Music Director Note: CD Checkout Box

Hi, all!

Just a quick note that there is a new system for checking out CDs from the library.

On the desk upstairs, you will find an ugly green plastic box (I found it in some stuff that Mom gave me when she cleaned out her garage, and it's probably vintage 1976 or so...) On the box is a label that says "CD CHECKOUT".  Inside the box are some nice, big index cards (there will be more as I carve out time to make them).  Please fill out one of these cards with your name and contact information at the top, followed by the CDs you check out.  It's pretty easy to figure out.  There's an example card in the front.

Thanks for respecting the KRZA music library and taking good care of our CD collection.  I'll give you the lowdown on the latest releases when we're back from the big conference in Boulder this week.  Until then,  be nice to Laura and Gerald while we're gone.

Ciao!

Music Director Notes 11-2-12: Top Picks

Howdy, all!

First post-fund-drive post here.  Thought I'd take a break from catching up on the usual backlog of previewing and talk at ya for a few minutes.

MUSIC DIRECTORS PICKS

Jazz: 
Joe Gilman: Relativity
Jeff Holmes Quartet: Of One's Own

The Verge: Introducing The Verge
Diana Krall: Glad Rag Doll
Andrea Brachfeld: Lady of the Island (GREAT jazz flute--rare!)


Classical:
Pacific Mozart Ensemble: Brubeck & American Poets:  (yes the same Dave Brubeck of jazz piano fame)
Baton Rouge Symphony Chamber Players: Weill, Ibert, Berg

Folk/Acoustic/Singer-Songwriter:
Rodriguez: Searching for Sugar Man

World: 

Mary Jane Lamond, Wendy Macisac: Leinn (This CD seems to have already disappeared; whoever aired it last, please return it, pronto!)
Ya Amar: Egyptian Project

Hip-Hop: 
Background Noise Crew: Everybody Does This

Rock: 
Local H: Hallelujah!  I'm A Bum
R.E.M.: Document
Steve Harris (founder of Iron Maiden): British Lion
Mumford & Sons: Babel
Mark Mallman: Double Silhouette (quirky as hell)
David Cale: Shifty Adventures in Nookie Wood
Paul Barrere and Roger Cole: Nova Train

Thanks, all!

Music Director Notes 10-5-12: Those Darn White Labels

T'was the day before the Fund Drive, and all through the station
People watched the debates and shook their heads at the nation.

Well, okay, so I'm not that great at poems...but I didn't watch the debates, either.  I like being happy.

CD WEEDING

The topic for today's post is "Weeding: Why on earth do we have to put the date and the track number on those stupid white labels on front of the CDs, which block the information I need for my playlists half the time?  I just wanna play music, here!"

Okay, I don't blame you, and please note that, due to the squeaking of several wheels, I just moved those annoying DJ Feedback sticky notes from the front of most of the CDs to the inside, so that should help you out with the whole white label thing.

As always, there's a reason we do things the way we do them here (other than to torture you, which is fun, but sometimes counterproductive.)  We receive roughly 40 new CDs every week, and some of them eventually end up out in the library.  About once a year per section, it's the Music Director's job to go through the library and pull out CDs that nobody seems to be interested in so that we have room for the 2500 or so new CDs coming in.

How do I know whether or not you're interested in a CD?  You guessed it--I look at the white label!  If I see that a CD hasn't been played in 4, 5, 10, 12 years?  Out it goes, unless it's by a well-known artist or it has been played a lot.  If the white label is full of your handwriting, it gets a new white label for you make notes on.

Quite often, I see a white label with dates but no years on it.  Something like this:

If this CD hasn't been played since 2004, I should pull it to make room for something more appealing to you guys, but I can't tell.  Can you?

By the way, what happens to the CDs once they get pulled from the library is that first Gerald, our Program Director, goes through them and pulls out anything that should be kept in.  Then we ask the DJs who specialize in that genre of music to go through them and do the same.  The ones that don't make it through this process get taken to area music festivals and other places where KRZA sets up a booth and are given to people in return for filling out a survey.  Or you can take them home, too, if you like.

Okay, on to the New Releases for the week:

NEW RELEASES

Quite a haul this week!  The music promoters are finally beginning to get what we do and don't air here, so there's less junk to go through.  Which I like!  :-)

Jazzites:

• Diana Krall: We have Diana Krall, we have Diana Krall, we have Diana Krall....okay, I'll quit boring you.  I'll just say that Glad Rag Doll really takes the 1930's Frank Sinatra sound to the next level! 
• The Verge: And now, for something a little different...
• Andrea Brachfield: You don't see decent jazz flute come along every day, and Andrea is now my new heroine.  If I focused exclusively on jazz and practiced eight hours every day for ten years with a top-notch band, I might...MIGHT...sound like her.  Maybe.  

Worldings:

• Mary Jane Lamond and Macisac: Celtic music from Cape Breton Island; again, something we don't see every day, so let's encourage the music promoters to send us more by airing it.

Rockers: 
All I can say is, if you're not checking out the New Releases, you're missing out, big time!

• R.E.M. "Document"
• Steve Harris (Founder of Iron Maiden) "British Lion"
• Mumford & Sons "Babel"

    Also, 

• Local H "Halleluiah, I'm A Bum": Good stuff!
• Mark Mallman "Double Silhouette": Quirky, quirky, quirky!

Classical:  Dave Brubeck--yes, the very same Dave Brubeck, jazz pianist extraordinaire--composed classical choral music!  Check it out in the New Release section!

Hip-Hop: I really enjoyed Background Noise Crew, AND it's FCC clean!

Folk: Apparently there's a film out about Sixto Rodriguez, 70's Mexican-American folk artist, and now KRZA proudly owns the soundtrack, which features music solely by him.  Oh, yeah!

See ya after the fund drive!

Music Director Notes 9-25-12: Playlists Part 2

Howdy, all!

Okay, just a couple of examples of "how NOT to fill out a playlist", and then I promise to move on to the New Releases.

PLAYLIST REPORTS PART TWO

Not-So-Good Data Entry, Continued: 

(I just found out that you can click on these pictures, and they get nice and big so that you can see them. Try it!)

Example No. 5

Okay, there's still some misunderstanding around Tracking Numbers vs. track numbers.  Just to be clear, the "Tracking Number" means the 5-digit number on the upper right of the white label, not the track number on the back of the CD.  CMJ doesn't care WHICH song is played from a CD, or that PART of a song has been played; it just cares that a song has been played.

Also, this is a great example to illustrate that a New Release ALWAYS has a Tracking Number (unless I forget to write it on--duh.)  If a CD has a Tracking Number, it's a New Release.  If you're entering a Tracking Number, you should be toggling "New" in Spinitron. If you're toggling "New", you should be entering a Tracking Number.

I realize that toggling "New" is kind of a repetition of effort, but again, every little bit helps me do the reporting, and it also tells the listeners who log in to the website to see your playlist that what you played is a new release.

Okay, now it's your turn.  What's wrong with the following playlists?

Test 1

Test 2

Test 3

Test 4

Test 5

(Actually, there's nothing wrong with the last two.  I was just seeing if you were paying attention.)

Okay, that's it.  Next time, CD weeding:

• Why we ask you to write track numbers and dates on the white labels, and 
• Why those annoying sticky notes are on front of the New Release CDs

And now, on to...

NEW RELEASE HIGHLIGHTS:

Rockers: If you're a fan of Mumford and Sons, check out The Dunwells.  I also recommend Kate Miller-Heidke (pop), Ben Folds Five (rock-pop), Alt-J (indie-pop) and, of course, the Dave Matthews Band.  Metalheads, check out Before the Dawn and Knell; both albums are (I think) FCC clean, or at least mostly clean.

Jazz: I'm not a huge fan of Kurt Elling, but the band in 1619 Broadway is so good, I have to recommend this album.  Also, for Swingtime hosts, check out the Preservation Hall Jazz Band; ya can't get any more New Orleans than this (although they snuck some bluegrass in there, too).  Dave Douglas, of course, always puts out great music, so check out his album, "Be Still"; it's not. Still, that is. Finally, don't let the name "4thward Afro Klezmer Orchestra" put you off; this album is seriously smokin'!

World: If you haven't already, check out The Olllam, kind of on the quieter side of rock/pop/Celtic crossover.  Very nice.  I also liked the Soul Jazz Orchestra, which incorporates the elements of its name, plus Afrobeat and other cool stuff.  Enjoy!

Thanks, all, and until next time...

Music Director Notes, 9-12-12: Playlists Part One

Howdy, all!

So I thought I would start a little "what is wrong with this playlist" series, as a way to educate and reinforce what you, being the brilliant and savvy DJs you are, already know about playlists.  This is probably a classic case of "preachin' to the choir", since, if you have been reading this blog, you already know how to use Spinitron as well as I do...but perhaps if you run into a fellow DJ, you can tell them about all of the great  information here and encourage them to visit and get the latest scoop.  Deal?

PLAYLIST REPORTS PART ONE

Introduction:

Your playlist is one of the most important--and yes, time-consuming--parts of your job as a KRZA DJ.  So, why all of the fuss about playlists?  Well, there are four reasons:

1. KRZA is legally required to report everything that goes out over the air, including music.
2. Reporting the music that gets aired enables the artists to get paid for airplay.
3. Playlists are now published online, and this enables your fans to see what songs you played for them, any day, any time of day.  Nice, huh?
4. Most important to me, selfish being that I am, is that I use your playlists to report new release airtime to CMJ--the College Music Journal.  Artists and music distributors read the reports generated by CMJ and based on these reports, send us (mostly) appropriate new music to play.  Free.  We like free.  So when you play new releases on your show, it keeps KRZA's sound sound fresh and unique, and encourages artists to keep creating new music for us to enjoy.  It's a win-win situation all the way around. We all like that!

The Spinitron Report:

By now you are quite familiar with the input screen of Spinitron.  You know how to data-enter the artist, album, label, time, and most of you know what the Tracking Number is and where it goes, and what the "New" toggle is for.

So, what happens after you've submitted your playlist after your show?  Well, here's where I step in.  I log into Spinitron as an Administrator and generate a report that looks like this (I blacked out the DJ and show names):

                                                               Spinitron Playlist Report

I take this report and count up the number of times a song from a new release CD is played.  For instance, I see from the above screen shot that three songs from Loreena McKennitt's "Troubadours on the Rhine", tracking number 13315, was aired on this particular date.  So I take this number--3, for three songs--enter it next to the Music Database entry for "Troubadours on the Rhine", compile it, and send that data to CMJ:

                                                                 KRZA's Music Database

The playlist report from Spinitron (the first screenshot above) represents seven day's worth of playlists.  This particular one was 22 pages long.  That's a lot of music to keep track of, which is why I'm always hounding you to do good data entry.  If you feed me too much, too little, or incorrect information, it really slows me down on the reporting, and then I don't get to do my other job duties, like maintaining the library so that you can find the CDs you want...or writing articles for this blog.

Good Data Entry:

So, let's take a look at three examples of correct data entry:

Example 1: 

This DJ clicked "New" in Spinitron and entered the correct Tracking Number under "Song Notes", and these values are present in the final two columns to the right.  Great job!

Here's another example of good data entry :

Example 2:

Wups, the goofy Music Director forgot to write the Tracking Number on the label on front of the CD.  Yeah, I'm afraid this happens a lot; sorry.  The above example illustrates a great way to let me know.  Below is another way that works just fine:

Example 3:

Notice that "New" is still toggled in both cases.  This is crucial.  Here's why:

Not-So-Good Data Entry:

Example 4:

This snippet has one New Release song in it.  Can you tell, at a glance, which one it is?

Next time, we'll have another installment on the playlist stuff.  For now, on to the New Releases:

NEW RELEASES

Bluegrass: Ricky Skaggs!  'Nuff said.

Rock: Judas Priest, their 30th Anniversary, two-CD collection!  Oh, my, oh, my...wait, did I say 30 years?  Ouch, that hurts...

Jazz: Diana Krall has a new album coming out on Verve, and we have a single preview, "Just Like A Butterfly"!  Play it lots so we get the whole thing!  (Sigh...I have such a crush on Diana Krall.  Not only is she blond and gorgeous with legs a mile long, but she has more talent in her little finger than ten Brittany Spears'.  Too bad Elvis got to her first...but oh, what a marriage!)

World: Fatoumata Diawara is an actress-turned-singer from Mali.  Good career move, there.

Latin: If you like the new generation of electronic Latin music, have a listen to Bang Data.  Be careful for profanity in the lyrics, though; the little bit of English I listened to was okay, but I'm not bilingual.

Blues: Greg gave Magic Slim and the Teardrops a big thumbs-up, and I have to agree.  Enjoy!

Some Of Each: Tizer is a jazz-rock-world fusion band, and they're really good and really popular in Europe.  I put them in Jazz, but it was a tough call.  Yes, they're going to stick out of a jazz program a bit.  But then, they're going to stick out in World and Rock, too.  So, if you'd like a little pizzazz in your jazz show, give them a listen.

Until next time...

Music Director Notes 8-29-12: Picks of the Week

Howdy, all!

Don't really have much else to say this week, so here's some of the New Releases: 

WORLD MUSIC: Continuing our fabulous haul from ARC: 

• Valentina Ponomareva: Gypsy Romances from Russia
• Osvaldo Chacon y su Timba: Salsa Afro Cubana
• Vivienne Dogan-Corringham and George Hadjineophytou: Popular Turkish folk songs
• American Indian Powwow: Music of the Navajo Indians
• Saor Patrol (Pronounced "Shore Patrol"): 
• Duncarron 
• Two Headed Dog. (Basically the same tunes as Duncarron...but they add distorted rock and roll rhythm guitar to the pipes and drums, and it sounds fabulous!)

CLASSICAL: 

• The Modern Mandolin Quartet: Americana features a quartet of mandolins performing famous works by Aaron Copland, George Gershwin, and other American composers.  Fun!  
• Celine Ricci and Daniel Lockert: Le Bestiaire. Songs for soprano and piano--all about animals.

JAZZ:

• Concord has released their Summer 2012 sampler, featuring remasters of some of the greats. Always good.
• Lou Pallo of Les Paul's Trio: Thank You, Les.  You're not going to hear guitar playing this good for a looooong time--enjoy!

ROCK:

• Girlyman: Performed at the last ALMA Sundays at Six concert, and they're pretty darn fabulous. 

BLUEGRASS: 

• Michael Connolly and Miller McNay dish up a tasty serving of both original and traditional tunes.  Great stuff!

Until next time...

A Couple of Quick Spinitron Things: 8/21/12

Hey, all ~

Just a couple of quick Spinitron things before I dive in to work for the day:

1. If you're using your own laptop to access Spinitron, point your browser to  www.spinitron.com/member/logon.php

2. If Spinitron gives you the "Cookies" error--it goes something like "It looks like cookies aren't enabled in your browser, etc. etc."--just close and reopen Internet Explorer.  You should be all set.

Okay, that's it.  See ya later...

Music Director Notes 8-16-12: New Blog Widget

Wow, it's been over two weeks since I talked to y'all!  My, how time gallops...

BLOG UPDATE

New widget allows you to receive notification about new blog posts

So, just in case you didn't see yesterday's  post, please notice that there is a new gadget on the top of the colored strip to the right of this web page that will allow you to sign up for email notifications when there is a new blog post.  It's easy as pie to sign up for, so don't miss out!  Be smart! Stay informed about new stuff in the studio and the best of the new releases!

NEW RELEASES

World: Oh, man, what a haul this week!  I got in touch with ARC about a month ago, and we're now on their distribution list, so "stay tuned" for more great releases from this label!  In the meantime, enjoy:

• Black Umfolosi's "Summertime", echoes of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, but from Zimbabwe instead of South Africa
• The Persian Azeri Project's "From Shiraz to Baku", a Middle Eastern trio of tar/setar, kamancha, and percussion, performing original as well as traditional compositions
• Las Chicas Del Tango: A trio of women performing a fusion of tango from both Argentina and Finland
• The New Queens of Fado: Female singer-songwriters from Portugal with fabulous voices
• ARC Music Sampler: Great stuff from all around the globe (Maury, I know you'll play this a lot! ;-)
• (Not from ARC): The latest album from Staff Benda Bilili, "Bouger le Monde".  These guys, as you know from their last release, play largely on homemade instruments, several members are survivors of polio, and the band does a lot of awareness raising of human rights violations in the Congo.  Fantastic!

Rockers:
If you have a real "party show" (I'm thinking about Jim, Greg, and Roman--hi, guys!), you've GOTTA check out the Texas Hippy Coalition. If you like good, hard rock with a blues bent, these are your guys!

Also, I don't think we have too many DJs airing heavy metal right now, but just in case one of you gets the urge....I'll be the first to admit that I don't know too much about metal, but I was impressed by Wretched and God Forbid.  There's some seriously sophisticated musical stuff going on with these bands, and ya can't beat the lyrics.  Not music for the small of brain!

Sing It Sisters: Dianne La Havas has a voice to die for.  I put her in Soul, but she was really tough to categorize.  I LOVED the first track, with its a cappella harmony vocals.

Jazzers:
Check out the Hot Club of Detroit; they have a sound I would describe as "modern gypsy jazz", all originals.  Love the singer's voice!  Also, Steve Williams and the Jazz Nation had the wisdom to invite Eddie Daniels to make a recording with them--good move!  If you haven't heard Eddie's tenor sax playing, he's gonna blow you away.  Finally, I'm not a big fan of swing jazz, but I really liked the Mark Master's Ensemble's "Ellington Saxophone Encounters".  Great big ensemble playing!

Blues: Alligator Records seldom gets it wrong, and Michael "Iron Man" Burks is no exception.  He may swing a wee bit in the rock direction on a few tracks on this album, but I would venture to guess it's still within the comfort range of true blues aficionados :-)

Enjoy, and until next time...

Music Director Notes, 7-27-12: World Music

Howdy, all!

WORLD MUSIC:

I'm ecstatic to announce that ARC will soon be sending us some more World music!  Here's a link to their newsletter, if you'd like to see what's coming up:

http://www.arcmusic.co.uk/downloads/arcmusicmedianewsletterjuly2012.pdf

Also, I'm slowly making progress on the World Music section.  I'm adding the country of origin of the artist to the white label on the front of each CD, and will eventually organize the World music into regions (Americas, North Africa, West Africa, Balkans, Jewish/Klezmer, etc.), with anthologies toward the left of each region, and alphabetical artists to the right.  If I couldn't figure out the country of origin, or there were several musical influences, I put it in "International", so if you don't find your favorite artist in the country that you think they're from, try the "International" section (for instance, Zap Mama is in "International" because her music incorporates a variety of styles.)

I realize that this organizational system has limitations--for instance, if you aren't sure from what country a favorite artist is, you're going to have a little more trouble finding their music.  On the other hand, if you feel like just playing some music from the Himalayas, you can go to that section and pick something out...and perhaps discover a new favorite artist you didn't know about before.

So, let's give this a try and see how it goes, and if you think that an artist has been miscategorized, by all means let me know, and let's see what we can figure out.

Now, for the New Releases: 

HIP-HOP
Our very own Gerald Rodriguez is a top-notch hip-hop artist, and we are now thrilled to have an FCC-clean copy of his CD, "Dirty Stylez".  Have fun!

WORLD
We have a promo copy of Dead Can Dance's new album "Anastasis.  (Actually, they sound more like ambient electronica to me, but there are a few world-y sounds in there.)

SINGER-SONGWRITER
Robin & Linda Williams are a Virginia couple who have been on Prairie Home Companion.  "These Old Dark Hills" is very nice.

JAZZ
If you're fond of really great bass riffs, look no further than Marcus Miller's Renaissance.  

Thanks for your patience, and until next time...

Music Director Notes, 7-24-12: Picks

Music Director Picks:

Two albums by Brian Bromberg:

1. "In the Spirit of Jobim" -- as it implies, Brazilian jazz
2. "Bromberg Plays Jimi Hendrix" -- rock, true Jimi Hendrix, guitar solos played on different types of bass. Awesome!

World: 
1. Robbie Gordon, an avid KRZA listener, was so inspired by a Ballads and Bluegrass show that he recorded and sent us a home-grown CD of pretty decent mandolin music, which includes some Russian tunes.  Very sweet of him--please give him some airplay.

2. Janka Nabay & the Bubu Gang: En Yay Sah

Music Director Notes, 7-16-12: White Labels

7/16/12 The Latest and greatest:

WHITE LABELS (The ones on front of the CD)

Please note that when we weed music out of the library, we use the white labels on front of the CDs as a gauge as to whether or not they're being played, so if you love a particular album, it is in your best interest to let us know you've played it.  Otherwise, if we see that it hasn't been played in over two (2) years, it goes away.


MUSIC DIRECTOR'S PICKS

ROCK: 
Midnight Empire: Everything and Nothing (Hard Rock)
Various Artists: The Inner Flame: A Tribute to Rainer Ptacek (Various styles)
The Smashing Pumpkins: Oceania (Alternative Rock)
Delta Rae: Carry the Fire (Pop Rock)

BLUES:
Sharon Lewis & Texas Fire: The Real Deal
Sonny Landreth: Elemental Journey

FOLK:
Woody Guthrie: Woody at 100: Selections from the Woody Guthrie Centennial Collection

JAZZ:
Branford Marsalis Quartet: Four MFs Playin' Tunes
Natalie Cressman & Secret Garden: Unfolding

Music Director Notes 7-3-12: Library Upheaval

Greetings, all!

Some wise person somewhere along the line said that "Change is the only constant in life".  Or something like that.

Well, in keeping with that theme, there are some changes coming down the pipeline.

LIBRARY SHUFFLING

1. Gaps: You're going to be noticing some big gaps in the main library stacks as Gerald and I do some heavy weeding of CDs.  Basically, what we're doing is pulling any CDs that haven't been played in over 2 years according to the labels on front of the cases.  If there are no labels, we're putting them on.  I know it's risky, but we're doing this in order to make room for the CDs in the "Recent Release" shelves.

2.  The Recent Release Shelves are being converted to the New to KRZA shelves: KRZA receives a lot of CDs as donations from individuals.  While these recordings are new to KRZA, they are seldom actually New Relases.  And so, we're converting what is now the Recent Release shelves into the "New To KRZA" shelves, and this is where you'll be able to find the cool stuff that's been out for awhile, but hasn't been in the KRZA library.

3. Recent Release Shelves are moving to the Main Library: The CDs currently in the Recent Release are going to be put into the main llibrary stacks, where they will actually be organized alphabetically in a way that you can actually find them! Imagine that!  :-)

4. Review of Weeded CDs: After Gerald and I go through the weeded CDs, you--as experts in your genre of music-- will have a chance to review the CDs that were weeded.  When you do this, you may put them back into the stacks, but please leave a note for us so that we know why you want to put it back in the library. We both still have a lot to learn about all the different kinds of music.  And PLEASE--we beg you--don't just go through and put everything back in the stacks.  We currently receive 5 CDs every single day--that's 150 CDs a momth, or almost 1800 a year--and are anticipating receiving even more--and we HAVE to make room for some of them! 

5. New Release Rock Subdivision: Mix-up and Rock DJ's, you'll now notice that the Rock section in New Release has been subdivided into the more classic-sounding stuff on the left (Blues rock/roots rock/folk rock, etc.) and the more pop-electronic stuff to the right (indie, pop, alternative, electronic).  Just read the tape under the shelves, and it'll all make sense.

All right, now the fun stuff!

MUSIC DIRECTOR'S PICKS

Rockers: If you're a Dead Head, check out "Beachwood Sparks"--I'm telling you, these guys are Dead ringers. Seriously. They make me write bad puns, they're that good. Also, check out the all-girl Goth band
"Accolade" for something a little different. Are they medieval rock?  Pagan punk?  You tell me...

World: Okay, so "Calibro 35" should probably belong in jazz because of the sound, but in KRZA's books, "World" music is "any music that is not from the U.S."...and Italy probably appreciates jazz more than we do in the U.S., anyway, so why the heck not add them to your show?

All right, gotta go start weedin'!

Music Director Notes 6-26-12: Picks

Helloooooooo...is there anybody out there?  Does anybody ever read this?

Well, I'll just tell myself my favorite picks of the week, then.  :-p

NEW RELEASES:
Jazz aficionados: Béla Fleck and the Marcus Roberts Trio have joined forces to create "Across The Imaginary Divide" in a delightful cross-genre exploration.  This album really demonstrates the magic that can
happen when top-notch musicians of ANY genre collaborate--truly brillliant! Also, check out
Stacey Kent's live album, "Dreamer In Concert", recorded in the famous La Cigale concert hall in Paris.

Rockers: A Band Called Catch's modus operandum is creating music to dance to--and this they do very well!  If you enjoyed shaking booty to 80's hair bands, then you'll love this album.  Also, Peter Cincotti's "Metropolis", a departure from his jazz endeavors into pop, is really quite good.  Be adventurous--check 'em out!

Latin:  I've decided to move all music from Latin America, including Curumin's "Arrocha", into the Latin section, so don't forget to look for your other favorite electronic Brazilian albums there.

That's it, short and sweet.  More next time...

Music Director Notes 6-18-12: Kudos!

Hey, all!

KUDOS!!!!

GREAT job on airing New Releases this week!  Hats off to these pioneers who are willing to stick their necks out, browse the New Releases for songs that haven't had airtime yet, and broadcast them to the upper Rio Grande region for the very first time ever!  You risk (gasp!) sometimes playing something that's not that great...but you might also just discover the next Beatles.  You never know unless you have the courage to try.

NEW RELEASE HIGHLIGHTS

Singer Songwriters: Kristian Matsson was featured on Morning Edition last week, and we are proud to have his new CD "There's No Leaving Now" in the studio.  If you like Bob Dylan, you'll love Kristian Matsson.

Rockers: Fans of 80's rock, have a listen to Japandroids "Celebration Rock".  Also, feel free to reach into the Blues section for Eric Sardinas and Walter Trout, just to add a little dirt to your show.  I mean, it's gardening season, right?

World Music: Smithsonian Folkways has just put out a new 2-CD set of the music of Central Asia.  Enjoy!

Jazz: Fans of vocal jazz will be pleased with the straight-ahead style of April Hall.  This CD would also be appropriate for the Swingtime show.  On the instrumental side, Anne Sajdera's piano trio album is a really nice sampling of straight-ahead jazz.

As always, thanks for "listening", and we'll see you next update!

DJ feedback notes

Hey again, all ~

I just wanted to reiterate how excited I am about giving you--the music experts and snobs on the "front lines" of the KRZA sound--more "say" in what goes over the air.  Up 'til now, I previewed everything heavily, making sure that only the crème de la crème made it into the library for you.  Now, I'm loosening the filters and allowing YOU to make those judgments, because God knows, I certainly don't know everything.  So, keep an eye out for the DJ feedback forms on the front of the New Releases, and scribble freely.

Okay, end of enthusing for now.  Have a great weekend!

Music Director Notes 6-11-12: Playlists online!

Greetings, Earthlings!  (There, now your suspicions are confirmed...)

KRZA PLAYLISTS ARE NOW ONLINE!
Thanks to our wonderful Office Manager, Laura, your playlists are now live online!  There's a nice, prominent link right on the main page of our website, www.krza.org, and everybody--listeners, other DJs, Smurfs, and citizens of Parallax IV--one and all can now click on that link and see what you've been playing.  When you get a chance, check it out!

MISSING CD
Does anyone happen to know the whereabouts of the new Norah Jones CD?  It was in the "Rock" section.  (Please don't make us re-implement the "count the New Release CDs before and after your show" policy...*I* don't want to do that, and I'm SURE that you don't!)

DJ FEEDBACK NOTES
You are going to begin seeing larger pieces of paper taped on the fronts of New Release CDs.  These papers are for you to scribble notes about what you think of the album you are airing.  Good?  Meh?  Are certain tracks awesome while others stink?  This is your opportunity to provide your honest feedback.

NEW RELEASES

I'm still catching up, but oh my there are some good ones in this crop!

Jazz / Latin Jazz:  There are about two artists a year that make me say "Oh. My. God".  Melody Gardot is one of them. Melody Gartot. "The Absence".  Oh. My. God.  Also, check out Brian Bromberg for some good, tight large ensemble work.

World: Niyaz "Sumud".  Yummy Middle Eastern spice to add to your show.  Mmmmmmmm.
Also consider Melody Gardot, in the "Vocal Jazz" section.  (See above: Oh. My. God.)

Okay, that's all I've got for now.  Until next time...

Music Director Notes 6-6-12: Spinitron Data Entry

I'm b-a-a-a-a-c-k!  And married!  And thrilled to be training one of our new Swingtime DJs, Doug Camp, a man who knows so much about jazz it should probably be illegal.  Welcome to the KRZA family, Doug; we're tickled pink to have you with us!

On to the news:

LOST AND FOUND CD BOX:
You'll notice that there is a nice, big box next to the Music Director's desk that says "Lost and Found (Library CDs Only).  Since you, as our on-air hosts, are the most familiar with our CD library, we thought it would make sense to ask you to help us reunite empty CD covers with their discs.  In the happy event that you DO reunite a disc with its cover, we ask that please put it back in the library--and then go celebrate in whatever fashion you see fit!  :-)

SPINITRON

Playlist Dates
Some of you well-organized hosts like to do your playlists before you do their shows.  This is actually a very sane practice (and one that I should probably engage in, myself...)  If you choose to put your playlist together ahead of time, just make sure to do the following when you set it up:

1. For the "I am working on the playlist" field, select  "before the show"
2. In the "Playlist Date" field, choose the date your show will air, not the date you're doing the data entry

This helps me report the correct music for the correct week without having to guess.

New Release Tracking Numbers (those little 5-digit numbers on the white labels I'm always pestering you about) -- GREAT JOB!!!  I think we almost have a perfect record now!  Just one or two  holdouts...

Your Playlists on the KRZA Website
Very soon--in the next couple of weeks--we are going to be able to publish your playlists at www.krza.org so that our listeners know what you're playing on your shows.  How cool is that?

Dont'cha love Spinitron?  I know I do...

NEW RELEASES

La Buena Onda: Unidad has released a new CD, "Igual Feliz", which we are now proud to have it in our library.

Rockers: Kimbra ("Vows") has an absolutely awesome voice, more on the pop side.  Reviewers say she's even better live--hard to imagine, given how amazing this recording is!

Jazz: Tim Carey is another top-notch bassist, and his new album "Room 114" is a nice example of modern jazz. If you feel like experimenting a little, OCDC's "Get The Blessing" crosses over into rock and even  metal, kind of in the vein of The Headhunters.

World: If you managed to get over to Wildwood to enjoy Jessica Fichot, you'll love Zaz.  Gypsy jazz and  pop--all in French.  Great voice--enjoy!

I've got plenty of catching up to do, so more new releases are on their way down the pipeline.  As they say, "Stay tuned"!

Until next time...

Music Director Notes 5-15-12

"Greetings from the Interior"

...no, don't ask...

Well, for those of you who don't already know, I am to be married this weekend and will be going on my honeymoon the following week, so y'all will have to live without my most enlightening posts until after Memorial Day.

Yeah, I know, sad, huh?  In the meantime:

MISSING CDs:

Does anyone happen to know the whereabouts of the following CDs?

• Xavier Quijas Yxayotl (2 CDs)
• Mary Youngblood (2CDs)  

SPINITRON:  GREAT JOB, FOLKS!

Spinitron is looking great!  There's only one DJ who is still filling out the tracking/library number in the Song Note field incorrectly, and almost everybody is now submitting their playlists online, ON TIME!  Way to go!

***Note: If you submit your playlist in Spinitron, you do not--repeat, DO NOT--have to submit a paper playlist! Save yourself some time and headaches...and save KRZA some paper!***


NEW RELEASES:

World: Ablaye Cissoko and Volker Goetze's CD "Amante Dionti" features trumpet and African Kora--beautiful, delicate, and haunting.  Very tasty, nice way to wind down a show.

Eclectic: Damon Albarn's "Dr. Dee" takes an interesting journey through Medieval folk experiments with definite Classical notes.  I liked the more folk-y tracks better, myself, but form your own opinions on this one.

Jazz:  The Rich Thompson Trio is my favorite pick of this week's adds for tight ensemble playing, keeping the music moving, and just overall awesomeness.

Bluegrass: New Town holds it down nicely; definitely worth an ear.

Thanks, all, and we'll see you on the 28th!

Music Director Notes 5-7-12: What is a New Release?

Greetings!

I don't know about you, but I am totally groovin' on the rain we're getting--let's hear it for precipitation!

So, let me tell you a little bit about the path that new CDs take after they come through the doors of KRZA and  land in my inbox.

1. KRZA usually receives at least five new CDs every single day.  Most of these CDs come from one of two sources:
     a.  New releases from the music promoters: These are brand new, hot-off-the-press recordings.
     b.  Donations from listeners, musical organizations, bands, etc.

2. Every CD that comes in gets previewed for quality and FCC compliance by yours truly.

3. CDs that pass the preview process get entered into the Music Database, receive a label and some colored library tape, and are put on the New Release shelf.  Everything else goes into "The Morgue" and are given away as premiums, volunteer thank-you's, etc.

4. CDs that make it through the preview process get sorted into two piles:

• Recordings that are NEWER THAN SIX MONTHS are classified as New Releases. Right now, any recording that were released after October 2011 are considered New Releases.  
• New Releases are assigned a Tracking Number (that little five-digit number I'm always bugging you about for your playlists) and go on the New Release shelves behind the DJ chair in the on-air studio.  
• Once a week, I compile a report of the number of new release tracks you all air on your shows and submit it to CMJ, the College Music Journal.  Music promoters can then log into CMJ, look at this report, decide what new recordings would fit with what we air here, and send us more music along those lines. 

• Recordings that are OLDER THAN SIX MONTHS but are still new to KRZA are NOT New Releases, and are therefore NOT assigned a Tracking Number.  
• KRZA doesn't have an elegant solution yet for what to do with these CDs.  However, we want YOU to know about them, so what we're doing right now is putting them on the New Release shelves, for lack of a better option. 
• "Stay tuned" for further developments on this front.  

The upshot of all of this information is:

If the CD in your hands is a New Release -- i.e., if it has a Tracking Number on it--please: 

• Check the "NEW" box in Spinitron
• Enter the Tracking Number in the "Song Note" field

If the CD in your hands is NOT a New Release:

• Leave the "NEW" box in Spinitron unchecked
• Leave the "Song Note" field blank

As always, if you're totally confused, don't hesitate to give me a jingle: 719-589-8844 or 1-800-290-0887 or shoot me an email at music@krza.org.  

Now, on to the fun stuff: 

CLASSICAL: Pertinent to the above ramblings, KRZA is a proud recipient of several CDs of classical music from Taos and Santa Fe!  Keep your eyes peeled in the Classical closet for recordings from Santa Fe Pro Musica and the Taos School of Music!

Thanks, everybody!  Until next week...

Music Director Notes 4-30-12: Picks of the Week

Hey, all!

No pressing studio news this week, so on to the fun stuff:

We had a nice haul of new releases this week.  Here are some of the highlights:

JAZZ:
Arturo Sandoval, native of Cuba, is a protege of Dizzy Gillespie, and it shows. Man, does this guy ever put out some serious noise.  You can check out his bio here: http://www.arturosandoval.com/artist.html.  And you can check out his latest CD, Dear Diz, right here at KRZA!

ROCK:
I put Norah Jones's latest album, Little Broken Hearts, in the "Rock" section, because it sounds more like the rock ballads that came out in the 50's than jazz or any other genre.  However, you can enjoy it during a variety of shows!

ECLECTIC: On the other hand, instead of putting Mickey Hart's new album, Mysterium Tremendum in the "Rock" section, where fans of the Grateful Dead and Widespread Panic would think it belongs, I put it in Eclectic.  This album crosses genres in sound...and does so quite well, I might add.  Enjoy!

More news next week.  In the meantime, have a great one!

Music Director Notes, 4-24-12: Playlist Sumbission

Howdy, all ~

YEAH!!

A Gold Star to the DJs on Wednesday April 18th for submitting ALL of their playlists, ON TIME, and IN SPINITRON!  Woo Hoo! 

A Silver Star to the DJs on Tuesday April 17th: only one paper playlist kept you from Gold Stardom!  

Way to go, folks! We're totally getting it!

LIBRARY NUMBERS:

There are two (2) or three (3) DJs who still don't quite get the library number thing.  I'll bet they don't read this blog.  BUT in case they do: 

My Dear DJs Who Are Using The Wrong Numbers On Your Playlists: Please see my last post on this blog.  There's a neato diagram and everything on where to find the library number and where to enter them in Spinitron.  Thanks.

EMPTY CD CASES:

We've had a little rash of empty CD cases of late, and I actually found a CD from the Alamosa Public Library in the preview station a few weeks ago.  Let me just remind you gently to be more mindful when putting away CDs after your show!

If anyone knows the whereabouts of the following disks, either put them on my desk upstairs or drop by the station during business hours and leave them on my desk with a note.  I'll reunite them with their cases and put them away:

• "Klezmer!  Jewish Music from Old World to Our World"
• Ruben Naranjo y los Gamblers: "El Mero, Si Senor"
• Arvil Bird, "Live Arvil"

NEW RELEASES

Finally caught up on previewing from the backlog left from the Spring Fund Drive and Sound Exchange reporting!  Woo hoo!  Here's the pick of the litter:

World Music: Amadou & Mariam Folila are known as "The Blind Couple of Mali", and they do upbeat, even rocked-out version of traditional music from Mali in at least three different languages.  Very cool!

Jazz: Man, oh, man, Hailey Niswanger can blow a serious sax of many sizes!  Like her CD title, she's "The Keeper"!

Rhythm and Blues/Soul: Okay, I'll admit that I associate this kind of instrumental retro-funk with Sesame Street, but definitely check out The Sugarman Three for your next mix-up show.  Good booty-shakin' jive!

Bluegrass: I am pleased to announce that KRZA is now the proud owner the latest Carolina Chocolate Drops album!  Booyah!  And also, if you feel like updating your bluegrass show a little, check out The Punch Brothers.  Hot, hot, hot!

Right-o, I think that's it!  As always, if you have a question or need some help, feel free to give me a shout: 589-8844 or 1-800-290-0887.

Thanks!

Music Director Notes 4-17-12: What Is A Tracking Number?

Greetings and Felicitations!  (Remember that Star Trek episode? Or am I dating myself again?)

Table of Contents:

SPINITRON

• New Release Numbers

• Uploading playlists from other programs

NEW MUSIC

SPINITRON
New Release numbers: Okay, there still seems to be some confusion as to what numbers to put where in Spinitron when doing the data entry.  Let's see if this blog will let me upload a screen shot...

Cool!  A little fuzzy, but you get the idea.  Learning new stuff every day...

So, here's the scoop.  When you play a track off of a new release CD (on the shelves behind the DJ's chair), in Spinitron, you need to:

(a) Check the NEW box.
(b) Type the KRZA library number into the "Song Note" field.

I know you can do this, because I do this every week for Swingtime in the Rockies.  And if I can do it, anybody can.

Remember, you can also upload a playlist from another program. Instructions -- including iTunes instructions -- can be found here: http://www.spinitron.com/user-guide/guide.php?p=import#playlists.  The field headings take a little finagling, but it's doable.  Stay tuned for more detailed instructions in upcoming blogs.


MUSIC

Okay, now on to the fun stuff.  I'm finally beginning to catch up on previewing, and here are a couple of CDs that stood out:

SOUL: If you looked up "Soul Music From the 70's", in the dictionary, there would be a picture of "The Right Now" in there, smiling and waving.  Awesome!

ECLECTIC/CLASSICAL: All right, video game junkies, this one's for you: the greatest video game music, including classics such as Tetris, Super Mario Brothers, and--yes--Angry Birds (my personal addiction) has now been immortalized by the London Philharmonic Orchestra. This will have your classical music listeners--at least the ones 50 and younger--cocking their heads and saying to themselves, "Hey, I KNOW that tune..."

Have fun!

Music Director Notes 4-10-12: Picks of the Week

Howdy, all!

Well, we survived yet another Fund Drive, and I want to thank all of you again for your hard work.  All in all, the KRZA staff thinks that this was the most smoothly-run drive ever (at least in our collective memory!) and we couldn't have done it without all of you!  You rock!

This will be short and sweet, since, now that Sound Exchange is done, I have a lot of previewing to catch up on!  :-)

NEW IN THE LIBRARY:

ECLECTIC: Montana Skies is a classical/rock crossover duo featuring cello and guitar.  If you love the 2Cellos CD,  you're going to dig these two!

ROCK: Freshkills sounds like David Bowie, the B52's, and the Cars all rolled into one.  Good, tight playing, great lyrics; just watch out for Track #3.

JAZZ: A KRZA fan donated a four-disk Quadromania compilation of Miles Davis.  In my experience, these collections have more than their fair share of bad takes by the great names--which is probably why this donor decided to unload it--but there are usually a few gems worth digging for.  And if you're looking for a particular song, it's almost guaranteed you'll be able to find it here, so it's an easy place to look for requests.

Thanks as always, folks, and we'll see you next week!

Music Director Notes 4-3-12: iTunes and Spinitron

Howdy, all ~

Due to the Fund Drive and Sound Exchange reporting, I'm way backed up on previewing new releases, so nothing new on that front yet.

In the meantime, here's some Spinitron stuff:

There are at least 32 shows per week that feature live music. For the week of March 26 to April 2, I only received 16 playlists!  

Folks, I REALLY need your playlists--Spinitron or paper-- before you leave the building at the end of your show.  Late (or nonexistent!) playlists are absolutely useless to me.

If you're having trouble with Spinitron, PLEASE either

• Call the on-call phone number or 
• Submit a paper playlist.  

I don't mean to sound alarmist, but the FCC can fine KRZA if we don't report all of the music that airs.  Those annoying playlists are one of the most important parts of your job here (aside from your showing up with your lovely voice and music).

Now, that said, here is some Spinitron stuff that has come up:

1. There is no need to keep track of your talking breaks to make the timing of your show exactly one hour long.  All the FCC is interested in is:

• the approximate time the song aired (between 11 AM and 12 PM, for instance), 
• the length of the song, 
• the name of the song, 
• the artist, 
• the album, 
• and the label. 

     Don't sweat the timing too much, or you'll drive yourself crazy.  And not turn in your playlist.

2. If you are using your computer, iPod, or other mp3 player and can't locate label information:

• GREAT place to look up label information: www.allmusic.com. 
• If you can't find the label, you can always type in "label unknown"

3. iTunes users: you can upload your playlist!  Instructions are here: http://www.spinitron.com/member/help_pop.php?hf=import_itunes.html.  Just be careful about your file headings; make sure they match the Spinitron headings.  Again, if you have any trouble, either call the on-call phone or submit a paper playlist.

Thanks everybody for your patience with this new system.  I know it seems persnickety and cumbersome right now, but in the long run, once we get everybody up to speed, it will allow you to make your playlist available to our listeners on the web...and make my job a heck of a lot easier (yeah, I'm selfish! :-)

Thanks, all!  You rock!

Music Director Notes 3-12-12: DJ Handbook

Howdy, all!

I certainly hope that you are out enjoying this gorgeous weather we're having!  Well, at least when you're not  sharing great music with our listeners in the KRZA on-air studio ;-)

THE DJ HANDBOOK
Just a reminder that yes, the new DJ handbook is out!  This has been a big investment of time and energy on the parts of many people, and I hope that you have already read it cover-to-cover, because there is tons of great information in there...including some stuff, I daresay, that even old-timers might not know.  I know I certainly learned quite a few things reading it!

NEW RELEASES: FIVE PER SHOW REQUIRED
Okay, it's my job; I have to pester you about new releases.  I'd like to gently remind you that all on-air hosts are REQUIRED to air at least five (5) new releases per show.  Don't believe me?  See Page 6 in the handbook.  Now, most of you are really good about this, but there are four of you who aren't.  Not to go all Big Brother on you here, but you four know who you are...and so do I.  (Hey, I can manage to air new releases during the Swingtime show, which focuses exclusively on jazz from the 30's and 40's. Talk about genre-specific!  So if I can do it, anybody can.)

Why are new releases important?  There are three reasons:

• First, new releases contribute to the fresh sound of the station.  The valley doesn't need another radio station that plays nothing but the same old, tired stuff from 20 and 30 years ago.  We want a listener who is passing through to be able to distinguish us from KGIW.      
• Second, KRZA prides itself on supporting new and upcoming artists. We crow about this during our fund drives. Hard to do that when we're not airing their music.
• Third, when we can say that we have aired music by this or that new artist, the music promoters send us more great albums from similar artists. For free.  Free music is good.  We like free music.  

And, okay, I only said three reasons, but there are actually four.  The fourth reason is: if you're always airing the same old songs, you are SEROUSLY missing out on some really great new stuff.  Case in point:

THIS WEEKS NEW RELEASES
Rockers: Check out Lucero!  The horn players have played with folks like Solomon Burke, Ray Charles, and Al Green.  Man, these guys will have your booty shakin' fit to take the place down!

Bluegrass/classic country folks: I am overjoyed to announce that we have added Clyde Moody, the Bailes Brothers, and a great compilation of classic southern gospel and bluegrass to our collection.  I grew up listening to this kind of music, and previewing them was a real treat!

Bluesists: Janiva Magness deals with some dark, difficult subjects in "Stronger For It", but man, can this woman ever sing.  You KNOW she knows what she's singing about.  Good stuff.

Thanks!  Until next week...

DJ Handbook in the Mail!

Greetings from the office manager, Laura.

I've hacked the DJ blog today, to tell you that the DJ Handbook is in the mail and should arrive at your house within the week. 

The contents of the envelope include the handbook itself, a letter from Luis and Holly and a sticker! 

Sit down with a cup of coffee or your beverage of choice and read the handbook and enjoy your sticker. If you've got comments or if we missed something in the handbook...let us know. 

Notes from the Music Director 3-6-12

Howdy, all!

Man, oh, man...don't know about you, but all of this warm weather is making me want to be outside!  Can we say, "cabin fever", kids?

BALLADS AND BLUEGRASS/SATURDAY NIGHT FREE-FORM HOSTS: There are now two extra spots on the Day Sponsorship forms and on the yellow forms in the log for our live Saturday shows.  We've been having trouble getting all eight Day Sponsorship spots aired on Saturdays because of the fluctuating programming on Saturday afternoons, so we're asking you--our live DJs--to help us out.  Thanks bunches!

On the music front: I wasn't able to do much previewing last week, but I did add a couple of new albums to the library.

Acoustic DJs: Caravan of Thieves is a gypsy-influenced acoustic group.  Fans of Django Reinhardt, enjoy!

Jazzers: Lovers of Thelonious Monk will enjoy RJ and the Assignment.  I liked the first four tracks, especially Track 3.

Thanks, guys, and "see" you next week!

Notes from the Music Director 2-27-12

Howdy, all!

DOOR CODE: Just a quick reminder that the code for the side door is going to change on March 1st!  If you haven't already gotten the new code, call us here at the station: 589-8844 during office hours (8:30 - 4:30 Mon-Fri), or call the on-call number, 588-4561 after hours or on weekends.

SPINITRON TRAINING: Our next Spinitron training session will be next Monday March 5th at 6:00 PM.  Pizza will be involved for attendees...:-)

SPRING FUND DRIVE: Yep, it's already time to begin thinking about who you'd like to have as a pitch partner for our Spring Fund Drive, which takes place March 21-31.  If you don't bring your own, we'll assign you one.  Don't know what a pitch partner is?  Give us a shout at the numbers/times above.

NEW RELEASE NUMBERS: Please don't forget to document it in Spinitron when you play a track from a new CD.  It's SO much easier for me to find the CD in the database when you enter the 5-digit library code (located on the upper right of the white label on front of the CD) in the "Song Notes" field in Spinitron.  Not sure what I mean?  Shoot me an email at music@krza.org or call 719-589-8844 or 1-800-290-0887.  If you want to come in, I'll show you exactly what I mean, and why this is such a big deal.

LATIN MUSIC NEW RELEASES: There is now a brand-new shelf for La Buena Onda and Descarga DJs, right next to the Jazz section on the shelves behind the DJ's chair.  As Dannette catalogs new CDs for our Spanish music shows, you'll see the newest and greatest recordings there, right at your fingertips, along with all of the other new release genres.  Enjoy!

Okay, now on to the fun stuff!

Latin/World Music aficionados: Receita de Samba, a duo of vocalist Anna Borges and guitarist Bill Ward have put together this very nice album of Brazilian music that is at home in both the World and Latin genres.  I decided that it belonged in the World Music section, but that doesn't mean that our Spanish programming DJs can't play it on their shows.  Also, for World Musickers: our Celtic library features several of Altan's albums, and now we have their latest, "The Poison Glen".  Enjoy!

Rock and Rollers, this is a good week for you.  Check out "Fun: Some Nights"...tight, thick vocal harmonies, heavy world-beat percussion, and great hooks make this CD a great listen.  Also, I'm not generally a huge fan of alternative or indie rock, but "Morning Parade" and "Delta Spirit" really have good stuff happening, so check them out in the white tape section.

Okay, folks, I think that's it.  Until next time...

Notes from the Music Director 2-20-12

Howdy, all!

Whew--there is a bite in the air this morning that reminds me that it's still February, even though 3 degrees is downright balmy this time of year in this part of the country.

You may notice some CDs moving around this week as I pull recent releases, move some older releases to the morgue, and generally reshuffle.  Remember that the circulation goes: New Release (6 months) > Recent Release (1 year) > Main Stacks, so if you're looking for a favorite New Release and can't find it, check the Recent Release shelves; if you're looking for a Recent Release, check the stacks.  And as always, don't hesitate to call me or drop me a line during business hours if you can't find something.  I may not know exactly where something is, but I can help you hunt for it.

Also, don't hesitate to visit other genres for your show!  If you're playing Latin or World music, check the Latin Jazz section as well as the regular Latin section.  Rock-and-Rollers might check the Blues section and vice versa.  Sometimes, music doesn't fit neatly into one single genre, so it might end up in one of several different locations, or even in Eclectic if there are several styles on the same album.

And now, on to the music:

World Music Aficionados: Man, what a haul this week!  New CDs from the Chieftains and Ladysmith Black Mambazo, as well as Hugh Masekala and Loga Ramin Torkian.  Oh, man, oh, man--can't wait to hear these on the air!  Also check out The Gryphon Trio with Patricia O'Callaghan.  I filed this one under "Eclectic" because she sings with a classical string ensemble, but her Latin and French vocals are really yummy, and I suspect you could sneak her onto a World or Latin show without repercussion.

Jazzers: Check out Mark Sherman's L.A. sessions.  If you like good, solid, straight-ahead jazz, this should be absolutely delightful.

Rockers: If you can find it in your hearts to play the Imagine Dragons single, "It's Time", you won't be disappointed...and maybe we can even coax them into sending us the whole album :-)

Thanks as always for your time and effort!  See ya next time...

Notes from the Music Director 2-13-12

Howdy, all!

The Side Door Lock Combination

***IMPORTANT NEWS BULLETIN***

The combination for the side door entrance will be CHANGED on MARCH 1st.  For obvious reasons, we can't post the new combination here or on the website or in an email, so...
TO GET THE NEW SIDE DOOR COMBINATION, CALL KRZA, 589-8844 OR 1-800-290-0887.
If you show up at the station for your show and have forgotten the password, call the on-call phone number: 588-4561.  

Spinitron:

More and more folks are signing onto Spinitron, and I'm seeing more and more playlists online!  Yay!  Thank you!  

As everybody gets up and going, of course, some quirks are beginning to float to the surface.  Here's one:  when you log on to enter your playlist, Spinitron will apparently let you enter data under other peoples' shows in addition to your own.  Please make sure that you're entering your playlist under YOUR show, and not someone else's!

Also, just a reminder: if you're entering a new release, in addition to checking the "New" box under the data entry fields, make sure and enter the library number in the "Song Notes" field.

Yummy new releases: 

The bright point of this week's adds is definitely Audra Mae and the Almighty Sound.  This singer-songwriter has an incredible voice, backed by a tight, energetic band; sort of a country-flavored Indigo Girl sound.  And it's rare that I can sincerely say that there's not a single track on this album that I don't like.  (Unfortunately, however, the FCC will frown if we air track #3 because of a little profanity, so just be aware.)  Sing It, Sisters and acoustic DJs, it's going to be love at first listen!

Jazz DJs, if you like Kenny-G style cool jazz, Kirk Whalum's new album "Romance Language" might be just the thing to mellow out and wind down your show.  Also, if you ignore the weak tracks, Akiko's "Sakura" is a nice tribute to the earthquake victims in Japan...and it's good jazz, too.

Fans of British punk rock, definitely check out You Me At Six's "Sinners Never Sleep".  A most respectable rock-listening opportunity.

That's it for now.  Thanks for "tuning in", and we'll see you next week!

Notes from the Music Director 2-7-12

It's funny: every time I go to type "snow", I end up typing "snot" first.  Hm, think there might be a little Freudian thing going on there?  That said, I'm really enjoying the couple of inches we got last night!

It's nice seeing so many "new" faces on Spinitron, and please know that I'm getting your online playlists just fine!  The next spasm of Spinitron training dates should be coming up fairly quickly; when I find out, I'll let y'all know when they are.

A reminder that the "Song Notes" field in Spinitron is for the "#####" number on the white label on front of the CD.  If there is no number under "#####", the number is blacked out, or there is either a smaller label, or NO white label in front of the CD, there's no need to fill out the "Song Notes" field.  There is a notice called "Anatomy of a Playlist" on the bulletin board in the studio if you're not sure what I'm talking about, or, as always, you can give me a shout at the station or drop me an email: music@krza.org.

Also, please be careful with the gold-colored floor lamp in the studio.  It's a halogen lamp, which means that the bulb gets really, really hot.  I was informed by Friend yesterday that drywall WILL ignite if it gets hot enough, and I don't think anybody wants KRZA to burn down!  So just make sure that the lamp isn't too close to the low part of the ceiling or wall when you turn it on.

Okay, enough logistics; let's move on to the fun stuff!

World music folk: B-B-B or Balkan Beat Box is an electronic band from New York that does kind of African-flavored dance music with political lyrics.  Also, if you're feeling adventurous, check out the Concord Soul Sisters: A Black History Month Celebration in the Soul section.  No, it's not strictly "world music" per se...but oh, man, is this good stuff!

Sing It, Sister and lovers of pop music: Ditto on the Soul Sisters CD, and also check out Lana Del Rey, and she's described as a "gangsta Nancy Sinatra". Her voice is ear-catching, a little reminiscent of Stevie Nicks (okay, yeah, I'm dating myself), but whose torch songs are updated to rival Adele's pop style.  Don't let the critics throw you off; "Born to Die" is worth a good listen.


Jazzers: Carmen Lundy has a wonderful, rich alto voice, and her album "Changes" makes for good listening.  Also, if you ignore the tracks that I didn't recommend, you'll love the Zeke Martin Project for it's great, up-tempo modern sound.


Acoustic DJs: I suppose, technically, Shearwater is an indie-rock band, but to my ear, the lead vocalist sounds positively Irish on some of the tracks, so I'll bet you could sneak them in on your show and nobody would know the difference.  Whatcha say? 

Thanks for "listening"!  Until next time...

Notes from the Music Director 1-31-12

Howdy, all!

THANK YOU to everyone who has attended Spinitron training so far! This free online software is going to make my job so much easier, and I am grateful for all of you who are willing to make this change.  It is my hope that, as my time becomes freed up to do other things besides reporting, you DJs will be rewarded with a top-notch CD library that will, over time, become better organized and more DJ-friendly than it has ever been before, so thank you for your efforts toward this goal.

Just a really quick reminder for new Spinitron users: when you play a track off of a new CD, make sure to put the five-digit library number in the "Song Note" field.  This really speeds up the reporting process for me, and ensures that anyone who might need to sub for me knows which songs are from new release CDs.

Not sure what the heck I'm talking about?  Drop me a line any time: music@krza.org, 719-589-8844, or 1-800-290-0887.

For folks who haven't been able to attend a training yet, never fear.  There are more trainings being scheduled even as we speak, so "stay tuned"!

Okay, now on to the fun stuff:

It was kind of a disappointing crop of new releases this week, but I culled a couple of gems for you:

Singer-songwriter fans: Lovers of Norah Jones will really like Shira Gavrielov.  Yeah, I know, the picture on the back where she has her panties down and looks like she's taking a dump on a tiled floor is a bit off-putting, but she really knows how to sing.  Also, check out the Shook Twins: lush female vocals over bluegrass-flavored acoustic instrumentals.  Mmmmmm yummy!

Latin lovers: Fleur de Cana is a Colorado-born artist.  The vocals are a little weak, but she's local, and the band plays rock-solid salsa, so I feel good about adding "Azucar!" to our library.

Until next time...play well!

Catie

Notes from the Music Director 1-23-12

Hi, all ~

***SPINITRON UPDATE***

I bring you the following message from Mike Clifford, who is coordinating our changeover to Spinitron:

Please join us for required training on the new Spinitron online playlist system.We'll provide lunch or dinner while we learn about this easy new way to keep track of the music we play on air. Sessions will take place in the KRZA offices and should last no longer than an hour. Please call the station (719-589-8844 or 1-800-290-0887) if you will not be able to make one of the sessions. You need only attend one session.
Sessions are:
Wed., 1/25 - 6pm
Fri., 1/27 - 12pm
Sat. 1/28 - 1pm
Thanks!
Mike Clifford

More on new releases next time.  Thanks, all, and have a great week!

Notes from the Music Director 1-16-12

Howdy, all!

You might have noticed that there is a new yellow form in the log.  On one side of this form is a sheet summarizing the underwriting that needs to be read during the live shows.  You may use this as a checklist if you like.  Eventually, the log needs to legally document what goes out over the air, not act as a prompt for us DJs, and we're evolving toward that.

On the other side of the form is a summary of the daily shows.  The hope is that you--o, accommodating, wonderful people that you are--will take the time to promo the shows coming up after yours, or the next days' shows if yours is a nighttime show.  It's a nice way for us all to support each other and KRZA, don't you think?

Now, on to the new music:

World Music folks: "Novalimba" is a band out of Lima, Peru, and this disc makes a really nice addition to our library.  Enjoy!

Acoustic DJs: We are excited to add Ani Difranco's latest album, "Which Side Are You On?" to our library! Also,  Kathleen Edwards' "Voyageur" features backup vocals by none other than Norah Jones.  Also, The Pines is a really top-notch folk-rock ensemble...and I'm hard to please. Check 'em out!

Sing It Sister hosts: Wow, what a haul this week for your show!  In addition to the two wonderful women artists mentioned above, we have not just one, but TWO new female jazz instrumentalists to highlight: Janice Finlay, who makes that alto sax stand up and talk; and a rare bird indeed, female jazz BASSIST, Marlene Rosenberg.  Add to these four artists amazing gospel singer and pianist Lori Kester--from La Jara, no less!--and that's practically your whole show!

All right, enough enthusing for this week.  Until next time...

Notes from the Music Director 1-9-11

Happy New Year, everybody!

You may have noticed that there are a few changes in the studio.

1. First, there are a couple of floor lamps to help out with nighttime lighting--yaaaay!  I'm the previous owner of the lamp that looks like a space alien with lots of antennae.  If it doesn't seem to be working, first, make sure that it's plugged in, and then mess with the switch.  The switch used to have a little knob on it to make it easier to turn.  The stub that is left is really stiff and a little fussy, but it works.

2. Second,  you'll notice that there is a laptop where one of the turntables used to be.  This is the next step toward getting everyone switched over to Spinitron for entering your playlists.  We beg you, PLEASE DO NOT TURN OFF OR ALTER THIS COMPUTER IN ANY WAY.  If the computer acts up, fill out a paper playlist and either leave a note at the bottom of the stairs or call the on-call phone number to alert the staff: 719-588-4561.

Thanks for bearing with us while we make these changes.

Now, on to the music:

Bluegrass/Acoustic and Eclectic DJs: Yo-Yo Ma.--that's right, "Yo-Yo Ma", classical cellist extraordinaire and "bluegrass" are being used in the same sentence--has just released a CD of an amazing session he recorded with Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer, and Chris Thile called "The Goat Rodeo Sessions".  If you're a little tired of the usual bluegrass sound and want to shake things up a bit, check out the "Eclectic" section on the top of the New Release shelves.  You would be hard pressed to find four more accomplished musicians in one sitting.

Latin and Jazz DJs: If your mood is chill, check out Paul Meyers' "Music for Solo Guitar".  They're all original tunes, but based on Latin dance forms, and it's very nice listening for a late-night show.

World Music: Lovers of the Looping Jaw Harp Orchestra will get a kick out of TriBeCaStan, a melting pot of at least a dozen different countries' musical styles.  The bari sax totally kicks butt.  Just watch out for Track 4; the vocals stink.

Native American Music DJs: My gosh, we actually have a new Native American CD called "Ancient Winds" by Wind Spirit Drum.  Check it out!

Until next time!