Good and bad, public and private, political and personal, 2020 forced us to reevaluate how and why we do everyday things.

Radio has been no exception. Without a studio or traditional equipment, our tech and programming directors had to get creative, quickly adopting new technologies to make sure our DJs could get back on the air as soon as possible. And while we’re making it work, a lot of things are not as they used to be. We no longer have access to our immense collection of CDs and vinyl, which we started before the 1960s. We can no longer host bands, hold interviews, or invite guest DJs for in-studio performances. Most of all, we don’t have that distinct, chaotic, punk-show-bathroom-meets-tacky-grandma environment to inspire our on-air babble. We’ll be back there someday, but the end is not quite in sight.

But ultimately, change is built into our station. We’ve come a long way from that small AM transmitter in H. Grant Theis’s dorm room, ca. 1940. We jumped on the FM train in 1955, over a decade before it became mainstream. WPRB’s hip-hop shows brought us underground rap back in the 80s, even before MTV’s Yo! graced our TV sets. WPRB sees the change, opens the door, and tells it to come right on in.

While the changes brought on by COVID were not all pleasant or welcome, we’re finding ways to make the best of it. We’ve brought back live broadcasts, nearly round-the-clock programming, and special (remote) guests, whenever possible. We’re even building a virtual community in our interactive online playlists, where hosts and listeners alike share memories, memes, and cooking tips.

To celebrate all of the change we’ve undergone in our 80 years of broadcasting and all the change we will undergo in years to come, this year’s membership drive will feature an 8-episode series of audio collages featuring interviews, promos, airchecks, and more from each decade of WPRB. To those who haven’t yet pledged to donate monthly, we earnestly ask that you make this commitment. And as a thank you for supporting us through all our evolutions, you’ll receive a sick WPRB phrog shirt! COVID has severely limited our ability to send out swag, so only monthly donors will receive shirts this year. To those who’ve pledged before, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for helping us keep going—monthly donations are invaluable to our survival—and we’d appreciate any additional one-time or recurring gifts you can make. As an existing donor, you will automatically receive this year’s shirt. High-pledging members will receive all of the audio on a custom USB!

Our Spring 2021 Membership Drive will be

Thursday, April 8th through Saturday, April 17th.

Unfortunately, to keep our DJs safe, phone-in donations will not be an option in 2021. You can make your tax-deductible pledge between the above dates by visiting our secure, encrypted pledge site, pledge.wprb.com, or filling out and mailing the form on the back of this letter. Rest assured, WPRB never shares your personal information. Thank you for helping us do what we love for the communities we love. Catch you on the airwaves!

Radio Love,

Iris Ushizima 

Development Director, WPRB 103.3FM

Labor Day, September 7th, 2020

it wouldn’t be labor day without laborers listening to laborwave

on wprb.

🙂

Independent radio is on the rise.

I know – hard to believe, right? New technologies and media outlets are popping up all around us every day, and yet, the communities that support independent radio around the country have only grown stronger. In an era of constant change and uncertainty, you (and the community around you) have refused to give up on the magic that emanates from local independent airwaves, and because of that, WPRB has never been in better shape to continue growing and engaging with its listeners.

In the spring, we took a huge leap forward in our fundraising capabilities by introducing monthly sustaining pledge options. Now that we’ve established a budding assemblage of consistent support, new doors have begun to open up for us. We’ve done away with outdated technology (the kind that you’d find in your grandpa’s attic) in favor of digitized and reliable new systems for on-air announcements and media, minimizing the technical malfunctions and complications that have hindered our broadcasts in the past. We’ve also opened up room in the budget for more live shows, like the one we hosted earlier this month with big names like James Chance along with the local presence of Thin Lips, Sea Slug, and Human Adult Band. On top of all of this, our staff has grown steadily for the past few years, and we have a nearly unprecedented flock of new voices on the air this season. With your help, we’ve extended our dedication to local communities beyond just our airwaves and solidified the bridge between our dark, dusty basement and your very own backyard.

As always, celebration of positive progress here at WPRB is short-lived and followed closely by ambition for whatever’s next. Your support continues to fuel our hard work to keep the station running and growing, and the most daunting task on the table right now is the digitization of our physical music library. WPRB is home to tens of thousands of vinyl records and CD’s, collected over the course of half a century, each with a handwritten review on its cover from one of the many DJ’s you’ve known and loved over the years. The library (or “the stacks”, as we call it) is the backbone of our erratic programming and curatorial wizardry, and it’s slowly but surely reaching its physical limitations, both in space and in longevity. Converting all of this media to a single digital repository requires heavy-duty technological resources and in-depth strategic research, not to mention hundreds of hours of elbow grease. A project as monumental as this one requires support from each of WPRB’s most dedicated listeners, which is why we’re asking for your support again this fall to supplement our steady (and growing) monthly patronage. If you haven’t joined our family of monthly donors, now is the time! If you have, your additional one-time pledge or increased monthly patronage for this drive will help to push this crucial project forward even further.

Our Fall 2018 Silent Membership Drive will be
Monday, October 15th through Sunday, November 11th.

You can make your tax-deductible pledge between the above dates by visiting pledge.wprb.com. In return, our thank-you gifts this fall once again feature designs created by your fellow listeners and local artists, a reminder that every member of the WPRB family is an essential one.

As we continue to grow and evolve as a station and as a community, more important to us than any dollar amount is your continued listenership to WPRB. More broadly, we hope you’ll continue to keep an open mind and an open ear to independent media, and keep seeking out the unheard.

Thanks for listening,
Bobby Lussier
Station Manager, WPRB 103.3 FM

OK, stay with us here. This is going to be a bit of a ride.

Here at WPRB, excellent eclectic radio happens every day. Once in a while, we send something particularly mind-melting flying out through the airwaves (and over the webstream) into your tiny human ears and decide to preserve it for generations to come. On our blog.

This week, our beloved DJ Abbie from Mars made some delicious radio art out of Kurt Schwitters’s 1932 sound poem Ursonate. Schwitters was a German Dadaist who dabbled with many different art forms, including collage, painting, sculpture, and sound. Here he is:

What a jolly dude. Here at New Jersey’s Only Radio Station, we are most concerned with SOUND art and so SOUND art we shall provide. Listen to Abbie from Mars pay respect to our dude Kurt. The performance starts at 1:38, but start from the beginning to hear Abbie introduce the piece and contemplate getting into breakcore. Her performance is regal at times, nail-bitingly suspenseful at others. Let the sound poetry wash through your neurons and transcend that ol’ body of yours into a whole new realm of existence.

Follow along below.

Introducción:
Fümms bö wö tää zää Uu,
pögiff,
kwii Ee.
Oooooooooooooooooooooooo,
dll rrrrr beeeee bö
dll rrrrr beeeee bö fümms bö,
rrrrr beeeee bö fümms bö wö,
beeeee bö fümms bö wö tää,
bö fümms bö wö tää zää,
fümms bö wö tää zää Uu:
primera parte:
tema 1:
Fümms bö wö tää zää Uu,
pögiff,
Kwii Ee.
tema 2:
Dedesnn nn rrrrr,
Ii Ee,
mpiff tillff too,
tillll,
Jüü Kaa?
tema 3:
Rinnzekete bee bee nnz krr müü?
ziiuu ennze, ziiuu rinnzkrrmüü,
rakete bee bee,
tema 4
Rrummpff tillff toooo?
exposición:
Ziiuu ennze ziiuu nnzkrrmüü,
Ziiuu ennze ziiuu rinnzkrrmüü
rakete bee bee? rakete bee zee.
desarrollo:
Fümms bö wö tää zää Uu,
Uu zee tee wee bee fümms.
rakete rinnzekete
rakete rinnzekete
rakete rinnzekete
rakete rinnzekete
rakete rinnzekete
rakete rinnzekete
Beeeee
bö

fö
böwö
fümmsbö
böwörö
fümmsböwö
böwörötää
fümmsböwötää
böwörötääzää
fümmsböwötääzää
böwörötääzääUu
fümmsböwötääzääUu
böwörötääzääUu pö
fümmsböwötääzääUu pö
böwörötääzääUu pögö
fümmsböwötääzääUu pögö
böwörötääzääUu pögiff
fümmsböwötääzääUu pögiff
kwiiEe.
rakete rinnzekete
rakete rinnzekete
rakete rinnzekete
rakete rinnzekete
rakete rinnzekete
rakete rinnzekete
Beeeee
bö
fö
böwö
fümmsbö
böwörö
fümmsböwö
böwörötää
fümmsböwötää
böwörötääzää
fümmsböwötääzää
böwörötääzääUu
fümmsböwötääzääUu
böwörötääzääUu pö
fümmsböwötääzääUu pö
böwörötääzääUu pögö
fümmsböwötääzääUu pögö
böwörötääzääUu pögiff
fümmsböwötääzääUu pögiff
kwiiEe.
rakete rinnzekete
rakete rinnzekete
rakete rinnzekete
rakete rinnzekete
rakete rinnzekete
rakete rinnzekete
Beeeee
bö

fö
böwö
fümmsbö
böwörö
fümmsböwö
böwörötää
fümmsböwötää
böwörötääzää
fümmsböwötääzää
böwörötääzääUu
fümmsböwötääzääUu
böwörötääzääUu pö
fümmsböwötääzääUu pö
böwörötääzääUu pögö
fümmsböwötääzääUu pögö
böwörötääzääUu pögiff
fümmsböwötääzääUu pögiff
kwiiEe.
rakete rinnzekete
rakete rinnzekete
rakete rinnzekete
rakete rinnzekete
rakete rinnzekete
rakete rinnzekete
Beeeee
bö
3a
bö
bö
bö
bö
bö
böwö
böwö
böwö
böwö
böwö
böwö
böwörö
böwörö
böwörö
böwörö
böwörö
böwörö
böwöböpö
böwöböpö
böwöböpö
böwöböpö
böwöböpö
böwöböpö
böwöröböpö
böwöröböpö
böwöröböpö
böwöröböpö
böwöröböpö
böwöröböpö
böwörötääböpö
böwörötääböpö
böwörötääböpö
böwörötääböpö
böwörötääböpö
böwörötääböpö
böwörötääböpö
böwörötääzääböpö
böwörötääzääböpö
böwörötääzääböpö
böwörötääzääböpö
böwörötääzääböpö
böwörötääzääböpö
böwörötääzääUu böpö
böwörötääzääUu böpö
böwörötääzääUu böpö
böwörötääzääUu böpö
böwörötääzääUu böpö
böwörötääzääUu böpö
böwörötääzääUu pögö
böwörötääzääUu pögö
böwörötääzääUu pögö
böwörötääzääUu pögö
böwörötääzääUu pögö
böwörötääzääUu pögö
böwörötääzääUu pöggiff
böwörötääzääUu pöggiff
böwörötääzääUu pöggiff
böwörötääzääUu pöggiff
böwörötääzääUu pöggiff
böwörötääzääUu pöggiff
fümmsböwötääzääUu pöggiff
fümmsböwötääzääUu pöggiff
fümmsböwötääzääUu pöggiff
fümmsböwötääzääUu pöggiff
fümmsböwötääzääUu pöggiff
fümmes bö wö tää zää Uu,
pöggiff,
kwiiee
kwiiee
kwiiee
kwiiee
kwiiee
kwiiee.
Dedesnn nn rrrrr,
Ii Ee,
mpiff tillff toooo,
Dedesnn nn rrrrr,
desnn nn rrrrr
nn nn rrrrr
nn rrrrr
Iiiii
Eeeee
m
mpe
mpff
mpiffte
mpiff tilll
mpiff tillff
mpiff tillff toooo,
Dedesnn nn rrrrr, Ii Ee, mpiff tillff toooo,
Dedesnn nn rrrrr, Ii Ee, mpiff tillff toooo, tillll
Dedesnn nn rrrrr, Ii Ee, mpiff tillff toooo, tillll,Jüü-Kaa?llll,Jüü-Kaa?
(cantado)
Fümms bö wö tää zää Uu, pögiff, kwii Ee.
Dedesnn nn rrrrr, Ii Ee, mpiff tillff toooo, tillll, Jüü-Kaa?
Rinnzekete bee bee nnz krr müüüü, ziiuu ennze ziiuu
rinnzkrrmüüüü,
Rakete bee bee.
Zikete bee bee
Rinnzekete bee bee
Rakete bee bee
Zikete bee bee ennze
Rinnzekete bee bee ennze
Rakete bee bee ennze
Zikete bee bee nnz krr
Rinnzekete bee bee nnz krr
Rakete bee bee nnz krr
Zikete bee bee nnz krr müüüü
Rinnzekete bee bee nnz krr müüüü
Rakete bee bee nnz krr müüüü
Zikete bee bee nnz krr müüüü, ziiuu
Rinnzekete bee bee nnz krr müüüü, ziiuu
Rakete bee bee nnz krr müüüü, ziiuu
Zikete bee bee nnz krr müüüü, ziiuu ennze
Rinnzekete bee bee nnz krr müüüü, ziiuu ennze
Rakete bee bee nnz krr müüüü, ziiuu ennze
Zikete bee bee nnz krr müüüü, ziiuu ennze ziiuu rinnzkrrmüüüü
Rinnzekete bee bee nnz krr müüüü, ziiuu ennze ziiuu rinnzkrrmüüüü
Rakete bee bee nnz krr müüüü, ziiuu ennze ziiuu rinnzkrrmüüüü
Rakete bee bee
Rummpfftillfftoooo?
Ziiuu ennze ziiuu rinnzkrrmüüüü, ziiuu ennze ziiuu rinnzkrrmüüüü;
Rakete bee bee
Rakete bee zee
Fümms bö wö tää zää Uu, pögiff, kwii Ee.
Dedesnn nn rrrrr, Ii Ee, mpiff tillff toooo, tillll, Jüü-Kaa?
Rinnzekete bee bee nnz krr müüüü, ziiuu ennze ziiuu
rinnzkrrmüüüü,
Rakete bee bee.
Rrummpff tillff toooo?

a
Rum!
Rrummpff?
Rum!
Rrummpff t?
Rr rr rum!
Rrummpff tll?
Rr rr rr rr rum!
Rrummpff tillff?
Rr rr rr rr rr rum!
Rrummpff tillff toooo?
Rr rr rr rr rr rr rum!
Rrummpff tillff toooo? Ziiuu!
Rr rr rr rr rr rr rr rum!
Rrummpff tillff toooo? Ziiuu ennze!
Rr rr rr rr rr rr rr rr rum!
Rrummpff tillff toooo? Ziiuu ennze ziiuu!
Rr rr rr rr rr rr rr rr rr rum!
Rrummpff tillff toooo? Ziiuu ennze ziiuu nnzkrrmüüüü!
Rr rr rr rr rr rr rr rr rr rr rum!
Rrummpff tillff toooo? Ziiuu ennze ziiuu nnzkrrmüüü
ziiuu ennze ziiuu rinnzkrrmüüüü!
Rr rr rr rr rr rr rr rr rr rr rr rr rr rum!!!
Rrummpff tillff toooo? Ziiuu ennze ziiuu nnzkrrmüüüü
ziiuu ennze ziiuu rinnzkrrmüüüü!
Rakete bee bee!
Rr rr rr rr rr rr
Rr rr rr rr rr rr
Rr rr rr rr rr rrumm!!!!!!!!!!
Rrummpff tillff toooo? Ziiuu ennze ziiuu nnzkrrmüü
ziiuu ennze ziiuu rinnzkrrmüüüü!
Rakete bee bee
Rakete bee zee
Fümms bö wö tää zää Uu, pögiff, kwii Ee.
Dedesnn nn rrrrr, Ii Ee, mpiff tillff toooo, tillll, Jüü-Kaa?
(cantado)
Rinnzekete bee bee nnz krr müüüü, ziiuu ennze ziiuu
rinnzkrrmüüüü,
Rakete bee bee.
Rrummpff tillff toooo?

Rum! (H)
RrRrRrRrummpff?
Rum!
RrRrRrRrummpff t?
Rum!
RrRrRrRrRrummpff tll?
Rum!
RrRrRrRrRrRrummpff tllff toooo?
Rum!
RrRrRrRrRrRrRrummpff tllff toooo ziiuu!
Rum!
RrRrRrRrRrRrRrRrummpff tllff toooo ziiuu ennze!
Rum!
RrRrRrRrRrRrRrRrRrummpff tllff toooo? Ziiuu ennze!
ziiuu nnzkrrmüüüü
Rum!
RrRrRrRrRrRrRrRrRrRrRrRrummpff tllff toooo? Ziiuu
ennze ziiuu nnzkrrmüüüü, ziiuu ennze ziiuu
rinnzkrrmüüüü!
Rum!
RrRrRrRrRrRrRrRrrRrRrRRrRrRrRrummpff tllff
toooo?
Ziiuu ennze ziiuu nnzkrrmüüüü
Ziiuu ennze ziiuu rinnzkrrmüüüü
Rakete bee bee
Rrrrummmm!!!!(gritando)
RrRrRrRrRrRr
RrRrRrRrRrRr
RrRrRrRrRrRr
RrRrRrRrRrRr
Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrummmmmpffff tillffff tooooooo?
Ziiuu ennze ziiuu nnzkrrmüüüü
Ziiuu ennze ziiuu rinnzkrrmüüüü
Rakete bee bee?
Rakete bee zee
Rakete rinnzekete
Rakete rinnzekete
Rakete rinnzekete
Rakete rinnzekete
Rakete rinnzekete
Rakete rinnzekete
Beeeee
x bö

ü3+
3a
fö
bö (I)
fö
bö
fö
bö
fö
bö
fö
bö
fö
böwö
fümmsbö
böwö
fümmsbö
böwö
fümmsbö
böwö
fümmsbö
böwö
fümmsbö
böwö
fümmsbö
böwörö
fümmsböwö
böwörö
fümmsböwö
böwörö
fümmsböwö
böwörö
fümmsböwö
böwörö
fümmsböwö
böwörö
fümmsböwö
böwörötää
fümmsböwötää
böwörötää
fümmsböwötää
böwörötää
fümmsböwötää
böwörötää
fümmsböwötää
böwörötää
fümmsböwötää
böwörötää
fümmsböwötää
böwörötääzää
fümmsböwötääzää
böwörötääzää
fümmsböwötääzää
böwörötääzää
fümmsböwötääzää
böwörötääzää
fümmsböwötääzää
böwörötääzää
fümmsböwötääzää
böwörötääzää
fümmsböwötääzää
böwörötääzääUu
fümmsböwötääzääUu
böwörötääzääUu
fümmsböwötääzääUu
böwörötääzääUu
fümmsböwötääzääUu
böwörötääzääUu
fümmsböwötääzääUu
böwörötääzääUu
fümmsböwötääzääUu
böwörötääzääUu
fümmsböwötääzääUu
böwörötääzääUu pö
fümmsböwötääzääUu pö
böwörötääzääUu pö
fümmsböwötääzääUu pö
böwörötääzääUu pö
fümmsböwötääzääUu pö
böwörötääzääUu pö
fümmsböwötääzääUu pö
böwörötääzääUu pö
fümmsböwötääzääUu pö
böwörötääzääUu pö
fümmsböwötääzääUu pö
böwörötääzääUu pögö
fümmsböwötääzääUu pögö
böwörötääzääUu pögö
fümmsböwötääzääUu pögö
böwörötääzääUu pögö
fümmsböwötääzääUu pögö
böwörötääzääUu pögö
fümmsböwötääzääUu pögö
böwörötääzääUu pögö
fümmsböwötääzääUu pögö
böwörötääzääUu pögiff
fümmsböwötääzääUu pögiff
böwörötääzääUu pögiff
fümmsböwötääzääUu pögiff
böwörötääzääUu pögiff
fümmsböwötääzääUu pögiff
böwörötääzääUu pögiff
fümmsböwötääzääUu pögiff
böwörötääzääUu pögiff
fümmsböwötääzääUu pögiff
böwörötääzääUu pögiff
fümmsböwötääzääUu pögiff
kwiiee kwiiee
kwiiee kwiiee
kwiiee kwiiee
kwiiee kwiiee
kwiiee kwiiee
kwiiee kwiiee
Fümms bö wä tää zää Uu, pögiff, kwiiee.
Dedesnn nn rrrrr, Ii Ee, mpiff tillff toooo, tillll, Jüü-Kaa?
Rinnzekete bee bee nnz krr müüüü, ziiuu ennze ziiuu rinnzkrrmüüüü,
Rakete bee bee.
Rrummpff tillff toooo?
Ziiuu ennze ziiuu nnzkrrmüüüü, ziiuu ennze ziiuu rinnzkrrmüüüü,
Rakete bee bee.
Rakete bee zee.
Fümms bö wä tää zää Uu
Uu zee tee wee bee
zee tee wee bee
zee tee wee bee
zee tee wee bee
zee tee wee bee
zee tee wee bee Fümms

(final)
Fümms bö fümms bö wö Fumms bö wö tääää?
Fümms bö fümms bö wö Fumms bö wö tää zää Uuuu?
Rattatata tattatata tattatata
Rinnzekete bee bee nnz krr müüüü?
Fümms bö
Fümms böwö
Fümms bö wö täää????? (gritando)

VALENTIINE’S DAY SPECIAL! This just in!

Rock Gods McDonald Brothers to call in to chat with Esoterica on The Sonic Bloom Wed., 2/14 at 2:05 p.m. EST!

Steven McDonald (Off!, Melvins, Redd Kross) and Jeff McDonald (Redd Kross, Ze Malibu Kids) started in a band called the Tourists in Hawthorne, CA in 1978 and they are still kicking out the jams, just returning from a European tour with the Melvins. Checking out Steve’s instagram this week reveals that, lucky for us, Redd Kross is working on another album. Tune in to 103.3 or stream at www.wprb.com on Wed., 2/14, at 2:05 p.m.(EST)/11:05 a.m. (PST) to hear Esoterica ask about this new Redd Kross project, other things Steve and Jeff are working on, as well as dig into the early days of SoCal punk.

Mozart’s symphonies numbered 30 through 34 are rarely played. The 29th made a lasting impression on 20th century musicians, and it is programmed frequently. The last three symphonies, 39, 40 and 41, get most of the programming time. The three big symphonies that precede these, the 35th, 36th, and 38th (there is no 37th) get a lot of attention also, and they have nicknames: The Haffner, the Linz, and the Prague. What happened between 29 and 35? Did Mozart’s symphonic composing fall into a trough?

In the next few weeks (Feb 13th through March, 2018), we will take a listen at these symphonies, beginning with the absolutely delightful 30th. We will see Mozart experimenting—just as he often did—and composing some music that deserves at least as much attention as the 29th.

MasterClassics with Tobias airs Tuesday mornings, 6 to 9am on WPRB.

Live, afte midnight on Friday (technically Saturday 13th) on Music With Space

Iron Gump, for the last seven years, has been traveling and living in Maui, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Philadelphia. Spontaneously connecting musically with different artists around the world.Through his musical exploration he has gained a deeper understanding about allowing the instruments to play him and to listen/feel the other musicians playing as well.  His connection to sound has become his passion and his way of creating a space for people to explore. The universe sings!

Sean Hoots is a maker of music living in the land of West Philadelphia.  Perhaps best known for his roots/rock project Hoots & Hellmouth, Hoots has been writing, recording, and performing original music across a myriad of genres for the past three decades.  The last few years have found him delving deeper into the mysterious, crafting sprawling soundscapes from found-sounds, synths, guitars, and vocal manipulations.  This world of contemplative, meditative music, especially when combined with the talents of Iron Gump, offers a unique opportunity for performer and listener to share a soul-plumbing experience.

Thomas Bendel is a composer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist with a focus on drums and percussion based in Philadelphia. Improvisation, exploration of texture and subversion of instrumental roles are his aspiration, although big dumb drums are just fine, too.
You can catch him playing around Philadelphia with a number of artists including Birdie Busch, Arc Divers, Jesse Hale Moore. You can hear his recorded work on albums by Birdie Busch, Johnny Miles, Ross Bellenoit, Arc Divers, and many more.