Radio

Prairie Home Companion on Ice!

Filed under: Radio

Okay, not exactly on ice, more like near ice. The cast and crew of Minnesota Public Radio's popular program will set sail Friday, July 14, from Seattle on Prairie Home Cruise II, a week-long journey to Alaska with stops in Juneau, Glacier Bay, and Ketchikan, among others. An announcement from host Garrison Keillor on the PHC website entices would-be travellers with "all the things that people said they enjoyed about Cruise I--the group singing, the plethora of intimate musical performances, the workshops, the naturalists, the star-gazing, the late-night carousing in the Crow's Nest, the Amateur Night..." Guy's All-Star Shoe Band, the Royal Academy of Radio Actors, and Robin and Linda Williams are confirmed, with other entertainers to be announced. No word on whether Guy Noir will coordinate the shuffleboard tournament. Any particular radio show you'd go cruising for?

Posted by Corey Anderson at February 6, 2006 3:04 PM | Comments (1)

 

Radio K's Top 77 Records of 2005

Filed under: Local Music , Local Music , Local Music

Here's Radio K's Top 77 albums of the year, based on listener votes. Since the email didn't distinguish between band name, title, or label, let us know if there are any errors below:

1. Broken Social Scene, Broken Social Scene (Arts & Crafts)
2. Low, The Great Destroyer (Sub Pop)
3. Gorillaz, Demon Days (Virgin)
4. Sufjan Stevens, Illinois (Asthmatic Kitty)
5. M.I.A., Arular (XL)
6. LCD Soundsystem, LCD Soundsystem (EMI)
7. Bloc Party, Silent Alarm (Vice)
8. Sigur Ros, TakkŠ (Geffen)
9. Sleater-Kinney, The Woods (Sub Pop)
10. M83, Before the Dawn Heals Us (Mute)
11. The White Stripes, Get Behind Me Satan (V2)
12. Stnnng, Dignified Sissy (Modern Radio)...

13. Black Mountain, Black Mountain (Jagjaguwar)
14. Wolf Parade, Apologies to the Queen Mary (Sub Pop)
15. Deerhoof, The Runners Four (Kill Rock Stars)
16. The New Pornographers, Twin Cinema (Matador)
17. The Hold Steady, Separation Sunday (Frenchkiss)
18. The Go! Team, Thunder, Lightning, Strike (Columbia)
19. Iron & Wine / Calexico, In the Reins (Overcoat)
20. Belles of Skin City, Ha-Ha Boardroom Think Tank Tantrums (TGNP)
21. The Decemberists, Picaresque (Kill Rock Stars)
22. Spoon, Gimme Fiction (Merge)
23. Seu Jorge, Cru (Wrasse)
24. Devendra Banhart, Cripple Crow (XL)
25. Dosh, Powder Horn (Self-Released)
26. Stars, Set Yourself on Fire (Arts & Crafts)
27. Out Hud, Let Us Never Speak of it Again (Kranky)
28. Caribou, The Milk of Human Kindness (Domino)
29. The Blind Shake, Rizzograph (Learning Curve)
30. Annie, Anniemal (Big Beat)
31. Atmosphere, You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having (Rhymesayers)
32. The Soviettes, LP III (Fat Wreck Chords)
33. Danger Doom, The Mouse and the Mask (Epitaph)
34. Four Tet, Everything Ecstatic (Domino)
35. Kanser, Self Titled (Interlock)
36. Ladytron, The Witching Hour (Ryko)
37. Big Business Head for the Shallow Hydra Head [no idea what's what here]
38. The Black Angels EP (Light in the Attic)
39. Kill the Vultures, Kill the Vultures (Locust)
40. Chariots, Congratulations (Troubleman)
41. Metric, Live it Out (Last Gang)
42. Bright Eyes, I'm Wide Awake, it's Morning (Saddle Creek)
43. Digitata, Sexually Transmitted Emotion (TGNP)
44. Architecture in Helsinki, In Case We Die (Bar/None)
45. Of Montreal, The Sunlandic Twins (Polyvinyl)
46. The Fall, Fall Heads Roll (Narnack)
47. Death Cab for Cutie, Plans (Atlantic)
48. Death From Above 1979, Romance Bloody Romance (Vice)
49. Goldfrapp, Number 1 (Mute)
50. Animal Collective, Feels (Fatcat)
51. Dungen Ta Det Lungt (Kemado) [no idea what the band name is here]
52. Falcon Crest, Taste the Thunder Raise the Flag (Not Bad)
53. Blood on the Wall, Awesomer (Social Registry)
54. The Mars Volta. Frances the Mute (GSL/Universal)
55. Adult, Gimmie Troube (Thrill Jockey)
56. The Midnight Evils, Breakin' it Down (Estrus)
57. The Mountain Goats, The Sunset Tree (4AD)
58. Spaghetti Western String Co., Quiet Mob EP (Self-Released)
59. Sims, Lights Out Paris (Doomtree)
60. Fischerspooner, Odyssey (Capitol/EMI)
61. The Quantic Soul Orchestra, Pushin' On (Ubiquity)
62. Gay Beast EP (Self-Released)
63. Halloween, Alaska, Too Tall to Hide (East Side Digital)
64. Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, Naturally (aptone)
65. The Fiery Furnaces EP (Rough Trade)
66. Sicbay, Suspicious Icons (54 '40 or Fight)
67. Lemon Jelly, 64-'95 (XL)
68. Hockey Night, Keep Guessin' (Lookout)
69. Andrew Bird, The Mysterious Productions of Eggs (Righteous Babe)
70. Cloud Cult, Advice From the Happy Hippopotamus (Earthology)
71. 400 Blows, Angel's Trumpets and Devil's Trombones (GSL)
72. Ohmega Watts, The Find (Ubiquity)
73. Xiu Xiu, La Foret (5RC)
74. The Raveonettes, Pretty in Black (Columbia)
75. Broadcast, Tender Buttons (Warp)
76. The Most Serene Republic, Underwater Cinematographer (Arts & Crafts)
77. Fog, 10th Avenue Freakout (Lex)

Posted by Peter S. Scholtes at January 3, 2006 10:45 AM | Comments (2)

 

Satellite radio gets weirder: Bob Dylan turns DJ

Filed under: Radio

XM Satellite Radio has signed Bob Dylan to do a weekly hour-long broadcast beginning in March. The network offered Dylan a completely open format, commercial-free. So far, Bob plans to fill the time talking, playing music and interviewing guests, although most intriguing is the announcement that he'll also answer email he gets on the air. What's not announced is how much he's being paid, but it couldn't come close to the $500 million Howard Stern is getting from rival Sirius Satellite Radio. How either network affords anything would be the most interesting announcement of all, since neither has made a profit since they started: 1999 for Sirius, 1994 for XM.

Posted by Steve Monaco at December 13, 2005 11:28 PM | Comments (1)

 

Minneapolis: home of the honky tonk badonkadonk?

Filed under: Radio

When the folks who run the Country Music Awards decided it was time for the show to dust of its boots and transfer from Nashville to New York City (New York City!?, exclaimed faux-Southern-style here just like it is on that commercial for Pace Picante sauce), some claimed it was a publicity stunt--a means to shake off the crunchy Southern-fried attitude wrapped (tastefully) in a American flag and embrace the blue states. There is, after all, an ongoing effort to expand country music's already ginormous market. Those intentions could explain why local country station K102 was honored as the best major-market station during the CMAs on Wednesday night. Even southern transplants and the station's loyal listeners were shocked by the news, according to a report on WCCO. 'CCO chalked up the win to the station's community service.

Still, the Twin Cities might not be quite as gaga over the Clear Channel-owned station as the rest of the country. According to the latest Arbitron ratings, K102 is the No. 3 station in Minneapolis/St. Paul, with an average quarter share of 8.0. WCC0-AM talk radio lands in the top spot with 9.2. In fact, talk radio takes up five spots, more than any other format, in the Arbitron ratings. Minneapolitans, apparently, would rather listen to people chatter than the country version of "Baby Got Back."

The top-three stations might snare a good portion of the Twin Cities radio audience, but not everyone is strictly in it for the Honky Tonk Badonkadonk. As member-supported 89.3 the Current's ratings continue to edge upward, the station has gained a number of new corporate underwriters, according to the Minneapolis Business Journal. The MPR-owned station reports a 2.3 share, beating out alternative station Drive 105, which claims a 1.2 share.

Posted by at November 18, 2005 2:31 AM | Comments (0)

 

Stern gets day off

Filed under: Radio

Howard Stern is today serving a one-day suspension from his syndicated radio show originating from WXRK Radio in New York. Still working for Infinity Broadcasting, Stern apparently spent much airtime Monday plugging his upcoming switch to Sirius Satellite Radio. Stern has reportedly inked a $500 million contract to switch to Sirius in January, the first time such a popular talent has gambled on subscription-based radio.

Stern's show is said to have gone downhill since his late '80s, early '90s heyday, though residents of the Twin Cities wouldn't know, since their only access to his show is via the puerile snippets shown on E Entertainment TV. Still there are fond memories to be had of the halcyon days of Cookie Puss, Mister Methane, and the leashless license given to such raving maniacs as Sam Kinison, Mr. T, and Pat Cooper. In a surreal move, Sirius has already launched a channel about Stern in anticipation of his arrival.

Posted by Quinton Skinner at November 8, 2005 12:15 PM | Comments (0)