"Full disclosure: Indie 101.5 was smart enough to tap Westword's music editor for a regular Wednesday-night show"

But Westword wasn't smart enough to list a "Reader's Choice" award in this category, because of conflicting interests.

This isn't just Denver's best radio station...it may be the best in the country. I even stopped listening to my XM and went back to regular radio for this station. And you forgot they only play about half as many commercials as the other stations here. Good choice Westword!

Ok, get out of Denver once in a while!!!! Westword obviously took money from Whip to prop up his failing station. But really, BEST STATION IN THE COUNTRY???? 101.5 plays nothing revolutionary, it has no signal, and has yet to do one original thing. Everything they have done, every other station in Denver has done. Go back to listening to XM, you obviously have no taste in music, and have no idea what your talking about.

I have listened to 101.5 since day one of their change over from "martini radio" to Indie 101.5 and have enjoyed the roller coaster of a ride from the bottom to the top. I moved from LA and this station's search for the unheard, unplayed, thrown away, and unknown bands seems unique for this area and is by far the best station I have heard in a long long time becuase of this. Whip has worked very hard to get this station the way it is and he does an awesome job at tracking down some of the most curious music mixes to give to his listeners. He has opened up Denver's ears to local music and brought garage bands up to an unheard of level, which should be noted. So congrats to the station, and thanks for all the hard work we the avid listeners appreciate you. LIVE EAT and BREATHE MUSIC, life is better if you do.

Best Station in the Country!!!?? Are you kidding? Just because 101.5 throws in a Joy Division cut (albeit almost exclusively 'Love Will Tear us Apart" with little or no attention paid to live recordings b-sides & c, for example) does not make them 'adventurous'. At the end of the day, they are still part of a regressive corporate machine. Mike couldn't have put it any better, get out of Denver once in a while, and go back to XM. Seriously.

As far as featuring unknown and noteworthy bands 1190 wins hands down. 'Under the Mattress' does more to present garage rock, new and old, local and otherwise, to the front range. That's where the real rock n roll is at, on 1190, and also on WFMU's Teenage Wasteland.

DJ Alisha will always be my favorite Denver DJ.
She Rules!!

Great choice, Westword! This is THE best alternative radio station in Denver. I'm glad people are starting to take notice.

You really think that Sirius/XM is good? I have it and I increasingly find myself on Indie 1015. XMU/Left of Center is a more boring version of Indie. I do like the Garage Channel and it would be cool to have that outlet here in Denver that doesnt charge me $12.95 a month for.
As far 1190, yeah, it's like going through the stacks at a used book store and finding a treasure after searching through a bunch of crap for 2 hours. Worthwhile if you have the time.

Well, as I can tell from some of the comments.... the art of being complete and total A**holes is alive and thriving in Denver....as I have known since I moved here. For Denver, this station is one of a kind and enjoyable. To each his own though. Oh yea, Denver is not a bad place, it is just some of the people that reside here that really give it a bad reputation. (As we can clearly see by reading comments on boards all over the internet such as this board here)

Why does everyone want to call this station "one of a kind"? Trendy 101.5 plays much of the same old crap every other alternative stations does, and fails to be "progressive" at all. They play almost no local bands in regular rotation, not to mention they were not the first station in Denver to push local music...93.3 maybe? Actually what is wrong with Denver is idiots like you. Stop acting like this station is the greatest thing since sliced bread. 1190 is the best station in the Denver area, the fact that Westword decided to "award" trendy 101.5 with this honor shows it was rigged. Last year there was one category "best radio station", now after a member of the Westword staff gets a show on trendy 101.5 an new "commercial" category is established. Like I said before, I wonder how much Whip payed for this honor.

I am pretty sure that not everyone has said this station is "one of a kind" but as I said, and was not noticed, TO EACH HIS OWN..... I think that this station has seperated from the mainstream, yes, and as for the local music. I think they give props where they are deserved to some of the local music that is not played on the "other" stations who are told what to play and how much to play it (some not all stations). They get bands playing in Denver that otherwise wouldn't ever come for us to enjoy. It seems as if the comments that are so ignorantly written on here, just slamming the station and it's DJ's, were written by people who are just as they accused others of,paid to write them, or work for the other stations, because they are not constructive in any way.

I am not employed by a station in denver.....nor am I being payed to comment on this waste of an award. You seem to have an issue, that being you have no idea what you are talking about. Whip goes out and slams other stations for playing fallout boy, and yet his station plays kings of leon....they are as big, if not bigger than fallout boy at this point. Seems to me an "indie" station would avoid playing anything mainstream especially as mainstream as kings of leon. And why in the hell do they play sublime??? Sublime is not "indie". Seems to me trendy 101.5 is nothing but a poser...and a pathetic cry baby one at that. Of course someone like yourself who has no idea what "indie" music is, and would call 101.5 a "one of a kind station" needs to listen to 1190, that is an indie station, and a damn good one. They are not worthless posers like Whip and trendy 101.5. If you listen to 1190 and still think trendy 101.5 is "indie" please leave Denver, you are obviously an idiot.

WHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
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WWhaa WHHAaaa WWHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!

I will just leave you and your OBVIOUSLY superior intellect and mature comments alone, it seems there is only room for you and your ego here.

Have a good one!!! :)

Right.....your best response is to accuse me of whining??? And then say I have an ego??? You are obviously an retard, please refrain from posting in forums unless you have something logical to say. Trendy 101.5 sucks and will be gone soon enough, and finally Denver can rid itself of Whip whining about needing advertising because his station has failed. WHip sucks, Trendy 1015 is a joke, I say flip it to top 40....and make Whip play Kelly Clarkson.

Right.....your best response is to accuse me of whining??? And then say I have an ego??? You are obviously an retard, please refrain from posting in forums unless you have something logical to say. Trendy 101.5 sucks and will be gone soon enough, and finally Denver can rid itself of Whip whining about needing advertising because his station has failed. WHip sucks, Trendy 1015 is a joke, I say flip it to top 40....and make Whip play Kelly Clarkson.

Sending your pointless rants once would do....unless you haven't figured out your computer yet, then I would understand.. yeah who is the retard? Haaa Funny, Retard. Oh yeah,the station name does not stand for INDIE music...it just stands for Independent Music and that it is Independently operated.
You must be a hideous person who was never loved by their mother to have such pointless anger towards people you don't know. You sure do hide behind a screen well...as do most people any more on the internet...cowards I tell you. It is funny how people like you seem to think that your opinion is the only one that matters :) Well..Have a good one! Take care, I hope your life gets better for ya:)

So what you are saying is Trendy 101.5 is guilty of false advertising. Considering that they call themselves "Indie" and don't play "indie" music means they are lying to all of their listeners. They were fine when they were "Denver's Independent Alternative", but obviously to confuse their listeners changed their name to "Indie". Seems like they are nothing but posers.

And thank you for proving your obvious lack of intelligence, claiming that I am acting big just because I am posting from a computer is well....retarded. I would love to debate this point face to face....but when technology allows you to show off your stupidity for all of Denver to see....I like that better.

Trendy will be gone in a couple of months, and people like you will just cry about how no one in Denver understands indie music....which you said Trendy 101.5 doesn't even play. 1190 will always be around, they play "Indie" music, and unlike Trendy, actually have listeners and do not rely on Westword to give them awards for recognition.

OKay..I win :p

lets hope that "Mike" wins best DJ from Westword next year and that 1190 wins best station and that Indie goes away. because that will make "Mike" a happy, well rounded person as opposed to the frustrated, small, pathetic little man(?) that he is now. Good luck "Mike"

Obviously Phil is a retard as well. If you would have actually read the other posts you would have realized that this whole discussion started because "lorie" claimed that 101.5 is a "one of a kind station". Lorie does not get out much, and thinks because Trendy 101.5 is new and shiny it is obviously good. She has no idea what "indie" music is, and is an embarrassment to those of us in Denver who understand what real "indie" music is.

Then you come along Phil....and like "lorie" show yourself to be a complete retard. I do not work for any station in the Denver area so I can't win best DJ....nice try though Douche Bag!!! Also anyone who knows "indie" music knows (which you obviously do not) 1190 is the only station that plays it in the Denver metro area. But like I said before, you obviously didn't read, you just looked at a couple of posts and commented....making you look like a retard.

Trendy 101.5 does not play indie music, they are a joke and the ratings prove that. Why do you think their owners are putting all that money into 107.1? Because 101.5 is a sinking ship and not worth saving. Strange that with all of their listeners they still can't manage a 1 share....sad really :(

No, I read the comments that Lorie and others have made. I'm more curious about your anger. What is so wrong? It can't be only just a radio station thats making you act borderline psychotic "Mike". Why don't you reveal more about yourself in a post? You pretend to know a lot. Hey, you may even be an intern or at least the brother of an intern at a station. I'm guessing the latter...tee hee. So why not come out and let the world know more about you? It's because you're gutless and really don't have any sort of credibility to back up your hate-filled comments. Scared little boy. Oh, and look, he called me a "douchebag", edgy.

Y'know...I was alerted by a listener about this catfight going on here awhile ago and...Can't we all just get along? Mike is right about certain things. We are NOT an indie station. While we touch upon that genre more than any other commercial station in the country (terrestrial only, Mike. Calm) we'd be flat out lying to saying we are exclusively an indie station.
With that said: Didnt 1190 win "best non-commercial station?" What's the quarrel there? We didnt win best indie station. We won best commercial station if I recall correctly. Mike's bitterness smacks of the competition being angry about the upstart. And Mike's verbiage sort of hints he's in the radio business.
All is good on the stations part. We're far from perfect. But we aretrying to play music for the masses (sorry) that's a little more daring, a lot less over played, without cramming down your throat the same bands you've heard on the radio for the last 15 years.
Thanks for everyone's support. And remember it's the Mike's of the world that represent free speech and the internet at its most annoying.

The issue that I have, and have had the entire time is last year there was only one radio station category, and 1190 won that. Suddenly this year after 101.5 started up and hired a Westword writer, the decision was made to make two categories for radio. True 1190 won the non-commercial category, but really it looks like a shady back room deal between 101.5 and Westword.

I am not affiliated with any station, and it is weird that I make my opinion known and I am suddenly a plant or something, but people like Lorie come in and spew B.S. and no one calls her out? Seems to me the "plant" in the room is either Lorie or Phil. They both probably work for Trendy 101.5.

Oh and as for Whips comment claiming I sound like someone within the business. It's called college, they teach things there, like details about the Arbitron ratings. Everything I know about the industry is from classroom lectures.

Mike, I accept that you're a student, and one who pays attention. Cool. I'd love to have the power you think I wield with the Westword people. Sadly, I don't. I was pretty stunned when we won the award. Michael Roberts and I have not a positive relationship. You can search it in Westword. Ugly stuff. I think the main thrust of Westwords Best Of issue is really just to highlight what's new in the city along with great stuff that hasnt changed. Hence, Indie and 1190 both receiving an award. Last thing, that 12+ number you're looking at...your prof should've taught you that the 12+ is a vanity number and isn't important or all that relevant to a stations success. A closer look at the ratings would show you we were a hair away from beating 933 at night. That's how new stations are built, wina t nights, then mornings (where we're ahead of them 25-54 and creeping up 18-34). Call me sometime. I like your passion. 303 872-1514. Are you on the air at 1190?

I don't care what you call it, and I have no interest in "more indie than thou" contests; this station plays some great stuff that I don't hear on other commercial stations, some great stuff that I do hear elsewhere, and some stuff that I don't care for but someone else probably does. I like the direction they seem to be headed in, and it's great to have them as an option when I'm driving.

The name calling that these comments has degraded to is absolutely sad; the contest for Best Radio Station shouldn't by any means be a competition of who is hipper or trendier, it should be about programming and sustained quality.

101.5 plays some great music, and is a great station compared to most of the dial, don't get me wrong, but it seems far too focused on being hip and "indie" just to make money instead of playing the music it truly stands behind, which seems like an antiqued marketing strategy that the music world needs to leave in the past. The beauty of the "independent" music of today is that it has moved beyond the old constraints of the record labels, airhead disc jockeys, and music as a commercial tool. If radio wants to survive, it has to recognize this, not just think that it can capitalize on "indie" as a genre. Focus on playing good music, not just the music that will allow yourself to be called "Indie 101.5."

I just can't see 101.5 being able to sustain itself, and in a year's time, I doubt it will even be in the running for this award.

I cannot they changed formats...101-5 was such a breathe of fresh air from the putrid radio that emanates from this country's stations. So typical...the suits squash a good thing, all for the almighty dollar. Radio execs have no idea what they are doing, and mainstream radio is doomed. Viva Sirius!!

Your selection of 101.5 as the best radio station really disgusts me. After tunning into the HATE RADIO of RUSTY HUMPHRIES, I've decided that you don't know what your talking about. This world has enough SMACK RADIO for the morons to listened to. With your supposed insight to news music and other things...sorry your dead wrong on this one. Just for your advertisers....I won't be reading WESTWORD or being a patron to them....over and OUT

Ummm.....you complain about "corporate radio" and yet you want to listen to Sirius???? Who do you think controls them??? At one point Clear Channel owned part of XM!!! Stop whining, anyways the station did not go away, you can listen to it on-line at indie303.com.