Playlist for 10/28/09: Burn She (and He) Devils Burn

It was Halloween and fall pledge drive time on Zero Hour this week. I played lots of devil songs, a few hell songs and plenty of just plain weird ditties. A blast was had by, well, me. If you get a chance to check it out, I wrote a Halloween post for Sonic Diet detailing some of my seasonal faves, most of which made it onto the show. The pledge drive continues next week, so do your duty to freeform radio and pledge.

Download or stream the show right here.

Rockin' in the Graveyard - Jackie Morningstar
Morgus the Magnificient – Morgus & the Ghouls
She's My Witch - Kip Tyler
Bo Meets the Monster - Bo Diddley

I Was a Teenage Zombie - The Fleshtones
Creature from the Black Leather Lagoon - The Cramps
The Phantom - Bleed
Circle in Hell - Golden Boys
Experiment in Terror/Stalkin' - Impala

Take the Devil Out of Me - Tres Chicas
Run Devil Run - Jenny Lewis & The Watson Twins
The Devil and Me - BR549
There's A Devil on the Loose - Mavis Staples
Lurking in the Shadows - Los Straitjackets

Vampira - Bobby Bare
Graveyard Rock - Tarantula Ghoul and Her Gravediggers
Sinners - Freddie & the Hitchhikers
Rockin' Round the Tombstone - Casper & The Ghosts

Virus Human - The Ponys
Don't Shake Me Lucifer - Roxy Erickson
Slow Death - Wanda Chrome and the Leather Pharaohs
Satan's Buddies - Couch Flambeau

Haunted House - Johnny Fuller
Little Demon - Screamin' Jay Hawkins
The Shadow Knows - Link Wray

Frankenstein - New York Dolls
Trick or Treat - Otis Redding
Evil - Howlin' Wolf
Halloween - The Dream Syndicate
Homicide - The A-Bones
Grave Up - Satan's Pilgrims
Dance of the Living Dead Chicken - Jack Blanchard

The Witch – The Sonics
Night of the Sadist - Larry & the Blue Notes
I'm a Devil - Satan and Satan's Roses
Raisin Hell - Wild Jimmy Spruill
Haunted House - Hasil Adkins

The Devil Went Down to Newport - Mono Puff
Big Top Halloween - Afghan Whigs
Demonic Possession - Drive By Truckers

Burn She Devil Burn - The Cramps
The Mummy - Bob McFadden & Dor
Dead - The Poets
It's Your Voodoo Working - Charles Sheffield
Werewolf - The Kact-ties
The Fang - Nervous Norvus
The Witch - Dexter Romweber
Weird - Roscoe & The Little Green Men
Watusi Zombie – Jan Davis
Bucket o’ Blood – Big Boy Groves

Playlist for 10/21/09: Rags to Riches to Rags

A new documentary on HBO about New York City’s Garment District, Schmatta: Rags To Riches To Rags, is well worth your time and was well worth serving as my opening theme this week. Director Marc Liven tells of the decline of the fashion industry in America with a particular focus on the Garment District and its workers. Schmatta casts the fall as a symbol of many things wrong with American business and the economy. Perhaps the key stat: 95% versus 5%. The former is the percentage of American clothing made in the United States in 1965. The latter is the percentage today. Cheery theme, I know.

Paid tribute to NRBQ founding member Steve Ferguson, who passed away Oct. 7 of cancer, and Captain Lou Albano, who went to the big wrestling ring in the sky Oct. 14. “Ned Beatty’s in Love” by Seattle-based power pop supergroup The Tripwires is not only my favorite song about a former member of Homicide: Life on the Streets (until someone pens an ode to Daniel Baldwin, aka, Beau Felton) but one of my favorite songs of the year.

WMSE’s fall pledge drive runs Oct. 26-Nov. 6, so please get out your wallets and pocketbooks in honor of freeform radio and Milwaukee’s best radio station. The station has started a new blog, Sonic Diet, which is linked on the right side over there. I’ll wait a minute while you look. I’m postponing my monthly I Love My Label segment until after the pledge drive. Next week I’m planning on doing an all-Halloween show and may have a guest along with me who may or may not be the manager and cleanup hitter for the White House (the bar in Bay View, not the president’s joint) softball team. Check out WFMU's Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban for Rex's wild Halloween mix, Seven Corpse Dinner, from which I will no doubt pick a tune or two for my show.

Download or stream Zero Hour right here.

Put Your Cat Clothes On - Carl Perkins - Original Sun Greatest Hits (Sun/Rhino)
Shoppin’ for Clothes - The Coasters – 50 Coastin’ Classics (Rhino)
Touch the Hem of His Garment – The Soul Stirrers with Sam Cooke – The Specialty Story (Specialty)
Lost My Job - Alex Chilton – Stuff (New Rose)
Plenty Tuff Union Made - Waco Brothers – Live and Kickin’ at Schubas Tavern (Bloodshot)

Ned Beatty's in Love - The Tripwires – House to House (Spark and Shine)
Cheap Cassettes - The Figgs – Sucking in Stereo (Hear Box)
Everyday I Write the Book - Elizabeth McQueen & the Firebrands – Happy Doing What We’re Doing (Freedom)
Please Give Me Something - P.J. O'Connell – Dream Life (Sonic Trout)

Flat Foot Flewzy - NRBQ – Live at Ludlow Garage 1970 (Sundazed)
Captain Lou – NRBQ – Peek-A-Boo: Best Of NRBQ 1969-1989 (Rhino)

*Up Jumped the Devil - .357 String Band – Ghost Town (Self-released)
Thunder Road – Fireworks – Set the World on Fire (Crypt)
Death Valley Rain - Steve Wynn – Here Come the Miracles (Blue Rose)
Knockin' Em Down (In the City) - Iggy Pop – Milwaukee’s Blank Generation (WMSE)
Hand Clappin' Time – Gino – Wolf Call (Norton)

7" SIx Pack
Truly Ugly and Dead Too - Jonny Polonsky (Rapid Releases)
Farmer Brown in Vermont - Philistines Jr. (Dot Dot Dash)
We Could Just Die - Permanent Green Light (Gastanka)
Bliss - February (Prospective)
Baby Stones - Robert Forster (Beggars Banquet)
Love Goes Home to Paris in the Spring - The Magnetic Fields (Feel Good All Over)

Is it True - Yo La Tengo - Popular Songs (Matador)
Are You Really on Drugs - The Clean - Mister Pop (Merge)
Share the Night - The Clientele - Bonfires on the Heath (Merge)

Say What You Mean - The Hot Dogs - Say What You Mean (Ardent)
I Love You Anyway - Cargoe - Thank You Friends: The Ardent Story (Big Beat)
Look Up - Chris Bell - I Am The Cosmos (Ryko)
Think It's Time To Say Goodbye - Rock City - Thank You Friends: The Ardent Story (Big Beat)
Save a Chance - The Castels - A History Of Garage And Frat Bands In Memphis 1960-1975 (Shangri-La Projects)

Geraldine - The A-Bones – Not Now! (Norton)
Lookin' For a 7-11 - Ben Vaughan Combo – The Many Moods of Ben Vaughan (Fever/Restless)
Lookin for a Kiss - David Johansen - Milwaukee’s Blank Generation (WMSE)
Heartbreak Hotel - Roky Erickson & the Aliens – Don’t Knock the Rok (Norton)

Love Canal – Flipper – Blow’n Chunks (ROIR)
One Day We Will Live There - Mission of Burma – The Sound The Speed The Light (Matador)
Molly's Lips (live) – Nirvana – Bleach reissue (Sub Pop)
Luka – Lemonheads – Lick (Taang!)
I Don't Feel Anything - Dutchess and the Duke - Sunset/Sunrise (Hardly Art)

Funky Football - Harvey Scales - Love-Itis: All Of The Rare & Unreissued 45's From The Vaults Of Magic Touch (1967-1977) (Soul-Tay-Shus)
Hit Git and Split – Mickey Baker w/Young Jessie - In The '50s: Hit, Git & Spit (Rev-Ola)
Crawlin' King Snake - Roy Head – Dismal Prisoner (TMI)
Oh So Nice - Johnny Adams – I Won’t Cry: From the Vaults of Ric & Ron Records (Rounder)

Fevered Paper - Exene Cervenka – Somewhere Gone (Bloodshot)
By the Way - Cagney & Lacee – Six Feet of Chain (No. 6)
No Dreams - Oakley Hall - I'll Follow You (Merge)

* by request

Playlist for 10/14/09: On Boozy Bloating & Baseball

Better late than never I suppose. The baseball playoffs (the opening theme for this episode of Zero Hour) and grading papers have kept me busy – and then there’s the whole laziness factor to overcome. Greg Cartwright, bad man and onetime WMSE guest DJ, was saluted in my Zero $ Quartet feature. I’ll try to post this week’s playlist tomorrow or at least not wait until next week.

Download or stream the show right here.

The Death of Big Ed Delahanty - The Baseball Project - Volume 1: Frozen Ropes And Dying Quails (Yep Rock)
Rain Delay – Marah - Let's Cut the Crap and Hook Up Later On Tonight (Phidelity)
TV Party Tonight - Black Flag – Damaged (SST)
Personality Crisis (live) – New York Dolls – Manhattan Mayhem (Jungle)
Stukas over Disneyland - The Dickies - Stukas over Disneyland (Restless)
Harvey Haddix - The Baseball Project – Live at Cat’s Cradle 9-26-2009 (Archive.org)

Let it Die - The Dutchess and the Duke – Sunset/Sunrise (Hardly Art)
I’ll Be Your Lover (But I Can’t Be Your Baby) – The Ettes – Do You Want Power
Hombre Lobo - Los Explosivos – S/T (Get Hip)

Like A Rolling Stone - Gang War - Milwaukee’s Blank Generation (WMSE)
My Mustang Ford – Chuck Berry - More Rock 'n' Roll Rarities (Chess/MCA)
I’m the Man – Al Ferrier - Hey Baby! The Rockin South (Ace)
Let’s Get Funky - Jack O’Fire – Destruction of Squaresville (Estrus)

I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide - Dwight Yoakam – Dwight’s Used Records (Koch)
Wham Bam – Buck Owens - Tiger by the Tail (Sundazed)
Chew Tobacco Rag – Zeb Turner - Tennessee Boogie & Jersey Rock (Westside UK)

Zero $ Quartet
If I Can’t Come Back - Reigning Sound – Love & Curses (In the Red)
I’m Not a Psycho I’ve Got a Plate in My Head – Oblivians – Soul Food (Crypt)
Brown Paper Sack - Reigning Sound - Time Bomb High School
Bad Man - Greg Cartwright - Live at the Circle A (Dusty Medical)

Members Only – Bobby “Blue” Bland – Chitlin’ Circuit Soul (Rhino)
Hell Yes, I Cheated – Johnny Adams – More Dirty Laundry: The Soul Of Black Country (Trikont)
Love You So – King Khan & BBQ Show – S/T (Goner)
In Case You Need Love – The Screws – Shake Your Monkey (In the Red)

100 Years From Now - Velvet Crush – Hold Me Up single (Creation)
Sorry – The Plimsouls – Live One Night in America (Oglio)
Who Taught You To Live Like That? – Sloan - Never Hear The End Of It (Yep Roc)
Rainbow - Apples in Stereo - #1 Hits Explosion (Yep Roc)
Let Your Heart Decide It – Noise Addict - It was Never About the Audience (noiseaddict.net)
Brokenhearted I Will Wander – Dennis Brennan - Engagement (Hi &Dry)

Another Foggy Yesterday - Goodnight Loving – Crooked Lake (Dusty Medical)
Blues of the Teenage Mind – The Gondoliers– S/T (Earie)
Kiddie Pool - Killer Filler - Filler Up! (Self)


I’m the Mail She’s Waiting For – Chuck Wood - Plantation Gold: the Mad Genius of Shelby S. Singleton Jr. and Plantation/SSS Records 1967-1976 (Omni)
Four On The Floor (And A Fifth Under The Seat) - Trooper Jim Foster - Plantation Gold: the Mad Genius of Shelby S. Singleton Jr. and Plantation/SSS Records 1967-1976 (Omni)
The Good Lord Giveth And Uncle Sam Taketh Away- Webb Pierce - Plantation Gold: the Mad Genius of Shelby S. Singleton Jr. and Plantation/SSS Records 1967-1976 (Omni)
Yes, My Goodness, Yes – Willie Hobbs - My Goodness, Yes: Soul Treasures from the Silver Fox Label (Sundazed)
Crying in the Streets, Part 1 - George Perkins & The Silver Stars - My Goodness, Yes: Soul Treasures from the Silver Fox Label (Sundazed)

Kerosene – Bottle Rockets – S/T (ESD)
Waitress Song – Freakwater – Old Paint (Thrill Jockey)
Tall Boy – The Meat Purveyors – More Songs About Buildings and Cows (Bloodshot)
Why I Drink – Go to Blazes – Waiting Around for the Crash (ESD)

Little Girl – Bo Diddley – The Chess Box (Chess/MCA)
Justine - Don & Dewey – Jungle Hop (Specialty)
Quiet Whiskey – Wynonie Harris – Bloodshot Eyes (Rhino)
Bar the Door – The Roamin’ Togas – Teenage Shutdown: Things Been Bad (Crypt)
I Wish You Would – The Yardbirds – Ultimate (Rhino)
Shakin’ All Over – Raylene & The Blue Angels - Destroy that Boy: More Girls With Guitars (Ace)
Rock And Roll Is On My Soul - Chuck Grey - Just Shuckin' Around:'53-'63 Wild & Crazy L.A. R&B (Panic)
I’ll Do the Dishes – Joe Carson – Hillbilly Band From Mars (Bear Family)
Don’t Play Number Ten (On the Juke Box Tonight) – Joyce Moore – One More Record Please (Bear Family)
Make Up Your Mind – The Spencers - Country & West Coast: The Birth Of Country Rock (Big Beat)

Playlist for 10/7/09: In Praise of Like

For some reason, while listening to a new vinyl acquisition, From the Vaults of Duke/Peacock, Vol. 2, “I Like It” by Clarence (Carter) & Calvin (Scott) made me think of all the songs with “like” in the title. I decided it was worth the first hour of my show to explore. By gosh and all, it’s a thinking person’s show, see. New music this week from Vic Chesnutt, Mission of Burma and Exene Cervenka. I started a new feature that I’ll call the “Zero Dollar Quartet” or something along those lines. Essentially, I’ll take a somewhat established performer, or at least one with four albums, and play a song from their latest release and three older songs. I went with those wacky and cuddly folks from Hoboken, Yo La Tengo, this time around. I have to keep myself entertained, if not the listening audience, somehow.

For some good reading on Lester Bangs, check out this entertaining and informative post from The Hound. For all the free damn Mojo Nixon albums anyone could ever want, go to Amazon.

Download or stream the show right here. If nothing else, it's your chance to hear me mispronounce "cello" in a moment of brain deadness.

I Like It Like That - Chris Kenner - It Will Stand - The Soul Of New Orleans - Volume 2 (Charley)
I Don't Like It Like That - The Bobettes - Spazzy Answer Songs - (WFMU)
I Like it Like That - The Ventures - The Ventures - (HHO Licensing)
I Like it Like That - The 5 Royales - Monkey Hips And Rice: The "5" Royales Anthology (Rhino)

You Got the Look I Like - Nick Lowe - Party of One (Upstart)
I Like It - Clarence & Calvin - From the Vaults of Duke/Peacock (ABC)
I Don't Like It - Daddy - At the Woman's Club (Cedar Creek)
I Think She Likes Me - Treat Her Right - S/T (Soul Selects)
I Don't Like the Man I Am - Pete Molinari - A Virtual Landslide (Damaged Goods)

I Like Girls - Nervous Norvus - Stone Age Woo: The Zorch Sounds Of Nervous Norvus (Norton)
I Don't Like You - Big Hello - The Apple Album (Parasol)
I'd Like To Think So - Eugene Edwards - My Favorite Revolution (Flagship)
I Like Food - The Descendents - Somery (SST)
I Like Girls - The Know - DIY: Shake It Up! - American Power Pop II (1978-80)

I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing - Bobby Bare Jr.'s Young Criminals' Starvation League - OK -I'm Sorry ... EP (Bloodshot)
I Like Everything About You - Jimmy Hughes - The Complete Stax/Volt Soul Singles Volume 2: 1968-1971 (Stax)
I Like Them Fat Like That - Western Box Turtles - Streamline
That's What I Like - Terry Fell - Boppin' Hillbilly To Red Hot Rockabilly (Proper)
My Baby Likes to Boogie Woogie Real Low - Frankie Lee Sims - Texas Music Volume 1: Postwar Blues Combos (Rhino)

7"Six-Pack
Bring the Water - The Midwest Beat (Tax Return)
Please Don't Die - The Bomb Bassets (Lookout)
I Am Right - The Dictators (Norton)
Mighty Ranxerox - The Bottomfeeders (Scooch Pooch)
The Piper - Brian Stevens (Q Division)
Payday - Cotton Mather (Biffco)

Philip Guston – Vic Chesnutt – At the Cut (Constellation)
Little Paper Birds – Wussy – S/T (Shake It)
Feed - Mission of Burma – The Sound, The Speed, The Light (Matador)
Gravitate - Lou Barlow – Goodnight Unknown (Merge)
Progress of Love - Joe Henry – Blood From Stars (Anti)

The Willow Tree - Exene Cervenka – Somewhere Gone (Bloodshot)
Heading East - Amy Farris – Anyway (Yep Roc)
Somewhere Gone - Exene Cervenka – Somewhere Gone (Bloodshot)
Your Happiness - Greg Cartwright - Live at the Circle A (Dusty Medical)
Trash Talk - Reigning Sound – Love & Curses (In the Red)
Make Up Your Mind - Jack Oblivian – Saturday Night Part 2 (Big Legal Mess)

When It’s Dark - Yo La Tengo – Popular Songs (Matador)
Crying of Lot G - Yo La Tengo - And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out (Matador)
Barstool Blues - Yo La Tengo – Here Comes My Baby (Bar/None)
Autumn Sweater - Yo La Tengo – I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One (Matador)

Red Headed Woman – Jimmy Dickinson & the Cramps – Rockabilly Psychosis and the Garage Disease (Big Beat)
I Don’t Care – The Beguiled – Sounds of Now (Dionysus)
Glue Sniffing Revival – Al Perry – Sounds of Now (Dionysus)
Come Out and Play – Mad Violets – Time Bomb: The Big Band Theory (Skyclad)
Vanna White – The Immediates – Consumer Frenzy (Pop)
Big Black Truck – Peter Holsapple – Shake to Date (Shake/Albion)

Chicken Thighs - Andre Williams – Movin’ On With (Vampisoul)
From Warm to Cool – Wee Willie Walker – The Goldwax Story, Vol. 1 (Ace)
You Don’t Know Me at All – Bettye LaVette – The Scene of the Crime (Anti)
He’s Gone – Patti La Belle & The Blue Belles - Blame It On The Dogg: The Swamp Dogg Anthology 1968-1978 (Kent)
Shorty’s Got to Go – The Impressions with Riley Hampton Orchestra – The Birth of Soul, Vol. 3 (Kent)

Playlist for 9/30/09: Merge Records: On the Mouth

I gave Merge Records the I Love My Label treatment this month in honor of the label’s 20th anniversary. My theme to start to the show was covers of songs from the Merge catalog, beginning with what I believe to be the only Butterglory cover in recorded history. The Merge catalog is as massive as it is impressive, with more than 350 releases since 1989. There is a lot I missed, of course, but that’s always the case with my I Love My Label segments. I did an hour-long Merge tribute over the summer in honor of the big, reunion-heavy Merge XX show, so I avoided repeats for the most part.

If you’re looking for information on Merge, there’s an overwhelming amount out there. The new book on Algonquin about the label, Our Noise: The Story of Merge Records, has its own Web site, and it’s very much worth checking out, including a well-done timeline. Coming soon is The Merge Records Companion: A Visual Discography of the First 20 Years. The North Carolina Triangle’s Independent Weekly did a tremendous spread on the label in July, with period overviews, a top 20 list, a discography, and “Where Are They Now” features on the likes of Richard Buckner, Pure and Ashley Stove (all three of which I managed to skip over somehow, Part 2 for sure, I guess). Here’s another perspective on Merge’s best, a mid-1990s interview with Superchunk from Option magazine, and NPR’s nicely put together “American Indie: 20 Years Of Merge Records.”

Download or stream the show right here.

Waiting on the Guns - The Wedding Present - Singles 1995-1997 (Cooking Vinyl)
Through With People - Barbara Manning - Score: 20 Years of Merge Records: The Covers! (Merge)
Beatnik- Comet Gain - Broken Record Prayers (What's Your Rupture)
No One Will Ever Love You - Sarah Borges - The Stars Are Out (Sugar Hill)
Driveway to Driveway - Two Dollar Pistols - Songs for Sixty Five Roses (Self-released)

I Got the Bomb - The Shazam - Meteor (New Boss Sounds)
Treat Her Right - Muck & The Mires - Hypnotic (Dirty Water)
Hole in My Head - Box Elders - Alice & Friends (Goner)
Hey Boy - Magic Kids - Single (Goner)

Everybody Knows - Scotland Barr & the Slow Drags - We Will Be Forgotten (Self-released)
The Way It Used to Be - The Bottle Rockets - Lean Forward (Bloodshot)
Good as the Cat - Paul Westerberg - PW & the Ghost Gloves Cat Wing Joy Boys (Dry Wood)
Poetry of the Deed - Frank Turner - Poetry of the Deed (Epitaph)

All Your Secrets - Yo La Tengo – Popular Songs (Matador)
Sugar & Spice - Madness - The Liberty of Norton Folgate (Yep Roc)

I Love My Label: Merge Records, Chapel Hill, NC
7” Six-Pack
Seed Toss – Superchunk
On the Mouth – Superchunk
100,000 Fireflies – Superchunk
Who Needs Light – Superchunk
Watery Hands – Superchunk
Blinders (fast version) – Superchunk

Bullet Train to Vegas - Drive Like Jehu - Yank Crime reissue (Swami)
Favorite Dirty Flavor - Pipe - Slowboy
The Curtain Remembers - Polvo - Cor-Crane Secret
Tourettes - Breadwinner - Burner

Beautiful Thing - The 3D's - Venus Trail
Anything Could Happen - The Clean - Anthology
Tensile - The Clean - Mr. Pop
Blue Sky - David Kilgour - Frozen Orange

My Face Your Ass - Lambchop - Thriller
Alll My Love - American Music Club - The Golden Age
Lloyd, I'm Ready to Be Heartbroken - Camera Obscura - Let's Get Out of the Country
Don't Know Why You Stay - The Essex Green - Cannibal Sea

Me and the Bean - Spoon - Girls Can Tell
Dancing Girls and Dancing Men - Robert Pollard - From a Compound Eye
Born Under a Good Sign - Teenage Fanclub - Man Made
Back to Boston – The Rosebuds - Make Out
Down in the Valley - The Broken West – I Can’t Go On, I’ll Go On

Time Enough for Rocking When We're Old - Magnetic Fields - 69 Love Songs
Bring on the Loser -East River Pipe - Poor Fricky
Holland 1945 - Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
Crown of Love - Arcade Fire - Funeral

I Wanna Know Girls - Portastatic - Bright Ideas
My Noise - Superchunk - Tossing Seeds