With tens of thousands of terrestrial radio stations out there on the Web and tens of thousands of Internet-only radio stations on top of that, that’s a lot of clutter to cut through to get to the good ones. So, to help out with that search, we are going to  provide a continuing guide to The Best Internet Radio Stations over a number of posts. Most of these stations fall into the Adult Album Alternative (AAA)  format, or are just flat-out great alternative rock stations, which really only means that they play a much wider variety of music than much more narrowly-focused Top 40 stations.

These are the radio stations that we here at Musichord love to listen to. Stations that will constantly surprise us with great new tracks, old favorites, and even classic tunes lost (supposedly) forever, supplying an eclectic mix that spans genres – really, any station that crushes the concept of a “format,” and just plays great music.

First up, and in no particular order (they’re all great!):

WRNR – Annapolis, MD
WRNR was started out of the ashes of Rock 103.1 (a hard rock and heavy metal station) in Annapolis, MD, back in 1994, when it went from Mandatory Metallica to a “free-form” alternative format, and where the mood of the DJ could heavily affect the format. At any time, anything could be played, and at this station, that’s always been a good thing. A few years back, a slightly more controlled playlist was put in place, which did not do much harm, as they still believe in playing consistently great music. One of the few of our favorites in the U.S. that is not a public or university station, you can name the genre you’ll hear here: blues, rock, alternative rock, folk, reggae, new wave, punk and more; you’ll hear it all on WRNR. WRNR is still the only radio station that I’ve ever heard play the Verve’s 10-minute odyssey “Feel.” This is my all-time favorite radio station. Listen for a while and you’ll see why.
http://www.wrnr.com/

WXPN – Philadelphia, PA
WXPN is the University of Pennsylvania’s radio station, serving the greater Philly area and simulcast on several other regional stations. WXPN is a groundbreaking college radio station, with several widely syndicated shows, including David Dye hosting the legendary World Café weekdays, which is heard on numerous public stations throughout the U.S. WXPN has been offering a fantastic eclectic mix of alternative, adult alternative, blues and rock and roll for decades. This is the station that most other public AAA stations try to model themselves after, and with good reason. I’ve been listening to WXPN for 20 years, and it just keeps getting better. As with all of these great public stations, if you listen for a while, feel free to donate a few bucks; it’s the only way they keep going.
http://www.xpn.org/

Minnesota’s 89.3 The Current, KCMP – Northfield, MN
89.3 The Current sits under the Minnesota Public Radio umbrella and plays a great mix of rock, alternative rock, and alternative music. The Current also has a treasure trove of online in-the-studio music videos from a ton of unbelievable bands who have stopped by to record for them. The live songs from The Hold Steady and Black Joe Lewis and the Honey Bears are among my favorites. This is a stream I can’t stop playing and their setlists are consistently great. If you subscribe to only one youtube channel, this should be it.
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/radio/services/the_current/

KCRW – Santa Monica, CA
KCRW has been a leader in the “modern rock” and alternative music scene for as long as I can remember. Broadcasting from Santa Monica College in California, KCRW also has NPR news and other talk-show formatting, and produces their own programming. KCRW also has well known and breaking bands on and has produced compilation CDs with the live-in-the-studio recordings. The Josh Rouse live recordings from KCRW are among my favorites. Morning Becomes Eclectic, which has been on the air for over 30 years, has been a leading “tastemaker” playing music first and leading the way for other independent stations.
Check out KCRW’s archive of live concerts here.
http://www.kcrw.com/

Radio Paradise – Paradise, California
Created and programmed by Bill Goldsmith and starting in 2000, Radio Paradise was this long-time former DJ’s answer to the lack of an eclectic variety of quality music on the terrestrial airwaves. Radio Paradise plays one of the most widely varied playlists, going from electronic music from William Orbit to classics from Bob Dylan, and casting a wide net, including playing rock from Latin America and world music, 80s alternative, new music and obscure, lost tracks. It’s consistently phenomenal; you can leave it on for hours. Radio Paradise relies completely on donations, so if you dig the music and you’re so inclined, I’m sure they’d appreciate it.
http://www.radioparadise.com/index.php

KEXP – Seattle, WA
KEXP has been leading the way towards great music in Seattle by continuously playing great alternative, underground, retro, indie, and just killer music in general going back to the ‘70s. KEXP is licensed to the University of Washington, but also receives funding from Paul Allen’s Experience Music Project. KEXP plays great alternative rock, offers some great specialty programs (electronic, reggae, etc.) and even has a large amount of in-studio performance recordings you can stream anytime that will blow you away. You can see if your favorite band has played there here, though you might get stuck for a while digging through the endless list of great acts.
http://kexp.org/

These stations are some of our favorites, but we know there are a LOT more great stations out there, some of which will show up in future posts – let us know what we missed and we can add them in as well!