By Karen Glauber

After two major anniversaries (my 30th sober birthday and my 32nd year at HITS), the only notable occasion last week was Rex Manning Day on 4/8 (for those who celebrate). It’s always fun to hear from Audacy’s Christy Taylor on this day, which, for the gratefully uninformed, commemorates the date of the Rex Manning (Maxwell Caufield) in-store in the 1995 movie Empire Records. It was the first soundtrack I’d ever worked on, and I’m grateful for my tiny contribution to an ongoing pop-culture phenomenon. I’ll be celebrating by taking Julian to see Cavetown, accompanied by Rob Goldklang and KROQ’s Miles Anzaldo. I’ll be the one in a mask.

Congrats to St. Vincent for winning the Grammy for Alternative Album of the Year, a category she shared with Fleet Foxes, Halsey, Japanese Breakfast and Arlo Parks. One might surmise that the dominance of female voices in the Alternative category reflects a similar shift in Alternative radio. Currently, seven of the 40 most-played songs at Alternative have female lead singers. That’s an improvement from the usual 10% or less on a typical chart, but hardly reflective of the streaming power of female artists vs. male artists.

I’m beyond “grateful” to The Sands Report for enlisting a male PD this week to tell other male PDs that it’s OK to play female artists. I’m a fan of the male PD, and it should be noted that he has supported songs by Snail Mail, Mitski, etc., but it felt like the female artists we champion on the radio and label sides can only be validated if a man does the talking.

The biggest song in the world right now is “As It Was” by Harry Styles, which was added this week by Lisa Worden in Los Angeles and Laura Lee in Columbus. I’m rarely awake by the time the headliner is onstage at Coachella, but even if I’m nowhere near the stage, I’ll be there for Harry.

Massive congratulations to Dan Connelly at Capitol for nearing Top 5 at Alternative with Bob Moses’ “Love Brand New.” Considering how packed the chart is with core artists like Red Hot Chili Peppers, Imagine Dragons, Muse, The Black Keys, Weezer, etc., this accomplishment feels especially extraordinary. Bravo!

Props are also due Team Wilderado and our friends at Bright Antenna, as “Head Right” ascends to the Top 10. We love this song, and we love this team.

Happy Wet Leg Day! Everybody’s favorite new band’s debut album, Wet Leg, is finally out! Last June, “Chaise Longue” was our collective answer to the question, “What new music should I be listening to?” The album’s other standout, “Wet Dream,” will be the next radio single, impacting 4/18.

A song I’m obsessed with, Winder’s “Memory,” is this week’s Audacy “Pick of the Week,” hence its Top 35 debut. Looking at the boosted streams and Shazams from this exposure, this song should stick around beyond the feature.

Next week’s “Pick of the Week” will be “Talk” by beabadoobee, which has over 3 million streams since release, and I know you’ll be with me when she plays Coachella on Sunday.

Bishop Briggs, newly signed to Arista, has returned with a new song, “High Water,” written after the passing of her beloved sister Kate, whom many of us knew and adored. I cried at first listen. And second listen. And every listen since.

DC101’s morning powerhouse, Elliot in the Morning, will now be heard on multiple Audacy stations, including WNYL NYC, beginning 4/11. Elliot, in addition to being a ratings juggernaut, has exceptional taste in music. The format needs to survive, by whatever means necessary, and I think it’s very clever of Mike Kaplan to incorporate a proven talent into his mix.

I was thrilled to read about this summer’s Interpol/Spoon co-headlining tour. On the heels of the announcement, Interpol has released a new song, “Toni,” which you will love, while Spoon’s genius single “Wild” was added this week at 101X and WLUM.

It was a big weekend of shows: Cavetown on Friday, Rina Sawayama on Saturday and Beach House on Sunday. I’ve been doing my best to feel “normal,” at least while I can.