Vinyl Voyage Radio

Thirteen years ago — December 23, 2012 — I wrote that I was struggling to get into the Christmas spirit. The so-called “war on Christmas” was everywhere, (remember that?) yet it felt like Christmas had already won — stores opening on Thanksgiving, radio stations flipping to all-Christmas formats before Halloween was even over. It felt loud. Rushed. Commercial. And maybe a little hollow. I remember writing then that perhaps Linus was right — Christmas had become too commercial. Or maybe it just felt different because I wasn’t a kid anymore. But here's the truth:  Music is a time machine. Nothing pulls you backward through time quite like a song. One note, one harmony, one familiar voice — and suddenly you’re back in a living room from decades ago, or riding in the back seat of a car, or sitting on the floor while the tree lights glow. In 2012, Vinyl Voyage Radio had only been on for a year. And that year, I decided to do something different: instead of wall-to-wall modern Chr...

 I grew up in a zoo. A little zoo, but a zoo, nonetheless. We had the usual - dogs and cats and birds. But we also had an also an octopus. Snakes. Eels. Shrimp. Turtles. And more. This episode is all about the pets that have shaped our lives, featuring music by The Beatles, Queen, Jim Stafford, The Cure, Natalie Merchant and more.  This episode premieres tomorrow at 2pm, EST. Or available on-demand via Mixcloud . Listen below:

On Sunday, November 23, a new episode of Songs in the Key of Dave premieres. This one is called "Postcards from Elsewhere." It is all about travel. My dad and I take a journey across the word —swapping stories of plane rides, sunburns, hurricanes, missed tours, good mistakes, and the strangers who became friends along the way. From a sun-scorched trip to Jamaica in the early ’60s… to a honeymoon-turned-evacuation in the Bahamas…to cruises, cobblestones, ancient sites, wrong boats, right boats, and an unforgettable night in Edinburgh—each memory becomes its own postcard from elsewhere. This one features music from Frank Sinatra • Harry Belafonte • Bobby Darin • Jimmy Buffett • Etta James • Willie Nelson • Dean Martin • Pascal Dennis • Si Cranstoun • Alicia Lemke Listen at 2pm (EST) or on-demand via Mixcloud . Play it below:

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Premiering Sunday, November 9 at 2pm (EST) is a new episode of Songs in the Key of Dave. This one is all about drinking!  Yep, my great grandparents were bootleggers and my grandfather was a registered brewmaster. My dad and I discuss this and other drinking stories from our shared past.  Listen at 2pm Sunday, or on demand via Mixcloud .

  Halloween is our favorite time of the year here on Vinyl Voyage Radio. The fun starts at 1pm with hand-selected tunes perfect for Halloween. Then, we have some treats! The Haunted Mansion in Story and Song 2pm - This is a tradition here on VVR. This album I bought as a kid in the early 70s in Disney World. Featuring Ron Howard, this is the original Haunted Mansion story. Pumpkin Party of Death 3pm - This is the very first mix made by our friend J-Bones. He is a master when it comes to making Halloween mixes. Take it Outside, Mr. Pumpkin 4:30 pm  This is the second ever mix by J-Bones (and one of my favorites). The Weird Show 6:30 pm - This is the latest JB mix. And it's a good one. And then, a surpise JB mix later at 10pm. Which one will it be? Happy Halloween!