Episode 2: Thee Guttergunk Noise Buffet

Alright, bad news good news time: The bad news is that the recording software I usually use to record my show crapped out shortly after recording commenced, and as such, there’s no file available of last week’s programming. So yes, technology sucks, so says I who imparts this message to you on my fancy schmancy blog that looks like cat shit rolled in charcoal. But fret not, for all is not lost! I…I mean, somebody has taken the trouble to compress the setlists of both hours’ main programming into zip files and has made them available for download, so while rotation tracks and my slightly less shitty verbal commentary will be absent, the most important part of the show (ie: the music that I, Mr. Svengali Tastemaker picks) will remain, and as an added bonus, you don’t get to hear my slightly less shitty verbal commentary or any rotation tracks! Oh, but I kid…sort of. Honestly, I don’t mind the majority of rotation I play…even if at times, “not minding” is the best I can say of some of the stuff I blind-test. But, as an actual real added bonus, these playlists consist not only of the music that I played on the air, but also of the stuff that I intended to play, but never actually got around to doing so because of the standard time constraints that come with having a two-hour block show along with PSA and rotation requirements. So, in a way, think of these files as alternative versions of last show’s programming with added bonus tracks. Here are the links to download the aforementioned files (as each set had a different theme, I’ve broken each forty-something minute setlist up into its own file):

1) Hour One: Late 80s – 90s Garage Punk/”Gunk Punk”:

http://www.mediafire.com/?qfqpms1tvpj5v1d

2) Hour Two: 90s Noise Rock:

http://www.mediafire.com/?u96tdxkxd0veas3

Although some of the music on last show’s programming dipped into the late 80s, my main aim was to highlight a couple sides of 90s rock which, despite having accrued more popularity as of late, remain decidedly less talked about when people think of music which defined the 90s. Sure, grunge and “alternative” rock was important, and so was C + C Music Factory and Ace Of Base, but the 90s underground was also wildly diverse, and home to some of the most boss rock sounds to be spewed forth since hardcore lost a lot of its brains (even if it retained a bit too much of its brawn) in the mid-late 80s. Two scenes of music that arose parallel to one another (and interacted at certain junctures) in the US were the garage punk scene, which consisted of a backwards-forwards looking lunatic sound recently canonized in wildly entertaining form by New Bomb Turks frontman/freelance scribe Eric Davidson in his still pretty damn new book We Never Learn: The Gunk Punk Undergut, 1988-2001, and noise rock, grunge’s uglier, angrier, and punkier predecessor that has yet to receive proper literary treatment. Although both of these genres ultimately became worldwide phenomena disseminated by a whole slew of different labels, a couple unignorable primary actors emerged early on in North America and have remained prominent since: Crypt Records for garage punk, and Amphetamine Reptile for noise rock. While I don’t mean to take anything away from other great, important purveyors of dirty sounds such as Sympathy For The Record Industry and Touch & Go, these two labels were nonetheless the earliest on the scene to really focus in on their respective sounds, and as such, were able to snatch up most of the crème of the trash-and-brash crop. As such, you’ll notice that these two record companies receive far more representation on this episode’s playlists than anybody else. Additionally, while each of these types of music had a decidedly different feel (garage punk tended to be more party-time happy, while noise rock was often more screaming-time angry), they both proved influential in more recent days, with bands ranging from The White Stripes to Pissed Jeans citing the bands featured on this show as important influences. So hey, maybe we should readjust the perceived “legacy of the 90s” (which, believe me, we’ll be hearing and seeing plenty about, what with the 20 year nostalgia hump finally favoring the era of “Generation X”) to encompass more dirty stuff than what went down in the Oval Office, no?

On a final note, this show is not intended by any means to be a comprehensive overview, and you can bet your ass there will be more shows in the future to cover both to these types of music. The Mummies, Guitar Wolf, Thee Headcoats, Lollipop, The Melvins, and Melt Banana are just the tip of the iceberg of great, essential garage and/or noise bands which I unfortunately could not find a place for on this particular episodes programming.

But that’s all for later. For now, before I forget, some notes about something or another:

Hour 1: Garage Punk/”Gunk Punk”:

1) The Donnas – “Teenage Rock’n’Roll Machine (American Teenage Rock’n’Roll Machine, 1998, Lookout! Records): This is the semi-title track/starting cut off of The Donnas’ pre-fame first album. Although the band has kind of streamlined their sound into a more straightforward pop/rock style these days (which is fine by me – they are still a way cooler big-label girl group than, say, Avril Lavigne, or some pap like that), this album basically sees the band taking recycled Kiss licks and Ramones riffs and having young girls sing over them. That’s three things I love in one place, so who am I to quibble? Crank it loud, sing proud!

2) New Bomb Turks – “Born Toulouse-Lautrec” (Destroy, Oh Boy!, 1993, Crypt Records): Good lord, do those New Bomb Turks slay. I bought this album (along with Slayer’s Show No Mercy) on my very first college-sniffing trip to Greensboro at this dump called “Collectables I” that used to sit on the corner of Tate Street and Lee, and although I had to wait several hours until my parents drove me back before I could listen to it, my mind was sufficiently blown after having given it a single spin. Whether you want to call them straight ahead punk, a hyperactive garage band, or something in between, one durst deny the power of The Turks. Lead singer Eric Davidson, as mentioned previously, just wrote the definitive tome on late garage punk entitled We Never Learn: The Gunk Punk Undergut, 1988 – 2001, and I highly recommend it for fans of the kind of stuff you’re hearing here. Almost every artist in this section of the show is represented in the book, and it (appropriately enough) reads closer to some sort of vibrant, non-contrived beat novel rather than a mere “history of a genre”. I can only see how one’s life would be improved by seeking out more New Bomb Turks, and this book.

3) Teengenerate – “Mess Me Up” (Get Action!, 1995, Crypt Records): Spazzy, overloaded garage punk jubilation from Japan. Apparently, Teengenerate started somewhat as more of a metal-leaning boogie rock band before being influenced by the terrific (and later featured) Devil Dogs to change their sound to something a little more, er, “primal”. Wheeee for buzz-words! Get Action is a totally fab album, and features a Queers cover so great you won’t even realize it’s a Queers cover (until you read the liner notes, anyway)!

4) The Lazy Cowgirls – “Who You Callin’ A Slut?” (Ragged Soul, 1995, Crypt Records): You know how I mentioned that the lead singer/guitarist of Leatherface looked like he could be my grandpa on the notes for last week’s show? Well, look, even if you didn’t read the notes, just go along with it and heed my words when I say that Lazy Cowgirls singer/part-time guitarist Pat Todd really looks like he could be my grandfather – in fact, he does look like my grandpa! Both are short, quite bald, and a more than a little gray. Yet Todd, unlike my granddad, has made a lifelong career of working in the Hollywood special effects industry and cranking out remarkably honest, unpretentious, fan-friggin’-tastic rock and roll. Ragged Soul is considered by many to be The Lazy Cowgirls’ masterpiece, and was deemed somewhat of a big comeback for the band after having laid low for three or so years prior to its release. Like this tune, the songs on Ragged Soul are bare, bold, and catchy as all get-out. Pat Todd is still active in music today, helming Pat Todd & The Rankoutsiders (who are pretty much The Lazy Cowgirls in all but name, and still great), and running Rankoutsider Records, his label dedicated to putting out his own music in addition to plenty of other roots-digging rock and rollers. So Pat, east coast tour, please?

5) The Makers w/ April March – “Bust Out” (April March Sings Along With The Makers, 1997, Sympathy For The Record Industry): As the highly metaphorical album title vaguely hints at, this track (and the album it comes off of) is a one-off collaboration between April March (who is probably better known in indie pop circles) and Spokane, Washington trash-mongers The Makers. As far as I know, none of these compositions were new for this album (ie: the lot of it is just April singing over classic Maker tunes), but who cares? It’s so fun and infectious that you’d have to be an asshole (or an owl) to give a hoot.

6) Hives – “I’m A Wicked One” (Barely Legal, 1997, Gearhead): There was a brief moment in the early 2000s, back when The Strokes, The Hives, and The White Stripes were blowing up, that I had hope that perhaps popular rock music would once again not be a total cesspool bereft of any redeeming qualities as it typically was. Of course, the so called “neo garage” trend which elevated these bands to high popularity quickly fizzled out (its nadir found in form of Jet’s “Are You Gonna Be My Girl”), but hey – at least it proved that the modern-day music buying public isn’t totally allergic to half-decent music, right? Anyway, as mentioned before, I was first introduced to the pre-fame/pre-no longer cared about (in the US) Hives while riding in the back of my friend Todd Richard’s car in California. I liked that “Hate To Say I Told You So” single quite a bit, but this stuff was a lot more brash and a lot more fast! I instantly liked what I heard from the album, but didn’t get around to owning it until a couple years after moving to North Carolina. This is perpetual youth music, and to me, most great music is perpetual youth music.

7) The Devil Dogs – “They’re Not Around” (30 Sizzlin’ Slabs!, 1995, Crypt Records): God, I fucking LOVE this band! To me, The Devil Dogs (hailing from New York), are what The Ramones would sound if they were a little meaner (well, not Johnny Ramone mean, but you know…), and listened to Chuck Berry a little more than they did The Beach Boys (not that the Devil Dogs didn’t enjoy The Beach Boys too, as evidenced by their “Be True To Your School” cover). This song actually comes off of The Devil Dogs 1989 self-titled debut, but my particular track comes from 30 Sizzlin’ Slabs!, a wonderfully voluminous disc which compiles the lot of their first three albums. Those albums, along with their particularly outstanding fourth long-player Saturday Night Fever, are all terrific, but unfortunately, The Devil Dogs’ predilection with using particularly naughty words makes it difficult for me to play a lot of their stuff on the air. Nonetheless, they are able to conjure up a post-Ramones sense of rock’n’roll excitement with a seeming effortlessness rarely seen from any other bands.

8) Dead Moon – “Poor Born” (Crack In The System, 1994, Tombstone): Dead Moon lead singer/guitarist Fred Cole had been bumping around in bands since the mid sixties – first in the garage/psychedelic band The Weeds (rechristened The Lollipop Shoppe by their unscrupulous manager), then later hard rock in the 70s with Zipper, and punk/hardcore in the late 70s/early 80s with The Rats, and probably several other projects before finally forming Dead Moon (with his wife Toody – whom he had been with since the 60s) in the late 80s. The band remained tenaciously independent throughout their decades-spanning career, doing everything from putting out the music on their own Tombstone label to mono-mastering and even manufacturing the vinyl records themselves. Sadly, Dead Moon decided to call it quits in 2006, but the period of mourning couldn’t have been allowed to drag on for too long, given that Fred and Toodie were back in The Pierced Arrows by 2007, a spiritual continuation of Dead Moon that basically differs from that latter outfit only in the fact that they have a different drummer.

9) The Bassholes – “Pneumonia” (Haunted Hill, 1995, In The Red Records): Partially formed from the ashes of The Gibson Brothers (the roots-rock/country/gospel/whatthefuckablly band, not the Cuban one), The Bassholes reside in the haunted hills of Asheville, and were one of the first within the 90s garage fold to explore the possibilities of desolate, minimalist rock and roll via a super lean guitar/drum driven approach. Later on, a little band by the name of The White Stripes would take this same approach and make themselves reasonably wealthy off of it (despite shittier and shittier releases, and ultimately, the recent break-up).

10) The Gories – “I Think I’ve Had It” (I Know You Be Houserockin’, 1994, Crypt Records): This wonderful, bluesy scratch of lo-fi scratching actually came from the 1989 debut Gories album Houserockin’, but I have the compilation which pairs that with their marvelously titled second album (I Know You Fine, But How You Doin’?), so that’s what I’m listing here. Finding out about the Gories was a small revelation for me – I’d heard plenty of “raw”, “stripped” down music prior, but good lord – not only did this band not have any bassist, but they weren’t even using a full drum set, either! I love this song’s sentiment – it’s a kiss-off tune that doesn’t come off sounding bitter or defensive. Guitarist/vocalist Mick Collins took somewhat of a heavy turn in his next main gig, the still-active (and still rockin’) Dirtbombs – a band which features two bassists, two drummers, and Mick still on the guitar.

11) 68 Comeback – “His Latest Flame” (Golden Rogues Collection, 1994, Sympathy For The Record Industry): Fronted by once-howler/guitarist of The Gibson Brothers, namely, the venerable Monsieur Jeffrey Evans, 68 Comeback initially consisted as a loose collective of key garage punk players at the turn of the 90s, featuring at points past and future members of The Gories, Blacktop, and The Oblivians, amongst others. The Golden Rogues Collection collects together all of the band’s earliest singles, most of which (including this track) are covers of old tunes circa the 50s and early 60s. This particular song features Peg O’Neil on drums (formerly of The Gories), and a guy singing and playing guitar who was once in The Gibson Brothers, which he was in along with Don Howland, now of The Bassholes. See how connected everything is? See how convoluted that last sentence was? Let’s go ahead, ignore that, and move on then, no?

12) The Hyperdrive Kittens – “Rock’n’Roll Drag Queen” (Outpunk Dance Party (compilation), 1995, Outpunk): Ooh, a rare track! I have almost no information about The Hyperdrive Kittens other than that they were a gay punk band who had one single on Outpunk in the early 90s (this track being the a-side of that single). I sure wish there was more available though, because this sweet garage pop number is absolutely my favorite tune on Outpunk Dance Party (and that comp includes Pansy Division, who are one of my top five favorite bands of all time!). If there’s a finer song written about transsexual lovin’, I sure haven’t heard it…and Lou Reed hasn’t written it.

13) The Oblivians – “Bad Man” (Popular Favorites, 1996, Crypt Records): A slow, overloaded-sounding heartstring-tugger by Memphis’ favorite defunct instrument-swapping power trio. Most of the other songs on this superb album have a jauntier swing to it, but this song really stood out to me, and is probably my favorite moment on the disc, piles and piles of other great moments (such as the boss anti snooty music shop clerk screed, “Guitar Shop Asshole”) notwithstanding.

14) The Chrome Cranks – “Dark Room” (The Chrome Cranks, 1995, PCP): If played loudly, this track is guaranteed to drill a hole in your ear drums. Falling somewhere between Elvis Presley and The Jesus Lizard, The Chrome Cranks posses an aggressive, dissonant swing which sets them noticeably apart from many other participants in this sort of garage punk gunk line. Fun fact: Guitarist William Weber was also a founding participant in The Murder Junkies, a band most famous for having backed up GG Allin on his final, filthy tour before a wrong turn on a heroin trip sent the said toilet-rocking sociopath to…well, probably somewhere hot, and south of Heaven. Sorry, I couldn’t resist an opportunity for a Slayer reference. Now what were we talking about?

15) The Dwarves – “Everybody’s Girl” (The Dwarves Are Young And Good Looking, 1997, Greedy): Many have argued that The Dwarves are the greatest rock and roll band alive today, and given the band’s astonishingly consistent quality of work over the past 25+ years, I find it pretty damn difficult to argue. Not that lovably arrogant frontman/Dwarves ringleader Blag Dahlia needs his ass kissed by the likes of small-time folk such as myself, but I can’t overstate the fact he is simply a brilliant fucking songwriter. Yeah, yeah, punk tends to be simple, and thus the adage is that anybody can play punk, but it takes actual brains and talent to be able to write GOOD punk music, and Blag has been full of good, interesting ideas for writing punk rock since the mid 80s, and even when he’s branched off into areas I was less interested in (such as forays into rap and industrial on the last couple of Dwarves albums), at least nobody could accuse him not doing what he wanted to do, regardless of what his fanbase thought. Aside from being catchy as all get-out (and one of the few Dwarves songs clean enough for public airplay), I love this track because it shows that a punk band CAN write a very Ramonesy song, while at the same time still retain their own musical identity and not come off like a trite imitation of those perennial New Yorkers. If only all those lame-ass Lookout! pop punk bands could’ve been so talented…

16) The Muffs – “Sad Tomorrow” (Blonder and Blonder, 1995, Warner Brothers): Although a few bands on this set were scooped up by major labels later on in their career, The Muffs are the only group represented here whose song comes from when they actually were on a major. And God, what a great song it is. I have a major crush on lead singer/guitarist Kim Shattuck (don’t tell her, as I don’t think I stand much of a chance and I’d hate to see it compromise our friendship), and I hate that I just missed them play in New York with The Paul Collins Beat (aka: The band of one of the main guys from The Nerves). The Muffs had themselves a gold record when this bittersweet ditty ended up on the Clueless soundtrack.

17) The Didjits – “Evilized” (Que Sirhan Sirhan, 1993, Touch & Go Records): YEAAHR! When it comes to straight up boogie down rock excitement, it’s pretty difficult to fuck with this band. Fronted by exuberant guitacular weirdo Rick Sims, The Didjits, at their best, embody all the arrogant, brilliant bravado which separates the great bands from the merely good. The Offspring would later cover a Didjits track on their Smash album, landing the latter band some kudos (and some royalties) well deserved for years of rockin’ out with furious abandon.

18) The Candy Snatchers – “Turnin’ Blue” (The Candy Snatchers, 1996, Safe House): Richmond’s Candy Snatchers are another raucous rock unit with a particular (and allegedly well-deserved) reputation for exceptionally bloody, violent, beer-fueled mayhem at their live shows. They remind me of some sort of jacked-up cousin of The MC5 and Poison Idea. Anyway, lead guitarist/fuck-up Matthew Odietus, who was reported at least once to have drank diluted anti-freeze, sadly bit the big one recently, thereby putting all formal Candy Snatcher operations to a rest. RIP Matthew.

19) Supercharger – “Buzz Off” (Goes Way Out, 1993, Estrus): Supercharger, along with The Mummies (an essential band which you WILL hear on my next installment of garage punk gunk) helped to solidify the “budget rock” aesthetic of combining garage flair with no-fi “production”, thereby helping to start off an at-the-time tiny scene which still enjoys cult reverence to this day. Greg Lowery, the band’s bassist/vocalist, went on to found Rip Off records (and then The Rip Offs), who was a key disseminator of lo-fi garage bile throughout the mid and later part of the 90s.

Hour Two: 90s Noise Rock

1) Hammerhead – “Swallow” (Into The Vortex, 1994, Amphetamine Reptile): And instantly, the vibes are different. Hammerhead is dark, vicious, and crushing, and manages to communicate the same sort of rage as both hardcore and gloom sludge ala Neurosis without having to resort to the tempo extremities of either style. Apparently, Hammerhead is active once again and soon to perform in Texas, following an initial reunion celebrating Amphetamine Reptile’s 20^th anniversary show.

2) Cows – “Blown” (Sexy Pee Story, 1993, Amphetamine Reptile): The Cows are easily my favorite noise rock band, and were my introductory band into the genre when I picked up a copy of their classic Cunning Stunts album back in high school (Internet critic Mark Prindle hipped me to this band through his often brilliant and entertaining, at times sad and disturbing website). Unfortunately, just about every song I wanted to play from Cunning Stunts had some sort of radio unfriendly word or phrase in it, but this isn’t that big of a deal when your band has written as many great songs as The Cows have. As such, this is the lead-off track to the band’s also-awesome sixth album, instead. I got this album (along with the album that followed it, Orphan’s Tragedy) from my friend Matt, who traded me the cds (which, of course, he found for less than a buck a piece at a thrift store) for my official Pog Tournament Arena (with accompanying pogs). The economy of the 90s is still alive - it just exists within a bartering system now.

3) Helmet – “Bad Mood” (Strap It On, 1991, Amphetamine Reptile): Sexual double entendre aside, “Helmet – strap it on” is kind of a dumb phrase for an album, no? Regardless of this fact, and the fact that they really weren’t all that great after they signed to Interscope to [not] become the next Nirvana, Helmet’s early material is nonetheless pretty unfuckwithable, and eminently influential at that. Heavy (but not metal!), unrelenting rhythms (but not industrial!), straightforward (but not simple!). Dumb writing technique (but not helpful!). They are playing with Crowbar and St. Vitus in Greensboro (?!?!!?!??!) soon, at a show I’m going to try very hard not to miss.

4) Boss Hog – “Hustler” (Girl Positive EP, 1993, Amphetamine Reptile): This was Jon Spencer and Christina Martinez’s band post Pussy Galore, and which Spencer was in alongside a very early Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. I like this stuff way better than both of those bands though, for which the founders became much more famous. I don’t have a terribly great amount to say about this Boss Hog, other than that they take sleeze rock and elevate it to the highest level of the low-brow. Sadly, none of the other songs on the Girl Positive EP quite match this tune. Good stuff, nonetheless.

5) Gas Huffer – “Before I Kill Again” (Dope, Guns, And Fucking In The Streets, Volumes 4-7, 1993, Amphetamine Reptile): No, I did not say the name of where this track came from over the air. But anyway, Amphetamine Reptile put out a series of great singles throughout the late 80s to mid 90s under the Dope, Guns, And Fucking In The Street tag which put the spotlight on many of the key luminaries of that era’s noise rock and garage punk. Everybody from The Jesus Lizard to Thee Mighty Caesars to The Melvins to Superchunk were featured, and the good folks at AmRep had the fine, fine taste to compile these quick-to-be collectors items singles into utterly killer, budget priced compilation cds/LPs. If you are unsure of whether or not you want to dive into Amphetamine Reptile’s clattering, irate sound, these Dope, Guns, and Fucking In The Streets comps are easily your best place to start – and one of the best places to stuff your music collection with fan-fucking-tastic tunes as well. On that note, Gas Huffer was a great Northwest garage gunk group, and the flagship band of Washington’s Empty Records. If you dig this track, you should also check out their sweet EP compilation Janitors Of Tomorrow. Suffice to say, that album is better than grunge as a genre!

6) Janitor Joe – “Voucher” (Big Metal Birds, 1992, Amphetamine Reptile Records): I’ve had the Janitor Joe album this tune comes off of for a while, but for some reason, I neglected it for years before sitting down, listening to it, and realizing that it’s actually a primo slice of noise rock grit. Not that it’s perfekt by any means – one song, I’m sorry to say, rather reminds me of Rob Zombie, but look, we all do stupid things when we are young. Take Janitor Joe’s bassist Kristen Pfaff, for instance. She decided to leave this great noise rock outfit to join Courtney Love in Hole, and then in 1994, was found dead of a heroin overdose.

7) Halo Of Flies – “Ain’t No Hell” (Music For Insect Minds, 1991, Amphetamine Reptile Records): YAS OH YAS! Halo Of Flies was the band of AmRep founder and main man Tom “XXL” Hazelmeyer, and is in my estimation the angriest, noisiest, garage rock band to have ever walked the earth. This track is mastered extremely loudly, and pretty much acts as an abrupt blast of bile whenever I put it on a track list/playlist/mix tape/whatever. Music For Insect Minds includes more or less everything Halo Of Flies has ever done, although annoyingly enough, the tracks are all out of order with regard to their respective releases. Nonetheless, it’s a great album, if also a bit of a teeth-grinder to make it through from start to finish.

8) Today Is The Day – “Execution Style” (Dope, Guns, And Fucking In The Streets, Vol. 8-11, 1997, Amphetamine Reptile Records): Wheee, happy fun time music! This is another single from another volume of the Dope, Guns…series, and it isn’t difficult to hear the influence this band has on the likes of the metalcore scene that would be soon to rise to popularity in the coming years.

9) Unsane – “Body Bomb” (Total Destruction, 1993, Matador Records): Wheeee, more happy fun time music! Unsane is one of the most gritty, brutal, and all-around mind-grinding of the 90s noise rock scene, and saying that, the song featured here would be considered a “pop single” of sorts for this band. Uff. It’s smart stuff, and very evocative, but honestly, hard for me to take in on one sitting. At least it doesn’t make me want to slit my wrists like The Swans, though.

10) The Jesus Lizard – “Nub” (Goat, 1991, Touch & Go Records): YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH! The Jesus Lizard were another one of the earliest noise rock bands I had ever gotten into, and based on seeing a live video of them on MTV in the late 90s/early 2000s, found myself under the somewhat incorrect assumption that the 90s was some sort of golden era of music were there were just armies of awesome bands getting signed to majors and putting out music videos. While this wasn’t exactly true, it did highlight the fact that for all the bagging people like to do on the said decade, there was still a hell of a lot more interesting stuff receiving major label circulation than what is often getting pushed on the public these days. Or so says I, he who wears his nostalgia on his sleeve. I was fortunate enough to see The Jesus Lizard last year, and I can confirm that even as older dudes rapidly approaching middle age, they are still one of the greatest live bands on the planet. Lead singer David Yow and I unmemorably bonded over our mutual appreciation for his adorable cat, Little Buddy.

11) Polvo – “Time Isn’t On My Side” (Today’s Active Lifestyles, 1993, Merge): For some reason, I’ve respected but rarely listened to Polvo for quite some time, but I’ll be damned if this isn’t one of the most gorgeous songs I’ve heard recently – typically lazy indie rock vocals forgiven in favor of heavenly instrumental interplay (which is what this band is about anyway, right?). And who could not love those fuzzy, Nintendo-esque keyboards? A deaf person, that’s who. Gosh, what a swell song…off of a solid album, to boot.

12) Tar – “Cross Offer” (Jackson, 1991, Amphetamine Reptile Records): So, if you haven’t noticed, this is the “dissonantly pretty” section of the noise rock set. Tar supposedly engendered a bit of bad blood at the AmRep offices when they suddenly decided to sign with Touch & Go Records after having had a steady, sustained, and pretty successful relationship in Hazelmeyer’s court, but bickering aside, Tar put out some fantastic music. This is one of my favorite tunes off of their reputed classic album – uptempo, a bit angry, yet also…pleasant. Very 90s, indeed.

13) Servotron – “Matrix Of Perfection” (Dope, Guns, And Fucking In The Streets, Vol. 8-11, 1997, Amphetamine Reptile): I may be wrong, but assuming I’m not (and that I’m too lazy at the moment to just look it up), I believe Servotron is a side-project of lo-fi surf rockers Man Or Astroman? . I can’t claim to know much about this band, but I dig their tight rhythms, geeky sci-fi themes, and rigid Devo vibe. I haven’t picked up their 1996 debut No Room For Humans yet, but I sure like what I’ve heard thus far.

14) Bailter Space – “Glimmer Dot” (Dope, Guns, And Fucking In The Streets, Vol. 8-11, 1997, Amphetamine Reptile): Another thing that I love about these Dope, Guns… singles is how they really help to represent the wide range of stuff Tom Hazelmeyer was into putting out at the time. This track, from a band that I also know next to zilch about, sounds like it would be as at home on the dream-pop leaning 4AD label as it would AmRep, yet here it is, and AmRep is the reason I know who they are. This stuff glows like a light in an attic. Color me impressed.

15) Guzzard – “Last” (Get A Witness, 1994, Amphetamine Reptile): About as anthemic as any noise rock song gets, Guzzard holds sentimental as well as musical value in my heart owing to the fact that I actually remember hearing this song as a wee youth back in the mid 90s. Of course, at the time, I was aware of grunge and alternative and hadn’t the slightest clue what “noise rock” was, but that chorus of “you don’t want him, you don’t want him!” always stuck with me. As such, years later, when I was digging through these noise bands that I had heard I should hear, and came across Guzzard with their song “Last”, my eyes suddenly became wide and I exclaimed (out loud, to myself) “Oh my God, THAT song!”. Thus, while Guzzard is great on their own merit, I especially love them because (and this makes me sound like a fucking corn dog, but whatever), I associate them with me finding a small piece of my youth again. Fittingly, this was the final song I played on that night’s programming.

Alright, that’s enough of THAT for now. Check back next week for a show packed with the best in glammy, glittery, trashy, bubbly tunes. It the band members have been caught wearing make up or the tunes sound like they could’ve been in a John Waters movie, it’s fair game. Thanks for reading, and stay tuned!

EPISODE ONE: THEE POWER POP-PACKED PILOT SHOW

Alright, so first thing’s first – the link to this episode:

http://www.mediafire.com/?41ckaqjd26r5sz8

The episodes file should be edited to play in the right place, but if for some reason it is not, the starting point is at the 35:11 mark, and the end point is at the 2:39:13 spot.

So, as a bit of background, this was indeed my very first time on the air as the host of my own show, and I think it’s pretty obvious that I was nervous and fearing a catastrophe or fuck-up of some sort that would send my budding DJ career into a tailspin. Of course, the said disaster never took place, and truth be told, I was havin’ a blast there by myself in the studio – it just didn’t always show in the, uh, “quivering” timbre of my voice. Oh well – nobody masters the golden voice in a day, right? Anyhoo, a couple of pre-note notes: Firstly, while WQFS was nice enough to give me my own show, one of the requirements for said show is that I play a certain number of rotation tracks, which come from albums sent to the station by record companies as promotional tools. This is hardly an oppressive rule, as the majority of my programming is still my own, and a decent amount of the rotation music consists of stuff I genuinely enjoy, but the one downside is that a) I have to play it, and b) it doesn’t always result in me playing music which is congruent with concept of my show that evening. As such, I’ve labeled any rotation tracks as such throughout my notes. Also, the format for notes is as follows: Band – “Song” (Album, year of album’s release, record label that the album came off of). Lastly, I am NOT paid to endorse or condemn any of the music listed below, and this commentary reflects only my own opinions, and is absolutely not representative of WQFS.

Now then, with that out of the way, the theme of my first show was to highlight my favorite moments from the genre known as “power pop”. Often conflated with new wave and some of the friendlier examples of early punk rock, power pop first came into existence in the mid 70s, as a sort of stripped-down response to the bland album-oriented pop that dominated the charts during that decade. The music was loud and guitar driven, yet retained a classic sense of (often Beatles inspired) melodicism which made it an accessible alternative to the prevailing trends in popular music at the time. As the genre wore on into the 80s, it became at points both reinvigorated and watered down as a result of punk and commercialized new wave, but the genre nonetheless remained popular on into the 90s, as groups ranging from R.E.M. to Nirvana took aspects of power pop’s sound and rode it into multi-platinum territory. Me, I mostly just like it because I’m sucker for loud guitars and great hooks – which the genre indeed offers much of. And on that note – my main notes:

1. (Rotation) Leatherface – “God Is Dead” (The Stormy Petrol, 2010, No Idea): This is the first track off Leatherface’s excellent and most recent album. I only really got into Leatherface last year (after having heard from a friend that they were like an “English version of Jawbreaker”). Even though the similarities between these salty old Brits and Blake Schwarzenbach’s beloved west coast crew are remarkable (they both make good use of enveloping, all-encompassing, hood-laden guitarisms, rather personal lyrics steeped in sometimes hard-to-crack metaphor, and distinctively rough, sandpaper vocals), people (such as myself) who heard Jawbreaker first shant be quick to point an accusatory finger at Leatherface for potential plagiarism: Both groups started literally around the same time (1989), and on other sides of the world, prior to the internet making the instant dissemination of information and ideas convenient and obvious enough to take for granted. In other words, great minds think alike, and in a serendipitous twist, two bands that were quite disconnected from one another managed to summon similar styles of emotionally driven punk rock on two separate sides of the world. Anyway, getting back to this track, it displays a midtempo guitar-pop approach much less prickly (musically, if not lyrically) than much of what Leatherface has shown before. A great song from a great album, mostly written by a guy who looks like he could be my grandpa.

2. (Rotation) The Fall – “Bury, Pts. 1 + 3” (Your Future Our Clutter, 2010, Domino): The Fall are one of my absolute all-time favorite bands, and this track is an indication that 34 years into the career, sole-constant member/dictator Mark E. Smith has no plans for slowing down or altering his approach (ie: writing great songs and making his current wife say weird things into the mic)…and God bless him for it!

3. (Rotation) The Screaming Females – “Laura + Marty” (Castle Talk, 2010, Don Giovanni Records): Honestly, I don’t know much about The Screaming Females beyond the fact that there is only actually one female in the band, and she doesn’t exactly scream like Bratmobile or the singer girl in The No-Talents. Still, this stuff isn’t bad. I think it’s maybe perhaps possible that this singer has heard Bikini Kill once in her life.

4. (Rotation) Neil Young – “Walk With Me” (Le Noise, 2010, Reprise): I like Neil Young a lot. Aside from easily being the best and transcendent of the cesspool of a genre known as “70s singer/songwriter”, Young has pretty much done what he has wanted to do all throughout his long-and-still-running career. He doesn’t pander to his audience, and he has willingly and happily taken risks which would seem almost certain to piss them off again and again. This is a cut from his newest album, which I hear is almost bereft of any sort of percussion whatsoever, and opts rather for voice accompanied by piles and piles of guitars. What other established artist on a major label has the fortitude to present their music in such a manner in this day and age?

5. The Ramones – “Do You Remember Rock & Roll Radio?” (End Of The Century, 1980, Sire): Could there be a better way to ring in the first official programming of Thee Hunter Charles Brawer Super Power Double Hour Rock N Roll Radio Extravaganza than with the greatest band to ever walk the earth extolling the merits of rock & roll radio? This is the definitive cut from The Ramones’ oft (and unfairly) maligned fifth album – produced by master producer/kook turned jail bird Phil Spector. Crank it up! Then turn it down, as I weakly amble about my “mission statement” while sounding like a nervous nebbish about to get his teeth drilled. Well, at least the tunes are good, right? Also: MY VOICE SOUNDS LIKE THAT?!

6. The Raving Knaves – “1975” (Joey Ramone) (demo, 2009). The Raving Knaves are a newer Greensboro band (formed within the last couple of years) with roots (and hooks) that lay much further back than their formation in the latter end of the 2000s. Guitarist/vocalist Dave McLean has done time in numerous punk/power pop groups ranging from the late 70s to current day, and bassist Danny Beyer is no amateur either, kicking around in groups since the early 90s (I first met him back in 2006, when he was in a jangly riot folk band called Boxcar Bertha). Meanwhile, drummer Adrian Foltz has been playing in bands on both coasts since the late 70s, and I would also like to point out that I enjoy the fact that he’s wearing this white and black collared shirt that I recognize from Curb Your Enthusiasm every time I see the band play. In any event, The Raving Knaves are bar-none the greatest active band in North Carolina today, and I’m beginning to become convinced one of THE best active bands around, period. And trust me when I tell you this – I take quality over geography any day of the week, and my love of this band hasn’t a thing to do with any trite desire to “support my local scene”. Kids can take their Coco Rosies and Surfer Bloods and stuff ‘em – THIS is where it’s at. Modern and vintage punk/power pop to be enjoyed by generations X, Y, and Me! Expect to hear a lot more of The Raving Knaves (and related groups) in the future on my show.

7. The Romantics – “First In Line”* (single, 1978, Bomp!): Who’da thunk that rather square new wave band that did “What I Like About You” started out playing some speedy, jaunty power pop? Now granted, this track was the flipside to the uber-wimpy single called “Tell It To Carrie”, but fact doesn’t take away from the exuberance of this tune!

8. The Nerves – “Hanging On The Telephone” (One Way Ticket, 2008, Alive Records): God, I love this song. The Nerves were a mid 70s power pop group that were generally more scrappy than most of the other power pop that was coming out at the time, yet were also too nice and polite to be spiritually accepted as part of the burgeoning punk movement. As such, The Nerves fell to the wayside, as founding members went on to greater fame and monetary success in The Paul Collins Beat and The Plimsouls. Thankfully, Alive Records rescued the band from complete obscurity when they decided to reissue the band’s lonely 7”, along with some other singles, sessions, demos, and live cuts as the album One Way Ticket. There’s not a bad cut on that compilation, and despite being relatively unknown for so long, The Nerves prowess as pop masters was already confirmed years ago when Blondie covered this track and turned it into a hit single off of their Parallel Lines album back in the late 70s.

9. Blondie – “Dreaming” (Eat To The Beat, 1979, Chrysalis Records): Speaking of Blondie, this is my favorite tune from a band whose work I can’t truthfully admit to enjoying much of. Still, it’s hard to deny the sweetness of this song, or the message in conveys. CORRECTION: I said over the air that Eat To The Beat was their debut album. It wasn’t. In fact, it wasn’t even their second album. Hey, what do I know about Blondie?

10. Adam Ant – “Antmusic” (Antics In The Forbidden Zone, 1990, Sony): This tap-tacular track originally comes off of Mr. Ant’s 1980 album Kings Of The Wild Frontier, but I only have the greatest hits compilation Antics In The Forbidden Zone, so that’s where my version came from. I first heard this song back in 8^th grade, when my friend Todd would give me a ride to my mom’s car (pointlessly, my family had it arranged that would walk the better part of an hour to my mom’s car, so I could take a five minute trip back to the house), and he’d be blasting the likes of this, along with The New York Dolls’ second album, and The Hives’ first album. Eventually, Todd got tired of giving my rides (I guess it was a bit out of his way), but I didn’t forget the music I was soaking up in his car – even if it took me a few years to actually find out what the name of this song was, along with who did it.

11. The Slickee Boys – “Escalator 66” (Cybernetic Life Of Pie, 1983, Twin/Tone): The Slickee Boys were the quintessential new wave band of Washington DC, starting off in the late 70s and subsequently inspiring and aiding the hardcore scene that was just about to bubble over via The Teen Idols, S.O.A., and The Dischord Records scene. The Slickee Boys still play around occasionally, and I sure hope I get a chance to see them before they hang up the guitar straps for good. This song comes from their second proper studio album, and is one amongst many great tunes to be found there. Since you won’t find an original version of this (I know I didn’t – but consistency is for suckers), the most available version is probably the 2005 reissue on Dacoit Records – which also includes their boss 3^rd ep as bonus tracks.

12. The Pointed Sticks – “Perfect Youth” (Perfect Youth, 1980, Sudden Death Records): A perfect power pop song about growing older, and accepting that the enthusiasm of the younger generation is just as valid and great as yours was when you were younger. Anybody who wants to grumble about young kids with their crunkcore and emo would do good to shut up and blast this song instead. Kids will always be trying to find music that speaks to them while at the same time being something that they can get down to. It might not be the same music you like, but the intent is still the same. Either accept it, or become embittered and irrelevant. CORRECTION: Dimwit drummed for this band, not Chuck Biscuits. Look, they’re both Canadian. Whatever.

13. B-Girls – “Fun At The Beach”* (single, 1977, Bomp!): Admittedly, I don’t know a whole lot about The B-Girls, other than that they were a late 70s all-girl power pop group, and they wrote one hell of an infectious single with “Fun At The Beach”. Supposedly, there’s a compilation album out now, but I haven’t had a chance to check it out yet. The moral of this story is that ill preparation breeds poor commentary. What profundity, right?

14. Zippers – “He’s A Rebel” (single, 1977, Backdoor Man 5002): A glorious cover of a song originally done by The Crystals. Sadly, this band (not to be confused with Zipper, the hard rock band fronted by Dead Moon/Pierced Arrows/Weeds/Lollipop Shoppe’s Fred Cole) has faded pretty far into obscurity. I happened upon it by accident while looking around for something or another, and adored it from the moment I heard it. Somebody, please reissue this band.

15. The Scruffs – “Break The Ice” (Wanna Meet The Scruffs?, 1977, Rev-Ola): Oh, YAS! This is one of the absolute stone cold greatest power pop songs, and probably one of the greatest songs ever written, period. The Scruffs were around in the same time and same place as Big Star, but unfortunately, they were overshadowed by Alex Chilton’s oft (granted, deservedly) hyped cult group – despite rocking a lot harder. Nonetheless, Wanna Meet…? is fantastic from start to finish. This is the sort of perennial stuff that makes my heart sing. It’s who I are!

16. Stiv Bators – “Evil Boy” (Disconnected, 1980, Bomp!): This is the opening cut from the solo album of the dearly department front creep from The Dead Boys and (rather lame) Lords Of The New Church. To be honest, Disconnected is a pretty patchy album (I pledge to never hear the cover of “I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night” again, so long as, God willing, I never become too lazy or debilitated to hit the “skip” button on my boom box), but it certainly has it’s moments. I do enjoy the idea of Mr. Lewd Rock’N’Roll Bad Boy becoming a mincing pop singer (while still singing about being a bad boy!), as I so ineloquently allude to during my mumblings following this track.

17. (Rotation) Wavves – “King Of The Beach” (King Of The Beach, 2010, Fat Possum): Wavves are one of those bands that I generally didn’t bother giving the time of the day to for a while, because whenever I would hear about them, it would be because of some hipster breathlessly extolling their “a-maaz-ing” music alongside bands like Best Coast - who I think are okay, but could really care less about (given that I’d already been listening to indie pop for years before young critics decided it was cool again via such mediocre bands). But you know what? After being obligated to put them on for rotation, I must say that Wavves isn’t that bad at all. Granted, I’ll probably never own anything by them or any other band/artist currently described as “chillwave” (the most moronic genre name since dubstep!), but you could do a hell of a lot worse than this. Hi, my name is Hunter, and I half heartedly endorse this message.

18. (Rotation) Teenage Fanclub – “Dark Clouds” (Shadows, 2010, Merge): Oops. Way to break that momentum. Okay, look, I’ll cop to it: I’d never heard this track before playing it, and I picked it because it was short. Not that this is murderously painful, but, uh, well, I’m more into Teenage Fanclub’s Bandwagonesque album. Oh well.

19. (Rotation) Elvis Costello – “My Lovely Jezebel” (National Ransom, 2010, Hear Music): I’m not a tremendous superfan of Elvis Costello’s work, but he’s definitely got some good songs, and this is actually pretty alright for what it is! I saw him once conduct an orchestra in Raleigh, at what was probably the most bourgeois concert-going experience of my life. There with my then girlfriend and her dad (trust me, that wasn’t awkward or intimidating at all!), I’m watching as fat, old, white people kick up beach blankets, sip fine wine, and munch on gourmet cheese from the nearby cheese-and-wine vending stands. Elvis Costello didn’t break out the electric guitar more than twice, and I bonded with my then girlfriend’s dad over mutual sentiments regarding a discernable lack of taste present in The Flavor Of Love. I’m still not sure whether or not I would consider this to constitute a “good night”.

20. (Rotation) Strange Boys – “Be Brave” (Be Brave, 2010, In The Red): Pleasant enough, sort of loungy garage rock from Austin, Texas. I saw Strange Boys play with Mika Miko and The Coathangers (a band I severely love, that you will almost certainly hear at some point on my show) at a rarely enjoyable local show in Greensboro. Everything was beautiful and nothing was hurt. I’m sorry, it’s just that I don’t really have much of anything to say about Strange Boys, other than that I like them alright. So, I suppose I’ll say that: I like the Strange Boys alright!

21. (Rotation) Squirrel Nut Zippers – “Do What?” (Lost At Sea, 2009, Southern Broadcast): Hey-yo, The Squirrel Nut Zippers are gettin’ a lil’ funky! Honestly, I had only known them as the swingish group that had a couple minor hits in the 90s when neo-swing was in full effect, yet apparently, they persevere. And why not? What did The Squirrel Nut Zippers ever do to you, anyway? At least it’s not The Cherry Poppin’ Daddies, right?

22. The Dickies – “Cross-Eyed Tammy” (live) (Locked ‘N’ Loaded/Live In London, 1991, Receiver Records): The Dickies are another one of my absolute favorite bands, and I am convinced that to this day, they are the greatest live band I have ever seen. Being a young super-duper-punk-rock type back in the early 2000s and seeing them live proved to be nothing short of a religious experience. From that point on, I was convinced that a) I wanted to be in a band, and that b) I needed to sing like Dickies frontman Leonard Graves Phillips. Neither contention ended up working out too well, but nonetheless, The Dickies remain close to my heart. When it comes to mixing great pop melodies, fun-time punk energy, and a great dose of plain ol’ goofy humor, this band cannot be beat. I’d also like to go on record to state that I believe Stan Lee (The Dickies’ guitarist and co-founder) has one of the sweetest guitars ever built.

23. The Starjets – “Any Danger Love” (God Bless The Starjets, 1979, Captain Oi!): The Starjets are another band which has sadly been ignored despite their presence within the initial 70s British punk explosion. Unfortunately, writers and music historians have chosen to look more fondly upon bands that pumped themselves up with gimmicky slogans (ie: “Punk’s not dead!”) and silly hair rather than decent groups who could actually string a melody together. Oh well – “Bay City Rollers of punk” or not (interestingly, Johnny Ramone once stated that he felt The Ramones’ biggest competition was The Bay City Rollers – could a hidden rivalry with The Starjets have been possible? Probably not.), this band has put out some wonderful tunes, and has gone neglected for far too long. The day we see this band mentioned more than The Exploited will be a happy day, indeed (and one I don’t expect to see in my lifetime).

24. Wipers – “Mystery” (Is This Real?, 1979, Sub Pop): The Wipers are a definitive North West punk band, one of the earliest and most recognizable on the scene, and a clear and lasting influence on all of the Northwestern left-of-the-dial rock that followed. Part of the band’s distinctive sound stemmed from the fact that guitarist/vocalist/main Wiper Gregg Sage built his own amplifier cabinets. I feel a bit odd labeling this as a “Sub Pop” release, because even though Sub Pop did indeed put out an edition of this album (and it happens to be the one I own), there was a bit of hubaloo over its legitimacy. Not to crank the rumor mill, but supposedly, Sub Pop had gotten some sort of very tenuous clearance to release the album in the first place, and before long, Sage called Sup Pop out on putting out the cd reissue of Is This Real without his consent, thereby resulting in the fantastic album (coupled on cd with the Alien Boy ep) sadly going out of print for several years. These days, Gregg Sage has had the good decorum to release this album, along with the lot of The Wipers early output (with added demos, outtakes, and various extras) together as a budget priced box set.

25. The Replacements – “Color Me Impressed” (Hootenanny, 1983, Twin/Tone): I know, I’m really stretching the limits of college radio by playing a Replacements song on the air, but what can I say? It’s a great song, it fits the concept of this show, and, well, it’s a great damn song. So, who’s to complain? Hootenanny, the album this calling-card Replacements tune comes from, is considered somewhat of a transitional record for the band. Although this track is obviously a very mature and fully-realized indication of where the band was going as they marched further into the 80s, the rest of the tracks show a stylistic jump-around that takes the band everywhere from sloppy punk to synthpop, shanty skiffle music and sloppy stupid ho-down jamming. It’s easily The Replacements at their most diverse, and definitely my favorite album of theirs by far.

26. The Outnumbered – “Why Are All The Good People Going Crazy?” (Surveying The Damage, 1997, Parasol): The Outnumbered, as a warbled through in my ensuing commentary, was Jon Ginoli’s first band before he went onto greener and much gayer pastures in Pansy Division. Some of the band’s recordings are a little too rainy-day college rock for me (compared to, say, the general pop-n-roll jubilation that I feel listening to almost anything Pansy Division has done), but that isn’t to say The Outnumbered didn’t have their moments, either. This track is probably the most aggressive song they’ve done (at least from what I’ve heard), and is probably my favorite song they do – well, aside from an early version of “I Really Wanted You” - a song which would be carried over by Jon into Pansy Division on their utterly (okay, I don’t use the word that much on these notes, at least!) classic 1994 album, I Wish I’d Taken Pictures. According to Ginoli (in his book, Deflowered: My Life in Pansy Division), The Outnumbered broke up when they heard Husker Du and realized that those Midwesterners had already done better what The Outnumbered were trying to do all along. Oh, also, notice how I strive towards sounding slightly more confident as the show goes on…only to recede into more defeated sounding warbling as I go on extended rants. Hooray for amateurism!

27. Polaris – “Hey Sandy” (Music From The Adventures Of Pete And Pete, Mezzotint, 1999): Also known as “The theme song to Pete and Pete”. Despite the main riff being a pretty clear rip-off of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, I love this song (and all the youthful reminiscences it brings back) far too much to remotely care. Polaris has never actually existed as a band outside of The Adventures of Pete and Pete, and was conceived of and executed by the main guy in Miracle Legion. Or, at least, so I’m told. The truth is that I’ve never heard Miracle Legion, or read more than a scrap about them. I have heard Polaris though, and they’re great! (Except for all those songs that suck/don’t go anywhere.) Oh, and by the way, nobody called in to talk to me about Pete and Pete. Assholes.

28. Big Star – “September Gurls” (Big Star/Radio City, 1992, Stax): This cut is originally on Radio City (circa 1974), but nobody is likely to happen upon original copies of that album. That’s fine, though: This compilation of their first two albums is jam-packed with great tunes anyhow. As mentioned before, Big Star (fronted by the recently departed Alex Chilton) are considered by many to be the perennial big boys of power pop, and given their influence over the breadth of sounds which ensued in their wake, I’d be hard pressed to disagree. Although I go back and forth between this, “The Ballad Of El Goodo”, and “On The Street” as my favorite Big Star tune, the truth is that almost anything off of those first two albums is a knock-me-over classi – REALLY GAWDAMN (I can’t say that “GD” phrase on the radio, so puh-leeze excuse it here on my blog thingy) GREAT SONG. I think people give a bit too much lip-service to that half-finished abortion of a third album though. It’s not bad, and it’s easily the weirdest of Big Star’s early discography (loaded up with half-finished semi-masterpieces and odd stringed instruments and keyboards), but c’mon – it still isn’t much compared to those first two albums. So yeah: Put that in your pipe and smoke it, Peter Buck!

29. The Raspberries – “Go All The Way” (Overnight Sensation, 1987, Zap!): The discography information I have here lists a British best-of collection, because, well, that’s what I have (I shelled out $12 for it used too, ouch!), but frankly, any decent (or even not decent) Raspberries compilation will have this song on it, so don’t fret if you can’t find the album I have. The Raspberries were the first power pop group I ever heard, when I saw a video of theirs for this song on VH1 classic (back when they still mostly just played videos and not documentaries and movies) several years back. Like Mountain (who I found about through the same channel), they were a band I instantly liked, and I took it as an eminent compliment when a buddy of mine told me that my hair (then at a longer, puffier junction) resembled that of The Raspberries’ lead singer.

30. The Sweet – “Little Willy” (Sweet’s Biggest Hits, 1972, RCA): Don’t buy the compilation I have listed here. It’s the same which the track I used here comes from, but The Sweet had tons of the other great sugary-sweet tunes, and this compilation doesn’t represent enough of them. Anyway, I fell in love with this song while it was playing at The Black Cat in Washington DC. I don’t remember why I was specifically there (I’m always there because of some show, but which one is slipping my mind at the moment), but I do remember waiting on my friend to finish dancing so we could skedaddle to wherever it was we were going. I went in to find her with another friend, and this song was blaring. For some reason, it didn’t cause me to break out into compulsive move-busting at the time, but it certainly does now! I am not trying to be edgy or embellish any honest sentiments when I state that I sincerely believe you must be some sort of asshole if you hate this song.

31. Jook – “Aggravation Place”* (Aggravation Place, 1978, Bomp!): Alright, once again, I don’t know jack shit about this band - other than that I like this song an awful lot (and find its lyrics to still be very relevant today). “Me and you! Arabs and Jews! Terrorists too!” So, this band is from England (and who gives a shit?!), this song came out on a Bomp! ep in the late 70s, and there seems to be an import-only cd which collects the lot of the band’s material together in one place. For the moment, that’s all you need to know and all I’m willing to tell you. Visit me again in another week, and I’ll probably be an expert on this band and prime executor of at least one of the members’ estates.

32. Pooh Sticks – “Let The Good Times Roll” (Million Seller, 1993, Zoo Entertainment): Well, aside from a couple factual errors that only complete nerds would ever care about enough to call me out on, mislabeling this song as “The Last” was the only blatant fuck-up I made during my entire show. I love The Pooh Sticks – they take all the wry, pithy humor of British comedy and compact it into catchy pop music! Who could argue with the lyric “I’d like to play a guitar, but I can’t play one, so TURN UP THE STEREO!”? Who could argue with the lyric “every boy get a girl/it’s the only way to do it in this world”? I could and would, but that’s beside the point. Million Seller is a pure pop fun parade from start to finish, and this is the song that kicks that parade off. On a completely unrelated note, have I ever mentioned how my formal schooling at UNCG didn’t include the putting together of decent metaphors?

33. The Last – “Every Summer Day”* (L.A. Explosion!, 1979, Bomp!): Second to last for my first episode, is The Last. This is a sweet little ditty that holds sentimental value for yours truly as born-and-raised Californian (even though the Southern California that the band describes took place about thirty three years before I was boppin’ around in Orange County). Anyway, this is surfy, poppy, and New Wavy, and makes me feel warm and fuzzy all over. I just want to get up and do “the swim” while it’s playing! Shag attack!

34. The Soft Boys – “I Wanna Destroy You” (Underwater Moonlight, 1980, Yep Roc): There was plenty of other stuff I had planned to play this evening, but if nothing else, I wanted to give this boss tune a spin before I cut out, because, well…it’s just so fab! Allmusic gives the album it comes off of a five-star rating, and I only give it a “pretty good”, but the bile and chiming tunesmithery this song cannot be denied. The Circle Jerks covered it and released it as a single off of their horrible 90s reunion album Oddities, Abnormalities, And Curiosities, but (and this is hardly a shock) most of the beauty is gone from that tepid rendition. Regardless, the bridge towards the end of this original version constitutes rock’n’roll catharsis, as far as I’m concerned. A fitting, fulfilling end to a night of great music and jittery commentary. But hey, at least I didn’t burn the studio down or anything like that! To my knowledge, anyway.

*These tracks can also be found on the Bomp! Records compilation The Roots Of Power Pop (circa 1996), an often-great primer to the world of late 70s/early 80s power pop (some dud tracks notwithstanding).

NEXT WEEKS THEME: “The 90s: Not Just Flannel, Ace Of Base, and Indie Rock”: So, it’s the 2010s, and the 90s are now on their way to becoming in vogue again, as there is a required twenty-year gap between consumer culture become respectably “retro”. As such, we can expect to see a lot more 90s dance parties in the near future, along with references to “neo grunge” and perhaps even (but before the grace of God go I) “neo nu metal”. Big 90s groups will (as they already have started to do so) regroup to much fanfare, and the 80s will become old news, as all previous decades become the stuff of stone-age myth. But before we start flying the flannel too hard just yet, we should not forget that the 90s was a hell of a lot more than just C+C Music Factory, Nirvana, and Guided By Voices (not that I don’t love two out of three of those groups). As such, I’m going to be putting the highlight on some music that, while still enjoying a cult following, is nonetheless not quite as popular as some of the more storied Seattle stuff. Particularly, I’ll be focusing on the gritty din of 90s noise rock (propagated most prominently throughout the Clinton era by the likes of Amphetamine Reptile Records and Touch & Go), along with the wild, dirty sounds (recently dubbed “gunk punk” by New Bomb Turks’ Eric Davidson) of 90s garage punk. Half of the show will be party-time happy, part will be scream-time angry, and all will kick major ass. Stay tuned – this Saturday (it’ll feel like “late Friday”), 2:00 AM to 4:00 AM on 90.9 (WQFS, Greensboro)!