it's like god opened up the skies and said, wendy, you've been SOOOOO good that i'm creating a radio station JUST FOR YOU! not only will you never have to listen to commercials, but the dj's i have assembled will play music perfectly suited to you and your unique temperament, AND every so often you will win fabulous prizes such as tickets to a dolly parton tribute concert--all this, just because you're you! i mean seriously, where else can a girl hear kate bush's wuthering heights, followed up by some elvis costello, vintage dylan, contemporary chrissie hynde and new cool stuff like edward sharpe and the magnetic zeros? and that's not even getting into the amazing weekend programming like rowena's twang show, kat's americana matinee and let's not forget the one, the only ann the raven and her blues... come on, everyone! get with the program! tune in! read more

It's great to actually have a radio station that doesn't play the same old junk over and over, and I appreciate that. And Matt Pinfield is awesome, great addition. What I don't really like, though, are the number of female artists that sound pretty much all alike. That bores me incredibly, and I'm a woman! I'm listening right now, and ever since I put it on about 20 minutes ago, every artist is a female with the same annoying types of voice. I wish they would vary it more. Maybe that's what the record companies are currently pushing. This could improve... read more

Great station! Best L.A. alternative for new music, classic rock, jazz and more, they even play B-sides, excellent, and exactly what I've been hoping for! read more

After 8yrs as a contributing listener, the station is not true to their word, and Laura Kelly gaslights. I was promised gifts on the air, during April 2023 pledge drive. Play the tapes Laura. Received nothing. I've gone from listening hrs per day to 1hr in a yr. I used to tell everyone about the station, now I tell everyone about the treatment. As much as they tout being all about the listeners, in my situation the listener is the first person they forgot. Why after 10mos am I posting now? I just rcv'd an e/m regarding my April 2023 contribution. I emailed them back a correction by tapping the membership@thesocalsound.org link they provided. Email bounced back as undeliverable. It would seem that doesn't work either. read more

Pretty decent programming, all the way around. The huge diversity in the playlist is surprisingly listenable, as the programmers choose exactly the right discs to play for an audience it has an intimate familiarity with. Blues, rock, reggae, alternative, jazz ... whatever. Anything goes on this semi-freeform station. Of course, it's not truly "freeform" in the college radio sense, but there is an "independent" quality to what is likely still focus-tested and highly cultivated. Meaning you're going to hear a lot of Lou Reed, Mavis Staples, and Jimmy Cliff on this station. They are overfamiliar, but the tune usually chosen is a deep cut, so it's not like hearing "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," "Bohemian Rhapsody," or "Don't Stop Believin'" over and over again. read more

Yes. There is a pandemic. Yes the music is pretty good, even though for some unknown reason you seem to play a few songs way too many times. It's as if you are the label owner for some songs, or ? The other issue, and I doubt I am alone, is the constant, endless, begging for money. Like you can't go half an hour without begging for money. The relentless " pop up" fund raisers, the Fund raisers, the other fund raisers, it's like that bad friend that never seems to have his stuff together, and is facing eviction every other month. You seem to now have a "Fund Raiser" every two weeks. Keep it classy. Beg, Beg, Beg, Beg.. You might want to just pay for some employees, and hold a real fund raiser, and stop with the embarrassing endless begging. read more

I love the music so much better than any other radio station in Los Angeles. But I do wish that they had a longer range. I am in Inglewood and it's very crackly here; the music is not clear because of the small amount of white noise or crackllyness. read more

This station reminds me a lot of KSCA. Great eclectic mix and some familiar DJs as well. Sure hope its around for a long while. Where else are you going to here Dave Mason followed by Devo? 4 Stars only because the weekend shows are kinda ugh. Cheers read more

Yay for Public Radio! Hey, it's not KCRW, but we try. As a disclaimer, I am an Evening Update anchor on Fridays at 6pm, so I may have biased opinions. As far as getting broadcasting experience from school, what could be better? I went to SMC, and although KCRW is on the campus, students are not allowed to to be involved whatsoever. At KCSN, Cal State Northridge students are responsible for the morning news and the Evening Update on weekdays. Why should you listen to KCSN? How about Beatles Sundays? That's enough for me. read more

I can't begin to tell you how wonderful this radio station is!!!! I agree with Wendy, feels like it was created for me! NO commercials and amazing music from all the decades. read more

Oh my, I work in Sylmar and could only get 98.7 and 89.9 part of the day on my crappy office radio..today I thought I was listening to KCRW..when I turned it on they had MOBY in studio preforming..half listening, I also heard The Clash, Kate Bush and was quite pleased with the selection..then I realized it was a station I never heard of KCSN - 88.5??? Today is my first day listening, and like others, missing THE SOUND..glad the rains cleared the sky so I can get this station loud and clear..Happy Friday to me!! read more

I liked this station at first but now they play the same stuff over and over, it reminds of a Reno station back in the 90's called "The X" when they started playing Dire Straits, Chris Isaak, Fleetwood Mac and the usual tired folk music with a professional DJ. The station is affiliated with Cal State Northridge and it's time to allow college students to get experience, try out new playlists with bands they discover on You Tube and ride the learning curve. read more

BEST RADIO STATION IN LA (& possibly the entire nation)!!!!! This is the ONLY radio station I listen to & I have been listening everyday for over a year now & THEY ARE THE BEST. PERIOD. I am in love with Nick Harcourt, Jim Nelson, & Adam... First place I heard such greats as Lord Huron, The War on Drugs, Boy & Bear, and the list goes on indefinitely! I check out their playlist daily. If you aren't listening, you aren't livin my friend, L-I-V-I-N. That is all, you may go about your business. read more

While working on a Kitchen rebuild project and tired of the incessant Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole and Diane Krall force feeding from 88.1 KJAZ, I inadvertently stumbled upon a DJ playing album side sets from Sarah Vaughn and thought I was in the middle of what 88.1 used to be. To my surprise its call letters were KCSN. Fine voiced eclectic-music-playing DJ's kept me apprised of the play list without pushing the station agenda. Stayed with the station all day Sunday and am here Monday morning listening on the net. What a great find. Too bad the signal is too weak to be heard across the greater Los Angeles airwaves. Goodbye KJAZ and its stuck-in-the mud programming with the Chairman of the Bored, Old King Cole and the Wrong Krall (need Irene, not Diane). read more

This is a radio station with lots of potential, but it seems to never reach it's greatest potential because it can't quite figure out what it wants to be. Is it roots? Is it classical? Is it NPR? Is it student radio? It's a moving target, because it always keeps changing. Come on, decide on what you are and build your audience already! Keep the classical with a little NPR and make sure students have a shot of getting on air... and you'll be great, KCSN. read more

We always complain that there is nothing cool in The Valley... Well KCSN is cool! Check out their Sunday concert series at The Village at Topanga (Where they have a live broadcast studio) or just tune-in and hear music you won't hear on the commercial L.A. radio stations. read more

Best radio station in Los Angeles. The variety is amazing. I hear so many new artists that I like, I spend more money on music now thanks to KCSN. Truly a shame commercial radio in LA has to be so limiting. read more

This is an AWESOME fucking radio station!!! My beloved 100.3 The Sound went away, and I was left stuck with either KLOS (what a crock of horseshit - tired 80's hair bands, anyone?) or KRTH (if I to sit through "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" one more time, I would have slit my wrists), so I went to the internet, typed in "Los Angeles Radio Stations" and found this amazing station. I get a little tingle of excitement with each new song you play, almost ALL OF IT being either current music I have not yet heard (but greatly enjoy), or "classic" rock tunes I have enjoyed all my life. Many surprises and NO COMMERCIALS!! I'm so thrilled to have discovered 88.5!! read more

Cooch and Cameron are fantastik on friday and saturday nights the best rhythm, rock, rockabilly, blues from the 40's and 50's with great commentary absolutely nothing else on the whole wwweb to compare used to love the big kahuna and surf rock show, now off the air sadly Ann "oh woe is me" the Raven is great too, and Twang for classic country, although its changed hosts so many times I'm dizzy too bad no more chuck cecil (big band) read more

If you just want to listen to KCSN for the music they play, provided you can actually pick up their weak signal, fine, enjoy, but if you are thinking of supporting them and think you will actually receive your selected premium, then do so at your own risk. I became a member of KCSN nearly two months ago, my debit card has been debited twice, but I have not received my premium, and don't expect I ever will. Membership director Laura Kelly just gives me the runaround, just excuses and delays, but no premium. I feel they have hoodwinked me. read more

This station recently changed their format and it is FANTASTIC! Not as pretentious as KCRW, and what The Sound (100.3) wishes it could be. A great mix of music from many decades and many styles! read more

The station used to be five stars. And I'll change my review if things change . But as a long-time listener, and sometime donor, I have to say I'm really disappointed . In the last year or so, they really got into some heavy rotation, and in the last few months with Josh Ritter for some reason. I have nothing against him, and his songs are catchy, but c'mon! Enough Already. What happened to the wonderful mix of music this fantastic station used to play? What's happening to independent radio? And why should I have to hit the button when I'm so saturated with the songs they play over and over? read more

This station rocks! Awesome music every time I've tuned in. I just moved here, but this may be my all time favorite station. I don't think it's a question of it now knowing what it is, it knows that good music comes from all eras and all styles. Now excuse me while I go find it streaming and bookmark it (which was my mission, but I had to stop and review it). read more

In the 1970s KCSN had a wonderfully varied program - "Million Dollar Music," "This is Ragtime," some German music, Greek, radio drama, ... always something interesting. I'm so sad to hear of its current condition. It is pleasant now, so 3 stars hoping it can return to its former glory even if only by internet. It's in KCNS's DNA - or the DNA of the program director back then. I'd like to know where he is now... read more

My favorite radio station in LA, for about a year now... Great Roots programming during the week after 5 or 6 pm. But the best show on the radio is Anne the Raven dishing out the Blues on Saturday... Could do without the Classical during the weekdays - but love it the rest of the time... I only wish they broadcast the titles over the car radio like many stations do, the website playlist could be updated quicker... But I have bought plenty of music based on what they've played. read more

I love this station! I just discovered it but have managed to hear a song I absolutely have to Shazam even though I'm driving. They play rad music, Indy, lots of female vocalists. Just make 88.5 happen on your radio of choice and check it out. If you like chicks/electro/Indy/new/undiscoveredtalent you'll dig it like me. read more

nice change but weak signal in the south bay but still listen they now have a few d j's from the old sound radio station chin is back on sundays at 12 o,clock read more