Yes to Sonic Cool.

Cool, everyone name-checked my faves, exellent taste, y'all ;)

To round things out I would add Our Band Could Be Your Life, by Michael Azerrad

Rock & roll: an unruly history, by Robert Palmer, which does an incredible job of giving us the history of rock and roll. Great pics, too.

And Joe Harrington's Sonic Cool is slick, as well

Yeh, I second that nomination, it's a great book about Joey and his relationship w/ his brother, bittersweet, but ultimately uplifting.

MikeL said:

BTW, another recommendation I would like to make is "I Slept With Joey Ramone," which is a very upclose and personal look at Joey Ramone, written by his brother and Legs McNeil. Sadly, you're going to find out that Joey could be a real asshole too in his own strange way, although a lot of it was due to his OCD.

Don't be jealous.  :)  Gringo star is also crush worthy.

Gringo Starr said:

Holy shit! Those guys are supposed to be garage punkers?????!!! I just don't get it? Now, these guys make my panties moist:

Holy shit! Those guys are supposed to be garage punkers?????!!! I just don't get it? Now, these guys make my panties moist:

Off the top of my head,Alcoholics Unanimous' Dr. Kegger MD. I found this in Frisco's Epicenter, and despite the cover, bought it. Even the liner notes are great, and I think it's still available. Sounds kinda like Tom Waits if he ever made a tipsy, happy album. Tracks:

Cool:)  Glad you like them.

dave said:

Yeah, listening to 'em now, pretty good stuff, kinda that space between Blondie and the Muffs.

MikeL said:

How about "More Seduction" by Manda and the Marbles?  Yes, I know some of you are sick and tired of me harping on Manda and the Marbles, but that's my choice for an overlooked gem.  Super catchy pop tunes crafted with a mix of new wave and power pop, with just a hint of bubblegum.  I'm still surprised this band never went on to bigger and better things.

I'm also nominating Steel Wool's Lucky Boy as a lost gem. This Seattle band is punk, but they put their own stamp on their sound. Between tracks is dialogue and sounds they collected on tour. Includes a lung-searing cover of CCR's Pagan Baby, I don't remember any clunkers on it, actually. Around the same time they released a killer 45 "Devil's Night"/"Krypto70s" w/ a beautiful silk-screened cover and a lock-groove at the end of the A-side. Hit those crates, kids!

Yeah, listening to 'em now, pretty good stuff, kinda that space between Blondie and the Muffs.

MikeL said:

How about "More Seduction" by Manda and the Marbles?  Yes, I know some of you are sick and tired of me harping on Manda and the Marbles, but that's my choice for an overlooked gem.  Super catchy pop tunes crafted with a mix of new wave and power pop, with just a hint of bubblegum.  I'm still surprised this band never went on to bigger and better things.

How about "More Seduction" by Manda and the Marbles?  Yes, I know some of you are sick and tired of me harping on Manda and the Marbles, but that's my choice for an overlooked gem.  Super catchy pop tunes crafted with a mix of new wave and power pop, with just a hint of bubblegum.  I'm still surprised this band never went on to bigger and better things.

Hey, thanks for da post, I saw these guys in Austin just before Blue Dirge came out, and their show was 1 of the high points of the year (the Drags played at the same venue, the Electric Lounge, and also tore it up.).

Whoa, podcast by Steve, huh? Been looking fer 'The Nightrider's Theme' on Youtube, man, you know I'll check that out! I'll search for that 1st LP,

Gringo Starr said:

You really nailed this one. The Beguiled are one of the most overlooked and under rated bands. If Blue Dirge sent you for a loop, their first album on Dionysus, "Gone Away" is an absolute classic and unbelievably overlooked. These guys were good friends of mine and I saw them play often in O.C. and Los Angeles in the '80s. Steve Pallow, who played bass with the band is a podcaster here on Garage Punk Pirate Radio (Uncle Ya Ya) and is currently ripping up the stage with his new act Haunted George! 

http://www.discogs.com/Beguiled-Gone-Away/release/2393749

(RIP Mike Ball - the guitarist for The Beguiled - killed by a drunk driver in 1995)

You really nailed this one. The Beguiled are one of the most overlooked and under rated bands. If Blue Dirge sent you for a loop, their first album on Dionysus, "Gone Away" is an absolute classic and unbelievably overlooked. These guys were good friends of mine and I saw them play often in O.C. and Los Angeles in the '80s. Steve Pallow, who played bass with the band is a podcaster here on Garage Punk Pirate Radio (Uncle Ya Ya) and is currently ripping up the stage with his new act Haunted George! 

http://www.discogs.com/Beguiled-Gone-Away/release/2393749

(RIP Mike Ball - the guitarist for The Beguiled - killed by a drunk driver in 1995)

Nothing beats her Acid Queen and Nutbush City Limits period:):):)!!!!!

...Oh , and Suzi Brack , too. More camp than Yellowstone , but , straight guys dig it , too.

I failed to mention Suzi Quatro , her sisters , Nanci and Patti , and her niece , Sherrilynn (DOES SHE PLAY MUSIC? Sorry , who cares?)...... AND -

Local Pride Series (Chicago ) - Michelle Manson ("The Devil's Bride" - Kim Fowley.) and Jill (The Dyes), Traci Trouble , Patti Elvis , Miss Alex White , Miss Mia Park ,

Former , and very briefly , bandmates of mine : Sherrilynn N.(She CAN play an instrument , very well , I might add.) , Michelle P. , Theresa D. 

 
John Battles said:

 Yep. People forget , Tina used to be great. In the 80's , she accepted an "R&B Singer of the year award" by saying "Why are you giving me this?! I HAVE'NT SUNG R & B IN 15 YEARS !!".

 

Anyway , Wanda Jackson , Janis Martin , Cordell Jackson , Nancy Sinatra , Ronnie Spector , Sugar Pie De Santo , Ann - Margret , Mary Weiss , Etta James , Barbara Lynn , Lorrie Collins ,

Lulu , Brenda Lee , Gale Garnett , Buffy St. Marie , Mariska Veres , Susan Jacks , Exene Cervenka , Poly Styrene , Poison Ivy , Toody Cole , Buffi Aguerro , Chris Horne , Heidi Liebe ,

Paula Pierce , others. 

John,

Thanks for the feedback. You've enlightened me in regards to the difference in strings!

John Carlucci said:

I have found that the re-issue Dan Electros are okay soundwise, but the feel of the neck, most notably, the fret dressing is sub-par. The smaller tuning pegs can also present a problem when trying to find replacement strings. You will need tapered strings that are thin enough to go through the smaller peg holes. I have a Jerry Jones Longhorn bass, which is like a Dano, but much better, and I use D'addario XL170S strings. Those are tapered enough to fit through the tiny peg holes...but a Long Scale bass will need different strings. So keep that in mind. When Dano re-issues first appeared in the 90's, they also had a line of strings for every instrument they made. I don't see those any more.

No problem, thanks for replying. It's great to meet so many like-minded people :)
Cath said:

That's great! Thanks Dave for starting this thread & thanks to all who answer, I need to listen to more actual bands too.

Got it on right now, thanks fer the thumbs-up. Lord Knows Best, uptempo piano, but the rest is prozac music, weird, you hit the nail on the head 'Lynchian'...

LaLa Rosenberg said:

Has anyone heard the album Badlands by Dirty Beaches? It's like a Lynchian nightmare in a good way. Very haunting rockabilly. That has to be my 2011 fave fo sho.

Righteous! I'll look 'em up.

Axel Björnsson said:

hmmm. The Moonhearts and The People's Temple had a great records this year.

I may have to search out that Dead Elvis dude too. I think you might have to get it from his website. Which would be a first for me as I've become lazy in hunting out music that isn't on spotify or iTunes...Has anyone got his lp? Is it worth a damn? I love his videos and the whole concept.

Has anyone heard the album Badlands by Dirty Beaches? It's like a Lynchian nightmare in a good way. Very haunting rockabilly. That has to be my 2011 fave fo sho.

hmmm. The Moonhearts and The People's Temple had a great records this year.

Well, yeah, music=good, cover=bad...

Axel Björnsson said:

but when we're talking about good music..

Good examples! Love The Priest, and early ZZ Top (el loco & back), but Whew! those covers... Yeah, I like that "New Wave" style of illo., like that 2nd Damned LP.

Axel Björnsson said:

I don't get it with the buzzcocks. cool cover

I personally dislike most covers from 80's power/thrash metal bands. 

 

                                

How about the COFFINSHAKERS?

PS: It's never to late for SPOOK ROCK ;)