AREA 102.9 FM

One year ago, almost to the day, I was riding the «shuttle service» (a school bus) from a parking lot to the Muertos y Marigolds parade, and I noted the bus driver was rocking «Jeremy» from Pearl Jam. Since I virtually never venture around the FM dial (oh, what a sad, sad audio scene we suffer in ABQ), I was more than a little curious about the station and I started listening. I immediately noted the following, which remain true one year later:
1) The song selection is determined by a corporate behemoth called American Public Media, they have no DJs, the music is simply pumped onto our airwaves via a local hub. On the massive negative side, it means listeners have absolutely no way to connect with and influence the content, and forget about requests. The ugly reality of modern radio.
2) On the plus side, it means absolutely no talk and very few commercials, compared to most stations. Virtually every time I tune in I’m getting music or a lame-​o promo that says something like «Area 102.9, it’s like if Yoda used the Force to Rock», whatever the hell that’s supposed to mean.
3) Whoever chooses this music has awful taste in «modern» rock, they play the same crap that you’ll find on other stations, alt-​folk and electro-​anthem-​y stuff that drives me fucking insane (which I must suffer or face the wrath of my 16 year-​old). They also have a weird fascination with the The Cure, The Police, the Red Hot Chili Peppers (a lame selection, where Kiedis raps about stupid shit), R.E.M., U2 and a smattering of 1980’s Brit Pop.
A third of the time, listenable. I’d say, overall, a two-​to-​three star station. And, unfortunately, one of the best in town.