104.5 Puts Me To Sleep

[PhillyAltRockers]

This is supposed to be an alternative ROCK station? Since when is Nickleback and Peter Gabriel alternative ROCK? Where is the good, alternative rock at? Since when is alternative rock something that is pulled from some tight commercial radio playlist? It sounds like this thing is on auto-pilot. What about all the alternative rock from the most prolific period, 1977 to 1995, the stuff that was on college radio long before commercial radio even had an alternative rock format? Do we need to hear the same 2 Ramones songs that radio ever played? Ever hear of "Sheena Is A Punk Rocker" Radio 104.5? Is that on your charts? The same tired Dave Matthews hits? As Sid Vicious would say, "BORING!!" It's safe to say that Philly's alternative rock fans have nothing to be excited about with this atrocity. If they can't give us anything to be part of or be excited about, what's the point of tuning in? We can find everything we need on the internet.

 

[Wil]

Do we need to hear the same 2 Ramones songs that radio ever played? Ever hear of "Sheena Is A Punk Rocker" Radio 104.5? Is that on your charts?

I used to open my college radio show with the Ramones "We Want the Airwaves". I don't understand why this song never gets/got airplay on rock stations in Philly.

 

[drog123]

This is supposed to be an alternative ROCK station? Since when is Nickleback and Peter Gabriel alternative ROCK? Where is the good, alternative rock at? Since when is alternative rock something that is pulled from some tight commercial radio playlist? It sounds like this thing is on auto-pilot. What about all the alternative rock from the most prolific period, 1977 to 1995, the stuff that was on college radio long before commercial radio even had an alternative rock format? Do we need to hear the same 2 Ramones songs that radio ever played? Ever hear of "Sheena Is A Punk Rocker" Radio 104.5? Is that on your charts? The same tired Dave Matthews hits? As Sid Vicious would say, "BORING!!" It's safe to say that Philly's alternative rock fans have nothing to be excited about with this atrocity. If they can't give us anything to be part of or be excited about, what's the point of tuning in? We can find everything we need on the internet.

Maybe it isn't perfect, but let's face it, it will never suit everyone. But so far I have only heard a few songs I couldn't stand at all. Do I want to hear a lot of Nickelback and Daughtry?? No, not really, but they are playing a hell of a lot of tunes, and very few and quick commercial breaks. Who knows if this will last but it is way better then listening to MMR play 5 or 6 songs, a boring DJ blab about useless crap and then go to a 6-7 minute commercial break. This is a welcomed change for someone who doesn't have a HD radio in their office and is sick of listening to various alternative stations through an internet stream....

 

[Play Freebird]

Has anyone heard any HD Radio promotional spots yet on 104.5? With all of that unsold inventory, one would expect Clear Channel would be running a couple digital radio promos every hour (to help fulfill the $250 million obligation to the "HD Alliance"), but I don't recall hearing any.

The likely reason? They're trying to get a foothold in the market and would rather not push a product that permits access to "Y Rock on XPN" on 88.5 HD-2 or enables digital reception of "Skin Radio" (for listeners within five miles of the WHAT transmitter.)

The HD "sword" cuts both ways!

 

[carnyfeet]

PhillyAltRocker, I agree 100%. I'm a hardcore Y-Rock listener and that won't change with the arrival of this new station unless they make a drastic move away from what they're currently playing.

This link flew under the radar in the other thread, but I spent enough time on it and I think it's fascinating enough to warrant posting again. Click on the link and hit "Run Pipe" to see the list of songs that 104.5 is playing that 93.3 is NOT playing. Alternative rock, my ass.

http://pipes.yahoo.com/pipes/pipe.info?_id=bMIDuDgJ3BG_QwO7l7okhQ

 

[Wexler]

YRock is a completely different animal. That is for the true, early adopter music listener, not the quintessential-Philadelphia-commercial-radio-Pearl-Jam-fan...(me).

There is a progressive home for alt music in Philly and they are doing a great job at it a YRock...and you certainly have access to it now.

The WRFF fight with WMMR is for the commercial radio listener that doesn't really care about their music as much as you. If WRFF can capture the disenfranchised commercial listener, by have a greater variety of the usual suspects, they will take significant share and might just win.

 

[Dancerev889]

WAAAAAA! You finally got a modern rock station and people complain. FYI radio is for the masses not a niche audience. radio 001

 

[carnyfeet]

WAAAAAA! You finally got a modern rock station and people complain. FYI radio is for the masses not a niche audience. radio 001

Just because radio is for the masses doesn't mean they can't program it to fit the tastes of the market it's in, instead of giving us a one-size-fits-all format that could just as easily be heard in some backwoods town down south. If you're going to make an alt-rock station in Philadelphia, you have to include the Philly favorites, play some local acts, and cut out the mullet rock.

I guess we should stop complaining because things are just going to magically get better on their own, huh?

 

[SoulCrusher]

PhillyAltRocker, I agree 100%. I'm a hardcore Y-Rock listener and that won't change with the arrival of this new station unless they make a drastic move away from what they're currently playing.

This link flew under the radar in the other thread, but I spent enough time on it and I think it's fascinating enough to warrant posting again. Click on the link and hit "Run Pipe" to see the list of songs that 104.5 is playing that 93.3 is NOT playing. Alternative rock, my ass.

http://pipes.yahoo.com/pipes/pipe.info?_id=bMIDuDgJ3BG_QwO7l7okhQ

I gave it a whirl. 14 songs out of 100! Whoopee!

It's not about being a music snob (although you could call me one), it's about truly giving Philly a choice like they claim. Instead, it seems like more of the same. Given Clear Channel's reputation for having similar sounding stations, I guess it makes sense. C'mon guys, this is Philadelphia and we already have WMMR. All the Mullets that want to hear Nickelback, Daughtry, Hinder, 3 Doors Down, Shinedown and others are finding it on some other station more suited to their tastes. In addition, all the teenyboppers that love Fall Out Boy, Panic! At The Disco, All American Rejects, etc. are probably listening to Q or Wired instead. That leaves the mature, intelligent adults I thought you were supposed to target. Seems like the group is taking a backseat.

Radio 104.5 needs to find a balance. They don't have to go as deep as Y-Rock (man, I wish I could get that station) but likewise, they should steer clear of constantly playing the biggest Alternative hits of the past 15 years.

While Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, Green Day and others are not Mullet Rock bands, the Classic Rock stations of the future will be playing certain songs by them the way they play "Stairway To Heaven", "Freebird", "Wish You Were Here" and others today.

Nirvana: The four big hits from Nevermind.
Pearl Jam: Alive, Evenflow, Jeremy, Black, Daughter, Better Man, Elderly Woman..., Yellow Ledbetter, etc.
STP: Plush, Wicked Garden, Interstate Love Song, Vasoline, Creep, etc.
Green Day: Longview, Basket Case, When I Come Around, Good Riddance, the hits from American Idiot, etc.

The key is to play the less frequently heard tracks from the aforementioned bands and others, instead of playing what we've already heard to death. The Mullets may not be sick of the songs listed above, but the rest of us are. Combine that with a solid selection of Currents along with a library consisting mostly of songs that MMR won't touch, and this station will do well. Don't be afraid to go obscure sometimes, but don't do it to excess because you may lose the more mainstream-leaning listeners. Edgier music isn't bad in moderation, especially if YSP decides not to flip. And for crying out loud, ditch the Trailer Park Rock!!!

 

[making waves]

Couldn't it be possible that they're starting out by playing more recognizable songs with the hopes of grabbing listeners early on...and then adding deeper cuts? It's an interesting hybrid between an active and classic rock station. I would definitely NOT call it alternative, though.

 

[carnyfeet]

Couldn't it be possible that they're starting out by playing more recognizable songs with the hopes of grabbing listeners early on...and then adding deeper cuts? It's an interesting hybrid between an active and classic rock station. I would definitely NOT call it alternative, though.

that's just not clearchannel's M.O. so it's possible, just not probable.

 

[Obtuse1]

This is supposed to be an alternative ROCK station? Since when is Nickleback and Peter Gabriel alternative ROCK?

Peter Gabriel was a staple of Alternative rock radio during much of the 80s/90s...even while "So" was selling a gajillion copies. Definitely belongs on any Classic Alternative playlist (especially older stuff like "Shock The Monkey" and "Biko"). But then again, so does Ministry, The Cult, and Front 242.

However, Nickelback, I would agree, is full on mainstream pop-rock.