In The City & Show # 415

On April 29th, 1977 The Jam released their debut single In The City in the UK. The song quickly shot up the UK music charts reaching the top 40. It helped launch their career and Paul Weller’s success as a musician. The song musically shares The Jam’s unique blend of Mod Revivalism and 70s Punk enthusiasm, it became an anthem for the Mod Punk revival of the late 70s. The song’s title was borrowed from the B-side of The Who’s I’m A Boy single, while lyrically the song is a social commentary addressing the scene at the time, being influenced by the burgeoning UK Punk scene and Joe Strummer of The Clash, one of Weller’s contemporaries at the time. The song celebrates as Weller states in the lyrics the “youth ideas” in the big city. In an interview with Q Magazine in April of 2010, Weller had this to say of the song and its origins:

"It was the sound of young Woking, if not London, a song about trying to break out of suburbia. As far as we were concerned, the city was where it was all happening; the clubs, the gigs, the music, the music. I was probably 18, so it was a young man's song, a suburbanite dreaming of the delights of London and the excitement of the city. It was an exciting time to be alive. London was coming out of its post-hippy days and there was a new generation taking over. The song captured that wide-eyed innocence of coming out of a very small community and entering a wider world, seeing all the bands, meeting people, going to the clubs, and the freedom that it held."

The B-side was the quick paced “Takin’ My Love” a song that along with “In The City” would appear on the bands first full length album In The City. Another interesting fact about this B-side is that it has appeared in the UK top 40 on three separate occasions during the Jam’s single releases. The single In The City was re-issued in 1980 following the success of “Going Underground” along with eight of the bands other singles, it charted in the top 40 and in 2002, Polydor re-issued the In The City single, the song went to number 36 on the UK singles charts. Six months following the release of this single, Sex Pistols released their Holidays In The Sun single, a song that featured a similar chord progression to “In The City”. The songs were both being worked on around the same time, The Jam demoing the song around the same time the Pistols were working on “Holidays In The Sun”, Paul Weller had this to say of the two songs in 2007 in Uncut, and of an argument and scuffle that Weller and Sid Vicious got into:

“He started it and I finished it. I don't know if anyone can claim any victory. He just came up to me and he was going on about 'Holidays In The Sun' where they'd nicked the riff from 'In The City.' I didn't mind them nicking it - you've got to get your ideas from somewhere, haven't you? Anyway, he just came up and nutted me. So I returned it."

Regardless of the supposed Sex Pistols, Jam rivalry surrounding this song both songs are good and different in their own right, the discussion of the two isn’t really relevant at this point. “In The City” was a defiant influential debut that introduced us to the three piece of Paul Weller, Bruce Foxton and Rick Buckler otherwise known as The Jam, it is also a song reflecting not only the times, but also a song that youth can identify with, even today.

The Play List:

1. Ty Segall – It #1
2. Dirty Projectors – maybe that was it
3. Deadly Lo-Fi – Walk Into The Sun
4. Micronite Filters – Hit The Hammer On The Nail
5. Mudhoney – What Moves The Heart
6. Lime Spiders – Nine Miles High
7. Cardboard Brains – Babies Run My World
8. Pelicans – New Wave
9. Johnny Jaws and The Sharks – Wizard
10. The Plain Steel – Away
11. Alex Chilton – Girl After Girl
12. Neil Young & Crazy Horse- Gallows Pole
13. The Beach Boys – The Shift
14. Young Rival – Another Nobody
15. Cold Warps - Slimer
16. The Future Primitives – Sea of Words
18. The Black Angels – Haunting at 1300 McKinley
19. The Police – On Any Other Day
20. Talking Heads – No Compassion
21. Devo – Sloppy (I Saw My Baby Gettin’)
22. The Jam – In The City
23. The Jam – Takin' My Love
24. Sex Pistols – Satellite
25. Radio Birdman – Aloha Steve and Danno

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for July 31. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

Batman Theme & Show # 414

One of the most recognized theme songs in television history is the theme song to the original 1960s Batman television series. The song was composed by Neal Hefti, a composer who had a background in Jazz and Big Band music, he also worked on arrangements, and was immensely influential, in addition to the “Batman Theme”, Hefti is also known for writing the theme song and music for The Odd Couple among others and even worked with Frank Sinatra gaining a composer/conductor credit on his 1961 album Sinatra and Swingin’ Brass. Now back to the “Batman Theme”, the song is a very simple, quirky, catchy song that like many Spy themed songs from that time period had catchy Surf-like guitar hooks. Based on a twelve bar blues progression, it features three chords predominately and has elements of Surf music that is embedded within the song, there are also stabs of brass, paying tribute to Hefti’s Big Band past. The song was built around a bass guitar riff, drums and horn sections to provide the driving rhythms and the quick paced actions scenes that would grace the TV series.

The theme was made to be, like the series campy and fun as opposed to the modern day Batman associations that started in 1989 with the original Batman series and the most recent Dark Knight Trilogy by Christopher Nolan. But while this simple, yet undeniably catchy song is so assessable, it took months for Hefti to write. In 2004, Neal shed some light on the process to complete this song in an interview with Forrest Patten and as stated on http://nealhefti.info:

That one came very hard to me. It took me a couple of months to write. I had seen some footage and I knew how outrageous it had to be. So I needed to write a piece of music that was equally so. Well, when I first took the theme in to demonstrate it for Lionel Newman and the series producer at Twentieth Century Fox, I had to sing it and play it on the piano. Well, I’m no singer, and I’m no pianist. But I had Lionel and the producer, Bill Dozier, listening to me. My first thought was that they were going to throw me out, very quickly, but as I was going through it, I heard them both reacting with statements like, “Oh, that’s kicky. That will be good in the car chase.” My father, (a salesman) once told me, “If they say okay, get out of there before they change their mind.” When I saw Bill smiling, then I knew we had it.

Regardless of how long it took to complete, the “Batman Theme” was a huge success, even winning a Grammy, it was also released as a single in 1966, with a B-side “Batman Chase”, ultimately the song adhered to a Garage and Surf Rock approach, and while it only ever contained one lyric “Batman!”, the song remains popular to this day. The song in some cases is just as recognisable as the original TV series starring Adam West and Burt Ward.  It was quickly covered by the instrumental Surf group The Marketts and The Ventures, and became a favourite in Surf music circles. It has also been covered by The Who, The Kinks, Link Wray, The Jam, The Flaming Lips and countless others. And While Batman may have evolved into something else differently in today’s day and age, the original “Batman Theme” is still recognized in popular culture and extremely catchy, the sign of good song writing. Once you hear it, you’ll never forget it.

Play List:

1. Hot Panda – Maybe Now?
2. Brazilian Money - Can't Live In A Vaccuum
3. The Blue Squares – Hit Your Sales
4. The Mourning After - Do Your Thaang
5. Elk – Before The Son
6. The Flaming Lips – Children of the Moon
7. The Kinks – Muswell Hillbilly
8. Woody Guthrie – I Ain’t Got No Home (In This World No more)
9. The Pixies – Caribou
10. Pure - Lilac
11. Intelligence – Hippy Provider
12. Laughing Clowns – This Year Is More Important
13. Public Image Limited – Deeper Water
14. A Place To Bury Strangers – And I’m Up
15. The Government – Acute Angle
16. Demics – Talk’s Cheap
17. V Necks – Sand Overdose
18. Thee Oh Sees – Opposition
19. King Khan & BBQ Show – Truth Or Dare
20. Light Bulb Alley – Backslider
21. The Flaming Lips – Batman Theme
22. The Who – Batman Theme
23. Link Wray – Batman Theme

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

Revolution Rock (Revisited) Show # 413

This week’s program was a repeat of a show that first aired on May 8th, 2012. The post and show focused around Jack White's Blunderbus album, which emphasized more of Jacks Country and Folk influences. This well crafted album has had three singles released from it "Freedom At 21", "Love Interruption" and "Sixteen Saltines". Check out my original post on Blunderbuss. Also here are some videos by bands that were featured on the show this week. 

The Play List:

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

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

Lex Hives & Show # 412

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. In 2010, The Hives released the Tarred & Feathered EP, a straight forward three song EP featuring obscure cover songs, but with Lex Hives, they offer something else altogether. Five years is a long time between albums, but The Hives were always a band that took their time with their albums. Barely Legal was released in 1997, Veni Vidi Vicious released in 2000, Tyrannosaurus Hives in 2004, and The Black And White Album in 2007. Lex Hives was released in June 2012 on The Hives own Disque Hives label which was followed their decision not to extend their contract with Universal Music who released their last two full length albums. 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 album starts off with the song “Come On”, a short opener that consists of lead singer Pelle Almqvist shouting “Come On” over 50 times, it is a drum and bass dominant song that builds as it progresses with its catchy choruses, which serves as a indication of what to expect to from The Hives from this album catchy driving songs. The lead off single from Lex Hives is “Go Right Ahead” a mid-tempo Glam Punk track with horn sections and loud ringing choruses, the song also features a song credit to Jeff Lynne of ELO, since parts of the songs chorus bear a similarity to ELO’s “Don’t Bring Me Down”, but The Hives put their own stamp on this number. “1000 Answers” is an interesting concoction, featuring Devo-like synthesizers placed along Jerry Lee Lewis piano parts, combined with driving guitar rhythms. The song has been played live for a few years now at festivals and it was in fact a song that was written right after 2004’s Tyrannosaurus Hives album, “I Want More” sounds like AC/DC meets Joan Jett, while “Wait A Minute” features similar back up vocals to “Come On”, but has a chorus so catchy its hard to get out of your head it sounds like a track omitted from The Black And White Album.

“Patrolling Days” another strong up tempo track found here is reminiscent of a lengthier version of “No Pun Intended, but a bit more anthemic than that, it has more depth lyrically as it seems to identify The Hives ethos. The song seems to address the Hives and what they stand for with lyrics such as “Waited for too long/for this day to dawn” and “My patrolling days are over/And I ain't shot nobody since/I fought the big cheese out of office/And showed the hep kids how to dance” it emphasizes that they don’t need to patrol around anymore, The Hives are The Hives and they’re going to do things their way. This song could also perhaps be about the time surrounding their last album and the last few years being a band on a major label. Other great tracks include “Take Back The Toys” a song that is yet another up tempo Punk Hives track, featuring a lo-fi Garage guitar sound. It is placed along with “These Spectacles Reveal The Nostalgics” and “If I Had A Cent” that keep this album moving quickly. “My Time Is Coming” is a brooding Hives-like Hymn, while “Midnight Shifter” has a sleazy R&B groove, as does “Without The Money” that is a song has many Blues elements, but is predominantly a vocal and organ track. Lyrically Lex Hives seems to address overcoming difficult situations and succeeding (“Take Back The Toys”, “1000 Answers”, “Wait A Minute”, “Patrolling Days”) and turning a negative into a positive. It is juxtaposed along songs that could be described as Party Rock lyrically (“Come On”, “Go Right Ahead”).

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. The Hives live shows are phenomenally entertaining, that essence is captured here. Several critics claimed that The Black And White Album was an unfocused effort, but Lex Hives trimms 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.

Lex Play List:

1. Teenanger – Red Eye Station
2. Jaill – Perfect Ten
3. Mystics – Last Time (Demo)
4. The Scumbags - My Baby’s Gone Away
5. The Blue Squares – It’s No Wonder
6. New York Dolls – Looking For A Kiss
7. The Professionals – Payola
8. Iggy Pop – Sweet Sixteen
9. Fictions – Fication
10. Terminal Spectators – Another Day Another Dream
11. Guided By Voices – Hang Up And Try Again
12. Sloan - People Of The Sky (Live)
13. New Kind of Mambo – Luv Me True
14. New Kind of Mambo – Land of 1000 Dances
15. Paul Jacobs – Pickin’ Up The Slack
16. Pow Wows – Pandemic #44
17. Ty Segall Band - The Bag I'm In
18. Ty Segall Band – Oh Mary
19. The Black Angels – She’s Not There
20. The Spelling Mistakes – Hate Me, Hate Me
21. 999 – You Can’t Buy Me
22. Raptors - Can't Win
23. The Hives – 1000 Answers
24. The Hives – Take Back The Toys
25. The Hives – Patrolling Days

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

Soul Food & Show # 411

The debut album from The Oblivians was released in 1995 on Crypt Records. Soul Food was the world’s introduction to the Memphis, Tennessee Garage Punk band The Oblivians and the album just swelters with Garage, Punk and Soul heat. Recorded at Easley Studios in Memphis, Soul Food is a 32 minute blast of pure primal Rock and Roll. Executed in the vein of The Cramps, Tay Falco's Panther Burns, and bands such as The Gories, The Sonics and The Stooges, it is an album that refuses to adhere to stereotype, the unbridled Punk Rock infused Garage sound is of an unrelenting, intense chaotic nature. The band is comprised of Jack Oblivian (real name Jack Yarber), Eric Oblivian (real name Eric Friedl) , and Greg Oblivian (real name Greg Cartwright), who adopted a similar last name paying tribute to Ramones. The band would switch instruments and alternate between drums, guitars and vocals. There were no bassists in the Oblivians, just two guitars, drums, and vocals, the band would also alternate instruments live and in the studio.

The album opens with a cover of “Vietnam War Blues”, originally by Lightnin’ Hopkins it is pure fuzzed out boogie Rock and Roll, “Jim Cole” is a repetitive song, just over a minute with heavy organ, guitar stabs and the same lyrics repeated over and over again for about a minute, “Never Change” is a mellower track, but one that oozes with soul and intensity similar to something found a Compulsive Gamblers record, Greg Oblivians other band. It is a simple, but effective track that clearly emphasises the bands motto. “I’m Not A Sicko, There’s A Plate In My Head” is an Oblivians original that sounds like The Cramps meets the Flat Duo Jets, while “Blew My Cool” grooves with Garage riffs and shouting vocals.

Soul Food is an album produced with a bare bones production technique, and has that live off the floor feel. You can even hear the band talking and counting off numbers, especially before “Never Change”, which as stated earlier emphasizes their motto with the lyrics, “I’ll never change for you not for twenty dollars, not for twenty two/like a broken record I play the same sad song, if I ever fix it I’ll probably still be wrong”, The Oblivians did things their way, and Soul Food is an explosive, raunchy, offensive, but good hearted record, complete with mistakes and imperfection and primalistic rhythms. Although it may be an acquired taste for some, it is a record that’s hard to ignore. After two more full length albums Popular Favorites, Play Nine Songs With Mr. Quintron and several singles/EPs, the band called it quits and its members moved on to other things. Jack and Greg reformed their previous band The Compulsive Gamblers before going their separate ways, Jack to Jack O & The Tennessee Tearjerkers, Greg to Reigning Sound and other bands. Eric went on to form Goner Records as well as playing with Dutch Masters and The True Sons of Thunder in addition to recording an album with Jay Reatard and other musiciang. It was announced recently that The Oblivians are working on a new full length album, that will be released on In The Red Records.


This Week's Play List:

1. Elk – Riverview
2. The New Strychnines – High Time
3. Pete Van Dyk & The Secondhand Band – Canadian Boy
4. Hab – Sedentary Blues
5. Bloodshot Bill – Right Out The Door
6. The Almighty Defenders – All My Loving
7. Deja Voodoo – Private Eye
8. The Gruesomes – 3 Men 1 Coffin
9. Testors – Together
10. Klark Kent – Office Girls
11. XTC – Science Friction
12. The Stranglers – (Get A) Grip (On Yourself)
13. Rotten Tropics – New Miserablist
14. Pomegranates – Ezekiel
15. The Fall – Repetition
16. Captain Scarlet & The Mysterons - Are You Really Gone
17. The Mongrols - Plastic Girl
18. The Wipers – Let’s Go Away
19. The Caesars – We Got To Leave
20. Simply Saucer – Dance The Mutation
21. Oblivians – Vietnam War Blues
22. Oblivians – Jim Cole
23. Oblivians – Blew My Cool
24. The Cramps - Good Taste (Live)
25. Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers – Let Go (Demo)
26. Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers - Born To Lose (Demo)

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

Elvis Costello & The Attractions Trust & Show # 410

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

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

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


The Play List:

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

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

Diamond Rugs & Show # 409

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

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

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

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

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

This Week's Play List:

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

25. Diamond Rugs – Gimme A Beer

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

This Is PiL & Show # 408

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

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

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

This week's play list:

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

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

Canadian Garage & X-Ray Crocodiles … Show # 407

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

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

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

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

The Play List

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Part One - Revolution Blues

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

Download part one (Revolution Blues) here!

Part Two - Revolution Rock

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

Download part two (Revolution Rock) here!

Subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Download part one (Revolution Blues) here!

Part Two - Revolution Rock Play List:

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

Download part two (Revolution Rock) here!

Subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

Rockabilly Psychosis ... The Phantom & Show # 404

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

Download part one here!

Part Two
Revolution Rock Play List:

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

Download part two (Revolution Rock) here!

Subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

Blunderbuss & Show # 403

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

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

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

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

This Week's Play List:

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

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

Light Bulb Alley Interview & Show # 402

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

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

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

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

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

RR: What are some of the bands influences musically?

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

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

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

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

Allister: I cannot remember

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This Week's Play List:

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

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

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

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

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

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




More info on the band can be found at:

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


This Week's Play List:

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

Paul Langan (Lost Patrol) Interview

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

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

Like Flies On Sherbert & Show # 400

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This Week's Play List:

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

23. Alex Chilton – Waltz Across Texas

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

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

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

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

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

This Week's Play List:

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

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

Punk Mod Rockers Seven Story Redhead & Show # 398

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

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

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

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

This Week's Play List:

1. 999 – Quite Disappointing

2. Weirdonia – Masked Boy

3. Satelliters – Get Outta Here

4. Garage Sale – Ain’t So Groovy

5. Ghost Bikini – Spooks

6. Long Distance Runners – Election Day

7. Yukon Blonde – My Girl

8. Learning – There Is A limit

9. Ramblin’ Ambassadors – Pine Beetle Express

10. Mind Spiders – Wait For Us

11. ELK – Shaking Hands

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

13. Ex-Girlfriends Club – The Witch

14. The Wipers – Wait A Minute

15. Mudhoney – Good Enough

16. C’Mon – Easier Said Than Done

17. Seven Story Redhead - Punk Mod Rockers

18. Malibu Kens – Crude City

19. Wire – Moreover

20. Television – Prove It

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

22. The Saints - One Way Street

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