Saturday, April 28, 2012

Sonic Overload 4/16/12

It’s one of my favorite holidays of the year, that being Patriots Day. Not because I’m all that patriotic but it’s the one time a year when the Red Sox play at 11 AM. I can’t explain why I find morning baseball so appealing. Maybe it’s because it’s starting to feel like spring. It actually feels more like summer today—it hit the mid-80s. It’s also the day of the Boston Marathon and, as always, I throw in some songs to pay tribute to those crazy people, uh, well conditioned athletes running the 26.2 miles from Hopkinton to Boston.

On a different note, I did a new Hot Rails To Hell show last week and uploaded it straight to the archive page (link here) where you can either download the whole show as a zip file or stream/download each individual segment, just like you do on this page. It’s a bit over an hour and the first HRTH since 2009. I’m planning on doing those shows with a bit more frequency.

Sonic Overload 4/16/12

TRACK 1

PETER AND THE TEST TUBE BABIES-Run Like Hell (Dr. Strange)

STRIPMINES-Get Away From Me (Sorry State)
POISON PLANET-Liquor Flesh Trade (Third X Party)
ANCIENT FILTH-Macho Man Savage (Shock To The System)
IMPALERS-Rabid Transgressors (Beach Impediment/No Way)
WORLD BURNS TO DEATH-Sarajevo Snapshot (Hardcore Holocaust)

SHITTY LIMITS-Speculate/Accumulate (Sorry State)
LA PIOVRA-Risacca (Punks Before Profits)
ROOFIE & THE NIGHTSTALKER-GHB (Rich Bitch)
RED AUNTS-Freakathon (Epitaph)
KNOCKOUT PILLS-Trust Fund Rock (Dead Beat)
FIFI-Sinkhole (Triple X)

MINOR THREAT-Out Of Step (Dischord)
NOTHING BUT ENEMIES-Dropout (Welfare)
FANG-Landshark (Boner)
LOCKJAW-Need A Gun (Grand Theft Audio)
AGITATED-Living Like Garbage (Smog Veil)
MENTALLY ILL-Tumor Boy (Alternative Tentacles)

TRACK 2

BAD BRAINS-Pay To Cum (Bad Brain)
APPENDIX-Ei Raha Oo Mun Valuuttaa (Propaganda)
HERO DISHONEST-Yet, What Do We Accomplish? (IfSociety)
BLACK SS-Quick Fix (Reaper)
UNDER PRESSURE-You’re The Problem (Fashionable Idiots)
EXECUTIONER-Victims Of Evil (from “Speed Metal Hell,” New Renaissance)

VAASKA-Violencia Criminal (HeartFirst)
LIFE SET STRUGGLE-Still Fucked (625)
ACTIVE MINDS-Ramraiding Revolutionaries (Lack of Idea(l)s)
URINE-Reason To Get Up In The Morning (self-released)
SHARP OBJECTS-Plasticland (Modern Action)
ADVERTS-Bored Teenagers (Anagram)

BREAKING CIRCUS-Knife In The Marathon (Homestead)
SCREAM-Bet You Never Thought (Dischord)
BLACK MARKET BABY-Potential Suicide (Dr. Strange)
CITIZEN FISH-Used To Work (Lookout)

TRACK 3

JOINT D?-Don’t Ask (Sorry State)
CEREMONY-Hysteria (Matador)
PEDESTRIANS-Future Shock (Residue)
MANIKIN-American (Super Secret)
OUT ON A LIMB-Human Cage (Thrashbastard)
BELLICOSE MINDS-Mind Thieves (Whisper In Darkness)

BOYS-Cop Cars/Keep Running (Captain Oi)
JO JO GUNNE-Run Run Run (Asylum)
ULTRAVOX-ROckwrok (Island)
JON WAYNE-Mr. Egyptian (Fistpuppet)
HUBBLE BUBBLE-Look Around (Radio Heartbeat)
NILS-Fountains (Psyche Industry)

TRACK 4

MIND SPIDERS-Wait For Us (Dirtnap)
COWBONES-Emtpy TV (Ossatur)
MEAN JEANS-Nite of The Creeps (Dirtnap)
BAD DADDIES-Doesn’t Mean I Don’t Want To Die (CDR/Finch)
BIGGY STARDUST AND HIS WRETCHED HIVE-Stop Talking (Mystery School)

MOLLS-White Stains (Skids)
JOE JACKSON-Throw It Away (A&M)
CHRON GEN-Reality (Step Forward)
JILTED JOHN-Jilted John (from “Teenage Kicks,” Rhino)

GENERATION X-Running With The Boss Sound (Chrysalis)

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Sonic Overload 4/9/12

Another week of avoiding the political content. I also know there are a ton of “oldies,” especially in the last hour but all of the decades from the ‘70s until now are represented. That’s just the way it happens. When I put the show together, I already have a number of songs pulled but there are also those “spontaneous” selections. Something catches my eye on the shelf, a song pops into my head... there’s no one particular way of selecting material. One thing I can’t do is record the show on the fly, with no preparation. Trust me on that one—it takes a lot of work to make this show flow well, even with the preparation. 

Sonic Overload 4/9/12

TRACK 1

INSANITY DEFENSE-Pilgrim State (Unsound)

CAUSTIC CHRIST-The Caustic Curse (Havoc)
R’N’R-What’s Your Damage? (from “Stab To Kill Vol. 1,” Stab & Kill)
SAY GOODBYE-Question Everything (Western Front)
DRY HUMP-I Am The Doorway (SexCult)
VITAMIN X-What I Do (Havoc/Underestimated)

RED DONS-A Forced Turning Point (Taken By Surprise/New Dark Age)
GOD EQUALS GENOCIDE-I Don’t Wanna Wake Up (Razorcake)
FLAG OF DEMOCRACY-Glimmerglass (Motherbox)
QUEERS-You’re Tripping (Lookout)
LOLI & THE CHONES-I’ve Gotta Gun (Rip Off)
HIGH TENSION WIRES-High Note (Dirtnap)

BIG BOYS-No (Touch & Go)
KARP-Rocky Mountain Rescue (Punk In My Vitamins)
COMBATWOUNDEDVETERAN-15 Minutes On A Forklift (No Idea)
CHUMPS-Dirt (Forge)

TRACK 2

ORDER-Zero (HG Fact)
WHITE CROSS-Fly Their Flag (Generic)
PLAGUE-Battle Zone (Punish)
OUT WITH A BANG-Out With A Bang (Fashionable Idiots)
BANG GANG-Dickhead (Matako Mazuri)
BUTTHOLE SURFERS-Lady Sniff (Touch & Go)

SLICES-Greensleeves (Iron Lung)
BASEBALL FURIES-Wake-Up Call (Big Neck)
ROGUE NATIONS-Parole Board (Suicide Note)
SHOTDOWNS-Going Nowhere Fast (Lookout)

THE PIST-We’re The Pist (Eugene)
RIOT SQUAD-Society’s Fodder (Rot)
VIOLATORS-Gangland (No Future)

TRACK 3

THEE UNDERTAKERS-Master Race (Grand Theft Audio)
POLICE-Next To You (A&M)
PEZZ-Suicide Jockey (BYO)
PAINT IT BLACK-The Pharmacist (from “The Philadelphia Sound,” Chunksaah)

WILD//TRIBE-Power (PunkAlive)
HOLIER THAN THOU-Dumb Motherfucker (Six Weeks)
NIGHTBRINGER-Fight Like Hell (self-released)
ROTTEN CADAVER-Our Rage (Black Water)
GIVE UP-Shut You Out (Peterwalkee)
SYSTEMATIC DEATH-77 Kids (Partners In Crime)

CHAIN OF STRENGTH-Just How Much? (Revelation)
FUNERAL PARADE-With You (from “PDX Vol. 2,” Black Water)
NATIVE TONGUE-When The Walls Close In (demo)

TRACK 4

GOVERNMENT  ISSUE-Written Word (Fountain Of Youth)
NAKED RAYGUN-Live Wire (Caroline)
MAN SIZED ACTION-Units (Reflex)
COWS-Walks Alone (Amphetamine Reptile)

THE CURE-It’s Not You (Fiction)
PRETENDERS-Tattooed Love Boys (Sire)
UNNATURAL AXE-They Saved Hitler’s Brain (Lawless)
WEIRDOS-Solitary Confinement (Dangerhouse)

PRIMITIVE ROMANCE-The Spirit’s Still There (Ashamed)

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

HOT RAILS TO HELL! 70s/80s hard rock and metal

Time for another installment of Hot Rails To Hell. I've done sporadic HRTH shows over the years, dating back to 2004 and the last one was in November, 2009.

Look at this show as an exercise in self-indulgence. I mean, Sonic Overload is also self-indulgent but this show features the hard rock and metal I listened to growing up in the 70s and other hard 'n heavy bands I listened to in the 80s--and still listen to up until this day.

I'm not sure when the next Hot Rails To Hell will be but I don't think it's going to be another 2 1/2 years. It might be a lot sooner than you think, in fact. In the meantime, turn up your speakers! The show's 1 hour and 7 minutes.

Hot Rails To Hell

TRACK 1

TANK-Shellshock (Korova)

RAM JAM-Gone Wild (Epic)
UFO-Shoot Shoot (Chrysalis)
SAXON-Motorcycle Man (Carrere)
MOTÖRHEAD-Fire, Fire (Bronze)

URIAH HEEP-Easy Livin’ (Mercury)
BLUE ÖYSTER CULT-ME 262 (Columbia)
DEEP PURPLE-Black Night (Warner Bros.)
METAL CHURCH-Hitman (Elektra)

TRACK 2

FOGHAT-Wild Cherry (Bearsville)
MOUNTAIN-Mississippi Queen (Windfall)
QUEEN-Son & Daughter (Elektra)
REX-Violent Playground (Columbia)

AEROSMITH-Sick As A Dog (Columbia)
STARZ-Night Crawler (Capitol)
SWEET-Set Me Free (Capitol)

BLACK SABBATH-Children Of The Grave (Warner Bros.)

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Sonic Overload 4/2/12

Time for some festive Easter music—all your springtime favorites. I took a week off from the political content. Truth be told, I don’t know where I’d begin with audio/song selections for the Trayvon Martin case in Florida. For those of you who didn’t hear about it (and I can’t see that being too large a number, at this point), Trayvon is the unarmed 17 year-old who was shot to death by a self-styled neighborhood watchman. No charges have been brought against the gunman and the whole thing smells like a big coverup. It once again exposes the racial divide that persists in this country.

I also made a dedication to Joel Olson, who passed away last week. He was an activist, zine editor (Hippycore and Profane Existence), college professor and punk rock drummer. I forgot to mention the latter when I played his band Pissed. I never met Joel but he leaves behind an impressive legacy and, no doubt, countless friends and supporters. R.I.P.

Sonic Overload 4/2/12

TRACK 1

EASTER KIDS-Easter Kid (Brain Drain)

CRACKS-Someone Else To Screw (Slipping Grip)
CLUSTERFUCK-Eek! Eek! (Computer Crime)
FOLDED SHIRT-Mouth Clock (Fashionable Idiots)
REVILERS-Negativity (Patac)
BEVERLEY KILLS-Flawed (Rowdy Farrago)
SLICES-Class Time (Iron Lung)

SUICIDE FILE-Kissinger (Indecision)
KILLING JOKE-Corporate Elect (Spinefarm)
THE NERVOUS-Dead Fret (Nervous)
NO MORE ART-Peripeteia (New Dark Age)

DISKONECTED-New War (Loud Punk)
VARUKERS-Protest and Survive (Anagram)
DISORDER-Stagnation (Disorder)
LIFE’S BLOOD-Not For The Weak (Combined Effort)

TRACK 2

POISON IDEA-The Temple (Alchemy)
FINAL CONFLICT-Crucifixion (SOS)
BROKEN BONES-Crucifix (Fallout)
RUINATION-Theme For A Crucifiction (+/-)
JERRY’S KIDS-Crucify Me (X-Claim)
LOAD-Pastor’s Day (Faceless)

CRAZY SPIRIT-Cool Death (Quality Control HQ)
BRAIN F?-V-2 (Sorry State/Grave Mistake)
TV FREAKS-Brain/Head (Schizophrenic)
DEAN DIRG-Chartbreaker Hahaha (Dead Beat)
NITAD-En For Mycket Ar Tre For Fa (Deranged)
ALLEYCATS-Black Haired Girl (from “Sharp Cuts,” Planet)

LIL BUNNIES-Carrot Belly Bunny Rock (Moo-La-La)
PART-TIME CHRISTIANS-Religion On A Stick (Alternative Tentacles)
FEEDERZ-Jesus Entering From The Rear (from “Let Them Eat Jellybeans,” Alternative Tentacles)
SCRATCH ACID-Damned For All Time (Rabid Cat)

TRACK 3

UNCURBED-Bum On A Subway (Sacred Plague)
WILD TRIBE-Wake Up Battle (PunkAlive)
ROTTEN CADAVER-Dark End (Black Water)
BASTARD SONS OF APOCALYPSE-Wave Of Death (Todo Destruido)
PISSED-Purge (Profane Existence) in memory of Joel Olson

DOOM TOWN-Walking Through Walls (Erste Theke Tontraeger/New Dark Age)
KIM PHUC-Wormwood Star (Iron Lung)
CHUMPS-Black (Forge)

BEAST OF BEAST-White Boys Don’t Lie (My Ass)
FRANTIX-Static (Afterburn)
HYDEOUTS-Heart Fulla Soul (self-released)
THE LEWD-Climate Of Fear (Chuckie-Boy)
SADO NATION-Messed Up Mixed Up (Grand Theft Audio)
SCAVENGERS-Born To Bullshit (Raw Power)

TRACK 4

REAL KIDS-Reggae Reggae (Red Star)
LUSH-Downer (4AD)
DENTS-Big Mistake (demo)
NEW SWEET BREATH-Silka (Ringing Ear)

COCKNEY REJECTS-Flares N Slippers (Captain Oi)
PINPOINT-Richmond (Albion)
HATES-No Talk In The 80s (Faceless)
METEORS-Blitzkrieg (EMI)
CHELSEA-Urban Kids (Step Forward)

PAILHEAD-No Bunny (Wax Trax)

Friday, April 6, 2012

Sonic Overload 3/26/12

Some real fire and brimstone to start the show this week and I don’t just mean the music... I mean some vitriolic religious revivalism, courtesy of some character named Dennis Terry who, while introducing Rick Santorum in Baton Rouge, LA, showed a tremendous amount of ignorance about the separation of church and state. Just listen—it’s not that long and leads into a killer song. I have to admit it—when I saw the video on TV last week, one of the first things that came to mind is “YouTube GOLD for Sonic Overload!”

Another long one this week, clocking in at a bit over 2 hours and 11 minutes. Enjoy!

Sonic Overload 3/26/12

TRACK 1

DAYGLO ABORTIONS-Religious Bumfucks (Beer City)

BOSTON STRANGLER-First Offense (Fun With Smack)
NEGATIVE DEGREE-One Horse Town (Offside)
SWORN LIARS-Down (Big Neck)
LEFT INSANE-Neck Deep (Nemesis)
AUTISTIC YOUTH-I, Failure (Jonny Cat)

SUCKED DRY-Placebo (Pass Judgement)
NEUTRON RATS-Eczema (Loud Punk)
MERDOSO-In Silence (Prank)
OPPOSITION RISING-Total Annihilation (Opposition)
CITIZENS ARREST-Fortress (DeadAlive)
CORRUPTED MORALS-Big Man (from “The Thing That Ate Floyd,” Lookout)

THE NERVOUS-The Greatest Generation? (Nervous)
VKTMS-Midget (Broken)
CONSUMERS-Get Out (In The Red)
MIDDLE CLASS-Autistic (Frontier)
VICTIMS-(I’m) Flipped Out Over You (from “Murder Punk Vol. 1”)
ROCKS-You’r So Boring (Brain Salad Surgery)

TRACK 2

AVENGERS-No Martyr (CD Presents)
DEFEKTORS-Bottom Of The City (Nominal)
SEDATIVES-Guilty (Deranged)
RED EYED LEGENDS-Don’t Make It Go Too Fast (Corleone)

LONELY BOYS-In Your Face (demo)
KIDNAPPERS-Street Where I Live (FDH)
ARCHIE & THE PUKES-I Got Worms (Centsless)
WOMEN IN PRISON-Births of Rot (HoZac)
CATATONIC YOUTH-I’ve Had It (HoZac)

HEBE GEEBEES-Night Fever (from “Saturday Night Pogo,” Bomp)
NERVOUS EATERS-Just Head (Rat)
FLESHAPOIDS-Nuke The Whales (Trashtone)
ANGRY SAMOANS-Get Off The Air (Triple X)
PAJAMA SLAVE DANCERS-Homo Truck Driving Man (Pajamarama)

TRACK 3

STRAY CATS-Runaway Boys (EMI)
JETHRO TULL-Hymn 43 (Chrysalis)
CHROME CRANKS-Black Garage Door (Thick Syrup)
PEECHEES-Fine Watch (Kill Rock Stars)

MAKERS-Small Town Depression (Estrus)
DISSIMILARS-(Crushin’ Up) Pills (Plastic Idol)
TRUCKER CRANK-This Ain’t England (demo)
INSERVIBLES-Negligencia (La Vida Es Un Mus)
FUNERAL ORATION-Going Further (Gummopunx)

RINGS-Automobile (Chiswick)
VIBRATORS-No Heart (Columbia)
ADAM & THE ANTS-Press Darlings (Columbia)
ROCKET FROM THE CRYPT-Sturdy Wrists (Interscope)

TRACK 4

PERE UBU-Heart Of Darkness (DGC)

MECHT MENSCH-Acceptance (Bone Air)
POSSESSED-Death Metal (Combat)
DR. KNOW-Watch It Burn (Mystic)
FACTION-Bullets Are Faster Than Words (Beer City)
SACCHARINE TRUST-I Am Right (SST)

BATTLESHIP-You Could Feel (On/On Switch)
JESUS LIZARD-Thumbscrews (Capitol)
GIT SOME-Trixie Loves Misty (1-2-3-4 Go!)
TRAPDOOR FUCKING EXIT-Run Idiot Run (No Idea)

BIG BLACK-Kerosene (Homestead)