Spoon make a brilliant debut at #1 on the Mediaguide Songs chart with first single, “The Underdog” off of their Merge release, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga. Let’s cross fingers that the full is better than the album title. It’s no surprise that indie-anglo studs, Josh Venable (KDGE Dallas) and Andy Langer (KROX Austin) are playing fellow Texans on their specialist shows The Adventure Club & Next Big Thing. Other tastemakers on Spoon include: Bryant Stowe (WAVF Charleston, SC), Brian “Lambchop” Oakes (Minneapolis - St. Paul, MN) & Steve “Little Buddy” Theo (WFNX Boston). Interpol moves down to #2 on the Songs chart after 3 consecutive weeks at #1 with play on “The Heinrich Maneuver” pushing The Polyphonic Spree down to #3 after their big debut last week from #35 to #2. Meanwhile, there’s no real time to tease the kids with specialty airplay as most heavy hitters have added The Pumpkins new single, “Tarantula” into regular rotation already: Q101 Chicago, KROX Austin, 99X Atlanta, 91X San Diego & KNRK Portland among many others… Nice debuts this week include: The Chemical Brothers, the aforementioned Pumpkins track, Breaking Benjamin & Linkin Park.

Record of the Week: The Chemical Brothers

Friendly Fires -- We really like this UK band. Shouts out to Jerry from Friendly Fires for sending music out our way… Eyes on the post. Speaking of post, this is reposted from Covert Curiosity: Friendly Fires are a trio from St Albans who cover the dancier side of British punk music. Fact Magazine says: "The beginning of the third track of Friendly Fire’s recent debut twelve-inch (‘Photobooth’, out on People in the Sky) might be familiar to you. There’s the classic plink-plonk keyboard melody, and the hollow, three-note bassline. And then, just as you’re getting settled in, their cover of Jamie Principle’s Chicago house anthem, ‘Your Love’, explodes into something else entirely, recasting the original as a frantic punk-funk freakout. Suddenly, I need a whole new way to dance." Listen to “Photobooth.”

Digitalism – “Pogo”

Thanks to Justin Nichols from Astralwerks for sending us over a link of Digitalism’s new video for “Pogo.” Full-length Idealism is out on June 11^th… Digitalism is a German electro-duo (Jens Moelle and Ismail Tuefekci) who banded together in 2004. They have remixed everyone from The Futureheads to The Klaxons to Depeche Mode. The duo kicks things off in Rome on June 2^nd ending in Los Angeles on October 27^th at The Monster Massive Festival… We will not be there (hushhush ATTACK! dislikes large crowds/festivals).

Gedde Watanabe aka Long Duc Dong has been working steadily since the John Hughes film Sixteen Candles made him ‘famous’ in the mid 80’s. If you’re really bored you can read the plot for Sixteen Candles here thanks to our friends over at Wikipedia. Look for Gedde in the comedy Sunny & Share Love You (2007 [currently in production]) about a washed up rock duo who reinvent themselves as a wildly inappropriate children's act. View Dong’s classic “No More Yanky My Wanky” scene from Sixteen Candles here and the original trailer here.

Chris Randour

hhA!: Were you born and raised in the 505?

CR: “505 Represent (the whole state is 505 area code)! Born and raised in Albuquerque, NM.”

hhA!: How did you get into radio?

CR: “I first got into radio and the ripe old age of 15. Our high school had an internship program dedicated to ‘gifted’ students who would be otherwise bored to tears in the classroom. Most students took opportunities to work at Sandia Labs (national defense labs that used to build the non-nuclear parts of nuclear weapons), television stations, etc. I took the opportunity to file production orders and be the overnight body in the building at 104.7 The Edge. I stayed there until I graduated high school, and moved to Colorado to go to college at the University of Colorado at Denver to study film. I voice-tracked the edge on Saturdays, and people in the building started to pick up on the fact that there was another part timer that could voice-track in Denver. Channel 93.3 had me do overnights, then nights where I sit now. I’m still on the edge doing middays, as well as Underplayed (as heard on KTEG Albuquerque, NM) from the Denver studios. I also do a feature that runs on most of the clear channel rock websites known as ‘Wet on the Net.’”

hhA!: Rumor has it the kids in Albuquerque are going wild over Underplayed…

CR: “I started Underplayed over a year ago with the help of Buck (MD in Albuquerque), because it gave me a chance to program new and interesting music that wouldn’t otherwise be on the air in NM. I love having the opportunity to play what I want, even if it is only for an hour each week, as well as seeing concerts dubbed as ‘Underplayed Presents.’ I dub in tracks in Denver, then send them to Albuquerque, along with my voice-tracks where a board-op segs everything up and makes it sound sexy.”

hhA!: Who are you talking to these days in regards to music?

CR: “I don’t have nearly as much time to talk with people I’d like to (the video stuff takes of most of my time). Most of my communication is done via email, and even then it’s hard to keep up. Chachi from Uncle, Rich Michalowski, Jon from the Syndicate, Notorious LIZ, Chip Adams, Chris Stowers, Jason from FAT, Jeremy Goldstein, Newman…and I’m sure I’m missing a few but that’s mostly who I talk to about records.”

hhA!: What are some of your favorite releases at present?

CR: I can’t WAIT for the Justice CD…been listening to a ton of fuzzy dance tracks like Boys Noize, Surkin…actually lots of Ed Banger artists. MUSE! Mashup stuff’s cool like Girl Talk, and stuff from the Best of Bootie 2006 CD. I’ve also been listening to the new Common, Authority Zero, still love Mastodon…lots of underground hip hop and metal. And oh yeah…3 INCHES OF BLOOD!!!! Oh yes…hip hop, dance and metal pretty much defines me.”

hhA!: Who are some of your idols/mentors in the industry?

CR: “First and foremost…Mike Ness. I respect the hell out of that man. He’s done what he wants for what seems like forever, and he’ll still beat your ass if you fuck with him, or try to be a bully in general, I love that! Secondly, everyone who’s supported me and allowed me to leach off of them to get where I am now, everyone from Bill May to Ellen Flaherty to Rubin to Mike O’Connor to Nerf to Buck to the Denver local label reps who took me skiing when I first moved to Colorado and introduced me to this great city (Jason Martin, Richele Orofino, Jason Minkler, Rich Garcia, etc.). I’m leaving a lot of names off, not on purpose, but because my memory is shit.”

Featured (l-r): Live 105’s Operation Director Spud with Ryan Shaw at San Francisco’s legendary Boom Boom Room on 5/16/07. “I felt like I was one of the lucky few who got treated to the best (if not the MOST soulful) intimate show of the year” – Spud… You can check out One Haven/Columbia recording artist Ryan Shaw here.

Pimp My Playlist
WAVF Charleston, SC
“The Cutting Edge”
w/ Bryant Stowe
Sunday 9p-Midnight