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...
Monday, February 27, 2012
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
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...
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...
Monday, February 13, 2012
Notes from the Music Director 2-13-12
Howdy, all!
The Side Door Lock Combination
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!
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...Spinitron:
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.
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!
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
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...
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...
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
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
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
Monday, January 23, 2012
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:
***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.More on new releases next time. Thanks, all, and have a great week!
Sessions are:
Wed., 1/25 - 6pm
Fri., 1/27 - 12pm
Sat. 1/28 - 1pm
Thanks!
Mike Clifford
Monday, January 16, 2012
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...
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...
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