http://www.catalog-of-cool.com/coolradio.html

It's In The Fridge: Finding Cool Radio Now

In the introduction to 1993's Too Cool, we invited readers to "dig
this book as paper radio." The allusion was to the inspirational role
the medium once played: the voice in the night, discovery channel and
deliverer of musical epiphanies from the ether.

Radio by and large chucked that role long ago. The idea of an
excitement-generating show, action-packed with boss sounds and audio
ephemera, is an antique notion. We're basically talking Top 40 AM in
its commercial heyday, from the late '50s to the mid-'60s. You'd have
to at least be in your late forties now to have any real-time
recollection of it.

And yet, such radio--upbeat and rockin', unburdened by the cynicism
and cruelty that today claim most dial positions--remains an
irresistible dream to many: to hear it, do it, somehow participate in
it.

You can still find cool radio. Both of the examples here stream live
online, and one is archived, so you can dig it whenever you want.

In Los Angeles, Loyola-Marymount University's KXLU-FM hosts The Bomb
Shelter, Uncle Tim McDermott's weekly barrage of R&B, ska, early rock
'n' roll, international Nuggets (plenty of Italian, Japanese and South
American garagers), surf, gal-groups and '70s punk. The one-hour show
wails wall-to-wall: brief intros and a local calendar are the only
interruptions to James Brown and Jack McDuff, Los Straitjackets and a
German cover of Napoleon XIV. I don't think I've ever listened to the
show without hearing something utterly wild and new to me. Fridays,
8-9 pm PST. Access through http://www.kxlu.com or
http://www.live365.com.

New Jersey's non-profit WFMU-FM offers Music To Spazz By. More
produced than The Bomb Shelter, Dave the Spazz's program gives you a
hit of what '60s shows like Mad Daddy's were smoking: a bubbling
cauldron of background noise, weird commercials and fly-by-the-ear
bites from old TV and films. At a manic musical pace. On one recent
show: Stooges, Hasil Adkins, Modern Lovers, Marvin Rainwater, Little
Killers, and the Electric Prunes demonstrating the wonders of the Vox
wah-wah pedal. Thursdays, 8-11 pm, EST. Go to http://www.wfmu.org.
It's archived.

New to us: Someone just pulled our coat to Pull The String, a show out
of non-profit KSER-FM in Everett, Washington. Van Ramsey's
presentation is low-key, but the puddin's hot. What we heard on a
recent PTS: Buck Owens and Hank Penny, Deke Dickerson's Ecco-fonics (a
burnin' version of Leiber-Stoller's "Hatchet Man"), Screamin' Jay and
Cab Calloway. And a commercial for AIP's great 1972 Frogs flick,
starring Ray Milland. Get strung. Saturdays, 2-4 pm, PST.
http://www.kser.org.

The dearth of cool radio these days makes programs like these rare,
precious, almost heroic. On a good night, with the volume up, they'll
make your radio throw off steam. - Gene Sculatti
-----
*Hear He Vintage Cool Radio

We've touted some of these sources before, in our TALK TALK chapter,
but we reprise 'em here as a service to newcomers who might want to
check out vintage Top 40 as it actually sounded.


DJ's on CD:
Mad Daddy, Wavy Gravy: Atom Smashin' Zoomeratin' Mello Jello Radio
Broadcasts 1958-64 : Cleveland's (and later New York's) Mad Daddy
rhymes his way through show intros, song dedications, station ID's and
commercials for razor blades and record stores ("Round sounds and none
of the square/ The Rendezvous, sonny: Buy your records there!"). A
document of an amazing talent.

Dewey Phillips, Red, Hot & Blue: Live Broadcasts from 1952-54: The
first DJ to play Presley ("That's Allright, Mama," 1954), Memphis'
Dewey Phillips speed-raps a blue streak, exhorting audiences "Let's
wake up!!!" as he sings with, over and through the raw blues he spins.
Superhuman but definitely of this earth.

Wolfman Jack, Howlin' On Air: XERB Radio Broadcats from 1968-70: Still
crazed after all those years, Wolfie roars and cackles, breathes new
life into oldies and braves his way through phone calls (the best part
of this CD) and corny bits ("Wind-up Wolfman"). And, like Daddy and
Dewey, spiels: "Just stack up that Country Club [malt liquor] and
enjoy yourself!"

(The Aircheck Factory has an enormous inventory of radio airchecks for
sale.)

Online Action: Among numerous sites offering radio airchecks online,
we especially dig www.philaradio.com (Philadelphia area) and
www.reelradio.com (national). --G.S.

Cool Radio Then (1984-88)

Like we said, lots of folks have wanted to do cool radio. Us included.
Details on our vainglorious fun-run are available by clicking on The
Cool & The Crazy button below. --G.S.

Dr. Demento

In 1970, mild-mannered record geek Barret Hansen became a DJ at
Pasadena, Calif.'s KPCC FM, with a half hour rock rarities show. The
audience response to the more humor-based records Hansen played
inspired an all-humor playlist and a new identity, and he became Dr
Demento. It caught on, big time and quickly, and Dr. Demento became a
syndicated radio superstar, playing a mix of music so eclectic it
defies description--except that it was all funny. If there has ever
been a practical example of Unified Field Theory, it's the Dr. Demento
playlist. Music of the 1910's rubbed shoulders with whatever comedic
music came out last week. For many of us, especially those of us who
came of age in the '70s, the Demento show was our first exposure to
Louis Jordan and Frank Zappa, or to Jewish and Italian music. It was a
broad and eclectic look into what made Americans laugh, and it was
always loving and never ironic. The Doctor treated the Shaggs with the
same respect he accorded Frank Zappa, which was as important a lesson
as the music itself. The show is now coming into its 34th year, still
a vital thing in most radio markets.--Skip Heller

More info: http://www.drdemento.com