Category: Making An Ass of Yourself: A How-To Guide
Thursday, June 12, 2003
I'm addicted to XM Radio. Specifically, I'm addicted to XMU, a station they provide which plays indie rock, underground hip-hop, jam-bands, and other experimental stuff. They play the coolest stuff I've ever heard. I even shelled out for a SECOND radio -- the XM-PCR -- so I could listen at work. (I told you I was addicted.)
There has, however, been a blemish on my XMU experience of late. That blemish is a little band called "Of Montreal". I don't know what it is, but I can't stand these guys. Their stuff makes me want to throw my radio out the window, it's so annoying. And, for some reason, XMU has been playing them veeeeery frequently.
Finally, I got fed up and sent an e-mail to the XMU staff, asking them to consider revising their playlist.
From my e-mail:
please please please play LESS of this band "Of Montreal" you guys have had in heavy rotation lately. They drive me NUTS with their meandering,
tuneless whine-rock. Every time they come on it's like fingernails on a
blackboard, and they come on a LOT these days.So -- I don't know if you take anti-requests -- but I suppose that's what this is :-)
A couple of days later, I got a note back from Scott Struber, the programming honcho behind XMU, which read, in part:
LOL! Jason, thanks for the feedback. Always appreciated. They're not actually in heavy rotation, but you must be having the misfortune of catching them every time they're on. Anyway, your timing is great, as we're planning on pulling them into a slower rotation this week.
Cool! Problem solved, right?
Wrong!
Flash forward to this afternoon. I'm listening to XMU again today, and I hear another of their DJs, Toby, recapping the stuff that had been played that hour. As she's running down the list, she says something along the lines of:
"... and we heard the latest one from Of Montreal... that's Struber's favorite song!!!"
D'oh! It's generally not polite to send someone an e-mail telling them their favorite band plays "meandering, tuneless whine-rock" -- at least not where I come from.
Open mouth, glue e-mail to foot, insert foot in mouth...
So anyway, I sent Struber a note congratulating him on his professionalism in replying to my message dissing his fave, and I thought I'd take this space to issue a public mea culpa as well. If it had been me having MY favorite bands dissed like that I think I would have had no recourse but to hunt down the disser with a high-powered rifle.
Thankfully, it looks like Struber's a better man than that... for which I should probably be rather thankful!
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If you think anything I write here represents the opinions of anybody but myself, you need more help than I can give you. The opinions are all mine, folks. Nobody else's.
If that's too hard to understand... well, I'm sorry. There's only so much I can do. I'm not a therapist, and I'm not a miracle worker. I wish I could help you work through your delusional belief that I'm speaking for anyone else but myself. Honestly, I do. But in the end, that's a monkey you'll have to get off your back on your own. Sorry.
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isn't if fun to look back and see that in '03 you had no taste? you suck :)
"isn't if fun to look back and see that in '03 you had no taste?"
Of Montreal still sucks ;-)
well, I can't help but read your take on Of Montreal. I have to say that I too am a big big fan of XMU, in fact, it's the ONLY reason I have XM in the first place. When XMU plays Of Montreal, I change the dial, mostly becuse they play everything off there new CD. I actually bought there old CD (sundance twins) and it is one of my favorite all time CD's. I bought the newest CD too, and can't stand it, never play it, and think it was a bad error of judgement on there part to make it. I'd say I agree with you, but hope you'll consider listening to the older stuff. It's pretty fun if you give it a change.!
well, I can't help but read your take on Of Montreal. I have to say that I too am a big big fan of XMU, in fact, it's the ONLY reason I have XM in the first place. When XMU plays Of Montreal, I change the dial, mostly becuse they play everything off there new CD. I actually bought there old CD (sundance twins) and it is one of my favorite all time CD's. I bought the newest CD too, and can't stand it, never play it, and think it was a bad error of judgement on there part to make it. I'd say I agree with you, but hope you'll consider listening to the older stuff. It's pretty fun if you give it a change.!
of Montreal still suck, glad not everyone is brainwashed =)