What's with the bias towards indie pop and the hypocritical snobbish attitude?

Dubhthamlacht

I tuned into the morning time show when going to work a couple of days ago. I heard Warlords of Pez and Sonic Youth in that time. Neither could be termed the most conventional music you'll ever heard.

Having listened to Phantom in the old days, I think Cathal Funge was the one DJ who was most likely to play something just way out there. I remember texting in if he had any Mr. Lif with him and he actually sent a text back saying no, but he had some RJD2. How cool was that? Sadly Cathal is stuck on the Saturday morning slot. slipping in some Sigur Ros album track or something equally off beat was par for the course and this was something i liked.

I do get the complaint that is being made here. I think he's looking for some more music that isn't so mainstream even in indie/alternative circles. They do play that kind of less mainstream indie stuff but it is in the minority compared to the Killers/Razorlight etc.

JimiTime

Sorry, Just have to say. I lived in London for 4 years. Over there we had XFM, which I thought was great. It had a great mix of more commercial Indie stuff and the more obscure. In fairness it had Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant as Djs on A Saturday, which was also great. I married a girl from London and when we moved to Dublin, the first thing she said was, 'My God, Irish radio is sh!t'. Phantom is the saviour! Finally a real alternative. They have to keep more commercial indie on the station. I heard Razorlight years ago on XFM when they were just starting. I heard Jet, Hot Chip, The Libertines etc also. Just because they then become the mainstream and cross over to the regular stations should not take away from where they came from. Phanthom seem to be doing the same. Both myself and especially my wife, Salute u Phantom. Things can only get better!! (and no that wasn't a request:D )

rozeboosje

Smurfpiss wrote:

I'm sure they wouldn't mind if ya posted them some of the more obscure albums that you like :P

I think I sent them at least 4 texts and one e-mail extolling the virtues of a pet band of mine: Cranes. Never heard them play a single song by this fantastic band. Never even heard them acknowledge receipt of one of the texts or e-mails. Had plenty of that with other texts I sent. So I think it's fair enough to conclude from that that they do sometimes not listen.

There's nothing wrong with the music they do play; I really do enjoy Jimi Hendrix, to name just one. But if they can play music by an indie artist who is 36 years dead, why can't they play something by a relatively unknown indie group that is still releasing albums? Jimi Hendrix doesn't need the publicity. Alison Shaw and her Cranes DO. And they deserve better than to be ignored by the self-proclaimed "quality sounds only" station.

Anyway. Thank f*** for Phantom. I was reduced to listening to Newstalk in the last couple of years, because the so-called "music" stations were just too dire.

JC 2K3

rozeboosje wrote:

There's nothing wrong with the music they do play; I really do enjoy Jimi Hendrix, to name just one. But if they can play music by an indie artist who is 36 years dead, why can't they play something by a relatively unknown indie group that is still releasing albums? Jimi Hendrix doesn't need the publicity. Alison Shaw and her Cranes DO. And they deserve better than to be ignored by the self-proclaimed "quality sounds only" station.

That's exactly my point.

Fair enough, if the majority of people like modern, mainstream-ish indie then by all means they can play it the majority of the time, but they should really devote a bit more time to other styles of music, and not just the generic choices. Right now it's a bit like a couple of indie songs and then maybe a song from a different genre like Classic Rock or Punk. Problem is, when they play a Classic Rock track a lot of the time it's something off Zeppelin 4, Thunderstruck or equivilant big song by ACDC, Bob Dylan, Black Sabbath sometimes etc. With Punk it's usually something by The Clash or Blitzkreig Bob by the Ramones. I think Phantom should try and get a little bit more variety of music that's not modern indie rock out there.

Perhaps Phantom should operate based on "waves" of obscurity. Playing conventional poppy indie and gradually evolving and playing more far-out, obscure music before devolving again and returning to more basic indie rock. Whole process would take about 2 months, 6 "waves" a year

windowcleaner

good thread with lots of meat in it

i personally think the return of phantom is the best thing to happen on radio in 2006. there is no other station on the air in ireland which plays as much indie and alternative music as Phantom day in and day out.

sure, there are gaps (wheres the hip-hop? wheres the mad folk stuff?) and sure some presenters are not quite up to scratch but, by and large, listening to what's on 105.2 is a whole lot better than having to endure what's on 100-102, 98, 1032 and especially 104. Long live phantom!

Piste

JC 2K3 wrote:

Sure the existance of "emo" as a musical genre is even debatable.

chill, it's just a name, try telling the housands of people who'd say their favourite genre is "emo" that its existence is debatable.

JC 2K3 wrote:

Well you're on the opposite end of the scale to me in terms of reasons to dislike it. But why do you have to affirm you music taste as if you're more open minded than any of us or something? Objective argument please.

I never claimed to be more open-minded than anyone else, I just find that people on the radion poking fun at music which i like to be snobbish. How on earth can you be asking for an objetive arguemnt when EVERYONE has their own music tastes and will prefer certain genres/bands to be played than others?

rozeboosje

Piste wrote:

I just find that people on the radion poking fun at music which i like to be snobbish.

Absolutely. Some people make musical chewing gum. Others like musical chewing gum. And as long as the makers don't pretend they're making more than that, there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. And being "mainstream" or "indie" hasn't got a lot to do with it either.

It has been pointed out by a few already that Phantom are quite happy to play the likes of Franz Ferdinand, who therefore, apparently, must be "indie" or something of that nature. And yet, they're musical porridge. I quite like porridge though

Variation is the spice of life though. I gave out to Pete by text a week or two ago because he had gotten into the habit of playing this Juliette and the Licks thing every morning at about 8:15. Again, there's nothing wrong with that song; I actually quite like it. But if you can start setting your clock by it it starts getting annoying. Variation is the spice of life.

Piste

What is "musical chewing gum"?

Youv'e just reminded me that I need breakfast

Oh that awful ad's just come on the air again!

JC 2K3

Piste wrote:

chill, it's just a name, try telling the housands of people who'd say their favourite genre is "emo" that its existence is debatable.

Nah, there'd be too many suicides

Piste wrote:

I never claimed to be more open-minded than anyone else, I just find that people on the radion poking fun at music which i like to be snobbish.

Why is it a snobbish attitude because YOU like it, why not just say that poking fun at other genres is snobbish? Don't make it so personal is what I'm saying.

Piste wrote:

How on earth can you be asking for an objetive arguemnt when EVERYONE has their own music tastes and will prefer certain genres/bands to be played than others?

"My music taste is better than your music taste" = subjective.

"I think Phantom should play a wider variety of music as I think it would appeal to many people" = objective.

rozeboosje

JC 2K3 wrote:

"I think Phantom should play a wider variety of music as I think it would appeal to many people" = objective.

I would prefer to think of that as wishful thinking. Take the desire to "appeal to many people" to the extreme and I don't even need to explain what will happen: just tune into FM104 to hear for yourself.

Playing the more obscure stuff is certainly not going to please the masses, and commercially it may not even be a very good idea. That is where a decision must be made between principle and cash flow. They could, of course, jump onto the high horse and play nothing but obscure bands all day long. They would probably last another month or two before going bankrupt.

So they have to find that delicate balance between playing popular stuff often enough to keep the majority listening, and playing the odd obscure song in between to keep us on our toes. I would suggest though that they don't parcel it off to dedicated shows during the dead hours of the day only, but include it in the mainstream programming. Play two or three popular songs, then something unheard of, even during Peak Time.