One Way Ticket...the Nerves Story and Show # 194

The Nerves formed in LA in 1976. the group consisted of Peter Case (bass), Jack Lee (guitar), and Paul collins on drums; all three wrote and sang the songs. The band did not last long (1975-1978) and only ever had one release during their time, an EP. The Nerves EP came out in 1976 and only contained four songs, the most notable one being "Hanging On the Telephone". A Lee composition the song was covered later by Blonde for their album Paralell Lines and became a big hit for Blondie cracking the UK top 5 in 1978. The other songs on the EP were equally as good "When You Find Out" (Case), "Give Me Some Time" (Lee), and "Working Too Hard" (Collins).

The band did do a tour and even supported the likes of the Ramones. The band was only around for a short period of time, but are still known (probably due to the excellent cover done by Blondie) and are classified as a power pop band, despite being around at the time of punk. After the Nerves broke up Case and Collins formed the short lived group The Breakaways, then the Plimsouls, and finally The Beat. In 1993, two songs from The Nerves EP were put on a compilation DIY: Come Out and Play - American Power Pop I (1975-1978). In 2005, an unreleased Nerves track was put on a compilation by Rhino Records called Children of Nuggets. In 2001, The Nerves released a compilation containing more previously unheard tracks.

Play List:

1. The Specials - Gangsters
2. The Slackers - Estranged
3. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!
4. Elvis Costello & the Attractions - The Beat
5. Strokes - What Ever Happened?
6. Young Canadians - I Hate Music
7. Evaporators - Where's The Butterknife?
8. Modernettes - Celebrity Crackup
9. Unknowns - Teenage Terrorist
10. The Negatives - Echoes
11. The Scabs - Amory Building
12. Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers - All By Myself
13. The Nerves - Hanging on the telephone
14. Diodes - Tennis (Again)
15. The Breeders - It's The Love
16. The Old Haunts - Sister City
17. The Black Lips - M.I.A.
18. Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely
19. Compulsive Gamblers - Stop & Think it Over
20. Sloan - I Can't Sleep
21. Sloan - Ana Lucia
22. Queens Of The Stone Age - Infinity
23. David Bowie - Panic in Detroit
24. Ramones - Bad Brain
25. The Clash - The Leader
26. The Clash - Up in Heaven (Not Only Here)

Here Are The Sonics...The Sonics Story and Show # 193

The Sonics had their beginnings in the early 1960s and were from Tacoma, Washington. The band known for its raw driving garage fueled sound first got its initial start as part of other local bands. After going through some line up changes the classic line-up of The Sonics formed around 1963/64. The classic line up was Gerry Rosalie (Lead vocals), Larry Parypa (Lead Guitar/vocals), Andy Parypa (Bass), Bob Bennett (Drums), and Rob Lind on Saxophone. The bands sound can be described as R & B influenced, but also they took some of their influence from bands such as The Kingsmen, The Kinks, and The Wailers. Gerry Rosalie's vocal style has often been described as a white Little Richard. The band was quite influential on any band in the Seattle area, they were known for their energetic live shows. In 1964 the band released their first single which was the song titled "The Witch". The single was very popular with the local fan base and was one of the biggest selling singles in the Northwest; The song contained controversial lyrical subject matter (as are a majority of their original songs). The song was also considered quite strange by others compared to what was coming out musically at the time.

In 1965, The Sonics started recording their first album with recording engineer Kenny Barton. It would be titled Here Are The Sonics. Recorded in Seattle, Washington the album is known for employing different recording techniques which resulted in the bands unique sound. For the drums the band used only one microphone to capture their sound (usually when recording drum sounds bands use at least three or more mics). The actual album contains many of the bands well known songs which lyrically were very different with subject matter ranging from drinking strychnine in ("Strychnine"), to witches ("The Witch"), and psychopaths ("Psycho"). This was contrasted with more light-hearted subject matter dealing with 60s culture such as girls, surfing, cars, and guitars. The album also contains some cover songs by Chuck Berry and Little Richard as well as other originals that are equally as great such as "Boss Hoss".

The next album would be titled Boom and would come out in 1966. For this album the band reportedly ripped out the sound proofing of the studio they were recording in to give it more of a live sound. Many Sonics fans choose Boom as their favourite album, but the first and second albums are both very good. This time the band came in with more unique original songs such as "He's Waitin'", "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark", and "The Hustler". The album was also balanced out with some covers of R&B classics such as "Louie, Louie", "Hitch Hike", Skinny Minnie", and "Let the Good Times Roll". After this album the band would go to another label (Jerden Records) and go to Hollywood to record yet another album, this time with a more polished, cleaner sound.

Introducing The Sonics came out in 1967, and did poorly. Because of its more conventional sound, it did not do as well; The band would later denounce this album calling it "The Worst Garbage'. After this the band was essentially over and in 1968, the band dissolved. Members of the band would go on to other bands or to school to lead more conventional lives. The Sonics would briefly fade into obscurity. The band reformed in 1972 for one live show and in 2007 the band reunited for the Cavestomp Garage rock festival. The Sonics are currently still together and in 2008, recorded a radio session for BBC 2. The Sonics have been influential on numerous bands, being known as unique garage rockers. The band has influenced the likes of Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Eagles of Death Metal, The Dead Boys, The Fall, The D4 and others. They are known for their raunchy, raw, garage rock, punk influencing sound.

The Play List:

1. Buzzcocks - No Reply
2. Sex Pistols - New York
3. Teenage Head - Picture My Face (With Marky Ramone)
4. Gruesomes - You Said Yeah
5. Munks - Long Time Waiting
6. Haunted - Eight O'Clock
7. Painted Ships - And She Said
8. Hammersmith Gorillas - My Son's Alive
9. Standells - Riot on the Sunset Strip
10. Pretty Things - Buzz the Jerk
11. Sonics - Strychnine
12. 13th Floor Elevators - Reverberation
13. Velvet Underground - What Goes On
14. MC5 - Looking At You
15. Modern Lovers - Modern World
16. Stooges - Shake Appeal
17. Generation X - Night of the Cadillacs
18. The Saints - Nights in Venice
19. Ride Theory - Alright
20. Young Rival - Authentic Child
21. Tokyo Police Club - In A Cave
22. Young Knives - Up All Night
23. Only Ones - City of Fun
24. The D4 - Omerta
25. The D4 - Trust Nobody
25. Dirty Pretty Things - You Fucking Love it

The Clash : Live Revolution Rock .. and Show # 192

This week, Sony/Legacy released The Clash : Live Revolution Rock, a new DVD showcasing some of The Clash's live performances. This collection covers the years 1976-1983 and features over 20 live performances from the band playing their unique brand of fiery punk rock in venues ranging from London's Lewisham Odeon to New York's Shea Stadium. If you're a long time Clash fan you've probably already seen most of these performances before (they were previously released on The Essential Clash and Rude Boy DVDs) but there are a few highlights that have never been seen on DVD before. The band's 1981 performance on NBC's Tom Snyder Show see them performing explosive live renditions of "The Magnificent Seven" and "This Radio Clash" that differ from the studio recordings; early 1977 performances of "What's My Name" and "Capital Radio" show them in all their awesome ragged, raw garage punk glory.

The only downside is there could have been much more to this DVD than there is. For example, The Clash played 4 songs on 1980's ABC TV show Fridays supporting their landmark album London Calling, however only one song is featured on this disc "The Guns of Brixton". It would be great if one day a DVD is released that is similar to the Ramones It's Alive DVD or the Led Zeppelin DVD, both great collections that contain way more live material and are more in depth. However, it's great to finally see something of The Clash's live performances released on DVD. They were, after all, one the best rock groups of all time.

The Clash Live Revolution Rock Trailer

Play List:

1. The Charms - Gimme That Shot
2. Pretenders - The Wait
3. Blondie - Detroit 442
4. Wire - From the Nursery
5. Pointed Sticks - You Must Be Crazy
6. Spys - Machine Shop
7. Sturgeons - Punk Rock Virgins
8. Fits - Bored of Education
9. Hot Nasties - Secret of Immortality
10. XTC - Science Friction
11. Rezillos - Flying Saucer Attack
12. Klark Kent - Office Girls
13. 4/4 - All Wound Up
14. 4/4 - Systematic
15. Bureaucrats - She's an American
16. Sinners - No Brains Required
17. Tricky Woo - Ring Sweet Mercy
18. Vic Godard & The Subway Sect - Rock and Roll Even
19. Rich Kids - Put You in the Picture
20. Devo - Secret Agent Man
21. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Date With the Night
22. Talking Heads - The Book I Read
23. The Cure - Fire in Cairo
24. Richard Hell & The Voidoids - New Pleasure
25. Television - See No Evil

Dread at the Controls.. The Mikey Dread Story...Show # 191

Mikey Dread (Real name Michael George Campbell) was born in Port Antonio, Jamaica on June 4th 1954. Mikey Dread was a producer, broadcaster, and an artist. He created an innovative Reggae style. In the late 70's Dread got a job being an engineer for the JBC (Jamaican Broadcasting Corporation). Mikey would eventually get his own radio show that would be titled Dread At the Controls. His show focused on nothing but Reggae music at a time when people weren't really playing that type of music in Jamaica. The show would become the most popular show on the JBC, but eventually Dread would quit (in protest) due to the conservative management of the JBC.

Around this time Dread was already well known in Jamaica as singer/producer (working with the likes of The Mighty Two and Lee Scratch Perry) and he started to record his own material too; He is also known for his work with King Tubby and Carl Patterson. Dread would release several albums starting in 1979 starting with Dread at the Controls, followed by African Anthem, Evolutionary Rockers, and Beyond World War III (1981). The Clash would gain interest in Mikey Dread and he would produced the song "Bankrobber" for the band. The song was initially a Ska song, but Dread producing the song would make it more of a dub track. Dread would also tour with The Clash. He also did his own even more dub version of the song "Bankrobber", it was titled "Rockers Galore...UK Tour".

Dread would also help produce and even play on Sandinista! with The Clash in 1980. Initially the band started recording in Jamaica, but would move the sessions to New York. He would also tour again with The Clash gaining a new audience. Dread would continue recording and producing acts after this. He would work again in the radio business and the TV business and go back to school, but he would still perform. Dread has performed live with the likes of The Clash, Bob Dylan, Carlos Santana, and Junior Marvin to name a few.

In 2004, Dread did the soundtrack for the Adam Sandler movie 50 First Dates. In 2004 he would also work with The Blizzard of 78 to make a Clash Sandinista! tribute album; It was titled The Sandinista! Project. On March 15th, 2008 Mikey Dread passed away. Mikey Dread was a unique Reggae artist who started out in radio and went on to influence the UK music scene and others. He was a unique artist with a unique style.

Play List:

1. Neil Young - Revolution Blues
2. Black Keys - Remember When
3. Lime Spiders - Out of Control
4. Fun Things - Savage
5. Radio Birdman - Hanging On
6. The Furies - What Do You Want Me To Be
7. Scissors - Mystery Movie
8. Actionauts - Party Dog
9. Modernettes - Suicide Club
10. Smugglers - Bad Guys
11. Neon Boys - That's All I Know
12. The Specials - Little Bitch
13. The Beat - Whine and Grine/Stand Down Margret
14. The Madness - One Step Beyond
15. Mikey Dread - World War III
16. Beastie Boys - Gratitude
17. Urban Surf Kings - Phantom Riders of the Backlot
18. Clinic - The Witch
19. The Jam - David Watts
20. Bob Dylan - Bob Dylan's 115th Dream
21. Bob Dylan - One Too Many Mornings (Live Royal Albert Hall 1966)
22. Raconteurs - Five on the Five
23. Raconteurs - Carolina Drama

Dready Videos:

Natural Roots
Bankrobber (Live with the Clash)
Choose Me
Money in My Pocket
Rasta in Control
Bankrobber (Live 2004)

Attack of the Killer B-sides...Show #190

A B-Side refers to the second side or track on a single. In the days of singles and when there was no such thing as Compact Discs or digital downloads, bands would release singles on records. The single would be comprised of an A-side and a B-Side. The A side was the song that was meant to be played on the radio and the B-side was the second song on the other side of the single that was not usually on the bands full length album, or LP.

When CD's dominated the music market, the B-Side became less important. Now while records are still available a B-Side refers to any song that is on an an album, or a song that is unreleased or even rare. That being said, this weeks show was comprised entirely of B-Sides. I have even listed for your convenience which single or where the particular B-side came from.

The Following are some interesting B-sides:



The I'm Stranded single was first released in September of 1976. It was first released on the independent label Fatal Records, but it would also be named single of the week by Sounds magazine in the UK. The single was responsible for getting the band a three album deal with EMI. The B-side "No Time" can also be found on the bands first full length album titled, I'm Stranded.

The Kinks - You Really Got Me/It's Alright (1964)

You Really Got Me was the third single by the UK band The Kinks, it was also their first number one hit. The song itself was one of the first songs to feature distorted guitar, which would change rock music forever. The B-side of the single was a song called "It's Alright", a bluesy rock song. It can be found on the re-issue of the bands first album, The Kinks.

Lou Reed - Satellite of Love/Vicious (1972)

Satellite of Love is one of Lou Reed's most known songs. It was actually written and recorded while Reed was in Velvet Underground. A version of the song by Velvet Underground appears on the Peel Slowly box set. The B-side was the song "Vicious" is a song that has clean guitar chords with heavily distorted garagey guitar riffs through out it; It also opens Lou Reed's 1972 album Transformer.

B-Side Playlist:

1. Magazine - My Mind Ain't So Open (B-Side of Shot by Both Sides 1978)
2. Saints - No Time (B-Side of I'm Stranded 1976)
3. The Damned - Sick of Being Sick (B-Side of Stretcher Case Baby 1977)
4. Ugly Ducklings - I Can tell (B-Side of Nothin' 1966)
5. Gruesomes - Things She Does to Me (B-Side of Jack the Ripper EP 1986)
6. The Kinks - It's alright (B-Side of You Really Got Me 1964)
7. Rolling Stones - Off the Hook (B-Side of Little Red Rooster 1964)
8. Lou Reed - Vicious (B-Side of Satellite of Love 1972)
9. Iggy Pop - The Passenger (B-Side of Success 1977)
10. The Clash - Stop the World (B-Side of The Call Up 1980)
11. Elvis Costello & the Attractions - Clean Money (B-Side from Armed Forces 1979)
12. The Strokes - Hawaii (B-Side of Juicebox 2005)
13. Hot, Hot, Heat - Apt.101 (B-Side of Bandages 2003)
14. The Diodes - We're Ripped (B-Side of Red Rubber Ball 1977)
15. The Demics - Blueboy (B-Side of New York City 1980)
16. Forgotten Rebels - Rhona Barrett (B-Side of Tell Me You Love Me 1982)
17. Teenage Head- Teenage Beer Drinking Party (B-Side of Some Kinda Fun 1982)
18. Buzzcocks - Lipstick (B-Side of Promises 1978)
19. Generation X - shakin' All Over (B-Side of Valley of the Dolls 1979)
20. Young Canadians - No Escape (B-Side from Hawaii EP 1979)
21. Queens of the Stone Age - Who'll Be the Next in Line (B-side from Songs For the Deaf 2004)
22. Rage Against The Machine - Darkness of Greed (B-Side of Killing in the Name 1992)
23. Nirvana - Oh, the Guilt (B-Side of Jesus Lizard Split Single Puss 1993)
24. The D4 - North Shore Bitch (B-Side of Ladies Man 2000)
25. The Hives - Hell No! (B-Side of Tick Tick Boom 2007)