"New York City really has it all."
When I was 17, a record called "Sheena Is A Punk Rocker" changed my life. I heard it, I became an instant fan of the Ramones, and my path chose itself. I already loved music, rockin' pop music, with all of my heart and soul. I already knew I wanted to be a writer. The Ramones made me want to write about rock 'n' roll. It was a defining moment. My subsequent writing, DJing, blogging, frantic punditry, and ritual pounding of the pulpit all spring from that first transcendent spin of a 45 by the Ramones, a record that repeated something I believed to be true:
New York City really has it all.
This Thursday, June 29th, I'm going to be in NYC for an in-store appearance at Generation Records, 210 Thompson Street in Greenwich Village. The gig kicks off at 6:30 pm, and I'll be talking about my new book Gabba Gabba Hey! A Conversation With The Ramones. It's a coincidence, but as I write this, I hear Joey Ramone's voice downstairs, talking to me in 1994 about "Sheena Is A Punk Rocker." I'm in the process of digitizing my Ramones interviews, and if logistics work out, I may play some snippets at Generation on Thursday.
All of my life, I've looked to New York City as the capital of the world. It's where the Marx Brothers were from, where DC and Marvel Comics were made, where Broadway sang, where the Yankees played, and where four seeming misfits from Forest Hills made a record--many records--that changed and enriched my life. New York City has it all? Well. Obviously.
And now it has me, for one night only, chatting and kibbitzing on behalf of my book about a rock 'n' roll group that means the world to me. If you happen to be in or near the Village this Thursday, June 29th, and you just want to have something to do, I hope you'll consider joining me at Generation Records at 6:30 pm. I would much rather face a full room than an empty one.
New York City really has it all. Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah. Yeah. This is what rock 'n' roll radio sounded like on another Sunday night in Syracuse this week.
This show is available as a podcast.
This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl airs Sunday nights from 9 to Midnight Eastern, on the air in Syracuse at SPARK! WSPJ 103.3 and 93.7 FM, and via the TuneIn Radio and Radio Garden apps as Westcott Radio.
IN-PERSON EVENT! On June 29 at 6:30 pm, I will be making an in-store appearance at GENERATION RECORDS, 210 Thompson Street in NYC on behalf of my new book GABBA GABBA HEY! A CONVERSATION WITH THE RAMONES. The book contains my 1994 interviews with Joey, Johnny, Marky, and C.J., which were cited by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as essential reading. I'll be at Generation to chat with fellow Ramones fans, talk about the book, the interviews, and how the music of the Ramones impacted my life. If you are in the New York area on June 29th, I would love to see you at Generation Records. Hey-ho, let's GO!
You can read all about this show's long and weird history here: Boppin' The Whole Friggin' Planet (The History Of THIS IS ROCK 'N' ROLL RADIO).
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The many fine This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio compilation albums are still available, each full of that rockin' pop sound you crave. A portion of all sales benefit our perpetually cash-strapped community radio project:
***And NOW AVAILABLE! This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 5!***
TIRnRR # 1187: 6/25/2023
TIRnRR FRESH SPINS! Tracks we think we ain't played before are listed in bold
THE RAMONES: Sheena Is A Punk Rocker (Rhino, Rocket To Russia)
JACK LEE: Hanging On The Telephone (Alive, Bigger Than Life)
MARVIN GAYE: Ain't That Peculiar (Motown, Gold)
THE BUSH TETRAS: Too Many Creeps (Wharf Cat, Rhythm And Paranoia)
THE MONKEES: Nine Times Blue (Rhino, Missing Links)
THE ENGLISH BEAT: Tears Of A Clown (Shout Factory, Keep The Beat)
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DANNY THE K: Roller Derby Girl (Rum Bar, Cigarettes & Silhouettes, And Other Songs)
BLONDIE: Union City Blue (Chrysalis, The Platinum Collection)
ROCKAWAY BITCH: I Wanna Be Sedated (Cretin, Rockaway Bitch)
THE 5th DIMENSION: Don't Cha Hear Me Callin' To Ya (Legacy, VA : Summer Of Soul OST)
THE GRIP WEEDS: Rainbow Quartz (Jem, How I Won The War)
SUSANNA HOFFS: Beekeeper's Blues (London, Susannaa Hoffs)
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STEVE STOECKEL: Mod Girl (Big Stir, The Power Of And)
THE BANGLES: What A Life (Down Kiddie, Sweetheart Of The Sun)
BARBARA McNAIR: Lone Lonely Town (UNCUT, VA: Summer Of Motown)
THE BISHOPS: I Want Candy (Ace, VA: The Chiswick Story)
1.4.5.: Let's Groove (Northside, 3 Chords & A Cloud Of Dust)
THE METEORS: Radioactive Kid (Ace, VA: The Chiswick Story)
--
BRAD MARINO: Dame Darcy (Rum Bar, single)
THE EXPLODING HEARTS: You're Black And Blue (Dirtnap, Guitar Romantic)
THE FLYING BURRITO BROTHERS: Six Days On The Road (A & M, The Definitive Collection)
THE CHAMBERS BROTHERS: All Strung Out Over You (Columbia, The Time Has Come)
THE BAR: It's Just You (The Kids At Our House, The BAR)
THE PRETENDERS: Downtown (Akron) (Rhino, Packed!)
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EARTH QUAKE: Out On The Floor (Code 213, single)
THE JAM: David Watts [single mix] (Polydor, About The Young Idea)
DEAN LANDEW: After Work (n/a, single)
THE JAYHAWKS: She Walks In So Many Ways (Rounder, Mockingbird Time)
KISS: Calling Dr. Love (Mercury, Rock And Roll Over)
JIGSAW: Sky High (Taragon, The Very Best Of Jigsaw)
--
THE HALF CUBES: Love's Melody (unreleased)
THE JELLYBRICKS: She Can't (Futureman, VA: This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 1)
THE ISLEY BROTHERS: Got To Have You Back (Motown, Greatest Hits And Rare Classics)
JOAN ARMATRADING: Me Myself I (A & M, Greatest Hits)
THE BEAU BRUMMELS: Laugh, Laugh [alternate version] (Sundazed, San Fran Sessions)
JOE COCKER: The New Age Of Lily [single version] (A & M, With A Little Help From My Friends)
--
The Greatest Record Ever Made!
SUZI QUATRO: I May Be Too Young (Razor & Tie, The Wild One)
THE BLONDES: Suzi Quatro (Futureman, VA: This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 2)
THE SMITHEREENS: Cigarette (Enigma, Especially For You)
JOSIE COTTON: The Night Before (Cleopatra, Everything Is Oh Yeah)
WILD KISSES: Her Dream Burns Bright (n/a, Wild Kisses)
ROBYN HITCHCOCK & THE EGYPTIANS: Balloon Man (A & M, Greatest Hits)
--
MICKEY LEIGH'S MUTATED MUSIC: It Felt Like Love (Wicked Cool, Variants Of Vibe)
BIFF BANG POW!: Fifty Years Of Fun (Cherry Red, VA: The Sun Shines Here)
THE FALSE POSITIVES: Leaves A Mark (single)
LES HANDCLAPS: What's Coming Up (Handclaps, Ouh Ouh Ah!)
JUSTINE & THE UNCLEAN: The Signal Light (Rum Bar, The Signal Light)
THE THIRD RAIL: Run, Run, Run (Rhino, VA: Nuggets)
PALMYRA DELRAN & THE DOPPEL GANG: Lucky In Love (Wicked Cool, single)
THE WARDS OF COURT: How Could You Say One Thing (Deram, VA: The Mod Scene)
--
THE FLASHCUBES FEATURING THE PALEY BROTHERS: Come Out And Play (Big Stir, Pop Masters)
THE RASPBERRIES: Play On (RPM, Power Pop Volume Two)
ARTHUR ALEXANDER: Woman (Big Stir, ...Steppin' Out!)
THE MOSQUITOS: Darn Well (Kool Kat Musik, This Then Are The Mosquitos)
THE CYNZ: Tell That Girl To Shut Up (Jem, single)
TAMAR BERK: Heavy & Abusive (n/a, The Restless Dreams Of Youth)
THE SEX PISTOLS: Pretty Vacant (Virgin, Kiss This)
THE BEATLES: Revolution [promo video version]
--
THE RAMONES: Touring (Radioactive, Mondo Bizarro)
THE RAMONES: I Don't Wanna Be Learned/I Don't Wanna Be Tamed (Rhino, Ramones)
BADFINGER: Airwaves (Permanent Press, Airwaves)
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