Houston’s “New” Rock Alternative?
April 21st, 2008 by jeff
I was sitting here watching the Rockets playoff game and on comes and ad for 94.5 The Buzz, KTBZ, Houston’s “alternative” rock station. Like any other Clear Channel joint, it’s a station I have long since abandoned as an option for my listening pleasure, but I was curious what bands they would show in the ad.
They showed snippets of three music videos:
Closer - Nine Inch Nails
Give It Away - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Plush - Stone Temple Pilots
Either KTBZ is re-using an old commercial or the people in marketing think it is 1994.
Not only is none of that music new, it’s not even CLOSE. We’re talking records released (in at least 2 cases) 15+ years ago. That would be like a station touting Madonna as a new artist in 1998 or trying to introduce listeners to the Beatles in 1980.
Perhaps they should change their slogan to “Houston’s old, tired rock alternative.”
I haven’t listened to commercial radio for a very long time either but oddly I *did* happen to randomly hear the Buzz play One by Metallica at 6 AM this past Saturday or Sunday morning (can’t remember. It was 6 AM). I was surprised which might have been because it was 6 AM but it might also have been because, although I haven’t really heard a note from that station since the 90s, that is not a song I would have expected them to play. Especially at 6 AM. Did I mention that it was 6 AM?
What I’m trying to say is that … it was so awesome!!! I think I need to put And Justice For All in my CD alarm clock. Tee-hee!
::undigressing::
But yeah, One is definitely not new either. What is their damage?? Weird. That’s okay, they can be dumb, I’m not going to listen to it anyway.
When I was in college in the late 1980s/early 1990s, I went through a serious “classic rock” phase. None of the music was new, but some of it was new to me. (shout out to NBC!)
It seems that the station is marketing to those who “grew up” with post-grunge rock…as well as to those young’ns who are now finding it cool to embrace the new “classic rock.”
Anywho, I’m still listining to Duran Duran. What do I know?