Belated Happy Holidays 2021!
Well, 2021 obviously not what we thought or hoped it would be. But we’re getting closer. Gatherings were allowed, concerts happened, some went back to the office, students went back to campus…
I’m still on the air at WBJB-FM, 90.5 The Night Brookdale Public Radio at Brookdale Community College in Lincroft NJ. I am the Music Director and afternoon on air host, every Monday through Friday 3p-7p. You can visit the website to listen online. We’re a “Triple A” radio station. That stands for “Adult Album Alternative.” We play a lot of rock, classic rock, blues, acoustic, alternative, singer/songwriters, new music and a lot of local NJ artists. At the end of February I will mark my 33 and a third anniversary on Jersey Shore radio.
I also continue working part-time at Jack’s Music Shoppe, a legendary record store that’s been in Red Bank NJ for over 50 years. Only working on Sundays and Record Store Days, but it’s enough to get back into the “record store thing.” I get to work with some fellow “record geeks” and we always have a good time. It’s been reassuring to see how much vinyl we sell day to day.
You may have noticed I also became “TikTok Famous” last summer. Well, sort of. A local Jersey Shore artist named Louyah had posted a video of he and his friends listening to the radio playing his song “I Used To Care” and the voice on the radio was me. Coincidentally, he lives in the same town as I do, but we didn’t know that until some time after we met. That video has been viewed a ridiculous number of times on every platform you could think of.
My brother Gordon’s family are still doing really well. Stephanie has been working at Ringfeder with him for some time now. She’s an “Application Engineer” which, I’m told, does not mean that she has to read all of the job applications that come in to the company. She’s also a teacher at her old dance school and is one of the coaches for the Cresskill High School cheerleading squad. Phillip has been working (remotely) for Tata Consultancy Services as a Software Engineer. Victoria has started her second year at Marist College in Poughkeepsie NY studying something or other but also playing on the Women’s Rugby team (which should not come as a surprise to anyone who has felt her wrath. Have I ever mentioned the time when toddler Victoria came at me with a knife?)
You may have heard about the flooding that hit Cresskill, specifically my alma mater the Middle/High School after the remnants of Hurricane Ida tore through NJ just before in-person classes were supposed to start again. Well, obviously, that didn’t happen. Students are still not back as there is still an enormous amount of equipment and furniture that needs to be replaced, infrastructure and classroom/office repairs, etc that need to get done.
And, as always, some music from the last year or so that’s well-worth the listen…
Aeon Station – Observatory
Amethyst Kiah – Wary And Strange
Arlo Parks – Collapsed In Sunbeams
Art d’Ecco – In Standard Definition
beabadoobee – Our Extended Play EP
Bob Vylan – We Live Here
Bunny Lowe – Memory Palace
Can’t Swim – Change Of Plans
Counting Crows – Butter Miracle Suite One EP
Cranston Dean – When It Rains
Dave Hause – Blood Harmony
Death By Unga Bunga – Heavy Male Insecurity
Dinosaur Jr – Sweep It Into Space
Elbow – Flying Dream 1
Film School – We Weren’t Here
Flock Of Dimes – Head Of Roses
Foo Fighters – Medicine At Midnight
Frogpond – Time Thief
Garbage – No Gods No Masters
Guided By Voices – Earth Man Blues
Idle Wave – Party Guy
Idles – Crawler
Israel Nash – Topaz
Jesse Malin – Sad And Beautiful World
joe p – Emily Can’t Sing EP
Johnny Marr – Fever Dreams Pt1 and Pt2 EPs
Jose Gonzalez – Local Valley
Joshua Henry – Guarantee EP and Grow
Juliana Hatfield – Blood
Julien Baker – Little Oblivions
Kiwi Jr – Cooler Returns
Kuf Knotz and Christine Elise – [Community]
Latewaves – Hell To Pay
Laura Jane Grace – At War With The Silverfish
Leon Bridges – Gold-Diggers Sound
Little Hag – Leash
Lizard Music – Arizone! (2021 Omnivore Records version)
Lo Talker – A Comedy Of Errors
Louyah – 6Feet
Lucero – When You Found Me
Middle Kids – Today We’re The Greatest
Monster Magnet – A Better Dystopia
Nation Of Language – A Way Forward
Nicole Atkins – Memphis Ice
Noah Gundersen – A Pillar Of Salt
Overcoats – Used To Be Afraid Of The Dark EP
Paul Weller – Fat Pop
Pete Yorn – Sings The Classics and Rooftop EP
Rag’N’Bone Man – Life By Misadventure
Real Estate – Half A Human EP
Richard Bacchus – Viva La Wattage
Ruby Bones – Laser Tooth Tiger
Satsang – All. Right. Now
Spirit Fox – Arrival
stillhungry – stillhungry
Tash Neal – Charge It To The Game
The Bamboos – Hard Up
The Black Keys – Delta Kream
The Connells – Steadman’s Wake
The Ember Glows – Passerby EP
The Hold Steady – Open Door Policy
The Last Arizona – Cocoon
The Wallflowers – Exit Wounds
The War On Drugs – I Don’t Live Here Anymore
Turnstile – GLOW ON
TV Priest – Uppers
Val Emmich – Mean
Wavves – Hideaway
Willie Nile – The Day The Earth Stood Still
Don’t forget, you can find me on the interwebs.
Personal Facebook Page
Public Figure Facebook Page
Instagram
WordPress (this blog)
Twitter
You Tube
RaspeRadio
Love It To Life, the charity organization that Jesse Malin & I started
Belated Happy Holidays!
Jeff
The Adventures of jeff & unkajeff 