• The Ledge #704: New Releases Pt. 2

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    Part two of this month’s new release series is centered around a pretty diverse set of tracks from our friends at Rum Bar Records. Veteran Minneapolis rockers High On Stress opens the proceedings with two retrospective tracks from their new EP, and then we have the b-side of the debut Rum Bar release by legendary actor/musician/DJ Michael Des Barres! There’s also the classic R&B sounds of Angela Tini (recorded by Deke Dickerson!), the punk-ish power of Inflatable Idols and The Spackles before concluding with a frantic cover of The Barracudas “I Can’t Pretend” by Gene Champagne.

    There’s plenty of other Ledge friends, including fellow South Dakotans Friends of Cesar Romero, Brad Marino, Phil Cook & the Fall Dogs, Ricky Rochelle, and so much more. Plus, a ton of great new Australian bands that I didn’t realize were dominating the second half of the show until I was looking up biographical details.

    What tracks did you enjoy the most?

    For more info, including setlists, head to http://scotthudson.blogspot.com

     

    Download MP3 here


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  • The Ledge #703: New Releases Pt. 1

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    One of the few “rules” of the monthly new release series is that reissues aren’t generally considered for inclusion in these shows. But this is rock and roll, and there’s no real rules…especially when a former member of The Replacements is concerned.

    This story actually begins a few weeks ago when I saw a notice in Record Collector that there would be some sort of Slim Dunlap compilation coming out in February. A few days later, another UK music mag reported that this package would include remastered versions of his two albums PLUS bonus tracks!

    Then came the official announcement. Every Little Word indeed consists of both of his wonderful solo albums, plus another 80 minutes of bonus material! Yes, this is a set worth breaking my rules, so we start the show off with five of these rarities.

    After that it’s a typical new release episode. There’s plenty of “friends of the show”, including Numb Surprise, The Ex-Bombers, Rob Moss, and a double shot of Vista Blue. Speaking of double shots, there are previews of new albums by The Darts (US) and UltraBomb, along with great new albums by Sweet Reaper and Music City. 

    What tracks did you dig the most?

    For more info, including setlists, head to http://scotthudson.blogspot.com

     

    Download MP3 here


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  • The Ledge #702: Random Forgotten Gems

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    I think it’s safe to say that, for the most part, I’m a forward thinking music obsessive who is always on the hunt for my next favorite record. It’s that attitude that allows for this show to constantly have two new release episodes almost every single month.

    There’s a downside to this fanaticism, though. When one collects so much music but is so focused on the future, a lot of great music is pretty much forgotten. Over the last couple of weeks, however, I have taken steps to recreate myself with some of these great releases.

    The story actually begins a few months ago when I discovered that the popular video streaming/sharing program Plex had an audio add-on called Plexamp. This simple program allows me to stream my entire master library on my various devices. 

    This has been a game-changer, although for the last few months I have primarily utilized it to stream my favorite classic records from the past. Two weeks ago, though, I decided to do a little experiment. I put my entire 160,000 tracks on shuffle, and tonight’s show consists of tracks that have sprung up over these last fourteen days.

    I must admit I’m a little surprised by what came up. Even at the number of tracks I have on my external drives, there are certain artists that dominate the proceedings. Having dozens of digitized live Replacements concerts certainly inflate the numbers, as do the entire catalogs, including bootlegs, of the likes of Elvis Costello, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Guided By Voices, and so many others.

    Yet outside of a couple of side projects by Guided By Voices leader Robert Pollard, none of these biggies came up on shuffle. In fact, my listening was primarily the lesser known types that I was hoping to get reacquainted with. You’ll see a handful of familiar names in this episode, but even in the majority of those cases it’s not the usual songs you hear by these groups.

    What tracks did you enjoy the most?

    For more info, including setlists, head to http://scotthudson.blogspot.com

     

    Download MP3 here


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  • The Ledge #701: Covers

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    I always love when tracks show up just hours before the show, and that’s what happened with this all-covers episode. As I’ve said many times before, I have a folder on my laptop where I toss in new cover tunes whenever I come across them. When the folder is full, that’s when it’s time for a show.

    That’s exactly what happened, this time around. With this week’s release of the new album by The Damned where they remake tracks that the recently deceased Brian James loved, I saw the following post on Instagram:

    “Fret Rattles are excited to announce the release of our third full-length studio LP, titled “As the World Falls Apart.” It features thirteen tracks and comes in at the furious pace of 36 minutes. The LP was recorded in 2024 and 2025 at Flowers Studio (Minneapolis, MN) and Ecstattic Studio (St. Paul, MN) by our long-time producer Ali Jaafar.”

    A tracklist accompanied the post that indicated the new album was going to include two cover tunes, so I immediately sent a DM to requst their inclusion in tonight’s broadcast. They agreed, and in the early afternoon I received an email that included their explosive cover of “What Love Is” by The Dead Boys, where the band is accompanied by Minneapolis legend Rob Tossava.

    This tune really set the stage for two hours of fabulous revved up reamkes, including contributions from a number of Rum Bar Records acts, double shots from Eater and Pink Fairies, and a set dedicated to the recent box sets by The Replacements and Husker Du!

    What track did you dig the most?

    For more info, including setlists, head to http://scotthudson.blogspot.com

     

    Download MP3 here


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  • The Ledge #700: Lucky Number Seven

    Posted on by theledge Comment

    700 episodes of The Ledge? Who would have ever believed that to be possible? I certainly didn’t when I started this show way back in 2010. Podcasts were relatively new at this point, and I just assumed it would be a fun lark that would fizzle out within a few months. Even the format of the show was different back then. For the most part, I invited friends to pick out a dozen or so of their favorite songs, and we’d talk about them in between playing them.

    Everything changed when I linked up with RealPunkRadio. Suddenly this was a real radio show. Suddenly I had some labels and artists sending me music. These shows were primarily centered around elaborate themes, as that’s the way my mind thinks. There just HAS to be a reason to air a song.

    The themes still exist all these years later, but the concepts are much looser. Every month there’s a new release episode or two. I may celebrate certain years, or have all-covers broadcasts. But rarely do I go much deeper than that.

    Even tonight’s celebration isn’t exactly a deep thought concept. I figured pulling together over two hours of “track 7’s” would be perfect for the 700th show. Not necessarily the best track 7’s of all time, but the ones that caught my eye (and ear) when I spent hours going through my master library. 

    I hope you like what I’ve put together…not just tonight but for the previous 699 episodes and for whatever comes in the next 700. What’s your favorite track of the night?

    For more info, including setlists, head to http://scotthudson.blogspot.com

     

    Download MP3 here


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  • The Ledge #699: Inside The Hudson Compound

    Posted on by theledge Comment

    Every now and then, I put together shows that are all about what I’ve been listening to in my humble abode. This seems like a good time for another of these types of broadcasts. So what you have tonight is some great faves from the likes of The Damned, The Cramps, Eater, The Saints, The Undertones, and so much more. I have a set devoted to two tracks from the new Wreckless Eric album, accompanied by the original 1985 versions under the name Captains of Industry. There’s also a couple of live Replacements tracks from the new Let It Be box set.

    But there are also some new tracks aired tonight. Earlier this week, Brad Marino sent me his new single, “Murder and Violence”. Surely I can’t wait almost a full month to give that some airplay, right? Same with the new tune by The New Brutarians, “Tonight’s Your Night (Tonight)”, which was emailed to me just hours before the show went to air. There’s also new tunes from Kurt Baker, The Cynz, The Spackles, Vista Blue, Phil Cook & The Fall Dogs, and Faz Waltz. 

    What tunes did you enjoy the most this week?

    For more info, including setlists, head to http://scotthudson.blogspot.com

     

    Download MP3 here


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  • The Ledge #698: New Releases

    Posted on by theledge Comment

    It’s a new year, and we’re starting off with a kick ass set of brand new music. It may be the slow time for new releases, but there’s still a ton of great rock and roll coming out each and every day. There’s new music from our friends Numb Surprise, some great releases on Big Stir and Rum Bar Records, and a couple of fabulous split-band records. Plus, CTMF covers two fabulous songs by The Saints, and we have the return of Ultrabomb!!!

    For more info, including setlists, head to http://scotthudson.blogspot.com

     

    Download MP3 here


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  • The Ledge #697: Hudson’s Best Albums of 2025

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    Sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I pull out all of my records that I’ve acquired over the past twelve months, along with my giant hard drive of files, and I put together a list of the 40 best albums of the year (along with another list of reissues).

    Besides a box set of homemade CD’s I hand to my friends, the results of this endeavor is my year end retrospective show. The following list (and broadcast) are my picks for the 40 greatest albums of the year. Like I say every year, this has been a fabulous year for music. There’s some wonderful sounds that range from punchy power pop to garage rock to more experimental sounds to classic singer/songwriter fare. There’s something here for everyone!

    Personally, it’s been an odd year, full of highs and lows. I became a grandfather, but also suffered a couple of health issues. If you’ve listened to this show, you’re probably aware of all of this. But thanks to not only the bands that contribute tracks to the show, but each and every one of you that listen to The Ledge! I guarantee you that 2026 will be an even greater year for the show!

    To see the rundown of this year’s list, head to https://scotthudson.blogspot.com/2025/12/the-ledge-697-hudsons-best-albums-of.html

     

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  • The Ledge #696: Hudson’s Annual Holiday Extravaganza!

    Posted on by theledge Comment

    It’s that time of year again! Yes, it’s the annual Ledge Christmas episode, and I’m so happy that this year it’s (almost) all brand new material! Even better, there’s a large contingent of friends who have supplied me with proper tunes for this broadcast. In fact, wiht the likes of Numb Surprise, White Rose Motor Oil, Geoff Palmer, Vista Blue, and close to two full sets of Rum Bar artists it’s almost like a typical New Release episode.

    No, this is not your mother’s holiday show…unless mommy is a really cool rocker! But instead of that insipid McCartney or Wham nonsense, you’ve got over two hours of quality tracks for ths festive season!

    What’s your fave track this Christmas?

    For more info, including setlists, head to http://scotthudson.blogspot.com

     

    Download MP3 here


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  • The Ledge #695: New Releases Pt. 2

    Posted on by theledge Comment

    I wanted to call this the final new release episode of 2025, but that’s technically not true as next week’s holiday extravaganza will feature almost all new tracks. But it’s the last “real” episode of this sort, and it’s as great as any show of this type we’ve put together all year.

    There’s a ton of veteran acts featured this week – The Wedding Present, Daniel Romano, Superchunk, Juliana Hatfield, and Cheap Trick. There’s also Fast Kids, the new side project by The Mystery Light frontman Mike Brandon, and the second album by Plosivs, one of many John Reis projects. Of course, I can’t forget the latest projects involving Wild Billy Childish – is own Thee Headcoats and the first album since 1999 by Thee Headcoatees!

    Of course, there’s also a Rum Bar Records segment that highights live material from The Dogs, a new supergroup called Speedtwinn, and the latest single by Girl with a Hawk. Plus, lots of the power pop and garage rock that are staples of The Ledge!

    For more info, including setlists, head to http://scotthudson.blogspot.com

     

    Download MP3 here


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