I'm STILL Not Use to It

I can't get over the sound of my voice on the air. I guess I'm like most people, when they hear the sound of their voice, shocked that they sound that way. I've always hated my voice.

When I was in high school I was told by a P.E. teacher (a freaking ancient wrinkled and bitter woman who was a P.E. teacher for Christ Sakes!!!) that if I wanted to be taken seriously I'd need to work on my voice. If I was in my right mind I should have asked her:

"I see how far you've gotten in your life, how? Tell me how do I work on my voice? How can I make my soft feminine voice growl like your husky manly one so that I may one day to be an 80-year-old sun-withered P.E. teacher like yourself?"

But I was shy and embarrassed that she had insulted me in front of the entire class. I couldn't change the sound of my voice no more than she could change the extra folds of skin surrounding her neck and her knees. Sometimes I wish I had a time machine. I would tell bashful teenage Erica to stop being such a pussy. That high school and the narrow-mined people in it don't matter. If I had known that then I probably would have gotten into far more trouble.

All that was to say despite my best efforts somethings still bother me. My voice being one of them. It's probably why I'm so vulgar. Cute girl, cute voice throw everyone off by talking like a sailor :0)

This week's playlist:

St. Vincent - Surgeon
Alex Ebert - Truth
The Horrors - Still Life
Tv on the Radio - Will Do
Portugal. The Man - Sleep Forever
Cold Cave - Confetti
Erykah Badu - Gone Baby, Don't Be Long
Shrift - To the Floor
Kele - The Other Side
Royksopp - Poor Leno
CSS - Let's Make Love and Listen to Death From Above
Passion Pit - Little Secrets
K-os - Superstarr, Pt. Zero

No One Noticed

So last week I was freaking out because I played a song by Maximum Balloon that had the word "shit" in it. I've listened to the song dozen of times, but never noticed it. It's mostly likely because I cuss so much and I'm  so vulgar in my everyday life, that I don't notice, rather gloss over many vulgarities in music. Anywho I swore I was going to be dismissed from this voluntary  "mixologist" gig (btw who came up with the term mixologist. I feel like I should be mixing cocktails) but figured it was a good nine week run.

BUT NO ONE NOTICED!!!! I received no warnings, no looks of disappointment, no threatening emails, not even a text from my mother, who inadvertently taught me how to cuss before she became saved. NOTHING. Which made me realize that one no one listens to my show, two people didn't notice, or three people did notice and just don't care. So fuck it. I'm definitely not going to continue to monitor my language on my blog. Since no one is listening. Don't worry I'm not Debbie Downer. I get off playing decent music on the radio. I don't care if you listen or not. Just knowing I'm putting out in the universe makes me tingly.

Moving on. This week I've been syncing audio to past Oprah episodes (it's part of this freelance job I picked up.) Most of the tapes I've received have been from 1989 with commercials included! I've been zipping back and forth from the present to my childhood. One thing I've realized is that Oprah is bitchy, but in a delightfully funny way. She always has these sarcastic quips. But in the course of a week of watching 17 hours of Oprah I've gotten advice on how to spice up my married sex life from various internationals, how to apply make-up, fashion trends of 89 (I'm not even going to get into it), effects of divorce and cheating on daughters, what men really think about Oprah, and racism in America. But my fave so far has been Maya Angelou and Alice Walker for obvious reasons, phenomenal women, amazing writers.

Anywho I grow tired of this typing. I'm going back to bed. Here's the list:

Empire of the Sun - We Are the People
Aya - Looking for the Sun
Belle and Sebastian - I'm A Cuckoo
Phoenix - If I Ever Feel Better
Friendly Fires - Paris (Aeroplane Remix)
Raphael Saadiq - Just Don't
Zero 7 - Swing
Ra Ra Riot - Too Too Fast
Portishead - All Mine
Nina Simone -  Mr. Bojangles
Platinum Pied Pipers - No Worries
Michael Jackson - Human Nature
The Cure - Boys Don't Cry

I may be in trouble...

And not of the family kind, if that's what you're thinking.

No I may have done something wrong, and I'm hoping it goes by unnoticed, because in my vulgar and corrupt mind, I never noticed it. Not until today and it was too late. OF COURSE it had to be on air!

I'll keep you posted on my demise.

Anywho, here in the states it is Independence weekend! Which means 3-days to chill and relax. I have plans for sushi tonight with friends, lobster tomorrow with another group of friends, laying out at the beach Sunday, and hanging with the family on Monday.

I'm mostly excited that I don't have to be at work for 3days!!! I work for a nonprofit that provides free activities for children year around, but during the summer we have our huge summer camp and the phones ring constantly!! I can't get any work done because parents are calling wanting to enroll their children, which is great, but I have piles of paperwork weeks late. I work part-time so at the end of my four hour shift, I've only gone through one report with literally 50 more that need to be done no later than July 15.

Looks like so overtime maybe coming into play. But 3-days not to worry about it, a much welcomed vacation!

Enough of my babbling on to the playlist!

Kings of Convenience (Erot Collaboration) - Gold For The Price Of Silver
Brazilian Girls - Don't Stop
Maximum Balloon - Apartment Wrestling
Mayer Hawthorne - Maybe So, Maybe No
Arcade Fire - Keep The Car Running
Best Coast - When The Sun Don't Shine
Buzzcocks - Ever Fallen In Love?
Cat Power - The Greatest
Flying Lotus - Tea Leaf Dancers
Friendly Fires - Show Me Lights
St. Vincent - The Same But Brand New
Talking Heads - Psycho Killer
Thom Yorke - Hearing Damage
The Smiths - There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Hysteric

Good News, bad news

Good morning my eager little bunnies!!!

Last week I complained about having to go to a  wedding. Although the wedding was uber fancy ( i tend to cringe when I have to rock heels esp at weddings) it was pretty fun! It was at the Four Season Hotel in Santa Barbara. I've been to many nice weddings, but not one with a four course meal and different wine selection for each course AND a "butler" for each table.

The food was exquisite, I can still taste the Chilean sea bass and wasabi potatoes. There was even a dessert bar...needless to say if I do have a wedding I'm not going to invite any of the people who went to that one. I can't afford such luxury, I had always planned a backyard BBQ since I hate planning large events lol. Who's bring the potato salad????

Goes to show, keep an open mind and there is no telling the amount of fun to be had. Lesson learned.

I know my blog is super plain and very unexciting. I apologize for my minimal effort. I feel esp bad when I check out the blogs of others that are so engaging. I'm FINALLY done with finals so after catching up with sleep this weekend I'll start to work on the blog. You lovely folks deserve it!

To all my local Los Angeles fans, the Tim Burton exhibit has opened! I can't urge you enough to take the time to go see it. It's twisted and stunning and Tim Burton is my new art hero. I've always liked him, but it's awesome to know that you can become famous off morbid thoughts. There is hope for me yet. Anywho you can RSVP on the LACMA website. I saw it opening weekend at MOMA in New York. I would definitely aim for an non busy weekend, so holiday weekends no bueno.

Here is this weeks playlist. I will post the itunes link as soon as it's available. Last week I was having technical difficulties so last weeks podcast was available kind of late in the day, but I'll get that link up as well. Remember I can always be streamed live from 8am-9am EST on www.party934.com  Have a wonderful weekend!  http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/erica-10-june-2011/id348527752?i=94783343

Belle & Sebastian - If She Wants Me
Bent - So Long Without You
Buzzcocks - Even Fallen In Love?
Cat Power - The Greatest
Coconut Records - Nightiming
Damien Rice - 9 Crimes
Death Cab For Cutie - We Looked Like Giants
Emiliana Torrini - Me and Armini
Gang Gang Dance - MindKilla
Gil Scott-Heron - I think I'll Call It Morning
Maximum Balloon Feat. Aku - Tiger
Natalie Portman's Shaved Head - Holding Hands in the Shower
Thom Yorke - Hearing Damage
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Hysteric

Wedding Season

It's that dreaded time of year again...wedding season.

Not to sound bitter or anything, but I hate weddings. I can't even really figure out why, but I really hate them. I going to one this weekend in Santa Barbara, great location and it should be fun...

I'll try to make the best of it. And before I get hate mail, I don't even want my own wedding! I hate having to sit through them so I don't want to subject anyone else to my own. I've always felt like those type of moments should be private. An expression of commitment that deep is special. It seems showy to do it in front of others, almost like you're bragging. I kind of feel the same way about funerals. Not so much the funeral it's self but the people who flop around and throw themselves upon the casket. I don't know it seems showy and over done.

Grief is powerful, at times more so than love, but at a funeral it's about the person who's going to to be buried not about the person rolling around on the ground in front of them. It's distracting.

Where was I going with that?

Oh yeah, I hate weddings. They are like funerals.

But of course I'm with a sentimentalist who wants a "small" one. Good luck! There is no such thing as a small wedding in Black and Mexican weddings (I'm black, he's Black&Mexican). We both have too many people in our families not to mention friends!!! If you fail to invite someone their will be hell to pay! And with minorities everyone shows, invited or not.

I'm getting a headache thinking of it.

Anywho, I need to pack.

Playlist for today, enjoy! http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/erica-3-june-2011/id348527752?i=94583255
F.Y.I. you have to scroll down a bit to find mine, but it's there! June 3, 2011

Toro y Moi - Still Sound
Daedelus - Penny Loafers (feat. Inara George)
Gorillaz - Empire Ants (feat. Little Dragon)
Little Dragon - My Step
MGMT - Electric Feel
Quadron - Average Fruit
Morrissey - The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I Get
Yeasayer - Tightrope
Bloc Party - The Prayer
Feist - Intuition
Flying Lotus - Tea Leaf Dancers
Matt & Kim - Daylight
Jack Penate - Tonight's Today
Empire of the Sun - Standing on the Shore
Sia - Electric Bird

You've gotta start somewhere

So I just finished my very first radio broadcast, the shaking has subsided and my stomach has returned to it's normal state. 


What a morning!!!! At first I couldn't log in to let the DJ before me know that I was in. And the most dreaded sound in radio...nothing...dead air. Screw it, I thought, I'm just going to start my broadcast without checking in, we can't have nothing playing. I started off with Black Moth Super Rainbow. I ideally I was suppose to talk over this track introducing myself and the show, but I figured I could do that later on, something was needed now to fill the void! Music playing, check, rearranged playlist so I could talk later over an instrumental, check. What do I say???? My instrumental came far too soon and I stammered a hello. But if you were listening you might of thought I was interference, my mic was soooo low! I came out as a faint whisper over the music. Roll with the punches. I still hadn't figured out what to talk about other than the music. Thank God for music. Towards the end I was able to pull it out and managed to be audible by getting right into the mic, licking it if you will. A trip to Best Buy this weekend should fix that.


I swear right afterwards I took one of those huddled-in-the-corner-rocking-myself-slowly-showers. I couldn't wash the stench of nerdy intern off. But after it was all over, and I received tips and encouragement from my fellow DJ and freshly showered, I felt better about it. I'm still a long way off from NPR, but a baby step closer.


Was my first time stressful and traumatizing? Yes! Am I planning to do it again next week? Absolutely!


Here is a playlist of my first set and link to the show! http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/erica-6-may-2011/id348527752?i=93961418


Black Moth Super Rainbow-Smile the Day After Today
LCD Soundsystem-Someone Great
Flying Lotus-MmmmHmm (feat. Thundercat)
Flying Lotus-Tea Leaf Dancers
K'naan-Fire in Freetown
Joy Division-Love Will Tear Us Apart
Skye Edwards-Feel Good
Fujiya & Miyagi-Skinny Punk
Jazzanova-Lie (feat. Thief)
Empire of the Sun-Standing on the Shore
Best Coast-When the Sun Don't Shine
Jack Penate-Tonight's Today
Coconut Records-Nighttiming
St Vincent- We Put a Pearl in the Ground?
Michael Jackson- I Can't Help It
Feist-Intution
The Cure-Object
Tortoise-Dear Grandma and Grandpa