Happy Birthday ds106 Radio

cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo shared by peasap

This weekend marks the one year anniversary of the launch of what has been to me, one of the best shared online experiences in my 20+ years here– ds106 radio. This web radio station was started with a tweet by Jim Groom, that has gone millions of miles since then, thanks to the genius of Grant Potter (the story here).

I’ve mulled over what I wanted to give the birthday box, and I kept going back to one song I always reach for, because it is fun, it’s about radio, and it transports me back to the 19080s when I first saw this wild stuff called MTV- Wall of Voodoo’s Mexican Radio:

I wondered if I could play the song and maybe recast the lyrics, I was pleased to find an easy set of guitar tabs, and I set down my own lyrics. Here is my first draft (insert usual self deprecating I suck statements).

Mexican ds106 Radio

To add some background, I nabbed a loop of the opening electronic noise from the original song (1 second sampled), and made a repeating loop in Garage Band of a drum beat.

So here is the deal- I know I missed some people and stories in my lyrics, so I have set them up as an open Google Doc. If you want to add a stanza or two go ahead, and I will perform it live sometime tomorrow (Sunday).

Just for reference, my first round fo lyrics:

I check the status the server’s okay
Again its only… auto dj
Make a playlist, flip on Nicecast
Talking over making breakfast.

Refresh webpage, listeners three
Must be GNA, up in Philly.
Got Papaya, and the PBX,
from a pay phone live cast.

I’m on d s 106, radio
106 woah oh, radio

Just a year ago, Jim Groom tweeted
Radio station is what we needed.
Over a weekend, up in BC
Grant Potter built it easy.

Rowan Peter or Peter Rowan,
Turned the mic on cicada going.
Way out west from a sblue shed
Its a monocast, all that she said

d s 106, radio
106 woaj oh, radio

Earth was shaking, Tokyo
live reports from Scottlo
Timmmmmy Boy, made it crazy.
with the all night karaoke

We got easegill, South Pacific
Kernohan, apocalyptic.
Riga Stories, Micha’s Momma,
Flowing out, with vodka

d s 106, radio
106 woah oh, radio

Noise professor, circuits humming
Leslie’s got her uke a strumming
I’m a talking while I’m driving
Giilia’s up late, and archiving

Scary stories, February
Live jamming, Sanctuary
Steven Hurley, his dream with us
Bryan Jackson, musical genius

d s 106, radio
106 woah oh, radio