Rant-a-Bit by Scott Hudson

The Ledge #713: More From From The Hudson Compound

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 01:39:00 +0000

If you happen to follow me on social media (and why wouldn't you?), you'll have seen that every Saturday night I publish a "quilt" of records that I've listened to over the past week. Tonight's show is an extension of that, minus the great number of new releases I routinely listen to during most of my listening time.

Instead, this show features the older records that have hit the turntable (or my Plexamp account). There are classic albums by the usual suspects from the last 60 years. There are some relatively obscure groups I decided to hear. There's also quite a few recent reissues that I've added to my collection.

Which record did you enjoy the most this week?

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1. Justin Townes Earle - Can't Hardly Wait

2. The Replacements - Heartbeat, It's a Lovebeat

3. Chris Mars - Popular Creeps

4. Soul Asylum - Sometime To Return

5. Golden Smog - Until You Came Along

6. The Jayhawks - Two Angels

7. The Monkees - Daily Nightly

8. The Kinks - David Watts

9. The Rolling Stones - Respectable (Live)

10. The Who - Summertime Blues

11. Matthew Sweet And Susanna Hoffs - The Kids Are Alright

12. Bangles - 7 & 7 Is (Live)

13. The Raincoats - Fairytale in the Supermarket

14. Young Marble Giants - Include Me Out

15. Lydia Loveless - Boy Crazy

16. Thee Headcoatees - Punk Girl

17. Alan Vega - Jukebox Babe

18. Alan Vega - Ghost Rider

19. Lou Reed - Vicious

20. The Stooges - Your Pretty Face Is Going To Hell

21. Patti Palladin - Leave Me Alone (Chatterbox)

22. Willy Deville - You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory

23. Walter Lure & The Waldos - Let Go

24. Ramones - Suzy Is A Headbanger

25. The Buzzcocks - I Believe

26. The Clash - Garageland

27. Eater - Public Toys

28. The Fall - Pacifying Joint

29. Pavement - Summer Babe [Winter Version]

30. Sonic Youth - Silver Rocket

31. Superchunk - Slack Motherfucker

32. The White Stripes - Hotel Yorba

33. Die Toten Hosen - If The Kids Are United

34. Die Toten Hosen - Whole Wide World

35. Die Toten Hosen - Teenage Kicks

36. Die Toten Hosen - This Perfect Day

37. The Pogues - Whiskey You’re the Devil

The Ledge #712: New Releases Pt. 2

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 01:29:00 +0000

Yes, it's a typical second part of the monthly new release series. And by second part, I obviously mean it's fantastic! There's the usual set devoted to our friends at Rum Bar Records that includes brand new tunes from Ledge favorites High On Stress and The Peppermint Kicks. There's a full set devoted to the latest monthly compilation from the fine folks behind the Dam-Nations series. There are two full sets devoted to female-led rock and roll, including one of my new favorite discoveries, Gladie!

Plus, so many bands I love have new albums out. Power pop heroes Uni Boys, psych-rock veterans The Bevis Frond, the Medway garage rock of CTMF & Wild Billy Childish, and so much more.

What is your favorite new release?

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE SHOW!

1. Micah Schnabel & Vanessa Jean Speckman - Enemy Of The State

2. High on Stress - House of Cards

3. The Peppermint Kicks - Shaking Underground

4. The Glimmer Stars - Run Away

5. The Hollywood Stars - King of the Night Time World

6. Inflatable Idols - Oxygen Thief

7. The Peawees - Bleeding for you

8. Bleak Streak - Gosh!

9. Ryan Allen - They're Coming for Us

10. Uni Boys - You'll Curse His Name Again

11. Uni Boys - Want You Back

12. The Bevis Frond - A Mess of Stress

13. The Bevis Frond - Naked Air

14. Gladie - I Want That For You

15. Juliana Hatfield - Pass It On

16. Suitor - Factory

17. The Jackets - The Question

18. Plastic Tones - Dirty Work

19. The Dollyrots - Attention Span

20. Hedge Burners - Twisted Vine

21. Josephine Network - Rock & Roll Singer

22. Twat Union - Tiny Shorts

23. UltraBomb - Darwin Awards

24. UltraBomb - Zombie Zeroes

25. Redd Kross - I'll Take Your Word for It (Acoustic)

26. Hard-Ons - You'll Always Be Safe with Us

27. The Loons - Five Years Ahead Of My Time

28. The Maharajas - 1 - 2 - 5

29. CTMF & Wild Billy Childish - Bridge Burner

30. Shop Talk - SOS

31. Ass Hats - Spaghetti

32. Balaban And The Bald Illeagles - Regurgihate

33. Fyzz Wallis Band - Control

34. TicNoToc - Piece Of Me

35. Taste Testors - I Don't Like Working On The Weekend

The Ledge #711: New Releases Pt. 1

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sat, 04 Apr 2026 01:31:00 +0000

For almost as long as I have split the new release series into a two part monthly feature I have labelled the first episode as a "friends of the show" broadcast.

Unfortunately, we have lost one of our friends.

Shortly before we hit air, I discovered that J. Waylon Miller, leader of Friends of Cesar Romero had passed away just a few days after the release of the 50th edition of his "Doomed Babe Series". Each and every one of these releases were fantastic, and the last few were quite possibly the best of the series. He will be missed...and lovingly remembered.

Besides tracks from J. Waylon, we have new music from friends such as Numb Surprise, Vista Blue, Brad Marino, Phil Cook & The Fall Dogs, The Rockerati, and Big Stir's The Corner Laughers. There's a lengthy set devoted to tracks from a great new compilation, Big Hopes of Mid-America Vol. 1, that includes our pals The Silent Treatment, Cindy Lawson, and Fret Rattles, and great new albums by the likes of Sick Shooters, King Tuff, The Outfit, and Young Fresh Fellows.

What's your favorite new album?

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE SHOW!

1. Numb Surprise - Pockets Full Of Dust

2. Friends of Cesar Romero - Starfucker Qualities

3. Friends of Cesar Romero - Simple XX's

4. Vista Blue - Batting Around

5. Vista Blue - Good Reputation

6. Brad Marino - Blowing Smoke

7. Brad Marino - Devil May Care

8. Sick Shooters - Heartbreaker Soulshaker

9. Sick Shooters - Sick Shooters

10. The Corner Laughers - Crumb Clean

11. Marc Valentine - NY UAP

12. The Rockerati - Long Lost Hooklines

13. Phil Cook & the Fall Dogs - DEBBIE DOOM SCROLLER

14. The Outfit - Firebreather

15. The Outfit - Autopoiet

16. King Tuff - Stairway To Nowhere

17. Young Fresh Fellows - Killing Time in Union Square

18. The Silent Treatment - Keep Running

19. Cindy Lawson - I'm Loaded

20. Adam Levy - Tent City

21. Jim Walsh & The Dog Day Cicadas - Stand On Every Corner

22. Flamin' Oh's - Strange Times

23. Fret Rattles - Wake Up Now

24. The King Teen - Time Traveler's Blues

25. Micah And The Mirrors - Yokohama Mama

26. The Melmacs - Lazy Hearts

27. Dust Star - Keep it Heavy

28. Guitar Wolf - 100M Girl

29. mclusky - spock culture

30. Swirls - A Car Or A Guitar

31. Damaged Bug - DOUBLE YOLKS

32. The Falling Out - I Draw the Line

33. Softjaw - Waiting At The End

34. Bad//Dreems - Shadowland

35. Horsefight - Alternative Rock (From 1995 or 6)

The Ledge #710: First Quarter Recap

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sat, 28 Mar 2026 01:25:00 +0000

We are just days away from the end of March, which means we are (finally) a quarter of the way through 2026! To celebrate this fact, this week's episode is a look back at the best albums released over the last three months. And it's been quite a great quarter - fantastic record by new bands such as Twisted Teens (new to me, at least), The Rockerati, Mod Lang, and so many others. Fabulous returns by Uni Boys, King Tuff, The Darts, and South Dakota's greatest current artist, Friends of Cesar Romero. There's great covers albums by veteran acts such as The Damned, Pink Fairies, and Pat Todd & the Rankoutsiders. Plus much much more.

What's your favorite record of the year so far?

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1. Twisted Teens - Wild Connection

2. Uni Boys - I Don't Wanna Dream Anymore

3. The Rockerati - Analogue Again

4. King Tuff - Twisted On A Train

5. Crooked Fingers - From All Ways (feat. Matt Berninger)

6. Ratboys - Light Night Mountains All That

7. Lucinda Williams - Sing Unburied Sing

8. Juliana Hatfield - Only Sister

9. Dry Cleaning - Cruise Ship Designer

10. Heavenly - Portland Town

11. The Darts - Vampires In Love

12. Itchy and the Nits - Nudie Beach

13. The Stripp - If You Want Me

14. Heather the Jerk - Get Off My Lawn

15. Surfbort - Peaches and Cream

16. Friends of Cesar Romero - My Cultist Angel

17. Friends of Cesar Romero - The Rapid City Is Boring

18. Inflatable Idols - Drunk On Nostalgia

19. Vista Blue - You're Just a Cover

20. The Outfit - Unseeable Root

21. Mod Lang - TV Star

22. The Cynz - Ghost Rider

23. The Cowboys - The Hate In Your Heart

24. Fuzzy Feelings - Down & Sideways

25. Joe Glass - New Pose

26. Sweet Reaper - Sacrifice

27. The Green Hearts - B School

28. KISSA - TyoØhaastattelu

29. Radium Dolls - Scorching Heat

30. the Dahmers - Nightmare of '78

31. Faz Waltz - Your Lovin' Really Got Me Wild

32. The Damned - I'm Not Like Everybody Else

33. Pink Fairies - Rosalyn

34. Pat Todd & The Rankoutsiders - Dead Or Alive

35. Buzzcocks - Queen Of The Scene

36. Damaged Bug - END OF THE WAR

The Ledge #709: Loud Loud Loud Loud Guitars Vol. 2

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sat, 21 Mar 2026 01:41:00 +0000

Around a month ago, I broadcast a show with the them of "guitars". Songs with the word "guitar" in the title, or songs about guitars. I also asked for some assistance from social media on some tunes that I may have otherwise forgotten.

That first show was very well received, and tonight we get part two. Because the original concept was inspired by Slim Dunlap's classic "Loud Loud Loud Loud Guitars", I thought it was only fitting to kick off this week's show with the Young Fresh Fellows' cover of that tune from the wonderful Songs For Slim tribute series. From there, this supersized show jumps from classic covers to singer/songwriter, Americana, punk, garage, alternative, and a few other subgenres. Oh, and there's a little set devoted to the bass. There's something for everyone here!

What's your favorite song about guitars?

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1. The Young Fresh Fellows - Loud Loud Loud Loud Guitars

2. The Speakeasy - Johnny B. Goode

3. The Drowners - While My Guitar Gently Weeps

4. Ronnie Dawson - Sucker For A Cheap Guitar

5. Drive-By Truckers - Guitar Man Upstairs

6. The Jayhawks - Miss Williams' Guitar

7. Pernice Brothers - Hey, Guitar

8. Alejandro Escovedo - Velvet Guitar

9. Willie Nile - House Of A Thousand Guitars

10. The Jesus & Mary Chain - Guitarman

11. Talking Heads - Electric Guitar

12. Matthew Sweet - Electric Guitar

13. Radiohead - Anyone Can Play Guitar

14. Ty Segall - Break A Guitar

15. The Mystery Lights - Guitar Pickin' on You

16. The Stillsouls - Old Guitars Are Ghosts On The Sunset Strip

17. The Swingin' Neckbreakers - My Guitar

18. Young Fresh Fellows - Two Guitars, Bass And Drums

19. The Horny Wackers - Fuckin' Bassman

20. Aubrey Debauchery - Bass Notes

21. Gina Birch - I Play My Bass Loud

22. Matt Speedway - Angel Street Guitars

23. Stiff Little Fingers - Guitar & Drum

24. The Flatmates - The Last Guitar in Town

25. Sleater-Kinney - Words and Guitars

26. Guitar Wolf - Captain Guitar

27. The Night Marchers - 2 Guitars Sing

28. The Spits - Space Guitar

29. Peter Pan Speedrock - Loose Women & Loud Guitars

30. Pat Todd & the Rankoutsiders - Big Talk With Guitars

31. The Nuisances - Guitar Joe

32. The High Water Marks - Dust and Guitars

33. The Intelligence Service - Beatrice's Guitar

34. Three Rounds - My Guitar Is In The Pawnshop

35. The Hitmen - Broken Guitars

36. The Lurkers - New Guitar In Town

37. Chris Spedding - Guitar Jamboree

The Ledge #708: New Releases Pt. 2

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sat, 14 Mar 2026 01:31:00 +0000

Here we go with the second part of this month's new release series, and it's a barnburner! Besides the usual Rum Bar Records showcase, there's also a later set devoted to Dammit Records' monthly Dam-Nations series. There are two full sets of ferocious female rock and roll, a ton of great submitted tunes, and all sorts of newly discovered garage rock. Oh yeah, and brand new music (as usual) from South Dakota legends Friends of Cesar Romero!

What tracks are your faves?

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1. Friends of Cesar Romero - Wolf In Houndstooth

2. Ape Hangers - She Comes Again

3. Martini Kings - Party Like King Kukulele (ft. Tony Marsico & Steven Soto)

4. Inflatable Idols - Hero To Zero

5. The Glimmer Stars - Run Away

6. The Darts - Midnight Creep

7. The Darts - The Devil Made Me Do It

8. Heavenly - Portland Town

9. Reese McHenry - Unfuck Your Friends

10. The Paranoid Style - Tearing the Ticket

11. Heather the Jerk - Get Off My Lawn

12. Private Lives - Think I'm Coming Around

13. Surfbort - Reality Star

14. The Lizards - Vicious Circle

15. The Dear Boys - I Hope You Know How Fucking Cool You Are

16. The Puncturists - They Dont Pay Support Bands

17. The Nephews - Devo Was Right

18. The Green Hearts - Assclown

19. The Woggles - LOVE TICK

20. The Peawees - Baby, I'm in the mood for you

21. All-Seeing Eyes - Brick By Brick

22. Dulcet Tones - As I Am

23. xray xeroxx - Art Rock!

24. A Pile Fabric Primer - Far From the Graveyard

25. Adult Learners - Would You Please Just Go Away Please

26. CP Westman Orkester - Full-Grown Lover

27. Plastic Family - Love & Heartbreak In High School

28. Bad Scene - Boring And Old

29. Sweatmaster - Destroyer

30. Lithium Kicks - I Want Something I Don’t Care About

31. the Dahmers - Nightmare of '78

32. The Hangland - Masking

33. Feral North - After The Black Out

34. Terrorist In Mind - Psychotrash

35. The Mono Kids - Speeding Up Faster

36. Osees - Joro

The Ledge #707: New Releases Pt. 1

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 02:30:00 +0000

Part one of the monthly new release series has always informally been a "friends of the show" episode, and this month these friends came through with fantastic new tunes. Miss Georgia Peach returns with an anthem for all hockey fans, The Silent Treatment's new single is a great rant against promoters who promise exposure instead of cash, and Geoff Palmer gives a musical shout out to one of his favorite bars (where he's also appearing this weekend).

There's also great debuts by the usual suspects - Numb Surprise, Brad Marino, Jim Basnight, UltraBomb, Phil Cook & The Fall Dogs, wht.rbbt.obj, and The Rockerati. The Sleeveens announce an upcoming new album with a blistering new single, and new releases by The Melmacs, Goat Yoga, Mod Lang and Twisted Teens have me already taking notes for this year's best albums list.

What were your favorites this week?

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE SHOW!

1. Numb Surprise - I Don't Care Now But You Never Did

2. Miss Georgia Peach - The Hockey Song

3. Miss Georgia Peach - A Little Bit South of Saskatoon

4. The Silent Treatment - Devalued

5. The Melmacs - Bad Seeds

6. The Melmacs - Keep On

7. Geoff Palmer - Last Call At Mickey's

8. Geoff Palmer - I Ain't No

9. Brad Marino - Calling your Bluff

10. The Sleeveens - If I Was A Casual

11. Tommy Womack - Waiting For the Punchline

12. Crooked Fingers - From All Ways (feat. Matt Berninger)

13. The Dahlmanns - What`s Inside A Mind

14. Jim Basnight - That's Right

15. UltraBomb - No Cap

16. Phil Cook & the Fall Dogs - HEAVY METAL LOAFERS

17. The Rockerati - Long Lost Hooklines

18. wht.rbbt.obj - Jolene's Reply

19. Shake Some Action! - If You're Gonna Say You Love Me

20. Local Drags - You Don't Love Me Yet

21. Nick Piunti - Big in Madrid

22. Twisted Teens - Is It Real?

23. Twisted Teens - Wild Connection

24. Mod Lang - What I Can't Have

25. Mod Lang - TV Star

26. Old 97's - Big River

27. The Masonics - Leave My Kitten Alone

28. The Guy Hamper Trio/James Taylor - Mary Mary

29. Goat Yoga - Lonely With You

30. Goat Yoga - Plain to See

31. Institute - The Shooter

32. Tamarack - Everything You've Heard

33. Teenage Bottlerocket - You Made Me Get Called a Poser

34. KISSA - TyoØhaastattelu

35. Daily Worker - Pop Knock-Offs

36. OVVEN - Shining Ear to Ear

37. Loose Lips - Out of Time (Live)

The Ledge #706: Loud Loud Loud Loud Guitars (Pt. 1)

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sat, 28 Feb 2026 02:26:00 +0000

Everyone knows I love a good theme, and this brand new idea came earlier this month when I was playing the remastered version of Slim Dunlap's "Loud Loud Loud Loud Guitars" on the new release episode. How about a show devoted to nothing but songs about guitars? Or even songs that mention guitars in the lyrics? This seemed to be an easy-peasy idea.

But I wanted some input from my friends, especially for the songs that fit the theme that may not have the word "guitar" in the title. So I put up a post on Facebook, and the results greatly helped tonight's show. Thank you to everybody who contributed to that post.

As I was filling up the folder for this show, though, I quickly discovered that I had way more songs than I needed. This means that tonight's show is part one of a two part series. Due to the March new release episodes, though, part two will not happen until the second half of the month. But I promise that episode will be as fabulous as tonight's was.

Do you have any songs to consider for the future episode? Which tracks did you enjoy the most this time around?

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE SHOW!

1. Slim Dunlap - Loud, Loud, Loud, Loud Guitars

2. Lucinda Williams - Real Live Bleeding Fingers & Broken Guitar Strings

3 Miss Georgia Peach - Take Your Guitar And Git

4. Johnny Cash - Long-Legged Guitar Pickin’ Man

5. John Hiatt - Perfectly Good Guitar

6. Lucero - My Best Girl

7. Tommy Womack - Speed, Weed and Alcohol

8. Jim Basnight - New Guitar In Town

9. Grant-Lee Phillips - Johnny Guitar

10. David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust (Live; 2025 Remaster)

11. Elvis Presley - Guitar Man (Escape #1, Fast)

12. Billy Bragg - This Guitar Says Sorry

13. The 5.6.7.8's - Guitar Date

14. Tex And The Horseheads - Guitar Obsession

15. Sonny Vincent - My Guitar (Original)

16. Crime - Murder By Guitar

17. The Godz - Walking Guitar Blues

18. The Adverts - One Chord Wonders

19. Stiff Little Fingers - Two Guitar Clash

20. Redd Kross - Notes and Chords Mean Nothing to Me

21. Hoodoo Gurus - Mars Needs Guitars!

22. The Clash - Jail Guitar Doors

23. Auteurs - American Guitars

24. T. Rex - Spaceball Ricochet

25. Count Viglione - The Guitarmaster

26. the Dead Milkmen - The Guitar Song

27. Diarrhea Planet - Bob Dylan's Grandma

28. Danny Laj And The Looks - I Play Guitar

29. The Decibels - Alone With My Guitar

30. The 66ers - One More Day On My Guitar

31. CP Westman Orkester - Video Guitar

32. Supersuckers - Gold Top

33. Jon Spencer - Guitar Champ

34. GINO and the GOONS - My Guitar Almost Killed Me

35. The 440's - Assault & Battery With Electric Guitar

36. Laundry Bats - My Guitar Doesn't Care

37. The Menzingers - Mexican Guitars

The Ledge #705: Back From The Grave Faves

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sat, 21 Feb 2026 02:20:00 +0000

While the Nuggets sets may get all the praise (and deservedly so), I actually prefer the Back From The Grave series. It's just that much more noisy, full of snarled vocals and fuzztone guitars. Just listen to the opening track of tonight's show, the Swamp Rats version of "Psycho", a song mostly known for the legendary take by The Sonics.

Nothing against that original version, as The Sonics' version does indeed blast away at a ferocity that influenced punk and garage bands for the past 60 years. But the Swamp Rats go a step further. No, make it two steps further. This is a truly unhinged take, and sets the stage for the next two hours of tonight's broadcast.

I was inspired to do this show simply because I decided at the beginning of the week to listen to all ten volumes this week. It's been 60s rock and roll heaven for me, as these tunes truly do represent the vast majority of music I have listened to all of my life. Weirdly, though, I didn't realize this fact for a long, long time as I never had these compilations until they appeared on CD in the early 90s!

What tracks worked for you?

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE SHOW!

1. Swamp Rats - Psycho

2. The Novas - The Crusher

3. Rats - Rat's Revenge [Pt 1]

4. The Elite - My Confusion

5. Jujus - Do You Understand Me

6. Fugitives - You Can't Blame That On Me

7. Willie The WIld One - Willie The Wild One

8. The Fabs - Dinah Wants Religion

9. The Nomads - Be Nice

10. The Jesters Of Newport - Stormy

11. Syndicate - The Egyptian Thing

12. Shandell - Mary Mary

13. The Puddin' Heads - Now You Say We're Through

14. Tyme - Land of 1,000 Dances

15. Noblemen - Short Time

16. Mystic Five - Are You for Real, Girl?

17. Heathens - The Other Way Around

18. Humans - Warning

19. Illusions - City of People

20. Warlords - Real Fine Lady

21. The Shames - Special Ones

22. The Shames - My World Is Upside Down

23. The Barracudas - Babe Get Lost

24. Billy & The Kids - Say You Love Me

25. The Syndicate - My Baby's Barefoot

26. Moguls - Another Day

27. Tombstones - I Want You

28. Travel Agency - Jailbait

29. The Groop - Alright!

30. The Niteriders - With Friends Like You, Who Needs Friends

31. Dave Starky Five - Hey Everybody

32. The Pseudos - A Long Way to Nowhere

33. The Pastels - Circuit Breaker

34. The High Spirits - It's Alright with Me

35. The Turncoats - Something Better

36. James Bond and the Agents - Wild Angel

37. The Four - 69

The Ledge #704: New Releases Pt. 2

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sat, 14 Feb 2026 02:31:00 +0000

Part two of this month's new release series is centered around a pretty diverse set of tracks from our friends at Rum Bar Records. Veteran Minneapolis rockers High On Stress opens the proceedings with two retrospective tracks from their new EP, and then we have the b-side of the debut Rum Bar release by legendary actor/musician/DJ Michael Des Barres! There's also the classic R&B sounds of Angela Tini (recorded by Deke Dickerson!), the punk-ish power of Inflatable Idols and The Spackles before concluding with a frantic cover of The Barracudas "I Can't Pretend" by Gene Champagne.

There's plenty of other Ledge friends, including fellow South Dakotans Friends of Cesar Romero, Brad Marino, Phil Cook & the Fall Dogs, Ricky Rochelle, and so much more. Plus, a ton of great new Australian bands that I didn't realize were dominating the second half of the show until I was looking up biographical details.

What tracks did you enjoy the most?

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE SHOW!

1. Lucinda Williams - The World's Gone Wrong (feat. Brittney Spencer)

2. Friends of Cesar Romero - The Rapid City Is Boring

3. Friends of Cesar Romero - A Sonnet For Lee Lazy Horse

4. High on Stress - Over/Thru

5. High on Stress - Nothing Can Change You

6. Michael Des Barres - I Was Saved in '64

7. Inflatable Idols - Ain't Got Heart

8. Angela Tini - Can't Stop Me

9. The Spackles - Second Time Around

10 Gene Champagne - I Can't Pretend

11. Brad Marino - Murder and Violence

12. Ricky Rochelle - Can't Erase

13. Phil Cook & the Fall Dogs - TWO PSYCHOPATHS

14. The New Brutarians - Tonight's Your Night (Tonight)

15. Dry Cleaning - Cruise Ship Designer

16. The Zsa Zsa Gabor's - A.I.

17. The Stripp - If You Want Me

18. Itchy and the Nits - Nudie Beach

19. The Melmacs - Run For Your Life

20. The Damned - Gimme Danger

21. Pink Fairies - Communication Breakdown

22. Pat Todd & The Rankoutsiders - Dead Or Alive

23. Buzzcocks - Queen Of The Scene

24. Radium Dolls - Scorching Heat

25. Radio Weekend - By My Side

26. Thee Long Knights - Satisfaction Guaranteed

27. Micah and the Mirrors - Hungry Hungry Heart

28. The ETTERS - Er Is Niks Aan Jou Dat Ik Niet Haat

29. The ETTERS - Ik pis in je brievenbus

30. Death Party - Don't Wanna Be Your Boyfriend

31. DBR - Unacceptable

32. Doe St - Figure It Out

33. KUKEN - Palermo

34. Teen Mortgage - Devil Ultrasonic Dream

35. Faz Waltz - Count To Three

36. Taste Testors - I'm Waiting For Something Lame

37. Whyte Lipstick - He's Gotta Go

38. Wristwatch - Screwed

The Ledge #703: New Releases Pt. 1

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sat, 07 Feb 2026 02:20:00 +0000

One of the few "rules" of the monthly new release series is that reissues aren't generally considered for inclusion in these shows. But this is rock and roll, and there's no real rules...especially when a former member of The Replacements is concerned.

This story actually begins a few weeks ago when I saw a notice in Record Collector that there would be some sort of Slim Dunlap compilation coming out in February. A few days later, another UK music mag reported that this package would include remastered versions of his two albums PLUS bonus tracks!

Then came the official announcement. Every Little Word indeed consists of both of his wonderful solo albums, plus another 80 minutes of bonus material! Yes, this is a set worth breaking my rules, so we start the show off with five of these rarities.

After that it's a typical new release episode. There's plenty of "friends of the show", including Numb Surprise, The Ex-Bombers, Rob Moss, and a double shot of Vista Blue. Speaking of double shots, there are previews of new albums by The Darts (US) and UltraBomb, along with great new albums by Sweet Reaper and Music City.

What tracks did you dig the most?

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE SHOW!

1. Slim Dunlap - Times Like This (demo)

2. Slim Dunlap - Before She's Gone (outtake #2)

3. Slim Dunlap - Ain't Exactly Good (alternate version, rough mix)

4. Slim Dunlap - Mayor Of Dinkytown (outtake)

5. Slim Dunlap - Big Star Big (live)

6. Numb Surprise - Look Around

7. The Ex-Bombers - In Music City

8. Rob Moss - And the Lies Go Round

9. Vista Blue - I Hate Sonic Records

10. Vista Blue - We're Still Curling

11. The Darts (US) - Midnight Creep

12. The Darts (US) - Apocalypse

13. UltraBomb - Checked Out

14. UltraBomb - Look Forward In Anger

15. Ted Leo & The Pharmacists - How Can I Tell You It's Not Fair

16. Ted Leo & The Pharmacists - January Song

17. Garret Vandermolen - Foxtrot Delta Tango_

18. Boy Wonders - We Could Be Yours

19. Marc Valentine - NY UAP

20. Tim Izzard - 99% of my T-Shirts

21. Music City - When That Day Comes By

22. Music City - Do I?

23. Sweet Reaper - Clean

24. Sweet Reaper - Thought Police

25. Celebrity Telethon - Rock 'N' Roll Matinee

26. Fuzzy Feelings - Powerline

27. Joe Glass - New Pose

28. Left Letters - Supermoon

29. Phil And The Spectras - It's Your Choice

30. Disket - Running

31. Drugs In Sport - Cooked

32. The Cowboys - Little Baby Birds

33. Together Pangea - Eat Myself

34. The CLUBS - Shame on You

35. Owen Adamcik - I Don't Wanna See Your Face Today

The Ledge #702: Random Forgotten Gems

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sat, 31 Jan 2026 02:30:00 +0000

I think it's safe to say that, for the most part, I'm a forward thinking music obsessive who is always on the hunt for my next favorite record. It's that attitude that allows for this show to constantly have two new release episodes almost every single month.

There's a downside to this fanaticism, though. When one collects so much music but is so focused on the future, a lot of great music is pretty much forgotten. Over the last couple of weeks, however, I have taken steps to recreate myself with some of these great releases.

The story actually begins a few months ago when I discovered that the popular video streaming/sharing program Plex had an audio add-on called Plexamp. This simple program allows me to stream my entire master library on my various devices.

This has been a game-changer, although for the last few months I have primarily utilized it to stream my favorite classic records from the past. Two weeks ago, though, I decided to do a little experiment. I put my entire 160,000 tracks on shuffle, and tonight's show consists of tracks that have sprung up over these last fourteen days.

I must admit I'm a little surprised by what came up. Even at the number of tracks I have on my external drives, there are certain artists that dominate the proceedings. Having dozens of digitized live Replacements concerts certainly inflate the numbers, as do the entire catalogs, including bootlegs, of the likes of Elvis Costello, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Guided By Voices, and so many others.

Yet outside of a couple of side projects by Guided By Voices leader Robert Pollard, none of these biggies came up on shuffle. In fact, my listening was primarily the lesser known types that I was hoping to get reacquainted with. You'll see a handful of familiar names in this episode, but even in the majority of those cases it's not the usual songs you hear by these groups.

What tracks did you enjoy the most?

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE SHOW!

1. The Fleshtones - Remember The Ramones

2. Tommy Keene - Karl Marx

3. Prix - Girl

4. Robert Pollard - I Can Illustrate

5. Teenage Guitar - A Year That Could Have Been Worse

6. F.U.2. - Sniffin Glue

7. Shake Some Action! - Stranger in the House

8. Helta Skelta - 55mm

9. Titanic Love Affair - Fading So Fast

10. The Eyes - When The Night Falls

11. The Tell Tale Hearts - Crawling Back To Me

12. The Radiators From Space - Enemies

13. The Novaks - Goodbye Rock And Roll Band

14. The Del Fuegos - Nervous and Shakey

15. Mike Ness - The Devil In Miss Jones

16. Sonny Vincent & Rocket From The Crypt - Unlock

17. The Rip-Offs - I Can't Stop

18. Jim and the French Vanilla - Not Even War

19. PAINT FUMES - Dice Eyes

20. Bambi Kino - Some Other Guy

21. PERFECTORS - Bat Beat

22. Country Teasers - Black Change

23. Son of Dribble - Hard to Care

24. The Screws - Story 16

25. Starflyer 59 - Young in My Head

26. The Muffs - Weird Boy Next Door

27. Scrunchies - Wichita

28. THE CELEBRITIES - Party In My Chevrolet

29. The Shrieks - Sunbathing

30. The 5.6.7.8's - 19th Nervous Breakdown

31. The Rezillos - Top Of The Pops

32. Downtown Boys - Lips That Bite

33. Les Deuxluxes - Lighter Fluid

34. Negative Scanner - Low

35. Thee Sgt. Major III - Battery Operated

36. The Glycereens - Tell Me

The Ledge #701: Covers

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sat, 24 Jan 2026 02:22:00 +0000

I always love when tracks show up just hours before the show, and that's what happened with this all-covers episode. As I've said many times before, I have a folder on my laptop where I toss in new cover tunes whenever I come across them. When the folder is full, that's when it's time for a show.

That's exactly what happened, this time around. With this week's release of the new album by The Damned where they remake tracks that the recently deceased Brian James loved, I saw the following post on Instagram:

"Fret Rattles are excited to announce the release of our third full-length studio LP, titled "As the World Falls Apart." It features thirteen tracks and comes in at the furious pace of 36 minutes. The LP was recorded in 2024 and 2025 at Flowers Studio (Minneapolis, MN) and Ecstattic Studio (St. Paul, MN) by our long-time producer Ali Jaafar."

A tracklist accompanied the post that indicated the new album was going to include two cover tunes, so I immediately sent a DM to requst their inclusion in tonight's broadcast. They agreed, and in the early afternoon I received an email that included their explosive cover of "What Love Is" by The Dead Boys, where the band is accompanied by Minneapolis legend Rob Tossava.

This tune really set the stage for two hours of fabulous revved up reamkes, including contributions from a number of Rum Bar Records acts, double shots from Eater and Pink Fairies, and a set dedicated to the recent box sets by The Replacements and Husker Du!

What track did you dig the most?

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE SHOW!

1. Fret Rattles - What Love Is

2. Brad Marino - Between Planets

3. Kurt Baker - My Brave Face

4. Duck & Cover - What Is Life

5. The Dogs - Are You A Boy or A Girl

6. Speedtwinn - Bye Bye Love

7. The Replacements - 20th Century Boy

8. The Replacements - Help Me Rhonda/Little G.T.O.

9. Hüsker Dü - Eight Miles High

10. Hüsker Dü - Love Is All Around

11. Hüsker Dü - Sunshine Superman

12. Pat Todd & the Rankoutsiders - Short Lives

13. Pat Todd & the Rankoutsiders - Wreckless Crazy

14. FUZZ - Till The End Of The Day

15. Cool Whip - Emily

16. CTMF - (I'm) Stranded

17. Thee Headcoatees - The KKK Took My Baby Away

18. Thee Headcoatees - He's Gonna Kill That Girl

19. The Chains - California Sun

20. Beatnik Termites - I Can't Explain

21. The Putz - Do You Love Me (Now That I Can Dance)

22. Eddy Current Suppression Ring - Oh No

23. Scaffolding - Game of Pricks

24. Superchunk - I Don't Want To Get Over You

25. The Damned - I'm Not Like Everybody Else

26. The Damned - You Must Be a Witch

27. Eater - Your Generation

28. Eater - New Rose

29. Pink Fairies - Rosalyn

30. Pink Fairies - Cracked Actor

31. Rich Hope - Looking for Lewis and Clark

32. Supersuckers - Rocket 69

33. The Wild Giraffes - Good Times

34. S.U.G.A.R. - My Pal

35. Goin' Places - Johnny B. Goode

The Ledge #700: Lucky Number Seven

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sat, 17 Jan 2026 02:24:00 +0000

700 episodes of The Ledge? Who would have ever believed that to be possible? I certainly didn't when I started this show way back in 2010. Podcasts were relatively new at this point, and I just assumed it would be a fun lark that would fizzle out within a few months. Even the format of the show was different back then. For the most part, I invited friends to pick out a dozen or so of their favorite songs, and we'd talk about them in between playing them.

Everything changed when I linked up with RealPunkRadio. Suddenly this was a real radio show. Suddenly I had some labels and artists sending me music. These shows were primarily centered around elaborate themes, as that's the way my mind thinks. There just HAS to be a reason to air a song.

The themes still exist all these years later, but the concepts are much looser. Every month there's a new release episode or two. I may celebrate certain years, or have all-covers broadcasts. But rarely do I go much deeper than that.

Even tonight's celebration isn't exactly a deep thought concept. I figured pulling together over two hours of "track 7's" would be perfect for the 700th show. Not necessarily the best track 7's of all time, but the ones that caught my eye (and ear) when I spent hours going through my master library.

I hope you like what I've put together...not just tonight but for the previous 699 episodes and for whatever comes in the next 700. What's your favorite track of the night?

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE SHOW!

1. Liquor Giants - I Wanna Get Drunk With You

2. The Rolling Stones - Respectable

3. Ron Wood - Seven Days

4. The Kinks - Shangri-La

5. Big Star - Back Of A Car

6. The Flamin' Groovies - Slow Death

7. The Replacements - Go

8. The Replacements - Within Your Reach

9. The Replacements - Unsatisfied

10. The Replacements - Bastards of Young

11. Slim Dunlap - Busted Up

12. Bash & Pop - Fast & Hard

13. Hüsker Dü - Could You Be The One?

14. Soul Asylum - Standing In The Doorway

15. The Jayhawks - Settled Down Like Rain

16. New York Dolls - Chatterbox

17. The Heartbreakers - Get Off The Phone

18. Cheap Trick - Clock Strikes Ten

19. Fleshtones - Right Side Of A Good Thing

20. The Clash - London's Burning

21. Sex Pistols - Seventeen

22. The Jam - In The City

23. The Saints - Kissin' Cousins

24. Elvis Costello - (The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes

25. The Pretenders - Stop Your Sobbing

26. X - The World's A Mess; It's In My Kiss

27. Redd Kross - Linda Blair ’84

28. Minutemen - The Red And The Black

29. Jason & the Scorchers - Lost Highway

30. The Lemonheads - Luka

31. Pixies - Monkey Gone To Heaven

32. The Jesus & Mary Chain - Head On

33. Dinosaur Jr - In A Jar

34. Superchunk - Learned To Surf

35. Guided By Voices - Game Of Pricks

36. The Exploding Hearts - Throwaway Style

The Ledge #699: Inside The Hudson Compound

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sat, 10 Jan 2026 02:29:00 +0000

Every now and then, I put together shows that are all about what I've been listening to in my humble abode. This seems like a good time for another of these types of broadcasts. So what you have tonight is some great faves from the likes of The Damned, The Cramps, Eater, The Saints, The Undertones, and so much more. I have a set devoted to two tracks from the new Wreckless Eric album, accompanied by the original 1985 versions under the name Captains of Industry. There's also a couple of live Replacements tracks from the new Let It Be box set.

But there are also some new tracks aired tonight. Earlier this week, Brad Marino sent me his new single, "Murder and Violence". Surely I can't wait almost a full month to give that some airplay, right? Same with the new tune by The New Brutarians, "Tonight's Your Night (Tonight)", which was emailed to me just hours before the show went to air. There's also new tunes from Kurt Baker, The Cynz, The Spackles, Vista Blue, Phil Cook & The Fall Dogs, and Faz Waltz.

What tunes did you enjoy the most this week?

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE SHOW!

1. Brad Marino - Murder and Violence

2. Kurt Baker - Undertow Afterglow

3. The Cynz - My Father's Gun

4. The Spackles - Second Time Around

5. The New Brutarians - Tonight's Your Night (Tonight)

6. Vista Blue - You're Just a Cover

7. Phil Cook & the Fall Dogs - IRRELEVANCE DANCE

8. Faz Waltz - Your Lovin' Really Got Me Wild

9. Captains of Industry - Land of the Faint at Heart

10. Wreckless Eric - Land of the Faint at Heart

11. Captains of Industry - Home and Away

12. Wreckless Eric - Home & Away

13. Elvis Costello - Complicated Shadows

14. The Fleshtones - American Beat

15. The Only Ones - Another Girl, Another Planet (Live)

16. The Undertones - Girls That Don't Talk

17. The Saints '73-'78 - Know Your Product

18. Eater - Waiting for the Man

19. Eater - Queen Bitch

20. The Cramps - Human Fly

21. The Cramps - Surfin’ Bird

22. The Damned - Fan Club

23. The Damned - New Rose

24. Naz Nomad & The Nightmares - Action Woman

25. Naz Nomad & The Nightmares - I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night)

26. The Replacements - Left In The Dark

27. The Replacements - Nowhere Is My Home

28. The Devil Dogs - Action

29. Dead Moon - 54/40 Or Fight

30. Descendents - Myage

31. Circle Jerks - Wild In The Streets

32. The Lyres - Don't Give It Up Now

33. Guided By Voices - Teenage FBI

Hudson's Best Reissues, Compilations and Box Sets of 2025

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Wed, 07 Jan 2026 02:16:00 +0000

Just under a fortnight ago, I posted my 40 favorite new albums of 2025. Tonight I present the companion list - 20 of the best reissues, box sets, compilations, live albums, etc. Pretty much anything that wasn't a true new release.

This is the spot to admit that I'm a sucker for these sorts of things. I love bonus tracks. I love long lost outtakes and live tracks. Give me a giant box set of entire recording sessions. But that's also the rule for this list. There has to be a reason for a reissue. Just a new vinyl pressing of an existing album that is still in print is not worthy of inclusion. So, no the Buckingham Nicks reissue doesn't get a spot here. (Well, it never would anyway as the record is dog shit.)

1. Wilco, A Ghost Is Born

Jeff Tweedy has always seemed to understand the perspective of his fans, and the various archive versions of his back catalog proves this. This massive box tracks the progress of the creation of one of their most adventurous albums, from jam sessions through demos and discarded versions before concluding with a concert recording that occurred shortly after the album’s original release.

2. Husker Du, 1985: The Miracle Year.

1985 was truly a magical year for the legendary trio. The year began with one classic album, New Day Rising, and ended with a record that arguably topped it, Flip Your Wig. This box set of live recordings is anchored by an entire January show at First Avenue, and is accompanied by various live tracks from later in the year. There’s even a partial show from Salt Lake City where they premiere almost half of 1986’s Candy Apple Grey.

3. Bruce Springsteen, Nebraska ‘82.

The backstory of Springsteen’s Nebraska album is that these cassette recordings were initially intended to be demos for future full band recordings. For decades, the Boss has denied that any E Street Band recordings of this material ever happened. Conveniently, he was proven wrong just in time to coincide with the Deliver Me From Nowhere biopic of the Nebraska era. Whatever the circumstances, this box blows away the bloated Tracks II that came out a few months earlier.

4. Bob Dylan, Through The Open Window (The Bootleg Series Vol. 18 1956-1963).

This eight disc box set of Dylan’s early years better explains his life than any biography possibly could. The story is told via recordings made at house parties, hotel rooms, radio stations, and clubs before ending with a legendary show at Carnegie Hall. He’s guesting on other artist’s albums; he’s debuting classics for a handful of friends. Most importantly, one sees his rapid progress from a Woody Guthrie acolyte to the quintessential standard that all future songwriters are compared.

5. Patti Smith, Horses.

To celebrate its 50th anniversary, one of the first blasts of what turned into New York punk rock is given the deluxe treatment with some fantastic demos and outtakes.

6. Small Faces, The Autumn Stone.

Shortly after Steve Marriott walked away from the Small Faces, Immediate Records owner Andrew Loog Oldham rushed out this odd compilation that coupled big hits with various stray cuts and outtakes. Drummer Kenney Jones has now fixed the various flaws of the original album and has expanded it to include more rarities.

7. The Replacements, Let It Be.

Longtime followers of my year-end lists may be surprised to see the reissue of my third favorite album of all time to sit so low on this year’s compilation. No, it’s not due to my issues with Rhino’s customer service department. The reality is that, unlike the previous albums that have seen the box set treatment, there wasn’t a plethora of extra material that wasn’t already added to the 2008 CD reissue. There also isn’t a vault of professionally recorded concerts, so this time around there is an audience recording. It’s a fiery performance, though, that’s definitely worth owning.

8. Talking Heads, More Songs About Buildings and Food.

The thawing tensions of the band members has continued to be a boom for Talking Heads fans, as this year has not only seen this second album expanded but there’s been great Record Store Day releases of live and demo recordings.

9. The Who, Who Are You.

The last “real” Who album was a troubled affair, mainly due to the deteriorating drumming skills of Keith Moon, who died shortly after the album’s release. This box tells that story, warts and all, but the live material shows that even in his final months Moonie was still capable of showing glimpses of what made him such a legend.

10. The Feelies, Rewind.

Throughout their career, The Feelies have been masters at revving up old songs that one would not necessarily expect them to consider. This fun little record compiles their versions of tracks originally recorded by The Beatles, Patti Smith, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, and others.

11. The Jesus and Mary Chain, Psychocandy 40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition.

One of the most innovative debuts of the 80s gets the box set treatment from Third Man Records. The remastering is top notch, and the additional live recording showcases the insanity of those early days.

12. Stiff Little Fingers, Inflammable Material.

Long out of print, the greatest Irish punk rock album of all time finally gets the reissue treatment, accompanied by a live recording that proves what a powerful band they were from day one.

13. Gentleman Jesse, I Wonder if You Would Even Notice: Singles and Rarities.

One of power pop’s most underrated songwriters gets the rarities treatment here that proves even his one-offs are on an equal level to his main releases.

14. Dead Milkmen, Big Lizard In My Backyard.

If “guilty pleasures” are real, then these wacky Philadelphians fit into that category for me. They’re fun. They’re silly. And this Record Store Day reissue reminded me of how much I giggled at “Bitchin’ Camaro” back in the day.

15. David Bowie, I Can't Give Everything Away (2002 - 2016).

The final box of Bowie’s discography may not have the magic of the earlier volumes (especially the first two or three) but it’s still great to have all of the various odds and ends compiled with the last few albums Bowie released during his lifetime.

16. The Beatles, Anthology 4.

Talk about a missed opportunity. Unlike the previous three volumes from 30 years ago, over half of this set just compiles outtakes from the Giles Martin-produced box sets from the last few years. Come on. Even different takes of these same songs would have been better, and a whole side devoted to remixed versions of the “threetles” tracks is just lazy.

17. Camper Van Beethoven, Telephone Free Landslide Victory 40th Anniversary Edition.

Once again, one of my favorite albums of the 80s gets the expanded treatment with plenty of fun demos and outtakes.

18. Brad Marino, On The Brink: Rarities, Remixes & Unreleased.

Like the Gentleman Jesse record, here’s another of my favorite garage/punk/power pop artists compiling his stray tracks and covers onto a record that flows just like one of his regular albums.

19. Various Artists, I Wanna Be A Teen Again - American Power Pop 1980-1989

Various Artists, You're No Big Deal: Grunge, The US Underground And Beyond 1984-1994.(tie)

I’ve long been a fan of the various Cherry Red Records themed box sets that have come out over the years, but these two boxes really hit my sweet spot. Come on. We all know how much I love power pop, and the grunge tag of the other box doesn’t tell the whole story of a box that includes the likes of Husker Du, Pavement, and The Replacements.

The Ledge #698: New Releases

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sat, 03 Jan 2026 02:20:00 +0000

It's a new year, and we're starting off with a kick ass set of brand new music. It may be the slow time for new releases, but there's still a ton of great rock and roll coming out each and every day. There's new music from our friends Numb Surprise, some great releases on Big Stir and Rum Bar Records, and a couple of fabulous split-band records. Plus, CTMF covers two fabulous songs by The Saints, and we have the return of Ultrabomb!!!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE SHOW!

1. Numb Surprise - What Is Due

2. Dan Bern - The Ohtani Game

3. Dan Bern - The Folksinger Betting Scandal

4. Jad Fair - Texas Man Abducted by Aliens for Outer Space Joy Ride

5. Sideshows - Brand New

6. Muck And The Mires - Tripping Out On Love

7. Muck And The Mires - Let's Kiss And Make Up Tonight

8. The Lemon Drop Gang - My Mind's Got A Mind Of Its Own

9. The Lemon Drop Gang - Wine Song

10. The Jack Rubies - Are We Being Recorded?

11. Strawberry Alarm Clock - Blow Your Mind

12. The Cynz - Love's So Lovely

13. The Pozers - The Separation (IPO 26 Final Mix)

14. Ultrabomb - Artificial Stars

15. The Stripp - If You Want Me

16. Hexham Heads - Can't Live Without You

17. The Gnomes - Better With You

18. CTMF - (I'm) Stranded

19. CTMF - Untitled

20. Beatnik Termites - I Can't Explain

21. The Putz - Do Wah Diddy Diddy

22. Jacuzzi Boys - Feelin' Fine

23. Jacuzzi Boys - Being Dragged

24. Game Show Models - Boxed Out

25. Game Show Models - Crazy Daisy

26. Eddy Current Suppression Ring - Shapes and Forms

27. Lunamotos - Sexy Salvaje

28. Tin Foil - Cheap

29. Bart and the Brats - Lab Rat

30. Tenement Rats - City on the edge

31. Brainbombs - Midnight Slaughter

32. Dimmicks - Mr. Pink

33. Control Freaks - TV Generation

The Ledge #697: Hudson's Best Albums of 2025

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sat, 27 Dec 2025 02:58:00 +0000

Sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I pull out all of my records that I've acquired over the past twelve months, along with my giant hard drive of files, and I put together a list of the 40 best albums of the year (along with another list of reissues).

Besides a box set of homemade CD's I hand to my friends, the results of this endeavor is my year end retrospective show. The following list (and broadcast) are my picks for the 40 greatest albums of the year. Like I say every year, this has been a fabulous year for music. There's some wonderful sounds that range from punchy power pop to garage rock to more experimental sounds to classic singer/songwriter fare. There's something here for everyone!

Personally, it's been an odd year, full of highs and lows. I became a grandfather, but also suffered a couple of health issues. If you've listened to this show, you're probably aware of all of this. But thanks to not only the bands that contribute tracks to the show, but each and every one of you that listen to The Ledge! I guarantee you that 2026 will be an even greater year for the show!

1. Sharp Pins, Balloon Balloon Balloon.

It’s been quite the year for Chicago’s Kai Slater. He started the year releasing the physical version of his late 2025 Sharp Pins album, Radio DDR. This was followed by the debut full-length album of his other band, Lifeguard. November then saw the release of this instant classic. Imagine if Guided By Voice’s Robert Pollard was as influenced by 80s college radio as he was by garage rock and lo-fi recording practices. Every song here is short, catchy, and full of jangly goodness.

2. Superchunk, Songs In The Key Of Yikes.

Another year, another classic album by Superchunk. They really can do no wrong. Have they ever put out a bad album? Nope.

3. Loose Lips, Last Laugh

The Unknowns, Looking From the Outside. (tie)

Something strange must be happening in Australia these days as every week there seems to be yet another blast of good ol’ garage-based power pop from down under. And it’s also a bit of an incestuous scene, as some of the same musicians appear in multiple bands. In fact, Loose Lips shares personnel with The Prize, The Chat, Chubby and the Gang, and…The Unknowns, who are right up there with Loose Lips with their third album.

5. Thee Headcoatees, Man Trap

Thee Headcoats, The Sherlock Holmes Rhythm ‘n’ Beat Vernacular. (tie)

Yes, we have another tie. But how can I possibly choose between these two Billy Childish projects that were released on the same day. Thee Headcoatees is the all-female Medway group that Childish put together in the 90s, and this is their first album since 1999. Besides producing that album, Childish also brought Thee Headcoats back together for a fun romp through a clutch of old Childish songs that were originally recorded by other Childish projects.

7. The Prize, In The Red.

Maybe this record should have been bumped up a couple of notches to create a three way tie with Loose Lips and The Unknowns. Hell, on a good day (like tomorrow or yesterday), this Aussie power pop record would jump ahead of both of them. This record is probably the hardest rockin’ of the three, thanks to their triple guitar lineup, and drummer Nadine Muller’s vocals are reminiscent of the glory days of The Donnas.

8. Guided By Voices, Thick Rich and Delicious.

What a year for Robert Pollard (but what year isn’t). It started with what was reported to be the final GBV album. A few months later saw a new Pollard project called Rip Van Winkle that carried on what we expect from Pollard. But then here comes yet another Guided By Voices album, and it’s quite possibly the best one in years. It actually feels like one of their albums from back in the day, which makes sense as many of the songs were reportedly unused ideas from their days on the Matador label.

9. The Waterboys, Life Death and Dennis Hopper.

This may be the craziest record of the year. A rock opera based on the life of Dennis Hopper? Honestly, it’s as messy as Hopper’s chaotic life was. Musically, it’s all over the map. Dance tracks, rockers, folk songs, ballads. There’s also a ton of guests. To be completely truthful, it’s an album that I find the greatest thing ever recorded on one play, but not so much the next time.

10. Jeff Tweedy, Twilight Override.

There’s no way this record should be so good. In this day of streaming playlists, who has time for a triple album? I mean, come on, I still see Reddit posts arguing that The Beatles’ White Album should have been edited down from a double album to a single record. Tweedy has always been prolific, though, and his fan base has always been supportive of his prolific ways. This is a Sunday morning album, although it will inevitably be the afternoon before you get through the entire thing.

11. Wreckless Eric, England Screaming.

According to Eric Goulden, aka Wreckless Eric, this album is a set of songs that he initially released on a mid-80s album “that nobody liked, least of all me”. He felt the songs were strong, though, and decided to re-record them. Like his last few albums, Goulden is a master at creating sonic landscapes. Who can forget that wall of sound he created during his Total Drag appearances a few years ago? Well, they’re all over this album.

12. Jacuzzi Boys, Too Cold to Tango.

For their first album in almost a decade, the Miami band headed to Memphis to record in the same studio that was the birthplace of classics by The Cramps, John Prine, and Alex Chilton (and hundreds of others). Those influences certainly rubbed off on these loose and gritty garage rock tunes.

13. Wednesday, Bleeds.

2025 was the year I finally understood the talents of MJ Lenderman and Karly Hartzman. Lenderman not only has a number of solid solo albums, but has also played guitar in Hartzman’s band, Wednesday. They were also a couple until shortly before this album was made (although he still plays on it). Does that mean this is Hartzman’s Blood On the Tracks? Not quite, but dark characters populate these songs that flow from country-ish murder ballads to hardcore-inspired rants.

14. Bob Mould, Here We Go Crazy.

Outside of his occasional forays into singer/songwriter confessionals (and a somewhat lengthy period where he favored dance music), Bob Mould’s sound in 2025 is not that much different than it was during his Husker Du or Sugar periods. Piercing walls of guitar accompanying surprisingly catchy melodies. Yet, like Superchunk, the consistent quality of his records never feels like a formula.

15. Horsegirl, Phonetics On & On.

When this Chicago-based trio’s first album came out, they were still in high school. Two of them are now attending college in New York, so recording in Jeff Tweedy’s Chicago studio was almost literally a winter vacation home. Producer Cate LeBon inspired the band to try out new sounds and instrumentation, and the result is definitely a giant step forward from their feedback-heavy debut.

16. Untamed Youth, Git Up and Go.

Sometimes you just need a rootsy rock and roll album full of songs about beer, cars, and girls. That’s exactly what you get from this veteran garage/surf band that was formed by Deke Dickerson way back in 1987.

17. Personality Cult, Dilated.

If you were ever a fan of Paint Fumes, Mind Spiders or Bad Sports (as I was) then you’re going to love Personality Cult as members of those bands (and others) are part of this record that is equal parts noisy, layered, and catchy as hell.

18. Dead Bars, All Dead Bars Go To Heaven.

If you miss Twin/Tone era Soul Asylum or the Goo Goo Dolls before they discovered the cash flow advantages of writing power ballads, then this is the album for you. If I didn’t know better, I would have certainly predicted these guys gained their musical footing during residencies at late 80s Minneapolis venues such as the Cabooze, 7th Street Entry, or the Uptown Bar.

19. The Dogmatics, Nowheresville.

A few years ago, these Boston legends reunited for a few singles and EPs before finally putting out their first full length in almost 40 years. Nowheresville sort of feels to me like a look back at the history of underground Boston. One song reminds me of The Neighborhoods; another one gives a bit of a Dropkick Murphys feel. I could go on throughout the album with these comparisons.

20. Hunx & His Punx, Walk Out On This World.

Formed in 2009 by Seth Bogart (aka Hunx), Erin Emslie, and Shannon & the Clams leader Shannon Shaw, Hunx & His Punx put out a number of releases before going on hiatus in 2013. Now they’re back with this super catchy collection of kitschy garage pop that sort of creeps in on you via multiple plays until you’re suddenly singing along.

21. The Peppermint Kicks, Pop Rocks In My Chewing Gum.

The band name and album title is perfect for this collection of pure pop. Just imagine tossing big chunks of Cheap Trick, The Shoes, Sweet, Buzzcocks, and The Archies into a musical blender. It really is that tasty.

22. Miss Georgia Peach, Class Out The Ass

Beebe Gallini, Begged Borrowed and Stealed. (tie)

It’s been quite the year for Miss Georgia Peach. First came her second old school country collaboration with members of Nashville Pussy and Nine Pound Hammer. Then came Beebe Gallini’s wonderful tribute to the great Minneapolis garage bands of the 60s that was recorded in the very same studio that “Surfin’ Bird” was laid down over 60 years ago. Both albums are wonderfully retro, and both are pure fun.

24. Swami John Reis, Time To Let You Down.

“Junk shop punk” is the definition used by Reis’ record company, and it’s actually a perfect description of his entire decades-long career. Rocket From the Crypt, Hot Snakes, Drive Like Jehu, Plosivs, Night Marchers…the list of Reis projects goes on and on. Yet this was his second solo album in just eight months, and it’s as loud and proud as anything he’s ever released.

25. The Lemonheads, Love Chant.

With an autobiography and the first album of new material by The Lemonheads in 20 years, it’s a big year for Evan Dando. But what’s the difference between a Lemonheads album and a solo record? To be honest, not much outside of marketing. Yet despite his personal issues, Dando is somehow still a master of creating catchy indie rock.

26. Night Shop, The Beloved Returns.

Best known as the drummer for the Flat Worms, Kevin Morby, and The Babies, Justin Sullivan’s third album under the Night Shop name is probably the best of the bunch. A little more rockin’ than the previous pair, the album was reportedly inspired by author Thomas Mann’s Lotte In Weimar, and its themes of passion and desire.

27. Vista Blue, Clear Eyes Full Hearts

Friends of Cesar Romero, Spider Dreams Sweet Tooth. (tie)

Yes, I know I have a lot of ties on this list, but hear me out on this one. Both of these bands are super prolific. Both offer the majority of their singles and EP’s for free on bandcamp. Both are pretty clever in their lyrical and musical themes. And both put out great full-length albums within a few days of each other.

29. Ty Segall, Possession

Freckle, S/T. (tie)

It’s another typical year for Ty Segall. Well, maybe not completely typical as he “only” released two records this year instead of his usual three or four. His solo record, Possession, was sort of a return to this trademark psych/glam/garage sound. In a perfect world, this would be the perfect template for a new sort of arena rock. Freckle, meanwhile, is a collaboration with Color Green’s Corey Madden. You can certainly recognize Segall’s presence on the record, but Green’s “cosmic country” background adds a color not normally represented in Ty’s music.

31. Dropkick, Primary Colours.

The world can always use more bands clearly influenced by the likes of Big Star, Teenage Fanclub, and The Jayhawks, and that’s exactly what this record is reminiscent of. Oh, and add Tom Petty to that ear salad. You know, jangly, Americana-influenced power pop.

32. Muck & the Mires, Beat Revolution.

Their discogs page describes them as a combo of The Beatles and The Ramones. That’s not wrong but let’s add a little bit of The Seeds, The Sonics, The Standells, and all of the bands from the fabulous 80s garage rock revival. There’s always room for good old guitar-based rock and roll, and this band are masters at that sound.

33. Smug Brothers, Stuck On Beta.

Lo-fi, jangly power pop is the easy description here, but there’s also a fair amount of noisy riffs that sets them apart from the vast majority of today’s power poppers.

34. Wet Leg, Moisturizer.

Wet Leg’s debut album was a surprisingly refreshing pop record; a combination of mainstream production and hilarious, sometimes profane, lyrics. Their sophomore album actually expands their sounds. The musical backing is not always in your face, and elements of love and happiness actually interrupt some of their more typical snarky thoughts regarding the current state of the world.

35. Naim Amor & Kid Congo Powers, Tucson Safari.

Naim Amor is a Parisian songwriter who has collaborated with various Giant Sand members since his move to Arizona many years ago. Kid Congo Powers is a legendary guitarist who spent time with The Gun Club, Cramps, and Nick Cave’s Bad Seeds before starting a prolific solo career. These two met shortly before the pandemic, and during lockdown they came together to record a project that blended Suicide’s dark synth sound with Link Wray’s legendary swampy guitar leads.

36. Snocaps, S/T.

The surprise supergroup release of the year is this reunion of sisters Katie and Allison Crutchfield, accompanied by rising songwriter M.J. Lenderman and producer Brad Cook. The record sort of splits the difference between the sounds the sisters are known for. It’s a little bit more rockin’ than a typical album that Katie makes as Waxahatchee, and it’s definitely quieter than what Allison is known for in Swearin’.

37. Florry, Sounds Like.

Despite my hard-earned reputation as a curmudgeon that hates everything, I can be a pretty easy mark for a record store clerk who understands my taste. That was the case with the third album by this Philly-based band. The album was put on shortly after walking into a local store a few months ago, and I was captivated by the first track, mainly because I couldn’t completely put my finger on it. It was sort of country, sort of jam band-ish, but also had a Stones-ish swagger. Yes, I walked out of the store with it.

38. The Liminanas, Faded.

This French band has combined psych-influenced garage rock with 60s French pop for close to 20 years, and their signature sound has yet to sound tired. The latest album features collaborations with the likes of Jon Spencer and Primal Scream’s Bobby Gillespie, and was “inspired by all the female fallen stars who have been left behind, or have ‘faded’ away in the harsh wake of time”.

39. Black Lips, Season Of The Peach.

This is a band that gets harder and harder to describe with each new album. Yes, the garage rock sounds of the early days are still present, but there’s also a tiny bit of soul and a whole lot of country. There’s even some elements of those fabulous 60s spaghetti western soundtracks.

40. Lambrini Girls, Who Let the Dogs Out.

While there was no new Amyl and the Sniffers album this past year, that slot for angry, noisy, profane punk rock was taken up by the debut album by this Brighton duo.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE SHOW!

(Note: Tracks from the countdown albums were played in reverse "Casey Kasem" order)

1 Lambrini Girls - Cuntology 101

2. The Black Lips - Zulu Saints

3. The Limiñanas - Prisoner of Beauty

4 Florry - First it was a movie, then it was a book

5. Snocaps - Brand New City

6. Naïm Amor & Kid Congo Powers - Murder We Wrote

7. Wet Leg - liquidize

8. Smug Brothers - Paper Jane

9. Muck And The Mires - Beat Revolution

10. Dropkick - Snowflakes

11. Freckle - For the Last Time

12. Ty Segall - Possession

13. Friends of Cesar Romero - To Quell Your Starlite Mist

14. Vista Blue - Can't Lose

15. Night Shop - Let Me Be the Lamb

16. The Lemonheads - Deep End

17. Swami John Reis - Time To Let You Down

18. Beebe Gallini - Hold Tight

19. Miss Georgia Peach - You're The Reason Our Kids Are Ugly

20. The Peppermint Kicks - Number One Record

21. Hunx And His Punx - Wild Boys

22. The Dogmatics - Key of B

23. Dead Bars - Last Call Alarm

24. Personality Cult - Not Ready

25. The Untamed Youth - Git Up and Go

26. Horsegirl - In Twos

27. Bob Mould - Breathing Room

28. Wednesday - Townies

29. Jacuzzi Boys - Instant Separation

30. Wreckless Eric - Home & Away

31. Jeff Tweedy - Lou Reed Was My Babysitter

32. The Waterboys - Live In The Moment, Baby

33. Guided By Voices - Phantasmagoric Upstarts

34. The Prize - Connie

35. Thee Headcoats - And The Band Played Johnny B. Goode

36. Thee Headcoatees - The KKK Took My Baby Away (Ludella vocal)

37. The Unknowns - All Grown Up

38. LOOSE LIPS - Too Late To Call

39. Superchunk - No Hope

40. Sharp Pins - Popafangout

The Ledge #696: Hudson's Annual Holiday Extravaganza!

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sat, 20 Dec 2025 02:24:00 +0000

It's that time of year again! Yes, it's the annual Ledge Christmas episode, and I'm so happy that this year it's (almost) all brand new material! Even better, there's a large contingent of friends who have supplied me with proper tunes for this broadcast. In fact, wiht the likes of Numb Surprise, White Rose Motor Oil, Geoff Palmer, Vista Blue, and close to two full sets of Rum Bar artists it's almost like a typical New Release episode.

No, this is not your mother's holiday show...unless mommy is a really cool rocker! But instead of that insipid McCartney or Wham nonsense, you've got over two hours of quality tracks for ths festive season!

What's your fave track this Christmas?

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE SHOW!

1. Numb Surprise - Merry Numbmas Tinseltwat

2. White Rose Motor Oil - You're a Mean One Mr. Grinch

3. White Rose Motor Oil - I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas

4. The Rockerati - Santa Claus Has Got The Sack

5. The Rockerati - Run Rudolph Run

6. Geoff Palmer - Merry Christmas I Fucked Your Snowman

7. Stop Calling Me Frank - Naughty or Nice

8. Greg Antista and the Lonely Streets - Christmas, Baby Please Come Home

9. Velveteen Lounge Kitsch-en - A Box of Wine for Christmas (Cousin Glendora)

10. Hilken & Melissa (feat. Kay Hanley) - What's So Bad About Christmas

11. The Other Girls - I'm Not Getting Anything for Christmas

12. The Hellflowers - Merry Christmas (I Don't Wanna Fight Tonight)

13. The Kowalskis - Give it to Me

14. Swansea Sound - Not My Order

15. Swansea Sound - Merry Christmas Darlings

16. Jesika Von Rabbit - California Christmas

17. Joe Normal - Fabulous Christmas

18. Phil Cook & the Fall Dogs - GIVE ME A BREAK

19. The Bacarrudas - Christmas Struttin'

20. The Bacarrudas - Ring-A-Ding-Ding!

21. The Bacarrudas - Wanamaker's Christmas

22. Autos - X-Mas Eve At The Metro (17 Express)

23. The Goods - Freshly Fallen Snow

24. The Darren Holland Project - All Love is Christmas

25. The Futureheads - Christmas Was Better in the 80s

26. Billy Lowry - Shepherd Boy

27. Frank Turner - Merry Christmas Everybody (BBC Radio 2 Session)

28. The Krayolas - Maria Believes in Christmas Again

29. Jonathan Dawkins/Rob J Hill - Red Dressed Santa

30. flakebelly - Merry Christmas

31. Smokin' Cola - Good Will To Humans

32. The Voltz - Do You Remember Christmas?

33. The Empty Hearts - Christmastime

34. Gentleman Jesse - Xmas Hangover

35. The New Bardots - A New Years Lullaby

36. The Haymakers - Mister Grinch

37. The Chesterfield Kings - White Christmas

38. Vista Blue - Next Christmas

The Ledge #695: New Releases Pt. 2

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sat, 13 Dec 2025 02:22:00 +0000

I wanted to call this the final new release episode of 2025, but that's technically not true as next week's holiday extravaganza will feature almost all new tracks. But it's the last "real" episode of this sort, and it's as great as any show of this type we've put together all year.

There's a ton of veteran acts featured this week - The Wedding Present, Daniel Romano, Superchunk, Juliana Hatfield, and Cheap Trick. There's also Fast Kids, the new side project by The Mystery Light frontman Mike Brandon, and the second album by Plosivs, one of many John Reis projects. Of course, I can't forget the latest projects involving Wild Billy Childish - is own Thee Headcoats and the first album since 1999 by Thee Headcoatees!

Of course, there's also a Rum Bar Records segment that highights live material from The Dogs, a new supergroup called Speedtwinn, and the latest single by Girl with a Hawk. Plus, lots of the power pop and garage rock that are staples of The Ledge!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE SHOW!

1. Tee Vee Repairmann - Bad News

2. The Wedding Present - Grand Prix

3. The Wedding Present - Two For The Road

4. Daniel Romano - Servo

5. Superchunk - I Don't Want To Get Over You

6. Greg Antista and the Lonely Streets - U-Haul Van

7. Speedtwinn - Hot Wire Woman

8. Speedtwinn - Long Time Gone

9. The Dogs - Class Of 1970

10. The Dogs - Punk Rock Holiday

11. Girl With a Hawk - I'm In Love With My Friends

12. Juliana Hatfield - popsicle

13. Tulpa - Let's Make A Tulpa!

14. Witkin - 1973

15. Saint Shivers - Sweet Misfortune

16. Thee Headcoatees - The KKK Took My Baby Away

17. Thee Headcoatees - Signals of Love

18. Thee Headcoats - And The Band Played Johnny B. Goode

19. Thee Headcoats - If People Don't Like It (It Must Be Good)

20. Goin' Places - TV Girl

21. Pen16 - Olds Now

22. Soft on Crime - Relativity USA

23. Technopolice - MCB

24. Joint Pains - LURLEEN

25. PLOSIVS - Falls Equivalency

26. PLOSIVS - Lady For a Day

27. Fast Kids - Fast Kids

28. Fast Kids - My Advice

29. The Lucky Shots - On The Run

30. The Melody Chamber - This Train

31. The Radio Addicts - Before My Eyes

32. Bee Bee Sea - Keep It Cool

33. CHEEX - 1-900-TRU-LOVE

34. Cheap Trick - All Washed Up

The Ledge #694: New Releases Pt. 1

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sat, 06 Dec 2025 02:32:00 +0000

Here we are in the final month of the year, and we are still able to do a multi-episode new release series. Decades ago, this would have been impossible. With the exception of a title or two, all superstar releases were out by Thanksgiving (not that this fact would effect The Ledge). Not only did the physical media have to be prepared weeks or months in advance, but all publicity (press, videos, TV) had to be scheduled to coincde with the date the material was coming out.

Obviously, non-superstar releases always had difficulties even getting noticed back then, and this fact was amplified in the run-up to the holiday season. If they were released without a label putting up comparable publicty dollars, they were usually buried. More often than not, records of this sort were just postponed until the new year.

Because of all that, the record companies basically took December off. It was the month of schmozzing (and I'm sure quite a "pile" of substances). The stores had their stock, radio stations were certainly not adding many new songs during this period, and record stores were just praying that they could restock what they sold.

Yes, it was a whole different world. Today, I could put a song on bandcamp just minutes after recording it in the privacy of my bedroom. (I wish I had that ability.) Elaborate publicity campaigns no longer work if your surname isn't among a handful of household moniker. (This is why The Ledge works for those wanting to sell a few copies!)

So this month is once again a two part series...or could one call it another three-peat? This week and next week are the normal sort of new release shows, although there are more than the usual amount of double-plays. Then the third Friday of the month (12/19) will be the annual holiday episode of the show! I've already come close to filling my folder full of these types of songs, primarily from "friends" of this fine show! (And yes I screwed up a bit and accidentally included one of those songs tonight!)

What's your fave record of this show?

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE SHOW!

1. The Lemon Twigs - I've Got A Broken Heart

2. The Replacements - I Will Dare

3. The Replacements - Hayday

4. The Replacements - 20th Century Boy

5. The Replacements - You're Getting Married

6. The Replacements - God Damn Job

7. The Replacements - Color Me Impressed

8. Red Devil Ryders - Time Won't Wait For Me

9. The Jack Rubies - Greedy

10. Lone Wolf - High All The Time

11. Sharp Pins - I Don't Have The Heart

12. Sharp Pins - Queen of Globes and Mirrors

13. Wreckless Eric - Lifeline

14. Wreckless Eric - Home & Away

15. Friends of Cesar Romero - Pro Yearner

16. Friends of Cesar Romero - Nine Pound Hamer

17. Friends of Cesar Romero - Headlight Queen

18. Erratix - Something New

19. Erratix - No Luv Lost

20. Erratix - Keepin’ On Top

21. N.E. Vains - Kicked Off the VPN

22. Norcos Y Horchata - The Artist & The Art

23. Phil Cook & the Fall Dogs - GIVE ME A BREAK

24. Mini Skirt - Smart Enough

25. Killer Hearts - Time To Bleed

26. Linear Television - Sandy Beach

27. The Spitters - Don't Be Stupid

28. The Mendozaz - Fuck You: The Musical!

29. Eater - Chinese Rocks

30. Eater - Another Girl, Another Planet

31. The Damned - See Emily Play

32. The Damned - There's a Ghost In My House

33. The Jimmy C - The Back Roads To Ruin

The Ledge #693: Another Tuneless Racket - Boston

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sat, 29 Nov 2025 02:36:00 +0000

I have been a huge fan of Steven H. Gardiner's Another Tuneless Racket series of books documenting the punk and new wave scenes of the 70s. Just a few weeks ago I finished the most recent volume which documents the eastern half of our country. I was especially taken by the marathon length chapter detailing everything that happened in Boston during this time, and I spent hours devouring a ton of bands I'd never heard before.

Tonight's show compiles over two hours of bands covered in this section (with the exception of The Modern Lovers and The Real Kids, who were discussed in volume one). There are bands barely remembered from this time next to groups that are revered to this day. We start with the monumental recording Jonathan Richman made at the beginning of the decade with his band The Modern Lovers, and we conclude with Mission of Burma, a revolutionary band that carried on into the 80s.

What's your favorite Boston band from this time period?

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE SHOW!

1. The Modern Lovers - Roadrunner

2. The Modern Lovers - She Cracked

3. The Modern Lovers - Government Center

4. The Real Kids - All Kindsa Girls

5. The Real Kids - Who Needs You

6. Willie Loco Alexander Boom Boom Band - At The Rat

7. Willie Loco Alexander Boom Boom Band - Pup Tune

8. Thundertrain - I'm So Excited

9. Marc Thor - Circling LA

10. Reddy Teddy - Ooh-Wow

11. Reddy Teddy - Boys And Girls

12. Count Viglione - The Guitarmaster

13. Nervous Eaters - Loretta

14. DMZ - Busy Man

15. DMZ - You're Gonna Miss Me

16. The Lyres - How Do You Know

17. The Lyres - Buried Alive

18. La Peste - Better Off Dead

19. La Peste - Spymaster

20. Peter Dayton - Last Supper

21. Bonjour Aviators - Boston City Limits

22. Atlantics - When You're Young

23. Pastiche - Flash Of The Moment

24. The Marshalls - AM

25. The Dawgs - Shot Of Your Love

26. Human Sexual Response - Jackie Onassis

27. The Rentals - I Got A Crush On You

28. The Infliktors - Where'd You Get That Cigarette

29. The Neighborhoods - Prettiest Girl

30. The Neighborhoods - No Place Like Home

31. Baby's Arm - I'm A Wimp

32. Classic Ruins - 1+1<2

33. Mission of Burma - Academy Fight Song

The Ledge #692: New Releases (Pt. 3)

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sat, 22 Nov 2025 02:42:00 +0000

The unprecedented third show of new releases this month ends the series not with a whimper but with triumph. These aren't extras or third-rate fillers. The tracks aired tonight proudly stand next to those played in the first two shows. In fact, this episode is not only the longest but most varied of the trio.

Part of the reason for the length, though, is the last minute decision to add a set devoted to today's release of the reissue of my third favorite album of all time, Let It Be by The Replacements. This new box includes a disc of outtakes and other rarities, along with a live album recorded in Chicago on August 17, 1984.

I also added a couple of songs by a band I saw in Minneapolis last Saturday. Playing with our friends the Daniel James Gang (led by former Indonesia Junk front man Daniel James and accompanied by Geoff Palmer on second guitar) and opener Cheap Glue (oh man, I need them to record ASAP), Smart Shoppers are a performance art/punk band from Green Bay, and Shop Among Us is quite fun.

There's also sets devoted to two tribute records this week - Play On: A Raspberries Tribute and Killed By Deaf: A Punk Tribute to Motorhead. There's also long-awaited returns by Sugar and The Lemonheads, and a maybe not so long-awaited record by Guided By Voices. (I saw that because it was just a few months ago that Robert Pollard announced that GBV was hanging it up.)

What tracks are you into this week?

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE SHOW!

1. Todd Snider - The Human Condition

2. The Replacements - Who's Gonna Take Us Alive

3. The Replacements - Favorite Thing (Alternate Version)

4. The Replacements - Unsatisfied (Alternate Mix) (Full-Length Version)

5. The Replacements - I Will Dare (Live at Cubby Bear, Chicago, IL, 8/17/84)

6. Smart Shoppers - SPURS

7. Smart Shoppers - START OVER

8. Mary Strand - Yours Until Tomorrow

9. Mozart Estate - Electric Rock And Roll

10. Humbug - Open Season

11. Frank Turner - Bar Staff

12. Frank Turner - Little Life

13. Paul Kelly - Rita Wrote A Letter

14. Ski Van - Now

15. Shoes - Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)

16. Ken Sharp - I'm A Rocker

17. Cherie Currie - Hands On You

18. The Toms - Every Way I Can

19. Guided By Voices - (You Can't Go Back To) Oxford Talawanda

20. Guided By Voices - Phantasmagoric Upstarts

21. The Lemonheads - Deep End

22. The Lemonheads - Wild Thing

23. Naïm Amor & Kid Congo Powers - Murder We Wrote

24. Naïm Amor & Kid Congo Powers - Showdown

25. Jim Jones All Stars - Burning Your House Down

26. Jim Jones All Stars - Rock N' Roll Psychosis

27. Nico Bones - Satin Doll

28. Oruã - Deus Dará

29. Sunflowers - I Got Friends

30. The Smelters - Suppose To Be

31. Cosmic Psychos - This Could Be The Greatest Beer Of My Life

32. Pennywise - Ace of Spades

33. Rancid - Sex and Death

34. Lagwagon - Rock 'n' Roll

35. Motörhead (feat. The Damned) - Neat Neat Neat

36. Sugar - House of Dead Memories

The Ledge #691: New Releases (Pt. 2)

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sat, 15 Nov 2025 02:17:00 +0000

I've been prone to announce on my first set of monthly new release episodes that it's devoted to "friends of the show". But that's not to say that part two doesn't include my rock and roll pals. No, no, no. In fact, the second episode always involves a lengthy set devoted to my super special friends at Rum Bar Records. Malibu Lou has always been so supportive of The Ledge, and has always ensured that I have copies of everything his wonderful label releases.

This month's show is no different, and along with the usual lengthy set of their newest tracks I have a couple of independently-released records by artists affiliated with Rum Bar. Both Brad Marino and The Prozacs have fantastic new tracks out that I'm happy to spin tonight.

There's also a plethora of female-led rock and roll this week, starting off with our friends The Silent Treatment and their new track "Repeat Catastrophe". There's also the latest "supergroup" Snocaps, led by Katie and Allison Crutchfield, along with The Belair Lip Bombs, The High Frequencies, and many more. Oh yeah, and the long-awaited return of Thee Headcoatees!

What's your favorite tune this week?

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE SHOW!

1. The Silent Treatment - Repeat Catastrophe

2. The Hellflowers - Riot Squad

3. The Hellflowers - Stutter

4. The Dogs - Inside Out

5. The Gypsy Moths - Leave You With This

6. Duck & Cover - Girl From Nowhere

7. Brad Marino - Voodoo

8. The Prozacs - No Way Out

9. Satch Kerans Band - Gotta Be Better

10. Future Fix - Nothing Gets Through

11. The Len Price 3 - Margate Sand

12. Creative Writing - Hallway

13. Deke Dickerson and the Whippersnappers - Comin' Home to You

14. Snocaps - Brand New City

15. The Puncturists - 55

16. The Belair Lip Bombs - Again and Again

17. Weakened Friends - Tough Luck (Bleed Me Out)

18. The High Frequencies - Tonite and Every Nite

19. Long Fling - Mouse House

20. WATERMELON - Midwest Girls

21. LAWN CHAIR - Fancy Car, Girlfriend and the Big House

22. Holly Golightly - My Get Back

23. Holly Golightly - Miss Fortune

24. Thee Headcoatees - Got Sect If You Want It (Ludella vocal)

25. Thee Headcoatees - Little By Little (Debbie vocal)

26. Thee Headcoats Sect - Got Sect If You Want It

27. Thee Headcoats Sect - Man Trap

28. Coral Fuzz - You're So High

29. Radioactivity - Time Won't Bring Me Down

30. Faulty Cognitions - Arsonist

31. Fruit Tones - Nothing But A Headache

32. Starr and the Czars - It's The Bad Times

33. The Covids - No Kids

34. Angel Face - Searchin' For The Truth

35. Batmobile - Nothing Beats Rock And Roll

The Ledge #690: New Releases (Pt. 1)

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sat, 08 Nov 2025 02:16:00 +0000

I was going through the motions of selecting songs for the planned two new release episodes for November, and I quickly realized that I had way too many songs! What a problem to have, right? So for the first time, this month's new release series will be three full episodes! Yes, I know earlier this year I had some leftovers for a third episode, but I'm talking about three full shows of new tunes!

Tonight's episode, like most "part 1's", is primarily devoted to friends of the show. These are artists and labels that routinely send me their newest tunes. Like Numb Surprise, who have sent me tracks each and every month this year. Or the latest Rob Moss and Skin-Tight Skin double cover series, where he and a fellow artist cover each other. There's also the latest from power pop legend Jim Basnight, a new Big Stir release, and even some baseball-related tracks from our buddies Vista Blue.

Plus there's quite a few new power pop faves, and a nice batch of garage, punk, and indie rock. Oh yeah, and a deep dive into that new Husker Du live box set. What tracks did you dig?

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE SHOW!

1. Numb Surprise - Let Me Get What I Want

2. Rob Moss and Skin-Tight Skin - Caveman

3. The False Positives - A Rocket Ship to You

4. Ricky Rochelle - Until I Fell In Love With You

5. Ryan Allen And His Extra Arms - Time Stealer

6. Mala Vista - Times Of War

7. Vista Blue - The Shift Is Dead

8. Vista Blue - Bigmouth Strikes Out Again

9. Dan Bern - The Pitch Clock Era

10. Dan Bern - THE FALL CLASSIC

11. Jim Basnight - Get It Out

12. Dom Mariani - World On Its Head

13. Half/Cubes - I Don't Wanna Know (Feat. Mark Hudson)

14. The Gold Needles - Pale Blue Silver Eyes

15. Sharp Pins - I Wonder Where You Hide All Your Love

16. Autumn Rhythm - Dimes square

17. The Telephone Numbers - Ebb Tide

18. Token Hearts - Quiet Side Of Town

19. The Brokedowns - Live Laugh Love Death Cult

20. Cream Soda - Victim Of The Medway Towns

21. Missed Cues - It's a Long Way

22. Melter - They Treat You Different

23. The Smarthearts - Alone Together

24. Bee Bee Sea - Keep It Cool

25. Cheap Fix - Re-animator Blues

26. Primitive Heads - Black Coffee

27. Twisted Teens - Everyone

28. Dropped Out - Always Trust Your Dog

29. joe the band - Rock On, Women In STEM!

30. Speed Week - Business As Usual

31. The Boojums - Wings of Fire

32. Zero Boys - Birds

33. Hüsker Dü - New Day Rising

34. Hüsker Dü - Everything Falls Apart

35. Hüsker Dü - I Apologize

36. Hüsker Dü - Diane

37. Hüsker Dü - Love Is All Around