WFNP — The Cutting Edge of the Hudson Valley

Welcome to WFNP Radio @ SUNY New Paltz!

WFNP will sign on Thursday, February 1st for the Spring 2024 semester. We are already training new DJs and hosts for our team, and invite you to get in touch if you too are interested in hosting a show, writing/reporting news, providing concert or album reviews, learning how to engineer, or volunteering at our campus and community events.

WFNP, 88.7FM The Edge broadcasts live from the 4th floor of the Student Union Building at SUNY New Paltz! Our web stream runs 24/7 with student DJs hosting shows live in the studio each day anytime from 9am am until 6pm, while our FM DJs are in studio live, both on the web stream, and 88.7FM (if you are local to the Hudson Valley), Monday-Friday from 7pm-12am, Saturday and Sunday from 10pm-midnight. SUNY New Paltz DJs are live during the months of February, March, April, September, October and November.

You can listen to your favorite student DJs on 88.7FM and wfnp.org!

Interested in getting involved with the station? Sign up HERE. WFNP is open to all majors, all class years, all students. We have opportunities for anyone to get involved in a number of departments both on the air and off. We are always looking for people to join our News Team (covering local news stories, writing stories for our newscasts, engineering, and reporting). Want to talk sports, both professional and college? Join our Sports Department! We also need student volunteers for promotions, album and concert reviews for our website, and more. Learn about different ways to get involved with WFNP by clicking HERE.

Feel free to visit our studios in the Student Union Building, Room 423, or speak to our advisor, Val Turco, in SUB 431!

WFNP & ‘The Big 88’ – November 2023

 

WFNP participated in the inaugural “The Big 88” Broadcast. On November 8th, several stations in the tri-state area joined forces to create “New York’s Largest Radio Station” for one day only. From 12pm to 7pm, each participating station had time to talk about their programming, feature student DJs and broadcast on “The Big 88′ in celebration of college radio.

College Radio Day  – October 2023!

WFNP Celebrates College Radio Day 2023!

Check out CRD information here!

Or, That Time We Got Mentioned on Colbert?

“It’s all on you now, SUNY New Paltz WFNP 88.7 The Edge. Don’t let me down”

We won’t let you down, Stephen Colbert, we promise.

Click above to read more about our Late Show with Stephen Colbert mention.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okJDGV6Jjmc

 

Cutting Edge Music Reviews

Written by, Nicole Pottgen  Welcome back to album of the week! This week we will be exploring the musical dreamscape of the latest release from experimental, prog-rock band, The Smile. This is Wall of Eyes.  Released this past January, Wall of Eyes is The Smile’s second album and it further establishes their entrancing, off-the-wall sound. The trio in The Smile is composed of Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood from Radiohead, alongside Tom Skinner on drums. As expected, every exciting element that Yorke and Greenwood contribute to Radiohead are all elements that are heard in The Smile, with the addition of influences of jazz and art-rock. They once again create something transcendent on this album, with Greenwood amping up his wild guitar playing and Yorke leaning into his ghostly, high-pitched vocals; Wall of Eyes offers a constant push-and-pull of instrumentals and emotions. The first track, “Wall of Eyes,” does a wonderful job of easing you into the album’s atmosphere. I think this song definitely serves as the sort of calm before the storm, with its slow acoustic progressions and eerie string arrangements. Yorke’s vocals simply float over the echoing instrumentals of the track, and these smooth, breathy high notes recur throughout the album. Everything unravels at the end of “Wall of Eyes” until the instrumentals are completely off-kilter, fading into the second track, “Teleharmonic,” another slow, dreamy song.  By the third track, “Read the Room,”  the album starts to take a turn. After the hazy opening tracks, you are pulled into an immersive alternative rock experience with addicting melodies and Greenwood’s explosive guitar. These elements continue straight into “Under Our Pillows,” which sounds like something off of Radiohead’s In Rainbows, in terms of its noisiness and its stand-out rhythms. This song opens up into a super trance-like section in the middle and then proceeds to build and pull back until the almost deafening wall of sound abruptly ends the song. Bringing you back into the lull, “Friend Of A Friend” and “I Quit” showcase a variety of intoxicating sounds in Yorke’s vocals, the cascading piano, and the orchestra. This is a moment of the album that is soft, free-flowing, and oozing with wonderful tension; once again contributing to the push-and-pull effect that carries through the project.  “Bending Hectic” is an absolute emotional rollercoaster from beginning to end. The repeated out-of-tune guitar, unorthodox drum beats, and unsettling string arrangements all clash together eerily. On top of that, the wailing vocals have an angelic feel that contrasts the unhinged instrumentals beneath them. This song goes through multiple phases, it’s an intense journey of varying tones and feelings—and it leaves you utterly stunned. The song explores an internal struggle, a fight with oneself deciding to either let it all go completely or to continue pushing along. The song’s haunting chorus reads: I’ve got these slings, I’ve got these arrows I force myself to turn. The loud, distorted instrumentals in the middle of the song lead into the last chorus, which absolutely wails. It’s a powerful ending and a complete shift in tone from the beginning of the song. It is the musical embodiment of mental turmoil, it is heartbreaking yet tremendously beautiful, and Yorke once again leaves you in a state of melancholic awe with just his voice alone. The record ends on an uplifting note with “You Know Me!” The song is cosmic and freeing, it offers a sense of solace after the emotional frenzy of “Bending Hectic,” and leaves off with the similar slow eeriness that we hear at the beginning of the album.  This album has been nothing less than a joy to experience, and I cannot recommend it enough. It’s unsettling, dreamy, loud, somber, and incredibly provoking. It’s chock full of excellent musicianship, lyricism, and so much intrigue. So listen, lose yourself, and beware of: the Wall of Eyes. [...] Read more...
Written by Xindha Yaeger Welcome back to Album of the Week! This week I’m taking some time to appreciate the work of singer-songwriter Noah Kahan and his new release of Stick Season (Forever).  Noah Kahan has seen his rise to fame the last few years; best known for his third folk-pop album, Stick Season (2022) which ranked 14th on the Billboard top 200. The single “Stick Season” hit number one on the UK Singles Chart as well as the ARIA Charts. In 2023 Stick Season (We’ll All Be Here Forever) featured six new songs and “The View Between Villages” Extended Version. However he didn’t stop there. While on his world tour, Kahan continues to feature various artists on tracks from Stick Season, ever expanding his discography and relations with fellow artists. He was also featured on Zach Bryan’s “Sarah’s Place” which placed 14th on the Billboard Hot 100. Noah also received his first nomination for Best New Artist at this year’s Grammys. The Final Stick Season February 9th Noah Kahan released his final version of his hit album, titled Stick Season (Forever). This 30-track album contains the original deluxe tracklist, features on most songs, and the brand new and anticipated “Forever”. Featured artists include Post Malone, Lizzy McAlpine, Kacey Musgraves, Hozier, Gracie Abrams, Sam Fender, Brandi Carlile, and Gregory Alan Issakov. Of the featured artists, I find Hozier, Kacey Musgraves, and Gregory Alan Issakov deliver the best performance alongside Noah Kahan. The collaborations with an assortment of talented artists, along with the release of “Forever”, in my opinion, make Stick Season (Forever) the perfect album. There are many reasons for Noah Kahan’s popularity, but I find his relatability and connections with fans the most defining reasons. Themes in his work reflect nostalgia, change, and reflection on his own life. Below is my favorite lyric from “You’re Gonna Go Far”:  So, pack up your car, put a hand on your heart Say whatever you feel, be wherever you are We ain’t angry at you, love You’re the greatest thing we’ve lost Not only does Noah Kahan provide a sincere perspective on what it feels to grow up and live through major changes in one’s life, he also puts these feelings into words that bring in a large audience of younger people.  Kahan’s easy going personality allows fans to relate to him on a more personal level. For his first show in Australia he performed solo, as his band did not make it in time. Some may think this would ruin a concert experience, however from several videos, the environment seems more close and  intimate. Using the backdrop, he projected comments throughout the show joking with fans as he performed.  In short, Noah Kahan is an amazing new artist and his significant popularity is definitely for a reason. If you have an interest in folk-pop, take some time to immerse yourself in Stick Season (Forever). [...] Read more...

About Our Station

WFNP is the official student run radio station of the State University of New York at New Paltz. We are an educationally affiliated, non-commercial station, striving to serve the community’s best interest. The station provides innovative, cutting-edge music, news, and talk programming. WFNP broadcasts to the campus community, the entire Hudson Valley, and beyond via our web stream and 88.7 FM.

Our DJs work hard to give listeners great shows and keep them coming back for more. Each DJ has the ability to create their own masterpiece for the community!

Learn about the history and development of our station, as told through one of our alumni Maggie Zielinski.

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