These days most people seem to want their music without commercials or radio personalities. However, there are some of us out here who still love radio the way it was meant to be. These are the three radio stations I have found that do it the best online.
These days everyone is listening to their MP3 players in their cars, or they have satellite radios, or they have their iPods next to them, or they listen to Pandora. The list of ways to listen to music online is about as long and infinite as the Internet itself.
Most of this is due to the fact that the average person doesn’t like commercials or DJs. At least, that’s what they tell everyone. Online Internet radio stations like those from Pandora allow greater control over what is heard and what isn’t heard. Listeners can give a thumbs up or a thumbs down to music and the playlist of their online station gets changed. It’s power that has seldom been evident in the world of terrestrial radio.
For some of us, though, there is something special about a radio station with real live radio talent behind the microphone. I spent a few years in radio and it never really leaves your blood. Although I never got past doing weekends and fill-in work in the world of commercial radio, I still think back fondly to the days of sitting behind a mike, with all of those controls in front of you, bringing music and fun to the masses. There was nothing like it. And when it is done right, it can still be magical. You can turn over your musical tastes and discoveries to the DJs. Remember those nights, perhaps when you were a teenager, when you would sit in your room, late at night, listening to your favorite radio station and hear something new for the first time? The DJ was there as a guide, to tell you about the artist, give you some inside knowledge, and then make you feel like you were now an insider, as well, sharing that moment with the DJ and the hundreds of others listening at that time. Heck, some of the earliest attempts I made at mix tapes were just tapes recorded off the radio (don’t laugh, I bet some of you did the same thing).
Well, there are still stations out there that keep the listener in mind. They have radio personalities and they have DJs who are musical experts. The entertain and guide you through the world of music in a way you really can’t on your own. They play deep cuts, a wide range of music, and they play things from artists that you can only hear on these stations. The great thing about the Internet, however, is that no matter how far away you live from these stations, you can still listen to them online. Here are three that are my particular favorites.
3. WXRT, Chicago - for Chicagoans, this radio station was their wake-up call into music that they just would never hear anywhere else. The station is amazing. It plays a mix of old fashioned classic rock mixed with modern music. However, the station never plays the same song to the point that you want to shoot out your radio. They play a true mix of music that you just cannot hear anywhere else. One moment you are hearing something new from The Black Keys and the next you are listening to a Buddy Guy blues track from 1969 and then you are whipped head long into one of Queen’s classic tunes. Whats more, they have real on-air personalities and all of them are as steeped in musical knowledge as any encyclopedia. Lin Brehmer just celebrated his 20th year as the morning man. He is now some wild “morning zoo” DJ, either. His humor is understated and his delivery calm, with a hint of a smile. It’s the best way to wake up in the morning. In fact, most of the DJs at XRT have been there forever, which makes guys like me, who would gladly donate unneeded organs to work there, very frustrated because there are never any openings. Oh yeah, and reportedly the DJs here still pick out their own music. Go figure.
2. Radio Milwaukee - is the punk newcomer in this group. The greatest thing about this radio station is that the thing is 100% listener supported. That’s right, they have DJ breaks and they read public service announcements, but they do not play commercials. Some segments can be underwritten by companies, just like on NPR and PBS, but they are not beholden to any company that has given them money. What does this mean for your the listener? It means the sheer unadulterated thrill of absolute radio freedom. They can play whatever they want. For me, that sometimes means they play a little too much rap music, but it’s not constant and it always changes. If there is one complaint about this station is that the DJs are non-entities to me. I cannot name a single one and their voices tend to blur into the background. At the same time, they are young and the people running this station are young, making the sound about as fresh as produce from your favorite farmer’s market.
1. WTTS, Bloomington-Indianapolis - at one time I was married and I was married to a woman from Indianapolis. Once, while traveling from Chicago to Indie, I saw a billboard on the side of the road for WTTS. I tuned in and they were playing a track by Peter Himmelman, one of my all-time favorite performers. I was in love. My spouse at the time, however, was not and I was usually forced to endure endless hours of country crap and Garth Brooks. The marriage ended, but my love of WTTS did not. I once even drove from Indie to Bloomington to hand-deliver a demo tape to their studios in some vain hope they might hire me as a DJ. Sadly, this was not to be.
I still tune in. I love this station. They play the greatest mix of old and new and, in many ways, their play list is similar to WXRT. However, where WTTS stands out is with their on-air personalities. In fact I present you two words: Laura Duncan. She does the afternoons here and she is without a doubt, the finest music DJ/radio personality anywhere in the world. She is funny, she knows the music and she has a natural delivery that is heart-warming, fun and amazing. She manages to entertain without being too crazy, to be fun without being annoying and mostly lets her musical choices speak for her.
If there is one complaint I have about WTTS it would be their choice to play the same song at 5 p.m. (eastern time) in Friday afternoons. However, this is entirely my fault and not theirs. I am just not a fan of "The Shanty" or "Happy Boy" which are the two songs they play every Friday, one after the other, to celebrate the end of the work week.
That is my one and only complaint. That is it. Beyond that, I cannot get enough WTTS. I listen to them on my computer all afternoon long while writing, at my office when I get to work in the morning, and the only radio station for whom I have downloaded the phone app in order to listen when I am not near a computer.
Yes, these are all pretty regional to where I live. I have not explored every single radio station across the planet and listened to them online. I also have a Pandora account and have enjoyed AccuRadio (based out of Chicago), but there are times I just need that personal touch. I need to listen to people, people who love music, when I listen to radio. And these stations are, by far, the best I have found that still do it the old way.
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