Radio duo plays indie-alternative folk music

By Aitor Zabalegui

I had the opportunity to be a guest on a KSCU radio show, last Sunday.

I was to guest on "The Duffy and Gonzo Show," a variety hour collaboration of sophomores Elena Sofia and Lauren Duffy.

With an indie-alternative folk focus, the show has been slowly gaining attention since an in-studio performance from The Moe Jangles Band, the winners of the Activities Planning Board Battle of the Bands.

Unbeknownst to many, the Santa Clara radio station is located in the basement of Swig Hall. Locally sponsored and with student DJs who are given the opportunity to play their choice of music, KSCU offers a variety of shows that span the musical spectrum.

Having never been in the studio before, I was immediately captivated by the walls of LPs and CDs that greeted me as I entered, an unlimited archive that I could have spent days rummaging through.

A glance through the B section offered me a glimpse of complete discographies from Blur, Björk and Built to Spill.

I made my way behind some very modest DJ equipment and sat down in an office chair that was missing several wheels and an arm. I was unbalanced, unprepared for a radio interview and unable to stay focused on anything but the music on the walls -- and I was about to be on the air to interview the DJs.

TSC: So what's it like to be on the radio?

Gonzo (Sophia): It's such a different atmosphere. It's really cool to be part of a radio station because the whole idea is that it's really laid back and you just play whatever you want. Duffy and I have really different tastes, and sometimes she wants to play these bone-crushing, risk-taking songs and I say 'No way, Jose, I want to listen to some good music.' But I let her play her song because that's what she wants to do, and I believe that any type of music can set you free.

Duffy: I don't really know how to respond to that onslaught of criticism, except that Elliott Smith is definitely not "bone-crushing."

TSC: Have you found that you're more elitist since working on the show?

Gonzo: No, not at all. I was never a music elitist. Duffy has never been a music elitist.

Duffy: I'm kind of a music elitist.

Gonzo: No. Although some people here are. Sorry.

Duffy: I would say that working at the radio station has broadened my horizons a bit because there is so much music down here, and I feel like earlier it was easy to get stuck in the same type of musical patterns. But here, there are many options, lots of genres and lots of good music to listen to.

Gonzo: I would have never listened to Sufjan (Stevens) if it wasn't for Duffy.

TSC: How did you guys set about getting your own show?

Duffy: It was a very chance encounter that I even decided to work here. I just saw the Web site and decided, and now all of this has happened. You start out by doing mini reviews of albums, pointing out expletives in songs and picking radio-friendly tracks. You get a point for each album you do and another point for each weekly music meeting you attend. After you turn in an application, you need 10 points to be qualified to get your own show. Gonzo and I did a single application.

TSC: So do you actually listen to the radio?

Gonzo: I do. I don't have an iPod so I kind of don't have another option. Mainstream radio is so pathetic because it's all owned by Clear Channel stations, which is this monopoly company that owns a substantial majority of the radio stations in the United States. I listen to college radio stations all the time, and people don't support them enough. I feel like if we had more of a Santa Clara community vibe and more people called in, it would only get better from there.

Duffy: I don't really listen to the radio very often except for KSCU sometimes. Where I'm from, they only have horrific radio stations, so here it was actually a pleasant surprise to hear a station that actually plays good music.

Good music was all that was played during the two-hour show. Anxious to offer up a few requests, my hosts encouraged me to pick several tracks for the queue. I was pleased to find on the shelves everything I could ever think to look for.

The show receives funding by doing public service announcements during music breaks, and by the end of the show I was even allowed to educate listeners about meningitis in an ad, imploring, "Don't wait, vaccinate."

"The Duffy and Gonzo Show" airs every Sunday from 1 to 3 p.m. on KSCU 103.3.

Contact Aitor Zabalegui at (408) 551-1918 or azabalegui@scu.edu.