U92-FM - Wireless (Spring 2017)

SPRING SEMESTER 2017

CONTENTS

WIRELESS

THE OFFICIAL ZINE OF U92-FM

A LOOK INTO FOUR SPRING FAVES EVENTS & HOW TO GET INVOLVED DAVID BELLO FROM THE WORLD IS...

VOCALOIDS, 360 VIDEO & SURROUND SOUND WHAT IS FUZZBOX? U92 PROGRAMMING & SCHEDULE A QUICK GUIDE TO JAZZ NEW ALBUMS COMING YOUR WAY THE REFLECTIONS & MEMORIES OF RICK SMITH DOs & DON’Ts & STAYING LOCAL THIS SUMMER HEMME TAKES ON WASHINGTON D.C. A BASKETBALL RECAP & LOOK INTO BASEBALL SUMMER BASEBALL BROADCAST SCHEDULE TUNES TO START OFF YOUR SUMMER

EDITORIAL After hours and hours of working diligently on this magazine, I, along with everyone on staff at U92, are pleased to welcome you into our little world full of obscure music genres, sport events that don’t gain much coverage, and news from the community that’s constantly being updated. It’s our mission to always keep you in touch with the latest, upcoming information in all of those categories, and to teach you new things along the way. We’re constantly discovering during our 24/7 broadcast programming and eager to share everything with you, our beloved readership and listenership. It is also a great privilege to be able to tell you this is the first edition of Wireless to appear in around ten years. In accordance with us being “your source for new music” and “your new music pioneer,” we’d also like to thank you for listening by giving you this little magazine to stuff in your pocket. Without you, it’s safe to say we wouldn’t be the radio station we are today. Your mere interest in music and in discovering the world around you plays a vital role in our goals as a radio station, but more importantly, helps all the local musicians out there trying to make a name for themselves. When you fall in love with a new genre or attend a concert in a new venue, you’re living, playing a part of music history - arguably one of the most beautiful experiences this world has to offer. Keep always supporting the music you love, pay attention to your local acts, and keep tabs on the magnificent world of music around you. You may never know what you’ll find. I wish you happy reading and thank you endlessly for allowing us to follow along and help guide your journey through the genres and subgenres of all those little radiowaves and soundwaves buzzing around in the air.

Yours truly, Wireless Editor, Sarah Dawn Cooper Contributers: Nick Koban-Hogue, Reed Phares, Matthew Fouty, Shepherd Snyder, Jackson Montgomery, Avery Williamson, Joseph Bellamy, Rick Smith, Lou Richardson, Claire Hemme, Andrew Walker Photography: Shepherd Snyder (The World Is...), Sarah Dawn Cooper (Festivals) Editing, Layout & Graphic Design: Jackson Montgomery, Sarah Dawn Cooper THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN WIRELESS ARE THOSE OF THE INDIVIDUAL WRITERS OR, IN THE CASE OF INTERVIEWS, OF THE INTERVIEW SUBJECTS. THEY DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE OPINIONS OF WWVU-FM OR ITS STAFF, OR THE OPINIONS OF WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY, ITS STUDENTS, FACULTY, STAFF, OR ADMINISTRATION, NOR SHOULD THEY BE CONSTRUED TO DO SO.

ROTATION...

The Feelies // In Between

ON REVIEW

WITH OUR MUSIC DIRECTOR NICK KOBAN-HOGUE

On their sixth album, The Feelies are back at their same unchanging goal of capturing the serenity of a clear Sunday drive through New Jersey. This is their second album since reforming in 2008 after a 20-year hiatus, and little is known on their plans for the future of the project. The title of the album suggests that thankfully this won’t be their last release as a group. Largely acoustic, this album deals with incredibly light lyrical topics and even lighter instrumentation. The most intense thing on this album is the precision of execution. This album sounds like a perfected version of Chutes Too Narrow with less of a desire to be loved and more of a comforting love of self. The Feelies are not only one of the founders of the 2007 era “indie” feel but one of the most well practiced bands in the genre. The harmonies and transitions on this album are more than clean; they’re perfect.

Play this when you get out of class early on a beautiful spring day.

The Octopus Project // Memory Mirror

Based in Austin, electronic group The Octopus Project has perfected their bright shimmering electro pop sound on their newest record, Memory Mirror. From the sludgy bass riffs that are sparse enough to always be a treat, to the alien sounding autotuned vocal harmonies, this album’s sound is an impeccable blend of surreal and concrete. The weighty layers piled on top of one another on this album create a dense soundscape while somehow still retaining the punch of the individual elements. The tone of this record is one of pure fun, with just a touch of manic excitement weaved into the instrumentation. It’s hard not to hear the influence of their former collaborator, Black Moth Super Rainbow, shining through on their punchier tracks through the similarity of some of the samples used on this piece and Black Moth’s Dandelion Gum. This album feels like a sentient computer experiencing falling in love. Play this album while cooking spaghetti with your best friends.

King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard // Flying Microtonal Banana On their newest release, the Australian psych-rock outfit manages to continue to perfect their sound while still being sure to keep their fans on their toes. As the name of this album suggests, this album is King Gizzard’s attempt at implementing microtonal tuning into their psych-garage-rock sound. Cynical music followers like myself will point out that almost all music is microtonal and King Gizz is no stranger to the sitar on their earlier records, but the content of this record gives them a pass on the kind of silly theme. Despite the self-imposed musical challenge the band has given itself, this record sounds indistinguishably similar to their previous releases.

However, this may be their most complete and tight record to date. This album weaves in and out of psychedelic consciousness blending all their sounds into a huge sounding VHS core trip through a desert. Play this when it’s too hot outside to move.

Moon Duo // Occult Architecture Vol. 1 On their fourth release, Moon Duo continues what they do best along with an added dark tint. Krautrock is far from the forefront of current musical trends, but Moon Duo has been working towards bringing the unrelentingly repetitive vibes of krautrock to a more mainstream audience. It’s hard not to get into this record. Moon Duo pairs the guitar stylings of Wooden Shijps’ Ripley Johnson with the keyboard loops of Sanae Yamada to create an atmosphere of an otherworldly club. This album feels like it’s going a thousand miles an hour through space on a mission to conquer every lame party along the way and make it awesome. Play this while running late to stop a wedding.

ON ART...

CREATIVE HAPPENINGS

BY REED PHARES

So you’re an artist, or something close enough to it or trying to become one.

Cool. The good news is that there’s a scene for that. In Morgantown - a few of them.

The Bench is an artist collective operating out of the Diamond Gallery at 320 High Street. Started by U92 DJs in the fall of 2015, it is place for artists to meet and present art in a relaxed and open environment. Open workshops are every Monday night in the gallery; new artists are encouraged to show up with pieces for workshop and an open attitude. The Bench also hosts public shows at least once a semester, accepting submissions to perform at a local venue.

Alternatively, I would like to put forth U92 itself as an option for aspiring artists.

U92 is a kinda cool place filled with a lot of kinda cool, kinda weird people, many of whom actively or semi-actively work on things some people might consider to be art.

U92 will be hiring for Summer 2017.

Visit our offices in the Mountainlair May 15-19 to pick up an application.

The best option, though, is to start making your own art. Pick something interesting, or something that bothers you or scares you and start doing. Do it for a couple weeks, let’s make it three, three’s a good number, and at the end of those three weeks have friends over for drinks and show them what you’ve done. Then do it again the next week, and the week after, and the week after.

Morgantown is currently a hotbed for artist groups and collections, local music is on the rise, local art is on the rise, if The Bench or U92 doesn’t do it for you, or even if they do, start your own group. There’s plenty of room.

SUMMER EVENTS TO KEEP IN MIND Golden Horseshoe, The Furr & More // Camp Krusty // May 14 Twin Peaks Art Show // 123 Pleasant St. // May 26 // Free Admission The Bench Discussion and Critique // Mondays // 7PM // 320 High St.

& HIRING

ANSWERS TO FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

BY GENERAL MANAGER MATTHEW FOUTY Q: How do I get hired at U92?

A: Come by the station the first week of classes, pick up, and fill out an application. Once you do this, you’ll sign up for an interview slot and will be interviewed by a panel of U92 employees.

Q: What if I don’t know what department I want to work in?

A: Since U92 has several departments you can work in, we think that it’s important to choose the department that best suits your interests: if you are interested in finding new music (DJ), if you live for sports and watch ESPN all the time (Sports), if you love keeping up with current events and love talking to people and learning (News), if you like creating things and working behind the scenes to bring your talents together to make others sound good and/or the radio station sound good (Media & Marketing). We have a wide variety of staffs and we are pretty sure you will be able to find your niche.

Q: What do I get out of U92?

A: You get out of U92 what you put into it. The most successful U92 alum were those who were self-starters and worked diligently on learning new skills throughout the station. If you are someone who is passive and

goes through the motions, we will attempt to bring you out of your shell and give you feedback as you grow into someone who may want to take part in this thing we know as radio.

Q: Is U92 a place for everyone?

A: U92 is a place that can be for everybody. We like to foster a community of accepting individuals, who do what they’re supposed to do and work hard to get what they want.

Q: How is U92 different from other student groups?

A: U92 is a place where you can feel like you are a part of a family that has a wide array of characters who love what they do and are passionate. We have a large group of dedicated alumni who all still feel that U92 is a very special program and they are usually working within the broadcast industry, meaning that opportunities such as jobs and internships are possible for those who spend time asking questions, listening to feedback, and creating their own place within their collective interests.

U92FM is a place where one can have access to many opportunities that can change their lives for the better.

THE WORLD IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE & I AM NO LONGER AFRAID TO DIE

Q&A...

WITH DAVID BELLO

BY SHEPHERD SNYDER

Q: I noticed that you’re actually from West Virginia, but the band was established in Connecticut.

How’d you get involved with the rest of the band?

A: I was friends with some of them cause one of the founding members was somebody who lived in West Virginia and then moved up to Connecticut, and then the band formed up there.

We knew each other from West Virginia, and then I ended up moving up to Connecticut to join the band.

Q: Nice! What keeps you guys coming back to Morgantown, West Virginia?

A: Yeah! Well me and another guitar player, Dylan Balliett, we went to college here, and I love it. We used to play most of our shows here.

Like, most of the shows we have ever played are here. I just love it.

Q: Going into your sound, are there any artists you could call influences?

A: Yeah, probably all kinds. I really like Modest Mouse, I guess… Xiu Xiu, I really like. Yeah, all kinds of stuff.

Q: You probably get this a lot, but how did your band get its

name?

A: I wasn’t actually in the band when they came up with the name, but I think it was kind of just a joke on bands that have long song titles, so we’re actually a band with a really long band name.

Q: If you guys could collaborate with anyone who would it be and why?

A: I really want to do a collab with Full of Hell. They’re really cool. They’re kind of like a noise band and a metal band at the same time, they’re really, really good. They did a collab with The Body, who’s a metal band I really like, and they did another collab with Merzbow, the noise artist from Japan.

Q: Do you have any dream covers you’re thinking about doing?

A: That’s a good question. We talked for a while about covering “This Must Be the Place” by the Talking Heads, but I feel like a lot of bands at this point have covered that song, so at this point, I don’t know if we’re actually gonna do it.

Q: Do you have any solo projects you’re working on right now?

A: Yeah! Any time we’re on the tour,

I’m usually recording stuff for a show, so… I’m working on a couple splits with bands and sorta working on a full length; a band called Alomar from Akron, Ohio, and a band called Forever Losing Sleep from New Jersey.

Q: Do you think college radio has played a role in spreading your music, kind of getting the word out?

A: Yeah, definitely! I used to listen to U92 all the time when I lived here, and when I moved, I stopped, but I still get people saying, hey, I heard you on either U92 or t h e i r o w n

college radio station wherever they live, that kind of thing. People are always telling me that’s where they’ve heard of us. It’s great.

Q: We actually interviewed you back in 2009. How has your career changed since then?

A: Oh, a lot. At that point I was mostly just playing shows here, and living here… and then I moved away for a couple years… and then I came back… and then I moved away again and I didn’t come back, and I’d play shows here occasionally, but then I joined this band, and that’s when I started.

WHAT’S NEW IN MUSIC TECHNOLOGY Vocaloids

BY JACKSON MONTGOMERY

Sometimes mislabeled as robots, holograms, or simple cartoon characters, Vocaloids, the name given to the end results of a line of Yamaha software that debuted in 2004, are so much more than that. In essence, anyone using the suite has complete control over their own virtual singer, editing everything from pitch and intonation to animated dance videos of each voice’s mascot.

Pulling from a carefully designed library of samples from real human singers that contains every possible syllable in the English language, as well as Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Chinese and Catalan, the Vocaloid engine uses a method of speech generation called concatenative synthesis to combine the clips, adjust their timing so they sound natural, modify the pitch to match the user’s input, and smooth the transitions between syllables before outputting the song.

While initially seen as somewhat of a novelty product, the software developed a cult following in Japan after the release of Hatsune Miku, the first of a line of characters produced by the Yamaha licensed studio Crypton Future Media. A video of Miku dancing and singing the Finnish song “Ievan Polka” went viral on the Japanese internet and an entire web culture sprang up making similar video covers and original songs.

The developers intention to allow producers to add fully customized vocals to a track without the need to hire a professional singer has certainly been realized. However, the software has even greater implications in the fields of virtual reality and robotics.

For example, the robot HRP-4C, developed by Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, uses a derivative of the original Vocaloid software to speak, coupled with an artificial intelligence capable of conversation we move even closer to completely artificial humanoids.

MuTECH UPDATE

VR Headsets & 360 Degree Video

It’s no secret that we’re crossing a massive technological threshold into the world of virtual reality. With fully integrated platforms like the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, as well as cheaper pieces that work with your cell phone such as Google’s Cardboard or Daydream viewers, almost anyone can enter their own digital world nowadays. The music world has quickly adapted to this new technology with a slew of successful artists releasing 360 degree music videos.

Notable songs include Jack White’s “That Black Bat Licorice,” Bjork’s “Stonemilker,” Muse’s “Revolt” and, most recently, “Saturnz Barz” by Gorillaz, which broke YouTube’s record for number of views in the 48 hours after its debut.

Currently the most viewed VR music video on the service is Avicii’s “Waiting for Love,” which has over 18 million plays. As more filmmakers experiment with 360 video we’ll reach the levels of experimentation and creativity seen in standard music videos, leading to some mind-bending scenes rendered in full 3D space.

Surround Sound Mapping

While 360 videos on YouTube are shot from a fixed focal point, more powerful desktop setups offer the ability to create truly immersive experiences in first-person video games.

An Oculus Rift, for example, paired with an omnidirectional treadmill such as those made by Virtuix can allow the user to walk around in a limitless virtual world. Add a 5.1 surround-sound system to the mix and developers can even make it sound real.

Game development engines like Unity or Unreal coupled with audio-specific programs such as Wwise allow designers to pinpoint exactly where a sound is coming from in a 3D environment, tweaking how it tapers off over a distance, the reverberance of the room and more. In-game music could realistically come from radios and other objects placed in a space, or even a virtual band. Music videos could even be done in this format, allowing the listener to not just view the action, but move around within it and realistically hear how it changes.

FUZZBOX THE DEFINITION OF GARAGE

BY JACKSON MONTGOMERY

“If you turn your dial to 91.7FM late on a Monday night, chances are you’ll catch Fuzzbox (one of my favorite shows to DJ), featuring a mix of psychedelic music and garage rock. That term gets thrown around a lot to describe bands, but people don’t always know exactly what it means...”

Hell, the first known what it meant. is a tag retroactively performance by critics

musicians to be dubbed with it wouldn’t have “Garage rock,” as with many niche genre names, applied to a specific trend in popular musical looking back on its importance from a later time.

As Chuck Berry’s brand of rock and roll started to die out towards the end of the ‘50s and into the early ‘60s, a crop of younger, mostly untrained musicians sprang up in their parents’ suburban garages and basements, playing louder, faster, arrangements (often through a guitar pedal called a fuzzbox, hence the name of the show) with lyrics about their teenage woes. Thus the generation of sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll was born.

Some of the first bands to make their names on this specific brand of high-speed sleaze came out of the early breeding grounds for psychedelic activity in the US: California, Texas, rural New England, and the Pacific Northwest.

You’ve probably heard “Louie Louie” by the Kingsmen (Portland, OR) at least once, but other big names include the 13th Floor Elevators (Austin, TX), the Sonics (Tacoma, WA) and Sky Saxon and the Seeds (Los Angeles, CA), plus thousands of lesser-known groups you can find archived on compilations like the legendary “Nuggets” series started by Elektra Records in the 1980s.

One of the strangest acts to resurface in the ‘80s was Hasil Adkins, from right here in the Mountain State - Boone County, WV. His isolation from the rest of the music world resulted in a crazy lo-fi mix of country and blues with lyrics about sexual fetishes, decapitation, and other lowbrow motifs that would serve as a blueprint for a new wave of garage punk in the ‘80s that combined the attitude and image of ‘70s punk (‘60s garage is often called proto-punk) with a rehashing of that raw blues-based sound.

The best known acts from this era were popular throughout the ‘80s and into the ‘90s, including the Cramps, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, the Dead Milkmen, the Gories and more. The rise of grunge and commercially successful alternative rock in the late ‘90s pushed the garage sound under the radar for a while, but it was picked back up in the early ‘00s in period known as the garage rock revival. Bands like the White Stripes, the Black Keys, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, the Strokes, the Hives and the Vines, all gained a huge following and inspired the whole slew of new artists that are active today such as Ty Segall, Thee Oh Sees, King Tuff, Tacocat, and FIDLAR.

Pretty much anything loud, fast, and raw was influenced by the garage rock sound. The dividing line can be drawn when a sound begins to venture out of simple rock and roll structures into more complex patterns and becomes too overly produced. Listen for scuzzy, jangly guitars with psychedelic effects like reverb and delay, shouted vocals, pounding drums, and a general disregard for professionalism and you’ll be in the right place.

In the meantime, listen for Fuzzbox on U92, every Monday from 10-Midnight.

PROGRAMS WHAT’S ON-AIR AT U92?

Regular Rotation Our daily mix of fresh alternative music.

BAL Blind Alley Blues from the delta to Chicago and back again.

JZZ Jazz Everything from bigband to free improv.

BTB Beyond the Binary Celebrating LGBTQ+ & non-binary artists.

LOR Low Orbit Electronic music & live local DJ mixes.

UDR Urban Diner Hip-hop, RnB, trap, etc.

UHD Up High, Down Low Funk, Motown, neo-soul, etc.

DLP Debut LP A brand new album, all the way through.

TSM The Silver Mountain Post-rock; more mood than melody.

MSI Mountaineer Sports Insider All things WVU sports.

CSC Classical No opera hall necessary.

Attire optional.

SPG Sportspage Talking sports of all sorts.

MPP Musical Passport Travel to a different locale each week.

NRM No Remorse The most brutal metal on local airwaves.

SLS Shoeless Break through the wall of sound.

MTM Morgantown Message Community-focused news.

MTS Morgantown Sound Local music and live acts each week.

FBK Feedback Award-winning news & politics talk-show.

FBX Fuzzbox Garage and psychedelic rock, surf and rockabilly.

MIM Moose in the Morning Talking nonsense about nonsense to start your Friday.

CLP Classic LP Deep cuts from our favorites.

MTK Moose Talk Comedic, multi-format

trivia & variety show.

AFT Artist Feature Dialing in the focus on bands we love.

S92 Studio 92 Our weekly top-20 countdown.

UXP The Underexposed Avant-garde, noise, outsider music & more.

TWP Time Warp Digging through the crates of classic rock.

GRD Golden Road Jam bands, living and Dead.

RGG Reggae That riddim that rocks.

ART Alternate Routes Folk, bluegrass, country & americana.

NOL No Limits Fully freeform, four hours a week.

EGD Euphoria Garden Ambient, drone & meditative music.

Listen live on 91.7FM in Morgantown!

Stream us with the TuneIn Radio app & on the web at:

AN INTRODUCTION TO

JAZZ

BY AVERY WILLIAMSON

“Since I’ve been jazz director at U92 the question people ask me most is ‘Where do I start listening to jazz?’”

It’s always a hard question to answer, simply because jazz is such a vast and complicated genre. Jazz was born in the United States. It is a uniquely American tradition of music that has grown to an international phenomenon and has produced some of the most important cultural innovations of the 20th century. The jazz that exists represents a wide range of musical textures and instrumentations. Everything from the classic “chilling with a rum and coke” exotica jazz tune to “I want my eyes to roll back into my skull and disappear forever” spiritual jazz track. Hopefully this quick guide will serve as a nice sample into the more obscure world of jazz and better introduce you to the strange and interesting underbelly of a popular genre.

John Coltrane is often thought of as the cool king of standard jazz and ballads. Of course, we shouldn’t forget the mind behind such great works as; Bluetrane, Soultrane, My Favorite Things and a horde of other incredible albums.

But we should recognize his greatest collaboration ever with his partner Alice Coltrane, “Cosmic Music.” Cosmic music was released in 1968 after John Coltrane’s death. The first album opens without any introduction. A tenor above the fray. John comes blasting through clearly and powerfully. It is chaotic, is discordant, even painful. A beautiful way to start an album. This album is for serious listening; what it represents to me is the deeply contemplative and artistic side of jazz.

If you’re just getting into jazz it is important to ask yourself what you want out of your music. I like to feel challenged by my music but also I like to relax and just have

something nice on to read to. Bill Evans often does just that for me. Moonbeams is a 1962 album that really displays a lot of technical perfection. Jazz is known for its musical rigidity as well as its ability, as a genre, to experiment. Featuring Paul Motian on drums, this album is chill beyond chill. It’s what a whiskey being poured sounds like. Here is where we can really feel jazz show us this refined chaos it is so known for. Bill, on the piano, almost sounds as if he is playing from sheet music but it is mostly improv. This, mixed with the rigid drum accompaniment and Chuck Israels filling in on bass, really creates a beautifully packaged and refined record that is a great listen for people looking to get into the genre.

If you’re looking for absolute madness you should listen to Sonny Sharrock’s 1991 epic Ask The Ages. It was the last album he recorded before his death in 1994 and one which represents such a diversity in sound and texture within the jazz world.

With Elvin Jones carrying the mood the whole way through absolutely chaotic drums Sonny, comes in above the rest of the group with piercing and cathartic guitar work. This album will lose you quickly and then pull you back in. It will chew you up and spit you out. The first track “Promises Kept” feels like Pharoah Sanders driving a freight train through your sinuses… if you’re into that sort of thing…

I hope this brief guide to jazz can offer a sort of map to the strange and chaotic world of jazz. Jazz is so vast that it can feel hard to navigate; I understand that. My recommendation is to find personnel you truly like on an album and find their solo work. Jazz is almost structured, as a genre, around collaboration. This means that everyone is constantly churning out new and exciting records that are all playing off of each other’s art and creativity.

Of course the best place to find new jazz is every Sunday from 12-3PM on U92!

UPCOMING ALBUM RELEASES TO PUT ON YOUR RADAR

BY JOSEPH BELLAMY

Perfume Genius // No Shape

On May 5th, art-pop artist Perfume Genius is coming out with his new album, No Shape. He has released one single off the album, namely, “Slip Away.” The immediate thing to note off the new track is that it seems to have a much more optimistic and innocent tone than his work so far. This tone is far from one-dimensional as the synths and other electronics adopt a dreamy but subtly abrasive timbre. If this single is indicative of anything to come on the album, then we can expect less slow chamber instrumentations and ballads and more bubbly pop songs that maintain an alternative beat.

Mac Demarco // This Old Dog

Mac Demarco has always been associated with a certain kind of mellowness; a mellowness that’s particularly fitting for the days of summer.

The parts he has released of This Old Dog, coming out in full on May 5th, do nothing to disprove this statement, as the same folk-pop with psychedelic undertones Mac DeMarco has made a career out of are present in his two released singles, “This Old Dog” and “My Old Man.” If you liked 2, Salad Days, or Another One, there seems to be no reason not to anticipate This Old Dog.

Slowdive // Slowdive

Slowdive have been hyping a comeback album for what feels like forever and it’s making its way into the world on May 5th. It finally seems to be within horizon, as they have released two singles off their self-titled album, “Star Roving” and “Sugar for the Pill.” The two singles seem to be Slowdive’s foray into the styles of modern shoegaze, more “Everything Else Matters” and “Ujubasajuba” than “Souvlaki” and “Pygmalion.”

Wavves // You’re Welcome

Wavves’ noise-pop has been soundtracking indie summers since their debut in 2008. Now they are back with their album You’re Welcome, coming out May 19th. Wavves’ style of music has always been apt for soundtracking more fast-paced and fun summers. So if your summers seem to be along those lines, You’re Welcome will most likely be a great road trip addition.

NEW VIBES

Fleet Foxes // Crack-Up

Fleet Foxes hinted at elements of prog-folk in their song “The Shrine/ The Argument.” This album is their most long-winded track yet, possessing multiple parts, nuanced instrumentals, and myriad of climaxes. If this single is any indication of the sound of this record, then Crack-Up, coming out in June 16th, may be Fleet Foxes’ 22, A Million. Not in the sense of aesthetics but in the parallel development from humble indie folk to more mystical aspirations

At the Drive In // in•ter a•li•a

It seemed relatively safe to say that At the Drive In was a dead band. Both Sparta and the Mars Volta’s essence seemed to separate from At the Drive In’s at exponential rates as time went on. However, in spite of this, they reunited a few years ago and here we are with in•ter a•li•a, a new album slated to come out on May 5th. Their new singles, “Governed by Catagions” and “Incurably Innocent,” hold similar powers to the ones present on Relationship of Command, only governed by manic exercises as opposed to the tight song-structure of their old work. in•ter a•li•a seems to be a return to their old sound but also a reconciliation of TMV and Sparta, taking the experiences of both bands to help their return to the familiar

Sparks // Hippopotamus

It would be an understatement to say that the Sparks have had a fairly large scope over the years. They have have tackled everything from eclectic glam-rock, experimental chamber pop, and even an entire rock opera dedicated to cult Swedish film director Ingmar Bergman. For their record Hippopotamus, which is set to come out on September 8th, they seem to be condensing their sound in “Lil Beethoven” and “Hello Young Lovers” to more digestible samples.

The self-titled single has the instrumentation of a song on these two records, but is separated by virtue of its conciseness. Whether this is representative of the album as whole, we can always expect a idiosyncratic work from Sparks.

Forest Swords // Compassion (May 5th) Alex G // Rocket (May 19th) PWR BTTM // Pageant (May 19th) Jlin // Black Origami (May 19th) The Mountain Goats (May 19th) Beach Fossils // Somersault (June 2nd) Alt-J // Relaxer (June 9th)

ALUMNEYES MEMORIES FROM THE PAST

THE REFLECTIONS OF RICK SMITH

1990 was my final year at WVU; I’d been a writer, then entertainment/ features editor and summer co-editor of The Daily Athenaeum, WVU’s student newspaper, from 1987-1989, and I gave it up to concentrate on classes and also because I was burnt out from writing and editing a daily paper. But I was also friends with people like Steve Frankenberry, J.D. Lim, Brian Gessner and Chuck Woodford, all stalwarts at U92 who wrote movie and music reviews for me at the DA. Steve and Chuck in particular suggested I try my hand at the DJ life - mainly because they knew the station was looking for someone to help guide the music magazine. I was so glad I took the plunge. It ended up taking just as much of my time away from my studies… but the broadening of my creative horizons was totally worth it!

I actually helmed two issues of the magazine in 1989-1990, but the standout, by far, was the Danny Elfman cover issue in 1990. It featured amazing album reviews by some of the best writers at U92, snapshots of various programs the station offered each week, and I had the pleasure of writing the cover story myself, focused on alternative and independent music used in popular and cult films of the day. Obviously, the spotlight was on Elfman, who was in the process of transforming himself from Oingo Boingo frontman and catchy theme-

writer for Pee-Wee’s Playhouse and The Simpsons into a master Hollywood composer on films such as Batman, Midnight Run, Nightbreed and so many more. And of course today he’s permanently entrenched among the top ranks of Oscar-nominated composers, so I was delighted at our prescience in covering his early success.

Wireless is a touchstone, a keepsake, a physical reminder of the aural breadth and scope of what’s on offer from the station. Obviously it’s impossible for a student-run station to produce a music magazine on a very regular basis (oh, how we dreamed of doing a monthly back then!) but it’s a sort of annual or semiannual special edition that showcases the very best music and entertainment U92 brings to the student body at WVU. And that’s some of the very best music and entertainment to be found at any student-run radio station anywhere in the country.

I have to laugh at the relatively primitive nature of the beast back then.

I was in college from 1985-1990, back before networked computers were common, before the internet, before cell phone images and quick file-sharing, before any of the technological leaps which make desktop publishing such a snap today. Back then, we affixed ads and copy elements of the DA to each

page using a sort of beeswax glue, and in journalism classes at WVU at that time we were still taught the history of hand-laying type to build pages, the way it was done up through the early 1900s!

We were the last generation of students to do almost everything by hand with X-acto knives and halftone images and glue. Same with Wireless. We designed each issue by hand, bringing in whatever creative artists and writers we could press-gang into service, and everyone mucked in and made it happen together. I’m sure that last part is still true, and I’m sure it’s still quite the process… but the hand-built nature of the thing back in the late 1980s made for a truly one-of-a-kind experience!

I have two conflicting favorite memories: one is of the place at its busiest, midday, with students streaming in and out and sixteen different activities going on. The news team would be hammering out copy, events and sales folks would be kicking around ideas for campaigns, a half-dozen kids would be hanging out studying or just chilling, Alex would be laughing uproariously about something with Kim and Bill Pearis in his office, someone would be in the album library yelling about where to find a certain Stone Roses or Marillion album, and whoever was on the air was either getting praised or mocked for whatever “X” cut (a classic indie/alternative track from some muchbeloved, slightly older album) they’d chosen toward the end of the hour.

Glorious tumult, a welcome cacophony.

Everyone in a place they loved, doing things or just talking about things they were passionate about. To me, that’s the essence of the perfect workplace: everyone in sync, even if lost in hubbub.

My other favorite memory is the Mountainlair at 4AM on Monday morning, during my Euphoria Garden shift. Dead silence, nobody around, most of the lights out or dimmed… Just great music echoing out of the speakers and cool, peaceful silence everywhere else. To me, that’s the essence of the perfect workplace too: total contentment even in isolation, sharing a purpose even when working all alone.

The station itself also remains the clearest memory I have of any place at WVU other than my office at the Athenaeum during my years as Features Editor. I can see the TomTom Club poster amid a riot of a thousand others on the back wall of the rear office. I can remember having to pick my way through the stacks of albums and student backpacks dumped everywhere. I can remember the smell of the records, the smell of the booth.

I remember the cool, quiet feel of the secondary recording room and the way the reel-to-reel player sounded when a tape ran out. I remember the rush of turning the pot up and seeing the “On the Air” light come on, dialing down this song or that one and punching the track to launch the “Campus Calendar” bed at the top of each hour.

(Jean-Michel Jarre’s “Oxygene” still brings a smile to my face…)

FESTIVALS

PROS & CONS & DO’S & DON’TS

BY LOU RICHARDSON

As a lover of music and a great experience, I, like many, am drawn to the thrill of music festivals. They engage all your senses in a way that is unique: brilliant lights, great sounds, and delicious food. If you are a fan of music, you more than likely have heard of Coachella, Bonnaroo, Firefly, or Lollapalooza. Every year I wish with all my heart that I could drop all my responsibilities and make the trek to these big-name festivals.

However, though not as extravagant, there are alternatives! In every state, there are music festivals. Growing up in West Virginia, a state in the heart of Appalachia and rich with culture, I attended small music festivals that made summers so sweet. Music festivals, big and small, have given me the chance to experience music in a way that fully encapsulates me and enriches my love of music.

When attending a bigger music festival, you can see artists that are making waves in the music industry. In the past, Coachella’s lineup has consisted of Arcade Fire, LCD Soundsystem, Beyoncé, Drake, and OutKasT, and that is only the headliners. This year, Bonnaroo will feature U2, The Weeknd, Chance the Rapper, amongst others. For larger festivals, the prices run high. Three day tickets range from $200 to $600 and that is not including lodging and camping prices. Tack on gas money or plane tickets, you’d easily be spending anywhere between $1,000 to $2,000. If you’re like me (a broke college student) that money can go towards a lot of things.

If you can afford it, by all means, go and enjoy the experience. I have attended Pitchfork, Bunbury, and Landmark Music Festival; all big festivals, each uniquely different. Through big music festivals, I have been able to see musicians I would otherwise not been able to see. If you’re unable to afford big festivals, though, do not fret! There are festivals everywhere you look. West Virginia alone has enough to fill your entire summer. In Elkins, there is the Augusta Heritage Festival. This festival brings the heritage of West Virginia to life through banjos, guitars, square dancing, arts and crafts, and, of course, food!

In my hometown of Charleston, West Virginia, there is a summer long festival called FestivALL. Reaching every inch of the town, this festival takes Charleston by storm. Music fills the air, stories are shared, culture is learned, and smiles are spread across every face. FestivALL is a homely experience that makes you feel like you are where you are meant to be. Furthermore, by going to smaller local festivals, you are supporting small businesses that keep small towns turning.

I love music. Music is what wakes me up in the morning and puts me to sleep at night. I want to experience music in every possible way, whether it be in my room alone listening through headphones or at an amphitheater surrounded by thousands. If you love music, I encourage you to attend a music festival at some point in your life. Hearing live music outdoors is indescribable. Large music festivals surely have their benefits, but ultimately, I prefer small festivals to big ones. I love being surrounded by kind people who share my heritage and love of bluegrass.

“Furthermore, support local! Always!

Going to local music festivals is a great way to do this. This summer, I encourage you to attend a local music festival. I assure you that’s how I’ll be spending my summer...”

NEWS

CLAIRE HEMME

TAKES ON WASHINGTON D.C.

Not many people get the privilege of representing an organization as wonderful as U92.

Fortunately, I was given that chance.

My stomach dropped the minute I was offered the chance to go to Washington D.C. to represent U92 for the 2017 inauguration. I had heard of the trip but until this moment the spot was filled by someone else. I wondered if I was ready or capable, but that was quickly chased out of my mind with the excitement. It took seconds for me to take the opportunity.

Initially I was scared. Skipping class to spend the weekend in a place I had never been with people I had never met is not something I do often.

Then I thought about why I was going.

I thought about the fact that out of everyone on the staff, they asked me to go and represent our news department.

After acknowledging this, I never

questioned my qualification again.

The group I was placed with from the local newspaper were a dream to travel with. They were experienced and just as eager as I was to get right on top of the upcoming stories. We all took in the city and emerged ourselves in the atmosphere immediately.

We started the weekend with a press conference with Shelly Moore Capito. The room was filled with anxious patriots waiting for news, or encouragement for the following election. She spoke eloquently and was pleased to see the college so involved with politics. This was one of the best interviews we captured because everyone in the room was just as interested in the upcoming events as we were.

The first event more than prepared us for the inauguration or so we thought. We got

up bright and early the next morning to get right down to business. We walked from our comfortable AirBNB all the way to the city center where the day’s events would take place.

The day was gray and bleak, but the streets were still buzzing with a patriotic hum. We walked for miles before finding the area where we could finally get some interviews.

Unfortunately, the massive crowds were not exactly conducive to interviews.

The basic purpose of our whole trip was now resting on the compliance of exhausted, cold, and irritated civilians.

Reaching the general admission area was harder than expected, and led to less than satisfactory interviews. The inauguration was short, but still left a lot of emotion on the table. People stared with a mixture of grave, blank, content, or triumphant expressions as our new president took his oath.

After hours upon hours of walking aimlessly around the capital mall, which was lined with military grade blockades, we finally made it back to our AirBNB. It was nearly eleven o’clock at night. As I went through the audio I had gotten throughout the day I noticed that there was nothing grabbing, compelling, or frankly interesting at all about it. I stared at my computer, feeling at a total loss, and as if I had failed the station.

The next morning, we again woke up before the sun rose to join the community in their weekend events.

Today was the Women’s March. As the group and I made our way through the subway we began to notice more and more people crowding onto the trains. Pink cat-eared hats and signs

with powerful slogans filled every inch of the metro. For the first time since we had arrived, we had all regained our confidence as journalists.

I began by interviewing the women who were gathering as representatives from West Virginia.

From the very first interview I could tell today was going to be a success. All at once I was redeemed from the failure of the previous day by the mercy of the women at the march. Everyone we spoke with was passionate. They all not only wanted, but needed their voices to be heard.

Covering the Women’s March was one of the best journalistic experiences I have ever had. I felt that I was really making a difference, and helping the voice of the people be heard. Not many understand how important it is to talk to people. We learn so much just by being around others and hearing what they have to say.

It was an honor and a privilege to go to Washington D.C. With this opportunity, I became a part of history. Not only for U92, but for America.

A RECAP FROM BASKETBALL SEASON AND A LOOK FORWARD INTO...

For the sports staff at U92, this spring has already been one of the biggest at the station, with the potential to get even bigger. U92 sports started making noise over spring break down in Oklahoma City where our own Jay Blackwell and Isaac Ferebee took the trip from Morgantown, WV to Oklahoma to cover the West Virginia Womens Basketball team in the Big 12 tournament.

Things got off to a good start when the two were able to secure a connect courtside to bring the first game of the tournament as the six seed mountaineers took on the Oklahoma

Sooners, and would then take down Texas to set up a date with the Baylor Bears, one of the best teams in the country for the Big 12 championship.

In this time Jay and Isaac caught the attention of head coach Mike Carey, who noticed that we were the only college radio station covering the tournament, and one of the few organizations that made the trip from Morgantown. The Mountaineers would end up pulling off the upset, and taking home the Big 12 championship as the six seed, giving Jay and Isaac the championship call.

Now the sports staff turn their

BASEBALL

BY ANDREW WALKER

attention to Mountaineers baseball, where the team looks to qualify for the college world series for the first time since 1996. All home games will be broadcasted on U92, along with road trips to Pittsburgh, Charleston, and College Park for the first road baseball games broadcasted in a number of years on U92. Last year Joel Norman and Ryan Decker got the make the trip to Oklahoma City, where the Mountaineers feel to TCU in the championship game.

Once again the Big 12 baseball tournament will be broadcast right here on U92, as the Mountaineers look to take home their first ever Big 12 baseball title. In addition to baseball season the sports staff put together its first remote broadcast in a number of years, on April 27th, the day of the NFL draft, to talk about and bring attention to the players leaving the WVU football team and heading off to the NFL. This summer the sports staff will be covering the remainder of the home baseball schedule, all games that the Mountaineers play

in the Big 12 tournament. If the Mountaineers reach their goal of qualifying for the college world series, depending on location, those games could be broadcasted on U92.

Continuing this spring has been the sportspage, our weekly sports talk show on U92. Every Wednesday from 7-10PM our sports staff will be talking about the hottest topics in sports, what’s going on in Mountaineer sports, and anything else sports related that is relevant. We’ll also looking to be adding in guest appearances from members of the WVU athletic department, to bring in a different perspective from our usual one. Finally come the fall we will continue our coverage of WVU hockey, and we’ll have more details on that in an upcoming issue.

“We look forward to continuing to provide quality coverage of WVU sports.”

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

MAY 5TH // 6:30 PM // VS. TEXAS TECH MAY 6TH // 4 PM // VS. TEXAS TECH MAY 7TH // 1 PM // VS. TEXAS TECH MAY 9TH // 6:30 PM // VS. PENN STATE MAY 12TH // 6:30 PM // VS. GARDNER-WEBB MAY 13TH // 4 PM // VS. GARDNER-WEBB MAY 14TH// 1 PM // VS. GARDNER-WEBB MAY 16TH // 6:30 PM // VS. PITT MAY 24TH THRU MAY 28TH // TBA // BIG 12 TOURNAMENT

MIXTAPE

FIDLAR // BAD HABITS THE BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE // SERVO BEACH HOUSE // LAZULI STEREOLAB // LO BOOB OSCILLATOR JOE STRUMMER & THE MESCALEROS // GET DOWN MOSES JAMIE XX // OBVS PALEHOUND // CINNAMON DINERS // GOOD ZONE ANIMAL COLLECTIVE // SUMMERTIME CLOTHES DEERHUNTER // AGORAPHOBIA ANDREW BIRD // FAKE PALINDROMES CAR SEAT HEADREST // SOBER TO DEATH DIRE STRAITS // TUNNEL OF LOVE

SCAN THE QR CODE FOR OUR SUMMER 2017 PLAYLIST.

...ENTIRE PLAYLIST ON SPOTIFY // WWVU