College Radio Recap week 20. CMJ issue 1393

Hello everyone! I hope you all have some great Memorial Day plans lined up. In my head I always think there is a HUGE drop when it comes to reporting on Memorial Day week but in comparing last year to this year maybe there is not.

I found it interesting to see that we are right around the same number of stations as we were last year at this time. Last year there were 228 reporters the week before Memorial Day and this year there are 227. For whatever reason it felt like the drop off had been earlier and greater this year but numbers don't lie and it looks to be about the same.  If last year is any indication then we should loose only around 10 stations. My money is on the over though.

One thing for certain is it gets a lot harder to get in touch with people, I don't blame anyone though, I don't want to be in the inside either!

So it looks like bombardment of huge records has come to a slow down with last week no record getting above 100 adds and this week only one. It should get a bit easier to guess or predict who will take #1 going forward.  The big difference between the transition of Spring To Summer and say Winter to Spring is it takes so much longer go move those big spring records out of position.  In the Spring there are so many big records coming each week they push out the old records pretty easily but in the Summer the newer records are usually not as big of names as the big records of the spring so they don't automatically jump up into the top 10.  

Just take a look at last weeks most added.

34	101	-	34	2	HELIO SEQUENCE	The Helio Sequence	Sub Pop
35	42	100	35	3	ROSE WINDOWS	Rose Windows	Sub Pop
36	-	-	36	1	ICKY BLOSSOMS	Mask	Saddle Creek

Both come in around the same spot with a good showing. But not mind-blowing and not in any position to make a run to the top. 

Lets compare this weeks top 10 to a top 10 from 5 weeks ago. 

1	1	3	1	4	ALABAMA SHAKES	Sound And Color	ATO
2	2	1	1	9	COURTNEY BARNETT	Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit	Mom And Pop
3	11	82	3	3	MY MORNING JACKET	The Waterfall	Capitol
4	6	7	4	5	SPEEDY ORTIZ	Foil Deer	Carpark
5	4	9	4	4	MIKAL CRONIN	MCIII	Merge
6	9	13	6	4	BEST COAST	California Nights	Harvest
7	14	72	7	3	BLUR	The Magic Whip	Warner Brothers
8	8	10	8	4	BUILT TO SPILL	Untethered Moon	Warner Brothers
9	3	2	2	7	WAXAHATCHEE	Ivy Tripp	Merge
10	7	4	3	8	SUFJAN STEVENS	Carrie And Lowell	Asthmatic Kitty

Five weeks ago 

1	2	9	1	4	COURTNEY BARNETT	Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit	Mom And Pop
2	3	5	2	10	MODEST MOUSE	Strangers To Ourselves	Epic
3	5	32	3	3	SUFJAN STEVENS	Carrie And Lowell	Asthmatic Kitty
4	1	1	1	8	DAN DEACON	Gliss Riffer	Domino
5	11	72	5	8	DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE	Kintsugi	Atlantic
6	10	14	6	3	CHASTITY BELT	Time To Go Home	Hardly Art
7	6	2	1	9	FATHER JOHN MISTY	I Love You, Honeybear	Sub Pop
8	4	3	3	10	PURITY RING	Another Eternity	4AD
9	124	-	9	2	TORO Y MOI	What For?	Carpark
10	127	-	10	2	WAXAHATCHEE	Ivy Tripp	Merge

What stands out to me is how few new records are in this weeks chart. Only 2 records 3 weeks or younger. Where as 5 weeks ago we had double that.  How many of the current top 10 do you think will still be in the top ten in 3 or 4 weeks. I would guess about half.  Something to look into as the weeks go by. 

Alabama Shakes is dominating with 68% of the stations reporting.  At first look you might think My Morning Jacket could be making that move. Well they could be but they are at least 2 weeks away before they have a shot and in that time where will Hot Chip be? There is a rather large gap still for My Morning Jacket to bridge. I am not sure anyone else really has a shot.  

Speaking of Hot chip they were the #1 most added record this week with a rather good 121 adds out of 202 reporting stations. That is no slouch. Unknown Mortal Orchestra was the only other add that came close to 100 with 92 and like most Jagjaguwar records I am sure it will do great just not number one great. 

This week I head to PUNK ROCK BOWLING for some bands and some bowling. Wish us luck! 

Thank you for reading. As always feel free to leave comments or lets talk on twitter