h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi, jwf.

You recommended the "luminaries" stations for the CBC radio streaming program. I went there and signed up, but got no sound.

The other stations that I listen to occasionally are:

http://www.soundtrax.fm/

kjazz
http://www.jazzandblues.org/index.aspx

http://www.internet-radio.com/

http://www.hitsofbollywood.com/

greek radio station: http://www.e-radio.gr/player/player.asp?sid=532

reggae: http://www.ukvibes.net/index1.html

Brazilian music: Bossa Nova breeze/Brazilian jazz etc.
http://www.live365.com/stations/connectbrazil

Celtic nations radio
http://www.live365.com/stations/soundsceltish

Argentina:
http://fm-express.com.ar/default.php

Morocco:
http://delicast.com/radio/Morocco/Maroc_Music

Chinese
http://www.live365.com/stations/bluemonty




I try to pick a different station every day and listen to it for an hour or two.

Hmm...
That is disappointing. I feel like someone who has given
a gift only to find out it is broken...

My understanding is that all cbc online streams are available
everywhere for free.

Usually, cbc streaming is available without having to register
or even sign in. The link below goes to web a page dedicated to
the program I recommended. Be sure the 'web radio stations' is
highlighted in the upper right and click the arrow beside the
'luminaries' heading. It should then show six options including
Laurie Brown's the Signal and clicking that should tune in the
current stream. It may take a few seconds and levels may be low,
especially in some of the quirkier compositions, but it is there...
honest.

In any case the link shows a pic of the hostess and her latest
playlist from last night's broadcast to give you some idea
of the kind of eclectic content you might enjoy.

http://music.cbc.ca/#/The-Signal


Thanks for your listing of other whirled radio channels.
I will try to explore some of them.

~jwf~

I couldn't connect to the Argentinian station either, today. I can't rule out problems with my own connections .

In any event, streaming radio audio is not the main event for me, just something to supplement my CD collection, which took me five years to carefully compile.

I'm probably going to bore you with the details, but I wanted a collection large enough to have the essential music from the last four centuries, with an effort toward equal treatment: roughly 400 CDs from each century, and a roughly equal mix of vocal* and purely instrumental. This last effort at equality broke down for the 20th century contingent, which is mostly vocal. The 1900s were a heavily vocal period, as were the 1500s.

*By "vocal", I don't mean a cappella. I mean that the voice(s) is/are predominant, with instrumental accompaniment.

I was a librarian for decades. I selected books, recordings, and videos for a library that served a town of about 22,000. I had to factor in quality [as determined by reviews, awards, etc.] and probable popularity [as determined by previous circulation figures of similar items]. I didn't want to waste my selection skills when I retired, so I went with lists of greatest musical pieces in numerous genres, rejecting only the stuff that I could not stand .; A small but significant number of pieces were not cited as "great" by anybody, but I loved them so I included them. Thus, the best-selling album of all time ["Back in Black," by AC/DC] is not in my collection. I can't stand that album, and likely would not like anything else by AC/DC. Allen Sherman is not on any lists of great performers, but I like his stuff, so I included him. I also tried albums that friends recommended -- Loreen McKennitt, for instance. Leonard Cohen never got on the list of top-selling artists, but practically everyone respects him and I like his stuff. Sometimes lines from his songs are used as titles for novels such as Louise Penny's "How the Light gets In."

I've undoubtedly bored you by now, but I put a lot of work into this project. Did you know that Francesca Caccini, the world's first opera star, went on to write operas of her own? Her father was the first composer to publish an opera score, in 1600. He needed someone to sing the roles he wrote, so Francesca volunteered. I have a recording of songs that Francesca wrote and presumably performed. I have the 100 or so best-known operas, but I also have some lesser-known operas that were pivotal in the evolution of opera. I try to have the best works by a composer even if they are better known for something else.

Musicals? Got 'em. Movie soundtracks? Got 'em. Ragtime, jazz, big-band music? Got 'em. I'm not fond of heavy metal and rap, but I have a few representative CDs that I sort of like.



Right now I'm listening to a CD by Radiohead, which was recommended by someone at h2G2.

I'm listening to Radiohead now. They didn't sell vast numbers of recordings, but they were respected for trying different things.