Memphis to Little Rock

Little Rock was named for a rock formation called Le Petite Roche (the little rock). French Explorer Jean-Baptiste Benard de la Harpe opened a trading post nearby. Just the same nobody surveyed the area for another century. Random Fact: Frank Bonner who played as Herb Tarlek in the television series WKRP in Cincinnati was born in Little Rock.I took Route 70 West through most of Arkansas. You see more country from the local road, even if it's hours slower. You can't see much flying down I-40 at 70mph. I found a great antique store in Hazen, called Kocourek & Son. They had stacks of 45s, and an array of other oddball items I've never seen before.

I passed through Brinkley, AR the birthplace of Louis Jordan. There I managed to catch an hour of 95.3 KVHU, the Harding University station in Judsonia. They have an odd block format. Nights are accapella christian music. It's not the overtly slick CHR-pop christian or gospel. It's literally hymns. Not very listenable. Daytime they play classic hits, and late nights they run old-time radio programs like Jack Benny, and the Lone Ranger. I don't think there's another mix out there like that.

Here in Little Rock, 88.3 KABF is playing synthesizer-laden reggae. I'm at a loss to classify it. Hooray for college radio. Their schedule indicates more Spanish music into the evening. I hope to stay up late and a catch the renowned electronic program "Machine Language." Random Fact: the show is hosted by a guy that absolutely killed on Jeopardy back in 2007.