HISTORY NEVER REPEATS (UNTIL IT DOES): First and foremost, CONGRATS to our pal Brien Terranova on his new gig as Senior Director Promotion for the Beggars Group, joining newly VP’d Risa Matsuki in the quest to redefine the mainstream by giving some of the greatest bands the commercial platform they deserve. If they can create a world in which The New Pornographers’ “Brill Bruisers” is a smash and Interpol scores another Gold record, then THAT’S the world I want to live in. Brien is unmistakably one of the most beloved among us, and we applaud the next phase of his already illustrious career (and willingly volunteer to be his “plus one” whenever asked)… A duo of esteemed legends, Trip Reeb and Nancy Stevens, have flipped KDKB Phoenix to Modern Rock, thereby ending the Alt-draught that has plagued the area since the demise of The Edge. In our wildest dreams, we’d love to see Nancy reunited with Marc Young, with KONGOS as the in-house band… Speaking of Marc Young, it was exactly six years ago that he, as PD at WKQX, added The Airborne Toxic Event’s “Sometime Around Midnight” while I was in labor with my son Julian. “Birthday adds” are one thing, but a “birth add”—who can say no to that, especially on a Tuesday! Six years later, TATE (as we affectionately refer to them) is back with a new label (Epic) and a brand new single called “Wrong,” which Lynn McDonnell and David Jacobs are launching this week! They’re currently on tour with In The Valley Below, whose single “Peaches” was an XMU smash, and newly added at KRBZ… If you’re a pop culture aficionado like I am, you’ll know that Gavin Rossdale will be on The Voice beginning next week as the “mentor” for Gwen Stefani’s team. Even if you don’t watch the show (I’ll watch anything that Pharrell is on—I’m obsessed), Gavin’s appearances highlight his humor, intelligence, talent and, most relevant for your audience, his “star power.” There’s something to be said about playing a band that has a recognizable lead singer and a catalog of smashes, besides Dave Grohl. As “The Only Way Out” nears Top 20, the band’s visibility will help the song grow even bigger… If only I’d happened to find a pile of money under the cushions of my sofa this weekend while vacuuming, I would be A) Lying. I don’t own a vacuum cleaner or B) Heading to Austin this weekend for ACL, where I could hang out with KONGOS (who just ended their tour with Kings of Leon) and bask in the hometown brilliance of Spoon, who, in addition to being among the top tier entertainment for Sunday, are headlining a late-night show at Stubbs on Saturday night, as well as taping the ACL TV show on Thursday. We (me and you and Spoon) would be celebrating “Do You” going to #1 at Triple A, and, even more pertinent to you, the HUGE adds this week at Live105 and 91X! After working with this band for a decade, I know unequivocally that Spoon songs are HITS if you commit the spins. Give us 300 spins on “Do You,” and you’ll have a library track for years to follow…. Back in March, I told you that Banks was an artist to watch. Now, in early October, her brilliant single “Beggin for Thread” has been anointed by iHeart Media as its “On the Verge,” replacing last month’s Death From Above 1979 (now Top 10) and the earlier pick of Vance Joy (also Top 10). This program has been very successful so far, and other radio groups have launched similar initiatives. Since approx. 65% of the Modern Rock panel is booking Xmas shows, it’s critical to have other options to expose new artists, especially in Q4. Otherwise, there’s a relentless pressure on AltNation, WWCD, WEQX, KRBZ, KNRK, Music Choice, among others, to “start” every record. The “pendulum” that has swung towards “jingle rock” (songs that sound like they were written for commercials) is now moving (albeit slowly) towards artists of emotional weight and substance, like Banks, War on Drugs, Royal Blood, TV on the Radio and yes, Spoon. The success of Hozier proves my point. Give your audience “something to believe in” (sang Aqualung, on their 2007 album Memory Man). Email me: [email protected].