It’s basically the same playlist (I’ve heard Death Cab, Feist, and Van Morrison over the past half hour). Their logo looks more like a radio station’s, less like that of a microbrew. Gone are the “You’re never more than 3 minutes away from the music” liners that would lead into commercial breaks. Apparently, the CD at noon is also gone, which is kind of a bummer, but they’ve kept the iPod Wedndesday bit, at least according to the website. Instead of Tad with his dry, Shatner-esque pauses, we have someone named “Rock” doing the 10-2 on-air slot.

I just hope they don’t get too much slicker – part of the unpretentious quality of WCLZ was that it didn’t sound like it was being run by sales staff, even if that meant it wasn’t always “perfect.”

One more Maine note: WCYI (93.9 Lewiston), still for sale by the Citadel-spinoff Last Bastion Station Trust, has dropped its simulcast of WCLZ (98.9 Brunswick), as that station heads for Saga ownership. WCYI’s now running an automated all-blues format while Last Bastion seeks a buyer. And the “Greetings from Area Code 207″ local-music show that was heard on WCLZ under Citadel ownership is staying with the company; it’s moved to WBLM (102.9 Portland).

I actually heard this “automated all-blues format” on 93.9 the other night on the way back from work. There were no DJ’s no voice tracking, hardly any station promos aside from announcing the frequency and call letters at the top of the hour. It was like listening to a blues fan’s iPod on shuffle or something. It’s a shame it most likely won’t stay that way, because it’s really cool to hear something different on the radio.

Between that, the full moon clearly visible in the pre-sunset sky, and my impending change of job/career/industry, the carpool home Wednesday night felt like something altogether new, alien, and exciting.

Oh, and…RED SOX FTW! ‘Nuff said.

Writing about music is like dancing about architecture.

I’m not sure who originally said this – I first heard it attributed to Elvis Costello, but I’ve heard many others given credit for it in the years since.

My co-worker is currently listening to a Nascar race. On the radio.

If anything could ever be more exciting than watching guys drive in circles, it’s listening to some other guys describe those guys driving in circles.

It’s kind of like reading an amateur screenplay based on a War And Peace-length novel about paint drying.

Directly after making this incredibly audacious claim, the proceeded to play the synth pad/talk box intro to Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ On A Prayer.”

Who knew?