Alternative rock stations that should be active rockers

[Jacko]

This idea was taken by the thread below. Many of Clear Channel's alternative stations, as well as several others, I feel should be reporting as active rock stations rather than alternative. I'm glad that Project 96.1 in Atlanta is reporting as active rock, but here's the start of a list of stations that are "alternative" that should be active rock, in my opinion:

WBCN/Boston
WJRR/Orlando
KXTE/Las Vegas
WHRL/Albany
the 'alternative' station in Dallas (Can't think of the calls)

The list started reflects the stations that may play artists that fit the alternative format, but either 1)mix in hard rock from the past, like GN'R or AC/DC, 2) play many hard rock bands influcenced by classic rockers (Buckcherry or Shinedown), 3) fail to play actual alternative artists like Death Cab for Cutie, Muse or Nickelback, or a combination of those three.

In other words, I think alternative stations should sound like WFNX/Boston, WEQX/Manchester, VT-Albany, NY or KROQ/LA. Feel free to add others...

Jacko

 

[content]

Hey Jacko -
Curious that you picked Nickelback as an Alternative band. I am not here to say they are or they aren't. However, most of the Alt purists shun them away from the format. In fact, I don't think you would see KROQ, WFNX, or WEQX playing them.

Just goes to show that Alternative is in the eye/ears of the beholder.

 

[Jacko]

Oh! I didn't mean to say that. Nickelback is definitely not in my definition of alternative at all. Sorry about that. Substitute Nickelback for Beck, please!

Jacko

 

[cheffo200]

The call letters for the Rock station in Dallas is KDGE.

 

[marko83]

Nickelback is corporate BS. Any alternative station that plays them sucks. IMO, no alternative station should flip to active rock. If they were doing alternative right, there wouldn't be a problem.

 

[Jacko]

Well, the point of the thread was reporting. I'm focusing on the hard rock "alternative" stations that really should be reporting as active rock and not alternative. I'm getting sick and tired of seeing Nickelback on the alternative charts.

Jacko

 

[StereoBrain]

Ive noticed a lot of these corporate stations are now calling them "everything rock." For example CBS radio whom has tweaked all their alternative stations (except for KROQ and KITS) to "Active/Alternative rock. This is a growing situation. See for yourself...http://www.cbsradio.com/stations/index.html

So that will probably explain why WBCN was first on the list for alternative stations sound active. Its not alternative or active rock, its now "Active/Alternative."

 

[K-RockFan]

i say 1059theX needs to be a Active rocker. Heres the site www.wxdx.com Two actully doesn't matter www.1059thex.com

 

[machinehead]

Marko83, I completely agree with you: "If they were doing alternative right, there wouldn't be a problem." Well said. It takes guts and hard work to program alternative right because the format inherently needs more attention and work than your average music format. That's why it's easier for some stations to roll over to the easy butthead dinero of active rock, and therefore, the dreaded Nickelback. Alternative is hard to do because you can't be an automaton about it, you have to love it, and you have to care to do it right in order for it to succeed. That kind of reality, and the notion of "caring" is anathema to most radio business models these days. If you're going to make a connection with an alternative audience - and they're still out there - you have to connect with the music and have some passion. Oops, again, I know "passion" is another scary (and overused) word for most business models, but you have to put the work and the love in to get the steady financial result out. Alternative can work very well, but if your business model isn't patient enough to do it right or your personnel have no feel for the music or connecting to the audience via the music, don't bother.

 

[p_herring]

Marko83, I completely agree with you: "If they were doing alternative right, there wouldn't be a problem." Well said. It takes guts and hard work to program alternative right because the format inherently needs more attention and work than your average music format. That's why it's easier for some stations to roll over to the easy butthead dinero of active rock, and therefore, the dreaded Nickelback. Alternative is hard to do because you can't be an automaton about it, you have to love it, and you have to care to do it right in order for it to succeed. That kind of reality, and the notion of "caring" is anathema to most radio business models these days. If you're going to make a connection with an alternative audience - and they're still out there - you have to connect with the music and have some passion. Oops, again, I know "passion" is another scary (and overused) word for most business models, but you have to put the work and the love in to get the steady financial result out. Alternative can work very well, but if your business model isn't patient enough to do it right or your personnel have no feel for the music or connecting to the audience via the music, don't bother.

While I agree that you do need to have passion and a love of music to program Alternative, you can't simply let your psuedo-indie tastes influence your playlist too much. Once again, you have to PAY ATTENTION to what your audience responds to and see what your listeners WANT to hear. Not what you think they SHOULD hear. Of course, it is always good to mix in bands that will grow on your listeners eventually (TV On The RAdio, The Shins) and counter those with bands that your listeners know and love (Linkin Park, RHCP, Killers). A happy medium is possible.

 

[machinehead]

Oh yeah, absolutely. I'm talking about the spirit in which you pursue alternative rock radio and the current business realities surrounding it which may prevent you from doing so effectively. I'm not necessarily talking about the music alone. Marko83 and others have appropriately pointed out Nickelback is not alternative. You can make these determinations without being "too cool for the room" and without compromising alternative rock radio's commercial necessities, but if you know, understand and love the music, it's second-nature reinforced by good research. While I'd argue Linkin Park isn't a commercial necessity for alternative these days either, it's not about "I'm cooler than you indie taste." Again, a bright and effective programmer and staff can make these determinations without having to paint their fingernails black and scoffing at Foo Fighters records. While playing Nickelback doesn't make you an alternative station, NOT playing the Red Hot Chili Peppers or The Shins doesn't make a very effective alternative station in a commercial environment either. The catch is filling in the blanks between the extremes. Your alternative audience is already there and knows the music, so if you can't effectively program what goes there, you may be lacking in the required love, passion or general understanding of the music yourself, and therefore will find it much more difficult to be successful. Numbers-crunching and research are effective tools, but alternative programming just requires that additional care in order to be successful, and no, I don't necessarily think that premise applies to other music formats.

 

[p_herring]

Oh yeah, absolutely. I'm talking about the spirit in which you pursue alternative rock radio and the current business realities surrounding it which may prevent you from doing so effectively. I'm not necessarily talking about the music alone. Marko83 and others have appropriately pointed out Nickelback is not alternative. You can make these determinations without being "too cool for the room" and without compromising alternative rock radio's commercial necessities, but if you know, understand and love the music, it's second-nature reinforced by good research. While I'd argue Linkin Park isn't a commercial necessity for alternative these days either, it's not about "I'm cooler than you indie taste." Again, a bright and effective programmer and staff can make these determinations without having to paint their fingernails black and scoffing at Foo Fighters records. While playing Nickelback doesn't make you an alternative station, NOT playing the Red Hot Chili Peppers or The Shins doesn't make a very effective alternative station in a commercial environment either. The catch is filling in the blanks between the extremes. Your alternative audience is already there and knows the music, so if you can't effectively program what goes there, you may be lacking in the required love, passion or general understanding of the music yourself, and therefore will find it much more difficult to be successful. Numbers-crunching and research are effective tools, but alternative programming just requires that additional care in order to be successful, and no, I don't necessarily think that premise applies to other music formats.

Well said. Though I think when Linkin Park does finally drop this long awaited follow-up, you can bet most station (including the KROQ and maybe even KITS) will be all over it. They're a huge band, the alternative audience will still buy the record, so why ignore it? On the bright side, it's pretty awesome that bands like The Shins, Arcade Fire and Modest Mouse are getting heavy airplay. That probably wouldn't have been happening if it was 2001.

 

[machinehead]

You're right, bands like The Arcade Fire and most definitely The Shins would be getting less if any attention if it was 2001 as opposed to 2007, and that's great. So look at it this way: I understand you may want to play Linkin Park if the new album takes off and becomes a hit. Why let your competition run away with the success of the album and benefit from it while you don't? I get it. The question is, is that the audience you're really looking for? Who is your competition? Are you competiting against rock stations playing Nickleback, or are you competiting against top 40 kiddie stations playing God knows what? Do you want a listenership of 21-year old kids who are sharing your station with all of their other electronic gizmos in between non-stop gaming, or would you rather have the 28-year old tuning in who just got a new Jetta? Ideally you'd like to have both, but why alienate the 28-year old when he's the one bringing in the bucks you want to get a piece of? He's the one you're programming to by way of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Arcade Fire and The Shins, so why are you going to chase him away with Linkin Park? I agree there's a potential audience for a new Linkin Park album, and playing it could pay very short-term dividends...but is that an audience you want to pursue? Your audience remembers every musical step you take, even if you don't, so in the long-term health of the station do want your audience remembering you played Linkin Park when you could have played a good Modest Mouse or Arcade Fire track instead? It seems to me you want persons 25-44 or 25-54, not 18-34. If you get folks under 24, it's icing on the cake, but it shouldn't be your bread and butter as an alternative rock station, plus your upper-enders will like The Smiths and R.E.M. alongside The Shins and The White Stripes. I'd like to think the folks at KITS understand that, whereas I think the folks at KROQ are working a different side of the street demo-wise.

 

[Saladressing]

I believe the format should remain youth-focused. A station that focuses solely on Classic Alt. bands and recent bands that take their cues from Classic Alt. bands should be designated into a new format classification.

Take a look at WLUM. They get away with playing Disturbed, new Arcade Fire, Dead Kennedys and Tori Amos all on one station with a focus that doesn't exclude the 18-24 set. They'll be all over the new Linkin Park, and it will sound right.

 

[epsilon]

On the bright side, it's pretty awesome that bands like The Shins, Arcade Fire and Modest Mouse are getting heavy airplay. That probably wouldn't have been happening if it was 2001.

The Shins album debuted at #2 on this week's Billboard album chart, moving an astounding 118,000 copies. Congrats to the band and to SubPop.

 

[nIkriVers]

Ive noticed a lot of these corporate stations are now calling them "everything rock." For example CBS radio whom has tweaked all their alternative stations (except for KROQ and KITS) to "Active/Alternative rock.

Just because they are grouped that way on a CBS website, doesnt mean its true. Our playlist (WPBZ-West Palm) hasnt been affected or "tweaked" active at all by CBS.

Check for yourself: http://www.buzz103.com/pages/142411.php

Hardly seems "Tweaked Active" when we are playing Muse, Taking Back Sunday,Modest Mouse, Pilot Speed, Amy Winehouse & The Silversun Pickups..

 

[scottpetibone]

This idea was taken by the thread below. Many of Clear Channel's alternative stations, as well as several others, I feel should be reporting as active rock stations rather than alternative. I'm glad that Project 96.1 in Atlanta is reporting as active rock, but here's the start of a list of stations that are "alternative" that should be active rock, in my opinion:

WBCN/Boston
WJRR/Orlando
KXTE/Las Vegas
WHRL/Albany
the 'alternative' station in Dallas (Can't think of the calls)

The list started reflects the stations that may play artists that fit the alternative format, but either 1)mix in hard rock from the past, like GN'R or AC/DC, 2) play many hard rock bands influcenced by classic rockers (Buckcherry or Shinedown), 3) fail to play actual alternative artists like Death Cab for Cutie, Muse or Nickelback, or a combination of those three.

In other words, I think alternative stations should sound like WFNX/Boston, WEQX/Manchester, VT-Albany, NY or KROQ/LA. Feel free to add others...

Jacko

I think you have a very limited view of what alternative is. A true Alternative has a feel unlike any other format. Music is just the easiest way for programmers to express it. Saying Shinedown or Hinder isn't Alternative is stupid and short sighted ... Do they belong on stations like 'FNX? prolly not, but that's because Tolkoff has his vision of Alternative in play and it is respondant to his community. Being Alternative isn't just playing the hippest music ... it's having DJ's that stand out like nobody else in your market ... it's about having contesting and promotions that don't sound the same on any other station ... Alternative is the one single format that can have a unique identity built just for it's market. Just because our station (WKRL) doesn't support Death Cab for Cutie or plays 3 deep tracks from The Kooks doesn't mean we're not Alternative. ... One of the problems with all of Alternative is that, for the most part, we generally blame the record community for not helping us remain relevant. That's not their job ... that's ours. Alternative is about being different ... what's different about every one sounding like KITS in San Francisco (with all due respect) and their monster 1.3?

by the way ... Alternative is still a rock format ... and not Top 40's b-i-t-c-h.

 

[content]

Well said scottpetibone!

 

[p_herring]

This idea was taken by the thread below. Many of Clear Channel's alternative stations, as well as several others, I feel should be reporting as active rock stations rather than alternative. I'm glad that Project 96.1 in Atlanta is reporting as active rock, but here's the start of a list of stations that are "alternative" that should be active rock, in my opinion:

WBCN/Boston
WJRR/Orlando
KXTE/Las Vegas
WHRL/Albany
the 'alternative' station in Dallas (Can't think of the calls)

The list started reflects the stations that may play artists that fit the alternative format, but either 1)mix in hard rock from the past, like GN'R or AC/DC, 2) play many hard rock bands influcenced by classic rockers (Buckcherry or Shinedown), 3) fail to play actual alternative artists like Death Cab for Cutie, Muse or Nickelback, or a combination of those three.

In other words, I think alternative stations should sound like WFNX/Boston, WEQX/Manchester, VT-Albany, NY or KROQ/LA. Feel free to add others...

Jacko

I think you have a very limited view of what alternative is. A true Alternative has a feel unlike any other format. Music is just the easiest way for programmers to express it. Saying Shinedown or Hinder isn't Alternative is stupid and short sighted ... Do they belong on stations like 'FNX? prolly not, but that's because Tolkoff has his vision of Alternative in play and it is respondant to his community. Being Alternative isn't just playing the hippest music ... it's having DJ's that stand out like nobody else in your market ... it's about having contesting and promotions that don't sound the same on any other station ... Alternative is the one single format that can have a unique identity built just for it's market. Just because our station (WKRL) doesn't support Death Cab for Cutie or plays 3 deep tracks from The Kooks doesn't mean we're not Alternative. ... One of the problems with all of Alternative is that, for the most part, we generally blame the record community for not helping us remain relevant. That's not their job ... that's ours. Alternative is about being different ... what's different about every one sounding like KITS in San Francisco (with all due respect) and their monster 1.3?

by the way ... Alternative is still a rock format ... and not Top 40's b-i-t-c-h.

K-Rock Syracuse is basically Active Rock. When I went to school at Ithaca I would catch a listen and they would play the same tired nu-metal bands (Even still played Kid Rock). Going to one of their radio-station sponsored concerts was even worse. It was ALL mooks trying to "kick major ass in the pit bro" while, during the slower songs, seeing how many women would take off their tops. Disgusting...

 

[scottpetibone]

This idea was taken by the thread below. Many of Clear Channel's alternative stations, as well as several others, I feel should be reporting as active rock stations rather than alternative. I'm glad that Project 96.1 in Atlanta is reporting as active rock, but here's the start of a list of stations that are "alternative" that should be active rock, in my opinion:

WBCN/Boston
WJRR/Orlando
KXTE/Las Vegas
WHRL/Albany
the 'alternative' station in Dallas (Can't think of the calls)

The list started reflects the stations that may play artists that fit the alternative format, but either 1)mix in hard rock from the past, like GN'R or AC/DC, 2) play many hard rock bands influcenced by classic rockers (Buckcherry or Shinedown), 3) fail to play actual alternative artists like Death Cab for Cutie, Muse or Nickelback, or a combination of those three.

In other words, I think alternative stations should sound like WFNX/Boston, WEQX/Manchester, VT-Albany, NY or KROQ/LA. Feel free to add others...

Jacko

I think you have a very limited view of what alternative is. A true Alternative has a feel unlike any other format. Music is just the easiest way for programmers to express it. Saying Shinedown or Hinder isn't Alternative is stupid and short sighted ... Do they belong on stations like 'FNX? prolly not, but that's because Tolkoff has his vision of Alternative in play and it is respondant to his community. Being Alternative isn't just playing the hippest music ... it's having DJ's that stand out like nobody else in your market ... it's about having contesting and promotions that don't sound the same on any other station ... Alternative is the one single format that can have a unique identity built just for it's market. Just because our station (WKRL) doesn't support Death Cab for Cutie or plays 3 deep tracks from The Kooks doesn't mean we're not Alternative. ... One of the problems with all of Alternative is that, for the most part, we generally blame the record community for not helping us remain relevant. That's not their job ... that's ours. Alternative is about being different ... what's different about every one sounding like KITS in San Francisco (with all due respect) and their monster 1.3?

by the way ... Alternative is still a rock format ... and not Top 40's b-i-t-c-h.

K-Rock Syracuse is basically Active Rock. When I went to school at Ithaca I would catch a listen and they would play the same tired nu-metal bands (Even still played Kid Rock). Going to one of their radio-station sponsored concerts was even worse. It was ALL mooks trying to "kick major ass in the pit bro" while, during the slower songs, seeing how many women would take off their tops. Disgusting...

So, you pull a Clear Channel and homoginize our version of Alternative because it flies in the face of what KROQ is doing? Here's a little interesting fact about KROQ ... being born in market #2 doesn't make them right for the nation just like being in market #79 doesn't make us right for the nation. If you want 77 stations that all sound the same ... get a job at a company that makes all music & jock decisions at corporate level.