The Wax Altar streams a personal collection of vinyls around the clock from hip D.C. suburb Radio
HYATTSVILLE, MD. — A Hyattsville, Md.-based online radio station is gaining national attention as an emerging broadcaster. Run by vinyl curator Todd Dengel, The Wax Altar was recently named an editor’s choice for one of the top four New and Emerging Broadcasters in eclectic music by leading audio streaming service TuneIn.
Dengel’s collection started during childhood when he would buy his own albums and borrow his dad’s to use on a turntable in his room.
“When I was a kid, everyone had a turntable in their room. There were many novelty compilation albums with the 1950s-1960s rock songs geared toward kids like K-Tel’s ‘Looney Tunes’ or ‘Goofy Greats.’ These bled into my parent’s records,” Dengel said. “My dad had what turned out to be some great early doo-wop and blues 45s. I always kept and took care of them while the collection and my tastes grew.” Radio
The Wax Altar, which broadcasts 24 hours a day on Live 365, GetMeRadio App, and TuneIn, the most used app for Google Home, Alexa and Sonos, features music from Dengel’s extensive and eclectic collection of vinyl records, which he has built over the course of decades and painstakingly digitized.
On a given day, listeners might hear mbaqanga songs from 1980s South Africa, singer-songwriter John Prine, Brazilian Tropicalia’s Os Mutantes, or German electronic pioneers Kraftwerk. Appropriately, the station’s motto is “Put Your Needle on a Different Grove.”
Officially launched in August of 2021, the Wax Altar is currently licensed in the U.S., Canada, and the United Kingdom, and Dengel plans to expand to other countries in the near future as well. Radio
While the station is free for listeners, fans are encouraged to join The Wax Pack on Patreon for just $3 a month. Radio
“I wanted the station to have the same feel as browsing through a used-record shop and hearing what the owner is playing,” added Dengel. “There’s so much great music out there that you just can’t find on the radio.”
To listen to The Wax Altar, visit its main website as well as on Live 365, GetMeRadio App, or TuneIn – https://www.thewaxaltar.com .
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About The Wax Altar
Launched in 2022 by vinyl curator Todd Dengel, The Wax Altar is a free internet radio station streaming an eclectic mix of music from around the world compiled at random from a personal collection of vinyls. The station plays a mix of tunes 24-7 on its website as well as on Live 365 and TuneIn and is licensed in the U.S., Canada, and the United Kingdom. To learn more, visit: https://www.thewaxaltar.com