Schedule

Club Soda is an international touring DJ and producer who's bringing Tucson the sounds of the underground. The NEW New Dance Show is a high-energy mix of house, funk, and everything in-between, from the eighties to today.

“Broadcasting From The Underground..” It’s The Rock Mix with Prince J! Share your requests! Post your favorite song using #RockMixRequest. Listen weekly for music, stories, and more!

The sonic zeppelin known as The Magpie Courier is your one-stop steampunk experience. If it's grit, Brit, steam, diesel, copper and brass you are looking for… Well, Sonny Jim and Madame, it’s The Magpie Courier for you. Cheer-o! Captained by Tyburn Ranger—the man, the myth, the…well…all-round solid chap; a man who knows much but never seems to notice; a brave, proper, British tea-drinking, uh...really not sure where he came from—and accompanied by brass and copper co-pilot and expert navigator DJ Andy Bot, The Magpie Courier sets a course for the meridian of steam-driven rock, punk metallurgy, and fallout folk.  

A weekly look at social, cultural and economic topics impacting the lives of those who live, work and or play in Tucson’s urban core, hosted by Tom Heath. Our geographical focus is from “A” Mountain to U of A — and all stops in between. Our mission is to engage the community in conversation about past, present and future issues which affect us differently and shape us collectively.

Writing is work and Ted Prezelski, local member of the National Writers Union, takes time every week to interview local writers as well as labor leaders. We've got a fantastic writing scene in Tucson as well as an active and thriving labor movement and Downtown Radio wants you to learn about both. Ted Prezelski is a native Tucsonan, activist and an award-winning writer. But, never mind that, he’s also a long-time watcher of Tucson’s music scene and his taste dabbles in the complete spectrum of rock and roll. You can tune in to the Pocho Hetman (yes, you’ll have to google both of those words) on Wednesday afternoons, 3-5pm.

Heavy Mental is a radio program that discusses mental health not just with statistics, but also from a real and honest perspective from someone with first-hand experience and insight. Ty Logan provides personal commentary and interviews guests from the community that are either professionals in the behavioral health field or have lived experience in mental health themselves. Ty Logan is daddy to a 5-year-old boy named Dylan, often referred to on live radio as “Didden.” He is also a tattooed horror movie and Hip-Hop expert and junkie, an action figure and gym addict, and a writer who never made it big. With 10 years of sobriety, Ty is the Recovery Support Specialist Manager at the Crisis Response Center (CRC) where he leads a team of 16 members with lived experience in mental health who serve individuals struggling with mental illness, substance abuse, trauma, and/or all of the above. He also is the editor of the CRC monthly newsletter and volunteers his time to a school for kids/teens with special needs.

Paleo Dave starts your day off with Scrambled Sunrise—a mix of contemporary indie, ’90s alternative, ’80s college rock and ’70s post-punk and deep album rock that airs every weekday morning from 7-9am.  After escaping the grim clutches of South Texas and Cochise County, “Paleo” Dave has lived in Tucson since Halloween 1987, when he attended a profoundly mind-altering costume party where the house bands were longtime Southern AZ thrash and punk heavyweights Dover Trench and Malignus Youth. During the long, brutally weird interval between Then and Now, Dave went to art school, served in the Army, attended the U of A and worked in everything from archaeology to science writing and educational research before finally getting the proverbial wild hair to take a radio broadcasting course in the Spring of 2005. Following a 12-year stint hosting Bat Country Radio late nights on Community Radio 91.3 KXCI, Dave joined Downtown Radio in 2018 and started spinning his signature blend of high-octane scatterbrained rock and roll on Radio KAOS, which now makes an occasional appearance in the schedule when the spirit moves him. He also sometimes hosts Rockodyssey, featuring 8-10+ minute tracks from different eras and subgenres of rock’s broad spectrum.

Hmmmmm, where to start? Her obituary of course: “Here lies Abby Normal. A vintage Casio CK-200 Boombox Ghettoblaster with built-in Keyboard Organ sparked her demise. Bathing, she listened to her favorite cassette, “Four Days in April,” by The Insane Picnic. Volume cranked to 11, soap suds a-plenty, she reached for her Miller High Life, but with a slip of the hand . . . well, the rest may just be too shocking. As we now celebrate her life, we are reminded about what an electrifying one it was. Only fitting, as she was a self-proclaimed “live wire.” May we find solace knowing she’s at peace in a land of never-ending cassette tapes, re-runs of ALF, and boomboxes galore. Gleeful we know is she to imbibe an eternal flow of the champagne of beers alongside the fabled Rock Gods of yore. Today let us encourage each other to be anti-establishment, as we know she will be for all eternity.” Abby Normal on Downtown Radio. Still six feet under, but not in a casket . . . she’s in a basement. Still under the ground but doing underground radio. Not corporate radio but . . . rebel radio! Recharged and ready at Tucson’s community station 99.1 KTDT, surrounded by many a talented creature. It’s rather a rotting good time, so join us! Abby Normal’s Rock Mix on 99.1 FM Downtown Radio. Playing music that promotes individual liberties, the strange, AND the unusual. Tune in every Thursday 1pm-3pm on 99.1 FM Downtown Radio – and with a deep repulsion for anything conventional, pump your non-conformity fist in the air and listen in to Abby Normal’s Rock Mix! Don’t be grounded; be a live wire!

Max Webster is the nom de radio of Mark Martinez, the operations manager at The Rialto Theatre. Mark took his broadcast name from an obscure Canadian prog-rock band that he likes. He’s a semi-professional photographer and once managed a Zia Records store. You can catch his rock mix every Friday afternoon/evening from 5-7pm!

Life is a series of choices, but when do you choose? When you’re back and forth between the good and the bad, it's Indecision Time with Joe. Music for listening, featuring guitar, voice, rhythm, and a world of rock. From the jangly guitar cigarette haze of Athens, Georgia, and by way of New Orleans, from the foot of Canal Street, the spinning wheel of Fortuna cast DJ Joe to Sonora to live on hallowed ground.

Ivan Smith grew up a Navy brat, attending seven elementary and middle schools in as many cities, before settling into the north end of Seattle in the early 80s. As far back as he can remember, music was a constant for Ivan. Wherever he moved, he always had his records and tapes. Some of Ivan’s earliest memories are of playing “DJ” in the garage growing up, mimicking the on-air AM radio announcers. As was typical of those in Generation X—during his tweens and teens, with both parents working outside the home—Ivan was a Latchkey Kid. He found the hours between the end of his school day and before his parents came home to be a great time for exploring music, whether on the hard to tune in station at the far end of the AM dial, the hard to tune in college station at the low end of the FM band… or the many new and used record stores a short bus ride away near the university. As the 80s turned into the 90s and Seattle established itself as one of the nation’s music capitols, Ivan found himself on the air—in Seattle during the height of the Grunge era… as a DJ in his 20s working at the Oldies station. Though not one of the “cool kids” at our sister Alternative station across the street, Ivan was mentored by one of the legends of local radio, building a foundation of musical knowledge that helped him trace the line from rock & roll’s beginnings through its many transformations through the decades. On his shows, Ivan likes to strike a balance between the influencers who shaped both his musical tastes as well as the sound of rock music with newer finds and great local artists.

Pitaya Records gives a platform to alternative bands from all around the world —with focus on those from Ibero-American countries—that simply sound great in the desert. Our desert. Pitaya evokes the spirit of an old radio show from the late nineties in Hermosillo that was dedicated to sharing cool rock b-sides. Don Pitaya, aka Señor Organ Pipe Cactus, aka Mr. Stenocereus thurberi, aka René Villa was born in the heart of the Sonoran Desert: Hermosillo, Mexico. After realizing the total lack of talent to be a musician, Señor Organ Pipe Cactus set about collecting music, which led him to start Pitaya Records. Pitaya Records is today an online record store, concert promoter, and a radio show in XHCD Hermosillo, 95.5FM ZOOM 95 "La Radio Alternativa del Desierto". Mr. Stenocereus thurberi loves machaca, chiltepín y chicharrón. René Villa also habla poquito English.

Nathan “N8” Lovelady is an emerging Southwest based artist/designer. Originally from Los Angeles, N8 plays only 90’s ALTERNATIVE (slacker, trip-hop, Brit-pop, neo-psych and baggy). Occasionally you can catch him mixing CD’s live on-air from his large collection! He also has well over 1,000 VHS tapes!!! When he’s not DJ’ing, N8 runs a Concept Design Studio that specializes in alternative clothing, jewelry & handmade incense. SW Energie Studio celebrates hippie aesthetics & rave culture and is intentionally driven to promote the peace, love & unity both subcultures emanate. HeadCandy exists solely to transmit this ethos by radiating PMA into the local radio waves!

Sure the world is on fire, but that doesn't mean you can't sit in the dark listening to sad songs, staring into the middle distance. Join C.J. Boyd as he weaves a web of dark and doleful music to get you through these end-times. Find C.J. online at: Bandcamp, Worst Show Ever, Kin Campaigns, and Obsolete Media Objects.

Soundtracking the weird, weird world we live in, TarantulasDreamRadio broadcasts the best and weirdest tracks from the world of punk, experimental, noise and anything else that bites the hand. Every week we take a look at a new topic, focusing on the paranormal, UFOs, the occult and more, while keeping the tunes floating between your head cave. If you want to dive even deeper into the fog, tune in every Monday and Wednesday, 9-10pm, on Instagram at TarantulasDreamTV, the live call-in talk show where host Samba breaks down the week's topic in detail. The wide-eyed curiosity of what lies beyond is still alive and well, bouncing across the airwaves here on TarantulasDreamRadio! Born 15 miles northeast of the towering beauty of White Sands, Samba has embraced the wide expanse of the unknown, translating this curiosity into a love of the paranormal. This love blossomed into a decades-long obsession, diving headfirst into investigating the question of UFOs, the occult, apparitions, and that spooky feeling you get when you hear a noise in the middle of the night. As a musician, the long trips across the country opened up opportunities to dive into late-night paranormal talk radio, and here our broadcasting story begins. Samba spends his days as a local film projectionist, amateur woodworker, and full-time tofu fanatic.

Soundtracking the weird, weird world we live in, TarantulasDreamRadio broadcasts the best and weirdest tracks from the world of punk, experimental, noise and anything else that bites the hand. Every week we take a look at a new topic, focusing on the paranormal, UFOs, the occult and more, while keeping the tunes floating between your head cave. If you want to dive even deeper into the fog, tune in every Monday and Wednesday, 9-10pm, on Instagram at TarantulasDreamTV, the live call-in talk show where host Samba breaks down the week's topic in detail. The wide-eyed curiosity of what lies beyond is still alive and well, bouncing across the airwaves here on TarantulasDreamRadio! Born 15 miles northeast of the towering beauty of White Sands, Samba has embraced the wide expanse of the unknown, translating this curiosity into a love of the paranormal. This love blossomed into a decades-long obsession, diving headfirst into investigating the question of UFOs, the occult, apparitions, and that spooky feeling you get when you hear a noise in the middle of the night. As a musician, the long trips across the country opened up opportunities to dive into late-night paranormal talk radio, and here our broadcasting story begins. Samba spends his days as a local film projectionist, amateur woodworker, and full-time tofu fanatic.

Max Webster is the nom de radio of Mark Martinez, the operations manager at The Rialto Theatre. Mark took his broadcast name from an obscure Canadian prog-rock band that he likes. He’s a semi-professional photographer and once managed a Zia Records store. You can catch his rock mix every Friday afternoon/evening from 5-7pm!

It’s the middle of the week. That twilight time. A chance to make your week continue magically, or get it back to magical, by trying to listen to the rhythms of our little pueblo and translate that into mild chat and lots of good music. Of course – sometimes Satan gets a little bit distracted and goes on a tangent here and there. We’ll see if we can’t have a little more exploratory metaphysics in the late night. A little bit of theatre acting here, a little bit of scripture music busking there. Dad by day, your ever-loving wax spinning (or mp3 clicking) DJ on Wednesday nights. Satan, aka Brian Taraz, has been in Tucson about 10 years now. Lovin it–lovin it.

a lush and gently bubbling cauldron of rhythm n' blues gumbo seasoned to taste with influences and cultures from across the astral plane on an endless search for the perfect recipe. the art of easing... is a mellow mix of rhythm n' blues, jazz, chill electronica, rocksteady, dub, latin, gospel, blues, instrumental music and music from around the world simmered down through the headphones of an old school beat head...get on in and cruise with me through the eclectic soundscapes drifting about in the dusty crates of my mind.

Paleo Dave starts your day off with Scrambled Sunrise—a mix of contemporary indie, ’90s alternative, ’80s college rock and ’70s post-punk and deep album rock that airs every weekday morning from 7-9am.  After escaping the grim clutches of South Texas and Cochise County, “Paleo” Dave has lived in Tucson since Halloween 1987, when he attended a profoundly mind-altering costume party where the house bands were longtime Southern AZ thrash and punk heavyweights Dover Trench and Malignus Youth. During the long, brutally weird interval between Then and Now, Dave went to art school, served in the Army, attended the U of A and worked in everything from archaeology to science writing and educational research before finally getting the proverbial wild hair to take a radio broadcasting course in the Spring of 2005. Following a 12-year stint hosting Bat Country Radio late nights on Community Radio 91.3 KXCI, Dave joined Downtown Radio in 2018 and started spinning his signature blend of high-octane scatterbrained rock and roll on Radio KAOS, which now makes an occasional appearance in the schedule when the spirit moves him. He also sometimes hosts Rockodyssey, featuring 8-10+ minute tracks from different eras and subgenres of rock’s broad spectrum.

[...]

Mr. Bill is a reformed multi-instrumentalist (none of them with any virtuosity) singer/songwriter with a weakness for 60’s British invasion, 80’s alternative, and almost any interesting emerging music. He led bands in Minneapolis and San Francisco, with a couple of 7” records (self) released in the late 70’s and early 80’s, one of which has gained a sort of cult status (the other, frankly, just wasn’t very good…) Prior to 99.1 FM, Bill was a stranger to radio (much to his chagrin, as he really, really wanted his records to be played on the radio)… His goal with the rock mix show is to explore and share great music with you that ought to have been heard, but is/was often ignored by the masses. He doesn’t watch TV (it has been years since he’s seen or heard a commercial), and declines to listen to mainstream radio — so if you hear something familiar at times on his show, it is because he is blissfully ignorant of most popular culture, and doesn’t know or realize that something may have gained some popularity without his knowledge… His goal with each show is to introduce (or perhaps reacquaint) you to/with great under-heard artists, to support and provide airplay for Tucson musicians, and hopefully, play at least a couple pieces each week that have never graced your ears before. On any given show, you will hear music that spans the last 60 or so years.

Ivan Smith grew up a Navy brat, attending seven elementary and middle schools in as many cities, before settling into the north end of Seattle in the early 80s. As far back as he can remember, music was a constant for Ivan. Wherever he moved, he always had his records and tapes. Some of Ivan’s earliest memories are of playing “DJ” in the garage growing up, mimicking the on-air AM radio announcers. As was typical of those in Generation X—during his tweens and teens, with both parents working outside the home—Ivan was a Latchkey Kid. He found the hours between the end of his school day and before his parents came home to be a great time for exploring music, whether on the hard to tune in station at the far end of the AM dial, the hard to tune in college station at the low end of the FM band… or the many new and used record stores a short bus ride away near the university. As the 80s turned into the 90s and Seattle established itself as one of the nation’s music capitols, Ivan found himself on the air—in Seattle during the height of the Grunge era… as a DJ in his 20s working at the Oldies station. Though not one of the “cool kids” at our sister Alternative station across the street, Ivan was mentored by one of the legends of local radio, building a foundation of musical knowledge that helped him trace the line from rock & roll’s beginnings through its many transformations through the decades. On his shows, Ivan likes to strike a balance between the influencers who shaped both his musical tastes as well as the sound of rock music with newer finds and great local artists.

Brother Mok is no stranger to radio land. For all of the nineties, he was doing all types of broadcasting–from Boarding Oping at KNZR news/talk for the Art Bell Coast to Coast show; doing Dodger games; doing Tucson Tex at College, Community, and Internet Radio at KBCC, Radio Free Bakersfield, and RadioInvasion.Com; to working as Music Director and New Director at KBCC. However, after a short-lived commercial radio job, Bro Mok [aka Tucson Tex] focused on other artistic avenues–booking bands, playing in bands, and family. With a few attempts to move back home to Tucson, in 2004 that’s what finally happened. Still focusing on music and family, in late 2015, the radio cocoon was broken when a Downtown Radio DJ and bandmate encouraged Bro Mok to do a shift at Downtown Radio. But why not come back as Tucson Tex? Glad you asked. On October 27, 2013, Lou Reed passed away. Bro Mok is a huge Lou Reed fan, and many folks had already been calling Ted Riviera (Bro Mok’s real name) ‘Mok’ after a song Lou Reed wrote called “My Name is Mok” (for the Canadian animated film, “Rock N’ Rule”). So, Brother Mok was born. Brother Mok brings you two unique weekly shows: a Thursday rock mix show that is heavy on new music, fun facts and a few twists, and Radio Club Crawl which is a sonic sample of what's playing around Tucson.

Heather Vee loves wearing black, can’t apply eyeliner to save her life, and hosts Radio Oscura, Downtown Radio’s show exploring the spectrum of dark rock, both classic and new, from gothic and deathrock, dark/coldwave, ethereal, sinister synthpop, and dark cabaret, to apocalyptic neofolk, southern gothic, neoclassical, and menacing post-punk, post-rock, and post-industrial. If it’s dark and moody, it has a home on Radio Oscura. Heather Vee is a preacher’s kid, an Aquarius, and has worked in media retail her entire teenage and adult life while doing freelance writing on the side. When she was a college freshman she DJed for the university radio station she listened to religiously as a high school freshman, followed a handful of artists and bands around the country in her twenties, and spent her thirties interviewing some heroes and writing a few books. She also occasionally hosts the Shufflemancy Rock Mix here on Downtown Radio. She currently works as a freelance web designer and administrator and frequently wishes all her library holds wouldn't come off hold within days of each other.

Max Webster is the nom de radio of Mark Martinez, the operations manager at The Rialto Theatre. Mark took his broadcast name from an obscure Canadian prog-rock band that he likes. He’s a semi-professional photographer and once managed a Zia Records store. You can catch his rock mix every Friday afternoon/evening from 5-7pm!

The Thing from Tucson is a one of a kind radio show. It’s one part midnight movie creature feature, one part gory jukebox, two parts campy comedy of bloody fun! It’s hosted by The Gorehound and Celeste Frankenschtein. The music is all about horror, serial killers, and/or scary movies, with vintage horror movie trailers played throughout the entire show. If you want a late night sonic terror fest of music then the Thing from Tucson is for you. Tune in every Tuesday from 11pm to Wednesday 1am and don’t say we didn’t warn you!

The Thing from Tucson is a one of a kind radio show. It’s one part midnight movie creature feature, one part gory jukebox, two parts campy comedy of bloody fun! It’s hosted by The Gorehound and Celeste Frankenschtein. The music is all about horror, serial killers, and/or scary movies, with vintage horror movie trailers played throughout the entire show. If you want a late night sonic terror fest of music then the Thing from Tucson is for you. Tune in every Tuesday from 11pm to Wednesday 1am and don’t say we didn’t warn you!

Laughter Hours with Talia and Powers is the funnest show on the radio. Dare to be stupid with Frank Powers and Natalia Lopez in this eccentric, electric, eclectic mix of comedy songs and fun times with bands like Flight of the Conchords, Tenacious D, and Weird Al Yankovic. There's lots of metal, punk, mashups of classics, and no radio show in this life or the afterlife plays more Ghostbusters remixes than us. Nobody treats ya right on a Saturday night like Frank and Talia. #TootTootTucson

The Alternate features post-punk, indie, and alternative from the '80s and early '90s, fantastic one-offs that were there and gone, perfectly good sides, unexpected remakes and deep cuts. Expect to get your R.E.M., The Smiths, and The Cure fix here as well as lots of ear candy of the same sort. Buck was a subdude at WCSB, Cleveland State’s College radio station. They have a huge stack of records from college radio days for you.

Brian Hanner and Syndenn Sweet bring the eclectic universe of progressive, art, and experimental rock straight to your ears every Saturday afternoon, 1-3PM. From genesis to epitaph, morningrise to a lunar sea, (modernist_society) pushes beyond styles, expands across generations, and broadens your musical horizon. Syndenn Sweet is a Tucson native, author, luthier, musician and artist. She is passionate about the arts and educating a younger generation on music, art and creativity. Brian Hanner is a professional percussionist, health coach and yoga teacher. Both Syndenn and Brian are co-owners of local recording studio Sad Salad Studios and are devoted to living in a completely musical and creative environment.

Paleo Dave starts your day off with Scrambled Sunrise—a mix of contemporary indie, ’90s alternative, ’80s college rock and ’70s post-punk and deep album rock that airs every weekday morning from 7-9am.  After escaping the grim clutches of South Texas and Cochise County, “Paleo” Dave has lived in Tucson since Halloween 1987, when he attended a profoundly mind-altering costume party where the house bands were longtime Southern AZ thrash and punk heavyweights Dover Trench and Malignus Youth. During the long, brutally weird interval between Then and Now, Dave went to art school, served in the Army, attended the U of A and worked in everything from archaeology to science writing and educational research before finally getting the proverbial wild hair to take a radio broadcasting course in the Spring of 2005. Following a 12-year stint hosting Bat Country Radio late nights on Community Radio 91.3 KXCI, Dave joined Downtown Radio in 2018 and started spinning his signature blend of high-octane scatterbrained rock and roll on Radio KAOS, which now makes an occasional appearance in the schedule when the spirit moves him. He also sometimes hosts Rockodyssey, featuring 8-10+ minute tracks from different eras and subgenres of rock’s broad spectrum.

For each two-hour installment of Audible Arrangements, listeners can expect a great variety of rock music. From appreciated classics to underground gems, DJ Smooch is prepared to share his earworm's favorite jams. Come listen! DJ Smooch is a Tucson native who started his involvement in local radio at KAMP through the University of Arizona. For him, one of the most rewarding parts about volunteering for small radio is the community and passion for music discovery. When he isn't finding his next new favorite album he is likely building, gardening, or daydreaming.

“Broadcasting From The Underground..” It’s The Rock Mix with Prince J! Share your requests! Post your favorite song using #RockMixRequest. Listen weekly for music, stories, and more!

You don’t need a ticket to witness this show! Come pal around with DJ Deedle-D the Clown and rock out to a wild mix of rad bands and fun songs with wacky names, new underground/indie hits, theme song favorites, awesome local tracks, and many happy surprises. Balloon animals, video games, clown guests and stories happen a lot, too!

Tedski is a native Tucsonan, activist and an award-winning writer. But, never mind that, he’s also a long-time watcher of Tucson’s music scene and his taste dabbles in the complete spectrum of rock and roll. You can tune in to the Pocho Hetman (yes, you’ll have to google both of those words) on Wednesday afternoons.

It’s the middle of the week. That twilight time. A chance to make your week continue magically, or get it back to magical, by trying to listen to the rhythms of our little pueblo and translate that into mild chat and lots of good music. Of course – sometimes Satan gets a little bit distracted and goes on a tangent here and there. We’ll see if we can’t have a little more exploratory metaphysics in the late night. A little bit of theatre acting here, a little bit of scripture music busking there. Dad by day, your ever-loving wax spinning (or mp3 clicking) DJ on Wednesday nights. Satan, aka Brian Taraz, has been in Tucson about 10 years now. Lovin it–lovin it.

Host Brandon Douglas spins classic artists such as Gary Numan, The Human League, and John Foxx, as well as contemporary acts like The Knife, LCD Soundsystem, and John Maus. Join in for bone-shakin’ tracks that span a 40 year history of electronic music.

If it’s big, fuzzy, buzzy, and supercharged, then DeCaf is blasting it out into the airwaves. DeCaf is your gearhead, muscle car, panhead host, playing high-octane, high volume, high voltage, super-charged rock n' roll. It's more than indie rock, it's more than punk rock, it's more than garage rock... It's Feedbackin'.  

Garage au go-go is a weekly dive into the audible delights of the garage band scene, including the early British beat and psychedelic rock of the 60’s, fringe rock of the 80’s and snotty garage punk of the 90’s and beyond. It is a varietal weekly dance party! Your host, Mike Ohno, a garage band enthusiast for years is no stranger to the garage band scene himself, having been the host of the cable access music variety show “Rockstock” in the mid 80’s, to being guitar player and co-founder of the Phoenix based garage outfit, “Thee Oh No’s”. Mike brings you sometimes gritty, sometimes funky, sometimes far out — but always interesting world of garage band music.

Animusic is about celebrating great anime songs and awesome J-rock bands! From punk and ska to heavy metal, great Japanese artists inspire us through animated stories all generations love. Kaju's name is Carmen, but everyone has called her Kaju since middle school, around the time she discovered anime shows on TV and was suddenly singing all anime openings and endings. In high school she found more music and Japanese bands online and that’s when she knew she needed more. Now here we are listening to not just anime songs, but the best J-rock Kaju can find.

A two-hour exploration of the borderless musical mestizaje from Canada to Chile and everywhere you can find our Latinx/Latina/Latino/Hispanx/Hispana/His-panic musica alter-NATIVA.

Showcasing alternative R&B, neo-soul, throwbacks, and house, with a splash of international beats. Melissa has been a mixologist since grade school. She graduated from making mix tapes to hosting a show on Downtown Radio. Soul Vibes Sunday is all about good vibes to get you moving and set your day right. Check out the show’s Facebook page for playlists.

DJ T-Roy is a Tico from Limon, Costa Rica who grew up in New York and New Jersey and lived entirely on the East coast until relocating to the desert Southwest in 2007. Like the journey of the Olmecs, this show will introduce you to some of the very drumbeats and rhythms being played along their journeys from Africa to the Americas. Expect to hear a non-stop soulful house music mix featuring African, Caribbean, and Latin influences. Please join this magical ride—and remember to bring your dancing shoes!

Paleo Dave starts your day off with Scrambled Sunrise—a mix of contemporary indie, ’90s alternative, ’80s college rock and ’70s post-punk and deep album rock that airs every weekday morning from 7-9am.  After escaping the grim clutches of South Texas and Cochise County, “Paleo” Dave has lived in Tucson since Halloween 1987, when he attended a profoundly mind-altering costume party where the house bands were longtime Southern AZ thrash and punk heavyweights Dover Trench and Malignus Youth. During the long, brutally weird interval between Then and Now, Dave went to art school, served in the Army, attended the U of A and worked in everything from archaeology to science writing and educational research before finally getting the proverbial wild hair to take a radio broadcasting course in the Spring of 2005. Following a 12-year stint hosting Bat Country Radio late nights on Community Radio 91.3 KXCI, Dave joined Downtown Radio in 2018 and started spinning his signature blend of high-octane scatterbrained rock and roll on Radio KAOS, which now makes an occasional appearance in the schedule when the spirit moves him. He also sometimes hosts Rockodyssey, featuring 8-10+ minute tracks from different eras and subgenres of rock’s broad spectrum.

Life is a series of choices, but when do you choose? When you’re back and forth between the good and the bad, it's Indecision Time with Joe. Music for listening, featuring guitar, voice, rhythm, and a world of rock. From the jangly guitar cigarette haze of Athens, Georgia, and by way of New Orleans, from the foot of Canal Street, the spinning wheel of Fortuna cast DJ Joe to Sonora to live on hallowed ground.

Pitaya Records gives a platform to alternative bands from all around the world —with focus on those from Ibero-American countries—that simply sound great in the desert. Our desert. Pitaya evokes the spirit of an old radio show from the late nineties in Hermosillo that was dedicated to sharing cool rock b-sides. Don Pitaya, aka Señor Organ Pipe Cactus, aka Mr. Stenocereus thurberi, aka René Villa was born in the heart of the Sonoran Desert: Hermosillo, Mexico. After realizing the total lack of talent to be a musician, Señor Organ Pipe Cactus set about collecting music, which led him to start Pitaya Records. Pitaya Records is today an online record store, concert promoter, and a radio show in XHCD Hermosillo, 95.5FM ZOOM 95 "La Radio Alternativa del Desierto". Mr. Stenocereus thurberi loves machaca, chiltepín y chicharrón. René Villa also habla poquito English.

Tedski is a native Tucsonan, activist and an award-winning writer. But, never mind that, he’s also a long-time watcher of Tucson’s music scene and his taste dabbles in the complete spectrum of rock and roll. You can tune in to the Pocho Hetman (yes, you’ll have to google both of those words) on Wednesday afternoons.

Ivan Smith grew up a Navy brat, attending seven elementary and middle schools in as many cities, before settling into the north end of Seattle in the early 80s. As far back as he can remember, music was a constant for Ivan. Wherever he moved, he always had his records and tapes. Some of Ivan’s earliest memories are of playing “DJ” in the garage growing up, mimicking the on-air AM radio announcers. As was typical of those in Generation X—during his tweens and teens, with both parents working outside the home—Ivan was a Latchkey Kid. He found the hours between the end of his school day and before his parents came home to be a great time for exploring music, whether on the hard to tune in station at the far end of the AM dial, the hard to tune in college station at the low end of the FM band… or the many new and used record stores a short bus ride away near the university. As the 80s turned into the 90s and Seattle established itself as one of the nation’s music capitols, Ivan found himself on the air—in Seattle during the height of the Grunge era… as a DJ in his 20s working at the Oldies station. Though not one of the “cool kids” at our sister Alternative station across the street, Ivan was mentored by one of the legends of local radio, building a foundation of musical knowledge that helped him trace the line from rock & roll’s beginnings through its many transformations through the decades. On his shows, Ivan likes to strike a balance between the influencers who shaped both his musical tastes as well as the sound of rock music with newer finds and great local artists.

Max Webster is the nom de radio of Mark Martinez, the operations manager at The Rialto Theatre. Mark took his broadcast name from an obscure Canadian prog-rock band that he likes. He’s a semi-professional photographer and once managed a Zia Records store. You can catch his rock mix every Friday afternoon/evening from 5-7pm!

The Alternate features post-punk, indie, and alternative from the '80s and early '90s, fantastic one-offs that were there and gone, perfectly good sides, unexpected remakes and deep cuts. Expect to get your R.E.M., The Smiths, and The Cure fix here as well as lots of ear candy of the same sort. Buck was a subdude at WCSB, Cleveland State’s College radio station. They have a huge stack of records from college radio days for you.

Purveyors of all things heavy, brutal and dark in the realm of metal, listeners will find themselves entranced with a variety of programming pertaining to all things macabre. Tierra de la Muerte aims to cover all niches and subgenres of heavy music varying week to week. If you are a fan of heavy music, there will definitely be something for you! Aria Nocturna is a creature of darkness and despair hailing from the Dirty T. Over the years, Aria has developed an exceptional passion for the underground metal community. Not only does she travel in/out of the state for festivals and shows to find brutal material and artists to expand her archives, but she has also made meaningful connections and friendships across the country in the name of heavy metal.

Garage au go-go is a weekly dive into the audible delights of the garage band scene, including the early British beat and psychedelic rock of the 60’s, fringe rock of the 80’s and snotty garage punk of the 90’s and beyond. It is a varietal weekly dance party! Your host, Mike Ohno, a garage band enthusiast for years is no stranger to the garage band scene himself, having been the host of the cable access music variety show “Rockstock” in the mid 80’s, to being guitar player and co-founder of the Phoenix based garage outfit, “Thee Oh No’s”. Mike brings you sometimes gritty, sometimes funky, sometimes far out — but always interesting world of garage band music.

Garage au go-go is a weekly dive into the audible delights of the garage band scene, including the early British beat and psychedelic rock of the 60’s, fringe rock of the 80’s and snotty garage punk of the 90’s and beyond. It is a varietal weekly dance party! Your host, Mike Ohno, a garage band enthusiast for years is no stranger to the garage band scene himself, having been the host of the cable access music variety show “Rockstock” in the mid 80’s, to being guitar player and co-founder of the Phoenix based garage outfit, “Thee Oh No’s”. Mike brings you sometimes gritty, sometimes funky, sometimes far out — but always interesting world of garage band music.

Nathan “N8” Lovelady is an emerging Southwest based artist/designer. Originally from Los Angeles, N8 plays only 90’s ALTERNATIVE (slacker, trip-hop, Brit-pop, neo-psych and baggy). Occasionally you can catch him mixing CD’s live on-air from his large collection! He also has well over 1,000 VHS tapes!!! When he’s not DJ’ing, N8 runs a Concept Design Studio that specializes in alternative clothing, jewelry & handmade incense. SW Energie Studio celebrates hippie aesthetics & rave culture and is intentionally driven to promote the peace, love & unity both subcultures emanate. HeadCandy exists solely to transmit this ethos by radiating PMA into the local radio waves!

Animusic is about celebrating great anime songs and awesome J-rock bands! From punk and ska to heavy metal, great Japanese artists inspire us through animated stories all generations love. Kaju's name is Carmen, but everyone has called her Kaju since middle school, around the time she discovered anime shows on TV and was suddenly singing all anime openings and endings. In high school she found more music and Japanese bands online and that’s when she knew she needed more. Now here we are listening to not just anime songs, but the best J-rock Kaju can find.

Pour yourself a big bowl of Sugar-Blasted Marshmallow Magic and get ready to start your day with two hours of toe-tappin’ toonz! From bubblegum to punk-pop, Saturday A.M. Toonz is a delicious part of your nutritious breakfast. <strong>Ivan Smith</strong> grew up a Navy brat, attending seven elementary and middle schools in as many cities, before settling into the north end of Seattle in the early 80s. As far back as he can remember, music was a constant for Ivan. Wherever he moved, he always had his records and tapes. Some of Ivan’s earliest memories are of playing “DJ” in the garage growing up, mimicking the on-air AM radio announcers. As was typical of those in Generation X—during his tweens and teens, with both parents working outside the home—Ivan was a Latchkey Kid. He found the hours between the end of his school day and before his parents came home to be a great time for exploring music, whether on the hard to tune in station at the far end of the AM dial, the hard to tune in college station at the low end of the FM band… or the many new and used record stores a short bus ride away near the university. As the 80s turned into the 90s and Seattle established itself as one of the nation’s music capitols, Ivan found himself on the air—in Seattle during the height of the Grunge era… as a DJ in his 20s working at the Oldies station. Though not one of the “cool kids” at our sister Alternative station across the street, Ivan was mentored by one of the legends of local radio, building a foundation of musical knowledge that helped him trace the line from rock &amp; roll’s beginnings through its many transformations through the decades. On his shows, Ivan likes to strike a balance between the influencers who shaped both his musical tastes as well as the sound of rock music with newer finds and great local artists.

A two-hour exploration of the borderless musical mestizaje from Canada to Chile and everywhere you can find our Latinx/Latina/Latino/Hispanx/Hispana/His-panic musica alter-NATIVA.

If it’s big, fuzzy, buzzy, and supercharged, then DeCaf is blasting it out into the airwaves. DeCaf is your gearhead, muscle car, panhead host, playing high-octane, high volume, high voltage, super-charged rock n' roll. It's more than indie rock, it's more than punk rock, it's more than garage rock... It's Feedbackin'.  

Brian Hanner and Syndenn Sweet bring the eclectic universe of progressive, art, and experimental rock straight to your ears every Saturday afternoon, 1-3PM. From genesis to epitaph, morningrise to a lunar sea, (modernist_society) pushes beyond styles, expands across generations, and broadens your musical horizon. Syndenn Sweet is a Tucson native, author, luthier, musician and artist. She is passionate about the arts and educating a younger generation on music, art and creativity. Brian Hanner is a professional percussionist, health coach and yoga teacher. Both Syndenn and Brian are co-owners of local recording studio Sad Salad Studios and are devoted to living in a completely musical and creative environment.

The Arizona 411 features two hours of music made in Arizona every Thursday. Featuring live guests, record release dates and concert details. Want to hear your band on the show? Send an email to thearizona411@gmail.com.

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The sonic zeppelin known as The Magpie Courier is your one-stop steampunk experience. If it's grit, Brit, steam, diesel, copper and brass you are looking for… Well, Sonny Jim and Madame, it’s The Magpie Courier for you. Cheer-o! Captained by Tyburn Ranger—the man, the myth, the…well…all-round solid chap; a man who knows much but never seems to notice; a brave, proper, British tea-drinking, uh...really not sure where he came from—and accompanied by brass and copper co-pilot and expert navigator DJ Andy Bot, The Magpie Courier sets a course for the meridian of steam-driven rock, punk metallurgy, and fallout folk.  

Laughter Hours with Talia and Powers is the funnest show on the radio. Dare to be stupid with Frank Powers and Natalia Lopez in this eccentric, electric, eclectic mix of comedy songs and fun times with bands like Flight of the Conchords, Tenacious D, and Weird Al Yankovic. There's lots of metal, punk, mashups of classics, and no radio show in this life or the afterlife plays more Ghostbusters remixes than us. Nobody treats ya right on a Saturday night like Frank and Talia. #TootTootTucson

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Sure the world is on fire, but that doesn't mean you can't sit in the dark listening to sad songs, staring into the middle distance. Join C.J. Boyd as he weaves a web of dark and doleful music to get you through these end-times. Find C.J. online at: Bandcamp, Worst Show Ever, Kin Campaigns, and Obsolete Media Objects.

Heather Vee loves wearing black, can’t apply eyeliner to save her life, and hosts Radio Oscura, Downtown Radio’s show exploring the spectrum of dark rock, both classic and new, from gothic and deathrock, dark/coldwave, ethereal, sinister synthpop, and dark cabaret, to apocalyptic neofolk, southern gothic, neoclassical, and menacing post-punk, post-rock, and post-industrial. If it’s dark and moody, it has a home on Radio Oscura. Heather Vee is a preacher’s kid, an Aquarius, and has worked in media retail her entire teenage and adult life while doing freelance writing on the side. When she was a college freshman she DJed for the university radio station she listened to religiously as a high school freshman, followed a handful of artists and bands around the country in her twenties, and spent her thirties interviewing some heroes and writing a few books. She also occasionally hosts the Shufflemancy Rock Mix here on Downtown Radio. She currently works as a freelance web designer and administrator and frequently wishes all her library holds wouldn't come off hold within days of each other.

Host Brandon Douglas spins classic artists such as Gary Numan, The Human League, and John Foxx, as well as contemporary acts like The Knife, LCD Soundsystem, and John Maus. Join in for bone-shakin’ tracks that span a 40 year history of electronic music.

Rocking old, new, and everything in-between! Start your morning with music for the whole gang to rise up to and play!

a lush and gently bubbling cauldron of rhythm n' blues gumbo seasoned to taste with influences and cultures from across the astral plane on an endless search for the perfect recipe. the art of easing... is a mellow mix of rhythm n' blues, jazz, chill electronica, rocksteady, dub, latin, gospel, blues, instrumental music and music from around the world simmered down through the headphones of an old school beat head...get on in and cruise with me through the eclectic soundscapes drifting about in the dusty crates of my mind.

A weekly look at social, cultural and economic topics impacting the lives of those who live, work and or play in Tucson’s urban core, hosted by Tom Heath. Our geographical focus is from “A” Mountain to U of A — and all stops in between. Our mission is to engage the community in conversation about past, present and future issues which affect us differently and shape us collectively.

Writing is work and Ted Prezelski, local member of the National Writers Union, takes time every week to interview local writers as well as labor leaders. We've got a fantastic writing scene in Tucson as well as an active and thriving labor movement and Downtown Radio wants you to learn about both. Ted Prezelski is a native Tucsonan, activist and an award-winning writer. But, never mind that, he’s also a long-time watcher of Tucson’s music scene and his taste dabbles in the complete spectrum of rock and roll. You can tune in to the Pocho Hetman (yes, you’ll have to google both of those words) on Wednesday afternoons, 3-5pm.

Heavy Mental is a radio program that discusses mental health not just with statistics, but also from a real and honest perspective from someone with first-hand experience and insight. Ty Logan provides personal commentary and interviews guests from the community that are either professionals in the behavioral health field or have lived experience in mental health themselves. Ty Logan is daddy to a 5-year-old boy named Dylan, often referred to on live radio as “Didden.” He is also a tattooed horror movie and Hip-Hop expert and junkie, an action figure and gym addict, and a writer who never made it big. With 10 years of sobriety, Ty is the Recovery Support Specialist Manager at the Crisis Response Center (CRC) where he leads a team of 16 members with lived experience in mental health who serve individuals struggling with mental illness, substance abuse, trauma, and/or all of the above. He also is the editor of the CRC monthly newsletter and volunteers his time to a school for kids/teens with special needs.

SpeakerBox X (SBX) was born out of love for underground hip hop. The letter X is commonly used to represent unknown circumstances and that is what SBX strives to deliver: hip hop that is unknown and unpredictable. SBX seeks to spread awareness about the origins of hip hop and how it has evolved, as well as dispel negative viewpoints of the genre that have been perpetuated by mainstream culture and media. It is the goal of SpeakerBox X to showcase songs that are socially conscious, radical and moving that you won’t hear on corporate radio or see on the Billboard charts. SBX also seeks to promote Tucson emcees, DJs, producers, breakers and graffiti artists and place the city on the map for pioneering the next elevation of hip hop in the nation and worldwide. Visit our Facebook page for information on local hip hop music, artists and events.

Showcasing alternative R&B, neo-soul, throwbacks, and house, with a splash of international beats. Melissa has been a mixologist since grade school. She graduated from making mix tapes to hosting a show on Downtown Radio. Soul Vibes Sunday is all about good vibes to get you moving and set your day right. Check out the show’s Facebook page for playlists.

DJ T-Roy is a Tico from Limon, Costa Rica who grew up in New York and New Jersey and lived entirely on the East coast until relocating to the desert Southwest in 2007. Like the journey of the Olmecs, this show will introduce you to some of the very drumbeats and rhythms being played along their journeys from Africa to the Americas. Expect to hear a non-stop soulful house music mix featuring African, Caribbean, and Latin influences. Please join this magical ride—and remember to bring your dancing shoes!

Join Max Webster for as he explores where the improvisational and virtuosic elements of jazz and prog rock meet on When Worlds Collide.

Brother Mok is no stranger to radio land. For all of the nineties, he was doing all types of broadcasting–from Boarding Oping at KNZR news/talk for the Art Bell Coast to Coast show; doing Dodger games; doing Tucson Tex at College, Community, and Internet Radio at KBCC, Radio Free Bakersfield, and RadioInvasion.Com; to working as Music Director and New Director at KBCC. However, after a short-lived commercial radio job, Bro Mok [aka Tucson Tex] focused on other artistic avenues–booking bands, playing in bands, and family. With a few attempts to move back home to Tucson, in 2004 that’s what finally happened. Still focusing on music and family, in late 2015, the radio cocoon was broken when a Downtown Radio DJ and bandmate encouraged Bro Mok to do a shift at Downtown Radio. But why not come back as Tucson Tex? Glad you asked. On October 27, 2013, Lou Reed passed away. Bro Mok is a huge Lou Reed fan, and many folks had already been calling Ted Riviera (Bro Mok’s real name) ‘Mok’ after a song Lou Reed wrote called “My Name is Mok” (for the Canadian animated film, “Rock N’ Rule”). So, Brother Mok was born. Brother Mok brings you two unique weekly shows: a Thursday rock mix show that is heavy on new music, fun facts and a few twists, and Radio Club Crawl which is a sonic sample of what's playing around Tucson.

Club Soda is an international touring DJ and producer who's bringing Tucson the sounds of the underground. The NEW New Dance Show is a high-energy mix of house, funk, and everything in-between, from the eighties to today.