RUMOR MILL

Once the top goes up on the Mustang and a moth-eaten sweater/station sweatshirt regains its spot on the back of your faux Aeron chair, your targeted demo seeks the sustenance that only an amplified guitar can provide.

Thursday, August 29, 2013

IVANA TAKES ON THE UNBELIEVERS

When the Days Grow Shorter, Our PoMo Goddess Inevitably Finds Herself Strung Out on Strings

The end of summer is usually marked by a festival appearance of one of your all-time favorite bands, the completion of your Xmas show lineup, my yearly realization that I forgot to take a vacation and, like clockwork, the format’s declaration that it “needs” rock records. Yes, dear Modern Rock fans, now is the time to put away your white shoes (except for sneakers, where white is acceptable 365 days/year) and search for songs with guitars. This summer’s soundtrack has had a great beat, and even you could dance to it, and that “sound” will linger well into the winter, especially with Avicii, Daft Punk, Empire of the Sun, Phoenix and a certain Grammy-winning-band-with-a-new-single-on-the-horizon providing the groove. The “pop” favorites of the past few months will begat many others in their wake, like second singles from the aforementioned Phoenix, my beloved Vampire Weekend, The Neighbourhood and Capital Cities, plus the new ones from Bastille, Chvrches (my latest obsession), NONONO, Ms Mr, Said the Whale and Walk Off the Earth (in Power at WRFF!), to name a few. But once the top goes up on the Mustang and a moth-eaten sweater/station sweatshirt regains its spot on the back of your faux Aeron chair, your targeted demo seeks the sustenance that only an amplified guitar can provide. Case in point: I’ve been on the road quite a bit lately, visiting markets where Tame Impala’s “Elephant” has reached the sweet spot of very positive MScores and fantastic call-out, and these are also the stations that are usually quickest to Power the pop-leaning hits. Instead of my uttering my first thought (“I told you so”), I asked why this song was doing so well. One major market PD was specific in his response: “We need more songs like Tame :-)” (emoticon included), to which I could draw the conclusion that indie-rock songs with a built-in fanbase could do quite well in this climate. So beyond the obvious (Tame and Queens of the Stone Age), may I suggest Franz Ferdinand’s “Right Action?” The band’s latest single has been hailed as their best since “Take Me Out” and their new CD Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action is out today! Another record worthy of your attention is the latest from The Head and the Heart, whose new single “Shake” sounded incredible when I heard it on KNDD. And if I were PD, I’d definitely be playing The National’s “Graceless,” which is a stunning achievement from an amazing band! And is there a better song out now to greet September than Two Door Cinema Club’s “Changing of the Seasons?” Impossible!... It’s also the time of year when leather jackets are de rigueur, as is a listener’s need for swagger. Indie musicians return from European festivals, where they were hailed as rock gods, ready to conquer America, like Hanni El Khatib, whose Dan Auerbach-produced masterpiece has hearts (and other body parts) aflutter. Some programmers have said that “Penny” is a smash, while I lean towards his attitude-laden performances on “Family” and “Head in the Dirt.” Everybody agrees that Hanni is an exceptional talent (and very swoon-worthy)… I’m also in love with the new Arctic Monkeys single, “Do I Wanna Know?” Radio is in absolute agreement… At the HITS bunker, we’re all obsessed with Haim’s “The Wire,” even if Lenny insists on referring to the band as “L’Chaim.”… Congratulations to Thirty Seconds to Mars on their VMA win for Best Rock Video for “Up in the Air.” Their latest single, “City of Angels,” is already Top 20 at Modern Rock, and I can’t verify any rumors that the new video features twerking by Bill Carroll and Howard Petruziello… In the course of daily conversations with many of you, there’s an overwhelming end-of-summer sense of burnout, frustration, futility, exhaustion and hurt feelings (and that’s just me). But seriously, and I’m the last to take my own advice, use the pending holiday weekend to take stock of the past few months, enjoy your time away, and make a mental list of goals for the rest of the year (“keeping my job” remains #1 on my list). Despite what Neil Young said, it isn’t better to burn out than it is to rust (or fade away). My my, hey hey: [email protected].

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