IVANA IS TRYING TO BE COOL

So thrilled to report that Garett Michaels is the new PD at KNDD Seattle, replacing Mike Kaplan, the newly anointed PD at KYSR Los Angeles. Both seem to have found their perfect gigs, and we wish them much happiness and success in their new cities… Last year it seemed like James Steele at WROX was the new shining star of PoMo radio. We appreciated his passion for music and willingness to be the first to step out on a record. And, for a while, when he was embracing bands like The Lumineers and Mumford & Sons, his ratings were great. As often happens, he chose to swing the pendulum too far to the left, the ratings tanked, and James has now exited the station. It’s a cautionary tale that James will undoubtedly recover from, as we all have at some point in our career. He took a big risk, and this will serve him well in the future. When I was younger, there were moments when I believed I had it all figured out, and that I was invincible, only to be bitch-slapped by a cold burst of reality soon after. There’s also the inevitability of working for someone who will relish in your failure, giving you that proverbial rope from which to hang yourself. Never lose sight of who is signing your paycheck, and always remember that what you do is not who you are… After wandering the desert for the past two weekends at Coachella, my sunburn is finally calming down, the sand in my eyes is slightly less irritating, and my hearing may even resume soon. Six days and night of music is a lot, even for those decades younger, but I loved every moment. My favorite moment was reuniting with the Violent Femmes, one of the first bands I ever championed (via their four-song cassette demo) in the early ’80s. Many other musicians at Coachella showed a great reverence towards the Femmes, and I was happy to make the introductions. Other musical mind-blowing highlights included Divine Fits (I would be absolutely thrilled to see this band 365 days/year), Phoenix’s glorious return as the headliners (how incredible is Bankrupt!), Hanni El Khatib’s unbridled swagger, Yeasayer’s brilliant set (I’ll admit it, I danced), The Lumineers’ 80,000-fans-can’t-be-wrong sing-along (I’ll admit it, I cried), Franz Ferdinand’s premiere of certain-to-be-hits new songs, The Selecter, OMD, New Order, The Make Up (and other longtime faves), The Airborne Toxic Event’s impassioned performance of crowd favorites, including “Timeless,” Vampire Weekend’s buoyant and thrilling show (“Diane Young” is a SMASH) and Tame Impala’s MESMERIZING performance in front of the biggest Outdoor Stage crowd I’ve ever seen. “Elephant” was the obvious standout, with 40,000+ fans mangling every word. Put it this way, the KBZT gang were so impressed by the show that they added the record this week! I know that Tame Impala is not an obvious fit, but ask 91X and WWCD about their MScores—the passion for this band/song is high and unequivocal. You will play this record. And it will be a hit for you. Jimmy Kimmel and I agreed on our other lesser-seen Coachella picks; in fact, “These bands are so obscure, we made them up.”… Speaking of hits, the Daft Punk single “Get Lucky” is so much fun! A perfect summer song! The Niles Rodgers bassline is as infectious now as it was when I was an indie rock snob in the early ’80s. Good times, indeed!… Everybody loves the band The National, and they’ve just released their best single yet, “Don’t Swallow the Cap.” They sell more records than 90% of the bands you’re currently playing, and have delivered the song that will sound spectacular in your mix. J’adore… Since “Ho Hey” and “Stubborn Love” were gigantic hits for you, adding the new Lumineers song “Submarines” is a total no-brainer. And yes, you should play all three singles in Power rotation. At the same time… A big hail to KRBZ for adding The Black Angels’ “Don’t Play With Guns,” especially timely in light of the many senators who rejected the background check amendments. People before politics? Ha!… A standing ovation for our dear Jenni Sperandeo on her add at KTCL on Royal Teeth. She is smarter and more tenacious than you. It’s in your best interest to do as she asks… Off to Amoeba Records now to buy the new Phoenix CD. I suggest you do the same… Your Coachella highlight? Email me: [email protected].