Thursday, August 30, 2007

Video Killed the Radio Star

Say Evil Chicken – what do you like on the radio?

Ah Gentle Reader, I can say with no stutter or doubt in my mind; NOT MUCH. I made mention of my dislike (disdain is more like it) for broadcast top 40 radio in general (see “DON’T TOUCH ME!” 6/30/07). I said that these days I am into talk radio; specifically New Jersey 101.5 (97.3 if you’re in the Swamps of South Jersey) here in the Garden State. While this holds true I’ve had the good fortune of discovering a few things on the radio that I have as presets. With I hint of OCD I like to keep the stations from lowest to highest – ascending order. So let’s press button # 1

Preset 1, I owe to two wonderful ladies; Bella Candy and Zelda Parker, they both highly recommended (and I highly agree) WXPN 88.5 FM as Wikipedia says is a “public radio station operated by the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.” The call letters stand for “Experimental Pennsylvania Network” and they play adult album alternative music or, in other words, this is where the musicians have found a harbor and the melody still means something. Good stuff.

Preset 2, the mighty New Jersey 101.5 FM (which is 97.3 in my neck of the woods and therefore preset # 2). Dennis and Judy and now the new version of “The Jersey Guys” in the afternoons with Ray Rossi and Casey Bartholomew make the day move along. For those of you who are wondering whatever happened to Craig Carton, he has taken over for Don Imus in New York leaving New Jersey for greener pastures and Ray Rossi and the rest of the crew behind. “Casey” is his replacement and, so it goes, the same man that Carton replaced back in 2002; is filling in until the next Jersey Guy is found.

Preset 3, WPOV Calvary Chapel of Vineland, The Vine 99.9 FM, is contemporary Christian radio; great music and teaching. I dig it and find it refreshing. When it comes to walking the straight and narrow I need all the help I can get. Give it a shot; it’s worth checking out.

Preset 4, WMGK 102.9 is a classic rock format that is quite familiar to anyone who has grown up here in the Delaware Valley over the last 30 or so years. Many of the DJs did their rounds on the great stations of the seventies and eighties such as John DeBella, Debbi Calton and Andre Gardner. For me this has been and always will be the sound of Philadelphia.

Preset 5, WRFF Radio 104.5 FM is alternative rock – the stuff that you will not hear on top 40. Beastie Boys to the White Stripes and most things that you wouldn’t expect on the radio in between. It’s not as peaceful as WXPN but sometimes that’s just what you (or at least yours truly does) want; eclectic alternative music that you beat your steering wheel like a drum kit to. This station has made me feel younger than I am these days.

That’s it. No more presets on Evil Chicken’s radio.

Happy Listening!

3 comments:

Merci said...

-I listen to NPR whenever I can. Love "Fresh Air" with Terri Gross (sp?).

-Harvey in the Morning on MGK got me to work every day when I was fresh out of college.

-Temple University Public Radio on 91.3 gives me my dose of classical music, with a bit of good jazz in the evenings.

-Bob and Tom provide a bit of irreverance in the mornings nowadays on 103.7 At least I think it's 103.7 - I'm terrible at remembering numbers. Thank goodness for presets!

Evil Chicken said...

Yeah, I’ve got a soft spot in my heart for Bob and Tom too.

Say, whatever happened to Smooth Jazz? Did they move or just close up shop?

Pax Romano said...

NPR here also: I need this in the morning - intelligent discussion and factual world news reporting ... and yes, Terry Gross' Fresh Air should be required listening for all!

Been an XPN fan since the days of Karen Begin (she was the only public radio DJ that was ever involved in a scandal that I can think of).

Beyond that, it's either CDs in the car or my MP3 player.