Rock & Roll

Whatever happened to the decent rock radio station? I don't want death metal, I don't want bubblegum pop, I can tolerate an alt-country (Ryan Adams, Nickel Creek), or the occasional venture in the better rap/hip-hop (Outkast, but Citizen Cope is a current fave)... but the classic rock format leaves me cold, the lite stations make me nauseated (just left a chinese place in Parsippany, NJ -- first song on the station they were playing was the Phil Collins version of "Can't Hurry Love" -- not even the Supremes, or the very retro-cool Stray Cats version (isn't there some other 80's Brit who did it too?). They did redeem themselves with "Let's get it on" later though).

My home town station is WXRT, 93.1 FM in Chicago. The Bay Area has KFOG with a very similar theme to it. It used to be called "Progressive Rock" or "Album-Oriented Rock" but they'll play almost anything good, outside of the abovementioned bubblegum and death metal. I've been able to find stations in Philadelphia with little trouble, but NYC/NJ area I seem to be wearing out the SCAN buttons on my rentacar looking for something I can listen to even one song on (I'm on WPLJ for now, but I can't say I'm sticking there).

I mean, what ever happened to,

Then, one fine mornin', she puts on a New York station

You know, she couldn't believe what she heard at all

She started shakin' to that fine, fine music

You know, her life was saved by rock'n'roll

(Velvet Underground, Rock & Roll Lyrics)

Really, now, why does NY area radio suck? It's supposed to be this cultural mecca (and I have dined and been entertained there at the highest heights), but I still haven't found a decent radio station or had a decent chinese meal in Jersey.