J'Mal
Joined: Unknown
Posts: 0
Re: XM vs. Sirius
April 05, 2004 at 07:54 PM UTC
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kosmo, you can only program what you know, and what you've got. XM solves both of those issues.
the ipod clone is just something i use to work out. the XM has really put a huge dent in my CD listening and guided what remains of it (and, by extension, what goes on the mp3 player).
bellenseb
Joined: October 09, 2003 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 1889
Re: XM vs. Sirius
April 05, 2004 at 08:17 PM UTC
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Thanks, Grotty. Just checked it out. The Cafe is a nightmare for me - total WYEP, Sting, Santana, Natalie Merchant, safe mainstream adult contemporary fare.
The Loft looks much better - Dylan, Elliott Smith, good quality singer-songwriters.
I was hoping for a station that was sort of a little more eclectic and indie version of the Loft - with a playlist with lots of say, Will Oldham, Pernice Brothers, Volebeats, Dave Pajo, Microphones, Sufjan Stevens, Magnetic Fields, Damien Jurado, Mirah, Mark Eitzel, Mark Kozelek, Mekons, etc, etc, mixed with eclectic classic songwriters like Roky Erikson, Leonard Cohen, Skip Spence, and so forth.
XMU looks decent but seems to broad and fixed on "hot new bands" rather than DJs assembling carefully chosen sets of their most-loved songs, a la college radio.
Originally posted by grotty:
Originally posted by J'Mal:
XM Cafe (45) (the deeper AAA station, as opposed to their poppier AAA station), The Loft (50),
These can be very good stations, but back to my original complaint: be prepared for a healthy dose of Sarah McLachlan/Shawn Colvin type tunes sprinkled in there.
You can peruse sample rock category playlists here that should help you decide:
XM programming
kosmo
Joined: September 23, 1999 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 16329
Re: XM vs. Sirius
April 05, 2004 at 08:42 PM UTC
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Originally posted by J'Mal:
kosmo, you can only program what you know, and what you've got. XM solves both of those issues.
the ipod clone is just something i use to work out. the XM has really put a huge dent in my CD listening and guided what remains of it (and, by extension, what goes on the mp3 player).
ok i'm being a snot here… but isn't quite possible that xm isn't for everone? do they have a station that plays 60's soul other than Motown and Stax? 60's Garage? A station like Little Steven's which plays rock music from the 50's onward and dares to mix punk in with the classic rock? sure xm could be useful tool in finding new artists, but so is this forum, reviews, emusic, and cmj new music monthly.
when i'm listening at home I tend to listen to records in their entirity. when i like something i generally like all the tracks. those people who claim records only have one or two good tracks are buying the wrong product, because either i dig or loathe the whole record..
and i heard one of the xm 80's stations while shopping at a record and tape traders recently, and it had this obnoxious dj yakking between songs..
bellenseb
Joined: October 09, 2003 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 1889
Re: XM vs. Sirius
April 05, 2004 at 09:00 PM UTC
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Agreed. I just threw those bands out as examples, but a more general way of putting it might be "bands that might get booked at the Black Cat and/or Iota, and their influences". Maybe this is too narrow for XM's target audience.
Again, if they had a feeds for great independent stations, like KCRW or WFMU, they wouldn't even have to program anything.
grotty
Joined: Unknown
Posts: 0
Re: XM vs. Sirius
April 05, 2004 at 09:07 PM UTC
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And I think Kosmo is also hitting on the fact that there are many different types of music listeners.
Some people just like good songs. They don't care about the relationship between the songs.
Others prefer a more organized approach - entire records, similar 'tones' etc.
Nothing wrong with either of these. But XM is definitely utilizing the good songs approach: 'if you like this one, try this one.'
bellenseb
Joined: October 09, 2003 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 1889
Re: XM vs. Sirius
April 05, 2004 at 09:10 PM UTC
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Also, some of their stations do seem to be pretty focused. Their "Village" zeroes in on the 60s Greenwich Village folk scene like a laser beam.
I wouldn't necessarily want hyper-specific stations, but would want a cohesive vision.
Little Steven's Sunday Night show is an awesome example of a great eclectic mix that has that vision and cohesiveness. It's so fun much to listen to because he's obviously playing songs he loves, smartly sequenced, many of which haven't been heard for decades.
markie
Joined: October 15, 2001 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 13178
Re: XM vs. Sirius
April 05, 2004 at 09:16 PM UTC
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Originally posted by bellenseb:
"bands that might get booked at the Black Cat and/or Iota, and their influences".
Woxy does a reasonable job at this.
J'Mal
Joined: Unknown
Posts: 0
Re: XM vs. Sirius
April 05, 2004 at 09:26 PM UTC
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it's nice that on XMU'S electronic show, for example, they'll usually play blocks from a certain artist/CD, like a whole mess of mark farina or izdatso… when elliott smith died, the loft became the elliott smith station for a while…
As for "this forum, reviews, emusic, and cmj new music," I dunno, I prefer to try new music by hearing it, and by hearing things I might not think to pick out myself, rather than read other people's opinions about the music and then have to go through the hassle of downloading it.
i'm really psyched for the pinback show at the cat next week. if i spent all my time reading CMJ, maybe I would have discovered them anyway. but hearing it on XMU was, in this case, as usual, more effective.
is it for everyone? well, if you're super-picky and you need a station that just plays exactly what you already know and want to hear right now, then no. you also don't understand the concept of radio.
that, to me, is what is so fascinating about this whole thread. radio has become so completely shitty and worthless that when it's suddenly done right, it's still not a concept that is easily "felt" by those who have largely abandoned it.
the website lists a few artists that represent the station, but believe me, it is alot more than a jukebox that plays stuff at random. it's really all about the programming. those who said, well, they should just stream WFMU and KCRW, hey, those are great stations. Two great stations. XM has far more than two of its own great stations.
bags
Joined: October 30, 2001 at 06:01 AM UTC
Posts: 8545
Re: XM vs. Sirius
April 05, 2004 at 09:29 PM UTC
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Originally posted by J'Mal:
that, to me, is what is so fascinating about this whole thread. radio has become so completely shitty and worthless that when it's suddenly done right, it's still not a concept that is easily "felt" by those who have largely abandoned it.
Yeah, I think that's the issue here, j'mal. I got hooked on Spinner for a while – it's genre specific, and the genre's are quite narrow. It's good, but you don't learn much…..
J'Mal
Joined: Unknown
Posts: 0
Re: XM vs. Sirius
April 05, 2004 at 09:34 PM UTC
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bags… exactly. i have hundred upon hundreds of CDs. sometimes, none of them jump out at me. it's nice to let someone else spin the tunes, and even hop into a new genre once in a while and hear what someone who is ultra-good at that genre of music is doing.
as for "what's at the black cat and iota and influences," I really think XMU is like the black cat/cheaper 9.30 show station sometimes.
El Tee
Joined: October 09, 2003 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 3809
Re: XM vs. Sirius
April 05, 2004 at 11:57 PM UTC
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Originally posted by J'Mal:
it's nice that on XMU'S electronic show, for example, they'll usually play blocks from a certain artist/CD, like a whole mess of mark farina or izdatso… when elliott smith died, the loft became the elliott smith station for a while…
As for "this forum, reviews, emusic, and cmj new music," I dunno, I prefer to try new music by hearing it, and by hearing things I might not think to pick out myself, rather than read other people's opinions about the music and then have to go through the hassle of downloading it.
i'm really psyched for the pinback show at the cat next week. if i spent all my time reading CMJ, maybe I would have discovered them anyway. but hearing it on XMU was, in this case, as usual, more effective.
is it for everyone? well, if you're super-picky and you need a station that just plays exactly what you already know and want to hear right now, then no. you also don't understand the concept of radio.
that, to me, is what is so fascinating about this whole thread. radio has become so completely shitty and worthless that when it's suddenly done right, it's still not a concept that is easily "felt" by those who have largely abandoned it.
the website lists a few artists that represent the station, but believe me, it is alot more than a jukebox that plays stuff at random. it's really all about the programming. those who said, well, they should just stream WFMU and KCRW, hey, those are great stations. Two great stations. XM has far more than two of its own great stations.
Well said!
imrotten
Joined: February 20, 2002 at 06:01 AM UTC
Posts: 1089
Re: XM vs. Sirius
April 06, 2004 at 08:51 AM UTC
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Originally posted by bellenseb:
[QB] Was thinking of getting Satellite Radio now that both of them are carrying Air America.
Any thoughts on which one was better? I'm primarily interested in indie pop and rock, psych, alt-folk and offbeat singer-songwriter type music. I looked at XM's lineup and it seems pretty weak on indie and underground music (only one station, XMU?). Is Sirius any better on this end?
>>>>>>I would have to say XM is the better on the music side…..Also like to warn you of Air America airing on both networks…….that doesn't look like the case………Sirius airs a channel called "America Left"…….It IS NOT Air America….Air America is exclusive to XM…..check the Air America website……that being said…….XM's decision to air only an hour of Randi Rhodes's afternoon/evening drive show will not get me running to the store to install XM……..she is the only experienced talker that they have and it shows…..the woman is a pitbull and doesn't back down….her phone call with Nader was classic!……..I'll keep it going for free on the stream….
Seth Hurwitz
Joined: October 02, 1999 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 1014
Re: XM vs. Sirius
April 06, 2004 at 12:09 PM UTC
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XM for me
On The Rocks (lounge music) channel is great
Sports channels are great coming home from a football game if one were to have wagering interests in the outcomes of such affairs
bellenseb
Joined: October 09, 2003 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 1889
Re: XM vs. Sirius
April 06, 2004 at 01:21 PM UTC
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I just read (can't find the link now!) that they've secured a deal with Sirius Radio too. This will be in addition to their "talk left" station.
That's awful that XM only airs an hour of Randy Rhodes! What do they air instead the other 2 hours?
bellenseb
Joined: October 09, 2003 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 1889
Re: XM vs. Sirius
April 06, 2004 at 04:19 PM UTC
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Randy Rhodes' show is 4 hours (see
www.airamericaradio.com). It looks like XM is running Schultz over Air America's Rhodes feed.