10 SONGS: 4/20/2024

10 Songs is a weekly list of ten songs that happen to be on my mind at the moment. The lists are usually dominated by songs played on the previous Sunday night's edition of This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl. The idea was inspired by Don Valentine of the essential blog I Don't Hear A Single.

This week's edition of 10 Songs draws exclusively from the playlist for This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio # 1229. This show is available as a podcast.

THE HALF CUBES: The Girl

'Rubes and 'Cubes! The Half Cubes, of course, are piloted by two members of Syracuse's own power pop powerhouse the Flashcubes--Tommy Allen and Gary Frenay--working with Randy Klawon and Fernando Perdomo. For their latest single, a remake of the Rubinoos' fabulous song "The Girl," the Half Cubes recruited half of the Rubinoos--Jon Rubin and Tommy Dunbar are your designated Half Rubes--and the result is the livin', breathin', boppin' embodiment of radio-ready. This one's for "The Girl!" We'll hear the track again on our next show. 

WONDERBOY: Girl Songs

Could not resist following our opening spin of "The Girl" with "Girl Songs" by Wonderboy. Man, why would we wanna resist? As I've been saying: Girl songs mean a lot to me.

PAUL COLLINS: In Another World

I believe This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio has demonstrated our allegiance to the music of Paul Collins. I've been a fan since I snapped up his former group the Nerves' EP when I was a college student in the '70s, moving on from there to Paul's incredible "Walking Out On Love" and the debut of his next group, the Beat. The Beat's eponymous 1979 debut album is recognized as one power pop's all-time classics, and Paul Collins is legend in that genre. You don't need me to tell you that, sure, but I like saying it: Paul Collins is legend.

And his current album Stand Back And Take A Good Look is a worthy continuation of the legend. Its lead-off single "I'm The Only One For You" is already guaranteed a berth on our year-end countdown of TIRnRR's most-played tracks in 2024. 

Now, we turn our attention to the album's latest single. "In Another World" renders its sense of wistful yearning all pretty 'n' pop, a janglier embodiment of eyes on the freakin' prize. We played it this week, and we're playing it again Sunday night. Airplay befits a power pop legend. We'll do our part.

In this world.

MONOGROOVE: One Tin Soldier

Last week's edition of 10 Songs recounted my history as a fan of Rin Lennon, starting decades ago with her former group On The Air and continuing into her contemporary work with Monogroove. From their most recent album The Flip Side, Monogroove made their TIRnRR debut with last week's spin of "I Think Of You."

This week, we returned to The Flip Side for Monogroove's cover of "One Tin Soldier." When I was an adolescent, I considered the Original Caste's 1969 hit version The Greatest Record Ever Made, and I ain't kiddin'. The song's plea for peace amid brutality struck a chord within my own simplistic young quest for deeper meaning; its subsequent use (via a cover by Coven) in the film Billy Jack placed its decrying of hating one's neighbor and cheating one's friend in a film otherwise devoted to scenes of its titular hero's ritual I-just-go-BERSERK! kicking of Fascist ass. A contradiction? I was thirteen when I saw the movie in '73, and I was all in. I figured the bad guys had it coming. GO AHEAD, Billy Jack!

The song is still welcome to my ears. Rin Lennon told me Monogroove "chose that song because it's a message that really needs to be heard. We indeed made it a bit more edgy so that the younger generation might listen to it."

The (subtle) edge serves Monogroove's version well. Maybe there will be trumpets blowing come the Judgement Day. A kingdom on a mountain. Peace on Earth. That's all we say.

ELENA ROGERS: Queen

In a recent email to some musicians, I made a passing reference to Elena Rogers as "insanely talented." That is, if anything, selling her short. We've been playing Elena's sublime single "I Feel Alive," and we'll follow suit with spins of her newest single "Queen." Insanely talented. We'd be crazy to even consider missing out on the chance to program all this great stuff. God save "Queen."

THE FLASHCUBES: Come Out And Play

Playtime! The Flashcubes have been a large part of my life for more than forty-five years. Looks like that's gonna continue in the near future. Work and play. Time to make something happen.

THE RAMONES: Swallow My Pride

The Greatest Record Ever Made!

THE CYNZ: Just A Boy

Seven deadly Cynz! 1) We play the music of the Cynz; 2) We started our Cynzmania with their 2022 single "Narrow Hips;" 3) "Narrow Hips" accrued enough spins to be among our most-played tracks that year; 4) The Cynz keep releasing 'em, we keep playing them, from their covers of Holly and the Italians and the Kinks through decadent delights from their current album Little Miss Lost, and also delving into the ol' back catalogue here 'n' there; 5) The Little Miss Lost track "Just A Boy" made its first TIRnRR appearance on our April 7th show; 6) We played it again this week; 7) We make it three weeks in a row with our next show.

Great song. Bless us, Father (and Mother): We have CYNZ!

THE AMPLIFIER HEADS [FEATURING JEN D'ANGORA]: Something Went Down

I tell ya, we've been trying to squeeze this into one of our playlists for weeks. You'd be amazed how quickly a three-hour time slot overfills itself. We were going to play "Something Went Down" when it was a single by the Amplifier Heads featuring Jen D'Angora. Never quite got to it. Now, that self-same rockin' pop summit meeting is on the freshly-minted new Amplifier Heads album Songs From They Came To Rock, and we'd damn well better get with the razzafrazzin' program awready. It spins again on Sunday. We're inept, but we mean well. And we can't deny those who came to rock.

KISS: Calling Dr. Love

Between recording this week's show on April 10th and airing it on April 14th, we learned that our friend Dominique King passed in late March. Dom was an active member of our little TIRnRR community; she fell ill a couple of years back, and we've missed having her participate in our Sunday night chat group, usually bugging us to play more Michigan-bred rock 'n' roll. Losing her now is not a surprise. We mourn nonetheless.

I wouldn't say that Dom was necessarily a big KISS fan. Maybe you'd figure this fire-breathin' NYC combo's "Detroit Rock City" mighta been a pick hit for a woman proud to bill herself as Midwest Guest. But I do know that Dom liked "Calling Dr. Love." She sent us a virtual thumbs-up every time we played it. 

"Calling Dr. Love" 's appearance on this week's playlist is a coincidence. But we dedicate it after the fact to our friend Dominique King. And will open our next show with a deliberate three-song salute to Dom. Godspeed, Midwest Guest. Farewell, my friend.

If you like what you see here on Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do), please consider a visit to CC's Tip Jar. 

Carl's book Gabba Gabba Hey! A Conversation With The Ramones is available, courtesy of the good folks at Rare Bird Books. Gabba Gabba YAY!! https://rarebirdlit.com/gabba-gabba-hey-a-conversation-with-the-ramones-by-carl-cafarelli/

If it's true that one book leads to another, my next book will be The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1). Stay tuned. Your turn is coming.

This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl airs Sunday nights from 9 to Midnight Eastern, on the air in Syracuse at SPARK! WSPJ 103.3 and 93.7 FM, streaming at SPARK stream and on the Radio Garden app as WESTCOTT RADIO. Recent shows are archived at Westcott Radio. You can read about our history here.

I'm on Twitter @CafarelliCarl

Summer 2025: A book called MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN! The DIY Story Of A Power Pop Band Called THE FLASHCUBES

 

I have just begun early work on a new book about my favorite power pop group, the Flashcubes. 

The book is called Make Something Happen! The DIY Story Of A Power Pop Band Called THE FLASHCUBES. This will be an oral history of the band, with personal stories related by the 'Cubes themselves--Tommy Allen, Paul Armstrong, Gary Frenay, and Arty Lenin--discussing their roots as rockin' pop fans in the '60s and '70s, their formation in the punk rock crucible of 1977, their frenzied live shows with the Ramones, the Runaways, the Police, the Jam, David Johansen, Joe Jackson, the Scruffs, the Romantics, Artful Dodger, 999, and more, their irresistible original songs, their indie 45s, their demo tapes, their breakup at the end of the '70s, and the subsequent recognition that the Flashcubes were a legit power pop legend. This growing awareness and celebration reunited the Flashcubes in the '90s, culminating in their award-winning 2023 album Pop Masters.

In Make Something Happen!, the Flashcubes story will also be told by eye witnesses: Fans, fellow musicians, industry insiders, and maybe the occasional drunken pogo dancer yelling out GOT NO MIND!, or swooning to "Christi Girl," vowing to wait till next week, it'll be all right. This is the first-hand story of Syracuse's own power pop powerhouse, a band that thrived under bright lights of their own invention. 

We should have a special place where nobody else can go

The Flashcubes had to invent their scene. No one else was going to do it for them. DIY. It was always up to the Flashcubes themselves to make something happen.

 Make Something Happen! The DIY Story Of A Power Pop Band Called THE FLASHCUBES is tentatively planned for publication in the summer of 2025. Let me be your radio. Stay tuned.

If you like what you see here on Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do), please consider a visit to CC's Tip Jar. 

Carl's book Gabba Gabba Hey! A Conversation With The Ramones is available, courtesy of the good folks at Rare Bird Books. Gabba Gabba YAY!! https://rarebirdlit.com/gabba-gabba-hey-a-conversation-with-the-ramones-by-carl-cafarelli/

If it's true that one book leads to another, my next book will be The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1). Stay tuned. Your turn is coming.

This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl airs Sunday nights from 9 to Midnight Eastern, on the air in Syracuse at SPARK! WSPJ 103.3 and 93.7 FM, streaming at SPARK stream and on the Radio Garden app as WESTCOTT RADIO. Recent shows are archived at Westcott Radio. You can read about our history here.

I'm on Twitter @CafarelliCarl

THE GREATEST RECORD EVER MADE! (VOLUME 1): Is a picture worth a thousand words?

The old saying insists a picture is worth a thousand words. I say this picture is worth just about 115,000 words.

Here's my idea for the cover photo of my long-threatened book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1). I'm in the very early stages of shifting this project into a self-publishing plan. I figured the cover would be a good place to start.

Details eventually. But meanwhile: Whaddaya think? 

GABBA GABBA HEY! Moving forward, forming in a straight line

Quick follow-up to yesterday's post whining about the ignominious retail fate of my book Gabba Gabba Hey! A Conversation With The Ramones. First off, a big ol' bucket o' thank-yous to all of you who offered words of comfort, support, and encouragement, and to those who advised me to stop wallowing in self-pity. I appreciate every syllable of it all.

I talked about the book's failure to sell enough copies to cover the publisher's cost. It's important to reiterate that, as disappointed as I am with its dismal commercial performance, I remain very, very proud of Gabba Gabba Hey! It's a good book, and it's a good Ramones book. I don't think there's any way the book itself could have been improved to make it more popular. I could have done a better job marketing the book, but that's Carbona under the bridge now. Some things find an audience. Some things don't.

So: Moving on.

I have started to investigate self-publishing options for my long-threatened labor of love The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1). More than five years in the making, I aim to have GREM! available for purchase in some physical form (and e-book) this year, maybe even in the summer.

I'm undertaking my other two current book projects at the request of other parties. These may or may not be self-published. I hope to be able to publicly identify at least one of these books by name very, very soon. 

As I dip my mutant toe into self-publishing, I think it's time I put some of my fiction out into the retail world. None of these works have been completed yet, but I'm looking toward doing a short story collection, and to completing The Copperhead Kid. And then? We'll see what else I can fabricate.

Meanwhile, Rare Bird Books does have copies of Gabba Gabba Hey! available for purchase! If you don't already have it, but think you might dig it, our Blitzkrieg-boppin' operators are standing by. Form in a straight line. Then pile 'em in the back seat. Hey-ho! Let's GO!!

If you like what you see here on Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do), please consider a visit to CC's Tip Jar. 

Carl's book Gabba Gabba Hey! A Conversation With The Ramones is available, courtesy of the good folks at Rare Bird Books. Gabba Gabba YAY!! https://rarebirdlit.com/gabba-gabba-hey-a-conversation-with-the-ramones-by-carl-cafarelli/

If it's true that one book leads to another, my next book will be The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1). Stay tuned. Your turn is coming.

This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl airs Sunday nights from 9 to Midnight Eastern, on the air in Syracuse at SPARK! WSPJ 103.3 and 93.7 FM, streaming at SPARK stream and on the Radio Garden app as WESTCOTT RADIO. Recent shows are archived at Westcott Radio. You can read about our history here.

I'm on Twitter @CafarelliCarl

GABBA GABBA HEY! Acknowledging a book's failure. (The "moving on" part comes later)

I have received the sales figures for my book Gabba Gabba Hey! A Conversation With The Ramones. The book was published in May of 2023. It did not sell enough copies to cover the publisher's cost. The book is a failure.

Not a creative failure, at least not in my opinion. And much of the experience was positive, even wonderful. I had a blast, and I appreciate the support I received from friends, family, and fans, some of whom bought multiple copies. But the book didn't break through in the marketplace to attract anywhere near the number of buyers it needed. I can't candy-coat it. Commercially, my Ramones book is a failure.

The low sales of Gabba Gabba Hey! mean that Rare Bird Books will not be publishing my long-threatened other book, The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1). I still want to see this labor of love will its way to print, and I'm reviewing options. I will probably wind up self-publishing it.

Meanwhile, my three secret projects continue. I have work to do. Failure is depressing. I acknowledge it. I'll get to the moving-on part soon. I thank each and every one of you who did buy Gabba Gabba Hey!, who helped me promote it, who showed up at and/or participated in events, and made me feel like a book-writin' big shot. I thank the folks at Rare Bird for enabling my dream of getting a book published.

It's a pretty good book, really.

It just didn't sell.

If you like what you see here on Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do), please consider a visit to CC's Tip Jar. 

Carl's book Gabba Gabba Hey! A Conversation With The Ramones is available, courtesy of the good folks at Rare Bird Books. Gabba Gabba YAY!! https://rarebirdlit.com/gabba-gabba-hey-a-conversation-with-the-ramones-by-carl-cafarelli/

If it's true that one book leads to another, my next book will be The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1). Stay tuned. Your turn is coming.

This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl airs Sunday nights from 9 to Midnight Eastern, on the air in Syracuse at SPARK! WSPJ 103.3 and 93.7 FM, streaming at SPARK stream and on the Radio Garden app as WESTCOTT RADIO. Recent shows are archived at Westcott Radio. You can read about our history here.

I'm on Twitter @CafarelliCarl

This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio # 1229

Another week, another powerful bit of evidence on behalf of our claim as The Best Three Hours Of Radio On The Whole Friggin' Planet. 

Now, even as avowedly humility-challenged as we're known to be, we do recognize that there are lots and lots of other fantastic radio shows out here. We are not the only ones doing this, and we are not the only ones doing it well.

If you're a part of one of those other fantastic radio shows, I sincerely hope you believe in your program just as much as Dana and I believe in This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio. You should. Hell, I believe in you. "The Best Three Hours yadda yadda Friggin' Planet" is an absolute, but I view it as a shared and mobile absolute. It's just like The Greatest Record Ever Made: An infinite number of tracks can each be THE greatest record ever made, as long as they take turns. 

The same goes for the best in rockin' pop radio. We are legion. We are infinite. And we are each the greatest, in our turn. And if we're gonna believe in something, well, music seems a pretty good choice. Belief feeds inspiration. Inspiration sparks action. 

And if action speaks louder than words...man, what kind of joyful noise can action make when it SINGS?

I bet it's the best.

Let's all find out. For our part: This is what rock 'n' roll radio sounded like on another Sunday night in Syracuse this week.

This show is available as a podcast.

This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl airs Sunday nights from 9 to Midnight Eastern, on the air in Syracuse at SPARK! WSPJ 103.3 and 93.7 FM, streaming at SPARK stream, and on the Radio Garden app as WESTCOTT RADIO. Recent shows are archived at Westcott Radio

You can read all about this show's long and weird history here: Boppin' The Whole Friggin' Planet (The History Of THIS IS ROCK 'N' ROLL RADIO). 

TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATIONS are always welcome.

The many fine This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio compilation albums are still available, each full of that rockin' pop sound you crave. A portion of all sales benefit our perpetually cash-strapped community radio project:

Volume 1: download
Volume 2: CD or download
Volume 3: download
Volume 4: CD or download
Waterloo Sunset--Benefit For This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio:  CD or download

Volume 5: CD or download

HEY! Looking for something to read? Check out Carl's book Gabba Gabba Hey! A Conversation With The Ramones You can also follow Carl's daily blog Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do) at https://carlcafarelli.blogspot.com/ If you would like to receive links to each day's blog, please reply to this email.

TIRnRR # 1229: 4/14/2024

TIRnRR FRESH SPINS! Tracks we think we ain't played before are listed in bold.

THE HALF CUBES: The Girl (Big Stir, single)

WONDERBOY: Girl Songs (n/a, Hero Isle)

THE MASTICATORS: Real Nice Time (Crab Apple, VA: I 🖤 sparkle*jets u.k.)

sparkle*jets u.k.: Hold On Tight (Big Stir, Best Of Friends)

POP CO-OP: Misfits (single)

WEEZER: My Best Friend (Geffen, Make Believe)

--

MICHAEL SLAWTER: Down To Witness (n/a, The Plastic Years)

THE EXPLODING HEARTS: Modern Kicks (Dirtnap, Guitar Romantic)

P. P. ARNOLD: If You See What I Mean (Immediate, The First Cut)

THE SWANKY MODES: Ordinary Man (Island, VA: Tapeheads: Music From The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

BEEBE GALLINI: She Hulk (Rum Bar, single)

SAM AND DAVE: Said I Wasn't Gonna Tell Nobody (Atlantic, The Best Of Sam & Dave)
--

PAUL COLLINS: In Another World (Jem, Stand Back And Take A Good Look)

SHONEN KNIFE: Boys (Virgin, The Birds And The B-Sides)

DEAN LANDEW: Job (single)

DEVO: Baby Doll [sung in Swedish] (Island, VA: Tapeheads: Music From The Motion Picture Soundtrack)

MONOGROOVE: One Tin Soldier (Monogroove, The Flip Side)
JUNIPER: Baby Doll (Confidential Recordings, She Steals Candy)
--

KEN SHARP: Great Big Beautiful World (n/a, Welcome To Toytown)

XTC: Respectable Street (Virgin, Upsy Daisy Assortment)

THE KINKS: The Village Green Preservation Society (Universal, The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society)

YO LA TENGO: I Should Have Known Better (Matador, I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass)

HEADGIRL: Please Don't Touch (Lemon, GIRLSCHOOL: The Singles)

TOMMY SISTAK: Come Find Me (n/a, Music For Sale)

--

THE ON AND ONS: Hey What's Going On? (Rogue, single)

TOM PETTY: Flirting With Time (MCA, Highway Companion)

THE JIVE FIVE: What Time Is It (Collectables, Their Greatest Hits)

THE SUPREMES: All I Want (Motown, The '70s Anthology)
DAVE COPE AND THE SASS: Precious Heart (Kool Kat Musik, Hidden From The World)
THE SOFT BOYS: I Wanna Destroy You (Matador, Underwater Moonlight)
--

ELENA ROGERS: Queen (Eats Dynamite, single)

THE SEARCHERS: Love's Melody (Omnivore, Another Night: The Sire Recordings 1979-1981)

RIDEL HIGH: Self Destructive [demo] (Big Stir/SpyderPop, VA: Generation Blue)

THE REZILLOS: I Like It (Sire, Can't Stand The Rezillos)

THE FLASHCUBES: Come Out And Play (Big Stir, Pop Masters)

THE PRETENDERS: Message Of Love (Sire, The Singles)

--

The Greatest Record Ever Made!

THE RAMONES: Swallow My Pride (Rhino, Leave Home)

THE MONKEES: You Told Me (Rhino, Headquarters)

THE WONDERS: That Thing You Do! (Play-Tone, VA: That Thing You Do! OST)

THE SWINGING BLUE JEANS: She Loves You (Music Brokers, VA: The Many Faces Of The Beatles)

THE CYNZ: Just A Boy (Jem, Little Miss Lost)

THE GRIP WEEDS: Shape Of Things To Come [early club demo] (Ground Up, A Deeper Dig)

--

SPEEDFOSSIL: IRL (Sonic Escort, Room With A VU, Vol. 1)

THE GRUFF MEN: Farmer John (Cherry Red, VA: Just a Bad Dream: Sixty British Garage & Trash Nuggets 1981-89)

MARY WEISS: Stop And Think It Over (Norton, Dangerous Game)

THE PRIMITIVES: Out Of Reach (RCA, Bombshell)

PERILOUS: Energy (n/a, YEAH!!!)

THE POPPEES: She's Got It (Bomp!, Pop Goes The Anthiology)

ARTHUR ALEXANDER: Woman (Big Stir, Steppin' Out)

THE MUFFS: Honeymoon (Omnivore, Happy Birthday To Me)

--

THE AMPLIFIER HEADS [featuring JEN D'ANGORA]: Something Went Down (Rum Bar, Songs From They Came To Rock)

THE DONNAS: Strutter (Real Gone Music, Early Singles1995-1999)

KISS: Calling Dr. Love (Mercury, Rock And Roll Over)

THE CYNICS: You Got The Love (Get Hip, Rock 'N' Roll)

LITTLE RICHARD: Keep A Knockin' (Specialty, The Georgia Peach)

ELVIS COSTELLO AND THE ATTRACTIONS: You Belong To Me (Rykodisc, This Year's Model)

TALL POPPY SYNDROME: This Time Tomorrow (Tres Melo Musique, single)

THE BEATLES: Glass Onion (Apple, The Beatles)

--

THE HALF CUBES: Heaven's Falling (Big Stir, single)

Tonight on THIS IS ROCK 'N' ROLL RADIO

 

I would love this week's show even if it weren't, y'know...OUR show. We have new stuff, courtesy of THE HALF CUBES, KEN SHARP, THE ON AND ONS, MICHAEL SLAWTER, SPEEDFOSSIL, MONOGROOVE, PAUL COLLINS, BEEBE GALLINI, ELENA ROGERS, DAVE COPE AND THE SASS, and THE AMPLIFIER HEADS FEATURING JEN D'ANGORIA. We reach back to the '50s for some LITTLE RICHARD, we represent the '60s with an array of delights from THE BEATLES, THE KINKS, THE MONKEES, THE JIVE FIVE, THE SWINGING BLUE JEANS, SAM AND DAVE, and P. P. ARNOLD, and we barrel through the '70s, '80s, and '90s with THE RAMONES, THE SUPREMES, ELVIS COSTELLO AND THE ATTRACTIONS, WONDERBOY, THE PRETENDERS, XTC, THE SOFT BOYS, HEADGIRL, THE POPPEES, THE SEARCHERS, KISS, THE DONNAS, and more. We've got yer 21st century covered as well, with THE FLASHCUBES, THE CYNZ, THE GRIP WEEDS, POP CO-OP, TALL POPPY SYNDROME, WEEZER, DEAN LANDEW, JUNIPER, YO LA TENGO, PERILOUS, ARTHUR ALEXANDER, MARY WEISS, SPARKLE*JETS U.K., and that ain't even all. I love this show. You will, too. Sunday night, 9 to Midnight Eastern, on the air in Syracuse at SPARK! WSPJ 103.3 and 93.7 FM, on the web at https://sparksyracuse.org/, streaming on the Radio Garden app as WESTCOTT RADIO. The weekend stops HERE!