Elvis Costello & The Attractions Trust & Show # 410

Released in 1981, Trust was the fifth full length studio album to be released by Elvis Costello, the fourth with The Attractions and with the exception of one song “Sister’s Big Clothes” was produced by Nick Lowe, it would also be his fifth album as producer with Costello. Trust is known for being a different album in The Attractions catalogue, in the 2003 Rhino Reissue linear notes Costello states that with this record he wanted to “cross the melody of Armed Forces with the rhythm of Get Happy!” The album was also according to Costello his most drug influenced album, the lyrics were a bit darker, deeper and cynical, addressing political issues from the time and as a result the title Trust is intended to mean just the opposite. Musically the album branches out into varying styles, one of the first albums for Costello to do so, while it features many catchy Pop hooks, there are also numerous ballads and other offerings including several songs that were written before the My Aim Is True album was released that help make this album different from the previous four albums that were released by Elvis Costello & The Attractions.

The albums sessions were started initially at DJM Studios in London, as opposed to Eden Studios where they attractions had made the majority of their last three albums. The studio was made for a lighter, dryer sound and after attempting some recordings there, they relocated to Eden Studios to complete the album, which was recorded between October-November of 1980. This album produced an eclectic mix of songs, something Costello would later develop in more detail, but also at the same time display a sense of refinement. Songs such as “Clubland” lyrically displayed a sense of gloomier nature in terms of a political nature, while musically it had the R&B groove of Get Happy! with Jazz elements and the influence of The Police guitar-wise, “Pretty Words” displayed a sense of music from Armed Forces, while lyrically it addressed the UK Prime Ministers enthusiasm for Cold War “posturing” as stated by Costello and “Luxembourg” was a R&B Rockabilly influenced track. Other stand out tracks from this release included “New Lace Sleeves” a strong building ensemble piece, “From A Whisper To A Scream” a New Wave/Pop offering featuring dual vocals between Costello and Glen Tilbook of Squeeze and Martin Belmont of Graham Parker and The Rumour on guitar, “White Knuckles” was influenced by The Pretenders, while “Big Sisters Clothes” the only track not produced by Lowe was based on a bassline from The Clash.

Despite all the surrounding factors, the mood altering drugs, the influences, guest appearances of other musicians, and the diversity and maturity displayed here, Trust did not enter the top 40, something that at the time had not happened for several years. The album would age well, some even it calling it one of Costello’s best from his period with The Attractions. The sounds on this album display a maturing song writer and a style that would continue to be developed especially on his next album with the Attractions Imperial Bedroom. The Linear notes to the 2003 Rhino Reissue of Trust features Costello regaling in a tale when while on tour one of the drummers attempted to pull a “party trick” by cutting the neck tie of one of the bar patrons that did not go smoothly due to drunkenness, that story proves rather fitting when describing this album. Costello cut the proverbial tie of his past and broke out into a developing song writing approach, at the time rather drunkenly, but unlike the attempt at this in the linear notes, Costello pulled it off successfully, making Trust an album that despite the intention of its title, one we could rely on.


The Play List:

1. The Chords – I’m Not Sure
2. Elvis Costello & The Attractions – Pretty Words
3. Mystery Jets – Greatest Hits
4. Los Protones - El Verdugo
5. The Past Tense - Wolfman
6. Radio 4 – The Remedy (Live)
7 Golden Calgarians – Party In The Sun
8. Crash 80s – Nowhere To Hide (Live)
9. The Sturgeons – Noise For Youth (Yellow Sea Eel Hunt Demo)
10. Furious Frank – Whiskey Row
11. Neil Young & Crazy Horse – Oh Susannah
12. Chang-A-Lang - Japanese Eyes
13. Iggy Pop & James Williamson – I Got Nothin’
14. Elvis Presley – Crawfish
15. Frank Evans & The Topnotchers – Gotta Get Some Money
16. Vince Taylor & His Playboys - Right Behind You Baby
17. The Hives – Without The Money
18. The Reverend Horton Heat - Drinkin' and Smokin' Cigarettes
19. Ty Segall Band – Tell Me What’s Inside Your Heart
20. Dee Dee Ramone & Joey Ramone – I Am Seeing UFOs
21. Undertones – Here Comes The Summer
22. Mark Inside - House of Cards
23. The D4 – Outta Blues

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

Diamond Rugs & Show # 409

The Diamond Rugs are made up of John McCauley (guitar/vocals), Ian Saint Pe (guitar/vocals), Hardy Morris (guitar/vocals), Bryan Dufresne (drums), Rob Crowell (bass/sax/keys) and Steve Berlin on horns/keys, they released their first self titled album on April 24th, 2012. Some of you may recognize the names listed above, John McCauley and Rob Crowell both play in the band Deer Tick, Ian Saint Pe is from Black Lips, Hardy Morris is from Dead Confederate, Bryan Dufresne plays in Six Finger Satellite and Steve Berlin plays in Los Lobos, this group of musicians were assembled in what originally started out as a solo project for John McCauley, but it quickly turned into something else that we can now call Diamond Rugs. The band combines elements of the Country Rock flavour we know from Deer Tick, but also a mixes in a drunken swagger of Garage, Punk, Blues and Folk.

The album starts of with the Jangly Garage Blues of “Hightail” a song sung by Ian Saint Pe. The song is sung with a country drawl, while lyrically it addresses a girl fleeing town. “Gimme A Beer” follows this track, being perhaps one the best tracks found here, the song loosely warbles along like a drunken walk home in the dark. Sung by McCauley, the song is the perfect blend of Country and Garage Rock, while horn sections jump in and out adding a Soulful element, lead guitar lines bleed in as the song combines the drunken swagger of The Black Lips and Deer Tick. Like many of the songs on this album they don’t require definition, they are just good songs by a good group of musicians, the song addresses a lot of things such as wanting a dog that pisses on your neighbours fence, but in the end its all thrown out of logic with the lines gimme a beer which come into fruition in the choruses.

“Big God” comes up next, a heavy track with guitar tones that sound like they could be from 70’s Punk album, the drums and bass drive the song with its drunken rhythm as the chorus pulses with its melodic and bittersweet lyrics “It hurts to watch what you love so much” sung by McCauley. “Out On My Own” is a powerful Soulful number that builds with 60s Garage and Country melodies with smooth guitar fills and dominant organ. “Country Mile” is placed in the middle of this album a song written and sung by Hardy Morris, the song is a strange blend of super heavy Psychedelic fuzzy riffs and strong melodic Country tinged choruses that sound straight of a Hank Williams album. Apparently added at the end of the recording sessions this song is a definitive song on this album as it combines styles so uniquely and effortlessly, it’s captivating.

Other highlights include the song “Totally Lonely” a very slow, yet low key track. The song sounds like an old phonograph record in the distance, it is a deliberately placed track on the album, one that adds to its dimensionality, being and the more retro melodic end of things. “Blue Mountains” is a laid back Garage/Country song sung by Ian Saint Pe, “Tell Me Why” is an upbeat song that combines heavier elements from Deer Tick’s Divine Providence and mixes in Soulful horns. The album ends with the dysfunctional Christmas ballad “Christmas In A Chinese Restaurant”, a song that first appeared in November of 2011.

Recorded in just about ten days, the album does not need the label that most critics tag onto this group, that of an Indie Rock super group or as some are calling them a Punk Drunk super group, the music stands out on its own. Critics have tried to look closely into the lyrics which are often label as dealing with sexual frustrations, but none of that really matters, the album isn’t meant to be taken seriously. The lyrics to “Gimme A Beer” best illustrate this, while there are many topics and elements of this album that could be dissected and analyzed it is not necessary, who cares gimme a beer, Diamond Rugs is just a good album that can be played over and over.

This Week's Play List:

1. Danny Ray - Revolution Rock
2. Scotty – Draw Your Brakes
3. Specials – Too Much Too Young
4. The Damn Choir – Virginia
5. Leland Sundries – Roller Derby Queen
6. White Fence – Long White Curtain
7. Light Bulb Alley – Eye In The Sky
8. Heavy Cream – ‘79
9. Carbonas – Journey To The End
10. Flesh Columns – Time’s Up
11. Active Dog - Rat Race
12. Red Squares – Ottawa Today
13. The Teardrops – Leave Me No Choice
14. This Machine Kills Robots – Salty Wave
15. The Bell Peppers – Tourettes
16. Stoves – Rollercoaster (Live)
17. Deja Voodoo – Stuff And Things
18. The Specials - Ghost Town (Extended Version)
19. 13th Floor Elevators – Thru The Rhythm
20. Neon Boys – (That’s All I Know) Right Now
21. Cold Warps - Let's Just Have Fun
22. Guided By Voices – Class Clown Spots A UFO
23. Diamond Rugs - Out On My Own
24. Diamond Rugs - Big God

25. Diamond Rugs – Gimme A Beer

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

This Is PiL & Show # 408

While most people identify with John Lydon when he was a Sex Pistol and known as Johnny Rotten, he formed Public Image Limited after the implosion of Sex Pistols in 1978. There have been numerous Sex Pistols reunion shows since 1996, but his other band also intrigued audiences and there was always a possibility of a reunion. That happened in 2009, when Public Image Limited reformed for several live performances. The reformed group featured Lu Edmonds on guitar, Scott Firth on bass, Bruce Smith on drums and of course John Lydon on vocals. Edmonds and Smith had been in a later incarnation of PiL in the 80s, and Edmunds has been involved in numerous UK groups including The Damned, The Mekons and more, he is known as a Folk and Rock musician. Public Image Limited’s last full length album was released in 1992, an album titled This Is What Not. In November of 2011, PiL announced that they were working on a new album. The band travelled to Steve Winwood’s studio in Cotswolds in the UK, a secluded farm/studio landscape and began recording material for what was to become This Is PiL, Public Image Limited’s first full length studio album in twenty years. The band first released an EP, the One Drop EP for 2012 Record Store Day. In May of 2012, This Is PiL was released.

So what’s the difference between this album and other PiL albums? The album features the embodiment of what PiL initially stood for their Post Punk sound that was extremely influential, they were one of the first bands to be identified as Post Punk, in the late 70s following the release of their First Issue album. Their sound featured elements of Dub, Folk, what some people now call Noise Rock and other genres, all of which you can find on this album. The album has many strong points most notably the lead off single “One Drop” a song with a slow Reggae/Dub experimental groove that lyrically identifies with the youth of today, while at the same time Lydon reflects on his time as a youth in England. Other standout tracks include the title track “This Is PiL”, a song that features a predominant Folk like guitar rhythm mixed in amongst heavy Dub like bass, “Deeper Water” is a song that was done in one take, but one in which as John stated for Rolling Stone in May of 2012 is a song about “about bad influences, bad information, bad leadership”.

The album also features many experimental moments such as “The Room I Am In” and “Lollipop Opera” a song which is a Dance music track with Folk and Post Punk guitar stabs reminiscent of John McGeoch, a guitarist that was a later member of PiL as well as being in Magazine and Siouxsie and the Banshees. The albums artwork was done by John Lydon himself, it is a painting that he created for the cover that adheres to a complete DIY ethic and coincides with the albums release, which was NOT on a major label, but on Johns own PiL Official label. When released in May 2012, the album went to number 35 on the UK album charts. Overall This Is PiL is an album that has all the good qualities of previous Public Image Limited albums, but one that also features what many reviews are calling a “stylistic evolution”. This Is PiL has been called their best album in years, and it truly is. It has been twenty years, but the new Public Image Limited sound rejuvenated and fresh.

This week's play list:

1. The Aces – Why Should It Be Mine
2. Spits – Wait
3. Songs For Snakes – F.E.A.R.
4. Blonds – Run
5. The Schomberg Fair – Touched By Fire
6. Indian Wars – Tom Dula
7. The Cynics – I Need More
8. Captain Higgins – AM Radio
9. Skip Jensen – Done Tried
10. The Sinners – No Brain Required
11. Gentlemen of Horror – Overhead Projector
12. Animal Kingdom – Tension
13. Japandroids – For The Love of Ivy
14. Joey Ramone – Rock N’ Roll Is The Answer
15. Luger Boa – What Is Real?
16. Only Ones – The Happy Pilgrim
17. Public Image Limited – This Is PIL
18. Gang of Four – What We All Want (Live)
19. Crystal Swells - Kelly Bayside
20. Holograms – ABC City
21. Jaill - I'm Home
22. Modern Lovers – Government Center
23. The Black Lips – Sick Of You
24. The Black Lips – Dance With You

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

Canadian Garage & X-Ray Crocodiles … Show # 407

Change of pace this week my blog will be featuring three music videos, the first from Mark Sultan.

Mark Sultan is a Canadian musician from Montreal, Quebec. He has been associated with many Garage Rock groups such as Spaceshits, Les Sexereenos and has been involved with numerous other bands. He is perhaps known more for his work with King Khan & BBQ Show (Sultan going under the pseudonym BBQ), but he has also been releasing music under Mark Sultan for quite some time. Playing as a one man band covering guitar, vocals and drums, Mark Sultan has released The Sultanic Verses in 2007, $ was released in 2010, and in 2011 he released two albums at once Whatever I Want and Whenever I want. Most recently Sultan has released a live album entitled War On Rock 'n' Roll, which is a live album that was recorded in one night in September of 2011. The video below is from a show he did in Philadelphia a few years ago.

X-Ray Spex were an English female fronted Punk Rock group. The video here is for the song "Identity" a song that comes from their Germ Free Adolescents album that was released originally in 1978 via EMI. The song features their classic Punk/Post-Punk sound with a horn section along with Poly Styrene's erratic vocal style. The Germ Free Adolescents album featured many Anti-Commercialism based lyrics, but the song "Identity" was a song that was about exposing realities in a different way, the song is partially based on Poly witnessing a girl slash her wrists in a club bathroom. This is a rare music video made for the song for promotional purposes. Poly Styrene passed away in 2011.

Crocodiles are a San Diego based band that have just released their third album Endless Flowers. This Noise Rock band has been compared to bands such a Jesus And Mary Chain, Spacemen 3 and Echo & The Bunnymen sound-wise, but they originally had their beginnings in other bands. The main members of this group Brandon Welchez and Charles Rowell formed Crocodiles after their pervious two bands Some Girls and The Plot To Blow Up The Eiffel Tower split up. The band was initially a two piece band and now has become a five piece band featuring previous members of Blank Dogs and of the Punk Rock band The Slits. Endless Flowers continues the bands visualistic imagery based on love, life and death and features a more fleshed out sound with its noisy guitar sounds that waver in and out of organ riffs, drums and steady bass lines.

The Play List

1. Transistors – Abandoned
2. The Hunches – Lisa Told Me
3. Sleater-Kinney – Combat Rock
4. Kestrels – Decoder
5. The Pygmies - Don't Care About You
6. Mark Sultan – Song In Grey
7. Hooded Fang – Love Song
8. The Sonics – Like No Other Man
9. The Imperials – Flash And Crash
10. The Polymorphines – The Clean And The Dirty
11. Deer Tick – The Bump
12. The Fan Club – Going Mental
13. The Diodes – Polaroid?
14. X-Ray Spex – Identity
15. Erase Errata – Tongue Tied
16. Mode Monderne –Strange Bruises
17. David Bowie – Boys Keep Swinging
18. Crocodiles – Sunday (Psychic Conversation # 9)
19. The Passengers – Face With No Name
20. The Hitmen – Didn’t Tell The Man
21. Brazilian Money - Can't Live In A Vacuum
22. Young Canadians – Well, Well, Well
23. Alternative TV – Action Time Vision
24. The Victims – Television Addict
25. The Hives – These Spectacles Reveal The Nostalgics

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

The Vice Creems ... Danger Love & Show # 406

Kris Needs is primarily known as a journalist and author, he has written about several happenings and bands starting in the 70s onwards. He has written biographies on Joe Strummer, Keith Richards, Primal Scream and others, but some people may not know that he has also produced music. In the middle of 1977 he formed a group with Colin Keinch called The Vice Creems. The groups sound reflected a Power Pop/Punk dynamic and would have their origins in Aylesbury. Needs would cover the vocal duties while Keinch supplied the guitar, but the band went through many line ups. During this time Needs also served as the editor for Zig Zag Magazine and balanced releases and gigs with The Vice Creems. Vice Creems were first included on a compilation album entitled called Aylesbury Goes Flaccid, with their song “No Passion”. In June of 1978 a seven inch single followed that was released on Tiger Records, the single was Won’t You Be My Girl?/01-01-212.

The bands second and final single proves to be one of interest not just musically, but also historically. Danger Love was recorded for the inclusion in Needs Zig Zag Magazine, but at the time Needs did not have a band, he only had Keinch on guitar. Prior to the recording sessions, the band minus Colin and Needs left, so Needs contacted Mick Jones of The Clash who offered not only to produce the single for him, but also to find a band for him to complete the recordings. The band that was used for these sessions which were recorded at Olympic studios were none other than Topper Headon of The Clash on drums and Tony James of Generation X on bass.

The band quickly worked up two songs and Mick recorded them. It was one of the first examples of Mick Jones producing capabilities, a skill he was still developing at the time and would later utilize with The Clash and his post Clash bands. The single also serves as historical significance to not only fans of The Clash and Generation X, but also for the UK Punk music scene at the time, the single is an often overlooked nugget in the late 70s UK music scene world. The song “Danger Love” reflects the Power Pop sound that band developed on their earlier single, but with Mick Jones in the producer seat and an all-star rhythm section, the song sounded like it took on elements of Glam Rock from bands like David Bowie and Mott The Hoople. The B-side was “Like A Tiger” a rocked up version of the early Rock and Roll classic of the same name.

Overall, the single reflects elements that Mick Jones was known for.  Just off of the release of Give’ Em Enough Rope, the songs reflect that sound, Vice Creems guitarist Colin Keinch even used Mick Jones Les Paul guitar on the recordings. Also it is rumoured that Billy Idol even sings some back up vocals along with all the others involved, the guitar work sounds undeniably like Mick Jones at times as well. To prevent legal hassles from their record companies Mick Jones changed his name to Michael Blair, Topper Headon to Nicholas Kahn, and Tony James is credited as Anthony Ross. Danger Love remained out of print for years until 2010, when it appeared on the Dirty Water 2: More Birth of Punk Attitude compilation album.

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This week marked the last time that I will be covering Some Folks Get The Blues (which I renamed Revolution Blues) for a while. Next week I will return to hosting just Revolution Rock from 10:30 - Noon on CJAM 99.1 FM. Download links and play lists below.

Part One - Revolution Blues

1. Tim Harden – Black Sheep Boy
2. Dan Vacon – My Scene’s Better Than Your Scene
3. Sumner Brothers – Big Rock Candy Mountain
4. Ray Condo & The Hard Rock Goners – Rock Island Line
5. Stingin’ Hornets – Hornet Hive Hop
6. Billy Childs - Call Me Shorty
7. Bobby Allen – Mean Woman Blues
8. Bloodshot Bill – Rattle My Brain
9. Henry Priestman - Did I Fight The Punk Wars For This?
10. Kris Kristofferson – Quinn The Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn)
11. Jack White – Blunderbuss
12. Buster Brown – Doctor Brown
13. Peppermint Harris – Wait Until It Happens To You
14. Wilbert Harrison – Kansas City
15. Chuck Berry – Things I Used To Do
16. The Ten Commandments – Not True
17. Reigning Sound – Watching My Baby
18. Ry Cooder – El Corrido De Jesse James
19. The Smiths – Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want
20. Ed Kuepper – Car Headlights
21. Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros – The Long Shadow
22. Matthew Barber - Got That Lonesome Feeling On My Mind
23. Long Distance Runners - Election Day
24. Maps & Atlases - Remote & Dark Years
25. Alex Chilton – Alligator Man
26. The Clash – Lonesome Me

Download part one (Revolution Blues) here!

Part Two - Revolution Rock

27. Crash 80s – Waiting For The Heat
28. The Dream Dates – The Mess You’re In
29. B-Girls – “B” Side
30. Thee Oh Sees – Heavy Doctor
31. Long Weekends – Quarter Sticks
32. Lollipop Shoppe – You Must Be A Witch
33. Sam The Sham & The Pharrohs – Ain’t Gonna Move
34. Spacecraft 7 – Santa Domingo
35. New Kind of Mambo – New Kind of Mambo
36. Wavves – In The Sand (Live)
37. Thrush Hermit – Hated It
38. Hater – Down Undershoe
39. The Soles – Candles
40. The Visitors – Sad TV
41. Rich Kids – Ghosts of Princes In Towers
42. Nick Lowe – So It Goes
43. Bonus Boys – Wasting Our Time
44. The Testors – Time Is Mine
45. U2 – Streetmission
46. Vice Creems – Like A Tiger
47. Vice Creems – Danger Love
48. The Bell Peppers – Bell Pepper Hop
49. Link Wray – Dueces Wild

Download part two (Revolution Rock) here!

Subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

Take Another Look ... The Secrets & Show # 405

In the middle of the Canadian Punk scene in the late 70s, guitarists Freddy Pompeii, Chris Haight and drummer Mike Anderson left The Viletones after disagreements with the direction that the band was going in and joined up with John Hamilton, a bassist that previous played in another Canadian Punk band The Diodes. Still trying to keep true to their Punk ethics, they went in a completely different direction. Calling themselves The Secrets (not to be confused with the 60s band of the same name from Canada) they absorbed Rockabilly, Blues and 50s Rock influences and started playing gigs around town. They quickly signed to an independent Toronto Label Bomb Records in 1979 and recorded two live tracks “Teenage Rampage” and their version of “Shout” for inclusion on the compilation album for the documentary film The Last Pogo that would be released in the fall of 1979. Titled And Now Live From Toronto ... The Last Pogo, these were the first recordings that The Secrets made.

The Secrets then began work on their full length debut which would be entitled Success Without College that was released in 1980. The album was an eclectic album which has often been described as part Punk part early 50’s Rock and Roll. The album featured songs such as the studio version of “Teenage Rampage”, “Suzie Peroxide”, “Strictly From Cough Syrup” a song which addressed Pompeii’s own person demons, and a cover of Roy Orbison’s “Pretty Woman”. The first single released to promote the album was “Tattoo City” backed with “Pretty Woman” which did get decent airplay in Southern Ontario and the album did get good reviews, but it did not translate well into sales. Following a live show Pompeii was busted on drug related charges. The band split at this time, Pompeii moved to the US, eventually forming Immaculate Hearts and released a few 45’s before becoming a successful freelance artist. Hamilton joined a reformed version of The Ugly Ducklings before forming Daily Planet.

While The Secrets time as a band may have been brief they were sustained in the public consciousness via numerous compilation albums in the 80s/90s. In 1997, the label Other People’s Music released the album Teenage Rampage which compiled the bands first album Success Without College along with the live version of “Shout” from The Last Pogo compilation album and six previously unreleased tracks. The Secrets are an example of one of those bands that pop up and disappear so quickly that most people may not even have heard of them, or maybe they even had negative things to say about them. Like many Punk bands have done they expanded into different areas musically, but The Secrets are one of those bands that are an important document to the Canadian Punk scene of the late 70s, even if they weren’t completely falling into the so called “Punk” category.

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This week once again, I Filled in for Some Folks Get The Blues (from 9-10:30 AM), which I will be doing until the end of May. The show will be Folk, Country and Blues centric, but will also include glimpses of other Rock and Roll forms. Revolution Rock will follow this program from 10:30 to Noon featuring my usual blend of Garage, 70s Punk/New Wave, and Indie Rock.

Part One - Revolution Blues (Some Folks Get The Blues Fill-In) Play List:

1. Rosco Gordon – No More Doggin’
2. Jimmy Reed – Shame, Shame, Shame
3. Junior Wells – Come On In The House
4. Frank Frost – Harp and Soul
5. Toussaint McCall – Shimmy
6. Deer Tick – Friday XII
7. Joel Plaskett Emergency – Somewhere Else
8. Twin Library – Archives
9. Leeroy Stagger – Travelling Over Water
10. Indian Wars – Won’t Do A Thing
11. Pow Wows – No, Thirteen
12. The Angry Dead Pirates – Being
13. The Nevermores – Like A Pill
14. Wolfy & The Bat Clubs – Guy Like Me
15. The Molting Vultures – Cool Right Down
16. Allen Wayne – Chills & Fever
17. Grey Kingdom – When Seasons Drown
18. Woody Guthrie – Ranger’s Command
19. Leland Sundries - VFW Hall
20. The Mark Inside – The Bottom Line
21. Neil Young – Revolution Blues
22. Bob Dylan & The Band – Ballad Of A Thin Man (Live Liverpool Odeon Theatre May 14 1966)

Download part one (Revolution Blues) here!

Part Two - Revolution Rock Play List:

23. Holograms – Chasing My Mind
24. Rotten Tropics – Spectre Tectonics
25. Dum Dum Girls – Just A Creep
26. The Imagineers – The Legend of John The Terror (Notorious)
27. Is/Is - Moon Dropping
28. Bittersweet Draw – Leavin’ Hinton (CJSW Session)
29. The Gerry Alvarez Odyssey – In the Garden
30. Little Roosters – I Need A Witness
31. The Pygmies – She Lied (CJSW Session)
32. Ex-Boyfriends – Bubblegum (CJSW Session)
33. The Ugly – All Because of You (Live)
34. Blue Peter – Time & Money
35. The Secrets – Teenage Rampage
36. Dik Van Dykes - Pterodactyl
37. Blue Orchids – House That Faded Out
38. 101’ers – 5 Star Rock N’ Roll Petrol
39. Thee Mighty Caesars – Now I Know
40. Brian James – I Can Make You Cry
41. Iggy Pop – Some Weird Sin
42. The Hives – The Hives Are Law, You Are Crime
43. Generation X – From The Heart
44. Wire - Please Take (Black Session)
45. The Strangeloves - Night Time
46. The Vagrants - Respect
47. Square Root of Margaret - Attack of Giant Problem vs. the Creature from the Planet of the Incredible Sinking Solution
48. Black lips – Fairy Stories

Download part two (Revolution Rock) here!

Subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

Rockabilly Psychosis ... The Phantom & Show # 404

The Phantom was a 50’s Rockabilly artist that is best known for his song “Love Me”. While being initially a Country musician, it was the music of Elvis Presley that changed Jerry Lott’s style. The song is a rare, but frantic, explosive song caught in the moment. It is a song that could never be replicated twice, although it was the second take of the song that was released, the song that pre dates Punk falling under the Proto Punk category with enough attitude and energy that it sounds almost like The Cramps. From the first moments of the opening banshee wail, the listener is drawn into a wild Rock and Roll moment. It was recorded in 1958 by Jerry Lott and his band at Gulf Coast Studio in Mobile, Alabama, there were only two takes ever recorded of the song. Jerry Lott had this to say of the recording of “Love Me” in an interview with Derek Glenister in 1980:

"I'd worked three months on the other side of the record", he told Derek Glenister. "Somebody said, 'what you gonna put on the flip-side' I hadn't even thought about it. Someone suggested I wrote something like Elvis 'cause he was just a little on the wane and everybody was beginning to turn against rock 'n' roll. They said, 'See if you spark rock 'n' roll a little bit'... so that's when I put all the fire and fury I could utter into it. I was satisfied with the first take, but everybody said, 'let's try it one more time'. I didn't yell on the first take, but I yelled on the second, and blew one of the controls off the wall."

After recording the song, Jerry took the master tapes to Pat Boone, who was at the time on his way to church, Jerry convinced him to listen to the tape and Pat suggested Jerry change his name to The Phantom and agreed to release the song through his own label Cooga Mooga, but after signing a contract with Dot it was released in 1960. Much later an LP titled The Phantom Jamie Coe (that mislabeled Jerry Lott as Nick Todd) was compiled by Revival Records compiling nine songs by The Phantom and ten songs by Jamie Coe a 1950’s Rock musician from Detroit, Michigan.

Unfortunately Jerry would not make anymore recordings after 1966, when he fell off a 600 foot mountain side while driving in South Carolina that left him paralyzed, he passed away in 1983. But Rockabilly enthusiasts will always remember The Phantom from the mesmerizing “Love Me” song and the mysterious photograph that is featured on the singles cover. “Love Me” was later covered by The Cramps on their album Songs The Lord Taught Us and countless other artists since then. Jerry had this to say of the songs wildness that was captured on tape from the same interview with Derek Glenister from 1980:

"I'm telling ya", Lott continued, "it was wild. The drummer lost one of his sticks, the piano player screamed and knocked his stool over, the guitar player's glasses were hanging sideways over his eyes."

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This week I Filled in for Some Folks Get The Blues (from 9-10:30 AM), which I will be doing for the next two weeks until the end of May. The show will be Folk, Country and Blues centric, but will also include glimpses of other Rock and Roll forms. Revolution Rock will follow this program from 10:30 to Noon featuring my usual blend of Garage, 70s Punk/New Wave, and Indie Rock.


Part One
Revolution Blues (Some Folks Get The Blues Fill In) Play List:

1. Lee Hazelwood – Run Boy Run
2. Dan Sartain – I Don't Want To Go To The Party
3. Dan Sartain - Love Is Crimosn
4. James OL & The Villains – Late Night Drive (Demo)
5. Johnny West – The Son Is A Red Ball Of Lies Tonight
6. The Lonesome Weekends - Wheels
7. Andre Williams & The Sadies - One Eyed Jack
8. Magnificent Bastards – White Noize
9. Johnny Cash – I Like The 309
10. Diamond Rugs – Out On My Own
11. John Mayal’s Bluesbreakers – Double Crossing Time
12. The Yardbirds – Psycho Daises
13. Tay Falco’s Panther Burns – Dateless Night
14. Jamie Coe – How Low Is Low
15. The Phantom – Tiger
16. Permanent Collection – It’s Alright
17. Ty Segall & White Fence – I Am Not A Game
18. The Spooky But Nice – Through The Night
19. Lost Patrol – You Just Care About Looks
20. Pointed Sticks – All That Matters (Stiff Sessions Version)
21. Hot Nasties – Lookin’ 4 U (Live)
22. The Meteors – Radioactive Kid
23. Visions – The Ghost
24. The Ride Theory – Devil In My Heart

Download part one here!

Part Two
Revolution Rock Play List:

25. The Phantom – Love Me
26. The Cramps – Mystery Plane
27. Modernettes – Won’t Have To Worry
28. The Black Angels – I’d Rather Be Lonely
29. The Kinks – Naggin’ Woman
30. The Gruesomes – Three Men One Coffin (Live)
31. Ramblin’ Ambassadors – Standoff At Calf Rrobe Bridge
32. The Space Plan – Trail The Rails
33. The Features – City Scenes
34. The Carbonas – Hate You
35. Actual Water – Pencil Legged
36. The Cigarettes – All They Want Is Your Money
37. The Laughing Clowns – Laughing Clowns
38. Rotten Tropics – Nightmare Index
39. The Strokes – Life Is Simple In The Moonlight
40. Light Bulb Alley – Tonight
41. Seven Story Redhead - There's A Time To Get Down
42. The Locusts Have No King - Come One, Come All
43. Dirty Pretty Things - Plasttk Hearts
44. The Damned – She’s So Messed Up (Live)
45. Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers – London Boys
46. Xena Zerox - Seconds
47. Jam – Billy Hunt
48. The Adverts - Safety In Numbers
49. True Lovers – Love and Affection

Download part two (Revolution Rock) here!

Subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

Blunderbuss & Show # 403

Jack White's first solo release Blunderbuss was officially released at the end of April 2012. The album taps into Jack’s roots absorbing many Country, Folk and Blues influences, but the album began organically during one of the many recording sessions at Whites own studio in Nashville. The album unlike previous albums was written from scratch when Jack was planning to recording RZA from Wu Tang Clan, RZA couldn’t make the sessions and there was a band in the studio, so Jack took the opportunity to record several tracks in last few months of 2011. Jack White had this to say of Blunderbuss when speaking to Rolling Stone magazine

"I've put off making records under my own name for a long time but these songs feel like they could only be presented under my name. These songs were written from scratch, had nothing to do with anyone or anything else but my own expression, my own colors on my own canvas.”

The first single released to promote this album was “Love Interruption” in February 2012 with the B-Side “Machine Gun Silhouette”, it quickly climbed singles charts. The album Blunderbuss is a thirteen track affair that explores Jack White’s song writing make up, the result is several well crafted songs that emphasizes a certain mood, one that differs from previous releases that Jack has produced in the past with his bands. The only track that is reminiscent of Jack White’s White Stripe days is “Sixteen Saltines”, a song that was also released as the second single for the album, with a music video directed by Gary Oldham. All of the compositions here were written by White, with the exception of “I’m Shakin’” a song originally by Little Willie John executed in a woozy Blues fashion. Overall the album absorbs elements Jack has displayed with The White Stripes from Get Behind Me Satan and The Raconteurs while at the same time venturing into new territory. It’s obvious that Jack has learned some new tricks in the last five years recording and producing bands at his studio in Nashville. If you pick up Blunderbuss and expect a White Stripes album, that is not what you will get and why would you? On Blunderbuss Jack White displays a different side of himself musically and lyrically. Blunderbuss is a poignant well crafted album that furthers the mystique of Jack White by putting us into a different frame of mind

Blunderbuss if you look up the meaning is one of two things that can both be applicable here. Blunderbuss is one, a short musket that is used to scatter shots at short range and two a clumsy person that is often regarded as dumb or stupid. In terms of this album, the songs seem to scatter at a short range for the listener addressing many issues, while at the same time maybe that’s how Jack felt when expressing himself lyrically when writing these songs. Perhaps this was Whites intention when creating the album, but regardless Blunderbuss is a statement from Jack White, one that can fascinate even the most casual listener. Blunderbuss debuted at number one the US Billboard top 200 charts and across and went to number one in Canada, the UK and Switzerland.

This Week's Play List:

1. Beastie Boys – Gratitude
2. Beastie Boys – Remote Control
3. The Reply – I Must Stop
4. Frankenstein 5 – Go Away
5. Terrible Twos – Negative Drip
6. The Students – Somebody New Everyday
7. The Pin Group – Ambivalence
8. The Chills – Pink Frost
9. Doublehappys – Needles and Plastic
10. Leland Sundries – Monitor Arms
11. The Dandy Warhols – I Am Free
12. The City Streets – For All The (Doomed) Lovers
13. The Diamond Rugs – Gimme A Beer
14. Teenage Head – Wild One
15. Deja Voodoo – Big Pile Of Mud
16. 63 Monroe – Yumpin’
17. Teenanger – Tired Of You
18. Mystics – Play Your Game
19. MC5 – Over and Over
20. Nirvana – Dive
21. Jack White – Missing Pieces
22. Jack White – Sixteen Saltines

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

Light Bulb Alley Interview & Show # 402

Light Bulb Alley is a three piece Rock band that formed in 2007 in Montreal. The band draws upon 60s Garage Rock, 70s Punk and newer groups such as King Khan & BBQ Show for their influences. Fronted by Allister Booth on vocals and guitar, Karlo Sno on bass and Ockert Greeff this three piece band played for a few years in Montreal building up a fan base. After about three years, Light Bulb Alley signed to Ricochet Sound a label that also features music from Montreal’s Garage Rock legends The Gruesomes, The Hook Up, The Gerry Alvarez Odyssey and Fuad & The Feztones. In 2011, the band recorded and released their album The Sound of Things. The sound on the album can be best described as “Swampy, Punk, Psychedelic, Live, Country, Blues, Trash. Melodic, & Dirty jingles to listen to on your rocking chair! “ as stated in the bands biography on their official website. The album contains songs such as “Pepper Spray”, “Long Time Coming” and reworked version of Bo Diddley’s “Who Do You Love?’ which puts the songs into a new context. Recently the group added a new drummer Sébastien de Champlain to their line up.

Light Bulb Alley plays the FM Lounge in Windsor on Thursday May 3rd along with Raised By Weeds, Weirdonia, Busker Bros, and Paul Caporino of M.O.T.O.

The following interview was done between myself Dave Konstantino (host of Revolution Rock) and Allister Booth of the Montreal band LIght Bulb Alley.

RR: How would you describe your music? One site described your sound as neo garage/psych music do you think this is accurate?

Allister: I think Rock N Roll is the best term like a nice smooth un-mossy rolling stone!

RR: What are some of the bands influences musically?

Allister: Anything that has desperation and Soul! A lot of 70's punk. As well as other stuff like The Troggs. Pretty Things, King Khan & BBQ Show, The Gruesomes

RR: The band formed in 2007, how did the band start and before forming this band were you involved with any other groups?

Allister: Me and Karlo had a mutual disrespect for our Nazi boss at our job and decided to write songs about it.

RR: How did you come up with the name Light Bulb Alley?

Allister: I cannot remember

RR: How and when did you get involved with Ricochet Sound?

Allister: Raye Biffen from Ricochet sound checked out our myspace. He came to one of our shows and we ended up signing a contract in blood!

RR: Where/when did you record your LP The Sound of Things? Who did you work with (ie: producers, engineers, etc.)?

Allister: Our Friend Andrew David helped produce it in his apartment. We had to stop at 5pm because his roommate was getting pissy, maybe he was inviting his parents over or something.

RR: What was the main inspiration lyrically behind the songs that make up The Sound of Things?

Allister: I really don't know, love gained and love lost I suppose.

RR: Are you working on any new recordings at the moment? What do you plan your for your next release? Will you work with anyone different or record it in a similar fashion?

Allister: we are planning to record in the near future. We hope to work David Andrew who produced 4 or 5 songs from our CD.

RR: Your band just added a new member recently, a drummer. What led to finding a new drummer and how did you find him?

Allister: Sebastien was an ex-Walnut Kid and he stepped in when our previous drummer (Ockert) decided to leave.

RR: What are your future plans for Light Bulb Alley and how can people access your music?

Allister: We would like to play a 500 000 people arena and take our shirts off to delirious fans!

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/lightbulballey2
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Light-Bulb-Alley-New-Site/178335695553489
www.myspace.com/lightbulballey
http://garagepunk.ning.com/profile/LightBulbAlley

And all you kids make sure to tune into Revolution Rock!

This Week's Play List:

1. Cold Warps – Hang Up On You
2. Brazilian Money – Should’ve Known
3. Ghost Bikini – Summer Heat
4. Bo Diddley – Pills
5. The Pretty Things – Get The Picture?
6. The Black Sharks – Jokers Wild
7. The Bell Peppers – Golf Shack
8. The Ventures – Wipe Out
9. Exploding Hearts – Throwaway Style
10. The Mods – Step Out Tonight
11. Klark Kent – Too Kool To Kalypso
12. Jack Antonio Project – Sleeping Dogs Lie
13. Grinderman – Worm Tamer (A Place To Bury Strangers Remix)
14. The Count Five – The World
15. Weirdonia – Green Tables
16. Raised By Weeds – My Word (CJAM Session)
17. Light Bulb Alley – Long Time Coming
18. Light Bulb Alley – Who Do You Love?
19. Heroes & Villains – SDWC
20. Radio Birdman – Hand of Law
21. Skids – The Saints Are Coming
22. Sex Pistols – Problems
23. Richard Hell & The Voidoids - The Kid With The Replaceable Head
24. White Stripes - I Think I Smell A Rat
25. Ramones – Wart Hog

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

Lost Patrol Interview, 25th Anniversary Reunion & Show # 401

Windsor's Lost Patrol was a Garage Rock inspired group that mixed in elements of Punk, Post Punk and Soul music, they were around in the late 80s and early 90s. The band has released several EP's and two full length albums Lost Patrol (1988) on LP and Tell No Lies (1990) on cassette, they were also featured on numerous compilation albums. The band built up a following in Europe, specifically in France through Stop It Baby Records who released their full length self titled EP in 1988.

Lost Patrol will be playing a 25th anniversary show Saturday April 28th, 2012 at the FM Lounge in Windsor.

Listen to the interview I did with Paul here (and in the show below):




More info on the band can be found at:

http://lostpatrol.ca/
http://www.myspace.com/lostpatroldetroit/


This Week's Play List:

1. Black Angels – Watch Out Boy
2. Trash Emperors – Blackout
3. Uzis – I Wanna Go
4. JB & The Playboys – Leave My Woman Alone
5. Jerry Jerry and the Sons Of Rhythm Orchestra – Radical Look
6. Levon Helm – Move Along Train
7. The Stig – Block It Out
8. Wreckless Eric – Grown Ups
9. Joy Division – She’s Lost Control
10. Lost Patrol – See Me Now

Paul Langan (Lost Patrol) Interview

11. Lost Patrol – Mister You’re a Better Man Than I
12. Lost Patrol – Kinda Sorta Miss Home
13. The Government – Flat Tire
14. The Lonesome Weekends – Kiss The Bottle
15. Pow Wows – EIO (During The Flood)
16. The Rolling Stones – Claudine
17. Bob Dylan – One Too Many Mornings
18. The Band – Tears of Rage (Live)

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

Like Flies On Sherbert & Show # 400

1n 1979, Alex Chilton released his debut solo album Like Flies On Sherbert. The album was panned by many critics and often labelled as a terrible album, but the album explored the very make up of Alex Chilton’s roots as he ventured into a Memphis Roots Rock territory combined with the energy of Punk. The album was also recorded rather loosely and is at times loose and sloppy Like Flies On Sherbert features a gritty, honest off kilter charm. It is an album that captured the songs in a moment, mistakes, chaos and all.

Produced by Alex Chilton and Jim Dickinson, Like Flies On Sherbert is a reflection of Alex Chilton’s life at the time, which is often called his “crazy” period due to many factors. He had recently re-located to New York after the break up of the Power Pop band Big Star and embraced the Punk scene recording and released The Singer Not The Song EP in 1977 and The Bangkok single in 1978. After producing music and working with The Cramps in Memphis, Chilton began work on Like Flies On Sherbert with Jim Dickinson which can be also seen as a reflection of his time working with The Cramps, who often embraced a Rockabilly Punk influenced sound. Like Flies On Sherbert was recorded at Sam Phillips Studio in Memphis and Ardent Studios. The sounds captured on the album are chaotic, sloppy and at times off beat. It was a sound that deconstructed not only the layered Pop and harmonies and myths of Chilton’s previous bands Big Star and The Box Tops, but also Rock and Roll music in general. This method was a conscious decision on Chilton’s part who had this to say of the album many years after its release in the book It Came From Memphis:

"My life was on the skids, and 'Like Flies on Sherbert' was a summation of that period. I like that record a lot. It's crazy but it’s a positive statement about a period in my life that wasn’t positive.”

The resulting twelve song album Like Flies On Sherbert was originally released in a limited edition 500 pressing run on Peabody Records. It featured several Chilton originals and many obscure cover songs. There is a cover of KC & The Sunshine Band’s “Boogie Shoe’s”, Jimmy Newman’s “Alligator Man”, and music by The Carter Family and others. Chilton’s version of Ernest Tubb’s “Waltz Across Texas” is executed in a lazy fashion, which resembles a drunken version of Elvis Presley’s “Blue Moon of Kentucky” at times. Of the Chilton originals some of the highlights include “My Rival” a cathartic song which emphasizes the chaotic nature of the recording sessions featuring tape hissing, chunky guitar rhythms, and a broken minimoog synthesizer. The was song written the previous year while Chilton was still in New York, as the song draws to a close it falls into a chaotic bliss as guitars begin to feedback and broken minimoog rhythms provided by Jim Dickinson waver in and out. Dickinson had this to say of providing the minimoog synthesizer for the song in an article posted on Paste Magazine:

The Minimoog was sitting around broken at [the studio]. I played it and all I did was twist knobs."

Other highlights include the single released for the album “Hey Little Child”, which was recorded at Ardent Studio along with “Baron of Love Part II” on August, 16th, 1979, which coincided with the second anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death. “Rock Hard” is a driving Memphis Rockabilly influenced track, while “Hook Or Crook” is a song that, which like “Rock Hard” has a driving, pounding drumbeat, but is mixed in with reverb drenched vocals, sloppy country guitar rhythms juxtaposed alongside a Garage Rock guitar sound that resembles a Rolling Stones influence. The album ends with the title tracks “Like Flies On Sherbert” a song that has an eccentric almost Psychedelic Pop influence that can be seen as an extension of Big Star's album Third/Sister Lovers. When the album was re-released by Aura Records in the UK, it differed slightly in track listing most notably adding Chilton’s version of “Boogie Shoes”. The song has since been included along with many others on recent re-issues of the album.

While Like Flies On Sherbert may not have been critically acclaimed by everyone at the time of its initial release, there were some positive reviews for people that did not just dismiss the album as a mess in Creem Magazine and in Sounds. It is now seen, as with the album Tonight’s The Night by Neil Young as a cult classic. The albums cover was a photo by William Eggleston, a photographer that also provided the photo for the now cult classic Big Star album Radio City. The albums cover is a collection of strange looking dolls sitting atop of a Cadillac, which can be seen as an indication of the albums contents. Like the dolls on the cover which appear out of place, Like Flies On Sherbert has many songs and sounds that at times seem to not fit right, but along with these songs there is like a Cadillac, a certain class and charm to them.

This Week's Play List:

1. Light Bulb Alley – Pepper Spray
2. The Reply – Memphis Train
3. The Movements – She Said
4. Red Light Driver – Celeste Celeste
5. Arctic Monkeys – The Blond-O-Sonic Shimmer Trap
6. Result - Suburban Addicts
7. The Primmers – Funny Stories
8. The Spelling Mistakes – Feel So Good
9. Devo – Space Junk
10. Dot Dash – Learn How To Fly
11. Brazilian Money – Lost All Sense of Time
12. Alex Chilton – My Rival
13. Alex Chilton – Rock Hard
14. Queens of The Stone Age – Outlaw Blues
15. Johnny Cash & The Avett Brothers – One Too Many Mornings
16. Indian Wars – Sitting On The Steps
17. The Mongrels – Play My Guitar
18. Cold Warps – Hole In My Head
19. X – Your Phones Off The Hook, But You’re Not
20. Simply Saucer – Bullet Proof Nothing
21. Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Night Rally
22. Alex Chilton – Hey Little Child

23. Alex Chilton – Waltz Across Texas

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

And Now...The Last Pogo & Show # 399

In 1978, a documentary was made by director Colin Brunton chronicling what was billed as the last Punk Rock concert in Toronto. Titled The Last Pogo the short film featured performances from Canadian Punk/New Wave artists from 1977/1978, amongst the performers The Scenics, The Secrets, The Mods, The Ugly, The Viletones, The Cardboard Brains, and Teenage Head were in the film. The concert took place at the famous Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto, which was run by Toronto promoters Topp and Cormier Gary at the time. In addition to the performances that make the film, police and firefighters kicked out the director and crew, but the soundman remained, it was originally released in 1979. After years of being out of print, the film was issued on DVD in 2008.

A soundtrack was also recorded and released entitled And Now Live From Toronto …The Last Pogo. Released in 1979, the soundtrack was made up of live performances from two dates at The Horseshoe Tavern. The soundtrack features performances from The Scenics, The Everglades, The Mods, Drastic Measures, Cardboard Brains, The Ugly and others. The soundtrack is further document of the bands and Punk/Post Punk scene at the time in Canada. All the recordings are live and the album, which is now out of print and features some excellent performances most notably the opening track, which is The Secrets version of “Shout”.

Currently director Colin Brunton and Kire Paputts have started a new project. Compiling more footage with 1978’s The Last Pogo as a starting point, the film makers are working on a new longer documentary which further explores Toronto’s cultural and musical explosion during the 1976-1978 time period. The film will be titled The Last Pogo Jumps Again: A Biased & Incomplete History Of Toronto Punk Rock Circa September 24 1976 To December 1 1978. The film is said to be released in a variety of formats soon. More information on the film can be found at http://www.thelastpogo.net/

This Week's Play List:

1. The New York Dolls – Trash
2. T-Rex – 20th Century Boy
3. The Shins – Bait And Switch
4. Velvet Underground - White Light/White Heat
5. Cowboy Junkies – Fuck, I Hate The Cold
6. Papermaps – US And Them
7. Joel Plaskett Emergency – You’re Mine
8. Jaill – She’s My Baby
9. Link Wray – Commanche
10. The Secrets – Teenage Rampage
11. The Everglades – Rock n’ Roll Cliché
12. Teenanger – Cops (But Not)
13. Sloan - Living With The Masses
14. Ty Segall – Maria Stacks
15. The Angry Dead Pirates – Moon
16. Neil Young – Walk On
17. The Stooges – Little Doll (John Cale Mix)
18. The Gruesomes – For All I Care
19. The Black lips – Family Tree
20. Ramones – I Can’t Be (Demo)
21. The D4 – Mysterex
22. The Clash – Bankrobber (Live From Here To Eternity II)

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

Punk Mod Rockers Seven Story Redhead & Show # 398

Forming around 2004, Calgary’s Seven Story Redhead takes their influences from bands such as The Velvet Underground, The Kinks, The Who, The Jam and The Clash which makes up their own brand of Rock and Roll. Consisting of Kelly Sutherland on vocals/guitar, Franklin D on bass, Lonnie James on drums and Chris Bell on additional guitar, the band first release was the self recorded Super Fancy Hobo, which was followed by the Live From The At Work Home Institute in 2006. The song “I Was Yer Mate” received significant commercial radio airplay for a five month span, which only broadened their fan base. During this time the bands sound is often described as The Kinks, The Who, The Clash and Velvet Underground with a 60s Proto Punk R&B sound, became a fixture amongst the Calgary Garage Rock scene. A full length album simply entitled Seven Story Redhead followed in 2008, which was followed a years worth of touring across Canada. In 2010, the band released their Shake It Out! EP, and in 2011 the released their Uptight/Downlow 10 inch release.

For Uptight/Downlow, the band slimmed down to a three piece with guitarist Chris Bell moving on to other things. The band took a primary influence for this release from a trip that Sutherland took to Paris and London. The result was a British invasion of their influences reflecting an early Kinks Garage sound, while at the same time including the other influences that help round out their sound. Kelly Sutherland had this to say of Uptight/Downlow from an interview with CJSW’s Christine Leonard-Cripps:

“The whole process of assembling the album took a half-year,” reports Sutherland. “I didn’t write anything for quite about while because I had nothing to write about. Then, my significant other and I took a trip to Paris and London. It was a fantastic hanging around Soho and Camden and all of Pete Dougherty, the Libertines and Amy Winehouse’s favourite pubs. Travelling is the best source of inspiration and the trip really got things moving along for me in my songwriting. You can hear that in the lyrics: the British vernacular, the tube stations… Uptight/Downlow is a direct attack, like The Kinks’ early stuff. We’re not trying to reinvent wheel or create new genre here, we’re moving backwards in time. Rock and roll was perfected a long time ago rather than trying to be modern, we chose to revel in that.”

At any rate, the band shows no signs of slowing down as they head out to Western Canada to promote and play live shows. You can check them out  at sevenstoryredhead.com or via their facebook page.

This Week's Play List:

1. 999 – Quite Disappointing

2. Weirdonia – Masked Boy

3. Satelliters – Get Outta Here

4. Garage Sale – Ain’t So Groovy

5. Ghost Bikini – Spooks

6. Long Distance Runners – Election Day

7. Yukon Blonde – My Girl

8. Learning – There Is A limit

9. Ramblin’ Ambassadors – Pine Beetle Express

10. Mind Spiders – Wait For Us

11. ELK – Shaking Hands

12. Raised By Weeds – Money For The Grave (CJAM Session Jan 24, 2012)

13. Ex-Girlfriends Club – The Witch

14. The Wipers – Wait A Minute

15. Mudhoney – Good Enough

16. C’Mon – Easier Said Than Done

17. Seven Story Redhead - Punk Mod Rockers

18. Malibu Kens – Crude City

19. Wire – Moreover

20. Television – Prove It

21. The Rezillos - I Can't Stand My Baby

22. The Saints - One Way Street

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

The Oblivians To Record New Album & Show # 397

In Early February it was announced that Memphis, Garage Rock legends The Oblivians would be heading into the studio to record their first full length studio album since 1997’s Play Nine Songs With Mr. Quintron. The Oblivians consisted of Greg Cartwright, Jack Yarber and Eric Friedl, all three of the members would alternate between guitar, bass and drums, both live and in the studio. The band is known for their Garage and Punk infused sound which made them a popular and prominent band in the underground Garage Rock scene. They initially lasted from 1993 to 1998, where they released three full length albums and several singles and EPs. When deciding on a band name the band went through several different names before finally deciding on The Oblivians, taking a Ramones styled approach to their name the band each adopted the surname name Oblivian. They have played numerous reunion shows including a reunion tour with The Gories in 2009.

Greg Cartwright has been in numerous other bands since his time with The Oblivians including The Compulsive Gamblers (who also featured Jack Yarber), currently he plays with The Reigning Sound, Jack Yarber currently plays with Jack-O & The Tennessee Tearjerkers, but has also been in numerous other bands such as The Limes, The Cool Jerks, The Brand New Love Affairs, King Louie & His Loose Diamonds, the Natural Kicks and others. Eric Friedl started his own independent record label called Goner Records and currently plays with Dutch Master and The Sons of Thunder. It has been confirmed on that The Oblivians will re-unite and record another full length studio album, it will be released on In The Red Records.

This Week's Play List:

1. The Nevermores – House of Smoke And Mirrors
2. EX~PO – Tasty Bites (Live @ Chemical Sound – April 12, 2008)
3. Franz Ferdinand – Real Thing
4. The Evaporators – Bunk
5. Jack Antonio Project – The Moose Is Loose
6. The Bureaucrats – Crush You In My Arms
7. The Polymorphines – Double Down
8. The Gruesomes – Roadrunner (Live In London 1987)
9. Teen Runnings – Why Does Everybody Do?
10. Thee Oh Sees – Wrong Idea
11. Lowlife – White Lightning
12. Lost Patrol – I’m Not The One
13. Deer Tick – Walkin' Out That Door
14. Heartless Bastards – Parted Ways
15. The Gun Club – Mother Of Earth
16. Talking Heads – The Big Country
17. Magazine – Holy Dotage
18. The Waldos – Cry Baby
19. The Gories – Thunderbird ESQ (Live At CJAM 1989)
20. The Teardrops – Everything's O.K.
21. The Cramps – Primitive
22. The Oblivians – Hey Mama, Look At Sis
23. Supergrass - Caught By The Fuzz
24. The Velvet Underground – Lisa Says

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

TEENANGER FRIGHTS & Show # 396

Coming from Toronto, Ontario Teenanger released their first full length album Give Me Pink in 2010 and an EP prior to that. Their fourteen song debut album reflected more of a Garage Rock and Blues production style and sound, but with their new album, Frights the band did a few things different. The band worked with Howie Beck who is known for his mix engineering work on albums by Indie Rock artists Feist and Jason Collet. The paring was different, but Frights shows Teenanger finding a new voice by stripping their catchy well crafted songs down to the bare bones while at the same time reflecting a 70s Punk sound and approach. Just by looking at the excellently designed album artwork of red and neon green, you can tell this album is different . The songs are attacked with more aggression, the lyrics snarled out by singer Chris Swimmings as he sings about bank accounts, lawyers, security guards and cheap thrills. The songs are short, the album is shorter. At nine songs and clocking in at about twenty one minutes, Frights is one of those short albums that ends too soon, but one that warrants repeat listens. Frights was released on the bands own label Telephone Explosion.

This Week's Play List:

1. Pow Wows – Killing Me

2. Pow Wows – Worry…Don’t

3. Painted Ship – Frustration

4. TV Freaks – Casual Encounter

5. Ex-Girlfriends Club – Your Prescription

6. Energetic Action – Mud Hill

7. The Twilight Sad – Don’t Look At Me

8. New Order – Temptation
9. Public Image Limited – One Drop
10. Gang of Four – History’s Bunk (Peel Session)
11. The Stranglers – Hanging Around
12. Teenanger – Cheap Thrills
13. Teenanger – Frights
14. Fenster – Oh Canyon
15. Vic Godard & The Subway Sect – Split Up The Money
16. Joe Strummer – Leopardskin Limousines
17. Cake - Italian Guy
18. The Pointed Sticks – Born To Cry
19. The Ketamines – 1 Yr
20. Luger Boa – 1000 Hooks
21. Bronx Cheerleader - Camelot
22. The Hives – Go Right Ahead

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

The Angry Young Them & Show # 395

Them are often overlooked when considering at the career of Van Morrison, but with Them Van Morrison treaded his early R&B influenced Garage Rock roots. Coming from Belfast in Ireland, Them’s first full length album was released in two different versions in the US and the UK. The UK version of The Angry Young Them features a different track listing and cover than the one that was featured on the US version. The UK version of the album features fourteen songs. Songs found on the UK Decca release that were not found on the US release of the album are “You Just Can’t Win” an organ filled Bob Dylan influenced R&B Garage ballad about a gold digger, “Just A Little Bit” a slow and raucous shouter that would give any early Rolling Stones song a run for its money, “I Gave My Love A Diamond”, “Bright Lights, Big City”, and “My Little Baby”. In addition to these five tracks that were featured on the UK Decca release of The Angry Young Them, the cover also features the band in a standard 60s Rock album pose, not unlike album covers released by The Rolling Stones, it also has no titles or indication of the name of the band or album title.

The US version of The Angry Young Them was amended to add Them’s single “Here Comes The Night” a slow catchy ballad, “One Two Brown Eyes” the erratic Garage track which was originally the B-side of Them’s first single “Don’t Start Crying Now”, and another Them single entitled “One More Time” Now this wasn’t a strange thing for UK and US releases of the same album to have different track listings. In the US albums were often modified to better market the band based on their current charting singles. The cover of the US version of The Angry Young Them, is a more classic looking cover featuring the words Them in giant orange letters not unlike the style you would find on B-Horror movie posters. It also originally was released saying that the album featured the song “Here Comes The Night”. Following the release of the Them single “Baby Please Don’t Go” with “Gloria” as the B-side, the album was re-released with a similar cover advertising the song “Gloria”.

Despite these differences in the track listings of The Angry Young Them, the album is a statement, the first album to be released by song writer Van Morrison, it introduced the world to him. The album also serves as having historical Rock music status due to the fact that it features many studio musicians, as part of the bands ever changing line up, with the exception of Van Morrison, the album features many studio musicians including future Led Zeppelin and Yardbirds guitarist Jimmy Page. The Angry Young Them features the now iconic, Garage Rock standard “Gloria”. This simple chord structured song was originally released as the B-side to the “Baby Please Don’t Go” single, a cover song. Ironically the cover, while it is a standard and Them’s version is most definitely of high quality, was overshadowed by “Gloria”, which is now considered a standard, but was not a at the time. The single charted at number ten on the UK singles charts and number 102 on the US singles charts. Additionally the album contains the song “Mystic Eyes”, which is a highly regarded Them gem that was generated from a ten minute jam the band did in the studio while recording. The album is notable for its unique placing of R&B covers juxtaposed with Van Morrison originals for a debut album that is often compared and contrasted to debut albums released by The Rolling Stones, The Who and The Beatles. The Angry Young Them is an uninhibited, pure Rock and Roll album, often falling under the category of Garage Rock, making it a strong debut not only for Them, but for Van Morrison who would go onto further musical acclaim.
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It is Jammy Award time again. Every year CJAM FM holds an annual award ceremony in which programmers at the station can receive awards for the work they put into their shows every year. My program Revolution Rock is nominated for two awards in two different categories, best indie/alternative//rock/punk show and best on air personality. Vote for it here:

http://jammies.cjam.ca/index.php?sid=15639&lang=en

This Week's Play List:

1.  Mystics – Wasting Time
2.  The Famines – The First World War
3.  Vivian Girls – Such A Joke
4.  The Clean – Anything could Happen
5.  Mother’s Children – Dance To The Rock and Roll Band
6.  Beach Blankets – Greatest Hit
7.  The Diodes – Action Reaction
8.  Terminal Sunglasses – Could That Be People Crossing My Lawn
9.  Hunx – Private Room
10. Silent Movie Type - Pastels
11. BA Johnston w/ The Moby Dicks - McDonald's Coupon Day
12. Them – I Like It Like That
13. Them – I'm Gonna Dress In Black
14. Jack Oblivian –Rat City
15. The Libertines – Up The Bracket
16. Buzzcocks – Harmony In My Head
17. Generation X – Wild Youth
18. MC5 – High School
19. The Sonics – Dirty Robber
20. Deja Voodoo – Rock Therapy
21. Young Rival - Workin'
22. The Mark Inside - House of Cards
23. Long Weekends - Shame On You
24. Radio Birdman – Anglo Girl Desire
25. The D4 – Omerta

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

Video Reactions ... Show # 394

This week let's take a look at some videos from some of the artists featured on Revolution Rock.

The first is from the Canadian Punk based band The Diodes. They have just reissued their long out of print third album from 1980 album Action/Reaction with bonus tracks. The following is a video for "Catwalker" on Action/Reaction, you can pick up this album via Bongo Beat Records.

SPORTS is a band that is hard to find online if you're just looking for the band via a simple internet search. They have recently released an album SPORTS. Based out of Rochester, New York SPORTS is made up of former members of The Sister Lovers, Baby Shivers Boutique, Power Douglas & Loud Magic make love. This indie band features elements of Soulful Power Pop with infectious harmonious grooves. If you're having trouble finding them online you can visit their facebook page or bandcamp page to stream their album.

A Place To Bury Strangers commonly referred to by the acronym APTBS have recently released an EP entitled Onwards To The Wall. This New York based Noise Rock band currently features Oliver Ackermann (guitar/vocals), Dion Lunadon (bass), and Jay Space on drums. The band has released two full lengths A Place To Bury Strangers (2007) and Exploding Head (2009)) as well as several EPs. Dion has recently joined up as the bass player having previously played in the bands The D4 and The True Lovers following original bassist Jono Mofo's departure in the Spring of 2010. APTBS is currently working on a full length release.

Finally the last video/band I will mention is from a relatively obscure band from Australia called The Riptides. Coming from Brisbane, Australia to be precise the band lasted from 1977 to 1983 and featured songwriter Mark "Cal" Callaghan who would later go onto play in GANGgajang. The Riptides became a cult band in their homeland with their Punk/Power Pop sounds, they have released several seven inches and some full length albums. Other members of this group went on to form the bands The Go-Betweens, Leftovers, and Divinyls. The Riptides have reformed several times.

This Week's Play List:

1. The Diodes – City of The Dead
2. The Diodes – Ghost Story
3. Bad Weather California – Skate Or Try
4. Bad Weather California – Freaks and Geeks
5. The Evaporators – Hate Being Late When I'm Early
6. Sports – Lawyers Singing Sweetly
7. The Submarines – Shoelaces (Folked Up 4 Track Version)
8. The Fires Of – I Can’t Sleep
9. Andre Williams and The Goldstars – Hot Coffee
10. The Hoop – You're Breaking My Spirits Down
11. Spooky But Nice – The Sun Goes
12. Indian Wars – Took A Trip
13. The Intelligents – Superdrain
14. Tigers – (Walk Tall) Do The Crawl
15. Rotten Tropics – Spectre Tectonics
16. A Place To Bury Strangers – So Far Away
17. The Growlers – Kick The Habit of Dredd
18. The Scientists – Last Night
19. The Riptides - 77 Sunset Strip
20. Davilla 666 – Obsessionao
21. The Stomachmouths – Teenage Caveman
22. Dr.Dog - Lonesome
23. Jay Reatard – Blood Visions
24. The Black Lips – Make It (Day Trotter Session)
25. The Hentchmen - Yesterday's Trash
26. The Mark Inside – The Bottom Line

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

Hey! The Gruesomes Radio Special & Show # 391

When talking of Garage Rock in the 80s, in Canada it was nearly impossible to avoid the topic of The Gruesomes, a four piece Garage Punk band that would become a big selling underground act. Forming in 1985, the group initially featured John Davis (bass) and Eric Davis (drums) and guitarist/vocalist Bobby Beaton, while in their early stages the band were just learning their instruments, with drummer Eric Davis reportedly using trashcan lids and a snare as his drum set up, when the three met Gerry Alvarez (guitar/occasional vocalist), The Gruesomes were born. Taking influences from early 60s Garage Rock and R&B influenced Garage music from the likes of the Pebbles, Back To The Grave compilations and 70s Punk, the band decided to find a middle ground between the two genres. As a result, The Gruesomes fused together elements of 60s Garage Rock with the sneerful, snotty energy and attitude of 70s Punk. The band also has stated that they were influenced by bad television programs from the 60s/70s, which is rather fitting given the origin of their name. The band took their name from The Flintstones television program, they had some scary neighbours who were known as The Gruesomes. Armed with 60s styled mop top hairdos and vintage 60s suits from second hand shops, The Gruesomes began playing live gigs around Montreal shortly after their formation.

Being very young, all of the band members were between the ages of 17 and 19, the band relied on humour and banter onstage combined with their energy and enthusiasm for their music more so than their musical abilities in their early days. Their first two releases came in the form of EPs, first the Jack The Ripper EP and then the Unchained EP, both released in 1985 on the Primitive Records label. The band quickly built up a fan base, and by 1986 the band had released their first full length album, Tyrants of Teen Trash. Released on Og Records, Tyrants of Teen Trash sold well not only in Canada, but in the US and Europe as well. Combined with their large local following, the group hit the road, touring constantly and recording which resulted in two solid back to back albums, 1987’s Gruesomania, and 1988’s Hey! The bands status grew in popularity, they charted at number one on numerous alternative playlists and in high positions on many music based charts. 

In 1987, The Gruesomes drummer Eric Davis left the group with John Knoll joining The Gruesomes ranks. As a result Knoll brought more of a Soul and R&B backbeat to the group as opposed to Eric, who had more of a 70s Punk vibe. Despite this change up, the group remained enormously popular in the music underground, captivating audiences with their sweaty, energetic live sets.  From the very first Gruesomes release, they not only displayed their primitive Garage Punk stylings, but there was also an underlying Surf Rock influence that is not always brought up when discussing the bands music.  While it is not as prevalent on their first few releases, it pops up in a more dominate form on 1987's Gruesomania on songs such as "Whirlpool" and on 1988's Hey! on songs such as "Hey!" and "El Diablo". Towards the end of their initial releases in the 80s the bands sound leaned more towards an R&B direction, while still keeping a Garage/Punk ethic, partially due to their new drummer most likely. A sign of their ultimate expansion can be heard on the song "I Can Dig It", a song that is one of their longest recordings to date. The song explores a more Psychedelic nature in the vein of The Stooges and other 60s Psych groups. This style would later be explored in further detail with guitarist Gerry Alvarez's next group The Gerry Alvarez Odyssey.  In addition to The Gruesomes underground popularity, The Gruesomes had two music videos that received high rotation on MuchMuch and Musique Plus in Canada in the late 80s, the video’s were for 1987’s “Way Down Below” and 1988’s “Hey!”. Despite being at the height of their popularity, the rigorous effects of constant touring finally took its toll on The Gruesomes and in 1990, they called it quits.

Ten years later The Gruesomes returned with what is often called one of their best album's, 2000's Cave-In!. The album was just as good as their previous releases and even featured several songs that the band had played live in the late 80s, but never made onto an official studio album. The band headed to Europe for touring purposes and also toured in parts of the US and Canada. In 2003, a retrospective compilation of Gruesomes material was released on Sundazed Records entitled Gruesomology 1985-1989. 

Bobby Beaton and John Davis have since formed their R&B group Fuad & The Feztones, whose name Fuad Ramses originates from a pen name that Bobby Beaton used to use when writing Gruesomes linear notes. They released a seven inch EP entitled Valley Of The Kings in 2002 and in 2008 they released their first full length album Beeramid. Gruesomes guitarist Gerry Alvarez formed The Gerry Alvarez Odyssey, whose music takes influence from 60s Psychedelic music. Gerry has released two full length albums as The Gerry Alvarez Odyssey, Candy Prankster in 2006 and Omega Tea Time in 2010. In 2007, Ricochet Sound released Live In Hell a live Gruesomes album from a show they played at the Pub Flamingo in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1989. In 2008, all of The Gruesomes albums were re-issued on CD via Ricochet Sound with bonus tracks, you can even find their 1985 Garbage Pail Kids Demo done by Gerald Van Herk and Tony Dewald of Montreal’s Deja Voodoo on the Hey! Re-issue. In addition to The Gruesomes full length releases, they have been featured on numerous compilation album series including the Og Records series It Came From Canada and the What Wave compilation series. The Gruesomes perform live on occasion.

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The following interview was done between myself Dave Konstantino (host of Revolution Rock), Gerry Alvarez of The Gruesomes/The Gerry Alvarez Odyssey and John Davis of The Gruesomes/Fuad & The Feztones. We talk about The Gruesomes early days, Surf Rock, recording and both of Gerry and John's respective current musical groups the Gerry Alvarez Odyssey and Fuad & The Feztones.

RR: Let’s talk about the early days, how exactly did you guys meet and when did you decide to move forward as a band?

Gerry: We got to know each other from mutual friends who were into the same kind of music. I had been playing with different musicians for a while and was looking for a band to play with when I heard John, Bob and Eric got instruments and wanted to jam. That was back in the winter of 1985, we were between the ages of 16 and 19. I showed them three chord tunes such as “Gloria” in John’s basement in NDG. We came up with a name, practiced a bunch of times, till we were moldy enough to play basement parties and have a bunch of friends over to watch us play, including my old buddies Shawn and Stu. Back in those days we had no video games or DVD, so we didn’t do much else than play guitar and listen to vinyl records most of the time.

RR: The Gruesomes were known for having a large local fan base, but what do you remember about your first live gig? Where was it and why do you think your music appeals to your fans?

Gerry & John: Some guys from a local band called Terminal Sunglasses saw us play at a party in The Davis house basement and asked us to open up for them at Le Steppe on Parc Avenue in 1985. I was a bit nervous cause I overheard some guy say we were gonna be the next Rolling Stones. We got popular right away, a Local Paper, the MTL Mirror wrote about us a lot gave us favourable reviews. It seemed that every second weekend we another gig lined up. We played and toured constantly for years after. It all happened quite quickly. I guess it was cause we had a look, style and a different sound than anything going on… a schtick. Plus a lot of teenage energy to spare, you can hear it on those records. We dressed the part and played exactly what we were really into which was 60’s garage rock. We could perform anywhere from the toughest skinhead punk dives and college frat holes to the big venues and still get the crowds rockin’.

RR: Something that isn’t always brought up when talking about The Gruesomes is your Surf Rock influence. You have several straight up Surf Rock songs, was there a plan do Surf styled songs and do you think that Surf Rock and Garage are connected in anyway and why?

Gerry: Yeah, sure they are connected, it’s that guitar sound, the tremolo and the reverb, we loved that. They were simple to play, riffy, few chords and sounded great played loud, sloppy and dirty.

John: There was not really a surf movement back then so anyone who liked sixties tunes tended to also dig surf.

RR: What are some of your favourite all time albums?

Gerry: Amongst my favourites I would say “We Are Paintermen” by The Creation, The Standels “Dirty Water”, The Beatles “Rubber Soul” and “Revolver”, “Tomorrow”, The Seeds”, The Who’s “My Generation”, The Kinks Singles collection, Thee Milkshakes “19th Nervous Breakdown” and “Isolation Drills” from Guided by Voices.

John: The Gruesomes were really into the pebbles and back from the grave comps. That along with releases on the Midnight records label from NYC were our main inspiration.

RR: The Gruesomes recorded some demos with members of Deja Voodoo in 1985 referred to as the Garbage Pail Kids Demos. What do you remember about recording those demos and how did you get Gerard and Tony (of Deja Voodoo) to record them?

Gerry: We taped “For All I Care” in John’s basement with Gerard and Tony which was our first recording. I remember Bobby fiddling with my distortion pedal, while I had the guitar and earphones on, till a happy expression came on my face to signal him that the sound was good. The Voodoo guys had seen us play live and were interested in adding us to their “It Came From Canada” punk compilations on OG records.

John: We recorded a total of 5 songs which we handed out to clubs to get gigs. WE cut out the logo from the Garbage Pail Kids stickers (which were popular at the time) and stuck it to a photocopied photo of the band. It is really primitive!

RR: Gruesomania and Hey! were both released within a year of each other. Were the songs all recorded at the same time? Where and when were those albums recorded and how did the recording process differ from the recording of Tyrants of Teen Trash?

Gerry & John: Tyrants of Teen Trash was recorded on 8 track while Gruesomania and Hey! were recorded on 24 track. Hey! and Guesomania were not recorded at the same time, “Gruesomania” we did in 1987 and “Hey” was in 1988. We were supposed to go on a tour in the summer of ‘87 to promote Tyrants but got into a car accident, coming back from a show in Toronto at Lee’s Palace, wrecked our van, so we did “Gruesomania” instead. That was a good thing coming out of a bad one. They were recorded pretty much the same way.

John: In retrospect, we should have stuck to 8 track recording. We really had no idea what we were doing. “Hey” sounded better but people never dug it as much as “Tyrants”. “Gruesomania” had stronger song writing but terrible recording!

Gerry & John: Our best record is “Cave-In” I would say. We are all very proud of that LP.

RR: The Gerry Alvarez Odyssey differs musically from the music that was created with The Gruesomes, how would you describe your new groups sound?

Gerry: The Odyssey is an evolution of the genre or style, I’ve always been into the same guitar sounds and music, it’s just taking it further. Having my own band allows me to be more experimental and do things that are out of The Gruesomes mold which is a nice change. I don’t want to bend over backwards to recreate a copy of The Gruesomes, it would probably be impossible for me to pull off without the other guys anyway, not really interested in doing that. The Odyssey is who I am now with Flavio Monopoly as drummer and producer, it’s more psychedelic rock and pop with a bit of garage cause that’s were I come from. The Gruesomes were early to mid 60’s purists while the Odyssey is very 60’s influenced but with more of a contemporary sound and feel.

RR: How has the song writing process differed from your days with The Gruesomes as opposed to The Gerry Alvarez Odyssey? Is the process pretty much the same or different and why?

Gerry: The Gruesomes didn’t have computers or fancy demo recording equipment. These days I make demos at home on my Mac. After a while, I learned how to do it all on my own, it’s just a natural progression.

RR: What are your plans for the future musically? Are you working on anything new with any of your current music projects?

Gerry: We just played an Odyssey show in Toronto at The Sister and are planning on more gigs in the Ontario, Quebec area. I’ve been living in Toronto for ten years now. I’m always working on ideas for tunes, we’ll see when the next CD comes, we just released “Omega Tea Time” a year ago so no rush for a new one yet.

RR: Fuad & The Feztones differs musically from the music that was created with The Gruesomes, how would you describe your new groups sound?

John: The Feztones play music from a slightly earlier time-period that the Gruesomes. Bobby has really been into the 1960-64 twist sound for just about forever. The music we play is similar to what one might have heard at a frat house party circa 1962. We throw in this whole middle-east/ Egyptian thing as an excuse to make bad puns in our song writing. We had a real toga party last year that was a total blast.

RR: How has the song writing process differed from your days with The Gruesomes as opposed to Fuad & The Feztones? Is the process pretty much the same or different and why?

John: The process is about the same, only the reference points have changed. In the Feztones we ask ourselves "how would some dumb sixties teenager interpret James Brown?" as opposed to the Gruesomes where we imagined how the same kid would interpret the Stones and the Kinks. We have always loved early sixties R&B only now we get to play it exclusively. Also, we don't have to resist writing goofy contrived words anymore – in fact our wordplay and gag lyrics are so important we even included a lyric sheet with our CD. The Gruesomes never did that!

RR: Raye (from Ricochet Sound) tells me that Tyrants of Teen Trash is getting re-issued on Vinyl, do you prefer to listen to music on vinyl or digitally (CD/ipod) and why?

Gerry: Well, I grew up listening to vinyl and will always enjoy that but now I listen to my ipod for the convenience. Don’t really like mp3, much prefer CD quality, with a good pair of speakers or earphones. I got my computer hooked through the stereo.

RR: Are there any further planned Gruesomes releases in the future?

Gerry: Not really.

John: Not really but who knows.

RR: When was the last time that The Gruesomes played together and do you plan on playing anymore live shows in the future?

Gerry & John: The last time we played was in Montreal for a Garage festival with the likes of ? and the Mysterians, The Cynics and more in 2009. We don’t have anything planned for now, we’re all busy with our new bands,

Gerry: Bob and John have been playing with The Feztones for a while now. It just gets a little more complicated each time to get the old band together for a show once every two years, it’s how it goes. You never know.

More info on The Gruesomes, The Gerry Alvarez Odyssey and Fuad & The Feztones can be found at:

The Gruesomes Myspace Page
Ricochet Sound Facebook Page
The Gerry Alvarez Odyssey Myspace Page
Fuad & The Feztones Myspace Page

Gruesomes Play List:

1. No No No (Cave-In! 2000)
2. I Can Tell (Gruesomania 1987)
3. You Gotta Believe Me (Cave-In! 2000)
4. You're Not The Boss of Me (Cave-In! 2000)
5. Thanks For Nothing (Hey! 1988)
6. Won't You Listen? (Hey! 1988)
7. I Try (1985 Garbage Pail Kids Demo)
8. For All I Care (1985 Garbage Pail Kids Demo)
9. Bikers From Hell (Live In Hell 2007)
10. Jack The Ripper (Part II) (Jack The Ripper EP 1985)
11. No More Lies (Jack The Ripper EP 1985)
12. What's Your Problem? (Tyrants of Teen Trash 1986)
13. Things She Does To Me (Jack The Ripper EP 1985)
14. Fuad & The Feztones - Valley of the Kings (Valley Of The Kings 2002)
15. Gerry Alvarez Odyssey - No Man's Island (Omega Tea Time 2010)
16. What Wave (Mr. Garager’s Neighbourhood Compilation 1989)
17. El Diablo (Hey! 1988)
18. Undecided (Live In Hell 2007)
19. Leave My Kitten Alone (Gruesomania 1987)
20. Unchain My Heart (Unchained EP 1985)
21. Fuad & The Feztones - Welcome To My Castle (Nardwuar The Human Serviette and The Evaporators Present Busy Doing Nothing! 2012)
22. Gerry Alvarez Odyssey - Candy Prankster (Candy Prankster 2006)
23. Cave-In! (Cave-In! 2000)
24. Hip-no-tyzed (Cave-In! 2000)
25. Way Down Below (Gruesomania 1987)
26. I'm Down(Live In Hell 2007)
27. Hey! Live In Hell 2007)

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