We all love to peruse the Usher discography on Spotify, but sometimes you just can't beat a hand-curated playlist and some accompanying student voice. College radio stations provide just that, so you can tune into that doom metal playlist showcased by the girl in your financial accounting class. Check out these 16 college radio stations, all available for live stream online, to get your daily weird music fill.
16. WSOU 89.5 - Seton Hall University
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WSOU's website characterizes its music perfectly: "We rock loud, but we also touch on many other styles of music in the evenings." So what does rocking loud mean, exactly? A look at the segments displays it well: "Blurred Visions" is described as "two hours of impending doom and... a trip through the warp of space into the womb of night." You can also listen to Christian metal and hard rock on "Out of Babylon," "epic metal" on "Storming the Ramparts" and specialty '70s, '80s and '90s shows.
15. WICB 91.7 - Ithaca College
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Ranked number one in the nation by the Princeton Review, Ithaca organizes its music into reliable weekly shows, mixing modern rock with specialty shows. These specialty shows include local music, "homeless music" (spoken word, folk, etc.) under "Hobo's Lullaby," Motown, reggae and Latino. One interesting show, called "Rockumentary," educates listeners on the history and influences of modern rock. "A professor I have says, 'Content is king,' and boy, is WICB sitting in the thrown," station manager Joseph Calinda said. "Our format is modern rock but offering shows like 'Breakfast with the Beatles' and 'Best of Broadway' (both having been around since before the 80s) keeps our listeners loyal," he said.
14. 90.5 WASU - Appalachian State University
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Many stations either play tunes chosen by a director or other overseer or let their DJs choose completely. WASU sets itself apart in this way; new DJs must first complete a one-credit course and play playlists chosen by station directors for a semester. But afterwards, DJs may apply for their own specialty show, choosing the genre and the format. Some may shy away from the prospect of being told what music to play, but direction leads to discovering new bands and learning the equipment. Wouldn't you rather be an expert before facing the task of curating your own masterpiece playlists?
13. WRHU 88.7 - Hofstra University
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With its prestigious awards (nationally ranked number one best college radio station by the Princeton Review, for example), WRHU has a high standard to uphold. No wonder being a staff member requires a 10-week course consisting of both hands-on and classroom training to help uphold a standard of greatness amongst DJs and other staff. Because of this prestige, Hofstra boasts past interviews with artists like John Mayer, Janet Jackson and Jack Johnson, among others.
12. WESS 90.3 East Stroudsburg University
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WESS offers a little bit of everything. Looking for some variety? Plenty of DJs play variety shows, like "Live with Lexie" and "The Soundwave." Looking for the newest jams of your favorite genre? Check out global urban music on "The FUNKtion," country on "Country with Cory," grunge on "The Grunge Report" and even Broadway hits on "Brian on Broadway."
11. CJLO 1690 - Concordia University
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A station's community presence bears just as much importance as the music it bumps. The CJLO Mixtape Club presents even non-radio members with a place to discuss music and share mixes on Facebook, but also holds in-person meet-ups to hear mixtapes in the flesh. If hearing your next-door neighbor's mixtape of dubstep and Pearl Jam doesn't inspire you, CJLO posts mixtapes curated by DJs and staff on its blog.
10. KANM - Texas A&M University
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For another student-run, freeform, online (and Campus Cable) station, KANM has quite the Facebook presence. Their wall buzzes with ticket giveaways, reminders of in-studio interviews and performances and articles on its blog, Frequency. The blog features its fair share of album reviews and band features, but also goes to the length of preparing readers for festivals...and telling them not to complain about the heat or people pushing through a crowd.
9. KTSW 89.9 - Texas State University San Marcos
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KTSW knows how to put on events... with pizza. The Lunchbox Concert Series hosts bands on campus monthly with, you guessed it, free pizza and prizes. Similarly, monthly shows under the name Third Thursday occur at Triple Crown... and boast free pizza. Last but certainly not least, the MR Fest, which showcases local bands and caused the mayor to deem the weekend an official holiday called MR Fest Weekend. You probably won't find free pizza, but thanks to the involvement of local businesses in the fun event, you'll get your pepperoni fix.
Check out CollegeMagazine.com for the full list.