Radio Playlists

A new album from The Bobby Lees is making its way to us, and I’m banging on the table in anticipation. Also, I meant to call that Alt-J song “Breezleblocks,” it’s a long story. Freaky weather continues!

It’s unseasonably warm, not like you’d be able to walk around in a T-shirt, but definitely not the type of weather you’d expect of the Grand Valley in February. It makes a perfect setting for The Barr Brothers and their urgent machinations. I remembered to get my hat, not that I need it.

This cover of “Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime” (from Beck) takes me back to the Datsun’s backseat, waiting for my mom to finish some errands while the Korgis’ original version gently pipes out from the AM radio. Turns out I did forget my hat at the station, and it’s sitting in Katie’s desk, but I forgot to make arrangements to pick it up tonight.

Another cold night, but things are kept warm by Dry Cleaning’s icy indifference. I had a good before-show chat with Dr. Feelgood, where we discussed the many roles taken by esteemed character actor Stephen Root. What do you know, the next day he was gracing our screen in some made-for-streaming dud. I think I forgot my hat at the station.

Someone called asking who was on the following morning, and I replied I had no idea. They told me to look in the clipboard to my right and what do you know, there it was. I had no idea this thing existed, probably from being so focused on bringing you the highest quality music, like Militarie Gun.

It’s a look back at The Year In Music, which I should do every year but in practice only every seven years or so. There is never a shortage of good music to fill an hour or two or three, and I can safely claim that if your head’s on straight and you’re listening to the right sources, every year is the best year in music so far.

It’s a special presentation with Space Walk, a one-hour musical tour of our very own solar system, followed by another hour of the usual new, old, obscure, and weird stuff, and capping things off with a spectacular Final Hour. I think next show will be a 2025 retrospective, inspired by my friend Trevor’s suggestion.

In fitting tribute to tonight’s finale, in which I exited the station onto a pallid moonlit snowscape, I am highlighting Soulwax for their fitting track, “Polaris.” Elsewhere tonight, a special San Francisco set that came out pretty transcendent.

Tonight, the universe set off a billion trillion nuclear bombs in order to paint the sky with northern lights. It’s an appropriate light show for Peel Dream Magazine, whose shimmering tones seem to float out of the speakers like undulating curtains of sound.

Things get off to a rough start, but quickly smooth out. I have a special spot in my hear for the sui generis musicians that create and produce their music entirely within their bedroom, Jay Som being a perfect example.