Indie 103.1: A postscript from Mr. Shovel
Kevin Bronson on
8
[I was checking out the digital Indie’s stream just now and an Editors song dropped out right in the middle, a cumbia song started playing for about 30 seconds, then the stream cut back to a Shins song …]
[And LA Weekly’s blog has a statement from Steve Jones here.]
Mark Sovel, aka Mr. Shovel, just posted the following note on his MySpace page:
I really appreciate ”‹all of the texts”‹,”‹ e-mails,”‹ phone calls,”‹ messages etc. today ”‹from friends and people who are sad/”‹angry”‹ and/or confused about”‹ the loss of Indie 103.1.
It is sad for the city of Los Angel”‹es and I wish we could”‹ have preve”‹nted this from happe”‹ning.”‹ It was extremely difficult see Indie come to an end at 103.1 and are honored to have been a part of the community this past five years.
I just wanted to answe”‹r a coupl”‹e of recurring quest”‹ions,”‹ and my text thumb”‹ was getti”‹ng sore.
1) No it wasn’”‹t a total”‹ surprise.
2) None of the staff”‹ of Indie”‹ 103.”‹1 decid”‹ed to stop broad”‹casti”‹ng on the radio”‹. This decis”‹ion was not ours to make.”‹ They are runni”‹ng old “”‹Indie”‹””‹ songs”‹ throu”‹gh tomor”‹row,”‹ and then it will switc”‹h to anoth”‹er forma”‹t.”‹ (”‹It’”‹s stran”‹ge to hear them playi”‹ng The Sex Pisto”‹ls and Black”‹ Flag on the day they fired”‹ Steve”‹ Jones”‹ and Henry”‹ Rollins,”‹ but maybe”‹ that’”‹s just me).
3) The web strea”‹m that is runni”‹ng is using”‹ the music”‹ that we left in their”‹ syste”‹m but there”‹ will be no DJs and the entir”‹e staff”‹ was laid off today”‹ excep”‹t one perso”‹n to run their”‹ web-”‹strea”‹m.
We wish our forme”‹r emplo”‹yers and colle”‹agues”‹ well and are grate”‹ful for the chanc”‹e to get to say thank”‹ you and goodb”‹ye this morni”‹ng on the air. Every”‹one one of us are sad for the city,”‹ but thank”‹ful for all the peopl”‹e we have worke”‹d with and have met along”‹ the way. Surel”‹y you will see the heart”‹ and soul of Indie”‹ again”‹ in anoth”‹er manif”‹estat”‹ion.
Personally, ”‹ I look forwa”‹rd to a coupl”‹e days of rest and then on to the task ahead”‹.”‹.”‹.”‹.
Thank”‹ you again”‹ for your suppo”‹rt and conce”‹rn.
I’ll see you aroun”‹d – Just like alway”‹s.
Mr Shove”‹l
The only thing I can think of is to look at this as an opportunity to scrap the parts that weren’t working–namely, the less-nimble, higher-overhead, bound-by-bureaucracy parts–and find a lighter, leaner, even more kickass way to keep championing independent music.
Lucindamichele,
That’s a fancy way to say iPod.
Kevin- I don’t really type THAT bad.
See you on your show at 10am on littleradio.com (An internet radiostation with dj’s and people)
I’m a little confused and sadden by everything here. In a music town like LA, we can’t even keep a station like Indie 103.1. It’s beyond me why they’re ‘spinning’ this instead of being legit about Indie’s departure from the airwaves: The message on the official website sounds phoney and a good NUMBER OF PEOPLE LOST THEIR DAMN JOBS YESTERDAY.
Of course, people will move on but man it’s so frustrating that it was so abrupt. Nobody really got to say goodbye.
This blows so hard. Jonsey was the last great DJ on terrestial radio…and Indie introduced me to so great new bands. Fuck KROQ and just about every other radio station and fuck coorporate cocksuckers who made this happen. Guess I gotta go back to buying CDs so I can have something to listen to in my car…if I can find a place that sells CDs. Crap.
I’m gonna miss you guys…I’m especially gonna miss all those Jonsey’s Jukebox Jurys when Patton Oswalt was on and no music ever got played because everybody was laughing the entire show. R.I.P
Mark,
This devastates me and my friends, but I did listen to you more on the internet these days (except in the morning on the way to class). Thank you for not only for what you did for Los Angeles (and my Orange County).
I also have to thank you as an artist for the following reasons:
You and Jonesy played our “The Universe Is Expanding” when not many other stations did because we were our own label and did not have a promoter, a team, or even a clue once we got out of the studio. You don’t even know how happy that made us.
You ignited an indie rock passion that launched a side project and you so graciously gave that “band” airtime on a local show. You did it because you cared about music and not promo people and gifts. I was just a dude who sent in a CDR who poured his musical heart out into a laptop. I listened to you play it in a parking lot after a hard day. You’ll never know what that meant to me.
You played music that let us know that there were similar animals to us in the music zoo. That validation was hometown fuel to be who we are.
We see your station and efforts as critical. We would put you right next to the old WDRE that half the band grew up on so way back when – just legendary and so is Indie 103.
Thanks. If your online station needs volunteers for anything, put the call out. You’ll be amazed at how many takers you’ll have in this place, us included.
Good luck! Don’t take down that webstream or we’ll move!
Dear Mark Sovel,
It’s really sad that so many good bands won’t be played on the radio because Indie 103.1 is gone. I enjoyed the humor and music on Jonesy’s Jukebox. That show will be missed by millions of people.
All of my favorite bands such as Death Cab for Cutie , The Decemberists
and Arcade Fire I heard first on Indie.
All the best in the future,
Devin
Mark –
As tough as we (I) know this is, take consolation/pride in knowing the HUGE impact
and direct hand you had in making Indie 103.1 sound so frickin’ amazing!!!
But yeah – we’re in the 2nd biggest market in the country – yet our town can’t sustain a radio station that doesn’t suck ass through a straw?
Pardon my French, but – go punch any other frequency on the FM dial
and prove me wrong.
On a personal level, I’m getting the notes and messages too…
People are acting like their best friend just died…It’s hard to even know what to say.
It was a pleasure working with you, man. Thank you for everything!
Paul V.
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