Screaming Lord Sutch Purple People Eater & Show # 480

Screaming Lord Sutch started as an English musician in the 1960s. Taking inspiration from Screaming Jay Hawkins, he took his music to what some people would call shock rock levels, pre-dating Alice Cooper. He would often dress up and perform live shows as Jack The Ripper and his music reflected Horror based themes. While he may be known for his song “Jack The Ripper” which has been covered by numerous Garage Rock bands from The Gruesomes to The White Stripes, in 1966 he released a version of the song “One Eyed Flying Purple People Eater” as a single. Backed with the song “You Don’t Care,” this single was released only in Germany and at the time not available in the U.S. The song was backed by, as were most of his recordings by The Savages.

"One Eyed Flying Purple People Eater" was originally written and performed by Sheb Wooley and released as a novelty song in 1958. The song itself quickly became a hit on the Billboard singles charts going to number one on the Pop and R&B charts in 1958. This strange song was adapted by Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages in a Garage/R&B rave up style and even features a little bit of The Rolling Stones song “Satisfaction” at the end. On an interesting side note, Sutch is referenced in The Rolling Stones song “Get Off My Cloud” as the man “All dressed up in the Union Jack”. Sutch’s version of “Purple People Eater” was well received and eventually became one of Sutch’s best sellers.

Revolution Rock Halloween Play List:

1. Ramones – Chain Saw
2. The Carbonas – Trapped In Hell
3. The Fall - There's A Ghost In My House
4. The Rebel Set – Nightmare
5. The Deadly Ones – There’s A Creature In The Surfer’s Lagoon
6.  Lon Chaney Jr. & Ronald Stein - Theme from Spider Baby
7. Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages – Purple People Eater
8. The Vooduo – House On Haunted Hill
9. PJ Harvey - Meet Ze Monsta (To Bring You My Love)
10. The Legend Killers – Zombie Janitors From Hell
11. The Modernettes – Surf City Strangler (Live)
12. The Spits – Halloween Fun
13. Compulsive Gamblers – Don’t Haunt Me
14.  Frankenstein 5 – Kill and Go Hide
15. The Gruesomes – Jack The Ripper Part I
16. The Gruesomes – Jack The Ripper Part II
17. The Make Up – We Live By Night
18. The Locusts Have No King - Grave Danger
19. King Khan & BBQ Show - Invisible Girl
20. Ty Segall – You Should Never Have Opened That Door
21. The Libertines - Death On The Stairs
22. Chuck Berry – Trick or Treat

Download the Revoluiton Rock Halloween show 2013 here

Fear Of Music Halloween Play List:

1. The Birthday Party - Dead Song
2.  Pow Wows – Shock Corridor
3. The Misfits – I Turned Into A Marian
4. The Cramps - Human Fly
5. The Vaselines - Lovecraft
6. Goblin - Witch
7. The Migs – Gravestoned
8. Ghost Bikini - Spooks
9. Lucifier's Voyage - I
10. Magic Hall of Mirrors - Devil's Highway Pt.1
11. Tom Waits - Such A Scream
12. The Gruesomes - Dementia 13
13. Deja Voodoo – Monsters In My Garage Got Married
14. Rocket From the Tombs - Butcherhouse 4
15. Public Image Limited - Graveyard
16. Bonnie "Prince" Billy - Death To Everyone
17. Dave Vanian & The Phantom Chords – Swamp Thing
18. Thee Oh Sees – Ghost In The Trees
19. Slint - Breadcrumb Trail
20. The Laughing Clowns - Ghost Beat

I was a guest on Fear of Music, it was another Halloween themed program. Fear of Music explores the weirder side of Indie Rock every Wednesday from 10:30-Noon on CJAM 99.1 FM. Download this show here.

The Neon Boys & Show # 479

 

The Neon Boys were a short lived band featuring members of Television (Tom Verlaine on guitar, Billy Fica on drums) and Richard Hell on bass and vocals. The bands existence would be brief only lasting from 1972-1973, but this band was the initial beginnings in the lineage of what would become two highly influential bands in the New York CBGB’s scene of the late 70s. The bands sound featured early budding elements that would be later displayed in the bands Television and Richard Hell & The Voidoids respectively, but during their early existence as a band they would not release any material officially. A seven inch split EP would be eventually released in 1980. The first two tracks would be recordings by the aforementioned Neon Boys, while the B-side contained two Richard Hell & The Voidoids tracks “Don’t Die” and a different mix of the song “Time”. “That’s All I Know (Right Now)” featured echoes of The Velvet Underground and the 13th Floor Elevators, while the version of “Love Comes In Spurts” reflected a proto-Punk dynamic influenced by 60’s Garage Rock musically. These four songs comprised the EP initially when released in 1980, but the song “High Heeled Wheels” was added to the EP when it was issued by Overground Records in 1991. This song leans more towards the sounds of Richard Hell and The Voidoids early material with Jazz sounding basslines.

In addition to these three Neon Boys tracks a few others have also been recorded, but were never released according to the book From The Velvets To The Voidoids by Clinton Heylin. “Poor Circulation, “Tramp” and “Hot Dog” are said to be the three remaining, unreleased tracks. Richard Hell would go on to play in Television with Verlaine and Fica, but leave to join The Heartbreakers with Johnny Thunders. He left after playing with The Heartbreakers for a short period to form Richard Hell & The Voidoids. Verlaine would go on with Television releasing two full length albums, before venturing into a solo career. This EP and the songs by The Neon Boys in particular are a document of Verlaine and Hell’s 1972-73 period and showcase a first draft of what would become Television and then eventually Richard Hell & The Voidoids.



This Week's Play List:

1. Monomyth – Trash Day
2. Astral Gunk – Herky Jerky
3. The Crescendos – Now She’s Mine
5. Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages – Dracula’s Daughter
6. Luke Thompson & The Howl – Stack O’Lee
7. Breeze – Serve The Servants
8. Hooded Fang – Tourette’s
9. Luck of Eden Hall – Sassafras Overcoat
10. Teenage Fanclub – Slow Fade
11. Sebadoh – Oxygen
12. Frantic Elevators - Hunchbank Of Notre Dame
13. Toy Dolls - She Goes To Finos
14. The Teardops – Colors
15. Tanz Der Youth – Delay
16. Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Faded In the Morning (Acoustic Version)
17. Lost Patrol – And I Walked Out
18. Television – Careful (Brian Eno Demo)
19. The Neon Boys – High Heeled Wheels
20. Thee Rum Coves – GCSB
21. The Spy’s – Underground
22. XTC – Statue of Liberty
23. Public Image Limited – Fodderstompf

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

In Utero 20 Years Later & Show # 478

On September 13th, 1993, Nirvana released what was to be their last full length album before Kurt Cobain’s untimely death, but for many it is difficult to separate the two events. For some people, these events have to remain connected and it would be difficult to say that in some ways they aren’t. However, if you look at the album in the context of the situation that Kurt Cobain and Nirvana were going through at the time, you might just see it differently. In Utero is notable for being the sonic opposite of Nevermind, the breakthrough album that pushed Nirvana into the spotlight in 1991. As a whole, In Utero seemed to be an artistic foray into the realm of Noise, Rock and Pop.

In Utero was produced and recorded by Steve Albini, known for his work in Big Black and other notable recording/producing credits such as The Pixies Surfer Rosa album. Recorded at Pachyderm Studios in Cannon Falls, Minnesota, the album was made quickly in a short two week period, which captured the band in a raw and live atmosphere. In Utero’s songs were culled from songs that the band had for years, dating back as far as 1990 and newer songs that were written specifically for this album. The songs were modified lyrically and musically to a degree and when combined with the rest of the album they showcased a cohesive narrative.

The opening of “Serve The Servants” proves to be the dissonant opposite of Nervmind’s opening track “Smells Like Teen Spirit”. The lines “Teenage angst has paid off well/Now I’m bored and old” set the mood for what was to come musically and lyrically on In Utero. The song in the context of time and place seems to address Cobain’s reaction to Nirvana’s successes and his life as an adolescent and becoming an adult. The lines “As my bones grew they did hurt/They hurt really bad/I tried hard to have a father/But instead I had a Dad” seem to emphasize all these things. At the same time, while the later line is a reference to Cobain’s relationship with his father, it also is reminiscent of the line “He might be a father/But he sure ain't a Dad” from The Replacements song “Androgynous” found on their 1984 album Let It Be. This further emphasizes their musical intentions, although it was most likely a subconscious thought, it is leaning more towards the underground sound of the college radio aesthetic in which the band was bred as opposed to the crisp produced sound of mainstream rock that they seemed to battle against.

“Scentless Apprentice” attacks even deeper with its heavy drums and guitar riffs. Lyrically the song was influenced by the book Perfume by Patrick Suskind about a perfume apprentice seeking out the perfect scent by murder, even though he has no body odour of his own. The song can be seen as an allegory for the mainstream media, as can quite a few songs throughout this album. “Rape Me” is a bold Punk/Pop concoction that was supposedly inspired by the misinterpretations of Cobain’s past lyrics, “Francis Farmer Will Have Her Revenge On Seattle” once again draws from a literary world, being influenced by the 1978 Biography of actress Frances Farmer entitled Shadowland. Songs such as “Dumb”, “Pennyroyal Tea” and “All Apologies” all lean towards Cobain’s Beatles influenced tendencies, while songs such as “Very Ape”, “Milk It” and “Tourette’s” all lean towards the bands aggressive Punk tendencies.

“Heart-Shaped Box” was the first single released for In Utero. The song quickly shot up the Billboard charts becoming number one on the Billboard Modern Rock Track charts, but it had its origins in 1992. The song is one of the best examples of the bands style featuring the quiet verse and loud chorus dynamic that many of their songs featured. Lyrically the song is said to have a few meanings, the most common being about Cobain’s relationship with Courtney Love, she had according to Charles R. Cross’s Heavier Than Heaven, given Cobain a heart shaped box. And although the song was originally titled “Heart-Shaped Coffin”, many visual images are portrayed throughout the song with lyrics seeming to reference, love, birth and the portrayal of the media. When coupled with the music video shot by Anton Corbjin, it created a striking visual package.

To further add to the album’s aggressive nature, it was originally rejected by the band’s record company, being described as unreleasable initially. The album was recorded in six days and was mixed in five days initially with Steve Albini. After many back and forths with the record company, some overdubs were added to some of the songs such as “Heart-Shaped Box”, “Pennyroyal Tea” and “All Apologies” and they were also remixed by Scott Litt. The title “In Utero” is also equally as important when discussing this album, the songs, and even the artwork which portrayed a transparent anatomical mannequin with angel wings attached. The album’s title “In Utero” is a Latin term meaning in the womb. The title can mean quite a few things when considering the lyrical subject matter found on the album. It could refer to a wanting to return to a simpler time, when not in the public eye of the world or even a rebirth. The themes of birth and death appear throughout the album. Nirvana definitely attempted a rebirth of sorts with this album, coming off different musically and more focused from a lyrical standpoint. In a recent interview with XFM bassist Krist Novoselic had this to say about In Utero:

"I'm really proud of it. It's really good and it is a testimony to the artistic vision of Kurt Cobain. You listen to that record and the intensity and that power and that is a tribute to Kurt's vision."

As a whole, In Utero displayed a more abrasive and aggressive sound that differed from the albums Nevermind and Bleach. The lyrics are angst ridden and at times nihilistic, but match the ambiance that is portrayed throughout the twelve songs found on In Utero. The album ends with the mantra-like drone to the lines “All in all is all we are” from the Beatles-esque “All Apologies”. While many reviewers have pointed out this closing line to the closing track, it is a rather fitting way to end this album. Nirvana always seemed to do what they wanted whether it was the heaviness of Bleach, or the sharply produced Nevermind. In Utero stands on its own and it is what it is. Whether you like it or not or even agree with the many reviews that are popping up all over the internet, In Utero is a rebirth of a band that were at the height of their popularity and ability in approximately 41 minutes.

In September 2013, In Utero celebrated its 20th anniversary and was released in a deluxe package including a DVD of the previously unreleased MTV Live & Loud concert from 1993. Included in this set are B-sides and demos created around the time of the album. Fans have heard many of these songs before, such as the seven minute jam “Gallons of Rubbing Alcohol That Flow Through The Strip” and “Sappy”, but all of them have been given remixed treatment. Also included is a remix of the album done by Steve Albini and the remaining members of Nirvana, several of the tracks featuring alternate parts and harmonies, most notably the solo in “Serve The Servants”. While many fans argue the point of this new mix, it was inspired by Novoselic hearing the recent Doors remasters. The remix was done to look at the songs from “A different angle” as Novoselic put it. The package puts together nicely the album, its B-sides, demos, even an unreleased instrumental song that has not been heard anywhere before called “Forgotten Tune”.

This Week's Play List:

1. Shady & The Vamp – Let Me Know
2. Teenanger – Singles Don’t $ell
3. Tricky Woo – Allright
4. The Orwells – Open Your Eyes
5. Arctic Monkeys – Fireside
6. Dr. Dog – Minding The Usher
7. The Stance – Sweet Tooth
8. Shooz – Rocking Out To Montreal
9. Dice – Tired Of Living Like This
10. The Blokes – All American Girl
11. The Bad Seeds – A Taste of The Same
12. Duane Eddy – Kommotion
13. Racoon Wedding – Local Ghosts
14. Cousins – Crew
15. Construction & Destruction – Waving At Ships
16. Nirvana – Serve The Servants (2013 Mix)
17. Nirvana – Forgotten Tune
18. Nirvana – The Man Who Sold The World (MTV Live & Loud 1993)
19. Golden Grrls – Take Your Time
20. Elvis Costello & The Roots – Walk Us Uptown
21. The Clash – Innoculated City
22. The Clash – 1977 (Beaconsfield Demo 1976)
23. The Clash – City of the Dead (Live The Lyceum December, 28, 1979)

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

Albert Hammond Jr. Rude Customer & Show # 477

Albert Hammond Jr. is perhaps best known as the guitarist in The Strokes, but he has also released several solo albums.  In 2006 he released his debut solo album Yours To Keep, in 2008 ¿Cómo Te Llama? was released. Recently it was announced that Albert would release a five song EP to be titled AHJ. The EP is set to be released on Cult Records, the label of fellow Strokes bandmate Julian Casablancas in October of 2013. The first song released online from the EP was "Rude Customer."  This track has the vibe of songs found on Yours To Keep, music by The Strokes, but also draws influence from Guided By Voices. It is seen as a come back or return to form by Hammond, who has recently come clean about his four years of sobriety. The above video is for the song "In Transit," a song found on 2006's Yours To Keep. This Video is taken from FaceCulture.




This Week's Play List:

1. Albert Hammond Jr. – Rude Customer
2. Brazos – How The Ranks Was Won
3. Dodos – Destroyer
4. Gloo’s Cap – Gloo’s Lullaby
5. Threads of Fybre – Believe Me
6. The Haunted – Mona
7. Takeshi Terauchi & The Bunnys – Test Driver
8. Paradoxical Babel – Middle Class
9. The Sherlocks – Stefany
10. The Smugglers – This Is Rock N” Roll
11. Absolute Beginners – Southern Beat
12. The Conspirators – Cross My Heart
13. Brazilian Money – The TV Set Is Broken
14. The Mark Inside – Don’t Wake Daniel
15. Radio 4 – Too Much To Ask For
16. Obits – Taste The Diff
17. John Cooper Clarke – Innocents
18. UK Subs – Telephone Numbers
19. The Future Primitives – Do The Ostrich
20. The High Drops – These Kids
21. Pow Wows – The Horse Thief (Live)
22. The Clash – The Right Profile
23. The Clash – I’m Not Down
24. The Clash – Broadway

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

Darker Lights Interview & Show # 476

Papermaps Darker Lights builds from the momentum and direction that was introduced on 2012’s Inferior Ghost EP. The band brings in an atmospheric and for the most part darker sound, compared to their first self titled album that was released in 2011. On this album there was a bit of a line up change in the group. The band brought in Andy Soto on guitar who is known for his Post-Rock/Shoe Gaze sounding guitar elements, making the band a four piece group. As a whole Darker Lights is an album that sets a certain mood, one that can warrant repeated listens. Influences brought in on this album include bands such as My Bloody Valentine, and elements of Post Punk groups such as Joy Division and Gang of Four to a degree, all of which amalgamate into the sounds and songs found on this album.

The album features songs such as the atmospheric “Shadow Theatre” featuring the mood setting universal lyrics “And when I find myself most of the feeling was gone” that start the album off on a strong note. “The Hedonist” is a fuzzy, guitar driven song, filled with 90’s tinged angst, while “I’ve Closed A Door” features strong harmonies and backwards sound effects. “The Edge of Chinatown” combines the bands textured Post Rock sounds with 90s influences, “One By One” is an 80s sounding track sung by bassist Betty Dimo, “The Memory Song” builds emphasis and affinity for noisy Rock, “Poor City” and “Nobody Gets It” show off the bands new texturized, darker sound and dynamics, while still containing the catchy harmonies and vocal work that the band has displayed on all of their releases thus far. The watery guitar sounding “Vanauley Walk” features the lyric “When you see me fall/you'll watch me turn around/you’ll see my body twist/my feet land on the ground". Parts of this lyric demonstrate the direction and change in the bands dynamics since 2011. Darker Lights shows us a new side of Papermaps and shows us albeit these changes that they face Papermaps will land on their feet.

Listen to the interview I did with Dean Marino about Darker Lights here:




This week's play list:

1. Temples – Shelter Song
2. The Fiends - Grave Digger
3. Mules – True Love
4. Golden Calgarians – Party In The Sun
5. Little Roosters – The Age Of Reason
6. Franz Ferdinand – Bullet
7. Chelsea – Right To Work
8. Frantic Elevators - Voice In The Dark
9. Ry Cooder – Boomer’s Story
10. James OL – Yellow Gold
11. Papermaps – Shadow Theatre

DEAN MARINO PAPERMAPS DARKER LIGHTS INTERVIEW

12. Papermaps – One By One
13. Wah! Heat! – 7000 Names of Wah
14. The Swingin’ Machine – Do You Have To Ask
15. Wes Dakus & The Club 93 Rebels – El Ringo
16. Les Ramrods – Out Front
17. Thee Oh Sees – Heart Sweats
18. Sham 69 – (There’s Gonna Be A) Borstal Breakout
19. The Vibrators – Into The Future…
20. The Clash – Protex Blue
21. The Clash – 48 Hours
22. The Clash – English Civil War

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

Uroccan Cowboy & Show # 475

The first half of today’s three hour program featured two tracks from Chris Crossroads. Chris has roots in Winnipeg, but currently resides in Windsor, Ontario. The two songs we heard “Spare A Dime Blues” and “Rattlesnakes & Venom” both come from a release entitled Uroccan Cowboy and reflect a Folk, Country and Blues nature. The album was a limited DIY release and was recorded in Winnipeg with what was to become the Home Street Recording Company. The album was re-released in 2010. Recently Chris Crossroads took part in a 30 day song writing challenge in which he would write, record and post a video on youtube of a new song each day. During this 30 day span he wrote 30 songs, several in different genres. Currently Chris Crossroads is working on material for a new as of yet untitled album.

More info on Chris Crossroads and his music can be found at: http://chriscrossroads.com




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This was the last week that i filled in for the time slot prior to mine from 9 AM – 10:30 AM on CJAM 99.1 FM. Each of these shows focused on Roots Rock oriented genres. This week the first hour and a half of music was devoted to the Country and Blues, and Folk music genres. The program featured selections from Lonesome Lefty, Little Walter, Drive-By Truckers, and Merle Haggard. The second half of the show was my usual mix of music you would find on Revolution Rock, playing several artists including music by The Sadies, Deer Tick and The Bell Peppers. 

Part One:
Revolution Rock (Country, Folk & Blues Edition):

1. JD Estes & The Blue Ridge Playboys – Wabash Cannonball
2. Wade Hemsworth - The Black Fly Song (Canada Folk Songs 1951-1957 - 2008)
3. Lonesome Lefty  - The One Rose That's Left In My Heart (Songs of Love, Death & Murder)
4. The Delmore Brothers - Boogie Woogie Blues (The History of Country & Western Music Vol. 10 -2001)
5. Bill Strength - Black Coffee Blues (The History of Country & Western Music Vol. 19 - 2001)
6. Little Walter - Doctor Ross Boogie (Blues Harmonica Blowin' and Suckin' - 2008)
7. Tommy Tucker – Hi Heel Sneakers (MOJO Chess Classics - 2005)
8. Middle Sister – Corduroy Roads(Walkerville Mix Tape Volume 2 - 2013)
9. Cass McCombs - The Executioner's Song (Catacombs - 2009)
10. The Drive-by Truckers - Daddy Needs a Drink (Brighter Than Creation's Dark - 2008)
11. Merle Haggard – Drink Up And Be Somebody (I'm a Lonesome Fugitive - 1967)
12. Chris Crossraods – Spare A Dime Blues (Uroccan Cowboy - 2010)
13. Chris Crossroads – Rattlesnakes & Venom (Uroccan Cowboy - 2010)
14. Olenka & The Autumn Lovers – Hard Times (Hard Times - 2013)
15. Elmore James - Look On Yonder Wall (The Sky Is Crying) (Shake Your Money Maker - 1961)
16. Big Boy Ellis - She's Gone (Some Blues Classics)
17. Leroy Dallas - Your Sweet Man Blues (Some Blues Classics)
18. The Rolling Stones – You Gotta Move (Sticky Fingers - 1971)
19. George Jones – I’m Ragged But I’m Right (Long Live King George - 1958)
20. Elliott Brood - Without Again (Mountain Meadows - 2008)
21. Jaron Freeman-Fox - Burnin Sun (Jaron Freeman-Fox & The Opposite of Everything - 2013)
22. The Replacements - Waitress in The Sky (Tim - 1985)
23. The Byrds – Nothing Was Delivered (Sweetheart Of The Rodeo - 1968)

Download part one Revolution Rock (The Country, Folk and Blues Edition) here.

Part Two:
Revolution Rock:

1. Coachwhips – We Can’t Go Back To My Place
2. Billy Dre & The Poor Boys – Lip Balm Cray
3. King Khan & The Shrines – (How Can I Keep You) Outta Harms Way
4. Destruction Unit – Bumpy Road
5. The Kingsmen – The Cat Walk
6. The Bell Peppers – Drapes N’ Squares
7. The Soft Pack – Pull Out
8. Neo Boys – Under Control
9. Swimming Pool Q’s - Little Misfit
10. Miesha & The Spanks – Look At You
11. Hellaluya – Iggy Pop
12. Cellos – The New Religion
13. The Sadies – The First 5 Minutes
14. Deer Tick – Thyme
15. Lloyd Price – Stagger Lee
16. She Wolf – I’m So Glad You Don’t Know What’s On My Mind
17. Bob Dylan – The Man In Me
18. Jay Sad – Moving Day
19. Cold Warps – Dip Tripper
20. Obits – This Must Be Done
21. Ty Segall & White Fence – Time
22. Black Lips – Dirty Hands
23. Black Lips - Workin'

Download part two (Revolution Rock) here.

Subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

Chuck Berry, Trains, Drivers & Show # 474

Ever since releasing his 1955 hit single “Maybeline” for Chess Records, Chuck Berry has gone on to be a highly influential Rock and Roll musician and songwriter.   Berry originally from St. Louis, Missouri would play Blues music with local musicians in St. Louis as a source of extra income.   This was where Berry developed his early style, he also would mix Country songs in with R&B songs all the while never being afraid to show off his talents.   In 1955, Chuck Berry moved to Chicago and contacted Leonard Chess upon a suggestion from Muddy Waters.   In May of 1955, Chuck Berry recorded “Maybeline” which was based off an early fiddle song “Ida Red”.   It went on to sell one million copies unexpectedly.

Today’s program featured some rarer and for the most part, lesser known Berry songs.  The first song “Downbound Train” was the b-side of the song “No Money Down”, which was originally released in 1955.   The song was said to be influenced by Chuck Berry’s extreme religious upbringing, but some have also said that it could have been based on an older song with a similar theme.   However, Chuck Berry’s version tells the story of the redemption and the warnings of alcohol abuse.   In the song a man passes out drunk at a bar and has a dream about riding a train, which is driven by the devil.  The man in the story wakes up renouncing the drink.  The song features a strong message in an almost folk-like format lyrically.

“I Want To Be Your Driver” was another song featured on today’s program.   This song is a more upbeat song than “Downbound Train” and this song features a more upbeat R&B Rock sound. This song was recorded in 1965 and was not released as a single.   Lyrically the song plays into the late 50’s/early 60’s subculture, featuring lyrics about automobiles amongst ancy guitar riffs.   The song can be found along with many other tracks on Chuck Berry’s 1965 release Chuck Berry In London, which is an often overlooked album of Berry’s that contains many hidden gems.

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For the next few week’s I will be filling in for the time slot prior to mine from 9 AM – 10:30 AM on CJAM 99.1 FM.  Each of these shows will focus on Roots Rock oriented genres.  This week the first hour and a half of music was devoted to the Country and Blues music genres. The program featured selections from Chuck Berry, Johnny Cash, Sonny Boy Williamson, Indian Wars, Cuff The Duke and a rare and unreleased Country track from the 80s Garage band The Prehistoric Cavestrokers.  The second half of the show was my usual mix of music you would find on Revolution Rock, playing several artists including music by The Beatles, Young Rival and new music from Crocodiles and Papermaps.

Part One:
Revolution Rock (Country and Blues Edition):

1. Cuff the Duke - Long Road (Sidelines of the City - 2007)
2. Hank Williams - A Mansion On The Hill (40 Greatest Hits - 1978)
3. Bob Dylan - House Carpenter (Bootleg Series Vol. 10: Another Self Portrait - 2013)
4. David Lynch - The Ballad of Hollis Brown (The Big Dream - 2013)
5. Neko Case - Local Girl (The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You - 2013)
6. Andre Williams & The Sadies - I Can Tell (Night & Day - 2012)
7. Sam Coffey and The Iron Lungs - Nashville (Sam Coffey and The Iron Lungs - 2011)
8. Prehistoric Cave Strokers - Jed's Rap (Unreleased Recording)
9. Chuck Berry - Downbound Train (After School Session - 1957)
10. Chuck Berry - I Want To Be Your Driver (The Great Twenty-Eight - 1982)
11. Muddy Waters - Tiger In Your Tank (At Newport 1960 - 1960)
12. Sonny Boy Williamson - Alice Mae Blues (Country Blues Obscurities - 2009)
13. Little Sam Davis - Goin' To New Orleans (Country Blues Obscurities - 2009)
14. Robert Johnson - Me and the Devil Blues (King of the Delta Blues Singers - 1961)
15. The White Stripes - It's My Fault For Being Famous (Conquest Single - 2007)
16. Neil Young - Mellow My Mind (Tonight's The Night - 1975)
17. Cowboy Junkies - Working on a Building (The Trinity Sessions - 1988)
18. Deer Tick - Houston, TX (Born On Flag Day - 2009)
19. The Locusts Have No King - Last Ride (THe Locusts Have No King - 2007)
20. Indian Wars - Missippi (Songs From The North - 2012)
21. Johnny Cash - Bottom Of A Mountain (Bootleg Series Vol. II - From Memphis To Hollywood - 2011)
22. Bob Dylan - This Evening, So Soon (Bootleg Series Vol. 10: Another Self Portrait - 2013)

Download part one (Revolution Rock - Country & Blues Edition) here: 

Part Two:
Revolution Rock:

1. TV Freaks – Pusher
2. Jacuzzi Boys – Hotline
3. The Night People – We Got It
4. The Canadian Rogues – You Better Stop
5. The Premiers – Farmer John
6. The Magic Mushrooms – It’s-A-Happening
7. Ty Segall – The Keepers
8. Pokey Lafarge – Pack It Up
9. Curbside Sofa – Be My Girl
10. Holograms – Meditations
11. Crocodiles – Cockroach
12. Orphan Choir – Broken Upright Piano
13. Contradance – Black Preppies
14. Brazilian Money – Filthy Dreams
15. The Mark Inside – Dead Heart
16. The Mark Inside – Balloons
17. Papermaps – The Hedonist
18. The Beatles – Devil In Her Heart
19. The Beatles – Not A Second Time
20. Young Rival – Lost
21. Undertones – I Know A Girl
22. The Embarassment – Sound of Wasps
23. Link Wray – Dance Party Pt.1
24. Deerhunter - Back To The Middle

Download part two (Revolution Rock) here.

Subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

Revolution Bo Diddley & Show # 473

 

Often called “The Originator”, Bo Diddley has influenced everyone from Buddy Holly, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, to The Velvet Underground, Jimi Hendrix, Elvis Presley and The Yardbirds. It is suffice to say that his influence is everywhere. Bo Diddley had a signature beat which was based on African Clave rhythm, which is now viewed as a cornerstone of Rock and Roll music everywhere. Bo Diddley had a classically trained background in music, but became interested in the guitar at an early age. He would mix styles such as R&B, Blues, and African and church music blending the styles into his own unique sound. He once said that he played the guitar like he was playing the drums. He had this to say of his first single in 1955:

“I made 'Bo Diddley' in '55, they started playing it, and everybody freaked out. Caucasian kids threw Beethoven into the garbage can.”

And that couldn’t be anymore true, once he put out his first release in 1955, it made people rethink music, which as a result went on to influence some of the most influential artists of the 20th century in music. Bo Diddley was also known for his own specific type of guitar that was once called a “cigar box shaped” guitar by Dick Clark. This square shaped guitar was nick named “The Twang Machine” by Bo Diddley and was originally made by “The Originator” himself in 1958 so that he could jump around on stage more when playing live. In addition to these things, Bo Diddley was also recognized for his unique abilities as lyricist. Bo Diddley went on to release 24 full length studio albums, not counting singles and compilation albums. His influence is everywhere and his music is still relevant and influential today.

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For the next few week’s I will be filling in for the time slot prior to mine from 9 AM – 10:30 AM on CJAM 99.1 FM. Each of these shows will focus on Roots Rock oriented genres. This week the first hour and a half of music was devoted to Bo Diddley’s music and influence. He has a wealth of material and the show focused on his own material, covers done by other artists and some obscure Bo Diddley songs. The second half of the show was my usual mix of music you would find on Revolution Rock, playing several artists including two rare recordings from the MC5's Purity Accuracy boxed set.

Part One:
Revolution Diddley Play List:

1. Bo Diddley - Bo Diddley (single - 1955)
2. Bo Diddley - Bring It To Jerome (Bo Diddley - 1958)
3. Bo Diddley - The Great Grandfather (Go Bo Diddley - 1959)
4. The Juvenilles - Bo Diddley (History of Northwest Rock Vol. 4 Battle of the Bands - 2009)
5. The Ugly Ducklings - Hey Mamma Keep Your Big Mouth Shut (Somewhere Outside - 1967)
6. The Gruesomes - I Can Tell (Gruesomania - 1987)
7. Captain Beefheart - Diddy Wah Diddy (single - 1965)
8. The Clash - You Can't Judge A Book By Looking At The Cover (Golden Bullets Bootleg - 2001)
9. Bo Diddley - Surf, Sink or Swim (Surfin' With Bo Diddley - 1963)
10. Bo Diddley - Aztec (Bo Diddley Is A Lover - 1961)
11. Super Blues (Bo Diddley, Little Walter, Muddy Waters) - You Don't Love Me (You Don't Care) (Super Blues - 1967)
12. Bo Diddley - Rock & Roll (Rare and Well Done - 1991)
13. Bo Diddley - Bo Meets The Monster (single - 1958)
14. Light Bulb Alley - Who Do You Love? (The Sound of Things - 2011)
15. King Khan & The Shrines - Crackin' Up (The Supreme Genius of - 2008)
16. Ronnie Hawkins - Who Do You Love (The Roulette Years - 1995)
17. The Pack A.D. - Blackout (Funeral Mixtape - 2008)
18. Jesus & Mary Chain - Bo Diddley is Jesus (Barbed Wire Kisses - 1988)
19. Bo Diddley - Pills (single - 1961)
20. New York Dolls - Pills (New York Dolls - 1973)
21. The Rolling Stones – Please Go Home (Between The Buttons - 1967)
22. Bo Diddley - Gunslinger (Bo Diddley Is A Gunslinger - 1960)

Download part one (Revolution Diddley) here.

Part Two:
Revolution Rock Play List:

1. The Seeds – Try To Understand
2. The Epics – Humpty Dumpty
3. Actual Water – Ivory & Oak
4. Gold Country – Carried Away And The Wind
5. Chad Vangaalen – Molten Light
6. J Mascis – Not Enough
7. Robin Tyner & The Hotrods – Till the Night Is Gone
8. Ultravox! – ROckWrok
9. The Terminal Sunglasses – Antenna Dilemma
10. The Catch – Competition
11. Chang-A-Lang – Vigilante Man
12. The Forgotten Rebels – Me Generation
13. X – Sugarlight
14. Joy Division – Disorder
15. Vic Goddard & The Subway Sect – Johnny Thunders
16. Fergus & Geronimo – Spies
17. The Howlies – Walk On Home
18. Raised By Weeds – Trip To The Ocean
19. Deja Voodoo – Bo Diddley's Cat
19. Deja Voodoo - My Girlfriend
20. The Fall – Mr. Pharmacist
21. The Hives – Find Yourself Another Girl
22. MC5 – One Of The Guys
23. MC5 – Sister Ann (W Sonic On Guide Vocals)

Download part two (Revolution Rock) here.

Subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

Ty Segall's Sleeper, Rockabilly & Show # 472

After releasing three albums last year of Psychedelic, Garage and general loud proportions in 2012, the first release from Ty Segall in 2013 is the acoustic filled album entitled Sleeper. While many critics and fans mention Segall’s ability to write more melodic Pop songs on albums such as Goodbye Bread and even last years Hair that he recorded with White Fence, Sleeper takes that to another level. Sleeper is ten songs all acoustic, with the exception of electric guitar at the end of “The Man Man”, all of which reflects a stripped down approach to Segall’s sound. As he stated in an interview for Billboard.com, “I couldn't have written a loud, heavy song if somebody had paid me to. I tried-it just wasn't working." The songs all reflect the recent passing of his adopted father and the aftermath which included a fall out with his mother. This album serves as a sort of therapy for that time, as Segall has also stated in interviews.

All of the music reflects a 60s Psychedelic Folk influence. Comparisons have been made to early T Rex, Bert Jansch, Donovan and John Fahey. The First track “Sleeper” was initially written by Ty for his girlfriend as she was sleeping, but in the context of this album and its background it takes on another meaning. “The Keepers” doesn’t sound like it would have been out of place on Hair, “She Don’t Care” is a bitter Psychedelic Folk song complete with orchestral strings, “6th Street” digs deep with its Blues sounding guitar slides and 60’s vocal harmonies, while “Sweet C.C” reflects a T-Rex sound. Sleeper ends with “The West” a dusty Country flavoured Folk song which ends the album on a poignant note given its context. The song also, as does most of the songs on this album, has more than one meaning and connotation. It can be directly related to Ty Segall’s situation which spawned this album, or to anyone listening that can take their own meaning from it. The words amongst the acoustic melodies are veiled in words that are more universal, but we do get brief glimpses into Segall’s frame of mind at different points throughout the album. Sleeper starts off 2013 showing us a stripped down version of Ty Segall we haven’t heard before. The title of the album may be Sleeper, but is just as exciting as even the loudest Ty Segall album.

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For the next few week’s I will be filling in for the time slot prior to mine from 9 AM – 10:30 AM on CJAM 99.1 FM. Each of these shows will focus on Roots Rock oriented genres. This week I focused on the Rockabilly genre playing a mix of old and new artists within the genre, many obscure artists were included in the mix as well. You can view the play list and download the program along with this week’s episode of Revolution Rock which followed from 10:30-Noon.

Part One:
Revolution-A-Billy Play List:

1. Elvis Presley – I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone
2. Jack Scott – Geraldine
3. Jack Scott – Save My Soul
4. Wanda Jackson – Fujiyama Mama
5. Clyde Stacy - So Shy
6. Whitey Pullen – Broke Waitin’ For A Break
7. Tandoori Knights - Big Belly Giant
8. Hal Willis – My Pink Cadillac
9. Kenny Smith - I'm So Lonesome Baby
10. Aubrey Cagle - Rockabilly Boy
11. Parker Cunningham - Dry Run
12. Ray St. Germain & The Satins - She's A Square
13. Little Billy Stoltz & The Stotlz Bros – Rock & Roll Riot
14. R. Dean Taylor – At The High School Dance
15. Joe, Ron & George - Roachie
16. Zig Dillion - On Down The Line (Alternate Take)
17. Bloodshot Bill – Thunder And Lightning
18. Jerry Jerry & The Sons of Rhythm Orchestra - Bad Idea
19. The Dusty Chaps - Yukon Buddy
20. Hellbound Hepcats - Hellbound Hepcat
21. The Stray Cats – Built For Speed
22. Vince Taylor And The Playboys – Brand New Cadillac
23. Johnny Carrol - Two Timin'
24. Baker Knight – Bring My Cadillac Back
25. Robert Gordon With Link Wray - Red Cadillac And A Black Moustache
26. Stingin' Hornets - Hornet Hive Hop
27. The Phantom - Love Me
28. Tay Falco's Panther Burns – Come On Little Mama
29. Ray condo & His Hardrock Goners – Sweet Loving On My Mind

Download part one (Revolution-A-Billy) here.

Part Two: 
Revolution Rock Play List:

1. Monomyth – 10,000
2. Old And Weird – All of My Friends
3. Holy Cobras – Escalation
4. The Crabs – Victim
5. The Abandos – Speed Ball (Demo)
6. Dum Dum Girls – Wasted Away
7. Crocodiles – Summer of Hate
8. King Khan & The Shrines – Yes I Can’t
9. The Falcons – Somebrero Del Diablo
10. Dan Sartain – Telegram Sam
11. 101ers – Maybeline (Live)
12. Bo Diddley – Gunslinger
13. The Kinks – Milk Cow Blues
14. Sex Pistols – No Future (God Save The Queen) (Manchester Square Session 1976)
15. Gang of Four – I Found That Essence Rare
16. Pluto - Details
17. The Dirtbombs – Stuck Under My Shoe
18. Nothing At All – Nothing At All
19. Modern Lovers – Hospital
20. Simply Saucer – I Take (Demo)
21. Ty Segall – Sleeper
22. Ty Segall – Sweet C.C.
23. Ty Segall – The West
24. Elvis Presley - Mystery Train

Download part two (Revolution Rock) here.

Subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

Guided By Voices Alien Lanes & Show # 471

When looking at the work of Guided By Voices, fans of their ever prolific catalogue spearheaded by songwriter Robert Pollard often look to two or three albums, Vampire On Titus, Bee Thousand and Alien Lanes. Formed in 1983 in Dayton, Ohio, Guided by Voices began recording and releasing material themselves on four track tape recorders in the basement, helping to coin the term “lo-fi” and bringing it into the social consciousness of underground and College/Indie Rock fans. Alien Lanes was the first recording on Matador Records and was released in 1995. The album was one of the last to be recorded in their four track fashion, and was a mix of numerous genres ranging from Garage Rock, Psychedelic Garage and Punk to Post Punk, Folk and Pop. The album jumps genres seamlessly in an endless stream of consciousness, and the songs are intertwined with witty, often nonsensical lyrics by Robert Pollard and weird sound effects. The overall sound quality is that of an undiscovered bootleg that is to be treasured. It sounds like one of those records that you hear and want to hoard so no one else can have it.

Alien Lanes featured many songs that were to become well known songs within their plethora of a catalogue, but it is also important to mention the line up on this release. From 1993-1996 Guided By Voices featured Robert Pollard on vocals, Tobin Sprout and Mitch Mitchell on guitar, Greg Demos on bass and Kevin Fennell on drums. This line up of the band is often referred to as the “classic line up” of Guided By Voices. It should also be noted that while Pollard is regarded and for the most part the primary songwriter for this group, he often worked and collaborated with Tobin Sprout in a Jagger/Richards fashion.

Sprout would often also sing and have his own compositions and Alien Lanes is no different. That album starts off with “A Salty Salute” a constant staple of the bands live sets, with its prominent bassline, drums and humming guitar feedback. This song sticks in your head (as do many on this album) with lyrics such as “The club is open” being repeated over and over. “Watch Me Jumpstart” is as has been stated in many reviews about change. The lyrics “Watch me jumpstart as the old skin is peeled/See an opening and bust into the field/Hidden longings no longer concealed" affirm this amongst the fuzzy guitar and heavy drums. “Game Of Pricks” is definitely a highlight found on this album. With its Power Pop structure and lyrics such as “You can never be strong/You can only be free/And I never asked for the truth/But you owe that to me” the song displays an uplifting spirit, while at the same time conveying a sense of melancholy. Other notable songs are the Psychedelic Folk of “They’re Not Witches”, the hidden Beatles influence of “As We Go Up, We Go Down”, the lo-fi nugget “My Valuable Hunting Knife”, and “Blimps Go 90” which adds a string section to their already established sound. Alien Lanes features many slower songs as well, such as “The Ugly Vision” and “Ex-Supermodel” and these songs also venture into experimental territory. “Ex-Supermodel” features a predominate sound of someone snoring throughout the track, while a song like “Chicken Blows” features strange sounds and melodies that sound like someone singing underwater.

Tobin Sprout also shines on his own compositions on this album, where he also takes lead vocals as well. The catchy Velvet Underground Pop infectiousness of “A Good Flying Bird”, “Straw Dogs” and the ramped up Buzzcock sounds of “Little Whirl” are undeniable amongst this 28 song collection that is known as Alien Lanes. When recording this album for Matador, Guided By Voices were given a significant six figure sum to record the album. They decided to record on four and eight track tape recorders on the cheap, as stated in many articles about Alien Lanes. In James Greer’s Guided by Voices: A Brief History: Twenty-One Years of Hunting Accidents in the Forests of Rock and Roll, he stated that “The cost for recording Alien Lanes, if you leave out the beer, was about ten dollars." Greer was also a member of GBV contributing vocals and bass to Alien Lanes and Under The Bushes, Under The Stars. He also toured with the group. Another important significance that Alien Lanes holds is that it was recorded very cheaply and poorly on purpose and proved that you do not need a major label and or studio to make a good album. This was at a time when major labels and studios dominated the world of music in almost all aspects, but their DIY ethic and production techniques emphasize the fact that an album can still be good regardless of how much money goes into the production of it.

If 1993’s Vampire on Titus and 1994’s Bee Thousand helped to establish a cult-like following, then Alien Lanes cemented that status. Alien Lanes spans many genres, blending styles and melodies with a gritty lo-fi quality and its songs are often fragmentary like the songs found on Wire’s Pink Flag album, but they also have a sense of experimentation. Some people love it, some people hate it, but these recordings are not unlike the rough sounding Basement Tapes bootleg that Bob Dylan did with the Band in the late 60s. Alien Lanes grows in a similar style, with sound effects, lyrical nonsense, wittiness and a charming gritty bootleg tape sound. It is imperfectly perfect just like many fans favourite Guided By Voices songs and albums. And at 28 songs in 41 minutes, it is the perfect example of the Guided By Voices style and it demonstrates how prolific they are, regardless of which path it leads you down.

This week's Play List:

1. Salvia Plath – House of Leaves
2. Sunwolf – Angel Eyes
3. The Winter Coats – Not For Us To Say
4. Feels Alright – Oahu Ohio
5. Nervous Talk – Introductions
6. Wyldlife – Sonofabitch
7. No Age – Circling With Dizzy
8. Mudhoney – Don’t Fade TV
9. The Wipers – Can This Be
10. Guided By Voices – A Salty Salute
11. Guided By Voices – Game of Pricks
12. Guided By Voices – The Ugly Vision
13. Guided By Voices - A Good Flying Bird
14. The Groupies – Primitive
15. Thee Oh Sees - Two Drummers Disappear
16. Mystics – Tell Me
17. Eric Welton Band – Kill Them With Kindness
18. Klark Kent – My Old School
19. Nick Lowe – Marie Provost
20. Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet – You Spin Me Around 86
21. Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet – Vibrolux Deluxe (Previously Unreleased Version)
22. Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet - Run Chicken Run
23. The Only Ones – Out There In The Night
24. The Rich Kids – Ghosts of Princes In Towers
25. Alex Chilton - I've Had It
26. Sebadoh - Arbitrary High
27. Richard Hell & The Voidoids – I Live My Life

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

Riot Fest 2013 & Show # 470

 

It has been 22 years since The Replacements have last played live. Their last live show was on July 4th, 1991 in Chicago. That concert ended with the band switching instruments and playing the song “Hootenanny” then passing their instruments off to their roadies. The show ended in tones of feedback. In October 2012, The Replacements reunited to record an EP entitled Songs For Slim. The EP was recorded for Replacements guitarist Slim Dunlap who had suffered a stroke and the EP was released to raise some money for Slim and his family. In June 2012, it was announced that The Replacements would reform for three live shows as part of this years Riot Fest. Riot Fest runs in Toronto on August 24-25th, in Chicago on September 13-15th and in Denver on September 21-22nd. The current line up of The Replacements set to play at Riot Fest is Paul Westerberg (vocals/guitar), Tommy Stinson (bass), Dave Minehan of the band The Neighborhoods on guitar and Josh Freese on Drums.

Iggy and The Stooges will also play this year’s Riot Fest in Toronto. They have been playing with this current line up featuring Raw Power-era guitarist James Williamson since 2009. The Stooges released an album with James Williamson entitled Ready To Die. It was released on Fat Possum Records in February 2013. The album has received favourable reviews from many critics, often being cited as a stronger release than 2007’s The Weirdness. The album features notable songs such as “Burn”, Job” and “The Departed”, which is apparently an homage to pre-Raw Power guitarist Ron Asheton who passed away in 2009. Iggy & The Stooges have been said to play many Raw Power-era songs and songs from Iggy’s solo career live. This year’s Riot Fest in Toronto will also feature bands such as Dinosaur Jr. Best Coast, The Weakerthans, Rocket From The Crypt and more.

This Week's Play List:

1. Dinosaur Jr. – In A Jar
2. Dinosaur Jr. – The Lung
3. The Weakerthans – Civil Twilight
4. The Mooney Suzuki - Oh, Sweet Susanna
5. The Little Boy Blues – You Don’t Love Me
6. Graham Bond Organization – Harmonica
7. Davie Allan & The Arrows – High Rise
8. John Ward’s Electric Séance – Meatmare
9. Contradance – Trouble In The Darkness
10. The Sturgeons – Danger Zone
11. Pow Wows – Plastic Factory
12. Indian Wars – Who Needs A Girl Like You
13. Brazilian Money – Bones, Bones, Bones!
14. Repetitor - Laka Zabava
15. The Vibrators - Yeah, Yeah, Yeah
16. Iggy & The Stooges – Open Up and Bleed (July 1973 CBS Studios)
17. Iggy & The Stooges – I’m Sick Of You
18. Iggy & The Stooges – Shake Appeal
19. The Replacements – Wake Up
20. The Replacements – Can’t Hardly Wait (Outtake - Electric Version)
21. The Replacements – Treatment Bound

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

The Specials, Ramones & Show # 469

The Specials - Too Much Too Young



“Too Much Too Young” was a song found on The Specials debut full length album The Specials released in 1979. The song featured controversial lyrics, but despite this it was released as a single in the UK and reached number one on the UK singles charts. Lyrically the song was based on the Lloyd Charmers song “Birth Control”, The Specials took those lyrics and gave them a modern slant based on the economic situation and times in England in the late 70s. This song, as do many on the full length album build on early Jamaican/Reggae songs form the 60s, but added 70s Punk attitude and vigour.

Ramones - Commando



“Commando” was a song found on The Ramones second full length album Leave Home released in 1977 on Sire Records. This song had a military lyrical background as do many early Ramones songs. It is credited to Dee Dee Ramone and Johnny Ramone and barely tow minutes long. The version in this video comes from their live album It’s Alive that was released in 1979, but recorded in 1977 at the Rainbow, Theatre in London, England. It's Alive was also the name of a B-Horror movie from 1974, which is where the title orginates from.

This Week's Play List:

1. The Deadly Ones – It’s Monster Surfing Time
2. The Challengers – Back Beat
3. Dean Carter – Call of the Wild
4. Monomyth – Cigarette
5. Ketamines – Double Elevens
6. Primal Scream – Goodbye Johnny
7. Gogol Bordello – We Rise Again
8. Daniel Romano – Chicken Bill
9. Hurricane & Able – Call On You
10. Teenanger – Funeral March
11. Kitten Forever – Rat Queen
12. Dishrags – Carry On
13. Silicon Injection - Argo
14. Johnny Motel & The Fast Fucks - Knock Down Blues
15. Shark Week – Get High
16. Huevos Rancheros – Trouble A Brewin
17. Adam and The Ants – The Human Beings
18. True Lovers – Master’s Apprentice
19. Johnny Thunders – Downtown
20. The Gun Club – Like Calling Up Thunder
21. The Police – Peanuts
22. Ramones – Commando
23. Buzzcocks – Love You More
24. The Rolling Stones - Dear Doctor
25. The Specials – Stupid Marriage
26. The Specials - Too Much Too Young

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

David Bowie Lodger & Show # 468

Released in May of 1979, Lodger is the third album in David Bowie’s Berlin Trilogy. This was a set of three albums (Low, Heroes and Lodger) in which David Bowie produced/collaborated with Brian Eno. Although Lodger was the third album in this trilogy, it wasn’t actually recorded in Berlin but was primarily recorded in Montreux, Switzerland. Often said to be more accessible or commercial sounding than either Heroes or Low, Lodger was a highly experimental album that was recorded in equally as experimental circumstances. Upon first listen, compared to the other albums in the trilogy it does have a more conventional sound, but if you listen a little more closely it is actually quite the opposite. When first released in 1979, the album was for the most part panned by critics and labelled one of Bowie’s weakest albums. Fans and critics alike now view it as one of Bowie’s most underrated albums.

Lodger is notable for its inclusion of elements of World Music, Funk and Post-Punk/New Wave sounds. Almost every track does seem to have an element that comes from a World Music category. Lyrically the album addresses themes of travel and Western civilization, but the circumstances in which it was recorded are just as fascinating. During the recording process Eno and the band did things such as recording backwards versions of already existing David Bowie songs, making songs deliberately with the same chord sequences, having band members playing instruments they were not used to playing and playing songs based on a series of chords written on a blackboard. In an interview in 2001 with UNCUT Magazine, Tony Visconti (bassist and producer on this album and several other Bowie albums) elaborated on this process:

“A lot more chaos was intended. Brian was doing some strange experiments like writing his eight favorite chords on a black board and asking the rhythm section to "play something funky." Then he would randomly point at a chord and the band had to follow. This didn't go down too well, but we were trying all sorts of different things.”

Adrian Belew, future guitarist in King Crimson also played guitar on several tracks (as did Carlos Alomar), most of which were edited together from multiple takes that he did to backing tracks. All of the tracks he recorded to he had not heard before playing. Another element in the creation of this album was chaos. The atmosphere in which these songs were created added to its overall atmosphere. The album’s cover, in which David Bowie is depicted as an accident victim and oddly looking like a young Richard Hell, further adds to this element and theme that is apparent on Lodger.

Lodger opens with the track “Fantastic Voyage”, the song itself being symbolic with the era in which it was recorded and in which this trilogy stands. Lodger was his last collaboration with Eno during this point in his career, but it also adheres to the imagery and themes of travel that run rampant throughout this album. This song in particular displays an emotive Cold War paranoia, while the second track “African Night Flight” ventures into experimental territory. With electronic sounds, heavy plodding bass and something that is credited as “Cricket Menace”, an effect that was produced by drum machine and briefcase synthesizer that sounds like crickets, anyone can see that this song ventures into a different avenue. “Move On” is one of the strongest songs found on Lodger, the song was created by playing a backwards version of the David Bowie song “All The Young Dudes”. Once again in UNCUT Magazine in 2001 this time by David Bowie, there is further elaboration on this song and why it was done this way:

“I had put one of my reel to reel tapes on backwards by mistake and really quite liked the melody it created. So I played quite a few more in this fashion and chose five or six that were really quite compelling. Dudes was the only one to make the album, as I didn't want to abandon the 'normal' writing I was doing completely. But it was a worthwhile exercise in my mind.”

“Yassassain (Long Live)” is a melding of Reggae/Funk rhythms with Turkish sounding world music, while “Red Sails” is a 80s sounding Bowie track with Saxophone almost sounding like an outtake from Iggy Pop’s The Idiot. “DJ”, “Look Back In Anger” and “Boys Keep Swinging” were all singles for this album and all display a sense of monotony and look at Western Civilization. “DJ” takes a satirical look at the disc jockey, with funky Adrian Belew guitar lines, bass, World Music strings and piano. “Boys Keep Swinging” is a look at the stereotypical theory of masculinity; it is one of the most up tempo tracks on Lodger and was recorded under interesting circumstances. For this song, the band members switched instruments. Guitarist Carlos Alomar played drums and drummer Dennis Davis played bass, this was said to give the song a more Punk vibe and mentality. “Repetition” is a song reflecting a Talking Heads-like funkiness, while lyrically it addresses and questions themes of domestic violence, “Red Money” ends the album. This song was originally written as “Sister Midnight” and given to Iggy Pop for his album The Idiot. It is found here in a re-worked form. Lyrically the song often features the lyrics “Projected cancelled/Tumbling central/Red money”, which many have viewed as a cryptic message. The overall lyrical theme is said to be based on a red box that would appear in paintings that David Bowie created, symbolizing responsibility.

Musically the elements combined on this album venture into World Music, Funk and New Wave genres creating an amalgamation of sorts. The overall message and themes of this album are wrapped up in a chaotic nature, emphasizing the paranoia of that time, but also in the album's cover image. As mentioned earlier, the cover for Lodger depicts David Bowie as an accident victim. Designed with British Pop artist Derek Boshnier, Bowie appears to have fallen and is in a broken state, complete with a broken looking nose. In that respect Lodger can be seen by many as an album that is “broken” in comparison to Low and Heroes in the Berlin Trilogy, but it can also be seen as the opposite of that. The fallen Bowie on the cover can also be seen as symbolism for the experimental and different sounds found on Lodger shattering the preconceived notions we had of David Bowie’s music at the time. Initially rumoured to be called Planned Accidents, Lodger is no accident. David Bowie exited out of the Berlin Trilogy in a unique way, not overstaying his welcome.



This week's play list:

1. Hunx and His Punx – Rat Bag
2. Sebadoh – I Will
3. Wiskey Biscuit – Stoner Girl
4. The Diodes – Survivors
5. Teenage Head – Bonerack (Alternate Version)
6. The Hippies – Can Teens
7. Paul Jacobs – Coffin Ride
8. The Chessmen – Time Machine
9. Lords of London – Time Waits For No One
10. Neil Young – Roll Another Number (For The Road)
11. Jay Sad – My Mensa Friend
12. The Strokes – Machu Picchu
13. David Bowie – DJ
14. David Bowie – Repetition
15. The Mark Inside – Shark Attack (I Can See Them Circling)
16. Nirvana – Token Eastern Song (1989 Music Source Studios Version)
17. Queens of the Stone Age – I Sat By The Ocean
18. The Traditional Fools – Layback!!!
19. Protex – Don’t Ring Me Up
20. Lids – I Don’t Want You
21. 999 – Nasty Nasty
22. The Stooges – Fun House

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for August 06. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

Bell Peppers and Young Canadians & Show # 467

The Bell Peppers - Batman (Seeds Of The Bell Peppers EP)

This first video is from Manchester’s The Bell Peppers. This Surf and Rock and Roll based group has put out a number of releases, all of which have been made available for free download via their bandcamp page. This version of “Batman” was done for the Seeds Of The Bell Peppers EP, which contains four cover songs including a re-worked version of The Stooges “1969” in their style. “Batman” is based on the Link Wray version of this song originally written by Neil Hefti for the 60’s Batman television series. This version adds a more Garage element to the mix. The Seeds Of The Bell Peppers EP can be downloaded for free along with the bands other EP’s at their bandcamp page.



The Young Canadians - Data Redux (This Is Your Life EP)

The Young Canadians were a Punk Rock band from Vancouver that formed in 1979 and only lasted for a brief time as a band. They consisted of Art Bergmann on guitar/vocals, Jim Bescott on bass, and Barry Taylor on drums. Originally known as The K-Tel’s, they released one EP under that name (the Automan EP in 1979) before changing their name to The Young Canadians due to legal reasons from the K-Tel corporation. The song “Data Redux” was originally released on the This Is Your Life EP in 1980. The Young Canadians are well known for their highly influential sound having connections and influence on other Vancouver bands at the time, such as The Pointed Sticks, Active Dog, D.O.A and the Subhumans. They are perhaps best known for their song “Hawaii” (co-written by Ross Carpenter of Active Dog) which is now known as a Canadian Punk Rock classic. The band split up in 1980. Art Bergmann has gone on to a respectable solo career. All of the bands recordings, including several unreleased live recordings, were compiled on the No Escape compilation album in 1995 and later re-issued by by Sudden Death Records in 2005.



This week's play list:

1. White Fence – Only Man Alive
2. Organ Eyes – Teenage Kingdomdom
3. Average Times – She Knows
4. Pow Wows – Slug Song (Live)(The Clean Cover)
5. Needles/Pins – I Heart Your Drugs
6. The Pygmies – He’s A Whore
7. Babysitter – Be Cool
8. Jimmy Kelly & The Rock-A-Beats – Little Chickie
9. The Night Riders – Cottonpickin’
10. The Gruesomes – My Dad’s A Ho-Dad (Live)
11. The Stomach Mouths – R & B No.65
12. Robert Pollard – Shielding Whatever Needs You
13. Big Search – Distant Shore
14. Survival Knife – Traces of Me
15. The Subways – Oh Yeah
16. The Oblivians – Fire Detector
17. Rude Norton – Sea Cruise
18. Young Canadians – Son of Spam (Live)
20. Young Canadians - Data Redux
21. The Boys – I Don’t Care
22. Johnny Moped – No-One
23. Television Personalities – Where’s Bill Grundy Now?
24. Lost Patrol - That's Your Style
25. Surfer Blood - Gravity
26. The Bell Peppers – Batman
27. The Bell Peppers – Bell Pepper Hop
28. Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet - (Relax) You Will Think You Are A Chicken

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

The Byrds Sweetheart Of The Rodeo & Show # 466

 

The Byrds sixth full length album Sweetheart Of The Rodeo was recorded at a very interesting and brief transitional time in the band's history. After David Crosby left the group and Michael Clarke in late 1967, the only two remaining Byrds were Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman. The Byrds were best known for their Psychedelic Folk and jangly Pop songs in the early to mid 60s, but Sweetheart Of The Rodeo would turn out to be something radically different. It was originally conceived as a double album by Roger McGuinn during the recording of their previous album The Notorious Byrd Brothers. His idea was to make an album chronicling an overview of the history of American music in the 20th century. The planned genres were Bluegrass, Jazz, Blues, Country & Western, R&B and Rock music, but that changed shortly after a new member was added to The Byrds line up, Gram Parsons.

The new line up of The Byrds consisted as Roger McGuinn (guitar/vocals), Chris Hillman (bass), Kevin Kelley (drums) and Gram Parsons for piano/guitar. Parsons soon became involved and was more than just a sideman. His love of Country music took over causing McGuinn and the rest of the band to decide to do a Country Rock album. The band hired session musicians and went to Nashville, Tennessee to record tracks for Sweetheart Of The Rodeo. It should also be noted that despite doing a full length Country Rock album, The Byrds had flirted with Country on their previous albums prior to this. After recording in Nashville, the band recorded some tracks and did overdubs over in Los Angeles. Sweetheart Of The Rodeo featured mostly cover songs and reworkings of traditional Country and Folk songs. Several songs were written and sung by Gram Parsons as well. There are two Bob Dylan songs that were covered for this album. The Byrds were no strangers to covering Bob Dylan songs. They covered numerous Bob Dylan songs throughout their career. But the album’s opening track “You Ain’t Going Nowhere” is perhaps as some Byrds fans see it, their best Bob Dylan cover.

“You Ain’t Going Nowhere” wasn’t even released officially by Bob Dylan at the time when The Byrds recorded and released it. Bob Dylan would release the Basement Tapes with members of The Band in 1975 featuring a version of this song and his own different version of the song was released on Greatest Hits Volume II in 1971. The band’s versions of “You Ain’t Going Nowhere” and “Nothing Was Delivered” offer something different with each track. “You Ain’t Going Nowhere” is an authentic Country Rock version of this song and “Nothing Was Delivered” also features that Country flavour, but also the harmonious vocal style that The Byrds were known for. The band reworked traditional songs such as “I Am a Pilgrim” popularized by Merle Travis, “The Christian Life”, “Pretty Boy Floyd” originally by Woody Guthrie, “Life In Prison” by Merle Travis, Luke McDaniel’s “You’re Still On My Mind”, William Bell’s “You Don’t Miss Your Water”, and “The Blue Canadian Rockies” written by Cindy Walker, but sung by Gene Autry. “One Hundred Years From Now” and “Hickory Wind” were Parsons originals.

Tensions in the band were tumultuous during this period in their career. Gram Parsons was becoming a conflict with the other Byrds and during a short brief European tour in 1968, he connected with The Rolling Stones. The Byrds planned a tour in South Africa as well, which would be part of the reason that Parsons would leave the group. The other reason was that due to legal reasons three of the songs that Gram Parsons recorded vocals for on Sweetheart Of The Rodeo (“You Don’t Miss Your Water”, “The Christian Life” and “One Hundred Years From Now”) had to be replaced. The vocals were re-recorded with Roger McGuinn, the de facto leader of the group on vocals. This only added to the tension between the band members, since Parsons would be upset over him getting less of a presence on Sweetheart Of The Rodeo. It wouldn’t be long before Parsons would leave the group, in fact he left the group before the album was even released. He would go on to work with The Rolling Stones and shortly after Sweetheart Of The Rodeo, Chris Hillman left the group and formed The Flying Burrito Brothers with Parsons.

Sweetheart Of The Rodeo was released in August of 1968, and received a mixed reception upon its initial release. Country music fans absolutely hated the album and bashed it, calling The Byrds “long-haired hippies” who were trying to subvert Country music. There was evidence of this when after completing sessions for Sweetheart Of The Rodeo in Nashville in 1968 they made an appearance at the Grand Ole Opry. The performance was met with heckling, booing and negative reactions. Some Byrds fans even disliked it too, but it was a unique release. It was one of the first releases by a popular band to be a radical shift from their established sound. The album brought Gram Parsons to the mainstream audience and is considered one of the first Country Rock albums to be released. Gram Parsons released an album entitled Safe At Home with an earlier band of his called International Submarine Band that is often considered the first Country Rock album.

This album is an important lineage in the exposing of Country music as a fashionable form of music for a younger audience. It was viewed as quite the opposite by many at the time. Sweetheart Of The Rodeo is now considered an album ahead of it’s time, but was a pretty bold thing to do in the late 60s. While this incarnation of The Byrds lasted barely six months, it is a fascinating time in not only The Byrds history, but also in the career of Gram Parsons. It is also said to be one of the first examples of the future of Country Rock music. The song titles “You Ain’t Going Nowhere” and “Nothing Was Delivered” went on to have deeper meanings following the release of this album. Many people at the time felt that there was “nothing” really that great about this album, but it wound up to become the last highly influential album released by The Byrds.




This Week's Play List:

1. Fuzz – Loose Sutures
2. Midnight Angels - I'm Sufferin'
3 The Neurons – New Location
4. Peace – Your Hand In Mine
5. Jay Arner – Bad Friend 2
6. Barren Girls – She Devil
7. The Future Primitives – 1-2-5 (The Haunted Cover)
8. The Future Primitives – The Fly (The Mummies Cover)
9. No Bunny – Chuck Berry Holiday (Live At Third Man)
10. The Mandates – Is She Coming Back?
11. Cold Warps – Don’t Haunt Me Ok?
12. Paul Jacobs – Broken Pencils
13. Cold Country – Missing The Muse
14. The Replacements – Portland
15. The Byrds – You’re Still On My Mind
16. The Byrds – You Ain’t Going Nowhere
17. The Reply – Give What You Can
18. Elvis Costello & The Attractions – Tiny Steps
19. Magazine – Boredom (Peel Session)
20. Spy Device – You Can’t Work It Out
21. The Undertones – Smarter Than You
22. Radio Birdman – Anglo Girl Desire
23. The Stooges - Down On The Street

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

Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers Unreleased Max's Kansas City 1979 & Show # 465

Following the breakup of Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers in 1978, Johnny Thunders headed to London to record his first full length album So Alone. When he returned to the US, the band decided to reform and play a series of live gigs (something that would happen periodically until Thunders death in 1991). Original Heartbreakers drummer Jerry Nolan did not want to take part in this initial set of reunion gigs so the band recruited drummer Ty Styx. These series of shows were recorded and resulted in the 1979 release Live At Max’s Kansas City, which would be released through Max’s Kansas City’s own Beggars Banquet Records. The recordings captured the band in good spirits and in all their loud, sloppy Rock and Roll glory. The album was so well received that a follow up live album was planned. The band got Jerry Nolan on board to play drums again and three live shows were planned and recorded once again. The results this time were for the most part unusable due to a number of factors, one being The Heartbreakers escalating drug use. There were only five usable tracks from this venture according to the some sources. The reason for this is on the third night of recording Johnny Thunders walked off the stage after the fifth song stating he had to “tune up”, but he never returned to the stage. The album was aborted and these tracks would later be issued on the reissued version of Live At Max’s Kansas City as bonus tracks on ROIR.

Another live recording has surfaced from 1979, one that has been bootlegged and available for sometime. This live recording was also at Max’s Kansas City and is a great performance featuring many songs not on the original Max’s Kansas City live album. This show was recorded on April, 28th 1979. This performance is also another quality performance and was an intended release, but it never saw the light of day officially. Commonly known as Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers Unreleased Max’s Kansas City 1979, this recording showcases numerous ramped up R&B covers and songs that would later be used on future Johnny Thunders solo releases. Notable songs on this bootleg include live versions of songs that weren’t on any official studio release at the time such as “Too Much Junkie Business”, “London Boys”, “M.I.A”, “Flight” and “Copycat”. For the covers there’s “Money”, “Do You Love Me”, “Seven Day Weekend” and two songs that would windup on Johnny Thunders 1978 So Alone album. Those tracks would be a cover of The Chantay’s Surf classic “Pipeline” and “Great Big Kiss” originally by The Shangri-Las.

While this album wasn’t officially released it adds to the mystery and aura that is Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers. Many of the songs found on this live bootleg showcase the band’s catalogue of songs that were building for sometime. The songs captured are rare as they were never officially released by The Heartbreakers and showcase the band’s live energy fusing a Chuck Berry meets Rolling Stones R&B Punk sloppiness. The songs would be spread out over Thunders future solo releases and even some (“Flight”, “Seven Day Weekend”) would end up being played by Walter Lure’s post Heartbreakers band The Waldos.

This video features "Two Much Junkie Business" from the very same 1979 Max's Kansas City show:


The Play List:

1. The Individuals – I Really Do
2. Shadows – Gathers No Moss
3. Johnny Cash – I’d Still Be There
4. Johnny Cash – What Do I Care
5. Lonesome Lefty - New Cocaine Blues (Tell It To Me)
6. The Polymorphines – The Clean and The Dirty
7. Sam Coffey and The Iron Lungs – Rick James Blues
8. Booker T – 66 Impala
9. The Danks – Octaganal
10. Seven Story Redhead – Shake It Out!
11. Dan Sartain – Swap Meet
12. Wavves – Demon To Lean On
13. Papermaps – Break
14. Wire – The Commercial
15. Wire – Used To Know
16. Diamond Rugs – Country Mile
17. The Rolling Stones – Far Away Eyes (Live in Texas 1978)
18. Legato Vipers – Chocolate Milk
19. Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreaksers – Pipeline (Live Unreleased Max’s Kansas City 1979)
20. Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers – M.I.A. (Live Unreleased Max’s Kansas City 1979)
21. The Black Lips – Make It (Live At Third Man Records)
22. The Cramps - She Said
23. Buzzcocks – I Look Alone
24. Young Rival – T-Shirt and Shorts
25. Young Rival - Modern Life

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

The Prehistoric Cave Strokers Interview & Show #464

Prehistoric Cave Strokers - from the It Came From The Garage Vol.1 linear notes (1986)

 

The Prehistoric Cave Strokers are a Garage Rock band from Windsor, Ontario that formed in 1985. The band also mixed in elements of Punk/Post Punk, but were primarily known for their primal Nugget-themed Rock sounds with at times absurdist lyrics. The original line up of the group featured Marc Fedak (guitar/backing vocals), Dan Moriarty (lead vocals), Lyndon Way (bass) and Jono Fiddler on drums. James Nemeth joined on bass in 1988, when Lyndon moved to Montreal for school and Jerry Rozon took over on drums when Jono moved to Peterborough in 1990. The band has been featured on numerous Garage Rock compilation albums in the late 80’s/early 90’s and produced one full length album that wasn’t released publicly. Let’s Id! (or Don’t Forget About Us When You’re Famous – its original title) was recorded by the band on a four track tape recorder in 1985-1986. It was only given out to a few friends.

The band has reformed several times since their original split in 1991, most recently in 2010 at FM Lounge in Windsor. They will be reforming once again, this time with the original line up on July 13th, 2013 at FM Lounge in Windsor.

For more information on The Prehistoric Cave Strokers you can check out the article I wrote about them in 2010 here.

Listen to the interview I did with Marc from The Prehistoric Cave Strokers here:



This Week's Play List:

1. The Soft Pack – They Say
2. Paul Shuttleworth – Just Another Weekend
3. Devo – Be Stiff
4. Fun Things – (I Ain`t Got) Time Enough For Love
5. Jolly Green Giants – Caught You Red Handed
6. Spectrals – Sob Story
7. Hurricane & Able – Hate The Blues
8 . Prehistoric Cave Strokers – Sold Out (Live 1991 at The Coach & Horses)

MARC FEDAK (OF PREHISTORIC CAVE STROKERS) INTERVIEW

9. Prehistoric Cave Strokers – Fat Man (Garageland Recording Outtake)
10. Prehistoric Cave Strokers – Urine You're Out (Live At FM Lounge 2010)
11. Ray Condo & His Hardrock Goners – Sweet Love On My Mind
12. The Sci-Phonics – 4 Questions
13. Indian Wars – Sweetheart of the North
14. Guided By Voices – My Son Cool
15. Sonic`s Rendezvous Band – Electrophonic Tonic
16. Dead Ghosts – Hanging (In The Alley)
17. Vic Godard & Subway Sect – Head Held High (John Peel Session 1978)
18. Bo Diddley – Please Mr. Engineer
19. Tandoori Knights – Tandoori Party
20. Ty Segall Band – The Tongue
21. Ty Segall Band – Muscle Man

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for July 9. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.