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My obsession with Tame Impala was boosted mightily this week by the debut of the new BlackBerry z10 ad campaign, which prominently features the band’s “Elephant.”

IVANA’S TATTERED LINE OF STRING

HITS PoMo Queen Looks Back at SXSW,
Looks Ahead to Coachella
Has it really been two weeks since SXSW? Then why am I still so tired! I managed to see more bands in a few short days than I usually do all year, including The Chevin (4x), Syd Arthur (4x), Divine Fits (4x), The Zombies (3x: meeting Colin Blunstone was a SXSW highlight!), Hanni El Khatib (3x), Little Green Cars (2x), Kongos (2x), plus countless other bands, playing in far-flung venues, as I sprinted from show to show (or relied on my “personal” pedi-cab driver Chad—he’s my guy). Although I never made it to any of the EVENT shows, except for the 101X show Wednesday night, and, when given the choice of seeing 99.99% of the bands playing or Divine Fits, I always picked the latter, I don’t think I missed any band that I won’t see in two weeks at Coachella. I do regret not meeting Wendy Rollins and Walt Flakus (again), but I pretty much managed to see the rest of you, even if only in passing (as in, you were passing out and I was passing through)… During SXSW, the rumor of KNDD PD Mike Kaplan’s appointment as PD at KYSR was CONFIRMED, and we will welcome his arrival to L.A. in May with TastyKakes and champagne. Mike’s move to L.A. opens up one of the best PD gigs in the format: PD at The End. Who is the best candidate for that job? According to Ted Volk, it’s him, and I’m sure there’s a long list of qualified applicants anxious to work in Seattle with the brilliant Dave Richards. I definitely have my “choice,” and since I was at the station the day it signed on 20+ years ago, I feel a certain vested interest in The End’s ongoing success… The triumphant return of Steve Masters and Spud to the morning show at Live105 proves Ted’s adage, “once a name, always a threat.” Who doesn’t have fond memories of the radio convention (Gavin, I think), when Steve started giving the Reprise Records rep AND Howie Klein grief because “Hosh got his Depeche Mode gold record before I did” (as said in his distinctive intonation)? Mike and Amanda should keep that in mind when the new Depeche record goes Gold… My obsession with Tame Impala was boosted mightily this week by the debut of the new BlackBerry z10 ad campaign, which prominently features the band’s “Elephant.” According to those who were glued to March Madness all weekend (everybody in your demo), the BlackBerry spot ran approximately every five minutes. Single and album sales exploded on iTunes with every airing of the commercial, and radio has taken heed. 91X, Alt Nation, KROX, WZNE and WARQ added Tame Impala this week, and many other programmers, long aware of this band (whose latest Lonerism has scanned over 90k), will follow suit in the ensuing weeks. The planets have aligned, and this band is poised to have a well-deserved radio hit! How exciting!... You gotta have faith that the new Vampire Weekend single “Diane Young” will be the band’s biggest hit to date. Risa Lawrenson had another spectacular week at radio, and the song is already Top 25 since its release a week ago! If you want evidence of how much your audience cares about this band, look at iTunes singles sales and the speed with which the tour sells out… There’s a HUGE buzz around the Thirty Seconds to Mars single “Up in the Air,” which is trending Top 10, and nearly closed-out at Modern Rock. The format is in dire need of “Rock Stars,” and without question, Jared Leto fits the bill. For those who have yet to add the record, I challenge you to name the lead singer of your Top 10 most-played bands. Exactly... For those who rely on MScores these days to determine a record’s fate, hasn’t the inherent flaws of this methodology become abundantly clear to you? Unfamiliar music makes a listener push the button to see what else is available to them. More often than not, they’ll return to your station because YOUR station was their first choice to begin with. Unfortunately, this is not reflected in a song’s MScores. Records that are relegated to overnight airplay often have good MScores because the listener is too lazy/tired/stoned to change the station at that hour. Plus the “sample” is so small, that what/who are you really measuring? Seems incredibly counterintuitive….Speaking of pointless, email me: [email protected].
NEAR TRUTHS: SPRING BLOOMS
Here come the big guns. (3/28a)
THE COUNT: COLDPLAY IS HOT, COUNTRY'S COOKIN' IN THE U.K.
The latest tidbits from the bustling live sector (3/28a)
CITY OF HOPE TAPS MARCIANO FOR TOP HONOR
This year's philanthropic model (3/28a)
TRUST IN THE TOP 20
Hip-hop is no longer hibernating. (3/28a)
UMG BROADENS SPOTIFY OFFERINGS
Sir Lucian and Daniel are in harmony. (3/28a)
THE NEW UMG
Gosh, we hope there are more press releases.
TIKTOK BANNED!
Unless the Senate manages to make this whole thing go away, that is.
THE NEW HUGE COUNTRY ACT
No, not that one.
TRUMP'S CAMPAIGN PLAYLIST
Now 100% unlicensed!
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