Today we have some very interesting comebacks from two greatest rock’n’roll scenes in the world. True Sons of Thunder, a Memphis super-garage-group is back with the new record, and so are the legendary trio from Detroit, Demolition Doll Rods. Mr. Quintron and Miss Pussycat from New Orleans also have a new record and so does the super-trio Fuzz with Ty Segall, Charles Moothart and Chad Ubovich. We also check out new singles for Outacontroller, Gyasi and Harp Explosion. We introduce Tyler Keith and The Apostles for the first time at the show. Great archival material is also out, by Red Lights (a Jeffrey Lee Pierce band) and the lost album by The Last.
Dead Moon – Fire in the Western World;
Outtacotroller – Loose Lips;
True Sons of Thunder – Killin’ It;
True Sons of Thunder – Crawlin;
Wolfmanhattan Project – Braid of Smoke;
Danny and The Darleans (Live in CLE);
Demolition Doll Rods – Bitch Kickin’;
Quintron and Miss Pussycat – Teenagers Don’t Know Shit;
A Burning Bus – Irrational front;
Tyler Keith & The Apostles – Vaya Con Dios;
Tyler Keith & The Apostles – Fire In The Western World;
Harp Explosion – It’s gonna be a long night;
The Schizophonics – Show Me Your Eyes;
Hayvanlar Alemi – Referendum Day;
Fuzz – Nothing People;
Gyasi – Walk On;
Gyasi – Colorful;
Red Lights – Kisses for my president;
The Last – The Other Side;
The Last – Difference.
It’s that time of the year when we begin our year-end review. Our first show in this three-part series will cover best small forms, 45s, EPs and downloads and some of the snippets from the best live shows in Cleveland last year. Also we check out my favorite reissues this year, Savage Young Dü by Hüsker Dü and In My Room by The Gun Club. Check it out!
We bring you new music from some good old groups that we used to like in the 80s: Thurston Moore and Paul Roessler and Howe Gelb with his one man project Arizona Amp And The Alternator. We also introduce new bands from Melbourne, Australia – Brad Pot, Philadelphia PA – The Improbables, Nashville TN – Blackfoot Gypsies. I am especially excited about the newly discovered recordings from Gun Club, which are not assembled into their posthumous album entitled In My Room. Old Crow Medicine Show (and Little Lighthouse!) celebrate the 50th anniversary of Bob Dylan’s masterpiece Blonde on Blonde. So many good albums have their 50th anniversary this year! 1967 was insane.
Today’s show is an episode in our Rock’n’roll Anthems series. Previously we featured Louie Louie, I Fought The Law, Tobacco Road, Train Kept A-Rollin’, Money (That’s What I Want). Today we go the way back to the late nineteenth century when a railroad worker John Hardy committed a murder and got hanged afterwards. The story and the event went into a legend and into a song. The song eventually made it to the records in the twenties and quite a few rock musicians found the story exciting enough to include it into their repertoire. Most notably, my favorite version of Gun Club. As it usually happens in folk traditions, they are not always historically accurate. There was also another character John Henry, who was a a steel driver who apparently defeated a steam powered hammer. For whatever reason, musically and lyrically, some musicians of the past mixed the two different characters and song and elements of one went into another. So, today, we explore these two stories and the impact they had on rock’n’roll. Most recently, Danny Kroha recorded the legend of John Henry on his new lp, so the two characters still continue to keep our attention.
Last year a surprisingly uncharacteristic album came from Lydia Lunch. She and her collaborator, guitarist Cypress Grove recorded a mighty fine, moody, rock’n’roll album called appropriately A Fistful of Desert Blues. Rarely does a record title fit the sound so well. It’s a western desert blues record that can stand next to any Gun Club record and live up to it.
Today we review some parts of the blooming and booming new San Francisco rock’n’roll scene, lead by Ty Segall who has a new album out there called Twins. We also check out the wonderful cajuns from Switzerland, Mama Rosin, who made a new album in New York City with Jon Spencer and also have another ad-hoc project called Les Frères Souchet. Talking about the Francophone stuff, we have a new single for Perpignan’s Jack of Heart and including their potent cover of Gun Club’s For The Love of Ivy recorded live in Cleveland. We close the show with Amy Lavere and Shannon McNally with their new tour rehearsal tapes and with Lucy Kaplansky’s cover of The Beatles tune I’m Looking Through You.
May 8 marks hundred years of birth of the famous bluesman Robert Johnson. At least officially, as the exact date of his birth is unknown. But, the man’s influence on rock’n’roll and all other blues related music genres is impossible to measure. The majority of Johnson’s music was recorded between 1936 and 1937, long before rock’n’roll really had its name. But in 1961 his music was reissued on an LP and the young rockers embraced Johnson as a great precursor of their music. Black blues musicians of the 50s, like Howlin’ Wolf and Dinah Washington were a link, as they were playing Robert Johnson’s songs even before the 1961 LP. British rockers like Eric Clapton and The Rolling Stones followed and brought Johnson’s music to the masses. Still, two of my favorite Johnson’s rock’n’roll covers belong to the 80s underground era: Rainer Ptacek’s version of If I Had Possession Over The Judgment Day and Gun Club’s Preachin’ The Blues. But indisputable strength of Johnson’s quality as a songwriter and guitar player is not the only link to the rock’n’roll. His entire short life is filled with mysticism, charisma and myth that also became an essential fabric for a decent rock’n’roll biography. Today, we pay a tribute to that.