When we were kids, everything above the kitchen countertop held so much fascination. All of the good stuff was out of reach and off-limits. We knew it was up there, and we knew that someday we’d be tall enough to see over the top and grab all of those delicious snacks, adult beverages and shiny, shiny knives.
Grand Rapids is growing up, and we’re peering over our countertops at Detroit and Chicago. Our music scene is coming of age, from a thriving local music scene that has been bubbling for decades, to a developing appetite for world-class performances and venues that can accommodate. Our tastes in music are becoming more complicated and diverse.
WYCE is around for you music fans to stew together eclectic favorites, a wide mix of new music, and to put a spotlight on our local musicians. Programming volunteers come from our community every week to dish this stuff out to you and we totally get it…sometimes musical asparagus is fed to an 8-year-old, and confetti cupcake toaster pastries to our adults, all with the purest of intentions. Still, by dedicating countless hours to experimentation and by casting our nets wide, we achieve some priceless radio moments for the true connoisseur.
We’ve compiled our playlist for you this month from WYCE’s top-played music so far in 2016. Some songs come from popular local acts, some bought a special place in our hearts by coming to town and putting on an unforgettable show, and some come from great new music discoveries that our programmers have championed.
Thank you for naming WYCE the “Best of the West!” You inspire us and have made our hearts swell, West Michigan. Next year WYCE turns 30, and we all look forward to another 30 years of growing up with you.
WYCE’s Top-Played Songs of 2016 (So Far):
Adrian Younge – “Sittin’ By the Radio”
Alexander Lynch – “Missing Me”
Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals – “Shine”
Bombino – “Timtar (Memories)”
Bonnie Raitt – “Unintended Consequence of Love”
Cage the Elephant – “Mess Around”
Charles Bradley – “Ain’t Gonna Give it Up”
Crane Wives – “Pretty Little Things”
Hinds – “Garden”
Kevin Morby – “Dorothy”
King Gizzard & the Wizard Lizard – “Robot Stop”
Lake Street Dive – “Godawful Things”
Lucinda Williams – “Doors of Heaven”
Peter Wolf – “It’s Raining”
Radiohead – “Burn the Witch”
Santana – “Freedom In Your Mind”
Sturgill Simpson – “Keep it Between The Lines”
Tedeschi Trucks Band – “Don’t Know What It Means”
Thao & the Get Down Stay Down – “Astonished Man”
The Accidentals – “Parking Lot” (feat. Rick Chyme)
The Great Ones – “Breathe Love”
Ziggy Marley – “Love is a Rebel”
