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Greenville South Carolina Gets an Alternative Station X98.5

Being in Greenville, I'm loving it, we haven't had an Alternative station since 103X went away in 1996.

Here's a sample hour I noted (no streaming or music log yet):

Black Keys - Howlin' For You
Bush - Glycerine
311 - Don't Tread On Me
Weezer - Sweater Song
Green Day - Blvd. Of Broken Dreams
Soundgarden - Black Days
Cage The Elephant - Shake Me Down
Cake - Going The Distance
Linkin Park - Faint
Korn - Freak On A Leash
Of Monsters & Men - Little Talks
RHCP - Under The Bridge
American Hi-Fi - Flavor Of The Weak
Live - Lightning Crashes

Also playing more pop friendly stuff like Third Eye Blind, Foster The People, Fun (of course), Neon Trees, etc.
 
I am only able to listen sporadically (I'm outside of the main coverage area and have to use my Grundig G8 to pick it up decently, even then is difficult to get it static free) since they don't have a TuneIn or web stream yet. I haven't heard a whole lot of new stuff. They signed on with "We Are Young" as the first song...could have chosen something a little newer, IMO, but I'm not going to be picky. Cox is the only company that ever would have attempted this in this market. It's been in the works for a couple of months.
 
I will admit, the station is owned by COX which is one of the least adventurous alternative stations out there. I would argue its LESS adventurous than even the Cumulus and CBS alt stations. This is no WFNX or CD 102.5 but its a start with a format that at one time, I feared would be history.

Most of the corporate alternative stations have similar playlist. Strokes, Interpol, MGMT, Bloc Party, Two Door Cinema Club, She Wants Revenge, etc, etc, etc... Those artist are pretty much limited to the stations that are NOT owned by the 4 C's (CBS, Cumulus, Clear Channel, Cox), with the exception of Radio 1045 which is an independent station from Clear Channel alternative simulcast stations.

We can blame big corp companies like the 4 c's but I honestly think playing it safe in alternative keeps ratings at higher levels that getting risky, especially for southern markets such as South Carolina. Making this point does not mean I like it.

BY THE WAY- I have been listening a lot to an alternative station online via my smartphone that I wanted to share. It plays new music that does get airplay regularly weeks later on regular FM stations and keeps the early 2k alternative music in circulation. Its one of the "Got Radio" stations: http://www.gotradio.com/MusicRoom.mvc/All

Check out the playlist history and you will see what I mean.
 
I have to hand it to Cox, though - no other company in Greenville would have EVER put an Alternative station on the air, and our only other "new" rock station is horrible. Nothing Cox does is really adventurous...

As much as I love Radio 104.5, I don't think their approach would work here. Greenville is still quite conservative with new music, and I feel they may be too cutting edge for this market. Maybe they feel too many new and cutting edge titles would turn a lot of potential listeners off.
 
I agree with you. Cutting edge alternative would do better in the more vibe South Carolina cities like Charleston and Myrtle Beach. Myrtle Beach has an awesome alternative radio station. Can't remember the call letters.



carolinaradio said:
I have to hand it to Cox, though - no other company in Greenville would have EVER put an Alternative station on the air, and our only other "new" rock station is horrible. Nothing Cox does is really adventurous...

As much as I love Radio 104.5, I don't think their approach would work here. Greenville is still quite conservative with new music, and I feel they may be too cutting edge for this market. Maybe they feel too many new and cutting edge titles would turn a lot of potential listeners off.
Click to expand...
 
Been responding in the South Carolina forum, but from what I've been listening to X98.5, it is so far too light on currents. Back when 103X was around in the GSP market, they were pretty "cutting edge" and that may have been what led to its demise (sadly).

Frankly, a lot of what I've been hearing on X98.5 is '90s grunge mixed with some newer stuff, but very few currents. And I had the same observation about them not playing female artists. Only one I've heard with a female lead (and the band isn't a completely "girl band") is The Naked and Famous. No Metric, Silversun Pickups, Florence & the Machine and the like, yet.

Honestly, I'm surprised to see Of Monsters and Men being played. It's a current, but also a current that's at least got a completely different sound.

I'm willing to give the station a chance. It's new and I think it's going after our piss-poor "new rock" station The Planet so it may be why it's playing a lot of the more of the guitar-driven, grungey bands of the '90s than I would expect (Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, Soundgarden, etc.).

Hopefully, once they're a little more established, they'll put more currents into rotation. It may not be "adventureous", especially compared to Radio 104.5, which I consider the best Alternative station around. BUT they still are playing quite a few songs that never got the time of day in GSP in years.
 
Some one chime in and tell me I'm wrong on this point but I don't really expect X98.5 to become all that adventurous because of the company that owns it. Take the time and review the playlist for X102.9 and the alternative station out of Tampa and tell me if you see much of a difference. While I'm sure GSP market may not support a true alternative station all that well, I would argue that the lack of modern alternative would be due to the company that is running it.
 
acheron82 said:
Some one chime in and tell me I'm wrong on this point but I don't really expect X98.5 to become all that adventurous because of the company that owns it.  Take the time and review the playlist for X102.9 and the alternative station out of Tampa and tell me if you see much of a difference. While I'm sure GSP market may not support a true alternative station all that well, I would argue that the lack of modern alternative would be due to the company that is running it. 
Click to expand...

Took a look at the X102.9 site and can see what you mean. They do play a fair amount of older alternative - Stone Temple Pilots, Nirvana and the like. But just looking at the past few hours they've played a LOT more currents than X98.5 -- Anna Sun "Walk the Moon", The Killers "Runaways", Imagine Dragons "It's Time", Lumineers "Ho Hey", Mumford & Sons "I Will Wait", Grouplove "Tonguetied", The Black Keys "Gold on the Ceiling", Alex Claire "Too Close", Fun. "Some Nights".

Out of all of those, I've only heard "Too Close", "Gold on the Ceiling" and "Some Nights" on X98.5. Bands like Imagine Dragons and Grouplove are advertised on their site, but I have yet to hear them. Seems like X102.9 plays a current about 1 out of every 4 or 5 songs. Seems more like 1 out of 10 songs so far on X98.5.

Hoping that changes over time, as I mentioned I think the emphasis on the grunge of the '90s may be to lure some of 93.3 The Planet's fanbase over (and judging from their Facebook page, it seems like it may be working). Still have hope that they'll eventually settle down and play more currents. Cox may not run the best Alternative stations, but X102.9 at least seems to play quite a bit more truly "new" rock, although clearly they too look stuck in the '90s at times.
 
May my ears be playing tricks on me? I'm hearing a little more 2008 to present songs being played but I also heard Bodies by Drowning Pool which is NOT alternative.
 
acheron82 said:
May my ears be playing tricks on me? I'm hearing a little more 2008 to present songs being played but I also heard Bodies by Drowning Pool which is NOT alternative.
Click to expand...

I missed that one. They may be playing a "little" more newer songs, but I'm starting to agree with some of those whose initial assessment was that this sounded more like a Classic Alternative station. Yes, they play Young the Giant, Fun., Of Monsters & Men....and other currents. But the ratio is very skewed towards older (mostly grunge) alternative. I've listened at times for well over an hour before hearing a current.

Still great to have another choice on the radio dial for decent rock music as I wouldn't call GSP's two other rock stations decent by any stretch.
 
carolinaradio said:
You all may want to sample X98.5 again.  They've made great strides in the last week.  Much more newer music and better sounding imaging.
Click to expand...

Agreed. Should have came back here to post as well. A lot more currents and great presentation (like the band name/song name before really new songs). I've been listening way more and not feeling the need to flip to another station very often. Even the non-currents are a much better mix, with far less emphasis on the grunge and more on all types of '90s, '00s alternative.

Alternative or not, Greenville needed a good rock station. Now, it's finally got one. Hope this one survives.
 
Just following up on this once again. If you haven't listened to X-98.5, or haven't listened to it lately, you all HAVE to check it out. It's fantastic. I put it right up there with Radio 104.5 now. The vast majority of all of the 90s grunge they had been playing to death is gone from the playlist. They have a new website also: http://www.x985fm.com

I think it sounds better than Cox's other Alternatives. The playlist is pretty spot on, but for whatever reason, they are still not playing any female-fronted acts other than Evanescence, that I've heard. Of Monsters & Men isn't exactly "female fronted" entirely, but they are playing them.
I haven't heard Metric or Florence & The Machine.

Sounds better than any other rocker in the Carolinas, IMO. Big and pleasant surprise for the Upstate. This has developed in to a very good radio station.
 
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