In my last two columns, commenters asked me to rate the radio potential of current indie rock favorites that haven't yet made that crossover. (I'd follow Matos' lead and avoid the I-word, if the distinction between well-informed-college-kid "indie" and mass-market-rock-radio "alternative" isn't key here.) It was an intriguing idea, but one I greeted with some trepidation; criticizing music is one thing, evaluating its commercial prospects is a whole other can of worms.

So I'll begin by saying that I'm probably the wrong guy to even try to make those calls for a number of reasons. I've always been pretty bad at predicting hits and flops, especially with rock radio, and I let my own judgment cloud my sense of popular opinion. Seven or eight years ago, I never would've guessed that Modest Mouse or Death Cab For Cutie would later become platinum bands with radio hits; they seemed to me like paragons of the tradition of indie bands just big enough to get signed to majors, but achieve no real mainstream profile. (Incidentally, as I wrote this I was making calls at work, and "I Will Possess Your Heart" was the hold music at one place—I'm still kind of mystified that that song's limp attempt at ominous drama was such a home run with radio listeners.) I think of alt-rock programmers as largely lacking in imagination, so when I try to predict their moves, I tend not to reach or get creative. Even now, if you asked me to name bands on the cusp of radio breakthroughs, I'd probably just look to see who's been on the cover of Alternative Press lately.

The "farm team" relationship between major labels and indie buzz bands isn't what is used to be. One reason is that the American rock underground is stylistically much more diverse and far-reaching than it was in the '90s, when the ever-expanding variety of guitar bands was xxed by the fact that they were still all guitar bands. Another is that the bar for independent label success is higher than ever, but mainstream radio remains one of the last gatekeepers that's strongly beholden to major labels. It's now possible for an indie band to have a gold album, get on the cover of Spin, travel the late-night talk circuit, and have a video on MTV without making the jump to a major. But until that leap happens, odds are there isn't enough marketing muscle to grease all the palms and mail out all the promos that it takes to get even a moderate amount of radio airplay.

Still, I trolled for suggestions from Idolator readers, most of which were bands I'd heard of many times in the course of my daily music press browsing, but hadn't actually heard. I'm pretty old-fashioned as far as indie rock goes: I go to shows and check out new (mostly local) bands all the time, and I buy records by artists I've been a fan of for years and years already, not really bothering to check out the endless parade of unappetizing band names in the Pitchfork hype cycle. Unless, like Vampire Weekend and MGMT, those bands actually get some airplay and I have to cover them in this space. So with all those caveats in mind, here are my opinions on a few blog darlings, with their potential for alt-rock radio crossover judged on a scale from one to five Dave Grohls:

Tokyo Police Club - "Tesselate"

I have to confess, it was at most a month ago that I realized that this band and Tokio Hotel were two totally different things. More accents—this time, it's a phony one adopted by a Canadian singer! Let's face it: Fake Brit accents don't get you far on U.S. rock radio, unless your name is Billie Joe Armstrong.
Two and a half Grohls.

Fleet Foxes - "Whyte Winter Hymnal"

This is kind of nice, I guess. Way too college radio to be in serious contention, though.
Two Grohls.

The Hold Steady - "Sequestered In Memphis"

I remember then-Pitchfork writer Tom Breihan took me to see The Hold Steady right after his review of their second album had run, which gave me a chance to see a band almost at the exact moment when the buzz around it was cresting into some serious career momentum. And I really tried to give them a chance. But eventually, I realized I have some pretty serious contempt for this band, possibly because I've spent to much of the past few years listening to the kind of '70s rock they're ostensibly so inspired by that I can't help but notice how those comparisons are kind of horseshit. Maybe they've started to feel guilty about not actually sounding anything like the E Street Band like Rolling Stone said they would, because it sounds like they're pushing horns and piano up way higher in the mix than the last time I'd heard them. In any event, alternative radio has always had a soft spot for amelodic talk rock, but I don't think these guys could be the next Cake.
One and a half Grohls.

No Age - "Eraser"

Someone was serious with this suggestion?
One Grohl.

She & Him - "Why Don't You Stay Here"

I have to admit I swooned a little the first time I saw Zooey Deschanel sing "Baby, It's Cold Outside" in Elf. So when she formed a band and released a record on Merge, I figured it'd better than the average singing actress vanity project, or at least well sung. There's something about her voice on this song—especially on those harmonies at the end—that makes me grit my teeth in repulsion. Still, if enough radio programmers look at the promo pic and mistake Deschanel for Katy Perry, this could rack up a lot of spins.
Two and a half Grohls.

Black Kids - "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance with You"

This sounds fairly radio-ready, considering a fair amount of bands with the same kind of emo-by-way-of-Robert-Smith pinched vocal style have made it big. If I heard this out of context I really would've pegged these guys as more Warped Tour stalwarts than (former) Pitchfork darlings. They could probably get a big hit, if they don't break up first.
Four and a half Grohls.

WEB SHERIFF
Protecting Your Rights on the Internet
Tel 44-(0)208-3238013
Fax 44-(0)208-3238080
websheriff@websheriff.com
www.websheriff.com

Hi Dan & Everyone,

Many thanks for your interesting story ... .. "My-Good-Fellow" (we hope that's British enough for you ?!) ... .. the point here is that How Do I and QueenSissy are correct - Prince actually has performers' rights in his stage and recorded performances and, as such, he's still entitled to pull these videos if he chooses to and regardless of whether or not he wrote the song.

There is a very interesting comparison to be drawn between Radiohead and Prince who, between them, probably represent the spectrum of artist opinion on the use of the internet. Some artists are very relaxed about the use of their rights on the net, whereas others are more protective, which, we'd suggest, is the whole point - it's the artist's decision (whichever way they lean) and no one else's.

We hope this clarifies the position for your readers.

All The Best,

WEB SHERIFF

I don't have a good international calling plan, otherwise I'd call the Sheriff in the UK to get to the bottom of who exactly is protecting my rights on the Internet, but is this whole operation one guy with a lot of time on his hands and a not-very-quick reaction time to Google Alerts? I'm fascinated by the personal touch. Oh, Web Sheriff, you're such a mystery. You haunt my dreams.

WEBSHERIFF's Activity [Idolator]

More than 40 percent of New York's public television viewers are older than 65, according to Nielsen Media Research, so younger, in this context, means more 50-year-old viewers.

But the Police's fans seem to span the ages, and WNET and WLIW executives say they hope to bring in viewers as young as 35 from the coming fund-raiser.

"We wanted to embrace that kind of music and say there is a home for it here, and to add some veneer and context," said Mr. Shapiro, formerly president of NBC News, explaining that for the last few years public television has been searching for ways to incorporate classic rock — the music of the generation that came of age in the '60s — into its programming and fund-raising. During a past pledge drive, for example, a $150 donation garnered a DVD and CD of the Clash, and in 2005 WNET co-produced the Martin Scorsese documentary "No Direction Home: Bob Dylan," which had its United States broadcast premiere on the station.

And lest you think the Police show will be the final nail in PBS' coffin plan to bring in younger viewers:

For public television, the result of the discussions with the Police is a soon-to-be-unveiled marketing plan named Public Television Rocks, the centerpiece of which is the partnership with the group. Other events focused on classic rock and aimed at keeping the 50-year-olds tuning in are being planned, Mr. Shapiro said.

"This is going to break the dam and get other projects rolling," he said. "If one of the advantages is that it can deepen the audience and bring in younger viewers, that's great."

"Public Television Rocks"? You know, I would pledge $150 if I could get the chance to give a slightly more creative name to this initiative. I'm just saying.

The Police Will Play the Garden for Public Television [NYT]
Music squeezed out of PBS primetime [current.org]

This final concert — for which ticket and venue information have yet to be announced — will be a fundraiser with proceeds benefiting the production of arts programming for public television stations Thirteen/WNET and WLIW New York. Tickets will be available nationally online via the Thirteen/WNET and WLIW Web sites.

Additionally, Sting and the Police announced that they will contribute $1 million to Mayor Bloomberg's MillionTreesNYC initiative — a gift the city will match — to plant trees all over New York City.

At the press conference, held in Times Square, Sting commented: "Some people may be surprised to know that the greatest single contribution to greenhouse gases is deforestation. We all want cleaner and cooler air, and planting trees is the best way to achieve that.

"We have a long history in New York," he added. "We came here first in 1978. We want to leave a gift that will last for decades."

You already did, Sting. In our hearts.

The Police announce last show ever [Billboard]
the police - wrapped around your finger [YouTube]

"What a waste!"

"And they were stripping out the seats and putting bricks of marijuana in a plastic bag."

"The harvest of Neptune!"

"Might have been a decoy for a bigger operation further North!""

The last line is said in a tone that imitates, intentionally or not, the voice of Doug McKenzie. Do you think KUSI's reporter figured that any surfer would refer to "the harvest of Neptune?" Maybe they just didn't want to say the word "Turbonegro" on air.

Marijuana Boat Washes Ashore [KUSI News]

• J. Mascis (More Light, Free So Free) and Lou Barlow (EMOH, New Folk Implosion) recently recorded an album with ex-Lemonhead Murph for Fat Possum Records.

• Tarzan songwriter Phil Collins went on a world tour in 2007, backed by Mike from Mike + The Mechanics and new age keyboardist Tony Banks.

• Frank Black, following the simultaneous release of his Black Letter Days and Devil's Workshop, changed his name to "Black Francis" and started a new touring band with Breeder Kim Deal (2002's Title TK), ex-Martini Joey Santiago and a magician known as The Scientific Phenomalist. They have since recorded a song for the soundtrack to Shrek 2, which was rejected.

• The FutureEmbrace rocker Billy Corgan reteamed with Zwan compatriot Jimmy Chamberlain for an album with seven differently colored covers, and bonus tracks specific to the stores and countries where they could be exclusively purchased. On tour they are joined by members of The Lassie Foundation, the Halo Friendlies and a USC Jazz Piano graduate.

• Flin Flon guitarist Mark Robinson performed a one-time engagement in DC with Teenbeat solo artist Phil Krauth and ex-con Bridget Cross.

• Lutist Sting (Songs From The Labyrinth) introduced a new combo with jazz guitarist/film scorer Andy Summers and Oysterhead drummer/film scorer Stewart Copeland at the 2007 Grammy Awards.

Now it looks like singers Joey McIntyre and Jordan Knight will be harmonizing on Today with Saw II actor Donnie Wahlberg, Upper Street member Danny Wood, and Jordan's brother Jonathan, a real estate developer. What insanity could be waiting for us next? Morrissey teamed with a Modest Mouse guitarist? Justin Timberlake hooking up with JC Chasez, a would-be astronaut, the host of The Singing Bee and a dude with bad hair? God only knows.

Stone Temple Pilots Plotting Extensive Tour [Billboard]

THE GOOD: Despite being shut out of rock radio formats that aren't saddled with the word "classic," the aging rock fan still has a place in the big-ticket music industry because he can still spend money. Namely, on tours by classic-rock staples like Genesis, Roger Waters, and Van Halen. OK, this isn't "the good" as much as it is "the obvious," but hey, something has to keep the music business hoping that its next gasp for air is slightly worth it, right?
THE BAD: Miley "Hannah Montana" Cyrus—one of only two musicians on the list under the age of 25^*—comes in at No. 15, which seems low until you remember that it was the low price of tickets on the legal market (they averaged $54 a seat) that led to the sellouts, the "secondary market" freakouts, and the 400-pound Miley Cyrus statues.
THE WHAAA? Not that I like Genesis all that much, but it has to smart that their big reunion tour (which made $47.6 million) was outgrossed by the umpteenth leg of Rod Freaking Stewart's "Trampling On Any Legacy I Still Have Left" jaunt ($49 million).

^* The other: Wolfgang Van Halen. You forgot about him, didn't you?

1. The Police ($131.9 million)
2. Kenny Chesney ($71.1 million)
3. Justin Timberlake ($70.6 million)
4. Celine Dion ($65.3 million)
5. Van Halen ($56.7 million)
6. Tim McGraw and Faith Hill ($52.3 million)
7. Rod Stewart ($49 million)
8. Genesis ($47.6 million)
9. Josh Groban ($43 million)
10. Rascal Flatts ($41.5 million)
11. Dave Matthews Band ($41.1 million)
12. Billy Joel ($39.1 million)
13. Roger Waters ($38.3 million)
14. Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band ($38.2 million)
15. Hannah Montana / Miley Cyrus ($36 million)
16. Elton John ($35.7 million)
17. Jimmy Buffett ($35.6 million)
18. Barry Manilow ($34.8 million)
19. Toby Keith ($34.3 million)
20. Maná ($33.9 million)

U.S. concert business slumps despite reunion tours [Reuters]
The Police Lock Top 2007 Tours Spot [Pollstar]
[Photo: Getty]

Copeland told the Mercurio newspaper "Look, the future President of Argentina would be good for one beer; yours (would be good) for four," thought to mean Chilean President Michelle Bachelet is less attractive than her Argentinean counterpart Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, President elect.

Copeland wrote a letter to Bachelet saying "I was mortified to learn this remark reached you and you were asked to comment on such a trivial matter." The letter was circulated to press by the government, says Reuters.

Note how the careful Copeland doesn't apologize for making the comment, just that Bachelet happened to hear about it. Now that's the kind of passive-aggressive "sorry" that comes from a lot of time on a tour bus with Sting. Also, should the guy in the photo above really be commenting on the relative attractiveness of international political superbabes?

Police Drummer Apologizes To Chile President [NME]

^*A variation on "beer goggles" is the best explanation I could come up with for Copeland's kinda vague comment. Alternate explanations welcomed.

The film will trace Summers' life from his youth in post-World War II England to his time playing with the Animals and 1960s psychedelic bands to the Police's formation and current reunion.

It will be similar in style to the Robert Evans documentary "The Kid Stays in the Picture," which used animated sequences to recount the life of the Hollywood producer. That film was directed by Brett Morgen, who is also on board the Summers film as a producer.

Well, uh, maybe it will feature some trippy animations of him and Robert Fripp licking toads while making I Advance Masked. (Except of course Robert Fripp never took drugs. Damn it.) But even if there aren't any weird perversions or hidden bodies that Summers has been keeping under wraps for the last two decades, the multi-angle footage from the Police reunion tour will probably put enough asses in the seats to make the thing profitable as we wait for the inevitable Sting sex tape to leak.

Police Guitarist Brings Memoir To Big Screen [Retuers]

- First, the band news: Ornette Coleman collapsed from heat stroke during his set on Sunday, but he appears to be OK. [Billboard]
- The Police: Awesome! [NYTimes]
- The Police: Awful! [LATimes Buzz Bands]
- David Cross, Lily Allen and Gov't Mule's Warren Haynes got into a possibly spirited back-and-forth about hippies. [Spinner.com]
- The guy from the Long Winteres stuck it to that Ben Harper dude! [MSNBC]
- By day two, things got smelly. But at least Wayne Coyne pulled out the Page-style double-necker. [EW]
- ?uestlove will gladly pose for a photo, but he damn sure isn't going to give it more than a half-smile. [Loudersoft]

[Photo: Getty Images]

Here's the lengthy missive in full, which was posted on the message board on Stewartcopeland.net in reference to one of the group's recent Vancouver gigs:

"Whenever you're ready Mr. Copeland" says Charlie, the production manager, as two crew members hold aside the giant gong, creating just enough space for me to slither onto my percussion stage, which is still down in its pit. I leap on board but my foot catches something and I sprawl into the arena in a jumble as the little stage starts to rise into view. Never mind. The audience is screaming with anticipation as I collect myself in the dark and start to warm, up the gong with a few gentle taps. But I'm overdoing it. It's resonating and reaching it's crescendo before the stage has fully reached its position. Sort of like a premature ejaculation. There's nothing for it so I take a big swing for the big hit. Problem is, I'm just fractionally too far away and the beater misses the sweet spot and the big pompous opening to the show is a damp squib. Never mind.

I stride manfully to my drums. Andy has started the opening guitar riff to MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE and the crowd is going nuts. Problem is, I missed hearing him start. Is he on the first time around or the second? I look over at Sting and he's not much help, his cue is me - and I'm lost. Never mind. "Crack!" on the snare and I'm in, so Sting starts singing. Problem is, he heard my crack as two in the bar, but it was actually four - so we are half a bar out of sync with each other. Andy is in Idaho.

Well we are professionals so we soon get sorted, but the groove is eluding us. We crash through MESSAGE and then go strait into SYNCHRONICITY. But there is just something wrong. We just can't get on the good foot. We shamble through the song and hit the big ending. Last night Sting did a big leap for the cut-off hit, and he makes the same move tonight, but he gets the footwork just a little bit wrong and doesn't quite achieve lift-off. The mighty Sting momentarily looks like a petulant pansy instead of the god of rock. Never Mind. Next song is going to be great...

But it isn't. We get to the end of the first verse and I snap into the chorus groove - and Sting doesn't. He's still in the verse. We'll have to listen to the tapes tomorrow to see who screwed up, but we are so off kilter that Sting counts us in to begin the song again. This is ubeLIEVably lame. We are the mighty Police and we are totally at sea.

And so it goes, for song after song. All I can think about is how Dietmar is going to string us up. In rehearsal this afternoon we changed the keys of EVERY LITTLE THING and DON'T STAND SO CLOSE so needless to say Andy and Sting are now on-stage in front of twenty thousand fans playing avant-garde twelve-tone hodgepodges of both tunes. Lost, lost, lost. I also changed my part for DON'T STAND and it's actually working quite well but there is a dissonant noise coming from my two colleagues. In WALKING/FOOTSTEPS, I worked out a cool rhythm change for the rock-a-billy guitar solo, but now I make a complete hash of it - by playing it in the wrong part of the song. It's not sounding so cool.

It usually takes about four or five shows in a tour before you get to the disaster gig. But we're The Police so we are a little ahead of schedule. It's only the second show (not counting the fan gig - 4,000 people doesn't count as a gig in the Police scale of things).

When we meet up back-stage for the first time after the set and before the encores, we fall into each other's arms laughing hysterically. Above our heads, the crowd is making so much noise that we can't talk. We just shake our heads ruefully and head back up the stairs to the stage. Funny thing is, we are enjoying ourselves anyway. Screw it, it's only music. What are you gonna do? But maybe it's time to get out of Vancouver...

Expect Sting's pissy rebuttal on luteawakening.com by mid-day.

OUR FIRST DISASTER GIG! [Stewartcopeland.net]

[Photo: Getty Images]

we are going to ask you once, please tell the truth: are you carrying any kind of drugs on your person?

so a grammy huh?

can you sing on of the songs you sing?"

(picks up the many magazines i have and picks XXL and hip hop weekly) "where are you in this magazine? huh? you said you were in a rap group. huh? how can a rapper not be in a rap magazine? is your rap different than regular rap? (pulls the rolling stone and spin out) are you in here then? im confused. you are in a rap group that play for 7000 students last night. you been out for 15 years. you say you have 3 grammies. you travel coach with all this money on your person. and you can't produce your face in none of these books you have?"

Didn't these guys have an Internet connection? Jeez. Anyway, this is a kind of scary precursor to an age where, in addition to their government-approved IDs, people have to tote around press clippings in order to prove who they are—which, oddly, seems to be perfect for this era. (And for the record, ?uestlove wound up making his plane with a minute or so to spare, and the flight attendant did that cute-but-jerky "let's make an example of the late guy!" schtick.)

Blog 95: Father You See King The Police [THE ?uestosphere!!!!!!!!!!!, via The Clog]

...amid the recent Police tour frenzy, I thought you'd appreciate knowing that everyone's favorite punk-turned-jazz rockers are listed on [a major booking site] as making 2 to 4 million per show. As a tour-cash barometer...here's what some other top acts are listed as making:

The Rolling Stones: 1.5-3 mil

U2: 1.5-2 mil

Paul McCartney: 1-2 mil

Simon & Garfunkel: 750k-1.5 mil

Madonna: 500k-1.5 mil

Celine Dion: 350k-1.5 mil

Guns N Roses: 250-400k

Radiohead: 200-350k

And, just to make a point...here's what The Police members make when flying solo:

Sting: 150k-1 mil

Stewart Copeland: 10-50k

Andy Summers: 10k

A mere $10,000 for Summers? We're pretty sure Juelz Santana got three times that just for showing up at a house party in Paramus, N.J. for an episode of My Super Sweet 16.

THE POLICE 30th Year Anniversary!!
EXCLUSIVE 1 TIME USE PRESALE PASSWORD
FOR DODGER STADIUM
Los Angeles, California
June 23, 2007
The presale starts 10AM tomorrow at ticketmaster.com

The presale code can only be used once and does not guarantee the ability to purchase tickets for the show - only the opportunity to purchase tickets. THESE ARE NOT TICKETS!

Paypal only, will email code immediately following payment recieved.

NO REFUNDS - ALL SALES FINAL - PAYPAL ONLY

We don't know what's more depressing: The fact that this ad exists, or the fact that someone will probably snap up this hot commodity within the hour. Here's hoping that the "lucky" purchaser at least prints out the e-mail with the precious presale code inside; at least this way, he'll definitely have something to remember that $150 by.

The Police Presale Code from Best Buy - $150 [Craigslist]

One music-industry heavyweight tells Page Six: "Sting worked on Stewart and Andy for six months trying to get them to agree to tour. They didn't really want to at first. It's not like they need the money. They're set for life off of the royalties alone...

But Copeland and Summers apparently didn't realize what they had signed on for. "Andy and Stew thought they would just do the old rock version of 'Roxanne,' " our insider said, "but when they showed up for sound check, Sting had created this weird, jazz-blues version of the song, and they kind of freaked out."

Sting insisted that his version was better and sang the unexpected rendition of the 1978 hit at the Grammys - to almost everyone's dismay.

Indeed, according to an intra-band memo that's been floating around, Sting has all kind of interesting ideas for the new tour, including a ska-punk take on "Walking On The Moon," a new song called "Synchronicity III: Season Of The Witch," and a performance of "Behind My Camel" featuring actual camels.

They Can Play. Can They Play Nice? [NYTimes.com]
Police Reunion Sting's Thing [NYPost.com]

* And with that, we forever retire our lute jokes.

The Police - Press Conference [MP3, link expired]
The Police announce reunion tour [LA Times]
[Photo: Getty Images]

From time to time, Idolator foretells the future with The Trajectory(TM), in which we chronicle an important musical event before it even occurs. After the click-through, our predictions for the Police reunion, which will start with a Grammy-opening performance on Feb. 11:

May 26 - A 45-city tour kicks off in Philadelphia, and almost immediately, old rifts begin to flare up: When Summers flubs his "de da da da" line, Sting chides him on stage for committing "a do do do don't."

June 4 - For the third night in a row, Stewart Copeland floats the idea of "doing this one Animal Logic number, just to see how it works," necessitating separate tour buses.

June 14 - The Police play the Bonaroo festival, which—much to Sting's dismay—has nothing to due with ruing Bono.

June 23 - The band attempts to scale down production costs by limiting the number of sleeveless T-shirts to three (3) per member.

July 5 - At night, while on the road to Tempe, Ariz., Sting dreams of the blue turtles.

July 24 - The tour ends in Los Angeles, where the band members are feted by such backstage guests as Bob Geldof, David Bowie, and Mr. Peeps, the canary whose life served as the basis for "Canary In A Coalmine." Afterward, Copeland goes back to Oysterhead, Summers returns to film work, and Sting starts looking around for a clavichord technician who makes house calls.

Reports have been trickling in from the Houston area about a Friday night show by Saddle Creek duo Two Gallants that was brought to a halt by police responding to a noise complaint. According to reports, in the confrontation that followed, two people were Tasered, including a 14-year-old boy; there are multiple videos of the evening on YouTube, and in a few, the Taser is clearly audible. A collection of reactions to the incident, and thoughts on its root causes, is below. (Thanks to My Old Kentucky Blog for the initial tip.)

- Comprehensive overview of the incident from someone who was at the show, including video, photos, and a link to a comment by a MySpace user whose 14-year-old son was Tasered. [cool tapes' MySpace Blog]
- A concertgoer offers her account of being arrested and spending the night in jail. [the freewheelin' neo crunch katie ford/2211516's MySpace Blog]
- An attendee who shot footage of the police breaks down, frame-by-frame, his camera being knocked to the ground by an officer. [Live Live Music]
- Fans post photo and videos to the band's official site. [two gallants... message board.]
- On developers and gentrification leading to noise complaints in trendy neighborhoods. [Houston So Real]
- Is this incident a harbinger of a wider crackdown on live music in Houston? [Not A Significant Bullet]