What radio shows should I do?

March 6, 2006 9:35 AM

Radio show themes needed!

I do a weekly, two-hour show for a college radio station. Recently, I've begun using weekly themes; for instance, this was last weeks "Drug & Booze" show, while the week before was "Anti-Valentines." I find that using a theme keeps me focused in terms of programming. Sadly, I have no idea what to do this week- any ideas and sample songs?

posted by 235w103 to media & arts (19 comments total)

You could always do a show like "Bands the city of New York is ripping off this week" and wander through some of the more obscure post-punk halls...
posted by hototogisu at 9:42 AM on March 6, 2006

I used to do a show that dealt with connections between bands. For example, you play some Husker Du, then some Sugar than since Dave Barbe was in Mercyland, you play something by that group.

If you're good you can get two hours out of this.
posted by DieHipsterDie at 9:43 AM on March 6, 2006

I often did the same thing that DieHipsterDie did. It was a lot of fun, and appeals to listeners for more connections often yeilded some surprising info. Now that the site BandToBand exists, it would be a whole lot easier.

Also, I once did a whole show about "Geography", i.e., songs about places.
posted by saladin at 9:51 AM on March 6, 2006

Dammit... link should have gone here.
posted by saladin at 9:53 AM on March 6, 2006

Well, if you wanted samples ... You could do a show dedicated to extremely heavy sampling. Everything from the obvious of hip-hop - but you could take it a few steps deeper with something in the style of Double Dee & Steinski's "Lessons" or early Coldcut, to Emergency Broadcast Network or Negativland, or maybe further into avant garde, who knows... Google Strictly Kev's "Raiding The 20th Century" for further ideas.
posted by kuperman at 10:26 AM on March 6, 2006

The connection idea is a good one.

What about 'The [cityname] Sound'? You could really make a lot of hay out of it - The Minneapolis Sound, the Cleveland Sound, The Atlanta Sound, etc. Figure out who the hot bands are for each area and queue them up.
posted by unixrat at 10:26 AM on March 6, 2006

Since it was just Oscar time, maybe tie your theme into movies somehow. One of my friends made me a Tarantino mix CD once which was surprisingly varied and interesting-Scorcese is another director that picks great music. Or just pick great movie songs that you think fit the kind of show you like to put on. It definitely won't limit you.
posted by apple scruff at 10:28 AM on March 6, 2006

You could also do an instrument show. Steel guitar, bongo, cowbell, flute, vocoder, you name it.
posted by unixrat at 10:29 AM on March 6, 2006

Side projects. Play only stuff that'sfrom side projects or individual collaborations from people in other bands, side by side with a track from the band. The only example I can think of right now would be something by Prozzak, and then the--shit, I always get the two mixed up--the Gipsy Kings or the Philosopher Kings.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 10:45 AM on March 6, 2006

Wow my show is exactaly the same, and I was just thinking about postnig this kind of question.

Here are some themes we've done:
-Perv Day
-Foreign Music
-Space
-All the obvious ones: names, places, numbers, color, animals, food,
-"Greatest Song Ever" which invovled asking everyone we knew what they thought the greatest song ever recorded was and playing all of those songs
-mash ups
-novelty songs
- six degrees - where every song connects somehow to the one before & after it
- one word titles
- covers
- songs with "love" in it
-songs about weather
- songs with "rock" or "stone"
- fueding bands
- music from commericals
- space
-soundtracks
-video game music
-gender
-positions of authority
-titles
-"the" bands
- bands with good music videos
- award winning bands
- california
-east cost v. west cost
-conflicting emtions day (a very happy song folowed by a very sad song, all night)
- English Major Day (songs with literary references)
-political
-title tracks
-opening tracks
-night/dreaming
-short songs

I'd keep going, but I have class now. I also recently discovered this wikipedia page, good for getting ideas about themes & songs.
posted by nuclear_soup at 11:02 AM on March 6, 2006

I've made playlists based on color, playlists in which each song refers to a different month (seasons would work to). You could also try themes based on: geographic locations, the elements (fire, water etc.), literary references, technology/robots, food, nautical themes, trasportation, songs with references to school, songs about guitars, money, the sun. . .I could go on.
posted by Packy_1962 at 11:03 AM on March 6, 2006

I've just finished readin Lester Bangs's Mainlines, Bloodfeasts and Bad Taste, and I think that a tribute show to 'deranged and obnoxious' Lester would be amazing.
Imagine a playlist including The Dead Boys, Patti Smith, Nico, The Shaggs, P.I.L. and Anne Murray.
Will your show be available online? If so, where?
posted by Sara Anne at 11:40 AM on March 6, 2006

yeah i just remembered a few more:

-references to anyone famous
-months, days of the week
-transportation
-songs about music
-summer songs (especially fun around Christmas)
-body parts
-concept albums
-heaven/hell (or just religious references)
-crimes

The best advice that I can give is usually when we're stuck for a theme, we think of a song we'd like to play and just figure out a way to build a theme around that. Good luck.
posted by nuclear_soup at 12:09 PM on March 6, 2006

Songs about food.
posted by Pollomacho at 1:36 PM on March 6, 2006

I had a show last year where I just played cover songs.

Also popular: songs about drugs.
posted by maxreax at 1:40 PM on March 6, 2006

Previously on Ask Metafilter, a related inquiry.

If your station was like mine, there are probably a few hundred records in the library that are just collecting dust. I had a friend that would only play albums that had never been played on air before. It was always an interesting show.
posted by sixacross at 2:33 PM on March 6, 2006

all remixes (www.gybo.org might have some good songs)
posted by radioamy at 4:54 PM on March 6, 2006

oh and, go college radio!
posted by radioamy at 4:55 PM on March 6, 2006

Go college Radio!!! I once did a show all with music that had Samples from the movie "Dune" in it ("the spice must flow and all that").

How about all 7" records?

big Hair music from the 80's
goth/vampire/shoegazer music (death ritual)
Odditory (found music, instructional audio)
Anti-Emo

I don't know, there are a few.
posted by djdrue at 5:52 PM on March 8, 2006