Morning Becomes Eclectic, at KCRW

When I was invited on a behind-the-scenes tour of the KCRW public radio station in Santa Monica, I think I smiled for miles. I've been an ardent fan and supporter of this groundbreaking, independent station for years, and I was invited to check out their digs since I'm a monthly subscriber.

KCRW is groundbreaking since it tempers rare music gems and the forgotten songs of yesteryear with the most progressive, independent and underground music that most radio stations in America aren't playing today, all from a humble basement studio beneath a cafeteria at Santa Monica College. They have developed a knack for breaking some of today's biggest and brightest artists -- think Coldplay, Beck, Norah Jones -- and its weekday morning music program, "Morning Becomes Eclectic," inspires and sets exciting new standards for top artists, dee-jays and record labels.

Can you tell, I'm a bit of a fan?

All this incredible prestige, though as I moseyed through the studio I felt like I was back in my young '20s, hanging out in the college newsroom where a special buzz landed on your shoulder every so often because you knew really exciting things were playing out:

This instant photo wall greets all guests, a who's who of influential artists, bands, actors and thought leaders who have visited KCRW for the "Morning Becomes Eclectic" program and other shows

Me playing it, err, cool at the photo wall

A music lover's lair, the station's music library is a sacred space for vinyl (all music is also digitized)

A killer in-studio performance from singer-songwriter Sharon Van Etten concluded the tour, as gut-wrenching heartbreak songs sent me back out into the sun to finish my day of work -- listen to Sharon's KCRW set here!