10 SONGS: 3/8/2024

10 Songs is a weekly list of ten songs that happen to be on my mind at the moment. The lists are usually dominated by songs played on the previous Sunday night's edition of This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl. The idea was inspired by Don Valentine of the essential blog I Don't Hear A Single.

This week's edition of 10 Songs draws exclusively from the playlist for This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio # 1223. This show is available as a podcast

THE ELECTROMAGNATES: Airwave Hello

A power pop supergroup! The Electromagnates unite the talents of Steve Stoeckel (of the Spongetones, Pop Co-Op, and his own album The Power Of And), Peter Watts (of Spygenius), solo stalwart Chris Church (whose "I Think I Think I Like You" [from his album Radio Transient] came THISCLOSE to making our 2023 year-end countdown), and former Jeopardy! contestant Dolph Chaney (a singer and musician whose "My Good Twin" is an all-time TIRnRR Fave Rave). Together, the Electromagnates are the jangling Wilburys of a new generation, and their debut single "Airwave Hello" serves as irresistible introduction, greeting, and manifesto. It opens this week's show by divine right, and we'll hear it again this coming Sunday night.

(We figured this chance for America to meet the Electromagnates also warranted spins of some previous works by each of the individual 'Magnates. So! We programmed Steve's "Laura Lynn," Chris' "I Think I Think I Like You," Dolph's current single "Californiagain," and Spygenius' "The Marvelous, Mendacious Time Machine." CONNECTION! It's electric.)

THE RAMONES: Don't Come Close

AL GREEN: I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry

THE STEVE DEATON THREE: Tall Dark Stranger

There aren't a lot of instances where Beyoncé has a direct effect on a TIRnRR playlist. But her recent, unexpected country single "Texas Hold 'Em" made news when some country stations refused to play it, claiming it didn't fit the format. I tell ya, it sounds like modern country to these ears, and while that's not necessarily a compliment coming from me, I'll add that I think it's a decent single. It doesn't really fit our format either, but I won't rule out dropping a radio edit into a future show if whim dictates. Ya never know with us. We never know with us.

The "Texas Hold 'Em" situation got me thinking about the time when the Ramones released their own country single: "Don't Come Close," from their 1978 masterpiece album Road To Ruin.  Now, "Don't Come Close" is really about as country as ballet, chess, Downton Abbey, Harvey Comics cosplay, or anything else that's, y'know, NOT AT ALL country. But somehow that country description got chicken-wired to it anyway. When I interviewed Johnny Ramone in 1994, he made it clear that his rating of Road To Ruin was brought down by the presence of the two "country" songs, "Don't Come Close" and "Questioningly," tracks which he did not like at all. (The interview recently appeared again in my Ramones book.) 

A good DJ isn't dissuaded by inaccurate labels. Dig what you dig, but don't be afraid to riff off of perception. The notion of country croonin' Beyoncé led me to wanna lean into the (preposterous) notion of Ramones country, kickin' off a mini-set y'all haul of the Ramones into Al Green's triumphantly soulful reading of Hank Williams' "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" and the Steve Deaton Three's ace rock 'n' roll rave-up of Buck Owens' "Tall Dark Stranger."

And, oddly enough, "Don't Come Close" actually was an itty bit more country than either of those outta-the-box covers of country classics. Country superstars the Ramones. Hee-haw, let's GO!

AUTOGRAMM: Hey Allie

Credit the Only Three Lads podcast for the target-acquired! status on this one. O3L recently welcomed the members of current Canadian combo Autogramm as guests on the podcast; the Autogrammers discussed their own work and joined in for a celebration of all-time favorite albums by Canadian artists. You can hear that episode here.

Prior to their O3L appearance, I don't believe I'd ever even heard of Autogramm. But like radio, podcasts' job is to sell records. Mission accomplished! From Autogramm's 2023 album Music That Humans Can Play, "Hey Allie" is squarely within that elusive 'n' engaging TIRnRR demographic. From podcast to airwaves, on the radio it went. Automatic. AUTOGRAMM!

WONDERBOY: Girl Songs

This...is NOT Wonderboy's Robbie Rist

I can't even tell you how much I love "Girl Songs" by Wonderboy. Recorded in the '90s, finally released just a few years back, this exuberant embrace of the transcendent act of swooning over chicks is like the TIRnRR mindset in microcosm. With its fourth appearance in four weeks, "Girl Songs" will now take next week off, as another track from its host album Hero Isle takes its place. 

"Girl Songs" will be back after its break. To paraphrase country singer Beyoncé: Who run the world? GIRL SONGS!

THE CYNZ: Crow Haired Boys

So looking forward to Little Miss Lost, the forthcoming new album from the Cynz. We've been playing the title track, which was the album's first teaser single, and we had "Little Miss Lost" already in place for this week's rock 'em-sock 'em playlist. The last-minute arrival of second teaser single "Crow Haired Boys" made me wanna do the prerequisite a-swappin' and a-shufflin' to accommodate this awesome addition to our personal Play-Tone galaxy o' stars. We'll hear "Crow Haired Boys" again on Sunday night, and I expect we'll be hearing the Cynz throughout 2024. 

Again and again. That's worth crowing about.

TRANSLATOR: Everywhere That I'm Not

The Greatest Record Ever Made! I did a video on behalf of this track, discussing its chapter in my long-threatened book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1). You can read about the video here, or just go straight to the video itself here.

THE FLASHCUBES: Make Something Happen

Prophetic words? Something may be happening. We shall see.

THE RAMONES: Questioningly

One more from noted country superstars the Ramones. Take it, boys. 

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'm on Twitter @CafarelliCarl