Rant-a-Bit by Scott Hudson

The Ledge #87: Mike Virus and Punk Aid

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 23:58:00 +0000

Rock 'n' roll, particularly punk rock, has always had the stereotypical cliches about unfair treatment. Movie after movie has featured rockers typecast as outsiders, hassled by parents, teachers, police, jocks, and "the man". For the most part, these portrayals have been as far away from reality as a typical episode of Glee.
Yet 35 years after the great punk rock explosion, and almost sixty years after the first big blast of rock 'n' roll, punk rockers are being targeted in certain areas of the world. All of us at Realpunkradio were shocked to read this story from Aceh, Indonesia:

"Deputy mayor Illiza Sa’aduddin Djamal says she doesn’t mind getting her hands dirty in her crusade against the punk community of Banda Aceh, proudly telling of how she has supervised police raids at cafes and city parks in recent months.
The presence of the punk community is disturbing, and disrupts the life of the Banda Aceh public,” Illiza told the Jakarta Globe.
Sixty-four young people have been held by the Aceh Police since Saturday for the supposed crime of being “punk”. They have not been charged with any crime or brought before a court.
On Tuesday afternoon, police took the detainees to the Aceh State Police camp, located in the hills 62 kilometers outside of the city, to “re-educate” them. Mohawks and dyed hair came off as police shaved the men’s heads and forced them into a lake. The women’s hair was cut short in the fashion of a female police officer.
"This is a new social disease affecting Banda Aceh. If it is allowed to continue, the government will have to spend more money to handle them,” the deputy mayor said, adding that religious scholars were assisting at the camp."

Evacuate leader Mike Virus also read this story, along with many others that detailed even worse treatment from Aceh officials, and decided he needed to do something to help. Utilizing not only his contacts from a lengthy history in punk rock but also social media, within 48 hours he gathered over 70 bands to contribute tracks to Punk Aid 2012: Aceh Calling.
The Ledge is honored to have Mike Virus on this week's show, and he gave us access to all of the tracks from Punk Aid, which will be released on March 1 via PunkAid.org. Besides chatting about his musical career and the benefit album, we sample tracks from bands that span the globe, including some brave groups from Indonesia that vow to carry on no matter the repercussions. Virus also talks about what others can do to help the situation.
This is definitely a show worth hearing, and you can stream it via Stitcher, subscribe to the show at iTunes, or directly download it HERE! This episode will also be streamed on Realpunkradio this Friday (Feb. 17) at 5 pm eastern.
Here are the tracks aired during this interview:
1. Evacuate - Aceh Calling
2. Antiseen - Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch
3. Among the Enemies - Collatoral Damage
4. Burns Like Fire - One More Shot
5. Time Square Timebomb - One Of us
6. Doggy Style - Punker's Anthem
7. Violent Affair - Social Disease
8. Your Last Rights - A Contra's Objection
9. Combat Crisis - Our City
10. The Bricks - Punx United
11. Hangover Generation - Rise Up
12. Frankenstyle - Trip to Nowhere
13. Combat 77 - Unwanted Rebels
14. Cheapness - Police Bastard
15. Brigade of Bridge - Streetpunk Tonight
16. The Oversuck - Truth Can't Be Blind
17. The Borstal - Wake Up Boys
18. Skangkots - Dance Sucka
19. Versus - DIY Or Die

The Ledge's New Home

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 02:00:00 +0000

If you've listened to the last few shows (or read the descriptions here), you've undoubtedly heard the tale about how my old podcast host, Mevio, decided to screw over hundreds of podcasters such as myself. They eventually put my show back online, but rumors continue to circulate about the future of the service.
During this time, I have spent hours and hours moving all three of my shows (including Rant a Bit and The Big Brother Gossip Show) to a new home on the expanded RealPunkRadio site. Unfortunately, iTunes does not allow you to edit the feed that is used for the shows in the iTunes store, so I have had to resubmit as a brand new show.
Earlier tonight, I discovered that the new feed has been approved. Yay! The bad news is that anybody who had previously subscribed must go HERE and resubscribe. Note that the original show is still in the iTunes store, but within a few days it will be a dead feed. While you're there, could you possibly also add a review? Even if you hate the show, a review will help me spread the word and possibly put me in the "New and Upcoming" section.
Those who have The Ledge android/iPhone app will see little change, as the new feed will be entered into the source code in the next day or so.
Thank you everybody who has listened to any of the 187 episodes...even if it's just for a minute or two!

Rural Ledge-ucation #43: Keith and Friends

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 18:26:00 +0000

During last week's episode of Rural Ledge-ucation, Drazzle mentioned that he was contemplating doing a show of all Stones covers. Since I had already done a similar show, I decided to follow up his fantastic show with a broadcast dedicated to Keith Richards rarities and collaborations. Over the years, Mr. Richards has been a helpful hired hand to tons of artists, particularly those that have also inspired him over the years. Besides some great rock 'n' roll, on this episode you'll find Keith dabbling in all of his other loves, including blues, country, and reggae.
As I stated in the Live Ledge entry, in the near future the methods of finding this show will be changing as I switch to a new feed. You can still nab this episode via iTunes, Stitcher, or directly HERE!

1. The Dirty Mac, Yer Blues
2. Ron Wood, I Can Feel The Fire
3. Ron Wood, Seven Days Gimme
4. The Faces, Sweet Little Rock and Roller
5. Keith Richards, Connection
6. keith richards, Hickory Wind
7. George Jones, Burn Your Playhouse Down
8. Marianne Faithfull, Sing Me Back Home
9. Keith Richards, Cocaine
10. Jerry Lee Lewis, That Kind Of Fool
11. Jerry Lee Lewis, Sweet Virginia
12. Keith Richards, Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On
13. Scotty Moore & DJ Fontana, Deuce and a Quarter
14. Les Paul & Friends, Good Morning Little School Girl
15. Johnnie Johnson, Key to the Highway
16. Hubert Sumlin, Still A Fool
17. Ian McLagan, Truly
18. Ronnie Spector, Work Out Fine
19. Tom Waits, That Feel
20. Keith Richards, The Harder They Come
21. Lee "Scratch" Perry, Once There's A Will There's A Way
22. Keith Richards/Toots & The Maytals, Pressure Drop
23. The Rolling Stone,s Salt Of The Earth

Live Ledge #52: Valentine Girls

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 02:47:00 +0000

Ok, there's a few items of business that needs to be discussed, but before we get to that we must talk about tonight's amphetamine-driven show. I wanted to do an anti-Valentine's Day show, but after Greg Lonesome's fabulous episode of Rock 'n' Roll Manifesto I knew I had to come up with another theme. So why not another show featuring nothing but songs about girls? Yes, it's been done before, but since the vast majority of songs are about lust and...uh, lust, it's not that hard to create more episodes with no duplication.
Before you download this episode, though, we need to chat about the future of the show. No, I'm not going away, but there are going to be some changes in the near future. You've possibly heard my bitching about Mevio, and while the show is back live on that site all of us at Realpunkradio have banded together to create our own server. For the time being, I'll be posting my shows on both Mevio and my new home (http://theledge.realpunkradio.com) but sometime in the near future the Mevio feed will go dead. When that happens, the original Ledge podcast in iTunes will not be updated. Instead, you'll have to re-sub. There will be more information here as we get close to that day. For the time being, you can still grab this episode in iTunes, stream it on Stitcher or via The Ledge android/iPhone app, or nab a direct download HERE!

1. Violent Femmes, Girl Trouble (demo)
2. The Jazz Butcher, Girlfriend
3. Big Troubles, Sad Girls
4. The Jesus & Mary Chain, Girlfriend
5. The Stitches, That Woman's Got Me Drinking
6. Untamed Youth, Hey Little Girl
7. The Mr. T Experience, Even Hitler Had A Girlfriend
8. Paul Westerberg, Another Girl, Another Planet (Live)
9. The Go, Rock'n'Roll Girl
10. The Real Kid,s All Kindsa Girls
11. The Plimsouls, Woman
12. King Louie's Missing Monuments, Girl Of The Nite
13. Jonny Chan and the New Dynasty 6, A Girl as Sweet as You
14. The Barreracudas, Girl
15. Milk 'n' Cookies, Not Enough Girls (In The World)
16. The Cynics, Get Away Girl
17. The Kwyet Kings, Self Important Girl
18. The Breakups, Everybody's Girl
19. The Crybabys, Where Have All the Good Girls Gone ?
20. Tall Boys, Action Woman
21. The Gruesomes, Stop It
22. Nikki & The Corvettes, I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend
23. The Busy Signals, Plastic Girl
24. The Brags, I Was A Girl
25. The Undertones, Girls Dont´t Like It
26. The Cramps, Give Me A Woman
27. New York Dolls, Who Are The Mystery Girls?
28. The Dictators, (I Live For) Cars And Girls
29. The Swingin' Neckbreakers, Thinkin' Man's Girl
30. The Devil Dogs, Gimme That Girl
31. The Penetrators, Little Girl
32. The Gravediggers, Hey Girl Come See Me
33. Steve Bledsoe, Too Many Girlfriends
34. Blacky Vale, If I Had Me A Woman
35. Bunker Hill, The Girl Can't Dance
36. Huntingtons, You're Gonna Kill That Girl

Rural Ledge-ucation #42: More New Stuff

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 17:26:00 +0000

Now that we're into 2012, new releases are finally beginning to make their ways into record stores, online retailers, and websites. Today's show samples a few of these recordings, along with a short tribute to Lux Interior, who died three years ago yesterday. Download this at the usual interwebs stops, or directly stream/download it HERE!

1. Wilco, Cruel to Be Kind (feat. Nick Lowe)
2. Leonard Cohen, Darkness
3. Mark Lanegan Band, Gray Goes Black
4. Dr. Dog, These Days
5. Jack White, Love Interruption
6. Nada Surf, Waiting for Something
7. John K. Samson, When I Write My Master's Thesis
8. The Cramps, It's Just That Song
9. The Cramps, Can Your Pussy Do The Dog?
10. Mike Doughty, 27 Jennifers
11. Mike Doughty, Like a Luminous Girl
12. The Rolling Stones, She's So Cold
13. The Rolling Stones, Little T&A
14. Destroyer, Leave Me Alone

Live Ledge #51: I Hate People

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 02:34:00 +0000

A busy, busy show tonight, as I bring back the Double Cover Challenge, along with celebrating the 56th birthday of X's Exene Cervenka. There's also tributes to two tragic rock 'n' roll deaths, Buddy Holly and Sid Vicioius. Add to that a discussion of the Mevio situation, along with some great (and two not-so-great) new and old tunes.
For the time being, you can still get this show via iTunes, Stitcher, or directly HERE! There will probably be an update in the next week or two on new ways to grab all of my shows.

1. The Rolling Stones, Under My Thumb
2. Mark Lanegan Band, The Gravedigger's Song
3. The Cult, Nirvana
4. Killing Joke, Eighties (live)
5. The Stooges, Down On The Street
6. T.Rex, Born To Boogie
7. Lou Reed, Satellite of Love (Live)
8. Mott The Hoople, Sweet Jane
9. David Bowie, Watch That Man
10. Personal & the Pizzas, Bored Out of My Brains
11. The Penetrators, Baby Dontcha Tell Me
12. Bare Wires, Cheap Perfume
13. Cloud Nothings, Cut You
14. X, We're Desperate
15. The Knitters, New World
16. The Knitters, Burnin' House Of Love
17. The Original Sinners, Birds & Bees
18. Buddy Holly, Rave On
19. Rockpile, Teacher Teacher
20. The Jesus & Mary Chain, I Love Rock'n'Roll
21. Sex Pistols, C'mon Everybody
22. New Bomb Turks, I Hate People
23. The Meteors, I Hate People
24. H2O, Sick Boys
25. H2O, Train In Vain
26. The Clash, Louie Louie (Sandinista Outtake)
27. The Sons Of Hercules, Easy Action
28. The Church Keys, Ramona
29. The Pretty Things, Let's Talk About Girls
30. The Swingin' Neckbreakers, The Girl Can't Dance/Look Away
31. Spazzys, I Want A Divorce
32. Pink Mink, Booby Prize
33. Supersuckers, Born With a Tail

Rural Ledge-ucation #41: Amnesty Covers Dylan

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 21:52:00 +0000

Another delayed upload, this short show takes a look at the new four-disc set of Dylan covers released last week to benefit Amnesty International. While there are some of the typical weak tunes you come to expect form these types of releases, what makes this set stand out a bit is some unique choices in not material but artist.
Please subscribe through iTunes (and leave a review), stream it via Stitcher or directly download it HERE!

1. Johnny Cash & The Avett Brothers, One Too Many Mornings
2. Patti Smith, Drifter's Escape
3. Sinead O'Conner, Property of Jesus
4. Billy Bragg, Lay Down Your Weary Tune
5. Elvis Costello, License to Kill
6. Steve Earle & Lucia Micarelli, One More Cup of Coffee (Valley Below)
7. My Morning Jacket, You're a Big Girl Now
8. Queens Of The Stone Age, Outlaw Blues
9. Flogging Molly, The Times They Are A-Changin'
10. Rise Against, Ballad Of Hollis Brown
11. My Chemical Romance, Desolation Row
12. Bad Religion, It's All Over Now, Baby Blue
13. The Gaslight Anthem, Changing of the Guards

Live Ledge #50: RIP Megaupload

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 21:59:00 +0000

Finally!

I'm sure a handful or so of you are reading this post wondering what happened to last week's Live Ledge? Surely it should have been posted by now!

Well, my Friday evening started off like normal. I did Live Ledge on realpunkradio from 6 - 8 pm. In fact, I even went a few minutes long, as my successor, Mojo Workout, had the night off. After signing off, I did a little bit of editing at the beginning and end of the show, and went to upload it.

Uh oh. For some reason, my account was listed as "suspended"! WTF?!?!? I was obviously paranoid as to exactly what I had done wrong, but over the next day I discovered that almost everybody who used the same hosting service had found similar messages.

With the help of RPR head honcho Jason Snyderman, though, I appear to be back up for the time being. My other shows, though, have yet to appear but hopefully will in the near future.

Back to this episode. A good majority of the program deal with the shutdown of the popular file sharing site Megaupload. As always, most of the music for the night consists of obscure and out of print singles and albums that can only be found on music blogs. It's my feeling that Megaupload actually serves a legitimate purpose, and is actually a very inefficient method for those who want to rip off the entertainment industry.

This show also talks a bit about Reg Presley of The Troggs, who recently announced that he was retiring the band due to the discovery of lung cancer. Known primarily for "Wild Thing", the band actually had quite a few great tunes during their mid-60's heyday.

As always (or should I say hopefully), you can find this show at the various online hideouts, or you can directly download it HERE!

1. Paul Kelly, Domestic Criminal

2. The Neighborhoods, No Place Like Home

3. Real Kids, Outta Place

4. Best Kissers In The World, Hit Parader

5. Dancing Hoods Impossible Years

6. Dimestore Darlings, Waste of Time

7. Purple Things, Wild Man

8. The Bogeymen, I'm Sure You'll Get Everything You Want

9. The Mummies, Little Miss Tee-N-T

10. Wild Giraffes, Move it on Over

11. The Penetrators, Teenage Lifestyle

12. Tranzmitors, Who's Gonna Tell Mary?

13. Replacements, Bastards Of Young

14. Hüsker Dü, Ticket to Ride

15. Soul Asylum, To Sir With Love

16. The Tired And True, I'm The One

17. Caleb Lionheart, Anchor Grill

18. Hospital Garden, I'm Not A Punk

19. Bike Tuff, When I Get Old

20. Plow, United Bikeage

21. Bouncing Souls, Pervert

22. Pavement, It's A Hectic World

23. Bunnygrunt, Silly Girl

24. The Troggs, I Can't Control Myself

25. The Troggs, 66 5 4 3 2 1

26. Sonic Youth, Is It My Body?

27. Love Battery, Mr. Soul

28. Mad Daddys, Take Me Back To Woodstock

29. Supersnazz, I Wanna Be Your Love

30. The Delinquents, Sticky Situation

31. The Launderettes, I Wanna Jump Your Bones

32. Nikki & The Corvettes, Back Seat Love

33. The Scruffs, Frozen Girls

34. Thee Oh Sees, Where the People Do Drugs

35. Suburban Studs, Suburban Stud

36. The Brags, Pretty Girls (Don't Notice Me)

37. The Waldos, Seven Day Weekend

38. The Booze, Straight To Hell

39. Cannibals, Back Door Man

40. Short Dogs Grow, Doesn't Somebody Wanna Be Wanted

41. The Mr. T Experience, Sonic Reducer

42. The Vipers, I've Got You

Rural Ledge-ucation #40: Johnny & Etta

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 18:40:00 +0000

A note to all listeners - this show almost didn't happen. The morning started like every Sunday - I woke up and headed to the coffee shop for my usual two mugs of caffeine. I headed home and set up everything for the show, and when Drazzle handed the reins over to me - NOTHING! I couldn't connect.
For once in my life, I stayed calm. I reset my modem. I restarted my laptop. Still nothing. Finally, I pulled out a few cables and rejiggered everything to load onto my other laptop, which I then was able to connect. It's rough, but the show is here!
Why go through all this trouble? Good question. I guess it's mainly because I had put together a pretty varied set for the day. Besides lengthy tributes to Johnny Otis and Etta James, including a rare bootleg duet between Etta and Bob Dylan, I also had lined up a rare cover of Ratt by Ryan Adams, and new music by Joseph Arthur, Craig Finn, and others. Plus, a great Jimmy Cliff EP where he covers Rancid and The Clash!
Download this sucka at the usual spots around the interwebs, or directly download it HERE!

1. Johnny Otis, Shake It Lucy Baby
2. Big Mama Thornton, Hound Dog
3. Johnny Otis, Willie And The Hand Jive
4. Marci Lee & Johnny Otis, Telephone Baby
5. Joseph Arthur, Travel As Equals
6. Craig Finn, When No One's Watching
7. Jimmy Cliff, Guns of Brixton
8. Jimmy Cliff, Ruby Soho
9. Chuck Berry & Etta James, Rock And Roll Music
10. Etta James, Hoochie Coochie Gal
11. Bob Dylan & Etta James, I'm A King Bee
12. Ryan Adams, Round and Round
13. Dave Davies, Hold My Hand
14. Alex Chilton, All I Really Want Is Money (Original Mono Mix)
15. The Jesus & Mary Chain, Darklands (With Strings)

Live Ledge #49: Sick & Tired

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 02:47:00 +0000

Of course, I would have to get sick the first time we actually get some real winter weather. Two days ago, I woke up with a terrible cough, which has spread to the rest of my body. I'm a trooper, though, so I made it to The Ledge studio for the 49th edition of Live Ledge. Along with brand new tunes by Craig Finn, Lucero, and many others, tonight's show featured the usual mix of old, new, blog finds, covers, and other silliness.
Along with those tunes, it was only natural that I paid tribute to two greats that we lost this past week. Blues great Etta James died earlier today, and on Tuesday the great bandleader, drummer, vocalist, and talent scout Johnny Otis passed away in his L.A. home. RIP to both, who will be greatly missed by all!
To listen to this show, you have a number of methods. The easiest is to go to iTunes and subscribe HERE! While you're at the iTunes store, why not leave a nice little review of the show? There's also a Ledge app for both Apple and Droid formats - you can nab that sucka HERE! Or head to Stitcher and stream it on any device HERE! If all of that is too confusing, you can directly download it HERE!

1. Alex Chilton, Sick And Tired
2. Craig Finn, No Future
3. Craig Finn, Terrified Eyes
4. Lucero, Sometimes
5. Pink Mink, Black Door
6. Bnlx, Color Me Impressed
7. Bnlx, I Don't Know
8. The Replacements, Hayday
9. Howler, Beach Sluts
10. The Who, Pictures Of Lily
11. The Kinks, Who'll Be The Next In Line
12. Chocolate Watch Band, I'm Not Like Everybody Else
13. The Kwyet Kings, David Watts
14. Etta James, Spoonful
15. The FEAtures, She Said Yeah
16. The Mummies, I'm Down
17. The Original Sins, Sugar Sugar
18. Fastbacks, Allison
19. The Eyeliners, Anywhere But Here
20. Sleeper Agent, Get It Daddy
21. The Muffs, Everywhere I Go
22. The Flipsides, Two Weeks
23. Guided By Voices, The Unsinkable Fats Domino
24. Personal & the Pizzas, Brain Damage
25. Cloud Nothings, Stay Useless
26. Thee Oh Sees, Opposition
27. Johnny Otis, Hum Ding A Ling
28. Velvet Crush, Hold Me Up
29. Radio City, She's A Heartbreaker
30. Young Fresh Fellows, Taco Wagon
31. The Singles, I'm In Love With You
32. Joyride, Take A Chance
33. No Bunny, (Do the) Fuck Yourself
34. The Outnumbered, Why Are All The Good People Going Crazy
35. The Boy-Scouts, She Never Said No
36. The Connection, My Baby Likes to Rnr
37. Giant Sand, Anarchistic Bolshevistic Cowboy Bundle

Rural Ledge-ucation #39: Odds and Sods

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 17:25:00 +0000

Even obsessed music collectors miss a few releases towards the end of the year. One is so busy with not just the actual holidays but their own silly lists and compilations. I'm no exception. Today attempts to right that wrong, as the show consists of primarily 2011 releases that I somehow missed...along with some brand new archival releases from Alex Chilton and The Lemonheads. You can find this at the usual online locations, or directly download it HERE!

1. Carter Tanton, Murderous Joy
2. Dale Watson, Down Down Down Down Down
3. Chris Isaak, I Forgot to Remember to Forget
4. Gene Clark, She's the Kind of Girl
5. Big Troubles, Somebody's Baby
6. Wilco, I Might
7. The Lemonheads, It's About Time
8. Charlotte Gainsbourg, Just Like A Woman
9. Rhett Miller, Waterloo Sunset
10. Alex Chilton, Jumpin' Jack Flash
11. Giant Sand, Johnny Hit And Run Pauline
12. The Connection, Baby Doll
13. The Red Button, Caught in the Middle
14. The Raveonettes, Go On And Kiss Me

Live Ledge #48: 1987

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 05:22:00 +0000

The great year of 1987 was literally almost a half-lifetime away, and I was living the life. Working the record store by day and a dance club by night, it was my last year with no financial or family obligations. Yes, it was a decadent year that was light on sleep but high on fun.
Somehow I found still found time to do a radio show on KAUR, and tonight's Live Ledge is basically a "best of" the new release rack from the station. Everything in the playlist has a 1987 release date, and the tunes meander between jangle-pop, garage, indie, noise, and punk. Nab this motha at iTunes, stream it via Stitcher, or directly download it HERE!

1. Lloyd Cole & The Commotions, Jennifer She Said
2. The Housemartins, The People Who Grinned Themselves To Death
3. The Smiths, Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before
4. The Close Lobsters, Just Too Bloody Stupid
5. The Mighty Lemon Drops, The Other Side Of You
6. R.E.M., Burning Hell
7. Big Dipper, She's Fetching
8. Guadalcanal Diary, Litany (Life Goes On)
9. Wire Train, She Comes On
10. The Jesus & Mary Chain, April Skies
11. Flesh For Lulu, Postcards From Paradise
12. Public Image Ltd., Seattle
13. Pixies, Ed Is Dead
14. The Screaming Blue Messiahs, I Wanna Be a Flintstone
15. Hoodoo Gurus, In The Middle Of The Land
16. The Fleshtones, Another Direction
17. X, I'm Lost
18. The Replacements, I.O.U.
19. Husker Du, Could You Be The One?
20. Run Westy Run, Mop It Up
21. Firehose, For The Singer Of R.E.M.
22. Sonic Youth, Hot Wire My Heart
23. Butthole Surfers, Human Cannonball
24. Big Black, The Model
25. Dinosaur Jr, Little Fury Things
26. Meat Puppets, Quit It
27. Thelonious Monster, Saturday Afternoon
28. Redd Kross, Ballad of a Love Doll
29. Descendents, Coolidge
30. Circle Jerks, Fortunate Son
31. Adolescents, I Love You
32. The Lemonheads, Sad Girl
33. The Ramones, I Wanna Live
34. Goo Goo Dolls, Livin' In A Hut
35. Hard-Ons, Rock`n`roll All Night

Rural Ledge-ucation #38:Tributes

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 17:24:00 +0000

I'm a sucker for tribute albums...even if the vast majority of them only contain a handful of worthwhile tracks. There's been some great releases of this type in the last few weeks, though, and today we sample a few of them. Fans of Mojo Magazine are probably no strangers to their latest attached disc - a track by track soul recreation of the Rolling Stones' Sticky Fingers album. Besides a handful of tunes from that wonderful compilation, today's show also includes tunes from two different Minnesota-based tributes. The first one consists of tunes written and recorded by the late, great Vic Chesnutt, and the other is the third in a series of records devoted to remakes of The Beatles. Rounding out the show is a sampler of tracks from a new Smiths tribute, Please Please Please A Tribute to The Smiths, and a recently discovered Alex Chilton compilation originally released in the early 90's.
This is the perfect soundtrack to your football playoff Sunday, and can be found in the iTunes store, Stitcher, or directly download it HERE!

1. Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Wild Horses
2. The Sugarman 3, Bitch
3. The Bamboos, Can You Hear Me Knocking
4. Ben Weaver, Mr. Reilly
5. David Simonett, Gravity Of The Situation
6. Doug Martsch, Reel Around the Fountain
7. Tanya Donelly, Shoplifters of the World Unite
8. Telekinesis, Shelia Take a Bow
9. The Popes, I'm In Love With A Girl
10. The Hucksters, Ballad Of El Goodo
11. Young Fresh Fellows, She Might Look My Way
12. The 4onthefloor, Why Don't We Do It In The Road?
13. The Fiddle Heirs, I've Got A Feeling
14. The Honeydogs, Dear Prudence
15. Cloud Cult, Help

Live Ledge #47: Smut

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 01:26:00 +0000

The challenge was simple - for the first show of 2012 I wanted to play nothing but tunes I've never before broadcast. The execution was typical Live Ledge - shambolic but full of spirit (or so I hope). It's a wide variety of new, old, blog finds, covers, and obscurities. Included in the show are tracks from RealPunkRadio's new free sampler album, Killing the Record Industry Vol. 2 (for more info, head to realpunkradio.com), and some excerpts from last week's New Year's Eve simulcast from the Bowery Electric in New York City!
You can nab this sucka from iTunes, stream it via Stitcher or directly download it HERE!

1. Little Esther, I'm A Bad Bad Girl
2. Guided By Voices, Doughnut for a Snowman
3. The Go, Rock'n'Roll Girl
4. The Parting Gifts, Keep Walkin'
5. The Connection, Stop Talking
6. Muck and the Mires, You and I Belong Together
7. The Breakups, Everybody's Girl
8. Cud, Lola
9. Cannibals, Pills
10. Lyres, Stoned
11. The Chesterfield Kings, The Hustler
12. Pink Mink, Kids Don't Follow
13. Bangs, Southern Girls
14. Famous Monsters, Clock Strikes 10
15. The Nuns, Walkin' the Beat
16. The Launderettes, Porn Star
17. The Raveonettes, Vamp Scratch Whore
18. The Flipsides, The Best Of Times
19. Primal Scream & MC5, Skull X
20. The Sons of Hercules, Shakin' Street
21. Angelic Upstarts, We Gotta Get Out Of This Place
22. The Mess Me Ups, My Girlfirend Is a Rock
23. Tex and the Saddletramps, Move It!
24. The Devil Dogs, They're Not Around
25. The Pretty Things, Roadrunner
26. Lonesome Kings, Brand New Gun
27. F-Units, You're Just A Tease
28. The Hydes, Radio Active
29. Walter Lure, Chinese Rocks
30. Todd Youth & Jesse Malin, Alex Chilton
31. The Fleshtones, Viva The Ramones
32. The European Liquidators, Why Don't You Shoot Me With Your Sex Pistol
33. The Vapids, Kissin' The Carpet
34. Real Kids, Can't Talk To That Girl

Rural Ledge-ucation #37: Happy New Year

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 17:27:00 +0000

Yeah, I know New Year's Day is not a groundbreaking theme for a show. But it's not often that a holiday actually lands on a day that I'm on the air (or on the internet tubes, I guess). So today's show consists primarily of New Year's Day songs...although I resisted the urge for the most obvious track of that sort (U2).
Besides those tunes, there's another tribute at the end of the show. The beautiful and talented Ms. Goddess, who not only has cohosted a handful of Ledge's but is also the voice heard at the beginning and end of every show, will be celebrating a birthday tomorrow. It's my belief she's turning 28, but she keeps saying this is her last day of being 40. How is that possible? We just had to end the show with a couple of sets for her! Download this hangover-friendly show right now - either through iTunes, Stitcher, or directly HERE!

1. Roy Milton Solid Serenaders, New Year's Resolution Blues
2. Todd Snider, Happy New Year
3. Supersuckers, Hungover Together
4. Johnny Paycheck, The Old Year Is Gone
5. The Breeders, New Year
6. Madder Rose, Happy New Year
7. The Fastbacks, Banner Year
8. The Bottle Rockets, Brand New Year
9. Steve Wynn, Resolution
10. Chuck Prophet, New Year's Day
11. Liquor Giants, Happy New Year
12. The Replacements, Birthday Gal
13. The Jesus & Mary Chain, Birthday
14. Gomez, Equalize
15. Beady Eye, Bring The Light

Live Ledge #46: Drunk Punk Xmas

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 02:06:00 +0000

Please excuse any typos, as I've had a few whiskey-cokes. Tonight's special Christmas show is not the one to play for family functions (last Sunday's Rural Ledge-ucation fits that description). No, put this on at full blast after you've returned home from the festivities. It's the longest live show to date, and could have been stretched another hour (at least). It's also the last Ledge of 2011! Grab this via iTunes, Stitcher, or directly HERE!

1. Morphine, Sexy Christmas
2. Eux Autres, Teenage Christmas
3. The Dogmatics, Xmas Time(It Sure Doesn't Feel Like It)
4. Dirtbombs, My Last Christmas Downer
5. Helen Wheels, White Christmas The Band That Stole Christmas
6. Guided By Voices Father Sgt. Christmas Card
7. Boston Spaceships, Christmas Girl
8. The Figgs, Father Christmas
9. Fleshtones, Champagne of Christmas Stocking
10. Buzz Zeemer, Psychedelic Santa
11. Minus 5, Your Christmas Whiskey
12. Davie Allan & The Arrows, Santa On The Run
13. Bayside, Angels We Have Heard On High
14. Groovie Ghoulies, Christmas On Mars
15. Osaka Popstar, The Christmas That Almost Wasn't
16. Vice Squad, Merry Xmas Everybody
17. Goldblade, City of Christmas Ghosts (featuring Poly Styrene) City Of Christmas Ghosts
18. Dressy Bessy, All The Right Reasons
19. The Blackhearts & Special Guests, Silent Night
20. Shonen Knife, Space Christmas
21. The Dollyrots, Santa Baby
22. The Vacancies, The Elf Song
23. Angry Snowmans, Blitzen Bop
24. Angry Snowmans, Ebeneezer Uber Alles
25. Fucked Up, Do They Know It's Christmas?
26. The Tabaltix, Don't Believe In Christmas
27. Los Gatos Locos, Father Christmas
28. Bamboula, I'm Getting Pissed For Christmas
29. The Kraneos, Run Rudolph Run
30. The Hentchmen, Merry Christmas Baby
31. Hasil Adkins, Santa Claus Boogie
32. King Salami & The Cumberland 3, Black Santa
33. Brendan Hanlon & The Bat Men, Christmas Party
34. Rev. Tom Frost, Santa Bring My Baby Back(To Me)
35. Rocket 455, Santa Ain't Coming For Christmas
36. The Buff Medways, Merry Christmas Fritz
37. The Celibate Rifles, Merry Xmas Blues
38. Fear, Fuck Christmas
39. Descendents, Christmas Vacation
40. Dwarves, Drinking Up Christmas
41. The Cannibals, Christmas Rock 'N 'Roll Christmas
42. Untamed Youth, Santa's Gonna Shut 'Em Down
43. The Four Corners, My Gift To You (It's Me)
44. The Fall, No Xmas For John Quays
45. The Wedding Present, Step Into Christmas
46. The Damned, There Ain't No Sanity Clause
47. Billy Childish, Dear Santa Claus
48. The Hot Rods, Santa's Too Drunk To Drive
49. The Kaisers, Merry Christmas Loopy Lu
50. The Connection, Merry Christmas (I Don't Wanna To Fight Tonight)

Rural Ledge-ucation #36: Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 18:47:00 +0000

It's probably not a shocker to anybody that I'm not a fan of traditional Christmas schock. There's few things harder to deal with than the sappy, MOR holiday music I must endure whenever I enter a retailer after around November 10 or so.
That's doesn't mean, though, that I hate ALL Christmas music. Today's show is the types of tunes that do bring a smile to my face, and quite honestly this is my most varied show ever! There's a bit of soul, blues, country, folk, singer/songwriter, and (of course) a bit of alternative rock. Most importantly, outside of a couple of tracks there are NO novelty songs.
Seriously, this is the perfect soundtrack for shopping, wrapping, or even opening Christmas presents. Subscribe via iTunes, stream it through Stitcher, or directly download it HERE!

1. Loudon Wainwright III, Christmas Morning
2. James Brown, Merry Christmas I Love You
3. Detroit Junior, Christmas Day
4. Count Sidney & His Dukes, Soul Christmas
5. Andre Williams, Sorry Mr. Santa
6. Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Ain't No Chimneys In The Projects
7. Leroy Carr, Christmas In Jail-Ain't That A Pain
8. Seasick Steve & The Level Devils, Christmas Prison Blues
9. Butterbeans and Susie, Papa Ain't No Santa Claus(Mama Ain't No Christmas Tree)
10. Lightnin' Hopkins, Santa Downer
11. Huey "Piano" Smith & Clowns, Rock N Roll Santa Claus
12. E (from The Eels), Everything's Gonna Be Cool This Christmas
13. Matthew Ryan, It's Christmas Time
14. Josh Rouse, Christmas With Jesus
15. Steve Earle, Christmas In Washington
16. Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan, Time of the Season
17. Aimee Mann, I Was Thinking I Could Clean Up For Christmas
18. Bill Janovitz, Please Come Home for Christmas
19. My Morning Jacket, Christmas Must Be Tonight
20. Jerry Lee Lewis, I Can't Have A Merry Christmas, Mary (Without You)
21. Johnny Cash, I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day
22. Buck Owens & Susan Raye, Tomorrow Is Christmas Day
23. Linda Cassady, Is Santa Claus A Hippy?
24. Loretta Lynn, Christmas Without Daddy
25. Thin White Rope, Christmas Skies
26. The Long Ryders, Christmas In New Zealand
27. Scott Kempner, Merry Xmas, Baby
28. The BellRays, Merry Christmas Baby
29. Harry Lee, Rockin' On A Reindeer
30. Becky Lee Beck, I Want a Beatle for Christmas
31. Chuck Berry, Merry Christmas Baby
32. Shane MacGowan & The Popes, Christmas Lullaby
33. The Pogues, Fairytale Of New York
34. Tom Waits, Silent Night/Christmas Card From A Hooker In Minneapolis

Live Ledge #45: Best of 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 01:45:00 +0000

You've probably all seen my extended list of the best albums, reissues, and live releases of 2011. If not, scroll down the page. Tonight's show is a bit of a countdown of that manifesto, with tracks from almost half of the releases included in the show. This is a keeper, so download it NOW via the iTunes store, stitcher, or directly HERE!

1. The Magnolias, American Dream
2. HeadCat, Something Else
3. Lydia Loveless, Jesus Was a Wino
4. Old 97's, I'm a Trainwreck
5. The Barreracudas, Baby Baby Baby
6. Motel Beds, Bat Naps
7. Title Tracks, Turn Your Face
8. Blitzen Trapper, Fletcher
9. Big Troubles, Misery
10. Male Bonding, Tame the Sun
11. The Ettes, Excuse
12. Bare Wires, Back On The Road
13. De Keefmen, Told You Once Told You Twice (Take 1)
14. Dwarves, Looking Out For Number One
15. Cloud Nothings, Not Important
16. Telekinesis, Please Ask For Help
17. Obits, You Gotta Lose
18. J Mascis, Not Enough
19. Deer Tick, Let's All Go To The Bar
20. Yuck, Get Away
21. Art Brut, Lost Weekend
22. Drive-By Truckers, Go-Go Boots
23. John Doe, Don't Forget How Much I Love You
24. Tommy Stinson, Meant To Be
25. Wild Flag, Romance
26. The Black Keys, Lonely Boy
27. Redstockings, Unrequited Love
28. Fucked Up, The Other Shoe
29. Archers Of Loaf, What Did You Expect? (Merge 7" Version)
30. The Rolling Stones, Tallahassee Lassie
31. Tom Waits, Get Lost

Hudson's Best of 2011, Pt. 4: Best Albums #1 - 20

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 01:32:00 +0000

In many respects, this is a year similar to the last few years. Despite the drum beats of friends and music experts decrying the state of music, I'm able to find tons and tons of material worthy of making my year-end list.

Yet there is one main difference between this year and the last few - many artists who would normally find themselves near the top of the list didn't make the cut. Sorry, but I was bored by the latest Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes, My Morning Jacket, and Steve Earle releases. Others that were strong enough to make the list found themselves farther down than usual (Ryan Adams, Bright Eyes, etc.). Were they disappointing albums or were there just an abundance of even better releases? I'd say it was a bit of both.

1. Tom Waits Bad As Me. His first album in seven years is also in some respects a look back at a legendary career. Yes, the "clankety-clank" of recent albums is still present, but it's mixed with the gravelly crooner style of his early days. The result is one of the best albums of his career, and certainly the best album of 2011.

2. Fucked Up, David Comes to Live. A punk rock opera? Ok, Green Day did the same thing a few years ago but this band manages to tell their story without resorting to arena rock cliches. This isn't a band for everybody, but once you get used to Damian Abraham's wounded growl you'll be hooked. Also of note is the "companion piece", David's Town, featuring guest vocals by various friends of the band.

3. Black Keys, El Camino. Despite the presence of all star producer Danger Mouse, the latest by Akron, Ohio's greatest band since Devo is a bit of "back to basics" release with plenty of nods to 70's glam and hard rock.

4. Wilco, The Whole Love. Almost ten years after the Yankee Hotel Foxtrot album pitted them against conventional major label wisdom Wilco is finally a true indie band. Their first self-released album is also their best since that album, as The Whole Love combines Summerteeth power pop, YHF experimental noise, and even a bit of A.M. country-rock for one of their strongest albums ever.

5. The Decemberists, The King Is Dead. The Decemberists are so good that even their weakest album make the top 5. This is a back-to-basics album that is reminiscent of Reckoning-era R.E.M. that is certainly not as clever as 2009's The Hazards of Love but is still an essential part of their discography.

6. Wild Flag, S/T. An all-star collaboration between former members of Sleater-Kinney, Helium, Quasi, and Stephen Malkmus's band whip up a shitload of noise that stands tall with anything each member had previously recorded.

7. Tommy Stinson, One Man Mutiny. Recorded during breaks between Guns 'n' Roses tours, Tommy Stinson's first album in a few years has a loose Faces-ish feel harkens back to the greatly underrated Bash and Pop album.

8. John Doe, Keeper. John Doe can do no wrong. That is all.

9. The Feelies, Here Before. Twenty years after their last album, The Feelies act like they never broke up. Here Before is a natural progression from 1991's Time For a Witness, utilizing acoustic and electric instruments to create sonic landscapes that sometimes require multiple listens to appreciate.

10. Buffalo Tom, Skins. Their second album since their mid-2000's comeback sits comfortably next to their acclaimed 90's albums.

11. Drive-By Truckers, Go Go Boots. Recorded at the same time as last year's more rockin' The Big To-Do, the tracks on Go Go Boots is both more soulful and twangy than its predecessor.

12. Art Brut, Brilliant! Tragic! Recorded in just two weeks, and once again produced by Frank Black, Art Brut's latest is in many ways just a carbon copy of their previous releases. Instead of singing about The Replacements, though, they're now "crooning" odes to Axl Rose and Martin Kemp.

13. John Paul Keith, The Man That Time Forgot. Possibly my favorite discovery of the year, as the former V-Roys guitarist combines elements of Tex-Mex, garage rock, rockabilly, soul, and even a hint of jazz-blues.

14. Glen Campbell, Ghost On the Canvas. Ok, I'll admit that if it wasn't for the inclusion of two Paul Westerberg songs (and a Guided By Voices cover) I probably wouldn't have paid attention to this album. For his final album (Glen is suffering from Alzheimer's), Campbell's son has selected tracks that create a perfect swan song to a legendary career.

15. The Jayhawks, Mockingbird Time. Another great reunion of one of my favorite bands. While the resulting album may not be as strong as Hollywood Town Hall or Tomorrow the Green Grass, I'll always be a sucker for the harmonies of Mark Olson and Gary Louris.

16. Yuck, S/T. Yes, I know they're just a Dinosaur Jr. ripoff. I don't care. It rocks.

17. Deer Tick, Divine Providence. After three albums of pretty typical twangy Americana, the band turns up their amps for what is possibly the most Replacements-ish album of the year. Obviously, that's something I'd like.

18. Dave Alvin, Eleven Eleven. The story of this album is that Alvin supposedly "threw away" everything he had learned throughout his 30 year music career. Instead of creating during "down times", for this project he wrote and recorded while on the road. He also (apparently) mended fences with his brother Phil, who sings with Dave on three tracks. The result is his best album in close to 20 years.

19. Lucinda Williams, Blessed. There was a time when a new Lucinda Williams album was an event. That hasn't been the case for quite some time, though, but Blessed is easily her best album since Car Wheels on a Gravel Road.

20. J. Mascis, Several Shades of Why. Although primarily an acoustic album, the latest solo release by the Dinosaur Jr. leader isn't all that much different than a proper band album. Yet it's nice to hear Mascis' rasp without the usual ear-piercing guitar leads.

Hudson's Best of 2011, Pt. 3: Best Albums #21 - 40

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 01:32:00 +0000

21. British Sea Power, Valhalla Dancehall. Brighton's best band (are their others) backtrack a bit from the over-polished production of their last two or three albums in favor of the more straight-up sound of their debut, The Decline of British Sea Power.

22. Obits, Moody Standard & Poor. Sure, there's nothing on here that ranks with band member's best moments in Drive Like Jehu, Edsel, or Hot Snakes, but Obits' second album is still one of the best "rawk" albums of the year.

23. Matthew Ryan, I Recall Standing as Though Nothing Could Fall. After an album of introspective tunes (2009's Dear Lover), on this album Ryan expands not only his lyrical themes but his musical accompaniment.

24. Telekinesis, 12 Desperate Straight Lines. The second album by Michael Benjamin Lerner's one-man band is much darker than their debut but is no less catchy.

25. Middle Brother, S/T. The lead singers of Deer Tick, Dawes, and Delta Spirit come together for a one-off bar-band collaboration that clearly inspired the more raucous sound of the latest Deer Tick.

26. Bright Eyes, The People's Key. After a couple of albums under his own name (and the Monsters of Folk collaboration), Conor Oberst brought back the Bright Eyes moniker this year for possibly his most fully realized collection of songs.

27. Cloud Nothings, S/T. One year ago, 18 year-old Dylan Baldi was living at home making lo-fi EP's of catchy noise-pop. This year he made it into a real studio, and while the results may be missing the muddy hiss, the pure pop bliss remains the same.

28. Centro-matic, Dandidate Waltz. Will Johnson's 10th album under the Centro-matic name doesn't stray far from their earlier releases. One could say it's a bit more upbeat than the last couple of albums, but it's still guitar-centric Americana at its best.

29. The Dwarves, Are Born Again. After seven long years, one of punk rock's most notorious acts is back with a vengeance! Those easily offended need not apply!

30. Kurt Vile, Smoke Ring For My Halo. Every year there's a few albums that can be called "sleepers" - dismissed at first as "boring" but gradually pushing its way into your consciousness. This year's album of that sort is the fourth album by Kurt Vile, who has seen himself compared to almost everybody - Tom Petty, Psychic TV, Animal Collective, Neil Young, etc. What could possibly be the uniting element of those acts? Well, besides Vile, I guess.

31. R.E.M., Collapse Into Now. It was probably the right time for R.E.M. to call it quits (many would say it should have happened 20 years ago), but at least they went out on a high mark. No, this is no Murmur, Reckoning, or even Document, but it's still a pretty strong collection of primarily punchy pop-rock. Thanks for 30 years of musical service.

32. Bill Callahan, Apocalypse. Whether it's under his own name or the Smog moniker, Bill Callahan releases are always at the very least interesting. Recorded live in the studio, the songs are so full of surprises they even sound like they were created on the spot.

33. Black Lips, Arabia Mountain. Months after its release, I still don't quite get how this infamous Atlanta garage band hooked up with Amy Winehouse producer Mark Ronson. While many longtime fans are dismayed by their new (semi)-glossy sound, the tunes are as catchy and irreverent as before.

34. Portugal The Man, In the Mountain of the Cloud. Apparently, this Alaskan band has been around for quite some time. I didn't discover them until some of my favorite rock critic twitters went nuts on the day this album was released. How to describe them? Hmmm, that's tough. I hate to state the name "Coldplay" but imagine if they were somewhat psychedelic, energetic, and in no way pretentious? I guess they wouldn't be Coldplay then.

35. De Keefmen, S/T. Classic, traditional garage rock from the Netherlands. What more needs to be said?

36. Bare Wires, Cheap Perfume. Because the vinyl version is a 10" some would call this an EP. Not this kid, as ten songs makes a full album, even if only one crosses the three minute mark. Yes, this is another noisy, punk-ish, garage-y treat that I'll never tire of hearing.

37. Thurston Moore, Demolished Thoughts. Like the recent J Mascis solo album, this is pretty much a Sonic Youth album played primarily on acoustic guitars. Beck produces this project, but keeps the sound pretty organic.

38. The Horrible Crowes, Elsie. Gaslight Anthem leader Brian Fallon's side project appears to be a place to release the songs that don't fit that band's "Americana punk". He has called this his "night-time music" project, and many of these (primarily) piano-based tunes is definitely more soulful than the tunes he records for his day job.

39. The Ettes, Wicked Will. Southern-based noisy garage rock, sprinkled with retro elements from the 50's, 60's, and 70's.

40. Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, Mirror Traffic. Possibly inspired by the Pavement reunion, the latest Jicks album features some of the most playful and, dare I say it, fun songs since the heyday of THAT band.

Hudson's Best of 2011, Pt. 2: Best Albums #41-60

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 23:07:00 +0000

41. Chuck Ragan, Covering Ground. It's a weird but welcome trend - former hardcore and punk rock vocalists becoming singer/songwriter troubadours. The former Hot Water Music leader's third album makes a strong case for his being the top of the heap in that ever-growing gang.

42. Male Bonding, Endless Now. It's long been established I'm a sucker for Jesus and Mary Chain-inspired noisy pure pop. Male Bonding breaks absolutely no ground but I can't help but revel in its sugary sweetness.

43. Big Troubles, Romantic Comedy. Speaking of sugary sweetness, the second album by songwriters Alex Craig and Ian Drennan features the production genius of Mitch Easter (Pavement, Velvet Crush, Marshall Crenshaw, Game Thoery, R.E.M., and his own band, Let's Active). Imagine the perfect storm of 60's Brit Pop, 80's Paisley Underground, and 90's lo-fi indie.

44. Ryan Adams, Ashes & Fire. I expected so much from this album, Adams' first without the derided (by me, at least) Cardinals since 2004's Love Is Hell. While it has enough moments to make this countdown, so much more was expected...especially since it's produced by Glyn Johns (Who, Beatles, Stones, Clash). It's a fine album...but that's about it.

45. Blitzen Trapper, American Goldwing. Like Deer Tick's new album, Blitzen Trapper drop most of the folk and country elements of their prior albums and focus on the "rawk". Like Deer Tick, it may also be the album of their career.

46. A.A. Bondy, Believers. Another great collection of dark, haunting tunes from the former Verbena lead singer.

47. Title Tracks, In Blank. More tasty lo-fi garage pop fuzz from the former leader of Georgie James and Q and Not U.

48. The Wooden Birds, Two Matchsticks. Another creeper of an album whose slowcore mix of subdued guitars, atmospheric grooves, and traditional folk-pop becomes irresistible after multiple plays.

49. The Mekons, Ancient & Modern 1911-2011. 35 years after their formation, The Mekons show no signs of retiring. Their latest album may be their for ambitious yet - a look at how similar our society was exactly 100 years ago. Not being a historian, I can't vouch for their findings, but I definitely appreciate the passion.

50. Motel Beds, Sunfried Dreams. There's more to Dayton, OH than the Black Keys, Devo, and the Deal sisters. Well, there's at least one more music act in that fine city, as this fine sunshine pop-rock goodness is worth the trip to bandcamp. The site, not the cheesy movie cliche.

51. The Barreracudas, Nocturnal Missions. I can't beat this quote I found on Amazon, "somewhere between The Heartbreakers (Petty) and The Heartbeakers (Thunders)...Nocturnal Missions blends elements of dirty 70's glam and the radio-friendliness of Dwight Twilley and Phil Seymour". Yes, this is Hudson music.

52. Crooked Fingers Breaks in the Armor. The latest release by former Archers of Loaf leader Eric Bachmann (hmmm, maybe former should be stricken since they're now back together) is a tad less folky and atmospheric than his previous releases under the Crooked Fingers moniker.

53. Old 97's, The Grand Theatre Volume 2. Renting out a concert hall to work on material worked so well on Volume 1 that a year later we have a second set of twangy power folk-pop. Both albums rank up there with anything the band has put out in their lengthy career.

54. John Wesley Harding, The Sound of His Own Voice. For his 19th album (!), Harding gathered together a bunch of his pals (including Peter Buck, Rosanne Cash, Laura Veirs, and all of The Decemberists) for his most lively and entertaining album in quite some time.

55. Lydia Loveless, Indestructible Machine. Talk about a family affair. The guitarist is her husband, and the drummer is her father (no word on any relation to the bassist). Together they create the kind of punkish country rock that seemed to disappear around 2001 or so.

56. HeadCat, Walk the Walk...Talk the Talk. What do you get when you put Motorhead's Lemmy, Slim Jim Phantom from the Stray Cats, and rockabilly legend Danny B. Harvey in a studio? This take-no-prisoners, clearly alcohol-inspired blast of rock 'n' roll past and present!

57. Garland Jeffreys, The King of In Between. What a welcome return after a 20 year recording hiatus (besides a couple of European-only releases). Few songwriters capture the essence of New York as Jeffreys (or at least to this non-Easterner), and this album stands tall next to his late 70's classics.

58. The Love Me Nots, The Demon and the Devotee. Yes, another collection of catchy garage rock. Add a sultry female vocalist and I'm all in!

59. The Magnolias, Pop the Lock. Fifteen years after their last album, Street Date Tuesday, the most overlooked Minneapolis band of the 80's and 90's is back. It's unfortunate, though, that the only reason we have more great music from them is due to their own fundraising efforts through Kickstarter. It's like they never left, though, as they continue to conjure up the spirits of their Minneapolis brethren The Replacements, Husker Du, and early Soul Asylum.

60. Glossary, Long Live All of Us. I've always wanted to check out this band, but never got around to it. Seeing their latest release perched near the top of many of my friend's lists enticed me to finally do just that. I'll definitely be checking out more in the near future...mainly so I can come up with an apt description of their soul/funk/country/folk/whatever sound.

Hudson's Best of 2011, Pt. 1: Reissues and Live Albums

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 23:56:00 +0000

Reissues:

1. Rolling Stones, Some Girls. You never forget your first. Some Girls isn't my favorite Stones album, but it was the one that took my Mick/Keith virginity. Almost everything that has musically happened to me since then can be traced to this Budget Tapes and Records purchase. This year's reissue adds a bonus disc of a dozen more tunes, and unlike most of these types of releases there isn't that much of a drop in quality in the outtakes (there's actually dozens of other tunes that could have been included).

2. The Kinks Reissues. Yes, the Kinks catalog has been reissued even more than Elvis Costello's. Yes, I have multiple copies of each of these albums, but these are the definitive versions of their 60's releases. Besides both mono and stereo versions of each album, the discs are filled with outtakes, demos, and BBC sessions, all wonderfully remastered by producer Andrew Sandoval.

3. The Jayhawks Reissues. Two of Americana's greatest albums, Hollywood Town Hall and Tomorrow the Green Grass, get the expanded reissue/remastering treatment. Tomorrow is the highlight of the two, with an extra disc of previously unreleased demos.

4. Archers of Loaf, Icky Mettle. A true underrated classic - one of the greatest college rock albums of the 90's - gets the double disc treatment. I loved it then; I love it even more now.

5. R.E.M., Life's Rich Pageant. R.E.M.'s fourth full-length album marks a pivotal point in the band's history, as Peter Buck's jangly guitar is replaced by power chords and Michael Stipe's vocals are pushed higher into the mix. This is also one of their most underrated albums, and a second disc of demos makes this essential to any fan.

6. The Beach Boys, The Smile Sessions. Forty-five years after the recording sessions a version of the infamous Smile has finally been released. Is this what Brian Wilson intended? I doubt if even he knows at this point, and while it's not quite the classic that could have changed the music landscape it is still an interesting curio of the era.

7. Crass Reissues. There's certainly something odd about the idea of expanded reissues of the Crass catalog. After all, they were anti-capitalist anarcho-punks; the original D.I.Y. punks (or close to it). I'm shocked at how great these low-fi albums sound over 30 years later, and anybody who calls themselves a punk should spend some time with these recordings.

8. Nick Cave Reissues. Cave's more recent albums were given the remaster/remix treatment, and since they all made my recent end-of-year lists it's automatic they're included here.

9. Nirvana, Nevermind. 20 years ago Nirvana changed the way radio AND record companies did business, and although they took back control by the end of the 90's there was a time when we all had a glimmer of hope. This box set includes tons of previously unreleased goodies, including an "unpolished" version of the album and a blistering concert recorded in Seattle.

10. The Jesus and Mary Chain Reissues. Like most of this list, the entire catalog gets the double disc treatment. Like most of this list, they're all essential.

11. The Who, Quadrophenia. The last great Who album gets the box set treatment, although for the price Townshend is a bit stingy with the extras. You get the original double disc set plus two discs of demos, and a surround sound version of about half of the album. Oh yeah, and a book. For over $150. They wonder why people download.

12. Giant Sand Reissues. Over the next couple of years, over two dozen albums by Howe Gelb and his Giant Sand collective will be reissued with bonus tracks. Few people need the entire catalog, but Chore of Enchantment, Black Out, and Valley of Rain are among some of the albums worth checking out.

13. Johnny Cash, The Bootleg Series. Another year, another set of "new" Johnny Cash releases. This year saw three double disc sets of previously unreleased material, and honestly they're all worth owning. The first two volumes consist of demos and outtakes, while volume three is live recordings from such settings as the Newport Folk Festival, Vietnam, and a special concert for President Richard Nixon(!).

14. Pink Floyd, Wish You Were Here. I'm no fan of post-Barrett Pink Floyd...except for this one. While the rest of the world went nuts over expanded versions of The Wall and Dark Side of the Moon, this is the album I was waiting for.

15. Graham Parker, The Bootleg Series. Parker self-released his own bootleg series this year with two five-disc boxes of concert recordings spanning his entire career.

Live Albums:

1. Rolling Stones, Some Girls Live in Texas '78

2. Rolling Stones, Brussels Affair. Despite their well-known love for money, the Stones have always resisted raiding the vaults for new product. Yet in the last two years we've seen expanded versions of two albums...and now these live releases. Some Girls Live in Texas is a blistering show that's heavy on SG material and light on "greatest hits", and as many have noted this was their "last great tour". Brussels Affair is one of the great Stones bootlegs, and producer Bob Clearmountain spent some time remixing it before allowing Google Music to sneak it into their store with little fanfare. It's only five bucks so nab it now!

3. Rhett Miller, The Interpreter Live At Largo. Now this is a fun release. Instead of the usual mix of solo and Old 97's tunes, this live album consists of nothing but covers. Wave of Mutilation as an acoustic track? American Girl? Brilliant Mistake? Waterloo Sunset? Oh yes, I'm there.

4. The Stooges, Raw Power Live: In the Hands of the Fans. There was admittedly a deluge of live Iggy releases this year, including a box set of recordings from his entire career. I'll give the edge to this CD/DVD of the entire Raw Power album, recorded at the All Tomorrow's Parties Festival in September 2010.

5. The Cure, Bestival Live 2011. Although The Cure have a number of live albums, this is the first that has been an entire performance from beginning to end. I doubt that many people in the early 80's would have predicted that Robert Smith would still be donning the lipstick and poofy hair 30 years later, but it still works for him.

Rural Ledge-ucation #35: Winter

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 17:30:00 +0000

There's few things I despise more than weather chat. Nothing bores me more than the "what do you think of this weather" question that I have to endure whether it's hot, cold, raining, snowing, or just perfect. But I'm also a hypocrite, so now that we've had our first blast of winter temperatures it's time for a show based around "winter" songs. So here you go - garage rock, power pop, and singer/songwriters performing songs about this much despised part of the year. Stream this through stitcher, The Ledge android/iPhone app, or directly HERE!

1. The Rolling Stones, Winter
2. The Housemartins, I Smell Winter
3. The Ocean Blue, Frigid Winter Days
4. Dumptruck, Winter
5. The Coral, Walking In the Winter
6. The Apples In Stereo, Winter Must Be Cold
7. Jonathan Richman, Winter Afternoon By B.U. In Boston
8. Garland Jeffreys, Coney Island Winter
9. Mark Olson, Winter Song
10. Kristin Hersh, Winter Learn To Sing
11. Paul Kelly, Wintercoat
12. Josh Rouse, Winter In The Hamptons
13. Leonard Cohen, Winter Lady
14. The Fall, Winter
15. Superchunk, Winter Games
16. The Tripwires, Flowers of Winter
17. Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!, South For The Winter
18. Neil Young, Winterlong

Live Ledge #44: Leftovers Again?

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 01:47:00 +0000

Whenever I put a show together, it's inevitable that I end up with an extra thirty to sixty minutes of music. Tonight's show collected most of the leftovers from the last few shows. Along with those "rejects", there's also a preview of Pop the Lock, the new album by The Magnolias. Released this past Tuesday, it's their first album in fifteen years, and was funded by a Kickstarter campaign. Great to see this underrated Minneapolis band back on the record shelves! For more info on this album (along with the band's history, discography, news, etc.), head HERE!
Nab this bastard at the usual locations, or directly download it HERE!

1. Charles Bukowski, Are You Drinking
2. The Hardcount, Whiskey & Wine
3. Dave Edmunds, Girls Talk
4. Nick Lowe, American Squirm
5. Elvis Costello & The Attractions, I Stand Accused
6. Material Issue, Ballroom Blitz
7. The Backsliders, Last Call
8. The Love Me Nots, I'm Gonna Be Your Girl
9. Junior Varsity, My Boyfriend
10. Nikki & The Corvettes, I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend
11. Obits, You Gotta Lose
12. Rocket From The Tombs, Anna
13. Baby Astronauts, Just About To Lose It All
14. Motel Beds, Go Go Make Yourself
15. Husker Du, Sunshine Superman
16. Replacements, Fox On The Run
17. Replacements, Hold My Life
18. Perfect, Yap Yap
19. The Magnolias American Dream
20. The Magnolias, Top of the Charts
21. Suburbs, Love Is The Law
22. Len Bright Combo, You're Gonna Screw My Head Off
23. The Mekons, Dance and Drink the Mekons
24. The Fall, Nate Will Not Return
25. Wild Billy Childish And The Spartan Dreggs, Are You A Wally? (Or Are You A Smooth?)
26. The Delinquents, All Talk And No Action!
27. Jonny Chan and the New Dynasty 6, A Girl as Sweet as You
28. The Mystreated, There's a time
29. Cannibals, I Wanna Be Your Man
30. The Mortals, Making Time
31. The Mortals, Last Time Around
32. Kwyet Kings, David Watts
33. The Jolt, Route 66
34. Ty Segall, Cherry Red
35. Total Babes, Like They Always Do
36. Gaunt, Jim Motherfucker

Rural Ledge-ucation #34: Product

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 17:25:00 +0000

A pessimist would look at the end-of-year barrage of box sets, reissues, live albums, and compilations as pure cash grabs by artists and their record companies. Yeah, it is, but as an obsessed music consumer I have another view. It's an opportunity to create more piles in my CD room, and also fill my external hard drive with even more tracks that I'll forget I own!
Today's short show primarily highlights some of these recent releases, along with a couple of albums that will quite possibly have a high ranking in my Best of 2011 list. Oh yeah, and there's a live Replacements track that I played for Drazzle (I can never say no to playing them, right?). You know the methods to get this show, or just directly download it HERE.

1. Big Troubles, Misery
2. Wilco, I Might (Demo)
3. The Decemberists, I4U & U4ME (Home Demo)
4. Giant Sand, Shiver
5. The New Standards & Friends, I Want You to Want Me
6. The New Standards & Friends, Love is the Law
7. Frank Turner, On a Plain
8. Rhett Miller, California Stars
9. Rhett Miller, Queen Bitch
10. Replacements, Nowhere Man
11. Tom Waits, Last Leaf
12. The Rolling Stones, We Had It All
13. Paul Kelly, I'll Be Your Lover
14. Matthew Ryan, All The Wild Horses
15. The Cure, Boys Don't Cry