Skinny Puppy on 89x

[Destroit]

So I'm driving in to work today and was bored with the CD I was listening to, and although the radio doesn't always play what I'm into every so often they'll put something on that doesn't totally suck, so I decided to give it a try. When I turned the CD off and flipped on the radio setting I seriously thought I was hallucinating because Smothered Hope was playing, causing me to question whether I had turned the CD off or not. What made it even stranger is that the CD I was listening to wasn't even Skinny Puppy...so why the fuck would it just start playing Smothered Hope out of nowhere? I hit the radio button again only to realize that it had been on the radio, 89x specificially, and well to cut the foreplay and get to the point: 89x played Skinny Puppy's Smothered Hope today, August 9th, 2009, at approximately 11:47am EST.

Fucking nuts, huh?

NEVER EVER did I think that 89x would play that song. Not only is it Skinny Puppy, a band that is totally badass to rivetheads everywhere yet not suited to the tastes of your average mainstream audience, but it is also one of their OLD songs on top of it. I wouldn't have been as shocked had it been, say, Pro-Test (which 89x played here and there when GRotR came out) or maybe something off Mythmaker...but it was a song from an album that came out in 1984 and was considered underground even back then. I mean dang, talk about obscure and out of the ordinary for what is usually played on 89x (i.e. emo bullshit )

Has anyone else witnessed radio stations going outside the box and randomly playing a song that was either so old, rare, underground/obscure, out-of-the-ordinary, etc that you thought your ears were playing tricks on you? If so, then what, and where did you hear it?

Edited August 9, 2009 by Chernobyl

[wilhelm k]

So I'm driving in to work today and was bored with the CD I was listening to, and although the radio doesn't always play what I'm into every so often they'll put something on that doesn't totally suck, so I decided to give it a try. When I turned the CD off and flipped on the radio setting I seriously thought I was hallucinating because Smothered Hope was playing, causing me to question whether I had turned the CD off or not. What made it even stranger is that the CD I was listening to wasn't even Skinny Puppy...so why the fuck would it just start playing Smothered Hope out of nowhere? I hit the radio button again only to realize that it had been on the radio, 89x specificially, and well to cut the foreplay and get to the point: 89x played Skinny Puppy's Smothered Hope today, August 9th, 2009, at approximately 11:47am EST.

Fucking nuts, huh?

NEVER EVER did I think that 89x would play that song. Not only is it Skinny Puppy, a band that is totally badass to rivetheads everywhere yet not suited to the tastes of your average mainstream audience, but it is also one of their OLD songs on top of it. I wouldn't have been as shocked had it been, say, Pro-Test (which 89x played here and there when GRotR came out) or maybe something off Mythmaker...but it was a song from an album that came out in 1984 and was considered underground even back then. I mean dang, talk about obscure and out of the ordinary for what is usually played on 89x (i.e. emo bullshit )

Has anyone else witnessed radio stations going outside the box and randomly playing a song that was either so old, rare, underground/obscure, out-of-the-ordinary, etc that you thought your ears were playing tricks on you? If so, then what, and where did you hear it?

is 89x in windsor? there's a windsor station i listen to alot that plays some good shit sometimes, smiths, cure, etc.

[Destroit]

is 89x in windsor? there's a windsor station i listen to alot that plays some good shit sometimes, smiths, cure, etc.

Yes, 89x is in Windsor but is probably not the channel you're thinking of. From the sounds of it you're probably talking about 93.9 The River. There's also 96.7 that is Canadian, probably Windsor, that plays some good shit every so often and is very random with what they play (almost like America's 93.1 Doug FM). But 89x is a BIG station that is very mainstream, much like MTV was awesome in the 90's but kinda sucky now (just the way music is heading in general) and they're self-proclaimed as the "new rock alternative". Usually they play screamo, emo, whatever kind of horrible rock category Seether, Godsmack, Creed, Chevelle falls into, some metal-ish stuff, 90's alternative still, indie, and that sort of stuff, so as I said that's why I was so shocked to hear not only Skinny Puppy but an older song of theirs.

[Simon Bar Sinister]

It's hard to believe now, but 89X was very industrial-friendly the first 5 years (1991-1996) of its existence. Skinny Puppy, Ministry, NIN, KMFDM, etc...you'd hear at least a couple of them every day.

[Destroit]

It's hard to believe now, but 89X was very industrial-friendly the first 5 years (1991-1996) of its existence. Skinny Puppy, Ministry, NIN, KMFDM, etc...you'd hear at least a couple of them every day.

Yeah I didn't start listening to 89x until around 1995 (when I was 10) and definately didn't know who Skinny Puppy was at that point, but I remember them playing just way more quirky, original, and awesome stuff back in the day. Now it's the same emo shit every hour, just arranged into different emo shit piles.

[Simon Bar Sinister]

their current program director used to be one of the weekend DJs on WRIF. he's pretty much driven the station into the ground at this point.

[Joey Deadcat]

It's hard to believe now, but 89X was very industrial-friendly the first 5 years (1991-1996) of its existence. Skinny Puppy, Ministry, NIN, KMFDM, etc...you'd hear at least a couple of them every day.

I remember when it was much more common to hear the above artists back then. Hell, you could even hear Sisters,Bauhaus,Siouxsie,Psychic TV, and Killing Joke, too.

Then during the late 90s 105.1 was a great alternative to 89x; 'course the suits in charge had to go and screw that up.

[Scales]

There is an alt-rock station out of Toledo I get called 106.5 The Zone where I once heard Orgy's cover of Blue Monday; not a long stretch, but unexpected.

[BillyDeath]

As I remember three years ago and more, the time I lived up here in Michigan, 89x played old underground music. Matter of fact I remember when 89x was cutting edge to begin with. That was when that station was cool. I wish it would've stayed that way. It's so sad. If you wanna listen to something really underground, try 101.9 WDET sometimes at night.

[BillyDeath]

CSX is starting to play hair bands. Riff played High Roller Baby by April Wine.

[DJ Saint]

Canadian media outlets, in this case radio are required by law (aka Canadian Content/ MAPL) to make 35% of their programming schedules that of Canadian artist. It doesn't really surprise me that Skinny Puppy would eventually see some play (again) on 89X. I've heard them played there in the past. Don't expect them to be put into permanent rotation however

When 89x first started in 1990 it was DJ Greg St. James who took it upon himself to play a lot more underground non pop-music material. It started with a small program called ""The Cutting Edge" as a specialty show; 10p-2a. Credit this wise DJ (who hung out at clubs and emersed himself in the local scene) for stepping outside the norm and exposing listeners to more than the standard radio crap of the day. Also anybody remember Mike Halloran? Mike (a former Detroiter) worked at 91x in San Diego, which was one of the first solely alternative radio stations in the country, alongside LA's KROQ.

Thank Halloran and St. James for having a vision for detroit radio beyond narrowly programmed classic rock. These 2 guys had unique forsight and vision to get different music played on detroit radio.

89x has always had a roster of DJ's who know music very well including Greg Gnypp (who was once program director) and Darren Revell (of Big Sonic Heaven fame). Darren dj'ed for a bit at Shleter and City Club wayyyy back when. You could count on Darren to throw a favorite of his in amongst the Chilli Peppers and other then new alternative artist.

Very old girlfriend Jill (who also used to write for Interface Magazine) used to be a board operator at 89x. I have been in the studios more than a few times (in the early 90's) and had the chance to cruise through their music library. Tons and tons of great stuff in their including 242, Ebb and more.

Anyways, a little history lesson for you all. Detroits radio history is awesome compared to other places.

Maybe somebody heard that Puppy track for the first time and got all giddy like the first time I ever heard them.

Edited August 9, 2009 by DJ Saint

[deadbydesire]

well catch 89x Sunday mornings It's time warp from 8am to noon. Stuff from the 70's, 80's and 90's are played. I hear many good tunes before from bands such as Front 242, Nitzer Ebb, My life with the Thrill Kill Kult, Ministry, Bauhaus etc.

[the eternal]

At my old job (I left it a couple weeks ago) I was subjected to the same fucking ten tracks all day long.

I don't where workplaces get these piped in music contracts but they're awful, MUCH worse than XM.

Primarily because it's the same shitty 10 songs all day

Hearing a terrible Kid Rock song once is bad.

Hearing it 5x in a day is excruciating!

They would play two stations. 80's/early 90's and today.

Today sounded like the worst of 96.3 ---

Shinedown, Kid Rock's All Summer Long, whatever POS artist from American Idol was popular

80's/early 90's ---

Whitney Houston

Mariah Carey

Celine Dion

One day they included Just Like Heaven into their 10-song rotation of hell.

Moments of bliss do happen, often when you least expect it.

Edited August 10, 2009 by the eternal