Conference marvin::uk_music

    
    I know it's a bank holiday over there, and nobody's around, so I'll
    reply to my own note:
    
    To sum up what I said previously - I think, in the UK you have to
    *look* for good music, whereas in the US it finds you,(provided
    you have a radio :-))  
    
    Sue

>    To sum up what I said previously - I think, in the UK you have to
>    *look* for good music, whereas in the US it finds you,(provided
>    you have a radio :-))  
    
	100% agree, Sue. FM radio over in the US is infinitely better than
that back home, but boy, do you guys make up for it with the "television"!

	Keith 

    
    
    Yup ,your dead right Sue ,and from your base note it sounds like
    you didn't look to hard ......  :-)
    
    _Stuart_.

    
    Sorry Sue, I really must disagree.
    
    "In the US good music looks for you"
    "FM radio is infinitely better"
    
    My experience (and that of several Brit friends) of FM radio in the US
    is it's FANTASTIC for a few days. But then it starts repeating,
    starts repeating, starts repeating. Yes, it's great to hear those
    old Eagles tracks again, and the Beatles, but there's not the variety
    and originality of the UK music scene.
    
    Of course my experience is VERY limited, both in time and geographical
    area - so tell me I'm wrong !
    
    - Steve B.
    

    ; FM radio in the US
    ;is it's FANTASTIC for a few days. But then it starts repeating,       
    ; there's not the variety
    ;and originality of the UK music scene.                                   
     
    The beaty of FM radio over here is that when one station starts
    repeating itself, you switch to one of the countless other stations 
    which feature whatever kind of music you like - even new music from the
    UK.  The college/university stations are great for that, and here
    in Boston, they abound.  So the variety is here!
    
    As for television, well, you've got me there!
    
    Sue
                                                 

    
    I have to agree with .4
    
    I am in the 2nd year of a 3 year temporary relocation to the US from
    the UK. At first I was amazed at the Fm stations. It took about
    6 months but now I'm very disillusioned. All the stations have very
    small play lists and the boredom sets in. I do move around the dial
    but I've yet to find a station that has a good turnover of music,
    particularly new releases.
    
    I get the feeling over here that I have no idea whats really happening
    in the music scene and in some way I'm missing out in comparison
    with the UK. It often leaves me wondering how a new group ever gets
    to have a 'hit' in the USA.
    
    Having recently had cable TV installed, I spend a lot of time lately
    watching MTV. Last weekend I caught the chart update from the UK.
    I didn't recognise a single artists name, yet over here I don't
    think in a years residence any new artist has caught my eye. For
    that reason alone I strongly disagree with the comment about good
    music 'finding' you in the US vs. the UK having to look for it. I
    have the opposite opinion.
    
    Sue, perhaps you'd point me at a station I should try.
    
    For the record I'm essentially a rock music lover of all kinds,
    but I have a wide range of music I appreciate. I guess that in itself
    puts me at a disadvantage over here because the stations tend to
    be more specialised, and you can't listen to two stations at once.
    
    In the UK I was an avid Capital Radio fan, occasionally Radio London
    and very occasionally Radio 1.
    
    I won't mention the television! (though all those cable channels
    does increase the probability of finding British made programs)
    
    -Mike-
    

     
    I spent three years at University in Manchester listening to the great
    local Radio Stations ,Radio Manchester on a Monday for 'The Buzz'
    followed by 'Melt Down' and Piccadilly Radio the rest of the week. 
    Are there any Jim Reeves listeners or Frank Sidebottom freaks out there?
                        
    Marc.
    
    

    I'm new to this area - recently returned to Britain, in fact - and
    must now shamefully concede to my american girlfriend that british
    FM is the pits.  Even in Italy you can find one or two decent stations
    amongst the havoc of the FM band.
    
    I've been searching, without success, for something other than just
    radio gaga.  Can anyone quote me a wavelength where i can find good
    music and intelligent DJs?  Ie. I don't mean 210, Radio 1, Capitol...
    
    Need to know...
    thanks.

    RE .8   Hold on till next year when the radio legislation is reviewed.
    New FM stations are promised but we'll have to wait and see what
    the quality's like ...
    
    RE earlier notes - USA FM radio is fine providing you don't have
    to listen to it all day.   On Radio 1/Capital you maybe hear a
    record twice in a whole day whereas over there it's about every
    three hours ... from what I've heard in Valbonne, Italian FM
    sounds quite passable.

    Now that I've mentioned European FM I'll add a bit more:
    
    Germany was a bit disappointing, though British Forces radio was
    ok.  American Forces Network was good for a laugh (ie. totally
    moronic).  Holland had one or two very good stations (sorry, can't
    remember the details).  Italian FM is so choc-a-bloc it's difficult
    to pick anything up clearly, and most stations are just vociferous
    dj's being interrupted by the occasional mindless disco bop.  Though,
    like I said, I did find at least one excellent private station.
    French FM struck me as a bit Charles Aznavour-ish ie. they like
    their french music and nothing much else.
    
    Any comments, anybody?
    (Ok, so it's not exactly "British music", but so what?)
    

    a response to .6:
    
    104.1fm (WBCN) plays mostly top of the charts, will pick out newer
    groups, but they advertise 360 degrees of rock and try to follow
    that format.  (That is what drove me away, they started playing
    too much heavy metal for my tastes.)  'BCN's claim to fame is that
    they helped to break U2 in America, as well as several local bands.
    That may be true, but their new program director is allowing less
    new and adventurous (is that a word?) music on during prime time,
    going for music to rake in the advertising bucks.
    
    101.7fm (WFNX) calls itself "Boston's New Music Source."  Well,
    in a way it is.  They concentrate more on English charts than on
    American charts, and also support the local music scene, but still,
    the 4 hour shifts can start to be repetitive.  (I was surprised
    to hear the Dead Milkmen's tune "You'll Dance to Anything..." on
    'FNX, the song lists the most heavily played groups)
    
    I switch between each for a bit, then usually hunt the left of the
    dial (home of college/public radio).  They play real alternative
    music, choice is more up to the individual spinning the discs. 
    (i.e. you're at one person's mercy, not the survey results'...)
    
    How do new groups hit the charts?  By becoming local favorites of
    radio stations, which perks the interest of record companies, who
    sign the group and push them nationwide.  Examples in Boston include
    Del Fuegos and 'til tuesday, both groups were played extensively
    by 'BCN before being signed and making splashes on their own.
    Unfortunately, commercial stations don't concentrate enough on local
    groups, fearing that they will lose rating points (= advertising
    dollars).
    
    Anybody feel free to correct me. 

              -< Too much Champagne tastes like Lemonade >-
    
    Seems to me that a few people have a hankering for an infinite ammount
    of whatever type of music they like.
    Even the *best* FM station is going to repeat stuff, if only 'cos
    there's a finite ammount of material. Specialist progs. even more
    so.
    
    As for UK vs US FM stations, from my experience (in CA) they seem
    capable of playing {on the whole} as much guff as anywhere else
    in the world I've had the chance to listen to an VHF radio.
    
    FM stations that have a large area of coverage are usually commercial
    and thus have to get a specific audience {the more the merrier of
    course!} at specific times to sell the Air-time to advertisers.
    At best, they come up with 1hr progs. that cater to specialist
    audiences (Indie etc.) but these people don't usually interest the
    Advertisers as they either don't have any purchasing power or are
    too few to warrant aiming ads at or are best reached by another
    method.
    
    UK VHF to my mind, has its best prog. in the shape of John Peel
    who seems to play everything and anything, but, having said that
    he does go OTT at times.
    His show only exists because the BBC isn't (yet) commercial. I couldn't
    imagine a commercial station putting out obscure music 6hrs a week.
    
    FWIW; my vote for best VHF station goes to JJJ (Sydney), that lot
    have the most varied play and prog. list I've yet heard. Needless
    to say, they're Govt. sponsored. {they do documentaries as well}
    My gripe is why can't we do it too!
    

    re.0
    >    As for all those American girl singers that you are all always
    >complaining about, well now I see why.  We have never heard of most
    >of them, nor do we claim responsibility, kinship, support - whatever
    >you want to call it- for these people.  I mean really - Pebbles??
    >Brenda Russell?? Debbie Gibson?? Come on!!  It's your music industry
    >who's pushing them on you, not their previous American successes-
    >because their hasn't been any!
     
    They're here (said in your best "Heather O'Rourke/Poltergeist voice").