John, what band did you play with at Cavestomp 97? Did Bruce Springsteen actually write "Fire" for Robert Gordon? That'd be interesting to know. It fits him better than the Pointer Sisters.

John Carlucci said:

In my opinion, Little Steven's heart is in the right place. Yes he calls the show "Underground Garage" and it's not always playing Garage Punk, but he is playing stuff on the radio that you do not hear otherwise.

I played at the very first Cavestomp in NYC in 97. I understand after that, the promoter, John Weiss from the Vipers held more Cavestomp shows on a regular basis, and that is how Little Steven became affiliated with the Garage scene.

I think it's great that someone in the position he is in has helped some of these bands get heard, and make a little money. Before his show, I never heard The Chesterfield Kings, Woggles, Swingin Neckbreakers ,the Dictators or even my own former band, The Fuzztones on the radio. He's helped the careers of bands line King Kahn, Nick Curran, & Prima Donna.

I remember back in 77 when Bruce Springsteen took an interest in the NYC Punk movement, writing songs for Patti Smith, Robert Gordon & even the Ramones. (Hungry Heart was written for the Ramones but The Boss's Mgr convinced him to put it out himself). There were a lot of people in the scene back then who were against Bruce's involvement with the scene then too. I admired him for his support, and I applaud Little Steven for his support as well. Anything that might help keep the spirit of Rock N Roll alive is okay with me. A movie, a radio show, whatever. Seeing younger musician's like Nick Curran & Prima Donna carry the torch for Rock N Roll in the 21st Century is comforting. If I see any more kids embracing hip hop, it will make me sick.




MikeL said:

Surprise, surprise. When I saw this article, I thought for certain somebody here would get angry about it, if for no other reason than Little Steven's involvement.

I didn't buy that whole "album SOoooooo ahead of its time" thing, especially if it's still only 1962 or '63. Phil Spector and Brian Wilson were ahead of the times during those same years and yet they still fit into THOSE years. Maybe if Eddie and the Cruisers was set in 1966 or '67. But then nobody would have got to look like the Outsiders (movie). I think Little Steven will get a better hold of what sounds authentic (or close).

MikeL said:

Sorry to hear you feel that way, Rod, because I liked "Eddie and the Cruisers," and I liked the influence of those Springsteen albums on the soundtrack. I will admit that "The Runaways" didn't do a very good job of telling the story, but I liked it visually, and Michael Shannon's portrayal of Kim Fowley made it all worthwhile for me.

However, I thought that was interesting what you said about documentaries as opposed dramatizations. That's why I don't want to see a movie made about the Ramones, because I felt the documentary, "End of the Century," did a good enough job of telling the story.



Rockin Rod Strychnine said:

I personally like documentaries better than docu-dramas about bands I like. If they serialized their stories on HBO or something, that'd be something. But to put someone's career in a two hour bubble never seems to work. I love the exposure that the Runaways got but I had a tough time with the movie.

But if they were going to make a picture of a sixties band, The Misunderstood would work (thanks to the band and Ugly Things) as would the Thirteenth Floor Elevators. And so would the Monks. Not so much the Sonics. They really don't have a story.

One thing I can say about Steven's picture is I don't think it will be cruddy as Eddie and the Cruisers. The music might sound slick but I'm sure it'll be closer to That Thing You Do rather than Darkness on the Edge of Town or the River.

Thanks Mikel. I appreciate your comments.

MikeL said:

You are the coolest person at this forum, John Carlucci:)

You are the coolest person at this forum, John Carlucci:)

John Carlucci said:

In my opinion, Little Steven's heart is in the right place. Yes he calls the show "Underground Garage" and it's not always playing Garage Punk, but he is playing stuff on the radio that you do not hear otherwise.

I played at the very first Cavestomp in NYC in 97. I understand after that, the promoter, John Weiss from the Vipers held more Cavestomp shows on a regular basis, and that is how Little Steven became affiliated with the Garage scene.

I think it's great that someone in the position he is in has helped some of these bands get heard, and make a little money. Before his show, I never heard The Chesterfield Kings, Woggles, Swingin Neckbreakers ,the Dictators or even my own former band, The Fuzztones on the radio. He's helped the careers of bands line King Kahn, Nick Curran, & Prima Donna.

I remember back in 77 when Bruce Springsteen took an interest in the NYC Punk movement, writing songs for Patti Smith, Robert Gordon & even the Ramones. (Hungry Heart was written for the Ramones but The Boss's Mgr convinced him to put it out himself). There were a lot of people in the scene back then who were against Bruce's involvement with the scene then too. I admired him for his support, and I applaud Little Steven for his support as well. Anything that might help keep the spirit of Rock N Roll alive is okay with me. A movie, a radio show, whatever. Seeing younger musician's like Nick Curran & Prima Donna carry the torch for Rock N Roll in the 21st Century is comforting. If I see any more kids embracing hip hop, it will make me sick.




MikeL said:

Surprise, surprise. When I saw this article, I thought for certain somebody here would get angry about it, if for no other reason than Little Steven's involvement.

In my opinion, Little Steven's heart is in the right place. Yes he calls the show "Underground Garage" and it's not always playing Garage Punk, but he is playing stuff on the radio that you do not hear otherwise. I played at the very first Cavestomp in NYC in 97. I understand after that, the promoter, John Weiss from the Vipers held more Cavestomp shows on a regular basis, and that is how Little Steven became affiliated with the Garage scene. I think it's great that someone in the position he is in has helped some of these bands get heard, and make a little money. Before his show, I never heard The Chesterfield Kings, Woggles, Swingin Neckbreakers ,the Dictators or even my own former band, The Fuzztones on the radio. He's helped the careers of bands line King Kahn, Nick Curran, & Prima Donna. I remember back in 77 when Bruce Springsteen took an interest in the NYC Punk movement, writing songs for Patti Smith, Robert Gordon & even the Ramones. (Hungry Heart was written for the Ramones but The Boss's Mgr convinced him to put it out himself). There were a lot of people in the scene back then who were against Bruce's involvement with the scene then too. I admired him for his support, and I applaud Little Steven for his support as well. Anything that might help keep the spirit of Rock N Roll alive is okay with me. A movie, a radio show, whatever. Seeing younger musician's like Nick Curran & Prima Donna carry the torch for Rock N Roll in the 21st Century is comforting. If I see any more kids embracing hip hop, it will make me sick.

MikeL said:

Surprise, surprise. When I saw this article, I thought for certain somebody here would get angry about it, if for no other reason than Little Steven's involvement.

Wait, I almost forgot...I'd also like to see movies made about Lester Bangs and Kim Fowley. I already know of a couple of good actors who could play those parts.

MikeL said:

Since everyone else here has made suggestions for band movies, here are a few of my own.

I would like to see a movie about the New York Dolls, or perhaps one about Johnny Thunders in particular. I would also like to see movies made about the Stooges and the Clash.

I would also like to see movies made about particular scenes, such as the early days of CBGBs, or perhaps the story of Max's Kansas City. Another good one would be Rodney Bingenheimer's English Disco.

Since everyone else here has made suggestions for band movies, here are a few of my own.

I would like to see a movie about the New York Dolls, or perhaps one about Johnny Thunders in particular. I would also like to see movies made about the Stooges and the Clash.

I would also like to see movies made about particular scenes, such as the early days of CBGBs, or perhaps the story of Max's Kansas City. Another good one would be Rodney Bingenheimer's English Disco.

BTW, I meant to write "documentaries as opposed TO dramatizations."

MikeL said:

Sorry to hear you feel that way, Rod, because I liked "Eddie and the Cruisers," and I liked the influence of those Springsteen albums on the soundtrack. I will admit that "The Runaways" didn't do a very good job of telling the story, but I liked it visually, and Michael Shannon's portrayal of Kim Fowley made it all worthwhile for me.

However, I thought that was interesting what you said about documentaries as opposed dramatizations. That's why I don't want to see a movie made about the Ramones, because I felt the documentary, "End of the Century," did a good enough job of telling the story.



Rockin Rod Strychnine said:

I personally like documentaries better than docu-dramas about bands I like. If they serialized their stories on HBO or something, that'd be something. But to put someone's career in a two hour bubble never seems to work. I love the exposure that the Runaways got but I had a tough time with the movie.

But if they were going to make a picture of a sixties band, The Misunderstood would work (thanks to the band and Ugly Things) as would the Thirteenth Floor Elevators. And so would the Monks. Not so much the Sonics. They really don't have a story.

One thing I can say about Steven's picture is I don't think it will be cruddy as Eddie and the Cruisers. The music might sound slick but I'm sure it'll be closer to That Thing You Do rather than Darkness on the Edge of Town or the River.

Sorry to hear you feel that way, Rod, because I liked "Eddie and the Cruisers," and I liked the influence of those Springsteen albums on the soundtrack. I will admit that "The Runaways" didn't do a very good job of telling the story, but I liked it visually, and Michael Shannon's portrayal of Kim Fowley made it all worthwhile for me. However, I thought that was interesting what you said about documentaries as opposed dramatizations. That's why I don't want to see a movie made about the Ramones, because I felt the documentary, "End of the Century," did a good enough job of telling the story.

Rockin Rod Strychnine said:

I personally like documentaries better than docu-dramas about bands I like. If they serialized their stories on HBO or something, that'd be something. But to put someone's career in a two hour bubble never seems to work. I love the exposure that the Runaways got but I had a tough time with the movie.

But if they were going to make a picture of a sixties band, The Misunderstood would work (thanks to the band and Ugly Things) as would the Thirteenth Floor Elevators. And so would the Monks. Not so much the Sonics. They really don't have a story.

One thing I can say about Steven's picture is I don't think it will be cruddy as Eddie and the Cruisers. The music might sound slick but I'm sure it'll be closer to That Thing You Do rather than Darkness on the Edge of Town or the River.

I personally like documentaries better than docu-dramas about bands I like. If they serialized their stories on HBO or something, that'd be something. But to put someone's career in a two hour bubble never seems to work. I love the exposure that the Runaways got but I had a tough time with the movie.

But if they were going to make a picture of a sixties band, The Misunderstood would work (thanks to the band and Ugly Things) as would the Thirteenth Floor Elevators. And so would the Monks. Not so much the Sonics. They really don't have a story.

One thing I can say about Steven's picture is I don't think it will be cruddy as Eddie and the Cruisers. The music might sound slick but I'm sure it'll be closer to That Thing You Do rather than Darkness on the Edge of Town or the River.

There's a couple doc's. on him.

The Roky Erickson documentary, You're Gonna Miss Me, focused a lot on his early days with the Elevators. Great doco, too. I was lucky enough to see it in a theater when it came out.

SarahJayne said:

They should just make it about the 13th Floor Elevators instead. Drugs, drugs, drugs, cops, rock & roll, Janis Joplin, drugs, crazy people, the Austin psych scene, drugs, cave dwelling, drugs, and drugs. All the bases covered right there.

Hey Rod,

There are exceptions to every rule. Regarding The Mummies getting airplay on The Underground Garage. They are an exceptional band. They have something that transcends the quality of their recordings.

I don't want to name names, but I know for a fact that some bands have been rejected because of the low quality of their recordings.

The 50's bands had limited technology available. Yet they still sound better than a lot of today's Lo-fi recordings. I'm not saying something needs to be sparkly clean, digital or over produced. I just prefer to hear all the instruments with good sonic quality and as little bleed & white noise as possible. Another poster said it best. The recording should sound like the band.

To Mr. Dirty Ugly & friends, You totally missed so many of my points in my post. I made my statements based on my own experience. If you enjoy lo-fi recordings, great. To me, in most cases it sounds like the musician's can barely play & the engineer's know nothing about acoustics or microphone placement. There are exceptions. Because I choose another route does not make me a snob. I'm entitled to my opinions as much as you are to yours. Making money with my music has never been my agenda. I have another career in which I make a living, I too play for fun. Since 1972 I have been in one band after another. That's 32 years straight of playing Rock N Roll. There has never been a time during that span that I have not been in a band. In fact there were times when I had 5 bands going at once. I've played in front of 50,000 people, I've played in front of 5 people. It does not matter to me. On the occasion that I have made some cash from my music, you think I should be embarrassed? Now I'm the one scratching his head. It costs money to have a band. Gear is not free, rehearsals are not free, gas to drive to gigs is not free, recordings are not free, food & lodging on the road is not free & manufacturing CD's or vinyl is not free. If a band gets a little airplay whether it be on XM, College Radio or Podcasts, which brings more people to their gigs, or earns some royalties that can help them survive, what's wrong with that? I have funneled my royalties back into my musical projects. You missed my point entirely regarding having been on a major label. My point was that even then it was hard to survive. Throughout my years playing in bands, I have found that it's always the musician's on the edge, the one's who say they are not in it for the money, that quit music because they can not cope with the reality of what it takes to actually be in a band. Long drives, crappy food & hotels,sitting around for hours to sound-check and little or no pay can very quickly take the "fun" out of being in a band. I do agree that most pod-casts are playing some interesting music. I subscribe to a few myself. The reason why I support XM is because they in turn support the musician's. They pay royalties through sound exchange that go right back to the artists. So since you & your peers are not into making money, I assume you are giving away the records & CD's you make & you are not charging bands for your recording services? If you are, kudo's to you, however if you are charging money, well then you are in the same boat as I & your argument is fruitless. Regarding which music can stand the test of time, while I can not predict the future, I can look back. I was referring to the fact that a recording I made 31 years ago is still being used on TV, has been re-issued & commands high prices on the collectors market. Whether you like it or not, it's a fact. I was offering my advice to younger musician's based on that fact & my own experience. There were plenty of bands back then amongst my peers that had better songs & were better musician's. My feeling is that since we took the time to record that single at the highest quality available, it stood out & got noticed. That's the reason we were asked to open for the Jam & The Undertones, and many other well respected bands of the day. Our recording opened doors for us. What it all boils down to is this. The recordings live on. Long after the bands are dead and buried that will be all that is left.

Dirty Ugly Records said:

I completely disagree with what you have to say on this John.

Very nice, thank you. In Memphis she was using a Fender amp with some kind of fuzz pedal that was really wicked. She was playing barre chords and the fuzz was very full but didn't get all crowded like alot of pedals can.

I guessed Teisco on the guitar and with the help of google I found out it's a Teisco EP-7. I'm not sure about any of their other gear. From google image search I saw a Supro amp on one of their album covers.

Anybody know what guitar and fuzz Ronnie from the 5.6.7.8's uses?  I saw them in Memphis last weekend and thought it was a really cool combo.

I've played their instruments & they are pretty nice, especially for the price. I was using the Club Bass when I played with Truly Lover Trio, which was a Rockabilly/Early 60's Beat group. It was perfect in that band. The band I had after was way more aggressive so I went back to Fender's, but the Eastwood is a nice bass.

When I played in The Hexxers, our guitarist, Rip Carson often played an Eastwood Hi- Flyer. He loved it, and it sounded awesome. I'd have to say the Eastwood Hi-fliers are at least as good as the Univox.

Here's a cool story about the book in the New York Times... http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/24/arts/music/24richards.html

Should be really interesting! Hope it's not 100 pages written in a big font! I want quality AND quantity!

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1650491/20101021/slits.jhtml

I know these things are available for download on their website, but are they actually for sale as a physical 7" slab of vinyl?

Um, yeah, I know. Hence the purpose of this post. Did you even read it?

Rinjo Njori said:

This is now free for download on the SCION site.

http://www.scionav.com/music/scionavgarage/index.html#general6,1908...

This is now free for download on the SCION site. http://www.scionav.com/music/scionavgarage/index.html#general6,19080323

It's an interesting read:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2010/oct/20/dirtbombs-detroit