30 September 2010

Malta - Music from Marsa

Hey gang! What'd y'all think of our Ecuador station? Yeah, Meh. When we think of cultural capitals, we sure don't think of Justin Beiber, but whatever.

Anyway, Pinky has to run out to Nashville with his brother, so that means you get to go with Ellen to Malta! Dr. El is an excellent tour guide! 

Malta is small - just over 185 square miles. OK, let's compare that to Buncombe County, NC, which is 660 square miles. Buncombe County is almost 4 times bigger than Malta. Holy Moses! Before humans settled on Malta, there were pygmy elephants and hippos waltzing around. I don't know about you, but I'd totally pay a pretty penny to see that.

We also recommend seeing the Azure Window post haste! As it turns out, the bridge is rapidly deteriorating. They expect the bridge to crumble away in the very near future, and have already planned it's post-deteriorated name: the Azure Pinnacle. Kinda epic. This wouldn't be so heartbreaking if it weren't so darn breath taking. It's also pretty famous - you can see it in the Count of Monte Cristo (2002), The Clash of the Titans (1981), and it's immediate next door neighbor, the Inland Sea, can be seen in that damn Brad Pitt movie, Troy (2004).

Azure Window

Inland Sea

Inland Sea from Above

OK, I could go on for about 900 years and still have things to say and pictures to show you... but, on to the music! Enjoy the light that inspired Renaissance painters!



click on the green music notes in the upper left-hand corner



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29 September 2010

Ecuador - Lyrical Loja

Man, that Antarctic station was auditory chloroform, huh? Zzzzzzz... No wonder nobody lives there!

So we got a request for a station from the Galapagos Islands, but Pinky can't find a streaming station. He was looking for 1410 AM, La Vox de Galapagos - mostly because of how awesome the name is – but the search was in vein.

Good news! He did find Super Láser FM, and you really can't find a much better name than that, huh? AmIright? AmIright? Yeah, I'm right.

So, long story short, let's head to Ecuador! Super Láser FM broadcasts from the cultural center of Ecuador, Loja. There's not much more to say about Loja other than they have these cool gates and the Pan-American Highway zips past them.

Loja City Gates

If you're really set on the Galapagos, supposedly Radio Caravana broadcasts to them from the mainland. Just click on "Transmisión en Vivo" in the menu bar. They were playing music earlier, but we think they're stuck on a morning show (as far as we can tell from our rusty Spanish). Also, Ellen can't make their station work at all. And, they're not named Super Láser. We think your decision is obvious...




On the ride out there, check out Lauren Frohne's awesome Living Galapagos project!


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28 September 2010

Antarctica - Serenades from Snow Hill

Did y'all enjoy our little visit to Libya? Us, too!


We think we've developed a real affinity for Arab pop. Anyway, it's gonna be a scorcher today! What do you say we pack up our Bedouin tent and head as far south as we can go? Here's a commercial-free radio station from Antarctica! It's a bummer that our friend Phil left before we could come to visit, but we bet that if we give him a call he'll let us know where to get a good snow-cone!


Hey look! Here's Antarctic currency!







It's not technically legal tender, but still cool huh?


And, you can even see what's going on down there with this neat-o time lapse movie! Also, since Ellen is a map geek, you should check out these maps. Holy Pete, we love technology!



Well, if anyone needs us, we'll be having a PBR and playing shuffleboard at the Polar Bar! (...sigh... we miss the Polar Bar)




Listen Here



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27 September 2010

Lybia - Tunes from طرابلس‎ (Tripoli)

So that Uzbek "country" station was annoying to refresh but pretty great, huh? 

Pinky's a wuss! He gave up and cut off the bonus pop station as soon as he heard "that damn 'I Wanna Be a Billionaire so Frickin' Baaaaaaad' song come on." We suppose that even the regime of a brutal dictator can't save us from that little ditty. 

Perhaps we can escape it in the "Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya" aka Libya. We'll bet ya dollars to donuts we will...

Rehab FM - which we imagine to be pronounced rehAAb and less like a place such as the Betty Ford Clinic - is located in Tripoli, another city on the sunny shores of the Mediterranean. Tripoli, which looks like this in Arabic: طرابلس‎, is only 186 nautical miles from Malta, Ellen's old stomping grounds, and a mere 4,265 furlongs (or 533 miles) from Béjaïa where we were a few days ago. 

It's getting to be a small world, eh?

Just click the giant red play button dominating the homepage

OMG! You can be their friend on Facebook! Total score!


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24 September 2010

Uzbekistan - Tuning in to Ташкент

Man, that Tallinn, Estonia station was a pretty good one huh?

Today we're gonna head over to Uzbekistan! Our friend Jeannie lived here for what, six months? But then the political climate got too hot and she had to leave.

Anyway, this seems to be a pretty rad station based out of Toshkent that plays "classic country." Toshkent is located in the north western corner of Uzbekistan - very near the boarders of Kyrgyzstan and Kazakstan. And, Ellen learned today that Toshkent is the capitol city. She also learned that in Russian Toshkent, or Ташкент, means "stone city." Reminds her a little of Lord of the Rings (what? she's a total nerd). The city's seal is pretty rock star though:



Maybe it's Toshkent's distance from the rest of Uzbekistan, but the internet stream isn't reliable and cuts in and out. You'll have to refresh the link a lot. Bummer.

Anyway, when you get fed up with refreshing the link, you can check out what the Uzbek kids are listening to... Yep. You guessed it. Eurasian pop. This is gonna be a long day....


Listen to "classic country" on UZR3 Mash'al



Listen to what the Uzbek kids are in to on Radio Grande
Just click on the red "ON-LINE" button on the far right of the site map


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23 September 2010

Estonia - Tearin' it up in Tallinn

Oh hey! Hope you enjoyed your time in Algeria. Pretty hot there huh?

Let's cool down with a trip to a land with an agile economy where they literally pull amber out of the sea. Estonia. Pinky and Kesi had the pleasure of visiting this Baltic jewel earlier this year. According to them everyone is so chic there! Even their flag is fashionable! Let’s see if it translates musically.

very fashionable Estonian flag
This Tallinn radio station seems to be kinda hit and miss so far, but the good stuff is GREAT stuff. So grab a big mug of honey beer, pull on those swank fuckin' boots, put on a stoic face, shrug off communism like it ain't no thang, and tune in to Raadio 2.


You've already missed Justice's D.A.N.C.E. and some weird Finnish reggae!


Listen Here



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22 September 2010

Algeria - Breaking it Down in Béjaïa

How was your time in Paraguay? Probably more exciting than Pinky's time in Knoxville. What does one do in Knoxville, anyway?

Hey, you busy right now? Howsabout a whirlwind journey to Algeria? Backwards it spells Airegla, which is pretty great huh? This station blasts from the coastal city of Béjaïa - oh man we wish we lived in a placed called Béjaïa! Especially a Béjaïa that is on the Mediterranean Sea... Don't get too jealous!



Anyway, we gotta hit the road, but y'all have fun!



Listen Here



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21 September 2010

Party in Paraguay?

Man, that Malaysian radio station kinda sucked last time, huh? It picked up a little in the afternoon, but those DJ's doing the same not-even-funny prank calls at every interlude made Pinky want to grind up his eyeballs and pour the slurry into his ear canals.

Anyway, let's move on to Paraguay today! Pinky’s gotta leave for Tennessee in a little bit so he won't be able to hang out and listen all day… but hey! You guys go ahead and have fun at your work stations without him. Let us know how it goes!




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20 September 2010

Malaysia - Killing it in Kuala Lumpur

So did you have fun in Beirut, Lebanon last time? Yeah, us too!

Today let's head over to
Kuala Lumpur, the capitol of Malaysia and Pinky's mom's birthplace (before independence.) Lots of western and Chinese cultural influence in Malaysia, but this seems to be a contemporary station that sticks to Malay stuff for the most part. Probably gonna hear a few English or Chinese songs sprinkled in though. Enjoy!




The whole site is in Malay, but click on the box in the upper right corner that says "KLIK UNTUK DENGAR" to stream live radio. Brace yourself for ridiculous DJ's!


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17 September 2010

Lebanon - Live From Beirut



Hey! You busy right now? Not really doing anything except trying to hide that cream cheese stain on your shirt from your coworkers, eh? 

So what do you say we take a trip around the world via the radio? 

Every day we'll visit a different country!

Let's head to Lebanon first. See you there!