My Fave 3

Instead of a top 20, top 10 or even top 5, I've decided to list my top 3 fave alt. rock stations in the country as of right now.

1) Indie 103.1/LA
2) 94.7FM/Portland
3) WLUM/Milwaukee

That's it! I don't think any other stations in the US put on as interesting selection of music as these three at the moment (as of late May 2007), which all manage to remain commercially relevant enough to stay on the air.

Entercom is Devoted to the Alt. Format

Entercom is devoted to the alt. format.

They own the best group of Alternative Rock stations, and have for many years:

94/7 Portland
107.7 The End Seattle
96.5 The Buzz Kansas City
KWOD Sacramento
and now the new 94.9 The Sound / Cincinnati (this one is more adult-leaning)

Each programmed uniquely for its individual market and each great in its own way. Not programmed by a computer - there is heart & soul in these stations. I mean I don't think you're gonna hear Kraftwerk's "The Model" -- that KNRK-Portland played the other day-- on too many stations around the country.

This is a company that believes in the format and they need to be commended for it.

Canada Alt. Rockers Rock

Guess I never really noticed this until recently:

Canada has some really cool commercial alt. rock stations.

Sure they're burdened by that pesky CANCON content rule, but still these stations beat 99% of the alt. rockers in the us

Just recently discovered them (thanks to The StreamCenter Canada) but so far the fave is definitely Sonic 102.9 - 'Edmonton's Modern Rock.' Gets points for its original name, for playing female artists, and right now for instance spinning Arcade Fire "Neighborhood #3"! A negative is the voiceover person sounds like she should be on a Hot AC, not modern rock.

More Modern Rock in Wisconsin

As if it wasn't enough that Wisconsin was home to one of the best alt. rock stations in the country, 102.1 WLUM, two more modern rockers have been added to the state in recent months: New Rock 96.9 The Fox in Appleton, and 106.7 The Zone in nearby Green Bay. Both stations are owned by the same company.

The Fox is airing a decent alt. rock format with features including "Smells Like the 90s" Weekends. The station is a former active rocker.

106.7 The Zone is calling itself "Green Bay's Only True Alternative Station." The Zone is running a respectable format, devoid of a reliance on the hard rock that pervades the active/alt hybrids allover the country. Voiced by the guy who voices the very successful 96.5 Buzz in KC.

Indie 103.1 not Mainstream 103.1

There's been idle chatter over time by some that Indie 103.1/LA should mainstream its format a bit.

Now, I enjoy a decent mainstream modern rocker as much as the next guy but lets put an end to calling for the only Real Alternative FM left in the US to start pounding the mass appeal stuff. There was a time when there were stations like The Spy/Ok. City, REV 105/Minneapolis, WDRE/Philadelphia, WFNX/Boston among others that had this format, now Indie's all we've got left.

When people open their minds and hearts they find that the majority of the music played by Indie 103.1 has more depth, context and meaning (art-driven/lasting) than any of the Top 40 alternadrivel (commerce-driven/disposable).

WLUM Milwaukee: Real Modern Rock Radio

The music being cranked out on this station is nothing short of astounding, because it is both very commercially viable yet interesting at the same time. Since their recent relaunch, they're also digging into the cool, hidden gold tracks like no other big market, big signal station in the country right now.

WLUM Milwaukee 8/21/06 8PM NIN "Only", Refreshments "Banditos" Killers "When you were young" Panic at the disco "I write sins.." Johnny Cash "Ring of fire" Beck "Devils Haircut" 10 Years "Wasteland" Crystal Method "Busy Child" Say Anything "Alive with the glory of love" All american rejects "Move along" Ice Cube "It was a good day" Nirvana "Smells Like Teen Spirit"

WLUM Milwaukee Friday 8/25/06 7pm Radiohead "Paranoid Android" 311 "Don't Stay Home" System of a Down "Chop Suey!" Clash "Rock the Casbah" Arctic Monkeys "I Bet You Look Good on the Dance Floor" Bush "Comedown" Beastie Boys "The New Style" Deathcab for Cutie "Soul Meets Body" RHCP "Around the World" Cypress Hill "Hand on the Pump" Angels & Airwaves "Do it for me Now" Crystal Method "Trip Like i Do"

This station is proof that the format should remain youth-focused. A station that focuses solely on Classic Alt. bands and recent bands that take their cues from Classic Alt. bands should be designated into a new format classification.

They get away with playing Disturbed, new Arcade Fire, Dead Kennedys and Tori Amos all on one station with a focus that doesn't exclude the 18-24 set, and it sounds right.

Last but not least, the flashback lunch...

WLUM Milwaukee Tues 8/30/06 12PM Peter Murphy "Cuts You Up" Matthew Sweet "I've Been Waiting" Clash "London Calling" Fastball "The Way" STP "Dead & Bloated" Soul Asylum "misery" Cure "Pictures of You" They Might Be Giants "Ana Ng" Pearl Jam "Release" Gin Blossoms "Follow You Down".

The Indie/Rev Connection

While no station since has covered the commercial alternative rock format with nearly as diverse a playlist than Rev 105 - Revolution Radio in Minneapolis in the 1990s, Indie 103.1 in Santa Monica/Newport Beach comes closest.

Sinatra, Ladytron, Queen, NIN in the same morning just kinda reminds ya of the ole rev, no?

And coincidentally KROQ plays the role that 93.7 The Edge played back then with a safe predictable corporate playlist burned into the ground that the masses eat up like McDonald's burgers! As jed the fish says incessently "i'm sorry but this is kroq."

WLUM Milwaukee Turns the Corner

I gotta say:

Right now WLUM is musically hitting on all cylinders better than any other alt. station in the country.

They recently relaunched from a boring cookie cutter format that avoided the active-sounding stuff and have become a station not afraid to play it all: from old White Zombie to Romeo Void all the way up to the currents that are hitting the NEW ROCK genre in the US right now.

I used to be a purist who felt Buckcherry & Three Days Grace belonged nowhere near an Alt. station. But after seeing some of the music logs of WLUM, my world has been changed...for now anyway. Especially in a market such as Milwaukee, a meat-and-potatoes market, that lost heritage active rocker Lazer 103 a few months back, their tasteful playlist really makes sense.

Check it out:

WLUM Music Log