98.1 FM The Rock Station

Rock radio in the United States runs on a formula, and most stations never test it. Fair enough. Guitars still sell, and 98.1 FM The Rock Station works the familiar lane: Zeppelin, Foo Fighters, Metallica, the arena stuff. What makes it worth your time is the willingness to drop newer names into the mix. Turnstile, IDLES, a Queens of the Stone Age deep cut you'd forgotten. That's where it earns its keep. The mid-tempo singles that dominate American rock playlists wear thin fast, and daytime leans on them hard. Not perfect. Push past the obvious hours, though, and the selection sharpens up. If…