WTJU Rock Department faves past and present

Nick Cave and Warren Ellis share a prolific decades-long collaboration that has given us rock and roll masterpieces from Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Grinderman and The Dirty Three.  The duo has also embraced their atmospheric side with a series of independent film soundtracks exploring desolate landscapes, desperate measures, and deep space.  Explore their remarkable catalog and set your mood right for an amazing week of music.

Chuck Berry’s “Maybelline” (1955)?  Bill Haley’s “Shake Rattle & Roll” (1954)?  Jackie Brenston’s “Rocket 88” (1951)?  Fats Domino’s “The Fat Man” (1949)?  Join us as Rus and Professor Bebop try to figure out when it all started.  Vote with your pledges.

When Rick Hall passed away on January 3rd of this year, the music world and specifically Southern Soul lost one of the great producers. He was known as a perfectionist and his single minded approach to get the best take led to some of the greatest of all Southern Soul. Starting in 1964 with Jimmy Hughes' 'Steal Away,' the Fame (Florence Alabama Musical Enterprise) Recording Studio produced hit after hit for Wilson Pickett, Etta James, Clarence Carter, Candi Staton, Arthur Conley, Joe Tex and many, many more. Come hear what all the fuss was about on Monday from noon until two.

When you’re looking for something other than the same old power trio, Tyler Broadcasting System presents cracked Speak and Spells, toy pianos, human beatboxes and singing stones.

All the hits from countries where rock wasn't invented.

Elvis Presley's fans call him "The King" but many others wonder what he was "King" of, and certainly the handful of songs most commonly played from Presley's legacy may not seem very kingly. The answer is to be found in the forgotten, early songs Presley recorded from 1954 until his induction into the U.S. Army in 1958; his reign as "King of Rock 'n Roll" may have been short, but it did matter. This program is not undertaken by an Elvis fan so much as a musicologist who has become interested in his story, and will feature that repertoire in contrast and comparison with other artists of Elvis' time, to tell the story of how Elvis became "king," and how he lost his crown.

Part of the British progressive rock influx of the late 60’s, King Crimson with iconoclastic guitarist Robert Fripp has endured and still tours. This marathon sampler will focus on recent releases and tour boxes  and will cover new material as well as some of the classics of the long-lived influential band. 

There'd be no rock music without Sister Rosetta Tharpe, no lead guitar without Maybelle Carter, no psychobilly without Poison Ivy. Let's take two hours to appreciate female and female-identifying guitar and bass players like Norma Jean Wafford, Wata, Carrie Brownstein, Tina Weymouth and others who f**king shred.

1990s & 2000s Houston Rap divulges in DJ Screw's legacy of syrupy, chopped and screwed sounds, from Lil Keke to the Geto Boys.

WTJU Rock Department faves past and present

The enigmatic Bill Callahan’s baritone voice simultaneously soothes and disturbs your senses.  Songs of self-imposed isolation carefully selected from 16 albums and 28 years.

A brief look at the history of Detroit R&B, blues, soul, and rock. They call it Motown for more than one reason and Professor Bebop will demonstrate it from all parts of the city's beat!

Have you Ever Seen the Rain with a Bad Moon Rising while Rolling on the River?  Were you Born on the Bayou or Down on the Corner while Looking Out Your Back Door?  Have you Run Through the Jungle with Proud Mary to get Up Around the Bend? Did you and Suzie Q ever get Stuck in Lodi Again on your way to see a Traveling Band?  Whether you are one of Willy and the Poor Boys or a Fortunate Son, join DJ Rebecca for the best of Creedence Clearwater Revival, some great covers of their legendary songs, and many special surprises, during the WTJU Rock Marathon!

Two hours of the drums, drummers, and flam-artists that warm our hearts, boil our blood, and satisfy our souls!  

Join Jessica in the Hardee’s parking lot. We’ll watch the skaters, smoke cigarettes and crank up the tape player and listen to Pavement, GBV, Afghan Whigs, etc.

Rock and pop music from 1962 - 1972.  Those wonderfully exciting days loosely referred to as the 1960’s, featuring artists like The Airplane, The Beatles, The Left Banke, The Guess Who, The Move, The Grape, The Experience, Fat Mattress, Motown, etc.  Headline acts and one-hit wonders; Big Hits and deep album cuts.  Bring your granny glasses and paisley shirts as we revisit the grooviest songs ever.

Celebrating badass women in the punk scene from Ari Up to Laura Jane Grace.

Music recorded by the eccentric pioneer independent record producer Joe Meek, inventor of techniques and sounds that shaped the music we listen to ever since.

Sometimes, from the places you'd least expect it, when no one is paying attention, the future is born. This show is dedicated to all the freaks who leapt into the void, just trying to make their own thing, who would unwittingly create a spark that ignited the explosion that became punk. We will hear music from Garage bands flailing away in near obscurity in the 1960s to innovators that jammed the doors open in the early 1970s for punk to come roaring through just a few short years later.  

WTJU Rock Department faves past and present

From the late 1950s through the early 1970s, Pye Records was a mainstay of Brit Pop. Their stable of artists included Petula Clark, the Foundations, the Kinks, and early David Bowie. Join us for three hours of hits (and a few misses) from the Swinging Sixties!

No reservations required. C&O bartenders and bon vivants spin records and yarns. Toast your friends, pledge to WTJU, and enter to win a dinner for two at the C&O Restaurant.

Unfortunately, some bands call it quits. Fortunately, sometimes, they get back together. Thankfully, many fantastic bands have been revived in the past few years, so let's welcome them back and celebrate!

Tasty hard rock riffs with a punk edge, also known as NWOBHM. This special Rock Marathon edition of the Witches Brew will explore the music that tied together the late 70's punk decline with the 80's new wave of rock. Choice shred cuts from Venom, Samson, Angel Witch, Saxon, Pagan Altar, Demon, Satan and many other bands you've never heard of. Come, run to the (musical) hills with your host Wicked Sharkie and fulfill your NWOBHM dreams.

A look back through Neil Young's prolific career, including the classics, lesser-known tracks, and covers of Neil's tunes.

The Isleys didn't change with the times, the times changed with them. Join Colin and Don for two hours of soul music's most chameleonic act, from early gospel-tinged hits to funk classics, from fuzzed-out psych to smoothed-down disco. 

Join Reaux for two hours exploring the under-appreciated lyrical genius of Tom Waits. Whether his gravelly voice and boisterous arrangements are music to your ears or you prefer reinterpretations by other artists highlighting his words, there's no denying the mark he's left on music across genres.

Starting with their 1971 debut and ending with their 1980 album, "Terminal Jive," we'll explore the clever, quirky, one-of-a-kind music of brothers Ron and Russell Mael. 

You've heard of Pink Floyd's The Wall, but what about The Pretty Things' S.F. Sorrow? We're digging through the history of the concept album to bring you some of the best songs that fit into their albums' larger narrative.

WTJU Rock Department faves past and present

Wake up with Poubelle for two hours of the sweetest morning-themed jams of our lives.

Uniting famous rock dads with their musically talented kids, Louise brings you three hours of "Father & Child Reunion."  Bob and Jakob Dylan, Carlos and Stella Santana, Lenny and Zoe Kravitz -- these are just a few of the family pairs you will hear during this wide-ranging show! 

Eric Clapton is the everyman musician who has played with almost everyone, but retained his humility.  We will play a small sample of his work from early to present.

Ty Segall's fuzz pop consistently registers on Marc Bolan's glam fury sounds. We use the Rock Marathon's Carry the Zero slot to have a chance to compare a Slider to a Manipulator. Swans and Goblins alike will rejoice in this glam-fuzz filled fantasy. 

Auntie Beeb could be a strict disciplinarian - join Annie De Blanco for three hours of songs that were banned from the airwaves of the BBC for all kinds of reasons.

Familiar songs creatively covered by less familiar artists. 

In rock'n'roll, "durable" is not usually an adjective sought after by performers. But for well over four decades, Bob Girard has been Charlottesville's most durable singer, with a highly recognizable voice that has not been diminished by Father Time. He has fronted such iconic Charlottesville bands as The Hawaiians in the early 1970s, Captain Tunes and his Fabulous Noteguns later in that decade, The Casuals featuring Johnny Sportcoat in the 80s, Alligator since 1998, and The Gladstones. After an accident in Rome in the early 2000s in which he was hit by a motorcycle cop while crossing a street and then run over by a bus, he started playing guitar under doctor's orders as therapy for his mangled arm, resulting in a flurry of songs that has never stopped. He formed The Gladstones as a vehicle for performing these songs, which have also been recorded on a steady series of solo releases. In this show, The Juddermeister and Charlie Pastorfield will take a look at the long and storied career of one of Charlottesville's rock'n'roll greats, the inimitable Robert Ernest Girard.

An exploration of punk rock music from The United Kingdom.

The most innovative, eclectic, daring and weird music from the 1960s to present day! 

WTJU Rock Department faves past and present

From 1960s pop hits to 1980s pop hits, the oboe has frequently been utilized to evoke a specific musical atmosphere, be it one of pomp or nostalgia. Join Mr. and Mrs. Chilps as they guide you through a musical journey featuring the flute's more pensive big brother, featuring music from such varied acts as the Bee Gees, Psychic TV and Belle & Sebastian.

As the title suggests, a plethora of tunes about (literally or suggesting) the metal machines that take us places. 

Specializing in reissues of funk, rock, soul, pysch, and experimental recordings from the Arabic speaking world spanning the late 1960s through the late 1980s, Germany's Habibi Funk Records is a sonic treasure trove.  Join Jordan, John, and Ron for 2 hours of music sourced from Habibi Funk.

Hosts Baby Shampoo and Ronnie Burzofski salute broken molds, smashed states, and gas station hot dogs in a freewheeling tribute to the Econoclasts. All freethinkers and cheapskaters welcome. Tune in and jam econo.

Celebrate the release of Yo La Tengo's new album and return to Charlottesville with three hours of music and an exclusive interview with bassist and former WTJU DJ James McNew.

Charting some of the best music, including deeper cuts and unreleased tracks, from one of the most unlikely bands to come out of the 90s and go on to grace the mainstream radio charts in the 2000s

This driving 4/4 drum beat was coined by music journalists in the 1970s and means "motor skill" in German. Pioneered by drummers Jaki Liebezeit of Can and Klaus Dinger of Neu!, this beat is by no means exclusive to krautrock. Explore its origins and expansion throughout the rock landscape.

The best of this late, prolific punk songwriter, singer, and multi-instrumentalist who released dozens of records with various names/bands in his 29 years.

When the 90s rolled around, rock bands were tired of the same old routine, and so they decided to try something different (but not that different) with their instruments. This is their story.

WTJU Rock Department faves past and present

Reaux returns for another early morning poetry slam. Featuring two hours of poetry and spoken word, Reaux will feature contemporary writers and poets who choose to share their work through an audio format. From the passionate truths of Andrea Gibson, to the mournful memories of Shane Koyczan, come hear, and feel, how this art form can help you find the words you never knew you were missing.

Many fans went apocalyptic when Dylan went Born Again, yet notions of “end times” permeate his work before and after. Join us for a discussion of Biblical proportions covering both the sacred and the profane from the “please don’t anoint me” prophet of his generation.

In the beginning… was the guitar. It had potential, but, it got lost in the orchestral crowd. There were some who took it to new places, bending strings, sliding bottlenecks… but, electricity changed the landscape. Pickups and amplifiers made it roar… but, soon, that, too, was not enough in the search for Sound. Others got Neanderthal… poking the speaker cones to get a growl. Turning the dials to 11. Then… the idea to start tinkering with transistors and switches found a way to distort the signal. Fuzz Boxes. Wah-wah Pedals. Reverb. Flangers. Echos. Phasers. If you were an average chord-banger, you thought you sounded like a million bucks. If you had real talent… you changed everything. That’s the point of these two hours. Innovation. Sound. And, the place where you can hear it. Make the register ring to make it stay that way.

Tune in as Radio Freedonia's Sister Pirate Jenny and Poubelle spin two hours of cosmic cowboys and cowgirls, following the twang through outer and inner space…

Some say they are rock & roll legends.  Others say they're the best band you never heard of.  The Stones said they did a better job with rock & roll on their album Teenage Head than the Stones did with Sticky Fingers. And many say they were the forerunners of Punk and/or Power Pop. We just say they're Groovie. Flamin' Groovies. Come and dance with us & shake some action is what you need.

Led by Jun Togawa and her gang, everything soulful, kaleidoscopic and cheesy within this category which unsurprisingly shaped the future sound for both j-pop and j-underground till today.

Join an all-star cast of WTJU DJ’s and community luminaries in a salute to the recently passed Mark E. Smith and his long-suffering band of enablers, The Fall.

The band is just fantastic, that is really what I think...but who is the real creative genius behind Pink Floyd? Analyzing the source material and asserting strong opinions contrasting Barrett, Gilmore, and Waters until it all becomes clear. 

Music from Australia -- with a twist. The best (and strangest) in Australian rock and philosophy, often both at once.

WTJU Rock Department faves past and present

Songs with flute from mid-sixties to early seventies.

These days, it feels like we need a good dose of righteous indignation and who better to deliver than the Griot Poet Laureate.  You better believe The Revolution Will Not Be Televised.

The songs! The harmonies! The sarcasm! Led by Howard "Eddie" Kaylan and Mark "Flo" Volman, The Turtles wrote and performed some of the '60s most indelible hits (and unsung b-sides), made one of rock's earliest (and best) concept albums, and managed to include the likes of Frank Zappa, Bruce Springsteen, Ray Davies, Warren Zevon and Strawberry Shortcake in their orbit.  The Reggae Vibrations and Radio Wowsville crews will get happy together and play two hours of classic Turtles music as well as investigate the 70s oeuvre of Flo & Eddie, and much more.

Two hours of the best and most famous screams of all times! Swoon to the sounds of ROCK, SOUL, PSYCH and more. No earplugs allowed! Professor Bebop celebrates the finest in the genre!

The psychedelic revolution affected cultures in different dimensions and no place more so than Brazil. Once dubbed the country of the future (and it always would be), the psychic and astral strivings from Rita Lee, Caetano and Lula Cortes went way beyond beyond leisure class tuning in. We will wade from the sixties deep into the mid-'70s comfort zones.

Two hours with Richmond’s own, Spacebomb Records.  Join us as we delve into the catalog, origins, and signature sound of this relatively new musical institution.  With plenty of surprises and special guests along the way!

A chronological tour of our commonwealth's great history of disaffected and underground rock. Late 70s through the present.

Don vs. Colin. Beatdown vs. Breakdown. Radio Wowsville's Race to the Bottom is a Competitive Radio Event in which your intrepid hosts go head-to-head, looking for the weirdest, the most inexplicable, the most unnecessary music committed to record. Hear misguided cash-in singles, bizarre spoken-word material, and more. 

Closing out the Marathon in diabolical fashion, Rick embraces Armageddon with two hours of only the finest in fallen-angel-friendly, Lucifer-lovin' Morning Star music. Hail Satan, and so on.