Starting to Sound Stale

When San Fran's Energy 92.7 added 5 new songs on February 1st, little did we know that no new tracks would be added for the remainder of the month. With Energy's last four weekly playlists looking remarkably similar, listening to the station has become rather boring and extremely predictable. I find myself flipping the dial much more often than I was doing 2 or 3 weeks ago.

Dance radio, like the music itself, should be fast paced and exciting. By resting on their laurels for the past month, Energy has fallen way behind the curve. Here are some of the songs that have taken off at other dance radio stations while Energy was asleep at the turntables:

1) Mario's "Let Me Love You" (DJ X Mix) - DJ X of Plummet fame has taken this mundane Hot 100 chart topper and transformed it into a simple but extremely effective dance jam - it's no wonder this song shot right into the dance radio airplay top 5 in only its second week on the chart. A bit of that urban flavor that Energy craves in its gold product but seems to have so much trouble finding as currents.

2) Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone" (Nevins mixes) - Energy has been somewhat reluctant to embrace the dance/rock sound that many feel could bring dance back into the mainstream at top 40 radio. They recently added Scissor Sisters but missed out on big hits by the Killers and Duran Duran late last year. Adding this American Idol's pop smash full of dance/rock overtones would be a great move. Already a top ten hit in only its second week on the dance radio airplay chart.

3) Anna Vissi's "Call Me" - This is the best traditional dance-sounding song that Energy is not yet playing, with Miss Vissi's Greek origins and ethereal vocals giving it a Despina Vandi meets Motorcycle type of sound. A plethora of incredible remixes are available, giving trance and house lovers many, many pleasurable listening options - with other U.S. dance stations having opted for the Valentin mix.

4) Ryan Cabrera's "True" - The Ford mix was the first one available, but the Lenny B. mix is the one that is making this one happen at radio. Quickly gaining spins at most dance outlets, look for this pop ballad turned dance jam to make its debut on the radio airplay chart soon.

5) Erasure's "Breathe" (LMC Mix) - Energy needs to go out on a limb here and do a little groundbreaking where this song is concerned. Sadly ignored by most dance outlets, this classic return to form for a beloved band is finally starting to gain steam with a nice edit done by C89.5 in Seattle. Seeing as Erasure will be in concert in San Francisco in May, this represents a unique opportunity for Energy to add a great new song and promote the performances at the same time.

Additionally, new songs are coming soon from many established Energy artists:
"When the Dawn Breaks," Narcotic Thrust
"Stay," Mynt featuring Kim Sozzi
"Back to Basics," Shape: UK
"All Night Long," Lasgo

It is ironic that four of the above mentioned songs have male vocals, a rarity in dance radio and something that music directors usually crave for some variety. Let's hope Energy picks up the ball it seems to have dropped with another slew of adds to begin the month of March. And let's hope they stay on top of things this time with regular adds on a weekly basis.