I don't really write to "plug" things. I'm not using my blank canvas to make money by advertising on behalf of any products, groups, etc. But there are some things worth writing about. And this is one of them.
Music is the great connector. Math is the universal language, but music can generate and amplify feelings, it can create connections between people and generations who have nothing in common, and it can give life to words and make them last.
Like many of us, I listened to two types of music growing up: the kind my parents listened to and the kind they didn't want me to listen to. Granted, my parents were a bit more accepting than most and my mom decided she was just going to go with the flow and be down with whatever I put on.
It was the 90's, so my music was everything from grunge rock to rock/rap crossover and anything that had deep bass and could wake up the neighbors from 2 blocks away.
My parents jammed to the good stuff, though. Tom Petty, U2, Van Halen, Boston, Aerosmith, Simon and Garfunkel, The Knack, Meatloaf, Jefferson Starship.
Whatever the music, we put it on because we connected with it. It meant something, we related to the feeling, the artist, the mood, something about it made us feel something.
One of the biggest differences in the generations, though, isn't the type of music, the genre, the singers, or the beats.
It's how the music is consumed.
I stopped listening to the radio years ago. It was getting to be awful. We all know the story. The same 20 songs, over and over, 3 commercials in between 2 songs, and then a monologue from the DJ about some obscure reference while a hyena laughs in the background pretending the story is the funniest thing they've ever heard.
A 30-minute drive to work might feature 3 songs, several commercials, and a bad joke stuck in your head for the rest of the day. Then you get off and hear the same 3 songs again before you get home.
Frustrating.
But, before I stopped listening to the radio it's all I had! It's all anybody had! Years ago, you heard a song on the radio and went to the record store. You bought a whole album - yeah, an entire album - and listened to it front and back for hours until you knew all the words. For many, that album was a soundtrack of their life.
In the 90's we started to be able to record and burn music. Mixtapes were the thing. You could put all your favorite songs onto one CD or cassette and make mood-based playlists. Night on the town? Going Out Mix! Chillin' by yourself in the room? Rainy Day Chill Mix. Valentine's Day? My Baby's Mixtape.
These days, there are a dozen different streaming services and they all use algorithms (whatever the hell those are) to find new music for you based on your tastes. I don't want that. I don't want music that sounds like other music I like. I don't want to constantly listen to the same things over and over. I want the envelope pushed, to discover new and old, and hear songs that have a story.
OK, here's the plug.
Sometime back in November I found WXPN radio. Their tagline is: Vinyl At Heart. Curated. Not Encoded.
Love that.
I just happened to come across it - I hate searching for new music and being disappointed - but I had to get out of my box. So I clicked on it and they had some sweet jams on, so I started listening a bit and then I started to put it on on weekends when we'd just be chilling around the house and we found we really enjoyed the music! We listened a lot more over the holidays since we were home a lot, and got used to just having it on most of the time.
Now, we rarely listen to anything else! WXPN is, for lack of a better phrase, the way radio should be. Their DJs are actual music lovers, not entertainers or comedians, who play diverse playlists, guide us through segments, and connect us with the people who gave us the music.
We learn things we'd never know - the meaning behind the song, what the artist was going through at the time, and hear music that we'd never hear otherwise. Sometimes they'll just put on a long block of music and not talk - it's amazing.
The best part? No commercials! They're a nonprofit, non-commercial, member-supported station.
I've been meaning to write about this station for a while and one of the things I hoped to do was hit Shazam and put a list of the variety of songs I've heard over the course of a day or week. Alas, I forgot to do that! But, some of our favorite segments to listen to are:
Funky Fridays - playing some excellent tunes like James Brown, Earth Wind & Fire, Prince, and Citizen Cope to kick off the weekend
Highs in the 70's - weekday evening nostalgia taking me back to what my parents played in my early days
Sleep Hollow Saturday & Sunday Mornings - jazz, folk, instrumental, and acoustic music to wake up and drink coffee with on the weekends
Dave's World - this is one I wish I could hear more; he gives insight into some really, really, really... deep tracks, and tells stories about the artists and songs
Oh, and the one I just learned about today is every Wednesday at 4:30pm they have a brief "Worst Song Ever" segment where you can send in a nomination for the worst song ever. Today's was a really awful beatbox/rap by Vanilla Ice that thankfully only lasted 68 seconds.
Gotta experience the bad to appreciate the good, right?
If you're like a lot of people who want to hear a variety of music, curated to fit your mood, but not simply picked by an algorithm; if you want good music, with people who are insightful and passionate about it, look no further.
Go to www.wxpn.org and select the music player. They're also available on Apple Music - go to Radio and look for WXPN. If you have an Alexa or Google Home, apparently you can just tell your device to "play WXPN." Or download the WXPN app on your phone.
Check it out a few times, put it on during a road trip - I have a feeling you'll enjoy it.
And, because they're a nonprofit I'll obviously make an appeal for you to donate a few bucks so they can keep the tunes rolling!
Alright, I swear this is the one and only "plug" blog I'll ever write. I just felt the need to share the joy of connecting with great music!
Kick back, turn the radio on, and immerse yourself in some sweet nostalgia...
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