Lifting Fog

Say is isn't so!

In a crushing blow for all things independent and free spirited, the radio station that Rolling Stone named as the best in the country nigh on a year ago has decided to hang up its spurs. The official statement reads like a record on repeat as Indie states its inability to accommodate modern listening trends as its main reason for shutting down its FM broadcast “effective immediately.” This is truly a sad, sad day for all Americans and Canadian indie rock bands.

Shortly after moving to Los Angeles County, I fell in love with Indie and its programming. Until only recently, Indie 103.1 provided a very welcome offering of independent music (fresh air in a smoggy, smoggy city) in the midst of a broadcasting landscape dominated by T.I. and Katy Perry. No offense to them of course, but it seems to me that only one or two stations could adequately play them 100 times a day. Additionally, Indie provided my friends and I with several opportunities to see fresh live music at the expense of the station via mine/my friends’ ability to consistently win on-air contests.

Indie was also home to some excellent celebrity programming from the likes of Dave Navarro and Danny Masterson, and at times guest DJs like Jason Schwartzman and Jonah Hill. It was always refreshing, hilarious, and inspired and never felt unoriginal or forced. This is why I will take the night off to hold a séance in honor of one of the best music experiences offered for free in the country. I implore you to do the same, and hope against hope that this doesn’t signal the end of all DIY, independent radio broadcasting forever.

Tags: independent radio, Indie 103.1, Tragedies

This entry was posted on January 15, 2009 at 4:23 pm and is filed under "News", Music. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.