I've been a proud and enthusiastic fan of Syracuse's own power pop powerhouse the Flashcubes since I was 18. THAT, my friends, was a very long time ago, but my belief in the group has never wavered. Their current all-covers album Pop Masters on the mighty Big Stir Records label is my top album of 2023 so far. Frankly, there is no plausible set of circumstances likely to change that.
As I've pummeled the console on the Flashcubes' behalf for all these decades, I've long wished some other great rockin' pop recording acts would also recognize the brilliance of the Flashcubes' original material, and attempt their own cool covers of same. I managed to convince the Slapbacks to cut a rendition of Gary Frenay's "Make Something Happen" for our 2017 compilation This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 4, but that is the only Cubic cover I've ever encountered.
So! With apologies to Jackie DeShannon, what the world needs now is a Flashcubes tribute album.
I'm not aware of anyone working on such a thing. Hell, I don't even know of any artist contemplating a Flashcubes cover. But I wish they would. In the mean time, I've imagined some possibilities.
For our make-believe compilation Make Something Happen: A Tribute To The Flashcubes, I've matched a number of This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio-approved artists with songs written, recorded, and released (in studio or live versions) by the Flashcubes: eighteen tracks, six songs apiece penned by 'Cubes bassist Gary Frenay and guitarists Paul Armstrong and Arty Lenin. In my mind's ears, I can hear it now...
If you like what you see here on Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do), please consider a visit to CC's Tip Jar.
Carl's new book Gabba Gabba Hey! A Conversation With The Ramones is now available, courtesy of the good folks at Rare Bird Books. Gabba Gabba YAY!! https://rarebirdlit.com/gabba-gabba-hey-a-conversation-with-the-ramones-by-carl-cafarelli/
If it's true that one book leads to another, my next book will be The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1). Stay tuned. Your turn is coming.
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, streaming at SPARK stream and on the Radio Garden app as WESTCOTT RADIO. Recent shows are archived at Westcott Radio. You can read about our history here.
I bet there are bands who'd actually sign up, if they knew about it. I guess I'd start with Syracuse & Rochester bands and work out from there. Start with New Math?
ReplyDeleteGood ideas.
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