• Tag Archives indie
  • The Ledge #660: The Real Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame (Pt. 3)

    For the third, and final, episode where The Ledge attempts to fix the godawful errors of The Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame we handle the overlooked bands of the 90’s. Along with the usual punk and indie rock bands of that time, there’s also a couple of sets devoted to the Americana sub-genre that rose in popularity during that time.

    Again, just think of how much fun a ceremony would be that included the likes of the Supersuckers, Steve Earle, Rocket From the Crypt, Fugazi, Superchunk, and so many other greats. Maybe an Uncle Tupelo reunion could be negotiated after an all star jam under the Golden Smog name. Billy Childish could possibly jam with Reverend Horton Heat and Archers of Loaf! Oh that would be a show I wouldn’t miss!

    I also start the show with a lengthy discussion about my friend Monica Kindt, who tragically passed away earlier this week. She was my manager at two different record stores over the years, and was a person who endured many of my childish rants over the years. My thoughts go to her family and all of us friends who miss her so much. She would have loved my Americana sets!

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

     

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  • The Ledge #659: New Releases Pt. 2

    The secone episode of March’s new release series is jam packed with quality new tunes. There’s the usual lengthy set of brand new Rum Bar releases, including some highights of the upcoming free Swagger Second Shot compilation. Big Stir Records is represented by the latest by Chris Church. There are old faves such as Bob Mould, The Liminanas, Jason Isbell, and Gary Louris of The Jayhawks. Vista Blue celebrates the return of baseball with “Clearing the Benches”. The Tubs and Horsegirl have new sophomore efforts as strong as their debuts.

    But what excites me the most this week are the first two tunes of the show. “(That Ain’t One I’m) Willin’ to Lose” marks the Ledge debut of Sioux Falls songwriter Meriwether Raindelay & The Original Star Band. I’m hoping it’s the beginning of a series of fabulous releases.

    And there is also the latest by The Ex-Bombers. The wrestling nerd that I am loves the fact that they have yet another theme for the ring, and this time “He’s a Bad, Bad Man” is the entrance theme for NWA’s Jeremiah Plunkett. Even better is that the band AND Plunkett recorded intros for the show!

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

     

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  • The Ledge #653: More Songs From The Hudson Compound

    Just like my cover show series, I have another folder where I throw in some tracks that I’ve listened to over the course of my day to day life. They’re primrily the vinyl I’ve either recently acquired or have pulled out of the archives. The Great Hudson Basement Excavation continues to influence these shows, but there’s also plenty of albums that I haven’t thrown on the turntable for quite some time.

    This show is also inspired by this week’s death of Marianne Faithfull. She lived quite the life. Discovered at a party by Rolling Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham, she had a British hit with the Jagger/Richards tune “As Tears Go By”. She famously dated Mick Jagger for a number of years, but had to fight him and Keith to get her share of songwriting credit for “Sister Morphine”. After breaking up with Mick, she had a decade of addiction that saw her homeless for a period of time before coming back with 1979’s hit album Broken English. Our thoughts go out to her family, friends, and fans.

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

     

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  • The Ledge #652: Covers

    I’ve always said that I have a folder on my laptop where I toss any great cover version that I encounter, and when that folder is “full” it’s time for an all-covers show.

    Well, I noticed earlier this week that said folder was close to that level, but I also was made aware that Monday, January 20, was the 50th anniversary of Bob Dylan’s Blood On the Tracks album. Surely, I had a few remakes of tunes from that classic record.

    Add a handful of Dylan tunes and I was ready. Yet I received another little surprise just a few hours before this week’s broadcast. Our friends at Big Stir Records sent their upcoming Sorrows album. Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow is an unreleased record that the original lineup recorded back in 1981. With the reunited group now signed to the label, it certainly makes sense that Big Stir would let us finally hear this power pop classic!

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

     

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  • The Ledge #650: Runners Up

    Two weeks ago, I unveiled my list of the 40 best albums of 2024. To get to that number, though, I considered over 100 different records that came out over those 12 months. Tonight’s episode is devoted to those records that almost made the list.

    Just like with that show, there’s a lot of my favorite genres, most notably power pop. There’s two fabulous sets of that type of music, but there’s obviously plenty of indie, garage, and good old punk rock. There are plenty of new artists, yet 2024 also saw the revival of quite a few great bands from the past, such as The Dictators, The Chesterfield Kings, and Fastbacks.

    Next week, I’m looking at putting together a tribute to two great Minneapolis musicians who recently passed away – Slim Dunlap and Beej Chaney. What tracks would you like to hear during this broadcast?

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

     

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  • The Ledge #647: Annual Rock & Roll Christmas Party

    It has become an annual tradition for The Ledge to put together at least two hours of (mainly) brand new holiday music that does NOT suck. That’s the key word here. While most commercial Christmas music is banal, saccharine nonsense designed to annoy mall and fast food shoppers, every year sees a plethora of new rock and roll-based songs to get us through this pressurized time of the year.

    Sure, many of these tunes are full of humor and snark, but none of them can be called novelty songs. Yes, there’s also more than a few covers, but how can one not resist redoing the Ramones or Slade? 

    There’s also quite a few tracks from what I like to call “friends of the show”. Jeremy Porter once again has a new Christmas tune. Vista Blue has their usual monthly free EP. White Rose Motor Oil continues their year of classic covers, and Numb Surprise continues to…well, surprise us with spooky tunes that literally creep into my tiny brain. And yes, our pals at Rum Bar Records have their usual spot in the show with some heartfelt tracks.

    Head to http://scotthudson.blogspotcom for more info and setlists!

     

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  • The Ledge #616: Records

    Tomorrow (April 20) is a sort of unofficial holiday for those of us who are obsessed with music. It’s Record Store Day! To prime myself, and hopefully you fellow music nerds, tonight’s episode is devoted to songs about records, record stores, and the people like us who collect them!

    It’s another wide range of material, from classic beat sounds of the 60s (Tweeds) to late 70s power pop (The Mumbles, Milk ‘n’ Cookies) to self-reverential 80s alternative rockers (The Jesus & Mary Chain) and current garage and punk along with plenty of singer/songwriters of all eras! 

    I’m hoping this fires you all up to get out there and find your wishlist tomorrow! What are y’all looking for? Let me know what treats you discover!

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

     

    Download MP3 here


  • The Ledge #612: Once Again Some Odds And Ends

    This is another of those shows inspired primarily by what I’ve been listening to around the house. But it’s not just records this time, as the inspiration is coming from all sorts of media forms. The first main set, for instance, was inspired by the “Great Plains” section of Steven H. Gardner’s excellent Another Tuneless Racket: Punk and New Wave In the Seventies, Volume 5, The American Beat West. In late 70s Kansas City, there was a shortlived but extremely influential label called Titan Records. Gardner profiles the label, the principal owners, and the artists whose records were released in their short lifespan. 

    Also represented in tonight’s show is music from the legendary label, Good Vibrations. No, it’s not Beach Boys-related. Good Vibrations was a Belfast record store and label that existed in the late 70s, and is most known for discovering and releasing the first Undertones single, “Teenage Kicks”. I suggest that all music fans head right away to Freevee and watch the wonderful film, Good Vibrations. If you love the tunes of that era, you’ll enjoy this film as much as I did

    The rest of the show consists of records I’ve thrown on my turntable the last couple of weeks, from 1968’s Disposable album by The Deviants to last fall’s latest record by The Dwarves, Concept Album. There’s also some late 70’s punk (The Vibrators, Suicide Commandos) and “new wave” (Boomtown Rats, Graham Parker), lots of 80s college rock (The Feelies, Del Fuegos, The Cult), and some fabulous recently-reissued garage rock from Subsonics. There’s a little something for anyone with good taste!

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

     

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  • The Ledge #604: Odds & Ends Again

    The “odds and ends” series is an opportunity for me to mix all kinds of material. This week’s version mixes a bunch of new releases with a ton of material I’ve been playing around the house in recent weeks. There’s also a tribute to Mary Weiss, the leader of The Shangri-Las who passed away a few days ago. Otherwise, there’s classics by The Clash, X, The Birthday Party, and The Long Ryders, along with a new discovery of The Deviants, a great old band that for whatever reason I had never checked out.

    As for that little sound sample at the beginning of the show, I must thank my buddy Kevin for alerting me to a show called The Listener. I just can’t help but include oddly-placed discussions on The Replacements. 

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

     

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  • The Ledge #583: New Releases

    The Ledge has always been known to enjoy music from all over the world. This month’s new release episode, however, goes ever further than usual. Yes, we have new tunes from many of the usual suspects – Canada, Australia, England, Sweden, etc. But this month we expand that a little bit and have tunes from Indonesia and Japan! (Ok, Japanese rock and roll is not so unusual in these parts, but you get the picture.)

    There’s also the usual mix of long-awaited returns (Uni Boys, Wreckless Eric), and new (at least to me) artists such as Hurry, Young Francis Hi Fi, and Dennis Cometti. There’s a set devoted to a trio of solo artists who have shared the stage countless times over the years (Brad Marino, Geoff Palmer, and Kurt Baker), and who always seem to have new records right around the same time.

    We also have a sneak peak of the upcoming Replacements box set, Tim: Let It Bleed Edition. The “cello version” of “Can’t Hardly Wait” was actually a Paul Westerberg demo with Twin/Tone secretary Michelle Kinney on cello. The box set comes out on September 22, and as you may imagine, I…ok, I won’t go with the obvious wordplay

    Speaking of The Replacements, this week’s edition of “52 Weeks of Teenage Kicks” is a super rare version by Tommy Stinson, recorded at the Cactus Club in Milwaukee on August 28, 2003. Super rare, as in a fan recording. Don’t tell anyone!

    As I do every week, I must again plead with y’all for more versions of “Teenage Kicks”. If you are a musician, or have any contact with artists that could record their own take on the classic, please contact me!

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

     

    Download MP3 here