Radio Love
This is how I used to discover music when I was a teen: I would listen to the radio and hear a song I'd never heard before and that I really dug. I'd wait for the DJ to tell me the song title and artist, or I'd go on the station's website to see what their current rotation was and try to determine it from there. Then I'd download the song and a few more from the artist on Limewire, and if I liked enough of their music, I'd go to a shop and buy their CD.
The internet was around when I was younger, of course, but it was more limited in how easy it was to find things, and Limewire wasn't always reliable. Sometimes I bought a CD based on a single song that I heard on the radio.
I still listen to the radio, but of course, it's a bit different now. I can stream any radio station in the world online, and they show the exact song they're playing at the moment. But it still feels good to discover music that way. I recently discovered the band Turnstile because I was listening to Chicago's alternative station Q101 and they played their song "Never Enough."
About a decade ago, I worked an office job where I could listen to music and podcasts through my headphones. I would listen to Keri and Oake in the Morning on Minneapolis' Cities 97 every day because one of the DJs, Keri Noble, was also one of my favorite musicians. It became a source of comfort for me, and I couldn't start my day without it.
The way I listen to the radio has morphed over the years, but I hope radio will always be around in some form. I like hearing the DJ every now and then, that added human element that makes me feel like I'm a little less alone. I like discovering music organically, hearing songs I've never heard before and getting excited to listen to more of that artist's music. I like morning shows, hearing the DJs quip back and forth and interview musicians I like over my morning coffee.
Maybe that's just a me thing. I know a lot of people are annoyed by morning talk radio, and unfortunately it's kind of overrun by conservative DJs here in the US. I miss Keri and Oake in the Morning. Right now, I don't really have a dedicated morning show, but I listen to radio sporadically throughout the day.