…Or, as I call it, just another day in the music business. In honor of yesterday’s “protest,” I asked my female coworkers to wear red (it hadn’t occurred to any of us to take the day off) and join me for lunch (paid for by the bosses) in the HITS conference room. Some of the women gathered hadn’t been born when I started at HITS nearly 27 years ago. THIS is what the “career cul-de-sac” looks like, ladies. I’m big on five-year plans, even if I’ve never had one for myself. I asked my colleagues to set short-term and long-range goals for themselves. I’m my own harshest critic, but even I would follow the advice I offered, which included:

(1) BE THE MENTOR YOU WISH YOU HAD: I “came up” in the business without female (or male) guidance—I flailed until I figured it out. Women in the music business (and elsewhere) are frequently made to feel disrespected, demeaned and excluded by their colleagues, and it’s important for them to know that we have their back(s).

(2) IF YOU WANT TO HAVE CHILDREN, DO IT: Many women’s careers are penalized once they become mothers. While there’s never a perfect balance between career and parenthood, do not let anyone talk you out of it. I had my son at 47 (I certainly don’t recommend waiting that long), and where there’s the proverbial way, you can figure it out. Or, as Lenny advised me during one of our many conversations about whether or not I could do both, “There are stupider people than you who have both a career and a child.”

(3) MANAGE UP: This advice was courtesy of my coworker Michelle Santosuosso, along with the equally sage counsel of “Don’t shit where you eat” (self-explanatory)…

On Monday, I’ll be heading to Austin for my 31st SXSW. I was among the few hundred who attended the first one, and, at this rate, they’ll have to pry my cold, dead body away from the last one. My favorite band Spoon will be headlining SXSW’s first-ever residency, with three consecutive nights at the old Emo’s. I’ll be there for each of those nights; 1am set time be damned. Their new album Hot Thoughts will be out on March 17, hence the added fanfare of the band being in their city of origin for release date…

Every year, a band emerges from SXSW as the clear “buzz band,” such as Wolf Alice, The Lumineers, Franz Ferdinand, Arctic Monkeys, Veruca Salt, The Strumbellas, Aurora, Jack Garratt, Broken Bells and Hozier, to name a few. This year, without question, Sundara Karma will be the band cited as everybody’s new favorite. Where they go, there I’ll be… My other SXSW must-sees include Lo Moon (oh, swoon), Youngr, Zipper Club, In the Valley Below, Bishop Briggs and, of course, the Big Star “3” performance…

I rarely travel in the Alternative Radio wolf pack in Austin. It isn’t personal—I just prefer to follow my own itinerary. OK, yes, it’s personal. Although, after granting Columbia’s Brady Bedard “plus one” status at last year’s Iggy Pop/QOTSA show, he’s now welcome to tag along. He’ll be celebrating Rag’N’Bone Man’s ascension to #1 at Alternative with “Human,” and I’ll be there to remind him that he’s #1 because Ted and I “let” The Lumineers drop to #2. His Dreamcar single, “Kill for Candy” was Most Added this week. Maybe they’ll be the most successful band to lose a lead singer since Joy Division morphed into New Order (I refuse to acknowledge that Genesis existed once Peter Gabriel departed)…

I absolutely love “Green Light,” the new Lorde single. I hope radio stops overthinking whether or not it’s “Alternative” and let the song reach its rightful place at #1. I’m the (self-appointed) arbiter of whether or not a song is right for the format, and I declare it so….

Please find me in Austin. I’ll definitely show up for the panel I’m moderating on Thursday at 2pm. This will be my umpteenth annual songwriters panel/performance, with a stellar lineup that includes Britt Daniel from Spoon, Mac McCaughan from Superchunk/Merge Records, Matthew Caws from Nada Surf, Chris Stamey from The dB’s/Big Star 3, Mike Mills from R.E.M. and an array of surprise guests. Despite the moderator, it’s always a SXSW highlight for those who attend. Say hi: [email protected]