New Student Edition minicgandady.com/arts i . SECTION D WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2000 4~ ~~ A~A A~A~A ~~. ~~AAA ~ A A - GABE FAJURI WCBN sounds quality college radio .Do the right thin g: turn of your radio S ome things in this world constantly amaze me. How did David Arquette become an actor? Who is respon- sible for cancelling "Airwolf?" Where the hell is Waldo? Does anyone actually read these columns? If "train A leaves station A at time X and train B leaves station B ... well, you get the picture. Rock radio is another phenomenon that constantly has me questioning life as we know it. And no, I'm not talk- ing about the fact that all these strange and often times obnoxious sounds come out of a little black box at the touch of a button. That's always mystified me, too. I'm talking about the fact that when it comes to listen- *ng to rock radio, the listener has about as much choice in what they're going to hear as politicians do about lying to the electorate. Some things in this world are guaranteed. Let's face it: no matter how "alternative" a specific station claims to be, all they really are is a mainstream profit-hungry entity, hell-bent on recycling the latest alt- rock top 40 trash that MTV keeps telling you is the greatest thing since the invention of the internet-ready refrigerator (yes, they do exist). And people, you simply believe them without asking questions. No rock radio station, despite boasting the ability to play what you, the discriminating listener, "won't hear anywhere else;" actually plays what you won't hear any- where else. It's not humanly possible. Because if they did that, if they didn't recycle the same five songs 10 times per hour, they wouldn't make any money. And wouldn't that be a shame? Not really. Yeah, I know, rock stations are in business to make money. That's why they're called businesses. They sell time in which to air ads that get run about five million times a day. And that's what allows them to play the .great" music you hear. But does the cheese stand alone on this one or am I the only soul on this planet that's going to jump out a window if I hear Korn and Ricky Martin one more time? "But that's not all they play" you answer in your ultra- defensive "hey, that's my favorite band!" voice. I yield, valiant audiophile. You're right. They don't only play Ricky Martin and Korn. The name of the game, after making money in the radio business is called "variations on a theme." Find something that kids will listen to, bring ,n the ratings and then beat it to death. That'll get 'em. So 4stead of playing Korn for 12 hours and mi amigo Ricky for the other half of the day, the stations round up ringers like Orgy, Limp Bizkit, Enrique Iglesias and Marc Antony to kill time between commercials. Do I even dare mention the sacred words "boy band" here? I have to be straight about one thing. And I am not making this up: I had to do research for the next couple of sentences in this article to find out which bands are currently "topping the charts" (for whatever charts are worth). I rarely listen to the radio. The only reason I know that N' Sync sing a song called "Bye, Bye, Bye" is because a few friends have told me so and I looked it up confirm the fact. I turn on the black box in my car only once in a great while. If I have to settle for listening to Marconi's mar- velous invention, my dial is immediately set on public radio. Robert Siegel and the guys from Car Talk rock my world. When it comes to rock radio, I've adopted a Nancy Reagan-esque stance: just say no. The point I would like to stress here, ladies and gen- tlemen, is that it is possible to live a nearly rock radio- free existence. In fact, I contend that it's healthy for you. Forget those tiring hours with that overpriced bowflex. *ou'll feel better about yourself once you snap the anten- na off your car and smash your clock radio with a very large rock. You'll feel energized, relaxed and most of all, clear- headed. The grass will seem greener and the sun will shine that much brighter over your newly halo-clad nog- gin. The spring in your step will be noticeable as you bound from lamp post to lamp post on a drizzling sum- mer night belting out the chorus from "Singin' In the Rain" (since those are the only lyrics anyone can remem- ber from the song). And after the clouds have lifted and you've been liber- ed from rock radio hell, my next suggestion is this: alk into your local record store and start thinking for yourself. Talk to some friends, tool around the Internet, check out a concert and buy a record put out by a band that you know nothing about. Listen to an MP3 or two and discover a singer for your- self. Don't let some distant voice in a little black box tell you what the next big thing is going to be, find out on your own. Sure, it'll take some work. You might have to read something or ask a few questions. But it'll be worth it. That way, if you find out what the next big thing is fore the DJ's do, you can.tell all your friends "yeah, they're huge now, but I used to listen to them back in the day. I'm a real fan." Make sure it's not something that's been cross-pro- moted on your morning box of Corn Flakes or featured on the cover of Tiger Beat magazine. Make a decision without any influence from the buzz of your radio for By Sara Fedewa Daily Staff Reporter Modestly located in the basement of the Student Activities Building is a radio sta- tion once hailed by Rolling Stone Magazine as one of the six best college radio stations on the web - the University's own student-run WCBN. Operated almost entirely by students, WCBN's top priority is providing the lis- tener with a unique experience by intro- ducing them to a variety of artists and musical genres that would not normally be heard on the radio. "We're here to break the mainstream mold of music," said general manager and University student, Nick Farr. Unlike many commercialized radio sta- tions, WCBN does not limit themselves to only one genre of music. The station high- lights blues, country, folk, hip-hop, inter- national, reggae, rock and soul and just about anything else that is new and may not have been discovered by its audience. The station receives albums from vari- ous record labels which staff and mem- bers of the University community review, explained music director and LSA junior Ben Tausig. These reviews are open to anyone who is willing to take home a CD for a week, listen to it and then talk with the station members about their personal likes, dis- likes and overall impression of the album. Tausig explained that this is the way that many station members first become involved, as the reviews provide an oppor- tunity to listen to and learn about a variety of music types. Becoming involved is an easy process, according to Tausig. The only thing that one must do is come to the station and express an interest. "We don't turn away anybody who real- ly wants to get on the radio," said Farr. A prospective member of the station would undergo a short training process in which they would be oriented to the equipment and the vast library of music that the station possesses. From there, the student would be expected to make a demo tape, which is basically an example of what they would do if they had their own show. Tausig explained that the staff is looking for someone who can demonstrate the ability to connect a wide variety of music types. "Since we play every kind of music you can't already hear on the radio, we demand you play all different kinds of music you can't already hear on the radio in your demo tape," said Farr. "It's all about exploring music you don't know about, and if you're willing to show us you can do that, you're guaranteed to get in." Once one has produced a demo tape that is accepted by the staff, that person would begin to sit in with another DJ in order to learn more about doing an on-air show. Shortly after that, the new member is given his or her own freeform radio show, a style that the station relies heavi- ly on. "In a freeform show, the DJ has com- plete freedom," Tausig explained. The host of a freeform show can play whatever musical types or artists he or she desires, as long as they are playing a wide array of music. Aaron Goodman, an LSA junior and member of WCBN, is a host of a freeform show, Surrender to the Flow. He said that one of his primary motivations for joining WCBN came from a desire to share the music that he liked with others. See WCBN, Page 2D By Jason Birchmeier Daily Arts Writer Detroit's rejuvenated electronic music scene emerged from the shadows this past Memorial Day weekend at the inaugural Detroit Electronic Music Festival. Featuring over 70 artists, four stages of non-stop music, a plethora of all-night afterparties and approximately 1.5 million people in attendance, it's safe to say that the DEMF exceeded anyone's expectations. After conceiving the genre more than 15 years ago, Detroit has become known as the world's premier mecca for techno music. -Unfortunately, while the rest of the world may speak of Detroit as an exotic techno wonderland, the city and its residents have seldom shared this sentiment. In fact, Detroit's police force and media have instead bastardized Detroit's electronic music scene by focusing exclusively on the degenerate elements of the rave scene with its underage attendants and its infamous reputation as a realm of excessive hedonism. The DEMF served as a massive step towards reversing the scene's image. The Detroit Free Press and other local media extensively covered the event, celebrating its success and high- lighting many of the artists. The police force enjoyed the utter lack of Woodstock-like hostility along with the lack of drug related incidents. Even Mayor Archer paid a visit to Hart Plaza to offer his regards. Many of the 1.5 million people swarming downtown Detroit were unfamiliar with techno superstars such as Derrick May and Richie Hawtin. One could sense the awe many newcomers expe- rienced as one amazing DJ after another blazed through stacks of classic dance records. Once unknown to anyone except those immersed in the local electronic music scene, DJs such as Rolando, Theo Parrish, DJ Assault and DJ Godfather had won legions of new fans by the conclusion of the weekend. Of course, even though it may have been somewhat of an undiscovered secret of the elite, electronic music has always thrived in Detroit. Since the mid-'80s, when young DJ/producers such as May, Juan Atkins and Kevin Saunderson merged Chicago House with Euro-dance and the latest technology to create a new style of music they called "techno,".the city has been a breeding ground for innovation. By the end of the '80s, a growing camp of dedicated techno artists and DJs had started their own club called The Music Institute. At this now-legendary club, the DJs would play the lat- est Detroit techno records for the crowd, enabling the producers to get instant feedback about what sounds worked on the dance- floor. This club not only made people such as May stars, but also functioned as the breeding ground for a new camp of techno- See DEMF, Page 2D ABOVE: A DJ shows his skIlls at the turnta- bles during the Inau- gural Detroit Electronic Music Festival in Detroit, Michigan. LEFT: More than 1.5 million people of all ages, from city resi- dents to global trav- ellers, flocked to Detroit's Hart Plaza for three days =of fes- tivities over the Memorial Day week- end. Campus boasts Vanety of music stores By David Reamer Daily Arts Writer Of the many good reasons to go to col- lege (education, new people, parties), one reason that is certainly valid but rarely mentioned is a simple, universal truth: Where students go, music follows. From college rock bands to used record stores, music follows college students with the accuracy and persistence of a blood- hound. This university is by no means an exception to this rule. With nearly a dozen record stores within walking distance of campus, and several more just a short drive or bus ride away, Ann Arbor is a haven for music fans of all types. Genres from mainstream and indie rock to classi- cal to marching band performances can all be found, both new and used, some- where on campus. The real trick is know- ing where to look for your particular musical needs. Until recently, the two largest and most ping by these two stores changed on June 25 when Tower closed its doors at its South University location. Store represen- tatives said that the record store is cur- rently seeking residence somewhere else on campus but is unsure whether or not it will be able to find one. The other corporate rival, though, has a similar selection of music and a variety of other products to entice prospective buy- ers. Borders Books and Music, located on E. Liberty, dedicates most of its upper story to compact discs in nearly all con- ceivable fields of music. In addition to its stock of roughly 50,000 titles on CD, the music department offers accessories like headphones and towers to store discs, cas- settes and movies. If you're looking for someplace to pick up the new Mannheim Steamroller Christmas album and browse for a book on Aztec society, Borders is the place to go. If you're looking to make some money off of old CDs, however, look elsewhere. Rnnprcis nP f tn fxy hnn inAnn. 11 up 1, x: