Life is so not the radio of today. Back in the day, yeah, life was a radio. I remember finding a good radio station and just listening, over and over again. Today, I listen to Bob & Tom and little else on the radio - mostly have the iTunes going at home, the MP3 CD's in the car. Because I hate modern radio.
One of the reasons I hate the radio is the generalized crap they play. The Clear Channel / Infinity powerplay of the 90's gave us a lot of radio stations that all sound the same.
McRadio, for lack of a better term.
Every major city has same flavors of corporate radio, playing corporate bands, and corporate DJ's (if they exist) shill corporate objectives.
Even in your major markets where independent stations still exist (CD-101 in Columbus), but the dumbing down of the radio listener has forced them to change, too.
CD-101 plays a lot of hip-hop and electronica that, to me, isn't alternative.
And they won't play the good alternative / indie stuff that's available to them.
Case in point: Last year, Autumn Under Echoes had the 9 p.m. Main Stage slot at Comfest. Mark introduced them as the best new band he'd seen in Columbus. The week leading up to ComFest, CD-101 was playing all the local bands that had legit releases to help boost the show.
Except Autumn Under Echoes.
Why?
Depends on who tells the story, like all things, but it comes down to the fact that there are bands who get radio play, and bands that don't. And it all depends on the one person who approves the records, the program director.
Now don't think this is an attack on Andy. I love Andy. In fact, I spent about 30 minutes talking to him Friday at the excellent Two Cow Garage show in Columbus.
It's just part of that problem of corporate radio - even in the indie radio leagues. Used to be that indie radio played what they wanted. Now with the internet, they see what other indie radio stations are playing and add that.
And add what's popular cause they need the listeners to attract the advertisers.
And the advertisers kill the indie spirit.
So while I will always love CD-101, they lost their edge a long time ago.
I'll stick to college radio. Much easier to play music that matters when profits don't.
One of the reasons I hate the radio is the generalized crap they play. The Clear Channel / Infinity powerplay of the 90's gave us a lot of radio stations that all sound the same.
McRadio, for lack of a better term.
Every major city has same flavors of corporate radio, playing corporate bands, and corporate DJ's (if they exist) shill corporate objectives.
Even in your major markets where independent stations still exist (CD-101 in Columbus), but the dumbing down of the radio listener has forced them to change, too.
CD-101 plays a lot of hip-hop and electronica that, to me, isn't alternative.
And they won't play the good alternative / indie stuff that's available to them.
Case in point: Last year, Autumn Under Echoes had the 9 p.m. Main Stage slot at Comfest. Mark introduced them as the best new band he'd seen in Columbus. The week leading up to ComFest, CD-101 was playing all the local bands that had legit releases to help boost the show.
Except Autumn Under Echoes.
Why?
Depends on who tells the story, like all things, but it comes down to the fact that there are bands who get radio play, and bands that don't. And it all depends on the one person who approves the records, the program director.
Now don't think this is an attack on Andy. I love Andy. In fact, I spent about 30 minutes talking to him Friday at the excellent Two Cow Garage show in Columbus.
It's just part of that problem of corporate radio - even in the indie radio leagues. Used to be that indie radio played what they wanted. Now with the internet, they see what other indie radio stations are playing and add that.
And add what's popular cause they need the listeners to attract the advertisers.
And the advertisers kill the indie spirit.
So while I will always love CD-101, they lost their edge a long time ago.
I'll stick to college radio. Much easier to play music that matters when profits don't.
1 comment:
Dude, sometimes indie radio is worse than corporate, in my opinion.
Why?
Because they are swayed by a force much more powerful than plain old marketing: The type of marketing that markets to people who refuse to acknowledge, or are too damned stupid to realize, that they're being marketed to, just like any other demographic:* The hipster elite.
(*Double colon? Oh no he didn't!)
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