OOPS—RADIOHEAD IS
FAR FROM RADIO-DEAD

Boy, do we look dumb. Following a glib reference to a certain English band as perhaps wanting to be "Radio-dead" in our infamous companion mag's well-read "HITS List," we actually took the time to read the PoMo charts. And guess what, radio—and more importantly, radio listeners—have embraced the first single, "Optimistic."

In spite of pre-release hype proclaiming Radiohead's fourth CD, "Kid A," as an old-school "album" lacking a radio single, "Optimistic," is getting plenty of spins at PoMo. Hell, it's #1 phones at KROQ Los Angeles, a station dominated by the Incubuses and Papa Roaches of the world. The Capitol release was among the Top Five Most Added the week of 9/18 and is now Top 10 at a number of key stations, including KROQ (#6) and KNDD Seattle (#7), as well as Adult PoMo mainstayWXRT Chicago (#2),leaving pessimistic prognosticators scratching their collective 'heads, so to speak.

Capitol clearly had an uphill battle when it took "Optimistic" to radio, but the label seems to have met the challenge.

Never underestimate the power of a band doing things its own way. Early sales numbers have "Kid A" in a fight for #1 with Green Day and Mystikal on next week's chart.

Press on the record has been well nigh spectacular, even for a critics' favorite, though the band is only doing one print interview—in Spin—for the disc. Advances of the record were basically non-existent; journalists were invited to listen to the album but not given copies to take home for review. Still, the entire record showed up on Napster three weeks before streeting on 10/3.

The band is on Saturday Night Live Oct. 14, and plays its only scheduled American dates at Manhattan's Roseland 10/11 and L.A.'s Greek Theatre 10/20.

Rob Gordon, if you're reading this, we're sorry for doubting. Now, can we get ducats?