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November 2009
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This show is Radio brought back full ci The Appetizer is one of the greatest th D. Grant knows his stuff. The appetizer This show is a breath of fresh air...to Surprise! Abilene actually has some tal Good find, Michael! D. Grant Smith's sh Why D. Grant is not on the map is beyon It's hard to believe this show is local D. Grant Smith is wonderful! I, too, ho D. Grant is a true music connoisseur. Categories
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Photo: D. Grant Smith, host of The Appetizer He avoids hip-hop, R&B and country, because, let's face it, commercial radio plays little else these days. He also avoids "the real hard stuff" when it comes to rock, such as "death metal" and "screamo," but as I've written before on Playlist, there's a groundwell of terrific indie, acoustic and alternative music that isn't being heard by the audience it deserves. They don't know what they're missing, and Smith is trying to change that. On Saturday, for instance, his show will even feature a local punk band from Abilene, "amongst a hodgepodge of other punk and alternative rock bands, who have their own cult following." He discovered Lindsay Katt, whom I've compared to Suzanne Vega and Joni Mitchell, by finding her on MySpace, which is fast becoming a goldmine for fledgling artists. Smith says you can go to MySpace and look in the top 100, under "unsigned, indie and signed" and find music you'd love to hear. He prefers to focus on unsigned and indie, where he uncovered this very talented Katt. She's a Montana girl who moved to New York, where, like many before her, she's trying to make it. Young artists such as Katt and William Fitzsimmons (another indie sensation featured on The Appetizer) are hoping, Smith says, to be heard on shows such as his or on MySpace, which can in some cases "have a snowball effect. Most of these singers don't want the MTV Cribs lifestyle, but they do hope to use their talent to launch a career." At the same time, Smith isn't seeking "to become the radio version of David Letterman, but it would be cool if The Appetizer could become more commercially viable. My dream is to take the show national." Unlike many public radio affiliates, KACU is Arbitron rated #1 in it's market, which consists of 19 stations. I have to think The Appetizer is a good reason why. You can listen live to The Appetizer by going to www.kacu.org at 11 p.m. Saturday and clicking "listen now." For more info on the show itself, go to www.appetizerradio.com. E-mail entry: |
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I am thrilled to hear that others are recognizing the talent and diversity of this show, I have been listening to The Appetizer for at least 2 years and have enjoyed the discovery of new artists and new music. I also feel that D Grant Smith is a very talented producer and hope that one day this show will be nationally known as well.
RM Kendrick
D. Grant is a very kind, down to earth fellow, and a music lover in his own right. It was such a pleasure to be invited onto the show, and talk about my experiences there. I am definitely a fan of stations/shows like his, that embrace the “new” and often over looked.
D. Grant is a true music connoisseur. The gold that he finds and puts on The Appetizer is only found through hours of listening to music from all over the world. Most will not take the time to find such treasure. People like David are the gatekeepers for indie musicians to make their break onto the national scene.
D. Grant Smith is wonderful! I, too, hope his show goes national. It'd have a terrific effect on the music scene.
-Proud to be in Abilene, home of The Appetizer!
It's hard to believe this show is locally produced on a small station because it's top quality. Wish dgrant and The Appetizer the success that goes with hard work and a commitment to quality. He proves there's still good music being made by young artists and people who are eager to hear it! Why isn't The Appetizer national???
Why D. Grant is not on the map is beyond me! I really hope his amazing show gets the attention it deserves.
Good find, Michael! D. Grant Smith's show The Appetizer has a strong and loyal fanbase for some very good reasons: it's unique, extremely well produced and features great music. I'm hoping all the best for the show.
Surprise! Abilene actually has some talent. Who knew?
This show is a breath of fresh air...too bad it's being played in Abilene-of all places.
Catch this show as often as possible, because I always get a new playlist of cool new bands every week. Friends just think I'm really into the music scene
D. Grant knows his stuff. The appetizer is Ben & Jerry's - commercial radio, vanilla bean.
The Appetizer is one of the greatest things going in
Abilene, TX. Kudos to D. Grant and all his efforts; looks like they're paying off.
This show is Radio brought back full circle - to the days when Wolfman Jack and others broke music for the sake of the music. Now, with so much music being created, D. Grant Smith is one of the VERY few that dig into the pile for us, and bring out the gems that shine on their own. History has cycled through Corporate giants, and the leading edge is a young man with a mastery of current technology, and an old-school vision of what Radio and Music was meant to be.
Abilene is lucky to have both him, and a station that gives him this freedom. As a recording artist*, I can only hope that this is a model of the future - a connoisseur of fine music shouting "Hey! Look what I found!" to thousands of close friends.
*Full disclosure; I had the privilege of being included in the show when my CD "All In" was released. www.TonyBarkerMusic.com