I'd like an XM/Sirius "Guitar" Channel

[stratoskier]

Yo,
Last night I was flipping through the channels on my XM Radio trying to decide what to fall asleep to. Obviously there are loads of options, including a few stations that might be considered guitar-centric (Boneyard = 80s hair bands). But try to find something slightly off the mainstream radar like Scott Henderson, Guthrie Govan, Brett Garsed, Greg Howe, Carl Verheyen... and you're SOL.

I enjoy virtually every genre of guitar instrumental music (rock, jazz, fusion, acoustic...), and I'm guessing that a lot of you guys do as well. It occurred to me that there may be enough of a market for a full-on "guitar" channel. Why couldn't some outfit like Guitar Center do what Starbucks has already done on XM and sponsor their own channel? It seems like the interest in something like this would at least match that of some of the existing niche channels ("30s-40s Hits," or "Southern Gospel" anyone?). Maybe I'm wrong about that, but if the guitar community is large enough to have mega-stores attending to our every need, then it seems like we ought to rate an XM channel, too.

I'm just whining...

Cheers,
Bert

[waylay00]

I agree. XM Radio, IMO, is very weak compared to what it could be. Boneyard is all right, but how many Iron Maiden and Warrant songs can you play in one hour? They don't even play other 80s hard rock bands like Whitesnake all that much...It seems as if Boneyard only plays Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Warrant, AC/DC (not that I dislike those bands that much) and then the odd song every five hours or so.

Anyone know what Sirius is like comparatively? I know that XM and Sirius are supposed to merge though.

[dex]

Originally Posted by stratoskier

Maybe I'm wrong about that, but if the guitar community is large enough to have mega-stores attending to our every need, then it seems like we ought to rate an XM channel, too.

You are as for every person who buys over $1000 guitars and is into jazz/fusion there 99 kids who get given $200-$300 guitars just so they could strum them "out of tune" Nirvana/ Deftones/Korn like.... and there are plenty of stations catering for them already.

[kirk]

Sirius has a channel called Hair Nation, on which is nothing but - you guessed it - hair metal. Whitesnake, Y n T, Cinderella, Bon Jovi, Motley Crue, Hurricane, Fastway, Extreme, T n T, Europe, way too much Faster *****cat and LA Guns and on and on. When I first got my Sirius, I listened to it all of the time. Then it occured to me that they pretty much play the same songs over and over. Occasionally they'll drop a gem - even playing some Vai. But they rarely play something "unpopular" like Shyboy or For the Love of God.

I have Roth saved as a favorite artist. Every time there is a Roth tune on I get alerted to the station. Sadly, most frequently they only play Just Like Paradise. I have another for Queensryche, but typically it winds up being Jet City Woman or Silent Lucidity.

I had it set up for Van Halen and Zeppelin, but my unit beeped too much for the same old songs, Black Dog, Rock N Roll, Stairway, Aint Talking Bout Love and You Really Got me.

They do have Jazz standards channels, modern jazz, but nothing dedicated to guitar instrumentalists.

If Guitar Center did have a channel on Sirius or XM, it would probably be as lame as the music they play in the stores, and would probably not focus on guitarists - rather all styles of music.

I do love my Sirius though and regular radio just annoys me now.

[courtney2018]

I've got XM. When I first got it I listend to Boneyard all the time, but like you all, I noticed that they were playing the same songs over and over. I can't stand AC/DC and it seems everytime I flip it to there it's AC/DC. Occasionally I'll hear a Satch song, but it's few and far between.

I've also thought that an all guitar instrumental channel would be cool. It probably wouldn't be as popular as the other channels, but how many people that are XM subscribers listen to XM 4 - The 40's? The all guitar channel might get more play. Who knows. I think Clear Channel owns XM anyways. I could be wrong on that one though. I heard that somewhere.

So now I mostly listen to Squizz and only turn it when the White Stripes comes on. They absolutely suck balls!

[jb4674]

Don't laugh but I listen to watercolors on my way to work every morning simply because it's mostly instrumental

Jimmy

[Distantshore]

I don't think its a bad idea. Who knows it could happen.

[courtney2018]

Originally Posted by jb4674

Don't laugh but I listen to watercolors on my way to work every morning simply because it's mostly instrumental

Jimmy

Yea, I like that channel. It's the Local On the 8s on Weather Channel without the weather.

[jb4674]

LOL, you ain't right Courtney It's cool though, my wife makes fun of me all the time for listening to it.

Jimmy

[stratoskier]

I've also spent a bunch of time on XM's Beyond Jazz channel. Sometimes it really works for me -- they play a lot of fusion, so I hear a fair amount of Scofield, Metheny, DiMeola and some other great players. But I confess that the "smooth" jazz and almost all jazz with vocals leaves me flat. I keep thinking there's something wrong with me for not appreciating that stuff more (am I just not sophisticated enough?), but I can get bored with it very quickly. I'd say that about 40% of the material I hear on Beyond Jazz works for me.
Bert

[michblanch]

I agree with the comments about XM's metal station boneyard, playing the same music over and over.
If I hear Warrant again I am gonna choke a bitch.

I will say however I truly love all of the sports channels.

I have also noticed over the last few months that commercials are starting to leak into XM's programing and I hate it. I purchased the XM to get away from commercials.

[courtney2018]

Originally Posted by jb4674

LOL, you ain't right Courtney It's cool though, my wife makes fun of me all the time for listening to it.

Jimmy

Seriously though, I like that channel. It's stored as a favorite. I also like High Standards - XM 73, as well as Fine Tuning, Audio Visions, Escape and XM-Chill. Every once in a while I'll flip over to Air Musique and Sur La Route.