Hey! My name is Liz and I’m the host of Dustbin Mayhem. I’m currently a sophomore at VCUarts majoring in Communication Arts; this is my second year DJing for WVCW.
I've had an immense passion for music for as long as I can remember, specifically classic rock hits and one-hit wonders from the 80s and before. While in pandemic lockdown during high school, I clicked on a '60s garage mix on YouTube out of curiously as to what the hell "garage rock" even meant and what differentiated it from the Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Who songs I'd been hearing on the radio. Instantly, the jangly guitars slightly muffled psychedelic lyrics of The Enfields' 1966 track "I'm For Things You Do" filled my ears and trapped me in the hypnotizing unknown world of garage rock/proto-punk/whatever the kids are calling it these days. I became enthralled by the genre and quickly began researching how much is out there- let's just say- a lot. I listened to and learned as much about as much garage rock as I could, and soon began making mixes for my YouTube channel, FrameshiftRecords (we're up to 24 with more on the way!!)
(https://www.youtube.com/@FrameshiftRecordsFSR58)
(A little shameless self-promotion)
The garage comp in question (Ya'll should know this one by now)
Later on, endless scrolling led me to my first Twisted Tales from the Vinyl Wastelands compilation: "Beatin' on the Bars." I, like many of the people I've encountered over the years, fell victim to the false assumption that all country music is about is tractors, cheap beer, and girls in tight jeans. These compilations quickly changed my "tune" and attitude toward the genre and allowed my interest in the demented and forgotten side of country, hillbilly, and rockabilly music to flourish. You mean country music can be cool and badass? Hell yeah, it can!
The Twisted Tales comp that started it all. Ever want to feel like you're in Cool Hand Luke or Escape from Alcatraz? Listen to this one
I quickly became fascinated by how much music has been released by small artists throughout the twentieth century; soon enough, that fascination turned into anger and frustration that a lot of it is going unlistened to and largely forgotten by the masses.
I was inspired to start Dustbin Mayhem and use WVCW as a platform for the promotion of these "lost" songs and give them the must-deserved airtime they never received back in the day. "Dustbin" refers to the crates and buckets at thrift stores, estate sales, and garage sales where vinyl typically ends up when the previous owners have no use for their collections anymore. Typically, these "dustbin" records are scratched up, stacked on top of each other, and occasionally cracked or warped beyond playability (at least what I've seen while on a crate-digging mission). "Mayhem" refers to these forgotten tracks taking over the airwaves and causing the storm they damn well deserve.
Feel free to contact me anytime via dustbinmayhem@gmail.com with set suggestions, feedback on the show, or any questions about the music!