Hearing about M. Ward’s new, free app for smartphones, one could assume it’s a companion to the soulful, gritty set of tunes on A Wasteland Companion. But, nope. It allows users to locate and listen to more than 1,000 independent public-radio stations across the country. M. Ward’s love of radio is well documented. For example, his 2005 album, Transistor Radio, was a collection of songs inspired by “memories of a utopian radio power,” which he dedicated to “the last of the remaining independent radio stations.” OK, the app isn’t all altruistic. M. Ward junkies can also stream the songwriter’s tunes and get touring information. DeVotchKa will start things off.
