on the radio.

Why listen to WMUC-FM College Park?

Tired of hearing the same 10 tracks repeated over and over? Tired of the lack of genres represented on traditional radio? Head over to college radio for a welcome change.

These days, free-form college radio stations are few and far between. Conversely, most commercial radio stations are owned by conglomerates who impose centralized narrow programming. The University of Maryland's station, WMUC-FM, brings something unique to the monotonous world of FM radio. WMUC is an independent, non-commercial, FCC-licensed, student-run radio station. It is also one of the country's oldest college stations, first airing in 1937. Students handle the programming and operations, allowing for a more eclectic selection. Because it is free-form, DJs are allowed to broadcast anything so long as the content adheres to FCC guidelines. This means that in a two-hour timeslot, a listener could hear metal, indie, dance, shoegaze, britpop, hip-hop, oldies, blues, bluegrass...etc etc. The audience can actually discover new music, and with a schedule online, listeners can pick and choose if they want to listen to something specific.

With several ways to listen, there's no reason not to check it out. If you're in or around College Park, tune in by turning to 88.1 on your FM dial. If not, get near a computer and stream online at http://wmucradio.com! So GET LISTENIN' KIDS!

tryin' to strike the right lyrical density...

tell me your favorite line(s),
& i'll tell you mine.

up in the club.

Laura's Top 5 DC Nightspots

5. Rock & Roll Hotel- Besides for the fact that it is extremely difficult to get to, i.e. requires a cab from the Union Station metro, I love the atmosphere at R&R. The upstairs has plenty of little rooms to escape off to and the downstairs has a large space for shows and congregating. My New Years there was crazy, with top shelf alcohol, champagne, DJs, naked sushi, Brightest Young Things, and the music of Georgie James. "Nouveau Riche" will pop off there the last Saturday of this month, so prepare for lots of sweaty bodies and awesome tunes.

4. Asylum- One word. SHORTS. Every second Thursday is Gavin Holland's patented "shorts-mandatory" dance party, where there isn't even a cover to get in. This is my favorite right now because all everyone really cares about is having fun. Featuring a ball pit and absinthe at the bar, and as always, a stellar Holland on the 1's & 2's. Seriously though, just don't try to wear pants.

3. Black Cat- Black Cat is nice because it is an 18+ facility for most events. It is free to get in to the bar, though shows cost [obviously]. This is a low-key venue with pool tables, mood lighting, and just the right amount or grimy to feel at home. From Voxtrot shows to The Smith's v. The Cure dance night, to Britpop dance night, Black Cat seems to have a little something for everyone.

2. Tattoo- This is really the only "non-indie" space on the list, and it is here for good reason. The atmosphere is of cool rock, with photos of tattooed folk scattered all around. It is an excuse to really dress up in heels and a little black dress and to wild out. Tattoo bar's Tuesday night is industry & lady friendly. It features free Chandon and vodka drinks for the females from 12 AM to 2 AM. There is no cover. The resident DJs play an assortment of music from hair metal, to hip-hop, to dance, to classics. Big screens show the music videos as the music is streaming, making it exciting and maybe even evoking nostalgia for the days of "Livin' on a Prayer". It is smaller and get a bit crowded, but their VIP balcony made for one of my best nights out ever.

1. DC9- Known as being the original home to "Nouveau Riche," one of my favorite DC dance parties, DC9 is an awesome location. It is not super huge or grand, but it gets the job done and everything I have attended there has been stellar. I highly recommend "Liberation Dance Party" every Friday night, which features an open bar from 9-10:30. As with Tattoo, music videos accompany the DJ's selections. Finally, DC9 has a unique text screen. If an individual texts to the specific number it will be broadcast to the whole audience. This led to hilarious and sometimes lewd comments, and hell, it even made Jason Ryan famous for a night!

let me ride.

What is it with all of these so-so rock bands thinking it is cool to incorporate elements of hip-hop into their songs and videos. Sure it is wonderful that hip-hop is really being accepted as a culture and that the tenets are recognized as true art, but come on. Back in 1986 when Run-D.M.C. and Aerosmith collaborated on "Walk This Way" this idea was revolutionary. I have yet to see any other rock acts that can pull it off, or they are slipping from my memory. Anyway, when mixing genres, care must be taken in order for it to come off as a real effort.

Rock bands borrowing from hip-hop probably wouldn't bother me that much if I liked the songs or if it was done as a tasteful homage to the art form, but the new videos from the Red Hot Chili Peppers and All Time Low are just plain tacky. Who wants to see Anthony Kiedis with an iced out grill and second rate video-ho's dancing around the band. There is even a scene where Kiedis is getting his hair braided a la Snoop Dogg. If the intent was to make me laugh, it worked, but it makes hip-hop seem hokey and it appears more like a Weird Al parody than a real song. In the case of All Time Low, an underage band singing about popping champagne in a song that sounds very emo, they decide to borrow the cheapest elements of hip-hop for their video. It ends up looking like some kind of a disaster, like hip-hop purged on the set of an emo fantasy. Perhaps these bands should stick to what they know and not denigrate hip-hop. As someone who takes her hip-hop very seriously, man, it's just plain annoying to see.