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 […]
The Ledge #543: Power Pop, Pt. 1 (The Past)
On a fairly regular basis I’m asked what type of music I most enjoy. It’s a pretty tough question to answer, to be honest. The standard answer I hear in return is “I love all kinds of music”, which to me is code for “I only like what’s popular”. Sorry, but having a playlist on Spotify that includes both Drake, Meghan Trainor, and Luke Bryan isn’t the proof of versatility most of these poeple believe it is. So what is the genre or sub-genre that is closest to my heart? “Punk” is a little too confining, and honestly there is a lot of shitty music under that moniker. “Alternative” doesn’t mean the same today as it did 30 years ago since maintstream rock radio has co-opted it. “Garage rock” is indeed getting closer but still doesn’t feel right. I think deep in my heart the term power pop, or at least my version of the term, best describes my music taste. I was, after all, born the day The Beatles recorded their first single, and the first two rock and roll albums I owned just out of my toddler phase was the first Monkees record and the A Hard Day’s Night soundtrack. My […]
Live Ledge #136: Christmas
Another annual ritual – this time it’s a show of mostly revved-up holiday tunes!
