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I think I'm finally getting a handle on this radio thing. I mean how hard can it be?
I had a recurring dream about dead air. And what DJ hasn't had that dream? It's the worst! A song is quickly ending and I have nothing cued up. In reality I am the king of the last second cue. It's happened too many times to count.
That being said, 90% of the time I have many songs cued and ready to go. In my earliest days of radio I was trained to have a safety track ready just in case a song ends and I have nothing else set. At Radio Valencia we have two turntable, two CD players, and two aux cords, which most hosts use for their laptops. I use the Mixxx app with four channels. This means at any one time I can have eight songs ready to play.
There really is no excuse for dead air.
I spent a couple years at KALX leading up to COVID. I recall heading into the studio one night. I had a graveyard shift that I thought was running 1-3am. I was told to arrive at midnight to cover a pre-recorded show, just to be told by a staffer who was there when I arrived that my show actually starts at midnight and not 1am. It was about 11:57 at that time. I calmly seated myself, cued up a song and started the show.
The young staffer was anxious about me not being able to start on time. When I did she noted how calm I was about the whole thing. This is what experience gets you. Just chill out and drop the needle.
As for this show I dropped the needle on some killer tracks by amazing artists.
I quickly pay tribute to the late David Johansen of the New York Dolls who passed away last week. I was lucky to see a late version of the NY Dolls in Washington DC in 2008. It was Johansen and Sylvain Sylvain backed by a young rhythm section, but they were incredible!
I saw some incredible modern country/western at The Ivy Room last week with local guitarist and singer Mitch Polzak, and Portland's Jenny Don't and the Spurs were in town. That was one helluva show! I spoke to Mitch after his set and he listens to Radio Valencia! Thanks Mitch. What a pleasure. I'm going to have him on my show soon. I also got to speak to Jenny Don't after her set. She was kind enough to record a station promo for me as well. What a doll! Both bands are incredible. I strongly encourage you to check them out when they hit your town.
As always there's lots of new music tonight. Check out Ty Segall's new side project Freckle. Ambrose Kenny-Smith of King Gizzard also has a new side project that I was happy to get recently. New Population 11, Lambrini Girls (I'm really loving this band), and KnightressM1 featuring metal violinist Emily Palen now living in Paris. I miss my friend, but luckily she's continuing to record incredible music to share with the world.
I bought a bunch of records over the past week so tune in Monday to hear where John Hell's paycheck goes.
Enjoy and please share.
jh
Trash: New York Dolls
Hate The Police: The Dicks
Twilight (Elliot Smith cover): Barbara Manning
Lonesome, On'ry and Mean: Mitch Polzak
Judgement Day: Jack O'Fire
Gimme A Penny: Big Mama Thornton
Swordfishtrombones: Tom Waits
Sun Rise: Rolf Harris
Steal Softly Through The Snow: Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band
Chinese New Year: Mulatu Astatke and The Heliocentrics
One More Night: Jenny Don't and the Spurs
Louie Louie: Thee Headcoats
Dark Horse: LA Witch
Shameless Imposter: Terry Gross
Anlatmam Derdimi: Altin Gün
Let Me Be Your Ragdoll: Barbara Dane
Who's Sitting on the Moon: Freckle
TV Glotzer (White Punks on Dope): Nina Hagen
Axis: KnightressM1
1970: Boris
No Home: Lambrini Girls
The Gloater: GUM, Ambrose Kenny-Smith
The Wheel: King Tuff
Le The Est Pret: Population II
From The First Hello To The Last Goodbye: Jane Morgan and the 450 Collegians