Changes...

Hey,

I just thought I'd make a post since I changed the layout of the website a bit. It's more punchy, I think. Leave a comment let me know what you think. Once again my show will not be on next week, but it will return the week after (April 3rd) at 9PM.

Don't forget go to the CJAM website and vote for the Jammies!

See you in two weeks.

Here's some cool video's to tide you over in the meantime:

Arctic Monkeys - Brainstorm
The D4 - Party
The Clash - English Civil War (Live)
The Clash - Live in Manchester 1977
Ramones - California Sun (Live)
Dead 60's - Loaded Gun

Fiction Cigarettes ...Show # 138

Here's the play list for show # 138:

1. The Hives – knock knock
2. Arctic Monkeys – brianstorm
3. Fiction Plane – wise
4. Albert Hammond Jr. – in transit
5. The Odds – make you mad
6. Marble Index – I believe
7. The Expos – little red hook
8. Dead 60’s – the last resort
9. Exploding Hearts – not the fall that hurts
10. Love Me Nots – cry
11. Dirty Pretty Things – B.U.R.M.A.
12. Nirvana – serve the servants
13. Franz Ferdinand – fade together
14. The Rapture – pieces of the people that we love
15. Radio 4 – caroline
16. Queens Of The Stone Age – tangled up in plaid
17. The Stooges – the weirdness
18. Rage Against The Machine – new millennium homes
19. Pearl Jam – severed hand
20. Ride Theory – dead radio love
21. Hot, Hot, Heat – this town
22. The D4 – diamond, ruby, stone

Professional Rich Kids ... Show # 137

This weeks show was a collection of mostly obscure punk and new wave/post punk bands. Two bands in particular that I'm going to talk about this week are The Rich Kids and The Professionals.

Rich Kids was a band formed by Glen Matlock after being kicked out of his previous band, Sex Pistols. The band consisted of Glen Matlock (Bass), Steve New (guitar), Midge Ure (vocals), and drummer Rusty Egan. The band formed in 1977, but would only record one album Ghosts of Princes in Towers which came out in 1978. The group was more of an experimental rock group as opposed to punk, but they did mix punk elements into their music. They would break up after one year due to differences between bassist Glen Matlock and vocalist Midge Ure. Ure would go on to sing in Ultravox and Matlock would reappear in music on Iggy Pop's Soldier album (which he played on and helped write). He would also appear in a variety of other bands but in 1996 he reunited with Sex Pistols for their reunion tour. In 2004 he released On Something. 

The Professionals on the other hand was the band that Steve Jones and Paul Cook of Sex Pistols formed after they split up. The Professionals (as the Rich Kids) did not last long. They were around for about two years and have released some albums Professionals (1980) and I Didn't See It Coming (1981). The albums are virtually the same despite a few track changes. The songs are Sex Pistol-ish, but are missing the power of Johnny Rotten. Steve Jones sings the songs, but there are a few good songs here. "Kick Down the Door" and "Crescendo" are great tracks, in 2006 I Didn't See It Coming was released with bonus tracks, some better than the album songs. Songs such as "1-2-3", and "Mods, Skins, Punks" come to mind. In 2005 a greatest hits compilation was also released. The band is interesting to hear due to the fact that Steve Jones is leading the band; if you're a Sex Pistols fan then they are worth checking out. In 1996, Steve Jones and Paul Cook reunited with Sex Pistols (as well as Glen Matlock and Johnny Rotten). He has done various side projects and even appeared on the Johnny Thunders So Alone album along with Paul Cook. Steve Jones currently does a radio show in LA where he plays some of his favourite bands punk and non-punk. He has also had a variety of musical guests such as Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam), Billy Idol, and many others.

Video of The Professionals - 1-2-3
Video of The Professionals - Just Another Dream

For more information on The Professionals and Steve Jones visit:
This site

Here's what was played:

1. Velvet Underground – rock & roll
2. The Bureaucrats – the grown up age
3. Gruesomes – cry in the night
4. Modern Lovers – Pablo Picasso
5. Gang of Four – why theory?
6. Talking Heads – new feeling (alternate version)
7. Rich Kids – ghosts of princes in towers
8. The Professionals – 1-2-3
9. Big Audio Dynamite – harrow road
10. PiL – theme
11. Private School – science friction
12. The Scissors – mystery movie
13. Wire – sand in my joints
14. Devo – love without anger
15. The Dub Rifles – delicate action
16. Fire Engines – hungry beat
17. The Stooges – ATM
18. The Stooges – my idea of fun
19. Chelsea – urban kids
20. Smugglers – the b’n’i
21. The Madness – one step beyond
22. The Specials – you’re wondering now
23. The Victims – television addict
24. Radio Birdman – aloha steve & danno

Tuff scabs & weirdness...Show #136

I'm just going to mention a few thing's this week. First off I played a band called Tuff Darts. They were one of the lesser known bands from the CBGB punk music scene, in the late 70s. The band released their self titled debut in 1978 on Sire records (Ramones and a few other punk bands were also on that label). It was a mix of retro rock and pop. The band would not last long. After getting a new drummer, a new singer was brought in and a new group would be formed Tommy Frenzy. The band was Robert Gordon (vocals), John DeSalvo (Bass), Jeffrey Salen (guitar), Bob Butant (guitar), and James Morrison (Drums). Tuff Darts! was reissued in 2002 in CD form.

The Scabs were Exeter's first punk band to release a record, they formed around 1977. There is not much information on the band because they were short lived. They released a self-titled EP in 1979, which contained four tracks. The band was inspired by the UK punk ethic of do it your self. I played "Armory Building" from their EP.

The Stooges new album came out this week, The Weirdness. It is the first Stooges album since 1973's Raw Power. The album was produced by Steve Albini, and still sounds like The Stooges, and if you're worried about Iggy Pop not sounding good that's not a problem, his voice still sounds great. The album is worth picking up because The Stooges are one of the best bands to come out of the Detroit area. They are also doing a world tour. 

Here's this week's play list:

1. Sex Pistols – holiday in the sun
2. The Chords – breaks my heart
3. The Standells – medication
4. The Damned – fan club
5. Tuff Darts –phone booth man (p.b.m)
6. The Scabs –armory building
7. The Nerves – working too hard
8. Demics – the grey and the black
9. Avengers – we are the one
10. The Dishrags - i don't love you
11. Active Dog – nothing holding you
12. Female Hands – divided by three
13. The Stooges – trollin’
14. The Stooges – you can’t have friends
15. The Only Ones – city of fun
16. Generation X – Kleenex
17. Television – marquee moon
18. Richard Hell & The Voidoids – walking on the water
19. Cheap Trick – hello there
20. The Stray Cats – (she’s) sexy + 17
21. Teenage Head – total love
22. The Diodes – red rubber ball
23. The Visitors – euro girls
24. Suburban Reptiles - megaton
25. Young Canadians - don't tell me
26. 101'ers - letsagetabitarockin'
27. Ultravox! - satday night in the city of the dead

Surfin' in the Garage...Show # 135

This week I did an entirely different show, one that was all surf rock and garage rock instead of good old punk rock. Why? for some variety, also because I've been collecting and listening to surf rock and garage rock for quite some time. I had so much of it I figured I'd play some it on CJAM for some variety. I'd also like to point out that this show was just a mix of bands I thought sounded surfish or garageish. I played The Who and The Kinks. These guys are kind of garagey at times, they influenced early punk in my opinion. Sex Pistols loved The Who and they used to cover "Substitute" in concert. The Clash also loved both these bands. They opened for The Who in the 80's and have stated that they practiced Kinks songs when first starting out. In fact the song "Dead End Street" eerily sounds like The Clash's "London Calling". 

I will talk briefly of two bands this week one surf and one garage. First the surf band, The Ventures. The Ventures formed in 1959 in Tacoma, Washington. They were a popular instrumental band. They would have many hits and charted singles/albums, but their larger fan base would be in Japan. Originally stemming from the group The Impacts, Bob Wilson and Don Wilson formed a group. After getting a bass player Nokie Edwards and a drummer Howie Johnston The Ventures were in place. The band would cover many different types of music for example, garage rock, psychedelic, and of course surf (which is what they started out doing). The band would also do TV Themes, one of the most notable being the theme song for the TV show Hawaii Five-O; it would reach #4 on the charts in 1969. After this around the early 70s, the band would focus more on the Japan music market. The band would continue to play, members came and went and played through out the 80's and even in 1996.

Now for the garage band. The Sonics are a band from Tacoma Washington as well. The band was a unique and raw sounding band. They are defined as garage rock, but they are just a early rock and roll group. The band was Gerry Rosalie (vocals, piano/organ),Bob Bennett (drums), Andy Parypa (guitar), Larry Parypa (Bass) originally. The band was influenced by bands such as The Kinks and early blues from the 50s. The bands recordings are rough, raw and gritty. They were a big local attraction and influenced many bands, but never made it out of the Washington area. The band would not last long at all, they would break up in the late 60s (they formed in the mid-60s). Many bands have been influenced by them today too.  Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder is a Sonics fan, also the Pointed Sticks a Canadian band played on my show have covered "The Witch" which The Sonics have done.

A variety of bands were played this week from obscure Canadian bands like The Ugly Ducklings to Atomic 7, to more familiar bands such as The Beach Boys and The Who. Most of the bands that were played this week and are classified as garage rock, were influential or were a prelude to what was going to become punk rock in the late 70s. The Who definitely had a larger impact on early punk, The Count Five were also influential on Sex Pistols. Next Week I will return to my original format of punk and punk inspired rock, it will be loud, angry, and awesome so tune in next week to CJAM 91.5 FM Wednesday at 9pm (or stream it at www.cjam.ca).

Here's what was played:

1. Dick Dale & His Deltones – miserlou
2. The Chantays – pipeline
3. The Challengers – one man flight
4. The Charms – so romantic
5. The Vipers – cheated and lied
6. Ugly Ducklings – nothin’
7. Great Scots – ball and chain
8. Jury – who dat
9. Atomic 7 – she’s got haggar party slacks
10. Atomic 7 – seven stranded castanets
11. Surf Trio – crash
12. The Torpedoes – torpedoes
13. Aqua Velvets – subterranean
14. Secrets – cryin’ over her
15. One Way Street – I see the light
16. The Stems – she’s a monster
17. Dick Dale & His Deltones – surf beat
18. The Ventures – dick tracy
19. The Ventures – Hawaii five-o
20. The Trashmen – surfin’ bird
21. The Missing Links – some kind of fun
22. The Kinks – till the end of the day
23. The Who – Out in the Street
24. The Fun Things – lipstick
25. The Tornadoes – bustin’ surfboards
26. The Sonics – it’s all right
27. Thundermug – Africa
28. Metalunas – blast off!
29. Phono Comb – pummeled
30. The Count Five – pretty big mouth
31. The Beach Boys –surfin’ safari
32. The Beach Boys – shutdown

White and Red Blood Cells ... Show # 134

This post used to feature information on The White Stripes and The Raconteurs.  For more information on The White Stripe please visit the following links:

The White Stripes De Stijl: An Article About De Stijl

The White Stripe Elephant: An Article About The 10th Anniversary of Elephant

Also I played "Myxomatosis" by Radiohead. The song is from their 2003 album Hail To The Thief and is about a disease introduced to the Britain rabbit population to help control it. Last year singer Thom Yorke released a solo album and now Radiohead have no record label, but Radiohead still show interest in playing and recording music. Next week I will be doing a show devoted entirely to garage rock and surf music. Bands such as The Ventures, Dick Dale, The Missing Links, The Vipers and many more obscure, but great bands. Be sure to check this show out next week because it will definitely be a different one.

Here's the play list:

1. The Clash – radio one
2. The Police – shadows in the rain
3. Pointed Sticks – true love
4. Gruesomes – hey!
5. Buzzcocks – sixteen again (BBC Session)
6. Pointed Sticks - 1-2
7. Ramones – Chinese rocks
8. Terrorways – never been to Borstal
9. The Saints – (I’m) stranded
10. Undertones – emergency cases
11. Dishrags – I don’t love you
12. Actionauts – party dog
13. Iggy Pop – loco mosquito
14. Talking Heads – found a job
15. Blondie – call me
16. Pretenders – Thumbelina
17. Fratellis - flathead
18. The Ride Theory – on fire
19. White Stripes - hypnotize
20. The D4 - rocknrule
21. Albert Hammond Jr. – postal blowfish
22. Sloan – suppose they close the door
23. Radiohead – myxomatosis
24. Richard Hell & The Voidoids - love comes in spurts

This is not it... & Show 133

This post used to feature information about The Strokes. You can find more information on The Strokes in these two posts:

The Strokes Angled: An Article About Angles

50/50: An Article About Comedown Machine

Also, The Police played at the 2007 Grammy Awards on Sunday February 11th. I played "Roxanne" from that performance. The video can be seen here. The Police are set to have a full scale reunion tour this summer, I am and you should be very excited. I also played a very long version of the song "I Need Somebody" by The Stooges. This was taken from the Heavy Liquid box set. The song is basically a jam that is about 18 minutes. It features Iggy Pop discussing how to work out/change the song and him trying different lyrics. The box set also contains various live shows, rehearsal recordings, and studio recordings. For Example, there are multiple takes of the song "I Got A Right".

Here's what was played:

1. The Police – Roxanne (live @ 2007 grammys)
2. Sex Pistols – whatcha gonna do about it
3. The Gruesomes – I’m down
4. The Stooges – I need somebody/sweet child/ I like the way you walk
5. The Clash – police on my back
6. Ramones – all the way (demo)
7. Buzzcocks – lipstick (BBC)
8. Buzzcocks – everybody’s happy nowadays (BBC)
9. Generation X – one hundred punks
10. Smugglers – luau!(live)
11. Modernettes – Barbra
12. The Features – city scenes
13. The Saints – no time
14. Gang of Four – ether (BBC)
15. Talking Heads – a clean break (live)
16. Elvis Costello & The Attractions – no action
17. Public Image Limited – low life
18. XTC – wake up
19. Tricky Woo – let us sing
20. The Strokes – razorblade
21. Albert Hammond Jr. – holiday
22. Sloan – stand by me, yeah

Monkey Puzzle..Show # 132

I played some more obscure stuff this week. First off the song "Simple Love" is a song by The Saints, but not the normal Saints I usually play on my show. This song was taken from their 1981 album Monkey Puzzle. This album is NOT like the other Saints albums.  Chris Bailey (the lead singer) took the band in a different direction, but all the other band members were also different on this release. Ed Keupper (original guitar player) left to pursue a career in Laughing Clowns, a band that fused jazz with punk rock (I also played a song by them on my show). Monkey Puzzle is an average album, it is rock but very, very different; It also features a cover of the song "Dizzy Miss Lizzy" originally by Larry Williams.  The song has also been covered by bands such as The Beatles. The song I played by the Laughing Clowns was "Winter's Way". The song starts off with a pretty good rock riff, but then adds a crazed jazz horn section.  I found this song and played it from the 2005 release Cruel, But Fair which is a 3 CD box set containing all of the Laughing Clowns material.  It is definitely something very different to hear.

I also played a song by Lou Reed titled "Nowhere At All". It is a bonus track from the 2006 remaster of Coney Island Baby. This was the album that Lou Reed made after Metal Machine Music, an album of odd noises and feedback. This was a back to rock basics album for Lou, and it sounds a lot like Velvet Underground. It was originally released in 1976. "Kingdom of Doom" is a song from the band The Good, The Bad & The Queen which I played on the show as well. The album of the same title, is a band put together with Damon Albarn (Blur), Simon Tong (The Verve), Paul Simonon (The Clash), and Tony Allen (Africa 70). The band sounds nothing like the Clash, Blur or even Damon's other side band, Gorillaz. It is melodic rock and an interesting listen. If you liked what you heard you can go buy their album or visit their myspace page to hear more tracks.

Here's the play list:

1. The Jam – a bomb in wardour street
2. Undertones – Jimmy, jimmy
3. Generation X – trying for kicks
4. Teenage Head – picture my face
5. Diodes – Blonde fever
6. Buzzcocks – promises (bbc session)
7. Ramones – danny says
8. Ramones – high risk insurance
9. The Saints – simple love
10. Laughing Clowns – winter’s way
11. Young Canadians – Hawaii
12. The Gruesomes – leave my kitten alone
13. The Police – bombs away
14. The Clash – magnificent dance
15. Big Audio Dynamite – I turned out a punk
16. Magazine – a song from under the floorboards
17. Elvis Costello & The Attractions – radio, radio
18. Lou Reed – nowhere at all
19. Tricky Woo – fly the orient
20. The Ride Theory – parking ticket
21. Sloan – seems so heavy
22. The Good, The Bad & The Queen – kingdom of doom
23. Futureheads – help us out
24. The D4 – savage
25. Albert Hammond Jr. – everyone gets a star
26. The Love Me Nots – mine
27. The Hives – missing link

A Question of Degree ... Show # 131

This week I played songs by The Stooges and Awesome Color. The song I played by The Stooges, "My Idea of Fun" is a newly recorded Stooges track that will appear on their forthcoming release The Weirdness in March; you can hear a streamed version of the song at their myspace page. Awesome Color is a band that is originally from Ann Arbor, Michigan, but relocated to Brooklyn. The band sounds like a combination of The Stooges, Black Sabbath, and Mudhoney. I played "It's Your Time" from their self titled 2006 release.

Finally I played two songs by a band called The Love Me Nots. The two songs, "Move in Tight" and "Voice in My Head" were from their album In Black & White. The band is a combination of various elements. They are influenced by garage rock bands such as the Sonics, and the Fuzztones, but also by surf music such as Dick Dale. They also have some punk in them, they use a lot of organ on their songs which reminds me of Elvis Costello & The Attractions. The Love Me Nots are a very cool band from Arizona.

This page used to contain a post about the band Wire.  A reworked more informative post on the band can be found in my Outdoor Miners Post. 

Here's the play list:

1. The Adverts – one chord wonders
2. The Only Ones – another girl, another planet
3. The Stooges – my idea of fun
4. The Furies – what do you want me to be
5. The Enigmas – teenage barnacle
6. Tell-Tale Hearts – I get up in the morning
7. The Damned – liar
8. Generation X – your generation
9. Sex Pistols – (I’m not your) stepping stone
10. Buzzcocks – noise annoys (BBC)
11. Ramones – it’s not my place (in the 9 to 5 world)
12. The Gruesomes –whirlpool
13. Pointed Sticks – waiting for the real thing
14. Gang of Four – armalite rifle
15. The Police – driven to tears
16. The Saints – looking for the sun
17. The Clash – clampdown
18. The Clash – rocker’s galore…UK tour
19. Marble Index – what we need
20. Sloan – work cut out
21. Wire – two people in a room
22. Awesome Color – it’s your time
23. The D4 – peepshow
24. The Rapture – crimson red
25. The Love Me Nots - move in tight
26. The Love Me Nots - voice in my head
27. The Hives - no pun intended

The Public Image...Show # 130

This page used to feature a profile on the Post Punk band Public Image Limited. I have expanded this post to include greater detail on PiL. It can be found in my Poptones: The Story of Public Image Limited post.

I played some songs this week by The Smugglers and The Shades. Both are Canadian punk bands from Vancouver during 1977-1988. I also played two songs from a John Peel BBC Session by Buzzcocks, and another BBC Session from Elvis Costello & The Attractions. Buzzcocks BBC Sessions are now out of print, and I don't think Elvis Costello released his BBC Sessions. The Peel Sessions for Buzzcocks can now be found on the expanded deluxe editions of their first three albums (Another Music in a Different Kitchen, Love Bites, and A Different Kind of Tension). Finally I played two songs by the Canadian band Sloan live on a Spanish TV show called ipop. The songs were "Try To Make It", a song recorded for A Sides Win, a greatest hits compilation from 2005, and "Judy is a Punk" which is a cover of a Ramones song. It is pretty cool to hear Sloan doing a Ramones song. You can actually watch the performance on you tube by clicking here

Here's the Play list from my show:

1. Generation X – from the heart
2. MC5 – teenage lust
3. Smugglers – revenge
4. The Wrong - prisons of our isolation
5. The Shades – new clientele
6. Undertones – true confessions
7. Buzzcocks – fast cars (BBC)
8. Buzzcocks – moving away from the pulsebeat (BBC)
9. The Saints – save me
10. Ramones – sleeping troubles (demo)
11. The Gruesomes – I need you
12. The Clash – justice tonight
13. Suburban Reptiles – Saturday night, stay at home
14. The Police – when the world is running down you make the best of what's still around
15. Talking Heads – pulled up
16. Elvis Costello & The Attractions – pump it up (BBC)
17. PiL – public image
18. The Odds – someone who’s cool
19. The Ride Theory – alright
20. Dirty Pretty Things – no signal, no battery (demo)
21. Rage Against The Machine – new millennium homes
22. The D4 – too stupid
23. Sloan – try to make it (live ipop)
24. Sloan – judy is a punk (live ipop)
25. Sloan - Iggy & Angus (Live 4 Nights at the Palais Royale)
26. The D4 - do no right

They Say What They Mean...

Hey I just thought I'd make a post about the Sloan show from Saturday January 20th. First off a band from Toronto called Spiral Beach, opened the show. They are a weird mix of music. They are quite an odd little band from Toronto.

Before Sloan came on stage, the music that was playing through the speakers was mostly old punk music, that I regularly play on my radio show I Heard MC5 "American Ruse", The Clash "Drug Stabbing Time", Buzzcocks, and Ramones. Sloan came on stage around 10-ish. They played a total of 30 songs. Most of the concert consisted of new stuff from Never Hear The End Of It, but that's not a bad thing. It was interesting to see the band members switch positions. It happened twice, when drummer Andrew Scott was to sing his songs, he went on guitar/vocals, Jay Ferguson went on bass, and bassist Chris Murphy went to drums, Patrick Pentland stayed on guitar. It was a great live show that rocked, and they sounded so good. Sloan played something from almost every album. Twenty songs from Never Hear The End of It, two songs from Navy Blues, three from One Chord To Another, two from Pretty Together, one song from Twice Removed, and one from their greatest hits compilation A Sides Win. It was a nice mix of material, and it was an awesome concert to see.

Here's their set list/what they played:

Flying High Again
Who Taught You To Live Like That?
Will I Belong?
Ill Placed Trust
The Other Man
The Lines You Amend
Fading Into Obscurity
Golden Eyes
Love Is All Around
Living With the Masses
HFXNSHC
Blackout
All Used up
C'Mon C'Mon (We're Gonna Get It Started)
Everybody Wants You
I Understand
You Know What It's About
Someone I Can Be True With
Money City Maniacs
I Can't Sleep
I Know You
Something's Wrong
I've Gotta Try
Everything You've Done Wrong
Can't You Figure It Out
Pen Pals
The Good In Everyone
Another Way I Could Do It

Encore
Chester the Molester
If It Feels Good Do It

Sloan-Mania! - Show # 129

This week I did a show devoted entirely to the band Sloan. Why? Well one reason is because Sloan is an awesome rock band, the other is simple. Sloan is playing a concert at St. Andrews Hall in Detroit this Saturday, January 20th. I played at least one song from every Sloan album and one rare track.

Sloan formed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1991. Jay Ferguson and Chris Murphy initially played in a local band that was called Kearney Lake Rd. The other members (Patrick Pentland, and Andrew Scott) met and came together while at the Nova Scotia School of Art and Design. In 1992 Sloan recorded the Peppermint EP. It contained six songs one of which was "Underwhelmed" a song that would be a Canadian hit when re-recorded for their first full length album Smeared; it was also released on their own label, Murder Records. Smeared was released in 1992/1993, it was a very grunge-sounding album. It sounded very much like indie grunge bands such as Sonic Youth, but it also showed their pop Beatles-ish side. On my show I played "Take it In" and " Two Seater" from Smeared.

Next came what many people called at the time one of the greatest Canadian albums ever recorded, Twice Removed. This album was a different sounding record than its predecessor, it was not as grungy, it was more pop and indie sounding. The album featured songs like "Coax Me", " People of the Sky", and "Shame, Shame". These last two were played on my show this week. During this time Sloan was signed to DCG, Geffen Records. The label poorly promoted the band in the United States, the band did very well on the Canadian Market,but the US market was not promoted well by the label. Around this time Sloan took a break, and considered splitting up. During this time the band also pursued side projects, but decided to come back together and recorded 1996's One Chord To Another. The band switched label's, they signed to a division of EMI Records.

1996's One Chord To Another was a huge success in Canada, and the US when it was released there in 1997. This album was a dramatic jump in terms of musical ability by the band and remains one of their, if not their best albums to date. Also import version of this album came with a 10 track bonus disc titled Live At A Sloan Party. The disc featured two Sloan tracks and the rest were cover songs ranging from bands like Roxy Music, and Jonathan Richman, to the Everly Brothers. After this 1998's Navy Blues was recorded and released. The album was yet another expansion upon their Beatles-ish sound from One Chord To Another. It also featured the song "Money City Maniacs" which was a huge hit for the band. It was an album that is equally as great as One Chord To Another.

Next, came a double live album 4 Nights at the Palais Royale, and the album Between the Bridges. Between the Bridges was a more of a experimental record, it was very poppy, but more like retro pop songs. after this album came 2001's Pretty Together. This album featured the song "If It Feels Good Do It", a great rock song, that is very AC/DC-ish. The rest of the album was a mix of melodic songs, but it was different than their previous albums.

2003 saw the release of Action Pact. An album where Sloan attempted to make all rock songs. The album is the only album that did not feature any songs written by drummer Andrew Scott. All members of the band write and sing their songs (as The Beatles did), just not all the time. The majority of the songs come from guitarist Patrick Pentland and Bassist Chris Murphy. The album is not bad, but definitely not one of Sloan's best albums. In 2005 a greatest hits compilation was released titled A Sides Win. It featured two new songs "All Used Up' a distorted rocker, and "Try To Make It" a rock song with Irish sounding synthesizer parts.

Never Hear The End of It, was released in 2006. it features 30 tracks some not even being one minute long. It is another Beatles-ish album but also contains great rock songs. It features songs from every Sloan band member including Guitarist Jay Ferguson, who didn't have a single since 1996; the single from this album was "Who Taught You To Live Like That". "HFXNSHC" is another song I'd like to mention, it is a fast punk song and almost a hardcore song. It is about the Halifax, Nova Scotia Hardcore scene, and is not longer a minute and a half.

Sloan Play List:

1. underwhelmed (Peppermint EP 1992)
2. take it in (Smeared 1992)
3. two seater (Smeared 1992)
4. People of the sky (Twice Removed 1994)
5. Shame, Shame (Twice Removed 1994)
6. the good in everyone (One Chord To Another 1996)
7. autobiography (One Chord To Another 1996)
8. G turns to D (One Chord To Another 1996)
9. Can’t face up (One Chord To Another 1996)
10. dignified and old (Live at a Sloan Party 1996)
11. she says what she means (Navy Blues 1998)
12. money city maniacs (Navy Blues 1998)
13. sinkin’ ships (Navy Blues 1998)
14. on the horizon (Navy Blues 1998)
15. sensory deprivation (Between the Bridges 1999)
16. take care of the poor boy (Between the Bridges 1999)
17. if it feels good do it (Pretty Together 2001)
18. never seeing the ground for the sky (Pretty Together 2001)
19. ready for you (Action Pact 2003)
20. I was wrong (Action Pact 2003)
21. all used up (A Sides Win 2005)
22. living with the masses (Never Hear The End of It 2006)
23. HFXNSHC (Never Hear The End of It 2006)

Marble Indexing, and show #128

On this weeks show I played a variety of Canadian bands that I've never played before; I'll just mention a few of them. The Marble Index are a three-piece from Hamilton, Ontario. They first started in 2001, the band some say sound garage rock. They are just a good fashioned rock n' roll band, some of their influences range from The Clash, The Jam, The Who, and many other Canadian artists. Their most current release is Watch Your Candles, Watch Your Knives. I played the song "All That I Know" from this album.

Next up, The Ride Theory. They are yet another band from Hamilton, Ontario. They are also fairly newer, they first started out in around 2002, and released their first album, The Ride Theory that same year. The song that was played on tonight's show was "I'm On Board", which is a song from their current 2006 release, In This City. They sound kind of garagey like Marble Index, but they have more of an edge, they sound post-punk almost. You can tell by listening to the band that they liked Iggy Pop and the stooges, and early punk rock. They are also influenced by surf rock.  (Note:  The Ride Theory are now known as Young Rival.)

Two other quick notes, the song "Olio" by The Rapture is not the same version as on their 2003 album Echoes. It was a more rock version of the song from their 1999 album Mirror. Finally, the song "Love Reign O'er Me" was a cover that Pearl Jam did for a new Adam Sandler movie of the same name. It can be found on their most recent Christmas single.

Next week I will be doing a show devoted entirely to the Canadian band Sloan. Sloan are playing a concert at St. Andrews Hall on January 20th. So if you'd like make a request for next weeks show by leaving a comment at the end of this post, I will play the song you want next week.

Here's the play list from this week:

1. The Saints – the chameleon
2. The Scavengers – mysterex
3. The Kings – this beat goes on
4. The Kings - switchin’ to glide
5. Richard Hell & The Voidoids – water
6. Iggy & The Stooges – scene of the crime
7. Black Sabbath – rat salad
8. Ramones – come on now
9. Ramones – kicks to try (demo)
10. Buzzcocks – I look alone
11. The Clash – gates of the west
12. U2 – streetmission
13. Radio Birdman – didn’t tell the man
14. The Police – man in a suitcase
15. The Ride Theory – I’m on board
16. Tokyo Police Club – nature of the experience
17. Flash Bastard – bastard radio
18. The Rapture – olio (1999 mirror version)
19. The Subways – oh yeah
20. Marble Index – all that I know
21. Sloan – hollow head
22. The Hives – born to cry (dion and the belmonts cover)
23. The D4 – out of control (limespiders cover)
24. Pearl Jam - love reign o'er me (the who cover)
25. Rage Against The Machine - in my eyes (minor threat cover)

Scavengers, Nerves, and a Police Reunion? Show #127

As my first show of the year 2007 I played a couple of bands I've never played on my show before. First was The Scavengers. The Scavengers were a band from Auckland, New Zealand in 1977. They were influenced by bands such as Sex Pistols, The Stooges, and The New York Dolls. They broke up around 1978/79, and never had any album released officially. They did record a 12 song demo, that finally saw the light of day in 2003 (they have had various songs released on compilations before hand). The band split up and would go onto other bands, Brendan Perry would later form Dead Can Dance.

The Nerves were a band formed by Jack Lee, Peter Case, and Paul Collins. The Nerves EP would be released in 1979, it contained four songs. "Hanging On The Telephone" was the song played on tonight's show, but most people mistake it as a Blondie song. Blondie did cover the very same song, but it was originally done by The Nerves. After the short Nerves career, Peter Case would form the Plimsouls, and Paul Collins The Beat;Jack Lee had a short solo career.

Compulsive Gamblers are a band from Memphis Tennessee. They formed in the 90's, "Stop & Think It Over" was the song played on tonight's show. I first heard the song being covered by the Swedish punk band, The Hives. The song is taken from the bands 2000 album, Crystal Gazing Luck Amazing. I also played songs from various John Peel BBC sessions form Buzzcocks, The Cure, and Madness.


Also it has circulated around the Internet as a rumour that The Police will be reforming for a tour this year. It is just in the rumour stage, but it looks likely that this will happen. Along with a tour, a set of releases are set to come out as part of the 30th anniversary of their single "Roxanne".

Here's the play list:

1. The Jam – Billy hunt
2. The Nerves – hanging on the telephone
3. The Scavengers – true love
4. Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers – flight (early demo)
5. Undertones – you’ve got my number (why don’t you use it)
6. Buzzcocks – what do I get (BBC session)
7. The Demics – the 400 blows
8. Teenage Head – brand new cadillac
9. The Saints – this time
10. The Clash – groovy times
11. The Clash – capital radio two
12. Iggy Pop – girls
13. The Cure – 10:15 Saturday night (BBC Session)
14. Talking Heads – who is it (1975 cbs demo)
15. Ramones – we want the airwaves
16. Ramones – you sound like your sick
17. The Police – someone to talk to
18. Hot, Hot, Heat – eyes ear mouth (demo)
19. Sloan – live on
20. The Rakes – retreat
21. Compulsive Gamblers – stop & think it over
22. The Specials – ghost town
23. The D4 – omerta
24. Madness - the prince (BBC Session)

Show #126 Best of 2006

For my last show of 2006, I decided to do a best releases of 2006 show. I played new albums, reissues/remasters, and box sets. The order of the songs somewhat constitutes a list of the order of my favourite releases from 2006. There were some that didn't make the list, as far as overall releases which includes remasters, box sets, and new albums, this is what I thought of the music of 2006.



I just wanted to mention my favourite release of 2006 is the doors of perception box set. This set includes all of The Doors albums, as well as bonus tracks and videos. I played "Twentieth Century Fox" which is a song originally from The Doors first self titled album. According to the box sets linear notes, the first Doors album is not the correct speed. It is down a few steps, as a result of something that happened during the mastering process when copying from the master tapes. The box set includes a mix of the album at the correct speed (as well as the other way it has always been), and I played from the corrected speed version. It may be hard to notice, but if you were to listen to both versions of the album you can tell the difference, one is a little bit slower, and one is a little bit faster.

My second favourite release was the singles box set from The Clash. Since I've already posted about this box set, I will not discuss it any further. "I Fought The Law" was played from it though. My third favourite releases was the self titled Pearl Jam album. Pearl Jam was released in May of 2006. The album shows that Pearl Jam still can rock, even though they've made so many albums, and that they show no signs of stopping. "Unemployable" was played, it is a track that was written by drummer Matt Cameron and sounds very much like Pearl Jam doing a Black Sabbath song, in my opinion. If I were to choose albums that are composed of completely new material, this would be my top pick of 2006.

Unfortunately the Godfather of Soul, James Brown passed away on December 25th, 2006. James Brown has left behind a legacy of music that has influenced millions. A good majority of his songs have been sampled in various rap songs, he has also influenced bands such as The Clash, who have cited him as an influence for their funky songs. James Brown was a great musician, and his music will forever stand the test of time. I played "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag" from the album Soul On Top. It is one of my favourite James Brown tracks, the version from Soul On Top, is a live version.

Here's: what was played:

1. Mudhoney – empty shells
2. Pointed Sticks – somebody’s mom
3. Albert Hammond Jr. – call me an ambulance
4. Neil Young – after the garden
5. Sublime – paddle out
6. Sex Pistols – Liar (spunk version)
7. Wire – three girl rhumba
8. The Jam – the place I love
9. Red Hot Chili Peppers – make you feel better
10. Talking Heads – stay hungry
11. Johnny Cash – further on up the road
12. Bob Dylan – someday baby
13. Incubus – rogues
14. Arctic Monkeys – red light indicates the doors are secure
15. Rapture – pieces of the people that we love
16. Radio 4 – enemies like this
17. Audioslave – nothing left to say but goodbye
18. Dirty Pretty Things – enemy
19. Sloan – something’s wrong
20. Sloan – another way I could do it
21. Raconteurs – level
22. The Strokes – red light
23. Pearl Jam – unemployable
24. The Clash – I fought the law
25. The Doors – twentieth century fox
26. James Brown - papa's got a brand new bag

Happy Holidays Show #125

Holiday Themed Play List:

1. Pearl Jam – don’t believe in Christmas (sonics cover)
2. Pearl Jam – someday at Christmas (Jackson five cover)
3. The Sonics – santa claus
4. Chuck Berry – run Rudolph run
5. 101’ers – silent telephone
6. Buzzcocks – I don’t mind
7. Buzzcocks – moving away from the pulsebeat (edit)
8. The Clash – city of the dead
9. The Clash – clash city rockers
10. Diodes – terminal rock (alternate version)
11. The Damned – stretcher case
12. Iggy Pop – tell me a story
13. Talking Heads – I want to live (1975 cbs demo)
14. The Police – once upon a daydream
15. Hot, Hot, Heat – aveda
16. The Saints – security (Brisbane city)
17. Ramones – Merry Christmas (I don’t want to fight)
18. Ramones – I believe in miracles
19. Sloan – before the end of the race
20. Sloan - blackout
21. The D4 – don’t believe in xmas (sonics cover)
22. Exploding Hearts – teenage faces
23. Mudhoney – the straight life
24. Billy Idol - jingle bell rock
25. U2 - xanax and wine
26. Television - see no evil
27. Bob Dylan - outlaw blues
28. MC5 - looking at you
29. Sloan - right or wrong

The Clash Singles Box Set & Show #124

On October 30th, The Clash released a 19-CD limited edition box set. On this box set are all the Clash's singles packaged individually as the original singles were but in CD form. The CD's contain a black surface on the back, as did The Rolling Stones, The Who's, and The Buzzcocks singles box sets.

On these CDS you also get bonus tracks. Some are dub versions/remixes of songs, some not. You get all The Clash singles and B-sides, and it also comes with a thick booklet. In the book you get musicians, fans, and friends of the band commenting on individual tracks. Some of the people that comment are Pete Townshend (The Who),Chris Shifflet (Foo Fighters), and Irvine Welsh (Author of Trainspotting). The actual sound of the songs appear to be of higher quality than all previous Clash remasters. It is definitely worth the price of the box set. It is a must for any Clash fan. For more information and more pictures of the single sleeves visit:

The Clash Single Box Set Website.

Here's the playlist from the show:

1. The Damned – politics
2. Modernettes – new society
3. Sex Pistols – anarchy in the UK (demo)
4. Diodes – no right to make me bleed
5. The Beat – two swords
6. The Saints – the prisoner
7. Buzzcocks – orgasm addict
8. Buzzcocks – oh, shit!
9. Pointed Sticks – waiting for your love
10. The Clash – white riot (uk single version)
11. The Clash – 1977
12. The Police – so lonely
13. Talking Heads – thank you for sending me an angel (1975 cbs demo)
14. Gang of Four – guns before butter (BBC session)
15. Pretenders – my city was gone
16. Ramones – highest trails above
17. Ramones – time has come today
18. Hot, Hot, Heat – oh, Goddamnit
19. Iggy Pop – don't look down
20. Sloan – flying high again
21. Sloan – ana lucia
22. The Exploding Hearts – busy signals (unreleased version)
23. The D4 – stops me cold
24. 101’ers – surf city
25. Mudhoney – it is us
26. Blur – M.O.R
27. The Clash – rock the casbah

Hey Ho! Let's Go! & Show #123

This post used to feature information about the Ramones. For a longer more complete history on the Ramones visit these links:

Gabba Gabba Hey: The Ramones Story Part One
Rock N' Roll Radio: The Story of the Ramones Part Two

Here's the play list:

1. Television - Friction (alternate version)
2. The Damned - don't cry wolf
3. Undertones - family entertainment
4. Generation X - stars looked down
5. Buzzcocks - whatever happened to?
6. Buzzcocks - what do I get?
7. Sex Pistols - holidays in the sun
8. The Police - next to you
9. Ramones - what'd ya do?
10. Ramones - psycho therapy
11. The Clash - remote control
12. The Clash - police & thieves
13. The Saints - crazy googenheimer blues
14. The Diodes - weekend
15. Modernettes - new society
16. Hot, Hot, Heat - get in or get out
17. XTC - this is pop
18. Iggy Pop - five foot one
19. Talking Heads - sugar on my tongue (1975 CBS demo)
20. The Pretenders - time the avenger
21. Sloan - I can't sleep
22. Sloan - someone I can be true with
23. Radio 4 - packing up things on the scene
24. The D4 - trust nobody
25. Exploding Hearts - shattered (you left me)

Flash As Hell & Show #122

Generation X, were a punk band that formed in 1976 around the same time as the UK punk scene. The name came from a book of the same title, which was about the mod scene in Britain. The band consisted of Billy Idol (vocals), Tony James (Bass), Bob Andrews (guitar), and original Subway Sect drummer Mark Laff on drums; The band originally had John Towe as their drummer, but Laff replaced him just before they signed to Chrysalis Records. The songs were written by both Billy Idol and Tony James (Billy providing the music, Tony the lyrics most of the time). The bands first incarnation was within the group Chelsea, with Gene October. Idol and James would leave this group and then form Generation X.

Signed to Chrysalis Records, their first self titled album came out in 1978. It is a harsh sounding album that fits in well with all the bands of the time. People always seemed to downplay Generation X because they were seen as "pretty boys". Generation X were deeply influenced by literature read by Billy Idol, The Who, Sex Pistols, and other classic rock bands. Some people say that they come off sounding like a very early version of Green Day, but most of Generation X's first album had a sound that was not unlike early Clash, Sex Pistols, and Buzzcocks. The bands first album was produced by Martin Rushnet (he would go on to produce the likes of Buzzcocks, XTC, and Stranglers). The album contained songs that lyrically made reference to everyday life in Britain, as well as other topics. The album contained notable songs such as "Day By Day", "One Hundred Punks", "From the Heart", "Promises, Promises" and "Kiss Me Deadly". "Kiss Me Deadly" was a slower ballad sounding track. "Ready Steady Go" was a hit in the UK charts, it went to # 47, they would also appear on Top of the Pops. They were one of the first punk bands to appear on the show, many felt it was un-punk to do so. The band also covered John Lennon's "Gimme Some Truth", which appeared on US versions of Generation X.

In 1979, Valley of the Dolls was released. Named after a book of the same title, Valley of the Dolls was different than their first self titled release. It showed the band going into a harder glam rock direction. Most people overlook this album, but it contains songs like "Valley of the Dolls", "English Dream", and the Elvis Presley influenced song "King Rocker". The album was produced by Mott the Hoople's Ian Hunter. The album did feature a few hit singles as well. "King Rocker" (#11), "Friday's Angels" (#62), and "Valley of the Dolls" (#23). The band began to have disagreements about the musical direction during/after this album. Some wanted to stay true to the bands original punk sound and some wanted to keep going into a harder rock direction.

After this the band actually recorded material for a third album, that came off sounding very new wave. It would eventually be called Sweet Revenge, but it would not be found until much later on. It was released in 2003, and actually features an early version of "Dancing with Myself" which is better than the version you're used to. Other great tracks are "Flash As Hell" and "Anna Smile". The band then split, but still released one more album in 1981, with a few different members. Kiss Me Deadly, featured the song "Dancing With Myself", and others that are on Sweet Revenge. The album featured different guitar players (Steve Jones from Sex Pistols, and Steve New) along with original Clash drummer, Terry Chimes. The band name would be shortened to Gen X. After this the band split up until they reunited in 1993, Billy Idol went on to front a successful solo career (using Generation X's version of "Dancing With Myself" as a single), Tony James went on to form the glam-punk band, Sigue Sigue Sputnik. He now is in the band Carbon/Silicon with Mick Jones from the Clash. Bob Andrews and Mark Laff would form the short lived band Empire. They released one album Expensive Sound; It was reissued in 2003. All of the Generation X albums have been re-released remastered with bonus tracks.

The song I Played by Generation X was "I Dig Everything" a song from the Sweet Revenge Era of the band. It can be found on the Generation X Anthology. For more Generation X/Billy Idol info visit this page.

I also played a live medley by The Hives. This was recorded for a Swedish TV show on October 20th, 2006. The Hives played a medley which consisted of seven songs, six of them being cover songs. Here is a list of the songs included in that medley:

1. List of Demands (Originally by Saul Williams)
2. Hey Ya! (Originally by Outkast)
3. Two thieves (Originally by Compulsive Gamblers)
4. Gotta Get Some Action Now! (Originally by Hellacopters)
5. Stay Fly (Originally by Three 6 Mafia)
6. Seven Nation Army (Originally by White Stripes)
7. Hate To Say I Told You So (A song by The Hives)

I just thought I'd add that the song "Hey Ya!" by Outkast was said to be inspired by The Hives, after seeing one of their live shows. Here's a link to watch the actual full performance of these seven songs by The Hives:

The Hives - Live Medley on Swedish TV

Here's what was played:

1. Buzzcocks - time's up
2. Buzzcocks - boredom
3. Sex Pistols - liar
4. The Damned - problem child
5. The Police - nothing achieving
6. The Clash - Janie jones
7. The Clash - career opportunities
8. Ramones - little bit o'soul
9. Ramones - outsider
10. Modernettes - no tears
10. Generation X - I dig everything
11. The Diodes - jenny's in a sleep world
12. The Saints - church of indifference
13. Elvis Costello & The Attractions - (what's so funny about) peace, love, and understanding?
14. Big Audio Dynamite - I turned out a punk
15. XTC - sgt rock (is going to help me)
16. Hot, Hot, Heat - no, not now
17. Sloan - ill placed trust
18. Iggy Pop - I'm bored
19. The D4 - what I want
20. The Hives - live medley
21. The Sonics - he's waitin'
22. 101'ers - letsagetabitarockin'
23. Nirvana - been a son
24. The Jam - modern world

Music For Pleasure & Show #121

Hey this week I had a really loud show, anyways, I'll be talking about The Damned this week. The Damned started off in a pool of musicians, in the late 70's among the musicians in this circle was Mick Jones (The Clash), Billy Idol (Generation X), and Chrisie Hynde (The Pretenders),and many others. The Damned formed just as punk was starting to pick up and scare people in the late 70's in the UK, in fact they were the first UK punk band that got a single released (it was "New Rose" in 1976). The band is influenced by MC5, The Stooges, The Beatles, and Sex Pistols, among others . The band formed in 1975/76 with Dave Vanian (Vocals), Brian James (guitar), Captain Sensible (Bass), and Rat scabies (Drums). The band was quite odd, lead singer Dave Vanian, dressed as a vampire on stage, the band has songs that dealt with things in sarcastic ways.

In 1977, Damned, Damned, Damned was released, it was the bands first full length album and the first UK punk album to be released. It was produced by Nick Lowe, there were some rumours that the album was actually sped up to sound faster, but this is just a rumour and is not known for sure. The album was energetic fast, and the first punk album the UK had to offer to the world. The follow up album Music For Pleasure, came out in 1978 and was produced by Nick Mason from Pink Floyd. The band originally wanted Syd Barrett from Pink Floyd to produce it, but they settled for Mason. The album has some great tracks and great song writing on it. It is often over looked by many because it doesn't sound exactly the same as the bands first album. The album is really great and I pick it as my favourite Damned album. After this album, Brian James decided to leave the group, he was the main song writer, but the band decided to keep going.

The band members switched positions, Captain Sensible went to guitar, and Ex-Saints bassist Algy Ward joined up with the group for their next album that would be titled Machine Gun Etiquette; it was released in 1979. The album turned out to be just as good as when The Damned had Brian James with them. After that bassists would keep switching and the band would continue to revolve members and play for along time. An album was released in 2001 titled Grave Disorder. The Damned were an odd band, they had quirky senses of humour and a vampire as a lead singer, they are definitely worth checking out.

The song played tonight was "One Way Love" from the album Music For Pleasure.

Here's the play list:
1. Ramones - teenage lobotomy
2. Ramones - I don't care
3. Sex Pistols - bodies
4. Modernettes - teen city
5. The Diodes - terminal rock
6. Undertones - my perfect cousin
7. The Clash - what's my name
8. The Clash - cheat
9. The Police - landlord
10. Teenage Head - kissin' the carpet
11. The Damned - one way love
12. Buzzcocks - breakdown
13. Buzzcocks - friends of mine
14. The Saints - everything's fine
15. Sloan - people think they know me
16. Iggy Pop - new values
17. XTC - science friction
18. Public Image Limited - attack
19. Generation X - psycho beat
20. Dead 60's - a different age
21. Rage Against The Machine - down on the street
22. The D4 - out of my head
23. The D4 - feel it like it
24. Sloan - living with the masses
25. Soundgarden - no attention
26. Richard Hell & The Voidoids - liars beware
27. Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers - one track mind
28. Gang of Four - 5:45 (Live BBC session)