The return of Dad’s Car Radio has been a long time coming. Stay tuned.
When Radio Played Records
January 12, 2016 by
I went down stairs to the archives tonight in search of my old David Bowie albums. While I have access to everything via Spotify, I wanted to hold in my hands the actual records that I had loved and played many times and put one or two on the turntable for a spin.
Among the LP’s are a couple that I liberated from a local radio station where I was working in 1982. WRHY at 92.7FM started life as a Free form progressive rock station around 1972 and had morphed into a tighter but still rocking station in the late 70’s and then… they fired all the DJ’s and went to the syndicated “Music of Your Life” Big Band Nostalgia format.
Clearly there was no further use for the David Bowie albums here, so I gave them and a few others a new home…
These albums are artifacts from the era when Album Rock Radio actually played the album on the air. Sometimes they would skip. That was always fun… Anyway, Here is the cover of Station to Station, released 40 years ago this month. If you remember hearing “Golden Years” or “TVC 15” on Starview back in 1976, this is the actual physical album you heard.
Note the tape aound the edges. 
This sticker was to tell the DJ’s which cuts were suggested for airplay. My favorite note on this album is in regard to track 1 which could be played “When Time Allows” That track, “Station to Station” clocks in at over 10 minutes and that, my friends, is what free form radio was all about…
Turning to the back side, we have more DJ notes regarding the tempo of the songs, if the end faded or ended cold and in this case someone took the time to make sure we knew where the words began and ended…
We also see on the lower left some DJ Graffiti. A back and forth between 2 or 3 different DJs. Starting with “Criswell predicts next single” pointing to the song “Stay”. I’ll let you read the follow on comments.
By the way, the record is in remarkably good shape and plays perfectly. The music, of course, is timeless.
“Blackstar” is a message to you from David Bowie
January 11, 2016 by
We all have our Bowie memories and our favorite songs or shows or moments where he helped us through a tough time. There are so many great ones to recall, the very first time you heard “Wham Bam Thank You Ma’am” come blasting out of the radio, or the day you heard “Changes” and it dawned on you that you had changed from being the misunderstood youth to the attempting to understand parent. From ”TVC 15” and “Boys Keep Swinging” on SNL to Live Aid to singing with Bing Crosby at Christmas, to Eno in Berlin, to marveling at how the song “Heroes”, which never even cracked the Billboard Hot 100 in 1977 has grown and grown over time to be a universal song or empowerment. There is just so much…
But wait! There’s More.
Released just 2 days before his death, David Bowie’s final album “Blackstar” is a brilliant last act. Recorded with the help of some stellar musicians and featuring lyrical and sonic moments that sounded great on Saturday afternoon and now on this chilly Monday are hauntingly perfect. It’s a VERY good album. It is stunning and chilling, and yet uplifting and thrilling.
I’m not going to quote lyrics here. I want you to hear and feel them directly. I’m not going to break it down track by track, I’m not writing a review. I am just saying, when you are ready, after you have listened to your favorites from the past and walked down memory lane, put on your best headphones, sit down in a comfortable chair, bring some Kleenex just in case, strap in and Sit with this album.
You know, the way we used to do it.
Listen to a whole damn album and let it inhabit your brain
Take this final trip, just you and David.
“Desire” Holy Crap! 40 years???
January 6, 2016 by
In the 1970’s as a 1960’s informed and inspired teenager, I latched onto the music and message of Bob Dylan. I had worn the grooves out on “Before the Flood” and “Blood on the Tracks” when, on this date in 1976, Bob Dylan’s album, “Desire”, was released. I had heard all about the recording in advance via Rolling Stone and my local progressive FM radio station, Starview 92, and knew the story of Ruben “Hurricane” Carter and was excited to hear that song and the full album.
Within days I purchased my own copy at Mailman’s Department Store and listened to it over and over, absorbing all the brilliant word play and being mystified by some of the references. Initially the opening track “Hurricane” was my favorite song. But it is the second song “Isis” that grew to be not just my favorite on the album, but one of my favorite songs by anyone, ever.
Isis is truly epic, a long song of love won, lost and regained, of adventure promised and dreams dashed, of howling winds and outrageous snows. As much as I love this song, the live version from the Rolling Thunder Revue Bootleg series album is so much better. Recorded in the Fall of 1975, over a year earlier, this version crackles with an intensity far beyond the studio recording. The beat drives harder, the violin soars higher and the vocal performance is one of the best he ever recorded.
Meanwhile, back on Desire… “Mozambique” follows and it is kind of palate cleanser, a light hearted song about being on a sunny beach with lovely people, and seeing how many things rhyme with “ique”.
“One More Cup of Coffee” returns to the emotional intensity. A man has to do what a man has to do, but one more cup of coffee before I go… into the valley below.
“Oh Sister” closes side one and I never really liked it that much. I listened again today and still… not so much.
Side Two opens with “Joey” a 9:14 long story of the notorious New York gangster “Crazy Joey” Gallo. At the time, this song perplexed me. “Why would he devote 9 minutes to a long slow song about a murdering mafia guy?” I didn’t get it then, but I get it now. I do recall being in Little Italy one day back in the 1980’s and walking past Umberto’s Clam Bar, the spot where Joey was killed, and thanking Bob for the education.
“Romance in Durango” and “Black Diamond Bay” both have their charms, but the album closer, “Sara” a love of a lifetime song to his then wife is the revelation for me. The marriage was a rocky one, and this song, like no other Dylan song before or since is direct and personal and without persona or artifice. He was trying hard to hang on and this song put it all on the line, but a year or so later the marriage finally fell apart for good. At age 17, this song was a bit of a bore to me, 40 years later, it just blows me away.
Great art stands the test of time. Often that means that new listeners can appreciate something created long before they lived, like the music of Mozart or Miles Davis or the Beatles. But on a personal level, music that stands the test of time doesn’t mean that it takes you back to where you were and who you were when you first encountered it. It means that the art meets you where you are now. The lyrics resonate in new and often more powerful ways, the familiarity of an old favorite is imbued with new meaning, the song is ALIVE.
So, yeah. “Desire” stands the test of time.
Today Rolling Stone is also writing about this classic. Read the cool stories about the making of the record.
O’Malley Ditches Presidential Bid, Plans Return to Musical Career
April 1, 2014 by
Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley announced today that despite persistant rumors to the contrary he will not seek the Democratic nomination for President of United States. O’Malley, 51, who has been considered one of the rising stars of the Democratic Party said that he plans to concentrate on his music career with his band O’Malley’s March.
“I just got off of the phone with Bono and we are on the shortlist for the opening slot on the upcoming U2 world tour. Now I ask you, which shortlist would you rather be on?” O’Malley continued, “I’m tired of fund-raising, I’m ready for some fun-raising!”
O’Malley’s friendship with the band dates back to 1981 when he was a freshman at Catholic University in Washington DC and the band was playing at the Bayou. Their van broke down and O’Malley rebuilt the alternator while the band slept on his dorm room floor.
“I still have the set list from that show!” O’Malley shrieked, “That was the beginning of a tremendous friendship and Bono and the boys told me that if there was ever anything they could do for me, they would do it. I’ve been keeping that one in my “favor bank” a long time.”
According to political strategist Ned Dunkleberger, O’Malley’s chances of winning the Democratic nomination are precisely 147:1, while the odds of opening for U2 are a solid 2:1.
“Think about it”‘ said Dunkelberger, ” Would you rather be in New Hampshire in February shaking hands at some crappy diner or onstage at the Koala Music Festival in Australia?”
“As one of the few governors in America who actually likes U2’s recent albums and can rebuild an alternator, I’m uniquely qualified for this role.” O’Malley proclaimed. “However, as a precaution, I’m making sure that Mumford and Sons has some visa problems.”
When asked to comment on the Governor’s plans, O’Malley’s wife Katie said, “Thank God they will finally be out of the basement and I’ll have my sewing room back”.
Today in Music History – October 22
October 22, 2013 by
On this day in 1976, after narrowly escaping a run-in with Woody Allen outside of Elaine’s, Steve Miller was arrested by the music police and had his poetic license suspended for one year for the awkward rhyming of “Texas” with the grammatically incorrect “facts is” as well as “other people’s taxes” in his hit song “Take the Money and Run”.
Epilogue: As of 2013, Steve Miller is still taking the money and running, albeit a bit more slowly. Asked to comment on this article Miller said “Hoo Hoo Hoo!”
Baltimore Singer/Songwriter Shelby Blondell Releases Debut EP
June 13, 2013 by
Summer 2013 kicks off with the upbeat and soulful sounds of Baltimore’s Shelby Blondell. Just off the heels of opening for 90’s pop sensation Aaron Carter at the Baltimore Soundstage, Shelby’s studio debut is finally out for the masses to enjoy. “Fly” features 5 songs, each in a unique style. Elements of folk, country, and pop, combined with Shelby’s standout voice create a fresh, yet familiar compilation of genres.
This release has been a long time coming. Shelby has been writing and performing for over 3 years, and in a world of abundant trivial radio-pop, “Fly” is a breath of fresh air.
“I Write my music not only because I absolutely love doing it, but I write songs with a background to them.” – Shelby Blondell
Hear samples on the EP’s album page on iTunes, and then download them into your Summertime playlist. You won’t regret it.
A Day To Remember Spring Tour Dates
December 13, 2010 by 26 Comments
A Day To Remember will be going on tour this spring with Bring Me The Horizon,We Came as Romans, and Pierce The Veil.
03/10 | Philadelphia, PA | Electric Factory
03/11 | Philadelphia, PA | Electric Factory
03/13 | Worcester, MA | Palladium
03/15 | New York, NY | Irving Plaza (no BMTH, WCAR, or PTV)
03/16 | Pittsburgh, PA | Stage AE
03/18 | Buffalo, NY | The Rapids
03/19 | Montreal, QC | Metropolis
03/20 | Toronto, ON | Sound Academy
03/22 | Detroit, MI | Royal Oak
03/24 | Chicago, IL | Congress Theater
03/25 | Minneapolis, MN | Epic
03/26 | Kansas City, MO | Beaumont
03/27 | Denver, CO | Fillmore
03/29 | Salt Lake City, UT | Saltair
03/30 | Spokane, WA | Knitting Factory
03/31 | Seattle, WA | Showbox SoDo
04/01 | Vancouver, BC | Vogue
04/02 | Portland, OR | Roseland
04/03 | San Francisco, CA | The Warfield
04/05 | Fresno, CA | Woodward Park Amphitheater
04/06 | Los Angeles, CA | Palladium
04/07 | San Diego, CA | Sports Arena
04/08 | Phoenix, AZ | Marquee Theater
04/09 | Phoenix, AZ | Marquee Theater
04/11 | Tulsa, OK | Brady Theater
04/12 | Austin, TX | ACL Live
04/13 | Houston, TX | Warehouse Live
04/15 | Atlanta, GA | Masquerade Outdoor
04/18 | Tampa, FL | Jannus Landing
http://www.facebook.com/notes/a-day-to-remember/marchapril-us-and-some-canada-tour/481255711660
All Time Low Full Spring Tour Dates Released
December 12, 2010 by 15 Comments
With the pre-sale starting tomorrow at 3 pm the dates were bound to come out sooner or later. We here at Dad's Car Radio are planning on going to two shows in the area, but of course these being close to home for the punk-pop quartet, they'l definitely be selling out fast. There is also a high chance the band will be playing Bamboozle, considering that there is no show May 1st or 2nd, and that they'll be in NYC on the third. Time will tell and if you are a member of The Hustler Club, here are the presale details.
The package costs $69 (how convenient) and here's what you get:
– A General Admission Ticket
– One Deluxe Edition Pre-order of the new ATL album “Dirty Work”
– One CD Booklet with alternate cover art (only available through this pre-sale)
– One Limited Edition Tour Litho, signed by the band
An Interview with Tigerface
December 11, 2010 by 14 Comments
http://www.myspace.com/tigerfacemusic
How and where did the band get its name?
It really just came out of nowhere from one of our old band members. It was around the time a lot of "The" bands were doing well and I know we didn't want to be a "The" band although The Tigerface sounds pretty epic.
How long has everyone been playing their respected instrument?
Chris has been playing guitar for 12 years and drums for about 15 years. Ari has been playing keyboard/piano for 20 years.
Who are your musical influences?
It actually varies quite a bit between us both which makes it difficult to even name a few specific artists. However, some of the genres that have influenced our writing the most are older emo, synth pop, new wave, indie rock, and even certain types of metal.
Congratulations on being featured as an unsigned artist of the month by Alternative Press! How did that feel being recognized like that?
It is definitely a huge honor. They always pick such great artists for that column, including artists who are everywhere now so we take it as a huge compliment.
We have both always really loved and respected Alternative Press so this was really exciting for us. AP has always been our favorite Indie music magazine so being featured in it was truly an honor. We both grew up loving the new music Alternative Press presented to their readers so actually being recognized by them is amazing.
Has anything changed since then?
We have made a lot of great new fans and contacts since the article came out. We are definitely grateful for all the exposure. It has given us a better insight into our music, both professionally and creatively, which has helped a lot with writing the new songs for our E.P. that we are currently working on.
Who are your musical guilty pleasures?
We both have so many its kind of funny. Chris likes some Symphonic Black Metal as well as Tori Amos and Ari likes Journey and a lot of the cheesy 80s music. Our guilty pleasures do actually influence our writing which in turn helps to keep things fresh and interesting when we collaborate.
What do you imagine people doing when listening to your music?
I imagine people getting ready for a battle. We also imagine anything that could be considered epic would be ideal too.
What is your favorite non-profit organization and why?
Save the Music – This non-profit organization has been restoring the music education programs in schools across the US since 1997. Save the Music helps many schools that have experienced budget cuts restore their musical education program. As we both began playing music at an early age we realize how important of a role music plays in early childhood education. Music education not only teaches kids how to play an instrument, it teaches them life skills and inspires creativity at a crucial stage of children’s lives.
You have to creature a super tour with you and three other bands, who
is coming with you?
Appleseed Cast
Jimmy Eat World
Sigur Ros
What’s next for the band?
We will be heading into the studio at the beginning of the year to start working on our third EP. We will also be adding two new permanent members to the band around that time. We will be out playing a ton of local shows all around our Arizona while recording the new album so come check us out! Once the album is finished we will be doing a couple regional tours to promote the new EP. We plan to hit a lot of cities we haven’t been before which is very exciting!