Entertainment For Lively Minds
Who listens to music radio anymore?
Posted by Uncle Wheaty on 5 July 2009 - 8:04pm.
I cannot remember the last time I spent more than 10-15 minutes listening to any music radio.
I can't be bothered with the classic rock/80s/90s commercial stations that are largely pre-recorded or local radio or even 6 Music.
I listen to 5 live for the news/sport as my default station and R4 occsionaly for news/comedy.
I would still class myself as a music fan but use Spotify for accessing new tunes.
Am I missing out?
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Likewise.
I have a radio in almost every room but they're all set to Radio 5.
When I bought a DAB a couple of years ago I was full of good intentions, and I did try 6 Music a few times, but I find I just don't have the time.
Nor, truth be told, do I have any inclination to keep up to date with new music. I'm happy with my old faves. If I do happen to hear something I like, then that's great, but I just don't go out of my way to hear it.
Q96 ROCK FM
I rarely drive (maybe once a week). But yesterday I had to take a pile of stuff to the dump for us, and for my father-in-law.
As I was in the car on my own, I really enjoyed hearing the venerable Tom Rrrrrrusell on Rock FM playing some Bon Scott-era AC/DC, and some Bad Company. Neither was a revelation, but I would have been unlikely to play either of them on my ipod.
If I am driving when I'm away on business, I'll listen to Wogan in the morning - not for the music, but because he makes me laugh and I can tune out the bland stuff he plays. I don't always need music to challenge my preconceptions if I'm navigating the M25.
But I agree with the general point - gone are the days of hovering beside the radio for Peel, writing down names of bands.
Wogan
I'm sorry, but I don't regard a man sitting and reading out listeners' borderline witty emails for two hours as decent radio. Wogan was once great but that was a long time ago.
Still beats Moyles, though!
And beats anything else I've found so far that a hire car radio can pick up when I'm driving from Gatwick to Gillingham, with a bit of travel info.
Campbell and Fogerty beat them both
Try five live...you'll never go back!
How smug is Nicky Campbell these days ?
I gave up on him some years ago when he had a rotten TV programme - definitely over-stretched himself - and he just seemed endlessly pleased with himself without giving the listener or viewer any clue why we should be similarly pleased. The final straw was him boasting that he had been called in by the BBC to be anointed for Jimmy Young's slot. Which wasn't how the BBC thought it had happened.
I'll maybe give him a go but if he makes me shout at the radio it's all over again.
Sheila's patience of a saint
UncleW's right, Nicky and Sheila are great, but it does take Sheila to rein in Campbell from bathing in his own smugness some days. However, when pushed, he is a great radio presence. Him and her are much better grilling gov ministers than Today because there's none of the intellectual girth measuring going on. Breakfast's not the time for some of the obtuse highbrowism of Today which can become an unlistenable method version of itself at times.
Radio Ga Ga
I still listen to lots of Radio- Gideon Coe is excellent on 6 music and it's Radio 4 and 5 in the morning.
Gideon Coe
much underrated in my view, and about a million times better than what's in his old slot.
I used to listen to 6music at work but stopped when a really good line up (Jupitus, Coe, various stuff from 1-4 then Andrew C at drive time) got vandalised. Nothing to hear now, move along.
I personally find that breakfast time flits between Wogan and Today, then onto Radio 2 8-10 for Radcliffe and Maconie. My options are limited by not having access to digital radio or televison in my home for long and dull reasons.
I'm a 6 Music listener too
I still listen to lots of 6Music too although not nearly as much as I used to. Chris Hawkins in the morning, occasionally Steve Lamaq on the drive home but these days it's usually podcasts. I like music in the morning and I moved over to Spotify when 6Music decided that they no longer wanted me as a weekend breakfast show listener but it was a bit of a pain to organise playlists all the time so I started listening to Marc Riley on listen again. Whereas I used to be able to listen to it for hours on end whenever I switched on, these days I have to be more selective by use of listen again although that's a bit tricky in the car!
Listen again in the car.
OK, so you can't really do it but I find this tool particularly handy. It converts iPlayer links into mp3s.
http://po-ru.com/projects/iplayer-downloader/
iplayer-dl
is great. Not only does it convert those mp3's (damn useful for current series of ISIHAC and old eps of Count Arthur Strong) but perfect for iPod vidoes as well.
Top program
Brilliant - Thanks for that. I've always used an application to record things real time.
I hardly ever listen to music radio nowadays...
the last time I did was when I caught Danny Baker's unforgettable John Martyn tribute. That was a fabulous programme... it felt spontaneous and emotional, personal and affecting. It was a great example of just how wonderful radio can be when the presenter has character and has something genuinely worthwhile to express.
Sadly this type of radio is becoming a rarity. Nowadays so many programmes are presented by celebs from TV who happen to have been given a radio show. The powers that be who hand out the contracts seem to have forgotten that radio and TV are completely different disciplines and that they require quite different skills.
I went through a period of
finding Danny Baker grating in my 20's, though have grown to love and appreciate him more as both he and I have gotten older.
Good radio is really hard to do and I must agree with the problem of just handing radio shows to 'slebs' and hoping something good will result. There are few instances of it being good (though it's not impossible) and trying to compare most to Wogan is just embarrassing. As bland as some of the music undoubtedly is, his presence in itself is worth the effort. I think R&M and Baker fall into that category too: they are worth listening too just because they are good, whatever they happen to play.
Funnily enough
I was only thinking today how godawful most radio is when I wanted to listen to something and my default choice, Radio 2, was broadcasting Elaine Paige!
It seems to me that what you really want from a music radio station is to play the songs that you don't want to hear, if you get my drift.
The problem - as has been talked about by David Hepworth at length - generally is that you know all the songs that are going to be played before you turn on the radio.
What I desperately want is to listen to a show that doesn't play things I expect to hear - exactly why I love listening to Brian Mathew's on Saturday morning on Radio 2. I probably know about 3 of the tracks a week, but it's so bloody enjoyable nonetheless.
Good point
Perhaps related to Stimpy's post about being 'over' pop music. At the moment I'm thoroughly immersed in Spotify for the reason that you highlight - that even on a several-thousand-strong iPod you're still over familiar with what's on there. I guess even Spotify will lose it's lustre eventually for the same reason. That said, on balance I would favour the 'predictability' of my choices on Spotify over the randomness of a mainstream radio station as the latter is almost invariably a huge disappointment.
Wireless
The FPO was listening to Elaine Paige today and as I hurried through the kitchen on my way to the garden, attempting to hear as little of Ms Paige's show as possible, she clearly said "Coming up next on the wireless..."
"The wireless"? Good god woman, it's 2009.
The only music shows I listen to by choice are Radcliffe & Maconie and, very occasionally, Colin Murray. My daughter is a big fan of Switch, the Sunday evening show on Radio 1 presented by Annie Mac and Nick Grimshaw. Whenever I've heard any of it with her I enjoy the show as it's clearly been well-thought through and serves its target audience well. I'm just not part of the target audience...
I do!
Zane Lowe
Huw Stevens
Steve Lamacq - Radio 1 and 6music
Giles Peterson
Mary Anne-Hobbs
Annie Nightingale
Adam and Joe (OK they're mainly comedy but they play good tunes)
Jon Richardson (ditto)
The Funk and Soul Show
Stuart Maconie's Freak Zone (although sometimes it's a little TOO weird)
David Freeman - Blues and Boogie on Jazz FM
Freak Zone fan here ...
The weirder the better for me. I also tune in to Stuart again with his pal Radcliffe on R2 on regular evening drives - they have a passion for music and I enjoy the banter - especially when Sir Nodsworth joins in.
It's a good show
I'm just not into free-form Jazz that much. Maybe I'll grow into it..
Contractual Obligation
I was under the impression that every WORD reader listens to Radcliffe and Maconie every night, as well as 6Music at all other times.
I also realise that we won't admit to our liking for Chris Moyles, a daily Ken Bruce habit and the realisation that evenings in the kitchen are not complete without Planet Rock.
Oh dear.
I don't listen to Radcliffe and Maconie. I quite like Chris Moyles. I never listen to Ken Bruce or Planet Rock.
Am I reading the wrong magazine?
Am I reading the wrong magazine?
...apparently so.....
Hmmm
Moyles does not fill me with hate. I don't really listen to him but don't mind if I do stumble across the show de temps en temps.
I love playing Popmaster and so am a regular Ken B lurker, though not usually all show and I ued to enjoy the odd listen to Alice Cooper on PR.
Bu then, we all have our little habits...
KCRW & NPR
Thanks to the massive I have been dowloading the podcasts from KCRW in Santa Monica (Morning Becomes Eclectic) and the brilliant NPR's All Songs Considered and Live Concerts for about two years now. It's deffo hit and miss (and not music radio in the real sense) but gives me a 'heads up' on what might be worth buying.
Gidoen Coe really should be on Radion 2 at a decent hour. Is there a more criminally undervalued music radio presenter?
KEXP & NPR (and obviously 6music)
Since we got an internet radio last year (also an iPod dock), I've got back into radio - My wife's a Seattleite so she's all excited about having instant access to KEXP - who's graveyard slot has become my breakfast show, and they always seem grateful to have listeners, plus they have the freedom to play whatever they want - Troy and DJ EL Toro being my personal favourites. The station also has a Music That Matters Podcast, which is well worth a a try, even if it's a little hit and miss.
Ditto NPR's all songs considered. Adam and Joe at the weekend and Mark Riley/Gideon Coe in the evening.
I'm listening right now
to Guy Garvey's finest Hour which is as a good way to end/start the week as you'd want. I also like R & M.
Spotify hasn't caught on Chez G for the same reason I regularly walk out of book shops empty handed too much choice. i imagine alot people play it on random or listen to other peoples playlist (ie like the radio).
I know that some people favour various french internet radio channels the appeal of which seems to eclectism which seems to translate as they play bad jazz and random world music every so often not my cup of tea.
Ralph McLean - BBC Ulster
This guy is worth a look. He does four shows a week,,, soul/reggae/ska on Tuesdays, Wed/Thurs - more rock based and then a great country/Americana show on Fridays.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/radioulster/ralphmclean/playlist.sh...
I'd say you were missing out
I hear something new and interesting on virtually every one of Marc Riley and Gideon Coe's shows. In fact 6Music from 7pm to midnight Monday-Thursday is the currently the best music radio I can remember. Neither of them are shackled by any imposed playlist.
Radcliffe and Maconie are good, much of the music is a little too "safe" but the entertainment value makes up for that.
Honourable mentions for Mark Lamarr's Gods Jukebox, The Huey Show and Guy Garvey.
Incidentally I can also recommend David Quantick's 70s music show yesterday afternoon on 6Music.
Radio 4.
Everything else is just noise.
Music Radio
I don't listen to as much music radio as I used to, but that's as much to do with the fact that I've got into Radio 4 and BBC7 in a big way in the last few years. I'll always find time for Radcliffe & Maconie on Radio 2, though, which is a great music-based show.
Mark Lamarr
His God's Jukebox show on Radio 2 is brilliant. Here is last weeks Track list.
DAB seemed to promise so
DAB seemed to promise so much but apart from 6 Music desn't seem to be delivering. Planet Rock is OK but predictable and the niche stations that I would have liked don't seem to have materialised. I listen to Spotify at work and whenever i want to check something out and go to sleep with Radio 3.
Oh and Sounds of the 60's
Oh and Sounds of the 60's with Uncle Brian matthew is usually good stuff - spesh if you're my age.
Planet Rock all the way after R4 at wake up
at least the presenters aren't cretins although the chap that's on just now does have a very unhealthy Rush fetish.
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with the possible exception of Rick Wakeman?
nah
Auld Dick's prog (see what I did there) is entertaining in small doses
Marc Riley
Marc Riley's 6Music show is unmissable - I've discovered shedloads of stuff that I wouldn't have come across otherwise - some random examples being Voluntary Butler Scheme, Thomas Tantrum, Erland and the Carnival, the Leisure Society, the Phantom Band, Sweet Baboo.
Plenty of old stuff and sessions too - here's a recent sample:
Pete Molinari - Heartaches a Plenty
David Bowie - Queen Bitch
Soul Savers - Sunrise
Fever Ray - Triangle Walks
God Help the Girl - Pretty Eve in the Tub
The Turtles - the Story of Rock and Roll
Stump - Grab Hands
The Kinks - Nothing's Gonna Stop Me Worryin' Bout That Girl
Dead Weather - I Cut Like a Buffalo
Pete Molinari - Virtual Landslide
Pete Molinari - Satisfied Mind
Rodriguez - Climb Up On My Music
The Smoke Fairies - Frozen Heart
The Chameleons - View From a Hill
The Witch and the Robot - The Beatification of St Thomas Aquinas
The Undertones - There Goes Norman
Laurel Aitken - Street of Glory
White Denim - Say What You Want
Richard and Linda Thompson - Shoot Out The Lights
Ganglians - Valient Brave
Django Django - Storm
Voluntary Butler Scheme
I'd switch off immediately.
your mileage etc.....
the flaw with spotify
is that you presumably select what you listen to . Being in the antipodes we currently dont have this service so this is an assumption. Music on request is all well and good but you don't get to hear new unexpected stuff. Instead you have to get word of mouth references , music mags etc to put you onto good new stuff.
Melbourne has been blessed with 2 outstanding public radio stations - one with more of an indie flavour and the other a roots station. IMO they have contributed mightily to Melbourne's pre- eminence as a music city in australia. ( any contrary view Mr Pacey- and when is your band gonna play Meb btw).
So listening to music radio is still a feature of my life.
Maybe you should have a listen via the net. 3RRR and 3PBS. Like all community radio the announcers talk too much but there is a lot of good stuff to be heard.
sadly
i cannot find a breakfast music show i enjoy so it is five live.For sanity the ashes on radio 4 is the best on radio and the tour on itv 4 in the evening. tour de france podcast is also good.
Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou
I had no idea the Tour de France was on ITV 4. Out of touch, or what?
Thank you, vgom. I'll be there.