POST TOASTED: ON THE SET OF PEPSI SMASH, MORE

TIME STANDS STILL: Thanks to everyone for making last week’s birthday feel less like a Tuesday than usual, especially Erika, who alleviated me from all but the most mandatory deadline responsibilities. Her generosity enabled me to do what Leos enjoy the most: being the center of attention. The “spotlight” (imagined) followed me from the office to one of my other summer jobs, the set of Pepsi Smash, where I definitely played the birthday card to elicit a hug from Ben Harper (who scored MAJOR points with me by correctly identifying my handbag as a new Marc Jacobs!). When Virgin goddess Jenni Sperandeo and I ventured into the audience to watch the taping, nearly 500 kids started singing “Happy Birthday.” Wow, Erika really is unbelievable—first a call from the Polyphonic Spree (yes, all 24 of them), and now this! Reality kicked in when the crowd sang “Happy birthday, dear Taylor.” Turns out, it was the guitar player in Rooney’s 19^th birthday, and since the spotlight was really on him, I returned to the preferable vantage point from behind the scenes…. Fellow Leo Jacqueline Saturn and the Epic gang were front-and-center with another stupendous week on Fuel’s “Falls on Me,” including WBCN, WWCD, KROX, WPLA, X-96, KQXR and more! As of today, Jacqueline, Joel, JJ and Margie are in possession of something worth its weight in gold—no, PLATINUM: the new Travis single, “Re Offender.” The add date is August 26, which will make Erika’s birthday a very happy one, indeed! PLEASE get Erika a copy of this song ASAP so she can finally replace “Flowers in the Window” on her home answering machine!... As V2 launched the brilliant new White Stripes single, “Hardest Button to Button,” to #2 Most Added this week, we also learned of Rick Morrison’s projected August 31 departure from the label to pursue a longtime dream of going into the wine business (as opposed to my dream of someone listening to my incessant whining). Rick will be the National Sales Manager for Qupe, working with distributors, sommeliers and chefs! Do sommeliers put wines into “research” after a few swigs? Since this is one of the last times in Rick’s career that he can say he was “Most Added” (a phrase that bears no significance to 99.99% of the population), we think that he and Matt Pollack should be acknowledged with an extensive list of the PoMo stations adding the White Stripes this week, including WBCN, Y100, KPNT, KNRK, KTEG, KCXX¸ WRAX, KFMA, KUCD, WARQ, WDYL, WJRR, WKRL, WWDX, WBTZ, WBUZ, WWCD, KRBZ, WJRR, KLEC, KHBZ and more! Um, Rick, before you leave, do you think you could score me a pair of tickets to see the Stripes’ show at the Greek? At least I’ll be one friend who’ll never ask you for free wine!.... As PoMo radio tries to find a slot every week for the “automatics,” like new singles from A Perfect Circle, Limp Bizkit, new Ataris in a few weeks, Metallica, 311, etc., there still manages to be a few spaces left over for songs that define the word “alternative.” Despite OutKast selling millions, it is still completely cool that KROQ, 99X and Q101 added “Hey Ya” this week! Every spin helps redefine the format. Same goes for fellow platinum artists Radiohead and near-million-ers AFI, whose “The Leaving Song Pt. 2” was added this week at KKND and WJBX. Samuel Jackson and his S.W.A.T. team have nothing on the negotiating skills of those in the PoMo promo front lines! (Speaking of S.W.A.T., after the #1 box office debut, you should definitely be taking advantage of the Hot Action Cop single from the just-released soundtrack! Call us if you need a copy)…. Before I have to run to the final taping of Smash (both The All-American Rejects and Yellowcard are on—be still my heart!), let me continue the previous thread regarding new bands managing to make a big impact in a climate that couldn’t be less conducive to such things. Look at the tremendous job our Virgin friends are doing with B.M.R.C.’s “Stop,” landing both Q101 and WBCN this week! Next week, they’re launching the genius single, “Dynomite,” from IMA Robot with equally relentless passion and commitment. In six months’ time, both records will still be very much in play, just as Hot Hot Heat’s “Bandages” and Interpol’s “Obstacle 1” continue to gain ground, many months after the add date… Sometimes it’s as much about education as promotion: New Line’s Kevin Kertes is dedicated to convincing PoMo radio that The Sounds’ “Seven Days a Week” can work for the format. The band has made a major commitment to touring and their presence has definitely impacted sales! Bill Carroll, Mike DiPippa and Buddy Deal have traversed the country to personally set up the Jet record, “Are You Gonna Be My Girl.” The band also played a few key showcases, which blew away the programmers in attendance. The song has been Top Five phones at KCRW (they were also early supporters of The Strokes and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs), which bodes well for the song’s success at PoMo. WPBZ and KFMA weighed in with early adds this week, and the Elektra gang have whispered the call letters of other major-market heavies expected next week. The band will be touring with another PoMo buzz band, Kings of Leon, beginning next month! Speaking of the Kings, their Second Stage slot on Lollapalooza is the only thing that could get me to brave the afternoon O.C. sun. Especially now that the Prada store closed at South Coast Plaza!.... Another amazing week on Switchfoot’s “Meant to Live,” as the Columbia team closes out the few remaining stragglers. This song is a SMASH!.... SONG TO HEAR: The All-American Rejects’ “Time Stands Still”…. PEOPLE TO WATCH: Tim Richards, Bob Waugh, Lisa Worden, John DiMaio, Violet, Lynn Barstow, Lisa Cristiano, Gary Spivack, Jeff Sodikoff, Rob Goldklang and Chris Williams.