Airwaves

by Brian Goslow

The listening options expand this week with the return of Holy Cross-based WCHC (88.1 FM) and Worcester State College's WSCW (94.9 FM). Traditionally, the spring semester brings a change over in schedules and station management.

CHANGE IS ALSO in the air at WCUW (91.3 FM). Double Dare Ya!, hosted by Judy Ricardi, has moved to Thursday nights from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. (following the Dave and Dave Show), while Laura Kiritsy's Adult Children's Dysfunction Room now airs Wednesdays from 9 to 10:30 p.m., prior to the Litter Box, hosted by Worcester Phoenix columnist John O'Neill. At midnight, John McKeag, who spent nearly a decade hosting late-night rock programs at WICN, presents the intergalactic Glimpses. The show mixes psychedelic pop, Kraut rock, experimental space jams, and portions of old television programs into a timeless exploration of sound. If you don't intend to go the distance, throw in a tape. Many a Wednesday night I've started out intending to listen to the first half-hour only to find myself still awake three hours later, thanks to the hypnotizing sounds coming from my radio.

Last week's Glimpses featured selections from the Zombies' (of "She's Not There" fame) trippy and harmony-filled Odyssey and Oracle. "It's one of my favorite albums of the '60s," says McKeag. "It's available separately, and it comes in the four-CD box set Zombie Heaven, which includes 42 previously unheard recordings. Unfortunately, it's only available via import." He also digs out gems from Moby Grape, Graf Zeppelin, Amon Dull, Renaissance, early Blur, Big Star (featuring Alex Chilton, who reformed the Box Tops last summer), and William Orbit, who lives up to his name on "The Last Lagoon," a spark-flying improvisational piece. "You may know him from Strange Cargo, his band, if you want to call it that."

Along with hosting Glimpses, McKeag plays guitar for local rockers Harrison Ford, who also feature members of the Cream Team. They're at the Space on January 17.

WCUW'S NEW TRADITIONS, heard Monday through Friday from 6 to 9 a.m., has also rearranged its line-up. Troy Tyree has moved to Fridays (replacing Rob Silverberg, who's on "sabbatical" and hopefully won't stay away long enough to earn a "legendary" tag to his name), while Lee Morin is the new Monday host (though Marty Ayotte fills in on January 19). The rest of the line-up continues to feature Rich Fox (Tuesdays), Bill LeBeau (Wednesdays), and Dominick Marcigliano (Thursdays).

Fox's in-studio guest on January 20 will be Lisa Moscatiello, who just received a Washington (DC) Area Music Association nomination for "Contemporary Folk Album of the Year." Innocent When You Dream (Hidden Water) took its name from an old Tom Waits song and includes her renditions of Richard Thompson's "Now Be Thankful," Janis Ian's "His Hands," and an old Scottish ballad "Bogie's Bonnie Belle." She'll drop by around 7:30 a.m.

The following week (January 27), Gerry Dakato performs selections from his debut CD, UnPlugged. "He's a rocker gone unplugged who plays and sings with a lot of passion," says Fox, noting the New Hampshire artist will be part of the Green Rooster Coffeehouse's "Songwriters Circle in the Round" (along with Jon Carmen and Carl Cacho) on January 31.

Mary Gauthier, recently nominated for a Boston Music Award in the Best New Contemporary Folk Artist category, is Fox's featured artist for January. Her debut CD, Dixie Kitchen, features "Mama Town," a celebration of her Cajun roots, "Goddamn HIV" a song exploring AIDS's impact on families, and appearances by John Lincoln Wright, Faith Soloway, and Nola Rose.