XM: how do you listen? and to what?

When I'm sitting at home in the morning, drinking coffee, playing cards online, whatever, I usually put it either on XMU or the real jazz station and keep it there.

In the car on long trips, I tend to surf a little bit more.

My presets (I've only set preset A)
Boneyard
80s
ESPN radio
X-Country
The Rhyme
The Joint
The Mix
XMU
Big Tracks
Ethel

***
Jackie, why do you say Sirius is so much better in terms of music? I got XM because I wanted the ACC, MLB and golf versus SEC and the NFL on Sirius. I haven't been disappointed at all in the musical selection on XM's commercial-free stations.

 

My MyFi resides mainly in my home these days, very little commuting. Katrina ate up my remote, so it stays on either Fred or CNN most of the time. Occasionally, I'll listen to Ethel or Lucy, but I don't surf much anymore.

 

I have been using my record mode a lot more on my Mofo. You can put 5 hours of music on it and it will play anywhere. You don't have to worry about reception then. Have also been using the function that allows you to project music from MYfi to local fm station on stereo .

From everything I've read reception is still issue on newer models so I am waiting for better technology

 

I tend to surf a bunch, even though I've had it for a few years.

I start at the 60's, and work my way up to No. 30. Then I scan 45-54. If there's nothing there, I'll usually switch to ESPN, where there used to be solid stuff all the way to 6 p.m., but not anymore. They pulled Kuselias to NASCAR stuff on TV, and the 3-6 p.m. slot ain't what it used to be.

If it's baseball season, all that gets trumped at least for a few minutes to listen to the Royals game... and if they're playing at home, I listen to the dulcid tones of Denny Mathews no matter what.

If all else fails, there's 150, the comedy station. Fan-freaking-tastic.

 

I was an XM subscriber for more than 4 years, almost from the very beginning, before switching last summer.
I guess it comes down to personal taste.
I simply was never hearing music by my favorite bands, nor was I discovering new artists that I would come to enjoy.
I'm a big college/indie rock fan, so I naturally steered toward XMU, but was greatly disappointed, for the reasons I just listed.
I can turn on Sirius' Left of Center (college/indie channel) and not have to change the channel for an hour.
Also, I enjoy what's loosely called alternative country, and I found X Country's nonstop playing of Texas singer-songwriters to be tiresome.
Sirius' Outlaw Country isn't perfect, but is a definite upgrade.
Sirius' First Wave (80s alt) is much better than Fred, Alt Nation is much better than Ethel. It's just across the board better, IMO.
Like I said, it comes down to personal taste.
I have even come to enjoy Howard Stern's programming (Bubba The Love Sponge moreso than Howard himself).

The only drawback was losing the MLB package. It will be interesting to see what happens with programming should the two merge, as has been rumored.

 

I have become so addicted to the World Music channel, stumbled upon it around Christmas, some of the most amazing music I have ever heard is coming from Northern and Western Africa

 

BONE ME!!!

I'm usually between that station, The Rhyme (old-school rap) and the 80s.

I haven't even bought an iPod yet because I can listen to XM in my car as well as on my laptop.

 

Jackie, good post. I like golf too much to give up XM ... and my ACC sports. I dunno. When I put it on XMU in the mornings, I can listen for about three hours and hear maybe three or four artists that I know. I kind of feel like I'm always in discovery mode on that station. That's enough for me.

 

I'm in a different demographic than most of the folks around here. I got XM for Xmas and only with my commute was longer.

My surfing includes

60's and 70's

Country stuff, particularly X country

Frank's Place (73)--Jazz vocalists like Sinatra, Fitzgerald

Other jazz, r&B and soul channels.

Channel 28 Broadway Show tunes aka my gay side.

Usually have the classical channels on at work online.

204--Hockey shit

 

I mainly bounce between XM Comedy, ESPN Radio, the 80's Channel, Suite 62 and XM Hitlist.

 

I listen online. Like 80s, Big Tracks, Deep Tracks, Boneyard and Bluesville. Also check out Frank's Place and the jazz stations.

 

When in the car: I surf, usually hitting 44 (Fred), 45 (XM Cafe), 47 (Ethel), 50 (The Loft), 75 (Hear Music/Starbucks), 77 (Audio Visions), 84 (XM Chill) and 164 (XM Classics), with occasional dalliances into 70-72 (Real Jazz, Watercolors and Beyond Jazz) when in the proper mood.

When on the computer: Since I can see all the songs being played at the same time on the player, I'll bounce back and forth a lot. When I'm working and don't feel like flipping, I usually stay on 70, 75, 84, add 8 and 9 (respective decades) to the mix, and spend a lot of time on AOL's Late Night Mix channel (XM online has 10 AOL-programmed channels). It's a surprisingly good, if somewhat short, mix of rap, trance/chill and rock that fits the spirit (Never Tear You Apart by INXS, one of my all-time faves, gets a lot of play).