Me spouse asked an interesting question the other day. Why do all the alternative rock stations play Bob Marley? Seriously, from KRNK to the late lamented WHFS, they all played some Marley. It really doesn't fit at all. They really just play Legend too, so you aren't going to get anything like Iron Lion Zion. So what's the deal? It's not like reggae is somehow alternative otherwise we would have a lot of Yellowman, Jimmy Cliff and so on. Is it an affirmative action thing? The concept that some bands must be black to give the station some cred? Since radio is pretty uninterested in cred, I think not. My best guess is that it reminds the mid 30s demo of all the times they wandered around town singing this really loudly.
Here is song which SHOULD be played on some alternative radio if they need to go slow, but they won't will they? Much like Bob Marley though it is excellent for singing loudly in the streets after a few cold ones.
Friday, June 23, 2006
The boys and me are drunk and looking for you
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2 comments:
I always ask myself the same question when I hear Marley or Jack Johnson or some such on NRK - particularly when it's played after Interpol and before The Cure. So odd.
For weirder juxtaposition radio, listen to "Charlie" FM (97.1) - their motto is "we play everything" and that's true. One day I heard Elvis Costello (yay!)followed by Loverboy (ugh) followed by Kelly Clarkson (ouch) followed by Death Cab For Cutie(yay). Makes your head kind of hurt.
I think they may just put thousands of singles on "random play" as there seems to be no rhyme or reason to the bands or song selection criteria (there are no DJs so it's purely computer-assisted). Maybe it's a nod to the iPod shuffleization of things, or just a blatant cost-cutting measure turned marketing ploy. I'm sure some scary corporate radio dept. has researched these songs for maximum ratings across the widest possible demographic -- the anti-niche marketing strategy. And the name Charlie FM plus the annoying ads of fake listeners calling in saying how much they love it really makes we want to hate it.
But, I still find myself switching over when NRK is playing a commerical or the latest alt hit song for the billionth time, or when NPR is making me depressed. Lacking a CD player in the car, and having a 30min daily commute each way can make anyone find listening to an ELO song transitioning into Carol King into AC/DC entertaining.
I think that Charlie is part of a nationwide program of "named" stations (my hometown has Bob) which just plays random stuff. I suspect you are correct and that songs are selected for their broad appeal and the "hey haven't heard that in awhile!" appeal.
And yes the listener phone ins make me want to push pencils into my ears. They are beyond awful.
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