Tomorrow marks 5 years since the horrific events we now refer to as simply "9-11" for the ironic date it happened.  For many of us, music was where we turned for strength.  One little song rose as an anthem of sorts for the firefighters and other first responders in New York.  It was "Superman" by John Ondrasik or, as he is more widely known, Five For Fighting. John is a dear friend of mine.  I happened upon a copy of his first album, "Message for Albert" while I was writing for the now-defunct music trade magazine, Album Network.   I pissed off the powers that be at his then-label, EMI, for writing about this unknown and non-priority record instead of the Queensryche tripe they were pushing.  It turned out not to matter either way, as the label folded before any other than a small few had heard "...Albert".  But in championing the record, I made a new friend. Fast forward a few years, and John had put together a demo of a few songs, and was signed by the small, but burgeoning, Aware Records.  After I received an advance copy of what would eventually be released as "America Town," I remember leaving a message on John's answering machine that said something to the effect of "Superman is one of the best songs ever written."  Luckily for me, when the album was released, I was Music Director of Channel 103.1 in Los Angeles, and was the first, anywhere, to play "Superman" on the radio.  It went on to become a hit... but, as I said before, took on new meaning after the events of 9-11-01, when the firefighters took some strength and comfort from it. So, as we approach the 5th anniversary of that day, I thought it fitting to call my old friend, John Ondrasik, and look back. I will not play the song "Superman" in this podcast, as I just can't afford the licensing fees (although John would have no problem, but that's another story), so I'll invite you to find it on iTunes or your local record store and listen again!

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SO sorry for the long time since the last episode.  Sometimes life gets in the way, which was the case here. The need to earn a living takes precedence over all else. So, I recently started a new job.  I'm producing The Jim DeFede Show, a new morning show at South Florida's Progressive Talk Station, AM 940.  Since music radio in South Florida is so awful, this is the station I find myself listening to most of the time, so it made sense to go there. I do participate on-air as well, and in my role on that show, I had the opportunity to interview Graham Nash a couple of days ago.  He was in town for the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young South Florida stop on the "Freedom of Speech '06" tour. As I knew it would be, the interview was wonderful, so I thought I'd share it with you here.  I hope you enjoy it!

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Well, I really didn't expect to be doing this again.  But I do appreciate the email I received from a few of you, saying that you'd like to hear the interviews even if I had to delete the songs.  Gina, who I believe is in the Netherlands, wrote "Itâs for the contents of the interview, the things that are being said, people tune in i guess... Hearing the music is cool too, but we can play those ourselves.. Perhaps you could delete the music but show in a message what songs were played... If you have more interviews in stock that are worth listening to, iâd say go for it... ... And yes, listening to interviews isnât any less attractive if thereâs no music in it..." And from David in Santa Monica... one of the old-time KSCA listeners, "Keep doing the podcast if you can; interviews, stories, whatever. You always had us as soon as we heard you, the music was only a fraction of the attraction." The kind words mean more than you know... So, let's give this another shot...  I will let you know which songs were played, so you can find them and plug them in yourself, if you so choose.  (And perhaps a kindly worded email might get me to share the live version with you!) So, today we travel back to October of 1995... the very first Los Angeles radio appearance by Ben Folds Five....  

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Well, it's been fun.  Unfortunately the time has come to put Radio Or Not to bed.  The cost of paying ASCAP and BMI fees is prohibitive, especially since I don't make any money from this site.  So I have no choice but to discontinue the podcast. Thanks to all who've listened, and especially those of you who've written in to say you enjoyed what you heard.  Perhaps I'll take the show back to the airwaves one of these days. In the meantime, you can still reach me at radioornot@gmail.com, and I'll try to keep up with a blog of some sorts at radioornot.com. Thanks for listening!Nicole Sandler

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I started the Radio Or Not podcast almost a year ago, for a few reasons. I thought it would be fun, plus I had all these interviews I conducted with many of my musical idols during a long, fun, successful radio career. The high point in my career spanned from 1994-1997.  The radio station was KSCA... Southern California's Album Alternative (at the beginning) or LA's Finest Rock (at the end).  It was the last station in Gene Autry's Golden West Broadcasters chain.  It was fun while it lasted! We had a little hallway situated between the air studio and the production room, and that's where the musicians who came to visit would play live on the air.  Our General Manager, the late and wonderful Bill Ward, dubbed it The Music Hall.  The name always elicited a chuckle from our guests because it was... a hall! The sound, however, was flawless.  A big part of the reason was the skill and talents of Pat Dorn, who has graced many a record as engineer, and who ran the sound on almost every single Music Hall session at KSCA.  He was so good, in fact, that Lyle Lovett hired him after working with him in the Music Hall, and Sting wanted to take him on tour! I'm now at a bit of a crossroads.  Due to some bad decisions on my part, and the state of radio today...(as well as planetary alignments and other elements beyond my control), I've been out of radio for the past couple of years.  I attempted to start my own business... but I've found that I'm a much better creative sort than I am a business person. I've been seriously looking for a radio job again, but luck has not been on my side. This podcast is costing me more money that I can afford to pay right now. I am trying to stay as legit as possible, so I'm paying ASCAP and BMI fees.  As you can tell, this podcast isn't generating any money (I've never asked for any...), but I had hoped it might lead to some work.  I also ask for approval from artists and/or managers before posting any of the interviews.  This has been getting more and more difficult of late.  Out of sight, out of mind, I suppose....  (If anyone can get to my old friend Ben Folds, I'd love to post his very first LA radio appearance. It was with me in October of 1995.  Unfortunately his new management is holding back on approving it!) That's one reason that I haven't posted any new shows for a while.  The other is time.... Trying to make a living takes most of mine these days and, of course, I have a little one to tend to! I was reading through some listener emails, and one suggested that I re-post the very first episode so it'll be available on iTunes.  And judging from the numbers who've listened to my 25th Anniversary tribute to John Lennon, I'd say there are lots of listeners who haven't heard it yet. So... here it is. A tribute to the work we did at KSCA.  It was December of 1994, and we started playing a song by the then-unknown Dave Matthews Band.  Listen.. you'll hear us talking of a couple of shows at The Whisky, a little bar that holds maybe 200 people... The show that night was sold out, but there were still some tickets available for Saturday night's show! Discovering new artists and playing them... based on the quality of the music... that's what it was about.  Hopefully I can do that again one of these days, preferably sooner than later! If you happen to be in the radio business and have a job for me, or perhaps a venture capitalist who wants to go into business with me (and just let me handle the creative end), please feel free to contact me at RadioOrNot at gmail.com. Thanks for listening.... Nicole

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As we close the curtains on 2005, I want to thank all of you who found and embraced Radio Or Not. It's been my lifeline to the worlds of music and radio during my self-imposed exile! As much as I enjoy running my own business, I admit that I prefer finding great music and playing it on the radio. As I always said, "it sure beats working!". Once again, I'll ask you to visit our sponsors-- www.legacygroupunlimited.com . We can help you preserve, organize, share and enjoy your old photos, videos and home movies! And www.virtualradioservices.com for all your audio and podcasting production needs! We're halfway through the decade that still has no name. Think about it... it's not like the 60's, 70's 80's or 90's.... Do we call it the OH's? Or the Ot's (I think not!). Perhaps we'll have to wait until the teens to figure it out.... At the end of this year, which had admittedly been a difficult one for me, I wish you and your family health, happiness, prosperity, and peace on earth. In this time of war, it makes it all the sadder that this year marked the 25th anniversary of the brutal murder of one of my heroes. So on this, my final podcast of 2005, I'll leave you with my remembrance of John Lennon. Nicole Sandler

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If I had to put together a list of my 10 favorite all-time artists, Jackson Browne would definitely hold one of the spots. He's been on that list since music started playing a major role in my life. And now, if you ask my daughter her favorite, Jackson Browne would be one of the first names she'd mention as well. I met Jackson a few times before I ever had the chance to interview him. The first was after a benefit concert at Santa Barbara's Arlington Theater, when my date said to him, "You made her cry!". And to his quizzical look I explained that "Late for the Sky" always makes me cry... and then sheepishly walked away. I've always said that a truly great song can elicit a physical response, whether it be goose bumps or tears. Jackson Browne's music does that for me. I've seen him in concert countless times; more than any other artist. I've seen him with a full band, and I've seen him solo acoustic. The latter is how he came and joined me on the air at the KSCA Music Hall on September 13, 1996. If you enjoy what you hear on this episode of Radio Or Not, you'll probably want to pick up Jackson's latest album, "Jackson Browne Solo Acoustic Vol. 1". As always, if you like what you hear or have any suggestions for future episodes of Radio or Not, feel free to leave a comment here or email me at RadioOrNot@gmail.com. Also, please visit our sponsor, Legacy Group Unlimited (that's me too...). Just in time for the holidays, we offer lots of wonderful gifts made from your priceless photos, as well as family keepsake video production. Thanks for listening! Nicole Sandler

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No, not the Neil Young song, but Wilma. She tore through South Florida with a fury none of us seasoned hurricane veterans expected, at least here on Florida's east coast. But today, almost 2 weeks later, we find many of our friends and neighbors still powerless-- literally and figuratively. Most of the world doesn't know how the streets of Miami and Ft. Lauderdale resemble a war zone. Trees and traffic lights are down everywhere, the roads are almost impossible to navigate and kids have been out of school for 2 weeks. It looks like a war zone. People are downhearted and shell-shocked. Businesses are hurting, mine included. When I put up the last podcast, it was just after Hurricane Katrina, and I did a short musical tribute to the Gulf States, and disseminated information on ways we could all help those affected. All that information is still here on the Radio Or Not blog (just look at the previous post). If you'd like to help the victims of Wilma as you helped those who were subject to Katrina's wrath, there are many down here who would be extremely grateful. Today, I'll use this space and the very special podcast I put together to promote my own businesses! It takes time to build a business, and I've only been at it a little over a year. Wilma stopped it all cold. So, ss we approach the holiday season, and we're all starting to think about what to give our family and friends, I invite you to check out the offerings at Legacy Group Unlimited! We offer wonderful gifts made from your precious, priceless photographs. From custom DVDs made from your family photos, home movies, slides & memorabilia to beautiful photo handbags to sharing all the old family photos with your entire family, making leather-bound photo books, calendars, jewelry, jigsaw puzzles, and just about anything else you can think of from those photos we can help you with most of your holiday gift-giving! Thanks for supporting your sponsors! Enjoy the music in today's podcast... It's an assortment of songs recorded live in the KSCA Music Hall. Featuring The Jayhawks, Matthew Sweet, Lyle Lovett, Ben Harper, Kevin Gilbert, dada, Graham Parker & David Byrne doing unreleased live renditions of some songs you know, and some you've likely never heard before. If you like what you hear, tell your friends about the World Class Podcast at RadioOrNot.com. A quick postscript... The email address I gave out in the podcast is wrong. (That's what I get for posting so infrequently!). So, please feel free to send your comments to radioornot@gmail.com.

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So sorry for the technical glitch! It is now fixed, and the entire episode is ready for listening. Thanks for your patience... I worked in radio for 26 years. The most rewarding part of the job was feeling like I was doing something when disaster struck. I was on the air in Los Angeles immediately after the Northridge earthquake. And I was visiting my father in Miami when Andrew struck, and was able to report back to the LA listeners what it was like. I've been out of radio for about a year now, and have felt like there was something I could do. So, I decided to use this podcast to play the music I felt needed to be played, and to give out some information. Thanks for listening! If you enjoy what you hear, perhaps you'll go to one of the links below and contribute a little something. And maybe you'll send your friends here.... Hopefully they'll enjoy Radio Or Not too! WAYS TO HELP: The Red Cross 1-800-HELP-NOW The Salvation Army Kids Help Out A wonderful site for children, teaching them about helping at an early age! Nourish The Children The humanitarian division of NSE, dedicated to feeding hungry children worldwide HELP THE 4-LEGGED VICTIMS: BestFriends.org ASPCA RESOURCES: CraigsList More ways to help than you can imagine! Offer housing, clothes, food, money, and lots more! KatrinaList.net A site where friends and families can register to find one another! Katrina Help CNN

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Thanks for bearing with me for the Jerry Garcia detour... the 10th anniversary of his passing deserved to be dealt with. Very strange for me to go back 10 years and listen to a small bit of what was the best (career-wise) time of my life. Unfortunately, that morning was not my strongest. I think I was a bit shell-shocked, and didn't come out of that mode for about an hour. Then the outpouring from his fans was just overwhelming. I was honored to be a part of it. Looking back at my radio career, I'm amazed at how lucky I was to have not only met, but had the opportunity for meaningful discourse with some of my favorite all-time artists. This interview with Steely Dan was just such an experience. I'm happy to share with you Part 2 of the interview we recorded for the "World Premiere Broadcast of Two Against Nature. Once again, instead of just posting the show as it aired, I've taken the raw interview and edited in the music we talked about, whether it was used on the final broadcast show or not. You also get to hear all the behind the scenes and background chatter, as well as segments that didn't make it into the show. I hope you enjoy it, share it with your friends, and send in your feedback! And please visit our sponsors: LegacyGroup.MyPhotomaxUSA.com and Legacy Video Productions .

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On August 9, 1995 I hosted mornings at Los Angeles' KSCA fm 101.9 along with newsman Chuck Moshontz. It was just like any other morning, until about 8:30... when we got the news that Jerry Garcia had died. As I did most mornings, I had an aircheck tape running. Today is the 10th anniversary of Jerry's death, so I pulled out the tape, and have immortalized it here. As it's just a radio aircheck tape recorded on a skimmer, you won't hear the full songs. But you will hear what went on at the only Los Angeles radio station who seemed to care....

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In February of 2000, Steely Dan released their first studio album in 20 years, "Two Against Nature". Nicole Sandler had the honor of hosting an extensive interview with Donald Fagen & Walter Becker for the World Premiere Radio Broadcast debuting the album. This episode of Radio or Not contains the entire interview... in its unedited, raw form.

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My first interview with Ray Davies went so well that I was contacted by a company I often worked for to do another interview with him for use in a nationally syndicated radio show. Ray had a busy week in Los Angeles, so the interview was to take place at the airport, just before he would get on the plane to return to England. I was a fan before I interviewed him; Ray Davies totally won me over with his charm, sense of humor and intelligence!

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Episode 3 of Radio or Not features an interview and performance with Patti Rothberg fron June 4, 1996. She had just released her debut album, "Between the 1 and the 9" on EMI records, and made her LA radio debut in the KSCA Music Hall on her first trip to Southern California

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One of my all-time favorite interviews, with the one and only Ray Davies of The Kinks, recorded live on the air at KSCA on May 15, 1996.

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Welcome to RadioOrNot.com. I'm Nicole Sandler, and I spent 26 years working in radio. The best time in my career was between 1994 and 1997, at KSCA in Los Angeles. For those 3 years, we did some pretty great radio--discovering new artists and playing music that was not being heard on the Los Angeles airwaves. Unfortunately, KSCA was the last station owned by Gene Autry's Golden West Broadcasters, and when they sold the signal, it went Spanish. But some of the sounds that emanated from fm101.9 live on in recordings made off the air. I have a pretty extensive library of interviews I conducted with many of the artists who visited our little studios on Forest Lawn Drive in "Baja Burbank", and those will comprise the core of material offered on the Radio Or Not Podcast. The first episode of the Radio Or Not Podcast features another first...Dave Matthews' very first Los Angeles radio appearance, from Dec. 6, 1994. Be sure to listen for the references of Dave talking about opening for Phish, and playing two nights at the Whiskey, with tickets still available for the second night! I was lucky enough to be at one of those shows, and knew this band was destined to be huge.... but no one knew how huge!

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