XM vs. Sirius

[Charlie Nakatestes, Japanese Golfer]

That's not always a wise move. My dad's one venture into the stock market was investing in a women's underwear company. He ended up losing his shirt in the deal...
 
 
 

Originally posted by J'Mal:
 
   do you suggest there is something illegitimate in owning shares of a company whose product I enjoy?

[mankie]

Originally posted by sonickballs2:
      Well I'm sure it comes out of my paycheck in tax dollars, just as it comes out of your paycheck. Thanks for the great music.
 
 
   

Originally posted by Bollocks:
 

Originally posted by sonickballs2:
 [QB]
    Paying for radio? I can't believe people let this happen.
 

 I'm sure that was said about TV one time.
 
 By the way, is your internet connection free? [/b]

[/b]

So internet radio isn't free then?

[grotty]

Originally posted by J'Mal:
   Radio is designed to offer music for your consideration -- some of which you know and like, some of which you don't know and might like, and some of which you don't know and don't want to know.  

Thanks for the lesson in "understanding radio"      
 
 However...Doesn't ALL radio meet those requirements listed above? Even WHFS, which you surprisingly listed as a comparative reference, meets your definition above. Using that criteria, shouldn't you only then need one station? Eventually you'd like something they played.
 
 If that's all I wanted from radio I sure wouldn't be shelling out $$ to hear it.
 
 I think you're missing the entire point.
 
 The whole idea behind XM is diversity - The ability to pick a station that very closely matches your listening preferences & tastes. (That's why there are ~ 200 hundred stations.) Unfortunately - I can't seem to find one.
 
 I know for sure that I did not subscibe to XM so that I could routinely hear songs that I "don't want to know."

[Bags]

Originally posted by sonickballs2:
  What makes XM any better than KEXP, WNCW, KCRW, WXPN, WFMU, WFUV, or any other stations that I listen to on the web? The fact that you have to pay for it?
 
    Is XM something that you get in your car? I guess the fact that I only drive one or two days a week would make it useless to me.
 
    Paying for radio? I can't believe people let this happen. Someday, you'll have to pay for the air you breathe.   :roll:    

Wow, someday you might even pay for TV?!?!?!  That's just how crazy it may get.....
 
 For me, if I get XM. it will largely be a car issue.   If I could listen to any of the stations you listed in my car, I would.  And with my dial-up connection from home, that doesn't work well either.  So 'free internet radio' would cost me $50/month.  No thanks.
 
 Don't you think your move to the 'burbs is going to mean a lot more time in the car?  I can hear you saying "no, I'll walk to the metro stop 80% of the time I go anywhere" but I bet you home ownership brings a greater reliance on your car...

[J'Mal]

(That's why there are ~ 200 hundred stations.) Unfortunately - I can't seem to find one.
 
 I know for sure that I did not subscibe to XM so that I could routinely hear songs that I "don't want to know."

Well, you're a tough customer.  Some kids hate all 31 flavors, too.  Some people never find true love.  What can I say, it's sad.  I hope you find happiness.
 
 Sure the idea is not to routinely hear stuff you don't like.  You just have to be open to the idea that not every song will satisfy you.  At some point, a station plays nothing you like and then it ain't for you entirely (virtually all FM falls in that category for me, and many other satellite radio subscribers).  
 
 I'm just saying its nice to be able to sample stuff I can't easily hear anywhere else, and the fact I don't like it can save me an unpleasant night at the black cat or 9.30 club checking out a band whose press doesn't live up to my taste.

[eltee]

Originally posted by sonickballs2:
  He ended up losing his shirt in the deal...
 

[/QB][/QUOTE]
 Hope he was wearing a manssiere.

[grotty]

My last couple pts & then I'll be done abusing this horse corpse.          :p          
 
 I'm really not the kid who hates all 31 flavors.  I have approx 2000 cds - that's a LOT of music that I DO like. Should it really be that hard for a finely tuned/programmed radio station to keep me interested to one of their alledgedly esoteric stations for more than a song or 2?
 
 Here are a couple examples from the last weekish that illustrate my main pt (it's not about the songs - they play great songs - it's about the order/sequencing)
 
 Channel 41
 I'm flipping through & hear the Drive-by Truckers. I'm thinking - what a cool song - what a cool station for playing it. Naturally I'm hoping for something else good next. What do I get?...White Lion
 
 Channel 50
 A classic Bob Dylan tune followed up by a catchy little ditty straight from any light FM playlist - a song by Orleans. You know the band - creator of ABC's theme song "Still the One"
 
 Channel 47
 The example initially used:
 Soundgarden - Afghan Whigs - then Blink 182?!?!?!
 
 Do these make sense to anyone? It's near blasphemy to me.
 
 How could a knowledgable DJ/music programmer make these decisions? Even if all these songs do fit into the same overall playlist - group them better within a program. Or better - move them to another station. Or best yet - create another station. With 200 station options it shouldn't be that difficult. Create another 50 if necessary.
 
 The only time I've seen this type of programming used 'successfully' is on the big pop stations that play the top 20 songs over & over again regardless of genre - pop - hip hop - american idol - etc.
 
 Give me & my crack team of 930 club boardies a week @ XM & we'll have this shit straightened out! All we'll need are a few more cheesy names for the new stations. I'm thinking about borrowing from Kevin Smith for the Blink 182 flagship station:
 Mallrats

[Bombay Chutney]

Originally posted by grotty:
  Channel 41
 I'm flipping through & hear the Drive-by Truckers. I'm thinking - what a cool song - what a cool station for playing it. Naturally I'm hoping for something else good next. What do I get?...White Lion

Well, station 41 is listed as "Boneyard - Stadium Rock and Hairbands".  That's the description from xmradio.com.  You can't be too surprised to hear White Lion there.
 
 

Channel 50
 A classic Bob Dylan tune followed up by a catchy little ditty straight from any light FM playlist - a song by Orleans. You know the band - creator of ABC's theme song "Still the One"

Even I can't defend that one. Yikes.

[redsock]

I think many of you are missing the point. I consider myself an average joe who really likes music. I spend a decent amount of time in my car, I want to hear songs that are not in my CD collection, and I want to hear new bands. I cannot listen to internet radio in my car, I do not want to stick an Ipod on random, I want new music mixed in with stuff I like.
 
 I agree with everything people have said about wanting Djs, having crazy playlists etc. I'm looking at my options, and having the ability to surf through 200 channels to find something to listen to, is better than the alternative (local radio). It just is. Yeah, and you know what, i'm happy to pay my $10 a month for this opportunity. Sure, there are times nothing is on, sadly. But they are a hell of a lot rarer than they were a year ago, when I had to toggle between DC101 and HFS. And if you don't like XM, fine...don't get it, listen to your ipods, never use your car, and shut the fuck up!
 
 I'm just tired of people trying to make me feel stupid for paying for radio. Everyone's situation is different, this option works best for me. I frankly don't care what works best for you. Knock yourself out sport.

[Charlie Nakatestes, Japanese Golfer]

The other day you claimed to be a hipster. Now you claim to be a regular Joe. Can you really be both?
 
 Try WAMU and WPFW. Lots of good free music on the public airways.

[kosmo vinyl]

930radio
 
 Channel 33 Gee - "Radical Roots and Rockers",  Marley, Tosh, Cliff, Toots, Bad Brains, Minor Threat, Black Flag, etc
 
 Channel 69 LotoBalls - "Please Please give me a Peterbilt". Pernice Brothers, Smiths, Clash, Drive By Truckers, Marah, Norah Jones, etc
 
 Channel 77 Kosmicpop - "Hangings to good for him".  Myracle Brah, De Novo Dahl, Stone Roses, St. Etienne, Rockpile, Love, The Easybeast, JJ Barnes, etc
 
 Channel 4 MES "Got yer Britpop right here punk", The Fall, Lambchop, Delgados, Pretty Things, Ash, Ballboy, Postal Service, etc
 
 Channel 42 The Bomb "Stockings, Chocolate Lipstick, and prophylactics", Devo, Devo, Laika and the Cosmonauts, etc.
 
 i need more coffee before continuing...

[kosmo vinyl]

First off my intentions in this thread have never been to slag off any one who subscribes to XM.  And I'm not knocking people who think it's the ultimate way to hear music both familiar and new.  However, it's not for me personally.  I work from home so therefore don't spend that much time in the car.  I like the flexibility and diversity of subscription based Emusic for downloading and listening to music.  When in the car I tend to listen to music for upcoming DJ gigs.  Kosmette enjoys listening to her  music collection from the ipod on random.  
 
 Keep spreading the good word on XM, just realize that there will always be doubters and critics along the way.  Have you heard of Myracle Brah, I've been touting them for years....

[redsock]

Originally posted by ggdoubleballs (tm):
  The other day you claimed to be a hipster. Now you claim to be a regular Joe. Can you really be both?
 
 Try WAMU and WPFW. Lots of good free music on the public airways.

I'm buying tickets to he Van Halen concert...any reference to being a hipster I can assure you was made in jest. WAMU is hardly an outpost of indie-rock. I honestly have never heard of WPFW, but public radio=talk radio, and talk radio is the devil.

[Charlie Nakatestes, Japanese Golfer]

KEXP is public radio, WNCW, WFUV, WXPN, WFMU are all public radio. And very little of it is talk radio.
 
 Most of the bluegrass stuff they play on WAMU is on independent labels. Used to be a whole lot more music, and a whole lot less talk...but they have gone downhill...I agree, talk radio sucks.
 
 WPFW plays mostly jazz.
 
 So then, you are a big fan of Scott Weiland's new band as well?  :p  
 
 

Originally posted by redsock:
   

Originally posted by ggdoubleballs (tm):
  The other day you claimed to be a hipster. Now you claim to be a regular Joe. Can you really be both?
 
 Try WAMU and WPFW. Lots of good free music on the public airways.

I'm buying tickets to he Van Halen concert...any reference to being a hipster I can assure you was made in jest. WAMU is hardly an outpost of indie-rock. I honestly have never heard of WPFW, but public radio=talk radio, and talk radio is the devil. [/b]

[thirsty moore]

Check out the Community Comment segments on weekday mornings around 8:00 or so.  It's equal parts sincere concerns and lunacy.
 
   

Originally posted by ggdoubleballs (tm):
 WPFW plays mostly jazz.