New Music... Said Right.

The Players

Goo Goo Dolls - Let Love In
From the very beginning this song had my ear.  It's musically beautiful and the lyrics are powerful.  A+++... at least in my book.  If it doesn't do so well on the charts, I'll be disappointed.  I'll admit, when it comes to rock tracks, I've never been able to guage what will and won't work in the mainstream.  That said, though, I think this will fly fairly high.

JC Chasez - Until Yesterday
The scariest part about why I like this track?  It reminds me a lot of dc Talk circa Jesus Freak.  Not that the feel of the song is what scares me... what scares me is hearing the lyrics of this song being sung by Toby McKeehan, Kevin Max and Michael Tait in my head as it's playing.  I could sit here and chronical who sings what line just so you could sit here, read along while playing the song yourself and say, "Whoa, yeah, that does sound like him!" but I won't because... well, I'm lazy.  I'm not sure how well this will do on the charts... JC hasn't had a whole lot of staying power when it comes to his solo singles.  I can only hope, though, that the rest of the country hears this in as positive a light as I do... if for nothing else than nostalgic purposes.

Nelly Furtado - Say It Right
I love this song!  I get a late 80's / early 90's pop mixed with late 90's Enya and early 00's Earthsuit vibe from it.  It reminds me of cruising two different places in two different eras: northern Miami from 1986 to 1992 and Toledo (and, oddly, Camden, Michigan) from 1998 to 2001.  Really descriptive?  That's what it takes to explain it to you exactly the way I feel it.  I love music that gives me the feeling of those times in my life, and this song has been added to the short list of tracks that do just that.  Now, I can't say for sure how well this will do, but given the popularity of the late 80's sound right now (which seems to be fading somewhat, but is still strong), I think it stands a good chance of getting within the top 15.

Omarion - Ice Box
It's a good song... not to detract anything from it.  It's just not my favorite.  It will definitely be a hit, though.


The Wallflowers

Lady Sovereign - Love Me Or Hate Me
It's a cool beat, but the lyrics are akin to Kelis's lyrics.  They make me think, "So?"


The Posers

Kevin Federline - Priveledge
There is no emoticon large and/or obnoxious enough nor any Internet slang effective enough to describe how loud I'm laughing right now.  This is one of the most pathetic attempts at rap I've ever heard.  If this gets any airplay at all, I'll lose a good chunk of faith in the human race.

Sumner Redstone is The Man.

I have to quote this article from AllAccess in full because... well, quite frankly, it's just that dead-on.

CBS CORP. and VIACOM Chairman SUMNER REDSTONE ripped the government's indecency crackdown as putting the news and entertainment industries in "a great deal of fear" in remarks to the MEDIA INSTITUTE MONDAY night. REDSTONE, who was given the organization's First Amendment Award, said that "increasingly and alarmingly, a couple thousand form complaints from people condemning shows that they have never watched can result in an indecency fine 10 times higher than a year ago. In a world where these same form complaints can lead regulators to dictate business models that ultimately do more harm than good."

Damn straight.

Recommending letting consumers make their own choices by choosing to watch and listen to what they want and turn off what they don't, and admitting that he "never did get" his own MTV network's "BEAVIS AND BUTT-HEAD" and PARAMOUNT/MTV's "JACKASS NUMBER TWO," REDSTONE remarked, "Give the government the tools to punish those it doesn't like or silence what it doesn't want to hear, and you undermine democracy. Give people the tools to choose what they see and hear, and you enhance democracy."

I'll drink to that!  On a live television broadcast, no less!

REDSTONE's remarks came as new FCC Commissioner ROBERT MCDOWELL, keynoting the event, warned the industry that "government is going to fill the vacuum" if private industry "solutions" to indecency aren't reached.

Um... might I ask what they've been doing in the past three years?  Seems to me they've been doing a pretty good job of filling that vacuum... even though it doesn't actually exist.

PayolaGate 2006: NO Soup For You!

Judge Ira Gammerman has effectively told Entercom they're not getting off as easy as they'd hoped.  The judge has denied the company's motion for dismissal in New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer's payola suit, an action which allows the suit to move forward after being stalled for some time while the company tried to finagle it's way out of the proceedings.  Says an Entercom spokesman,

"While we are disappointed by the court's decision to permit this case to proceed beyond this early stage, we continue to believe that the evidence will show that the Attorney General's case is without merit. This ruling was not an assessment of the merits of the case, but rather of whether the allegations were sufficient to avoid dismissal at the outset of the case. ENTERCOM continues to comply with federal sponsor identification rules, and we continue to enforce our policies prohibiting payola."

What is it Rush Limbaugh always says?  "It's not the truth behind the claims, it's the seriousness of the charge," or something like that?  Looks like that's the route Entercom wanted to take.  This spokesman is essentially saying the company's attitude toward this ordeal is that there are more important things to worry about.  "Pay no attention to the act of rape I'm committing, there's a quadruple homicide going on across the street!"

It's a good thing Judge Gammerman blocked Entercom's attempt to squirm out of this one.  Now it's on to the business of going through the evidence... of which, I hear, there's a lot.

The New Music Report

Yes!

Eminem feat. 50 Cent, Ca$his and Lloyd Banks - You Don't Know
Hard, hot and sizzling with energy, this track is a long-needed smack upside the head that hip-hop has needed for a couple years.  That being said, it probably won't be.  It's a move in the right direction, and it'll probably do well, but it's not going to be the track that puts an end to the "crunk" sound that's dominated long past it's prime.  That aside, I love the instrumental behind this track!  The lyrics pack a punch, and 50 stands out big time.

Gia Farrell - Hit Me Up
Being featured in the much-anticipated movie "Happy Feet" will definitely boost the popularity of this song, but it's a boost that probably isn't necessary... this song is hot!  It's uptempo, happy and musically fascinating.  Watch for this to make a big impact.

Jay-Z - Show Me
As ususal, J brings out the big guns... which leaves us wondering (as Carson Daly put it on Last Call last week), is he retired or what?  With blaring horns on the instrumental track and an actual drum set (which is something we haven't heard in mainstream hip-hop in ages), it's a great beat.  The lyrics are about the same as what we've heard from J since about 2001... I'm the best, no one stands up to me, I still rule the rhyme game.  To be honest, that's all he needs to say... because it's true.  While the song is basically a vehicle he uses to show off his skill, it's still a good song.

Pussycat Dolls feat. Timbaland - Wait A Minute
I'm afraid the only reason this song is any good is that Timbaland produced it.  If anyone else had been behind it, it would've been a lame track... there's no substance to it whatsoever.  So why do I have it in the "Yes!" section to shine a positive light on it?  It sounds good.  It's light, it has a good pop feel, and the harmony sounds great.

Smash Mouth - So Insane
This is the Smash Mouth I remember!  It's about time they came out with something that returns to the style they seemed to have left behind since "All Star".  Not that "All Star" or anything else they've done since was bad, but I like this feel for them.  It fits them well.


I want the last three and a half minutes of my life back.

Baby Boy da Prince - The Way I Live
Pure and utter crap.  This is the way I tune out.

DJ Unk - Walk It Out
Uh-huh, great.  Another "Lean Wit It, Rock Wit It" re-write.  Just what we need.

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Tell Me Baby
Yes, tell me, baby.  Tell me when the Peppers turned into Maroon 5.  What is this?  It's like emo with a late-80's rap beat feel.  No thanks.

Shakira feat. Carlos Santana - Illegal
Boring.

Oh THIS is just CLASSIC!!!

Recently in The Triangle (Raleigh/Durham, NC), WRDU, a long-time Classic Rock station, flipped to Country with the name Rooster 106.1.  WRDU had been underperforming for some time, and Clear Channel apparently decided it was time to do something.  Whether or not it'll work is debatable.

Here's what's hilarious about it.  WQDR, the top dog in the market, is a Country station owned by Curtis Media Group, a Raleigh-based company that, at least in this case, knows exactly what they're doing.

Check out 1061therooster.com and therooster1061.com.

I don't care who you are, that's funny right there!

You just KNEW it was gonna happen sooner than later!

From AllAccess:

SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO HOWARD 101 personality BUBBA THE LOVE SPONGE is getting sued by a porn model over an on-air stunt on JUNE 12.

The TAMPA TRIBUNE reports that HOPE MILLER (aka BROOKE SKYE) is suing BUBBA, SIRIUS, other cast members, and adult model MELISSA "MIDWEST" HARRINGTON for $150,000 in damages over an on-air incident involving HARRINGTON using a too-big sex toy on MILLER, who also alleges that BUBBA berated her and threatened to stop promoting her website if she backed out.

Welcome back, Bubba!

Big News Stories

...and there are a ton of them!

 

"Oldies 93 is dead."

One of the best Oldies stations in the country, WMQX Winston-Salem, flipped formats Tuesday.  Matt Smith, station manager of WGSR-TV in Reidsville, gave this account of the morning's events on Radio-Info.

 

Oldies 93 - WMQX was officially blown up at 9:00am this morning.

At about 8:52, Max McGann gave the Triad traffic report, then into commercials.  Nothing more was heard from him.  The last song played on Oldies 93 was "Let it Be" by the Beatles.  For those who care about such things, it wasn't even the classic Phil Spector-engineered version, but the newly-released version.

At 9:00am, there was no station ID...just the computer voice stating that "Oldies 93 is dead" and beginning a countdown interspersed with "Jack-like" statements.

 

This was a big surprise to everyone.  There had been rumors for some time that a station in the market with a solid history and good ratings and billing would be blown up, but while some speculated it would be WMQX, few actually believed it would be, myself included.

 

As of 3:00 PM the next day (Oct. 4th), WMQX officially became 93-1 The Wolf, a Country station.

 

Now THIS could get exciting.  This means that, for the first time since WSMW (then WKSI) flipped from Country more than a decade ago, WTQR has an in-market competitor.  Previously their only competition had been sister station (and, technically speaking, a Charlotte-market station, though the station never really served either market... it was a 100kW stick serving the western-central portions of the state) WFMX, which also just recently went through a few changes (which I'll mention later).

 

Many have said (and I agree strongly) that WTQR is a weak station.  While they still maintain their #1 12+ position and bill very strongly, in every other aspect they are a very lame station.  Their music is stale, their jocks have zero personality, and their presence in the market is on the dial alone (aside from a few NASCAR-related appearances).  For a market with as massive a country-listening audience as The Triad has, WTQR is basically only #1 by default.  With the loss of the only other Country station in the area, WMQX's move could prove to be a smart one.

 

The issue that they have to prove themselves on, though, is promotions.  While Oldies 93 had a strong street presence in Greensboro, their presence in Winston-Salem and even High Point was desperately lacking.  If they want to position themselves to become the new top dogs, 93-1 The Wolf is going to have to hit the streets hard, and do so in every town in the market.  Greensboro, Winston, High Point, Thomasville, Archdale, Pleasant Garden, Randleman, Liberty, Ramseur, Asheboro, Kernersville, Stokesdale, Oak Ridge, Reidsville, Walkertown, Rural Hall, Tobaccoville, Lewisville, Clemmons, Bermuda Run, Davie, Welcome, Lexington... even Burlington, Graham and Alamance.  The whole Triad needs to see The Wolf out and about in their town.  Entercom better be ready to win this fight; otherwise The Wolf is going to be running home with it's tail between it's legs.

 

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It's "The Beat" All Over Again

And that brings us to the other big story in the Triad.  While it's an older one, it's still important because it proves two cliches correct: "stupid is as stupid does" and "history repeats itself."

 

As Triad listeners are well aware by now, the long-time western-state Country station WFMX (105.7) moved into the Triad market by changing calls to WMKS and moving the city of license to Clemmons.  Clear Channel flipped the station to a sort of Urban/Urban AC hybrid, choosing to compete with not just one, but, two stations this time around: WJMH (Urban) and WQMG (Urban AC)... both of which, by the way, are owned by Entercom who also happens to own WMQX (interesting little tussle between Entercom and Clear Channel going on in The Triad here, huh?).

 

First the "history repeats itself" part.  Clear Channel has tried this before in this market: taking on a well-established station with a loyal audience in the market with the same format.  Anyone remember the little experiment known as 94-5 The Beat?  This time they're taking on two well-established stations with two different but very loyal audiences in two different but very important formats in the market.  This time, they're doing so with one station.

 

Now the "stupid is as stupid does" part.  That little 94-5 The Beat experiment quickly turned out to be a fiasco.  While WGBT pulled a few shares from WKZL 12+, they got absolutely creamed by WJMH.  WGBT never pulled anything above a 4 share... in fact, they never even got to a 4 share.  WJMH, on the other hand, consistently pulled (and still does) upwards of 7 shares.  You'd think Clear Channel would have learned their lesson the first time around.  But, again, this time they're putting themselves in position to be slaughtered by not just WJMH but WQMG as well.

 

Do something stupid, get labeled as...

 

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Q106 goes... Classic Rock?

Not quite... but the changes to the playlist after the departure of PD Bob Olson have left many people wondering.  In fact, one thread in the Mid Michigan section of the Buzzboard was titled "Boston on Q106?"  AllAccess had been running ads for a while for the then-available PD position (which has since been filled by former WIOT mid-dayer Sheri Vegas) that pushed experience in both active and classic rock as a prerequisite, so it wasn't 100% a surprise to those who were paying attention.  Still, though, this is big news.  The once-great active rocker is sounding more and more like the lame-duck rocker WRKR to the southwest more and more every day.  It's truly a sad situation.  Once again RCRG finds a way to ruin everything.

 

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Happy Birthday to The New 97-5!

It's a little late in coming (the actual date is September 28th... which also happens to be my sister's birthday, so it's kinda hard for me to forget), but I would like to wish a happy first birthday to Mid Michigan's CHR.  They held a party at Maggie's in Lansing that I'd love to have gone to, but I sadly had to work that night.  Plus, none of my friends got back to me about going (because I probably would have taken the night off to go had anyone else gone with me).  But despite the fact that I couldn't make the party, rest assured that I celebrate the existence of the station every day when I tune in.  I come home from work every morning to the madness and insanity of Dave and Lisa D. and I wake up every night to the voice of Madison Rally.  When I have the day off, 97-5 is locked on my radio... at least when I'm not working on my own productions.  So let it be known that even though I wasn't there to celebrate with the station, I would have been if I could have and I appreciate WJIM very, very much!

 

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And back home in South Florida...

Things seem to have settled down a bit.  Elvis Duran and the Morning Zoo seem to be doing very well on Y-100, and jingles have made their way back to the station thanks to Dan Mason and the very talented people at N2Effect.  A pirate that was interfering with WKIS was shut down by the state, leaving the many country fans in South Florida very thankful.  Otherwise, things on the South Florida radio scene have been fairly uneventful.