RadiOmaha is streaming from radiomaha.com

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Speaking of online-only radio stations (like Beats 1), someone recently passed along a link to the new RadiOmaha website.

There’s not a lot of info about the site at the site: “We’re online. We’re worldwide. We’re from Omaha – a vibrant music community that’s home to exciting emerging artists. We play great alternative artists and classic rock hits, and we bring great Omaha artists to the world.”

According to their website, their music mix is 50 percent new alternative & Indie; 15 percent classic rock; 15 percent local Omaha artists; 10 percent new cuts from classic artists and 10 percent blues, world, reggae and specialty shows. I’ve listened off and on for a few days have heard few indie tracks, but maybe I’m just unlucky. So far I’ve heard mostly jazz, blues and oldies. Locals heard include tracks by Kris Lager and Scott Severin.

This morning before work I heard on RadiOmaha “Go To Hell” by The Clash, followed by a smooth jazz instrumental, followed by “Time Has Told Me” by Nick Drake. That was followed by an unidentified voice talking about an ancient Firehose in-store performance at Homer’s, a brief comment about lengthening the school day, and an episode of Lance Stallion Radio Detective — what used to be a staple of the Otis 12 & Diver Dan show on Z-92 20 or so years ago.

If you’re wondering how RadiOmaha can legally stream label-produced music, the website apparently has acquired a license from StreamLicencing.com, which covers ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, SOCAN royalties and performance fees. That means they can live-stream just about anything.

The station is the brainchild of Rick Galusha, who has been putting it together for a few years. On-air hosts include some familiar names: Diver Dan (formerly a Z-92 host), Victor Hahn, Ariann Anderson, Mike and Tom Becka, MarQ Manner, BJ Huchtemann, David Leibowitz, Michael Murphy, along with others whose names aren’t so familiar. Check out the entire list here.

Why are online-only radio stations like RadiOmaha and HN Radio (let alone big names like Beats 1 and KEXP) relevant? Because it’s just a matter of time before someone figures out how to get Internet radio stations to play in your cars. They already do if you know how to tune them in on your smartphone (I use the TuneIn Radio app, which allows you to stream most local and  national radio stations) and your car stereo is Bluetooth enabled, like mine is.

Eventually car makers (and car stereo makers) will “get it” and you’ll be able to tune to your favorite web-only radio station as easily as you tune into a local terrestrial station.

A bigger issue for local web radio is content generation. One assumes that RadiOmaha is merely a stream of pre-recorded shows/podcasts by the aforementioned jocks strung together in a loop that plays endlessly — i.e., not real live broadcasting. There is no other way a station (or its volunteer jocks) could pull it off, at least until they become popular enough to sell advertising.

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Good ol’ Mates of State (Barsuk, Polyvinyl) returns to Omaha tonight, this time at Reverb Lounge. The band has been touring though Omaha since 2002 (as evidenced by this Lazy-i interview — whoa, Neva Dinova and Race for Titles opened that show!). More amazing than the band still performing is that the husband-and-wife duo of Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel are still married. They’re on the road supporting their recently released EP, You’re Going to Make It (Barsuk/Fierce Panda). Opening is Seattle’s Hey Marseilles and Sarasota-based twin sister duo Good Graeff. $16, 9 p.m.

Also tonight, Luke Polipnick headlines at fabulous O’Leaver’s with Mitch Towne and Dana Murray. $5, 9:30 p.m.

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2015 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.