I accidentally came across Yahoo’s personal radio station. I have a Live365 station and I am a VIP listener subscribed there. I have pretty eclectic and obscure taste in music. I find a lot of it on Live365. But now I am considering paying for the Yahoo radio.

It is similar to the Netflix scheme where you rate musical genres and artists and songs, etc. and it builds a playlist based on those choices. And the more you listen and rate, the closer it gets to playing what you like. So, instead of listening to say, Vegas Vic’s Tiki Lounge or The Swank Pad, and getting that great style of music, I can hear it all on one “station.”

This may not be for everyone. But I am the odd person that likes to hear Captain Beefheart mixed with Wanda Jackson and James Brown and Esquivel. If you are too, then listen to my station, or make your own!

The catalogue isn’t as diverse as I would like, but it does have a lot I have not enjoyed in a long time.

If you have listened to my Live 365 radio station, you probably have heard some of these. In the days of the radio jingle, CRC was king. Their intros and lead ins were just fantastic and they covered a couple of decades with their chorus singing “It’s Friday!” or whatever. I picked this record up on Ebay ages ago. The original tracks had an opening and closing with a 30 second or so blank space for the announcer in the middle. My download has the two pieces broken apart. This site gives some history and some great free downloads. I love this stuff. I have kept it to myself for years, but am sharing it now since my radio station is pay to listen only now.

Download here

I have had an internet radio station for a few years on Live365. The diversity of music available to listen to for free online is incredible. The music industry thinks this is bad however. They have decided to drastically increase the fees charged to online radio. That’s online radio only. This will kill Internet radio. Of the hundreds of stations on Live365, probably 98% will vanish, including the Swank Pad and Vegas Vic’s Tiki Lounge. This sort of variety is what makes the Internet fantastic. No more streaming of on air radio either. It will all go away over night.

Check out the Live365 page about it and sign this petition.

Do it!

A couple of days ago I was listening to the radio in my car on 90.3 FM. I meant to hit the seek button and just see what was out there to listen to, but I hit the tune button instead and it skipped up to 90.7. It was a somewhat staticy Hawaiian tune playing, so I let it finish. Then there was another one. I figured, at that end of the dial, it was probably a special show on a college station. I tried to tune it in better. I went up and down the dial and that was it. 90.7 was as good as it got, which wasn’t good. It faded in and out as I drove. The announcer came on and he started telling the community calendar events. They were all Hawaiian. I don’t mean things grand that a national show might mention. I mean local stuff like the Wailuku Rotary Club meeting. I got home and came in the house and turned on the stereo to listen some more with a bigger antenna. I could not get the station at all.

Yesterday as I was coming home from work, I remembered the radio station again and tuned it to 90.7. There it was again. I heard the noon news update. Then I heard the station announcement at last. It was 91.5 FM Mana’o Radio in Maui. Mana’o Radio.

I know that AM radio bounces off the atmosphere at night and can travel all over. I didn’t know FM did that. But, my best guess is that we here in North Knoxville Tennessee are at just the right angle for Mana Radio in Maui to deflect off the ionosphere and come down just slightly off the original frequency. Mana’o from heaven.

Maybe I have been receiving this signal in my fillings for years and that’s why I built the Hapa Haole Hideaway…

UPDATE: I just had to call them (had to because there is no email address on the site.) and indeed I got the DJ, JJ, that I am listening to. I told him my story. What he told me makes this even more remarkable. He says their signal only goes about 25 miles there in Maui!

I thought I’d share a few sound bites today.

First one is a Hertz commercial from the 60’s. Ms. Swanky wondered how Capote got a car out in the plains as we watched “Capote” the other night. This commercial is likely around 1966 by the convertible in it, which you can’t see. Anyone know when car rental started?

Next is a vintage radio spot for Pontiac by CRC. CRC was the top jingle makers of the time. I have one of their LPs and just love it.

Now a blast from the past that some will recall, a classic Drive-In movie clip.

Frequent Grogalizer user Johntiki sent this to me. I hope it’s okay to share. It’s a 7-11 commercial for Awaawaukelele which was an island flavor. It’s preety cute and funny, and then, the ending is just great. Genius!

And, I guess I should share a real song. I put my DJ CD of Lalo Schiffrin into the car player the other day and it completely transformed the ride home from work. I love soundtrack music and Lalo was the king of detective movies in the 70s. Steve McQueen is the star for Lalo’s music. This track is Shifting Gears from Bullitt. The version on the soundtrack does not have the sound effects in it at the end that I love. I can’t find the sound effects version. But, put this on and drive around town and you feel like you are tailing someone and any moment a chase will begin or a car will pull up next to you and there will be a shotgun coming out the window. It’s a fun sensation.

Enjoy. I’m off to dig in the yard for the weekend.