So, this is my 100th episode of this show. I would make a big deal out of this, but I’ve actually done far more than 100 of these things.
From 2002 to 2007, this used to be called the Post Modern Rock Show. I conceived of the name as part of an idea to create a meta-genre, encompassing all the music I like to play. Having named this meta-genre, it would then become a radio format, and that radio format would dominate and defeat all the Nickelback and Britney Spears-spewing stations, and people everywhere would emerge from their top-40-strip-mall-urban-sprawl-fast-food-comas and find uniqueness and meaning in their lives.
But despite the show’s existence, my earnest optimism and even a well-written Urban Dictionary entry, the name never caught on and the world was never saved. When my daughter was born, I changed the name to That Sound.
By my estimate, I made over 250 episodes of the Post Modern Rock Show.
Then, I worked at opbmusic for close to a year in 2008 and 2009. This was a huge growing experience for me. It was the most ideal situation you could wish for (playlist autonomy awesome coworkers, good connections with artists, labels & venues), but DJing three hour shifts a day, five days a week, is very different than doing a one hour, all-new-music show, one day a week. I had to learn how to rotate songs in often enough to build listeners’ familiarity, but also not wear them out. I had to figure out how to talk about a song or artist more than once, but not just parrot the same thing each time. I had to learn to blend my style with the other two DJs there so that our station was cohesive. I had to learn to listen to albums, and not just singles, and also how to decide which music was important and which was fluff. I also had to figure out how to interview more well-known artists whose work I admired without sounding like a nervous nerd.
I got pretty good at all of these things after about nine months, which was also right when the ripple effects of stupid and greedy Wall Street investors caught up with OPB and I had to be laid off and go back to Canada.
My guess is that I did about 500 hours on-air at opbmusic.
Since I’m actually closer to 1,000 episodes than 100, this one’s not a big deal. Although, it is a little remarkable to me, because when I changed the name and started numbering them, I told myself that I wouldn’t get to number 100 before I got a paying radio gig and would stop doing the show.
Welp, here’s a toast to Plan B.
(artist - song - album + purchase link :: extra info)
Deelay Ceelay - Feather Lightning - Sunset Drumsets, release party Sat, August 6 at Doug Fir
Vivian Girls - Take It As It Comes - Share the Joy
La Sera - Never Come Around - La Sera
Blood Orange - Sutphin Boulevard - Coastal Grooves :: out August 8
Fruit Bats - You’re Too Weird - Tripper :: out August 2
Dum Dum Girls - Coming Down - Only in Dreams :: out September 27
Big Harp - Everybody Pays - White Hat :: out September 13
White Denim - Drug - D
Stephen Makmus & the Jicks - Tigers - Mirror Traffic :: out August 23
Rachel Taylor Brown - Modesto Waltz - World So Sweet
Black Lips - Modern Art - Arabia Mountain
Apparat - Black Water - The Devil’s Walk, out September 27
Beirut - East Harlem - The Rip Tide :: digital out August 2, physical August 30
Bon Iver - Holocene - Bon Iver, plus Holocene 7″ single
The Mountain Goats - Damn These Vampires - All Eternals Deck
St Vincent - Surgeon - Strange Mercy :: out September 12
Matt Pond PA - Love to Get Used - Spring Fools EP
Amanda Mair - House - digital single
Loney Dear - My Heart - Hall Music :: out October 4
The Tallest Man on Earth - Weather of a Killing Kind - digital single
The Pack A.D. - Sirens - Unpersons :: out September 13
Neon Indian - Fallout - Era Extraña :: out September 13
Bill Callahan - Baby’s Breath - Apocalypse
Ra Ra Riot - Too Dramatic (Anamanaguchi remix) - digital single
They Might Be Giants - Judy is Your Viet Nam - Join Us
mp3s:
Deelay Ceelay - Feather Lightning
Vivian Girls - Take It As It Comes
La Sera - Devils Hearts Grow Cold
Blood Orange - Sutphin Boulevard (email required)
Fruit Bats - You’re Too Weird (via Pitchfork)
Dum Dum Girls - Coming Down (email required)
Big Harp - Everybody Pays (email required)
White Denim - Drug (via RCRD LBL)
Steven Malkmus and the Jicks - Tigers
Black Lips - Modern Art (via SPIN)
Apparat - Black Water
Beirut - East Harlem (part of SPIN Lollapalooza mix, email required)
Bon Iver - Holocene
The Mountain Goats - Damn These Vampires
St. Vincent - Surgeon (email or tweet required)
Matt Pond PA - Love to Get Used (via RCRD LBL)
Amanda Mair - House
Loney Dear - My Heart (email required)
The Tallest Man on Earth - Weather of a Killing Kind (via Adult Swim)
The Pack A.D. - Sirens
Neon Indian - Fallout (email required)
Bill Callahan - Baby’s Breath
Ra Ra Riot - Too Dramatic (Anamanaguchi Remix)
They Might Be Giants - Judy is Your Viet Nam
