Today we say the last goodbyes to Kevin Ayers of Soft Machine and Tony Sheridan who sang with The Beatles back in their Hamburg days. The two rockers passed away recently. We also have some new stuff. We have new music for the Austinites Kelly Willis and her husband Bruce Robison and our good friend Kim Simpson. They all have new records out. Billy Childish has recently put out a record with his Spartan Drags, and that opens out new show. Donovan put out a record that he started making in 1970 with John Phillips and The Jazz Crusaders. Mikal Cronin has a new single out. We also have Freedy Johnston from his recent gig in Cleveland and one new name: Colleen Green from Oakland CA.
Wild Billy Childish and The Spartan Dreggs – A Shropshire Lad;
Mikal Cronin – Shout It Out;
The Tonys – Border Radio;
Kelly Willis And Bruce Robison – Border Radio;
Kim Simpson – Baby Now;
Freedy Johnston – Don’t Fall in Love With a Lonely Girl (Live in CLE);
Donovan – Open Up Your Heart;
Donovan – Poke At The Pope;
Matt Piucci – That Stupid Idea;
Tim Lee 3 – Devil’s Rope;
Richard Thompson – Stuck on the Treadmill;
Colleen Green – Good Good Things;
Descendents – Good Good Things;
Bee Houston – You Think I’m Your Good Thing;
Tony Sheridan – What’d I Say;
Kevin Ayers – Whatevershebringswesing.
New names in today’s show is the Portuguese duet called New Kind of Mambo and The Horrors from Cedar Rapids in Iowa. New Kind of Mambo has a new ep on their bandcamp page (free download) and Horrors have a new album called Vent produced by one of the heroes of this show Greg Cartwright. Tough Shits is another new band today with a self titled album. Deer Tick have new ep called Tim and we check it out in today’s show, by exploring connections between John McCauley and Paul Westerberg. Howe Gelb expanded the line up of his Giant Sand and now they are Giant Giant Sand – 12 people total in the new line up. Giant indeed. Freedy Johnston, Jon Dee Graham and Susan Cowsill put the record out as The Hobart Brothers and Lil’ Sis Hobart. We heard them all together for the first time a year ago in Flashlite 123 and now their first official album At Least We Have Each Other is out.
A ton of new records today… We have a new band called Sonny And The Sunsets. Album is called Hit By Hit and it’s out on Fat Possum. Robyn Hitchcock is also here with a new album called Tromsø, Kaptein. Steve Earle also has a new record out called I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive. Ad Hoc Detroit super group The Witches had put out a compilation record called A Haunted Person’s Guide To The Witches, which ranks as a seriously strong candidate for the best reissue of this year. A very pleasant surprise is the brand new collaboration between Susan Cowsill, Freedy Johnston and Jon Dee Graham in a band they call The Hobart Brothers And Lil’ Sis Hobart. The new songs are in progress, we got one from their website. We also have a new band today, Swedish hopefuls Bäddat för trubbel. I find it amusing how Swedish language when its sung sounds like gibberish English… Anyway, great stuff!
Today’s highlight is definitely the new very special tribute to Jim Dickinson, created by his sons, friends and sons of his friends entitled Luther Dickinson & The Sons of Mudboy. Listeners of The Little Lighthouse are very well familiar with Jim Dickinson’s ad-hoc supergroup called Mudboy and the Neutrons – one of the best bands that ever came out of Memphis, well known for their chaotic covers of standards and traditionals. Now, using the same idea but with a layer of sorrow surrounding the passing of Jim, Luther Dickinson and the Sons of Mudboy put out an excellent album called Onward and Upward. This record is a magnificent farewell to the imposing figure that Jim Dickinson used to be on the Memphis rock’n’roll scene. We also check out the newest album for the Swiss zydeco band Mama Rosin (Black Robert) and the new album for the singersongwriter Freedy Johnston (Rain On The City). Also, please check out our new bonus podcast below that we will receive weekly from Igor Mitic in Pancevo. Look for the panther logo and title Sympathy for Rock’n’roll!