Although there are many albums and artists I enjoy, these are my favorites on regular rotation since they were released. This list is in no particular order.
Beat – King Crimson (1982)
My favorite line-up of players including Adrian Belew (vox, gtr), Bill Bruford (drums), Tony Levin (bass) as well as founding member Robert Fripp.
A Trick of the Tail – Genesis (1976)
The first time I saw Genesis was in support of this album at the Beacon Theater. Being fifteen at the time, my dad drove me and my girlfriend there and back as it was the 11:30 PM show. Anyway, it , was an unforgettable show yada yada yada and Bill Bruford played drums.
This is the first album after Peter Gabriel left the band and the boys hit a home run in my opinion.
Debut – Bjork (1993)
I really liked the first few Bjork albums but this is my=favorite.
Signals – Rush (1982)
Scary Monsters – David Bowie (1980)
Eat to the Beat – Blondie (1979)
Songs From the Big Chair – Tears for Fears (1985)
This is Big Audio Dynamite – Big Audio Dynamite (1984)
The Golden Age of Wireless – Thomas Dolby (1982)
Her Satanic Majesties Request – The Rolling Stones (1967)
this is my internet radio setup: bluetooth speaker and old pixel 6 phone
I live in a dead zone for both AM and FM radio signals. The first time I set up my hi-fi system, I thought it was broken because when testing the radio, there was only silence with the ribbon antenna. Eventually I solved this problem by installing a FM antenna in the attic.
Internet Radio 🙂
I mainly listen to radio on the internet, even for local stations. i use an app to listen to radio called Radio Garden. Radio Garden is a non-profit Dutch radio and digital research project developed from 2013 to 2016, by the Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision, by the Transnational Radio Knowledge Platform and five other European universities. According to the service, the idea is to narrow the boundaries from the radio. The interface is a world map with dots indicating radio station locations.
i use an app to listen to radio called Radio Garden. Radio Garden is a non-profit Dutch radio and digital research project developed from 2013 to 2016, by the Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision, by the Transnational Radio Knowledge Platform and five other European universities. According to the service, the idea is to narrow the boundaries from the radio. The interface is a world map with dots indicating radio stations.
Also, I use my OG iPod and iTunes to listen to music. I’ve got all the albums and songs I’ve bought over the years loaded on those devices. I add new music every so often, and I’ve got a total of 6386 songs in my collection. But even with that many songs, I get tired of them and start looking for new sounds. I listen to a lot of different genres, and I like to mix it up. I’m always on the lookout for new music to add to my collection.
My Radio Stations
I’ve been listening to music on Radio Garden. It’s a great app that lets you travel the world listening to radio stations. Here are some of my favorite stations, both local and not:
Svara Radio’s co-founder Mark Owens (Image: Noah Robson)
SVARA Internet Radio
I am listening to SVARA radio, an internet radio station from Liverpool, UK. SVARA broadcasts a mix of new music and DJ programs. The DJ programs feature a variety of genres, including House, Afrobeat, and Techno. Occasionally, SVARA plays songs by Bowie, Bjork, Talking Heads, and Arctic Monkeys. Overall, the station offers a pleasing mix of sounds that I can listen to all day without commercial interruptions or DJ commentary. It provides a pleasant soundtrack in my home. Use Radio Garden or play from website.
Founded by Mark Owens and Josh Wilson from Huyton, the station focuses on grassroots arts, culture and music ranging from alternative and indie to dance and hip-hop.
“We’re unique to the other stations, as in we’re not really dealing with commercial music. We’re dealing with stuff that’s still modern, contemporary, but a different kind of music to what gets heard on our commercial stations.”
Svara Radio’s co-founder Mark Owens
Club FM Dublin
“Dublin’s Hottest Dance Mix” Broadcasting on 107.1 FM Across Dublin. DAB Dublin, Cork ,Waterford and the Northeast. Use Radio Garden or ask Alexa to play Club FM Dublin
WBGO FM 88.3 – Newark NJ
I primarily listen to WBGO, a public radio station in Newark, New Jersey. Because it is a public station, it is commercial-free. I enjoy listening to their Big Band and light jazz selections, as well as their local news programming. I especially like the way they mix in interviews with local musicians and other interesting guests. Use Radio Garden, ask Alexa to play WBGO or listen from WBGO’s website
Monifa Brown, WBGO program host
“I was born with music inside me…Like my ribs, my kidneys, my liver, my heart. Like my blood. It was a force already within me when I arrived on the scene. It was a necessity for me-like food or water.”
Monifa Brown, Host of WBGO Saturday Afternoon Jazz
WKCR 89.9 FM
I discovered WKCR by accident. When I first started listening to it, I thought it was a classical music station. After listening for a few hours, I realized it was just one show among many, playing a variety of music from jazz to techno. From that day on, WKCR has been my go-to radio station.
WKCR-FM, Columbia University’s non-commercial student-run radio station, is dedicated to presenting a spectrum of alternative programming—traditional and art music, spoken arts, and original journalism. Granted its FCC license in 1941, WKCR is both steeped in tradition and committed to innovation. In the New York area, the station can be heard at 89.9 megacycles in FM; worldwide, it streams online.
Downloads/Purchases
I recently purchased the live recording of Yes’s early albums, entitled “Keys to Ascension.” I was not disappointed. Progressive rock from the 1970s is my favorite genre, and I am a fan of Yes, Genesis, Pink Floyd, and other bands from that era. This live recording sounds excellent, and includes songs from “Time and a Word” to “Going for the One,” as well as several new studio recordings. Recorded in 1996 at the Fremont Theater in San Luis Obispo, California, the performance was captured in a small theater with only 650 attendees. The band performed with its classic lineup of Rick Wakeman on keyboards, Jon Anderson on vocals, Chris Squire on bass, Steve Howe on guitar, and Alan White on drums. Compared to Yessongs, the recording has a very crisp and full audio range.
