Radiohead

Last week I was invited on a community radio show by my friend (and fellow school parent) Tas. He is the host of Still Hip and Relevant every Monday on 98.9 North West FM and kindly let me guest program all the songs for the hour even though most of them gave him angina.

I had a blast trying to come up with 10 or so songs and had been thinking of a theme for weeks. Right at the last minute I decided to change my mind, and brought in 10 songs (well, 11) that were pivotal to me in each year of the 90s.

The station was everything you’d want from a community radio broadcaster, right down to the passive-aggressive notes pinned up on noticeboards.

It was very special.

Of course I can’t post the whole show due to music rights issues, but Tas very kindly cut the songs out of our hour show and made me a podcast. If you care to hear our very amusing exchange (and none of it was because we were actually funny), you can find it below.

And to listen to the songs, I’ve made a spotify playlist.

1990: It Must Have Been Love | Roxette | chosen because it represented all those years I obsessively listened to the radio and developed a love for easy-listening pop songs

1991: Under the Bridge | RHCP | a classic and my introduction to the chilli peppers

1992: Creep | Radiohead | Why I was suddenly drawn to this weird guy with a microphone rather than my usual long-haired guitar-wielding hot dudes I’ll never know. I didn’t understand Radiohead then and I only barely do now.

1993: Easy | Faith No More | Chosen purely for its radio-friendliness from a band I love deeply for their unradiofriendliness

1994: My Friend of Misery | Metallica | The self-titled album was the soundtrack to my early teens and this is one song from it I’m not sick to death of. In fact, quite the opposite. We owe Jason Newstead a great debt.

1995: 1979 | Smashing Pumpkins | I could have gone anywhere here, but I chose the song that makes me feel 15 years old again every time I hear it.

1996: Champagne Supernova | Oasis | It’s 1996 and I’m at a party and it’s late, the time of the night where you’re just out the back solving the problems of the world.

1997: Big Me | Foo Fighters | This represents all those years I sat and feasted my eyes on 24 hour music videos courtesy of Channel V. Plus it’s just a really good song.

1998: Baby One More Time | Britney Spears | all of a sudden I was into Britney Spears and boy bands.

1999: Brick | Ben Folds Five | I love this song so much. It also reminds me of my Triple J years.

2000: We had time so I threw in 3 Libras from A Perfect Circle. It’s SO early 2000s to me.

It appears I’ve been allowed back despite the affront to regular listeners’ ears, so stay tuned (heh) for more of my profound musical interests on the wireless.