asheris: (Default)
asheris ([personal profile] asheris) wrote2005-01-25 03:27 pm

The joys of non-mega-corp radio

Recently, Minnesota Public Radio bought the radio station that had been a classical station run by St. Olaf College for years. This was not exactly popular.

However, they have done a good thing with it. Starting yesterday morning at 9am, it because an "anti-format" format radio station. They brought in Thorn & Mary Lucia from the late, great Rev 105, and a few people from Radio K to play the music. Instead of the average 500 song playlist that most stations have, they have 50,000 albums.

Fifty thousand albums.

The playlist the past two days has been unbelievable. The "standard" REM, U2, Cake, Morrisey, Tom Waits, Clash - type "alternative" music, mixed with loads of local bands of all kinds, Johnny Cash, Sinatra, Bob Dylan, Elvis, the Ventures, Beach Boys, Memphis Minnie, big band tunes, people I couldn't even name - think Rev 105... on steroids.

There is no predicting what the next song will be!

At work, we've been listening on their streaming feed- which is amazingly good. And because it's public radio, there are basically no commercials. There are occasional "this hour sponsored by" messages, and a couple news breaks each hour.

89.3, the current

update, 4:38pm:
They just went from an old big band/swing tune to a piano-heavy, jazz instrumental version of "Smells Like Teen Spirit". Mary is very busy screwing with people's heads! *laugh*

[identity profile] rothko.livejournal.com 2005-01-25 04:55 pm (UTC)(link)
sweet! their webcast isn't up right now, though, which makes me cranky.

dude, i've had the biggest crush on mary lucia forever. purely because of her voice.

there's a non-format type station here, too, but it's certainly not the modern-rock type. they play decent stuff, though; it's one of the few radio stations i'm even actually willing to listen to at all.

[identity profile] asheris.livejournal.com 2005-01-25 08:41 pm (UTC)(link)
Her voice, and the mind-warpingly wicked way she mixes up music.


(Did you get the package we mailed last week? Oh, and there's news, but I don't know if I have the go ahead to tell people yet!)

[identity profile] miep.livejournal.com 2005-01-25 06:10 pm (UTC)(link)
what was especially brilliant about the jazz nirvana cover after the big band, was that the set started with "Punk Rock Girl" by the Dead Milkmen.

oh yes. yes indeed.

[identity profile] asheris.livejournal.com 2005-01-25 08:38 pm (UTC)(link)
Jason and I were at the office, turning to look at each other-
"is that..."
"sounds like... Nirvana?"
"what the..."
"oh. my. god."

[identity profile] dprlynch.livejournal.com 2005-01-26 08:19 am (UTC)(link)
WONDERFUL station!
Thanks for the post :)