Today we have a relatively random playlist consisting of some of the most interesting cover songs in the past year or so. The only truly new record this time is Under The Covers Vol 3 by Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs. This time they covered the 80s and we hear their version of the XTC song Towers of London. We also check out Replacements and Arbouretum, each with a Gordon Lightfoot tune, Dan Sarka covers The Records and Steve Wynn covers Townes Van Zandt. We recorded Dax Riggs in Kent with a cover of a Billie Holiday tune and we also check out Carla Olson and Juice Newton belt out a Foster and Lloyd tune and The Walkabouts in Boss’ shoes.
Gordon Lightfoot – I’m Not Sayin’;
The Replacements – I’m Not Sayin’;
Arbouretum – Carefree Highway;
Chris Stamey – If Memory Serves;
Matthew Sweet And Susanna Hoffs – Towers of London;
XTC – Towers of London;
The Records – Starry Eyes;
Dan Sarka and the Sometimes Why – Starry Eyes;
Steve Earle – Lungs;
Townes Van Zandt – Lungs;
Steve Wynn – Lungs;
Dax Riggs – Gloomy Sunday (Live in Kent);
Carla Olson – You Can Come Crying to Me (With Juice Newton);
Walkabouts – Grand Theft Auto/State Trooper.
Today we take a roundtrip from Tucson and back via many different places. We start off with Rainer and Das Combo. His legendary first album Barefoot Rock was reissued together with a bonus cd. Also, recall that earlier this year also Ptacek’s old tape Mush Mind Blues also saw the light of day in form of a bandcamp download. The we go to Las Vegas where we check out the new blues rock band called The Lucky Cheats. Than we land all the way down under where we check out the new band called The Straight Arrows form Sydney and a duet of two ladies Super Wild Horses from Melbourne. Both bands were released on the new volume of the comilation record New Centre of The Universe. Then we fly to Europe. Sweden’s Plastic Pals had a wonderful album this year called A Turn of The Tide and we finally get to hear it in this show too. Then we go to Chicago. Phil Agnotti played the entire Zombies Odessey and Oracle, only months after Ben Mason did a similar thing earlier this year. And then, via Chicago, where I recorded his new song, we go back to Tucson and Rainer’s old friend, Howe Gelb from Giant Sand.
Here we are again, another “vinyl junkyard” edition in which I play some cheap but great vinyl I found somewhere in some bargain bin. Today’s record is Claws! Phase Three of The Throbbing Lobster Infestation… 15 mostly Boston bands. It’s a compilation put together in 1985 by the Boston label Throbbing Lobster and features some mostly unknown bands from the era. Yet, songs sound really great original and it’s really hard to believe these bands didn’t really do much. The best known band on the lot is Volcano Suns, Peter Prescott’s band after he left Mission of Burma. Another interesting name on the compilation is The Primevals, who rose from the ashes of a better known band The Real Kids. Also, some may know Willie Alexander who had an experimental record on the legendary French label New Rose. But the rest of the lot are unknown, at least to me. Throbbing Lobster was the most interesting label in the ’80s from Boston and their boss Chuck Warner later on formed the legendary Hyped 2 Death website and record label. In fact, you can still buy pretty much everything from that label over there from Chuck.