Scrupulous Ears Intimate with Providential Eyes,

My appreciation of radio, over the last 6 months, has grown to a state that can probably only be described as over-zealous. I started out as a Mark and Lard fan, loving their limited free choices as much as their comedic capers, and since then I’ve searched out more alternative music. At first, the birth of 6music quenched this thirst, but with the changes in the direction at the station, I’ve had to also find other quality radio shows to listen to. In the last year, with all the stude-ing I’ve rigorously had to carry out, I’ve come to rely upon the radio, but unfortunately I’ve grown militant in my dedication to the this assortment of shows, and now not only of music shows but also the delights of Radio 4 and BBC7. Listen Again only fuels this addiction, as a result, I have little time to listen to all the CDs my favourite shows goad me to buy; it’s a Catch-22 situation.

I obviously listen to Mark Radcliffe’s and Marc Riley’s new shows, a few weeks ago, an assortment of esteemed listeners to the Mark Radcliffe Show observed that regular guest, Noddy Holder’s TV programme reviews were somewhat extraneous to a radio programme. As a compromise, the jovial Noddy conducted a radio review; in my estimation, it wasn’t greatly enjoyable or enlightening – no really interesting documentaries or fun comedies were brought to my attention and they never even discussed any of the BBC’s top music shows.

I loyally listen to every episode of the Mark Radcliffe Show on Radio Double One, it’s a brilliant show even if it is confined to a station that strives to cater for all, but ultimately delights and angers people in equal measures with its schizophrenic scheduling. They do weird things over at Radio Double One, for example, a random week of broadcasting from Aberdeen was one of the highlighted events from last year and they bring in random and ostensibly unsuitable celebrities to host shows regularly. The other Radio Double One show that I listen religiously to, mostly via Lishen Again, is Mark Lamarr’s Friday/Saturday Show, he throws out some amazing records. I usually like radio shows that play music that I want to buy but I know it’d be impossible to find some of the rarities featured given that I was looked at as thought I was stupid and shooed out of Avalanche Records, a high quality independent record store, when I asked for the Rainbow EP by Rainbow Family.

Rainbow Family are a Scottish duo whose single I Can See a Rainbow was the one of the Blue Room’s tunes for May, the tune is simple, derivative and unoriginal but I like it. The Blue Room is locked away in the early hours of the weekend, it’s perfect for those who are up too late or are awake too early, but of course, it’s probably a show more suited to Listen Again and that’s what I unfailingly do. Radio 1 have classified the show as “Dance” on their website, however in reality they just play anything – indie, dub, dance, folk - almost in the style of John Peel, but the tunes are usually more relaxed, low-key and chilling. Late night Radio 1 is now filled with loudmouths who bark things like “ripe for da remix” even after the most delicate and heart-warming acoustic folk tunes and “beats for jeeps and even for the peeps who don’t have jeeps” but amongst the chaos, Rob da Bank’s other show – the Thursday OneMusic show – shines and is part of my mandatory Listen Again schedule. This show is much more upbeat than the Blue Room but again, their playlist is almost as wide-ranging as the kind that was on the John Peel show.

I like listening to Vic Galloway on Radio Scotland, he plays the best new music and as expected he gives exposure to Scottish artists. My CDs arranged into two categories; Scottish and other; although I like bands from all over the world – maybe the Australians struggle a bit – I’ve always thought that Scotland produced the best artists and those Scottish bands deserve more exposure. Vic also gives Scottish acts more airtime when he sometimes deputises for Rob da Bank on Thursdays. Oddly though, I’ve never liked Vic’s Radio 1 In the Nations show, I’m always disappointed that it never differs greatly from the standard UK fair and the show really doesn’t highlight Scottish music to the extent promised.

On Radio Scotland, in the afternoon, is Tom Morton. I first started listening to Tom, the Monday after the Biggest Show ended; I was twisting the dial until I found a song I liked when I heard a Sleepy Jackson album track and I decided that this would be my new FM afternoon radio show. Tom is a musician himself and he also writes the legendary The Broons and Oor Wullie cartoons for the Sunday Post. He broadcasts most of his shows from his home on the Shetland Islands, and occasionally from the BBC studios in Aberdeen, so he always has an interesting tales to tell about that wonderful part of the world.

In the afternoons, I often find myself flicking between Tom Morton and Vic McGlynn on 6music. Vic’s shows are packed with competitions and features and her 3 freeplays each day are invariably the freshest tracks to feature on 6music each day. Vic seems to have a penchant for tunes that are different and a bit quirky, and, like myself, tends to veer away from bog-standard 3 or 4 piece bands.

On Sundays, at 6music, Andrew Collins conducts another brilliant show; he has a great rapport with the audience who send in reviews of TV, radio, gigs and books. Comedian Richard Herring helps Andrew carry out a paper review that’s always funny. The other main part of the show is a feature called "Sunday Best", where the public vote for the best of a particular category, and I’m strangely absorbed by what the public say the best breed of dog is or the best holiday destination is when I really shouldn’t care.

Other shows that I enjoy listening to are those of Phill Jupitus, Liz Kershaw and Gideon Coe. Stuart Maconie’s Freakzone is also a fine show.