Showing posts with label playlists. Show all posts
Showing posts with label playlists. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 29, 2026

Fake THIS IS ROCK 'N' ROLL RADIO Playlist: Adventures in the music biz (and its periphery)

This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl is simply too large a concept to be neatly contained within a mere three-hour weekly time slot. Hence these occasional fake TIRnRR playlists, detailing shows we're never really going to do...but could.

Today's imaginary playlist deals with the music biz and its periphery: Promotion men, song sellers, A & R guys, radio, touring, fans, groupies, making records, pursuing stardom, chasing hits, breaking up, and--of course!--the ever-lovable record labels. Business as usual! Turn it up.

This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl--y'know, the real one--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 all about this show's long and weird history here: Boppin' The Whole Friggin' Planet (The History Of THIS IS ROCK 'N' ROLL RADIO). TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATIONS are always welcome.

The many fine This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio compilation albums are still available, each full of that rockin' pop sound you crave. A portion of all sales benefit our perpetually cash-strapped community radio project:

Volume 1: download
Volume 2: CD or download
Volume 3: download
Volume 4: CD or download
Waterloo Sunset--Benefit For This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio:  CD or download
Volume 5: CD or download

Fake TIRnRR Playlist: Adventures in the music biz (and its periphery)

NICK LOWE: I Love My Label
THE VELVELETTES: Ain't No Place Like Motown
GRAHAM PARKER AND THE RUMOUR: Mercury Poisoning
THE SEX PISTOLS: EMI
THE KINKS: Working At The Factory
THE RAIDERS: Song Seller
--
RASPBERRIES: Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)
TWINKLE: Golden Lights
THE MONKEES: Star Collector
PAUL McCARTNEY: Take It Away
PATTI SMITH GROUP: So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star
THE FLASHCUBES: Face In The Crowd
--
THE RAMONES: Danny Says
KISS: Beth
THE DEAD BOYS: 3rd Generation Nation
TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS: Into The Great Wide Open
ELVIS COSTELLO AND THE ATTRACTIONS: Radio Radio
THE KINKS: The Moneygoround
--
THE DRIFTERS: On Broadway
THE BAY CITY ROLLERS: Yesterday's Hero
JOHN LENNON: Watching The Wheels
COCKEYED GHOST: Burning Me Out (Of The Record Store)
THE CLASH: Complete Control
PINK FLOYD: Have A Cigar
--
DAVID BOWIE: Ziggy Stardust
ACE: How Long
RINGO STARR: Early 1970
THE KINKS: Session Man
NANCY SINATRA: Drummer Man
THE BEATLES: It's Only A Northern Song
--
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN: Rosalita
LYRES: How Do You Know
CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL: Lodi
THE RAMONES: Touring
OASIS: Rock And Roll Star
JUDY COLLINS: Both Sides Now
--
THE BYRDS: Eight Miles High
PHIL OCHS: Chords Of Fame
ROBERTA FLACK: Killing Me Softly With His Song
JELLYFISH: Joining A Fanclub
THE MAMAS AND THE PAPAS: Creeque Alley
THE ROLLING STONES: The Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man
--
THE CARPENTERS: Superstar
THE RUNAWAYS: Heartbeat
RICK JAMES: Super Freak
PETER, PAUL AND MARY: I Dig Rock And Roll Music
GEORGE HARRISON: This Song
LUGLESS BOOTH: I Blame His Brother
THE ROMANTICS: National Breakout
CHUCK BERRY: Johnny B. Goode
--
THE MONKEES: Naked Persimmon
THE ROLLERS: Turn On Your Radio
THE KINKS: The Road
COCKEYED GHOST: Big Big Yeah
TUFF DARTS: All For The Love Of Rock & Roll
THE WHO: Long Live Rock
THE RAMONES: I Wanna Be Sedated
CHUCK BERRY: Bye Bye Johnny
--
SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE: Everybody Is A Star

Sunday, April 26, 2026

This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio # 1334

Some people are sent to this world for the express purpose of being loud. Gloriously, life-affirmingly loud.

Paul Armstrong was a guitarist--a really loud guitarist--and he was probably the single most rock 'n' roll person I ever knew. PA was born in the '50s, right around the time when King Elvis the First declared dominion over Heartbreak Hotel, and Chuck Berry ordered Beethoven to roll over and tell Tchaikovsky the news. The flying saucer that carried baby PA to this planet brought him to England, and that green and pleasant land would soon create its own raucous noise, playing an integral part in PA's high-volume personal soundtrack throughout the days and nights of his emphatically loud life.

Armstrong's family emigrated to Syracuse, NY at the dawn of a New Frontier, a torch passed to a new generation. When the Beatles led a British Invasion to reclaim the wayward colonies, young PA thought the Fab Four were okay, but he preferred the Dave Clark Five, the Rolling Stones, the Kinks, the Who, the Small Faces, the Move. They were louder. As the '60s became the '70s, PA picked up a guitar, added the likes of Mott the Hoople, Slade, and eventually the Sex Pistols and Eddie and the Hot Rods to his palette of UK influences, plugged in, and turned the volume up to magnetic North. Paul Armstrong's amp went to 11 before anyone heard of an amp going up to 11.

Paul was in bands: Amanda Jones, which also included a guitarist named Steve Miller (not the famous one, and soon to choose the nom de bop Arty Lenin), and an early version of Rochester, NY's phenomenal pop combo New Math. PA worked at a great record shop called Gerber Music--kid in a candy store!--and so did Arty, a new friend named Gary Frenay, and a pop-infatuated kid named Tommy Allen. In 1977, guitarists Paul Armstrong and Arty Lenin, bassist Gary Frenay, and drummer Tommy Allen became the Flashcubes.

And man, these guys were loud!

The Flashcubes began as a pop band disguised as a punk band, or maybe a punk band disguised as a pop band. Power pop. But the punk aspect was not mere artifice; Flashcubes live sets routinely included music from the Sex Pistols' songbook alongside (you guessed it!) loud covers of the Beatles and the Raspberries. Gary was already a prolific songwriter, and Arty was also writing, so PA rolled over his own Beethoven to create songs like "I Need Glue," "Damaged Beyond Repair," "Student Rape," "Do The Jumping Jack," and "Got No Mind," the latter deeply and triumphantly influenced by another loud pop band, the Ramones.

I tell ya, while I was always captivated by the cumulative punch, buzz, hooks, and sheer, chaotic melody of a Flashcubes live show, this band could clear a room of nonbelievers in seconds flat. I remember bringing a friend to see the 'Cubes in '78, and she was horrified. Horrified. She thought we were playing a joke on her, and we had to take her home immediately. The same thing also happened again with a different friend. Even into the '90s, when the Flashcubes played on a bill at a gig attended by scores of local dignitaries, all of the suits and fancier folks fled in pained terror, and I think they were outta there by the time the Flashcubes finished their second song. Then, the room belonged solely to us. To the faithful.

The loud, giddy faithful.

As we bid farewell to the rock 'n' roll soul that was Paul Armstrong, maybe it's wrong to focus so much on his predilection for volume. Paul Armstrong was more than just loud; he was rock 'n' roll, and he was spirited, enthusiastic, creative, energized, ambitious, forward-looking. He was also private, and he insisted on keeping his failing health a secret to fans. He had always seemed so tireless, at least until illness sapped his strength and somehow made him...damn it, mortal. He was always nice to me, starting when I was a teenager seeing the Flashcubes in the '70s, and in 1980 when I booked his first post-'Cubes band the Most to play in my college town of Brockport. This dynamic continued into this newfangled 21st century: 

     As we executed his idea of getting Syracuse bands from the '70s and '80s to regroup for 2014 and 2016 live shows we billed as Bright Lights!

     As 1.4.5. and Perilous agreed to perform at a release party for my Ramones book in 2023, and PA let me join in to sing lead on "Rockaway Beach." 

     As we coordinated a Flashcubes tribute album in 2025.

     And as he and Gary contacted me to ask if I'd be interested in writing a book about the Flashcubes. That book remains a work in progress, and I very much regret PA didn't live to see it published. In life, PA carried his inimitable spark from the Flashcubes to the Most to 1.4.5. to the Richards, and back to 1.4.5. and the Flashcubes as well. He was one of the most important figures in the history of Syracuse rock, and I hope someday his contributions will be properly recognized everywhere.

And it may conflict with the image of PA as a loud and cantankerous punk, but PA was kind, even sweet in his own way. Paul Armstrong's rock 'n' roll heart was big: Big in Japan, big in Syracuse, big in Boston, big throughout the fabric of music and life. Paul Armstrong was one of a kind, in all the best ways possible.

(And I join the loud chorus of so many others, repeating the all-too-familiar refrain: Fuck cancer.)

This week, we offer an Irish wake for a Syracuse punk, a celebration of a man whose work with Gary, Arty, and Tommy meant as much to me as the works of your John, Paul, George, and Ringo, and your Joey, Johnny, Dee Dee, and Tommy. Here's to the guy who brought the noise to Syracuse, a grateful thank-you to the impact Paul Armstrong has had upon my life. As we fade, lights remain bright. PA, I would wish for you to rest in peace...but who are we kidding? By now, you and your best bud Ducky Carlisle have probably lined up celestial gigs with the Ramones, with Lemmy, with David Johansen and Johnny Thunders. Let's see if you can clear a room in Heaven like the Flashcubes could clear a room on Earth.

Godspeed, Paul Armstrong. This is what rock 'n' roll radio sounded like on another Sunday night in Syracuse this week.

Play it loud.

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 all about this show's long and weird history here: Boppin' The Whole Friggin' Planet (The History Of THIS IS ROCK 'N' ROLL RADIO). You can follow Carl's daily blog at Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do).

TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATIONS are always welcome.

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

The many fine This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio compilation albums are still available, each full of that rockin' pop sound you crave. A portion of all sales benefit our perpetually cash-strapped community radio project:

Volume 1: download
Volume 2: CD or download
Volume 3: download
Volume 4: CD or download
Waterloo Sunset--Benefit For This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio:  CD or download
Volume 5: CD or download

TIRnRR # 1334: 4/26/2026: PAUL ARMSTRONG! An Irish Wake For A Syracuse Punk
TIRnRR FRESH SPINS! Tracks we think we ain’t played before are listed in bold

THE FLASHCUBES WITH MIKE GENT: Reminisce (Big Stir, single)
THE SATELLITERS: You Byrn Me Up And Down (Dionysus, Hashish)
THE RAMONES: Rockaway Beach (Rhino, Rocket To Russia)
THE CONQUERORS: Turned Me To Stone (High Dive, Wylde Time)
--
1.4.5.: Are You Ready? (Northside, 3 Chords & A Cloud Of Dust)
SHOES: She Satisfies (Real Gone Music, 35 Years: The Definitive Shoes Collection 1977-2012)
SORROWS: Radio [alternate mix] (unreleased)
VICKI PETERSON AND JOHN COWSILL: Sound On Sound (Label 51, Long After The Fire)
THE ROMANTICS: Bop (Nemperor, Strictly Personal)
THE RUBINOOS: Sugar Sugar (Yep Roc, The CBS Tapes)
--
ANY TROUBLE: Playing Bogart (Stiff, Where Are All The Nice Girls?)
THE FLASHCUBES: Face In The Crowd (Northside, Flashcubes On Fire)
THE BEVIS FROND: That's Your Lot (Fire, Horrorful Heights)
MOTT THE HOOPLE: Honaloochie Boogie (Columbia, The Ballad Of Mott: A Retrospective)
DEBBIE DUVEEN AND THE MILLBANKS: Could Be Anyone (Woronzow, Neon Classic)
--
THE RICHARDS: Over There (Northside, Over The Top)
IGGY AND THE STOOGES: I Got A Right (Virgin, IGGY POP: A Million In Prizes: The Anthology)
THE OUTLETS: Knock Me Down (Rhino, VA: DIY: Mass Ave: The Boston Scene 1975-83)
TUFF DARTS: All For The Love Of Rock 'n' Roll (Rhino, VA: DIY: Blank Generation: The New York Scene 1975-78)
--
THE VERBS: I Need Glue (Big Stir, single)
THE NEW YORK DOLLS: Trash (Mercury, Rock 'N Roll)
THE HEARTBREAKERS: Chinese Rocks (Jungle, L.A.M.F.)
NEW ORDER: Bizarre Love Triangle [7" remix edit] (Warner Music Group, Singles)
1.4.5: She Couldn't Say No (Northside, 3 Chords & A Cloud Of Dust)
JOY DIVISION: Love Will Tear Us Apart (Rhino, The Best Of Joy Division)
--
THE FLASHCUBES: Sold Your Heart (Northside, Flashcubes On Fire)
THE SHANGRI-LAS: Shout (Red Bird, Leader Of The Pack)
THE RICHARDS: Blue Eyes (Northside, Over The Top)
THE VELVET UNDERGROUND: I Can't Stand It (Polydor, Peel Slowly And See)
THE GEORGIA SATELLITES: Battleship Chains (Elektra, Let It Rock: Best Of The Georgia Satellites)
THE YARDBIRDS: He's Always There (Repertoire, Over Under Sideways Down/Roger The Engineer)
--
The Greatest Record Ever Made!
THE JAM: All Around The World (Polydor, Direction Reaction Creation)
THE FLASHCUBES: She's Leaving (Northside, Bright Lights)
PAUL COLLINS BEAT: All Over The World (Wounded Bird, To Beat Or Not To Beat/Long Time Gone)
THE SEX PISTOLS: No Feelings (Virgin, Kiss This)
THE GO-GO'S: Can't Stop The World (IRS, Beauty And The Beat)
--
THE MOST: I'm Not The Liar (unreleased)
THE MnM'S: I'm Tired (Burger, Melts In Your Ears 1980-81)
THE MUFFS: Rock And Roll Girl (Sympathy For The Record Industry, Hamburger)
THE RICHARDS: My Way Or The Highway (Northside, Over The Top)
THE BUZZCOCKS: I Don't Mind (IRS, Singles Going Steady)
THE MOST: Take A Chance (Northside, single)
THE CRYAN SHAMES: If I Needed Someone (MOJO, VA: Beatlemania Vol. 1)
--
MOON MARTIN: Five Days Of Fever (Capitol, Street Fever)
ACE FREHLEY: New York Groove (Mercury, KISS: Ace Frehley)
THE MOST: Do The Jumping Jack (Northside, single)
SWEET: Blockbuster (Capitol, The Best Of Sweet)
THE FLASHCUBES: Got No Mind (Northside, Flashcubes On Fire)
THE BEATLES: Revolution [promo video version] 
--
THE FLASHCUBES WITH TONY CARBONE: Reminisce [live] (unreleased)

Sunday, April 19, 2026

This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio # 1333

The commentary accompanying last week's posted playlist was reprised from the commentary accompanying a 2022 playlist, because the sentiments expressed then matched what I wanted to express in the present day. And while I don't want to make a habit of re-running commentaries, this bit from a different 2022 playlist stands as an explanation of This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio's guiding principles, and that explanation is worthy of repeat. I'll try to have something new to say next week. Unless, y'know, another rerun catches my fancy.

What is this radio show's format?

We circle back to that question every now and again. We do have a format, even if that format's not always discernible to folks looking at it from the outside. We oh-so-cleverly call the format This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio. Catchy! We use "power pop" as our hype, but it's really not a power pop format. It's certainly a rockin' pop format, generally favoring songs that are shorter in length and punchier in approach, embracing power pop and its periphery. We ain't exactly progressive or jazz, though we have played both. 

We hold old records and new records in equal regard. Any record you ain't heard is a new record. Any record you already know and love is, by definition, something you know and love. Why not play 'em all?

Establishing a very broad parameter, we play hit singles, though we include hit singles that aren't always all that popular (or, in some cases, known at all) in the real world. They sound like hits to us, so we play them. That's the criteria. Power pop, soul, punk, country, bubblegum, folk, R & B, girl groups, ska, Top 40, left-of-the-dial, and--but of course--the rock 'n' roll the show's name promises you. It's all pop music anyway. 

There are things don't fit the format; we don't play those things...except if we feel like it, in which case they suddenly do fit the format, at least for one week. We're not exactly under oath here. But Dana and I understand what suits the TIRnRR concept, and we know it intuitively. You're not going to hear many lengthier tracks. You're not going to hear stuff lacking in pizazz. Forget that noise. We have a show to do. SHOW business! Anybody can play records. It's more fun for everyone if we put on a show.

That's our format. And here's a show. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! It's time to turn it up a notch, because we have a show to do. This is what rock 'n' roll radio sounded like on a Sunday night in Syracuse this week.

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 all about this show's long and weird history here: Boppin' The Whole Friggin' Planet (The History Of THIS IS ROCK 'N' ROLL RADIO). You can follow Carl's daily blog at Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do).

TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATIONS are always welcome.

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

The many fine This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio compilation albums are still available, each full of that rockin' pop sound you crave. A portion of all sales benefit our perpetually cash-strapped community radio project:

Volume 1: download
Volume 2: CD or download
Volume 3: download
Volume 4: CD or download
Waterloo Sunset--Benefit For This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio:  CD or download
Volume 5: CD or download

TIRnRR # 1333: 4/19/2026
TIRnRR FRESH SPINS! Tracks we think we ain’t played before are listed in bold

THE SUNCHARMS: Winter Sun (Sunday, Darkening Sky)
THE BANGLES: Anna Lee (Sweetheart Of The Sun) (Down Kiddie, Sweetheart Of The Sun)
GENERAL JOHNSON AND JOEY RAMONE: Rockaway Beach (On The Beach) (Forward, VA: Godchildren Of Soul: Anyone Can Play)
THE BEVIS FROND: A Mess Of Stress (Fire, Horrorful Heights)
RITCHIE VALENS: La Bamba (Del-Fi, The Best Of Ritchie Valens)
THE GLADIOLAS: Little Darlin' (Acrobat, MAURICE WILLIAMS WITH THE GLADIOLAS & THE ZODIACS: The Complete Releases 1956-62)
--
VICKI PETERSON AND JOHN COWSILL: Downtown (Label 51, Long After The Fire)
MATTHEW SWEET AND SUSANNA HOFFS: Care Of Cell # 44 (Shout Factory, Under The Covers, Vol. 1)
SPECTRAFLAME: The Golden Years (n/a, Spectraflame)
MATTHEW SWEET: Girlfriend (Zoo Entertainment, Girlfriend)
SLYBOOTS: If We Could Let Go (single)
THE GREG KIHN BAND: All The Right Reasons (Castle, VA: Home Of The Hits/The Beserkley Records Story)
--
MARC VALENTINE: The Other Side (Wicked Cool, Uncommon Side Effects)
THE MUFFS: By My Side (Omnivore, Really Really Happy)
GENERATION X: Ready Steady Go (Chrysalis, Perfect Hits 1975-1981)
SHONEN KNIFE: Boys (Virgin, The Birds And The B-Sides)
THE LEGAL MATTERS: Stuck With Me (Big Stir, Lost At Sea)
THE YARDBIRDS: He's Always There (Repertoire, Over Under Sideways Down/Roger The Engineer)
--
PALMYRA DELRAN AND THE DOPPEL GANG: Hold Tight (Wicked Cool, single)
THE FALL: No Bulbs 3 (Beggars Banquet, 50,000 Fall Fans Can't Be Wrong)
THE CYNZ: You Wreck Me (Jem, Confess)
BLONDIE: One Way Or Another (Chrysalis, The Platinum Collection)
PRINCE: Delirious (Warner Brothers, The Hits/The B-Sides)
CLOCKWORK FLOWERS: Going Going Gone (n/a, Clockwork Flowers)
--
DAVID BROOKINGS AND THE AVERAGE LOOKINGS: Coldwater Canyon (Byar, Exposure)
TEENAGE FANCLUB AND JAD FAIR: My Life Is Starting Over Again (Gammon, VA: The Late Great Daniel Johnston: Discovered Covered)
THE ANIMALS: It's My Life (Abkco, Retrospective)
TAMMY WYNETTE: Stand By Your Man (Time-Life, VA: Classic Country 1965-1969)
THE CHOCOLATE WATCHBAND: Let's Talk About Girls (Rhino, VA: Nuggets)
--
THE RAMONES: I Don't Want To Grow Up (Radioactive, ¡Adios Amigos!)
THE PRETENDERS: Money Talk (Rhino, Pirate Radio 1979-2005)
THE SHIRTS: Tell Me Your Plans (Think Like A Key Music, Live At Paradise 1979)
THE ENGLISH BEAT: What's Your Best Thing? (Shout Factory, Special Beat Service)
THE ISLEY BROTHERS: It's Your Thing (Epic, The Essential Isley Brothers)
JIMMY JAMES AND THE VAGABONDS: Ain't No Big Thing (Edsel, VA: British Mod Sounds Of The 1960s)
--
The Greatest Record Ever Made!
THE ROLLING STONES: Can't You Hear Me Knocking (Rolling Stones, Sticky Fingers)
THE PLIMSOULS: Everyday Things (Rhino, The Plimsouls...Plus)
DAR WILLIAMS: Better Things (Razor & Tie, End Of The Summer)
SERGIO CECCANTI: Leave The Past, Don't Look Behind (Kool Kat Musik, Leave The Past, Don't Look Behind)
THE BENT BACKED TULIPS: Sweet Young Thing (eggBERT, Looking Through...)
--
THE COWSILLS: Couldn't It Be Love (Omnivore, The "Cocaine Drain" Album)
SYL SYLVAIN AND THE TEARDROPS: It's Love (Wounded Bird, Syl Sylvain & the Teardrops)
THE EXPLODING HEARTS: Thorns In Roses (Dirtnap, Guitar Romantic)
DEAN LANDEW: Summertime Friday Night (single)
THE PEPPERMINT KICKS: Shaking Underground (Rum Bar, single)
THE GROOVIE GHOULIES: Fun In The Dark (Lookout!, Fun In The Dark)
THE SHIRTS: Time (Has Seen Me Lonely) (Capitol, Inner Sleeve)
KRIS JENSEN: I Can't Get Nowhere With You (Craft, VA: The Land Of Sensations & Delights)
--
THE GREENBERRY WOODS: Whenever You Want Me Too (Big Stir, It's All Good, Sugar...)
DEVIL LOVE: Tell Me You Love Me (The Sound Cove, single)
COCKEYED GHOST: I Hate Rock 'n' Roll (Big Deal, The Scapegoat Factory)
ARTHUR CONLEY: Sweet Soul Music (Rhino, Sweet Soul Music)
ALEX HARVEY: Agent OO Soul (Universal, Shout: The Essential Alex Harvey)
THE HALF/CUBES FEATURING GLENN BURTNICK: Bend Me, Shape Me (Jem, single)
THE BEATLES: Taxman (Apple, Revolver)
--
THE MONKEES: The Door Into Summer (Rhino, The Mike & Micky Show Live)

Wednesday, April 15, 2026

Fake THIS IS ROCK 'N' ROLL RADIO Playlist: Records purchased in Buffalo, NY and its vicinity

This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl is simply too large a concept to be neatly contained within a mere three-hour weekly time slot. Hence these occasional fake TIRnRR playlists, detailing shows we're never really going to do...but could.

Following last week's phonus-balonus playlist of records I bought in Brockport, NY 1977-2012, we have a similar programming concept of tunes I snagged in Buffalo and its surrounding area,1982 to...2023, or so? I moved to Buffalo in 1982, lived there for not quite five years, and have been back for many visits since then. I picked up a Moby Grape compilation CD on a '23 visit to the Queen City, so the stated time frame seems right.

The ups 'n' downs of my life in Buffalo were detailed in my 1980s memoir The Road To GOLDMINE. I worked for a record store chain for some of that time, and this playlist deliberately excludes the many promo LPs and 45s I snagged in that capacity. Today, we're only considering LPs, 45s,, and (later) CDs that I purchased new or used from some retail or private vendor in Erie County: Apollo Records (run by none other than Bomp! magazine's Gary Sperrazza!). Home Of The Hits, The Record Theatre, Cavages, The Record Mine, whatever record and stereo equipment place was in University Plaza before Record Theatre moved in, a church rummage sale in the basement under the day care where my wife worked, and a bunch of others. Boost Buffalo, it's good for you. 

Let's GO, Buffalo!

This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl--y'know, the real one--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 all about this show's long and weird history here: Boppin' The Whole Friggin' Planet (The History Of THIS IS ROCK 'N' ROLL RADIO). TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATIONS are always welcome.

The many fine This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio compilation albums are still available, each full of that rockin' pop sound you crave. A portion of all sales benefit our perpetually cash-strapped community radio project:

Volume 1: download
Volume 2: CD or download
Volume 3: download
Volume 4: CD or download
Waterloo Sunset--Benefit For This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio:  CD or download
Volume 5: CD or download

Fake TIRnRR Playlist: Records I purchased in Buffalo, NY and its vicinity

* indicates an act I saw perform in Western New York when I lived there

*THE REDUCERS: Let's Go (Rave On, Let's Go)
*THE BANGLES: All About You (Columbia, All Over The Place)
ROKY ERICKSON: Don't Slander Me (Dynamic, single)
VANITY: Pretty Mess (Motown, single)
MOBY GRAPE: Omaha (Columbia, Vintage)
*THE RAMONES: In The Park (Sire, Subterranean Jungle)
--
FOOLS FACE: Nothing To Say (Talk, Tell America)
*EDDIE MURPHY: Party All The Time (Columbia, single)
HÜSKER DÜ: Eight Miles High (SST, single)
X: True Love (Elektra, More Fun In The New World)
GENE PITNEY: It Hurts To Be In Love (Musicor, Greatest Hits Of All Times)
*LET'S ACTIVE: Blue Line (IRS, Cypress)
--
ARETHA FRANKLIN: Respect (Atlantic, single)
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN: My Hometown (Columbia, single)
THE LONG RYDERS: Lights Of Downtown (Island, State Of Our Union)
"WEIRD AL" YANKOVIC: Yoda (Scotti Brothers, Dare To Be Stupid)
*THE KINKS: State Of Confusion (Arista, State Of Confusion)
*THE VIPERS: Tears (Only Dry) (PVC, Outta The Nest!)
--
*PRINCE AND THE REVOLUTION: When Doves Cry (Warner Brothers, Purple Rain)
THE MYSTICS: Valley Of Indecision (Lolita, Dandies Are Back)
DOCTOR AND THE MEDICS: Barbara Can't Dance (IRS, Laughing At The Pieces [UK])
EDDY GRANT: I Don't Wanna Dance (Portrait, Killer On The Rampage)
THE PANDORAS: Stop Pretending (Rhino, Stop Pretending)
*THE RESTLESS: I Wanna Know (Mercury, The Restless)
--
ON THE AIR: Even Try (Rhino, VA: The Girls Can't Help It)
*LYRES: Help You Ann (Ace Of Hearts, On Fyre)
*CULTURE CLUB: Church Of The Poison Mind (Epic, Colour By Numbers)
JAMES BROWN AND THE FAMOUS FLAMES: Cold Sweat--Part 1 (King, single)
THE CICHLIDS: Did You Ever (Bold, Be True To Your School)
R.E.M.: Burning Hell (IRS, 12" single)
--
*THE CHESTERFIELD KINGS: I've Gotta Way With Girls (Mirror, single)
THE SCRUFFS: Teenage Girls (Power Play, single)
THE DAVE CLARK FIVE: At The Scene (Epic, More Greatest Hits)
*JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS: Frustrated (MCA, Glorious Results Of A Misspent Youth)
TINA TURNER: Better Be Good To Me (Capitol, Private Dancer)
THE BARRACUDAS: Grammar Of Misery (Closer, Mean Time)
--
WHAM!: Freedom (Epic, Make It Big)
THE EVERLY BROTHERS: On The Wings Of A Nightingale (Mercury, EB 84)
EL DEBARGE: Who's Johnny? (Gordy, single)
*BILLY JOEL: An Innocent Man (Columbia, An Innocent Man)
THE RECORDS: Imitation Jewelry (Virgin, Music On Both Sides)
*THE WAITRESSES: Square Pegs (Polydor, I Could Rule The World If I Could Only Get The Parts)
--
EDWIN STARR: War (Gordy, single)
*JOHNNY THUNDERS: M.I.A. (Jungle, Que Sera Sera)
SIMPLE MINDS: Don't You (Forget About Me)
*TALKING HEADS: Burning Down The House (Sire, single)
THE LOLLIPOP SHOPPE: You Must Be A Witch (BFD, VA: Pebbles Vol. 8)
THE NOMADS: Have Love Will Travel (Sounds Interesting, VA: The Rebel Kind)
THE MOD FRAMES: I Don't Want To Cry (Hit, single)
THE MEMBERS: Working Girl (Arista, Uprhythm Downbeat)
--
*THE FLESHTONES: American Beat '84 (IRS, 12" single)
JOHN COUGAR MELENCAMP: R.O.C.K. In The U.S.A (A Salute To 60's Rock) (Riva, single)
ARTISTS UNITED AGAINST APARTHEID: Sun City (Manhattan, single)
THE MARVELETTES: The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game (Tamla, single)
THE GO-GO'S: Turn To You (IRS, Talk Show)
THE HOODOO GURUS: I Want You Back (A & M, Stoneage Romeos)
WILSON PICKETT: Hey Jude (Atlantic, single)
*THE MONKEES: That Was Then, This Is Now (Arista, single)
--
THE SPORTS: Who Listens To The Radio? (Arista, Don't Throw Stones)
*THE CLASH: Should I Stay Or Should I Go (Epic, Combat Rock)


*THE ANIMALS: [If the K-Tel compilation Brenda won from a Buffalo radio station qualified, I could have listed "The Night']

Sunday, April 12, 2026

This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio # 1332

To quote Palmyra Delran and the Doppel Gang quoting Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich: Hold tight.

While looking for something else entirely, I ran across the following (excerpted) passage from a 2022 playlist. As our far-future world of 2026 seems increasingly hell-bent on spinning itself determinedly and irrevocably into the waiting abyss, the sentiment remains in place and relevant:

In 1976, when I was a junior in high school, a girl I knew wrote in my yearbook, "Carl, you've got to be the most happy-go-lucky person I've ever met."

I was struck, then and now, by how far off the mark she was in describing me. I guess I put up a good front. Then and now.

And that's okay. With great powerlessness comes great irresponsibility. While I don't believe in the flawed method of fake-it-till-you-make-it, I do recognize the transformative potential of gettin' through, with a chip on my shoulder and a song in my heart. Perspective is essential. A sense of humor can offer catharsis. Music is cathartic. If we're not always as happy-go-lucky as we seem, we can still revel in any opportunity to embrace the moment. For whatever the moment is worth.

Dana and I play songs on the radio. It's a good gig, and I think it may help some listeners be a little bit happy for a little bit of our allotted time on this odd planet. It makes me happy. The rest will follow and fall into place if it can. Happy-go-lucky? Me? My high school friend wasn't right about me in that regard. 

But maybe she wasn't entirely wrong, either. I understand the meaning of calendar pages turning and flitting away. I will continue to greet their flight with as much grace as I can muster.

So here's another attempt at sight gags on the radio, rockin' pop music played loud and proud. Here's to the pursuit of happy-go-lucky. Here's to the giddy pleasure of giddy pleasure. Here's to you, and to yours. Laugh. Sing. Dance. Listen. This is what rock 'n' roll radio sounded like on a Sunday night in Syracuse this week.

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 all about this show's long and weird history here: Boppin' The Whole Friggin' Planet (The History Of THIS IS ROCK 'N' ROLL RADIO). You can follow Carl's daily blog at Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do).

TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATIONS are always welcome.

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

The many fine This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio compilation albums are still available, each full of that rockin' pop sound you crave. A portion of all sales benefit our perpetually cash-strapped community radio project:

Volume 1: download
Volume 2: CD or download
Volume 3: download
Volume 4: CD or download
Waterloo Sunset--Benefit For This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio:  CD or download
Volume 5: CD or download

TIRnRR # 1332: 4/12/2026
TIRnRR FRESH SPINS! Tracks we think we ain’t played before are listed in bold

PALMYRA DELRAN AND THE DOPPEL GANG: Hold Tight (Wicked Cool, single)
EDDIE AND THE HOT RODS: Do Anything You Wanna Do (Captain Oi, The Singles Collection)
ETTA JAMES [FEATURING HARVEY FUQUA]: If I Can't Have You (MCA, At Last!)
NRBQ: Finger Poppin' Time (Sun, Ludlow Garage 1970)
HERMAN'S HERMITS: Bet Yer Life I Do (Repertoire, Mrs. Brown, You've Got A Lovely Daughter OST)
--
THE HONEYMOON STALLIONS: Kiss Me Quick (n/a, Bona Fide)
LYDIA LUNCH: Atomic Bongos (UFO, Queen Of Siam)
THE RALLIES: This Time (n/a, No Better Time)
THE FLAMIN' GROOVIES: Shake Some Action [demo version] (Grown Up Wrong!, Between The Lines: The Complete Jordan/Wilson Songbook '71-81)
THE SPONGETONES: So Long (Big Stir, single)
THE DUKES OF STRATOSPHEAR: Vanishing Girl (Rhino, VA: Children Of Nuggets)
--
THE CORNER LAUGHERS: Crumb Clean (Big Stir, Concerns Of Wasp And Willow)
THE PEPPERMINT KICKS: Shaking Underground (Rum Bar, single)
DAVID BOWIE: Queen Bitch (Virgin, Bowie At The Beeb)
THE DRIFTERS: Money Honey (Atlantic, Let The Boogie-Woogie Roll: Greatest Hits 1953-1958)
BADFINGER: Queen Of Darkness (Real Gone Music, Wish You Were Here [expanded edition])
--
QUINN HAWKINS: Souvenir In The Dirt (Kool Kat Musik, Eccentric)
ROME 56: Invisible Man (Key Holdings, Paradise Is Free)
HOLLY GOLIGHTLY: Time (Damaged Goods, Look Like Trouble)
SLYBOOTS: If We Could Let Go (single)
HUMAN SWITCHBOARD: (Say No To) Saturday's Girl (Bar/None, Who's Landing In My Hangar? Anthology b1977-1984)
--
snüff: Ghost (Wild Honey, Silly Not Silly)
HURRY DOWN SUNSHINE: Have Love, Will Travel (n/a, Raw In Memphis)
TOOTS AND THE MAYTALS: Pressure Drop Island Jamaica, Time Tough The Anthology)
THE INCURABLES: When I Grow Up (Big Stir, Inside Out & Backwards)
THE SHIRTS: Love Is A Fiction (Capitol, Street Light Shine)
THE JAM: Absolute Beginners (Polydor, Direction Reaction Creation)
--
THE SHIRTS: Tell Me Your Plans (Think Like A Key Music, Live At Paradise 1979)
JOHNNY POPSTAR AND THE LUV EXLOSION: Oh Renee (Futureman, VA: This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 1)
THE FOUR TOPS: Walk Away Renee (Motown, The Ultimate Collection)
DEVIL LOVE: Tell Me You Love Me (The Sound Cove, single)
TOM PETTY: You Wreck Me (MCA, Wildflowers & All The Rest)
--
The Greatest Record Ever Made!
THE STRAWBERRY ALARM CLOCK: Incense And Peppermints (Rhino, VA: Nuggets)
THE YARDBIRDS: Happenings Ten Years Time Ago (Rhino, Ultimate!)
THE HALF/CUBES FEATURING GLENN BURTNICK: Bend Me, Shape Me (Jem, single)
YOUNG FRESH FELLOWS: Low Beat (Sub Pop, VA: Hype! The Motion Picture Soundtrack)
THE CAPITOLS: Cool Jerk (Rhino, VA: Beg, Scream & Shout: The Big Ol' Box Of '60s Soul)
THE ZOMBIES: Care Of Cell 44 (Big Beat, Zombie Heaven)
--
GRAHAM PARKER AND THE GOLDTOPS: Soul Shoes [live] (Big Stir, single)
SEX CLARK FIVE: Plastic All Over The World (Futureman, VA: This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 3)
THE DAVE CLARK FIVE: It Don't Feel Good (Epic, Try Too Hard)
THE MnM'S: I'm Tired (Burger, Melts In Your Ears 1980-81)
ELVIS PRESLEY: (Marie's The Name) His Latest Flame (RCA, The Top Ten Hits)
ME AND THEM: Show You Mean It Too (Castle, VA: Beat Beat Beat Volume Three)
THE HIGH FREQUENCIES: Cleanup Time (Jem, Get High)
GAME THEORY: Wish I Could Stand Or Have [demo] (Omnivore, 2 Steps From The Middle Ages)
--
SLYBOOTS: Blindsided (single)
THE SMALL FACES: I Feel Much Better [mono B-side] )MOJO, Live, Rare, Unreleased [1965-1969])
THE CYNZ: Light The Sky (Jem, Confess)
NRBQ: Me And The Boys [live] (ArQive, Park West '83)
THE COASTERS: Yakety Yak (Warner Platinum, Yakety Yak--The Coasters Collection)
PAUL McCARTNEY AND WINGS: Getting Closer (Capitol, Wings)
THE RAMONES: All's Quiet On The Eastern Front (Rhino, Pleasant Dreams)
THE BEATLES: Tell Me Why [Takes 4 and 5] (Apple, Anthology 4)
--
NIKKI AND THE CORVETTES: Let's Go (Bomp!, Nikki & The Corvettes)
SEX CLARK FIVE: Valerie (Beehive Rebellion, Strum & Drum!)

Wednesday, April 8, 2026

Fake THIS IS ROCK 'N' ROLL RADIO Playlist: Records I purchased in Brockport, NY

This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl is simply too large a concept to be neatly contained within a mere three-hour weekly time slot. Hence these occasional fake TIRnRR playlists, detailing shows we're never really going to do...but could.

I went to college in Brockport, NY, 1977-1980. I graduated before my girlfriend (and now wife) Brenda, so we got an apartment in the village of Brockport, and we remained there for another two years.

I've done previous fake TIRnRR playlists dedicated to music I listened to in my dorm rooms and music I listened to in my first apartment. Today, I wanna throw together a playlist of records I purchased in Brockport. I'm only including actual purchases, whether new or used; this list excludes radio-station giveaways (disqualifying Radio Birdman and Oingo Boingo, among others), free-with-purchase goodies at the best little record store that ever was, Main Street Records (thus excluding "She's A Dog" by Simply Saucer and Dressed To Kill by KISS), and records received as gifts (like the Yardbirds and Animals LPs given to me by a girl I knew from my McDonald's job, or the Village People live album Brenda gave me). 

Otherwise? Fair game here encompasses any LP, 12" single, 45, cassette, or (much later) CD that I acquired in Brockport for cash or (much later) credit card, whether it was the used copy of the Monkees' Head album I bought for a buck a two from a friend or the three-LP Australian import Monkeemania I scored at Main Street. In addition to scores at the mighty Main Street, it includes purchases made at The Record Grove, The Vinyl Jungle, Trader Shag's Emporium (which now occupies the space that once housed Main Street Records), or any other new or used retail outlet in Brockport, plus garage sales, on-campus transactions, and what have you. It includes purchases made on visits back to Brockport in later years, but it doesn't include anything I bought on my most recent visit in 2024, because...well, because I don't remember what I bought on that visit. Yes, I do indeed remember purchases made in 1977-1982 waaaay better than I remember 2024. 

And I remember each of the records listed below. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you some of the sounds I bought in Brockport. And obviously, it begins with the Record Grove purchase that changed my life in 1977. Take it, Dee Dee.

This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl--y'know, the real one--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 all about this show's long and weird history here: Boppin' The Whole Friggin' Planet (The History Of THIS IS ROCK 'N' ROLL RADIO). TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATIONS are always welcome.

The many fine This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio compilation albums are still available, each full of that rockin' pop sound you crave. A portion of all sales benefit our perpetually cash-strapped community radio project:

Volume 1: download
Volume 2: CD or download
Volume 3: download
Volume 4: CD or download
Waterloo Sunset--Benefit For This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio:  CD or download
Volume 5: CD or download

Fake TIRnRR Playlist: Records I purchased in Brockport, NY [and where I bought 'em]

THE  RAMONES: Sheena Is A Punk Rocker (Sire, single) [The Record Grove]
RICK JAMES: Give It To Me Baby (Gordy, Street Songs) [Main Street Records]
THE ROLLERS: Doors, Bars, Metal (Epic, Ricochet) [MSR on my last-ever visit, circa 1988]
THE VELVET UNDERGROUND: I'll Be Your Mirror (Verve, The Velvet Underground & Nico) [MSR]
SQUIRE: The Life (Hi-Lo, ...Get Smart!) [MSR]
THE SEX PISTOLS: Did You No Wrong (Virgin, single) [TRG, same day I bought "Sheena"]
--
GLADYS KNIGHT AND THE PIPS: I Heard It Through The Grapevine (Motown, VA: The Motown Story) [MSR]
KLAATU: California Jam (Collectors' Choice Music, 3:47 e.s.t.) [Trader Shag's Emporium]
THE KINKS: I Took My Baby Home (Pye, The Pye History Of British Pop Music) [The Vinyl Jungle]
ELVIS PRESLEY: (Marie's The Name) His Latest Flame (RCA, Elvis's 40 Greatest) [MSR]
CAT STEVENS: First Cut Is The Deepest (Decca, VA: Hard-Up Heroes) [TRG, special order import!]
HOLLY AND JOEY: I Got You Babe (Virgin, single) [MSR]
--
THE HULLABALLOOS: Did You Ever (Collectables, England's Newest Singing Sensations/On Hullabaloo) [TSE]
THE FLAMIN' GROOVIES: You Tore Me Down (Sire, Shake Some Action) [MSR]
THE MOST: Rockerfeller (Out Of Print, VA: From The City That Brought You...Absolutely Nothing) [MSR]
CHUCK BERRY: Johnny B. Goode (Chess, Chuck Berry's Greatest Hits) [MSR]
JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS: Love Is Pain (MCA, I Love Rock 'n' Roll) [MSR]
THE DAVE CLARK FIVE: Concentration Baby (Epic, single) [table set up on campus]
--
THE NEW YORK DOLLS: Babylon (Mercury, Too Much Too Soon) [MSR]
R.E.M.: Radio Free Europe (IRS, single) [MSR]
LITTLE RICHARD: Good Golly Miss Molly (United Artists, The Very Best Of Little Richard) [MSR]
LOVE: My Little Red Book (Elektra, Love) [MSR]
BLONDIE: In The Flesh (Chrysalis, Rip Her To Shreds) [TRG]
THE PRETENDERS: Kid (Sire, single) [MSR]
--
THE MONKEES: Long Title: Do I Have To Do This All Over Again? (Colgems, Head) [purchased from a friend]
THE MONKEES: Circle Sky [live] (Arista, Monkeemania) [MSR--saved up money for weeks!]
DOLENZ, JONES, BOYCE AND HART: I Remember The Feeling (Capitol, Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart) [MSR]
THE CLASH: Complete Control (Epic, The Clash [USA]) [MSR]
CHERIE AND MARIE CURRIE: Since You've Been Gone (Capitol, single) [MSR]
THE UGLY DUCKLINGS: She Ain't No Use To Me (Trash, VA: Ear-Piercing Punk) [MSR]
--
THE GO-GO'S: Vacation (IRS, single) [MSR]
THE BONGOS: In The Congo (PVC, Drums Along The Hudson) [MSR]
THE B-52'S: 52 Girls (Warner Brothers, The B-52's) [MSR]
PUBLIC IMAGE LTD.: Public Image (Virgin, single) [MSR]
DAVID BOWIE: See Emily Play (RCA, Pinups) [used record sale at the dining hall]
THE ROMANTICS: I Can't Tell You Anything (Spider, single) [TRG]
--
THE BEACH BOYS: Sloop John B (Capitol, Pet Sounds) [TRG]
DAVID JOHANSEN AND ROBIN JOHNSON: Flowers In The City (RSO, VA: Times Square OST) [MSR]
JOHNNY THUNDERS: You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory (Sire, So Alone) [MSR]
THE FOUNDATIONS: Baby Now That I've Found You (Pye, VA: Best Of The British Invasion) [forgotten record retailer]
THE REAL KIDS: Now You Know (Bomp, VA: Experiments In Destiny) [MSR]
THE BOBBY FULLER FOUR: Another Sad And Lonely Night (Rhino, The Best Of The Bobby Fuller Four) [MSR]
--
THE JAM: The Eton Rifles (Polydor, Setting Sons) [MSR]
THE WHO: The Punk Meets The Godfather (MCA, Quadrophenia) [MSR]
TELEVISION: Elevation (Elektra, Marquee Moon) [TRG]
THE FLESHTONES: Let's See The Sun (IRS, Roman Gods) [MSR]
BOW WOW WOW: I Want Candy (RCA, single) [MSR]
THE FOUR TOPS: I Can't Help Myself (Motown, Greatest Hits) [MSR]
THE BARRACUDAS: I Wish It Could Be 1965 Again (Voxx, Drop Out With The Barracudas) [MSR]
THE 13th FLOOR ELEVATORS: You're Gonna Miss Me (Sire, VA: Nuggets) [MSR]
--
THE MC5: Shakin' Street (Atlantic, Back In The USA) [lawn sale]
SLADE: Gudbuy T' Jane (Reprise, Sladest) [MSR]
JOSIE COTTON: Johnny Are You Queer? (Elektra, single) [MSR]
THE TREMBLERS: I'll Be Taking Her Out Tonight (Johnston, Twice Nightly) [MSR]
IGGY AND THE STOOGES: Gimme Danger (RCA, Raw Power) [MSR]
THE SCRUFFS: Revenge (Power Play, Wanna' Meet The Scruffs?) [MSR]
THE RECORDS: Paint Her Face (Virgin, single) [MSR]
BIG STAR: September Gurls (Ardent, Radio City) [MSR]
--
KIM WILDE: Kids In America (EMI America, Kim Wilde) [MSR]
GEN X: Dancing With Myself (Chrysalis, single) [MSR]
THE VENTURES: Hawaii 5-0 (United Artists, The Very Best Of The Ventures) [MSR]

Man! Already too long for a real-world playlist, and I still didn't get around to Talking Heads, the Lovin' Spoonful, Lords of the New Church, Judas Priest, the Fireballs, New Math, the Chesterfield Kings, Nikki and the Corvettes, the Hypstrz, Stiv Bators, Roxy Music, Shrapnel, the Rolling Stones, Blue Cheer, the Senders, the Music Explosion, the Hollies, Bruce Springsteen, Gary Numan, Cheap Trick, the Cars, the Invictas, Shoes, Utopia, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Bebe Buell, the Damned, Eddie and the Hot Rods, Quincy, Tommy Tutone, the Vapors, the Knack, Herman's Hermits, the Pleasers, Joy Division, Fingerprintz, Split Enz, the Boomtown Rats, the New Colony Six, the Buggles, Soft Cell, T. Rex, Alice Cooper, Blotto, Devo, the Rutles, Marshall Crenshaw, the Rubinoos, and...and...and...!!