So I finally signed up for Rdio last week, and so far it's fantastic. I'm not sure of the exact reason I was sort of apprehensive about it, but it probably boils down to me not wanting to be part of the dwindling CD sales problem. Well, that's not an issue; I'll buy CDs until I can't play them on anything anymore (which may not be far away since Apple has stopped putting CD/DVD-ROM drives in their computers, so it's only a matter of time before other manufacturers start doing the same. Are CDs going to start coming with iTunes download cards? HMMM???).
I gotta say, it's pretty sweet having all this music at my fingertips! Or should I say, MORE music at my fingertips! I feel like a kid in a candy store, I'm not even kidding. So far I've only been listening at work, so I've been keeping my choices pretty tame (The Lumineers, Mumford and Sons, Royal Wood, Jenn Grant...), and choosing mostly albums I've already heard. I'm looking forward to listening to the new Green Day albums before putting them on my Christmas list (why I've moved Green Day into the "try before I buy" category is a blog post all it's own).
If you're like me, and are on the fence about getting on board with streaming, I like Rdio so far, and I have friends that use Songza, and say that it's also a good way to find new artists.
What streaming services are you using?
Monday, November 19, 2012
A Sad Goodbye to 92.9 KICK-FM
This post has been sitting in the "drafts" section too long. I think I wrote it in August. Here it is: my lament for KICK-FM.
I have no pointing fingers, nor conspiracy theories to pass along. I just have a hole on my radio dial where my favourite station used to be.
I started listening to KICK around 2004. I loved it because the music was fresh, and I was (and am) so sick to death of the same-old same-old on Winnipeg radio. KICK renewed my faith in radio as the way to discover new artists. It introduced me to Snow Patrol (the first time I ever heard "Run", I was driving through the intersection of Route 90 north at Silver, on my way home from the U of M), J.P. Hoe, Quinzy, Keane, Bloc Party, Fear Zero, Hard-Fi, Lily Allen, Amy Winehouse, and so many more.
Another aspect of KICK that I enjoyed was the DJs, and their obvious love of the music they played. I liked Home Spun and The New Sound, and never missed an episode, if I could help it. KICK was also my primary place to find new local bands that I would then go and check out live.
I had a secret agenda when I enrolled in Creative Communications in the Fall of 2008: I wanted to be involved with the radio station! I hadn't thought of being an on-air personality until I started radio classes, and realized it wasn't so terrifying (I hate public speaking! There, I said it!). No one sees you when you're on the radio. That's public speaking I can handle! Backtracking a little, my OTHER secret agenda was to learn how to run a radio station so that I could grow up one day and manage my own. 'Cause let's face it, Winnipeg radio mostly suuuuucks.
I came to host Home Spun after having noted that for a couple of weeks, there wasn't anyone on-air. I lingered outside Rick the Boss's office for about half an hour trying to build up the nerve to go in and ask him about it. The conversation went something like this: Me, "I noticed there hasn't been anyone on Home Spun for a couple of weeks." Rick, "No, there hasn't. Do you want to do it?" Me, (probably with a bright red face), "Yes." And so I hosted Home Spun for three years. It was awesome because more than anything else, I felt like I was maybe hopefully introducing people to new music, and therefore contributing to what I loved so much about KICK: we were playing different and better music than anyone else in Winnipeg. Thanks for that, Rick the Boss.
I don't know how the station will sound when it starts streaming in the Fall for the new CreComm students, and I don't know who's going to win the coveted 92.9 spot on the FM dial (Please be The Peak!), all I know is that I now subscribe to XM satellite radio because I can't stand the current local offerings (other than CBC, of course). There's a serious need for a station like KICK in this market.
Anyone want to start a radio station with me?
I have no pointing fingers, nor conspiracy theories to pass along. I just have a hole on my radio dial where my favourite station used to be.
I started listening to KICK around 2004. I loved it because the music was fresh, and I was (and am) so sick to death of the same-old same-old on Winnipeg radio. KICK renewed my faith in radio as the way to discover new artists. It introduced me to Snow Patrol (the first time I ever heard "Run", I was driving through the intersection of Route 90 north at Silver, on my way home from the U of M), J.P. Hoe, Quinzy, Keane, Bloc Party, Fear Zero, Hard-Fi, Lily Allen, Amy Winehouse, and so many more.
Another aspect of KICK that I enjoyed was the DJs, and their obvious love of the music they played. I liked Home Spun and The New Sound, and never missed an episode, if I could help it. KICK was also my primary place to find new local bands that I would then go and check out live.
I had a secret agenda when I enrolled in Creative Communications in the Fall of 2008: I wanted to be involved with the radio station! I hadn't thought of being an on-air personality until I started radio classes, and realized it wasn't so terrifying (I hate public speaking! There, I said it!). No one sees you when you're on the radio. That's public speaking I can handle! Backtracking a little, my OTHER secret agenda was to learn how to run a radio station so that I could grow up one day and manage my own. 'Cause let's face it, Winnipeg radio mostly suuuuucks.
I came to host Home Spun after having noted that for a couple of weeks, there wasn't anyone on-air. I lingered outside Rick the Boss's office for about half an hour trying to build up the nerve to go in and ask him about it. The conversation went something like this: Me, "I noticed there hasn't been anyone on Home Spun for a couple of weeks." Rick, "No, there hasn't. Do you want to do it?" Me, (probably with a bright red face), "Yes." And so I hosted Home Spun for three years. It was awesome because more than anything else, I felt like I was maybe hopefully introducing people to new music, and therefore contributing to what I loved so much about KICK: we were playing different and better music than anyone else in Winnipeg. Thanks for that, Rick the Boss.
I don't know how the station will sound when it starts streaming in the Fall for the new CreComm students, and I don't know who's going to win the coveted 92.9 spot on the FM dial (Please be The Peak!), all I know is that I now subscribe to XM satellite radio because I can't stand the current local offerings (other than CBC, of course). There's a serious need for a station like KICK in this market.
Anyone want to start a radio station with me?
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