Yes, the new release episode was delayed a week this month, but it’s pretty much the same show you would have heard if it was aired in its normal time slot. And, as always, it’s a mix of old and new bands from all over the world. In fact, this one may be a bit more worldly than ever. A twangy Kraftwerk cover from Japan? Yep, that’s The Routes. An Italian Ramone-ish band covering 60s pop music? That’s The Beatersband (and apologies for saying you were Spanish during the show). England, Tunisia, Australia, and many other countries are represented in tonight’s show.

I would love it if every listener bought at least one record I played on either of these shows. These great artists deserve to be compensated for their hard work, and every purchase surely helps not only pay their bills but fund their next set of wonderful songs. And if you buy these records directly from the artist or label, please let them know you heard these tunes on The Ledge! Let them know who is giving them promotion! 

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

When the news broke that swaggering rock and rollers Low Rats were hitting my little city of Sioux Falls I immediately began begging the band to make a stop at my house before the show for a Ledge interview. Although final plans were up in the air until the last minute, lead singer Michael Meyer promised me that he would definitely show up in time for my Friday night broadcast.

Unfortunately, I had some technical issues throughout the day, and they were not completely fixed by the time Meyer arrived just before my Realpunkradio shift. So instead of a mix of chat and music, we could only broadcast the conversation. The two of us spent an hour talking about his Sioux Falls childhood, along with the various bands he had not only in this little town but in other cities, including his time a few years ago leading Narco States.

In a case of perfect timing, the rest of the band (guitarist Rob Sells, bassist Joe Holland, and drummer Ben Crunk) arrived just when I was going to begin asking Meyer questions about Low Rats. Although I now had more people than microphones, we carried on with the entire band discussing the group’s history, their various releases, and a few thoughts on the thriving Twin Cities theme.

I could have tidied up this show a lot more than I did, but I’m presenting the entire interview, audio flaws and all. You will hear the minute the rest of the band arrives, along a point later on where Meyer has to leave for another appointment. I have inserted Low Rats tunes at the beginning and end of the show, and have also edited in the two songs each band member picked that, as Meyer wrote earlier in the week, “directly influenced the style of playing that we have incorporated into Low Rats.”

By the way, the show later that night at Vishnu Bunny Tattoo was nothing sort of amazing, and their selected tunes for this show were clearly representative. Meyer is a mad man that’s part Iggy, part Stiv, and part every other frenetic frontman in rock history. Nothing within his reach is safe, including ketchup and garbage cans. Crunk keeps everything from spiraling out of control from behind his drunk kit, Holland thumps out the sort of low end that certainly represents the heavier side of the band, while Sells spits out the kind of guitar that you’d expect from a person who would pick the Cramps and X as influences. 

Many thanks must go to not only the band but Vishnu Bunny Tattoo for booking them, and to super fan Dan Michener for delivering 3/4 of the band members to my front door!

This show ended up being quite different than originally planned. The initial idea was another “odds and ends” show where I aired tracks from some records that I had been playing around the house. I suddenly realized, however, that I’ve been listening to quite a few compilations in the past few weeks. And that I’ve been digging into the archives quite often for some of my oldest records.

So tonight actually is an odds and ends show that features 60 years of great rock and roll, from the standard bearer Chuck Berry to the current sounds of Low Rats, a band that bodes well for the future of the genre. Four compilations have feature spots in the show – Louie’s Limbo Lounge (Las Vegas Grind, Vol. 2) gathers togehter raw 50’s stompers, Back From the Grave Vol. 5 highlights 60s garage bands, Punk 45: There is No Such Thing As Society, Vol. 2 is centered around late 70’s UK punk and post-punk, and Du Huskers: The Twin Cities Replay Zen Arcade is a 1993 tribute to the classic Husker Du album.

I would love it if every listener bought at least one record I played on either of these shows. These great artists deserve to be compensated for their hard work, and every purchase surely helps not only pay their bills but fund their next set of wonderful songs. And if you buy these records directly from the artist or label, please let them know you heard these tunes on The Ledge! Let them know who is giving them promotion!

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

When I read that the 35th anniversary date of the release of the fifth Replacements full-length album, Pleased to Meet Me, fell on a “Ledge” night, it obviously became the focal point for a theme. I decided to celebrate the birthday by recreating the album’s track listing with covers of each and every song.

This became a bit of an issue, however, as some songs were missing from my initial search through my archives. And while I inevitably found some of the missing pieces, I still was short two songs just days before tonight’s show. Luckily, I was alerted to a message board compilation of Replacements covers that included a track donated by our friend Jeremy Porter. Since this comp also included a version of “Red Red Wine”, I quickly contacted him to see if he had the whole release! Well, not only did he have the needed track, he actually played on it! The Regulars were his high school band, and on this cover he played guitar and provided backing vocals! Yes, I was set!

Unfortunately, a few minutes in my show I was informed that June 17, 1987 was not the actual release date for the album. “Trouble Boys” author Bob Mehr tweeted, “Every June 17, I try not to be a killjoy to those celebrating the release of The Replacements’ Pleased to Meet Me on this date. But, once again, I must point out that the album actually came out April 27, 1987.” 

Well, I decided to carry on with the celebration anyway, and also included a set devoted to the demos and outtakes that Tommy Stinson recorded during the album’s sessions. If you love his later solo band, Bash and Pop, you’ll really dig these rare tracks.

To fill up the rest of the show, I included covers of two other albums that recently saw their 50th birthdays. David Bowie’s “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars” came out June 16, 1972, and my favorite record of all time, Exile On Main Street by the Rolling Stones, came out on May 26, 1972. It’s a fun, varied show that should appeal to fans of all three of these legendary records.

I would love it if every listener bought at least one record I played on either of these shows. These great artists deserve to be compensated for their hard work, and every purchase surely helps not only pay their bills but fund their next set of wonderful songs. And if you buy these records directly from the artist or label, please let them know you heard these tunes on The Ledge! Let them know who is giving them promotion!

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

Once again, the monthly new release episode of The Ledge features some great new tunes from a variety of genres – Americana (Wilco, Drive-By Truckers, John Doe), power pop (Nick Piunti, The Sweet Things), indie rock (Dehd, Savak), and punk (Malta Vista, Screeching Weasel), among others.

There’s also great new releases from our friends at Rum Bar Records, Big Stir Records, and Spaghetty Town Records. What I’m most excited about, however, is the premiere of the new single featuring one of our Real Punk Radio DJ legends. Greg Lonesome, host of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Manifesto, has a new supergroup which also features Preacher Boy, Olsen Twin, and El Flyin’. Their two track single, which can be found here, is released tomorrow, and both smoking tracks can be heard on this week’s episode!

I would love it if every listener bought at least one record I played on either of these shows. These great artists deserve to be compensated for their hard work, and every purchase surely helps not only pay their bills but fund their next set of wonderful songs. And if you buy these records directly from the artist or label, please let them know you heard these tunes on The Ledge! Let them know who is giving them promotion!

For setlists and other information head to http://scotthudson.blogspot.com

As I’ve stated before, I have a special folder where I toss in various great cover tunes as I come across them. It was pretty much perfect timing that my folder became “show-length” just in time for this holiday weekend. What better way to begin the summer with revved-up remakes of some of our favorite tunes?

Plus, I’ll take any opportunity to give more airplay to my pal Dave Scarbrough, especially when the one remake on his brand new album, Happy Ever After, is a Paul Westerberg tune! You all should check this album out!

Also included in this broadcast are tracks from Steve Earle’s new tribute to his friend and mentor, Jerry Jeff Walker, Eric Ambel and Greg Hoy’s remakes of Neil Young tunes, The William Loveday Intention’s teardown of Bob Dylan tunes, and a few of our friends (The Short Fuses, New Rocket Union) from Minneapolis! Oh, and we have the exclusive covers by the Hoodoo Gurus that are only found on the vinyl version of their new Chariot of the Gods album.

Speaking of Minneapolis, Cindy Lawson’s fabulous new record on Rum Bar Records, New Tricks, includes a tune written by the recently-deceased Lori Wray. I’m not real familiar with Wray, but she made her recording debut as a member of The Von Bulows (aka the Pedaljets), and has worked with 27 Various, Todd Newman (The Leatherwoods), and many other Minneapolis greats. I know I’m going to look into more of Wray’s work.

I would love it if every listener bought at least one record I played on either of these shows. These great artists deserve to be compensated for their hard work, and every purchase surely helps not only pay their bills but fund their next set of wonderful songs. And if you buy these records directly from the artist or label, please let them know you heard these tunes on The Ledge! Let them know who is giving them promotion!

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

I understand that many, if not most, people look at the deluge of box sets, reissues, and live albums as just more excuses how the record industry will suck any pennies they can get out of an artist. It’s a valid view.

However, I live for this stuff. Sure, my main inspiration is new music, but if I love an artist I want everything. I want the live recordings. I want the demos and outtakes. I want that rare b-side. 

Tonight’s show is sort of a new release episode, but it’s new “old” material. It’s the tunes from expanded editions of classic records by the likes of The Clash, The Muffs, Pavement, and The Lemonheads. It’s live tunes discovered in the vaults from The Rolling Stones,  T. Rex, and Georgia Satellites. There’s also great, previously unreleased material from our friends Jeremy Porter & The Tucos, and the great Rum Bar Records compilation of Cindy Lawson’s old band, The Clams. There is even a multi-disc set for a great 60s band, Betterdays, that initially only put out one single!

I would love it if every listener bought at least one record I played on either of these shows. These great artists deserve to be compensated for their hard work, and every purchase surely helps not only pay their bills but fund their next set of wonderful songs. And if you buy these records directly from the artist or label, please let them know you heard these tunes on The Ledge! Let them know who is giving them promotion! 

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

I may have labelled last week’s part one of the monthly new release series as only “friends of the show” but that doesn’t mean this episode is nothing but unknown artists.

In fact, quite a few acts are pretty regular Ledge artists. The super prolific Wild Billy Childish is back with not one but two new projects. A new supergroup, UltraBomb, featuring members of Husker Du, The Mahomes, and U.K. Subs debuted their first single. And our good friends Torpedohead submitted a brand new track to promote their upcoming TRPHD EP.

There’s plenty of other great new tracks this week, including some fabulous punk from Minneapolis’ The Von Tramps. The teenage members of Linda Lindas prove that rock and roll still has a rosy future. And Starky again proves that you can’t go wrong with covering “Teenage Kicks”.

I would love it if every listener bought at least one record I played on either of these shows. These great artists deserve to be compensated for their hard work, and every purchase surely helps not only pay their bills but fund their next set of wonderful songs. And if you buy these records directly from the artist or label, please let them know you heard these tunes on The Ledge! Let them know who is giving them promotion!

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

Once again, I have so much new music that the monthly new release episode has to be a two part extravaganza. Part one is dedicated to “friends” of the show. There’s new releases from friendly labels such as Big Stir Records and Rum Bar Records. There’s tunes from quite a few artists that routinely submit their tracks for inclusion.

And there’s material from a couple of actual friends, most notably the long-awaited return of power pop maestro Dave Scarbrough. I’ve known Dave for pretty much my entire live music life, and nobody in my little city can turn a melodic phrase like Dave. I’m so happy to see that he’s got a great new album (“Happily Ever After”), and obviously I’m even more pleased that he included a Paul Westerberg cover (“As Far As I Know”). Do yourself a favor and grab it from his bandcamp.

I would love it if every listener bought at least one record I played on either of these shows. These great artists deserve to be compensated for their hard work, and every purchase surely helps not only pay their bills but fund their next set of wonderful songs. And if you buy these records directly from the artist or label, please let them know you heard these tunes on The Ledge! Let them know who is giving them promotion! 

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

I have a few friends who are no fans of Record Store Day, but I love it. Yes, everyday is Record Store Day for me, but it is one of the few days of the year that I’m a social butterfly. I absolutely love the bonding of music geeks in the lines outside stores, and over the years I’ve actually made some friendships out of these same people who brave the elements on this day. We actually kind of look out for each other. If one of us is looking for something quite rare, it’s not unusual for another one of us to grab it for that person. I had that happen just this last week when I arrived a few minutes later than usual, but really needed to get a copy of a certain release.

For me, this year’s version of the holiday may have been the best ever. I’ve never had a list so long of titles that I “needed”. Plus, my name is on one of them (the Jay Bennett two-record set that included Gorman Bechard’s “Where Is Jay Bennett” on DVD). Besides the obligatory Replacements live album, guitarist Bob Stinson saw the release of a record he recorded with the Bleeding Hearts shortly before his death. The late Kim Shattuck of The Muffs saw a collection of demos. Lou Reed’s first solo studio session hit the shelves. There was another great compilation of rare punk tracks in the Soul Jazz series “Punk 45”. 

Of course, there was also the usual pile of live releases this year, including sets by Stiff Little Fingers, Reigning Sound, Pixies, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Roky Erickson, and so many more. Ramones albums that have not been available on vinyl for 20 years were collected in a relatively cheap box set. The list goes on and on, and tonight’s episode samples a wide variety of these records.

I would love it if every listener bought at least one record I played on either of these shows. These great artists deserve to be compensated for their hard work, and every purchase surely helps not only pay their bills but fund their next set of wonderful songs. And if you buy these records directly from the artist or label, please let them know you heard these tunes on The Ledge! Let them know who is giving them promotion!

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