Live from the Beehive

Don't get us wrong, we play a lot of Indie rock. It's not that we've given up on classic rock, that we don't seriously crave Akon at a dance party, or that, if we could, we'd rank JT at number one last year, but at WIUX we have a mission statement that we love to adhere to. \nUnderrepresented artists and local music take priority here. Whether it's Phyllis Chen's classical show, "Toad's Wart," Paul Hoff's Monday night, "Metal for the Masses," or Tony Cak's eclectic, "Electro-ambient Soul Music," WIUX DJs strive to expose listeners to new music while, as trite as it sounds, "giving a voice to the voiceless."\nThis column documents our passion for pretension, but invites you to indulge with us. There's another side of the Bloomington music scene than you may be familiar with. Check back here every week for show updates, leaked tracks, DJ profiles and a spin on music (pun intended) that might be new for you (rhyme un-intended). \nLike John Cusack's character in "High-Fidelity," we can list all day. In fact, each week, this column will be accompanied by the top five most-played songs at the station, top five album additions to the WIUX studio, and five recommended downloads keeping you on top of music like American Apparel on a hipster. \nIn 40 years of broadcasting, WIUX has gone from a Top 40 carrier-current station to an entirely independent and locally-focused, full functioning, 24-hour FM station. We've carved ourselves a niche along with college stations across the county. \nYet there's something we have that not every college can boast. Bloomington is home to two internationally recognized record labels, an assortment of inviting local venues and well-equipped record stores that understand the importance of Bloomington music. (Don't worry, we'll go into more detail later.)\nSo please, check out our tracks and let us know what you think. Music is only as good as its listeners and our ears are as open as our flapping mouths. Drop us an e-mail with your opinions, your tastes, and your suggestions for topics you'd like to know more about. Until then, see you next week!