CJAM Pledge Drive 2010 & Show 324

Today was my annual pledge drive show. Some money was raised for pledge drive this year on my show, but pledge drive runs until November 5th. Tonight there is a film screening at Phog Lounge in Windsor at 9 PM of a documentary about CJAM FM's frequency change that occurred last October, entitled Voice of the Underground. The event is FREE, but any donations received during the night’s activities will go towards CJAM and their pledge drive to increase their signal strength. Also being screened is Neil Young's Le Noise documentary. If you would like to donate to CJAM you can visit cjam.ca to make a pledge and support campus community radio.

1. Nick Lowe - Shake That Rat
2. New Town Animals - Fashion Fall Out
3. Money Brother - Just Another Summer
4. The Detentions - Ain't So Bad
5. Hot Nasties - I Am A Confused Teenager
6. The Clash - Pressure Drop

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for November 2nd. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

CJAM...Watts Up: The Rally for Reach 2010

It's that time of year again. It's time for CJAM's annual pledge drive. Next week my show will be a special pledge drive show. Revolution Rock will be on the air helping out with CJAM’s 2010 pledge drive starting November 2nd, 2010 at 10:30 AM until noon.

Last year CJAM made the transition from 91.5 FM, where it broadcasted for over 25 years to 99.1 FM. This year’s theme is called “Watts Up: The Rally for Reach.” CJAM is looking to begin the process of a power increase in terms of wattage so that our voices carry further to you.

Revolution Rock goes in depth into the genres of 70s Punk, New Wave, Alternative, 60s Garage Rock and all related subgenres. Each week my show features obscure hard to find music as well as some new music that is not heard on normal mainstream radio. In addition to this Revolution Rock also plays a variety of local music on radio that is not getting airplay on the mainstream market. And in a nutshell, that’s half of what CJAM does.

The other half is anchored by CJAM’s interviews that question the answers as much as shows that truly debate. Offering real alternatives to the mainstream, we see the environment as it should be in a city that often doesn’t. And while we’re at it, we wonder what else could be out there. Beyond, so many of Windsor’s arts and cultural communities are represented that listing them would turn this into, well, a list. But suffice it to say that we offer shows in more than 10 languages.

CJAM has to ask listeners for support in exchange for providing this space. As such I ask that you consider making a donation to help this great programming carry further. You can make a pre-pledge donation to CJAM right now by:

- Going to http://www.cjam.ca/ and donating through your credit card or paypal account
- Dropping me an email at damn.that.television@gmail.com
- Stopping by in person any weekday during office hours: M-F, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, or Mailing a cheque or money order to:

CJAM FM Station Manager
c/o University of Windsor/CJAM 99.1 FM
401 Sunset Ave.
Windsor, Ontario, N9B 3P4

And of course, between Oct. 29 and Nov. 5, you can phone in your pledge from Windsor at 519-971-3630. Toll-free from Detroit, the number to call is 313-963-6112 ex: 3630. But however you donate, please send us a message and make it clear what program you are supporting. CJAM has a variety of incentives to offer this year. Thank you for considering us.

Dave
Revolution Rock

PS:
In addition to this during CJAM's pledge drive on November 2nd, there will be the premiere of a documentary about the stations frequency change that occurred last year.  Voice of the Underground will be screened at Phog Lounge (157 University Avenue West, Windsor, Ontario) at 9 PM.  It is a FREE event, but it is also a pay-what-you-can event.  Any proceeds that are made during the night will go towards CJAM's pledge drive in order to increase their signal strength.  This is yet another great reason to support CJAM.

The trailer can be viewed below:

Zombie Dance...The Story of The Cramps & Show # 323

The Cramps had their initial beginnings in Sacramento, California in 1972. Erik Purkhiser and Kristy Wallace met at the City College there and soon found out some common interests that they shared. They both loved music, record collecting and the strange, obscure, and early primal sounds of Rock and Roll. They soon decided to form a band, Erik would be the vocalist renaming himself Lux Interior, naming himself after a car advertisement, and Kristy would be the guitarist calling herself Poison Ivy Rorschach. Her name is said to have come to her in a dream, but it is also hinted that it originated from the Rorschach, test. They would move to Akron, Ohio briefly and then to New York in 1975. In New York, Lux met Greg Beckerleg through working at a record store, he would soon join the band as a second guitarist renaming himself Bryan Gregory. He also got his sister to join as the drummer. The band would change drummers twice fairly quickly from Miriam Linna to former Electric Eels drummer Nicky Knox.

The bands sound differed greatly from all of the artists from the emerging New York scene at the time. While they did have the energy and attitude of Punk, their sound consisted of a mix of Rockabilly, early Rhythm and Blues, 60s Surf such as Dick Dale, Link Wray and The Ventures, 60s Garage such as The Standells, The Trashmen, Green Fuzz and The Sonics, as well as bands such as The Ramones and Screamin’ Jay Hawkins. Their songs visually projected images of B Horror/Sci-Fi movies, while physically they bashed out their songs with two guitars, minimalist drumming, and Lux Interiors demented ghastly vocal style. They clawed their way through the New York scene playing places such as CBGB’s and Max’s Kansas City, quickly building up a following. The band first released two seven inch singles on their own label Vengeance Records. The singles were recorded in Memphis in 1977 at Ardent Studios with Alex Chilton in the producing seat. The band would sign to Miles Copeland’s I.R.S. label and the bands first EP, Gravest Hits was released in 1979. The EP was a collection of the bands first two independently released singles. Of the five songs on the EP, there was only one original “Human Fly”. This fuzz guitar drenched song was complete with surf like effects that fly in and out of the primal drumming and Lux’s distorted vocals and buzzing sound effects. With lyrics like “I Got 96 Tears and 96 Eyes”, the band references the popular Garage Rock hit by ? and The Mysterians. The other songs on the EP are covers of classic 50s and 60s songs in true Cramps style. This EP is the first evidence of a Rockabilly revival and the first beginnings of the genre that would be known as Psychobilly.


After touring in support of The Police, The Cramps returned to Memphis with Alex Chilton producing to record their first full length album at Phillips Recording that would be entitled Songs The Lord Taught Us. The album featured more originals than covers this time with songs such as “Garbage Man”, “TV Set”, “I Was A Teenage Werewolf”, “Zombie Dance”, and “Mystery Plane” the band upped the ante on this album added more primal psychosis to their sound (also with the help of Chilton’s producing abilities) releasing and album encompassing their beginnings on Gravest Hits, while adding more layers to their sound at the same time. Also on the album are covers of The Sonics “Strychnine”, and Billy Burnette’s “Tear It Up”. The song "Garbage Man" is apparently a song about the state of mainstream radio at the time. The B-side to this song was the twisted and humorous song "Drug Train". Released in 1980 the album should have been followed with a US tour, but following its release guitarist Bryan Gregory split town leaving the band without telling them and taking a van full of their equipment. Minus one guitarist Lux, Ivy, and Nick Knox relocated to Hollywood, California.

The band quickly recruited Gun Club guitarist Kid Congo Powers in their ranks and they began recording their second full length album Psychedelic Jungle, which would be released in 1981. The album features Cramps reworkings of “Green Fuz”, and “Goo Goo Muck”. The album also contains originals such as “Can’t Find My Mind”, “The Natives are Restless”, and “Caveman”. There is also the strange freak out sensibilities of “Don’t Eat Stuff Off The Sidewalk”, and the unique Cramps rearrangement of the song “Green Door”, originally done in the 50’s by Bob Davie. Overall, the album has a swampy, trashy creepiness. The album was produced by The Cramps themselves with Paul McKenna handling engineering duties. It should also be noted that the cover of the album was taken by famed photographer Anton Corbijn. Some of the B-sides produced from these recording sessions are just as essential as material found on Psychedelic Jungle. "She Said" said is a stripped back cover of a song originally by Hasil Adkins, the song is rumoured to be sung by Lux with a disposable cup in his mouth to give it an incoherent vocal style. The other B-sides include "Save It", and "New Kind of Kick".

During the recording of this album the band got into a dispute about royalties and creative rights with their label at the time, resulting in them having to go to court. During this time, the band was not allowed to record any new material until the matter was settled. In 1983 The Cramps returned in recorded form with the live album Smell of Female, which was recorded at New York’s Peppermint Lounge. The band would once again face line up changes, adding Mike Metoff (renamed Ike Knox) of The Pagans on guitar. He accompanied them on their 1984 European Tour, which included four nights at The Hammersmith Apollo in London, all of which were sold out. Two compilations were released compiling material from their earlier releases and B-sides. In 1983 ...Off the Bone was released in the UK and in 1984 Bad Music For Bad People in the US.

In 1985, The Cramps recorded a song for the Horror movie The Return of The Living Dead. The song they contributed was called “Surfin’ Dead”. On this track there was even bass guitar played by Poison Ivy, she also played the guitar. This would also be the beginning of an era of The Cramps where they modified their primal two guitar and drum attack to include bass. This was even more evident on the bands next full length album A Date With Elvis that was released on Big Beat Records. For this album Poison Ivy ended up played both the guitar and bass parts. The band also shifted their lyrical prowess on this album, from their classic B Horror/Sci-Fi movie themed lyrics to ones that featured more double entendres in the sexual realm. Musically the album had a Garage Rock fuzz, mixed with their Rockabilly and Surf connotations for a unique and original album featuring songs such as “Kizmiaz”, “Can Your Pussy Do The Dog?” This album being the bands seventh full length release was recorded in Hollywood, California at Ocean Way Studios by engineers Steve McMillan and Mark Ettel. The band toured in support of this album playing many sold out dates in places in Europe, even having their first charting hit with “Can Your Pussy Do The Dog?” in the UK.

Acquiring a permanent bassist (Candy Del Mar) in 1986, the band recorded a live album Reelin’ and Rocking in Auckland New Zealand that was released in 1987. The band signed to Enigma Records and then released another full length album that was produced by Poison Ivy entitled Stay Sick! In 1990. Nick Knox left the band in 1991, at the time they had a top 40 hit in the UK with “Bikini Girls With Machine Guns”. In 1995, The Cramps appeared on a Halloween episode of the TV Show Beverly Hills 90210, performing two songs “Mean Machine” and “Strange Love”. The band continued on in various incarnations through out the 90s and early 2000’s releasing more albums and playing numerous live shows. The bands last full length album would be released in 2002, it was entitled Fiends of Dope Island on their own Vengeance record label. A collection of live recordings, and demos from the bands early career was released in 2004 on a compilation called How To Make A Monster. On February 4th, 2009 Lux Interior passed away due to aortic dissection, he was 62. The Cramps were a fascinating musical concoction of Rock and Roll mixing in a variety of styles that came out sounding unique, fresh and exciting. They helped coin the term Psychobilly, and while Lux Interior has said that this description does not suit their style, they definitely had a style all their own.

This Week's Play List:

1. The Cramps - Human Fly
2. The Cramps - Mystery Plane (Original Mix)
3. Sting-Rays - Catman
4. The Razorbacks - Saturday Night
5. Deja Voodoo - Cheese and Crackers
6. The Dundrells - Nothing On TV
7. Bob Dylan - Walkin' Down The Line
8. Olenka & The Autumn Lovers - Clean
9. Gamma Gamma Rays - Health & Growth
10. The Cramps - Can't Find My Mind
11. The Cramps - Green Door
12. Link Wray - Jack the Ripper
13. The Hillbilly Soul Surfers - Cha Wow Wow
14. The Reverb Syndicate - Shake Don't Stir
15. Say Domino - The Amount
16. Anagram - I've Been Wrong Before
17. The Mark Inside - House of Cards
18. The Cortinas - TV Families
19. The Scabs - Amory Building
20. The Sonics - Have Love Will Travel
21. The Kinks - Till The End of the Day
22. The Kinks - I'm Not Like Everybody Else
23. The Cramps - Sunglasses After Dark
24. The Cramps - Good Taste (Live)

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

Cheetah Chrome from the Front Lines of Punk Rock & Show # 322

The Dead Boys evolved from the band Rocket From The Tombs, originating in Cleveland, Ohio. In 1977, they exploded onto the New York CBGB’s scene utilizing their now Punk classic “Sonic Reducer” and amazing live shows, eventually going on to become of the most influential Punk acts to come out of the US. The band released two albums Young, Loud, and Snotty in 1977 and We Have Come For Your Children in 1979 before splitting up. Now guitarist Cheetah Chrome has written his own autobiography entitled Cheetah Chrome: A Dead Boy’s Tale From The Front Lines of Punk Rock.

Before reading Cheetah Chrome: A Dead Boy’s Tale From The Front Lines of Punk Rock, I have to admit that I had not known much about Cheetah or The Dead Boys in general other than they were involved in the New York CBGB’s Punk scene of the late 70s. Upon opening the book, you are presented with a forward introduction from none other than Legs McNeil - co-founder and writer for Punk Magazine, and author of Please Kill Me: The Uncensored History of Punk. The book is separated into three main parts. Part one deals heavily with Cheetah Chrome’s upbringing in Cleveland, Ohio. This part of the book captures the excitement of growing up and discovering music from witnessing The Beatles in concert, to acquiring his first guitar, first hearing music by The Velvet Underground and The Stooges, and the honing of his guitar skills. As the book progresses you are taken into Cheetah forming bands and playing around town to meeting Stiv Bators (future Dead Boys vocalist) and his beginning with drug and alcohol addictions.

Part two deals with the transition from Rocket From The Tombs to The Dead Boys, to post-Dead Boys. In this section there we learn of the CBGB’s scene and get a good feel for how it worked and how it was to live in that time of music. We also experience what is a common theme throughout this book, the pranks that the band plays on each other. There are moments from simply driving through big puddles of water to splash unsuspecting pedestrians, to having food fights, hotel room destruction, and a variety of on and off-stage antics. The pranks along with a number of other events in the book add amusing detail to the stories that are found on each page and in each chapter. The third part of the book deals with the later part of Cheetahs life, post-Dead Boys and his battles with addiction. We experience his meeting Slash and Duff of Guns N” Roses to learn that they would be covering “Ain’t It Fun” for their 1993 release The Spaghetti Incident? , and the reformation of Rocket From The Tombs, who would release an album in 2002 titled Rocket Redux.

Throughout the book events and stories are interwoven for an effect that can be best described as a time capsule. Reading this book, you at times feel that you are right there in that moment experiencing the events as they unfold. There are times of excess and times of extreme excess throughout the book that build as it progresses, but it is tied in with the passion and desire that Cheetah Chrome has for music. The book is completely honest. Nothing is held back and Cheetah is not afraid to express his thoughts on any matters that occur, making the book a great read. The encounters throughout the book with people such as Iggy Pop, Lou Reed, Devo, The Ramones, and many other notable Punk acts and music artists from the time add further interest to this fascinating Dead Boys tale.

The following is an excerpt from Cheetah Chrome: A Dead Boy's Tale from the Front Lines of Punk Rock. It can be purchased through Amazon.com

In spring of 1976 there was a festival at Max’s Kansas City in New York. Stiv went up for it, and while there he stayed with some people he had met through Miriam Linna named Lux Interior and Poison Ivy. I didn’t know these people at all, but Stiv thought they were pretty cool and stayed in touch with them when he got back. He also saw Joey Ramone and Johnny Thunders on this trip, and went to CBGB to check it out.

I got a call from him the day he was coming home asking if my girlfriend and I could pick him up at the airport. We could, so we headed out to Hopkins and, since we were early, to the bar nearest Stiv’s arrival gate. When I walked in, the first person I saw was Jimmy Zero.

“How ya doing, man? What are you doing here?” I asked.

“Stiv called me and asked me to pick him up.” he answered.

Just then Johnny Blitz and Slim came strolling in. We looked at them, they looked at us, we all looked at each other and started laughing. We sat down, ordered some beers, and began catching up. Everybody was there except Jeff. When they announced the arrival of Stiv’s flight, we all agreed that we didn’t have to go to the gate; he’d know where to find us. Sure enough, a short time later he came in, smiling that familiar smartass smile. He ordered a beer, sat down, and explained why he had called us all together.

There were other people like us, he explained. People who dressed like us, liked the same bands we liked, and wanted to do their own songs. They just didn’t live in Cleveland, they lived in New York. And they weren’t going to come to Cleveland to find us, we were going to have to go to New York to find them. He had spoken to Hilly Kristal, the owner of CBGB, who told Stiv who to talk to about auditioning. Stiv had also spoken to someone at Max’s Kansas City, but that person hadn’t been quite as encouraging.

“We need to get back together. We need to go play in New York,” he told me. It made sense, but it made me nervous. I hadn’t been out of Ohio in a long time for anything, let alone a gig.

We agreed to give it a try, and I told them I would begin looking for a loft, since I had references. Stiv said we didn’t have time for that; we should rent Raven Slaughter’s space until we found one. Raven had a great place and also had amps we could use if needed, although I did love my Sound City.

Stiv had spoken to Jeff, but he didn’t want to do it. So we needed a bass player. We also needed songs, and seriously, now. I was damned if I was gonna play “Deuce” in front of an NYC crowd. We also needed a name . . . and I needed a guitar, as all I had was an Epiphone twelve string. Shit, this was going to be a pain in the ass.

I went to my favorite pawn shop on West Twenty-fifth, where I had found my first guitars. First I asked the guy what he could give me on the Epiphone and then explained the situation to him. He took me over to the wall of guitars and pulled down a Les Paul copy with a natural wood finish.

“Try this out. It’s a lot better than it looks,” he said as he handed it to me. It played great, even though I could tell it needed some tightening up. There were a lot of good Les Paul copies out there, usually made by Japanese companies like Ibanez, Greco, and Tokai. The name was sanded off of the headstock on this one, but it was as close to a Paul as you could get without it actually being one.

I asked him how much it was, and he told me he could do an even trade. He even threw in the cheapest-looking brown alligator case that I’ve ever seen, bar none. I was thrilled—now we could get to work.

One thing most people don’t know about me is what a gearhead I am. I love guitars, amps, recording equipment, and all the accessories that come with them. I love working on guitars, and when amps were simple, like my Silvertone and Sound City, I even did some of my own repairs. I can stand around a music store for hours looking at crap, and I will pore over every Guitar Center catalog until my wife Anna makes me throw it out. About half of my bookmarked web pages are vintage gear sites.

So as soon as I got the new axe home, I went straight to work on it. Its main drawback was that the neck was not glued to the body, but bolted on, and I soon found that if it wasn’t just right it caused problems. So I got some wood and made shims to hold the neck even every time I needed to adjust it. I went over the bridge and pickups with steel wool, removing any little rust spots, and I took the pickups out and cleaned and adjusted them. The bridge was a bit iffy, but usable. By the time I got done I had an extremely serviceable guitar, if not one I could brag about.

I tried it out through the Sound City and it sounded great, even seemed to have that famous Gibson tone. I ended up using this guitar right up through our early CBGB shows, and I recorded Young Loud and Snotty with it. But I digress. . . .

We put an ad in The Plain Dealer for a bass player and hoped for the best.

We began rehearsals for real then, without one for now. For material, we still had the three originals from Frankenstein, and we began to finish up songs like “Ain’t Nothin’ to Do” and “Not Anymore,” but they would not be ready for the first show. No, we had the Rocket From The Tombs stuff we knew from Frankenstein, and we had covers. We dusted off “Death May Be Your Santa Claus,” “Don’t Mind Rockin’ Tonight,” and “Hey Little Girl,” and added Eddie Cochran’s “Nervous Breakdown,” along with “Yesterday’s Numbers” by the Flamin’ Groovies. While we weren’t thrilled by it, we did have a set.

Stiv got the go ahead to call Hilly and get a gig—but he had a better idea.
“Joey Ramone told me he can help us, talk to Hilly for us. I think we’ll get a better night that way,” he told me.

I thought it was a good idea, and he called Joey, who, good to his word, told Hilly we had played with the Ramones in Youngstown and that he should book us. Hilly told him to have us call him, which Stiv did, and Hilly said we could have a regular night and wouldn’t have to audition. He also asked for the name of the band and, when told there wasn’t one, gave us a week to come up with something to put in the ads. Stiv and Holly agreed on a date in late July, and that was it—we were going to New York. Now all we needed was a set of songs, a bass player, and a name!

A few days later I was at Stiv’s waiting to go to rehearsal. He was in the bathroom shaving, and I was in the living room smoking a joint and reading the Scene when suddenly he called me.

“What?” I answered. Sorry, it was the best I could come up with.

“Dead Boys,” he said cryptically.

My first reaction was to think, “What the hell is he talking about?” Then I thought, “That’s the first line from ‘Down in Flames,’” which then led to, “What in the hell does that have to do with anything?”

Then I got it: Dead Boys—for the name of the band.

“Yes!” I shouted emphatically.

And that was it. We were now Dead Boys.

Dead Boys still needed a bass player, but after much discussion, it was decided we had to take a chance and do this first New York show without one. We’d worry about it when we got back.

This Week's Play List:

1. Teenage Head with Marky Ramone - Teenage Beer Drinkin' Party
2. Neon Hearts - Regulations
3. The Rivals - Skateboarding in the UK
4. Sandman Viper Command - Yo Bobcat
5. Magic Hall of Mirrors - Ghosts In My House
6. That Petrol Emotion - V2
7. 20th Century Zoo - You Don't Remember
8. Shondels - Don't Put Me Down
9. The Beatles - I'm Happy Just To Dance With You
10. The Kinks - She's My Girl (1965 Unreleased Dave Davies Solo Album)
11. Chuck Berry - You Can't Catch Me
12. Harlem - Friendly Ghost
13. Square Root of Margret - So Far gone
14. The Prehistoric Cave Strokers - Story of My Life 
15. The Love Me Nots - Alley
16. Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers - Let Go
17. Brian James - Why? Why? Why?
18. The Pagans - I Juvenile
19. Cheetah Chrome & The Ghetto Dogs - Here Comes Trouble
20. The Dead Boys - What Love Is 
21. The Dead Boys - Sonic Reducer
22. The Velvet Underground - Oh, Sweet Nuthin'

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

Washing Machine Fill In!

Last week I filled in for Clara of The Washing Machine, playing a mix of Indie, Punk, and Alternative music. Her show can be heard regularly on Thursdays from 10:30 until noon on CJAM 99.1 FM. 

Here is the play list, visit the Washing Machine blog for more info on another one of CJAM FM's great shows.  The picture above was a Pop Art styled painting originally done by Roy Lichtenstein.  More info on Roy's wonderful work can be found at http://www.lichtensteinfoundation.org/

Washing Machine Play List:

1. The Black Angels - Yellow Elevator # 2
2. Grinderman - What I Know
3. The Vaselines - Sex With An X
4. Suuns - Gaze
5. Clinic - Evelyn
6. Magic Hall of Mirrors - Crystal Ball
7. Twilight Hotel - Twilight Hotel
8. The Twilight Sad - Last Year's Rain Didn't Quite Fall So Hard
9. Tame Impala - Why Don't You Make Up Your Mind?
10. Heat-Ray - Oooh Yeah
11. Thrush Hermit - French Inhale
12. Square Root of Margret - Attack of the Giant Problem vs the Creature from the Planet of the Incredible Shrinking Solution
14. San Sebastian - Young Youth
15.Gemma Ray - Looking The World Over
16. The Crocodiles - Hearts of Love
17. April March - Chick Habit
19. Mongols - Natuoloid Reef
20. The Caesars - (I'm Gonna) Kick You Out
21. Fire Engines - Candy Skin
22. Buzzcocks - Harmony In My Head
23. The Modernettes - Static
24. The Black Lips - O Katrina!

The show which aired on October 14th can be downloaded here.

The Hives Tarred and Feathered! ... Show # 321

Tarred and Feathered is the latest offering from the Swedish Garage/Punk band The Hives. Released digitally On July 2nd, 2010, Tarred and Feathered is a three track EP of obscure cover songs. The first song on the EP, "Civilizations Dying", is a cover of a song originally done by The Zero Boys. The Zero Boys were a four piece Punk/Hardcore band from the Indianapolis, Indiana area. They lasted from the 1979 to about 1985 initially, reforming in the late 80s/early 90s. The Hives version of "Civilizations Dying" is a faithful version of the original with an added Hives flavour. The next track on the EP is the song "Early Morning Wake Up Call" a song originally by Flash And The Pan. This New Wave band originates from Australia and was essentially an ongoing studio project featuring members of the Australian band The Easybeats, Harry Vanda and George Young (older brother of AC/DC's Angus Young and Malcolm Young). The song was originally released in 1984, on an album of the same name and featured prominent synthesizers. The Hives version swaps the synthesizer for guitars, while maintaining the essence of the original song for a result that some are calling a better than the original cover song. Finally the EP ends with "Nasty Secretary" a song originally done by Joy Ryder & Avis Davis. This band is even more obscure they released a vinyl in 1979 titled No More Nukes, "Nasty Secretary" being the B-side.

While the album is only currently available digitally it is supposed to be released on 7 inch vinyl later this year. Overall, the three track EP serves an appetizer for the bands upcoming full-length, which they are currently working on. Recorded live to tape in Ghrondahl Studio in Stockholm during five days in March 2010, Tarred and Feathered is musically in the realm of classic 70s Punk and New Wave, while lyrically all the songs deal with anti-establishment based themes. The EP also serves as exposure for Hives fans to bands that they may not have previously listened to before, expanding their musical tastes beyond the traditional Rock realm.

The Play List:

1. Television - Friction (Alternate Version)
2. Hurtin' Kind - Look Inside
3. Cool World - Dream Shake
4. Neil Young - Hitchhiker
5. The Rage - Stay
6. Richard & The Taxmen - Ice Skating Rita
7. Cyberman - You're To Blame
8. The Wasps - Teenage Treats
9. Index - Total Bland
10. Clinic - Lion Tamer
11. Laughing Clowns - Mr. Rediculous
12. Arkells - I'm Not The Sun
13. Punk Rods - Rip It Up
15. Puncture - You Can't Rock and Roll
16. Simply Saucer - Bullet Proof Nothing
17. Ride Theory - Devil In My Heart
18. Standells - Rari
19. Solomon Burke -Home in Your Heart
20. Joe Strummer - Nothin' Bout Nothin'
21. Pearl Jam - Down
22. The Hives - Civilization's Dying
23. The Hives - Early Morning Wake Up Call

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

New CONTENT from Gang of Four...Show # 320

For the first time in 16 years Gang of Four will be releasing an album featuring new material. Perhaps best known for their stripped down Rock and Post-Punk album Entertainment!, Gang of Four went on to experiment with other genres such as Dance, Disco and Punk on albums such as Songs For The Free and Hard. In the mid eighties the band took a break from working together following the release of their 1983 album Hard. Andy Gill and Jon King reunited and released two more albums as Gang of Four. Mail was released in 1981 and Shrinkwrapped was released in 1995. In 2004 the original line up of the band reformed for some live shows and have continued to tour off and on until the present day. A new Gang of Four album followed in October of 2005 featuring re-recordings of songs from the albums Entertainment!, Solid Gold, and Songs For The Free, it was entitled Return the Gift. Drummer Hugo Burham and bassist Dave Allen left the group in 2006, Mark Hearny took on drumming duties and Thomas McNeice tackled the bass. Now in January 2011, Gang of Four will release an album of new original material for the first time since 1995's Shrinkwrapped. Content will be released on Yep Roc records. The album has been available at the bands show for sometime now and has been said to be as unconventional and stripped down as the bands debut 1979 release Entertainment!

The band is offering a FREE MP3 from their upcoming album can be downloaded here it is also streamed below:  Gang of Four - You Never Pay For The Farm MP3 DOWNLOAD

Discover Simple, Private Sharing at Drop.io

This Weeks Play List:

1. Crocodiles - Hollow Hollow Eyes
2. Public Image Limited - Bad Night
3. Steroid Kiddies - Seaside Teaser
4. No Age - Common Heart
5. Rah Rah - Henry
6. Black Mountain - The Hair Song
7. David Byrne - She's Mad
8. Suuns - PVC
9. Lewis Macleod - Where The Exits Are
10. James OL & The Villains - Paddling Tom's Canoe
11. The Flamin' Groovies - Evil Hearted Ada
12. The Locusts Have No King - Trench Song
13. Eddie Moonie & The Grave - Zombie
14. Direct Hits - Back To The Sixities
15. Dum Dum Boys - Idiot Boy
16. The Cheetahs - Radio-Active
17. Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet - Harlem By The Sea
19. Stand - Losing My Frustrations
20. BBQ - Take A Message
21. The Jam - I Will Be There (1975 TW Demo)
22. Gang of Four - You Never Pay For The Farm

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

The 88... Show # 319

The 88 formed in 2002. The band consists of Keith Slettedahl (vocals/guitar), Adam Merrin (piano/keys), Todd O'Keefe (bass guitar), and Anthony Zimmitti on drums. The band is from Los Angeles, California and Rock band with Pop and Power Pop elements. The band released two full length albums (Kind of Light (2003), and Over and Over (2005)) that were well received amongst the California indie scene. In 2007, The 88 were signed to Island Records and released an album titled Not Only... But Also in 2008. The band then went back to being an independent band and began work on another album. In 2010, The 88 became the backing band for Kinks front man Ray Davies. The band who were big fans of The Kinks, were not only Ray Davies backing band for his US tour, but also the opening band on the tour.
Following the tour, the band finished up their latest album, toured a bit in the UK and even recorded some songs at Ray Davies Konk Studios in the UK for a Kinks tribute compilation. The bands newest album comes out in September of 2010 featuring a mix of Rock, Power Pop, and Pop songs. The album is simply titled The 88. More information can be found on the band on their official website.





The Play List:

1. Bob Dylan - Floater (Too Much To Ask)
2. The 88 - They Ought To See You Now
3. The Easybeats - Shes So Fine
4. The Exits - Apathy
5. XS Energy - Use You
6. The Subs - Gimme Your Heart
7. High Mother - Trying To hard
8. The Rebel Set - 14th Floor
9. Grinderman - Bellringer Blues
10. Deja Voodoo - Monsters in My Garage Got Married
11. The Government - Get You Sleep In'
12. Guitar Wolf - Should I Stay or Should I Go
13. 222s - First To Third Round
14. Placebo - 20th Century Boy
15. Hot Panda - Mindlessnesslessness
18. Meligrove Band - Halflight
19. The Clash - Police & Thieves
20. The Sonics - Good Golly Miss Molly
21. Lou Reed - Average Guy
22. The Creepshow - Last Chance
23. Modern Superstitions - Visions of You
24. Young Rival - Just Can't Stay Here


To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for September 28th. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

Ignition!...Show # 318

In 2001, Brian Setzer released an album titled Ignition! as The Brian Setzer '68 Comeback Special. The band was a trio featuring Brian Setzer on guitar/vocals, Mark Winchester on bass, and Bernie Dresel on drums. The bands name is an homage to a 1968 comeback television special by Elvis Presley. The music on this album is a return to his Rockabilly roots featuring high energy songs about cars, girls, guitars and late night excursions. Amongst the 17 track album there are cover songs and several Setzer originals. The album also features collaboration from Mike Himelstein, and Joe Strummer (of The Clash) on the song "Who Could Love This Car But Me?". The album also features a Spanish instrumental track "Malagueña" and the Punk tinged track "Get'Em On The Ropes". The project only released one album.




The Play List:

1. Hot Nasties - Steppin' Stone
2. The Fall - Repetition
3. The Vaselines - I Hate The 80s
4. Square Root of Maragret - Hallucinate Your Holidays
5. Frankie Rose and The Outs - Candy
6. The Organ and the Adding Machine - His Misters Pet Whistles
7. The Subways - Oh Yeah
8. Awesome Color - Zombie
9. Heat-Ray - Come Closer
10. The Dead Boys - Not Anymore
11. Lost Patrol - Tell No Lies
12. The Gruesomes - El Diablo
13. The Gruesomes - That Ain't Right
14. Seven Story Redhead - Foolish Schemes (From the Underground)
15. The Orpheans - Keep It Slow
16. Radio Birdman - Aloha Steve and Danno
17. Klaxons - Echoes
18. Franz Ferdinand - Send Him Away
19. Modern Lovers - Astral Plane
20. Brian Setzer 68 Comeback Special - Ignition
21. True Lovers - Lady of the Manor

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for September 21st. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

Canadian Punk Nuggets...Show # 317

Here are some video clips from some Canadian Punk bands:



The B-Girls are an all female Punk band that originates from Toronto. Thanks to Son of Spam for bringing this band to my attention.



The Modernettes originate from Vancouver.



The Pointed Sticks also originate from Vancouver.


This Weeks Play List:

1. The D4 - Sleaze City
2. Crash 80's - Thrills
3. Dry Heaves - South Windsor Punk (No Funk)
4. The Sods - There's No Pictures
5. Intravein - Speed of the City
6. Sabre - Take Me Home
7. The Roulettes - Unread Books
8. Square Root of Margaret - Angelene
9. Scatterheart - You Try
10. James Brown - Don't Be Drop-Out
11. Nick Lowe - Play That Fast Thing (One More Time)
12. The Locusts Have No King - Song 6
13. The Black Lips - How Do You Tell A Child That Someone Has Died
14. Keep Me Safe - Report From The Trenches
15. Johnny West - Can't Get But Been Got
16. The Thermals - You Changed My Life
17. The Black Angels - Bad Vibrations
18. Pretty Things - Gonna Find Me A Substitute
19. Gun Club - For the Love of Ivy
20. The Vamps - I Only Saw You
21. Neon Hearts - Get So Many Pains
22. Luger Boa - FTK

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

Tuesday At Phog

On Tuesday September 14th, a band from Vancouver is coming to Phog Lounge in Windsor. Scatterheart has been described as a theatrical based Rock band that has elements of Glam Rock and Punk in their music. According to reports some of the bands influences are David Bowie, Queen and The Police.  Their live shows feature many elements that are meant to entertain audiences such as handstands, guitar solos and singalongs meant to make Rock music fun again. The bands most recent release was their album The Masterplan was released in 2009.  Opening for the band is Windsor's Eric Welton.  You can check out the show this coming Tuesday September 14th around 9 PM at Phog Lounge located on 157 University Avenue West.  Another point of interest is that the show is a free/pay what you can show. 

More info on the band can be found via their official website.

Meet The Teardrops....The Story of The Teardrops..Show # 316

The Teardrops were a very short lived New Wave band that formed in Manchester, England in 1978. The band was assembled by Steve Garvey, who was at the time playing bass in another Manchester based band Buzzcocks. The band initially consisted of Steve Garvey (bass/vocals), Trevor Wain (guitar/vocals), John Key (guitar/vocals), Dave Brisbane (guitar), and John Donelly on drums. With this line up, a four song EP was recorded and released in 1978 by Bent Records entitled In and Out of Fashion. Shortly after the release of this EP, the line up of the band changed to include Tony Friel and Karl Burns, both were previously in the band The Fall. Another EP was released in the same year titled Leave Me No Choice that had the exact same tracklisting as the In and Out of Fashion EP. It seems that the EP was re-recorded with the new band members.

In 1979, a single was released titled Seeing Double. This 7 inch single may or may not have Steve Garvey on it. According to the Buzzcocks discography he does play on it, but it is believed that he did not participate on this single. By 1980, the band had almost run its course. With a few new members (Helen Barbrook, Trev Wain, and Dave Price) the band recorded and released its only full length album that was titled Final Vinyl. Released in January of 1980, the album featured some re-recordings of previous Teardrops songs "Teardrops and Heartaches", was now known as "Everything's O.K" it was originally a B-side on the Seeing Double single. "Teenage Vice" was also on this album, it was previously on the In and Out of Fashion EP and the Leave No Choice EP. The music on this album is for the most part experimental. There are elements of 70s Punk and New Wave on Final Vinyl, at times sounding like a mix between Buzzcocks and The Fall. The band essentially dissolved by 1981. In 1980 a compilation featuring Manchester bands called Identity Parade was released, it featured a song by The Teardrops called "Colours". A very short lived band emerged following The Teardrops called Bok Bok. They released one single in 1980 called Come Back To Me.

While information on this band is scarce, they have released several recordings, that are by now impossible to find (White Dopes on Punk, a compilation released by Castle in 2005 featured two songs by The Teardrops). In 2010, a collection of tapes from sessions that the band did at Graveyard Studios in Prestwich, where the band recorded their final album were found and restored by Blind Eye Records. A series of 7 inch vinyls are set to be released in early 2011.


The Play List:

1. The Libertines - I Get Along
2. The Demics - The Grey and The Black
4. Livid Scaries - Oh Well
5. Pink Cadilac Scat Cats - New York City (Acoustic)
6. Shaky Jack Whiteside - I Won't See You No More
7. Seven Story Redhead - Don't Wanna Know
8. West Coast Pop Experiment Band - If You Want This Love
9. The Music Machine - The People In Me
10. Hollywood Brats - Sick On You
11. The Count Bishops - Teenage Letter
12. White Stripes - Jolene (Live)
13. Fitz & The Tantrums - Breakin' The Chains of Love
14. David Bowie - Move
15. Sheep Look Up - Jumper
16. The Teardrops - Leave Me No Choice
17. The Teardrops - Everythings O.K.
18. The Teardrops - Meet the Teardrops
19. Undertones - Girls That Don't Talk (Demo)
20. Magic Hall of Mirrors - Rosewater Harpsichord
21. Young Rival - Search & Destroy (Live @ Phog Phest 2010)
22. The Pagans - Not Now, No Way
23. Pearl Jam - I Got Shit (Live JonesBeach, New York, August 24, 2000)
24. Radio 4 - Enemies Like This
25. The Hives - Fall is Just Something Grown Ups Invented

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for September 7th. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

We Are Time...The Story of The Pop Group... Show # 315

The Pop Group consisted of Mark Stewart (vocals), Gareth Sager (guitar), John Waddington (guitar), Simon Underwood (bass) and Bruce Smith on drums. Coming from Bristol in England, The Pop Group were a Post-Punk band that mixed elements of Funk, Jazz, Dub, Reggae, Funk, and Punk into their music. The bands name, as you may guess after hearing them is a bit of an understatement. The Pop Group had very little Pop in their music, they mixed musical styles and radical political based lyrics for a sound that some might describe as bordering on Avant Guard. The bands debut single She Is Beyond Good and Evil, was released in March of 1979 on Radar Records.

Y, the bands debut album was released in April 1979. While it did not sell very well, it received a lot of critical admiration. As a result they were signed to Rough Trade Records. In October of 1979, The Pop Group released the single We Are All Prostitutes. This song is one of the bands best known singles and it features Cello by Free Jazz improviser Tristan Honsinger. The bands second album followed in March of 1980, the album was titled For How Much Longer Do We Tolerate Mass Murder? Based on the title alone one can assume what the lyrical content will be like. Musically the album features heavy Funk influences and a collaboration with The Last Poets, an American/Poet based group. The album is currently out of print. A split single was then released with The Slits called Where There's A will There's A Way. By this point the band was sharing not only a manager with The Slits, but also a drummer (Dick O'Dell).

In 1981, The Pop group split up due to internal disagreements and legal related issues. Several of the bands members went on to form other groups such as Rip, Rig & Panic, Pigbag, and Maximum Joy. A third album was released after the bands split that featured a variety of outtakes, it was entitled We Are Time. Recently The Pop Group announced that they would be reforming for some live shows in May of 2010.

The Play List:

1. U2 - Another Day
2. Franz Ferdinand - Come On Home
3. Gang of Four - What We All Want
4. The Pop Group - She Is Beyond Good and Evil
5. U-J3RK5 - Naum Gabo
6. Young Canadians - I Hate Music
7. Pointed Sticks - The Marching Song
8. Lowlife - White Lightning
9. Malibu Kens - Crude City
10. B-Girls - Mystery
11. Elvis Presley - Let Yourself Go
12. Mr.Chill - Gastown Taxi
13. Bob Dylan - Tough Mama
14. XTC - Love At First Sight
15. Wire - Mannequin
17. The Rapture - Sister Saviour (Live From the Bowery Ballroom, NYC 2003)
18. Desiderata - Uppercut Party
19. Laughing Clowns - Ghost Beat
20. Iggy Pop - The Endless Sea
21. Talking Heads - Crosseyed and Painless (Live)
22. TV Smith's Explorers - I Live For Everything
23. Devo - Uncontrollable Urge
24. Magazine - I Love You, You Big Dummy

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

Neon Crocodiles....Show # 314

The Crocodiles, who are from San Diego, California formed in 2008. The band which can be best described as a Noise Pop and Indie Rock band, draws influences from bands such as Jesus and The Mary Chain, Echo & the Bunnymen, and Spacemen 3. The bands members Brandon Welchez (programming/vocals) and Charles Rowel (guitar/syntheziser) were put together from two separate Noise Punk bands called The Plot to Blow Up the Eiffel Tower and Some Girls. The band gained a good amount of exposure when they released a split 7 inch single with the band No Age. Their song featured on this 2008 single was called "Neon Jesus". The band describe thier music and artistic merits by their own credo, guitars, loud, feedback, bliss. In April of 2009, The Crocodiles released their first album, which was entited Summer of Hate on Fat Possum Records.

The Crocodiles have been acknowledged as being an excellent live band and have released several split 7 inch singles and singles of their own since the release of Summer of Hate. Recently they have released a single for the song "Sleep Forever" which is a song from their next upcoming album which will be titled Sleep Forever. The album is set to be released in September 2010. It was produced by James Ford who has worked with Simian Mobile Disco, The Last Shadow Puppets and Arctic Monkeys. Their new song "Sleep Forever" can be downloaded free via the Fat Possum website.

The Play List:

1. The Cramps - Drug Train
2. The Del Feugos - I Always Call Her Back
3. The Chosen Few - Slimey Characters
4. Velvet Underground - I'm Not A Young Man Anymore (Live)
5. Luke Doucet and the White Falcon - Dirty, Dirty Blonde
6. Land of Talk - Quarry Hymns
7. Siskiyou - Everything I Have
8. The Evaporators - You Got Me Into This, Now You Get Me Out
9. The Burnin' Sands - Don't Feed The Sharks
10. Atomic 7 - Theme From Atomic 7
11. The Tiki Tones - Go Go Loco
12. The Panasonics - Panther
13. Link Wray - Deuces Wild
14. Wavves - Linus Spacehead
15. Neats - 6
16. Deniz Tek Group - Workingman's Shoes
17. Will Currie and The County French & Sloan - Push Pins
18. King - My Baby Don't Care (BBC Session)
19. Carbon/Silicon - The Best Man
20. Crocodiles - Flash of Light
21. Richard Hell & The Voidoids - Time
22. The Postelles - White Night
23. Wreckless Eric - Reconnez Cherie

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

Attack & Release ... The Story of the Black Keys .. Show # 313

The Black Keys are a Blues and Rock based duo that formed in Akron, Ohio in 2001. The bands name was inspired by an Akron, Ohio artist who used the phrase "Black Keys" as an insult. Being very much a fixture in the underground music scene The Black Keys (which consisted of Dan Auerbach on guitar/vocals and Patrick Carney on drums) mixed elements of Blues, and Rock and Roll. The bands first album, The Big Come Up was released in 2002 on Alive Records. The album was recorded in the drummer (Patrick Carney's) basement on an old 1980s eight track tape recorder. Amongst the thirteen songs featured on the album there are elements of raunchy Blues, Garage Rock, Folk, Soul, and Funk. Two singles were released from this album "Leaving Trunk", which is a cover a traditional Blues song and "She Said, She Said" a Psychedelic song done originally by The Beatles. The album was well received and resulted in the band signing to Fat Possum at the end of 2002.

The bands next album was recorded in the very same fashion as The Big Come Up, on an old 1980s eight track tape recorder in Patrick Carney's basement. Thickfreakness, was recorded in one fourteen hour recording session and was released in April of 2003. The album title was inspired by a saying in Japan which means "Inazuma Rockin' Blues", the world "Inazuma" means "Flash of lightning". The album cover depicts two fingers removing a large amount of thick, yellowish cream from a red tin labeled "Thickfreakness". The music on the album continued the tradition that was started on the bands debut album The Big Come Up, mixing elements of Blues, and Garage Rock. One of the songs on this album "Midnight In Her Eyes" featured bass, which is not usually found on Black Keys songs, since they are a duo. The bass was recorded through a guitar amplifier by Dan Auerbach on a Guild SG styled bass. The band had three singles released from this album "Set You Free", "Hard Row", and a cover of the song "Have Love Will Travel". The song "Set You Free" was featured on the soundtrack to the 2003 film School of Rock, which garnered them some mainstream attention. Critics in the mainstream made constant comparisons in similarities found between The Black Keys sound and The White Stripes sound. This common misconception is an overgeneralization of the band. The two bands are duos and have Blues elements in their music, but do not sound identical. A split EP was released in September of 2003. The Six Parts Seven/The Black Keys EP featured three songs from the band Six Parts Seven, and three songs from The Black Keys.

In 2004, The Black Keys recorded their third full length album in an abandoned factory in Akron, Ohio. Like the first two albums, Rubber Factory was produced by drummer Patrick Carney. This album picked up on the momentum that started following the release of the bands second album, Thickfreakness. Songs from the album were featured on commercials for American Express, Victoria Secret, and in the movie Live Free or Die, The Go Getter, and Black Snake Moan A music video for the song "10 AM Automatic" featured comedian David Cross. The three singles released from this album "10 AM Automatic", "Till I Get My Way", and "Girl On My Mind". The music on this album had more a production based nature, but in a good way. The songs are exciting and are crafted in a way that makes this album a strong effort on the bands part. A Live DVD was release in 2005, entitled Live, and an EP was released titled Chulahoma: The Songs of Junior Kimbrough. The EP featured all cover songs of Blues songs originally done by Fat Possum artist Junior Kimbrough, who passed away in 1998. In 2006, The Black Keys released their first album for Nonesuch Records. Magic Potion was the first album by the band to feature all original compositions, previously on the bands albums there were always some cover songs. Magic Potion added some depth to the bands sound incorporating more moody and melodic elements. Of the three singles released for the album ("You're The One", "Your Touch", "Just Got To Be"), "Your Touch" would eventually be featured in the 2009 movie Zombieland, and the HBO TV series Eastbound and Down.

The bands next album Attack & Release was produced by Danger Mouse and was released in April of 2008. Initially the sessions for the album began as part of a collaboration with Ike Turner, but in 2007 he passed away before the album could be completed. According to Carney, some of the songs they recorded sounded similar to Screamin' Jay Hawkins. The band pushed forward with Danger Mouse producing and released an album that at the time was their most successful to date. Debuting at # 14 on the Billboard 200 album charts, this album produced three singles, "I Got Mine", "The Same Old Thing", and "Strange Times". Songs from this album reflected a deeper sound for the band, highlighting more moodier elements while still encompassing the same sound that the bands early records had. Several of the songs for the album were used in TV shows (The Vampire Diaries, One Tree Hill, Lie To Me, Big Love) and video games (Grand Theft Auto IV, NASCAR 09). A live DVD followed in 2008 (Live at the Crystal Ballroom), and in 2009 the two members of The Black Keys pursued side projects. Auerbach released a solo album in February of 2009 entitled Keep It Hid, and Patrick Carney released an album called Feel Good Together with a side project he formed called Drummer. Carney played bass in the band. The Black Keys also collaborated with Hip Hop artist Damon Dash and released a Rap-Rock record entitled Blackroc at the end of 2009.

For The Black Keys sixth album, they headed to Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Alabama. The studio has been famous for having music recorded there from Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, Staple Singers, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon and more. The band produced the album themselves, incorporating elements of their Hard Blue Rock sound with Soul and the musical stylings found on Attack and Release, the album was mixed by Tchad Blakd and recorded with engineer Mark Neil. The first song released from the album, which was titled Brothers was "Tighten Up". The song was the last one recorded for the record, it was also the only track produced by Danger Mouse. The song mixes Funk and Blues with Soul for a catchy song that moves alongside Auerbach's voice that rises to a falsetto at different points in the song. The album was also recorded entirely in analogue and it debuted at # 3 on the Billboard 200 album charts, their highest to date. The album art done for Brothers is a homage to an album originally done by Chess recording artist Howlin' Wolf (This is Howlin' Wolf's New Album). "Howlin' For You" the B-Side to the single "Tighten Up", is a raucous Blues song, while there are other elements on this album such as "The Only One', which features Organ that encircles the listener, "Unknown Brother" has 60's Soul influences, while "Never Gonna Give You Up" is a cover of a song originally done by Jerry Butler. The CD version of Brothers has a thermal CD surface that changes colours depending on the temperature surrounding the disc. The fifteen track album also has two outtakes, "Ohio" and "Chop and Change", which were released on versions of the album featuring bonus material.

This Week's Play List:

1. 63 Monroe - Media Junkie

2. Slander - Petticoat Junction

3. The Count Five - Double Decker Bus

4. Prehistoric Cave Strokers - Johnny Degree

5. Revolver - Leave Me Alone

6. Kevin Walker - Storm We Cannot Run From

7. Bob Dylan - Down the Highway

8. Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Oliver's Army

9. Minotaurs - Caught in the Light

10. The Specials - Concrete Jungle

11. Public Image Limited - Annalisa

12. Television - Elevation

13. The Diodes - Red Rubber Ball

14. The Cinch - Get Up & Get Out

15. Pearl Jam - Grievance

16. The Exploding Hearts - Still Crazy

17. The Police - Peanuts

18. Lost Patrol - Overlook Hotel

19. Hater - Blistered

20. The Black Keys - Heavy Soul

21. The Black Keys - Same Old Thing

22. The Black Keys - Everlasting Light

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

Lazy...Show # 312

In 2009, the New Zealand based band Luger Boa released their first album Mutate or Die! The band was formed by Jimmy Christmas (previously of The D4) and the first album was a mixture of Glam Rock influences such as David Bowie, Hard Rock, and Pop. The album was well received in New Zealand, along with the bands live shows. The album also charted on CJAM's Earshot! Online charts in January of 2009, it reached # 10 on the Top 30 album charts. The band is currently finishing up work on a follow up to Mutate or Die! that is set to be released sometime soon this year. Currently the band finished making a video for the first single from the album, the single is called Lazy.

The band is also currently giving away a free mp3 of a new track that will be on their upcoming album via their facebook page . The Song, which is entitled "F.T.K (fuck tha kidz)" is a cross between 70's Punk, Lugar Boa and The D4. To get a high quality version all you have to do is email them at (lugerboa@live.com).





This Week's Play List:

1. Tight Ship - Sittin' and Thinkin'
2. 409 - They Said
3. The Black Lips - The Best Napkin I Ever Had
4. The Nerves - Stand Back and Take A Look (Demo)
5. The Barracudas - On The Strip
6. Magic Hall of Mirrors - The Devil's Highway Pt.1
7. The Poison Arrows - Interpretive Hunger
8. The Bulletproof Tiger - Momentum Booooooottss
9. Mudhoney - Suck You Dry
10. Arcade Fire - Modern Man
11. Johnny West - Intervals
12. James OL & The Villains - Lebz
13. Johnny Cash - The Wreck of the Old 97
14. Locusts Have No King - Shotgun Wedding
15. Boxcar Guitars - My Love Is Blue
16. True Lovers - Makes A Fool
17. The Fall - Dice Man
18. Klark Kent - Too Kool To Kalypso
19. The Vapours - Somehow
20. Buzzcocks - What Ever Happened To?
21. Luger Boa - Lazy
22. Young Rival - Authentic
23. Tank - Blood, Guts, and Beer (Live)
24. Motorhead - Pay Your Price (I Won't)

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

Obsession...The Story of The True Lovers & Interview with Dion Lunadon...Show # 311

Following June of 2006, Dion Lunadon, previously from the New Zealand band The D4 headed to Los Angeles. Relocating to New York, he got started on a project with Ben Maitland who was also previously in a New Zealand band called Box Car Guitars. Drawing upon influences such as Funkadelic, Curtis Mayfield, Andre Williams within the Soul genre and other music such as Howlin’ Wolf from the Blues genre, The True Lovers would emerge. Before the band played any shows Dion and Ben Maitland got together and wrote the songs that would appear on the bands first album. A band was put together made up of Dion Lunadon (guitar/vocals), Ben Maitland (guitar/vocals), Evan Pazner (drums), John Schwartz (bass) and Soren Oakes Christensen adding additional guitar and keyboards. After rehearsing for about three months, The True Lovers went into the studio to record an album.

In February 2009 at Mission Sound in Brooklyn, New York, The True Lovers recorded their album, but it was not recorded like your average modern day album would be recorded. The band used vintage recording gear and recorded to analog tape as opposed to recording digitally. The album was engineered by Oliver Strauss and produced by Dion Lunadon and Ben Maitland. The sound of the album is different from what Dion and Ben have done in their past bands, there is a certain grittiness to the recordings. A large majority of the songs featured on the album were recorded live in the studio, there were minimal overdubs done on the record.  After listening to the album it is apparent that there is an undeniable groove to it, the album sweats and breathes along with each track.

The first song on the album, “Death Threat” was actually one of the first songs written for the album. The songs origin began in Los Angeles shortly after Dion moved out there from New Zealand. “Death Threat” along with a lot of songs on The True Lovers album started out as a bassline, even before the rest of the song was completed. A music video for the song was filmed by director Michael McCarthy. The concept for the video was born out of an interest for music videos shot for Guitar Wolf (a Japanese Garage/Punk band). It was shot in Memphis over three days and the church featured in the video was the very same church where Johnny Cash played his first show. “Cougar” another song on the album follows along with a common theme of sleaze that seems to be engrained deep within the songs on this album. Lyrically the song is self explanatory, the music is drowned in feedback, raunchy guitar solos and a soulful, bouncy bassline.

Songs such as “Lady of the Manor” and “Guilty Pleasure # 9” ooze with Blues elements, while vocally, the lyrics are sung in such away that is akin to Iggy Pop on The Stooges album Raw Power. “Bang Bang” is a shot of Garage Rock themed passion, sounding like a classic 60s nugget cut. “Love and Affection” is soaked in Soul, complete with congas, while “Fade Away” bleeds with organ drowned riffs, heavy bass, and guitar slides. “Makes A Fool Out of Me”, a song written and sung by Ben Maitland is an acoustic track with Folk qualities. It is a very different track compared to the others on the album, but still follows suit with the style and groove that is constant throughout the album. The True Lovers is very unique combining elements from many genres, but sounding raw, honest, and real. The lyrics and music are filled with a gritty sleaze, groove and a Rolling Stones swagger.

Following the recording of the album, The True Lovers started playing live gigs. A different version of the band was put together for their later live gigs featuring Mike Welsh on bass and Kevin Stapleton adding additional guitar and keyboards. The band played live gigs on the West Coast in the US, and also played the Big Day Out Festival in New Zealand. The album was released on Altra! Records in March in New Zealand, and in April in the US and elsewhere. There was talk of recording a 7 inch single for a Spanish record label, the songs were said to have had a rawer sound than the ones found on the True Lovers album. True Lovers were also said to have been working on a video for the song “Cougar”, which was supposed to be their next single, but that never happened. Around February of 2010, The True Lovers stopped playing as a band. Currently Dion Lunadon is playing bass with the Brooklyn band A Place To Bury Strangers and is working with them on their third album.

The True Lovers album can be purchased via their official website in digital and vinyl formats.

Links of Interest:

http://www.thetrueloversband.com/
http://www.myspace.com/thetrueloversband
True Lovers Facebook Page

-----------------------------------------

The following interview was done between myself (David Konstantino host of Revolution Rock) and Dion Lunadon (of The True Lovers).  Dion elaborates on The True Lovers, his past and current bands, and recording. 

RR:  How did the formation of The True Lovers occur?

DL:  Post D4 I moved to LA. I discovered that Ben Maitland (True Lovers guitar player and co song writer) was also moving there and I always loved his playing. The first time I saw him play I was like "I want to play in a band with this guy". Anyway, for one reason or another it was to hard to get things off the ground (find somewhere to live) so he moved to Portland and I moved to NY. About a year after that he came to NY for a month and we wrote about half the record. After that he moved to NY and the rest of the members fell into place pretty organically. We knew what we wanted in our players, a good sense of groove and finesse. Not just standard hard hitting rock people.

RR:  What were some of the musical influences you drew upon when creating music for The True Lovers?

DL:  Mainly Blues and Soul stuff. Howlin' Wolf, Funkadelic, Curtis Mayfield, Andre Williams, CCR, Stones and obscure soul comps from the late 60's early 70's. We wanted it to sound like a real, unprocessed band. I was trying to move away from what I'd done in the past but still retain my strong points as a musician and a performer.

RR:  How did the recording process of the True Lovers album differ from other recordings you have made in the past?

DL:  Not wildly different. I've always been one to record live to tape. There are very few overdubs on the album and some songs are completely live including vocals. Minimal mics on the drums, generally 4 I think. We also tend to play pretty quietly. Because we were recording live I felt the room was important so I went to Mission Sound here in Brooklyn, which allowed us to set up the way we wanted and has a great sounding purpose built live room. Minimal effects on the record too. I distain plug ins so we used the real thing where possible.

RR:  Who did you work with when recording this album (ie: Producers, engineers, etc.)?

DL:  Ben and I produced it ourselves. Too many bands get pushed by labels to hire big name producers who have no idea what the band wants. I engineered quite a few D4 recordings and have recorded myself ever since I started playing so we knew what we wanted and how to get it. Looking back I should have done a few things differently like making it a bit more extreme especially in the mix. Oliver Strauss the owner of Mission engineered it. I was going to but producing, playing and working on gear I'd never worked on may have been too much. Or maybe not...

RR:  You have always got great guitar sounds on your albums. What types of guitars/amps did you use on this album as opposed to 6twenty by The D4?

DL:  We used smaller amps. The D4 recordings I did also have smaller 20 Watt amps. We used Fender Deluxe Reverb, Fender Pro Junior, 50 Watt Fender Bassman and Fender 2 x 15 for bass and a Vox here and there. Guitar wise we mainly used a 72 Fender P Bass, 64 SG Junior and a Fender Bronco.

On 6Twenty we used various amps including the New Zealand 60's amp Jansen 6Twentys. I used a Les Paul Junior and Vaughan used that same P Bass. Think Jimmy used his 72 Tele Deluxe.

RR:  Do you prefer recording on analog or recording digitally and why?

DL:  Analog no doubt. I like having to capture something as a whole and sticking with it. I don't want it to be perfect and move little blocks around a screen. I also like to overload the tape although that's not so evident on The True Lovers record. I tend to use little to no compression so the tape helps with that too. Digital has it's place for sure. It doesn't really matter what you record on as long as the performance and the songs are good. If it sounds good it is. We also mastered it, I feel, a bit more tastefully than they do today. We did not make it as loud as possible and tried to find a balance of what we like and what's out there today.

RR:  What are some of your favourite albums?

Changes with time, but some staples (pretty obvious). The first 3 Stooges records, John Lee Hooker "It Serves You Right To Suffer", The Sonics records, The S/T DMZ record on Sire, Exile On Main St. The list could go on.

RR:  You have played with a variety of bands. What are some of the other bands that you have been involved with and do you still keep in contact with any of the other bands you have played in?

DL:  My first real band was called Nothing At All! and is definitely worth a listen. Early 90's three piece. I played bass. The drummer Paul is still my best friend. Unfortunately the singer Tony passed away from Cancer at the early age of 21. We toured NZ relentlessly and built up a loyal fan base. Our only album came out on Festival records. Then I was in a band called The Snitches playing guitar. Tony was on drums with a boy/girl partnership up front, more of an edgy power pop thing. Then the Rainy Days, quite a unique band. Marty Sauce And The Source, [which was a] Heavy rock band where every song had the word "Rock" in it.

RR:  When did the True Lovers stop playing together and What are your plans for the future musically?

DL:  We stopped playing around the start of Feb this year. So we were only playing live for 8 months before we disbanded. Iv'e been playing bass in Brooklyn band A Place To Bury Strangers since early March. We just got back from Colombia which was wild and are working on our 3rd record.

This Weeks Play List:

1. The Stooges - Gimme Danger
2. Howlin' Wolf - I Asked For Water (She Gave Me Gasoline)
3. The Orpheans - Turn Out The Lights
4. Painted Ship - Frustration
5. Northwest Company - Get Away From It All
6. The Morlocks - I'm A Man
7. The True Lovers - Cougar
8. The True Lovers - Bang Bang
9. Otis Redding - Cigarettes and Coffee
10. A Place To Bury Strangers - Keep Slipping Away
11. Shapes + Sizes - Tell Your Mum
12. Sunfields - City
13. BBQ - Justify
14. Them - Just A Little Bit
15. Ugly Ducklings - Just In Case You Wonder
16. The D4 - Baby in a Box (John Peel Session)
17. Ultravox! - Young Savage
18. The Mark Inside - Circling the Drain
19. Nothing At All - Busted
20. The Sonics - Keep A Knockin'
21. The Gruesomes - Hip-no-tyzed
22. The True Lovers - Guilty Pleasure # 9
23. The True Lovers - Obsession

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

Quelle Crise, Baby...The Story of Starshooter... Show # 310

Starshooter originate from Lyon, France. The band consisted of Kent Hutchinson on guitar/vocals, Mickey Snack on bass, Jello on guitar, and Phil Pressing on drums. They started out initially in 1975 when they were known as Scooters. Changing their name to Starshooter, the band released their first single in 1977 when they were signed to EMI records. The single was titled Pin-Up Blonde, it was backed by Quelle Crisis Baby (English translation meaning What Crisis Baby). Starshooter was not like the typical Punk band, they were often a band that seemed not unlike a happy gang of friends. Their music while the lyrics were sung in French and English, had all the aggression and anger of Rock & Roll mixed with Punk music.


The bands next release was released in 1978, it was entitled Get Baque. The song was actually a Punked up version of "Get Back" originally by The Beatles. In this version, the song is sung in both French and English. In the middle of the song, clips of a variety of Beatles songs are played in quick succession, keeping true to the style of the vicious cover. The single was actually pulled from shelves after a week of being available, this in turn added some venom to the bands image, which was previously seen as not the "typical" Punk image. The band then released a single for the song "Betsy Party", this song would be their big break in the French market, causing them to rise to the top of Europe 1, which is a privately owned French radio station that has its own music chart system. Along with fellow French Rock band Telephone, Starshooter were seen as a popular French Punk Rock band in 1978. A full album followed in the same year, it was simply titled Starshooter. The album was well received.

In 1979 a second full length album followed called Mode. This album mixed in more influences ranging from Disco, to New Wave. The albums cover was very bright and flashy, which guitarist Jello thinks hurt the sales a bit. Another album followed in 1980 entitled Chez Les Autres, Among the Other is the English translation. For this album the band mixed Folk based music elements in with Rock. The albums cover was done by famous French graphic artist Kiki Picasso. During 1979 until 1981, Starshooter kept touring in support of their albums, but the touring would stop shortly. In 1981, the band released their final full length album, Pas Fatigue (Not Tired, in English). This album would be released on CBS Records, not EMI. The band left due to the departure of their producer Philippe Constantin. For Not Tired, the bands sound was darker and was recorded in London, England. Following one more tour, which was titled Tora! Tora! Tora! The band broke up. Recordings from this tour were released in 2004 under the title Live! Following the end of Starshooter, Kent Hutchinson went on to have a successful solo career.

More information on the band can be found at:
starshooter.best.free.fr/ (use google translater if you do not understand French)

The Play List:

1. Jaill - Always Wrong
2. The Streets On Fire - Astronaut Love Triangle
3. Blondie - Platinum Blonde
4. Gentlemen of horror - Bank 
5. Deja Voodoo - Red Garlic Shoes
6. Brian James Gang - Method To My Madness
7. Verte Brats - Diamond in the Rough
8. Fang - Employee of the Month
9. Insect Surfers - Into the Action
10. Strangeways - Show Her You Care
11. Blades - Ghost of a Chance
12. Telephone - Regarde Moi
13. Starshooter - Get Baque
14. Starshooter - Week-End
15. Les Mods - What You Waitin' For?
16. The Golden Dogs -Lester
17. Dave Rave - Rain Song
18. The Shakers - My Mustang Ford
19. Bob Dylan & The Band - On A Night Like This
20. Patti Smith - Changing of the Guards
21. The Hammersmith Gorillas - Gatecrasher 
22. Wavves - Post-Acid
23. Leather Uppers - Supercar
24. Gregg Koval - Esther's In Town
25. Young Rival - A Few Things Left

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