Author Archives: Maria T

The Latest Music Writing from The Nassau Weekly

Check out the latest issue of the Nass for musings on life, death, and music:

“Spirits in the Night” – Susannah Sharpless - Bruce Springsteen & Bon Iver live and alive.

“Flocks of birds, lit from underneath by Bruce Springsteen’s lightshow, fly over the Met Life stadium. The light strips off their brown feathers and wraps them in a pure bright white. They look unearthly against the polluted murk of the New Jersey sky. Below them is a tangle of spotlights and flashes and monitors, threaded through with a lean howl of a voice. I am far away and in the back, tucked away into the darkness, level with the flying things. I feel just as fleeting …” Read.

“Will My Eyes Be Closed or Open?” – Joel Newberger – Ordinary, suicidal thoughts in Emerson and Bjork’s “Hyperballad”.

“Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote that the kingdom of thought has no enclosures. The city of this Muse, he wrote, has no moat and stands inviting to all who would set to it inquiry, even who ask in words friable, or wobbling, queer, who only wonder something, who wonder this or that in the final thought before sleep or the first thought of dawn, who do not even know they are asking, yet are, and are answered graciously by kings and queens. Thought is as abundant and familiar as air and water are. Always, it slides tectonically across the face of the knowable world, and regenerates, and replaces itself …” Read.

Don't Miss Teri Towe's 12-Hour Thanksgiving Show!

This Thanksgiving, WPRB wants to give you something to be thankful for. Things can get hectic on Thanksgiving day – the turkey isn’t done on time, the in-laws are bickering, the niece is unexpectedly vegetarian, etc. What better way to keep it all in perspective than some great classical music? “Towe on Thursday” will be presenting the special “Philadelphia Orchestra Thursday” from 6 AM to 6 PM!

Teri Noel Towe writes:

“My co-host will be Mike Cone, a member of the Board of the Philadelphia Orchestra and a friend since our undergraduate days at Princeton University.  Mike and I will celebrate the 112th anniversary of the founding of one of the world’s greatest orchestras and the centenary of the appointment of the legendary Leopold Stokowski as Music Director of the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Midway through this all-day presentation of recordings made by the Philadelphia Orchestra between 1927 and 2012, we’ll première Mike’s recent documentary, Aaron Copland and the American Vernacular, and we’ll also broadcast Mike’s recent interview with popular Philadelphia Orchestra guest conductor Stéphane Denève.

Mike and I hope that you will be able to listen in!”

New Jersey Radio & The Aftermath of Sandy: Support WFMU!

FF_2012F_kenfloodBy this time, most of our listeners have seen images of the wreckage incurred by Sandy. While WPRB was able to weather Superstorm Sandy without any disruption to our daily operations, some other stations – including freeform pioneer WFMU, were not as lucky.

To ensure the survival of New Jersey radio, WPRB is asking its listenership to open its hearts and minds and donate to WFMU to help them rebuild equipment after substantial electrical damage wrecked havoc on their studios. Your support at this critical time is essential not only their survival, but also the survival of unique and innovative radio in our great state!

WFMU has served as a critical point of inspiration for WPRB staffers, and in the past year we’ve connected with several WFMUers to find new ways to adapt to an ever-changing media landscape. Now, it’s our chance to give back to the station that has helped us develop a renewed mission. You can help WFMU recover from Sandy by clicking here.

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Get ready for the Brooklyn Electronic Music Festival!

For all electronic music fans out there, it’s time to score your passes to the Brooklyn Electronic Music Festival, taking place tomorrow and Friday on and around North 6th in Williamsburg. Established and emerging artists from the local (i.e., New York City, official U.S. city of electronic things) and international scenes will be there to electrify your world. Plus there will be a food truck and artsy things happening on the street, so really, why aren’t you already there counting down the hours?

Here’s a peek at the lineup:

Baths: bringing a strong musical background and an eclectic ambient style that incorporates both the acoustic and the electronic

Deadboy: crafting a dancefloor mix with elements of garage, hardcore, house, and “futuristic melancholia”

FaltyDL: representing NYC with tracks merging dubstep, hip hop, garage, soul, electronica, and even more things

Body Language: energizing the place with dancehall remixes and electropop

Drop The Lime: blending rockabilly & blues with the dance music skills of DJ Luca Venezia

… and about 40 more. If you’re interested in music that uses technology in any way, don’t miss this chance!

Membership Drive Premiums: Level 6 Record a Show

If you’re spectacularly passionate about our radio and spectacularly generous during our drive, we want to reward you. That’s why, in addition to all the premiums mentioned so far, you’ll be invited to the station to record your own hour-long show if you make a pledge over $1000. We love our station, from the music stacks to the studio, and we’re sure that you will, too. Besides, do you want to deprive our listeners of the earth-shattering greatness of your potential show?

Help make the end of our week a victory. Call us at (609) 258-1033 or click here to show your support today.

Membership Drive Premiums: Level 5 Scarf

We’re staying huddled up in the underground WPRB headquarters, plotting the last two days of our Membership Drive, but it seems that perhaps in the outside world, the weather is changing. There’s a chill in the air and decorative gourds on the horizon. How are you possibly going to show your love for WPRB when you’d freeze in one of our t-shirts? Well, we’ve anticipated your dilemma, and now you can bundle up in independent radio-loving style.

This is the WPRB scarf, given in thanks to every wonderful, generous person who pledges $250 or more (along with water bottle, shirts, and stickers). What’s better than a cozy gray scarf to warm you through the winter? Nothing. Everybody loves scarves.

Warm our hearts before the chill of insufficient funds by pledging online or calling (609) 258-1033 today.

Why I Love WPRB

Hi guys!

Fair warning: this is going to be a little bit sappy. Not unmanageably so, but I am definitely going to get heartfelt up in here.

WPRB is not the first radio station I’ve ever been a part of. My high school had a radio station. It aired to about six people a week, four of whom were related to me. I wanted to do something real, but it was hard when most of my fellow DJs had shows with names like ‘In Which I Discuss The Last Episode of Gossip Girl in Great Detail Because For Real What Was Serena Even Wearing, Right?” and “I Don’t Even Know What Time My Show is On.”

I can’t even describe how different WPRB 103.3 is. The DJs I’ve met here are committed to their shows and to making sure that the stuff they put on the air is worth listening to. And the board members here give so much of their time to the station that I sometimes worry about their health. The people who work here take this place seriously (I mean, not overly seriously. But seriously enough to produce something of quality.)

Really, guys. This place is worth supporting.

BYRD

WPRB Board Member and DJ

Membership Drive Premiums: Level 4 Personal Hydration Assistant

So, we’ve passed our halfway mark towards our $40K goal – and there are still three days left to pledge! If haven’t yet dared to pick up the phone or click this link, just think about the incredible prizes that could be in store for you. The spiritual prize of keeping independent radio alive comes first and foremost, of course, but this WPRB water bottle is also quite spiffing.

With a pledge of $103.30, you can receive the WPRB personal hydration assistant in addition to all lower pledge premiums. This bottle is guaranteed to earn you the admiration of your friends and the envy of your enemies. After all, a sleek, gorgeously designed (thanks to Plankton Art Co.) WPRB water bottle tells the world, “Not only do I have wonderful musical and aesthetic tastes, I also make responsible environmental choices.”

Make a WPRB phone banker happy. Call in a pledge to (609) 258-1033 or pledge online now.

WPRB Membership Drive: Halfway There!

We’re midway through WPRB’s Membership Drive and we’re halfway to this year’s goal of $40,000!

Big thanks to all of those who have donated this week – and to those of you who have yet to reaffirm their support for the best station on the dial, don’t fret: there’s time yet! Phone bank volunteers are around at all hours of our broadcast day waiting to hear from listeners like yourself, so dial (609) 258-1033 to get in touch! For our more tech-savvy listeners, you can direct your browser to pledge.wprb.com to make your donation.

As an extra incentive to tempt our listeners, we’ve got a plethora of goodies to offer, including a WPRB Sticker Set featuring a bumper sticker and laptop decal, the exclusive BrainBot T-Shirt, and the Sloth Buddy T-Shirt. If you pledge more than $45, you’re eligible to win CDs, records, or even books hand-picked by some of your favorite DJs. Remember, these specialty premiums vary from show to show, so keep your the dial set to 103.3FM all week long to see what we have to offer!

Remember, all funds from the drive go directly to keep WPRB’s unique programming on the air, let’s celebrate another year of great radio! Dial (609) 258-2033 now or pledge online by clicking here.

Membership Drive Premiums: Level 3 Sloth Buddy T-Shirt

We’re winding up Day 3 of the Membership Drive. Thanks to everyone who has pledged so far! Moving up the pledge levels, when you donate $75, we’ll give you another amazing t-shirt, plus the Brainbot shirt and WPRB sticker set. Meet the Sloth Buddy:

When this new design from the Princeton Student Design Agency came up in the WPRB boardroom, everybody fell in love with it. Sloth may be one of the seven deadly sins, but we prefer the animal so chill that he lets moss grow on its fur. Of course, the world would be a much better place with some sheriff sloths around to keep the peace. Until then, this ultra-flattering shirt (everybody looks good in heather gray) will remind you to peace out.

You can pledge online or by phone at (609) 258-1033. Our operators are waiting to take your call!