Saturday, May 04, 2024

Coming Up Tomorrow On The Dickenbock Report: National Lemonade Day


The first Sunday in May is National Lemonade Day. The first Sunday in May this year is May 5. & on Sundays in Portland, it's the Dickenbock Report. Join us tomorrow as we report on lemonade the drink on lemonade the day including musical reports & a special report about allegations of something suspicious happening at Portland's lemonade stands.

Please note that the Dickenbock Report is no longer a morning news program, as we have been moved to later on the schedule. We are now an afternoon news program. Listen to us at our new time, Sunday, May 5, noon to 1pm, on XRAY FM - 91.1+107.1fm & online at xray dot fm.

Be aware that due to inflation, lemonade is far more expensive now that you remember.

Friday, May 03, 2024

This Week In Self Help (April 28 + 30 2024)


Here's a picture of a rainbow I took earlier this year. I like rainbows. It has nothing to do with this summary of the nonsense I got into on the radio this week.

On Self Help Radio on KBOO, I had the seventy-fourth installment of my never-ending, very silly Indiepop A To Z series. I went from Saloon to Scotland Yard Gospel Choir. We will spend a long time in the letter S. Anyway, here's a direct link to the episode. You will need the username SHR & the password selfhelp to access.

If you'd rather listen to the show on the KBOO website, here is that link. No password needed.

The KBOO link also includes this week's episode of Corporate Standardized Programming (which follows Self Help Radio). On that show, I played a bunch of new reissues by the Guerssen group of labels. If you'd rather listen to it/download it from the Self Help Radio website, here is the link for that. Same username & password for Self Help Radio apply.

The Sunday before all that was The Dickenbock Report, a show about superheroes on National Superhero Day. The show is also on the Self Help Radio web page linked here, or if you'd like you can listen at the XRAY web page.

The Dickenbock Report moves to noon on Sundays starting this next week. Imagine! I can sleep in on a Sunday!

As always, thank you for listening!

Thursday, May 02, 2024

New Intro Time Again Again Again Again Again Again Again Again Again Again Again Again!

(Yeah, Columbo shows up. This is a screen grab from a DVD I own.)

It is time once again to make a new intro for my show. I actually have been working on it for a while - all year, really - but now is the time to put it together. I do it every year around this time. No big deal, right?

WRONG! Earlier this year (or late last year) I mustered up the courage to ask Amelia & Rob of the Catenary Wires & Swansea Sound (among other amazing bands) if they might record a new "Self Help Radio" jingle for the beginning of the show. The one I have used for years was recorded by people I worked with back in Austin & I couldn't even remember one of the person's names. They very kindly agreed & they returned with three (3) (!) different versions! I couldn't choose one. So I will rotate them throughout the year. I cannot thank them enough.

The rest of the spots are the same. I wish I could've done three different ones! But I did not. Would you like to hear them? After you listen to the first one, you can stop on the others after the jingle. They are all the same except for Rob & Amelia's lovely singing. I hope you dig.

The 2024 Self Help Radio Intro (Version 1)!

The 2024 Self Help Radio Intro (Version 2)!

The 2024 Self Help Radio Intro (Version 3)!

It would be remiss of me not to say you can hear more of Amelia & Rob's music on the Catenary Wires bandcamp page & the Swansea Sound bandcamp page. Or just freakin' Google them, they are musical heroes of mine & real life musical legends!

(Oh yeah I normally link all my old intros but didn't want to do that this time around. You can listen to all of the previous intros on last year's blog announcement page.)

Tuesday, April 30, 2024

Self Help Radio 043024: Indiepop A To Z # 74

(all images from Discogs.)

Someone once asked me if I thought anyone listened to these indiepop shows. I said I didn't know. The person said, "It's like if you did a polka a to z." Thinking better of it, the person added, "Only probably more people would listen."

The series has its own momentum & I have a touch of the ol' OCD so I am happy to return to it every four months, even if there's no guarantee it will ever end. I honestly can't believe I've made it to the letter S. I got from Saloon to Scotland Yard Gospel Choir this time around - it doesn't seem that far. Will there be ten or more episodes with the letter S? I am not concerned. It's so far in the future! I have a show next week to work on.

This week you can find the show naturally at the Self Help Radio website. You'll need the username SHR & the password selfhelp to listen tho. Would you prefer to listen to it on the KBOO website? By all means click there! The songs I played are listed below in glorious alphabetical order.

PS - it's our Spring Membership Drive - maybe help us out if you can?

Self Help Radio Indiepop A To Z # 74
"Le Weekend" Saloon _(This Is) What We Call Progress_
"Green Light" Salteen _Pop American Style_
"Bubba Da" The Salteens _Short-Term Memories_

"Black Minds, White Lies" Salty Pirates _The Kids At The Club: An Indiepop Compilation_
"Kate" Sambassadeur _Coastal Affairs_
"The Day Is Mine" Sandalwoods _The Sound Of Leamington Spa Volume 2_
"Turquoise Mini" The Sandcastles _Tales From The Riverbank_
"Hope Springs Eternal" The Sandkings _Welcome To England_

"Klein International Blue" Sandy Dirt _Sandy Dirt EP_
"Summer Blues" Sarah Goes Shopping _Sharon Signs To Cherry Red_
"Mike's Dollar" Sarandon _Kill Twee Pop!_
"Dear Josie Love Robyn" Sarge _Charcoal_
"Alcohol" Saturday Looks Good To Me _All Your Summer Songs_

"California Girls" The Saturday People _The Saturday People_
"Get In, Get Out" Daniel Saturn _The Sound Of Young Sweden (Volume 2)_
"Happy Trails" Saturn V _Skycycle_
"Apples" Saturnine _Pleasure Of Ruins_
"Old Town" Say Sue Me _Where We Were Together_

"Goodbye To All That" Scale The Heights _Goodbye To All That_
"FuturePop" Scarboro Aquarium Club _Poisoned_
"Poor Flowers" Scarlet Drops _Scarlet Drops 1984-1992_
"Golden, It Is, Beautiful" Scarlet's Well _Gatekeeper_
"Do I Love You?" The School _Wasting Away & Wondering_

"Oz Lotto" School Damage _A To X_
"The Sharks" The School Uniforms _Some Oxbow_
"American Standard" Schrasj _Schrasj_
"D.H. Lawrence Wasn't A Mexican" Scissor Fits _Taut? Tense? Angular? & Other British Rail Sandwiches_
"Then (& Not A Moment Before)" The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir _The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir_

Monday, April 29, 2024

Whither Indiepop A To Z # 74?


It hailed in Portland today. In some places it might be considered a sign, but it's snowed in Portland in April so it just was one of those, "Hail, really?" moments. I went outside with my dogs & almost slipped on the deck. That wouldn't be a sign of anything but an example of what a klutzy dolt I am.

Imagine though if I had fallen! Portland would've been spared tonight's Self Help Radio! Alas, I'm probably going to be able to make the show so let me tell you, it's the first of my usual thrice-a-year returning to the Indiepop A To Z series. I have started the letter S. I suspect I will be there for a while. There will be some nice tunes in delightful alphabetical order.

Midnight to 2am. 90.7fm. kboo.fm online. There's not much else to say. Tune in!

Sunday, April 28, 2024

Preface To Indiepop A To Z # 74: The Saga Continues


What more can I say? I've done this 73 times already. I'll do it lots more.

Here's a picture of my cat Bluto who's very twee. Enjoy it.