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 […]
The Ledge #551: 1993
I have to admit that tonight’s show made me feel like an old man. Sure, I’ve done shows devoted to individual years on a regular basis, but I’ve fully understood that the songs featured on a broadcast like last week’s 1978 tribute were nostalgic looks at the past. But tonight’s show featuring (almost) nothing but tunes from 1993 didn’t feel like a nostalgia trip. These songs don’t feel like they are 30 years old. I swear they were released just a few years ago. Maybe it’s because I still have such a connection to records like Archers of Loaf’s Icky Mettle. Or the fact that Bikini Kill’s “Rebel Girl” still packs the same punch it did back when it was released. Plus, I’ve obviously spent plenty of time with all of the solo albums released by former members of The Replacements. Even this week’s second edition of my “52 Weeks of Teenage Kicks” dates back to 1993, and in a weird sort of twist was the reason I came up with this idea. As I said last week, I had earlier realized that I owned quite a few versions of the song. But I had read on Facebook that a great […]
The Ledge #489: This & That
After taking a week off (for various reasons that I discuss at the beginning of the show), The Ledge is back with another show of various odds and ends. There are sets influenced by some packages I received from Indonesian Junk and Lucinda Williams. There’s some memories of that great Replacements show in St. Paul six years ago with a few tunes from a show recorded earlier on that tour. There’s an oddly great tribute album to Elvis Costello that couples Latin singers with the original backing tracks of the legendary This Year’s Model album. And there’s also quite a few songs initially meant to be in the last new release show, but had to be cut for time constraints. Plus quite a few other great tunes in a variety of formats. I would love it if every listener bought at least one record I played on either of these shows. These great artists deserve to be compensated for their hard work, and every purchase surely helps not only pay their bills but fund their next set of wonderful songs. And if you buy these records directly from the artist or label, please let them know you heard these tunes […]
The Ledge #476: Happy Birthday Bobby D!
Putting together a Dylan tribute show for this week was clearly a no-brainer. After all, he turned 80 years old this past Monday! Of course The Ledge would celebrate! It actually wasn’t until the day of his birthday that I decided on this theme, though, and I have to give special thanks to Lydia Loveless. To help raise money for NIVA (National Independent Venue Association), Lydia and a dozen other artists were a part of Happy Birthday Uncle Bob! A Dylan Tribute. That release is just one of many recent releases that are the focus of the first half of the show. Daniel Romano, Billy Childish (as The William Loveday Intention), Lucinda Williams, and others have full-length albums of Dylan remakes, and the second half of the show consists of some old favorites such as Paul Westerberg, Jason & The Scorchers, Mike Ness, and many others. After listening, please go purchase those tracks you enjoy! These great artists deserve to be compensated for their hard work, and every purchase surely helps not only pay their bills but fund their next set of wonderful songs. And if you buy these records directly from the artist or label, please let them know you heard these […]
The Ledge #421: Don’t Stand So Close To Me
I understood pretty early on this week that it was going to be impossible to come up with a new theme this week. The pandemic is the only thing any of us are thinking about these days, especially with the situation being more grim every day.
Since last…
The Ledge #420: Isolation
Earlier this week when the hysteria over the current world health situation was starting to gain some steam I was listening to my vinyl copy of Paul Westerberg’s Mono/Stereo. As “Let The Bad Times Roll” was playing a little light bulb…
Live Ledge #371: Partytime
Celebrate the St. Patrick’s Day weekend with these booze-oriented tracks.
Live Ledge #219: Thank You Friends
A post-Thanksgiving episode celebrating just a few of the artists I’m thankful to have in my life.
