Lightnin' Licks Radio

LLR REWIND #3 features a discussion from Episode 11 of Lightnin’ Licks Radio, “Rock Show”. 2020 was certainly a challenging year for music fanatics, especially for that rare breed of SUPER fan who only exists to attend live concert events. To honor said legion of dedicated music enthusiasts who have been kept from witnessing their favorite artists rock out on stage, Jay and Deon discussed some of their all-time favorite rock show moments. In this excerpt, Jay’s memories of witnessing U2 perform at the LA Coliseum during their 1987 Joshua Tree Tour takes center stage.

If not streaming on Spotify, you can view the video here on YouTube.

Sonic Contributors to the third LLR REWIND video include: Brothers Johnson / L.L. Cool J. / Dynasty / U2 / The Pretenders / The Smiths / The Dust Brothers / Beastie Boys/ The Eagles / The Band / The Fatback Band.

In Episode 2 of Lightnin’ Licks Radio, Jay and Deon discussed what it took for a band or artist to outshine their exceptional debut effort and essentially defeat the sophomore slump. The Lickers took deep dives into a few of their favorite second long player releases of all time. In this except, Deon spotlight’s Public Enemy’s monster second studio album, It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back, released in 1988.

Sonic contributors to LLR REWIND #2 include:  Lee Moses / Brothers Johnson / Holland-Dozier-Holland / L.L. Cool J / Syl Johnson / Public Enemy / Primal Scream / Group Home / Terminator X & The Valley Of The Jeep Beats / Les McCann / Height Keech.

Not streaming on Spotify? Watch the video here on YouTube.

An excerpt from Lightnin' Licks Radio podcast Episode 2: Surviving The Sophomore Slump. Jay & Deon discuss the second record from The Psychedelic Furs, the film Pretty In Pink, and pay homage to Sax God Duncan Kilburn.

Sonic contributors to this video excerpt include: Lee Moses / Brothers Johnson / Holland-Dozier-Holland / L.L. Cool J / Screaming Blue Messiahs / O.M.D. / The Glove / the Psychedelic Furs / Morphine / The Fixx / INXS / Primal Scream / Andy Weatherall.

If you are not streaming on Spotify, watch the video on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/lQxkOUJoklw

LLR's podcast hiatus during every September is due to their involvement with Hell's Half Mile Film & Music Festival. Jay was able to introduce Party Nails to his hometown audience (her album You Don't Have To Come Home But You Can't Stay Here was his #2 record of 2020, which was covered in episode 12), while Deon spent his evenings creating a space suitable for a truly unique live music experience. It was one helluva weekend. After the rock-n-roll hangover dissipates, the Lightnin' Lickers will return with Episode 25, where they discuss their favorite records from bands filed under the letter E. Stay tuned! 

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HHM weekend's peak of music events for our 16th annual festival took place on Saturday, September 24th at the Dunlop Building (located at 517 Washington Ave., Bay City, MI), and per usual brought 3 amazing bands! This year's lineup featured Party Nails (Los Angeles), Ratboys (Chicago), and Sugar Tradition (Detroit), who recently opened for Jack White on his Supply Chain Issues Tour. As a festival, we were thrilled with the opportunity to use the Dunlop Building and transform it into a HHM-style venue for one evening, and bring 3 very different bands together to make it's mark on "Midtown Bay City"! It's Hell's Half Mile's sixteenth birthday, and we celebrated the only way we know how. 

The Art Department of Bay City provided stunning custom neon and unique art installations in the bar/lounge (former showroom) area, while Lightnin' Licks Vinyl Preservation Society provided venue layout, logistics, design and decorations (service garage). Dunlop Building owner Mike Beattie allowed HHM volunteers to showcase the history of the building, utilizing many promotional materials from the business' glory days as a Pontiac dealership and service center. Dunlop Pontiac was regularly voted as the #1 auto dealership in the Greater Bay region, selling both new and used vehicles to the community. Most longtime residents of Bay City have a connection to the building due to the once sizable workforce at nearby GM Powertrain, allowing family and friends to purchase their cars from the lot with GM discounts. It was important to HHM and Lightnin' Licks Vinyl Preservation Society that the aesthetics of the venue reflected the history of the building, marrying the city's auto manufacturing past with it's cultural present, as any space where working people spent their time away from their families deserves to be treated with respect. 

Music included in the video is that of Party Nails, Ratboys, and Sugar Tradition.

Not streaming on Spotify? Watch the video on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/44PQXgAc-Zw

Lightnin’ Lickers Jay and Deon discuss the upcoming 17th annual Hell’s Half Mile Film & Music Festival, previewing the bands slated to perform while reminiscing about artists whom have previously been showcased under the HHM banner.

If you’re looking to celebrate the official end of summer in a big way, Downtown Bay City is the place.

HHM No. 17 Music Festival is set to kick off the evening of September21st with Indianapolis psych rock trio Karate, Guns & Tanning rocking the Opening Night Party at Old City Hall. The next evening, Cincy synthpop outfit (and returning favorite) Moonbeau will be taking the stage at MI Table. Both Thursday and Friday’s music events start at 10 PM, ticket info @ hhmfest.com or the event door.

Finally, the weekend's premier music event takes place Saturday, September 23rd at the Dunlop Building (located at 517 Washington Ave., Bay City, MI), and per usual features 3 amazing bands! This year's lineup features Weakened Friends (Portland, ME), LVRS (Lansing, MI) & Kelly Jean Caldwell Band (Detroit, MI).

 As a festival we're thrilled to return to the Dunlop Building and transform it into an HHM-style venue for one evening, and bring 3 incredible bands together at this unique location. Last year the atmosphere in the Dunlop Building added to the experience making for an unforgettable live show. Get ready to run it back, Hellions!

The show is open to all ages for Pass holders, or admission is $15 at the door, which opens at 8 PM.

HHM 2023 unofficial end-of-summer mix tape:

[SIDE A] (1) EOS HHM Intro (2) Moonbeau – All Summer (3) Weakened Friends – Everything is Better (4) Kelly Jean Caldwell Band – Caroline Creature (5) LVRS – Safe Word (6) Karate, Guns & Tanning – Hot Bots

[SIDE B] (1) Moving Panoramas – ADD Heart (2) Georgie James – Long Week (3) The Satin Peaches – Well Well Well (4) Passalacqua – At the Party (5) Matt Pond PA – Champagne Supernova [END]

Sonic contributors to Lightnin’ Licks Radio’s Hell’s Half Mile Preview bonus episode include: Brothers Johnson, Holland-Dozier-Holland, Lee Moses, James Todd Smith, Erno the Inferno, Earth. Wind & Fire, Georgie James, John Fusciante, Ratatat, Weakened Friends, Letters To Cleo, Kelly Jean Caldwell Band, The Lemonheads, LVRS, Moonbeau, Karate Guns and Tanning, De La Soul, Mogwai, Seth and Jax Anderson, Passalacqua, Eddie Logix, Boz Scaggz, Matt Pond PA, Leslie Sisson, Moving Panoramas, LCD Soundsystem, James Brown, John Prime, The Mynabirds, George Morris and the Gypsy Chorus, Handgrenades, Jordan Pries, Height Keech, Gershwin and Heyward, Charlie Parker, J. Cole, The Satin Peaches, American television series “The O.C.”, Oasis, Arc of All, The Clockers.

The boys get back into the swing of things to end summer on a high note by speaking with guest Licker and fellow DJ Michael Absher, a.k.a. the Duke of Downtown Flint Town, about what he’s been listening to as of late. A crackin’ end-of-summer mixtape is curated as a result of the visit, perfect for blaring in the whip with the windows down. Enjoy!

SONIC (NON-MIX) CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE 10th BONUS EPISODE OF LIGHTNIN’ LICKS RADIO INCLUDE: DE LA SOUL (IS DEAD) / PRINCE PAUL / DJ NUMARK / JURASSIC 5 / DAVE MATTHEWS BAND / BONE THUGS-N-HARMONY / G.O.O.D.I.E. MOB / ARCADE FIRE / X / ALICE IN CHAINS / SWEET SPIRIT / SUZI QUATRO / GARDINER / KENDRICK LAMAR / BALIL / NIRVANA / PINES / THE EXPLOSIONS / THE CLASH / THROWING MUSES / DAYTON FAMILY / LUSH / CLAN OF XYMOX / GARY NUMAN / ALBADORE / BAUHAUS / COCTEAU TWINS / LABELLE / THE FIFTH DIMESION / PAT BENETAR / THIEVERY CORPORATION / THE DOORS / CURTIS MAYFIELD / BARBARA ACKLIN / THE SILVER BULLET BAND / THE MEMPHIS HORNS

Deon – Robert Glasper, Greet Death, Bob Seger

Jay – A Giant Dog, Sweet, Pearl Harbour, Young Holt Unlimited, Bachman-Turner Overdrive

Michael – Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Sun’s Signature, Laura Nyro, The Joy Thieves

Bonus #10 mixtape

[SIDE A] (1) Robert Glasper - Ah, Whoa (2) A Giant Dog - All I Wanted (3) Laura Nyro - I Met Him On Sunday (4) Sweet - Poppa Joe (5) The Joy Thieves - Love Is A Battlefield (6) Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band - Fire Lake [SIDE B] (1) Pearl Harbour - Filipino Baby (2) Greet Death - Your Love Is Alcohol (3) Young-Holt Unlimited - Freddy's Dead (4) Yeah Yeah Yeahs ft. Perfume Genius - Spitting Off The Edge Of The World (5) B.T.O. - Easy Groove (6) Sun's Signature - Apples

Check out Kaleidoscope Radio https://www.mixcloud.com/michaelabsher/for your bathroom painting soundtrack.

We love you Michael A. Thank you for sharing your favorite sounds with so many souls. RIP, friend.

Capturing the raw chaos and electric energy of a live rock-n-roll event, then transferring said show to tape is an understandably difficult task. Over the years, however, a good number of artists have proven themselves fit for duty and done exactly that...release crackin' live records! Episode 24 of Lightnin' Licks Radio is all about such acts and their awesome live albums. Ten of our favorite concert LPs from legends, luminaries, lesser-known cats, and lunatics alike. Strap in.

Lightnin’ Licks Radio Live Revue mixtape:

[SIDE 1] (1) The Kinks – All Day and All of the Night (2) James Brown – Escape-ism/Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved (3) The The – Sweet Bird of Truth (4) The Cannonball Adderley Quintet – Country Preacher (5) Warren Zevon – Poor Poor Pitiful Me [SIDE 2} (1) Chris Forsyth & The Solar Motel Band – I Aint Waiting (2) Rush – Bastille Day (3) Sam Cooke – It’s Alright/Sentimental Reasons (4) Desaparecidos – Greater Omaha (5) Public Enemy – Harder Than You Think

Sonic contributors to episode 24 of Lightnin’ Licks Radio include: LEE MOSES / HOLLAND-DOZIER-HOLLAND / L.L. COOL J / ARC OF ALL / HEIGHT KEECH / SPYDER D / SAXON / SAM COOKE / ROLLING STONES / BOBBY WOMACK / TALKING HEADS / MARILYN MAXWELL / DEEK WATSON / RUSH / PAT TRAVERS BAND / PETER FRAMPTON / LYNARD SKYNARD / RUSSELL TYRONE JONES / JAMES BROWN / MAYOR KEVIN WHITE / CHADWICK BOSEMAN / CRAIG ROBINSON / THE KINKS / THE PRETENDERS / THE CANNONBALL ADDRELEY QUINTET / ART BLAKELY / MILES DAVIS / JOE ZAWINUL / WARREN ZEVON / LINDA RONSTADT / PUBLIC ENEMY / BEASTIE BOYS / MATT JOHNSON & THE THE / TELEVISION / CHRIS FORSYTH & THE SOLAR MOTEL BAND / NEIL YOUNG & CRAZY HORSE / DESAPARECIDOS / CURSIVE / COCOON / NECESSARY PEOPLE / THE CLOCKERS.

Recorded: 8/7/2022 Released: 8/10/2022 Support featured artists by purchasing their music and merch. We did.

The boys of summer are back at it with more bodacious bonus material. Guest Licker Jordan, co-owner of LLR’s record store of choice Electric Kitsch, discusses with Jay and Deon two rare jazz records that he’s been listening to as of late.

Sonic contributors to the NINTH bonus episode of Lightnin’ Licks Radio include:

Morris Day / DJ NuMark / Jurrassic 5 / Dave Matthews Band / Zach Braff / Natile Portman / Henry Purcell / Bernard Wright / The Light Brigade / The Free Design / Graham Nash / The Beatles / Bruce Springsteen / Elvis / Johnny Cash / Nick Cave / Shiana Twain / The Kinks / The Dirtbombs / Pink Floyd / Prince / Jam & Lewis / Janet Jackson / XTC / Sun Ra & His Arkestra / Grachan Moncur III / Mother earth-nature…the beach and stuff… / Lou Reed / Archie Shepp / Phil Ranelin / Nduduzzo Makhatini / The Meters / James Taylor / Redbone / The Mamas & The Papas / Elton John / Bernie Taupin / Sonic Youth / Mount Shasta / The Delta 72 / God Bullies / Masaru Imada Trio / Karianne Lisonbee / Heart

Suggested Artists:

Jay – Enoch Light / Timbuk 3 / The Sonics / Shriekback / Star Pimp

Deon – Orville Peck / The Time / Leo Nocentelli

JORDO – Clifford Thornton / Wendell Harrison

Bonus Mixtape #9

[SIDE A] (1) Wendell Harrison – Mary Had an Abortion / Where Am I (2) Star Pimp – Slave Girl (3) The Sonics – The Hard Way (4) Orville Peck – The Curse of the Blackened Eye (5) Enoch Light – Let It Be [SIDE B] (1) The Time – Ice Cream Castles (2) Timbuk 3 – Hairstyles And Attitudes (3) Leo Nocentelli – Give Me Back My Loving (4) Clifford Thornton – Pan-African Festival (5) Shriekback – Only Thing That Shines

Support featured artists by purchasing their music and merch. We did.

Thank you, Jordo!

"D." LLR's favorite records by artists or bands whose names start with the letter D. That's deep.

In the early 1970s, legendary collaborator and self-proclaimed non-musician Brian Eno famously designed a deck of 115 cards containing elliptical imperatives to spark in the user creative connections unobtainable through regular modes of work. He called his creation "Oblique Strategies." For nearly one half of a century, countless artists and professionals across the globe have benefited from utilizing the oblique strategies technique when attempting to overcome a lull in creative output. In 2022, idiot basement-dwelling hobby podcasters and self-proclaimed Lightnin' Lickers Jay and Deon found themselves uninspired when contemplating the potential themes of their upcoming twenty-third episode. Together, they decided... to default back to the alphabet. Because they knew the alphabet pretty good. They had already utilized the letters A thru C, so naturally, they went with D. Genius. 

The D-Train mixtape: [SIDE D-1] (1) hell raisers intro (2) Syd Dale – The Hellraisers (3) DMZ - Mighty Idy (4) D’Angelo & The Vanguard – Betray My Heart (5) Dyan Diamond – Your Neighborhood (6) Nick Drake – Place To Be [SIDE D-2] (1) Deadbeat Beat – The Kids At My School (2) Dyke & The Blazers – Broadway Combination (3) Stella Donnelly – Lunch (4) Don & The Goodtimes – My Color Song (5) Dr. Dog - Good Grief (6) k-mart outro 

SONIC CONTRIBUTORS TO EPISODE 23 OF LIGHTNIN’ LICKS RADIO INCLUDE: LEE MOSES / BROTHERS JOHNSON / HOLLAND-DOZIER-HOLLAND / L.L. COOL J / EL POLICIA / TOOTS & THE MAYTALS / FREUR / DAFT PUNK / RANDOM SESAME STREET CHARACTERS / PHONICS MAN / DR. DOG / PAT FINNERTY / INI KAMOZE / DYAN DIAMOND / THE RUNAWAYS / VENUS AND THE RAZORBLADES / SOULQUARIANS / BIDAL / D’ANGELO / DRE & SNOOP / PARLIAMENT FUNKADELIC / SLY & THE FAMILY STONE / PRINCE / RAPHAEL SAADIQ / DMZ / THE MODERN LOVERS / DYKE & THE BLAZERS / JAMES BROWN / WILSON PICKETT / DON AND THE GOODTIMES / THE SONICS / THE STOOGES / THE KINGSMEN / NICK DRAKE / DEADBEAT BEAT / THE VONBONDIES / SYD DALE / KEITH MANSFIELD / ALAN HAWKSHAW / STELLA DONNELLY / METHYL ETHEL / GLORILLA & HITKIDD / THE CLOCKERS. RECORDED: 5/25/22 RELEASED: 6/4/22  Support featured artists by purchasing their music and merch. We did.

Jay and Deon discuss the artists they have been listening to as of late. They then travel through time and space to their record store of choice, Electric Kitsch, to chat with guest Licker Jessica about what she’s been reading and rocking out to. All-in-all, it’s simply another worthwhile sonic journey. You’re welcome to tag along.

Sonic contributors to eighth bonus episode of Lightnin’ Licks Radio podcast include: DJ NuMark / Jurassic Five / Dave Matthews Band / Denzel Curry / Kenny Beats / Basehead / Bay City Rollers / The Corporation / Clifford Breston / Rose Ella Jones / Smokey Robinson / Ronnie White / an excerpt from Quest Love’s film “Summer Of Soul”/ Tony Lawrence / Martin Coleman / Clay Murray / Garnett Mimms and the Enchanters / The Guess Who / The Royalettes / O.V. Wright / Wu-Tang / Al Green / Willie Mitchell / The Emotions / The Charmels / Bob James / Ghostface Killah / Gloria Smith / Odetta / O.D.B. / The Jackson 5 / The Mitchfits / Marika Hackman / Laurie Pepper / excerpts from the Straight Life Book Audiocast, Art Pepper’s serial audio archive available for free on Bandcamp / Three-Six Mafia / Sunbear / Madlib / Ramsey Lewis / The Beatniks and the Alkoholics.

Bonus mixtape #8

[SIDE ONE] (1) Dead Moon – Fire In The Western World (2) Maple Glider – Be Mean, It’s Kinder Than Crying (3) David Ruffin – Anything That You Ask For (4) Film School – Take What You Need (5) Art Pepper – Junior Cat [SIDE TWO] (1) Pilot – Just A Smile (2) Wendy Rene – After Laughter (3) The Stampeders – Gator Road (4) The Shirelles – It’s Gonna Take A Miracle (5) Brett Mitchell – Heart Of A Lion (6) Dead Moon – Parchment Farm