Show #10 May 30, 2009

My first TWO HOUR show is all for Staceys!

Stacey- The Lyres 12 Classic 45s
Little Mascara- The Replacements Tim
Don't Get Mad- The Imposters Don't Get Mad 45
Let's Go- The Reducers Let's Go
Tell It To Carrie- The Romantics Romantics And Friends-Midwest Pop Explosion
Feast On My Heart- Pylon Gyrate
Airplay- The First Steps Anywhere Else But Here E.P. 7"
It's All Fire- Poison Squirrel Step By Step 45
^Back of My Hand (I've Got Your Number)- The Jags Evening Standards
Everybody Knows- Tom Dickie & the Desires Competition
Stay Sixteen- The Proof It's Safe
Civil War Buff- Richard X. Heyman Hey Man!
Bad Reputation- The dB's Stands for deciBels
Lose Your Love- Mandarines Trust You E.P.
*The Kids Are Alright- The Who The Who Sings My Generation
*No Matter What- Badfinger No Dice
*Go All The Way- Raspberries Raspberries
*I'm On Fire- Dwight Twilley Band Sincerely
Amnesia- The Rubinoos Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About The Rubinoos
Go Cruisin- Shrapnel Go Cruisin' 7''
I'm Blessed- Brendan Benson One Mississippi
Up the Junction- Squeeze DIY Starry Eyes: UK Pop II (1978-79)
Midnight Riders- Spys Midnight Riders EP
Plea From A Cat Named Virtute- The Weakerthans Reconstruction Site
Messing With My Head- Tinted Windows Tinted Windows
Give Me Passion- Positive Noise Give Me Passion 45
I Don't Know About You- The Wild Giraffes I Don't Know About You 45
Where's the Boy for Me?- The Revillos DIY Starry Eyes: UK Pop II (1978-79)
Hello Goodbye- L.A. Burgers L.A. Burgers
Why Can't It Be- The Names Why Can't It Be 45
When the Night Comes- The Boomtown Rats The Fine Art Of Surfacing
Heartbreaker- Knots Heartbreaker 7"

^Power Pop Peak: #84 Billboard Hot 100 6/7/80

*SacroSet: Roots Of Power Pop 1965-1975

In 1967, when New Musical Express asked about The Who's music, guitarist Pete Townshend responded "Power Pop is what we play." Now, All Music Guide's John Dougan correctly points out that "the musical sourcepoint for nearly all power-pop is The Beatles." Yet, for reasons I won't go into now, I won't be playing The Beatles on ALL KINDSA GIRLS. So, The Who lead off tonight's Roots Of Power Pop SacroSet, which also includes fellow Brits Badfinger and, representing the USA, Cleveland's Raspberries along with Tulsa's Dwight Twilley Band.

Elvis Costello had yet to dent the Billboard 100 in 1980, and wouldn't until 1983's Everyday I Write The Book. So, my friend Franzi (now Frank), an avowed Elvis Fanatic, was outraged that The Jags, who clearly appropriated (paid homage to?) Costello's sound, had a hit with tonight's Power Pop Peak, Back Of My Hand (I've Got Your Number). I still remember Frank singing over the Back Of My Hand chorus:

The Jags.....sound just like Elvis Costello...
The Jags.....sound just like Elvis Costello...
Elvis Costello...

In fact, I can't really listen to the song without hearing his high pitched squeal over the chorus. So, you've effectively ruined the song for me- thanks Frank.

Back in 1994 I found myself in San Francisco programming a radio station called Star FM (the ORIGINAL "Star" at 98.9/99.1 FM). Jaime was back in Rochester, NY packing up for a cross country move, so I was looking at about six weeks of pure "me time." While many 29 year old men would have opted for bars and strip clubs, I spent this glorious time in record stores, movie theaters and rock and roll clubs. While the theaters (Roxie, Red Vic, Castro, Four Star) are still around, most of the rock clubs (I-Beam, Purple Onion, Thirsty Swede, Berkeley Square) and record stores (Stoopid Records, Epicenter Zone, Neurotic Records, Rockit Records, Rough Trade) are long gone. One record store from back then is still going strong though, in fact it has thrived, expanding to San Francisco and Hollywood from its original location in Berkeley. After a week or so of hearing about Amoeba

Records from people in the SF stores, I navigated the Bay Bridge for the first time to Hippie Medina Telegraph Avenue (second only to Hippie Mecca Haight-Ashbury). I may have seen Berkeley's infamous "Naked Guy" on that first trip or another, but what I remember most about that day was entering the biggest record store I'd ever seen. I know it's cool to hate on Amoeba, but I think it is one of the best record stores I've ever been to. Yes it's a for-profit business, but I think they clearly value and love what they sell, elevating recorded music to its rightful place in our culture. Ask a Best Buy clerk for musical advice some time and you'll see what I'm talking about.

Anyway, one of the things Amoeba provides is a guide called "Music We Like" in which employees in the three stores list their favorite releases of the season. A few years ago I noticed that "Stacey" from the San Francisco store and I have a lot in common when it comes to music. We both love Power Pop and she has recommended artists like Silver Sun that I have played on ALL KINDSA GIRLS. Driving home after a day in San Francisco last December, which included the obligatory stop at Amoeba, I confessed to my wife, kids and Mom that, despite having never seen or spoken to her, I have crush on Stacey. I went on to state that I was sure she was a super-hot 27 to 31 year old who has Bettie Page bangs, awesome fashion sense

and drives a vintage Vespa to work. I was mocked heartily for this, my wife Jaime pointing out that "Stacey" can also be a man's name, while Jack and Nica were painting a picture of the record store equivalent of The Simpson's "Comic Book Guy." It was brutal- even Mum was piling on. This ridicule continued through Christmas Day when Jack presented me with the picture you see at the top of this post- one of the funniest things I've seen in years. I'll probably never meet Stacey, but we'll always have "Music We Like."

Click this link to stream tonight's show or right click and "Save Link As") to download:
ALL KINDSA GIRLS #10

Show #9 May 16, 2009

For all Veronicas, but especially MY Veronica...

Veronica- Honeyrider All Systems Go
The Punk- Cherry Vanilla Bad Girl
Kind Of A Girl- Tinted Windows Tinted Windows
Whatever Happened To Fun- Candy Whatever Happened To Fun
Kicks & Tips- Pictures Kicks & Tips 7"
^And We Danced- The Hooters Nervous Night
Never Come Back- Dogs Legendary Lovers
Face To Face- Code Blue Code Blue
*I Found Her- Boys Life Two Doors Down 45
*Radio- Sass Radio 45
*Prettiest Girl- The Neighborhoods 12 Classic 45s
*Magic In Her Eyes- The Trademarks Magic In Her Eyes 45
Always The Last To Know- The Yum Yums Sweet As Candy
Grounded-Twist And Shout Interpolation The A's The A's
Fast Food- The Blisters Fast Food 45

^Power Pop Peak: #21 Billboard Hot 100 8/10/85

*SacroSet: My Hometown- Boston, Mass

FINALLY found a suitable Veronica song. Almost went with Wreckless Eric's, but since it's a letter to a girlfriend from a soldier going off to war, I went with Honeyrider instead. You can't beat the first line in the song: "Veronica makes me smile when I'm feeling down and out..." I couldn't agree more.

I hardly ever have brand new music to play so it was pretty exciting tonight to debut Tinted Windows "Kind Of A Girl." The band has the ultimate Power Pop Pedigree: bass player/songwriter Adam Schlesinger is in Fountains of Wayne, singer Taylor Hanson has grown up quite a bit since he and his brothers gave us "MMMBop" in 1997, James Iha was in Smashing Pumpkins, and behind the drums is the legendary Bun E. Carlos of Cheap Trick. Very cool song- I'm looking forward to hearing more.

Tonight's Power Pop Peak is "And We Danced" by Philly band The Hooters. Still haven't heard whether or not the boobs n' burgers restaurant chain had to pony up for rights to the name, but I like to think the band got a HUGE payout.


Since I grew up on Boston Rock and Roll, it's a little surprising it took me nine shows to feature it in a SacroSet. The first song, Boys Life's "I Found Her," has a special place in my heart. Back in my dating days, when choosing "our song" with whatever lady friend I was with at the time, it never occurred to me to pick something from the radio or at least a well known album. Witness "I Found Her," which was my dating song with Jaime (who is now my wife- our wedding song is "You're Just The One I've Been Looking For" by Johnnie Taylor, another mega hit). The lyrics of "I Found Her" really fit the "best friends for a year who attack each other one night after a sweaty Zulus show at The Rat" trajectory of our relationship though, so the song earned its position in our lives. So much so that on our wedding day Jaime presented me with the groom's cake pictured above. How cool is that! A cake shaped like a Power Pop single! No wonder we've been together almost 20 years.

One fun postscript to tonight's SacroSet... In the Spring of 1980 I had a rare burst of school spirit and joined the Duxbury High School Prom Committee. I had a girlfriend (finally!) and was going to the prom so I thought I should at least try to help get a good band. My persistance paid off and thanks to the help of sympathetic popular girl and committee chair Lauren Spendley we got Boston Power Pop band The Trademarks to play our prom at Christos Restaurant in Brockton. They absolutely rocked in matching suits and ties with incredibly catchy originals, including "Magic In Her Eyes," and some great 60's covers. I'll never forget seeing seeing Paul Hansen and Mo Donelly jumping up and down in front of the stage because I was right there with them. There were a few people who weren't dancing though and when my girlfriend Gina asked them why, they replied "we hate them they're PUNK!" To these folks any band that didn't have long hair, beards, leather vests and/or denim jackets might as well have been the Sex Pistols. Still makes me laugh to think about it. One of the bright spots in four lackluster years of high school...

Click the link below to stream tonight's show or to download, right click and "Save Link As:"
ALL KINDSA GIRLS #9

Show #8 May 2, 2009

Hey Beverlys...you ROCK!


Beverly- The Flashcubes Bright Lights
Drive My Car- Nasty Facts Drive My Car 7"
2-4-6-8 Motorway- Tom Robinson Band DIY Teenage Kicks: UK Pop I (1976-79)
Take It Like A Man- Yankees High 'N' Inside
Fat Loose Fancies Me- Denzil Pub
^Turning Japanese- The Vapors New Clear Days
As You Were (Tomorrow)- The Crowd A World Apart
Freddy Mercury- De Cylinders Freddy Mercury 7"
*Radio Heart- The Secrets Titan: It's All Pop!
*Goodbye Goodtimes- Gary Charlson Titan: It's All Pop!
*Please Change Your Mind- Boys Titan: It's All Pop!
*No Way Baby- Arlis Titan: It's All Pop!
Pretty Please- The Quick Untold Rock Stories
Inner City Pressure- Flight Of The Conchords Flight Of The Conchords
Take It Easy- The Lonely Boys The Lonely Boys
Crocodile Tears- Mumps Crocodile Tears 45

^Power Pop Peak: #36 Billboard Hot 100 9/27/80

*SacroSet: Titan! Records Kansas City, MO

I remember hearing The Vapors' "Turning Japanese" for the first time and thinking "Nah, the song can't really be about THAT joke." For one thing, the joke I heard went "Why do CHINESE people have squinty eyes and buck teeth?" Second, you generally don't hear songs about onanism on the radio. Although now that I think about it, there's The Divinyl's "I Touch Myself," Cyndi Lauper's "She Bop," a few Madonna hits and Prince's entire catalog, so I probably shouldn't have been surprised. The band denied the song is about spanking the monkey, but after picking up these lyrics from the radio and MTV, I wasn't buying it:

I've got your picture... I'd like a million of you all round my cell...
I often kiss you when there's no one else around....
I want a doctor to take your picture so I can look at you from inside as well...
No sex, no drugs, no wine, no women no fun, no sin, no you, no wonder it's dark....

As if that wasn't enough, then there's the chorus:

You've got me turning up and turning down and turning in and turning 'round....I'm turning Japanese I think I'm turning Japanese I really think so...

I'm sorry but mixing prison with a picture of a girl is a recipe for autoeroticism and no one will EVER convince me otherwise. In any case, the song was a Top 40 hit in many countries, including Japan, and reached #1 in Australia, so let's give it a big hand....

As for tonight's SacroSet, here's what AllMusic says about Kansas City's Titan! Records: 

"the label's output sounded like chart-topping hits from an alternate universe where The Raspberries were bigger than The Beatles, Emitt Rhodes ruled the airwaves, and The Scruffs and Dwight Twilley were the hottest new acts on the scene." (I'd like to think All Kindsa Girls would be a top rated radio show in this same alternative universe.) 

Between 1978 and 1981, Mark Prellberg and Tom Sorrells, two music "industry" neophytes, released a slew of buoyant power pop gems that were criminally ignored and thus commercial failures. The Numero Group's Titan! It's All Pop! album compiles all of the label's releases along with 20 bonus tracks- it is pure Power Pop Heaven! Titan! Records is what All Kindsa Girls is all about.

Click this link to stream tonight's show or to download, right click and "Save Link As:"
ALL KINDSA GIRLS #8