In the heart of the Wood Centre at the Univerity of Alaska Fairbanks is the local radio station, 91.5 KSUA FM. For over four decades, KSUA radio has served as a platform for student expression, a training ground for future broadcasters, and a gathering place for Fairbanks’ media community. KSUA hit the airwaves in 1984, experimenting with a commercial radio format, however, financial difficulties forced a temporary shutdown in the early 1990s. In 1993 KSUA re-emerged as a non-profit educational station, fueled by student passion and a commitment to alternative music. Today, it harbors over 35 ..read more

From the time I was a kid, I wanted to be a DJ. The idea of playing music and sharing it out across the airwaves was akin to magic. The first chance I got to try it, as a young teenager, my nerves were off the charts and I couldn't do anything - and we weren't even live. Fast forward to 2017 when I dusted off my old turntable and started listening to the albums I had left. I was blown away by the sound and I was hooked again, diving head-first back into the vinyl community. In spring '23, Doktor Exoskeleton asked if I'd be interested in subbing for him on Metamorphosis sometime. I readily agr ..read more

In the history of cinema, films like “The Lord of the Rings” and “Avatar” are often hailed as classic film series. They not only boast grand and breathtaking visuals but also intricately woven plots that deeply resonate with the audience’s emotions and thoughts. “Dune” series undoubtedly belongs to this category of masterpiece. It inherits the epic fantasy created by the novelist Frank Herbert, and under the direction of the “new godfather of science fiction films,” Denis Villeneuve, it once again demonstrates his profound understanding of visual art. Through exquisite cinematography and bold ..read more

Eliza McLamb. August 2023. Courtesy of Missy McLamb. The spirit of the modern woman is captured, bottled up, and released into Eliza McLamb’s debut album Going Through It. Diving in after it, the soft chirping of birds and gentle guitar strumming beckon the listener into this encapsulation of girlhood and adulthood, pride and shame, and friendship and love in the opening notes of McLamb’s first track, Before. 23-year-old singer-songwriter Eliza McLamb transports listeners through her journey of self-reflection, allowing us to age and grow with her. Going Through It is a kind of musical memo ..read more

The album Desert Farmers is a great album to listen to if you’re into experimental music. The album is from Hannah Marcus and was released in February 12th 2004. Hannah grew up in a very artistic household with a mother painting and her father playing the cello. She moved from the Spanish Harlem to San Fransisco to peruse her song writing career, and there she wrote her first album River of Darkness in 1996. After that she continued to write and produce two more ablums before returning to the west cost for the release of Desert Farmers. The album starts with a song called interlude which I th ..read more

Jean Bertrand of the Pine Leaf Boys and 99 Playboys prepares gumbo in black pots. Photo by Anja Maijala During the final weekend of October, I had the privilege to attend the 17 th annual Blackpot music Festival and Cookoff in Lafayette, Louisiana. Blackpot is an annual gathering focused on Cajun music, cuisine, and culture, but is something much bigger than that. What follows is my account of the two-day festival which contains information about some of the artists that I got to see perform and my overall experience. The bottom line to takeaway if you don’t care for details regarding artists ..read more

A dreamland hellscape. This is a hard movie to write a review about. There’s so many twists and turns that only a most generalized opinion presents itself without giving up any spoilers. There’s no doubt that Joaquin Phoenix is a wonderful actor, but his prowess shines in this movie that keeps you wondering whether what he’s portraying is reality or fiction, real life or a dream – he rides the line in a masterful depiction between insanity and lucidity. Written, directed, and produced by Ari Aster (Hereditary, Midsommar), this film is yet another testament to A24’s mastery of films that lea ..read more

A beautiful Anchorage sunset from the Sheraton Hotel Anchorage. Photo Credit: Kevin Huo On the morning of November 17th, I flew out to Anchorage for a busy weekend revolving around the 2023 Alaska Broadcasters Association convention. Representing KSUA 91.5FM as the station’s Production Director, along with the station’s General Manager Kevin Huo, the two of us stayed at the Sheraton Hotel Anchorage as we met our counterparts at the University of Alaska Anchorage’s KRUA 88.1FM and attended the 2023 Alaska Broadcasters Association convention, bringing home six new awards on behalf of Student Me ..read more

March 1993 was a busy time for us; it had been a very rapid five years since we moved into the house in Goldstream -- our first, after ten years in far too many rental properties -- and welcomed two children, the youngest then just nine months old, into it. I was finishing my application for tenure, supervising my first grad student, teaching three classes, advising majors, publishing papers, and setting up the second webserver on campus -- and my radio went dark. KSUA was off the air. It was like a knife in the back. That flow of activity had floated on, was perhaps somewhat powered by, the ..read more

Samia at the Academy Center of Arts in Lynchburg, Virginia. (April 2023). Courtesy Raegan Doise In the midst of a band’s pandemonium, a small woman lies on the ground, thrashing and stomping. The crowd’s roars reverberate. Her boots thud to the beat of the drums and guitars. Suddenly, she rises to the microphone, exuding unsettling calmness and deliberate grace. In her resoundingly remarkable voice, the now-timid singer delivers haunting lines of vulnerability and poignant observation. I only write songs about things that I'm scared of, So here, now you’re deathless in art. You’ve got this a ..read more