Welcome to it, Popsters! Each week I hope to delight you and yours with some musical goodness mixed the old fashioned way: with thought given to the song order in a mix. You see, kids, I’m an old school jock (slang for DJ) who has done quite a bit of time behind the mic in radio. Moreover, I’ve also done some hard time behind the turntables in that cauldron of hell known as the wedding reception. Just outside the cauldron is the middle school dance, which is right next to the corporate holiday party. But despite my cynicism toward social gatherings that involve endless requests for “Hey Ya,” I did learn quite a few things about mixing music. What to do, and what not to do. Forgive my wizened ways, but something has really gotten lost in the age of shuffle mode. Songs that don’t mix well often get played in a sequence that, in radio terms, is often called a train wreck. Oh, and don’t think that I’m some kind of booster for radio (even though that’s where I derive my income). Alas, the radio industry is one where the creative mind of a DJ has been pretty much lobotomized by The Suits and their consultant cronies. (more…)