Since I last asked you to pitch in for XRAY, I became the president of XRAY's board. So, now I really need your support!

Volunteering for XRAY is an opportunity to put some of my academic beliefs into practice right here at home in PDX. Now that I can see all of the financial data, I can tell you, XRAY is truly grassroots. More than 60% of our budget comes from small donors. Foundations, underwriters, and a few generous folks help balance our books -- but the station wouldn't be on the air without the $50/$100 gifts or the $15/mo members.

So, please turn those pockets inside-out & give some $$$ to XRAY. We need your support!

XRAY's programming comes from volunteers & I consistently hear fabulous music and folks who are passionate about Portland. Every year, I take this opportunity to spotlight a few favorites, just in case you have time to click through & listen yourself. Here are some recent favorites:

Spirit of '79

Admittedly, I don't often find myself listening to the radio, not even XRAY, at 3am. I'm old! But if I were awake on a Friday night (Saturday morning?) at 3am, I would definitely listen to Spirit of '79. Fortunately, the XRAY archive makes it easy to geek out on past episodes, and I spent the summer going through 'em after I met Andy at a station meeting & heard him DJ a little. Andy's post-punk show is great in that he really gets deep into the obscurities. (Seems like I could say that about pretty much every XRAY DJ/their chosen genre.) Case in point: for Bastille Day, he put together a special French episode that was great -- and literally had nothing (maybe 1 song) that I'd ever heard before. Lovely.

Record Lections

Another show that registered with me because of an XRAY event is Hell Books' Record Lections. Sometime last winter, we were in the room for a live broadcast; Brittni left for an early kiddo bedtime, heard a song on the radio, and bought the Italodisco 7" from Discogs after she got home. From week to week, the genre for these hour-long episodes moves around a lot, but the energy of the show (complete with intro music fit for a brawler) is always fun. The archive is extensive & there's a lot of good stuff to explore in it...

Circa Rad

Maybe the prize for most committed XRAY volunteer of 2023 should go to DJ Tex? Driving home with XRAY on the radio one night, I was shocked to realize that Tex was broadcasting live from a hospital bed! That's commitment. Fortunately, it was just a nasty case of COVID that she beat, but still! Circa Rad is like the opposite of an algorithm: instead of burrowing deeper & deeper into the same groove (which eventually becomes a rut), Circa Rad spiders out in all kinds of unexpected directions. Sometimes the show is twangy. Sometimes it's a little electro/dance-y. The center is probably 80s/90s indie rock, which is always a comfortable place for me, but Tex really does cover lots of ground. You'll hear some familiar favorites, but also many gems that you missed...

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I really do hear amazing stuff every time I turn XRAY on. I know it's easy to listen to Spotify & the podcast du jour, but check out a little radio from time to time, eh? And, again, I'd love it if you could click through to support the station too. It's especially helpful to become a member.

Thanks!

PS. XRAY soccer scarfs are the special fall premium & they look great! Free to members @ $15/month & available in some other ways too. Be sure to say you want merch (if you do) in the comments if you give here!