Projekt: E's Off World Signals

06/29/2025

My favorite Scorpions album

On June 24th, in 1982 L.P. ''Blackout'' is certified Gold by the RIAA.! Happy 43rd year historic heavy music honoring award anniversary!

''Blackout'' is the eighth studio album by the German Traditional Melodic Metal/Hard Rock band Scorpions. It was originally released in March 1982.

The album debuted at #10 on the official Billboard Hot 200, and was certified Gold by the RIAA on June 24th, 1982. Eventually reaching Platinum on March 8th, 1984.

It was also voted "Best Hard Rock Record" of the year(1982).

Features the track "No One Like You" which was the first real success of the Scorpions in America, and obtained the # 1 position on the Mainstream Rock Chart. 🤘

05/07/2025

Call for Artists: Commemorate Whitley County’s History

We are seeking local artists to submit their work for a unique opportunity to contribute to the Whitley County Historical Museum’s US 250 celebrations!

As part of this year-long celebration beginning this summer, we will feature a special exhibit at the museum, showcasing a dozen slates that commemorate the rich history of Whitley County. The slates, which will provide the canvases for this project, were harvested from the Vice President Thomas Riley Marshall home during recent conservation work there and while no longer able to be used on the roof, we decided to make them a permanent part of the museum in a different way – through artwork.

These historic slates will not only be part of the annual Art Museum exhibit in August and September of 2025, but will also become a permanent part of the museum’s art collection. This is a fantastic opportunity to have your artwork displayed and preserved as part of the county's legacy.

Eligibility: Open to all local artists of all ages.
Medium: Painting, multimedia, collage & potentially other mediums
Deadline for Application: May 30, 2025
Deadline for Artwork Completion: July 15, 2025
Exhibit Opening Date: August 1, 2025

Interested artists are invited to submit their proposals for artwork that highlights or historical aspects of Whitley County. Interested artists should include several examples of their work along with an outline showing how they would like to use the slate as a canvas for their artwork.

To apply or for more information, please contact Jennifer Zartman Romano, Whitley County Historical Museum curator & historian, at [email protected]

We look forward to seeing your creative interpretations of our county’s history!

12/07/2024

12/03/2024

'Earache My Eye' by Cheech & Chong
Did you know?
The song reached #9 on the Billboard charts in 1974, making it Cheech and Chong's highest-charting single ever. What's particularly interesting is that it achieved this success while being fundamentally different from most hit songs - it's part comedy routine, part glam rock parody, and part father-son confrontation.

The track's musical credentials are actually quite impressive. While Cheech and Chong wrote the lyrics, the song's iconic guitar riff came from Canadian guitarist Gaye Delorme, who was entirely self-taught. The drumming was performed by Airto Moreira, a renowned Brazilian jazz percussionist who had played with Miles Davis and Weather Report.

The song's character "Alice Bowie" is a brilliant parody of 1970s glam rock, specifically combining Alice Cooper's shock rock theatrics with David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust persona. The lyrics cleverly mock the excesses of rock star culture ("I don't care if you don't like my orange hair!") while simultaneously delivering a genuinely catchy rock song.

The song's success wasn't without controversy. Many radio stations, particularly AM stations, eventually pulled it from rotation after receiving complaints from parents, teachers, and clergy who worried about its influence on teenagers. Some station managers even threatened to fire DJs who played it or accepted requests for it.

What's particularly remarkable about the song's legacy is its influence across multiple genres. It's been covered by an incredibly diverse range of artists - from heavy metal bands like Korn and Soundgarden to hip-hop group 2 Live Crew. Even the progressive rock band Rush has incorporated its signature riff into their live performances.

The song's structure is unique - it begins as a straight-ahead rock song before transitioning into a comedy skit featuring a confrontation between a teenager and his father (both played by Cheech Marin). This format was unusual for radio at the time, yet somehow worked well enough to become a top 10 hit.

Perhaps most interestingly, the song captures a specific moment in American cultural history - the transition from the idealistic 1960s to the more self-focused 1970s. Lines like "The world's coming to an end; I don't even care, as long as I can have my limo" perfectly encapsulate the shift from counterculture protest to "Me Generation" excess.

The song remains a favorite on Dr. Demento's show and has become one of the most enduring comedy-rock songs ever recorded, proving that sometimes the most unlikely combinations can produce lasting cultural impact.

11/29/2024

11/16/2024

Wendy Carlos pictured with the Moog System 55 a staple in her solo projects and iconic film scores, including for Stanley Kubrick's 'A Clockwork Orange' (1972)

One of electronic music's most important figures, Wendy Carlos is a true pioneer of the craft with countless influential albums and scores. She provided technical advice and insights to Robert Moog during the development of the Moog Synthesizer, an instrument that would revolutionize the music landscape. ⁠⁠Her album 'Sonic Seasonings' (1972) is an early example of an ambient record, blending the then-new synth with field recordings to create an entirely new listening experience — years before the term "ambient" was even coined!

10/19/2024

On this day in 1979, the Cheap Trick single “Dream Police” debuted on the Australian charts at #91 (October 15)

The Rick Nielsen-penned 70s power pop classic from the LP of the same name eventually peaked at #5 in Australia, #7 in New Zealand, #9 in Canada, #26 in the US, and #37 in the Netherlands.

The song “Dream Police" actually dates back to 1976.
It was one of 22 songs the band had written for their first album, but didn't make the cut.

The song evolved though, as the band from Rockford, Illinois, played it live and refined it in the studio, and was eventually released as the title track of their fourth studio album.

In the 2007 book "Shake Some Action: The Ultimate Power Pop Guide", author John M. Borack wrote "Entire careers have been built around lesser songs than this monster, which sits proudly alongside "Surrender" as the quintessential Cheap Trick song.

Everything about it is perfect, from Zander's alternately cute and menacing vocal to Carlos's pounding drums to Nielsen's cracked spoken-word interlude.

Oh, can't forget the instrumental build up heading back into the final chorus, which is pure genius."

Because it was a very cool video, when MTV went on the air in 1981, this song was almost two years old, but they played it anyway, giving the song renewed exposure.

Click on the link below to watch it:

https://youtu.be/OPemyipJzAM?si=1LPjdcPl3afrSAw2