Tag Archives: Replacements

Flashlite #613

Justin Townes Earle

Today we lead in with uncontested rock legends Blue Oyster Cult who are back with the new record. And then, James Williamson of the Stooges and Deniz Tek of Radio Birdman join forces. Phil May passed away earlier this year, but prior to that, he recorded an album with Pretty Things and that album is out now. Nick Lowe joins forces with Los Straitjackets and Paul Kelly is with Paul Grabowsky. Slim Dunlap’s live recordings surface and we check one of the tracks. We pay respects to Justin Townes Earle who passed away on August 20th this year.

Blue Oyster Cult – Hot Rails To Hell;
Blue Oyster Cult – That Was Me;
James Willamson and Deniz Tek – Progress;
Stooges – 1970;
Radio Birdman – t.v. eye;
Stooges – Search And Destroy;
Pretty Things – Midnight To Six Man;
Pretty Things – I’m Ready;
Nick Lowe and Los Straitjackets – Crying Inside;
Brinsley Schwartz – Funk Angel;
Kipington Lodge – I Can See Her Face (Parlophone R5776);
Paul Kelly – Crosstown;
Paul Kelly and Paul Grabowsky – sonnet 138;
Slim Dunlap Band – Ain’t Exactly GoodSlim Has Left the Building;
Replacements – Can’t Hardly Wait;
Justin Townes Earle – Can’t Hardly Wait;
Justin Townes Earle – Talking To Myself;
James Willamson, Mark Lanegan and Alison Mossheart – Wild Love.

Flashlite #599

Judy Dyble

Today’s show is dedicated to the wonderful Judy Dyble, the founding vocalist of Fairport Convention and the early singer for the band that grew into King Crimson. She passed away from lung cancer on July 12, this year. Other than that, we check out the new tunes from the 80s underground legends: newly reformed Divine Horsemen, Smudge, Dream Syndicate and The Jayhawks, including their renegade member Mark Olson, with his most recent partner in crime, Ingunn Ringvold. Cherry on top are newly discovered vault music from possibly some of greatest rock’n’roll bands in the history: The Rolling Stones, The Replacements and a project of the Yardbirds members Keith Relf and Jim McCarty called Together. If this doesn’t turn out to be a great listening, then nothing you ain’t a true rocker.

The Replacements – Alex Chilton;
The Dream Syndicate – Hold Brother Hold;
The Rolling Stones – Criss Cross;
The Rolling Stones – She Said Yeah;
CFM – Black Cat;
The Jayhawks – Dogtown Days;
Mark Olson and Ingunn Ringvold – April In Your Cloud Garden;
Bob Dylan – My Own Version Of You;
The Third Mind – Journey in Satchidananda;
Dave Alvin – Guitar Rumba;
Divine Horsemen – Mystery Writers;
The Flesh Eaters – The Youngest Profession;
Together – Henry’s Coming Home;
The Lemonheads – The Outdoor Type (Live in CLE);
Smudge – Gotta Pull Myself Together;
Judy Dyble – Faded Elvis;
Fairport Convention – One Sure Thing;
Fairport Convention – Portfolio.

Flashlite #549

Lisa Mychols

We start today with two albums full of good pop tunes (each in its own way) from the last year’s production, that somehow fell through the cracks. We know both performers well, Lisa Mychols from the early episodes of The Little Lighthouse and Bad Moves from the more recent episodes. Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever have a new single, The Schramms are back together with the new record. Those Pretty Wrongs have a new single out, and so does Sheer Mag. Over in Yugolands, we check out Autopark with a cover of a legendary Boye song. Replacements are preparing a new repackaging of Don’t Tell A Soul and we check out one of the tunes from it.

Kerri Powers – Polly;
Bad Moves – Give It A Shot;
Lisa Mychols – He’s Got Me Dreaming;
The Cicadas – When Losers Rule the World;
Ben Vaughn – When Losers Rule The World (Live in CLE);
Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – Read My Mind;
The Schramms – The Day When;
The Schramms – Walk To Delphi;
The Replacements – Portland;
The Replacements – Talent Show (new version);
Those Pretty Wrongs – Ain’t Nobody But Me;
Luther Russell – Deep Feelings;
Big Star – O My Soul;
Cromm Fallon – Out of Control;
Sheer Mag – Hardly to Blame;
Autopark – Gde možemo se sresti;
Boye – Gde možemo se sresti..

Flashlite #501

GrexTonight we check out the new music from Mark Lanegan, who teamed up again with Duke Garwood. We also check out the new song from J Mascis, with another solo effort. Another legend from around that time, Chris Mars, the drummer of The Replacements has a new album, so we check that out as well. ESC Life used to be a touring band for Grant Hart and now they have a new single. Ty Segall, Charles Mootheart and Chris Shaw from Ex Cult are back with their GØGGS. Desert Mountain Tribe are also back with the new album and so is Brian Lisik, but he is from Ohio. We introduce Grex from Oakland, California. Death of Samantha is in our live in Cleveland segment.

Clara Engel – Microgods of all the Subatomic Worlds;
ESC Life – Vacation;
GØGGS – Ruptured Line;
Ex-Cult – Mr. Investigator;
Ty Segall – Alta;
Desert Mountain Tribe – It’s All Good;
Mark Lanegan and Duke Garwood – Feast to Famine;
Mark Lanegan – Emperor;
Neko Case and Mark Lanegan – Curse of the I-5 Corridor;
Death of Samantha – The Slider (Live in CLE);
Brian Lisik and the Unfortunates – Colorado Avenue;
Chris Mars – Mission of Dead;
Jon S Williams – Figure it out;
Grex – Quicksilver
J Mascis – See You At The Movies.

Flashlite #453

Baby ShakesToday we start off with a brand new tune from Cheap Wine’s new studio, directly from Pesaro, Italy. Motörhead and Replacements have post-breakup releases, and we check it out today. Pink Tiles from Australia have a really good new album, that showcases their great new leap in artistic maturity. Hidden Rifles are a new band for Matthew Wascovich, Mike Watt and Norman Westberg. We introduce Transit Method from Austin TX and three ladies from New York City, Baby Shakes.

Dead Rock West – Waiting Patiently;
Cheap Wine – Full of Glow;
Transit Method – Snake Wine;
Rolling Stones – Jumpin’ Jack Flash;
Messerschmitt – Jumpin’ Jack Flash;
Motörhead – Jumpin’ Jack Flash;
Hidden Rifles – Thrawnly Lot;
Cheese Borger And The Cleveland Steamers – Never Saw You Again;
Alex Chilton – You’re My Favorite;
The Replacements – Color Me Impressed (Live at Maxwell’s);
The Replacements – Color Me Impressed (Live in CLE);
Needles//Pins – Sleep;
Powerline Sneakers – Mypoohondiac;
Baby Shakes – Won’t See Me;
The Pink Tiles – Rocky Road;
The Candees – little miss rainbow;
The Prisoners – You’re Goin’ Down;
The Favourites – New Feeling;
Lost Baloons – Change Your Mind.

Flashlite #452

Patsy's RatsToday we start off with the new volume of The Warfaring Strangers from The Numero Group, Acid Nightmares. Then we stay with The Replacements, and we hear the brand new music from Chris Mars and Bash & Pop. Tommy and Bash & Pop teamed up with Nicole Atkins for a new single. We introduce a duet called Whiskey Charmers from Detroit. Also, M.O.R.T. from Croatia is in our show for the first time. San Mikulec and Å tajner Bend are back with the new record. We also play a tune from ESC Life, who are also from Zagreb, and they used to serve as Grant Hart’s backing band for his Ajvarpalooza toor. Finally, Patsy Gelb and her Rats are back with a new song.

Tyler & the Names – Tower Song;
TNS – Time’s Up;
Sardonicus – Evaporated Brain;
The Enfields – I’m For Things You Do;
Chris Mars – F Galllagher I hope;
Bash & Pop – Kids Are Alright;
Bash & Pop – Friday Night Is Killing Me;
The I Don’t Cares – Wear Me Out Loud;
Bash & Pop with Nicole Atkins – Too Late;
Nicole Atkins – Darkness Falls So Quiet;
Animal Daydream – Canyon Rose;
Cyanide Pills – Razorblade;
Falling Stars – If I’m The One You Want;
Dead Rock West – Stereo;
The Whiskey Charmers – Dirty Little Blues;
Patsy’s Rats – Roundin’ Up;
M.O.R.T. – Tango;
(krnji) Å tajner Bend – Radman vs. Å B;
ESC Life – Bad Influence.

Flashlite #443

Nicole AdkinsToday we introduce several interesting relatively new names on the female songwriting scene. Katie Von Schleicher comes from Brooklyn and Esmé Patterson is from Denver, CO. Nicole Atkins from New Jersey is particularly interesting because she teamed up with Tommy Stinson of The Replacements and Bash & Pop for her upcoming new album. Tommy is also out touring with Chip Roberts as The Cowboys In The Campfire. They stopped by at Cleveland’s Blue Arrow Records and played a few new tunes. We hear one of them today. Talking about Cleveland, Matthew Wascowich is back with his Scarcity of Tanks. They have a new album called Garford Mute, inspired by growing up, and it contains a stellar line up of Pere Ubu and Terminal Lovers bands, plus Doug Gillard and the legendary Steve Mackay, the Stooges sax player with his posthumous appearance. We also check out the new music Left Lane Cruiser and and introduce two new heavy bands, ’68 from Atlanta and Gorilla from UK.

Beach Boys – You’re So Good to Me;
’68 – The Workers Are Few;
Gorilla – Slay Rider;
Gorilla* – Heartless Heart;
The Trashed Romeos – The Grass Is Never Greener;
Jim Dickinson – Grass Is Never Greener;
Cowboys In The Campfire – Breathing Room (Live in CLE);
Cowboys In The Campfire – Fall Apart Together (Live in CLE);
Nicole Atkins – Listen Up;
Andy Gabbard – You’re So Good To Me;
Katie von Schleicher – The Image;
Esmé Patterson – Moth Song;
Coming Up Roses – I could have been your girlfriend;
The Long Ryders – Run Dusty Run;
Tyrannamen – I Can’t Read Your Mind;
The Twerps – she didn’t know;
The Stevens – I know (charles and jerry);
Left Lane Cruiser – Booga Chaka;
Scarcity of Tanks – Embrace.

Flashlite #284 – Goodbye Tommy Ramone, Gerry Goffin, Bobby Womack, Charlie Haden, MiÅ¡a Blam… and Paul Mazursky

Tommy RamoneThis is one devastating month for the world of music. We lost some of the really great ones recently. Tommy Ramone is the most recent one, until now, the only remaining original Ramone, writer of Blitzkrieg Bop and producer of The Replacements Tim. His most recent musical effort was a bluegrass duet Uncle Monk, and one touching song which I recorded live in Cleveland from that era finishes our show. We also review some of my favorite Gerry Goffin and Carole King songs. Goffin passed away and left behind an incredible pioneering work in rock’n’roll lyricism. Bobby Womack, who was born in Cleveland OH by the way, also passed away last month. Rock’n’roll audience probably knows him the best as the author of the Rolling Stones first no.1 hit It’s All Over Now, but he was also a great singer in his own right. The we say goodbye to two great jazz bassists. Charlie Haden was definitely one of the greatest in the world. Incredible list of collaborators will never be surpassed. For instance, we check out his most recent album with Keith Jarrett called The Last Dance. It came just one month before the news came about Haden’s departure. MiÅ¡a Blam is the second bassist that passed away recently. He is not very well known outside of the borders of former Yugoslavia, but back home, he was regarded as the greatest one. And finally we also mention the passing of Paul Mazursky, definitely one of my favorite movie directors.

Laura Nyro – Up on the Roof;
Ramones – Mama’s Boy;
Ramones – Blitzkrieg Bop;
Ramones – I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend;
The Replacements – Left of the dial;
Redd Kross – Frostep Flake;
The Animals – Don’t Bring Me Down;
The Byrds – Goin’ Back;
Monkees – Pleasant Valley Sunday;
Little Eva – The Locomotion;
Elektricni Orgazam – Locomotion;
Zafir Hadzimanov – Stari cadjavi voz;
Albert King – The Hunter (Blues Alphabet);
Misa Blam – Insert 12;
Keith Jarrett and Charlie Haden – Dance of the Infidels;
Charlie Haden – Oh Shenandoah;
Bobby Womack – If You Don’t Want My Love;
The Valentinos – It’s All Over Now;
Rolling Stones – It’s All Over Now;
Faces – Maybe I’m Amazed;
Uncle Monk – Heaven (Live in CLE).

Low Cut Connie – Call Me Sylvia (Side One Dummy)

Low Cut Connie - Cal Me SylviaIf you haven’t seen Low Cut Connie live show yet, you should. There is not too many bands out there that put such a fun, carefree show. They would surely prefer to have a full house, but even if there’s an audience of five, they’ll knock the house down. Adam Weiner carries upright piano to every show and it’s gotta be a hell to tune it while on tour, but that piano is a key instrument in the band and some synthesizer just won’t do. Weiner shares song writing and vocal duties with an Englishman Dan Finnemore. Dan sings in a flawless american accent though. The band will sometimes rotate not just vocals, but also instruments at their live show and in short, it’s the hardest working band out there on the tour.

Excellent sense of humor will keep a smile on your face and upbeat tunes will keep you on your feet. Their record Call Me Sylvia is in that sense an excellent representative of their live shows. Wild, unbridled atmosphere did not get lost in the studio. Chatter of the background singers was not taken out of the mix and sometimes you will feel that the band members also called in their friends to help with the hand-clapping. It’s never generous to represent some band as “this” meets “that”, but I cannot resist to say that Low Cut Connie sounds like Replacements would, had they decided to make an LP with Willie DeVille. And their live music enthusiasm can only be compared to the shenanigans one can see at The Fleshtones gigs. And of course, Weiner’s piano acrobatics and his ruffled bangs rightfully often draw comparisons to Jerry Lee Lewis.

Clevelanders should get a kick out of the song Cleveland, which is a hilarious story of a suicidal male stripper returning to his hometown after a failed career, perhaps in some bigger town, like New York City, which is where Low Cut Connie are based in. Call it black humor, but as a Clevelander, I am proud. That’s a Weiner’s song, whose writing is generally humorous, ironic and cabaret, while Finnemore’s tunes are generally more melodious, no-frills rock’n’roll tunes about cars and girls.

Although the record was originally published as a CD in 2012, the vinyl release saw the light of day in 2013. That and the fact that I got a hold of the record only in December last year, qualifies it for consideration for one of the best albums in 2013. The outer groove of the record indicates that the vinyl master was done by Joe Lambert at JLM and the vinyl sound overall is pretty good. It is wide and spacious, although slightly heavy on high frequencies, but that’s just my taste. I fixed it with an easy adjustment on my equalizer. I am not sure what pressing plant was used, but that factory could pay more attention to the quality control – B side of my copy has a slight eccentricity and some wobble due to it.

The Fuzz (Munster)

The Trashed Romeos - Where Dreamers Never GoThings are very complicated this year. There are two excellent bands with the name of (The) Fuzz. Both are special projects from previously well established musicians. There is Fuzz (without “the”) from San Francisco lead by Ty Segall, a band that has captured attention of music fans all over the world. The other Fuzz is The Fuzz, they are from Memphis and they are lead by Harlan T. Bobo. You won’t hear that much about this band in fancy web portals though, except in this one.

Harlan T. Bobo is probably one of the strongest songwriters active today. His three solo albums recorded and published between 2003 to 2010 are masterpieces of rock writing with topics ranging from rejection, to love and settling down. In 2010 Harlan on his record Sucker, Harlan proclaimed Live is sweet and we left him happy in a family setting. But this year he’s back hilariously drunk and boyishly angry and he needed another alter ego and a band to pull it off.

In the press material and in on the record cover, we learn that The Fuzz is a brainchild of Harlan’s brother Hector Bobo, but songwriting credits and vocal delivery is unmistakably Harlan. What we find on this record is a great example of Memphis rock’n’roll in its most uncurbed state. It’s loud and distorted and fun. It’s music of a drunken circus band staggering down a road, which how once someone described Jim Dickinson’s music. With masks and confused identities.

Besides Harlan T. Bobo, the record brings several other well known Memphis musicians, Steve Selvidge on bass and Doug Easley behind the studio knobs.

The record is sandwiched in between Air which irresistibly reminds me on Replacements’ Takin’ A Ride and When I Die which borrows a chant from Norwegian Wood. You will also hear a great tribute to Marc Bolan in Teen Rex. The musical ferocity is what will occupy your senses first, because it’s delivered overwhelmingly loud, but after you hear the record a couple of times, wise words of Harlan T. Bobo will make you rediscover this record again.

Few technical notes on the release. The record came out in Spain for Munster Records, so it is only available as an import in USA. The label on the cover says the the record is Made in Germany, but markings on the vinyl are more similar to the vinyls mastered and pressed in Russia. It’s a quality pressing considering that the record is so loud. I have a feeling that the vinyl is mastered from a digital mix, and it would probably sound better if it was mastered from an analog mix, if there is one around.