**photo courtesy of THE EIGHTIES, Manic Panic, crimping irons, WRSU at Rutgers, and my sincere desire to get you to donate to XRAY.FM. 

Sometimes when I'm listening to one of the many many shows I love on XRAY.FM, I'm transported back in time. Sometimes it's a specific time in my life, but as often as not I'll be reminded of that feeling, the utter thrill and wonder of discovering and hearing something new: listening to AM radio as a kid, keeping a transistor radio glued to my ear way past bedtime; watching DEVO, Talking Heads and the B-52's on SNL thinking, "What is happening here?????"; the guy at the record store putting The Damned's Strawberries or Simple Minds' New Gold Dreams in my hands, saying simply, "This"; finding the radio station at my college from a flyer for a local Black Flag show and, again, prefering to stay up all night listening than to sleep.

Last Monday I had Down the Rabbit Hole on, and it hit me that listening to them felt like a really fun night at the Peppermint Lounge. I thought about other clubs I used to frequent, and other XRAY shows that reminded me of them. Big City Radio Show, which had aired in the time slot just before, is very CBGB in sound but feels more like being at the original 9:30 Club, dark and dank, with occasional some blasts of smoke machine. Six Feet Under, which airs later that same night, is reminiscent of the Limelight, or a night when Matt Pinfield would be DJing at the Melody Bar, everyone dancing in the dark(ness). Music for Neighbors never fails to bring me back to Maxwell's, while Electric Avenue feels like Danceteria in the best of its days. I love all those shows, and so many others, though I cannot put my finger on which club they might represent, back in the day. I love that I can listen to anything anytime in the archives if I miss a show airing live.

XRAY.FM - the music, the talk, the shows, the DJs - constantly amaze me. I don't know what I'd do without the station providing such a great soundtrack to my life, and I hope I don't ever have to find that out. As a board member, I donate both time and money to the station. 

If you listen to the station, I hope you'll donate to help keep the station on the air. If you're not a member or your membership has lapsed, I hope you'll join or renew. Along with new or increasing your level of membership comes some great swag, including an exclusive Fall Fund Drive sweatshirt, XRAY socks, and a gorgeous bandana for your pet, made by one of our multi-talented and generous DJ's. If you don't already listen to the station, you're really missing out! So much good comes out of XRAY.FM, and we really need so much good right now, don't we? 

But, we know this platform exists because of the people who give their time or money to make sure it stays on the air. At XRAY, there’s no endowment, no property, no angel donors to lean on. We’re on the air right now because people like you sustain our work year-round.

Without you, there is no XRAY. And without you, conscious community media might not exist. We’ve learned over the years from our peers across the country that a lot of people can be listening, but that doesn’t make the radio run unless a significant portion of those listeners pitch in to make the thing run.

Make sure XRAY continues to be a constant in your life. Not all of us can give, but for those of us who can spare $15 a month for a cultural institution—you’re doing your community a favor. Invest in your community today—and the people who make it—support independent media like XRAY.