Program Director Charlie Kusiel King programming@wkcr.org
Director of Operations
Hadassah Weinmartin operations@wkcr.org
Student Life Director CJ Gamble studentlife@wkcr.org
Publicity Director
June Frankel publicity@wkcr.org
Business Manager
Sara Carson business@wkcr.org
Department Directors
Jazz
Emma Lacy & Stella Manyan jazz@wkcr.org
New Music
Isadora Evers newmusic@wkcr.org
Classical
Isabel Norman classical@wkcr.org
American
Ben Rothman & Landon Pottebaum american@wkcr.org
In All Languages
Ethan Thacker ial@wkcr.org
Latin Merielen Espino latin@wkcr.org
News & Arts
Natalie Lahr news@wkcr.org
Sports Mason Lau sports@wkcr.org
Dear Listeners,
Happy May! My name is Sara, and it is a pleasure to formally introduce myself as WKCR’s Business Manager. If you have been tuned in this month, you have likely heard my voice over the airwaves repeatedly—and somewhat tediously—asking for donations. I am delighted to announce that our bi-annual fundraiser was a swimming success! Thank you very much to everyone who contributed, tuned in, volunteered to answer phones, and programmed on air. All of you have helped to ensure that the station will thrive for another year, and hopefully many more. The future is promising for WKCR.
Speaking of promising, we have lots of special broadcasts to look forward to this month. Please read on to learn more from our wonderful program director, Charlie Kusiel King. Also in this issue of the On Air Guide is a beautiful piece from Emma Lacy and Hadassah Weinmartin about Miles Davis in light of his upcoming centennial, a senior interview with the amazing Jude Fairchild, a concert review at the Roulette from, once again, Charlie Kusiel King, and a record store review from the great, and heavily On-Air featured, Jack Serpick. Great things to come.
Stay tuned, Sara Carson
Business Manager
A Brief History of WKCR Birthday Broadcasts and Miles Davis
by Emma Lacy and Hadassah Weinmartin
This month marks the centennial of jazz trumpeter, composer, and pioneer Miles Davis. Accordingly, WKCR will dedicate three days of programming, starting May 26th and ending May 28th, to Miles’s music—only the second time we have ever honored Miles’s birthday in the 85-year history of WKCR since the 125-hour Miles Davis Festival in 1979.
Many rumors surround the enigmatic WKCR Miles Davis Birthday Broadcast. Actually, nothing but rumors surround it; there is no clearcut answer to KCR’s aversion to a regular Miles celebration. One theory has to do with the KCR legend himself: Phil Schapp. Word on the street is that while Miles never paid a visit to our station, Phil opposed a broadcast in his honor after Miles called into the listener line and expressed his distaste for what was playing on-air with the help of some
expletive language. Allegedly, he’s been written off ever since.
Monday, July 2, 1979 New York Times
Another tamer theory has to do with the history of our 24-hour birthday broadcasts. At the inception of such celebrations in the 1970s, the board of WKCR directors at the time authored a constitution declaring that the station would designate a total of twelve 24hour birthday broadcasts to giants of the jazz idiom. Much debate followed and yielded the original list of: Max Roach, Roy Eldridge, Ornette Coleman, Bix Beiderbecke, Billie Holliday, Charles Mingus, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong (4th of July), Lester YoungerCharlie Parker (counted as a single, 3-day broadcast for these saxophone giants with their birthdays separated by a single day), Thelonious Monk, Clifford Brown, and Coleman Hawkins. Objectively, this list is missing names, for the
heroes of the jazz idiom cannot fit into a mere twelve slots. Alas, that is what the schedule allowed back then, and the decisions of who deserved a slot were not made lightly or easily. Cutthroat deliberation between board members of various specific interests within jazz music–as well as brownie points given to those who fostered a relationship with the station, such as Max Roach, Charles Mingus, and Dizzy Gillespie–gave us the original birthday broadcast list with no Miles.
Per this cautionary tale, Miles’s exclusion from the original twelve was nothing personal. His fellow 1926 legend, John Coltrane, also didn’t make the list due to the personal tastes of the board and personal connections of the chosen few (although Trane was added in the 1980s). As time has passed and the rules surrounding birthday broadcasts have loosened, these mixed rumors and annual turnover of the board of directors have coincided to keep Miles off the list. His long-awaited centennial celebration at WKCR is a lot less nuanced than one may think; this current board of directors has a respect for Miles’s contribution to jazz music and a reckoning with the rumors that have brought us to the scheduled threeday celebration–timely and exciting nevertheless. Whether we will keep up with the Miles Davis birthday broadcasts into his 101st year is to be determined. As always, we appreciate listener feedback on our selection of birthday broadcasts, which can be emailed to jazz@wkcr.org. Long live WKCR, and Happy Miles Davis Centennial to all who celebrate!
Emma Lacy is a Jazz Director, and Hadassah Weinmartin is Director of Operations at WKCR. They switch off as regular hosts of Out to Lunch every Friday from 12-3 pm.
Tune in to the Miles Davis Cententennial Birthday Broadcast from May 26th through May 28th.
MEET A MEMBER
An Interview with Jude Fairchild:
Grant Paris: Who am I sitting here with?
Jude Fairchild: Hi, it’s Jude Fairchild.
Grant Paris: My name is Grant Paris for those listening. Jude, what originally got you into WKCR?
Jude Fairchild: Good question. It was actually my roommate last year, his name is Dylan Farley. I sat in on his radio show.
Grant Paris: Oh, I’ve heard of this one. Jude Fairchild: He was interviewing an artist named LIFEOFTHOM, and I just happened to pop in, and I asked him a question about a tattoo he had, and then we had a little back and forth about that. And from there, I was like, this is cool. This place is cool.
Grant Paris: When was your first experience hosting on WKCR?
Jude Fairchild: So I got licensed this year, the beginning of my senior year, early September. And that first experience on the radio, I know I messed up like three or four times. There was dead air for a minute. I apologize to the listeners. And the show that I started with was Notes From Underground, which is the same show I still host with you, Grant, and Emet Vitale Penniman.
Grant Paris: Just let me ask you what that is. You speak of this Notes From Underground. What is NFU?
by Grant Paris
Jude Fairchild: Notes From Underground is not related to the book in any way, shape, or form. What we do is interview underground hip-hop and R&B artists every single week. At our show, which is 12:30 to 2:00 AM, on Saturday night/ Sunday morning on WKCR. I think our show fits in really well with WKCR as a whole. WKCR is known as “The Alternative,” because it offers programming differing from the mainstream. I think our show fits because we platform emerging artists. NFU interviews are always a fun time.
Grant Paris: Interesting. And what’s your favorite memory here at WKCR?
Jude Fairchild: My favorite memory. My favorite memory from WKCR has got to be when we had the hip-hop festival last semester. All of the hip-hop programmers from shows across the station all met up. We collaborated to bring together interviews, freestyles, and just a night celebrating hip-hop. And I had a blast. I would love to see y’all do that again.
Grant Paris: Okay, what are your plans after graduation?
Jude Fairchild: Yeah, so I graduate in about a month. I’m doing Teach for America. I’m actually gonna be teaching middle school math in Brooklyn. And I’m excited about it, man. I’ll still be in New York, still tapped in here.
Feel free to stay connected with me on Instagram @jude.fairchild.
Illustration by David Micheal Kramer and Ella Werstler
NEW MUSIC
Review: Two Concerts at Roulette Intermedium
by Charlie Kusiel King
The String Orchestra of Brooklyn: String Theories 2026
String Theories, an annual performance by the String Orchestra of Brooklyn featuring the work of 20th and 21st century composers, returned to Roulette on Tuesday, March 31. This year’s program focused on music written in the past twenty years, with the exception of Krzysztof Penderecki’s Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima, composed in 1961. With Penderecki’s Threnody, the String Orchestra of Brooklyn wasted no time throwing the audience into the charged concert which was to follow. Roulette’s intimate auditorium, from the harsh opening of the work, was transformed into a jarring soundscape of extended string technique. Atlantic Avenue just outside, the Schermerhorn Street subway station from which I had emerged some twenty minutes earlier, and my apartment in Manhattan all suddenly seemed very distant. The orchestra was not only centered onstage for the Penderecki, but spread in sections around the perimeters of the space, taking on a particularly panoramic, all-encompassing quality which effectively implicated the audience in the intensity of the work and its subject. Eli Spindel, the artistic director of the String Orchestra of Brooklyn, became something of a beacon at the front of the stage around which the whole room was closely attached, maintaining clarity in the provocative dissonance for both musician and listener. Being present for, indeed in the middle of, Penderecki’s Threnody was not unlike becoming a fly caught in a spiderweb in the best way. Before taking my seat at Roulette, I had
never known Jonny Greenwood, the guitarist of Radiohead fame, to be a composer of music for string orchestra. His Popcorn Superhet Receiver, composed in 2005 and revised in 2015, was a necessary and tasteful reprieve to follow Penderecki. The work, writes Greenwood, is “colored by [his] childhood.” In his notes for Faber Music, he recalls long car trips with his family; the drone of the engine, paired with the cassettes of both reality and his imagination, together form the inspiration for Popcorn. Although these first pieces were filled with poignancies and surprises, the second half of the program was what I had made my way to Brooklyn for. Sarah Hennies’ 2021 composition Falling Together, written for 32-player string ensemble, was full of a real, childlike wonder which—despite featuring a high number of individual parts—unified the orchestra in a manner palpable to its captivated audience. Spindel, again, was tasked with leading the ensemble in a highly complex piece of music, demanding great attention to detail to ensure the delicate balance of Hennies’ work was not thrown off. And again, the orchestra, under his direction, made it appear effortless. Elegant solos from a host of members also served to prove the aptitude of the ensemble not only on a holistic level, but that the String Orchestra of Brooklyn is comprised of skilled musicians from the front to the back of each section.
Last was Brendon Randall-Myers’ Aveilut II, a work originally written for Aveilut, the 2022 album of Scarcity, a band of which the composer is a member. Opening in an expansive, almost cinematic, landscape, Aveilut II was no exception to the program in that every work brought to life something
totally unique from the string orchestra–but this was not recognized as being the case until Doug Moore, the vocalist of Scarcity who was placed in the middle of the stage, began to sing. For those who did not know that Scarcity is an extreme metal band, they soon found out. As Moore’s voice poured over the String Orchestra of Brooklyn like molten iron, listeners in the audience looked at each other with wide eyes, mouthing expressions of total shock. The ensemble with Spindel, quick to react to the entrance of the artful scream-singer, did not fall behind. “The orchestra really took the time to figure the piece out and match the energy of the vocal part,” Randall-Myers told me by phone. “I hadn’t worked with an orchestra since 2015, and it felt very special to do so again.” RandallMyers, the writer of all of Scarcity’s music, has been experimenting with taking the band in a more string-driven direction for some time, and for him, having the opportunity to arrange Aveilut II for a full string orchestra was a fruitful experience. (Coincidentially, I also saw Scarcity in concert with the Bergamot String Quartet in December–an equally delightful performance.) “Roulette has been presenting my work for a decade,” said Randall-Myers, “and it’s always a great experience working there. I like their space a lot and everyone who works there does an incredible job helping make the music happen.”
On the way out after String Theories, I grabbed a brochure detailing the next month of programming at Roulette: a bright pink newspaper-style foldout which is now pinned up on my closet door. Calculations of how I could fit a regular trip to Downtown Brooklyn ensued as I read about their soonupcoming concerts, especially for a particular presentation on April 16.
Right in the middle of his 30th Anniversary Live at Liquid Room tour, DJ legend and electronic music extraordinaire Jeff Mills stopped at Roulette for a performance of his live score for Fritz Lang’s 1927 masterpiece
Metropolis.
I, for one, had little idea of what to expect, beyond the fact that I have an overwhelming trust in both Roulette’s programming and Mills’ artistic vision. Low and behold, it became, without a doubt, the greatest moviegoing experience of my life.
Roulette, which has a seating capacity of around 500, is far smaller than many of the venues at which Mills might regularly spin for raves during the late hours of the night. Shortly after 8pm, the lights in the auditorium were lowered: first, silence overtook the audience, then with the appearance of Mills on stage, applause far out of proportion for the intimate size of the space. He gave a swift bow, and then it was immediately to work. Mills’ performance, from the time he entered until the end, was defined by a discernible and genuine humility–a clear desire to put the art first.
Mills’ live score, which ranged in electronic style from ambient to acid, showed little hesitation or exhaustion. For the entire 2.5 hour long runtime, Mills performed with unrelenting intentionality, even removing his jacket midway through the athletic feat which was his music for the film.
Indeed, Mills created an impressive score capable of profound experience, exercising his ability as a musician beyond mixing dance music. When the show was over, the audience could not help but emerge onto Atlantic Avenue with a refreshed view of the city which lay before them.
If the programming at Roulette continues to be of the same caliber as the two concerts I attended this month (which it looks like it will), I will certainly find myself back again soon. More information on Roulette’s upcoming concerts can be found at roulette. org.
Jeff Mills’ Cinemix of Metropolis Metropolis
Sin Fronteras
Jazz Alternatives
Nueva Canción
Som do
Special Broadcasts
SPECIAL BROADCASTS
Pete Seeger Birthday Broadcast
Sunday, May 3, 10:00am-10:00pm
Join us for 12 hours for our first of two May Birthday Broadcasts from the American Department, celebrating Pete Seeger (19192014). An icon of American folk music, Seeger popularized classics such as “This Land is Your Land,” and became a symbol of protest music for civil and labor rights in the mid twentieth century.
Ron Carter Birthday Broadcast
Monday, May 4, all day
The most-recorded bassist in jazz history, this year we celebrate the 89th birthday of Ron Carter (born 1937). A member of the Miles Davis Quintet, Carter has collaborated with the most legendary jazz musicians of all time, continues to maintain a longstanding and highly successful solo career, and is a friend of WKCR. Expect to hear pieces pulled from our archive during this special broadcast!
Johannes Brahms & Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Birthday Broadcast
Thursday, May 7, all day
Two leading composers of the Romantic era, Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) shared a birthday! The pair met on several occasions in the 1880s, forming an amicable friendship and (slowly) gaining admiration for each other’s work. In typical WKCR fashion, listeners can expect to hear the more “alternative” work of these two classical masters.
Keith Jarrett Birthday Broadcast
Friday, May 8, 9:30AM-9:00PM
Impossible to reduce to one genre, pianist and composer Keith Jarrett (born 1945) embodies the flexibility of music more than nearly anybody. His iconic Köln Concert recording is the bestselling piano album of all time, and is one of dozens released by ECM Records featuring his musicianship. Join as we celebrate Jarrett during our regular classical, jazz, and new music programming.
Sun Ra Arrival Day Broadcast
Friday, May 22, all day
WKCR returns with another special broadcast celebrating the arrival of Sun Ra (1914-1993) to Earth from outer space. Born on Saturn, Sun Ra pushed the boundaries of jazz, soul, and electronic music during the twentieth century.
Bob Dylan Birthday Broadcast
Saturday, May 23, 2:00-6:00PM & Sunday, April 24, 8:00AM-2:00PM
Another icon of American folk and protest music, Bob Dylan (born 1941) this year turns 85 years old. Winner of the 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature, join us as we celebrate Dylan throughout the 5/23-24 weekend.
Miles Davis Centennial Birthday Broadcast
Tuesday, May 26 - Thursday, May 28
On the 100th anniversary of his birth, and for two days following, we celebrate the life and work of trumpeter Miles Davis (1926-1991). A mythic figure in jazz and historied character at WKCR, we are proud to bring listeners the first substantial Davis celebration on our airwaves in many years. According to legend, our 1979 Davis Festival, which took place in 1979, included many calls from Davis himself, who objected to WKCR’s coverage.
Show Listings
THEMED SHOWS
SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE OPERA
Saturdays 9:00 PM - 12:30 AM
SUNDAY PROFILES
Sundays 2:00-7:00 PM
JAZZ
Daybreak Express, Mon.-Fri. 5-8:20am
Out to Lunch, Mon./Tues./Thurs./Fri. 12-3pm
Jazz Alternatives, Mon.-Fri. 6-9pm
The core of our jazz offerings, these three programs span the entire range of recorded jazz: everything from New Orleans jazz, jazz age, swing era, bebop, hardbop, modal, free, and avant-garde. Hosts rotate daily, offering an exciting variety of approaches, some of which include thematic presentation, artist interviews, or artist profiles. On the first Wednesday of every month, Jazz Alternatives becomes “The Musician’s Show” and is hosted by a professional working musician.
Birdflight, Tues.-Thurs. 8:20-9:30am
Archival programs from the late Phil Schaap, one of the world’s leading jazz historians, producers, and an NEA Jazz Master, who hosted this daily forum on the music of Charlie Parker for about 40 years.
Now's The Time*, Fri. 8:20-9:30am
The newest show from WKCR Jazz is dedicated to jazz as a living art form and features the music of young, upand-coming musicians pushing the genre forward.
Traditions in Swing, Sat. 6-9pm
Archival programs from the late Phil Schaap. This awardwinning Saturday night staple presents focused thematic programs on jazz until World War II. Schaap presents the music, much of it incredibly rare, from the best sound source—often the original 78 issue.
Phil Lives*, Mon. 3-5am
Selections of archival programs from late Phil Schaap. This show features interviews, tributes, and portions of longform programs.
Jazz ‘til Dawn, Sun. 4-6 AM
An early Sunday morning jazz program, limitless in era and style.
CLASSICAL
Cereal Music, Mon.-Thurs. 9:30am-12pm
An entirely open-ended classical show to start your weekdays.
The Early Music Show, Fri. 9:30am-12pm
Dedicated primarily to European medieval, Renaissance, and baroque music before c. 1800.
Extended Technique*, Wed. & Thurs. 3-6pm
WKCR’s first interdepartmental show (in the New Music and Classical departments) dedicated to contemporary classical music. Under the direction of the New Music and Classical departments, this program is dedicated to experimental classical music.
Afternoon Classical, Fri. 3-6pm.
Two hours of unrestricted classical music selections followed by one hour dedicated entirely to the music of J.S. Bach.
Saturday Night at the Opera, Sat. 9pm-12:30am.
One of NYC’s longest running opera shows, Saturday Night at the Opera features one opera in its entirety, with time for history and commentary, each week.
NEW MUSIC
Afternoon New Music, Mon. & Tues. 3-6pm
Our daytime new music program features a wide variety of music that challenges boundaries and subverts categorizations. Shows include everything from seminal new music compositions to the most challenging of obscure deep cuts and new releases.
Transfigured Night, Tues./Thurs. 1-5am and Sat. 2-6am
Our overnight explorations into the world of new music, Transfigured Night rewards our late night listeners with a wide range of sounds and experimental music.
Workaround*, Fri. 9-10pm
WKCR presents live sets from local professional and student DJs.
Live Constructions, Sun. 10-11pm
This weekly program features a live in-studio performance or a previous performance recorded at WKCR.
* Indicates show was created after January 2022
LISTINGS FOR LISTENERS
Honky Tonkin’, Tues. 10-11pm
One of WKCR’s longest-running American music programs, Honky Tonkin’ focuses on country music from the 1930s through the 1950s.
Tuesday’s Just as Bad, Tues. 11:30pm - Wed. 1am
For the first hour, Tuesday’s Just as Bad explores the world of blues prior to World War II. In the final half hour, hosts turn to the post-war years.
Night Train, Wed. 1-5am
All aboard! One of two overnight programs in the American Department, Night Train rolls through the post-war R&B and soul tradition, from the genre’s emergence in the 1940s and ‘50s through the funk revolution in the ‘70s. Shows often feature extended live recordings and concerts.
Offbeat, Fri. 1-5am
Offbeat exposes undiscovered, underplayed, or up-andcoming new hip hop artists, including experimental instrumental artists not typically played on mainstream hip hop radio.
Across 110th Street, Sat. 12-2pm
Across 110th Street airs soul, funk, and dance music from the 1960s through the ‘80s and ‘90s.
Something Inside of Me, Sat. 2-4pm
WKCR’s Saturday afternoon blues show, Something Inside of Me focuses on electric and post-war styles.
Hobo’s Lullaby, Sat. 4-6pm
Rooted in the folk revival of the 1950s and ‘60s, Hobo’s Lullaby airs American folk and traditional music styles from the early 20th century through the present day. Shows feature old staples like Leadbelly, Elizabeth Cotton, and Woody Guthrie through contemporary stalwarts like the Carolina Chocolate Drops.
Notes from the Underground, Sun. 12:30-2am
Notes from the Underground showcases contemporary hip hop and rap music with an emphasis on emerging and experimental artists. The program also hosts local and visiting artists for interviews, freestyles, and guest curation.
Amazing Grace, Sun. 8-10am
Greeting listeners on Sunday morning, Amazing Grace shares the African-American gospel tradition.
The Moonshine Show, Sun. 10am-12pm
On the air for nearly 60 years, The Moonshine Show showcases the American Bluegrass tradition, from the earliest roots in vernacular string-band music, the genre’s pioneers in the 1940s and 50s and advancements in the 60s and 70s, through the leading innovators of today.
The Tennessee Border Show, Sun. 12-2pm
The Tennessee Border Show highlights the singersongwriter tradition, from Hank Williams and Townes Van Zandt to Lucinda Williams.
LATIN
Caribe Latino, Mon. 10pm-12am
Caribe Latino features the diverse, upbeat music from Latin communities in the Caribbean. Popular Latin rhythms such as Salsa, Merengue, Bachata and Latin Jazz take center stage throughout the program.
Urbano Latinx, Tues. 12-1am
From salsa and merengue to Latin punk rock, Urbano Latinx airs contemporary sounds from Latin America, the Caribbean, and the diaspora.
Sin Fronteras*, Wed. 12-3pm
Occupying the time slot of Out to Lunch on Wednesday afternoons, Sin Fronteras explores the tremendous and growing tradition of Latin Jazz.
Nueva Canción, Wed. 10-11pm
Nueva Canción explores protest music created throughout Latin America during the 1960s and ‘70s, on its own and in the context of protest music from other countries and during time periods.
Som do Brasil, Wed. 11pm - Thurs. 1am
From samba and bossa nova to MPB, Som do Brazil features the enchanting sounds and rhythms of Brazil.
Sonidos Colombianos, Fri. 10-11pm
Sonidos Colombianos presents music from Colombia. The bilingual musical tour includes not only cumbia, but also the guitar-based bambuco from the Andean region, the harp llanero music from the Eastern Plains, the marimba-infused currulao from the Pacific Region, and the accordion-driven vallenato of the North Atlantic Coast.
* indicates show was created after January 2022
LISTINGS FOR LISTENERS
The Mambo Machine, Fri. 11pm - Sat. 2am
The Mambo Machine is the longest running salsa show in New York City. The program plays a wide spectrum of Afro-Latin rhythms perfect for dancing.
El Sonido de la Calle*, Sun. 2-4am
The Latin companion to Sunday morning’s Notes from Underground, El Sonido de la Calle highlights the diverse world of contemporary Spanish-language hip hop and dance music.
IN ALL LANGUAGES
The Celtic Show, Mon. 12-1am
Music from across the island of Ireland throughout the era of recorded music, particularly focusing on traditional folk and vernacular music forms.
Coordinated Universal Time, Mon. 1-3am
Coordinated Universal Time brings listeners the latest cut of music from across the globe, especially highlighting music that does not get attention in America.
The African Show, Thurs. 10pm-12am
The longest running African music radio show in the United States, The African Show brings listeners a variety of music from the entire continent of Africwa.
Middle Eastern Influences, Fri. 12-1am
Middle Eastern Influences features selections from the Middle East and North Africa, with particular attention on traditional forms.
Sounds of Asia and Couleurs Antillaises, Sat. 6-8am
Previously Sounds of China, Sounds of Asia explores the recorded musical traditions and innovations of Asia and the Pacific Islands. Couleurs Antillaises features music from Haiti and the French-speaking Carribean. These shows alternate in the Saturday morning timeslot so each airs every two weeks.
Eastern Standard Time, Sat. 8am-12pm
One of New York’s most popular Reggae programs, Eastern Standard Time captures listeners with the hypnotic sounds of Reggae and Jamaican dance music.
Field Trip, Sun. 6-8am
Field Trip focuses on the music and practice of field recordings: music recorded outside of a studio. This definition is expansive and includes everything from released recordings to street music documented by WKCR.
Raag Aur Taal, Sun. 7-9pm
Raag Aur Taal (which means “melody and rhythm”) explores the classical musical heritage of South Asia.
Back in the USSR, Sun. 11pm-12am
Back in the USSR features music from Eastern Europe, East Asia, and Central Asia, from the mid-20th century through the present.
NEWS & ARTS
Monday Morningside*, Mon. 8:30-9:30am
WKCR’s morning news broadcast, Monday Morningside features segments on events around Morningside Heights and upper Manhattan. All episodes are available as podcasts on Spotify.
News and Arts Program, Sun.-Thurs. 9-10pm
These programs form the core of our News and Arts programming. On Sundays, “Soundstage” features a live reading of a play; on Mondays, “Late City” offers retrospective coverage on local cultural happenings; on Thursdays, “Playlist Profiles” characterize a person through music. As news is constantly evolving, note that these programs are subject to change and preemption.
SPECIAL BROADCASTS
Sunday Profile, Sun. 2-7pm*
This five-hour program dedicated to a longform, researched profiles of a pioneering artist, label, or musical movement. Originally known as “Jazz Profiles,” this show has expanded its scope; today, it may feature any of the musical traditions represented by WKCR’s programs.
* indicates show was created after January 2022
NEWS & ARTS
Ergot Records and The Visionary Behind It
by Jack Serpick
Even after our extensive chat, I couldn’t quite get a read on the man behind the counter. With his long hair and relaxed demeanor, he didn’t look much older than 23. As he sat, sliding new arrivals into plastic sleeves, it became clear that he was at home in the cozy shop at East 2nd Street and Second Avenue.
The man’s name is Adrian Rew; the truth is, he’s in his mid-30s. Rew opened his store, Ergot Records, back in 2021—around the same moment when vinyl sales surpassed CD sales for the first time in 35 years. Rent was low then, and Rew, an Oberlin graduate, saw an opportunity.
There’s no doubt he’s optimistic—you have to be, at least to some extent, in order to open a brick-andmortar record shop in the wake of a businesskilling pandemic. But don’t get it twisted, he’s also got a deep disdain for screen addiction, which slips out often. The combination of this optimism and disdain results in an attitude that’s sorta hard to place. He told me, “I think you learn a lot more about the music you don't realize you love yet by going into a record
store than hanging out on Instagram or TikTok or whatever it is you guys do these days.” It’s hard not to feel like I caught a stray there, to be honest.
Still, I liked his candidness and passion for vinyl; it was contagious. When I asked if the shop is known for anything in particular, he said, “We do have an unusual amount of electronic and experimental music for a shop this size in New York. So those could be considered specialties.”
Civilistjävel!’s Brödföda was spinning when I first walked in. With each track titled according to its roman numeral, it’s a XII-track record of calming, ambient music, indeed with experimental and electronic influences. It falls somewhere between Air’s Moon Safari (one of my favs) and C418’s Minecraft score. The tunes added an ethereal atmosphere to the shop, which made me feel as though I were in space, and Ergot Records the spaceship—it had that safe sort of vibe.
Rew is far from a stranger to experimental music. In fact, the Ergot founder released a
Illustration by Jack Serpick and Ella Werstler
project of his own in 2013, titled Slot Machine Music for Four Drifters, under his record label, also called Ergot Records. The project is the result of four months spent field recording at casinos across the Midwest, and it’s incredible. Rew attempts to capture what gamblers call the “zone,” a meditative state of extreme comfort in which time passes at light speed. He would stroll around these casinos, armed only with an Olympus LS-11 recorder's internal microphone, which he kept in his pocket.
Rew gets into the weeds of his experience in a Bandcamp description of the project: “I learned a lot about casino sonics in the process: game designers, for example, tune their machines to the key of C in order to optimize harmonic cohesion; one team of designers, the story goes, even spent a month perfecting a single ‘ding’ sound on one machine. In the interest of preserving the true ambient sounds of the casinos, these recordings are completely untreated, but lost in the sea of chance. I did exert some affirmative control by means of meandering intent and actual playing of the games.”
Between the ambient music and the shop’s layout, it’s hard for Ergot customers not to fall into a “zone” themselves. The first eyecatchers are the crates outside the store, which contained, naturally, some of the cheaper stuff, not all of which was in great shape. Still, there were some cool and more obscure jazz records that are hard to find elsewhere (e.g., David Allyn’s Don’t Look Back).
While the outdoor crates make for a good hook, the real gems lie inside the store, and it’s not just local, meandering passersby who come in to survey the selection. Rew says, “We have all kinds of customers: tourists, people stopping through, students, locals, people from all five boroughs, young and old—all types. I wouldn't say there's any specific kind.”
Like their customers, Ergot’s collection is pretty eclectic, with wide-ranging employee picks on the walls. On one side were mostly older classics, starting with blues works like Muddy Waters’s Electric Mud and Wade Walton’s
Shake ‘em On Down. Continuing along that side, towards the back of the shop were merengue and Latin jazz jams like Felix Del Rosario’s Caperucita. The other side’s wall brandished more contemporary hits, like Frank Ocean’s Channel Orange, which was only just released on vinyl for the first time in July 2025.
The store’s layout has a nice flow, and the selection becomes more contemporary as customers browse. While new wave and post-punk sections stood out as particularly extensive, it’s clear which one gets the most attention: the electronic/experimental section. Up front was the very same Civilistjävel! record that was playing when I walked in. As I worked through the section, the effort that went into its curation became evident, as did Rew’s affinity for Klein, whose sleep with a cane is displayed on the wall directly above the collection.
In fact, Rew mentioned Klein during our chat after I prompted him with a request for some recommendations. Along with Klein, he said I should check out Ms Ray's new EP called Melt and an EP collaboration between Max In The World and Kroba called Structures Of Feeling 1. It was a pleasant surprise to see a feature from Bacchanal opener and fellow Baltimorean, Nourished by Time, on Ms Ray’s “Miss You,” the second track off her EP.
Deboarding the Ergot Records spaceship, I returned to the East Village reality, where the next record shop was a mere three blocks away.
Jack Serpick loves to program Daybreak Express from 5 AM to 8:30 AM.
Maxim Koretsky:
New music (Afternoon New Music and Transfigured Nights)
B. S. in Computer Science
Ted Schmiedeler:
Head Archivist, Station Manager, Student Life Director
News & Arts / New Music / Sports / Jazz
B.A. in History
“Fun fact: Programmed on WKCR for 24 hours straight during the summer of 2025”
Rachel Smith:
Program Director Emeritus, Jazz Department Director Emeritus
Jazz (Thursday Out to Lunch and Tuesday Daybreak Express)
B.A. in Comparative Literature
“WKCR has been the ride of my life so far! Stay tuned for more exciting things to come”
Sawyer Huckabee: Programmer
News & Arts / Protest Coverage team / Critics Corner
B.A. in English
McKenna Roberts:
American Department Head, Chief Engineer
B.A. in Sociology
Merielen Espino:
Latin Department Head, Latin (Weekly Sin Fronteras)
B.A in Comparative Literature
Anika Strite: Classical Head 2023-2024
CONGRATULATIONS
WKCR GRADUATING SENIORS
Classical (Early Music and Extended Technique)
B.A. in Creative Writing, Minor in French & History
Ella Presiado: 25-26 Publicity Director Monday Morningside and Cereal Music
B.A. in Anthropology & Creative Writing “Long Live Helvetica Light! Long Live WKCR!"
Brendan Sarpong: Programmer
Offbeat and Notes from Underground
B.A. in Computer Science, Minor in Africana Studies
CONGRATULATIONS TO
WKCR GRADUATING SENIORS
Chris Brown: Programmer Offbeat
B.A. in History, Minor in Visual Arts
Ian Pumphrey: News and Arts Department Director NARTS (Playlist Profiles)
B.A. in Political Science and History
Perry Wakatsuki: Offbeat Head
Offbeat and American
B.A. in Psychology “Hip hop forever.”
Armando Gimenez: Programmer
American (Moonshiners and Offbeat)
B.A. Creative Writing, Minor in Psychology & Religion “I am Hip Hop.”
Sarine Mardirosian: Programmer
Middle Eastern Influences, occasional chitchatter on Offbeat
B.A. in Astrophysics, Minor in Math
Ben Rothman: American Head, Former Acquisitions Director, Former Events Director
American (Offbeat, Tennessee Border Show, and Hobo's Lullaby)
B.A. in Psychology, Minor in Religious Studies “Looking forward to more American Sunday Profiles in 2026 and beyond!”
Justine Dugger-Ades: Programmer
Sports! Regularly called play-byplay for women’s basketball games
B.S. in Data Science
“Went all the way to UNC to call March Madness on the radio! Also covered two Mets games and appeared frequently on the Firing Lion”
Casey Lamb: Station Manager, Business Manager
Afternoon Classical/Bach Hour, Tennessee Border Show, Wednesday Cereal Music
B.A. in Philosophy
Thank You Donors
WKCR’s spring fundraiser, held April 9th-16th, continued WKCR’s yearly fundraising efforts to remain financially independent from Columbia University. Thank you to everyone who donated (whether via phone, check, or online) for helping us begin 2025 financially strong, and for supporting us for many years to come. The following names are listeners who pledged $100 or more over the phone and consented to having their names printed in this guide. We thank all contributors, of any amount and through any medium.
Richard Siracusa
David Chorlian
Eugenia Ames
Christina Eisenbeis
Maria Bennett
Cynthia Lee
Mary Kay Pavol
Charles Calitri
Laura Jackson
Andrew Reynolds
Ken Mason
Sheila Weinberg
Marc Shanker
Jasan Moran
Mary Wagner
Steven Silverman
James Donaldson
Nancy Abraham
Avrin Slackin
Bernard Guerre
RichaArd Hayman
Debra James
Ben Jones
Steve Armstrong
Stuart Cathey
Paul Kenny
Kein Killeen
Richard Merle
Devin Leonard
Dumas Ransom
Jacob Yundt
Orville Nembhard
Amy Folstein
Madhu Fiddatta
Alexander Holden
Gary Spence
Margey Reisler
Carol Burke
Siobhan Duffy
Spenser Leed
Hunter Mcquisition
Scott Rossi
Stan Lumisch
Angela Carlino
Michael Davidson
Roslyn Powell
James Squires
Debbie DeAngelo
Barry Donohue
Jeff Rifkin
Paul Rowan
Ellen Tresselp
Adam Casidu
Gerald Love
Michael G. Galan
Michael Mandel
Tony Taylor
Gregory Winter
Robert Jopson
Vincent Pelote
Paul Sussmann
Jim Farrem
David Chorlian
Marilyn Vogtdowney
Patrick Collins
Mia Reilly
Neil Chaimas
Kate Berton
Tony Sobieski
Chris Anderson
Vincent Satkovski
Mark Giannini
Ale Diaz-Pizarro
Carol Jarcho
Sandra Davies
Carolyn Kaylor
Dan Karan
Alyshea Austeru
Henry Wyatt
Paul schneck
James C. Falconer
James Lincoln
Jeffrey Nichols
Michael Mahal
John Mazela
Brian McQuave
Todd Chanko
Peter Ginsburg
Mel Kendrick
David Zahina
Charles Fuller
Rachel Epstein
Andfrew Lampert
Ralph Williams
Stephen Rak
Lawrence Sykes
Ralph Williams
Justin Pollmam
Jacob Yunet
Jeff Lederer
Charles Hetchett
Janet Townsend
David Whitbeck
David Chorlian
Michael Weibman
Chris Brunson
Gary Boigon
Jane Schwartz
David Hollander
Niraj Ganatra
Thomas Richardson
Ivan Jourdain
Ian Russell
Vincent Martin
Richard Hanchak
Peter Pullmun
Michael Johnston
Robert Manenti
David Chorlian
James Magenheimer
Raymond Bednar
Don Dietrich
Peter Lee
Joyce Mulvaney
Nora Gaines
Leara Kuffer
Daniel Reich
Julie Jacobs
Mark Eisner
Anthony Radice
Simon R. Cohen
George Garneau
Ralph Williams
Andrew Butterfield
Alexander Ciecierski
James Donaher
Taylor Riccio
SUPPORT WKCR
TOP 5 REASONS TO DONATE TO WKCR
1. You’d be helping a student-run, listener-funded, and volunteer-based radio station continue to bring you the absolute best in what radio has to offer. Music, arts, news, and sports— we’ve got the works!
2. You wouldn’t be a free-rider anymore.
3. WKCR donations are tax-deductible (so make sure you donate before tax season). For more info on that, or anything else business-related, email business@wkcr.org
4. Being “the Original FM,” our equipment is getting a bit old. Thanks to your donations, we were able to retire Buzz, the hamster that ran the wheel powering us. But our new hamster, Roach, needs to start saving for retirement... can you blame him?
5. Isn’t On Air cool? Without proper funding, projects like this can’t come to fruition and, if they do, don’t make it very long. Donate to allow the little On Air minions to stay in the job.
HOW TO DONATE TO WKCR IN 4 STEPS
BY MAIL
Step 1: Locate your nearest checkbook
Step 2: Indicate “WKCR” as payee and fill out as usual
Step 3: Mail check to CU Gift Systems, 622 West 113th Street, MC 4524, New York, NY 10025
Step 4: ...and VOILÀ! Just like that, you have become a WKCR supporter!
ONLINE
Step 1: head to www.wkcr.org
Step 2: Click the yellow “DONATE TO WKCR” banner at the top of the page
Step 3: Fill out the form in the giving portal and enter your information...
Step 4: ...and VOILÀ! Just like that, you have become a WKCR supporter!
WKCR also accepts checks to our direct address. Just follow the same steps listed above but mail the check to: 2920 Broadway, New York, NY 10027
Did you know you can make recurring donations to WKCR when you donate online?
Just indicate your frequency preferences on the giving portal when prompted!
On Air 's
Managing Editor is Olivia Callana
Layout Editor is Ella Werstler
Copy Editor is Jem Hanan
The editorial team for this issue was CJ Gamble & Ben Rothman
Special thanks to Anika Strite, Armando Gimenez, Brendan Sarpong, Casey Lamb, Chris Brown, Ella Presiado, Ian Pumphrey, Justine Dugger-Ades, Maxim Koretsky, McKenna Roberts, Merielen Espino, Perry Wakatsuki, Rachel Smith, Sarine Mardirosian, Sawyer Huckabee, & Ted Schmiedeler
