San Diego Serenade

6:00 Our listening session kicks off about a third of the way in to "Take Me Out" by Franz Ferdinand. You know, past the intro gear shift. Ah, FM radio. It's like hanging out with that friend of yours with an mp3 library of only 500 songs. My friend Danny was like that in college Some of his staples include Whitney Houston "My Love is your love", Radiohead "I Might Be Wrong" and at least three different Ja Rule songs.

6:02 "We don't sound like any other station in Southern California. Musically diverse radio for San Diego A Lincoln Financial station." Quite the claims. It segues into Queens of the Stone Age's "Go With The Flow" which I think came on around the same time as "Take Me Out." If FM 949 was trying to be a Nostalgia Gap closing classic rock station, I think they'd be doing ok. Back to the claims of not sounding like any other station. Somehow I get the impression that that is an unverifiable claim. If you are bickering with the other local rock station by pettily slashing artists from your playlist because they are playing the other stations concert, wouldn't that lead the readers to assume that your station sounds pretty similar to the other station?

6:05 Radiohead - "High and Dry" An instantaneous transition into this song. Haven't had a commercial yet, which is nice. This Radiohead song is probably played too much, but as far as I'm concerned they could replace all of the Karma Police plays with it as well and it still wouldn't be too much. I think I was in seventh grade when this song came out, I remember seeing the video for it once or twice, but don't remember it getting a lot of radio play. It probably is the radio equivalent of an "Officespace" type effect, ignored in its own time, but justly regarded as a classic, and seemingly omnipresent, after a few years have passed.

6:08 The FM 949 Mission Statement is an entertaining read. #8 "Deeper Tracks - We will play more than just the hit singles from albums, both old and new" doesn't seem to really be in effect yet. We've had three hits in a row. If only the 949 softball team could get that lucky! Zing!

6:09 This is Tom Delonge from Angels & Airwaves. You're listening to my favorite (BLEEP)ing station, FM 949, where it's about the (BLEEP)ing music. Now they're going to play an Angels and Airwaves song, which from what I've heard are very long. That bleeping out of the swear words may have gotten me banned from listening to this station when I was younger. I still remember the talk my mom had with me after my two year old brother turned on the radio in my bedroom, which was set to WAVA, and started dancing, unfortunately to Salt n' Pepa's "Let's Talk About Sex." I was forced to "Take a break" from that station for a while. If only it could have been "What a man", things may have turned out very differently.

6:12 This band is the new project of the lead guy from Blink 182. I came to San Diego after Blink had made the big time, but I'm guessing that a good number of music fans found their rise to prominence on the national music scene an infuriating prospect. I saw them twice at festivals. Their stage banter reminded me of "Terrance and Phillip" on South Park. Realizing that they made the same dick jokes at every show was quite the sobering thought.

6:14 extended Edge-esque guitar delay effect fade out on this song. They have expanded their musical horizons indeed.

6:15 Ah, an announcer! They're taking a break, but when they come back we've got Piggy, a Zero, and a Bombtrack. And what's this?? Traffic is forthcoming! But for now, a Kaiser Permanente ad. Kaiser permanente lets Doctors be doctors. You know what happens when we do that? Your doctors become even better doctors!

6:16 Ad for Malibu rum with guys in fake, borderline offensive Jamaican accents re-enacting scenes from island life. Going to the shrimp shack, drinking rum. They sound a step away from singing Zip a Dee Doo Dah Mon.

6:17 Verizon Vcast phone commercial featuring a song from Yellowcard and the Subways. I wonder if that ad was pitched as having the feature of people might hear the songs playing while flipping channels and stop on the station thinking it was playing the song they excerpt. I bet it was. Screw those ad executives.

6:18 VW Ad featuring a bad fake german accident. Don't know who thinks those things are good ideas.

6:19 one more commercial, but we're back! Liza with traffic. My old boss would say that one of the reasons she didn't want satellite radio was because she liked traffic and weather. Nevermind that XM has an entire station devoted to San Diego traffic and weather, we also have sigalert, which if you've ever lived in a state without it, seems like gods gift to drivers. The "absence of local channels" is a selling point that pretty much indicates utter desperation in the case of whoever is pushing it, being the cable companies vs DirecTV or terrestrial radio vs satellite. In both cases, it was one of the first features added, making the pathetic argument already obsolete.

6:21 The Cure, Boys Don't Cry is playing. I always thought The Cure was gloomy. Doesn't sound too gloomy to me. Doesn't sound too good either, but whatever.

6:22 Well I guess the Piggy he referenced was indeed the Nine Inch Nails song from The Downward Spiral. I guess this qualifies as a deep track off the album. I would have preferred Ruiner, but actually, I haven't heard that song in like 7 years and bet I would hate it now. It really seemed like Nine Inch Nails was on a pretty cushy path to success with the whole depressed teenager demographic in the palm of their hand, but they seemed to have botched it. How'd that happen? Was it the long waits in between albums? The unwillingness to go to the embarrassing lengths of a Marilyn Manson? The song title Starfuckers, INC? Either way, I think we're better off for not having them around any more. Too many spiral notebook covers were getting ruined with NIN symbols.

6:27 "No borders, no boundaries, just great music for America's finest city!" I wonder if the guy who comes up with those sayings ever goes out for drinks with the ladies who write the sex and beauty tips for Cosmo. I wonder what a conversation between those two would sound like. Hopefully they would just spew hackneyed catchphrases to each other all night. By the way, they are playing Zero by the Smashing Pumpkins now. I had a "Zero" shirt in 9th grade, I'll admit it. It was given to me as a gift, but I wore it pretty proudly for a while there.

6:30 Steady As She Goes! I was hoping they would play this! You know, because it's such a great example of mission statement points #8 (mentioned above) and #9 - "Less Repetition: Although people want to hear their favorite songs more than once, we will try not to play them out." After hearing Steady As she goes for the first time several months ago, I was wary of the Raconteurs, because this song, frankly, is nothing special. I can imagine that anyone who has only heard this song played to death on the radio for the past few months must be unexcited about their upcoming July concert. I like the rest of the album, not as much as the White Stripes, but this is a perfect example of an artist with much more to offer than just this single, and they just aren't going to have their other songs played on the radio, despite the fact that their audience (White Stripes fans) are already firmly established. On the plus side, the DJ did inform me that Pee Wee Herman is in the music video, which I learned the other day on Muzzle of Bees. Thanks Ryan!

6:33 "FM 949: It's about the music!" And the promised Bombtrack by Rage Against the Machine. I know the Onion did an article about it a few years ago, but seriously, what has Zach de la Rocha been up to? Could he just retire off his Rage Against the Machine earnings? Would there be any chance that I would like Rage if they came out now? When I first heard "Killing In The Name of", it seemed almost terrifying, how intense and angry these guys were, and how intense and angry my parents would be if they caught me listening to it. As you get older, and realize that the critics that were acclaiming these guys were all in their 30s and up, it gets tougher to imagine them getting really pumped up by something as obviously geared to 22 year old and younger as Rage Against the Machine

6:37 Piano chords start this next song... Some churning studio effect. I have no idea what it is yet. Could be the Police based on the reggae esque guitars...Ah, no it is The Clash "Charlie Don't Surf." There we go 94.9. Reaching into its deeper tracks bag to play a rarely heard Clash song. A Clash song that isn't Rock The Casbah or Should I Stay is a treat indeed. Let's hear some more Jail Guitar Doors, The Card Cheat, Right Profile, Janie Jones, Clash City Rockers, This Is England, Career Opportunities, Clampdown, and Revolution Rock while we're at it. This song sort of just meanders along. It's already had one fake out ending.

6:42 Charlie don't surf was for Dawn in South Orange county! Call 570 1949 for more requests! NEW Gnarls Barkley when we come back! I'm predicting the Violent Femmes cover "Gone Daddy Gone."

6:43 Liza is back, more accidents. Jesus people, get home from work before 6:45! Then you can sit around and transcribe your thoughts while listening to staticky radio! They stick a little narrated commercial on the end of the traffic, as a sort of buffer to ease you into the real commercials.

6:44 A couple commercials for car stuff. Boring without the stereotypical accents...

6:45 Home Depot ad. I don't listen to much SD radio, but I miss a lot of the jingles from DC radio back home. Jerry's Ford was the king of the ads, their jingle would be stuck in your head for days. Also Joon Rhee karate, Senate Auto Insurance, and Bernie Streeter's Arby's restaurants.

6:46 Lexus ad. The average guy enjoying listening to "Piggy" by Nine Inch Nails is probably just about $24,940 away from buying a Lexus.

6:47 The second "Dads and Grads" ad I've heard in this segment. That oh so clever person should be shot.

6:48 Carls Jr. ad where two Maxim reading dudes debate about whether one is allowed to eat a salad. You know, beacuse he is a male, not a female. It's like they put a mic in the table the last time me and my buddy went to Carls Jr.

6:49 Plug for Bonarroo! Live Streaming video, offered on the 949 page...oh no, you go to their page and click on the same banner I have in my blog ads! The new Gnarls Barkley is called "Who Cares?" and it's safe to say that it will never be as big as "Crazy." The 'who cares' sample is neat, but you have to imagine "Crazy" was lightning in a bottle. I can't wait until my parents discover it in about 4 months, just in time for Thanksgiving. I give credit where it is due, it's good to hear some of the other stuff off the album.

6:52 Gnarls Barkley's "St. Elsewhere" is one of the stations recommended CDs. That must be in accordance with Mission Statement point #7 "Take Risks - We will not be afraid to push boundaries and champion good new music." You know, going out on a limb to recommend the CD with the most popular and omnipresent song that radio has seen in a good long time.

6:53 And as if on cue, the opening bass rumble of Filter's "Hey Man Nice Shot" comes onto my stereo. I think I once saw a list where this cd was like the 3rd most likely CD you could find in any used CD stores dollar bin. Seriously, screw these guys. This song just screams to be use in movie previews or promos for new, but soon to be cancelled, Fox TV series. It certainly doesn't scream to still be blaring through my speakers.

6:56 Another song I don't recognize. I google the phrase "and i feel like william tell" and it turns out that this is Squeeze, "Pulling Mussels from the Shell." I think these guys were on Theme Time the other day. They don't sound like something I care to listen to, kind of similar to that Cure song. I'm just glad that this is winding down. I sort of feel like the guy in Clockwork Orange when his eyes are forced open to watch the gratuitously violent footage. Except that I did this willingl...

6:59 One more minute! Is Squeeze gonna be the last thing I hear? Is Squeeze better than Sponge? Is Spoon better than Squeeze? Will the 7 o clock radio hour be devoted to exploring this pressing issue!? We'll never know! Because:

7:00 I'm done.

That could have been worse, I'm not gonna lie. We saw a Gnarls album track, that was certainly unexpected. The Clash "Charlie Don't Surf" was as well. On the whole, most artists were rock acts from the mid 90s, which I found slightly strange. It is bizarre to have so many artists that were once a major part of your music listening experience, but which you don't read about any more in this age of blogs and new stuff coming out every day. You can either talk about great old Dylan or Springsteen or Dead bootlegs, or the latest new hype, but somehow the mid 90s just don't seem to contain too many buried treasures.

The commercials weren't as constant as I feared, but there were at least 10 solid minutes of them, which equals 1/6th of the time spent listening to the radio. That can ad up quickly if you're spending lots time in the car or listening at work. Commercials suck, there is no way around it. As people stop tolerating the far more clever, sexy TV ads because of Tivo and the internet, boring old radio ads are going to be seem as way more intolerable.

The only other point i can really make now is the softball comment I made at 6;08. Do you think 949 and 91X have softball teams? And if they do, they must play each other right? Can the public obtain tickets to this? If they are this petty and bitchy behind the scenes at the stations, imagine the heat when they take it to the diamond!

San Diego radio - "It's all about the petty feuds that end up with us having to call off the charity softball game when one of the audio technicians has one too many beers and decides to piss on Halloran's gym bag"