New Normal Music was an Internet radio station created by
Tom Leykis
Tom Leykis (pronounced: ; born ) is an American former talk radio personality best known for hosting ''The Tom Leykis Show'' from 1994 to 2009 (nationally syndicated), and April 2012 to 2018 (internet streamcast/podcast). The show follows the ho ...
and Art Webb that began streaming July 1, 2010. Leykis created New Normal Music in protest of radio stations who claim to play "new music" but only play safe market tested music often 10+ years old. "When Red Hot Chili Peppers release a new album, many radio stations refer to it as 'new music'. They were formed in 1983."
The station started off by playing 50,000 songs in a row - none more than 12 months old, mainly
Indie Rock
Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand in the early to mid-1980s. Although the term was originally used to describe rock music released through independent reco ...
. Although songs were repeated and there were regular advertisements for the station itself. The station planned to sell advertising.
Some representative bands featured on the station included
Arcade Fire
Arcade Fire is a Canadian indie rock band from Montreal, Quebec, consisting of husband and wife Win Butler and Régine Chassagne, alongside Richard Reed Parry, Tim Kingsbury, and Jeremy Gara. The band's touring line-up includes former core ...
,
Fitz and the Tantrums,
LCD Soundsystem
LCD Soundsystem is an American Dance-punk#Contemporary dance-punk, dance-punk revival band from Brooklyn, Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2002 by James Murphy (electronic musician), James Murphy, of DFA Records. The band comprises Murphy (vocals ...
,
MGMT
MGMT () is an American rock band formed in 2002 in Middletown, Connecticut. It was founded by singers and multi-instrumentalists Andrew VanWyngarden and Benjamin Goldwasser, Ben Goldwasser.
Originally signed to Cantora Records by the nascent ...
,
Of Montreal
of Montreal is an American indie pop band from Athens, Georgia. It was founded by frontperson Kevin Barnes in 1996, named after a failed romance between Barnes and a woman "of Montreal". The band is identified as part of the Elephant 6 collec ...
and
The Black Keys
The Black Keys are an American Rock music, rock duo formed in Akron, Ohio in 2001. The group consists of Dan Auerbach (guitar, Singing, vocals) and Patrick Carney (Drum kit, drums). The duo began as an Independent music, independent act, record ...
.
New Normal Music's DJs included Webb, former
Sirius XMU
SiriusXMU (formerly XMU, and known as Sirius U on Sirius Canada, although Sirius receivers list it as Sirius XM U) is an indie pop, indie rock, unsigned artist music channel on XM Satellite Radio channel 35 (previously 43).
On November 12, 200 ...
DJ Tobi, former
WFNX/Boston morning man Morning Guy Tai, and Zack Schulz.
The station was part of a greater network of podcasts and music streams Leykis started called ''The New Normal Network''. Other 24-hour music streams from New Normal include New Normal Rock and CHR-formatted Pure Pop Hits.
New Normal Music ceased operations on July 12, 2014. Leykis posted on the site's facebook page "I wanted to thank the thousands of folks around the world who have listened to and spread the word about New Normal Music for four great years. Our program director and co-creator has moved on and without his specific music expertise, it's impossible to continue the format."
References
{{Reflist
External links
New Normal Music website
Internet radio in the United States