John in the Morning, KEXP, Seattle

Friends, at the risk of weakening my status as the go-to girl for new music, I'm going to share a secret with you. Lately, I've been cheating. It used to be that I had to forage diligently for new and interesting bands. I'd find them via word of mouth, magazine articles, under rocks in dry creek beds... almost anywhere but the radio. That's changed.

Recently, Jeff turned me on to KEXP, a radio station in Seattle that is simulcast over the Web. In particular, the "John in the Morning" show, has hit me right where I live. John Richards plays the very best in indie, alt-country, techno, and classic punk/indie, from 6am to 10am (Pacific Standard Time), Monday thru Friday. It's all there! Just the way I like it.

And here's the really cool thing... the KEXP.org web site features a real-time playlist. So, you hear something you like—you can see what band it is. Instant musical education.

But that's not all...if you send in an email request, John actually writes back! (Although, I don't think any of my requests actually made it on the air.) A total interactive experience.

This year, I've been hit by a virtual avalanche of great new music. This is due in part to my discovery of KEXP, and also to the fact that we're finally coming out of a particularly bad musical slump. Either way, I have enough great songs to fill two or three end-of-the-year compilations.

So now you know my trick. Don't forget about me.

How to Listen to KEXP

Go to www.kexp.org and you will find a variety of listening options (MP3, Real Audio, Windows Media, etc.) right on the home page. Access the live playlist from the link at the top of the page.

You folks with iTunes can also access KEXP via the Radio Tuner under "Alt/Modern Rock."