A while back on the Troppo thread where Ken took umbrage at the boring baby-boomerness of the music choices in the Normblog pool, Christopher Sheil made an observation which has had me thinking on and off ever since:
My early conclusion is that the era of the generational anthems is completely cactus. “Teen Spirit” is the closest, and it doesn’t peep far above the rack.
The theories for this are probably endless. One is simply that anthems from the earlier period still hold too much of their ground, and the later music is destined to be subordinate. There is only so much room to move in the form, even if it can never be entirely emptied. Hence, the the artists who caught the first big waves of rock ‘n roll etc swept up all the low hanging fruit.
Yet radio is surely important. The mass fragmentation, the casting of myriad choices, the mass production of cheap cds and playing technologies, the privatisation of the listening experience. There are no anthems simply because there is no mass channel, only a mass of channels.
It would be easy to run off at the typewriter in further speculation and implications, but that’s a start. One historian’s observation is that for everything that’s gained, something is lost. The story before it fragmented was a tremendous common social currency for much of my life. I could not begin to count the number of people I’ve got to know through sharing versions of rock ‘n’ roll epic stories, or the story of the blues, or whether or not we were at this or that concert. While there have always been sharp divisions of opinion etc, nearly every music fan works off the same page, up to sometime in the 80s. Today’s contemporaries, divided into much smaller tribes, speaking so many different musical languages, would have an absolute bugger of a time agreeing on a top party tape.
The gist of Chris’ insight is that the media dissemination of music these days is so fragmented that there’s not one generational playlist – to the degree that there was even when I was a teenager in the 80s. Although it probably started fragmenting around then. Around 83-84, when I first started buying records and going out to see bands, there was already a fair bit of genre segmentation – New Romantics, 80s Mods listening to Ska, Goths, and Swampies. But subcultures (and their associated anthems and music tastes) were very discernible back then too, and had pretty hard and fast boundaries, in a way that I suspect is not true now among youth.
I’m not a radio listener these days – and radio of course (along with Countdown, Rage and so on) was how we picked up on new music when I was a kid. I bought some cds last week, and I was reflecting on how I picked them (all artists new to me). Some were recommendations – the excellent Antony and the Johnsons (kinda po/mo Lou Reed in feel – with the great man himself contributing vocals and guitar to “What Can I do” – and all sorts of other interesting guest artists such as Boy George) via wbb, Mazzy Star via my friend E who’s got very similar tastes to mine (yes, that includes Beth O!). Some were bands I’d read about in Rolling Stone or had heard one track on a soundtrack – Hooverphonics, Everything But the Girl, the fabulous alt.country-ish Neko Case and Her Boyfriends. One was just something that looked interesting on a $10 table at the music shop – Malou – which is described on the cover as “A Heavy Track of Funky Scandinavian Lounge + Jazz + Chillout + House + Bossa and Breaks”. A few weeks ago, I also picked up the 7th Ministry of Sound Chillout sessions on tape, which might come close to being a generational unifier these days – but again there’s so much variety in genres of remixes and compilations. And then a while back some old 80s (for me) faves – Leonard Cohen’s new album, Bruce Springsteen’s and a second hand copy of Nebraska.
It must be a marketer’s nightmare, but it’s a music fan’s delight, I think.
The fragmentation of the media for the dissemination of new music probably has some parallels with the decline in the prestige and sales of newspapers and the rise of blogs. And of course, for music recommendations, there are blogs too like our very own LP commenter Amanda’s.
Elsewhere: Mr Lefty muses on digital diversity.
Cool post!
How about music tastes organised around sexuality – ie gay boys and Kylie and lesbians and Ani (I pause to point out I liked Ani before she became big!).
Cool post!
How about music tastes organised around sexuality – ie gay boys and Kylie and lesbians and Ani (I pause to point out I liked Ani before she became big!).
Maybe todays teenagers don’t need anthems?
Maybe todays teenagers don’t need anthems?
I have a connection with my peers around music from about 1987-1990, from when I first started to pay attention to the music around me until I hit maturity at age 13 and decided being cool was too much effort. Rather “trying to be cool” because I never quite made it. So, Bon Jovi and Guns and Roses yes, Nirvana and Radiohead, no. I’m probably more up on the hits of the 80s via my older sister than those of the 90s when I was cocooned away with my walkman and mix tapes of Leonard Cohen, Johnny Cash, Johnny Mathis, Roy Orbison and Tex Morton. I don’t understand people who listen to the radio for the music, they probably don’t understand me either. Alot of the baby boomers I know have similar musical reference points (Dylan, Beatles, Stones etc)but equally know plenty (my parents for example) who were out of that loop then too.
I have a connection with my peers around music from about 1987-1990, from when I first started to pay attention to the music around me until I hit maturity at age 13 and decided being cool was too much effort. Rather “trying to be cool” because I never quite made it. So, Bon Jovi and Guns and Roses yes, Nirvana and Radiohead, no. I’m probably more up on the hits of the 80s via my older sister than those of the 90s when I was cocooned away with my walkman and mix tapes of Leonard Cohen, Johnny Cash, Johnny Mathis, Roy Orbison and Tex Morton. I don’t understand people who listen to the radio for the music, they probably don’t understand me either. Alot of the baby boomers I know have similar musical reference points (Dylan, Beatles, Stones etc)but equally know plenty (my parents for example) who were out of that loop then too.
Anthems still exist but music is so splintered nowadays that there is rarely a tune that is a bonafide cross-genre anthem. Back in the day, music was perhaps even more mainstream as there was only what was fed to us by TV and the radio playlists. Now there is self-published music, multiple music formats, and adverts to dilute all the music that is out there.
Smells Like Teen Spirit was an anthem for a particular cross-section of the public. Pop poppet, Kylie, is anthemic within her fan base. Others just think ‘So what’. In that vein, Born Slippy by Underworld was a massive anthem for the dance generation and more recently Satisfaction by Benni Bennassi was huge the world over and is still played as new even though it debuted in 2001. I’m sure a great majority of population would say ‘Who?’ to both those acts. Like you say, this has created a public consciousness void but makes iPod playlists a cool, cool thing
Anthems still exist but music is so splintered nowadays that there is rarely a tune that is a bonafide cross-genre anthem. Back in the day, music was perhaps even more mainstream as there was only what was fed to us by TV and the radio playlists. Now there is self-published music, multiple music formats, and adverts to dilute all the music that is out there.
Smells Like Teen Spirit was an anthem for a particular cross-section of the public. Pop poppet, Kylie, is anthemic within her fan base. Others just think ‘So what’. In that vein, Born Slippy by Underworld was a massive anthem for the dance generation and more recently Satisfaction by Benni Bennassi was huge the world over and is still played as new even though it debuted in 2001. I’m sure a great majority of population would say ‘Who?’ to both those acts. Like you say, this has created a public consciousness void but makes iPod playlists a cool, cool thing
New music? Bah. Give me old music. I spent the weekend watching AC/DC’s Family Jewels DVD collection. The Bon Scott stuff is great especially the Countdown video with Bon dressed as a schoolgirl from 1975.
And in case I’m ever in need of redemption I picked up the Blind Boys of Alabama “Atom Bomb.” The Devil in one hand and God in the other to paraphrase the great Son House.
I don’t think that the wider dissemination of music is the problem. The diffusion of preferences and following of obscure and eclectic musical tastes is not a feature of the younger generation whom the record companies target. There is still a lot on money to be made with the teen crowd and what is fed to them (and what they listen to) is simply uninspired, corporate rubbish.
Another reason why we don’t have the megastars of yore is that few bands are given time to develop and attain that status. The idea of record companies it to maximise their bucks quickly. Developing talent and nurturing careers does not do this. Hence many bands are lucky to survive more than a few albums.
New music? Bah. Give me old music. I spent the weekend watching AC/DC’s Family Jewels DVD collection. The Bon Scott stuff is great especially the Countdown video with Bon dressed as a schoolgirl from 1975.
And in case I’m ever in need of redemption I picked up the Blind Boys of Alabama “Atom Bomb.” The Devil in one hand and God in the other to paraphrase the great Son House.
I don’t think that the wider dissemination of music is the problem. The diffusion of preferences and following of obscure and eclectic musical tastes is not a feature of the younger generation whom the record companies target. There is still a lot on money to be made with the teen crowd and what is fed to them (and what they listen to) is simply uninspired, corporate rubbish.
Another reason why we don’t have the megastars of yore is that few bands are given time to develop and attain that status. The idea of record companies it to maximise their bucks quickly. Developing talent and nurturing careers does not do this. Hence many bands are lucky to survive more than a few albums.
I’m inclined toward the Sheil idea. Possibly the last anthem was “Teen Spirit”. The reason is the fragmentation of the radio market into segments.
Theres no radio that grannies, anklebiters, dads, mums, teenagers and uncles all listen to. So there can be (almost) no shared radio music experiences. The same fragmentation exists in the household. The cheapness (and generally nastyness of sound) of CD players means everyone retires to their room to listen, so there is no opportunity for dad to say as daughter listens to a bit of chill out trance on family “stereo” – “thats not too bad who is it by?”
Similarly the young guitar wielding son doesn’t get to hear Django or Charlie Christian (or RJ – sorry Chris)on the shared “family stereo” and say “Shit how do they play that”. Even in the car now every passenger can be plugged into their own music world through headphones.
This fragmentation is a part of our (post?) modern world. I do notice that is is being countered a bit by Music Festivals, like Apollo Bay where, young, old and even dad’s, can sample a wide variety of musics during a weekend and you’ll see a real mix of ages and styles congregating for the good acts.
The up side of all this is that there is now a wonderful smorgasbord of all types of niche music, musicians taking control of their own music and not needing the “…big time operators on the music business scene..”.
Theres no way that in the great years of anthems and DAD’s ROCK we would have seen an appearance in Melbourne, as we did last week, of Rockin’ Dopsie & The Zydeco Twisters – the real thing. Neither would we have seen Wayne Shorter.
I think there are some anthems but they are sleepers and take years to develop instead on weeks or months. I’d be willing to argue that the Hunters, “Throw Your Arms Around Me” is an Australian standard and an anthem , yet its taken years to get there,and from memory was never much of a “hit”. The only recent others I can think of are Crowded House.
I also miss the top hit “novelty tune” – wheres today’s “Purple People Eater”?
Getting all nostalgic – if I was Pope John Howard XV I’d not only bring back picket fences, but I’d be relaxed and comfortable when I saw a bloke riding an old pushbike down the street, no hands, hands in pockets and whistling – ahhh [wipes tear from eye]
I’m inclined toward the Sheil idea. Possibly the last anthem was “Teen Spirit”. The reason is the fragmentation of the radio market into segments.
Theres no radio that grannies, anklebiters, dads, mums, teenagers and uncles all listen to. So there can be (almost) no shared radio music experiences. The same fragmentation exists in the household. The cheapness (and generally nastyness of sound) of CD players means everyone retires to their room to listen, so there is no opportunity for dad to say as daughter listens to a bit of chill out trance on family “stereo” – “thats not too bad who is it by?”
Similarly the young guitar wielding son doesn’t get to hear Django or Charlie Christian (or RJ – sorry Chris)on the shared “family stereo” and say “Shit how do they play that”. Even in the car now every passenger can be plugged into their own music world through headphones.
This fragmentation is a part of our (post?) modern world. I do notice that is is being countered a bit by Music Festivals, like Apollo Bay where, young, old and even dad’s, can sample a wide variety of musics during a weekend and you’ll see a real mix of ages and styles congregating for the good acts.
The up side of all this is that there is now a wonderful smorgasbord of all types of niche music, musicians taking control of their own music and not needing the “…big time operators on the music business scene..”.
Theres no way that in the great years of anthems and DAD’s ROCK we would have seen an appearance in Melbourne, as we did last week, of Rockin’ Dopsie & The Zydeco Twisters – the real thing. Neither would we have seen Wayne Shorter.
I think there are some anthems but they are sleepers and take years to develop instead on weeks or months. I’d be willing to argue that the Hunters, “Throw Your Arms Around Me” is an Australian standard and an anthem , yet its taken years to get there,and from memory was never much of a “hit”. The only recent others I can think of are Crowded House.
I also miss the top hit “novelty tune” – wheres today’s “Purple People Eater”?
Getting all nostalgic – if I was Pope John Howard XV I’d not only bring back picket fences, but I’d be relaxed and comfortable when I saw a bloke riding an old pushbike down the street, no hands, hands in pockets and whistling – ahhh [wipes tear from eye]
FXH be careful what you wish for.
Mambo #5
That tomato sauce song
Anything by Aqua
FXH be careful what you wish for.
Mambo #5
That tomato sauce song
Anything by Aqua
ooh Mambo was good
ooh Mambo was good
I reckon you’re right. All of you. I’m too young to have an anthem as Smells Like… came out when I was about 14 and I hated it. Who knows what my generational playlist is?
As I mentioned in another thread, I went to see Nick Cave last night and the crowd was so incredibly varied. Gothy teenagers to men and women in their fifties, even a couple with their Downs Syndrome daughter in tow, me and my twenty-something friends. It was great to see people of all ages enjoying the same music.
Oddly enough, I am supposed to be subbing a story on legal MP3 downloading RIGHT NOW. Go to work, Kate! Ah, the perils of being self-employed.
I reckon you’re right. All of you. I’m too young to have an anthem as Smells Like… came out when I was about 14 and I hated it. Who knows what my generational playlist is?
As I mentioned in another thread, I went to see Nick Cave last night and the crowd was so incredibly varied. Gothy teenagers to men and women in their fifties, even a couple with their Downs Syndrome daughter in tow, me and my twenty-something friends. It was great to see people of all ages enjoying the same music.
Oddly enough, I am supposed to be subbing a story on legal MP3 downloading RIGHT NOW. Go to work, Kate! Ah, the perils of being self-employed.
Generational anthems? Beck’s ‘Loser’ does it for me, but then that was just the kind of fourteen year-old I was.
…
Consider the fragmentation of music in a different way. Sure, the market has diversified, and there are lots more artists and genres who’re able to support themselves—there’s more money being spent on albums and marketing than before, and, I understand that despite the popularity of peer-to-peering, there are more consumers overall buying.
What has not diversified are the ways of consuming music. It’s far more difficult to go and see live music, because pokies and drink are more profitable. It is now almost universal for music to be consumed either through listening to the radio, putting on albums and singles played at home, or through late night and early morning TV. Capitalism in the music market has produced bits of a living for a large number of very insecure musicians, a few good livings for a few well-known ones—the aristocracy of labour?—and a great deal for those who treat the industry as a method of turning money into more money.
What would Marx and Engels say about music these days?
Generational anthems? Beck’s ‘Loser’ does it for me, but then that was just the kind of fourteen year-old I was.
…
Consider the fragmentation of music in a different way. Sure, the market has diversified, and there are lots more artists and genres who’re able to support themselves—there’s more money being spent on albums and marketing than before, and, I understand that despite the popularity of peer-to-peering, there are more consumers overall buying.
What has not diversified are the ways of consuming music. It’s far more difficult to go and see live music, because pokies and drink are more profitable. It is now almost universal for music to be consumed either through listening to the radio, putting on albums and singles played at home, or through late night and early morning TV. Capitalism in the music market has produced bits of a living for a large number of very insecure musicians, a few good livings for a few well-known ones—the aristocracy of labour?—and a great deal for those who treat the industry as a method of turning money into more money.
What would Marx and Engels say about music these days?
Oh, and don’t get me started on ‘shared experiences’ of radio or TV. <thesis>It hasn’t existed, never has. There’s always been different programming on both formats for different markets, young, old, male, female, whatever. More importantly, broadcasting has only ever been a national phenomenon, at its very largest it’s only ever catered for national audiences. Local audiences tend to predominate. The idea of a ‘shared’ experience of broadcasting is about as fanciful as the idea of a ‘shared’ experience of any other kind of historical phenomenon. Common technology and common situation within capitalism, totally different outcomes dependent on each listener.</thesis>
Oh, and don’t get me started on ‘shared experiences’ of radio or TV. <thesis>It hasn’t existed, never has. There’s always been different programming on both formats for different markets, young, old, male, female, whatever. More importantly, broadcasting has only ever been a national phenomenon, at its very largest it’s only ever catered for national audiences. Local audiences tend to predominate. The idea of a ‘shared’ experience of broadcasting is about as fanciful as the idea of a ‘shared’ experience of any other kind of historical phenomenon. Common technology and common situation within capitalism, totally different outcomes dependent on each listener.</thesis>
Not true, Liam. When I was a kid, FM was new and there was some segmentation but not much. JJJ didn’t exist in Brisbane so it was either MMM with the top 10 and everything else that was considered programmable for youth. This was before taxi drivers listened to “greatest hits of the…” – pop and rock music were still targetted towards young people. The only alternative was ZZZ for the really alternative crowd.
On venues for live music, there are heaps in Brisbane because we’ve got good Labor Councillors who’ve worked very hard to ensure that live music in the Valley doesn’t just survive but thrive – putting a lot of work into zoning, conditions on development, changes to the ability of people to object to licences and to licence conditions, etc – and a lot oc community consultation and research. Deputy Mayor David Hinchliffe in particular has been exemplary. Dare I suggest that local govermnent in Sydney isn’t as responsive?
Not true, Liam. When I was a kid, FM was new and there was some segmentation but not much. JJJ didn’t exist in Brisbane so it was either MMM with the top 10 and everything else that was considered programmable for youth. This was before taxi drivers listened to “greatest hits of the…” – pop and rock music were still targetted towards young people. The only alternative was ZZZ for the really alternative crowd.
On venues for live music, there are heaps in Brisbane because we’ve got good Labor Councillors who’ve worked very hard to ensure that live music in the Valley doesn’t just survive but thrive – putting a lot of work into zoning, conditions on development, changes to the ability of people to object to licences and to licence conditions, etc – and a lot oc community consultation and research. Deputy Mayor David Hinchliffe in particular has been exemplary. Dare I suggest that local govermnent in Sydney isn’t as responsive?
It is not impossible for me to get out an see live music every week, in fact i usually have several choices.
It is not impossible for me to get out an see live music every week, in fact i usually have several choices.
‘Segmentation’ happens in lots of different kinds of ways, mainly through timeslots. The listeners who tune into a station during weekday drive-time probably get quite a different experience to those who tune in on a Saturday night. Even more so in places where there are fewer stations, and broadcasters have to serve a broader audience.
I react badly to the idea that the pre-FM era was some kind of tedious, Anglostrayan monoculture of music. ‘Foreign Language’ AKA ‘Ethnic radio’—on which I’ll be posting a lot through June and July, believe you me—dates from the 1950s, and a more ‘segmented’ use of radio does not exist.
1975 saw the first transmissions of both 2JJ ‘double jay’ and the Ethnic Air stations 2EA/3EA. While you’d think of both institutions as archetypally ‘segmented’ stations made for niche audiences, the arguments used in favour of them were unashamedly national.
I think there’s something in that for everybody.
‘Segmentation’ happens in lots of different kinds of ways, mainly through timeslots. The listeners who tune into a station during weekday drive-time probably get quite a different experience to those who tune in on a Saturday night. Even more so in places where there are fewer stations, and broadcasters have to serve a broader audience.
I react badly to the idea that the pre-FM era was some kind of tedious, Anglostrayan monoculture of music. ‘Foreign Language’ AKA ‘Ethnic radio’—on which I’ll be posting a lot through June and July, believe you me—dates from the 1950s, and a more ‘segmented’ use of radio does not exist.
1975 saw the first transmissions of both 2JJ ‘double jay’ and the Ethnic Air stations 2EA/3EA. While you’d think of both institutions as archetypally ‘segmented’ stations made for niche audiences, the arguments used in favour of them were unashamedly national.
I think there’s something in that for everybody.
2 and 3, Liam. Not a lot of diversity in Brisbane radio in the 70s through to the late 80s, believe me.
2 and 3, Liam. Not a lot of diversity in Brisbane radio in the 70s through to the late 80s, believe me.
Beck at 14 years old? Man, I feel so ancient. Mark, 2JJ was much better before it went national. Bah! Humbug!
There’s still lots of really good music around, the question is how to find it. Networks of friends and trusted media sources is how I manage it. Video tv is nowadays, too … juvenile … to really suit me. I found that fashion TV had better music anyway. Rage is still ok, if there’s a good guest programmer who does an eclectic program on the Saturday nights.
Beck at 14 years old? Man, I feel so ancient. Mark, 2JJ was much better before it went national. Bah! Humbug!
There’s still lots of really good music around, the question is how to find it. Networks of friends and trusted media sources is how I manage it. Video tv is nowadays, too … juvenile … to really suit me. I found that fashion TV had better music anyway. Rage is still ok, if there’s a good guest programmer who does an eclectic program on the Saturday nights.
I don’t mind a bit of Rage – and not only when they have heaps of 80s videos and I can indulge in a nostalgia fest.
I don’t mind a bit of Rage – and not only when they have heaps of 80s videos and I can indulge in a nostalgia fest.
I’d bet you any money the station owners, though, knew perfectly well the differences between their broadcasts at different times of the day.
There’s an article—not to hand, unfortunately, it’s under a pile of shit on my desk—that’s about the ways Australian TV station programmers tried to enforce some age and gender norms in the 1960s, through programming Westerns and kids’ shows during dinner time, so as to make the mother’s task of feeding kids easier.
I’d bet you any money the station owners, though, knew perfectly well the differences between their broadcasts at different times of the day.
There’s an article—not to hand, unfortunately, it’s under a pile of shit on my desk—that’s about the ways Australian TV station programmers tried to enforce some age and gender norms in the 1960s, through programming Westerns and kids’ shows during dinner time, so as to make the mother’s task of feeding kids easier.
I suspect your method, Amanda, of community-building through shared music consumption, shared meeting at live music, and a bit of shared illegal file-sharing, is the way of the future. All it will take is for broadband internet to get that much cheaper, and for it to be accessible by appliances that don’t look like PCs, for it to challenge established ‘providers’ of music.
Podcasting sounds fine, but for it to take off properly it’s got to be able to be retro-fitted in the radio of a 1980s Mitsubishi Colt. Then things’ll get interesting.
I suspect your method, Amanda, of community-building through shared music consumption, shared meeting at live music, and a bit of shared illegal file-sharing, is the way of the future. All it will take is for broadband internet to get that much cheaper, and for it to be accessible by appliances that don’t look like PCs, for it to challenge established ‘providers’ of music.
Podcasting sounds fine, but for it to take off properly it’s got to be able to be retro-fitted in the radio of a 1980s Mitsubishi Colt. Then things’ll get interesting.
liam – I don’t know how long you’ve been listening to radio but I have been an addict since I was about 3 years old, and was singing along to “Bimbo Bimbo Where you gunna go-eeo” and ” Would you like to swing on a star Carry Moonbeams home in a jar”. I made my own radios and crystal sets and first heard Jimi Hendrix and The Who on a crystal set.
Believe me there was pretty much a mono culture of music. Most places I lived could only ever recieve one station. Most families never touched the dial even if there were more stations.
I’d like to see a bit more of your arguments.
liam – I don’t know how long you’ve been listening to radio but I have been an addict since I was about 3 years old, and was singing along to “Bimbo Bimbo Where you gunna go-eeo” and ” Would you like to swing on a star Carry Moonbeams home in a jar”. I made my own radios and crystal sets and first heard Jimi Hendrix and The Who on a crystal set.
Believe me there was pretty much a mono culture of music. Most places I lived could only ever recieve one station. Most families never touched the dial even if there were more stations.
I’d like to see a bit more of your arguments.
Music on radio isn’t my area, I’m more interested in language diversity than musical.
As to the diversity of language on Australian radio in the post-war era, consider that even as early as 1947 the ABC had started broadcasting for ‘New Australians’, on a trial basis, though quickly abandoned due to funding shortages and chauvinism. Throughout the 1950s commercial stations, such as 2CH in Sydney, hired non-English speakers to play ‘foreign’ music during timetabled slots. ‘Mama Lena’ of the Italian programme ‘Arrivederci Roma’ became quite well known, apparently, even by non-Italians.
FX, I’ll be posting comprehensively on the thirtieth anniversary of the first transmissions of state-sponsored ethnic media in Australia. 9th of June. I’ll let you know.
Music on radio isn’t my area, I’m more interested in language diversity than musical.
As to the diversity of language on Australian radio in the post-war era, consider that even as early as 1947 the ABC had started broadcasting for ‘New Australians’, on a trial basis, though quickly abandoned due to funding shortages and chauvinism. Throughout the 1950s commercial stations, such as 2CH in Sydney, hired non-English speakers to play ‘foreign’ music during timetabled slots. ‘Mama Lena’ of the Italian programme ‘Arrivederci Roma’ became quite well known, apparently, even by non-Italians.
FX, I’ll be posting comprehensively on the thirtieth anniversary of the first transmissions of state-sponsored ethnic media in Australia. 9th of June. I’ll let you know.
With radio remember that country bumpkins until the late 80s/early 90s only had the choice of a local AM station as well as the ABC. Ethnic radio may have existed in Sydney but it sure was an Anglostrayan monoculture in rural NSW.
When I was getting into music I discovered that at night you could pick up Sydney AM stations from the NSW north coast under certain conditions. I remember well late nights listening to 2SM when it was a rock station.
With radio remember that country bumpkins until the late 80s/early 90s only had the choice of a local AM station as well as the ABC. Ethnic radio may have existed in Sydney but it sure was an Anglostrayan monoculture in rural NSW.
When I was getting into music I discovered that at night you could pick up Sydney AM stations from the NSW north coast under certain conditions. I remember well late nights listening to 2SM when it was a rock station.
Live music in Sydney:
http://smh.com.au/news/Music/Anything-but-an-excess-of-venues/2005/05/24/1116700705514.html
Live music in Sydney:
http://smh.com.au/news/Music/Anything-but-an-excess-of-venues/2005/05/24/1116700705514.html