11/15/23 : 17:00 – 20:00 pm ET


The Rub – The Death of Pop – Bikini Gospel

Codeine – Jr. – Dessau – Recorded in 1992, not released until 30 years later.
Jane Weaver – Love in Constant Spectacle – Love in Constant Spectacle – [N]
Tallawit Timbouctou – Side B – Takamba
Ryan Davis & the Roadhouse Band – Free From the Guillotine – Dancing on the Edge – [N]
Terry Gross – Spicy Legato – Spicy Legato
Puçanga – 100 Middlemen – Impish
Haywood – Plastic – Discovered! (Men Called Him Mister Outtakes)

Yard Act – The Trench Coat Museum – 12″
The Ashantis – Come On and Do it – Ethiopiques, Vol. 24 – Golden Years of Modern Ethiopian Music (1969-1975) – [C]
Can – Vernal Equinox – Landed – Originally released in 1975.
Neil Young – Sample and Hold (Dance Remix) – 12″
Barbara Manning – Scissors – Super Scissors
House of Pain – Jump Around (Pete Rock remix) – House of Pain (Fine Malt Lyrics)
Penetration – Don’t Dictate – DIY: Anarchy In The UK – UK Punk I (1976-77) – [C]

Prowler – 27:02 – Live on WPRB – https://prowlerprowler.bandcamp.com

Terrible Signal – Switching View – The Window
Black Spell – Satanic Majesty – Season of the Damned
The New Pornographers & Aimee Mann – Firework In The Falling Snow (acoustic) – Firework In The Falling Snow



11/8/23 : 17:00 – 20:00 pm ET


For a special Fall Silent Drive broadcast, Don Giovanni Records founder (and former WPRB DJ) Joe Steinhardt joined me in-studio to celebrate two decades of his label through 20 songs (we didn’t get to all of them). We also aired archival live performances by Screaming Females and Waxahatchee engineered in the WPRB studios.

The Rub – The Death Of Pop – Bikini Gospel

Screaming Females – 25:17 – Live on WPRB

Keith Secola – NDN Kars – Circle

Bad Bad Hats – Detroit Basketball – Walkman

Moor Mother – The Myth Hold Weight – Analog Fluids of Sonic Black Holes

Lee Bains + The Glory Fires – Whitewash – Youth Detention

Swamp Dogg – Soul to Blessed Soul – I Need a Job… So I Can Buy More Auto-Tune

Maura Weaver – Sunshine – I Was Due For a Heartbreak

Lavender Country – I Can’t Shake the Stranger out of You – Blackberry Rose

Paisley Fields – Iowa – Limp Wrist

Mikey Erg – Hopland Superette – Waxbuilt Castles

Winterhawk – Custer’s Dyin – Electric Warriors

Weakened Friends – Blue Again – Common Blah

Shellshag – 1984 – Rumors in Disguise
Waxahatchee – 18:13 – Live on WPRB



11/1/23 : 17:00 – 20:00 pm ET


The Rub – The Death Of Pop – Bikini Gospel

Telehealth – Mindtrap – 45 – [N]
Kool Moe Dee – Death Blow (Extended Remix) – 12″
Holger Czukay – An Electronic Night Ceremony – La Luna – “Recorded live at Holger’s lab in Cologne May 17th, 1996.”
Richard Roundtree – Man from Shaft – The Man from Shaft – RIP.
Telematics – Hounds – Hounds b​/​w Simmer – [N] – Members of Measles Mumps Rubella, Obits, Girls Against Boys and more…
Leon Keïta – Gnanassouma – Leon Keïta (Analog Africa Dance Edition No.16) 
Minibeast – Stimulance – On Ice – [N] – Peter Prescott from Mission of Burma / Volcano Suns and band…

Alien Nosejob – Split Personality – The Derivative Sounds of… OR… A Dog Always Returns to its Vomit – [N]
Dana Dane – Cinderfella Dana Dane – 12″
sunn O))) – Ron G. Warrior – Evil Chuck​ b/w ​Ron G. Warrior – [N]
The Fall – Athlete Cured – The Frenz Experiment – Totally rips off Spinal Tap’s “Tonight I’m Gonna Rock You Tonight.”
Jaimie Branch – Burning Grey – Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die ((World War)) – [N]
Damien Jurado – Fool Maria – What’s New, Tomboy?
Comateens – Danger Zone – 45 – Reissue forthcoming on Left For Dead!

Bad News Bats – 23:48 – Live on WPRB – https://badnewsbats.bandcamp.com

The Adverts – One Chord Wonders – DIY: Anarchy In The UK – UK Punk I (1976-77) – [C]
Neal Markowski – River 2 (excerpt) – Erosional / Depositional – [N]



Jon Solomon’s 2023 Holiday Radio Show.


Year 35 of THE MARATHON is rapidly approaching, like an endless parade of robotic drummer boys.

The 2023 edition of my 25-Hour Holiday Radio Show on 103.3 fm WPRB will start on Christmas Eve at 5:00 pm ET and go straight until Christmas Day at 6:00 pm ET. 

This year’s marathon will happen LIVE FROM HOME for a fourth time, because once you’ve done a extended broadcast like this surrounded by your family with ample sunlight coming through numerous windows, not to mention almost no heavy lifting – it is impossible to turn back!

Header image and this year’s initial round of graphics by the esteemed ArtJerk.

You can find four different new designs here, plus prior years’ graphics with snails and my sleeping parents on them too.

Press folks, I would love to talk with you.

Now, let’s get to my absolute favorite marathon tradition…

Your Christmas Stories!

Each of the last dozen years I’ve asked a number of friends, musicians, comedians, fellow DJs and others that I admired to record their definition of an original “Christmas story” to be interspersed throughout my marathon, alongside other annual favorites.

These pieces have made something that matters a great deal to me all the more special.

For year XXXV, I’m counting on YOU + YOURS!

I’m not going to list all the amazing people who have recorded pieces in the past this time out. You can listen to past favorites here.

The deadline for 2023 is Thursday, December 21st. Please don’t be late.

What is a Christmas Story?

Well…it can be a reading of a favorite Xmas tale, a cover of a holiday song you love or an original piece.

I leave that in your brilliant hands.

The goal is to debut one of these an hour throughout the marathon, if not more frequently.

Submissions can be sent to this email address.

My lone request is that you do not post your piece elsewhere before it airs during the show! Please! Afterwards go wild, just mention the show when you do share on Bandcamp / Soundcloud / etc.

If you wanted some extra direction…pieces inspired by New Order or Joy Division could potentially complete a thematic set I’ve wanted to try for a few years now…

Please spread the word and have a safe holiday season.

Jon Solomon
103.3 fm WPRB



10/25/23 : 17:00 – 20:00 pm ET


The Rub – The Death Of Pop – Bikini Gospel

Lewsberg – Cold Light Of Day – In This House – You could make a compelling case for each member of Lewsberg as the band’s “secret weapon” and I would enthusiastically agree with you no matter your choice.
The 45 King – The 900 Number (original) – The 900 Number – RIP to DJ Mark The 45 King, who passed away recently at the age of 62.
Neil Young – The Last Trip to Tulsa – Sugar Mountain – Live At Canterbury House 1968
I Think Like Midnight – Over The Points – Microtonal Honkytonk – [N] – Local.
Government Issue – Day Of Reckoning – Day Of Reckoning – Pentagram cover. Recorded in 1985, previously unreleased!
Fela and Egypt 80 – Underground System – Underground System
Eleventh Dream Day – The Arsonist – S/T

CLASS – Inspect The Receipt – If You’ve Got Nothing – [N]
Medicine Singers, Lee Ranaldo & Yonatan Gat – Honor Song – Honor Song – Released on Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
The Feelies – Oh! Sweet Nuthin – Some Kinda Love: Performing the Music of the Velvet Underground – [N] – Recorded live at White Eagle Hall in 2018.
Damon Locks & Rob Mazurek – The Concord Hour – New Future City Radio
The Exbats – Himbo – Song Machine – [N]
Etran de L’AÏr – Nak Deranine – Live in Seattle
The Chills – Push – Brave Words – Brave Words (Expanded and Remastered) – [N] – Includes an extra disc of rare / unreleased material.

The Catholic Girls – 40:21 – Live on WPRB – http://www.thecatholicgirls.net

OSees – Stunner – Intercepted Message – [N]
Klip Collective – save.point – Night Forms: Infinite Wave – Night Forms returns for a third season this November at Grounds for Sculpture.
Keiji Haino + SUMAC – That fuzz pedal you planted in your throat, its screw has started to come loose Your next effects pedal is up to you do you have it ready?



10/11/23 : 17:00 – 20:00 pm ET


The Rub – The Death of Pop – Bikini Gospel

Population II – Tô Kébec – Électrons libres du québec – [N]
Mulatu Astatqé Feat. Frank Holder & Niaaza Alsherif – Assiyo Bélléma – Éthiopiques 24: Golden Years Of Modern Ethiopian Music 1969-1975 – [C]
Jennifer O’Connor – It Feels Like I’m Being Watched – It Feels Like I’m Being Watched / Coins In The Fountain – [N] – Two never-before-released tracks from the Born At The Disco sessions.
Alan Courtis & David Grubbs – Airborne Particles of the California Central Valley – Braintrust of Fiends and Werewolves – Courtis of Reynols, Grubbs of Gastr del Sol / Bastro / Squirrel Bait / etc.
Azna de L’Ader – Zabaya – Zabaya
Advance Base – How You Got Your Picture on the Wall – How You Got Your Picture on the Wall – Does anyone write such evocative musical stories using as few words as Owen Ashworth?
Minibeast – Town Cryer – Ism Volume Gold

Obits – Taste The Diff – Bed & Bugs – “He gave us each other.”
Joshua Wayne Hensley – Cranes In The Field – Kettle – [N]
Akiko Yano – To Ki Me Ki – To Ki Me Ki – 1978 album reissued outside Japan for the first time.
Water Damage – French Remix – French Remix
Dancer – Love – As Well – [N]
The Glass Bees – Because Tomorrow Disaster May Come – Because Tomorrow Disaster May Come
The Tubs – Illusion Pt. II – Dead Meat

Creeping Weeds – 34:56 – Live on WPRB – https://creepingweeds.bandcamp.com

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Theia – Theia – [N]
Rae Fitzgerald – Joy Ceilings – Lonely Listener
Bananagun – Modern Day Problems – The True Story of Bananagun



10/4/23 : 17:00 – 20:00 pm ET


The Rub – The Death Of Pop – Bikini Gospel

C.O.F.F.I.N. – Through The Sewer – Australia Stops – [N]
KMD – Humrush – Mr. Hood
Lost Girls – Love, Lovers – Menneskekollektivet – Jenny Hval and Håvard Volden.
Nonconnah – V-Goodnight, Goodbye, We Perish – Don’t Go Down to Lonesome Holler
Heavenly Bodies – My Hand Threw A Kiss From My Mouth – MEDIUM – [N] – Local.
Vanishing Twin – Lotus Eater – Afternoon X – Out October 6th.
California X – Sucker – S/T – Happy 20th birthday, Don Giovanni!

The Feelies – Two Rooms – The Good Earth
Blue Cranes – Forward – My Only Secret – [N]
Metalzone – Lentil the End of Time – Hail Seitan
Birdlegs & Pauline – Too Much At Stake – Eccentric R&B: The Cuca Label  – [C] – From 1960s Rockford, Illinois.
Writhing Squares – North Side of the Sky – Chart For the Solution 
Andrzej Korzynski – Third Part Of The Night (Main Theme) – Third Part Of The Night – Previously unreleased score for a 1971 film.
Collate – Erika’s Trip – Generative Systems – [N]

Vintage Crop – 28:51 – Live on WPRB – http://vintagecrop.bandcamp.com

Ought – Disaffectation – Room Inside The World – Pre-Cola.
Tidiane Thiam – Thierno Adama Gaye – Siftorde
Chico Magnetic Band – Pop Or Not – Midnight Massiera: The B-Music Of Jean-Pierre Massiera – [C] – Originally found on a 1971 single.



9/27/23 : 17:00 – 20:00 pm ET


The Rub – The Death Of Pop – Bikini Gospel

Screaming Females – High – Ugly – A highlight from their recent set opening for The Breeders.
Samuel Belèy – Lèbèné Sheweshew – Éthiopiques 24: Golden Years Of Modern Ethiopian Music 1969-1975 – [C]
Birthday Girl – Run The Bath – S/T – Brendan from Fugazi and Alec from Hammered Hulls’ kids are in this band!
MEMORIALS – We Live Here / The Roxy – Live in Brighton 20-05-23 – Available only to subscribers of the band’s newsletter. Members of Electrelane and Wire. Get it here!
Cola – Blank Curtain – Deep In View – Ex-Ought.
Luther Thomas Human Arts Ensemble – Funky Donkey – Funky Donkey, Vols. 1 & 2 – Recorded in 1973. First released in 1977. Soon to be reissued on WeWantSounds.
Snõõper – Pod – Super Snõõper – [N]

La Sécurité – Dis-Moi – Stay Safe! – [N]
Sunwatchers – World People – Music Is Victory Over Time – Out in November.
Rattle – DJ – Sequence – They should really play a show with Matt Talbott’s band…
The Free Music – Men Awel Marra – Habibi Funk 026: Solidarity with Libya – [C] – “The profits will be split between International Medical Corps (internationalmedicalcorps.org) who have teams in Derna on the ground, the Red Cross (www.icrc.org) who also work in Libya both directly and through their partner organization of the Libyan Red Crescent and the Libyan organization @tanmia360 which has been recommended to us for their work during the campaign…”
The Breeders – Divine Mascis – Last Splash (30th Anniversary Edition) – [N] – Recently uncovered version of “Divine Hammer” with J from Dinosaur on vocals.
Charles Gayle – Doxology – Streets – The saxophonist Gayle passed away recently at the age of 84. RIP.
mclusky – the digger you deep – unpopular parts of a pig / the digger you deep – [N] – First new material in 19 years!

The Fiendz – 48:18 – Live on WPRB – http://thefiendz.com

Vintage Crop – Casting Calls – Kibitzer – All the way from Australia and live on next week’s show!
Emily Robb – Hermit’s Cave – If I Am Misery Then Give Me Affection – [N]



9/13/23 : 17:00 – 20:00 pm ET


The Rub – The Death Of Pop – Bikini Gospel

I received the terrible news from his wife that fellow DJ Patrick O’Shea passed away recently.

Pat was a long-time WPRB programmer who hosted The World’s Fare, The Scarlet Pumpernickel and The All-Ages Show.

You knew him as Pato, Pangeo, Paddy, Patchmo, Patmos, PizzPot, etc…

His last show on the station was on August 22nd, only nine days before he died.

Pat had been starting The World’s Fare with every country’s national anthem in alphabetical order. He got as far as Mali before he passed. So, as tribute to Pat here’s the next anthem he would have played: L-Innu Malti, the national anthem of Malta. 

WPRB is collecting memories of Pat. If you have any favorites please pass along to me when you can or leave them in the comments. Thank you.

Cable Ties – Sandcastles – Live at the Scrap Museum – What a wonderful feeling when a band you’ve wanted to see live for a couple years now finally makes it stateside and doesn’t disappoint! Thank you Cable Ties!
Tamrat Molla & Venus Band – Ber Anbar Sèbèrèlewo – Éthiopiques 24: Golden Years Of Modern Ethiopian Music 1969-1975 – [C]
The Routes – Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Shouldn’t’ve) – Reverberation Addict – [N] – Off an album of instrumental surf rock Buzzcocks covers.
The Clean – Point That Thing Somewhere Else – Boodle Boodle Boodle
Rachel Musson, Lia Mazzari, Ed Lucas & Douglas Benford – Lucky In A Bad Way – Ourselves One Day – Recorded live at the Hundred Years Gallery, Hoxton, London, UK. February 2018.
Shabazz Palaces – Binoculars – Robed in Rareness  – [N] – Out on October 27th. Featuring Royce The Choice.
SPRINTS – Up and Comer – Letter To Self – Coming in January!

Superchunk – Iron On – Here’s Where The Strings Come In
Gaye Su Akyol – Böyle Olur Mu – Love Buzz 45 – [N]
Liturgy – Haelegen II – 93696
Electro Keyboard Orchestra – The Soaring Seagull – S/T – Also collected on “Touch – The Sublime Sound of Yuji Ohno.”
If / When – Sounds for “Schatten-Licht” – Sounds for “Schatten-Licht” – “Schatten-Licht” was an exhibition of objects and paintings by Uschi Lux, accompanied by a site-specific sound installation by Chris Williams (If / When). It was shown in the World War II-era bunker beneath the Martinskirche in Stuttgart, Germany from May 24 – June 8, 2019.
Kofi Flexxx – By Now (Accused of Magic) [feat. Anthony Joseph] – Flowers In The Dark – [N]
Vintage Crop – Springtime – Springtime

Illinois – 36:09 – Live on WPRB – https://illinoistheband.bandcamp.com

Swansea Sound – Click It And Pay – Twentieth Century – [N] – Brand new album by Rob and Amelia from Heavenly plus Hue from Pooh Sticks.



9/6/23 : 17:00 – 20:00 pm ET


The Rub – The Death Of Pop – Bikini Gospel

Theee Retail Simps – Rubble – 45 – [N]
L’Orchestre National de Mauritanie – Douga-Sosso – S/T
Haley – Walk Among The Dead – Hunca Munca – [N] – Formerly known as Haley Bonar.
WASNT WISNT – Yedoma – Artifact – Local.
Ted Pauly – Take Care – We Had The Time – He of Haywood / Wendyfix.
Vanishing Twin – Marbles – Afternoon X – Out in October.
Oxbow – Dead Ahead – Love’s Holiday – [N]

Wimps – Mom – City Lights – [N]
Super Onze – Face A – Session pour Yehia le Marabout – Recorded in 1994.
Yes Vacancy – Decomposed – Decomposed
Yuji Ohno & Galaxy – Kirameku Inner Space – Touch – The Sublime Sound of Yuji Ohno – [C] – Originally released in 1977.
Big Dipper – Ron Klaus Wrecked His House – Craps – Thanks to everyone who came out to last week’s WPRB-sponsored screening of “We Were Famous, You Don’t Remember” at PhilaMOCA! This one is for you.
Wubshèt Fisseha & Exception Five Band – Sèw Endayhon Yèllèm – Ethiopiques 24 – [C]
Deep Tan – Beginner’s Krav Maga – Beginner’s Krav Maga

Public Record – 39:43 – Live on WPRB – https://myspace.com/publicrecord

The Effigies – We’ll Be Here Tomorrow – Remains Nonviewable – RIP John Kezdy.
Década 2 – Alfabeto (Cold Version) – Back Up (Mexican Tecno Pop 1980-89) – [C]
My Heart, an Inverted Flame – The Innovation Toolkit – Plague Notes, Unnamed, Unknown, A Finger Dragged Through Dust