Issue 10

Low Test Scores
Blamed On
El Niño
Fluffy The Bunny
Newman Sells
Out
Derik Falky: Alive
And Well In 1998
Dionne Warwick
Knows All
Jurassic Calculus
Kesus To Order
Mail-Order Bride
Jukebox Malaise

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Jukebox Malaise

By Newman
Radiohead, Björk, The Chemical Brothers, David Bowie and Prodigy. What do these bands have in common? They've all been nominated for Grammies for best alternative music this year. How many songs do they have combined on the jukebox in the Raider Room? Two. (a couple older Bowie songs from the 70's)

The Doors, The Beatles and Grateful Dead. What do these bands have in common? One member of each of them is dead. How many songs do they have combined on the jukebox? 16.

Now I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with these bands, I'm just saying that it's time for some more modern music in the jukebox, some bands that are still breathing. And this doesn't include 'artists' like Alanis Morissette and Hanson, whose music would be probably be better if one or more members from each band was dead.

I'm not calling for a complete overhaul of the music; groups like Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin are fine by me if they're your cup of tea, I just think we should have some different varieties for other people who would like something different, like myself. Some bands that weren't around before you were born, that your parents didn't listen to when they were in college. Like some Underworld, Primus, Beck, Metallica, Radiohead, KMFDM, Smashing Pumpkins, or some of the other aforementioned Grammy nominees.

An informal survey showed that I wasn't alone in my desires for different jukebox music, so won't you make a poor journalist happy and deviate from the status quo a bit? Oh, the day when I can hear 'Wynona's Big Brown Beaver' followed by 'Born Slippy' playing down in the Raider Room will be a happy day indeed.

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