It is probably time I moved past listening to
RFI Musique all the time
--although it does not mean I'm moving past studying
French or enjoying
French music. It does mean, however, that I'm trying to diversify my musical palate a bit. Even if by "diversify" I still mean listening to lots of
pop and
electronica, just now in
English.
I have to thank (or blame, becoming I'm spending too much money)
KCRW, the public radio alternative music station based in the
Los Angeles area. I was only vaguely aware of the broadcaster prior to visiting
Long Beach and LA this past winter, but
Cali introduced me to "Morning Becomes Eclectic," their daytime alternative music show, which plays a lot of stuff that should be heard on radio everywhere but isn't, of course. It's music that often might be described as "pop with jagged edges" (thank you,
Annie, for that great description of what you do and what I like musically), but there is also some folk, rock, world, and other types of music. Anything eclectic, anything a little different and slightly off-kilter, anything that helps you groove through the morning at work--or the afternoon at work, which is when I usually listen, given the time difference between LA and
Pittsburgh. Not to mention the cultural chasm.
That last trip to Cali(fornia or otherwise) really did put me in the mood to move, to follow that sporadically resurrected fantasy of heading westward and becoming the person I imagine myself to be--which is probably the same person I am in
Pennsylvania but with a better tan and a year-round wardrobe. Who can say? It's a fantasy after all. But I do imagine myself in a mellower place, one more culturally aware and forward-looking, one more diverse and friendly, with a cooler, more urban vibe, and one with better public transportation.
So why I think that place is in
California is beyond me (see the requirement for better public transportation). Again, fantasy. But it's lovely to have fantasies and dreams, something to think about and work toward, should the yearning become stronger, the reality more compelling.
I get that way when I listen to
WXPN in
Philadelphia as well, and goodness knows, Philly doesn't cut it when it comes to the requirement for being a friendlier, mellower place to be. But WXPN was my first experience with an alternative public radio station, one that broadcasts good vibes and great music, and makes me feel a little hipper, a little happier, and a little less alone.
Which is what it's ultimately all about, isn't it? Feeling less alone, less an alien in a nationscape of conformity and close-mindedness. Whether it's being near Cali or in Cali (or vice versa), it comes down to this: Wanting to belong, wanting to be accepted, wanting to be happy, wanting to love and to be loved, and wanting to grow up and out to reach . . . me.
Pure fantasy. Especially when I'm so far away.
* * *
So why is KCRW to blame for anything? Because I keep spending money on $1.29 singles from
iTunes and
Amazon thanks to what "Morning Becomes Eclectic" keeps playing.
Some examples follow for your listening and grooving pleasure.
Majical Cloudz - "Mister"
Foxygen - "San Francisco" (see what I mean?)
Quadron - "Favorite Star"
Adam Green and Binki Shapiro "Here I Am" (like a modern-day
Lee Hazelwood and Nancy Sinatra--seriously, the highest form of flattery from the likes of me)
What time does the last train to
Santa Monica depart? Or
Riverside? I'm not picky.
In the meantime, I will spend $0.99 more for the KCRW
iPhone app to keep me company in the waiting room at
Penn Station.All aboard.
