Misfits, Gruesomes Reunions and Shows # 612, 613 & 614

Misfits to Reunite for Riot Fest 2016

After years of legal battles, a surprise announcement was made that the Misfits would be reuniting for two live shows as part of Riot Fest 2016. Billed as “The Original Misfits”, the reunion will include Glenn Danzig, Jerry Only and guitarist Doyle. Glenn Danzig formed Misfits originally in 1977 in Lodi, New Jersey with a different line-up. When bassist Jerry Only joined the band shortly after, he and Danzig would be the only consistent members in the line-up until they split in 1983. Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein, the brother of Jerry Only joined the Misfits in 1980. Misfits released several EPs, singles and the full-length albums, Walk Among Us in 1982 and Earth A.D./Wolf’s Blood in 1983 during their original incarnation. Following the split, Only continued with Misfits and Danzig went onto a solo career. The tagline for the reunion shows is “They Said It Would Never Happen”, but the Misfits will be playing again. The reunion shows will take place in Denver, Colorado September 2-4, 2016 and in Chicago September 16-18, 2016. No word on whether future dates will be added.



The Gruesomes Reunite for Anachronik Music Festival

Another reunion of sorts took place in May 2016. Montreal garage band The Gruesomes played a few live shows. Named after the scary neighbours from The Flintstones cartoon, the band formed in 1985 drawing heavily on early 60s garage and R&B influences. The band featured Bobby Beaton (guitar/vocals), Gerry Alvarez (guitar/vocals), John Davis (bass) and brother Eric Davis on drums originally. The band’s first full-length album Tyrants Of Teen Trash was originally released on independent Canadian music label Og Music in 1986. This resulted in a growth in popularity and led to an underground following in Europe, the US and Canada. The band split in 1990. They reformed in 1999, releasing Cave-In! in 2000 and have performed live shows sporadically. They played in 2008 to coincide with the CD release of Tyrants of Teen Trash via the Ricochet Sound label and again in 2009 as part of another music festival in Montreal. On May 6th, 2016, The Gruesomes performed as part of the Montreal Anachronik Music Festival. They also played a smaller show in Ottawa on May 7th.



Below are the playlists for the three most recent episodes of Revolution Rock (Download links are below each playlist):

Playlist for Show # 614 (Originally aired on May 21st, 2016):

1. Deja Voodoo - Swamp Of Love
2. Kid Congo And The Pink Monkeybirds - Magic Machine
3. Teen Challengers - Doin’ Me-In
4. King James & The Royal Jesters - I Get A Feeling
5. The Bell Peppers - Negative Creep
6. Thee Mighty Caesars - Thee Trickster
7. Traditional Fools - Stronger Than Dirt
8. Frenchy And The Punk - Fe Fi Fo Fum
9. Vic Godard & The Subway Sect - Vertical Integration
10. Tom Waits - Talking At The Same Time
11. Stompin' Tom Connors - My Stompin' Grounds
12. MIck Farren & The New Wave - Lost Johnny
13. Art Bergmann - Live It Up
14. Alex Chilton - Sugar, Sugar/I Got The Feelin'
15. The Smiths - Is It Really So Strange
16. The Stranglers - Hey! (Rise Of The Robots)
17. Parks At Night - I Don’t Mind
18. Hooded Fang - Vacant Light
19. Kitten Forever - Static
20. Actual Water - Carolina Ave.
21. Terminal Sunglasses - The A.M. Story
22. Young Rival - Lucky
23. Pow Wows - Do The Splash
24. Holy Wave - Magic Landing
25. Holy Wave - Western Playland
26. Crushed Butler - Its My Life
27. The Replacements - Basement Jam
28. The New Strychnines - Dirty Robber
29. The Kinks - Milk Cow Blues

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for May 21.

Playlist For Show # 613 (Originally aired on May 14th, 2016):

1. Damaged Bug - Gloves For Garbage
2. The Lonely Parade - Window
3. Misfits - Cough/Cool
4. Devo - Don’t You Know
5. Nervebreakers - Why Am I So Flipped?
6. Nervous Talk - Nothing To Say
7. Greys - No Star
8. The Black Angels - Young Dead Man
9. Johnny Bell - Flip Flop And Fly
10. Ding Dongs - She’s A Tiger
11. South River Slim - Bang Bang
12. The Pogues - Waxie’s Dangle
13. Shotgun Jimmie - Join The Band
14. Cold Warps - Everywhere I Go
15. Sloan - I’m Gonna Give It A Try
16. Alexander Zen - She Is Soul
17. Bipolaroid - Beauty
18. Jack Wood - So Sad
19. Motor City Bonnevilles - Make Up Your Mind
21. The Sonics - Don’t You Just Know It
22. The Stones - Fad World
23. The Gruesomes - Tell Me How You Feel (Live)
24. The Gruesomes - My Dad's A Ho-Dad (Live)
25. The Special Edisons - The Road To El Dorito
26. The Lime Spiders - Out Of Control
27. The Rolling Stones - Prodigal Son
28. Iggy Pop - Vulture
29. The Famines - I’ll Save My Sympathy
30. The Velvet Underground - Beginning To See The Light (Live)

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for May 14.

Playlist For Show # 612 (Originally aired on May 7th, 2016):

1. The King Khan & BBQ Show - Hold Me Tight
2. Light Bulb Alley - I Only Got Two Feet
3. Sheer Mag - Can't Stop Fighting
4. Downtown Boys - Wave Of History
5. White Lung - Kiss Me When I Bleed
6. Radiohead - Burn The Witch
7. Hooded Fang - Tunnel Vision
8. Wire - Numbered
9. The Soft Pack - Answer To Yourself
10. Laura Sauvage - Rubberskin
11. Plants And Animals - Stay
12. Johnny Cash - Blue Train
13. Sturgill Simpson - In Bloom
14. The Sadies - Postcards
15. The Decoys - In Our Blood
16. Teenanger - You’re My Baby
17. David Bowie & The Lower Third - Can't Stop Thinking About Me
18. David Bowie - Liza Jane
19. Beat Happening - Bewitched
20. Lost Patrol - You Just Care About Looks
21. White Zombie - Gentleman Junkie
22. PJ Harvey - Chain Of Keys
23. The Traditional Fools - Surfin’ With The Phantom
24. The Traditional Fools - Black Water
25. Ty Segall - Lovely One
26. Neil Young - Opera Star
27. Modern Lovers - Astral Plane

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for May 7.

Flying Nun Tuatara & Show # 611

A Tuatara is a reptile that is exclusive to parts of New Zealand. This particular reptile is one of a kind and is the only surviving member of its species that became extinct over 200 million years ago. This particular reptile was also chosen as the name of the very first compilation released by the New Zealand independent record label Flying Nun Records. The label was founded and started by Roger Shepherd in 1981. It was started primarily to document the music of the local scene in New Zealand in places such as Christchurch, but quickly spread outward to cover other parts of New Zealand. The music of Flying Nun covered their punk and post-music scenes and also the Dunedin sound. This was a particular style of music that was strongly influenced by the jangly pop sounds of The Velvet Underground, lo-fi experimentation, industrial, elements of noise rock and rock/electronic sounds.

Tuatara starts off with an instrumental track by The Clean called “Fish”. This song swims with groove, from the jangly guitar sounds to the loud crashing drums and driving bass. The second track on this compilation is “Coalminers Song” by The Gordons, which verges into noise rock territory. Other tracks of note on this compilation are the jangly pop/post-punk sounds of The Verlaines “Death And The Maiden” a song that was inspired by a 19th century French poet and a painting of the same name by Egon Schiele, the haunting melancholy of “Pink Frost” by The Chills which features 80s indie rock and post-punk sounds and the Sneaky Feelings “Throwing Stones”. This track along with quite a few others share similarities in the above mentioned Dunedin sound, but at the same time sounds different from say The Clean or The Verlaines. The Great Unwashed is a band that was formed by The Kilgour brothers of The Clean. Their name is a punny reference to their earlier band, The Clean. “Neck Of The Woods” from The Singles EP is featured on this compilation album.

In addition to these above mentioned tracks Tuatara compiled tracks from other New Zealand bands such as The Bats and Tall Dwafs, which was a band featuring Chris Knox. Knox is a New Zealand musician, songwriter and producer. It is fitting that the last track on this album is by Tall Dwarfs. Although the song shares its name with a 1962 sci-fi horror movie, it was Knox, who used his 4-track recorder to record most of the early Flying Nun singles. He also provided artwork for the label. Since this release hit the US in 1986, Flying Nun has become more diverse and has expanded. Flying Nun has housed artists such as The D4, The Mint Chicks, Pavement, David Kilgour, Street Chat, Tiny Ruins and numerous others since their beginnings in 1981. Most recently in 2013, they joined forces with US label Captured Tracks and re-issued several classic Flying Nun albums. At first thought many people may have thought that the music from Flying Nun was like the lizard that is featured on the front cover of the Tuatara compilation. But, there wasn’t a lizard on the front cover. It was a different species, a different kind of reptile. Flying Nun set out to do something different and like the stoic reptile that is on the cover of the Tuatara compilation album, Flying Nun has survived and still walks proud today





Saturday Night Playlist:

1. Sneaky Feelings - Throwing Stones
2. The Great Unwashed - Neck Of The Woods
3. The Dandy Warhols - The Catcher In The Rye
4. The Last Shadow Puppets - Aviation
5. The Soles - Newest Revelation
6. Dead Broke - Miles Away
7. Electric Eels - Agitated
8. No Exit - Nothing New
9. Mo-Dettes - Norman (He’s No Rebel)
10. Sloan - Learn To Play Dead (One Chord To Another Outtake)
11. Marbles - Red Lights
12. Chris Stamey - The Summer Sun
13. Erasers - It Was So Funny (The Song They Sung)
14. Alice Cooper - Caught In A Dream
15. The Tonettes - I Gotta Know
16. The Commands - Must Be Alright
17. Deja Voodoo - Things With You
18. Jerry Jerry & The Sons Of Rhythm Orchestra - Color TV
19. The Locusts Have No King - Rye Whiskey (CJAM Session 2008)
20. James O-L & The Villains - The Other Side
21. The 427’s - Night Of The Living Surf
22. Kid Congo & The Pink Monkeybirds - Coyote Conundrum
23. John Doe & The Sadies - Detroit City
24. Trout - Spineless
25. TV Freaks - Don’t Read The News
26. The Famines - The State Of Music
27. The D4 - Exit To The City
28. The Vibrators - Petrol
29. The Adverts - One Chord Wonders
30. Parquet Courts - Two Dead Cops

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

Ork Records New York, New York & Show # 610

Ork Records was originally started in 1975 to release Television’s first single “Little Johnny Jewel”. The song, said to be about Iggy Pop was a longer track and had to be split into two parts to fit onto a 45 single. This rough early version of Television before they would release their cleaner and wonderfully crafted Marquee Moon is an example of what you would find on Ork Records. Ork documented a scene with sounds that at the time were not defined and featured bands that you may not have even heard of. It documented the early New York new wave and punk scene.

Terry Ork, which the label would be named after, first arrived in New York in the 1960s and became, according to the Numero Group’s website “fugitive of Andy Warhol’s Factory”. He didn’t make a connection with the New York underground CBGB’s scene until he started working as a manager at Cinemabilla, a bookstore with a film literature slant. Here he met Richard Hell and Richard Lloyd and would eventually become the manager of Television. Charles Ball would also help guide the label and help to acquire the likes of Alex Chilton, who would release several singles for Ork. The label also captured music from other bands such as The Feelies, Cheetah Chrome, Lester Bangs and lesser-known bands such as Marbles, Chris Stamey and the dBs, The Idols and numerous others. Ork Records would stop in 1980, but not before they released a collection of bands that documented the New York CBGB’s scene, an alternative to the music released by Ramones, Television and Blondie.

Rob Sevier and Ken Shipley of The Numero Group set about collecting all the known releases by Ork Records and would eventually release Ork Records: New York, New York. This is the complete discography of all the singles/music released by Ork Records and features a 190-page book in addition to several songs that were intended to be released by Ork, but never were due to financial constraints. The set was released in a variety of formats in October 2015. In the lyrics to Television’s “Little Johnny Jewel” Tom Verlaine sings “He’s just trying to tell a vision/Some Thought this was sad/Others thought it mad”. This can be applied to the Ork Records philosophy. Said to be the first punk label, Ork never really made a lot of money, but was a very influential label. They set out showing a different side of music in 1975. Whether the music was rough sounding, or in the realm of punk, new wave or power pop, the label and the music had something different to say. The songs were energetic, sometimes on the more literate side and sometimes strange, but this is what drew people to the music of Ork and that time period. And for many people, it still does.

Numero Group Website: Ork Records: New York, New York



Playlist For Episode 600:

1. The Coathangers - Perfume
2. Art Bergmann - Mirage
3. Babeours - Shoelace
4. Sightlines - Idea Of The North
5. Ramones - I Don't Wanna Go Down To The Basement
6. Pow Wows - No Thirteen
7. The Gruesomes - Hey!
8. The Gories - Telepathic
9. The Painted Ship - And She Said Yes
10. This Machine Kills Robots - Sea Fairies
11. Cellos - Sea Legs
12. Mike & The Melvins - Annalisa
13. Prince - Partyman
14. Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - Take Me With U
15. Patti Smith - When Doves Cry
16. The Jesus And Mary Chain - Alphabet Street
17. Richard Hell - (I Belong To The) Blank Generation
18. The Feelies - Fa Ce La
19. Alex Chilton - Take Me Home
20. Minutemen - Bob Dylan Wrote Propaganda Songs
21. Minutemen - One Chapter In The Book
22. Teenanger - Dawn (Demo)
23. The Scenics - I Killed Marx
24. Magazine - Touch And Go
25. Buzzcocks - What Do I Get (Demo)
26. Siouxsie And The Banshees - Hong Kong Garden
27. Johnny Thunders - Endless Party
28. The Waldos - Golden Days

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

Parquet Courts Human Performance & Show # 609

There’s a certain feeling one gets when late at night you look out into the city. In these late night hours people often have a mixture of emotions, deep thought and abstract thought. It is these things that people think about as their minds drift that Parquet Courts draws inspiration from for their newest album, Human Performance. The band has stated that Human Performance was inspired by “The unavoidable noise of NYC that can be maddening, the kind of the impossible struggle against clutter, whether it’s physical or mental or social”. With musical comparisons to bands such as The Velvet Underground, Pavement, The Modern Lovers and Wire, Parquet Courts have built their own blend of music that combines punk, post-punk, garage and sometimes-psychedelic influences. Lyrically, the band operates at a different level.

“Dust” opens the album with the sounds of an early city morning before a sinewy, scratchy rhythm drifts in with repetitive lyrics. The lyrics and cloudy atmosphere displayed here are combined with the words “Dust is everywhere/Sweep”, which could be in reference to an old city stuck in its own mess or a train of human thought that needs investigating. This is something that Parquet Courts delve into throughout Human Performance’s 13 tracks. “Dust” ends with what sounds like a subway train speeding up really fast before we hear the familiar sounds of busy city traffic. “Human Performance” grooves with mellow, modulating bass melodies, scratchy guitar rhythms and lyrics that are soulful and reflect on the promise of love, forgiveness, and how haunting it can be without it. These heavy lyrics show us a different type of Parquet Courts, where they are often known for their intellectual, witty lyrics, “Human Performance” has lyrics that are emotionally critical. “Outside” sung by Andrew Savage deals with his existence and mortality. This short track is further example of the band’s variety in lyrical content, while musically the song is a quick garage pop gem. It glows with a beaming, yet confused charm.

“Paraphrased” balances between heavy guitar chord structures and more mellow subdued, catchy elements. In this song Savage sings at one point “Sometimes I can’t be repeated/Sometimes I can’t be paraphrased”, he seems to be commenting on the band’s output as of late and perhaps even their craft for their music. Parquet Courts released an EP last year Monastic Living, and two albums in 2014 Sunbathing Animal and Content Nausea, under the name Parkay Quarts. With all of these releases, critics have tried to pin down the band’s sound as punk, indie rock or as the band being slackers, however, with each release the band has revealed something different. “Captive Of The Sun” reveals a more introspective outlook, as musically it reflects the bands garage influence at a simmering, mid-tempo pace. “Steady On My Mind” sung by Austin Brown showcases a slow, hazy, sound, “One Man, One City” features an off-kilter approach with bongos, while “Berlin Got Blurry” features a dusty, western styled guitar riff.

Released as one of the early singles for Human Performance, “Berlin Got Blurry” shows off the bands post-punk influences and scruffy garage dynamics with bouncy, soulful bass riffs. The song itself seems to tell disillusioned tales of human experiences ranging from frustrations with cell phone service to street food. The song taps into a feeling of humour and disgust. “Keep It Even” brings forth a country/folk approach and features guitar contribution from Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, as does the albums opening track “Dust”. A short punk blast comes in with the track “Two Dead Cops”, while “Pathos Prairie” is a song that questions self-doubt, worry and calls for a personal change amongst its raunchy stop and start garage riffs. “It’s Gonna Happen” ends Human Performance unlike any song in the band’s catalogue. Written by bassist Sean Yeaton, this song features a waltz-like beat as sweeping sounds drift in the background. This sound takes over as the album ends with a chilling nighttime air feeling. Drawing comparisons to Lou Reed and sung in a Leonard Cohen drawl, Yeaton seems to question conventions in Human Performance’s closing track.

Throughout Human Performance, Parquet Courts draw their lyrical inspirations from urban decay, human emotion and critical thoughts of self-doubt. It is here where the band achieves what people love about them the most. Their highly critical and intellectual lyrics are on par with bands such as Wire, Swells Maps, Pere Ubu, The Modern Lovers, and The Fall, among others. The music found on Human Performance also makes connections to the songs and sounds found on 2013’s Light Up Gold. It is also the complete opposite of 2015’s Monastic Living. This noisy/experimental release featured only one song with lyrics. As Parquet Courts gaze away from their thoughts that reflect a look out in New York City, they make broader strokes, finding a larger scope within their lyrical and musical grasp. With Human Performance, Parquet Courts achieve their most realized effort to date.

Saturday Night Playlist:

1. The Panasonics - Panpede
2. Crossfires - Fiberglass Jungle
3. Violent Femmes - Holy Ghost
4. Shotgun Jimmie - Triple Letter Score
5. Notta Comet - Slipstream
6. John Cale & Friends - Ghost Story (Live at the Ocean Club 1976)
7. Prehistoric Cavestrokers - Cavebangin’
8. The Real Kids - Shake Outta Control
9. Sam Coffey & The Iron Lungs - Born 2 Be Abused
10. Strange Attractor - Nature Man
11. Esther Grey - Fried Blood
12. Protomartyr - Dope Cloud
13. Ramones - Ramona
14. Frank Black - I Heard Ramona Sing
15. Metros - In With The Crowd
16. Elvis Costello & The Attractions - This Year’s Girl (Alternate Eden Studios Version)
17. Tacocat - I Hate The Weekend
18. Pylon - Gravity
19. Pylon - Yo-Yo
20. B-Sides - Underground Radio Stars
21. Lounge Lizards - My Clown’s On Fire
22. Operators - Rome
23. The Radiation Flowers - Wall Of Gold
24. Bob Mould - Pray For Rain
25. DIIV - Out Of Mind
26. Young Rival - Let Me Go On
27. Parquet Courts - Paraphrased
28. Parquet Courts - Human Performance

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

Iggy Pop Post-Pop Depression & Show # 608

Recorded in secret, Iggy Pop’s Post-Pop Depression started with a text message in March of 2014. Iggy contacted Josh Homme about collaborating together and shortly after the process began. The intention was to create not a heavy record, but a content heavy record. It was to be self funded by both Pop and Homme to avoid outside influences. The two exchanged ideas and Pop even provided Homme with a song-by-song breakdown of his 1977 album Lust For Life. The two brought unfinished ideas to each other and they began working as a two-piece then the remainder of the band was brought in. Hand selected by Josh Homme, Royal Oak, Michigan native Dean Fertita (of The Dead Weather, Queens Of The Stone Age) was brought in and contributed guitar, piano, bass and synthesizer to the album and English drummer Matt Helders (of Arctic Monkeys) contributed drums, percussion and backing vocals.

Post-Pop Depression was recorded in approximately three weeks. The recordings were produced by Josh Homme in Rancho De La Luna in Joshua Tree, California and at Pink Duck studios in Burbank, California. “Break Into Your Heart” starts off the album. This dirty garage blues romp was apparently inspired by the path that Iggy Pop set beginning with The Stooges up to 1977’s Lust For Life and can be seen musically as having ties to early Stooges material and some of his more soulful solo offerings. “Gardenia” is a song features rotating synthesizers and a heavy bassline that sounds like it could be a combination of elements from songs found on 1977’s The Idiot and Lust For Life. It sounds like a meeting point of the two, while lyrically the song revolves around an experience that Iggy Pop had in San Francisco that involved an exotic dancer of the same name and Allan Ginsberg. Being the first single released from Post-Pop Depression, “Gardenia” is a perfect example of this album’s content heavy intentions. The lyrics of the song weave in and out of the music like someone reciting a short story from memory after a few drinks. “American Valhalla” begins with xylophone before a sludgy bassline creeps its way in, as lyrically Pop seems to be questioning his own mortality and legacy. This song has quickly skyrocketed up the list of their favourite all time tracks recorded by Iggy Pop.

“In The Lobby” shuffles with the same visceral guitar lines as the ones found on “Sister Midnight” while the bass and drums fill in the background space. Lyrically, Pop talks of “Following his shadow/And It led me here” as he questions temptations, and what seems to be a battle between Iggy Pop and Jim Osterburg. “Sunday” comes in with a Bowian disco groove. The song ends in an orchestral chorus complete with female vocalists and an atmosphere like it could have been lifted from a black and white foreign language film. “Vulture” features acoustic guitar from Mr. Pop and a build up of Western styled instrumentation reminiscent of something from an Enino Morricone soundtrack. ‘German Days” features one of the best intros on this album. A combination of stop and start guitar riffs before descending into hazier rhythms. The song itself seems to be a reflection of a mid 70s period in Berlin as the song drives along with rich, dark textures.

“Chocolate Drops” dips into a soulful groove. Lyrically, the song displays a sense of hopefulness. The character in the story delves into loneliness and passion with a certain intensity. “Paraguay” ends Post-Pop Depression at track number nine. Pop sings of getting away from it all and going to Paraguay for a simpler lifestyle. The song has been discussed in many reviews as it weighs down at the end of the album in a number of ways. Pop has recently stated that this may very well be his last album. And at 17 albums in and being now 68 years old that is understandable. As the music picks up pace with the ending rant, Post Pop-Depression ends with a middle finger, similarly to the way he started with The Stooges. Post-Pop Depression weaves in and out with lyrical content loaded with metaphors, double meanings and musical landscapes that drift between 1877’s The Idiot, Lust For Life and his early solo output. Post-Pop Depression was recorded in the desert in Joshua Tree, California. Perhaps Pop has entered the very same “burning sands” once described in The Stooges “I Wanna Be Your Dog” or maybe it’s just a mirage. With Post-Pop Depression, Iggy Pop engages the listener and redefines what it means to be a musician and an artist on his own terms.






Saturday Night Playlist:

1. The Teardrops - Seeing Double
2. The Regulators - Cat Eyes
3. Minutemen - Dr. Wu
4. Minutemen - Corona
5. Trout - Burning Fire, The House
6. Kim Gray - Perfume Ghost
7. Iggy Pop - American Valhalla
8. Iggy Pop - Don't Look Down
9. Iggy Pop - Tonight
10. Iggy Pop - Sister Midnight
11. Psychedelic Furs - Flowers
12. Julie Doiron - Soon, Coming Closer
13. Julie Doiron - Taller Beauty
14. Merle Haggard - Someone Told My Story
15. Merle Haggard - No Reason To Quit
16. The Magnificent Bastards - She Won't Do It Anymore
17. Johnny West - Sun Comes Up, It's A One-Legged Segal
18. Johnny West - If At First You Don't Suceed, Redefine Success
19. Benowa - Blue Girl
20. Black Mountain - Florian Saucer Attack
21. Parquet Courts - Berlin Got Blurry
22. Iggy Pop - German Days
23. Iggy Pop - The Horse Song
24. Iggy Pop - Ambition
25. Iggy Pop - Kill City
26. Dead Ghosts - Good Love (Is Not Free)
27. Link Wray - Comanche
28. Captain Beefheart And His Magic Band - Here I Am Here I Always Am
29. David Bowie - Breaking Glass (Live)
30. Eric's Trip - Lightly Feeling
31. Eric's Trip - Nevergrow

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

Ty Segall Emotional Mugger, Middle Sister Shows # 606 & # 607

Ty Segall’s latest release Emotional Mugger differs from all the albums in his catalogue. Being his eighth full-length album Emotional Mugger slides into a seedy world of temptations, desires, addictions and reactions to the world that is instant social media. The accompanying music video for Emotional Mugger is actually a 14-minute short film. In the film Ty Segall wanders through Los Angeles and as he experiences the less than honest characters in the story, he begins to decay and become physically more grotesque looking as the video comes to an end. On the album Emotional Mugger, Ty Segall explores a similar world within the songs he creates that at times are like little short stories themselves. Musically, this album blends elements of garage, hard rock and noise rock. Synthesizers buzz in and out throughout the album’s eleven-song landscape. Additionally, the album and context presented throughout this creative eleven song venture resemble the elements of Devo’s theory of De-evolution. As we jump further into technology people seem to be digressing.

“Squealer” flirts with seductive keyboard sounds, fuzzy bass octaves and synthy guitar sounds as Ty Segall sings in both his normal tone and a deeper, creepier vocal style. The first two songs are a bit slower paced and less heavy and provide more ominous undertones of what is to come. “Californian Hills” lyrically seems to be a commentary on the typical image of the nuclear family in a modern context. As the song picks up with a frantic pace we are taken into the title track “Emotional Mugger/Leopard Priestess”. The song bends with distorted guitar solos, mechanical sounding keyboards, drums and bass drones. This song with lyrics such as “Shotgun, sugar and spice”, “I am emotional mugger/Like a bag of candy” and several others that are delivered on this track, exemplify the frustrations and complications of instantaneous social media based relationships where “people are victims of their emotional purpose”, as stated in one of the promotional videos released prior to this album. As the album progresses, it gets more aggressive with its explorations in fuzz, distortion and noise. “Breakfast Eggs” is loaded with double entendre and is the first track that the wall of noise begins to intensify.

“Diversion” is a song featuring Dale Crover of The Melvins on Drums and bass from fellow Segall collaborator Mikal Cronin. The song is almost unrecognizable as a cover song. It is actually a cover of The Equals song of the same name. The song’s lyrics seem to portray a miss-step in life choices that eventually brings two people back together again. Although the original is a blend of soulful glam rock and fuzzy guitars, Segall’s noised up version of this song is rather fitting in Emotional Muggers orbit. “Big Baby Man (I Want A Mommy)” musically is a song that provides the listener with an overall unsettling tone. “Mandy Cream” is a bit funky featuring drumming by Charles Mootheart and features additional vocals provided by King Tuff. “Candy Sam” is another noisy, yet catchy track. Segall returns to a fuzzy, funky groove with “Squealer Two”, while “The Magazine” ends the album.

“The Magazine” features dominant futuristic and pulsating sounding basslines, handclaps, distant sounding guitars and vocals displaying Segall’s vocal range. The lyrics “You don’t need a reason/It’s all in the magazine” are loaded with several potential meanings. Emotional Mugger is a step in a noisier, more creative direction from Ty Segall. While it does share some of the very same glam rock and more accessible elements that presented themselves on 2014’s Manipulator, this album has the ability to be seen both as a conceptual album and it doesn’t. If you care to look closely into the lyrics that lurk beneath the heavy sounds on Emotional Mugger’s surface you will find a world of characters and meanings inspired by the frustrations of modern society. If not, the album stands on its own as something different, yet provoking within Segall’s catalogue musically. Unlike the character at the end of the 14-minute “Emotional Mugger” video, Segall doesn’t fall flat here. Emotional Mugger builds itself up with the negative energy from which it draws inspiration and is less accessible in many ways than 2014’s Manipulator. With Emotional Mugger Ty Segall steals from his surroundings and showcases a new noisy depth.

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Additionally, this week’s episode of Revolution Rock featured a recording from a CJAM Session done with Windsor’s folk rock group Middle Sister. This is the first in what I plan to be a series of videos featuring live off the floor recordings from bands in Windsor and other parts that come to the area. Check out the video below.



Show 607 Playlist:

1. Parquet Courts - Dear Ramona
2. Meat Puppets - Animal Kingdom
3. Meat Puppets - I Can’t Be Counted On
4. Holding Hands - A Tree Without Its Leaves
5. The Pastels - Up For A Bit
6. Courtney Barnett - David
7. Jerry Jerry & The Sons Of Rhythm Orchestra - Yap Yap
8. South River Slim - Blind Lemon Girl
9. Teenage Geese - Howler
10. Middle Sister - I Want To Be The Man (Alternate Take)(CJAM Session January 2016)
11. The Jesus & Mary Chain - Girlfriend
12. Odonis Odonis - Are We Friends
13. The Dirty Nil - Violent Hands
14. The Cramps - People Ain’t No Good
15. Peanuts Wilson - Cast Iron Arm
16. Bruce Springsteen - State Trooper
17. Shotgun Jimmie - Walkman Battery Bleed
16. Five More - Avalanche
18. Special Edisons - Windingo Psychosis
19. Holy Wave - Night Tripper
20. No Age - C'mon Stimmung
21. Iggy Pop - Break Into Your Heart
22. Teenanger - Big Spirit Payback
23. Noble Savages - She’s So Serious
24. Newtown Neurotics - No Sanctuary
25. The Beat - Rock ’N’ Roll Girl
26. Pointed Sticks - It's O.K.
27. Ty Segall - Californian Hills
28. Ty Segall - Candy Sam

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

Show 606 Playlist:

1. Combomatix - Another Shakin’
2. The Malibus - Cry
3. The Hard Times - I Can’t Wait Till Friday Comes
4. Roxy Music - The Thrill Of It All
5. The Pixies - Broken Face
6. The Yips - Orbit
7. Century Palm - Reasons
8. Pavement - Jackals, False Grails: The Lonesome Era
9. Telegram - Rule Number One
10. The Chills - Silver Bullets
11. The Radiation Flowers - Psychic Attack
12. Safeword - Underwater
13. Trout - Salty Waves
14. Tea Leaves - Bipolar Skies
15. Beck - I Just Started Hating Some People Today
16. Mission Of Burma - Academy Fight Song
17. The Undertones - Mars Bar
18. Pere Ubu - I. Will Wait
19. Randy Rampage - Cheap Tragedies
20. Wire - Too True
21. Wire - Just Don’t Care
22. The Hives - Abra Cadaver
23. Ramones - Endless Vacation
24. Ramones - Howling At The Moon (Sha-La-La)
25. The Scenics - Wild Trout
26. Pylon - Recent Title
27. Milk Toast - Ears Around You
28. The Ronald Reagan Story - Revolutionary Girl
29. The Ronald Reagan Story - Just Another Warning

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

Sam Coffey Interview & Show # 605

Photo by Murad Erzinclioglu

This week’s episode of Revolution Rock featured an interview with Sam Coffey of Sam Coffey & The Iron Lungs. The band played a show at Phog Lounge in Windsor, Ontario on Saturday March 19th, 2016 along with The Holy Gasp and The Greedy Echoes. The band is currently working on finishing up their follow up to their 2014 release, Gates Of Hell. Check out the interview that I did with Sam and videos of “Calgary Hill” and “We Da Best” by Sam Coffey & The Iron Lungs below.

Check out my interview with Sam Coffey here:



Videos:





Saturday Night Playlist:

1. The Marvelettes - All The Love I Got
2. The Contours - The Stretch
3. Charles Bradley - Good To Be Back Home
4. Iggy Pop - She's A Business
5. John Cale - Reading My Mind
6. Nap Eyes - Stargazer
7. James O-L & The Villains - Back Then
8. The Holy Gasp - The Love Generation
9. The Greedy Echoes - Ancients (Demo)
10. The Lounge Lizards - Bob And Nico
11. Sam Coffey & The Iron Lungs - Violent Girls

Sam Coffey Interview

12. Sam Coffey & The Iron Lungs - Have A 100
13. Flesh Rag - Electric Dream
14. The Good Things - Ring Of Fire
15. Milk Toast - The Dirtiest Apartment In The Petite-Parrie
16. Hinds - Warts
17. The Beatles - Blackbird
18. The Beatles - Think For Yourself
19. The Beatles - Help (Takes 8 & 9)
20. The Beatles - The Night Before
21. The Beatles - And Your Bird Can Sing
22. The Cure - Play For Today
23. Visitors - Electric Heat
24. Patti Smith Group - So You Wanna Be (A Rock 'N' Roll Star)
25. Ty Segall - Squealer

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

The Slits, Dion Lunadon & Show # 604

The Slits - Typical Girls



Taken from their 1979 album Cut, "Typical Girls" was a song that blended punk and reggae/dub elements. The song itself questioned the stereotypical pre-set gender roles of women and is still relevant today. Cut as mentioned mixed elements of punk, reggae, dub, should and other genres. It is often referred to as post-punk. Still fairly new to their instruments around the time that this album was being created, The Slits took the punk attitude and ethos and reached beyond its borders into the realm of world music. With Ari Up's erratic vocal style, sarcastic, humorous lyrics and the band's DIY attitude, this album exemplified a certain intensity. The album is also an important one as it helped set forth the foundations for females in punk rock music.

Dion Lunadon - Com/Broke



A new single appeared recently from Dion Lunadon. Previously known for his work in the New Zealand garage rock band The D4 and current bassist in the New York based band A Place To Bury Strangers, Dion wrote this song and several others during a short break in the APTBS touring schedule. Limited to 400 copies "Com/Broke" is as Dion stated "about being anti- what's expected of someone entering their mid-life. Most people mellow out, but I don't want that. I want to create music that is even more ugly and more real. Lyrically, it’s from the perspective of me being resigned to giving up and essentially giving in. Negative.”

Saturday Night Playlist:

1. The Slits - Typical Girls
2. The Raincoats - Fairytale In The Supermarket
3. The Mo-Dettes - Two Can Play
4. Nico - Winter Song
5. Quilt - Searching For
6. Dr. Dog - Good Grief
7. Fat White Family - Hits Hits Hits
8. The Cave Singers - That’s Why
9. Wired Minds - Where You End And I Begin
10. Iggy Pop - In The Lobby
11. Martha & The Muffins - Echo Beach
12. The Dishrags - Carry On
13. !Action Pact! - People
13. The Dirty Nil - Wrestle Yu To Husker Du
14. The Evaporators - United Empire Loyalists
15. Tea Leaves - Empty Head
16. Run Coyote - Stranger (In My Own Home)
17. Sawhorse - Thinking Of You, Drinking For Two
18. The Byrds - One Hundred Years From Now (Rehearsal Version Takes 14 & 15 - Gram Parsons On Vocals)
19. The Moths - Snake Eyes
20. The 427’s - Fake Betty
21. The Special Edisons - Fresh Pots
22. Light Bulb Alley - Mary
23. Gazebos - Maintenance
24. Minotaurs - Weird Waves
25. The Gories - Ghostrider
26. The Cramps - Voodoo Idol
27. Dion Lunadon - Com/Broke

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

The Instrumental Surf Sounds Of Pulp Fiction & Show # 602

In the days when movies actually had soundtracks that were sold and purchased, there was the Pulp Fiction soundtrack. Released in 1994, it accompanied the equally influential Quentin Tarantino film of the same name and many of the songs in the film were from the 50s and 70s. Shades of R&B, soul, 50s rock n’ roll and surf rock music coloured in the sonic landscapes between the frames of Pulp Fiction. As opposed to having a standard film score, Pulp Fiction featured songs from what many may have thought were lost eras of music which was seen as unconventional at the time. Tarantino did this not only with Pulp Fiction, but also with his first film Reservoir Dogs. The title sequence features the song “Misirlou” by Dick Dale & His Del-Tones. This track as well as other instrumental surf oriented rock n’ roll tracks were used partly due to budgetary restrictions for the film’s soundtrack. The other reason this type of music was used in the film was as Tarantino has stated, surf music is reminiscent of a rock version of the Spaghetti Western music created by Ennio Morricone.

The unconventional story is told in a non-linear order in Pulp Fiction and the characters exemplify an intensity that is at times characterized by violence and drug use. The music selected for this film is often contrasted with the music selected for the Forest Gump soundtrack, which features several more conventional selections from similar time periods. And although both films have had an impact on popular culture, the soundtrack to Pulp Fiction is still being talked about. When it was originally released, several of the tracks featured in the film were not on the soundtrack. For example, Link Wray’s “Rumble” is not on the soundtrack, The Robins “Since I First Met You” and “The Marketts “Out Of Limits” are not on the original soundtrack album that was released in September 1994. Seven songs in total were not on the original soundtrack. Dusty Springfield’s “Son Of A Preacher Man”, Kool & The Gang’s “Jungle Boogie”, Chuck Berry’s “You Never Can Tell” and Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together” were all featured in both the film and on the soundtrack and resulted in resurgences of interest.

Urge Overkill’s version of Neil Diamond’s “Girl, You’ll Be A Woman Soon” helped launch them into the mainstream subconscious. They were also one of the only modern bands at the time to be featured in the film and on the soundtrack. Another interesting fact about this film and soundtrack is the song “Waitin’ In School” is performed in the film by Gary Shorelle and is not available commercially. The song was originally recorded by Ricky Nelson and released in 1957. It is often seen as one of Nelson’s best contributions to the rockabilly genre. Most importantly, surf/instrumental music was in high concentration in the film and on the soundtrack. The Tornadoes “Bustin’ Surfboards”, The Lively Ones “Surf Rider”, Link Wray’s “Ace Of Spaces”, The Centurions “Bullwinkle Part II”, The Revels “Comanche” and of course “Misirlou” by Dick Dale & His Del-Tones all were featured in the film and on the soundtrack. Following the release of this film surf music enjoyed a new sense of resurgence and popularity even appearing in commercials.

By 1996, the Pulp Fiction soundtrack had sold over 2 million copies. With this soundtrack surf music was reintroduced to a new generation of film and music enthusiasts. In the film Vincent and Jules have a conversation about how a lot of things are similar in Paris and Europe, but are done differently. Beer can be purchased at McDonald’s and a Quarter Pounder With Cheese is called a Royale With Cheese in Paris. Pulp Fiction’s soundtrack is a bit like a Royale With Cheese and being able to drink a beer at a fast food establishment. It was a film with a soundtrack featuring a collection of music that had been around for a while, but people may not have been aware of it. Pulp Fiction was a film, but it was a film that was done differently. This wasn’t just another soundtrack and film. It was more than just your average hamburger.

Revolution Surf Playlist:

1. Dick Dale & His Del-Tones - Miserlou (Summer Surf - 1964/Pulp Fiction Soundtrack - 1994)
2. The Mel-Tones - In Praise Of The Lime (Surf Sensation - 2004)
3. Marell's Marauders - The Maurauder (Surfin' In The Midwest Surf Vol 3 - 1998)
4. Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet - Zombie Compromise (Savvy Showstoppers - 1988)
5. Luau Or Die - Coldwar Cowboy (Dead On The Floor Vol 1 - 2015)
6. Yuzo Kayama - Black Sand Beach 94 (Black Sand Beach - 1994)
7. The Bambi Molesters - Long Gun (Dumb Loud Hollow Twang Deluxe -2003)
8. The Mongols - Nautoloid Reef (Time Machine: The History Of Canadian 60's Garage Punk & Surf 1985-1995 - 1996)

Surfphony of Derstruction 2000 Segment:

9. The Mighty Swells - Zissou Twist (Jaguar Shark Mix) (Off The Top With The Mighty Swells! - 2015)
10. The Fathoms - Fathomized (Overboard - 1998)
11. Takeshi Terauchi & His Blue Jeans - Movin' (Surfing - 1963)
12. The Apeman - Crash (Are You Being Surfed? - 1994)
13. Dick Dale & His Del-Tones - Banzai Washout (Summer Surf - 1964)
14. The Lively Ones - High Tide (High Tide/Goofy Foot -1963)
15. The Hollywood Tornadoes - Moon Dawg (Moon Dawg/The Inebriated Surfer - 1963)

16. The Ghastly Ones - Werewolves On Wheels (Unearthed - 2007)
17. Lee Kristofferson - Night Of The Werewolf (Dinner With Drac - 1977)
18. Tarantula - The Tarantulas (Tarantula/Black Widow - 1961)
17. Link Wray - Ace Of Spades (Ace Of Spades/Hidden Charms - 1963)
18. Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet - Having An Average Weekend (Savvy Showstoppers - 1988)
19. Trout - Bite The Tow (Salty Waves/Bite The Tow - 2014)
20. This Machine Kills Robots - Tidal Wave From Beyond The Grave (A Horrid Heart Still Beats In Its Mummified Remains - 2013)
21. The New Waves - Surf Macabre (Surf Macabre - 2009)
22. Atomic 7 - Save Your Fork There's Pie (Gowns By Edith Head - 2002)
23. The Sadies - Lay Down Your Arms (Stories Often Told - 2002)
24. The Replacements - Buck Hill (Hootenanny - 1983)
25. Beachmover - Directed Energy (Do The Microwave) (Beachmover - 2014)
26. X-Ray Cat Trio - The Buzzard's Claw (Out For Blood - 2015)
27. The Bell Peppers - The Spray (Sizzling Hot Bell Peppers - 2013)
28. The Revels - Comanche (Intoxica/Comanche - 1964/Pulp Fiction Soundtrack - 1994)
29. La Luz - Hey Papi (Weirdo Shrine - 2015)
30. The Lively Ones - Surf Rider (Surf Rider! - 1963/Pulp Fiction Soundtrack - 1994)

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

As a side note and for those keeping count, episode 603 of Revolution Rock was a repeat episode that originally aired earlier in February 2016. You can download that episode here and find the playlist in this post.

Music From The City Of Roses & Show # 601

Located South of Detroit, Windsor, Ontario was first established as a city in 1892. Being a border city Windsor has a diverse and storied history. In the 1920’s when prohibition was instituted in Michigan, alcohol was still legal in Windsor, Ontario. As a result rum running became common practice. In addition to this Windsor and Detroit also share a history with the automotive industry. Sometimes known as the “Automotive Capital of Canada”, Windsor has been and still is a major contributor to Canada’s automotive industry. Musically, Windsor has an early history being involved with choral and orchestral music. In the 1950’s Windsor began making a transition to more rock and roll oriented music. Prior to this there were also several big band musical acts.

While it hasn’t always been the best documented, Windsor’s independent music scene saw several influential bands in the 1980s. The Spy’s were one of these influential bands. They were a short lived punk band that only ever released one single “Underground/Machine Shop” in 1980. Several other bands were around at that time as well in the vein of 70s punk rock such as The Dry Heaves among others. The late 80s brought bands such as The Prehistoric Cave Strokers and The Lost Patrol. Other notable bands in Windsor’s history include 50’s rockabilly artist Jack Scott (who was born in Windsor, but raised in Detroit), Luxury Christ (a more of a performance art piece band from the 90s), Hung Jury, Toast, What Seas What Shores, Orphan Choir, The Locusts Have No King, The Golden Hands Before God, Johnny West, Measured In Angles, Citywide Vacuum, Mr. Chill & The Witnesses, James O-L & The Villains, Tara Watts and many others. Windsor’s independent music scene continues to strive and provide a wide range of diversity today ranging from punk and heavy rock bands, to folk, country, blues, acoustic, post-rock and numerous other types of genres. Being South of Detroit, Windsor and Detroit definitely share a sense of diversity in their arts communities. This episode of Revolution Rock focused on some of the more obscure music from Windsor’s past and present independent music scenes.

Windsor Past & Present Playlist:

1. Orphan Choir - New Rituals (Orphan Choir - 2009)
2. Measured In Angles - Method Of Tenacity (Lo Standards For Hi-Fi - 2005)
3. Dry Heaves - I Can’t Puke (Shoot Yourself - 1981)
4. The Prehistoric Cave Strokers - Sold Out (Live At The Coach & Horses - 1991)
5. The Hung Jury - Swingin’ By My Neck (Where The Horse Bit Me EP - 2007)
6. Tara Watts - Pack My Bags (Pale Blue Moon - 2014)
7. Tea Leaves - I Want To Live In The Dirt (Wooden Hands - 2015)
8. The Space Plan - High Noon In Death Valley (The Space Plan - 2000)
9. Luxury Christ - You Could Have Been Nice (Buy Our Love - 1993)
9. The Moon Patrol - We Don’t Care (From The Basement To The Bedroom EP - 1999)
10. GWD - There Is No Us (The Sessions from Stellar - 2002)
11. James O-L & The Villains - One Horse Town (On The Banks Of The Detroit River - 2014)
12. Middle Sister - East 80 (Live CJAM Session - 2016)
13. The Golden Hands Before God - The Ladder (Here EP - 2007)
14. Jack Scott - Leroy (Jack Scott - 1958)
15. Dorothy Collins - It Doesn’t Matter (Everything I Have Is Yours/It Doesn’t Matter - 1959)
16. What Seas What Shores - Gugelhupf (Spiritual Nap Machine - 2015)
17. Elk - Untitled Song 3 (ELK Demo - 2005)
18. Lost Patrol - I’m Not The One (Lost Patrol - 1988)
19. The Nelsons - A Cool One (Unreleased Song - 1980s (Date Unknown))
20. The Ronald Reagan Story - Colorado Drifter (Demo - 1982)
21. The Spy’s - Underground (Underground/Machine Shop - 1980)
22. The Locusts Have No King - Weapon Of Choice (Live Off The Floor At The Walkerville Brewery - 2013)
23. Magic Hall Of Mirrors - Coke MTN (Garage Demo EP - 2010)
24. Paul Jacobs - Mouldy Love (Mouldy Love EP - 2014)
25. Hairspray - I Go To The Ridge (Hairspray Demo - 2004)
26. Cellos - The New Religion (The Accident - 2012)

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

Safe As Milk & Show # 600

Released in 1967 on Buddah Records, Safe As Milk is the debut album from Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band. Prior to this Captain Beefheart released two singles for A&M, one of which was their gritty, soulful cover of Bo Diddley’s “Diddy Wah Diddy”. Captain Beefheart’s voice, an instrument in itself has been said to have the ability to sing in eleven different octaves and is demonstrated here in many different forms. On Safe As Milk, the band line-up changed slightly from the earlier A&M incarnation of the band. For this album John French was added on drums and a young Ry Cooder on guitar. The album shows Beefheart’s deep love of the blues and R&B, which caused a young Don Van Vliet and Frank Zappa to share a friendship, is apparent here. Along with the blues influence found here, there are also the elements of experimentation that Captain Beefheart would be known for. The result is music that has been called psychedelic, blues, pop and garage all at once.

“Sure 'Nuff Yes I Do” opens Safe As Milk with a blistering, sliding blues guitar lick and with the lines “I was born in the desert/Came on it from New Orleans/Came upon a tornado/Sunlight in the sky/I wait around all day with the moon sticking in my eye”. The lyrics and the song are based on Muddy Waters “Rollin’ And Tumblin’” and its earlier incarnation by Cannon’s Jug Stompers. However, these lines also reference the atmosphere that would be created on Safe As Milk. They also show Captain Beefheart taking elements of his past to make his own form of the blues. He creates his own myth here, one that would change and perpetuate mysteriousness and strangeness throughout his career. The hazy rhythms and erratic, jumping basslines by Jerry Handley waver in amongst the drum patterns of John French, Ry Cooder & Alex St. Clair’s guitar interplay and Captain Beefheart’s gritty voice.

“Zig Zag Wanderer” drifts with a psychedelic, R&B rave-up fashion. The song which many feel reference the rolling papers of the same name has also been said to feature a combination of three bass parts recorded by Jerry Handley, Ry Cooder and engineer Gerry Maker that at times overlap each other. In addition to the supposed meanings of this track’s lyrics, they also reference a lost, presumably homeless character trying to find their place. “Call On Me” travels into an R&B and soul groove, “Dropout Boogie” features heavy basslines and fuzzy guitar lines that drop in unison with Captain Beefheart’s vocals. It’s hard not to refer to this song with its rough and gritty energy as garage rock. “I’m Glad” slows down the pace venturing into doo-wop and soul territory, “Electricity” blends elements psychedelia with the blues and Captain Beefheart’s shifting vocal range in an unconventional way. If there is any proof of his ability to sing in different vocal ranges it is on this track that was also rumoured to get the band booted from A&M for being too negative. In addition to the eerie Theremin featured on this track, during the recording of Beefheart’s vocals for “Electricity” the microphone shattered.

Side two starts with a person describing a reference tone with sound effects that sounds like they could have been lifted from an episode of Rod Serling’s Twilight Zone TV program before we settle into the song “Yellow Brick Road”. A more upbeat and dreamy piece, this song features a shuffling rhythm, bluesy guitar slides and a tale that seems to reference the very same yellow brick road from The Wizard Of Oz, telling a tale of loss of innocence.

“Abba Zaba” is where Safe As Milk really goes into a different musical direction. The music on this track is dominated by African rhythms, bass & guitar work by Ry Cooder, additional percussion by Taj Mahal and of course the puzzling lyrics by Captain Beefheart. While the lyrics repeat themselves in what upon first listen could seem nonsensical to the average listener, “Abba Zaba” apparently is a song about evolution. It also references the candy bar of the same name. Originally, Safe As Milk was to be titled Abba Zaba however Captain Beefheart & Co. couldn’t get permission to use the name and logo. On the back cover of this album, it is peppered with the very same yellow and black-checkered pattern that is featured on the candy bars packaging.

The dirty Delta blues assembly line groove of “Plastic Factory” ventures into garage rock territory, while lyrically this song, credited to Van Vliet and bassist Jerry Handley, contrasts monotonous factory life with nature imagery. “Grown So Ugly” is the only cover featured on Safe As Milk. Originally by Robert Pete Williams, this track is notable for its deep, biting groove that was rearranged by Ry Cooder. “Autumn’s Child” ends the album. This track with its slithering Theremin parts changes time signatures several times and drips with psychedelia and surreal lyrics.

At first look, Safe As Milk may seem to be just another album from the 60s, but it is much more than that. The album flirts with the delta blues, R&B, in a style that can be called garage-punk, among other things. The lyrics are at times surreal and the music explores odd time signatures. Captain Beefheart would explore this more extremely on 1969’s experimental Trout Mask Replica. For those that pay attention the songs on Safe As Milk leap out of the front cover that looks very similar to The Rolling Stones UK album Big Hits (High Tide And Green Grass). It provides listeners with a refreshing alternative to the other sounds that were being created in 1967. Safe As Milk sounds just as fresh and different today as it did when it was originally released in 1967.


Captain Beefheart Playlist:

1. Frank Zappa - The Birth Of Captain Beefheart (1964 Demo) (Mystery Disc - 1998)
2. Frank Zappa - Metal Man Has Won His Wings (1964 Demo) (Mystery Disc - 1998)
3. Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band - Dropout Boogie (Safe As Milk - 1967)
4. Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band - Click Clack (The Spotlight Kid - 1972)
5. Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band - Party of Special Things to Do (Bluejeans & Moonbeams - 1974)
6. Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band - My Head is my Only House When it Rains (Clear Spot - 1972)
7. Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band - Love Lies (Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller) - 1978)
8. Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band - Bat Chain Puller (Bat Chain Puller - Recorded 1976 released 2012)
9. Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band - My Human Gets Me Blues (Trout Mask Replica - 1969)
11. Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band - Moonlight On Vermont (Trout Mask Replica - 1969)
12. Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band - Ashtray Heart (Doc at the Radar Station - 1980)
13. Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band - Ice Cream for Crow (Ice Cream for Crow - 1982)
14. Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band - Full Moon Hot Sun (Unconditionally Guaranteed - 1974)
15. Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band - I Love You, You Big Dummy (Lick My Decals Off, Baby - 1970)
16. Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band - Petrified Forest (Like My Decals Off, Baby - 1970)
17. Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band - On Tomorrow (Strictly Personal - 1968)
18. Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band - Grow Fins (The Spotlight Kid - 1972)
19. Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band - Electricity (Safe as Milk - 1967)
20. Frank Zappa - Willie The Pimp (Hot Rats - 1969)
21. Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band - Old Fart At Play (Trout Mask Replica - 1969)
22. Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band - Yellow Brick Road (Safe As Milk - 1967)
23. Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band - Just Got Back From The City (1966 Demo) (Grow Fins: Rarities 1965-1982 - 1999)
24. Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band - Diddy Wah Diddy (The Legendary A&M Sessions - 1984)
25. Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band - Sure ’Nuff ’N Yes I Do (Safe As Milk - 1967)
26. Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band - Zig Zag Wanderer (Safe As Milk - 1967)

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

Lead Belly "The King Of 12-String Guitar" & Show # 599

Deep in the grooves of a time period long, long ago Huddie William Ledbetter was born. He came into this world in January of 1888 in Mooringsport, Louisiana. The facts of Huddie’s life are often times conflicting, although many things have been written about him. Better known as Lead Belly, he first began his foray into music at a young age when his uncle Terrell taught him accordion. He would also learn other instruments such as piano, mandolin, violin, and of course guitar. The guitar that Lead Belly is most known for playing was a 12-string guitar that he named Stella. It was with this guitar that he would project his loud booming voice and captivate audiences with his pure, raw emotion that was displayed when he played music. Rooted in a variety of genres such as folk, blues, spiritual songs and country, Lead Belly would often adapt traditional songs (as have many folk and blues musicians) in his own unique way. Around 1912, Lead Belly met Blind Lemon Jefferson with whom he would play music around Dallas, Texas. Jefferson often called the “Father Of The Texas Blues”, introduced Lead Belly to the 12-string guitar.

In addition to his musical background and his life in the Deep South, there are other factors of Lead Belly’s life that caused him to become more recognized for his musical abilities. Ledbetter worked as a farmer, a sharecropper and he had his share of troubles, having been in prison several times on some pretty serious charges. But it was in prison where he would be discovered by John and Alan Lomax. These two would have an effect on the outcome of not only of his release from prison, but his future in music. As part of the Library of Congress the Lomaxes went around to prisons to find and document folk music that was not contaminated by modern blues and jazz of the day. In the early 30’s they first recorded twelve songs with Lead Belly and in 1934, Lead Belly was pardoned from prison after writing a song for the governor and recording it with the Lomaxes. His recording granted him a pardon on July 25th, 1934. This was the second time that Lead Belly had written a song for a governor and received a pardon for his songwriting and musical abilities.

Lead Belly would go on to make recordings for many different labels such as the Library Of Congress, Folkways, RCA, Capitol Records and others. He worked odd jobs, appeared on the historic and groundbreaking CBS radio show Back From Where I Come From as a regular guest, was a radio host on his own and of course recorded and performed music. His music attracted the likes of Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger and others during the later parts of his life. His influence slowly infiltrated the mainstream populous. While many things have been written about Lead Belly, several conflicting and incorrect, some not, his name is often misspelled. The name Lead Belly is sometimes spelled as one word when it is in fact two. He performed that way and it is spelled that way on his tombstone. The origins of his name are just as fascinating as the tales he spun from his 12-string acoustic guitar.

In December of 1949, Lead Belly passed away due to complications with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). It was believed that this was caused due to his background of hard labour working on farms, and prison life. In 1950, The Weavers covered Lead Belly’s version of the song “Goodnight Irene”. This song became a huge hit going on to sell over two million copies. Sadly, Lead Belly escaped the recognition that he desired in his lifetime. Since this initial song by The Weavers countless artists have gone on to cover and adapt the songs that Lead Belly recorded and performed. Many artists have covered the songs that he was known for, such as “Goodnight Irene”, “Cotton Fields”, “Midnight Special”, “Black Betty”, “Boll Weevil”, “Where Did You Sleep Last Night” and numerous others. In 1968, friend and folk musician Pete Seeger did an entire album of Lead Belly songs entitled Pete Seeger Sings Lead Belly. CCR covered “The Midnight Special”, “Black Betty” was covered by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds”, “Cotton Fields” was covered by The Beach Boys and Nirvana did a rendition of “Where Did You Sleep Last Night?” for MTV Unplugged. There are many other stories behind the songs and the man that are not mentioned here, but his story lives on like a great folk tale through the songs that he once played and the words that have been written and are still being written about him. Known as “The King of 12-String Guitar”, the music that Lead Belly once performed rings just as loud today as when he was originally performing it on the strings of his guitar.

Lead Belly & His Influence Playlist:

1. Lead Belly - Midnight Special
2. Lead Belly - Where Did You Sleep Last Night
3. Lead Belly - If It Wasn't For Dicky
4. Geeshie Wiley - Skinny Leg Blues
5. Blind Mamie Forehand - Honey In The Rock
6. Blind Lemon Jefferson - Chock House Blues
7. Son House - John The Revelator
8. Lead Belly - We Shall Be Free (With Woody Guthrie & Cisco Houston)
9. Lead Belly - Howard Hughes
10. Lead Belly - Blind Lemon
11. Neko Case - Nobody Knows When You're Down And Out
12. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Black Betty
13. Tom Waits - Goodnight Irene
14. Nirvana - Where Did You Sleep Last Night (1990 Boombox Demo)
15. The Jury - Ain’t It A Shame
16. CCR - The Midnight Special
17. The Triffids - In The Pines
18. The Fall - Bourgois Town
19. The White Stripes - Boll Weevil (John Peel Session - July 25th, 2001)
20. B.B King - Every Day I Have The Blues (Live At The Regal)
21. Bukka White - Shake ‘Em On Down
22. Mississippi Sheiks - The World Is Going Wrong
23. Lightnin’ Hopkins - Automobile Blues
24. Blind Willie McTell - Delia
25. Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee - You’d Better Mind
26. Lead Belly - What You Gonna Do When The World's On Fire (With Anne Graham)
27. Lead Belly - Roberta

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for February 6. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

As a side note and for those keeping count, episode 598 of Revolution Rock was a repeat episode that originally aired back in January 2016. You can download that episode here and find the playlist in this post.

Coming Up On Revolution Rock in 2016!

Upcoming shows in February:

Back in 2011, I began doing a month of theme based programming in February. It was an expansion of my annual surf rock program, which began airing at the end of February in 2007. At the time it was just a temporary thing to drum up interest and add variety to my usual programming content. It has continued ever since. Revolution Rock airs every Saturday from 7-9 PM on CJAM 99.1 FM in Windsor/Detroit.  It can be streamed live at www.cjam.ca and downloaded via the very same website afterwards.

Here is the scheduled line up:

The Music of Lead Belly & His Influence: Revolution Rock Celebrates Black History Month
February 6th, 2016
7-9 PM
CJAM 99.1 FM (www.cjam.ca)

Every February CJAM FM celebrates Black History Month by featuring special programming from different programmers. On Saturday, February 6th, Revolution Rock joins this cast of DJ’s and will feature a program focusing on the music of American blues/folk musician Lead Belly. The content of his work covered a wide array of topics such as the news of his day with songs about Franklin D. Roosevelt, Howard Hughes, as well as songs of liquor, prison, gospel blues, women, cowboys, and dancing to name a few. Join host Dave Konstantino and co-host Adam Peltier on this date for a selection of recordings from “The king of the 12-String guitar’s” catalogue, covers of his songs as well as a collection of other blues and folk musicians from different time periods.

Zig Zag Wanderer: Revolution Rock Captain Beefheart Music Special
February 13th, 2016
7-9 PM
CJAM 99.1 FM (www.cjam.ca)

While many of his works have been labeled as art rock, Captain Beefheart’s music combined elements of blues, psychedelia, rock, jazz and experimental/avant-garde music. Born Don Glen Vliet, he adopted the stage name Captain Beefheart and its origins have been said to come from a variety of sources. The origin of the name was once described on The Late Show with David Letterman as being Captain Beefheart because he has “A beef in his heart with society”. His name also has a connection to his high school friend Frank Zappa, who would share both a collaborative friendship and mutual rivalry with Beefheart. On this special episode, hosts Dave Konstantino and co-host Adam Peltier delve into the catalogue of Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band and the lasting influence of his music.

Music From The City Of Roses: Revolution Rock Windsor Music Special
February 20th, 2016
7-9 PM
CJAM 99.1 FM (www.cjam.ca)

Windsor, Ontario’s music scene has always had a diverse and unique landscape. Partially due to its location to neighbouring and highly influential Detroit, Michigan, this episode of Revolution Rock will focus on music from Windsor’s past and present. Along with current music content, several rare recordings from bands in Windsor’s independent local music communities will be featured on this program. It will all coincide with exclusive recordings made at CJAM FM with Windsor, Ontario’s folk rock band Middle Sister. A video for these songs will also be posted online to add a visual element to these CJAM Session recordings.

Pulp Fiction: Revolution Surf (The 10th Edition)
February 27th, 2016
7-9 PM
CJAM 99.1 FM (www.cjam.ca)

2016 marks the 10th annual Revolution Surf radio special. Started back on a cold evening at the end of February in 2007, the 10th edition of Revolution Surf will feature a selection of surf music that was featured in the movie and on the soundtrack to the 1994 cult classic Pulp Fiction. Directed by Quentin Tarantino, The film and its soundtrack helped to re-introduce surf music to a new generation. The program will also feature a variety of other surf and instrumental music from the past and present. In addition to this there will be special guests such as Derk Brigante of The Surfphony of Derstruction 2000, which now airs on Surf Rock Radio, Carley of the CJAM program Everything’s No Good and more! Tune into this very special edition of Revolution Surf on February 27th, 2016 from 7-9 PM.

David Bowie (1947-2016) Shows # 596 & # 597

On January 10th, 2016 just two days after his 69th birthday David Bowie passed away after a battle with cancer. On January 8th Blackstar, Bowie’s 25th full-length album was released. For this album he experimented with elements of jazz and hip hop, among other influences. Blackstar was produced by long time producer Tony Visconti in secret, as was his previous album The Next Day. Many of the themes on Blackstar deal with a man battling his own mortality and fittingly the two music videos released for this album, “Blackstar” and “Lazarus” also reflect these themes. David Bowie was known for his ever evolving and changing characters/fashion that reflected the music he was creating. His perhaps best-known ones were Ziggy Stardust used in conjunction with the highly influential glam rock sound created with Ziggy Stardust & The Spiders From Mars in the early 1970s, his Thin White Duke period where he experimented with soul and funk and the Berlin Trilogy from 1976-1979 where he delved into electronic and Avant-garde sounds.

In the 80s Bowie drifted towards a pop and new wave sound, from 1989-1991 he formed the hard rock band Tin Machine, he continued making music as a solo artist in the 90s/2000s and in 2003 he released Reality. This would follow with a retirement from touring in 2004. He would not release another album for ten years. David Bowie was a highly influential musician and artist that has also acted in several movies such as The Man Who Fell To Earth, Labyrinth and The Prestige. His influence on music was vast. David Bowie was never afraid to try something different, never afraid to go to different places musically. Perhaps this is what people identify with, Bowie’s fearlessness in his approach to music. He was a true artist and in 1998 he was even part of an elaborate hoax of the invented artist Nat Tate. David Bowie has released approximately 121 singles and 25 full-length albums, not counting compilation albums. Blackstar became his first number one album on Billboard Top 200 album charts in the US and 19 of his previously released albums appeared on the UK top 100 album charts during the week of January 22nd, 2016.

Show 596 Playlist:

1. Midge Ure - The Man Who Sold The Word
2. The Polecats - John, I”m Only Dancing
3. David Bowie - Queen Bitch
4. Green River - Queen Bitch
5. Beat Happening - Teenage Caveman
6. Rooms - You And The Wall
7. Paul Jacobs - Trippin’ In The Park
8. Sam Coffey & The Iron Lungs - Hold Me Close
9. Melted Faces - Hope Jamieson
10. Ricked Wicky - Jargon Of Clones
11. David Bowie - What In The World
12. David Bowie - Blackout
13. David Bowie - Boys Keep Swinging
14. Papa Ghostface - The Devil Wants His Car Back
15. Neil Young - Look Out For My Love
16. The Sadies - It’s Nothing To Me
17. The Ramblin’ Ambassadors - Hairless Cat
18. Chair - Cloudscape
19. David Bowie - Hang On To Yourself
20. David Bowie - Cracked Actor
21. David bowie - Sue
22. David Bowi - Dollar Days
23. Frank Black - Old Black Dawning
24. Frank Black - Ten Percenter
25. Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band - Autumn's Child

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

Show 597 Playlist:

1. The Rationals - I Gotta Go Now (Out On The Floor)
2. Pangea - Blue Mirror
3. White Fence - Pink Gorilla
4. Kim Gray - Slow Medication
5. Run With Kittens - Blow The Horn
6. Ty Segall - Squealer 2 (Squealer Man)
7. So Young - Speak Slow
8. James O-L & The Villains - The System
9. Nirvana - Swap Meet
10. Mudhoney - Need
11. Chelsea Wolfe - Demons
12. Iggy Pop - Gardenia
13. Woods - Sun City Creeps
14. Psychic Youth - Step In Time
15. Handsome Brutes - Guys Like Us
16. Public Image Limited - Low Life
17. PJ Harvey - The Wheel
18. Savages - Surrender
19. The I Spies - Talkshow
20. The Evaporators - Brainwashed
21. Beliefs - Drown
22. Nervous Talk - Flush My Phone
23. Obits - I’m Closing In
24. The Outcasts - Magnum Force
25. Young Rival - Let’s Get Together
26. David Bowie - TVC15

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

Motorhead's Lemmy Kilmister (1945-2015) & Show #595

Lemmy Kilmister, best known for his role as bassist/vocalist in the band Motorhead, passed away on December 28th, 2015 at the age of 70. Earlier in 2015, Lemmy released a new album with Motorhead, which would wind up being their final full-length album. It was entitled Bad Magic. Born Ian Fraser Kilmister in 1945 in the UK, Lemmy first began as a guitar player. After seeing The Beatles perform at The Cavern Club in Liverpool, England he learned guitar at the age of 16 playing along to the album Please Please Me. He had been involved in many bands prior to the formation of Motorhead, most of which were of the garage and psychedelic variety. Lemmy first joined The Rockin’ Vickers in 1965 and played guitar on the 1966 single Dandy/I Don’t Need Your Kind. The A-side of this single was a cover of The Kinks song of the same name, but it is the single’s B-side “I Don’t Need Your Kind” which features heavy guitar distortion, especially for 1966. Following a stint as a roadie for The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Lemmy joined the psychedelic rock band Sam Gopal and recorded an album with them titled Escalator in 1968. For this release, Lemmy is featured on both vocals and rhythm guitar on all tracks.

From 1971-1975, Lemmy Kilmister played bass in the space rock band Hawkwind. Drawing heavily on a psychedelic music and lifestyle, Lemmy joined this band as their bassist with no previous bass playing experience. As a result, he came up with his own style inadvertently due to his guitar background. Lemmy did sing vocals on several songs most notably the song “Sliver Machine”. This song was a single released in 1972 and reached number three on UK Singles Charts. In 1975, Lemmy was arrested at the Windsor, Ontario/Detroit, Michigan border for drug possession. He reportedly spent five days in jail and as a result, he was fired from Hawkwind. Although Lemmy has stated that he never would have left Hawkwind if he wasn’t fired from the group, it was his firing that led him to the formation of Motorhead.

Inspired by the final song that he wrote for Hawkwind, Motorhead blended elements of what some would call heavy metal with the energy and attitude of punk rock. The band would be known for changing it’s line-up (minus Lemmy), but from 1975-1982 the “classic” line-up of Motorhead featured “Fast” Eddie Clarke on guitar, Lemmy on bass/vocals and Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor on drums. With this line-up Motorhead would rise to success with albums such as Overkill, Bomber, Ace Of Spades and Iron Fist. Motorhead would continue off and on consistently releasing music and touring until Lemmy’s passing in December 2015. Lemmy’s goal was to create simple, loud, fast, raucous “speedfreak” rock n’ roll. The influence left by his music and band is vast ranging from fans of metal, rock, punk and beyond.

Saturday Night Playlist:

1. Metz - Eraser
2. Ty Segall Band - The Bag I'm In
3. TV Freaks - Thirteen
4. Stone Temple Pilots - Art School Girl
5. Sunwolf - Let It Out
6. Juice Box - Champagne Problem
7. Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet - Babakganoosh
8. The Rockin’ Vickers - I Don’t Need Your Kind
9. Sam Gopal - It’s Only Love
10. Hawkwind - Silver Machine
11. Motorhead - Pay Your Price (I Won’t)
12. Motorhead - Love Me Like A Reptile
13. Papa Ghostface - Situations
14. Super Visas - The Sun
15. Leonard Coen - Lady Midnight
16. The Saints - No Time
17. Spirits - Almost There
18. The Avantis - Gypsy Surfer
19. The Mighty Swells - Mr. Infiltrator
20. The Wayouts - Wild At The Beach
21. Yachts - Suffice To Say
22. Swell Maps - Let's Build A Car
23. The Dead Boys - Ain’t Nothin’ To Do
24. The Count Bishops - Teenage Letter
25. Jack Scott - Burning Bridges
26. Eddie & The Hot Rods - 96 Tears (Live)
27. The Sonics - Boss Hoss
28. The Rezillos - (My Baby Does) Good Sculptures
29. 999 - Me And My Desire
30. Generation X - From The Heart
31. Private School - Rock & Roll Radio
32. The Replacements - Waitress In The Sky (Alternate Version)

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