 In this newsletter, I’ve got two playlists for ya, (one for working and one for a lazy morning).This week, I’m breaking down Radio Episode #11, Magician. The playlist was inspired by…….
 I’ve been thinking about magic. It may be because the whole town is already twinkling with holiday lights, which makes every business and household seem otherworldly. A temporary sparkling escape during dark winter days. I’ve also been going through my radio episode archives and “remastering” the audio as best I can. (Audio editing is a never-ending learning experience) As mentioned in a previous post, some of my favorite episodes are the earlier ones. The ideas, the inspiration and the playlists just all seem to spark effortlessly. A fire inside is beaming bright behind the mic. Reminds me of that line from a Mary Oliver poem…… If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy, Don’t hesitate. Give in to it. -Mary Oliver In Electric Radio Club episode #11, I started the track list off with Almond Milk by Baxter Dury. Almonds into milk? What a crazy concept! But that’s the beauty of taking an imaginative idea and turning it into reality. Kinda like Willy Wonka and his Chocolate Factory, it’s a world of pure imagination. The concept of turning a nut into milk made me think about the “magic” that is created in other everyday things. Like an instrument. A guitar is just a guitar until a song comes out of it. And not just any song. A song that means something to you. I talk about these magic concepts on the Magician Episode which you can listen to on Mixcloud. The tracklist includes songs by George McCrae, Blondshell, Sleater-Kinney w/ Margo Price, The Budos Band, Magic Shoppe and more. Not only does it help grow my show, but most importantly, my episode soliloquy is also there to offer you (yes, you!) inspiration for your day. Your parting gift is the playlist to help you make your own kind of magic! Rewind to two years ago, the response to my new radio endeavor seemed to spark interest in others as well! In fact, some suggested, they would love to see a video version of the episodes. So I began to play around with making a mini-radio episode version with videos on YouTube…. completely unrehearsed, mind you. The only caveat was that I had to link my video explaining the song choices to a playlist of music videos. (I couldn’t include the songs in one video due to copyright) If you don’t click on the playlist link, it tends to cause some confusion. More Magic - This Week’s Recs Music: Mynabirds in Concert A couple of weeks ago, I went to what I thought was going to be a secret concert by The Mynabirds, but then the venue started promoting the show. (I get it. Tickets need to be sold.) A “secret” concert really means that the show takes place in someone’s home or business and it’s not revealed until the day of the show. Which is a fun way to change up the concert-going experience! A piano performance by The Mynabirds took place at The Church/ArtHouse. I think more rock shows should take place in churches. I’m all about cool mood lighting from stained glass and electric candle alters. I love the new Mynabirds record, It’s Okay to Go Back if You Keep Moving Forward. It’s fitting because she covers her own songs. If you love something that you’ve already made, why not keep making it more magical?  Back in August, when I hosted an episode of Mixtape Friends, a subscriber shared a story about a Mynabirds song. This is one of my most popular episodes. Movie: A Trip to the Moon and Hugo I think perhaps that the real reason people can be cranky is that they cannot create the magic they wish to. In the movie, Hugo, Martin Scorsese pays tribute to the innovative French filmmaker and actor, Georges Méliès, played by Ben Kingsley. Kingsley plays a bitter toy repairman whose shop is based at the train station. It is later revealed that the explanation for his grumpiness and what he truly loves to make are motion pictures. Hugo is three hours long (so Scorsese) but a good winter film to not forget about the magic you love to create. A Trip to the Moon by Georges Méliès is a silent film but oh-so-magical! Considering the time it was made, the set design and adding color to the film is my kinda magic. A weird fantasy world to escape reality. My song pairing suggestions while watching this silent film are Track #6, #7 and #8 on The National’s Boxer album. Misc: Dried oranges in my coffee In a post by Diana from Sloppyperfect, she asks What little thing is bringing you joy right now? For me, lately, it’s been putting a slice of dried orange which I made myself for over 4 hours in the oven into my morning cappuccino. I was intrigued. So the next day, I went out and bought oranges and dehydrated them in the oven. And now I’m raving about putting dried orange in coffee to everyone. It’s a little elegant way to start the morning.  
Behind-the-theme of my first radio show broadcast.
And you know me, I love packing in a bunch of references and recommendations to get you inspired. Including a Louis Vuitton runway show, Wizard of Oz messages, a rockstar memoir, RuPaul’s life advice and defining your own yellow brick road. My first radio episode, Yellow Brick Road, is my FAVORITE episode. You know why? Because I created it well before I was approached to host a radio show. Back in 2021, Electric Radio Club was a budding idea for a podcast that derived from personal playlists. Coming out of the pandemic, I created this episode to give myself a pep talk and added some good music to go along with it. Listen to the episode track list as you read along. It’ll get you excited for the first radio episode of Electric Radio Club which was broadcasted LIVE on ElectroMagnetic Radio. Right at the start of the show, I had some troubleshooting issues which I have no problem talking about.
If you couldn’t guess from the title, the episode inspired by the movie, The Wizard of Oz.
I talk about new journeys, paying attention to who you are and the people who help you along the way. Having a radio show is one of the many yellow bricks on my creative path. Like the drag queen and fashion icon, RuPaul, I think there are many moments in the story of the Wizard of Oz that relate to life. I infuse these ideas throughout the episode. ‘The Wizard of Oz’ is my favourite. It explains what life on this planet is about. Although Dorothy reaches Oz, she finds she had what she needed to go back to Kansas all along, but the Good Witch tells her that she had to learn it for herself. All of the answers to the meaning of life are there.” 
screenshot when I use to broadcast LIVE - I much prefer pre-recording
Don’t Hide
If there is anything I’ve learned on my “yellow brick road” as an artist, it’s that making art is fun but confidently telling the world who you are is the most difficult task. In the movie, the Great and Powerful Oz says to Dorothy and the gang, “Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.” For years, I did just that. I hid my confidence behind a metaphorical curtain of black attire, moto boots and lots of accessories. (okay I still wear some of those things.) I know I’m a great artist but I didn’t call myself an artist. I started to pay attention to how I can best show up as that artist and not hide behind title of my day job. Can you relate? 
early days of radio show
Trust Your Gut
In my opinion, I think Dorothy’s dog, Toto, is really a symbol of her conscience. A dog knows when something just isn’t right. I’ve learned to trust my inner Toto. There were times where I have ignored the “barking dog of my mind and heart.” I knew I should have gone down Road H but headed down Avenue W instead. But the thing is, if you get off track, that’s where the unlikeliest of characters come along to provide a little nudge in the right direction. 
my Toto
Get By With A Little Help From ……… I think about all the people I’ve met (or haven’t met yet) who have helped me along my creative journey. Whether that be a bit of advice from a colleague or a random conversation with a stranger, I realize that sincere guidance comes from the most unexpected places. I consider these people the Scarecrows, the Tin Mans, the Lions and the Good witches of life who offer kind suggestions and words of encouragement. In Chrissie Hynde’s memoir, Reckless: My Life as a Pretender, she talks about the constant roadblocks of trying to be in a band. Her friend, heavy metal legend, Lemmy Klimister, encouraged her to check out a drummer for her future band. Even though, the audition didn’t work out, some people are always looking out for your best interest. (I could consider him as the Scarecrow figure) Chrissie Hynde’s road to rock n’ roll was not an easy one but she didn’t give up on her dream. If you are looking for a page turner of a rock memoir about going after what you want with rockstar cameos galore, then this is for you. Bonus: The audiobook is narrated by Patricia Arquette.
As I curated the episode playlist, I had to include the song, In A Big Country, because these lyrics are so fitting when those moments of rejection or confusion occur in life.
“So, take that look out of here, it doesn’t fit you Music and Talk I became curious about audio editing and recording for the fun of it and started recording episodes. I uploaded to a feature on Spotify called Music and Talk (which no longer exists.) Stumped on where to take my “music podcast”, I abandoned it. I left it out in the open on the Spotify platform. Knowing deep down, I wanted to take the show somewhere over the rainbow. And then a little radio station came along and said, “Keep Going.” You never know who might show up and help you on your way to your own Emerald City. These lyrics from the episode playlist I thought were particularly fitting for anyone who keeps trying. Oh you feel and you taste it and you want to go higher Someday You’ll Find It I’m gonna end with Virgil Abloh’s Louis Vuitton 2019 Spring -Summer fashion show based on Wizard of Oz. There’s a silver jacket/cape design that has the quote from Oz, “Pay No Attention to Man Behind the Curtain.” He was true visionary designer. He started out as an architect, then became Kanye West’s creative director and then went on to become Louis Vuitton’s lead designer for menswear. For years, Vigil Abloh silently battled with a rare form of cancer and passed away in 2021. I get teary watching this, particularly at the end when Virgil steps out on the runway. It’s like Virgil Abloh made it to the Emerald City. He is not hiding behind the curtain, he is showing you what is possible. I hope episodes of Electric Radio Club inspire you too! I’ve put together a “Best Of” episode list while I “take a break” from recording new episodes. Including the Yellow Brick Road episode, obviously. 
More Good Stuff
Music: So Far So Good by Meernaa I caught this artist open for the band, Deep Sea Diver, this past summer. She played an acoustic set and I remember her introducing her next song saying, “This one is really good with a full band.” She also politely asked the crowd to buy her merch so she didn’t have to haul it home after the tour. After the show, I stopped at the merch booth and picked up the last copy of the album. It’s great for those not-leaving-the-house kinda days (and it includes a full band) Like Meernaa, this is my ask to subscribe and support my work:)
Movie/TV: Black Rabbit
I was hesitant to watch this series. Purely because I don’t feel like watching anything with an incredibly stressful plotline especially one that’s based on real life events. I binged away. There are moments that are filmed so artistically with appealing angles where it makes you feel part of the scene. Something I don’t see often in TV Series. And just give the actor, Troy Kotsur, a best performance award now already! If you are looking for a good series to watch and not just have on in the background, this is worth your time. Misc: Letters Live I absolutely love this series of celebrities reading letters from everyday people. This one with actor/comedian, Matt Berry, had me rollin’ with laughter. Who couldn’t use a good laugh right now? I consider you part of my Wizard of Oz crew, supporting me down my yellow brick road. Thanks for your support! Stay inspired and keep rockin’ and rollin, 
|
RSS Feed