When I’m alive, I gotta divide four songs

That and other statements clarified below.

KKCK:

David Guetta w/Kelly Rowland “When Love Takes Over”
What was the last dance track, non hip hop/rap division, that we had on?  Cascada?  Ian Van Dahl?  Darude?  Real McCoy?  Rednex?  Okay, maybe I went back a bit to far there.  Hopefully this track gives Kelly Rowland the shot in the arm her post-Destiny’s Child career needs.  To me, she’s always been the most under-rated member of that group. 

Metric “Help, I’m Alive”
This band is selling CDs like crazy in their native Canada, but not so much in the states yet.  Most Canadian artists do quite well on KKCK, so why not give them a shot?  Emily Haines has one of those voices I’d follow off a cliff, much like Fiona Apple or Becca from Rebels Victorious.  This could be a sleeper hit for us, or a non-event.  Our listeners are hard to predict when it comes to bands like this.

Black Eyed Peas “I Gotta Feeling”
Imagine the most average sounding Black Eyed Peas song possible.  Or, listen to this one.  Why play it then?  These days B.E.P. can toss radio whatever and it will go top ten.  Yet some of their pre-Fergie tracks, like “Weekends”, remain in obscurity.

Linkin Park “New Divide”
I could say the same thing about this track, but it’s a bit above average for a Linkin Park song of the slower variety.  Plus, it’s tied into the new Transformers film, which means it should shoot up the charts fast, and disappear the weekend after the movie opens.

Pick to click: David Guetta w/Kelly Rowland

We’ve had a bit of a switcharoo at work on some shifts.  The biggest change for me was the sudden addition of 10 to 2 PM on our rock station, KARZ.  KARZ and I have had a long and complicated history, going back to her days as KBJJ.  Sitting in here for my prod time, hearing the liners and music, is really putting me in a bad mood.  In the past, every time I’ve been entrusted with something meaningful on KARZ, it has been taken away from me.  In the weeks leading up to the change, I’ve been trying to brainstorm and think of things I can do, but in the end I threw up my hands and said “what’s the point?”.  Granted, this new shift has also taken away my usual time working on commercials while listening to my iPod, and that might be part of the adjustment process as well.  It might be that the music reminds me of my younger days, and not always in good ways.  Whatever the  myriad of reasons, I’ll keep doing the shift.  I’m a team player, and right now I’m the best person available at those times to do the show.  Meanwhile on KKCK, the two shows before mine are now two-headed shows.  Yesterday I debuted my new “co-host”, Mr. Head Phone Bag.  He was a bit negative, but he might be able to get away with saying things ordinarily I couldn’t.  It would seem my show is pretty set where it is no matter what, so I’ve decided to ratchet up the silly/ridiculous factor.  We’ll see how that treats me.

Last weekend was spent in Rochester rollin’ dice and reminiscing.  I finally had the opportunity to play Settlers of Catan, and I’m sold.  I would play that every day if I could, and I might have to get the computer version pretty soon.  I didn’t think a board game could mix cooperation and competition that well, but it worked great.  Even my friend Biff, who is no board game fan, loved it (and almost won the second one).  The weekend in RPGing went a bit non-traditional.  After running it on and off for years, I was finally a player in our ongoing (but dormant for years) G.I. Joe scenario.  We use the Palladium system, but if there’s a better system for running a modern army setting I’d switch.  Palladium is great, but new characters take so long to make.  Saturday night we couldn’t decide what to do, so I took charge and ran the Decipher Star Trek game.  Normally I’d run Marvel or Boot Hill, but my mental well for super heroes and the old west is pretty dry.  However, I’m overflowing with Star Trek ideas.  I think it went pretty well, and I might go with it again next time, if my DMing skills are requested.  Overall the weekend was super great, but I was seriously missing the family while I was there, especially before sleeping and on the long drive home.

Speaking of the family, things are going good.  We’ll find out tomorrow if Braeden can stop using his apnea monitor.  Since we’ve had one alarm since March, I think we’re going to be good.  He’s gotten so good at standing up, especially in his crib.  When he lets us know he wants to get up, we can always expect to find him standing and watching the door for when we come in.  Lately, he’s even started to sleep in that corner of the crib.  He’s currently sporting a scratch on his face from Logan, but a cat can only take so much before he gets annoyed, even Logan.  Kate has been doing pretty well.  Her knee is still bothering her, but we’re getting a second opinion on it tomorrow. 

Right now, I’m in the middle of the new Phoenix album.  So far, I’m thinking it’s a keeper.