We Want The Airwaves
Maybe things are different in your town, but in the ‘Cuse radio is pretty goddamn awful. We have your typical mix: Both kinds of Rock (”classic” and “alternative”), Country, Top 40, Urban, etc. Regardless of genre the formula is the same: a rotation of 10-20 songs, endless commercials, and annoying DJ’s “personalities”. It’s enough to make you poke your eardrums out with a pen. Clear Channel and their ilk have sucked all of the life out of radio, turning it into a homogenized cashcow that sounds the same from coast to fucking coast.
I know some towns have it better. In fact, just up the pike in Rochester they have WBER and WITR. Heading down to the Hudson Valley and you should be able to pick up WFMU. Yep, just out of range for me. (though streaming audio dulls the pain somewhat) For the time being all of my car and work listening needs will have to be satisfied by CD. I’m still far off from getting a satellite provider, and who knows when I’ll be able to cough up the scratch for a goddamn IPod. Anyhow, here are a couple of tracks that are born of the bitter frustration inspired by the sad state of rock and roll radio.
Ramones - We Want The Airwaves.mp3
One of the few bright spots on 1981’s Pleasant Dreams. My wife likes this song, so it’s for her. Happy (early) Valentines Day hon, don’t ever say I don’t give you anything
76% Uncertain - I Hate the Radio.mp3
No punches pulled here. Midtempo hardcore From 1985’s Nothing But Love Songs LP
Flesheaters - Radio Dies Screaming.mp3
From their first 7″ in 1979. Excellent buzzsaw garage punk. Reissued in 2004 as part of the No Questions Asked CD.
Swampass - God Damn Radio.mp3
A cool song from this Illinois band. Driving punk and roll.
Jawbox - Airwaves Dream.mp3
Ok, this doesn’t really fit the “bitter” or “disgruntled” theme, but hell it’s Jawbox and you can never listen to enough Jawbox. This is a cover of the Buzzcocks and appeared in 1991 as a split single with Jawbreaker. Re-released in 1998 on the band’s odds and ends collection My Scrapbook of Fatal Accidents
11 Comments so far
Leave a reply
“I Hate the Radio” was a staple for the radio show I did way back when. Nice job digging this one up.
So we have an international problem here… In the Netherlands I don’t even listen to the radio anymore (although there’s one acceptable channel: KinkFM). I fill my days with songs I find on the blogs. Like yours. Thank you!
Heres to the day you can use wireless in the car with a laptop and affordably stream your favorite community, college, or non Rupert Murdocked swine fest labotamy of a same sh*t all the time station. Screw the Lowest commom denominator cookie cutter crap.
My favorite “radio” song of the moment is M.O.T.O.’s Dance to the Radio, conveniently downloadable from his site right now:
http://www.indiepages.com/moto/mp3s.html
Hey Justin… that M.O.T.O song is killer - thanks for the link!
Thanks everyone else for commenting.
– Eric
Awesome post. WITR gets more airplay than WBER. I would love to DJ a show on WBER though. You think they would let me?
I’m a recent M.O.T.O. convert, after catching him live last year in NYC. Most of that “Kill M.O.T.O.” CD is great. I’ve also got the recent singles collection, which is much spottier — I think mostly due to poor production.
“(Just Another) Pop Song” by The Law is one of my favorite songs about radio to play on the radio. You want me to send you an mp3?
Enjoy the site.
- Jon
Hey Jason… I always liked the free form of WITR more than WBER. I had a friedn DJ@WBER there about 15 years ago - he got a position simply by showing up at the studio and asking to DJ. A couple of training shows and he was on. I even got to sit in with him, which was cool. Could it still be that easy?!??
Jon… thanks for the link, always cool to hear about indie radio. Send me an mp3 (address above), I won’t object.
Loved the JAWBOX song - if I had to pick only one song on your current page it would be that one.