Speaking of nit-picking ...

College Radio 101

College stations (like KUGS) usually don't buy music. Instead, bands and promoters send the music to the radio stations.


Promoters (like Terrorbird, Team Clermont, Fanatic, etc.) often include a sticker on the front of the CD when they send music to a station. This sticker usually has biographical info about the band, and includes an "RIYL" list.

"RIYL" stands for "Recommended If You Like," and lists some bands that sound similar, so that you have an idea of what the music sounds like before you actually listen to it.

A lot of the time, this is really helpful information to have.

But sometimes, a promotion company is so off with their "RIYL" list that the list is close to useless.

My particular pet peeve is when any band that has a female vocalist gets an "RIYL: Sleater-Kinney." Especially the ones that say, "RIYL: Sleater-Kinney, Rilo Kiley." Because usually- these bands sound NOTHING like Sleater-Kinney. Or Rilo Kiley. "All female-fronted bands sound alike," you say? Right. About as much as Mount Eerie sounds like Spoon.

For reals, now. Vitriol, could you please be a little less overt in your sexism? C'mon- it's indie rock. I thought "indie" meant that we were trying to do things differently.

Parts for All Makes may sound a bit like Palomar, but merely being in possession of a vagina does not make you sound like Sleater-Kinney. If this was the case, I would've realized my Carrie Brownstein rock-star fastasies a LONG time ago.