2013 in Music

by Maddi Frick

Aside from releases I'm looking forward to in pop music (Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and Justin Timberlake!!!) in 2013, this year promises to provide stellar music, like any other year.  Here are some highlights so far:

WakeOwl - Wild Country
Lead singer Colyn Cameron used to write rap and hip-hop, but he's changed his tune, and it's delicious.

They'll be at the 7th Street Entry on Valentine's Day.  



Chastity Brown - Back Roads Highway

Originally from Tennessee, Chastity is calling Minneapolis home for the moment.

 
Seth Glier - Things I Should Let You Know
He's a Grammy Nominee.  And he's cute.  But seriously, love this album.

Top 100 Albums of 2012

by Maddi Frick

A bit belated, but true nonetheless.  Here are the Top 100 Albums played this year on Northern Community Radio.  Is it any surprise Trampled made it to the top?  They're also the only band to make it twice.  Bands are in order of most plays starting at the top.

Artist	Title
Trampled By Turtles	Stars and Satellites
Joan Osborne	Bring It On Home
The Black Keys	El Camino
Janiva Magness	Stronger For It
Etta Britt	Out Of The Shadows
Bonnie Raitt	Slipstream
The Chieftains	Voice Of Ages
Alabama Shakes	Boys & Girls
The Wood Brothers	Smoke Ring Halo
Leonard Cohen	Old Ideas
Bruce Springsteen	Wrecking Ball
Norah Jones	Little Broken Hearts
Dion	Tank Full of Blues
Ruthie Foster	Let It Burn
Heartless Bastards	Arrow
Hindi Zahra	Handmade
Jimmy Cliff	Sacred Fire
Carolina Chocolate Drops	Leaving Eden
Beth Hart	Don't Explain
Punch Brothers	Who's Feeling Young Now?
Dave Carter & Tracy Grammer	Little Blue Egg
Walter Trout	Blues For The Modern Daze
Jack White	Blunderbuss
Shemekia Copeland	33 1/3
Dar Williams	In The Time Of Gods [Advance]
Heritage Blues Orchestra	And Still I Rise
Peter Karp	Beyond The Crossroads
Rodrigo Y Gabriela & C.U.B.A.	Area 52
Julia Nunes	Julia Nunes 11 Settle Down (Nudebutler)
Ingrid Michaelson	Human Again
Various Artists	Just Tell Me That You Want Me ‒ A Tribut
Jimmy Cliff	Rebirth
Sista Monica	Livining In The Danger Zone
Bill Wyman	Rhythmn Kings Sampler
Ray Charles	Singular Genius: The Complete ABC Single
Bob Dylan	Tempest
Novalima	Karimba
Various Artists	Chimes of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dyla
Various Artists	Chimes Of Freedom: The Songs Of Bob Dyla
Joe Louis Walker	Hellfire
Jessie Baylin	Little Spark
Ceu	Caravana Sereia Bloom
The Little Willies	For The Good Times
Brandi Carlile	Bear Creek
I Like You.	Fall In Like
Rupa & The April Fishes	Build
The Stone Coyotes	A Wild Bird Flying
Claudia Schmidt	Bend in the River
David Byrne & Caetano Veloso	Live At Carnegie Hall
Pat Donohue	Vicksburg Blues
Justin Townes Earle	Nothing's Gonna Change the Way You Feel
Etta James	The Dreamer
Carole King	The Legendary Demos
Lucy Michelle And The Velvet Lapelles	Heat
The Pines	Dark So Gold
Trampled By Turtles	Palomino
Alt-J	An Awesome Wave
Balkan Beat Box	Give
Galactic	Carnivale Electricos
Little Feat	Rooster Rag
Teague Alexy	This Dance
Sara Watkins	Sun Midnight Sun
Audra Mae & The Almighty Sound	Audra Mae & The Almighty Sound
Delta Moon	Black Cat Oil
Fatoumata Diawara	Fatou
First Aid Kit	The Lion's Roar
Nanci Griffith	Intersection
Lucy Kaplansky	Reunion
Van Morrison	Born To Sing: No Plan B
Nada Surf	The Stars Are Indifferent To Astronomy
Willie Nelson	Heroes
Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds	Pound Of Dirt
The Honeydogs	What Comes After
The Lumineers	The Lumineers
Paul Thorn	What The Hell Is Goin' On
Divine Fits	A Thing Called Divine Fits
Alejandro Escovedo	Big Station
Melody Gardot	The Absence
John Hiatt	Mystic Pinball
Bettye LaVette	Thankful N' Thoughtful
Lyle Lovett	Release Me
Diet Folk	Cold
Dr. John	Locked Down
Kelly Hogan	I Like To Keep Myself In Pain
Small And Tall	High On You - Tall & Small
Otis Taylor	Otis Taylor's Contraband
TriBeCaStan	New Deli
Various Artists	Chimes Of Freedom: The Songs Of Bob Dylan
Tom Waits	Bad As Me
Yo-Yo Ma	Stuart Duncan
Big Harp	White Hat
Ane Brun	It All Starts With One
J.D. McPherson	Signs & Signifiers
Jerry O'Hagan And His Orchestra	Dance Time Volume 1
Amos Lee	As The Crow Flies
Old Crow Medicine Show	Carry Me Back
The Steel Wheels	Lay Down Lay Low
Johnny Winter	Roots
Ryan Adams	Ashes & Fire
Amadou & Mariam	Folila

Forget Ringing- Now They're Playing Videos

by Maddi Frick


I went out for lunch today, a pizza and salad buffet.  The restaurant was particularly busy, surprising us because we thought the insane construction in Grand Rapids would have deterred people.  I sat down after dodging my way through the buffet line (impatiently waiting behind a woman cherry-picking certain pieces lettuce from the salad bin).  


Ready to delve into my waiting crust pieces, I was disturbed by the sound of a cellphone.  It wasn't ringing, but was displaying a video to its owner.  And it didn't stop.  The restaurant was loud, so the phone's owner had turned up the volume to a jaw-clenching level to make it audible.  I know I'm particularly annoyed with noise pollution- just ask my parents about eating potato chips while I'm in the house.  However, I can imagine I wasn't the only one aghast as the phone's owner played the 30-second clip for the second time so her dining companion could watch.  


At one point, someone's cell phone actually rang at a different booth.  I felt no annoyance at the beeping sound.  Can you imagine?  It's 2012 and I'm not concerned with an interrupting cell phone ring as the early 2000's had predicted- because the cell phones can do things far worse now.  People with no phone etiquette can subject the rest of us to their personal choice of YouTube video, but only the audio bit.

Minnesota's Women?

by Maddi Frick

Last Wednesday, I went to the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota’s Status of Women & Girls in Minnesota Road to Equality Tour stop in Grand Rapids, hosted at the Blandin Foundation. 

That was a lot of titles with capitalized words, but to cover the basics, the event looked at information about women in Minnesota about economic, safety, health and leadership topics and compared the data to that of men and women in other regions. 

While I wasn’t up on the specific percentages, most of the data wasn’t surprising- 

• The wage gap keeps $1 million dollars from the average Minnesota woman over her lifetime 
• 33% of women in Minnesota report being sexually or physically attacked by mid-life 
• 55% of Minnesotan women are overweight or obese
• Only 14 seats of 72 new corporate board seats created in 2010 were filled by women, and those 14 were all white 

The room was packed.  The presenters kept us engaged.  The facts were often sad, but at times hopeful. 

But I have to admit, while fact after fact proved to me that women are still to this day not treated equally in society, there was something else that made me incredibly disappointed in the state of women’s affairs.  Two men came to the presentation.  I’m not complaining that men dared to show up, I’m complaining that only two men cared enough to show up.

This is the root of my frustration with being female in this region.  Feminism is a word that represents an aggressive know-it-all who doesn’t wear a bra.  We’ve moved past the blatant perception of feminism but haven’t replaced the understanding with a definition that suits 2012.  


This is a national problem, but I feel like our region is even more behind than the rest.  I’ve been forced to battle my own stereotypes on the differences between men and women the past few years and find it frustrating to return Up North.  I find more women critical of other women’s looks and more men who won’t clean the kitchen.

It isn’t enough to have equal opportunities in the workplace.  When you meet a little girl, don’t comment on how pretty she is or how cute her clothes are- ask her about her dreams and the books she’s read.  And do the same for little boys.  


A lot of our problems could disappear if we created a culture of knowledge, goals and a good attitude instead of one of segregated roles and stereotypes.

Summer Essentials: August Edition

by Maddi Frick

 
Wasn't I just writing the July edition yesterday? 

Pepper Rabbit - Red Velvet Snowball

The duo (who's names are Xander and Luc) Pepper Rabbit will release their second album on August 9th.  They've toured with Freelance Whales and Passion Pit.

Luke Temple - Don't Act Like You Don't Care
Out of Brooklyn, New York, Luke Temple's music is sure to calm you down on a harried August day.  Releasing August 16th.

Beirut - The Rip Tide
Releasing August 30th, the New Mexico band Beirut will bring more of its fusion of Balkan folk with Western pop to the world.
 

Summer Essentials: July Edition

by Maddi Frick

It's time to break out the popsicles as sun has finally decided to show itself.

A fair warning about music coming out this July; there isn't much. But still some albums to take note of:

Little Dragon - Ritual Reunion

Swedish electronic band Little Dragon will be releasing their 3rd album on July 5th.  

 They Might Be Giants - Join Us

The band's 15th album will be their first non-children's album since 2007, releasing on July 19th.

Old 97's - Grand Theatre Volume 2

Following their October release of Volume 1, this album, releasing on July 5th, will make the rest of the tracks tested at the Grand Theatre in Austin, Texas available to fans.

YouTube's My Favorite

by Maddi Frick

I love YouTube.  Or rather, I love finding weird, quirky, and bizarre videos on YouTube.

One of my paths to discovering new music is via YouTube's Music page.  They've got the top music videos of the week and past two hours,

(the current winner)

along with top videos in different genres.

(I found this one from the jazz genre; whether or not this is jazz is debatable)

Another strategy, find a video and keep clicking suggestions until you find a gem.  Like this one.

Very cool MN music played by Maddi Frick On the River

Maddi Frick was On the River tonight and played this cool song by MN Musician Jeremy Messersmith....enjoy!!!  Become a member of a community radio station like KAXE that has the luck of having Maddi Frick on our airwaves!

Summer Essentials: June Edition

 by Maddi Frick

June has officially arrived which means summer is officially here, although the weather can't seem to make up its mind.  Summer means a change of clothes, eating habits, and most importantly, the music you listen to.  I'm ready for some care-free pop beats and feel-good acoustic sounds from artists I have yet to discover.  Here's a collection of new music to look forward to over these (hopefully) warm summer months.

Coldplay - Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall

Releasing June 3rd, this single by the infamous British band will hopefully tide you over until their 5th album release sometime in the fall of 2011.

Sondre Lerche - Sondre Lerche

The Norwegian's self- titled 6th album releasing on June 7th will promise some heartfelt beats, something you'll want to check out especially considering he recently played in Minnesota, in a barn in Wrenshall.(Other albums coming out this day include Jessica 6, Arctic Monkeys, Duncan Sheik, and The Rosebuds.)

Vetiver - The Errant Charm

The American folk band, who's toured with Devendra Banhart, will release their new album June 14th (the same day as Owl City's new release) through the label Sub Pop.

Bon Iver - Bon Iver, Bon Iver

The sometimes-claimed-by-Minnesota Wisconsinite will release his doubly self-titled album June 21st.  This is only his second album, however he's been collaborating with many other artists, notably Kanye West.  (Other albums coming out the same day from LMFAO, Pitbull,  Lil Wayne, and YACHT.)

Goodbye, Again

by Maddi Frick

And it is time to say goodbye once more. And once again I must express my gratitude for the wonderful time I’ve had at KAXE. From always being fed to enjoying concerts at sunset to getting a prime view of the construction across the road to knowing about every public event in the area, KAXE has shown me so much hospitality and welcomed me with open arms.

I think the most peaceful day I had this summer was when I got my lunch to go from Brewed, drove back to the station, only to discover Sam Miltich and the Clearwater Hot Club playing music under the tent for children from the library. The sun was shining down as I ate the most delicious turkey sandwich and listened to the most happy music.

I’m off to fly across the pond and spend four months gallivanting about Europe. I’ll be studying at the University College Dublin in Ireland and hopefully DJing at Belfield FM, the college radio station. I caved in to the cliché of creating a

blog for my adventures. If anyone would like to keep up with my travels, it’s frickabroadinireland.wordpress.com. I’m also a Facebook fiend, so you can always contact me through that if need be.

The last few days of summer for me will consist of shoving one more pair of socks into my suitcase, agonizing over what reading material to bring on the plane and trying to soak up any last rays of Minnesota sun I possibly can before going to the land of perpetual rain.

Thank you, adieu.

K-WARE!

by Maddi Frick

Get your K-Ware, read all about it, new K-Gear for your non-radio endeavors!

Visit the KAXE K-Ware page to look at all our stuff representing the station. We are currently featuring the KAXE pint glass. Excellent for drinks, marbles, or straws, these crystal clear glasses can fulfill many of your container needs. From personal experience, these glasses make any home-made smoothie with local berries an even more delectable refreshment adventure.

Our clothing feature is currently the pale robin’s egg blue long-sleeve tee. With our logo printed in white on the front, you’re sure to turn heads when you wear this stunning shirt.

Also available are assorted sweatshirts and t-shirts, the purple tee, Bill Miller CDs, KAXE and KBXE bumper stickers, and temporary tattoos!

Drop by the station to fill your next birthday-present need or to replenish your closet. Or call us at (218) 326-1234.

What I Read On My Summer Vacation

by Maddi Frick

The books I have most enjoyed this summer, after The Picture of Dorian Gray, were two books by New York Times Bestselling author Gail Carriger, Soulless and Changeless. I read the first in under 24 hours, and then made my dad stop at the Village Bookstore to pick up the second, which I promptly finished in another 24 hours. And no, I didn’t finish them so quickly because they’re a quick read; I literally could not put them down.

Ms. Carriger’s novels follow Alexia Tarabotti, an unmarried, quick-witted, pragmatic lady living in Victorian England. She also has no soul. The novels are set in a world where werewolves and vampires have somewhat assimilated into high society, yet proper manners are still a must.

I wouldn’t call this series a derivative of the still-strong vampire/ supernatural craze sweeping the nation, although vampire popularity may have helped these novels become so popular so quickly. I sense no whiff of epic teenage “love-me-or-I-will-die” histrionics usually found in every book in the Young Adult book section in Target (I challenge you to find a book there without black on the cover or lurking vampires within its pages).

No, Ms. Carriger has succeeded in writing a more enjoyable novel of the supernatural, dabbling in humor, sci-fi steampunk, mystery and romance. Not only were the books delightful to read, so was Ms. Carriger to interview. We talked about her inspirations, personal rules and upcoming projects; the third in the series, Blameless, releases September 1st. Listen in this Wednesday at 6pm CT to Real Good Words to hear my interview with Gail Carriger.

BONUS- I have a tendency to make my own playlists for things and I made one for researching for this interview; here it is!

Wishing He Was Dead - The Like

100 Years From Now - Karen Elson

The Tale of Two Doves - A Whisper in the Night

Body And Soul - Billie Holiday

The Great Exchange - Thrice

Novocaine for the Soul - Eels

Vampires - Fastball

You’ve Changed - Sia

A Change Would Do You Good - Sheryl Crow

Werewolf - Cat Power

Alison Scott on Centerstage MN

by Maddi Frick

Singer/ songwriter Alison Scott has a beautiful voice to stun the masses. Based in Minneapolis, Alison works with her band composed of Grammy-winning guitarist Kevin Bowe, drummer Peter Anderson, and bassist Steve Price. Her new CD was listed as one of the year’s top 10 by the St. Paul Pioneer Press. She began performing solo after winning the Women and Music Minnesota’s first annual songwriting contest. One of the judges, Kevin Bowe saw talent in her and convinced her to make an album with him. Now, with her third album due out on September 11th of this year, Allison Scott is one of the strongest new voices to come out of the Minneapolis music scene in many years.

Centerstage MN is Thursday evenings at 6, streaming live online at www.KAXE.org; or 91.7 Grand Rapids, 89.9 Brainerd and 105.3 Bemidji and can be heard again Sunday mornings at 6. All interviews are archived at www.KAXE.org. Centerstage MN is also heard on Pioneer 90.1 in Thief River Falls, Saturday nights at 11pm KFAI at 90.3 FM Minneapolis & 106.7 FM St. Paul Tuesday nights between 8 and 10pm.