Chuck Berry talks about genre on Soul Train

Laquinta asks "Do you find blues more soothing than today's sounds?"¹ to which Chuck Berry replies "Well, to me, each type of music is a feeling, and blues, there's nothing that can replace it when you're blue. And there's nothing that can replace rock when you're reeling, and so on..."

Playlist for the Unpopular Music Webcast for March 25, 2017

Here we are once again,

We're a bit light on jazz this week, a bit more Afro-pop. Additionally, while looking for something to fill a gap, I came across a bunch of tracks that didn't fit, but seemed to kind of go well together, so they now make up most of the second hour. And it being the first weekend of spring, we have our traditional Stravinsky offering (no pun intended).

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See the playlist after the break...

Playlist for the Unpopular Music Webcast for March 18, 2017

A mixed bag today, we start with some hard bop and then jump around a bit. Maybe too many downers in the second hour, but it perks up towards the end.

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See the playlist after the break...

Playlist for the Unpopular Music Webcast for March 11, 2017

This week, Unpopular Music celebrates its third anniversary. I had planned to do something special, but instead put off assembling the program until about four hours ahead of time. We have a typically jazzy first hour, with a somewhat pretentious freeform second hour. It was also freezing cold (almost literally) in the studio, and the headphone amplifier had a short circuit. Nonetheless, it's a show I think you'll like (if you like this sort of thing, that is)!!

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See the playlist after the break...

Playlist for the Unpopular Music Webcast for March 4, 2017

A last minute creation which got off to a terrible start, but turned out OK. A pretty wide variety of music this week - some different flavors of jazz, music from Algeria and Ethiopia, French baroque, poetry readings, and a couple of pop songs. I was hesitant at first about the opera selection, but I heard a program on another station that played both Maria Callas and Patsy Cline and figured "why can't I?"

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See the playlist after the break...

Playlist for the Unpopular Music Webcast for February 25, 2017

We have a typically jazzy first hour, followed by a somewhat loose collection of odds and ends (though still somewhat jazzy) for the second. Technical difficulties around the 45 minute mark leave me a bit frazzled (I mean, "James Moody on guitar"), but we, and the BFR computer generally recover. (Although if I had to do it over again, I would have put the Grachan Moncur tune at the top of the second hour (and figured out how to correctly pronounce his first name))

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Also, a rare joint appearance by Meredith and Thelonious Monk (no relation).


See the playlist after the break...

Webcast info for February 18, 2017

Hi folks,

I have to be out of town this weekend, so in my stead we will have my pre-recorded self presenting the Unpopular Music episode from last October 8th. It's a bit on the obscure side, and the recording is a bit fuzzy, but there are many stimulating sounds.

We'll be back next week.

Playlist for the Unpopular Music Webcast for February 11, 2017

Greetings from a snowy Somerville Saturday. I was a little disheveled for most of the program. I sometimes say that the host is the weakest link in this production. This is one of those times.

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I forgot to get the random playlist that was running before my time slot to stop on time, so that Ted Hawkins track carried over past noon, but it was too good to leave out.

A relatively low jazz content this week, there's entries from Brazil and Africa, some new-classical type things from the Soviet Union, German techno-pop, some long slow quiet things, a couple of interesting pop covers and more.

Meanwhile the playlist is in its usual place after the break...

Playlist for the Unpopular Music Webcast for February 4, 2017

A show for the midway point of winter. I have not heard whether or not the groundhog saw his shadow. Doesn't matter. Winter will end whenever Trump orders it.

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However, I, alone, decide the playlist. See for yourself after the break...

Webcast info for January 28, 2017

I'm out of town this weekend, so this week you are treated to a classic episode from the archives, in particular the program from September 17th, 2016. It features some long pieces, as I was feeling lazy that week, and also some explorations of jazz and classical connections, with mixed success.

Anyway, see you next week.

Playlist for the Unpopular Music Webcast for January 21, 2017

A bit of a grab-bag today. I had some things I was going to say, but then I didn't. I thought of some others and kinda babbled them out. Wait. I shouldn't be down on myself like this. This show is awesome! Be super cool like me and listen to it. You'll thank yourself later.

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See the playlist after the break...

Playlist for the Unpopular Music Webcast for January 14, 2017

Here's a pretty loosely assembled program for you this week. It was kind of a low energy week for me. I tried not to repeat too many albums from last week, but, you know how things are.

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Also, abrupt endings and tape hiss.

See for yourself after the break...

Playlist for the Unpopular Music Webcast for January 7, 2017

The first webcast of the new year finds us waiting for in a snowstorm with the now somewhat typical raucous first hour, contemplative, yet not, as I attempt to say, somnambulant second hour.

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See the playlist after the break...

webcast info for December 31, 2016

If all goes well, you'll be enjoying a rebroadcast of the program from November 7, 2015.

I forget whatever caused the crisis the destroyed my composure for the opening mic break, but I recall it all turning out alright.

If all continues to go well, we'll have a new show next Saturday.

Happy New Year!

webcast info for December 24, 2016

No live webcast today as the SCATV compound is closed, and I'm off to the homestead regardless.

If all systems go there will be a rebroadcast of the December 19, 2015, last year's Unpopular Christmas episode, which had some technical disasters issues resulting in (at least) the first mic break not getting recorded, and one selection I instantly regretted, so it is highly edited (as promised) with some bonus material at the end.

If that's not enough, there is also the Unpopular Christmas episode from December 20, 2014.

Playlist for the Unpopular Music Webcast for December 17, 2016

A show for folks dressed up like Eskimos, about more or less half Christmas music (and that's if you count as Christmas songs certain songs that are not Christmas songs but are actually about winter, but are only ever to be played before Christmas, which is only around the fifth day of winter.)

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see the playlist after the break...

Playlist for the Unpopular Music Webcast for December 10, 2016

Holiday festivities in the SCATV compound provide some extra ambience, but they don't infiltrate the webcast (well, there's some of Messiaen's Christmas music, but you wouldn't know it without being told.) We've got some jazz and new music, and a couple of poppy thing, and we finally get around to memorializing Pauline Oliveros. (Nothing today for Greg Lake however, but possibly soon, and likely not the least jolly of Christmas songs.)

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See the playlist after the break...

Playlist for the Unpopular Music Webcast for December 3, 2016

A bleak early December afternoon, and hopefully the music doesn't match too closely. We hear more from albums we've previously recently sampled. I hope that's not too bothersome, but apparently, that's how this program works. It's a mostly jazzy show, with great variety within the"jazz" landscape. The second hour get a little quiet, but hopefully not bleak and/or ponderous.

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See the playlist after the break...

Playlist for the Unpopular Music Webcast for November 19, 2016

A program so last minute, I just finished typing this up.

A mostly jazz show with memorial tributes to Mose Allison and Boston Symphony cellist Jules Eskin, the latest in a series not only seemingly never ending, but one that doesn't even let you stop to catch your breath. The last half-hour, I'll admit, is a bit of a grab bag, but an appealing one.



See the playlist after the break

Duty Now for the Future

George Carlin once said "the revolution is about values, what you'll do for a buck, what you'll do with a buck."

In these orange times, it's going to be important for us to look out for each other, as our already threadbare safety net will be challenged. The good folks at Jezebel.com have offered up a list of reasonable and reputable options. I might also suggest your local foodbank and domestic abuse shelter.