On November 6 1985, exactly 25 years ago, one tradition started to take shape. Zikica Simic in Belgrade (Yugoslavia), decided to start a radio show featuring “the new American rock music” called Tajanstveni voz (Mystery Train). Zikica was featuring bands of the 80s rock’n’roll scene that was impossible to hear anywhere in the world except on college radio stations in the USA. He recognized the respect that these bands had for traditional rock’n’roll and persistently for the next 25 years (and hopefully more) he followed this musical genre as it transformed throughout the years: Husker Du, Green On Red, Violent Femmes, Giant Sand, Tav Falco then a new injection of power with Uncle Tupelo in the nineties and now with Endless Boogie, Phosphorescent, Black Keys and Kurt Vile. He introduced a small army of listeners to the true rock’n’roll sound, including myself. To be perfectly honest, influence of Zikica’s radio show is so enormous on me, that I can easily say how Little Lighthouse is a pale copy of Mystery Train, and still consider it an understatement and a compliment to my show. In the latest installment of his show, Zikica Simic re-played his very first playlist and also threw in a few songs from todays moment in between. A great way to mark quarter of a century of one helluva show.
Playlist 25 years ago…
Violent Femmes – Add It Up
The Long Ryders – I Had A Dream
Beat Rodeo – Without You
R.E.M. – Driver 8
The Del-Lords – Mercenary
Dream Syndicate – Medicine Show
Husker Du – Books About UFOs
Beat Farmers – Bigger Stones
Green On Red – That’s What Dreams
X – What’s Wrong With Me
Minutemen – Cheerleaders
Guadalcanal Diary – Ghost On The Road.
Billy Ruane was a promoter and music event organizer in Boston. He had a huge impact on the Boston rock’n’roll scene and many Bostonians and others remember him fondly. Sad news came to us last Thursday that he has passed away in the age of 52. Today’s show is dedicated to him, as well as the beautiful song by Varsity Drag which bears his name. Besides this dedication, we also present some new music in this show. Gentleman Jesse has another 45 as well as the Memphis soul band Jump Back Jake. Croatian garage rockers Erotic Biljan and His Heretics have also a great new single. Jim Jones Revue are here for the first time, so we play two of their songs – one from the new album Burning Your House Down and the other from Mojo Magazine’s tribute to The Beatles album Let It Be. Underscore Adia sent us their song Buick. They come from Pittsburgh and they can really rock. Excellent Australian power-poper Dom Mariani is back with a new album and so is Susan Cowsill who calls her new album simply Lighthouse. I have a crazy fantasy that she named her album after my show… Am I right?!
Today we begin with two obituaries. I’ve only recently heard that Kenny Gethway has passed away in April this year. He was very young and practically at the beginning of his musical career with two of his brothers in this band called Monstrous. I really liked their 2006 album Mother Nature’s Slaves. Somewhat silently they published another album in 2009 called Brothers Gethway, but I only got it now. In any case, my hope is that the other two brothers will continue to make music as great as it was with Kenny when they recuperate. Another loss for rock’n’roll is Ari Up from The Slits, who cause quite a stir back in the days of post punk with their record Cut. Ari Up passed away last week, she was just 48. Today’s show is dedicated to Kenny and Ari. We also have a few new things today. Giant Sand have a new record called Blurry Blue Mountain and Howe Gelb just celebrated his 54th birthday. Other two big rockers, Brian Wilson and Neil Young also have new records out. Neil Young has a noisy guitar album called Le Noise and Brian Wilson has an interesting record where he reimages and reinvents old George Gershwin songs.
Sad news comes to us that the soul legend Solomon Burke died last week in Netherlands. This happened in the middle of the times when his revived career saw new heights. However, in his honor, we play some of his classic hits from the sixties and we dedicate this show to him. We also have some new stuff in today’s show. Australian band You Aim I is back with a self-titled album and Kim Simpson with a new ep which he entitled The Price Is Right. The new name in today’s show is Stephanie Finch, collaborator of Chuck Prophet. The album is called Cry Tomorrow. We also feature the new recordings for Tim Lee and Sweet Apple that one can find on Internet (or as a Japanese only bonus in the case of Sweet Apple).
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.
Here we are again after a summer long hiatus. Students are back to school, cold days are here and hot rock’n’roll selections too. This show is filled with some of the most exciting music that came out while we were gone. We have Eamon McGrath from Canada for the first time in our show. Interesting character who recorded tons of music alone in his bedroom for years until last year when his album 13 Songs of Whiskey and Light broke out internationally. Eamon is unusually talented songwriter that has a great future. We hope that his new album Peace Maker is just as good as 13 Songs. Another new songwriting name in today’s show is Pat Hull. He also wrote a number of songs back in his old hometown of Chico in California, until he moved to New York City recently. He has a new album called Fable Names. Spampinato brothers, Joey of NRBQ and Johnny of The Incredible Casuals recorded a new solo album called Pie In The Sky together with another Incredible Casual Aaron Spade. They are touring USA and keep your eye on the events in your town. Their shows are outstanding. Endless Boogie, blues gods from Brooklyn are also here with a new album Full House Head. Limes, Memphis band fronted by Shawn Cripps is also back with the new album Rhinestone River, which comes a few years after their Internet-only album Tarantula, which we loved five years ago. We love the new one too. One of the most exciting album this summer was the new album for Peter Case, who teamed with DJ Bonebreak from X to record Wig!. Case reinvented himself as a hot rocking bluesman and it totally works. Come tune in next week after you hear this one and don’t forget our bonuses!
This is the last Little Lighthouse episode for this summer. Radio SC goes for a summer break and this show will take a rest together with them. We will be back in September together with the regular Radio SC programming schedule. For the last show of this season, we prepared some 20 minutes extra content for you. The most exciting thing this time is definitely the new Tav Falco album called Conjurations. Texas Tornados reunited without Doug Sahm and Freddy Fender, and have a new album called Esta Bueno!. Esta bueno is also the new garage band Davila 666 from Puerto Rico. The Half Rats is another good new garage band from Lafayette, IN. The main songwriter from King Tuff, Kyle has a new band called simply Happy Birthday. Mark Olson of the Jayhawks is also back with a new solo album called Many Colored Kite. So plenty of fresh stuff to chew on until we return in September! Keep checking The Little Lighthouse for occasional bonus shows and let me know if you’d like to see some of our older shows repeated while we’re on the break.
Today we have three new records and four obituaries. We say goodbye to Pete Quaife, former bass player of Kinks and a Memphis musician Tommy Hoehn. We also have a small tribute to Tom Gotovac, a conceptual artist from Zagreb who influenced the local punk scene greatly and who also died recently. I did not find any musical tribute, but another Yugoslav actor, possibly the greatest one from over there Bekim Fehmiu committed suicide a few days ago. Today’s show is dedicated to Pete, Tommy, Tom and Bekim. Alejandro Escovedo has a new album out, it’s called Street Songs of Love and it’s again a collaboration between him and Chuck Prophet, just like the previous one Real Animal. Marah is now basically only one of the Bielanko brothers and he put out a new album called Life is a Problem. Melvins came straight out of nowhere to #200 on Billboard new albums list with a new release called The Bride Screamed Murder. Check it all out here:
Summer’s knocking on our door, and we present three new things this week. Howe Gelb of Giant Sand is back with a new album of songs inspired by gypsy music from Cordoba is Spain. His new band is called Band of Gypsies and album is called Alegrias. Remember the great tribute to Roky Erickson back in 1990 called Where the Pyramid Meets the Eye? Well, there’s another tribute to Roky out there twenty years after called The Psychedelic Sounds Of The Sonic Cathedral. All The Saints who we loved two years ago with their album Fire On Corridor X are on that tribute, which makes us search for the new info on them. Their new album is recorded and will be out soon and on their myspace page, we found a song that’s been unreleased so far…
Today we have Teenage Fanclub back with a brand new album called Shadows. Tift Merritt is also here with her new album called See You On The Moon. She covered an old song Live Till You Die by Emitt Rhodes on it. Detroit veterans Outrageous Cherry are again here with a new album called Seemingly Solid Reality. Check out our bonuses, we have four new updates. Things piled up since I didn’t get a chance to update last week.