Foo - Rant -- rock n' roll stations locked in a time loop

Here in Austin, there are a number of analog radio stations. Being too lazy to get XM Radio, I prefer listening to local stuff, just because its local.

Of course, there are a number of different genres of stations. The hip hop stations are pumping out new bands, country has always something new, the Tejano stations have some new band on the accordians, and the news channels are doing current event discussion. Even the Clear Channel station with Christian music has new stuff (as in bands made the past couple years) being broadcast.

However it seems that the "rock 'n roll" stations in Austin and other nearby cities are caught in some stasis field around late 1996. Unless its in the wee hours during some random broadcast, its going to be music that is older than most elementary school students enrolled these days.

What gives? Are these stations just content with airing the same 100-150 songs for the rest of eternity, only paying license fees for some news shows and their morning talk show hosts (other than keeping their ASCAP/SESAC/BMI license current)? Are they wanting to just voluntarly commit suicide, their faces stomped into the mud by MP3 players and XM Radio? Are they wanting to play the same stuff for so long, eventually the station can call themselves oldies or a retro station?

No disrespect intended for the bands, but 1996 called, wants its music back. (To use an old worn-out SNL skit.) There are plenty of good rock and roll bands out there which deserve airtime... stations should put them on instead of the worn out CD of Nirvana.

There is a LOT of good talent out there that deserves air time in the rock 'n roll genre, be it local or other places. Its just a waste of a tower and FM transmission energy to see yet another crooning of a decades old song rather than something made this century.

www.cfox.com


one of teh best rock stations out there, all the new stuff and a mix of older "alt" rock. Just listen to it through your computer, to bad it won't work in your car :P

- yep, welcome to the 'new' FM... SSDD 24/7 & 365...

- it's even worse for jazz listeners... the 'smooth jazz' crapola is even more mind-numbing than tired-butt Rock stations (usually known by single names with no more than two syllables - such as 'The Eagle,' 'The Dove,' 'The Beat,' ad naseum)...

Pbs & Npr

I've quit listening to radio.

Reason: I only listened to it at work, but the only station that didn't suck won't stop playing that buckcherry song "Crazy *****", which happened to offend someone in listening area, so I am no longer allowed to play that station.

I just carry an ipod around now, it's easier that way....plas I can listen to most of the music I really like, which never seems to find any airtime. When's that last time System of a Down, KMFDM, or Dimmu Borgir for example have been on the radio? That's what the Catatonic thought.

Radio here in rock city is a sad affair. Its like they have no taste. You have to go north of Saginaw for a good Michigan radio station.

I predict radio will die a harsh death within the next decade or two. I also predict that a standardized mp3 player communication jack will be developed so other brands can compete with iPod's superior docking abilities.

Once that generic dock becomes a reality, you will see tons of cheap boom-box adaptors, which means the MP3 dock will replace the am/fm table radio at the workplace. Actually now it's happening to some extent, but since iPod stuff is so pricey, it's at a slower pace (my JBL dock was $100).

At least it's better than Jack FM (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_FM).

I have abandoned satellite radio as well as analog. I listen to what I have, and get introduced to new music via the podcasts I subscribe to. I don't miss radio at all.

I've always though 99.5 KISS had a good mix of rock from today and yesteryear Clicky for site (http://www.kissrocks.com) But being a San Antonio station you may only get south of Austin if your lucky.. I have picked it up as far North of SA as Buda.

My classic rock station of choice recently started playing 90's and early 2000's rock. I want classic rock.

The other classic rock station plays Metallica...who I don't particularly like. But I'll take Metallica over Nickelback ANY day!

electronica
http://somafm.com/

electronica
http://somafm.com/
Hey that is cool thanks for sharing.

I loved this dance/trance station they had in dfw called 106.7 kdl "the texas party station." heh. It was the best, but nope, it turned into hip hop. Yes latino reggeaton hip hop. :cry:

I've always though 99.5 KISS had a good mix of rock from today and yesteryear Clicky for site (http://www.kissrocks.com) But being a San Antonio station you may only get south of Austin if your lucky.. I have picked it up as far North of SA as Buda.
I loved KISS when I was in SA. There was a sort of sister station in Austin for a couple years (Z-Rock, I think... It was a satellite radio station, but it had actual rock with new bands rather than the same tired, old, predigested garbage that other stations spewed at the time. Sadly, it was tanked in '97 or so and replaced with a talk radio station.)

The main reason I wish for a rock 'n roll station which actually played stuff made in this millenium is because its nice to hear about local events and stuff happening around town. However, Austin stations are so bad these days, I just plug in my MP3 player and get local news from other sources.

I just wonder if radio is deliberately committing seppeku, or if its just the specific genre. Or... even worse, I wonder if there are scads of people out there who just like listening to the same 100-200 songs for the rest of their lives, fearing to hear even a note from any band made since Y2K. I know people from high school who still listen to the same stuff they did when in school and have not cared to listen anything newer than that.

In any case it sucks when before, you could tell the rock stations from the EZ listening stations that were forced upon you at eateries or doctor's offices in lieu of a valid Muzak license... now its hard to differentiate.

In the bay area we have 107.7 the bone. They play all the old school stuff, a little bit of some new stuff. Metallica, pink floyd, alice in chains, motley crew, ozzy, everything you can imagine. Even some 70s stuff. I like that station. Rarely do I turn it on and hear something twice.

In the bay area we have 107.7 the bone. They play all the old school stuff, a little bit of some new stuff. Metallica, pink floyd, alice in chains, motley crew, ozzy, everything you can imagine. Even some 70s stuff. I like that station. Rarely do I turn it on and hear something twice.

Sounds nice, kind of like 97.3 in Saginaw, or what we used to have here, Ted Nugent's station 102.7 The Bear.

..

At least it's better than Jack FM (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_FM).
Haha Jack FM rocks and sucks. Theyplay some really weird music, but at least it's not the same msuic over and over, like most stations.

at least your station made it into the 90s. wplr out of new haven hasn't added a new song to it's playlist since 1985.

Here in Austin, there are a number of analog radio stations. Being too lazy to get XM Radio, I prefer listening to local stuff, just because its local.

Of course, there are a number of different genres of stations. The hip hop stations are pumping out new bands, country has always something new, the Tejano stations have some new band on the accordians, and the news channels are doing current event discussion. Even the Clear Channel station with Christian music has new stuff (as in bands made the past couple years) being broadcast.

However it seems that the "rock 'n roll" stations in Austin and other nearby cities are caught in some stasis field around late 1996. Unless its in the wee hours during some random broadcast, its going to be music that is older than most elementary school students enrolled these days.

What gives? Are these stations just content with airing the same 100-150 songs for the rest of eternity, only paying license fees for some news shows and their morning talk show hosts (other than keeping their ASCAP/SESAC/BMI license current)? Are they wanting to just voluntarly commit suicide, their faces stomped into the mud by MP3 players and XM Radio? Are they wanting to play the same stuff for so long, eventually the station can call themselves oldies or a retro station?

No disrespect intended for the bands, but 1996 called, wants its music back. (To use an old worn-out SNL skit.) There are plenty of good rock and roll bands out there which deserve airtime... stations should put them on instead of the worn out CD of Nirvana.

There is a LOT of good talent out there that deserves air time in the rock 'n roll genre, be it local or other places. Its just a waste of a tower and FM transmission energy to see yet another crooning of a decades old song rather than something made this century.

I hear ya like "Wolfmother":) .

Haha Jack FM rocks and sucks. Theyplay some really weird music, but at least it's not the same msuic over and over, like most stations.

The format is good for the listeners, but what do you think they do with the DJ's and producers that were at the radio station before?

Jack FM is just a computer, there are no people operating the station, and that sucks.

89.3 The Current (http://minnesota.publicradio.org/radio/services/the_current/) out of St. Paul/Minneapolis gets my vote for best radio station.

It's been around for 2 years or so. They play a huge variety of music. Most of it is pretty obscure.

One thing I like about it is how much say the DJ has in what is played. I have listened to it enough where I can hear a couple songs in a row and be able to tell which DJ is on.

There is a link to stream on the site as well.

Internet Radio is awesome. I hear new stuff across pretty much every genre using Yahoo's Music Jukebox service, that is free with my ISP.

I rank songs/artists/albums and it gives me new music based on my ratings. I hear a lot of new stuff I don't like, but occassionally will catch something fresh that I would never have on the radio.

Only problem is that it's on the PC, but as I'm chained to one during the workweek, that's a lot of time to listen.

In the car, it's NPR or CD's.

Pbs & Npr
Yup, the cure for the endless/repetitive commercials that constitute most current radio stations entire playlist.

107.1 in Austin is excellent for Texas, alt country, blues
101.5 plays a lot of current rock
89.9 in San Marcos is a decent college radio
92.1 in New Braunfels for Americana