Air heads: Islanders ride the waves

By Sam Decker
Published: April 9, 2009

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Monday, 4:40 pm: There's a hushed jumble of noises - squeaking stools, rustling papers, the muted thumps of fingers on microphones as they're being adjusted.

It begins. Sam Griswold's voice, fast-paced, in full radio-voice timber, introduces the radio show he is co-hosting with Farley Glavin. (Taylor Ives, who's been joining them lately, is out today.) Farley enthusiastically invites listeners to call in to join the discussion or request songs, reciting WVVY's phone number.

From left: Sam Griswold, Farley Glavin, and Taylor Ives co-host a new comedy-driven radio show on WVVY 93.7.
Photo by Sam Decker

"That's 001, obviously, for our international callers," Sam facetiously adds. "Lots to get to today - as usual." Fade to music: "Two Weeks" by Brooklyn band Grizzly Bear.

Strangely, it does seem somehow plausible that this still unnamed show, which airs Mondays from (around) 4:30 to 6 pm on WVVY 93.7, Martha's Vineyard Community Radio, Inc., could appeal to a worldwide audience.

The show, divided evenly between music and discussion, is fast-paced, upbeat, and often hilarious. It couldn't be further removed from the awkward pauses and nerdy obscurities that can characterize community or college radio. Although many of the DJs' jokes are aimed at Vineyarders, the segments are inventive and accessible. Their music choices - mostly new indie-pop - indicate a preference for catchy songs over esoteric ones.

It's immediately evident that Sam, Farley, and Taylor, all Islanders in their early 20s, are good friends. But the show's success is a result of the differences, rather than whatever similarities exist between them. Sam assumes the persona of a seasoned sports announcer, capable of analyzing pretty much anything from the Brooklyn music scene to West Tisbury town politics. Farley finds his niche in the coolly oblivious. His analysis is noticeably sparse, and unlike Sam, he paces himself - an exaggerated and simplified version of himself.

Sam: "Opinion on conservative intellectuals. Shoot."

Farley: "I think they're fine."

Sam (sarcastically): "Interesting points."

The casual asides, offbeat humor, and affectionate squabbling all contribute to the show's feeling of coordinated disarray - it seems thrown together, which is most likely what they're aiming for.

Sam: "Do you think there's a drinking problem on Martha's Vineyard?"

Farley: "There is a drinking problem. It's still hard to get alcohol up-Island."

Sam: "It's not easy enough to drink?"

Farley: "That's what you were asking, right?"

Sam: "Okay, we're going to move on here."

Taylor is a perfect fit with his laid-back sense of humor. He fills the space between the personalities of the two other hosts, helping to give the show fluidity.

The first track ends and the banter begins again. Sam and Farley give a brief rundown of the day's show, each segment delivered in their guys-hanging-out style. Today includes: a battle of the bands in honor of NCAA March Madness; Theme of the Day, where callers try to guess a hidden link between three songs (the winner receives a $10 scratch ticket from Cumberland Farms); and Needs Work, a soapbox for the hosts to discuss local news and politics.

The band tournament, quartered into grunge, modern age, up and coming, and 90s brackets, creatively integrates the strong suits of each host. Sam has a prolific knowledge of new indie music and his ability to express bands' strengths and weaknesses through basketball analogies is somewhat amazing. His analysis ranges from the vaguely insightful: "Radiohead has a lot of depth, a really deep bench, a lot of scoring coming from everywhere," to the absurdly irrelevant: "The Shins - I like how they run the floor, great three-point shooting, really, a lot of energy."

In many ways, Farley, an accomplished musician, brings more to the table than Sam in music-related discussions - though his basketball metaphors are less successful: "Pavement's just a powerhouse. They've been batting like .600 all season."

Some of their most poignant commentary sneaks in between segments in the form of advertising spoofs, created by Sam. "Edgartown Yacht Club: Off limits to Islanders since 1998," and "Vineyard Vines: Made by non-Islanders for non-Islanders, on-Island since 2001."

The show airs Mondays, 4:30-6 pm, on 93.7 WVVY. Listen online at wvvy.org.