I may be on a hiatus here in the next month so I’m unsure of how often I will be able to post. But whenever it is, I’ll be back. Stay tuned…until then keep it real. The summer is coming.
DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince, “Summertime”:
I’ll Be Missing You
24
Mar
So yesterday I told you about all of the things I wouldn’t miss about Grand Forks. There is far more I WILL miss.   Here we go:
1. Belmont Road in the spring.
2. Personal picnics on my supper break at Lincoln Drive Park watching the river.
3. My area watering holes. This includes Johnny’s, Bonzers, The Frog, Town Pump II (Petersburg), The Red Dog and Good Friends (Larimore), Denny’s and The Hub.
4. The races followed by Reggie playing the Jukebox at Judy’s.
5. The two days every summer that it gets really, really hot in Grand Forks.
6. The yearly antique jewelry sale at the North Dakota Museum of Art.
7. Big beers during Fighting Sioux Hockey games.
8. Pre-newscast bathroom chats with Casey Wonnenberg while we are doing our make-up.
9.   UND’s 10-Percent Society’s Drag Shows. Great, wild times.
10. Good people I have known who have gone since I have been here. This includes my dear friend Mike Fonder, Bob Brooks, Johnny Pinnsoneault, Rae Ann Moe, Chuck Bundlie, Gary Thomas, Carol Graham, and most recently Dick Grassel.
11. My chiropractor. I am going to be hurting without you.
12. I have three best buds. Kirsten, Tuen, and Nate. Thanks for always being there. We have certainly been through a lot together. And I will miss you all greatly.
13. My co-workers friends who may as well be family members to me.  You are one of the hardest parts about leaving. I will miss our banter, our laughs, our squabbles and practical jokes. Believe that what you are doing and will continue to do is such important work.
14. The viewers I don’t know but who know me. Thank you for your supportive cards, emails, and calls these last few weeks. You are the reason I do what I do. I will sincerely miss serving you. Thank you for inviting me into your living room these last 10 years. It’s been an honor.
Diddy Featuring Sting and Faith Evans, “I’ll Be Missing You,”:
Ain’t Missin’ You
23
Mar
I am getting kind of sentimental these last few days here in town. We’ll run down the things that I WILL miss tomorrow. But to put a positive spin on leaving all of you- there are some things I won’t miss by leaving. Some are my overall ‘Forks peevs. They include:
1. Preparing for elections and flooding. Groan.
2. The “new” Whiteys. Nevermind, it closed.
3. The line at the Grand Forks Post Office.
4. The unique odors put out by Simplot and American Crystal Sugar in the spring. P-ew.
5. Meth-users when they are out and about in area stores. FYI: you smell like battery acid. And you put me on edge.
6. Flat-ironing my hair. My hair is naturally curly. It takes 20 minutes to do my hair every day for TV. Think of all that extra time I’ll have.
7. Gaining 10 pounds and then having it look like 20 on TV.
8. The entry road to WDAZ. If it snows, there is always a huge drift blocking the road. Navigating that at 4am or 11pm in a Honda Civic isn’t easy.
9. Street parking near the REA before hockey games.
10. Working.  Too soon?
John Waite, “Missing You”:
I Wrote This Song On The Back Of A Dixie Cup
22
Mar
I love me some Neil Diamond. I am in a “Diamond” mood today so here you go. If you watched all of these videos you could waste about 15 minutes of work time which is what I am all about this last week. My last day is Friday and my mind has been wandering to everywhere but work.
You Bet Your B-lls I'm Neil Diamond
I saw Neil play at the Alerus Center a couple of years ago and it was a great show. I got chills. And I love to tell people what “Cracklin’ Rosie” is really about because it makes me feel smart. Do you know? Without googling?
Will Ferrell As Neil Diamond GAP Ad:
Will Ferrell As Neil Diamond SNL:
Neil Diamond, “Love On The Rocks”:
Neil Diamond, “Cracklin’ Rosie”:
Neil Diamond, “Cherry Cherry”:
You Will Love This Song
21
Mar
I heard this song on a favorite tv show of mine this weekend…and googled like krazy to try and find out what it was for you. It doesn’t really get good until you get into it…so give it a chance! Happy Monday.
Matt Wertz, “Somebody New”:
See This: Sharon Jones And The Dap Kings
18
Mar
Amidst all the “controversy” on the blog the last two days some good news broke! Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings are going to play Fargo on May 18.  This is very exciting news for the region, but crappy for me because I’ll be out in DC by then so I’ll miss it. But that doesn’t mean you can’t go! (And you should.)
Sharon Jones and The Dap Kins are a funk/soul group with real talent. Their sound is straight-up 60s throwback. And it’s good. If Winehouse were still relevant I would tell you that Sharon can blow her off the stage and back to London.  Stuff like this doesn’t get to Fargo often.
From Our Friends at the Fargo Forum:
Soul and funk singer Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings play the Fargo Theatre on May 18.
Jones, one of the last acts to play the final 10,000 Lakes festival outside of Detroit Lakes, Minn., in 2009, is touring behind her latest disc, “I Learned the Hard Way.â€
Fellow neo-soul act Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears opens the all-ages show. Lewis’ new disc, “Scandalous,†came out Tuesday.
Tickets, from $27 to $37, go on sale at noon Friday at Tickets 300, www.jadepresents.com and (701) 205-3182.
Sharon Jones And The Dap Kings, “100 Days, 100 Nights”:
Sharon Jones And The Dap Kings, “Tell Me”:
Sharon Jones And The Dap Kings, “How Long”:
Welcome To America People
17
Mar
I remember a few years ago watching MTV’s Making The Band hosted by Notorious B.I.G. prodigy Diddy (formerly Puff Daddy and P. Diddy.) The show features a bunch of up and coming rappers and singers compete to be in a new R&B group. Diddy ultimately chooses the members of the group and the stuff they put out will be produced and put on a label- giving them their chance at the big time.
I Like It When You Call Me Big Poppa
One of the challenges they were given in this particular episode was to learn and rap Notorious B.I.G.’s “Juicy,” which to anyone who knows anything about the origins of rap or B.I.G. will tell you is like the holy grail of rap songs. Guess what? None of these contestant kids (who were all from what you would qualify as the urban “ghetto”) could recite the lyrics. Diddy was fuming mad. I was in disbelief. I could rap “Juicy” straight through.
I got some heat on my blog yesterday for comments I made about thug life. Jukebox Hero readers Ken and Katlyn told me that I know nothing about thug life or the LBC. And because I like a little controversy, I’m going to keep this conversation going today.
Just because I am from South Dakota does not mean that I don’t know hip-hop and what rap life is like. And it doesn’t mean that I don’t have friends who I would call “thugs.”
URBAN DICTIONARY: As Tupac defined it, a thug is someone who is going through struggles, has gone through struggles, and continues to live day by day with nothing for them. That person is a thug. and the life they are living is the thug life. A thug is NOT a gangster.
Just like the fact that I am from South Dakota does not mean that I automatically like Big & Rich or Sugarland. I don’t like country music and I can’t tell you anything about cattle, roping, or what style of Wranglers are hot this season. Like I say in my profile, don’t judge.
Hip hop is about struggle. That’s why so many people of all backgrounds relate to it. No matter where you come from we are all strugglin’ in some way at some point in our lives. I pride myself in the fact that I can hang with any number of crowds. I see people as people, not stereotypes.
It was all a dream
I used to read Word Up magazine
Salt’n'Pepa and Heavy D up in the limousine
Hangin’ pictures on my wall
Every Saturday Rap Attack, Mr. Magic, Marley Marl
I let my tape rock ’til my tape popped
Smokin’ on bamboo, sippin’ on private stock
Way back, when I had the red and black lumberjack
With the hat to match
Remember Rappin’ Duke, duh-ha, duh-ha
You never thought that hip hop would take it this far
Now I’m in the limelight ’cause I rhyme tight
Time to get paid, blow up like the World Trade
Born sinner, the opposite of a winner
Remember when I used to eat sardines for dinner
Peace to Ron G, Brucey B, Kid Capri
Funkmaster Flex, Lovebug Starsky
I’m blowin’ up like you thought I would
Call the crib, same number same hood
It’s all good
And if you don’t know, now ya know
Pure poetry. Notorious B.I.G., “Juicy” (Edited Version):
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/113650/the_notorious_b_i_g_juicy_music_video/
R.I.P. To One Of My Favorite Crips
16
Mar
It’s a sad day in the LBC. I’m sure you know but Nate Dogg, one of the mainstays of 90s rap, died today at the age of 41. Crazy young to have a stroke.
Nate Dogg Dead At 41
Nate Dogg hung around with Dre and Snoop and 2Pac in the ghettos of California when they were all up and coming rappers/producers. He made his debut on the epic 90s hip-hop album The Chronic and had a huge hit of his own with “Regulate” which I previously blogged about. His low sing-speak stylings gave a little something extra to some of the most famous rapper’s tracks.
I got a text from another thug I know this morning alerting me of his death.
It said, “Pour a 40 out for Nate Dogg. Dead at 41.” Couldn’t have said it better myself. RIP brother.
50 Cent Featuring Nate Dogg, “21 Questions”:
More New Raphael Saadiq
15
Mar
The title says it all. And I’m busy. Enjoy another smooth 60s-infused tune from Raphael Saddiq.
Raphael Saadiq, “Good Man”:
Heart This: Jessica 6
14
Mar
Jessica 6 are made up of some of the former members of Hercules and Love Affair. I’m really loving the new stuff they have put out recently, including tracks “White Horse” and “Fun Girl.”  The videos are so steamy I won’t post them here.
I would describe their sound as what you would hear walking into Studio 54 if it were open and thriving today. If you were a fan of the songs that Madonna sang really low and throaty on, you’ll love Jessica 6.
Here is the link to their myspace page:
http://www.myspace.com/jessicasix/music
Here is a taste of their sound when they were Hercules and Love Affair, “You Belong”:
