My Exit: Rob Jonas

Rob Jonas.jpg

Tonight's My Exit D.J., Rob (center on the acoustic guitar) and his band at Caffe Lena.

It's Monday, time for another WEXT My Exit show -- where the listeners get to pick their own playlists.

Here's a look at what's coming up tonight:

Who?
Rob Jonas. Originally from Newtonville. Some people know me as the sports editor of Spotlight Newspapers. Others know me as a singer-songwriter with two albums and an EP to my credit. Either way, I do a lot of writing.

How would you describe your taste in music?
I like a variety of genres -- from roots rock to power pop, punk, old school rap and jazz. About the only music I don't listen to is anything that is currently played on Top 40 and contemporary country radio.

About 5 songs from your show:

"Battle of Who Could Care Less" by Ben Folds Five
I grew up playing piano, so I've always admired rock pianists. Ben Folds is one of the best rock pianists I've heard. His ability to shift from power pop to ballads to the occasional jazz riff is amazing to me.

"Ticket to Ride" by The Beatles
Everybody has at least one favorite Beatles song. This one happens to be mine. The lyrics might be simplistic by comparison to later Lennon/McCartney compositions, but the harmonies make the song work for me.

"Canary in a Coalmine" by The Police
I used to be a big fan of this band because of their blend of punk and reggae. Then, songs like "Every Breath You Take" and "I'll Be Wrapped Around Your Finger" started popping up, and I lost interest in them for a while. Luckily, I saw them on their reunion tour when it came to SPAC, and that got me back in their corner. This particular song is one of my favorites from their early work.

"Chasing After Words" by The Figgs
Being a local musician, I wanted to have a song by another local band on my list. And being a writer in two genres, I wanted a song that reflected how I often feel when I'm trying to come up with something on a deadline. This song fit the bill on both counts. Plus, I am a big fan of The Figgs.

"Pump It Up" by Elvis Costello and the Attractions
This song isn't used at nearly enough sporting events, and it should be. It's got an aggressive beat, a shouted chorus and a terrific organ riff. Seriously, I think I should petition every team in this region and get them to play this song at their games.

You can hear Rob's My Exit show Monday night at 8 pm on 97.7 or at exit977.org.

Here's how to schedule your own My Exit show on WEXT.

Say Something!

We'd really like you to take part in the conversation here at All Over Albany. But we do have a few rules here. Don't worry, they're easy. The first: be kind. The second: treat everyone else with the same respect you'd like to see in return. Cool? Great, post away. Comments are moderated so it might take a little while for your comment to show up. Thanks for being patient.

The Scoop

Ever wish you had a smart, savvy friend with the inside line on what's happening around the Capital Region? You know, the kind of stuff that makes your life just a little bit better? Yeah, we do, too. That's why we created All Over Albany. Find out more.

Recently on All Over Albany

Craig and his wonderful list

The good thing about Craigslist: It's a window into our fellow community members' wants, needs and aspirations. The bad thing about Craigslist: It's a window... (more)

Trying the "best craft beer in New York State"

Have you ever tried a beer and thought to yourself: "This is the best beer around." Well, this year at TAP NY, they made it... (more)

YouthFX screening latest crop of shorts

The Grand Street Community Arts' YouthFX teen filmmaking program is premiering the short films from its 2012 season tonight (Thursday) at the Madison Theater in... (more)

Morning Blend

Andrew Cuomo is proposing the establishment of tax free zones for businesses that set up near SUNY campuses. Under the plan, 120 million square feet... (more)

Summer really will be here soon

Moxie's in Wynantskill -- of the Around the World of Vanilla sampler, of the blue moon ice cream, of the somewhat-later-than-other-stands opening -- is now... (more)

Recent Comments

Talk about a business that's really exploded recently. I clicked on 30 or so of these, and only found a couple that have been around for longer than the past ten years! Here's hoping the next ten years are just as good for this business.

Trying the "best craft beer in New York State"

...has 2 comments, most recently from Chad'z Beer Reviews

Telling the story of Valentine's

...has 6 comments, most recently from JohnnyB

A whey difficult problem

...has 10 comments, most recently from Jeremy

Rockin' on the River 2013

...has 2 comments, most recently from lillywhite

Albany as his temporary hometown

...has 3 comments, most recently from PK Miller