Radio or not, here we come

Reno’s freeform community radio station, KWNK 97.7, has the capacity to house about 80 to 100 DJs, with shows that range from weekly to every other month. According to station manager Thomas Snider, KWNK operates like indie and college radio stations—playing local content, songs on the B-side of albums and letting DJs bring their different musical tastes to radio. On KWNK, some of the DJs have professional radio experience and some are simply a part of Reno’s music-loving community. According to Snider, many of the DJs come from local bands and are quickly learning the recording and editing process for getting their shows radio-ready. Here’s a roundup of some of the station’s notable regular shows.

Euphonic Cacophony
Hosted by DJ Mojo Jojo
Every other Monday at 9 p.m.

Euphonic Cacophony can be described as a mix of psych, funk, jazz, soul, folk and electric eclectic, but that’s barely skimming the surface. One episode could be described as the perfect road trip music while traveling through Nevada. As a captivating violin section transitions into more traditional folk music, you can picture yourself driving down a lonely road with nothing but sagebrush to keep you company. If you’re looking to expand your musical tastes and find some great music in multiple languages, Euphonic Cacophony is a perfect place to find that song you didn’t even know existed.

Phogna Bologna
Hosted by DJ Devon Blunden
Every Wednesday at 5 p.m.

According to Devon Blunden, Phogna Bologna has an emphasis on bands that are on tour and coming to Reno. He wants his listeners to not only hear the bands on the radio in a passive way, but he wants to give people tuning in the chance to be exposed to new music and to see bands’ live performances later. And, oh, yeah, besides the focus on psychedelic and local music, there are cat poems. When Blunden was going to college in Santa Barbara, he was a garden boy for a crazy old lady who made him help her record cat poems. He used the poems on his old college radio show and has carried the tradition over to KWNK. “Whose evening isn’t going to be launched into a fuzzier place by hearing a cat poem?” Blunden asked. Cat fans, tune in.

Dream Sequence
Hosted by DJ Christine
Every other Tuesday at 6 p.m.

Every new show is based around a certain mood or feeling and is conveyed through 50 minutes of music meant to elevate listeners into a hypnotic state. DJ Christine is heavily influenced by dark wave and electronic music genres and incorporates these inspirations into her show. The show is all about letting the music take you on a journey and seeing where it’ll lead you and your thoughts—similar to a dream state.

Prince Nesta Experience Reggae Show
Hosted by DJ Prince Nesta
Every Friday at 7 p.m. and every Saturday at 9 p.m.

The Prince Nesta Experience is all about the freedom, love, peace, culture and justice that comes from listening to reggae music, according to Nesta. He said, “When I realized that such important music wasn’t being featured on most Reno radio stations, I took it upon myself to do the magic.” Nesta, who moved to the states from Kenya a year ago, said he’s hosted different reggae shows for about six years prior to joining KWNK. He said he gets some of the albums he plays on the show straight from reggae artists who he’s interviewed and worked with in his radio career.

Staxofwax
Hosted by DJ Dr. Dankenstien
On air every Monday at 5 p.m.

Calling all vinyl lovers—Staxofwax is an almost all-vinyl show. If you’re searching for that sweet, sweet analogue sound that only vinyl records can provide, tune in on Monday evenings to get rid of that case of the Monday blues. Hey, you might even hear a new funk record you didn’t even know you needed in your life.

Head in the Sand
Hosted by DJ Oliver Guinan
On air monthly at varying times

Oliver Guinan, himself part of Reno’s local music scene, talks musical influences along with different guests throughout the show. The show is the perfect way to unwind after a long day, with a wide variety of songs from artists like David Bowie and Radiohead. If you’re searching for new music, Guinan explores some of his new favorite albums and chats about the history of records like Up on the Sun by the Meat Puppets. For those who are not only interested in hearing new music, but also learning about the stories behind the songs, Head in the Sand is a great listen.

Spoken Views Radio
Hosted by DJ Griffin Peralta
On air weekly at varying times

Spoken Views is the place for spoken word poetry from local poets and from around the world. The show is brought to life by sometimes playing a poetry reading with an audience engaging with the poet in the background. At moments of high intensity during the poetry reading, you can hear finger snaps in the background, showing the audience’s appreciation for the poet. Episodes have themes ranging from “Unsolicited Advice” to “Explaining Depression to a Refugee” and everything in between.

Citrus Cola
Hosted by DJ Haleigh Hoff
On air Saturdays at 8 p.m.

There’s a reason why Citrus Cola is played on Saturday nights. It’s a mix of house, dance, samba, rumba and anything else that’ll get you dancing. If you’re feeling unmotivated to go out on the weekends, tune in and find some music to get you moving, whether you’re looking for something in Spanish, English or, heck, even a remix.

The Moody Dude
Hosted by DJ Earl
On air Sundays at 8 p.m.

If you can imagine every single musical genre that shouldn’t go together and put them all into one radio show, you’ll have The Moody Dude. We’re not talking mixing rock with alternative; we’re talking genres from the complete opposite side of the musical spectrum played one right after another. DJ Earl jumps from country to hip hop, or alternative to pop, yet it somehow all works perfectly together. If you’re in a strange mood for ‘80s pop, Metallica and Elton John all in under an hour, this is the radio show for you.

Soft Power Radio
Hosted by DJ Ilya
On air at varying times

Soft Power Radio is a mix of talk radio and music. DJ Ilya brings on a wide variety of guests with each new episode. On a recent episode of Soft Power Radio, DJ Ilya talked with ACTIONN NV, a coalition of Reno political activists. Soft Power Radio is great for staying up to date with what’s happening in the Reno community while also getting your music fix at the same time. Ω