An idea to save the format!

[BlueWanderer]

I get what you're saying. I must admit that I went into rant mode earlier, but it just pissing me off thinking about what had happen to The X. Perhaps, I'm sick of the current state of rock radio. The Rocket's playlist may be active rock, but to me it still feels like I'm listening to a classic rock station.

Has anyone heard Coyote J's Edge show before? He plays alternative rock songs that rarely get any airplay on the usual rock stations. Ironically, he's on a classic rock station now (Sun. nights at 10pm WZRR 99.5 in Birmingham). You won't find him on their website for some reason, but he does have a myspace page where the show's playlists are at. Use yahoo or google search and you'll find it.

 

[p_herring]

In the market I'm at, Huntsville, AL, there's only one rock station I can pick up now and that's The Rocket 95.1-WRTT. It's supposedly active rock, although some days I question if they are really going to flip to classic rock after all the classic rock that gets injected into the playlist. The market used to have an alternative rock station (although in the last years of operation it was more of a modern rocker). It was out of Birmingham but it was still better than the Rocket in my opinion. Yes, it was a major flamethrower.

I just went to The Rocket's Website. Seems more like an Active rocker to me. Pretty good variety too, seems pretty loose with it's playlist. Reminds me a lot of WAAF up here in Boston. Will play a couple classic rock hits here and there (Pink Floyd, Zeppelin Ac~Dc) and then throw on some alt/modern rock (Chili Peppers, STP, Live, The Offspring) with some newer active rock like Three Days Grace. I was also pleasantly surprised to see Stevie Ray Vaughn.

: Three Days Grace - Never Too Late
05.01.2008 9:59am
: Eve 6 - Inside Out
05.01.2008 10:03am
: Nickelback - Someday
05.01.2008 10:06am
: Nazareth - Hair Of The Dog
05.01.2008 10:10am
: Live - I Alone
05.01.2008 10:14am
: Linkin Park - Numb
05.01.2008 10:20am
: Breaking Benjamin - Breath
05.01.2008 10:23am
: Bon Jovi - Wanted Dead Or Alive
05.01.2008 10:27am
: Soundgarden - Burden In My Hand
05.01.2008 10:33am
: The Red Hot Chili Peppers - Can't Stop
05.01.2008 10:38am
: Creed - What's This Life For
05.01.2008 10:42am
: Pink Floyd - The Happiest Days Of Our Lives
05.01.2008 10:46am
: Pink Floyd - Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2)
05.01.2008 10:47am
: Sixx A.M. - Life Is Beautiful
05.01.2008 10:53am
: Collective Soul - Shine
05.01.2008 10:57am
: Incubus - Nice To Know You
05.01.2008 11:02am
: U2 - Sunday Bloody Sunday
05.01.2008 11:06am
: The Offspring - Self Esteem
05.01.2008 11:11am
: Foo Fighters - Times Like These
05.01.2008 11:15am
: Evanescence - Call Me When You're Sober
05.01.2008 11:22am
: Blind Melon - No Rain
05.01.2008 11:25am
: Ozzy Osbourne - Flying High Again
05.01.2008 11:29am
Buy from: iTunes | Amazon.com
: Three Days Grace - Just Like You
05.01.2008 11:37am
Buy from: iTunes | Amazon.com
: Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble - Look At Little Sister
05.01.2008 11:40am
: Linkin Park - Bleed It Out
05.01.2008 11:43am
: Radiohead - Creep
05.01.2008 11:48am
Buy from: iTunes | Amazon.com
: Lit - My Own Worst Enemy
05.01.2008 11:52am
: AC/DC - Thunderstruck
05.01.2008 11:55am
: Nickelback - Animals
05.01.2008 12:00pm
: Lenny Kravitz - Fly Away
05.01.2008 12:05pm
: Puddle Of Mudd - Drift & Die
05.01.2008 12:08pm
: Creed - Higher
05.01.2008 12:13pm
: Molly Hatchet - Flirtin' With Disaster
05.01.2008 12:18pm
: Stone Temple Pilots - Creep
05.01.2008 12:23pm
: The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus - Face Down
05.01.2008 12:30pm
: The Black Crowes - Hard To Handle
05.01.2008 12:33pm
: Theory Of A Deadman - Make Up Your Mind
05.01.2008 12:36pm
: Led Zeppelin - Houses Of The Holy
05.01.2008 12:40pm
: Green Day - Longview
05.01.2008 12:44pm
: Metallica - Enter Sandman
05.01.2008 12:48pm

That looks like one of the most miserable playlists ever. Boring, predictable, barely any new artists. Wow, no wonder rock radio is it in the toilet. Not that I dislike all the artists on there (in fact, I like most of them) but it's way too safe. We have the same problem up here in New York City.

 

[Saladressing]

Despite all the former alts that are no longer here, the pending demise of 99X is probably the biggest hit yet to the format.

I still maintain that one solution to save the format is to expand listenership by starting to play female artists again as the format did when it was ultra successful last decade. It just sounds so bland hearing one **** rock song after another, even if it is from an "alternative" artist.

 

[SoulCrusher]

The problem would be finding female artists that actually fit the Alternative format. Going back to the '90s - I can understand why Tracy Bonham, Bjork, Veruca Salt and Liz Phair achieved some success, and they work fine on the format. However, I think we can all do without Alanis Morissette, Meredith Brooks, and a handful of others that had some hits there as well - they fit in much better with Hot AC.

As far as today's lot goes: Shiny Toy Guns have some songs with their female singer that work on Alternative. Feist is definitely more AAA/Hot AC, but I could picture Broken Social Scene getting some airtime on Alternative if that collective continues. Flyleaf depends on the station - I don't see them on FNX or Indie, but Alternatives that still play Pearl Jam and STP can spin them. Paramore is OK, but they will wear out their welcome - they're kind of like a female-fronted Fall Out Boy. Morningwood is alright, but they picked a highly irritating single ("Nth Degree") and that hurt their chances of going anywhere.

There's others that I can't think of, but I think there's other steps that Alternative can take to prosper. First and foremost, distancing themselves from their Rock competition by dropping acts that can also be heard there. There's certain acts, like Buckcherry and Velvet Revolver, that I can't understand for the life of me why some Alternative stations play them. They are straight-ahead, non-ironic corporate rock acts that don't fit the format at all.

 

[Saladressing]

I just think the programmers could stand to find some modern-day gems that are in the creative vein of some of the artists you mention such as Bjork & Liz Phair & Veruca Salt.

One way to hear excellent female-fronted alt. bands is to tune to Indie.

The best modern rock single released in the last 3 years IMO is "Destroy Everything You Touch" by Ladytron, of which Indie was one of only a very few stations, along with 91X, to give it play when it came out (and Indie banged the track out in heavy rotation).

 

[BlueWanderer]

From what I'm reading the pending demise of WNNX 99x reminds me a lot like the demise of WRAX The X.

I don't see how the pure alternative rock format can survive on major FM radio stations for much longer without it being watered down with classic rock or whatever else the suits decides to mixing it with. I believe if there's any stations that will play the format in its purest form, it'll be the smaller, low-power ones. Or on some late night specialty show on a major generic sounding rock station kind of like the one I mention in a earlier post.

 

[amfmxm]

From what I'm reading the pending demise of WNNX 99x reminds me a lot like the demise of WRAX The X.

I don't see how the pure alternative rock format can survive on major FM radio stations for much longer without it being watered down with classic rock or whatever else the suits decides to mixing it with. I believe if there's any stations that will play the format in its purest form, it'll be the smaller, low-power ones. Or on some late night specialty show on a major generic sounding rock station kind of like the one I mention in a earlier post.

Grieving a bit for WNNX this morning. And for the alternative format. And for getting old.

When I sat down to design New Rock One Zero Seven in Pensacola back in 1994, I used 4 stations as models: KROQ, WKQX, WHFS & 99X--but especially The X because of the cultural parallels. Hired their PD to consult and he brought along the voice guy. One Zero Seven exploded, grabbing #1 18-34 numbers in three markets at once: Pcola, Mobile & FWB. Not by cloning WNNX, but by using them as inspiration.

Lew Dickey is making noises about Cumulus creating some sort of "fresh rock" concept out of all this. Don't hold your breath, but maybe they will. It's not impossible.

But I tend to agree with BlueWanderer--alternative is most likely to re-surface on rimshots or underpowered rigs, though I still believe it can be viable on big sticks. Hell, it can be huge. If done right.

Check Boston's alt-triplets WBOS/Phoenix/River as (imperfect) evidence: a 4.4 (12+) share--equivalent to a #7 overall in market #10, just ahead of news-talk biggie WRKO.

But, hey, how 'bout a big hand for Leslie & Steve and everyone at the mighty 99X. It was a great 15 years!

 

[Aljr]

Bring back the Lunachicks et al;and forget the whinoid girls out there.

I saw the Dropkick Murphys up there,excellent choice.

Give the listeners something different other than the same 20-30 acts and their clones. Kick in punk roots stuff from the 70's so your listeners have a clue to where the music comes from. For that matter some harder edged 60's garage/Brit invasion stuff mixed in would be good too.

You could run something like this on the female front......
Patti Smith Group-Pumping
Sonic Youth-Cool Thing
Lunachicks-Down at The Pub
X-Ray Spex - Oh Bondage,Up Yours
Hole-Doll Parts
The Breeders-Hellbound
Marianne Faithful -Working Class Hero (cover from 1980 and it's great)


Give 'em something that will make them jump up and say "**** Yeah!!!" and run around the room pulling their hair out.

 

[BlueWanderer]

Bring back the Lunachicks et al;and forget the whinoid girls out there.

I saw the Dropkick Murphys up there,excellent choice.

Give the listeners something different other than the same 20-30 acts and their clones. Kick in punk roots stuff from the 70's so your listeners have a clue to where the music comes from. For that matter some harder edged 60's garage/Brit invasion stuff mixed in would be good too.

You could run something like this on the female front......
Patti Smith Group-Pumping
Sonic Youth-Cool Thing
Lunachicks-Down at The Pub
X-Ray Spex - Oh Bondage,Up Yours
Hole-Doll Parts
The Breeders-Hellbound
Marianne Faithful -Working Class Hero (cover from 1980 and it's great)


Give 'em something that will make them jump up and say "---- Yeah!!!" and run around the room pulling their hair out.

Now that is truly "Everything Alternative" ;D

Too bad that won't ever work in the market I'm in. The best I could hope for is a modern rock station that doesn't mix in overplayed classic rock songs.

 

[hotpatrick2004]

My hometown louisville ky has a pretty good active rock station but this god awful so called alt station that reports as alt wlrs but is just active with a little alt thrown in it really is a very poorly programmed station. How many times must one suffer threw the same alice and chains song over and over and they still insist on playing dani california uh when did that song come out??? I love dissing them every chance i get
And the onair talent is far worse then any college or highschool station you will ever hear!!!