There was a
time, not so long ago, that XFM was thought of as the last bastion in musical independence
on the radio waves.  Yes, it had adverts,
but it was edgy, exciting, inhabiting a place of its own.  When it first took its place next to the
Magic’s, Heart’s and the (gulp) Radio 1’s of this world it was seen as a breath
of fresh air.  Here was a radio station
that understood and catered for the needs of the discerning music fan who didn’t
want every gap between songs filled with cheesy jingles or the inane burps and farts of a fat bloke from
Leeds.

      

And at first it seemed to be
delivering on its promises.  The DJ’s
were edgier, more interesting.  The
music-the important bit- was consistently good, delivering a long-hankered for combination
of classics and tunes at the alternative end of the charts.  It was a much, much appreciated change to the
regular radio hegemony. And the X-List! What a fine plan. Playing a myriad
succession of acceptable classics, one after another, seemed to be a revelatory
idea in this pre-Spotify, pre-Ipod world.

         

So what happened?  When did XFM descend into the pop-peddling
Radio 1 clone it is today? Listening to it this morning, in the space of 10
minutes Scouting For Girls and Snow Patrol were played.  This isn’t a rarity either, but an occurrence
every time I switch to 104.9. This could truly be any radio station up and down
the country, and is a sad indictment of its current status as just another place
to play music for the tasteless masses.

      

And yes it has its John Kennedy’s,
who are plugging the best in new music, but for him read Zane Lowe.  They now have this truly awful Smashie-a-like
called Richard Skinner playing in the morning, and he simply brings to mind a
whole childhood of listening to regional radio, where Travis was seen as
alternative and Wonderwall just ‘such a special rock and roll song’.

         

Perhaps with the advent of the internet
and digital radio alternative streams have been pushed into their own, bigger,
corners where they can get audiences unthought-of before. But what a shame this
is at the expense of the one place that could seen to be going against the
soft-rock, R n’ B grain. So for now XFM is just Radio 1’s slightly better
dressed younger brother, and until a commercial station willing to furrow a
different path comes along it will remain the same, one-step-left-of-centre
beast it is now.

Gobshout
Radio, anyone?

Has XFM gone the dark road and started sucking Satans c*ck? If so, what are the best radio stations out there?  Does anyone play decent new music anymore?  Gobshout Radio...???? 

Posted In Comment, Mar 19 2009. Words - Tom