FEELS LIKE WE ONLY GO BACKWARDS: I never get sick. I never get sick. I never get sick. Oh crap, I got sick. Since New Year’s Eve, I’ve had my ass kicked by the flu, which I’ve shared back-and-forth with my son ever since. So my “take no prisoners” resolve for 2014 has been a bit diminished by a hacking cough and the side effects of every over-the-counter remedy at my disposal (“lack of linear thought” and “insatiable craving for peppermint ice cream” are the most prevalent)… During the few weeks we were apart, while I managed to catch up on most of the movies that seem to be Oscar contenders (Her was my absolute favorite), there were some changes at Modern Rock: WRKN New Orleans bit the dust, flipping to NashFM92.3. Corey O’Brien exited KNDD Seattle as APD, and has been since spotted in his natural habitat of SLC. Pepper Ashley was named MD at KNDD, because she is awesome. In fact, if my ears unclog by Friday, I’ll be in Seattle to tell her so. In other news, Rick Vaughn has exited WRDA Atlanta. Q87 in Chicago has returned to its 101 frequency as part of an LMA with Cumulus, while the key players remain in charge. One thing is certain, the New Year is always fraught with, “hey, if my boss calls, could you get his name?” uncer­tainty for both our label friends and our radio friends (that’s why we work at the career cul-de-sac known as HITS, where there’s never a question of who our bosses are)…. The biggest-selling format-exclusive record over the holiday was Arcade Fire’s Reflektor, which out-sold NEARLY EVERY OTHER RECORD YOU’RE PLAYING, except for the ones like Lorde and Imagine Dragons that have already crossed. For all of your overthinking at radio, the record is already at 300,000+ scanned, and “Afterlife” is ABSOLUTELY the song that can take this album to Gold (and beyond). Oh, and guess who is headlining Sunday night of Coachella, which is already beyond sold-out? And did you know that Coachella falls in the middle of the band’s upcoming ARENA tour. Being right all the time is exhausting… just play the record so I can get some sleep… The first unequivocal “EVENT RECORD” of 2014 was released yesterday to great acclaim: Foster the People’s new single “Coming of Age” captured the hearts and minds of PDs everywhere, fol­lowing a masterful set-up by Columbia’s Mike DePippa and Amanda Walk. It’s a fantastic song by a band we all love… Christine Chiappetta launched the new Neon Trees this week to great fanfare, while the band she loves like family, The Airborne Toxic Event, reached the Top 20 with their lat­est, “Hell and Back.” The Airborne song is also the single from the movie Dallas Buyer’s Club, which won Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto Golden Globe awards for their performances. That’s right, YOUR FRIEND Jared Leto won a Golden Globe. How many other Golden Globe winners have played your Xmas show? Besides Jacqueline Bisset… The other songs that THRIVED during the holidays include Chvrches, Phantogram (two of my favorites), Vampire Weekend (“Unbelievers” is their biggest hit yet!), Bear Hands (a one-listen smash), Kings of Leon’s “Temple” and Kongos’ “Come With Me Now”…. For those who are scratching your head at the band name Kongos, let me reintroduce this band of four brothers (last name Kongos), who hail from South Africa and now reside in Phoenix. Airplay started in Chicago, moved to Denver (added after Nerf saw them at Riot Fest), and has since spread to Philly (added last week at WRFF), KRBZ, KTBZ, KRXP, SiriusXM and WEQX. The single, “Come With Me Now,” has been #1 in Shazam in Denver, with market single sales over 600/week, and debuted Top 20 in Shazam in the Philly suburbs after 25 spins. The song is absolute magic…. My goal of losing a dress size before the Grammys seems implausible (laughable, even), but I will be there on Jan. 26, praying to my higher power (in the absence of a spiritual being, it’s Cate Blanchett) that Tame Impala will win for Best Alternative Album. Whether they win or lose (and they’ll always be winners to me), we’re going for adds on “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards” on Jan. 27. Take note. How are those New Year’s resolutions working out? Email me: [email protected].