10 SONGS: 7/19/2025

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 # 1294.

THE SPONGETONES: Help Me Janie

Dana and I were latecomers to the magic of the Spongetones, but we've made up for lost time with a proud and efficient gusto, and it would be accurate to list the Spongetones as one of the defining artists of This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio's long and hook-infatuated history. We jumped immediately on to the splendor of the Spongetones' recent single "Lulu's In Love," and we approached brand-new single "Help Me Janie" with the very same enthusiastic approach of We have to play this NOW!!!!

"Lulu's In Love," "Help Me Janie," and another soon-to-be-released new Spongetones single will also appear as studio bonus tracks on the Spongetones' forthcoming live album The 40th Anniversary Concert...And Beyond, brought to you by the visionaries at Big Stir Records. We opened this week's show with "Help Me Janie." This Sunday, we'll play "Help Me Janie" again, and we'll hear a little bit of 40th Anniversary Concert live Spongetones, too. One of the defining artists of This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio. Of course we play them. It's what we do.

VAN HALEN: You Really Got Me

In early 1978, I was a second-semester freshman in college when Van Halen released their insistently unsubtle cover of the Kinks' British Invasion classic "You Really Got Me." I loved the Kinks' version, and I detested--detested!!--Eddie 'n' Alex 'n' Michael 'n' David Lee's meatball bludgeoning. I subsequently opened my mind to allow occasional tolerance (and even appreciation) of some individual Van Halen tracks (particularly the great "Dance The Night Away"), but my fortified opposition to the very idea of Van Halen's "You Really Got Me" remained entrenched and unassailable.

On the other hand, our pal Dave Murray is fond of the VH version, and he had a birthday this week. So what the hell; I bought the track and we played it on the show. ("Bought the track?" Yeah. I really got it.)

I will concede that Van Halen's "You Really Got Me" is miles better than the "You Really Got Me" I attempted for this year's annual Dave Murray birthday video. And I also have to concede that Van Halen's "You Really Got Me" is fine, the lingering disdain expressed by my eighteen-year-old self notwithstanding. It's not the equal of the Kinks--let's not veer too close to the loopy here--but it inhabits its skin as it oughta, and I'm starting to understand its appeal. 

THE FLASHCUBES: It's You Tonight

THE WIGS: Tell It All

REDD KROSS: Ballad Of A Love Doll

One track apiece from each of the three discs in a fabulous new compilation called I Wanna Be A Teen Again (North American Power Pop 1980-1989). I Wanna Be A Teen Again was curated by Australian publicist and music guy David Laing, a friend to TIRnRR and a friend to all who cherish the pop with the power. The esteemed Mr. Laing's own Grown Up Wrong! label is responsible for my go-to Flamin' Groovies compilation Between The Lines: The Complete Jordan/Wilson Songbook '71-81, and David has likewise done stellar work assembling I Wanna Be A Teen Again for the UK's mighty Cherry Red Records.

The presence of Syracuse's own power pop powerhouse the Flashcubes makes I Wanna Be A Teen Again a compulsory purchase for me--I buy every project that includes the Flashcubes--but man, I would have wanted this set with a Badfinger-approved no matter what. You got your big names, you got your relative obscurities, and you have all star positions in between. On this week's show, we repped I Wanna Be A Teen Again with spins of the Flashcubes' basement tape of "It's You Tonight" (which was later re-recorded in the '90s for Jordan Oakes' first Yellow Pills compilation), the Wigs' ace "Tell It All," and MTV 120 Minutes superstars Redd Kross with "Ballad Of A Love Doll," and circled back for NRBQ's "You Can't Hide" at the end of the show. Is it power pop? Don't ask. Just dig.

If you're stranded in the British Isles (and I, for one, would be deeply jealous), you can order I Wanna Be A Teen Again directly from Cherry Red. If you're back in the USA, I recommend purchase through Kool Kat Musik. Either way, in the words of the late Bob Segarini: Gotta have pop!

LOLAS: Underneath The Waves

Speaking of Kool Kat Musik, one of the label's own fresh releases is a new album from long-time TIRnRR Fave Raves Lolas. Lolas' debut album Ballerina Breakout was a fixture on this show upon its release in 1999 (our first full year on the air); we know 'em, we love 'em, we can't live without 'em. And the latest Lolas long-player Big Hits And Freak Disasters lives up to the legacy, as Lolas keep on keepin' on with the sound that suits The Best Three Hours Of Radio On The Whole Friggin' Planet. From Big Hits And Freak Disasters, "Underneath The Waves" debuts on this week's show, and will return to the airwaves this Sunday.

AMY RIGBY: Heart Is A Muscle

We have heard that Amy Rigby wasn't all that enthused about her song "Heart Is A Muscle," that maybe she almost chose not to record it, and that she probably wasn't sure about releasing it once she did record it.

Well.

For whatever it's worth, this track from Amy's oh-so-nice 2024 album Hang In There With Me was one of TIRnRR's most-played tracks last year, and it has already secured a berth on 2025's year-end countdown show. Gotta keep the ol' heart exercised.

OSCAR TONEY, JR.: Ain't That True Love

The Greatest Record Ever Made!

THE ARMOIRES: You're Not The Police

The forthcoming various-artists blockbuster Make Something Happen! A Tribute To The Flashcubes has been a long-percolatin' labor of love, and the project is barreling with giddy determination toward its September 12th street date. Hey, look! WE MADE SOMETHING HAPPEN!

Over the past few days, I've had the opportunity to view (and wholeheartedly approve) Margie Finer's design for the album's graphics, and finally bask in the glow of a job well done. On this week's show, we reprised Make Something Happen! delights by Ballzy Tomorrow, sparkle*jets u.k., and the Kennedys, and we were pleased to present the premiere of the Armoires' uberpop Beatles-Byrds-Cheap Trick interpretation of the Flashcubes' "You're Not The Police." Send out an APB: The Armoires' "You're Not The Police" provides further brilliant evidence of the sheer arresting (HAR!) nature of this collection.

On Sunday, the Armoires' "You're Not The Police" will return to the scene of the crime, alongside further spins of Cubic covers by Ballzy Tomorrow and Librarians With Hickeys, plus another spin of the Flashcubes' own new single from Make Something Happen! Wanna make something out of it? Well, we're glad to have ya with us. Set bright lights to stun.

THE BEACH BOYS: That's Why God Made The Radio

Asked and answered. We rest our case.

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.

THE GREATEST RECORD EVER MADE! Oscar Toney, Jr., "Ain't That True Love"

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

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

OSCAR TONEY, JR.: Ain't That True Love

Written by Oscar Toney, Jr.

Produced by Papa Don, Cogbill, Emmons, Christman & Young for Papa Don Productions, Inc.

Single (B-side of "For Your Precious Love"), Bell Records, 1967

One of the many truths in our lives as pop fans is that there is always so much more magnificent music awaiting our discovery: New music, of course, and also old music that escaped our attention.

I don't recalI hearing (or hearing of) '60s soul singer Oscar Toney, Jr. until 2022. Even if did hear him pre-pandemic, Toney didn't register with me until a whole lotta later. A chance dive into the CD bins at Sound Garden in Syracuse netted me The Soul Of The Memphis Boys, a compilation CD collecting some Memphis sides by Ben E. King, Elvis Presley, Arthur Conley, James and Bobby Purify, Arthur Alexander, Jerry Lee Lewis, Dusty Springfield, Solomon Burke, Ella Washington, and more. Impulse purchase, come to Poppa!

On this disc, Toney's "Ain't That True Love" freakin' knocked me out. On the radio it went, and it's been a frequent treat on our playlists ever since. This is a bona fide soul classic, even if hardly anyone knows it. Classic.

There's so much out there, waiting for us to open our ears, eyes, and minds and just notice. The hunt continues. 

The hunt eventually led me to a Toney best-of CD called Oscar's Winners, which has enriched some subsequent TIRnRRs with the exquisite "No More Sad Songs, Toney's heavenly take on Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer's stalwart "Moon River" (crossed in style past dreammaker and heartbreaker alike), among others. But, more often than not: "Ain't That True Love."  You know the mantra, mis amigos: Any record you ain't heard is a new record. 

Ain't that...something?

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: 3/3/2023

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 # 1170. This show is available as a podcast.

IRENE PEÑA: Must've Been Good

America's Sweetheart Irene Peña invited Dana and I to appear on her Twitch TV channel last Sunday, and we were delighted to do so. Evidence? Right HERE. But we had no idea that she was also going to surprise us with live cameos by our musical friends Dolph Chaney, Bruce Gordon, and Steve Stoeckel, and we had no clue whatsoever that this fantastic four had wrangled others to join them in a secret fundraiser for Syracuse Community Radio. We're told the looks on our faces when they announced a $500 donation to SCR tells the story of our shock and gratitude.

Maybe it's not enough to just say "thank you," but...thank you. Thank you Irene, and thank you everybody, all who participated and all who contributed. 

This week's TIRnRR was already recorded well before all of the above occurred. Knowing we were gonna be on the air (prerecorded) right after Irene's Twitch-and-shout presentation, we opened our own show with "Must've Been Good," the track that introduced us to Irene's music in 2016.

This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio has the best listeners--the best friends--a little mutant radio show could ever want. And next week? Well, next week's TIRnRR playlist will be our chance to offer a proper thank you after all.

THE FLASHCUBES FEATURING RANDY KLAWON: Get The Message

At this writing, "Get The Message"--the 2022 digital single from the irresistible combined pop forces of the Flashcubes featuring Randy Klawon--has been the most recent 'Cubes release from the visionaries at Big Stir Records. It's a good one, so we keep playing it. 

Still, we want more. Listen, greed ain't so much a sin when you're seeking bounty on behalf of the greater good. For the people! For the FANS! 

(I mean, for us, too. Let's not get crazy. DJs need cool stuff to play just like you need cool stuff to play.)

Luckily, there will be more. I can speak with authority that the Flashcubes are working on [redacted]. 

Um...[redacted]?

Er...lemme try saying it louder, like Garrett Morris on Saturday Night Live: THE FLASHCUBES ARE WORKING ON [redacted]. I said [redacted]. [Redacted]. [REDACTED!] That's [REDACTED!!!].

Damn these NDAs! You'll find out soon enough. Just remember: you got the [redacted] message here first.

OSCAR TONEY JR: Moon River

Gotta admit I'd never even heard of Oscar Toney Jr. until last year. Yeah, late to the party again. But I brought tunes! Here's what I said in 2022:

"One of the many truths in our lives as pop fans is that there is always so much more magnificent music awaiting our discovery: new music, of course, and also old music that escaped our attention.

"I don't recallI hearing (or hearing of) '60s soul singer Oscar Toney Jr. before last week. Maybe? Even if so, Toney didn't register with me until, like, now. A chance dive into the CD bins at Sound Garden in Syracuse netted me The Soul Of The Memphis Boys, a compilation CD collecting some Memphis sides by Ben E. King, Elvis Presley, Arthur Conley, James and Bobby Purify, Arthur Alexander, Jerry Lee Lewis, Dusty Springfield, Solomon Burke, Ella Washington, and more. Impulse purchase, come to Poppa!

"On this disc, Toney's 'Ain't That True Love' freakin' knocked me out. On the radio it went, and on the radio it will return next week. This is a bona fide soul classic, even if hardly anyone knows it. Classic.

"There's so much out there, waiting for us to open our ears, eyes, and minds and just notice. The hunt continues. Ain't that...something?"

That hunt led me to a Toney best-of CD called Oscar's Winners, which made its TIRnRR debut with last week's spin of the exquisite "No More Sad Songs." Go'geous! Toney's heavenly take on Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer's stalwart "Moon River" crossed in style past dreammaker and heartbreaker alike to join this week's cavalcade o' hits, and we'll tune up more Toney next week. You know the mantra, mis amigos: Any record you ain't heard is a new record. Open up. Say OSCAR!

THE CYNZ: Tell That Girl To Shut Up

With this week's spin on the ol' playlist, the Cynz' current cover of Holly and the Italians' "Tell That Girl To Shut Up" has probably locked a berth on TIRnRR's year-end countdown of our most-played tracks in 2023. How high will it place? Remains to be seen, and it's gonna have competition. Still, it seems safe to predict it will be on the Countdown show. 

The track's taking a break next week. It'll be back. Don't even waste your breath tellin' this girl to be quiet. Quiet is not her nature. Lucky for us!

THE MONKEES: You Told Me

Peter Tork, Davy Jones, producer Chip Douglas, Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith

The Monkees will always, always be one of my all-time favorite acts. As the group's sole surviving member, Micky Dolenz is currently preparing a new concert tour in tribute to the Monkees' 1967 album Headquarters. Their third album, Headquarters (along with the non-LP B-side "The Girl I Knew Somewhere," which immediately preceded Headquarters) presented the Monkees as a working studio band for the first time. Following two albums of not being allowed to play at all on the records that bore their name, the Monkees played on every track on Headquarters. There were a few essential sidemen, and producer Chip Douglas served in spots as a de facto fifth Monkee, but it was mostly the Monkees themselves. The result was a solid win, both artistically and commercially. With Headquarters and a 1967 concert tour, the made-for-TV combo had become real.

I've seen a video of Micky and his ace ensemble rehearsing for this new tour, singing the album's opening track "You Told Me." It's a Michael Nesmith song, and Micky channels his departed friend's original presence in his own charismatic style. I'd love to hear what he does with more songs originally sung by Nesmith ("Sunny Girlfriend" and "You Just May Be The One"), Davy Jones (particularly "Early Morning Blues And Greens" and "Forget That Girl"), and Peter Tork (whose only lead vocal on the album was the second verse and one line of the chorus of "Shades Of Gray;" on this tour, Micky will presumably sing both Peter's and David's parts on this one). And I wanna hear Micky's live versions of songs he did sing on the Headquarters album, songs like "Mr. Webster" and "For Pete's Sake." It's gonna be a great show.

Alas, he may not--won't--be coming to my town, as the tour isn't planning stops anywhere near Syracuse. ADD MORE DATES!, I cry. But I know there are only so many shows they can do.

I have a great memory of seeing the Monkees in 2012, after Davy passed, but with Micky, Michael, and Peter. It was magic, one of my most-cherished concert experiences. We play the Monkees' records nearly every week on TIRnRR. This week, we played "You Told Me," the opening track from Headquarters, which remains the Monkees' most-respected full-length work. Next week, we'll play the opening track from one of the Monkees' least-respected albums. It's a great track nonetheless. Hey-hey. We're fans.

DONNA SUMMER: He's A Rebel

This one made it to the playlist outta nowhere. Dana played "Rebel Girl Rebel Girl" by Wreckless Eric and Amy Rigby, and I figured I'd follow with "Rebel Rebel." Rather than play David Bowie's original, I opted for a cover by the Bay City Rollers. 

But I didn't want to play the album track (from 1977's It's A Game); I wanted to go with a live version. We've spoken in recent weeks about Voxx, the 1980 album the post-fame (and post-"Bay City") Rollers submitted as their contract-breaker with Arista Records. It's a very good record, I remembered a live cover of "Rebel Rebel" lurked in between its studio tracks, so I plopped the live Voxx "Rebel Rebel" into place as we set up the show.

It didn't work. 

Not in the context, not in the specific flow of the show. It's a fine track, but it wasn't the right track for the moment. Maybe the Crystals' "He's A Rebel" instead? Hmmm. Or maybe a cover of "He's A Rebel?" Or maybe, I dunno...

...maybe an entirely different song that happened to share that title? Yeah. That worked.

The only tracks I remembered from Donna Summer's 1983 hit album She Works Hard For The Money were the superb title track and "Unconditional Love," her collaboration with Musical Youth. "He's A Rebel" was an original song on that album, I stumbled across it while fumbling through "Rebel"-titled choices, and had my EUREKA! programming epiphany. 

I work hard for no money. That's...the opposite of being a rebel, innit? No matter. As long as the right songs get on the radio, my work is complete.

AMOS MILBURN: Down The Road Apiece

Awright, maybe we're no more likely to get a consensus about identifying the very first rock 'n' roll record than we are to agree on a definition of power pop. But I have yet to hear compelling evidence that anything other than Amos Milburn's 1947 boogie-woogie jumper "Down The Road Apiece" could claim that title. Um, I mean that First Rock 'n' Roll Record title. Calling it power pop would be a little bit of a stretch.

THE CLASH: Train In Vain

The Greatest Record Ever Made!

BLOTTO: Twist And Shout

RECORDED LIVE IN SYRACUSE! I may have even been at this September 1981 show at the Jab, because trust me: given the state of ME in the early '80s, the fact that I don't remember being there has no legit bearing on how likely it was that I was there anyway. Shake it up, baby.

THE KINKS: Destroyer

This is the first time we've ever played "Destroyer" on TIRnRR. I've never fully embraced this willfully bludgeonsome track from the Kinks' 1981 album Give The People What They Want. Other than the flat-out stellar "Better Things," Give The People What They Want isn't one of my favorite Kinks albums; it's always felt to me like a continuation of the arena-rock of 1979's Low Budget, and while I do like both albums, neither would be among the first ten non-compilation Kinks records I'd pick to play during free time.

That said, even if "Destroyer"'s stadium bluster and self-referential nods to "Lola" and "All Day And All Of The Night" are a tiny bit off-putting, I do still like it. The arena-rock phase helped the Kinks remain commercially viable, both Low Budget and Give The People What They Want have their share of well-respected moments, and their next two '80s albums State Of Confusion and Word Of Mouth are even better.

(And I wonder if, in this stadium period from the late '70s to the early/mid '80s, Ray Davies thought of a heavy-handed number called "Destroyer" as a callout to the bombast of KISS, who had a 1976 album called Destroyer. Probably a coincidence, but ya know what? I wanna rock 'n' roll, all day and all of the night. Maybe Ray did, too.)

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.

10 SONGS: 10/20/2022

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 # 1151.

THE SMITHEREENS: Face The World With Pride

The intrepid Rich Firestone--who is the host of Radio Deer Camp right here on SPARK! and also one righteous rockin' dude--has declared that this track from the Smithereens' recently-released archival discovery The Lost Album is a hit record. Book it! "Face The World With Pride" at a Smithereens-approved Top Of The Pops!

We're with Rich. However, the stupid real world of radio formats that are all myopic all the time may not be prepared to follow Rich's lead. So our Reechie has called upon us--all of us, the independent DJs, bloggers, pundits, and loud 'n' boisterous fans--to intercede on the Smithereens' behalf. We hear and we obey. If you have a platform of your own, we join Radio Deer Camp's recommendation that you play the livin' chiclets outta this one.

TIRnRR will do its part. This was "Face The World With Pride"'s fourth straight appearance on our weekly playlist. I betcha we'll play it again next week, too. Hit records have gotta start somewhere. Face the world. Play it with pride.

ARIELLE EDEN: Sagittarius

We've mentioned that we have a new compilation album out, right!? Of course we have! These things don't just hype themselves, people. This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 5 is available at this very transcendent moment, as a CD or a download, it is THE best compilation we've ever done, and we see no need for silly humility as we urge you to buy it. In fact, we recommend you buy more copies than you actually need. Many more copies.

This is an album full of highlights, and one of those highlights is Arielle Eden's beguilin' li'l pop tune "Sagittarius." "Sagittarius" is sprightly and peppy, impossible to resist, and it could be just as appropriate for airing on a contemporary pop radio format as it is for our little mutant pop radio format. It's versatile. And it's cool! The stars decree it.

THE JANGLE BAND: So Long

The weekly This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio shows are international affairs, proudly playing rockin' pop records from all over this wide, wide world of wonder. That we-are-the-world vibe extends to our compilations, at least a little bit. For Volume 5, we have acts from Japan (the Mayflowers), Canada (Laurie Biagini), Sweden (In Deed), and Australia (the Jangle Band). We've been corresponding with the Jangle Band's Joe Algeri for years, and their ace number "So Long" was one of the first tracks we put on our wish list when we started constructing this new compilation.

When we were putting this week's playlist together, Dana mentioned how the mighty Kurt Reil's mastering makes all of the tracks on TIRnRR Vol. 5 snap in such a spectacular way, and how he's hearing the songs now in a way he never heard them before. I agree. And Dana mentioned "So Long" as a track we maybe oughtta play a little more often. I agree with that, too.

THE BEATLES: Helter Skelter

I GOT BLISTERS ON MY FINGERS...!

SMOKEY ROBINSON AND THE MIRACLES: The Tears Of A Clown

The Greatest Record Ever Made!

RICHARD ÖHRN: Time's Not Running Out

We mentioned Uppsala, Sweden's phenomenal pop combo In Deed in passing a few paragraphs back. This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 5 also includes "Peace & Quiet," my favorite among favorite In Deed tracks. We'll hear In Deed's TIRnRR Vol. 5 track on next week's show. But THIS week, we're dead chuffed to serve up a track from In Deed guitarist Richard Öhrn's forthcoming solo album Sounds In English. The album is due out November 11th from our friends at Big Stir Records, and the advance digital single "Love And Friendship" is available right now. TIRnRR approves of these Sounds.

THE KINKS: Revenge

Our house band the Kinks, and a nifty 1964 instrumental called "Revenge." REVENGE! Now we're talkin', huh? Yeah, Lex Luthor was rumored to play rhythm guitar on that track. Well, Lex Luthor or Jimmy Page. Same diff.

JUSTINE AND THE UNCLEAN: Vengeance

Couldn't resist following "Revenge" with "Vengeance," Justine and the Unclean's contribution to This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 5. "Revenge" was our introduction to Justine Covault's fine work a few years back, a prime portal that led us to her own subsequent label Red On Red Records and all sortsa greatness that ensued. She's done so much fantastic stuff, both as a performer and as an ambassador and facilitator for other artists. She is, in short, really, really groovy. "Vengeance" is my favorite. Word on the street suggests there may be a full-length Justine album in the not-too-distant (and not-near-soon-enough) future. Prepare for VENGEANCE! It's FUN!

OSCAR TONEY JR.: Ain't That True Love

One of the many truths in our lives as pop fans is that there is always so much more magnificent music awaiting our discovery: new music, of course, and also old music that escaped our attention.

I don't recallI hearing (or hearing of) '60s soul singer Oscar Toney Jr. before last week. Maybe? Even if so, Toney didn't register with me until, like, now. A chance dive into the CD bins at Sound Garden in Syracuse netted me The Soul Of The Memphis Boys, a compilation CD collecting some Memphis sides by Ben E. King, Elvis Presley, Arthur Conley, James and Bobby Purify, Arthur Alexander, Jerry Lee Lewis, Dusty Springfield, Solomon Burke, Ella Washington, and more. Impulse purchase, come to Poppa!

On this disc, Toney's "Ain't That True Love" freakin' knocked me out. On the radio it went, and on the radio it will return next week. This is a bona fide soul classic, even if hardly anyone knows it. Classic.

There's so much out there, waiting for us to open our ears, eyes, and minds and just notice. The hunt continues. Ain't that...something?

TALL POPPY SYNDROME: Come Some Christmas Eve (Or Halloween)

"Come Some Christmas Eve (Or Halloween)" was written by Robin Gibb, an obscure ditty eventually included on deluxe reissues of the Bee Gees' 1968 album Idea. In our newfangled 21st century, Tall Poppy Syndrome reimagined it as (in their words) "a Mod-era Who performing the Zombies' Odessey And Oracle." Ah, these musicians and their ideas!

Oh, and it was a sublime idea. Tall Poppy Syndrome includes former Bee Gees guitarist Vince Melouney, which gives their Robin Gibb cover a sort of legacy status. Tall Poppy Syndrome's version of "Come Some Christmas Eve (Or Halloween" radiates confidence and vulnerability in paradoxically equal measure, the fragile emotion at its center granting it emotional gravitas, the surefire swagger of its execution commanding our attention and demanding volume far, far north of a mere 11. We are so, so proud to present this superlative Tall Poppy Syndrome track as part of This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 5. Get it. Crank it. Love it. Stand tall, you poppies. Stand tall.

If you like what you see here on Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do), please consider supporting this blog by becoming a patron on Patreon, or by visiting CC's Tip Jar. Additional products and projects are listed here.

This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl airs Sunday nights from 9 to Midnight Eastern, on the air in Syracuse at SPARK! WSPJ 103.3 and 93.7 FM, and on the web at http://sparksyracuse.org/ You can read about our history here.

I'm on Twitter @CafarelliCarl