(insert title here) - Volume 2 Issue 1 - Staff Spotlight

Name 5 artists who are up-and-coming or who are underappreciated.

The 90 Day Men, Modey Lemon, Mojave 3, Sonic Youth, and Yo la Tengo. There are a lot of underappreciated artists out there. I think that Sonic Youth needs to get more recognition for the kind of music that they do. I realize that they are somewhat known in the music industry, yet I don't think that they are as highly regarded as they should be. Due to today's conventional musical tastes, I don't know if Sonic Youth will ever get the recognition that is due them. As to "up-and-coming" -- Most of the bands that I have listed are pretty indie, so they might not really break, unless it is in a limited sense. I just hope that they continue to make music and do shows, bringing their style to the people.

Last concert you went to?

The Grand Buffet - Modey Lemon - Zambonis show at Cecelie's. Amazing show. The Grand Buffet are so much fun. They did a lot of freestyling and in general put on a good show. Lord Grunge and the other guy (ask PhiLL for his name???) were hysterical. The Modey Lemon have really good energy. I wasn't here last semester to see them perform, and am sorry that I missed it. The lead singer Phil has real presence, he is a rockstar. You could tell that they were really into the music that they were making and sharing with the audience. I liked them so much that I might go see them play in NYC during winter break. The Zambonis were good, but they peaked too early. The audience really wanted to hear "Hockey Monkey" - and they started with that song. Otherwise, it was a good show.

Where are you from?

I am from Monticello, New York, a small town in the middle of nowhere. 2.5 hours from Colgate, 2.5 hours from NYC, a town that is not quite as small as Hamilton, but not very exciting, either.

What's the best concert you've ever been to?

The best concert I have ever been to was the Björk show at Radio City Music Hall, NYC. She performed with a full orchestra, a full choir from Greenland, and Matmos backing her up electronically. It was transcendent. One of the best experiences of my entire life. No, I am not kidding.

What's the best part about being a dj?

The best part about being a dj is getting exposed to new music that I probably wouldn't encounter otherwise (unless I was an avid listener of 'Rcu). I like getting to hear new bands, and skim through the cds -- so that I get the sense of the band and the album, rather than just the isolated song. I have gotten into VUE, Death Cab for Cutie, Mojave 3, and The 90 Day Men this way. It is a lot of fun to do a show and share your musical tastes with the people.

If your show had a slogan what would it be?

Being and Nothingness. Nah, I dunno. My show is called "Parallelogram." I guess my show's slogan would be "Peaks and Valleys" because I go from punk rock to indie rock to jazz to really mellow tunes. But I don't support having a slogan. Makes me feel too political.

What do you think about the current state of WRCU?

I think that we have a lot of really good djs who love the station, but that there are a few people who perhaps aren't as 'RCU oriented as others. I think that we need to build a community of djs who want to hang out at the station and get involved in doing things other than just their shows. In the past couple of weeks we have had some problems with djs not showing up to do their time slots -- which is unacceptable. We need to create a station that all the djs care about and want to make the best that it can be.

What's it like being on the Board?

Being on the Board is a good experience. I have been a board member since my sophomore year (as publicity director), and this year, I have become the General Manager. Overall, I would say that the Board is a positive thing. If you are dedicated to making a better 'RCU, making effective changes, or preserving what is good about the station now -- you should apply to be a board member. Sometimes in the past, it has been a disheartening experience, in that sometimes there is poor attendance at the meetings, etc...but if you are really dedicated to building a better 'RCU, you have to work with the people who share the same vision, who want to do all they can to help the station. We need more good people to add to the team! Much props to PhiLL Ramey and Matt Hotham this semester. I think they should share this "BOARD MEMBER SPOTLIGHT" as much as I do.

What is your role on the Board and what are your responsibilities?

I am the General Manager. Basically, I run the meetings, maintain a good relationship with Student Activities, and run some of the programs that RCU does (i.e. I got the station to do BMI Logging, so that artists could get their royalties, etc). I do a lot of behind the scenes stuff. I get calls from all different kinds of people, and help them out with the station when I can. It isn't a definitive thing. We all work together on the Board to make WRCU what it is.

Can you comment on how diverse interests in music are satisfied with WRCU programming?

WRCU has a lot of different programming -- anything from indie pop to jazz to Latin to hip hop to reggae, to salsa, and even the occasional talk show. WRCU is keepin it real on a lot of different musical fronts. Nuff said.

How does WRCU compare to other college radio stations?

WRCU has a great radio station. Usually, due to proximity, we get compared to Hamilton College, and we outshine them everyday of the week and then some. We have a pretty strong signal, at 1000 watts, and we are even available to listen to online -- so we reach a lot more people. Also, due to the dedication of some of the djs, producers, and board members, WRCU is a really special place; one of the best things about Colgate in my opinion.

What goals do you have for the station in the spring?

We might be moving to have fewer djs, who do longer slots so that everyone who we have are dependable people who will be there when necessary. Also, I want to build the community of 'RCU - djs and producers and board members who care about the station and want to hang out there or other places togther even when they are not doing a show. I want to get people more involved if at all possible. These are just a few of the things on my mind about how I would like to improve the station in the spring...there are many others.

Fin.

Staff Spotlight:

General Manager Erin Bradfield