Music fans have always had a tempestuous relationship with radio. They love it when it's playing their favorite songs. They hate it when it's not. Not so long ago, Internet radio -- broadcasts designed specifically for transmission via PCs and modems -- offered to change all that for good. Anybody connected could boot up thousands of radio shows around the world, from simulcasts of offline programs to Net-only broadcasts.

It's no wonder that some of the more intrepid artists in the digital music frontier have launched their own Net radio shows, aimed at giving unbridled, uncensored, uncut air time to their own favorite tunes. To listen, make sure you first download free streaming media wares like the Real Player Basic, the Windows Media Player, and Shoutcast -- the MP3 radio plug-in for Winamp.

Here's a look at five of the top artist-run Net radio sites. No antenna required:

Ween Radio
The sardonic duo from New Hope, Pa., hack up their own 24/7 radio show via Shoutcast. Run by Dean Ween, the designated techie, this is just plain heaven for fans itching to hear live nuggets like "Baby Bitch" and Ween's blitz on "Paradise City." Unlike Metallica, Ween rightfully don't give a crap about fans bootlegging MP3s of their new album, White Pepper (the entirety of which plays on the site). Ween know who paints their town brown.

Brainwash
King Coffey, drummer and Webmaster for the Butthole Surfers, has been hip to the Net radio vibe since way back in the pioneer days of the mid-Nineties. His homespun show, Monsterbit, is culled from his impressive record collection located in his house in Austin, Tex. Sorry, no Buttholes here, just esoteric playlists featuring the sublime ("Zero Tolerance" by Trans Am) and the bizarre ("Circumstances" by Captain Beefheart).

Grand Royal Radio
With their Grand Royal record label, the Beastie Boys have long been pumping out their kind of music for their kind of fans. Grand Royal Radio carries on the DIY spirit with songs by GR artists like Buffalo Daughter and Luscious Jackson. Rest assured, the Beasties drop their own sounds of science here too -- including live and unreleased tracks. Don't expect them to drop by and chat, however -- this is strictly a one-way broadcast.

Radio Margaritaville
According to the site, head parrothead Jimmy Buffet got the idea for Radio Margaritaville while driving through Australia. Down under, he heard a local radio station that played, as Buffet said, "just good music." With that mission in mind, Buffet launched his own Net radio station, featuring music by his favorite artists: New Orleans jazz players, reggae artists and surf musicians, to name a few. You also get a fair share of the man himself, though don't expect Buffet to take up the hosting duties; he leaves that to a hired gun while he continues his endless tour.

Bring the Noise!
Public Enemy's Chuck D has been one of the most prominent activists for freedom through digital music. Now he provides his own missives from the terrordome with his own Net radio site, Bring the Noise!. Each day of the week brings a different theme from old school hip-hop, hosted by someone named "Wildman Steve" to Chuck's own show devoted to indie artists -- a show which boasts possibly one of the best names in the history of radio: When the Shit Hits the Fans.

DAVID KUSHNER
(May 25, 2000)