KWVA SPOTLIGHT – DJ DYNAMO

Preferred DJ name: DJ Dynamo

Hometown: Spokane WA

Show time and day: Saturday 2-4PM

Show title: Send It! Saturday

Show genres and/or description: Indie pop, Indie Folk, Alt Rock, Electronica, and Some Random Stuff. Occasionally I do overviews of genre movements from the 80’s and 90’s.

Artists commonly played on show: Whitney, Dirty Projectors, Grizzly Bear, The Dodos, Monsieur Perine, Shakey Graves, Radiation City, St Vincent, Frankie Cosmos, Mothers, The Avalanches, and Foxtails Brigade.

How long have you been a DJ?: Coming up on 1 year

Top 5 albums of 2016:

  1. Whitney: Light Upon The Lake
  2. Mothers: When You Walk A Long Distance You Are Tired
  3. Anderson. Paak: Malibu
  4. The Avalanches: Wildflower
  5. Car Seat Headrest: Teens of Denial

How did you get involved with KWVA? What made you want to be a DJ?

I’ve been making playlists for people since I was a kid. I used to have books full of burned CD’s that I’d give to my friends, and I loved the feedback of getting them interested in new artists. Eventually I decided I wanted to work in the music industry, so KWVA was a perfect fit for both continuing to make odd yet accessible playlists and getting involved musically.

What makes your show unique?

I really try to start and end my show in wildly different places musically, but still have a cohesive string of tracks. The goal is to grab the listener’s attention with a familiar, then gradually lead them to bands and genres that they may not have listened to before. I think a big part of college radio is introducing people to all types of artists, and I try to toe that line without having them switch stations.

If you could play only one album on the radio for the rest of your DJ career, what would it be and why?

Monsieur Perine: Caja De Musica. While not necessarily my favorite album, it’s one of the most musically fun albums I’ve ever listened to. It never fails to put a smile on my face, and always lifts the mood whenever I play it while around friends. I just wish I knew Spanish and French so I could understand the lyrics.

How did you come up with your DJ name and/or show name?

I work at an awesome summer camp where every counselor is given a new name by their coworkers. It’s a big tradition going back over 50 years, where the counselor whose name is being chosen is sent on a hike while the others decide in secret. I was named Dynamo, and I wanted to keep the name to some extent in college. I also felt the name kind of evoked what I wanted to do with the show.

Dream guest to have on your show?

Robin Pecknold of Fleet Foxes or Shakey Graves.