CHSR-FM 97.9

Tons of new music this week mixed in with the classic alternative you need!

Daniel Romano, Wednesday, Geese, Sloan, Ween and more!

Daniel Romano’s The Outfit – Autopoiet

Episode 26.

Hi there everyone. This is Testing For Echo Episode 94 on CHSR FM 97.9 in Fredericton and around the world and I am your host Tim Scammell.

Episode Song List

When Ian Jones looks back on the 1990s, his memories aren’t just of stages and studios—they’re of thrift stores, long tours, and a distinctly Canadian scene that felt both scrappy and quietly confident. In this conversation, the Pluto frontman reflects on coming up during a moment when Canadian alternative rock wasn’t chasing trends so much as carving its own lane. While grunge dominated south of the border, bands like Pluto, Sloan, Eric’s Trip, Cub, and Treble Charger were embracing melody, pop instincts, and community. “We were pop bands,” Jones says plainly—rough-edged, maybe, but committed to songs that stood apart from the prevailing American heaviness of the time.

That independence was nurtured by institutions that now feel almost mythical: Mint Records, MuchMusic, and compilations like Big Shiny Tunes. Jones speaks fondly of Mint as a true creative home—one that quickly put Pluto on the road with Cub and Pansy Division, and into rooms full of sold-out crowds. MuchMusic, meanwhile, wasn’t just a broadcaster; it was an ecosystem. Videos, interviews, tour listings, and constant rotation helped turn regional bands into national ones, especially for kids in rural Canada discovering new music through a TV screen. Being on Big Shiny Tunes—with Pluto’s “Paste” sitting alongside peers and heroes—changed the scale of everything.

Looking back now, Jones is clear-eyed about both the thrill and the cost of that moment. Signing to a major label brought muscle and momentum, but also compromises that dulled the joy that first drew Pluto together. What remains, though, is something harder to manufacture: songs written from the heart, a sound instantly recognizable, and a legacy tied to a brief but powerful era when Canadian bands supported each other and trusted their instincts. For listeners discovering Pluto today, this interview offers a reminder of what made that time special—and why it still resonates, decades later.

Tracklist:

Did this conversation resonate with you? Let us know your favorite part! Follow Once On Much on Instagram, and share this episode with a friend!

Sometimes, rediscovering the truth behind history’s rumours leads to an entirely new adventure.

My guest today is Laura Richard, one of the founders and the roastmaster of local company Saltwinds Coffee. She tells me the story of the last three years, from having curiosity at a local legend to developing a company with international sales, to going before the Dragon’s Den to pitch.

Saltwinds Coffee will be seen on the upcoming January 22 episode of The Dragon’s Den.

Find Saltwinds Coffee at their website, or on local grocery store shelves.

Dan Mangan will be in Fredericton on January 24, 2026 as part of Shivering Songs. Dan calls into People Need Music to chat with Tonya about his latest release, Natural Light, gratitude, valuing fans and what he loves about New Brunswick. Tune in!

Playlist:

Amy Millan – Untethered ::

Dan Mangan – Just Know It ::

Dan Mangan – My Dreams Are Getting Weirder ::

Dan Mangan – Melody ::

Dan Mangan – Call Me Up High ::

Mo Kenney – Signs of Life ::

Charlotte Cornfield – Gentle Like the Drugs ::

Wild Pink – St. Catherine St. ::

Ben Vallée – One More Time Before You Go ::

The Hypochondriacs – Hung Up and Hungover

There are stories abounding all around us, some invisible, some creative, and some home-grown; it is up to storytellers to bring them to life.

My guests today are Jeremy Fowler (Producer) and Camryn Gaudet (actor) from the upcoming original production of Good Night To You All, a new play written by local playwright Ryan Griffith and being staged by The Next Folding Theatre Company. We discuss the development of this play from it’s short form seen previously, the eerie skill of Griffith to capture and reflect, and the ephemeral nature of theatre.

Good Night To You All opens on January 15th at the Charlotte Street Arts Centre at 7pm, and runs nightly through the 17th. There is hope to take the play on tour, but no dates have yet been announced.

Artist – Track || Album

Sad start to show this week with passing of Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead happening this weekend. I played a track from his 1972 solo album, new music from Winged Wheel, This Is Lorelei, Geese and much more great music.

I will also be starting up a new show focusing primarily on jam bands/psychedelic music that will be airing Saturdays at 10PM and I hope you’ll check that one out too.

Bob Weir – Black-throated Wind

Oh, hello. All by meself in the studio this week, following up a few shows with guests (some of them silent) over the past little bit. Time to wallow in my own filth. And by that, I mean a heaping helping of guitars that get gnarlier over the course of the show. What can I say, I like my guitars the way I like my complaints about the price of fast food…. steadily louder.

Come, take my hand, and together we’ll think about starting to smoke cigarettes. Grey Temples 2026… and forever!