4.16.2008

the many moods of larrydigital, pt. 7

To download podcast: Click here.

As I've mentioned before, one of the reasons I started making my own podcasts was because of the overall lameness of terrestrial radio. I got tired of hearing the same 12 songs and hour and I wanted to offer something different. I think it's hard to find new music (either entirely brand new artists or just new to you) these days. For some reason, I'm slightly irritated by the fact that a lot of people only know certain songs from television commercials rather than from the albums where they're originally from. But I suppose that happens since radio airplay can be hard to come by these days and artists (or rather, record companies) are forced to explore other areas to get exposure for their music, both new and old.

My wife, who wasn't exposed to the same music I was when I was younger, is a good example of what I mean. I'll play a song in the car and she'll say, Oh that's that Toyota song. I'll say, No, that's Curtis Mayfield. Or she'll say, That's the Gap song. And I'll say, No, that's the O'Jays. These songs had long histories before they were co-opted by some faceless ad agency.

So imagine my dismay when mere minutes after I uploaded Episode 7, I turn on the television and hear a familiar sound coming from its speakers.... Marlena Shaw's "California Soul", from this very episode, was featured in some damn Dockers commercial. I know it's ridiculous but I was kind of upset by it. Almost like, Hey, I found this song first!

Sounds stupid, right? Right. I should just be happy that a great piece of work has been rescued from the brinks of obscurity and now people are enjoying it for the fantastic song that it is. But still....

I found this song before those lame ass Dockers hacks!

Episode 7: Don't Fight The Feeling Tracklist

1. "Funky Worm" by Ohio Players
2. larry's intro
3. "Bold, Soul Sister" by Ike & Tina Turner
4. "Hard Times" by Baby Huey & The Babysitters
5. larry's interlude #1
6. "California Soul" by Marlena Shaw
7. "Improve" by Darrow Fletcher
8. larry's interlude #2
9. "Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley" by Robert Palmer
10. "Beauty Queen" by Roxy Music
11. "Speak Like A Child" by The Style Council
12. larry's interlude #3
13. "I Don't Feel Like Dancing" by the Scissor Sisters
14. "Feel Good Hit of the Fall" by !!!
15. larry's interlude #4
16. "Get Myself Into It" by The Rapture
17. "Dirty Harry (Schtung Chinese New Year Remix)" by Gorillaz
18. larry's interlude #5/outro
19. "Dr. Lee, PhD" by Beastie Boys

This month's theme song is "Superstition" by Yesterday's New Quintet.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I have mixed feelings about these things too. There's the cynical side, which you discussed. But then there's also the side that says, "Well, if this is the only way some of these people can get turned on to good music, it's better than nothing."

But then I read with horror that the late Jeff Buckley's version of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" recently shot to the top of itunes Most Downloaded song list because some bozo decided to cover it on American Idol. It really makes me think that most people have to be spoon fed. If you played this song for 99% of the people who downloaded it before it's use on Idol, they probably would have thought, "What's this crap?" But once it appeared on America's Most Beloved Show, everyone was like, "Oh, what a beautiful song!" Like that's what made it legitimate. Sigh.