10 SONGS: 9/22/2022

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 # 1147.

THE FLASHCUBES FEATURING THE PALEY BROTHERS: Come Out And Play

Aw, MAN! Given my ongoing status as the Flashcubes' most insistent fan, it's no surprise how much I adore this series of new digital Flashcubes singles from our friends at Big Stir Records. Each one has been nothing short of fantastic, and it's been a righteous kick to hear the 'Cubes join forces with the Spongetones, Shoes, Mimi Betinis, David Paton, Steve Conte, and now, the Paley Brothers. Add in the lads' solo cover of the Dwight Twilley Band's "Alone In My Room" (and the vintage 1979 live take on their own "Christi Girl"), and you've got the building blocks for a modern power pop classic that salutes classic power pop.

"Come Out And Play" may be the best one yet, and that's sayin' a fab bit. CUBICMANIA! As a li'l bonus point, Come Out And Play was also the title of an early '90s Rhino Records power pop compilation that included both the Paley Brothers' original "Come Out And Play" AND the Flashcubes' original "Christi Girl," presenting the Flashcubes' first-ever appearance on CD. It wasn't the last. And here's hopin' all of the 'Cubes' Big Stir singles get collected on their own CD eventually. Come out and PLAY!

THE CLICK BEETLES: With Tears

It's OUT! The Click Beetles' new album Emerald Green is available right this very minute, and you should oughtta get yourself a copy. We've been playing its leadoff track "Modern Girl," and we figured it was time to spread the TIRnRR love to another ace Emerald Green gem. Hey, howzabout a spin of "With Tears?" Yeah...SCORE!! That's how ya build a rockin' pop radio playlist. And we'll hear another track from Emerald Green on next week's show.

ELTON JOHN: Saturday Night's Alright (For Fightin')

The Greatest Record Ever Made!

LIBRARIANS WITH HICKEYS: Ghost Singer

Whaddaya get when you combine Shirley Jones' character Marian from The Music Man with Bela Lugosi's title character in Dracula? LIBRARIANS WITH HICKEYS! Ha! HA! I slay me....

In less goofy terms, it's time for the rockin' pop world to celebrate the forthcoming release of Handclaps & Tambourines, the second album from Akron's phenomenal pop combo Librarians With Hickeys. "I Can't Stop Thinking About You" was already a TIRnRR Pick Hit as a single, and new single "Ghost Singer" continues the group's parade of eager, neck-barin' winners. It's the Dewey Decimal System with teeth. And guitars! 

THE DONNAS: Take Me To The Back Seat

Ah, the back seat: a hickey's happiest place on Earth! The Donnas tell the tale of the back seat as well as anyone could. This could have been a perfect track for the Pandoras. It's already perfect in the hands of the Donnas. 

KID GULLIVER: Forget About Him

From This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 5!

PERILOUS: Rock & Roll Kiss

From This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 5!

THE RAMONES: Blitzkrieg Bop

ALSO The Greatest Record Ever Made!

THE MYNAH BIRDS: It's My Time

Even though I know it's just a minor footnote in the sprawling history of the rock and the roll, I remain knocked out by the fact that a then-unknown Rick James was in a '60s group with the likewise then-unknown Neil Young. The Mynah Birds were on the verge of releasing their first Motown single in 1966 when James was arrested as a deserter from the Navy, and the group's story effectively ended there. 

Maybe the Mynah Birds wouldn't have eclipsed the real-world accomplishments of Rick James as a solo artist, nor Young's subsequent acclaim with Buffalo Springfield, alongside your Crosby, your Stills, and your Nash, and as a curmudgeonly individual cuss. But they coulda been something. The few Mynah Birds tracks that Motown has allowed to slip outta the vault have been fascinating. If there's still more we ain't heard yet, well...I wanna hear it! It's OUR time!

HOOVER AND MARTINEZ: What The Heart Wants

Like the Kid Gulliver and Perilous tracks heard earlier in the show, Hoover and Martinez's "What The Heart Wants" is included on our brand-new compilation CD This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 5. The CD is due out on October 6th, and available to order RIGHT NOW! I see no reason for subtlety or restraint in this matter: GO BUY OUR CD! Now. The Joy Of Radio doesn't pay for itself, man.

If you like what you see here on Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do), please consider supporting this blog by becoming a patron on Patreon, or by visiting CC's Tip Jar. Additional products and projects are listed 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, and on the web at http://sparksyracuse.org/ You can read about our history here.

I'm on Twitter @CafarelliCarl

10 SONGS: 8/11/2022

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 # 1141.

THE LEGAL MATTERS: What Is Life

1970 kinda sucked for me. As explained a little bit here, 1970 was the year that 10-year-old me was plucked from elementary school in North Syracuse at the end of fourth grade, separated from my peers as they prepared to enter fifth grade in the same old building that September, while I was catapulted to sixth grade at the middle school in Mattydale. Hijinks ensued. Happiness did not. Accepting the offer to skip fifth grade may have been the biggest mistake I ever made.

The transition occurred (not coincidentally) at a time when I began to listen to radio with greater focus, more specific intent. AM Top 40. My social and educational miasma notwithstanding, AM Top 40 had a lot to offer in 1970. Rock, pop, and soul music in general had a lot to offer in 1970. 

A new tribute album called We All Shine On: Celebrating The Music Of 1970 recognizes the brilliance of 1970's offerings. A joint project of SpyderPop Records and Big Stir Records, We All Shine On is curated by respected pop scholar John M. Borack, and John's know-how drives an impeccable set of familiar 1970 numbers performed by some of 2022's best. We played the Test Pressings' We All Shine On cover of Edison Lighthouse's "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)" last week, and we opened this week's show with the Legal Matters' exuberant and accomplished version of George Harrison's existential power pop classic "What Is Life." 1970! The music was the best thing about that year. The music endures.

NOLAN PORTER: Work It Out In The Morning

Why wasn't underrated '70s soul singer Nolan Porter a friggin' superstar? Why didn't he at least have a hit record? Arghh. This mundane real world leaves much to be desired. "Work It Out In The Morning," like other Nolan Porter potables we've played on previous shows, deserved jackhammer rotation on AM Top 40 circa '72, leading to a permanent status as a cherished Golden Oldie. Didn't happen. Shoulda.

NICHELLE NICHOLS: Why Don't You Do Right?

The '70s was when I became a fan of Star Trek, well after the fact. I was aware of the show during its original 1966-68 network run, and saw at least parts of an episode or three at that time, though I doubt I saw any episodes in their entirety until a much later date. Regular weekday syndicated reruns Stardate: Me Decade were my vehicle to seek out new life, new civilizations, and to boldly go where more than a few had gone before. Phasers on STUN!

The passing this week of actress Nichelle Nichols--immortal for her role as Lt. Uhura aboard the starship Enterprise--represents yet another piece of our formative years slipping away. In her memory, Dana reprised Nichols' 1967 single "Why Don't You Do Right." Hailing frequencies open, Captain., Godspeed, Nichelle Nichols. Ahead warp factor 8.

STEVENSON AND COMPANY: Talking Down To Me

Our forthcoming compilation CD This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 5 is steamin' along full-speed ahead. Among its many irresistible tracks is "Talking Down To Me,"  a song originally brought to our attention by every pop fan's best bud Steve Stoeckel. Steve's best known for his work as a member of the Spongetones and Pop Co-Op (the latter of whom are also represented on TIRnRR # 5), and "Talking Down To Me" is a li'l gem originally written by Steve's friend Danny Stevenson. Steve subsequently earned a co-write on the song, and added bass and vocals to what Danny and his drummin' brother Bruce Stevenson had already done. We loved it! And we played it on the radio, crediting it to the nom du bop King Mixer. 

When it came time to address the idea of slapping together a fifth TIRnRR compilation, "Talking Down To Me" was an automatic choice. At the artists' request, the billing has been changed to Stevenson and Company. Which is just as well; a King Mixer could have cost us a fortune in breach-of-promise cases. The track will see its first-ever release on This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 5.

IRENE PEÑA: Come And Get It

We All Shine On: Celebrating The Music Of 1970 includes this ace performance by America's Sweetheart Irene Peña, as she takes on a classic Badfinger hit written by Paul McCartney. (Irene, incidentally, is also on This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 5, which means she's on at least two of 2022's best compilation albums. Go, Irene!)

THE CLICK BEETLES: Modern Girl

The way-fab Dan Pavelich has been an ally of This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio for years. We've played Dan's work with the Bradburys, and our annual This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio Christmas shows have often programmed selections from his seasonal various-artists benefit albums (Christmas Without Cancer and three volumes of Hi-Fi Christmas Party). As the rockin' auteur of the Click Beetles, Dan has been featured on both This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 3 and Waterloo Sunset--Benefit For This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, and the Click Beetles' Waterloo Sunset track "If Not Now Then When" (also on the CBs' album Pop Fossil) became a certified TIRnRR Fave Rave. Certified! Because we say so. 

And now, as the world awaits the release of the Click Beetles' new album Emerald Green, Dan has granted TIRnRR the exclusive radio debut of a superswell new track called "Modern Girl." We approve! We like modern girls!

But honestly? We hereby reject the exclusive. All radio shows should be playing this. 

NOW!!!

LULU: Love Loves To Love Love

Well. Who doesn't? And we certainly love Lulu. To her, with love!

THE STRAWBERRY ZOTS: And You Drive Your Pretty Car

It is very likely that this marks the TIRnRR debut of the Strawberry Zots. That delay may not be all that noteworthy at face value, given the fact that the esteemed Strawberry Zots never became a household name. But Dana and I saw the mighty Zots open for Dread Zeppelin in 1990, and I've owned a copy of the group's 1990 CD Cars, Flowers, Telephones for a very long time. Maybe we played them on our old show We're You're Friends For Now in '92, or one on of our other '90s projects prior to TIRnRR signing on at the end of 1998. But we ain't played 'em on This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio until now. 

Better late than never!

KISS: Shout It Out Loud

The Greatest Record Ever Made!

AMY RIGBY: Tom Petty Karaoke

I'm kind of empty tonight 

Nothing feels right, nothing feels right

I'm going out on my own

Can't stay home

No, I can't stay home

We are so honored to have the great Amy Rigby as a contributor to This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 5. Her wonderful track "Tom Petty Karaoke" was the last song selected for TIRnRR # 5, and its quiet message of hope and resilience within the tempest of our lives feels like it was built for our album. Maybe it was. Divine intervention. 

When I'm holding the microphone

It's like I'm holding on to something that's gone

The power of music. The transformative nature of art, and of belief. We exult in these gifts in our times of trouble, and we hold on. We hold on.

My Mom would have been 97 years old this month. And right now, Amy is dealing with the complications and sadness of taking care of her Dad. Amy has been forthcoming about that struggle...but this isn't the place for me to reiterate it. The issues of aging and loss are universal. 

That doesn't make them hurt any less. 

When I sing "I Won’t Back Down"
I don’t feel down
Yeah I’m alright
And when I do "Don’t Do Me Like That"
Hey I’m back
Walking into the light
And when I’m bringing "she went down swingin'"
I ain’t just singing
I’m coming on
"American Girl," take me outta this world

Turn it up. Or grab the mic if you like. You're among friends. And we hear you.

If you like what you see here on Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do), please consider supporting this blog by becoming a patron on Patreon, or by visiting CC's Tip Jar. Additional products and projects are listed 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, and on the web at http://sparksyracuse.org/ You can read about our history here.

I'm on Twitter @CafarelliCarl

10 SONGS: 3/10/2022

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 # 1119.

EYTAN MIRSKY: Watching From The Balcony

We opened last week's show with a track from Brother Eytan Mirsky's debut album, 1996's Songs About Girls (And Other Painful Subjects), in memory of drummer Chris Garges. This week, we open with Eytan for a happier reason: the release of his brand-new album Lord, Have Mirsky! Eytan's eighth album is another straight-up winner, and its closing track "Watching The Balcony" secures a berth on this week's playlist, and again on next week's playlist. I betcha we'll play more of its tracks in the coming weeks, too. 

TAJ MAHAL: Six Days On The Road

Each week, Dana and I try to mix familiar favorites with a few tracks we've never played before. New releases obviously help out in the latter category, but we also like to dig deep into the archives for classic cuts--both popular and obscure, by acts that might fit either description--in search of something that hasn't yet graced a TIRnRR playlist. In recent weeks, my specific wishes to play something by Rotary Connection, Led Zeppelin, and even Eagles manifested in fresh playlist appearances (though, of course, we have played each of those acts before). Same goes for Taj Mahal this week. I got it into my head that I wanted to play a Taj Mahal song, ideally a Taj Mahal song we ain't played before, and so the hunt began. It was a short hunt; once I stumbled across Taj Mahal's irresistible cover of Dave Dudley's durable country stalwart "Six Days On The Road," I knew I'd bagged my quarry. On to the next round!

THE SHANG HI LOS: Billy

Others have already commented that the Shang Hi Los' new single "Billy" sounds like it could be a theme from an imaginary Western. Listen, when Hollywood inevitably decides to make a big-budget feature film out of my story "The Last Ride Of The Copperhead Kid," I'm most definitely in favor of having the Shang Hi Los on its soundtrack.

THE PRETENDERS: Cuban Slide

Dana is generally the one to put some Pretenders in the playlist, and this week's Pretenders spin is no exception. Great choice, too; "Cuban Slide," an outtake from their debut album Pretenders, employs a version of the Bo Diddley beat to power one of my top Pretenders tracks. It originally surfaced on the Pretenders' 1981 four-song release Extended Play, and I've come to prefer it to anything that was on the group's second album Pretenders II. That's not faint praise, considering that Pretenders II did include two simply fabulous selections from Extended Play ("Talk Of The Town" and "Message Of Love"), as well as the great "Day After Day." Those are all sublime. I just like "Cuban Slide" even more.

RICHIE MAYER: You Don't Get Me High

Interesting little story here. We've been playing tracks from Richie Mayer's 2021 album The Inn Of Temporary Happiness, because we enjoy playing good records. But this week's Richie Mayer spin comes instead from The Inn Of Temporary Happiness Revisted, a truncated and reimagined version that makes an already-fine album finer still. Some credit goes to everyone's pop pal Bruce Brodeen, who suggested this tweak, reducing the album from 17 tracks to (officially) ten, maximizing its punch with a fresh, more fully pop remix. Gets me high, lemme tell ya.

THE BEATLES: No Reply

For all the attention I give to the concept for my long-threatened book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1), its inclusive nature--an infinite number of tracks can each be THE greatest record ever made, as long as they take turns--renders it distinct from a listing of my own Top 10 or Top 100 or Top 3047. For a near-future blog post, I'm putting together a list of my favorite songs, an all-time Top 10 or maybe Top 20. To keep it manageable, I'm limiting myself to one track per artist. The list will not be ranked, but I'll tell you right now that my # 1 favorite song ever is Badfinger's "Baby Blue" (which also happened to be the subject of the first chapter I wrote for GREM!).

The list will not include anything by the Beatles. My love of the Beatles' music, particularly their output from 1964 (A Hard Day's Night) through 1966 (Revolver) can't be limited to just one song. I wrote about that here, and listed my 25 favorite Beatles tracks here. But, for the sake of argument, if I were to pick a single song to represent my Beatlemania, it could be "Thank You, Girl" or "Rain," or it might be "Help!," "A Hard Day's Night," "The Night Before," "She Said She Said"...

...and it could very well be "No Reply." Honestly, this track's bridge just kills me, kills me, every time. If I were you/I'd realize that I/Love you more/Than any other guy/And I'd forgive/The lies that I/Heard before/When you gave me no reply. Best bridge ever. The rest of the song's pretty fab, as well.

THE BANGLES: The Rain Song

The best-known configuration of the Bangles--with three of its founding members, drummer Debbi Peterson and guitarists Vicki Peterson and Susanna Hoffs, plus bassist Michael Steele (who replaced Annette Zilinskas at the four-string spot in between the group's 1982 eponymous debut EP and their first full-length album All Over The Place in 1984)--split in 1989. The quartet regrouped for the 2003 album Doll Revolution, a splendid and underrated effort that gave us this wonderful track "The Rain Song." Written by Susan Cowsill and Vicki Peterson, and previously recorded by Susan 'n' Vicki with their other group the Continental Drifters, "The Rain Song" is both dreamy and invigorating. And its airplay on this week's TIRnRR scored the reaction DJs always hope for: a listener demanding to know the ID of that great song we just played. (The fact that said listener was himself an ace popsmith--none other than the above-mentioned Eytan Mirsky--made the connection even sweeter. Let it rain.)

ANTON BARBEAU: American Road

Last week, upon the release of Anton Barbeau's new album Power Pop!!! (which both Anton and his intrepid label Big Stir Records rightly insist is not power pop), I attempted to coin the new marketing term CATCHYBUZZ! to describe its not-power-pop appeal. That...did not catch on. Maybe it shouldn't've. Undeterred, we offer another track from Power Pop!!!, and humbly direct you to catch its buzz on your own terms.

TWISTED SISTER: We're Not Gonna Take It

Neither this blog nor this radio show has any power to enact meaningful change in this world of wonder and woe. Hearts and prayers accomplish nothing. Signs and flag decals, however well-intentioned, accomplish nothing. Action speaks. Money talks. To assist in humanitarian relief for victims of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, please consider a targeted donation to Operation USA, an organization with an established record of getting aid to where it's needed the most, without a lot of overhead. And I hope my fellow Americans will join me in not whining about rising fuel prices during this crisis. Our petty hardships are nothing, NOTHING, compared to the plight of the Ukranian people. If you feel differently, well, unless this situation is actually putting you in direct jeopardy, I cordially invite you to button your lip for the duration.

I first heard Twisted Sister's "We're Not Gonna Take It" on my car radio during a morning commute in Buffalo in 1984. I liked it immediately, but its meaning has changed as Ukranian refugees and freedom fighters have adopted it as an unofficial anthem. We sing it along with them. Hearts and prayers. But none of it has any value unless we back it up. 

THE CLICK BEETLES: If Not Now, Then When

Like the song says. Once again: Operation USA. The Click Beetles know what they're talking about.

You can support this blog by becoming a patron on Patreon, or by visiting CC's Tip Jar. Additional products and projects are listed 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, and on the web at http://sparksyracuse.org/ You can read about our history here.

I'm on Twitter @CafarelliCarl

10 SONGS: 2/3/2022

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 # 1114.

THE VENTURES: Walk--Don't Run

As we age, there is a risk of TIRnRR playlists becoming the de facto Obituary of the Week. Time is the enemy. The passing of the Ventures' guitarist Don Wilson prompted me to wanna play a few Ventures tracks this week, opening the show with "Walk--Don't Run." I have a specific memory associated with that song, a memory I shared when we lost the Ventures' other guitarist Nokie Edwards in 2018:

In the late '80s, probably around '88 or so, the Ventures were scheduled to play at a bar located in a shopping center in Seneca Knolls, a suburban area north of Syracuse. In another manifestation of Syracuse's frustrating feast-or-famine existence, the Godfathers were elsewhere in Syracuse that same night, and the Bodeans were also appearing at yet another local venue. I wanted to see all three shows. But there was no real choice: I had to see the Ventures.

The Ventures were one of the most influential groups of the early '60s, and the most influential American instrumental rock 'n' roll combo. I can say that without denying the sheer magnificence of Dick Dale and the Del Tones or Link Wray, or the importance of the Shadows in England. I became a fan in the early '80s, via an oldies radio spin of "Walk--Don't Run." Riveted. There was no way I would or could pass up a chance to see the Ventures play live.

I don't remember the name of the bar. The floor in front of the stage had been garnished with sand, to conjure a beach party ambiance. Soon, the band was on stage. Nokie Edwards had left the group by then, so the Ventures I saw were the "Hawaii Five-O" line-up of Bob Bogle, Don Wilson, Gerry McGee, and Mel Taylor. The owner of the venue introduced, "The best fucking dance band in the world, THE VENTURES!!"

Enthusiastic applause, followed by something like a half-second pause for effect. Maybe a quarter-second. Maybe a full second or more. No time at all, but a seeming eternity, a tantalizing tease. You know what I mean. That brief moment when time stands still, when a performer or a group knows intuitively that he or she or they is about to claim you in full. A half-second. Quarter-second. Less than a tick, yet a sweet, enticing forever. Mel Taylor's drums rolled. That guitar intro.

The Ventures opened their show with "Walk--Don't Run."

The Ventures opened their show with "Walk--Don't Run!"

I've had the pleasure and good fortune to see a lot of terrific shows, from the Kinks to the Ramones to Paul McCartney. No one grabbed me from the get-go better than the Ventures did.

DAVID RUFFIN: Don't Stop Lovin' Me

I've recently been in serious thrall to David, the originally unreleased 1971 album by former Temptations singer David Ruffin. "Don't Stop Lovin' Me" is one of the few David tracks that was issued in its day, serving as the B-side to "Each Day Is A Lifetime" (a track which also would have been on David, if there had been a David). I remain puzzled by Motown's decision to consign the album to the vaults. Great, great record, and we'll hear another of its tracks on next week's TIRnRR.

LOLAS: My Thoughts Have Been Replaced

Following several years of scattered Dana & Carl radio shows in varied incarnations, 1999 was This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio's first full year on the air. Lolas' debut album Ballerina Breakout was released in late '99, but it immediately became my favorite album of the year. Its track "The Best Part" became the first of many Lolas songs played on TIRnRR over the years, and we're delighted to add Lolas' latest to our little Play-Tone Galaxy of Stars. The new album All Rise was a digital-only release in 2021, and it's now available in physical (i.e., real) form courtesy of our friends at Kool Kat Musik. Of course we played it this week! Good stuff, then and now.

BRAM TCHAIKOVSKY: Breaking Down The Walls Of Heartache

Our playlists are affected by our listeners. I don't mean just in terms of requests, but also in reading their comments and developing an understanding of what they dig. One such listener is Joel Tinnel, guitarist for the way fab Pop Co-Op. I don't think it's much--maybe any--exaggeration to say that either Dana or I pick at least one track each week with the specific goal of landing within Joel's rockin' pop wheelhouse. We aims t'please. Joel has good taste, so we figure a song that Joel likes has better'n even odds of enhancing whatever the hell it is we do here.

Joel has expressed his interest in the music of Bram Tchaikovsky, the late '70s/early '80s British act (BT the name of both the band and its frontman) best known for the pop classic "Girl Of My Dreams." When we played the Bandwagon's Northern soul essential "Breaking Down The Walls Of Heartache" a few years back, it was Joel who pointed out that Bram Tchaikovsky covered the song on his/their third and final studio album, 1981's Funland. This week, that version finally made its belated TIRnRR debut. For Joel! The playlist benefits from an understanding of what our listeners like. Thanks again, Joel.

THE JAM: Monday

In the early '80s, I absolutely worshipped the Jam. Setting Sons had become one of my all-time favorite albums, and I likewise adored its successor Sound Affects. And yet, in our current far-future world of the 21st century, I had completely forgotten about the sublime Sound Affects album track "Monday" until Dana selected it for this week's radio extravaganza. Thanks, Dana!

THE 5TH DIMENSION: Aquarius/Let The Sun Shine In (The Flesh Failures)

The effect of listeners again, though this one was an actual request from intrepid TIRnRR fan Dominique King. Thanks, Dominique! Mystic crystal revelation, the mind's true liberation.

BUCK OWENS AND HIS BUCKAROOS: Who's Gonna Mow Your Grass

"Who's Gonna Mow Your Grass" wasn't a request this week, but I first learned of this superswell Buck Owens number because a listener named Elma Tiran (whom we've since dubbed Sparky) wanted us to play it on the show a few years ago. Ever your rock 'n' roll radio customer service specialists, we tracked it down, loved its vibrant application of Beatlisms and fuzz guitar to the C & W Bakersfield Beat, and it became a TIRnRR perennial in short order. Thanks, Sparky!

THE CLICK BEETLES: Goodbye Margot

This ace new track from the glory, the splendor, and the wonder of the Click Beetles initially slipped right by us because, well, um...SQUIRREL!! Times are tough, so we can't afford to pay attention. Rich Firestone of Radio Deer Camp (heard Sunday afternoons from 5 to 7 Eastern, right here on SPARK!) was the first to give "Goodbye Margot" the radio love it deserves, and we're always eager to copy our Reechie and his Radio Deer Camp brilliance. Thanks, Rich!

"Goodbye...?!" But I wanna listen to Rich Firestone on Radio Deer Camp!

CHRIS CHURCH: Pillar To Post

LANNIE FLOWERS: Good

While each week's 10 Songs is built in large part from songs released in years (and decades) gone by, we always, always play new and/or recent irresistibles right alongside our cherished and familiar gems. I mean, would it be TIRnRR if we didn't play something from the Big Stir Records label? Hyperbole is its own reward. We love Big Stir, there's at least one Big Stir release in nearly every weekly playlist, and that trend may never end. 

Our current Big Stir obsessions are Darling Please by Chris Church and Flavor Of The Month by Lannie Flowers. We played tracks from each on last week's show, and different tracks from each on this week's show. You can't have great radio unless you play great records. Big Stir releases great records, and so we play 'em as part of our ongoing effort to slap together great radio. Thanks, Big Stir. Thank you, listeners. Let's play.

You can support this blog by becoming a patron on Patreon, or by visiting CC's Tip Jar. Additional products and projects are listed 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, and on the web at http://sparksyracuse.org/ You can read about our history here.

I'm on Twitter @CafarelliCarl