#wusb

[ourladyofomega]

Article published in 1977. Norman Prusslin would be my professor and advisor during my stay at Stony Brook, decades after this photo was taken. All the way to the right is Richard Koch, WUSB's first-ever program director.

I became a forever listener when one of its hip-hop / rap shows played some jazz samples that totally changed my music and collecting life. I would eventually join the station as a student and later become program director. I still broadcast for the frequency (as Omega) to this day.

[omegaradiowusb]

AUGUST 24, 2019 (#206)

H.E.R. “Could’ve Been”

Ta-Ra “5star”

070 Shake “Nice to Have”

Future “Government Official”

JPEGmafia “The Who”

SZA X The Weeknd X Travis Scott “Power Is Power”

Young Nudy “21 Savage”

Anderson .Paak “Come Home” (f. Andre 3000)

Sampa The Great “Final Form”

Clear Soul Forces “Get No Better”

The Cinematic Orchestra “A Caged Bird And Imitations Of Life” (ft. Roots Manuva)

Kate Tempest “Holy Elixir”

Mourning [A] BLKstar “BLK Musak”, “Sweet Oil”

Beast Coast “Coast Clear” (f. *various artists)

Mach-Hommy “Floorseats”

Matt Martians “Knock Knock” 

Lean Low & DJ Dubplates “Early Bird”, “Summer Swisha”

Mike (Bonema) “Ipari”, “God Save The Queen”

Open Mike Eagle & Danny Brown “Unfiltered”

Mist “Can’t Stop Clocks”

NGHTMRE & A$ap Ferg “Redlight”

Kamiyada+ “Restraints” (f. The Wild Dutchman & Toxik Prophet)

Health X JPEGmafia “Hate you”

Health X Ghostemane “Judgement Night”

Childish Gambino “I Love Clothes”, “Feels Like Summer”

It’s our final Summer broadcast of 2019 and of the decade. Omega WUSB says goodbye to the summer sunshine with a great two-hour urban sounds showcase of today’s best, newest, and current hip-hop, soul, beat-tapes, lo-fi rhymes, cloud-rap, empowerment, and grime. 

New sounds from Ta-Ra, 070 Shake, Future, JPEGmafia, SZA X The Weeknd X Travis Scott, Anderson .Paak & Andre 3000, Sampa The Great, The Cinematic Orchestra & Roots Manuva, Kate Tempest, Mourning [A] BLKstar, Beast Coast, Matt Martians, Lean Low & DJ Dubplates, Mike (Bonema), Open Mike Eagle & Danny Brown, Mist, NGHTMRE & A$ap Ferg, Health X Ghostemane, and Childish Gambino.

Recent sounds from H.E.R. and Mach-Hommy.

Omega’s first Autumn 2019 show airs on Labor Day, September 2, 2019 (midnight, New York City) when we fill in for Purple Starlight for our final bonus broadcast of Year Seven. Our first deluxe broadcast airs September 7, 2019 (10PM New York City).

Thanks to all for supporting Omega and independent waves. See you next Autumn.

[omegaplus]

# 2,875

Alice In Chains “Down In A Hole” Austrian disc single (1993)

The original single releases show a full bandshot, but Austria knows that releasing Alice’s most devastating single with just text and no picture makes for some great context. It’s two themes combining into one: Jerry Cantrell wrote this for his then-girlfriend during a confusing time in their lives, and it’s also about Layne Staley’s battles with addiction. The meaning of “Down In A Hole” and the lyric “I like to fly / but my wings have so been denied” refers to sitting in such deep despair and depression which leaves one with no motivation or hope to make anything better for themselves. Moreso in Staley’s case, which his high tolerance of opioids means very little efficacy of his journey of drugs to feelwhat was once the ultimate numb.

“A Little Bitter”, formerly only featured for The Last Action Hero movie soundtrack (1993), is the rarity here, with “Love, Hate, Love”, “Rooster”, and “What The Hell Have I” all AA-sides on the UK editions. They also have a picture disc relese as well.

[omegaplus]

# 2,921

Clash, The “Train In Vain” French promotional 7″

The only time “Train In Vain” gets featured by itself is when France makes it a promotional-only, and shares half the real estate with “Bankrobber”, once a single-only B-side until it re-appeared on Black Market Clash (1980), and in Australia, it’s named “Stand My Me” (Train In Vain)”, but the other way around to advert confusion away from Ben E. King’s memorable “Stand By Me” (’60). The unlisted (not hidden) “Train In Vain” was a very late last-minute addition to 1979′s London Calling as the sleeves were already in pressing, and was to be featured as an NME flexi-disc but was nixed.

This single may allude to being a response to The Slits’ “Typical Girls” (’79) as a document of Mick Jones’ relationship with Viv Albertine. Later on, Garbage sampled this for “Stupid Girl” (’95) and The Afghan Whigs “Lost In The Supermarket” (’99).

[omegaplus]

# 2,999

Soundgarden “Blow Up The Outside World” (1996)

One of many singles from Soundgarden’s contentious Down On The Upside era (1996) that hit the top of Billboard’s U.S. Mainstream Rock charts. Changes in musical direction, lots of internal clashing, and Down On The Upside not living up to Superunknown’s (1995) success had Soundgarden wave the white flag after their world tour. For me, this was the last Soundgarden single pushed through the radio and it was after senior year, a year some people would ride out the final remnants of circles and school spirit before moving on. Around the time of its push, my alternative friends and I wound up at a friend’s party on Heckscher St., one of the very few times I’d find myself in West Brentwood. A night of having laughs and some screaming-at-the-top-of-your-lungs fuckery on suburban streets at 11 PM. on a clear Saturday night; meeting new faces, punk boyfriends-girlfriends dressed in black, and alternative girls with colored hair for the first and only time before they became minor reminders and asterisks whom I would never see again but think about constantly. That night, the Yankees would win Game 6 against the Atlanta Braves for their 23rd World Series title.

[omegaplus]

# 2,903

Beastie Boys “Hey Ladies” / “So What’cha Want” (1989, 1992, 1997)

Capitol Records initiated their S1ngle Servings series only once in 1992 with Megadeth’s “Symphony Of Destruction” / “Foreclosure Of A Dream” and made it a thing again in 1997 issuing up to two hit singles from their artists’ on one disc. They drafted two of the Beasties’ singles in “Hey Ladies” / “So What’cha Want” for a one-time only disc pressing with this generic ‘s1ngle’ sleeve depicting a take-one deli ticket. So there you go.

[omegaplus]

# 2,978

Omega Radio for August 19, 2019; #205.

DJ Yella "Slice"

The C.I.A. "My Posse"

World Class Wreckin’ Cru "World Class"

World Class Wreckin’ Cru "Surgery"

World Class Wreckin’ Cru "He's Bionic"

N.W.A. "Panic Zone"

N.W.A. "Boyz..."

The D.O.C. "It's Funky Enough"

Eazy-E "We Want Eazy"

N.W.A. “Express Yourself"

N.W.A. "Str8 Outta Compton"

N.W.A. "Dayz Of Wayback" (INS)

Ice Cube "Jackin' For Beats"

Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg "Deep Cover"

MC Ren "Final Frontier”

N.W.A. "Message To B.A."

Ice Cube "No Vaseline"

Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg "Fuck Wit' Dre Day (And Everyone’s Celebratin’)"

Eazy-E "Real Compton City G's"

Ice Cube "Steady Mobbin'"

MC Ren "Hounddogz"

Eazy-E "Only If You Want It" (ft. Naughty By Nature)

Dr. Dre & Snoop "Nuthin' But A G..."

Ice Cube "Today Was A Good Day"

Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg "Bitches Ain't Shit" (INS)

Ice Cube "You Know How We Do It"

Eazy-E "Still A N****"

MC Ren "Forget What You Heard"

Ice Cube & Yo-Yo "The Bonnie & Clyde Theme"

Dr. Dre "Let Me Ride"

Eazy-E "Luv 4 Dem Gangstas"

MC Ren "Keep It Real"

Ice Cube "True To The Game"

Dr. Dre "Puffin' On Blunts And Drankin’ Tanqueray" (ft. The Lady Of Rage, Daz, and Kurupt)

MC Ren "It's Like That"

Ice Cube "Check Yourself" (Das EFX RMX)

Yomo & Maulkie "For The Love Of Money"

Bone Thugs N’ Harmony "Foe Tha’ Love Of $"

Ice Cube "Friday"

Dr. Dre "Keep Their Heads Ringin'"

Dr. Dre & Ice Cube "Natural Born Killaz"

Eazy-E & Mc Ren "Tha' Muthafukkin' Real"

DJ Yella "4 Tha E" (INS)

Bonus Omega; N.W.A. tribute.

[omegaplus]

# 2,940

Summer 1993 Mixtape.

Duice “Daisy Dukes”

Naughty By Nature “Uptown Anthem”

Guru “Loungin’“ (f. Donald Byrd)

Zhane “Hey Mr. DJ”

Ice Cube “Check Yourself” (RMX) (f. Das EFX)

Professor X “They Don’t Know Jack”

Captain Hollywood “More And More”

Geto Boys “Six Feet Deep”

Redman “Tonight’s Da’ Night”

Scarface “A Minute To Pray And A Second To Die”

Pharcyde, The “Passin’ Me By”

Kriss Kross “Alright” (f. Supercat)

Ice Cube & Yo-Yo “The Bonnie & Clyde Theme”

Knuckleheadz “Headrush”

Kool G Rap & Polo “Brother On he Run”

Lords Of The Underground “Funky Child”

95 South “Whoot, There It Is”

Naughty By Nature “It’s On”

PM Dawn “Ways Of The Wind” (7″ VER)