Before there was Spotify or Apple Music curating playlists for you, there was radio and DJs. It was the radio’s job to introduce listeners to new artists and songs that would eventually become their personal favorites. In the last decade, radio was overcome by a fast-paced consumption of music on streaming platforms. While streaming services offer convenience, we left behind what was so special about radio — the individualistic experience of each listener being able to stumble upon their next favorite song.
While many have turned their back on traditional radio, there’s something special in the unknown when you’re listening to music, especially if it’s something you have not heard or a genre you don’t normally listen to. We have come to sacrifice the exciting feeling of unfamiliarity in music for the fast convenience that dilutes the experience of discovering new artists or genres.
According to Nielsen Media Research data published by the Radio Advertising Bureau, we’ve seen a 6% drop in radio listenership in the last decade, which does not sound like a lot, but it is one of the most dramatic declines we have seen since 2010. Radio stations curate a playlist as a road of discovery for every listener, and it altogether should be seen as an experience to enjoy.
There is something very special about unearthing new artists and sounds through radio playlists. In a 2021 study by MusicFirst/Survey Monkey, it was found that 21% of Americans still use the radio to discover new artists. Radio can’t curate the next song based on what it thinks you might like or what you have already listened to, and that is part of its charm. While major radio stations might focus on huge artists and songs you already know and love, looking locally allows you to find those hidden gems of local musicians and new releases you would have otherwise never heard.
In Los Angeles, there are a plethora of radio stations to choose from, big and small. There are hundreds of options like KCRW, which sits at Santa Monica College and focuses on elctronica, pop, latin pop, hip-hop and an overall mix of the genres. But in the heart of the San Fernando Valley there is The SoCal Sound.
The SoCal Sound is a triple AAA radio station focusing on adult alternative, but not shying away from other genres of music like rock, indie and contemporary. The SoCal Sound is a non-commercial radio station housed at California State University Northridge dedicated to showcasing a diverse range of artists. Los Angeles is a diverse and rich soundscape and the local stations in the city understand that, so listening to stations that understand your communities and cities is key.
“The beauty of a station like The SoCal Sound is the freedom we have — both from corporations and in format,” says Hillary Gordon, weekend DJ at The SoCal Sound. “The AAA format is massively diverse and so much fun. We’re not beholden to play any artist or song because someone in a corporate office is telling us to. We are independent, and with that comes the freedom to support emerging and local artists while keeping the classics alive. We also have a knowledgeable and passionate on-air staff that feel more like your friends than radio DJs. They’re all local to SoCal and all massive music lovers, and it makes listening to The SoCal Sound a lot of fun.”
These local stations and DJs know their audience because they are usually residents of the area, just like the listener, and The SoCal Sound is unique in how it caters to its community. It sits in a community with a large Latino population and offers to them a segment called “Bilingual Sounds,” curated by Byron the Curator. This segment gives the audience everything from Cumbia to traditional regional music to Spanish electro dance music, and he even features independent singer-songwriters every Monday on a bilingual radio segment.
Gordon praised Byron on the privilege they have to bring people to segments like these to their station, saying, “Byron has done a beautiful job curating our HD-3 station, ‘Bilingual Sounds.’ He plays music from all over the world, and his playlist bleeds over not only into the show he hosts nightly on The SoCal Sound but also into our regular rotation of songs. We are lucky to have such freedom in our playlist and really feel it serves the massively diverse population of Southern California.”
In a time when music is often consumed through curated algorithms, there’s something refreshing about the unpredictability of a good radio playlist. For those who are willing to rediscover the art of a good radio playlist, local stations like The SoCal Sound (88.5 FM) offer a chance to rediscover the joy of music amongst the unknown, but guided by voices who understand the heart of their community and know how to bring these hidden gems in music right to you.
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