The Music Scout (Alternative) - June 2024

Author: Jay Goldberg

Since I write these columns a month in advance I have to see if I reach my goal of 100+ reviewers for my proposed book. While I wait, I'll write about a Facebook posting strategy that could result in potential listeners getting a good feel for your station.

In my experience, the posts showing the last 35 to 50 songs played on my station are my posts with the most views. Having a record of the songs that played is the reason I suggested, in a prior column, using clockwheels instead of AutoDJ (even instead of clockwheels as AutoDJ since they follow the rules of AutoDJ and not of clockwheels).

In case you don't remember, if you give all your songs one common category code (e.g. allsongs), then you can set up a clockwheel with only that category code and you will, in fact, have a clockwheel that is the same as AutoDJ, but you will be able to have a record of the songs that played. In fact, you can even have more control over the randomness with the clockwheel options.

Here is an example:

ID   random
Advert  120 seconds
allsongs  random
allsongs  random
allsongs  random
allsongs  random
allsongs  random
allsongs  random
allsongs  random

I use random and allow my separation rules to manage the clockwheel flow. But instead of random, you do have different options such as oldest album, newest artist, etc.

I also schedule each show individually (rather than checking the 'recurring' option) so I can get the tracklist for every show immediately.

To copy the tracks for posting in Facebook:

1. Open the tracks tab in the schedule for the show that is playing
2. Copy all the lines of info for tracks that have played in the range that you want to include in the post (do not copy tracks that have not played yet to ensure compliance with DMCA rules)
3. Open your spreadsheet program and paste in cell A1 – I recommend Open Office, it is free and the paste works perfectly (it doesn't in some programs)
   (Personally, I use A1 to start so the row number at the bottom is the number of songs in your final list)
4. Insert a new column between time and title; and between title and artist
5. In those new columns type '(space bar) -' and then copy the '(space bar) -' from the top to the bottom of the range of songs (you need the space bar so that - is typed as is and does not trigger a formula as a minus sign; and so that there is a space between the columns in the Facebook post)
6. Delete the column for album and delete the rows for non-songs such as ID and Advert
7. Then copy the entire range and paste it into your Facebook post

Here is an example of one of my posts (only showing the first 4 songs)

Monday, May 13, 2024
Rock on Neon Radio - Scroll down for last 38 songs played

Listen here: https://www.dtrconsulting.biz/rockonneon.html

===========================================
On today (all day): What If New Wave Never Ended
-> Classic new wave songs
-> Forgotten new wave songs
-> Album cuts from new wave artists
-> Songs post-new wave from established artists that fit new wave
-> Indie/small label artist songs that fit new wave
-> Covers of new wave songs
===========================================
LAST 38 SONGS PLAYED (all times EST)
05:34:30 AM - Pure - The Lightning Seeds
05:38:15 AM - Fields of Gold - Sting
05:41:52 AM - Children of the Moon - Dorian Sorriaux
05:45:07 AM - Is That Love – Squeeze

Now onto the music. Since I posted about my show "What If New Wave Never Ended," I'll highlight five songs from my forgotten new wave category.

“It's Over Now” by Cause & Effect

Cause & Effect were a U.S. band from Sacramento, California.  The band decided to go on hiatus in 2013 to work on solo projects. In 2020, they announced that the band will no longer be making music together. “It's Over Now” reached #7 on the Billboard Modern (Alternative) Rock Chart.

“God Tonight” by Real Life

Many consider this Australian band a one-hit wonder with “Send Me an Angel,” but it is this song that was their highest charting song on the Billboard Modern (Alternative) Rock Chart reaching #15. This band is still active and released the album Sirens in 2020.

“All I Wanted” by In Tua Nua

This band, from Ireland, did not get a lot of airplay in the U.S. but did have songs that charted in Ireland and the U.K.  However, this song was a "Shriek of the Week" on the new wave station I listened to in the 80s and early 90s, WDRE.

“So Important” by Sparks

Here's a band that's been around since 1971 and are still active.  Not known as new wave, their song “So Important” released in 1988 found its way to the new wave station I listened to (WDRE). I loved the song and added their album Interior Design to my collection.

“Black Sheep Wall” by The Innocence Mission

This band from Lancaster, Pennsylvania is still active. This was their first single and was released in 1989. It is also their highest charting song on the Billboard Modern (Alternative) Rock Chart reaching #22.  Husband and wife Karen and Don Peris appeared on Natalie Merchant's album Ophelia.

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