On the radio dial
Our local "college" radio station, 107.1 WPGU, went through an overhaul last fall. Unlike other "college" radio stations, WPGU had been a station staffed by college students that tried awfully hard to be a regular Joe alternative rock station. Few variety shows, and little-to-no attention paid to the CMJ charts. That changed, somewhat, in September, when the station's new director made the bold choice to piss in the punch bowl. Gone was the Limp Bizkit and Creed, in came the Spoon and Of Montreal. They even lifted several selections from some of my old set lists in order to introduce some oldies but goodies into the mix—New York Dolls, MC5, The Ramones, XTC, etc. The shift was radical, but so far the community has been supportive. While the ratings haven't been released (to my knowledge), the station's facelift has been welcomed by everyone that I've spoken with.
That's not to say that WPGU couldn't stand to improve additionally. Their playlist is still far too narrow (how many times do I have to hear the same Smiths and The The single?), but more telling is the fact that their DJs (for the most part) are incompetent and sound like fools every time they open their mouths. I guess that's what you get when you put a 20 year-old whose musical vocabularly doesn't date back further than Weezer in front of a mic and tell him/her to say something "cool" about Elvis Costello. They do a decent job with newer bands, mostly through regurgitating the latest news from the band's web site or Pitchfork. But, they sound completely out of their element when it comes spouting off worthwhile info on elder or local bands.
Luckily, WPGU is aparently branching out to incorporate into their staff some non-broadcasting students that are musically inclined. A-Rod (Alex Rodriguez), who locals know as a man-around-town and ex-promoter at Mike & Molly's, now has a gig on afternoons from 12-3 p.m. He hopes to work within the station's playlist to make room for more local music. Give him a buzz this week and make a request: 244-1071.
Hopefully, he'll be able to influence the station to continue to push its boundaries and expand its playlist. I'll be listening...
N/P—Dexy's Midnight Runners: Searching for the Young Soul Rebels
That's not to say that WPGU couldn't stand to improve additionally. Their playlist is still far too narrow (how many times do I have to hear the same Smiths and The The single?), but more telling is the fact that their DJs (for the most part) are incompetent and sound like fools every time they open their mouths. I guess that's what you get when you put a 20 year-old whose musical vocabularly doesn't date back further than Weezer in front of a mic and tell him/her to say something "cool" about Elvis Costello. They do a decent job with newer bands, mostly through regurgitating the latest news from the band's web site or Pitchfork. But, they sound completely out of their element when it comes spouting off worthwhile info on elder or local bands.
Luckily, WPGU is aparently branching out to incorporate into their staff some non-broadcasting students that are musically inclined. A-Rod (Alex Rodriguez), who locals know as a man-around-town and ex-promoter at Mike & Molly's, now has a gig on afternoons from 12-3 p.m. He hopes to work within the station's playlist to make room for more local music. Give him a buzz this week and make a request: 244-1071.
Hopefully, he'll be able to influence the station to continue to push its boundaries and expand its playlist. I'll be listening...
N/P—Dexy's Midnight Runners: Searching for the Young Soul Rebels