What are the good Internet radio shows?

June 29, 2010 8:40 PM

Which free streaming Internet radio shows are awesome?

I'm interested in fringe music, indie music, non-Western music, radio dramas, and possibly interviews with really interesting people.

The only genres of music I emphatically don't like are electronica/house (or whatever its variants are called) and all forms of heavy metal without melody and with lyrics that are sung rather than growled or gurgled.

Manowar, for a counter example of metal that I do enjoy at times, at least has kitsch on its side.

If the show also provides in-depth information about the tracks it plays, so much the better.

I hope to receive recommendations on specific shows to listen to in order to be introduced to new (to me) and awesome bands and new (to me) styles of music.

Time slots on specific streams would be slightly better than recommendations for a stream in general. Nothing is at its best 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Podcasts welcome too, but I'm not interested in "a bunch of guys sit around and try to be witty with each other." Something like This American Life would be good.

I'm not interested in podcasts where stories are read. If there are sound effects, and different voices for the different characters, and the story is told almost entirely through dialogue, then I'm down.

Inspired by this post.

posted by jsturgill to media & arts (9 answers total)

That should read "...and with lyrics that are growled or gurgled rather than sung."
posted by jsturgill at 8:55 PM on June 29, 2010

Mark Lamarr's God's Jukebox
Jarvis Cocker's Sunday Service
Spartacus Roosevelt Total Music Immersion
Pretty much all of 6Music
posted by merocet at 8:59 PM on June 29, 2010

Punjabi Junction best 24/7 Punjabi music
Folk Alley Radio brilliant for Americana in general
WWOZ New Orleans roots music
posted by shinybaum at 9:26 PM on June 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

There's a lot of great stuff on WFMU but some of my favorite shows are
Do or DIY (also available as a 24-hour stream and as a podcast)
This is the Modern World
Ken
Bryce
All of these will get you strange, obscure, and experimental music.
posted by moonmilk at 9:59 PM on June 29, 2010

CBC Radio 3! All independent Canadian music. I particularly enjoy Grant Lawrence's show, and the weekly countdown, the R3-30.
posted by just_ducky at 10:02 PM on June 29, 2010

Does it need to be internet radio exclusively? Or is terrestrial radio w/ internet simulcast OK? If so, you may like Rod Richardson's Radio Nothing show on WPKN. It's an awesome show but it's on very irregularly now and his normal timeslot got moved to some ridiculous time in the middle of the night (US East coast) on alternating Friday nights or something like that. If you can catch it I'd highly recommend giving it a listen.
posted by reptile at 6:29 AM on June 30, 2010

Too Beautiful To Live is a show streaming out of Seattle every weekday. Music, current events, fantastic interviews. The hosts' sense of humor might be a bit of an acquired taste, but it's a favourite of mine & my pals.

Www.tbtl.net
posted by custard heart at 4:57 PM on June 30, 2010

[quote]Does it need to be internet radio exclusively? Or is terrestrial radio w/ internet simulcast OK?[/quote]

That second thing is totally OK.
posted by jsturgill at 7:06 PM on June 30, 2010

I can't believe anyone hasn't mention Mefi's own YoungAmerican and his show, The Sound of Young America. It is mainly interviews with authors, comedians and musicians and is available as a podcast so it is easy to skip guests that don't interest you (although YoungAmerican is an excellent interviewer and is selective about his guests so almost every show is fantastic).
posted by mmascolino at 7:13 PM on June 30, 2010