Where Is Hip Hop? Episode 62 w/ Randy Roper x Nanci O...

Looking through our past episodes, T.I. has been talked about more than any other rapper. We're 62 episodes and 1.5 years in, so that's saying a lot. On this week's episode of Where Is Hip Hop?, Randy and I talk about The King Of The South being sent back to prison for 11 months.

Back on episode 7 of Where Is Hip Hop? T.I. was going in right around the time Gucci Mane was getting out. Back then we wondered what would happen with Grand Hustle, would it flourish or flounder? Beyond the music repeat prison sentences does nothing for T.I.'s image so this time around we also discuss it's impact to endorsements, other business ventures plus more.

BET released it's Top 10 Rappers of The 21st Century list so we go in on that too. Here's a hint, after that good and terrible Hip Hop Awards, BET redeemed themselves, a little, with this list.

Where Is Hip Hop? Episode 62: T.I. Goes To Prison........Again

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WHERE IS HIP HOP? will give you information on the current state of Hip Hop in the world today as seen by Randy Roper aka Randy Exclusive, Music Editor of Ozone Magazine and Nanci O. We talk about who is hot and who is not, interviews, how we feel about certain albums and the direction of Hip Hop culture in the world today.

Think of us as the Roeper and Ebert of Hip Hop.

Get ready to be EDUCATED, INFORMED and ENTERTAINED.

Where Is Hip Hop? Episode 61 w/ Randy Roper x Nanci O...

On this week's episode of Where Is Hip Hop?, Randy and I talk about the biggest hip hop festival in the Southeast. A3C goes down this weekend in Atlanta and entails 3 days, 250+ artists, b-girl/b-boy battles, producer showcases, plus much more.

On Saturday Randy will be moderating the "What Is A Mixtape?" panel with DJs Green Latern, Burn One, Trackstar and others. There's alot going on during A3C and the full weekend of events can be viewed here.

Where Is Hip Hop? Episode 61: A3C Hip Hop Festival

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WHERE IS HIP HOP? will give you information on the current state of Hip Hop in the world today as seen by Randy Roper aka Randy Exclusive, Music Editor of Ozone Magazine and Nanci O. We talk about who is hot and who is not, interviews, how we feel about certain albums and the direction of Hip Hop culture in the world today.

Think of us as the Roeper and Ebert of Hip Hop.

Get ready to be EDUCATED, INFORMED and ENTERTAINED.

October Backyard Barbecue Shows

The Backyard Barbecue is WXYC's local music show. Tune in Sundays from 8 to 9 PM to hear live sets and interviews from North Carolina bands like these:

Oct. 3 | Transportation | Odessa Records band with new album Amusement Park out on September 28th.

Oct. 10 | Mandolin Orange | Carrboro folk duo busting out some new material!

Oct. 17 | Monsonia | Raleigh / Carrboro ROCK. New album 33.3 out in mid-October. BBQ vets!

Oct. 24 | Bustello | Metal Flake Mother, Sex Police, and Pressure Boys alums with a recently released debut album out.

Oct. 31 | Celebrate Halloweiner with the Evil Weiner Halloween Record! (Or go check out their live set at The Cave, if you're local)

Curren$y Concert Recap (Video)...

The Hot $pitta stopped through Greensboro, NC earlier this month (September 3rd) for a near sold out show at Festival Park located downtown. Yours truly captured some footage plus had a jamming good time. $pitta definitly puts on a show!

You can visit the Nanci O Is Hip Hop YouTube Page for other concert recaps, video interviews plus more!

Where Is Hip Hop? Episode 60 w/ Randy Roper x Nanci O...

Back on Episode 56, we told ya'll Kanye isn't playing fair for the rest of 2010.

Since that time, Pusha T signed to G.O.O.D. music, The Pink Panther and The Hip Hop Pig Pen released a track dissing 'Ye, Kid Cudi and Wale got into a back and forth (but quiet as kept them ninjas been screaming on each other since last year), Amber Rose and Melody Thonton are reportedly beefing over him, and 'Ye shot a 40 minute movie in Prague. Prague? Where they do that at in hip hop?

Where Is Hip Hop? Episode 60: Kanye Is Doing THE ABSOLUTE MOST Right Now

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WHERE IS HIP HOP? will give you information on the current state of Hip Hop in the world today as seen by Randy Roper aka Randy Exclusive, Music Editor of Ozone Magazine and yours truly. We talk about who is hot and who is not, interviews, how we feel about certain albums and the direction of Hip Hop culture in the world today.

Think of us as the Roeper and Ebert of Hip Hop.

Get ready to be EDUCATED, INFORMED and ENTERTAINED.

Global Music Show Presents Persian Music: From Traditional to Modern

Guest Shahla Adel (UNC Asian Studies) presents "Persian Music: From Traditional to Modern."

Tune in at 9 PM Wednesday september 22, 2010

WXYC Featured in Daily Tar Heel

Music after midnight

By KRISTINA WEEKS | The Daily Tar Heel

Updated: September 13, 2010, 12:52 AM

Nice article on WXYC including some video.

Keith Fullerton Whitman at Hopscotch

At Raleigh's inaugural Hopscotch festival this past weekend, experimental wizard beardo Keith Fullerton Whitman calmly introduced his set by thanking the organizers and the other bands, inviting the audience to take a seat with him on stage, and nonchalantly stating, "I'm going to play some synthesizer music for you now." Did he ever. Underwater video game bleep stereo panning deep bone vibrating drone cloud...

You can hear the four minute grande finale here. ENJOY

Tshe-Tsha Boys, Shangaan Electro, and clowns.

At some point this summer, when I was falling asleep at the control board in my post-lunch stupor, something pretty awesome snuck into our rotation bin. Since then, over the past 2-3 months, WXYC DJs have been sharing little nuggets off of it on a daily basis. Shangaan Electro: New Wave Dance Music From South Africa is yet another quirky compilation added to the thousands in the XYC library, and one of many beauties from our summer playlist. But, this CD sticks out for me. And part of it has to do with my fear of clowns. Firstly though, Shangaan Electro has warped my appetite for mbira. If Dumisani Maraire had recorded on a strict diet of eight-balls and nodoz he wouldn't even come close to the bpms Shangaan brings to the mbira. Fast mbira is pretty hot. Additionally, there are some pretty disturbingly soothing vocal antics to observe. Tiyiselani Vomaseve has a song called "Vanghoma", which I think translates to Awkward Bellows from Surly Gruff Old Dudes Induce Cardiac Arrhythmias in Innocent Schoolgirls. But more importantly, the cover of this compilation gives us a hint of what Shangaan Electro is all about...



Clearly, this music is about dancing obese clowns, old and young, doing some really obscene shit in public. If you have a clown phobia like I do, I'd recommend leaving now. The Tshe-Tsha Boys have two tracks on Shangaan Electro, but one track by them that is missing from the compilation explains everything you ever needed to know about Shangaan Electro in video. Now go buy it already.

Just Tryna Holla

Luv U. Happy Sunday.

Monthly Old-Time Jam Re-Starts this Wednesday

The Monthly Old-Time Jam is starting up again this Wednesday, September 1st at Nightlight! Doors open at 5pm, jam will start around 6. This coincides with the beginning of Nightlight's extended hours--featuring delicious Open-Eye coffee (buy one get one free!) and wireless internets.

Come on out with your fiddles, banjos, guitars, mandolins, washboards, jaw harps and more, or just come to hang out and listen, drink a beer, sip a coffee, tap your foot, check your e-mail. All levels welcome. Support the Nightlight & tip your bartender!
Facebook invite here.

OLD TIME JAM
first Wednesday of every month
5-8pm
at Nightlight

Hopscotch Ticket Give-Aways

Greg Lowenhagen and Grayson Currin from the Independent Weekly already came on the Backyard Barbecue to give away two pairs of weekend passes to the Hopscotch Music Festival, but the BBQ will also be giving away tickets to the two headlining City Plaza shows right up until!

Tune in the next two Sundays (August 22nd and 29th) from 8 to 9 PM for the chance to call in and win a pair of tickets to see Public Enemy on Saturday, September 11th at the City Plaza in Raleigh. And on Sunday, September 5th, we're giving away 2 pairs of tickets to the Friday (September 10th) City Plaza show (The Rosebuds, Broken Social Scene, and Panda Bear) and 3 pairs of tickets to Saturday's Public Enemy show, featuring The Love Language and No Age.

In the meantime, keep yourself busy by checking out our fall schedule or listening to archived sets from local bands (like our newest recording by Chapel Hill noise-maker NUSS).

August 12: TNF : Featured Artists Announced...

King Mez


P.Wonda

Thursday August 12 it all goes down once again. I'll be doing a new installment of "Hot, Dope, Fresh" ... the latest in hip hop and R&B along with classic forgotten about gems.

The featured artist interviews for the night:

Greenboro, NC's P Wonda and

Raleigh, NC's King Mez.

Both artists' buzz have been steadily inclining, P- Wonda's "B*tch I Do Numbers" has been going HAM in the clubs this summer and King Mez had a stellar write up in The Independent Weekly back in June, so I'm excited that both of them will be stopping by the studio that night!

'Lauryn Hill: Past, Present & Future' (Mixtape)--Miss DJ Gemz...

One of my favorite DJ's, Miss DJ Gemz just released a mix of old, new, and rare Lauryn Hill tracks. If you're unfamiliar with Miss DJ Gemz, she's the official DJ for The Tri-City Suns Basketball Team (DC), DJ'ed our SOHIPOTOME women in hip hop events back in March, and does DOPE remix projects:

"I wanted to share my newest project by my friend SJ and me. It features some of our favorite Lauryn Hill tracks, some of which you probably have heard, others which you might not have. The main focus was to showcase her voice and powerful lyrics."

Download Lauryn Hill: Past, Present & Future or listen to it here.

Where Is Hip Hop? Episode 54 w/ Randy Roper x Nanci O...

Where Is Hip Hop? is a weekly segment Randy Roper and I started over 1.5 years ago. Below is a breakdown:

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WHERE IS HIP HOP? will give you information on the current state of Hip Hop in the world today as seen by Randy Roper aka Randy Exclusive, Music Editor of Ozone Magazine and Nanci O. We talk about who is hot and who is not, interviews, how we feel about certain albums and the direction of Hip Hop culture in the world today.

Think of us as the Roeper and Ebert of Hip Hop.

Get ready to be EDUCATED, INFORMED and ENTERTAINED.

*********************************

Yes, Randy and I talked about Rick Ross last week, but Bawse's official first week numbers had just been released. On this week's edition of Where Is Hip Hop?, Randy and I looked at the why and how of what occurred with Rozay's first week.

Sidebar: Randy predicted 200,000, I was thinking more like 150,000.

If you're late, Teflon Don moved 176,000 units in it's first week out. If you're even more late, although Rozay moved that many in 7 days, Eminem still had the #1 album in the game, 5 weeks post release, with Recovery.

So while Rick Ross has *some* folks running around hollering they're BMF, Big Meech, Larry Hoover, Eminem has the crossover appeal on lock (Rhianna, anyone?). And as noted, man titties doesn't sell records. In other words, Bawse doesn't have a female fan base or a crossover market. So if Rozay wanted to cross over, we discuss the artists that may help (even though it may hurt his street cred). Justin Timberlake, Katy Perry and the like. Last, we speculate on how Teflon Don can break the one million records sold mark.

Where Is Hip Hop? Episode 54:


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Instrumental music with strange intensity: Savage Knights on-air interview

Local multi-instrumentalist and composer Crowmeat Bob stopped by the WXYC studios on Monday Aug. 6 for an on-air interview, and played some of his own music and favorite free jazz cuts.

Download the interview.

Savage Knights playing a show on Aug. 10, at Nightlight with Vampire Squid from Louisville, Prehistoric Horse from NY, and Phantacist from Carrboro.

Dexter Romweber and the New Romans on Aug. 19th at the Station,

Archive.org is my favorite vice.

A lot of my workday is spent on Archive.org, watching and capturing old 16mm educational films much like this Sparkling Gem of a video, featuring a jumpsuit-wearing safety superheroine from space:

Archive.org also has a great audio resource section on their website, chock full of interesting little things to listen to. Here are some of my favorites:

• The Conet Project: WXYC used to have this compilation, and I played the hell out of it. Creepy recordings of spy / number station broadcasts.
• Netlabels: "This collection hosts complete, freely downloadable/streamable, often Creative Commons-licensed catalogs of (1500) virtual record labels" such as:
• Mirakelmusik: For fans of the Maurizio Bianchi single that's been getting a lot of play on WXYC this summer, I've been streaming his Mokushi XVI album all morning.

Have fun committing time theft today !

Howl for Jesus (or something like that)

Every year, WXYC polls all one million (give or take) of its DJs to figure out the best releases of the year. Last year, it was Raekwon da Chef's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...Vol. II. The year before that, it was Animal Collective's Merriwhether Post Pavillion. This year, I think it's safe to say that this guy's album is going to be the album of the year. Hands down. All we need now is someone to hook this this up with the Virtuous Woman people.

Dumistrescu Conducts the Hyperion Ensemble

one my many joys in life is watching youtube videos of conductors and this is one of my favorites. iancu (we actually have some of his stuff in our library!) normally is a pretty funky looking dude, and when his hands start waving, his expressiveness can't be topped.

on another day i'd end this post with a david keenan joke.

Lau Nau + Kuupuu

Improv collab. of two Finnish free-folk ladies, both oft-heard on XYC.

Lauryn Hill - Repercussions

Is this an ACTUAL new Lauryn Hill song? Is this even good? Does it matter? Now that she’s basically the William Forrester of hip-hop, anything that comes from the Lauryn Hill camp has to be treated as Internet Gold.

It seems like Ms. Hill is gearing up for a comeback, what with the whole her headlining Rock The Bells thing, plus she’s actually talking to reporters again, and now this. Though, again, nobody really knows whether this actually new, or just some long-lost song from the vaults that’s only now getting leaked. Listen to it while you can, because you can bank on her people demanding pretty much every leaked iteration of this song to be removed from the internets. As for whether her people will then demand that the internet be set on fire for even implicitly allowing this to occur, it’s anybody’s guess.

And just for the record, this song is kind of the shit.

The Pop Group Are Getting Back Together!

After disbanding for no reason (there probably was a reason) in 1981, The Pop Group have decided to give it another shot and have reformed to do some live dates, plus record an album if they can keep their shit together for long enough.

If you ain't already know, The Pop Group were a seminal post-punk band that got going right about as punk started happening, which makes them either (a) really, really ahead of the curve, or (b) not actually post-punk. Despite not being able to play their instruments particularly well, they managed to crank out two gems in "She Is Beyond Good And Evil" and "We Are All Prostitutes," plus a killer, noisy debut album, a pretty okay follow up and a split single with The Slits before the group disbanded due to internal differences. Their lead singer Mark Stewart ended up working with hellof dudes like Trent Reznor and other people who I can't think of right now, plus he kinda-sorta started trip-hop, so he's to be credited (or blamed, depending on who you're asking) for that.

Catch them in Italy and the UK this year (because you are definitely in Europe right now), or just gush to your friends that this super-obscure British band is getting back together even though you don't really know all that much about them (this is basically what I am doing), or if you actually like them, you already knew this was happening, which basically renders this blog post moot. Oh well, these are still some pretty good songs.

Don Carlo Gesualdo

Here's a nice, short (abridged) biography of the late Renaissance composer Don Carlo Gesualdo, which I found here. To summarize, he's an insane, awful man, who on multiple occasions attacked his spouses. His story is disturbing, almost matching the madness in his compositions:

[Carlo] Gesualdo’s passion for music began at a very young age, as with Mozart, and as a child he had no interests outside his lute and harpsichord and singing, apart from an interest in the other young boys that he sang with. As the second son he could indulge his interest as the running of the estate would fall upon the shoulders of his brother, Luigi, and not himself. But in 1584 his elder brother died and it became incumbent upon Carlo to produce the necessary heir. The bride chosen for him was his cousin Donna Maria d’Avalos and they married in 1586...Futhermore the marriage was not for love but procreation. A son was required to continue the line and to prevent the estate reverting to the Papacy. Donna Maria had already been widowed twice before the age of thirty, having been first married at the age of fifteen, and importantly, had already produced two children so was demonstrably fertile (she is also claimed to have been beautiful and charming). The requisite son, Don Emmanuele, was rapidly produced and within a couple of years the Prince had lost interest in her returning to his young men and music.

...[Donna Maria] would find a new love-interest in the form of young Don Fabrizio Carafa, Duke of Andria, himself married and father to four children.

In order that they could meet and indulge themselves thay had to bribe the many servants who were in constant attendance and affording no privacy; but they managed a two-year passionate affair before wind of it got to Prince Gesualdo. They were not so much discovered as betrayed by Don Carlo’s uncle, Don Giulio, who had himself approached Donna Maria and been rebuffed on many occassions. "...But when whispers came to his ears concerning the loves and pleasures of Donna Maria and the Duke of Andria, such was the wrath and fury which assailed him on discovering that the strumpet did lie with others, that straightway he revealed all to the Prince."

All might still have been well with Don Fabrizio suggesting that they should cool things as he was aware that knowledge of their dalliance was spreading, but Princess Donna Maria declared that she was not afraid of discovery and if he was then he should be a lackey not a Prince. She would rather suffer the sword than his betrayal. Thus he agreed that they would, if necessary, die for their love. Don Carlo laid a trap for them by announcing that he was departing on an overnight hunting expedition; and hunt he did by smashing down Donna Maria’s bedroom door discovering the pair in flagrante delicto (well they were actually asleep post-flagrante delicto) whereupon he set upon and murdered them both and ordered that their naked bodies be exposed to the public. The next day all the city flocked to see. Donna Maria’s stab wounds were mostly in her belly "..and more particularly in those parts which she ought to have kept chaste" and the Duke had even more grevious wounds. It is even reported that whilst the corpes were exposed a San Dominican monk ravished Donna Maria’s inert body.

Because of his rank Gesualdo was never brought to trial for these murders but it would seem they did affect him deeply and were possibly the start of a manic depressive mental illness. In atonement he, like Macbeth, razed the forest around his castle so that his shame could not be hidden by it and he built a monastery with a chapel for which he commissioned a painting showing himself, the wicked uncle, Don Giulio, the corpses of Maria and her lover...

...In spite of having murdered his wife another one was soon found for him. The Duke Alfonso II d’Este of Ferrara did not have an heir and wished to prevent his estate reverting to the papacy. He proposed that his cousin, Eleonora d’Este should marry Gesualdo to circumvent this. Gesualdo was persuaded, not by any beauty of Eleonora whom he had never met, but by the musical riches at Duke Alfonso’s court who was himself fanatical about music. In February, 1594 they were married in courtly splendour and the union was celebrated in many odes, sonnets and madrigals. The next couple of years were very productive for Gesualdo and he composed the four books of five-part madrigals for which he has become known. Every day the court musicians would assemble after dinner and sing for a couple of hours accompanied by an amazing range of instruments described by the chronicler Girolamo Merenda as including cornetti, tromboni, dolzaine (?), piffarotti (?), viole, ribecchini, lute,guitar, harp, clavicembalo, and an archicembalo which had several keyboards and a capacity for producing microtones.

Don Carlo Gesualdo may have become a great musician but he was not a good husband and conducted several affairs (dallying with both sexes) and there were rumours that he was cruel to his new wife, who by now had born him a son, Alfonsino. In 1596 he returned to Gesualdo without his wife and child intent on setting up his own musical court. The next year Duke Alfonso died and with him the musical tradition at Ferrara, and Eleonora and Alfonsino rejoined Don Carlo at Gesualdo. Don Carlo was already ill with asthma but he rapidly became afflicted with a manic depressive illness leading to a deterioration in his behaviour exhibited in sadism and masochism. He began to illtreat his wife, beating her and ignoring her and flaunting a pretty new mistress. Yet whenever Eleonora went away he would long for her and beg her to return only for the violence to start again. Don Carlo became so deranged that he felt he could have no peace unless he was beaten three times a day by a team of ten young men. He "...was unable to go to the stool, without having been previously flogged by a valet kept expressly for the purpose." He found it soothing to receive blows to the temple and other parts of the body...

Rusko ft. Amber Coffman - "Hold On"

Maybe it’s just me, but Rusko seems like kind of an asshole. Actually, it’s definitely just me since Rusko is a musician who I have never met before and I shouldn’t be casting disparagements upon his character. Or, it’s because he makes not-very-serious music within the context of a genre (dubstep) that, as a general rule, takes itself VERY seriously. Or or, maybe it’s because he executive produced that God-awful M.I.A. album that is basically an insult to complex thought that I kind of feel obligated to defend, if only because Pitchfork hated it (I have very complex feelings!).

I guess my point is that despite all that (and the despite the fact that “It Takes A Muscle” is actually really, really good), I can’t stop listening to Rusko’s song “Hold On.” The song is almost a subversion of dubstep, employing the wonky sub-bass that typifies the genre and throwing it at your face at an alarming rate, layering some gurgly synths up on top of that, and taking Amber Coffman of the Dirty Projectors and employing her as an auxiliary house diva for the win. Feel free just to let the audio play and turn your Internet Attentions elsewhere, because that's what I did.



For the double win, peep the 12th Planet remix, which stretches the song out, giving it a Southern Rap stomp that would make Pimp C proud.



Speaking of which, Free Pimp C TI Gucci Weezy!

WXYC Likes Pie

Read more here.

Weezer vs. Y Fuego Mod

Well how about that... I actually kept a promise (for once) and here I am, following up to my previous post with another installment concerning the (more recent) shenanigans that XYCers get themselves into.

Shall we roll with it? Ok. Ok. Here we go >>>>

I don't get out much. No, I mean, really -- most weekend nights you'll find me cooped up in my beautiful apartment, drinking German beer and reading J.G. Ballard short stories. This past weekend I was doing just that... cool breeze, fresh bowl of fried rice, and a rare Saturday night show from WXYC's longtime (soon retiring) program director Kellen C (who, by the way, runs an excellent basketball-themed [sort of] blog).

Due to a scheduling snafu, there was a blank spot in the schedule following the show. It turns out that there is a cure for the (WXYC) summertime blues. Enter Y Fuego Mod, noise project of Music Director Jonathan W and new DJ Jon O. Fresh from a gig earlier that night in Greensboro, they took control of the airwaves and kept WXYC pumpin' the jams for 6 HOURS. They even treated the listening audience to a live performance right out of the XYC control room.

Banging on what looks to be a scrap A/C vent and not without the implementation of some power tools (those poor microphones!) and a skipping record, our radio heroes brutalized the airwaves with some primitive-industrial noise. Here's a clip to share with mom and pop:

download

But then the night took a strange turn, the duo proceeded to sing along to Weezer's "Surf Wax America." Why Weezer?... why that song?... I don't know... but the end product was charming and totally fucked. What we have here is a true testament to the ever-present influence of Indie Rock on the WXYC DJ, a decomposing manuscript of teenage Summers and high school car ride sing-a-longs before the days of existential angst and heady coming-of-age lyrics.

download

It's OK that they can't remember the lyrics... even the best of us have trouble with this sort of thing. At least they went for it... and doesn't it kind of make you want to give the Blue Album a quick spin, just for old times sake? You know, sing along to Buddy Holly or Say It Ain't So at the top of your lungs? OK, maybe not, but the band does seem to be a karaoke fixture these days...

As the Summer schedule proper quickly comes to a close and WXYC transitions to the dreaded "sign-ups" period, I hope to catch more DJ sing alongs and general in-studio improvisation.... I mean, come on, when else is someone in another state (or country for that matter) going to laugh comfortably from their armchair at your wrecked nostalgia?

-dvd

WXYC Goes Viral

Greetings everyone from the light at the end of the (Holland) tunnel! That's right, beautiful Jersey City is my home away from home for the Summer. Even though I can still pick up great free-form radio on the FM dial, I've found myself tuning into WXYC's webcast quite regularly. There is no better cure for a scorching hot Sunday morning (damn you urban heat-bubble) than a cold beer and a little OCS on the stereo.

As will happen during the Summer months, the WXYC blog seems to be.... well, completely neglected. In an effort to keep it somewhat up to date, I've decided to do a post or two in my own bland and underwhelming style. Bear with me here, as we delve into the WXYC history books...

From turn of the millenium WXYC 'zine Signal to Noise, Barry Summerlin explains the WXYC computer virus and its possible origins as a prank on our darling rivals over in Durham:

If anyone has the goods on the WXYC computer virus, no one's talking. Antivirus software maker McAfee says it was first tipped to the WXYC virus, which only affects PCs running the DOS operating system (i.e. Macs, machines running Unix, Linux et al are in the clear), in October 1992. The WXYC virus -- actually there's a whole gang of them cited in various online virus directories: Stoned.WXYC, WXYC.A, WXYC.A*, WXYC.A-O and WXYC.B, possibly more -- is a fairly common derivative of one of the most common computer viruses, Stoned.

Stoned family viruses corrupt the master boot record of a hard drive (usually by hiding a computer's startup instructions, eating some memory and replicating themselves onto any non write-protected floppy disks accessed) as well as a floppy disk's boot sector (which, when booting a computer from an infected disk, corrupt the master boot record of a hard drive, and the cycle continues).

The original Stoned virus contains the text "LEGALIZE MARIJUANA!" in the viral source code (the behind-the-scenes (screens?) instructions that run the virus, which would not display on a terminal). About once every eight times one reboots a 'Stoned' computer, the text "Your PC is now Stoned!" will be displayed. The WXYC virus is similar, writing "WXYC rules this roost!" on the screen 1 in 7 times that an infected computer is booted. The text "JAM WXYC" is contained in the viral code.

Other Stoned virus derivatives (there's about 100) pay homage to such WXYC-pertinent topics as the Jesus and Mary Chain (Stoned.J&M.C), Frank Zappa (Stoned.Zappa; on Dec. 4th (Frank's death date), it displays "Dedicated to ZAPPA..."), and the Chinese government's student massacre at Tienanmen Square (Stoned.Bloody; on June 4th displays the text "Bloody! Jun. 4, 1989").

The WXYC listing at IBM's antivirus site Inside The Lab notes that "WXYC is the call sign of a university radio station in the Eastern United States; the virus first appeared on the campus of a nearby rival university." This is somewhat corroborated from this virus alert from the February 1996 issue of Connections, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences' internal newsletter: "A PC virus was found at NIEHS. The virus came to NIEHS on a diskette from Duke University. The virus is a master boot sector virus that will state 'WXYC rules this roost' upon bootup of your PC."

The odds are pretty long against anyone 'fessing up to the WXYC virus, especially in print. North Carolina considers "introducing, directly or indirectly, a computer program, (including a self-replicating or a self-propagating computer program) into a computer, computer system, or computer network" a Class 1 misdemeanor, the most serious classification of misdemeanor; if actual damage from the virus exceeds $1,000, it's a felony in North Carolina, which could land our geek in the pokey.

Paul Jones, Director of UNC MetaLab, reports the WXYC virus remains "in the wild," which is geekspeak regarding a virus that remains in circulation. WXYC-B and tons of other viruses are available from mint-hpvac.com/virii/virii.html, if you make a good case ("ONLY those who need these files for researching viruses will get a reply."). On the offchance the WXYC virus resurfaces on your PC, current antivirus software from McAfee, Symantec's Norton line et al will detect and make short work of it; a specific fix for the WXYC virus is available at ftp://ftp.edu.tw/PC/simtelnet/msdos/virus/qwxyc.zip

...I hope you all enjoyed this little blast from the WXYC vaults, and who knows, you might have even learned something. As we learned today, those who don't learn from the past are doomed to spend 90 days in jail (but she was helping the kids?!). Till next time...

-dvd

WXYC DJ on UNC Student Television!

An interview with WXYC DJ Brian Heim (left), aka Rhetoric, on UNC STV. DJ Kyle R. is interviewing him. Click here!

Things That Go Bump In The Night

About a month ago I had out my EMF meter and saw some unexpected readings on the display. I pulled out my IR thermometer to take a measurement, but before I could even turn it on I began to hear strange noises. I always have my audio recorder handy, and I immediately pressed the record button. What I heard truly astonished me, and if I hadn't been able to preserve those sounds on tape I wouldn't have believed my own ears. Until now I was afraid to play my recording for anyone. But the world needs to know.

Like a voice from beyond the grave, I captured 45 minutes of the left-for-dead FEEDBACK FARM!

Play


or Download (21MB MP3).

Clara Rockmore, theremin virtuosa

During my radio show last week I noticed that Art of the Theremin by Clara Rockmore is currently in rotation at WXYC.  From Mississippi Records (who reissued the album):

"This LP, originally recorded and released by Delos International in 1977, features the eerily beautiful theremin accompanied by piano (played by Nadia Reisenberg.)  A record of stark simplicity and emotional intensity.  Mississippi is proud to present the first ever vinyl reissue of this material."

Art of the Theremin was produced by Robert Moog and features Rockmore's sister, Nadia Reisenberg, on piano.  It's a beautiful album and I'm really excited to hear it on the radio!  (NOTE:  If you happened to catch the Inside Track on Monday night, we played this album in its entirety!)

March in Thonburi by MPY

"March in Thonburi is an experimental short, created over two years by Michael Paul Young. After relocating from Baltimore to Bangkok, Thailand, in 2007, Young sought to expose how the many sensory influences of his adopted country have affected him. The result, March in Thonburi, embodies a richsensory journey through an urban cultural atmosphere from the perspective of a stranger in a strange land."

Gangstarr's Guru undergoes successful surgery

A nice follow up to some bad news: Gangstarr's Guru had a massive heart attack this past weekend but underwent successful surgery and seems to be recovering well according to a report at AllHipHop. This is good news for fans of Guru, Gangstarr, and hip hop in general. We should figure out some way to celebrate. OH I KNOW HOW:

Old Time Jam

WXYC DJ Emily Hilliard recently started a monthly Old Time Jam at the Nightlight in Chapel Hill.  Last night was the first one and it was a big success!  I saw lots of fiddles, guitars, banjos, a mandolin, an accordion, a baritone ukulele, a washtub bass & MORE!

If you play old time music you should come out next month.  Musicians of all skill levels are welcome to play!  The bar is open and there is also a ping pong table, so even if you don't participate in the jam you can come hang out and listen to the music!

OLD TIME JAM

last Thursday of every month

6:30-9pm

at Nightlight

wxyc got soul

Tonight on WXYC veteran DJ Jason Perlmutter will host his 8th annual Carolina Soul Thursday Night Feature!  

From Jason-

"Tune in for a broad range of soul music made in North and South Carolina in the 1960s through the 1980s.  The first two hours will offer danceable '60s and '70s releases, while 11pm will mean it's time for '70s and '80s slow jams, a few of which may come from the soulful gospel scene."

ALSO...

Tomorrow night (Fri. 2/19) I'm hosting a Soul/Funk/R&B DANCE PARTY at The Station in Carrboro!  It's free and all ages are welcome!  I'll be playing all types of soul- Motown, Northern Soul, Southern Soul, Memphis Soul- pretty much anything goes.  Hope to see you out on the dance floor! 

 

DJ Mark Katz in the news!

Read it here:

http://www.chapelhillnews.com/news/story/55264.html

February

WXYC DJ Kevin Clark takes a dissociative stroll through the local stomping grounds.

wxyc is everywhere

Bathroom @ The Smell in Downtown LA