I had this dream recently where I was interviewing these two Rastas, who ran a pirate radio station. During an interview I heard these thumps and thuds, when we were raided by police and Ofcom, the media regulator. As soon as I realised this, I grabbed my notes and ran. As soon as one detective tried to collar me, I said two words: "I'm press". Have you ever had a dream where music featured prominently?

What bands appeared in your reveries and, also what songs?

G. Wood said:

I remember rreading somewhere, years ago, that Jan Savage became a LA police officer. 

That's pretty punk

I remember rreading somewhere, years ago, that Jan Savage became a LA police officer. 

How about "Cambodia Rock Inensified"? Another candidate would be "World Music" by Goat, the sound of Africa on Acid. I'd also go for the Thai Beat A-Go-Go trilogy too, which is excellent.

My favourite pseudonyms? Niagara, Jello Biafra, Nico, Penny Rimbaud, G. Sus, Johnny Thunders, Captain Beefheart, GG Allin, Morrissey, Dinah Cancer, Steve Ignorant, Chicken John, Siouxie Sioux.

Mine? See what you think of this:

Ramones: first two albums
Crime's self titled
The Cramps: Off The Bone
The Stooges: Raw Power
I know the last one was recorded in 1973, but pink started in Switzerland in 1916. Only it was called Dada.

guys, 

i am desperately looking for a song called "martian death ray", by the REAL LOSERS. it's supposed to be a bonus track on cd, but it isn't on the CD i own. can anybody help me out or tell me where to find it?

THANKS A BUNDLE!!

I just reviewed this album -- plus the new Black Joe Lewis album -- in my newspaper column

A version of this was published in The Santa Fe New Mexican 
Sept. 13, 2013

An actual bubblegum album by a serious grown-up band in 2013?

Yes indeed. Ooey Gooey Chewy Ka-blooey is a bubblegum album by The Dirtbombs, long promised by the group’s singer and guitarist Mick Collins.

The Dirtbombs are a serious band, right?

In my book they are. Started by Collins in the ’90s following the demise of his previous group, The Gories — an inspired blues/punk/slop band — The Dirtbombs were the best (if not the most famous, which would be The White Stripes) group to come out of the Detroit garage scene.

But bubblegum? Those of you who weren't around when bubblegum ruled the AM airwaves might not know what the term means. Sometimes “bubblegum” is used to describe any vapid teen pop, but that’s not what The Dirtbombs are doing on this album.

According to the All Music Guide, “Bubblegum is a lightweight, catchy pop music that was a significant commercial force in the late ’60s and early ’70s. Bubblegum was targeted at a preteen audience whose older siblings had been raised on rock & roll. It was simple, melodic, and light as feather — neither the lyrics or the music had much substance. Bubblegum was a manufactured music, created by record producers that often hired session musicians to play and sing the songs.”

The true giants of the genre were Buddha Records groups like The Ohio Express (known for hits like “Yummy Yummy Yummy” — yes, there was love in their tummies — and “Chewy Chewy”); The 1910 Fruitgum Company (“1, 2, 3, Red Light,” “Simon Says”); The Kasenetz-Katz Singing Orchestral Circus (“Quick Joey Small”); and made-for-TV bands like The Partridge Family, The Banana Splits, The Archies, and Lancelot Link & The Evolution Revolution.

Now technically, The Archies weren’t human. They were, in fact, cartoon characters. And the Banana Splits were human, but they were humans dressed like cartoon animals.

But even more out-there is the fact that Lancelot Link and his band were trained chimpanzees dressed in wigs and hippie costumes who appeared on Lancelot Link, Secret Chimp, a live-action Saturday-morning kiddie show in the early ’70s. An album of their music was actually released back then, and a video of the Lancelot Link song “Wild Dreams (Jelly Beans),” posted in a recent Ooey Gooey preview piece on Spin.com, shows these chimps indeed sounded a little like the Dirtbombs do on their new album.

Back during the great bubblegum scare, I was a little older than the target age group for this stuff, and for the most part I didn't share Collins’ affection for it. In fact, I hated the stuff. But little by little, I began to see at least a little value in the genre. Wilson Pickett had a hit with The Archies’ “Sugar Sugar.” A few years later, The Talking Heads covered “1, 2, 3, Red Light.” Meanwhile, The Dickies, an L.A. punk group, did a magnificent version of The Banana Splits theme song. And The Cramps covered “Quick Joey Small.”

And now The Dirtbombs have bubblegum on the soles of their shoes. They didn’t do covers of bubblegum hits. Instead, as Collins explained in an interview in Ghetto Blaster, “I wasn’t trying to make a period piece; I was more seeing if I could pick up where bubblegum left off ...”

If nothing else, Collins and crew capture the weird essence of many bubblegum elements. Just look at the song titles: “Sunshine Girl,” “We Come in the Sunshine,” “Sugar on Top,” “No More Rainy Days,” “Hot, Sour, Salty, Sweet,” “Hey! Cookie,” etc. I don’t know whether I’m in more danger of sunstroke or a diabetic coma after listening to this.

There are several songs that — apart from the candy-coated lyrics — don’t sound like a big stretch for The Dirtbombs. “Hot, Sour, Salty Sweet” is one of those, and so are “Sugar on Top” and “It’s Gonna Be Alright.” Collins’ guitar is righteously raunchy in these songs, even if the melodies are poppier than your usual Dirtbombs tune. And “Hey! Cookie” sounds like, well, a garage-rock number. It would have fit seamlessly in early Dirtbombs albums.

Mick Collins playing with The Gories Lincoln Center, NYC, 2010

But other tunes sink deeper into the bubblegum goo.

“We Come in the Sunshine” owes a big debt to “Good Vibrations,” but there also are strange components such as the Bobby Sherman-style horns and vocal harmonies that sound closer to The Cowsills than The Beach Boys. “The Girl on the Carousel” is a dreamy slow dance featuring an oboe.

But the biggest leap is “No More Rainy Days,” which, after a minute or so of what sounds like an Oompa Loompa march, goes into a weird interlude featuring the voice of the sun. That’s right, the actual sun, whose droning rumble was recorded by a solar observatory run by Stanford University.

I’ll admit, these tunes all are fun and catchy, even if the childlike lyrics and lollipops and rainbows start to wear down a listener used to grittier themes. My main beef is that this is the second genre exercise in a row for the Dirtbombs — the previous album, Party Store, being a tribute to Detroit techno bands. I just hope the next album by this band I love so much is less gooey and has more ka-blooey.

Also recommended: 

* Electric Slave by Black Joe Lewis. This is the hardest-edged record so far in the short but thrilling catalog of Lewis, an Austin native who, according to a recent piece in his hometown paper, recently moved to Montreal.

Unlike his previous two albums, this one is released under Lewis’ name alone, not with his band The Honeybears. The horn section is still there, but the soul and funk elements of Lewis’ early work are less apparent.

Also missing are any obvious crowd-pleasers, such as the funny spoken-word segments like “Mustang Ranch” from previous albums. I’m not saying crowds won’t be pleased. Electric Slave is raw, punk-infused electric blues rock. Less jive and more wallop.

The album starts out with “Skulldiggin’,” which has such a distorted, fuzzed-out bass that in a just world, every obnoxious kid with a weapons-grade car stereo would be blasting this at every intersection in America.

Black Joe in Santa Fe

“Guilty” is a frantic rocker with tasty guitar-sax interplay. The nearly seven-minute “Vampire” sounds like a stripped-down cousin of Concrete Blonde’s “Bloodletting (The Vampire Song).” Screamin’ Jay Hawkins could have done this one.

Two other standouts are the highly-caffeinated “Young Girls,” which reminds me of Barrence Whitfield & The Savages, and “The Hipster,” a ferocious cruncher built on a mutated “Everybody Needs Somebody to Love” guitar riff and incorporating some lyrics of “Wang Dang Doodle.”

I bet the Electric Slave song that gets the most airplay is “Come to My Party.” I hope a lot of new fans respond to that invitation. Black Joe Lewis always throws an amazing musical party.

Blog bonus: Lotsa videos this week






And a little history for you, kiddies:
Talking Heads liked bubblegum when bubblegum wasn't cool


These chimps rock!

John Battles said:

BUT , ALSO AN EVIL TOM JONES !

ratoonie said:

i absolutly Love that colorful albuum w/ the star on it....i dont have access to it right now.. its in storage..way up in sacramento.. i saw him on the tom jones show... my aunt bought the album 4 me from a bargin bin at the supermarket... its a great record!!!! kinda English version of alice cooper!!!!!

I was reading about his counselling work in Bizarre Magazine, where he would do it with the guitar and make a song with the patient.

Ken Eppstein said:
The Dead Milkmen's "Taking Retards To The Zoo" is one of my favorite completely politically incorrect without ever being vulgar songs.

"A Van Full of Retards" by Anal Cunt is worse!

I did two podcasts again this week.  The first was all about Bo Diddley and his influence.  The other was a garage, punk podcast featuring rare music from The Mc5, Deja Voodoo, music from The Seeds and more. 

Revolution Bo Diddley Play List:

1.  Bo Diddley - Bo Diddley (single - 1955)

2.  Bo Diddley - Bring It To Jerome (Bo Diddley - 1958)

3.  Bo Diddley - The Great Grandfather (Go Bo Diddley - 1959)

4.  The Juvenilles - Bo Diddley (History of Northwest Rock Vol. 4 Battle of the Bands - 2009)

5.  The Ugly Ducklings - Hey Mamma Keep Your Big Mouth Shut (Somewhere Outside - 1967)

6.  The Gruesomes - I Can Tell (Gruesomania - 1987)

7.  Captain Beefheart - Diddy Wah Diddy (single - 1965)

8.  The Clash - You Can't Judge A Book By Looking At The Cover (Golden Bullets Bootleg - 2001)

9.  Bo Diddley - Surf, Sink or Swim (Surfin' With Bo Diddley - 1963)

10. Bo Diddley - Aztec (Bo Diddley Is A Lover - 1961)

11. Super Blues (Bo Diddley, Little Walter, Muddy Waters) - You Don't Love Me (You Don't Care) (Super Blues - 1967)

12. Bo Diddley - Rock & Roll (Rare and Well Done - 1991)

13. Bo Diddley - Bo Meets The Monster (single - 1958)

14. Light Bulb Alley - Who Do You Love? (The Sound of Things - 2011)

15. King Khan & The Shrines - Crackin' Up (The Supreme Genius of - 2008)

16. Ronnie Hawkins - Who Do You Love (The Roulette Years - 1995)

17. The Pack A.D. - Blackout (Funeral Mixtape - 2008)

18. Jesus & Mary Chain - Bo Diddley is Jesus (Barbed Wire Kisses - 1988)

19. Bo Diddley - Pills (single - 1961)

20. New York Dolls - Pills (New York Dolls - 1973)

21. The Rolling Stones – Please Go Home (Between The Buttons - 1967)

22. Bo Diddley - Gunslinger (Bo Diddley Is A Gunslinger - 1960)

Download/listen to this Bo Diddley podcast here:  http://cjamlog1.cjam.ca/mp3dirnew/536-TBA-20130910-0900-t1378800000.mp3

Revolution Rock Play List:

1.  The Seeds – Try To Understand

2.  The Epics – Humpty Dumpty

3.  Actual Water – Ivory & Oak

4.  Gold Country – Carried Away And The Wind

5.  Chad Vangaalen – Molten Light

6.  J Mascis – Not Enough

7.  Robin Tyner & The Hotrods – Till the Night Is Gone

8.  Ultravox! – ROckWrok

9.  The Terminal Sunglasses – Antenna Dilemma

10. The Catch – Competition

11. Chang-A-Lang – Vigilante Man

12. The Forgotten Rebels – Me Generation

13. X – Sugarlight

14. Joy Division – Disorder

15. Vic Goddard & The Subway Sect – Johnny Thunders

16. Fergus & Geronimo – Spies

17. The Howlies – Walk On Home

18. Raised By Weeds – Trip To The Ocean

19. Deja Voodoo – Bo Diddley's Cat

20. Deja Voodoo - My Girlfriend

21. The Fall – Mr. Pharmacist

22. The Hives – Find Yourself Another Girl

23. MC5 – One Of The Guys

24. MC5 – Sister Ann (W Sonic On Guide Vocals)

Download/listen to this podcast here:  http://cjamlog1.cjam.ca/mp3dirnew/36-Revolution_Rock-20130910-1030-t1378805400.mp3

For more info on these shows you can check out this week's blog post here:  http://revrock.blogspot.ca/2013/09/revolution-bo-diddley-show-472.html

Yeah I figured you guys would dig. Searched for em and didn't see em on here. They ripped live. Go see em if you can.

That is fuckin awesome dude. Thanks for the heads up. they've got the same raw energy as the Hives. That rocks!!!

Just saw these boys open for The Dwarves. Been lurking for a while and thought they should be brought to attention here. 

They just released a free EP. Gots a cover of Odyssey and some other 60s dood. 

http://ep.theatomage.com

Matt said:

As far as good journalism—it still exists, perhaps more and better than ever with all the technological advances, it's just not a part of mainstream culture. As mentioned by Lutz, the mainstream news networks are more about dumbing people down so they don't get too concerned with important issues. I find that good journalism is abundant, but since it is not under the thumb of special interest, most do not have the funds to advertise, so you just have to know where to look for it.

 

I agree it's abundant, because of the Internet we can pretty much do/say almost anything, but it's true if you want good, honest, ACTUAL contraversial i.e., free speech journalism, then you do have to look for it.  The interesting thing is no one seems to be getting paid much these days like they used to regardless of WHO they work for.  Ex. status quo/bologna-online Huff Post uses journalism internship student writers who don't get paid, which I think is absolutely foul considering HP's net worth.... or the "robot" writing with minimal human editing.  But it's the people who really care and do it for free (unfortunately) that are the best journalists these days.  The former "Letter to the Editor" is basically the comment section on every site for all to see.  When there was the big threat of Internet censorship (was it a year ago?), EVERYONE came from off the rafters and out of their dust folds to demonstrate about it....that got everyone's attention.  Why? The possible suppression of free speech. 

Lester Bangs is a 'COCK' who if it sold headline inches would blame the jews for the sinking of the Titanic or whatever other ironic untruth ya got. He would then sit back and let the 'kids' discuss and create the monster. If questioned... A choice ironic turn of phrase or two would let him of the hook. BOOM! the beat generation continues. In this day of soundbite politics and 'constructive' hatred and mistrust. Bangs would probably be considered for President or Emperor of Jupiter or any other puppet statesmanlike position! These fucker journalists from a dinosaur age should be considered for what they really are. No one and everyone. 'Vive le Conspiracy Theory!!!' Free speech died with Emily Pankhurst.

Greetings, I'm new to the site and this is my first post, so hello to all the GPH community. I have picked up and been playing the harmonia for a couple months now and I have a new found respect and passion for the instrument. I'm currently trying to put together a Trash band but would also like incorporate some blues aspect in there somewhere. I would like to reach out and ask for any good garage songs, artist, bands that incorporate harmonica or have a blues side. Anything along these lines and inbetween. Much appreciation!

Greetings!

I'm Mark, I have been into Garage for quite a number of years now. I'm a harp(monica) player as well as an upright basses. As far as music goes, Jazz, Blues, Garage, Psychobilly, Punk, Oi, Ska, Reggae and so on and so forth. I live in Ventura County in Southern California, anyone that lives within the Ventura, or Los Angeles areas drop me a message and swap some upcoming shows. Anyone and everyone that is interested in swapping war stories, music taste, or just wants to bullshit feel free to add/message me.

Hi.  I live in Montpelier Vermont.  I took up the guitar and bass at age 40 so I've got some catching up to do.

I love all kinds of music.  I have two kids age 10 & 8.  I am a marathon runner in my spare time.

Just stumbled across this recent Oblivians session. I usually loath most of these bands on Daytrotter, but every so often they will post a session that will keep me coming back from time to time to see what's new.

http://www.daytrotter.com/#!/concert/the-oblivians/20057170-37384208

A few previous seesions that may interest some of you:

King Khan & BBQ: http://www.daytrotter.com/#!/concert/king-khan-and-bbq-show/20056344-37383537

Ty Segall: http://www.daytrotter.com/#!/concert/ty-segall/20031339-51513

Cute Lepers: http://www.daytrotter.com/#!/concert/cute-lepers/20055146-37382579

this album is seriously great

Radio What Wave Playlist Sept 5/2013

1. Rosy Red....Cloudy Day....demo from a short lived Brantford Ontario combo, who have since re-named and come back to life.

2. Marshmallow Overcoat...Suddenly Sunday...from The Complete Sound CD Boxset. The Marshmallow Overcoat were from Tucson and have just started a Kickstarter campaign to raise money to do a double LP best of collection.

3. Marshmallow Overcoat...Tears...as above.

4. Marshmallow Overcoat...Tried To Hide....recorded at Call The Office, 4/11/1989. The only time they ever played London Ontario.

5. The Mongrels...All Systems Go....from a Radio What Wave Session that aired 5/2/2013. The Mongrels will be playing at St Regis Hotel tonight.

6. The Mongrels...Do It...as above.

7. The Mongrols...Plastic Girl...from 4 Whom The Bell Tolls, a 7" that came with What Wave zine 16, October 1988. This is a different Mongrols than above (note spelling), yet both bands came from London Ontario.

The Mongrels, late 80's

8. The Shadows Of Knight...I'm Gonna Make You Mine...from the Edsel greatest hits LP. This is for Joe Kelley, their guitarist who passed away the other day.

9. The Shadows Of Knight...Gloria...from the original Dunwich 7" that coincidentally, I picked up at Speed City Records the other day.

10. The Shadows Of Knight...Light Bulb Blues...from the Edsel greatest hits LP.

11. The Black Rainbows...2 Day Rule...from their only CD, I Met This Chick....Toronto combo whom I saw at This Ain't Hollywood the other day, and put on an amazing show!! Well rehearsed, lots of harmony vocals, good between song banter and a whole lotta fun!

The Black Rainbows at This Ain't Hollywood

12. Shark Week...Get High...from their demo CD. DC based combo who played London recently.

13. The Ballantynes...Velvet...from their latest 7" on La Ti Da Records and from Vancouver.

14. THE...Grilled Cheese...from their only demo. 

15. Flying Squad....Health Food...from Mr Garager's Neighbourhood, a 1989 LP on OG Records that we compiled. Flying Squad were from London Ontario, mid 80's to early 90's band.

The Flying Squad, mid 80's

16. Boy From Nowhere...Heart Full Of Soul....from Thee Cave Comes Alive, a 2004 LP on Action Records out of Greece which collected some of the 60's garage style music from the cassettes that came with What Wave zine. Boy From Nowhere were an early 80's combo from London Ontario who will be doing a reunion on October 5th at the Town And Country. It's a special birthday bash and i'll be the DJ.

17. Bath Salts...recorded live on CHRW 8/16/13 on the Just Another Punk Show. And they will be playing tonite at APK in London Ontario.

18. Shortpants Romance...Heatwave... demo from this Montreal combo.

19. The Stolen Minks...Batman...from the Family Boycott CD, Halifax all girl combo.

A couple of Stolen Minks on Radio WW Aug 31 2006

20. The Weirdies...We Are The Weirdies...from their In 3D CD. Drummer Stacey Case has moved from Toronto to Hamilton and has just joined The noble Savages.

21. Mojo Nixon and Skid Roper...Burn Down The Malls...from The Enigma Variations 2, a double LP that came out in 1987. In London we have a bit of a controversy over a possible new mall that is planned to be built by the major highway and will be where there is a forest, pond and a lot of wildlife. A lot of us are against it, yet our mayor and city council pushed approval through with the bullshit promise that it will create jobs. The local conservation authority was supposed to be involved and they have to give approval for projects like this to start. In this case, they were NOT consulted. Hence the playing of this and the next 2 songs.

22. Mojo Nixon and Skid Roper...Where The Hell's My Money?...from the 1986 LP Frenzy.

23. Mojo Nixon and Skid Roper....This Land Is Your Land...from the Root Hog Or Die LP.

Big thanx for all the phone calls, emails, facebook messages and HEYS!!!    We're back again next week with lots more noise.

The archived show is available at:

http://chrwradio.ca/content/radio-what-wave

Playlist 09/07/13

I will be back on the air and the web playing new and old garage-punk tunes from 1:00-3:00PM EST on Saturday September 7^th.  You can listen on 89.7 WITR-FM in Rochester, NY or streaming live at http://witr.rit.edu.

Two new bands makin me shake just now. The Wytches and Miraculous Mule. Both British Gnarly loveliness. Check'em out