It’s been Blast-From-The-Past time at local radio stations.
In light of recent changes to the radio station I usually listen to, I’ve been surfing the dial. While my preference of music-style at work tends to be harder-edged, the only real requirement is that I like what I’m hearing. Most channels stick to a Top-40 format and play the same stuff to death. It’s been keeping my dialing fingers busy.
For workplace variety, Charlie 97.1 FM (no relation) covers most bases. I’ve heard Metallica’s Enter Sandman followed by It’s Raining Men. Occasional obscurities from childhood, like Wet Willie’s Keep On Smilin’. I’ve also heard extended versions of Disco Inferno and We Are Family. It’s the car radio music of your life.
KNRK does okay, but it’s also heavily formatted. I have trouble getting reception on the old boom-box, and by the time it gets late enough for proper reception, Dr Drew is telling kids to wear condoms and avoid butt-sex. Pay attention, kids. (About the condoms. You’re on your own with the other.) Moving on…
KGON? They’re playing the exact same crap they were playing in 1978. And 1991. And 1999. And yesterday. I’d bet money on hearing Steve Miller, Bob Seger or Boston within five songs, every time I tune in. I love you, Iris, but sweet Jesus, find some new records or at least turn them over?
KUFO. Aah, how I used to love thee. Now you play Linkin Park every hour. The new guy in the afternoon sounds like Marconi talking through a toilet paper tube, followed by Marconi at 7 PM. If he does say something amusing, it gets repeated a hundred times. And now, more Linkin Park!
Time to check out what’s next door on the radio dial.
Well, hello KINK! You are owned by the same company as your next-door neighbor, but have the balls to play variety. Mellower than what I normally listen to, it doesn’t insult my IQ. (Twenty-twenty!) Currently KINK is playing their entire playlist from A to Z. I haven’t tuned in recently, but am guessing they are well into the G’s by now. The first song I heard in my first apartment was on KINK: Elton John’s Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy on a transistor radio. I drift back to 1979 every time I hear that song.
The music got to my supervisor as well. A pretty girl walked by, and he stared and stared. After a couple seconds, I said, “Hey, she was okay, but FOCUS!”
He snapped out of his reverie. “F@%ing song!” He went out into the rain to smoke a cigarette. He got rained on pretty good. Guess Joni Mitchell struck a nerve.
The radio has me looking forward to work, if for no other reason than to wonder where the music will take me today.
It won’t be taking me to Linkin Park. Asbury Park maybe…
UPDATE: After writing this, I came across this article by Tara Dublin, doing a guest commentary at Oregon Media Central. She says it so well.
A who’s who of Portland radio all-stars, programming their own music? That would be something, huh?
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radio? What’s that?
*hugs his Squeezebox Boom streaming Pandora*
I would invest in an iPod.
Alternatively, Pandora is great, as is Last.fm and several other internet radio stations that play music you may not know based on your interests.
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