btlzu2's Journal: Hell has frozen over.

We have a good radio station in Chicago all of sudden. It rose up from a pretty run-of-the-mill station. Chicago is renowned for AWFUL radio stations--except, perhaps for the venerable WXRT which plays almost anything. Q101 is an "alternative" station.

We had forgotten my iPod this morning when going to breakfast so I put the radio on scan. I nearly had an orgasm when I heard the bassline to this song playing ON THE RADIO:

Fool's Gold/The Stone Roses

I reached out and punched the scan button to STOP the scanning!!! I can't freaking believe it. I'm ecstatic that they have decided to play some REALLY REALLY good music. They mix it up with the other overplayed stuff still, but any station that can find it in their hearts to play the Stone Roses has to be considered quality. :)

Also heard recently on this station: "A Letter to Elise"/The Cure, "So Lonely"/The Police, "Fake Plastic Trees"/Radiohead, and "Debaser"/The Pixies. This station was only playing System of a Down and Linkin Park as of last month--over and over and over. I can't believe they're incorporating some "lesser known" music into the programming.

You guys can't understand how good this is. If you forget your iPod or a CD in Chicago, there's usually NOTHING to listen to--unless you really like "LOVE FM"--which I'm not exactly crazy about! :) They still play SoaD and LP, but that's ok. Variety is cool, just play stuff that isn't necessarily "selling" too because there is SO much good music around.

WOOOOO!!!

I wonder

[bethanie]

I wonder if that's related to "DAVE fm" here in Atlanta. It used to be "93 rock" and played mostly classic rock -- but now they've thrown out some of the format restrictions and are playing all kinds of stuff.

Amazing what a good radio station can do to raise your spirits, isn't it?

....Bethanie....

Re:I wonder

[btlzu2]

I wonder if that's related to "DAVE fm" here in Atlanta.
I bet you they are owned by the same parent company. I think there are 2 or 3 companies that own almost all of the radio stations in the U.S. (if that many at all). :) I truly think that modern radio stations are actually having to compete with the iPod now. Q101 even calls their new programming "The Shuffle". The iPod has revolutionized music. Radio now has to compete with everyones' music collection lying in the palms of their hands.

Amazing w

Re:I wonder

[PugMajere]

There's ClearChannel (which onws something like 2000 stations), and then a smattering of smaller competitors.

In Detroit, we've got a great radio station (101.1, the WRIF) that is owned by a smaller competitor. (Maybe 50 stations total or so?)

I think the good, well managed companies that have stupidly loyal listener bases have stayed somewhat independent. It's the "Pop" stations that have been absorbed into the huge conglomerates.

btlzu2, I presume you were referring to Q101 as the station that plays some

Re:I wonder

[PugMajere]

There's a "Doug FM" in the Detroit area.

That sounds like too similar a theme to not be related.

Re:I wonder

[Aumaden]

Here, in the Philadelphia area, we've got BEN FM.

oh... I thought you

[ellem]

got a date.

Re:oh... I thought you

[btlzu2]

AAMOF, hell will freeze over before I have a new date! :)

so....

[elmegil]

Is it Q101 playing all this good stuff? If not, share who it is!!

aha...

[elmegil]

Maybe this [wired.com] is what they're doing? In which case, this is not necessarily a positive development....

Re:aha...

[btlzu2]

It is Q101 and it pretty much is a shuffle concept. I like it because if I forget my iPod, I can listen to some variety, though in the Alternative/Rock music vein.

Interesting!