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WXPN

E

EJ3

Guest
Any XPN (88.5) fans out there? I got turned on to XPN about 5 years ago from mostly Y100 and WMMR. It sort of feels like the DJ's have more control over what they play, and unlike many other stations these days, you can actually call in and ask for a song. They have the Singer Songwriter Weekend every July; this year I saw Son Volt, Indigo Girls, Rodney Crowell, Patti Smith, etc plus some really great local bands. They don't seem to play the same tired hit over and over from a particular artist, when that artist has so many other great songs.
 
WXPN was great up until like 5 years ago went to the computer overnight and started playing repeats of the World Cafe. A VERY good station indeed, but it would 10 times better if they were live overnights and brought back Penn football and added a lot more U of Penn basketball to the station. don't forget 88.5-WXPN simulcasts on 88.1-WXPH, Harrisburg, 104.9-FM in the Lehigh Valley, and 90.5-WKHS Worton/Baltimore (Part-time)
 
> WXPN was great up until like 5 years ago went to the
> computer overnight and started playing repeats of the World
> Cafe. A VERY good station indeed, but it would 10 times
> better if they were live overnights and brought back Penn
> football and added a lot more U of Penn basketball to the
> station. don't forget 88.5-WXPN simulcasts on 88.1-WXPH,
> Harrisburg, 104.9-FM in the Lehigh Valley, and 90.5-WKHS
> Worton/Baltimore (Part-time)
>

I agree about the overnight. Using that time for new alternative, cuts from the World Cafe, etc. There is nothing in Philly like it. XPN is truly unique to this city, and truly enriches the city musically. Something MMR and YSP do not do
 
> Any XPN (88.5) fans out there? I got turned on to XPN about
> 5 years ago from mostly Y100 and WMMR. It sort of feels like
> the DJ's have more control over what they play, and unlike
> many other stations these days, you can actually call in and
> ask for a song. They have the Singer Songwriter Weekend
> every July; this year I saw Son Volt, Indigo Girls, Rodney
> Crowell, Patti Smith, etc plus some really great local
> bands. They don't seem to play the same tired hit over and
> over from a particular artist, when that artist has so many
> other great songs.
>

Yep...

Another XPN fan here. I learned much more about such diverse artists as Katie Melua, Government Mule, Nora Jones, Howie Day and others by listening to just a single day of their inspired programming. Even artists I thought I knew well had tunes played with which I was unfamiliar. (Example: "Lotus"/R.E.M.) Nice touch.

Their "freedom" to play up-and-coming artists, to play established artist's hot tunes other than toasted "hits", the freedom from the constraints of overly-commercialized FMs and the endless inane chatter of "disc jockeys" all combine to coalesce into a damned fine adult radio station.

As for the "electronics", the sound of the station, the clarity and crispness as well as the processing are first-rate. Their engineering staff has nailed the sound perfectly.

I do wish they were measured by the same yardstick the commercial stations are, though; I'd bet they'd be a top-5 station in Philly. They sure do have a wide and varied audience...and they are, imho, among the top-five Triple-A Non-coms nationwide. WBRU/Providence...even though the music is different...is a great yardstick by which to measure them.

However, by any yardstick...they are a classy operation.
 
> > WXPN was great up until like 5 years ago went to the
> > computer overnight and started playing repeats of the
> World
> > Cafe. A VERY good station indeed, but it would 10 times
> > better if they were live overnights and brought back Penn
> > football and added a lot more U of Penn basketball to the
> > station. don't forget 88.5-WXPN simulcasts on 88.1-WXPH,
> > Harrisburg, 104.9-FM in the Lehigh Valley, and 90.5-WKHS
> > Worton/Baltimore (Part-time)
> >
>
> I agree about the overnight. Using that time for new
> alternative, cuts from the World Cafe, etc. There is nothing
> in Philly like it. XPN is truly unique to this city, and
> truly enriches the city musically. Something MMR and YSP do
> not do
>

I hear artists being played on them about 6 months to a year before the other commercial radio stations begin to hype the "new" artist. I remember a good example was David Grey. I heard him being played on XPN in '99, then about a year later, another station up the dial began excitedly promoting him with a "you heard it here first" kinda thing. Gimme a break! The more I listen to them, then go to other Philly stations, it makes me realize how bad some of these stations have gotten.
 
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