Triple J

Some of you were privy to the agonizing 349-song challenge caused by my admittedly-sorry 2GB iPod. So far, I’ve been immensely pleased with my selections, but ultimately, the strife was somewhat undue. Because Australia is home to Triple J, Champion of all Radio Stations.

Triple J is publicly-funded, nationally broadcast, and basically what my iPod dreams of being. The closest Canadian comparison would be CBC3. Plenty of music, no commercials, Triple J is everything good.
And they love – love! – Canadian music here. (I feel slightly guilty that I’ve never heard of the vast majority of Australian bands).

I also appreciate that they don’t censor any of the songs; it does, however, crack me up that they provide a “This song contains coarse language” warning. Especially before Lily Allen’s new and very catchy single, which if you’ve heard censored is simply ridiculous.
[She’s huuuge here. I’d heard of her before, but is this something I missed?]

***

Triple J also presents a concert/gig series, which they broadcast live. A few weeks ago, I was listening to a re-broadcast of The Fleet Foxes, when it suddenly occurred to me why “Triple J” had been so familiar a name when I first arrived.
About 4 or 5 years ago, a friend gave me a copy of a live recording of Belle & Sebastian... done by Triple J.
As I pictured the CD in my mind, I realized it was “Live at The Espy,” which at the time had meant nothing, but is this amazing bar/music venue in St. Kilda that I went to my 2nd day in Melbourne and have been to a few times since.

Kind of a surreal thing, as I’d listened to that CD so many times driving back and forth to Halifax, only to be standing there a few years later on the other side of the world.