Show #13 July 11, 2009

Hey Louise, come on down!

Louise- Satans Rats You Make Me Sick 7"

Telephoto Lens- The Bongos Telephoto Lens 7"
Blonde Fever- The Diodes Tired of Waking Up Tired

Sweet Talkin' Candy Man- The Carrie Nations Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls (Original Soundtrack)

Ignore Them- Eddie & The Hotrods Life On The Line
Go Faster- The Scruffs Teenage Gurls

Summertime Fun- Nikki & The Corvettes Nikki & The Corvettes

Utopia Parkway- Fountains Of Wayne Utopia Parkway

^Someday Someway- Marshall Crenshaw Marshall Crenshaw

Global Corporations- Push Ups Empty Faces 45

Long Gone- The Customs Really Long Gone

Kids Are Back- Criminal$ Kids Are Back 45

The American Ruse- MC5 Back In The U.S.A.

I Don't Mean It- The Carpettes I Don't Mean It 45

*Southern Girls- Cheap Trick In Color

*Get My Message- Shoes Shoe's Best

*Goin' Through Your Purse- Material Issue Freak City Soundtrack

*Stay In Time- Off Broadway On

Life Begins at the Hop- XTC DIY Starry Eyes: UK Pop II (1978-79)

Jimmy Too Bad- The Quick Untold Rock Stories

Nervous Wreck- Radio Stars Songs For Swinging Lovers

>Open My Eyes- Nazz Nuggets: Original Artyfacts From The First Psychedelic Era

In America- The Fastbacks ...And His Orchestra

Hold Me Up- Velvet Crush Teenage Symphonies To God

It's You Tonight- The Flashcubes Bright Lights

You're For Me- The Singles Romantics And Friends-Midwest Pop Explosion

When Things Go Wrong- Robin Lane and The Chartbusters When Things Go Wrong 45

Discovering Japan- Graham Parker Squeezing Out Sparks + Live Sparks

T.V. Romance- Tweezers Already!

Anywhere You Want To- Travoltas Endless Summer

Sorry Sorry- Rooney Rooney

I Don't Wanna Dance(With You)- The Dots I Don't Wanna Dance (With You) 7"

Know Your Product- The Saints Eternally Yours

^Power Pop Peak: #36 Billboard Hot 100 7/10/82

*SacroSet: Illinoise

>Power Pop Prototype: 1968

As I've mentioned before, I love record stores. Records as in vinyl, played at 33 1/3 or 45 RPM with covers that are large enough to provide detailed artwork that you can get lost in for hours. (Have you ever spent any time studying the cover of Elton John's Captain Fantastic & The Brown Dirt Cowboy? No lie, there's a few naked ladies in there. True, most have the heads of birds, alligators, etc. but as an 11 year old I'd take naked ladies any way I could get them. In any case, you'd need a microscope to see such detail on the CD cover.) Anyway, when I travel I use record stores as a divining rod to take me to the cool section of whatever town I'm in. This may be near a college/university or in some other hot spot- nine times out of ten, if you find a great independent record store, you'll be in a hip neighborhood.

Corner Records in Kalamazoo, MI is an exception to this rule- it's in a pretty ugly strip mall on the west side of town. That said, the store has a huge selection of vinyl LP's and 45's all lovingly stored in clear vinyl sleeves to protect their covers. I really hope stores like Corner Records survive because I think they provide a valuable service in our culture by continuing to value and thereby preserving our popular music. They have also helped bridge the gap between the compact disc's ascent in the late 80's and today's download focused music marketplace. Vinyl is making a comeback and a lot of independent labels are now including passwords for free album downloads when you buy the vinyl LP. I don't see vinyl posing any kind of threat to downloads, but I wouldn't be surprised if CD's are ultimately relegated to cassette status. The fact that Corner Records in Kalamazoo has outlasted mega chains Tower Records and Virgin Megastore, both of which lived and ultimately died by the compact disc, is a very hopeful sign. In fact, the Corner Records I went to in Kalamazoo is a recently opened branch of the ten year old main store (pictured above) which is 50 miles away in Grandville, MI. In addition to tons of vinyl, both stores also sell and repair turntables, further helping keep the vinyl dream alive.

Keeping with the Midwest theme (albeit accidentally) tonight's Power Pop Peak is by Detroit boy Marshall Crenshaw, a giant of the genre. In addition to numerous albums of lush Power Pop (including Field Day's "Whenever You're On My Mind," my cousin Rich's wedding song) Marshall's bona fides include a stint as "John Lennon" in the original off-broadway production of Beatlemania and the role of "Buddy Holly" in the film La Bamba. I was skeptical when I heard Marshall was joining the three surviving members of the MC5 reunited as DTK (Davis-Thompson-Kramer) for a tour in 2004. Yet, in addition to crafting exquisite pop hooks, Marshall is a monster on the guitar, holding his own against Wayne Kramer which is no mean feat. Marshall also sang a few songs ("Tonight" I think) and sounded great. Despite Evan Dando's lame perfomance, the DTK show was great, in large part thanks to Marshall Crenshaw.

While punk rock was largely based in big cities, Power Pop flourished in some lesser expected locales- like Illinois, the subject of tonight's SacroSet. Praire State Power Pop is a cornerstone of the genre thanks to groups like Shoes (Zion, IL), Off Broadway & Pezband (Oak Park), Material Issue & OK Go (Chicago), Adam Schmitt (Champaign) and the grandaddies of them all Cheap Trick (Rockford). What is it about the Land of Lincoln that inspires such great music? Who knows, I'm just thankful it does.

Click this link (or Right Click and "Save Target As") to listen to/download Hour 1 of tonight's show: http://thmm.com/ksvy/showarchive/public/2009-07-11__20_59_57.mp3 and here is Hour 2: http://thmm.com/ksvy/showarchive/public/2009-07-11__21_59_57.mp3

Show #12 June 27, 2009

No, thank YOU Valeri....

Valeri- The Monkees The Birds, the Bees & the Monkees

All Used Up- Sloan A Sides Win Singles 1992-2005

You're Tearin' Me Apart- Teenage Head Teenage Head

Out On The Streets- Speedometors Day In The Lights

I Need A Torch- Suicide Commandos Make A Record

All I Have- Mike Viola & The Candy Butchers Falling Into Place

The Man Who Invented Himself- Robyn Hitchcock The Man Who Invented Himself 45

I Am The Cosmos- Chris Bell I Am The Cosmos

^Love On The Phone- Suzanne Fellini Suzanne Fellini

Chemical Fire- Van Duren Are You Serious?

Don't Mind- Cheese She Said 7''

A Perfect Pop Song- Hundred Million Martians Martian Arts

Remember Me- The Heats Have An Idea

Time- Richard Hell and The Voidoids That's All I Know (Right Now) 7''

*Here Comes the Summer- The Undertones The Undertones

*When I Go To The Beach- The Slickee Boys When I Go To The Beach 45

*The Summer Sun- Chris Stamey DIY Come Out And Play: American Power Pop (1975-78)

*I Wanna Be A Lifeguard- Blotto Hello! My Name Is Blotto What's Yours

Remember The Lightning- 20/20 20/20

Right Way Home- Xdreamysts Right Way Home 45

My Favorite Revolution- Eugene Edwards My Favorite Revolution

>Sugar Baby Love- The Rubettes Very Best of The Rubettes

American Guilt- Fools Face Tell America

Time- The Speedies Speedy Delivery

What Do I Get?- Buzzcocks DIY The Modern World: UK Punk II (1977-78)

Rock & Roll- The Velvet Underground Loaded
Sunday Gurl- Silver Sun Dad's Weird Dream

Got The Time- The Descendents Enjoy!

I'm Tired- MnMs I'm Tired 7"

Any Danger Love- The Starjets God Bless The Starjets

Kamikaze- The Boys To Hell With The Boys

I Won't Go Back To Work- The Explosives Come Clean EP

Baby I'm So Lonely- The Yum Yums Sweet As Candy

^Power Pop Peak: #87 Billboard Hot 100 3/15/80

*SacroSet: Summer Is Here!

>Power Pop Prototype: 1974

When I was a kid my family would spend nearly every summer car camping. This all started before my sister Sarah was even born. When my mother said she wanted her children to visit Europe, my father's response was "let's not go to Europe until we see the United States first." Using Green Stamps to buy a Coleman lantern and stove, they then scrimped to buy the display model of what will I will always think of as the "Taj Mahal of tents" from a Stoughton camping store.

My father was a school teacher who became an elementary school vice-principal. He checked his ambitions there though, because a promotion to school principal would have slashed his summer vacation from six weeks to two and how far can you get from Massachusetts in a measley two weeks? One of the things I loved about camping was how much thought my Dad put into packing. Every pack and piece of gear had its place. Every inch of space in and on top of the car was utilized- he even put chalk outlines in the trunk to show where everything goes. When Sarah and I were old enough to help, we could get an entire campsite set up in about 30 minutes- that's everything, including the boiling water for spaghetti, our traditional first night in camp meal.

Over the years, we visited 46 states (missing only OR, WA, HI & AK) and 8 provinces (all but British Columbia and Newfoundland). While in western Alberta, we did step over the border into British Columbia, but my father said this "didn't count" since we didn't spend the night there. When we did stop, it was always for at least two nights in every campground so we actually got to see where we were. What's more, there was enough flex in the schedule so we could add an extra night if we happened to love where we were. I remember:

• playing cowboys and indians with a bunch of kids in Arizona and afterward my mom telling me that every "cowboy" was an American Indian, while all the "indians," like me in my awesome headress, were white...


• watching a movie screened "drive-in style" on a canyon wall in South Dakota's Badlands National Park...


• seeing wild horses on the beach at Assateague Island and, from the relative safety of the car, watching a hurricane destroy our camp site that same evening...


• riding duck boats in Wisconsin Dells, which I thought was the coolest place on earth...


• Sarah and I begging our parents to go to Jellystone Park and on our first night there she got so caught up in a near-riot of 50+ kids "helping" Ranger Smith chase Yogi Bear that she ran head-on into a post giving herself a bloody nose and two black eyes...


• holding hands with a girl at a campground in Alabama while in the background Robin Zander serenades thousands of screaming Japanese rock fans with "I Want You To Want Me..."

I can only hope my kids will have childhood memories HALF so rich. My father never got to Europe, but we did the United States and Canada up right!

So I had to tape this week's show because Jack, Nica and I were camping at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park this weekend with a group from First Congregational Church (Jaime had to work and camping is not her thing). It was pretty hot but we were right beside the creek and Nica found a small hollow where the water was a little over three feet deep, so everybody got a chance to take a dip. Campfires both nights were really fun and we were visited by several deer and a VERY noisy fox that Nica thought sounded like Kevin the bird from Up! No hurricane, duck boats or dude in a bear costume running for his very life but all in all, we had a great time.

Since summer is officially here, tonight's SacroSet features some of my favorite summer songs. While it's a year-round passion, Power Pop, like barbecue, baseball and bikinis, goes best with Summer. Here's hoping All Kindsa Girls can help provide some of the soundtrack to YOUR summer!

Click this link (or Right Click and "Save Target As") to listen to/download Hour 1 of tonight's show: http://thmm.com/ksvy/showarchive/public/2009-06-27__20_59_57.mp3
and here is Hour 2: http://thmm.com/ksvy/showarchive/public/2009-06-27__21_59_56.mp3

Show #11 June 13, 2009

Tonight we treat Diana's right!


Diana Diana- Hubble Bubble Faking
She's So Young- The Pursuit Of Happiness I'm An Adult Now EP
Constructive Summer- The Hold Steady Stay Positive
Someday- The Outlets I Remember
Heart- Ian North Neo
Truth Lies Low- The Drams Jubilee Dive
Every Word Means No- Let's Active Cypress / Afoot
Wicked Little Town (Tommy Gnosis Version) Hedwig And The Angry Inch Soundtrack
^The Breakup Song (They Don't Write 'Em)- Greg Kihn Band Rockihnroll
I Couldn't Tell- Flyboys Flyboys
Everyone's A Winner- London Everyone's a Winner 45
My Boyfriend- Suburban Lawns Gidget Goes to Hell 7"
It's Where You Are- The Hitmakers America's Newest Hitmaker 7''
Sheet Music- Static Routines Rock & Roll Clones 45
*So It Goes- Nick Lowe So It Goes 45
*Trouble With Love- Any Trouble Wheels In Motion
*They Got Me Covered- Dirty Looks Dirty Looks
*Hit And Miss Judy- Wreckless Eric Big Smash
7:30- Pernice Brothers The World Won't End
I'm Hanging Around- Leyton Buzzards I'm Hanging Around 45
Last Of The American Girls- Green Day 21st Century Breakdown
>I Can't Let Go- The Hollies Greatest Hits
I'm Talking To You- Maps Boston Underground (1979-1982)
I Don't Fit In- The Beat The Beat
X Offender- Blondie DIY Blank Generation - The New York Scene (1975-78)
Already In Love- The Bees Already In Love 45
1x2x Devastated- DM3 Dig it the Most

^Power Pop Peak: #15 Billboard Hot 100 5/23/81

*SacroSet: London's Stiff Records

>Power Pop Prototype: 1966

So here's my problem with The Beatles- much in the way we violently reject our first overexposure to peach schnapps or blackberry brandy, I had so much Beatles music jammed down my throat at an early age that a lot of their songs are still aural ipecac for me. Starting in elementary school, "hip" teachers would bring in their scratchy records from home to play on crappy AV club mono record players. It reached a peak in the fifth grade at Chandler School in Duxbury, MA when I was forced to participate in a choral concert featuring "Here Comes The Sun" and other Beatles songs.

About this time I started having strong musical opinions of my own, but was often told that Kiss and AC/DC paled in comparison with the genuises that crafted "Octupus' Garden." What's worse is that kids my own age would say this! Steve Manning and Larry French from my neighborhood were huge Beatles fans and had no time for anything recorded after 1970. It got even worse when punk rock happened- there seemed to be clear consensus that there was no room for The Ramones in the same world that produced "Lovely Rita Meter Maid." I had a music teacher in college tell me that The Clash were rubbish but The Beatles were the apex of western culture. The ironic thing is, I bet some teacher of his told him The Beatles were crap next to Mozart- how soon they forget. I promised right then to never denigrate the music my kids listen to (though it's hard sometimes...Lil' Wayne? I mean come on!)

My Beatles issues have only grown over the years. There's a line in a Dictator's song called "Who Will Save Rock & Roll?" that pretty much sums it all up for me:

June 1st '67 somethin' died and went to heaven
I wish Sgt. Pepper never taught the band to play

In my mind "rock & roll" became "rock" with the Sgt. Pepper's album and by morphing into "art" ceased to be a rebellious force in our society. You can draw a straight line from there to Emerson, Lake & Palmer and "institutions" like The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. It was ten years until punk rock came on the scene to set things right. I bet John Lennon would agree with me here judging from from some of his early post-Beatles recordings like "Gimme Some Truth," "Cold Turkey," "Working Class Hero," "How Do You Sleep," etc. In all honesty I have to admit that while I don't like a lot of Beatles music, it's really the "Beatles Establishment" of record execs, TV producers, rock writers, and DJ's combined with endless Baby Boomer nostalgia that turns my stomach. The band was simply pushing the boundaries with Sgt. Pepper's and if I'm going to hate them for that I'd have to feel the same way about The Clash and their mind blowing excursions into reggae, jazz, calypso, etc. on Sandanista! The fact is, music is a personal choice- we like what we like and that should be it. Only poseurs and critics look for a larger "artistic" or "cultural" merit. It's taken me years to realize this, but it's not WHAT you love that's important, it's the act of loving it. In other words, rock on L'il Wayne you hip hop Yoda you!

Anyway, the irony in all my Beatles angst is that the unthinkable happened on this week's show....

I was invited to a party at Allyson's this week so I went in to the station and pre-recorded my show on the Friday before. Everything went great- a cool Power Pop Peak from Greg Kihn, awesome SacroSet of Stiff Records! releases and a new feature called the Power Pop Prototype highlighting early examples of the genre starting with the awesome "I Can't Let Go" by The Hollies. So, Jaime, the kids and I leave the party at about five minutes of ten, with me thinking the ride home will be the first time I've ever listened to myself. I tune in during the SacroSet and I'm enjoying Any Trouble when the song fades out and a recorded station ID plays. I realize right then that the Simian broadcast computer HAS HIJACKED THE SECOND HOUR OF MY SHOW!!!! The first song played is "Seasons In The Sun" and I'm thinking "wow, I just lost what few listeners I have." And the next song? You guessed it- one from The Beatles. And not just any song, but all 6+ minutes of "Hey Jude," totally mocking my Beatles ban. I felt so violated! Flooring it to get to the station and stop the madness, I barely register that Simon & Garfunkel's hugely lame "59th St. Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy) is now playing, yet it is clear to me that this friggin' computer is trying to destroy me. The next song was some accordian heavy Tejano romp, which was a distinct improvement let me tell you. I re-established control over KSVY's version of Hal 9000 and can only hope that I will one day regain the trust of my listeners....

Click this link (or Right Click and "Save Target As") to listen to/download Hour 1 of tonight's show: http://thmm.com/ksvy/showarchive/public/2009-06-13__20_59_57.mp3

and here is Hour 2: http://thmm.com/ksvy/showarchive/public/2009-06-13__21_59_57.mp3

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

Show #7 April 18, 2009

For Wendy's near and far...

Wendy- The Descendents Enjoy!
Abracadabra (Have You Seen Her)- Blue Ash No More No Less
Homicide- 999 DIY The Modern World: UK Punk II (77-78)
The Silence Between Us- Bob Mould District Line
Undercover Agent Zero- The Flys See For Miles (78-80)
You're An Angel- Happy Hate Me Nots You're An Angel 45
Which Way- The Finders It's So Insane 45
Me And You- Adam Schmitt Illiterature
*Shelly's Boyfriend Bonnie Hayes and The Wild Combo Valley Girl: More Music From The Soundtrack
*A Million Miles Away- The Plimsouls Valley Girl: Music From The Soundtrack
*Johnny Are You Queer- Josie Cotton Valley Girl: Music From The Soundtrack
*The Fanatic- Felony Valley Girl: Music From The Soundtrack
E=MC2- The Celibate Rifles Platters du Jour
Chillout Tent- The Hold Steady Boys and Girls in America
Easy Action- The Pop Down On The Boulevard 45

*SacroSet: Songs from the film "Valley Girl"

Growing up on Massachusetts' South Shore in the late 70's/early 80's, I felt strongly that a person's record collection could tell you all you needed to know about them. (Yes, I was just like the guys in High Fidelity.) While my love of punk rock was barely apparent in my fashion choices (or non-choices really), I nonetheless felt it defined me more than any other aspect of my personality. When you love something that is considered "underground" in our culture, your first instinct is to try to share it with others. You want people to know how great it is and, in turn, how cool you are. I was soon to learn, however, that this is a double edged sword.

Seeing the same jock douche bags that had been giving my friends and I crap for years in the Cape Cod Coliseum parking lot for The Clash's Combat Rock tour was in every sense a rude awakening. This was the band that changed my world view and to this day informs my political perspective. Yet, I was forced to witness these shirtless a-holes swinging t-shirts over their head screaming "Rock the f****in' CASBAH!" Did they even know what the song was about or what The Clash stood for? My head just about exploded.

"Pain" on CHiPs

Anyway, the whole Combat Rock incident (and The Clash's subsequent implosion in the face of fame) made me leery of any mainstream attention paid to my favorite bands. Luckily, most portrayals of "punk" in the early 80's were outright laughable. A January 1982 episode of CHiPs featured a punk band called "Pain" that caused multiple car pile ups wherever they went and September of that year saw the premier of

Johnny Slash

Square Pegs with "new wave fan" Johnny Slash (who seemed more like a hippie acid casualty to me). The mainstream's most infamous examination of "punk" came in the December 1982 "punk rock episode" of the television show Quincy (in actuality titled "Next Stop Nowhere") which featured this quote from the program's namesake:

"I believe that the music I heard is a killer. It’s a killer of hope. It’s a killer of spirit."

Quncy's "Mayhem" (not to be confused with
the Norwegian Black Metal Band)

Quincy taught us that being "punk" required meticulously
applied makeup

So, needless to say I was VERY suspicious of the movie Valley Girl, released in April of 1983 and marketed as a "Punk" Romeo and "Val" Juliet. The great thing about the film is that punks Randy (Nicolas Cage) and Tommy (Michael Bowen) are neither the raging tool psuedo punks of CHiPs and Quincy nor the raging tool actual punks from Penelope Spheeris' documentary The Decline of Western Civilization, which freaked my friends and I out when we saw it in 1981. 

No, Randy and Tommy are just a couple of idiots who act like morons around pretty girls, and who can't relate to that? Deborah Foreman was also a great casting choice as Julie because she looks like a high school girl, not a super model, though the marketing people chickened out and left her off the poster (see above) opting instead for Randy's slutty ex who only has one scene in the film.

Doubtless aware of punk rock's limited commercial potential, Valley Girl Director Martha Coolidge was very savvy in raiding LA Modern Rock station KROQ's playlist for songs for the movie, even though there was no budget for a soundtrack at the time (Rhino didn't release the albums cited above until 1994). For me, the soundtrack represents Power Pop's losing battle for mainstream acceptance vs. the "new wave" sound that would come to dominate MTV and the pop charts in the coming years. You also have to love seeing The Plimsouls in the club scenes, supposedly brought to the film by their friend Nicolas Cage.

In retrospect, it's easy to see why so many people have a strong bond with both the Valley Girl film and soundtrack. The filmakers weren't commenting on a subculture, they were simply trying to retell the Romeo and Juliet story for a new generation and they succeeded on all counts.

Click the link below to stream this show, or to download, right click and "Save Link As:"
ALL KINDSA GIRLS #7