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 # 1227. This show is available as a podcast.
POP CO-OP: Misfits
The last time the members of pop supergroup Pop Co-Op covered a song by This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio's House Band the Kinks, it was as part of TIR'n'RR Allstars, recording a sublime version of "Waterloo Sunset" on behalf of this little mutant radio show. We are still (very nearly) humbled by the kindness of everyone involved in that effort, and you can still grab the accompanying Waterloo Sunset benefit compilation on Kool Kat Musik CD or as a Futureman Records download. GO! BUY! These neck-snappin' segues don't pay for themselves.
Now, Pop Co-Op has a brand-new cover of the Kinks' "Misfits," recorded as part of another super-secret future project, but nonetheless available in today's all-day-and-all-of-the-night better days. For ALL of you fancy dedicated followers of fashion! This is your chance, this is your time, and this is your download. See? You're fitting in already.
Our pal Rich Firestone debuted "Misfits" Sunday on the fourth-anniversary edition of his epic weekly essentialness Radio Deer Camp, and we followed the path of those same Kinky boots that evening. It all fit together as it oughta.
(Coincidentally, "Misfits" was the title tune from the then-new Kinks album hitting retail racks right around the time of my first Kinks concert in 1978. Serendipity! And we'll hear Pop Co-Op's "Misfits" on TIRnRR again this coming Sunday. Ya can't miss out on "Misfits."
TALL POPPY SYNDROME: This Time Tomorrow
Pop Co-Op's Kinks cover debuts this week, but Tall Poppy Syndrome's rendition of the Kinks' "This Time Tomorrow" now makes its second consecutive TIRnRR appearance. Since its initial spin here, Tall Poppy Syndrome's version of "This Time Tomorrow" has garnered specific thumbs-up validations from each of the surviving original Kinks, Ray Davies, Dave Davies, and Mick Avory.
I was a bit surprised to see Kinks-mandated validation for my endorsement of the track in last week's 10 Songs. From Dave Davies' X account:
I've been re-Tweeted by one of the Kinks. I love this gig. And Tall Poppy Syndrome's "This Time Tomorrow" returns for its third TIRnRR appearance this Sunday. We wouldn't wanna disappoint our friend Dave Davies.
AM RADIO: Hush
With the exception of the annual Dana's Funky Soul Pit, just about every TIRnRR playlist is gonna serve up some rockin' pop delights from the Big Stir Records label. Like Kool Kat Musik, Jem Records, Rum Bar Records, Futureman, and a few other can't-friggin'-miss indie labels, Big Stir is one of our go-to resources for Fave Raves, both fresh and familiar. Go, Big Stir!
That is evident again this week, as the TIRnRR boppin' itinerary takes us to Big Stir releases by the Bablers, the Brothers Steve, Hungrytown, the Flashcubes, and the Electromagnates. This coming Sunday night's program will crank up Big Stir stars Dolph Chaney, the Speed of Sound, Librarians With Hickeys, and more from Syracuse's own power pop powerhouses the Flashcubes. Go, go, Big Stir, GO!!
Our ongoing Big Stir blitz also includes cool stuff from Generation Blue, the new book and compilation LP package raising its Weezer-like fist on behalf of '90s Hollywood Geek Rock. OooWEEEoooo! The past couple of weeks have seen TIRnRR airplay of "Where The Hell Is She," Shufflepuck's contribution to Generation Blue. This week, AM Radio's Generation Blue track "Hush" gets its turn. And this Sunday's show will program a fab Generation Blue tune from Ridel High.
Yep. It's the Blue Generation. And they've got something to say.
This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio closes out every year with a countdown show, playin' back what we played a lot over the course of the preceding twelve months. It is, as Tevye told us, tradition. Our stats are compiled 'n' kept by the mighty Fritz Van Leaven, and we don't see any of his tabulatin' magic until it's time for us to prep the actual countdown.
But as we close out the first quarter of 2024, even a casual look at this year's playlists so far reveals that Paul Collins' "I'm The Only One For You," Elena Rogers' "I Feel Alive," and Leather Catsuit's "Can't Get You Off My Mind" have already locked up berths on the countdown when it happens. It would take an act of God to shut any of them out. And even if it were to turn out that they don't have God on their side, they do have something else:
The math. The math is on their side.
That doesn't mean all--or any--will make our Top Ten. There are a lot of playlists between now and countdown time. But they will all be on the countdown somewhere.
And each one of these fine gems will accrue another spin on our next show. We play the hits.
Count on it.
THE KINKS: Who'll Be The Next In Line
With an opening set that includes two Kinks covers, it seemed imperative to play a li'l treat by the Kinks themselves. Yep, turns out the House Band was the next in line.
THE FIRST CLASS: Beach Baby
The Greatest Record Ever Made!
WONDERBOY: Girl Songs
Like the Paul Collins, Elena Rogers, and Leather Catsuit TIRnRR Pick Hits cited above, Wonderboy's sublime "Girl Songs" will score a spot on our year-end countdown. We think. Pretty sure. It's not quite guaranteed yet...but it probably is. "Girls Songs" will take a break this Sunday night, ceding its space to another track from Wonderboy's Hero Isle album.
It'll be back. Girls mean a lot to me. "Girl Songs" means a lot. too.
RASPBERRIES: Tonight
When we did our Eric Carmen tribute show a few weeks back, the rules severely limited the number of Raspberries tracks we could play. I wanted to spin the urgent power pop of "Go All The Way," "I Wanna Be With You," "Tonight," and "Ecstasy"--the horny singles--but I also wanted to play "Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)," "I'm A Rocker," and maybe "Let's Pretend."
Well, that's a wee bit more than the mere four Raspberries tracks we can play in a three-hour slot.
So we settled on "Go All The Way" and "I Wanna Be With You" from the let's-get-it-on quartet, recalled the confident strut of my "I'm A Rocker" 45, and worshiped at the altar of "Overnight Sensation" 's Top 40 radio ambition and accomplishment. We also played Off Broadway's cover of "Tonight," deferred "Ecstasy" to last week's show, and placed "Let's Pretend" on the reserve list.
We got to the Raspberries' "Tonight" this week. I thought "Tonight" sounded like a hit when I first heard it on Syracuse's WOLF-AM in 1973. That opinion will not change. Not tonight, nor on any other night.
(I have also decided to add my recent "Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)" rant to my long-threatened book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1). We just want a hit record, man. And we will play it on the radio.)
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment