Yet another one of those lifetime landmarks manifested as I cut my hair today. Several of the ones on the floor were grey.

As long as I can remember, I've always looked like I was fifteen years old. I don't often mind this since it usually works in my favor. I guess those days are soon gone.

This week's Stick It In Your Ear podcast honors Record Store Day by featuring some local bands who appreciate the medium. As usual, I'm my worst critic, but I'm sure you'll enjoy my fumbles and mistakes as I try to get re-acquainted with a more "live" format, a new mic, using a cheap mixer, and everything that goes with that.

The introductory segment was produced by accident before recording, when I synced my ipod with the computer while both were turned up on the mixer. Cool, right? Who knew modern technology can create such a lo-fi sound?

Download "Volume 6 - Vinyl Madness"
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Subscribe to the feed.

#6 - Vinyl Madness
4/18/09

Milk at Midnight - Why Don't You Go?
Glasvegas - Geraldine - Glasgow, Scotland
New Black - Toaster
Doctor, This Virus Is Silence - Misery Signal - get the song at http://www.dtvis.net
Walking Bicycles - Welcome to the Future
The Sounds - Queen of Apology - Sweden
The Ponys - We Shot the World
The Moses Gun - Ashley
(Inner Groove segment off the vinyl version of New Black's "Time Attack")

Okay, that's too much like the title of a Scrubs episode or something, but here's the deal:

I'm DJing at the Lucker Number Grill Thursday night with DJs Evil Needle and Jasmine. It should be a fun time. I'll be playing everything from dance to 80s to local to - well, you get the picture. Also, I have they have food and booze. How can you go wrong?

Here are the details:
DJs South of North, Evil Needle and Jasmine
Thursday 4/16/09
9pm-2am
Lucky Number Grill
1931 N. Milwaukee Ave.

We'd love to see you there!

So what's the proper way to spell "DJ?" Is it just that? Or is that like typing "u" for "you" and "2" for "too?" Should we be writing out "deejay?" Or should we go old-school and say "disc jockey?" Some of us don't really bring discs anymore. Should we have another name entirely? "iPod jockeys?" "IJs?" Remember when MTV gave us "veejays?" Good times.

There will be no podcast this week.

Volume #5 of Stick It In Your Ear is finally up! Get it directly here or subscribe to the feed to get all past and future volumes.

Sorry for the delay - I had some synching issues, and during the re-mixing I decided it's way past time to "do something" about the horrible audio on my vocal tracks. I gained some ground there, and this one's ... better ... than the others.

The good news is, I've had to listen to this creation over and over (and over, and over, and over...) and I haven't grown sick of the songs yet, so I can assure you it's a good playlist, at least for my tastes. They still incite emphatic dancing with each track; whether or not it elicits the same response in you is a different matter altogether. In the end, your opinion is what counts most, and I really do want to hear what you think so far, so please send (constructive) feedback to music(at)southofnorth(dot)com (or leave them in the comments). Should I keep doing this? Is there something else you want to hear? Do you want to hear more bands from outside Chicago? Is there something from inside Chicago I've missed? Let me know. Bands can also send mp3s, snailmail address requests, or show announcements to the same address.

Here's some show notes:

#5 - Ear Infection
April 4, 2009

Moses Gun - Jewelry Box - (myspace.com/themosesgun)
My Gold Mask - Bitches (mygoldmask.com)
Say Hi - Northwestern Girls - Seattle, WA - (myspace.com/sayhitoyourmom)
Paper Bullets - Something In Between (check out the new band Traci Trouble is in - myspace.com/theeinvaders
Crystal Castles - Crimewave - Toronto, Ontario
Quintron & Miss Pussycat - Shoplifter - New Orleans, LA
Johnny Rumble - Good for the Market
The Dials - Don't Change (www.thedials.us)
Mucca Pazza - Agushev Cocek (mucca-pazza.org)