‘Planet Coffeehouse’ controversy
A recent episode of the public radio program “Planet Coffeehouse” devoted a segment to American music throughout the years, highlighting the labors of favorites like Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson and Tim Krekel. Despite the inclusion of some newer, younger acts as well, Louisville music bloggers were outraged that the panel of radio DJs between the ages of 50 and 65 who decided which musical acts were “important” did not match up with their Coachella-approved favorites. “Don’t these much older James Taylor fans even know about Death Grips?” asked Frank Lee Vine, who blogs at Farts on Fire. “I am completely shocked at how out of touch baby boomers are with what I consider important in the scene today! This totally changes my perception of NPR and its affiliates.”
Reggae radio
Louisville music fans were shocked to learn recently that a local radio station broadcasts two entire hours of recordings of reggae music every Sunday. “Wait, didn’t that die off in the early ’80s?” asked Scott Skiffle, an insurance office manager. “What do they do, just play a couple of Bob Marley records every week? I mean, I don’t know anything about the subject I’m voicing an opinion on, but I’m thrilled that you’re asking me. And why don’t I hear more great blues on the radio, like Stevie Ray Vaughan or Aerosmith?” Jessica Van Der Losen, an energetic Highland Coffee barista, asked, “Radio — you mean Pandora? If you want to play your favorite Pandora station, that’s fine, that’s your business. I’m really into Lorde’s Pandora today.”
Record stores and mental health facilities merge
A Metro government group began meeting this month to develop a new plan for keeping record stores in Louisville. Their decision to merge those stores with mental health facilities has been met with some skepticism, though experts agreed the two fields had much in common — both deal with individuals out of the mainstream, and both put the “non” in “nonprofit.” Beds and meals will be provided for the stores’ owners through funds raised from a tax hike, with preferential treatment offered to those whose record stores sell cassettes.
*These stories are part of LEO Weekly’s Fake Issue.
This article appears in March 25, 2014.