Relive those memories and more — all while supporting WPRB — with the new Free Yr Radio compilation. The FYR comp is exclusively available from Insound and features !!!, No Age, Dan Deacon, Mudhoney, The Secret Machines, along with many other live and exclusive tracks. This compilation is available for the low, low price of 99 cents!

Profits of this compilation go to support WPRB (as well as other 2008 FYR beneficiaries)! Help keep independent radio alive through the very thing that makes it great — music.

» Purchase the Free Yr Radio Benefit Comp!

Do you know the person above these words? You should. Her name is Jennifer O’Connor and she is both a WPRB favorite and a top-notch Matador recording artist. Her new album is called “Here With Me.”

Jennifer will be making her third visit to WPRB one week from tonight – Wednesday, October 1st – to play live on-air during the 2008 WPRB Membership Drive as part of Jon Solomon’s five hour “opening ceremonies” show, which will air from 7:00 pm ET – 12:00 am ET.

Like last year, Jennifer would be happy to try and play a slew of covers/requests in exchange for listener pledges during this special program.

However, Jennifer needs some advance warning to try and learn these songs!

So…

If you pledge $103.30 at pledge.wprb.com, you’ll not only get a WPRB shirt and your choice of tote bag or hoodie, but you also can ask Jennifer to play a song for you. Make sure you contact Jon Solomon in advance about what you would like to hear.

Jennifer will be joined in studio by Oxford Collapse and Brown Recluse Sings, among others.

Additionally, anyone in the NJ/PA/NY area who makes a pledge of any denomination is eligible to win a 2008 Toyota Yaris (!!!!!), our big prize for supporting WPRB this year, courtesy of Free Yr Radio.

WPRB 103.3 FM, the 14,000-watt community-supported, independent radio station located in Princeton, NJ – hey, that’s us! – is holding its second annual Membership Drive. The drive begins on October 1st, at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) and runs until October 8th, 2008. The 2008 Membership Drive will feature special programming including live in-studio performances, extended DJ sets, exclusive membership premiums – not to mention a few surprises!

After the cut, more details about this year’s membership drive.

Founded in 1940, WPRB is the nation’s oldest college FM station and broadcasts to the greater New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, and Delaware area, as well as millions more online through its website, WPRB.com. In 2007, WPRB’s trustees and its undergraduate student board of directors decided to shift to a member-supported operating model for the future, thereby allowing WPRB to maintain greater flexibility and control over its programming.

While WPRB is located on Princeton University’s campus, the station does not receive funding from the school. Donations pledged during this drive will support station operations – equipment maintenance, transmitter fees, merchandise, music purchases and more. Last year’s inaugural drive raised over $40,000 for WPRB’s operating budget, and demonstrated the commitment of WPRB’s listeners support for unique and varied independent radio programming.

“We came into last year’s drive with absolutely no idea how well or how poorly we would do, so it was really very exciting and encouraging when we started to see the sort of enthusiastic response that we got from people as the week went on,” said Ye “Cody” Wang, WPRB’s 2008 Development Director. “Now we’ve got a great foundation of success to build on, and we know that our listeners are 100% committed to not only keeping WPRB on the air, but also to improving and evolving our programming and presence.”

This year’s drive programming kicks off on Wednesday evening at 7:00 p.m. with DJ Jon Solomon and special live musical guests Oxford Collapse (Sub Pop Records), Jennifer O’Connor (Matador Records), Home Blitz (Gulcher) and Brown Recluse Sings (Tequila Sunrise).

WPRB’s Membership Drive will also feature:

- Friday 10/3, 7:00 p.m.: Pop Recon will feature exclusive interviews with 4AD recording artists Stereolab and Philadelphia’s Dead Milkmen (Updated 9/22).

- Monday 10/6, 7:00 p.m.: x Clean Yr Room x welcomes Secretly Canadian recording artists The War On Drugs and Gulcher recording artist Kurt Vile.

- Wednesday 10/8, 6:00 a.m.: Classical Discoveries with Marvin Rosen features extended programming and special in-studio guests.

- Wednesday 10/8, 9:00 p.m.: A special live “Grand Finale” event! Stay tuned, and be surprised!

In addition to the special drive programming, WPRB will be giving away a brand new 2008 Toyota Yaris to one lucky listener this October, courtesy of FreeYrRadio.com. The FreeYrRadio campaign, which supports independent radio stations across the country, selected WPRB as a participating station this year, and hosted a special free benefit concert for WPRB this past summer that featured Secret Machines and DJ Dave P.

WPRB operators will be standing by at (609) 258-1033 to take pledges at all hours of the broadcasting day (usually 6AM-2AM ET). Additionally, pledges can be made online with all major credit cards by logging onto:

http://pledge.wprb.com/

Exclusive membership premiums are available to pledging listeners, and can be seen online at pledge.wprb.com. This year’s premium items were designed exclusively for the drive by illustrator John Cei Douglas and DJ Maria T (host of WPRB’s “Her Jazz” and “Pop Recon”).

In addition, WPRB plans to “reissue” its classic “Headphones” design, and special premium gifts – from CD’s and LP’s to signed records, box sets, DVD’s, limited edition artwork and more – will be available to listeners who pledge with a credit card at specified hours; these gifts range in value from $5 to $200 in retail value.

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Ice Cream Man, the country-crossing, Yaris-driving, floppy-haired gentleman who was giving away free bars, cones and popsicles at both the WPRB/Free Yr Radio concert in Philadelphia and outside the Princeton Record Exchange, has posted a healthy number of pictures from these two events. Yum.

Marvel to image after image of listeners, WPRB staff, record store employees and random passers-by enjoying some sweet treats.

You can also see a few other snapshots that were just added to the Free Yr Radio site. Click on [Recap] next to WPRB for all the fun.

The GOODmatter Photo Booth strips will be posted soon.

We’ll let you know when they go live.

Though we have official staff recaps coming at you shortly, have a listen to interviews we taped with some of the audience at last night’s Free Yr Radio event.

» Listen

Not only did we tape interviews, we reported live from the event on WPRB! Julia from x Clean Yr Room x chatted quickly with DJ KPC at 6PM ET.

» Listen

Did you take any photos last night? If so, feel free to add them to the WPRB group on Flickr!

Thanks to everyone who came out. WPRB appreciates your support!

The WPRB sign Urban Outfitters made/displayed behind the stage.

Two WPRB staff members catch their breath before the madness begins.

Ice Cream Man gave away free ice cream. So much free ice cream.

They’ll hold your place in line.

The sweet Ice Cream Man customized Yaris.

Good Magazine was also giving away swag and had a photo booth in the back of their Yaris.

A gaggle of WPRB staff members sign release forms so they can get their pictures taken in said photo booth (photos hopefully coming soon).

People lined up early to get in to see Secret Machines and Dave P.

WPRB staff interview some of the people waiting on line.

Click here to get your ticket! »

This is a free, all-ages event! Visit FreeYrRadio.com to get your ticket to the show! You won’t want to miss this!

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What is Free Yr Radio? It’s a joint effort between Toyota and Urban Outfitters to generate awareness and support for independent radio stations they’ve partnered with. This year, WPRB was selected as a program partner, and we’re honored. They’ve graciously organized this concert, as well as a benefit compilation, to introduce this year’s selected stations to new audiences.

And for a bit of some really amazing news: Free Yr Radio has donated a brand new Toyota Yaris for this year’s Membership Drive! Between October 1st and 8th 2008, one lucky WPRB listener will actually get to win this. More details to follow very, very soon.

And now, more about who’s performing!

WPRB and Secret Machines go back quite a-ways, at least to the age of Web 1.0, before MySpace and Facebook, in those heady days when Google stock was worth just as much as Station Manager Cody’s old 1984 Toyota Corolla SR5 (exactly $0, since he gave it to the Salvation Army).

Anyway, unlike that car the Secret Machines are as valuable as ever. Texan transplants to New York City, the Secret Machines are currently on tour, and we’re thrilled they’ve decided to visit Philadelphia! Since September 000 (Ace Fu, 2002) to their last record for Reprise Records, Ten Silver Drops (2006), WPRB DJs have been charmed by the group’s early-era Flaming Lips approach to “pop [choruses] with demented twists.” In a live setting, they’re just as compelling; after their set opening up for Blonde Redhead, another DJ remarked, “They played their entire set as if it was a continuous post-rock opera.” The band plans to self-release their forthcoming next album through the World’s Fair group.

Opening up our event is local DJ and nightlife wünderkind, Dave P. Since the mid-90′s, Dave P and his crew have hosted Making Time, Philly’s premier dance party featuring live music from The Next Big Things and more. Every time we give away tickets to it on WPRB, the phone’s are ringing off the hook. So yeah, we’re really psyched to have Dave — on his birthday! — take some time out for us.