“103.3: The Vibe”
Reviewed by Brooke Holland
There is nothing like driving to the beach with your windows down, the radio blasting. I recently discovered the perfect companion for my drive at KVYB 103.3 “The Vibe.”
The station broadcasts No. 1 rated music from Ventura, Calif. throughout Santa Barbara. A self-proclaimed “the beat of the central coast” deserves its title by playing current and relative music artists, both on traditional and online radio.
The top 40 hits, FM radio station’s playlist, features the most popular artists and newest rising stars. Genres range from pop music, hip-hop, R&B and dance tracks including beats of Justin Timberlake, Rihanna, Drake and Chris Brown.
It features daily listener contests and offer free tickets to local Santa Barbara concerts — caller 33 scores the free prizes.
For the early birds, “Spencer in the Morning” broadcasts live with a playlist of hit-driven songs from 6 to 10 a.m. In the afternoon, “Picazzo” takes over the station from 3 to 7 p.m.
Get your radio dial preset to 103.3 and don’t miss a beat this summer!
Rating: 5 out of 5
“92.9 KJEE”
Reviewed by Laura Oikawa
The radio has undeniably become a banal accretion of the superficial top 40 hits. KJEE 92.9 FM, Santa Barbara’s modern rock station, is the remedy we deserve.
The station, as its description suggests, plays mostly rock music. Their lineup generally includes a medley of new up-and-coming bands and “classics” from our younger years.
It also offers everything from a late night Love Line to reggae weekends. In other words, it’s the perfect college playlist.
Newer and recently popular bands such as The Black Keys, Mumford & Sons, Atlas Genius, Foals, The Lumineers, Band of Horses and Santa Barbara’s own Rebelution, are played often. The most recent addition to the list? City College-based folk rock band Indian Trading Furs.
We all know when songs get popular, they get played to death on the radio. To avoid overkill KJEE mixes in slightly older, equally loved music from the 80s and 90s.
Sublime, Incubus, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Muse, and the ever-enticing Blink-182 are common contenders.
Of course, there are always those brutally exhausted songs that seem to sneak onto every station, mall, club, bar or restaurant regardless of their genre. KJEE is no exception, as songs like rap artist Macklemore’s über-popular “Thrift Shop” can be heard frequenting this station.
Minimal commercials, many daily forty-minute blocks of honest rock music, and entertaining hosts like Dave Hanacek, Phat J, and Bernie Baggs are what really make KJEE a solid radio station.
All in all, it’s better than most and definitely worth a listen.
Rating: 4 out of 5
