Jing Jong Triple Play

What does the name imply? Intelligent hip-hop and trip-hop and a healthy dose of indie-pop. Occasional sounds of Bjork, Magnetic Fields and Saul Williams mixed in with what is new and good in music with a -hop suffix. This, of course, is just an example of what gets mixed on Friday mornings. The Jing Jong Triple Play is one of the most unique morning programs on WMSE and on this side of the universe!

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How do you spend your days and nights when not hosting your radio show?

I spend a fair amount of time chasing squirrels out of my yard and workshop.

It may be the greatest physical challenge of my life. I make loud grunting noises, throw sticks and make sudden dashing gestures at these intelligent rodents. These actions seem to come to no avail. The enemy still continues to chew holes in my garage, shop, and yes, into my very home.

Chasing squirrels from atop the table saw does not impress me as being a healthy mode of aerobic exercise. I am a woodworker and would rather spend my time doing just that. I list myself as being a restoration fella who makes and or repairs house parts. Window seats, china cabinets, mantels are all part of the sort of thing I’ve honed in on. There is a part of me that wishes I could just make free standing furniture of my own design. I’m 31 now, hopefully I’ll have time in my life to see that get played out.

Our home on Layton Boulevard was boarded for two years before we began bringing it back, and was home to a great many critter before our  invasion. Part of me has a hard time blaming these urban feral beasts. The war for habitat is ongoing but we feel encouraged by support from neighbors such as Alien Andre and Eric Von Munz.

When the besiegers are not occupying our minds we focus on our four beautiful children (Elijah, Mara, Makai, and Solomon Juneau). I try hard to be a good father and husband. Without my family, my wife Janelle especially, I doubt that I would be doing much that I could be proud of.

When we don’t have children under the age of one we get babysitters (our loving parents) and hop a freight train in the summer. We’re never gone for more than a week nor have we been farther than Minneapolis but if there is something more freeing than the open expanses of nameless America passing before you in the night, please let me know.

Do you remember what band, album or song took you from being a casual music listener to a passionate music lover? Is there a memory associated with that experience?

That is a hard question. But what keeps coming back is some memory from the mid 80’s. We used to record tapes on our boombox of tracks we liked. Mostly from Hot 102. One time taping alone after dubbing a song I listened back and realized that I cut off the first half of some relatively dorky, contemporary version of “Lean on Me”. I cried listening to the emotion of the song an kept repeating “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry”. I was only seven or eight but I believe this is the first memory I have of understanding that music meant something to me that a great deal of other people wouldn’t understand. Beyond that Public Enemy, De La Soul, CCR, X-Clan, MC Hammer got played-the-f***-out by me.

What band have you heard or discovered in the past six months that reminded you why you want to continue being a WMSE DJ.

I feel I would have to say tUnE-yArDs. The album Who Kill? can’t really be touched. When all is said and done pop music is kinda my common denominator. When individuals can bring it with creativity crossing in and out of the Avant Garde I feel most at home. If the whole album was a little more upbeat it would get a lot more air time around the house. Children need to be able to dance at any given moment.

Who is your favorite non-you WMSE DJ and why? 

I would like to say Scott Lucey, Dori or Andy, but in the end I have to say Marty. The first time I heard him he was subbing for someone and he put on Frizzle Fry by Primus. It felt so nostalgic and righteous at the same time. I also find that no matter who I’m around on during Tuesday’s Blues Drive, every fifteen minutes, I end up saying “See, you just can’t mess with this!”.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

See question #1.