Singer singwriters today… some of the greatest ever. Dan Stuart, founding member of the Green On Red is finally back with with his second ever solo album, the first since his excellent debut Can O’Worms in 1995. The new album is called The Deliverance of Marlowe Billings. Italian band Sacri Cuori backs him up for this effort. Then we have Patti Smith who also has a new record out called Banga. Grant Hart is preparing a new solo double album called The Argument based on Milton’s poem Paradise Lost. The album is still not out, but two songs from it came out on a 45. Jon Dee Graham was recently in Cleveland, at Beachland Tavern and he’s in our Live in Cleveland segment. He also has a new album out Garage Sale which I picked at the show. And then there’s the new album from the guy on the picture. We say goodbye to Scott McKenzie, who sadly died recently. Finally, we have an exclusive new tune from a Zagreb band Vex And The Voxtones, who will participate on the upcoming tribute to The Records.
Patti Smith – Mosaic;
Sacri Cuori – El Gone;
Dan Stuart – What Are You Laughing About;
Dan Stuart – Waterfall;
Grant Hart – So Far From Heaven;
Nova Mob – Space Jazz;
Scott McKenzie – No, No, No, No, No;
Scott Mckenzie – What’s The Difference;
Jon Dee Graham – Sleep Enough To Dream (Live In CLE);
Jon Dee Graham – Just Like That;
The Rubinoos – Leave My Heart Alone;
Vex and the Voxtones – Not So Much The Time;
The Records – Not So Much Time;
Spitballs – Boris The Spider;
The Flatlanders – Number Sixteen.
We have a lot of new stuff this time. Let’s start off with the new albums for the bands that we know very well already. Chuck Prophet (ex Green On Red) has a brand new album Temple Beautiful lovingly dedicated to his home town of San Francisco. Heartless Bastards from Cincinnati are also here with a new record. It’s simply called Arrow. Besides his new album One Thought Revealed, Bill Fox also has a cassette tape out with some rare recordings that he made over the years. It’s called Before I Went To Harvard. Tav Falco reissued his legenrady Behind The Magnolia Curtain and The Cramps put together a compilation of their earliest singles. New names this time are all over the map. We have The Riffbrokers, a roots rock/power pop band from Seattle, The Dark Rags from the hometown of rockxs.com, Athens Greece, Blackbox Revalation from Brussels, Belgium, Calibro 35 from Milan, Italy and Janey and The Ravemen from London, England.
First part of the Green On Red stroy ends on a tour that followed their album Too Much Fun. Dan Stuart couldn’t take the pressure of touring any longer, band split, Dan relocated to Spain where he recorded a masterpiece album Can O’ Warms. Ever since then, all we could hear about Dan were rumors. But in 2005, Dan reunited Green On Red, finished that tour that was abruptly broken, the second Danny and Dusty album followed in 2007. This year Dan seems stronger than ever. This time he joined forces with producer JD Foster (also a former of True Believers) and two Italian musicians Antonio Gramentieri and Diego Sapignoli. The result is a new band called Slummers and another masterpiece album Love of the Amateur. The sounds range from Green On Red ramshackle, slow Americana and most refreshingly glam rock riffage of the first degree. Dan, welcome back!
Folks, here it is, second show for this season! We continue filling out gaps that happened while we were gone over the summer. One of the most pleasant surprises that happened recently is the return of Dan Stuart of Green on Red with his new band The Slummers. He, producer JD Foster and two Italian musicians created this new band and a ultra fun record called Love Of The Amateur. Australian band smrTs that we know from their demos last year are finally out with the first official CD. They call it Sun Sets On A New Tomorrow and it’s full of catchy instrumentals. Satin Gum from Pittsburgh are once again here with another extremely catchy EP which is once again self-titled. Clevelanders The New Lou Reeds have an LP out called Hit Songs. Another Cleveland band Scarcity of Tanks is back with another disc, which they call Bleed Now. And, we also have two débutantes, both from Canada, Strange Attractor and Red Mass and they share a cool split-EP. But the whole show starts with Dax Riggs who has a new album out called Say Goodnight To The World.
Keyboardist of Green on Red and a solo artist for twenty years, Chris Cacavas is definitely left a huge mark in rock’n’roll. But Love’s Been Discounted is likely his crowning masterpiece when at least in the solo period. I don’t know much about the events that happened in Chris’ life that fueled this record with inspiration, but record seems like a break-up record, a serious redefinition of the term “love” for sure. Musically, it’s a soft record with wonderful guitar solos, songs that dramatically build up. Incredible background harmonizing that takes you by surprise at the most unsuspecting moments often constitute the most dramatic places of this record.