I remember finding it bizarre when the first Robyn Hitchcock album on Warner Bros. Records arrived in 1996. He had been on a major label before, having released four albums on A&M through the late eighties and early nineties. Still, there was something about seeing that iconic WB logo–about as major as a label could get at the time–affixed to a record by college radio’s resident warped genius. It was hard to conceive of their promotions department having any idea whatsoever as to how to market this thing, and Hitchcock’s relatively brief stay with the label seemed to confirm that. … Continue reading One for Friday: Robyn Hitchcock, “Sinister But She Was Happy”

Though I started at the college radio station in the fall of 1988, my first time on air was a few months before that. While in high school outside of Madison, Wisconsin, I turned into a little bit of a geek boy fan, listening to local radio station WMAD-FM and calling up the deejays to discuss music. I vaguely remember a couple longer conversations with their overnight guy and one day when I called in a talked at length with the midday jock about the new Springsteen album, which I’m sure the radio professional on the other end found mercilessly … Continue reading One for Friday: Jerry Harrison: Casual Gods, “Rev It Up”

During my first semester of college, I had a happy Sunday night ritual. After listening to The College Count-Up on 90FM–both before and after I became a member of the on-air staff there–I would head downstairs with a select group of discerning music fans from neighboring dorm rooms. We’d take over the TV room, usually with a ridiculous assortment of snacks and beverages–I recall mixing up jugs of Kool-Aid and consuming unseemly cheese spread on crackers–and watch MTV until after midnight. Our viewing typically started with an episode of The Young Ones, but we were really there for 120 Minutes, … Continue reading One for Friday: Karel Fialka, “Hey, Matthew”