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Meet Your Wizards: DJ Headwalker

WXNA FM

Meet Your Wizards: DJ Headwalker of Spin Cycle, Wednesday nights from 11p-1a

MEET YOUR WIZARDS! A peek behind the curtain…

Meet DJ HEADWALKER, host of Spin Cycle from 11 pm to midnight on Wednesday evenings, followed by Indo-Burma from midnight to 1 am on Thursdays. He is also the owner of Guerilla Bizkits, located in Fatherland Shops in East Nashville.

Born: 12/27/93 til infinity — same day as my dad. cap gang
Home: East Nashville — filled with pet fur and tchotchkes
Drafted into WXNA: 2 years ago
Spins: Hardcore punk and jungle

How did you discover independent radio? In early middle school, there was a college radio station that I could snag from BGSU that played death metal every Thursday at like 4am. Some kid told me about it and I didn’t believe him, so I stayed up one night and sure enough, there it was. I tuned in religiously after that — it felt like my duty as a kid in the scene to tune in and support heavy music on the air.
Most played song: “Window Licker” — Aphex Twin

Vinyl, CD or mp3? Vinyl and mp3

Fave WXNA show: Reggae University

Pinch-me moment: Collaborating with my favorite record label, Triple B Records

When I die: feed me to the worms or press my ashes into a vinyl

Long Distance Dedication: Peter Rodman

WXNA FM

Paul Glavin of Eargasm dedicates the following to Peter Rodman

Curating a radio show that merges so many genres and formats into a specific identifiable image is daunting and challenging. It is the equivalent of walking an audio tightrope. Lack of creative discipline can easily send the show into the murky abyss of sounding like the DJ is simply trying to fill the time slot with anything that takes up time. Peter Rodman Goes Off rides the line of balance perfectly in his structured unstructured show of music, talk, interviews and whatever else happens to make him, “go off”. Peter’s show is entertaining, fun, opinionated, and hosted by someone who obviously loves what he’s doing as well as the music he plays. I’m always amazed by the scope and breadth of his knowledge of pop music and his ability to interview his subjects in a conversational manner to bring out the best in them so the listener remains captivated and interested whatever the subject is.

Peter Rodman the person is equally great. I have a fantastic time whenever we have the opportunity to meet up and always leave wishing there was more time to just hang out and yak. Peter was born in New York and I am from the Boston area so I’m sure listening to us having a conversation can be pretty challenging in Nashville when we are at WXNA events especially when the subject turns to baseball. Our Red Sox and Yankees biases become apparent very quickly!

Peter Rodman Goes Off can be heard on Monday from 10am-11am on WXNA and should be required listening for anyone who loves the art of music conversation and perfectly sequenced songs supporting the interview. Now, about those Yankees, Peter…

Meet Your Wizards: DJ Nexus

WXNA FM

DJ Nexus of Musical Mysticism (4-5pm on Wednesdays)
Meet DJ Nexus, host of Musical Mysticism from 4-5pm on Wednesday afternoons.

Born: 10-3-1981 in Oak Ridge, TN
Home: Lebanon and Grandview, TN
Drafted into WXNA: 2017
Spins: electronic, hip-hop, funk, soul, psych, rock, folk, blues, jazz, ambient, reggae, dub, afrobeat, disco
Fades: cross

How did you discover independent radio? I did college radio at MTSU and discovered WXNA in the Nashville Scene

Most played song: I rarely play a song on the radio more than once. Live DJing it’s probably “Scientific Dancehall” by Lee “Scratch” Perry. Listening for pleasure lately it’s probably something by Adrianne Lenker or “Doin’ Time” by Lana Del Rey.

Vinyl, CD or mp3? Vinyl live, WAV and FLAC when prerecording
Fave WXNA shows: Web of Sound, Mode.Radio, Free Association, Beautiful Buzz, The Housequake Vinyl Hour, Walk It Off!
Pinch-me moment: Meeting Jess Williamson and telling her I play her songs on the radio.
When I die: Natural burial or let wild animals eat me

About Me:
I’m an avid reader of mostly nonfiction, particularly mysticism, philosophy, poetry, pop culture and environmental/social issues. I’ve been vegetarian since 2004. In January 2010, I sat in a tree on a windy mountain in West Virginia for 9 days with no extra heat source to get in the way of blasting next to a coal sludge impoundment on a mountaintop removal coal mine site.

Long Distance Dedication: Leanne Merritt

WXNA FM

Check out DJ Karl‘s long distance dedication to DJ Leanne of “X-Posure“

My friend and WXNA DJ Leanne Merritt is an influencer in the truest sense of the word — digging deep into new releases, keeping fresh on upcoming tour announcements, and alerting the world to the next magical act that will grace Nashville stages. She supports local, bringing in tons of interviewees from all over the city. Experimental artists and indie darlings alike are thrilled to be included on X-Posure, Leanne’s weekly exploration of the new and hip, the deep and sincere. She finds hidden treasures like she’s a talent magnet and makes connections to amazing people in a way that feels organic. It’s beautiful to hear the conversations bloom on the airwaves each Wednesday. Thank you, Leanne. The brightness of your X-Posure has given me a lasting burn ❤

Meet Your Wizards: DJ Ed

WXNA FM

In this edition of Meet Your Wizards, we bring you DJ Ed, host of Eighties Schmeighties, Fridays from 10am-noon.

Born: Atlanta, Georgia
Home: Nashville, Tennessee
Drafted into WXNA: 2016
Spins: Left (always left)
Fades: Lefter

I think I discovered independent radio growing up in Atlanta listening to the college radio station from Georgia State, 88.5 I think. Then when I went to school in Mobile, Alabama I was shocked to find out there was a very tiny college radio station, all of 10 watts. (Shout out to WTOH!) It was such a small-wattage station they didn’t care whether or not we followed FCC rules. That’s something I had to learn when I became a DJ at WXNA. Hey, you’re not a real DJ unless you’ve been suspended at least once! I love being the selector on Eighties Schmeighties. It beats therapy!

Most played song: “Clampdown” by The Clash

Vinyl, CD or mp3? All of the above. Whatever works. Love vinyl, but not a fetishist.

Fave WXNA shows: Free Association, Works Progress Radio Hour, Reggae University, and Punk Not Punks

Pinch-me moment: Interviewing some great artists such as Kosmo Vinyl and Vanessa Briscoe Hay.

When I die: Enjoy Every Sandwich…

Our Favorite Records of 2022

Rick Pecoraro

Look, I don’t want to jinx anything, but 2022 almost felt like a completely average period of time, with only basic levels of chaos and anxiety. Frankly, I’ll take it! As with prior years we asked our DJs to look back at the year and suggest some of their favorite records. The sounds and styles in their recommendations are as varied as the shows on WXNA. Perhaps a few of the records below will help you kick-start your listening for 2023.

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Long Distance Dedication: Pete Wilson

WXNA FM

DJ Rhatfink of The Continental appreciates Pete Wilson

Just as the soundtrack to American Graffiti changed my life in the 1970s, so too did DJ Pete Wilson, beginning in the early 2000s with his seminal show, Nashville Jumps!

George Lucas’s film, American Graffiti (1973), sent me down the rabbit hole of rock and roll as a young listener. What an amazing soundtrack! I loved that music so much that I had my father make me reel-to-reel tapes of nothing but classic oldies but goodies like The Five Satins, Bo Diddley and Etta James. I played those over and over again until the tapes wore thin. The bedrock rock of DJ Rhatfink is rock and roll. Yet there was still more to discover as I found out when I started listening to DJ Pete Wilson and his outstanding, long-running radio show Nashville Jumps! This was radio manna from heaven coming to us from out of the past to the here and now, flinging open the musical doors of my proto-rocker brain with tunes from Cab Calloway, Louis Jordan, Wynonie Harris and so many more! Pete plays nothing but the finest early unbleached rock n’ roll, boogie woogie, jazz and jump blues every Friday morning and has helped me continue a family tradition. Just as my dad shared mix tapes with me, I have had the pleasure of sharing Nashville Jumps! with my daughter as I took her to school. History lessons have never been more fun. Thank you, Pete! Long may you continue to spin those big 10-inch records.

More Ways to Support WXNA

Rick Pecoraro

There are plenty of great ways to support your favorite volunteer-run radio station (in addition to our amazing membership program). Here are a few simple ways to donate that you might not have known about:

Amazon Smile

Did you know you can feel less guilty about using Amazon if you purchase via their Smile site? They donate 0.5% of your eligible purchases to the charitable organization of your choice — including WXNA! Go to https://smile.amazon.com/ and select WXNA as your charity of choice today!

Kroger Community Rewards

Do you shop at Kroger? Did you know you could be supporting WXNA every time you do? Kroger donates annually to organizations in their Community Rewards program and YOU can help send some of those funds our way by signing up for a digital account, and linking your Shopper’s Card to the charity of your choice – aka WXNA!

Find us here under WXNA FM.

Donate Your Car

That car or truck you’ve been hanging onto, the one you’re not using anymore, the one that’s too expensive to repair – you can donate it to WXNA! Provide a financial boost for your favorite independent radio station by donating a used car. It’s free to you, easy to do, and a great way to help keep the Music in Music City.

To learn more, head over to CarEasy.org or call 855-500-RIDE (7433).

Long Distance Dedication: DJ Rhatfink

WXNA FM

DJ Pete of Nashville Jumps appreciates DJ Rhatfink

For “The Continental,” Rhatfink spreads his net WIDE to collect a startlingly wide variety of songs on each week’s theme. He does themes better than just about anybody, and I’m a sucker for a show that follows Lord Sitar with Lou Rawls. But what I like best is his talk breaks. They are performances in themselves. I remember reading once that when talking to a baby, you should vary your voice a lot–soft to loud, high to low, swoops and drops–to keep the baby entertained and paying attention. I resolved to do that as a DJ, but my delivery at its best is a little sloppy.. Rhatfink, you are a far better baby-entertainer than I could ever be.

Meet Your Wizards: Laura Powers

WXNA FM

Wherein we pull back the curtain for a personal visit with one of the wonderful wizards of the X. In this case, the DJ keeping us on Needles + Pins weekly — Laura Powers.

Born: Knoxville, Tennessee
Home: Nashville, Tennessee
Drafted into WXNA: 2014
Spins: Right
Fades: Right

I fell in love with independent radio back in high school when I discovered WUTK, the University of Tennessee’s student-run radio station. Doing Needles+Pins each week makes me feel like that 13-year-old kid hearing the B-52’s for the first time. In an increasingly algorithmic world, I love that WXNA is a place where you can still be surprised and excited by music, whether it’s brand new or just new to you.

Most played song: “Sonic Reducer” by Dead Boys

Vinyl, CD or mp3? All of the above. Love LPs but definitely not a format snob.

Fave WXNA shows: Runout Numbers, Bedazzled Paradigm Jukebox, Punk Not Punks

Pinch-me moment: Throwing an on-air dance party with Vanessa from Pylon

When I die: Sprinkle my ashes in the New Arrivals section at Wax’n’Facts in Atlanta