Mid-Valley Mutations

Jukebox Jams 2: Live From “What’s This Called?”

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It’s another one of our patented, “Jukebox” shows, where we play a lot of music, and we have less of the collage / cut-ups that usually occur. This week, we focus all on music performed live, by artists who appeared on the, “What’s This Called?” radio show, when I was the sound engineer, and worked with the bands to bring you the music that you hear. We cover a wide range of bands and performers in three hours, and it’s a fun journey into radio past, that sounds pretty modern, to this ear.

In addition to that, we spend some time plugging the upcoming interview with The Outside Agitators, who are on tour this month, and will be joining the show NEXT WEEK, to talk about music and touring and stuff like that. We play some samples of their music, and suggest that you tune in, to hear more next week.

And: Bandit and I make a breakthrough, and then they call back to play samples of their new jukebox for our listeners.

It’s an action-packed show, and you don’t want to miss it!

(Full Show)

The Outside Agitators Segments

Be Seeing You.

Dimestore Radio Theater #166

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It seems as if Richard Diamond is in over his head this week, as he is hired to chaperone a kidnapping / ransom trade off, only to get knocked out, to find the money stolen, and the kidnappee has been murdered. It’s going to talk all of his police connections and quick thinking to get out of this one. Meanwhile, a murder outside of Rocky Jordan‘s cafe causes him to get mixed up in proving the innocence of a local beggar, who keeps to himself and works well with Rocky. Perhaps a Pyramid Prognosticator, some unusual investments, and the aid of Sam Sabaaya and the local police can bring this case to a close?

In hour 2, we offer another installment of “The Century” as part of Dimestore Revelations. Then, Blackstone and Rhoda tell a story of a trick, that involves audience members firing guns at a cabinet, during which, a group of toughs decide to take this opportunity to actually shoot at Blackstone himself!  And finally, on X-Minus One, in a story titled, “A Wind Is Rising,” we hear a story of human colonists, trying to survive on a planet with 212 MPH winds. They meet a  race of creatures who are much better suited to live there, but can the humans learn from the Carellans, before it’s too late?

Enjoy!

uBradio Salon 959: Making Connections – uB Tales From Beyond: … 31 May 2026 on DFM.nu

univac and Austin continue to get to know the crew-  and to a degree, the ship itself – as they continue to get used to life on The Silver Sailer interstellar sailing ship. univac becomes a useful (and in pain) member of the crew, while Austin ha been trying to tune in a radio signal, hoping he can connect to his previous life.

This story is part of, “uB Tales From Beyond,” a series of episodes on uB Radio Salon, written by univac and Austin Rich.

Jukebox Jams 1: Inspired by “What’s This Called?”

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Our patented “Jukebox” shows are meant to offer you something a little less than the sample collage barrage that is our bread-and-butter. You still get all the flavor of a Mid-Valley Mutations program, but it’s more stripped down, and focused.

And this week, we are bringing you a wide range of things, celebrating the passing of Sonny Rollins, the 100th Birthday of Miles Davis, and playing.a lot of music inspired by “What’s This Called?” a radio show that is still on, and over the years, introduced me to a lot of incredible and interesting music.

Here’s three hours of the kind of thing you would find on his show.

Be Seeing You.

Dimestore Radio Theater’s Memorial Day Special! (2026)!

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It’s another one of our patented “Holi-Day & Date” presentations, just in time for the Memorial Day sales that all seem a bit in poor taste, in some way. Regardless, we take to the air, and re-enact the Revolution itself, as we work our way through two stories that were originally aired on May 25th, many years ago.

First, we bring you the Lux Radio Theater version of “Test Pilot,” the adventure-filled romance, with all of the primary cast from the film replaced with Robert Taylor, Rita Hayworth, and Robert Preston. Can a man in love with being in the air find room in his heart for a woman on the ground? Then, in an episode of The CBS Radio Mystery Theater, we offer a tale of one man’s struggle against a government that does not represent his values, as we follow the story of Benedict Arnold, in The Spy and The Traitor. Turn back the clock on this particular day in radio history, as we offer you this year’s Holi-Day & Date presentation. 

Enjoy!

Cascading Dissonance: Conversations w/ Shin Chida, Scot Jenerik and Mike Meanstreetz

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This week we are lucky to have a panel discussion with Shin Chida, Scot Jenerik and Mike Meanstreetz, who are collectively touring at the end of May / and through June, on the “Cascading Dissonance” Tour. Scot is now stranger to the show, but Shin and Mike are certainly interesting characters, who each have unique and fascinating stories. We talk to all three of them over the course of the show, play samples of their music, and offer more insight into the upcoming tour.

We close the show with a longer conversation about working as a creative artist in modern times, and offer a chance for listeners to hear / watch Scot’s latest piece, “The Fall of Icarus,” which is a fully realized film with a live performance. We offer the YouTube Link for people to access during the show, and for those who watch the video person of this podcast, you can see and listen to the entire “Fall of Icarus” piece, as part of that production.

(Full Show)

(The Fall of Icarus)

I always enjoy talking to Scot about the world of experimental music and art, and it was a wonderful chance to open that conversation up to different perspectives in that world, too. All three have different takes on how to do what we do, and all three have dedicated their time and efforts to this kind of work. During the interview, you’ll get a more nuanced take on what these artists are trying to say.

Be Seeing You.

Dimestore Radio Theater #165

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Wrestling is still on the menu this week, as Richard Diamond  gets wrapped up in a case with his wrestling friend Seymour, after a mysterious dead man shows up on Diamond’s doorstep, with an ice pick in him. They work their way through deceitful doctors and other Gym Rats, in an effort to find out exactly who this man had to die. Meanwhile, an old friend of Rocky Jordan shows up to offer him the chance to manage a Copper Mine, which leads to a number of complications, with a mysterious brother, a death connected to the old friend, and plenty of intrigue on the streets of Cairo. .

In hour 2, we offer another installment of “The Century” as part of Dimestore Revelations. This week, Blackstone and Rhoda go to see a Swami with an usual act, but it quickly veers into horror as an audience member seems to disappear into the spirit realm – dead – leaving the mother in shock and susceptible to the worst inclinations of this horrific swami. And finally, in a X-Minus One adaptation of a Robert Sheckley short story, a misunderstanding between a group of colonists and a single settler on their own, leads to a ridiculous scenario where the colonists assume the settler is part of a larger group, who are up to nefarious ends. Can this gentleman convince the colonists that there isn’t a, “Native Problem”?

Enjoy!

Word Jazz VII w/ Ken Nordine (A “Cheek-In-Tongues,” “Fill-In-Shows,” Installment)

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Barno was unavailable again this week, and as it the case whenever he is out, we continue to work our way through the Word Jazz series of radio shows, so we can catch up with Mr. Nordine again. Ken seems to be on a roll with his spoken word song pieces, and incorporates a few cuts from the “Colors” album amid the chaos and beauty.

Enjoy!

Spring Jukebox

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As Spring rages on, and as there continues to be less and less free time available to work on new shows, we help clear a little runway, by offering another “Jukebox” show, featuring a playlist of music, with almost no collage elements to speak of. It’s three hours of experimental tunes that are near and dear to our heart, and you get to reap the rewards.

Fairly deep into the show I make another plug for the upcoming Point Line Plane tour, which begins TOMORROW, in Vancouver BC, and continues through the Northwest and Midwest, giving you a chance to see these legendary synth-punk masters give you an audio flogging that you will learn to love.

There’s a bit of a theme, of music that was given to us by artists that played on the show, in one form or another, over the years. This was mostly an accidental sub-theme, and had nothing to do with intent. But it was nice to hear a lot of tunes that remind me of some of the more exciting moments in the show’s history.

Hopefully we can get back into the mix of things next week.

Be Seeing You.

Dimestore Radio Theater #164

WFMU Playlist & Interactive Live Chat (The Digital Salon)

This week, Richard Diamond  is hired by a local wrestler, who is convinced that a so-called “hit-and-run” death of his truck driving friend, Mike Burton, is more than just an accident. It doesn’t take long before Diamond is immersed in a smuggling operation that could spell certain death for everyone involved. Meanwhile, Rocky Jordan and his bartender Chris observe an emergency plane landing in the desert, and as they continue to investigate, find that being a witness to even that causes them to get mixed up in stolen ivory statues, sacred to the Memlooks tribe.

In hour 2, we offer another installment of “The Century” as part of Dimestore Revelations. Over with Blackstone, this week, a series of robberies causes him to investigate a fortune teller with an airtight alibi, and a Chess-Playing “mechanical Turk” that seems to be the most likely source of the trouble. And finally, in X-Minus One, the story “Tsylana” offers an unusual view of a perfect utopia, save for one problem: Norman Blake has decided that he must become a deviant, if he wants to save this perfect world from the first common thief in years.

Enjoy!