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 # 1234.
THE LEMON TWIGS: If You And I Are Not Wise
I don't have any explanation, nor even any real idea why it took us so friggin' long to finally play something by the Lemon Twigs. We were never resistant to the group's engaging brand of pop music; it's POP music, and we like it!
But, for whatever reason, I've only been peripherally aware of the Lemon Twigs. I knew of them, but I hadn't actually listened to their records nor seen them on TV. Knowledgeable online pals recommended the Lemon Twigs on many separate occasions. I didn't dismiss the recommendations. I just didn't follow through on them.
The men of The Spoon podcast (https://thespoonradio.com/) have been among those informed parties extolling the virtues of the Lemon Twigs, and that was the tipping point for me. I used Apple Music to investigate the sound of the Lemon Twigs.
My God. Why the hell did I delay this? Holy missed opportunities!
And then to the Batmobile, or at least to Sound Garden in Syracuse, where I snapped up both of the only two Lemon Twigs CD they had in inventory. That score included the group's current effort, A Dream Is All We Know.
From A Dream Is All We Know, the Lemon Twigs at long last make their TIRnRR debut with a spin of "If You And I Are Not Alone," an effortless evocation of the Byrds and all things that jangle with authority. Welcome to our little Play-Tone Galaxy of Stars, you Lemon Twigs. Sorry it took us so damned long to admit you. We will aim to be wiser in the future.
BILLY J. KRAMER: Are You With Me?
Did not expect 2024 to bring new music from British Invasion star Billy J. Kramer. And even if I had expected it, I confess I might not have expected it would be, y'know, fab. Nor even that it would necessarily be any good.
But it is. "Are You With Me?" was released as a single in February, and it will be the title track on a forthcoming new Kramer album. It's an easygoing stroll down Matthew Street in Liverpool, deliberately nostalgic yet sufficiently buoyant on its own terms, its Cuban heels deftly sidestepping the potentially sticky morass of navigating places we remember all our lives. A very pleasant surprise.
NEW MATH: I Can Tell
Back in October, we made a TIRnRR road trip to see Rochester's legendary new wave pop group New Math play what was billed as their farewell show, boppin' on a bill with contemporaries the Presstones and the mighty 1.4.5. It was an incredible evening of rock 'n' roll, and I'm delighted that New Math decided to continue for more after that.
"More" includes a new digital single! The song "I Can Tell" dates back to around 1980, but there is no acceptable surviving copy of New Math's original dawn-of-the-'80s recording. So the current group decided to do a new recording, and it feels like I'm in my early twenties again, diggin' the latest from this great, great group.
You can read more about this MORE! from Joseph Massaro via Paperface Zine. And there's still more MORE!!! to come from New Math.
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WONDERBOY: Girl Songs
The Greatest Record Ever Made!
THE FLASHCUBES: When We Close Our Eyes
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Last week I completed two initial interviews (with Flashcubes guitarist Paul Armstrong and bassist Gary Frenay) for my proposed 2025 book Make Something Happen! The DIY Story Of A Power Pop Band Called THE FLASHCUBES. I had a Wednesday interview scheduled with 'Cubes drummer Tommy Allen, but I had to postpone it (through no fault of Tommy's). We're going to try again this week, and I hope to get in an initial interview with guitarist Arty Lenin ASAP. There is much, much, much to be done, and a ton of people to interview, but work on Make Something Happen! has begun in earnest.
(And there's still more tangential brilliance just starting to plug in behind the scenes. We'll tell you all about that when the time is right. Smile! It's THE FLASHCUBES!)
SLYBOOTS: Oh, Me
I would have to check our stats, but I don't think we've ever played anything by Meat Puppets. Whether we have or ain't have, we have now played at least one Meat Puppets cover, as NYC's Slyboots clock in for their inaugural TIRnRR spin with a take on Meat Puppets' "Oh, Me." I wasn't familiar with Slyboots, but quick visits to their website and their Bandcamp page indicate I need to get to know them, stat. Special programming will take over the entirety of our Memorial Day weekend show, but worry not: Slyboots will be back on TIRnRR in June.
THE RAMONES: Blitzkrieg Bop
Thus ends This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio # 1234. And we couldn't do it any other way.
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 book Gabba Gabba Hey! A Conversation With The Ramones is 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
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