2012 Highlights & Show # 438

The following are a list of some of my favourite releases from 2012. Although there are twelve albums listed here there were many releases in 2012 that I enjoyed (you can see a more expanded list in this weeks radio program/podcast downloadable below). I have also included my top three EPs and singles from this year too.

Top 12 albums of 2012


1. Young Rival – Stay Young

The opening track on Young Rival’s Stay Young is the song “Black Popcorn” a song featuring Young Rival’s classic Garage/Surf riffs and a tambourine filled catchy chorus, however, the song's title is also a perfect way to describe this album. For those of you who don’t know, black popcorn is an actual thing, it grows naturally, is not genetically engineered and is not like average popcorn. Black popcorn is said to have a crunchy texture and rich flavour and this song is the first example of the bands crunchy Garage Rock texture and rich melodies. It is also something that is explored in greater detail as the album progresses. Stay Young is Young Rival’s follow up to their 2010 self-titled debut which was also released on Sonic Unyon. This album was produced by the award winning Jon Drew, who has worked with such artists as Fucked Up, Tokyo Police Club, Arkells, Magneta Lane and many others. In a recent press release for Stay Young, drummer Noah Fralick said that "With this record, we focused more on the melodic range of our sound while still retaining the grit and feel of our previous records," and that is exactly what this album achieves, the band takes on an almost Power Pop/60s Pop melody dynamic on this release.

2. The Hives – Lex Hives

Lex Hives is the full length follow up to The Hives 2007 release The Black And White Album, an album which the band recorded with a variety of producers in a variety of places, which resulted in an album featuring a branching out of styles from the band. For Lex Hives, the band became independent and released their first full length album this way, musically the album serves as the missing link between Veni Vidi Vicious, Tyrannosaurus Hives and The Black And White Album. The term Lex Hives comes from an set of ancient Roman laws that roughly translates into creating a new body of laws within the system then accepting them as the standard. The Hives on this album did just that they took their body of music and translated them into their new standard. By taking the traditional Hives sound and flirting with elements of Glam Rock, 50’s R&B, Soul, Garage and Punk Rock, Lex Hives finds the band regaining their creative control sounding rejuvenated. Several critics claimed that The Black And White Album was an unfocused effort, but Lex Hives trims all the fat and proves that these Swedish Garage Rockers can still make a good album while not sounding stale, even if it is five albums into their career.

3. Ty Segall – Twins

October 2012 brought the album Twins, a solo album released by Ty Segall. This album brings us back to songs that have a feel similar to ones found on 2009’s Lemons and 2010’s Melted, but the album also features some new musical directions for Ty. The album starts off with “Thank God For The Sinners” a slow driving fuzzed up Ty Segall classic, as “You’re The Doctor” forces its way into our hearts with its demented lyrics and fast driving frenzied rhythms. The album ventures into other musical avenues this is evident on the intro to “The Hill” which starts with an almost Gospel like intro sung by Brigid Dawson of San Francisco’s other prolific Garage Rock outfit Thee Oh Sees. John Dwyer of Thee Oh Sees also appears vocally on two tracks here on “Love Fuzz” and “Handglams” connecting Ty with the scene on record (as he did with White Fence earlier in 2012 on Hair). It is also appropriate that Ty Segall is joined by John Dwyer on “Love Fuzz” a song that could metaphorically symbolize what these two musicians love doing, making fuzzy Garage inspired Rock music. Other moments on the album such as “Gold On The Shore” displays an acoustic/Folk vibe, while “There Is No Tomorrow” ends the album on a slow, but loud note. Being the third album he has released this year (the other two being Hair by Ty Segall & White Fence and Slaugherhouse by The Ty Segall Band), Twins is almost a return to form with Ty playing almost all of the instruments on the album, yet also a step in a new direction. Twins shows us that we can’t pin Ty Segall down to anything specific, he can be loud and noisy, low key, subtle and just plain unpredictable.

4. Indian Wars – Songs From The North

Following a tour in which the band supported their 2011 release Walk Around The Park, Indian Wars convened in the late night hours in a studio in Vancouver, BC to record a ten track follow up. The album was recorded in a live setting with very few overdubs to capture the band in their element, the result is the album entitled Song From The North. On this release the band once again flexes their Country, Folk, Garage/Punk sounds, you can hear the bands deep American Roots influence in the grooves of each track on Songs From The North.  You can hear the influence of Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Lynyrd Skynyrd, CCR among the other sounds they bring to the table, as a whole Songs From The North has several interesting moments for even the casual listener. The album starts off with “There And Back Again” a quick countrified Garage track complete with harmonica and Brad Felotick’s rich vocal style.  The song also features reflective Folk-like lyrics such as “watch the leaves fall from the trees/dance around to the wind/rolling round and around/there and back again” which brings up images reminiscent of ones that made us love Indian Wars so much on Walk Around The Park, “Mississippi” is a haunting song, “Denny” attacks listeners with its Garage/Punk rhythms as we learn the cautionary tale of a burnout.  Other stand out tracks include “Windshield Wiper Blues”, “Wastin’ Time” and “Who Needs A Girl Like You” which reflects a Bob Dylan circa 1965 sound. Just like the wooden duck that is weighed down on the albums cover, Songs From The North doesn’t fly off into a million different directions, it is a strong and solid follow up to their debut album.

5. Diamond Rugs – Diamond Rugs

The Diamond Rugs are made up of John McCauley (guitar/vocals), Ian Saint Pe (guitar/vocals), Hardy Morris (guitar/vocals), Bryan Dufresne (drums), Rob Crowell (bass/sax/keys) and Steve Berlin on horns/keys, they released their first self titled album on April 24th, 2012. Some of you may recognize the names listed above, John McCauley and Rob Crowell both play in the band Deer Tick, Ian Saint Pe is from Black Lips, Hardy Morris is from Dead Confederate, Bryan Dufresne plays in Six Finger Satellite and Steve Berlin plays in Los Lobos, this group of musicians were assembled in what originally started out as a solo project for John McCauley, but it quickly turned into something else that we can now call Diamond Rugs. The band combines elements of the Country Rock flavour we know from Deer Tick, but also a mixes in a drunken swagger of Garage, Punk, Blues and Folk. Recorded in just about ten days, the album does not need the label that most critics tag onto this group, that of an Indie Rock super group or as some are calling them a Punk Drunk super group, the music stands out on its own. Critics have tried to look closely into the lyrics which are often label as dealing with sexual frustrations, but none of that really matters, the album isn’t meant to be taken too seriously. The lyrics to “Gimme A Beer” best illustrate this, while there are many topics and elements of this album that could be dissected and analyzed it is not necessary, who cares gimme a beer, Diamond Rugs is just a good album that can be played over and over.

6. The Soft Pack – Strapped

Released in September of 2012, Strapped features a lot of diversity and what some critics have referred to as growth in the songs that they present on this release. The album develops their catchy rhythms that were found on their first full length release moving into different genres while still sounding like The Soft Pack. The first song on Strapped “Saratoga” starts off with the traditional fuzzy guitar sounds and rhythms that Soft Pack fans have come to expect. “Second Look” enters at the second track and its title proves to be rather fitting when considering the album as a whole. It explores other musical landscapes in terms of instrumentation, featuring a New Wave feel with Saxophone, as does the majority of the album. Other songs on this album that display Soft Packs new found dynamics include songs such as “Tallboy” which is a song flooded with synthesizer keyboards sounding like a long lost 80’s New Wave song, and “Bobby Brown” which is also another track that is discussed when referring to the differences on this release and their previous. This song has an R&B rhythm with an almost Electro Pop vibe. Strapped is an album that some people will love, some people will hate but it is an album that shows a band branching out. The term “strapped” can have a few meanings, but in the context of this album the term strapped can be seen as being ready to go. As in, The Soft Pack are strapped in and ready for what will happen next. This album conveniently titled Strapped proves that with these songs the band is ready for just that.

7. TEENANGER – Frights

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

8. Jack White – Blunderbuss

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

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

9. Jaill – Traps

Traps is the third full length release from this Milwaukee band, their second full length on Sub Pop. Known for their eccentric lyrics and catchy Power Pop/ jangly Garage song dynamics, Traps builds on this dynamic while the lyrics display a more mature point of view. In their last full length That’s How We Burn released in 2010 we had songs such as “Everyone is Hip”, on Traps we have songs such as “Everyone’s A Bitch”, a witty slacker anthem that could be seen as this albums answer to that song, but to simply compare this album by like that would not be fair to this album as a whole. Songs such as “Perfect Ten” is a catchy laid back song with strong Jangly Power Pop dynamics, “Home With Haunting” is a song that dabbles in Psychedelics a little bit, we also have Folk elements on songs such as “Horrible Things (Make Pretty Songs)” and “Madness” which also blends in Caribbean summer sounds. As a whole Traps has been said to be a break up album, a party break up album with its catchy pop melodies. Traps shows Jaill in their third release, changing their sound slightly but not too drastically. The album opens with the track “Waste A Lot Of Things”, yet this album fails to waste the listeners time as it traps us in its pop hooks and melodies.

10. Dan Sartain – Too Tough To Live

Dan Sartain released the thirteen track album Too Tough To Live in January of 2012, despite being a full length album it clocks in at just over 18 and a half minutes, each song lasting about a minute and a half. Normally known for his Rockabilly, Blues and Garage based offerings, Too Tough To Live offers us something different from Sartain, an album of short, fast and catchy 70s Punk influenced gems. Some critics have been quick to jump on this album as another so called “Punk” album that sounds like a Ramones album, it is incorrect to write it off so easily. While on the album Sartain is definitely wearing his Ramones influences on his sleeve the albums title is even a play on Ramones Too Tough To Die album, there is also an underlying Hot Rod Rock style that filters in and out as the album progresses whether it is musically or in the lyrics. Too Tough To Live is a short energetic adrenaline rush from start to finish, Sartain has always a Punk element in his music and on Too Tough To Live he brings it to the forefront of the music, while his Rockabilly and Blues elements sit in the background, popping up briefly to let us know that they are still there. From looking at the artwork (done by Kelly Keith), which displays a retro 50s Sci-fi look with its Cadillac and flying saucers we know that this album is a little bit different. It may not be what we would have expected from Sartain next, but like his other albums Too Tough To Live is a great Rock and Roll album.

11. Ty Segall & White Fence - Hair

Another Ty Segall release, out of the three albums that have been released this year this one seems to get less press so that is why Hair is showing up at number eleven as opposed to Slaughterhouse. In April 2012, Ty Segall released an album collaborating with White Fence entitled Hair. White Fence is actually Tim Presley and has like Ty been involved in other bands. As White Fence Presley normally records and plays all the instruments himself. The album Hair starts of with the song “Time”, which is a Folk/Psychedelic piece that hints at the heaviness that will come in future releases for Segall. The intro features a slow count down that is stopped by short heavy Garage Rock guitar stabs before the songs filters in. “Time” moves with an early Pink Floyd like rhythm mixed in with guitar parts that sound like they could be from George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass album, but just as the lush melodies sink in the song changes directions (something that happens at various points on Hair). The last fifty seconds of the song sounds like something from Black Sabbath before fading out into the next track “I Am A Not Game”. This is one of the highlights on this Psychedelic/eclectic release, “I Am A Not Game” attacks with its retro organ driven riffs and clean/scuzzy Garage Rock rhythms, while lyrically the song serves as an indication of what Ty and White Fence are doing on this album, not playing the traditional game. They mix up familiar Garage Rock with Psychedelia in different ways in less than half an hour. Overall, on Hair Ty Segall and White Fence let their hair down so to speak, creating a Beatles meets Piper At The Gates of Dawn-era Pink Floyd freak out, mixing those elements and everything in between.

12. The Scenics – Deadman Walks Down Bayview

Deadman Walks Down Bayview was released to positive reviews and displayed the band in a mature, yet unique point of view. The songs that make up this album are somewhat reminiscent of music heard from the band’s past, but The Scenics were never a band to follow trends or to repeat themselves. Even when they were playing in the late 70s Punk scene in Toronto, The Scenics were different and had their own sound. They are often described as a Proto-Punk sounding group and on Deadman Walks Down Bayview the band expands their song writing capabilities while still keeping their youthful edge lyrically. The opening track “Dark Cave” musically is reminiscent of Velvet Underground as the lyrics emphasize the secluded atmosphere around working a full time monotonous job. “Fox”, “When You Come Around”, and “Oh Boy” all display different sounds referencing music from bands such as Velvet Underground to The Byrds, and Television. “No Sleep” arrives with a Rockabilly-like rhythm, “Miami” comes in at song six with its Guided By Voices sounding influence as the lyrics “I want my own camera” are repeated over and over again. Songs like “I Can’t Be Careful” displays the bands more slower melodic style and a song like “Farmer” goes into experimental Psychedelic directions. It may have been thirty years since The Scenics have released new material, but Deadman Walks Down Bayview shows that The Scenics still have the chemistry and essence that made them so interesting in the first place.

Top EPs

1. The Bell Peppers – Saved By The Bell Peppers

In August of 2012, The Bell Peppers released their third EP Saved By The Bell Peppers via their bandcamp page online. This four song EP builds on their previous Cooking With Bell Peppers EP adding more range and diversity to their already established sound. The EP starts off with the ramshackle reverb drenched Garage sounds of “Drapes N’ Squares”, the song even features distorted vocals, “Hoofstomp” follows with it’s Duane Eddy and Country influenced dynamics, while “Moonlight Heartache” slows things down a bit with its 50’s Rock and Roll sounds, sounding like a song that you might hear in film Back To The Future when Marty McFly goes back in time to 1955 at his parents high school dance. The final song on the EP “Golf Shack” twists and bends with its Link Wray meets The Ventures riffs, leaving us wanting to hear more. Saved By The Bell Peppers displays a familiar yet fresh take on the Surf music and the instrumental Rock and Roll genres, although it doesn't always follow that format.

2. Papermaps – Inferior Ghost EP

On August 28th, 2012 Toronto Indie band Papermaps released their Inferior Ghost EP, stylistically the album is a shift, but Papermaps make a natural progression on this EP. The last single released from Papermaps self titled album was the track “Complicate Things”, which can serve as an indication where this EP takes us, metaphorically and musically. It is nearly impossible to discuss this release without mentioning the giant elephant in the room, which leaves us just a sliver of space. In February 2012, Chemical Sound closed its doors for good after twenty years of operation, Dean Marino the lead singer/song writer in Papermaps owned the studio with Jay Sadlowski who is also a musician, they served as the owners, operators, engineers and producers of this studio from approximately 2006 to 2012. The EP represents as it has been stated in some reviews, perseverance through difficult times.

Inferior Ghost starts of with the track “There Are Wolves”, which was also the lead off single for the EP. The song is a gripping attack on the modern world, with lyrics such as “Sometimes I feel like this town didn’t have the patience for me” and “We were just waiting/we were already there” the song builds and sucks in the listener with its catchy hooks and clever arrangements, the song is crafted and produced so well it is not only a great way to start off the EP, but one of the best sounding recordings that the band has produced. Inferior Ghost is an EP that everyone can relate to, it lets us know with its meaningful songs, that we can react and move forward in a new and different direction. The title of Papermaps EP may be "Inferior" Ghost, but after one listen you can tell it is everything but.

3.  New Kind of Mambo – New Kind of Mambo EP

Coming out of Portugal, New Kind of Mambo is branded as exotic Garage Rock. Their New Kind of Mambo EP was released January of 2012 and displayed a catchy, yet primitive Rock and Roll sound featuring elements of Surf, Garage, Blues, Punk and lots of Maracas. The title tracks seduces you with its jangly Garage and Blues rhythms as the drums and maracas keep you hooked while “Monkey Swing” flexes their Surf influences. Other standout tracks on this EP include “Luv Me True” a Bluesy Garage offering with a Bo Diddley Rhumba/Clave beat and “Land of 1000 Dances”. On the bands facebook page it says that New Kind of Mambo is a part of the new 3D-Garage dimension and if you take a look at the music video for “New Kind of Mambo” you see the band play their vintage instruments in a bowling alley juxtaposed with retro images some of which have a 3D nature, perhaps this is what they mean by the 3D Garage dimension? But regardless of this, the EP is an excellent example of primitive Rock and Roll with a modern exotic twist. You won’t see this EP on many 2012 lists, however If you don’t believe me you can download it for FREE at their bandcamp page and see for yourself.

Tops Singles/7 Inches/45’s

1. Pow Wows – Killing Me/No Thirteen

Pow Wows released a seven inch single in 2012 on Get Hip Recordings, a single entitled “Killing Me” that was backed with the song “No Thirteen”. Side A attacks listeners with its slow driving intense Psych-Punk rhythms and distorted vocals with a hint of R&B groove. “No, Thirteen” speeds up the pace a bit with their thier own brand of Garage R&B flavour which builds on the sounds we once heard on 2011’s Nightmare Soda, their full length debut. The bands sound does also seem to have a certain swing to it, drawing on sounds once explored by The Cramps, but at the same time playing into the Garage Rock format. Their sound takes Rock back to basics, but not sounding stale or repetitive as they absorb elements of Punk, Garage, Rockabilly, Surf and more. This single is an excellent and short example of what makes this Toronto band called The Pow Wows so good.

2. Mystics – Play Your Game/Can’t Be Happy

You won’t find too much info about Hamilton’s Mystics a Garage Rock band fronted by Matt Ellis on the internet. They’ve been around for over a year and put out a demo on cassette in 2011 which generated interest in the band leading them to their first release on Boppa Do Down Records, a 45 entitled Play Your Game. The title track and A side “Play Your Game” displays early Garage influences sounding like The Standells meets Van Morrison’s Them. As the drums and tambourines kick in the song is accented by the background female vocals, on top of all that the song and music is executed with a Punk attitude and enthusiasm. The B side is the song “Can’t Be Happy” sounding like a revved up version of “The Last Time” By The Rolling Stones, but what separates this track from the previous is the excellent slide guitar that gives the song a countrified groove. Matt Ellis had this to say in a recent interview in Hamilton’s View website of their sound: “The paisley shirts come out and they seem to dig it but a lot of the young people into punk come out and they seem to be really into us,” The songs are loud, noisy blend of elements of Garage from the 60s with a Punk mentality. After one listen its not difficult to see what makes this real gritty Rock and Roll music so appealing.

3. Cold Warps – Slimer/Dream Creepin’

In June 2012, Halifax/Ottawa's Cold Warps released their Silmer 7 inch on Fun Dog Records. The bands sound has been described a number of ways but Weird Canada described their sound as: "Brilliant AM radio power-pop that is spot on in so many ways”, on this release the band builds on their already established sounds. The title track “Slimer” attacks with its razor sharp guitar parts, as it mixes in catchy lo-fi garage pop hooks with an 90s alternative edge. When the chorus kicks in one can’t help but think of the early Halifax sounds of Thrush Hermit and Sloan, lyrically the words “I don’t know what it means” stick in your head like the lime green slime that is portrayed on the singles artwork. “Dream Creepin’” follows next building with its stop and start guitar riffs and deranged lyrics, displaying the bands catchy yet darker lyrics at the same time, but everything is executed in an upbeat fashion. While the single may be short the lyrics in the first verse of “Slimer” come back to mind “I got you in my head I don’t know what it means”, the songs are catchy, the music is familiar, but difficult to pin down, as this Canadian band mixes its own homebrew for us to taste, and it tastes good.

Best of 2012 Play List:

1. Cold Warps – Slimer (Slimer - Fun Dog Records 2012)
2. Guided By Voices – King Arthur The Red (The Bears For Lunch - Guided By Voices Inc 2012)
3. Elk – Riverview #3 (Daydreams - IndoorShoes 2012)
4. Papermaps – There Are Wolves (Inferior Ghost EP - Sparks Music 2012)
5. Thee Oh Sees – Floods New Light (Putrifiers II - In The Red Records 2012)
6. New Kind of Mambo – Luv Me True (New Kind of Mambo - Self Released 2012)
7. Pow Wows – Killing Me (Killing Me - Get Hip Recordings 2012)
8. Mystics - Play Your Game (Play Your Game - Boppa Do Down 2012)
9. The Spooky But Nice – Sun Goes (The Spooky But Nice - Self Released 2012)
10. Black Angels – I’d Rather Be Lonely (I'd Rather Be Lonely - Blue Horizon 2012)
11. Rotten Tropics – Spectre Tectonics (First Blind Quarter - Self Released 2012)
12. The Bell Peppers – Golf Shack (Saved By The Bell Peppers - Self Released 2012)
13. The Scenics – Dark Cave (Dead Man Walks Down Bayview - Dream Tower Productions 2012)
14. Dan Sartain – Indian Massacre (Too Tough To Live - One Little Indian Records 2012)
15. Jaill – Perfect Ten (Traps - Sub Pop 2012)
16. Jack White – Blunderbuss (Blunderbuss - Third Man Records 2012)
17. TEENANGER – Tired of You (Frights - Telephone Explosion 2012)
18. The Soft Pack – Ray’s Mistake (Strapped - Mexican Summer 2012)
19. Diamond Rugs – Gimme A Beer (Diamond Rugs - Partisan 2012)
20. Indian Wars – Already Home (Songs From The North - Bachelor Records 2012)
21. Ty Segall – You’re The Doctor (Twins - Drag City 2012)
22. The Hives – Patrolling Days (Lex Hives - No Fun AB 2012)
23. Young Rival – Let It Go (Stay Young - Sonic Unyon 2012)
24. Young Rival - I Don't Care (Stay Young - Sonic Unyon 2012)

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

Revolution Rock Holiday Special 2012 & Show # 437

This week's episode aired on December 25th, the first time that has ever happened in the entire time I have been on the air at CJAM FM. I played a collection of over twenty four not so average holiday songs. Check out the play list/download it below. I will be back in the New Year with a best of 2012 program and regularly scheduled programming.



Christmas play list:

1. Clyde Lasley & The Cadillac Baby Specials – Santa Came Home Drunk
2. Donovan – New Years Resolution
3. Wild Billy Childish & The Musicians of the British Empire – Mistletoe
4. The Pygmies – Santa Claus
5. Baby Eagle – Fearfully and Wonderfully
6. Eels – Christmas Is Going To The Dogs
7. Boxer The Horse – Material Xmas
8. Andrew Bird – Auld Lang Syne
9. Surfaris – A Surfer’s Christmas List
10. Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet – Faster Santa Claus Ho, Ho, Ho
11. The Bayview Village People – Merry Xmas Everyone
12. Mother Mother – Hit Er Miss Christmas
13. The Shins – Wonderful Christmas Time
14. Yeah Yeah Yeah’s – All I Want For Christmas
15. REM – Christmas Griping
16. James Brown – Go Power At Christmas
17. James Brown – Hey America
18. Diamond Rugs – Christmas In Chinese Restaurant
19. Deja Voodoo – Bugs For Christmas
20. The Wailers – Please Come Home For Christmas
21. Reind Deers – White Xmas
22. The Nefidovs – Feliz Nefidov
23. The Sonics – Don’t Believe In Christmas
24. Keith Richards – Run Rudolph Run

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

Five Star Rock & Roll ... Joe Strummer Day 2012 (Show 436)

This December 22nd marked the third annual Joe Strummer Day Marathon for CJAM FM in which we confront poverty in the Windsor/Detroit area to the soundtrack of the music of Joe Strummer and The Clash. I put together a program profiling Joe’s pre-Clash band The 101ers, which can be downloaded in the link after the play list below.

Prior to being in The Clash, Joe Strummer was in a band known as The 101ers. This pre-Clash band was different aesthetically falling under the category of Pub Rock, however if you look band a take a listen to the recordings that were made with The 101ers, you can see the sprouting seeds of Joe Strummer and a portrait of the artist he was to become. The band was named after a place that Joe and the group were squatting in during the mid 70s at 101 Wallerton Road in Maida Vale in the UK. The names origins have also been rumoured to be inspired by the torture “room 101” in George Orwell’s dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four.

The bands existence was from 1974 to approximately April of 1976. During the bands existence they did release one single the Keys To Your Heart/5 Star Rock & Roll Petrol in 1976 on the Chiswick record label after the band had broken up. They did make several demos and several live recordings were made, some of which would make their one and only album Elgin Avenue Breakdown which was released long after their break up in 1981 during The Clash's pick up in popularity. The bands musical output was built up upon their live set which heavily relied on numerous cover songs. Although the bands line up did have changes in their line up during their brief existence the band contained members Dan Kelleher (guitar/bass/vocals), Richard Dudanski (drums), Mole (bass until 1975), Clive Temperley (guitar/vocals), Tymon Dogg (fiddle/vocals), among others. The bands sound was built upon early Rock music such as Blues and roots Rock and Roll as evidence by the covers they would play live such as “Gloria” by Them, a variety of Chuck Berry songs, “Out of Time”” by The Rolling Stones, Bo Diddley and The Beatles. Just as the band was picking up in popularity, they even had a single coming out on Chiswick Records ("Keys To Your Heart"), everything changed and they were disbanded.

On April 6th, 1976, The Sex Pistols opened up for The 101ers at Nashville Room and something changed in Joe Strummers musical vision. As he famously has said in interviews and in Don Letts Westway To The World documentary: “Five seconds into their (the Pistols') first song, I knew we were like yesterday's paper, we were over”. Shortly after witnessing the Pistols in all their ragged Punk Rock glory Joe had split up The 101ers, joined The Clash with Mick Jones and Paul Simonon and for a long period of time The 101ers were kind of forgotten. As The Clash continued and grew in awareness in the public eye a compilation album was released in 1981 by the Andalucia label piecing together several 101ers studio demos/outtakes and live recordings.  Entitled Elgin Avenue Breakdown, the collection was put together by Joe Strummer and given a limited vinyl release.  A single of the song "Sweet Revenge" was also released in 1981. 

On this album the band displayed their sense of high energy Rock and Roll enthusiasm in the vein of bands such as Dr. Feelgood, Eddie & The Hotrods, Ducks Deluxe, but the songs found on this release also contained a sense of the early R&B Garage Rock sound that had been employed by British Invasion bands, most notably The Rolling Stones here. The album features standout tracks such as “Letsagetabitarockin’” a fast and clangy guitar driven track being one of the first songs that Joe Strummer wrote/recorded for the band, “Keys To Your Heart” the song released as their first single and played in the early days of The Clash, “Motor Boys Motor”, “Sweety of The St. Moritz” and “Surf City”. “Surf City” is a song accredited to not only Strummer but also guitarist/vocalist Dan Kelleher who would also sing this track live to give Joe a break in the live set. Joe always worked well in the collaboration setting even while in The Clash and Kelleher is also an important factor in this and several of the recordings that The 101ers made. He was a good song writing companion for Joe as was the input of Clive Temperley, Richard Dudanski, along with a variety of musicians that had been involved in the group.

In 2002, Joe Strummer was putting together the idea of re-issuing The 101ers material in one definitive collection, but the project was delayed and it would take some time to be released due to his untimely death in December of 2002. With the help of former 101er Richard “Snake Hips” Dudanski the collection was released in 2005 as Elgin Avenue Breakdown Revisited. The collection featured the previous songs from the 1981 release plus several outtakes and live recordings. Among the unreleased recording there were versions of Them’s “Gloria”, The Rolling Stones “Out of Time”, Slim Harpo’s “Shake Your Hips” and others. From the previously unreleased 101ers material we have most notably the song “Lonely Mother’s Son”, a song that would be later reworked into The Clash song “Jail Guitar Doors”, it was also one of the first songs Joe penned with overtly political lyrics. Elgin Avenue Breakdown Revisited is a document of the Pub Rock scene at the time and Joe Strummer’s early Rock and Roll vision. And although up until 1975 Joe went by the name Woody Mellor (inspired by Folk legend Woody Guthrie) it would be a few years before he started composing his literate and at times political inspired lyrics that he would be known for.  The songs on this collection make up an early rough snapshot of the later Clash front man that we would come to know as Joe Strummer.

Joe Strummer Day/101ers Play List:

1. Letsagetabitarockin’ (Elgin Avenue Breakdown Revisited - 2005)
2. Shake Your Hips (Live) (Elgin Avenue Breakdown Revisited - 2005)
3. Hoy Hoy (Live at Derby Cleopatras December 12, 1975) (Smokey Joe's Cafe Bootleg)
4. Slippin’ and Slidin’ (Live at Derby Cleopatras December 12, 1975) (Smokey Joe's Cafe Bootleg)
5. Sweet Revenge (Elgin Avenue Breakdown Revisited - 2005)
6. Hideaway (Elgin Avenue Breakdown Revisited - 2005)
7. Steamgauge 99 (Elgin Avenue Breakdown Revisited - 2005)
8. Keep Taking The Tablets (Live)(Elgin Avenue Breakdown Revisited - 2005)
9. I Saw Her Standing There (Live) (Smokey Joe's Cafe Bootleg)
10. Rabies (From The Dogs of Love) (Elgin Avenue Breakdown Revisited - 2005)
11. Motor Boys Motor (Elgin Avenue Breakdown Revisited - 2005)
12. Five Star R 'n' Roll (Elgin Avenue Breakdown Revisited - 2005)
13. Out of Time (Live) (Elgin Avenue Breakdown Revisited - 2005)
14. Gloria (Live) (Elgin Avenue Breakdown Revisited - 2005)
15. Be Bop A Lula (Live at Derby Cleopatras December 12, 1975) (Smokey Joe's Cafe Bootleg)
16. Unknown Song (Pathway Demo March 4, 1976) (Smokey Joe's Cafe Bootleg)
17. Surf City Interrupted (Pathway Demo March 4, 1976) (Smokey Joe's Cafe Bootleg)
18. Surf City (Elgin Avenue Breakdown Revisited - 2005)
19. Lonely Mothers Son (Live) (Elgin Avenue Breakdown Revisited - 2005)
20. The Sweety of St. Moritz (Elgin Avenue Breakdown Revisited - 2005)
21. Silent Telephone (Elgin Avenue Breakdown Revisited - 2005)
22. Keys To Your Heart (Version 2) (Elgin Avenue Breakdown Revisited - 2005)

Download this 101ers podcast/radio program:
Revolution Rock Joe Strummer Day 2012 101ers Special

Ty Segall 2012 ... A Trilogy & Show # 435

To say that Ty Segall is a prolific writer is an understatement, in addition to what has been released previously by Segall he released three albums in 2012. He has been recording and making music since approximately 2008, where he has released music with The Epsilons, Party Fowl, Traditional Fools, with Mikal Cronin and has been involved with numerous other projects since then. Segall’s sound mixes elements of 60s Garage Rock, Punk and adds a dash of Grunge at times. Taking a look back at the three releases that Segall has been involved with in 2012 we can see not only how this San Fransican has developed as a musician, but also as an artist.

Ty Segall & White Fence - Hair

In April 2012, Ty Segall released an album collaborating with White Fence entitled Hair. White Fence is actually Tim Presley and has like Ty been involved in other bands. As White Fence Presley normally records and plays all the instruments himself. The album Hair starts of with the song “Time”, which is a Folk/Psychedelic piece that hints at the heaviness that will come in future releases for Segall. The intro which features a slow count down that is stopped by short heavy Garage Rock guitar stabs before the songs filters in. “Time” moves with an early Pink Floyd like rhythm mixed in with guitar parts that sound like they could be from George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass album, but just as the lush melodies sink in the song changes directions (something that happens at various points on Hair). The last fifty seconds of the song sounds like something from Black Sabbath before fading out into the next track “I Am A Not Game”. This is one of the highlights on this Psychedelic/eclectic release, “I Am A Not Game” attacks with its retro organ driven riffs and clean/scuzzy Garage Rock rhythms, while lyrically the song serves as an indication of what Ty and White Fence are doing on this album, not playing the traditional game. They mix up familiar Garage Rock with Psychedelia in different ways in less than half an hour.

“Easy Ryder” features lazy drums and guitar with an almost Ventures Surf-like sound, “Crybaby” is Rockabilly with a demented sense of fun, similar to Alex Chilton’s Like Flies On Sherbert, “(I Can’t Get) Around You” and “Tongues” reflect a sound found on Psychedelic-era Beatles and Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd records, but is also drawing comparisons from Ty Segall’s Goodbye Bread released in 2011. “Scissor People” is a straight ahead wild Garage Rock number mixed with a heavily distorted almost Grunge sound. Two minutes into the song we are juxtaposed with short clips of heavy jam sessions which have been seemingly spliced together like the last verse of “Yer Blues” on the White Album. The song ends with a bass and dual guitar attack rendezvous before slowly fizzling out. Overall, on Hair Ty Segall and White Fence let their hair down so to speak, creating a Beatles meets Piper At The Gates of Dawn-era Pink Floyd freak out, mixing those elements and everything in between.

Ty Segall Band - Slaughterhouse

The second release featuring Ty Segall in 2012 was the Ty Segall Band’s Slaughterhouse which was released in June of 2012. The album features Ty on guitar/vocals and his touring band Emily Rose Epstein on drums, Charles Motthar on guitar, and Mikal Cronin on bass (who is a long time collaborator with Ty). The album is as its title alludes to a heavy assault on the ears, compared to Ty’s release with White Fence in April, it’s like night and day. Prior to the albums release Ty Segall described this album as being “evil space rock" in Exclaim! also going on to say that he wanted to "do a total glam Stooges-meets-Hawkwind or Sabbath" sound for this album. The album also contains a heavy influence referencing the grungalized sounds once heard by Nirvana and Mudhoney, while at the same time still having Ty’s sense of melody and Garage style.

The album begins with the song “Death” which starts with heavily distorted feedback in the style of “LA Blues” by The Stooges and “Endless Nameless” by Nirvana before the song kicks in with its chugging riffs and catchy choruses. Other tracks on this album include “Tell Me What’s Inside Your Heart” a catchy Garage song covered in the albums heavy dynamics, “Muscle Man” sounds cleaner compared to the distortion we experience here, while “The Bag I’m In” is an unrelenting moment. The song which is actually a cover song from the Nuggets-era of Garage Rock and is a completely uninhibited wild moment on the record serving as a solid anchor point near the end of this album. It is followed by two more covers an extra fast version of Bo Diddley’s “Diddy Wah Diddy” and a cover of “Oh Mary” a song originally featured on Ty Segall’s 2008 self titled release. On these three tracks we hear the band and even studio chatter, we can tell they are bashing out loud Rock and enjoying every decibel. “Fuzz War” ends the album with its appropriate title the song perfectly describes Slaughterhouse as a whole. It is an experimental foray into differing sounds and landscapes which is what this album achieves and what Ty Segall has put forth with the three albums he has released this year.

Ty Segall - Twins

October 2012 brought the album Twins, a solo album released by Ty Segall. This album brings us back to songs that have a feel similar to ones found on 2009’s Lemons and 2010’s Melted, but the album also features some new musical directions for Ty. The album starts off with “Thank God For The Sinners” a slow driving fuzzed up Ty Segall classic, as “You’re The Doctor” forces its way into our hearts with its demented lyrics and fast driving frenzied rhythms. The album ventures into other musical avenues this is evident on the intro to “The Hill” which starts with an almost Gospel like intro sung by Brigid Dawson of San Francisco’s other prolific Garage Rock outfit Thee Oh Sees. John Dwyer of Thee Oh Sees also appears vocally on two tracks here on “Love Fuzz” and “Handglams” connecting Ty with the scene on record (as he did with White Fence earlier in 2012 on Hair). It is also appropriate that Ty Segall is joined by John Dwyer on “Love Fuzz” a song that could metaphorically symbolize what these two musicians love doing, making fuzzy Garage inspired Rock music. Other moments on the album such as “Gold On The Shore” displays an acoustic/Folk vibe, while “There Is No Tomorrow” ends the album on a slow, but loud note. 

Lyrically Ty Segall sings of love and with a demented sense of fun on songs such as “You’re The Doctor”, “Handglams”, “Inside Your Heart” and on “Thank God For The Sinners”. On this song he sings “Thank God for the sinners/thank God for your love/in he morning I’ll rise above”, this song is symbolic of Ty Segall rising above his creative aspirations for 2012 as a musician and as an artist. While Hair explored Folk/Psychedelia and Slaughterhouse took us through a heavy Space Rock Grunge direction, Twins is almost a return to form with Ty playing almost all of the instruments on the album, yet also a step in a new direction. Twins shows us that we can’t pin Ty Segall down to anything specific, he can be loud and noisy, low key, subtle and just plain unpredictable.





This week's play list:

1.  Thee Rum Coves – Simple Little Lie
2.  Shitty Neighbours – First Mistake
3.  FIDLAR – Max Can’t Surf
4.  Carbonas – Hate You
5.  The Finks - Magic Eyes
6.  The Specials – (Dawning of A) New Era
7.  Madness – The Prince
8.  Chang-A-Lang – Monday Again
9.  Cuff The Duke – Side By Side
10. The Subway Sect – Ambition
11. The Cure – I’m Cold
12. XX Teens – B-54
13. Gang of Four – If I Could Keep It For Myself
14. Guided By Voices – White Flag
15. Sloan – I Hate My Generation (Pier 21 Demo)
16. The Beatles – Little Child
17. Pow Wows – Séance
18. Ricky Scott – I Didn’t Mean It
19. Ty Segall & White Fence – Crybaby
20. Ty Segall Band – Tell Me What’s Inside Your Heart
21. Ty Segall – Who Are You?
22. Ty Segall - Love Fuzz
23. Mystics – Can’t Be Happy
24. Black Lips – Stuck In My Mind (Live At Third Man)
25. Black Lips - Oh Katrina (Live At Third Man)

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

Beliefs Jesse Crowe Interview & Show # 434

Formed in 2010, Beliefs are a Toronto based band that features Jesse Crowe and Josh Karody. They are a three piece band who have now added Richard Stanley to the line up, they have also just released their debut single which is titled, Untitled. The single was released in two formats digitally and on cassette. The two tracks reflect certain influences drawing on a low-fi late 80s/90s sound. Bands such as Jesus & The Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine come to mind when describing their sound, they also add their own Dream Pop/Shoegaze style on top of these influences. The single serves as a teaser to an upcoming full length release that will be out in 2013.

I had a chance to speak with Jesse Crowe through an email interview. The following interview was done between myself (Dave Konstantino of Revolution Rock) and Jesse Crow of the Toronto band Beliefs. We talk of cassettes, recording and musical influences.

RR: How would you describe Beliefs music and what would you say are your biggest influences whether musically or otherwise?

JC: Beliefs musically is influenced a lot by both American and uk bands from the early 90's. We aim to create a sound that not only captures the era of shoegaze, but still feels like something new.

RR: You released your untitled single digitally and on cassette. What led to that decision? Do you still listen to cassettes?

JC: Cassette is a great type of release for a single. It creates a feeling of nostalgia and allows us as a band to present something physical to those who want to buy our music, but without the expense, hassle and waiting time of a 7" vinyl. Each tape comes with a download because we all know most people's biggest musical libraries are their computers these days. I'd love to say that I still listen to tapes, but mine are mostly around as keepsakes these days.

RR: Where did you record these songs and who did you work with?

JC: We recorded the two songs on the tape at different times. Catch My Breath we recorded to be a part of our first full length record (which is due to come out in March). Josh Korody, who is our guitarist and singer, recorded, produced and mixed the two songs (as well as the coming album) in two of the three studios we've now recorded in. Catch My Breath we recorded at the Cowboy Junkies studio with Noel Webb co engineering and producing as well as drumming. Kyle Connolly on third guitar and Pat McCormack on bass. Violets is a song we wrote as a b-side later on for the single. We recorded it in Josh Korody's new studio he shares with Dusted's Leon Taheny called Candle Recording. We switched drummers and guitarist on this track to Ben Reinhartz and Richard Stanley. Myself (guitar/vocals) Josh and Pat (bass) played on both tracks.

RR: Can you describe the bands formation and how you decided on your band name Beliefs?

JC: Josh Korody and I met at Pat's birthday party. Josh was new to the city and was looking for someone to play music with, I was depressed by the break up of my last band. I thought I would never find someone else who shared the same love for Sonic Youth and My Bloody Valentine as I did, so when started talking about our influences and desires musically, it was obvious we were both serious about playing together. Beliefs was a name that we tossed back and forth with a few other names, we all liked it so it stuck. No huge meaning. Just had a nice ring.

RR: How did you become involved with the Hand Drawn Dracula label?

JC: The first person to take interest in us was Greg Ipp of Unfamiliar records, through being friends with James at Hand Drawn Dracula, we peaked his interest as well. We came together with James officially during North By North East this past year at the time time as connecting with No Pain In Pop in the UK.

RR: Is this single is kind of like a teaser for the upcoming full length album? When will we see the release of this album and what can we expect from it?

JC: This tape is totally an album teaser. We wanted Catch My Breath to be the first single for the record because it encompasses the energy of the full length along side a bit of a throw back to our influences. The first record is quite diverse, half written by myself and half Korody, we play with sounds ranging from Phil Spector wall of sound drum beats to fuzzed out 90's multi layered guitar tracks. We are very proud of this album in its range. We are releasing the album in early March on Hand Drawn Dracula in Canada, No Pain In Pop in the UK and Manimal Vinyl in the US.

RR: What are the future plans for Beliefs?

JC: Currently we're just solidifying our live line up and getting ready to play with Dusted and Moon King coming up on December 28th at The Drake in Toronto. Josh and I are also deep into writing our second full length which we hope to start demoing in the new year.

http://beliefs.bandcamp.com



This week's play list:

1. Lost Patrol – Second Time Around
2. Lost Patrol – No More
3. Light Bulb Alley – Who Do You Love?
4. Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band - Dropout Boogie
5. NFG - Cowboy Rock
6. Runs With Kittens – Weight of the World
7. Johnny Cash – Wildwood Flower
8. The Men - Candy
9. Ty Segall & White Fence – Easy Ryder
10. Pissed Jeans - False Jesif Part 2
11, METZ - The Mule
12. The Pixies - Broken Face
13. Supergrass - Strange Ones
14. Nirvana - Even In His Youth
15. Marble Index – Everyone Else
16. Beliefs – Catch My Breath
17. Beliefs – Violets
18. The Stooges - I Wanna Be Your Dog (John Cale Mix)
19. The Rolling Stones – Under My Thumb (Live)
20. The Hold Steady - Chillout Tent
21. Ian Dury & Blockheads - Sweet Gene Vincent
22. The Exploding Hearts – Shattered (You Left Me) (Alternate Version)
23. The Libertines - Up The Bracket

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

Second Look Soft Pack Interview & Show # 433

In 2010, The Soft Pack released their first full length self titled album. The album displayed a Garage Rock/Indie Rock blend featuring the low-fi anthemic “Answer To Yourself”. The song attacked listeners with its Garage/Punk and Surf guitar licks while lyrically it addressed freedom of ones self while tapping into a feeling of youthful angst in the modern world. The album itself garnered much attention for this Rock band from San Diego, California, it made several artists to watch lists. It was also recorded quickly, in the moment to capture the bands live sound by Eli Janney at Saltlands Studio in Brooklyn, New York. The Soft Pack followed an EP which was entitled the Muslims EP which was initially their band name, but after much negative comments and misinterpretations of the names meaning they became known as The Soft Pack. After touring extensively and even playing ten shows in one day, The Soft Pack released a follow up to their 2010 full length. Titled Strapped, on this album The Soft Pack explore the very song structures and dynamics which defined them as a band in the past. The band demoed approximately thirty songs, then cut it down to twelve for Strapped.

Released in September of 2012, Strapped features a lot of diversity and what some critics have referred to as growth in the songs that they present on this release. The album develops their catchy rhythms that were found on their first full length release moving into different genres while still sounding like The Soft Pack. The first song on Strapped “Saratoga” starts off with the traditional fuzzy guitar sounds and rhythms that Soft Pack fans have come to expect. “Second Look” enters at the second track and its title proves to be rather fitting when considering the album as a whole. It explores other musical landscapes in terms of instrumentation, featuring a New Wave feel with Saxophone, as does the majority of the album. Other songs on this album that display Soft Packs new found dynamics include songs such as “Tallboy” which is a song flooded with synthesizer keyboards sounding like a long lost 80’s New Wave song, and “Bobby Brown” which is also another track that is discussed when referring to the differences on this release and their previous. This song has an R&B rhythm with an almost Electro Pop vibe. Other interesting tracks found on Strapped include the Gang of Four sounding instrumental “Oxford Avenue”, “Ray’s Mistake””, and the song “Chinatown” with lyrics that address the Mayan calendar, the movie of the same name and California water rights. The song has the same feel as a song such as “Answer To Yourself”.

Overall Strapped is an album that is built up with enough variety to warrant repeat listens that will reveal different things each time. The Soft Pack could have easily released another album similar to their first full length, but they took their time and put out something that was different and emphasized growth within the band as a unit. Strapped is an album that some people will love, some people will hate but it is an album that shows a band branching out. The term “strapped” can have a few meanings, the most common being that you are strapped for cash, but in the context of this album the term strapped can be seen as being ready to go. As in, The Soft Pack are strapped in and ready for what will happen next. This album conveniently titled Strapped proves that with these songs the band is ready for just that.

The following interview was done between myself (Dave Konstantino of Revolution Rock) and Matt Lamkin of The Soft Pack. We talk of recording, the bands past, lyrical subject matter and more:

RR: Strapped took two years to make - what made you decide to take a slower approach to recording this album as opposed to your first full length as The Soft Pack?

ML: We toured for about a year straight after the release of the first album. After that we were pretty burnt out. So, we took about 6 months off and then slowly started writing and recording demos. Mostly, we just wanted to take our time because everything around the last album was so rushed. It gave us more time -maybe too much- to try new sounds that are on the records we love, albums like Tattoo You or Reckoning. When we started out we didn't know what we are doing. We still don't really know. I would say these albums are documents of us trying to figure it out. The first one is more simple and fast because there was no time to write and it reflects the mood of that time period. Strapped is disjointed and varies a bit because these songs were written and recorded at different times and places. There was no main session or studio. That was the goal. We wanted to make an album that was kinda like a mixtape and took a few listens to decipher.

RR: I read that thirty songs were actually recorded for this album what do you plan to do with the remainder of the unreleased songs and how did you decide on which songs would make the album?

ML: There were a bunch of song ideas and about 30 demos but most of the stuff that is on the album is stuff that we rerecorded in a studio. The songs that didn't make it to the studio were uninteresting and unfinished. You wouldn't like them.

RR: Growth is a word that is often thrown around when discussing this album - would you say trying other styles and experimenting with different kinds of instrumentation (for example saxophone, synthesizers) is something that The Soft Pack has always wanted to experiment with? Why or why not?

ML: Everything we had done before was straight ahead guitar rock. There are no effects on the guitars except for some reverb and the recordings were pretty much done live. This time around we wanted to get out of that and try some other stuff, effects, recording approaches. We listen to all sorts of records. Guitar rock is only a portion of our record collection, so I guess the idea is to get our songs to reflect our record collections. It really doesn't stray too much from the old stuff it just shows an interest in trying something else. We still haven't gotten there in my opinion. But, it is nice to hear people say we are growing as a band. That is the goal.

RR: What is your opinion of analog recording vs. digital and how do you prefer to listen to music? On vinyl, CD, cassette?

ML: None of us have any loyalties to any specific format. Personally, I listen to what ever format I can find. Vinyl is nice but its hard to find anything other than mp3 of some obscure stuff and sometimes you have to settle for a cd reissue when original vinyl is too expensive or hard to find. I like cd's, though. I don't really consider that settling. I'm down with all formats. I like cd's in the van, tapes in a boombox at the beach, records at home, mp3 on the go. Life is too short to be a slave to a format. I'm a slave to the rhythm.

RR: What are your inspirations behind the songs lyrically? For example you have a song called “Chinatown” that is about water rights in California.

ML: I just write lyrics about whatever. Chinatown is about that movie, the end of the Mayan calendar, California water rights, the Eastern Sierras where my dad is from. I'm not too concerned with people being able to understand exactly what I'm talking about in a song. I like to leave it open. Sometimes its just about screwing around with words like in Ray's Mistake.

RR: You guys used to be called The Muslims and recorded under that name before changing to The Soft Pack – what do you remember from the time those recording sessions/songs were made?

ML: The Muslims really was a different thing from the Soft Pack. Matty and I were the only song writers for that material. We recorded everything at Jon Greene's house in San Diego. Dave and Brian joined after about a year of playing around California and any material after that has been Soft Pack. I would say the Soft Pack is material written by all four of us, whereas the Muslims was just Matty and me. Anyway, writing the Muslims songs took a lot longer because we were brand new at it. The recordings were done over a period of months, more like the recording of Strapped. Really the first Soft Pack album is the outlier. It's the only one that we didn't do at our own pace, for better or worse.

RR: Since this is your second album as The Soft Pack what are some of your favorite sophomore albums (2nd albums by other bands)?

ML: My favorite sophomore releases would have to be Dragnet [The Fall], Reckoning [R.E.M], Songs From A Room [Leonard Cohen] to name a few. But it gets confusing with collaborations, recording dates, band names or territories with a few of my favorite artists like Brian Eno, Ariel Pink, Joy Division, the Beatles UK or US.

RR: In 2010 The Soft Pack played 10 shows in one day! How did you come up with that idea? Also how long was each set and how were you able to sustain the energy to do that many shows?

ML: 10 shows in one day was Sean Carlson's idea. It was a good idea. It was a blast. Very, very fun but, I never want to do it again. The sets were about 20 min. and the whole day was about 14 hours. By the end of the day we looked like zombies and could barely form sentences but we were able to plow through it because it was a good time.

RR: What are the future plans for The Soft Pack?

ML: The Soft Pack will be touring UK/Europe in Jan. and Feb. After that, we will do another tour around the US and Canada in the spring. It would be great to have another album out in 2013.



This Week's Play List:

1. Bunker Hill - The Girl Can’t Dance
2. Them – Go On Home Baby
3. The Regulators - Brainless Wonder
4. The Demics - Nervous Breakdown
5. The Hoots – Ghetto Fab
6. Dean Droulliard – Out of the Blue
7. Snake River – Wake, Darling, Wake!
8. Diamond Rugs – Hightail
9. The Soft Pack – Answer To Yourself
10. The Soft Pack – Chinatown
11. The Soft Pack – Tallboy
12. Papermaps – Nobody Gets It
13. David Bowie – Station To Station
14. The Clash – Overpowered By Funk
15. Tranzmitors – Bigger Houses, Broken Homes
16. Tranzmitors - Dancing In The Front Row
17. Young Rival – Black Popcorn
18. Young Rival – Better Things
19. Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers – Copycat (Unreleased Live At Max’s Kansas City 1979)
20. The Rezillos – Bad Guy Reaction
21. The Black Lips – Everybody’s Doin’ It
22. The D4 – Get Loose

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

Link Wray Big City After Dark & Show # 432

 

Link Wray has released a lot of singles, but in 1962/1963 he released a series of singles on the Mala record label that are relatively obscure in his catalogue and hard to come by nowadays. In 1962 Link Wray released the “Big City After Dark”/”Hold It” single. It was actually released under the name Ray Vernon & His Wraymen, which was a tribute to Link’s brother Vernon who played with his band, but was also an aspiring Pop star who would work behind the scenes with Link serving as a producer/recordist. “Big City After Dark” is a deep Blues cut with dirty raunchy guitar sounds, some of the dirtiest tones Link has captured on tape. The b-side to this single is a cover of Bill Doggett’s “Hold It”, Link and His Wray Men work up the song into a smoking panic serving as an excellent Garage Rock track that pre-dates early Beatles recordings. “Dance Party” was one of the other Link Wray songs released on the Mala Record label and it has been released under a few names. It was released under the “There’s A Hole In The Middle Of The Moon” single in 1963 with “Dancing Party” as it’s b-side. It has also gone under the name “Friday Night Dance Party”.

What do these singles have in common other than being rare and hard to find Link Wray singles? They were both reissued for the Black Friday edition of Record Store Day in 2012. When re-issued it came as a double single with “Big City After Dark”/”Hold It” on one single and “Dance Party” on the other, it features an extended version of the song listed as “Dance Party Parts 1 & 2” with part one on side A and part two on side B. What these singles serve as are rare glimpses into some raunchy obscure singles from Link Wray, ones that before Record Store Day were really hard to find other than on the odd compilation album. On the cover of the “Big City After Dark” single there is a picture of a young Link Wray with a smirk on his face and a certain look in his eyes, the look is somewhat ominous, but one of determination. The fact that these recordings pre-date Garage Rock further emphasises the importance of Link Wray’s sound on Rock music. Link’s look on the cover reflects the sounds we find on these singles and with his music. It has been said many, many times that Link Wray is an influential artist, these recordings prove that even on the deepest rarest cuts in Link’s catalogue he still had that unhinged raw Rock and Roll sound that that was not only original, but was bound to be influential. On this “Big City After Dark” re-issue, Link Wray’s sound is resurrected from the dusty grooves of the past, yet at the same time the music still sounds fresh. It is further evidence of his immediate influential and unrelenting Rock sound.


The Play List:

1. Holy Wave – Albuquerque Freakout
2. Davie Allan & The Arrows – Blues Theme
3. The Clique – You’ve Been Unfair
4. The Yardbirds – Mister You’re A Better Man Than I
5. Lowlands – Black Mask II
6. John Cale – I Wanna Talk 2 U
7. Drew Smith – Smoke & Mirrors
8. Neil Jarvis – What’s Done Is Done
9. Orphan Choir – Haunt The Highways
10. The Blue Squares – Time To Get Over You
11. The Checkerlads – Shake Yourself Down
12. The Skaliwags – Turn Him Down
13. The Zombies – Just Out of Reach
14. White Stripes – Stop Breaking Down (Live at BBC Studios, Maida Vale)
15. The Polymorphines – I Gotta Vibration
16. The Baracudas – (I Wish It Could Be) 1965 Again
17. Link Wray – Big City After Dark
18. Link Wray – Hold It
19. Pow Wows – Fire Song (Live WFMU September 15th, 2012)
20. The Zeros – What’s Wrong With A Pop Group
21. The Scabs – Amory Building
22. Lost Patrol – Dead or Alive
23. Long Weekends – Shame On You
24. Iggy Pop & James Williamson – Johanna

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

The Scenics Interview & Show # 431

The Scenics are a Toronto based Proto-Punk band that originally formed in 1976 and split up in 1982. Formed by Ken Badger and Andy Meyers who also served as the principle song writers, The Scenics were different from others in the Canadian Punk scene at the time.  They embraced the attitude and immediacy of the DIY late 70s Punk ethos and at the same time they had a style all their own. Mixing elements of Velvet Underground, The Byrds, Television, and other bands such as Pere Ubu, Roxy music, The Scenics built up a devout following during their formative years as a band. In 1979 they released their debut album Underneath The Door, they also appeared in the Punk documentary The Last Pogo and on its soundtrack. After playing for a few years and releasing one more single in 1982 entitled Karen, The Scenics called it a day.

In 2008, The Scenics returned with the album How Does It Feel To Be Loved? an album made up entirely of Velvet Underground covers recorded during the bands heyday. A DVD version of The Last Pogo film was issued the same year which included bonus vintage footage of The Scenics playing on Canadian cable television. A new interest was generated in the band and they even began playing some live shows together again. Another album featuring previously unreleased material was put out in 2009 entitled Sunshine World, an album made up of studio recordings from 1977-1978. The band embarked on a mini tour around this time playing in places such as Toronto, London, Montreal and Ottawa.  Around this time the band also began working on new recordings for a forthcoming full length album that would eventually be released in October of 2012.

Deadman Walks Down Bayview was released to positive reviews and displayed the band in a mature, yet unique point of view. The songs that make up this album are somewhat reminiscent of music heard from the band’s past, but The Scenics were never a band to follow trends or to repeat themselves. Even when they were playing in the late 70s Punk scene in Toronto, The Scenics were different and had their own sound. They are often described as a Proto-Punk sounding group and on Deadman Walks Down Bayyview the band expands their song writing capabilities while still keeping their youthful edge lyrically.

The opening track “Dark Cave” musically is reminiscent of Velvet Underground as the lyrics emphasize the secluded atmosphere around working a full time monotonous job. “Fox”, “When You Come Around”, and “Oh Boy” all display different sounds referencing music from bands such as Velvet Underground to The Byrds, and Television. “No Sleep” arrives with a Rockabilly-like rhythm, “Miami” comes in at song six with its Guided By Voices sounding influence as the lyrics “I want my own camera” are repeated over and over again. Songs like “I Can’t Be Careful” displays the bands more slower melodic style and a song like “Farmer” goes into experimental Psychedelic directions.  It may have been thirty years since The Scenics have released new material, but Deadman Walks Down Bayview shows that The Scenics still have the chemistry and essence that made them so interesting in the first place.

Listen to an extended version of the interview that I did with Ken Badger of The Seenics on Revolution Rock here:



Music Video for Dark Cave:



This Week's Play List:

1. Chuck Berry – Let It Rock
2. Frankenstein 5 – It’s A Cryin’ Shame
3. Crystal Swells – Harsh Flux
4. Riff Raff – I Wanna Be A Cosmonaut
5. The Bloody Five – (I Wanna Go To) New York City
6. Alright Alright – Bingo Bango
7. Purple Hearts – Just To Please You – The Guy Who Made Her A Star
8. The Scenics – Dark Cave
9. The Scenics – Great Pile of Leaves

Ken Badger (of The SCENICS) INTERVIEW

10. The Scenics – Miami
11. The Scenics – Do The Wait
12. Dot Dash – Lateral/Vertical
13. Tame Impala – Why Won’t They Talk To Me?
14. Andrew Bird – When That Helicopter Comes
15. Richard Hell & The Voidoids – Ignore That Door (Live August 17, 1978 Max’s Kansas City)
16. Indian Wars – Already Home

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

CJAM Pledge Drive 2012 & Show # 430

It's that time of year again, time for CJAM's annual pledge drive.  Revolution Rock has been broadcasting on CJAM FM for eight years now – each week I provide listeners with a collection of 60s Garage, 70s Punk/New Wave, Indie and alternative music that is not broadcast on mainstream radio. CJAM FM is a non-profit campus/community radio station that relies on donations to keep running and growing. This year we are raising money in hopes of increasing our signal strength to broadcast further and reach more people! Pledge drive runs from November 9-16 and we only ask for pledges once a year to make a donation. You can call 519-971-3630 (Windsor) or 1-855-344-2526 (1-855-DIG-CJAM) for Detroit or out of town listeners and can also make a pledge securely online via cjam.ca.

In 2009 CJAM nearly lost its protected status as a station and it was documented in Voice of The Underground, a documentary that I made about their signal change. You can watch the documentary in full below – raising money to increase our signal strength is the next step to bring CJAM’s quality program to a wider audience – watch the documentary and show your support for Revolution Rock and CJAM FM today!

This Week's Play List:

1. Bell Peppers – Drapes N’ Squares
2. Nick Lowe - Long Limbed Girl
3. The Action – Waiting For The Man
4. Rah Rah - Art And A Wife
5. Elvis Costello & The Attractions – Watch Your Step (Alternate Version)
6. The Zolas - In Heaven
7. Velvet Underground – One of These Days
8. Flowers 0f Hell – Atmosphere
9. Mark Lanegan - Gravedigger's Song
10. Thee Oh Sees - Flood's New Light
11. The Last Shadow Puppets - The Age Of The Understatement
12. Bloodshot Bill – Right Out The Door
13. Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros - Coma Girl

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