Introducing DJ Mel

This is not Melanie Weaver, merely a reenactment of what Melanie Weaver would look like if she was pointing at a poster.

Hey everyone! I am Melanie Weaver, a junior at Sacramento State. This is my first semester at Sac State, and I am a liberal studies major and history minor. I decided to become a DJ for KSSU because I have had a passion for broadcasting since I was in sixth grade.  I had a friend who was co-hosting a show on a classic rock radio station that was located in Westwood, CA, and I was interested in being a guest DJ. I have been on the radio off and on since 2004.  Being a DJ is something that I have been interested in doing in my spare time because it’s fun. When I was a senior in high school, I was required to do a senior project. I had an idea in mind and that was to work for the community radio that was located in Quincy, CA. I had gone to the meetings that were required for the new DJ’s.  I was one of the youngest DJ’s that was part of the volunteer staff for the radio station. I am happy that I am a DJ for KSSU because I enjoy being on the radio and playing music for the listeners.

I host The Melster Mash every Wednesday from 5pm to 6pm on KSSU DOTCOM on the TuneIn radio app. The music I play on the show comes from music that I enjoy listening to. I am very happy that I have come this far and enjoy working for KSSU as part of the volunteer staff. It’s amazing and I like to do this during my spare time.

I hope you continue to listen to my show every Wednesday from 5pm to 6pm on KSSU DOTCOM. I am playing music from the 80’s, 90’s, 2000’s, 10’s, and today. Definitely worth listening to.

Thank you to the fans who have listened and the ones who will be listening. Keep it tuned to KSSU DOTCOM for awesome shows by our current DJ’s for KSSU.

DJ Freedom “Cares” Bringing Hope New Show Time Fridays 7 – 8 PM

Greeting KSSU listeners. I have been enjoying my new DJ experience. It has really brought out a new creativity and thought in my personal life. I am CHANGING time slots for Fridays 5- 6 PM to 7-8 PM!!! I have had a great response to my show however the time slot was difficult for most to listen. I realized that this commute time, dinner time and very busy time. So i am changing it to a later time in hopes of reaching more listeners. I have also finally finished my DJ Flyer and they will printed soon so I can spread the word of my new show!!

The format I have chosen is to be bold and declare and share my faith to those listening. Although I do play some classic rock most of my playlist is christian music. So far from my friends that are listening at home they have been extremely blessed and this encourages me to reach more listeners. My faith in God and all that He stands for is who I am today. If it weren’t for Jesus and the grace I have found I would not be here today. I would have died long ago.The strength and hope that I have found in Jesus give me the ability to continue down this path called life.

It is my heart to share hope with the hopeless to encourage the desperate and lonely that they are not alone. I not only understand but can relate and want to share my experience, strength and hope to others. Each week I chose a topic to discuss. So far I have shared about gratitude, grief and joy. It all depends on what’s going on in my own life for that week. I am very transparent and believe that with sincerity and true experience others can be encouraged in their own lives.

I will be opening the phone lines in hopes that listeners will call and participate in the topic of the week. The goal of my show is to have an interactive radio show. It is a big goal and we will see how this is going to work.I truly put my heart and soul into my show. My heart to help and bring hope is a burning passion that I carry deep within me.

 

So tune in to KSSU.com on Friday Nights 7 – 8 PM and give my show a shot!!

Blessing to you and yours….DJ Freedom

New Semester, New Person?

Not Angie, an actor portraying her in a Dramatization.

We are rolling on into our 4th week in this brand spanking new semester. By now we have adjusted to our new schedules, found a club we want to join and hopefully made some new friends that don’t make us want to hurl.

So far I would say that this is a great start to this new fall season that we are entering in to. But isn’t it exhausting to keep having things change? Sure it could be a new semester with new people but are you the same person who you were before last semester? That is a hard question to ask yourself, so I will start off by telling you who I think I am. My name is Angie Kagianas and I am currently a senior (hopefully) here at the beautiful Sac State. I hail from a place called Chicago, Illinois (please do not pronounce the S at the end. We hate that) and grew up there for a grand total of 21 years.

My life consists of family, work, school, family and friends. I had to throw family in there twice since the majority of my time is spent talking to them or talking about them. I am new to KSSU and have loved every minute of it so far and am eager to be putting out some groovy beats through the airwaves in a couple of days.

Hobbies include watching as many movies as I can get my hands on (most of the time its Harry Potter), I fish, ski and love to read. My main attribute that contributes to the totally-awesome- cool person I am would have to be my modesty. Nah, I am just kidding. Although I like to think I am a totally-awesome-cool person I am mostly just an awkward person who throws positivity around like its confetti. When I talk 9o% of it is made up of movie quotes that have embedded themselves in my brain. What is the other 10% you may ask. Well that’s mostly composed of me laughing and then throw in some useless fun facts and a couple of jokes and you have my common day vernacular. So there you go , I am an awkward 22 year old that enjoys watching movies, hanging out with my family, quoting movies and just being my normal weird self. Have I always been this way though? I like to think that I have grown more and experienced more but I haven’t.

In my life I have just learned to adjust to new responsibilities that have forced their way into my life. That is what I believe changes us the most, I know that’s what changed me. New responsibilities that forced me to adapt to a new environment and break through my comfort zone. Unfortunately, this Angie that I described is different from the last semester Angie but fortunately she has the same attitude. Even though change is inevitable and it can be rough sometimes I think we need to see where it takes us and who we become out of it. The attitude you have towards your new responsibilities is what keeps you afloat. And sure change is exhausting but its never going to stop no matter how hard you try.

So may I part you all with this little tid-bit, Life is tough, wear a helmet.

Angie is a DJ with KSSU

The Zombie 5 Tour Review

Last Sunday, I went and saw (in order) Secrets, Born of Osiris, Word Alive, and the Devil Wears Prada at the Ace of Spades in Sacramento. The name of the tour was the “Zombie Five Tour” because it has been five years since the Devil Wears Prada released their “Zombie Ep”- one of their greatest achievements. There was laughing, crying tears of joy, and a lot of sweat in a human sardine can. Here’s how my night went.

Started off with the usual tradition- Dutch Bros. drive thru coffee in Davis. Got myself a strawberry and lime iced Rebel, which is their trademark energy drink, so I was ready for the long night ahead. Accompanying me was my girlfriend while the rest of my crew was saving us a spot at the front of the line. Walking to our spot in line, I could feel the teenage angst staring me down while everyone is decked out in gear ranging from Goth streetwear to gym clothes with band logos. I myself went in some nice khakis and a windbreaker. After hanging out in line and farting on some teens behind me, we quickly hurried inside the venue when the doors opened.

Usually, Ace of Spades has a band open up for the other bands, but Secrets was the first band to go on. The last time I saw Secrets was also at the Ace of Spades, but when they had their old vocalist. For being the first band, Secrets did great. They played some classics, some new stuff, and even a song that has yet to be released. Aside from some ear-piercing highs from the singing, they did a good job.

Born of Osiris came next and they straight up murdered the stage. Stage presence out the ying-yang, sound effects on point, and the heavy/technical guitar skills from Lee McKinney reminded me why Born of Osiris is one of my favorite bands. Born of Osiris was like a shot of espresso after the creamer, started off sweet and escalated to a level of strength that even Goku would be impressed by. Well done BOO, well done once again.

The last time I saw The Word Alive was at Warped Tour, and they were all hyped about their newest release, the “Real.” Album. Some of those songs are pretty light, so I thought, “Aw man, I’m gonna see the same performance twice.” I was proven wrong. The Word Alive played a lot of heavy songs, including oldies like “2012” and “House of Anubis”. Before the breakdown to 2012, Telle Smith (the frontman) split the whole entire front half of the crowd like the Red Sea and told them that when he counts the breakdown in, that everyone run at each other as fast as possible. This is what we call a “Wall of Death” and the last Wall I partook in ended up with my shirt getting ripped in half, fighting some fat guys, and almost passing out in the crowd. Fun fact: that was also during a Word Alive set in that very same venue.

Last but certainly not least, the men of the hour, The Devil Wears Prada. I thought that TDWP would only play their EP and a couple more songs. Then I found out from an outside source that their set list was 16 songs. 16 SONGS. The first five were some classics, then the next five were the Zombie EP all in order, all with the sound effects in between the songs as well. After the EP, I did not stay for the whole set list, but I was okay with that. Also, the stage had crazy light displays, including a giant symbol from their album 8:18. The Devil Wears Prada was the very first band that got me into Metal, and to see them live almost eight years after I heard their first album made the night all worth it. They were the best band up on that stage, and I cannot wait to hear what they have next.

Speaking of that, I heard a rumor (which has yet to be confirmed) that The Devil Wears Prada is back on Rise Records and is going to release a Space Ep.

We will just have to wait and see.

Thanks for reading my lengthy memory written onto this blog! If you want to hear more music from these bands and bands alike, or if you know of a band you want on my show, listen in on Tuesday mornings at 8 o’clock on www.kssu.com or contact me via Instagram @gingerbeardthefoot

Much love,

DJGingerbeard

Super Smash Bros. For Wii U, A Smashing Good Time

I know the game has been out for a while, but I just wanted to give credit where credit is due. The older Smash Bros. fans will shout “Super Smash Bros. Melee was the best and will always be the best”, but what Nintendo did for SSB for Wii U has taken this series to another level. Enhanced graphics, new characters, different combo options, even more dangerous maps, and 8-player mode all come with the new and improved Super Smash Bros. Also, a player can still use regular Wii remotes on the Wii U, so this makes it easier for lazy people (like me) who do not wish to adapt to the new Wii U controller, which has a screen in the middle of it in case you wanted to use the bathroom without interrupting the game for everyone else.

A list of the new characters include: Mega Man, Wii Fit Trainer, Animal Crossing Villager, Rosalina & Luma, Little Mac, Greninja, Customizable Mii Fighters, Palutena, Robin, Shulk, Lucina, Pac-Man, Dark Pit, Bowser Jr. (with all other koopa kids), and the duck and dog from duck hunt. Also, Zero Suit Samus is available as a starting character as opposed to Regular Samus from SSB Brawl, where you would need to hit a “special ball” in order to become zero suit samus. As for DLC characters, there is only one: Mewtwo. Mewtwo from Melee and Lucario from Brawl had very, very similar attacks so I hope that this new Mewtwo comes with new attacks or other surprises. I personally only got to play as Palutena, Little Mac, Bowser Jr. and Shulk. Palutena you have to get used too. Little Mac is HIGHLY powerful and if you can hone in on timing his attacks, you will be unstoppable. I played as a Bowser Jr. who had a cannon and could also detach himself from his little vehicle thing to place a bomb inside it before returning, which killed my friend about eight times. Shulk is a swordsman character, but his “B” move allows you to use a sort of perk with choices of speed, power, or defense. Trust me, they really do help.

This is pretty much the extent of my knowledge because I just spent thirty minutes in a GameStop doing a trial run of the game and now I wish i wasn’t a broke student so I could purchase a Wii U just for this game. If you live a life without regrets, buy this game and you will not be disappointed.

Thanks for reading! To hear some awesome music and more shenanigans coming straight from my pie-hole, tune into my show “Shred the Gnar” Tuesdays at 8am only on http://www.kssu.com!!!

Much love,

DJGingerbeard

A Few Films…

With the Oscars last week, I have begun thinking about the films and shows that I have enjoyed through the years. I have always loved stories and I think that film can tell stories in a way that other mediums simply cannot. Watching a film can evoke emotions and feelings that we are often unwilling to express in daily life. We laugh, cry, get mad, and feel things for pixels on a screen. That is the power that can be conveyed through film.

So I thought I would discuss some of the films that hav e made an impact on me over the course of my life. As a Communications / digital media major, I have seen many films, both modern and classic. I have been introduced to the elements that makeup good films, and what specific colors, movements and framing convey to an audience. I want to make very clear that this list is NOT based on all that! I simply want to create a list of films that have, for me, made an impact on me for whatever reason.

Alright, with that out of the way, let’s begin. The first film may not be any brilliant piece of film history, but earns a spot on this list because of the lasting effect it has had on me. The film is National Treasure, and I was at an age when I first watched it that I was able to appreciate the film, as well as still being young enough to believe the story and characters, as well as being engrossed in the film from start to finish. Another film that I should mention is the Last Samurai. Regardless your opinion of this film, I was, again, at an age while watching this for the first time that allowed me to both appreciate the art of the film, but also not think too deeply about the story.

Those are older films from when I was growing up – I have of course seen films more recently that have expanded by knowledge and appreciation of film. Although an older film as well, Pan’s Labyrinth is a film that I saw only about a year ago for a college class. I was unsure going into the film what to expect, however I was pleasantly surprised. I appreciate how the film portrays a lot of classic themes in fairytales in a new and creative way. I also remember what I felt throughout the film, which is impressive considering I was sitting in uncomfortable chairs in a classroom at the time.

Finally, I would like to say that film is a subjective medium. As such, these films have made an impact on me (among, of course, many others,) because of the circumstances that I was in at the time. You may not like all or any of these films, but I would like to encourage you to think about your life and pick three or four films that have made an impact on you. The reason doesn’t really matter, just that you got something out of the film.

So that is what I wanted to say. Just that film has the power to make people feel something. I think that is something very unique and special about that medium.

When David isn’t writing about movies he’s a dj at KSSU

Album Review: “Lost Isles” by Oceans Ate Alaska

is a metal-core band the United Kingdom with a unique taste. Some flavors of Djent, Thrash, Death, Pop Punk, and even Electronica float around in this UK Combo. When I first listened to Oceans Ate Alaska, they were a scene/emo kid band performing the class “screamo” music with open note breakdowns. This album “Lost Isles” has been a metamorphosis for Oceans. They started out as puny, long-haired caterpillars and evolved into fire-breathing dragons. Here’s my take on “Lost Isles”.

The intro, “Four Thirty Two” is an instrumental with some radio and television broadcasts on natural disasters playing in the background. Great work done in this song, piece and also in the instrumental interlude. The pure talent and raw sound during these pieces show how the band has progressed in accordance to music theory. Tempo changes, experimental tuning, drum variety, all sorts of vocals (both clean and screamed), and of course some master guitar shredding amplify this bands talent ten-fold. You can tell how much work they put into this album just by these pieces alone.

But wait! It gets even better. Oceans Ate Alaska released three tracks before the actually full length release date, which was February 24th. These songs are “Blood Brothers” (Lyric video), “Floorboards” (Lyric Video), and “Vultures And Sharks” (Music Video). One thing you will notice is how thick the accent is coming out of the front-man. It works really well because with the knowledge of where these guys came from, you can match up the style with the accent. With technical drops, crazy good melodies, and use of techno in the background (but not overdone) made me so excited for the release of the full length. Maybe a little too excited because I listened to “Blood Brothers” about five times a day for a week.

Other songs worth mentioning are “High Horse”,”Linger”, “Entity”, and the debut hit “Lost Isles”. “High Horse” is heavy as frick and is similar to Attila’s lyric style. Basically, we are better than you and will hurt you if you try to take us down. With a little bit of Djent influences, this song made me sweaty and flexed out while just sitting in class, which probably made it uncomfortable for the shy girl next to me. “Linger” and “Entity” cannot be fully appreciated without deciphering the lyrics. I will not ruin the surprise, but your mind will be blown. Also, “Linger” as both clean and distorted guitar throughout, which is strange for metal, but it worked out fantastic! Last but certainly not least is “Lost Isles” which is pretty much everything I have just written, but precisely placed together in one masterpiece. I feel like this should have been on the last song on the album just to give listeners those last tears of joy and bliss before popping the album out their car radio.

To hear some new stuff from Oceans Ate Alaska and a variety of other bands, go listen to my show “Shred the Gnar” on http://www.kssu.com Tuesdays at 8 o’clock!

Thanks for reading, DJGingerbeard out.

A Letter of Introduction

Something about the idea of radio is so exciting. That phenomenon when someone in a room with a microphone addressing a wide audience of diverse people from so many different stages in life. That’s the great thing about mass communications, and that is one of the things that first got me interested in radio to begin with.

Who am I, this random person typing letters on a keyboard in the middle of the night? Well, that is what I am here to tell you about. My name is David, and I am a new DJ here at KSSU. I decided to write this post to not only introduce myself, but also my show, which will be airing on Tuesdays at 3:00 PM.

As for me, I am a pretty simple guy, with way too many interests! I was drawn to KSSU last summer when, after discovering that the station existed, I stopped by and realized that anyone could submit an application. So I did just that, and here I am. I am quite excited for the opportunity to work here at KSSU, not only because of the experience it will provide, but because in my 2 weeks here so far, I have already met some amazing people and gained some valuable experience. I also love music, so that helps

What might you be able to expect from my show? Well, that is the question, isn’t it? My show will, without a doubt, be a reflection of me. That is, a variety of topics and genres of music, as well as being a preverbal melting pot of audio content. I personally enjoy almost every kind of music, so that is what the show will attempt to be at its core. I will warn you, however, that my taste in music often shifts to one genre or another, so the difference may be more noticeable between shows, than between songs.

In addition to some killer music, I will also be talking about topics and stories that I find interesting at the time. These topics will likely be in relation to music, movies and TV, as those are things that I heartily enjoy. In addition to those three “staples” I will attempt to not only broaden your horizons, but mine as well. I plan on doing that by delving into topics that I might not normally take an interest in, but that sound exciting, or perhaps simply to satisfy my own curiosity!

I also plan on keeping up on blog posts, as I love the medium and feel like having a blog post for each show is a great way to keep you all up to date with what’s happening here on my show. The music playlists for the show will also be posted somewhere on the internet, as I love having the ability to look up a song that I might not have gotten the name of while listening to a given show.

So hello, and welcome, dear listener! I look forward to an exciting and eclectic semester of radio awesomeness! If you have any questions or comments, please leave them on this post, or tweet me @davidmoore326. Thanks for reading, and I will talk to you soon.

David Moore is  a new DJ with KSSU Sacramento State’s only student run radio station.

Album Review: “The Night God Slept” by Silent Planet

The very first song I heard from Silent Planet was “Tiny Hands (Au Revoir) off their EP titled “Lastsleep (1944-1946)” was love at first listen. I thought, “Gee, these guys already sound experienced and professional.” Turns out, they have only released a demo CD and one self-recorded EP. The album that just came out titled “The Night God Slept” is their first album- ever. Silent Planet is a Christian Metalcore band from Los Angeles. Although they are christian, they do not like to have labels on them and during an interview, their guitar player claimed that they do not want to play in churches, “but we want to play for the broken.” The link to the interview is at the bottom. With this new album, Silent Planet has been signed to Solid State Records and already have some recognition. Bands like For Today and August Burns Red are backing up the release of this new album and on eight of the eleven tracks there are featured christian artists. Silent Planet is coming into 2015 hot with no signs of braking.

Let’s break this album down real quick. First off, the lyrics are amazing. All the lyrics are direct quotes, paraphrases, or interpretations by the vocalist of other sources. These sources include philosophical books, historical events, the Bible, and many more other things. Not only that, but the lyrics all flow together around a central main idea while also remaining connected to all listeners. All instruments at one point do show their max amount of talent, but they remain humble when needed. The instruments are not focused on being the heaviest or most technical, but they are very talented and get crazy at times. The keep the song entertaining while also complementing the vocalist. Also, one of the guitar players sings to bring in that “clean” aspect to the Metalcore genre. By the way, it is good singing not like a girly man kind of singing either.

My favorite songs (in order of appearance) are XX (City Grave), Native Blood, Tiny Hands (Au Revoir), and Wasteland. “XX (City Grave) talks about the objectification of women as sexual beings instead of equals to men and how that is wrong. The song explains how we should treat all women as sisters and abolish pornography, regardless of profit being lost or desires that men have. “Native Blood” is about how Native Americans were kicked out their land by people who claimed to be Servants of God. Silent Planet retaliated against the idea of the settlers being servants by explaining what it really is to be a Servant. They then compare the idea of False Servant-hood to most preachers today. “Tiny Hands (Au Revoir)” is a Holocaust survival story about a Jewish woman who escaped a Synagogue being burned by Nazis by jumping out a giant window into a garden. There are also topics such as the Garden of Eden and the existence of both forces of Good and Evil. Finally, the song “Wasteland”. This song is about the rise of Joseph Stalin and his attempt to abolish God completely, making himself the new supreme figurehead that everyone are supposed to worship. The song also looks at the lives of the soldiers under Stalin who were dying unnecessary deaths after losing their faith on the battle field, hence the name “Wasteland”.

I can go on and on, but you should go check it out for yourself. I highly recommend that you check out the album playlist on youtube (which I have provided a link) and read the lyrics while the songs are playing. I promise you will not regret it and your mind will be blown.

Thanks for reading! If you want to hear more music like Silent Planet and other great artists, tune into my show “Shred the Gnar” Tuesdays at 8am on http://www.kssu.com

Much Love, DJGingerbeard

Links:

Playlist= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7d9HHQqtguY&list=PLCslpjrb7cYjhht_4wASD6IGoivkLfD-z&index=10

interview= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gi_VYGnuHl8

“Shred the Gnar” Version 2.0

For those of you who do not know me, my name is DJGingerbeard and I have a metal/random show Tuesday mornings at 8am called “Shred the Gnar” on KSSU. When I started at KSSU, I wanted to play music that people would not typically hear in the mainstream, or music that when it comes up in conversation would make them cringe. Examples are metal, death metal, post-hardcore, Djent, etc. Last semester I found myself sticking to one type of metal and even replaying songs from already popular artists. My original intent on becoming a DJ had vanished. Two events made me realize i must return to my Alpha Form.

I was checking out some bands on Instagram when I saw a band that I thought was already great and pretty well-known had released a new album. That album is titled “The Night God Slept” by a Southern Californian Metal band called “Silent Planet.” The lyrics are all direct quotes, paraphrases, or interpretations of the vocalist cited from historical events, intellectual books, and scriptures. I was blown away by the awesome creativity on this album so I looked up an interview with the band. I found out that this album was their first album ever and they just got signed to a record label (which happens to be Solid State Records). That’s when it hit me. One of the things I wished to do as a DJ was to find great bands in the heavy music industry that are not well known and give them exposure.

The other event that made me realize what I have become was a few days ago in my girlfriend’s car. We were having a nice day going out to eat, when two songs back to back played in her radio from a mix CD. One was from Underoath in their more recent years, so the music was not that heavy. The other was a pop-punk song by a band called “Knuckle Puck”. I loved both songs so i told my girlfriend “I would play this stuff, but it’s too light”. She replied, “You tell your listeners that you play a wide variety of metal and other stuff, but you seem to only stick to a select type of music.” She was right, so now I am changing my ways.

“Shred the Gnar” version 2.0 will not have just metal, but also thrash, djent, hardcore, punk, post-hardcore, electro-metal, pop-punk, and all other sub-genres. Not only that, I will try harder to find not-so-known bands like “Silent Planet” and play them on my show to give them the credit they deserve. I promise you fellow musicians and music lovers alike, Spring Semester for DJGingerbeard will be better than ever.

Listen in for some great stuff at http://www.kssu.com

Tuesday mornings at 8am

Much love, DJGingerbeard