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[geezomatic alert]:
Several years ago a couple of people started a radio station that they fondly called "home-grown radio". Whereas all the other stations would play top 40, this one played more of the local stuff that usually remained unheard. They were located in a small station on Cordell Avenue in Bethesda, Maryland. Their ads consisted of touting places like the Psychedeli and Concerts by now-famous, $100/ticket people that sold for $10 at the time... On this station was a character called "The Weasel" and his compatriot, a guy with a speech impediment (yep, a radio DJ with a speech impediment) called Damien. For many years, they reigned supreme in the hearts and minds of people who were ahead of their time or marched to a different drum, or whatever.
Then one day, the station got sold. I guess they got tired of it, or were made an offer they didn't want to refuse, or were hostilely taken over, or whatever. Who knows. But the station changed and became top 40'ed and Clearchannelly. They still called themselves "progressive" but were largely mainstream with a little more white-boy rap than the rest of the stations.
Wellp, I was flipping through stations this morning - my buttons are set to 97.9 (98 rock), DC 101 (top 40), 94.7 (Classic), 99.1 (WHFS - what used to be the Home Grown Bethesda station, now in Annapolis), and a couple of news stations. I usually just skim through them knowing there will probably be nothing on most of them that I like - maybe an occasional decent song on HFS, mostly talk on all the others, unrelenting stupidity on the news stations.
Suddenly, upon passing through 94.7 (classic), I hear an interesting song... This is unusual, since they usually play the same two Zep songs 25 times a day, 365 days a year, and maybe a very occasional Billy Joel song or two. But this time I heard some interesting songs... Subversive even...
Here's an example:
( Read more... )
And at the end of the song set, a familiar voice. The Weasel. He was filling in for some other DJ for a few weeks - he's usually on only on weekends (too subversive, maybe)... But for a short time, he's on in the morning when I drive to work. I proceeded to hear a set of very interesting, subversive music all the way to work. The Weaze is back. Now all they have to do is bring back Damien. It may not be home grown radio by a long shot, but it would be the next best thing. Crudeness and shockjockery and incessant babbling and beer ads replaced by subtle humor, artistry, and subversive music. One can dream, I guess.
[/geezomatic alert].
Several years ago a couple of people started a radio station that they fondly called "home-grown radio". Whereas all the other stations would play top 40, this one played more of the local stuff that usually remained unheard. They were located in a small station on Cordell Avenue in Bethesda, Maryland. Their ads consisted of touting places like the Psychedeli and Concerts by now-famous, $100/ticket people that sold for $10 at the time... On this station was a character called "The Weasel" and his compatriot, a guy with a speech impediment (yep, a radio DJ with a speech impediment) called Damien. For many years, they reigned supreme in the hearts and minds of people who were ahead of their time or marched to a different drum, or whatever.
Then one day, the station got sold. I guess they got tired of it, or were made an offer they didn't want to refuse, or were hostilely taken over, or whatever. Who knows. But the station changed and became top 40'ed and Clearchannelly. They still called themselves "progressive" but were largely mainstream with a little more white-boy rap than the rest of the stations.
Wellp, I was flipping through stations this morning - my buttons are set to 97.9 (98 rock), DC 101 (top 40), 94.7 (Classic), 99.1 (WHFS - what used to be the Home Grown Bethesda station, now in Annapolis), and a couple of news stations. I usually just skim through them knowing there will probably be nothing on most of them that I like - maybe an occasional decent song on HFS, mostly talk on all the others, unrelenting stupidity on the news stations.
Suddenly, upon passing through 94.7 (classic), I hear an interesting song... This is unusual, since they usually play the same two Zep songs 25 times a day, 365 days a year, and maybe a very occasional Billy Joel song or two. But this time I heard some interesting songs... Subversive even...
Here's an example:
( Read more... )
And at the end of the song set, a familiar voice. The Weasel. He was filling in for some other DJ for a few weeks - he's usually on only on weekends (too subversive, maybe)... But for a short time, he's on in the morning when I drive to work. I proceeded to hear a set of very interesting, subversive music all the way to work. The Weaze is back. Now all they have to do is bring back Damien. It may not be home grown radio by a long shot, but it would be the next best thing. Crudeness and shockjockery and incessant babbling and beer ads replaced by subtle humor, artistry, and subversive music. One can dream, I guess.
[/geezomatic alert].