AAAARGHHHHHHHH!!!!!

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

It just become that much more difficult to find good music on the radio in the DC area.

SUddenly, without any warning whatsoever, last night, 99.1 HFS, the station that every years hold a massive festival where 20+ big name bands come to play at the stadium where the Redskins used to play, the institution, the best (and frankly, only) alternative rock radio station in the greater DC area (ok, they were based out of Annapolis, which is almost closer to Baltimore, but still) -- this grand tradition, the only station that would ever play regae for years and years, changed to EL ZOL 99.1. Mexican music.

I was becoming less of a fan of the station as I got older and cared less for this rap-rock stuff. But it was still great for a listen, for their top 99, thei New Years acoustic sessions, and their free concerts. Now.... nothing.

I am sad.

[Fellfrosch]

So Mexican music is nothing? Gringacho.

Actually, we're going through a very similar thing here, and I'm kind of relieved to see it happening in other, "real" parts of the country--good modern rock stations are just evaporating, replaced by 80s, classic rock, and, yes, Mexican. I love classic rock, but I don't see the need for more than one station. They all play the same stuff, in more or less the same mix, so what's the point?

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

yeah, inasmuch that I have 0 desire to listen to it, Mexican music is nothing to me.

[Fellfrosch]

And alternative pop. I think we have more of those now than we have Top 40s (calling into question the term "alternative").

[Mad Dr Jeffe]

Counting Crows say how I feel best right now

Raining in Baltimore

This circus is falling down on its knees
The big top is crumbling down
Its raining in baltimore fifty miles east
Where you should be, no ones around

I need a phone call
I need a raincoat
I need a big love
I need a phone call

These train conversations are passing me by
And I dont have nothing to say
You get what you pay for
But I just had no intention of living this way

I need a phone call
I need a plane ride
I need a sunburn
I need a raincoat

And I get no answers
And I dont get no change
Its raining in baltimore, baby
But everything else is the same

Theres things I remember and things I forget
I miss you I guess that I should
Three thousand five hundred miles away
But what would you change if you could?

I need a phone call
Maybe I should buy a new car
I can always hear a freight train if I listen real hard
And I wish it was a small world
Because Im lonely for the big towns
Id like to hear a little guitar
I think its time to put the top down

I need a phone call
I need a raincoat

[Morik]

ick, bands that play top 40 "alternative rock" is such a contradiction, it makes me sick sometimes. Bands that were alternative that are played on a top 40 radio - instantly become Mainstream, they are no longer alternative although they are alternative to maybe other pop music, the fact still remains.

[Mad Dr Jeffe]

Wow, Im stunned by your music snobbishness. Does a songs popularity automatically disqualify it from being good. Sometimes popular music is popular because its good, not the other way around. Saint and I remember an HFS that played underground local bands, reggae and ska, house music, and techno all before it was popular. Even their top 40 hits were fun.

[Peter Ahlstrom]

I think he's simply saying that the label "alternative" itself is then inappropriate, since it signifies an alternative choice to the popular stuff. But it does smack of an elitist attitude similar to the anime fans who pray their favorite anime never gets on TV and becomes so popular that any old kids at school are talking about it.

[Fellfrosch]

He didn't say anything about them being bad, just being mainstream. They can play them all they want, just as long as they don't call them "alternative" when that's quite obviously a false label.

[Morik]

yes, thank you, I must say as well, I don't think they are (all) bad seeing how my top 4 favorite bands are all huge pop/rock bands (Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Soundgarden, Alice In Chains)  yet these bands can also be classified under alternative of some sort

[cheesegrater]

I found a really cool radiostation that plays weird music. I think it's run by a bunch of university students. It's pretty cool. Much better that most of the crap the radio plays.

[Morik]

Yeah they're are a few good underground radio stations and/or university stations out there that actually play something thats not top 40, and that's always interesting to listen to I think, to bad the closest thing I have to alternative radio out here is NPR and they recently changed much of their night program to Jazz.. (Jazz isn't bad.. just it all becomes to much the same, and most of it is just instrumental - a fun think to listen to for a little bit)