Podcast

The Ledge #611: Those Big Ten Inch Records

Ten inch records are the forgotten treasures of my library. They’re housed in a little side section of my entertainment center, and most are rarely touched. This is why a couple of weeks ago I decided to have a marathon listening session of thos…

The Ledge #610: New Releases Pt. 2

This week’s continuation of last week’s new release episode features, once again, no drop off in quality. There’s plenty of great new music from both relatively new artists and longtime veterans. I mean, who could have guessed that w…

The Ledge #609: New Releases Pt. 1

The Ledge #609: New Releases Pt. 1

Once again, the monthly new release show has to be expanded into a two-part extravaganza. 2023 is seriously shaping up to be a wonderful year for new music, as evidence not only by tonight’s show but all of our new release broadcasts so far this year. As always, we have some tracks by “friends” of the show (Rob Moss, Dave Strong, Robbie Quine, Friends of Cesar Romero and others), some longtime faves (The Hillbilly Moon Explosion, Laura Jane Grace, Keith Richards, etc.) and quite a few relative newcomers (Shadow Show, Mala Vista, Faz Waltz, and so much more). But this episode also includes a couple of tunes by a record that could quite possibly end up being my favorite record of the year, the self-titled debut album by The Sleeveens on Dirtnap Records. This is the dirty garage/punk record I’ve been crdaving for quite some time, and I hope you folks all love it as much as I do.  And once again I have a late entry to the “Teenage Kicks” cover series, thanks to a fellow DJ who sent me a version set to be released in April by Canadian Music Hall of Famer Lee Aaron. The Undertones tune […]

The Ledge #608: Covers

As I’ve said before, I have a folder on one of my laptops that I keep around just to acccumulate cover tunes for episodes like this one. Once that folder is full, it’s time to broadcast! This version of that theme includes sets devoted to …

The Ledge #607: Love Stinks

Anti-love songs is a rock and roll specialty. From the very beginning of the genre, writers with a poison pen have created a plethora of material that is not exactly Hallmark card material. Tonight’s show celebrates tracks of this time, highligh…

The Ledge #606: New Releases Pt. 2

This may be the second part of this month’s new release series, but there is no letdown in quality. Once again, there’s an intriguing mix of styles, ages, and even home locations. There are brand new acclaimed artists such as Liquid Mike and Sprints. There’s the returns of veterans such as Paul Collins Beat, J. Robbins, and Sham 69. There’s also the usual trademark of quality from our friends at Slovenly Records and Rum Bar Records. Most intriguing to me, is the story behind “Get the Experience” by The Ex-Bombers. Band members Keri Cousins and Scott Walus are “rasslin’” fans, just as I am. Many of their late night drives after gigs have found them listening to legendary wrestling manager Jim Cornette’s podcast, Jim Cornette Experience. Hearing that he was looking for a new theme song, the band quickly put together “Get the Experience”, and just this week they were informed that the song is now the official theme song of the show! Thanks to the band for not only sending me a copy of the song to air, but including a little interview segment telling the story. And once again, even thought the “52 Weeks of Teenage Kicks” series […]

RNRM692

Hey, I’m back!

The Ledge #605: New Releases Pt. 1

Once again the music gods have bestowed so much great new tracks that the monthly new release show must be expanded into two episodes. That is a great sign for 2024, and especially so because not only is there quality and quantity, but there’s a great mix of classic artists and brand new acts. There’s 18 year old Owen Adamcik’s plan for a new EP every month this year. There are Ledge “friends” such as Rob Moss and Skin-Tight Skin’s monthly single and a new tune by local legends Thought Patrol. There’s the return of veterans The Smoggers and Rubber City Rebels. Plus surprisingly great new tracks by the liks of J. Mascis, Green Day, and Superchunk. And to kick things off is a late submission for last year’s “52 weeks of Teenage Kicks” series. Two weeks ago Thee Volatiles, “thee best punk rock band in all of Montclair NJ!” sent me their version, and I couldn’t be more thrilled! In fact, I will always accept new covers of the tune. So if you were considering it last year, please go ahead and do it and I’ll guarantee to open my next show with it! For setlists and other info, […]

The Ledge #604: Odds & Ends Again

The “odds and ends” series is an opportunity for me to mix all kinds of material. This week’s version mixes a bunch of new releases with a ton of material I’ve been playing around the house in recent weeks. There’s also a…

RNRM691

Brand new Total fucking Massacre!

The Ledge #603: 1979 UK

1979 was an important year for rock and roll, but it was a bigger year for my musical journey. This was the year that the real obsession with buying records began. I had a job. I had a car. And I had put together a pretty awesome sound system in my be…

RNRM690

Request shows never disappoint, at least not for me. I always learn something cool. Thanks again to all the folks who requested songs, you know who you are.

The Ledge #602: 2023 Runners Up

Two weeks ago, I counted down my 40 favorite records of 2023. This week’s broadcast is a showcase for 35 other records that just barely missed the cut. There’s no letdown of quality, though, as each and every one of these picks could have …

RNRM689: the 10th Annual Manifesto Awards™

The 10th Annual Manifesto Awards™!

The Ledge #601: New Releases

It may be a new year, but there’s no change to the first episode of each and every month. Once again, I present to you over two hours of brand new music. Ok, there are a handful of tracks that actually came out a few months ago, but these are ne…

RNRM688

Goodbye to another year.

The Ledge #600: Hudson’s Best of 2023

Choosing my favorite records of the year is always a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it’s great fun for a music nerd like me to revisit the hundreds of releases I’ve checked out the last twelve months. But it’s also frustrating trying to thin down those picks into a list that truly represents the past year. Many records that initially seemed a lock are suddenly eclipsed by new records that I simply can’t ignore. Other albums that I had prematurely set aside have revealed themselves to be chock full of fabulous tunes that I can’t imagine living without.  Overall, this is another great year for music. I’ll never understand the mindset of people, especially those around my age, that complain how there’s no great bands or records these days. Sure, the pop charts are primarily filled with garbage, and one does have to spend more time than ever finding new artists. But the search has always been a great part of the fun of being a collector, and my main reason I’ve now put together 600 episodes of this show is to share my findings with others. I’m always thrilled when I hear that someone has bought a record […]

The Ledge #600: Hudson’s Best of 2023

Choosing my favorite records of the year is always a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it’s great fun for a music nerd like me to revisit the hundreds of releases I’ve checked out the last twelve months. But it’s also frustrating trying to thin down those picks into a list that truly represents the past year. Many records that initially seemed a lock are suddenly eclipsed by new records that I simply can’t ignore. Other albums that I had prematurely set aside have revealed themselves to be chock full of fabulous tunes that I can’t imagine living without.  Overall, this is another great year for music. I’ll never understand the mindset of people, especially those around my age, that complain how there’s no great bands or records these days. Sure, the pop charts are primarily filled with garbage, and one does have to spend more time than ever finding new artists. But the search has always been a great part of the fun of being a collector, and my main reason I’ve now put together 600 episodes of this show is to share my findings with others. I’m always thrilled when I hear that someone has bought a record […]

RNRM687

RNRM687

Leftover X-Mess tunes and favorites from 2023.

The Ledge #599: Annual Christmas Extravaganza!

The Ledge #599: Annual Christmas Extravaganza!

Every year I spend the last few weeks of the year searching for new holiday songs for The Ledge’s annual Chirstmas special. Inevitably, every year I find more than enough songs to fill over two hours of broadcast time. This is the perfect soundt…

RNRM686

RNRM686

X-Mess tunes and other stuff.

The Ledge #598: Best Reissues, Compilations, etc. of 2023

It’s the time of year for everybody to unveil their various lists of the best records of the year, so here is the unveiling of the first part of my lists. This week’s show features a countdown of my 20 favorite reissues, box sets, live alb…

RNRM685

Stuff n stuff.

The Ledge #597: More Replacements Tributes

Two weeks ago, I put together a show centered around seven different tribute records celebrating The Replacements. A couple of days after that episode was released I was contacted by a fan who noted that I had missed a couple of these sorts of records. After a bit of scrambing, I discovered that indeed I forgot all about some great fan-based compilatons. Yes, that’s the beauty of tonight’s selections. These three records were unofficial collections of musicians that had come together via online fan boards. The first such set, Cover Me Impressed – Alt.Music.Replacements Tribute, is pretty self-explanatory collection of tunes compiled by a popular usenet group in 2002. The other two tributes, Bring Your Own Lampshade (2005) and Dead Man Fake: Bring Your Own Lampshade 2 (2009), came together through contributors on the wonderful Man Without Ties message board, and include both solo and band tracks written by Paul Westerberg. Highlighting both of those compilatons are tracks by our old friend Jeremy Porter.  Besides a handful of recently acquired tunes, the rest of tonight’s show features tracks from two fabulous new Cherry Red Records box sets, Looking For The Magic: American Power Pop In The Seventies and Into Tomorrow: The Spirit Of Mod 1983-2000. Cherry Red always […]

RNRM684

Hasn’t it all been said already?

The Ledge #596: New Releases

It may be the final new release episode of the year, but there’s no drop in quality. As always, there’s the usual mix of punk, indie, power pop, alternative, and other genres. There’s a Rum Bar Records segment, along with new tunes f…

RNRM683

The usual helping of ass-kicking tracks, plus an extra long show.

The Ledge #595: Replacements Tribute Albums

As one of those lunatics who tends to collect anything and everything asoociated with artists I love, it’s probably no surprise that I have quite a few tribute albums devoted to The Replacements. When Let the Bad Times Roll (a Tribute to The Replacements) was released earlier this month, I did a deep dive in my archives and discovered that I actually owned seven of these types of records. With that in mind, it was a no-brainer to do a show devoted to nothing but Replacements tribute albums. The seven records represented tonight have been released throughout the last three decades, and include releases originating in Australi and Italy. There’s a few semi-big names but there are as many, if not more, bands whose career I know nothing about. I also made myself a challenge that I would try not to duplicate any songs…and I succeeded! There are 35 different Replacements tracks covered by 35 different artists. Ok, there is one artist who appears twice – Mikey Erg’s band, Ergs, covers “I’m in Trouble” while as a solo act he performs “Wake Up” Just because the overall theme revolves around The Replacements doesn’t mean that I’m ignoring the “52 Weeks of Teenage […]

RNRM682

New stuff from the Manikins and the Brand New Luddites, plus much more.

The Ledge #594: More From The Hudson Compound

This week’s episode is a little peek into the day to day picks I make to get through my day. A few old favorites (ok, quite a few), some fantastic discoveries at the used record store, and some fabulous new vinyl reissues. The main highlight thi…

RNRM681

Brand new Manikins, requests and more. Extra long show!

The Ledge #593: New Releases (Pt. 2)

The second part of this month’s new release series is admittedly dominated by cover tunes. Great bands such as Superchunk, The Feelies, Cruzados, The Routes, Hayley and the Crushers and the Rick White Archive are featured remaking classics by The Cure, The Minutemen, Buzzcocks, and others.  But the main focus of the covers blasted on tonight’s show is the brand new tribute album to, of course, The Replacements. Let the Bad Times Roll, and it’s definitely worth they hype. “December 2022 I was drinking at the Fishtown Tavern and ‘Can’t Hardly Wait ‘ came on the jukebox, and at that moment I knew this tribute to the Mats needed to happen,” Arik Victor from Creep Records says in a press release. “The next day, we invited all the bands we love.” Of course, tonight’s show is more than cover tunes. We have the return of The Alarm, the second 2023 album by bar italia, and wonderful material from the Netherlends, Australia, Italy, and other countries around the world. As for this week’s edition of “52 Weeks of Teenage Kicks”, I admittedly discovered a real treat on YouTube. Baby Shakes have routinely performed the tune as an encore, and this live version I […]

RNRM680

RNRM680

New Dwarves and more.

The Ledge #592: New Releases (Pt. 1)

The Ledge #592: New Releases (Pt. 1)

Once again, there’s so much great music being released each and every week that this month’s new release show is a two-part extravaganza! Part one is admittedly heavy on the power pop – Uni Boys, The Speedways, The Len Price 3, and m…

RNRM679

RNRM679

Another installment of killer tunes.

The Ledge #591: Halloween

The Ledge #591: Halloween

It’s become a Halloween tradition for this show to celebrate the holiday with over two hours of spooky music. As it is the ultimate rock and roll holiday, it’s never hard to find enough new tunes to fill a show, and this year is no excepti…

RNRM678: the 14th Annual Halloween Show

RNRM678: the 14th Annual Halloween Show

The 14th Annual Halloween Show.

The Ledge #590: S.W. Lauden Takeover!

The Ledge #590: S.W. Lauden Takeover!

A few days ago, power pop expert S.W. Lauden reached out to me to see if I’d be interested in helping promote his new book, Remember The Lightning – A Guitar Pop Journal, Vol. 2. Duh, of course as a big fan of Lauden’s writing I was honored at the request. But I had a better idea. I asked him if he’d like to take over the show for a couple of sets. So tonight’s episode includes eight tunes from bands covered in this fabulous book, along with Lauden’s commentary.But obviously that’s not tonight’s entire show, and honestly I had to do a quick change after news came out earlier this week that power pop legend Dwight Twilley had passed away. A big fan of is first hit, “I’m On Fire”, along with his comeback albums of the early 80s, I quickly put together some originals and covers to help tell the story of a man who deserved a better fate in the record business.It’s also story time on this week’s Ledge, as I recently attended the South Dakota Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Not only was I honored to be a part of the induction of the publication I […]

RNRM677

RNRM677

New Stevie Tombstone, Satanic Overdrive and Nico Bones, plus much more.

The Ledge #589: New Releases (Pt. 2)

This week’s episode may be a sequel to last week’s new release broadcast, but unlike what usually happens in the film industry there’s no drop in quality. Just like last week, there’s plenty of power pop, Americana, garage rock…

RNRM676

RNRM676

New stuff from Erratix and Poison Boys, plus lots of Halloween tunes.

The Ledge #588: New Releases (Pt. 1)

The Ledge #588: New Releases (Pt. 1)

Once again, the music gods have put out so much great music these last few weeks that this month’s new release show has to be split into two episodes! This week includes glorious returns from Lydia Loveless, The Exbats, Martin Zellar, Jim Jones All Stars, and many more. But we also have a wonderful, heartfelt tribute to the late Justine Covault. “Sister In Crime” by Jay Allen and The Archcriminals takes a look back at a fabulous artist and label owner who tragically passed away earlier this summer. “This song is dedicated to the memory and written for one of my dearest and closest friends of the last 40 years, Justine Covault”, Allen said in a statement. “She was an amazing woman, who meant a lot to so many people and we lost her way too soon. For me she was more than a friend, she was my most ardent supporter, not just in music, but in life, bandmate, roommate, and for the last 7 plus years my co-host along with Tom Baker in our monthly residency, The Mess-Around. Her impact on our little Rock ‘n’ Roll village here in Boston is immeasurable. Not just as an artist with her […]

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RNRM675

Lots of Halloween tunes and a few other things.

The Ledge #587: Third Quarter Report

The end of every quarter is a time to take a little look back at the last three months of new music. Tonight I present a little over two hours of the records that caught my attention during that period. There are returning legends (Graham Parker, Lucinda Williams, The Pretenders) who are sort of shockingly as great as ever. There are workhorses (Guided By Voices, The William Loveday Intention) that seem to have new tunes in every quarterly recap. There’s an archive project that is clearly a label of love for the family of Sparklehorse’s Mark Linkhouse. And, of course, there are sets devoted to our friends at Big Stir Records and Rum Bar Records, along with a nice heaping of new bands (or new to me, at least) that caught my attention.  As for the “52 Weeks Of Teenage Kicks”, I have a fun live version that I recently found on Bandcamp. Guitarist Davey Lane is in the current lineup of Australian greats You Am I, and he apparently got the gig after recording and touring with You Am I leader Tim Rogers in the late 90’s. Since it is the third quarter recap, I’m also giving another spin […]

RNRM674

New Trouble Seekers and more.

The Ledge #586: Replacements’ Tim Box Set

How to talk about the new box set dedicated to one of my favorite records ever? I really can’t, to be honest, as there are tons and tons of articles floating around right now that I could never attempt to better. But let’s just say that Tim by The Replacements is certinly a record that I’ve never gone long without listening to since it’s release in 1985.Yet I must be honest when I say that my all time favorite Replacements record is actually the previous album, Let It Be, but I’ll concede that Tim is a better collection of songs. How is that possible? Let It Be had a powerful sound. Tim has always suffered from a thin, muddy mix that was certainly fine enough that it didn’t afffect my overall love of the record. I just preferred the beefier Let It Be.That opinion may now change thanks to the release of this new box set. Tim (Let It Bleed Edition) rights the wrongs of the record I’ve loved for close to 40 years. Ed Stasium, who was supposed to mix the original record, was hired to finally work his magic. And it’s wonderful. The drums are front and center. Tommy Stinson’s bass can actually be heard, and there’s little elements in […]

RNRM673

RNRM673

New stuff from the Manikins, Pat Todd & the Rankoutsiders, Guerrilla Teens, Paul-Ronney Angel, Void Hunter, Ex Parents and more!

The Ledge #585: Hudson Compound Playlist

The Ledge #585: Hudson Compound Playlist

This week’s show is another of those broadcasts where I simply air some of the records I’ve been playing around the house the last few weeks. There’s no real format outside of that, but you do get to enjoy almost 60 years of fabulous…

RNRM672

RNRM672

New C.O.F.F.I.N. !!

The Ledge #584: Birthday Week!

The Ledge #584: Birthday Week!

When I put together each and every episode of The Ledge, I try really hard not to repeat myself too much. If I play a new single one week, the next I’ll more than likely air a b-side or album track. Certain songs do end up appearing in multiple shows, but more than likely due to whatever themes I’ve selected. That fact has always been in the back of my mind whenever I put on birthday shows. Obviously, during my birthday week I want a show of nothing but my favorite songs of all time, but at the same time I don’t want to repeat that same show each and every year. But it dawned on me earlier today that repeating myself once a year is no big deal! Who remembers what I aired a year ago? Plus, honestly, while I have not doublechecked, I’m sure this year’s birthday celebration of my favorite songs is quite unlike previous editions. My tastes are ever-evolving. Some artists have emerged as new favorites. Others have maybe dropped down a peg or two. Plus, I’ll admit to purposely selecting different tunes by perennial favorites. Let’s be real. I can play almost any song by […]

RNRM671: 2023

RNRM671: 2023

 Great music (mostly) from 2023!

The Ledge #583: New Releases

The Ledge #583: New Releases

The Ledge has always been known to enjoy music from all over the world. This month’s new release episode, however, goes ever further than usual. Yes, we have new tunes from many of the usual suspects – Canada, Australia, England, Sweden, etc. But this month we expand that a little bit and have tunes from Indonesia and Japan! (Ok, Japanese rock and roll is not so unusual in these parts, but you get the picture.) There’s also the usual mix of long-awaited returns (Uni Boys, Wreckless Eric), and new (at least to me) artists such as Hurry, Young Francis Hi Fi, and Dennis Cometti. There’s a set devoted to a trio of solo artists who have shared the stage countless times over the years (Brad Marino, Geoff Palmer, and Kurt Baker), and who always seem to have new records right around the same time. We also have a sneak peak of the upcoming Replacements box set, Tim: Let It Bleed Edition. The “cello version” of “Can’t Hardly Wait” was actually a Paul Westerberg demo with Twin/Tone secretary Michelle Kinney on cello. The box set comes out on September 22, and as you may imagine, I…ok, I won’t go with the obvious […]

RNRM670

Long show. Good stuff.

The Ledge #582: Big Stir Records

Earlier this week I was surprised to get a pretty large dropbox link from my friends at Big Stir Records. Taking a look at the contents, I noticed that there was not only a sampler compilation of many of their current artists, but there were almost two dozen station IDs recorded by those artists specifically for my show. To say I was pleased would be an understatement. I was seriously touched, even though I knew they were having their artists record these for stations all over the world. But for my little show? I had to show my appreciation, so tonight’s episode is (almost) all Big Stir artists. Besides a track or two from each of the artists who recorded a little something for me, there’s an extra hour of some of my favorite tunes from the label.   If you’re not familiar with Big Stir, they are a Burbank, Clifornia label founded by two of the most lovely people in the music business, Christina Bulbenko and Rex Broome of The Armoires (one of the artists featured in tonight’s show). Over the years they have released more than 70 albums on vinyl and CD, and they specialize in melodic power pop. […]

RNRM669

New Mad Brother Ward, new Graham Parker and more.

The Ledge #581: 2013

Generally speaking, when I do shows devoted to years of the past I go way back. Like, at the bare minimum 25 years, and as far back as 50 years. Looking at my shows from 2013, though, I decided tonight I’d do something a little different. Let’s go through some of my favorite records from only ten years ago. While I am one that believes there’s great rock and roll released each and every years (despite what many of my fellow oldsters proclaim), 2013 was even better than usual. There’s all sorts of lofi indie power pop from the likes of Mind Spiders, Bad Sports, and Fidlar. There’s the discovery of a wonderful up and coming songwriter named Lydia Loveless. There’s the second release by the reformed Superchunk (my favorite record of the year). And, of course, there’s also the return of The Replacements. Yes, this happened due to a tragedy, as Slim Dunlap had suffered a stroke the previous year. But what a joy to hear Paul Westerberg and Tommy Stinson quickly recording a handful of their favorite oldies. Even better was the Songs For Slim singles series which saw all kinds of Slim’s friends recording their favorite Dunalp […]

RNRM668

New stuff from Crime Line, River City Rebels and Rearview Romantics, plus many more great bands.

The Ledge #580: Some Stuff

Tonight’s show is a mishmash of primarily recent releases. There’s some material from great box sets. There’s a set devoted to a classic old live album and one brand new one. I’ve got a set from that great new tribute album, Jem Records Celebrates Ray Davies, along with more material from the tribute album I premiered last week, Goo Goo Muck – A Tribute to The Cramps. There’s also a Rum Bar Records set, and previews of new records by Graham Parker & The Goldtops, Tamar Berk, and others. It’s a show featuring a wide variety of genres that you only hear on shows like The Ledge. As for this week’s “52 Weeks of Teenage Kicks” series, I have a mystery track by a band called The Shades. The cover is from the soundtrack to the Elle Fanning film, Teen Spirit, but I have yet to find out any information regarding the band. Could it be something cooked up in the studio by the film’s musical directors? Who knows? And like always, I must again plead with y’all for more versions of “Teenage Kicks”. If you are a musician, or have any contact with artists that could record their own take on the […]

RNRM667: Grazza

Celebrating the life of Graham “Grazza” Bowditch through music.

The Ledge #579: New Releases

I bet all of you Ledge listeners know the drill. The first show of the month is always new releases, and that’s the case here. But there is a little difference in this week’s show. Normally, I don’t touch on reissued records. That’s for another theme. But obviously I can’t ignore the news that in September The Replacements are putting out a box set version of the classic album, Tim. Besides the usual outtakes and live material, there is a special remix of the entire album by the legendary Ed Stasium! If you’re not familiar with Stasium, he has produced dozens and dozens of classic albums over the years, including records by The Ramones, Talking Heads, Soul Asylum, Long Ryders, Hoodoo Gurus, Reverend Horton Heat, Motorhead, and so many more! Given that the only negative feature of Tim was the mix, letting Stasium do a fix is going to blow people’s minds! Yet that’s not my only reissue this week, as fellow Real Punk Radio host Greg Lonesome has just put out a newly remastered version of Shotgun Full of Blues, a record he released 20 years ago as the leader of the Lonesome Kings. There’s a ton of bonus tracks included with this […]

RNRM666: 13 Years

An extravaganza! Tons of giveaways. Thanks to everyone for all of their support over the years, that means all the listeners, bands, labels, supporters, friends, family and more.

The Ledge #578: Covers

 Every few months, I like to put together an all-covers edition of the show. As I’ve stated before, I have a folder all set up to toss in whatever tracks I want to later air. This edition came a little bit sooner than usual due to a couple of fabulous tribute records. The first release I wanted to highlight is the brand new An International Tribute To The Muffs, which features 26 fabulous covers of Kim Shattuck tunes. Proceeds from this release goes to the Team Shattuck Foundation of Kim´s Sister, Kristen Shattuck. The other great tribute record is Drunk Dial Fakes, Vol. 2. This ingenious set features “real” bands covering songs that were written for fictional TV and film bands. How can you not love covers from The Rutles, CHiPs, and That Thing You Do? As for the “52 Weeks of Teenage Kicks”, I’ve got a twofer for you this week. I recently discovered a couple of fabulous Undertones tribute records, and Teenage Hits – A Tribute To The Undertones features two wonderful remakes. And like always, I must again plead with y’all for more versions of “Teenage Kicks”. If you are a musician, or have any contact with artists that could record their own take […]

RNRM665

RNRM665

665 the neighbor of the beast. Happy birthday to Brother Rob!

The Ledge #577: Swagger

The Ledge #577: Swagger

A few weeks ago, Malibu Lou from Rum Bar Records sent me his latest free digital compilation. Accompanying the fabulous 35 tracks was this declaration: “Swag·ger-ing: Rum Bar Records extended family and friends of artists and musicians performing, writing or otherwise making art inspired by Jagger, Dolls, Heartbreakers (Thunders & Petty), Stardust, Rebel Rousers, Barroom, Struttin’ Glimmer & Glam anthems, with hints of Punk, power-pop, dashes of alt-country, out-of-the-garage riveting, soul shakin’ rock n’ roll. Tends to inhabit and play said music loudly in hole in the wall dive bars. Swaggering rock n’ roll is general enjoyed best with your fist raised air guitar, a warm beer and cold shot in a corner at a neighborhood watering hole.” Sounds like a declaration of a typical episode of The Ledge, right? That’s why Rum Bar’s Swagger comp dominates this week’s episode, with four sets of tunes representing the release. But there’s plenty of “swagger” from other sources – one set is devoted to material from the all-girl power pop cop Heroes of the Night Vol. 2. Other compilations devoted to The Mosquitos and Helen Love are highlighted. And there’s also great power pop and garage rock from current artists such as The Goods, The Far Outs, […]

RNRM663

RNRM663

New stuff from the Oxys, Guerrilla Teens, the Vapids and C.O.F.F.I.N.

The Ledge #576: New Releases

The Ledge #576: New Releases

It’s the first show of a new month, so it’s pretty obvious what’s going on this week. It’s over two hours of brand new music, ranging from Americana to punk to power pop to (lots of) garage rock. There are veteran acts and more…

RNRM662

RNRM662

Pulled out some bands from the archives, plus new stuff from the Oxys, Guerrilla Teens, Pat Todd and the Rankoutsiders and JJ & the Real Jerks.

The Ledge #575: Second Quarter Report

With tonight’s show being the last broadcast of June, and especially as it is also the last day of the month, it’s pretty clear that it needed to be a second quarter recap. There’s over two hours of great music that has come out in the last three months, similar to the first quarter recap show of March 31. The material ranges from the fantastic power pop of Paint Fumes and Jagger Holly to veteran rockers such as Ian Hunter and The Waco Brothers. There’s some rootsy rock and roll from Tommy Stinson, Deer Tick and The Baseball Project. The music comes from not only the usual US, UK, and Canadian artists but also from Australia, Austria, France, and Germany.  As for this week’s “52 weeks of Teenage Kicks” series, I have a very special cover by German punkers Die Toten Hosen. Way back in the early 90s they had a fantastic covers record called Learning English, Lesson One, where they invited members of the original bands to assist them with their remakes. 2017 saw the relese of Learning English, Lesson Two that continued that format. For their version of “Teenage Kicks”, they featured original Undertones guitarist Damian O’Neill! I […]

RNRM661

RNRM661

Bad Vacation!

The Ledge #574: Summer

The Ledge #574: Summer

The summer is the real rock and roll season. From the very beginning of Chuck Berry and our other musical grandfathers, these three months have inspired a ton of great tunes. Since summer officially began just two days ago it was only natural that I bring back that theme for tonight’s broadcast. There are so many songs dedicated to this time of year that I easily put together a playlist that is primarily brand new tracks. In fact, one highlighted album, Jagger Holly’s Rivoltella, came out just two days ago! There’s also a set dedicated to tracks from summer’s favorite record label, Rum Bar Records, along with a handful of older tunes from new reissues of albums by The Barracudas and The Lemonheads. Of course, there’s also this week’s entry in the “52 Weeks of Teenage Kicks” subtheme, and if you really think about it that song certainly does fit the summer theme. This week’s contribution is from the veteran Cleveland band Cobra Verde, and their 2005 album, Copycat Killers. And like always, I must again plead with y’all for more versions of “Teenage Kicks”. If you are a musician, or have any contact with artists that could record their own take […]

RNRM660: Sorry

RNRM660: Sorry

I don’t know what happened here but only 8 minutes got saved. My apologies.

The Ledge #573: Even More Miscellany

The Ledge #573: Even More Miscellany

This week’s episode is another show consisting of material I’ve been a bit obsessed with around the Hudson compound. The first half is primarily new or new-ish material. The tribute to Justine Covault continues with tracks off the brand new Justine and the Unclean album, The Signal Light, along with new tunes by Lydi Loveless, Kate Redgate, Tommy Stinson’s Cowboys in the Campfire, and a great Alice Cooper cover by veteran rockers Zero Boys. The second half of the show is dominated by older records that I’ve recently picked up. Many were originally owned by my buddy Phil who had his semi-annual record sale last weekend. But I also have included a couple of reissues of records that I’ve been trying to acquire for years. The Lyres On Fyre, for example, was the very first truly independant record I’ve ever owned, and I desperately needed a copy to replace the one I lost decades ago. And then there’s Double Nickels On the Dime, the classic double album by Minutemen. Going for big bucks on the used market, SST finally pressed some more copies, and I just could not resist!  Of course, there’s also this week’s installment in the “52 Weeks of Teenage Kicks” […]

RNRM659

RNRM659

I don’t know what to write here.

The Ledge #572: New & Old

The Ledge #572: New & Old

This week’s show was all set when some tragic news changed a good portion of the broadcast. Yes, there was still the mix of old and new tunes that had been originally planned. But I could not help but make room for a couple of remembrances of fabulous artists who had passed away in recent days. The first death was Jack Lee, who got his start in The Nerves, a band that also featured Paul Collins and Peter Case. A song he wrote for that band, “Hanging on the Telephone”, was later made famous, and he also wrote hits for Paul Young (“Come Back and Stay”) and Suzi Quatro (“You Are My Lover”). He passed away on May 26 of colon cancer. The other tragic passing hits hard. Throughout the past few years, Justine Covault’s music has been a regular feature of The Ledge. I first became aware of her with her Rum Bar Records releases as Justine and the Unclean and Justine’s Black Threads. She then moved on and started Red On Red Records, a lable that regularly put out some fabulous Boston-based rock and roll.  Earler today, her daughter, Haley, announced on Facebook that Covault had passed away, […]

RNRM658

RNRM658

New stuff from Jagger Holly and BBQT!

The Ledge #571: New Releases

The Ledge #571: New Releases

The first Friday of June means we have nothing but new releases on The Ledge, and it’s quite the lineup tonight. There are artists from all over the world, ranging from just a mile or so from my home (Thought Patrol) to Germany (Hamburg Ramones, Berlin Blackouts), with additional stops in Italy, Norway, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and other countries). There’s the return of a ton of veteran artists, including Rancid, Graham Parker, The Aquadolls, and Joan Jett.  Most importantly, at least for me, is the brand new project by Tommy Stinson. Over the last few years he’s been touring with his pal Chip Roberts under the Cowboys in the Campfire moniker, and today sees the release of their debut album, Wronger. While a bit quieter than we’re used to from the former Replacements bass player, it’s still quite a record from the hardest working member of the legendary band.  Of course, we begin with the latest in the “52 Weeks of Teenage Kicks” series, and this time it is nt a new release. This version is from the French band Nouvelle Vague, an act that was created to remake classic punk and new wave songs in bossa nova versions. Yes, […]

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RNRM657

Lots of great stuff as always.

The Ledge #570: Holiday Playlist

“Shambolic” maybe an overused word when it comes to my favorite band, The Replacements, but it’s an apt term for tonight’s show. Or at least the first ten minutes. Yes, it’s a mini-disaster. After airing this week’s selection for the “52 Weeks of Teenage Kicks” series by The Vibrators, I talked about the fact that you can now purchase the version I world premiered last week by Jeremy Porter at his bandcamp. (http://jeremyporter.bandcamp.com).  In fact, please go purchase it now, as all proceeds go to the Hater Kitty Army. But after introducing a re-airing the tune, my broadcast program decided to completely rearrange my playlist and a completely different tune aired for a few seconds. I quickly fixed the issue, though, and everything was fine after that. Tonight’s show is a collecton of tunes that I’ve been listening to in my spare time. There’s a set devoted to my favorite rock and roll couple, Amy Rigby and Wreckless Eric, inspired by “Do You Remember This”, a clever little tale of their relationship that may or may not be true. There’s a set that sort of centers around Johnny Thunders, beginning with a couple of Kinks songs before heading into a […]

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RNRM656

A tribute to Tina Turner and more.

The Ledge #569: Jeremy Porter’s Teenage Kicks

The Ledge #569: Jeremy Porter’s Teenage Kicks

When I conceived the “52 Weeks of Teenage Kicks” project late last year one of the first things I did was to contact artists that I considered friends of the show. I’ve been blessed over the years to have some wonderful musicians regularly send me their latest projects. One of those friends was Jeremy Porter, leader of Jeremy Porter & The Tucos. For almost the entire time I’ve been producing The Ledge, Porter has provided me with fabulous music, and has also introduced my show to many of his fellow musician friends.  It was honestly no surprise when Porter responded that he was indeed interested in contributing a version of “Teenage Kicks”, but I was blown away by his overall plans with the tune. Tonight’s episode is the world premiere of his cover, which will be officially released next Friday (5/26) on his bandcamp page. While the track will be a “name your price”, proceeds from those who do the right thing and pay for the track will go to the Detroit-based charity, Hater Kitty Army, led by Sue Summers. “Hater Kitty Rescue Army is a neighborhood cat haven on Detroit’s Eastside,” Summers explains. “We have been serving abandoned cats for the past […]

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RNRM655

New BBQT!

The Ledge #528: New Releases (Pt. 2)

The Ledge #528: New Releases (Pt. 2)

After last week’s special Record Store Day edition of the monthly “new release” show, we’re back this week with the more traditional type of broadcast devoted to brand new tunes. And, like usual, we’re all over the place when it comes to genres. There’s some great power pop. There’s a little bit of punk. A tad here and there of garage rock. And, yes, there’s some Americana.  But it’s not just the varied genres of the show. It’s the fact that this music comes from all over the world. From Australia to Germany to Canada to even my little city of Sioux Falls, SD. Yes, the first set of the show is devoted to a trio of great local bands – The Rose Quarter, Thought Patrol, and Off Contact – all of whom have wonderful records that are eithier already out or about to be released. As for the “52 Weeks of Teenage Kicks”, I have a cover that’s almost 40 years old but is still technically a new release. The version by Dawn Chorus & The Blue Tits initially came out on Stiff Records in 1985, but it has also now been included in a brand new collection of […]

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RNRM654

New Vapids and Candy Now! plus a trip to Greece.

The Ledge #567: New Releases, Pt. 1 (RSD Edition)

The Ledge #567: New Releases, Pt. 1 (RSD Edition)

Thanks to last week’s unseasonably chilly weather, I found myself hooking up a turntable to my podcast mixer. Over the course of the next few hours I dgitized the pile of records I had picked up on Record Store Day a few weeks ago. (Why do they no longer include download codes?) Once finished, I decided that this wonderful pile of music deserved it’s own show, and since the start of every month commences with a “new release” episode (or two), why not spotlight this music? Technically, these are all new releases as they came out on the same day, even if some of the music dates back sixty years. So that’s what we have tonight. Two hours of Record Store Day highlights. From garage rock compilations to long out print albums to live recordings to specially recorded rarities, tonight’s show is varied in not only years but genres. There should be something for everybody. But true new music fans should not worry, as next week’s second part will be a more traditional “new release”, and I have a ton of great material set aside for the show. Of course, the one non-RSD track is this week’s edition of the […]

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RNRM653

New Vapids, Suzi Moon & Billy Hopeless and Alcoholic Werewolf.

The Ledge #566: Twofers

The Ledge #566: Twofers

Tonight unveils a new sort of theme for a Ledge episode – Twofers! Everybody loves a twofer deal at the bar, so why not transfer the idea to rock and roll. (Yeah yeah yeah, I know radio stations have done this for decades. But it’s new to The Ledge!) The inspiration was a handful of great records that I’ve been paying a lot of attention to in the last few days. Last Saturday, for Record Store Day Sioux Falls (soon to be) legends Off Contact put out a few advance copies of their upcoming debut album, Pearls Before Swine. Of course I had to air some tracks off it! And then two days ago I received what may be my second-favorite power pop album of the year. Paint Fumes new record, Real Romancer, is chock full of great hooks accompanied by the sort of noisy guitars that everyone knows I love so much. Of course, I couldn’t resist airing tracks from the brand new albums of original punkers The Damned and former Sex Pistols bassist Glen Matlock. But it’s not all twofers on the show. There’s a “four-fer” of selections from the Record Store Day release of previously unreleased live Husker Du […]

RNRM652

RNRM652

New C.O.F.F.I.N. and tons of other greatness.

The Ledge #565: Some More Home Plays

The Ledge #565: Some More Home Plays

This week is another show devoted primarily to music I’ve been listening to around the house. The first half is dominated by new tracks recently sent to me by various labels, and sometimes the artists themselves. There’s a new tune from Sioux Falls’ own Thought Patrol. There’s Big Stir’s latest projects featuring former Standells leader Tony Valentino. There’s the usual handful of Rum Bar Records releases, including the return of The Short Fuses. The second half of the show are highlighted by recent box set releases of The Velvet Underground, Dead Moon, and the legendary live 2Tone Dance Craze soundtrack, along with favorites by the New York Dolls, The Mummies, The Creation, The Pretty Things, and Paul Revere & The Raiders. There’s almost 60 years of fabulous rock and roll! As for this week’s edition of “52 Weeks of Teenage Kicks”, I don’t have a lot of background information regarding the version by a band called Funeral Service. All I’ve managed to find out is that they were a French band that put their cover out in 1986 as the b-side to a version of the classic “Pills”. If you have any info on this band, please let me know. […]

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RNRM651

New Killer Kin and more.

The Ledge #564: 1988

The Ledge #564: 1988

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RNRM650

Six hundred and fifty!!

The Ledge #563: New Releases

The Ledge #563: New Releases

Here we are with another new release episode. Just over two hours of brand new tunes that everybody should check out. A little bit of garage rock, quite a bit of power pop, and a few other genres mixed in for fun.

As for the “52 Weeks of Teen…

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RNRM649

Brand new Zoanoids!

The Ledge #562: First Quarter Report

The Ledge #562: First Quarter Report

As this is the last show of the first quarter of 2023, and even airing on the last day of the month, it’s only natural that we take a look back at some of the stunning new records released so far thsi year. It has been quite a year, especialy if you are a fan of guitar-driven music. Power pop, in particular, has made a great comeback this year, highlighted by the likes of The Whiffs, Local Drags, and Ryan Allen And His Extra Arms. But it’s also a great year for returning legends. Yo La Tengo, The Long Ryders, The Church, and Iggy Pop released their best albums in years. Billy Childish reunited the legendary Thee Headcoats for their first album in 22 years, and it’s a smoker! For this show, obviously, the main highlight comes from the “52 Weeks of Teenage Kicks” subtheme, and we received thrilling news earlier this week. The very first person I contacted when I came up with this idea was Malibu Lou from Rum Bar Records. Obviously, I was hoping that he could convince some of his bands to participate (and I still hope they do). What I wasn’t expecting was for Lou […]

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RNRM648

Brand new BBQT and tons more.  

The Ledge #561: More Home Plays

The Ledge #561: More Home Plays

Just like last week, this episode is primarily based around what I’ve been listening to in the Ledge home base over the last few days. Some of it is brand new material. Much of it has been old faves that span almost 60 years of great rock and roll. Overall, though, this show is primarily a showcase for old and new power pop. In the new category, there are fabulous new tracks by The Whiffs, Sharp Pins, Uni Boys, and The Trouble Seekers, along with “excavated” recordings by The Bings and Popsicko.  As for old faves, it’s a history lesson of sorts. There’s The Monkees and The Kinks from the 60s. The Jam, The Flamin’ Groovies, Nick Lowe, Graham Parker, and The Rubinoos from the 70s. The 80s are represented by the likes of The Barracudas,  Dwight Twilley, The Bongos, and Camper Van Beethoven. Maybe the 90s aren’t as highly represented, but there is “Tayter Country” by The Cavedogs, quite possibly my favorite song of 1980. As for the “52 Weeks of Teenage Kicks”, this week’s version comes from The Mahones, the legendary Canadian/Irish punk band that always features a quality cover or two on each of their albums. Their […]

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RNRM647

Another extra long show with a debut from the Trouble Seekers!

The Ledge #560: Home Plays

The Ledge #560: Home Plays

This is another of those shows that really has no format. It’s pretty much a rundown of the music I’ve been listening to around the house the last couple of weeks. There’s some great reissued vinyl by Thee Headcoats, Beat Happening, Bottle Rockets, and others. There’s old faves pulled out of the stacks by the likes of Jason and the Scorchers, Hypstrz, Curtiss A, and (shockingly) The Replacements. But I also made room for some new tunes, highlighted by the return of Minneapolis faves High on Stress with their new single, “Over/Thru”. I have no word as of this point whether it’s a sneak preview of a new full-length album, but I’m obviously hoping that’s the case. Other new tracks include tunes by Huck 2, The Downhauls, Lone Wolf, and The Tearaways. As for the “52 Weeks of Teenage Kicks”series, I aired one of the more interesting remakes that I’ve found of this fabulous song. The story goes that at some point many years ago, former Young Ones star Adriam Edmondson “accidentally” bought a mandolin. After learning a few chords he began to play a few old punk rock faves. This led to him forming a Celtic-leaning band, The Bad […]

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RNRM646

Lots of new stuff tonight. Normally I would have edited out my mistakes but it was too fucking late, so here it is, warts and all.

The Ledge #559: New Releases (Pt. 2)

The Ledge #559: New Releases (Pt. 2)

The second part of this month’s new release series sees no drop off from last week’s extravaganza. In fact, it makes the case that 2023 is shaping up to be yet another great year of music. There are long-awaited returns by The Reverend Hor…

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