97X - Rumblings from the Big Bush

Yeah, sure, Dayton (a.k.a. "The Gem City") may be the birthplace of aviation, but more importantly it's the home of Nick Kizirnis. 97X fans know Nick from his "landlocked instrumental surf trio" The Mulchmen, who released a few great albums in the mid- to late-90s. But he's been part of the music scene since his high school days playing at Canal Street Tavern (inspired in part by the great music 97X was playing). Nick has recorded with The Breeders (“The Dirt Eaters”) and Tobin Sprout (Guided by Voices) and released several solo albums... and he has a band album coming out soon. We chat about the Dayton scene... and his theremin prowess too!

Jason Narducy is an accomplished solo artist. He's also part of Bob Mould's band, the touring bassist for Superchunk, and part of the Michael Shannon/Jason Narducy & Friends tours showcasing R.E.M. albums. Oh, and he's written a book of stories about his life as a "band person" called Mostly the Van and has a second volume coming out soon. But wait, there's more: his first band Verböten (which he formed when he was 10) is credited by Dave Grohl as the "origin story" for his musical journey. Learn more about Jason's early years, how the R.E.M. "pop-up band" came to be, and why he enjoys doing solo "house show" tours. 

Hot on the heels of the release of The Afghan Whigs critically acclaimed new album Soft Control (see the reviews below), let's revisit our interview with the band's John Curley. This episode originally was posted in the spring of 2020.     The album has been highly praised by publications including Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, Stereogum, Pollstar, Consequence, Parade, Brooklyn Vegan and Los Angeles Times who stated that “after 40 years, the Afghan Whigs still sound like no one else — and they’re not done yet.” SPIN applauded the “Whigs’ tradition of combining bruising guitars with soul and R&B influences” in this record and MXDWN described it as “a record that balances the intensity of their past with a newfound sense of reflection.” “If ever there was a band that deserved this celebratory victory lap, it is the Whigs.” Los Angeles Times

John Fox served as the editor at Everybody's News in the late 80s and early 90s, then co-founded CityBeat, and now is the editor of Cincinnati Magazine. Everybody's News and CityBeat were strong supporters of 97X - John and music editor Mike Breen would make the trek to Oxford once a week to highlight local music and arts events on the airwaves. John talks about the symbiotic relationship, our shared "weird" audience (spoiler: they weren't weird, just cool), how both CityBeat and 97X were ahead of the curve, and the magic of the old MidPoint Music Festival (MPMF). We also talk about his current role at Cincinnati Magazine. 

Aaron Yonka tuned in to 97X back in high school, then got a full-blown fever for the station and the music the summer before he started at Miami University in 1991. He became an around-the-clock listener... other than when he was co-hosting a music show on Miami's student radio station. And after he graduated, he still tuned in, especially to catch his college friend Matt Sledge, and joined the 97X message boards to keep a sense of community with fellow listeners and station staff. Aaron shares tales of gift card laundering, grilled breakfast pastries, anchovy pizzas and what makes a tune a "97X song."