2011

For me, 2011 has been a great year! One of the best in recent memory. I've had a great time giving you your music over the past few months and look forward to the new music in 2012. There's so much to look forward to in 2012. Lot's of great new music; Modonna will have a new album, No Doubt will have their first album together in over 10 years and their are many more. In 2011 I slacked on my new movie viewings but I couldn't be more excited for some 2012 films. There's going to be a new Bond Movie "Skyfall", a Spider Man movie, another GI Joe movie, Men in Black III , " The Hobbit", and maybe the most anticipated movie of my life "The Dark Knight Rises".

That's looking ahead but now I'm going to look back at 2011.

Favorite Song: I recently did my Top 10 of 2011 and I had Blink 182's "Up All Night" number one. I'm so glad those guys got back together. They may suck live but their studio album is great.

Favorite Movie: "The Muppets" was my favorite movie of 2011. I didn't stop smiling the entire movie. It's great for all ages. The people behind me were in their 70's and they loved it because of the old TV show and the kids in front of me where 10 and were laughing the whole time. Everyone seemed to love it. I was just happy to see Kermit again.

Favorite Moment: Packers Winning Super Bowl 45 Do I even need to explain my jubilation for this? I was 10 when Green Bay won Super Bowl XXXI so I was never sure if I understood the magnitude. It really was worth the 14 year wait. Like in '96 when Reggie White won it, I was so happy for Donald Driver and Charles Woodson even though they both were injured in the game. That's what made it so impressive, all season they overcame obstacles to become the best. Aaron Rodgers stepped out of the Favre shadow forever. It was the best! I only hope they can do it again in 2012.

Favorite thing I did: Diamond Dancing for the Timber Rattlers. I was an assistant at the Timber Rattlers this past summer and was told I was going to have to dance in front of people at some games. I was worried. I never danced in my life. Then I found out I was one of the people in charge of chirography. It was AWESOME!!! We had over 7 dances, practiced a few days a week and it was so much fun. The best two moments were when we got to dance at Miller Park and when we got a standing ovation from over 6,000 fans at Fox Cities Stadium. You can check out all of the videos here: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLF3FF47ACE491F7CF&feature=plcp
Here's my favorite two:







Thank you for tuning in to K107.1 this year. It's been a blast! I hope you all have a great New Years and a great 2012!!!

Christmas Greats and Returns

Everyone knows that the holidays are the busiest times for retailers. They've been busting their butts for over two months now and just when they think it's the end and Christmas is over, crappy gifts are coming right back in the form of returns. Apparel is the most returned Christmas item accounting for 65% of the items being returned. I never like the idea of shopping for someone else’s clothes. Maybe it's because I have little to no style, maybe it's because I don't know their size and don't want to be insulting. So next Christmas, when you're thinking about buying your god son a new sweater vest or Brewers T, skip it. He wants Legos.

This Christmas I think my giving and receive both went over very well. Only a few people seemed like they didn't like my gifts and both of them received re-gifted gifts so I guess I learned my lesson on that. As for me I got some great stuff. My favorite is some photos my brother took at High Cliff State Park that my parents framed for me. I'm also looking forward to a painting my sister is going to make for me.

The one gift I received that I wasn't too sure of (sorry mom) was a plug in air freshener. I don't know what she's trying to say. Does my apartment smell? Do I smell? I thought I keep my apartment nice and clean. When I first moved in I might have mentioned it had a different odor but after living there for a while I either got used to it or it went away. I tried the air freshener last night and when I woke up my apartment reeked of sweet sea breeze, just too strong. And to whomever in the office heard me talk about this on "Morning's with Bart" and then sprayed down our cubicles with smelly spray; that's either a very funny joke or you think Bart and I smell. If the ladder is the case, please tell us so we can remedy the issue.

Top 10's of 2011

While listening to K107.1 over the past few days, you might have heard some of the on-air folks' top 10 songs of 2011. They were very fun to put together and hopefully you enjoyed listening to them. My top ten had some random and possibly embarrassing songs in there but I’m sticking with them. I had no criteria for how the songs were ordered or how they made the list. I do know I left of two or three that I wanted off the list. Here's an online audio less recap of "The 2nd Shift with Scot Frassetto's Top Ten of 2011."

The songs that didn't make the list: Coldplay-Paradise or Every Tear Drop is a Waterfall. Looking back at my list, I think one of these two songs really needed to be on the list. Great sounding tracks from a very good album. Also missing the list was Britney Spears-Til The World Ends. I loved the boy band pop princess days so Britney holds a special place in my music heart. I thought she went crazy and lost her place in the music world but when I heard Til The World Ends and saw the music video I knew she was back.

10.) Sara Bareilles-Gonna Get Over You. This song originally wasn't on my list but at the last minute I changed it. It's such a bubbly fun song with an old time radio sound with the piano and background vocals. I'm lucky we don't have cameras in the studio because you'd see me bopping and singing to this song whenever it's on.

9.) OneRepublic-Good Life. I really like OneRepublic. They might be my favorite "new" band. I like the over use of the snare drum in many of their songs. Good Life, though not my favorite song by OneRepublic easily makes my top ten.

8.) Decembrists- Down by the Water. I like folk sounding rock music and I like the band R.E.M. and the Decembrists are a folk rock band who sounds like R.E.M. They aren't the most popular band but I really enjoy them.

7.) Red Hot Chili Peppers- Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie. I probably should have put this song higher in my list. The Chili Peppers are one of my favorite bands. They've rocked since the late 80's and for them to still be making great music is pretty awesome. Rain Dance Maggie's just another great sounding tune from a band who knows music.

6.) Taylor Swift - Story of Us. Here's where I embarrass myself. I hated her in college. Then a few of my friends started playing her songs at the bars as a joke. They were catchy. Then I started working here and was exposed even more. Now I'm hooked and I can't help it. Maybe people my age don't like her but all of her songs are so catchy, I can't help it.

5.) Mumford and Sons- The Cave. When Little Lion Man came out I got into Mumford and Sons. A friend told me, "if you think that's good wait for The Cave." He was right. It's a great song and they really have an original sound. I hope they have continued success.

4.) Joy Formidable - Whirring. I just like this song. I like alternative rock and I like the mix of the female voice thrown into rock music.

3.) Foo Fighters - Walk. Wasting Light, the album this song comes from, might be one of the best rock albums of the past 15 years. It was recorded in analog, free from digital fixes. Music isn't perfect, there should be imperfections and that's what makes the Foo Fights so perfect.

2.) 311 - Sun Set in July. This is a great summer song with a great chorus. I listened to it almost everyday this summer. I actually like winter but when I hear this song I miss summer and how care free summer can be.

1.) Blink 182 - Up All Night. When Blink broke up around 2005 I never thought I'd hear them play together again. They all had successful side projects. I thought they were done which was sad because their self titled album in 20o5 was a very mature sounding punk rock album. When I heard they were getting back together I was very excited and couldn't wait for the cd. The album has sounds from all of their old ones and Up All Night gets me pumped up. I almost took them out of the top spot after I saw them on Conan. They were awful. They stink live but they still put together a heck of a song and album in the studios so "Up All Night" is my top song of 2011. I can't wait to see what 2012 has in store.

Merry Christmas

I hope everyone out there has a very Merry Christmas this weekend. I really appreciate everyone who listens and reads my blog. I've had a great time the past few months here at K107.1 giving you your music and playing the movie quote of the day everyday.

I've very excited for Christmas. I love spending time with my family and as a bonus this year I'm going to Lambeau on Christmas Night with my cousins to watch the Packers get back to their winning ways. One of my favorite things that my family does is the gift exchange game where you get to steal other peoples gifts. There's always interesting gifts and some good ol fashion revenge from someone who had their great gift stolen last year. That and last year my dad acted like a 3 year old which was hilariously annoying.

There won't be a 2nd Shift on Monday but keep listening to K107.1 for Bart's, Nick's, Alex's, mine, and a few others "Top 10 of 2011." Those will play on Monday and a few other days next week and I have to say, there are a lot of great songs that will play. Some of them you know, some you might not but it's going to be fun.

Once again MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone!!!

Re-Gifting...Is That Ok?

During this time of red and green everything isn't so black and white. The one thing that's been on my mind is the idea of re-gifting. Is that ok to do or not? I've never done it before and I don't believe I've ever been the victim of re-gifting so it's a newer concept to me. However, this year I'm having so much trouble coming up with good gift ideas for some of my family members, re-gifting seems like a decent option. I'm not talking about giving someone some piece of junk that I just don't want anymore. I wouldn't do that but what about something that they’ve said they liked of yours?

There are a few ways I've been looking at it. If I were the person receiving the gift how would I feel? To me that's a hard one to figure out. If it were something I really wanted I suppose I wouldn't care and maybe that person doesn't know they are receiving a re-gifted gift. Another thing I've been thinking about is how the person that gave you the gift originally would feel if they knew you were re-gifting it. As the original gift giver, I think I'd feel like the person re-gifting didn't like it. Finally is that just too cheap of me? Does it look like I was too lazy and cheap to care about getting someone something new? In some situations it might make sense. For example my sister is a college student so she doesn't have the money to get lots of gifts for people. If I re-gifted to her maybe she would feel like she wouldn't have to spend much on me and I could save her some cash, which I'm more than ok with.

Maybe time will be the main factor in whether I re-gift or not this Holiday Season. Since I’m against Father Time’s Christmas clock and shopping isn’t my strong suit some people might be receiving some re-gifted items this year. If that’s not ok, I’m sorry I’m a Grinch.

Christmas Cards = Embarrassment

Every year people send Christmas cards to their friends, family, and people they haven't talked to in years. I never understood why but that just adds to my list of things I don't understand. One of the top things on my "I don't understand list" is why do people send such awful Christmas cards. If it's the only line of communication between you and your best friend from middle school or your fourth cousin, why are you dressed in an ugly turtleneck with a puce backdrop? Shouldn't you have a photo of you in a convertible in some exotic location?

If you think you've received some bad looking Christmas cards or you yourself have fallen victim to a bad Christmas card by your parents, just be happy you're not these people.

All I Want for Christmas is to Know What To Get Others

If you've been listening this Holiday Season, you might have heard that I'm not the most holiday crazed person. Some people have called me a Grinch. It's not that I don't like Christmas, I do. I love spending time with my family and friends, I like the music and movies (in moderation), and the original meaning for Christmas. The reason people think I'm a Scrooge is because I hate the commercialization of the season. I'm not much for decorating, but those who know me know I shouldn't be decorating anything, I'm terrible at it.

The thing I dread the most is Christmas shopping. I like giving presents, I just hate shopping for them. The main reason is it has the word shopping in it. I'd rather go to the dentist than shop. Plus, I never know what to get anyone. I don't want to give people gift cards because that's lazy. I want to give the "perfect gift." This year I found a website that's a HUGE help. Etsy.com It has a free facebook app that goes through all of your friends' likes and finds gift ideas that correlate. When I first looked into, it I thought it was going to come up with dumb, generic ideas and they'd be mostly the same for everyone. However, the site actually does a great job. Some of the things listed I've actually bought for people in the past. Now that Esty.com helped me with the gift ideas I need to get off my butt and get them. Christmas Eve sounds like a good day for that.

Dying for the Holidays... and to be a Tiger

I know people do a lot of weird things with their pets. When I was filling in for Bart, I talked to the author of "Awkward Family Pet Photos," but those folks have nothing on the new pet craze coming to a pet salon near you. People are now dying their pets to fit the holiday season, or to look like exotic animals. The fad started in China. The most popular dyes make their dogs look like tigers or pandas. The other designs for the pups are festive holidays colors with Christmas trees shaved into there sides.
When I first read the article about dying the dogs, I didn't know what to think. I know people who dress up their dogs for the holidays. My parent's dog never had a sweater or anything but she does have a special holiday collar and my brother's dog named Lambeau better have his Packer bandanna on for Packer games but dying the dog for the holidays? I don't think I would want to do that if I had a dog. However, the dyes that make them look like different animals are honestly pretty cool. I think it'd be fun to be walking your dog that looks like a tiger and see the different looks that you'd get. Plus there's a much lower chance of getting mauled.

$4 Million Crash

As a guy who drove a '93 Dodge Grand Caravan for many years and loved every second of it, you can correctly guess that I'm not much of a car guy. So when people have super nice cars and then wreck those cars, I smirk. When 14 luxury cars are totaled in a multi-car pile up (and no one is seriously injured) I laugh hysterically. That's exactly what happened in Japan earlier this week. A convoy of over 20 luxury cars were speeding down a Japanese highway going about 85-100 mph. One of the cars lost control on the wet road, spun out and collected another 13 vehicles. The crash included eight Ferraris, a Lamborghini and three Mercedes. The cost of all of the cars in the accident was over $4 Million. To compare, when I got rid of my minivan, all I got was $68 for the tires. Now enjoy the photos from the wreckage and remember to drive safely when you're on the roads whether you're in a minivan or a Lamborghini.

No Longer a Need for a Bigger Boat

It's a great movie and it made for a great ride and now...it's going to be gone. The Jaws ride at Universal Orlando is going to be permanently closed on January 2nd 2012. The Jaws ride was one of the original rides in 1990 when the park opened. I remember going to Universal when I was about 10. I couldn't wait to go on the Jaws ride and have my socks scared off and I remember it living up to its billing. If I went back today, sure, I wouldn't be scared, and it probably looks like a cheap plastic shark coming out of the water, but is an original ride. Make an upgrade like Disney did with the "Pirates" ride.

There are just some rides that should never die and Jaws was on top of that list along with "It's a Small World," "The Flight of Peter Pan," and "ET's Adventure," which is now the lone original ride at Universal Orlando. Some of those rides are terrible. "It's a Small World?" That rides is awful but Disney could never get ride of it because it so important to the park's history. I know people want new and exciting rides and the technology is only going to get better to make for better rides. But its also important to preserve the history of the parks because these parks and these rides are a big part of US history and Universal, you just killed Jaws but this time it's not cool.

Facebook Faceoff and Your Music

The week after Christmas Bart, Nick, Alex, myself and a few local dignitaries are going to give you our "Top 10 of 2011." I'm excited because I'm sure we'll be hearing some stuff we might not normally hear on K107.1, I'm also excited because we want to hear "YOUR TOP 10 of 2011." Everyday from now until Dec 15th when you vote for the Facebook Faceoff Song of the Day you'll be entered into a drawing to have "Your Top 10 of 2011" played the week after Christmas. Just head to http://www.facebook.comk107.1/ to vote for the Facebook Faceoff Song of the Day and you could have your music right here on your station K107.1!

Also of note, the Grammy Nominations have been released. Kanye has seven nominations and Adele, Foo Fighters, and Bruno Mars have six. Here's a link to a complete list of the nominations: Grammy The Grammy Awards are on Sunday Feb. 12th at 7pm on CBS