mooreroom

Every Saturday morning on my way to work at the reference desk of PCC’s Rock Creek Library, I tune into the best rock music radio show I have heard since Doctor Demento in the early ’80s. Greasy Kid Stuff, hosted by DJs Belinda and Nova, is so great that They Might Be Giants wrote a song in their honor - which the DJs play religiously at 8:30am on the nose.

The music mix is pretty eclectic and strays beyond the “Alternative” genre constraints imposed on the parent radio station’s daily playlist. Hipster parents (who are obviously a target audience as much as the kids) will certainly groove to a playing of Ben Lee or pogo to The Ramones’ “Spider-Man”. Yet Belinda and Nova love to throw in anything that is kid-friendly and fun. James Kochalka’s “Monkey Vs. Robot” and Logan Whitehurst and the Junior Science Club’s “Happy Noodle Vs. Sad Noodle” frequently pop up; Captain Bogg and Salty are huge favorites.

And they love themes. Check out part of the playlist from this morning:

# Ghoti Hook - My Bike
Banana Man (Tooth & Nail, 1997)
# The Jellydots - Bicycle
Hey You Kids! (self-released, 2006)
# Frances England - Tricycle
Fascinating Creatures (self-released, 2006)
# Lunch Money - Tricycle
Silly Reflection (Squirrel Mechanic, 2004)

Yes, bikes and trikes! I would have included Sid Barrett’s “Bike Song” (it’s kid-friendly!), but that’s just me.

The DJs take requests and of course have birthday shout-outs to young listeners. Youth librarians can learn a lot from this show, especially the music tastes for young listeners.

[Cross-posted with Kids Music Source for Librarians]

Stuck at home with a sick Owen (don’t worry, he’ll be fine), who is resting by absorbing all the Disney Channel his Benadryl-ized brain can handle, I caught a music video for a song by Miley Cyrus. From the standpoint of anyone under 12, it actually rocked. At 12 I would probably have dissed it as hard as I did Rick Springfield when I was, in fact, 12. But I’m 38 - older, mellowed, less inclined to snarl at pop crap as I used to be (at least to save my snarling muscle for more worthy targets) - so I can appreciate Ms. Cyrus for what she is and for whom she is targeted.

And, for what it’s worth, she’s way better than her dad.

(NOTE: Were Lester Bangs still alive, he would have begun an entry like this with “Today I am a putz.”)

Click to see the whole cartoon