Posted by Nate Ludens on January 26, 2011 at 10:13 pm
Someone asked me that today and it really bummed me out. Not for me, but for them. I don’t believe that there’s better music available now than at any other given era, but it’s ridiculous to not know about it. What year is this, anyway? How do you NOT listen to music? It’s a very foreign concept to me.
Every day, I listen to Pandora, SIRIUS, Grooveshark and YouTube. Every. Freakin. Day. I can’t imagine not knowing there’s great music to discover. Just in the last few weeks, I have learned of new – and old – bands to appreciate and spend a little time with.
In the last 72 hours I enjoyed music by The Gaslight Anthem, Hugo, Train, Taddy Porter, Jay-Z and Juliette Lewis. All are very, very good and most of the music was released in the last year or two. Of course, I also revisited classic Pink Floyd, Metallica, some of Rise Against’s older stuff, and a hybrid of old and new: Guitar Classics by Santana. Freaking GREAT. I love the tracks that I was convinced I’d hate when I bought it. Saw Santana’s show at the Joint here in Vegas and it’s so good. His newest album is a combo of signature Carlos and contemporary singers (except Joe Cocker – wth?)
Is there good music out there anymore? Listen to Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, the Black Keys and follow it with Deep Purple and Eric Clapton. Pssh. No new music. Ridiculous. Recorded music doesn’t expire, it’s lives forever.
Turn off Glee and American Idol! In the name of Joe Strummer, go discover something and be inspired.
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Posted by Nate on March 14, 2010 at 12:13 am
I have to assume that SIRIUS/XM is pretty spooked about Pandora and it’s continual surge in popularity due to mobile apps on iPhones and the like… But trust me – don’t cancel SIRIUS or XM subscriptions yet, use them both, like I do! I love Pandora. I also pay for SIRIUS satellite radio. Use the link over >>> there and sign up for a trial. You won’t regret it, I promise. Here’s some reasons why I support both.
ADVANTAGE: SIRIUS/XM
1. JASON ELLIS SHOW – Absolutely hilarious daily train wreck combo of comic relief, action sports, and really dirty jokes. “Dude, is it gay?” segment is hysterical. Mayhem Mondays with Mayhem Miller is great, too. See #2.
2. FACTION 28/ XM 52: The Marky Ramone Show is sort of like going to punk rock church and the sermon was given by God on Wednesday nights. Tony Hawk might be the coolest guy in America. Johnny Moseley is up there, too. Bam Margera annoys the crap out of me, but I think that’s the idea.
3. NO FUSS IN THE CAR – No battery issues, cables, worrying about adapters, compatibility, etc. A dream for long-distance drives.
4. PERSONALITIES – Confession: I’m a rock fan. (Old/new/heavy/indie/folk) I’m biased towards Faction, but Little Steven’s Underground Garage, Alt Nation, Boneyard, and Octane (I’m sure I’m forgetting several others) all have fantastic DJs. Frequent guest channels are cool, too. I hear great things about the Hip-Hop channels, and there’s plenty of talk networks for politicial douchebags who like to argue and people that can stand Martha Stewart and Oprah. Hey, more power to ‘em. Gives them something to do with their time to feel important, I suppose.
5. STERN’S NETWORK – Not my bag, but millions of devoted listeners dig the legendary shock jock. Opie & Anthony and Farrell are great.
ADVANTAGE: PANDORA
1. IT’S FREE, DUMMY – And when you run out of free hours, finish out the month for $1.00. A BUCK!
2. DESIGNER CHANNELS – If you hear a song you don’t like, just skip it or delete it. (Perfect for when Nickelback and Linkin Park interrupt your good channels). Imagine, you can make a custom channel with Slayer, Run DMC and John Mayer. Though, it might make you a little schizophrenic. Ask me how I know!
3. YOU CAN SHARE YOUR MIX – the new mix tape? Check out my Pandora Profile here: http://www.pandora.com/people/nate.ludens
4. BEST EVER SOURCE FOR DISCOVERING NEW MUSIC – I love the voodoo formulas that Pandora uses to know what I like.
5. NO HARDWARE MAKES IT OFFICE FRIENDLY – streaming free radio at work makes the world a better place.
BOTTOM LINE: Get them both. You can say you were there when the power in radio shifted from boring, redundant, record-company crap-oganda to the people’s-choice radio, featuring inspiring music you want to hear, when you want to hear it. Without commercials.
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