97X - Rumblings from the Big Bush

John Fox served as the editor at Everybody's News in the late 80s and early 90s, then co-founded CityBeat, and now is the editor of Cincinnati Magazine. Everybody's News and CityBeat were strong supporters of 97X - John and music editor Mike Breen would make the trek to Oxford once a week to highlight local music and arts events on the airwaves. John talks about the symbiotic relationship, our shared "weird" audience (spoiler: they weren't weird, just cool), how both CityBeat and 97X were ahead of the curve, and the magic of the old MidPoint Music Festival (MPMF). We also talk about his current role at Cincinnati Magazine. 

Aaron Yonka tuned in to 97X back in high school, then got a full-blown fever for the station and the music the summer before he started at Miami University in 1991. He became an around-the-clock listener... other than when he was co-hosting a music show on Miami's student radio station. And after he graduated, he still tuned in, especially to catch his college friend Matt Sledge, and joined the 97X message boards to keep a sense of community with fellow listeners and station staff. Aaron shares tales of gift card laundering, grilled breakfast pastries, anchovy pizzas and what makes a tune a "97X song." 

It's been 43 years since 97X first started airing "modern rock for Cincinnati and Dayton" from a nondescript building in Oxford, Ohio. And it's been 22 years since it signed off - and 16 years since woxy.com went silent. Time flies... and the Butler County Historical Society wants to celebrate the station in a fundraising event on June 27, with THE Voice of 97X, Steve "Bakerman" Baker, Jen Dalton, co-host of Good Morning Cincinnati on Channel 12 (she got her media start as a student intern at 97X), Matt Sledge (who worked at 97X, WNKU and Inhailer radio) and your ol' 97X pals Dave and Damian. We talked to Bake, Jen and Sledge about the upcoming trip down memory lane. 

Jae Forman just couldn't quit radio - although she did take a 23-year "gap year" after her long stint at 97X back in the 90s and a few stops at other stations in Nashville and Albuquerque. Now she shares her energy, enthusiasm, and golden ear for great tunes on the air Tuesday afternoons (3-7 p.m. Eastern) on Inhailer Radio. We talk to her about Boston, Beastie Boys, boxcutters, music festivals, the grunge-splosion, and... reptiles. 

After discovering 97X as a Miami University student and interning for Barb Abney, Rob Mason channeled his love of music into founding and running a record label. Old Flame Records featured releases from a slew of bands, including Cloud Nothings, Twin Tigers, and Cincinnati artists such as Carriers, Moonbeau, Frontier Folk Nebraska, and Dawg Yawp. And he's our only guest (so far) to have released music from a group that won a Norwegian Grammy. Rob shares his stories (including babysitting Kings of Leon) and talks about how he's still helping cool bands get their music heard. 

Chuck Cleaver and Lisa Walker of the band Wussy are two of the best songwriters in the known universe. They're also an absolute blast to talk to about (in no particular order): music, their Forever Sounds radio show, bad movies, Swedish Eagle, the Eagles, TV show filling station characters, ball peen hammers, ascots, super-glued teeth, and other important matters. Oh, and fecal matter too - because we're erudite! 
Wussy is doing a full band show at The Woodward Theater on Friday, February 27. Get tickets here. 

97X superfan (and self-professed "data nerd") David Groff crunched the numbers on all* the Modern Rock 500s from 1989-2009 and in this episode, he quizzes Dave and Damian about it. How many different songs were #1? What band had the most different songs on the MR500 through the years? How many songs made the countdown every single year? How can Damian be so dense? Find all the answers --and a listener quiz too!  
David's year-by-year Modern Rock 500 uber-list is here. And if you'd like to listen to the songs in chronological order from oldest to newest, check out the playlist Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3. 
*the list for 1998 is missing - please help us find it! 

DJs in PJs. Wiener dogs in chariots. Bowling in a pool. A surprise birthday party. Crab crawl contests. Jart dangers. A bogus wedding. And of course, Rictile in a Speedo. The 97X Breakfast Club "Home Invasion" live broadcasts were a way to take the insanity of the 97X DJs out of the studio and onto the road. Havoc and hilarity always ensued. We talk to former 97Xer Rictile -- who originated the Home Invasion idea at the station -- and longtime listener Todd Butler, who hosted one of the early home invasions. They share their  memories from the live broadcasts - and once again, havoc and hilarity ensue. 

Chris DeVille is the managing editor of Stereogum and the author of a new book called Such Great Heights: The Complete Cultural History of the Indie Rock Explosion. He joins us to talk about his book, aptly billed as "the definitive history of 21st century indie rock—from Iron & Wine and Death Cab for Cutie to Phoebe Bridgers and St. Vincent—and how the genre shifted the musical landscape and shaped a generation. We discuss what "indie" means, the effect of easier access to music via streaming, how Stereogum is a kindred spirit of 97X, why the book title works on multiple levels, and the ongoing need for music curation. 
 

The Undertow Collective helps people make music and tour in a very indie way. They manage artists like David Bazan (Pedro the Lion), Will Johnson (Centro-matic), and Bad Bad Hats, and promote house concert tours for folks like Wussy, The Mynabirds, and Kevin Devine. Undertow partners Bob Andrews and Jayne Ballentyne join us to talk about how they got started (Uncle Tupelo was involved), how house shows happen, and why their model feels like "the future of rock and roll."