A while back, our weekly alternative paper described a shop that was closing downtown as “the O.G. of local collectives.” Further proof that white people should never try to come up with clever uses for the term “O.G.” I would call this list a tribute to some actual O.G.s, but these guys are so O, they were around before the Gs took over rap. I guess that makes them pre-O.G.s?
King Curtis
Every time I see the name King Curtis, it makes me think of prog rock band King Crimson. That’s about all they have in common. For one, you could probably play King Curtis’s entire discography in less time than it takes to play one King Crimson song. For two, I actually like King Curtis.
k.d. lang
Patron saint of L …. L …. L …. Lawrence Welk fans everywhere. If you get that joke, you are a diehard k.d. lang fan. If you know who Lawrence Welk is, you are old.
Kate Bush
If you ever want a laugh, ask my friend Pete to do his rendition of Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill.” There’s a lot of “R” action: “Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrunning up that road, Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrining up that hill.” Part of the reason it’s funny is that it’s exactly what Kate Bush sounds like when she sings it, except not on purpose.
Johnny Cash
Of all the “artists I can’t believe I skipped in round 1,” Johnny Cash is probably at the top of the list. Not being a country music fan, I actually like Johnny Cash. (Mariachi horns in “Ring of Fire”? Awesome.) Clearly I was rushing to get to Joni Mitchell.
John Lee Hooker
On the list of things I can be mad at my parents about, one of them is that they didn’t give me a cool first name like “Zakiya.” On the other hand, they didn’t give me an embarrassing last name like “Hooker,” so I guess it all evens out.
John Handy
I came across John Handy’s name, and I thought, “I should give him a list. I really don’t know much about these old blues dudes.” Then I found out he’s an avant-garde jazz saxophonist. Which basically proves, I really don’t know much about anything.
John Cage
John Cage’s “4’33”” is four minutes and thirty-three seconds of silence. When you start to listen to his songs with notes, the silence thing starts to look not so bad.
Joe Henderson
Joe Henderson has an album named Tetragon, which I’ve decided is the coolest album name ever. Which is kind of ironic, because as cool stage names go, I’m pretty sure “Joe Henderson” doesn’t make the top ten.
Jam/Style Council
This list contains nine loud, punky, politically charged tunes, and one radio-friendly, smooth-as-silk track. Guess which one is the one I like? For that matter, guess which one is the only one I’ve even heard?
Playlist of the Day 