Radio Renaissance

Radio has recently had a renaissance in Minneapolis.

The launch of The Current has revitalized radio on the FM tuner. It brandishes independent music with skill and wit. Playing both local and international groups with equal zeal, it's helping to familiarize listeners with more new music than ever before.

Play on the station has received both acclaim and criticism. The music ranges from Bob Dylan to The Shins. The Current has been lauded for its variety and chance-taking. After playing a new song, one DJ actually apologized and said he would never play that one again. Criticism falls on the station for its choice of playing predominantly white music, with the majority of African-American music coming from early jazz and blues singers.

On top of the variety, the station keeps the locals informed of Twin Cities-area music. Bands, like the Olympic Hopefuls, are getting more airplay than they otherwise would on the nationally run radio stations. It's also valuable to here about concert schedules for bands that the listener now may have actually heard.

I can't help comparing the station to one of my favorite stations in the independent music world, KEXP of Seattle. The Current has a diverse selection of music but much of it is very mellow. KEXP, on the other hand (particularly the morning show), provides both high-energy music as well as mellow moments. The combination of both provides for more variety of mood than the new Minneapolis station. I hope that as the Current matures it will provide more variety of musical styles.

To say the least, it's still a vast improvement over the standard radio fare.