Happy Wednesday! Are you caught up from the Memorial Day holiday weekend? There’s a lot to unpack in today’s newsletter. This week’s #HAPPENS Alternative Artist Discovery is Cameron Whitcomb. His brother turned him onto Johnny Cash and he “fell hard for Tyler Childers’ raw voice.” Cameron says, “I think the most important thing for me is just writing music that’s 100% honest and vulnerable — a trait I learned from the past 2 years of my recovery/sobriety. My music changes constantly as have I over the past 2-3 years and I think it’ll just keep changing. But whatever kind of music I make I promise it’ll never be boring.” His new single “Bad Apple” just debuted on the Alternative Chart.  Big thanks to Greg Dorfman at Atlantic for VIP Access. Get to know Cameron Whitcomb on Artist Discovery Of The Week.

Wolf Alice “Bloom Baby Bloom” is #1 Most Added for the second week in a row on the Mediabase Alternative Add Board. Congrats to RCA’s Gary Gorman & the Wolf Alice team! 

Wolf Alice is also among the 4 new songs on the Mediabase Alternative Chart this week: The Ramona Flowers “Human” lands the highest chart debut at 37*, Cameron Whitcomb “Bad Apple” debuts at 38*, Ax & The Hatchetmen “Blurry Eyes “ debuts at 39*, and Wolf Alice “Bloom Baby Bloom” debuts at 40*.

Linkin Park “Up From The Bottom” claims #1 on the Mediabase Alternative Chart this week. Congrats to Warner’s Rob Goldklang, David Ravikoff & the Linkin Park team on the band’s 14th #1 single.

Rise Against just released new music this morning. Balu Brigada has a new single coming tomorrow. Listen & Download to the latest singles on #HAPPENS Alternative Downloads HERE.

Twenty One Pilots will have a new single “The Contract” coming on June 12th. The duo will release a new album in September. Find out more on Alternative Music Info.

New Music Friday Albums out this week from Ben Kweller, Deadcode, Garbage, GROUPLOVE, Mt. Joy, and Pry.

Girl Tones “Blame” is featured below on this week’s #HAPPENS Alternative Video Spotlight. SiriusXM Alt Nation just added it as its “Impact Track” The sister duo from Kentucky is signed to Parallel Vision with a joint venture thru Big Loud Rock.

Ratings Love! Nielsen April ‘25 PPM Ratings were released last week. Here’s the latest Alternative stations to post up 6+ increases: 

KROQ/Los Angeles 2.0-2.3, KVIL (ALT 103.7)/Dallas 3.2-3.5, WNNX (99X)/Atlanta 2.2-3.1, WWDC (DC101)/Washington 5.3-5.5, WSFS (104.3 The Shark)/Miami 2.3-2.5, KTCL (Channel 93.3)/Denver 5.3-5.8, KBZT (ALT 94.9)/San Diego 3.3-3.7, KPNT (105.7 The Point)/St. Louis 5.0-5.1, WEND (106.5 The End)/Charlotte 2.8-3.0, KROX (101X)/Austin 3.0-3.2, and WNWV (107.3 ALT CLE)/Cleveland 2.9-3.1. 

KROQ’s Kevin Weatherly says, “It was a solid month for KROQ. The return of Kevin Ryder was a positive lift for the whole station. We saw significant increases across all key demos and dayparts. Most encouraging is the continued uptrend of the Klein.Ally Show with positive growth 18-34,18-49 and 25-54.”

WLUM/Milwaukee announces CAMP FM 102/1. Jeff Ballard has exited Nettwerk. Tom Butler has debuted a new music show. WNNX (99X)/Atlanta announces the return of its 99X Freeloaders App. Geordie Gillespie has opened Nashville digs with Dog Brothers Records. Get caught up on The Latest Alternative News.

Jonah Kagen played a free session last Thursday for KNRK (94/7)/Portland, OR. Terry “TA” Anzaldo was in Los Angeles last week with The Kooks at KYSR (ALT 98.7) and KROQ. Check out the smiles on Alternative Photos.

Matt Pinfield has made a miraculous recovery from a major stroke in January. It’s Pinfield’s birthday today and thrilled to report that next Monday, June 2nd he returns to KCSN (88.5-FM, The SoCal Sound)/Los Angeles for afternoon drive from 4-6pm. You can listen to him share his story with PD Marc “Mookie” Kazcor this Friday 5/27. It will be must-listen radio on Friday at 5pm (PT). Tune in HERE.

ALTERNATIVE ALBUMS

New Albums Out This Friday 5/30

Ben Kweller – Cover The Mirrors (The Noise Company)

Deadcode – Nothing And Nowhere (d3adc0de)

Garbage – Let All That We Imagine Be The Light (Stun Volume)

GROUPLOVE – Rock N’ Roll Won’t Save Me [Live] (Glassnote)

Mt. Joy – Hope We Have Fun (Bloom Field)

Pry – Wrapped In Plastic (Pry)

MORE ALBUMS HERE

ALTERNATIVE GOING FOR ADDS

Impacting June 3, 2025

311 “Need Somebody” (SKP)

Ax And The Hatchetmen “Blurry Lights” (Arista)

Rise Against “I Want It All” (Loma Vista/Concord)