Music Highlights the week ending May Day

WORT Music Playlists

What was that song I heard? Who was the artist, what is the album title, where can I get it? Where can I find the entire playlist for a show?

Click on the Playlists button to bring up a calendar where you can choose any date to find the playlists for that day. If you can’t find the right playlist or the song you’re looking for, your best bet is to call the station the next time that program’s on and ask the host yourself. If that’s not possible we may be able to help you, but please have as much information as possible at hand when you contact us, such as: approximate day and time the music was played, what type or genre of music it was, who hosted the show and any other information you remember about the selection and we’ll do our best to track it down.

Contact Information

Music Director: Sybil Augustine – musicdirector@wortfm.org (for music submissions, charts and tracking, promotional exchanges for music events and following up on volunteer applications or other requests. Please include specifics in your subject line, such as “Hiphop Music Submission” etc, )

Digital Production Director: Aaron Scholz – aaron@wortfm.org (for record donations and sales, promos recording volunteers, etc.)

Music Calendars: Submit your events online here or send by email to calendar@wortfm.org

How do I get my music played on WORT?

We accept submissions in most genres and styles of music, focusing on noncommercial, out-of-the-mainstream, independent releases (check out our playlists and music charts for more information.) It may take up to a few weeks for us to review and process your submission so we appreciate your patience, and feel free to contact us to follow up. Please send your music, indicating any tracks with language that needs to be aired after 10 pm and including a one-sheet description and any biographical and tour information, to WORT Music Director, 118 S. Bedford St, Madison, WI 53703 and/or to musicdirector@wortfm.org.

We do accept digital files on .wav or mp3, but currently we still prefer CDs to digital submissions because it’s the quickest way to get it into the hands of our programmers and onto the airwaves, though we have a growing digital library. Digital submissions should be .wav or other lossless files, or high quality mp3s [128-320 kbps.]

You can follow up or “track” your submissions by email, or call 608-256-2001 on Wednesdays between 1-4 pm CST to ask if we received it, has it been reviewed, has it been added to our library, and what kind of airplay it’s getting—e.g. light, medium, heavy or charting. Thanks and we look forward to hearing your music!

Friday April 30 at midnight on XLII90 Live Music Radio Hour, Nufone Rick ended up switching it around at the last minute. Tony Markellis, bassist for Phish frontman Trey Anastasio‘s Band and the David Bromberg Band died earlier that day and in memory he did a show focusing on Tony’s work in Trey’s band. WORT’s music hosts are famed for doing great memorial tributes and this one’s no exception, so be sure to check it out on our archives.
[photo of Tony Markellis licensed by creative commons]

Long-time WORT Friday night rock host Harry Rag interviewed Reasonable Facsimile, former WORT volunteer and a pioneer of Madison’s punk scene, with fascinating results! On Friday April 30 from 8-11 pm he did a special 40th Anniversary edition of the show. Visit our website to stream the interview and the whole show on demand, and please feel free to leave comments for R.F. using the form at the bottom of the story.

Feed Me Weird Things this week covered 1968-2021: 3rd Wave, Revival, Ska-Core, Ska Punk, Traditional, Two-Tone…Whatever you call it, it’s all SKA, all night, on Feed Me Weird Things’ 5th Week Wildcard Special early Friday morning April 30 from 2-5am CT on WORT 89.9FM. View host Cardinal Din‘s website and playlist in black-and-white here.

[original FMWT art by Cardinal Din]

Fans of British creative musician/producer Tricky will want to check out Bad Sister Heidi’s Extravaganza Spectacular from Thursday April 29, 8-11 pm to hear three solid hours of music from Tricky and his extended family.
[Photo of Tricky courtesy creative commons]

Peter Haney, host of Back Porch Serenade on Tuesday mornings said of his April 27 program, “I thought the U.S.’s recognition of the Armanian genocide was a good opportunity to sample music by Armenian and Armenian American composers.” The show includes the music of Alan Hovhaness, Aram Khachaturian, Arno Babadjanian, Loris Chobanian, and Eve Beglarian.

[Image of Khachaturian by Yerevantsi, CC BY-SA 4.0]

In the wee hours of 4-27-21 (2-5 am) Rolling with Scissors producer and host Lucas The Prince of Darkness featured all women artists – check out the playlist here and listen to the show on WORT’s archives through May 11.

[Photo courtesy Lucas, Prince of Darkness]

WORT’s own Nate Gibson of Back to the Country (alt Weds 9 am-noon) says “I’m still pretty excited about the April 24 episode of Earworm on “Trucker Country”featuring myself and friend Travis Stimeling as well as Chip Davis of “Convoy” fame. Estelle and the folks at Vox did a really amazing job with this.” Check out that episode of the Vox video series Earworm here.

Nate adds: “Wow, what an exciting week it’s been for Starday Records!

Vox just published a rad animated feature on the history of truck driving music and I got to be one of the talking heads along with my pal Travis Stimeling. I’m super impressed by the story, the animation, and all of the production that went into this 14-minute Earworm episode and I am honored to be included. Many thanks and congratulations to Vox, Estelle Caswell, Antonella Crescimbeni and Travis for such a cool piece!

“This week I also learned one of my favorite podcasts, Cocaine and Rhinestones, is doing a 2nd season (Hooray!) and the first episode this week is a 2+ hour feature all about Starday Records. As Tyler (the host) mentions at the end, my book was the primary source used throughout the show and I enjoyed hearing the various song snippets in between the stories. I very much appreciate Tyler’s kind remarks and enthusiasm for the Starday book and I hope some folks out there take him up on his recommendation to read the rest of it. Check out the podcast here. For anybody who wants to purchase The Starday Story, I have a few of the original 1st edition hardcovers left or you can request it from your favorite local bookstore or your local library.”