For most of the week, Richard Kirchen is the managing editor of the Milwaukee Business Journal. However, for three hours every Monday morning, the 44-year-old West Sider transforms into Rich Mars, the quick-witted, slow-talking WMSE DJ.

For five years, mellow Mars has made Monday mornings manageable in Milwaukee, dishing up alternative goodies from old school favorites to new material. Although vigilant about staying current with his music tastes, Mars has a soft spot for '80s stuff, something that those of us who grew up in an era when "alternative was really alternative" deeply appreciate.

Recently, we chatted with this dichotomous DJ/editor about a bunch of stuff, from the Odd Rock Cafe to '80s fashion trends to music, music and more music.

OMC: Why did you choose the radio last name "Mars?"

Rich Mars: My air name until 1994 was either "Rich" or "Uncle Rich" -- the latter being lame but memorable -- during an era when I was playing punk rock/new wave/ college rock on my show. Around 1994 I decided I was getting too old to keep up with the college sound and needed to change directions to a more "adult alternative" musical approach. I decided to change my air name as well. I had been kicking around a concept for programming an "adult alternative" station at the time with the working title "Milwaukee Alternative Radio Station (MARS)." The station never happened, but I decided Mars would make a cool DJ name, so I adopted it.

It is a slight homage to Johnny Mars the old WXRT jock in Chicago, but mainly it was just a quick way to get a good new on-air handle.

OMC: How long have you been doing the Alternative Monday Morning show on 'MSE?

RM: I believe I started doing the Monday show in 1998, but it could've been late '97. Prior to that, I experimented with a morning drive time show on WMSE by doing every other Friday morning in 1997 alternating with Melissa (Ryan).

I started my association with WMSE back in 1980 after reading about the station. It was just WSOE, a campus station for MSOE, but had plans to go 1,000 watts (WMSE is now 3,200). I was a UWM student and talked my way in to being one of the non-MSOE DJs. I was on the station from about May 1980 to August 1982, so I was one of the charter WMSE DJs. I did one of the punk/ new wave/ alternative shows. I left the station in DJ protest over the school taking control of the station from students.

After that, I moved to Dubuque, IA, for a job and lived there for more than six years and kept my muse in radio by doing a show once or twice a month on a community access cable FM station and a short-term part time DJ stint at a commercial station in Galena, IL. When I returned to Milwaukee in 1990, I became involved with WMSE again vas a substitute DJ, filling in frequently on Saturday afternoons for Neil Mickey's "Mickey Mouse Club/ Mouth Club." So I've been around a long time.

OMC: Your show is pretty eclectic, but is there any type of music you won't play?

RM: 1,000 Strings do Julie Andrews.

OMC: What were your picks for 2002 and who are some of your favorite musicians of all time?

RM: My top eight of 2002 were The Eels, Spoon, The Mekons, Guided By Voices, Paul Westerberg/ Grandpa Boy, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Neko Case and Chuck Prophet. I guess my favorite genre is alternative music for grown-ups, whatever that is.

M all-time favorites include Lou Reed/ Velvet Underground, Elvis Costello, Clash, Replacements, Johnny Cash, Alex Chilton, Bob Dylan, Nick Lowe, James Brown, PJ Harvey, Patti Smith, Jonathan Richman, Kristin Hersh/Throwing Muses, Smithereens, Waco Brothers, Wilco/Son Volt, X, Tom Waits ... I'm sure I'm missing a few.

OMC: Would you describe yourself as an "'80s guy?"

RM: No. "That '80s Guy" would be better. It is true that my DJ style and musical leanings were formed in the 1980s and I do wear black jeans. However, I prefer not to live in the past -- other than the jeans. I do play two to four actual '80s tracks every week, and I play many artists who've been around since the '80s, but I try to keep it contemporary. A lot of '80s acts are still cranking out good new music. Every hour on my show I play between six and 10 tracks from WMSE's "current" CD rack -- those released in the past four months. I'm constantly discovering good, new music by new or new-ish acts. A few from last year included Imperial Teen, Damnations, 20 Miles, Ladytron, Ugly Casanova, Run For Cover Lovers and Rachel Sage. The balance of the material is from the '90s plus those obligatory '80s tracks and the odd '50s, '60s and '70s cuts.