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Would that that were true, Derwood.
College radio is great. College radio kicks satellite ass. But it just doesn't break artists like it used to. Not an indictment against them, but against the big four labels.
WXYC-Chapel Hill broke the last truly great indie artist - Sonic Youth (we're in poppinjay opinionland now) about a hundred years ago. They tried so hard to break Superchunk, but it never went anywhere. Labels have a certain amount of cash that they place on certain stations to break artists. And they discover these artists through clubs. It is so much more important these days to have a club connection than a radio connection. And what kind of music controls the clubs? Hip hop. Here's something that I hate, Korn had a severe hip hop bent before breaking onto "extreme radio" or "new rock". Fieldy drove the band until they made it.
The sad truth is, these days, when a group or performer tastes some kind of success, they want more than the local college station can offer. It sucks, but it's true. I keep a list of those gits, I have for 18 years now, and when they try to get play from me, I more often than not turf them.
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I think the Apocalypse is happening all around us. We go on eating desserts and watching TV. I know I do. I wish we were more capable of sustained passion and sustained resistance. We should be screaming and what we do is gossip. -Lydia Millet
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