Foothill College radio station KFJC 89. 7 FM starts annual “Month of Mayhem”

Month of special programming begins May 1, 2013, with specials on a range of topics, including radio drama, power pop, punk rock, techno, the gospel of Blind Willie Johnson, John Coltrane’s “Ascension,” Australia punk ’73-’85, music from “The Prisoner” television show, a 4-hour special featuring 8-track tapes, the 10th edition of the KFJC mellotron special, and the 6th KFJC Battle of the Surf Bands.

Los Altos Hills, CA – Award-winning, student and volunteer-run Foothill College radio station KFJC 89. 7 FM is launching its 33rd annual “Month of Mayhem” on May 1, 2013. This annual KFJC tradition features a month of special programming produced by KFJC DJs on a variety of topics. This year’s schedule includes 54 specials, with more being added throughout the month of May.

The Month of Mayhem began on KFJC in 1981 and has always been an eagerly anticipated event, as DJs create and curate an impressive range of programs during that time.

The 2013 schedule includes music genre-specific specials focused on punk, electronica, power pop, international, surf, Europop, female rappers, and women in country music. Several non-music specials will delve into topics related to radio drama, including movies adapted for radio and mysteries on radio. Additionally, there will be several 24-hour specials devoted to James Brown (“Doing it to Death”), Sun Ra (“Day and Night of the Sun”), and deceased artists (“Day of the Dead”). A few specials investigate instruments (“Tales of the 8-Second Orchestra: The Mellotron Special, Part 10”) and the effects pedal (“The Stomp Box: History of Sound”). Numerous label specials will explore the output of Mississippi Records, Taiga Records, and Fonal Records (to name a few). Other programs will delve into the careers of various artists, ranging from David Tibet to Zeena Parkins to Hamiet Bluiett to Gary Numan.

A selection of specials will focus on whimsical themes like children’s songs, songs inspired by lighthouses, music inspired by video games, and music from the ’60s to ’80s played backwards. A few DJs will excavate presumed dead formats, playing exclusively 8-track tapes and 78rpm records on their respective specials.

A few live performances will be sprinkled into the schedule, most notably the 6th KFJC Surf Battle, which will be broadcast live (both audio and video) from the Surf Spot in Pacifica on May 18th from 1pm to 5pm.

Additionally, several specials will incorporate sound collage, including the return of Mr. Pumpkinhead and Phineas Narco for the “Scientology Remix Project” and a cut-and-paste mix of blues, noise, and death metal zydeco on “Bad Legal Habits.”

Specials will air between Wednesday, May 1, 2013 and June 7, 2013. The complete Mayhem calendar can be viewed at: http://kfjc.org/mayhem/. Tune in to KFJC at 89.7 FM in the San Francisco Bay Area and online at: http://kfjc.org/netcast/index.php.