Thistle Radio

Thistle Radio is the SomaFM channel that explores music from Celtic roots and branches. The programme covers traditional music from Ireland, Scotland, Brittany, Wales and other Celtic regions, along with Celtic-influenced folk, fiddle tunes, pipes, harps, ballads and contemporary groups who fuse the tradition with rock, electronic or world music. The mood ranges from lively dance tunes to haunting laments, and the selection pays attention to both well-loved classics and newer artists who keep the tradition changing.

It is a channel of SomaFM, the listener-supported, commercial-free internet radio station based in San Francisco and on the air since 2000. Because the station accepts no advertising, Thistle Radio can follow its own taste, and its programmers include material that large stations rarely feature. It works well for quiet afternoons, St Patrick's Day, travelling, reading or anything that benefits from a lilt of fiddle and pipes. The stream is delivered as MP3 at 128 kbps, so it loads quickly even on a modest mobile connection, and the artist and title can be shown in the player as each tune changes.