🍰✨

“When people sigh about radio, they are yearning for a mass medium that stimulated the imagination instead of stunting it.”

From Listening In: Radio and the American Imagination by Susan J. Douglas

Renaissance frescos overlooking the Berry Fresh checkout area.

Oh, hello there! I spontaneously made Yossy Arefi’s honey spiced snacking cake this evening because I was dangerously close to running out of sweets.

It has a light and spongy crumb, a toasty, rum-tinged flavor, and a caramelized texture around the outside. Here, it is served with the customary yogurt plop and enjoyed while listening to the latest “Rotations” show on WFMU.

After learning that David Crosby passed away yesterday, I searched my little record stack to see if I had any CSN(&Y) on hand, and I did indeed. Their 1970 album Deja Vu, which I must’ve stolen from my parents at some point.

Inside the dust sleeve was a folded up piece of paper, on which the lyrics to “Woodstock” were typewritten. A cool little keepsake from the past.

— Kali Malone, interviewed in 2018 by Tiny Mixtapes

Upon reading this, I immediately booked tickets to her Philly show in March. (Her only East Coast show for the time being.)

Sometimes, the algorithm behaves like a good tool and helps you out. Through it, I discovered the Baroque Down Palace radio show, though which I REdiscovered this long-forgotten fave of mine.

I think this was on heavy rotation during my late college/early working years. The me of 10-ish years ago is coming through again in a fascinating way.

Dad spotted this barred owl in the backyard, and it’s looking STRAIGHT into my soul. Hoping it makes another flyby when I’m home next.

Mom and I saw the NYBG holiday train show on its very last weekend.

Apart from the hoards of screaming children everywhere and their equally obnoxious parents (to be expected, I guess), walking around the conservatory at night was still quite magical.

Waiting for a train; reading Murray’s cheeses to pass the time

“That was Janis Ian and ‘Mistaken Identity.’ That’s really one of the problems we all have today. To know who we are. Who are you, hm? Do you know who you are and where you’re at? It’s a big order. And sometimes, I think that if we all could have a focal point, a spot to zero in where we know we could touch reality. It would be a lot easier to find out exactly who we are and where we’re at, and consequently, where we’re going…”

— Alison Steele, The Nightbird, Feb 11, 1969

Other digressions from this show include a mail-in sweepstakes for a copy of The Beatles’ newly published, authorized biography (“each one signed by one of The Beatles”), a meditation on a quote from Much Ado About Nothing, a bizarre advertisement for coffee “the think drink,” and a promotion for a mysterious after-hours spot called Cerebrum.

I’m deep in an Alison Steele rabbit hole now and in search of online archives of her show which are few, far between, and regrettably chopped up, but they’re there. There’s just no telling where the esoteric pathways from freeform radio will take you.

The Perfumed Garden is my new favorite place to hang on Friday nights. It makes me feel hopeful to hear such incredible, obscure ‘60s and ‘70s pop and garage rock chosen by a college-aged DJ (aka Gen-Z). This precise music era spoke to me when I was 20, and I feel like I’m reopening that chapter and cultivating a deeper interest with it now.

That initial question, though: “How do you handle the generation gap that you have with your own generation?” Will contemplate.

I always learn new things here.

le-corbustier