10 SONGS: 3/14/2026

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 # 1327

THE SURFRAJETTES: Easy As Pie

I swear to Joey Ramone that I chose this as the opening track for this week's 10 Songs before realizing today is Pi Day. It's not that I wouldn't sink to the level of making that joke; it's just that I didn't think of it.

No, this week's radio show and today's blog post start with the Surfrajettes because that incredible rockin' instrumental combo is coming to Syracuse next week for a show at Middle Ages Brewing. HuzZAH! That will be Thursday March 19th, a splendid time will be forcibly mandated for all, and you can get your tickets here. Do so! NOW...!!

Given all that, it was a no-brainer that we were gonna program some Surfrajettes music. And speaking of no-brainers, I was mortified to discover that this is the Surfrajettes' TIRnRR debut. Man, what the hell's wrong with us? But we're gonna make up for our lapse, starting now with the title tune from the Surfragettes' 2024 album Easy As Pie. We'll hear another fine Surfrajettes selection on Sunday night, and we promise more Surfrajettes to come.

Who wants pie? 

THE FLASHCUBES: Reminisce

On the air this week and in the commentary accompanying the posted playlist, I mentioned that Paul Armstrong--really loud guitarist for Syracuse's own power pop powerhouse the Flashcubes--was once cited by a local journalist (probably Russ Donahue) as the one person most responsible for bringing punk and new wave to Syracuse in the '70s. In my (eventually) forthcoming book Make Something Happen! The DIY Story Of A Power Pop Band Called THE FLASHCUBES, PA is referred to as the Godfather of Punk in Central New York. Ain't no one more deserving of that billing.

"Reminisce' was the first of three new original Flashcubes recordings I solicited to enhance Big Stir Records' 2025 various-artists blockbuster Make Something Happen! A Tribute To The Flashcubes. It's a testimony to the group's ongoing Cubic mojo that the three new songs--PA's "Reminisce," bassist Gary Frenay's "The Sweet Spot" (written with the late B.D. Love), and guitarist Arty Lenin's "If These Hands"--can stand with pride alongside other great songs the lads have written from 1977 to date. As I've said elsewhere:

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

ORBIS MAX: Don't Lose Me Now

Pop music can swing, pop music can punch, and pop music can ache with loss and longing, fueled by its own regret and desire. The latest Orbis Max single "Don't Lose Me Now" aces the trifecta, built by guitars standing on the shoulders of guitars and driven by the desperation to make things right, or at least make one last stand in the effort. Heart on sleeve. Let the teardops fire at will.

THE CYNZ: Love's So Lovely

An absolutely dynamic cover of Tom Petty's "You Wreck Me" is the current single off Confess, the dynamic new album from the Cynz. We played "You Wreck Me" on last week's show, but this week and next we're returning to one of the album's previous singles, the irresistible original song "Love's So Lovely." Yes! ORIGINAL Cynz! I slay me. But I confess that we can't go wrong either way.

TAVARES: It Only Takes A Minute

The Greatest Record Ever Made!

THE SPONGETONES: So Long

Like the Flashcubes, North Carolina stalwarts the Spongetones are for damned sure also in The Power Pop Hall Of Fame. And whenever the Spongetones release something new, TIRnRR is for damned sure going to play it. An advance copy of their latest fab single "So Long" reached us after this week's show was already programmed, but just in time for us to make a quick substitution and squeeze it in. (Our apologies to the Dave Clark Five, but you'll be back.) "So Long?" Hello!

SLYBOOTS: If We Could Let Go

As the country and the world seem increasingly eager to leap into the abyss and take us all with it, I've been trying to draw strength from my current favorite phrase: The audacity of joy. It takes a lot--a lot--to even attempt any kind of positive outlook. But we can't give up on hope. That would mean giving in, and that's what the bad guys want us to do. I refuse. We need to do much more than just hold hands and sing "Kumbaya"...but we DO also need to hold hands and sing "Kumbaya." If we lose joy, we lose everything.

Slyboots' sublime 2024 single "If We Could Let Go" has become my top song choice to accompany the audacious pursuit of delight when delight feels elusive. Join hands. Let go of everything else.

DAVE EDMUNDS: Get Out Of Denver

CHUCK BERRY: Johnny B. Goode

Dave Edmunds covering Bob Seger, and Chuck Berry inspiring the Seger tune that Mr. Edmunds is covering. In or out of Denver, they play that guitar like a-ringin' a bell. Go GO!!

THE RAMONES: Do You Wanna Dance?

Yep. Always. In times of trouble, we maintain a steadfast embrace of the audacity of joy.

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

I compiled a various-artists tribute album called Make Something Happen! A Tribute To The Flashcubes, and it's pretty damned good; you can read about it here and order it here. My new book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) is now available, and you can order an autographed copy here. You can still get my previous book Gabba Gabba Hey! A Conversation With The Ramones from publisher Rare Bird Books, OR an autographed copy here. If you like the books, please consider leaving a rating and/or review at the usual online resources.

This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl airs Sunday nights from 9 to Midnight Eastern, on the air in Syracuse at SPARK! WSPJ 103.3 and 93.7 FM, streaming at SPARK stream and on the Radio Garden app as WESTCOTT RADIO. You can read about our history here.

10 SONGS: 7/5/2025

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 # 1292

BALLZY TOMORROW: Five Personalities

From the acknowledgements listed in the forthcoming various-artists blockbuster Make Something Happen! A Tribute To The Flashcubes (due September 12th from the good folks at Big Stir Records):

"Special thanks to Robbie Rist; two years ago, when I said that someone should put together a Flashcubes tribute album, he immediately replied (and I'm paraphrasing): "YOU do it. You know bands! And I'll be on it!" When Robbie speaks, power pop fans listen."

This power pop fan listened anyway. And as the Flashcubes tribute album moved from Wouldn't it be cool? to GO TIME!!, it was clear to me that our Robbie should use the great power and responsibility of his nom de bop Ballzy Tomorrow to do a cover of the Flashcubes' "Five Personalities."

"Five Personalities" was originally recorded by 'Cubes guitarist Paul Armstrong's group the Richards (as heard on This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 3), co-written by PA with Richards lead singer Norm Mattice and CNY guitar legend Mark Doyle. With some additional songcraft from Flashcubes bassist Gary Frenay, "Five Personalities" was subsequently recorded by the Flashcubes themselves for their 2003 album Brilliant, and that arrangement provides the basic template for Ballzy Tomorrow's Make Something Happen! entry.

And man alive, Mr. Rist runs with it. Hell, Gary Frenay recently declared Ballzy Tomorrow's (and I quote) "phenomenal" rendition of "Five Personalities to be "Best version of the song yet. So inspired!" PA chimed in with "Stellar!," and 'Cubes drummer Tommy Allen added a reverent "AWESOME!!!"

They are correct. But I expected nothing less. When Robbie Rist speaks, power pop fans listen. And when Robbie plays and sings? They listen even harder.

THE FLASHCUBES WITH MIKE GENT: Reminisce

The new digital single is out! Yeah, sure, "Reminisce" will be on Make Something Happen!, but you can't wait until September 12th--you want it NOW!! So GO BUY IT. Then, y'know, reminisce later, and at will.

ORBIS MAX AND TIM IZZARD: Further Down The Line

Great music for an eminently worthy cause. Pop Aid 3: A Pop Compilation To Benefit Those Affected By The California Wildfires) is a new 2-CD collection from our friends at Kool Kat Musik. Let's cede the podium to Brother Ray Gianchetti to speak on behalf of the project:

"Hot on the heels of Pop Aid 2,  which benefited people impacted by hurricanes Helene and Milton, comes Pop Aid 3: A Pop Compilation To Benefit Those Affected By The California Wildfires), a 30 track, 2-CD collection of exclusive/previously unreleased tracks! Once again, pop artists/bands from around the world have stepped up to contribute exclusive tracks to Pop Aid 3. Participating artists are the Stewart Dolly, Go Time!, the Trafalgars, Scott McCarl (Raspberries), Robin Schell, Hanemoon, the Frisco Connection w/ guest vocals by Paul Kopf, True Hearts, Band Of Jays, the PoZers, Zig Zag Road, Herb Eimerman, Orbis Max and Tim Izzard, Richard Turgeon, the Lucky Shots (Brent Seavers’ new band), the Dreambots, the Junior League, Grant Lindberg, Terry Carolan, Coke Belda, Rob Bonfiglio, the Treasures Of Mexico, John Larson and the Silver Fields, Little Roger, Tim Izzard and the Distractions, the Red Sticks, Sunbourne Rd AND tracks from two new projects featuring Jeff Murphy (Shoes) -  Joywire and Evasive Species (Jeff plus ex-members of Material Issue)!  Longtime music collector and Pacific Palisades resident Mark Verheiden has contributed liner notes that provide insight from his perspective of what he and his family experienced on January 7 and after. And like Pop Aid 2, Pop Aid 3 will support the work of the American Red Cross, with 100% of net profits going directly to the American Red Cross!  Great music for a great cause at a great price from the leading pop-oriented, fundraising label!"

We received this wonderful set just in time to squeeze two tracks (by Orbis Max and Tom Izzard and John Larson and the Silver Fields) into an already-packed show, but it was well worth it. We'll have another Pop Aid 3 track on our next show, with more still to come in future weeks.

DOLPH CHANEY: Girl From Germany

TIRnRR Fave Rave Dolph Chaney was a late edition to the Flashcubes tribute album, as Dolph stepped in when circumstances forced another artist to withdraw from the project. And mein Gott, did Dolph ever deliver, and how! We suggested 'Cubes guitarist Arty Lenin's "Girl From Germany" as an appropriate Chaney choice, and faster'n you can say JAWOHL!, he responded with this inventive and engaging interpretation. As Dolph hisself explains:

"The idea was, 'what music would the Girl From Germany probably like, that might represent the gap the singer is feeling?' So I picked Kraftwerk, Blondie, Devo, and Berlin-era Bowie, and that inspired the synth approach."

Ich lieb es. Wunderbar! Danke schön, Herr Chaney. Danke schön.

CALLAN FOSTER: Insult To Injury

In addition to the four album tracks and one single we programmed from Make Something Happen! this week, we also wanted to play a non-'Cubes track by each of the other acts appearing on the Flashcubes tribute album. We made that particular something happen with assorted gems by Make Something Happen! participants sparkle*jets u.k., Librarians With Hickeys, Chris von Sneidern, Graham Parker, Joe Giddings, the Kennedys, Pop Co-Op, the Peppermint Kicks, Tom Kenny & the Hi-Seas, Hamell On Trial, the Armoires, Rob Moss and Skin-Tight Skin, the Mayflowers, Super 8 Featuring Lisa Mychols, Sorrows, and the Spongetones, each of 'em proving with their own material why we wanted them on the Flashcubes salute in the first place.

Callan Foster's cover of the Flashcubes' "It's You Tonight" predates the Make Something Happen! project itself; it's an epic one-man-band production that Callan posted on YouTube last year. We've played that on the show in the past, but this week we wanted to go with one of Callan's own tunes, so we slapped on his superb single "Insult To Injury," and reveled in the glory of power pop. 

If you don't know Callan Foster yet, don't sorry. We're pretty confident you'll hear him a lot going forward.

THE CHOOSERS: Christi Girl

"Christi Girl" was the Flashcubes' very first record, released as a 45 in 1978, and later picked up by Bomp Records for inclusion on a 1979 sampler LP called Waves Vol. 1. It was an absolute priority for a version of "Christi Girl" to appear on the Flashcubes tribute album, and Gary suggested the Choosers be...er, chosen. After all, the Choosers had already covered "Christi Girl" in a 2021 video, so this was a natural pairing. The Choosers even gave us a fresh graphic emulating the look of the original Flashcubes 45, taking us once again to that special place nobody else can go.

THE VERBS: I Need Glue

Meegan Voss was a veteran participant in the same vibrant late '70s Syracuse music scene sparked by the Flashcubes, and her 1978-1980 group the Poptarts shoulda been stars. Now, she and her husband Steve Jordan perform together as the Verbs. I remember Meegan from the Poptarts days, and I remember watching Steve on TV in the '80s, when he was the drummer for the house band on Late Night With David Letterman. Steve has worked with just about everybody, though one suspects his current gig as the Rolling Stones' drummer kinda pops out on the ol' résumé with extra added satisfaction.

We are so fortunate to have Meegan and Steve involved in this Flashcubes tribute project, and it's such a unique kick to hear how the Verbs have taken "I Need Glue," a very early Flashcubes punk number, and made it their freakin' own. 

HEY! Speakin' of glue....

THE RAMONES: Carbona Not Glue

The Greatest Record Ever Made!

THE BEATLES: Getting Better

"Getting better...?!" Have ya seen the news lately? Man, it's time we got to fixing a hole where the razzafrazzin' pain gets in.

THE BEACH BOYS: Little Deuce Coupe

On Sunday night, TIRnRR presents GOOD VIBRATIONS! Brian Wilson and the Legend of Summer. We'll hear music from Brian Wilson with the Beach Boys and as a solo act, we'll hear covers of some of Wilson's work, some other artists' work that we feel was influenced by Wilson, and some otherwise-unrelated material (including, but not limited to, some summer songs) that just feels appropriate to fit in. 

Among the celebrants will be Gary Frenay, Michael Simmons, P. P. Arnold, Bruce Springsteen, Raspberries, Jan and Dean, the Krayolas, Lisa Mychols and Super 8, Nelson Bragg, Sly and the Family Stone, the Sunrays, America, the Rubinoos, Curt Boettcher, the Ramones, the Yellow Balloon, Mike Browning, the Isley Brothers, the Smithereens, the Flamin' Groovies, Rob Bonfiglio, Al Jardine, Carnie and Wendy Wilson, Laurie Biaginio, Sixpence None The Richer, the Trade Winds, the Tearjerkers, Euclid Beach Band, 20/20, Doug Powell, R.E.M., the Ronettes, the Records, the Honeys, Jeffrey Foskett, Brad Jones, Eric Carmen, the Beatles, Fraternal Order of the All, the Anderson Council, the Parade, Jason Byrd, First Class, Jason Harrod, Johnathan Pushkar and Richard Barone, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, General Johnson and Joey Ramone...

...and Brian Wilson. And the Beach Boys. Surf's up. Join us.

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

This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl airs Sunday nights from 9 to Midnight Eastern, on the air in Syracuse at SPARK! WSPJ 103.3 and 93.7 FM, streaming at SPARK stream and on the Radio Garden app as WESTCOTT RADIO. You can read about our history here.

10 SONGS: 3/31/2023

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 # 1174. This show is available as a podcast.

LIBRARIANS WITH HICKEYS: Can't Wait 'Till Summer

When we receive a new album for TIRnRR airplay consideration, both Dana and I take foolish pride in our ability to pick out great singles. I say we've done pretty well in that regard, but we fell short with "Can't Wait 'Till Summer," the current single from Librarians With Hickeys' superswell 2022 album Handclaps & Tambourines.

In all fairness to us, it's worth noting that our initial pick t' click from this album was the brilliant "I Better Get Home," and we have no second guesses about poundin' that one into the airwaves. I mean, that track is powered by confident cries of HEY!, and ya can't go wrong putting confident cries of HEY! on the radio. You can't. We did our job with that one.

Alas, our obsession with "I Better Get Home" rendered us oblivious to the boundless pop splendor of "Can't Wait 'Till Summer." Man, whatta great single, even without the prerequisite power of HEY! The track is tinged with melancholy, less a celebration of surf and sun and more reminiscent of the fleeting nature of summer romance, the longing and even regret we hear in the Beach Boys' "Girl Don't Tell Me" and Chad and Jeremy's "A Summer Song." The mighty Big Stir Records has released "Can't Wait 'Till Summer" as a digital single; we played it this week, and we'll play it again next week. It didn't need to wait for summer. It just needed to wait for its turn. 

(PLUS! It has a really nice new video.)

THE TEARJERKERS: Syracuse Summer

THE MONKEES: You Bring The Summer

Opening this week's shindig with Librarians With Hickey's "Can't Wait 'Till Summer" compelled us to follow with two more summer-titled tunes. Happier summer songs. Never mind that spring has barely sprung, or that it's still been snowing in Syracuse. It's the sun-kissed thought that counts.

"Syracuse Summer" was written by Gary Frenay of the Flashcubes, and released as a single by the Tearjerkers in 1980. Lead vocals are by Gary's long-time pal/Tearjerkers guitarist Charlie Robbins and Tearjerkers bassist Dave DeCirce, Gary and his fellow Flashcube Arty Lenin join Ducky Carlisle and Keith Vincelette on backing vocals (as Northside All-Star Singers), Gary sings the bridge, and Tearjerkers guitarist Dave Soule and drummer Larry Dziergas complete the magic of this perfect, perfect single. This sublime tribute to the mercurial climate of Central New York--Seasons change and you live extremes/You got snowfall covering your sunny dreams--has owned a permanent berth on my all-time Hot 100 for more than four decades. Its only CD or digital appearance to date was on our 2013 compilation This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 3, which included a cool percussive intro that was omitted on the original 45.

"You Bring The Summer" was the second preview single from the Monkees' stellar 2016 album Good Times! That second single served as a great reassurance for me at the time. I was initially underwhelmed with the first single "She Makes Me Laugh," and I wrote about that here; "You Bring The Summer" was an instant, welcome earworm, and its release prompted me to write an emotional reminiscence of my high-school friendship with another Monkees fan. With "You Bring The Summer," I knew for sure that good times were in store. Good Times! turned out to be my favorite album of the year, and the subject of the only record review I've written since my Goldmine days.

("You Bring The Summer" also made a brief appearance in the 2016 Netflix miniseries Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life. Good enough for Lorelei and Rory? Good enough for all of us, man. Good enough for all of us. Bring it.)

ORBIS MAX AND LISA MYCHOLS FEATURING ED RYAN: RUOK

A cautionary tale from the combined forces of Orbis Max and Lisa Mychols featuring Ed Ryan, "RUOK" is gorgeous on its own merit and vital in its reminder that our friends need us, just as we need them. Are you okay? We need to ask. 

And we've gotta listen closely to the answer.

BRENDA LEE: What'd I Say

In addition to her pivotal role in inspiring my lovely wife Brenda's preferred nickname, Brenda Lee was Little Miss Dynamite, and you can hear that explosive ability in her rockin' '50s sides like "Sweet Nothin's." I think more people associate Lee with ballads like "I'm Sorry," or with her holiday smash "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree," records which don't demonstrate Lee's capacity for the incendiary.

My top two Brenda Lee performances would be both sides of this phenomenal 1964 UK single, "Is It True"/"What'd I Say." Recorded in London, produced by noted British hitmeister Mickie Most, and with Jimmy Page on guitar, these tracks are dynamite indeed. I knew the irresistible A-side from its appearance on Rhino Records's essential girl-group sound boxed set One Kiss Can Lead To Another, but I first heard Lee's wild 'n' terrific take on Ray Charles' "What'd I Say" a week or two ago, when I snagged a copy of a various-artists set called The Rebel Kind: Girls With Guitars 3. Whoa! Dynamite on demand. That what I say.

THE TEMPTATIONS: My Girl

The occasionally random nature of the TIRnRR programming process: I don't remember if I had any intention of playing the Temptations this week. But when Dana chose a spin of Iggy Pop's "Pumpin' For Jill," I automatically followed with "My Girl." As one does. Don't seek to understand the programming process. The programming process is the programming process.

My long-threatened book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) does not include an entry for "My Girl," though it would certainly qualify for that ongoing and infinite discussion. The song is referenced in two other entries, for the Temptations' "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone" and former Temps lead singer David Ruffin's "I Want You Back:"

"...The Temptations had been one of Motown's most consistent hitmakers throughout the '60s, and success had continued into the early '70s. The group's line-up had changed over time; David Ruffin, Eddie Kendricks, and Paul Williams were all former Temptations by the time of 'Papa Was A Rollin' Stone' in '72. 'Papa Was A Rollin' Stone' was as far removed from earlier Temps hits like 'My Girl' and 'The Way You Do The Things You Do' as the party of Abraham Lincoln in the 1860s was removed from the party of Nixon's Southern strategy in the late 1960s...."

"Ruffin had been a proven and experienced hitmaker with the Temptations. If Motown was the sound of young America in the '60s, the Temptations were arguably the sound of Motown. Their hits were many, their popularity vast, and 'My Girl' in particular is immortal, and perhaps the definitive Motown single. 'My Girl' is furthermore the sort of pervasive classic that is always lying somewhere near the surface of your subconscious, a tune you might not think anyone ever actually wrote, but which must instead have been passed down from generation to generation.

"Ruffin had been the lead voice on 'My Girl,' as well as on the Temptations' 'Ain't Too Proud To Beg,' '(I Know) I'm Losing You,' and 'I Wish It Would Rain,' among others. But by 1968, being one of the Temptations had ceased to bring Ruffin sunshine on a cloudy day. With that, he was no longer a Temptation..."

So why isn't "My Girl" in the GREM! book? Don't seek to understand the writing process. The writing process is the writing process.

THE BEAS: International Girl

The Beas' obscure 1966 B-side "International Girl" also receives a mention in The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1), though it's just a passing reference in (off all things) my Freddie and the Dreamers chapter. The A-side "Nothing Can Go Wrong" is also cool but no less obscure, and it can't match the sheer zip of "International Girl," which shoulda been the focus track. See, they coulda used Dana & Carl to pick the singles. Granted, I was six at the time, but I would have served if I had been called to do so.

"International Girl" was the reason I bought my copy of The Rebel Kind: Girls With Guitars 3, the compilation that gave me Brenda Lee's "What'd I Say." I knew "International Girl" from some '60s girl group compilation I downloaded with my eMusic membership years ago. Those files disappeared when my iTunes library melted circa 2019. I love the track, so it was high time I replaced it. If memory serves, "International Girl" made its TIRnRR debut in August of 2010, a dedication to my daughter Meghan the night before we flew to England for her first overseas trip. International girl/Dance all around the world.

The liner notes to The Rebel Kind say that songwriter Jerry Styner claimed that the unidentified lead singer of the Beas went on to be a member of the Honey Cone, best-known for their '70s bubblesoul classic "Want Ads." I have found nothing to corroborate that claim. But what the hell: I'm using it as an excuse to start a rumor that Reggie Mantle of the Archies played bass on "International Girl." Why not? Veronica was an international girl, too.

THE BAY CITY ROLLERS: Rock And Roll Love Letter

The Greatest Record Ever Made!

THE RAMONES: Sitting In My Room

As I continue to prepare for the May publication of my new book Gabba Gabba Hey! A Conversation With The Ramones, we've been programming a lot of Ramones music. That's not unusual--the Ramones are always one of our top acts on TIRnRR--but I do currently have a more deliberate intent to play this group I call the American Beatles, the greatest American rock 'n' roll group of all time. This piece touches a bit on how the months of April and May figure to be specific celebrations of 2023 as my year of the Ramones.

I've been re-listening to the Ramones' 1981 album Pleasant Dreams. It's such a great record, even though it doesn't sound like any other Ramones album. Here's a sneak peak at what I'll be saying about Pleasant Dreams in a forthcoming post:

"Pleasant Dreams was produced by Graham Gouldman, who achieved great success in the '60s as a songwriter for the Yardbirds, the Hollies, and Herman's Hermits, and subsequently as a performer with 10cc. And, as Johnny Ramone said in our interview, 'The guy from 10cc producing the Ramones? 10cc sucks, and it's not right for the Ramones.'

"On Pleasant Dreams, Gouldman's production made the Ramones sound...I dunno, smoother than expected? Phil Spector had done something similar with 1980's End Of The Century, another album that doesn't sound like any other Ramones album. In Spector's hands, the bubblepunk purity of the Ramones got lost in his Wall of Sound; Gouldman turned the Ramones into a new wave pop band. Neither End Of The Century nor Pleasant Dreams is at the same transcendent level as the classic first four Ramones albums that preceded them.

"Ignoring the anomaly of this album's place in the larger Carbona-huffin' picture, though, I need to risk contradicting myself: Pleasant Dreams is a fantastic record. Fantastic. I know Marky Ramone liked it, and we've established that Johnny hated it, but the fact that it wasn't Rocket To Russia doesn't prevent it from being compelling in its own right nonetheless.

"Pleasant Dreams is loaded with great Ramones songs, from 'We Want The Airwaves' to 'It's Not My Place (In The 9 To 5 World)' to 'She's A Sensation' to the superb album closer 'Sitting In My Room.' 'The KKK Took My Baby Away' is the best-known of the bunch. Would the tracks sound better if Ed Stasium or Tommy Ramone had produced them? Possibly. They sound pretty good as-is...."

Prior to my reacquaintin' session with Pleasant Dreams, I'd forgotten how just friggin' cool its last track "Sitting In My Room" is. Pleasant Dreams will never be my favorite Ramones album; the first four albums have a lock on my top spots, I've always been fond of 1983's Subterranean Jungle, and the group's '90s stuff was way better than most folks realize. But Pleasant Dreams is also solid. We'll hear my # 1 favorite Pleasant Dreams track on our April 9th show. 

PERILOUS: Rock & Roll Kiss

Perilous' ace number "Rock & Roll Kiss" was one of my top tracks in 2022, and we were delighted to include it on our most recent compilation album This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 5. I'm very much looking forward to seeing Perilous play out live, and we're working on a plan to make that happen at a book release party in May.

Which book? Oh, you know which book....

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 for preorder, courtesy of the good folks at Rare Bird Books. Gabba Gabba YAY!!

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: 1/6/2022

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 # 1110.

MICHAEL NESMITH: Rising In Love

When the news of Michael Nesmith's death broke on December 10th, we had already recorded our 12/12/2021 edition of TIRnRR. That show happened to include a spin of the Monkees' "You Just May Be The One," and we had time to go back and insert a comment that "This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio remembers Michael Nesmith" before that song played. That particular song has long been among my favorites, its appeal enhanced by the fact that it's a Nesmith song performed by the Monkees themselves--Michael, Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, and Peter Tork--as a self-contained band, with only producer Chip Douglas helping out on backing vocals. Too busy singing and playing to put anybody down.

My mother passed the day before Nesmith did. On December 10th, I was sitting in our old family house, gathered in the kitchen with my wife, daughter, sister, and my daughter's fiancé, trying to postpone the need to discuss funeral plans. A glance at my phone delivered the extra gut punch that the world had lost Nesmith. While the death of an artist you never met can't be compared to the immediate ache of having to say goodbye to a loved one, the loss is still palpable. The people and things we love affect us; our art and our culture affect us. Family affects us. Love affects as, it should. As it must.

(I lost my Uncle Carl--Mom's younger brother, and the source of my own name--exactly two weeks after Nesmith checked out, in the wee hours of Christmas Eve morning. 2021 was not my favorite year. December 2021 in particular can suck it.)

Dana and I take this silly little mutant radio show seriously, or at least as seriously as one can take a silly little mutant radio show. We wanted to pay tribute to Nesmith, but the end of the year was locked into special programming, with the 23rd annual TIRnRR Christmas show on the 19th and our year-end countdown show on the 26th. The Christmas show included the Monkees' "Riu Chiu" (as well as Angela Lansbury's "We Need A Little Christmas" from Mame, in memory of Mom), and we played the Monkees' "You Told Me" (NESMITH!) on the countdown show to represent the Monkees' place at # 2 on the list of our most-played artists in 2021, second only to those four kings of EMI, the Beatles. We also played "Sometime In The Morning," which was our 40th most-played track during the year.

That left January 2nd as the date for TIRnRR's Nesmith tribute. We made Nesmith both our featured performer and our featured songwriter, with each set including at least one Nesmith performance (solo, with the Monkees, with the First National Band, etc.) and at least one track by another artist doing a song Nesmith wrote.

There was never any question of how the show should open. "Rising In Love"--from Nesmith's 1992 album "...tropical campfire's..."--is such an uplifting number, and a long-time go-to on this show. Over the years, we even tried to get Nesmith's permission to use the track on one of our TIRnRR compilation albums, but there was no real chance of that; he didn't know us from the rest of the mass of people inundating him with requests for time, stuff, benediction, and/or attention. He didn't know us at all.

But we knew him. Not in the sense of those close to him, not like the folks for whom his passing isn't the loss of a hero, but the more devastating loss of family or friend; I know that dreadful feeling in my own family. Still, as fans and admirers, we all knew Michael Nesmith in our own capacity, from afar. We grieve with his family, with respect and love. That love rises. Rising, rising, rising up again.

MICKY DOLENZ: Circle Sky

2021 saw the Monkees--with just our Micky and Michael remaining from the original quartet--hit the road for their farewell concert tour. The year also brought Micky's album Dolenz Sings Nesmith, a delightful collection of Micky singing songs written by his good friend Mike. The album was produced and directed by Michael's talented son Christian Nesmith, with Christian's wife Circe Link on board to help make the whole thing sound exquisite. "Circle Sky" was originally performed live by the Monkees in their 1968 film Head. Christian Nesmith rearranged the song for Dolenz Sings Nesmith, altering its previous hard rock approach into something more ethereal, yet no less rocking. Listeners of Little Steven's Underground Garage voted this The Coolest Song In The World for 2021. We approve of this message.

POP CO-OP: The Only Thing I Really Want

Steve Stoeckel! Bruce Gordon! Stacy Carson! Joel Tinnel! Four adventurers who cheated death! Four men living on borrowed time! These are THE CHALLENGERS OF THE UNKNOWN!

Wait. That ain't right. These guys aren't the Challengers of the Unknown; they're POP CO-OP! And no offense to Challengers Ace, Rocky, Prof, and Red, but the act of being a compelling rockin' pop combo is at least as essential as saving the world in DC Comics. 

The lads of Pop Co-Op have been doing their part to save this world from boredom and banality, with their invigmoratin' records Four State Solution (Your Favorite Album of 2017) and Factory Settings (Your Favorite Album of 2020), as well as contributions to sundry snappy compilation records (like, for example, This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 4). As they pursue their current goal of unleashing Your Favorite Album of 2022, they've graced us with "The Only Thing I Really Want," from the recent compilation Happy Holidays 2021 From Futureman Records!! What's next for Pop Co-Op? The answer to that challenge is unknown...for now.

THE NITTY GRITTY DIRT BAND: Propinquity

Featuring Nesmith as a songwriter gave us opportunities to include tracks by the Continental Drifters, Susanna Hoffs, Michael Carpenter and the Cuban Heels, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Gary Owen, and even Floyd Cramer covering Nesmith. And it gave the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band their TIRnRR debut, with this lovely rendition of "Propinquity."

IRENE PEÑA: Shut It Down

Throughout 2021, America's Sweetheart Irene Peña commemorated the tenth anniversary of her debut album Nothing To Do With You by releasing each of its tracks one by one in a monthly series of digital singles. December brought us the 11th and final single, "Shut It Down." They're all great, and hearin' 'em all now makes us further regret that it took us so damned long to discover the magic of Irene. Where have we been all this time? We coulda been Irene Peña fans years before our 2016 initiation into those ranks! Oh, the humanity! Awright. At least we're fans now, and any record you ain't heard is a new record. We presume the mighty Big Stir Records will be reissuing Nothing To Do With You as a physical release, so sign us up for that.

MICHAEL NESMITH: Rio

Growing up--okay, theoretically growing up--I listened to radio all the time. Duh. Until my late teens, that meant AM Top 40, but by the time of my senior year in high school, the wider vistas of FM started to woo me away from AM. WOUR-FM in Utica stole my loyalty from Syracuse's WOLF-AM and WNDR-AM.

In the '70s, it was not considered cool to dig the Monkees. I will leave it to your imagination to figure out my two-word reply, then and now, to anyone who tried to tell me what I could or couldn't like. 

I don't remember whether or not I ever heard the Monkees on WOUR; the station had an absolutely killer Friday night oldies show, and its daily fare would often mix '60s sides by the likes of the Animals, the Rascals, and the Dave Clark Five with its program of then-recent '70s stuff, so it's possible the Monkees got a spin or two somewhere in there.

But I do remember that OUR played Michael Nesmith. "Rio," from Nesmith's 1977 album From A Radio Engine To The Photon Wing, got regular airplay, and I recall a WOUR DJ expressing appreciation for Nesmith's clever 'n' catchy album titles. WOUR was cool; a cool station playing music by a former Monkee implied that the Monkees were cool...but I already knew that, didn't I? Nesmith was as much a part of my 1977 WOUR-FM experience as the Kinks, Graham Parker, the J. Geils Band, the Bonzo Dog Band, the Yardbirds, the Greg Kihn Band, the Rubinoos, Starz, Nick Lowe, John Lennon, Joan Baez, and the Sex Pistols, old and new stuff playing together, as a benevolent God intended. Thou shalt dig whatever seems dig-worthy. 

Including Michael Nesmith. And including the Monkees.

ORBIS MAX: On Time

This is really cool. The latest track from that prolific pop resource Orbis Max is a cover of "On Time," a song written by Vinnie Zummo and Dave Kaufman, the latter aka renowned NYC pop DJ Dave the Boogieman. I don't know the precise back story, but I gather that Vinnie and Dave were in a group called Stone Ridge in the late '60s and early '70s. Orbis Max's new version of Stone Ridge's "On Time" comes from Stone Ridge 2022 Tribute, a new compilation from Power Popaholic Productions. In the spirit of Rhino Records' much-loved set The Best Of Louie Louie, Stone Ridge 2022 Tribute serves up different versions of just the one song, with the Pozers, Joe Ricardello, Jose Estragos, Vinnie Zummo, and Dave Kaufman also appearing alongside the Orbis gang to take their own shots at "On Time." Estragos supplies two versions, one in English and one in Spanish. ¡Bueno! We'll hear the Orbis Max track again on next week's TIRnRR.

THE STONE PONEYS: Different Drum

From a previous edition of 10 Songs:

It tickles me how I still occasionally run into folks who are amazed or amused that Michael Nesmith of the Monkees wrote "Different Drum," the 1967 Stone Poneys hit that introduced that group's lead singer Linda Ronstadt to the world at large. On the "Two Many Girls" episode of the Monkees' TV series, Nesmith even performs a brief version of the song as a parody of a bumbling folk singer, Billy Roy Hodstetter. (That particular episode is otherwise notable for TV censors' decision to blur actress Kelly Jean Peters' cleavage, lest American youth be, I dunno, too busy gawking to put anybody down.)

Cheer up, Kelly Jean! Oh what can censors mean to an unblurred believer...?

Ronstadt herself is dismissive of "Different Drum," associating the song with her memory of its recording and her unhappiness with the process. But it's a wonderful, wonderful pop song, and no one has yet matched her rendition of it. No, not even Billy Roy Hodstetter. And not even Nesmith, whose own version was rootsier and perhaps more authentic in its approach, but not as striking. Nesmith wrote it; he wrote a lot of great songs, and performed the definitive versions of many of them. But "Different Drum?" Linda Ronstadt owns that one.

MICHAEL NESMITH AND THE FIRST NATIONAL BAND: Joanne

For all of the Monkees' success in the '60s, the group's fame and fortune did not survive intact into the next decade, at least in terms of the public's perception. The Monkees' music and legacy would eventually prove to be more resilient than seemed likely at the time--there are very good reasons why we're still talking about the Monkees now, decades after the TV show was cancelled--but in 1970, the Monkees' days at the top of the pops had ceased.

Micky Dolenz never had a solo hit. Davy Jones never had a solo hit. Peter Tork never had a solo hit. But, while Top 40 singles certainly weren't Michael Nesmith's primary (nor even secondary) ambition, he got one anyway. His 1970 single of "Joanne," credited to his group Michael Nesmith and the First National Band, was a modest hit, peaking at # 21 on the Hot 100, but it was a former Monkee still on the radio at the dawn of the Me Decade. Its mournful Americana echoed across the land.

It still echoed in 1977. Riding with my Mom and Dad to visit my brother Art and his family in Nashville over Christmas break, "Joanne" came on the radio as Dad drove through Virginia. From my perch in the back seat of our Impala, I asked Mom to turn the radio up a bit, and told her the voice we heard belonged to Mike Nesmith, from the Monkees. She edged the volume slightly North (as we headed South), just enough for the sound of Nesmith and his First National Band to fill the car. Mom remembered the Monkees, but was a bit surprised that one of them was singing country music on the radio. She liked the song--not in the way she liked Pete Fountain or Frank Sinatra, but, y'know, little victories, man. Nesmith's lament of "Joanne" spurred us on toward Tennessee. 

In this far future environment of the 21st century, Mom was a fan of this blog. Every day, when I'd visit her, she asked me to read her whatever I'd posted that day, or what I'd posted over the past few days, once the damned COVID limited my visits to her nursing home. My brother Rob would also read her my blog posts during his own visits. Mom was proud of me, and I wish I could read this to her right now.

Because I remember the road that got us here, through time and trouble, smiles and tears. There was music playing all along the way. One time, that music happened to be a country tune sung by a Monkee. I can still hear it. Thanks for turning the radio up, Mom.

THE MONKEES: Listen To The Band

Weren't they good? They made me happy. I've been quoting that line from Nesmith's "Listen To The Band" a lot. In this uncertain world of wonder and woe, happiness is a treasured commodity. For my Mom, my Uncle Carl, my Dad and all we've lost in years gone by, for all you have lost, and for Michael Nesmith, and Davy and Peter, among others: we were happy to have you in our lives. You were good. You made us happy. I'm not sure, but I think we can make it alone.

If we have to.

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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.

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