XM Fungus 53 - Gone AC/DC

[DSKYZD]

I can't stand it!

Every day at lunch I listen to the special programs on XM's now gone punk channel, Fungus53. Not only that, but I listened to it most of the day. Tuesday's cover song show called "Duped" was just fantastic.

Epic stupidity on Mr. Jon Zellner's part. Horrible decision in my opinion. I'm a monster Metallica fan and I don't even listen to the all Metallica channel on 51, that's what iPods are for!!

Got a nice response back from Lou Brutus with a copy Zellner's canned response when I wrote in about my displeasure. They pulled this with Liquid Metal on 42 and eventually brought it back, you'd think they'd have learned a lesson. Apparently not.

Thursday will suck as well without Skanorea. Sure, the format isn't going to have the fan base and appeal of the more mainstream stations, but that had to have been known from the outset.

Giving "Sirius" thoughts to canceling the subscriptions on all of my satrads, both XM and Siruis.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaHHHHHHHHHHHH!

[MikeCam]

I felt the same way when WKWK, AM 1600 on your radio dial went from Current Pop to Oldies in 1969. Gave up Herman's Hermits and The Stone Poneys for Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett.

[wncbmw]

I can offer my condolences, although my XM seldom leaves Deep Tracks! All AC-DC all the time?! I hate AC-DC! When I listened to FM, anytime they came on, it was channel punching time! Metallica I like but not 24/7. Heck, I couldn't listen to any one group or singer all the time!

I have to say, I don't like the Sirus channels as much as my Deep Tracks on the XM. I have hopes that the merger will produce rumored Ala Carte choice of fewer channels from both networks at a reduced rate. Deep Tracks, some alternative stuff, Rock, jazz and some news channel would do me nicely!

Maybe even find some Herman's Hermits!

[sjbmw]

The death of Fungus 53, in this house, has hit like the death of a loved pet.
I recorded Hee Haw Hell (the finest in psychobilly cowpunk) every day at 6AM, for my train ride.
No more misfits, dead kennedys, damned, decendants, vandals, dropkick murphys, ny dolls, mc5, reverend horton heat, meatmen, luxurious panthers, et al.... sigh...
I am furious.

I was one of the few thousand angry metal heads that got Liquid Metal back on, it took 2 years, but that was pre-merger.
Mel Karmazin is in charge now, and he always wears his RIAA kneepads. Another payola channel kills a niche channel.

I got the same canned response from Jon Zellner, the no good pr*ck, Lou Brutus forwarded it to me.
I used to email Lou a lot, as he was the brains behind Fungus (and Special X, another lost channel).
sounds like Lou Brutus is probably getting his resume updated.

I will be canceling my 3 family plan radios in protest, as soon as they fix the stinkin online account management on the website.

I took advantage of a pricing deal in 2004, before the price increase, so I will have one PnP radio paid until 2009.
But they will get no more money from me.

Mel should die a slow painful death from stomach cancer...

[wncbmw]

Brian - I misread your post or confused it with another article I read yesterday about an all AC-DC channel. (I get confused easily lately) In any event, sorry you lost your station. Hopefully they will bring it back. I fear in the merger, I might lose my favorites. Hope not.

Herb - you going back to FM if you cancel? I don't think I could stand it!

[R4R&R]

The death of Fungus 53, in this house, has hit like the death of a loved pet.
I recorded Hee Haw Hell (the finest in psychobilly cowpunk) every day at 6AM, for my train ride.
No more misfits, dead kennedys, damned, decendants, vandals, dropkick murphys, ny dolls, mc5, reverend horton heat, meatmen, luxurious panthers, et al.... sigh...
I am furious.

The Meatmen? I knew a few guys that played in that band. I wonder if it's the same Meatmen...

[sjbmw]

I got XM in Feb 2002, 3 months after launch, subscriber # in the 240k range.
I have lived through it's morph, as one of it's hardcore fans and early adopters.
In 2002, it was "you pay for radio, are you nuts"?

(Fungus was born as a 1 hour show on Fred called Anarchy Radio, when XM had 80 channels, and kick ass sound quality)

I just picked up a cell phone with a media player that takes SD Micro cards.
It can be fed into my AutoComm. 8gb cards will be available soon. The 2gb are 13 bucks now.

I have been hankering to rip my CD collection to a portable drive, now's the time.
Also, my brother has a few thousand CD's (he used to work in the record business and the original DT library exists at his place), so I can visit with my laptop and rip anytime. good way to catch up huh?

I will also explore the new Slacker Portable.
I will have my Airware until 2009 though. I will sell my 3 Roady2's.

I will miss the hockey channel, during the 2009 season.

I wrote the FCC 3 times about this merger. I knew the programming would end up like FM radio eventually.
Mel Karmazin is a salesman, he's not a radio guy. This AC/DC channel, is a Atlantic Records promotion payola channel, as part of their new album launch and tour. Metallica radio also.

Sirius has been doing this for several years, single artist channels and ripping niche channels. Anyone remember Sirius Folktown? Entire genres of music were ripped off Sirius a long time ago. It's infected XM now.

They are willing to sacrifice hard core subscribers for record company payola. Perhaps it keeps them in business, perhaps not. I won't pay for it.

As far as Deep Tracks goes, pay close attention if George Taylor Morris jumps ship, like the creator of the XM music platform, Lee Abrams, did before the merger was approved. If GTM goes, DT will lose the "D" real fast.
It will not 'vanish' like fungus, but like the Boneyard, it will gradually get stale and repetitive.

[DSKYZD]

Vann, you're not confused, Fungus53 is now all AC/DC.

John, probably is the same Meatmen given their DC area background. It doesn't say much here but lists some names of former members: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meatmen

[wncbmw]

Herb - GTM is off the air for now but I assume it is for that unmentioned health issue like before. All the subs are still calling it the GTM show. I will follow that however! Thanks for the heads up!

My own music collection is not extensive enough to sustain me. I just pray the merger does not ruin a good thing. You are obviously much more informed and in tune to the satrad happening than me.

Brian - I realize now AC-DC was in your title, not the post. No matter, I still stay confused! Even when right!

[Airman]

I haven't tried Sat radio yet, maybe I won't after listening to you guys. The local FM is useless ! There is no consistancy to radio these days. if you find a channel playing music you like, wait an hour and you'll change your mind. The local rock stations like to put on two or three stupid radio heads on in the daytime. Play one song then talk (stupid) for 15 minutes. Ipod is the only way I listen to music. My latest album for the Ipod is Brian (Head) Welch's album "Save Me From Myself" Pretty good. he is rumored to have a couple more albums in the works.

[Biff's R]

Who needs XM, or FM? I am usually on the AM dial.

[Buckster]

Jeff, you're ahead of me...I'm still singing to myself in my helmet!

Good thing no one else can hear!

[sjbmw]

I haven't tried Sat radio yet, maybe I won't after listening to you guys. The local FM is useless ! There is no consistancy to radio these days. if you find a channel playing music you like, wait an hour and you'll change your mind. The local rock stations like to put on two or three stupid radio heads on in the daytime. Play one song then talk (stupid) for 15 minutes. Ipod is the only way I listen to music. My latest album for the Ipod is Brian (Head) Welch's album "Save Me From Myself" Pretty good. he is rumored to have a couple more albums in the works.

I would not make that assessment, as many people love it, and I have switched to DT, and the Raggae channel, the Joint (pun intended!).

I have siblings that swear by Sirius, because they get all their favorite "high school" songs. Some people love to sing their favorite tunes....

I tell people that both services will give free online trial subscriptions, so they should try it.
It's like restaurants, if you find one with a dish that wows you, it's becomes a favorite stop.
You may not even know the rest of the menu, but that one dish.... makes you go....

I'm just PO'ed that one of my favorite channels got axed, and I lost a dish....the restaurant still might be ok....

Mel should not get sick....I'm going to do some time in hell for that one...

[wncbmw]

I would still recommend satrad. I seldom venture beyond a few stations and as long as they remain intact, it beats the heck out of FM jocks jabbering and endless and repetitive commercials and playlists.

We have 2 XMs, including one playing in my office non-stop during the workday. The new Mazda came with Sirus and I generally don't like the music as much as XM, (The Vault is not as 'deep' as Deep Tracks). However, we often end up on one of the jazz channels on trips on the Mazda anyway.

If you are into sports, they each have different major sports that they cover. I could care less about that. If they give me an ala carte choice of 10 channels for less money, I am all over it! Heck, I could probably do with only 5 channels, one being a news channel if the world is coming to an end and I want to listen. Otherwise, give me music!

[R4R&R]

John, probably is the same Meatmen given their DC area background. It doesn't say much here but lists some names of former members: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meatmen

Yeah, that's them. I have the "Pope on a Rope" CD - a good CD, but I don't think any of the songs on that CD could make radio air time.

I knew a few of the members in the mid-90's:

In 1993, Tesco reformed The Meatmen, at least in name. His completely new lineup were all part of a Meatmen influenced rock band called True Grit. The group approached T.V. who hired them, minus their singer as the new Meatmen. The new members are Stormin' Norman Voss-guitar, Mark Davis-bass and back up vocals and Mark Glass-drums. Tesco formed his own record label Meatking in 1993 to release the new Meatmen album. The band returned with Toilet Slave in 1994. The album contains 22 new songs of sophomoric lyrical references to masterbation, poor hiegene, bad drugs, rednecks etc. The album only had a run of 2000 that were all sold at shows. During that tour, the band played with FEAR, another old punk band who reformed in the 90s.

Mark Glass quit late '94 and was replaced by Rob 'The Machine' San Pietro. The College Radio Loser 7" EP showed new songs from the follow up album, Pope on a Rope which came out in 1995. During '95, the new Meatmen played some of their biggest shows with the likes of GWAR and D.R.I., the Milwaukee metalfest and shows in Texas with Butt Trumpet. Such success led to the group signing with Go Kart records. With Boris the Sprinkler (from Go Kart), the group recorded a split 7" EP that was released by the end of 1995 on which The Meatmen cover Sprinkler's "Drugs and Masterbation" and Sprinker covers The Meatmen classic "True Grit". At the beginning of 1996, the group recorded their next record.

Rob San Pietro went on to play in numerous other bands, and is a good drummer. I think he's still playing in "Hot Buttered Elvis", which started to go national but fizzled out. They still play and have fun.

They've all been in lots of previous bands - mostly good 'ol rock and roll stuff.

[sjbmw]

Herb - GTM is off the air for now but I assume it is for that unmentioned health issue like before. All the subs are still calling it the GTM show. I will follow that however! Thanks for the heads up!

My own music collection is not extensive enough to sustain me. I just pray the merger does not ruin a good thing. You are obviously much more informed and in tune to the satrad happening than me.

Brian - I realize now AC-DC was in your title, not the post. No matter, I still stay confused! Even when right!

George Taylor Morris bids farewell... sort of.... for health reasons.
Man I will miss him. He was the FIRST guy out of the gate with XM, and it's unique programming...and he never looked back.

http://www.xmradio.com/onxm/channelbio.xmc?ch=40

[wncbmw]

Herb - thanks for the link. I hope GTM heals up and comes back. Honestly, though, things seem OK on DT for now. With the exception that Dan Neer talks too much! Hopefully, Earle keeps the concept going!

[sjbmw]

80 radio programmers and support staff got the ax at XM today, done the 31st.

It's the end.

[GypsyRR]

One of those, plus http://www.mp3search.ru where songs are .19 cents each, equals what you want when you want it. Plus, at that site, you can download the songs to as many machines and as often as you want.

[sjbmw]

On Wednesday, the grand experiment called XM Music Programming dies, after 7 years.

You XM radio will be simulcasting Sirius programming.

XM has issued NO PRESS release for this event, now 24 hours away.

For someone who got XM for the deep music programming, I have already cancelled 3 of my 4 radios, and the last one will ride out an account credit for the next 8 months.

New Channel Guide here

http://www.orbitcast.com/archives/NEW_C ... NEUP-1.pdf