The Romantic Mix

vsimon Post in Love Songs，Tags: , , ,
19 September 2010
0

The Romantic Mix claims to play “Songs You Fell In Love Too.” Let’s see for ourselves shall we?

First track I heard was Robert John’s Sad Eyes. Second song is by the lovely Vanessa Williams and Brian McKnight with Love Is. I’m getting the feeling that this station is going to be incredibly depressing. Why do we all love a good sad love song? I definitely don’t need any more free music downloads of these sad songs in my library… so I suppose this station can come in handy, if the playlist is good. However…

The other tracks I hear during my brief stay on this dentist-office-esque radio station are Dr. Hook’s Better Love Next Time, Chris Brown’s Forever, and Melissa Manchester Looking Through the Eyes of Love. Honestly, I have to change the channel hear because there are a million awesome love anthems that have been aired over the last half century, and this station hasn’t played any of them. Maybe a good station for some peoples’ tastes, but not mine.

Here is a video of Chris Brown with the song Forever:

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A-1 Radio

vsimon Post in Rock，Tags: , , , , , ,
15 September 2010
0

Car Radio

Red Hot Chili PeppersThe description of a radio station that reads “Best Mix of the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and Today!” has a lot of responsibility on its hands for sorting through over 40 years of tracks while also satisfying the ears of listeners from all generations. So I gave them a fair shot to see what they thought the best hits were, and how many of them I owned music downloads of.

First song I listened to was Under the Bridge by Red Hot Chili Peppers. Definitely one of the biggest hits from the band and of 1992. Not a bad start for A-1 Radio. Second track was Billy Idol’s 1982 hit Hot In the City. You can’t think of the 80s and not think of Billy Idol. Not personally a fan, but can definitely understand it’s placement on a greatest hits station.

Below is video of Billy Idol with his song Hot in the City:

Third song is 1998’s Pink by legendary rock band Aerosmith. Although this was a very popular song for the 3rd decade of music the band would release, it’s definitely not one of my top song favorites from them. I’d hope that this station plays their classic tracks from the 70s like Sweet Emotion and Dream On.

Here is a video of Aerosmith and their hit song Pink:

Traveling back to the 80s decade of rock, A-1 decided to follow Aerosmith with Styx and Mr. Roboto which was released in 1983, and is still a classic track. So far most of the music could be categorized in rock & roll categories, with a common feel starting to emerge. Creedence Clearwater Revival’ Susie Q would also be played, giving some recognition to the 1968 cover of Dale Hawkins’ 1957 hit. I’ve finally caught the station making an error by including a track out of their 40-year range. Since it’s a great mistake, and the song was popular through the early 70s, I’ll let it slide! :)

All the sudden out of nowhere, this radio station sends me on this total surprise road and plays Bette Midler’s 1990 hit From A Distance! I thought I was getting variety of rock over the decades, but maybe they really are quite the variety selectors. You’ve got to please the masses I suppose! They follow it with another soft classic from Bryan Adams with Do I Have To Say the Words (1992), then Warrant’s Heaven (1989). So all in all, if you have no idea what you want to listen to, A-1 Radio might just be perfect.

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Buzzoutroom.com

vsimon Post in Ambient，Tags: , , , ,
10 September 2010
0

Buzzoutroom

I chose this channel because I couldnt resist virtually entering a “buzz out” room. It’s name is a perfect fit for the tunes behind the door. First track I hear is Bahia Blues by Dj Spinna.

It’s like an Asian garden. Crazy little happy flute noises like birds chirping, with a regular tempo in the background. I feel like I’ve traversed to the other side of the world in some lucid dream. Or I’ve entered some really cool zen smoke house in Amsterdam where some poets and musicians are providing free music and free herbs. Either one.

Buzzoutroom.comBuzzoutroom has a pretty plain website but with some cool information like upcoming music festivals in the United States and Canada, some references for some cool mobile phone apps, a Soundcloud Dropbox, a list of the last 10 songs aired, a cool map of where the listeners are around the world, a submission form to hear what you like on the station, and some cool t-shirts with the buzz out room logo. Pretty cool.

Second song is Govinda- From Your Mind. The flute is gone but this one is just as cool. Perfect definition of true ambient tracks. Ideal for relaxing in the evening, soaking in the tub with some wine, or even easing yourself into slumber.

The tracklist showing right now is:

Autechre- Chatter, Aes Dan- Inter, Asura- The Prophecy, Alkemx- Seductor, Baby Mammoth- Hoodwinked, Longers- Winter 98, Sounds From The Ground- Triangle, Sounds From The Ground- Modo, and Kaya Project- Bekhudi.

It’s definitely worth a listen if you’re into the ambient music scene. Even if you’re not, next time you want to chill out and relax, throw on the buzz out room channel and see what I’m talking about.

I’ve found a YouTube audio for Alkemx’s Seductor so you can get an idea:

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The Lynx Radio

WhoIsDylan Post in Rock，Tags: , , , ,
05 September 2010
0
Linx Header

Classic Rock 101

The Lynx is a good pick for an internet radio station if you’re trying to get into some classic rock and fast. The DJ’s are pretty knowledgeable about the genre and will give you a bit of a history lesson behind each song. What it comes down to though with every radio station is their selection. The Lynx does deliver when it comes to what they play and in what order. Too many times with rock radio stations do you get DJ’s meshing rock songs of this decade with bands like KISS or Led Zeppelin. It just doesn’t make sense.

Not with Lynx. Lynx gives you classic rock in heaps of what decade its coming from. One smaller point is that they do claim to have the hits of today, but you don’t hear them much. I guess to them there aren’t really any modern rock hits of our day so they tend to keep it a bit classy. Here are some classic rock free music downloads that make perfect sense for the rock fan.

Take a lesson from a classic rock enthusiast and try to stay within your decade. Don’t mix and mash them all together because the styles are just way too different. They’ll sound awful.

Stick with what you know. Lynx knows classic rock. As long as they stick to that, they’re all good. Here is some KISS rock for you all.

Here is a video of KISS with their song Heaven’s On Fire:

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Electra Radio

vsimon Post in Soft Rock，Tags: , , ,
25 August 2010
0

Counting Crows

I wanted to find something new to listen to without trying to hard. Under the Top 40/Pop genre in my searches I selected Electra Radio because I liked the name more than anything else. The first tune I heard was Hangin’ Around by Counting Crows. It’s a very mellow song, quite low-spirited. Not exactly what I want to be listening to on a Tuesday afternoon. The next track I’ve never heard before, it’s something of the soft rock sort.

I went to the website to get the track listing but that didn’t really help, and half of it is in French. Are all these stations French?

The Servant

The Servant

Anyway, they finally updated the current track title in the menu bar and it’s Cells by The Servant. I’m not a fan. I’m a bit biased because I don’t tend to like rock music, but this is just not an entertaining blend. The melancholy assortment of tracks has got be in a slump I didn’t want to be in! I’m changing this before my mood suffers any worse than it already has! Time for something a bit more uplifting… thank heavens for all the free music stations that give off a better vibe!

As I’m finishing up writing this short bit, Linkin Park came on… slight improvement, but I’m still abandoning the station. It was followed by Cold War Kids’ Something Is Not Right With Me. Sorry, just not my cup of tea.

Here is the music video for Cold War Kids, Something Is Not Right With Me:

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All Pop Radio

fdeans Post in Pop，Tags: , , , , ,
23 August 2010
0

All Pop Radio BannerAll Pop Radio is no frills internet radio. There are no massive list of stations and there is no detailed list of programming by a dedicated staff that want their listeners to be part of their online radio environment. In fact it is a microcosm of all things Pop, it is disposable but serves its purpose however unsubstantial that maybe. Nowadays with free music downloads, radio better follow suit and free itself form the chains of the past if it wants to compete. All Pop Radio is as competitive as it is for the money spent on production.

There are not to many risks on the playlist everyone that is gracing the charts during the past two decades seem to be boundaries by which the station clearly lives between. I heard Beyoncé, Owl City, Cascada, Meredith Brooks, Ne-Yo and Taylor Swift in my short stay and became quickly aware that commercial safe pop for the masses was on offer for whomever cared to listen, not that this is a bad thing.

There is no annoying wanna be DJ/Comedian interrupting and the only ad I got was short enough not to be a major intrusion. All Pop Radio doesn’t supply as a comprehensive package as you would expect from their title but they gave me a carefree blend of the nice pop without the hassle of most stations you would find on your dial today.

I recommend it to all that just want to tune in and tune out from to many choices and decisions and receive a steady blend of pop hits.

Here is some more pop with a video of Taylor Swift singing Fifteen:

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Ministry of Sound Radio

vsimon Post in House，Tags: , , , ,
22 August 2010
0
Inside the Ministry of Sound nightclub in London

Inside Ministry of Sound nightclub in London

If you’re one of the unfortunate ones who are unable to visit London and check out the raging nightlife scene, you’re in luck. The most famous club in all of the UK has blessed the airwaves with a free online radio station that you can find right in iTunes under the Electronica genre. There is good reason that Ministry of Sound (MOS) is ranked among the top clubs in the world and is one of the most recognized brands in the industry, and now you can get a little taste of it all while getting your fix of listening to awesome free music from great artists.

It all began in 1991 with the wealthy James Palumbo, along with several American industry magnets, as its driving engine. In fact, at the onset, the goal was to bring US house across the big pond. One of the men behind the plot stated that instead of doing what every other opening club does, they will focus their attention to detail to “100% sound system first, lights second, design third (in that order)”. Thank you! And it paid off, because I have yet to be in a place where the sound is unreal, the lights tantalizing, and the atmosphere one of a kind.

Here’s a video about the latest improvements to MOS in London that I found interesting:

In 2008, the extremely beloved Turnills closed for good, leaving The Gallery party in need of a good replacement home. It landed at MOS and has been a major success for both parties. So who stops by for guest appearances? Who does residencies? Only the best at MOS. It’s not uncommon to find Judge Jules, Armin van Buuren, Ferry Corsten, Markus Schulz, Fedde le Grand, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

What’s great is that the radio station schedule is just as impressive with sessions from Markus Schulz, Mark Knight, Hed Kandi, Global Underground, and so much more to please your ears! If you can’t get to the club, this is the next best thing! Check it out, you won’t be disappointed.

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Proton Radio

vsimon Post in Electro，Tags: , ,
17 August 2010
0

Picture of Proton Radio logoI liked the name of this station, so I gave it a whirl. The menu bar on my iTunes read:

Further (2010-08-12) Part 1- Chloe Harris- Further Radio August.

Further is the name of the segment, and the woman in charge of the tracks is Chloe Harris. I’m sorry, but the first track I tune to is making my head spin and will possibly cause it to explode. It’s like a horrific mix of industrial with a reoccurring siren-esque noise too similar to something I think I’ve heard in a scary movie or a nightmare. I’m enduring it only for the reason of providing a honest review, and I guess to see how long it actually goes on like this for… which is just too long all together. After 9 minutes, the sounds are the same industrial, repetitive, sort of evil sounds you might here in a London underground rave with dark creatures of the night. I’m not even sure if this has all been the same song, or if it’s just all the same sounds. Who knows. Eventually I do hear another track being mixed in, something resembling a clip of vocals, although I cannot make out what those are.

To give you an example, I found a video of Chloe Harris live. The video quality is extremely poor, but you can get a sense of what her taste in music is about:

Now this is just one DJ of a huge list of resident DJs that get to have time on the air. There are also featured DJs that visit like Uto Karem, who has had his tracks played by international stars like Richie Hawtin, Dubfire, and others who you get free music for online. So, if you do tune in and strongly dislike the program, which I did, it might be worthwhile to check back during another time slot.

The website is pretty cool, I’ll give them that. Check it out: http://www.protonradio.com/

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ACTIVE Dance

vsimon Post in Dance，Tags: , , ,
06 August 2010
0

Active Dance radio station

I was hooked as soon as I clicked on this station, because the first track I got to hear was Milk & Sugar’s Let the Sunshine In… which almost instantaneously made my coffee fix kick in and have me singing right along with it. Thankfully nobody was around! The second track was Sometimes by DOM CHRIS. Awesome vocals in this track, beware of the possibility of goosebumps, and uncontrollable head-nodding and foot-tapping.

What’s cool is this station is playing tracks of artists I’ve never heard before, like Sebastien Benett with What’s Goin On. Perhaps listening to international stations is the way to go to broaden your music collection. Eventually, however, they did play some tracks and artists I know and have music downloads of, like Bob Sinclair with the track R.I.O.- De Janeiro. A classic dance club track that gets the dance floor going wild, and Armin van Helden with You Don’t Know Me. Check out the 1999 music video!

You can find the ACTIVE Dance station in the International/World category of iTunes radio stations, honestly I was bored and found it by mistake. But such a good find it is! Additionally, on the website, www.radionomy.com, you can make your own radio station if you register, which I found really cool! You can also see all the existing stations that they’ve got, which is an enormous assortment in many genres. Or you can go here and listen to the exact station discussed here.

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M2 CHILLOUT

vsimon Post in Ambient，Tags: , , , ,
26 July 2010
1

M2 Radio logo

Ambient radio stations have the tendency to play some odd tracks, or too electronica rather than the soft sounds that ambient music is supposed to portray. M2 CHILLOUT radio station stays true to its name and provides soothing ambient and lounge music for the relaxing evening or stress-relieving hours of your day and night. Imagine a candlelit bathtub. What’s more romantically ambient is that the station is streaming from Paris, France.

As they say on Chillout Scene, the French “not only know wine and cheese, but they know how to chill as well.”

The first track I heard on the station was by Sine called Summer Rain, and I was entranced right away. I decided to stay on the channel and enjoy some relaxation time. The station would not remain completely soothing massage music though, the next track was quicker with vocals, but I would still consider it ambient. Stepping up another notch with the next track was Goldfrapp with Human. You can get the music download for Goldfrapp at Kazaa. I wouldn’t consider it ambient, but it was enjoyable all the same. Here’s the music video:

So they do mix in some lounge music along with the soothing tracks, but if that’s what you’re after, the majority of the track list will suit you just fine. Of the tracks I heard, one of my favorite was called Sonic Circle by Redlounge Orchestra.

Here is a video clip I found of another Redlounge Orchestra track called Aerer:

The website of M2 leads you to all their 12 channels which covers most genres of music including jazz, classic, 90s, 80s, rock,  electro, and others. The only issue I have with the radio station and the website is that it is in French, with no option to change it to English. If you’re only looking for the artist name and track, that’s fine, any additional information would require an interpreter.

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