1st set
They Might Be Giants – It’s Spare the Rock
Flans ID
They Might Be Giants – One Everything
The Beatles – Blackbird
ID
Bunny Clogs – Beetle Mania (new)
Caspar Babypants – Everybody’s Got Something to Hide ‘Cept for Me and My Monkey (in-studio)
ID
Bears & Lions – Two is Better
Frances England – You & Me
ID

2nd set
Rachel Loshak – Oh Girl
ID/prep to rock
They Might Be Giants – Don’t Spare the Rock!
ID
REM – Stand
The Board of Education – 8 is a Number
Robbert Bobbert & the Bubble Machine – We R Super Heroes
Rev 105 bumper
Uncle Rock – Rock & Roll Babysitter
Molly Ledford & Billy Kelly – To the Woods (new)
ID

3rd set
Jad Fair – Bingo (in-studio)
Cat & a Bird – Bee Jive
ID
Koo Koo Kanga Roo – Weird Sounds (new)
Stevie Wonder – Sir Duke
ID
Ralph’s World – The Coffee Song
Recess Monkey – Batteries Not Included
ID
Flans Dial-A-Song bumper
They Might Be Giants – Studio Cat (Tesla Remix)
They Might Be Giants – Spare the Rock

Pour out a sippy cup today for Barb Abney, who was unceremoniously let go from The Current today, just a few days after she was a big part of the station’s 10th anniversary celebrations.  I’ve been a sustaining member of the Current since day one, and this hurts.

I’ve known Barb since around 2000 or 2001, not long after we moved to D.C. She was then on the legendary WOXY (source of the “BAM! The future of rock and roll!” drop I use in one of our bumpers).  I listened online in my office as she played great music and emailed me about the Replacements and whatever else was on our respective minds that day.  I learned a lot about music and radio from Barb and WOXY.  After WOXY shut down (one of several times before it did so before its end became final), she was hired by MPR to join The Current.  I take totally undue pride in having been the very first person to email her at her MPR.org address.

Barb is at once a true radio professional and someone who, you know, would be your friend if you just got a chance to hang out.  And, sure enough, I’ve gotten to hang out with Barb a few times, and I’m so glad to have her be my friend.

While at the Current, Barb launched Wonderground Radio, which, like us, mixes in a lot of not-for-kids’ stuff in to the mix.  (I’m glad to have been a small part of advising Barb on it when she was starting it up.)  I hope MPR keeps it going.  It’s a great alternative to other 24-hour services (online or satellite) and I have absolutely stolen playlist ideas from it.

In retrospect, I don’t know if I would have started up Spare the Rock if not for WOXY (and Barb).  In a time when radio frankly sucked, they were a commercial station doing interesting stuff, showing connections between songs, and not just listening to consultants.

I truly hope that Barb ends up somewhere else where I can hear her; I will tune in wherever she is.

1st set
They Might Be Giants – It’s Spare the Rock
Flans ID
They Might Be Giants – Particle Man (Live at Nola Studio)
Elizabeth Mitchell – Winter’s Come and Gone (in-studio)
ID
Lucky Diaz & the Family Jam Band – Orale
Asylum Street Spankers – Sidekick
Not Unusual bumper
Sam Cooke – Everybody Loves to Cha Cha Cha
ID
Jonathan Richman – Abominable Snowman in the Market
2nd set
Sarah Lee Guthrie & Family – Go Waggaloo
ID/prep to rock
They Might Be Giants – Don’t Spare the Rock!
ID
momandpop – Pizza Party (new)
Shonen Knife – Frogphobia
The Sippy Cups – Springtime Fantastic
WKRP bumper
Madness – Our House
Bill & Karlee Goffrier – Grandpaland
ID
3rd set
Macaroni & Cruise promo
Secret Agent 23 Skidoo – PJs All Day (new)
Electric Light Orchestra – Mr. Blue Sky
ID
Loretta Lynn – High on a Mountain Top
White Stripes – We’re Going to be Friends
ID
They Might Be Giants – LMNO
They Might Be Giants – Spare the Rock

Guest hosted by the Belmontes!

Segment 1

TMBG “How Many Planets”

Devour “Millions, Billions, Trillions”

Melodysheep: Carl Sagan ‘A Glorious Dawn’ & Millions, Billions, Trillions

Pogo What I Likes

Ylvis’What Does The Fox Say’

Segment 2

Tonight You Belong To Me

Gregory Brothers ‘Wrecking Ball’

Gregory Brothers /Kid President ‘The World Can Be Better’

KISS ‘Shout It Out Loud’

Rubblebucket ‘Carousel Ride’

Segment 3

Garfunkle and Oates ‘Sports Go Sports’

Ana Tijous Los Peces Gordos No Pueden Volar” (“Fat Fish Can’t Fly”).

Madeline Kahn and Grover ‘Sing After Me’

Annie ‘Hard Knock Life’

TMBG ‘Particle Man’

Episode 488, if you’re counting.

1st set
They Might Be Giants – It’s Spare the Rock
ID
They Might Be Giants – I am not Your Broom
Beatles – Here Comes the Sun
Lloyd H. Miller – Them Bones (for Lena)
ID
Carole King – Beautiful (for Sylvia)
Ladysmith Black Mambazo – Mbube The Lion Sleeps Tonight
ID

2nd set
Justin Roberts – Roller in the Coaster
ID/prep to rock
They Might Be Giants – Don’t Spare the Rock!
ID
Lunch Money – Roller Coaster
Koo Koo Kanga Roo – Rollercoaster (new)
Jonathan Richman – Roadrunner (for Tom!)
Danimal – These Are The Things I Like
ID
[WJFF: Julie Andrews & Martyn Green – Songs of Fun & Nonsense]

3rd set
Macaroni & Cruise promo
Nick Deysher guest DJ set:
ID
Brian Vogan & Friends – Cross the Street
Dee-Lite – Smile On
Bill Harley – 50 Ways to Fool Your Mother
ID
In the Nick of Time – Flutter By Butterfly
Charles Wright – Express Yourself
Sesame Street – Ladybug Picnic
ID
In the Nick of Time – The Goodbye Song
They Might Be Giants – Lincoln, Washington, and that Jefferson Guy
They Might Be Giants – Spare the Rock

Happy 2015, y’all! We’ve got a super fun show this week, with brand-new music from Bunny Clogs, Quiet Company, They Might Be Giants, Lori Henriques, and so much more…including the triumphant return of Book Time with Ella!!

1st set
They Might Be Giants – It’s Spare the Rock
ID
They Might Be Giants – I Wasn’t Listening (new)
Caspar Babypants – The Girl with the Squirrel in Her Hat (new)
ID
Recess Monkey – Book Time With Ella
Book Time With Ella
Big World Audio Theatre – Ode to Tater-Tot (new)
Billy Bragg – Flying Saucer (in-studio)
ID
Suz Slezak – Yodel Lullaby (new)
Father Goose – Flying Machine
ID
[WJFF: Lloyd H. Miller – S.S. Brooklyn]

2nd set
Quiet Company – At the First Sonogram (new)
ID/prep to rock
They Might Be Giants – Don’t Spare the Rock!
ID
Todd McHatton – Everything You Always Wanted (new)
Matt & Kim – Daylight
Bag of Hammers bumper
Rolie Polie Guacamole – Snowball Fight
Danny Weinkauf – Champion of the Spelling Bee
ID

3rd set
Macaroni & Cruise promo
Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem – They All Ask’d For You (in-studio)
Lori Henriques – Groove (new)
Bunny Clogs – My Identity (new, premiere)
ID
Mista Cookie Jar – My My My
MC Frontalot – Mornings Come And Go (feat. Marian Call) (new)
ID
They Might Be Giants – Apartment Four
They Might Be Giants – Spare the Rock

Happy new year, y’all. We love you.

1st set
They Might Be Giants – It’s Spare the Rock
ID
They Might Be Giants – Letterbox
Vagabond Opera – New Year’s Eve in a Haunted House
Lori Henriques – Another Good Year (new)
ID
Louis Armstrong – On the Sunny Side of the Street
The Doubleclicks – Clever Girl
Gustafer Yellowgold – New is the New Old
ID
[WJFF: Okee Dokee Brothers: Echo]

2nd set
Jonathan Richman – New England
ID/prep to rock
They Might Be Giants – Don’t Spare the Rock!
ID
Jingle Punx – Auld Lang Syne
Los Lobos – Heigh Ho
Babe the Blue OX – Surfin’ Minnesota
Elizabeth Mitchell – What Goes On
Loud sounds bumper
Fastbacks – One of Those Things
Fountains of Wayne – Laser Show
ID

3rd set
Macaroni & Cruise promo
Secret Agent 23 Skidoo – Space Cadet
Tim and the Space Cadets – 2nd Grade Show
ID
RABBIT – If This Year Was a Book
Lucky Diaz & the Family Jam Band – Lines and Dots
ID
Breeders – New Year
Bruce Robison & Kelly Willis – This Will Be Our Year (new)
ID
They Might Be Giants – Letter/Not A Letter
They Might Be Giants – Spare the Rock