Mr. Shovel's Check One Two

Mr. Shovel's Check One Two is a radio program that most recently aired on 95.5 KLOS in Los Angeles from Jan. 2016 - Aug. 2019. The show originally aired on Indie 103.1 in Los Angeles, Ca. from Feb. 2004 - Jan. 2009.[1][2] The show which features local and unsigned artists and live performances was created by host Mr. Shovel (Mark Sovel), Indie 103.1's music director[3] and also the producer of Jonesy's Jukebox hosted by Sex Pistols member Steve Jones.[4] Jones bestowed the nickname "Mr. Shovel" after continuously mispronouncing Sovel's real name. In 2004 Indie 103.1 was dubbed "America's Coolest Commercial Station" by Rolling Stone Magazine[5] and again voted Indie 103.1 "Best Radio Station" in 2008.[6]

Check One Two aired Sunday nights from 6pm-8pm on Indie 103.1 and gave many Los Angeles area bands their very first taste of commercial radio air-play. This led to several unsigned local bands getting added into "regular rotation" on Indie 103.1 and often led to significant record deals. Some of the more notable names that received early support from Indie 103.1 and Check One Two were The Airborne Toxic Event, Silversun Pickups, She Wants Revenge, Cold War Kids, Warpaint, and The Submarines.

Mr. Shovel made music news in the winter of 2008 when he and Indie 103.1 program director Max Tolkoff were summoned to the home of the "unsigned artist" Prince (musician), who played for them a new record which would later be called "Lotusflower (album)".[7] Prince handed Shovel and Tolkoff the music to take with them to world premiere on Indie 103.1. Shovel appeared the following day on Jonesy's Jukebox with the music and stories about the visit.[8]

On January 15, 2009 Indie suddenly went off the air to be replaced by a Spanish language format.[9][10] Indie 103.1 and Check One Two's support is regarded as having united the local music scene in Los Angeles in the first decade of the 21st century.[11]

After returning to the FM dial in January of 2016,[12] Mr. Shovel's Check One Two championed a new era of artists such as Starcrawler, Plague Vendor, The Interrupters and Weyes Blood. The show was heard live every Sunday night at 8 pm Pacific time on KLOS. Also, in October of 2015 Mr. Shovel (Mark Sovel) re-joined Steve Jones as producer and on-air foil for a new incarnation of Jonesy's Jukebox on 95.KLOS every Monday through Friday from 12-2pm Pacific time.[13]