HERE COMES THE FLOOD

By Karen Glauber

I just offered a roll of toilet paper to a PD for an add. On Amazon, most paper products, if you can find them, are going for more than a Jeff Deane overnight five-spin special. I was joking (sorta), and yes, I’ll probably get the add, but it’s indicative of how much the world has changed in the past week.

Just a week ago, we were celebrating Kevin Weatherly’s last days at KROQ, hiding our tears as air-talent extraordinaire Nicole Alvarez shared her gratitude for growing and thriving under Kevin’s tutelage. If there were ever a remake of To Sir With Love, Nicole’s speech, followed by a performance of an original song from Chris Martin, would have to be included in this movie.

 Just a week ago, Mike Kaplan and Michael Martin began to reshape KROQ to be morereflective of what WNYL and KITS have been doing for the past year: Embracing songs that are streaming and are hitting the sweet spot of a certain truly “Alternative” sound: Powfu, Ashe (which was first heard on 98.7), AJR, Glass Animals, Tame Impala, MGK, Post Malone, 24KGoldn, and KennyHoopla are among the artists now being heard on 106.7. Lisa Worden has 98.7 sounding modern and buoyant—these two L.A. stations can revitalize what has been considered an increasingly irrelevant format. This is a huge shift, and you should absolutely pay attention to what these stations are doing.

Now, more than ever, local radio has the power to inform, entertain and provide a sense of community for anxious listeners.

Just a week ago, I’d never heard of “social distancing.” I practiced it, unknowingly, as part of my inherent dislike of people, but now, as it’s become a mandate, radio can provide a connection by offering reliable information regarding this health crisis, as well as a soothing voice and the sense that their audience is sharing this same scary experience. I would take on-air requests, offer listener-generated Top 10s every night and provide constant online updates. I’d have artists FaceTime online with DJs to mitigate some of the FOMO that the audience (especially in L.A.) is feeling about the cancellation of Coachella.

In two brief updates, Tom Hanks has connected the coronavirus to his millions of fans. Seeing how he and Rita Wilson are handling their illness is the, well, “kindest” reality check we could have. What is radio doing to quell the anxiety of their audience?

Just a week ago, I was canceling my flight to SXSW. I blamed my edginess on Mercury being in retrograde (adorable), and had no idea that the music business would be working remotely for the foreseeable future. My son’s school will be shutting down on Monday for two weeks, and I’m grateful that he’ll be home. Unlike the days of Mike Jacobs putting his son David on the phone to programmers, Julian will not be calling you. Anyway, it worked out well for David, who has the most exciting record in the market right now with Ashe. This song is a smash, and Mom+Pop earned its #1 Most Added status this week.

The incredibly reactive song by Powfu (featuring Beabadoobee) will now be called “Cup of Coffee” (rather than “death bed”). Beabadoobee’s “Coffee” is the sample on the track, and you’ll be hearing infinitely more about this beautiful artist in the months ahead. Her first radio single will be released in May, and I’m looking forward to her tour as an opener for The 1975 (along with the spectacular Phoebe Bridgers).

Just a week ago, Patti Smith played at the Disney Concert Hall. Seeing Patti in concert helps me reconnect with my higher power (which happens to be her), and I loved when she said, “I read that it’s the month of the woman. That’s really nice and all, but being a girl myself, I thought, one fucking month?” Thank you, Patti.

We need to talk about Jehnny Beth, who, in my informed option, is the artist who will inspire the Modern Rock generation, just as Patti was the artist who defined mine…. The new Killers’ single, presciently titled “Caution,” is their masterpiece. This song deserves a swift ascendance to #1. ALBUM TO HEAR: KALEO’s Surface Sounds (“I Want More” is my favorite song they’ve ever done). Be safe. Stay healthy. Take care of each o