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 # 1357
BANDA AL9: That Thing You Do!
In 1964, I saw the Beatles' then-new movie A Hard Day's Night at The North Drive-In in Cicero, NY. I was four years old--a veteran pop music afficionado!--and it was an unforgettable experience. It stayed with me, and when I became an even bigger Beatles fan in the '70s, I began to realize that A Hard Day's Night was my all-time favorite film.
Thirty years ago this month, A Hard Day's Night was suddenly dethroned by That Thing You Do! From my book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1):
"...Well I have heard your record, Guy, and I like it. I like it a lot. 'That Thing You Do!' You know, it's...snappy!
"Actor Tom Hanks made his directorial debut with this light-hearted little romantic comedy about the Wonders (formerly the One-ders), an unknown Erie, PA rock 'n' roll group that manages to score a big hit single in 1964. These fictional one-hit Wonders are a quartet of archetypes--the talent, the fool, the smart one, and the bass player--but the film executes the difficult task of making them seem plausible, real. There's a scene when the members of the Wonders all hear their song 'That Thing You Do!' on the radio for the first time, and that scene precisely nails the giddy rush of rockin' pop music better than any other slip of celluloid I've ever seen. Yeah yeah yeah, even better than the entirety of A Hard Day's Night, which had been my all-time favorite film right up until that night at a movie theater in Cicero, NY in 1996, when my eyes and ears opened wide with glee at Hollywood's best-ever love letter to rock 'n' roll music.
"And none of it would have or could have worked without the perfect song.
"Adam Schlesinger provided that perfect song. Mike Viola of the Candy Butchers co-produced and sang lead; some say Viola also co-wrote the song, but declined to take a songwriting credit, while other say that is not so. It is indisputable that the combined talents of Schlesinger and Viola crafted a stunning confection that steers clear of the quagmire of pastiche or parody, and captures the essence of fab and gear radio-ready 1964...."
In celebration of the film's 30th anniversary, Brazil's phenomenal pop combo Banda AL9 have released a loving and (of course!) snappy rendition of its irresistible title tune. Teen sensations Banda AL9 to the stage! You look good in the black, boys. And you ARE the smart ones.
TONY MARSICO AND THE UGLY THINGZ: Bittersweet
Yes. Just...YES! If the question happens to be Does this track sound like a friggin' hit record?, "Bittersweet," the new single from Tony Marsico and the UglyThingz earns a big, big yes in my programing log. We PLAY the hits! This one comes to us courtesy of Jonathan Lea (of the Jigsaw Scene and TIRnRR Fave Raves Tall Poppy Syndrome), who serves here as a deputy Ugly Thing on guitar. Our Jonathan compared "Bittersweet" to the power pop greatness of the Plimsouls, and if that seems like a bold claim, I say you can see it's true even from a million miles away. "Bittersweet" returns to the Syracuse airwaves on our next show. Bitter? No. Sweet? YES!!!
THE FAR WEST: Bitter, Drunk And Cold
Sure, but enough about me.
THE SPONGETONES: Starting To Feel
A new single from the Spongetones gets an automatic nod for airplay on this show. "Starting To Feel" offers the lead vocal debut of 'Tones drummer Eric Wilhelm on a lovely, McCartneyesque beat ballad. In the near-dystopian world sprawled all around us, we could all do with an opportunity to sway while starting to feel.
(Speaking of that McCartney guy, we'll hear from him in just a few paragraphs.)
THE RAMONES: I Don't Care
As the B-side of "Sheena Is A Punk Rocker," "I Don't Care" was one of the first two Ramones songs I owned, a blind purchase in 1977. I'd read about the Ramones in Phonograph Record Magazine, heard "Blitzkrieg Bop" on college radio, and took the plunge in purchasing the "Sheena" 45 even though I hadn't heard it yet. The 45 had considerable impact on me, and many more Ramones purchases would follow.
"I don't care?" Plainly, I do care. The Ramones were the subject of my first book, featured directly in two chapters (and indirectly in a third) in my second book, and a significant presence in my third book Guitars Vs. Rayguns!! Short Stories And Other White Lies and its novelette-length digest A Band Called GUITARS VS. RAYGUNS! I saw the Ramones eight times, and I co-host a weekly radio show named after a line in a Ramones song. I'm proud to be partisan; indifference is for frauds and hipsters.
And I don't care about them.
RIHANNA: Shut Up And Drive
From a previous post:
Rihanna's "Shut Up And Drive" is a stupid song about sex. But it's a great stupid song about sex, probably the best-ever stupid song about sex, and a legit contender for my all-time Hot 200. Yeah, even among songs that may or may not be stupid and may or may not be about sex...
...Wikipedia describes "Shut Up And Drive" as a new wave song--no, really!--based on "Blue Monday" by New Order. No offense to the mopey British guys, but I prefer it the way Rihanna did it.
"Shut Up And Drive" strikes me as a sort-of equivalent to "Heavy Music" by Bob Seger and the Last Heard, a track I initially dismissed as a stupid song about sex before realizing it was--you guessed it!--a great stupid song about sex.
Rihanna's song is greater. Drive, baby. Drive.
PAUL McCARTNEY: Not Such A Bad Boy
The Greatest Record Ever Made!
LED ZEPPELIN: Good Times, Bad Times
Ya never know with us. WE never know with us.
THE FLASHCUBES FEATURING TOM KENNY: Got No Mind
You can't have a hit record if you only play it once. And you can't get word out if you only share information once. Repeated from last week's 10 Songs:
In memory of Flashcubes guitarist Paul Armstrong, the surviving 'Cubes are releasing a new single and planning an epic memorial live show. Let's review my recent hype on behalf of each event:
Our friends at Big Stir Records are now accepting preorders for "Got No Mind," the new 45 by the Flashcubes featuring Tom Kenny. Offered as a memorial tribute to Flashcubes guitarist Paul Armstrong (the song's author), the track has already been a TIRnRR fixture, and it will remain so for the foreseeable. And to sanctify the release of this 7" slab o' cantankerous wonder, the mighty Big Stir is also offering original copies of two previous Flashcubes 45s--1979's "Wait Til Next Week"/"Radio" and 2016's two-fer of Chris Spedding covers, "Boogie City"/"Hey Miss Betty"--both individually and in bundles with the new one. Visit The Flashcubes page at Big Stir for details.
On Saturday, November 7th, fans and participants representing the Syracuse power pop and new wave rock 'n' roll scene that the Flashcubes ignited in the late '70s will gather at Syracuse's original home of rock 'n' roll The Lost Horizon to pay loud and heartfelt tribute to the late, great Paul Armstrong.
In his brash capacity as a guitarist and general spark plug for the audacious energy of the Flashcubes, Paul Armstrong was a key figure in the history of Syracuse rock 'n' roll, and the impact he and his brother Flashcubes Gary Frenay, Arty Lenin, and Tommy Allen have had upon my life and work is damned near beyond measure. As we bid farewell to Paul Armstrong, you can be damned sure we're gonna put on a tribute show that would make PA proud.
And to do that, a bunch of performers who loved Paul and shared his passion for three chords and a cloud of dust will gather at the Lost for a full-volume celebration of his legacy. We'll have live sets by Amerikan Primitive, Perilous, 1.4.5. Survivors, the Johnny Thunders Orchestra, The Wax Museum host Ronnie Dark, PA's Boston buds Sal Baglio and Mike Gent, Syracuse's favorite son Tom Kenny, and the Flashcubes featuring Mark Doyle. Your emcees will be Dana and Carl, and we promise the sort of bright-lights bonanza that Paul Armstrong would have dug the most.
TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW! It's possible there will still be tickets available at the door...but given the response so far, I would not recommend waiting. This one's for Paul Armstrong. And it's gonna be as loud as he was. YOU should join us. Got no mind? WE don't mind!
COCKTAIL SLIPPERS: Back Where You Belong
And this is where we belong. Sing it, Cocktail Slippers! We'll meet you again back here on Sunday night.
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My new book of short stories Guitars Vs. Rayguns!! Short Stories And Other White Lies is out now, and you can get autographed copies of the new book, its six-chapter novelette digest A Band Called GUITARS VS. RAYGUNS!, and my previous book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) directly from me. You can still get my previous 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.
I compiled a various-artists tribute album called Make Something Happen! A Tribute To The Flashcubes, and it's pretty damned good; you can read about it here and order it here.
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. You can read about our history here
