ere at Cladrite Industries, we meet many people who live with one foot in the past, one foot in the present, and an eye toward the future. That is to say, they love movies made back when they were still called “pictures,” pop music of decades gone by, classic (and not-so-classic) fiction of the first half of the 20th century, venerable restaurants that predate the chains, and so much more, but not at the exclusion of the latest and greatest — contemporary movies (“films,” even), new music, innovative trends in dining, and the latest in groundbreaking technology. They are not so much nostalgic as they are intrigued by and appreciative of pop culture of the (relatively) recent past.

Film archivist Rick Prelinger said it nicely in a 2002 SF Weekly profile:

“I’m fascinated with the look of the past. I have an urgent need to form images of what a place looked like in the ’40s or ’50s. What did it smell like? What were people wearing? What [was] people’s body language? Was it noisy or quiet? Was the air smoky?”

We like to think we (and Mr. Prelinger — who has nothing whatsoever to do with this site, by the way; we’re just great admirers of his. If you’re not familiar with the Prelinger Collection of ephemeral films, check them out at www.archive.org) are not the only ones who feel this way. And while we can’t promise that the musical offerings you’ll encounter at CladriteRadio.com will bring the past back as richly and fully as we’d all like them to, it’s our sincere hope that they will, at least, keep alive the decades (and the artists) that spawned them in some small way.

We hope you’ll let us know what you think of our online radio station. We’re pleased with the early response — we were recently ranked #1 in our genre at Live365.com (we’ve since moved into a more competitive category, and we’re climbing the ranks there, too), and we’ve already attracted listeners from more than 62 countries (hello, Slovenia!).

Just click on the link on the upper left to join the fun. You can listen ad-free if you become a VIP member, but the music is available to all, free of charge.

Thanks for stopping by, and enjoy!

Your pals at CladriteRadio.com