I've been immersed in pop culture for all of my life. I think most of us embrace the shiny things that connect for us, and I believe it applies equally to those who appreciate the mainstream or the underground, the contemporary or the classic, the expressway or the road less traveled.
Or both. In whatever ratio suits us, we dig what we dig.
Since I was a little kid, two elements of pop culture have fascinated me more than any other. One is music; the other is storytelling. My melodic taste is overwhelmingly dominated by radio-ready rock, pop, and soul, encompassing punk, R & B, bubblegum, ska, some reggae, some older country, a little bit of metal, very little prog or jazz, and a lot of power pop. It also includes show tunes--I have always loved musicals--and I try to keep my ears open to whatever else might worm its way in.
But I learned early on that I would never really be able to make music. Couldn't play, couldn't sing. If I ever wanted to actively participate in creating my own contributions to pop culture, it would have to be as a storyteller.
As a fan, my favorite storytelling includes superhero adventures, mystery novels, humor, and more. It also includes nonfiction that has a voice, and isn't afraid to use that voice. My favorite novel is John Steinbeck's The Grapes Of Wrath. My favorite writer is Harlan Ellison. My favorite long-form prose genre is detective fiction. I adore comic books, especially Batman comic books. I am pulp, and I am proud of it.
I wanted to (for lack of a better phrase) grow up to write and draw comic books. The art skills never developed to what I would consider a professional level. I could write, and my writing improved with practice. It took me decades to achieve proficiency at crafting fiction, but I was able to begin freelancing as a nonfiction pop culture journalist by my mid-twenties.
Yeah, I wrote about comic books, and then I wrote about music. Passion, meet other passion. I've now written and published two nonfiction books about music, sold some short stories, and I recently published a book collecting some of my short stories.
My involvement with This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio grew out of those interests, especially out of my writing about pop music. Getting to co-host TIRnRR is an amazing and eminently satisfying outgrowth of that. My pop culture immersion continues.
It's music to my ears. That's my story. And this is what rock 'n' roll radio sounded like on another Sunday night in Syracuse this week.
You can read all about this show's long and weird history here: Boppin' The Whole Friggin' Planet (The History Of THIS IS ROCK 'N' ROLL RADIO). You can follow Carl's blog at Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do).
TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATIONS are always welcome.
Carl's new book Guitars Vs. Rayguns!! Short Stories And Other White Lies is available! Read about it here, and about its truncated six-chapter sampler A Band Called GUITARS VS. RAYGUNS! here. Autographed copies of Carl's previous book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) are available here, and you can still get Carl's previous previous book Gabba Gabba Hey! A Conversation With The Ramones from publisher Rare Bird Books. If you like the books, please consider leaving a rating and/or review at the usual online resources.
The many fine This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio compilation albums are still available, each full of that rockin' pop sound you crave. A portion of all sales benefit our perpetually cash-strapped community radio project:
Volume 1: download
Volume 2: CD or download
Volume 3: download
Volume 4: CD or download
Waterloo Sunset--Benefit For This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio: CD or download
Volume 5: CD or download
TIRnRR FRESH SPINS! Songs we think we ain’t played before are listed in bold
THE FAR WEST: Bitter, Drunk And Cold (Sound Asleep, V: Hit The Hay Volume 9)
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THE SPONGETONES: Starting To Feel (Big Stir, single)
RADIO KARMA: Sweetheart Deal (n/a, We Were Gods)
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