By Karen Glauber
The opening line from a song on the next Lumineers album has been my mantra since I first heard it months ago: “Where we are, I don’t know where we are, but it will be okay.” As of last Thursday, I have a 13-year-old child, which still seems unfathomable to me. I’ve now ventured out of the house to see three shows—Hall & Oates/Squeeze last week, Spoon/St. Vincent the week prior and Glass Animals the week before that. I can’t say it felt normal, because nothing feels normal these days, but it certainly amplified how important live music is to my well-being. With luck, Moses Sumney and Phoebe Bridgers will be the next concerts I attend.
Speaking of the Lumineers (as I often do), “BRIGHTSIDE” has been #1 Greatest Gainer for the past two weeks, and the song will be trending Top 10 by the time you read this. I definitely feel at my professional best when The Lumineers and AJR are in cycle. It’s a bounty right now, with the Daisy the Great/AJR single solidly in the Top 25, while also entrenched on the Spotify Viral Chart. All I need is a new Spoon single to make my work life complete.
Congrats to Nick Petropoulos at Arista for achieving two milestones with Måneskin’s “Beggin’”: They’re the first Italian band to have a #1 song at Alternative radio, and “Beggin’” is the fastest to #1 at Alternative radio by a debut artist/debut single! We should also acknowledge that this is the first time a Frankie Valli cover has gone to #1 at Alternative, for the three people in the format who know who Frankie Valli is. Ted and I are taking bets about how many weeks “Beggin’” will be at #1. Will Dennis Blair and Artie Gentile have a shot at #1 with Foo Fighters’ “Making a Fire”? Will “Beggin’” be #1 at both Alternative and Top 40, which will fuel an even longer run at Alt? This is a fun one to watch!
Records that should be commanding your fiercest attention include MUNA’s “Silk Chiffon” (featuring Phoebe Bridgers); Wet Leg’s “Chaise Longue”; which is thisclose to bursting wide open; Wolf Alice’s “Smile,” which is an absolute smash; and Wilderado’s “Head Right” on Bright Antenna, which everybody agrees is a wonderful song with massive potential.
Lenny Diana, our old friend who insists on perpetuating the myth that “Rocktober” is a thing, has been anointed PD at WTTS in Indianapolis and WGBJ in Ft. Wayne, where he’ll be working closely with programming assistant/my new best friend Zack Skyler. Former PD Laura Duncan has moved to Chicago to be PD at WXRT, an extraordinary job that went to the most extraordinary candidate.
On Monday, Lisa Worden will be announcing next year’s Alter Ego. From what we’ve heard, it’s an A-plus-plus-list lineup.
Based on metrics, Cannons’ “Bad Dream” is showing all of the signs one would look for when determining if a song is an Alternative hit. Lisa Sonkin and Darice Lee WILL get this record, and then you, my dear radio friend, will tell everyone that YOU broke the band. Andy Hawk gets the collar on that one, for sure.
Pay attention to the new Papa Roach single “Kill the Noise,” which is already Top 10 at Active after a few weeks. If “Last Resort” were a Current, it would still be Top 50 on the Alternative chart! As you know, there’s an enormous affection for this sound and this band, and I urge you to join Tommy Mattern and Elliot Wood in giving the new single (which is trending Top 45 at Alternative) a serious shot.
The ratings for Saturday Night Live should be massive, since Kim Kardashian hosted and Halsey was the musical guest. “You asked for this” feels like a sleeper smash for the format.
SONG TO HEAR: Del Water Gap’s “Perfume.”
