The Ferrets

Great powerpop anthem from this Seattle band with former members of the Model Rockets…. The Doll Test

Gasoline and Banks (The Doll Test) TM Protestin' Week

https://youtu.be/lNDm7z06bCI?t=45 Founding Fathers of Skinny Tie New Wave

The Laughing Dogs - Get 'Im Outa Town (Official Video) Music video by The Laughing Dogs performing Get 'Im Outa Town (Official Video).(C) 1979 Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment

Digging this great outtake from. the Long Ryders Two Fi**ed Tales album, written by the late Tom Stevens.

17 Ways (Live Demo Sessions, Control Center, Los Angeles) Provided to YouTube by Cherry Red Records17 Ways (Live Demo Sessions, Control Center, Los Angeles) · The Long RydersTwo Fi**ed Tales: Live Sessions, Demos & ...

Listening to this old favorite from John Wesley Harding this afternoon. Hard to believe it came out 25 years ago.

I recently rediscovered my appreciation for the Boomtown Rats, particularly the song “Rat Trap,” a pastiche of Bruce Springsteen’s “Jungleland,” pumped up by some Mick Jagger swagger. It went to #1 in the UK, but never charted in the U.S.
I remember buying the import single from the Record Archive in Rochester, NY.

Boomtown Rats - Rat Trap (1978, original promo) From Ireland - Boomtown Rats' music video for 1978 UK # 1 hit 'Rat Trap'.

great production someone knew their way around a mixing board

Comment from @ufohead1 Blondie and the Beach Boys. Astounding

ah ha! test pressing up for auction

ANGRY YOUNG FERRETS VINYL RECORD TEST PRESSING 1987 lo-fi indie garage rock | eBay I use a rigid 13x17" "stay flat" envelope that I trim down. record grading is only a rule of thumb or guesstimation. so that the record is tightly secured. I do not grade any used records as being in MINT condition.

The Magic of Don Dixon

Three weeks ago, out of the blue, I got a text from Don Dixon, letting me know that he was playing bass for Mary Chapin Carpenter on her big summer tour, with the first date of it in Portland, Oregon on the following Monday. If I wanted, he offered get me a couple of tickets for the show.

Unfortunately over the weekend, I had come down with a bad head cold. However, knowing this might be my only chance to reconnect with him, and after taking a Covid test that came back negative, on the night of the concert, I convinced my friend Frank Goodman to drive us down to Revolution Hall for the sold out performance.

We arrived just in time for opener Brandy Clarke and her band who were terrific though I knew none of her material.

While I was somewhat familiar with Mary Chapin Carpenter beforehand, I certainly was not prepared for how much I really was moved and taken with her songs, singing and the flow of her entire setlist Her longtime band were excellent, including, of course, Don Dixon on bass, up there looking like the Godfather of Southern Jangle Pop that he is.

We didn’t have any backstage passes, just great seats right in front of the soundboard, so I wasn’t expecting we would really get to mingle with the band or even a chance to talk with Don. However, after their encores, I got a text from Don saying he had to pack up his gear and take care of some things, but to hang around. I texted back telling that I had this bad head cold, I was wearing a mask, and didn’t want to get him or the rest of the band sick, but it would be fine just to wave and say hello from a distance.

In the meantime, however, the road crew was packing up quickly, and the Revolution Hall staff was cleaning up the auditorium, and with us being the last audience members left, politely moved us out to the hall, and finally outside.

Frank was getting tired, and figured he wasn’t going to get a chance to meet Don, so he offered to get the car, and come back to pick me up.
Not wanting to be a nuisance and feeling anxious about being sick and possibly being contagious, I started walking with him the many blocks away he had to park. Just then, I got a text from Don saying he was all done, and standing outside the main doors of the Revolution Hall. I mentioned the cold, the mask, and possibly being contagious, but he said “don’t worry about it, come on over.”

So I walked back while Frank continued to go get the car, and come back.

There was Don. I waved. He said “Jim, is that you?” It had been almost 20 years.

“Yes, it’s me.”

“Get over here and give me a hug!”

Frank pulled up in his Honda sedan just after that.

I told Don I wanted to meet my good friend Frank who I use to drum for. “He’s a really good songwriter.” I added.

Don waved to Frank waiting in his running car. Frank pushed a button to lower the passenger window.

“Hi Frank. I’m Don Dixon. I hear you’re a terrific songwriter. I am going to make Jim send me some of your music.”

So, we got to talk to Don for a good while. I was shocked and honored to know he still has a fondness for the time back in 2006 when I flew him out to play a couple of gigs in Portland and Seattle with me, True West, The Windbreakers (Tim Lee, Bobby Sutliff, and Susan Bauer Lee who playing bass at that point), and Matt Piucci from Rain Parade.
The only place I could find to book my dream concerns this Chinese Tiki Bar called the Jasmine Tree, and he invited out the bass player from Paul Revere & The Raiders who had been one of his heroes, and the guy actually came to the gig.

Anyway, he was so sweet, soft spoken, witty and nice. Just like you would hope one of your musical heroes would be.

I checked in with Don near the end of that week via text to make sure he or any of the rest of them hadn’t caught that darn cold virus I had. He assured me he and the band were healthy and the tour was going great. I was so relieved. I told him about the nightmare I had where I read a big headline in Rolling Stone declaring “Jim Huie Ruins Grammy Award Winning Mary Chapin Carpenter’s Big Summer Tour.”

Thankfully that didn’t happen, and I was reconnected with one of my big musical heroes who also happens to be a great and generous guy.

Song of the Day: “Rock On” from the newly released album by Ron Rogers called “Looking Back.... unreleased tracks 1979 to 2005”

An energetic anthem recorded during Ron’s time as singer, songwriter ,and guitarist forr The Desires from Austin, TX.

“Rock On is more than just a nostalgic nod; it's a testament to the enduring power of rock music and its ability to capture the zeitgeist of a generation. Rogers' blend of Americana roots, rock 'n' roll, and 1960s psychedelia offers a refreshing take on the classic sounds of the past.​“

https://ronrogers.bandcamp.com/track/rock-on-w-the-desires1979

from Nova Scotia.. can't go wrong with some Pixies vibe

Burnin' Up - The Boojums burnin up baby