This week’s show forecast is going to be a little different. Because of the new ban on large public gatherings, a lot of venues have closed their doors temporarily or postponed/canceled shows. As a result, there’s not a lot to report on here! Instead, I’m going to offer you a couple of other ways you could make the most of your time at home. Below are a few radio options—many with 24-hour streams—to make your night-in fun.
(source: Twitter)
Nowadays
Nowadays—a venue at the border of Bushwick and Ridgewood—has announced that they will close their doors for the foreseeable future.
While they’re closed, they’ll be streaming technical how-tos, DJ sets, and other community programming while their physical location is closed. You can feel free to send funds to their Venmo @nowahelp. All funds will be distributed between staff members who need it. To support the institution, you can donate to their Patreon.
NTS Radio
NTS Radio is cool because it has two live streams that are pretty much 24 hours. They broadcast from London, Manchester, Los Angeles and more, and they have the option to listen back to previous broadcasts. If none of the music there suits you, they also have Infinite Mixtapes, six music-only themed radio streams with themes like Poolside, Slow Focus, and 100% Hip Hop. You can also look for shows based on the genre you like, which makes this a pretty robust site for just about any music you are looking for.
Slow Dance Radio
A London record label and music collective Slow Dance has a series of previously recorded streams available to listen to. Other local artists and collectives, like Jerkcurb and Femme Collective, have done guest sets on the radio. You can check previous streams on their website, or on their Soundcloud.
Half Moon BK
Another local internet radio station that prioritizes undiscovered, underground music. They aren’t always live, but they do have the option to listen back to previous streams on their Mixcloud. If you want to catch a live stream, you can stay up-to-date on who will be playing by following them on Instagram.
The Lot Radio
Another NYC internet radio, The Lot Radio is a 24/7 station based out of an old shipping container in Williamsburg at 17 Nassau Ave. The Lot Radio plays all sorts of music throughout the day and even features a live video stream (for the full experience). You can check out the stream on their website, look through the schedule, and even play past streams on their Mixcloud.
Aaja Deptford
Aaja, like Nowadays, is an event space that also streams music in Deptford, London. The stream itself is pretty uncomplicated—just click a button and prepare for a surprise. If you’d like to know what’s playing you have to head to their Instagram to figure it out.
KPISS
The next few are strictly New York institutions. KPISS is a female-powered organization/collective run by founder Sheri Barclay based in Bushwick that broadcasts from an RV (located across from Bossa Nova Civic Club). This station focuses more on indie rock than other ones, but there’s still a lot of shows to pick from. If you find a program you like, you can listen back to previous episodes on the website.
Playground Radio
Run out of Playground Coffeeshop in Bedstuy, Playground Radio is an internet station that prioritizes those in the QTPOCI community. You can listen to them live on Mixlr (they aren’t 24/7) or catch previous sets on their Soundcloud. Since they aren’t always streaming, you can stay appraised of when they will be and what will be playing by following their Instagram.
Newtown Radio
Newtown Radio is an internet radio station based in Bushwick (seeing a trend?) that broadcasts out of 264 Meserole Street. The radio features live shows throughout the week and when there isn't a live show on, the station streams tracks from their own library spanning a number of genres. They've also done sessions with local and touring bands which you can check out. Notable acts include Mac DeMarco and DIIV.
8 Ball Radio
I can’t believe I forgot about 8 Ball Radio! 8 Ball is a community radio station that is a part of the big 8 Ball project. It’s based in New York and has a variety of different programming—from music to talk shows. They also have an archive you can play around with.
Boogaloo Radio
Another London-based radio station! They usually broadcast 24/7, but that might change given the circumstances. If you want you can even call into the station, watch a live-stream, check out old streams on their Mixcloud, or tune in to one of their shows. They do interviews with some of London’s hottest bands as well, if you want to use this time to expand your horizons.
That’s it! I’d recommend switching streams and trying out each radio until you find out what you like best. A lot of them offer tons of different programming, so there’s never an opportunity for you to be like “There’s nothing good playing.” Sometimes it’s nice to just play in the background, but if you want to turn your home into a club for a few hours, try catching a DJ set. Let me know if there’s any I’ve missed that you think should be up here! I’ll update this page with anything new.
I will be sharing NYC-specific Mutual Aid initiatives in the next newsletter. Please do what you can to be there for your community if you are able—ask your neighbors if they need help with errands, groceries, walking their dog, etc.