KKCK a long, long, long, long, long time ago:

We the Kings “Say You Like Me”
I actually had this on the playlist as “Say You Love Me” by accident. “Like” works better in the title anyway, since I just like it and I don’t love it.

Adele “Set Fire to the Rain”
It’s hard to believe a year or so ago I was jumping on “Rolling in the Deep” earlier than almost any CHR station, and now with this one I’m borderline behind.

will.i.am w/Jennifer Lopez & Mick Jagger “T.H.E.”
Seriously, if this song can’t get will.i.am a big solo hit, he should just quit the solo thing and never record outside Black Eyed Peas again.

pick to click: Adele

KKCK a long, long, long, long time ago

Big Time Rush w/Mann “Music Sounds Better With U”
The boy band craze is long dead, yet nobody told BTR.

Avicii “Levels”
This song uses the same sample as “Good Feeling” by Flo Rida. AWKWARD.

pick to click: BTR

KKCK a long, long, long time ago

Wiz Khalifa w/Snoop Dogg & Bruno Mars “Young Wild and Free”
Some complain the song is ruined due to the radio edit. Those people are “those who do not answer to my boss”. The omission of a few words does not ruin this song’s groove.

David Guetta w/Nicki Minaj “Turn Me On”
I think David Guetta should do a bunch of collaborations with people who aren’t big names anymore and then we’ll see just how big of a genius he is.

Neon Trees “Everybody Talks”
I didn’t expect new stuff from this band so soon, nor did I expect it to be this good.

Gotye w/Kimbra “Somebody That I Used to Know”
After taking Europe by storm, it’s starting to make some waves over here on the alternative charts. The pop crossover is coming, or at least I think/hope it is.

Childish Gambino “Heartbeat”
SIX SEASONS AND A MOVIE…and a really catchy track.

pick to click: Childish Gambino (already eight non-consecutive nights at #1 on our Hot 9 @ 9)

KKCK a long, long time ago

LMFAO “Sorry for Party Rocking”
Don’t let them fool you. They’re not sorry.

Robyn “Call Your Girlfriend”
What is it going to take for Robyn to get her popularity back in the United States? With songs like this it shouldn’t be a problem.

Fun “We Are  Young”
This song reminds me of another song that I added to the shag, didn’t know what to do with, then decided to play in regular rotation. That one was “Pumped Up Kicks”, and I’m sure Fun hope they do half as well with this one.

Awolnation “Not Your Fault”
I missed the boat on “Sail” (groan) but missing this one won’t be my fault (double groan…it’s not good if I’m groaning to my own puns).

pick to click: Fun

KKCK a long time ago

Coldplay w/Rihanna “Princess of China”
Rihanna will not stop until she’s half of the top 40. I don’t even think this is officially a single. 

Kelly Clarkson “Stronger”
This song is okay, but I believe “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” more when it comes from Anthrax.

Adam Lambert “Better Than I Know Myself”
I was hoping for another “For Your Entertainment” as a first single, but a slower number is probably better for an opener.

Rise Against “Satellite”
It’s been a while since we had a Rise Against song in rotation, so now we can’t say that.

pick to click: Kelly Clarkson

KKCK recently?

Cobra Starship w/Mac Miller “Middle Finger”
This pairing makes more sense than you probably think.

DJ Earworm “United States of Pop 2011″
Novelty song is novelty.

pick to click: DJ Earworm short-term/Cobra Starship long-term

I realize I’ve been slacking on this blog since we started having kids, but a whole month? That’s a new level of slackitude. I can’t even blame Tumblr or Twitter for stealing content, as my activity on those is a bit lower as well.

Maybe it’s time I finally cast away a lot of the “series” records on the DVR and just start focusing more time on writing. Well, I’ll still record “Community”. Let’s not get crazy here.

Honorable mentions:
The Aquabats Hi-Five Soup!
They Might Be Giants Album Raises New and Troubling Questions
Rachael Yamagata Chesapeake
Lights Siberia
Ludacris 1.21 Gigawatts: Back to the First Time

My Top 20 Albums of 2011:

20. Megadeth Th1rt3en
I know, putting this at #13 would have been the obvious choice, but I just didn’t think it was quite that good. Much like their last album, there was a lot of hype for what ended up being another very good (but not great) Megadeth album.

19. The Lonely Island Turtleneck and Chain
This one really surprised me. I thought it was a throw-away title earlier in the year, but the humor somehow held up with me. The production value is also ten times better than it should be for something like this.

18. Warp 11 Borgasm
Catchy rock songs about sex, drugs and Star Trek are Warp 11′s bread and butter, and it’s what they’ve been doing for years. That’s why it was so shocking when the band dropped a concept album (and a mostly serious one) about being assimilated by the Borg. This could have been such a bad idea, and somehow they pulled it off brilliantly. This is coming from someone who dislikes concept albums and someone who’s really sick of the Borg.

17. LMFAO Sorry for Party Rocking
As much as I didn’t expect to like this album, I can’t deny how much fun it was to listen to. I can only guess it was just as much fun to make.

16. “Weird Al” Yankovic Alpocalypse
It was great when “Weird Al” was releasing some songs online to tide us over to his next album, but having those previously released songs make up almost half of this album wasn’t his best idea. The new material is solid but the previously released songs make it feel like less of an album and more like an EP tacked onto an old EP.

15. William Shatner Seeking Major Tom
I would have rather had a sequel to his excellent album Has Been, but this delightfully bizarre double album of rock remakes will do. It’s worth it just for his version of “Space Truckin” in which he was either giddy or really drunk.

14. Theory of a Deadman The Truth Is…
I was starting to get worried that better album sales meant that ToaD was going to lose their bitter edge that made them an angrier, grittier, leaner, meaner Nickelback. Their latest album does get a bit of the grit back, but it’s still not back to Gasoline levels.

13. Classified Hand Shakes and Middle Fingers
If Drake is Canada’s most popular rapper, Classified is Canada’s best kept hip-hop secret. I don’t know if he’ll ever break in America, but I can hope.

12. Coldplay Mylo Xyloto
Every time Coldplay has a new album, I decide I won’t like it. Then I listen to it and I like it. 2011 continued that pattern.

11. Bright Eyes The People’s Key
This album is Conor Oberst’s final album under the Bright Eyes name, and it’s probably the right time to walk away. The album had moments that reminded me of Bright Eyes’ best stuff, but some of it just sounded like a noble attempt. Here’s hoping 2012 finds a new Conor Oberst solo album.

10. MC Lars Lars Attacks!
After the just-okay This Gigantic Robot Kills, MC Lars rebounds with a way-better-than-okay collection. This was one of three albums (mixtape and rarities collection) MC Lars dropped in 2011, and that’s a work ethic I’d like to see more artists have. “Lars Attacks!” is a killer track, while “Summer Love (is so in tents)” might be the most d’aww rap song ever.

9. Foo Fighters Wasting Light
Dave Grohl just keeps on dropping solid album after solid album. The return of Pat Smear was just a subtle enough kick in the pants to get the Foos to drop one of their best albums yet.

8. Alice Cooper Welcome 2 My Nightmare
This CD gets a special distinction for being the best album without one standout song. Alice checks in on the protagonist of the original Welcome to My Nightmare, and he finds devils, angels, modern technology, madness, and Ke$ha. This might be Alice Cooper’s most diverse album yet.

7. Various Artists Muppets: The Green Album
This album is this high almost on the sheer power of “Rainbow Connection” by Weezer w/Hayley Williams. The rest is pretty good too.

6. The Decemberists The King is Dead
This album dropped so early in the year, I’d almost forgotten how good it was. Then I remembered I liked it so much I featured six songs on the Shag, instead of the usual four. This album finds the Decemberists focused and streamlined, and that’s a good thing.

5. The Black Keys El Camino
This album has the opposite problem of the Decemberists, as in it came out in December. I’m worried I’m putting it this high because it’s so much fresher than a lot of other albums. The Black Keys decided to throw a rock and roll dance party, and I recommend you pick out this audio invite.

4. Jay-Z & Kanye West Watch the Throne
The first time I heard “H*A*M”, I was positive this album was a really, really bad idea. I’ve seen quite a few collaborations that should have been huge, but for some reason they never work out as a sum of two parts. A friend suggested I give the whole album a listen, and eventually I did. The album was so good I actually like the song “H*A*M” now.

3. Adele 21
For the past month, this was my stock answer for “album of the year” questions. It was really refreshing for such a good album to also be the best seller of the year. How a 21-year-old can sing with such emotion and devotion I’ll never know.

2. St. Vincent Strange Mercy
When I was listening to St. Vincent’s last album, my wife asked me if I liked it. I said “Yes, but I can’t tell you why because I don’t know.” I don’t even know how to describe her newest album, other than “awesome”. The music is all over the landscape, but the lyrics are where this one shines.

1. Anthrax Worship Music
I was starting to think I would never have a band repeat as “album of the year” honorees. It seemed even less likely a band could do it twice with different singers. [sound of white noise] was my album of the year in 1993, and it made me a fan of the John Bush era of Anthrax for life…or so I thought. Joey Belladonna returns with more age, more grit, and way more sneer in his vocals. The band is tighter than ever, and this long in the works album was well worth the wait. [sound of white noise] is still one of my all time favorite albums, but I’m going into 2012 with a split decision on which Anthrax singer I like better thanks to this album.

Previous albums of the year:
1992 AC/DC Live
1993 Anthrax [sound of white noise]
1994 Dangerous Toys Pissed
1995 Warrant Ultraphobic
1996 Sheryl Crow Sheryl Crow
1997 Megadeth Cryptic Writings
1998 Rob Zombie Hellbilly Deluxe
1999 Marvelous 3 Hey! Album
2000 Sarah Harmer You Were Here
2001 Various Artists Josie and the Pussycats Motion Picture Soundtrack
2002 Reverend Horton Heat Lucky 7
2003 Evanescence Fallen
2004 The Wildhearts The Wildhearts Must Be Destroyed
2005 Fiona Apple Extraordinary Machine
2006 MC Lars The Graduate
2007 Rilo Kiley Under the Black Light
2008 Vampire Weekend Vampire Weekend
2009 Matthew Good Vancouver
2010 Best Coast Crazy for You

KKCK back yonder COMICS EDITION:

Rihanna “You Da One”

Jay-Z & Kanye West “…in Paris”

Mac Miller “Party on 5th Avenue”

The Black Keys “Lonely Boy”

Billy David Band “Till It Rains”

Pick to click: Rihanna

KKCK a more recent yonder:

Timbaland w/Pitbull & David Guetta ”Pass at Me”
Is it possible for a song with this much star power to fail? We’ll find out in the next month or so.

Karmin “Crash Your Party”
Is it just me or have there been way more songs about parties in 2011?

Gym Class Heroes “…Back Home”
Another song title saved by ellipsis points. I don’t think this one will do as well as “Stereo Hearts” but it should do pretty well. 

Christina Perri “A Thousand Years”
Do we still need Christina Perri with Amy Lee back on the scene? The more the merrier I say. Besides, I haven’t heard Ms. Perri rock out yet.

Guinevere “Crazy Crazy”
This song is actually pretty crazy, and maybe even crazy crazy. The extra crazy comes from some lyrics that had me start it on a daypart.

Pick to click: Timbaland w/Pitbull and David Guetta

The comic thing was fun but time-consuming until I got the hang of it. I think I’ll do it again next time. Here’s where I made them, and here’s where you can find much funnier Rage Comics.

It has now been over a year since my mom passed away, and the anniversary fell on Thanksgiving. I didn’t want the day to be super sad, but at times it was. There were a few moments that were nice, and there were a few moments that were just bat-shit crazy. Those moments were all while watching “A Very Gaga Thanksgiving”.

Okay, that’s all for me tonight. We’ll shoot for an actual Wednesday update again in a few days.

KKCK a fortnight ago:

Pitbull w/Chris Brown “International Love”
Our resident fan of both Pitbull and Chris Brown hates this song. I can’t explain that.

Lady Gaga “Marry the Night”
This is probably the one Gaga song I’ve heard more than most off Born This Way because when the wife has it in the CD player she always starts from the beginning, and this is track one. I think it’s a good final single from this album cycle, even though based on her recent chart performance I’m worried this one will stall out in the 10 – 20 range like “Judas”.

Foster the People “Helena Beat”
This was an automatic after “Pumped Up Kicks” hit #2, but maybe I should have waited. Another single, “Don’t Stop (Color on the Walls)” has suddenly jumped out with more momentum. This is a situation I’ll have to monitor.

Blink 182 “After Midnight”
Single number two from Neighborhoods is a bit more accessible and friendlier to older Blink fans, but it’s still a far leap from the Take Off Your Pants and Jacket era.

The Wanted “Glad You Came”
This one popped up at #1 on some charts in Europe, and lately that has started carrying more weight than it did for quite a while.

Pick to click: Lady Gaga

KKCK half a fortnight ago:

J. Cole “Workout”
I’ve heard a lot about J. Cole, but I was not ready to hear him borrow lines from Paula Abdul on his first crossover hit. Mind = blown.

Outasight “Tonight is the Night”
The electro pop thing is starting to get out of hand. I could accurately describe this one as the Ready Set produced by Owl City and you’d probably (a) know what I mean and (b) agree.

JoJo “Disaster”
I always love a good unlikely comeback, and after disappearing for several years due to acting and growing up I didn’t expect JoJo to return, but it’s a welcome return.

Florence + the Machine “Shake It Out”
This one really had to grow on me, but I’m glad it did. It’s quickly becoming one of my favorite songs of the second half of 2011.

Frank Anthony “I Don’t Deserve You”
He’s not a big name yet, but he’s smooth no matter how he spits it. This could be a big sleeper for the winter.

Pick to click: J. Cole

I don’t have a lot to write about this week. It has actually been a stressful time, but only because of the upcoming one year anniversary of my mom’s passing. If not for that, things have been great.

I’ll try to have more in a few weeks, or sooner if I’m feelin’ my oats.

Wait, what?

previously on KKCK:

Jennifer Lopez “Papi”
After a few comeback hits with the help of Pitbull and Lil’ Wayne, J-Lo opts for to stand on her own on this track. Based on that, I thought it wasn’t going to make the chart, but I like to be surprised.

Breathe Carolina “Blackout”
This electro-pop-rock phenomenon (Ready Set, Hot Chelle Rae, Cobra Starship?) is something I can live with. I can’t wait for new bands to do it ironically or as an homage in about 15 to 20 years (like what happened to New Wave). This song is another fine example of the music and the usual message, of perhaps a good time (or in this case, too much of one).

Beyonce “Countdown”
Here’s an artist who had a great blueprint to continued success, and yet she keeps pushing herself and her music into new territories and experiments that don’t always work ["Girls (Run the World)" was a chart disaster]. God bless her. 

The Fray “Heartbeat”
After a brief vacation, the Fray are back and they sound more like themselves. It’s hard to explain, but sometimes a band or singer comes back with a new album that just sounds like their old stuff but bigger. This one qualifies as a great example.

Avril Lavigne “Wish You Were Here”
Goodbye Lullaby was supposed to be a more mature album, but if you judged by the first two singles you wouldn’t have guessed that. The maturity is evident on this new ballad, which is a bit more representative of the album. Also, I know I’m way to old and way too male to be as into Avril as I am. I may seek help soon.

Pick to click: The Fray

last week…on KKCK:

Colbie Caillat “Brighter Than the Sun”
Miss Caillat tries to warm our hearts, as our everything else is tensed up with winter lurking around the corner.

Taio Cruz w/Flo Rida “Hangover”
So we have back to back weeks with songs about the dangers of partying a bit too hard? We must be the party station.

Foo Fighters “These Days”
I remember buying Wasting Light and thinking there weren’t many songs that would cross over to KKCK. Here’s the third one, so either I bought the wrong album or my feel for what rock works on pop radio is off. Well, it might be that everybody seems to love Dave Grohl too.

Girl in a Coma “Smart”
I’m pretty sure this is the first act from Blackheart Records we’ve played since Joan Jett. They rock a bit more like Sick of Sarah than Miss Jett though. Plus, they meet that bar of “song I could hear KKCK playing in the 90s”. Hey, the 90s seem to be coming back with a vengeance.

James Rocco “And the Night Stood Still”
This guy is new, but somehow he got his hands on a song by Diane Warren. That’s good enough for a trial run.

Pick to click: Taio Cruz w/Flo Rida

I really don’t want it to be November.

Don’t get me wrong, September wasn’t a great month, and October had more misses than hits. November is feeling more and more like a long, slow, slog to the one year anniversary of my mom’s death. I couldn’t shake that thought for about a half hour on Friday, and it was all I could do to keep myself from breaking down into a raging sadness/anger monster (which would have been bad since I was at work). My wife has had the “anger” stage of grief about her passing, but I never really did. I think I’m doing the stages of grief out-of-order.

Today was Braeden’s first experience with Teen Titans. We watched three episodes, and he was running around yelling “TEEN TITANS” the rest of the night. He also wanted to be called “Robin” at bedtime. I was a bit worried it was a bit old for him (it’s rated Y7) but he handles the Toy Story movies well, and those have some really dark parts if you think about it. He did start asking where Batman was, so I might have to figure which Batman: TAS episode is best suited for him. I’m also getting excited because we had a Candyland breakthrough. He was moving his own token on the path most of the time, so it won’t be long and we can start getting more into board games. I’m still a ways off from sitting down with the wife and kids and having a four person game of Catan or Risk 2210, but we’ll get there eventually.

I’m almost done with my Bruce Springsteen discography project. After that, I’ll be listening to all the Anthrax albums from the Belladonna era (and maybe the Bush era as well). The next big decision after that is between the discography of Alice Cooper and the Beatles. I’ve been a fan of Alice Cooper since the late 80s, but I have not heard a full album that was released before Constrictor. Everything I’ve heard before that was on compilations or box sets. This includes Welcome to my Nightmare, which I’ve never heard all the way through. On the other hand, the Beatles are a much bigger name, and a much more glaring omission. I’ve heard plenty of Beatles music, but never in an album context. We had the remasters digitally delivered to the station when they came out (legit BTW) and I’ve been sitting on them for a while. As a fan of popular music, this is an omission that I need to address at some point. Eventually I’ll get both listened to, but I’m not sure which to go with after Anthrax. Yes, Anthrax gets priority. That isn’t negotiable.

National Novel Writing Month is almost here. I hope that’s still a thing when my kids are older.

When next we meet, we meet in November.

KKCK last week:

Flo Rida “Good Feeling”
I could swear the guitar sample in this song is from Tegan and Sara, but I think I’m just imagining it. As a whole, the song is actually one of the better Flo Rida songs I’ve heard in the last year or so.

Hot Chelle Rae w/New Boyz “I Like It Like That”
At first it sounds like an odd pairing, but it actually works in a weird way. I’m glad HCR decided to go for a more upbeat single pattern, since their ballad (“Bleed”) was rather blah.

Nickelback “When We Stand Together”
This song will do well, and I dare say it deserves to. This is as close as Nickelback gets to having a message.

These Kids Wear Crowns “I Wanna Dance with Somebody”
Back in 1987, “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” was the first Whitney Houston song I had ever heard. I really liked it, and all I heard about was how Whitney was on her way to being the next Aretha Franklin. It’s 2011 now, and Whitney’s career has been off the rails for years. My youthful enthusiasm (and youth for that matter) have been beaten down and eroded away. Then this song came along. When I hear it, I feel like jumping around. I feel like taping it off the radio. I feel young again. I feel hopeful again. This song makes me feel something I didn’t know was still in me. That’s why when I saw a few other U.S. stations playing it (I’d first heard it on MuchMusic’s web site) I had to jump on board. I just hope I’m not alone in finding this to be a great cover of a great song.

Michala Todd “Make It Work”
I’m not sure what she’s making work, but the song works.

Pick to click: Nickelback for reals, These Kids Wear Crowns I hope

KKCK this week:

Bruno Mars “It Will Rain”
A singer who can do no wrong doing a song from a Twilight soundtrack? This is what we in the biz call a “no-brainer”.

Lady Antebellum “Just a Kiss”
Is it already time for the quarterly country crossover? Where does the time go?

Enrique Iglesias w/Pitbull “I Like How it Feels”
The last Enrique track peaked earlier than expected, and so did the last Pitbull track. Will teaming up get them higher on the chart, or peaking even earlier? Stay tuned (I’m guessing the 15-20 range, just like their last individual tracks).

Katy Perry “The One that Got Away”
I’m not sure this is the record breaker (one more #1 off this album would make it six, a record for #1 songs on an album), but since it’s Katy Perry it will get close. Thank goodness she didn’t release “Peacock”. That song is trouble for us in the radio biz.

T-Pain w/Wiz Khalifa and Lily Allen “5 O’Clock”
This song didn’t need Lily Allen to be good, but she adds something to it that it wouldn’t have otherwise. Plus, it’s just nice to have Lily Allen on the air again, even if it’s only a little bit in one song.

Pick to click: Bruno Mars

Saturday I went to Sioux Falls to do my own thing on my birthday. It was a very strange day. I found myself questioning why I was there alone, and why I was thinking about buying some of the things I wanted to buy. It isn’t really a secret that I collect G.I. Joe figures, but this was my 38th birthday. The thought that maybe it was time to give it up was crossing my mind while I crossed the town trying to find any new ones. Later that day I found myself at the Empire Mall, and to my dismay the FYE was long gone. Waldenbooks had also closed, and there were other new stores here and there I didn’t recognize. It also didn’t help my mood when I found a super sweet Captain America hoodie at Hot Topic that was over sixty bucks. I remembered there was a Batman hoodie at Wal-Mart that was much cheaper, but then as I was walking through the mall I saw somebody wearing it, and it looked rather hideous. It didnt’ help that the person wearing it was of a similar build to me, and all I could think was that it was silly for a 38-year-old to wear such a thing, especially if it wasn’t very flattering to somebody who needed to lose a few pounds. I was ready to just call it a day and head home after that, but I kept driving around, finding a few more things to buy, and finding a smile after listening to some new William Shatner music. On the way to Kate’s parent’s house, I stopped at the Brookings Wal-Mart to use the restroom and check for some new G.I. Joes, just in case. In Sioux Falls I checked five stores to no luck, and I check one store in Brookings and find them. A few Joes and a soda and I was on my way. Once I got to the farm, I started feeling a bit more like myself and less like a mopey ”oh noes I’m 38 and what does that mean and AD;KLFJA;KLFJA;DMNlkhgd”.

Then Braeden put it all in perspective by totally throwing up all over the backseat. There is no way he had eaten that much all week. Damn.

The new William Shatner album is worth hearing once. I’m sure I’ll listen more than once, but not as often as I’ve listened to Has Been. That album is a damn fine work. My album of the year is still probably Adele, but St. Vincent might be right up there too.

Well, now that I’ve cut down the gap to two weeks, can I actually do a post on time this week? Stay tuned, and have a great Autumn.

KKCK that one week:

LMFAO “Sexy and I Know It”
This is one catchy number, but I feel awkward front selling it, due to the fact I am not sexy and I know it.

Patrick Stump w/Lupe Fiasco “This City”
I wasn’t sure this would get Mr. Stump’s solo career going, but people seem to be digging it,and I’ve even come around.

Jessie J. “Domino”
If she could do an entire album like this song, she’d be onto something.

Mumford and Sons “Roll Away Your Stone”
Our jocks either love or hate Mumford and sons. By “love” I mean me, and by “hate” I mean everyone else.

Drake “Headlines”
I don’t know what it is about Drake, but I never like his stuff until I hear it about ten times. Those first nine listens I can’t stand his stuff. That tenth listen hits and then I’m cool with ‘em.

Pick to click: Patrick Stump

KKCK that other week:

Demi Lovato “Skyscraper”
Her comeback is impressive, and it’s too bad this song isn’t.

Lloyd w/Andre 3000 “Dedication to my Ex”
Our only previous Lloyd song was a ballad, but I’m pleased as punch to convey this song is not. It makes me want to dance extra badly.

Britney Spears “Criminal”
Hey, not every track on Femme Fatale can be super great, right?

Remington “Get It Back”
This is some good old-fashioned pop rock like they used to make back in the day.

pick to lick: Lloyd

KKCK that recent week:

Nicki Minaj w/Rihanna “Fly”
Once again, Nicki Minaj drops a slow song that’s rather “meh” rather than a faster song. Notice that her best charting song so far was “Super Bass” which was an interesting fast one.

Rihanna “We Found Love”
I’m not sure what to think about this one, but I’m sure it will do well.

Coldplay “Paradise”
I hate to say this song reminds me of another song, especially since Coldplay has been sued a bunch for that, but I can’t help but think this one reminds me of something else.

Nicole Scherzinger “Don’t Hold Your Breath”
“The X Factor” will help her single’s chances on the chart, but this one is good enough to make it on its own.

Cory Lamb “It’s a Good Day”
This song is trying to be the un-Daniel Powter song, and it kinda works.

Pick to click: Rihanna

I honestly think most of the stuff I used to put here gets condensed and posted on my twitter feed, so there’s that.

I think more fruitful writing days are coming. I just don’t know when.

Hopefully.

Possibly.

Maybe.

KKCK from a fortnight ago:

New Boyz “Better with the Lights Off”
If you’re actually going to use that in a song, you’d better knock it out of the park. I’d call this a triple at best.

Jason DeRulo “It Girl”
The first time I heard this, I didn’t like it. However, every time I play it now I find myself enjoying it.

Gavin DeGraw “Not Over You”
He’s hoping you’re all not over him. Time will tell.

Kaitlyn Knippers “Scissors in my Heart”
She’s 15, spunky, Texan, and has opened for Hot Chelle Rae. This might be a big sleeper.

Pick to click: Jason DeRulo

KKCK from the week prior:

Swedish House Mafia “Save the World”
The name of this group simultaneously reminds me of the SNL skid “Deep House Dish” and Tom Green saying his “bum is on the Swedish” over and over. Since I’m not talking about the song, that’s your clue about how “meh” I am about it.

Selena Gomez & the Scene “Love You Like a Love Song”
I was expecting a ballad based on the title, but I was pleasantly surprised by the future Mrs. Bieber.

David Guetta w/Usher “Without You”
Game over man. Just put the #1 by it.

Katrina “Shame on Me”
This one is growing on me, but I’m worried that this particular style of music on a CHR might have passed us by.

Kristian Valen “Still Here”
It’s a bit Daniel Bedingfield sounding, and some people miss him, right?

Pick to click: David Guetta w/Usher

KKCK the most recent:

DJ Khaled w/Rick Ross “I’m On One”
Back in olden times, a song could be big on one format (CHR Rhythmic and/or Urban Mainstream) and by the time it hit CHR, it would find a whole new audience. In the iPod/iTunes/YouTube/bittorrent era, I’m not sure this is really the case. I think they waited too long to push this one to CHR.

Kelly Clarkson “Mr. Know It All”
The original American Idol is back with a song that sounds a lot like she’s still doing what her label tells her to, which is for the best as far as her career goes.

Bush “The Sound of Winter”
Wait, what? I was looking for a Shag song to make the jump over, and I noticed this one was actually getting some CHR love. I figured it was worth a few spins.

Jay-Z & Kanye West “Otis”
The first five times I heard this song, I didn’t like it at all. Then I listened to the entire Watch the Throne album and it just clicked.

Pick to click: Kelly Clarkson

I thought I had a window to not be three weeks behind, but that didn’t happen. At some point my life might stop being so nuts, but until then all I can do is shoot for an actual on time blog this Wednesday.

KKCK part 1:

Rihanna “Cheers (Drink to That)”
I actually didn’t think much of this song, and that’s saying something considering it has an Avril Lavigne sample. It appears (chartwise anyway) I’m in the minority.

The Script “Nothing”
This band has really hit a formula that should do them well for quite a while. This song is a great example of that formula in action.

Adele “Someone Like You”
She’s still selling a ton of records, which is helping her songs get traction on the pop charts. This is a good thing.

Fountains of Wayne “Someone’s Gonna Break Your Heart”
No matter what label they call home, they always bring their major game. It’s too bad they’ll always be the “Stacy’s Mom” band.

Pick to click: Rihanna short-term/Adele long-term

KKCK part 2:

Alexandra Stan “Mr. Saxobeat”
Finally, someone is making the airwaves safe for saxophone music again. This is one of those songs I find really catchy for no reason I can figure out.

Dev w/Flo Rida “In the Dark”
Is this another song with saxophone? Isn’t it a sped-up sample of the sax part of “Calabria” by Enur w/Natasja? Is this another one I like and don’t know why? [Answers: yes, I'm pretty sure, yes]

Lady Gaga “You and I”
Wow, she really has strong vocal feelings about Nebraska. Also, it’s her first ballad, so this should be a monster track for all the monsters.

Dalal “Taste the Night”
Electronic pop with a slight European flair? Yes please.

Pick to click: Lady Gaga

KKCK part 3:

Matt Nathanson “Faster”
He’s right; this is faster than the last song of his we played (“Come On, Get Higher”). It’s a good sound for him.

Skylar Grey “Invisible”
The weird stutter in the music always makes me think our server is about to die. Why does Skylar Grey want me to be stressed?

Evanescence “What You Want”
After a week with this song, I’m still not sure what to make of it. It is nice to have Amy Lee back.

Wiz Khalifa “No Sleep”
Our night guy has been on me to add this for weeks. I saw it heading towards the chart, so I hopped on board even though I find the song rather boring.

Cody Simpson “On My Mind”
Somebody tell Jesse McCartney he’s been replaced.

Pick to click: Skylar Grey

This is the problem with writing one of these after a few weeks. Three weeks ago I had stuff on my mind, and two weeks ago I had ample stuff to talk about. Now it’s time to type it out and it’s all gone or condensed into tweets.

I think I’m going to buy a keyboard for my iPad. I was hoping to utilize it for writing while on trips, but I just can’t adjust to the touchscreen for typing. I’ve decided to put my current writing project on the shelf (finally) until I can think of a better way to wrap up the story. I’m feeling a strong urge to write something…different. We’ll see if I get started this week.

I picked a bad day to finally get this written. I’ve been thinking a lot about my mom today. There was a stretch this morning where I was having a hard time working (luckily Sunday Mornings on KMHL aren’t super hectic). I was always worried I’d be a super wreck after she died, but to everyone’s (and my) surprise I handled it well. I’m wondering if the breakdown I feared having about it for years is just late getting here. It’s so hard seeing my daughter start to grow without her around to be here to see it. She loved Braeden, but she never had a daughter of her own and was always hoping for another granddaughter (besides my niece Rebecca). I know most of you will say “oh, she’s there in spirit” or “she’s watching from heaven” or something along those lines. To that I say:

not helping.

I hope you all enjoy the last full week of August. It should be a good one.

KKCK last week:

Maroon 5 & Christina Aguilera “Moves Like Jagger”
Adam Levine declared this was the summer jam before it came out. I think that was a bit early and a big bit optimistic. It’s nice that Christina Aguilera is on a hit record again.

Afrojack w/Eva Simmons “Take Over Control”
I’m liking the new electro-pop thing that David Guetta helped usher in. It does lead to bad dancing, but enough about what I do in the studio.

Pitbull “Rain Over Me”
I’m still blown away at how much Pitbull has gone from a rapper I could have cared less about to an international sensation I enjoy listening to. It’s really crazy. This song is another banger that should keep him on top.

Red Hot Chili Peppers “The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie”
I’ll be honest…I expected weirder.

Blink 182 “Up All Night”
I’ll be honest…I expected something a bit different. Well, a LOT different. I’m not sure what this even is.

Pick to click: Pitbull

KKCK this week:

Kelly Rowland & Lil’ Wayne “Motivation”
Is this song what I think it’s about? Hey, whatever gets Kelly some notice. I’m worried she’s slipping into Art Garfunkel/John Oates territory.

Tinie Tempah w/Wiz Khalifa “Till I’m Gone”
Am I the only one referring to Tinie as “Brit-Hop”? I am? Shoot, I thought that was gold. Anyway, this one should do just as well (if not better) that his last one. Wiz is no guaranteed help though (his remix wasn’t enough to save Cee-Lo’s last song).

The Kooks “Junk of the Heart (Happy)”
I’d forgotten we’d played the Kooks once before until I did some research. I’m not sure this is their crossover success story in-waiting, but stranger things have happened.

Forever the Sickest Kids “Summer Song”
This song scratches an itch the station didn’t know it had. Also, it picks up some slack from Blink 182 (since they went prog metal or something).

Kreayshawn “Gucci Gucci”
This was either too late or a bad idea from the start. I see no middle ground. I just can’t help loving this song. I’ll buy her album when it drops in a few months.

Pick to click: Tinie Tempah w/Wiz Khalifa

I’ve had a few people ask me about that weird experience I had in KKCK’s studio about a month ago. It was around 4:45 PM on a Friday, and my mind was wandering. It wandered to my mom, and a few seconds later I had a really weird feeling. It was like someone was in the room with me, and it felt like my mother. I could feel her put her arms around me, and I could feel this incredible sadness pouring out of her. This odd sensation lasted about a minute, and then it was like she stepped away from me and just stood there another minute. Then, it was all over. I almost cried in the studio, but I fought it off. It was unlike any experience I’ve ever had.

Another weird experience I’ve had recently was on the 4th of July. I was at the park waiting for the fireworks, and I was staring up at the sky. I noticed the sky looked odd, and it occurred to me I could see the pixels. I know it sounds crazy, but it was like I was looking at a computer monitor intently enough to start making out pixels. Kate asked what I was staring at, and I said “I can see the pixels in the sky”. I think she thought I was nuts more nuts that usual. I didn’t see much online having to do with that phenomenon, but I kept thinking about the theory that we’re all part of some computer simulation or a holographic universe. I would guess that if a computer was advanced enough to create all this they’d have a higher quality monitor.

In less weird (or more weird if you ask a few of my exes) news, it has now been six years since Kate and I admitted that we wanted to start seeing each other. It’s weird how a relationship can both seem new while at the same time it’s hard to remember life before it started. It’s even more nuts to think that the journey is really just beginning, since Braeden is sprinting away from toddler-town to childhood, and B’Elanna is starting to transition from an infant to a more interactive baby.

Captain America might be my new favorite movie of the year, even if I thought it drug in a few spots. I can’t hold those parts against it, as they’re based on my own bias about the character. One of the things I find interesting about Captain America is the “man out of time” angle, and a movie about his origin doesn’t deal with that side of him. It’s a fun, action packed super-hero movie set against the backdrop of a good WWII movie. What the movie also does deftly is make a feel good movie about Captain America without being a chest-pounding “AMERICA F**K YEAH” movie. There’s a great conversation early in the film between Dr. Erskine and Steve Rogers that really hits the nail on the head.

I’m still in a bit of shock that it’s almost August.

Have a swell [time in your area that you read this].