The only thing it lacks is John Lithgow

December 16, 2011 6:48 PM

There's Hard Rock, Soft Rock, Punk Rock, Folk Rock, Progressive Rock, Alt Rock, Art Rock, Acid Rock, Indie Rock, Grunge Rock, Schoolhouse Rock, 30 Rock, and now there's Third Rock, an internet radio station "powered by NASA", yes, NASA. (Think of it as 'New Music' with commercials for something you already like)
posted by oneswellfoop (20 comments total)

Though honestly, having listened to it for a day, I have to say that not all of the music is exactly brand-new.
posted by newdaddy at 6:58 PM on December 16, 2011 [1 favorite]

you know that cave in the original Legend of Zelda right when you start, with the old man who's all "IT'S DANGEROUS TO GO ALONE, TAKE THIS" and he's got that crappy wooden sword?

you can skip that.

in the upper-right-hand square on the map, there's a secret wall you can walk up through that doesn't require bombs, a candle, or any sort of whistle nonsense. in there are rupees. take those rupees and buy some bombs. then visit any of the handful of locations on the overworld map where you can bomb a block to get a container heart. get two of those, then go and fetch the second sword (the white & blue one).

you may then revisit the old man and taunt his well-meaning-but-ultimately-worthless advice by swinging your better-than-his sword to your hearts' content.

(if you accidentally grab his wooden sword whilst demonstrating your superiority and fearlessness and general badassery, you will NOT replace the better sword with his crap one, but it WILL disappear from his cave thereby removing from you the opportunity to taunt him further at a later time).
posted by radiosilents at 7:00 PM on December 16, 2011 [16 favorites]

^ PURE PRE-FAQ INFO, DISCOVERED WITH MY OWN TWO THUMBS
posted by radiosilents at 7:01 PM on December 16, 2011 [1 favorite]

how the heck did that get in this thread? whoops.
posted by radiosilents at 7:01 PM on December 16, 2011 [6 favorites]

came for the space radio, stayed for the classic fantasy game cheats.
posted by Think_Long at 7:03 PM on December 16, 2011 [15 favorites]

I have to say that not all of the music is exactly brand-new.

I was secretly hoping I'd hit on something like Hawkwind. Maybe a little FM.
posted by philip-random at 7:24 PM on December 16, 2011 [1 favorite]

I know it's not exactly "new," or "rock" for that matter, but I'd kill to hear some Seatbelts on NASA radio. WHAT PLANET IS THIS?
posted by Strange Interlude at 8:33 PM on December 16, 2011

how the heck did that get in this thread? whoops.

Hilarious. I thought it was going to be some long, elaborate Zelda-analogy snark that was going to tell us how to skip the music you thought was shitty and get to the music you thought was really good.
posted by chococat at 9:14 PM on December 16, 2011 [7 favorites]

Laurie Anderson was the first and last artist-in-residence at NASA. I'd expected the station to be just O Superman over and over. Kind of disappointed it wasn't, frankly.
posted by Lutoslawski at 9:15 PM on December 16, 2011 [1 favorite]

Third Rock was also a TV show, so I think your link is misleading and confusing.
posted by PJLandis at 9:20 PM on December 16, 2011

I'm still not sure why NASA has a radio station, but the fact that it does explains a bit, I guess, why they also had a music video for the THEMIS launch and deploy. And why is it bangra hiphop or whatever? You tell me.
posted by Listener at 9:32 PM on December 16, 2011 [1 favorite]

Third Rock was also a TV show, so my post title was a marvelously clever joke...
posted by oneswellfoop at 11:16 PM on December 16, 2011 [1 favorite]

My brain going sideways on a Friday night read the John Lithgow reference as a nod to Dr. Lizardo/Lord Whorfin from Buckaroo Bonzai (aliens from the 8th Dimension and all that).
posted by philip-random at 11:35 PM on December 16, 2011

No, they're from Planet 10 by way of the 8th dimension! Get your facts strait Monkey Boy!

(And if you ever find yourself thinking, "Self, a bunch of obscure references to old pulp science fiction and non-stop allusions to an epic backstory would be just the thing!" track down the novelization of the film. No, really.
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 1:31 AM on December 17, 2011 [3 favorites]

Any NASA radio station that calls itself Third Rock better play this at least once a day.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 1:39 AM on December 17, 2011

When I clicked the link they were playing Foo Fighters. I'm meditating on the significance of that now.
posted by tommasz at 8:03 AM on December 17, 2011

Just stepping in to second the recommendation for the Buckaroo Banzai novelization, monkey boy!
posted by vibrotronica at 8:35 AM on December 17, 2011

it does seem to be legit but weird that they don't get to use the NASA logo on the radio webpage
posted by Bwithh at 9:37 AM on December 17, 2011

That was an epic non-sequitur, my friend.
posted by nzero at 10:27 AM on December 17, 2011

I guess that's kinda surprising, but then, NASA (involuntarily) brought us the first live music from space... 'Jingle Bells'.
posted by Twang at 3:25 PM on December 17, 2011