Have you noticed that on the 20th anniversary of Nevermind, the newest hottest bands and acts -- Foster the People, Florence and the Machine, Mumford and Sons, the Black Keys, Young the Giant, The Naked and Famous even Cage the Elephant -- have almost nothing to do with grunge. As a result alt radio is sounding more and more schizophrenic. I'm not suggesting completely doing away with Nirvana, Soundgarden and Pearl Jam -- I love those bands too. I would suggest, however, that it may be time to tweak the recurrents a bit -- cause there are songs from the 90's that I believe would fit right in between those songs -- and they're all pretty damn good.
This is -- Forgotten 90's. This time some songs from 1990. The chart positions are from the year end charts
CUTS YOU UP -- PETER MURPHY (#23 KROQ, #12 91X, #36 Live 105, #19 CFNY, Screetch of the Week WDRE Coldplay albums are getting lusher and lusher in sound. So why not play this cinematic track from 1990 as well? Former Bauhaus frontman Peter Murphy came up with this soaring, tuneful and soulful song at the tail end of the synth pop era -- easily the best of his career.
NEVER ENOUGH -- THE CURE (#28 KROQ, #2 91X, #70 Live 105, #8 CFNY Screetch of the Week WDRE) Gets overlooked because it didn't appear on one of their studio albums. One of the Cure's rockingest tunes. The lyrics distill the Robert Smith's gloom to its simplistic essence.
HEAD ON -- JESUS & MARY CHAIN (#21 KROQ, #67 91X, #37 Live 105, #73 CFNY) The Pixies covered this song! So why can't it get played on the radio anymore?
POLICY OF TRUTH -- DEPECHE MODE (#4 91X, #63 Live 105, #2 CFNY) Synth pop is making a comeback, but it's harder edged than the 80's stuff -- this is one of the harder edged songs from that period, and it hasn't been played very often lately.
BIRDHOUSE IN MY SOUL -- THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS (#35 KROQ, #71 CFNY, Shreek of the Week WDRE) Just Because.
WAY DOWN NOW -- WORLD PARTY (#88 KROQ, #44 91X, #77 Live 105, #40 CFNY) A jaunty ditty about depression. Hasn't aged a bit.
NOVEMBER SPAWNED A MONSTER -- MORRISEY (#78 KROQ, # 34 91X, #32 CFNY, Shreek of the Week WDRE) Possibly the worst video ever, but a great song, probably the most compassionate lyric Morrisey ever wrote. I nearly Picked "Ouija Board, Ouija Board" which is possibly the funniest lyric he ever wrote. Morrisey solo material is criminally neglected by the radio.
DREAMTIME -- HEART THROBS (#100 KROQ, #87 Live 105) Female led groups are hot now and this is one of the better forgotten ones.
PURE -- LIGHTNING SEEDS(#17 KROQ, #46 91x, #13 CFNY) Great melody from Liverpudilian popmeister Broudie. It's actually a 1989 song, but it became a hit in 1990.
I DON'T KNOW WHY I LOVE YOU -- HOUSE OF LOVE (#32 KROQ, #91 91x, #78 Live 105, # 89 CFNY) Why is such a great tune never played? Possibly because they never wrote another one this catchy.
METROPOLIS -- THE CHURCH (#69 KROQ, #63 91X, #33 Live 105)The Church were the Coldplay of the 80's. Finely crafted adult rock, if a bit placid. Still, why won't some AAA station give this a spin?
KOOL THING -- SONIC YOUTH (#102 KROQ, #30 91X, #31 Live 105, #41 CFNY) Finally, CFNY played this recently (TWICE!) during an all-request weekend,and it sure sounded awesome. That this band can't get airplay while posers like Stone Temple Pilots stay in heavy rotation is a major crime.
HELLO HELLO HELLO (PETROL)-- SOMETHING HAPPENS (#100 LIVE 105, SHREEK OF THE WEEK WDRE) A jaunty, tuneful rocker, from another one hit wonder. Held Together With God;s Glue was a great set of tunes. Too bad they didn't have more in them as the follow ups stiffed.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
KVGS Changes formats to Adult HIts
Not exactly a shocker, as Las Vegas' KVGS struggled with its identity and with making headway in the ratings with competitor KXTE, and now a new "Jelli" formatted station, whatever that is. Hope that's the last for a while -- most of the weaker alt stations have been culled from the herd. Hope someone comes to their senses and compares the ratings for the Merlin owned news stations compared to WRXP and Q101's prior ratings and gives alt a chance in New York and Chicago.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Essential 11 -- Sept/Oct 2011
Got a little down there for awhile. Alternative stations were dropping like flies last month, including a rather good one in Reno. Things seem to be stabilizing and I'm taking grim pleasure in seeing the main culprit -- Merlin Media facing ratings for their ill conceived and ill executed all news stations that are 1/3-1/6 of what Q101 and RXP were getting.
So back into the fray, with some tunes that I like hearing and I would like to hear more of on alternative radio.
1) Helena Beat -- Foster the People I know I slagged on their giant Top 40 hit. but this one is catchy good. Falsesetto vocals and depressive lyrics, and really sick, twisted video.
2)Face to the Floor -- Chevelle The best hard rock on the planet because they're the least flashy -- and really put thought into their lyrics.
3)How Come You Never Go There -- Feist Who apparently is feeling a little bit feisty. This is far liviler stuff that what appeared on the last album.
4)Blood Pressure -- Mutemath They used to make tons of songs like this in the 60's --strutty little tunes with unison harmony. I'm smelling breakthrough hit here.
5)Cruel -- St. Vincent No one else is doing this -- even when she approximates rock, as she does here -- she seems to be singing pop from another planet. Really twisted video that hammers home the lyrics about domestic disquiet.
6) Tragedy's a Coming -- Primus Yes, they're back, and taking funk to dark places that even George Clinton fears to tread.
7) Colours --Grouplove Usually hate this neo-hippie stuff. I'm old enough to have caught the tail end bands like Rusted Root and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros sound too second hand. Maybe because that's not all they got up their sleeve --they've got 80's roots as well. Maybe because they rock the folk rock.
8) Get It Daddy -- Sleeper Agent Punk energy without the anger and angst.
9) Up All Night -- Blink 182 Jimmy Page called. Wants to know if he could borrow that killer riff.
10) I Might -- Wilco Nice little rocker from Wilco. Got a soft spot in my heart for any song featuring organ.
11) Paradise -- Coldplay In full lush mode. Lovely anyway.
So back into the fray, with some tunes that I like hearing and I would like to hear more of on alternative radio.
1) Helena Beat -- Foster the People I know I slagged on their giant Top 40 hit. but this one is catchy good. Falsesetto vocals and depressive lyrics, and really sick, twisted video.
2)Face to the Floor -- Chevelle The best hard rock on the planet because they're the least flashy -- and really put thought into their lyrics.
3)How Come You Never Go There -- Feist Who apparently is feeling a little bit feisty. This is far liviler stuff that what appeared on the last album.
4)Blood Pressure -- Mutemath They used to make tons of songs like this in the 60's --strutty little tunes with unison harmony. I'm smelling breakthrough hit here.
5)Cruel -- St. Vincent No one else is doing this -- even when she approximates rock, as she does here -- she seems to be singing pop from another planet. Really twisted video that hammers home the lyrics about domestic disquiet.
6) Tragedy's a Coming -- Primus Yes, they're back, and taking funk to dark places that even George Clinton fears to tread.
7) Colours --Grouplove Usually hate this neo-hippie stuff. I'm old enough to have caught the tail end bands like Rusted Root and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros sound too second hand. Maybe because that's not all they got up their sleeve --they've got 80's roots as well. Maybe because they rock the folk rock.
8) Get It Daddy -- Sleeper Agent Punk energy without the anger and angst.
9) Up All Night -- Blink 182 Jimmy Page called. Wants to know if he could borrow that killer riff.
10) I Might -- Wilco Nice little rocker from Wilco. Got a soft spot in my heart for any song featuring organ.
11) Paradise -- Coldplay In full lush mode. Lovely anyway.
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