Did McGuinn tell you when The Byrds' reunion tour will finally occur?

LAMBERT: One original roadie will be playing Grand Casino Hinckley this April.

"...the same six artists five times a day or your "classic" listeners the music they (vaguely) remember getting to second base with".

Ahahahahahahahahahaha!

I like that.

All the best to Mr. McGuinn. He makes Obama sound specific. So I guess we'll wait and see. Anything about what's going to replace The Morning Show?

And, off topic, the ludicrous Smiley Face Killers series wins a local Emmy?! Irony takes another body blow.

LAMBERT: What's "ludicrous" are the regional Emmys. The short list is who and what DOESN'T win.

It's pretty funny that such an interesting, open minded and highly cultivated music listener is dispatched to tinker with such an interesting, open minded and highly cultivated radio station. Especially when there is so much DRECK FOR THE TAKING, EVERYWHERE AND ELSEWHERE UP AND DOWN THE DIAL.

The way I see it, there's probably about 167 people in the Twin Cities who could do this job -- take a good product and leave it alone, save for maybe telling everyone who works there "You rock!" when they pull into the parking lot in the morning. But I guess we all know the definition of an expert.

Anyway, I love your take here -- and since we are talking about radio I use the word "take" in honor of the great Jim Rome -- but I'm just not hearing the same tyranny of singer songwriters in the Current's playlist. (Though if it existed that would surely be a benevolent dictatorship, yes? And isn't that what Lucinda Williams is anyway?)

I may just have a chip on my shoulder in favor of the station because I once wrote a gushing op-ed about the Current back when it first got going and then a clever writer at City Pages -- Newman! --stick-manned me into exhibit A of all the singer songwriter fandom doofuses who weren't hip to Atmosphere. All because I liked hearing Nick Drake on the radio. No good deed goes unpunished, right?

If I had to pick an area to tinker with, I would encourage the voice talent to expand their range of acceptable subject matter for commentary. It still seems a little polite at times to me. Especially concerning all the ridiculous things happening and which have happened politically in this country. Maybe politics is some sort of DMZ in public radio? The silences during or following some of the news reports is often deafening...

LAMBERT: In my dream format there would be a truly, uh, revolutionary mix of informed ranting and good tunes. The MPR realm is heads and shoulders better than anything on commercial, but still operates under the dictum of never risking annoyance, much less outrage.

Wow! It's good to know there are still some true radio programmers alive and kicking. This is great news for The Current and, hopefully, terrestrial radio in general.

LAMBERT: McGuinn strikes me as an innovative guy. Let's hope he brings that to MPR.

So, where do you stand on the "model" of grooming the Current listener base to become "contributors" to the state-funded mother station?

Not so dumb...

Will MPR count for liberal air if the "fairness" doctrine is forced back to life?

LAMBERT: As long as the federal government is allowing commercial radio's sales guys write off their expense account happy hours, I'm not going to complain about the modest underwriting of anything with two firing neurons.

People still need a place to hear/try out new or different music to PUT on their iPods. That's my biggest problem.

I like Radio Paradise (www.radioparadise.com). They play "eclectic" new music, but they have a higher threshhold for quality, and play music from many eras and genres.

The Current frustrates me, either because they often play what sounds like "mediocre" music, just because it is new. But I also think their original charter was flawed: new music + local music + really old music (Frank & Ella) - KQ/overplayed music from other stations.

I feel they'd be better off thinking like a bride: something old, something new, something borrowed (covers or songs from other genres), something blue (roots music).

I also think they have a Dayton's/Target problem, in that they might compete against themselves (KNOW or classical) if they veered away from their focus on the young. So they might be limiting themselves from being the best music station they could be in order to "fit in the family."

I will also say, however, that when I look at the critics picks of the "Top 100" music releases at Amazon for the last two years, I have heard many of the artists on the Current. In previous years, I would look through the list and wonder "Who ARE these people?" And I have come to like the Hold Steady, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, and some rap/hip-hop music, among others, because of the Current.

LAMBERT: I listen because I want to be educated/tipped to something I haven't heard. If I listen for an hour I always hear something I like enough to hunt down -- on CD (old school, I know) -- at the Fetus.

Well, I seem to recall you going on rather at length re: the implausibility of the Smiley Face Killers series. But, okay.

Anyway, I'll ask again: Did you ask him about the what will replace The Morning Show?

LAMBERT: We did not talk about The Morning Show, and yeah, I took my shots at The Smiley Face Killer idiocy. My argument has been pretty well confirmed since no one -- no competitor, no cop -- pursued the thing. But as I say, they give out regional Emmys to everyone.

I hope McGuinn will still play that 12 string Rickenbacker on the air every now and then.

BL: "The MPR realm is heads and shoulders better than anything on commercial, but still operates under the dictum of never risking annoyance, much less outrage."

Um, have you READ Keillor in the Strib?

I understand the MPR switchboards light up on Mondays after he goes postal.

LAMBERT: When you use phrases like "goes postal" I get a little nervous.

Sorry, didn't mean to imply that winning a regional Emmy in any way vindicates the deservedly maligned Smiley Face Killers sweeps stunt; but, rather, that with a bar that low it has to leave the other winners wondering about the credibility of their statuettes.

As for the yawning programming lacuna left by the end of The Morning Show's long run (on air, that is, as it's reportedly going to live on via the web), I'd be thrilled to learn that they're planning something more ambitious than just a morning DJ to fill the slot.

LAMBERT: Would you be happy to hear that Gary Eichten is going to do an air shift at The Current?

Awarding a regional Emmy to The Smiley Face Killer may or may not have been a mistake. Time will tell. Let's not forget that the overwhelming majority of the time, this organization does a good job in choosing Emmy recipients. For instance, this year marked the 31st nomination - and 18th win - for wise and venerable Ted Baxter at WJM.

LAMBERT: Ted Baxter would have done a spit take at the "Smiley Face Killers".

I've had the good fortune to be a McGuinn listener in Philly. His commercial stations (WDRE & Y100) were always smarter than the music they were 'encouraged' to play - a Clash or Marley tune thrown in between the Hoobastank & Staind.

When the suits booted his 2nd station's format for Urban in '05, he went pirate, and pumped out a GREAT internet stream with the help from some fellow station believers.(Y100rocks.com) With advertising, they were actually financially solvent with a streaming local radio station back in '05-'06. That's when 'XPN called. Jim continued to program YRock on XPN, but was soon called upon to replace World Cafe host David Dye in the afternoon drive slot, to much angst and teeth gnashing amongst the XPN faithful - David's music mix has welcome depth.

It speaks to Jim's talent and spirit that we in Philly are now worried about 'XPN, after just a bit more than two years of his influence. He will be greatly missed. Jim has a knowledge and understanding of music far beyond his years - although born in the late 60's, he seems to know 60's AM radio better than most of us who lived through it. He is a music geek, in the best way. He's not paralyzed by academic examination, and he loves a good pop song. And his stations have always been fun. (Even the pledge drives were better during his air stints..??)

Given half a chance...well, I envy the possibilites...

LAMBERT: McGuinn is bringing some very interesting chops to town. If he ingratiates himself with the Twin Cities music cognoscenti, as I expect him to do, we could have some fun here.

How ironic that this really amazing obit of Bill Drake runs the day you after post this. Apparently he is single handedly responsbile for turning radio in this country into a conduit for advertising and a people free zone of musical conformity:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/02/business/media/02drake.html

LAMBERT: Did anyone attend the funeral?

The "classic" genre or format is being too easily dismissed here. Looking at the last 40 years of music, how many of the album rock, classic rock artists have maintained relevance as compared to 15 minute sensations of disco, 80s pop, boy bands, early 90s rap and so on. Sure, using an example as Heart and BTO can make the classic rock sound outdated - Would you say the same about the Beatles and Led Zeppelin? When the Rolling Stones, Eagles, Paul Simon, Elton John, Billy Joel, and Paul McCartney come to town they are still drawing sell out crowds at $200 a ticket, and while I am a supporter and occasional listener of the Current I am wiling to bet that the majority of their artist line up, even with increased exposure would not be able to maintain cultural relevancy as long as most of the artists on the higher rated commercial stations.
Also what is classic for you or I today, is not necessarily classic to someone else tomorrow. The rise in popularity of guitar hero and other gaming systems have given classic rock artists a new fan base - some of these kids may be getting to second base listening to Heart's "Magic Man".
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23579676/

LAMBERT: As much as I love the Stones, The Who and even Springsteen, I have no NEED at all to hear their music as much as I (could) on the radio. Nor, I suspect, do many others decades younger than me. The Current's playlist may not include artists ever in danger of achievng "legendary" profile, but I never want to get into the "frame" that "legendary" = good. The list of obscure blues, folk and (real) country includes hundreds of talented musicians who have maintained long careers ... albeit without that funky linkage of record corp. hype and the local station's need for cheap promotion.

I’m currently entranced by a Thin Lizzy tune – The Cowboy Song – that was playing softly over the speakers at Sportman’s Warehouse when I was last there to buy a new set of blaze orange bibs. I’ve downloaded it on iTunes and listened to it 23 times. So there ya go. But it’s an obscure album track, you’d never hear it on KQ – which I don’t listen to anyway. I discovered Ryan Adams that way as well – at Fleet Farm.

I’m going to try these Drive By Truckers, Brian, based on your enthusiasm for them. Please name your favorite song by them.

I like the simultaneous Byrds references.

LAMBERT: There are a lot of Truckers songs I like. Three favorites, all on "The Dirty South" (my favorite), are "Carl Perkins Cadillac", "Danko/Manuel" and "Lookout Mountain".

What's all this genuflection for some guy from the Byrds who apparently also dresses like a pirate?

Everyone knows Gregg Swedberg rules radio in this town.

What's the over / under on the Mondale Jones show demise?

I heard of (19) CBS radio layoffs locally yesterday....

LAMBERT: The number I'm working with is 14.

108, might I suggest Whiskeytown, Ryan Adam's first band.

Sample song:

"Excuse me, while I break my own heart".

Or somesuch.

The Current has carved a nice music niche for itself in the Twin Cities and offers a nice alternative to KQ and Cities 97. Bringing in Jim McGuinn from Philadelphia's WXPN, home of NPR's "The World Cafe", will hopefully enable The Current to refine itself and move to the next level.

As an avid public radio listener, I can point to KCRW, the public radio station in Santa Monica, Calif., as the music gold standard for what I think -- or at least would hope -- The Current can aspire to become: a home for showcasing new, current and upcoming releases as well as a vehicle for hosting live in studio performances on a regular basis.

Although I live in the Bay Area, thanks to the Internet, I regularly listen to KCRW's preeminent music program, "Morning Becomes Eclectic" (airs Monday-Friday 9-noon PT and available on demand), which I can easily thank for making me dollars poorer but musically richer via the iTunes store. Thanks to listening to "MBE" and KCRW, I've added nearly 500 songs to my iPod over the past couple of years that I first heard on "MBE" and KCRW.

"MBE" has introduced me to (in no particular order in the past year): Adele, Mates of State, Ting Tings, The Raconteurs, Boat People, Dandy Warhols, Duffy, Tilly and the Wall, Emiliana Torrini, M83, Juana Molina, the Bird & the Bee and, more recently, School of Seven Bells.

I invite The Current listeners to check out "MBE" and other KCRW music programs, take a look at their innovative playlists and compare what KCRW is doing musically to what The Current has been offering. Hopefully, Mr. McGuinn can bring about some positive change. If he is successful, I think listeners will want to become MPR members as I have become a KCRW member.

LAMBERT: I'm well aware of KCRW, but not "MBE". A personal commercial favorite is KPIG up near Watsonville, CA. Point being, McGuinn has a wide range of options to play with.

Actually, I bet Eichten would be pretty damned entertaining in a shift on The Current. Though I don't see old tapes of The Commonwealth Club going over big with that demo.

I can let one lame Byrd joke fly...but after a few I feel like I need to point out that the McGuinn of The Byrd's name is Roger.

LAMBERT: We know, we know. It's just our way of pretending to be hip ... without mentioning our Tijuana Brass collection.