Air waves

I'm not really reading anything right now. I have a copy of "the Story of O" that I carry around at times, but it's not the kind of thing you can whip out on the subway (which I don't ride. I pollute).

But I can talk about what I'm listening to. Yesterday, I listened to Indie 103.1 fm online (www.indie1031.fm). Today, I'm listening to Air America Radio (www.airamericaradio.com).

Now I've done a spattering of radio jobs, and I feel no qualms (oh, that's one I need to save for Scrabble) about judging the on air personalities.

I love Indie 103.1. I think it by far plays the best music in Los Angeles, and for the only man without an iPod, that's very important. Indie went forever without announcers. Slowly they've been picking up more and more. First was Steve Jones for Jonesy's Jukebox. Harmony in my Head with Henry Rollins. Camp Freddy. I love all these shows because the hosts are not DJs. I'm not sure who Indie's afternoon guy is, but he's a DJ. He says the names of the songs, makes the station announcements, and is generally, boring. Jonesy or Rollins or the other guys are great because they talk about the songs. Give some history or express their personal opinions/memories of them. You might say, "But Andrew, they're big rock stars. They have it easier." And I'd say shut the hell up, I'm talking here. It might be more instinctive for them to talk about music this way, but anyone can do it.

In my car Indie 103.1 shares a button with KROQ. I hate the announcers on KROQ. It's like some man in a suit who got to be the head of the station because he sold the most advertising handed down a memo saying "You can't say this or this or this or this and definitely not this or this. Now be edgy." These people are so generic and removable. Except for Loveline. I still enjoy Loveline.

As for Air America Radio, I'm about to turn it off just because I can no longer stand Randi Rhodes. I didn't really understand why conservatives hated liberals so much until I started listening to Randi Rhodes. She's unbendable, she's loud, and she's just rude. I like Al Franken and Katherine Lanpher. Franken keeps a good balance between entertainment and information. Sometimes his background in comedy comes over a little too strong. Jokes out weigh message, but I'd rather have that then a woman yelling at a caller until she simply disconnects from them. Arguing an issue by just saying how stupid your opposition is falls far from the power rhetoric can have.

But then again, they're on the air, and I'm sitting in my office at the mental hospital.

Maybe I'll put in a CD.