This week I heard a cover version of Tears for Fears’ ‘Mad World’ by Gary Jules. Caught it on KCRW’s ‘Morning Becomes Ecclectic.’ The song has crept in and camped out in my mind. What a fantastic cover! Now I’m probably going to have to buy this cat’s CD (which is self released.)With what is happening to radio stations and the music industry in general, guys like Jules and a friend’s band ‘Golden Ticket’ who deserve a shot at some air time can’t get it. If you don’t fit the demographic and have national appeal, you don’t get played. I’m glad that there are programs like ‘Morning Becomes Ecclectic’ to give this artists at least a shot. The down side of MBE is that it is very ecclectic. Sometimes you have to sit through a really bad song or two before you find something you like. Like the time they played someone doing Bach on a banjo. But that is how this stuff works. If you want prepackaged trollip that some number-crunching music exec has figured will fit your demographic, then stick with the ClearChannel stations. If you want to find something fresh and different, wade out into the deep water and take the good and the bad.