My local radio station BUSTED for Payola....

[Qdrop]

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051124/NEWS01/511240319

[...]
Andre Marcel Langston, program director and owner of WDKX-FM (103.9), said that after reading about the settlement in the news, he doesn't understand how a radio station could survive if it played only what the record industry wanted it to. Radio stations survive on what's called rotation — playing songs the public wants to hear a certain number of times a day, Langston said.

"It wouldn't work for (radio) if you're playing something someone doesn't want to hear," Langston said. "You wouldn't be in business."

As part of the settlement, Warner Music agreed to pay $5 million to fund music education and appreciation programs in New York. This past summer, Sony BMG Music Entertainment agreed to pay $10 million in a similar settlement with the state Attorney General's Office. [...]
------

eh, i don't really buy that.....i think the media consumers are much like lemmings....
rotation plays into group think and psychological suggestiveness....

if it keeps playing....the people will accept it and "like" it.

that's why payola is so common place....

[SobaViolence]

that's why 'my humps' is played 20 times a day...

[ASsman]

Buh, it's all pop shit that they play anyways. You can't really HATE it too much, catchy shit and people don't mind. I'm just glad I have a CD player, and soon I'm gonna hook up my iPod to it.

And whomever is suprised by this is ... naive.

[DroppinScience]

If Franz Ferdinand plays ad nauseum, can't be ALL bad.

[muddfoot]

Is this how eminem got famous?

[ms.peachy]

I tell you what, that Eliot Spitzer you got there in New York, he is pretty fucking ferocious in that atty gen'l office. He's nailed a lot of people. I hear he's make a run for the governor's office in 2006 - I'd vote for him. The man runs a tight operation.

[DroppinScience]

I tell you what, that Eliot Spitzer you got there in New York, he is pretty fucking ferocious in that atty gen'l office. He's nailed a lot of people. I hear he's make a run for the governor's office in 2006 - I'd vote for him. The man runs a tight operation.

Oh yeah! Spitzer is awesome. I hope he wins. (y)

[Parkey]

Thank goodness for the BBC...

[FunkyHiFi]

Payola has been around for decades, but for me what makes it really bad nowadays is that it's being used to push so much truly crappy music. :mad: No wonder so many knowledgeable teenagers are raiding their parents' music collections for better tunes to listen to.*


i think the media consumers are much like lemmings....
rotation plays into group think and psychological suggestiveness....
Sadly, I'll have to agree with this.

Though I think this mostly happens with casual music fans, the ones that mostly use music to fill in the silence on a long drive or while working on their computer.

But......I do think some people are impressed by lots of commercials and/or slick videos, and are thinking: "If a big corporation thinks this band is good enough that they will make a bunch of commercials for them or spend big $$$ on a video, that band MUST be good". :(

* this collection by America (the band) is on my Christmas list: Complete Greatest Hits (http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=1978770&style=music&cart=288285581&BAB=E). "A Horse With No Name" (great imagery!) and "Ventura Highway" are some of my favorite songs, from any band.

[paulb]

that's why 'my humps' is played 20 times a day...

worst.song.ever.

[DroppinScience]

Though I think this mostly happens with casual music fans, the ones that mostly use music to fill in the silence on a long drive or while working on their computer.

I think this is a very accurate statement and a good way of expanding Qdrop's thesis. For those who may sing along to "My Humps" or "Hollaback Girl" (man, I remember a time when Gwen Stefani WAS cool), it's highly unlikely they're going to find The Velvet Underground or The Meat Puppets very inspiring.

Music is just a disposable commodity for that segment of the audience.

If they become actual music fans, over time they'll come around to the fact that "My Humps" is just something of a throwaway tune (and as for throwaway hits, it gives a bad name to throwaway hits) and evolve into more worthwhile music.

P.S. - And yeah, there are those who are impressed solely by flashy videos. We call them "Mary-Kate" ;)

[jackrock]

worst.song.ever.
agreed...
end. transmission.

[Videodrome]

funkmaster flex will play anything for the loot.

[Volczek]

I think this is a very accurate statement and a good way of expanding Qdrop's thesis. For those who may sing along to "My Humps" or "Hollaback Girl" (man, I remember a time when Gwen Stefani WAS cool), it's highly unlikely they're going to find The Velvet Underground or The Meat Puppets very inspiring.

Music is just a disposable commodity for that segment of the audience.

If they become actual music fans, over time they'll come around to the fact that "My Humps" is just something of a throwaway tune (and as for throwaway hits, it gives a bad name to throwaway hits) and evolve into more worthwhile music.

P.S. - And yeah, there are those who are impressed solely by flashy videos. We call them "Mary-Kate" ;)

Wait a tic.
I'm an actual music fan.
I hate "My Humps", I sing along to "Hollaback Girl", I find the Velvet Underground very inspiring, I don't find the Meat Puppets inspiring, but I still dig their music.

Here is my take: people like "My Humps" because they've never heard anything much better. plain and simple. They like it because it is new. They grew tired of last week's tired ass single, so they moved on to something different, this time it was "My Humps".

my point in registering and posting, tho, was to combat these supposed music fans who talk shit on Pop songs. it's great that you have a shitton of favorite albums filled on your iPod and a trusty wallet of CDs to pop in your car stereo if your iPod battery runs out, but some of us simply don't have that luxury. I used to have a working tape deck and was actually building up a pretty dope tape collection, but then my tape deck broke. So, some of us MUST listen to the radio when driving and we can't escape to the safe "good music" of our CD collections and MUST press the seek button on the radio until our index finger bleeds and we MUST take great bliss hearing 4 good songs on the radio in a row... cuz it don't happen often.

anyways. it's great that some people can retreat to the "good music" of their CD collection and their iPod and whatnot, but I am of the opinion that such people really don't have much of a place talking about Pop singles... as evidenced by the things i read in this thread.

I mean, Gwen Stefani was "cool" 10 years ago, but she isn't "cool" now? Give me a break. Let's see here.

10 Years ago Gwen Stefani was:
-being extremely successful making catchy as shit pop music
-sexy as hell

Now Gwen Stefani is:
-being extremely successful making catchy as shit pop music
-sexy as hell

see a pattern? Perhaps Gwen Stefani was "cool" ten years ago to you because you weren't to preoccupied with your own taste in music to enjoy something that was new and different to you?

what it boils down to is this... people who talk shit on Pop music but never actually listen to it are as much in the dark about said Pop music as the top-40 only zombies are about everything else. cuz it's like, ... if you don't listen to Pop music... you ought not be talkin shit on it without giving it a fair chance ... and if you're favorite song "my humps" an album like Forever Changes probably won't jibe with you off the bat.

peace.

[Parkey]

I think the actual production on 'My Humps' is alright...

[ms.peachy]

*sits in corner, quietly wondering what all this "my humps" business is all about*

[Parkey]

*sits in corner, quietly wondering what all this "my humps" business is all about*

BLACK EYED PEAS LYRICS

"My Humps"

What you gon’ do with all that junk?
All that junk inside your trunk?
I’ma get, get, get, get, you drunk,
Get you love drunk off my hump.
My hump, my hump, my hump, my hump, my hump,
My hump, my hump, my hump, my lovely little lumps. (Check it out)

I drive these brothers crazy,
I do it on the daily,
They treat me really nicely,
They buy me all these icies.
Dolce & Gabbana,
Fendi and NaDonna
Karan, they be sharin’
All their money got me wearin' fly
But I ain’t askin,
They say they love my ass ‘n,
Seven Jeans, True Religion's,
I say no, but they keep givin’
So I keep on takin’
And no I ain’t taken
We can keep on datin’
I keep on demonstrating.

My love, my love, my love, my love
You love my lady lumps,
My hump, my hump, my hump,
My humps they got u,
She’s got me spending.
(Oh) Spendin’ all your money on me and spending time on me.
She’s got me spendin’.
(Oh) Spendin' all your money on me, up on me, on me

What you gon’ do with all that junk?
All that junk inside that trunk?
I’ma get, get, get, get, you drunk,
Get you love drunk off my hump.
What u gon’ do with all that ass?
All that ass inside them jeans?
I’m a make, make, make, make you scream
Make u scream, make you scream.
Cos of my hump, my hump, my hump, my hump.
My hump, my hump, my hump, my lovely lady lumps. (Check it out)

I met a girl down at the disco.
She said hey, hey, hey yea let’s go.
I could be your baby, you can be my honey
Lets spend time not money.
I mix your milk wit my cocoa puff,
Milky, milky cocoa,
Mix your milk with my cocoa puff, milky, milky riiiiiiight.

They say I’m really sexy,
The boys they wanna sex me.
They always standing next to me,
Always dancing next to me,
Tryin’ a feel my hump, hump.
Lookin’ at my lump, lump.
U can look but you can’t touch it,
If you touch it I'ma start some drama,
You don’t want no drama,
No, no drama, no, no, no, no drama
So don’t pull on my hand boy,
You ain’t my man, boy,
I’m just tryn’a dance boy,
And move my hump.

My hump, my hump, my hump, my hump,
My hump, my hump, my hump, my hump, my hump, my hump.
My lovely lady lumps [x3]
In the back and in the front.
My lovin’ got u,
She’s got me spendin’.
(Oh) Spendin’ all your money on me and spending time on me.
She’s got me spendin’.
(Oh) Spendin' all your money on me, up on me, on me.

What you gon’ do with all that junk?
All that junk inside that trunk?
I’ma get, get, get, get you drunk,
Get you love drunk off my hump.
What you gon’ do with all that ass?
All that ass inside them jeans?
I’ma make, make, make, make you scream
Make you scream, make you scream.
What you gon do with all that junk?
All that junk inside that trunk?
I’ma get, get, get, get you drunk,
Get you love drunk off this hump.
What you gon’ do wit all that breast?
All that breast inside that shirt?
I’ma make, make, make, make you work
Make you work, work, make you work.

She’s got me spendin’.
Spendin all your money on me and spendin’ time on me
She’s got me spendin’.
Spendin' all your money on me, up on me, on me.

[ms.peachy]

Oh well that clears things up then.

I take it this is a currently popular song in some circles, then?

[Parkey]

If by some circles you mean 'The Box'; then very much so.

"What you gon’ do wit all that breast?
All that breast inside that shirt?
I’ma make, make, make, make you work
Make you work, work, make you work."

[Kid Presentable]

You guys are fucked.

I like 'My Humps'.

[ms.peachy]

If by some circles you mean 'The Box'; then very much so.

*sits quietly in corner, wondering what 'The Box' is*

[ASsman]

Read the sig, or die.

As far as good pop or bad pop, it's all crap because it's not up to the masses to choose what is good or not. Im sure there is good pop out there, I don't listen to the radio even if its the only thing I can listen to. It's like being a lazy music listener, " Buh Ill let the music find me". That's fine. I guess.

[DroppinScience]

10 Years ago Gwen Stefani was:
-being extremely successful making catchy as shit pop music
-sexy as hell

Now Gwen Stefani is:
-being extremely successful making catchy as shit pop music
-sexy as hell


No, it's just that I don't find Stefani's solo career very appealing. And it wasn't just from "10 years ago" that she was "cool." She was cool as recent as 2001 in my book (with "Rock Steady," my favorite No Doubt album).

And look, you can love your "My Humps" and enjoy your Captain Beefheart album. That's fine (I'd say you're in a minority).

But if I wish to reject all the "phony" stuff, let me. Just don't shove Top 40 down my throat.

[Kid Presentable]

Read the sig, or die.

As far as good pop or bad pop, it's all crap because it's not up to the masses to choose what is good or not. Im sure there is good pop out there, I don't listen to the radio even if its the only thing I can listen to. It's like being a lazy music listener, " Buh Ill let the music find me". That's fine. I guess.

Bullshit. It's like saying bathing is a religious experience.

Who cares if you listen to the radio. I doubt half the bands you covet give as much of a fuck as you do.

[Mr Films]

I work for Clear Channel radio here in Austin and they just let some top execs go over this payola thing.

I was shootin the shit with some local djs at the studio and the subject came up and I mentioned how i thought that was standard protocol and not some horribly illegal act.

but seriously, what's the difference between this and plain ol advertising?

[DroppinScience]

I work for Clear Channel radio here in Austin and they just let some top execs go over this payola thing.

I was shootin the shit with some local djs at the studio and the subject came up and I mentioned how i thought that was standard protocol and not some horribly illegal act.

but seriously, what's the difference between this and plain ol advertising?

I dunno... ethical issues?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Payola

[Kid Presentable]

Sony BMG is in such a position here as to guarantee that their artists are all over commercial airwaves.

Hence the sustainability of the 'Idol' phenom.

I always thought payola was the norm. :confused:

[DroppinScience]

Sony BMG is in such a position here as to guarantee that their artists are all over commercial airwaves.

Hence the sustainability of the 'Idol' phenom.

I always thought payola was the norm. :confused:

It's hard enough for viable artists to get exposure. We don't need the playing field even more skewed than it already is.

Whether it's the "norm" or not, payola stinks. And I praise Spitzer for putting foot to ass on this whole thing.

[Kid Presentable]

It's hard enough for viable artists to get exposure. We don't need the playing field even more skewed than it already is.

Whether it's the "norm" or not, payola stinks. And I praise Spitzer for putting foot to ass on this whole thing.

I think it stinks, but if you listen to those radio stations, you get what you deserve.

Triple J is a nationwide broadcaster targetting 15-40 year olds. It does a great job of exposing new artists, both locally and abroad. For example, 'Take me Out' by Franz Ferdinand was on rotation for 4 months on Triple J before a mainstream station had even played it.

I'm no Franz Ferdinand fan, but it's good to know where to find the new shit, that's played without an agenda.

I believe it benefits from being Government funded via the Australian Broadcasting Commission, and although it's just a radio station, is probably one of my favourite things about Oz. (y)

[DroppinScience]

I'm no Franz Ferdinand fan, but it's good to know where to find the new shit, that's played without an agenda.

Amen.

[Volczek]

No, it's just that I don't find Stefani's solo career very appealing. And it wasn't just from "10 years ago" that she was "cool." She was cool as recent as 2001 in my book (with "Rock Steady," my favorite No Doubt album).

And look, you can love your "My Humps" and enjoy your Captain Beefheart album. That's fine (I'd say you're in a minority).

But if I wish to reject all the "phony" stuff, let me. Just don't shove Top 40 down my throat.

i hate my humps and forever changes is by the band Love you dirty trickster!!!!!!! i've never listened to captain beefheart, really.

anywho obviously you can reject whatever you want and my ranting and raving can't really do a damn thing to stop that... but just cuz i rant and i rave and you don't happen to agree doesn't mean i am shoving anything down your throat. it is just discourse, really.

i wasn't even saying you should go out an listen to top 40 stuff just cuz i do. i was just saying talking shit on top 40 songs when you never listen to them but maybe once in passing doesn't really add up to me. cuz i mean, if you don't listen to something you aren't really qualified to talk shit on it.

that said, DroppinScience, you seem like a pretty openminded listener given the fact that you dig on "Rock Steady" and just the way you talk you seem like an alright dude/dudette. anyways, point being, i'm sorry for directing the brunt of my first post at you cuz it was pretty obviously out of line but i just wanted to put some things on the table.

[Volczek]

Read the sig, or die.

Okay.
"There will be no real music anymore if we keep letting people shove it down our fucking throats.”-Conor Oberst

Your sig, ASsman, is dead wrong, and just silly to boot. First of all, the term "real music" is unbearably pretentious. Like this guy, Conor Oberst--or ANY guy, for that matter-- has any fucking authority over what music is "real" and what isn't. It's like him saying he knows what is right and wrong. Or that everything he says is absolutely true.

Anyways, i'll just assume he used a slightly less annoying terminology.

"there will be no good music anymore if we keep letting people shove it down our fucking throats."
-Conor Oberst

So now Oberst is talking like what, this is our darkest hour? Like it's some Lord of the Rings shit and RIGHT NOW Frodo is on top of Mount Doom trying to destroy the "one ring" that rules all the shitty music on the radio that is shoved down our throats? like if he doesn't succeed or at least fail but inadvertently achieve success via Gollum then good music is done for? NOW OR NEVER?????

Give me a break. Right NOW it is easier to discover new, interesting, great, obscure, and fantastic music that it EVER HAS BEEN EVER BEFORE EVER. It is called the internet, and it's basically allowing music to explode. Thusly, it is easier now for people to discover "real" or "good" or whatfuckingever music now.

AND THEN, recording equipment is way cheaper now, so basically anyone can save up for awhile, get a band together, and cut an album that is of good quality.

So yeah Oberst has a flair for the grandiose and he hates Clear Channel cuz they are basically blackballing his non-major-label ass. he doesn't want to play by their rules, which is legit, but don't think for a second that Conor Oberst isn't a fucking pop artist because he is.

Huge anti-Clear Channel website downhillbattle.org put it well when they wrote something like, "If major label control of the radio were to stop tonight, Saddle Creek bands would start getting tons of play."

That is because they are all pretty poppy and easily congested by the masses just like the stuff you mindlessley talk shit on. Oh it's all crap cuz it's on the radio but like if Bright Eyes rules then what happens when they get on the radio are they crap too?

ANNNNYWAYS pretty sad that a supposed music fan refuses to listen to the radio if it is the only thing availabe to him/her. You should give it a whirl sometime if you have the patience shit might blow your mind.

edit: just to letcha know. i LIKE Bright Eyes and Saddle Creek in general. I've seen Bright Eyes twice, actually. pretty good stuff they put out. i just don't really dig on fawning over Conor Oberst's every word.

[SobaViolence]

you're wrong.

[ASsman]

Buh, you are making a lot of assumptions, nice job. What does he mean by real, buh I can only speculate. Probably something along the lines of creative music stimulated by what the public wants. MAYBE that's what he meant, MAYBE. Anyways besides that it's pretty obvious the quality of popular music is going the way of the video games, flood the market with stuff that sold in the pass. Or use stupid gimmicks to get peoples attention. Happens from time to time, but now thanks to the internet (which had nothing to do with the original argument, and I don't see how it could be brought up against my sig) the Music industry should self-destruct, but for now there are still enough stupid people/teenagers to buy the crap and so people will continue to make it, making my listening of the radio almost painful. And even on the internet its flooded by mainly singles and bullshit like that, SoulSeek is the only p2p that I know of that lets you trully explore.

AND THEN, recording equipment is way cheaper now, so basically anyone can save up for awhile, get a band together, and cut an album that is of good quality.
Yah making money is the hard part....

That is because they are all pretty poppy and easily congested by the masses just like the stuff you mindlessley talk shit on. Oh it's all crap cuz it's on the radio but like if Bright Eyes rules then what happens when they get on the radio are they crap too?
Who? And why does that make any sense in your head, why would it make sense in mine...? Sure some of the music I listen to gets played, mostly on the rollback thursdays, or once every week, lately I wouldn't be able to tell you since out here were I'm living now there are so few radio stations it's like a bunch of KISS FM stations playing the same 5 songs over and over again.

ANNNNYWAYS pretty sad that a supposed music fan refuses to listen to the radio if it is the only thing availabe to him/her. You should give it a whirl sometime if you have the patience shit might blow your mind.
I know what's playing on the radio why would I force my self to listen to it, when I have CD player or iPod filled to the brim with good (IMO) music, there is still so much older hip-hop and rock that I have yet to download or buy. What the F do I need the radio for, every once and again I hear about some new band or group or rapper and check him out.


edit: just to letcha know. i LIKE Bright Eyes and Saddle Creek in general. I've seen Bright Eyes twice, actually. pretty good stuff they put out. i just don't really dig on fawning over Conor Oberst's every word.
And? Muh I just like the quote, shows how pissed off I am about people buying crap and forcing me to listen to it on the radio.

[DroppinScience]

i hate my humps and forever changes is by the band Love you dirty trickster!!!!!!! i've never listened to captain beefheart, really.

anywho obviously you can reject whatever you want and my ranting and raving can't really do a damn thing to stop that... but just cuz i rant and i rave and you don't happen to agree doesn't mean i am shoving anything down your throat. it is just discourse, really.

i wasn't even saying you should go out an listen to top 40 stuff just cuz i do. i was just saying talking shit on top 40 songs when you never listen to them but maybe once in passing doesn't really add up to me. cuz i mean, if you don't listen to something you aren't really qualified to talk shit on it.

that said, DroppinScience, you seem like a pretty openminded listener given the fact that you dig on "Rock Steady" and just the way you talk you seem like an alright dude/dudette. anyways, point being, i'm sorry for directing the brunt of my first post at you cuz it was pretty obviously out of line but i just wanted to put some things on the table.


I knew "Forever Changes" was by Love. I just thought I'd throw in a Captain Beefheart reference since that's the preeminent band for those who wish to listen to the most obscure stuff ( ;) ). I haven't listened to Beefheart either, but they're on my list.

Anyways, while listening to Top 40 is far from my regular listening in this day and age, that was pretty much the norm for me from around '96 (and even earlier) until maybe 2000 or so. At that time, I was NOT into music at all, and it was simply background stuff. With some exceptions, I didn't like what I heard and I wasn't inspired to go out and listen and find music (especially current music) so I pretty much just retreated to my Beatles albums because that was the only thing I was sure that was good. While right now Top 40 is strictly in passing, I still feel I can criticize it because that was the background music for much of high school and so forth.

And don't worry Volczek. No harm done. And I'm a guy, BTW.

[Volczek]

Buh, you are making a lot of assumptions, nice job. What does he mean by real, buh I can only speculate. Probably something along the lines of creative music stimulated by what the public wants. MAYBE that's what he meant, MAYBE. Anyways besides that it's pretty obvious the quality of popular music is going the way of the video games, flood the market with stuff that sold in the pass. Or use stupid gimmicks to get peoples attention. Happens from time to time, but now thanks to the internet (which had nothing to do with the original argument, and I don't see how it could be brought up against my sig) the Music industry should self-destruct, but for now there are still enough stupid people/teenagers to buy the crap and so people will continue to make it, making my listening of the radio almost painful. And even on the internet its flooded by mainly singles and bullshit like that, SoulSeek is the only p2p that I know of that lets you trully explore.

The whole internet argument can be brought up against your sig because Oberst's quote makes it sound as though this is some dire situation wherein we are all on the brink of losing "real music" forever. This is obviously false, because of the internet. Another p2p that is full of great shit is oink.me.uk, or indietorrents.com, or just various message boards and "blogs" and shit. ysi roolz. oh great songs are everywhere on the internet for free. also if you live in a dorm type of setting then you can download songs off of other peoples Itunes libraries and super fast speeds. the list really goes on and on. not to mention all of the great internet radiostations out there playing genuinely interesting stuff. not to mention the plethora of sites out there that are writing about music every god damn day. TONS of stuff out there besides slsk.

Yah making money is the hard part....
My point is that it is easier now than it has ever been before to make a high quality DIY recording AND distribute it. This is undoubtedly good for music. I mean, you can make senseless barbs like, "oh but making money is the hard part" but that has ALWAYS been the hard part about recording music but the thing of it is the "hard part" is getting easier and easier, that is to say cheaper and cheaper.

Anyways i'm basically shooting from the hip in my posts so it is likely not everything will be perfectly cogent, and for that i apologize.

coupe more things

-i'm just saying it's always good to listen to shit you wouldn't normally listen to. i mean, obvy you aren't going to like it all but the fact of the matter is you are testing your parameters so to speak by exposing yourself that you wouldn't normally expose your self to, or in your case, expose yourself to things you outwardly resist exposure to.

-and i feel what you are saying about all the older stuff out there. i feel like i'm playing catch up trying to hear all the great music that has ALREADY been made.

-and let me just clarify, when listening to the radio i don't always listen to "top 40" in fact i rarely do. there are usually a handful of songs that get rotation on top 40 that either
a. I dig
or
b. are catchy enough to be enjoyable in some ways but are annoying in others

but generally it is all shite. Obviously when i said my index finger bleeds from pushing the seek button so much that was hyperbole but i generally am pressing the seek button every 6 seconds or so when driving no matter how long i happen to be driving for.

the radiostations i most gravitate towards are (in order)
-this community radio station that plays all sorts of dope shit... soul, r&b, reggae, all sorts of world music, rock, punk rock, really everything.
-college radio station that plays mostly "alternative" or "indie" rock. I do some djing there.
-christian talk stations. pretty interesting/bizarre stuff to listen to. WOW.
-oldies
-classic rock
-lite rock (like the best hits of the 80s, 90s, and Today! format)
-Top 40
-Christian Music

anyways i am blathering again. last thing i wanted to clear up, ASsman is that i wasn't implying that you fawn over Oberst's every word necesarily but I can see that it did come off that way. I'm just saying, there are a lot of people that DO fawn over his every word and god they are annoying, and i find that quote of his rather silly.

good day!

[ASsman]

Buh, yah, I agree for the most part. Some music I won't listen to simply because of principle, I compare christianity to mostly a cult like following. Coming from growing up in it I know very well what its like from both positions. Those people just freak me out, like body snatchers type shit.

But for the most part I don't limit my self to anything, if I like it or the label because they are blood sucking bastards I usually just download it and only support artists I believe are doing the right thing.

[FunkyHiFi]

I almost never listen to the radio anymore because

1) I grew up when radio really WAS a way to hear new music because most DJs still had permission to play what they wanted, or what the surrounding population liked (based on callers' opinions). It truly was fun to look foward to turning on the radio and waiting expectantly to see what would be played next. BTW: there were playlists of course but many stations just used them as a guide, not a set-in-stone list that had to be followed just because some clueless corporate drone located in another state demanded it.

2) I'm not going to sit through 20 minutes of souless music designed by focus groups and a major label's accounting department just so I can finally hear that one tune that finally gets my head bobbing.

My present car only has a cassette deck so I bring along music I pretty much stopped listening to a decade ago-Fleetwood Mac, Yes, The Cars, etc-but thank gawd at least these have some originality and talent behind them. Last month I found a tape at a church resale shop (for only 50 cents!) by K.D. Lang called Shadowland (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000002LE9/qid=1133394467/sr=8-3/ref=pd_bbs_3/102-9264012-5696941?n=507846&s=music&v=glance), and while western country* isn't my favorite thing I have listened to this quality album much, much more than any radio station.

* there is a difference between "country & western" and western country

[Documad]

I just thought I'd throw in a Captain Beefheart reference since that's the preeminent band for those who wish to listen to the most obscure stuff ( ;) )
The Rock Snob's Dictionary says "Trout Mask Replica, is, Rock Snobs swear, a classic whose brilliance will reveal itself after you've listened to it 6,000 times or so." I don't know anyone who actually likes it, btw.