We’ve covered radio stations flipping away from rock a lot recently, so it would be only right to note that there’s a new rock station in New York City as of, uh, 17 minutes or so ago. (!) The frequency, 101.9 WRXP, belonged to smooth-jazz station WQCD until 3:59 p.m. ET today, and the first two songs it played–to “signify the music scope of New York’s Rock Experience”–were the Velvet Underground’s “Rock And Roll” and the radio debut of the (pretty good!) new single by R.E.M. The rest of the first hour’s playlist is after the jump (click on the VU pic to get there), and I have to say that, “Rockstar” by Nickelback and that annoying track by the Bravery aside, it’s pretty decent for commercial terrestrial rock radio in 2008! I’m going to stop using exclamation points now! [1019rxp.com]
1. Velvet Underground – Rock And Roll
2. R.E.M. – Supernatural Superserious
3. Elvis Costello – Pump It Up
4.Tom Petty – Mary Jane’s Last Dance
5.Blondie – Call Me
6.The Bravery – Believe
7.Bruce Springsteen – Blinded By The Light
8.The Flaming Lips – Do You Realize
9.U2 – Angel Of Harlem
10.Nickelback – Rockstar
11.Red Hot Chili Peppers – Zephyr Song
12.The Black Crowes – Hard To Handle
13.The Killers – Somebody Told Me
[HT: Bram Teitelman]
That’s Not Freedom Rock I Hear!!!
I don’t care how much Velvet Underground they play, there is NO EXCUSE for Nickelback.
you will be pleased by this…
man, i just had a thought: what are all the taxi and car-service drivers of new york city going to have on their radios now??
I’m going to miss Smooth Jazz, CD 101.9
I used to work in a convenience store that pumped in CD 101.9, so I’m not gonna miss it at all. On the other hand, this station is not going to break me of my long-standing habit of never, ever listening to the radio.
@Maura Johnston: All my cabbies are “New-KTU” devotées — that incessant four-on-the-floor beat works wonders when you’re doing improbable, life-threatening highway speeds through the middle of downtown traffic.
Agreed on the playlist — that’s some comforting comfort food. A bit boyish, but I’ll take it. Please people, Nickelback and all, remember what this is replacing: all Kenny G and Rippingtons, all the time!
How is this station any different then K-Rock? Or Any Jersey rock station if you live in the burbs like me?
Program directors need to all get cancer immediatly.
Looks like it comes straight from a computer. Slightly different mix from the rest of the small, small minds in the broadcasting world, but the proof will be revealed by how many songs it spins. If the list is longer than 500 for the year, I’d be surprised big time.
If it were me as PD, it wouldn’t be an earth shattering initial hour offered, but one hell of a first week.
But then again, maybe there’s more better to come. For the first time in a long time, there may be a station that isn’t programming for Helen Keller.
Best of luck to you folks.
this is almost enough to make me turn on my radio….almost….
i miss the commercial with Bobby McFerrin singing “ceeeee-dee one-oh-ONE po-oint ni-iiiiiiiiine”.
Sigh.
WPIX-FM NY late 1970′s. Anyone remember that? Same frequency.
Does anybody out there remember WLIR/WDRE? That was good-er radio…radio lately in NYC area has been shite! i hope they have the guts to mix in a touch of the harder/edgier stuff from way back like Black Flag. Hey I can dream can’t I?
I hope they don’t lean heavy on the fratboy, hip hoppy metal crap like Limp Bizkit etc. UGH!
I’ll kind of miss hearing “Pick Up the Pieces.” Knowing how many times I heard this song, it was probably the last song played.
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