Irish guitar player Gary Moore was a one time member of Thin Lizzy, which was an amazing band. He was in and out of the band many times, but their album Black Rose that featured Moore marked a new era for this band and it is one of their strongest. Moore was a kind of rock musician that put virtuosity ahead of everything. This is a thin line that can make you sound kitschy or really grand. Moore did both, but we will remember him for the best. This show goes to him. First half hour of the show is therefore loud and for the most part live. Still, we also introduce some new artists, Towerbrown from France and Susie Hug from London. Even though Susie lives in London, her sound is very American. This is not surprising since she’s raised in San Diego in a Japanese-American family. Just check our her latest album Tuscon Moonshine that she recorded with the help of Joey Burns and John Convertino of Calexico and Giant Sand fame. We also check in with North Mississippi Allstars – a band that we featured for the first time exactly 10 years ago. They have a new album called Keys To The Kingdom. We also check in with our good friend Huw Akiba Jones and his Akibas. They recorded another album pastorally titled The Cows on Donkey Hillin 2009 and it’s finally in our hands.
Nirvana and Zdenka Kovacicek – Klik tema broj 1;
Thin Lizzy – Toughest Street in Town;
Towerbrown – Let’s paint it brown;
Tim Lee 3 – Kerosene and Matches;
Cheap Wine – Rockin’ In The Free World;
The Godfathers – Blitzkrieg Bop (Live);
North Mississippi AllStars – Goin’ Down South;
Hill Country Revue – Zebra Ranch;
North Mississippi Allstars – The Meeting;
The Akibas – Should Nothing Come;
Susie Hug – Out of Nowhere;
Susie Hug – Amazed;
Bubblegum Lemonade – She’s Got A Gun;
The Singing Loins – Ascending Chatham Hill;
Rod Stewart – Tomorrow is a Long Time.
Exactly ten years ago in this show we introduced a little known Italian Americana band Cheap Wine. Since then, they became a constant in our show. Recently, they put out a 2CD live album called Stay Alive, worth of two full hours of dusty rock’n’roll. I’m glad to have them still next to us. Besides this, in our show today we have the brand new collaboration between Wanda Jackson and Jack White. We also introduce the amazing harpist and singer Stacie Collins. She is lucky enough to be backed by the legendary Jason and The Scorchers. Wanda with Jack and Stacie with Warren are lethal rock’n’roll amalgams! We also introduce The Jaybirds from Salzburg in Austria – a band that belongs to a 60s retro movement that’s always fun to listen to.
First of all, let me say hi to all the listeners from Kragujevac. There is a brand new radio station over there called 
Today we have two obituaries. Jazz vibraphonist from Zagreb, BoÅ¡ko Petrović, better known as B. P, died on January 10. The Scottish singer-songwriter Gerry Rafferty died on January 4. He is best known for his hit singles Stuck In The Middle and Baker Street, but he actually had a pretty consistently good songbook through the entire recording career. We pay tributes to B.P. and Gerry in today’s show. Bubblegum Lemonade is a new Scottish band that’s out to continue their countryman Rafferty’s work. They, however, roughly belong to the new 80s revival, with sound that’s resembles what once was on The Creation label or Paisley Underground, even a good dose of shoegaze. Jump Back Jake from Memphis are here again with yet another ep. Tim Lee has a new double LP called Raucous Americanus – the first truly (and literally) big record for 2011. Gentleman Jesse has yet another new 45. Kyle Thomas’ band Happy Birthday (he’s also in King Tuff) has an LP that came out quite a few months ago, but I only got it now. It’s a really phenomenal record with great pop tunes. Thomas’ proves again that he’s a very talented songwriter.
Exactly 10 years ago, on this day, I broadcasted the very first The Little Lighthouse. At the time, it was a two-hour radio show on college radio station KLSU. With the second show, on January 27th, The Little Lighthouse also got a website and became one of the first podcasts ever on Internet, before the evil corporation Apple even coined the term, before the first mp3 players became a household item. But more importantly, this show became a vent for me to enjoy and understand new and old music in a new, exciting way. Starting with today’s show, and further in 2011, I will try to recall highlights of the first season as it was unrolling. I am alsoo very happy to announce that The Little Lighthouse will from now on be syndicated at another radio station, in addition to Radio SC in Zagreb: it’s the brand new radio station in Kragujevac, Serbia called 
Every year about this time, The Little Lighthouse puts together a list of best albums that we rocked out at the show in the past year. This year is no exception. 2010 was quite exciting as far as the new albums go. I’d say that at least top 10 of the albums are modern classics, with all ingredients that a really big rock’n’roll record should have. I think it’s not so surprising that Sweet Apple with Love And Desperation took the number one. I was fortunate enough to see this album coming out of John’s sketches and forming into a full blown LP. But, even without that part, this record reminds us what a true rock record should be, without twists and frills. The real thing. The we also have Eamon McGrath as a surprising new songwriting talent and also Harlan T Bobo establishing himself as probably the greatest on in past 10 years. The rest of the list follows here:
Sweet Apple is a side band for John Petkovic of Cobra Verde, J Mascis of Dinosaur JR and Dave Sweetapple of Witch. It happened in a bitter moment when the trio of these rock’n’roll greats desperately needed a break not only from the music that they worked on in their original bands, but also a break from the situations in life that at the time seemed to choke them. Sometimes the best cure is to run away which a pack of friends, experience something new and return as a richer person. This is exactly what this pack did. A weaker person would cut his wrists, but these three people poored their hearts into a rocker that bursts with energy and desire for life. Casual atmosphere in the record creation allowed J to switch over to drums, totaling only three solos on the entire record. Still, there’s plenty of brilliant guitar work on the record courtesy of Tim Parnin of Cobra Verde and John on his purple Gretch (which he used in the songwriting process). Nothing is forced here, songs are charged with energy, crispy riffs are everywhere only to slow down on Dead Moon which stands out as a dark reminder that a man needs light to live, even if that light comes from a stage light show.
In four years, Eamon McGrath changed two cities – he moved from Edmonton Alberta to Toronto and produced over 20 “albums” that he recorded in his bedroom and distributed on his gigs around the town. Legend of McGrath slowly started to happen – people started to talk about his incredibly strong songwriting skills with influences anywhere from Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Warren Zevon to Darby Crash and Greg Ginn. The way out of his bedroom into the ears of thirsty rock’n’roll enthusiasts all over the world happened last year when he put out a compilation of his best work from the bedroom years on Canadian White Whale label. This is precisely what 13 Songs of Whiskey and Light is. The story reached The Little Lighthouse only in 2010, when he also published a new record Peace Maker. Although this is also a wonderful record, it falls a bit short from the compilation which we’re discussing here. Absolutely every song on it is a perfection. We will definitely keep an eye on this guy in the years to come.
Harlan T Bobo hails from Memphis and in the past several years, he established himself as the most consistent songwriter on the rock scene, with only his Memphis buddy Greg Cartwright to rival that crowning position. But, while Greg has a strong pop streak, Harlan T Bobo takes things more seriously it seems. I guess, what I’m trying to say here, it’s hard to imagine Harlan writing songs for anyone or anything else besides his albums. The approach is hundred percent personal and we can only be grateful to be in it for the ride. His first album recorded back in 2003 was a painful breakup story. Harlan T Bobo is now a married man and blissful intro Life is Sweet accounts to his new found peace in family life. First half of this short record (only 30 minutes), is mostly folk oriented, interrupted only with the perfectly twisted pop tune Hamster in a Cage, which indeed sounds written in the key of Greg Cartwright. But things get twisted later on with two uncompromising rockers back to back Bad Boyfriends and Energy. And then we have an epic Drunk which is by far the longest on the record and key that creates a perfect contrast with the disarmingly beautiful opening song. And then, at the very end, as if demonstrating once for all that Bobo is equally talented in multiple musical genres, the record officially ends with francophone chancone Mille Chatte. Yes, Bobo is definitely the strongest songwriter today.
Dirtiest record in 2010 is this one. It reminds us that one of the duties of rock’n’roll is to shock and embarrass. It sounds as an outtake from early 1970’s glam rock scene in New York – The Dolls with Wayne County on vocals, but it is 2010 and it is the San Francisco scene. Snotty lyrics paired with serious riffs and great melodies will make you want more. Strong rhythms will make it hard for you to sit down. My great hopes are that some of the Cleveland music promoters will bring this band to the city so we can check how it all sounds live, as it seems that this is the best setting for this motley crowd. Party on with the Apache!