Tuesday, February 04, 2003

Can You Say Plagiarism, Boys And Girls?

Generally, I'm out of the loop. I read the newspaper for the funnies, watch television for the sitcoms, get my news secondhand from The Daily Show. Gossip is another thing entirely -- it is no hyperbole to say that I keep my ear to the ground more and more successfully than anyone I know, and why not? I like to know things, and my hobby is studying people and their institutions -- but when it comes to news, Paul Simon puts it best: I'm the first to admit it and the last one to know.

But sometimes serendipity matches my eccentric orbit with that of the masses. The editorial page of the Boston Globe someone left in the radio station tonight revealed two stories which I will keep with me forever.

1. No-nicotene cigarettes supposed to help people quit smoking.

2. Newspapers across the country unwittingly print Bush-praising Republican National Committee-authored letters resubmitted by individual authors as part of astroturf (fake grass roots) movement.

I have one thing to say.

The Horror.

Other than that, the two news items speak for themselves.

Overall the show went well, if quiet. Nobody called. Ginny brought in her CD collection for once; I was excited by the new material. Especially happy about Bobby McFerrin's sparse early effort Voice, which I had on vinyl in high school but lent it out irretrievably to a college aquaintance my freshman year, and Tori Amos' exquisitely simplified piano solo Smells Like Teen Spirit. Playlist follows:

Bob Dorough -- Too Much Coffee Man (our Tributary theme song)
John Hiatt -- What Do We Do Now
Oysterhead -- Birthday Boys
Santana -- Se A Cabo
Los Lobos -- Bertha*
Tori Amos -- The Wrong Band
They Might Be Giants -- Nightgown Of The Sullen Moon
Chris Smither -- Memphis In The Meantime*
The Story -- So Much Mine
Thievery Corporation -- ???? (Unlabeled pirated CD. Bad Ginny!)
Lisa Loeb -- Truthfully
Bobby McFerrin -- Blackbird*
Ben Harper -- Strawberry Fields Forever*
Bebel Gilberto -- Sem Contencao
Deb Talan -- Something Burning
St. Germain -- So Flute
Beck -- Lost Cause
Nikki Boyer -- Brain Damage*
Erin McKeown -- The Little Cowboy
Nickel Creek -- Reasons Why
Billy and Eliza -- Ten Miles To Tulsa
Robbie Folks -- Never Could
John Gorka -- Oh Abraham
Alana Davis -- 32 Flavors*
Tori Amos -- Smells Like Teen Sprit*
Tallis Scholars -- Spem In Alium


Many covers tonight. As always, brownie points and a free cup of coffee for the first caller to correctly identify the original artists for five or more of the songs starred above.

posted by boyhowdy | 12:40 AM |

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