The Post-Rockist

RIP WOXY

Video may have killed the radio star, and bloated corporate conglomerates may have transmitted a terminal illness to the heart of mainstream radio, but what scourge befell the beloved internet radio station, WOXY.com? In the words of the ever-prescient ABBA, “I work all night, I work all day, to pay the bills I have to pay, ain’t it sad. And still there never seems to be a single penny left for me, that’s too bad. In my dreams I have a plan, if I got me a wealthy man I wouldn’t have to work at all, I’d fool around and have a ball.” Although it must sound funny to you, starry-eyed music listener, in this rich man’s world it truly is money, money, money that determines the bottom line. Despite the bevy of high-quality, forward-thinking and vintage-adoring programming, and a fanbase more dedicated than any madras could hope to conjure, the advertising revenue and subscription services weren’t enough to keep the WOXY boat afloat. Which sucks. But archive-loving indie rockers can take some pleasure in knowing that they can still search through the approximately 200 live lounge acts, explore their Unsigned artists podcasts, research their charts and playlists, and scoff at or adore their comprehensive Modern Rock 500 list by going here.

WOXY started as a terrestrial station in Miami, Ohio in 1983 (97X - “Bam! The Future of Rock & Roll!”) and had to go off the air in 2004 due to financial difficulties, only to resurface shortly thereafter exclusively in the vague netherworld of cyberspace thanks to the kind contributions of wealthy financiers, much like the rich men of ABBA’s dreams. Today it seems doubtful that such a miracle will strike twice, or even if it did, it is sourly unlikely a large investment will do much to support a long-term business plan for disc jockeys Barb, Mike, Shiv, and Bryan Jay to remain competitive in a world of satellite radio and free, funded audio streams on the internet. Friday, September 15, 2006 at 5:00 p.m. EST marks the final broadcast of WOXY. Tune in today for the epic and tear-jerking finale. Time to bust out the highballs and get ready to toast to a carousing in-studio farewell.

MOVE OVER BING; STEP ASIDE NAT KING: Nothing but coal this Christmas.

Prepare for more whisky in your eggnog and dim candles replacing those bright and uptight tree lights this holiday season. Xylophone pings for jingle bells and solitary pillow-hugging woes for missle toes. The reason for the season: two upcoming holiday collections by two of Indie’s favorite forlorn figures.

Oh Sufjan! Oh Sufjan!
Will Santa have a Scout hat on?
Oh Sufjan! Oh Sufjan!
Will Rudolph weep and Jack Frost frown?
As Banjo strings so softly ting,
We’ll be devout and mellow out.
Oh Sufjan! Oh Sufjan!
Your Christmas songs we’ll dote upon.

That’s right, kiddies, on November 21 Sufjan Stevens will be releasing Songs for Christmas, a box set of his previously-released Christmas EPs along with a gaggle of other holiday goodies, including stickers, videos, comic strips, stories, songbooks, and, according to the Asthmatic Kitty website, “an original Christmas Family Portrait painting of Santa Sufjan (with wife and kids).”

Let your heart a-flitter so sorrowfully or dream serene of the snowy season to come by checking out two sample tracks: Sister Winter and That Was the Worst Christmas Ever.

“Baby there’s something wrong with Christmas
That I can’t see.”

But if anybody can see the drear that comes with holiday sweaters and family celebrations, it is certainly Aimee Mann. Her website announces that she has just finished recording an album of holiday classics Aimee-style. The Post-Rockist’s hope is that she will be able to represent “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” as the funereal dirge that is really is. The Post-Rockist also hopes that Paul Thomas Anderson shoot a three-hour artsy holiday film with a coterie of high-profile actors, inspired by Aimee’s little Christmas collection. Perhaps fruitcakes falling from the sky instead of frogs.

AUSTIN CITY LIMITS MUSIC FESTIVAL

In related news, Aimee Mann and a slew of other great artists are in Austin, Texas, this weekend for the Austin City Limits Music Fest. And even though you, our lovely, sexy readers, are sitting at your lonely computers in Duluth, Flint, Anchorage, Jackson, etc., you can tune into the live feed of the concert FOR FREE right here. The festival begins today and ends Sunday. Here are a few artists of interest and their slot times (All times are CST. If you live way east or way west of Austin, you’ll have to do the math. The Post-Rockist does not do the math for you):

Friday, Sept 15

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists: 1:30pm

Stars: 3:30pm

Gomez: 5:30pm

Thievery Corporation: 6:30pm

Saturday, Sept 16

Ben Kweller: 2:30pm

Los Lobos: 4:30pm

Aimee Mann: 5:30pm

Iron and Wine: 7:30pm

Ray LaMontagne: 8:30

Sunday, Sept 16

Calexico: 4:30pm

The Flaming Lips: 6:30pm

Ben Harper: 7:00pm

Muse: 7:45pm

Tom Petty and the Heartbreaker: 8:30pm

P.S. Go to the website for the full schedule.

Disclaimer: The Post-Rockist has listed these performers and not others not out of snobbery, but due to the fact that our fingers tire and we couldn’t find a satisfactorily plain-text listing to cut and paste. We’re human too, you know.

Please feel more than free to share your laments over the demise of WOXY, your favorite performances at the ACLMF, or your Christmas list with your lovely comments. Really, it’s the least you can do for receiving this interesting news from us for free. You needn’t sign up for any service and we will not report your IP address to the NSA.

We promise.