Easy Listening Wallpaper Indie/Phantom Sell Out

Tyrrial

hey polarbelly maybe the 5 or so song you liked could have been the most hated by someone else... it's all about tast...


i must say i can't say i alway agree with mewzels tast... but she does have a good sence of good music....

if you know what i mean

anyway.. i still think phantom is cool...

DerekD Goldfish

I think people are looking back through rose tinted glasses granted ive only been linstining for about 3 years but I havent noticed a signifigant difference. Sure when I first started listining I was intoduced to more new bands thats because I knew very few bands. Phantom playes some bands i hate(Nickelback) But most of the stuff I like and even if I dont like like some stuff I at least have respest for the artist(Pearl Jam) for example I cant stand but I can understand how other people like them. When I listined to other stations i was changing every few song because a song I couldnt stand came on. On phantom I like roughly 70% of the stuff and sure there are some bands I would like to hear more of(dead kennady's) but nobodys perfect. There is no way you can play music that will satisfy 30,000(I think thats phantoms listnership) all of the time people have different tastes.

polarbelly

Originally posted by Tyrrial
hey polarbelly maybe the 5 or so song you liked could have been the most hated by someone else... it's all about tast...


i must say i can't say i alway agree with mewzels tast... but she does have a good sence of good music....

if you know what i mean

anyway.. i still think phantom is cool...

banged the nail on the head...its all bout taste

+ for the record i'd say mewzel has excellent taste in music from what i've seen here

Gar_ptc

EXACTLY!

at a house party in micks,i had a look at his music collection and i ...hate is strong and wrong...but i found it BORING!was not my jazz at all-luckily i was hungover to valhalla and got pissed and stoned easily!!and that fisting porn made it all the more exciting....:D

so the 5 or so songs that mick liked today,i probably lashed on some ABBADDON INCARNATE or DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN...

defny the removal of the corporate ****-i think mewzel said-is a good start.if people want to hear ir,let them listen to the mainstream stations!is that wrong to say?

a mixture of all sorts
VARIETY VARIETY VARIETY!!

mick,it is a compliment,but its not aimed at you...moreso that you are a rare breed of indie band -A GOOD ONE!very rare.

good indie;is oxymoronic!polar being the exception that proves the rule

SimonMaher

Eh?

I got lost after the mention of fisting porn on that one. Brings back a story about mittons that Tom E Brown will explain some day.

Regards,

Pete Reed
Phantom FM

Steve Conway

Originally posted by Pete Reed
Eh?

I got lost after the mention of fisting porn on that one. Brings back a story about mittons that Tom E Brown will explain some day.

Regards,

Pete Reed
Phantom FM

OK. And you say that *I* have a reputation????

Seriously though, I think that part of the restlessness that has sparked this debate is down to the "5-Year-Blues".

I'm not totally au-fait with the history of Phantom, but I know it's been going roughly 5 years, and this is a moment at which any alternative station, and its listeners, starts to feel "growing pains". Or I could be all poncy, and refer to it as "generational angst".

Phantom has a core of people who have been listening since the early days - in other words for 4 or 5 years. Phantom was cool and hip and totally alternative for them when they tuned in, and they have (mainly) stayed with it since.

However, over 5 years, your tastes change subtly, especially if that time is at the end of your teenage years, you will probably have gone through some life-changing experiences in the meantime.

For the first few years of a station's life, the new listeners joining the station are broadly the same as the original ones, but over time, this too changes. A 16 year-old discovering Phantom today will be different from the 16-year old who discovered it in 1998.

Stations will usually try to keep both the newer and the original listeners happy - the tastes are not that different, and it is usually at around 5 years that it becomes more obvious, as the age difference tends to become more significant. The station could choose to ignore the newer, younger listeners of course, but would that be the "alternative" path? Also, not all of the original listeners will be growing in the same direction - as people subtly change, they split off into all different areas.

Now Phantom is doing its best to keep everyone happy, and by "everyone" I mean people within the broad church of indie/alternative music (not everyone as in all the britney fans too!). The range of music played is broad, far wider than you would get on the commercial stations, and new music is still encouraged. But people will hear things that are not totally suited to their own style.

They key is to be tolerant and understanding - you may not like everything that is played on the station, but someone else will, and they may not like yours! As long as it's within the broad genre of indie/rock/alternative, don't those people deserve to be served by us too?

As a station, whe try to grow with our audience, but keep up to date also by hiring new DJs, people who are the age that the original Phantom people were when they were hired. (I might point out, I'm not actually speaking "for the stations" here, just as an individual).

We do the best we can under difficult circumstances - we are having to balance our normal paid employment with the work on Phantom, and between the two it can take up a lot of time. And some avenues that would be open to us if we had a licence, which would make it easier for us, and better for you, are just not viable.

In the past year we have lost our breakfast show because I had to make a choice between my employer or Phantom (they wanted me available to start at 8am or I had no job). If we had a licence, I would not have had to make that choice. We've lost quality speech and music broadcasters to new commercial stations who heard that we were doing well, and wanted to cherry-pick the talant from us. We were only a pirate - we had nothing by way or money or career path to entice these people to stay. And we have had difficulties placed in our way in terms of not being able to cover maor music events, or do certain other things - because we are a pirate.

I'm not complaining - these things are a fact of life. We choose to do what we do, and we choose to continue to do it in the way that we do, when we are prevented from going legal. We have tremendous fun, and get a great buzz out of it, and we hope that you do too.

However, we can't please everyone all the time, and we can only try to be true to ourselves and our musical beliefs. As I said, sometimes you will like it, sometimes you won't, and this is partly a function of the passage of time and changing circumstances, tastes, and different age ranges listening.

But please, don't accuse us of "selling out" - if that were the case, we would simply have walked away and done something more profitable with our time many years ago!

Anyway, rant over. I'll go back in the corner now

Keithaburke

I listen to phantom for one reason...

to hear music by local bands... Irish bands...

Phantom are one of the only radio stations playing music by young, up and coming bands. By musicians I'm likely to meet by going to gigs and venues around my own city.

The more Irish bands the better... Carry on Phantom!!


Keith

Kali

*raises hand quietly* any chance of less MTV-derived punk and more Minutemen/HuskerDu/Sonic Youth/Fugazi/Shellac? Or if someone already plays stuff like that then please tell me what time its on at

stimpson

Steve Conway makes a very good point here that has escaped me up till now. Phantom are trying to cater for a huge spectrum of ages. I'm nearly 30 and it just didn't occour to me that there are people of 16 and younger listening in. You aren't going to please all of the people all of the time and I do think Phantom get the balance right - or at least as right as they can given the diverse audience that they cater to. As long as I can get the odd request played and get to hear new music - Irish and otherwise - I'll be a Phantom listener.

I still stand by my comments in the Eminem thread though

madeline

Ah oxballs!!!!!!! Damn the man for keeping me away from the computer so I missed yet ANOTHER debate!!!! And all the big guns were in on it as well!! Okay well I'm late but can I just say that I have suggested some stuff I'd bloomim' LOVE to hear and apart from one delightful young mans' attempt to find/play some of the stuff( u know who u are!) it seems all my little suggestions fell on deaf ears! There's no justice but I still listen in when i gets the chance 'cause on a lorra levels Phantom is a hellaova lot better than the other sh1te on Dublin radio. and when i hate u then i stop being a lazy bugger and get up to put the cd in myself and have my own little shack of a station!!:D

Steve Conway

Originally posted by madeline
.... but can I just say that I have suggested some stuff I'd bloomim' LOVE to hear and apart from one delightful young mans' attempt to find/play some of the stuff( u know who u are!) it seems all my little suggestions fell on deaf ears! There's no justice ....

Hi Madeline

I'm on 11pm to 1am Wednesday nights. Text me early in the show with a wish-list and I'll try to do what I can for you . . . BUT:

* Don't abbreviate the band name or song title
* Tell me what album it's from if they have more than one
* If they are someone you think I might not have heard of, let me know if they are Irish or International.

If I don't play something for you, it's usually because I can't find it. I do restrict the amount of requests in the programme to roughly 20% (because it's not an all-request show) but a requests for a band I'm unfamiliar with or that is little heard will get priority over one for well-played artists *as long as I can find them*.

Better still, mail me: stevec@phantomfm.com - while you are at it you can include topics and tunes for my "Musical Chain"

Now, do I get to be called "young and delightful" too???

Tyrrial

Well steve your delightful... but the other DJ's....(in perticular Jack H) has hinted that your not very... young.. well he said "ainchent"

BrianD

This debate regularly crops up. Before becoming involved in Phantom I was a listener. To be quite frank the range of music played 4-5 years ago was less varied than it is now. Veterans of the station will agree with this as there was only a paltry few CDs in the library.

Listening to Phantom from 1996 to 1998 you could be GUARANTEED to hear Stone Roses, Radiohead, Massive Attack on almost an hourly basis. Friends of mine used to comment that you would always hear the stereotypical indie songs on Phantom when you switched it on.

I have no problems with the station being "mainstream indie" as it still offers listeners a choice or alternative from other stations. Around that "mainstream core" we hope that we introduce you to lesser known and new acts through programs like Pearls, the Metal Show, THe Doghouse, Jennys show and Icon. I'm sure nearly all DJs will bring in stuff from their own collections.

Having said that the feedback and comments are always valuable and listened to.

Muppet Monarchy

Is there a snowball's chance in hell of getting a copy of any random day's playlist from the last few weeks? I think that, more than anything else, would contribute positively to this debate. Certainly, if it immediately descends into " x are shyte ", then we'll all know where we stand.
Also, there's a fairly new DJ, dunno his name who really, really rocks. He's usually on late afternoon during the week - plays Irish stuff like Warlords of Pez, and some really good non-guitar infatuated music.

Raggamuffin

Originally posted by Muppet Monarchy
" x are shyte

X are certainly not shyte

Tyrrial

Please Raggamuffin, you can't possibly defend x.....:D




can you?

Amz

Originally posted by Kali
*raises hand quietly* any chance of less MTV-derived punk and more Minutemen/HuskerDu/Sonic Youth/Fugazi/Shellac? Or if someone already plays stuff like that then please tell me what time its on at

Ditto!

Couldn't really ask for much more........

Well ok i could but this would be a fine start!!!

Raggamuffin

Originally posted by Tyrrial
Please Raggamuffin, you can't possibly defend x.....:D




can you?

I hope you're being sarcastic about "x" and that you really do know that there was aband Called X form the 80's California punk scene......right?

Tyrrial

i say yes and nod..... we be forgetting this conversion...



deal?

Amz

Tee he he!
I saw it too hehehehe!!
I think we should hold this information and use it to blackmail Tyrrial.......

Hmmmm........

Methinks a plan is a brewing.......

sodiumlightbaby

i just hate those incessant ad 's for whelans...you know the one with the twat with the mid atlantic accent..."10 euro in - nuff said"....aaaaggggh..they really irritates me....

Muppet Monarchy

Oh, for christsake - x representing whatever 'indie wallpaper' band you care to insert.

Sinister Pete

Originally posted by sodiumlightbaby
i just hate those incessant ad 's for whelans...you know the one with the twat with the mid atlantic accent..."10 euro in - nuff said"....aaaaggggh..they really irritates me....

That's not a mid Atlantic accent. I was not born in the sea. That's the way I speak. I'd thank you to keep your prejudice to yourself.

SimonMaher

heehee,

Go on Pete, tell them. You were born in the sea werent you! Where else could the webbed feet have come from? And the tentacles? At least, I think that was a tentactle.

Nuff said,

Pete Reed
Phantom FM

pugwall

the more irish bands the better

eh no:D unless they are decent. There are decent irish bands out there but there's also alot of 'excuse my french, but' crap Irish bands and some of these get airplay on phantom :eek:
Phanto shouldnt feel it has to support all new irish indie bands. Theres loads of them on the gigging scene at the moment and alot of them IMO are sh1te! But thats just my opinion.
I agree that everyone cant be 100% satisfied with phantoms airplay but at least we have the option to tune into a decent alternative station and not confined to listening to pure tripe from most other stations.
Ive been listening to phantom from the beginning.......back in the spectrum days.
Ive always enjoyed tining in and have mostly been satisified with the quality.
I have noticed some changes in the last year or two.
12 to 18 months ago all phantom seemd to be playing was the likes of sum41, blink 182 and such tripe. This really annoyed me......what direction was phantom interested in taking?
I was away for the summer and when i returned in october i noticed that the sound from phanto was what i liked.........back to quality tunes.......and i havent heard any pop punk since although i dont listen in as much as i used to.

Overall im happy with what im hearing from phantom...........
long may it continue


By the way.......what a typical FERDI post.......
Which isnt neccessarily a bad thind
Its always an interesting debate

keep up the antagonistic stiring Ferdi!

Pearl

While I like to think I'm a girl with my finger on the musical pulse, I can't know every band or artist in the world, nor can I afford to buy the albums. But if there is someone who you think I should know about, either email or text me. If I can get my hands on a copy and I think it would work on the show, I'll do my best to play it.

Alternatively, burn me a copy. Thanks to generous listeners I've been introduced to great artsits such as Dover and Manu Chao (I'm still waiting on the person who promised to send me Iris de Ment).

sodiumlightbaby

Originally posted by Sinister Pete
That's not a mid Atlantic accent. I was not born in the sea. That's the way I speak. I'd thank you to keep your prejudice to yourself.

ooops sorry..didnt know it was one of you guys and i thought the accent was put on......still an irritating ad though.....

thedrowner

Originally posted by BrianD
To be quite frank the range of music played 4-5 years ago was less varied than it is now. Veterans of the station will agree with this as there was only a paltry few CDs in the library.

Listening to Phantom from 1996 to 1998 you could be GUARANTEED to hear Stone Roses, Radiohead, Massive Attack on almost an hourly basis. Friends of mine used to comment that you would always hear the stereotypical indie songs on Phantom when you switched it on.

yeah.....this is EXACTLY it....thank you.
and steve conway's post as well..if you merge the 2 together you come up with the perfect answer/defence!

it's a pain in the ass now because i very rarely hear songs i know and love every couple of songs(mind you, im not tuned in 24/7 and ringing the dj's for about half an hour a go either!!!!) but it'd be silly of me to expect to hear it, with the stations growing popularity.

i remember the last time this thread came up, i made some suggestions and i was informed that pearl plays some of this stuff.-i remember thinking to myself-well that's great ....but why's it only one dj who's playing it? and once a week? maybe phanomt is losing it

but the thing is firstly-like brian D said there are so much to get through and to choose from, what can be expected? especially when the station is catering for so many different band interests!

and secondly, the stuff i requested from pearl, i never knew existed when i was 15. and now thats where my musical taste has headed. and you know where i first heard those songs? yes...on a phantom show. (thank you mr connor mc queen)

rueyn

Phantom has introduced me to all sorts of music that I never would have had the pleasure of hearing otherwise. Yes, I hate turning on the station and hearing an entire show dedicated to The Artist Formerly Known As Prince, but I know how to turn off my radio

BrianD

While I do not possess a single Prince album one can not deny the musical talent, ability and creativity of this artist. Prince is not a typical Phantom artist - I don't think we have any of his albums in the library nor do I recall any tracks being requested while on-air. I think anybody with an interest in music - as most Phantom listeners have - would certainly enjoy hearing the album archive feature on Prince and learning more about the album.

Then again we do provide you with a listening choice and as the above poster said - you can take it or leave it!