IVANA GETS HER SWAGGER BACK

WOULD THAT NOT BE NICE: Two years ago, Arcade Fire’s The Suburbs was released, ultimately earning the Grammy for Album of the Year. The majority of Modern Rock programmers were initially uncertain if “Ready to Start” was a viable song for the format, which it was (Top 10), and other singles from the album followed, including “We Used to Wait,” one of the band’s most complex (and rewarding) songs, which was a legitimate hit in NYC, San Francisco, Boston, Chicago (WXRT), Seattle, Portland, etc. My goal, as the band’s champion, is that the next Arcade Fire record is as close to an “automatic” as there is, believing that radio programmers have come to love, appreciate and value the band. There are only a few core bands in the format where momentum supercedes all else—currently Green Day, Linkin Park, No Doubt, Killers, whose songs soar based on good will, “brand confidence,” superstar status and likeability. It is a promotion person’s dream (and Rob Goldklang’s life) to work with a roster of artists whose first singles are always hailed as an event. After a few groundbreaking years, Glassnote’s Nick Petropoulos is reaping the benefits of the work he and his team of like-minded cheerleaders (count me in!) did to launch Phoenix, Two Door Cinema Club and Mumford & Sons, as the first single from the new Mumford record, “I Will Wait,” arrived at 11:45AM PST this morning. It’s unquestionably Mumford at its finest, and for those of us who spend our Tuesdays watching radio adds come in (or not come in, sigh), today’s barrage of “automatics” for a song, whose main instrument is banjo, filled our icy veins with hope… Arcade Fire, Mumford & Sons, and most certainly now The Lumineers, have redefined the Modern Rock “mainstream,” supplanting faceless rock with songs that are immediately relatable. It’s why your audience still isn’t sick of Gotye and Alex Clare. These are the equivalent of The Cure and The Smiths songs you put on mixtapes in your youth (my mixtapes were all Todd Rundgren, but I digress). Everybody is striving for a connection and a song that articulates how they feel. This is hardly a new sentiment (refer to Garden State soundtrack, among others), but, for the first time in ages, these songs are legitimate Modern Rock hits. In a perfect world, Nada Surf’s “When I Was Young” would also be a monster radio hit, as its build-up and ultimate payoff offers a catharsis that only the most gifted songwriters can master… “Swagger” is my favorite word these days (as opposed to “moist,” which retains top spot as my least favorite word). It’s the “umami” of radio playlists: an attitude and posture that defines Modern Rock as male-focused format. Black Keys, Jack White, Bush, AWOLNATION, The Heavy and now Divine Fits, bring some much-needed presence and edge to the pop songs dominating the chart. For the uninitiated, Divine Fits is a new band featuring Britt Daniel from Spoon, Dan Boeckner from Wolf Parade/Handsome Furs and Sam Brown from New Bomb Turks. Their debut A Thing Called Divine Fits will be released on Merge Records on Aug. 28, featuring the single “Would That Not Be Nice,” which my pal Norm Winer called, “the best song in 28 years.” The band did a Big Room for CD101 yesterday, which I wish I could’ve attended, but was certainly there in spirit… Also high on the swagger-meter is Kasabian’s “Days Are Forgotten,” which is currently #1 in MScores at 91X (don’t tell Christy I know, in case this info is proprietary). This means that NOBODY CHANGES THE STATION when 91X plays Kasabian. This is HUGE information that I hope serves you well… I’m making my yearly pilgrimage to Boulder this Thursday, mostly as an excuse to see some old friends, former colleagues, and stalk Alabama Shakes. And my favorite clothing store Max beckons, with promises of Ann Demuelemeester, Martin Margiela and other decidedly unhippie-like attire. My “soundtrack” for the trip will be the new Grizzly Bear record, which is one of the two best records of the year, along with Divine Fits… Rocky Mountain Hi, How Are You: [email protected].