10 SONGS: 2/21/2025

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 # 1273

JOE GIDDINGS: Tonite Tonite

A few weeks back we played "Adrenalin," an advance track from Star Collector superstar Joe Giddings' then-forthcoming new album Stories With Guitars. Great as that was, I was further blown away when I heard "Tonite Tonite," another track from the same album, kick off a recent edition of The Spoon podcast. Hey HEY! I've since heard the whole album, and I say it's a strong early candidate for one of 2025's best. See, ya learn stuff listening to The Spoon. And we'll put that edumacation to higher-falutin' use with another spin of "Tonite Tonite" on our next show. 

THE FLASHCUBES: Reminisce

This as-yet-unreleased ace new number from Syracuse's own power pop powerhouse the Flashcubes is my favorite track of 2025 so far, and I betcha it will still be at least in the running for that designation ten months from now. "Reminisce" will probably be the opening track on Make Something Happen! A Tribute To A DIY Power Pop Band Called THE FLASHCUBES, which is set for September release from the visionary angels at Big Stir Records. On the album, "Reminisce" will be joined by two more new Flashcubes tracks and 21 Flashcubes covers as rendered by an all-star array of various TIRnRR Fave Rave artists. The SpongeTones! sparkle*jets u.k.! The Kennedys! Pop Co-Op! Chris von Sneidern! And...er, the identities of other participants are still [REDACTED] at this time.

But not for very much longer. 

THE MIDNIGHT CALLERS: Saturday Night

I will proclaim the power pop bona fides of the Bay City Rollers from here to S! A! T-U-R! D-A-Y! NIGHT! Longer, even. I don't love everything that Scotland's phenomenal pop combo put on wax, but the stuff I do love I love without reservation. You can read more about my own Rollermania here, here, here, here, and here, plus "Rock And Roll Love Letter" earned its own chapter in my book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1).

The Midnight Callers are one of the most consistently dynamic rockin' pop combos on the scene today. Their new single covering the Rollers' first US hit "Saturday Night" is a match made in Tartansville, baby, capturing the spirit of Les, Woody, Derek, Eric, and Alan's original version in a new arrangement that is both inventive and respectful. Let's ALL keep on dancing on a Saturday night. Sunday nights, too!

(And I'm contractually forbidden to talk about this Bay City Rollers track without referencing its influence on the American Beatles, the greatest American rock 'n' roll band of all time, the Ramones: Blitzkrieg Saturday Night Bop. Let's hear it for a good ol' rock 'n' roll road show.)

SORROWS: Never Mind

Can't get enough of this one. Let's face it, I'm a man of constant Sorrows, and that makes me happy.

I was a relative latecomer to the beauty, the splendor, the wonder of Sorrows. I bought their preceding dba the Poppees' "Jealousy"/"She's Got It" 45 in 1979, but I didn't get to anything bearing the Sorrows brand name until many years after the fact. Rest assured, when I got there, I got there, and I regard the title tune from Sorrows' 1980 album Teenage Heartbreak as an all-time power pop classic.

"Never Mind" is the leadoff track on Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow, a lost album recorded in 1981 and released for the first time right razzafrazzin' now. And take it from this man of constant Sorrows: "Never Mind" is very nearly the equal of "Teenage Heartbreak." Never mind the heartbreak; we're old enough to embrace the sweetness.

(Sorrows will also have at least one NEW track--a cover--out in September. I would tell you more about it, but it's [REDACTED]. So for now: Never mind.)

THE PENROSE WEB: I Dreamt I Woke Up Dead

The music of the Penrose Web comes to us courtesy of a tip from every rock 'n' roller's best bud Bill Kelly, host of the irresistible Bill Kelly's Blackhole Bandstand on SiriusXM's Underground Garage channel. When Bill Kelly talks, people listen, especially if the people happen to be discerning and enthusiastic fans of pop with power. So WE listen--we're fans!--and the buzz of the group's recent EP It's...The Penrose Web is perfectly perfect for the mutant perfection our little radio shindig has in its imperfectly pointed little head. Great stuff--thanks, Bill!

Even beyond our chosen Penrose Web track's inherent zip 'n' zing, I confess I was instantly drawn to "I Dreamt I Woke Up Dead" on the basis of its title, which reminded me of a (fictional) song by the Incredible Hulk's former teen sidekick Rick Jones. After the Hulk went solo--as emerald behemoths will eventually do--Jones became a teen sidekick to Captain America, and later a post-teen sidekick to Marvel Comics' space-born superhero Captain Marvel. Our Rick was also a pop-star folk singer at this time, and in Captain Marvel # 20 (July 1970) we witnessed Mr. Jones on stage at a coffeehouse in Greenwich Village, singing a presumably peppy li'l tune that warned, "One of these mornings you may wake up dead."

 I'm convinced. Penrose Web, ASSEMBLE!

THE SHANG HI LOS: Monsieur Valentine

Granted, a February 16th broadcast was a little bit late to program a Valentine's Day track. In our defense, let me remind you that we're, y'know...guys.

That said, the Shang Hi Los' "Monsieur Valentine" offers a pumpin' pop gem, its candy-hearted devotion to '60s girl groups stapled with care upon its sleeve, revved up like a breedin'-on-Bowery bop between Debbie Harry and Johnny Thunders. Except in New England. Close enough! From the Shang Hi Los' 2023 album Aces Eights & Heartbreaks, and it's an enduring Valentine for all seasons.

Yeah, even guys can see that.

YOKO ONO: Kiss Kiss Kiss

The Greatest Record Ever Made!

THE RUBINOOS: Wouldn't It Be Nice

If I do another Greatest Record Ever Made! book--and I almost certainly will--I have a choice of two songs by the Rubinoos for which I've already written complete chapters. The obvious pick is the Rubinoos' signature tune "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend," the one track most Rubes enthusiasts would agree should have been the group's massive, monster, big-big-BIG hit record. You can read an early draft of that chapter here.

But if it's gotta be just one Rubinoos song getting a GREM! spotlight in the next book--using both feels redundant--I'm currently favoring my chapter about "Wouldn't It Be Nice." That was my first favorite Rubinoos track, and what I wrote about it seems to fulfill the book's needs better than the "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend" chapter would. 

Ain't no losers in this. 

SUPER 8 FEATURING LISA MYCHOLS: Pop Radio

This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio is a pop radio show. There's a new Super 8 Featuring Lisa Mychols track called "Pop Radio?" We're playin' it. And we're playing it again on Sunday. It's what a good pop radio show does.

sparkle*jets u.k.: Make Something Happen

We're working on it. These things don't just happen overnight.

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My new book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) is now available, and you can order an autographed copy here. You can still get my previous book Gabba Gabba Hey! A Conversation With The Ramones from publisher Rare Bird Books, OR an autographed copy here. If you like the books, please consider leaving a rating and/or review at the usual online resources.

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.