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bhasi
17-01-2009, 13:32
My listening habits have been transformed since risking all of £20 a couple of months ago on a very basic USB DAC*.

Listening on Saturday morning in Putney to late-night jazz, blues and doo-wop from KCRW of Berkeley CA, or in the afternoon to the terrific morning current affairs and cultural shows from WNYC in NYC have drastically reduced the use my turntable and CD player have had. Maybe it's partly laziness but it's sheer joy having someone else play you great music (I believe they're called DJ's!).

Clearly the content has outweighed my audio finicky-ness - and I know the Chord Chordette, etc beckons - but for the moment I'm just revelling in the world beyond the familiar UK stations.

I'd also put in a word for a couple of Boston stations: WGBH and WHRB. The latter's run by Harvard students and has a nice amateur (or professional-to-be!) quality. Then there's France-Musique, RAI Radio Tre, Radio Cairo International, ...

Any other recommendations out there?


* http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/UCA202.aspx

Beechwoods
17-01-2009, 13:57
Resonance FM is an excellent station with an avant-garde edge.
http://resonancefm.com/

http://resonancefm.com/schedule

WFMU in New Jersey is also an excellent 'freeform' radio station which likes to champion music not heard elsewhere.

http://www.wfmu.org/

Both have excellent live and mixed music featured regularly.

From WFMU:

The Radio Thrift Shop
Host Laura Cantrell scours the bargain bins, church bazaars and yard sales for those forgotten rekkids of all RPM. Often scratchy, swingy and stringy. Alternating weeks with Bob Brainen.

Music to Spazz By with Dave the Spazz
From Hell Gate to Ho-Ho-Kus, Indiana to Istanbul, more people get their news and entertainment from Music To Spazz By than from any other hillbilly chimpanzee punk rock rhythm n' blues surf garage radio show!

The Glen Jones Radio Programme
featuring X-Ray Burns
The real life alternative radio show where a zonked pair of New Jersey fat boys mix Led Zeppelin with Sinatra while ranting about wrestling and the unmentionable.

Enjoy...

bhasi
17-01-2009, 14:17
Thanks for these. I'm a big fan of Laura Cantrell's music and her superb Radio Thrift Shop. Resonance was problematic reception-wise for me on FM so I'll search it out.

One I forgot to mention was WBGO from Newark NJ for jazz, blues, gospel, ...

I hadn't realised how good (US) National Public Radio is.

Newbee question: does the technology exist yet for in-car use?

aquapiranha
17-01-2009, 14:24
I really think the decision to stop Pandora being available in the UK has caused a drop in music sales - this is because at least from my own point of view I would listen to many artists similar to the ones I already like and then order a CD. I really liked Pandora for this reason. Is Last FM the same?

Covenant
26-01-2009, 09:53
I bought a squeezebox for the convenience of storing music on a computer but find I now listen probably 80% to internet radio which can be superb in both quality and choice.
Suggestion:
Can we have a sticky for radio stations? With something like 11000 out there no one can know them all plus some seem to disappear and pop up elsewhere.