......Saturday, June 23, 2007

Sending love to Watchdog!


It is hard to write something sassy when one of our own has lost the center of his world. As a blogger we get to know the others pretty well. When I started my blog " Gidget Bones" last January, Watch Dog was one of my first regulars. When I went on the air at Big Dawg, he tuned in and supported me. Watch Dog is an awesome man. My heart breaks for him! To loose a child is unimaginable. The pain is inconsolable. There are a lot of people that love him, it is time to give him that love and show him support.

I am here for you my friend!

Posted by Anonymous at 11:41 PM /

......Tuesday, June 19, 2007

DeeJays and the Internet

Morning - or whatever time of day it is for you, as you read this. I'm still half asleep, even the cats' favorite game of Trip the Human has not wiped all the cobwebs from my brain, and the first cup of coffee is just passing my lips.
Something odd happened last night in chat. Well not truly ODD, and for most not even noteworthy, and true it could be just the way I took it, but still it made me sit back and reflect on a very basic truth... As I've mentioned before a good many of Bigdawg Radio's deejays hang out at 3 Paws Saloon, and often do their shows from there, playing requests, etc. Rogue was finishing up his show and was obviously not feeling well at all, so Ice Queen and I were offering to cover for him today (Saturday) if he still felt rotten. Nomad piped up, that although he knew folks were getting tired of him deejaying he was still there and could step up to bat also. Maybe he was being a bit sarcastic with the 'tired of him deejaying' - an attempt at left handed humour- I don't know, but it slapped me in the face. How could the man that we consider the backbone of Bigdawg - the one who actually carries it and the fella we all strive to follow , think anyone had grown tired of his stylings? Listening to Nomad is like...having a visit with a good friend who happens to have this enormous jukebox right handy. He's witty and charming, and most of all the fact that he CARES about his listeners shines through. That's when the 'basic truth' hit me. No matter how great you think the other person is...sometimes they just need to hear it. This holds true for all relationships. Sometimes we just get so comfortable with a person we start taking for granted that they should just know how we feel , and we fail to express our appreciation for them being - well- them.
A favorite comedian of mine, Red Skelton, once said, "If you take away the smiles, deafen my ears to their laughter, how would I know I was doing what I love well?" The radio medium is a deaf and blind situation for the deejay. We can't see if folks are enjoying themselves, or hear if they are having a good time. Since we're on the Internet, we depend on our IMs, email, and the Chatrooms, to let us know if 'we are doing what we love well'. So...have you emailed a deejay today? Hmmmm? Have you?

Posted by Scottage at 1:01 AM /

......Monday, June 11, 2007

Just what is Country music?

Country music is actually a catch-all catagory that embraces several music genres. Each one unique in its execution, rythum, and chord structure. It seems to have started in the South Western United States , where a different mix of ethnic groups from Mexico, the British Isles, Germany, and the Czech Republic created the music that became the Western music of the term Country Western. It has roots in traditional folk music, Celtic music , blues, gospel, hokum(a humorous song which uses extended analogies or euphemistic terms to make sexual innuendoes), and old-time music .
It first surfaced around the 1920s, but didn't start being called 'Country music' until the 1940s.
Country music has many sub-genres, that quite often, folks just don't realize are country. They include:
Nashville sound the pop-like music very popular in the 1960s;
Bluegrass, a fast mandolin, banjo, and fiddle-based music popularized by Bill Monroe and by Flatt and Scruggs;
Western, which encompasses traditional Western cowboy campfire ballads and Hollywood cowboy music made famous by Roy Rogers, The Sons of the Pioneers, and Gene Autry;
Western swing, a sophisticated dance music popularized by Bob Wills;
Bakersfield sound which used the new Fender Telecaster guitars, a big drum beat, and dance style music that would catch your attention like "a freight train running" (Buck Owens) popularized by Buck Owens and Merle Haggard;
Outlaw country made famous in the 1970s by Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Billy Joe Shaver, David Allan Coe, Jerry Jeff Walker, Mickey Newbury, Kris Kristofferson, Merle Haggard, and Hank Williams, Jr.;
Cajun and zydeco is rooted in the ballads of the French-speaking Catholics of Canada. Cajun music is often mentioned in tandem with the Creole-based, Cajun-influenced Zydeco form, both of Acadiana origin.
honky tonk primarily oriented toward blues and jazz;
Old-time music;
Rockabilly ;
neotraditional country
As you can see, almost any music could fall under the heading of 'Country music'. Even Plácido Domingo, the world-famous Spanish operatic tenor, has sung country. The one that comes to mind is Perhaps Love, sung with John Denver. Groups like the Gateful Dead, The Eagles, and Areosmith, can fall under the heading 'Country', if you truely listen. Sure, maybe not every tune they do, but quite a few.
According to Wikipedia "As of 2007, country is the most popular radio format in America, reaching 77.3 million adults--almost 40 percent of the adult population--every week."
Staggering, isn't it?

Posted by Scottage at 12:10 AM /

......Friday, June 08, 2007

New Music for the Nomad – Discovering Jazz


Tonight, I went out to hear a new band. They are a combination of Jazz and very psychedelic music, and were far outside of any genre that I normally prefer, but I have to tell you that I walked away psyched after having heard some excellent musicianship.

The band consisted of a saxophone, a bass player, and a person on a synthesizer. A person also came in for one song and played a sitar. Plus, the bass went through a variety of digital enhancements so that it really sounded little like a traditional bass, and the saxophone player also used a variety of instruments, including a clarinet, a bongo drum, and even at one point a blender.

At first I thought that the music had little or no structure. But as I listened closer, I realized that while the music lacked chords, structure certainly existed. There was rhythm, melody, and a structure that, while being untraditional, certainly tied the music together and provided a flow that was extremely compelling.

Particularly talented was the saxophone player, who obviously was brimming over with ability and stood at the forefront of most of the music played. He seemed to drive the music, to consistently move it forward and give it definition. His rifts were tremendously tight, and he showed an adeptness that couldn’t help but impress.

I was speaking with the saxophonist afterwards, and found out that with over 30 years of playing the sax, he is a huge jazz enthusiast. I was thrilled when he agreed to teach me a bit more about jazz, and even more excited when he agreed to do a show on BigDawgRadio, turning our listeners on to a great deal of music that they may not have heard before.

In short order, we’ll find a slot for this new jazz show, and I can guarantee that I will be one of the listeners. But it’s really exciting to hear a new music, something I don’t know that well, and to begin to explore a whole new genre for a beauty that, for me, has been as yet undiscovered.

Are you a jazz fan? Are you interested in getting turned on to some jazz, as well as other types of music that are of similar genres? Well, then I’m in the same boat as you are, and perhaps together we can get psyched for BigDawgRadio’s next offering, a night of jazz!

Posted by Scottage at 12:52 AM /

......Tuesday, June 05, 2007

The Monday Love Line

Today was the premier of the newest show on BigDawgRadio, called the Monday Love Line, and frankly, it was a total blast. This was clearly the most interactive show we’ve done to date on the station, and I came away wishing we were doing this show every night.

Basically, the Monday Love Line runs from 7:00 pm to midnight every Monday night, and is hosted by DJ Hippie Chick and myself, DJ Nomad. Both shows are dedicated to that crazy little thing called love, and the difference in perspectives between men and women.

On both shows, we address love-related topics and letters submitted by our listeners, and give our own opinions on these issues. Both Hippie Chick and I will talk about the same issues, so you can get a real feel for the different way men and women look at the same topics, which was more than evident tonight.

Of course, it’s not all love, because let’s face it, the world is not all about love today. We touch on sex, breakups, intimacy, marriage, one night stands, basically anything where men and women are getting together. And no topic is taboo; let us know what you want to hear about, and both Hippie Chick and I will cover it. Why? Because like the rest of BigDawgRadio, this show is the listeners, and that’s what I love about it!

But it’s not all talk. The show is peppered with the greatest love songs of all time, spanning a number of genres. We do requests and, of course, dedications, sometimes from one loved one to another, sometimes to a potential sexual partner, sometimes even to someone a listener is pissed off at. The sky is the limit on the Monday Love Line.

So tonight turned out to be a total blast. I find myself wishing I was doing another show like this one during the week, but good things come to those who wait. And next week, Monday night, we’ll hit it again, and even improve on the show. Listen in, or better yet, send us a letter or topic. And get the answers you want, from the male and female perspective, next Monday on the Love Line. Hope to see you there!

Posted by Scottage at 1:48 AM /

......Friday, June 01, 2007

Gotta Love It When A Plan Comes Together


Yep, no question about it, nothing better than seeing a plan come together, especially one that has taken a lot of time and a lot of effort. The harder you work at it, the more satisfaction there when the plan works out. And with regards to BigDawgRadio, there was plenty of work that went into it, so it’s awesome to see it finally panning out.

10 months ago, when I started working with BigDawgRadio, I had a vision of a team of people, all equals, working together to bring a wide variety of music and entertainment to web-based listeners. Yes, I thought that maybe somewhere down the road we would get sponsors or advertisers, and I even considered the possibility of going to satellite or some other media. But the real goal was the team and the high level of energy and entertainment.

Well, that’s finally happened. For the first time since BigDawgRadio started, we have live DJs every night. And frankly, all the DJs are great at their particular genres, and have great on-air personalities. We have a wide variety of genres, with different nights for different styles and audiences, and are interactive with our listeners, making it more than just the music that we provide to our listeners.

But more than that, we really are a team. The DJs I’m working with today are passionate, about the music, about the station, and about life. They seem to love going on the air and giving people a good time, and each one is there for the other, always willing to help if someone needs help with any aspect of a show, or even with life. Being a part of such a team is really amazing!

With the team in place, we can focus on perfecting the schedule to really cater to the listeners. Thursday nights will be Alternative night, with a full lineup of DJs playing some of the best in newer Alternative music. And now Sunday and Tuesday nights will include our first country shows, for those of you with the cowboy boots. Never know, you might even get back your truck and mama after a few nights with Val.

Plus, we’ll be trying out some new types of shows, like the Monday Love Line, where DJ Hippie Chick and I (DJ Nomad) will have back to back shows, with each of us playing music and responding to requests for advice from listeners. We’ll each respond to the same letters, so listeners will get both a male and female perspective on the issues which trouble them. There are even plans for a show about the paranormal in the works!

There are many plans in the works for building the station, and we would love your suggestions. But the best part is definitely the creation of a team of people that are more like a family to me than co-workers. It’s a blast working at the station today, I couldn’t love it more! So come on over to BigDawgRadio, and join in the fun!

Posted by Scottage at 12:26 AM /