New Wave Outpost Forum

There seems to be a few Seattle area new wave fans out there that have listened to one or more of the alternative stations from the 70's and 80's, KZAM, KJET & KYYX.

I'm just wondering how many of you there are and what you think of Seattle's current radio stations?

I've lived in and around Seattle my whole life. Listened to the stations you mentioned. I haven't listened to the radio for at least 10 years. I have no use for radio. The formats are either to broad (college radio) or two narrow (The End 107.7).

I spent a good part of the 90's discovering new bands via CMJ music journel. Everymonth they would send me a CD with complete tracks from new artists. I also followed the british independent charts and trusted recommendations from various UK music journals.

I now employ the try before you buy technique, and I still buy the same amount of CD's (maybe more) as I did 10 years ago.

I lived in Lacey, WA, from '81-85 and listened to all 3. I have always remained nostalgic for KYYX & KJET, in particular. ( See my other posts on this topic.) The unique music I heard back then changed my life (as a young, impressionable teen, of course), and thus so did the stations themselves. Remember when KYYX finally died in April '84, and Pat O'Day "fired" everyone (all the djs were there at its last hour, obviously partying there in the studio); then, at midnight, instead of blank air, they snuck in Elvis Costello's "Radio Radio", rebels to the last ! I was there, and teary-eyed. (well, I was in my bed, listening to the radio underneath the covers so the 'rents wouldn't hear ! ) Then, afterwards, KHIT, at the end of the dial, popped up with that mechanized tape recording playing endlessly for days, until the real djs showed up....and one of them was Stephen Rabow !! The station played unremarkable pop, but then Rabow showed up on the weekends for his "House Party: Hours of Adventure, Romance, Danger, and Lust" ; and he'd play the same stuff he had played on KYYX ! It was awesome, and took the pain away some. I think Debbie Paine was there for a little bit, or maybe she went over to KJET for a bit ?
Anyway, KYYX & KJET were the last great New Wave stations up there, that's for sure.

Now I live in Albuquerque, so I can't comment on Seattle's stations now. Radio generally sucks now, except for college stations. Our market here is pretty much dominated by the big corporate boys at CC, so one must valiantly sample elsewhere.

Stephen Rabow is my boss; he publishes a magazine called "Sarasota: Downtown & Beyond." Very professional and classy publication out of Florida. All three of those pioneering New Wave radio stations were superb.

As for Seattle radio now, I'm enjoying KNDD's return to Modern Rock (Morrissey, the Cure, and Modest Mouse with no Limp Bikzit or Korn), and 96.5 KRQI is a blast, combining plenty of '80s New Wave with '90s alt hits.

My favorite was always KZAM, "Modern Music, Modern Mono," out of Bellevue on 1540 AM. That's when my friends and I first identified ourselves as "Wavers," back when it seemed like no one in the mainstream knew there was a difference between punk and New Wave. When the station went off the air in about March of 1981 we all wore our green pinstriped KZAM buttons upside down! They played all their different jingles, peformed by all different artists . . . then silence. Split Enz, Fabulous Poodles, Devo, Martha and the Muffins, Any Trouble, Echo & the Bunnymen. Great stuff. But the day John Lennon was shot they instantly went to all-Beatles.

KYYX was especially great in the spring of 1983, when they first changed format to "The Wave." Ultravox, Stranglers, ABC, INXS, Catholic Girls.

I'm glad that KNDD went back to more of a classic alternative format--it's great to slog into the office listening to "I Wanna Be Sedated" or "London Calling"--I can try to convince myself I'm not as old and responsible as I often feel! And there's always the Resurrection Flashback show on Sunday mornings.

When 96.5 originally advertised itself as "The Point" playing 1980s I was intrigued, but I'd forgotten how much of the 80s (for other people) was Phil Collins and Huey Lewis. Now that KRQI, too, has changed format to a classic alternative, the stuff they play is pretty good, when the DJs actually shut up and play music! Why do radio stations think that commuters want some kind of a morning talk show? I'd rather be doing a mental pogo or slam dance on MY way to work. If I wanted yack I'd listen to NPR (which, of course, I do sometimes, since I am a responsible adult.) [xx(]

[quote]Originally posted by hexicon
KYYX was especially great in the spring of 1983, when they first changed format to "The Wave." Ultravox, Stranglers, ABC, INXS, Catholic Girls. [xx(][/quote]

hex, was it really that late that KYYX went to their "New Wave" format ? am i just being stubborn ? i seem to remember they played that yummy music before then, like in '82. i remember listening to "Freddy Snakeskin's Countdown" (and i could be slightly wrong on his last name), which came on on late Sunday afternoons. around that time, (Fall of '82) is when i seriously got into NW, as opposed to just being a casual listener. i was weaning myself off of Kasey Kasem's Top 40, listening in vain for NW, and Freddy Snakeskin's Top 20 came on KYYX after Kasey Kasem. Not on the same station, of course. now THAT was killer Top 20 ! i remember thinking that that format was so subversive....the wacky djs, the movie clips, stuff like that.

do you remember how KYYX put out a short-lived magazine called "The Wave" ? THAT was hilarious. it was just like the station. and of course, i'd scour each month's Rocket for anything about KYYX & KJET.

anyway, i could be wrong on those dates, but i'd swear KYYX was playing NW before '83.

KYYX4ever, I think you're right about the date of that station's format change. It was more like fall of 1982 (junior year in high school for me).

I'm pretty sure that Seattle didn't have a new wave format station in the summer of 1982, because we used to call in a lot of requests to the guys at the UW station, KCMU.

I think the reason I erroneously associate the New Wave format with spring of 1983 is that's when I finally got my own stereo and no longer had to switch off weekly with my sis. So that's when I finally got to do some serious listening. (Try explaining to modern teenagers the concept of having to share a stereo or not having a TV in one's own bedroom . . . no concept of the days when only the best-off family on the block had cable TV or a VCR.)

Do you remember the KYYX "Wave Extravaganza" at the Seattle Center? I couldn't go; I had to work both days.

hex,
thanks for the memory-stirring. nope, i don't remember the "Wave Extravaganza"...couldn't make it, so I probably forgot about it. I always tried to be aware of when those guys would make appearances, but not having a car ( and being a freshman in high school) did not facilitate things.

sometimes i wonder if i over-romanticize those days, but those stations were just amazing, and such an integral part of my teen days !

and i hear ya on the sharing-the-stereo with a sibling ! been there. and yes, i also remember quite vividly how there would be like ONE family on the block with cable/a VCR !! all of us probably remember those early 16-bit arcade games, early Home Atari, and joysticks featuring ONE knob with ONE bright red "fire" button !!!!! ha ha ha.

I run an online radio station called KJET Black Box on Live 365. There's actually 2 KJET tribute stations there. I have scores of KJET tapes and a few KYYX tapes around still. Been digitizing these things for posterity and... whatever.
If you haven't heard about these online stations please listen in. Mine has at least 30 some of those KJET station IDs that I loved so much.
I have found some people with existing recordings of KJET tapes and I need more. Any time period but the early years 1982-1985 would be awsome. Totally.

Hello

Just stumbled on this forum and thought you might be interested to know that KZAM's original programming ideas and music are being streamed at www.kzam.net. We're now in the third year of streaming a huge and very eclectic playlist. Non-commercial, too.

Although the music is not exclusively new wave (as played by the Modern Mono crew in the glory days of 1540 AM) the programming is based on the original free-form FM KZAM and spans a very broad spectrum of old and new music.

Check it out.

KZAM

i started listening to stations that played new wave back in 1981-82 (i believe) on portland's KMJK. they were a top 40 station, but leaned a little towards new wave. then i was just going thru stations, kinda bored with KMJK and thats when my love affair with KYYX began. i listened to them until the very end and like KYYX4ever, i cried hard that last day. i didn't know about it until i read it in the paper (seattle times) that it was the last day of KYYX. i ran into my room, popped in a tape and recorded it. unfortunatly, i taped over those recordings (i know....STUPID!!!!!). i wrote a letter to the station after the format change, saying how sad i am (i was 16 at the time) and steve rabow (great guy, btw) sent me a sticker and a note saying that these things happen in radio and appreciated the letter.

then i fell in love with another station (KHIT) only because steve rabow was at that station. i loved his house party (once again taped those shows...and taped over them....STUPID). i was fortunatly lucky to get steve rabow's e-mail (he wrote a message to me thru the radio-info.com boards) and i asked if he still had any tapes (or airchecks, as what they are called in the radio business) and he sent me the last day of KYYX, as well as a local tape extravaganza (from KZAM) and a tape from KHIT, as well as a sticker from KYYX and a KZAM button. i am also getting a tape from someone in illinois that is from KYYX, so i am slowly retreving some of those great years as a fan of KYYX.

btw: i do have a yahoo club devoted to KYYX in which one of the members is the one and only Beaver Bell

[quote]Originally posted by barrisfan
[br...he sent me the last day of KYYX, as well as a local tape extravaganza (from KZAM) and a tape from KHIT, as well as a sticker from KYYX and a KZAM button. i am also getting a tape from someone in illinois that is from KYYX, so i am slowly retreving some of those great years as a fan of KYYX.

btw: i do have a yahoo club devoted to KYYX in which one of the members is the one and only Beaver Bell
[/quote]

You HAVE to make that KYYX tape availabe!!!!

TB

Oh, and I just joined your KYYX club. just seeing the sticker was worth it but I could not get the air check I found there to play. Hmm.

i have misplaced that last show tape, but i am sure i will find it.

[quote]Originally posted by barrisfan
[br]\....thats when my love affair with KYYX began. i listened to them until the very end and like KYYX4ever, i cried hard that last day. i didn't know about it until i read it in the paper (seattle times) that it was the last day of KYYX. i ran into my room, popped in a tape and recorded it. unfortunatly, i taped over those recordings (i know....STUPID!!!!!). i wrote a letter to the station after the format change, saying how sad i am (i was 16 at the time) and steve rabow (great guy, btw) sent me a sticker and a note saying that these things happen in radio and appreciated the letter.

then i fell in love with another station (KHIT) only because steve rabow was at that station. i loved his house party (once again taped those shows...and taped over them....STUPID). i was fortunatly lucky to get steve rabow's e-mail (he wrote a message to me thru the radio-info.com boards) and i asked if he still had any tapes (or airchecks, as what they are called in the radio business) and he sent me the last day of KYYX, as well as a local tape extravaganza (from KZAM) and a tape from KHIT, as well as a sticker from KYYX and a KZAM button. i am also getting a tape from someone in illinois that is from KYYX, so i am slowly retreving some of those great years as a fan of KYYX.

btw: i do have a yahoo club devoted to KYYX in which one of the members is the one and only Beaver Bell
[/quote]

gosh, you are soooo lucky ! how recently did you email steve rabow ? that is so very cool that he responded to you ! i know now that he lives in FLA. it's nice to know that he remembers his "fans" who still carry the KYYX flame ! it makes me feel better that i'm not the only one who pined for KYYX...hee hee [:I] also, it's groovy that you have been collecting these radio station memorabilia; good for you for persevering !

it was a couple of years ago.