Archives – WSRN

🎶💘 Love is on the air! 💘🎶 Want to make someone’s Valentine’s Day extra special? Dedicate a song to your crush, bestie, or special someone, and we’ll play it on WSRN this Valentine’s Day! ❤️✨ 🎤 How to Submit: 💌 Pick a song & write a short message 📲 Fill out the form (link in bio!) 🎧 Tune in on Feb 14 to hear your dedication on air! Tag your friends & spread the love! 💕

Looking forward to seeing everyone tonight!

CRUMB X WSRN THURSDAY NIGHT! BE THERE

Check out the link in our bio to sign up for your very own radio show on Swarthmore’s WSRN

Friday! 12/13! 2-4pm! Be there!

happy thanksgiving from WSRN! we are so thankful to have so many amazing hosts and listeners!

happy halloween week from WSRN. stay tuned for some frightening frequencies. the misspelling is swatties greatest fears

TOMORROW! 10/25 from 12pm-1:30pm! Drop record recommendations in the comments!

DJ Spotlight: Libby! Tune in Sundays at 4pm for Ad-Libbing!

Happy Tuesday! Every Tuesday we will feature one of our DJs to highlight the amazing shows happening every week on WSRN! tune in Tuesdays at 9pm to listen to Zoe’s show: Sperdude’s Soundtrack

Meet your station managers for the fall! Interested in joining our station? Click the link in our bio! #student #radiostation #wsrn #swarthmore #studentrun

this Friday 9/27 WSRN presents Parrish Porch Playback! From 11am-1pm we will be playing vinyl records! come relax and listen to the smooth sounds of vinyl records. bring your friends, your roommates, your roommates’ friends, your friends roommates. And of course bring the kids!

WSRN SHOW FORM OPEN NOW. link in bio

[MUSIC FROM THE VAULT] "This is the major label debut for the Whigs, who used to play for SubPop. The past year has showered the record stores with mediocre grunge bands who got snatched up in the post Nirvana era... but the Whigs could've put this record out on any label...Elektra, SubPop...who cares? "GENTLEMEN" follows the tradition of "CONGREGATION" by delivering soulful, entrancing grunge that is emotional and sparked by amazing vocals and musicianship. It would be hard to call this CD more polished then 1991's album (which was the most produced thing Subpop ever released), but there are no flaws—and it seems as if Elektra did help to make this ultra-smooth. Certainly the boys who brought us "Up In It" are nowhere to be found, but this is a good CD and it nearly equals, the romanticism of "Congregation". Probably the best thing ever made for Elektra if they market it right." - Gram 10/22/93

[MUSIC FROM THE VAULT] "I don't know what potatoes have to do with sex. Ross wrote a good review for this in the Phoenix. Thanks, Ross! I can just paraphrase him: it's kind of like the White Stripes, but rocks harder. Anyway, rocking harder pretty much means better, except the songs aren't quite as catchy as some of the White Stripes' stuff. There's a keyboardist, but one can barely her under the layers of distorted vocals, guitars, and drums. Regardless, it's fun and good and should be heard because they fucking rock. The songs are pretty much all the same, so pick one at random. Oh, you probably don't want to say the album title on the air. We don't want you to." - Jake

[MUSIC FROM THE VAULT] "chicago pop which echoes the secret stars, the magnetic fields, and the softies, auteur jeff gramm has a great rad-pop voice and the pretty, well orchestrated songs to match, slowly lilting, soft, and melodic, with jangly guitar and a little organ. in the end, this is nothing groundbreaking (but what is...?) but a really pretty group of songs that all sound like each other. even so, worth several listens, i'll tell you that much. try "scooby doo" or "snowy sidewalks" but all the <-'s are equally good" - Jonathan 9/97

[MUSIC FROM THE VAULT] "Alex Dunham has a project and that's why I like what he does. The same unmistakable thread (both musically and thematically) runs through Hoover, Regulator Watts, even Radio Flyer, and now in Abilene, his latest band based in Chicago. The consistent twist to all these bands is their simultaneous musical innovation and thematic nostalgia - Americana. Regulator Watts took Hoover's jagged and incendiary music in a more mellow, dub-oriented direction, and Abilene continues that, but with more dub, more slow groove, more low vocals, more bass, less snarling guitars. Its slow music that's anything but lazy; part night time city music for Chicago in the summer, part lesson in interpreting American history. Just like all of them. PLAY." BT 3/01

[MUSIC FROM THE VAULT] "Ok, so it was recorded in a garage, but it's not *that* kind of garage rock—no dirty 70's-NYC-revival here. Actually, one of the first thoughts the opening number brings to mind is, "Sounds like some of the kids from Langley Schools Music Project grew up to be San Francisco indie rockers. Who knew?" The rest of the album isn't quite so precious, but it still has that lo-fi nostalgia feel—girly and slightly dissonant vocal harmonies, simple thumpy drums, general echoiness and a pervasive Phil Spector feel. It's pretty much in line with their last two releases, although Amy Linton (of Henry's Dress) keeps Wyatt Cusick (of Trackstar) from doing the Stuart Murdoch impressions he affected on the last album. Also: now there are trumpets. Melodic without being too sweet or pretty; kind of like Slumberparty but more, you know, awake sounding. Try tracks 1-3, 7, or 9 to start, but they're all decent." - Michelle 2/22/03

[MUSIC FROM THE VAULT] "The fine folks at Aesthetics (Tortoise's Commander Mindfuck / Designer cdep) bring us this guitar-cello-drums three piece. Definite Krautrock and even Jethro Tull prog-rock influences, but this is more or less jazzy math rock in the Chicago Tortoise Aerial M vein. The cello is really quite a nice touch and adds a lot to what would otherwise be somewhat ordinary. Most songs are uptempo in way reminiscent of Euphone (also Chicago), but this is a more organic sound and (to me) therefore more satisfying. I think I like the l'Altra cdep even better, but this is a different, somewhat barer sound. Though fast-paced, there is plenty of melancholy here, and it's more palatable here than in the crawl of Aerial M, for example. Dig that Chicago scene and play!" - Derek 8/30/99

[MUSIC FROM THE VAULT] "I've always liked Deerhoof on principle (the principal of weird, experimental pop being awesome), but I've never really gotten their songs stuck in my head (except "Panda Panda Panda"). This album is fast changing that. It's, you know, accessible, without evoking any of the negative sell-out, connotations of that word. There's a number of art-party songs like #1 (organ!) and #2 (horns!) and #8 (loungey hip-hop), and some quieter, surprisingly contemplative songs, too (#6, #10's 12-minute post rockish exploration). Some may feel that Satomi's cutesy vocals get too cloying with less jerky instrumentation (perhaps a result of the loss of 1 member leaving them a 3 piece), and I'll admit that "Whither the Invisible Birds?"'s sweeting longing actually kinda reminds me of the song that Fieval the mouse sings in "American Tail." If so, try #7, a loud-soft-loud rocker with Greg on vocals. Try 'em all, actually, even the ones I haven't mentioned are all pretty awesome!" - Michelle 2/07

This week's from the vault: Faraquet's Akarso. Here's what a Swattie in September 2000 said about it: Washington D.C.'s Faraquet play music that doesn't really sound like anyone else. It's a sweet and sour blend of jerky and inventive rhythms, dynamics, and some truly sick guitar work. As much as they defy description, they also defy easy genre labeling, particularly "math rock." Their sibling bands include [] and Smart Went Crazy, and they are recently signed to Dischord recs., which may give some more musical context. Tracks 1 and 4 are favorites, but all are worth it. Akarso could properly be called "math-rock" (uh, perhaps "trig-rock"?) They lead their songs with so many beats, rhythms, and parts that its hard to keep track. But invariably they do feel sensible, and Akarso is best at burying its melody beneath the yelling—and time-changes. Comparisons to an angrier more youthful Shellac have been made. Maybe.

COME TO OUR LISTENING PARTY TOMORROW 8PM, BIG ROOM PIZZA as well

[MUSIC FROM THE VAULT] "Have you played the Sukpatch 7"? If so, you'll be happy to know every song on this CD is just as good as your favorite song from their 1st single! It seems so rare that an album if silly of hits...(even the New Bad Things miss the mark sometimes). For those unfamiliar - Sukpatch plays pop songs with hip-hop beats and fantastic keyboard/sampling dance stuff. They borrow lots of familiar styles, but create their own unique and consistently great formula for pop." - JR. 11/96

[WSRN SPRING '23 SCHEDULE] Sorry for the wait but here is the schedule for semester. Check wsrnfm.com for the most up to date schedule ...Excuse the wrinkles

Spring Schedule in the works!

Fall '22 Schedule - RadioRebel

Broadcasting soon - Radio Rebel

Listen Now

Recent Posts