Super 45

Stream the Show

Download the Songs

(from Nick)

     Welcome to my tribute to Super45.fm! When I’m not listening to my local public radio alternative station, or one of Shlep’s great mixes, I’m tuning to https://super45.fm/. It is the finest collection of music I have found anywhere.

Super45 is a music stream, but not a music app. No interactivity, customization or algorithms. You tune in and hear a carefully created playlist produced by a dedicated team of volunteers. Many of the programmers are former radio professionals who were dissatisfied with the offerings of commercial radio and streaming apps:

“they're built to show you tried-and-tested songs and melodies that, based on your tastes, they know will hook you, hiding from you all those wonderful songs that are out of reach, those that are on the fringes of the mainstream. With our daily programming, we want to delight you again, make you sing and surprise you through a human selection, lovingly curated from our computers.

At super45.fm we promise to program music that goes against the algorithm.”

And here’s the interesting part… they’re based in Santiago, Chili! 

01 The High Llamas - Up In The Hills

02 Rufas Wainwright - Going to a Town

I’ve heard all of tonight’s songs on Super45. Many of these are playlist regulars. The station plays a handful of songs each, from an incredible selection of bands.

03 Brian Eno - I'll Come Running

04 Folk Implosion - Natural One

05 Blancmange -  Don't Tell Me

     This is one of those random surprises that makes me think this stream was custom made for me.

06 The Lemonheads - Hannah & Gabi

07 Judy London - Cry Me A River

     Super45 follows a standard public radio format. An ongoing mix of the staff’s selections play daily, along with regular specialty programs devoted to dance, contemporary indie, ambient and so on.

On most evenings, you’ll hear a mix called “Nocturno” With stuff like this.

08 Glen Campbell - Wichita Lineman

One of many oddball gems featured on Super45.

09 Salad - Granite Statue

Mid-90s Brit Pop. I had never heard of them. Fun discovery.

10 Jalen Ngonda - If You Don't Want My Love

Someone at Super45 really likes Soul, Neo-Soul, Blue-Eyed Soul. Here’s a great example from 2023. Jalen Ngonda, from Maryland, based in London, and connected with  - as you can hear – Daptone Records.

11 Leonard Cohen - Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye

Super45 loves Leonard Cohen. You’ll hear him pop up a few times a day.

12 Mark Kozelek – Mainstreet

13 Fun Boy Three - Our Lips Are Sealed

Like Blancmange and Brian Eno before, another, great new wave deep cut.

14 Amiga - Efectos Espaciales

Super45 streams from Santiago, Chili, yet only about 5% of the music is Spanish language. Here is a fun song featuring Javiera Mena, a popular Chilean singer, songwriter and musician. 

15 Bobby Vinton - Blue Velvet

16 Lambchop - All Smiles and Mariachi

Another cool find here. Lambchop is slowly growing on me.

17 The Turtles - You Showed Me

18 Ru Tenone -  Turn On

Since this stream gets it’s name from Stereolab – “Super 45” is their 1991 debut EP – I had to include them. Or, in this case, Stereolab spin-off, Tim Gane, Laetitia Sadier 1997 side project Ru Tenone

19 Catherine Wheel - Judy Staring At The Sun

As you’ve noticed so far, someone at Super45 has an appreciation of late 80s, early 90s alternative. Takes me back to Live 105

20 The Chemical Brothers featuring The Flaming Lips – The Golden Path

Love this so much.

21 Simon & Garfunkel – America

For  Rachel

22 The Aluminum Group - Were Both Hiding

Yes, my favorites, The Aluminum Group. They are the reason I discovered Super45. They were being featured on a program and the band shared a facebook post from the station. I checked them out and was hooked.

23 OMD – Secret

24 Spoon - Do You

25 The Magnetic Fields - Come Back From San Francisco

26 Nico - The Fairest of the Seasons

27 The Apples in stereo – Strawberryfire

28 The Zombies - Beechwood Park

29 Ladytron - Blue Jeans

 

30 The Human League – Seconds

Play “Seconds”, earn street cred.

31 Righteous Brothers - You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'

32 The Beatles - Happiness Is A Warm Gun

Super45 plays popular groups, but they usually pick something interesting, like this. 

33 Dennis Wilson - Thoughts of You

One of many wonderful discoveries, thanks to Super45. This is from the former Beach Boy’s lone album, the excellent “Pacific Ocean Blue”, from 1977.

From All Music: Initially overshadowed in the Beach Boys by his brothers Brian and Carl, Dennis Wilson later matured into an excellent songwriter, producer, and vocalist. Though he only released one LP before drowning at the age of 39, his assortment of heart-rending ballads and pop curios were major assets to the Beach Boys' late-'60s and early-'70s output. 

34 Ofege - It's Not Easy

Of all the oddball nuggets that Super45 regularly plays, this is my favorite. From the 1973 psych rock classic, “Try and Love” recorded by a group of Nigerian High School students. Given the accomplished musicianship and gravity of emotions on display here, it’s hard to believe that Ofege’s members were all between 15 and 17 during the recording of Try and Love.

35 The Jesus and Mary Chain - Far Gone And Out

36 36 La Sécurité – Detour

A late add and my newest Super45 discovery. I will definitely be checking them out more.

37 The War On Drugs - Up All Night

38 Hot Chip - Candy Says

This is the kind of song I would only have heard, thanks to Super45. From a 2020 “Late Night Tales” mix

 39 Nick Drake - From The Morning

Nick Drake IS Super45. You might hear him 3 times a day. Many of his somber numbers show up on the Nocturno mix, but I especially like this upbeat one.

40 Robert Palmer - Johny and Mary

I dig Robert Palmer. And I dig that they do too.

41 Kathryn Williams · Stephen Malkmus - Spit on a Stranger

42 Little Anthony & The Imperials - Goin' Out Of My Head

This song is pure perfection, and why I love this station.

43 The Walker Brothers - Make It Easy On Yourself

Another great discovery here, Scott Walker!  (with a Bacharach bonus! )

44 The Cure - Jumping Someone Else's Train

     For Chris

45 David Bowie -  Rock 'n' Roll Suicide

46 The Beach Boys - Surf's Up

47 Nick Cave & Warren Ellis – Albuquerque

Another regular track, usually late at night. So beautiful. Love Nick Cave.

48 The Velvet Underground - All Tomorrow's Parties

The droning piano, the cacophony. Beautiful.

49 The Rain Parade - This Can't Be Today

50 U2 - Elvis Presley And America