WOXY.com - Truly, the future of Rock & Roll

Over the past twenty years musicians and fans around the world have witnessed a slow and heavy fragmentation of the music industry.

The decade and direct causes that set the fragmentation into motion can be disputed, depending on which music camp you favor. Two early catalysts remain at the forefront of the debate, though, even today. The rise of the pop marketing machine and the corporate labels that began closing their doors on musicians who did not fit into a marketable mold, led to a substantial loss in the cultivation of talent and originality. The fragmentation was felt by all, but understood by few. Some chose to deal with it as a phase and pulled out all their old Zepplin albums, some did not care, and some fell in love with the pop star. Others sought refuge and solutions in the quietly flourishing independent sub-culture of the music industry. No matter what side of the fence you chose, for those who cared, the question loomed: what was the future of Rock & Roll?

In September of 1983 a pair of independent thinking entrepreneurs, Doug and Linda Balogh, purchased Oxford radio station, WOXY 97.7 FM for $375,000. Their idea was to take the station's struggling Top 40 format and try something completely different. Deciding to bring listeners the best in independent Rock & Roll with an added human touch, they tagged the station "The Future of Rock & Roll," and WOXY was born.

Twenty-five years later...  the independent spirit of the Cincinnati based internet radio station is not only intact, but has become a pillar for the independent music industry. The station is facilitating viable solutions to the threats that the music industry has faced over recent years by simply providing a human touch.

"There is no substitute for a human connection." Says WOXY General Manager, Bryan Jay Miller. "You can hear this in the day to day broadcast of the station. The music you hear on WOXY is brought to you by real music experts, not algorithms that calculate what music you want to hear based on what websites you visit, your age, or location. Our philosophy is to keep human interaction in radio and on the web. We want to bring back the popularity of the DJ." Adds Miller. "The DJs' actually work at WOXY. They are not just talking heads."

Independent rock labels like Sup-Pop, Touch n’ Go, and Merge Records are finding great success in the digital music age. By sticking to the independent philosophy these labels can take the time to cultivate relationships with the bands, maintain diversity, and utilize the internet to gain priceless exposure.

"It’s surprising to me at this point in the industry that musicians would still consider getting signed to a major label the ‘gold medal’. Unless you’re Nickleback and can fill a stadium, there is nothing a corporate label can do for you that an independent label can’t do and will probably do much better," says Shiv, DJ & Music Director at WOXY.COM.

While WOXY is not alone in its independent approach to Rock & Roll, there are elements at WOXY that don’t exist elsewhere. "We don’t follow industry standards at all!" explains Shiv. "Music is a very important part in all of our lives at WOXY. What we do at the station lets us take that to the next level. We listen to the artist submissions, respond to feedback from our listeners, and make decisions on what we play based on this hands on approach."

Being independent in thought doesn’t always mean independent in wealth. WOXY independence means no public or commercial funding; there are no commercials between songs. The station has survived over the years through private funding and the belief that what they do is an integral part to a thriving independent music industry.

In 2006, when the station ceased its Internet broadcast due to lack of funding, a believer appeared in Lala.com, a Palo Alto based online music store. They partnered with the station, and WOXY.COM was up and running again in no time.

WOXY.COM offers an impressive audio and video archive. Entertainment Weekly lauds it as one on the 100 greatest websites of all time and the Plug Independent Music Awards named it Best Independent Radio Station.  All music downloads are iPod ready and range from festival performances at South By Southwest (SXSW) and Monolith, to in studio performances (Lounge Acts), and special podcasts.  Look for more online offerings and collaborations in 2008 through the station’s Internet affiliations with Lala.com and UK- based Strangeglue.com.

"Independent, non-traditional media outlets make it such an exciting time in the music industry. Every band has a story about how they broke through. The web has changed everything. It is our job to actively participate with the artists, labels, and the listeners," says Mike Taylor, DJ and program director. "We are all in this together. Our listeners have a bond with the station and they have a real desire to hear new music presented in this independent format."

WOXY has secured its place in the history of the independent music industry.  While the corporate music industry spends the next decade trying to figure out where it went wrong, WOXY will simply continue to be what it has been for the past 25 years: the Future of Rock & Roll.

Photography by Scott Beseler

Shiv at the WOXY controls