KAFM Music Blog

If you are a programmer at KAFM you sometimes can’t see the forest for the trees.  Spinitron can open up a clearing for you.  We play a whole lot of music at KAFM.  Here are some statistics mined from Spinitron about what we played and how often during 2016.
The CDs that got the most play during 2016 are:

1. Dig In Deep by Bonnie Raitt – 110 spins (added  Feb 25, 2016)
2. Let Me Get By by Tedeschi - Trucks Band –  108 spins (added Jan 18, 2016)
3. Stranger To Stranger by Paul Simon – 102 spins (added May 10, 2016)
4. Blues Of Desperation – Joe Bonamassa - 97 spins (added March 14, 2016)
5. Ziggy Marley Quick read more or view full article by Ziggy Marley – 93 spins (added April 26, 2016)
6. True Sadness by The Avett Brothers  - 91 spins  (added June 30, 2016)
7. The Getaway – Red Hot Chili Peppers – 83 spins (added  July 1, 2016)
8. Set In Stone by Stick Figure – 82 spins  (added Nov 16, 2015)
9. Love And Sabotage by David Starr -  82 spins  (added Jan 5, 2016)*
10. Soulrocker by Michael Franti & Spearhead – 82 spins  (added May 24, 2016)
11. Santana IV by Santana  - 79 spins  (added April 22, 2016)
12. Tell Me I’m Pretty by Cage The Elephant – 78 spins (added Jan 8, 2016)
13. Sweet Tennessee Honey  by Smooth Hound Smith – 76 spins  (added Jan 20, 2016)
14. I Still Do by Eric Clapton -  69 spins  (added May 10, 2016)
15. Cleopatra byThe Lumineers  68 spins  (added Feb 16, 2016)
16. The Chicago Way by Toronzo Cannon – 67 spins  (added Feb 28, 2016)
17. Hard To Please by The Black Lillies - 66 spins (added Oct 15, 2015)
18. Hold On! by The James Hunter Six -  66 spins  (added Jan 28, 2016)
19. Radiate / Dissolve by Rogue Valley - 65 spins  (added July 1, 2016)*
20. Six On The Out by The Westies - 64 spins  (added Jan 7, 2016)
21. Signs Of Light by The Head And The Heart - 64 spins  (Added Sept 23, 2016)

  * Radio Room performer increased the number of spins.

The top 10 songs of 2016:

1. No Good Place For The Lonely – Joe Bonamassa  - 22 spins
2. Drive – Joe Bonamassa  - 22 spins
3. Dark Necessities – Red Hot Chili Peppers - 21 spins
4. Ain’t No Man – The Avett Brothers - 21 spins
5. I Can’t Give Everything Away – David Bowie - 20 spins
6. All We Ever Knew – The Head And The Heart - 19 spins
7. Fire On The Horizon – Stick Figure - 18 spins
8. Love Is A Rebel – Ziggy Marley – 18 spins
9. Everything Is All I Want For You - The Westies - 17 spins
10. Breaking The Blues – Amy Blaschke – 16 spins

   
Top 10 Jazz CDs for 2016

1. Tengo Blues by John Del Toro Richardson – 56 spins (added Dec 17, 2015)
2. Sound Of Red by Rene Marie –  51 spins (added May 19, 2016)
3. Day Breaks by Norah Jones –  49 spins  (added Oct 15, 2016)
4. Plugged In by Galen Weston –  33 spins (added Dec 6, 2015)
5. Night At the Speakeasy by Svetlana and The Delancy Five – 32 spins (added Feb 7, 2016)
6. Full Circle by Brian Bromberg – 28 spins (added March 16, 2016)
7. Eight Track II by Dave Stryker –  27 spins (added Sept 18, 2016)
8. A Twist Of Rit by Lee Ritenour –  26 spins (added Aug 23, 2015)
9. Sun Shine Soul by Ameranouche –  26 spins added April 29, 2016)
10. Mo’ Puddin’ by Adrienne Fenemor –  24 spins (added May 18, 2016)

Top New Age CDs for 2016

1. Distant Horseman by Timothy Wenzel - 15 spins  (added March 4, 2016)
2. Understanding The Signs by Geoff Hall - 13 spins (added June 16, 2016)
3. Live! by The Piano Guys - 12 spins  (added Dec 22, 2016)
4. Resolution by Mehmet Ali Sanlikol & What's Next - 12 spins  (added Sept 30, 2016)
5. Pacific Journey by Logical Drift - 9 spins  (added Oct 4, 2016)
5. Circles Of 8 by Holland Phillips - 9 spins  (added Sept 6, 2016)
 
Also, programmers played 857 requests during 2016.  The most played requested song was "Imagine" sung by John Lennon.

We are still playing a lot of songs from "legacy" artists, and a couple who may become legacy artists.  (> 50 spins) During 2016 songs by;
The Beatles played 396 times (includes Fab 4 Fridays)
David Bowie - 166 spins (excludes his final new release) **
The Rolling Stones - 159 spins (excludes their new release)
The Eagles - 161 spins **
Bob Dylan - 156 spins
Eric Clapton - 130 spins (excluding his new release)
Tom Petty, with and without The Heartbreakers - 110 spins
Bruce Springsteen - 93 spin
The Doors - 78 spins
Bob Marley (and The Wailers) - 78 spins
Allman Brothers Band - 73 spins
Little Feat - 72 spins
George Harrison - 72 spins (includes Fab 4 Fridays)
Prince - 69 spins **
Fleetwood Mac - 68 spins
Tom Waits - 67 spins
Jackson Browne - 65 spins
The Who - 65 spins
Bonnie Raitt - 63 spins (excluding her new release)
Jason Isbell - 56 spins
** David Bowie & Glenn Frey passed away in Jan 2016, and Prince passed away in April. Impossible to know how much affect this had on the number of spins. Definitely some.

According to Spinitron, KAFM programmers logged 69,746 songs (18 hour live broadcast day). Of this total, 26,703 were designated as "new". During 2016, 38.3% of the music played on KAFM was "new" music from the wall.

If you are interested to check out the stats, log into Spinitron, select Search, click on the down arrow in the Search For box, select Disk Spin Statistics, under the box labeled “Disk” click on the down arrow and select “library” to see an inclusive report encompassing all genres a CD was played under.  If you want stats for the year 2016, make sure to put the right parameters into the box(es) on the bottom lineto the right of where it says “Played”. The search options are picky about spelling.  It does matter what genre you pick to put a CD in, ie: Americana, rock-alt, private (if it doesn't belong to KAFM), etc.  Also The Red Hot Chili Peppers is different in the database from Red Hot Chili Peppers which is different from RHCP. When you log the music you play into Spinitron, and nothing comes up, you have either mispelled something, left something out (such as the word "The" in front of the band name), OR you are the first one to ever play that song from that album (more likely to happen with new music). Distributors, record labels, artists and other radio stations that use Spinitron look at what we play.   







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No doubt 2016 was a terrific year for new music!  We play a broad range of genres here at KAFM. A lot of it passes through the dedicated and diverse members of the Music Bureau, overseen by KAFM's Staff Music Director, Tori Miner.  It is catalogued, reviewed and rated before ultimately finding it's way to our on-air studio. Looking back on 2016, here are some of the Music Bureau's members top picks of 2016.  Up next, Alexa, who hosts KAFM's "Puttin' Down Roots".  Alexa notes that these are not in any particular order.


1   Kaleo | A/B

"...Screams Black Keys/Cage the Elephant/Gary Clark Jr....give these Icelandic-Texan transplants a listen...every song is great for airplay..."

Quick read more or view full article />

#2   Ryan Shupe | We Rode On

"...Mix of adult alternative, rock, reggae and more all infused with a wee bit of bluegrass..."




#3   Kishi Bashi | Sonderlust

"...master of blending pop, classical training and beauty...gorgeous vocals, looping instrumentals that blend so well together and create poppy, fantastic soundscapes..."




#4   Grouplove | Big Mess

"...so much going on, it's like being hugged by a giant-wave of pop backgrounds. Male and female vocals with pretty solid harmonies. ...upbeat, energetic, and creative. Neat instrumentals & arrangements..."




#5   How to Dress Well | Care

"...gorgeous vocals...R&B stylings, pop song structures and swirling melodies...pretty, fun, and soulful tunes scattered all over this record..."




Alexa's Best of 2016 | Honorable Mention:

1. Hayes Carll | Lovers and Leavers
2. Avett Brothers | True Sadness
3. The Wood Brothers | Paradise
4. Bon Iver | 22, A Million
5. Balkan Beat Box | Shout It Out

Keep your radio tuned to KAFM as we continue to present the best in new music and emerging artists for 2017!
 

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No doubt 2016 was a terrific year for new music!  We play a broad range of genres here at KAFM. A lot of it passes through the dedicated and diverse members of the Music Bureau, overseen by KAFM's Staff Music Director, Tori Miner.  It is catalogued, reviewed and rated before ultimately finding it's way to our on-air studio. Looking back on 2016, here are some of the Music Bureau's members top picks of 2016.  And up next, our very own, fantastic Music Director and "Champion of New Music", Tori, who hosts KAFM's "Fresh Tracks".  


#1   Kyle Craft | Dolls of Highland

"...an album full of riveting story songs, glam rock, twang, harmonica, and surprisingly fantastic Quick read more or view full article vocals...Great use of piano and horns on this album..."



#2   Whitney | Light Upon the Lake

"...A few horns here and there, easy going guitar (little bit of slide), great vocals, great lyrics, modern day americana with a bit of indie rock thrown in there. I can't get enough of this album..."




#3   LVL Up | Return to Love

"...Great lo-fi vocals and melodies, full feeling instrumentals, and the mid-tempo driving style of Pavement. I love this. LOVE it..."




#4   Bon Iver | 22, a Million

"...electronic elements, extreme emotions and beautiful/tragic melodies to create his songs...features his GORGEOUS voice, and he uses seemingly-iffy audio quality the same way someone might use an instrument to add layers..."




#5   Flock of Dimes | If You See Me, Say Yes

"...Jenn Wasner has the most feeling, expressive, beautiful voice in Indie rock these days...where she gets to expand more onto her pop-ideals and creative rhythmic habits...it gives me chills..."




 Tori's Best of 2016 | Honorable Mention:

1. Blood Orange | Freetown Sound
2. Marlon Williams | Marlon Williams
3. Carseat Headrest | Teens of Denial
4. Empty Houses | Daydream
5. Andrew Bird | Are You Serious

Keep your radio tuned to KAFM as we continue to present the best in new music and emerging artists for 2017!
 

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Read Less

No doubt 2016 was a terrific year for new music!  We play a broad range of genres here at KAFM. A lot of it passes through the dedicated and diverse members of the Music Bureau, overseen by KAFM's Staff Music Director, Tori Miner.  It is catalogued, reviewed and rated before ultimately finding it's way to our on-air studio. Looking back on 2016, here are some of the Music Bureau's members top picks of 2016.  Next up, The Beat Junky, who hosts KAFM's "The Eclectic Ear".  
Keep your radio tuned to KAFM as we continue to present the best in new music and emerging artists for 2017!

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No doubt 2016 was a terrific year for new music!  We play a broad range of genres here at KAFM. A lot of it passes through the dedicated and diverse members of the Music Bureau, overseen by KAFM's Staff Music Director, Tori Miner.  It is catalogued, reviewed and rated before ultimately finding it's way to our on-air studio. Looking back on 2016, here are some of the Music Bureau's members top picks of 2016.  Next up, Lance, who hosts KAFM's "Radio Rapture".


#1   Rogue Valley | Radiate / Dissolve

"...near perfect fifth release for Mpls. MN quartet.  Band centered indie rock\ pop fusion built around the perfectly pure lead and harmony vocals...featuring ambient western guitar riffs, unexpected Quick read more or view full article melody turns,  background brass chorus, and meticulous yet prudent production..."



#2   The Lumineers | Cleopatra

"...brilliant second effort from Denver folk/rock band...picking up where they left off, with perhaps a bit more polish, it leaves me wondering...what drives this phenomenon...purity and simplicity?...the easy warmth and intensity of the music?...does it matter?" 




#3   Ryan Sheridan | Ryan Sheridan

"...assertive, infectious, high energy roots influenced acoustic centric rock/pop from Irish s/s...Sheridan started on the fiddle at age 7 and at 16 toured the US four years with the 'Riverdance' ensemble, later taking up the guitar and forming bands in Dublin..."




#4   The Bones of J.R. Jones | Spirit’s Furnace

"...uncorrupted, stripped down tracks of rootsy mountain folk and dirty blues incorporating stomp percussion, picked and slide frets occasionally spiced up with additional keys, drums, and bass backing Linaberry's earthy, bobbing and soaring baritone..."




#5  Vaudeville Etiquette | Aura Vista Motel

"...Killer... sophomore release from Seattle quintet...band centered country rock featuring some fantastic paired frets (six string and pedal steel) and terrifically strong, tight and gritty m/f harmony vocals...nice production and tempo mix..."  




Lance's Best of 2016 | Honorable Mention:

1. Nate Currin | The Madman and the Poet
2. Parker Millsap | The Very Last Day
3. Smooth Hound Smith | Sweet Tennessee Honey
4. Skinny Lister | The Devil, The Heart & The Fight
5. Mick Lynch | Aliens, Ghosts and Lovers  

Keep your radio tuned to KAFM as we continue to present the best in new music and emerging artists for 2017!
 

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