WERS 88.9FM

Traveling to Boston. This station was on my radio, love it. Going to stream back home.

One of the great Boston radio stations. Love «Rockers» and other shows.

One of the best radio stations I have ever had the pleasure of listening to on a wretched morning commute. A couple of things I really liked about WERS:
— Very eclectic mix. I could have done without their proclivity for Peter Gabriel and the Talking Heads but hey, they overcame that by introducing me to Blitzen Trapper, Frightened Rabbit, Lissie, Deer Tick, as well as playing some of the artists I already loved such as Bob and Jakob Dylan, The Decemberists, Steve and Justin Townes Earle.
— Independent radio station — no corporate playlists and no commercials
— Run by college kids

Bring back Jazz Oasis

WERS is pretty much the only station that I listen to these days. Not only does it play the most awesomely random songs that I already have on my iTunes, but I hear new songs that I love every week. If I could create the most perfect radio station to listen to all day, I wouldn’t have to because it already exists! :)
PS-​The reggae at night is grooooovy.

Once upon a time, WERS was an innovative radio station that had programs– you could tune in at a set time and actually hear a particular kind of music. In fact, I would divide my day accordingly: there was folk/​acoustic-​rock in the morning (that was Coffeehouse), there was jazz in the afternoon, there was world music in the late afternoon, and there was some other stuff I didn’t listen to at nights. I can honestly say that there were many mornings I would set my alarm clock so that I could hear someone– Rose Polenzani, Ellis Paul, etc. — play Coffeehouse.
Then, a short while ago, the programs were wiped away (at least on weekdays) and the station became one big blur. The saddest part to me about the death of the program is that you never, ever hear jazz or world on WERS anymore. You don’t even hear the interesting, indie, local folk-​ish music anymore.
instead, «daytime programming» (as they call it) is one big blur of Death Cab, David Gray, and Regina Spektor. It’s not that I don’t like Death Cab, David Gray, and Regina Spektor — they are absolutely fine (though I think WERS really has lost its commitment to playing lesser-​known artists). It’s that I don’t want to hear them all day, every day.
The irony, the real irony, is that all of this homogenization happened under their new motto «music for the independent mind.» I can’t help but think that this new version of WERS feels a lot less, well, independent, than the older version.
There are two saving graces, two things to be happy about:
1) Secret Spot lives on. Secret Spot is the only reason I continue to tune into WERS. Sat and Sun nights– R&B and classic soul. Where else can you hear Issac Hayes, The Pointer Sisters, Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, and Al Green *commercial free*?!
2) They are really good about updating their playlists. You will never have to wonder what that really cool song you just heard was. If you wait 5 minutes, you can find out online.

Since moving back to the Boston area, I’ve re-​connected with WERS. While your station is decent independent radio, I found that I was spoiled back in Denver by Boulder-​based Radio 1190 (KCUV).
I urge you to check out (
— KCUV) their playlist and explore more of the independent and ‘edgier’ tunes you’ll find on there.
WERS’ daytime sound is too sanitized and mainstream; it’s not getting out there. The weekends, I find, are particularly disappointing. A cappella’s alright, but two days in a row? And two solid hours of Reggae five nights a week on a «college» station in primetime? Oi.
I’m not saying everything’s wrong with ERS. But there’s too much Norah Jones, Grateful Dead, Elvis Costello, U2, Stones, Beatles, Pearl Jam other bands that you can hear anywhere else on the dial.
These decidedly commercial offerings obscure rather than uplift independent notes like Devotchka or Neko Case. Too much relegating hip-​hop to the wee hours of the night (god forbid we listened to beats while commuting) and not enough punk, post-​punk, garage, and other dirty off-​beat rock & roll. WERS is better than 99% of the commercial crap on the FM dial.
But it’s not doing nearly enough to promote local bands or get independent sounds on the airwaves.

WERS used to be a great station. They had a bunch of diverse and cool shows like the Coffee House, Gyroscope, Revolutions and Jazz Oasis. Then they decided to change things and have a «play everything» format… which really means, no more good folk, no more good jazz, and very little good electronic music.
As Ipod-​emulation formatting of FM stations continues to sweep the nation, it is up to quality, unconventional stations like WERS to hold the line. It really doesn’t matter what the «random» songs in a random play list are, your new «music for the independent mind» proclamation smacks of desperation. Instead of «joining the pack» of misguided, impulsive commercial radio stations, WERS should continue to bring strong, sensible, quality shows to the airwaves.
WERS lost its edge and has become one step better than commercial radio… which is SAD considering how great it once was. Boston radio lost a shining beacon at the front of the dial — and I don’t see it changing any time soon.

Tell me another radio station that you can here Bob Dylan, Ulrich Schnauss, Meg Hutchinson, Antje Duvekot, the Eagles, and Jon Vanderslice in the same hour. And as for the Dylan and the Eagles tracks, I am talking B-​sides baby, yes you get the occasional mainstream hit, but over all they flip it. You find me that station, and make sure it has NO COMMERCIALS, and traffic, weather, and news updates on an hour/​half hour basis; and maybe, MAYBE I will think about changing the dial. Until then I am (as ALL reggae Dj’s say; seriously all of them I have no idea why either, if you can answer that for me you will be my hero of the day) keepin’ it locked to 88.9FM!
You know what else you can find for me. Any other Dj’s on FM that know who Ulrich Schnauss is.

Does anyone else find it sublimely hilarious that the only really negative review for 88.9 comes from an orange head and hinges on the hip-​hop show’s lack of «Grime» coverage… a review written in 2008 complaining that «dagnabit, this station really slacks when it comes to covering 2003’s hipster-​hop du jour!»
Methinks a backpacker’s got his straps in a twist and can’t take the excellence that is 88.9 at Night. Come on now, Tom Breihan and Pitchfork hitched their hipster-​hop bandwagon to NY and mainstream rappers like two years ago. In the words of PMD, isn’t it time to get off the Grimewagon? And last I checked the local hip-​hop coverage was superb.

I was a DJ here for one month over Christmas vacation in grad school. I got the inside scoop, yo. This station is competely professional and well put together. The people that work for WERS know music and are passionate about it. Check out the A-​capella show on the weekends. Put the station on while you work at your office. Hardly any commercials, pleasant DJ’s, and news on the hour in the evenings.
Recently, I won tickets to a kick-​ass concert event at the Museum of Science Planetarium — Juliana Hatfield and Sarah Borges. The same day there was a live on-​air performance by Bön Iver (soooo good).
Despite my love and fuzzy feelings for WERS, I called in with a complaint last week. One of their DJ’s, a woman with a British accent, none the less, said David Bowie’s name wrong. Twice. She pronounced it «BOW-​ee,» bow like bow-​wow-​wow says the doggie. I found that to be inexusable, but then, that may just be me.

I LOVE WERS! I have found so many different artists by listening to this station! Cat Power, Bön Iver… love it!
I’m also a sucker for the playground… where else can you hear songs from «The Newsies» on the radio???

The only radio station that makes me miss having a radio.
If you have an open mind for music and a sense of humor, you will love WERS.
If you only listen to one genre of music and everything you don’t understand offends you, you will hate WERS.

Sometimes I think, «Where would I be without WERS?» and then I realize — I’d be sick of my Ipod and would have an even greater hatred for all the greedy, boring, and unoriginal radio stations in Boston.
I first tuned in because several years ago it was REALLY folky, and easy to wake up to. Eventually things improved to more alternative tunes, and I listened more on my commute, since there is NO TALK in the morning, save the news. And ooooh boy, does talk radio make me want to tear the head unit out of my car and leave it on the side of the road. God dammit, who on EARTH wants to listen to people forcibly laughing hysterically all morning (proven recipe at end of review)?
Anyway, WERS has gone through many changes over the past several years. Today, they’ve really shaped up into an amazing station — playing a ton of new music, alot of recent music, tones of local and independant artists, and occasionally they slip in some old stuff that. I don’t, but alot of people probably like. Thankfully, gone are the days where Neil Young (my audible nemisis) was played everytime I turned on the radio.
The news and traffic, every half hour during commuting times, is relevant, quick, and to the point. No BS, and they always mention MBTA status (which is seemingly more accurate than what the MBTA itself reports online).
The daytime radio is great, and occasionally I’ll dig Rockers, the reggae slice at dinner time. After that is real hip-​hop, but that’s TV time, not radio time.
And to those who complain about the twice annual fund raiser. are you nuts? Have you noticed there are no commercials? Just the occasional support/​underwriting from a company. Independant radio! Its a phenomenal idea. By them raising money from the listeners, they are not reliant on the music industry or any other stupidity for funding. Sure, its not what you want to hear at 6am, but if they don’t get this money, they cannot transmit the signal or keep their equipment running. Its life. Ever see a fundraiser on PBS? Same thing.
Oh — and their online streaming? TOP NOTCH. Hard to find such a quality stream! Again a result of contributions.
Here’s the recipe WERS does not follow (thank goodness):
1 or 2 idiotic, loudmouthed jackasses
1 dumbass female who’s job is to laugh alot
1 occasional news person who attempts to chime in to the rest of the idiotic banter.
1 pinch of music, which you heard last hour — and you’ll hear in the next hour
6 heaping piles of ripe, stinking, awful, and irritating commecials
** stir all the above together early in the morning. Make the world dumber.

The only real radio station in Boston Mon thru Fri. I can listen to it for hours without ever getting the urge to grab the radio, pick it up and whip it against the wall.
I can do without some of the weekend programming though, I’m not much of a Broadway/​Accapella guy but The Playground is a riot.

Very good radio, but the random (and weird and unwelcome) motown blues and neo-​country requires a 1 star deduction. It also makes me cry every day when they start playing reggae at 7:00p. I mean, I like reggae, but… I’d much rather hear the new Portishead (YES!!!).
Also, what’s with the ridiculously bad programming on weekends? It hurts, y’all! It’s painful!

Good college radio. There is plenty of variety. There are shows that I love, shows that i loathe, shows that I listen to despite my embarassment (the hour of show tunes on the weekend). But that’s what makes college radio great. Sounds like they actually let the students run the show as they please, which is not the case with all college radio, sadly. It may not always work, but it’s what, I think, is supposed to happen when students are given freedom with their radio station.

I hate a capella music. I think it’s stupid, white people crap. But I listen to it on WERS, and I can’t stop. When I listen to regular music now, all I can imagine is what the song would sound like as a capella. I think, «which one would I be?» and usually decide I’d be the stupid high hat guy, going «Ch ch ch ch ch» while the guy with the good voice does JT’s part. Oh well, I guess I’m a stupid white person.

Ok, I’ve only recently started tuning into this station, but it seems pretty fresh.
Every time I tune in there is something different. Reggae, A Capella, Hip Hop, etc. I like it. Variety is the seasoning of existence, or something like that.
revisit-​I tuned in Sunday and heard «Psycho The Musical». Hilarious!

–dims lights, blurs face–
I have a secret. On Sunday mornings, I turn on Emerson College Radio and listen blissfully as Standing Room Only segues in to All A Cappella.
Pour your coffee/tea/sheep’s blood and just try to shake that awestruck, childlike grin you get from hearing the MIT Logarhythms belt out Feel Good Inc. sans instrumentation. Go ahead, you can’t.
Format through the week airs the eclectic mix others have mentioned, but please PLEASE tune in this Sunday afternoon. Your soul will thank you.
–cuts camera–