New KEXP DJ

And he is from Northern Virginia!!! An old WHFS listener!! Love that!

"Here’s a bit about DJ El Toro, in his own words:

*What do you love about music? Any particular favorites?
Music helps me articulate my emotions. It communicates in ways words and images cannot. I have very broad tastes, from classic soul (I've been on a Joe Tex bender this week) to esoteric '80s punk & new wave, but my big weakness is for weird, theatrical crooners and rockers: Gavin Friday, Little Annie, Klaus Nomi, Dagmar Krause, etc. The late Arthur Russell, NYC composer and producer, is my hero.

*How did you discover and get involved with KEXP?
I grew up in Northern Virginia, listening to the original WHFS out of Maryland, a FM "progressive" station with a format very similar to KEXP: Real DJs with personalities and specific tastes, playing long sets of interesting music. They were vital to shaping my opinions about music, and turned me on to probably 1/3 of the artists in my collection. When I moved from New York to Seattle in 1996, I was thrilled to discover KCMU - it was like being reunited with an old friend. I have been slowly putting the moves on the station ever since, although I didn't actually start training to DJ here until late 2005.

*When you're not at KEXP, what are you doing?
I'm a freelance writer by profession, working regularly for outlets including No Depression, The Advocate, The Stranger, BPM Monthly, and MSN Music. I DJ at various bars and clubs around town. And I do a lot of crafts. Right now, I'm working on a series of full-sized reproductions of classic punk/new wave album covers in very small gauge needlepoint. So far I've done the Sex Pistols and OMD, and am currently working on a XTC canvas.

You can catch DJ El Toro filling in for Rachel and Troy from 1am-6am on: Friday, 4/13, Wednesday, 4/18, and Friday 4/27. If you’re not up that early (or late depending on your perspective) remember: you can always stream his show for up to two weeks after it airs."