Celebrating Sacramento's most independent radio station,
KWOD 106.5 (1977-2009)
Local Sacramento Music Played on KWOD
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During its top 40 era of the 80s, KWOD did not venture into local music with a few exceptions, such as
if an act were signed to a major label and a 1989 experiment called "Waves On The West Coast." One of the
few local radio hits prior to the 90s without getting signed to a major label was the song "Carry Me
Back" by Crayon, led by Carone Vikre in 1980 on KXOA-AM. That same year Alex Cosper briefly interned at
the station and remembered the sensation the local hit generated. The next time it aired was on KWOD's
local show, The Sound of Sacramento, which started in 1992.
The song "Waves On The West Coast" was recorded by Tangent featuring "A.C." and Harrison Price. AC was night host Alex Cosper, who wrote the song as an experiment to see if local hits could happen with airplay. The song had a positive response on night host Pat Garrett's "Like It or Spike It" feature. After a few more spins, requests started to build for the song, as it wound up in a medium rotation in the summer of 1989. The 45 rpm single was sold at local Tower Records stores. The response led to night competitor Mark S Allen "blowing up" the record on FM 102 (KSFM). Other Sacramento recording artists who got airplay on KWOD included two groups produced by Jay King, which were Timex Social Club and Club Nouveau, both of which had big hits on the Billboard Hot 100. "Rumours" by Timex Social Club went top 10 in 1986 then "Lean On Me" hit number one. Another local act that got airplay after getting signed was Bourgeois Tagg, in which KWOD played both "Mutual Surrender" and "I Don't Mind At All." |
Local Artists Played on KWOD in the 1990s
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Here's a list of songs by local Sacramento artists that were played in regular rotation outside of the
Sunday night local show "The Sound of Sacramento." From 1994-1996 KWOD released three local music compilations
called Blank Astronomy, Overflow and Transcentury Detour. Tracks from these CDs
were played around the clock, placed in a category that allowed the air personalities to select the local music.
The act that got the heaviest airplay was Cake while they were signed to indie label Capricorn Records, which had been the home of the Allman Brothers Band. Then Cake's successful first three indie albums led to getting signed to major label Columbia for a few albums 2001-2004. By the end of the decade the band returned to indie releases after selling millions of albums. 7 Seconds - See You Tomorrow (Columbia) 99 Tales - Thursday (unsigned) As Yet Untitled - Across The Water (unsigned) Cake - I Will Survive (Capricorn) Cake - Italian Leather Sofa (Capricorn) Cake - Jolene (Capricorn) Cake - Mr. Mastadon Farm (Capricorn) Cake - Rock and Roll Lifestyle (Capricorn) Cake - Ruby Sees All (Capricorn) Cake - The Distance (Capricorn) Cake - You Part The Waters (Capricorn) Cause and Effect - Echoing Green (Zoo Entertainment/BMG) Cause and Effect - It's Over Now (Zoo Entertainment/BMG) Cause and Effect - You Think You Know Her (Zoo Entertainment/BMG) Cause and Effect - What Do You See (Zoo Entertainment/BMG) Chance The Gardener - Boise (Warner Brothers) Chance The Gardener - Smoke (Warner Brothers) Deftones - Bored (played at night)(Maverick/Warner) Deftones - 7 Words (played at night)(Maverick/Warner) EWM - Indecent Exposure (unsigned) Ghost - Dorothea's House (unsigned) Knapsack - Cellophane (Alias) LGS - Jet, Jackie and JC (unsigned) Mark Curry - Sorry About The Weather Mother Hips - Hey Emilee (prior to signing) Mother Hips - Honeydew (American Recordings/Warner) Mother Hips - Shut The Door (American Recordings/Warner) Oleander - Why I'm Here (Republic/Universal) Tattooed Love Dogs - Sea To Shining Sea (unsigned) Tattooed Love Dogs - Down The Road (unsigned) |
1990s Local Songs Played on KWOD in Regular RotationCake - Rock and Roll LifestyleDeftones - Bored Mother Hips - Shut The Door Cause and Effect - It's Over Now 7 Seconds - See You Tomorrow Chance The Gardener - Smoke Little Guilt Shrine (LGS) - Jet, Jackie and J.C. Tattooed Love Dogs - Sea To Shining Sea Mark Curry - Sorry About The Weather Knapsack - Cellophane Ghost - Dorothea's House Nora - Waterways Cinema - Voyeur EWM - Indecent Exposure Emerald Stone - Down From The Sky Naja - Brown Air David Conley - Zero Turnout Beat Villains - One Long Winter Cultural Dissolve - Transcentury Detour Darwins - Nature Sets Its Own Law Darwins - No One Listens
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