The Ledge #612: Once Again Some Odds And Ends
This is another of those shows inspired primarily by what I’ve been listening to around the house. But it’s not just records this time, as the inspiration is coming from all sorts of media forms. The first main set, for instance, was inspired by the “Great Plains” section of Steven H. Gardner’s excellent Another Tuneless Racket: Punk and New Wave In the Seventies, Volume 5, The American Beat West. In late 70s Kansas City, there was a shortlived but extremely influential label called Titan Records. Gardner profiles the label, the principal owners, and the artists whose records were released in their short lifespan. Also represented in tonight’s show is music from the legendary label, Good Vibrations. No, it’s not Beach Boys-related. Good Vibrations was a Belfast record store and label that existed in the late 70s, and is most known for discovering and releasing the first Undertones single, “Teenage Kicks”. I suggest that all music fans head right away to Freevee and watch the wonderful film, Good Vibrations. If you love the tunes of that era, you’ll enjoy this film as much as I did The rest of the show consists of records I’ve thrown on my turntable the last […]
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 […]
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…
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…
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 […]
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 […]
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…
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
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 […]
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 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…
The Ledge #557: 1998
It’s always shocking when you stumble upon tweets or articles noting the anniversary of beloved albums. You can’t help but wonder how something that seems like it came out yesterday is actually…well, old! That’s the case with tonight’s show. Every single song you hear is 25 years old. It’s just insane to me that some of my favorite Americana (Son Volt, Golden Smog, Drive-By Truckers), power pop (Sloan, Tommy Keene, Nada Surf), singer/songwriter (Elliott Smith, Silver Jews), and punk (Fugazi, Screeching Weasel, Bad Religion) records have hit this milestone. It just doesn’t feel like nostalgia As for the “52 Weeks of Teenage Kicks” entry, I’ve got a fabulous rarity. 1998 saw the release of Scandal Controvery and Romance, the classic debut record by The Prissteens. To celebrate the 45th birthday of their A&R rep, Howard Thompson, the pressed up 45 copies of a tribute song called “Oh Howard!”. The b-side of this single was their Undertones cover that featured a few lyrical changes and retitled “Teenage Dicks”. (Both of these tracks were eventually reissued on 2020’s The Hound collection of rarities and demos.) Once again, I’m always actively looking for new covers of “Teenage Kicks”. Please don’t hesitate to create your own personal […]
The Ledge #556: More Miscellany
This week’s show is once again a mix of old and new. There’s quite a few brand new releases highlighted, accompanied by quite a few records that I’ve found myself playing in my free time. Which leads me to a question to my lovely listeners. For as long as I’ve done the show, the presence of “themes” has been a constant. Honestly, that’s how my brain works best for picking music. It gives me a reason to air a tune. Even the monthly new release episode is basically a theme that’s just like shows based on certain years or terms. Lately, I have sort of abandoned the theme and played these kinds of old/new mixes. Part of this is that due to the fact that I now report a top ten playlist every week to the Radio Indie Alliance. I know I can submit any ten tracks I play but I’ve been paying even more attention to new music than usual. So this is what I want to find out from you guys. Do you like these freeform type of broadcasts or should I revert back to having a weekly theme? The themes aren’t going away entirely, no matter what […]
The Ledge #553: Miscellany
Every now and then it’s nice to have a show without any real theme, and that’s what we have tonight. Instead, it’s really just a collection of records I’ve been listening to over the last few weeks, and interesting collection of various genres that represent over 50 years of great rock and roll. There’s a handful of recent releases side by side with all time classics. There are veteran bands that are brand new to me, and relatively new artists that I’ve been obsessed with over the last few months. Of course, there’s also this week’s selection for the “52 Weeks of Teenage Kicks” subtheme. I’ve got a homegrown talent by the name of Link West, and his mainly acoustic version is a really nice change of pace. He also contributed a little piece of spoken word audio where he talks of his love of the song and his history of playing it in his original band in Columbus, Ohio. He describes the tune as “50% bubblegum, 50% booty call”. I can’t argue with that. Link West’s version marks a run of (at least) three straight weeks of listener contributions, but of course I always want more. Nothing would make […]
The Ledge #548: Annual Rock and Roll Christmas Party!
The annual Ledge holiday special is probably the easiest show of the year to put together…but not for the reasons you probably assume. Yes, it would be a breeze to just cull tracks from the same favorite Christmas albums year after year. Nobody would even notice if I ever repeated a song or two. But I’m thrilled that year after year there is a plethora of new holiday tunes to check out. More and more artists put out Christmas albums. More and more labels put out new compilations. And, most importantly, more and more artists are using their bandcamp pages to put out surprise individual tracks that are quite often free! So this year’s show is, with a handful of exceptions, brand new tunes! If you enjoy great punk, indie, Americana, and power pop there should be something here for you. There’s also no silly novelty songs (well, maybe one). There’s no maudlin weepers. Musically, each and every song would fit at home on a “normal” episode of The Ledge. So crank this at your family gathering! I would love it if every listener bought at least one record I played on either of these shows. These great artists deserve […]
The Ledge #546: Runners Up
The process of compiling my annual list of the year’s best albums rarely varies. It usually begins in mid-November with a combination of notetaking and mental obsessing. Then over Thanksgiving weekend I begin putting ideas into various categories that I couldn’t even try to explain. Finally, the first couple of weeks of December sees this list finally coming together. As you may expect, that initial list is much longer than the official post of the best of the year. There can be anywhere between 60 and 100 records vying for inclusion. This week’s show comprises the 31 records that were in consideration before that final cut. But that’s not to say that these records are not as good as my “chart toppers”. No, these days there’s a fine line between a what makes the top ten and what makes the lower rungs. All of these records are fabulous albums that deserve to be heard by everybody. This is why the first time ever I’ve put together this “runners up” episode. 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, […]
The Ledge #541: Halloween Spooktacular
I may say this every year but it is worth repeating. Halloween is the ultimate rock and roll holiday. Like truly great rock and roll, Halloween is dangerous, controversial, and noisy. Religious idiots for decades have claimed both are associated with …
The Ledge #531: New Releases (Pt. 2)
I may have called part one of this month’s new release series the “friends of the show” episode, but that mentality continues in part two as we have a nice set of tracks from our friends at Big Stir Records. We also have brand new tr…
The Ledge #526: Low Rats
When the news broke that swaggering rock and rollers Low Rats were hitting my little city of Sioux Falls I immediately began begging the band to make a stop at my house before the show for a Ledge interview. Although final plans were up in the air until the last minute, lead singer Michael Meyer promised me that he would definitely show up in time for my Friday night broadcast. Unfortunately, I had some technical issues throughout the day, and they were not completely fixed by the time Meyer arrived just before my Realpunkradio shift. So instead of a mix of chat and music, we could only broadcast the conversation. The two of us spent an hour talking about his Sioux Falls childhood, along with the various bands he had not only in this little town but in other cities, including his time a few years ago leading Narco States. In a case of perfect timing, the rest of the band (guitarist Rob Sells, bassist Joe Holland, and drummer Ben Crunk) arrived just when I was going to begin asking Meyer questions about Low Rats. Although I now had more people than microphones, we carried on with the entire band […]
The Ledge #515: 1977 Redux (Rerecorded)
I was so excited to upload last night’s episode of The Ledge, as I believed I had a pretty cool theme put together. Unfortunately, once the live broadcast on RealPunkRadio concluded, I discovered that my recording device had malfunctioned. Still determined to share the episode, I decided to rerecord on Saturday afternoon. The first ten minutes of the broadcast had survived, so I included that bit and then recut my intros before reconstructing the rest of the show with the song files. What you get here is the natural successor to my earlier shows devoted to the magnificent year of 1977. This time, however, you’ll hear covers of songs played on those shows. And what an eclectic group of artists. You even hear southern rock legends The Outlaws bravely take on an Elvis Costello song in 1977. Who knew that even existed? I hope you enjoy this episode. A little warning, though. There may be some fluctuations in the levels, as some tracks are mastered louder than others. My broadcast program takes care of that during live shows, and I did attempt to manually boost a couple of really quiet tunes. I would love it if every listener bought at […]
The Ledge #511: New Releases (Pt. 2)
While part one of this month’s new release series focused on relatively new artists, this week’s successor is full of bands that have been around for quite some time. There’s the first album in over 30 years by The Rave Ups. The Hood…
The Ledge #510: New Release (Pt. 1)
It became apparent a couple of weeks ago that this month’s new release series would have to be a two part extravaganza. Not only were the quantity of new songs piling up, but there were also quite a few albums that deserved more than a track or two of airtime. So the decision was easy, but then how does one split the shows? There’s no real formua to what was aired tonight and what will be held back until next week. Tonight’s show probably features more of the types of artists who are easily found on Bandcamp, which is fitting since March 4 was another of the great bandcamp days where the artist gets 100% of the proceeds of their sales. But otherwise the quality between both sets of tunes is pretty similar, as you’ll see during next week’s second part. 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 […]
The Ledge #509: RIP Mark Lanegan and Don Craine
This week’s show was originally going to be another in the series of “odds and ends” episodes where I air tracks from some record I’ve either recently acquired or pulled out of the archives to give a listen. Unfortunately, the deaths of two great rockers changed those plans. Mark Lanegan is in my opinion the most artistic of all of the grunge-era lead vocalists. While the vast majority of his brethren rarely travelled out of their safe zone, Lanegan was a musical shape shifter throughout his entire career. There was simply not a genre he wouldn’t attempt, nor did it seem like he ever said no to a collaborator. The first half of the show consists of long sets devoted to his solo career and also a taste of those collaborations. Then just a couple of hours before showtime came the news that Downliners Scet leader Don Craine had also passed away. Never heard of the Sect? You’re loss. Please go do some research after listening to tonight’s show. The set dedicated to him not only includes some of the great tracks of their mid-60s glory years but also a couple of great collaborations with Billy Childish. Filling up the […]
The Ledge #502: Best Records of 2021 NYE Countdown
So your favorite online radio DJ decided to spend a bitterly cold New Year’s Eve playing over six hours of the best music of 2021. But what else would I have done? New Year’s Eve is amateur night, and I haven’t ventured out of my house for the big night in years. With the big night lining up with a Ledge weekly broadcast, the decision to do a “Casey Kasem” was easy. So this show is a true marathon. First off, there’s a countdown of the 20 best reissues, box sets, compilations, and tribute albums of the year. Then there’s a countdown of the 40 best albums of 2021, and we hit the stroke of midnight in the eastern and central time zones with tracks from some of the great singles and EP’s of the year, along with tunes from a number of great albums that barely missed the cut of making the big countdown. Honestly, while the world is melting down we are somehow seeing a cultural renaissance. How else could I put together a six hour playlist of nothing but music from the past year? It’s simply incredible how much wonderful music is coming out on a weekly […]
The Ledge #501: Annual Rock & Roll Christmas Party
The goal of the annual Ledge Christmas extravaganza is to prove that holiday music doesn’t have to suck. And once again, it’s certainly true as the vast majority of rock, punk, garage, and Americana tracks are brand new songs specifically f…
The Ledge #491: New Releases (Pt. 1)
It’s almost a given that if Rum Bar Records puts out a sampler, that month’s Ledge “New Release” show will be a two parter, and this month is no exception. Thanks to “Rocktober II”, the massive 38 track collection of…
The Ledge #490: Songs About Actors
The idea for this show actually came about earlier this summer when I noticed that over the last few months I had acquired a number of songs about various movie stars. Over the next few days, with the help of a bunch of Facebook friends, I put together more than enough tracks that fit this theme. Tonight’s supersized show is the results of hours and hours of research, and consists of songs about not only classic Hollywood royalty such as Myrna Loy, Joan Crawford, Robert Mitchum, and Clark Gable but relatively recent stars like Keira Knightley, Winona Ryder, Timothy Chalamet, and Emma Stone. It’s a show that jumps from acoustic-based singer/songwriters to classic rockers to some outrageous punk rock. BTW, it should also be noted that the intro voice of the Ledge, Max, is now a high school student who has an opportunity to spend a few days in New York City with his school’s performing arts department. Please consider helping him out by donating at his Gofundme page. (https://www.gofundme.com/f/maxwell-to-nyc) 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 […]
The Ledge #487: Charlie Watts RIP
The death of Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts earlier this week created an obvious opportunity for The Ledge to celebrate his almost 60 years of playing behind fellow Stones members Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. But, of course, I didn’t go the obvious route. You don’t get two hours of the band’s greatest hits. You don’t even get the most well known covers of the band. No, instead this tribute consists primarily of bands that fit the true spirit of the “Greatest Rock and Roll Band in the World”. The tracks consist of a ton of live encores of Americana artists, garage rock versions recorded for various tribute albums, and a handful of B-sides and other bonus material. Oh yes, and a drunken cover or three found on Replacements’ bootlegs. Rest in peace, Charlie. You will be missed. 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 […]
The Ledge #485: New Releases (Pt. 2)
Part two of this month’s new release series carries on from the excellence of last week’s first show. There are great tribute records to John Prine and The Ramones, along with some other fabulous covers of the Flamin’ Groovies, T. Rex…
The Ledge #481: 1981 US Punk
The latest in the series of episodes devoted to the music of 1981 consists of nothing but US punk from that great year. Primarily centered around the rise of the Southern California hardcore scene, the show jumps around to all parts of our country, and…
The Ledge #477: Summer Means Fun (Plus Recovered Bonus Show)
On last week’s new release broadcast I had attempted to right a wrong. I definitely missed the boat on the fabulous Minneapolis band Low Rats blend of “proto-punk meets ’90s garage rock style”, as reviewer Carolyn Keddy recently wrote. Their full-length debut, Year of the Rat MMXX came out late last year, and last week they debuted a brand new “double-dose” single, “Taxi Driver/Brand New Cadillac”. I was so pleased to finally give some of their tunes a little airplay. And then guess what happened? I had an issue with the file, and I couldn’t upload the episode. Ugh!!! So this week I tried again, and I actually played a couple more songs than I did the week before. And, as an added bonus, I’ve also included a couple of tracks from vocalist Michael Myers’ previous band, Narco States, who I interviewed wasy back in 2015. The rest of this week’s show consists of music I’ve been playing around the house the last fw weeks. There are well over 60 years of tunes on this broadcast, including some stories I’ve picked up from a couple of books I’ve recently acquired. And you fine people also get as a bonus the […]
The Ledge #475: New Releases (Pt. 2)
This week’s show may be a sequel to last week’s new release episode, but there’s no letdown in quality. Here are two hours of some of the best new music from all over the world – not only the U.S. but Canada, England, Sweden, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and Spain. There’s some pure punk, along with power pop, heavy rock, indie rock, and much more. There are longtime veterans with five decades of rocking, along with some brand new bands with their first releases. One of the many highlights is the opening set that includes a handful of newly-discovered tracks by an obscure band called The Jacks. Originating in Oklahoma, one member of the band found himself living in Minneapolis. Working in a record store allowed him to befriend members of The Replacements, Husker Du, and The Suicide Commandos. Recordings featuring these amazing musicians have now been released on the album “Make ‘Em Cry”. We also have the premiere of three tracks from Geoff Palmer’s upcoming album, “Charts & Graphs”. Due out on July 23, this fantastic collection of power poppish punk should be a highlight of the summer. There’s also new tunes by Dropkick Murphys, The Dictators, Juliana Hatfield, […]
The Ledge #470: Playing Catch Up
It’s always rewarding when a confluence of ideas results in a show that has a perfect flow. That’s what happened this week. This show began with a slight nudging from a couple of acts that had submitted tracks earlier this year that had just not yet found a place in a show. Add to that a couple of great records featuring Dirty Truckers drummer John Lynch that he sent when we were putting together the Rum Bar Records episode. Then a section of super sweet, relatively new records were discovered at a local record store. I’m talking about mint 2020 releases that I had missed out on when they were first put out. Adding to that secton of the show are a few other 2019 and 2020 albums that I was late in discovering, along with a couple of fabulous archive releases and suddenly I have two hours of great music for tonight! 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 […]
The Ledge #468: First Quarter Report
Since we are just a few days away from April, it makes sense that the last episode of the month is a look back at the first quarter of 2021. What albums, EP’s and singles have caught my attention? Has it been a great year?
The answer is the same …
The Ledge #467: Rum Bar Records
Loyalty is an important word in my life. I try to be as loyal as possible to not only friends and family, but also the bands that I love. I’m even loyal to certain record labels. In the 80’s it was Twin/Tone and SST. Merge and a few others fit that category in the 90’s, and I’ve got a handful of current labels these days whose artists I will always check out. One of those is Rum Bar Records. No label has been more loyal to what I do with The Ledge than Rum Bar Records. Head honcho “Malibu” Lou Mansdorf has not only kept me in the loop with his constantly growing stable of releases, but he also routinely tosses a care package of physical releases to my mailbox. It’s because of people like Lou that this show has continued to prosper for over a decade. But it also turns out that loyalty is an important word to Mansdorf, as proven by the testimonials from his artists that pop up throughout this marathon all-Rum Bar broadcast. Most have been his friends for decades, but even recent signing have nothing but glowing words for him. Tonight’s show features tracks from the entire […]
The Ledge #466: Home Plays
I have to admit that I get too hung up on themes. Obviously, the new release episode is always going to be a part of the lineup, but I really don’t have to create a basis for my weekly music choices. I actually wish that I could think in terms of just randomly airing songs that fir my mood for the day. This week I actually attempt such a show, but there’s still sort of a theme. These are all records that I’ve been listening to in my spare time. One is a newly-unearthed Rolling Stones bootleg. There’s tracks from a great compilation of late 60’s rockers from The Dakotas. There’s a new Neil Young live album from his vast archives. But the freedom of this loose theme is that I did throw in some songs that I have never aired before. That Soiuxsie and the Banshees album that I happened to grab at the record store a few weeks ago? Sure, why not. The Lloyd Cole track from the box set I ordered directly from Lloyd? Yep. A great 2018 album by The Conquerors that my friend Dan recommended? Of course. And I just had to air a couple […]
The Ledge #465: New Releases
It’s the first Friday of the month, so you know what this means. Yes, once again I have over two hours of the best new indie, garage, power pop, punk, and Americana releases. Plenty of veteran acts, and even more brand new artists. If you care ab…
The Ledge #463: Songs About The Ramones
As I state at the beginning of the show, the initial idea for this theme came from the plethora of recent songs that mention The Ramones in the title, both individually and as a group. Add to that a few faves from the past, along with some great sugges…
The Ledge #462: New Releases (Pt. 2)
Last week’s new release show was all about submitted tracks. This week’s part two of the series compiles all of the other new records that have recently been released (or will be soon). The show is marked by the return of quite a few vetera…
The Ledge #461: New Releases (Pt. 1)
Few things make a music critic/internet DJ happier than a package of new music, and I’m blessed to have the support of so many bands and labels. Whenever I receive an email that includes a link to a single or album, or find a packet in my mailbox, I immediately put it in the front of my pile of music to check out. As I was putting together this month’s new release episode, I suddenly noticed just how many great records I’ve received in the past few weeks. So why not do an entire show bassed on artist/label submissions? That’s what we have here this week. Some are from individual artists (Dan Israel, Jeremy Porter, Indonesian Junk, New Rocket Union, etc.) that want me to check out their new tunes. Others are because I’ve found myself on a label’s mailing list. I definitely need to thank Big Stir Records, Red on Red Records, and Rum Bar Records, who really knocked it out of the park with not one but two free samplers of current and upcoming new releases! After listening, please go purchase those tracks you enjoy! These great artists deserve to be compensated for their hard work, and every […]
The Ledge #459: UK Punk 1981
Since it’s a new year I have a whole list of new “anniversaries” to celebrate this year. You can expect many upcoming episodes devoted to years such as 1986, 1991…and, obviously, 1981. Tonight’s broadcast is the first of a…
The Ledge #456: Lockdown Christmas
Everybody’s favorite holiday tradition is back as once again The Ledge annual Christmas show brings you the best rockin’ holiday tunes in this supersized show! What’s great about this show is that it’s not a show relying on tun…
The Ledge #454: New Releases
It’s the last new release show of 2020, and it may just be the best one of the year. There’s a ton of new music that’s come out the past few weeks, including a few great items discovered shortly before the show commenced. And how can …
The Ledge #451: 1990
It may be a cliche, especially compared to the dumpster fire of this year, but it was definitely a simpler time for me in 1990. It was a year that I sort of became an adult. Sort of are the key words here. It was also a year of musical transition for me, as it was the year of the last Replacements album and the year of Uncle Tupelo’s debut album. For the next few years, “Americana” became my leading musical force. With a few exceptions, of course. (Both of these recors, The Replacements’ “All Shook Down” and Uncle Tupelo’s “No Depression”, get an extended look during tonight’s show.) This week’s show takes a look at much of what was in my gigantic portable CD carrier during that year. Yes, I had one of those 64 disc cases that went with me wherever I went. One has to be prepared, you know. Hopefully, you’ll enjoy this nostalgic look at my personal music taste from that era. 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 […]
The Ledge #449: Halloween
The Halloween episode has been an important part of The Ledge calendar year for over a decade. Outside of maybe one or two years, there has always been a show during the week before the great holiday featuring fantastic Hallowen-themed punk, garage, indie, power pop, and almost every other rock and roll sub-genre. Why is this such a big show? It’s simple, and I’ve said it before. Halloween is a rock and roll holiday. The very themes of the big day have been a part of rock and roll since the early days. The sound of an electric guitar itself fits the day, as does the pounding, basic rhythms of the real rock and roll. It also helps that every year sees the release of a ton of tracks that can be shoehorned into the theme. In fact, the overwhelming majority of songs on this year’s edition were released in the last ten months, which obviously adds to the freshness of this show every single year! 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 […]
The Ledge #447: Covers
On one of my laptops I have a folder where I toss in any cover versions that I think could possibly include in a Ledge episode. Once that folder has a sufficient number of songs I know it’s time to do a covers show.
This is that time. The folder …
The Ledge #446: New Releases
Due to Gorman Bechard’s appearance last week, this month’s new release episode was bumped back a week. But this delay turned out to be for the benefit of the show, as it allowed for me to include some brand new tracks by The Replacements. W…
The Ledge #444: Compilations
The last few months have seen a ton of great compilation records come out. Some have been all covers. Many have been label or genre samplers. Others have been benefits for great causes. What unites them all is that so many of them have been full of gre…
The Ledge #443:Scott’s Favorite Records, Vol. 6
As it’s my birthday today it’s only fitting that I put together another in my series of favorite songs of all time. This time around, it’s primarily songs from the 90’s, although a handful of songs actually come from records rel…
The Ledge #442: New Releases
It’s another great month of new releases. I know I say that every month but we are living in a time where somehow artists are still creating fabulous, vital music. Just take a listen to this two hours of rock, folk, punk, surf, indie, and a few o…
The Ledge #437: 1980 American Punk
Earlier this year I featured a show that focused on British punk rock from 1980. Tonight, I do the same thing but featuring nothing but tunes from American punk bands from that same year.
It’s kind of interesting how the focus of the punk scene (…
The Ledge #433: Best Albums of 2020 (So Far)
The world may be ending but great music lives forever. Despite everything that has gone on this year there has still been a steady stream of fabulous albums released. Tonight’s show is a look at the 40 best albums released in the first half of 20…
The Ledge #431: New Releases, Pt. 2
As I said last week, there have been so many great releases in the last few weeks that this month’s new release episode was forced to expand to two episodes. Quality-wise, there’s no difference between the two episodes. In fact, it could be…
The Ledge #428: Scott’s Fave Songs Vol. 4 – Minneapolis
It’s safe to say that a Minneapolis-themed show would come out of the series of my favorite songs of all time. It was actually the easiest of the shows to put together. No, it’s not two hours of Replacements and Husker Du songs. Certainly both of those bands are well-represented but so many other bands from that great city had a huge impact on my life. Many of these are extremely popular (Soul Asylum, Jayhawks, Suburbs) but there are also a lesser-known ton of records that were just as important in my life. For example, I saw The Phones as many times over the years as I saw any of these other bands. And I may not know much about the history of artists such as The Ticks or Crash Street Kids but I played those records to death over the years. Now here’s a bit of a disclaimer. I did switch away from Minneapolis for a long set of Sioux Falls bands, and other artists from places such as Austin, Minnesota and Cedar Falls, Iowa are represented. And technically The Hold Steady are a Brooklyn band. But Minneapolis certainly influenced all of the Sioux Falls bands I included, and […]
The Ledge #426: New Releases
Another month, another collection of great new music. Unlike previous editions, though, this month’s show features a ton of one-off single releases of tracks recorded under quarantine. In fact, just minutes before The Ledge went to air on Realpun…
The Ledge #425: Rock ‘n’ Roll Women
When I was putting together this month’s new release episodes I decided that it was time to also do another all-female episode of The Ledge. Both of those episodes had multiple sets of nothing but rocking women, as did previous months this year.
…
The Ledge #423: New Releases Pt 2
This week’s show may be a sequel to last week’s new release episode but it’s certainly not a drop in quality. Just like last week, there are plenty of new bands (Cherry Chrome, Rookie, Green/Blue), lots of surprising reunions (The Boo…
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…
The Ledge #419: Live Albums, Vol. 2
Part one of The Ledge Live Albums series featured my picks (with a little agreement from my friends). Tonight’s belongs to those who responded to a Facebook post from last month (plus a couple of emails and tweets). It’s quite a bit fun, st…
The Ledge #418: New Releases
The monthly new release shows are easily my favorite episodes, and this month’s is no exception. As always, it’s a great mix of brand new bands, returning veterans, and some great recent discoveries. There’s so much great new music th…
The Ledge #416: Scott’s Faves, Vol. 2
A few weeks ago I debuted a new series documenting my favorite songs of all time. What began as a quest for one tight 30-song set turned into a folder filled with close to 200 songs. The first show primarily featured aggressive tracks from the 60’…
The Ledge #415: Love Kills
You really didn’t expect a “real” Valentine’s Day special tonight, right? I mean, come on, a Ledge episode filled with corny love songs? Of course not.
No no no. I went the opposite direction with tonight’s very special ep…
The Ledge #414: New Releases
I consider the February new release episode of The Ledge to be the first real episode of the year. Sure, the January show had quite a few 2020 releases but it was dominated by 2019 leftovers. This episode, with a few exceptions, are the fruits of the n…
The Ledge #413: Scott’s Faves Vol. 1
A few days ago I came up with the idea of putting together a show of nothing but my favorite songs of all time. A few hours later, however, I ended up with a folder of almost 200 songs. Hmmmm. So here is the introduction of a new series of shows devoted to the great tracks that have made me who I am today. Of course, a lunatic like myself has to come up with unnecessary rules. So the main rule I’m abiding by in this new Ledge series is that I’m going to ignore most of the obvious bands. Everybody knows I love Chuck Berry, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Clash, David Bowie, and other similar giants. And how would one just pick a single song by acts like these? So for the most part we’re going with artists that should be bigger. Artists that should be on every so-called “classic rock” playlsit. Of course, The Kinks are one of those kind of bands, but how can I ignore “I’m Not Like Everybody Else”? So it’s a part of tonight’s show dedicated to tracks primarily from the 60’s and 70’s. I’m excited to exhaust the folder of tunes […]
The Ledge #410: UK Punk 1980
After quite a few shows devoted to 1979 in the last 12 months, it’s predictable that this new year will see a similar move with music from 1980. Tonight’s is the first of such a show and it’s devoted to the UK punk scene. It’s i…
Live Ledge #407: Rock and Roll Christmas
The annual Live Ledge Christmas show is always a lot of fun. It’s always a bit surprising how many great rock and roll holiday songs and albums are released every year, and 2019 is no exception. Despite a dreary year in almost every aspect of our…
Live Ledge #406: Best Albums of 2019
Once again we wrap up a great year in music with our annual countdown of the 40 best albums of 2019.
Live Ledge #404: Under Consideration Pt. 2
Last week’s show introduced a two part series of a Live Ledge look back at 2019 releases that deserve a second look before the “Best of 2019” list is completed. Tonight is the second part, and includes the usual mix of garage, indie, punk, and other quality rock and roll subgenres. Will any of these releases end up making the cut? Yep, just from these shows I have already decided on at least a handful of these, with many others still under consideration. After listening, please go purchase those tracks you enjoy!
Live Ledge #402: North America 1979
The final show dedicated to 1979 returns to America. As an earlier show already featured the Midwestern tones from Minneapolis, Chicago, and Cleveland, this week is primarily dedicated to the East and West Coasts, with little sets at the end featuring Texas and Canada. There’s even a set featuring some of the few mainstream bands from the era that I could handle back when I was an angry (or angrier) high schooler. It’s been a lot of fun rediscovering some of the tunes of my youth, along with discovering bands that I missed out on hearing at the time. After listening, please go purchase those tracks you enjoy!
The Last Backlog Dump Before We Get Our Shit Together!
Morning Show 4.2.19 Radio Show 4.2.19 Morning Show 4.23.19 Radio Show 4.23.19 Morning Show 4.30.19 Radio Show 4.30.19 Morning Show 5.7.19 Radio Show 5.7.19 Morning Show 5.21.19 Radio Show 5.21.19 Radio Show 5.28.19 Morning Show 6.3.19 Radio Show 6.3.19 Radio Show 6.18.19 Radio Show 6.25.19 Morning Show 7.2.19 Radio Show 7.2.19 That is everything we […]
Live Ledge #375: New Releases (Pt. 2)
A continuation of last week’s comprehensive look at recent releases that travels all over the world.
Live Ledge #371: Partytime
Celebrate the St. Patrick’s Day weekend with these booze-oriented tracks.
Live Ledge #359: RIP Pete Shelley/New Releases
Tonight’s supersized show features a tribute to the late, great Pete Shelley, along with tons of new releases.
Live Ledge #347: New Releases
The first Friday of every month is devoted to nothing but new releases, and this month is no different!
Live Ledge #346: Food
Obviously, we all need food, and you now need to hear this collection of songs about food.
Live Ledge #345: More 1978 UK
Continuing the series of shows looking at the great music of 1978, tonight’s episode focuses on more UK tracks from the year.
Live Ledge #342: 1983
This week we take a look back at the great indie, punk, and college rock from 1983!
Live Ledge #341: East Coast U.S. & Canada 1978
Continuing the series of shows focused on the magical year of 1978, this episode share classic punk tracks from New York, Boston, Washington, DC, and Canada.
Live Ledge #336: West Coast & Midwest 1978
The third episode of a continuing series devoted to the great tunes of 1978. This time it’s all about the West Coast and Midwest U.S.A.!
Live Ledge #331: Record Store Day
Host Scott Hudson goes through a wide variety of Record Store Day exclusive releases.
LIve Ledge #327: More Songs From 1978
The second of many shows dedicated to that magical year of 1978.
The Annual Live Ledge Kwanzaa Festivus Ramadan Christmas Holiday Extravaganza
Celebrate the holidays with almost 2 1/2 years of rockin’ holiday tunes!
Live Ledge #307: Halloween Hootenanny
Punk rock and Halloween go together like my favorite whiskey and Coke, so here’s another edition of the annual Halloween show.
Live Ledge #303: Number Nine
A look at some great ninth tracks of primarily recently-released favorite albums.
Live Ledge #272: More 1977
Scott Hudson’s look back 40 years to 1977’s music scene continues in this episode.
Live Ledge #271: 1977
It’s the first of two episodes that looks back 40 years to the magic year of 1977!
Live Ledge #270: In Memoriam
The final show of 2016 highlights the great musicians that sadly left us this year.
S3 Ep65 TNS Radio Punk Podcast
Moz and Mike return with a slightly summery feel, which amounts to a Scottish football song and some reggae. The show also includes new music from the upcoming Revenge of the Psychotronic Man album ‘Colossal Velocity’, as well as new releases from Ruts DC, and System Paralysis. You can click on the iTunes link below […]
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S3 Ep65 TNS Radio Punk Podcast
Moz and Mike return with a slightly summery feel, which amounts to a Scottish football song and some reggae. The show also includes new music from the upcoming Revenge of the Psychotronic Man album ‘Colossal Velocity’, as well as new releases from Ruts DC, and System Paralysis.
You can click on the iTunes link below the player to subscribe or use the feed url – itpc://www.tnsrecords.co.uk/?feed=rss2&cat=304
The show also goes on on Real Punk Radio on Thursdays at 5pm Eastern time and on Punk Rock Demo at 7pm Pacific time.
Songs played:
Tracks:
The Ruts DC – Psychic Attack
Revenge – Felch, Death, Fuck, Storm
Revenge – Rrose Selavy To Make A Toast To Life
Wreckless Eric – Telephoning Home
System Paralysis – Self Made Madness
Q – CQNTRQL
The Slackers – Axes
Dr Ring Ding Ska Vaganza – The Exorcist
Dreadsquad (feat. Kasia Malenda) – Soulfly
The Crosstops – One Track Mind
Superchunk – Detroit Has A Skyline
The Newtown Grunts – Toepokes and Tragedies
The Franceens – Alright
The Misfits – NY Ranger
Killing Joke – Pssyche
The post S3 Ep65 TNS Radio Punk Podcast appeared first on TNS Records.
S3 Episode 60 – TNS Radio Punk Podcast
Moz and Mike record their latest effort during a party, which means there’s slurs a plenty and towards the end no one bothers to introduce the last five songs because a group of girls wanted to sing a Sister Sledge song. There’s plenty of bands played, but also some intense whittling. Get ready for top-notch […]
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