More on the radio, as I haven't bought comics yet

So I haven't bought any comics for a while. I plan to remedy this tonight when I get off of work.

So, with the comics-related stuff not taking up as much room in my tiny brain, I've had more energy to think about other things, like Sirius satellite radio. I'll admit, much of the shiny newness of the satellite radio is gone. I'm still enjoying it (in fact, I haven't put a CD in my car since getting it), but that doesn't mean that there aren't things that bother me about it.

Although I listen to it frequently, I'm not head-over-heels with the old school hip hop coverage on Backspin. At first, I thought it was great. Instead of sticking to the more "anthem"-type old school stuff, they play songs that demonstrate the variety of hip hop from '79 to about '93, for the most part. It's nice that they're not sticking to the "canon" of the classics. I mean, it's refreshing to hear a Jimmy Spicer song that isn't "Dollar Dollar Bill," so the first time they played "The Bubble Bunch," I had to smile. By the sixth or seventh time I heard the same song, though... The same goes for Newcleus's "Jam On It" - they play the hell out of that joint. On the good side, it's nice to see that they play some MC Hammer, particularly his older, pre-"Can't Touch This" stuff, because that was hot shit back in the day. Yeah, I said it. I'd just like to see more variety by artist, I suppose. I mean, yay "Hey Lover," but how about "Rock The Bells?" The only artists I've heard multiple tracks from are Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Run DMC, A Tribe Called Quest and Public Enemy. I'm not complaining - hooray for all that - and it could just be that I listen to the radio from 7:30-8:30AM and from 5:30-6:30PM. The other hip-hop stations are alright, but they generally suffer from the same repetitiveness. The exception is Wax 42. Plus, how cool is it that Kurtis Blow gets his own show?

I think the best part, for me, has been listening to things I forgot about. When I'd drive to work and listen to CDs, I kept sticking primarily to the jazz and hip-hop CDs I had in my car (as well as this kick-ass rock CD Shawn Hoke made me that had a bunch of artists I hadn't heard before). Now, I listen to more rock music, in its various permutations, than I ever would have thought. The one I listen to the most, Sirius Disorder, plays all sorts of good stuff, and even throws some random jazz stuff in there (although I'm sad that they haven't played Tom Waits once while I've been in the car), but I've explored the others. It's also more convenient than CDs, which is probably the real reason why I play with the remote so much. In the mood for reggae? Turn to the reggae station. Folk? Blues? Disco? Electronic stuff? A few clicks, and I'm there. And, of course, two NPR stations and Public Radio International...

If you're thinking about getting a satellite radio and are curious about the differences between Sirius and XM,check out this article. It's a little rock-heavy for my tastes, but an interesting look at both services.