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WXDU, as a member of the Duke University Union, exists to inform, educate, and entertain both the students of Duke University and the surrounding community of Durham through quality progressive alternative radio programming. WXDU seeks to give its staff the freedom to pursue their personal aesthetic within the framework of a cohesive format. WXDU aims to provide the listener with an alternative viewpoint untainted by commercial interests. WXDU resolves to maintain good relations with the music industry without compromising its integrity and nationally recognized commitment to quality programming. WXDU resolves to remain a laboratory where all members are free to make and learn from their mistakes.
 
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So who is this guy and why is he here?

Why does a 50 something guy join a college radio station? Because it's there?      

There is precious little music on the free, public airwaves these days that acknowledges the creative threads running through American popular music while at the same time allowing artists and audiences alike to look for the new and innovative. That, in a nutshell, is a role often played by college radio in one way or another. While the explosion in sourcing options for music have encouraged the development of "niche markets" and allowed greater artist control of content, presentation, etc. there still needs to be a readily accessable way to hear and assess music that may be "new" to some listener somewhere. If you have discovered The Black Crowes, The Mother Truckers or the North Mississippi All-Stars (or NOFX, The Ramones, The Hive) it might open a whole new world of music to explore where these folks were coming from. I've been lucky enough to start my musical life in my parents living-room folksinging days, move to Jazz in High School (no, you don't want to know when that was), find what was then called "Country" or "Southern" Rock, then most recently backtrack to the early blues and their most recent offshoots. Along the way through the influence of family (shout out to son Wes ... bass "entertainer" in Huntsville, Ala punk/alt band Local Orbit) and friends I found out that punk doesn't suck, whats "new" carries the "old" down new roads and, in the end, the only thing that matters is whether someone somewhere digs what's being layed down.

      The "Swamp Rat" handle comes from a small (like very, VERY small) music promotion effort I put together a few years back (Swamp Rat Music Promotions) to try to bring traditional and new blues and Americanna music and musicians into my local area ( at the time The Outer Banks .... you can only take beach bar "cover bands" so long). In the process I've gotten to meet and work with some truly extraordinary musicians and people. Even had a live commercial radio gig there for a while (pretty rare these days). Now that I've become a member of the Duke community, I can let the Swamp Rat out of the cage once again. I hope you like what you hear but, if not, there's probably something else on XDU to your liking. That's what we're here for, after all.

Mike "Swamp Rat" Russell