There’s a local radio station here in Grand Rapids, MI that is called WGRD. My wonderful co-workers choose to play this crap almost every day (at 6 in the morning no less). The station promotes itself as “New Rock” although every morning I hear at least 9 or 10 songs that came out when I was in junior high, over 10 years ago. That’s a decade! That’s a generation. Explain to me how this is new rock.

However, it’s not so much this supposed “new” rock that drives me nuts, as it is the fact that this radio station is absolutely determined to destroy music. For example, let’s say that a new song comes out by Linkin Park that I actually like. I’m not a big fan of Linkin Park, but every once in a while something catches my ear that I might like. Now that I’ve heard it once, I will hear it every day for the next 6 months, and if it was “good” enough, for the next 12 years. I no longer like that song. I don’t want to hear it ever again. I started getting sick of the song “Self-Esteem” by The Offspring when I was in junior high, and they still play it every day! I don’t know if I ever want to hear “Lightning Crashes” by Live or anything by Nirvana ever again.

One last complaint I have with WGRD, is that all of its programming is jokes about sex, porn, or stip clubs. Their hosts in the morning make non-stop sex jokes, and “look-how-stupid-this-guy-is-wow-I’m-so-much-smarter” jokes. The music also really sucks. And I mean REALLY sucks. But they pretend like it doesn’t because it’s the music that’s “cool” right now. Overall, it just seems like the whole radio station is trying to impress the popular high school kids. Just be yourself GRD! And stop playing shit over and over!

One of these days the popular culture is going to all have the exact same thought- “What the hell are we listening to?!” That day can’t come soon enough.