This is the GOAT of goat serenades.
‘Mr. Rental’ shows up, gets paid, and does nothing
Would you like to get paid or compensated to do nothing? If you answered ‘yes’ then you should definitely look up Shoji Morimoto of Japan in this Oddity Central feature where he details giving up his publishing job for this odd service he offers. He shows up and telling people he will do nothing, all they have to do is cover his transportation and food or drinks but most people tend to give him more for his time. It must have caught on because he has over 270,000 followers on Twitter and inspired a TV show based on him called “People Who Do Not Rent“, which premiered in April 2020.
These companion oriented services have gained popularity to some degree in Japan where you can now have short-term rentals with dogs.
New CHVRCHES music inspired by Billie Eilish coming in 2021
The Scottish alternative darling CHVRCHES has been inspired by youthful breakout Billie Eilish for the new music they currently working on for their follow-up to 2018’s ‘Love is Dead’.
Lauren Mayberry speaking with the Guardian, heaved praise on Eilish and the production of her album ‘Where Do We Go When We Fall Asleep?’.
“The vocal production on the Billie Eilish album is absolutely phenomenal – that is an advancement in pop music,” she said. “Iain [Cook] and Martin [Doherty] like to be across what is happening for production stuff. We want to be aware of it because there’s just awesome pop music and you can learn something from it. Learn the production tricks but don’t learn the other parts: I think that was the challenge of this [new] album.”
Now just imagine, Billie collaborating with CHVRCHES?! That would really blow our minds.
New music from CHVRCHES is due out in spring 2021.
Stream our intimated LOUNGE session with Mayberry, Cook, and Doherty from a while back here.
Stream the masterpiece of heart-break and emotional recovery that CHVRHCES created with ‘Love is Dead’.
The Killers
The Killers shared an “A List” of speculated song titles on their socials leading some to think another new record could be on its way.
— The Killers (@thekillers) December 22, 2020
Brandon Flowers recently said in an interview the lack of touring in 2020 allowed more time for the band to work on new music after releasing “Imploding The Mirage” this year.
Wash your hands, Mr. Brightside.
But this is. pic.twitter.com/PlyHdzo2pM
— The Killers (@thekillers) March 16, 2020
Here’s where you can see Green Day, Gwen Stefani and more on NYE.
This will be the 5,871st post you will find this week celebrating the end of the year 2020. But have you had a moment to ponder this?
Even worse….say 2022 out loud and tell me that doesn’t sound like a sequel. pic.twitter.com/Z9f06DXpUW
— Eric Kristensen (@erickristensen) December 29, 2020
I’m hoping we’re going to put this year in the rearview and move on to bigger and better things. Here are some artists you hear on 101WKQX will be rocking the celebration with appearances on network countdown shows. The list includes:
Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2021: Machine Gun Kelly
NBC’s New Year’s Eve 2021: Gwen Stefani (No Doubt), AJR
FOX’s New Year’s Eve Toast & Roast 2021: Green Day
Of course, that list that isn’t inclusive of ALL your musical opportunities. Check out artists that are either streaming this week or playing New Year’s bashes, regardless of genre. — [eric]
[📷: Ruslan Alekso from Pexels]
Ew, 2020
A video recapping every month of 2020 as only the Rose family can.
(from the Schitt’s Creek (Pop) twitter)
Ew, 2020. pic.twitter.com/SoPrkmuaIc
— Schitt's Creek (Pop) (@SchittsCreekPop) December 28, 2020
Vinyl scores record-breaking sales for Christmas
As reported by Billboard, vinyl record sales had their biggest sales week in history, with 1.842 million vinyl records being sold during the week ending on December 24th. It’s been a historic sales month for vinyl overall with the previous record being the week prior, with 1.445 million vinyl records being sold between December 10th and December 17th. So maybe this will be why when we can all party again together, we need to share all the vinyl we collected since the last time we could be in the same room together.
Consequence of Sound reported that 2020 has been a shifting year for physical media, which saw vinyl outsell CD’s for the first time in 34 years. This shift in physical musical sales occurred in the four weeks of September. Yes, a majority of us may consume our music through streaming nowadays but it does feel endearing to feel that special audible glow coming from a record player.
Jack White has made it his mission to put out great music on vinyl with his successful Third Man Records. His former band the White Stripes is releasing their ‘Greatest Hits’ collection and to celebrate they have an incredible contest to win their entire catalog on vinyl plus a $300 U-Turn Orbit Turntable with Built-in Pre Amp. You can enter to win here and note you can enter your info at the bottom of the page.
Now just imagine how busy the next Record Store Day is going to be next year now?
Here’s a sarcastic weatherman teaching you how to remove snow from cars.
Since it’s been a while — and since most of Chicago is under a Winter Weather Advisory for snow/freezing rain (Tuesday afternoon / Wednesday morning), it might be a good time to remind people of the very complicated procedure of removing all the snow from your vehicle.
To anyone who has followed someone on the Kennedy who hasn’t, well — we all know what it’s like to get smacked with a pile of it. Not fun.
So be kind to your fellow Chicagoans and suburbanites. Heed this dude’s warning. Or you are worse than the people who don’t return shopping carts. — [eric]
Robert Smith Plays Three Songs for Second City’s “Letters to Santa” virtual fundraiser
This year’s Second City”s “Letters to Santa” 24 Hour Improv event was hosted online, and viewers were treated to a solo set by The Cure’s own Robert Smith.
Smith’s performance was comprised entirely of songs from The Cure’s 1981 album Faith to celebrate the record’s upcoming 40th anniversary. It was filmed in black and white leaving it dark and mysterious … just how I like my Cure. Check it out:
12.27.2020 History Of Alternative
Hour 1
- Husker Du – Don’t Want To Know If You Are Lonely
- Incubus – Dig
- Jane’s Addiction – Stop!
- Toad The Wet Sprocket – Fall Down
- EMF – Unbelievable
- Local H – Eddie Vedder
- Paul Westerberg – Dyslexic Heart
- The Sugarcubes – Hit
- Nine Inch Nails – Hurt
- David Bowie – Fashion
- Elastica – Stutter
- The Urge – Jump Right In
- The Cure – In Between Days
Hour 2
- Joan Jett – Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)
- Mighty Mighty Bosstones – Someday I Suppose
- Soundgarden – Rusty Cage
- R.E.M. – What’s The Frequency, Kenneth?
- Radiohead – Fake Plastic Trees
- Edwyn Collins – A Girl Like You
- U2 – All Because Of You
- Lush – Ladykillers
- Nirvana – You Know You’re Right
- Love And Rockets – So Alive
- Garbage – Only Happy When It Rains
- Death Cab For Cutie – Soul Meets Body
- Fatboy Slim – Praise You
Hour 3
- Talking Heads – Wild Wild Life
- Beck – Think I’m In Love
- Stone Temple Pilots – Wicked Garden
- The Jesus And Mary Chain – April Skies
- Green Day – Jesus Of Suburbia
- New Order – Regret
- Sinead O’Connor – Mandinka
- Smashing Pumpkins – Never Let Me Down Again
- Blondie – Call Me
- Fountains Of Wayne – Stacy’s Mom
- Filter – Hey Man, Nice Shot
Hour 4
- The Jam – Town Called Malice
- Weezer – The Good Life
- Third Eye Blind – Losing A Whole Year
- Morrissey – Suedehead
- Bush – Little Things
- Mike Ness – Don’t Think Twice
- Tears For Fears – Everybody Wants To Rule The World
- Soho – Hippychick
- Counting Crows – A Long December
- Billy Idol – Dancing With Myself
- MXPX – I’m Ok, You’re OK
- Foo Fighters – Next Year
Does ‘Wonder Woman 1984’ deliver on fan expectations?
So this is the new normal of big blockbuster movies coming out on streaming services and movie theaters at the same time. Wonder Woman 1984 has been delayed several times but it dropped on HBO MAX on Christmas Day and quickly became a trending topic on social media. Many DC superhero fans chimed in with their provocative takes, but here are two solid reviews from the reliable Beyond the Trailers and Dan Murrell. Those two reviews are below.
If you have not seen the movie yet, you can watch it along with director Patty Jenkins and Gal Gadot on Twitter at 5pm CST today. Use the hashtag #WW84WatchParty and dive deep into the nerdom over the Amazon badass in the ’80s.
Want to watch Wonder Woman 1984 with Gal Gadot and Patty Jenkins?
❤️ this Tweet for an invite to join the official #WW84WatchParty on December 26 at 3pm PT/6 pm ET, exclusively on Twitter. pic.twitter.com/hOokwO3HzG
— HBO Max (@hbomax) December 24, 2020
The best ridiculous Christmas holiday family stories
Christmas is a time for families to get together and celebrate but then your uncle slips down, knocking down the decorated tree. That weird mishappening is all that your family may talk about for future holiday celebrations or it’s a consistent go-to story for those of you gathering on the back porch. These stories are a part of the holidays in a way that we all know but may not appreciate the surface. At Thanksgiving, I posted about this which got a flowing response of odd aunts, weird uncles, and cooked turkeys flying across kitchens. So the Christmas sequel is living up to the expectations? Short answer: Yes. Very much. These are some doozies.
Some of my favorites in the thread above included a Dad putting on Mom’s fur coat to wrestle his friend after one too many egg nogs, someone giving grandma some sexy underwear, and more ridiculous behavior around the 25th of December. Click on the FB post above to read more and maybe add your own story for everyone else to enjoy.
You can jump into the full discussion with dozens of stories on our FB without sharing your own seasonal weirdness.
Kings of Leon give a gift — teasing new song “The Bandit.”
Kings Of Leon tweeted out “the w8 is nearly over” — TEN MONTHS AGO. Perhaps feeling guilty, Jared of the Followill clan decided he was going to share some “holiday cheer” with the world on Christmas and delivered about thirty seconds of a new song called “The Bandit.”
The way they did it is pretty unique, however….
Four separate clips representing the four different members of the group. If you play them all together, it forms the song. I’ve got all four separated clips here and then the complete version for you below. — [eric]
Big brother fixed it for you. pic.twitter.com/bapa1E7xvu
— nathan followill (@doctorfollowill) December 25, 2020
This A.I. roasts your Spotify playlist with horrifying accuracy.
It’s hard to imagine enjoying the experience of being judged by a website whose title is “How Bad Is Your Spotify?”. But after being dressed down by this artificial intelligence, I have to admit — I had a good laugh at myself (and my playlist).
All you have to do is click on this link from The Pudding — give the folks permission to your account — and sit back and enjoy the interactive experience. And it is RIDICULOUSLY detailed. In my case, it noted that I listened to an abundance of Tame Impala and asked if I was okay. Touché.
I’m curious how unique the experience is to everyone, so share your favorite sick burns on the 101WKQX Facebook page. — [eric]
Watch ‘Elf’ Dad surprise his teen daughter at high school
This teenager in Idaho must have been really aggravating her dad so much he needed to embarrass her school by accosting her outside as the overzealous holiday character Buddy the Elf. Yes, he sang her a random song about how he loved her.
This is the not first time recently someone has dressed up as Buddy to do something silly around the holidays. Doug dressed up as ‘Elf’ to meet his biological dad for the first time and of course, he had to have his daughter to film it.
Hot Coco Comedy for Christmas with Conan O’Brien
Need something funny to escape the usual holly jolly of the holidays in this dumpster fire year? Conan O’Brien’s Team Coco has unearthed many classic segments from his many years on the air that all exhibit that smart ass diversion of everything normal we need this holiday week.
Conan goofs around as a department store Santa.
Sometimes the holiday party gets kind of crazy and we forget all the good stuff, which makes this reoccurring sketch of showing pictures of insane things really click.
This segment is good enough for me to ….. well you should know the rest.
Conan goes caroling and really just freaks people out in suburban New Jersey.
Conan and his on-air pal, Andy Richter do some green-screen holiday shopping.
Jim Carey has been a wild guest in his many appearances on late-night TV but this 2005 memorable bit with a twisted holiday spin.
O’Brien has reunited with the Basic Cable Band recently to perform throwback style rock holiday rock tunes for the Get Together Foundation, which helps children in need. Watch his most recent tune here and more on the Team Coco channel.
Cage the Elephant plan virtual show
Cage the Elephant will perform live for the first time since spring in a virtual concert happening on January 30. The performance will be a full band, fully electric, show from Blackbird Studio in Nashville.
The show will raise money for Bread & Roses, a west coast non-profit arts organization.
L.A. deputy caught having sex in car outside Bates Motel
A Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputy may be out of a job after his bodycam microphone captured him having sex at Universal Studios, authorities say.
The tryst occurred in the unidentified deputy’s vehicle, which was parked outside the theme park’s Bates Motel exhibit. In a recording obtained by TMZ, a red-faced dispatcher can be heard saying, “95 Ocean, you have an open mic! Take care of mic!,” but the plea is drowned out by the noises the couple was making.
“The deputy was immediately relieved of duty and an administrative investigation has been opened,” a statement from the L.A. Sheriff’s Office reads. “The deputy’s peace officer powers have been suspended and proper administrative action will be taken, based on the outcome of the investigation.”
Look At This Photograph
Even Nickelback can mock Nickelback.
The laughing stock rockers have spoofed their own oft-memed video for “Photograph” for a new Google Photos commercial.
Watch it here:
#SaveOurStages: $15 billion in federal aid coming to music venues
The Save Our Stages Act was included in the COVID-19 relief bill that passed this week in Congress. The act allocates $15 billion in funding to independent movie theaters and concert venues. The legislation was promoted through the National Independent Venue Association’s Save Our Stages campaign over the past few months which included a streaming musical festival featuring the Foo Fighters, Dave Matthews Band, and many WKQX bands you know well. In a study conducted earlier this year as the pandemic raged on, 90% of NIVA’s 2,800 member venues stated they would close permanently without federal assistance.
The Chicago Independent Venue League which includes beloved music halls like the Metro, the Rivera, Liar’s Club, Bottom Lounge, and many more is expected to benefit from the SOS act. Earlier this year, 101WKQX was proud to hold a 34-hour radiothon to benefit CIVL with Brian, Allie, and Justin doing a lot of ridiculous things on-air to get donations for our friends at the local music venues.
USA Today’s Nicholas Wu tweeted the bill will provide six months of financial support to “keep venues afloat, pay employees, and preserve a critical economic sector for communities across America.”
In a statement following the news, NIVA posted the following statement on their website:
NIVA hopes to work with the Small Business Administration to ensure the emergency relief is dispersed as Congress intended, that the instructions and process to apply for grants ensure that the process is implemented accurately, fairly, and as expediently as possible.
Since it could take many weeks, even months for the funding to flow, the NIVA Emergency Relief Fund, with The Giving Back Fund as its 501(c)3 fiscal sponsor, continues to raise money to assist the venues at greatest risk of permanently going under as we wait for the grants to be issued.
You can continue to support our local music and art venues through donations to CIVL or across the country to NIVA.
