NME might be a good shout : https://uk.radio.net/s/nme1
Although doesn't sound like OP's thing just like to link to NTS Radio too : https://www.nts.live/radio
Concur. Ā I switched to 2 today. Ā Theyāve been banging on about Glastonbury for days non stop. Ā Itās like somebody showing you an audio slide show of a holiday you werenāt invited on. Ā We get it you are all cool guys and had an awesome time. Ā Whoopee for youĀ
I've been trying to put my finger on why I didn't like R2 as much as I used to, and that right there sums it up *perfectly*. I started on R2 during the late 90s/early 00s because R1 was just the same six records on repeat all day every day with inane "banter" in between. R2 was refreshing, played a mix of good music both old and new and none of the shite I loathed from R1. But now R2 is all that crap come back to haunt me, only with the "bonus" of getting Daily Mail radio at lunch time, and then R1 throw-back with dull-as-ditch-water Scott Mills afterwards.
Consider yourself out-barrelled. :P
No no youāre absolutely right. All they do on R2 is play the shite pop music I hated in the 90ās, absolutely none of the quality stuff that was from the same era. Thereās nothing for people with broader taste any more - itās either mainstream or totally out there. And I just donāt ever seem to have enough time to properly go through streaming services to work out what is good / new etc (rant over!!)
What's Radio 2's target audience now? I've given up on 2 and moved to Greatest Hits because I'm an old git who still wants to listen to Simon Mayo and Pop Master :-)
The traffic bit baffles me in 2024. You're reading updates about a motorway that a tiny fraction of your listeners have an active interest in, and if anyone actually needed that information, they would check google maps/waze.
Is there really more than 10 people utilising the traffic updates provided every hour? And yet a not insignificant amount of airtime is dedicated to traffic news that serves no purpose other than to keep a lady named Sally in a job.
I find only really Mary Anne has this issue, the afternoon show with Craig Charles is varied and I like Steve Lamaq, but that late morning show is unlistenable if you don't like rave
Radio X is probably about right if that is your bag. I still like Radio 6 as they are very eclectic, even if I don't love all of it. I don't want them to just keep playing classic indie as that is how they would die.
I just listen via Sounds, Radcliffe and Maconie, Cerys, Guy Garvey, Craig Charles funk & soul. Steve Lamacq is still good on a weekday but other than him I donāt really listen live.
Other than that, search on Spotify for similar playlists. Iāve not found any other solution.
6Music's audience is 30-50 who are still interested in new and cutting edge music, especially outside of chart pop. That means as music has changed over the last 20 years, so have they. If the genre you like isn't the current trend of Idles's style noise or electronic dance, then they've moved away from you.
2's audience is 30-60 who like more mainstream hits and classics. If you're a 90s/00s person that's roughly where they are now. They've moved upwards through the years and tastes to accommodate people coming into that age group.
These things are more or less as they should be for the BBC to be catering to the people those stations were always set up for.
The trouble is there isn't really anyone doing what 6 was doing about 10 or 15 years ago. I find it too dance-oriented for my tastes. I always enjoyed the odd bit being mixed in but it's swung a bit too far. I love Lauren Lavern as a presenter but her music choices are too much for me in the mornings. But I always used to listen to Shaun Keaveney on the way to work. There are still gems in the schedule, so maybe you'd b best finding the specific presenters you like and listening to their shows on catch up.
Absolute is far too "meat and potatoes, oasis are the best band ever" for me.
I dont think OP wants eclectic though. They want straight indie/rock new & old.
Daytime is super eclectic and new and old, hence their displeasure at DJ ADHD.
Kind of tough as there is really a decent alternative, I donāt mind the music MAH plays itās the breathless laughter and chat I canāt abide. Like someone else suggested listen to the evening shows on BBC Sounds, even better Stuart Maconies Freak Zone and Iggy Confidential are the best things on radio.
The particularly annoying thing about her breathless whispery voice is that when you hear her elsewhere (even just the handover chat with Laverne) she talks quite normally. So she *chooses* to sound like a newly qualified teacher trying it on with the hot dad at parent evening.
I feel your pain. Daytime is almost unbareable now.
I tend to gravitate to the Sounds app and play previous shows (Freak Zone, RadMac, Cerys).
I tried Radio 2 for a day but felt like I was labotimised.
This is definitely the answer, although it's US West-Coast daytime, so give it a swerve on Monday Mornings (UK time) or else you'll end up with their overnight Jazz show, etc.
But their breakfast show into the mid-morning slot is a great way to pass the afternoon. They do a better job at showcasing new music through their live session slot than any other radio station and it's not even close. Ever since the BBC axed [the evening session](https://www.theguardian.com/media/2002/aug/29/broadcasting.bbc), Radio 1 hasn't felt like it has taken live bands seriously.
KEXP's [youtube session archive](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUh4W61bt_K6tflBpjWgnXLpyuu6EbNTW) just pumps out videos of all their sessions.
As far as I know there's nothing similar to 6Music on DAB.
I consider Absolute Radio and Radio X to be both middle of the road stations with boring, repetitive playlists so don't bother with these unless there's no other option.
I think there might be some similar Internet stations but I've not personally listened to them.
I canāt stand her. I donāt know what sheās doing on daytime radio but that show belongs in the midnight slot. Beyond the music I find her earnestness and humourlessness absolutely unlistenable.
Strange thing to be downvoted on but whatever. I agree, she is a night slot DJ. Her voice is like a sedative anyway.
I used to like her back in the day but she is too serious for me.
I'll second this. Depends on the DJ that's on. Some hit a very safe path and others are a bit more eclectic. John Kennedy, Dan O'Connell, Issy Panayis are all quite good. Moyles still does his platinum hour on a Friday. Though they really do seem to get into certain musical ruts.
Fip.fr online radio from Radio France. The main station is an eclectic mix, and there is only minimal talking in soft tones every 5 songs or so, but if you are online you can flick between the other genre specific stations instantly, and there's never any talking, just jazz, rock, metal etc, and there's never any ads! I can't recommend it enough.Ā
Does France still have that mad law that says 60% of the music has to be French? Led to a terrible amount of terrible music getting a lot of airplay back in the day.
dependin on your tastes, Radio 3 has Night Tracks and Late Junction which are both excellent. Not classical music, a bit more experimental sometimes, but really good sometimes.
Was 6 ever mostly retro and classic?
I think it has deteriorated slightly with a shift in presenters (which BBC radio station hasnāt) but Iām not sure the concept has dramatically changed.
Youāre probably right thereās less rock and indie but I find Lamaque primarily plays this genre and he has a prime spot.
Laverne is perfect for me!
Radio paradise online. Great selection, various stations, no adverts except a continuity announcement every few songs, no āpersonalitiesā, just musicĀ
The higher ups at the BBC decided that Radio 6 Music was too middle aged and Indie and needed to appeal to a wider demographic so they've started playing a wider range of music. I didn't really understand the decision as there are already BBC stations covering lots of other genres.
I think they're just aiming to keep the listener age profile relatively consistent. If they don't bring in a new cohort of younger listeners then the average age steadily drifts upwards. The problem is that you then get a load of 50-somethings who have been listening to the station for 20 years complaining that the BBC's trying to cater to a younger demographic, forgetting that they were 30-somethings when they started to listen.
And there's not another radio station out there that covers the same mix of music as 6 Music does. Radio 1 mainly mainstream and aimed at the young 'uns, Radio 1 Dance is more chart bangers, Radio 2 is for people who don't like music, and Radio 3 is... Radio 3.
I absolutely love 6 Music. Would be lost if it was dropped. (And MAH is the jewel in the crown - my favourite radio DJ ever.)
I think you're right. Lately I've noticed them playing artists like Faith No More and Green Day which wouldn't have been entertained in the past.
I'm falling a bit out of love with it, the only positive lately is we have been getting more Huw Stephens. That man knows his bangers.
Hey OP. 48 year old married father of two here.
Iāve been listening to 6 Music since it started, but have recently started to feel exactly the same kind ofā¦ alienation? that you describe above. Frankly it started last year when the idea of ā6 Music Dadsā came up to describe the idiotic gatekeepers who criticised Billy No Matesā ***brilliant*** 2023 Glastonbury setā¦ the
> āButā¦ itās a girlā¦ and there are no guitarsā¦ ***this isnāt real music!***ā
divvies who I cannot bear to be associated with.
This might be a flash in the pan - because nostalgia - but Radio 1 is playing loads of stuff that is exact copies of the stuff I used to listen to in the 90s (in the same way everything in the 90s was copied from the 60s etc etc etc etc). Thatās what my music-loving wife and I will usually listen to in the evenings.
But yes - notwithstanding my little rant above - I feel the same and itās getting worse. I canāt listen to Radio 2 because Jeremy Vine is on there and he (in my view) is [Sealion In Chief.](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sealioning)
I listen to radio x and Kerrang radio quite a lot when Iām home. Both and indie / rock mainly but neither is as āpigeon-holedā as you might think.
NME 1.
I am exactly the same age as you and it's like they own my CD collection at times with new stuff thrown in. They play the full 8min version of I am the ressurection at least once a week so can't be bad!!
STEREO UNDERGROUND on mixcloud.
It used to be a BBC radio show but got messed around and went solo. Only available on mixcloud, but well worth it and has a great community of fans.
If it's not playlist then Hobbes will play lots of drum & bass, garage stuff as that's her wheelhouse.
Not a fan but it beats other stations.
It's Laverne that grinds my gears, always always talks over the last 45 secs of a song with just inane blah blah.
Laverne breakfast show is miles better, and way more music led than Sean Keaveny though, that show was like listening to someone enjoy their own warm farts.
Oh I'm not saying she's awful or it's a poor show, it's a personal thing where her interruption of the songs really winds me up.
Keaveny used to be the same for me, play a record and stop yapping so much.
I enjoy the music and tolerate the inbetween bits.
Thank you so much all. I've got a big list of stuff to try now. Had Radio Paradise Rock Mix on this afternoon which was pretty good. Will also have a dig through this.
Redditors - you rock as always!
I haven't regularly listened to the radio for years, but this post made me download the BBC Sounds app and check out 6Music.
First song - 46 & 2 by Tool. I'm in.
All you need is Radio Gaga I was once told but it does not seem to be an option.
As a recent WFH person I have the same question as OP on what radio station to have in the background.
I plug my monitor speakers into a tablet/phone and use this page [https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/schedules/bbc\_6music](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/schedules/bbc_6music) to listen to the shows I like.
I love radio 6, but sometimes the daytime playlist can be a bit naff and like any playlist, if the songs that are current are not your cup of tea, then hearing them every day for a few weeks is not gonna help.
The late afternoon/evening shows tend not to have the playlist songs and are much more eclectic and varied!
So that is my advice: plug speakers into tablet and pick and choose! Bonus: You can skip the shite news everytime it comes on. I've become an expert at skipping exactly to the last word of the news segments!
I mostly have 6music on, but my backup is [Radio Paradise](https://radioparadise.com/player/info/main-mix) - chilled, eclectic, US based station, they have no adverts, and the presenters only really pop up once an hour or so to say "you're listening to radio paradise, now here's some Bjork"
Working from home i go pretty much, radio 2 Zoe ball and Vernon Kaye, over to Craig Charles on 6 music, then back to 2 for sara cox and jo whiley or radio x for Jonny vaughan
I use the infinity option on Apple Music. It curates an endless playlist based on your listening habits. All music, no inane drivel from a DJ who really likes the sound of their own voice.
Radio Franceās āFIPā is my fav! Bit of classical, bit of Jazz, bit of blues and reggae and dance and rock ames indie and folk! itās got everything!
i assume itās better for those who donāt speak French because the drivel is much the same ass the nonsense BBC presenters constantly shove down your throat.
There's a web station called Planet Pootwaddle. We found it completely by accident when Amazon Echo didn't hear us right at work and started playing it by mistake.
It's an absolutely mental US station that plays mostly classic rock with some of the strangest skits between songs.
I don't think it's what you actually asked for, but I want to share this absolute fever dream of a radio station.
As someone who used to do an indie radio show on a community radio station, Radio 6 always felt like a goal to dream towards. I guess I'll just have to stick with Spotify, although that feels like funding musical terrorism with how they screw musicians.
Love 6 music but I got rid of sky a while back (used to stream via my TV) and I don't hold a TV license. How does one listen without paying for one of those damn blasted licenses ?
I moved over to Radio Paradise, also known as "RP," non-commercial, listener-supported Internet radio station.
Great app and great music. My playlist is probably 25% of new discoveries thanks to theses guys, every genre you can imagine
Daytime 6M has sadly become unlistenable since they introduced the word, ābangersā, into their lexicon. I happily listen to Guy, RadMac, the wise old men Gid & Marc, Cerys and the odd other program via the excellent Sounds. R2 is appallingly unadventurous to the point of laziness; itās virtually a greatest hits station. And Iād rather drill holes in my head than listen to adverts.
Any other holes I fill with desert island discs, the odd podcast (mostly Adam Buxton), and an enormous Spotify playlist Iāve built up from the last 15 or so years of records mostly heard on Gid or Guyās shows. And cricket if itās on R5. I do love my TMS.
If youāre happy with listening to recordings then check out some of the RTE 1 output. Generally Iād recommend the John Creedon show, late date and even the west wind blows although that might be a bit Irish trad for you. Mystery train on RTE lyric is great too
BBC Sounds! There are loads of options on there which touch on the 6Music vibe of old. Cloud Busting, 6Music Jukebox, Huey's Block Party, The Live Hour (when they add new stuff). Between that, a smattering of your chosen music service and you're good to go.
I'm going to suggest you try internet radio: wfmu.org from New Jersey, USA.
Unlikely that there's going to be one show that ticks all, any or even one of your boxes but try Inflatable Squirrel Carcass first, maybe Rock and Roller Derby with Suzy Hotrod, or Burn It Down! with Nate K. Try as many as you can stomach, just for a change-up. You might even find something else that you like. Maybe not.
Independent programming, no ads.
https://www.wfmu.org/recentarchives.php
Radio 6 listener for 18 years here, it's only breakfasts and afternoons that have mass appeal now, which applies to the weekends too. You can get Lauren Laverne in the morning, Craig Charles in the afternoon (playing mostly rock/indie etc.), then Radcliffe and Maconie on a Saturday morning. Oh and Iggy Pop on Sunday evening, which can get a bit avent guard but is mostly interesting. Steer clear of late evenings and mid morning to afternoons, that's when it's rubbish and trying to be diverse and appeal to tiny fractions of audiences that likely barely exist, think of it as publicly funded radio Turkey that's voting for Christmas.
Check out KEXP. Youāll have to listen on their app as itās based in Seattle. Also checkout there YouTube as some amazing live performances with the some of the best sound engineering Iāve heard.
http://radio.garden/
Give this a go op. You can only listen to UK based stations but it's still pretty good.
Edit. Classic FM and planet rock are my two favourite stations.
I mostly listen to various shows on catch-up, start the week with weekend stuff like RadMac, Guy Garvey, Cerys...then Riley & Coe, Lamacq, maybe some Tom Ravenscroft, Freak Zone, etc plus a couple of bits from R2 like the Blues Show, Folk Show, & Bob Harris...
Our office radio is set to change automatically through Sonos. We've been set with the following for about 2 years now.
07:30-10:00 BBC Radio 6 - Lauren Laverne
10:00-13:00 Greatest Hits Radio - Ken Bruce
13:00-16:00 BBC Radio 6 - Craig Charles
16:00-18:00 Greatest Hits Radio - Simon Mayo
6 Music is awful, lots of stuff you can hear on radio 2 or 1xtra because they're ignoring new British guitar bands and that has an impact on small venues.
We listen to 6 Music in the office all the time but have to turn it off for Mary Anne Hobbs. Every other show and DJ is fine, but everything she plays is genuinely unlistenable. It must be to someoneās taste, but certainly not one in my office.
It's 2024, *all music is obscure*, it's part of the reason why Glastonbury looks like a nostalgia-fest, because bands just don't get huge in the same way anymore, so even popular new music just looks obscure and half the attendees haven't heard of them.
People stick on Spotify and listen to the same shit they've been listening to for 50 years. Abba Gold was in the top 10 for 2023. That's higher than when it was released in 1992 where it finished 12.
In 2003, it was placed 193rd in the Albums chart.
New music following is just very fragmented now. There are some silver-linings to that fact. If do you fall in a love with a great album, there's a chance if you're lucky that you'll end up being able to see them at a local small venue.
But the era of bands getting big is over. Too many "boomers" (actually genX/millenials) dominate in their listening power, and they want the comfort of listening to things they've heard before. Even if that were always the case, at least playing the same CD over and over didn't contribute to sales chart positions as it now does with streaming.
Saying that DJs are trying to "out-obscure" is a criticism that should be thoroughly rejected. Were DJs trying to "out-obscure" people when they debuted Coldplay or The Strokes in the 2000s? No, they were just doing their job.
Well put. If people want to just listen to the same old shit on repeat, there are Spotify playlists galore for that. Curation is a dying art that deserves more credit.
I think GenX want to share. The communal joy of something becoming big was glorious in the 90s. The charts were an eclectic mix of shared joy. Rock and Roll, Dance, Big Beat, Rap, Soul. It was all there to be enjoyed together.
Trouble is, anything other than BBC radio is absolutely bombarded with poxy ads. For that reason I stay with 6
Although radio X is a pretty good alternative
Gonna check that one out šš»
I scrobble there tracks have a look at what they play. [https://www.last.fm/user/Radio\_\_X](https://www.last.fm/user/Radio__X)
NME might be a good shout : https://uk.radio.net/s/nme1 Although doesn't sound like OP's thing just like to link to NTS Radio too : https://www.nts.live/radio
Definitely check that out, cheers matey
Radio 6 is odd at the minute as many of the presenters are on holiday after Glastonbury & the set list often reflects this. Maybe try again next week?
Concur. Ā I switched to 2 today. Ā Theyāve been banging on about Glastonbury for days non stop. Ā Itās like somebody showing you an audio slide show of a holiday you werenāt invited on. Ā We get it you are all cool guys and had an awesome time. Ā Whoopee for youĀ
In fairness the bbc coverage of Glastonbury is amazing. Every gig in full on the iplayer
Not every gig at all but it is a good watch for the most part.
You wouldnāt hear a word about it if it was broadcast on ITV/Ch4. Just BBC advertising their own content (despite it being ad-free apparently).
Lauren Laverne was being so muted on Monday morning I thought the king had died.
Congratulations! You have reached Radio 2 age.
Radio 2 plays music from the past. Unfortunately for me, it's music I didn't like at the time and don't like now. I know, I sound a barrel of fun
That just means you've reached Radio 4 age.
Been there for 25 years. I'm equally at home with the Shipping Forecast and Gilles Peterson's Brazilian drum n bass melange
I've been trying to put my finger on why I didn't like R2 as much as I used to, and that right there sums it up *perfectly*. I started on R2 during the late 90s/early 00s because R1 was just the same six records on repeat all day every day with inane "banter" in between. R2 was refreshing, played a mix of good music both old and new and none of the shite I loathed from R1. But now R2 is all that crap come back to haunt me, only with the "bonus" of getting Daily Mail radio at lunch time, and then R1 throw-back with dull-as-ditch-water Scott Mills afterwards. Consider yourself out-barrelled. :P
No no youāre absolutely right. All they do on R2 is play the shite pop music I hated in the 90ās, absolutely none of the quality stuff that was from the same era. Thereās nothing for people with broader taste any more - itās either mainstream or totally out there. And I just donāt ever seem to have enough time to properly go through streaming services to work out what is good / new etc (rant over!!)
What's Radio 2's target audience now? I've given up on 2 and moved to Greatest Hits because I'm an old git who still wants to listen to Simon Mayo and Pop Master :-)
Target audience is people who don't like music
But *do* like traffic and travel news.
The traffic bit baffles me in 2024. You're reading updates about a motorway that a tiny fraction of your listeners have an active interest in, and if anyone actually needed that information, they would check google maps/waze. Is there really more than 10 people utilising the traffic updates provided every hour? And yet a not insignificant amount of airtime is dedicated to traffic news that serves no purpose other than to keep a lady named Sally in a job.
And adverts
It's been a long while since I listened to Radio 2 however it didn't have adverts then.
Brain fart, I thought this was referring to Greatest Hits
Ha I was going to suggest this too!
I love pop master!
Hahah thanks muchly! I did do Radio 2 for a while, but I'm not a fan of Vine or Scott Mills!
Vine is an oil-slick.
Which is why I've ended up using the local radio instead.
My local radio station has long since merged into Heart
I find only really Mary Anne has this issue, the afternoon show with Craig Charles is varied and I like Steve Lamaq, but that late morning show is unlistenable if you don't like rave
Radio X is probably about right if that is your bag. I still like Radio 6 as they are very eclectic, even if I don't love all of it. I don't want them to just keep playing classic indie as that is how they would die.
'Radio Eggs'. You'll never not hear that again.
I just listen via Sounds, Radcliffe and Maconie, Cerys, Guy Garvey, Craig Charles funk & soul. Steve Lamacq is still good on a weekday but other than him I donāt really listen live. Other than that, search on Spotify for similar playlists. Iāve not found any other solution.
Lamacq is only on Mondays now but Huw Stephens has taken over the time slot for the rest of the week and has fairly similar taste
6Music's audience is 30-50 who are still interested in new and cutting edge music, especially outside of chart pop. That means as music has changed over the last 20 years, so have they. If the genre you like isn't the current trend of Idles's style noise or electronic dance, then they've moved away from you. 2's audience is 30-60 who like more mainstream hits and classics. If you're a 90s/00s person that's roughly where they are now. They've moved upwards through the years and tastes to accommodate people coming into that age group. These things are more or less as they should be for the BBC to be catering to the people those stations were always set up for. The trouble is there isn't really anyone doing what 6 was doing about 10 or 15 years ago. I find it too dance-oriented for my tastes. I always enjoyed the odd bit being mixed in but it's swung a bit too far. I love Lauren Lavern as a presenter but her music choices are too much for me in the mornings. But I always used to listen to Shaun Keaveney on the way to work. There are still gems in the schedule, so maybe you'd b best finding the specific presenters you like and listening to their shows on catch up. Absolute is far too "meat and potatoes, oasis are the best band ever" for me.
Wasnāt it a running joke when Sean Keaveney was on that he was told to try and appeal more to the 24 year olds?
Might be worth listening to last to nighs evening shows rather than listening live? They're usually a bit more eclecticĀ
I dont think OP wants eclectic though. They want straight indie/rock new & old. Daytime is super eclectic and new and old, hence their displeasure at DJ ADHD.
They just need to avoid Mary Anne Hobbs, she likes to go for more electric / dance / club stuff.
And Deftones (not that I'm complaining about that).
Anyway, I digress...
Kind of tough as there is really a decent alternative, I donāt mind the music MAH plays itās the breathless laughter and chat I canāt abide. Like someone else suggested listen to the evening shows on BBC Sounds, even better Stuart Maconies Freak Zone and Iggy Confidential are the best things on radio.
MAH has an irritating whispery voice
Listening to her talking is liking taking sleeping tablets.
Itās nostalgic for me. Reminds me of her Radio 1 experimental show back in the mid to late noughties, which was incredible at the time.
The particularly annoying thing about her breathless whispery voice is that when you hear her elsewhere (even just the handover chat with Laverne) she talks quite normally. So she *chooses* to sound like a newly qualified teacher trying it on with the hot dad at parent evening.
Merry cakemas
I feel your pain. Daytime is almost unbareable now. I tend to gravitate to the Sounds app and play previous shows (Freak Zone, RadMac, Cerys). I tried Radio 2 for a day but felt like I was labotimised.
BBC Sounds is excellent Love listening to In Our Time.
Try KEXP online.
This is definitely the answer, although it's US West-Coast daytime, so give it a swerve on Monday Mornings (UK time) or else you'll end up with their overnight Jazz show, etc. But their breakfast show into the mid-morning slot is a great way to pass the afternoon. They do a better job at showcasing new music through their live session slot than any other radio station and it's not even close. Ever since the BBC axed [the evening session](https://www.theguardian.com/media/2002/aug/29/broadcasting.bbc), Radio 1 hasn't felt like it has taken live bands seriously. KEXP's [youtube session archive](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUh4W61bt_K6tflBpjWgnXLpyuu6EbNTW) just pumps out videos of all their sessions.
Also KCRW - so much good stuff, including Henry Rollins!
KCRW is excellent.
Some great and oddball shows on wfmu as well
As far as I know there's nothing similar to 6Music on DAB. I consider Absolute Radio and Radio X to be both middle of the road stations with boring, repetitive playlists so don't bother with these unless there's no other option. I think there might be some similar Internet stations but I've not personally listened to them.
I listen to r6, but when Mary Anne is on I switch over to r3 or a podcast, or anything else other than her.
What's not to like about Techno Tuesday?
Absolutely!! A great day
I canāt stand her. I donāt know what sheās doing on daytime radio but that show belongs in the midnight slot. Beyond the music I find her earnestness and humourlessness absolutely unlistenable.
Strange thing to be downvoted on but whatever. I agree, she is a night slot DJ. Her voice is like a sedative anyway. I used to like her back in the day but she is too serious for me.
Radio x play indie, retro and some classic rock and some new stuff, lots of repeats though if your listening all day.
Thatās a tough toss. 6 music with the occasional migraine inducing explosion or ads for MCN magazine from XFM (radio x)
Most commercial radio stations now have a paid tier where you can skip most of the ads
I'll second this. Depends on the DJ that's on. Some hit a very safe path and others are a bit more eclectic. John Kennedy, Dan O'Connell, Issy Panayis are all quite good. Moyles still does his platinum hour on a Friday. Though they really do seem to get into certain musical ruts.
Moyles rarely plays music and the playlist clings on to older bands with their new stuff which in my opinion tends to be average at best.
Radio X's Best Songs Ever lists are a constant source of amusement https://charts.radiox.co.uk/2023/
Fip.fr online radio from Radio France. The main station is an eclectic mix, and there is only minimal talking in soft tones every 5 songs or so, but if you are online you can flick between the other genre specific stations instantly, and there's never any talking, just jazz, rock, metal etc, and there's never any ads! I can't recommend it enough.Ā
Does France still have that mad law that says 60% of the music has to be French? Led to a terrible amount of terrible music getting a lot of airplay back in the day.
Yes, it's the Toubon law. It's 35% rather than 60%, I don't really know how they get around it, there is some French, but it's not much.Ā
Maybe they play all the bad french stuff at night.
dependin on your tastes, Radio 3 has Night Tracks and Late Junction which are both excellent. Not classical music, a bit more experimental sometimes, but really good sometimes.
Atlantic 252
Unless OP is going under a lot of motorway bridges
š it was barely audible when you wasnāt
Was 6 ever mostly retro and classic? I think it has deteriorated slightly with a shift in presenters (which BBC radio station hasnāt) but Iām not sure the concept has dramatically changed. Youāre probably right thereās less rock and indie but I find Lamaque primarily plays this genre and he has a prime spot. Laverne is perfect for me!
Radio paradise online. Great selection, various stations, no adverts except a continuity announcement every few songs, no āpersonalitiesā, just musicĀ
this is the one
The higher ups at the BBC decided that Radio 6 Music was too middle aged and Indie and needed to appeal to a wider demographic so they've started playing a wider range of music. I didn't really understand the decision as there are already BBC stations covering lots of other genres.
I think they're just aiming to keep the listener age profile relatively consistent. If they don't bring in a new cohort of younger listeners then the average age steadily drifts upwards. The problem is that you then get a load of 50-somethings who have been listening to the station for 20 years complaining that the BBC's trying to cater to a younger demographic, forgetting that they were 30-somethings when they started to listen. And there's not another radio station out there that covers the same mix of music as 6 Music does. Radio 1 mainly mainstream and aimed at the young 'uns, Radio 1 Dance is more chart bangers, Radio 2 is for people who don't like music, and Radio 3 is... Radio 3. I absolutely love 6 Music. Would be lost if it was dropped. (And MAH is the jewel in the crown - my favourite radio DJ ever.)
Perhaps we need a 6 1/2 Music for those of us who loved it how it was back in the day?
I think you're right. Lately I've noticed them playing artists like Faith No More and Green Day which wouldn't have been entertained in the past. I'm falling a bit out of love with it, the only positive lately is we have been getting more Huw Stephens. That man knows his bangers.
Hey OP. 48 year old married father of two here. Iāve been listening to 6 Music since it started, but have recently started to feel exactly the same kind ofā¦ alienation? that you describe above. Frankly it started last year when the idea of ā6 Music Dadsā came up to describe the idiotic gatekeepers who criticised Billy No Matesā ***brilliant*** 2023 Glastonbury setā¦ the > āButā¦ itās a girlā¦ and there are no guitarsā¦ ***this isnāt real music!***ā divvies who I cannot bear to be associated with. This might be a flash in the pan - because nostalgia - but Radio 1 is playing loads of stuff that is exact copies of the stuff I used to listen to in the 90s (in the same way everything in the 90s was copied from the 60s etc etc etc etc). Thatās what my music-loving wife and I will usually listen to in the evenings. But yes - notwithstanding my little rant above - I feel the same and itās getting worse. I canāt listen to Radio 2 because Jeremy Vine is on there and he (in my view) is [Sealion In Chief.](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sealioning)
Couple of really interesting suggestions there peeps. Thank you! Keep them coming if you think of one.
I listen to radio x and Kerrang radio quite a lot when Iām home. Both and indie / rock mainly but neither is as āpigeon-holedā as you might think.
NME 1. I am exactly the same age as you and it's like they own my CD collection at times with new stuff thrown in. They play the full 8min version of I am the ressurection at least once a week so can't be bad!!
STEREO UNDERGROUND on mixcloud. It used to be a BBC radio show but got messed around and went solo. Only available on mixcloud, but well worth it and has a great community of fans.
Came here for this.
If it's not playlist then Hobbes will play lots of drum & bass, garage stuff as that's her wheelhouse. Not a fan but it beats other stations. It's Laverne that grinds my gears, always always talks over the last 45 secs of a song with just inane blah blah.
Laverne breakfast show is miles better, and way more music led than Sean Keaveny though, that show was like listening to someone enjoy their own warm farts.
Oh I'm not saying she's awful or it's a poor show, it's a personal thing where her interruption of the songs really winds me up. Keaveny used to be the same for me, play a record and stop yapping so much. I enjoy the music and tolerate the inbetween bits.
Thank you so much all. I've got a big list of stuff to try now. Had Radio Paradise Rock Mix on this afternoon which was pretty good. Will also have a dig through this. Redditors - you rock as always!
Radio 6 hasn't changed. Mary Anne Hobbs was in for Lauren Laverne because of Glasto.
Try RSK Xfm. Some proper saucer drinker stuff. They upload it all to YouTube.
Man alive.
I haven't regularly listened to the radio for years, but this post made me download the BBC Sounds app and check out 6Music. First song - 46 & 2 by Tool. I'm in.
Ad-blocker and a spotify/youtube playlist gets me through most days. Just music that I want to listen to, uninterrupted by adverts or banal DJ chat.
Radio X
All you need is Radio Gaga I was once told but it does not seem to be an option. As a recent WFH person I have the same question as OP on what radio station to have in the background.
Spotify discover weekly is usually pretty good once you give it a chance to learn your tastes. Iāve found a few new favourites from that
No idea if it'll appeal, but Smooth Relax is decent for my old ears.
I plug my monitor speakers into a tablet/phone and use this page [https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/schedules/bbc\_6music](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/schedules/bbc_6music) to listen to the shows I like. I love radio 6, but sometimes the daytime playlist can be a bit naff and like any playlist, if the songs that are current are not your cup of tea, then hearing them every day for a few weeks is not gonna help. The late afternoon/evening shows tend not to have the playlist songs and are much more eclectic and varied! So that is my advice: plug speakers into tablet and pick and choose! Bonus: You can skip the shite news everytime it comes on. I've become an expert at skipping exactly to the last word of the news segments!
I mostly have 6music on, but my backup is [Radio Paradise](https://radioparadise.com/player/info/main-mix) - chilled, eclectic, US based station, they have no adverts, and the presenters only really pop up once an hour or so to say "you're listening to radio paradise, now here's some Bjork"
We have dales radio on in our workplace and it's really good for a local station
Working from home i go pretty much, radio 2 Zoe ball and Vernon Kaye, over to Craig Charles on 6 music, then back to 2 for sara cox and jo whiley or radio x for Jonny vaughan
I use the infinity option on Apple Music. It curates an endless playlist based on your listening habits. All music, no inane drivel from a DJ who really likes the sound of their own voice.
Craig Charles laughā¦ makes me want to vomit.
I can't get enough of Radio Paradise. Based in the USA but they play all sorts
Radio Franceās āFIPā is my fav! Bit of classical, bit of Jazz, bit of blues and reggae and dance and rock ames indie and folk! itās got everything! i assume itās better for those who donāt speak French because the drivel is much the same ass the nonsense BBC presenters constantly shove down your throat.
There's a web station called Planet Pootwaddle. We found it completely by accident when Amazon Echo didn't hear us right at work and started playing it by mistake. It's an absolutely mental US station that plays mostly classic rock with some of the strangest skits between songs. I don't think it's what you actually asked for, but I want to share this absolute fever dream of a radio station.
As someone who used to do an indie radio show on a community radio station, Radio 6 always felt like a goal to dream towards. I guess I'll just have to stick with Spotify, although that feels like funding musical terrorism with how they screw musicians.
Love 6 music but I got rid of sky a while back (used to stream via my TV) and I don't hold a TV license. How does one listen without paying for one of those damn blasted licenses ?
I moved over to Radio Paradise, also known as "RP," non-commercial, listener-supported Internet radio station. Great app and great music. My playlist is probably 25% of new discoveries thanks to theses guys, every genre you can imagine
Daytime 6M has sadly become unlistenable since they introduced the word, ābangersā, into their lexicon. I happily listen to Guy, RadMac, the wise old men Gid & Marc, Cerys and the odd other program via the excellent Sounds. R2 is appallingly unadventurous to the point of laziness; itās virtually a greatest hits station. And Iād rather drill holes in my head than listen to adverts. Any other holes I fill with desert island discs, the odd podcast (mostly Adam Buxton), and an enormous Spotify playlist Iāve built up from the last 15 or so years of records mostly heard on Gid or Guyās shows. And cricket if itās on R5. I do love my TMS.
Itās Glastonbury, so they are very.. current with their choices
I avoid mh hobbs time on 6. Try absolute.
FIP radio, it's like the French 6 music and super eclectic. There's an app for it
If youāre happy with listening to recordings then check out some of the RTE 1 output. Generally Iād recommend the John Creedon show, late date and even the west wind blows although that might be a bit Irish trad for you. Mystery train on RTE lyric is great too
NTS.live
nts radio is the best radio station in the world
Iād recommend MMM, itās an Australian community station based in Melbourne. Although they cover wide topics not just music. Also no ads.
Give Virgin Radio a try. There's also a couple of Virgin Radio sister stations to try too. Good mix of stuff so could be worth a try
Settle in buddy Radio 4 is finally coming for you. Radio 6 is for when the archers are on and Sunday mornings.
BBC Sounds! There are loads of options on there which touch on the 6Music vibe of old. Cloud Busting, 6Music Jukebox, Huey's Block Party, The Live Hour (when they add new stuff). Between that, a smattering of your chosen music service and you're good to go.
I'm going to suggest you try internet radio: wfmu.org from New Jersey, USA. Unlikely that there's going to be one show that ticks all, any or even one of your boxes but try Inflatable Squirrel Carcass first, maybe Rock and Roller Derby with Suzy Hotrod, or Burn It Down! with Nate K. Try as many as you can stomach, just for a change-up. You might even find something else that you like. Maybe not. Independent programming, no ads. https://www.wfmu.org/recentarchives.php
Radio 6 listener for 18 years here, it's only breakfasts and afternoons that have mass appeal now, which applies to the weekends too. You can get Lauren Laverne in the morning, Craig Charles in the afternoon (playing mostly rock/indie etc.), then Radcliffe and Maconie on a Saturday morning. Oh and Iggy Pop on Sunday evening, which can get a bit avent guard but is mostly interesting. Steer clear of late evenings and mid morning to afternoons, that's when it's rubbish and trying to be diverse and appeal to tiny fractions of audiences that likely barely exist, think of it as publicly funded radio Turkey that's voting for Christmas.
Check out KEXP. Youāll have to listen on their app as itās based in Seattle. Also checkout there YouTube as some amazing live performances with the some of the best sound engineering Iāve heard.
http://radio.garden/ Give this a go op. You can only listen to UK based stations but it's still pretty good. Edit. Classic FM and planet rock are my two favourite stations.
I mostly listen to various shows on catch-up, start the week with weekend stuff like RadMac, Guy Garvey, Cerys...then Riley & Coe, Lamacq, maybe some Tom Ravenscroft, Freak Zone, etc plus a couple of bits from R2 like the Blues Show, Folk Show, & Bob Harris...
Our office radio is set to change automatically through Sonos. We've been set with the following for about 2 years now. 07:30-10:00 BBC Radio 6 - Lauren Laverne 10:00-13:00 Greatest Hits Radio - Ken Bruce 13:00-16:00 BBC Radio 6 - Craig Charles 16:00-18:00 Greatest Hits Radio - Simon Mayo
6 Music is awful, lots of stuff you can hear on radio 2 or 1xtra because they're ignoring new British guitar bands and that has an impact on small venues.
jungletrain.net
God, I remember the last night Mary Anne Hobbs left the metal show for a dance one back in the day. Mental to know she's still on the air.
We listen to 6 Music in the office all the time but have to turn it off for Mary Anne Hobbs. Every other show and DJ is fine, but everything she plays is genuinely unlistenable. It must be to someoneās taste, but certainly not one in my office.
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It's 2024, *all music is obscure*, it's part of the reason why Glastonbury looks like a nostalgia-fest, because bands just don't get huge in the same way anymore, so even popular new music just looks obscure and half the attendees haven't heard of them. People stick on Spotify and listen to the same shit they've been listening to for 50 years. Abba Gold was in the top 10 for 2023. That's higher than when it was released in 1992 where it finished 12. In 2003, it was placed 193rd in the Albums chart. New music following is just very fragmented now. There are some silver-linings to that fact. If do you fall in a love with a great album, there's a chance if you're lucky that you'll end up being able to see them at a local small venue. But the era of bands getting big is over. Too many "boomers" (actually genX/millenials) dominate in their listening power, and they want the comfort of listening to things they've heard before. Even if that were always the case, at least playing the same CD over and over didn't contribute to sales chart positions as it now does with streaming. Saying that DJs are trying to "out-obscure" is a criticism that should be thoroughly rejected. Were DJs trying to "out-obscure" people when they debuted Coldplay or The Strokes in the 2000s? No, they were just doing their job.
Well put. If people want to just listen to the same old shit on repeat, there are Spotify playlists galore for that. Curation is a dying art that deserves more credit.
I think GenX want to share. The communal joy of something becoming big was glorious in the 90s. The charts were an eclectic mix of shared joy. Rock and Roll, Dance, Big Beat, Rap, Soul. It was all there to be enjoyed together.