XRAY.FM
XRAY.FM plans to launch as a new Portland radio station in 2014.
(XRAY.FM)
At the Fruit Bats' final show in November, an odd bit of merch appeared at the Aladdin Theater: a stack of black t-shirts near the concession stand marked "XRAY.FM." $5 shirts must not have been meeting the fundraising mark, however, and the emerging progressive radio station has launched a Kickstarter project.
XRAY, which now says it'll arrive in January after missing a previously announced September date, is seeking $40,000 to fund its slate of talk shows and music programs. Beyond hosts including KPOJ veterans Carl Wolfson and Thom Hartmann and a youth-driven show dubbed "Millennial Retort," the Kickstarter page says XRAY has tapped over 75 Portland " DJs, record collectors, label heads, venue bookers and genre experts" for its music programming. T-shirts are now available at the $50 level, and for $250, the Music Lovers' Package will include five vinyl albums from labels including Kill Rock Stars, Sub Pop, Party Damage, Tender Loving Empire and more (along with a pair of passes to to-be-announced-venues).
Who'll be playing music on XRAY? According to music director Aaron Hall, the list so far includes Maggie Vail of music/tech start-up CASH Music, club DJs Rev Shines, Beyonda and Cooky Parker, Ben Hubbird (CD Baby, Party Damage), representatives from labels, venues and promoters including Mississippi Records, Beacon Sound, PDX Pop Now!, Holocene, Smoke Signals and Kenny Fresh, whose Fresh Selects label has been an incubator for Portland hip-hop.
"We're avid listeners and strong supporters of OPB, KZME, KBOO and KMHD," Hall said over email of XRAY's place in the Portland scene. "There's still plenty of room on the dial for numerous under or unrepresented styles and tastemakers. Portland is a beacon of culture, music and progressive politics and deserves far more outlets for exposure than it currently has. Our primary commitment is to mirror the ideals and tastes of the city we love."
Here's XRAY's Kickstarter video. Will you be tuning in?
-- David Greenwald