Sunday, March 27, 2011

ARR March Madness -- KPNT vs. WPBZ

Well someone has to win this one. All you have to know about #5 seed KPNT of St. Louis is that they just did a similar March Madness promotion using bands and Avenged Sevenfold won. #12 seed WBZT is a CBS owned station out of West Palm Beach. It also leans active. Best of 10 in this first round matchup in the East Regional.


To lead off-- IT'S A TIE -- BOTH STATIONS PLAYED HELP IS ON THE WAY!

KPNT follows with PRISON SEX -- TOOL WPBZ follows with LITTLE LION MAN -- MUMFORD & SONS Dilemna. "Little Lion Man" managed, by the stategic implementation of potty mouth to bring banjos to Alternative rock radio. KPNT did bring out an early Tool track that wasn't named "Sober". I'll give this one to "The Point".

The rest: KPNT on the left

AWAKE AND ALIVE -- SKILLET VS. GIVEN UP - LINKIN PARK Never heard the Skillet track before so I checked out the video. Hmm violinist in the band, two female members including drummer, who shares the vocals -- interesting sorta like Evanescence meets Fairport Convention. "Given Up" is perhaps Likin Park's worst track KPNT wins again
LIVING IN A DREAM -- FINGER 11 VS. COME AS YOU ARE -- NIRVANA The Buzz gets on the board!
THE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE -- MARILYN MANSON VS. RIPTIDE -- SI-- STOP! Use of Marilyn Manson --- KPNT disqualified!

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Alt Rock Radio March Madness KNRK vs. KRAB

This should be short and messy. In the West Regional #6 seed KNRK in Portland, Oregon meets #11 seed KRAB of Bakersfield. This is the station that was runner up in my 2009 contest to see which was the worst Clear Channel alt rock station. Best of 10, but who expects that?

KNRK leads off with IF YOU LEAVE by ORCHESTRAL MANOEUVRES IN THE DARK KRAB counters with ALL OVER YOU BY LIVE The battle of recurrents. The one I'm more likely to sing along with is the OMD song.

WNRK on the left, KRAB on the right.

BAND ON THE RUN -- FOO FIGHTERS VS. ROPE -- FOO FIGHTERS Really? KNRK is going with a cover of a Wings song? With all the great FF songs to work with?
JUMP JIVE AND WAIL -- BRIAN SETZER ORCHESTRA VS. WISH YOU WERE HERE-- INCUBUS Fortunately American recovered from the great bad swing bend epidemic.
THE FUNERAL -- BAND OF HORSES VS. SHAKE ME DOWN -- CAGE THE ELEPHANT KNRK evens the score at 2-2.
DA DA DA -- TRIO VS. SING -- MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE Some one hit wonders are better left forgotten. KRAB takes a shocking 3-2 lead.
HOWLIN FOR YOU -- BLACK KEYS VS. NUMB -- LINKIN PARK Once again the boys from the Rubber City to the rescue. Tied again.
LOSER -- BECK vs. LAY ME DOWN -- DIRTY HEADS Fighting the forces of evil in a Bozo nightmare KNRK takes a 4-3 lead.
SAD SONG -- THE CARS VS. LITHIUM -- NIRVANA The new Cars song (as against the New Cars song) is fairly awesome, bu this is Nirvana we're tlaking about. The score is tied again!
VIVA LA VIDA -- COLDPLAY VS. ANIMAL -- NEON TREES Both songs are tuneful and popular, but the Coldplay song has more substance. 5-4 KNRK
OLD MAN -- REDLIGHT KING vs. SHE HATES ME -- PUDDLE OF MUDD HMM hip hop song with a generous sampling of Neil Young -- interesting. Hey don't step there, I don't think that's mud!

KNRK wins, but it was much harder than it should have been.

Friday, March 25, 2011

2011 March Madness -- WKRK v. KMYZ

Back to the Midwest Regionals where # 6 seed WKRK, a jockless CBS owned station out of Cleveland (fairly successful in the ratings by the way)meets #11 seed KMYZ out of Tulsa. Best of ten, I judge because it's my blog. 10 songs off their actual playlist played at about the same time. Let's see how they did

KRK on the left MYZ on the right

UPRISING -- MUSE VS. SO COLD -- BREAKING BENJAMIN WKRK wins the first round.
AROUND THE WORLD -- CHILI PEPPERS VS. SHAKE ME DOWN -- CAGE THE ELEPHANT 2-0 WKRK.
MY BODY -- YOUNG THE GIANT VS. MUZZLE -- SMASHING PUMPKINS Billy Corgan jumped the shark long ago. WKRK amasses a 3-0 lead.
CANNONBALL -- THE BREEDERS VS. WAITING FOR THE END -- LINKIN PARK Any station that plays the Breeders, I'll listen to. Sweep?
LIKE A STONE -- AUDIOSLAVE VS. SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT -- NIRVANA Nope.
AIN'T NO REST FOR THE WICKED -- CAGE THE ELEPHANT VS. ENTER SANDMAN -- METALLICA Metallica rules. KRK 4-2
PRYO -- KINGS OF LEON VS. RIPTIDE -- SICK PUPPIES No contest. KRK is poised for the win.
WAITING FOR THE END -- LINKIN PARK VS. TIGHTEN UP -- BLACK KEYS. Not yet. Not if the dynamic duo from Akron have anything to say about it.
RUNAWAY TRAIN -- SOUL ASYLUM VS. HELP IS ON THE WAY -- RISE AGAINST Quite the underrated band, Soul Asylum. Unfairly slagged song, was it the attention paid by contemporary hit radio or the milk cartion video?

Huh? Oh sorry. WKRK wins. Next KNRK vs. KRAB

Alt Radio March Madness KRBZ vs. KUCD

The South Regional goes west -- # 6 seed KRBZ is a highly regarded indie out of San Diego. #11 seed KUCD is a pop leaning alternative (how many of those are there?) owned by Clear Channel out of Honolulu.

As always best of 10. KBZT on the left KUCD on the right. Should be interesting.

KBZT all about the music reaches back to the 80's and comes up with BEDS ARE BURNING -- MIDNIGHT OIL KUCD apparently taken aback can only muster APOLOGIZE -- ONE REPUBLIC KBZT takes the first heat.

BULLS ON PARADE -- RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE VS. TIGHTEN UP -- BLACK KEYS Love the Black Keys, but you gotta give it up for "Rally round the family, with a pcoket full of shells" and Tom Morello's a monster on the wah wah pedal.
SWEET DISPOSITION -- THE TEMPER TRAP VS. ALL THE SMALL THINGS -- BLINK 182 3-0 KBZT!
LOUDER THAN EVER -- COLD WAR KIDS VS. WAITING FOR THE END -- LINKIN PARK Let's face it. The new Cold War Kids song just isn't very good.
BLACK HOLE SUN -- SOUNDGARDEN VS. SHATTERED (TURN THE CAR AROUND) -- O.A.R. 4-1 KBZT It's theirs to lose.
PHOTOGRAPH -- WEEZER VS. SEVEN NATION ARMY -- WHITE STRIPES KUCD, knowing it's now or never pull out their trump card and stays in the game 4-2 now
LASSO -- PHOENIX VS. HELP IS ON THE WAY -- RISE AGAINST Do you get the feeling that KUCD is trying too hard to be all things to everybody? One more wins it for KBZT.
AEROPLANE -- RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS VS. BADFISH -- SUBLIME. One of the weaker Chili Peppers songs against an average Sublime. Draw.
THIS IS RADIO CLASH -- THE CLASH VS. MOVE ALONG -- ALL AMERICAN REJECTS Closer call than you might think, but it's still the Clash. London calling it for KBZT.

Next: WKRK v. KMYZ

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Alt Rock Radio March Madness -- WEND v. WRXL

2 years ago I did a similar competition going the other way, trying to see which was the worst Clear Channel alternative station (Take a bow, Dayton's WXEG!. This is a bit of deja vu with two Clear Channel pseudo alt stations, but this time trying to suck less. WEND of Charlotte is the Number 6 Seed in the East and WRXL of Richmond is the Number 11 seed. All I have to say is thank goodness I'm not acutally listening to these sets.

WEND starts off with "I WILL NOT BOW -- BREAKING BENJAMIN WHILE WRXL counters with CREEP -- RADIOHEAD. Not much of a battle here. RXL wins the heat hands down.

WEND left side -- WRXL right side

OUTSIDE BY AARON LEWIS W/ FRED DURST VS. DIAMOND EYES -- SHINEDOWN Country singer covering Staind. Interesting. Shinedown? Not so much. Tie score.
HELP IS ON THE WAY -- RISE AGAINST VS. YOU'RE GONNA GO FAR KID -- OFFSPRING Both songs are a bit too ambitious for their own good. Gotta give the edge to Offspring though. RXL retakes the lead.
BYOB -- SYSTEM OF A DOWN VS. THE GOOD LIFE -- 3 DAYS GRACE. BYOB was the soundtrack for the disaffected soldiers of Bush's war. The Good Life was radio fodder for frat parties. Tied again.
WAITING FOR THE END -- LINKIN PARD VS. NEVER THERE -- CAKE Piece of cake. RXL 3-2.
YOU'RE GOING DOWN -- SICK PUPPIES vs. PORN STAR DANCING -- MY DARKEST DAYS Any song worse than Porn Star Dancing in 2010? Anyone? 3-3 tie
GLORIFIED G -- PEARL JAM VS. SANTA MONICA -- EVERCLEAR Hard to pick one, but I'll give the edge to Everclear for the lyrics 4-3 RXL
THROUGH GLASS -- STONE SOUR VS. SAY YOU'LL HAUNT ME -- STONE SOUR. "Through Glass" is their best song, hands down so it's tied again 4-4.
SO FAR AWAY -- AVENGED SEVENFOLD VS. HEMMORHAGE (IN MY HANDS)-- FUEL. I'll have to go with the b-list grunge. RXL
JUST LIKE YOU -- 3 DAYS GRACE VS. JARS -- CHEVELLE Awful vs. Awesome. WRXL Wins!

Next: South Regionals KBZT vs. KUCD

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Alt Rock Radio March Madness KKDO vs. KXTE

Today it's the West Regional with #7 Seed KKDO of Sacramento vs. #10 seed KXTE Extreme radio out of Las Vegas. KKDO is fairly new, but should have no trouble dispatching KKDO, which leans active rock (or did last time I checked --lotta format tweaking going on out there lately. Best of ten songs chosen from their actual playlists at about the same time.

KKDO leads of cautiously with SHOW ME WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR -- CAROLINA LIAR. KXTE comes out like gangbustgers with RENEGADES OF FUNK -- RAGE AGANST THE MACHINE and swing into an early lead.

From here on out KKDO is on the left ad KXTE is on the right.

WILD HORSES -- SUNDAYS VS. MACHINE GUN BLUES -- SOCIAL DISTORTION Wild horses couldn't drag me away from favoring Social Distortion over The Sunday's sodden cover of the Stones.
HOWLIN FOR YOU -- THE BLACK KEYS VS. I WANNA BE SEDATED -- THE RAMONES. C'mon. It's the Ramones. Even the members of the Black Keys would tell you to vote for them. It's a 3-0 KXTE lead.
EVEN FLOW -- PEARL JAM VS. LAZY EYE -- SILVERSUN PICKUPS. KXTE keeps putting up those beautiful layups, but KKDO hits a desperation 3 pointer.
INSIDE OUT -- EVE 6 VS. NEW LOW-- MIDDLE CLASS RUT. EVE 6? Talk about a New Low. 4-1 KXTE
LETTERS FROM TEH SKY -- CIVIL TWILIGHT VS. SANTA MONICA -- EVERCLEAR Nothing against Everclear, love them but the Civil Twilight track is one of my faves of last year. KXTE still retains a 4-2 lead.
LULLABY -- THE CURE VS. HWOLIN FOR YOU -- THE BLACK KEYS Can't vote agaisnt the Balck Keys twice. Interesting deep cut pick from KKDO though. Best KKDO can hope for is a tie now.
WHIRRING -- THE JOY FORMIDABLE VS. AUDIENCE OF ONE -- RISE AGAINST. WHIRRING is a fascinating new track, so I'll give it an edge here. 5-3 KXTE
GLYCERINE -- BUSH VS. FAR BEHIND -- CANDLEBOX The battle of the B-list grungers. KXTE gets the win and goes onto Round 2! I gotta admit that they did it with a pretty good taste.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Alt radio March Madness WLUM vs. CILV

Another brutal matchup, with one fairly decent alt station leaving the competition. The number seven seeding is WLUM of Milwaukee against Ottawa's best kept secret CILV, which I predict will give WLUM a run for its money. Best of 10 -- I get to judge since it's my blog.


WLUM leads off with Somebody Told Me by the Killers. However, the lame lyrics fall to the lyrical might that is Forced to Love -- Broken Social Scene CILV wins the first round. WLUM is on the left, CILV on the right.

WHAT'S MY AGE AGAIN -- BLINK 182 VS. WHY I AM -- DAVE MATTHEWS BAND Jambalya beats corn dogs anyday. CILV opens up a 2-0 edge
PUMPED UP KICKS -- VS. I HEAR YOU CALLING -- GOB However pop punk beats sodden synth pop every time 3-0 CILV. This could be a rout.
TAKE 'EM DOWN -- DROPKICK MURPHYS VS. LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO HAPPEN -- TRAGICALLY HIP I'll call this a draw based upon the fact that I haven't heard either song and I don't have time to check them out.
JEREMY -- PEARL JAM VS. DO YOU WANT TO -- FRANZ FERDINAND Another draw.
THE GHOST INSIDE -- BROKEN BELLS VS. WHEN THE NIGHT FEELS MY SONG -- BEDOUIN SOUNDCLASH Always had a soft spot in my heart for Bedoin Soundclash's first single 4-0 CILV, and the best WLUM can hope for is overtime.
USE SOMEBODY -- KINGS OF LEON VS. WELCOME -- HEY ROSETTA! WLUM plays its trump card -- Kings of Leon -- and finally gets on the board.
SO WHATCHA WANT -- BEASTIE BOYS VS. HIGH AND DRY -- RADIOHEAD. Damn I like both these songs. But I like So Whatcha Want a hair more.
ANIMAL -- NEON TREES VS. DOG DAYS ARE OVER -- NEON TREES. The horses are coming and Live eighty eight five is riding one of them, so run for your mother...

Next is brand spanking new Sacramento station KKDO vs. KXTE of Las Vegas.