Self Help Radio 022015: Razors

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Yes, I did brave the Worst Winter Ever™this morning - temperatures were below zero & ice walls lined the streets - to present an utterly ridiculous radio show about razors.  Because - well, why the hell not?  It's too cold to think straight!  I can no longer feel my nose, my fingers, or my knees!  When did Kentucky move to the Arctic Circle?  It's going to snow tomorrow, too?  Arrrrgh!

Ahem.  The show has many wonderful razor songs, plus a report on celebrity shaving by Mark Miller, an interview with shaving razor inventor David Fruchter, & a surprise call from the Rev. Dr. Howard Gently.  All very ridiculous, & even possibly informative.  It's more enjoyable than frostbite, but only just.

You can listen of course at the Self Help Radio website.  You'll notice the show's divided into two parts.  That's standard operating procedure.  I list the songs I play in the two parts below.  You'll also notice that there's a login & password.  They're not secret.  They're mentioned on the page.

Thanks for listening & please stay warm!

(part one)

"Razor Ball" Blind Willie McTell _Complete Recorded Works, Vol. 1_
"Razor Strap Boogie" Jack Rivers _Roots Of Rock 'N' Roll, Vol. 3: 1947_
"Razors In The Air" The Kingston Trio _Goin' Places_

"I Got A Razor" Willie Dixon with Memphis Slim _Willie's Blues_
"Razor Sharp Blues" Big Joe Williams _Have Mercy_
"Razor Edge" Ranee & Raj _Don't Tell Me I Must Go_
"Marjory Razorblade" Kevin Coyne _Marjory Razorblade_

"Ten Inch Razor" Flesh Eaters _No Questions Asked_
"I Love You, Mr. Disposable Razor" A Witness _Threaphurst Lane_
"Stepping Razor" Peter Tosh _Equal Rights_

"...On The Razors Edge..." Pop Will Eat Itself _Box Frenzy_
"Razor Walk" The Blue Aeroplanes _World View Blue_

(part two)

"Razorblades & Lemonade" Television Personalities _Closer To God_
"Razor Pilot" Madder Rose _Bring It Down_

"Razor Dance" Richard Thompson _You? Me? Us?_
"The Singing Razorblade" Guided By Voices _Hardcore UFOs: Demons & Painkillers_
"Licking Honey From A Razor" Barry Andrews _Haunted Box Of Switches_
"Ballad Of The Razor" The Haircuts _Sorrow Is The Way To Love_

"Razorblade" The Strokes _First Impressions Of Earth_
"Sleeping Aides & Razor Blades" The Exploding Hearts _Guitar Romantic_
"Heartbreaks & Razorblades" Miss Derringer _Winter Hill_
"Razor Scooter" Xiu Xiu _Razor Scooter/Sashay Away EP_

"Razorblade The Tape" Slum Of Legs _Begin To Dissolve 7"_
"Razor's Edge" Celebration _Albumin_

Whither Razors?

Look. Sometimes you're all like, "Could I really do a radio show about ______?"

& it's not just, "Can I play a bunch of songs about ______?" but "Can I play a bunch of actually good songs about _____?"  Because there are always enough songs about a theme.  Always.  I remember when I did my Halloween show about werewolves, I discovered there were an almost literal shit ton of songs about werewolves in the metal genre.  As someone who never developed a taste for any metal really, that was a problem - because I only play songs that I actually enjoy.

Imagine, then, me, a few months ago, asking, "Could I really do a radio show about razors?"  I was asking "Could I really do a radio show with good songs about razors?"

It took me a while, but I did in fact find a decent number of good songs about razors.  This does mean that the show kinda originated in a dare to myself.

Where did the idea of songs about razors come from?  Easy.  I was listened to Blind Willie McTell & was intrigued about his song, "The Razor Ball."  I don't know what a razor ball is (the "ball" in the title is in the sense of "dance party") but I loved the song, & it made me think, "Hm, songs about razors."

That's where the dare came in.  I dare myself a lot when I've been drinking.  Did I mention I was drinking while listening to Blind Willie McTell?  Oh well.  I said, "I bet you can't…"  & then I started to think about razor songs.

Which brings us to tomorrow morning.  The low temperature is supposed to be -12 degrees.  I don't even know if I've ever experienced negative temperatures.  I'll be getting into a car & driving to the radio station in negative temperatures.  But!  I'll do it.  Because it's what I do!

An entire show about razors.  From 7-9am.  On 88.1 fm Lexington in quite literally frozen Lexington.  Online in happier climes at wrfl dot fm.

Also I should add: brrrrrrrrr.

Beagle Fan

Congrats to Miss P for winning the Westminster Dog Show yesterday.  As the owner of three beagles, I am happy & proud.  Plus, she's a beauty.  Mine are lovely - there's no such thing as an ugly beagle - but they're probably not pure bred.  The P in Miss P might stand for perfect.

It's going to be very cold tonight (a low of -9 F), & it's been cold & snowy for days now, & I promise I'm not going to complain about shoveling snow today (although I did it again for the third damn day in a row), but one thing I miss thanks to the weather is that we don't walk the dogs when the Fahrenheit is in the 20s or lower.  Our littlest, Winston, just couldn't handle it - he comes inside from a brief urination break all a-shiver because it's so cold.  I am glad, though, we're not out walking, because I just know that there are folks in the neighborhood who never let their dogs (or cats) inside.  & when the temperature dips into the negatives - & it will tonight, & on the morning before this week's show - these heartless fucktards will still leave their animals outside.  As I have heard from family members - in Texas, of course, it's leaving pooches out in 110 degree weather that's the problem - "they're just dogs."

People who say "they're just dogs" are barely even human.

So damn it! bring your dogs in when the weather sucks.  If they're smelly, give them a bath.  Don't you know their species co-evolved with ours for millennia?  Our ancestors slept with their ancestors around fires & in caves - we used to have to be out in the bad weather together, so why not let them in with you with the fancy protection you now have?

They'd do it for you.

Snow Daze

It snowed a lot in Lexington yesterday.  The local newspaper talks about how the city dealt with it, & warn that it's going to snow tonight & so there'll be more snow tomorrow.

I shoveled snow for a couple of hours yesterday & today.  Cleared a path for the mail carrier, & for the car, although our street has not been plowed & probably won't be - according to the county's Snow & Ice Control Plan, I don't live on a street that gets any attention.  The plans just go up to "Priority Four"; I'm guessing we're somewhere near "Priority Fuck You."

So I'm not going to drive anywhere, though I could get the car out into the street.  The street!  I've had to help push a couple of cars that got stuck out there.  A few neighbors came out to help as well.  The next-door neighbor, who has a better snow shovel than I do, lent me his, & helped me & the wife finish our driveway.

Snow shoveling is no fun.  Why in the world would Charlie Brown do it for money?  How much money does he really need?

But if he must, where the hell was he today?  I would've given someone money, a few of my books, & a home-cooked meal to shovel my damn walk.  I don't want to have to do that again.

Funny I should think of Charlie Brown.  Shoveling snow is one of those Charlie Brown things.  You hate doing it, you do it, then it snows again, so you have to do it again. Which you hate doing.  Good grief!

Snowed In

Hopefully I'll be thawed out by Friday.