I’ve given it a full semester, and it still sucks. I’m referring to the once fun and now incredibly boring “No Rules Radio,” 107.1 WPGU-FM. Known in its better days as “The Planet,” WPGU has effectively taken the student radio station at the University – a station students used to listen to – and turned it into a 24/7 cure for insomnia featuring indie and local bands nobody knows.

How many students regularly listen to or have even heard of bands like Ambulance Ltd., Rilo Kiley and Of Montreal? I certainly have not. Another common theme in Indie music is band names beginning with the word “The.” Gracing the WPGU play list are songs from bands named The Delays, The Faint, The Good Life, The Music, The Postal Service, The Stills – and don’t get confused now – The Thrills. Do you know these juggernauts? Me neither. WPGU is also playing a song from a band that calls itself “!!!” Their song is entitled “Hello? Is This Thing On?” Unfortunately, it is.

To me, indie music is like country music for goths. However, instead of running out of beer while working on your broken-down Chevy, your purple-haired, nympho girlfriend is walking out on you and you’ve run out of black nail polish. What a shame. At least you still own those sweet emo glasses.

Now, not every indie band sucks, and many of them are actually composed of talented musicians. One of my favorite bands, Wilco, is one of these. However, there are plenty of mainstream bands with talented musicians as well. Incubus, Live, Blues Traveler and – love ’em or hate ’em – Dave Matthews Band certainly are good examples. On top of that, their music is actually fun to listen to. What a concept! Maybe that’s why they have major record deals. Just a thought.

I think most students agree that they find the rhythms and melodies of groups like Pearl Jam, Sublime and Outkast much more palatable than the ethereal mush that spews from the amplifiers of a no-name indie band whose biggest gig to date was opening for an open mic night. Sadly, WPGU parades these patsies around like they’re the next coming of The Beatles. Let me know when Ed Sullivan calls.

WPGU, along with The Daily Illini, Buzz, Illio and Technograph, are owned by the Illini Media Company and are all run by students. But the Technograph is written for people in the College of Engineering, nobody really gets a yearbook until their senior year and the Buzz stopped being read once they got rid of the Shoutouts (bring them back!). For many people, the only reasons to grab a DI are the comics, the crossword puzzle and possibly the opinions section. At least “The Planet” played decent music most students knew and could relate to. Sure, no one liked every song played, but it was definitely possible to listen for an hour without jamming a butter knife in your ear. I long for the good old days when Incubus, Sublime, O.A.R. and Linkin Park would round out a long set of music. Now, whenever I am in a place with 107.1 playing, I search for the nearest exit.

WPGU used to be a staple in my music diet – especially when driving to school. I always looked forward to passing the Gilman-Chatsworth exit on I-57 because that’s when I could finally get a decent reception. It made the last 50 miles of the trip go by quicker. Now, WPGU no longer is deserving of a button on my presets. It has been replaced with some station broadcasting from Decatur. That’s right – Decatur.

Hopefully, WPGU’s listening audience dwindles, and they are forced to revert back to their previous format. A student-run radio station should cater to the student body, not to someone who’s mixing a cappuccino and preparing for a protest at the World Bank.