Today Rocks Off would like to salute 90.1 FM KPFT on its 44th anniversary, which it celebrates this Sunday under the "big top" behind McGonigel's Mucky Duck The lineup is a real hootenanny too, featuring Shinyribs, Del Castillo, Lisa Morales, Annika Chambers, Parker Millsap, recent Rocks Off 200 subject Robert Kuhn and Sirsy.

In the realm of contemporary Houston radio, KPFT is an exotic creature indeed. Alongside KTSU and Classical 91.7 -- if you're into that sort of thing -- it remains one of the few local FM frequencies that is not artistically and morally bankrupt. Here ideas still mean as much as dollars, even if some of those ideas sometimes piss people off. (Again, if you're into that sort of thing.)

We were thinking of a novel way to pay tribute to KPFT's anniversary without having to rehash the times it was bombed off the air by the KKK again, but we didn't need to. It eventually dawned on us tally up all the different kinds of music the station plays, and stop at 44 because that's what anniversary this is. Bear in mind this doesn't count the shows for which playlists were not available on the KPFT Web site, including wonderful ones like Bailando In Texas, Soular Grooves, Son Pacifica and The Chestnut Tree (check that one out sometime), but is no trouble at all to find 20-something shows to pick and choose from.

Hopefully it will give a you a much clearer picture of what a valuable musical resource Houston still has in its midst, one that you can listen to on your way home from work. Needless to say, it's also one that could definitely use your ears and your donations, if you're so inclined.

BLUES IN HI-FI Time: Mondays 6-7 p.m. Music: jump-blues, swamp pop, doo wop Last Week: Barbara Lynn, Eddie Taylor, Nina Simone, Earl King, the Dells

THE BLUES BRUNCH Time: Sundays 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Music: country blues, British blues, '50s rock Last Week: B.B. King, Chuck Berry, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Katie Webster, Albert Collins

DEADBEAT Time: Saturdays 3-6 p.m. Music: Americana, classic rock Last Week: Sonny Boy Williamson, Hayes Carll, Commander Cody, Sarah Jaroz, Janis Joplin, Little Feat

DEADTHYME Time: Mondays 2:30-5 a.m. Music: punk, hardcore Last Week: Circle Jerks, Clan of Xymox, Bastard Noise, Bleeding Rectum, English Dogs

DOWN HOME BLUES Time: Sundays 6-8 a.m. Music: R&B Last Week: Z.Z. Hill, H-Town Jukes, Charlie Musselwhite, Etta James, Koko Taylor, Buddy Guy, Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble

GENERASIAN RADIO Time: Thursdays 1-3 p.m. Music: bhangra, Bollywood, electronica, hip-hop Last Week: Alpha Bass, Indian Ropeman, Thievery Corporation, Deep Cold, Bally Sagoo

IRISH AIRES Time: Saturdays 6-7 p.m. Music: Celtic, New Age Last Week: Altan, Paddyrasta, the High Kings, Jiggernaut, Aoife Clancy

LAURAPALOOZA Time: Fridays 11 p.m.- 1 a.m. Music: pop/rock (all female artists) Last Week: Cyndi Lauper, Valerie June, Joni Mitchell, Patti Smith, Lucinda Williams, Ruthie Foster, Vienna Teng

LONE STAR JUKEBOX Time: Saturdays 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Music: honky-tonk, Texas swing, outlaw country, Tejano Last Week: Lefty Frizzell, Lydia Mendoza, Doug Sahm feat. the Gourds, Jamey Johnson, Mike Stinson

MUSIC WITHOUT BORDERS Time: Mondays 1-3 p.m. Music: Native American, world music Last Week: R. Carlos Nakai Quartet, Florent Vallant, Jason Vieaux, Amanda Martinez, Khadja Nin, Tinariwen Emmaar

PE-TE'S CAJUN BANDSTAND Time: Saturdays 6-9 a.m. Music: Cajun Last Week: Steve Riley, Charles Thibodeaux, Geno Delafose, Jimmy C. Newman, Walter Mouton, Sir Patrick, Billy Q

PURE VIBZ Time: Thursdays 2-5 a.m. Music: reggae, rocksteady, ska, dub Last Week: Bob Marley, Bunny Wailer, Dub Specialist, Burning Spear, Culture, Desmond Dekker, Lady Ann

REACH OUT IN THE DARKNESS Time: Tuesdays 11 p.m.-2 a.m. Music: synth-pop, acid-rock, prog-metal, rockabilly, comedy Last Week: Pet Shop Boys, Wanda Jackson, Dream Theater, Rush, George Carlin, 'Til Tuesday, Metal Church, Love

SONGLINES Time: Mondays 12-2:30 a.m. Music: gospel, work songs, jazz Last Week: Paul Robeson, Alberta Hunter, Duke Ellington, Big Mama Thornton

SOS RADIO Time: Tuesdays 1-3 p.m. Music: soul, neo-soul, hip-hop, funk, acid jazz, Last Week: Jill Scott, Nas & Damien Marley, Nina Simone, Groove Collective, KRS-One

SOUND AWAKE Time: Tuesdays 1-3 p.m. Music: New Wave, EBM Last Week: Icehouse, XTC, The Judy's, Style Council, Nitzer Ebb, Mia Dyson, Heaven 17, Anne McCue

SPARE CHANGE Time: Saturdays 12-3 p.m. Music: folk, blues, country Last Week: John Fullbright, Willie Nelson & Dolly Parton, Gretchen Peters, Luther Dickinson, Otis Redding, Suzy Bogguss

SWEET NIGHTMARES Time: Thursdays 11 p.m.-2 a.m. Music: metal Last Week: Black Sabbath, Violent Femmes(!), High On Fire, Soylent Green, Slayer, Cathedral, Sleep

THE BLUEGRASS ZONE Time: Sundays 4-6 p.m. Music: bluegrass Last Week: The Stanley Bros., Patty Loveless, Doc & Merle Watson, Bill Monroe, Del McCoury Band, Merle Haggard

VOZ DE LA TIERRA Time: Wednesdays, 2-5 a.m. Music: eclectic Last Week: Elvis Costello, the Searchers, Queensryche, Status Quo, Jefferson Airplane, Kid Creole & the Coconuts, the Yardbirds, Sarah McLachlan, Dick Dale

WIDE OPEN SPACES Time: Weekdays, 10 a.m.-noon Music: varies Yesterday: Ray LaMontagne, Chuck Mead, Bruce Robison & Kelly Willis, the Difibrulators, Levon Helm, the Whiskey Sisters

ZYDECO PAS SALE Time: Sundays, 3-6 a.m. Music: zydeco This Week: John Delafose, Buckwheat Zydeco, Lil' Brian Terry, Clifton Chenier, Beau Jocque, Chris Ardoin, Rosie Ledet, Zydeco Dots

Think we might have gone over 44. Hopefully no one will mind.

KPFT's 44th-anniversary party is noon-7 p.m. this Sunday, March 16, at McGonigel's Mucky Duck, 2425 Norfolk. Here's to 44 more years.

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