Do you remember those English teachers that made you turn in the gigantic term papers at the end of the school year in a big yellow envelope filled with notecards, outlines and rough drafts?  I’m that English teacher.  The mention of my name this time of year is likely to spark a multitude of emotions, particularly a healthy mix of dread and outrage.  If I were to go spy on the facebook pages of my students, I’d no doubt find a slew of insults, swearing, and outright threats streaming down their update threads. Sometimes I laugh because I’m in complete agreement with their frustration.  On one hand, I understand kids need to know how to communicate in an organized way, but on the flip side, I have no freaking clue why I assign so much work at the end of the year.

As I sit down to write this post, I’ve got a stack of essays about knee-high sitting over in the corner of my den barking at me to grade them.  I just don’t wanna.  Who really enjoys sitting down to read seven pages of mildly intelligent babble about a topic that’s been rehashed and redone by at least one student in every high school in America annually?

I’m beginning to think I should have my students write their term papers as music critiques.  You heard me, what if I slid each student an indie rock album based on their own particular interests.  For my Zep kids, I’d hand them a Black Mountain CD, and for my already-hipster students I’d have to dig deep and throw something super obscure at them.  I’d have them research bands and connect mainstream success versus independent musical freedom, all while honing in the basics of proper research and documentation.  Shit yeah, this assignment is going to be big.  What student is going to bitch and moan about an assignment where they get to ultimately do what they love (analyze and listen to tunes)?

Aside from being the coolest teacher in the history of mankind, I think I’d also be the orchestrator of an assignment bearing weight and value.  Pop Culture media has our balls in the proverbial clenched fist, and the automated youth culture is in need of critical thinking.  It’s my firm belief that some kids think everything they need to know has already been figured out and is available on wikipedia.  What would Johnny do if I handed him a Blue Horns CD and told him to research the band?  No wikipedia page?  Sorry, Johnny, you’re going to have to come stronger than that.  I want to turn my classroom into indie rock critics next year.  That sounds like a plan…

All of this to explain that I’ve been busy as hell.  It’s been tough to sit and listen to albums all the way through this week, as Brian alluded to in yesterday’s Lazy Saturday post.  Email is a wonderful thing, however, and we’ve been putting our ears to plenty of upcoming music.  As I’ve been driving around, attempting to keep some form of structure in my life during these harried days, I’ve been creating all sorts of interesting playlists to cruise around and jam to whilst I drive.  Some are all inclusive, covering music I’ve been listening to all year and can’t get out of my head.  Others look a bit more into what’s on tap, as emails have been  pouring in with some excellent tracks.  If you can manage to find me out there on the road, pull up alongside and tune your radios to 90.7.  Here’s a taste of some of the tracks you’re likely to hear this week.

Handsome Furs – Radio Kalininbrad

Hermas Zopoula – Courez Courez

Tiny Vipers – Dreamer

Robert Gomez – On This Day

The Raconteurs – Stones Will Shout

Iran – I Can See the Future

Guns N’ Roses – My Michelle

John Vanderslice – D.I.A.L.O.

Sunset Rubdown – Idiot Heart

Hoots & Hellmouth – Known for Possession

Magnolia Electric Co. – Josephine

EELS – Prizefighter

Hecuba – Miles Away

Lissy Trullie – Self-Taught Learner

The Ramones – Blitzkreig Bop

The Horrors – Primary Colours

Rainbow Arabia – Haunted Hall

The High Strung – Real Stone

We Were Promised Jetpacks – Quiet Little Voices