Pet Shop Boys Community

... Ken Bruce on BBC Radio 2.

That's twice this week that he's played BWO "Bodies without Organs"

"Save My Pride" at the beginning of the week and then "Sunshine After The Rain" on Thursday.

He's the 00's version of Simon Bates who champions pure, unadulterated electronic pop.

As you may already know, he's a pretty big fan of PSB.

I'm jealous, a bit, of the freedom DJs seem to have in the UK to determine their own playlists, and weirdly become nationally famous there because of what they put on. It's very cool but a very foreign anachronism here.

"Famous breakfast radio DJ", say, is an incomprehensible oxymoron on so many levels here.

National radio markets in the US have long ago morphed into one or two radio monopoly megaliths (Hello Clear Channel!) and their job is to beat to death by replay whatever their record co. subsidiary is pushing, coast to coast, interspersed with blaring idiotic ads. There's not even the pretense of catering to regional audiences, much less a charismatic DJ being allowed to play his tastes. Unheard of!

Which is why I only have "Public Radio" on, mostly jazz and classical. They're the only ones struggling to hold on to play something of quality left in the US. The rest of the airwaves are gobbled up by abrasive, crass, impersonal programming. The mantra of capitalist media consolidation is always, "it will lead to more choice", but in fact the opposite is demonstrably true.

So take heart, you guys in the UK, the Beeb may not be perfect, but it's radio paradise compared to what radio has become in the US- a garish, loud crass bazaar of ads and current schlock, dumbed down to fast-food level and repeated like some sort of torture.

Glad you heard/enjoyed something great from Ken Bruce, RedSock! Sincerely.

I'm a fan of Ken The Bruce and Popmaster. My average score is 23.