ON THE RECORD
DENTON RADIO LOCAL TUNES GET PLAY BY RYNE GANNOE
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pen mic nights, gigs at local bars and house shows are all important venues for local musicians to share their work. Artists seeking out a wider audience also have another outlet – DentonRadio. com, an online radio station that plays music from any genre, as long as the act is from Denton. “We want this thing to be a tool for the community to use,” president and founder Jake Laughlin said. “Something that can build up the local community, something that can be advertising for local businesses, promote the local arts, be an avenue that never existed before.” Laughlin originally planned to purchase an FM radio station, but ran into challenges with cost and availability. “What happens a lot of the time is bigger businesses will start buying radio stations when they get to a certain size,” he said. “They get a lot of advertising and things like that. With Fort Worth being such a big business district, they’re all gone.” So Laughlin opted for plan B. With backing from Banter, Square 205 and other local businesses, Denton’s exclusive radio station was born – the site just celebrated its one-year anniversary. New acts are signed up weekly at Banter’s open mic night, where bands or solo artists sign a contract allocating the
LEFT TO RIGHT: SYDNEY WRIGHT, RICHARD GILBERT, JASON ROCHESTER, BRIAN LAMBERT, AND REBECCA MALMBERG, STAND BEHIND JAKE LAUGHLIN, FOUNDER OF DENTONRADIO.COM. PHOTO BY ERIKA LAMBRETON
AUGUST 2012
rights to use their music in the rotation. try and make it live 24 hours a day. Musicians aren’t paid, but the exposure “It’s community. The thing that’s so for a local artist is as good as gold. intriguing about the music scene here is Mary Lamb, the frontwoman of the not even necessarily the musical quality, rock band Lightning Tree, met up with it’s the people,” Laughlin said.He wants Laughlin at a local show, and was on the to give back to the music scene he feels station months later. has given him so much entertainment. “I think it’s fantastic for just original “If nobody else will play them, I will.” music,” Lamb said.“A musician has no chance to get on a real radio station. It’s tied up with contracts and middle men.” She said the airplay helped 1. August 1st - 29th her meet other earn in superCAsh when you new musicians spend $25! and book gigs around town. 2. August 5th Laughlin and with purchase his associates said the longof $50! term goal was to create a self3. August 16th - 29th sustaining forfamous Jeans sale! profit business centered around the Denton community. Running the station costs 1800 S Loop 288 little more than Denton, TX 76205 paying for web hosting. There 940.898.1700 are plans in the work sto expand oLDnavy.com Are BACk! the website and
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