I love the radio. It’s travel without the physical movement! It’s people who are awake, buzzy and can keep you company through those long insomnia powered nights. It’s Sunday mornings lying in bed, with no pressure to get up. It’s driving to Omaha alone to see my parents, with tinny voiced strangers introducing me to to my new favourite bands. Here are two local stations and a few others I’ve been tuning into:
95bfm from Auckland, New Zealand
“95bFM offers listeners a shelter from the harshness of mainstream (crap) radio. The ads are fuckin’ funny and the attitude is real. It’s the voice of the little guy or gal and the loudhailer of people who simply love good music. Give it a go. And not just once.” Like star-crossed lovers, students and radio come together at the b, creating a fusion of music, intellect and good times. Without 95bfm or a cup of coffee first thing in the morning, life would not be worth getting up for. I love Charlotte Ryan’s magazine style slot, Morning Glory, and always tune into the Sunday afternoon Jazz Show.
East Village Radio from New York, USA
My heart skipped a beat when I was roaming around 1st and 2nd streets of NYC. I had spotted through a street-front windowthe HQ of East Village Radio, and no surprises, one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen was spinning records. “East Village Radio (EVR) delivers non-stop free streaming music and entertainment live from the streets of New York City. Featuring new and already world-renowned DJs, EVR presents indie, hip-hop, reggae, soul, techno, funk, pop, talk, politics, comedy and more to listeners from the Bowery to Brazil.”
PBS from Melbourne, Australia
For 25 years, PBS-FM has been a beacon of independent, freeform, passionate, real and unpretentious radio. “PBS is a champion of specialist and under-represented music and is proudly non-corporate, anti-fashion and wanker-free. We create real radio and promote progressive and under-represented music.” I love Melbourne, and it makes me so happy to have a little bit of its culture available on tap.
48fm from Liege, Belgium
Broadcasting in French, 48fm is Leige’s local student radio – I stumbled it across while searching Public Radio Fan, a database of streaming stations. Once in a while I like to tune in to 48fm t0 remind myself there’s a whole ‘nother universe out there (the programming schedule is here).
BBC Radio 1 from the UK
A notbale beginning: Radio 1 was launched at 7:00am on 30 September 1967 as a direct response to the popularity of offshore pirate radio stations such as Radio Caroline, which had been outlawed by Act of Parliament. It’s the best new music, Essential mixes and entertainment. You probably know how good it is already, righhhht? If not, time to find out why the Brits are so damn cool.
Base FM from Auckland, New Zealand
“BASE FM is a collective of DJs who began broadcasting in May 2004 straight outta Ponsonby/Grey Lynn, aiming to bring underground music to the community. No commercial bullshit hustle, no fake machismo muscle. The show schedule reads like a who’s who of Auckland’s hip hop, reggae, funk and soul scene, and the station’s run by a crew that cares.” My picks of the shows go to my friends, Jerm and Bridge who host The Young And The Restless, and Take It To The Bridge respectively. Both have exceptional taste in hip-hop funk and soul; and are both apparently possessed by puns on their name.
WFMU from Jersey, USA
The longest running free-format radio station in the States, WFMU considers itself as radio done right. “WFMU’s programming ranges from flat-out uncategorizable strangeness to rock and roll, experimental music, 78 RPM Records, jazz, psychedelia, hip-hop, electronica, hand-cranked wax cylinders, punk rock, gospel, exotica, R&B, radio improvisation, cooking instructions, classic radio airchecks, found sound, dopey call-in shows, interviews with obscure radio personalities and notable science-world luminaries, spoken word collages, Andrew Lloyd Webber soundtracks in languages other than English as well as Country and western music.” Check out the heavily played records page to find out what’s truly hot on a week by week basis – as as freeform station DJs aren’t beholden to rotating chart toppers.
What’s your dial set to? Do you have any local or international stations to recommend?
{ 3 comments }
