The Homecoming Queens!!

Homecoming Queens

What is there to say when a band calls itself “The Homecoming Queens”?
These are some hometown folk (boys mostly, with a fabulous fe-male drummer) from our own town of Huntington, NY, and they already impressed me during a live show, but that was over a year ago. They combine ska and punk influences without pretense, in a manner that is completely original and thoroughly fun. Since then, they graduated from high school, so I figured the band was pretty much kaput. The good news – really good news – is that the band survived separation by college. They are still together, still making music, and still really good at what they do.
They beat the odds. Plus, they’re fun to hang out with. I hope this show conveys the fun we had in the studio, and I hope it makes you want to check out more about the band. Listen up! If you want to know more, you'll find them on 'My Space', or you can write us and we'll pass it on. Hope you enjoy the show.

The Peak of the Original Rock and Roll Era

January - February 1958

It’s time to get back to basics here at American Hit Radio. For a number of shows, we’ve been focusing on topical events and/or individual artists, so we figure that we’re a bit overdue for a show based on what we do best. As you may already know, we ordinarily base our program on the songs of a specific era. We peruse the pop charts and pick our favorites, then throw in a ‘great miss’ just to provide perspective. We then dedicate the balance of our program to relevant album tracks from the same era. For today’s program, we’re going to flash all the way back to the first months of 1958. This was a time when rock and roll was extraordinarily vital, and many of these songs are still recognized as timeless, classic signposts of our culture. In only a few months time, the landscape would change; by year’s end, Elvis, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis and Buddy Holly would all drop from site, for various reasons. For the time being, though, it seemed plausible that the 1958 edition of rock and roll music really would not ever die. In one sense, this show proves that indeed, it did not.

Here’s a list of songs that we cover in today’s program;
1) Great Balls of Fire – Jerry Lee Lewis
2) Get a Job – The Silhouettes
3) Witchcraft – Frank Sinatra
4) Maybe – The Chantels
5) Sweet Little Sixteen – Chuck Berry
6) Good Golly Miss Molly – Little Richard
7) Short Shorts – The Royal Teens (as a ‘Great Miss’)
8) I’ll Remember April – Erroll Garner
9) Come Fly With Me – Frank Sinatra

A Proper Classic Rock and Roll Education

Did you ever have one of those days where you wonder whether you have failed as a parent? I had one of those days recently when my son had no idea who or what Led Zeppelin was. His friend was going on about how much he liked Black Dog and Rock and Roll off of Zep IV and my son was clueless. My son. Of all the 9 year olds on the planet, how could my kid be the one that doesn't have a proper classic rock education? Had I failed my child? How could he not know Led Zeppelin?

I've been taking stock of this particular failure. I think it started when I didn't replace my vinyl albums with CDs in the early 90's. There is virtually no classic rock in my house. Gone are the Pink Floyd, Led Zep, Aerosmith etc, and countless others. Sure, my son knows Fountains of Wayne, Jack Johnson, the White Stripes and other current rock bands. He even knows the older stuff like Elvis and Roy Orbison and the Beatles. But there is a huge gap. It is like the 70's never happened.

It is time to bury my son in a remedial classic Rock and Roll education. Nothing but classic rock for the next several years. But I don't have the records anymore. I am going to have to lay out the cash and start buying the CDs.

But where do I start? I tried to put together a list yesterday and I was stumped. Here's my criteria:

• A classic rock AOR album
• No Best-of Compilations!
• Released between '67 and '79
• He's 9 years old, so let's keep it simple, hummable and listenable
• I can't buy them all, so I'm going to try to keep the list to 20 albums...
• This is a primary education... (sorry Sex Pistols. You'll be saved for later.)

Here are the albums I have so far:

• Led Zeppelin - IV
• Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon
• Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers
• Jimi Hendrix - Are You Experienced?
• Eagles - Hotel California
• Paul McCartney - Venus and Mars
• Aerosmith - Toys in the Attic
• Fleetwood Mac - Rumours
• AC/DC - Back in Black
• Boston - Boston
• Van Halen - Van Halen
• Queen - News of the World
• Creedence Clearwater Revival - Chronicle, Vol. 1
• Yes - Fragile

Man, that brings me back. Sitting in the living room with those big puffy headphones on, the soft glow of the amplifier in the darkened room, gently cleaning the record and placing the needle on the vinyl -- then zoning out... There's not a single record being made today that can send you to another planet like the classic rock albums.

That's what I have so far. I haven't put The Who, the Beatles or Steve Miller on the list because I already have those. So, tell me what I'm missing. Or start poking fun at the fact that I actually put Boston on the must-have list :-) He's 9 years old! He'll love it.

Goodbye Syd / Hello Jesse!

Goodbye Syd/Hello Jesse
Left Click to Play / Right Click to Download and Save

Ahh, live radio. You’ve just got to love it. At one point during today’s show, I think we inadvertently caused a half-dozen people to crash their cars in sheer terror. Apparently, the microphone that was responsible for recording the live segment of our program was not ‘switched’ correctly, so we boosted the signal really loud to compensate for the problem. Then, we found the button, and WHAM!!!!
I bet we caused a brown-out at the local power station, and I can only offer my sincerest apologies to those poor drivers who had us tuned in…..
But hey, that’s rock and roll. The problem got fixed and things went smoothly from then on.
On another note, we lost another legendary character this week. Although his tenure in the music business was terribly short, I’ve always held a soft spot for Syd Barrett. In the beginning, he was the wizard of Pink Floyd, providing most of their material, while singing and playing guitar. The psychedelic scene in London reached its nadir in 1967, and Barrett was the physical embodiment of that scene.. His playful lyrics and remarkably creative song structures always fascinated me, and this remained true even after his drug-addled condition left him incapable of remaining in the band. The fragile condition of his mental state provided the impetus for two fascinating solo albums, which combined sheer genius with an overt sense of imbalance. The result was the type of music that could only be made by a fractured yet creative mind, and to me, it remains as some of the most original and unselfconscious music ever made. Word of his death reached me today, so we dedicate the first half of today’s show to the whimsical genius of Syd Barrett.
The second part of our show features an interview segment and live in-studio performance by guitarist Jesse Kinch. Jesse came to our attention a few weeks ago, after he performed at a local club. His playing would attract attention at any age, but the fact that he has yet to hit his teens makes him impossible to ignore. We discuss his technique, his influences and his ambition, and then we just let him play.,,except we almost destroy half of his memorable performance...I'm sorry Jesse. I hope the second half does you justice.
As for everyone else, I hope you enjoy the show. Just don't drive while listening............