Radio 6 is Life

[hippiedippie]

I feel like I'm a bit late to the party here... Or has anyone else recently discovered how amazing this station is? 

 

I used to be an XFM guy, but I feel like the indie/rock scene has stagnated in the past 5 years which makes for a really repetitive playlist. Cerys Matthews has the most amazing radio voice and Craig Charles funk and soul show is awesome (I've downloaded a backlog of his podcasts).

 

Does anyone else dig Radio 6, or are there any other stations you'd recommend giving a listen?

 

 

[viberunner]

I feel like I'm a bit late to the party here... Or has anyone else recently discovered how amazing this station is? 

 

 

Welcome to many years ago!

 

Paid extra a couple of years back to get a DAB car... mainly for R6, though Absolute 90s and the World Service get play too.

 

XFM has some moments, it's one of my two presets between 6 and 9 so I get to check it out switching between R6 and A90 but it's not often I "land" on it.

 

The other one is BFBS (technically British Forces Base Station, clearly actually British Forces Bull Shit) and they have one of the most diverse playlists on the radio. Can be a bit of classic beat, can be some Rhiana gash, chavcore nonsense, was the station that introduces me to "Let Me Take Another Selfie". The DJs are funny too, "when I'm not busy shooting people I like to listen to music", "shut up you Muppet", etc. etc.

[Thearg]

I think most people on here are long time converts,it's the festival music station really,covers Glastonbury and others,I like it best at weekends and no flipping adverts!

If I'm in the kitchen it's on and I'm amazed at how many people don't know about it.

I moved to a new part of the country last year and friends and family ask me ''what station is this?'' 

Words slowly getting round.

[themuel]

Download all the Adam & Joe podcasts immediately.

[Chris_Hayter88]

I didn't even know there was a radio 6! Haha.

[Spindles]

Yeah, big fan here, although XFM has it's place (it's annoyances being the adverts and seemingly tiny playlist leading to some songs getting WAY too much airplay).  I love Cerys, didn't realise quite how diverse her tastes were; she has a real depth of knowledge that can only come from a deep love of the music she cares about, at times reminding me of John Peel circa the mid 80s.

 

These days xfm and r6 are the only stations I ever tune into.  I'd be interested if anyone had any other recommendations.

[eFestivals]

I'm getting very bored of daytime r6 ... it's as flawed as other stations once you've familiarised yourself with the quite-limited playlist of stuff that comes round again and again and again and again.

 

Not only that but I feel much more disconnected to modern music now.

 

I'm seriously considering going back to r1, if only for a bit. I suspect it'll feel as fresh as I found r6 to be until I got used to it.

[mjsell]

 

I'm seriously considering going back to r1, if only for a bit. I suspect it'll feel as fresh as I found r6 to be until I got used to it.

 

I'm genuinely intrigued as to how long you last.

 

Depending on what show you start with I would take a punt on 45 minutes and you'll be done. If you try with Nick Grimshaw id guess about 5.

[krisskross]

I'm genuinely intrigued as to how long you last.

 

Depending on what show you start with I would take a punt on 45 minutes and you'll be done. If you try with Nick Grimshaw id guess about 5.

 

Yeah, with the playlist on R6, you'll hear the same-ish songs day to day. With R1 you'll hear the same songs every couple of hours..

[eFestivals]

I'm genuinely intrigued as to how long you last.

 

Depending on what show you start with I would take a punt on 45 minutes and you'll be done. If you try with Nick Grimshaw id guess about 5.

 

I can mostly tune out of the DJs on any station.

 

I want to tune out of the boring loop music on r6. It's nice to hear some alternative mostly-decent songs for a bit, but when those songs are on constant repeat as the r6 playlist is, eventually it gets boring and I need to hear something fresher.

 

6music is great in principle, but it's ended up as just an alternative r2, where mainstream is now 'alternative-mainstream' but ultimately just as mainstream. The most exciting r6 has got recently with playing something new is by digging up the very worst of the 80s.

Edited August 18, 2015 by eFestivals

[eFestivals]

Yeah, with the playlist on R6, you'll hear the same-ish songs day to day. With R1 you'll hear the same songs every couple of hours..

 

I don't disagree with that, and yet r1 at least brings new songs into what they play. r6 doesn't.

[mjsell]

I don't disagree with that, and yet r1 at least brings new songs into what they play. r6 doesn't.

 

Certain shows on R1 are good to listen to definitely and purely due to the new music side things. I do like Phil Taggart's new music show, and Annie Mac is solid. And I don't hate Greg James (although I'm sure a lot of people do)

 

But surely any radio station that intentionally plays the same song 5 times a day and advertises that very fact is a negative. Although I think all radio stations are guilty of over playing the same limited number of songs.

 

The worst times is when there is that crossover song (off the top of my head an example would be James Bay's one) that is played by every major radio station (radio1, heart, absolute, xfm etc) sothere is literally no avoiding it for a couple of months.

[fatyeti24]

I'm getting very bored of daytime r6 ... it's as flawed as other stations once you've familiarised yourself with the quite-limited playlist of stuff that comes round again and again and again and again.

 

Not only that but I feel much more disconnected to modern music now.

 

I'm seriously considering going back to r1, if only for a bit. I suspect it'll feel as fresh as I found r6 to be until I got used to it.

i agree with that.  the daytimes are almost as formulaic and play listed as anything else on the bbc.  i like the weekends though, especially Gilles Peterson, to whom i've listened for twenty years now.

 

i sometimes switch to radio 1, but i can't last for long.

 

commercial radio is just offensive to me, but then it's purpose is advertising, not music.

[russycarps]

I'm absolute radio (the london version) til I die. I've tried listening to modern music but it's crap. All of it.

 

Though I only listen to the radio in the car when my ipod connector wire is broken.

Edited August 18, 2015 by russycarps

[Winslow Leach]

I agree that 6music during the day gets tedious in large doses, but it's still my station of choice.

 

I always enjoy Stuart Maconie's Freak Zone on Sunday evenings whenever I can remember to listen, and I've really liked the occasions when Stewart Lee has sat in for him. They should really consider giving Lee his own show, I'd much rather listen to him than Guy Garvey.

[eFestivals]

Certain shows on R1 are good to listen to definitely and purely due to the new music side things. I do like Phil Taggart's new music show, and Annie Mac is solid. And I don't hate Greg James (although I'm sure a lot of people do)

 

But surely any radio station that intentionally plays the same song 5 times a day and advertises that very fact is a negative. Although I think all radio stations are guilty of over playing the same limited number of songs.

 

The worst times is when there is that crossover song (off the top of my head an example would be James Bay's one) that is played by every major radio station (radio1, heart, absolute, xfm etc) sothere is literally no avoiding it for a couple of months.

 

I didn't try claiming I'd love r1 and want to stay listening to it forever.

 

I am getting very bored of r6's limited playlist. Something different for a while would be a nice change, I think.

 

BTW, as far as I'm aware I've never heard a James Bay song. I'm unsure if that's a good or a bad thing.

[zero000]

Can they chuck Lamacq off 6music please? He's utterly dreadful, his features are beyond terrible and his music choices are dull. He had a whole segment a couple of months ago, about a piece of news reporting that young people are now avoiding part time jobs to concentrate on studying. WHO CARESSS!!??

As a plus Keavney and Laverne are excellent in the morning/early-afternoon. 

[viberunner]

As a plus Keavney and Laverne are excellent in the morning/early-afternoon. 

 

Laverne wrote for the Observer (or Guardian?) for a few months and she was the best columnist in it, and by a country mile.

[fatyeti24]

Can they chuck Lamacq off 6music please? He's utterly dreadful, his features are beyond terrible and his music choices are dull. He had a whole segment a couple of months ago, about a piece of news reporting that young people are now avoiding part time jobs to concentrate on studying. WHO CARESSS!!??

As a plus Keavney and Laverne are excellent in the morning/early-afternoon. 

agreed on Lamacq.  he's had a fantastic career playing some awful music (and not in the John Peel way), but enough's enough.

[Osama Jim Laden]

Lammo, R&M & most weekend shows are badass..

Gideon at night sometimes aswell

Edited August 18, 2015 by Osama Jim Laden

[viberunner]

But the absolute pits is Jarvis Cocker's Sunday Sermon.

 

"Here's a tune I don't listen to, you won't have heard of, and you certainly won't like, but my gamble is I'll leech some ambient obscurantism kudos from it" **strikes Jazz Pose**

 

A few months back he was on tour or recovering from having his head kicked in from somebody who'd had enough from him or whatever and the Sunday Sermon had a curator of the week. Some of them shows were mint. Then Cocker returned. Why Cocker, why?

[fatyeti24]

But the absolute pits is Jarvis Cocker's Sunday Sermon.

 

"Here's a tune I don't listen to, you won't have heard of, and you certainly won't like, but my gamble is I'll leech some ambient obscurantism kudos from it" **strikes Jazz Pose**

 

A few months back he was on tour or recovering from having his head kicked in from somebody who'd had enough from him or whatever and the Sunday Sermon had a curator of the week. Some of them shows were mint. Then Cocker returned. Why Cocker, why?

haha, and it's all delivered in a creepy too-close-to-the-mic whisper!

[krisskross]

But the absolute pits is Jarvis Cocker's Sunday Sermon.

 

"Here's a tune I don't listen to, you won't have heard of, and you certainly won't like, but my gamble is I'll leech some ambient obscurantism kudos from it" **strikes Jazz Pose**

 

A few months back he was on tour or recovering from having his head kicked in from somebody who'd had enough from him or whatever and the Sunday Sermon had a curator of the week. Some of them shows were mint. Then Cocker returned. Why Cocker, why?

 

John Cooper Clarke. 

 

Weekends are far better than weekday evenings. The only times I get to listen really. Having Craig Charles in the morning slot was great while Keavney was away.

[krisskross]

i agree with that.  the daytimes are almost as formulaic and play listed as anything else on the bbc.  i like the weekends though, especially Gilles Peterson, to whom i've listened for twenty years now.

 

i sometimes switch to radio 1, but i can't last for long.

 

commercial radio is just offensive to me, but then it's purpose is advertising, not music.

 

I dont really get to listen daytimes so miss the worst of it! Even Kate Tempest sitting in for GP has been good.

[windy_miller]

The 6 music breakfast show with Shaun Keaveny is the only thing worth listening to at that time of the morning.