Revolution Rock

Long Weekends ... Don't Reach Out & Show # 388

2012-01-24T13:23:00.002-05:00

Long Weekends are a Garage/Pop band based out of Halifax, Nova Scotia. This three piece group first released a four song EP that was recorded at Echo Chamber studios in Halifax entitled Warmer Weather in March of 2011 and before they even played a show they begin to receive publicity and appear on bands to watch lists. The bands sound is simple to describe, it’s Garage, Punk, Pop and it’s catchy as hell. The band is made up of Noel Macdonald on guitar/vocals, Devin Peck on bass and Adam Hartling on drums. Prior to forming Long Weekends, Devin Peck and Noel Macdonald were in a Punk band, which after putting together some songs folded. Macdonald and Peck did some work on the songs, citing influences such as The Chameleons, The Smiths and 80s Post-Punk groups as their main inspiration behind the songs reworking, and after finding Hartling Long Weekends were born.

“Shame On You” was the second release was made available for free via their bandcamp page in October of 2011. In January 2012 the band has released their first physical release the Don’t Reach Out seven inch, all of their releases prior to Don’t’ Reach Out have been available in digital form only and currently the seven inch is only available through the Noye Records website. It should also be noted that all of the bands artwork for the two major releases (Warmer Weather and Don’t Reach Out) was done by Yorodeo a prominent screen/print designer in Canada. The bands philosophy is simple, they love to write and make music and hopefully they continue to do so for some time.

Check out Long Weekends bandcamp to hear some more of their music.

This week's play list:

1. The Long Weekends – Don’t Reach Out
2. Brazilian Money – Give Up That Dog
3. Hands & Teeth – Sound of Hamilton
4. Heavy Chains – Commo Wire
5. Exxotone – Big Shot
6. Neverever – Mexicoco
7. NoBunny – Blow Dumb
8. Telepathe - Destroyer
9. Tumours – Twilight Zone
10. Vendetta – I Wanna Be A Star
11. The Tranzmitors – Teenage Filmstar
12. The Embers – I Walked All Night
13. Cake – Moustache Man (Wasted)
14. The Phantom Chords – Swamp Thing
15. The Damned – Politics
16. The Howlies – Zombie Girl
17. Link Wray – Deuces Wild
18. Harlem – LSD Saves
19. Seven Story Redhead - Don't Wanna Know
20. The Saints – Run Down
21. The Velvet Underground – One of These Days
22. Nervus Rex - There She Goes
23. Magazine - Boredom (BBC Session)
24. Bob Dylan – Positively 4th Street (Live April 13th, Sydney, Australia 1966)

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for January 24. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

Beating Time Fill In!

2012-01-18T16:19:00.003-05:00

Today I filled in for the CJAM program Beating Time, usually hosted by Angela Womann Wednesdays from 10:30 to Noon on CJAM 99.1 FM. Today's show featured a variety of new and old music and some obscure 70s Punk.

Beating Time play list:

1. The Revolvers – Rock y Roll
2. The Smugglers – 5-4-3-2-1
3. Dan Sartain – Box Cutter In My Boot
4. Golden Hands Before God – Communist Party
5. Indian Wars - Just Can't Get Along With You
6. The Modernettes - Barbra
7. The Adverts – Quick Step
8. Bok Bok – Misfit
9. The Nerves – Hanging On The Telephone
10. The Pagans – I Juvenile
11. The Scabs – Amory Building
12. Le Butcherettes – Bang!
13. C’Mon – Underneath The X-Ray
14. The Mark Inside – Shots From A Broken Bottle
15. The Velvet Underground – Guess I'm Falling In Love (Live)
16. The Almighty Defenders – The Ghost With The Most
17. Link Wray – Deuces Wild
18. The Locusts Have No King – Song 6
19. Radio Birdman - Do The Pop!
19. The Carbonas - Blackout
20. Crocodiles – Neon Jesus
21. X – The New World
22. Cramps – Drug Train
23. The True Lovers – Guilty Pleasure #9

Downlaod the show here!

Alternative Chartbusters ... The Story of The Boys & Show # 387

2012-01-17T12:45:00.000-05:00

The UK Punk act The Boys had their beginnings generate from the combination of several factors, one being from the influential group Hollywood Brats, a band that was the UK equivalent to the New York Dolls. The Hollywood Brats featured keyboardist/vocalist Casino Steel after making some recordings the band split (although they continued with a different line up) who would join forces with Matt Dangerfield (guitar/vocals), who converted his flat into a recording studio. The two joined up with Honest John Plain (guitar/vocals), Duncan “Kid” Ried (bass/vocals) and Jack Black (drums) all of whom met at a T-shirt factory where Plain worked as a foreman, they like Dangerfield and Steel had known each other from going to school together. In addition to this Steel and Dangerfield also played in the infamous London SS group, a group that featured a revolving cast of UK musicians that would later form groups of their own. Some of the members that would be in the group at one point in time were Mick Jones (later of The Clash), Tony James and Billy Idol (later of Generation X), Rat Scabies and Brian James who would later form The Damned and a few others. The Boys, who began around 1976, decided that Reid and Dangerfield would share the vocal duties and began playing concerts that September. After several concerts, in January 1977 The Boys signed a contract with NEMS. Technically The Boys were the first UK Punk act to sign an album recording deal, The Damned were the first UK band to have a recording deal, but it was for a one off single for Stiff Records not an album.

The Boys would release two full length albums and three singles for NEMS before switching over to Safari in 1979 where they recorded two additional albums. The first single to be released by The Boys was the “I Don’t Care” single which was backed with the song “Soda Pressing, the single was released in April of 1977. To support the release of this single, The Boys went on a national tour with John Cale, previously of The Velvet Underground. In May of 1977, The boys began recording their debut full length album laying down sixteen tracks. Produced by Pete Gage the band felt that the album sounded too polished and after some adjustments, the album was ready to be released. Despite being completed, The Boys was delayed commercial release by NEMS and released on September 9th, 1977. This delay caused several other UK Punk acts to release albums denying The Boys the status of releasing the first UK Punk album but, regardless of this fact the album went to number fifty on the UK album charts. The Boys displayed their Power Pop and Punk Rock dynamics, a sound that began its embryonic stages on their 1977 “I Don’t Care” single, it was a sound that was both catchy and raw sounding.

The Boys second single was the now classic Punk anthem “First Time” a song also written by John Plain, it was released in July of 1977 and quickly became the “Single of the Week” in Sounds magazine. The single received a good amount of air play on John Peel’s radio program and went to number 77 on the UK singles charts. The single would have most likely climbed even higher on the charts, but in August of 1977 when Elvis Presley passed away. RCA Records, who distributed The Boys and many other bands releases stopped releasing all other bands associated with RCA in order to press and release Elvis' music posthumously to satisfy the insatiable demand for Elvis Presley’s records. In 1978, The Boys released their second full length album Alternative Chartbusters. An album that despite its name featured many catchy Power Pop/Punk Rock gems, the album sessions also produced the bands next single “Brickfield Nights”, a song that is often regarded as the band at their finest hour. The album was once again met with distribution complications via NEMS, which had a negative impact on the albums potential. The band toured to support this album with New York Punk act The Ramones. In 1979, the group moved to Safari, where they released two full length albums, as stated previously. The band subsequently split up in 1981.

Throughout The Boys initial status as a band from 1977 to 1981, The Boys released Christmas themed singles and one full length Christmas album as The Yobs. The one and only released as The Yobs was The Yob’s Christmas Album in 1979. While the band seemed to have hard luck in terms of label promotion in the UK, they quickly built up a European following, where they had a higher success rate. The band reformed in the summer of 1999 with five of the original band members. The band reformed with the complete original line up in 2000, for the Holidays In the Sun festival and in 2006 began playing shows again. In 2008, The Boys released an early recording of the song “Jimmy Brown” as a single. Currently The Boys have become involved with a side project of Matt Dangerfield titled The Mattress Boys.

This week's play list:

1. Guided By Voices – The Head
2. The Revolvers – Cadillac 21
3. The Haunted – Mona
4. The Plimsouls – Magic Touch
5. The Prabes – 30 Minute Meal
6. The Oblivians – You Better Behave
7. The Micronite Filters - The Rise of the Machines
8. The Lost Satellites – You Turn Me On
9. The Vaccines – If You Wanna
10. Zona 84 – Dispara
11. The Stomach Mouths – Cry
12. Thee Midniters – Jump, Jive & Harmonize
13. The Hysterics – Everything’s there
14. Superhumanoids – Mikelah
15. Queens of the Stone Age – You’ve Got A Killer Scene There Man
16. The Boys – I Don’t Care
17. The Boys – First Time
18. The Boys – Brickfield Nights
19. New York Dolls – Pills
20. Ardels – Piece of Jewellery
21. Mike Jones Group – Funny Feeling
22. King Khan & The Shrines – Bite My Tongue
23. Young Rival – Authentic

24. The Black Lips – Notown Blues

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for January 17. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

Before They Make Me Run ... Rolling Stones Some Girls Reissue & Show # 386

2012-01-10T12:57:00.000-05:00

In 1978 The Rolling Stones released the album Some Girls, an album that is often referred to as the album that saved the Stones. At the time it was being recorded, the future of the band was uncertain. Keith Richards was busted for Heroin possession and on trial for drug related charges in Canada, there was the possibility of him going to jail. In addition to this, Punk and Disco music had taken over the younger generations of music fans, the bands future was as mentioned earlier uncertain. With Ron Wood of The Faces officially becoming a Rolling Stone, in October of 1977 the band began sessions for what was to become the Some Girls album. The sessions were recorded at Pathe Marconi Studios in Paris and were completed in March of 1978. This period in the bands recording history was extremely prolific, the band ended up with approximately fifty new songs, which would be released on bootlegs for decades. Several of these extra songs were also used on the albums Emotional Rescue and Tattoo You, albeit in alerted states, most notably the Some Girls outtake “Start Me Up” which wound up on Tattoo You. Further tracks would be released on the 2011 deluxe edition of Some Girls, but more on that later.

Some Girls yielded many bonafide Rolling Stones classics which absorbed influences from the bands past and present. “Miss You” was influenced by Disco, but there is an underlying Punk influence through out this album, Jagger has said in interviews that the album was very influenced by New York at the time which was in a state of transition from Punk to Disco. The influence of New York Punk is apparent on the track “Shattered”, where Jagger rants in a Richard Hell vocal style. The album is sleazy and raunchy, it is known for having a stripped back production based approach. Albums prior to this one such as It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll and Black And Blue had rotating casts of guest musicians and high production values. Some Girls also featured more classic songs such as “Beast of Burden” possibly one of the best Stones ballads ever released, “Lies”, the Country Parody “Far Away Eyes” “Respectable” Keith Richards outlaw anthem “Before They Make Me Run” and “When The Whip Comes Down”. Some Girls certainly packed a much needed punch for the band, and one that could have very well had a different outcome. In addition to this Mick Jagger played guitar on many tracks on this album and the album also produced much controversy lyrically on tracks such as “When The Whip Comes Down’ and “Some Girls”.

Visually the band also brought in another controversial element, the artwork. The albums cover which featured women in lingerie originally featured famous celebrities Lucile Ball, Farrah Fawcett, Raquel Welch and some others, they threatened the band with legal action. As a result a new cover was made, although several copies made it out to print with the original design. With all the factors that surrounded it, Keith’s drug charges, Ron Wood entering into the Stones fold, and most importantly the uncertainty, it produced a classic album which proved that following Keith’s dropped charges, The Rolling Stones weren’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Now fast forward to 2011, The Rolling Stones release a deluxe edition of Some Girls containing a bonus disc of twelve previously unreleased tracks from the Some Girls sessions. The album is just as gritty and raunchy as Some Girls was in 1978, but it addresses more of a R&B, Country Western, Blues and Boogie influence. There are inflections of Country which is not unheard of in The Stones catalogue. The album features several songs which were added to in the same way that the band did for the Exile On Main St. bonus disc of outtakes, but it is very hard to tell. Additions were made to songs, most notably “No Spare Parts” a song featuring newly recorded vocals from Jagger which has currently climbed the Billboard Hot Singles charts.

The album is a great companion to the Some Girls album, and although some fans may argue that there weren’t early versions of songs found on Some Girls or even the B-Side “Everything's Turning To Gold”, this bonus disc has plenty to offer that will appeal to any Rolling Stones fan. The album starts off with the controversial and filthy Boogie Woogie of “Claudine”, a song which lyrically is about Claudine Longet’s shooting of her boyfriend Spider Sabich. Other highlights includes the filthy cool of “So Young”, the Soulfully Keith Richards sung “We Had It All” a song originally by Waylon Jennings, a cover of the Hank Williams song “You Win Again”, a raunchy rendition of “Tallahassee Lassie”, and the greasy “I Love You Too Much”. The album ends with a short piano piece “Petrol Blues”, often labelled as a throwaway track, but one that fits perfectly with this collection of songs. When looking back on this release the bonus disc really does make it worth while, the twelve previously unreleased tracks pack enough sleaze and swagger to knock you out.

This Week's Play List:

1. Sonic Avenues – Television Youth
2. The Dry Heaves – Factory Punishment
3. Action Makes – Bellhop
4. Steve Diggle – Life On The Telephone
5. The Quiet Americans – Be Alone
6. Surf City – Teachers
7. Kinetic Ideals – Together
8. Logikparty – Anti-Omerta
9. Lightning Love - Deadbeat
10. John Cale – Whaddya Mean By That?
11. James OL & The Villains – Late Night Drive (2011 Demo)
12. The Schomberg Fair – Black Train
13. Solvents – Is It Really So Strange?
14. The Skaliwags – Turn Him Down
15. Mutts – Done It Again
16. Radiohead– I Might Be Wrong (Live)
17. Radio Birdman – What Gives?
18. Nothing At All – Busted
19. The Spits – Get Our Kicks
20. The Modernettes – Won’t Have To Worry
21. The Carbonas – Phone Booth
22. The Rolling Stones – Do You Think I Really Care
23. The Rolling Stones – Tallahassee Lassie

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for January 10. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

Friday At The Hideout January 6, 2012

2012-01-07T12:04:00.000-05:00

On Friday, I filled in for Friday At The Hideout from 8 to 10 PM on CJAM 99.1 FM. Here are some videos from bands featured on the program, the actual program can be downloaded below the play list, as usual.

Friday At The Hideout Fill In Play List:

1. The Damned – I Feel Alright (Live at The Paris Theatre, London 1977)

2. The Oblivians – Trouble

3. The Dirtbombs – What You’ve Got

4. Thee Oh Sees – Contraption/Soul Desert

5. Those Rogues – Girl

6. Thee Deuces – Hung Up On You

7. Free-For-All – Show Me The Way

8. Witness Inc. – Not You Girl

9. The Visitors – Miss You Too Much

10. Lost Patrol – Tell No Lies

11. Reigning Sound – Can’t Hold On

12. Golden Hands Before God – Blue

13. Ty Segall – Caesar

14. The Howlies – Whiskey Night

15. Deer Tick – Walkin Out The Door

16. Indian Wars – Just Can’t Get Along With You
17. Tell All Your Friends - Another House Party

18. The Strangeloves - Night Time

19. The Knickerbockers – Lies

20. The Lyrics - So What!!

21. The Association – One Too Many Mornings

22. The Bobby Fuller Four – Baby My Heart

23. The Cynics - Be True To Your School

24. Albert Hammond Jr. – Hard To Live In The City

25. The Androids – Roller Derby Queen

26. Rage – I’ve Got Your Number

27. Wire – Dot Dash
28. The Stranglers - Nuclear Device
29. The Clash - Protex Blue (Live Chorus TV, Paris 1980)

30. Mystics – Play Your Game
31. Public Image Limited - F.F.F

32. The D4 – Exit To The City

Download the program/podcast here!

The Specials ... Raquel & Show # 385

2012-01-03T14:53:00.000-05:00

In 1981, the UK Ska revival act The Specials had several songs featured in a movie entitled Dance Craze. At the time of the films release the label 2 Tone, which was owned by The Specials Jerry Dammers was in a declining state, the soundtrack to the film featured only 2 Tone artists, even charting at number five on the UK album charts. The soundtrack featured 15 of 27 tracks that were used in the film, one of the tracks not included on the soundtrack that is the main topic of discussion here is The Specials song “Raquel”. The song was released on a 1981 single release of The Specials song “Concrete Jungle”, the songs B-side was the then previously unreleased Specials song “Raquel”. Clocking in at about two minutes, the song is a fast paced Ska number, done in the vein of songs such as “Little Bitch” found on the 1979 debut album from The Specials. As a result of the Dance Craze soundtrack this exclusive seven inch single was released for promotional purposes and for years remained a hard to find single featuring this track “Raquel”, which was equally as hard to find. The song dates back to The Specials early days when they were known as The Coventry Automatics, it was also released on a cassette tape compilation album in 1981 with numerous other 70s Punk and New Wave hard to find nuggets titled NME C81, released by NME magazine in the UK. The track continued it’s hard to find status for about twenty years until a demo version of “Raquel” was released on The Coventry Automatics – Dawning of a New Era, which collects recordings from The Specials early days. In 1993, The Compact 2 Tone Story Box Set was released, which featured the song as it appeared on the 1981 B-side to “Concrete Jungle”, as well as all of the A and B-sides that the 2 Tone label released.

This Week's Play List:

1. Dan Sartain - I Don't Want To Go To The Party (Toerag Version)
2. Minutemen - Voodoo Slaves
3. Psycho Surgeons - Wild Weekend
4. Silent Movie Type - She Says
5. Johnny West - You Turn Me Off, I'm A Microwave
6. Pere Ubu - Misery Goats
7. Aztec Camera - We Could Send Letters
8. David Bowie - What In The World
9. Public Image Limited - Careering
10. The Stig – Who Are You
11. Huladog – R88
12. Jack Pine and The Fire - Lost In New Orleans
13. Sumner Brothers - Big Rock Candy Mountain
14. Le Butcherettes - I'm Getting Sick Of You
15. The Black Angels - Sunday Afternoon
16. The Ugly Ducklings - Hangman
17. The Specials - Raquel
18. The Love Me Nots - End of the Line
19. The Pointed Sticks - Splish Splash
20. The Libertines - I Get Along
21. Miesha & The Spanks - Night Danger Baby
22. The Jam – Going Underground
23. The Waldos - Golden Days

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for January 3. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

2011 Highlights & Show # 384

2011-12-27T15:10:00.000-05:00

The following is a collection of reviews of eleven of my favourite albums of 2011, a top 11 of 2011 if you will. I’d like to note that while these releases are technically my top 11 albums, all of the songs featuring on today’s program I enjoyed and encourage you to check them out (info can be found in the play list below).

1. The Black Lips – Arabia Mountain

Arabia Mountain features sixteen tracks, all of which sound fresh and exciting while at the same time staying true to the bands ethics. Working with producer Mark Ronson has helped Black Lips and their songs to reach their maximum potential. Lyrically the album features many songs that reflect a narrative based nature, sounding mature while at the same time keeping true to the unique tenacious style. Amongst the sixteen tracks found here you will find elements of Surf, 60s Garage, 70s Punk, and Psychedelic music. After six albums this album serves as a new starting point for the group, while fans often choose 2005’s Let It Bloom and 2007’s Good Bad Not Evil as the bands best work, Arabia Mountain serves as a new contender. The band has never sounded better on record and as a result, this may be not only one of the bands strongest produced efforts, but also one of their best albums so far.

To read more of my thoughts on this album visit http://revrock.blogspot.com/2011/06/new-direction-black-lips-arabia.html

2. Indian Wars – Walk Around The Park

Indian Wars are a band that comes from Vancouver, BC. Walk Around The Park was released in April 2011 and has an interesting array of influences. While the band is often labelled as a Garage Rock band, drawing comparisons from band such as The Black Lips and King Khan & BBQ Show, they also have underlying Country Rock influences. They have been said to also be influenced by The Band, George Jones and Dead Ghosts (another Vancouver Garage Punk band). The combination proves for a an interesting blend of Garage Rock and Country with tracks such as “Old Hotel”, “20,000 Cans”, “Bullfrog”, “Won’t Do A Thing”, their influences are diverse and at times hybridic. Lyrically and musically the album conjures up images that are reminiscent of songs once heard by artists such as Johnny Cash, Neil Young, and Crosby, Stills and Nash with a dash of Garage Rock and Punk mentality for good measure, this certainly is one interesting walk around the park.

3. The Mark Inside – Nothing To Admit

In 2010, Toronto's Mark Inside released their False Flag EP, and in November of this year they released Nothing To Admit, their second full length album. In 2008, the band went to the UK and began work on Nothing To Admit, over the course of six weeks. The album was produced by Jim Abbiss, an acclaimed UK producer who has worked with artists such as Arctic Monkeys and Kasabian. Signing to Jim Abbiss' own Metalbox Recordings label (and Sony Music Canada in Canada), the False Flag EP followed in October of 2010. Nothing To Admit came out on November 1st, 2011 and adds to the EP expanding it adding more depth than on False Flag.

The album features great Post-Punk themed tracks “There Is Nothing To Admit”, “Lime Green Monkeys” and “Questions”, while at the same time dipping into Garage Rock on tracks such as “House of Cards”. “The Bottom Line” is a track that is worth the price of admission of the album alone, the song which has charted on the Canadian Alternative Rock charts at # 31, is a slower soulful track that is lyrically a different kind of working mans anthem one that addresses issues surrounding big corporations. “Shots From A Broken Bottle” a single released from the album is another track that makes this album not only unique, but great. It is a song that simmers with elements of Blues and builds to a soulful roar. The album ends with the bands usual live set closer “The Sky Is Falling Down”, the song captures the bands live energy, which is never short of explosive and it clocks in at over seven minutes. Nothing To Admit features a variety of influences from Garage Rock, Post-Punk, Blues and Alternative, it is the sound of a great Canadian live band coming into their own.

4. Papermaps – Papermaps

In April 2011, Papermaps released their first full length album, simply titled Papermaps. Like a paper map, the Papermaps album charts into new musical territory using Central Meaner Street as a starting point, the band has currently ventured into Power Pop influenced territory. Papermaps features ten well crafted Pop songs mixed in with other elements that gives you something that keeps you on your toes. The albums opener “Angela” sets a tone for the overall album building as it progresses, it features predominately guitar/bass and drums. Near the end there is a splash of synthesizer which gives the listener a tasty bite of what’s to come. The second song featured on the album is the piano driven sing-a-long “Reunion”, which has done very well on Independent campus radio based charts, the third song on the album is the guitar driven and energetic “Can’t Make A Living” which moves the listener along the albums ten track course. “Complicate Things” is a moody yet synthesized anthemic Dance Rock track, while “Exit” is one the heaviest tracks on the album. “Coddled” is a song that starts off like a solo John Lennon outtake, reminiscent of a lullaby before it picks up in to all its loud glory, “You Are My Gallows” ends the album with a call and response dynamacism. Papermaps blurs the lines of their musical territories for a sound that is all their own. A second full length album is due to be released in the fall of 2012.

I did an interview with Dean of Papermaps in November just before a show they played in Windsor, it can be heard here:

5. Sloan – The Double Cross

This May Sloan released their 10th full length album The Double Cross, which also marked their 20th anniversary as a band. The album features twelve new tracks building on their addictive Pop Power formula. The Double Cross starts off with "Follow The Leader" a song penned by bassist Chris Murphy, the drum and tambourine heavy Rock song has a seventies flavour. The song segue ways into "The Answer Was You" which is a Pop song written by Jay Fergusson, it sounds as if it would have fit perfectly on their 1996 release One Chord To Another. The album also features "She's Slowing Down Again" a song by drummer Andrew Scott, which sounds like it could have been from the 1998 album Navy Blues. According to Scott, the song has been around for a while. Other interesting tracks include "Unkind", a Patrick Pentland number, which is the first single for the album and "It's Plain To See", which is yet another high energy Pentalnd song. In addition to these, other tracks of note include "Shadow of Love" a song in a similar vein as “G Turns to D”, the acoustic Pop of "Green Gardens, Cold Montreal", "Beverly Terrace", and "I've Gotta Know". There is also the song "Traces", a song written by Andrew Scott that features bassist Chris Murphy on drums. The Double Cross which in Roman numerals is XX means twenty, has many songs that fans can identify with and love, but at the same time it also has a fresh sound and feel to it. Sloan has now been around for twenty years and with yet another album and tour underway, they show no sign of stopping anytime soon.

In May I Interviewed Sloan's Chris Murphy live on my program, it can be heard here:

6. Brazilian Money – This Is Not A Dream

This album kind of came out of nowhere this year. Brazilian Money are based out of Edmonton, Alberta and are essentially just one person Garrett Johnson. This Is Not A Dream is filled with catchy sometimes weird junkyard gems, displaying elements of Garage Rock and Lo-Fi music such as Pavement at times. Brazilian Money has garnered other comparisons to bands such as Brian Jonestown Massacre and The Dandy Warhols and are labelled as experimental when loading their music in itunes, but they are difficult to pin down. This album has great tracks such as "Give Up That Dog", "Then You'll Know", "Party Till I'm Dead", and the gritty "Nobody's Coming". An EP also followed this year titled Jive With The Killer Instinct that is six tracks long, it is essential if you liked This Is Not A Dream. Check them out for yourselves at http://brazilianmoney.bandcamp.com

7. The Strokes – Angles

In September 2011, The Pack A.D released Unpersons. This album further displays the bands evolving sound and adds different elements into the mix. Unpersons elevates the Pack A.D’s sound making them sound bigger most likely due to Detroit producer Jim Diamond, who adds edge to the bands sound. On this album the band truly have evolved at a sound that is both different and as fascinating as their past. The albums title originates from the novel 1984, which is a form of “newspeak” meaning someone who has been stripped of rights, identity or humanity. While The Pack A.D have not been stripped of their musical identity, they do venture into new and different music territory and lyrically the songs reflect a dystopian view and plays into the titles meaning. Unpersons finds the band exploring the very elements of their sound, reconstructing themselves with their brand of raw Blues, Garage and Punk which has made them a Mint Records artist to watch.

9. The Horrors – Skying

On The Horrors 2009 full length released Primary Colours they took their Garage/Punk influenced sound into a Post Punk direction and on Skying they advance their sound into yet another direction. Combining elements of Post Punk stylings with elements of Shoe Gaze, this album shows the band coming into their own. Recorded at their own studio in the UK, songs such as “Still Life” which has drawn comparisons to Simple Minds, “I Can See Through You” features over driven guitars, and “Monica Gems” to name a few that add to this albums aura. Skying shows The Horrors building on the atmospheric and Jesus and The Mary Chain influenced sounds that first appeared on 2009’s Primary Colours while at the same time re-focusing themselves musically into a clearer stronger image.

10. Deer Tick – Divine Providence

The fourth full length release from Rhode Islands Deer Tick bites down hard and adheres to their rowdy, beer drinking image. This album shows a band embracing their roots and having a good time doing it. While there are still elements of Country and Folk which the band are known for having, the band is also much heavier, in a good way. The albums feel and themes are set forth by the lyrics to the first track on Divine Providence “The Bump”, in which singer John McCauley says “we’re full grown men, but we act like kids”. The strongest track on Divine Providence has to be the song “Main Street” in which the band flexes their Rolling Stones influences musically and lyrically.

11. Thee Oh Sees – Carrion Crawler/The Dream EP

This album snuck in just before the end of the year. Thee Oh Sees already released an album in 2011 titled Castlemania, which was also great, but Carrion Crawler/The Dream is a tighter more cohesive sounding release. Thee Oh Sees have been releasing music for years and are known for being quite prolific, two albums in one year even without prior knowledge of the band hints at that. The band started as a vehicle for John Dwyer, who is the driving force behind this band, they were started by Dwyer in order to release instrumental and experimental home based recordings, but it evolved into something else in the process. Dwyer himself has been part of numerous bands (Coachwhips, Pink and Brown, Burmese, The Hospitals to name a few), and this version of Thee Oh Sees on Carrion Crawler/The Dream is perhaps Thee Oh Sees at their best.

As for the rest of my picks, check out my play list below it can also be downloaded as it is a radio show. There are a few other albums that deserve a mention and although they didn't make my list they would have if time permitted. The other albums I’d like to mention are John Doe - Keeper and Tom Waits – Bad As Me.

2011 Play List:

1. The Black Keys – Gold On The Ceiling (El Camino, Nonesuch 2011)
2. Beastie Boys - Lee Majors Come Again (Hot Sauce Committee Part Two, Capitol 2011)
3. Johnny West – Purgatory Waltz (Medium-Fi Music For Mentally Unstable Young Lovers, Tosteestostas Music 2011)
4. Ty Segall - Booksmarts (Singles 2007-2010, Goner Records 2011)
5. Chang-A-Lang – Monday Again (No Clean Rock and Roll, Self Released 2011)
6. Wire – Clay (Red Barked Tree, Pink Flag 2011)
7. The Rapture – Miss You (In The Grace Of Your Love, Red General Catalog 2011)
8. Reigning Sound – Lyin’ Girl (Abdication...For Your Love, Scion AV 2011)
9. Ry Cooder – Lord Tell Me Why (Pull Up Some Dust And Sit Down, Nonesuch 2011)
10. Dum Dum Girls – Just A Creep (Only In Dreams, Sub Pop 2011)
11. Luger Boa – Lazy (New Hot Nights, Stuka Records 2011)
12. The Polymorphines – Anna Lee (The Slip EP, Self Released 2011)
13. Thee Oh Sees – Chem-Farmer (Carrion Crawler/The Dream, In The Red 2011)
14. Deer Tick – The Bump (Divine Providence, Partisan Records 2011)
15. The Horrors – Wild Eyed (Skying, XL Recordings Ltd. 2011)
16. The Pack A.D. – Sirens (Unpersons, Mint 2011)
17. The Strokes – Gratisfaction (Angles, RCA Records 2011)
18. Brazilian Money – Then You’ll Know (This Is Not A Dream, Self Released 2011)
19. Sloan – Shadow of Love (The Double Cross, Yep Roc Records 2011)
20. Papermaps – Complicate Things (Papermaps, EMI Music Canada 2011)
21. The Mark Inside – House of Cards (Nothing To Admit, Metal Box Recordings/Sony Music Canada 2011)
22. Indian Wars – Bullfrog (Walk Around The Park, Bachelor Records 2011)
23. The Black Lips – Modern Art (Arabia Mountain, Vice Records 2011)
24. The Black Lips - Raw Meat (Arabia Mountain, Vice Records 2011)

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for December 27. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

Joe Strummer Day 2011

2011-12-22T18:42:00.000-05:00

As part of CJAM FM's second annual Joe Strummer Day marathon, where we confront issues related to poverty in the Windsor/Detroit area and surround it with the music of Joe Strummer as a back drop, I contributed two programs this year. Both of them were very different and both of them were two hours each.

Joe Strummer Day Part One: Rarities Show

The first program aired at 1 AM - 3 AM on CJAM following this years Joe Strummer Day kick off program by programmer Vern Smith of CJAM's Jazz Hacienda. This program was two hours of rare and for the most part harder to find material from the music of Joe Strummer, and the related groups he has been associated with. The program featured live recordings, demos, and songs from a variety of soundtracks from The Clash, The Mescaleros, Latino Rockabilly War, The 101ers and Joe Strummer solo.

Rarities Show - Joe Strummer Day Play List One:

Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros – Johnny Appleseed (Live Acton Town Hall 2002)
Joe Strummer – Slant Six (Earthquake Weather 1989)
Joe Strummer – King of the Bayou (Earthquake Weather 1989)
Joe Strummer – Punk Rock Blues (Gangsterville EP 1989)
The Clash – You Can’t Judge A Book By Looking at the Cover (London Calling Rehearsal Demo)
The Clash – Louie Louie (Sandinista! Outtake)
The Clash – Jimmy Jazz (From Here To Eternity II)
The Clash – London’s Burning (1976 Mickey Foote Demos)
The Clash – Career Opportunities (1976 Mickey Foote Demos)
The Clash – Janie Jones (1976 Polydor Demo)
The Clash – Deadly Serious (Live 1976)
Latino Rockabilly War - Them From Permanent Record (Permanent Record Original Soundtrack 1988)
Joe Strummer – Mystery At Ambush Rock (Straight To Hell Original Soundtrack 1987)
Latino Rockabilly War – Trash City (Permanent Record Original Soundtrack 1988)
Joe Strummer & The Pogues – London Calling Live (The Pogues Boxset 2008)
Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros– Time and Tide (Yalla Yalla EP 1999)
Joe Strummer – Phantom County Fair (When Pigs Fly Soundtrack 1993)
The Clash – In The Pouring Rain (Live) (The Future Is Unwritten Soundtrack 2007)
The Clash – Know Your Rights (Alt Version) (Rat Patrol From Fort Bragg)
The Clash – Good Times Roll (Rude Boy: The Directors Cut 1980)
The Clash – House of the Ju Ju Queen (Demo)
The Clash – Safe European Home (Give'Em Enough Rope Outtake Version)
Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros – London Is Burning (Burning Streets) (Alternate Version)
Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros – Blitzkreig Bop (Live) (Coma Girl Single 2003)
Joe Strummer & Long Beach Dub Allstars – The Harder They Come (Free The West Memphis 3 2000)
The Clash – Long Time Jerk (7 Inch Version) (Rock The Casbah Single 1982)
101ers – Sweety of the St. Moritz (Elgin Avenue Breakdown Revisited 2005)
The Clash - Where You Gonna Go (Soweto) (Vanilla Tapes Demo) (London Calling: 25^th Anniversary Legacy Edition 2004)
The Clash – The Man In Me (Vanilla Tapes Demo) (London Calling: 25^th Anniversary Legacy Edition 2004)
Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros – (Whiteman) In Hammersmith Palais (Live at The 100 Club – July 2000)

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Joe Strummer Day Part Two: Sandinista Now!

The second program that I did focused on the album Sandinista! Airing from 1 PM – 3 PM, the show featured discussions on the album, its mystery and why some people like it and some people dislike it. Joining me on the program was Vern Smith (of Jazz Hacienda), Martin Deck (Wake The Town), and Mike Konstantino a local musician and Clash fan. A lot was discussed on air, download the program below to hear it all, but first a quick blurb about Sandinista!

Sandinista! is an often misunderstood piece of music in The Clash catalogue. Originally released as a triple LP in 1980, the album is known for featuring a variety of genres and styles and having a lot of material ranging from Reggae Dub and Rockabilly, to Jazz, Folk and Gospel. Clocking in at about two and a half hours, the album followed the bands third full length LP London Calling, which was a double album. When it was initially released the album was sold for the price of a single LP, despite having six sides of music on it. As part of a deal with CBS, the band forfeited a large number of royalties (rumoured to be the first 200,000 copies) in order to have the album released as a triple.

Many Clash fans argue that if it were a single or double album, it would have been a stronger release, but the way it is now is seen by some as a flawed masterpiece. When Sandinista! was released in 1980, it should also be noted that a more streamlined version of the album was sent out to radio stations and the press for promotional purposes, it was titled Sandinista Now! The track listing of this release was “Police On My Back”, “Somebody Got Murdered”, “The Call Up”, “Washington Bullets”, “Ivan Meets G.I. Joe” and “Hitsville UK” on one side followed by “Up In Heaven (Not Only Here)”, “The Magnificent Seven”, “The Leader”, “Junco Partner”, “One More Time” and “The Sound of the Sinners” . This only adds further debate to the single/double album Sandinista! discussion, but listen for yourself to decide, Sandinista! love it or hate it is a musical statement from a band that was referred to as the only band that matters and one that people can still return to and discover something new.

Sandinista Now! - Joe Strummer Day Play List Two:

The Clash – The Magnificent Dance (Super Black Market Clash 2000)
The Clash – The Leader (Sandinista! 1980)
The Clash - Somebody Got Murdered (Sandinista! 1980)
The Clash - The Sound of the Sinners (Sandinista! 1980)
The Clash - Police On My Back (Sandinista! 1980)
The Clash - The Equalizer (Sandinista! 1980)
The Clash - The Call Up (Sandinista! 1980)
The Clash - Washington Bullets (Sandinista! 1980)
The Clash - Broadway (Sandinista! 1980)
The Clash - Rebel Waltz (Sandinista! 1980)
The Clash - Lose The Skin (Sandinista! 1980)
The Clash - Charlie Don’t Surf (Sandinista! 1980)
The Clash - One More Time (Sandinista! 1980)
The Clash – The Street Parade (Sandinista! 1980)
The Clash - Silicon On Sapphire (Sandinista! 1980)
The Clash - Hitsville UK (Sandinista! 1980)

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A Fairytale of New York ... 2011 Holiday Special & Show # 383

2011-12-20T12:00:00.000-05:00

In August of 1987, The Pogues released what is often called one of the best Christmas songs of all time, “Fairytale of New York”. While the band was recording their album If I Should Fall From The Grace of God with producer Steve Lillywhite, he asked his wife Kristy MacColl to sing vocals on a demo version of the song “Fairytale of New York”. The Pogues were so impressed with her contribution to the song that they asked her to sing on what was to become the studio version of “Fairytale of New York”. Initially when writing the song, Pogues singer Shane MacGowan planned it to be a duet between himself and bassist Cait O’Riordan, but she left the group in 1986. The title of the song came after its recording, it was named after the novel A Fairy Tale of New York by J.P. Donleavy.

The songs subject matter is not your usual Christmas story, it tells the tale of a drunken Irish Immigrants past Christmas Eve’s and holidays while being locked up in the drunk tank in New York City on Christmas Eve. The song itself musically takes the form of a folk styled ballad and contrasts the vocals of Shane MacGowan with the melodious style of Kristy MacColl in a bittersweet way. When it was originally released the song became a hit on the Irish charts going to number one and after a performance on the BBC show Top of the Pops, it went to number two on the UK top 75 charts. The song was denied the number one spot in the UK by The Pet Shop Boys in 1987, but was re-released in 1991 where it charted again in the UK and Ireland. In 2005, the song was released again the UK and Ireland reaching number three in the UK and the song has re-entered the top ten in the UK every December since 2005. The song has now gone onto classic Christmas song status being covered numerous times. A music video for the song was also made featuring actor Matt Dillon as a NYPD Police Officer.

This Week's Holiday Play List:

1. REM – Christmas In Tunisia
2. Hooded Fang – Tundura Nights
3. She & Him – Christmas Wish
4. Johnny West - Merry Christmas, Tinseltown
5. The Pogues & Kristy MacColl – Fairytale of New York
6. Chris Houston – Baby Jesus Looks Like Elvis
7. Deer Tick – Christmas All Summer Long
8. Belle and Sebastian – Santa Claus Goes Straight To The Ghetto
9. The Humpers – Run Run Rudolph
10. The Reind Dears – White Xmas
11. The Dickies – Silent Night
12. Johnny Cash - It's Not Cool To Kill On Christmas
13. Fine Times - Subterranean Christmas Blues
14. The Features – Christmas Wishbook
15. The Pointed Sticks – Power Pop Santa
16. The Nefidovs – Feliz Nefidov
17. Captain Sensible – One Christmas Catalogue
18. The Wailers – The Christmas Spirit
19. The Sonics – The Village Idiot
20. Jack Scott – There's Trouble Brewin’
21. The Fall – (We Wish You A) Protein Christmas
22. White Stripes - Candy Cane Children
23. The D4 – Don’t Believe In Xmas
24. Wild Billy Childish & The Musicians of the British Empire – Pete Townshends Christmas

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for December 20. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

Rolling Stones...Got LIVE If You Want It! & Show # 382

2011-12-13T12:00:00.000-05:00

Released in 1966, Got LIVE If You Want It! is the first full length live album release by The Rolling Stones. Its title is a play on words, the title originates from the Slim Harpo song "I Got Love If You Want It". The album has undergone much controversy due to its sound quality and whether or not the album is all live recordings. It has been released in various editions, some even featuring different mixes which can confuse even the most devout Rolling Stones fan. The album originally was released under the same title as an EP in the UK in 1965, becoming the last official EP from the band and one of the first live recordings of the band to be released, it was also only available in the UK. As part of a contractual obligation Got LIVE If You Want It! was released as an LP in the US for the bands US distributor. The band had already released a full length LP (Aftermath), and a compilation album in the very same year, the US market needed another Stones release to fill in the gaps due to the fact that their next full length album Between The Buttons would not be available in time for the Christmas season of that year. The US market for Rolling Stones products was in very high demand, so Got LIVE If You Want It! was released in December of 1966 on London Records. With the exception of the song "I'm Alright", the Got LIVE If You Want It! LP featured a different track listing than the EP of the same name.

The album claimed to have been recorded at Royal Albert Hall in the UK upon the bands return to the English stage on September 23rd, 1966, but it was not. The album was actually primarily recorded between October 1st and 7th of 1966 in New Castle and Bristol. Since most of the concerts in those days lasted sometimes barely thirty minutes and were often riotous, it has been suggested that although the recordings were attempted at Royal Albert Hall, they were unusable due to all of the chaos, and that is something that this album seems to capture very well, the riotous, energetic chaos of Rolling Stones concerts n the 60s. The album was also filled up with overdubs and studio recordings that were made to sound like live recordings. “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long” was actually a studio outtake recorded in 1965 and featured overdubs of organ and screaming girls in order to match the rest of the live album sound. The other studio recording found on this release was the song “Fortune Teller” a song which dates back to a studio recording in 1963 that was never issued, it of course featuring screaming girls and crowd noise overdubs. It should be noted that the original unedited versions of these two tracks can be found on the More Hot Rocks (Big Hits & Fazed Cookies) compilation album.

The sound of the original LP has often been scrutinized as being, muddled, off kilter and un-listenable, but despite this the album went to number six on the US Pop album charts in 1967, even going gold. The album was released for import purposes in the UK as Have You Seen Your Mother LIVE! by Decca Records, and as Hits LIVE! in Japan. In the 80s ABKO Records went back to the original tapes and re-edited and mixed Got LIVE for CD in consultation with the producer Andrew Long Oklham. In 2002, the album was re-mixed and re-mastered for CD and SACD, and proves to be one of the best sounding versions of the album. When comparing and contrasting the original Got LIVE If You Want It! LP from 1966 to the 1965 Got LIVE If You Want It! EP, there is a notable difference in sound quality, the EP is often praised for its superior sound. The original 1965 UK EP of Got LIVE, features a different mix of the song "I'm Alright" the vocals on the EP differ from the LP version of Got LIVE, while the backing track remains the same. The additional tracks found on the 1965 EP were issued on the US albums Out Of Our Heads, and December's Childern (And Everybody's) ("I'm Alright", "Route 66", and "I'm Moving On"). The UK EP remained out of print for a long time until it was released in 2004 as part of the ABKO Singles 1963-1965 Box Set on CD.

The Rolling Stones themselves have been very vocal on the matter of this album, they were not happy with the original release and disowned it, stating that their 1970 live album Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out is the ultimate live Rolling Stones album and their true live debut album. Its hard to disagree with that statement, if you listen to Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out and Got LIVE If You Want It! back to back, but both serve as important historical documents in different eras of the bands history. While Got LIVE If You Want It! was initially labeled as a let down, it has aged well, serving as a historical documentation of Brian Jones era Rolling Stones. From the fast version of "Under My Thumb” to the whirlwind speed of “Satisfaction” Got LIVE If You Want It! displays The Rolling Stones in all their 60s Garage Rock ragged glory.

This week's play list:

1. Lost Patrol – Commanche
2. The Treblemakers – The Grudge
3. Fuzz Aldrin – Trailer Park Quarintine
4. The Cryptics – You’re Evil
5. Thee Oh Sees – Crushed Grass
6. Ty Segall – Standing at the Station
7. The Mekons – Where Were You?
8. Black Flag – Wasted
9. The Boomtown Rats – She’s So Modern
10. Indoor Voices – Like Your Own
12. Wild Domestic – Universally Known/Already Forgotten
13. Talking Heads – Air
14. Richard Hell & The Voidoids – Ignore That Door (Destiny Street Repaired Version)
15. The Pogues - Cotton Fields
16. Gone Wrong – Our Last Storm (War of 1812)
17. Johnny West – Revenge Is Sweet
18. The Police – Fallout
19. Supergrass – Sun Hits The Sky
20. Klark Kent – Office Girls
21. Shannon & The Clams – Cult Song
22. The Sphinxs - Bad Head
23. The Standells - Dirty Water
24. The Rolling Stones – The Last Time (Live)
25. The Rolling Stones - 19th Nervous Breakdown (Live)

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for December 13. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

Carbon/Silicon The Die-Hard Demos & Show # 381

2011-12-06T12:01:00.002-05:00

Recently a pair of demos appeared under the name Carbon/Silicon via their website. For those of you don’t know Carbon/Silicon is the current project between Mick Jones of The Clash and Tony James of Generation X that formed in 2002. The two also have a history playing as far back as 1975 in the now infamous London SS group. Carbon/Silicon are a prolific group that have released numerous recordings online for free, their two most recent full length releases are The Last Post (2007) and The Carbon Bubble in 2009. Now back to the demos, in 1994 Mick Jones and Tony James worked on some demos recording them in his garage on a mono cassette recorder with a drum machine. Inspired by the movie Die Hard, James imagined a song if Jack Nicholson were to be the lead vocalist, the result is the song “Rock and Roll with Jack”, a song that James says was never completely finalized. The other track made available is the song “Expensive Habits”, a song that lyrically adheres to the DIY Punk ethos of the 70s. Upon discovering some cassette tapes in his garage, James converted these two tracks for us “die-hard” fans and named them after the inspiration he got from the villains who looked like a band in the film Die-Hard.

James goes into more elaborate detail to the events surrounding the creation of these songs, in the article titled The Die-Hard Demos.

The songs can be heard here:
The Die Hard Demos by Carbon/Silicon

They have also made available eight tracks featuring songs from four of their studio albums A.T.O.M., Western Front, The Crackup Suite and The Carbon Bubble.

Carbon/Silicon - Track Sampler by Carbon/Silicon

All these tracks are free, for more info on Carbon/Silicon visit http://www.carbonsilicon.com./

This week's play list:

1. The Fun Things - (I Ain't Got) Time Enough For Love
2. Dale D'amore - Get Me Home
3. Teenage Head - Disgusteen (Alternate Version)
4. Sonic Youth - I Know There's An Answer
5. Billy Childish & Thee Headcoats - 409
6. Pterodactyl - Searchers
7. Bad Weather California - You're My Friend
8. The Dead Milkmen - Here Comes Mr. X
9. A Place To Bury Strangers - In Your Heart
10. The Who - Whiskey Man
11. Locusts Have No King - Trench Song
12. Field Assembly - Don't Go Running
13. The Sadies - Rat Creek
14. Carbon/Silicon - Rock and Roll with Jack (1994 James/Jones Die Hard Demo)
15. Mystics - Metamorphasis
16. Mystics - Sunburn
17. The Polymorphines - I Gotta Vibration
18. The Mark Inside - The Bottom Line
19. Tandoori Knights - Bucketful
20. The Fleshtones - Cold, Cold Shoes
21. The Waves - Going Down To Liverpool
22. Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros - Get Down Moses
23. Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros - Long Shadow
24. True Lovers - Love and Affection

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for December 6. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

Rent Party! The story of The Waldos & Show # 380

2011-11-29T13:55:00.006-05:00

Following the break up of Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers in 1977, Walter Lure (one of the singer/guitarists in The Heartbreakers) continued to branch out musically. While most people don’t know that he wrote and sang about half the songs in the The Heartbreakers, there are a few additional interesting musical facts that some people may not be aware of. In the 80s he contributed guitar to three Ramones albums at the request of Johnny Ramone (Subterranean Jungle, Too Tough To Die and Animal Boy) in addition to this he played live in his own band that featured a revolving cast of musicians. In 1979 he released a single with a new group that he was part of called The Blessed. The single featured two tracks, “Deep Frenzy” and “American Bandstand”, but his time with the band was short lived. He would play under the name The Hurricanes and The Heroes, who released a single 1978 featuring the members of The Heartbreakers, minus Johnny Thunders which featured the songs “Too Much Junkie Business” and “Seven Day Weekend”. He eventually arrived at the band known as The Waldos.

The Waldos did not make too many recordings during their peak period as a band in the mid 80s, in 1993 they released a single titled Crazy Little Baby. In 1994 a full length album followed entitled Rent Party, which is the only full length studio album to be released by The Waldos. The band line up for this album featured Walter Lure (guitar/vocals), Tony Cairo (bass/vocals), Joey Pinter (guitar), and Jeff West on drums. The album was produced by Andy Shernoff of The Dictators and featured a collection of Walter Lure originals and a few cover songs. Rent Party features recordings of several songs which date back to Lure’s early days with The Heartbreakers, the most notable being the song “Flight”, which is a song that was never released officially with The Heartbreakers. It was however an early staple of the bands live set and a song that dates back to the earliest days with The Heartbreakers when Richard Hell was a member of the group. “Count Down Love” was another song that was actually written by Jerry Nolan (New York Dolls/Heartbreakers drummer), the other songs that have a connection to Lure’s past groups are the covers “Seven Day Weekend” originally a song by Gary U.S. Bond’s, but also a song that was played by both New York Dolls and The Heartbreakers, a sleazed up cover of Ray Charles “Busted”, and “Party Lights” a song originally done by Claudine Clark. These three songs alone have a deeper meaning, reflecting on themes that were often found in Lure’s past. One of the most poignant tracks featured on Rent Party is the Country Rock song “Golden Days”. The song, which also has an almost Pogues-like influence addresses Lure’s past in a sentimental, yet meaningful way.

Rent Party harnesses a sound and fidelity that is a not unlike his work with Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers, but one that is more fleshed out production-wise than LAMF. Listening to Rent Party one can’t help but wonder what the next album by The Heartbreakers would have sounded like if they did not break up in 1977, this is as close as you are going to get. The album features a depth that contrasts its party like atmosphere. Walter Lure proved to be a survivor of the scene he was a part of. Many of his band mate’s have fallen since the release of this album including Jerry Nolan (NY Dolls/Heartbreakers drummer), Johnny Thunders (NY Dolls/Heartbreakers), Waldos original drummer Charlie Sox, Waldos bassist Tony Cairo, and saxophonist Jamey Heath. Walter Lure has continued to play live in New York City with different incarnations of The Waldos since the release of Rent Party, in between his gigs Walter worked on Wall St. as a stock broker (he is now in the financial district). Around 2006/2007, The Waldos started playing more frequently, Walter Lure released a live CD followed in 2007 titled Live In Berlin, which was recorded as a result of a European tour. The album is a solo album and it featured Walter teaming up with Dee Jaywalker. In 2009 and 2011, Lure reunited with original Waldos guitarist Joey Pinter, for some live shows. Currently The Waldos continue to play live (Lure also plays shows as a solo artists) and there has been an interest in a new album, but it is not sure what will materialize. As Lure said in an interview for soundcheckmagazine.net “Whatever happens, happens…. People keep asking me to write more songs and do a new album which I might do if I can write enough new songs to fill it - Who knows?” Rent Party is now somewhat of a rarity, the original pressings go for quite an expensive sum online. In 2009, Rent Party was reissued on vinyl.

More information on Walter Lure and The Waldos can be found at:

Walter Lure's myspace page
The Waldos facebook page

This Week's Play List:

1. The Pygmies - She Lied
2. The Ex-Boyfriends - Bubblegum
3. David Lynch - I Know
4. The Esquires - It's A Dirty Shame
5. Ritchie Knight & The Mid-Nights - Work Song
6. Woody Guthrie - Gamblin' Man
7. Gun Lake - Trees
8. The Tetraktys - Go Go Alice
9. James T Kirks - Paper Bags Got A Little More Soul
10. Chelsea - Urban Kids
11. The Cramps - Uranium Rock
12. The Humans - I Live In The City
13. Eric Welton - Kooler
14. Previous Tenants - Rolling In Dough
15. Little Red - Little Bit of Something
16. The Blessed - American Bandstand
17. David Bowie - Word On A Wing
18. Johnny Thunders & Heartbreakers - Flight (Yonkers 1976 Demo)
19. The Waldos - Cry Baby
20. The Waldos - Seven Day Weekend
21. Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers - One Track Mind
22. The Hives - A Little More For You

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for November 29. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

Abdication...Reigning Sound & Show # 379

2011-11-22T14:47:00.001-05:00

Memphis, Tennessee band Reigning Sound (now based out of Asheville, North Carolina), who features Garage/Punk legend Greg Cartwright (he has been in numerous bands such as The Oblivians and The Compulsive Gamblers) has a new mini LP available and it’s FREE! This eight track collection features eight songs all of which reflect a soulful Garage/Punk nature. The band consists of Greg Cartwright (guitar/vocals), David Wayne Gay (bass), Dave Amels (organ), and Lance Wille on drums. Reigning Sound has been around since 2001, having released several full length albums and seven inch singles. Most recently the band released Love & Curses in 2009, prior to this new mini LP of course which is titled Abdication ... For Your Love. It should also be noted that five of the eight tracks found on Abdication, were recorded by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys.

Click the picture to download

This Week's Play List:

1. The MC5 - Thunder Express
2. Alex Chilton - Hook or Crook
3. Deer Tick - Main Street
4. Al Tuck - The Banks of Newfoundland
5. Crissi Cochrane - Drive All Night
6. Frontiers - My Oh My
7. Wavves - Bug
8. Falklands - Blackout Cold
9. The Damned - Wait For The Blackout
10. Army Girls - Always
11. Spectrals - Get A Grip
12. Stiv Bators, Dee Dee Ramone & Johnny Thunders (AKA Whores of Babylon) - Poison Heart
13. Ted Clark Five - (Darling You're) Bringing Me Down
14. Androids - Over and Over
15. The Diodes - Action-Reaction
16. 49th Parallel - Eye To Eye
17. Reigning Sound - Everything I Do Is Wrong
18. Tom Waits - Get Lost
19. The Beets - Wipe It Off
20. The Gruesomes - Outta My Mind
21. Vic Godard & The Subway Sect - No Love Now
22. Wire - From The Nursery
23. Motorhead - Damage Case

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for November 22. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

Dean Marino Papermaps Interview & Show # 378

2011-11-15T13:18:00.002-05:00

Papermaps began as the band EX-PO. Producer/engineer and song writer Dean Marino first released the EX-PO album Central Meaner Street in 2008, playing the large majority of instruments on the album. Deciding to tour behind the project he assembled a band to play live shows. In between the releases Central Meaner Street and the first self titled Papermaps album, the project that was initially known as EX-PO evolved into something else. Changing their name, the first official release from Papermaps under that band name was the “Reunion” seven inch single in January of 2011. The band currently features Dean Marino (guitar/vocals), Wendy Leung (keyboards), Bobby Lee (drums), Betty Dimo (bass/keyboards) and Todd Harrison on guitar/synth. Doubling as a producer and engineer Dean recorded the first Papermaps album in between his other job which is producing, recording and engineering at the studio that he owns and operates in Toronto (Chemical Sound) with fellow musician and engineer/producer Jay Sadlowski.

In April 2011, Papermaps released their first full length album, simply titled Papermaps. Like a paper map, the Papermaps album charts into new musical territory using Central Meaner Street as a starting point, the band has currently ventured into Power Pop influenced territory. Papermaps features ten well crafted Pop songs mixed in with other elements that gives you something that keeps you on your toes. The albums opener “Angela” sets a tone for the overall album building as it progresses, it features predominately guitar/bass and drums. Near the end there is a splash of synthesizer which gives the listener a tasty bite of what’s to come. The second song featured on the album is the piano driven sing-a-long “Reunion”, which has done very well on Independent campus radio based charts, the third song on the album is the guitar driven and energetic “Can’t Make A Living” which moves the listener along the albums ten track course. “Complicate Things” is a moody yet synthesized anthemic Dance Rock track, while “Exit” is one the heaviest tracks on the album. “Coddled” is a song that starts off like a solo John Lennon outtake, reminiscent of a lullaby before it picks up in to all its loud glory, “You Are My Gallows” ends the album with a call and response dynamacism. Papermaps blurs the lines of their musical territories for a sound that is all their own.

With a one full length album completed, the band is now working on material for a second full length album that has a projected release date of Fall 2012. Papermaps have toured to support their album and have played CMJ Music Marathon in New York, two shows at the Halifax Pop Explosion, as well as touring in Toronto, Montreal and Windsor, Ontario. Following a show in Toronto in December of 2011, Papermaps will retreat into Chemical Sound Studios to focus on their next album. More info on the band can be found on their official website http://papermaps.net/.

Papermaps will play Phog Lounge in Windsor, Ontario on Friday November 19th with local acts Learning and Frontiers. Today's program featured an exclusive interview with Dean Marino of Papermaps. We talk about the bands evolution, musical influences, recording, Phog Lounge and more. The interview can be heard by downloading this weeks podcast/program or you can listen to an extended version of the interview below:

Download the Interview here!

This Week's Play List:

1. The Spades - Esp
2. Brazilian Money - Jive With The Killer Instinct
3. The Iguanas - Again & Again
4. 1977 - You Got A Way
5. Novels - This Wouldn't Be The First Time
6. Sloan - Take Good Care of the Poor Boy
7. The Regulators - That's Right, Nothing's Left
8. Dee Dee Ramone & The Spikey Tops - Bop 'Til You Drop (Live NYC 1991)
9. Mudhoney - Suck You Dry
10. EX-PO - Tasty Bites
11. Papermaps - Can't Make A Living

Dean Marino Interview

12. Papermaps - Reunion
13. Sports - Played Yourself
14. Them - Don't Start Crying Now
15. Compulsive Gamblers - Pepper Spray Boogie
16. The Saints - Lost and Found
17. X - We're Desperate
18. Buzzcocks - Friends of Mine
19. Elvis Costello & The Attractions - (I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea
20. The D4 - Sleaze City

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for November 15. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

Papermaps Videos:

Revolution Rock Pledge Drive 2011 & Show # 377

2011-11-08T15:10:00.000-05:00

This years pledge drive show was very successful. A good amount of money was raised for CJAM this year, but CJAM can still use your help. We are not even over the half way mark of our overall goal of $30,000. If you would like to make a pledge or donation you can do it securelly online at http://www.cjam.ca/. We also have a wide variety of incentives this year such as T-Shirts, Beer Steins, Tote Bags and more!

As for the program, today's show was comprised entirely of demo recordings from different bands such as The Pointed Sticks and Generation X, to local Windsor artist Johnny West and music from The Clash, and The Stooges. Today also featured guest hosts Vern Smith of The Jazz Hacienda, Adam Fox CJAM station manager/host of Biz Cas Fri and Clara of The Washing Machine

The Play List:

1. Generation X - Save My Life (1977 Demo)
2. Pointed Sticks - Love or Money (1980 Demo)
3. Ghost Riders In Disguise - Chili in Rellino (Demo)
4. B-Girls - Alibi (Demo)
5. Velvet Underground - Countess From Hong Kong (Demo)
6. Johnny West - Alligator Girl (First Mix)
7. Dirty Pretty Things - No Signal, No Battery (Demo)
8. Young Rival - Dead End Scene (Demo)
9. The Clash - The Man In The Me (Vanilla Tapes Demo)
10. Magazine - Touch & Go (Definitive Daze 1977 Demo)
11. Iggy & The Stooges - I Got A Right (Demo)

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for November 8. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

CJAM Pledge Drive 2011

2011-11-04T14:56:00.001-04:00

Hey listeners and friends,

It is time again for CJAM FM’s annual pledge drive. This years theme is Stayin’ Alive!

As a volunteer programmer for CJAM FM, community radio plays an important role in my life. Every week I donate my time and energy to contribute to our city and culture via Radio, and today I'm reaching out to you for your support. As Windsor-Detroit's not-for-profit campus-based community radio station we rely on the generosity of our listeners for our very existence. This year's modest goal is $30,000 and we need the support from every friend and family in the CJAM social network.

We are not-for-profit, volunteer-driven, grassroots alternative media, unlike anything else on the FM dial. The station relies on contributions from listeners, and without the support of folks like you, we wouldn't be able to bring important news/spoken word/ cultural/ music programming not offered by mainstream radio to the area.

This year's pledge drive runs from November 4-11, but you don't have to wait for my show to make your pledge. I know times are tight right now for everyone, but if you feel compelled could you please make a donation this year? Even small amounts help out CJAM. You can pledge online securely using paypal or credit card at http://www.cjam.ca/, or during the pledge drive by calling 519-971-3630, or for you Detroiters: 313-963-6112 extension 3630. If you do pledge, make sure that you specify which CJAM program you are pledging to in this case it would be REVOLUTION ROCK. We've got some really nice incentives this year as well, which you can check out on our website.

Thank you so much!

PS: On my next program, I will be having a special pledge drive program. There will be a unique theme to the show as well as some special CJAM guests in the studio. It will air Tuesday November 8th at 10:30 AM to Noon.

Dave
Revolution Rock

The Misfits Static Age & Show # 376

2011-11-01T13:47:00.003-04:00

Following the release of the “Cough/Cool” single by The Misfits in August of 1977, The Misfits would head into a studio to record a full length that would be titled Static Age, but it would not released in its entirety until 1997. The road to the recording and release of Static Age is one that like The Misfits in their early stages from 1977-1983, had many changes. The Misfits began in January of 1977 in Lodi, New Jersey. They were formed by lead vocalist and song writer Glen Danzig who named the band after the final film to feature actress Marilyn Monroe, one written by American Playwright Arthur Miller titled The Misfits. Initially Danzig also played electric piano and sang along with Jimmy Battle on guitar, Diane DiPiazza on bass and Manny Martinez on drums to complete the first line up of the group. Not long after practicing together, DiPiazza and Battle left the group. Jerry Caiafa was recommended by drummer Manny Martinez due to the fact that he received a new bass for Christmas of that year. The new line up featuring Caiafa on bass, practiced for a couple of months as a three piece minus a guitarist. Their first single “Cough/Cool” backed with “She” was released in the summer of 1977 on Danzig’s own Blank Records label and featured no guitar, instead hammering synth-like electric piano. When the single was initially released bassist Jerry Caiafa’s name was spelled incorrectly, he suggested that in the future his name would be spelled “Jerry only, Jerry” which led the stage name Jerry Only, which he would soon adopt for the rest of his musical career. The single displayed the band in their embryonic stages, sounding almost like a New Wave band, but the imagery that was provided by Danzig and later identified as Horror Punk can still be heard in the singles A side “Cough/Cool”.

Not soon after the release of their first single, The Misfits added Franche Coma (real name Frank LiCata) as the bands guitarist. With a guitarist now in the group, Danzig dropped the electric piano and focused on vocals while at the same time launching the band into a more Punk Rock sounding direction. Soon Mr. Jim Catania replaced Martinez on drums and The Misfits found themselves in a very unique position. Mercury Records wanted to use the name Blank Records for one of their subsidiary divisions, so they offered Danzig thirty hours of studio recording time in exchange for the name Blank Records, he accepted. In January of 1978, The Misfits entered C.I. Recordings in New York City with producer Dave Archelis and recorded seventeen tracks, fourteen of which were mixed with Archelis. Due to time restraints the band recorded the songs live in the studio, only doing a few takes of each song and minimal overdubs. The proposed fourteen track album was to be titled Static Age, but the band were unable to find a record label that was interested in releasing the album. The band then opted to release four tracks on the Bullet EP in June of 1978 (“Bullet”, “We Are 138”, “Attitude” and “Hollywood Babylon”). These songs were released on Danzig’s new label titled Plan 9 Records. The remainder of the material from these sessions were not released for some time, the band would release a remixed version of “Last Caress” on the Beware EP in 1980 and “Teenagers From Mars” was re-recorded and used on the 1979 “Horror Business” single. “The Horror Business” single also featured a design that would become that bands infamous skull logo. The logo was based off of a poster designed for the 1946 Horror film The Crimson Ghost, it has been used on band releases ever since. It should also be noted that the Beware EP also contained the songs “Horror Business” and “Teenagers From Mars”.

The Misfits would go through another set of line up changes, but Glen Danzig and Jerry Only would remain constant members in the group in their early days of The Misfits. The band leaped more in the horror themed direction lyrically and visually. On stage they changed their appearance to suit their new brand of Punk that would be brandished as Horror Punk. Lyrically the songs subject matter would be drawn from films of the Horror genre, but more specifically the B-Horror movie genre. The band slowly built up a following releasing more singles and EPs, in 1982 they released the full length album Walk Among Us, which is often regarded as one of the greatest Punk albums of all time. The Misfits began to take their music to more extremes musically going into a more Hardcore Punk direction. It was also around this time that Danzig grew unsatisfied with the band, he began working on a new project and after the release of one more album, Earth A.D./Wolf’s Blood in 1983 which displayed the band in a more Hardcore and Heavy Metal/Rock sense, the band was pretty much over. Following a show on October 29th in Detroit, the band went their separate ways. In 1985, nine of the tracks from the Static Age sessions were released on the Legacy of Brutality compilation album. The nine tracks from these sessions that were put on the Legacy album featured overdubbed bass and guitar parts by Glen Danzig himself, which were done following the bands break up in 1983. In 1995, several more tracks from these sessions were released on the Collection II album including the then unreleased “Return of the Fly”. In 1996, The Misfits Box Set was released. This set is notable for its large collection of early Misfits studio material (minus the album Walk Among Us) and outtakes, but also for being the first place in which fans could acquire the fourteen track Static Age album as it was originally intended. In February of 1997, a single disc version of the Static Age album was released featuring additional tracks that the band had recorded during the albums sessions back in 1978, but were never mixed.

Static Age embodies everything that The Misfits stood for, it displays all of the elements which made up The Misfits. The album addresses issues and subject matter in an intelligent defiant way, not unlike classic albums by bands such as The Ramones, The Clash and Buzzcocks. Static Age gurgles with an intense ferocity that has caused many fans of the band to choose this as their favourite release by the band, despite the fact that it was released over a decade too late. Songs such as ‘Static Age”, “TV Casualty”, :Attitude”, “Some Kinda Hate”, “Angelfuck”, “She”, “Hybrid Moments” and the Rockabilly groove of “Hollywood Babylon” all add to the albums aura. Along with the musicianship, the vocals are howled out by Glen Danzig like some kind of Elvis/Jim Morrison hybrid. Static Age is simply, some would argue The Misfits at their best.

Since the release of The Misfits first single and the recording of the bands first album, their status has grown to enormous proportions. During their break up in the 80s the bands cult like status grew so large that copies of the bands material would constantly go out of print. The band who drew their name from a film and took much of their inspiration from B-Horror films built up a new genre of music, creating a large fan base not unlike the large B-Horror movie fan bases that exist now. The road to the release of Static Age in its entirety as it was originally intended took eighteen years. Like the movie, The Misfits band initially received mixed reviews, but are now highly regarded among Punk music fans. Currently The Misfits continue to play and release albums, Jerry Only is the only remaining member in the group from The Misfits early period of 1977-1983. Although the group remains popular, The Misfits have not reunited with Glen Danzig. Danzig has had successful post-Misfits careers in his bands Samhain and Danzig, which musically reflect a heavier Rock/Metal direction.

This Week's Play List:

1. Deja Voodoo - Monsters In My Garage Got Married
2. Miesha & The Spanks - Night Danger
3. The Sphinxs - Time Above Me
4. The Okmoniks - I'm On My Own
5. The 5.6.7.8's - Harlem Nocturne
6. The Frogmen - Underwater
7. The Specials - Too Hot
8. Arkells - On Paper
9. Promises - Valerie
10. Chandells - One Track Mind
11. Rocket From The Tombs - I Sell Soul
12. Brazilian Money - John Wayne
13. Rah Rah - Ghosts
14. Beastie Boys - 14th St. Break
15. Talking Heads - I Feel It In My Heart
16. Pearl Jam - Ole
17. Ramones - Do You Wanna Dance?
18. The Nils - Freedom
19. Joe Strummer - Don't Tango With Django
20. Girls - Alex
21. Destroy All Monsters - Nobody Knows
22. The Fays - Self-Centretown
23. The Cramps - Goo Goo Muck
24. The Misfits - Cough/Cool
25. The Misfits - Teenagers From Mars
26. The Misfits - Hybrid Moments
27. The Misfits - Static Age

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for November 1. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

City Slang ... Sonic's Rendezvous Band & Show # 375

2011-10-25T14:58:00.003-04:00

From 1975 to 1980 a band existed in Ann Arbor, Michigan known as Sonic’s Rendezvous Band. The band was composed of Fred “Sonic” Smith (previously of The MC5) on guitar/vocals, Scott Morgan (previously of The Rationals) on guitar/vocals, Gary Rasmussen (previously of The Up) on bass, and ex-Stooges drummer Scott Asheton. Although relatively unknown while they were still active by the mainstream, Sonic’s Rendezvous Band has now elevated to legendary/cult-like status. During their time as a band they only ever released one single "City Slang". The "City Slang" single had the same song on the A side and the B side, although one side was labelled as a mono version and a stereo version, the single contained the exact same song on both sides. “Electrophonic Tonic” was recorded to be the B side of the "City Slang" single, but due to lack of funds the band could only afford to put the one song on the single. Original copies of the "City Slang" single, originally released in 1978 now go for hundreds of dollars.

The band essentially formed from the ashes of The MC5, and The Rationals. Smith and Morgan became friends and prior to the forming of Sonic’s Rendezvous band, Fred Smith contributed lead guitar to Scott Morgan’s first solo single (1973's Take A Look/Soul Mover). The two then decided to form a band, which would go through many line up changes in the rhythm section. The band played their first gig as The Orchids which featured Ron Cooke of Mitch Ryder’s Detroit Wheels on bass. The gig was poorly attended due to a large blizzard that occurred during that night in the bands early incarnation. Shortly after Cooke was out as Scott Asheton came into the group as their new drummer and Gary Rasmussen of The Up signed up on bass. The line up was now complete and the band changed their name to Sonic’s Rendezvous Band and began playing more gigs around the Michigan area starting in 1975. They tried to veer away from playing songs from each of their respective musical pasts instead opting for new original material, but slowly built up a following. The band combined the high energy Rock style of The MC5/The Stooges, with the soulful Garage ethics of The Rationals, but at the same time took a step into a new direction. Several songs were longer songs, evolving from jams that the band had together during rehearsals. Major labels seemed to avoid interest in this band, despite their local following and talent, but things were different then. It was around 1978 that the growing tensions between Smith and Morgan reached greater levels. Eventually the band faded to a stop in 1980.

The bands legendary status was maintained by their fan base through bootlegs released in the 80s of band demos and live shows. Sonic's Rendezvous Band gained international attention during the late 70s Punk scene, which despite the band no longer being together, their fan base grew. In the late 90s, the studio recording of the song “Electrophonic Tonic”, the intended B side to “City Slang” was released by Alive/Total Energy Records. This generated a new interest in the band and two albums were released titled Sweet Nothing (in 1998) which compiled a good quality live recording of the band from Ann Arbor in 1978 and City Slang (in 2000), which followed due to the success of Sweet Nothing. City Slang combined live recordings with the bands 1978 City Slang single, both albums are now currently out of print and were released by Mack Aborn Rhythm Arts. In 2006, Easy Action a UK record label released a six CD box set of Sonic’s Rendezvous Band material. Simply titled Sonic’s Rendezvous Band Box Set, the six CD’s compiled demos, rehearsal recordings, studio material and four live concerts. In 2007, another live recording was released from when the band played The Masonic Temple in 1978 in Detroit.

Following his time with Sonic’s Rendezvous band, Fred Smith married musician Patti Smith in 1980. In 1986 he worked with Patti on her album Dream of Life collaborating as a songwriter, producer and guitarist. This would be one of Smith’s last recordings, in November of 1994 Fred “Sonic” Smith passed away due to heart failure. Scott Morgan continued to tour and record as a solo artist and with groups such as Scots Pirates, Power Trane, Dodge Main, and The Hydromatics. Gary Rasmussen continues to play music as a studio musician and Scott Asheton currently plays with the reunited Stooges. The band reunited as The Rendezvous Band in 1999 featuring Deniz Tek (of Radio Birdman on guitar) in place of Smith at The Magic Stick in Detroit, it was released in 2000 under the titled Getting There is Half the Fun. More info on The Sonic's Rendezvous band can be found at http://sonicsrendezvousband.net/.

This Week's Play List:

1. Teenanger - Too Nice To Say No
2. Ghost Knife - Omnipotent
3. Rock 'N Roll Monkey & The Robots - I Should've Stayed In Detroit
4. Flamin' Groovies - High Flyin' Baby
5. Guage - I Saw You On The Telephone
6. Johnny Jaws & The Sharks - Out of Love
7. Pointed Sticks - Part of the Noise
8. Joy Division - Interzone
9. Crocodiles - Soft Skull (In My Room)
10. Mode Moderne - Radio Heartbeat
11. Colleen Green - Green One
12. Hoa Hoa's - Going Out With Her
13. Dog Day - What She Says
14. Empire - Him Or Me
15. The Only Ones - Re-Union
16. XTC - The Rhythm
17. Blue Orchids - The Flood
18. Models - Man of the Year
19. Magazine - Sweetheart Contract
20. Laughing Clowns - In Front of Your Eyes
21. Indian Wars - Old Hotel
22. Sonic's Rendezvous Band - Sweet Nothing (Live)
23. Sonic's Rendezvous Band - City Slang (1999 Mix)

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for October 25. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

The Ruby Spirit & The White Stripes & Show # 374

2011-10-18T17:03:00.002-04:00

This week I will post a few videos for a change of pace. First up a quirky, peculiar video from a Canadian Indie Rock band with a dash of Garage and a peppering of Pop called The Ruby Spirit. The band currently has a six track EP available titled Born under a Veil. The video for "Cagliari" is a stop motion created video that was done by Mike Walter. For more info you can visit http://www.therubyspirit.com/.

The Ruby Spirit - Caligari from THE RUBY SPIRIT on Vimeo.

Here's another cool music video that may or may not be stop motion based:

Also Revolution Rock is now on facebook. Like Revolution Rock on facebook!!!

The Play List:

1. The Stomach Mouths - Eegah
2. The Rationals - I Need You
3. ? and The Mysterians - It's Not Easy
4. The Barracudas - Rendez-Vous
5. Invasions - Out Of Touch
6. The Remedials - That Look
7. Finks - Can't Say No
8. Martha & The Muffins - Copacabana
9. Southern Culture on the Skids - Zombified
10. The Ruby Spirit - Caligari
11. Magnificent Bastards - She Won't Do It Anymore
12. Bad Vibrations - Losing Time
13. Mad Ones - Behaviour
14. Shimmering Stars - I'm Gonna Try
15. Bear Vs. Shark - Catamaran
16. The Specials - Little Bitch
17. The Equators - Baby Come Back
18. The Ruts - Babylon's Burning
19. The Skids - Night And Day
20. Famous Names - Blind Date
21. Exits - Going Places
22. The Jam - When You're Young
23. The Professionals - Just Another Dream
24. Guided By Voices - Teenage FBI
25. The Hives - Thousand Answers

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for October 18. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

Not Now No Way ... The Pagans & Show # 373

2011-10-11T11:57:00.001-04:00

Coming from Cleveland, Ohio in 1977 The Pagans are often a largely ignored band that came from the first wave of American Punk bands alongside acts such as The Dead Boys. The Pagans consisted of Mike Hudson (vocals), Brian Hudson (drums), Mike “Tommy Gunn” Metoff (guitar) and Tim Allee on bass. The band played a unique blend of grimy Garage influenced Punk music, which was filled with venomous attitude. They released their first recordings as a 45 single that contained two of the same songs on side A and side B, “Six and Change”. The sneerful and bone rattling Street Where Nobody Lives was the bands second single, it was backed with the self explanatory, but equally gnarly “What’s This Shit Called Love?” It was followed up by the Not Now No Way single in 1979 and the Dead End America single in the same year. The band split initially in 1979, which along with their anti-famous image and lyrical subject matter put the band to a halt, but not for long. The Pagans reformed again in 1982 and disbanded yet again in 1983.

The band released a self titled album in 1983, and continued to release music off and on. A compilation album of the bands recordings was released in 1986 titled Buried Alive, which is often regarded as the best compilation and release from The Pagans to ever be released. The compilation compiled the band in their nasty, snotty glory featuring all of the bands early seven inch recordings and several unreleased tracks. The first CD compilation was released in 1994 entitled Everybody Hates You, and several other compilation albums cataloging The Pagans material has been released since then. A book was released by Mike Hudson titled Diary of Punk in 2008 chronicling his time with The Pagans. The band while they reformed several times, have released numerous recordings that at the time of its initial release was greatly under looked. They have now come to be more recognized by others Hudson’s lyrical style often attacked society related issues and at times came off with a stark lyrical imagery that when combined with the bands anti-star attitude made them not only a unique and at times offensive band, but one that were truly original

The Play List:

1. The Stooges - I Wanna Be Your Dog (Alternate Vocal Version)
2. DOA - Smash the State
3. Existers - Telex Love
4. Plan Nine - I Ain't No Robot
5. Rage - I've Got Your Number
6. Sports - Side Effect of Talk
7. Dum Dum Girls - Always Looking
8. Kasabian - Let's Roll Like We Used To
9. Television - I'm Gonna Find You (1974 Unreleased Song)
10. The Strollers - I Fell Right Down
11. Thee Mighty Caesars - Little By Little
12. Chang-A-Lang - Lay By Your Side
13. Neil Young - Vampire Blues
14. The Locusts Have No King - Last Night In My Favorite Bar And The Reprocussions Thereof
15. Johnny Cash - Locomotive Man
16. Will Currie & The County French - Railroad
17. Johnny Thunders - (She's So) Untouchable
18. Richard Hell & The Voidoids - New Pleasure
19. Generation X - New Order
20. The Bears - Fun, Fun, Fun
21. The Pagans - I Don't Understand
22. The Pagans - Not Now No Way
23. The Dead Boys - Ain't Nothing To Do
24. Compulsive Gamblers - Whole Lotta Woman
25. True Lovers - Obsession

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for October 11. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

(Return to) Friday at the Hideout

2011-10-08T01:37:00.000-04:00

This Friday I filled in for CJAM's Willy Wilson on the program Friday's At The Hideout. A few months back I filled in for the very same show, my play list on this program reflected the Surf, Garage, Punk, and Folk genres. Willy Wilson also hosts the program The Motorcity is Burning every Tuesday at 7 PM, Friday's At The Hideout can be heard every Friday from 8-10 PM. The program can be downloaded below.

The Play List:

1. Link Wray - Law of the Jungle
2. Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet - Shake Some Evil
3. The Collectors - Eyes
4. The Townsmen - Back Yards
5. Prehistoric Cave Strokers - You're In You're Out
6. The Fuse - Sad Eyes
7. The Hi-Fi's - Look What You've Done
8. Sports - Played Yourself
9. Dum Dum Girls - Hold Your Hand
10. Kasabian - Neon Noon
11. Drew Smith - Smoke & Mirrors
12. Will Currie & The County French - Railroad
13. The Mekons - Geeshie
14. John Doe - Walking Out The Door
15. Twin Library - I Asked Her To Build Me A Phone
16. Chang-A-Lang - Japanese Eyes
17. The Remains - Don't Look Back
18. The Uniques - You Ain't Tuff
19. The Count Five - Psychotic Reaction
20. Square Root of Margaret - Attack of the Giant Problem vs. The Creature From The Planet of the Incredible Shrinking Solution
21. Mark Sultan - Mortal Man
22. Radio Birdman - Do The Pop!
23. The Misfits - Hollywood Babylon
24. Ramones - You Should Never Have Opened That Door
25. The Adverts - Safety In Numbers
26. Buzzcocks - I Don't Mind
27. The Exploding Hearts - I'm A Pretender
28. The D4 - Joe 90
29. The Clash - The Leader (Live Amsterdam 1981)
30. Dex Romweber Duo - Climb Down
31. Dave Allan & The Arrows - Outer Surf
32. Velvet Underground - I Found A Reason (Demo)

The show can be downloaded here.

Nirvana ... Newermind & Show # 372

2011-10-04T12:01:00.004-04:00

Twenty years ago Nirvana released their second full length album Nevermind. Prior to the album being recorded the band nor their record label (then Sub Pop, before signing to Geffen) had no idea of the impact that the album would have. While initially it was pressed in smaller quantities, the album quickly climbed the Billboard top 200 charts eventually knocking Michael Jackson’s Dangerous album off the top spot. But would the album have had the same impact if it had been not re-mixed by Andy Wallace? The super deluxe edition of Nevermind that was released on September 27th of 2011 provides an inside look and insight into the events leading up to Nevermind’s success and also provides the listener with a plethora of material to wrap their heads around as Nirvana’s Nevermind hits the 20 year mark. It should also be noted that currently, Nevermind has re-entered the UK top ten album charts.

The set comes in a large vinyl sized book featuring glossy colour photos cataloguing Nirvana’s adventures mostly in picture form. Inside there are budget breakdowns, press releases, previously unseen photos, screenshots from Nevermind-era music videos, and the album cover shoot, and a reprint of a Melody Maker magazine feature on Nirvana and the Seattle scene at the time. If that isn’t enough there is the music which is provided in a variety of formats – one in CD form. There are four CD’s in the set and one DVD featuring a previously unreleased Nirvana Concert from the Paramount Theatre in 1991. The first CD features a remaster of the actual Nevermind album, and a collection of B-sides, that if you have been a die-hard Nirvana fan have most likely heard before.

The second CD is where the super deluxe set gets interesting. First it starts off with the eight song Smart Studios Sessions that Nirvana Did with Butch Vig (who would also produce Nevermind) in April of 1990. Through these eight songs we hear Nirvana with Chad Channing on drums, and in an early primalistic form, the songs sound like they come from Bleach-era Nirvana, which they do in a sense, but this form of Nirvana is one that is in transition. The listener is taken through early versions of songs such as “Lithium”, “Breed” (then titled “Immodium”), “In Bloom”, “Pay To Play” (which would become the song “Breed”), and a cover of the Velvet Underground song “Here She Comes Now”, “Dive”, and “Sappy”. From these demos the band decided to shop around in hopes of moving to a major label, but following the demos the listener is thrown right into yet another, early version of the Nevermind album. There are eight boom box demos, which were recorded by Nirvana in their rehearsal space in Tacoma, Washington in March 1991. Here we have yet more early versions of songs that would find their way onto Nevermind, with different lyrics and two tracks which never made the final cut of the album “Old Age” and “Verse Chorus Verse”. Ever since a snippet of the boombox demo of “Old Age” was leaked onto the internet many years ago, these demos have been greatly in demand by Nirvana fans. It should also be noted that on the 2004 Nirvana With The Lights Out box set, there are the studio outtake versions from the Nevermind album sessions of “Old Age” and “Verse Chorus Verse”, they do not appear on this set. Additionally, there was a version the band did of “Sappy”, which would be re-recorded and released at a later date, but the Nevermind recorded version remains unreleased. After listening to Nirvana playing some of the same songs back to back with different drummers (Channing on the Smart Demos and Grohl on the boombox) there is an immediate change in chemistry to the bands energy. Through this CD we hear Nirvana’s evolution. At the end of this CD, two songs from a BBC session are tacked on “Something In The Way” and “Drain You”.

The third CD provides the listener with what is called The Devonshire Mixes. These are the infamous mixes that Nirvana front man Kurt Cobain had referenced in the past, saying that they were rawer and less polished than the final released Andy Wallace mixed version. The songs found on this CD are a more stripped down version of the Nevermind we have all come to recognize. While some of the tracks appear to not have much changes, several of the songs have noticeable differences, such as “Lounge Act”, Territorial Pissings”, and “On A Plain”. “Come As You Are” is noticeably less produced that the album version, while “Drain You” is different, yet doesn't have the same impact of the Wallace mixed version. The songs seem to have clearer vocals, a more raw/live feel to them, which when compared to the Wallace version is less produced, but at times lacks the impact that the final officially released version has. These were rough mixes that were put together by Producer for Butch Vig for the band to hear, which in this set provides us with yet another fascinating evolutionary stage of the album. Finally we are provided with a CD version of a live concert that is also provided in DVD form, which can be argued for its significance. But after delving through many demos, alternate/early versions of songs and alternate mixes, the 20th anniversary super deluxe edition of Nevermind ends with the band in its rawest aural form, live. Finally there is the Live At The Paramount DVD, which is a previously unreleased live concert of the band from October 31st, 1991.

This limited edition release is pricey but if you are a big Nirvana fan it is something that you will enjoy. Hearing the evolution of a band coming from the Seattle underground into the mainstream, we are provided with a lot of material to listen to and watch. There are also different versions of the release, such as the two CD deluxe edition of the album, a four LP vinyl box set, and a Blu Ray version of the Live At The Paramount concert. So what if the album was never re-mixed by Andy Wallace would it have had the same impact? The songs are there, they were being crafted by Cobain and the band in preparation. This is a question that at this point is irrelevant, it could be argued for on either side, but regardless of which you prefer the songs are there and the music is there. Good music is good music, oh well whatever Nevermind.

For more info on the band you can visit http://www.nirvana.com/ or Kerrang! Radio's 20 Facts about Nevermind.

The Play List:

1. The Libertines - The Boy Looked At Johnny
2. Dream Dates - Heartattack Rhythm
3. Psychotic Pineapples - Stranded
4. The Polymorphines - Bring Your Love Back Home
5. Wild Flag - Short Version
6. The Strokes - Two Kinds of Happiness
7. Nick Lowe - 36 Inches High
8. Brian James - Ain't That A Shame
9. Result - Suburban Addicts
10. Wayouts - Wild At The Beach
11. B-Girls - Angel Doesn't Shoot A Gun
12. The Dishrags - Can't Wait
13. Brazilian Money - Slowly Soaking Up Some Rays On A Sofa
14. Wilco - I Might
15. The Saints - Memories Are Made of This
16. The Velvet Underground - Beginning To See The Light
17. Nirvana - Sappy (Smart Studios Demo Version)
18. Nirvana - Territorial Pissings (Devonshire Mix)
19. Nirvana - Drain You (Live At The Paramount)
20. The Teardrops - Seeing Double
21. The King Khan & BBQ Show - Hold Me Tight
22. The Lyrics - So What!!
23. The Hentchmen - Ham & Oil
23. The Black Lips - Not A Problem

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for October 4. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

The Pack A.D... Unpersons & Show 371

2011-09-27T15:48:00.002-04:00

I first heard of and saw The Pack A.D. when they were performing in Windsor, Ontario at The Phog Lounge. Since then I have come to see them perform on numerous other occasions. Initially known as The Pack, The Pack A.D. are a two piece female Garage/Blues Rock duo that has just released their third full length album Unpersons. The band originates from Vancouver and features Becky Black on guitar/vocals, and Maya Miller on drums. The bands first full length album Tin Type was self released in April of 2007, and then re-released when the group were signed to Mint Records. A second full length followed quickly titled Funeral Mixtape also in 2008, which showed the band broadening their sound. Tin Type their first album featured seventeen Blues Rock songs that also contained elements of Garage Rock and Punk Rock. Songs such as “Gold Rush” and “All Damn Day Long” reflected their raw Garage/Blues inflections, which along with the rest of the album generated strong reviews and acclaim.

The band has toured heavily behind their albums and gained the reputation as being an explosive live act. In 2010, The Pack A.D. released the album We Kill Computers, an album which took two years to make, but one that was recorded live to analog tape in under two weeks, it was also the longest gap between releases for the band. But this does not deter or take away from the album, one that was essentially born on the road and one that focused more on the bands Garage and Punk influences and it reflects that. The album featured songs such as “Deer’, “B.C. Is On Fire”, and “Catch” all add to the overall heavier Rock dynamics of We Kill Computers.

In September 2011, The Pack A.D released Unpersons. This album further displays the bands evolving sound and adds different elements into the mix. Unpersons elevates the Pack A.D’s sound making them sound bigger most likely due to Detroit producer Jim Diamond, who adds edge to the bands sound. On this album the band truly have evolved at a sound that is both different and as fascinating as their past. The albums title originates from the novel 1984, which is a form of “newspeak” meaning someone who has been stripped of rights, identity or humanity. While The Pack A.D have not been stripped of their musical identity, they do venture into new and different music territory and lyrically the songs reflect a dystopian view and plays into the titles meaning. Unpersons finds the band exploring the very elements of their sound, reconstructing themselves with their brand of raw Blues, Garage and Punk which have made them a Mint Records artist to watch. The Pack A.D. play the Phog Lounge again on Wednesday October 19th, with The Locusts Have No King.

This Week's Play List:

1. Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Luxembourg
2. The Drums - Book of Revelations
3. The Stranglers - Sometimes
4. Ringo Deathstarr - Some Kind of Sad
5. Norbiton Surfers - Ivor The Engine
6. Public Image Limited - Lou Reed Pt.2
7. The Rings - I Wanna Be Free
8. The Spy's - Been Through The Mill
9. The Pack AD - Seasick
10. The Pack AD - 8
11. Canadian VIPs - I Know
12. Big Town Boys - August 32nd
13. Missing Links - Don't Give Me No Friction
14. Thee Oh Sees - Corprophagist
15. Les Jaguars - Shake
16. The Centurions - Surfin' at Mazatland
17. Eddie Angel - Casbah
18. Link Wray - 5 and 10
19. Wydle Rattz - Hollow
20. The Androids - Roller Derby Queen
21. Mix - Break Up, Shake Up
22. The Paperboys - Looking For Sharon
23. Sloan - Oh Dear Diary
24. The Boys - First Time
25. The Ettes - The Pendulum
26. The Sonics - Strychnine

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for September 27. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

I Wear White Jeans Fill In

2011-09-24T15:59:00.001-04:00

On Friday I filled in for the I Wear White Jeans program which usually airs every Friday night from 6:30 to 8 PM on CJAM FM. with host Jan Blondin. The program can be downloaded below.

The Play List:

1. The Rezillos - Mystery Action
2. Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers - Baby Talk
3. The Pack AD - Sirens
4. The Polymorphines - Anna Lee
5. Invasions - Atlantic Blvd
6. The Nightcrawlers - Little Black Egg
7. Thee Dueces - You've Gotta Try
8. Blitzen Trapper - Might Find It Cheap
9. The Living Kills - My Gun's A Fist
10. Disband - One Man Army
11. The Government - Flat Tire
12. The Verdix - Lookin' Around
13. Dee Dee Ramone & the Chinese Dragons - What About Me?
14. Bok Bok - Come Back To Me
15. The Fall - Stepping Out
16. Terrorways - Never Been To Borstal
17. The Primmers - You're Gonna Get Done
18. Wreckless Eric - Reconnez Cherie
19. The Beachnuts - Cycle Annie
20. Dik Van Dykes - Garage Sale
21. The Stomach Mouths - Wild Trip
22. Painted Ship - And She Said Yes
23. Brazilian Money - Give Up That Dog
24. Thee Oh Sees - I Need Seed
25. The Hentchmen - Yesterday's Trash

The show can be downloaded here.

AK79 & Show # 370

2011-09-20T12:54:00.004-04:00

The UK Punk scene of the late seventies inspired numerous bands all around the world to pick up their instruments and create their own music playing into the attitude and DIY ethic. One such place that is perhaps not always mentioned is the New Zealand Punk scene of the late seventies, specifically the Auckland, New Zealand Punk scene. There were numerous bands that popped up, many short lived that would only last what seemed like a second before moving onto different bands and expanding into different genres. A compilation album was compiled of this scene by Bryan Staff and released on Ripper Records in 1979. The compilation which was tilted AK79, was released just in time for Christmas of 1980, but as the New Year approached and the compilation was released the local Punk scene was evolving and changing thus having AK79 serve as a document of the New Zealand scene that lasted from roughly 1977 to 1980.

The compilation had its birth when Bryan Staff, a local Auckland radio DJ started developing a growing interest in the local scene at the time. Since there was hardly a recording industry in New Zealand then, Staff came up with the idea of compiling an album of these acts and releasing it. Bands were encouraged to bring in their own recordings and several recorded at radio NZ, Bryan would form his own label Ripper Records. The albums cover was designed by Terence Hogan and the picture on the cover is a close up shot of one of the members of the band Terrorways. The album was initially pressed in a limited 500 edition run. The albums sold quickly and as a result AK79 moved its distribution to CBS in 1981 where it was re-pressed on vinyl and cassette. By 1983 the album went out of print, following this point the album became greatly sought after and copies sold for a considerable value. In 1994 the album was re-issued and re-mastered by Simon Grigg (of Suburban Reptiles) with an expanded track listing and was released via Flying Nun and Propeller Records.

The result of the album is a collection of bands such as The Scavengers, The Swingers, Terrorways, Proud Scum, The Primmers, The Features and Toy Love. The expanded re-issue featured additional tracks from these group including previously unreleased tracks from bands such as Suburban Reptiles, The Scavengers and Toy Love. Several of the bands on this compilation would go onto form other groups one example is The Scavengers who are featured in two incarnations on this album first as The Scavengers and then as Marching Girls. When the band moved to Australia in 1980 they renamed themselves Marching Girls. One of the band members Brendan Perry would also briefly play with Nick Cave's The Birthday Party before forming Dead Can Dance, which was quite different from his previous groups. While many of the bands from this short Auckland, New Zealand era from about 1977 to 1980 would move on along with the scene, AK79 serves as a document of a interesting and short lived time in Auckland’s music history. The album features songs such as "Mysterex" a song about working in the nine to five world, the anthemic Reggae/Punk of The Primmers "You're Gonna Get Done" a song addressing street violence in New Zealand, music from The Spelling Mistakes, Toy Love and more that are worthy of being all time Punk classics. A reunion gig was held on November 21st and 22nd of 2008 that reunited several of the bands found on the AK79 compliation, many of which hadn't played together since 1980. A special two LP limited edition of AK79 was sold at the shows featuring additional unreleased tracks. More info on the album and the bands featured on the album can be found at http://www.simongrigg.info/AK79.htm

This Week's Play List:

1. The Litter - Action Woman
2. The Magicians - An Invitation To Cry
3. Cold Coffee & Salty Boots - Lost In Material
4. The Last Assassins - Bad Crystal
5. White Cats - Second Time Around
6. The Demics - I Won't See You No More
7. The Hi Fi's - I Don't Know Why (You Love Me)
8. The Nocturnals - Because You're Gone
9. Magic Hall of Mirrors - Helicopter (Live Phog Phest 2010)
10. Witnesss Inc. - Not You Girl
11. The Horrors - I Can See Through You
12. The Features - Content
13. Suburban Reptiles - Saturday Night, Stay At Home
14. The Scavengers - Mysterex
15. The Primmers - Funny Stories
16. Dik Van Dykes - Curling
17. Wire - I Am The Fly
18. Gang of Four - To Hell With Poverty (BBC Session)
19. The Teardrops - Colours
20. Nothing At All - Busted
21. Dirty Pretty Things - Last of the Small Town Playboys
22. Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers - Can't Keep My Eyes On You
23. Ed Kuepper - Told Myself
24. Bob Dylan - Visions of Johanna (Alternate Take)

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for September 20. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

Pearl Jam's No Code & Show # 369

2011-09-13T14:00:00.002-04:00

The recording of Pearl Jam's No Code took place at a strange time in the bands career. After a tour for their 1994 release Vitalogy, Pearl Jam headed into the studio amongst other factors that all added to what was become the album No Code. At the time the band were going through difficulties due to the constant touring, arguments in the creative process and an on going battle with Ticketmaster. To further add to matters the albums recording sessions first began in the infamous 1995 Chicago heat wave, during a break in the bands touring schedule. Tensions would build amongst the band and as a result many of the songs began as jams according to Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready. The rest of the album would be recorded over the course of six weeks in 1996 in New Orleans, Louisiana, Seattle, Washington, and Atlanta, Georgia. No Code which would be Pearl Jam’s fourth full length album, was recorded with producer Brendan O’Brien

When No Code was finally released in 1996, it went to number one on the Billboard 200 album charts (it would be the last Pearl Jam album to go to number one until 2009's Backspacer), but despite this it alienated several Pearl Jam fans. While the record did not initially sell as well as their previous studio efforts No Code would be one of the first of many albums in which the band ventured on in a different direction separate from their early heavier “Grunge” associated sounds. The songs on the album incorporated elements of Garage Rock, Worldbeat and elements of experimentation that resulted in a truly unique album from Pearl Jam. The album contained hard hitting Rock songs such as “Hail, Hail”, “Habit”, “Lukin”, as well as other tracks such as “Sometimes”, “Who You Are?”, “Present Tense”, “I’m Open”, “Mankind” and “Around the Bend”, which initially started out as a lullaby written by Eddie Vedder for new Pearl Jam drummer Jack Irons’ son, all of which jumped into different territories musically. The album was panned by several critics, despite its good sales people reacted negatively to No Code.

Some people were perplexed by the different direction that Pearl Jam ventured into on this album, but was it really that different? The songs seem to be a reflection of the times and the bands ongoing tensions during the recording process and that point in their career, but it is still a Rock album. It is ironic that the album was titled No Code and packaged with photograph based artwork symbolizing its lack of adherence to the typical codes of music at the time. The truth is for Pearl Jam No Code had no rules or no “codes” for lack of a better term and while there was a lot of tension and turmoil that began during that first heat wave of July of 1995 in Chicago where the album began its life, the result was a strong original release from the band and the beginnings of Pearl Jam’s long career in music. As vocalist Eddie Vedder has stated “Making No Code was all about gaining perspective”, the trouble that initially surrounded the sessions in the long run produced out a stronger band. It was during the period follwing this albums release that Pearl Jam stepped out of the mainstream spotlight so to speak and the albums leading up to recent 2009 release Backspacer where Pearl Jam found a new voice for their music and a devout and die-hard fan base that remains strong to this day.

Recently Pearl Jam is the subject of a documentary titled Pearl Jam 20, which is about Pearl Jam, it also marks thier 20th anniversary. A soundtrack also accompanies the film and you can download a new Pearl Jam song called "Ole" via http://www.pearljam.com/

This Week's Play List:

1. Magnificent Bastards - Famous When I Die
2. Luke & The Apostles - Been Burnt
3. The Coasts - Handshakers
4. Deja Voodoo - Lonely Motel
5. Neon Boys - High Heeled Wheels
6. Boy With A Fish - I Wish I Had A Plan
7. Ry Cooder - Quick Sand
8. James OL & The Villains - Both To Blame
9. Orphan Choir - Untitled
10. The Polymorphines - Poor Sicko
11. Crocodiles - Summer of Hate
12. Fire Engines - Hungry Beat
13. Pointed Sticks - The Witch
14. Mudhoney - Into Yer Shtik
15. The Wipers - Is This Real?
16. Pearl Jam - Lukin
17. Limes - Into A Tree
18. Young Rival - Another Nobody
19. Talking Heads - Stay Hungry (1975 CBS Demo)
20. Subway Sect - Nobody's Scared
21. Undertones - Smarter Than You
22. Ramones - Do You Remember Rock and Roll Radio (Live US Festival 1982)
23. Motorhead - No Class
24. Private School - Rock & Roll Radio
25. The D4 - North Shore Bitch

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for September 13. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

Fire of Love ... The Gun Club & Show # 368

2011-09-06T13:58:00.003-04:00

The Gun Club were a very unique band that blended elements of Roots Rock, Blues, Country, Rockabilly and Punk for a style completely their own. Starting out in 1980 in LA, the band was formed by singer/guitarist Jeffery Lee Pierce, Brian Tristan on Lead Guitar, Don Snowden on bass and Brad Dunning on drums. The band initially started out as The Cyclones with Pleasant Gehman on vocals and played Rockabilly, but the singer left after one show and the group continued on as The Creeping Ritual. It was around this time during the bands early beginnings where Don Snowden and Brad Dunning left the group, they would be replaced by Rob Ritter (bass) and Terry Graham (drums) from the band The Bags. After growing tired of their band name they changed it to The Gun Club upon suggestion from Keith Morris of Black Flag/Circle Jerks. The bands first album came out in 1981 and it was titled Fire of Love, but before it came out there yet another line up change. Brian Tristan would leave the group to join The Cramps where he would remain for three years and gain the new name Kid Congo Powers. Following his time with The Cramps he rejoined The Gun Club, but when his first departed Ward Dotson replaced him on guitar.

When the band headed into the studio to record Fire of Love, what was captured on tape was a stripped down primal, original classic album that redefined a genre of Punk. Fire of Love was recorded with Chris D of The Flesh Eaters and Tito Larriva who applied a stripped down, live sounding production style to the songs that made up Fire of Love. The album mixed a haunting voodoo like intensity of American Roots, Blues and Country with Punk Rock for something completely original. The Gun Club is captured in top from the upbeat opener “Sex Beat” to the album closer “Goodbye Johnny”. The album features reworked versions of “Preaching the Blues” a song originally by Robert Johnson, that at howls and roars with the haunting vocals and the energetic guitar bursts of Dotson, while “Cool Drink of Water” is a soulful reworking of a Delta Blues song originally by Tommy Johnson. The album is also fuelled by the addictive Punk-Blues classic “She’s Like Heroin To Me”, the terrifying “Ghost On The Highway”, and “For The Love of Ivy” a song co-written with original Gun Club guitarist Kid Congo Powers. All of the eleven tracks on this album contribute to its atmosphere, whether you refer to "Sex Beat" or the steam engine driving drums and vocals of "Black Train".

Fire of Love was the debut album of a band that helped rejuvenate the LA Rock music scene and album that stands on its own as an underground classic. The music has been called a number of things such as Punk Rock Blues, Tribal Psychobilly Blues and many other things falling into a number of subgenres. The album has also been said to have been fuelled not only by the sum of its parts, but by the soulful tormented voice of its wild man lead singer Jeffery Lee Pierce which cannot be avoided. The band would continue to make albums until the mid 90s, until lead singer Jeffery Lee Pierce passed away at the age of 37 in 1996. The album and bands spirit live on and Fire of Love continues to burn with a gritty intensity that was first ignited when it was originally released in 1981.

This Weeks Play List:

1. Jacuzzi Boys - Cool Vapors
2. The Hentchmen - Some Other Guy
3. Supergrass - What Went Wrong (In Your Head)
4. Richard Hawley - Tonight The Streets Are Ours
5. Richard Hell & The Voidoids - I'm Your Man
6. Iceage - Collapse
7. Rotten Tropics - The Commissioner of Sewers
8. Anagram - Those Were The Days
9. The Government - Following You
10. The Ted Clark Five - No Respect To Lose
11. Johnny Cash - Big River
12. Lonesome Lefty - Texas Blues
13. Locusts Have No King - Anna's Smoke
14. Box Car Guitars - My Love Is Blue
15. Free Boat Rentals - Fourth Thrice
16. Indian Wars - 20,000 Cans
17. Iggy Pop & James Williamson - Lucky Monkeys
18. Sex Pistols - Did You No Wrong
19. Radio Birdman - What Gives?
20. Lip Service - Jimmy Brown
21. The True Lovers - Masters Apprentice
22. The Gun Club - Sex Beat
23. The Gun Club - For The Love of Ivy
24. The Gun Club - Fire Spirit

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for September 6. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

Interview with Henry Priestman & Show # 367

2011-08-30T14:08:00.000-04:00

Henry Priestman first appeared in the UK New Wave/Power Pop act Yachts. The band released two full length albums and a collection of singles before splitting up in 1981. The band is perhaps best known for their song "Suffice To Say", following Yachts Priestman co-founded the group It's Immaterial. He then went on to play with the group The Christians. In 2008 he released his first solo album Chronicles of Modern Life on Stiff Records, which received great critical acclaim in the UK and was then picked up by Island Records for a major label re-release. He is currently working on a follow up to Chronicles.

The following interview was done between myself Dave Konstantino (host of Revolution Rock) and musician Henry Priestman. In the interview Henry discusses his time with Yachts, his post-Yachts bands and his current musical projects.

RR: What was it that inspired you to start making music? Were there any artists in particular and what are some of your favourite albums?

HP: Ever since hearing The Beatles, Stones, Kinks, Tamla, Stax etc as a kid I knew I wanted to do something to do with music...my mates were buying comics and I was buying Disc & Music Echo, and NME..I thought I would probably end up working in a record shop (remember them?). Started playing guitar aged 14, then when I left school I decide to go to Art School (as all the bands I loved seem to have an Art School link - again Beatles, Who, Kinks etc), thought it would help me get into a band. Which is what Yachts were: the archetypal Art School band, all 4 of us were in the same year at Liverpool Art College (John Lennon’s old Art College).

Clive Langer, who was in the 3rd year at college when I was in 1st & in a Warners band called Deaf School, was the first person to say to me, “why don’t you write your own songs?”...Clive would go on to be a very successful producer on both side of the Atlantic, with number ones with Madness, Dexys, Bush etc. So I suppose he, and Roger Eagle who ran a very influential punk/New Wave club in Liverpool “Eric’s” are the ones I credit for getting me into this biz.

With Yachts we were listening to all those Nuggets bands, and scouring the remainder bins for obscure 60’s psych and garage albums, then trying to write in the same style (musically) and occasionally covering obscure 60’s bands (Look back in Love Not In Anger was originally by Bay State band Teddy and the Pandas). Lyrically we tried to make it very English, which ironically possibly worked against us in UK, but had the opposite effect in US.

RR: Before you were called Yachts, various members of the band played in Albert Dock, even opening for Sex Pistols at one gig. What prompted the name change and where did the name Yachts come from?

HP: Well, Albert Dock was a bit of a crazy, quite theatrical Art School band with around 8 members, mostly doing obscure covers...then we decided we should perhaps take it a bit more seriously, slim down the band, write our own stuff and therefore a name change seemed to be the next step....Yachts just seemed to fit the image, visually and lyrically, that we’d decided on.

RR: How did the band come up with "Suffice To Say"? Did the music or lyrics come first and why do you think people respond to that song so well?

HP: I think it was the first or second song I EVER wrote, and I actually wrote it on holiday in France in summer 1976, for my then girlfriend, and 33 years on she’s my wife, and we’re still together (ahhhh!); probably music came before the lyric (nicked the chords off an old Zappa track!)...then, despite the lyric stating “I never wrote a middle 8”, John Campbell (the original singer) came up with a great middle 8, and hence his name is in the brackets too!

Don’t know why people still like it...it gets called “quirky”, and “charming”, and the “cheesey” organ always gets mentioned..I still do it in my solo set (and there’s a new version as a secret track on my “Chronicles of Modern Life” album)

RR: The band always seemed to have a unique lyrical style, how did you decide on using lyrics? Such as on songs like "Suffice To Say", "Mantovani's Hits”, "Yachting Types", "Box 202" etc.?

HP: As mentioned above, we were deliberately trying to write very English lyrics, and ones that really nobody in their right mind would put in a pop song!..when I heard a word like “Tantamount”, I thought, oo that’s a good word to get into a title...but also as mentioned above, it slightly backfired over here in Britain...perhaps people thought we didn’t RAWWWKKK enough!..that said, the live shows were much more raw than the recorded versions (and probably better for it).

RR: What do you remember from recording Yachts first two albums? What was it like working with Martin Rushent as a producer on Without Radar (1980)?

HP: First album was recorded in 2 weeks at Radio City in New York, with Richard Gottehrer (writer of Hang On Sloopy, and producer of Blondie’s first album), so that was just so exciting for 4 lads from the North of England, who’d never really travelled much before...picked up at JFK by a limo, we thought we were “it”!

With hindsight, I think we lost the plot a bit on second album..not Martin Rushent’s fault, he was a joy to work with..songs weren’t as good, I think we were taking ourselves a bit too seriously on that record.

RR: What are some of the bands/projects you worked on following the split of Yachts up until now for example I know that you were with another band called The Christians?

HP: I left Yachts because this “hobby band” I was in, “It’s Immaterial” (re-united with original Yachts singer John Campbell) started being more fun, and more interesting musically than Yachts (even tho’ I wasn’t involved in the writing)...”Itsy” went on to record 2 albums for Warners, and had top 20 single chart success in UK...meanwhile I’d started to learn how to engineer in a small studio in Liverpool: we used this singing troop of 5 brothers (with surname Christian) to sing harmonies on an It’s Immaterial song “Ed’s Funky Diner”, and I plucked up courage at the session to ask them if they’d like to hear some of my songs – 2 couldn’t be bothered, 3 stayed around, and we worked on demos for the next year, and signed to Island records in 1986. By then I was over 30, and had never tasted any chart success, so it was quite a surprise when the first Christians album went straight in to the UK charts at #2, and went triple platinum!

The Christians recorded 3 albums for Island...remind me never to join a band with brothers in it!...by 1994 we’d all had enough...I’d started branching out into music for BBC TV (wildlife documentaries), and also doing sessions/tours with the likes of Echo and The Bunnymen, Ian McNabb, Ian Broudie’s Lightening seeds etc...and also got more into co-writing/production...then in 1999 we, The Christians, reformed for an acoustic tour (and an album) and managed to stay together till 2006 until once again the rot set in (the same with any band..)

RR: How did you come to record Chronicles of Modern Life? Who did you work with on this album (musicians/producers, etc.)?

HP: After leaving The Christians I suddenly thought “what the hell am I going to do now?”...so threw myself into writing and producing mostly acoustic-y singer-songwriter artists in my small studio set-up. On one of these writing occasions I worked with writer Tom Gilbert (who’s around the same age as me) and we just sat around musing on the ageing process (I was then 53) and came up with a song “Old”, which we thought we might try to get to Nashville.

Now, I hadn’t sung since 1981 (Yachts) and had assumed Tom would sing, but as he’s bigger than me, he bullied me into doing it, so the only way I could get through it, was to affect this “bad Bob Dylan”-type voice. Next morning we woke up listened to the track, and suddenly thought “Hang on, this great..this is me singing about my life”..and came up with another 10 songs in a similar slightly world-weary yet still poignant vein.

RR: Where/how was it recorded and why do you think it has got such a good response in the UK?

HP: I produced/engineered and basically played everything on the album, quickly, in my own tiny studio, with a few friends helping out on the tricky stuff (like strings/cello, or a slide guitar solo etc) and the odd backing vocal. This probably helped it sound like “an album of rough-hewn charm” as The Sunday Times called it... I think people liked the honesty of the album, musically and lyrically...and also it seemed to appeal to people “of a certain age”...and it was lucky that some of those people were producers and DJ’s on BBC’s national (and most-listened to station) Radio 2.

RR: Your current music has been described as “music for grumpy old men” by BBC Radio 2. Do you feel that is accurate? How would you describe your music?

HP: Yes, one of the aforementioned DJ’s came up with that phrase...”Grumpy Old Men” was a very successful light-hearted, wry documentary series here in the UK (about the trials and tribulations of getting older), featuring actors, comedians and even well respected DJ the late John Peel, so I didn’t really mind people saying it, if it helped them give me a genre...but I wouldn’t necessarily agree..there’s a lot of hope in the record.

RR: What are you currently up to musically? Is there a planned follow to Chronicles of Modern Life in the works? If so how will it sound as compared to Chronicles?

HP: I’m always writing with/for other people, and have continued to do that, and managed to get a few cuts on albums this year. I actually started on the follow up to Chronicles last year, but what with losing my Mum and a few other things, I downed-tools on the project, but am now ready to pick up the gauntlet again...I think if I’d have finished it last year it would have sounded more like Chronicles...now I want to make it a bit different..I don’t want to bore people with the same stuff again...nobody’s exactly waiting for it, so I may as well make it as good as poss..in the meantime I’ve discovered the joys of live performance (just me, a guitar and a uke) and am loving it!

These days the 'net has opened up things recording -wise so much, and on the forthcoming album (probably due in spring 2012), I've got Probyn Gregory from Brian Wilson's band playing French Horn, and trombone...I never met him, just sent him the tracks and two days later his brass parts came back over the 'net...it's amazing isn't it?...otherwise it's mainly me playing the usual guitar, bass, keys and drums stuff.

This Week's Play List:

1. The Pack AD - Rid of Me
2. The Milkshakes - Jaguar and Thunderbird
3. Modern Lovers - I'm Straight
4. Verdix - Looking Around
5. The Calling - The World
6. The Unusuals - Hit and Run
7. The Singles - T.V. Deceives
8. It's Immaterial - Driving Away From Home
9. Yachts - Yachting Types
10. The Videodromes - Steve Mcqueen
11. Klark Kent - Don't Care
12. Wreckless Eric - Semaphore Signals
13. The Clash - Overpowered By Funk
14. Magazine - Look What Fears Done To My Body (Peel Session)
15. Siskiyou - Keep Away The Dead
16. Elliot Brood - West End Shy
17. Henry Priestman - Grey's The New Blonde
18. Henry Priestman - It's Called A Heart
19. Them - I Can Only Give You Everything
20. The Ugly Ducklings - Girl Out of Time
21. The Kinks - Come On Now (Alternate Vocal Version)
22. Harlem - Spray Paint
23. The Rezillos - I Can't Stand My Baby
24. The Damned - Fan Club

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for August 30. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

Luger Boa Jimmy Christmas Interview & Show # 366

2011-08-23T12:00:00.000-04:00

In November of 2008, New Zealand Rock band Luger Boa released their first full length album titled Mutate or Die! The album and band was formed out of the ashes of New Zealand Garage Rock band The D4 and following the release of this album, the band toured extensively playing festivals and all over New Zealand. The album even charted here in Canada in January of 2009 on CJAM’s Earshot! Charts at number ten on the top 30 album charts. Luger Boa received a positive critical acclaim locally in New Zealand even winning an award for the Best Local Rock song in 2009 for the song “On My Mind”. The new album was released in May of 2011 and was entitled New Hot Nights. It loosely revolves around the concept of an extreme night out of drinking and the repercussions there of. New Hot Nights still maintains the Hard Rock/Glam Rock influence that the band first built upon, while at the same time adding more Pop and other elements into the mix for a unique sound.

Recently I was fortunate enough to get an interview with front man Jimmy Christmas to talk about the band. The following interview was done between myself (Dave Konstantino of Revolution Rock) and Jimmy Christmas (of Luger Boa). He touches on the recording of New Hot Nights, the current band line up, his favourite albums, and more.

RR: Luger Boa's first album, Mutate or Die! was released in 2008. How has the band changed since then and how has the support been for the band in New Zealand?

JC: Support for Luger Boa has been incredible in NZ, we seem to attract a really diehard following who, once committed, are unrelenting (and sometimes unsettling!) in their dedication to the cause. Which is great. Live shows therefore tend to be very intense, high energy, and unpredictable. I really love that.

RR: The band line up has changed a few times, who is in the current line up of Luger Boa?
JC: Luger Boa is Jimmy Xmas - Vox/Guitar, Sam Lockley - Guitar, Simon Nicholls - Bass, Joe Mac - Drums, Johnny Lyon - Guitar. Johnny is the newest addition to a line-up that has been pretty solid for the past 2 years and the core of which played on the latest album. His arrival seems to have injected us with even more energy and the whole machine has picked up ferocity and pace. It's feeling really good right now.

RR: Mutate or Die! had a Glam Rock and Pop influence, what influences did you draw from when making New Hot Nights?

JC: I think we are still working the Glam influence, Bowie, Iggy, a touch of the Sweet perhaps? I've always been a sucker for injecting small fragments of War of The Worlds here and there, and of course there's all the garage, punk, and rock n roll that makes us who we are. I think we even might of had a few Cars and Talking Heads moments from time to time, but again, as with then first album, the goal was always to build a Frankenstein’s monster made of all those twisted little flavors we love.

RR: Where was New Hot Nights recorded and when did the recording process begin?

JC: The bulk of the album was tracked at a residential studio in the countryside, in an old converted sheep barn. That sells it a bit short though cos all the equipment had come from one of the countries world standard studios, so the place felt and sounded incredible. There was even a bar in the main recording room, which suited us just fine! We tracked the core of it over a ten day period, then I took it all back to a secret laboratory in Melbourne where we twisted it up, turned it on its head, and tied the stories to the music, and vice versa.

RR: Who did you work with when making this album (ie: Producers, engineers, etc.)?

JC: We were joined once again by the incomparable Barry Palmer, wearing his snug fitting Producers cap. This time however, it was he that suffered the now obligatory physical damage, in the form of a broken nose and black eye. Last record I got glassed on the forehead and wear a little smiley faced scar to this day. The album was engineered by Andy Baldwin, resident of NYC and a man of culture and refinement. He's the type who always travels with a bottle of Tabasco sauce in his pocket, and is a mad genius when it comes to twiddling knobs and getting sweet sounds.

RR: What type of gear did you use when recording this record? (ie: guitars/amps, etc.)

JC: We had access to an amazing array of amplification on this album, and used a whole myriad of sounds depending on what we were after. Ryan Thomas, long time member and electronic wizard, runs a business where he imports boutique valve amps, so the options where many. My favourite though was probably a little 2 watt valve head he made himself. Its sounds like a cornered Tasmanian devil, so it fit in perfectly. Between the band members we have a pretty sweet array of old fender and Gibson guitars, the odd musicman, and a crazy 70's lawsuit series Ibanez I found abandoned on the street one night.

RR: You have described New Hot Nights as "12 deliciously twisted tales from the concrete jungle" and I have also read that is loosely based around a concept. Could you elaborate on this?

JC: During the creative period for the album, I was spending a lot of time in a bar on Auckland infamous red lights strip, known locally as K'Rd. Smoking cigarettes and talking on the street outside the bar meant I was a witness to a whole mass of humanity passing each other by, feeling each other up, and crashing into one another at strange hours of the night. It got me thinking about all the stories and characters that were inhabiting that small corner of the world, and how diverse and intense it was at those hours. So I guess the lyrical ideas were drawn from observations of the people on the street, and are attempts to inhabit the minds of a whole mess of characters at various stages of one long night out. Loosely anyway. Heh. We had a great time with the artwork too, photographing the street, then re-editing the layout and shop names to create our own fictional environment, which we then populated with the creatures from the stories. The whole process involved a lot of crazy nights in, on, around and beneath K'Rd. We loved every minute.

RR: Has the song writing process changed at all as opposed to the last album or recordings that you have made in the past?

JC: Not really, it still pretty much involves a lot of alcohol, volume, and damn good times!

RR: What are some of your all time favourite albums and what are some other bands that you are currently listening to?

JC: The Sonics - Here Are The Sonics, The Litter - Distortions, The Stooges - Fun House, David Bowie - The Rise & Fall Of Ziggy Stardust & the Spiders from Mars, The Buzzcocks - Singles Going Steady, Iron Maiden - The Number of The Beast, ACDC - If You Want Blood (or to be honest, any Bon Scott era album), Radio Birdman - Radios Appear, and that’s just today heh.

Right now though, I'm listening to a lot of T- Bone Walker & early Ike & Tina. I also just rediscovered a live version of Al Green singing Belle, which is probably one of the best things I've seen on the interweb lately. Oh, and some great footage of Kiss playing at Winterland in 1975. Rock n fucking roll.

RR: What are your plans for the future musically?

JC: Right now, we are focussed on getting this beast offshore. We have done great here, but with no forward momentum there is no future, and I really believe we have something a certain kind of person is gonna wanna see, so we feel a responsibility to bring it to them.

This Week's Play List:

1. White Stripes - Girl, You Have No Faith In Medicine
2. The Cliques - She Ain't No Good
3. The Stomach Mouths - Don't Put Me Down
4. The Speaking Tongues - Looking In Your Window (Live Third Floor Session)
5. The Express & Co. - Montreal
6. John Jenkins' Small Town Revival - Small Town Revival
7. The Schomburg Fair - Some Things Never Change
8. The Pagans - Yeah Yeah
9. The Cosmonauts - Little Honda
10. XX Teens - Onkawara
11. The Rapture - Whoo! Alright Yeah ... Uh Huh
12. The Killermeters - Twisted Wheel
13. The Purple Hearts - My Life's A Jigsaw
14. Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Crawling To The USA
15. The Only Ones - Me And My Shadow
16. The Braineaters - Rock Rock
17. 222's - Always Around
18. The Squad - Millionaire
19. Young Canadians - No Escape
20. Luger Boa - 1000 Hooks
21. Luger Boa - Lazy
22. Albert Hammond Jr. - Everyone Gets A Star
23. Queens of The Stone Age - Into The Hollow
24. Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros - Johnny Appleseed (Live Acton Town Hall 2002)

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for August 23. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

They're Back Again ... The Cigarettes Story & Show # 365

2011-08-16T12:53:00.003-04:00

In 1978 a band came out of Lincoln in the UK, they gained a good degree of local success, but on a major scale they were largely ignored. While they did receive airplay on the John Peel radio show in the UK, as well as recording some Peel Sessions for the program the band The Cigarettes only ever released an EP and a single while they were still active. The Cigarettes were a trio of musicians consisting of Rob Smith on guitar/vocals/piano, Steve Taylor on bass/vocals and Adam Palmer on drums. The band was also difficult to pinpoint due to the fact that they mixed a variety of styles and a public image that was not easily defined. Were they Punk? Were they Mod? Were they Power Pop? You could argue for either avenue of musical justification, but the truth is they were all of the above. They looked kind of like Mod’s their music mixed a variety of elements that at times sounded like Power Pop topped off with a Buzzcocks Spiral Scratch flare, but in other circumstances they also sounded like a straight up 77 era UK Punk band or a Mod Rock band.

In 1979, The Cigarettes released a three track EP featuring the songs “They’re Back Again, Here They Come”, “I’ve Forgot My Number (Now I’m Telling You My Name)” and “All We Want Is Your Money”. This EP which was titled They're Back Again, Here They Come, mixed the previously aforementioned genres and proves to be the strongest release in the bands catalogue while they were still active. A single followed in 1980 called “I Can’t Sleep At Night”, it would be one of their last releases. The band split in 1981. The Cigarettes were also featured on a few compilations, which over the years kept them in the knowledge of the few underground musicologists. In 2002, The Cigarettes released a 30 track album compiling material from their 1979 EP, 1980 single, unreleased studio tracks, live tracks and John Peel Session tracks. The Cigarettes – Will Damage Your Health was released on Detour Records and is the definitive compilation of a short lived UK band that no matter what ingredients made up their recipe for music, the results speak for themselves.

This Week's Play List:

1. The Polymorphines - Anna Lee
2. CHAPPO - Petrified Sand
3. The Gruesomes - Your Lies
4. The Ugly - Stranded In The Laneway
5. Sneak Peak - Walk All Over Me (Live)
6. The Skeletones Four - Pick Up The Pieces
7. The British Columbians - Teeth of The Sea
8. Dog Day - Nothing To Do
9. John Doe - Never Enough
10. Mark Broadie & The Beaver Patrol - Phantom Wave
11. The Tornadoes - Moon Dawg
12. Takeshi Terauchi - The Theme of Terry
13. Chang-A-Lang - Save The Environment
14. Little Girls - Delaware
15. The Bagg Team - Flip, Flip, Flip
16. The Passengers - Face With No Name
17. The Hitmen - I Don't Mind
18. The Fun Things - Savage
19. The Primmers - You're Gonna Get Done
20. The Spelling Mistakes - Hate Me Hate Me
21. Terrorways - Short Haired Rock n' Roll
22. The Cigarettes - I've Forgot My Number (Now I'm Telling You My Name)
23. The Cigarettes - They're Back Again, Here They Come
24. The Vores - Forget That Guy
25. The MC5 - Call Me Animal
26. Devo - Uncontrollable Urge

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for August 16. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

Johnny Cash ... From Memphis To Hollywood (Five Minutes To Live) & Show # 364

2011-08-09T16:04:00.001-04:00

In 1961 a low budget Crime Thriller film was released, it starred Johnny Cash and was entitled Five Minutes To Live. The story portrays a character Johnny Cabot, who gets entangled with a mobster as part of a plan involving the wife of a bank vice president being held hostage. The film also stars a young then unknown Ron Howard, Vic Tayback, and Merle Travis. In addition to this, the story revolves around a gang of people that ring the door bell of an unsuspecting household, killing whoever answers. There is one problem for Cash’s character, while he is a deranged killer, he will not deal with children or harm them for that matter. Johnny Cash also plays guitar throughout the film, as well as providing music for the films soundtrack. There was some confusion to the films title when it was re-released in the late 60s as Door-To-Dorr Maniac. This was not the only film to feature Johnny Cash as an actor, but it was one of the first films to feature him as an actor. He was later in numerous TV movies and shows such as Columbo, The Little House On The Prairie, The Simpsons, Renegade and more. Johnny Cash was not always known for his acting ability, he has appeared in so many things, but they are not all good. This movie while it itsn't the most elaborate film ever made, it is a strange unique one at that. The movie, which is now under public domain status, lives on. It is available not only online, but on DVD as well. This is cult classic B-movie material.

What is interesting about the song “Five Minutes To Live” is that it is a seemingly forgotten track in the Cash catalogue, it is briefly mentioned in the linear notes for the Johnny Cash - Bootleg Volume II: Memphis To Hollywood album. The notes make no refrence to the movie of the same name, but the song "Five Minutes To Live" and "The Losing Kind" were recorded for the films soundtrack in November of 1960. The song "Five Minutes To Live" is also sung and played on guitar by Johnny Cash in the film. The rest of the Bootleg Volume II album covers various points in Johnny's early career, ranging from early acoustic demos of songs such as "I Walk The Line", to outtakes and hard to find singles, some of which have never been released in the US in CD or digital form. The album features 57 tracks and is a good showcase of Cash's talents.

This week's program was three hours! I filled in for Some Folk Get The Blues, which usually airs from 9 AM to 10:30 AM. So this week my program was extended by an hour and a half and this week it can be downloaded in two parts. The download links can be found after the play lists below.

This Week's Play List:

Part One
Revolution Blues (Some Folk Get The Blues Fill In)

1. The Stooges - TV Eye (Takes 7 & 8)
2. Sonny Boy Williamson - Eyesight To The Blind
3. Robert Johnson - Milkcow's Calf Blues
4. John Faely - Dance of the Inhabitants of the Palace of King Phillip XIV of Spain
5. Joan Baez - Babe I'm Gonna Leave You
6. Stingin' Hornets - Hornet Hive Hop
7. Crooked Brothers - 17 Horses
8. Johnny West - I'm Not Your Dirty Little Secret Anymore
9. Lonesome Lefty - Millonaires
10. Johnny Cash - Five Minutes To Live
11. Johnny Cash - The Losing Kind
12. The Locusts Have No King - Trench Song (Live)
13. The Ettes - I Stayed Too Late
14. Toques and Beards - Stand Tall
15. Big Sugar - Come A Little Closer
16. Paul Revere & The Raiders - I'm Not Your Steppin' Stone
17. The Modern Lovers - Road Runner
18. Klark Kent - Thrills
19. The Fall - Psykick Dancehall
20. Crocodiles - Flash of Light
21. Rotten Tropics - The Dross
22. Public Image Limited - Pop Tones
23. Twilight Hotel - Viva La Vinyl

Download Part One here.

Part Two
Revolution Rock

24. XTC - Beatdown
25. Crash 80s - Waiting For The Heat
26. The Enigmas - Bad Meat
27. Spiral Scratch - Jimmy Was A Virus
28. The Users - Kicks In Style
29. Terminal Sunglasses - Antenna Dilemma
30. Generation X - This Heat
31. ATV - Action Time Vision
32. Surfer Blood - Territorial Pissings
33. Indian Wars - George Ellis
34. Hoa Hoas - All The Time
35. Papermaps - Forever
36. Simply Saucer - Dance The Mutation
37. The Saints - Erotic Neurotic
38. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Dead Man In My Bed
39. The Velvet Underground - Some Kinda Love (Live At Max's Kansas City)
40. Nothing At All - Confused
41. The Hives - Love In Plaster
42. The Black Swans - My Brother
43. The Black Angels - Yellow Elevator # 2
44. Arctic Monkeys - Black Treacle
45. The Black Lips - Leroy Faster

Download Part Two here.

Subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

Ballad Of A Thin Man ... Revisited & Show # 363

2011-08-02T12:00:00.002-04:00

Originally released in 1965 as part of the Highway 61 Revisited album, "Ballad of A Thin Man" is a song that seems to be surrounded by mystery and question the very definition of what it is to be an artist and not understood by the media. The song, while in album form clocks in around six minutes, when played live (which is still being done) would stretch out to seven minutes and beyond. The song tells the story of a confused Mr. Jones who seems to be lost in a world of people of freaks, not unlike a circus in a bewildered state. Musically the song takes on a darker sophistication, featuring heavy piano, haunting organ, guitar lines that crawl in out of nowhere and a plodding drum pattern. In between all this Dylan unravels a story only like he can attacking while at the same time conveying Mr. Jones and the errors of his ways. So what is this song about? Like great literature it is left open to interpretation, but the song proves, like all of Highway 61 Revisited does that Rock music can be sophisticated and literate. It has been said by Dylan himself that there have been many “Mr. Joneses”.

Speculation has led people to claim that this song originated around the journalist/reporter Jeffery Jones, who interviewed Bob Dylan just before his infamous performance at the 1965 Newport Music Festival, where he went electric. He even claimed so in a Rolling Stone interview at one point, but Dylan had this to say about who is the alleged Mr. Jones in an interview:

"He's a pinboy. He also wears suspenders. He's a real person. You know him, but not by that name... I saw him come into the room one night and he looked like a camel. He proceeded to put his eyes in his pocket. I asked this guy who he was and he said, "That's Mr. Jones." Then I asked this cat, "Doesn't he do anything but put his eyes in his pocket?" And he told me, "He puts his nose on the ground." It's all there, it's a true story."

Anyone who listens to Dylan would come to the realization that like a lot of his songs, this one is open to interpretation. To dissect the song and analyze its meanings is perhaps the very definition of being a “Mr. Jones”. So while some may see it as an outright statement of opinion and a musicians artistic statements, it could also be seen as a song about certain people who hide behind their so called credentials, not really seeing things as they are, instead criticizing and asking why when it is not really relevant. It could also be seen as the world around Mr. Jones being a bizarre circus, because of his close minded perceptions, while in reality it is just the opposite, he is out of touch with the world around him. Then again, "Ballad of A Thin Man" could also be said to just be a great song with a story open to interpretation. It’s up to you.

This Week's Play List:

1. The Lurkers - Mass Media Believer
2. The Jam - Pretty Green
3. The Mods - Wasting My Time
4. The Dishrags - Love/Hate
5. Color Me Psycho - Black Corveir
6. The Ten Commandments - Not True
7. The Haunted - Horror Show
8. 101ers - Sweet Revenge
9. Guided By Voices - Postal Blowfish
10. Lime Spiders - 25th Hour
11. Katalina Kicks - Revolution
12. Brilliant Colors - How Much Younger
13. Deja Voodoo - Red Garlic Shoes
14. Dik Van Dykes - Obvious Filler
15. Rotten Tropics - Murky
16. The Stranglers - Outside Tokyo
17. Johnny West - A Puppet Playing Possum
18. Neil Young International Harvesters - Bound For Glory
19. Television - Marquee Moon (Alternate Version)
20. The Pagans - Not Now, No Way
21. Bob Dylan - Ballad Of A Thin Man (Live ABC Theater Edinburgh, Scotland 1966)

Tanz Der Youth & Show # 362

2011-07-26T12:00:00.003-04:00

Following his departure from The Damned in 1978, Brian James (former Damned guitarist) formed a new group featuring members of Hawkwind and Warsaw Pakt. This band was called Tanz Der Youth. The group consisted of Brian James on guitar/vocals, Andy Colqhoun on bass, Allen Powell on drums and Tony Moor on Keyboards. Brian once described the band as "Transmagical; the sound of the eighties." The bands sound was not like the Damend per-se, but their sound built upon the foundations that James set for the group in their early days, also with the addition of keyboards, the songs seem to have more space and a New Wave Stranglers-like feel.

In September of 1978, Tanz Der Youth released their one and only single as a group, I’m Sorry I’m Sorry” backed with “Delay” on Radar. The band was very short lived, but they did play some live dates with Hard Rock group Black Sabbath, after seven live dates on a supporting slot for Sabbath on a major tour the band backed out partially due to the negative reaction from fans. In terms of recording the band never made any other official recordings before disbanding, with the exception of a John Peel BBC Session, which featured the band playing four tracks. The tracks included were the two from their 1978 single, “I’m Sorry I’m Sorry” , “Delay” and two additional previously unreleased tracks “Why I Die”, and “Mistaken” which can be currently found floating around the internet. Following the split James went on to form two other short lived groups, Brian James & The Brains featuring a variety of Punk personal including John Towe, Alan Lee Shaw, Alvin Gibbs and Stewart Copeland of The Police (who appeared on some recorded tracks). He would later play in the band Lords of New Church with Stiv Bators, one of his longest running post-Damned bands. Currently Brian James plays in his new group The Brian James Gang.

This Week's Play List:

1. Hot Nasties - Invasion of the Tribbles!
2. 63 Monroe - The Battle
3. Buzzcocks - Why She's A Girl From The Chainstore
4. City Sweethearts - War In My Head (Radio 3 Session)
5. Baby Shambles - French Dog Blues
6. Jerry Jerry & The Sons of Rhythm Orchestra - Radical Look
7. The Brains - We Gotta Go
8. Johnny Cash - The Man In Black (Live On The Johnny Cash Show 1971)
9. The Disappeared - Some Truths (Are Self Evident)
10. Speaking Tongues - Going Back To Memphis (Third Floor Session)
11. Dex Romweber Duo - Nowhere
12. Eddie Vedder - Once In A While
13. Portugal The Man - Floating
14. The Horrors - Monica Gems
15. Le Butcherettes - Tonight
16. Tanz Der Youth - I'm Sorry, I'm Sorry
17. Tanz Der Youth - Delay
18. UIC - 2+2=?
19. 999 - I'm Alive
20. Ramones - Havana Affair
21. Luger Boa - Lazy
22. Luger Boa - The Same Things
23. The Hook Up - Radar
24. Lou Reed - Crazy Feeling (Alternate Version)

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for July 26. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

Friday At The Hideout

2011-07-23T13:42:00.001-04:00

This Friday I filled in for CJAM's Willy Wilson on the program Friday's At The Hideout. In the hideout this week at CJAM we took shelter in a collection of Garage Rock, Surf and Punk Rock. Willy Wilson also hosts the program The Motorcity is Burning every Tuesday at 7 PM, Friday's At The Hideout can be heard every Friday from 8-10 PM. The program can be downloaded below.

Friday's At The Hideout Play List:

1. The Stooges - Real Cool Time (Alternate Version)
2. Richard Hell & The Voidoids - I Wanna Be Your Dog (Live Max's Kansas City 1978)
3. Thee Oh Sees - I Need Seed
4. The Sonics - Psycho
5. The Black Lips - Mad Dog
6. Ty Segall - My Head Explodes
7. Hooded Fang - Vacationation
8. Link Wray - Dueces Wild
9. The Surfdusters - Save The Waves
10. Les Jaguars - Shake
11. The Tornadoes - Moon Dawg
12. Jan Davis - Watusi Zombie
13. The Black Lips - Hippie, Hippie, Hoorah
14. Solomon Burke - Detroit City
15. Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros - Ramshackle Day Parade
16. Undertones - Here Comes The Summer
17. Wire - Sand In My Joints
18. The Diodes - Behind Those Eyes
19. The Red Squares - Ottawa Today
20. Pointed Sticks - Lies
21. The Gruesomes - Cave-in!
22. The Invasions - She'll Let you Know
23. The Shakers - Baby It's True
24. Deja Voodoo - Cheese and Crackers
25. The Cramps - TV Set
26. Nirvana - Very Ape
27. Alex Chilton - Lost My Job
28. Magic Hall of Mirrors - Your Mountaintop
29. Compulsive Gamblers - Don't Haunt Me
30. The Black Angels - 18 Years
31. Fire Engines - Get Up and Use Me
32. Public Image Limited - Analisa
33. New Clientelle - Shades
34. The Fall - Fiery Jack

Download the show here.

Johnny Thunders So Alone & Show # 361

2011-07-19T14:51:00.008-04:00

Following the split of his Punk Rock group Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers after the recording of their L.A.M.F. album, Johnny Thunders (real name Anthony Genzale Jr.) recorded his first solo effort with Steve Lillywhite producing. For this effort Johnny showed off his own style of heroin soaked Blues and Rock music. It blended elements of 60s Rock, Doo Wop, Soul and Punk, in Johnny’s unique sloppy fashion he pulls off not only one of the best releases in his musical legacy, but also one of his most focused. The album featured reworkings of songs originally by The New York Dolls, such as “Leave Me Alone” (originally recorded as “Chatterbox” with the Dolls), and “Subway Train”. Along with these songs the album featured a cover of The Chantays Surf classic “Pipeline”, and R&B rave ups of “Daddy Rollin’ Stone” (Otis Blackwell), “Great Big Kiss” (The Shangri-Las). There is also a version of “London Boys”, which comes off sounding like a Heartbreakers outtake (which it was), the song was written in response to “New York” by the Sex Pistols, which poked fun at The New York Dolls. Ironically and perhaps purposely the song features both Paul Cook (drums) and Steve Jones (guitar) of the Sex Pistols in instrumental form. The album also featured an all-star cast of guest musicians such as Steve Jones and Paul Cook of Sex Pistols (as previously mentioned), Phil Lynott of Thin Lizzy, Steve Marriot of The Faces, Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders, Peter Perrett of The Only Ones, as well as some of the members of The Heartbreakers (Walter Lure & Billy Rath) and of course Johnny Thunders himself who weaves in and out amongst the songs.

One of the standout tracks is the ballad “You Can’t Put Your Arms Around A Memory”, which is a song that is seemingly about Johnny’s battles with drug addiction. But the song has its origins in Johnny’s past, it was apparently written when he was 19 years old and before he was a member of The New York Dolls. The title also was taken from a line in the classic TV show The Honeymooners and written for a close friend of his Fabienne Shine. Regardless of these facts, the song which features backing guitar/vocals by Only Ones member Peter Perrett is a lost classic. So Alone was originally released with ten tracks in 1978, but when it was reissued on CD the album was appended to include four additional tracks, “Dead Or Alive" which was a 1978 single very much in the vein of a “London Boys” styled track was recorded with a backing band referred to as The Living Dead that featured members of The Sex Pistols, The Only Ones, and Eddie & The Hotrods (all of who are featured on different tracks found on So Alone). There is also the non album track “Hurtin’” and two previously unreleased album tracks the haunting “So Alone”, and the harmonica and almost Rockabilly fuelled “The Wizard”.

So Alone blends elements of Thunders musical projects up to that point, there are elements of The New York Dolls, The Heartbreakers and a sense of his R&B roots. The album is a mix of originals and covers, some of which at that point were just features of live sets that he played with The Heartbreakers. While it may not be as fast paced as The Heartbreakers L.A.M.F., So Alone displays Johnny Thunders at his musical best. Unfortunately Johnny’s later recordings were not as consistent, but So Alone stills stands as pure Rock and Roll moment in Johnny Thunders history.

This Week's Play List:

1. The Rezillos - Flying Saucer Attack
2. The Computers -Blood Is Thicker
3. The Ex-Boyfriends - Never Been Happier
4. Golden Hands Before God - Communist Party
5. Ride Theory - Motel Woman
6. The Staccatos - You Only Live Once
7. Standells - Sometimes Goodguys Don't Wear White (Album Version)
8. Thee Oh Sees - A Wall, A Century 2
9. Ty Segall - California Commercial
10. Surf City - Retro
11. Peter Kernel - Anthem of Hearts
12. Vampire Weekend - A-Punk
13. Sons & Daughters - Breaking Fun
14. Square Root of Margaret - Run For The Door
15. Blam Blam Blam - Battleship Grey
16. The Demics - The News
17. Blue Peter - Cloak & Dagger
18. Secrets - Take Another Look
19. Radio Birdman - Breaks My Heart
20. Johnny Thunders - You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory
21. Johnny Thunders - Dead or Alive
22. The Pixies - River Euphrates
23. Klark Kent - Thrills
24. The Black Lips - Noc-A-Homa
25. King Khan & BBQ Show - Truth or Dare
26. The D4 - Joe Orton's Wedding

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for July 19. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

Interesting and Controversial Moments on SNL & Show # 360

2011-07-12T12:01:00.002-04:00

This week I thought I would visit three interesting and exciting moments in the musical history of the television program Saturday Night Live. While a whole radio show could be made out of the excellent musical performances that this show has produced over the years its beginnings, and numerous TV specials have been made surrouding such performances, i'm not sure if a radio program has focused on these performances. Today I will focus on three moments, two of which created controversy with the show and the shows producer Lorne Michaels.

Elvis Costello & The Attractions – Less Than Zero/Radio Radio (1977)

In December of 1977, Elvis Costello & The Attractions appeared on Saturday Night Live as a last minute replacement for the Sex Pistols, who were unable to get passports. This is perhaps the most infamous appearance that a band had on the show. There have been a few reasons thrown around as to why the band were not supposed to play the song “Radio Radio”. It has been said that his US record label wanted Costello to play an already known song “Less Than Zero” for an audience for better promotional purposes of the American release of My Aim is True and This Years Model. Another reason given was that SNL producer Lorne Michaels did not want the song to be broadcast because of its lyrics which negatively portrayed the commercialized state of radio and media, and also that it would put the show off schedule. Regardless of what happened, in true Punk Rock fashion Costello stopped the band from playing “Less Than Zero” after a few bars and then launched into a furious rendition of the then unreleased “Radio, Radio”. Costello was banned from the show for 25 years, until 1989. Also in 1999 as part of SNL’s 25th anniversary The Beastie Boys began playing “Sabotage” only to be stopped by Elvis Costello, they then ran through an energy high version of “Radio Radio”.

The Replacements – Bastards of Young (1986)

In January of 1986, The Minneapolis Punk band The Replacements appeared on Saturday Night Live to promote their new album Tim, released on Sire Records. They got banned after their performance, but it was due to a few factors. For one, they showed up wasted for their performance, the second thing that occurred was apparently during the performance of this song and the second song (“Kiss Me On The Bus”) the band were uttering profanities. While they may have been off mic and not heard very clearly, this was most definitely due to their inebriations. The most obvious slip was apparently before the solo of “Bastards of Young” where singer Paul Westerberg said the F-word to the audience. As a result, the band were banned from Saturday Night Live. In re-runs of the episode this part was edited out. Paul Westerberg appeared on the program later on to promote his solo career, redeeming himself.

The Specials – Gangsters (1980)

The Ska revival act The Specials appeared on Saturday Night Live in 1980. This performance was not controversial per-se, but rather a highly energetic and fascinating live moment that occurred in the TV show’s history. This version of the bands then single “Gangsters” featured a band jumping around with excitement and guitar solos that grip you and suck you in. The band is clearly on playing excellently, they would also perform the song “Too Much Too Young” in a similar fashion. After watching this performance you can see and feel the energy of not only Punk attitude, but Rock and Roll.

This Week's Play List:

1. The Dundrells - Big Chunk of Fudge
2. The Cassettes - Reverberate
3. The Dials - Get Up and Dance
4. Planet Smashers - Hippopotamus
5. The Specials - Gangsters (Live SNL)
6. Bob Marley - Punky Reggae Party
7. King Tubby - Dub Seven
8. Arctic Monkeys - The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala
9. Hooded Fang - ESP
10. Pink Mountaintops - Single Life
11. Invasions - Rat Bastard
12. The Davey Parker Radio Sound - I Gotta Know
13. Chang A-Lang - Listen Up Buttercup
14. Young Circles - 2012
15. Audrey and The Agents - Don't Think Twice
16. Sloan - I've Gotta Know
17. Luger Boa - New Hot Nights
18. Dirty Pretty Things - Run Fatboy Run
19. Harlem - Gay Human Bones
20. Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Radio Radio (Live SNL)
21. The Replacements - Bastards of Young (Live SNL)
22. Motorhead - Too Late, Too Late
23. Nick Lowe - American Squirm
24. Magazine - My Mind Ain't So Open

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for July 12. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

Suffice To Say...The Story of Yachts & Show # 359

2011-07-05T12:05:00.004-04:00

Forming in 1977, Yachts were a band from Liverpool. Consisting of Henry Priestman (vocals/keyboards), J.J. Campbell (vocals), Martin Watson (guitar/vocals), Martin Dempsey (bass/vocals) and Bob Bellis on drums, Yachts played a unique blend of Power Pop fuelled New Wave that fit in well amongst the music of Nick Lowe and Elvis Costello. After playing their first show as Yachts supporting Elvis Costello in Liverpool at a place called Eric’s Nightclub, Yachts got a recording contract with Stiff Records. The bands first single was the extremely catchy and witty “Suffice To Say”. Another single followed, but it was a novelty single titled “Do The Chud” the band was called Chuddy Nuddies. When Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe made the move to Radar Records, Yachts followed. Another single followed in September 1978, their first for Radar “Look Back In Love (Not Anger)” backed with “I Can’t Stay Long”.

Heading to New York, Yachts recorded their first full length album with producer Richard Gotteher. The songs featuring infectious organ provided by Henry Priestman complemented with Power Pop aesthetics. The album featured twelve tracks building on not only their New Wave/Power Pop style, but also on their at times humorous lyrics. “Mantovani’s Hits” which asks questions such as what if Rock music never happened and nothing had progressed since the 1950s Mantovani Light Orchestra and “Yachting Type” a cult classic which is about someone’s girlfriend running off with a Yachtsmen are good examples of thier lyrical style. Released in June of 1979 the album also initially came with a bonus 7 inch single featuring a live version of the bands first single “Suffice To Say” and the song “On and On”. When released in the US, the album was titled S.O.S, where it cracked into the Billboard top 200 album charts at number 179. A tour followed in parts of US and Europe, Yachts toured with the likes of Joe Jackson and The Who. The band also toured with XTC, Elvis Costello, Boomtown Rats, and Ian Dury.

The bands second album Yachts Without Radar, was recorded with UK producer Martin Rushent. It was released in 1980, the titled reflected their parting with the Radar label. The album was not as well received as the bands first full length album and musically it emphasized more of a 80s based sound. Yachts released one more single in 1981 “A Fool Like You” on Demon D Records before disbanding. Henry Priestman went on to play in other groups most notably It’s Immaterial. The Yachts are an example of one of the many bands from the Punk/New Wave era that are not always mentioned due to the overpopulation of bands, and they are another example of a great lost band from the New Wave era.

Thsi Week's Play List:

1. The Scavengers - Supported By The State
2. Tall Ships - Plate Tectonics
3. The Dole - New Wave Love
4. Martha and The Muffins - Hide and Seek
5. Thee Oh Sees - Block of Ice
6. The Griefs - They're Trying To Tell Me Something
7. The Sonics - He's Waitin'
8. The Harmonauts - Kick The Bucket
9. The Nefidovs - Animal Love
10. Ziggy Marley - Forward To Love
11. Son of The Sun - My Best Mistake
12. The Shondels - Don't Put Me Down
13. Simply Saucer - She's A Dog
14. Young Rival - Dead End Scene
15. The Who - Tattoo
16. The Soft Boys - Rock N Roll Toilet
17. Perky Pat - The Bells
18. The Government - Zippers of Fire
19. Yachts - Suffice To Say
20. Yachts - I Couldn't Get Along Without You
21. Riff Raff - Romford Girls
22. Thee Mighty Caesars - Loathsome 'n' Wild
23. Chad Vangaalen - Freedom For A Policeman
24. Undertones - Jimmy Jimmy
25. Wire - Ex Lion Tamer
26. The Adverts - Bored Teenagers

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for July 5. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

Nirvana Nevermind 20th Anniversary Release... Show # 358

2011-06-28T13:09:00.002-04:00

Originally released by Nirvana in September of 1991, Nevermind was the bands breakthrough album. It crashed into the Billboard charts shaking up the music industry and eventually went on to sell over a million copies, the sales figures are said to be around the 30 million mark currently. Now twenty years later Nevermind is getting the deluxe reissue treatment. Previously Nirvana's first full length album Bleach was released in 20th anniversary form in 2009 it came with a bonus disc featuring a live concert, but this release falls into a different category of deluxe reissues, it is super deluxe. It will be released on September 20th, 2011.

The reissue is more like a box set, featuring four CD's and one DVD of a Nirvana concert never before released in complete form officially. Rumours and speculation have already been made on internet sites as to what will be contained on this release some claiming that it may contain the original rough mixes of the album done by producer Butch Vig, but an official release confirmed that it will include B-sides, rarities, BBC radio sessions and live recordings. Dave Ghrol in a recent interview with Rolling Stone magazine had this to say of the release, even hinting at future Nirvana releases:

"I wouldn’t doubt it if something very special happens – we have a few things up our sleeves. I can’t really say anything yet. But you’ll see. It’ll be fun."

The latest info on Nirvana can be found at http://www.nirvana.com/

This Week's Play List:

1. The Stooges - T.V. Eye
2. Magic Hall of Mirrors - Coke Mountain
3. The Doughboys - Until The Clock Strikes Doom (Live)
4. Cat's Eyes - Over You
5. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. - We Almost Lost Detroit
6. Neil Young International Harvesters - Get Back To The Country
7. Lonesome Lefty - Let's Go For Breakfast Anyway
8. Gunfight!- Sticks
9. Goldtones - Strike
10. Mark Malibu And The Wasagas - Wasaga Run
11. Link Wray - Deacon Jones
12. The Hook Up - Come Down With Us
13. Nervus Rex - Love Affair
14. The Donkeys - What I Want
15. Pointed Sticks - How Could You?
16. Active Dog - Fun While It Lasts
17. The Bureaucrats - Grown Up Age
18. The Subways - It's A Party
19. Nirvana - Drain You
20. Buzzcocks - Fiction Romance
21. Fire Engines - Everything's Roses
22. Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers - Milk Me (Live Max's Kansas City 1979)
23. The Gruesomes - What's Your Problem?
24. The Clash - Ivan Meets G.I. Joe (Live Amsterdam 1981)
25. The Clash - I Fought The Law (Live Amsterdam 1981)

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for June 28. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

Join The Professionals ... Show # 357

2011-06-21T12:05:00.007-04:00

The Professionals formed in late 1979 after the demise of The Sex Pistols. After Johnny Rotten had left the Pistols, a make shift band was put together for a few recordings featuring session bassist Andy Allen and Steve Jones on vocals for the songs “Silly Thing” and “Lonely Boy”. Later on that year the Pistols officially split and this line up was converted into a new group that would call themselves The Professionals. In July of 1980, The Professionals released their first single “Just Another Dream” backed with “Action Man”. The music while people could make Sex Pistols references was different, reflecting a more Hard Rock based nature. The single “1-2-3” followed in October of 1980, it went to number 43 on the UK singles charts. The band then recorded a full length album that was to be self titled and released in 1980, but there were some issues that stopped its release and as a result, it had to be re-recorded and released under a different name.

So what happened? Well it was a combination of a few things, first of all bassist Andy Allen left the group following the release of their second single “1-2-3”, he was replaced by bassist Paul Myers of The Subway Sect and a second guitarist (Ray McVeigh) was added to the line up. Andy Allen sued their label Virgin Records, claiming that he had not been paid for the recordings he made. In attempt to avoid further complications with the matter, the new line up of The Professionals re-recorded previous material that the band had done so that he would no longer be owed royalties. The result of these recordings would be released under the name I Didn’t See It Coming, the bands first officially released full length album. Recorded by Nigel Gray, the album was released in November of 1981. But the album wasn't a re-recording of every Professionals song per se. It featured several new tracks such as "The Magnificent", "Payola", "Northern Slide", "Friday Night Square", and "Too Far To Fall". These songs were mixed in with re-recorded versions of the songs "Kick Down The Door", "Little Boys In Blue", "All The Way", "Crescendo", and "Madhouse". The songs on this album fearued more of a production based sound, as opposed to the intended 1980 album The Professionals, which features a rawer, more based live sound.

The band released a single in June of 1981 called “Join The Professionals” which was featured in the cult movie Ladies and Gentleman The Fabulous Stains. The single chosen from the I Didn’t See It Coming album was the song “The Magnificent”. The band set up a UK and US tour in support of the album, but the tour was cut short when Cook, Jones, and McVeigh were injured in a car accident during the American tour. The band regrouped in 1982 to tour in America. They were also offered a spot on The Clash’s tour, which they declined. Shortly after this they broke up.

The Professionals first full length album, with Andy Allen on bass was finally released in 1990 by Limited Edition Records in modified form, and then again by Virgin Records in 1997 in yet another modified form. Both releases featured slightly different track listings, the 1990 edition featured the song “Rockin’ Mick” and an alternate version of the song “All The Way”, but it did not contain the song “Just Another Dream”, which was their first single. The Virgin Records edition removed the song “Rockin’ Mick” and added two bonus tracks “Join The Professionals” and “Has Anybody Got An Alibi”, which were actually recorded with the second line up of The Professionals. Some say that the first full length album recordings by the Professionals are actually better than I Didn’t See It Coming featuring a rawer, more spirited sound, its hard to disagree. While I Didn’t See It Coming features a boxer getting punched in the face and musically is good in its own right, for some it’s the original Professionals album that knocks you out. A greatest hits was released in 2005, while the album I Didn’t See It Coming was reissued with six bonus tracks in 2001.

This Week's Play List:

1. The Vandelles - Summer Fling
2. Johnny West - I'm Optimistic
3. Joel Plaskett - Extradordinary
4. The Phonenix Foundation - Skeleton
5. Blue Stones - Star Killer
6. Private School - Money Guns and Power
7. Silicon Injection - Payday On Friday
8. Lowlife - Leaders
9. Crash Kills Five - Oddy Knocky
10. The Love Me Nots - Cheap Knockoff
11. The Coathangers - Chicken: 30
12. The Youngthings - All My Friends Are Junkies
13. New York Dolls - Looking For A Kiss
14. White Denim - It's Him
15. Novels - This Wouldn't Be The First Time
16. The Boys - I Don't Care
17. The Vibrators - London Girls
18. Blitzkrieg Bop - 9 till 5
19. Rolling Stones - Before They Make Me Run
20. Black Lips - Spidey's Curse
21. Black Lips - Raw Meat
22. The Police - Dead End Job
23. The Misfits - TV Casualty
24. The Professionals - 1-2-3
25. The Professionals - Join The Professionals

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for June 14. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

Washing Machine Fill In ... June 16 2011

2011-06-16T16:32:00.000-04:00

Today I filled in for The Washing Machine, which airs every Thursday from 10:30 until Noon on CJAM 99.1 FM. I played a mix of Indie Rock, Garage, Punk, New Wave, Soul, and Blues music. You can also visit The Washing Machine Blog for more info.

Washing Machine Play List:

1. The Strokes - Gratisfaction
2. Dan Sartain - I Don't Wanna Go To The Party
3. Ugly Ducklings - I Wish You Would
4. The Detroit Cobras - Ya Ya Ya (Looking For My Baby)
5. John Lee Hooker - Jump Me One More Time
6. Johnny West - Purgatory Waltz
7. Papermaps - Reunion
8. Novels - Big Run
9. Novels - Record In Hand
10. Balkans - Edita V
11. Pluto - Cool Way To Feel
12. Eric's Trip - Follow
13. The Wipers - Tragedy
14. Booker T. Jones - The Vamp
15. Otis Redding - Down In The Valley
16. Tammi Terrell - What A Good Man He Is
17. Sloan - Follow The Leader
18. Hater - Blistered
19. Iggy Pop & James Williamson - Johanna
20. Dee Dee Ramone & The Chinese Dragons - Chatterbox
21. The Rapture - Out of The Races and Onto The Track
22. The Government - Real Computer
23. The Subway Sect - Ambition
24. The Kills - Satelllte
25. Black Lips - Mad Dog

You can download the show here.

New Direction ... Black Lips Arabia Mountain & Show # 356

2011-06-14T23:00:00.002-04:00

On June 7th, Atlanta’s Black Lips released Arabia Mountain, an album that took over a year in the making and an album that marked the first time that they worked with an outside producer (Mark Ronson). But before you scream sell out, there are a few things that you should know. The band actually worked with two producers, Mark Ronson, who has been responsible for working with artists such as Amy Winehouse, Lilly Allen, and Duran Duran for the majority of the album and Lockett Pundt (of Deer Hunter) for two songs (“Bicentennial Man” and “Go Out And Get It!”). In addition to this, Black Lips have used a lot of different types of instruments to add to the songs structures such as Saxophone, Theremin, Muscle Saws, and a human skull which was used as an echo chamber. Guitarist Cole Alexander described the use of the human skull in terms of recording in an interview with SPIN Magazine in August 2010:

“Yeah. I'd been searching for a human skull and I found one in New York City. We used it as an echo chamber. One of our favorite bands, the 13th Floor Elevators, had a jug player who would makes noises into a jug and it would reverberate. So we used the skull the same way. When music reverberates in your head it has a certain sound based on the geometry of your head. So this resembles the echo you would hear in your head at a live concert. Also, if you believe in spirituality, it's cool with the trippy spiritual implications of the sound going through this particular person's skull. It's also straight up creepy. The eyes and the nose created a problem during recording because the sound escapes there. But I'd just put my hand over the nose and eyes -- problem solved. “

“Family Tree” opens up the album with a raw Sonics/Stooges swoon, infectious beats and aggressive vocals. “Modern Art” is a 60s Garage Rock styled number that lyrically was based on a true experience of tripping out at the Salvador Dali Museum in Spain. The humorous lyrics reflect the fact that they were tripping out on Ketamine at a surreal Art museum, feeling normal as a result. “Spidey’s Curse” is a 60’s Pop song that tells the story of Peter Parker being subjected to the sickness of society during his childhood. Songs such as the extremely catchy Garage Surf mix of “Bicentennial Man”, the Pop of “Go Out and Get It!”, and the 70’s Punk Stylings of “Raw Meat” all contribute to Arabia Mountain’s cause. Lyrically and musically Black Lips are un-relentless, keeping true to their gritty and at times strange lyrics which has never been more evident on songs such as “Raw Meat” a song about food poisoning, “Dumpster Dive” a song with splashes of Exile On Main Street era Rolling Stones, the sleazy fuzzed out “Noc-A-Homa” a song about the former Atlanta Braves Mascot Chief Noc’A’Homa. “Mad Dog” deals with subliminal messages that can be found in songs by Judas Priest and The Beatles, musically it features sleazy horn sections and Surf/Garage Rock riffs, while “Time”, the only song featured on the album written by guitarist Ian St. Pe, is Pop flavoured track with Surf guitar licks, “New Direction” is a positive song with 70s Punk sensibilities, “Don’t Mess Up My Baby” a song that at times seems to have Garaged up Bo Diddley like rhythms and Beach Boys styled vocals in the verses, and finally “You Keep On Running” is a slow Psychedelic track that ends Arabia Mountain on an eerie note.

Arabia Mountain features sixteen tracks, all of which sound fresh and exciting while at the same time staying true to the bands ethics. Working with Ronson helped Black Lips and their songs to reach their maximum potential. Lyrically the album features many songs that reflect a narrative based nature, sounding mature while at the same time keeping true to the unique tenacious style. Amongst the sixteen tracks found here you will find elements of Surf, 60s Garage, 70s Punk, and Psychedellic music. After six albums this album serves as a new starting point for the group, while fans often choose 2005’s Let It Bloom and 2007’s Good Bad Not Evil as the bands best work, Arabia Mountain serves as a new contender. The band has never sounded better on record and as a result, this may be not only one of the bands strongest produced efforts, but also one of their best albums so far.

This Week's Play List:

1. Sex Pistols - Satellite
2. Reatards - C'Mon Over
3. Lost Patrol - Grown Up Hard
4. Fatal K.O. - Inside Scene
5. E.B.S. - Glass Slippers
6. Ugly Motels - Not For Me
7. Disband - One Man Army
8. Thurston Moore - Bennediction
9. The Soles - Illusion
10. Mazes - Summer Hits
11. Crocodiles - Refuse Angels
12. Captain Sensible - Wot
13. Dee Dee King - Funky Man
14. What Seas What Shores - Pave The Oceans
15. Franz Ferdinand - What You Meant
16. Rich Kids - Ghosts of Princes In Towers
17. Wreckless Eric - Out Of The Blue
18. The Jam - Going Underground
19. Joel Plaskett - Radio Fly
20. Johnny West - Spider Ventriloquist
21. King Khan & BBQ Show - Animal Party
22. 49th Parallel - Missouri
23. Black Lips - Bicentennial Man
24. Black Lips - Family Tree

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for June 14. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

Big Audio Dynamite... Medicine Show & Show # 355

2011-06-07T17:30:00.000-04:00

Following his departure from The Clash, Mick Jones formed a new group that would cater to a 80s New York Hip Hop sound. A full length album was released in 1985 titled This Is Big Audio Dynamite. The third single released from the album was the song "Medicine Show". The song which clocks in at just over six minutes is a song that features a lot of samples, all of which originate from movies. Within the song you can hear samples from primarily Spaghetti Westerns, A Fistful of Dollars, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, Duck You Sucker, and samples from the film The Treasure of The Sierra Madre. The songs found on BAD’s first album, and a large majority of their albums all experimented with sampling methods and music that was at times Hip Hop, Dance and Rock. Part of the reason this song contains so many samples from movies could be due to the fact that Don Letts was a member of the group and he had a film background. He would often film events as they occurred in the late 70s British Punk scene as well as making music videos, and eventually documentaries (The Punk Rock Movie, Westway To The World which won a Grammy, and several others).

What is interesting about this song is the music video. It features many members from the British Punk community, the most obvious being Joe Strummer and Paul Simonon from The Clash. John Lydon is also featured at the end of the video. Big Audio Dynamites 1986 album No.10 Upping St featured Joe Strummer in the producing seat as well as the collaborating, which he did with Mick Jones. In January of 2011, fresh from playing with The Gorillaz Mick Jones reformed Big Audio Dynamite for several live shows, mostly at festivals.

This Week's Play List:

1. Radio Birdman - Descent Into The Maelstrom
2. Moon Dogs - Imposter
3. The Roughnecks - You're Driving Me Insane
4. 11 Lucky Strikes - Put Your Cat Clothes On
5. Teenage Head - You're Tearing Me Apart (45 Version)
6. Rock and Roll Bitches - Wild West
7. The Dirtbombs - I'll Be In Trouble
8. The Castaways - Liar, Liar
9. Michael & The Messengers - Romeo & Juliet
10. Folk Town Massacre - Idle
11. Cigarettes - The Wrong Parts
12. Generationals - Goose & Gander
13. Dan Sartain - Voo-Doo
14. Danger Mouse & Danielle Luppi - Two Against One
15. Swell Maps - Ripped and Torn
16. The Points - In The Park
17. V-Necks - Sand Overload
18. TBA - Through My Fingers
19. Kinetic Ideals - Me And The Sky
20. Big Audio Dynamite - Medicine Show
21. David Bowie - Repetition
22. The Stranglers - (Get A) Grip (On Yourself)
23. Luger Boa - Asteroids and Satellites
24. The Saints - L-I-E-S

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for June 7. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

Ed Kuepper ... Electrical Storm & Show # 354

2011-05-31T13:53:00.003-04:00

Following his tenure with The Saints, Australia’s Ed Kuepper went on to form The Laughing Clowns, a band that explored Kuepper’s more experimental Post Punk nature often venturing into the Jazz genre. The Laughing Clowns split just before the New Year in 1984, one final album from The Laughing Clowns Ghosts of An Ideal Wife followed in 1985. Kuepper then began work on Electrical Storm, his first album as a solo artist. The music on Kuepper’s debut album was a departure from the sounds that were exemplified with The Saints and The Laughing Clowns, it was something different that at times made a foray into the realm of Pop. The band on Electrical Storm was a three piece featuring Nick Fisher on drums, Louis Tillet on piano and Ed Kuepper on guitar, bass, and vocals. The album features eleven songs, all of which reflect a narrative, emotive like quality. Kuepper in addition to writing the songs plays nearly every instrument on the album. The music on the album is more traditional than his previous Laughing Clown efforts, the horns have been left behind instead there is a more straightforward, raw edged sound approach. Several of the songs on this album would later become staples in Kuepper’s live sets song such as “Car Headlights” a song often described as one his most enduring, “No More Sentimental Jokes”, “When The Sweet Turns Sour” a song whose title comes from a quote in the Spiderman cartoon series, displaying Kuepper’s sense of humour and at times having a riff not unlike the Spiderman theme, “Rainy Night” and the intensifying title track “Electrical Storm”.

The album itself has soft and more upbeat songs, but they ooze with a gritty mature honesty. Being the first proper solo album, it has been hinted that some of the songs found on this album were collected from over the years and then recorded quickly. Acoustic guitar runs throughout the album often in unison with electric guitar, a technique that was employed as early as the late 70s with The Saints, but this album comes off with its own unique quality. Electrical Storm has the energy that was evident in pervious bands such as The Saints and The Laughing Clowns, but at the same time is represents the new beginning and direction that Kuepper would take his music into. Electrical Storm would be the only solo Kuepper album that proved to be this stripped back and straightforward. In March of 2011, Ed Kuepper held several live shows in which he performed Electrical Storm in its entirety along with the album Today Wonder, which was originally released in 1990.

This Week’s Play List:

1. Young Canadians - Hawaii
2. The Evaporators - On Non!
3. Hot Panda - Mindlessnesslessness
4. The Pack AD - Deer
5. Le Butcherettes - New York
6. Chain & The Gang - Why Not?
7. Junco Partners - Swinging Sixties Boys
8. Frank Xerox & The Copy Cats - Judy In Disguise
9. Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet - Spy School Graduation Theme
10. The Gamblers - LSD 25
11. Al Casey - The Hearse
12. The Pointed Sticks - Worse
13. Booker T. Jones - Everything Is Everything
14. Ed Kuepper - Car Headlights
15. Ed Kuepper - Electrical Storm
16. The Drums - Let's Go Surfing
17. The Gears - Let's Go To The Beach
18. The Marble Index - Everyone Else
19. The Modernettes - I Can Only Give You Everything
20. The Dead Boys - Ain't Nothin' To Do
21. The Victims - Television Addict
22. Buzzcocks - Time's Up
23. The Hitmen - Didn't Tell The Man
24. Exploding Hearts - Shattered
25. Gang of Four - Natural's Not In It (Live @ Second Chance Ann Arbor, MI 1981)

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for May 31. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

You're Not The Law... Show # 353

2011-05-24T13:34:00.001-04:00

In 2004, a band from Liverpool called The Dead 60s released their first single, the catchy Ska/Punk track entitled “You’re Not The Law”. Backed with the heavy Dub influenced track “Too Much TV”, it was released via the UK indie label Deltasonic Records. The Dead 60s signed to the label shortly after the split of the first incarnation of the band Pinhole, whose music was within the Pop Punk Parthenon. The Dead 60s drew Influences from bands such as The Clash, Gang of Four, The Specials and Dub and Reggae artists such as King Tubby and Lee “Scratch” Perry. “You’re Not The Law” was released to a limited run of 2000 copies and musically it reflected a Specials and Madness like influence. With its siren sounds and ramped organ, some critics have compared it to The Specials “Ghost Town”. You’re Not The Law” was also issued on their first self titled album in 2005, along with a variety of other Punk, Ska, and Reggae fuelled tracks. Following the release of their second album Time To Take Sides, The Dead 60s split up. Members of the band have separated in to two projects some working with Paul McCartney’s son James McCartney and the others are playing with the group Venus Fury.

This Week's Play List:

1. The Rapture - Caravan
2. Vacant Fever - Always A Tourist
3. Erase Errata - Tongue Tied
4. Forgotten Rebels - Surfin' On Heroin
5. The Unknowns - Teenage Terrorist
6. Lowlife - Thinking Naturally
7. Stark Naked & The Fleshtones - I Broke Her Heart, She Broke My Arm
8. Neville Staple - Gangsters
9. The Nefidovs - Canadian Paradise
10. K-Man and the 45s - Wait For Me
11. Dead 60s - You're Not The Law
12. The Locusts Have No King - On My Way
13. The Gun Club - Ghost On The Highway
14. The Love Me Nots - Make Up Your Mind
15. Chang A Lang - Japanese Eyes
16. Bottletop Band - Fall of Rome
17. The Libertines - Death On The Stairs
18. Dee Dee Ramone & The Chinese Dragons - What About Me
19. The Clash - 1977
20. The Undertones - True Confessions
21. The Damned - Neat, Neat, Neat
22. The MC5 - Looking At You
23. The D4 - Evil Heart
24. The Regulators - What's In The City
25. King Khan & His Shrines - Land of The Freak
26. The Black Lips - New Direction

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for May 24. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

Sloan ... The Double Cross Interview with Chris Murphy & Show # 352

2011-05-17T13:27:00.005-04:00

On today's program I interviewed bassist Chris Murphy of Sloan. The interview occurs at about the half hour mark into the program and can be downloaded in the links below at the end of the play list. But first some info on Sloan's newest album The Double Cross. More info on the band and their tour can be found at http://www.sloanmusic.com/.

This May Sloan released their 10th full length album The Double Cross, which also marked their 20th anniversary as a band. The album features twelve new tracks building on their addictive Pop Power formula. The Double Cross starts off with "Follow The Leader" a song penned by bassist Chris Murphy, the drum and tambourine heavy Rock song has a seventies flavour. The song segue ways into "The Answer Was You" which is a Pop song written by Jay Fergusson, it sounds as if it would have fit perfectly on their 1996 release One Chord To Another. The album also features "She's Slowing Down Again" a song by drummer Andrew Scott, which sounds like it could have been from the 1998 album Navy Blues. According to Scott, the song has been around for a while. Other interesting tracks include "Unkind", a Patrick Pentland number, which is the first single for the album and "It's Plain To See", which is yet another high energy Pentalnd song. In additon to these, other tracks of note include "Shadow of Love" a song in a similar vein as “G Turns to D”, the acoustic Pop of "Green Gardens, Cold Montreal", "Beverly Terrace", and "I've Gotta Know". There is also the song "Traces", a song written by Andrew Scott that features bassist Chris Murphy on drums. The Double Cross which in Roman numerals is XX means twenty, has many songs that fans can identify with and love, but at the same time it also has a fresh sound and feel to it. Sloan has now been around for twenty years and with yet another album and tour underway, they show no sign of stopping anytime soon.

The Play List:

1. Sloan - It's Plain To See
2. Sloan - Beverly Terrace
3. Johnny West - I Must Be Your Prey
4. Chocolate Watch Band - Are You Gonna Be There (At The Love In)
5. The Sonics - Dirty Robber
6. The Music Machine - The People In Me
7. Nick Lowe - Cracking Up
8. HIdden Pictures - Working On A Way Out
9. Square Root of Margaret - So Far Gone
10. Prehistoric Cave Strokers - My Baby and Me (Fast Version)
11. The Vagrants - Oh Those Eyes
12. XTC - No Thugs in Our House
13. Richard Hell & The Voidoids - Down At The Rock and Roll Club
14. Sloan - Shadow of Love
15. Sloan - She's Slowing Down Again
16. The Strokes - Machu Picchu
17. The Fall - Rebellious Jukebox
18. Magazine - Recoil
19. Radio 4 - Dance To The Underground
20. The Papermaps - Can't Make A Living
21. Mark Inside - House of Cards
22. The Hives - The Hives Declare Guerre Nucleaire

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for May 17. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

Generation X ... Sweet Revenge & Show # 351

2011-05-10T13:08:00.006-04:00

Generation X were a British Punk band that featured Billy Idol (vocals), Tony James (bass), Bob “Derwood” Andrews (guitar) and Mark Laff on drums. After releasing two albums of the Punk Rock variety Generation X in 1977 and the Ian Hunter produced Valley of the Dolls in 1979, which showed the band expanding their sound into a more heavy Rock style, disagreements arose amongst the band members. Some wanted to continue moving into heavy Rock territory while some wanted to stay true to their Punk roots. It should also be noted that Generation X were never one to follow the trends of the 70s Punk hayday, while they adopted the attitude and asthetics that were apparent then, they took inspiration from 60s British Pop bands and were the first UK Punk band to appear on the UK TV show Top of the Pops. By 1981, all the members of Generation X had left the group except for Billy Idol and Tony James. The band added additional members to record the album Kiss Me Deadly under the abbreviated band name Gen X. The band added drummer Terry Chimes (previously drummer in The Clash) and James Stevenson on guitar of the band Chelsea. The album Kiss Me Deadly would also feature several guest guitarists from the Punk community such as Steve Jones (Sex Pistols), John McGeoch (Magazine/Public Image Limited) and Steve New of The Rich Kids. The album is known for containing the song “Dancing With Myself”, which would later be used by Billy Idol when he became a solo artist, helping to launch his career. What most people may not know is that several of the songs on the album Kiss Me Deadly were recorded just before the original members Bob Andrews and Mark Laff left the group, including “Dancing With Myself”.

In 1979 with the original line up, Generation X recorded their third album which would not be released until 1998. The album would be titled Sweet Revenge. Some of the notable differences on Sweet Revenge are the early versions of songs such as “Triumph”, “The Stars Looked Down” and “Dancing With Myself” which as a whole is similar to the version found on Kiss Me Deadly, but there is less guitar and the ending is different. The songs also feature less of the production based sound that encompasses all of Kiss Me Deadly. Sweet Revenge has more of a raw Punk New Wave edged production style. Songs such as “Anna Smiles”, “Flash As Hell” and “Psycho Beat” are some of the offerings that were never re-recorded for the Kiss Me Deadly album, but remain essential in the Generation X catalogue. Overall, the album has a chemistry that is apparent between the band members, it has a unique energy that Kiss Me Deadly seems to be missing. When released in 1998, the album was titled K.M.D – Sweet Revenge and issued on the German label Empty Records. In 2003, Generation X released a three CD anthology. One of the discs was the Sweet Revenge album with bonus tracks and an interview with bassist Tony James, making it the first time Sweet Revenge was released officially. In 2004, K.M.D – Sweet Revenge Extra was released on a Japanese label expanding the 1998 version of the album.

This Week's Play List:

1. The Ride Theory - Parking Ticket
2. Munks - Long Time Waitin'
3. Painted Ship - And She Said Yes
4. Thee Mighty Caesars - You'll Be Sorry Now
5. The Great Scots - I Ain't No Miracle Worker (version 2)

6. Phoenix Foundaion - Buffalo

7. Kurt Vile - Puppet To The Man

8. Beastie Boys - OK

9. Jolly Boys - Emmanuel Road

10. The Aggrolites - In The Cut

11. Rabble Rabble - Why Not

12. Sloan - Traces

13. 13th Floor Elevators - You Don't Know (Live)

16. Pointed Sticks - Found Another Boy

17. Statues - Signals

18. Tranzmitors - Look What You're Doing

19. Tranzmitors - Glamour Girls

20. Generation X - Girls

21. Generation X - Dancing With Myself (Sweet Revenge Version)

22. Wire - Mannequin

23. Dirty Pretty Things - The Weekenders

24. Bob Dylan & The Hawks - Tell Me Mama (Live Royal Albert Hall 1966)

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for May 10. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

Elvis Costello & The Attractions ... Get Happy! & Show # 350

2011-05-03T13:35:00.002-04:00

The year 1979 was a busy one for Elvis Costello. He completed the album Armed Forces with his band Elvis Costello & The Attractions was on tour in American on the Armed Funk Tour and produced an album for The Specials. Controversy would be brought into his world, when in April of 1979 while on tour he made some drunken derogatory remarks about James Brown and Ray Charles that were taken out of context during a conversation with Stephen Stills and Bonnie Bramlett at a hotel bar in Columbus, Ohio. Costello apologized for the remarks at a press conference explaining the situation. At the same time The Attractions were working on and rehearsing material for their next album that would be titled Get Happy! The album originally had more of a New Wave sound in the same vein as Armed Forces, but the band were unhappy with the results. Elvis Costello & The Attractions re-arranged the songs in order to give them a Soul and R&B feel. It has been hinted at that perhaps the songs on Get Happy! reflected this influence because of the events that preceded it. Costello had this to say in the 2002 linear notes to the Rhino reissue of Get Happy!

“It might have been tempting to claim that I had some noble motive in basing this record on the music that I had admired and learned from prior to my brush with infamy. But if I was trying to pay respects and make such amends, I doubt if pride would have allowed me to express that thought after I had made my rather contrived explanation... I simply went back to work and relied on instinct, curiosity, and enduring musical passions. “

The band recorded the album in Hilversum, Netherlands at Wisseloord Studios to get away from the distractions and as Costello highlights in the above quotation, the band went back to work. The result was a twenty song canvas of songs painted with a Soul and R&B style. Get Happy! as a term has a few origins. In regards to Gospel music “getting happy” refers to receiving the Holy Spirit, but it is also the title of a song by Harold Arlen/Ted Koehler. The artwork for the album was designed by Barney Bubbles, who had done artwork for Costello and numerous other artists in the past, he worked as an art designer for Stiff Records, Radar, and F-Beat Records to name a few. It was made to reflect a retro worn out feel, complete with ring marks.

Regardless of the events the preceded it Get Happy! is an energetic Soul stomping album with twenty songs, many short, but straight to the point moments reflecting Costello’s rage, humour and Pop sensibilities. Songs such as “Opportunity” ooze with R&B and Soul, while “The Imposter” is an original Soul New Wave rave up. The album features two cover songs “I Can’t Stand Up (For Falling Down)” is a song originally by Sam & Dave and it was released as the first single for this album, and “I Stand Accused” which is a song that was regular feature of the bands early live sets originally by the 60s band The Merseybeats. “New Amsterdam” is a Pop masterpiece equivalent to the Pop stylings of “Oliver’s Army”, while “High Fidelity”, and “Riot Act” all stand on their own as Pop songs based on their own merits. The album features so many moments that highlight Costello’s ability as a song writer venturing in a different direction. The band is dead on, Bruce Thomas’ R&B grooves are amped up on this album and and they adapt well to the Soul inspiration on this record (a Soul groove was always dominant on Attractions records, but not as dominant as this one), while Steve Nieve adds Booker T. styled flourishes on organ and Pete Thomas solidifies the beat. Get Happy! also marked fourth album in Costello’s catalog of five amazing albums that were released in succession (from My Aim Is True to Trust), all of which were produced by Nick Lowe. When released in 1980, Get Happy! went to number eleven on the US Pop album charts and number two on the UK album charts.

This Week's Play List:

1. Television - See No Evil
2. Red Light Driver - Celeste Celeste
3. Starlites - I Can See You
4. The Sherlocks - Stefany
5. The Chessmen - Time Machine
6. Gorillaz - Hillbilly Man
7. Golden Hands Before God - The Ladder
8. Neil Young & The Sadies - This Wheel's On FIre
9. Street Chant - Scream Walk
10. High Mother - Tryin Too Hard
11. The Spys - Watching You
12. Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers - Don't Mess With Cupid (Live At Max's Kansas City 1979)
13. Ramones - California Sun
14. Bok Bok - Misfit
15. Buzzcocks - Paradise
16. Beastie Boys - Lee Majors Come Again
17. The Soles - Broken Ghost
18. The Smiths - Suffer Little Children (Troy Tate Sessions Version)
19. Undertones - You've Got My Number
20. The Kills - Getting Down
21. The Strokes - Taken For A Fool
22. The Doors - I Looked At You
23. Elvis Costello & The Attractions - The Imposter
24. Elvis Costello & The Attractions - I Stand Accused

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for May 3. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

Nick Lowe ...Labour of Lust & Show # 349

2011-04-26T13:23:00.001-04:00

In 1979, Nick Lowe released his second full length album Labour of Lust. The album featured members of the band Rockpile (a band that had a strong Rockabilly and Power Pop influence), it was also recorded at the same time as Dave Edmunds (a member of Rockpile) solo album Repeat When Necessary. It should also be noted that Rockpile was Nick Lowe’s touring and studio band. They were sometimes referred to as Rockpile, Nick Lowe and Rockpile or Dave Edumunds and Rokcpile. Both albums were also produced by Lowe, which further adds to his reputation as "The Basher", which is a nick name Lowe was given for bashing out records because of his production style. Lowe once described his production style as this to Rolling Stone to "bash it now; tart it up later". Labour of Lust is notable for containing Lowe’s only US chart topping hit “Cruel To Be Kind”. The song originated from an earlier band that Lowe was in called Brinsley Schwarz and when it was released as a single it went to number twelve on both the US and UK singles charts.

After being out of print for nearly twenty years (it was released on CD in 1990), Yep Roc have reissued Labour of Lust, remastering it and including a bonus track (the country folk flavoured “Basing Street”) and a twelve page booklet. Originally the US and UK versions of the album had different track listing, the UK version of the album featured the song “Endless Grey Ribbon”, while the US album substituted that track for the song “American Squirm”, which was a B-side featuring members of Elvis Costello & The Attractions. This new edition of the album appends the track listing to include both “Endless Grey Ribbon” and “American Squirm”. Overall, the album mixed elements of Lowe’s Power Pop style, which is sometimes defined as New Wave as well as songs verging into Roots Rock territory at times. The album has remained out of print for so long, some people may have forgotten about it, but it stands as a strong document of a great song writer.

This Week's Play List:

1. Crystal Stilts - Through The Floor
2. The Moving Units - Until She Says
3. Arctic Monkeys - Brick By Brick
4. Elk - Shaking Hands
5. The Ascot Royals - Zap Zap
6. Wildlife - When I Get Home
7. Code Pie - Operator
8. Nicole Markham - Police & Thieves
9. Lonesome Lefty - Diga Diga Doo
10. Elvis Presley - Trying To Get To You
11. Prince Buster - Ghost Dance
12. The Specials - Concrete Jungle
13. Dub Spencer & Trance Hill - London Calling
14. Shake - Culture Shock
15. The Demics - The Least You Can Do
16. Elad's Guitar Army - Rattlesnake Tongue
17. Orphan Choir - Picture Book of Saints
18. The Misfits - Some Kinda Hate
19. Shannon And The Clams - Sleep Talk
20. Nick Lowe - Switchboard Susan
21. Iggy Pop - Curiosity
22. The Rapture - Notes
23. White Stripes - When I Hear My Name
24. True Lovers - Temptress
25. The Black Angels - Haunting At 1300 McKinley

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for April 26. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

Modern Art...The Black Lips & Show # 348

2011-04-19T14:07:00.002-04:00

Atlanta Garage Rock band The Black Lips will release their sixth full length album Arabia Mountain on June 7th via Vice Records. The band who describes their music as “Flower Punk” worked on this record with producer Mark Ronson of Duran Duran, Amy Winehouse, Lilly Allen, and The Kaiser Chiefs producing fame, making it the first time the band has used an outside producer. A large majority of the albums tracks were reportedly recorded in a ten day session, two tracks were also produced by Lockett Pundt of Deerhunter. This highly anticipated album has already had two singles released in preparation for the albums unveiling “Go Out and Get It”, a Pundt produced track is a song portraying the bands Pop style similar to the Good Bad Not Evil album cut “Bad Kids”, while “Modern Art” produced by Ronson, is The Black Lips at their dirty nugget styled Garage Rock finest, complete with a theremin. Two videos for these songs have been made available online, a tour is currently in progress to road test the material.

Todays show was also co-hosted with Derk of CJAM's The Surfphony of Derstruction. His last show will air tonight at 7 PM on CJAM 99.1 FM and can also be streamed at http://www.cjam.ca/

This Weeks Play List:

1. Bell - Hang Around
2. Sonic's Rendezvous Band - Electrophonic Tonic
3. Northern Primitive - One Click
4. The Bedwells - Karate Again
5. 63 Monroe - Side B 5
6. The Tranzmitors - Beating Up My Heart
7. Talking Heads - Cities
8. Ian North - Hollywood Babylon
9. Fast Romantics - Pretty Strangers
10. Twin Library - Beware of Bees
11. Johnny West - Blue Cheese Necklace
12. The Stranglers - Hanging Around
13. The Monks - Dear Jerry
14. The Sounds - Something To Die For
15. The Surfdusters - El Dementia
16. The Clash - Fujiyama Mama (Live Tokyo 1982 with Pearl Harbor)
17. The Dirtbombs - Cedar Point '76
18. The Psychotic Turnbuckles - Cool It Baby
19. Tommy Blake - F-Olding Money
20. Young Rival - At The Break of Dawn
21. The Rays - Elevator Operator
22. Nirvana - Turnaround
23. Tijuana Bibles - Reverse Psychology
24. The Diodes - Red Rubber Ball
25. The Cramps - Green Fuzz
26. The Black Lips - Modern Art

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for April 19. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

The Kinks ... Kinda Kontroversy & Show # 347

2011-04-12T15:10:00.002-04:00

In March 2011, The Kinks released deluxe versions of their first three albums as part of a reissue campaign that will cover the bands first seven albums. The Kinks, Kinda Kinks, and Kink Kontroversy are now available in two disc deluxe format, featuring a plethora of singles, demos, outtakes, and BBC sessions from the bands catalogue. When discussing The Kinks catalogue, its no hidden secret that the master tapes from early Kinks recordings were not well looked after, they were often times destroyed, lost, or recorded over by Pye in the 80s, their record label. Unlike their 60s contemporaries (The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, etc.) whose recordings have been preserved, it is nearly impossible to determine how many recordings may have been lost due to this fact. But despite this, many outtakes and demos survived, several of which are found on these reissues. From the period that the band signed to RCA onwards, more careful consideration and documentation of the bands recordings have been kept. One of the good things about these reissues is the sound fidelity. If you have purchased The Kinks 1998 Castle reissues, and compared them to the new deluxe edition songs, you will notice the sound quality is of a greater improvement. There is an apparent muddiness sound on the 98 releases that has now seemed to be cleaned up, possibly due to the location of better quality master tape recordings. This week, we will discuss a little bit of the two of the deluxe reissues, Kinda Kinks and Kink Kontroversy both of which were originally released in 1965.

The Kinks second album titled, Kinda Kinks was recorded at a combination of studio sessions. It was recorded during February 16-18 in 1965 at Pye Studios No.2 in London, England, “Tired of Waiting For You” was recorded in August of 1964, prior to any of the albums main sessions and held back as an early single for the album, with guitar overdubs occurring in December of 1964. The songs “Come On Now” and “Something Better Beginning” were recorded between December 22-23 1963 at Pye Studios. The album was recorded quickly in a rush between the bands 1964-1965 world tour. In a matter of approximately two weeks, The Kinks completed their second album with Shel Talmy producing and it was released in March 1965 in the UK and August 1965 in the US.

Kinda Kinks is an often underlooked album in regards to the bands catalgoue. The album mixes the bands early R&B sound, with elements of Folk, and Motown. Kinda Kinks is notable for having numerous songs sung by lead guitarist Dave Davies “Got My Feet On The Ground” is an R&B rave up sung by Dave Davies featuring that early raw Kinks sound, “Naggin’ Woman” finds the Kinks delving deeper into a Blues groove, and “Come On Now” is a early Kinks Garage track, written by Ray Davies, sung by Dave and also included as the B-Side to "Tired of Waiting For You". The rest of the album mixes in a variety of the developing song writing style of Ray Davies. Song such as “Nothin’ In The World Can Stop Me Worryin’ About That Girl” reflects an atmospheric Folk nature with its flirtatious Jazz beats, “Tired of Waiting For You” was the lead off single for this album, the song reflects the bands early R&B influences while at the same time featuring a slower groove. When released as a single it went to number one on the UK singles charts, and number six in the US. “So Long” is akin to “Nothin’ In The World Can Stop Me Worryin’ About That Girl”, with its Folk coffee house style, the song has prominent acoustic guitar and with lyrics such as “Got No Time For Tears/There’s Music In My Ears” it reflects the bands situation at the time, there are also songs such as “You Shouldn’t Be Said” which is a Motown influenced R&B track. The album ends with the rather poignant “Something Better Beginning” lyrically and musically it reflects the future direction in which Ray Davies and the Kinks would take their sound.

Kinda Kinks also produced numerous singles and songs that would be released on a variety of US only releases (Kinks-Size and Kinkdom) and Kywet Kinks which was an EP released in the UK. Among these, some of the non-Kinda Kinks album tracks include “Everybody’s Gonna Be Happy”, “Who’ll Be The Next In Line”, “Set Me Free”, “I Need You”, “See My Friends”, and “A Well Respected Man”. “Set Me Free” was released in May of 1965 as a single, it is a song done in a style similar to “Tired of Waiting For You”. The single is perhaps loved for its exciting B-Side “I Need You”, which is raw uncompromising Kinks power chord filled Rock song right from the start of its initial bursting feedback and infectious harmonies. “See My Friends” is a pinnacle single indicating the maturing song writing style of Ray Davies. The song itself features Indian guitar raga styles, dipping into elements of Psychedelic Rock and notable for being released prior to The Beatles “Norwegian Wood”, which featured Sitar. Lyrically the song was placed under some scrutiny regarding the subject matter which have often been misconstrued, lyrically the song has been said to be influenced by a stop the band made in Bombay during their 1965 Asian tour where Davies witnessed a group of fisherman chanting on way to their morning work. The next set of singles released during this period were the piano driven “Who’ll Be The Next In Line” and “A Well Respected Man”, which lyrically addressed British class economics and musically drew from British Music Hall influences.

Kink Kontroversy was recorded in late October/early November of 1965 at Pye Studios no.2 in London, England. The album was once again produced by Shel Talmy and was released on November 26th, 1965 in the UK and in March 30th 1966 in the US. The albums title originates from the bands onstage reputation, which at times earned them the nick name Kontroversial Kinks. Prior to the album being recorded once such incident occurred onstage between guitarist Dave Davies and drummer Mick Avory. After apparently being spat at by Dave Davies, Avory hit him over the head with the pedal end of his drum hi-hat, resulting in stitches for Dave. The media focused on the issue, but the band wanted to get away from it. As a result, Clem Cattini filled in as a session drummer for the majority of the Kink Kontroversy album sessions, Avory appears on approximately two to three tracks. Despite the drummer situation, Avory would re-join as the drummer quickly after the sessions.

Musically and lyrically Kink Kontroversy showed The Kinks developing into their own style and with a new sense of sophistication. The album displays elements of The Kinks previous R&B sound, but also transitional elements of what would become the bands future Kinks sound. A perfect example of this dynamic can be explained when looking at the first single released for the album “Till The End of the Day”, backed with “Where Have All The Good Times Gone”(also found on Kink Kontroversy). This strong single exemplified the end of The Kinks “You Really Got Me” style, with “Till The End of the Day”, but also contrasted it with the song “Where Have All The Good Times Gone” which demonstrates Ray Davies ability and development as a song writer. Not only do the two songs contrast each other musically, but they do so lyrically as well. While “Till The End of the Day” is somewhat upbeat and in a style most fans identified with (being one of the last songs in that style to do so), “Where Have All The Good Times Gone” is a lament, it can also be seen as a farewell to the Kinks previous musical direction and a step forward into the next, thus indicating the end of one of the bands first eras. Chart wise the single reached the top ten on the UK singles charts, and went to number 50 initially on the UK singles charts. Kontroversy starts off with the tense and raunchy R&B “Milk Cow Blues”, sung by Dave Davies, it is also complimented with the piano playing of session man Nicky Hopkins, who is featured on this whole album. Songs such as the ballad “Ring The Bells”, the laidback “The World Keeps Going Round”, and Calypso stylings of “I’m On An Island” all indicate the bands new sense of direction, which would be further developed on the bands next release Face To Face in 1966. “I Am Free” is a Dave Davies composition, in which he declares independence, “Too Late” an acoustic Blues number, and the final offering “You Can’t Win” that has dual vocals between Ray and Dave all add to the albums pivotal atmosphere.

The next single to follow was the song “Dedicated Follower of Fashion”, which is an angry, satirical song furthering the Music Hall influenced style first demonstrated with “A Well Respected Man”. The single charted high in the top ten on the UK singles charts and in the top 40 in the US. Following the albums release and Mick Avory coming back into the fold The Kinks continued to make albums and also got involved in more controversy in 1965, resulting in a five year ban from the touring in the US.

This Weeks Play List:

1. Jook - Aggravation Place
2. The Gorillas - She's My Gal
3. The Kinks - Time Will Tell
4. The Kinks - A Little Bit of Sunlight (Demo)
5. Boats - Drinking The Lake
6. Obits - You Gotta Lose
7. Cake - Long Time
8. This City Defects - Recycle Thief
9. Timber Timbre - Black Water
10. Jack-O & The Tennessee Tearjerkers - Make Your Mind Up
11. Les Jupes - Mathematics
12. 49th Parallel - Laborer
13. Martha & The Muffins - Saigon
14. The Space Plan - Tread Lightly
15. Link Wray - Fat Back
16. The Fleshtones - Comin' Home Baby
17. Mach Kung-Fu - Bamboo Twist
18. 999 - My Street Stinks
19. Supergrass - Caught By The Fuzz
20. The Howlies - Howlies Sound
21. Young Rival - Untitled (CBC Radio 3 Session 2009)
22. Alex Chilton - Can't Seem To Make You Mine
23. ASK - Have A Gun
24. The Kinks - I Need You
25. The Kinks - Till The End of The Day (BBC Session)

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for April 12. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

Wild Child ... Lou Reed 1972 & Show # 346

2011-04-04T16:00:00.087-04:00

In June of 1972, Lou Reed released his first solo album. The self titled album featured ten songs, several of which were unreleased songs that he had previously written with Velvet Underground. At this point in 1972, Velvet Underground were not as renowned as they now are and the songs that are found on Lou's first solo album were not released in any form yet. The album was recorded in December of 1971 and January 1972 at Morgan Studios in London, England with Richard Robinson in the producer seat. The album featured five songs that were recorded during the Velvet Undergrounds Loaded album sessions (“Walk and Talk It”, “I Love You”, “Love Makes You Feel”, “Ride Into The Sun”, and “Ocean”) and “I Can’t Stand It”, “Lisa Says”, which would later surface on Velvet Underground outtake compilation album VU. There are also songs such as “Going Down” which is one of the two new compositions created for this album, and the song “Berlin” both of which would later be re-recorded for the Lou Reed album Berlin. One of the clear highlights found on Lou Reed, is the song “Wild Child”. This raucous track is done in the spirit of Lou’s influential Rock music style.

The album cover for Lou Reed was done by UK artist Tom Adams, who has a large body of work, but is perhaps best known for his work designing the covers for novels. He has created covers for the novels of Raymond Chandler, Agatha Christie, John Fowles, and many others. On Tom Adams website (http://www.tomadamsuncovered.co.uk) he had this to say of working with Lou Reed:

"It was good to meet Lou Reed and talk about his brilliant music and poetic lyrics. I'm not sure I did them justice but it was great to be involved in his first UK album."

The album as a whole has often been said to be an album that the record company Lou was on at the time, didn’t know what to do with. If you look at the studio musicians recruited for the album, among the ranks you will find Steve Howe and Rick Wakeman of the Prog Rock band Yes, which is perhaps an indication of the reason for the album sounding the way it does. But if you listen to the album closely, it is simply an album of discovery, Lou Reed is exploring several songs structures and arrangements within the songs found on Lou Reed. There are of slower, sparsely spaced song arrangements, but there are also upbeat Rock songs that rise and fall with the album. It was at the time a highly anticipated release, when Lou Reed was released it went to number 189 on the Billboard 200 album charts. The album, while it is often forgotten about, is a historical document of where Lou Reed would take his music and an indication of a musician in transition. Lou Reed’s next release Transformer, would be in December of the same year (1972) and was produced by Mick Ronson and David Bowie. Transformer had both greater critical and commercial acclaim.

The Play List:

1. The Spys - Welcome to the Cruel World
2. Prehistoric Cave Strokers - Urine You're Out
3. The Gories - I Think I've Had It
4. C'Mon - Mirrors
5. Papermaps - Exit
6. The Modernettes - Teen City
7. Dirty Looks - 12 O'Clock High
8. Jemmy Leggs - Fireworks
9. The Leisure Units - Best Way
10. The Raveonettes - Recharge & Revolt
11. The Wolfmen - The Cowboy's Dream
12. The Mekons - Abernant 1984/5
13. Ghost Wave - Sunsetter
14. Sun Wizard - Golden Girl
15. My Son The Hurricane - Honour Among Thieves
16. Peter Case - Round Trip Stranger Blues
17. The Mods - If You Got To Go
18. Elvis Costello & The Imposters - No Hiding Place
19. REM - Aligator_Aviator_Autopilot_Antimatter
20. Hater - Downpour At Mt.Angel
21. Lou Reed - Walk And Talk It
22. Lou Reed - Wild Child
23. The Damned - New Rose
24. The D4 - What I Want

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for April 5. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

The Strokes Angled & Show # 345

2011-03-29T13:39:00.002-04:00

On March 22nd, The Strokes released their fourth full length album Angles. Before you listen to the album, its title and album cover art (originally done by Belgian artist Guy Pouppez) should give you a good impression of what to expect from the band on their most recent studio effort. Angles was recorded differently than the bands previous releases, the band began working on demos in 2009. The Strokes then began work with producer Joe Chiccarelli in 2010 recording 18 songs, but the band were not happy with the results. Relocating to guitarist Albert Hammond Jr.’s home studio the band recorded and produced their album with the help of Gus Oberg. The album was recorded in an almost fractured like state, the band worked together more as a whole, while singer Julian Casablancas kept his distance, recording most of his vocals at Electric Lady Land Studios on his own. It has been said that this method was used by the singer, who has often been the dominant song writer in the group, to force the band into the creative process becoming more uniform and collective in the process. Out of the 18 songs that were demoed for this album, ten made the cut, only one of which originates from the bands sessions with Joe Chiccarelli.

Many critics hailed this album as a return to form when The Strokes released their first single from the album “Undercover of Darkness”. While the song is a return to form of sorts, it sounds as if it combines elements from the bands first album Is This It? with songs from their second album Room On Fire. The song could be described as “Last Nite” meets “Reptilia”. It is a strong song found on the album, which shows off many different colours, sometimes leaning in the experimental electronic sounding direction. As a whole, Angles is heavily rooted in the 80s, the first track “Machu Picchu” is a song that was originally conceived by guitarist Nick Valensi and has a Reggae flavour in the verses with Rock sounding choruses, sounding fresh and retro at the same time. The first line “I’m putting your patience to the test” is a declaration of what is to come musically, the songs are at times familiar sounding, at other times different leaning either in an 80s influenced or electronic influenced direction.

Critics have also been fast to attack the album, but it has many strong moments. “Two Kinds of Happiness”, another Valensi original sounds like an 80s song from Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, exemplifying The Strokes slower, but catchy groove, while “Taken For A Fool” sounds like an outtake from The Strokes Room On Fire album, “Gratisfaction” is a guitar heavy track, sounding like classic Strokes, but at the same time sounding like a song that could have been on their last studio effort First Impressions of Earth, “Life Is Simple In The Moonlight” ends the album and ties up all the loose ends. It is an encompassing, catchy track with lingering synthesizers, dual guitar lines, and lyrics from Casablancas stating “Don’t try to stop us, get out of the way” that brings the album musically and lyrically full circle.

The experimental and different structured songs fill in the gaps providing variety and songs of different shades, this is evident on tracks such as “You’re So Right” a track penned by bassist Nikolai Frature that is dominated with its dark, but heavy electronic sounding drums and digital guitar lines, “Games” which has an 80s Caribbean stripes and 80s futuristic sounds, “Call Me Back” is a slower melodic track that at times seems a kin to Radiohead. During the bands five year hiatus, all of the bands members have created solo efforts, with the exception of guitarist Nick Valensi, but now The Strokes have returned with Angles an album of many eclectic shades and colours, but also one with elements that fans have come to identify and love. Currently The Strokes will embark on a tour, and have already been said to be in the early stages of their fifth album.

The Play List:

1. The Horrors - Gloves
2. The Gruesomes - Way Down Below
3. Main Line - Don't Wait Around
4. Them - Bright Lights, Big City
5. The High Numbers - I'm The Face
6. Love - Skid
7. 13th Floor Elevators - You're Gonna Miss Me
8. Arcylics - Molly's Vertigo
9. Les Breastfeeders - 400 Miles
10. Memphis - I Am The Photographer
11. Danny & The Rockin' Revelators - Forbidden Fruit
12. Radiohead - Give Up The Ghost
13. Harlem - Tila & I
14. The Mark Inside - You Can't Take Her With You When Its Over
15. Papermaps - Can't Make A Living
16. The Strokes - Gratisfaction
17. The Strokes - Life Is Simple In The Moonlight
18. The Crocodiles - Neon Jesus
19. The Atlantics - When You're Young
20. The Scraps - Gossip
21. Spiral Beach - After Midnite
22. Sick of Sarah - Over Exposure
23. Fire Engines - New Thing In Cartons
24. Dirty Pretty Things - You Fucking Love It

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for March 29. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

Marching Song ... The Story of The Pointed Sticks & Show # 344

2011-03-22T13:27:00.002-04:00

Abba meets The Stooges, bubblegum with fuzzy guitars, boy meets girl at 100 miles per hour, these are all sayings that have been attributed to The Pointed Sticks a Canadian Punk/Power Pop band from Vancouver. Pointed Sticks origins began upon the return of Nick Jones to Vancouver from the UK where he worked at a record store in the summer of 1978. Mixing the influential concoctions of the UK Punk scene with Pop music, the band would take influence from bands such as Buzzcocks, Ramones, Phil Spector, and 60s Garage acts such as The Sonics and Paul Revere & The Raiders. The original band consisted of Nick Jones (vocals), Bill Napier-Henry (guitars), Tony Bardach (bass), and Ian Tiles on drums. Going through several names the band decided upon “The Pointed Sticks”, making reference to a Monty Python sketch. After winning the Second Georgia Straight Battle of Bands in 1978, The Pointed Sticks recorded their first single What Do You Want Me To Do?

Released on local label Quintessence, “What Do You Want Me To Do?” was backed with “Somebody’s Mom” and produced by Bob Rock. The two track single offered up two catchy Pop songs, but at the same time featuring the energy, sound, and influence of 70s Punk. While, “What Do You Want Me To Do?” is an excellent Pop gem, the B-side “Somebody’s Mom” was an aggressive quick paced track. The band line up shifted in 1979 when Robert Bruce was added as the bands new drummer and Gord Nicholl was brought in on keyboards, both new members had previously been the fellow Vancouver band Active Dog. A second single followed the same year The Real Thing, it was produced by Bob Rock. With new band members in their ranks the bands sound evolved. Immediately one could notice the improvement upon the bands earlier sound, while they still kept their Punk roots they had more melody than ever before, as evident with the spacious keyboard playing of Nicholl and backup vocal harmonies on “The Real Thing.” “Out of Luck” finished the 1979 single adding more of a raunchy element to their sound, featuring blistering guitar solos. Shortly after the singles release, Robert Bruce exited the group only to be replaced by drummer Ken “Dimwit” Montgomery, who had previously played with The Subhumans. With Ken behind the drums, The Pointed Sticks sound grew once again adding a thunderous backing section. One more single was recorded for Quintessence Records featuring Montgomery on drums, Lies backed with "I’m Numb" was released in 1979.

The band was then signed to the famed UK label Stiff Records in the summer of 1979, being the first Canadian bands to do so. An EP followed titled the Out of Luck EP. Produced by Brinsley Schwartz, the EP featured re-recordings of songs the band had previously put out. The three songs included on the EP were “Out of Luck”, “What Do You Want Me To Do?” and had more of a Garage feel to them. The band was then exported to the UK to record a full length album for Stiff, but things didn’t go exactly as planned. Recording with producer Nigel Grey (The Police, Siouxsie & The Banshees), an album was completed, but Stiff decided not to release it. At this point, which was around 1980, Stiff was going through financial difficulties and preference went to bigger named acts, the album remained unreleased in its complete form until recently when The Pointed Sticks released it through Base Records in Tokyo.

Returning to Vancouver from England The Pointed Sticks headed into the studio with Bob Rock to record their full length album Perfect Youth. By this point, the band line up had altered yet again to include Scott Watson on bass and John Farano on Saxophone. The album is defined by songs such as “Marching Song” an ultimate Power Pop song featuring ringing Punk power chords and New Wave-pseudo Garage sounding keyboards, “No Use For U” a song that reflects a Soul Motown essence with its melodic basslines, drum beats and saxophone lines, and “American Song”, which is a mature sounding pop song that is one of the catchiest moments found on Perfect Youth. There are also other tracks such as “True Love”, which reflects the bands earlier sound, a cover of The Sonics "The Witch", and the album ender “Part of the Noise” which is razor edged Pop Perfection. Overall, Perfect Youth was a very melodic album adding a new dynamic to the band with smoother production style, brass horn sections and keyboard arrangements which contributed new elements to the bands Pop and Punk style. Comparisons have often been made between this album and Elvis Costello & the Attractions, and the keyboard playing of XTC’s Barry Andrews has been contrasted to Gord Nicholls, but the album is ultimately a culmination of the bands influences at that point in time. In 1980, the band were also featured in the Out of the Blue a cult-classic movie by Dennis Hopper. The band, who were a popular underground act in the Vancouver scene at the time can be seen performing at the end of the film. After a tour in August of 1981, the band began to dissolve. In June 1981, the band called it quits.

In 1995 a compilation was released on Zulu Records called Part of the Noise. This was a compilation album that contained rarities, unreleased recordings and some tracks from the unreleased Stiff album recording sessions, it also generated a renewed interest in the band. In 2005, Joey "Shithead" Keithley of Vancouver band DOA helped to release the compilation album Waiting For The Real Thing on Sudden Death Records. The album compiled all of the bands early singles with Quintessence as well as a variety of live recordings, and previously unreleased recordings from the Stiff album recording sessions. As a bonus the last track features two hidden songs, both covers. Following the song “Automatic You”, there is a version of Pointed Sticks doing “Born To Cry” by Dion and the Belmonts, and Del Shannon’s 1964 song “Keep Searchin’”. A re-issue of the bands full length album Perfect Youth followed the same year. This re-generated interest in the band, particularly in Japan. As a result, the band decided to play three reunion shows in Japan in 2006. The band line up consisted of the original line up featuring Ian Tiles on drums and Tony Bardach on bass. The shows went extremely well, which resulted in further live appearances and even talk of a new recordings. In 2007, The Pointed Sticks decided to record two new songs at Paramount, which was Gord Nicholls studio. The songs were “My Japanese Fan”, a catchy Power Pop hook filled song, and “Found Another Boy”, an older song written by Nicholls, but never recorded in a studio. The songs were released as a seven inch single on vinyl in 2007 on Sudden Death Records. The single marked the first time in 25 years that the band recorded new material. In 2008, the band recorded two new Christmas songs (“Power Pop Santa”, “Xmas Time Again”) and made them available for free on their website.

The Pointed Sticks remained active, intermittently touring in between family schedules. In October of 2009, The Pointed Sticks released their second full length album. Produced by Mike Fraser, Three Lefts Make a Right was recorded at Vancouver’s Warehouse Studios. The album featured thirteen new tracks, all of which were worked on slowly over the course of a year and a half balanced in between the band members other careers. The songs maintained the classic hooks and melodies that The Pointed Sticks have been known for, but also added further groove and elements into the bands already established sound. Three Lefts Make A Right sounds as Nick Jones stated as “A natural progression” for the band. The album features songs such as “She’s Not Alone Anymore” which has the classic keyboard economics of Gord Nicholl and Punk Power Pop connotations that the band established on their album Perfect Youth, “Igor Said”, “By Your Side”,” Wireless” and “Something New” exemplify classic Pointed Sticks melodies and song structures, while tracks such as “All Night”, and “Leave Me Alone” are clear examples of the bands new found groove. Currently The Pointed Sticks are working on material for a follow up to Three Lefts Make A Right and the songs are said to lean a little in the experimental direction.

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The Following interview was done between myself (Dave Konstantino host of Revolution Rock) and Nick Jones (of Pointed Sticks). He touches on several moments in the bands early career, their second album, and the bands future.

RR: The bands name originates from a Monty Python sketch, but you decided upon this name after going through several other names. What were some of the band names that you were interested in before finally choosing the name Pointed Sticks?

NJ: We didn't really go through too many names at the beginning. About the only one we even really considered was The Girls, cause it sounded kinda like the NY Dolls and then we could have worn tons of makeup, but then we found out that there was already a band in Seattle called that. At one point we had a drummer called Ernie Dick, so for a while it was Ernie Dick and the Pointed Sticks, but we booted him before our first gig, so we never actually played under that name.

RR: What are some of your favourite albums and which bands had a big influence on the bands early days?

NJ: Same as pretty much every other bunch of kids starting a punk band in 1978, but we also liked the Buzzcocks, who weren't real well known yet, and also tons of 60's pop and garage music. We loved Phil Spector, Motown, Bubblegum music, and stuff like Paul Revere and the Raiders, and the Sonics. Our first few gigs were all covers, things like It Hurts To Be In Love by Gene Pitney, done at double speed...

RR: You were signed to Stiff Records in the UK, how did that occur?

NJ: They had heard our Quintessence singles, and wanted to have a presence in North America. So they signed us, Any Trouble, and the Feelies. We also had interest from Sire, but went with Stiff so we could record in England.

RR: Could you describe the sessions that you did for Stiff in the UK? When did they occur and why did they remain unreleased for so long?

NJ: The session took place in Jan/Feb 1980. First off, they had picked totally the wrong producer for us. Nigel Gray, the guy who had done the Police records. He was a nice guy, but he only knew one sound, and he wanted us to sound like the Police. He rearranged a bunch of songs, used horrible thin sounds, and generally was pretty unsympathetic to our ideas. We had asked for Nick Lowe, but our requests fell on deaf ears. Also at this time, Stiff was in the process of going bankrupt. They had way over extended themselves financially, and the problems of 5 kids from Vancouver didn't really register very highly on the importance chart for them. The Feelies album actually came out, but got no support and died a horrible death. Ours never came out at all, until we bootlegged it ourselves 28 years later!! Available on Base Records from Tokyo!

RR: The band worked with Bob Rock on three of your earlier singles and the full length album Perfect Youth. What was it like working with Bob and do you still keep in contact with him at all?

NJ: We saw him a couple of years ago when we were making 3 Lefts, but don't really keep in touch with him. He's a swell guy, and very talented. To be honest, I think he learned a lot about how to produce records from working with us. They were the first records to have his name as producer on them, and we all were very much into doing anything to make the song better, even if it was something way outside the normal record making procedure. We put mikes in stairwells, turned tape upside down and used weird instruments. We had a ton of fun in the studio with him, and it’s probably still our most fun place to be, even though we've grown to love playing live. That used to be pretty torturous for us back in the day, mostly because I bought into the role of tortured artist...ha ha ha!!!

RR: The Pointed Sticks were featured in the Dennis Hopper Cult classic Out of the Blue. How did the band get connected with Hopper and was it like meeting/working with Dennis Hopper?

NJ: The producers of the film kind of used us, being the most popular underground band in Vancouver at the time, as a draw for the free concert that they filmed for inclusion in the movie. It was a freezing cold day, and about 600 kids were made to wait outside in the cold for 3 hours until they opened the doors at 6pm. Then a few bands including us and the Dishrags swapped sets until about 12:30 when Dennis and his gang of coked out cowboys arrived to film the wreckage. By that time, much alcohol had been consumed, and everybody was on edge, so the weirdness you see in the movie is honest....I love the movie, it’s very dark and a great snapshot of a city that no longer exists....recommend it to anyone who is a fan of Blue Velvet.

RR: Could you elaborate on the recording of the My Japanese Fan single that was released in 2007? How did the songs come about (My Japanese Fan and Found Another Boy) and where/when was it recorded?

NJ: MJF came about because we got tired really quickly of playing nothing but our old songs, after we had re-united in 2006 for the trip to Japan. We felt that unless we could actually do something new, that it would be boring and pointless to keep playing. Found Another Boy was an old song of Bills that we had never recorded way back when, and I really liked it. It reminds me of Be My Lover by Alice Cooper! MJF was Gords idea initially, but everyone in the band contributed at least one line to the lyrics and I think it’s a great pop song. It was recorded at Paramount, which is Gords studio.

RR: How was the recording process different when making Three Lefts Make A Right as opposed to recordings that you have done in the past. Is the song writing process any different than your previous efforts?

NJ: Well, because we recorded at Gords place, we had a lot more time to re-do things until we were happy with the performances. We also spent a full year doing demos before we recorded the final product, which gave us the chance to refine the songs down to their essence. We’ve never been much of a jam band, we like to say what we've got to say in as concise a way as possible. We also recorded most of our parts separately, due to work and family commitments, it was different, but necessity is the mother of invention, they say! As for the songwriting, Gord gave me a demo with a whole ton of ideas on it, and I messed around with them and gave them back, then he messed around some more, then we demoed them together until we were happy with what we had. On Tony and Bills songs, they brought them in to me and Gord arranged them a bit and changed a few little things, got the thumbs up, and went from there.

RR: What are the future plans for The Pointed Sticks?

NJ: Well, we have some new songs that we've slowly been working on, but everyone is very busy. Hopefully by the end of the year we'll have something new to share with the world. And the songs are different than 3 Lefts, a bit more experimental, I would say. And we might play again soon, or we might not. It will evolve the way it’s meant to be. We are all great friends, and when we do get together, it’s a great time, so I'm sure that the world hasn't seen the last of the Pointed Sticks yet...

RR: When I interviewed Ross Carpenter (of Active Dog) he mentioned a band that you (Nick) played in a band called The Melody Pimps. Could you elaborate more on this band?

NJ: Melody Pimps are a fuck band, one of many great Vancouver fuck bands and I think that to understand this properly, you should go to the appropriate webisode on the "Bloodied But Unbowed" website....all will be revealed.

Links of interest:

Pointed Sticks Official Website
Pointed Sticks Myspace Page
Pointed Sticks Facebook Page

This Week's Play List:

1. The Pointed Sticks - Marching Song
2. Simply Saucer - Dance The Mutation
3. Johnny West - Some Are Salt
4. Wildlife - When I Get Home
5. Justin Faubert - Evolution
6. What Seas What Shores - Cordyceps
7. Beekeeper - There's A Reason
8. Kman and the 45s - Nine Lives (Part 1)
9. The Nefidovs - Animal Love (Demo)
10. Tom Norcott Trio - Just Don't
11. Michel & The French Canadians - Cause I Believe
12. The Ugly Ducklings - 10:30 Train
13. The Hung Jury - Except the Whisky
14. The Locusts Have No King - Cruelty is King
15. Deja Voodoo - Red Garlic Shoes
16. Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet - Bennet Cerf
17. The Pointed Sticks - Lies
18. Blue Peter - Do The Robot
19. The Government - Paranoid Downtown Funk Pt.2
20. Private School - Rock and Roll Radio
21. The Shades - New Clientelle
22. Active Dog - Nothing Holding You
23. No Fun - Old
24. The Pointed Sticks - My Japanese Fan
25. The Pointed Sticks - The Real Thing
26. The Pointed Sticks - Keep Searchin'

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for March 22. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

My show Revolution Rock, is nominated for the best Indie/Alternative/Rock show for CJAM's annual Jammy Awards. If you're a listener of the show or visit this website, my show could use your support. You can vote here.

2011 CJAM Jammy Awards

2011-03-15T15:27:00.000-04:00

It is time once again for CJAM Jammy Award voting. Each year around this time, CJAM holds a ballot and the show in each category with the most votes will win a Jammy award. Several shows that CJAM has to offer are nominated for a variety of categories. You can vote for your favourite CJAM shows by clicking the link below or the picture above. My show Revolution Rock, is nominated for the best Indie/Alternative/Rock show. If you're a listener of the show or visit this website, my show could use your support. Vote here.

Kill City... Iggy Pop & James Williamson & Show # 343

2011-03-15T12:07:00.006-04:00

In 1975, Iggy Pop teamed up with James Williamson to write and record the album that was to become Kill City. Initially intended as demos for them to shop around for a record deal, the album was recorded at a mid-point in Iggy Pop’s career. He was at the time in a mental hospital dealing with heroin addictions, released on weekends to record vocals for Kill City. The album is often cited as the missing link between Raw Power and Iggy Pop’s 1977 album The Idiot. Musically it was unlike anything in Iggy’s catalogue, the album incorporates an undeniable Rolling Stones influence often at times reflecting soulful elements, but at the same time it also includes electronic synthesizers that can be seen as a pre-cursor to future Iggy Pop solo material. Looking at the musicians that contributed to the album there is Scott Thurston on bass and keyboards, he would later appear on the Iggy Pop album New Values before going on to play with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers in the 90s. There is also the Sales brothers (Tony and Hunt) on the last two tracks, who would be featured as musicians on the 1977 album Lust For Life.

The album features songs such as “Beyond The Law” a song heavily drenched with soul horn sections and energetic guitar riffs, drum fills and vocals, “I Got Nothin’”, and “Johanna” two songs which were played with James Williamson-era Stooges in 1973-74, “Consolation Prizes” a stand out heavier track with its country fried Rollng Stones style riffs, and “No Sense of Crime” which is a slower track. There are also instrumental tracks “Night Theme” and “Master Charge” which is a heavy synthesized track written by Scott Thurston. There is also the title track “Kill City” which sets the mood for the album from the get-go, with its saxophones, guitar riffs and lyrics which depict a fallen metropolis. Out of the eleven tracks found on Kill City three of them are instrumentals, eight of them feature lyrics. While it is obvious that the music is different from The Stooges, it sounds like a natural progression and lyrically “has something to say” as Iggy Pop states in the albums linear notes.

While an original demo mix was created in 1975, it was never released in its complete form, but some of the tracks surfaced on bootlegs. In 1977, Bomp! Records, an independent label showed interest in Kill City and the album was released. At this point Iggy Pop was now working with David Bowie and James Williamson was working at a computer company as an electronics engineer in LA, removing himself from music. Williamson would return to work with Iggy Pop on his album New Values in producer form in 1979. Before the album Kill City was released proper, Williamson added some additional overdubs to the songs and then it was mixed and released on green vinyl. But there were some problems with the release, it suffered from a bad pressing and as a result it suffered from a sludgy or muddy sounding mix. The original distributor of the album went out of business and the master tapes were lost, which resulted in all subsequent releases of the album using the green vinyl as a master, and the muddy mix remaining for many years. The album went on to cult-like status resting in between the grooves of lost classic albums, until 33 years later.

In October 2010, Kill City was re-released after being remixed, restored and remastered by James Williamson and engineer Ed Cherney at Capitol Records in Hollywood. Now Kill City sounds as guitarist James Williamson states “like it should have sounded all along”. Since the Raw Power–era Stooges reunion featuring James Williamson on guitar, many of these songs from Kill City are now being played live for the first time. With the album restored fans can now re-appreciate Kill City as it was originally intended to sound.

The Play List:

1. Iggy Pop & James Williamson - Consolation Prizes
2. The Bamboo Kids - Nothing To Do
3. Northern Primitive - Space Traveller
4. Rambos - Arrows
5. Mink Deville - She's So Tough
6. The Action - TV's On the Blink
7. The Bureaucrats - She's An American
8. The Negatives - Echoes
9. The Beladeans - 1000 Mile House
10. Flying Fox & The Hunter Gatherers - Vanity
11. Iggy Pop & James Willaimson - No Sense of Crime
12. The Blue Stones - I'm A Stereo
13. Dum Dum Girls - He Gets Me High
14. My Dad Vs Yours - Carry That Weight
15. Crystal Stilts - Shake the Shackles
16. Jesus and the Mary Chain - Blues From A Gun (Live)
17. Fang - The Money Will Roll Right In
18. Iggy Pop & James Williamson - I Got Nothin'
19. The Vaccines - Blow It Up
20. Public Image Limited - The Cowboy Song
21. The Hives - Nasty Secretary
22. The Hellacopters - Where The Action Is
23. Orange Juice - Blue Boy
24. Iggy Pop & James Williamson - Kill City

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for March 15. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

NOTE: If you are looking for this show, check the comments section.

Love To Release Lost Album Black Beauty (FREE MP3)

2011-03-14T22:57:00.000-04:00

Perhaps best known for their 1966 hit single 7 and 7 Is and their 1967 critically acclaimed album Forever Changes, Love was an American Rock band that helped to define the Psychedelic Rock-era. The two main song writers in the group were Arthur Lee and guitarist Bryan MacLean. MacLean left the group in 1968. They were signed to Elektra Records that were initially active from the mid 60s until the mid 70s. Before Love disbanded, an album was recorded in 1973 titled Black Beauty, but it was never released because the label that was due to release it went bankrupt and the album never saw official release. The album that was produced by Paul Rothchild, who is known for his work with the band Love and other Elektra artists such as The Doors, is said to have a “steamy R&B sound with a heavy guitar punch” by Rolling Stone writer David Fricke. Now, High Moon Records are going to issue the album in June 2011 in all formats. They have also provided me with a FREE mp3 for download from the upcoming release. Enjoy!

Love - Skid

Siouxsie & The Banshees... Hong Kong Garden & Show # 342

2011-03-08T18:17:00.007-05:00

Siouxsie and The Banshees originally formed in 1976 in England, at first the two main members in the group were Siouxsie Sioux on vocals and Steven Severin on bass. The band went through a few line up changes before they found Kenny Morris on drums and John McKay on guitar, an early drummer for the group was John Simon Ritchie who you may know better as Sid Vicious. After playing several sold out venues in London in 1978, Siouxsie and The Banshees signed to Polydor Records and began recording their first single.

Hong Kong Garden was recorded with band manager Nils Stevenson producing and Steve Lillywhite on engineering duties over a two day period. Initially the song, which was demoed the previous year as a song called “People Phobia”, was not intended to be recorded as a single at all. The song would become known as “Hong Kong Garden” and it became a popular live favourite. Prior to the band signing with Polydor, they decided to record this song as a single on their managers suggestion. The songs origins came from a Chinese food take out restaurant in England. Siouxsie Sioux explained the song in detail during an interview with Pop Top Ten Interview in August of 2001:

“I'll never forget, there was a Chinese restaurant in Chislehurst called 'The Hong Kong Garden'. Me and my friend were really upset that we used to go there and like, occasionally when the skinheads would turn up it would really turn really ugly. These gits were just go in en masse and just terrorise these Chinese people who were working there. We’d try and say 'Leave them alone', you know. It was a kind of tribute”.

While the song and band has often been associated with several other late 70s Punk acts, the song was quite different, falling into the Post-Punk genre. “Hong Kong Garden” featured choppy and erratic guitar work with a throbbing bassline that at times sounds like a speeding train. Along with its unique narrative style, the song came off as an exhilarating original song and an important Post-Punk single. It would go to number seven on the UK singles charts. The B-side to this track was a song “Voices (On The Air)”. The Banshees released their debut full length album The Scream later in the same year, but “Hong Kong Garden” was not included. It would eventually be released on the CD re-issue of The Scream in 2005 and on a variety of compilation albums, the first being Once Upon A Time: The Singles in 1981.

This Week's Play List:

1. Yeah Yeah Yeah's - Our Time
2. Shoneen Knife - Twist Barbie
3. Sleater-Kinney - I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone
4. The 5.6.7.8's - I Walk Like Jayne Mansfield
5. Love Me Nots - Come On Over
6. Blondie - X Offender
7. The Dears - Blood
8. The Yulas - Tiny Head
9. The Babies - Meet Me In The City
10. The Swallows - Shoot Out the Sparks
11. The Dishrags - Past Is Past
12. The Runaways - Cherry Bomb
13. Destroy All Monsters - Bored
14. X-Ray Spex - I Am Cliche
15. Lost Patrol - Blow Me Away
16. The Cinch - Mystery Train
17. The Vaselines - Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam
18. Velvet Underground - I'm Sticking With You
19. Hotels - Smith Lands on the Casino Planet
20. Young Rival - All I Have To Do Is Dream
21. Sloan - Follow The Leader
22. New York Dolls - Trash
23. Siouxsie and the Banshees - Hong Kong Garden
24. The Cramps - Teenage Werewolf

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for March 8. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

Or it can be downloaded here.

I Found That Essence Rare... The Story of Gang of Four & Show # 341

2011-03-01T16:21:00.010-05:00

In 1977, Jon King (vocals), Andy Gill (guitar), Dave Allen (bass) and Hugo Burnham on drums formed a group that would be known as Gang of Four. Meeting at Leeds University in England, (although King and Gill knew each other from their school days in Kent) the group would have a very definitive sound that would be eventually described as Post-Punk. The sound of the band can be best described by their jagged guitar like sounds, which has been said to have been influenced by the guitar stylings of Wilko Johnson (of Dr. Feelgood). Combined with elements of Funk, the Staccato playing of Andy Gill would be coupled with the prominent bass and drum combo of Dave Allen and Hugo Burnham for quite a unique sound. There was also a large political element attached to the bands lyrics, their music could perhaps be best described as political essays with musical backdrops. The bands name originates from a newspaper article about the intra-party coup Gang of Four, that was decided upon while driving around with a member of The Mekons, who has been said to have named the band.

The bands first release was the Damaged Goods EP, which featured the songs “Damaged Goods”, “Anthrax”, and “Armalite Rifle”. The songs were recorded in June 1978 and produced by Bob Last, Tim Inman, and The Gang of Four. When the single was released in December 1978 on the Fast Product label based out of Edinburgh, it went to number one on the UK indie charts. The title track on the EP, “Damaged Goods” is a slow, Funk rhythm fuelled song, mixed in with Andy Gill’s Staccato, Jagged guitar sounds. It differs from the version that would be later found on their full length debut Entertainment! The song is essentially a love song lyrically, but with words dealing in sexual politics. “Anthrax” is the second track on the EP. It is a song with primarily bass and drums, and noise filled distortion floating in between the rhythm at varying points. The song starts off with Psychedelic feedback before setting into the funky bass and drum rhythms of Allen and Burnham, it also features Jon King singing in one channel, and Andy Gill in the other causing a dizzying effect for the listener. The third track on the EP “Armalite Rifle” is the anti-gun, anti-violence song which contrasts deep Soulful basslines with ragged Post-Punk guitar chords.

In 1979, Gang of Four began making recordings for what to was become their first full length album, Entertainment! The album was released in September of 1979 on EMI Records in the UK and on Warner Brothers in the US. Entertainment! addressed many issues of a political nature, often attacking the commercial media. Musically, the album harnessed the energy and influence of 70s Punk while incorporating elements of Funk, and subtle influences of Dub and Reggae. As with the bands debut Damaged Goods EP, bass is very prominent in the mix, there is also the unique angular staccato guitar style of Andy Gill that at times sounds like jagged shards of glass, coupled with Jon King’s politically charged lyrics.

Songs such as “Natural’s Not In It” adheres to themes of anti-consumerism, “Not Great Men” discusses Great Man Theory, which is a concept that relates to history being impacted by “great men” or heroes resulting in control over the average person, “Return The Gift” poses the problem of what do with ones leisure and the commercialisation of it, and “I Found That Essence Rare” deals with the selfishness of media and politicians. The album also features re-recordings of the songs “Damaged Goods” and “Anthrax”, which ends Entertainment! in its Psychedelic noise and lyrics which compares love to being “Like a beetle on its back”. The first single released form the album, “At Home He’s A Tourist” features lyrics addressing youth culture, fashion, and its commercials aspects that dance amongst the heavy bass, drums and harsh guitar tones. It went to number 58 on the UK singles charts, but caused some conflict when the band was asked to appear on the Top of the Pops television program. They were asked to change the word “rubbers” to “rubbish” to avoid offending others, Gang of Four refused to change the lyrics and as a result their appearance on the program was cancelled.

The artwork to Entertainment! was designed by Jon King and Andy Gill. It emphasizes the lyrical content harnessed on the album, but also at the same time makes a point in describing the social political conflict often found in mainstream media, using the metaphor of “Cowboys and Indians”. In addition to the political themed lyrics on Entertainment!, it also draws on common relationships, but they are brought up in a different way. The album also conveys how a lot of things in life can be seen as entertainment whether it is war or politics, which the band alludes to with an insightful nature. Entertainment! lives up to its title. It went to number 45 on the UK album charts, and in 1980 the second single from Entertainment! “Damaged Goods” was released. It went to number 39 on the US singles charts. In 1980, Gang of Four also released a four track EP that is referred to as the Yellow EP. The four songs featured on this album are “Outside the Trains Don’t Run On Time”, “He’d Send in the Army”, “It’s Her Factory” and “Armalite Rifle”. The last track is a re-recording of the song the same name originally found on the bands Damaged Goods EP in 1978.

With 1981’s Solid Gold, Gang of Four drove deeper into to a Funk and Dance based musical groove with radically charged political lyrics. There are songs such as “What We All Want” that questions the consumption of consumer based products, with lyrics like “Could I be happy with something else?/I need something to fill my time” that float in amongst the funkified basslines and chugging guitar work. The song would also go to number 30 on the US Hot Club Dance Play charts in the US when released as a single. “Cheeseburger” is a song that attacks the consumerisation of American fast food chains with its stop and start rhythmic patterns and razor sharp guitar parts, “A Hole in the Wallet” tackles the monotony of the 9 to 5 job and adheres to a slower groove musically, “He’d Send in the Army” is found in re-recorded form here with its military like intro and guitar parts that sound like rifles, lyrically it addresses questions posed by warfare. Other tracks such as “Why Theory?” and “Paralyzed” help to define this album. As a whole Solid Gold further develops the ideas that were introduced on Entertainment! in an intelligent, uncompromising manner with a new Dance like musical palate. Solid Gold would go to number 52 on the UK album charts and to number 190 on the US Pop charts.

In January of 1982, the Another Day/Another Dollar EP was released in the US. The EP featured two tracks that were previously only available in the UK (“To Hell With Poverty”, “Capital (It Fails Us Now”), "History's Bunk!" the B-side of the “What We All Want” single and two live recordings. “To Hell With Poverty” is an extremely catchy track with an unavoidable groove to it, while lyrically it contextualizes the frustration of the working classes. The melodic elements of this song can be seen as a sign of things to come for the band musically. Following an American tour, bassist Dave Allen exited the group, he was replaced by Busta “Cherry” Jones who would only be in the group briefly before being replaced by Sara Lee, who was a bassist in Robert Fripp’s League of Gentlemen. With Lee’s bass and singing ability, which would be evident on the bands next release, Gang of Four moved forward with their third full length album, Songs of the Free that was released in 1982.

With Songs of the Free, Gang of Four created what many have said to have been their most commercial sounding effort. Produced by Mike Howlett, the album brought more of a Pop based nature to the bands sound while at the same time further incorporating Dub and Funk into their already established hard edged sound. The album contained songs such as “Call Me Up (If I’m Home)”, “It Is Not Enough”, “The History of the World”, and “Muscle For Brains” that contribute to the albums unique atmosphere. “I Love A Man In A Uniform” is a standout track contained on this album. It is the ultimate Pop song Gang of Four style, with its off kilter drum beats, soulful bass and female back up vocals and Andy Gill's guitar that lurks in the background. Lyrically is just as vicious as any of the bands songs. When released as a single in the UK “I Love A Man In A Uniform” went to number 65 on the UK singles charts, but the song was banned very shortly after its release due to its lyrical content and due to the fact that Britain went to war in the Falkland Islands. When released in the US, the song went to number 27 on the US Hot Dance Club Play charts.

Songs of the Free displays a version of the Gang of Four that was evolving that could be described as being more soulful. The lyrics are at times poetic, the songs are longer, the guitar is at times low in the mix and the album does feature a bigger production sound that has been often associated with the 80s, but as a whole Songs of the Free is just as interesting as the bands first two musical outputs despite being negatively received by critics, and it is often cited by fans as one of their favourite albums from the band.

Hard, released in 1983 was the first Gang of Four album to be released without Hugo Burnham on drums. With Burnham leaving to form Illustrated Man in the Spring of 1983 and Allen leaving the previous year going onto play with Shriekback, Andy Gill and Jon King moved forward with the band adding a drum machine to serve as a replacement for Burnham’s absence. Hard was panned by critics and fans alike upon its initial release. The album further developed the sounds found on 1982’s Songs of the Free, adding synthesizer Pop and Disco based sounds into the bands grooves. The political aspect that was predominately in all of the bands previous releases is less prominent on this album. Hard’s sound and lyrical prowess can be best described by the songs “A Man With A Good Car”, “Woman Town”, and the ballad “Is It Love”. The album went to number 190 on the US Billboard Pop charts and around 1984, The Gang of Four fizzled out.

Gang of Four returned to music with the 1991 album Mall. The album was smoothly produced by King and Gill (who were the only original members of the band to return at this point), and emphasized synthesizer and Funk based rhythms while adding more of their classic Political lyrical output to the songs. Shrinkwrapped was released in 1995, it built on the bands previous sounds, standing different from 1991’s Mall. In 2004, the original line up of Gang of Four, featuring Hugo Burnham on drums and Dave Allen on bass reunited for some live shows. In 2005 a new album appeared, but not an album composed of new material. An album was released featuring re-recordings of songs that were originally found on the albums Entertainment!, Solid Gold, and Songs of the Free, it was entitled Return the Gift, it was well received. The band continued to tour intermittently until 2008, where bassist Dave Allen left the group following Hugo Burnham who left the group in 2006. With Mark Hearny on drums and Thomas McNeice on bass, Gang of Four continued to tour off and on.

In January 2011, Gang of Four unleashed their seventh full length album titled Content. The album has been exclaimed as a return to form for the band, and that’s exactly what it is. The razor sharp jagged guitar playing of Andy Gill is there along with the many rhythms and lyrical content that helped the band to define Post Punk, which for the past three decades has gone onto to highly influential proportions in the Indie and Punk music genres. Several of the songs found on Content can be identified with previous markers that Gang of Four have set in the sands of the past, “I Party All The Time” has been compared to song structures originally found on the song “I Love A Man In A Uniform” from the album Songs of the Free, minus the 80s production, “Who Am I?” evokes a Motown influence and features lyrics such as “You can’t steal when everything is free”. “You’ll Never Pay For The Farm” is a standout track on the album,sounding like an outtake from Entertainment! The song questions the ludicrousness of everyday life in traditional Gang of Four social satire. Content while it does have elemental features of work the band has become known for in the past, it does not sound like another band going through the motions, instead it shows Gang of Four doing what they do best making music their way with their own style.

This Week's Play List:

1. Gang of Four - I Party All The Time
2. Luger Boa - Paralyzed
3. Motorhead - Rock and Roll Music
4. Eve Hell & The Razors - Big River
5. Johnny West - Purgatory Waltz
6. Johnny West - Everything Matters, Everyone Cares
7. Crissi Cochrane - Separate Cities
8. Dinosaur Bones - Royalty
9. Mother Mother - Simply Simple
10. Cut/Copy - Where I'm Going
11. Radiohead - Little By Little
12. Wire - Now Was
13. Gang of Four - I Love A Man In A Uniform
14. Gang of Four - Return The Gift
15. Tim Ray & AV - Quarter To Eight
16. The Subway Sect - Rock and Roll Even
17. The Prefects - Things in General
18. The Teardrops - Teenage Vice
19. Bok Bok - Come Back To Me
20. The Police - Truth Hits Everybody
21. The Adverts - One Chord Wonders
22. Gang of Four - Damaged Goods (EP Version)
23. Gang of Four - You'll Never Pay For The Farm

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for March 1. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

Surfers Choice...Revolution Surf! Show # 340

2011-02-22T15:47:00.002-05:00

Dick Dale is known as “The King of Surf Guitar” for a reason. In the early 60s, Dick Dale incorporated non-Western based scales into his music drawing on an Eastern cultural influence that would be embedded into many of his well known songs. Dale’s desire for a particular sound resulted in a number of things. One, was his use of guitar reverb that resulted in a “wet” guitar sound that would become a definitive sound in Surf music. Two, he pushed the limits of his equipment. Often blowing up guitar amplifiers for his hunger of loud sounds, Leo Fender would work with Dale to redefine not only guitar, and amplifiers, but also volume which until Dale came around wasn’t particularly that loud. Another interesting fact is that Dale is known for stringing his guitar in reverse since he is left handed. He often plays the chords upside down and backwards. Even when he has a left handed guitar in his possession it is stringed upside down.

Dick Dale quickly attracted attention locally for his wild live shows, drawing thousands of fans weekly for his live shows, which were usually at the Rendezvous Ballroom in California. With the Del-Tones as his backing band, Dick Dale released Surfers’ Choice in 1962. Recorded live at the Rendezvous Ballroom in Balboa Beach, California, with some studio overdubs, the twelve track album helped to define the Surf music genre. With songs such as “Let’s Go Trippin’” which is often called the first Surf Rock instrumental recording, it helped to bring the concept of Surf music to parts of America. It should also be noted that “Let’s Go Trippin’” was initially released as a single in 1961 on Deltone Records, where it eventually reached # 60 on the national charts and even higher on local charts. Two more singles followed on Deltone “Jungle Fever” and “Surf Beat”. Following the release of Surfers' Choice, which was released on Deltone (Dick Dale’s own label) he acquired a recording contract with Capitol Records, which garnered him further distribution nationally. Word spread and Dick Dale began appearing on television shows and in films. In 1962, Dick Dale and His Del-Tones released “Misirlou”, which went to # 1 in Los Angeles. The song which is now his signature is a highly influential song and originates from a Folk song that has been played in numerous different languages and music origins such as, Greek Rebetiko, Middle Eastern Belly Dancing, and Jewish Klezmer.

Dick Dale had this to say of the song in the Los Angeles Times in February 1981:

“I still remember the first night we played it ("Misirlou"). I changed the tempo, and just started cranking on that mother. And...it was eerie. The people came rising up off the floor, and they were chanting and stomping. I guess that was the beginning of the surfer's stomp.”

Dick Dale and His Del-Tones recorded King of Surf Guitar for Capitol Records, it was released in 1963. The album featured covers and originals and was named after Dale’s stage name “The King of Surf Guitar”. There are even vocals on some of the tracks by Dale (although there has been vocals on album every Dale album), the album features stand out tracks such as “King of Surf Guitar”, “Have Nagila”, and a cover of “(Ghost) Riders in the Sky”. Dick Dale’s next album on Capitol would be the album known as Checkered Flag. Released in 1963 this is the first album that Dick Dale recorded in the “Hot Rod” style of Surf music. At the time racing, cars, and surfing was deeply embedded in American culture. Many of the songs on the album featured themes relating to car racing and hot rods. Several of the songs actually feature car noises in them. The album was also a shift in Dale’s style. While his first two albums with The Deltones were known as Surf music, his “Hot Rod” Surf music differed with slightly different beats mixed in with elements of his earlier Surf style of music. Checkered Flag’s follow up was Mr. Eliminator in 1964. This album continued the theme of hot-rod’s and cars, but also showed off Dale’s Eastern music influence on the track “The Victor”. Following the release of Mr. Eliminator, Dale would record one more album with His Del-Tones backing him 1964’s Summer Surf.

Summer Surf is often cited as a return to Dick Dale’s early Surf style of music, but it also featured many new elemental features that were not as prominent on early Dick Dale recordings. The album has more of a production based nature, often sounding glossier than previous Dale recordings, reflecting a Phil Spector and Brian Wilson based production style. There are also numerous experimentations stemming from a variety of multi-cultural musical styles. “Spanish Kiss” exercises a Spanish guitar style of music, “The Star (of David)” reflects a Hebrew musical nature, the Gospel stylings on “Glory Wave” and Dale’s own Trumpet lead song “Never On A Sunday” all add to the experimental side of Summer Surf. The song “Banzai Wash Out” is a track amongst the songs found on this album, with its traditional Dick Dale guitar leads, keyboards and vocal harmonies it is undeniably a stand out track found here along with a few others. “Tidal Wave” incorporates an almost Waltz-like sound into Surf, and “Surfin’ Rebel”, and the title track “Summer Surf” all feature elements of classic Dick Dale Surf Rock with horn sections and fascinating guitar leads.

Dick Dale continued to perform live, in 1964 the British Invasion began to take over the charts and America. While a live album was released by Capitol in 1965, Rock out with Dick Dale and his Del-Tones: Live at Ciro's, Dale was dropped from Capitol Records. He remained popular, but in 1966 he was diagnosed with rectal cancer forcing him to temporarily retire from music. Dick Dale beat the cancer and began pursuing other interests, becoming an environmental activist. Dick Dale came back to music in 1986 by recording a benefit single for the UC-Irvine’s Medical Center Burn Unit, he also recorded an album Tigers Loose, which was released in 1986. Dale was also in the beach movie Back To The Beach. While Dale returned to music, his return would take off to greater proportions when his song “Misirlou” was featured in the 1994 movie Pulp Fiction by Quinten Tarentino. Being used as the movies title track, Dick Dale was instantly exposed to a new and wider audience. Most recently Dick Dale’s music has been featured in the Guitar Hero video game series.

It should also be mentioned that today's episode of Revolution Rock (or Revolution Surf if you prefer), was co-hosted by Derk Brigante of CJAM's weekly Surf show Surphony of Derstruction. It can be heard every Tuesday night at 7 PM on CJAM 99.1 FM and streamed/downloaded via http://www.cjam.ca/

Revolution Surf Play List:

The Lively Ones – High Tide
Huevos Rancheros – Huevosaurus
PJ & Artie – Squad Car
Dick Dale & His Del-Tones – Night Rider
The Hot Rodders – The Creamer
Blue Demons – Apache
The Squires – The Sultan
Les Jaguars – Guitaire Extrodinaire
The Rhythm Surfers – 502 (Like Getting Pinched on 502)
Dave Myers Effect – Speed International
The Revelairs – San-Ho-Zay
The Avengers VI – Heartbreak
Looney Tunes – Desert Bound
Dick Dale & His Del-Tones – The Victor
Taekshi Terauchi – Kuroda Bushi
Fifty Foot Combo – Ali Baba
Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet – That Was Ear Me Callin’ A Horse
Atomic 7 – Stab It & Steer It
The Surfdusters – Chill Out
Mark Broadie & The Beaver Patrol – Theme From the Old West
The Von Drats – Church Key
The Robots – Stinky Juliens
The Challengers – Volcanic Action
The Tornadoes – The Gremmie
Dick Dale – Ho-Dad Machine
The Wipeouters – Shut Up, Little Man!
Los Straitjackets – Tempest
Link Wray – The Shadow Knows

If you are interested in the program you may want ot check the comments section.