Polygamy is creepy. Everyone knows that, even — or especially — fans of Big Love. (I can’t vouch for people who watch Sister Wives. Frankly, I can’t believe that’s actually a thing.) That said, there’s one arena in which polygamy is a good thing…
Public radio!
The way I see it, the more thriving public radio stations there are, the better off we all are. And since these outfits are heavily dependent on listener support, and since public radio programming ain’t cheap, I can’t think of a single reason to feel guilty about being a member of more than one station. (Which is saying something, given that I can make myself feel guilty about pretty much anything. I can’t even eat Chick-fil-A that someone else bought without feeling a few pangs.)
Mrs. YHT and I have been members of Richmond’s WCVE for a few years now, but I’m excited to say that I’m officially wedded to my first sister wife station: Charlottesville’s WNRN. I have to admit that I don’t listen to it often — its signal strength ’round these parts leaves something to be desired — but my attachment to the station got a big boost on Christmas Day, when my mom revealed that she’d bought me a subscription to one of WNRN’s CD of the Month clubs. I didn’t realize it right away, but that subscription came with a WNRN membership card, a sticker and a snazzy t-shirt to boot, not to mention a new CD on my doorstep each month. How cool is that?
(Some people take pictures of splayed cash or guns to prove how badass they are. I took this when my welcome package arrived in the mail this weekend. So gangster.)
I haven’t had much time to taste the first fruits of my new subscription — ZZ Ward’s Til the Casket Drops — but I wanted to share fifth track “Cryin Wolf” right away, in large part because it features 16 bars of Kendrick Lamar, whose words are a commodity that grows hotter each time I relisten to good kid, m.A.A.d city. Now if only I could figure out how Ward ended up naming her album “Til the Casket Drops,” despite the fact that Clipse released an album by the same name in 2009. Weird.
Preview “Cryin Wolf” below and click here to find out how to become a member of an NPR station (or two) near you.
ZZ Ward — “Cryin Wolf” (feat. Kendrick Lamar) [Spotify/iTunes]
You Hear That 
I’ll stick with the Clipse…
I’m inclined to agree, though Ward’s album is growing on me. (I’ve caught myself internally humming a few of the songs, which proves to me that they’re catchy.) I just don’t understand the album title. It’d be like if someone waited a few years and named their album good kid, M.A.A.D city.