You Spin Me Right Round, Baby

We here at KSCL are always about the newest and hippest things. And I'm posting now to tell you about the newest, hippest thing that will bring the public closer to station. No, it's not online streaming (it's coming! I promise!). It's a little website called Spinitron.

Before I explain, a brief history lesson about KSCL (sorta): Did you know that we have paper playlists from all the way back in the 90s? No, well I'm sure a lot of people don't know this, because the public never gets to see these playlists. For every show, a DJ writes down the song he or she plays recording band name, album name, and sometimes record company. Up until now, these playlists have only been useful to the music director.

Well not anymore. Spinitron is a playlist management website that will connect our lovely audience to the DJ shows in a whole new way. DJs will be able to update their playlists automatically while on air. Not only can the public see what's being played, they can also go back and find out what song was being played at what time during a certain show.

Currently Spinitron is in a testing phase for us at KSCL. For now, only staff shows will have live playlists with the older DJs soon to be trained. Hopefully all summer DJs will be accustom to using Spinitron instead of written playlists by the end of the month.

And for the second time this summer, I manage to be the first to do something. My show on June 8th was the first official show of summer programing and today I was the first staff member to put Spinitron to use. You can check out The Sound and the Fury's first online playlist here!

Homer Hiccolm & the Rocketboys (Download the music here)

Mark & Co. never stop running. His upcoming show is this Friday, June 27th. Homer Hiccolm & the Rocket Boys, Quiet Company, and Missoni Lanza w/Brad Goodwin. will perform. It all goes down at Jayne Marie on Cross Lake at 7pm. (directions)

Door is $5 and you have to be 17-or-over. I know, I hate "the man" too. However, Jayne Marie's got a contest with the possibility of scoring two free tickets to 2008 Austin City Limits. You have to be present to win, says the Facebook event page.

This time around we have music for you to sample before the show. We think it'll help you sing along with the band:
MP3: Homer Hiccolm and The Rocketboys - Secrets and Numbers

MP3: Quiet Company - It's Better to Spend Money Like There's No Tomorrow Than Spend Tonight Like There's No Money

Other Links:
Find it on Facebook
Mark blogging [via MySpace]
Mark blogging [via WordPress]

poster design by Shannon Palmer, hosted here

Live From NYC #3: 8BITches, radio play now

What, what?! We've got another Live From NYC from Vanessa Boyd in New York: this time with 8BITches. They're an awesome "chip-hop" band from North Haven, Maine. They use all kinds of crazy electronics to bring together their sound. The final product is very powerful.

To give you a taste, the band uses gameboys to get their groovy beats. Big Pic Zel then raps about blue screens of death and Zelda, to name a bit.

I think it's one of the best shows we've done. We'll air it on 91-3 this Friday, next Wednesday, and next Friday at 11am. Find it in the schedule.

The episode clocks in at 6'05" (download)

Vanessa Boyd graduated from Centenary College in 1999. She was a co-program Director at KSCL from 1997-98. Now, she's a musician and artist living in New York City. If you or your band is traveling to New York and would like to set up an interview with Vanessa, contact Jon Schleuss (me).

photo from myspace.com/8bitcheschiphop

Punk/Indie Show at H and H to feature Shreveport, other cities

Spencer & Co. are working up a punk/indie show. It's going to be quite the riot. It all goes down tonight at the H&H Lounge. Starts at 6pm.

The lineup includes: Atrocity Solution (Wausau, WI), Nino Zombi (Mexico City Mexico), Krush Klamath (Portland), and local bands: Sunday Mass Murder, Ono! and Jack Blasphemy. Live art by Paul Garner will also be on site.

Door is $7, but it'll get you a chance at winning some awesome prizes from 3rd Eye Tattoo and T-shirts from yours truly.

My radio show will be running from 6-8p, but I'll be at the H&H as soon as possible. Maybe I'll see you?

Atrocity Solution - Streets Laced with Hate [mp3]

SBFG link

Let the Good Times Roll Festival

Live bands, funnel cakes, turkey legs, crawfish, fried shrimp and fried candy bars.. yes it's fair time again here in Louisiana.

Shreveport's Festival Plaza is currently hosting the Let the Good Times Roll Festival from Friday June 20th to Sunday the 22nd. Hosted for twenty-two years by Rho Omega and Friends, Inc., the event is said to be the largest African American music and arts festival in north Louisiana.

Jennette (the local Planned Parenthood community organizer) and I did voter registration at the event, so we got to enjoy the skillful r&b performances by local groups Intuition, Sash, and Jimmy Lynch. Although the music was good, all anyone was talking about was the big performance to be hosted tomorrow by the well-known Hurricane Chris, which is scheduled for 7 pm.

Tomorrow's other events will include performances by LRS, Don Pope& Associates, New Dimensions Brass Quintet, Music Box, Lil Wayne and Ol 2 Step, Windstorm, Hot 8 Brass Band, and Con Funk Shun.

Sunday will feature the Giant Family Praise Dancers, the Grip Praise Team, Robyn Moffet& the Movement, Betty Lewis & the Executives, All Funk Radio Show, and the Bar-Kays.

"Ethnically it's very important to the Shreveport-Bossier community to have African-Americans share their culture with the whole city. It's become a tradition that people look forward to; the fun food and music has become well-known," said Rudolph S. White, a Rho Omega chapter member who's worked at all twenty-two festivals.

Rho Omega chapter of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity is also well known for its many service programs including Project Manhood, building social and survival skills in high school males, Education 1st Choice, assisting inner city elementary schools and kids with school supplies and Community Youth Athletic Program, offering financial and coaching support for city youth groups.

For more information on Rho Omega and the Let the Good Times Roll Festival, visit their website.

Open Mic Night at Starbucks on Line, Shreveport

On Friday, June 13th at 7pm Starbucks on Line Ave. will host performers wanting to show off some skills. One of those performers will be the lovely AJ Haynes, a Centenary student.

There will be no cost to get in, since it's Starbucks. However, purchasing a "doppio espresso and dropping in two drops of cream" is a cheap latte, supporting the establishment. We college students are useful like this.

It's good to see that stage finally get some use. John Kay must be proud.

For more info on the event, see the Facebook event (a place where people meet other people and things happen).

Young@Heart, Playing at Robinson Film Center

I was deeply moved by this film, Young@Heart. It's received 88% approval on Rotten Tomatoes. It's gained applause from blog circles. And, it's just bleepin' awesome.

The film mixes music and cinema, so it's appropriate to discuss it here.

The film follows a group of older people, average age 80, on their tour, learning new songs along the way. There's a great feel for the movie. While, yes, these people are old and experience health problems (none of which are hidden, btw) they are still determined to keep singing. They are full of so much energy. And don't think they're singing just any old tune. Try Coldplay, Sonic Youth, the Clash, and more.

Take Elaine, for instance, she's a 92-year-old woman living in a nursing home. She's the only resident with a key, because she gets back so late from performances. She doesn't drive; leave that to Lenny. Her and the filmmaker get into a very interesting conversation about being old and having men (the camera crew) in her bedroom. "Don't get nervous, just start taking something [clothes] off," Elaine responds. She's full of excitement and approaches many songs conservatively, seemingly impossible to learn. However, here she is, bouncing off solos left-right-center. The trailer (below) shows Elien belting out the first bit of the Clash's "Should I Stay or Should I Go?"

And I think I've realized the magic of the film. All these characters sharing their love for music. What music does to people. It is quite spectacular.

Has anyone seen it? Loved it? Hated it?

To purchase tickets, visit the Robinson's website.