suspended from class.

I first discovered Camera Obscura in 2008, right after I separated from my then-wife. I had noticed a vinyl copy of Underachievers Please Try Harder on display in the local record shop for a while and was intrigued by the cover. I honestly thought it was a reissue of a 1970’s album from a Swedish female acoustic folk duo but, wanting music that hadn’t been associated with my wife or marriage, I bought it, completely unheard. I needed something good that was “just mine”. One might consider that, without the cover of Underachievers, essentially, without Carey, I may never have discovered what would become my favorite musical group.

Imagine my surprise when the beautiful pop stylings of the album’s first track, Suspended from Class (to this day, one of my favorite Camera Obscura tracks) came through my Hi-Fi. “Holy shit,” I thought to myself, “…Is she…Scottish?” Being American of Scottish ancestry, I was immediately hooked. I checked Google to confirm that, yes, the whole of Camera Obscura were, in fact, Scottish. I quickly snapped up their back catalog and learned they’d have a new album coming out soon (the absolutely incredible My Maudlin Career. You can probably follow along with this discovery/musical obsession on this blog, actually, since I was a radio DJ at the time, and wrote a lot more (about music) than I do now.

I suppose the point is, my story is hardly unique. I discovered the exact right band at the exact right time in my life. My musical tastes have always skewed more towards the heavier stuff (punk, especially) but it is safe to say that Camera Obscura is my favorite band. Hands down, no argument, no other contender (false or otherwise). Millions of other people love Camera Obscura as much, or more than I do. Of that, I have no doubt.

I know this does nothing to diminish the grief felt by the friends and family of Carey Lander, Camera Obscura keyboardist who passed away yesterday from cancer. (You can donate to the Sarcoma UK charity through her Just Giving page.) For the brief time she was here, she made the world a better place and significantly improved the lives of those she touched though her music. People she had never met.

The beautiful sonic layers she brought to songs such as “Troublemaker”, not to mention her amazing performance in the video for that song brought joy to many.

I consider myself lucky to have been able to see her perform twice and that I got to thank her for playing after one of the shows. I’m so incredibly sad that she’s gone, which is an odd way to feel for someone you only ‘met’ briefly and said, perhaps, two sentences to. I’m sure this post isn’t as articulate as it could be if I gave it some time, but I felt compelled to write it now, while the emotions were raw.

Rest in peace, Carey. You will be very truly missed.

Carey Lander in May, 2014, from Camera Obscura’s Twitter page

bacon & eggs playlist 12.8.11 – the final countdown.

It’s my final show. I’m pretty upset about that, actually, so I’m going to play all the music I want with little regard to what anyone, including my beloved cohost DJ Dazed, wants to hear. If you don’t like it, go suck eggs.

Camera Obscura – If Looks Could Kill
Alaska in Winter – Speedboat to Heaven
Alaska in Winter – We Are Blind and Riding The Merry-Go-Round
Foo Fighters – Arlandria
Journey – Don’t Stop Believin’ (Yeah, that’s right.)
Rancid – Fall Back Down
Ultimate Fakebook – Inside You, Inside Me
Ultimate Fakebook – Brokyn Needle
Free Energy – Bang Pop
R.E.M. – Radio Free Europe (for August)
Kristie Stremel & The 159ers – Unstoppable
Kristie Stremel & The 159ers – Best Kiss
Bad RoMeretron – “Bad Romance” (Ha!)
Wiz Khalifa – Black and Yellow
OK Go – This Too Shall Pass
Thao & The Get Down Stay Down – Bag of Hammers
Animal Collective – My Girls
Labretta Suede and the Motel Six – Itty Bitty
Camera Obscura – Swans
Camera Obscura – The Sweetest Thing
Alaska in Winter – Darvon Cocktail
Johnny Cash – We’ll Meet Again

This is your brain on DJ Dazed and (for the last time on air) Hogs.

bacon & eggs playlist 12.1.11

Adam Sandler – Hanukkah Song (Part 1)
Adam Sandler – Hanukkah Song (Part 2)

Dum Dum Girls – There Is A Light That Never Goes Out (Smiths cover)
EMA – Anteroom
The Temper Trap – Sweet Disposition
Metric – Calculation Theme
Rise Against – The First Drop
Vampire Weekend – Oxford Comma
Yonder Mountain String Band – Think For Yourself
Animal Collective – My Girls
Blink-182 – Feeling This
Boxcar Racer – I Feel So
Alaska in Winter – Speedboat to Homelessness
Pedro The Lion – I Heard The Bells on Christmas Day
Antennas Up – Don’t Wait Up
Schaffer The Darklord – Terror of the Bells
Camera Obscura – If Looks Could Kill
Ultimate Fakebook – Inside Me, Inside You (local)
The Killers – Mr. Brightside
The Airborne Toxic Event – Sometime Around Midnight
Charles Bradley – Heart Of Gold

This is your brain on Hogs & Dazed.

bacon & eggs playlist 11.10.11

Beastie Boys – Pass The Mic
New Found Glory – My Friends Over You
New Found Glory – Failure’s Not Flattering (double shot)
AFI – Girl’s Not Grey
Weezer – Buddy Holly
Gnarls Barkley – Gone Daddy Gone
Violent Femmes – Gonne Daddy Gone (double shot of the same damn song)
Descendents – Nothing With You
Less Than Jake – The Science of Selling Yourself Short
Less Than Jake – History of a Boring Town (double shot)

Anti-Bacon Billboard? Lame.
The Presidents of the United States of America – Peaches
Kristie Stremel and the 159ers – Unstoppable
Mammoth Life – An Oasis in the Midwest
The Real McKenzies – Pour Decisions
She & Him – In The Sun
Rentals – Friends of P
The Magnetic Fields – When My Boy Walks Down The Streets
Feminist Ryan Gosling
The Temper Trap – Sweet Disposition
Bon Iver – Calgary
The Penguins are 2nd…the Blues…are…2nd…
OK Go – This Too Shall Pass
The Adding Machine is playing now at Nichols Hall at KSU.
The Strokes – Reptilia
Smashing Pumpkins – 1979
Box Car Racer – There Is

This is your brain on DJ Dazed & Hogs.

bacon & eggs playlist 11.3.11

Camera Obscura – Let’s Get Out Of This Country
Happy National Sandwich Day!
Alaska In Winter – Darvon Cocktail
Rise Against – Give It All
The New Pornographers – Crash Years
Goldfrapp – We Radiate
Bell X1 – Rocky Took A Lover
Nematode Infestation on Campus

We Became Actors – I Feel Like This Summer Is Gonna Be One Long Hold Steady Song
The Hold Steady – The Weekenders
Goldfinger – Superman
She & Him – In The Sun
Menahan Street Band – The Crossing
Ramones – Teenage Lobotomy
Foo Fighters – Rope
Bon Iver – Calgary
Foxboro Hot Tubs – Mother Mary
Lucia Drive – I Can’t Save You From Myself
Ultimate Fakebook – Brokyn Needle
Dum Dum Girls – Wrong Feels Right
Dropkick Murphys – Fortunate Son (cover)
Isaac Hayes inspiring people like mad
Temper Trap – Sweet Disposition
Pearl Jam – Daughter
The Distillers – Drain The Blood
The Donnas – Too Bad About Your Girl
Len – Steal My Sunshine

This is your brain on Hogs & Dazed.

bacon & eggs playlist 10.27.11

Tegan & Sara – Hell
Tegan & Sara – Nineteen (double t-shirt shot)
Magnetic Fields – You Must Be Out Of Your Mind
Pearl Jam – Go
Alaska in Winter – Darvon Cocktail
LCD Soundsystem – Daft Punk Is Playing In My House
Daft Punk – Da Funk
Loch Lormond – Earth Has Moved Again
Camera Obscura – The Sweetest Thing
Camera Obscura – If Looks Could Kill (double shot)
Creamy Bacon Donut
MO Dept. of Conservation issues invasive species alert for zombies
Belly – Gepetto
Rage Against The Machine – Guerilla Radio
R.E.M. – It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
Weezer – The World Has Turned And Left Me Here
The Tossers – A Criminal Of Me
Dropkick Murphys – The Warrior’s Code
The Clash – London Calling
Rise Against – Re-Education Through Labor
Against Me! – I Was A Teenage Anarchist
Beastie Boys – Intergalactic
Beastie Boys – Root Down
LL Cool J – I Can’t Live Without My Radio (yeah, we played it again)
Fugazi – Cassavetes

This is your brain on Hogs & Dazed.

bacon & eggs playlist 7.27.11

Clay Hughes and the What? – Ex
French Horn Rebellion – Up All Night
Chromeo – Tenderoni
The Offspring – Kristy, Are You Doing Okay?
Taking Back Sunday – Cute Without The “E” (acoustic)
Dashboard Confessional – Screaming Infidelities
Beastie Boys – Hey Ladies
Beastie Boys – Watcha Want (double shot, motherfuckers.)
Jukebox the Ghost – Schizophrenia
Free Energy – Bang Pop
Pearl Jam – Animal
Thao with the Get Down Stay Down – Bag of Hammers
Clay Hughes & JKR20 – The Love I Gave Ya (local)

The Donnas – Too Bad About Your Girl
Beastie Boys – Make Some Noise
The Descendents – Nothing With You
Ramones – Judy Is A Punk
Jimmy Eat World – In The Middle
Hum – Stars
Camera Obscura – The Sweetest Thing

This is your brain on Hogs.

bacon & eggs playlist 7.20.11

Camera Obscura – The Sweetest Thing
Camera Obscura – If Looks Could Kill (double shot)
Alaska In Winter – Speedboat To Homelessness (live mashup)
Beastie Boys – Root Down (possibly the funkiest hip-hop song ever)
Beastie Boys – Time To Get Ill (double shot because I feel like it)
Sage Francis – Buzz Kill
We Became Actors – I Feel Like This Summer Is Gonna Be One Long Hold Steady Song
Weezer – Hang On
Band of Horses – No One Is Gonna Love You Like I Will
R.E.M. – Mine Smell Like Honey
Bad Religion – Sorrow
The Ramones – Teenage Lobotomy
NOFX – Franco Un-American
French Horn Rebellion – Up All Night
Hum – Stars
Hüsker Dü – Flip Your Wig
Kristie Stremel & the 159ers – Unstoppable
Clay Hughes & JKR70 – The Love I Gave Ya
Pearl Jam – Even Flow

This is your brain on Hogs.

bacon & eggs playlist 6.22.11

Dum Dum Girls – There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
Camera Obscura – If Looks Could Kill
Alaska In Winter – The Homeless and the Hummingbirds
Beastie Boys – Funky Boss
Beastie Boys – The Sounds of Science (double shot!)
The Head and the Heart – Cats and Dogs
Sage Francis – Buzz Kill
Hum – Stars
Bad Religion – Infected
School of Seven Bells – Windstorm
Schaffer the Darklord – Arrival of the Fittest
The Airborne Toxic Event – Changing
Chromeo – Tenderoni
System of a Down – Aerials
New Order – Bizarre Love Triangle
R.E.M. – The One I Love
The Avett Brothers – Kick Drum Heart
The Parting Gifts – Born To Be Blue
Hanging an Elephant?
Tegan & Sara – Nineteen
Pink Floyd – Brain Damage (requested)
St. Vincent – Now Now

This is your brain on Hogs.

bacon & eggs playlist 6.15.11

R.E.M. – Stand
R.E.M. – Radio Free Europe (double shot)
Beastie Boys – Root Down
Beastie Boys – Time To Get Ill (double-double shot)
Kristie Stremel and the 159ers – Best Kiss
Hollerado – Juliette
We Became Actors – I Feel Like This Summer Is Gonna Be One Long Hold Steady Song
The Hold Steady – Weekenders
Alaska in Winter – We Are Blind And Riding The Merry-Go-Round
The Low End – Willow Tree
Moby – We Are All Made Of Stars
Flight of the Conchords – If You’re Into It
Bell X1 – Rocky Took A Lover
Band of Horses – No One’s Gonna Love You
Bad Religion f/Sage Francis – Let Them Eat War
Camera Obscura – If Looks Could Kill
Daft Punk – One More Time
Guided By Voices – Teenage FBI
La Roux – Bulletproof
M. Ward f/Zooey Deschanel – Never Had Nobody Like YOu
St. Vincent – Now Now
Hum – Stars

This is your brain on Hogs & Muffin.