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 8th 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 3rd 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)!
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