Canadian Radio

[sfear]

I listen to CBC Radio 2 at work even though I don't live in Canada. I'd listen to King Classical out of Seattle by my little radio won't pick it up. Last autumn when CBC announced they were going to play less classical and more crap I was afraid they would keep their word. I needn't have worried. Starting at six in the morning there's four hours of pop/rock/folk type stuff, then five hours of classical, then three more hours of pop/rock/folk before I punch out to go home to the nightly news. At first it was daunting: strange names bandied about as if I should now who they were but didn't, names I was familiar with but was surprised to learn they were Canadian -- don't ask me why I was surprised, I just was. But familiarity breeds appreciation and now I look forward to the new programming and strange names are now eagerly anticipated. Indeed, some songs have passed the ultimate test -- I'm now seeking them out to put on my hard drive for future home burning. Gems like Kathleen Edwards's "I Make The Dough, You Get The Glory"; "Robin's Tune" by a guy who's name I think is Justin Rutledge -- I heard this for the first time yesterday and think it's great; and grab-your-gun-and-blow-my-brains-out there's even a Neil Young song I'm looking for: "Four Strong Winds."

If there's stuff like this on American stations I can't find it. Maybe it's tucked away in some of those Hear Music discs Starbucks sell, but otherwise it's the same blah stuff wherever I turn the dial. I mean, one local rock station still plays the same 17 songs it played in 1982 when I was single and bar hopping. I didn't care for then and I don't care for it now.

Canadian Radio: if you have access to it, take advantage of it. :)