I was cruising a few web sites doing some R&D for the station when I felt a need to address this topic. I get an email every once in a great while about this subject, which I never reply to, but at least I don't receive nearly as many as I used to. I know everyone has an opinion. We can also agree to disagree even though we listen to and enjoy the same genre. But that's not what this post is about - ie; meaning who's right and who's wrong.
I visit numerous web sites several times a week to do the following;
1). Keep informed - I want to know what's going on in the alternative music world, listen to new releases, as well as several other things. In my opinion, this keeps the station fresh, diverse, and up to date.
2). Get opinions - I enjoy people's feedback about music, new and old. Sometimes one can learn a new perspective about something that one had never thought of before.
Taking those two concepts, I went on the web site of a radio station that I listen to... a lot. Currently, they are playing the "Top 1000 Alternative Rock Songs Of All Time". The web site features a complete list. I thought to myself, "Cool... maybe there's a song or two I can add to the station that I hadn't thought of or that a listener hasn't mentioned yet".
I discovered two things. One, is that 360 Degrees of Alternative actually plays a good majority of the songs listed. At least we've covered the "popular" aspect. Second, and this was actually quite depressing, was the true lack of historical or influential material. This prompted me to get in touch with the morning drive DJ as we have known each other for a number of years. We both agreed that the list was jaded and very biased or in other words, a popularity contest, as most of these lists are. Being in professional radio myself for years, I know this is an accepted fact of the profession... it helps pay the bills. We both expected to see bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Green Day to have numerous entries. In fact, each of these bands have 3 songs each in the top 30.
What we found discouraging was the lack of historical and influential songs, or even the fact that there were very few songs on the list that were released prior to 1990. In fact, it was a little scary. Out of 1,000 songs, there were two, count 'em, two songs by The Ramones. They had the position of #186 and #369. There were two songs by The Clash, taking up residence at numbers 439 and 721. The true bummer, however, was there wasn't a single song on the list by The Sex Pistols... none. Out of 1,000 songs. Also painfully absent were songs by Iggy Pop, Talking Heads, The Velvet Underground, and countless other bands. My friend told me, "You know, if we played select songs by those artists, the listeners would probably enjoy and embrace them. Of course, once they found out just how old they those songs were, a number of listeners would probably go into shock! (Laughing) But that shouldn't matter - they're still great songs. Bottom line, though - it's a crime that some songs didn't make the cut... a true crime. In a way I feel like we're screwing over our listeners."
The final nail in the coffin, however, was the fact that there were songs on the list by Metallica (Relax - I like Metallica, but they are not alternative), Eminen and Outkast. Seriously! I love "Hey Ya" as much as the next person, but it ain't alternative! And it doesn't belong on this list!
In my opinion, that's where 360 Degrees as well as other internet and satellite radio stations come in. We play the diversity the genre truly deserves. In order to appreciate the present, we must respect the past... and not just the past 20 years worth. We must dig deeper and go further. We at 360 Degrees will never conform to a "top whatever" list. It has to be a balance of popularity, diversity, history, and a slight mix of obscurity. And best of all... we don't have to "pay the bills" like a commercial station. Which means we can let the station and the music do the talking.
Until next time, peace out.
Dave
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
How Can There Be So Many Currents In Such A Little Puddle?
I feel the title for today's blog is pretty fitting. Over the past week, we've seen and read, good news, not so good news, and downright ugly news... never mind the wave of new music that was promised for the Spring. On that note, let's stop the lally-gagging and get right to it.
Arcade Fire and their latest release Suburbs won big... no make that REALLY big at Canada's Juno Awards ceremony Saturday night (3/26) in Toronto. The scooped up kudos for Best Album of the Year, Group Of The Year, Best Alternative Album Of The Year, and Songwriter Of The Year. Congrats, guys!
Mark your calendar for this next one - April 16th or more commonly known as Record Store Day. To honor this occasion, the Beastie Boys, Beck, Bat for Lashes, Jack White, as well as other artists will all release 7-inch vinyl singles. The Beasties' will be submitting the track, "Make Some Noise", which is from the trio's long-awaited album Hot Sauce Committee Pt 2.
I hit on this release last week - and for good reason. Songs For Japan can be found on iTunes for only $9.99 and it contains 38 songs all done by well known artists. Regardless that it's quite the mix of genre's, the cool thing is that all - and we mean all - the money goes to Japan for earthquake relief efforts. Click here for more details and the complete song / artist list.
Moving onward or in this case downward, Lou Reed's manager Tom Sarig was arrested following allegations he threatened to kill a consultant over a financial dispute. Sarig was charged with aggravated harassment after making threats to a consultant who sought back payment of $11,500 for helping Reed find a personal assistant. Guys, guys, guys... I hate to say it, but that's what contracts and lawyers are for. Jeez...
If that wasn't bad enough, it seems that the SWSX festival had numerous problems this year and was a miracle that the whole thing didn't go down in flames. Rumor has it, that several groups were dropped from the roster, which did wonders for relations... not! But adding insult to injury (no pun intended here) was Ben "Weasel" Foster, frontman for the Screeching Weasels. According to reports (and the cell phone video posted on You Tube), he had a meltdown on stage during the bands gig on March 18th. Apparently, Foster railed against the media and even punched two female fans, one of whom allegedly threw ice in his face. As a result, Foster's backing band has called it quits, calling his actions "shameful", "embarrassing", and "...does not represent the band members' view points or moral compasses", according to a statement in Punk News. Foster also released a statement prior to that apologizing for the incident and his behavior.
Finally, let's wrap things up by taking a look at some upcoming releases that really look promising... and that's a good thing;
- The Kills "Blood Pressures" due out on April 5th - A band named the Kills is probably not going to be especially shy or demure, but still: Few groups these days make as good on the rawness and romance embedded deep within rock'n'roll.
- The Ravonettes "Rave In The Grave" due out on April 5th - There's reverb and then there's the jacked up, thick as hell, reverb that makes up this band.
- Foo Fighters "Wasted Light" due out April 12th - this band gets better every year. This album is no exception. It's not even officially out yet, but is getting rave reviews.
- Gorillaz "The Fall" due out April 19th - There are very few cartoon bands that have ever counted as bands first and cartoons second, but one of more impressive aspects of Gorillaz is you don't necessarily have to choose. What makes this release more important is the fact that it's more than the result of what Damon Albarn says was "just me and an iPad really mucking about."
- My Morning Jacket "Circuital" due out May 31st - This band has changed A LOT since their inception 10 years ago by going well beyond golden southern rock and into a different realm where such a time-tested sound is refracted into the future.
That's about the time I have for now. Thanks again for all the support and patience with our recent upgrades so we can make the station that much better. Keep the comments, suggestions and emails coming... it is appreciated!
Peace out,
Dave
Arcade Fire and their latest release Suburbs won big... no make that REALLY big at Canada's Juno Awards ceremony Saturday night (3/26) in Toronto. The scooped up kudos for Best Album of the Year, Group Of The Year, Best Alternative Album Of The Year, and Songwriter Of The Year. Congrats, guys!
Mark your calendar for this next one - April 16th or more commonly known as Record Store Day. To honor this occasion, the Beastie Boys, Beck, Bat for Lashes, Jack White, as well as other artists will all release 7-inch vinyl singles. The Beasties' will be submitting the track, "Make Some Noise", which is from the trio's long-awaited album Hot Sauce Committee Pt 2.
I hit on this release last week - and for good reason. Songs For Japan can be found on iTunes for only $9.99 and it contains 38 songs all done by well known artists. Regardless that it's quite the mix of genre's, the cool thing is that all - and we mean all - the money goes to Japan for earthquake relief efforts. Click here for more details and the complete song / artist list.
Moving onward or in this case downward, Lou Reed's manager Tom Sarig was arrested following allegations he threatened to kill a consultant over a financial dispute. Sarig was charged with aggravated harassment after making threats to a consultant who sought back payment of $11,500 for helping Reed find a personal assistant. Guys, guys, guys... I hate to say it, but that's what contracts and lawyers are for. Jeez...
If that wasn't bad enough, it seems that the SWSX festival had numerous problems this year and was a miracle that the whole thing didn't go down in flames. Rumor has it, that several groups were dropped from the roster, which did wonders for relations... not! But adding insult to injury (no pun intended here) was Ben "Weasel" Foster, frontman for the Screeching Weasels. According to reports (and the cell phone video posted on You Tube), he had a meltdown on stage during the bands gig on March 18th. Apparently, Foster railed against the media and even punched two female fans, one of whom allegedly threw ice in his face. As a result, Foster's backing band has called it quits, calling his actions "shameful", "embarrassing", and "...does not represent the band members' view points or moral compasses", according to a statement in Punk News. Foster also released a statement prior to that apologizing for the incident and his behavior.
Finally, let's wrap things up by taking a look at some upcoming releases that really look promising... and that's a good thing;
- The Kills "Blood Pressures" due out on April 5th - A band named the Kills is probably not going to be especially shy or demure, but still: Few groups these days make as good on the rawness and romance embedded deep within rock'n'roll.
- The Ravonettes "Rave In The Grave" due out on April 5th - There's reverb and then there's the jacked up, thick as hell, reverb that makes up this band.
- Foo Fighters "Wasted Light" due out April 12th - this band gets better every year. This album is no exception. It's not even officially out yet, but is getting rave reviews.
- Gorillaz "The Fall" due out April 19th - There are very few cartoon bands that have ever counted as bands first and cartoons second, but one of more impressive aspects of Gorillaz is you don't necessarily have to choose. What makes this release more important is the fact that it's more than the result of what Damon Albarn says was "just me and an iPad really mucking about."
- My Morning Jacket "Circuital" due out May 31st - This band has changed A LOT since their inception 10 years ago by going well beyond golden southern rock and into a different realm where such a time-tested sound is refracted into the future.
That's about the time I have for now. Thanks again for all the support and patience with our recent upgrades so we can make the station that much better. Keep the comments, suggestions and emails coming... it is appreciated!
Peace out,
Dave
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
New Music, New Titles, New Arguments
This may seem to be an odd way to start this post, but... Hi!! The reason for this beginning is that it has been almost 2 months since the last entry. It's not that there wasn't anything to write about, it's just I was consumed with upgrading the station. Everything from adding more storage space for more music on the server, to doing research, to converting and uploading files - there never seems to be enough time in a day. Then factor in the "full time job" thing, and time really seems to slip through the fingers.
We pressed on, however, and we're getting there. As of this writing, over 225 titles have been added to the station... and more are coming, a lot more! Patience is a key word with this process. I never realized just how difficult it is to find mp3 versions of songs done by Frank Zappa & The Mothers Of Invention without having to resort to vinyl. This also holds true with countless other bands and artists. In some cases, material is just not available yet.
Of course, I always welcome emails. I really do read all of them and respond to most. Note that key word there - MOST - because some do not warrant a response. I expected some emails (and flack) about some of the songs I added. I was actually kind of looking forward to it. Now, don't get me wrong here - it's not like the station is out to win some kind of contest or award or is trying to piss people off. 360 Degrees is definitely not going to get the nod for the Captain Obvious category because we are just not that mainstream, even when it comes to alternative music. On the other hand, we're also not trying to be the Kings of Obscurity, either.
Just like our mantra or mission statement, 360 Degrees is "classic to cutting e
dge". We feature four decades of alternative rock. We did this when we started and things haven't changed. The only thing that has changed, is the scope or depth of the music. What I mean by that is, we are finally able to feature more artists and titles that fit into this genre. Remember, alternative is not just a term or a type of music that ranges from the 90's through today. It's also about the music's influences - and I'm not just talking about the Ramones or the Sex Pistols either.
Face it - even the Ramones and the Pistols had influences. It's called music from the 60's like the Who, the Faces, MC5, Iggy Pop, and more. Here's another thought - all those artists had influences as well... like music from the 50's. Imagine that...
This is one reason why I've added artists like The Pink Fairies, The Troggs, The Rolling Stones and The Yardbirds. The last two bands, I have to admit, raised some eyebrows. First off, the songs I added were some very early material done by each band; I'm talking circa 1965. All the songs are basic, straight forward, blues riff rock and roll... the very foundations taken almost 10 years later, modified somewhat, and turned into punk. I hate to break it to some people out there, but without the Stones and the Yardbirds, there ain't any modern rock n' roll. Period. Need further proof? Try to find a music rag from that era. Both those bands were flagged as "a new alternative sound to rock n' roll".
One of the greatest conversations I've ever had was with Seymour Stein of Sire and Warner Broth
ers fame. This was a number of years back, but during the conversation, he mentioned that when he first heard the Ramones, he heard music from the 60's, influences from surf, the Beach Boys, and more. He actually thought their music was "very catchy" believe it or not. So, just think... if he didn't listen to his gut and listened to these other people who told him he would "fuck up his label" if he signed The Ramones, where would we be today?
For those of you who are longing for more "obscure and/or non-mainstream" stuff from the 70's and beyond, we've got you covered. We're also added bands that truly cover the spectrum. Everything from Crass and The Plasmatics, to The Selector and Fishbone, to brand new material by Five Finger Death Punch, along with way too much more material to list.
So, keep your eye on our Facebook page as well as the blog along with an ear to the station. It will be different, cool and diverse. From classic to cutting edge. It will encompass 360 Degrees of Alternative music! Enjoy!
Until next time, keep listening.
Peace out,
Dave
We pressed on, however, and we're getting there. As of this writing, over 225 titles have been added to the station... and more are coming, a lot more! Patience is a key word with this process. I never realized just how difficult it is to find mp3 versions of songs done by Frank Zappa & The Mothers Of Invention without having to resort to vinyl. This also holds true with countless other bands and artists. In some cases, material is just not available yet.
Of course, I always welcome emails. I really do read all of them and respond to most. Note that key word there - MOST - because some do not warrant a response. I expected some emails (and flack) about some of the songs I added. I was actually kind of looking forward to it. Now, don't get me wrong here - it's not like the station is out to win some kind of contest or award or is trying to piss people off. 360 Degrees is definitely not going to get the nod for the Captain Obvious category because we are just not that mainstream, even when it comes to alternative music. On the other hand, we're also not trying to be the Kings of Obscurity, either.
Just like our mantra or mission statement, 360 Degrees is "classic to cutting e
dge". We feature four decades of alternative rock. We did this when we started and things haven't changed. The only thing that has changed, is the scope or depth of the music. What I mean by that is, we are finally able to feature more artists and titles that fit into this genre. Remember, alternative is not just a term or a type of music that ranges from the 90's through today. It's also about the music's influences - and I'm not just talking about the Ramones or the Sex Pistols either.Face it - even the Ramones and the Pistols had influences. It's called music from the 60's like the Who, the Faces, MC5, Iggy Pop, and more. Here's another thought - all those artists had influences as well... like music from the 50's. Imagine that...
This is one reason why I've added artists like The Pink Fairies, The Troggs, The Rolling Stones and The Yardbirds. The last two bands, I have to admit, raised some eyebrows. First off, the songs I added were some very early material done by each band; I'm talking circa 1965. All the songs are basic, straight forward, blues riff rock and roll... the very foundations taken almost 10 years later, modified somewhat, and turned into punk. I hate to break it to some people out there, but without the Stones and the Yardbirds, there ain't any modern rock n' roll. Period. Need further proof? Try to find a music rag from that era. Both those bands were flagged as "a new alternative sound to rock n' roll".
One of the greatest conversations I've ever had was with Seymour Stein of Sire and Warner Broth
ers fame. This was a number of years back, but during the conversation, he mentioned that when he first heard the Ramones, he heard music from the 60's, influences from surf, the Beach Boys, and more. He actually thought their music was "very catchy" believe it or not. So, just think... if he didn't listen to his gut and listened to these other people who told him he would "fuck up his label" if he signed The Ramones, where would we be today?For those of you who are longing for more "obscure and/or non-mainstream" stuff from the 70's and beyond, we've got you covered. We're also added bands that truly cover the spectrum. Everything from Crass and The Plasmatics, to The Selector and Fishbone, to brand new material by Five Finger Death Punch, along with way too much more material to list.
So, keep your eye on our Facebook page as well as the blog along with an ear to the station. It will be different, cool and diverse. From classic to cutting edge. It will encompass 360 Degrees of Alternative music! Enjoy!
Until next time, keep listening.
Peace out,
Dave
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