Flashlite #247 – Tribute to Lou Reed

Lou ReedWe got some sad news this Sunday. Lou Reed passed away. When it comes to rock’n’roll, there are not many musicians that are greater than Lou. He managed to take the Bo Diddley rhythms and put them in the context of urban New York underground art movement. He was a street poet and he consciously enhanced the lyrical potentials of rock’n’roll music. We will dedicate our entire show today to him. We begin with two tunes that are direct dedications of other artists to his musical direction. Then we hear some other bands trying out their abilities by performing Lou Reed tunes. Two of those bands are from Yugoslavia (my former country), where Lou Reed was extraordinarily influential. Then we hear one live recording of Velvet Underground which was recorded in 1968 in Cleveland, where I live now. Again, it turns out, Cleveland was one of the rare places where VU was welcome back then. And then we close things off with an ambitious medley of songs by Lou Reed about death. He was obsessed by that topic and wrote a lot of songs about it, especially in the past 20 years. And now, he’s gone too. Lou, Lou, Lou… it’s the end of a great adventure.

Lou Reed – I Can’t Stand It;
Jonathan Richman – Velvet Underground;
Mona Lisa Overdrive – Obviously Sally Mae;
Zabranjeno Pusenje – Javi mi (Turn To Me);
Eva Braun – Aljaska (Stephanie Says);
The Velvet Underground – I Can’t Stand It (Live in CLE);
Rainy Day – I’ll Be Your Mirror;
Beck’s Record Club – Black Angel’s Death Song;
Lou Reed – Finish Line;
Lou Reed – Street Hassle;
Lou Reed – Dimestore Mystery;
Lou Reed – Cremation;
Lou Reed – Magican;
Lou Reed and John Cale – Hello it’s me.

Flashlite #246

Laura CantrellWe follow Laura Cantrell’s career since the inception of this show and she has a new record out called No Way There From Here. Another band that’s been with us since the first year of this show is Electric Six, although back then their name was Wild Bunch. We watched them go to the top and they have one record a year without breaks almost all the time. The new record is called Magnum. James Jackson Toth, aka Wooden Wand is also back with the new record backed by his band World War IV from Birmingham, AL. The most interesting novelty this time is a new singer songwriter from Melbourne, Australia. His name is Ben Mason. He re-recorded the Zombies classic The Odessey And Oracle and renamed it into The Odessey Odyssey. I think it’s an awesome idea to take one of the most intricate records and show that you are capable of repeating it note to note – it’s a great way to make people pay attention to your own work.

The Animals – I’m Crying;
Eamon McGrath – Enduring Love;
The Gants – Smoke Rings [1966];
The Trashed Romeos – (You Can’t Blow) Smoke Rings;
Endless Boogie – Imprecations;
North Mississippi Allstars – Snake Drive;
Tav Falco’s Panther Burns – Snake Drive;
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Tupelo;
The Gun Club – Watermelon Man;
Wooden Wand And The World War IV – Directions to Debbie Harry’s House;
Electric Six – Formula 409 (Live in CLE);
Electric Six – Show Me What Your Lights Mean;
Ben Mason – I Want Her She Wants Me;
Zombies – Friends of Mine;
Ben Mason – Black Sky Yellow Moon;
Laura Cantrell – All the Girls Are Complicated.

Flashlite #245

Bronco BullfrogToday we have our old friends from England, Bronco Bullfrog. The last time I heard them was in 2004, on a concert in Spain. They are back with the new single and we check it out today. Kelley Stoltz is a musician, singer-songwriter from San Francisco. He has a new album out these days called Double Exposure. Two new names in American rock this time, one is coming from Nashville. It’s a band of brothers, Joey and Evan Scala and the band is Promised Land Sound. Two Cow Garage are also in our show for the first time and they come from Columbus OH.

Gene Clark – White Light;
The Dirtbombs – We Come in the Sunshine;
The Gories – On The Run;
Bad Sports – Rich Kid City;
The Guilloteens – Crying All Over My Time;
The Trashed Romeos – Crying All Over My Time;
Promised Land Sound – River No More;
Nick Lowe – They Call It Rock;
Bronco Bullfrog – You’re My Head;
Bronco Bullfrog – Never Been to California;
Kinks – Apeman (Live in CLE 1972);
Kelley Stoltz – Inside My Head;
Golden Boys – Mr. Dickles;
Moaners – Too Many People;
City of Cool – Cannibal;
Two Cow Garage – My Friend Adam;
Rod Stewart – Angel.

Flashlite #244

PursonThe most exciting news for this show is that the legendary Los Angeles band Last have some new songs ready for the album. There were talks about this record for at least eight years now, but it looks like it’s finally ready. Lee Ranaldo from Sonic Youth has a new band called Dust and their drummer Steve Shelley is also there. We have two new bands from London this time. Proctors is a band of paisley underground revisionists and Purson is a strange goth rock band that is equally inspired by Siouxsie Sioux and 60s psychedelic sounds. We dedicate this show to Phil Chevron, guitar player of The Radiators from Space and Pogues.

Paul Kelly And The Messengers – Ghost Town;
Marc Ribot’s Cheramic Dog – Your Turn;
Lee Ranaldo and the Dust – Ambulancer;
Lee Ranaldo – Lost (Planet Nice);
Chelsea Light Moving – Empires of Time;
The Last – Brand New Drug;
The Last – Take Care Of Her;
Rain Parade – This Can’t Be Today;
The Parties – Lets Call It Love;
The Proctors – Ambulance;
Meat Puppets – The Monkey and the Snake (live in CLE);
The Sadies – Another Tomorrow Again;
Lawson And Four More – Halfway Down The Stairs;
The Trashed Romes – Halfway Down The Stairs;
Purson – Rocking Horse;
The Radiators From Space – Television Screen.

Flashlte #243

Greg RobersonThe most exciting thing in this show is the new band for Greg Roberson who was in Reigning Sound. His new band is called Trashed Romeos and they made a tribute to the Memphis underground scene in the 60s and the one and only Jim Dickinson. The record is called Where Dreamers Never Go. Lucero, also from Memphis, have a new ep and it’s called Texas and Tennessee. Regarding TX, Israel Nash Gripka moved over there and has a new album too. Elsewhere, we have Danny And The Champions of the World from London and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard from Australia with their brand new albums.

The Rascals – See;
Oblivians – Em (Live);
Reigning Sound – Uptight Tonight;
Flash And The Memphis Casuals – Uptight Tonight;
The Trashed Romeos – Uptight Tonight;
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Float Along Fill Your Lungs;
King Khan And The Shrines – Better Luck Next Time;
Lucero – Other Side of Lonesome;
Israel Nash Gripka – Woman At The Well;
Israel Nash Gripka – Red Dress;
Danny And the Champions of the World – Every Beat of My Heart;
Danny And The Champions of the World – Let’s Grab This with Both Hands;
Billy Bragg – Sexuality (Live in Kent);
Motel Mirrors – Dearest;
Missing Monuments – Heart And Soul;
The Replacements – Hootenany (Live).