Corporate Radio Sucks ... Less

Live105 is sometimes less annoying than I give them credit for.

I may be misremembering, but in the mid-90's, they seemed to be a savior of relatively decent music in the suburbs, where college radio is nonexistant, and at a time where internet radio hadn't yet been born. Then, sometime around 2000, they got bought by Clear Channel and started playing a lot more crap. A lot of things like Linkin Park.

When I lived in the South Bay, I'd listen to KSCU, KFJC, or KSJS. I was utterly spoiled with a constant stream of new music vetted by real and honest college indie rock kids.

Really though, I mostly listened to the radio in my car. When I moved up to Berkeley, I stopped using my car, and thus stopped listening to the radio - and my stream of new music dried up. It's been rough.

Fortunately, Live105 is once again saving the day. On Sunday nights, they have their long-running new music show, Soundcheck. And it really is good. Every Sunday, I come away with a half dozen bands to check out.

Now one difference between now and my previous bouts of radio-driven new music obsession is the magic of soulseek. Being able to download a few tracks, see if it's my thing, has probably saved me hundreds of dollars I would have spent on albums I never would have listened to after the first time. I guess the argument could be made that I'm hurting the music industry, but I think there's a better argument that the music industry was hurting my finances.

Tonight's discovery was Hot Chip. So far so good. I may even end up with a new chunk of acrylic to show for it.