Rant-a-Bit by Scott Hudson

The Walking Rock Alphabet: H

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sat, 18 May 2013 21:34:00 +0000

I should have never bothered this afternoon, as it was nothing short of a disaster on almost every level. I had to get out, though, as rain and podcasting had taken away the last couple of walking days, and later this afternoon showers will commence that will carry on for another couple of days.

I just wasn’t in the mood, though. In recent months, Saturday has become my day off. The one day of the week that I had no work, writing, or any other obligations. It’s my day, and nobody can take that away. I can sleep late (I wish), relax at Black Sheep Coffee for as long as I care, and spend the majority of the day emptying the DVR. Hell, maybe even throw in a nap (or two).

So despite the fact that it was hot and muggy, and all I wanted to do was lay around, here I am heading out the door. But even this didn’t work as expected. Noticing there wasn’t anything in the “H” section that I wanted to use as my soundtrack, I set about re-syncing my iPhone to a brand new playlist.

Unfortunately, that sync was taking FOREVER, and I didn’t have a large window of time before the rain was due to hit the city. So I grabbed the iPad and settled on the new album by The Hillbilly Moon Explosion, Damn Right Honey!

Besides the fact that exercising while carrying an iPad is a bit unwieldy (my version of working with weights), the reality is that this band’s throwback combo of rockabilly, swing, and jump blues just wasn’t the right fit for a cantankerous curmudgeon forcing himself to get a bit of exercise.

Not to say that this isn’t a worthy album. It is a fun little record. How can an album with a song called “Motorhead Girl” not be fantastic? It just didn’t fit in to what was needed to get me motivated.

The afternoon wasn’t a total waste, though. I got to witness a bit of a Three Stooges routine, as a person with little clue as to what he was doing attempted to chop down a large damaged tree. Would it land on the house, or on top of a passing vehicle? Luckily, for the owner, it hit the road with no incident.

There was also one other major pleasant change. The rising temps and Thursday’s rains have caused everything to bloom, so the walk was accompanied some sweet smells that I hadn’t encountered since last fall. A bit cheesy of an ending for me, sure, but at least something made me smile this afternoon.

Live Ledge #112: Love Is The Law

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sat, 18 May 2013 01:32:00 +0000

Who would have guessed that an almost-forgotten (but not by me) track by The Suburbs would become an anthem of sorts almost thirty years later? It's pretty amazing that as Minnesota's Marriage Equality bill started to gain traction that this wonderful song received a bit of the spotlight.
Tonight's show celebrates the passing of that bill, with nothing but songs and/or artists that express individuality. There's quite a few songs one would expect in such a show, but there are admittedly others whose connection probably only exists in my mind. Even without the message, it's a fun two hours that jumps around from genre to genre.
Grab this, as always, in the iTunes store, stream it via Stitcher, or...

DIRECTLY DOWNLOAD/STREAM BY CLICKING HERE!!!

1. Suburbs, Love Is The Law
2. Joan Jett, You Don't Own Me
3. The Lemonheads, Big Gay Heart
4. R.E.M., Life And How To Live It (Live in Greensboro 1989)
5. Tommy Keene, Love Is the Only Thing That Matters
6. The Replacements, Androgynous
7. The Queers, Unsatisfied
8. The Chesterfield Kings, I'm Not Like Everybody Else
9. Billy Bragg, Sexuality
10. Tom Robinson, 2-4-6-8 Motorway
11. New York Dolls, Looking For A KIss
12. The Heartbreakers, I Wanna Be Loved (mix 2)
13. Lou Reed, Vicious
14. David Bowie, Watch That Man
15. The Jim Carroll Band, Catholic Boy
16. Bob Mould, See A Little Light
17. Grant Hart, Think It Over Now
18. HÜsker DÜ, Love Is All Around
19. The Phones, Modern Man
20. Siouxsie & The Banshees, Bring Me The Head Of The Preacher Man
21. The Breeders, Do You Love Me Now?
22. The Vaselines, Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam
23. Bikini Kill, Rebel Girl
24. Babes In Toyland, Swamp Pussy
25. Sleater-Kinney, The Ballad Of A Ladyman
26. Vice Squad, Stand Strong Stand Proud
27. Pansy Division, I'm Gonna Be a Slut
28. Against Me!, Unprotected Sex With Multiple Partners
29. Ted Leo & The Pharmacists, Ballad Of The Sin Eater
30. Circle Jerks, Put A Little Love In Your Heart
31. Patti Smith, People Have The Power

The Walking Rock Alphabet: G

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Wed, 15 May 2013 21:48:00 +0000

A few days after last Thanksgiving, my good buddy Craig called me. “Hey, Graham Parker and the Rumour are playing in the Cities. Are you in?”

It took me about five seconds to contemplate this question before I answered in the affirmative. Mid-December we headed up to see the man perform at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul.

This wasn’t an ordinary out of town venture for either of us. Graham Parker was one of our idols from his legendary albums of the late 70’s. He perfected the angry songwriter persona that Elvis Costello copied for bigger fame and fortune.

He was also the interview that I’m most proud of conducting. Certainly, I interviewed bigger stars in my Tempest days. Motley Crue’s Tommy Lee gave me all the juicy info of his sex tape just days after the footage hit the internet. Two members of Cheap Trick dealt with my fanboy questions during that time period. Frank Black, Bob Mould, Tommy Stinson, Todd Snider...the list goes on.

Graham Parker topped them all, and it was a great conversation as we chatted about his entire career. I’m sure it helped that my first comment to him was that VH1 should have hired him to host their new series, Songwriters. “You should write (producer) Bill Flanagan and tell him that”, was the response. Parker liked the resulting article enough that it had a place on his website for at least a full decade.

So here we are almost twenty years later making that long drive to see Parker. This show was the tour’s last stop with the just-reunited Rumour. That band had broke up way back in the early 80’s, and various articles pointed out that none of the band’s children (and most of their wives) had never seen them play with their most famous bandmates.

The show was as great as expected, with Parker mixing in tracks from all of their albums together, including the just-released reunion record, Three Chords Good. Even better was what happened about two hours after the show concluded.

We had wandered around downtown St. Paul after the concert, unsuccessfully looking for a suitable place to have a few drinks. Finally deciding to just hit the hotel bar, I was the first to notice what a table full of middle-aged men who were clearly not bankers or lawyers.

Yes, we had stumbled upon the post-tour party of Graham and his band! We slyly chose a table far enough away to not be a fanboy pest, but close enough that we could view the festivities. Noticing that they were drinking champagne, we had a bottle sent over. And then another.

The plan worked. Graham wondered who purchased the bubbly, and he ended up spending a half hour or so with us. We talked about my old interview, his Sioux Falls performance, the band’s reunion, and their appearance in the movie “This Is 40”. Later, we met various other members of the band, including keyboardist Bob Andrews, whose post-Rumour career included producing acclaimed released by Ten Pole Tudor, The Bluebells, and The La’s.

All of these memories came back to me this afternoon, as my walking soundtrack for the day was the record that was the reason for that tour. Three Chords Good was released a couple of months before that show, but I must be honest. While Parker’s new songs rank among his best in years, and are every bit as biting, the album needs a couple of blistering rockers. Live, these songs stood up well with the 70’s classics, but the production on the album is a bit languid. It’s a good album that easily could have been great.

Oh well, it’s still great to have them back, even if it is a one-off project. On a day where the overheated temps of yesterday were replaced by sweat-inducing humidity, it was a perfect companion. Isn’t that what matters for this lazy man’s exercise project?

The Walking Rock Alphabet: F

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Tue, 14 May 2013 23:28:00 +0000

The guitar. A simple instrument usually featuring six strings. A member of the chordophone family, and preceded by instruments such as the lute and vihuela, it is easily the most powerful carrier of musical tones. When accompanied by the right words, it can bring down a dictator. It can cause the prettiest girls and boys to swoon. In the right hands, it’s a massive tool for bringing on social change.

It can also cause the walls of any room, from the smallest bedroom to the biggest stadium, to be stripped of its paint. On the coldest winter day, the right chords can create condensation to drip from the ceiling due to the sweat and tears of those within earshot.

The simplest of setups can cause this reaction. Usually, it’s a well-worn piece of crap that’s been torn apart and rebuilt many times, with the paint on the back worn off where it makes contact with the owner’s body. A cable with questionable wiring connects it to pedals or boxes that are lucky to work a third of the time. Another cable runs to an amplifier in even worse condition. There’s a big dent in the front from where the frustrated owner of this setup stabbed it with the guitar head on an especially bad night. Stickers from other bands and clubs are sprinkled on every piece of this sonic equation.

I have no idea what the guitarist from Fidlar looks like, but it’s probably safe to say that everything I just described isn’t too far removed from his setup. I bet I’m also not wrong to predict he doesn’t dress like a preppy Vampire Weekend wannabe either. No, whatever he wears onstage is probably what he wore the day before, the day before that, and probably a few days afterwards. There’s no such thing as laundry day when you have 350 miles to travel before the next night’s show. That also obviously means that poor van that struggles to hit city after city smells like an NBA locker room after a triple-overtime playoff game.

As you may be able to predict from that last couple of paragraphs, today’s walking soundtrack was the full-length debut of L.A.’s Fidlar, which came out around the beginning of the year. Seriously, anybody who thinks that rock ‘n’ roll is dead needs to check these guys out. Yes, it fits into the low-fi surf-ish garage rock sound of bands such as Jeff the Brotherhood, Wavves, Ty Segall, and so many others. There’s one major difference, though, and that’s these fourteen tracks are some of the catchiest tunes this sub-genre has ever seen.

Seriously, if one were to slow down the songs and play them on acoustics, the warbling show puppets on Idol and The Voice could successfully over-sing these tunes. The censors wouldn’t be too pleased, though, as almost all of the tunes deal with cheap drugs and even cheaper beer.

One more interesting tidbit - guitarist Elvis Kuehn and his brother, drummer Max, are the songs of T.S.O.L. keyboardist Greg Kuehn.

A driving, intense album of guitar noise such as this was the perfect pick for today’s walk. All of you motherfuckers that don’t think I’m serious about this project need to understand that just a few days after twenty degree temps, this afternoon’s jaunt was when the thermostat was at 95! That’s right, I said 95! I also inadvertently went way longer than planned, thanks to a wrong turn at the halfway mark. That detour caused me to make it halfway through a second album, Songs We Taught Ourselves by The Future Primitives.

Now that I’m done waxing poetic on the virtues of guitars and Fidlar, it’s time to relax. Same time tomorrow???

The Walking Rock Alphabet: E

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Mon, 13 May 2013 22:39:00 +0000

Another “no excuse” day for this little project. The temp was over 80. Laying on the couch was not an option. I even opted for shorts, which means that a number of people were blinded by something other than the hot sun.

For today’s selection, one must jump back to the mid-80’s. Although their sales didn’t skyrocket for another five years or so, this was the era where the influence of R.E.M. was at its peak. Every label, major AND indie, was looking for their own jangle-pop kings, and this influence was most felt on our local college station, KAUR. In fact, we used to joke that the with the playlist dominated by bands such as Guadalcanal Diary, Wire Train, and so many others, the station should be called K-REM.

One of the more obscure of these types of bands was E-I-E-I-O, and their big “hit” was “This Time”. Forget about R.E.M., if you want the quintessential jangle-pop track this is the song to go to. If one didn’t know better, it wouldn’t be out of the question to believe it was a long-lost Byrds single slightly speeded up.

Yet little was ever known about this band, which was typical for the era. If you weren’t on a major label, or considered a “major” indie band, band info was hard to come by. In this case, the album that featured “This Time”, suddenly found itself in the new release bin at KAUR, and if you were lucky you could special order it at Ernie’s.

In fact, it wasn’t until earlier this year that I found out more about this band. Somewhere I recall hearing they were from Wisconsin, but this wasn’t confirmed until I interview the BoDeans earlier this year. E-I-E-I-O were contemporaries of tthe BoDeans during an era where live music was thriving, partly thanks to the time’s lower drinking age. After this chat, I knew at some point this album would be a part of my spring walk.

What’s most surprising about the full album is how “This Time” isn’t a true representation of the band. The rest of the record is primarily mid-tempo bar band rock that’s not unlike the early BoDeans material, combined with a bit of Rank and FIle’s twang. It’s probably no surprise that the album was produced by Steve Berlin of the Blasters and Los Lobos.

Truthfully, while there are few true clunkers on the disc, “This Time” is by far the highlight, and will always be the track that ends up on “lost singles” playlists.

Now that I’m all sweaty, it’s time for some refreshments.

The Walking Rock Alphabet: D

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sun, 12 May 2013 22:46:00 +0000

After another weather delay (enough with the rain!), I’m back out on the mean side streets of southeast Sioux Falls! The temp is in the 60’s, there’s no wind, and I just spent four hours transcribing an interview for this week’s Link. I need to get out of the house!

I had a little bit of trouble selecting an album for the day, but not the type you usually hear me whine about. The problem is the “D” section is pretty strong, so I had a ton of choices to wade through.

Yet I spent almost as much time deciding on today’s soundtrack as I did walking. Nothing sounded perfect for the day. Too many full albums I just wasn’t in the mood to hear, and for some strange reason bands in this section released too many EP’s. An EP would be cheating!

I almost selected the new David Bowie album, as I really haven’t given it enough time after that initial rush the week it was released. Then I looked at the running time - 61 minutes! No no no no! I’m not ready for that yet!

It was back to the drawing board, and then suddenly it hit me. A band that should have been huge, but I had never heard until constant airings on realpunkradio’s Mojo Workout, which used to air right after Live Ledge on Friday.

I’m talking about Downliners Sect, a band who released almost nothing but POUNDERS! This English band evolved out of an earlier lineup just called Downliners, and they were contemporaries of the Pretty Things, Yardbirds and Rolling Stones. We’re talking Brian Jones-era Stones, mind you. In fact, their adherence to the frantic R&B of that era is probably the exact reason we don’t hear about them as much as those bands already listed.

But they were every bit as authentic and frantic as those bands, and my album for the day, 1964’s The Sect, is proof. In fact, I’d put this album up against those first three Stones albums with full belief that nine out of every ten Stones fans would choose The Sect over England’s Newest Hitmakers, 12x5, or The Rolling Stones Now (or their UK equivalents). Like those albums, this album is chock full of covers of Bo Diddley, Jimmy Reed, and Chuck Berry, revved up to levels that only the best amphetamine junkies can muster.

Still need proof of the awesomeness of this band? When punk rock hit ten years later, most of the band went into the studio to record under the name F.U.2. The resulting album, Punk Rock, is as blistering as any of the “real” punk bands of the time.

Live Ledge #111: Jukebox

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sat, 11 May 2013 03:23:00 +0000

It's one of the most beautiful combination of noises a music fan can experience. Standing in front of the ageing monstrosity of a machine, the quarters are dropped. Cling! Cling! Cling!
The credits roll up as you take a look at the seemingly endless possibilities. Wait, THAT song is available? No fucking way! You quickly are down to one last choice, but you're torn three or four different ways. You haven't heard this one in forever, yet this other one is your favorite song in the world. Or...if you pick this one certain track that you would never otherwise even consider, maybe just maybe a certain person will reward you with a kiss. Or more.
Of course, that's the song you go with, and the noisy mechanism under the glass starts sliding over to your selection. The way it makes the entire machine shake indicates that this machine means business. It suddenly stops, causing one last massive wobble, and you hear the squeak as the arm pulls the record out of the library.
A low hum is the next sound you hear as the motor that powers the turntable comes on. The record is already spinning as you hear the thud of the needle touching the record. A crackle or two is also present as the needle searches for the groove.
Then it begins. Those with superior ears may wince as they hear the flaws in the vinyl, the lack of stereo separation, or the missing sound frequencies, but it sounds like heaven to you. All of those instruments and voices that can be individually heard on a modern surround sound system merge together into one giant Phil Spector-ish cacophony of noise.
Yet the song has never sounded better to you. It moves you in a way that you feel not only in your ears but your gut and heart. Even the most romantic ballad has balls, and the greatest rock 'n' roll band in the world could recreate the power of the more upbeat tunes. (Yes, even the Stones at their 1973 finest.) You want the moment to last forever, and for a few seconds you even forget that girl that inspired you to pick this track. Yet you are now ready for her. More ready than you ever have been before.
Tonight's show is all about those sounds, feelings, and even that smell. Trust me, there are only a couple of fragrances greater than a jukebox whose inner electronics has been smoldering for the last two hours. Instead of an iTunes playlist or another sort of computerized broadcaster, my Seeburg jukebox provides tonight's soundtrack.
It could have easily been a technological disaster, as I had to navigate multiple mics that I prayed were set and pointed at the correct spots. Yes, some records sound better than others, especially given the fact that many of tonight's selections originated at garage sales and Goodwill. Others came from buddies by the names of Craig, Jim, Jon, Drazzle, and Mikeyboy. Some have never been played, while overplay has created flaws in others.
Honestly, though, tonight's show sounds better than it has any right to sound. I was pleasantly surprised as I did a touch of editing. Grab it now and I almost guarantee that you'll now understand why this fifty year-old machine was my best purchase in years.

DOWNLOAD/STREAM BY CLICKING HERE!!!

1. Bobby Fuller, I Fought the Law
2. The Undertones, Teenage Kicks
3. Jesus and Mary Chain, Head On
4. The Stooges, No Fun
5. Black Keys, No Fun
6. The Replacements, Can't Hardly Wait (Drazzle request)
7. Grandpaboy, I Want My Money Back
8. Spooks EP (featuring Curtiss A and Slim Dunlap)
9. Suburbs, World War III EP (King Bubba request)
10. Husker Du, Statues
11. Grant Hart, So Far From Heaven
12. Sugar, A Good Idea
13. Myron Lee & The Caddies, Homicide
14. No Direction, Where's the Beach
15. PIL, Public Image
16. Ramones, I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend
17. Dogmatics, Gimme the Shakes
18. Plimsouls, A Million Miles Away (King Bubba request)
19. The Real Kids, All Kindsa Girls
20. Tommy Keene, Back to Zero now
21. Big Star, September Gurls
22. Cramps, Can Your Pussy Do the Dog?
23. Sonics, Have Love Will Travel
24. Supersuckers, 400 Bucks
25. Black Flag, TV Party
26. Bad Brains, Pay to Cum
27. The Jam, Going Underground
28. The Kinks, I'm Not Like Everybody Else

It's Only Jukebox Music

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Fri, 10 May 2013 00:25:00 +0000

Tomorrow night is a very special Live Ledge, as my jukebox will be the source of the entire two-hour show! Tune it to realpunkradio at 6 PM CT to hear what could easily be a technological disaster! Here are the potential choices for the night, and feel free to make some requests!

A1. Grant Hart, So Far From Heaven
B1. Grant Hart, Morning Star

A2. Bob Mould, See a Little Light
B2. Bob Mould, All Those People Know

A3. Sugar, A Good Idea
B3. Sugar, Slick

A4. Replacements, Can't Hardly Wait
B4. Replacements, Date to Church

A5. Replacements, Kiss Me On the Bus
B5. Replacements, Little Mascara

A6. Replacements, Alex Chilton/Nightclub Jitters
B6. Replacements, Election Day/Route 66

A7. Grandpaboy, I Want My Money Back
B7. Grandpaboy, Undone

A8. Black Flag, TV Party
B8. Black Flag, I've Got To Run/My Rules

C1. Husker Du, Statues
D1. Husker Du, Amusement

C2. Husker Du, Writer's Cramp
D2. Husker Du, Let's Go Die

C3. Husker Du, Makes No Sense At All
D3. Husker Du, Love Is All Around

C4. The Suburbs, Memory/Go/Stereo/Teenage Run-In/Chemistry Set
D4. The Suburbs, Your Phone/Couldn't Care Less/You/Prehistoric Jews

C5. Spooks, Fun Is Everything/Sinister Forces
D5. Spooks, Eye Eye/Laugh It Up/Scum of the Earth

C6. Graham Parker, Local Girls
D6. Graham Parker, I Want You Back

C7. Graham Parker, Stupefaction
D7. Graham Parker, Women in Charge

C8. Bad Brains, Pay to Cum
D8. Bad Brains, Stay Close to Me

E1. PIL, Public Image
F1. PIL, Cowboy Song

E2. Stooges, No Fun
F2. Black Keys, No Fun

E3. Paul Revere & the Raiders, Louie Louie
F3. Paul Revere & the Raiders, Louie Go Home

E4. Black Lips, Mama Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys
F4. Icky Blossoms, Arabian Knigh

E5. Sonics, Psycho
F5. Sonics, Have Love Will Travel

E6. Beatles, Day Tripper
F6. Beatles, We Can Work It Out

E7. Madness, Night Boat to Cairo/Deciever the Eye
F7. Madness, The Young and the Old/Don't Quote Me On That

E8. Face, Cindy Incidently
F8. Faces, Skewiff (Mend the Fuse)

G1. Ramones, I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend
H1. Ramones, Judy Is a Punk

G2. Mike Watt, Rebel Girl
H2. Mike Watt, 30 Days In the Hole

G3. Dogmatics Gimme the Shakes
H3. Dogmatics, 20 Flight Rock

G4. Dave Edmunds, Trouble Boys (Mono)
H4. Dave Edmunds, Trouble Boys (Stereo)

G5. Plimsouls, A Million Miles Away
H5. Plimsouls, I'll Get Lucky

G6. Monkees, I'm a Believer
H6. Monkees, Stepping Stone

G7. Rev. Horton Heat, Caliente
H7. Supersuckers, 400 Bucks

G8. Supersuckers, Born With a Tail
H8. Supersuckers, Are You Ready?

J1. Tommy Keene, Back to Zero Now
K1. Tommy Keene, Mr. Rowland

J2. Dwight Twilley, Girls
K2. Dwight Twilley, To Get to You

J3. Rolling Stones, Hang Fire
K3. Rolling Stones, Neighbors

J4. Joe Jackson, Is She Really Going Out With Him?
K4. Joe Jackson, (Do the) Instant Mash

J5. Ronnie Hawkins & The Hawks, Mary Lou
K5. Ronnie Hawkins & The Hawks, Need Your Lovin'

J6. Real Kids, All Kindsa Girls
K6. Real Kids, Common At Noon

J7. White Stripes, Dead Leaves & the Dirty Ground
K7. White Stripes, Stop Breaking Down

J8. Kinks, Waterloo Sunset
K8. Kinks, Dedicated Follower of Fashion

L1. The Jam, Going Underground
M1. The Jam, The Dreams of Children

L2. Pretenders, Back on the Chain Gang
M2. Pretenders, My City Was Gone

L3. Chuck Berry, Johnny B. Goode
M3. Chuck Berry, Around and Around

L4. Chocolate Watchband, In the Midnight Hour
M4. Chocolate Watchband, Psychedelic Trip

L5. The A-Bones, Miss Amanda Jones
M5. The Rotting Stumps, My Obsession

L6. Undertones, Teenage Kicks/Smarter Than You
M6. Undertones, True Confessions/Emergency Cases

L7. White Stripes, Hotel Yorba
M7. White Stripes, Rated X

L8. Kinks, Sunny Afternoon
M8. Kinks, I'm Not LIke Everybody Else

N1. Rolling Stones, If You Need Me/Empty Heart/2120 S. Michigan Ave.
P1. Rolling Stones, Confessin' the Blues/Around and Around

N2. Rolling Stones, Brown Sugar
P2. Rolling Stones, Bitch

N3. Rolling Stones, Bye Bye Johnny/Money
P3. Rolling Stones, You Better Move On/Poison Ivy

N4. Rolling Stones, Out of Time
P4. Rolling Stones, Jivin' Sister Fanny

N5. Jesus and Mary Chain, Head On
P5. Jesus and Mary Chain, I'm Glad I Never

N6. Blinding Light, Violator/Glass Bullet
P6. Blinding Light, Heads Up/New Abuse/Blowing Smoke

N7. Charles Luden, Old Man-Old Lady
P7. Charles Luden, Sioux Falls Resolution Blues

Q1. Uncle Tupelo, I Got Drunk
R1. Uncle Tupelo, Sin City

Q2. Wilbert Harrison, Kansas City
R2. Wilbert Harrison, Listen My Darling

Q3. Rod Stewart, Maggie May
R3. Rod Stewart, Reason to Believe

Q4. Bob Dylan, Times They Are A-Changing
R4. Bob Dylan, Like a Rolling Stone

Q5. Cramps, Can Your Pussy Do the Dog?
R5. Cramps, Blue Moon Baby

Q6. Janitor Bob, Clean Air
R6. Janitor Bob, Random Human Abuse

Q7. No Direction, Reagonomics
R7. No Direction, Where's the Beach

Q8. Myron Lee, Homicide
R8. Myron Lee, Aw C'mon Baby

S1. Sweet, Ballroom Blitz
T1. Sweet, Restless

S2. Tornadoes, Telstar
T2. Tornadoes, Jungle Fever

S3. Small Faces, Here Comes the Nice
T3. Small Faces, Talk to You

S4. Bobby Fuller Four, I Fought the Law
T4. Bobby Fuller Four, Little Annie Lou

S5. Uncle Tupelo, Gun
T5. Uncle Tupelo, I Wanna Destroy You

S6. T. Tex Edwards, Jekyll & Hyde
T6. T. Tex Edwards, Man From Mars

S7. Nervebreakers, Politics/My Life Is Ruined
T7. Nervebreakers, I Can't Help You/My Girlfriend Is a Rock

S8. Big Star, September Gurls
T8. Big Star, The Letter

U1. Beatles, Hey Jude
V1. Beatles, Revolution

U2. Luke the Drifter, Just Waitin'
V2. Luke the Drifter, Men With Broken Hearts

U3. Desmond Dekker, Israelites
V3. Desmond Dekker, My Precious World

U4. The Who, Won't Get Fooled Again
V4. The Who, I Don't Even Know Myself

U5. The Who, Join Together
V5. The Who, Baby Don't You Do It

U6. Nervebreakers, Girls Girls Girls
V6. Nervebreakers, I'd Much Rather Be With the Boys

U7. Nervebreakers, Hijack the Radio
V7. Nervebreakers, Why Am I So Flipped?

U8. R.E.M., Can't Get There From Here
V8. R.E.M., Bandwagon

The Walking Rock Alphabet: C

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Tue, 07 May 2013 22:29:00 +0000

Yes, it’s been a full week since my last walk. Sorry, but I do have some good excuses...namely the weather. May kicked off with a snowstorm, the latest our fine city had seen such a sight since the mid-70’s. The days following that silliness featured winter temperatures and/or rain. I had no choice but to lay around on my ass. Ok, I could have made other choices, but I had my excuse and stuck to it.

Today, though, saw the temps head back up the high 70’s, so I hit the sidewalk minutes after arriving home from work. Before I state my album of the day, though, I should explain the concept of “blog finds”. Those who listen to my podcasts are well aware of the term, but I know there’s a person or two that actually reads these self-indulgent posts that have never heard my silly little internet radio shows.

“Blog finds” is a term that I created for great musical discoveries that I’ve found on various music blogs. I have about a dozen or so sites that I check out every day that post rare or out of print albums. Some of these sites specialize in albums that have never seen a CD release, let alone a digital version. Others stick to great albums that may have been ignored upon their initial release.

Once a month, I combine the best tracks from my “blog finds” with tracks from new releases for my Friday night Live Ledge show. In fact, this past Friday was one of those shows. Throw me a bone and check it out.

My musical accompaniment today was one of these online discoveries, and truthfully I initially downloaded it because they had a song called “Angelina Jolie”. How could I not love such a song or band? When it comes to tribute songs such as this, I’ve always wondered what the song’s subject thinks about being the focus of a tune. Or does the beautiful Angelina even know it exists?

The track is by an Australian band called The Chevelles, not to be confused with the Illinois rock band Chevelle. The album is Sunseeker, and the 2002 release is actually the band’s seventh album. They initially formed in 1989, and are actually still around today.

The band’s sound is pretty straightforward - punk-influenced power pop, reminiscent of The Young Fresh Fellows. The lyrics are pretty witty, the energy never lags, and it was the perfect accompaniment for my brisk wandering. “Angelina Jolie” actually reminds me of a similar song, “Julie Francavilla”, in the mid-90’s by former North Dakotans Flop. That track, an ode to a Seattle news anchor, resonated with me as that tribute star was originally an anchor for KELO, and she even did a short interview with me about the tune for Tempest. (If only those old issues were digitally available.)

It was a perfect walk on a perfect day, and I believe (or hope) that we are finally past the idiotic weather that caused this series to be delayed for a few weeks. Look for these posts to be more regular in the days and weeks ahead.

Rural Ledge-ucation #100: Season Finale

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sun, 05 May 2013 16:36:00 +0000

As announced a few weeks ago, the Sunday morning show is taking a summer hiatus. With this episode being number one hundred, it seemed like a perfect spot to stop the show. The reason for the hiatus is simple - time is tight these days, especially with the new writing gig, and I need a little bit of the weekend to myself. The show will return in the fall, and there will undoubtedly be a special broadcast or two throughout the summer.
If this is the last one, though, I needed something special. What better way for me to end then with an all-bootleg, all-acoustic show devoted to Paul Westerberg? This morning's show goes all the way back to his first solo performance at First Avenue in 1982 up to one of his last public performances at the same venue for a Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame filming. The sound quality varies, but I love every second of these performances.
Grab this one via iTunes, Stitcher, or...

DIRECTLY DOWNLOAD/STREAM BY CLICKING HERE!!!

1. If Only You Were Lonely
2. I'm In Trouble
3. Nobody
4. Love Untold
5. Things
6. It's a Wonderful Lie
7. I'll Be You
8. I Will Dare
9. Skyway
10. Here Comes a Regular
11. Everyone's Stupid
12. Born For Me
13. Crackle and Drag
14. Waitress in the Sky
15. Treatment Bound

Live Ledge #110: May Finds

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sat, 04 May 2013 01:40:00 +0000

Another month has commenced, so it is once again time for a new release/blog finds episode. Today's show is extremely varied, and includes novelty tunes, covers, indie, punk, and so much more. We discuss (and dismiss) the new Black Flag tune, express joy over the new Songs For Slim tunes, and also include new releases by Guided By Voices, Iggy and the Stooges, The Melvins, and Frank Turner.
You can find this show, and the rest of The Ledge catalog, in the iTunes store, Stitcher, The Ledge android/iphone app, or...

DIRECTLY STREAM/DOWNLOAD BY CLICKING HERE!!!

1. Elizabeth R, God Save The Sex Pistols
2. The Monks, Johnny B. Rotten
3. Paul Jones, Pretty Vacant
4. The Vacants, Beat On The Brat
5. The Water Pistols, Gimme That Punk Junk
6. Ian Rubbish, Maggie Thatcher
7. Ian Rubbish, Living In the Gutter
8. Frank Turner, Losing Days
9. April March & The Makers, Try to Cry
10. Tommy Keene, Nowheres Near (with R. Walt Vincent)
11. Lucinda Williams, Partners In Crime
12. Tim O'Reagan & Jim Boquist, Cozy Songs
13. The Minus 5 feat. Curtiss A, Rockin' Here Tonight
14. Black Lips, Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys
15. Art Brut, Her Majesty
16. Man or Astro-Man?, Communication Breakdown Part II
17. The Del Lords, When the Drugs Kick In
18. Black Flag, Down In the Dirt
19. Sloan, Nervous Breakdown
20. Sloan, Catalina
21. AM Stereo, Any Enemy
22. Iggy and The Stooges, Sex & Money
23. Melvins, Attitude
24. Guided By Voices, Xeno Pariah
25. Deerhunter, Leather Jacket II
26. The Cramps, Twist And Shout
27. The Lyres, Have Love Will Travel
28. Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Rebel Rebel
29. The Vice Principals, Glad All Over
30. The So So Glos, We Got The Days
31. Zero Boys, Livin' In The 80's
32. Dodge Main, I Got A Right
33. The Suburbs, Memory
34. The Vertebrats, Diamonds In The Rough

The Walking Rock Alphabet: B

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 22:24:00 +0000

After missing a perfect opportunity for a walk due to a writing deadline, I just had to make it out today. Not only was it a perfect day with temps approaching 80, but the rest of the week looks dismal. Within 48 hours, it’s going to be back in the 30’s, and there’s even talk of a May snow event. I had to get some exercise while I can!

My music choice for the day is a band whose fourth album is one of the highlights of this year...yet an album that I had already pretty much forgotten. Released at the beginning of February, the fourth self-titled album by The Bronx is living proof that raging punk rock is still alive and well. There’s nothing subtle about this L.A. band’s approach - it’s loud, driving, and never lets up.

Actually, though, that last fact is my only issue with the band. Outside of a forgettable power ballad, “Life Less Ordinary’, towards the end of the album, there’s little sonic variety. This is tempered, however, by the simple fact that there are no tracks that I can call “bad”. It’s sort of like the issue I have with Social Distortion. You can enjoy any individual track from any of the 90’s Social D albums, but it gets a bit tedious to sit through an entire album.

Despite my minor criticism, this was a perfect album to push me on a lethargic afternoon. My body was screaming for the couch, but songs like “Ribcage” and “Too Many Devils” kept me at a brisk pace.

Rural Ledge-ucation #99: Cowpunk

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 16:40:00 +0000

The death of George Jones has led to a weekend of heavy thinking. Scary, I know. His death, combined with quite a few recent interviews with musicians who found new inspiration in "looking back", caused me to think about my own musical timeline. How did I go from the Ramones and Sex Pistols to George, Johnny, and Merle?
Like too much of my musical heritage, it all dates back to my 80's college radio days. Along with the typical mainstays of that era were a number of bands attempting to bridge the gap between punk rock and country music. Some of these bands were called "cowpunk"; others were connected to the L.A. "paisley underground" scene. Many were just not afraid to show their supposedly uncool roots.
Today's show gathers a number of bands that loosely fit these descriptions. Beginning and ending with tracks from Elvis Costello's most "shocking" album, Almost Blue, this morning's show meanders around the country, including Los Angeles, Minneapolis, and even Missouri.
As announced a few weeks ago, this is the second-to-last Rural Ledge episode before the summer hiatus. Next week's "season finale" may shape up to be an all-request show. If you have something you'd like me to play, leave a comment or head over to my Facebook with your suggestion. Until then, download this episode via iTunes, Stitcher, or...

DIRECTLY STREAM/DOWNLOAD BY CLICKING HERE!!!

1. Elvis Costello & The Attractions, Good Year For The Roses
2. Jason & The Scorchers, Broken Whiskey Glass
3. Rank And File, Amanda Ruth
4. Camper Van Beethoven, Ambiguity Song
5. X, The New World
6. The Knitters, Call Of The Wreckin' Ball
7. The Blasters, Long White Cadillac
8. Los Lobos, Shakin' Shakin' Shakes
9. The Long Ryders, 10-5-60
10. The Beat Farmers, Powderfinger
11. Dream Syndicate, Slide Away
12. Green On Red, Keep On Moving
13. The Jayhawks, Falling Star
14. Tex & The Horseheads, I´ll Quit Tomorrow
15. Uncle Tupelo, Whiskey Bottle
16. Elvis Costello & The Attractions, Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down

The Walking Rock 'n' Roll Alphabet: A

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 22:01:00 +0000

Hi kids, I’m back! After a long, long winter that took out of a good portion of spring, I am finally ready to wander around my neighborhood listening to good old rock ‘n’ roll.

The format will be the same as last fall’s outings. As often as possible, I’ll head out of my house and listen to an entire album. On this round, we’ll again go through the alphabet of band names. I’ll also try as hard as possible to not repeat bands from my earlier run through the alphabet, but some letters (q, x, z) create some problems.

It’s almost a surprise that I even made it out today. Just four days ago, my little city had a bit of a min-blizzard, which culminated a wild three weeks of rain, snow, and collapsing trees. But when yesterday’s temperature hovered around 70, I had no more excuses.

It was even warmer today, and there was no wind. After completing a phone interview for my next newspaper article, I ran through my stretches and headed out the door.

My album for the day was a recent acquisition recommended by my good buddy (and fellow alphabet walker) Jason. Last week’s Live Ledge was devoted to Boston bands, and Jason had sent me a list of recent releases.

One of these new bands was AM Stereo, a group that reportedly consists of “lawyers, architects, administrators, and family men by day”. As I listened to their most recent album, When You Wish Upon a Bar, I would have never guessed these fellows are of the professional nature as the lyrics of their self-proclaimed “disaster rock” consists almost entirely of decadent behavior. Booze, powders, and questionable decisions (but little regrets) are the major point of almost every track.

It’s pretty clear that these folks own not only a few Crazy Horse albums but the entire Twin Tone catalog. Any fans of the Replacements, Magnolias, and Soul Asylum will love this band, especially as they sort of update their sound with a splash of late 90’s Superchunk.

This was the perfect choice for my return to the mean sidewalks of southeast Sioux Falls, as the 37 minutes just flew by. In fact, I was so enthralled I misjudged my distance and ended up having to replay a couple of tracks. Ooops!

It was a sweaty outing, though, as my body is definitely used to 20 degree weather. I think it’s time to just veg out on my deck with some strawberry-flavored water out of my infusion pitcher!

Live Ledge #109: George Jones

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 01:33:00 +0000

Music fans woke up to tragic news this morning as word came out that iconic country singer George Jones had died at the age of 81. While there is no official cause of death at this time of writing, he had been admitted to the hospital last week with fever and irregular blood pressure.
I could attempt to wax poetic on George's great life, but many others have been doing a wonderful job today that I could never come close to matching. There will also be more ahead in the days to come.
Instead, I did the only thing I could do in his memory. The first part of today's show was devoted to George, and included a couple of his early rockabilly recordings under the name of Thumper Jones. There's also a whole set of cover tunes by the likes of the Nervebreakers and Jason and the Scorchers.
Besides the tracks devoted to Mr. Jones, the rest of the show primarily dealt with various birthdays and anniversaries in music history. We celebrated the birthday of Replacements' drummer Chris Mars, and the 37th anniversary of the first Ramones album. We had a tribute to the 22nd anniversary of the death of legendary guitarist Johnny Thunders. Besides many other sets of that sort, there's also quite a few Record Store Day tracks that didn't fit last Sunday's Rural Ledge-ucation.
Download this one now! It may be the most varied show of the whole catalog! Grab it from the usual sources, or...

DIRECTLY STREAM/DOWNLOAD BY CLICKING HERE!!!

1. Elvis Costello & George Jones, Stranger in the House
2. Thumper Jones (George Jones), How Come It
3. Thumper Jones (George Jones), Rock It
4. Jason & the Scorchers, Why Baby Why
5. Waco Brothers, White Lightning
6. Meat Puppets, Burn The Honky-Tonk Down
7. Nervebreakers, The Race is on
8. Chris Mars, Bullshit Detector
9. The Replacements, Radio Hook Word Hit
10. Brother Brick, Color Me Impressed
11. Public Image Ltd., Public Image
12. Superchunk, Void
13. Misfits, Skulls
14. Lemonheads, Skulls
15. Chris Bell, I Am The Cosmos (Movie Mix, 2012)
16. R.E.M., Strange
17. Titus Andronicus, (I've Got A) Date Tonight
18. The Fall, Sir William Wray
19. Babyshambles, Fuck Forever
20. The Libertines, Boys In The Band
21. The Rolling Stones, Sway (No-Overdubs)
22. Iggy and The Stooges, Burn
23. Sex Pistols, (I'm Not Your) Stepping Stone
24. The 101'ers, Keys To Your Heart (Version 1)
25. The Small Faces, Watcha Gonna Do About It (Saturday Club 23-8-65)
26. New York Dolls, Looking For A KIss
27. Johnny Thunders, Pills (Live)
28. The Heartbreakers, Born to Lose
29. The Ramones, I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend
30. The Ramones, Judy Is A Punk
31. The Ramones, Let's Dance
32. Toxic Candy Bars, Dancing Barefoot
33. Shark Week, Be My Baby
34. Tied For Last, Pleasant Valley Sunday

Rural Ledge-ucation #98: Record Store Day

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 16:36:00 +0000

For the third straight year, I have gathered together some of my Record Store Day finds to create a show that samples the good side of this biannual event. Not that everything is peachy with this day, though. There are some issues that Record Store Day board members need to discuss to ensure that those who truly desire a RSD release actually can get their hands on one. You can find more on that rant by heading over to my Argus Leader blog.
Today's show also includes the latest installment of the Songs For Slim benefit series. Instead of an ebay auction, this release was timed for Record Store Day, and select stores in Minneapolis received signed copies. It's also one of the best releases of the series, featuring The Minus 5 and Curtiss A covering Slim's "Rockin' Here Tonight", with a b-side of Tim O'Reagan and Jim Boquist (plus some special help from Paul Westerberg) performing an exquisite version of Dunlap's "Cozy".
Record Store Day shouldn't just be a one day event. Support your indie stores all year long! Now download this show from the usual online spots, or...

DIRECTLY STREAM/DOWNLOAD BY CLICKING HERE!!!

1. Bob Dylan, Thirsty Boots
2. Tim O'Reagan & Jim Boquist, Cozy
3. The Minus Five Feat. Cutiss A, Rockin' Here Tonight
4. Old 97's & Waylon Jennings, Iron Road
5. Elliott Smith, Alameda (alternate version)
6. Shearwater and Sharon Van Etten, Stop Draggin' My Heart Around
7. Ty Segall, The Motivator
8. Sonny & The Sunsets Imagine
9. R.E.M., So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry)
10. The Rolling Stones, Around And Around
11. Calexico, Fortune Teller
12. Superchunk, Faith
13. The Thermals, The Sword By My Side (demo)
14. Best Coast, Fear My Own Identity
15. Big Star, September Gurls (Movie Mix, 2012)

Live Ledge #108: Dear Boston

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 02:51:00 +0000

After the events of this past Monday, putting on a show devoted to Boston's music scene was a no-brainer. At the time, it was meant to be a love letter of sorts, celebrating 50 years of seminal rock, garage, punk, and college rock.
The chaos and violence of last night, combined with Wednesday's tragedy in Texas, put a different spin on tonight's show. Suddenly, the mood was part anger, part resignation. Was the world coming to an end?
To add to those conflicting feelings, shortly before the show started it was reported that the second suspect had been discovered hiding under a boat. Throughout the show, I was checking on traditional and new media sources as to what was going on.
Then it happened. Just a few minutes before I was to go into a set consisting of the Dropkick Murphys, Street Dogs, and Mighty Mighty Bosstones, word started filtering from those listening to police scanners that the suspect had been caught. This news brought a new meaning to the airing of "Dear Boston", and the mood was much lighter for the remainder of the show.
In fact, the mood had lightened enough that I decided to go long tonight, so this show is a 2 1/2 hour extravaganza featuring forty different Boston bands. Well, truthfully, 39 of them are from Boston. The 40th, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, was included because of their cover of the traditional Red Sox anthem, "Sweet Caroline".
Download this special broadcast, and pour yourself a nice strong drink as you rock along with that legendary city. Grab it at the usual spots, or...

DIRECTLY DOWNLOAD/STREAM BY CLICKING HERE!!!

1. Me First And The Gimme Gimmes, Sweet Caroline
2. The Standells, Dirty Water
3. Dick Dale & His Deltones, Jungle Fever
4. The Ramrods, Night Ride
5. The Remains, Don't Look Back
6. The Barbarians, Are You A Boy Or Are You A Girl
7. Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers, New England
8. The Cars, Just What I Needed (Demo)
9. Aerosmith, Come Together
10. The J. Geils Band, Looking For A Love
11. Pernice Brothers, One Foot In The Grave
12. Galaxie 500, Fourth Of July
13. Scruffy the Cat, My Baby She's Allright
14. Bill Janovitz, Rounding Third
15. Pixies, Wave Of Mutilation
16. Throwing Muses, Bright Yellow Gun
17. Juliana Hatfield, My Sister
18. The Lemonheads, Luka
19. Gang Green, Voices Carry
20. Big Dipper, She's Fetching
21. The Del Fuegos, Nervous and Shakey
22. The Cavedogs, Tayter Country
23. The Real Kids, Can't Talk To That Girl
24. Soccer Mom, A Canoe Shy
25. Young Adults, College Rock
26. AM Stereo, That's High School
27. The Dirty Truckers, Feedback
28. Shepherdess, Blackout
29. The Neats, Another Broken Dream
30. The Dogmatics, Gimme The Shakes
31. Volcano Suns, Polythene Pam/Greasy Spine
32. Mission Of Burma, Anti Aircraft Warning
33. Dropkick Murphys, For Boston
34. Street Dogs, Punk Rock And Roll
35. The Outlets, Best Friends
36. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, This List
37. Dinosaur Jr., The Wagon
38. Sebadoh, Gimme Indie Rock
39. The Neighborhoods, No Place Like Home
40. The Lyres, Don't Give It Up Now

Rural Ledge-ucation #97: More 1982

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 16:48:00 +0000

Yep, it's another continuation of Friday's show. Nothing but tracks from 1982 that didn't get aired or didn't really fit that show. There's some jangly pop, synth-ish so-called "new wave", and even a "divorce" track. The chat seemed to enjoy it, so you should also check it out!
Grab it via iTunes, stitcher, or...

DIRECTLY STREAM/DOWNLOAD BY CLICKING HERE!!!

1. The Clash, Straight To Hell
2. Cheap Trick, She's Tight
3. The Producers, She Sheila
4. The dB's, Amplifier
5. Wire Train, She Comes On
6. Jason & The Scorchers, Broken Whiskey Glass
7. Dream Syndicate, Tell Me When It's Over
8. X, The Hungry Wolf
9. R.E.M., Gardening At Night
10. Richard Hell & The Voidoids, The Kid With The Replaceable Head
11. Devo, Peek-A-Boo
12. XTC, Senses Working Overtime
13. The Monochrome Set, Fun For All The Family
14. Graham Parker & The Rumour, Temporary Beauty
15. Dave Edmunds, From Small Things Big Things Come
16. Nick Lowe, Heart
17. Squeeze, Annie Get Your Gun
18. The Spongetones, She Goes Out With Everybody
19. Richard & Linda Thompson, Shoot Out The Lights

Live Ledge #107: 1982 (Again)

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 01:38:00 +0000

Ok, I'm an idiot. We can all agree on that. Tonight's theme, though, may have been one of my most idiotic...but I have an excuse, and it turned out for the better.
Earlier this week, Slicingeyeballs commenced on a poll to come up with the best album of 1982. I immediately jumped straight out of my chair and decided that this would be a perfect format for a show!
Sure it would be...last year. Which I did. To do a 1982-themed show in 2013 is idiotic, though. Unfortunately, that lightbulb didn't come on until after I had pulled 40 or so potential songs for the show. So I decided to go with it anyway. I also didn't take a peak at last year's version of the show. I'm sure there are a few duplicates, but I think I can get away with repeating a few tracks once a year. Right? Tell me I'm ok with doing this!
The show ended up being fun, and after a week of falling trees and power lines, it was a nice release. I do talk about the inferno of ice that fell on our city this week, along with a few other topics.
Next week I will have a more properly-timed theme - songs from 1983!!! Contact me with suggestions!
So get this from the usual channels, or...

DIRECTLY STREAM/DOWNLOAD BY CLICKING HERE!!!

1. INXS Don't Change
2. The Cure, One Hundred Years
3. Bauhaus, Third Uncle
4. The Psychedelic Furs, President Gas
5. The English Beat, Save It For Later
6. Elvis Costello & The Attractions, Man Out Of Time
7. Lords Of The New Church, Open Your Eyes
8. The Jam, The Bitterest Pill
9. The Fleshtones, The Girl from Baltimore
10. The Nelsons, Sister Sister
11. The Beat, The Kids Are The Same
12. Translator, Everywhere That I'm Not
13. Holly and Joey, I Got You Babe
14. Josie Cotton, Johnny, Are You Queer?
15. The Plimsouls, A Million Miles Away
16. The Replacements, Go
17. Husker Du, Everything Falls Apart
18. Crash Street Kids, Little Girls
19. The Suburbs, Waiting
20. The Business, Get Out While You Can
21. Crass, The Greatest Working Class Rip-Off
22. The Adicts, Shake Rattle Bang Your Head
23. Zero Boys, Livin' In The 80's
24. Fear, I Love Livin' In The City
25. Bad Religion, Fuck Armageddon...This Is Hell
26. Angry Samoans, They Saved Hitler's Cock
27. Dead Kennedys, Bleed For Me
28. Descendents, Bikeage
29. Mission Of Burma, That's How I Escaped My Certain Fate
30. Circle Jerks, Just Like Me

Rural Ledge-ucation #96: More New Finds

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 16:36:00 +0000

Like always, when Friday night's Live Ledge is new releases and blog finds, the Sunday show follows the same format. There are two tracks from Steve Earle's upcoming record, The Low Highway, along with tunes from brand new albums by Billy Bragg, The Wonder Stuff, House of Love, and many others.
There's also a big announcement about the future of Rural Ledge-ucation. Partly because of my new gig with the local paper, along with a few other factors, the Sunday morning show will be going on a hiatus in a few weeks. The current plan is to shut it down after the 100th episode, and bring it back in September. Friday's Live Ledge will carry on as normal, though.
Download this episode via the various online spots, or...

DIRECTLY DOWNLOAD/STREAM BY CLICKING HERE!!!

1. Jake Bugg, Two Fingers
2. Steve Earle & The Dukes (and Duchesses), Calico County
3. Steve Earle & The Dukes (and Duchesses), Love's Gonna Blow My Way
4. Billy Bragg, January Song
5. Billy Bragg, I Ain't Got No Home
6. The House of Love, Money Man
7. The Wonder Stuff, Save It for Later
8. Edwyn Collins, Too Bad (That's Sad)
9. Jello Biafra and the Guantanamo School of Medicine, Burgers of Wrath (Slight Rural Extension)
10. Dawn McCarthy & Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Somebody Help Me
11. The Hillbilly Moon Explosion, Drive This Truck No More
12. Pickwick, Halls Of Columbia
13. Nouvelle, Guns of Brixton
14. Gene Clark, White Light
15. Tim Christensen, Too Many People

Live Ledge #106: New Finds

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 01:44:00 +0000

It's become a monthly ritual to have a show devoted to new releases. Tonight is the night, as Live Ledge premieres brand new tunes by Jello Biafra, Limozine, Mudhoney, The Hillbilly Moon Explosion, and many more. Plus, there are a bunch of "blog finds", including some great garage/power pop tracks by The Yum Yums, Messerschmitt, Dogs, and The Spoons.
But that's not all. There's a tribute of sorts to commemorate the 19th anniversary of Kurt Cobain's death, and the recent posting on Dangerous Minds of isolated tracks from The Clash's "Safe European Home" are played and discussed.
Grab this show in iTunes (and please leave a review), Stitcher, my Ledge app, or...

DIRECTLY DOWNLOAD/STREAM BY CLICKING HERE!!!

1. Keith Richards, Can You Hear Me Knocking (Guitar Only)
2. Nouvelle, Teenage Kicks
3. Nouvelle, Too Drunk To Fuck
4. Kate Nash, Sister
5. The Chevelles, Angelina Jolie
6. The Men, The Seeds
7. The Thermals, Born To Kill
8. Telekinesis, Empathetic People
9. Thee Oh Sees, Toe Cutter - Thumb Buster
10. Titus Andronicus, Breed
11. Surfer Blood, Territorial Pissings
12. Deervana, Been A Son
13. The Clash, Safe European Home
14. Messerschmitt, Jumpin Jack Flash
15. Milkshakes, Hippy Hippy Shake
16. The Mummies, I'm Down
17. The Spoons, Have Love Will Travel
18. Rivals, Here Comes the Night
19. Dogs, (I'd Go the) Whole Wide World
20. Jello Biafra and the Guantanamo School of Medicine, Werewolves of Wall Street
21. Wire, As We Go
22. Mudhoney, I Don't Remember You
23. Limozine, Balls Hot Mamma
24. The Great Dismal Swamis, Painting with the Missing Eyes
25. Dead Ghosts, I Want You Back
26. The Peacocks, It's All a Lot of Bollocks
27. The Hillbilly Moon Explosion, Motorhead Girl
28. Wavves, Gimme A Knife
29. Sweet Talk, Put You Right Back
30. The Yum Yums, Be My Baby

Rural Ledge-ucation #95: More Then And Now

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 22:20:00 +0000

It's pretty self-explanatory. This morning's show is a continuation of Friday's Live Ledge. Two tracks per band; one old and one relatively new. The only difference is the Sunday morning show is MUCH quieter than Friday's.
The highlight is the debut of a brand new track from Steve Earle's upcoming album, The Low Highway. Set to be released on April 16, in my opinion it is his best album in over a decade. Expect to hear more from it next week on the new release episode of Rural Ledge-ucation!
Turn off your TV, and listen to this fun show as you devour your Easter candy. You can nab it in the iTunes store, Stitcher, or...

DIRECTLY DOWNLOAD/STREAM BY CLICKING HERE!!!

1. Son Volt, Lookin' At The World Through A Windshield
2. Son Volt, Wild Side
3. Steve Earle, You're Still Standin' There
4. Steve Earle & The Dukes (and Duchesses), Burnin' It Down
5. Dale Watson, Down Down Down Down Down
6. Dale Watson & Lone Stars, I Lie When I Drink
7. Billy Bragg, Greetings to the New Brunette
8. Billy Bragg, No One Knows Nothing Anymore
9. Josh Rouse, Dressed Up Like Nebraska
10. Josh Rouse, Simple Pleasure
11. Eels, Dirty Girl
12. Eels, Kinda Fuzzy
13. Phosphorescent, I Gotta Get Drunk
14. Phosphorescent, Song for Zula
15. Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians, Tell Me About Your Drugs
16. Robyn Hitchcock, I Love You

Live Ledge #105: Then And Now

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 01:37:00 +0000

It's such an obvious topic, why didn't I do it before? Take a band that has a current (or semi-current) album out, and play a track not only from that record but from another older album. "Then And Now" may have been the easiest show to ever put together! Some of the tracks differ by decades (Bad Brains, Bowie); others by just a couple of years (Biters, Telekinesis), but the concept is the same.
Plus, I babble about a couple of topics, including the exciting news this week from Tommy Stinson. When asked by Melissa Locker about how much he enjoyed recording the tracks for the Songs For Slim EP, he had this to say:

It was so much fun that we talked about doing it again with some original material. In fact, when I get done with this GnR tour, I’m booking a flight to Minneapolis and doing that. Putting some songs down, but not getting stuck on making record — seeing what comes out of it. Neither one of us feels the pressure to become the Replacements again, although we talk about it.

Great news, right? Let's hope it actually works out.
Find this fun show at the usual spots, or...

DIRECTLY STREAM/DOWNLOAD BY CLICKING HERE!!!

What did you think of tonight's show? Was the concept worth doing again? Do you have any ideas for future shows? Most importantly, would you consider hitting that donate button on the side of the page? Comment away, bitches!

1. Guided By Voices, I Am A Scientist
2. Guided By Voices, She Lives In An Airport
3. David Bowie, Life On Mars?
4. David Bowie, The Stars (Are Out Tonight)
5. The Strokes, Last Night
6. The Strokes, All The Time
7. Redd Kross, Linda Blair
8. Redd Kross, Researching the Blues
9. Telekinesis, Look To The East
10. Telekinesis, Power Lines
11. Chris Mars, Popular Creeps
12. The Replacements, Radio Hook Word Hit
13. The Replacements, I Hate Music
14. The Replacements, I'm Not Sayin'
15. Hüsker Dü, Chartered Trips
16. Bob Mould, The Descent
17. Soul Asylum, Chains
18. Soul Asylum, Let's All Kill Each Other
19. Pedal Jets, A Certain Sunday
20. Pedal Jets, Terra Nova
21. Biters, Hang Around
22. Biters, Oh Yea(The Bitch Wants More)
23. Dinosaur Jr., Freak Scene
24. Dinosaur Jr., Don't Pretend You Didn't Know
25. Mudhoney, Touch Me I'm Sick
26. Mudhoney, Douchebags on Parade
27. Bad Brains, Pay To Cum
28. Bad Brains, Youth Of Today
29. U.K. Subs, Tomorrow's Girls
30. U.K. Subs, Las Vegas Wedding
31. Wire, Ex Lion Tamer
32. Wire, Adore Your Island
33. Bad Religion, White Trash (Second Generation)
34. Bad Religion, Past Is Dead

Rural Ledge-ucation #94: Country

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 16:40:00 +0000

With Friday's show being nothing but songs about rock 'n' roll, I attempted to do a similar thing today with country. A companion piece of sorts. Unfortunately, my library didn't completely accommodate this idea. Yes, there were a ton of songs with the word "country" in it, but not that many were really about country music.
That means today's show is not only a bit shorter than usual, but also contains some songs that don't completely fit the format. This doesn't mean it's not a worthy show to check out. It's actually one of the most varied Sunday morning shows in a long, long time, with tracks that date all the way back to the 20's, along with some current alt-rock, Americana, and singer-songwriter tracks.
This show can be found in the usual online spots, or...

DIRECTLY DOWNLOAD/STREAM BY CLICKING HERE!!!

1. Neil Young, Are You Ready For The Country?
2. Lloyd Cole & The Commotions, Why I Love Country Music
3. R.E.M., Country Feedback
4. The Bottle Rockets, Lawd I'm Just A Country Boy In This Great Big Freaky City
5. Pastor Dean, Country Song
6. Hank Williams III, Country Heroes
7. The Mekons, Country
8. JD McPherson, Country Boy
9. Josh Ritter, A Country Song
10. The Rolling Stones, Country Honk
11. Glenn Reeves, Rockin' Country Style
12. Johnny Otis, Crazy Country Hop
13. Jimmy Swan, Country Cattin'
14. Henry Thomas, Old Country Stomp
15. Dock Boggs, Country Blues
16. Neil Young, Get Back To The Country

Live Ledge #104: Rock!

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 03:44:00 +0000

Talk about an obvious topic! Why in the world didn't I do a show like this before? The concept is simple - nothing but songs about rock 'n' roll! One caveat, though. There are no songs that substitute the word "rock" for "fuck". That's such a terrible cliche that was a staple of 80's FM playlists. It was terrible then and it's terrible now. Nope, tonight is nothing but songs that celebrate, denigrate, deny, and/or castigate that niche of music that has made me the madman that I am today.
You can find this show in iTunes, Stitcher, my Ledge android/iPhone app, or...

DIRECTLY STREAM/DOWNLOAD BY CLICKING HERE!!!

1. The Ramones, Do You Remember Rock 'N' Roll Radio?
2. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Anything That's Rock 'N' Roll
3. The Rubinoos, Rock 'n' Roll Is Dead
4. Tommy Conwell with Dipsomaniacs, Long Live Rock
5. The Velvet Underground, Rock & Roll
6. The Jesus & Mary Chain, I Hate Rock 'n' Roll
7. The Jesus & Mary Chain, I Love Rock'n'Roll
8. The Fortunate Sons, Let Me Rock
9. The Flamin' Groovies, Sweet Little Rock 'n' Roll
10. Young Fresh Fellows, Rock 'n' Roll Pest Control
11. The Beat, Rock N Roll Girl
12. Wreckless Eric, Roll Over Rock-Ola
13. Stoneage Hearts, Rock 'n' Roll Boys Rock 'n' Roll Girls
14. Vince Taylor, Twenty Flight Rock
15. The Rolling Stones, If You Can't Rock Me
16. The Loud Family, Rocks Off
17. Al Bundie's Army, It's Still Rock And Roll To Me
18. The Weirdos, Jungle Rock
19. Urchin, Rock'n'Roll Ghost
20. The Replacements, Rock and Roll All Night
21. The Nomads, Rockin' All Through The Night
22. The Supersuckers, The Evil Powers of Rock and Roll
23. The Cavestompers!, Rock'n'Roll
24. The Soft Boys, Rock 'n' Roll Toilet (Mark 2)
25. Hasil Adkins, Rock'N Roll Tonight
26. Crazy Cavan & The Rhythm Rockers, Well I'll Keep Rockin'
27. Levi & The Rockats, Room To Rock
28. The Jim Jones Revue, Rock n Roll Psychosis
29. The Bobbyteens, Rock'n'Roll Show
30. Sleater-Kinney, You're No Rock 'n Roll Fun
31. The Eyeliners, Rock-N-Roll Baby
32. Vice Squad, Rock 'n' Roll Massacre
33. The Vapids, Dee Dee King Of Rock
34. The Dictators, Who Will Save Rock And Roll