Welcome To Dynamic Range Radio

Dynamic Range Radio is an eclectic internet radio station playing a wide mix of uncompressed, commercial-free music 24/7. Broadcasting from Vancouver, Canada, Dynamic Range Radio is committed to the idea of radio as an art form, offering carefully-crafted sets built around themes while focusing on smooth segues and sound quality. The station is listener-supported, so if you like what you hear please consider making a donation or buying something from one of my Amazon links to help cover the bills and keep the music playing.

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Thanks for visiting the site, and I hope you enjoy the music.

Dynamic Range Radio
No Compression. No Limits.

Spread The Word

I want to stress how important it is for listeners to recommend this station to your friends if you like what you hear. Word of mouth is the best kind of advertising, and one of the few I can afford. So you can help by becoming a fan of Dynamic Range Radio's Facebook page or a friend on Last.FM, and if you have a blog, a link would be greatly appreciated, as would recommendations posted in forums on other websites.

Dynamic Range Radio on Facebook

And if there any graphic arts wizards out there who'd like to volunteer their time, I could use some help designing banners for linking purposes as well as flyers people could print and post in their communities.

Dynammy Award Winners 2009

I've been laid up for the past week with an injured elbow and too much computer use will only aggravate the problem, so I'll keep this short.

After much consideration, I can't possibly choose just one winner in any of these categories, so consider them all winners.

Sorry for the anti-climax, but there really wasn't a single song or album that stood out this year. Some were more emotionally satisfying, some were more fun, some had better dynamics, but when I put it all together it was impossible to narrow it down any further. I recommend each and every one of these songs and albums whole-heartedly and let's leave it at that.

Here's the complete list of nominees winners for anyone who may have have missed it the first time.

Song Of The Year

The Airborne Toxic Event - Innocence

Animal Collective - Summertime Clothes

The Avett Brothers - I And Love And You

Dido - Us 2 Little Gods

Editors - Bricks And Mortar

Florence And The Machine - Dog Days Are Over

Great Lake Swimmers - Pulling On A Line

Handsome Furs - All We Want, Baby, Is Everything

Monsters Of Folk - Ahead Of The Curve

Muse - Undisclosed Desires

Joel Plaskett - Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'

One Hundred Dollars - Nothin's Alright

Rae Spoon - I'll Be A Ghost For You

School Of Seven Bells - Half Asleep

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Zero

Album Of The Year

The Airborne Toxic Event - The Airborne Toxic Event

The Avett Brothers - I And Love And You

Depeche Mode - Sounds Of The Universe

Handsome Furs - Face Control

Monsters Of Folk - Monsters Of Folk

Best Sound Quality

Depeche Mode - Sounds Of The Universe

One Hundred Dollars - Forest Of Tears

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz

Dynamic Range Radio's Top 100 Artists of 2009 (part 2)

Continuing the year-end recap that started last week, here are the top 50 artists on Dynamic Range Radio in 2009 based on airplay.

1. Bloc Party [+1]
2. Led Zeppelin [+2]
3. The Beatles [-2]
4. Big Country [-2]
5. Steve Earle [no change]
6. Big Sugar [-2]
7. U2 [+11]
8. Eurythmics [+5]
9. The Smithereens [+8]
10. TV On The Radio [+26]
11. Sinead O'Connor [+1]
12. Bob Marley [+2]
13. Wilco [+8]
14. Bob Dylan [+1]
15. The Pogues [-6]
16. My Morning Jacket [+6]
17. The White Stripes [-11]
18. The Tragically Hip [-10]
19. Kings Of Leon [-9]
20. Yeah Yeah Yeahs [+69]
21. Depeche Mode [+111]
22. The Clash [-2]
23. Yo La Tengo [-12]
24. AC/DC [-8]
25. Bruce Springsteen [-6]
26. Old 97's [+18]
27. Goldfrapp [+3]
28. Chris Isaak [-3]
29. Crowded House [no change]
30. Bat For Lashes [+27]
31. Everclear [-8]
32. Against Me! [+10]
33. Supergrass [+41]
34. The Rolling Stones [+1]
35. Iron & Wine [-1]
36. Ron Sexsmith [+34]
37. Aerosmith [+21]
38. Radiohead [+24]
39. Yazoo [-6]
40. Sons And Daughters [-12]
41. Blur [no change]
42. Santogold [+82]
43. Dire Straits [-11]
44. The Smashing Pumpkins [-13]
45. The Skids [-19]
46. XTC [+68]
47. R.E.M. [-8]
48. ...Trail Of Dead [-24]
49. Beck [-22]
50. Pure [-10]

Bloc Party claimed the #1 spot on the charts last year thanks to their latest album Intimacy which was released in late 2008 and spent a significant part of 2009 in heavy rotation. Throw in all the outstanding tracks from their two previous albums and it's no surprise at all to see Bloc Party at the top of the charts.

The next three bands on the list also come from the UK, and even though I'm one of the few DJs who would mention Big Country in the same breath as Led Zeppelin or the Beatles, all three bands are perennial favourites of mine and will probably remain at or near the top of the charts for a long time to come.

Steve Earle prevents the UK from sweeping the top 5, while Big Sugar is the highest charting Canadian band at #6. Other homegrown acts making the cut were The Tragically Hip (#18), Ron Sexsmith (#36), and Vancouver's own Pure who clung to a spot in the top 50.

The biggest jumps were made by Depeche Mode, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Santogold, and Supergrass, all of whom had albums in heavy rotation for at least part of 2009.

Among older bands, XTC had the biggest jump, climbing 68 spots to crack the top 50 for the first time. I'd always liked the band's better known singles, but 2009 was the year when I dug deep into their catalogue and came to appreciate many more of their songs, and also the consistently outstanding sound quality of their albums.

Looking ahead to 2010, I'd say that the band most in danger of falling out of the top 50 is ... And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead. Their last album, Century Of Self, was a disappointment, both artistically and sonically, so they'll have to rebound if they want to start climbing instead of dropping.

Another band to watch for in 2010 is the Avett Brothers who might crack the top 50 on the strength of their debut album, I And Love And You.

To view the bottom half of the top 100 click here, and then come back next week for the announcement of the 2009 Dynammy Award nominees.