on Mixcloud

Best Albums of 2009

2009-12-17T14:12:00.001-08:00

So it seemed like the appropriate time to do a top albums of the year post. I'm gonna be fairly lazy about this as I think a listen to these following items will prove my point. Also the list is kinda long, but the primary focus is on the top ten. and I know there will be plenty of you who will disagree with me out there and I just wanted to get this disclaimer out of the way: "I don't care what you think."

Top 10:

Black Dahlia Murder - Deflorate

Calvin Harris - Ready for the Weekend

Wallpaper. - DooDoo Face

Enter Shikari - Common Dreads

Every Time I Die - The New Junk Aesthetic

Frankmusik - Complete Me

Phoenix - Wolfgan Amadeus Phoenix

Passion Pit - Manners

As Tall As Lions - You Can't Take it With You

Runners Up:
Muse - the Resistance
Crown City Rockers - the Day After Forever
Horse the Band - Desperate Living
3 - Revisions
The Red Chord - Fed Through the Teeth Machine
Peter Bjorn & John - Living Thing
Nakatomi Plaza - Ghosts
Mstrkrft - Fist of God
Chin Chin - the Flashing, The Fancing
The Cribs - Ignore the Ignorant

Honorable Mentions:
Dethklok - Dethalbum II
Killswitch Engage - Killswitch Engage
Mars Volta - Octahedron
Manchester Orchestra - Everything to Nothing
Roy Hargrove - Emergence
Teagan & Sara - Sainthood
Portugal. The Man - The Satanic Satanist
Company of Thieves - Ordinary Riches

SUNY Communications Dept.

2009-12-09T07:45:00.001-08:00

Here is a little taste of what you can achieve by attending the State University of New York at Fredonia's Communications Curriculum. For the sake of my career and portfolio I thank them for their lessons, their efforts, their resources and the gift of this video. http://www.fredonia.edu

SUNY Fredonia Communications Department Presentation by Bryanvangelder on Mixcloud

An Interview with Julius Genachowski - Digg Dialogg

2009-11-19T11:25:00.000-08:00

From the FCC’s recent activity favoring Net Neutrality to their emphasis on making broadband universally accessible, there’s much to talk about with the FCC Chairman, Julius Genachowski, during the next Digg Dialogg. He’ll be sitting down with Walt Mossberg, Personal Technology columnist for The Wall Street Journal and Co-Executive Editor of AllThingsD, who will pose the most popular questions submitted and voted upon by you. From now until Tuesday, November 24th at 10am ET you can submit and Digg up questions to decide which will be asked.

An Interview with Julius Genachowski - Digg Dialogg

Classic Sesame Street - Yip Yip Aliens Discover a Radio

2009-10-30T12:53:00.001-07:00

Much more to come in the near future. Fresh episodes, updated stories... maybe even a special for syndication... who knows! Until then enjoy this little gem.

Lessons From Rush Limbaugh And How I Got Arrested Learning Them

2009-10-15T15:40:00.001-07:00

DISCLAIMER: BY NO MEANS AM I CLAIMING CREDIT FOR THIS WORK.

This is an article written and shared by Eric Rhodes (Editor of RadioInk)
He takes full credit for the ideas and may request that I remove this post at any time and I will immediately comply. However, I wish to spread this message far and wide as I feel it is unequivocal in today's fast changing broadcast environment. The lessons are priceless and the commentary; touching. I strongly agree with the purpose (if not always the premise) of this article and feel everyone even slightly interested in politics, radio and especially both should read on.

Showman P.T.Barnum

A Message from Radio Ink Publisher Eric Rhoads

An e-mail this morning from a college student led me to offer some lessons we can learn from Rush Limbaugh, and a story about how I got arrested learning those same lessons, long before Rush was on the air.
I wanted to comment about your recent blog. I sure do relate to what you said about radio not paying attention to developing future talent. I am 22 years old and have hosted and co-hosted a talk show on my college campus. I am looking to get into the business, and am sending out a new demo I created to various places. I feel because I'm young, have done talk, and am unique, perhaps I'll be noticed. Would you have any advice for going about getting noticed, or would you know anybody I could send a demo to? Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.
-- Ryan V.

I've been in your shoes, Ryan.

One thing to understand, which is hard at 22, is that most of us (not all of us) at a younger age THOUGHT we were very talented, but our talent had not caught up with our belief in ourselves. I could not understand why no one would hire me. Looking back, it was because I was green and needed a lot more experience to be considered talented by others. Of course, my persistence made up for my lack of talent, and that can work for you, too. Keep pushing.

The biggest issue you face is that there are more talented, experienced people out of work and lots of people for employers to choose from. Why hire inexperience when you can get experience?

I know you don't want to hear any of this. I wouldn't have either. So how do you get noticed?

Take a Lesson from Rush LimbaughLet me turn your question around. If you were on a top station in town doing your show and the PD said, "You have 60 days to either get noticed and get your ratings up, or you're history," what would you do? It's a real-life scenario that happened to me. I was told to get noticed or lose my job. It was a career turning point because I realized that great personalities are great self-promoters and masterful at generating controversy.

Rush Limbaugh on Fox, CNN, and Most Other Media
Last night on Fox, Bill O'Reilly spent 15 minutes talking about Rush Limbaugh's buying into the St. Louis football franchise. I don't know how important this is to Rush personally and how far he will carry it, but he has all the major media in America talking about him. Now that the buying group he was part of has dropped him, Rush can milk this for another couple of weeks. No matter the outcome, this is great for his show. It acts as a reminder for people to tune in to see what he will say about it, and it will bring new listeners and advertisers. It's not unusual to find Rush in the news with some controversy like this a few times a year. It's great for business, and it doesn't happen by accident.

How Do You Translate This to Your Situation?
You don't have the experience, audience, or name to get the media talking about you. Yet every day you see someone get their 15 minutes of fame via YouTube or some viral e-mail. I cannot advise you about the specifics of what you should do, but the goal is to get noticed, get hired, and hope that some visionary PD will see you and say, "This guy has guts. Let's give him a shot." You can be highly targeted (Rich Marston at WAYS/Charlotte once had himself delivered to a car dealership in a coffin. When they opened the coffin, he was holding a sign that said, "I'm Dying to Get Your Business"), or you can go national.

Your job is to figure out how to create some noise that will work to your benefit. If you can learn this lesson early in your career, you'll be ahead of 85% of all talk hosts. Most of those who are nationally syndicated are there because they are expert at creating buzz over what they've said. They understand how to get people talking. Think about Michael Savage being ousted by the United Kingdom and the subsequent legal battle, or the White House criticisms of Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, and Rush Limbaugh. These guys are consummate masters of buzz. The rest of the pack seem to tread water for their entire careers because they've never understood this principle.

How I Got Arrested
The principle of buzz really applies to everyone, whether on the air or off. We're all in the business of persuasion, and the first rule of persuasion is to get people to pay attention. Of course, it needs to be appropriate persuasion, or it can backfire. As a green 20-year-old DJ in Florida I pulled a stunt that, thankfully, worked, but could have ended my career.

Don't Lose the License
My PD, Jerry Clifton, told me to get my ratings up at 96X in Miami (1974). "I don't care how you do it or what you do, just don't lose the license." I went on the air that night, told my audience I had been fired and this was my last show, and proceeded to take over the radio station, barricade the doors, and "take control of the transmitter." I vowed to played one obnoxious song over and over "until management gives me my job back."

Guns Were DrawnI did such a convincing job that the Miami Beach Police Department was flooded with emergency calls, and police were outside the studios. When the jock who was on before me (Steve Rivers) left the building, they cuffed him, threw him in a cruiser, and then demanded that he open the door to the station. I was about to do my next break when I heard a sound. I turned around to find two Miami Beach cops with their guns drawn and pointed at my head. (I only wish I had opened my mic to get the arrest on tape.) I was cuffed, arrested, and about to be removed from the building.

Saved By Quick Thinking
As I was being taken out of the building, I said to the cop, "It's ironic that here you are, doing your job arresting me, and you're the one who will end up in prison." He said, "What do you mean?" I said, "I'm licensed by the FCC to sit here at this federally licensed radio facility. If you remove me, you're committing a felony." Again, I must have been convincing, because we got the GM on the phone, he confirmed this, and they let me go. (Meanwhile, there was an hour of dead air.)

Kids, Don't Try This At Home
The end result of my stunt (which I believe is now illegal, so kids, don't try this at home) is that I went from being an obscure unknown to being someone everyone knew. The Miami Beach police made us run on-air apologies every hour for a week saying, "This station would like to apologize to the Miami Beach Police Department for statements made by Eric Rhoads and Steve Rivers on the air. We assure you it will never happen again." We made the newspaper, the local news, etc., and I accomplished my goal of better ratings and going from fairly unknown to fairly well known.

The Art of BuzzRadio has always been the master of creating buzz through stunts and promotions. The mark of a true pro is having the ability to do it well, get others talking about you, and do it without causing damage or losing the license. Hollywood also gets this, which is why they thrive on tabloid rumors. It keeps the names in the news and gets people talking. If you want to be in the media, you need to learn the art of getting noticed.

Eric Rhoads
Radio Ink
eric@radioink.com

MPR's In the Loop

2009-10-14T09:04:00.000-07:00

I must say I am a huge fan of the program 'In the Loop' from Minnesota Public Radio - NewsQ (www.intheloopshow.net) Hosted by Jeff Horwich and Produced by Sanden Totten, it exemplifies just about everything I love and want to accomplish with Digital Media... in fact I model most of what I do here on the MootPOINT after them (on a much smaller & more personal level.)

In the Loop is a fully produced weekly news program that was once broadcast on fridays but in 2009 went completely online with their show heavily incorporating direct feedback and social networking like twitter (www.twitter.com/intheloop), youtube (http://www.youtube.com/user/InTheLoopShow)and facebook (www.loopfacebook.net) while simultaneously taking liberties with their formatting and structure; therefore taking full advantage of the versatility of podcasting in web-only community. Long story short, GO CHECK IT OUT!

And as a side note: They recently used some of my feedback as part of the episode so I thought I would share/brag...shrag...brare...whatever. :-D

Last.fm Discover Radio Launches!

2009-10-05T09:38:00.000-07:00

Last.fm Discover

Last.fm Discover is a new radio station dedicated to and influenced by Lastfm.com. The user-generated charts: Top Tracks/Artists, Hyped Tracks/Artists and Loved Tracks from Lastfm.com will be used to determine the songs and artist-driven content featured on Last.fm Discover. Performances and Interviews from Last.fm studios in New York, San Francisco and London will be featured regularly. The Last.fm Discover staff will guide you through new music, shouts (user comments), events, recommendations and news.
Features

Last.fm Recommends with Bryan VanGelder. Bryan is a Last.fm staffer who at 23 years of age, has already logged in seven years of radio experience. He is perfect in this space! Hear Bryan play the top songs from Lastfm.com and follow that up with two songs that Last.fm recommends based on the first song played. Last.fm Recommends is featured throughout the day, in 15 minute sets (3 songs), every other hour at the top of the hour. Refreshed weekly.

Last.fm Discovers with Sat Bisla. Join Sat Bisla, an industry veteran and a champion of new music as he introduces us to the hottest new songs burning up Lastfm.com. Last.fm Discovers is featured throughout the day, in ten minute sets (2 songs), every other hour at the top of the hour. Refreshed weekly.

Live performances/interviews: Featuring performances from the hottest singers and bands recorded in the Last.fm studios in New York. Featured throughout the day, produced vignettes from our veteran producer, Evan Levy, featuring band commentary on a song, followed by a performance of the same song. 10 spins per day (average). Refreshed on an ongoing basis. Once songs are featured, they will stay in the mix as a live track.

Special guests for launch: MUSE

Shouts: Last.fm staffer Jenn Rivera guides us through some of the most interesting shouts left by the Last.fm faithful and then plays the song they are shouting about. Jenn has one of the best and most natural deliveries I've heard. Averages 8 shouts per day. Refreshed weekly.

Imaging/promos: Produced by Rich Boerner/Rob Frazier out of Los Angeles, their production style is well-produced and terrestrial quality, which gives our 'internet' station a nice boost and adds a credibility. Promos refreshed weekly for HD, AOL, Streaming. Imaging refreshed monthly.

News: 5-10 music/entertainment spots, averaging 30 seconds, will be rotated every 3 hours and will be refreshed weekly.
Other Voice Talent

Jerry Rubino: Music industry veteran and programming expert. Extremely knowledgeable and shares an insider's view without sounding too cool for the room. Refreshed weekly. Averages 12 voice tracks per day.

Zach Macko: An experienced musician and lover of all things music. Zach comes across like a last.fm user putting in his two cents, which makes him a perfect fit for this station. Refreshed weekly. Averages 8 voice tracks per day.

Danni: An experienced radio personality who picked up the Last.fm vibe right away and ran with it. Danni is also the voice of our new pieces. Refreshed weekly. Averages 12 voice tracks per day.

Seth Neiman: Serving as PD for Last.fm Discover, another industry veteran and experienced music programmer. Averages 8 voice tracks per day.
Taglines

* Discover... your next favorite artist
* Discover... your next favorite song
* Re-discover a classic
* Discover... your next favorite video at Lastfm.com

Find the Facebook Fan Page here: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Lastfm-Discover/142162187581?ref=nf

Twitter: http://twitter.com/lastfmdiscover

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/LastfmDiscover

Official Last.fm Group: http://www.last.fm/group/Last.fm%20Discover

http://www.lastfmdiscover.com

Last.fm/Discover Aircheck by Bryanvangelder on Mixcloud

Tune in:

MootPOINT Episode 6

2009-07-09T06:44:00.001-07:00

Well Hey, been a while huh? Apologies for that but I'm sure no one is waiting by their itunes for this show to download right? Amidst special projects at work, jury duty (which I don't care what anyone says...SUCKS) and oh yeah, PAT GOT MARRIED! :-D The ol' MootPOINT got away from us. Here actually is a bit of a throwback...following up our guest host, Alex Eppolito's in depth look at the bad news with a glance at the positive! Focusing on the early-on results from stimulus package efforts and the effects they have on many tiers of radio industry; especially those in the online avenue.

On that note, here are some interesting figures generated by Fredonia Alum and MootGuest:

The latest study by Arbitron and Edison Research shows continued growth in usage and ownership of various forms of digital audio platforms, including online radio, iPod/MP3 players, and podcasting. The weekly online radio audience increased significantly in the past year to 17% of the U.S. population age 12 and older; up from 13% in 2008. On a weekly basis, online radio reaches 20% of 25-to-54 year-olds; up from 15% in 2008.

Bill Rose, senior vice president of marketing, Arbitron Inc., says "The sharp growth in weekly usage of Online radio... provides compelling evidence that radio's digital platforms may be reaching critical mass. We are... seeing encoded streams of AM/FM broadcasts with significant audience in local markets."

Key findings from The Infinite Dial 2009: Radio's Digital Platforms, include:

More than one in five radio listeners (21%) say AM/FM radio has a big impact on their lives; ranking second only to owners of the Apple iPhone in particular (23%) and cell phone owners in general (47%) as the audio platform/device that has a big impact on people's lives.

Online radio listeners are more likely to be upscale, well-educated and employed full time;

54% of weekly online radio listeners are employed full-time (compared to 43% among persons 12 and older);
16% of weekly online radio listeners live in homes with an annual income greater than $100,000 (vs. 10% among persons 12 and older);
37% of weekly online radio listeners have a college degree or higher education level (vs. 29% among persons 12 and older).
Weekly online video viewing among persons age 12 and older is up significantly in the past year, from 18% in 2008 to 27% (approximately 69 million) in 2009.

34% of persons age 12 and older report having a profile on Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, or any other social networking Web site, up from 24% in 2008
63% of teens age 12-to-17 report having a profile on these social networking sites
64% 18-to-24 year-olds have a profile on these social networking sites.
iPod/portable MP3 player ownership and iPod use continues to grow dramatically.

42% of persons age 12 and older own an iPod or other brand of portable MP3 player
64% of 18-to-24 year-olds own a digital audio player
32% of teens age 12-to-17 and persons 18-to-24 are spending less time with over-the-air radio specifically due to time spent with iPod/other portable MP3 players
22% of Americans age 12 and older have ever listened to an audio podcast
11% (27 million) reported having listened to an audio podcast in the past month in 2009
Tom Webster, vice president of strategy and marketing, Edison Research, concludes that "... consumer use of new digital platforms... is becoming nearly ubiquitous... a window of opportunity for radio to... spread its content across the expanding choices consumers use to control their media experience."

We will hear more from him in the near future

Also, here is some big news!
Internet radio sites and music industry reach agreement over royalties
http://tinyurl.com/l2yqxf

As per usual we consider the repercussions of new jobs as well as the potentiality for synergy of departments that COULD come with the reinvigoration of the field.

Here is a question for you: Social media technology speed and development...Pat thinks it will slow down or level off but what do you think?

Personally, I think the concept of twitter is synonymous with the principal of all things radio...

Tune in to find out more and thanks for stickin with The MootPOINT!

The MootPOINT Episode 6 by Bryanvangelder on Mixcloud

MootPOINT Episode 5

2009-05-11T18:38:00.000-07:00

Hi folks!
Hope you dig the new player, expanded links and further interactivity of the site! Dig the DIGG and new-and-improved news fuction... dang we've been busy!

In this edition we take an in depth look at the bad-news. This meaning we divert from our original path to vent about layoffs, inter-department warfare (sales vs programming), and the downside of consolidation. The big question at hand of course is 'Who is the villain and who is the victim?' in all of this noise...or are there any TRUE villains? What do you think?

We are watchin' the big boys like Clear Channel, XM/Sirius, and Westwood One go down in flames and while its somewhat delicious to see, it is of course a double edged sword as we will see more unemployment and greater competition which only furhter hinders our chances of reviving the industry...however we DO concoct some interest end result theories!

Fighting to save Sirius/XM
http://money.cnn.com/2009/03/13/technology/birger_sirius.fortune/index.htm?source=yahoo_quote

We mentioned the Early Bird Radio Blog last time but here is further incentive to check him out!
http://earlybirdradio.wordpress.com/2009/05/11/shot-5-8-final-for-the-semester

That is the final dose of his regular program for the season, but he will be back in the fall with greater antics. Until then you can go to his blog and scoop past podcasts (full episodes) and more video-shots as well! AND from here on out all of his off-season operations blog posts will syndicate into the blog roll down below along with other accomplices of mine such as John Gorman and his Media Blog; Jon Nungesser whom is a promising and talented recent graduate about to break into the world of broadcast with his Vintage Radio Blog; and Professor Elmer Ploetz and his Jour de Fred journalism ..uh..journal! They definitely deserve your attention!

Finally here is a few links to some internship opportunities and broadcast schools I have churned up. Hope they help!

Career stimulus
http://www.radioandrecords.com/RRWebSite20/Members/ShowHeadLine.aspx?ContentID=34269&ContentTypeID=101&Archive=0&FormatId=0

http://www.radioandrecords.com/RRWebSite20/Members/IndJobs.aspx

Bad news for graduates
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103862921&sc=fb&cc=fp

Braodcast School
http://www.radioconnection.com

Also, this is very inspiring: (thanks to Jon Nungesser for the find)

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20090505/NEWS04/905050328/1018/NEWS01/Senior%2Bstays%2Bon%2Bair%2Bfor%2Bdays%2Bto%2Bland%2Bjob

MootTUNE: 'Walking on a Dream' by Empire of the Sun
http://www.last.fm/music/Empire+of+the+Sun

The MootPOINT Episode 5 by Bryanvangelder on Mixcloud

MootPOINT Episode 4

2009-04-26T19:05:00.000-07:00

Brand new episode of the Podcast up! (finally) Sorry for the delay but it's worth the wait. More of the same digi-media discussion with focus on our respective 'teaching' experiences at Fredonia State and what is going through students heads in the current situation. Also we delve into the realm of interactivity in radio encompasing phone-in's, twitter, social networking and etc...

Also, new poll up: Is technology moving too fast for society (specifically in the broadcast world) Let's hear your thoughts!!!

And finally here are some resources:
A very ambitious new project from a young broadcaster with great potential -

www.earlybirdradio.wordpress.com

and respective youtube channels to compliment this -

www.youtube.com/user/fastfeet311

www.youtube.com/user/BrendenWelsh

Long ongoing convergence project at Fredonia State -

http://www.fredportal.com

*Always looking for more involvement ... contact the webmaster for more info!

Don't forget to check back episodes

The MootPOINT Episode 4 by Bryanvangelder on Mixcloud

MootPOINT Episode 3

2009-04-25T12:26:00.001-07:00

This is an extended episode because we really got into a great discussion about the challenge of monetizing digital media as well as the challenge and fears to overcome when leaving college / applying to a media related job. Also we are joined by Vincent Quatroche, General Manager of Fredonia Radio Systems WCVF & WDVL! It's a good one and we hope you enjoy! www.fredoniaradio.com

The MootPOINT Episode 3 by Bryanvangelder on Mixcloud

MootPOINT Episode 2

2009-04-24T12:30:00.000-07:00

Time constraints led to a shortened episode this week but we argue over issues pertaining to sales and how it effects the quality of broadcast. We also continue previous discussions over technology and the influence/prediction as far as media impact; most specifically terminology like syndication, subscription and distribution.

The MootPOINT Episode 2 by Bryanvangelder on Mixcloud

MootPOINT Episode 1

2009-04-23T12:31:00.000-07:00

This is our premiere episode of this experimental podcast...needless to say its a little rough. Please bear with us while we work out audio quality and structure issues. We chat topis ranging from the dangerous streets of NYC (in a very comical way of course) and get into a detailed/educational discussion about the changing radio industry. If you are aspiring in the broadcast industry we hope this can lend a hand and provide some insight into staying on top of your game...We're looking for any and all feedback (no matter how obvious the criticism may seem!) Until then sit back and listen to us make asses out of ourselves!

The MootPOINT Episode 1 by Bryanvangelder on Mixcloud

FCC Birthday Bash

2009-04-21T13:23:00.001-07:00

Acting FCC chief Michael Copps celebrated the 75th anniversary of both the FCC and the Communications Act of 1934 that birthed the agency. In a speech, Copps said, "How do we take this 75 year old agency, charged with implementing our formative communications law, and make sure it is up to the challenges of the 21st century? Born in the world of primitive radio sets, raised on plain old telephone service, now trying to manage high-speed broadband and orbiting satellites, can we make it an agency for all seasons? I'm glad you're thinking about this."

After that Copps kind of digs at Martin's feral grasp on the communications and free flow of information. (In other words, there was none).

I do think it's time for our agency to take a good hard look at our mission. Indeed, I think every independent agency ought to be required to do this. I have always believed that our government's independent regulatory agencies were set up to serve the public interest. But many of them, my own included, have sometimes strayed-- strayed pretty far -- from that purpose. At the FCC -- and I single out no specific regime or individual -- our processes over time have become opaque rather than transparent. Too often we spend our days refereeing disputes between powerful interests, with consumers and other non-traditional stakeholders pretty much left outside the loop of discussion and decision. Even the public record is difficult for the public to access.
The new Administration's Open Government Initiative is music to my ears and offers a wonderful opportunity to make this happen. At this 75th Anniversary, we should be revisiting the vows and obligations we took back at the beginning. What I'm talking about today is not rocket science. To a large degree, it's just having our goals clear in our mind, and then creating the process and management to achieve them in an open and transparent way. Or, as my old boss, the legendary Fritz Hollings, used to say: "On the way through life make this your goal--keep your eye on the doughnut and not the hole."
"...the Commission has just been charged with a truly important job. With enactment of the Stimulus bill, we are called upon by Congress and our new President to develop a national strategy to get high-speed, opportunity-creating broadband out to all our citizens. This is a very big deal -- the Commission has seldom if ever had a greater summons to action.... How we do on this will have a lot to do with how we fare in future years -- both the country and the Commission." [at least He gets this.]
We must start thinking more rigorously -- and I mean all of us -- about the profound impact of so much of our communications moving to the Internet in the years ahead. How to keep that Internet open and dynamic is an important part of this dialogue. But so is how to ensure that as the Internet becomes our primary vehicle for communicating with one another, it protects the public interest and informs the civic dialogue that America depends upon for its democracy? That's a huge question."

Adelstein Calls For FCC PPM Inquiry

2009-04-08T09:34:00.000-07:00

Concerns about damage to diversity

By Jeffrey Yorke
WASHINGTON -- FCC commissioner Jonathan Adelstein Wednesday morning (April 8) called for a government inquiry into how Arbitron's Portable People Meter (PPM) collects data and affects minority audiences and broadcast stations. "I'm hopeful that the Commission will soon launch an inquiry into PPM," said Adelstein during the Commission's monthly meeting at FCC headquarters in Washington. "Some have questioned whether we have the authority to conduct such an inquiry. Apparently they haven't read the Communications Act."

Adelstein said he was concerned about reports from minority-owned and targeted radio stations that their audience numbers had dramatically shrunk since implementation of the new measurement technology almost two years ago. He added that the FCC cannot allow PPM to "damage diversity." After the Commission's meeting, Adelstein told R&R that he continued to hear complaints about the effects of PPM from minority broadcasters as recently as "last week." And despite the fact that Arbitron has reached settlements with several states, including New York, New Jersey and Maryland, over the implementation of PPM, he is concerned that other states may not benefit from those settlements, noting there has been "no federal action," and that he believes that minorities in all 50 states should get the same protection from PPM measurement. David Honig, executive director of the Minority Media and Telecommunications Council, told R&R that Adlestein's call for an inquiry was "overdue" and he welcomed Adelstein's proposal. He said it was recognition by the Commission that there is a possible measurement problem and that "democracy needs to keep pace with technology." Toni Bush, an attorney with the PPM Coalition who was standing alongside Honig in the hearing room, called Adelstein's proposal "a positive development."

Watchmen Review (now complete!)

2009-03-31T21:37:00.001-07:00

Watchmen was essentially all I could ever ask for in an adaptation...considering the source material and all of the factors at hand, (these being dilligent Hollywood executives and the lack of endorsement from the creator,) I must say that Director Zach Snyder truly pulled something off.

I read that the original concept for a video project was to do a 6 hour mini-series and while something like that would have stayed true to form I ponder if it would have defeated the purpose. Watchmen was a book meant to convey a message, not excite an audience. It merely found common ground within the context of the realm of science fiction whereas the intellectual readers could easily relate. It is satire in it's purest
form... The characters encompass large groups of persona that give the ability to pull in virtually any individual in some form. Meanwhile it maintains the intense depth that a work equatable to the lord of the ring, a story so well researched and contingent that it is easily believed to be a fully functional universe of it's own. Try to cram that into 3 hours.
But I digress: the movie. It was as good as it could have been hands down. I already stack it up to adaptations such as TMNT and for those of you know me that is a pretty big deal. Dark knight was magnificent but it was relying on a multitude of sources...which brings me back to my main point: watchmen stayed true to an almost dangerously degree. It's been proven that certain elements of comics do not translate to the screen all that well. Let's reference the 1960s Batman or Howard the duck or any other number of "cartoonish"comic movies. A director gets their hands on an endearing story ripped literally from the pages and tries to run with it and runs into the inevitable obstacle of production restraints while having zero research to rely on to try and effectively convey the purpose of the schema. Rather, they shrugged and caved in.

Snyder was a true fan boy at heart and after watching the film 3 times as well as Black Freighter and Under the Hood, (don't worry I balanced this by reading the book 3 times also...once many years before, one right after and once immediately prior in the form of the motion comic which p.s I loved the most for combining the book with a radio drama flawlessly in a new media movement trend launched via iTunes,) I must say I'm legitimately impressed with the amount of effort he went to in trying to keep as much material true and whole as possible. I honestly believe that even though Alan Moore had been discouraged by previous adaptations of his work, he should get off his high horse and give Watchmen (and Vendetta) a chance. I say this while openly admitting that Moore is one of 3 authors that have the ability to provoke a raw emotional response out of me as a reader. He should be proud that there is enough outcry and belief in his credibility that there would be positive response to the medium crossover and increased exposure of his work, (not the self righteous withdrawn prick that I saw in his bio-doc).

Watchmen effectively took the elements from the story that admittedly would not work on the big screen in a mainstream audience and re appropriated them. For example, commercials for Nostalgia could be seen in the phony Hollis Mason documentary, which may have been just another reach for our wallets I don't care because they did such a good job of maintaining the universe that it was with it. Some lines were exchanged within characters but for the most part the dialogue was impeccable, (which due to Moore's bluntness had a tendency to illicit some giggles from patrons). Some smaller details were trimmed like Rorschach's admittedly repetitive detective work which works in favor of desperation on the pages, but film is truly a different monster. Some of Nite Owl's gadgets were trimmed but big whoop we all got the idea that he was kinda like Batman (FYI: rumor has it that Watchmen was initially written as a story encompassing pre-existing DC characters and was denied because the editors did not want their franchises sullied by real world and political elements; I DO NOT believe that Nite Owl was meant to represent Batman at essence... That role was satisfied by The Comedian... Think about it and get back to me... I want to hear your reasoning behind this and while your are at it let's compare and contrast the rest of the team(s)).

Of course the big issue at hand is: the ending. Did I like the change; Did I Hate it; did it ruin the effort? The short answer: no. I feel the film makers took the initial concept at hand and *(keyword) re-purposed it. With the rate our society moves at, a story that is only 20 years old is already obsolete. To focus heavily on the red-scare/ cuban missile crisis/ etc... to today's audience would be MOOT. Instead they put all their effort into bringing the characters to life in a situation that is relevant. And that was the goal of the original wasn't it? 'WHAT IF superheroes of sorts existed in a world where this was going on in a realistic fashion?' They used the platform as a vehicle to bring the concept to a larger audience and nudged contemporary ideals (social commentary, martyrdom, environmentalism) into the process. Of course there were things that I missed from the book on the screen version, but that is why I still own the book. And now thanks to the exposure MANY more do as well, and a whole new generation can find the quality story that is Watchmen. In this I conclude: I loved the Watchmen book, and I greatly appreciated the Watchmen film.

Watchmen Review by Bryanvangelder on Mixcloud

Feedback anyone?

Life Influencial Albums

2009-03-26T06:16:00.001-07:00

Heres a run down of the most important albums in my listening career. My list is absurd... nostalgia bombs, ethics, right place right time..however you want to interpret these albums as fitting into my life is up to you but they are all serious picks...(serious business). The top 20 are straight up desert island shit. the kind of shit that shows up next to my picture in the encyclopedia... fo real.

Bullet Train to Vegas - Profile This
Indie-screamo band with unequaled energy and intoxicating melodies

Age of Ruin - the Longest Winters Woes
Evocative and intense heavy metal

Arch Enemy - Wages of Sin
Soul crushing vocals and face melting solos

At the Drive In - Relationship of Command
An epic end to an era of excellence

Avec - Avec
Gorgeous female vocals and unique style

Sand Which Is - Burn Right Through
Same band as above but no girl-power

Bob Sneider - Introducing Bob Sneider
Spectacular experience learning jazz from the old guitarist for Chuck Mangione

Boy Sets Fire - the Day the Sun Went Out
Some of themost idyllic sad songs ever written

the Brian Setzer Orchestra - Guitar Slinger
The perfect culmination of everything he has ever done

Citizen King - Mobile Estates
Can't really explain this one beyond 'catchy as hell'

Coheed and Cambria - Good Apollo Im Burning Star IV: from fear through the eyes of madness
Perfection.

Dan Berggren - Fresh Territory
A mentor and a patron saint of folk music

Dillinger Escape Plan - Calculating Infinity
First indulgence into math-metal/grind

Hot Water Music - Forever and Counting
Dictates the morals of my being

Majority Rule - Interviews with David Frost
One of the best performance trios ever. Politically brutal

King Crimson - in the court of the crimson king
Beautiful and relaxing

Standfast - Kill the Spirit of Gravity
Soundtrack to my own experience in indie-hardcore

Every Time I Die - Last Night In Town
As fun as an album can get

Endsfall - Self Titled EP
The Red Death - Demo

BeArthur - Welcome to the On-Going
Building on Fire - Blueprint for a Space Romance
Cake - Fashion Nugget
Calvin Harris - I Created Disco
Enter Shikari - Take to the Skies
Chicago - Greatest Hits
Chuck Mangione - Feels So Good
Chumbawamba - Tubthumper
Smash Mouth - Astro Lounge
Coheed and Cambria - The Second Stage Turbine Blade
Comeback Kid - Wake the Dead
Dangerdoom - the Mouse and the Mask
Darkest Hour - So Sedated So Secure
Dillinger Escape Plan - Miss Machine
The Disaster - Black and White and Red All Over
FJE - This is What the Jazz Is All About
Gym Class Heroes - Papercut Chronicles
He is Legend - I am Hollywood
Highland Drive - Spell Dedication
Horse the Band - R. Borlax
If Hope Dies - Siege Equipment for Spiritual Decline
In Flames - Colony
Incubus - Fungus Amongus
Incubus - Make Yourself
James Taylor - the Best of James Taylor
Jamiroquai - High Times
Princess Mononoke Soundtrack
Nausicaa Soundtrack
Justice - Cross
West Side Story soundtrack
Marathon - Songs to Turn the Tide
Maynard Ferguson - the Essential Maynard Ferguson
Minus the Bear - Planet of Ice
Modern Life is War - My Love My Way
Mustard Plug - Evildoers Beware
N.E.R.D - Fly or Die
Poison the Well - Distance Only Makes the Heart Grow Fonder
Poison the Well - the Opposite of December
Raashan Ahmad - The Push
Red Animal War - Breaking in an Angel
Sky Eats Airplane - Sky Eats Airplane
Ten Yard Fight - Hardcore Pride
Tears for Fears - Tears Roll Down
Thrice - the Artist in the Ambulance
TMNT Soundtrack
Unearth - the Sting of Consciousness
Vincent Quatroche - in Dreamthink
3- Wake Pig
3 - the End is Begun
Anything from the Blues Brothers

Let Me Tell You About My Night...

2009-02-02T11:28:00.000-08:00

so tonight (Saturday, Jan. 31) i was feeling increasingly agitated over several things (big surprise right?) and decided i really wanted to get out. luckily i have a good friend like trish to accompany me for sitting, venting and coffee clubhouse meetings. i felt a lot better after that and by this time had come to realize that it was nearing midnight and should probably head out. we hopped our respective trains back, for me involving a transfer from grand central, to the shuttle/7 over to times square to the 1 train which makes all local stops (since the express was down for the weekend) which all in all should have equated a roughly 1 hour trip back to my apt. ok, fine. nyc transit did not agree with this notion however, as they decided to shut down the 7 to times for some reason. excellent. lets tack on another 20 minute walk to the trip at 20 degrees outside.

make it to times square... but what ho! there has been some sort of crime pray-tell, and about a dozen nypd squad cars prevent me from getting to the station. finding an opportunity at a different entrance i make my move. now underground i sit and await the arrival of the 1 train... and wait.... and wait. another 20 minutes or so later she finally pulls in. (i forget how frustrating late night transport can be... my own fault on that one.) now here is where it gets good...* as i enter the train, a young gentle-man with a somewhat besmirching way about him goes to exit and nearly trips while making a snide comment of sorts (none of which i caught the jist of) so as he exits to my left, an older gentlemen to my right springs to his feet and comes at the aforementioned exiting fellow. for those of you playing at home, this leaves me where? thats right, directly in between. the 'left-sir' has now made a quick jump in effort to escape just in time for the doors to close. apparently, i should have taken this as a hint as in the process the older-sir made a wide swing with his right arm while proclaiming his opinion about how it would be proper for the 'left-sir' to perform fellatio.

but i digress, for the important part of this story is not the ideas within the older-sir's head, but what was in his hand ... the hand that narrowly missed my stomach as he lunged for his desired target. now, call me judgemental...but i feel anyone that pockets a pair of scissors as part of their artillery should probably be examined, and that is just was this elderly cavalier held. while taking a breif moment to see if i am bleeding, the fellow proceeds to re-attain his former sitting arrangement. i meanwhile come to realize that i am now trapped within this train with a (excuse my technical terms) fucking whack job. as i try to casually sit and calm down, i take in a dose of music. this leads to me displaying my appreciation for said music by gently tapping my foot. this leads to older gentlemen (now sitting six chairs away from me) to begin eyeing me... this cannot be good. 'hey' he says...'HEY' he exlaims somewhat louder.... i slowly remove my earbuds to respectfully acknowledge my beckoning. i turn to make eye contact and am met with the prose: "...get off the heroine you fucking junkie!" i smile and proceed to continue my previous song, now sans any sort of personal reflection. allegedly, foot tapping is signal for social discourse in crazy-town as my new friend accused another male passenger of being 'a piece of shit garbage fucker' for moving his feet as well.

about 3/4 of the way home he finally exits the train ... and you may be asking yourself: "self; why did bryan not exit the train prior as to avoid any further altercation with an arguably frightening individual" and i would answer you "why this would be because i was mortified of the consequences to indicating that i was in fact upset by his behavior and he has already once chased someone off the train while wielding a concealed weapon, that is why you silly!"

back to the story at hand, as the climax is upon us. i exit the train one station early as it will not be making a stop at my desired station. thats right: 3 trains running on the same line making 'all local stops'...and they skip mine. here is another 10minute walk. fair enough, i could use the opportunity to calm down. i get closer to my apartment and begin to hear sirens... my first though: my building has become re-engulfed with carbon monoxide just as it did while i was sleeping not two weeks ago! but no... i peer down my block to see that the con-edison temporary generators that have been providing us heat for the past two weeks have finally been removed, and the exploded boiler has been replaced! Huzzah! but this still leaves a puzzle at hand: where are the sirens and lights that seem so near? why around the corner, where there has apparently been a shooting!

so after 2+ hours i have traversed the entire 25 or so miles home tonight. oh my, what a night it was! now if you don't mind i am going to snuggle up with a good book, a blanket, and enough booze to permanently disable an entire family. good night. ILNY.<3<3<3>