Flashlite #58

Reigning SoundToday we have three new releases by three regular acts here at the Little Lighthouse. Mission of Burma’s new LP The Sound The Speed The Light confirms that they are more than just another 80s reunion. I still remember vividly their amazing open air concert here in Cleveland this summer. Greg Cartwright’s Reigning Sound are also back with their new album Love and Curses, and it re-establishes Cartwright as one the greatest songwriters at this point in history. Another prolific Memphis punk, Jay Reatard has a new album called Watch Me Fall. This master of short form (singles and eps), proves that he can do a long player just as well. We also bring you a new attraction from Perth Australia – smRts, founded by Pedja Delibasic who we know from defunct Soviet Valves.

Stone The Crows – Keep On Rollin;
Python Lee Jackson – Turn The Music Down;
smRts – Lenin’s Funeral March;
Reigning Sound – If I Can’t Come Back;
The Oblivians – She’s a Hole;
Greg Cartwright – Better Man Than Me;
Greg Koons And The Misbegotten – New Boyfriend;
Ray Mason – Lunch Box;
Mission of Burma – Nicotine Bomb;
Mission Of Burma – SSL 83;
Messerschmitt – Ohio;
Jay Reatard – My Reality;
Jay Reatard – Don’t Let Him Come Back;
The Go-Betweens – Don’t Let Him Come Back;
The Chairs – Christopher Bell;
Big Star – My Life Is Righ;
Don Nix – Black Cat Moan;
Mudboy and the Neutrons – Hitler Lives;
Beatles – Revolution 1;
Laboratorija Zvuka – Oprostaj od magneta.

Flashlite #57

Doug GillardAs you probably know by now, every Thursday, Zagreb radio staion Radio SC takes over this podcast and broadcasts it in their lunch-time time slot. So, in some ways, my local scene is now Zagreb, maybe even more than Cleveland. Therefore, todays show pays a special attention to three Zagreb bands – legendary Babies and two new bands Vex and The Voxtones and The Backstreet Brats. The Voxtones are a power pop deal and The Backstreet Brats are inspired by the 70s CBGB scene and Australian garage sound. All three bands also share a few members amongst each other, creating an rock’n’roll collective if you will… Now that I mentioned the Australian garage sound, in this show we bring you the newest representative in a Melbourne duet called City of Cool. Their self-titled debut ep contains songs that show a respect for the 80s underground that gravitated around SST, with a great songwriting ear for a good melody. Cleveland born Doug Gillard appears in today’s episode with his new song From What I’ve Done. Our old Italian friends Cheap Wine also have a new album. They call it Spirits. Cheap Wine greet us with a glass of good (but cheap) alcohol raised high in their songs celebrating the state of tipsiness. There are some good covers on it too. Today we check out their version of Pancho and Lefty. And the last, but not the least, we check out Big Star and Beatles reissues. Check it out!

Detlici – Take Five;
Sonic Youth – Stereo Sanctity;
City of Cool – Break It Up;
The Babies – Hated That Day;
Backstreet Brats – Thunderstorm Thunderstorm;
Johnny Thunders – Cool Operator;
Vex and The Voxtones – Big Star;
Big Star – O My Soul;
Christmas Future – All I See Is You;
The Beatles – Dig A Pony;
Lawson and Four More – Halfway Down The Stairs;
Doug Gillard – From What I’ve Done;
Gem – I Am a Tree;
Cheap Wine – Pancho And Lefty;
Townes Van Zandt – Pancho And Lefty.

Flashlite #56

Willy DeVille In the new episode, we continue our last week’s tribute to Jim Dickinson, Ellie Greenwich and Willy Deville.

Mud Boy And The Neutrons – Bo Diddley;
Willy DeVille – Right There, Right Then;
Ellie Greenwich – Goodnight Goodnight;
Ellie Greenwich – The Sunshine After The Rain;
Elkie Brooks – Sunshine After The Rain;
Jim Dickinson – Asshole;
Jimmy Dickinson & the Cramps – Red Headed Woman;
Willy DeVille – Slave To Love;
Karen Verros – Little Boy;
Shangri-Las – The Train From Kansas City;
Mink DeVille – Mixed Up Shook Up Girl;
Mink DeVille – Just To Walk That Little Girl Home;
Willy DeVille – Storybook Love;
Willy Deville – Every Dog Has Its Day;
James Luther Dickinson – Ballad Of Billy And Oscar;
James Luther Dickinson – When You Wish Upon A Star.

Flashlite #55

Ellie Greenwich Everybody, welcome to the third season of The Little Lighthouse at Zagreb’s Radio SC! We begin this season with bad news unfortunately. The Summer of 2009 was one of the most devastating Summers for rock’n’roll history. Some really important rock musicians died recently: Jim Dickinson, Ellie Greenwich, Willy DeVille and Jim Carroll. Jim Dickinson was a legendary father-figure of the Memphis rock scene and beyond. He started in the 60s as a musician and eventually learned how to run them knobs and became one of the worlds most appreciated record producers and engineers. But, more importantly, he instinctively understood rock’n’roll better than most other people, channeling that spirit with each and every project he worked on. Allow me to be personal and say that he is one of the very few people which I count as personal heroes. Ellie Greenwich was one of the most significant singer songwriters, writing (or co-writing) many timeless rock anthems (Be My Baby, The Train To Kansas City, River Deep Mountain High)for countless 60s vocal groups. Her dream to have records where she sings, produces and writes also came true a few times, but not as much as it should have. Willy DeVille was a musician from New York City who also died this summer. It is interesting that he has ties to both Dickinson and Greenwich. Dickinson produced one of DeVille’s strongest albums The Horse of A Different Color and DeVille performed some of Ellie Greenwich songs – Little Girl. But DeVille is also a unique character in rock’n’roll, always faithful to rock’n’roll roots but at the same time original, adventurous and different from album to album. Jim Carroll started as a punk/new wave musician in New York and San Francisco, but is probably better known as the author of the The Basketball Diaries, for which he won a Pulitzer prize. His best known song is called People Who Died. Well ladies and gentlemen – these are indeed, the people who died this summer.

1. Jim Carroll – People Who Died;
2. James Luther Dickinson – O How She Danced;
3. Mink DeVille – Let Me Dream If I Want To;
4. Ike and Tina Turner – River Deep Mountain High;
5. Jesters – Cadillac Man;
6. Willy DeVille – Across the Borderline;
7. Jim Dickinson – Across The Borderline;
8. Willy Deville – Little Girl;
9. Ellie Greenwich – You Don’t Know;
10. The Ronettes – Be My Baby;
11. Neko Case – Train From Kansas City;
12. Reigning Sound – Uptight Tonight;
13. Drive By Truckers – People Who Died;
14. Willy Deville – One Way Street;
15. James Luther Dickinson – John Brown;
16. Jim Carroll – City Drops Into The Night.