Working in a company town, for a station whose listeners have historically included record executives and Hollywood music supervisors and late-night TV bookers, he serves as something of an early-warning system. Since he arrived at KCRW in 1998, Harcourt has helped break Coldplay and Norah Jones, both of whom became multi-platinum international stars. He's also been an important, early supporter of countless other acts that have achieved at least a modest level of success: Dido, Damien Rice, Sigur Ros, the Shins. He's America's answer to the legendarily influential BBC Radio 1 presenter John Peel. In a Sunday magazine profile two years ago, the New York Times dubbed Harcourt "The Starmaker of the Semipopular."

Lately, the list of Harcourt-approved semi-stars has grown to include some of the leading players from the Latin alternative genre.

The item with photo No. 9 on today's Party Page in Calendar misspells singer Amy Winehouse's last name as Weinhaus.