10 SONGS: 10/24/2026

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 # 1358

WEDNESDAY WEEK: They Say

Southern California combo Wednesday Week scored attention from MTV with their superb 1987 track "Why," compelling popsmacked li'l me to purchase a copy of their wonderful album What We Had. In this far-future world of 2026, the group's What We Had line-up--Kelly Callan, Kristi Callan, Heidi Rodewald, and David Nolte--returns with an incredible new four-song covers EP called Souvenirs. Rockin' pop veteran Don Dixon produces, and our assembled Wednesdays deliver simply splendid renditions of too-cool selections from the songbooks of the Zeros, the Dolly Mixture, Color Me Gone, and Sandie Shaw. We opened this week's TIRnRR with Wednesday Week's invigmoratin' take on the Zeros' "They Say," and circled back to their cover of the Dolly Mixture's "Side Street Walker" later in the show. Amazing stuff! "They Say" will return  to our playlist this Sunday night, and we'll also debut Wednesday Week's take on Color Me Gone's "Lose Control." We've long been grateful for What We Had. Now, we're also grateful for what we have.

ARROGANCE: Praying Mantis

Speaking of Don Dixon (and speaking of MTV fave raves from the '80s), we offer this spin of Dixon's song "Praying Mantis," as performed with his former group Arrogance. Our pal Eleanor Cook informs us that Arrogance was just inducted into The North Carolina Music Hall Of Fame. We only know of Arrogance's fine work because Eleanor pointed us to it--much obliged, Eleanor!--and it's our pleasure to congratulate Arrogance for their well-deserved recognition by North Carolina music fans.

Oh, and an open letter to the good folks at the NC Music Hall Of Fame: Please consider inducting the Spongetones at your earliest convenience. Thanks! Sincerely, your friends at This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio.

THE CYNZ: Neighborhood Bully

No kings. Don't tread on me, ya razzafrazzin' bully. 

ELTON DUCK: Bad Things

Blanche DuBois relied on the kindness of strangers. TIRnRR relies on our friends, both in terms of supporting this nonprofit radio station's quixotic quest and suggesting undiscovered or underappreciated sounds we should oughta discover and appreciate. One such friend is Robbie Rist, who has just turned us on to the majesty of Elton Duck. Elton Duck were a Los Angeles group operating at the end of the '70s into the dawn of mourning in America, and they friggin' kicked, man. They earn a righteous footnote in pop history for the fact that Michael Steele was Elton Duck's bassist at the time of their 1980 recordings, a spot she occupied after her early stint with the Runaways and before achieving fame with the Bangles.

Footnotes aside, this is prime stuff, and it's a damned shame it's not widely available. Robbie's a fan! And now we're fans as well. Robbie picked "Bad Things" as one of his Elton Duck go-tos; we hear, and we obey. More Elton Duck on our next show.

THE RUBINOOS: Wouldn't It Be Nice

It would be impossible to overstate the importance of the Rubinoos in my musical crucible when I was 17. 1977 was the year I fell for the Sex Pistols, the Ramones, Blondie, and so many more then-contemporary acts demonstrating that someone was still carrying the torch for the excitement and sheer buzz of my beloved 1960s British Invasion idols. 

The Rubinoos' eponymous debut album was an essential component of all of that, and I heard it (and owned it!) before I heard "God Save The Queen," "Blitzkrieg Bop," and "X-Offender." "Wouldn't It Be Nice" was my favorite track on The Rubinoos, a love letter from a lonely square-peg teen like me to the pretty one of his dreams. I wrote about it here. It's still my favorite, as the warmth of the crucible remains with me always.

And of course, my crucible in 1977 led me to the revelation of a transcendent local band in January of 1978: Syracuse's own power pop powerhouses....

THE FLASHCUBES FEATURING TOM KENNY: Got No Mind

And we hope you won't mind if we repeat this important announcement:

In memory of Flashcubes guitarist Paul Armstrong, the surviving 'Cubes are releasing a new single and planning an epic memorial live show. Let's review my recent hype on behalf of each event:

Our friends at Big Stir Records are now accepting preorders for "Got No Mind," the new 45 by the Flashcubes featuring Tom Kenny. Offered as a memorial tribute to Flashcubes guitarist Paul Armstrong (the song's author), the track has already been a TIRnRR fixture, and it will remain so for the foreseeable. And to sanctify the release of this 7" slab o' cantankerous wonder, the mighty Big Stir is also offering original copies of two previous Flashcubes 45s--1979's "Wait Til Next Week"/"Radio" and 2016's two-fer of Chris Spedding covers, "Boogie City"/"Hey Miss Betty"--both individually and in bundles with the new one. Visit The Flashcubes page at Big Stir for details.

On Saturday, November 7th, fans and participants representing the Syracuse power pop and new wave rock 'n' roll scene that the Flashcubes ignited in the late '70s will gather at Syracuse's original home of rock 'n' roll The Lost Horizon to pay loud and heartfelt tribute to the late, great Paul Armstrong. 

In his brash capacity as a guitarist and general spark plug for the audacious energy of the Flashcubes, Paul Armstrong was a key figure in the history of Syracuse rock 'n' roll, and the impact he and his brother Flashcubes Gary Frenay, Arty Lenin, and Tommy Allen have had upon my life and work is damned near beyond measure. As we bid farewell to Paul Armstrong, you can be damned sure we're gonna put on a tribute show that would make PA proud.

And to do that, a bunch of performers who loved Paul and shared his passion for three chords and a cloud of dust will gather at the Lost for a full-volume celebration of his legacy. We'll have live sets by Amerikan Primitive, Perilous, 1.4.5. Survivors, the Johnny Thunders Orchestra, The Wax Museum host Ronnie Dark, PA's Boston buds Sal Baglio and Mike Gent, Syracuse's favorite son Tom Kenny, and the Flashcubes featuring Mark Doyle. Your emcees will be Dana and Carl, and we promise the sort of bright-lights bonanza that Paul Armstrong would have dug the most.

TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW! It's possible there will still be tickets available at the door...but given the response so far, I would not recommend waiting. This one's for Paul Armstrong. And it's gonna be as loud as he was. YOU should join us. Got no mind? WE don't mind!

PALYMYRA DELRAN AND THE DOPPEL GANG: Spirit In My House

Palmyra Delran and the Doppel Gang covering a Joey Ramone solo number? Works for ME!

JOEY RAMONE: What A Wonderful World

Joey Ramone covering Louis Armstrong? Works for ME!

FOOLS FACE: Nothing To Say

The Greatest Record Ever Made!

THE FOUR TOPS: Standing In The Shadows Of Love

The Four Tops are my favorite Motown group, which is (to quote another Motown group) really sayin' somethin', WOOO! 

It's tough to pick a single favorite Four Tops song. "It's The Same Old Song" was my first Four Tops obsession decades ago, and "Reach Out I'll Be There" earned a chapter in my book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1). Their cover of "If I Were A Carpenter" made our year-end countdown show in 2023, and I won't be surprised if "Reach Out I'll Be There" does likewise this year.

"Standing In The Shadows Of Love" is another example of the top of the Tops. The song is most definitely not a political statement--Motown was deliberate in avoiding such things until later in the timeline--but in this election season, we're free to reinterpret and invoke its message as we see fit.

Standing in the shadows? Not now.

Stand up. VOTE. Love depends on it.

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: 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

10 SONGS (plus a three-song bonus): 6/27/2026--GUITARS VS. RAYGUNS!!

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 # 1341: GUITARS VS. RAYGUNS!!

CHUCK BERRY: Promised Land

This week's show ties into the publication of my new book Guitars Vs. Rayguns!! Short Stories And Other White Lies. The book is a work of fiction, but we're celebrating its intrinsic mojo by stringing together an irresistible array of rockin' pop music by a few of the many real-life musicmakers mentioned alongside imaginary characters I created for the book's stories. And we'll get to the music in just a sec, right after these important words from our sponsor:

Guitars Vs. Rayguns!! Short Stories And Other White Lies gathers tales of a foul-mouthed rock 'n' roll guitarist hijacked into space, an Old West gunslinger, a film noir gun moll who longs to be in a musical, a humorous fill-in superhero suddenly called to greatness, a former boy band star turned record company fix-it man, a would-be painter, an obsessed collector, a fated swordswoman, a fallen giant, a frustrated time traveler, a condemned sinner guiding tourists in Hell, a departed soul interviewing for a spot in Heaven, a 1976 Beatles reunion concert, and other untruths detailing love, loss, disappointment, miscellaneous hijinks, a fascination with shiny objects, and—occasionally--a juvenile sense of humor. 

CARL'S BOOKS:

Guitars Vs. Rayguns!! Short Stories And Other White Lies (2026): $15
The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) (2024): $30
Gabba Gabba Hey! A Conversation With The Ramones (2023): $25

All books are autographed, and can be personalized upon request

SHIPPING: $5 Media Mail to addresses in the lower 48 states

BUNDLES:

Buy any two books, save $5

Buy all three books, save $10 ($60 for the lot of 'em)

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PAYMENTS via PayPal to ccdatsme@aol.com

The first story in the book is the first short story I ever sold, 2019's "Guitars Vs. Rayguns," a foul-mouthed farce about a rock band from Earth playing gigs on other planets. Chuck Berry was the first among many actual musicians name-checked in this and subsequent stories. After all, NASA's inclusion of "Johnny B. Goode" on the gold record sent into space with Voyager 1 and 2 is what built the extraterrestrial market for rock 'n' roll in the first place. As Rocky, the leader of the book's titular planet-hopping combo Guitars Vs. Rayguns relates:

"Tonight's gig's been going well. Just one fight so far, and the drummer was only wounded; he's out for the night, but we'll get by with just two guitars and a bass if we gotta. Some Big Star, some Everly Brothers, Prince, Grip Weeds, Supremes, Pop Co-Op, Small Faces, and always, always some Chuck Berry. We're about midway through 'Promised Land' when an asshole in the audience tries to interrupt us...."

And that leads into more of the miscellaneous hijinks the book's back cover blurb promises. Take us to the Promised Land. Chuck.

THE CYNZ: Love's So Lovely

The Guitars Vs. Rayguns!! book presents a total of 27 short stories, including five stories starring the irrepressible space-traveling bar band from whom the book takes its title. There is also a sixth story centered around one of the band's members. The other 21 tales are unrelated to the adventures of this band called Guitars Vs. Rayguns. 

A few of the book's non-GvsR! stories are centered around music. "Home Of The Hits" sticks strictly to characters of my creation, with no references to real-life musicians. "Open Letter To An Imaginary Rock Band" finds its narrator listing a bunch of acts (KISS, the Stylistics, the Sex Pistols, Motörhead, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Talking Heads, the Isley Brothers) he prefers to his younger brother's favorite band (the fictional Pants-On Flyers). "I'm At Bat!" name-checks OIivia Newton-John, the Kinks, Nelson Riddle, the Jam, the Marketts, and Neil Hefti. Both "Time, And The Junk Food Of Your Life" and "Pop Friction" mention the Beatles, and the Fab Four also star in their own story about a 1976 reunion concert. The volume of real-life music-makin' names cited within that Beatles short story may rival the cumulative number of bands referenced in all five (or six) of the GvsR! chapters.

But yeah, the dedicated GvsR! band stories provide a pervasive supply of pop music name-dropping threaded throughout the book. The vast majority of them are passing references, and that status includes this line invoking the name of This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio fave raves the Cynz:

"...The setlist was still peppered with covers, everything from the Buzzcocks and the Selecter to the Cynz and Etta James. But we were doing more and more originals, and our drunken and violently irascible audiences were responding. Favorably. Fuck, we had a gig last week out near Sirius, and only one raygun fight broke out. One! Unheard of in our experience. Suddenly, the ETs far and wide were dancing and listening. We were heading to the toppermost of the motherfucking poppermost...."

As a writer and a music fan (and, y'know, a DJ), my mind is always occupied with dozens of random notions and dozens of irresistible song choices. Always. I wanted Guitars Vs. Rayguns' repertoire to reflect that. And I specifically wanted to mention the Cynz because lead singer Cyndi Dawson has been so supportive of all of my books. Cyndi: THANK YOU!

(And in the real world, "Love's So Lovely" [from the current Cynz album Confess] has already secured a berth on TIRnRR's year-end countdown show. And I wouldn't be surprised if it makes our Top Ten. Hey, Cynz! The guitars and the rayguns salute you.)

THE MONKEES: (I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone

One of the (theoretical) growing-up experiences that impacted my development as a pop pundit, music journalist, and writer of stuff was the act of standing my ground whenever anyone told me I shouldn't like something. Over time, I learned to shrug off naysayers, and to keep right on digging what I dig. Comic book superheroes. Punk rock. Pulp fiction.

The Monkees.

The more some folks tried to convinced me that the Monkees were worthless, the more they deepened my conviction that they didn't know what they were talking about. I'd seen the TV show, I'd heard the records. I know what I like. I loved the Monkees, and I still do.

The Guitars Vs. Rayguns!! book includes three separate references to the Monkees. In my Beatles reunion story, when John, Paul, George, and Ringo have an informal get-together to reacclimate to playing as a band, they perform a presumably-jokey (but not disrespectful) jam of the familiar "(Theme From) The Monkees." Later in the book, when Guitars Vs. Rayguns are auditioning a new member, the Monkees' "(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone" is one of a slew of covers the potential group is unable to nail.

My favorite Monkees moment in Guitars Vs. Rayguns! occurs still later in the book, when the members of my raygun-target rock group find themselves in danger, and they steal a plot element directly from The Monkees TV series to escape their predicament. The idea's inspiration is given full and proper in-story credit. Saved by the Monkees! I believe the fans will be pleased.

But I would have that faith, wouldn't I? After all, I'm a believer.

THE FLASHCUBES: No Promise

Big Stir Records recording artists the Flashcubes loom large in my legend. You can be assured that in the GvsR! chronicles, the Flashcubes are represented and appreciated by rock 'n' roll fans across the planets and across the galaxies.

Guitars Vs. Rayguns drummer Leiko is certainly a Flashcubes fan, especially of 'Cubes drummer Tommy Allen (alongside Keith Moon, Marky Ramone, Clem Burke, Dennis Diiken, and Ringo Starr. Here's evidence of that:

"...Leiko leaned in for emphasis. 'I'm Keith fucking Moon. I'm Marky fucking Ramone. I'm Clem fucking Burke. I'm Dennis fucking Diken from the Smithereens, Tommy fucking Allen from the Flashcubes, Ringo fucking Starr if I wanna be Ringo fucking Starr.

" 'I'm fucking LEIKO, bitches!...' "

So noted. In the universe of GvsR!, the Flashcubes are stars, as big as any other stars in any galaxy. 

I like that universe.

WONDERBOY: Girl Songs

Robbie Rist is a long-time friend of this show, and Dana and I have twice been guests on The Spoon, the essential podcast our Robbie co-hosts with Chris Jackson and Thom Bowers. As a tip of the hat, I wanted to add Robbie's old SoCal pop band Wonderboy to the long list of acts that Guitars Vs. Rayguns covers in their phaser-blasted live sets. And given clear evidence within the narrative that Guitars Vs. Rayguns guitarist Rocky really likes the ladies--really, really likes the ladies--Wonderboy's pop gem "Girl Songs" is a perfect match. 

P. P. ARNOLD: The First Cut Is The Deepest

The Greatest Record Ever Made!

THE RAMONES: Blitzkrieg Bop

C'mon--it wouldn't be one of my books if it didn't reference the Ramones. In one of the book's non-GvsR! stories, a character mentions driving through a blizzard as his iPod treats him to neck-snappin' segues from the Ramones to Dizzy Gillespie to the Girls From Petticoat Junction. In "Jack Mystery (some truths and some white lies)," the actor auditioning for the lead role in a comic book movie wears a Ramones t-shirt. Within the five (or six) GvsR! stories, a character uses the expression "I swear to Joey Ramone," the bassist expresses a desire to channel Brian Wilson, James Jamerson, and Dee Dee Ramone, and we've already seen that drummer Leiko intends to be Marky fucking Ramone (among others). The Ramones. The American Beatles. The greatest American rock 'n' roll band of all time. Hey-ho. Let's go!

JOAN JETT: Bad Reputation

From my short story "Lone Star Falling," which I think is among the best things I've ever written:

"...But Marie looked up at Faye. The eyes could not see. Nonetheless, Marie said out loud, 'LaFayette?'

"Faye had not heard anyone call her by her full first name in...well, she couldn't remember how long it had been. 'Yes, Mom! It's LaFayette.' Usually unflappable, Faye's nerves were on Def Con 1. 'How are you, Mom?'

" 'George!,' Marie called out. 'LaFayette's here for a visit. Come see your daughter.'

" 'No, Mom. Let's not bother Daddy right now.' Faye's father George had died in a car accident decades ago, when Faye was in seventh grade. Faye saw no reason to correct her mother's illusion. 'Let's just have a chat for a second, just you and me, Mom.'

" 'Fifi...?'

Faye froze. Her mother hadn't called her by that name since she was a little girl. 'Fifi? Is that you?' Before Faye could muster a reply, Marie's mind switched again. 'LaFayette! Turn off that noise and set the table for dinner!'

" 'It's not noise, Mom,' said Faye, recalling the exact conversation she had with Marie all those years ago. 'It's Joan Jett. Come on, Mom. Dance with me!'

"Marie smiled as Faye began to dance by the creeping phlox. Marie also started to dance, or rather to mimic the act of dancing while still confined to her wheelchair. 'Such language,' Marie said. 'Couldn't this Joan Jett say she doesn't give a darn about her reputation?'

" 'Works better this way, Mom. It's kickass!'

" 'LaFayette!'

" 'It's okay, Mom. Doesn't this music make you feel alive?'

"Marie was silent, but the glow of her smile continued...."

YOKO ONO: Move On Fast

I have a lot of respect for Yoko Ono, but most of her music falls outside of my chosen pop parameters. Dana's a fan. That said, there are three Yoko tracks I like very much: Her 1980 B-side "Kiss Kiss Kiss" earned a chapter in my previous book The Greatest Record Ever Made! [Volume 1]), her 1971 seasonal treat "Listen, The Snow Is Falling" is luscious and sublime, and "Move On Fast," a pumpin' track from her 1973 album Approximately Infinite Universe, rocks. Yoko haters need not apply.

My first awareness and appreciation of "Move On Fast" was provided courtesy of the weekly classic alternative podcast Only Three Lads. Like Dana, O3L co-host Brett Vargo is big on Yoko, and while he hasn't yet managed to convert his partner Uncle Gregg to the cause, Brett insists Gregg will come around eventually. Me? I'm grateful to Brett for hooking me on this track.

Yoko Ono appears as a supporting character in my 1976 Beatles reunion fantasy piece. I think she comes off quite well, and I hope Brett will approve of her depiction. Dear Yoko: The world of Guitars Vs. Rayguns!! holds nothing but love for you.

THE BEATLES: Paperback Writer

Why, yes--I am a paperback writer. Dear sir or madam, will you read my book?

ENCORE! THREE MORE SONGS!!

MOTÖRHEAD: Ace Of Spades

SLADE: Gudbuy T' Jane

LL COOL J: Mama Said Knock You Out 

These songs are mentioned together in sequence late in the book, when Guitars Vs. Rayguns are jamming with a famous real-life rock 'n' roll superstar, and he sings these three song choices with them. And the band is beyond thrilled when HE expresses gratitude to THEM...!

Thenkyew. Thenkyewverymuch.

Unlikely song choices in this context? Man, I can hear them, in my crowded head. And besides: The King can do what the King can do. That's why he's the King.

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 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: 6/6/2026

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 # 1339

THE SPONGETONES: (I Really) Need To Kiss You

Hey, goal-oriented pop music! Whenever the Spongetones release new music, This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio's operating protocol mandates that we play this new music immediately. Mission accomplished! "(I Really) Need To Kiss You" debuts this week, and osculates its way back for a second TIRnRR kiss this coming Sunday night. Pucker power is the power of the hour. Minty fresh! 

BIG MAMA THORNTON: Hound Dog

From my 2024 book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1):

Where and when did rock 'n' roll start? There are a few key artifacts to consider in seeking to ID the first rock 'n' roll record. "Rocket ‘88’ " by Jackie Brentson and his Delta Cats (1951, and really Ike Turner and his Kings of Rhythm) is the closest we have to a consensus choice. Some would point to "The Fat Man" by Fats Domino (1950). I would at least add Amos Milburn's "Down the Road Apiece" (1947) to the discussion, and no less an authority than Lenny and Squiggy (on TV's Laverne and Shirley) spoke on behalf of "Call the Police," a 1941 single Nat King Cole made with the King Cole Trio. There are other progenitors and trailblazers from across the heady mingling of jump blues, R & B, country, and swing that birthed this bastard child we call rock 'n' roll. What was the daddy of them all? Not even a blood test is going to make that determination.

"Hound Dog" is not the first rock 'n' roll record. But its original release does predate the Rock 'n' Roll Era. It was written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller specifically for rhythm and blues singer Big Mama Thornton. Thornton's "Hound Dog" single topped the R & B chart in 1953. Fittingly, her performance of the song is as much a growl as it is anything else, a snarling dismissal of a worthless cur who can wag his tail, but she ain't gonna feed him no more.

THE NUMBERS: Deception

A previous edition of 10 Songs noted that "the Numbers were an early '80s combo whose lone album Anthology '64-'67 presented them as if they were a long-lost band from the '60s rather than Reagan-era garage pop kings besotted with the sounds that flourished a decade and a half before them. The LP's liner notes even claim that the Numbers passed on the opportunity to star as the Monkees, leaving the prospect of televised Monkeeshines for, y'know, the actual Monkees. All in good (clean) fun. Anyone who refers to this as a hoax isn't paying attention. It's not a hoax if the intended audience is fully aware of the put on."

The Numbers made a triumphant return to rockin' pop retail with the 2025 album Mad Day Out, and now they're back again with another new long-player, My Beautiful Distance, courtesy of our friends at the mighty Kool Kat Musik. And the Numbers don't lie, even as they're singing a radio-ready tune called "Deception." And it's likewise no lie when we say the Numbers' "Deception" spins again on our next show. We have Numbers on our side.

THE BEE GEES: I Can't See Nobody

In the late '70s, I was as anti-disco as anybody. The militance of my stance mellowed as I came to realize that so much of the knuckle-dragging Disco Sucks Army hated my preferred punk and power pop almost as much as they hated the rhythmic thumpety-thump of dat ole debbil disco. Screw 'em. I never developed any interest in the disco scene, but I absolutely liked the Trammps, Thelma Houston, and Donna Summer way more than I was willing to tolerate Southern rock, prog, and most then-contemporary so-called hard rock. Burn baby burn.

That said, I never developed any interest in the disco-era Bee Gees, and I still haven't. As a younger fan, I'd adored much of the Bee Gees' Beatles-influenced work in the '60s and very early '70s, from "New York Mining Disaster 1941" through "Lonely Days, Lonely Nights," but stopping cold when I heard and actively disliked "Jive Talkin'." I've also mellowed a little bit on some of that stuff ("Nights On Broadway"), but the polyester years will never be my go-to era of Bee Gees records.

The Bee Gees' '60s material? Loved it then, love it now. 1967's "I Can't See Nobody." is my favorite.

THE CYNZ: You Wreck Me

On their ace current album Confess, the Cynz deliver a quite able take on Tom Petty's "You Wreck Me." and it's one of the very few successful Petty covers I can call to mind. I do like Def Leppard's seemingly incongruous (but masterful) rendition of "American Girl," and if we're talkin' Petty tributes, we must also give proper Hell YEAHs! to Amy Rigby's sublime, sublime original song "Tom Petty Karaoke" (as heard on This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 5). The Cynz are in pretty good select company.

Mentioned before, worth mentioning again: The Cynz are also in good company among a slew of musical acts mentioned in passing within the pages of my new book Guitars Vs. Rayguns!! Short Stories And Other White Lies. Our June 14th radio show will be devoted to the musicmakers of Guitars Vs. Rayguns!, and you can bet your last guitar AND your last raygun we'll be playing the Cynz.

BUT! Given the context in which the group is mentioned in the book, we can't play any of the covers the Cynz have recorded; we've gotta play a Cynz original. I know just the one to play. And it's SO lovely....

THE WHO: The Kids Are Alright

The Greatest Record Ever Made!

THE MONKEES: When Love Comes Knockin' (At You Door)

Like the Cynz, the Monkees are mentioned in Guitars Vs. Rayguns!! Short Stories And Other White Lies. In addition to a scene where the book's titular fictional rock 'n' roll group is rehearsing a cover of the Monkees' "(I'm Not Your Steppin' Stone)," another story later in the book lifts a plot device directly from The Monkees. As one of my characters admits, "I stole the idea from Michael Nesmith in the pilot episode of the Monkees' TV show." 

So yeah: We'll hear the Monkees in TIRnRR's Guitars Vs. Rayguns!! special on June 14th, our June 7th show will have two tracks from the sessions that produced the Monkees' 2016 triumph Good Times!, and this week's program brings us Davy Jones singin' a Neil Sedaka-Carole Bayer song from 1967's More Of The Monkees. THIS is why people say we Monkee around.

Guilty as charged. And unrepentant. Hey, hey.

THE FLASHCUBES: Got No Mind

THE FLASHCUBES: Dizzy Miss Lizzy

THE FLASHCUBES: Rawhide

As we bid farewell to May 2026, we close this week's edition of our little shindig with a replay of the big finish from a club show that took place just over 47 years ago. 

In May of 1979, Syracuse's own power pop powerhouse the Flashcubes were one of the best live rock 'n' roll bands on the whole friggin' planet. A 5/26/79 'Cubes gig at The Firebarn was captured on multitrack, preserving a document of this incendiary act at the zenith of their irresistible prowess. The show was eventually released to retail as the 2022 album Flashcubes On Fire. From my liner notes for Flashcubes On Fire:

"At its best, live music is alchemy in action, capable of transforming the air around us into pure gold. This mystic process is fueled by so many ingredients, both physical and phantasmic. Sweat. Love. Lust. Hate. Alcohol. Hunger. Ambition. Greed. Generosity. Divine inspiration. Betrayal. Heartbreak. Laughter. Tears. One pill that makes you larger, one pill that makes you small. Amplifiers, power chords, the beat of the bass and drums. Voices rising in anger or exultation. Taking a sad song and making it better. One for the money, two for the show. NOISE. Beautiful, transcendent noise. The sound of gold.

"In 1979, I was 19 years old. I reveled in this golden sound. My preferred alchemists were a fantastic rock 'n' roll group called the Flashcubes. My go-to goldmine was the Firebarn...

"...That's where you'd find the Flashcubes, bending air into gold. They were gonna be the biggest stars in the whole goddamned world. I knew it. If history contradicted me, I regret nothing. I wasn't wrong. The world was wrong...."

This week's TIRnRR bids farewell to May with the last three tracks from Flashcubes On Fire: One Cubic original (the anthemic punk raving of the late Paul Armstrong's "Got No Mind") and two covers (the Larry Williams [via the Beatles] classic "Dizzy Miss Lizzy" and Link Wray's invigmoratin' instrumental victory lap "Rawhide"). We prefaced the three-fer with an edited-for-FCC-compliance clip of the late Ducky Carlisle introducing our heroes:

One day, very soon from now, all you people are going to be able to say 'I saw this band before they were famous.' Here they are, the best fuckin' rock band in New York, THE FLASHCUBES!!

Bright lights, man. The brightest lights 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 of short stories Guitars Vs. Rayguns!! Short Stories And Other White Lies is due out soon; meanwhile, you can get an autographed copy of my previous book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) here, and 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.

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.