Live at THE LOST HORIZON in Syracuse, November 7th: A MUSICAL TRIBUTE IN MEMORY OF PAUL ARMSTRONG of THE FLASHCUBES

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, Boston's DRIVIN' SISTERS (with SAL BAGLIO, MIKE GENT, and ANTHONY KACZYNSKI), 1.4.5. SURVIVORS, THE JOHNNY THUNDERS ORCHESTRA, THE WAX MUSEUM host RONNIE DARK, Syracuse's favorite son TOM KENNY, and THE FLASHCUBES WITH 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!

THE GREATEST RECORD EVER MADE! Tom Kenny & the Hi-Seas, "Welcome To The Working Class"

Drawn from previous posts, this is not part of my book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1).

An infinite number of tracks can each be THE greatest record ever made, as long as they take turns. Today, this is THE GREATEST RECORD EVER MADE!

TOM KENNY & THE HI-SEAS: Welcome To The Working Class
Written by Gary Frenay

Produced by Joe Napolitano, Dave “Mustang” Lang, and Tom Kenny

From the various-artists album Make Something Happen! A Tribute To The Flashcubes, Big Stir Records, 2025

Welcome! Now...let's get to work.

Tom Kenny is an international treasure, and he was born 'n' bred right here in my beloved Syracuse, NY. You may know him as the voice of SpongeBob Squarepants, Plastic Man, The Penguin, and a zillion others across a zillion animated credits. In live action, he was the evil Binky the Clown in his hometown buddy Bobcat Goldthwaite's 1991 film Shakes The Clown. To my daughter, he was the voice of both the Mayor and the narrator on The Powerpuff Girls. I tell that story here.

But as I like to point out and repeat: Before Tom Kenny was your SpongeBob Squarepants, he was our Tomcat, one of us, a participant in the same boppin' late '70s/early '80s local music scene that we loved so much, the scene that gave the world the Flashcubes, Maura Kennedy, Chris von Sneidern, the Penetrators, and many others. He found fame as a talented and celebrated voice actor; to us, he's so much more than that. He's a music fan from way back, and he channels that passion as a stupendous live performer. From local faves the Tearjerkers in the early '80s through the simply sublime Tom Kenny & the Hi-Seas today, international treasure Tom Kenny remains solid gold on stage and off.

So yes, of course we wanted Tom to record a track for our Flashcubes tribute album Make Something Happen! A Tribute To The Flashcubes. Credit 'Cubes bassist Gary Frenay for suggesting his song "Welcome To The Working Class" as the perfect Cubic choice for Tomcat and his superlative and uber-tight band o' Hi-Seas and company to tackle; a more perfect match of artist and material will not be found anywhere. Not even in Bikini Bottom, nor in Townsville, nor Gotham City itself.

I have heard that "Welcome To The Working" was the first recording the Hi-Seas completed since the November 2024 passing of their music director, the great Andy Paley. Beyond the blow of personal tragedy, having to overcome the loss of Paley's enormous talent was no doubt a daunting task. From this bittersweet transition, one hopes there will be many more new Tom Kenny & the Hi-Seas recordings yet to come. 

As card-carryin' members of the working class, there are reasons why we listen to pop music. Some of the reasons are simple and obvious: We want to dance, we want to sing along, and we want to experience that exuberant rush that a perfect pop tune can provide. For many of us, though, there is a deeper, stronger, and palpable connection between our inner selves and the music we love. The bond transcends genre and demographics, eludes categorization, and laughs mockingly at attempts to understand it in cerebral terms. It isn't a subject for study; it just is. We feel these songs as much as we hear them, and they move our souls as much as they move our feet. It ain't just the beat, nor just the lyrics, nor just the blissful (or agitated) union of all of these things. It's intangible, but it seems as solid and physical as a kiss, a slap, a teardrop, a sob, or a smile. It's as real as love and hate, as euphoria and misery, as triumph and heartbreak.  

And it's catchy, too.

Let's go back a bit for our hero's secret origin. In the '70s and early '80s, Tom was a kid from Central New York, a voracious music fan, a budding star that everyone liked, a guy everyone rooted for, and whose success today is a boundless source of pride and contentment for anyone who ever encountered him. Syracuse's favorite son? Yeah. Oh yeah. Without question. He worked for it. He earned it.

For an entertainer of such immense talent, it's frankly a bit disturbing how humble Tom Kenny is. He has always been a consummate (and riveting) showman. His great success as a voice actor may have obscured the fact for some, but folks in Syracuse have known for decades that Tom is a born front man. 

In 2022, Tom returned to Central New York to be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award by The Syracuse Area Music Awards, inducted into The SAMMYS Hall of Fame. His incredible party combo Tom Kenny and the Hi-Seas performed at the SAMMYS, and at a club show the next evening. Members of the Flashcubes also joined Tom for a couple of numbers on each night, and it was all just amazing. What a magic weekend. I am so, so glad I was able to witness it.

But you wanna know about my best enduring memory of that weekend? It was the sight of Tom Kenny's lifelong friend Bobcat Goldthwaite, sitting on the floor in front of the stage area, looking up at his pal Tom and just freakin' beaming. For hours. He seemed so happy to be there. 

That's friendship. That's the connection we can all have through music, art, camaraderie, and any other shared passion, from sports through food, through laughter and commiseration. 

Connection. We're all friends here. Bobcat's smile said it all.

There are reasons why we listen to pop music.  And there are reasons why we go to see and hear bands play live. The band we see in a bar can become something greater than just a band in a bar. Just as favorite pop songs can be an emotional tether to scattered moments we can't or won't relinquish, a favorite band can be a friend. And the members of that band can be your friends even if you never quite get around to saying hello to them, to buying the guitarist a beer, or sharing a smoke with the lead singer in the men's room at The Firebarn. It's a connection that might (or might not) seem alien to drunken punters shouting out requests for "Free Bird," but it's a connection Tom Kenny understands, a connection he sparks, and a connection he embodies.

Welcome to the working class. And when we clock out, Tom Kenny has just the song your wage-slave soul needs for catharsis. A Flashcube wrote it. A Tomcat sings it. We all appreciate it. And we all feel welcome.

So here's to an international treasure. Welcome indeed. Best day EVER.

If you like what you see here on Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do), please consider a visit to CC's Tip Jar. You can also become a Boppin' booster on my Patreon page.

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. 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. You can read about our history here.

This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio # 1334

Some people are sent to this world for the express purpose of being loud. Gloriously, life-affirmingly loud.

Paul Armstrong was a guitarist--a really loud guitarist--and he was probably the single most rock 'n' roll person I ever knew. PA was born in the '50s, right around the time when King Elvis the First declared dominion over Heartbreak Hotel, and Chuck Berry ordered Beethoven to roll over and tell Tchaikovsky the news. The flying saucer that carried baby PA to this planet brought him to England, and that green and pleasant land would soon create its own raucous noise, playing an integral part in PA's high-volume personal soundtrack throughout the days and nights of his emphatically loud life.

Armstrong's family emigrated to Syracuse, NY at the dawn of a New Frontier, a torch passed to a new generation. When the Beatles led a British Invasion to reclaim the wayward colonies, young PA thought the Fab Four were okay, but he preferred the Dave Clark Five, the Rolling Stones, the Kinks, the Who, the Small Faces, the Move. They were louder. As the '60s became the '70s, PA picked up a guitar, added the likes of Mott the Hoople, Slade, and eventually the Sex Pistols and Eddie and the Hot Rods to his palette of UK influences, plugged in, and turned the volume up to magnetic North. Paul Armstrong's amp went to 11 before anyone heard of an amp going up to 11.

Paul was in bands: Amanda Jones, which also included a guitarist named Steve Miller (not the famous one, and soon to choose the nom de bop Arty Lenin), and an early version of Rochester, NY's phenomenal pop combo New Math. PA worked at a great record shop called Gerber Music--kid in a candy store!--and so did Arty, a new friend named Gary Frenay, and a pop-infatuated kid named Tommy Allen. In 1977, guitarists Paul Armstrong and Arty Lenin, bassist Gary Frenay, and drummer Tommy Allen became the Flashcubes.

And man, these guys were loud!

The Flashcubes began as a pop band disguised as a punk band, or maybe a punk band disguised as a pop band. Power pop. But the punk aspect was not mere artifice; Flashcubes live sets routinely included music from the Sex Pistols' songbook alongside (you guessed it!) loud covers of the Beatles and the Raspberries. Gary was already a prolific songwriter, and Arty was also writing, so PA rolled over his own Beethoven to create songs like "I Need Glue," "Damaged Beyond Repair," "Student Rape," "Do The Jumping Jack," and "Got No Mind," the latter deeply and triumphantly influenced by another loud pop band, the Ramones.

I tell ya, while I was always captivated by the cumulative punch, buzz, hooks, and sheer, chaotic melody of a Flashcubes live show, this band could clear a room of nonbelievers in seconds flat. I remember bringing a friend to see the 'Cubes in '78, and she was horrified. Horrified. She thought we were playing a joke on her, and we had to take her home immediately. The same thing also happened again with a different friend. Even into the '90s, when the Flashcubes played on a bill at a gig attended by scores of local dignitaries, all of the suits and fancier folks fled in pained terror, and I think they were outta there by the time the Flashcubes finished their second song. Then, the room belonged solely to us. To the faithful.

The loud, giddy faithful.

As we bid farewell to the rock 'n' roll soul that was Paul Armstrong, maybe it's wrong to focus so much on his predilection for volume. Paul Armstrong was more than just loud; he was rock 'n' roll, and he was spirited, enthusiastic, creative, energized, ambitious, forward-looking. He was also private, and he insisted on keeping his failing health a secret to fans. He had always seemed so tireless, at least until illness sapped his strength and somehow made him...damn it, mortal. He was always nice to me, starting when I was a teenager seeing the Flashcubes in the '70s, and in 1980 when I booked his first post-'Cubes band the Most to play in my college town of Brockport. This dynamic continued into this newfangled 21st century: 

     As we executed his idea of getting Syracuse bands from the '70s and '80s to regroup for 2014 and 2016 live shows we billed as Bright Lights!. 

     As 1.4.5. and Perilous agreed to perform at a release party for my Ramones book in 2023, and PA let me join in to sing lead on "Rockaway Beach." 

     As we coordinated a Flashcubes tribute album in 2025.

     And as he and Gary contacted me to ask if I'd be interested in writing a book about the Flashcubes. That book remains a work in progress, and I very much regret PA didn't live to see it published. In life, PA carried his inimitable spark from the Flashcubes to the Most to 1.4.5. to the Richards, and back to 1.4.5. and the Flashcubes as well. He was one of the most important figures in the history of Syracuse rock, and I hope someday his contributions will be properly recognized everywhere.

And it may conflict with the image of PA as a loud and cantankerous punk, but PA was kind, even sweet in his own way. Paul Armstrong's rock 'n' roll heart was big: Big in Japan, big in Syracuse, big in Boston, big throughout the fabric of music and life. Paul Armstrong was one of a kind, in all the best ways possible.

(And I join the loud chorus of so many others, repeating the all-too-familiar refrain: Fuck cancer.)

This week, we offer an Irish wake for a Syracuse punk, a celebration of a man whose work with Gary, Arty, and Tommy meant as much to me as the works of your John, Paul, George, and Ringo, and your Joey, Johnny, Dee Dee, and Tommy. Here's to the guy who brought the noise to Syracuse, a grateful thank-you to the impact Paul Armstrong has had upon my life. As we fade, lights remain bright. PA, I would wish for you to rest in peace...but who are we kidding? By now, you and your best bud Ducky Carlisle have probably lined up celestial gigs with the Ramones, with Lemmy, with David Johansen and Johnny Thunders. Let's see if you can clear a room in Heaven like the Flashcubes could clear a room on Earth.

Godspeed, Paul Armstrong. This is what rock 'n' roll radio sounded like on another Sunday night in Syracuse this week.

Play it loud.

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 all about this show's long and weird history here: Boppin' The Whole Friggin' Planet (The History Of THIS IS ROCK 'N' ROLL RADIO). You can follow Carl's daily blog at Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do).

TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATIONS are always welcome.

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

The many fine This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio compilation albums are still available, each full of that rockin' pop sound you crave. A portion of all sales benefit our perpetually cash-strapped community radio project:

Volume 1: download
Volume 2: CD or download
Volume 3: download
Volume 4: CD or download
Waterloo Sunset--Benefit For This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio:  CD or download

Volume 5: CD or download

TIRnRR # 1334: 4/26/2026: PAUL ARMSTRONG! An Irish Wake For A Syracuse Punk

TIRnRR FRESH SPINS! Tracks we think we ain’t played before are listed in bold

THE FLASHCUBES WITH MIKE GENT: Reminisce (Big Stir, single)

THE SATELLITERS: You Byrn Me Up And Down (Dionysus, Hashish)

THE RAMONES: Rockaway Beach (Rhino, Rocket To Russia)

THE CONQUERORS: Turned Me To Stone (High Dive, Wylde Time)

BALLZY TOMORROW: Five Personalities (Big Stir, VA: Make Something Happen! A Tribute To The Flashcubes)

THE SEARCHERS: No Dancing (Omnivore, Another Night: The Sire Recordings 1979-1981)

--

1.4.5.: Are You Ready? (Northside, 3 Chords & A Cloud Of Dust)

SHOES: She Satisfies (Real Gone Music, 35 Years: The Definitive Shoes Collection 1977-2012)

SORROWS: Radio [alternate mix] (unreleased)

VICKI PETERSON AND JOHN COWSILL: Sound On Sound (Label 51, Long After The Fire)

THE ROMANTICS: Bop (Nemperor, Strictly Personal)

THE RUBINOOS: Sugar Sugar (Yep Roc, The CBS Tapes)

--

GRAHAM PARKER AND MIKE GENT: Pathetic (Big Stir, VA: Make Something Happen! A Tribute To The Flashcubes)

ANY TROUBLE: Playing Bogart (Stiff, Where Are All The Nice Girls?)

THE FLASHCUBES: Face In The Crowd (Northside, Flashcubes On Fire)

THE BEVIS FROND: That's Your Lot (Fire, Horrorful Heights)

MOTT THE HOOPLE: Honaloochie Boogie (Columbia, The Ballad Of Mott: A Retrospective)

DEBBIE DUVEEN AND THE MILLBANKS: Could Be Anyone (Woronzow, Neon Classic)

--

THE RICHARDS: Over There (Northside, Over The Top)

FAST CARS: You're So Funny (Cherry Red, VA: Harmony In My Head: UK Power Pop & New Wave 1977-81)

IGGY AND THE STOOGES: I Got A Right (Virgin, IGGY POP: A Million In Prizes: The Anthology)

THE OUTLETS: Knock Me Down (Rhino, VA: DIY: Mass Ave: The Boston Scene 1975-83)

ROB MOSS AND SKIN-TIGHT SKIN: Bad Dream (Big Stir, VA: Make Something Happen! A Tribute To The Flashcubes)

TUFF DARTS: All For The Love Of Rock 'n' Roll (Rhino, VA: DIY: Blank Generation: The New York Scene 1975-78)

--

THE VERBS: I Need Glue (Big Stir, single)

THE NEW YORK DOLLS: Trash (Mercury, Rock 'N Roll)

THE HEARTBREAKERS: Chinese Rocks (Jungle, L.A.M.F.)

NEW ORDER: Bizarre Love Triangle [7" remix edit] (Warner Music Group, Singles)

1.4.5: She Couldn't Say No (Northside, 3 Chords & A Cloud Of Dust)

JOY DIVISION: Love Will Tear Us Apart (Rhino, The Best Of Joy Division)

--

THE FLASHCUBES: Sold Your Heart (Northside, Flashcubes On Fire)

THE SHANGRI-LAS: Shout (Red Bird, Leader Of The Pack)

THE RICHARDS: Blue Eyes (Northside, Over The Top)

THE VELVET UNDERGROUND: I Can't Stand It (Polydor, Peel Slowly And See)

THE GEORGIA SATELLITES: Battleship Chains (Elektra, Let It Rock: Best Of The Georgia Satellites)

THE YARDBIRDS: He's Always There (Repertoire, Over Under Sideways Down/Roger The Engineer)

--

The Greatest Record Ever Made!

1.4.5.: Your Own World (Kool Kat Musik, VA: This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 4)

THE JAM: All Around The World (Polydor, Direction Reaction Creation)

THE FLASHCUBES: She's Leaving (Northside, Bright Lights)

PAUL COLLINS BEAT: All Over The World (Wounded Bird, To Beat Or Not To Beat/Long Time Gone)

THE SEX PISTOLS: No Feelings (Virgin, Kiss This)

THE GO-GO'S: Can't Stop The World (IRS, Beauty And The Beat)

--

THE MOST: I'm Not The Liar (unreleased)

THE MnM'S: I'm Tired (Burger, Melts In Your Ears 1980-81)

THE PEPPERMINT KICKS: Muscle Beach (Big Stir, VA: Make Something Happen! A Tribute To The Flashcubes)

THE MUFFS: Rock And Roll Girl (Sympathy For The Record Industry, Hamburger)

THE RICHARDS: My Way Or The Highway (Northside, Over The Top)

THE BUZZCOCKS: I Don't Mind (IRS, Singles Going Steady)

THE MOST: Take A Chance (Northside, single)

THE CRYAN SHAMES: If I Needed Someone (MOJO, VA: Beatlemania Vol. 1)

--

THE RICHARDS: Five Personalities (Kool Kat Musik, VA: This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 3)

MOON MARTIN: Five Days Of Fever (Capitol, Street Fever)

1.4.5: Let's Groove (Northside, 3 Chords & A Cloud Of Dust)

ACE FREHLEY: New York Groove (Mercury, KISS: Ace Frehley)

THE MOST: Do The Jumping Jack (Northside, single)

SWEET: Blockbuster (Capitol, The Best Of Sweet)

THE FLASHCUBES: Got No Mind (Northside, Flashcubes On Fire)

THE BEATLES: Revolution [promo video version] 

--

THE FLASHCUBES WITH TONY CARBONE: Reminisce [live] (unreleased)

THE FLASHCUBES WITH MIKE GENT: Reminisce

This is a bit of enthusiastic hype I wrote on behalf of my favorite new track of 2025, "Reminisce" by the Flashcubes. "Reminisce" was the first track and first advance digital single from my passion project Make Something Happen! A Tribute To The Flashcubes. Hey! There's a video for it, too! 

"Reminisce" also earned a berth on my all-time Hot 125, so it's safe to say I kinda dig it.

The Ramones remembered rock 'n' roll radio. KISS vowed to rock and roll all night. The Bay City Rollers promised a rock 'n' roll love letter. Power Pop Hall of Famers THE FLASHCUBES were there, and they saw it all. And now? They wanna reminisce.

From the bright lights/small city of Syracuse, NY, THE FLASHCUBES burst onto the music scene in 1977, influenced equally by '70s punk and '60s British Invasion, pure rock 'n' roll and the shared crucible of AM Top 40 radio when AM Top 40 radio friggin' ruled. THE FLASHCUBES burned a hole through the roof of every dingy or glitzy club they ever played. They shared the stage with everyone from the Ramones and the Runaways to the Romantics, the Jam, and Eddie and the Hot Rods. They wrote original songs (including their much-anthologized 1978 single "Christi Girl") that lived up to the flash of their inspirations, and that incandescent flash led to the 2025 various-artists compilation album Make Something Happen! A Tribute To The Flashcubes, gathering classic Flashcubes tunes as covered by the likes of Graham Parker with Mike Gent, the Verbs (featuring Megan Voss and Steve Jordan) Sorrows, Tom Kenny and the Hi-Seas, the Spongetones, the Peppermint Kicks, the Kennedys, and other stalwarts of indie rockin' pop. The Flashcubes of 2025 are the same four guys as the 1977 model: Force-of-nature drummer/producer TOMMY ALLEN, guitarist/provocateur PAUL ARMSTRONG, bassist/pure pop visionary GARY FRENAY, and guitarist/freewheelin' dreamer ARTY LENIN. The Flashcubes, bless 'em, recorded three new songs for their own tribute album, because who in their right mind would even try to stop them?

"Reminisce" was written by Flashcubes guitarist Paul Armstrong, and recorded by the 'Cubes with special guest Mike Gent of the Figgs. The rock rolls like it's still 1977 at CBGB's or Max's Kansas City, and the lyrics look back in wonder at the heady buzz of the Flashcubes' blinding brilliance under the bright lights in the late '70s. The music struts and commands like a Flashcubes song oughta, and the chorus is just magnificent, jaw-dropping, a compelling incitement to raise the ol' fist and be there like you wuz there. And if you were there, "Reminisce" reminds you what it was like. Hey-ho. Let's GO. It's reminiscing time. Come on, let's rock 'n' roll with THE FLASHCUBES!

If you like what you see here on Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do), please consider a visit to CC's Tip Jar. You can also become a Boppin' booster on my Patreon page.

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. 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. You can read about our history here.

THE GREATEST RECORD EVER MADE! The Ohms, "License To Kill"

Drawn from previous posts, this is not part of my book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1).

An infinite number of tracks can each be THE greatest record ever made, as long as they take turns. Today, this is THE GREATEST RECORD EVER MADE!

THE OHMS: License To Kill

Written by Zenny Caucasian [Josh Jeffe]

Produced by Ducky Carlisle

Unreleased, recorded circa 1979-980

There are two separate caches of pop music circa late '70s and early '80s that top my list of lost classics of the era. One is the cavalcade of shoulda-been-hits by Fools Face, a Springfield, Missouri combo whose second album Tell America was one of my favorite LPs of the '80s, but whose fabulous treasure trove of ace material remains obscure and difficult to get; none of it has ever been reissued, and my copies of their second and third albums are the only copies I've ever even seen. It's a fabulous catalog worthy of wider acclaim, but few will ever have the opportunity to hear it.

The Ohms are perhaps even more obscure than Fools Face. The group played the same late '70s Syracuse club scene that produced my favorite power pop group the Flashcubes. Both the 'Cubes and the Ohms broke up well before receiving their proper due, leaving only a handful of singles behind (two Flashcubes 45s, and just one lone Ohms platter, "Chain Letter"/"Teenage Alcoholic"). But the Flashcubes' legacy lingered, their demos were eventually released, and they regrouped to record more stellar material. The Ohms were forgotten outside of the 315 area code.

They deserved better. A rockin' pop power trio--guitarist and singin' songwriter Zenny Caucasian, bassist Rick Suburban, and drummer Ducky Carlisle--I think the Ohms first split right around the time that "Chain Letter" was released in 1979. As the single drew positive notice in Trouser Press magazine, Zenny and Ducky re-Ohmed, with new bassist Keith Korvair. They cut some terrific, terrific home recordings before powering down for good. None of these has ever seen legitimate release. Lost classics, for sure.

The Ohms were a great, GREAT group. I curse the cruel timing that only allowed me to witness 'em in person once, during the brief 1979-80 period when they were also playing with singer Dian Zain and once and future Flashcubes guitarist Paul Armstrong as an interim lineup of Dian and Paul's group the Most; the Ohms opened the show, and then closed the show with Dian and PA as the Most. But I know that relatively few folks even had a chance to see them at all, nor even hear them at all. I wish we'd all seen the Ohms multiple times over a span of years, of decades...but that ain't what happened. Like Del Paxton told us: You can't keep a band together. The Ohms were no exception. 

That 1979 single "Teenage Alcoholic"/"Chain Letter" remains the only Ohms music to ever see release, and those two tracks have been out of print since the Carter Administration. They recorded more fantastic stuff--"Hollywood Baby," "Boppin' At The USO," "High-Top Sneakers," "You're So Surreal," and my favorite, "License To Kill"--but none of it has ever seen legit release. This looks like a job for Kool Kat Musik, Big Stir, Propeller, Futureman, Jem Records, Think Like A Key Music...somebody!

Don't know the Ohms? Suffice it to say that this trio was one of the best rock 'n' roll acts the talent-rich Central New York area ever produced, a group with terrific live energy--OHM is WHO spelled upside down, don'tcha know--and great original songs. As utterly fantastic as the two officially-released tracks are--and there's good reason why Trouser Press raved about "Teenage Alcoholic" and "Chain Letter"--my favorite will always be the unreleased classic "License To Kill." Or maybe "Boppin' At The USO." Or "You're So Surreal," or...you get the picture.

But no: "License To Kill." A version of James Bond that doesn't insist one must wear earmuffs to listen to the Beatles, a secret agent livin' and letting die in the nightclubs and dives where rock 'n' roll thrives, a 007 who steals a foreign car and turns the radio UP, so all in Her Majesty's service can hear it. Gotta keep movin', you can't sit still. License to kill? License to thrill. For your ears only. Care to dance, Miss Moneypenny? We have a license that says we can.

(Flashcubes bassist Gary Frenay reminds us that we can hear the song on YouTube: The Ohms, "License To Kill)

If you like what you see here on Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do), please consider a visit to CC's Tip Jar. You can also become a Boppin' booster on my Patreon page.

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. 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. You can read about our history here.

The Half/Cubes: FOUND PEARLS

"Tomorrow...?" No, TODAY!!

The Half/Cubes' superb new album Found Pearls is released today by the good folks at Jem Records. This Sunday, October 19th, two lucky This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio listeners will win their very own Found Pearls CD.

What is Found Pearls? Glad you asked!

THE HALF/CUBES: Found Pearls

The world of rockin' pop music has no use for half measures. The giddy thrill of pure pop survives and thrives on passion AND craft, power AND precision, a longing for pristine love AND an eye on the earthy prize. Rock AND roll. Missing either half misses the freakin' point.

The Half/Cubes know the whole story. Half/Cubes Gary Frenay and Tommy Allen have seen it all from all sides, as fans and performers, as kids listening to records and radio and as one-half of Power Pop Hall of Famers the Flashcubes, sharing stages with legends and building an immediate and lasting legend of their own. The Half/Cubes' impeccable taste in the finest pop songs brings us the full-on treat of their brand-new album Found Pearls.

As the much-anticipated follow-up to their acclaimed 2024 album Pop Treasures (which was itself a continuation of the Flashcubes' 2023 triumph Pop Masters), Found Pearls once again finds our beloved Half/Cubes diving into the depths of their mighty record collections and emerging with fresh renditions of some pop classics you probably know (like the Romantics' "When I Look In Your Eyes," the Rembrandts' "That's Just The Way It Is, Baby," Marshall Crenshaw's "Whenever You're On My Mind" and "Something's Gonna Happen"), some deeper cuts you should know (Crabby Appleton's "Go Back," Artful Dodger's "Think Think," Brian Wilson's "It's Like Heaven," previously recorded by the disparate likes of American Spring and Shaun Cassidy), and some buried bounty you'll rightly wish you'd encountered earlier (Starclub's "Hard To Get," Canadian pop star Pagliaro's "Some Sing Some Dance"). The Half/Cubes lead us to rediscoveries of so many irresistibles by the Hollies, XTC, the Cars' Elliot Easton, Stereophonics, Mark Hudson of the Hudson Brothers, Jules Shear, Simon Townshend, Dirty Looks, Tim Wheeler, and Jon Brion. It all shines with the Cubic brilliance one expects from the Half/Cubes.

Not content to merely add oomph to old favorites, the Half/Cubes have also enlisted a number of super-friends to help them save the day. Robert Crenshaw and Tom Teeley pitch in on "Whenever You're On My Mind," Pilot's David Paton assists the Half/Cubes in their exquisite revamp of his former group's "Just A Smile," Phil Solem fills the Rembrandts quorum on "That's Just The Way It Is, Baby," Artful Dodger's Gary Herrewig and Steve Cooper assist in rethinking "Think Think," and Mark Hudson lends his patented razzle-dazzle to "I Don't Wanna Know" (originally recorded by Mark's friend John Lennon's son Julian Lennon) and to his own "Be Mine Tonight." Yeah, the Half/Cubes clearly do know the whole story.

And that ain't the half of it. Case in point: The album's first single enlists 1960s British Invasion superstar Peter Noone, not to remake one of his cuddly Herman's Hermits hits but to revive "I'll Be Taking Her Out Tonight," which our Peter originally recorded with his incredible early '80s new wave combo the Tremblers. For those of us who have waited DECADES for Peter Noone to pay a return visit to the Tremblers songbook, this is a big, big deal. And the kicker? The Half/Cubes featuring Peter Noon version of "I'll Be Taking Her Out Tonight" is even better than the Tremblers. Impossible...but true!

In fact, many of the pearls to be found on Found Pearls somehow surpass the seemingly nonpareil originals. That's what happens when the Half/Cubes apply their taste AND talent, their creative vision AND fannish enthusiasm. Their pearls and their ability to find them...and shine them. Curious to hear more? The Half/Cubes have done the work, and they'll meet you halfway to all the way. Found Pearls await. The rest is up to you.

THE HALF/CUBES: Found Pearls

1 Whenever You’re On My Mind (Marshall Crenshaw)

Featuring Robert Crenshaw and Tom Teeley
2 I’ll Be Taking Her Out Tonight (The Tremblers)
Featuring Peter Noone
3 The Disappointed (XTC)
4 Shayla (Elliot Easton)
5 I Don’t Wanna Know (Julian Lennon)
Featuring Mark Hudson
6 Go Back (Crabby Appleton)
7 Be Mine Tonight (Mark Hudson)
Featuring Mark Hudson
8 Have A Nice Day (Stereophonics)
9 Feels Like Summer (Tim Wheeler)
10 You’re Not Around (Jules Shear)
11 Just The Way It Is, Baby (The Rembrandts)
Featuring Phil Solem
12 Think, Think (Artful Dodger)
Featuring Gary Herrewig, Steve Cooper 
13 When I Look In Your Eyes (The Romantics)
14 Something’s Gonna Happen (Marshall Crenshaw)
15 Don’t Make Me Fall In Love With You (Jon Brion)
16 Just A Smile (Pilot)
Featuring David Paton
17 Hard To Get (The Star Club)
18 Meet You (Simon Townshend)
19 Lie To Me (Dirty Looks)
20 Slow Down (The Hollies)
21 Some Sing Some Dance (Michel Pagliaro)
22 It’s Like Heaven (Shaun Cassidy)

If you like what you see here on Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do), please consider a visit to CC's Tip Jar. You can also become a Boppin' booster on my Patreon page.

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. 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. You can read about our history here.

Release Day! MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN! A TRIBUTE TO THE FLASHCUBES

                             

After more than a year of prep and behind-the-scenes work, today is the official street date for Make Something Happen! A Tribute To The Flashcubes. This labor of love gathers 21 great acts to cover 21 great songs written by members of Syracuse's own power pop powerhouse the Flashcubes. We bolster the tribute tracks with three brand-new studio originals recorded by the 'Cubes themselves, with all of these assorted bright lights shining together as one.

The great Michael McCartney, host of the venerable radio show The Time Machine on Mana'o Radio KMNO-FM in Maui, was nice enough to devote nearly an hour of airtime  Make Something Happen! this past Saturday. For a limited time, you can still hear Michael chat with me about the project, our comments nestled all comfy 'n' cool amidst a number of tracks from Make Something Happen! Michael pulled a double on-air shift on Saturday, so the Cubic portion of this show is archived under the name The Past, The Present And The Forgotten. For the next week or so, you can access the September 6th edition of The Past, The Present And The Forgotten via Mana'o Radio's Listen On Demand option; just specify the show (The Past, The Present And The Future) and the date (September 6th). My portion of the show stretches from the 34:29 mark (commencing with the Kennedys' cover of the Flashcubes' "Walking Through The Park") through the 1:31:21 mark (the conclusion of a spin of my favorite Turtles track, played in memory of Mark Volman). Can't thank Michael enough for the attention and indulgence. Michael! You da MAN!

Now: MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN! You can read my liner notes and acknowledgments here, you can view extensive track-by-track supplemental liner notes here, and you can buy your very own copy of Make Something Happen! A Tribute To The Flashcubes directly from our friends at Big Stir Records, via Bandcamp, from our other friends at Kool Kat Musik, and from a variety of resources accessible right here.

I am still exhausted in the aftermath of putting this record together. SO worth it. I could not be prouder of the result. Now it's your turn to grab and enjoy. Operators are standing by. 

You know what to make of it.

MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN!
A TRIBUTE TO THE FLASHCUBES
CD/Digital, September 12, 2025
Big Stir Records BSR-0146

1. THE FLASHCUBES: Reminisce
2. sparkle*jets u.k.: Make Something Happen
3. LIBRARIANS WITH HICKEYS: Gone Too Far
4. CHRIS VON SNEIDERN: No Promise
5. GRAHAM PARKER AND MIKE GENT: Pathetic
6. JOE GIDDINGS: You're Not Grounded
7. BALLZY TOMORROW: Five Personalities
8. THE FLASHCUBES: The Sweet Spot
9. THE KENNEDYS: Walking Through The Park
10. MEEGAN VOSS AND STEVE JORDAN/THE VERBS: I Need Glue
11. DOLPH CHANEY: Girl From Germany
12. POP CO-OP: Wait Til Next Week
13. THE PEPPERMINT KICKS: Muscle Beach
14. TOM KENNY & THE HI-SEAS: Welcome To The Working Class
15. THE CHOOSERS: Christi Girl
16. HAMELL ON TRIAL: Got No Mind
17. THE ARMOIRES: You're Not The Police
18. THE FLASHCUBES: If These Hands
19. ROB MOSS AND SKIN-TIGHT SKIN: Bad Dream
20. THE MAYFLOWERS: Born To Cry
21. SUPER 8 FEATURING LISA MYCHOLS: When We Close Our Eyes
22. CALLAN FOSTER: It's You Tonight
23. SORROWS: Radio
24. THE SPONGETONES: Nothing Really Matters When You're Young

ALL SONGS WRITTEN OR CO-WRITTEN BY THE FLASHCUBES.

Compiled and produced by CARL CAFARELLI
Executive Producers: REX BROOME, CHRISTINA BULBENKO and MICHAEL SIMMONS
Mastered by MICHAEL SIMMONS
Package Design by MARGIE FINER
Cover Illustration by KAME (Japan)
Liner Notes by CARL CAFARELLI

This is a SYRACUSE NOISE production, in association with THIS IS ROCK 'N' ROLL RADIO WITH DANA & CARL

If you like what you see here on Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do), please consider a visit to CC's Tip Jar. You can also become a Boppin' booster on my Patreon page.

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. 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. You can read about our history here.