10 SONGS: 10/10/2026

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 # 1356

DAVE COPE: Hit The Road

This week's extravaganza opened with "Hit The Road," a nice little slice of radio sunshine from Dave Cope's new album AM Silver. Dave is already familiar to our sovereign airwaves as the leader of Dave Cope and the Sass, whose "Julee" (from the album of the same name) is one of my favorite tracks of this decade in progress. The posted playlist commentary waxed rhapsodic about the pure magic of the era of AM Top 40 radio, and about Dave Cope's accomplishment in channeling that magic in the original songs he crafted for AM Silver. We're hittin' the road with it again on our next show. Atomic batteries to power. Turbines to speed. DON'T TOUCH THAT DIAL! We're ready to move out.

RAY CHARLES: Hit The Road Jack

Couldn't resist.

GENE CHAMPAGNE: I'm Disconnected

We might be tempted to play Gene Champagne's new album Too Pop For Punk...Too Punk To Care just on the basis of our sudden urge to use its title on our business cards. But man, this would be worthy of a carpet-bombing programming approach even if the record were called Drek-O-Rama or Hotel California. "I'm Disconnected" is an in-yer-face glittery hookfest with intent to assail, exactly the sort of pugnacious pop music for which our little mutant radio gimmick was built. Connection achieved.

COCKTAIL SLIPPERS: Back Where You Belong

This irresistible track from Cocktail Slippers' fabulous current album Joyride has been one of my biggest and most delightful earworms of late, especially the part where the backing vocals proclaim WONDER-WONDER-WONDER WHY! Goosebumps, and I can't hear it enough. We'll all hear it again on our next show, and it seems very likely to score a well-deserved berth on our year-end countdown show.

Where it belongs!

THE CYNZ: Neighborhood Bully

During my recent guest appearance on The Spoon podcast, overhost Robbie Rist said he thinks it was TIRnRR that prompted him to buy music by the Cynz. See? We DO provide a public service! RADIO'S JOB IS TO SELL RECORDS!

Our latest Cynzation has been "Neighborhood Bully," their ass-kickin' contribution to Jem Records Celebrates Bob Dylan. While I'm holding on to an unlikely hope that Jem's annual series of songwriter celebrations will some day soon bring us a Jem Records Celebrates Michael Nesmith record, right now we're diggin' the Cynz as they police the hood. Bully for the Cynz.

CYNDI LAUPER: I Drove All Night

The Greatest Record Ever Made!

THE SCRUFFS: She Say Yea

The Scruffs' 1977 album Wanna' Meet The Scruffs? is a true power pop gem, perhaps underappreciated by the world at large but cherished to this day by faithful fans like us. My initial Scruffs go-to was the Robert Christgau-approved "Revenge," but I soon settled on "She Say Yea" as my designated Scruffermost of the Uppermost. I was bummed to discover (well after the fact) that the Scruffs had played a Syracuse gig with my hometown heroes the Flashcubes, an event which I missed because I was away at school. The cost of higher education, I guess.

(My only quibble with the track is that while the Scruffs clearly sing She say yeah!, the title misspells it as "yea," which my higher education compels me to pronounce--correctly--as She say YAY! This is not a negotiable point, Great, great song nonetheless. Everybody say YEA!)

THE FLASHCUBES FEATURING TOM KENNY: Got No Mind

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, 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 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!

THE JIVE FIVE: What Time Is It?

From my book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1):

"The Jive Five's 'What Time Is It?' (a song much later covered by Marshall Crenshaw) is one of the most heavenly-sounding records ever made.  And it sums up the sweet anticipation of the big date tonight with greater joy and eloquence than any other record I've ever heard.

"It occurs to me that I've never really been on a first date, at least not in the sense of the first dates we see in pop culture, in movies, on TV, and in radio-ready 45s. I've been on dates with girlfriends, and still go on dates with my wife, but in each case me and she were already together prior to date night. Hands had already been held. Lips had already met. Eyes had already gazed admiringly into pretty eyes that returned the favor. I did things backwards. I got the girl first, and a date would follow some time thereafter.

"Tick tock, listen to the clock
Tick tock, listen to the clock

"The giddy wellspring of hope and promise, the potential redemptive power of a love story about to write its introductory chapter, are essential components in our collective concept of the first date as a rite of passage. And it is the irresistible tableau of the Jive Five's dreamy, delicious celebration 'What Time Is It?...."

APE HANGERS: Miss You Girl

I swear to Joey Ramone, our friends at Rum Bar Records are just killin' it. We received Ape Hangers' a-pumpin' and a-jumpin' new single "Miss You Girl" just in time to tack it on to the end of this week's show, supplementing earlier-in-the-playlist spins of a Rum Bar essential by Brijitte West and the Greenowskis and the Rum Bar-associated Gene Champagne winner we praised a few paragraphs north of here. Raisin' the Rum Bar! Ape Hangers return to TIRnRR on our next show, alongside another simply invigmoratin' new Rum Bar boppin' imperative by Tony Marsico and the Ugly Thingz.

RUM BAR! You keep makin' 'em, we'll keep breakin' our speakers with 'em. Hardware is expendable. Rock 'n' roll is immortal.

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.  

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

THE GREATEST RECORD EVER MADE! Cyndi Lauper, "I Drove All Night"

Drawn from a previous post, 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!

CYNDI LAUPER: I Drove All Night

Written by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly

Produced by Cyndi Lauper and Lennie Petze

Single from the album A Night To Remember, Epic Records, 1989

Is 1989's "I Drove All Night" my favorite Cyndi Lauper track? Yeah, I believe it is. And that's not faint praise; I think Cyndi's great, and I love her big smash hit records, including "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun," and especially "Time After Time." I think the first time I heard the latter was when she appeared on The Tonight Show in 1984, delivering an electrifying performance of "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" and then topping it with a dramatic rendition of "Time After Time." Watching it on my little black and white TV, my jaw dropped. I was impressed, and I believe Johnny Carson also approved. Smart guy, that Carson. Robert Klein seemed to agree, too. Another smart guy!

Memory suggests The Tonight Show also introduced me to "I Drove All Night" a few years later. Hey, who needs radio when ya got Johnny Carson? Whether my first exposure or a reinforcement of established bias, Lauper's "I Drove All Night" knocked me out. Songwriters Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly originally crafted the song for Roy Orbison, and that intent is evident in the song's only-the-lonely DNA even if you've never heard Orbison's own splendid, posthumously-released version. Lauper owns it anyway; can't say that about many Orbison numbers performed by artists who weren't Roy razzafrazzin' Orbison.

In both the Lauper and Orbison performances, "I Drove All Night" just simmers with controlled desire, an earthly passion--burning up inside--accompanying a pristine love, impossible to resist, even if one were foolish enough to want to resist in the first place. Its consummation is sweet and well-earned.

Lauper's best track? 

Yes. Don't argue with the driver.

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.  

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

10 SONGS: 8/3/2024

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 # 1244.

THE BYRDS: Lady Friend

THE GRIP WEEDS: Strange Bird [remix of original single]

THE MONKEES: For Pete's Sake

This three-in-a-row half-set picked by Dana offers an appreciative tribute to a unique experience he witnessed a couple of weeks ago at the Grip Weeds' Syracuse show. Before the doors opened that night at The Lost Horizon, the mighty Grip Weeds treated Dana to an exclusive three-song unplugged set, performed on the nightclub's stoop. 

The acoustic shindig commenced with a cover of the Byrds' "Lady Friend," a David Crosby song that the Grips Weeds also recorded for their superswell covers album DiG. The Grip Weeds' "Lady Friend" has become a TIRnRR Fave Rave, in both its official DiG version and a vocals-only mix on A Deeper DiG, a bonus disc included with the three-CD DiG Super Deluxe Edition. 

Then it was time for a Grip Weeds original. "Strange Bird" is one of my many favorite Grip Weeds tracks, and the group allowed us to use an irresistible remix of the original single on our 2017 compilation This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 4. Of the three songs the Grip Weeds performed on the stoop, "Strange Bird" was the only one reprised in their actual live set inside the Lost (dedicated to Dana and Carl!). They also said they're working on a brand-new recording of "Strange Bird," and we can't wait to hear it.

Finally, we have a spin of the Monkees' "For Pete's Sake." In this generation, in this lovin' time...! Along with "You Just May Be The One," "For Pete's Sake" is my pick for what should have been the double A-Side single off the Monkees' 1967 hey-hey-we're-a-real band album Headquarters, and the song is well-known as the closing theme from the second season of the Monkees' TV series. The Grip Weeds' version is on DiG, and it was also a single during the pandemic (under the title "For Pete's Sake [Stay At Home At Home!]"). 

So Dana played all three songs, the Grip Weeds themselves bookended by a couple of their inspirations. Go, you Grip Weeds. Go.

CYNDI LAUPER: I Drove All Night

This week, Dana again played Cyndi Lauper's epic "I Drove All Night," renewing my ongoing state of delighted thralldom when it comes to this track. From a previous edition of 10 Songs:

Is 1989's "I Drove All Night" my favorite Cyndi Lauper track? Yeah, I believe it is. And that's not faint praise; I think Cyndi's great, and I love her big smash hit records, including "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun," and especially "Time After Time." I think the first time I heard the latter was when she appeared on The Tonight Show in 1984, delivering an electrifying performance of "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" and then topping it with a dramatic rendition of "Time After Time." Watching it on my little black and white TV, my jaw dropped. I was impressed, and I believe Johnny Carson also approved. Smart guy, that Carson. Robert Klein seemed to agree, too. Another smart guy!

Memory suggests The Tonight Show also introduced me to "I Drove All Night" a few years later. Hey, who needs radio when ya got Johnny Carson? Whether my first exposure or a reinforcement of established bias, Lauper's "I Drove All Night" knocked me out. Songwriters Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly originally crafted the song for Roy Orbison, and that intent is evident in the song's only-the-lonely DNA even if you've never heard Orbison's own splendid, posthumously-released version. Lauper owns it anyway; can't say that about many Orbison numbers performed by artists who weren't Roy razzafrazzin' Orbison.

In both the Lauper and Orbison performances, "I Drove All Night" just simmers with controlled desire, an earthly passion--burning up inside--accompanying a pristine love, impossible to resist, even if one were foolish enough to want to resist in the first place. Its consummation is sweet and well-earned.

Lauper's best track? Yes. Don't argue with the driver.

THE BAY CITY ROLLERS: Wouldn't It Be Nice

The Greatest Record Ever Made!

BADFINGER: Baby Blue

My all-time favorite individual track, the subject of the first Greatest Record Ever Made! I ever wrote, and--of course!--a part of my new book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1). Guess that's all I have to say? Nah. The conversation continues.

sparkle*jets u.k.: Hey Grandma

We've established the fact that I regard the current sparkle*jets u.k. album Box Of Letters as one of this year's very best releases. Box Of Letters includes this great cover of Moby Grape's "Hey Grandma," featuring Special Guest Bat Villain Robbie Rist poundin' on them pagan skins (aka, drumming). We discovered Mr. Rist's involvement on this track when the members of sparkle*jets u.k. appeared on a recent episode of The Spoon podcast. Oddly enough, that's also when Robbie discovered his involvement on this track. See, the boy's forgotten more of his work than most other musicians accomplish to begin with. Great track, great album. 

THE FLASHCUBES: Wait Till Next Week

POP CO-OP: It Ain't Easy Being A Boy

An early clue to the new direction? Sort of. No further comment at this time. Wait till...well, we'll get back to you on that.

(Can't wait? Understood. Chris von Sneidern has another hint about what's coming. Check out this week's edition of CVS Request Hour, and pay particular attention to what our CVS has to say and play from around the 35-minute mark on. A promise is implied.)

THE RUBINOOS: Rock And Roll Is Dead

About a week ago, I finally got to see my first-ever live performance by the Rubinoos, and it was the realization of a 47-year-old dream come true. One Saturday afternoon in (I think) the spring of 1977, I was in my room when my mom called to me: "Carl! I think KISS is on TV!" 

But it was the Rubinoos, on American Bandstand, guitarist Tommy Dunbar all done up in mock rock regalia for the group's epic hard rock send-up "Rock And Roll Is Dead." Host Dick Clark joked about Tommy looking like one of the guys from KISS (hence Mom's confusion), but I recognized the Rubinoos. I was already a fan, and their Bandstand appearance was my first glimpse of them on television.

(I don't remember for sure, but I may have already been watching them on my bedroom TV when Mom called me to the living room. It seems to me I did see the Rubinoos lip-sync the first of their two American Bandstand songs--their hit cover of Tommy James and the Shondells' "I Think We're Alone Now"--and I then witnessed "Rock And Roll Is Dead" on the main family TV.)

Either way, "Rock And Roll Is Dead" sizzled. It still does, and it for damned sure sizzled in live performance last week. It belies its title. It lives. It breathes. It moves. 

And it transcends. 

Turn it DOWN...?! Nope. Ain't happening. Ain't happening at all.

If you like what you see here on Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do), please consider a visit to CC's Tip Jar. 

My new book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) is now available for order; you can see details here. My 2023 book Gabba Gabba Hey! A Conversation With The Ramones is also still available, courtesy of the good folks at Rare Bird Books. 

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

10 SONGS: 9/16/2023

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 # 1198. This show is available as a podcast.

THE CATHOLIC GIRLS: Hear My Prayer

New work from the Catholic Girls is pretty much guaranteed a spin on This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, and their new single "Hear My Prayer" provides further evidence of why we love the group. This is pop music that mourns its sadness but stands tall in its defiance, its insistence that there will be at least one more day. The single spins again on our next show.

THE MONKEES: The Door Into Summer

Always one of my very favorite Monkees tracks. It's from my favorite Monkees album Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, Ltd., and its familiar sting of if-only regret suited my own tinges of melancholy as Dana and I were programming this week's show. Sometimes the laughter from that caravan feels ever more distant. Fool's gold stacked up all around us.

But we're okay, right? We acknowledge and move on, at least to the best of our capability. The music of the Monkees has always been a source of comfort, a source of satisfaction. Even their saddest songs can make me happy.

Happy is good. We can use more happy.

AMY RIGBY: Baby Doll

We've been giving a lot of air time this year to tracks from Juniper's recent covers album She Steals Candy, especially to Juniper's cover of Amy Rigby's "Baby Doll." Such a great song, and I don't think we've ever played Rigby's wonderful original. Dana rectified that oversight this week. Good on ya, Mr. Bonn.

Coincidentally, Amy herself posted the above picture to my Facebook page last week. Listen, I'm still pinching myself when artists of Amy Rigby's stature even give me the friggin' time of day, let alone post pictures of my Ramones book sighted in the wild. Amy captioned the pic, From the original Rough Trade in West London!, and I was immediately giddy to the nth degree. Thank you SO much, Amy!

Juniper's "Baby Doll" returns to TIRnRR this Sunday. Amy Rigby returns the following Sunday. We wouldn't dream of doing *ahem* THIS IS ROCK 'N' ROLL RADIO # 1200 without some Amy Rigby. Giddy is as giddy does.

CYNDI LAUPER: I Drove All Night

Is 1989's "I Drove All Night" my favorite Cyndi Lauper track? Yeah, I believe it is. And that's not faint praise; I think Cyndi's great, and I love her big smash hit records, including "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun," and especially "Time After Time." I think the first time I heard the latter was when she appeared on The Tonight Show in 1984, delivering an electrifying performance of "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" and then topping it with a dramatic rendition of "Time After Time." Watching it on my little black and white TV, my jaw dropped. I was impressed, and I believe Johnny Carson also approved. Smart guy, that Carson. Robert Klein seemed to agree, too. Another smart guy!

Memory suggests The Tonight Show also introduced me to "I Drove All Night" a few years later. Hey, who needs radio when ya got Johnny Carson? Whether my first exposure or a reinforcement of established bias, Lauper's "I Drove All Night" knocked me out. Songwriters Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly originally crafted the song for Roy Orbison, and that intent is evident in the song's only-the-lonely DNA even if you've never heard Orbison's own splendid, posthumously-released version. Lauper owns it anyway; can't say that about many Orbison numbers performed by artists who weren't Roy razzafrazzin' Orbison.

In both the Lauper and Orbison performances, "I Drove All Night" just simmers with controlled desire, an earthly passion--burning up inside--accompanying a pristine love, impossible to resist, even if one were foolish enough to want to resist in the first place. Its consummation is sweet and well-earned.

Lauper's best track? Yes. Don't argue with the driver.

LIBRARIANS WITH HICKEYS: I Can't Wait 'Till Summer

Librarians With Hickeys' 2022 album Handclaps & Tambourines supplied this little mutant radio program with two perennial go-tos: "I Better Get Home" (TIRnRR's # 25 most-played track last year) and "Can't Wait 'Till Summer," which is guaranteed a berth on our year-end countdown for 2023. We play the hits. I love this gig. And in my mind, I imagine Lauper's "I Drove All Night" as an answer song to "Can't Wait 'Till Summer," the chronology of the two songs notwithstanding. In the Librarians With Hickeys track, love is unrequited, deferred at best, and just as likely to be taken off life support before there's even a hint of the summer sun. In "I Drove All Night," love wins. 

I approve of that message. And it is worth waiting for.

STEVENSON AND COMPANY: Insane

Loyal TIRnRR listeners know Stevenson and Company from their magnificent little ditty "Talking Down To Me," which appeared on our most recent compilation album This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 5. A previous 10 Songs revealed that "Talking Down To Me" was "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 de 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...." 

There's your preamble, and we're thrilled that Stevenson and Company have just released their debut album Out Of Time, and it most assuredly swoops 'n' sways the way a rockin' pop record oughta. Let me say here what my overlords won't allow me to say on the air: BUY IT!!! We played one of its many fine tracks on this week's show, and promised more in the weeks ahead.

So yeah: we'll hear another one this Sunday night. We would not be able to afford a breach of promise suit, believe you me. That would be insane.

DOLPH CHANEY: Ice Cream Embers

What does Dolph Chaney have in common with the Catholic Girls? Rhetorical question! New music from Dolph Chaney is also pretty much guaranteed a spin on This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio. Catholic Girls? Meet Dolph. Dolph, the Catholic Girls. I'll get us some beverages.

Ah. Dolph brought his own refreshment. 

Our lad Dolph has been a Fave Rave here, most especially for his all-time TIRnRR Pick T' Click "My Good Twin." Now, Dolph's back with his brand-new album Mug, courtesy of the benevolent visionaries at Big Stir Records. So this week: Catholic Girls and Dolph Chaney. Two great treats that treat great together. Or something like that.

And ya wanna know what else the Catholic Girls' "Hear My Prayer" and Dolph Chaney's "Ice Cream Embers" have in common? We'll hear 'em both again next week! 

I pray there'll be ice cream.

THE JAM: That's Entertainment

The Greatest Record Ever Made!

THE RAMONES: Oh Oh I Love Her So

We've established that the Monkees make me happy. Same goes for the Ramones. My motto remains that a day without the Ramones would be like...I don't have any idea what a day without the Ramones would be like. Nor do I ever intend to find out.

"Oh Oh I Love Her So" is an explosion of adrenaline-charged joy, one of my favorite Ramones tracks. Like most of the Ramones' best works, it is pure in a way that may seem unexpected by heathens who don't worship at the Church of Ramones.

But it is pure. It is exciting and life-affirming and vividly real, even at its most cartoonish, even in the midst of its Bowery-bred seediness, the danger of its genesis redeemed by the exuberance of its pop. Fast. Loud. Pure. Oh oh, I love it so.

JACK "PENETRATOR" LIPTON: It's My Life

During Labor Day weekend, we learned that Jack "Penetrator" Lipton, a fixture of the Syracuse rock 'n' roll scene and a long-time friend of this show, had taken his own life. We were not yet at liberty to share this news publicly, and I wouldn't have had the will to do so anyway. That Sunday night, as I listened to this year's edition of Dana's Funky Soul Pit on TIRnRR, my mind wandered, and its meandering path kept strolling to Jack Lipton, and to Jack's decision to exit this mortal world.

Jack and I weren't especially close. I don't want to compare my sense of loss to the aches felt by his tightest friends and family. But I would say we were on good terms, and Jack's enthusiasm and boundless good will always made him seem like a pal. Maybe those who knew Robin Williams recognize that sense of seeming delight and humor, an illusion of cheer that hides whatever troubles may brew beneath. Where there tell-tale signs? I don't know. Probably not, not really...but I don't know. Neither do you.

I've written before of how suicide affects the survivors, or at least how it affected me when one of my best friends killed himself in 1979. No one can save us. But there are potential paths to facilitate our rescue: the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is within reach via a phone call to 988, and often our loved ones will be willing, eager, to help in any way they can. It may feel like no one will listen, that no one will understand. But someone, somewhere will listen, and they'll try to understand. Repeating what I said earlier this week: your life is worth saving. Our lives are worth saving.

Jack always wanted us to play his cover of the Animals' "It's My Life" on the show. We never did, not during his lifetime. It was too long for our chosen format, so we played some of Jack's other work instead, both solo and with the Penetrators and Mark Doyle and the Maniacs. 

We played Jack's "It's My Life" this week. It's a good cover of one of my very favorite songs. It hurts to play it now. 

But it was high time we did.

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.

Carl's new book Gabba Gabba Hey! A Conversation With The Ramones is now 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, archived at Westcott Radio. You can read about our history here.

I'm on Twitter @CafarelliCarl