WHFR News

The early '70s was a time when the rock and roll and pop music industry was booming and many jazz artists were turning to jazz/rock fusion. Countless creative jazz musicians, seeking to push the music in new directions, were left out in the cold. Record contracts from major labels and well-paid gigs were scarce for many. In 1969, a plethora of creative musicians were moving to Paris and other European cities where their music was loved and respected.

Here in the States, independent record labels and small venues were struggling to provide for these very talented and forward-thinking musicians. In Detroit, the Strata Gallery and Strata Records came to the forefront in our area. Picking up upon a good thing, New York City artists Charles Tolliver and Stanley Cowell formed the independent STRATA EAST RECORDS in 1971. Their output of over 50 records in the 1970s and into the 80's provided a much-needed outlet for the creative work of many musicians. Records were produced in limited quantities and eventually became hard to find.

Along comes Detroit's MACK AVENUE RECORDS who have reissued much of the STRATA EAST catalog, with over 30 recordings and more to come. MACK AVENUE AND GROOV MARKETING have provided WHFR with the recordings that have been reissued in the catalog thus far. The music of Pharoah Sanders, Stanley Cowell, Charles Tolliver, Clifford Jordan and many others can be heard on these airwaves via Mack Avenue and Strata East recordings.

Tune in this Sunday, April 27, from 4:00 - 7:00pm EDT, as we explore the music from Strata East Records artists on the weekly spotlight program WHFR PRESENTS. This will be part one of the features on Strata East with more to come in the month of May. WHFR radio can be heard locally (Dearborn/Detroit) on 89.3fm and worldwide via the internet at whfr.fm.
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WHFR PRESENTS airs every Sunday beginning (usually) at 4:00 pm with a rotating cast of WHFR DJs, taking in-depth looks into the many genres of music that WHFR has to offer. Tune in at 89.3 on the FM dial in Dearborn/Detroit and surrounding communities, or listen anywhere via our online streamer.
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Join us for this week's high energy and creative WHFR Journal tomorrow, 4/25/25 at 1pm as we chat with legendary former NASCAR driver and current racing analyst Kyle Petty regarding the 29th Anniversary Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America… and it’s making a stop in Dearborn, Michigan! Kyle will share the cause behind this important event and ways you can get involved. Also, this year marks the 50th anniversary of HFC's Creative Writing Competition, the Francis G.

Episode 42 of This Just In, WHFR's pre-recorded new music showcase airing Mondays from 8-9p, airs April 21st, 2025.

This week's playlist:

Vince Guaraldi Trio - Fly Me To The Moon (Remastered 2025) [Jazz / Soundtrack]
Bardo ft. Combo Chimbita - Renacer [World / Indie]

Matt Berninger - Bonnet Of Pins [Indie Rock]
Marina Yozora - Daffodils [Indie / Dream Pop]
The Finesse - Soul On Fire (Scott Yoshimura Remix) [R&B / Soul]

dissociate - Faceless Ones [Dark Electronic / Soundtrack]
The Faux Paws - Night [Americana / Folk]
Madeline Rosene - Fish Astronaut [Indie Pop]
Taj Mahal & Mindy Canter - I'm Too Young To Be This Old [Blues]

Franco Campanino - Avere vent'anni (Disco) [Soundtrack / World]
Samir Boehringer Sazzerac - Clickbait [Jazz]
Japanese Breakfast - Honey Water [Indie Rock / Pop]

The Seldom Scene - Last of the Steam-Powered Trains [Bluegrass / Cover]

Tune in to This Just In each week as we feature a unique playlist of music recently received at the station, in a variety of musical formats.
To submit your music for airplay consideration, please visit the Contact Us tab on our website: https://whfr.fm.

There are never any expectations when doing a show during Radiothon—the pledge drive week for WHFR. However, the generosity of our listeners during Theme Attic and other shows was wonderful to experience!

Thank you so, so very much for believing in the vision that is WHFR, and to start the post-Radiothon schedule, let's start with the annual Theme Attic "Spring Cleaning Show" this Wednesday, April 16, from 12:00 - 4:00 pm EDT. That's where the primary focus is to play songs only from Phil Maq's mp3 player to make room for even newer music from independent artists... tune in for the fun and variety!

This Sunday, April 13, on Hotwax Radio, the White Rabbit will be letting mayhem loose in the studios of WHFR: Batman, Robin and the rest of the Gotham City Cast. Starting at 7:00pm, tune in and enjoy the Dynamic Duo execute their crime fighting skills with madcap music, sounds, and plain wackadoo theatre!

The White Rabbit would like to issue a special thank you for all those who contributed to WHFR’s Radiothon 2025. You are appreciated!

It’s VINYLTHON Weekend!

Each year, radio stations across the world come together for Vinylthon, to take part in supporting not only the timeless medium of vinyl records by playing actual records over the air, but also the incredible people that keep the records spinning.

Vinylthon is also a fundraising event for the College Radio Foundation, an all-volunteer non-profit that organizes the scholarships offered to encourage, prepare, and support the next generation of broadcasters. All money raised during this event allows the Vinylthon Scholarships to reach more students that have the passion and desire to pursue a career in radio.

The College Radio Foundation that organizes this event also hosts the annual College Radio Day event. College Radio Day unites hundreds of USA college radio stations each year and has been supported by numerous artists including Andrew WK, Aviici, Coldplay, The Lumineers, Moby, and Wyclef Jean among others. College Radio Day has even been recognized by TIME Magazine, calling it "A nationwide movement...illuminating the cultural significance of student-run radio."

Various WHFR DJ’s will be taking part throughout the day, so tune in to WHFR to see if you can spot the needle drop… and hear vinyl’s unmistakable crackle and pop!

Light from the Underground (Saturdays, 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.) will feature two special guests on Saturday, April 12.

Host Bill Keith will be joined by Chris Herin from the bands Herin and Tiles from 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Herin's album Hiding in Plain Sight has been receiving significant airplay on Light from the Underground since its release this past fall. The vinyl version of the album is being released on Saturday, April 12, for Record Store Day. Chris will talk about the album and the impact of non-commercial radio for his bands.

Former WHFR 89.3 FM host John Bommarito will join the show from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. John knows the value of non-commercial stations like WHFR from his time at the station and his current work for WEMU at Eastern Michigan University. Bill appreciates the opportunity to welcome John back to continue the tradition of celebrating WHFR during Radiothon.

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Three Easy Ways to Make Your Tax-Deductible Donation to WHFR Radiothon

1. Online: You can donate securely online right here.
2. Phone: The on-air portion of Radiothon 2025 is April 6-12 when our live DJs will be asking you to call in at (313) 845-9676 to make your tax-deductible donation via credit card or to request that a self-addressed envelope (SASE) be sent to you.
3. Mail: Download, fill out, and mail in the pledge form from the WHFR-FM website with your contribution at any time.

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