I’m just back from a 2,500 mile road trip and want to know: how is it that New York City has the worst radio offerings of any city in the United States? I heard the Talking Heads song “Born Under Punches” on the radio near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. When did that last happen in New York? And the Talking Heads are even a New York band.
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One good thing about being stationary, or at least having an internet connection, is that you can listen to radio online. That way, location doesn’t matter…
that talking heads song is very different and interesting, which i suppose is why it isn’t played on new york radio (with the sole exception of npr potentially). it’s strange how in contrast to other areas of the country i’ve visited (e.g. seattle, minnesota, california, olympia), new york could care less about its regional artists. perhaps that’s due to there being so many worth playing, and because so many residents are not actually from new york and so could care less about a regional identity.
Check out the newer station in NYC 101.9, XRP. Morning show w/ Matt Pinfield and over really good music. No WDRE from back in the day, but definitely my go to station in New York now…
WXRP definitely has some good stuff, though their Labor Day countdown was bizarre. WFUV, the Fordham station (90.7), seems to be the best bet for quality. Driving north on Monday I heard them playing “I’ll Never Be Your Maggie May” by Suzanne Vega. I almost fell out the driver-side door, which doesn’t really close properly on my damned truck. I was shocked to hear such good music on the airwaves within fifty miles of the Battery.