Thursday, April 14, 2005

Scanning the dial...Lost 45s find their way to the Indie-Rock Alarm Clock

So I get an message earlier in the week from my buddY-dwelling friend Matt. On a routine stroll downstairs to check the mail, he stumbles upon a milk crate full of old 45s in the doorway. Apparently this isn't that strange of a phenomenon...people do occasionally leave random goodies and donations for the buddY crew. Last week, they received a random box containing some organic tea, vit.C immunity boost drink mix, incense, & a packet of Q-tips. Many other times they've received random stacks of used books and records that more than likely had been rejected from nearby used media emporiums Myopic and Reckless. However, according to Matt, this was no ordinary crate full of dollar-bin records. This was a goldmine full of amazing ol' skool funk tracks like Bobby Rush's "Chicken Heads," "Get Down" by Harvey Scales & the Seven Sounds and "Slip Around" from Charlie Hodges. While he was ecstatic about his discovery ("years of crate digging has just landed in my lap"), Matt still had a nagging feeling that maybe someone had misplaced their crate or left it behind from a gig the weekend before. Perhaps Calvin Johnson was loading up the K Records van and forgot to pick up the last crate? Tuning into WLUW this morning, however, it was quite obvious that no one had claimed the lost records yet...I was awakened to a great set of scratchy funk grooves on Matt's show, "The Indie-Rock Alarm Clark." I didn't get a chance to hear the entire show, but what I heard sounded great. Thanks to whoever donated (or lost) their 45s, and kudos to Matt for bringing them in and playing them on the air. (and nice work sneaking in RJD2 into the set, well-played Matt) If you happen to know why/how these records landed on buddY's doorstep and who was the benefactor, by all means forward the info this way and help Scooby and the gang solve the mystery of the abandoned records. Or, if you've recently misplaced a milk-crate full of funk 45s, drop us a line and we'll verify if Matt does, in fact, have your records. ------------ If you did lose these records, don't worry...they're in good hands. And I'm not just saying that because I'm friends with the guy. When it comes to music, Matt knows his shit and his weekly show, "The Indie-Rock Alarm Clock," (Thurs 6-9a, 88.7 FM) is easily one of the best shows on WLUW and probably the best free-form rock show on the station. A bit of a misnomer, the Indie-Rock Alarm Clock is way more than just indie-rock (which tends to get exhausted quite a bit on 88.7). It's really just a great collection of independent and underground music (hip-hop, soul, funk, world, rock, electronic, etc.) in the grand tradition of free-form college/community radio. Matt also does a really great job of mixing in the new with the old and doesn't get stuck playing just the top 30 "hot" new indie releases...something that many of his WLUW brethren seem to fall victim too. Finally, I really appreciate his subtle, yet knowledgeable on-air delivery, which is something seriously lacking at WLUW. Most of the DJs on 88.7 are either too eager and talk on the air waaaay too much, or they're barely audible and don't seem have any interest or knowledge in what they're playing. Don't get me wrong, Matt is not the only great DJ on WLUW, but if you get frustrated with the inconsistency of the station like me and don't always listen 88.7 on a regular basis, I highly recommend tuning in specifically for the "Indie Rock Alarm Clock" Thursday mornings from 6-9 AM. You won't be disappointed.

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