103.1 The Wave

My last review was about a local radio station that I really liked mostly due to the fact that they did not play any advertisements but it was too good to last. Shortly after I endorsed them they turned into a regular radio station with plenty of commercials and playing popular music like many other stations.

Over a month ago I came across a new station that plays new wave music mostly from the 80's. It is 103.1 "The Wave" and I have really enjoyed hearing so many songs I had not heard since I was in high school.

This station features artists like: Yaz, Peter Gabriel, Modern English, Flock of Seagulls, The Human League, Duran Duran, Depeche Mode, Talking Heads, Devo, Oingo Boingo,The Cure, Tears for Fears, Eurythmics, Psychedelic Furs, INXS, Madness, The Thompson Twins, The Fixx, Erasure, B52's, Wall of Vodoo, Adam and the Ants, The Smiths, Thomas Dolby, etc.

I like hearing music that takes me back to a time when I was young and had so much energy. It's amazing how many memories music can bring back. For instance, whenever I hear Spandeau Ballet's "True" or Billy Idol's "Mony Mony" I am taken back to high school dances and can feel myself in a dark, crowded, sweaty gym full of nervous teenagers. I'm not a fan of either of those songs but they bring back lots of memories.

Anyway, if you getting tired of hearing the same pop songs on the radio and would like to re-discover some fun music from a great time period then I recommend 103.1 The Wave.

105.1 FM

I usually only listen to the radio when I drive around in the car but I have been driving more than usual lately and have been surfing stations. I usually listen to talk radio or just run through the FM stations until I find music that I like. The problem with the radio is that there are way too many commercials.

I can't stand hearing a radio personality talking to me about the news or a current event then sneakily changing the subject to how much they love their new car or mattress, or where they get their carpets cleaned, or telling me about the importance of monitoring your credit. I understand that commercials are how radio stations pay their bills but I am still so sick of hearing the same commercials all the time no matter what station I turn to. There are certain plumbing and jewelry companies that appear to have unlimited advertising budgets.

Several weeks ago I  came across some dance music and was shocked to hear 4 or 5 songs with no commercials between them. Each time I got in the car I would turn back to that station to see how long they could go without any commercials. After two weeks of listening I can tell you that 105.1 FM based out of American Fork appears to be a commercial free station. Every so often they say the station name between songs but that's it. It is so subtle that I still don't even know the name of the station. There are no DJ's, radio personalities, trivia, prize drawings for the lucky 7th caller, news, weather, and especially NO COMMERCIALS!

The station plays mostly dance, hip hop, and dubstep styles of music. Most songs have the typical musical characteristics and feature a drop at some point in the song. The more I listen to this station I realize that they play many of the same songs over and over so there may be repetition concerns for people who like a lot of variety, but I am just amazed that I finally found a commercial free radio station.

I've recently decided that I would rather hear the same song several times during the day on the same radio station if it means I don't have to listen to any commercials. Having that choice makes me feel like I'm not being pandered to and manipulated by the corporate sponsors of a radio station. Instead I am probably being branwashed by the artists and whatever their message may be, but at least it has a catchy beat.

Since this is a fairly new station I'm not sure if it is just a publicity stunt or temporary but for now my hat is off to 105.1 FM for not making listeners put up with commercials or the usual small talk that seems to dominate most radio stations.