The Only Alternative (or TOA for short) started out life as Words and Music nine years ago, before morphing into its current form after about 80 shows when the “words” half of the crew moved away. Since then, it’s been a wild ride now proudly broadcasting as part of the Coalville Public Radio family. A big thanks to the team for letting me indulge my musical obsessions and be part of this exciting new chapter.

Originally focused on punk and all things punk-adjacent, the show has evolved into a broader but still very biased mix. There’s still plenty of punk and its many glorious subgenres, but expect reggae, ska, indie, post-punk, folk, rockabilly, a bit of classic rock, and even a return to Goth Corner every now and then. Basically, if we like it or it makes us laugh it gets played.

At TOA Towers, we’re also suckers for daft song titles, niche covers, and tenuous links that string a few tracks together just because we can. We love supporting local gigs and regularly play tracks by bands appearing in the area.

We’re proud to be a bit rough around the edges and rank amateurs compared to many of the CPR team but we’ll do our best to live up to their standards. Come join us for a weekly blast of the unexpected.