Five O'Clock Rock

2011-01-01T10:18:00.002-06:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock (Episode 079)

The faces that launched a thousand gym memberships.

Intro
Turn Over A New Leaf / John Lee Hooker
Everything I Do Gonna Be Funky (From Now On) / Lee Dorsey
Take It As It Comes / The Doors
No More Mr. Nice Guy / Alice Cooper
Stay Positive / The Hold Steady
I Will Dare (Live) / The Replacements
Promises, Promises / The Viceroys
You Hurt Me For The Last Time / Inez Foxx
Next Time / Johnnie Taylor
I'll Never Do You Wrong / Joe Tex
Thankful N' Thoughtful / Sly & The Family Stone
Try Again / Big Star
My One Bad Habit / Dave Brubeck & Carmen McRae
Just A Little While To Stay Here / Rebirth Brass Band

This Week's Mix: Be It Resolved

2010-12-23T22:44:00.007-06:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock (Episode 078)

Feel free to be openly merry.

Intro
Swingin' Them Jingle Bells / Fats Waller and His Rhythm
Back Door Santa / Clarence Carter
Soulful Christmas / James Brown
Kung Fu Christmas / National Lampoon
The Wildest Christmas / The Boy Next Door
Run Rudolph Run / The Outlaws
Sleigh Bell Rock / Three Aces & a Joker
Christmas In Jail / The Youngsters
Christmas Day / Ral Donner
Joy to the World / Staple Singers
Slick Nick, You Devil You / Fishbone
White Christmas / Clyde McPhatter & The Drifters
Christmas In New Orleans / Louis Armstrong
I'm Your Private Santa Claus / Eddy Arnold
Blues For Christmas / John Lee Hooker
The Christmas Song / Stevie Wonder
Silent Night / Phil Spector and Artists

This Week's Mix: Don't Ask, Don't Jingle

2010-11-05T17:02:00.005-05:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock (Episode 077)

Intro
Rock 'N' Roll Children / Cactus
Academy Award / Jo Jo Gunne
Sweet Thang / LTD
Something's Wrong With This Picture / Galactic
Holy Ghost / The Bar-Kays
Catch Up To My Step / Junkie XL
Crystalline Green / Goldfrapp
Them Changes / Buddy Miles
Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get / The Dramatics
Funky, Yeah / Curley Moore & The Kool Ones
Get the Funk Out Ma Face / Brothers Johnson

This Friday's Mix: Big Bottoms

2010-09-07T00:43:00.003-05:00

Been a Long Time Since I Blogged and Polled

Here's the thing. Lately, this blog/podcast hasn't been easy to keep up, both in terms of technical abilities (which can always be addressed) and time/effort (less can be done there). Also, I haven't been buying as much new music, which was always the raisin detritus for doing this.

But I do miss it.

Here are my questions, for the maybe seven readers who might see this, about resumption:

Would you play the audio directly on this site or via the RSS feed?

Would you listen on a Friday around 4-5pm your time (the original intent) if it were ready then? Or does it not matter?

I await the words you send to me, your poison letters, your telegrams. And I *will* give a damn.

Today's FOCR: "Since You've Been Gone," Head East

2010-04-02T06:54:00.008-05:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock (Episode 076)

This theme was delayed by opponents who felt its lyrics provide support for federal funding of rock.

Intro
Take What You Can Get / Sam The Sham
Won't Take No For An Answer / The Electras
Don't Fight It / Kenny Loggins
Take, Take, Take / The White Stripes
First It Giveth / Queens Of The Stone Age
The Spirit Of Giving / The New Pornographers
The Negotiation Limerick File / The Beastie Boys
Time To Get It Together / Marvin Gaye
Give It Up or Turnit a Loose / James Brown
Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough / Michael Jackson
Do the Push & Pull, Part 1 / Rufus Thomas
Together / The Raconteurs
Won't Give In / Finn Brothers
You Sure Drive A Hard Bargain / Albert King
Workin' Together / Ike & Tina Turner
Sing This All Together / The Rolling Stones
Feudin' and Fightin / Bing Crosby

This Friday's Mix: Reconciliation

2010-03-05T12:32:00.002-06:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock (Episode 075)

When you reach 75, you have to treat yourself. Twice daily. External use only. Ask your doctor if diamonds are right for you.

Intro
Four Little Diamonds / Electric Light Orchestra
Minnie The Moocher / Commander Cody And His Lost Planet Airmen
Old Chunk Of Coal / Billy Joe Shaver
Fourteen Carat Mind / Gene Watson
Let Me Ride / The Allman Brothers Band
Betty And Dupree / Cookie & The Cupcakes
Good Morning Little Schoolgirl / Mississippi Fred McDowell
Black Diamond / Kiss
Blue Collar / Bachman-Turner Overdrive
Showdown / Thin Lizzy
Be Thankful for What You Got / William De Vaughn
Chevrolet / Taj Mahal
Black Diamond Bay / Bob Dylan
Diamond In Your Mind / Solomon Burke

This Friday's Mix: Diamond Jubilee

2009-11-06T17:15:00.002-06:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock (Episode 074)

Intro
Original Love / The Feelies
Up In Heaven (Not Only Here) / The Clash
That's The Way / Led Zeppelin
It’s Not Funny Anymore / Hüsker Dü
Short Change Hero / The Heavy
Maybe So, Maybe No / Mayer Hawthorne
Disconnected / RJD2
My Mind is at Ease / West Coast Revival
I Am The Resurrection / The Stone Roses
Hallucinations / The Raveonettes
You Make A Fool Out Of Me / Brendan Benson
Overs / Simon & Garfunkel

This Friday's Mix: Themeless Transition 2: Eclectic Boogaloo

2009-09-27T08:49:00.005-05:00

Thinking Turnout Might Be Light

2009-09-11T00:19:00.006-05:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock (Episode 011)

I've never used this theme before. It's true.

Intro
Don't Lie To Me / Big Star
Love Is Lies / Buzzcocks
I Can Tell (When You're Telling Me Lies) / John Wesley Harding
Was It a Lie? / Sleater-Kinney
You Lie / The Muffs
Lyin' Ass Bitch / Fishbone
You Gonna Lie / Little Charlie & The Nightcats
Menteur [Liar] / Steve Riley & The Mamou Playboys
Liar / The Meters
Lies / The Black Keys
Why Do I Lie? / Luscious Jackson
Lie To Me / Brook Benton
Running Out Of Lies / Etta James
Lies / J.J. Cale
That's A Lie / Too Much Joy
To Tell The Truth [Theme from the Game Show]

This Friday's Mix: Can't Not Tell a Lie

2009-07-24T13:16:00.005-05:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock (Episode 073)

Five your July Rock O' 24 Clock 2009 for. Songs fifteen random at.

Mavis Staples, "My Own Eyes"
Dr. Dog, "The Old Days"
Cri Cri, "El Comal Y La Olla"
The Second City: Scott Adsit & Adam McKay, "Gump"
Sugarman Three, "Turtle Walk"
Jean Ritchie, "The Unquiet Grave"
Daniel Martin Moore, "Stray Age"
Lisa Loeb and Elizabeth Mitchell, "Big Rock Candy Mountain"
Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, "Pick It Up, Lay It in the Cut"
Hurray for the Riff Raff, "Skin and Bones"
Dollar Brand/Abdullah Ibrahim, "Adhan & Allah-O-Akbar"
Andrew Bird, "Yawny at the Apocalypse"
Cowboy Junkies (w/ John Prine), "If You Were the Woman and I Was the Man"
The Juan MacLean, "Tonight"
M/A/R/R/S, "Pump Up the Volume (USA 12" Mix)

This Friday's Mix: Shuffleupagus

2009-05-22T15:49:00.005-05:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock (Episode 20)

A North Star State of mind.

Intro
Kids Don't Follow / The Replacements
Chemistry Set / The Suburbs
The Land of Clear Blue Radio / The Soviettes
Ship Of Fools / Soul Asylum
Love Is All Around / Hüsker Dü
Toolmaster Of Brainerd / Trip Shakespeare
Empire Builder / Mason Jennings
All The Rock Star Jobs Are Taken / Dylan Hicks
Red Dye No. 40 / Honeydogs
Funkytown / Lipps, Inc.
Cry 4 Help / Har Mar Superstar
Something For Nothing / Heiruspecs
Always Coming Back Home To You / Atmosphere

This Friday's Mix: Duck Duck Grey Duck

2009-05-15T00:11:00.003-05:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock (Episode 72)

It just wants your attention.

Intro
Hey Tonight / Creedence Clearwater Revival
Get Off of My Cloud / The Rolling Stones
Hey Hey What Can I Do / Led Zeppelin
Treat Her Right / Roy Head & The Traits
Loose Booty / Sly & The Family Stone
Hey Pocky A-Way / The Meters
Hey / Pixies
Hey Now! / Oasis
Hey Joe / Tahiti 80
Hey You! Get Off My Mountain / The Dramatics
Hey Mama / Kanye West
Hey, Boy! Hey, Girl! / Louis Prima & Keely Smith
Hey Now Baby / Professor Longhair

This Friday's Mix Is For Horses

2009-05-08T10:30:00.003-05:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock (Episode 71)

If I've told you once, I've told you seventy-one times.

Intro
Always On The Run / Lenny Kravitz
Mama Said Knock You Out / LL Cool J
Mama Told Me Not To Come / Wilson Pickett
Mama Used To Say / Junior
Que Sera Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be) / Sly & The Family Stone
Blues In The Night / Cab Calloway
My Mama Told Me / Barbara Lewis
Mama Said We Can't Get Married / Warren Lee
Too Many Fish In The Sea / The Young Rascals
Mama Don't Allow / Julia Lee
Easy Goin' Evening (My Mama's Call) / Stevie Wonder
I Asked My Mom / The Blacks
Don't Take Your Guns To Town / Johnny Cash

This Friday's Mix: Mama Done Told Me

2009-05-01T23:34:00.003-05:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock (Episode 10)
More fun this time around!

It's how I roll.

Intro
Seven Nation Army / The White Stripes
Ten Year Plan / Therapy?
Seven Day Weekend / New York Dolls
Ten Lbs. / The Delta 72
Seven Seas of Rhye / Queen
Ten Percenter / Frank Black
Seven Seas / Echo And The Bunnymen
Ten to One / The Bats
Seven / David Bowie
Ten Second News / Son Volt
Seven Long Years / The Guess Who
Ten O'Clock / ? & The Mysterians
Seven Days / Cracker
Ten Men / Morcheeba

This Friday's Mix: Seven-Ten Split

2009-04-17T11:30:00.003-05:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock (Episode 70)

When you squint, Facebook even looks like Flashback.

Vasoline / Stone Temple Pilots
Milquetoast / Helmet
Queen for a Day / Jesus Lizard
Rebel Girl / Bikini Kill
Sweat / Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
Orange Moon / Eleventh Dream Day
Cut Your Hair / Pavement
People in the Sky / Sloan
Haze of Love / Cake
Put Your Teeth up on the Window Sill / Southern Culture on the Skids
Twiggy Twiggy / Twiggy vs. James Bond / Pizzicato Five
Brother Sister / Brand New Heavies
May Queen / Liz Phair

This Friday's Mix: What's Up, 1994?

2009-04-03T15:30:00.003-05:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock (Episode 69)

Just what's at hand today. But sometimes patch works.

Intro
I Got Mine / The Black Keys
Good To Me / Brendan Benson
Get It Together (Live) / Grand Funk Railroad
Concrete Reservation / Syl Johnson
Getting Nearer / The Rascals
Mexican Candy / The Iguanas
Dreamer / Dennis Wilson
Whatever Side You're On / Shawn Lee
I Believe To My Soul / Donny Hathaway
Broken World / Shemekia Copeland
Murder in the City / The Avett Brothers
Song Of Orfeo Negro / The Fabulous Jokers

This Friday's Mix: Themeless Transition

2009-03-06T15:08:00.006-06:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock (Episode 68)

I got nothing.

Intro
Daniella / Hurray for the Riff Raff
Skinny Love / Bon Iver
From / Dr. Dog
The Concubine / Beirut
Streetlights / Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit
Can’t You See / The Marshall Tucker Band
Calvary / Levon Helm
Mighty Ship / Angela Desveaux
Beautiful Drug / Thievery Corporation
Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall / Ink Spots & Ella Fitzgerald
Grandma's Hands (Live) / Bill Withers

This Friday's Mix: Sheesh.

2009-02-14T02:22:00.004-06:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock (Episode 67)

Ten songs that I, and any clones thereof, can't live without.

Intro
Frankenstein / The Edgar Winter Group
Big Bird / Eddie Floyd
Mothership Connection (Star Child) / Parliament
Do the Funky Chicken / Rufus Thomas
Scenario / A Tribe Called Quest
Shake Your Rump / The Beastie Boys
Can't Hardly Wait / The Replacements
That's Where It's At / Sam Cooke
Southern Nights / Allen Toussaint
Harbor Lights / Sammy Kaye

This Friday's Mix: In Case of Emergency

2009-01-23T13:12:00.006-06:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock (Episode 66) Addendum

Year of the Ox looking very un-bullish, seers say (IHT)
[Four is] a number the Chinese deem extremely unlucky, because "four" is pronounced the same as "death" in Chinese.

Movies That Presumably Flopped in China

Fantastic Death
Death Weddings and a Funeral
Lethal Weapon Death
Death Wish Death: The Crackdown
Deathest Gump
Pay It Deathward
North Dallas Deathy
Nineteen Deathy-Death

Album That Presumably Flopped in China

Huey Lewis and the News, "Death!"

2009-01-23T08:58:00.014-06:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock (Episode 66)

Ah, crap.

Year of the Ox looking very un-bullish, seers say (IHT)
Chinese soothsayers see a deepening recession, millions more losing their jobs, and stocks and home prices continuing to fall. ... [S]ome fortunetellers are throwing in other dire predictions — massive earthquakes, rising U.S.-Russian tensions and trouble for President Barack Obama. ... Obama, born in the Year of the Ox, is taking office in a particularly bad year for his Chinese astrological sign. ... Obama also is the 44th president, a number the Chinese deem extremely unlucky, because "four" is pronounced the same as "death" in Chinese.

Intro
Rocks Off / The Rolling Stones
The Ox / The Who
Brainbox Pollution / Hawkwind
"B" Movie Box Car Blues / The Blues Brothers
Looking For A Fox / Clarence Carter
When My Boy Walks Down The Street / The Magnetic Fields
Fort Knox, King Solomon / Bob Mould
The Boxer / Waylon Jennings
Knocks Me Off My Feet / Stevie Wonder
Glory Box / Portishead
Wild Ox Moan / Taj Mahal
Evel Talks Of The Future/Reprise: Ballad of Evel Knievel / Evel Knievel

This Friday's Mix: Year of the Ox

2009-01-16T11:30:00.006-06:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock (Episode 65)

Here's to fresh faces.

Intro
Long Time Coming / Aloe Blacc
This Land Is Your Land / Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings
Walk Of Life / Shooter Jennings
Many Rivers To Cross / The Walkmen
Little Wing / Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble
Last Train To Clarksville / Cassandra Wilson
Iron Man / The Cardigans
Superman / Roger Troutman
Little Honda / Yo La Tengo
I Love Trash / Steven Tyler
Straight Out Of Compton / Nina Gordon

This Friday's Mix: Change of Personnel

2008-12-12T11:54:00.009-06:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rod (Episode 64)

Arrest my governor once, shame on you. Arrest my governor twice, shame on me.

Intro
Been Caught Stealing / Jane's Addiction
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap / AC/DC
Jailbreak / Thin Lizzy
Trust Me To Open My Mouth / Squeeze
Wrong Again (Let's Face It) / Rockpile
I Take What I Want / Sam & Dave
Watch That Man / Lee Fields
What Have You Done for Me Lately / Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings
Trouble / Frederick Knight
Hometown Bust / Cactus
Claimin' I'm A Criminal / Brand Nubian
Christmas In Jail / The Youngsters
Don't Pass Your Judgment / The Memphis Nomads
Three-Dollar Bill / Maria Muldaur

This Friday's Mix: Blagoje-pinched

2008-11-07T15:05:00.007-06:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock (Episode 63)

Special, special, what do you get? Another year older and deeper in debt.

Intro
Special / Violent Femmes
Nothing Special / Local H
Creep / Radiohead
The Midnight Special / Creedence Clearwater Revival
Walk to Slide / G. Love & Special Sauce
Orange Blossom Special (Live) / Johnny Cash
A Message to You Rudy / The Specials
Brass in Pocket / The Pretenders
Special / De La Soul
Nothing Special / His Name Is Alive
Somebody Special / Bobby Womack
Drunkard’s Special / Coley Jones

This Friday's Mix: 38 Special

2008-11-07T07:11:00.004-06:00

This Quadrennium's Five O'Clock Barack

Thanks, everybody. It's just what I wanted. You're all right.

This Election's Theme: It's a new day.

2008-11-04T07:07:00.003-06:00

Arrived at 6:05 a.m. to find 30 people already in line. It took about 40 minutes, and only 39.5 of those were spent on judge retention.

Now listen, America. You know my birthday's coming up. You manage to show up every four years or so, making a big deal about the effort you put out in merely showing up at all. I'm not a gift-centered person by any means, and I'm always glad to see you. In fact, I hope we see each other more often. It might help things.

But, frankly, when you do show up, what you bring me has generally been crap.

And let's not talk about the past two times. I can't even Freecycle that shit away.

This time I know I might be asking for a lot. It's not the store where you've shopped your entire life. There might not be parking. It's probably going to take a while to check out. A long-ass while. Maybe you're not entirely sure what it is you'll be taking home.

But just this once. Come on. Trust me. It's going to be worth it.

2008-10-31T13:08:00.009-05:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock (Episode 62)

Four days to go. I can't look.

Intro
I Got You / Split Ends
The Midnight Creep / The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
I'm A Ghost / Ted Leo + the Pharmacists
Groovy Spirit / Jackie Mittoo
Black Cat / Broadcast
Voodoo Lady / Ween
The Witch Queen of New Orleans / Redbone
The Boogie Monster / Gnarls Barkley
Psychotic Girl / The Black Keys
Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) / David Bowie
Spirits in the Material World / Police
The Awful Truth / Carole King
I Put a Spell on You / Screamin' Jay Hawkins

This Friday's Mix: Oooh, Scary!

2008-09-26T15:41:00.002-05:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock (Episode 61)

Don't let the rock hit you where the good lord split you.

Intro
Open Up Your Back Door / Canned Heat & John Lee Hooker
Backdoor Love Affair / ZZ Top
Lookin' Out My Back Door / Creedence Clearwater Revival
My Doorbell / The White Stripes
Gimme Three Steps / Lynyrd Skynyrd
No Knock / Gil Scott-Heron
Let 'Em In / Billy Paul
Let Me In / Bonnie Raitt
Open The Door / Clive And Naomi
Behind Closed Doors / Chuck Brooks
I Don't Want Nobody To Give Me Nothing / James Brown
Three's Company (Theme From)
The Bust / Cheech & Chong

This Friday's Mix: The Doors

2008-09-23T19:12:00.002-05:00

Vanity Fair Writer Hospitalized

Dominick Dunne is in the hospital after being stricken with pain as he watched testimony in the O.J. Simpson robbery & kidnapping trail. Preliminary tests were inconclusive, but doctors haven't ruled out his nearly severed head.

Today's FOCR: "Six Blade Knife," Dire Straits, Dire Straits

2008-09-19T15:48:00.003-05:00

Stocks soar as investors look to gov't rescue plan

Wall Street extended a huge rally Friday as investors stormed back into the market, relieved that the government plans to restore calm to the financial system by rescuing banks from billions of dollars in bad debt.

And we were all very sorry, and we learned our lesson, and the bad thing never happened again. The end.

2008-09-10T21:55:00.006-05:00

Rock Always Says It Better

"You can put lipstick on a pig. It's still a pig."
-- Barack Obama

"Obama was referring to Gov. Sarah Palin ... Who has been talking about lipstick lately? It was obvious."
-- McCain campaign spokesman Brian Rogers

"She likes wearin' lipstick, she likes French cuisine, but she won't let me use my passion unless it's in a limousine. She got me under pressure."
-- ZZ Top, "Got Me Under Pressure"

Today's FOCR: "Got Me Under Pressure," ZZ Top, Eliminator

2008-09-09T07:38:00.003-05:00

Makin' Canadian Bacon

How hot is my life these days? Check out the On Demand options I perused this weekend.

All Wet
Around the Block
Doing It Together
I Love to Pretend
Just for Laughs
New Places

Aw, yeah.

Then I made sure I hadn't mistakenly left the Caillou section of On Demand. Nope. I dialed up an episode; I don't remember which one. It's when Caillou whines and has feelings about stuff. You know the one?

Once it was rolling, I sat back and took myself to that place parents go when they have no book or notebook or internets, but still opt to listen to the low hum in the back of their heads rather than watch the children's show in front of them.

Now re-read this post in your best Barry White voice. Aw, yeah.

2008-08-10T17:56:00.004-05:00

R.I.P., Black Moses

Isaac Hayes has made his exit. Here he is, making one of the best entrances ever.

So badass, he can enter draped in one of my grandmother's quilts and make it look good.

Whatever went on between him and South Park, it's hard to believe he deserved the sendoff they gave him. Sad that this episode has been by rote included in his obits, regardless of their length. Do yourself a favor: watch Wattstax and Respect Yourself and see more to the man than that.

2008-08-08T18:22:00.003-05:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock (Episode 60)

So many -ates. Just a little late.

0. Intro
1. Late For The Train / Buzzcocks
2. Cheapskate / Supergrass
3. Overrated / Helmet
4. Dedicated / The Amps
5. The Late Greats / Wilco
6. Cemetry Gates / The Smiths
7. Sooner Or Later / World Party
8. Cast Your Fate To The Wind / Vince Guaraldi

This Friday's Mix: Oh, Eight

2008-08-03T04:38:00.004-05:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock (Episode 59)

08.01, 08.02... whatever it takes.

Intro
Holiday Road / Lindsey Buckingham
Fire In the Twilight / Wang Chung
Desire (Come And Get It) / Gene Loves Jezebel
March Of The Swivelheads / English Beat
Love Missile F1-11 / Sigue Sigue Sputnik
Wild Sex (In the Working Class) / Oingo Boingo
Don't Worry Baby / Los Lobos
(Oh) Pretty Woman / Van Halen
Twist And Shout / The Isley Brothers
I Want to be an Airborne Ranger / The US Army Rangers
Apron Strings / Everything but the Girl
Three Coins In The Fountain / Four Aces
Crazy Love / Van Morrison & Bob Marley
Colonel Bogey (From "Bridge Over the River Kwai") / Royal Australian Air Force Band

This Friday's Mix: Hughes' Next

2008-07-18T07:11:00.006-05:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock (Episode 58)

Five O'Clock Rock didn't forget your birthday.

Intro
Don't You Forget About Me / Simple Minds
Turning Japanese / The Vapors
Haunted When The Minutes Drag / Love And Rockets
Shell-Shock / New Order
You Just Haven't Earned It Yet Baby / Kirsty MacColl
Miss Amanda Jones / The Rolling Stones
Oh Yeah / Yello
Mess Around / Ray Charles
Land Of 1000 Dances / Wilson Pickett
Try A Little Tenderness / Otis Redding
Lenny / Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble
I Can't Help Falling in Love with You / Lick the Tins
The Edge of Forever / The Dream Academy
If You Were Here / Thompson Twins
Birthday / The Beatles

This Friday's Mix: Hughes in Review

2008-07-02T09:30:00.005-05:00

So That's What's Been Bothering Me

Man, now I feel like a jerk.

2008-05-30T01:40:00.002-05:00

The Punctuation Was My First Clue

This sign replaced the original one, which read:

Coming in June

T-shirts for the whole "family." To brighten up your "outfit." Because casual wear is "our thing." "Don" our shirts and get "ma' fia" money. In a foot race between innocuous-looking businesses, we'd be out "front." Systematically paying higher prices than ours would be an "organized crime." We won't SLAP Tsamaddayou? Why you gotta write your big mouth off with this sign? Why can't youse write the one line we talked about? Stop with the writing every word I SLAP

2008-05-23T10:41:00.006-05:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock (Episode 57)

Will Rock For Food.

Intro
Tryin' Times / Donny Hathaway
Last Two Dollars / Johnnie Taylor
Can You Do Without? / The Meters
Poor Man's Song / Little Milton
I'm a Millionaire / Lee Fields
It's Hard Out Here For A Pimp / Three 6 Mafia
The Projects (PJays) / Handsome Boy Modeling School
Be Thankful for What You've Got / William DeVaughn
Patches / Clarence Carter
Lost My Job / Alex Chilton
I'm A Loser / UFO
Will the Wolf Survive? / Los Lobos
Hand To Mouth / The Flying Burrito Brothers
Poor Boy Boogie / Mac Davis
King Of The Road / Joe Tex
A Beggar For Your Kisses / The Diamonds

This Friday's Mix: Times Is Tough

2008-05-09T20:01:00.003-05:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock (Episode 56)

Non-driving rock and roll.

Intro
Bus Rider / The Guess Who
Walk Away / James Gang
Walk This Way / Aerosmith
Bad Motor Scooter / Montrose
Get On The Snake / Soundgarden
Cretin Hop / The Ramones
Kiss Me on the Bus / The Replacements
Hitch Hike / The Rolling Stones
Walkin' Thru The Park / Muddy Waters
Get Ready To Ride The Lion To Zion / Culture
Kick, Push / Lupe Fiasco
Les Bicyclettes de Belsize / Engelbert Humperdinck
I'll Stay / Funkadelic

This Friday's Mix: Alternate Transportation

2008-05-09T10:55:00.003-05:00

Lar-went

Largo was/is a club in LA and the venue for some of the best shows I've seen, like Naked Trucker & T-Bones and Paul F. Tompkins. (I've been led to believe it also hosted some music.) Now the club is closing its doors on Fairfax, but reopens in June at a theater on La Cienega.

In the meantime, there's this cool-looking documentary capturing the old scenery, co-created by owner Mark Flanagan. (His friendly reservation-line messages were always a treat. I never met the guy, but I'd have sworn his recordings were inviting me by name.)

www.largofilm.com

2008-05-08T18:45:00.003-05:00

"Baby, If You've Ever Wondered..."

... Wondered, whatever might be the best sitcom ever? With renewed certainty, I declare that it was WKRP in Cincinnati.

Finding episodes on Hulu.com last night convinced me of this again. I haven't watched the "Turkey" episode in years, and yet in one scene I could mirror Johnny Fever's exact hand gestures, for cry eye. That's how the true funny sticks.

Absolutely perfect ensemble work. Writing that goes from hilarious to mellow to moving to pleasantly weird. A show about rock music that actually liked rock music, using it authentically and integrally as a living character on the show.

And there, friends, is the rub. These Hulu episodes are clearly from the long-awaited and ultimately regrettable WKRP DVDs. To avoid the admittedly daunting and expensive task of licensing every single song fragment, the DVD producers ripped all songs out of the soundtrack, replacing them with generic rock-like substitutes.

The pilot episode's climactic scene, when Johnny launches WKRP's abrupt switch from "beautiful music" with Ted Nugent's "Queen of the Forest," is now so stunningly un-rocking, accompanied by a stock composition that certainly bears a title like "House Rockin' Guitar #12." The fan dies a little inside.

However, now that these Lucased episodes can be watched for free, I can let go of some of my fury. If nothing else, neutering the music does serve to focus further attention on the excellence of the performances. If Howard Hesseman can still make it look like "House Rockin' Guitar #12" is rocking his ass, it's because he's that good.

It's just too bad that anyone who missed the show in its original state will never know just how awesome it used to sound.

But really? There wasn't some deal to work out? DVDs that could breathe new life into hoary AOR tracks with links to buy the songs in each episode? Or even a deluxe edition that actually includes them?

A perfect example of today's craptastic state of rights management, and how the music industry slowly stabs itself to death with it. Then again, if rock radio can't pick its own songs, why let shows about rock radio do it?

2008-05-07T01:23:00.003-05:00

We Have Always Lived in the Castle, or Did Until the Nielsens Were Released

Two nights ago, I screamed in my sleep.

In my dream, some former coworkers and I were temporarily living together in this spooky old house. Like a Shirley Jackson reality show, but without the show or, in retrospect, the reality.

We gradually became aware of horrible music playing through loudspeakers in every room of the house. This sound... it was alive and growing louder. It would not let us sleep or think. It was monotonic. It was needles in the spine.

Soon the residents split up and began to hunt for its source. Throughout the building, people uncovered ancient, industrially sealed phonographs at work. But when the machines were destroyed, there was no effect on the aural terror filling the house.

Finally, I discovered a vulnerable turntable that was clearly playing the music in question. I grabbed the tonearm, and with deliberation, so that all my friends would hear our triumph, I dragged that needle across the platter, heavy and hard. I then stomped the life out of it. There was silence.

Seconds later, the music began again from somewhere else. Raising my clawed hands to the sky, I screamed.

Then the Ms. was standing over me. I'd awoken on the couch, where she'd run all the way from the bedroom. She asked what was wrong. Groggy and sheepish, I said, "I was being tortured."

Quickly, to defuse the moment, I added: "With calliope music."

Nearby the TV was playing the DVD menu screen of "Laugh Your Troubles Away: The Complete History of Riverview Park." It had probably been looping away for the thirty minutes or more since I'd dozed off watching it.

I'll never get my name on movie ads this way. This gentle, nostalgic documentary brings back the fun of yesteryear. "I screamed in my sleep!" -- Five O'Clock Rock

Welcome to my nightmare.

2008-04-29T23:43:00.001-05:00

LSD Inventor, Dead at Age 102

Swiss chemist and psychedelic pioneer Albert Hoffman, who inadvertently discovered the hallucinogenic properties of LSD and first tested them on himself, died Tuesday. His face fucking melted off, man. He was 102.

2008-04-11T11:13:00.005-05:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock (Episode 55)

Safety glasses required in this area.

Intro
Biology / Joe Jackson
Gravity's Gone / Drive-By Truckers
Chemistry / Semisonic
Love Is Like Oxygen / Sweet
She's Electric / Oasis
X-Ray Man / Liz Phair
Phenomena / Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Astral Plane / The Modern Lovers
Darkmatter / Andrew Bird
Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) / Marvin Gaye
Biological Speculation / Funkadelic
She Blinded Me With Science / Thomas Dolby

This Friday's Mix: Science!

2008-03-27T16:56:00.004-05:00

Oh my god.

911: This is 911; what is your emergency?

CALLER: Oh... oh my god. My junk. My junk. It's gone. One minute, I was reading a flyer. Next thing I knew, I woke up in this hotel bathtub packed with ice. A note said, "Your junk has been removed. Call 911." So I did.

911: I'm sorry, you want Junk Removal 911. I'll transfer you.

CALLER: Hurry! Please. I feel... dizzy.

2008-03-21T16:57:00.004-05:00

Today's "Classic" Five O'Clock Rock: (Episode 28)

I guess it was snowing pretty hard on 12.01.2006, too.

Intro
The Blizzard / Charley Pride
Snowflake / Jim Reeves
Snowflake / Girls Are Short
The Blizzard of '96 / The Walkmen
Snowflakes / Carmen Rizzo
Snowflakes / Just Jack
Blizzard of '77 / Nada Surf
Whiteout / Boss Hog
Blizzard of '78 / Ida
Snowflakes / Pizzicato Five
Snowflakes / Grant Lee Phillips
Snowflakes / Doug Hoekstra
Blizzard / Ellis Paul
The Blizzard / Cowboy Nation
Snow Days / Trip Shakespeare
Snow Blizzard

This Friday's Mix: No Two Alike

2008-03-16T16:03:00.003-05:00

Rock Always Says It Better

Nothing contributes so much to tranquilize the mind as a steady purpose—a point on which the soul may fix its intellectual eye.
-- Mary "Wollstonecraft" Shelley, Frankenstein

Buh-nuh nuh nuh nuh-nuh NUH, buh-nuh nuh nuh-nuh (boodle leedle eedle eedle). Buh-nuh nuh nuh nuh-nuh NUH, buh-nuh nuh nuh-nuh (wwrrrrreeeeeeoowwwww).
-- Edgar "Whiteasgetout" Winter, "Frankenstein"

2008-03-14T12:00:00.003-05:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock (Episode 54)

‘Tis you, ‘tis you must go and I must dig. Dig?

Intro
Flute Loop / The Beastie Boys
Thank You (Falletin Me Be Mice Elf Again) / Joe Thomas
Burning Spear / S.O.U.L.
The Bottle / Gil Scott-Heron
Smiling Faces Sometimes / Bobbi Humphrey
Nubian Lady / Yusef Lateef
Cry Me A River / Sam Cooke
Go To Hell / Nina Simone
You Are The Woman / Firefall
The India Song / Big Star
Spill The Wine / Eric Burdon & War
Watermelon Man / Herbie Hancock
Never Can Say Goodbye / Isaac Hayes
Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Rai / Bing Crosby

This Friday's Mix: The Pipes Are Calling

2008-02-15T13:19:00.006-06:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock (Episode 53)

You can rock all of the people some of the time. You can rock some of the people all of the time. But you can't rock all of the people until a certain time.

Intro
Cross-Eyed Mary / Jethro Tull
Christine Sixteen / Kiss
Weird Beard / Fu Manchu
Bullet and A Target / Citizen Cope
Pretty Penny / Stone Temple Pilots
Big Log / Viktor Krauss
Railway Shoes / Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians
Honest I Do / Jimmy Reed
Sad Head Blues / Mr. Sad Head
Kentucky Woman / Neil Diamond
Living In A House Divided / Cher
Start A War / The National
Eye On Springfield Theme / Alf Clausen
Abe Lincoln Versus Madison Avenue / Bob Newhart

This Friday's Mix: Abraham Linkage

2008-02-12T13:49:00.001-06:00

Hanging In and Jiving

Supplementing this post, thanks to Linda:

While we lost the singer of the "Maude" theme song some time ago, WNYC's "Soundcheck" recently reassured us that the theme's writer is still kicking. To my mind, the man did more for Lady Godiva than chocolate.

Speaking of She Who Shall Not Be Tranquilizin', check out The Beachwood Reporter's celebration of 35 years of "Maude."

By the way, the 35th anniversary gift is jade, and "jade" can also be defined as "a bad-tempered or disreputable woman."

[PINKY TO CHIN, COYLY] Oh, did I just blow your mind?

2008-02-08T15:15:00.003-06:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock (Episode 52)

Lizbeth, I'm a-comin'.

Intro
Stop Draggin' My Heart Around / Stevie Nicks w/Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
The Heart Bionic / Bobby Bare, Jr.
Closer To The Heart / Rush
Heartbreaker / Pat Benatar
Another Nail In My Heart / Squeeze
Movin' Out (Anthony's Song) / Billy Joel
It's a Heartache / Bonnie Tyler
Take Another Little Piece Of My Heart / Dusty Springfield
This Old Heart Of Mine (Is Weak For You) / The Isley Brothers
Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart / The Supremes
Pain In My Heart / Otis Redding
My Bleeding Heart / Elmore James
Heartbreak Road / Bill Withers
Don't Break My Heart / UB40
Take My Heart (If You Want It) / Kool & The Gang
Open Up Your Heart And Let The Sun Shine In / Frente!

This Friday's Mix: Heart Trouble

2008-02-05T15:00:00.002-06:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock (Episode 51)

Fat Tuesdays, seen and unseen.

Intro
Charlemagne / John Cale
That Will Be Good Enough For Me / Rance Allen Group
Dixie Toot / Rod Stewart
Carnival Game / Cheap Trick
Across The Border / Electric Light Orchestra
Shake Your Rump / The Beastie Boys
Let The Rhythm Run / Salt-N-Pepa
Carnival Time / Al Johnson
Handa Wanda / Bo Dollis & the Wild Magnolia Mardi Gras Indian Band
Mardi Gras In New Orleans / Professor Longhair
Mardi Gras Day / Dr. John

This Friday's Mix: Mardi Gras

2008-01-25T09:48:00.002-06:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock (Episode 50)

THE Five O'Clock Rock?

Intro
Alex Chilton / The Replacements
Eddie Vedder / Local H
Tom Sawyer / Rush
Pablo Picasso / The Modern Lovers
Jesus Christ / Big Star
Johnny Appleseed / Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros
Sir Duke / Stevie Wonder
Bo Diddley / The Meters
Shadrach / The Beastie Boys
Dennehy / Serengeti
Bruce Lee / Underworld
James Brown / Big Audio Dynamite
Johnny Mathis' Feet / American Music Club
Ingrid Bergman / Billy Bragg & Wilco
Hong Kong Phooey / Sublime

This Friday's Mix: Name Checking

2008-01-23T15:00:00.000-06:00

...But I Heard the Hook Was on His Foot

One more strike against everything I learned on the playground.

I always thought that Van Halen was famous for requiring their backstage bowls of M&Ms be filled only with green ones, due to their purported aphrodisiac qualities.

Turns out, idiot, the backstage rider wasn't "all green ones," but rather "no brown ones." And the reason, at least according to Diamond Dave, was a totally practical one having nothing to do with making Teacher hot(ter).

Perhaps it's time to revisit my phobia of eating KFC at the drive-in.

Nope. Still too scary. (SHUDDER) KFC.

Today's blow to childhood conventional wisdom delivered by allmusic.com.

2008-01-07T02:04:00.000-06:00

The 7 Habits and/or Toiletries* of Highly Effective People

* As evidenced by the briefcase left on our garbage cans.

7. Being Proactive
6. Old Spice Red Zone Body Wash
5. Dollar-store Febreze knock-off
4. Putting First Things First
3. Literature of Bill W. & Top rolling papers (tie)
1. Begin with the End in Mind...But if You're Caught Mid-Alley-Defecation, Forget the Briefcase and Run

2008-01-04T16:56:00.002-06:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock (Episode 49)

Oooh, you dirty year.

Intro
Rats In The Cellar / Aerosmith
Ratcity In Blue / Good Rats
Lay It Down / Ratt
Like A Goddam Rat / Early Man
Reveal the Rats / Fatal Flying Guillotines
Rat Patrol / Naked Raygun
Rats / Pearl Jam
I Came As A Rat / Modest Mouse
I Think I Smell A Rat / The White Stripes
Bold Rat / The Coctails
I Smell A Rat / Clarence Carter
Rats In My Kitchen / Sleepy John Estes
Rat In My Kitchen / UB40
Rat Race / Bob Marley
Year Of The Rat / Badly Drawn Boy

This Friday's Mix: Year of the Rat

2007-12-28T17:00:00.002-06:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock (Episode 48)

A little something for your yearhole.

Intro
Heretics / Andrew Bird
Here Comes the Rain / The Ladybug Transistor
Mistaken For Strangers / The National
Mutiny, I Promise You / The New Pornographers
A Hand to Take Hold of the Scene / Okkervil River
Up On Crutches / The Sea And Cake
Party / El Perro Del Mar
How Dark Is Your Dark Side / His Name Is Alive
Lord, Let Us Shine / The Pink Mountaintops
Eyes On The Prize / Mavis Staples
How Long Do I Have To Wait For You? / Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings
Deep In The Sand / The Budos Band
Way Back When / Buck 65
Oh Katrina / Anders Osborne
Shake It Off / Wilco

This Friday's Mix: Ear in Review
(Yes, some are older than 2007. Never was accused of being overly up-to-the-minute.)

2007-12-11T23:43:00.002-06:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock (Episode 47)

It was a day and/or night like no other. One I will remember 'til the day and/or night I die.

Intro
The Day I Tried to Live / Soundgarden
Today / Smashing Pumpkins
The Day that Curly Billy Shot Down Crazy Sam McGee / The Hollies
The Night Chicago Died / Paper Lace
Turn-Down Day / The Cyrkle
Tuesday, Oct. 24th / Clem Snide
A Big Day In The North / Black Grape
Papa Was a Rolling Stone / The Pioneers
The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia / Vicki Lawrence
December 1963 (Oh, What A Night) / Frankie Valli And The Four Seasons
Saturday In the Park / Chicago
Such A Night / Clyde McPhatter & The Drifters
The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down / Joan Baez
The Day They Sold Beer In Church / Norman Greenbaum
Nobody Told Me / John Lennon
Eve Of Destruction / Barry McGuire

This Friday's Mix: Days of Infamy

2007-11-30T16:58:00.002-06:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock (Episode 46)

Okay, this takes some background.

Way back, there was this scene that my friend Kit and I always talked about putting into a screenplay. It was basically a real conversation of ours. The scene would have gone something like this:

INT. CAR
J is driving. KIT is shotgun. On the radio, Sam Cooke's "What a Wonderful World" is in its final chorus.
KIT: What a perfect song. Just perfect. Sam Cooke, right?
J: Yep.
KIT: Man, whatever happened to him?
J: He was shot outside a motel office, wearing nothing but a trenchcoat.
KIT: JESUS. Really?
J: Mmm-hmm.
On the radio, Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" begins to play.
KIT: Nothing bad happened to Marvin Gaye, did it?
J: Shot.
KIT: Damn.
J: By his own father.
KIT: Fuck!
KIT reaches over and turns the radio dial.
KIT: Them?
J: Singer, car crash.
KIT changes the dial again.
J: Car.
Again.
J: Car.
Again.
J: Plane.
Again.
J: Drowned.
Again.
J: Can't remember. Something with vomit.
Again.
J: Drowned in vomit.
KIT turns off the radio.
KIT: Okay. The one song that will cheer me up, no matter what's wrong. (INHALES) Please, please tell me that, somewhere, the theme-from-"Maude" guy is a fat happy grandpa.
J: Fell out a window.
There is silence.
KIT: (POINTS) That bar up there.
J: Sounds good.
EXT. CAR
The car exits the freeway.
KIT: But then we're sleeping it off in the car.

Sorry. It's just been that sort of week. Not to mention how I felt myself age by writing that I have used a car radio with dials.

Intro
Big Houses / House Of Freaks
I'm Free Now / Morphine
#1 Hit Song / Minutemen
Ticket Tulane / Silkworm
Trouble / Little Feat
Ballad Of Big Nothing / Elliott Smith
Things Behind The Sun / Nick Drake
New Year's Prayer / Jeff Buckley
You And Your Sister / Chris Bell
That's Where It's At / Sam Cooke
When Did You Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop Loving You / Marvin Gaye
You've Got A Friend / Donny Hathaway
I'll Have To Say I Love You In A Song / Jim Croce
Let's Get Lost / Chet Baker
Loving You / Minnie Riperton
Don't Cry / J Dilla

This Friday's Mix: Whatever Happened To?

2007-11-29T23:20:00.000-06:00

Do This, Don't Do That/Can't Yuu Read the Sign?

This picture, it's hilareus.

2007-11-28T13:35:00.000-06:00

Word of the Week

Se•cret Han•ta

(n.) The process of swapping viruses at holiday gatherings, usually done anonymously.

I think Cousin Earl must have had me for Secret Hanta. I remember seeing him sneeze into the cider.

2007-11-09T12:18:00.001-06:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock (Episode 45)

All the better to rock you.

Intro
What Would Wolves Do? / Les Savy Fav
The Wolf Put His Mouth On Me / His Name Is Alive
The Grandmother Wolf / Pretty Girls Make Graves
Teenage Werewolf / The Barbarellas
Hungry Like the Wolf / Duran Duran
Wild Flower / The Cult
Run With The Wolf / Rainbow
Werewolves of London / Magnolia Electric Co
Little Red Riding Hood / Sea Monster
Clap for the Wolfman / The Guess Who
Hillbilly Wolf / Link Wray
The Howling Wolf / Lightnin' Hopkins
Let The Wolves Howl At The Moon / Super Furry Animals
Full Moon / The Kinks
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Part 2) / Jimmy Smith
Prenez garde au grand méchant loup / Django Reinhardt

This Friday's Mix: What Big Teeth

2007-10-26T18:02:00.001-05:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock (Episode 16)

This is something of a repeat, but it's new to the podcast. So don't drive yourself crazy asking which came first.

Intro
Chicken Payback / A Band Of Bees
Mansize Rooster / Supergrass
Chicken Little Was Right / The Turtles
Chicken Pox / Booker T. & The M.G.'s
Memphis Women and Chicken / Dan Penn
Chicken Shack / Charlie Musselwhite
Chicken Shake / Stereo MC's
Chicken / Devendra Banhart
Chicken Grease / D'Angelo
Do the Funky Chicken / Rufus Thomas
How Funky Is Your Chicken / Jackson 5
Sweet Rhode Island Red / Ike & Tina Turner
Egg Man / The Beastie Boys
A Chicken with Its Head Cut Off / The Magnetic Fields
Want Me Cock / Owen & Leon Silveras
Chicken Talk / Yma Sumac

This Friday's Mix: Chicken!

2007-10-24T21:47:00.000-05:00

When Character Limits Go Really, Really Wrong

2007-10-19T22:35:00.001-05:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock (Episode 44)

What do toddlers and job seekers have in common?

Intro
(I Don't Want to Go To) Chelsea / Elvis Costello
I Don't Want to Lose You / The Smithereens
I Don't Wanna Face It / John Lennon
I Don't Know What I Want / The Raspberries
I Don't Ever Want to Come Down / The 13th Floor Elevators
Don't Want To Know If You Are Lonely / Hüsker Dü
I Don't Want To Lose You Yet / Eddie Spaghetti
I Don't Want To Get Over You / Mary Lou Lord
I Don't Want to Know / Nils Lofgren
I Don't Want Love / Dan Hicks And The Hot Licks
(I Don't Want To) Hang Up My Rock And Roll Shoes / The Band
I Don't Want to Know / Fleetwood Mac
I Don't Want To Spoil The Party / The Blazers
I Don't Want to Kill Anymore / Chan Poling
I Don't Want You On My Mind / Bill Withers
I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire / Ink Spots

This Friday's Mix: No, Thanks!

2007-10-05T16:58:00.000-05:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock

Making like a tree and getting out of here.

Intro
Modeling Sucks / Handsome Boy Modeling School
I'm Settin Away / Fu Manchu
Gonna Leave You / Queens Of The Stone Age
Color Me Gone / Girl Trouble
Goodbye To You / Scandal
Auf Wiedersehen / Cheap Trick
Goodbye Again / The Iguanas
Call It a Day / The Raconteurs
Never Can Say Goodbye / Isaac Hayes
…And I'm Out / Galactic w/ Mr. Lif
Moving / Supergrass
Gone For Good / The Shins
I'm Bound to Pack it Up / The White Stripes
Kyle Quit The Band / Tenacious D
Over The Hills And Far Away / Led Zeppelin
Drift Away / Dobie Gray

This Friday's Mix: Bye Now

2007-09-21T13:16:00.000-05:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock

The definitive infinitive.

Intro
Cruel To Be Kind / Spacehog
Made To Be Broken / Soul Asylum
Right To Be Wrong / Delbert McClinton
Got To Be Someone / The Waco Brothers
Ways To Be Wicked / Lone Justice
Nothing To Be Done / The Pastels
Never To Be Repeated / The Long Blondes
Fun To Be Happy / Love Tractor
Got To Be Free / The Rulers
Soon To Be Large / Charizma & Peanut Butter Wolf
Free To Be Freaks / The Freak Accident
Born To Be Hit / The New Duncan Imperials
Born To Be Bad / Carl Mann
Happy To Be Here / Todd Snider
Hard To Be You / The 88
Touched To Be Sure / Robert Pollard

This Friday's Mix: That Is the Question

2007-09-14T15:44:00.000-05:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock

Okay, so, I got an iPhone. I began the day of the price cuts swearing I'd never do it, but after five minutes of trying one out, I had to do it. It's the mapping. Maps and directions on demand are crucial for someone with a notoriously bad sense of direction like mine. I get lost constantly, but I can totally grasp where I should be if I can just see it. Now I'm totally set.

Unless I lose the iPhone.

Intro
I Got Kinda Lost / Chris Bell
Lost In the Supermarket / The Clash
Finding My Way / Rush
Can't Find My Way Home / Styx
There's No Way Out Of Here / David Gilmour
Is This Where? / Mission of Burma
Lost Highway / Hank Williams
Turn Around / Carl Perkins
Side O' The Road / Creedence Clearwater Revival
Too Late to Turn Back Now / Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose
Will it Go 'Round In Circles / Billy Preston
A Place Nobody Can Find / Sam & Dave
There's A Break In The Road / Betty Harris
Love Map / Lyndon
Farther On Down The Road (You Will Accompany Me) / Taj Mahal
Where Could I Go But To The Lord / Jesse Fuller

This Friday's Mix: A Bit Lost

2007-08-24T17:39:00.000-05:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock

Seventeen years ago tomorrow, I was at Stevie Ray Vaughan's second-to-last show.

The van ride up to Alpine Valley was cramped. We sat way back on the lawn, relying on the video monitor to see anything at all. Wedged between Robert Cray, Jeff Healey and Eric Clapton, the Stevie Ray set wasn't nearly long enough. The drive back that same night was a long one. I think I wound up sleeping away most of Stevie Ray's last day on earth, just to recover from the trip.

But I would pay twenty times what I paid for that show to see it again. At these rates, you understand, all I ask for is a slightly more comfortable ride. Seventeen extra years aren't kind to the knees or ass.

Intro
Scuttle Buttin' / Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble
Couldn't Stand The Weather / SRV & DT
Change It / SRV & DT
Mary Had a Little Lamb / SRV & DT
These Blues Is Killing Me / A.C. Reed
Soulful Dress / Marcia Ball
Cold Shot / SRV & DT
Look At Little Sister / SRV & DT
Double Whammy / Lonnie Mack
C.O.D. / Angela Strehli & Stevie Ray Vaughn
Long Way From Home / The Vaughan Brothers
Pipeline / Stevie Ray Vaughan and Dick Dale
God Knows / Bob Dylan
Life By The Drop / Stevie Ray Vaughan
Lenny / SRV & DT
Life Without You / SRV & DT

This Friday's Mix: Couldn't Stand the Weather

2007-08-10T16:05:00.000-05:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock

Because what's driving in the summertime without hot vinyl?

Intro
Summer's Cauldron / XTC
Grass / XTC
Every Kinda People / Robert Palmer
Harlem / Bill Withers
Take Me Girl (I'm Ready) / Jr. Walker and the Allstars
Hot Fun in the Summertime / Sly and the Family Stone
Please Don't Make Me Cry / UB40
Summer of Our Love / Bar-Kays
Summertime / Big Brother & the Holding Company
Thank You / Led Zeppelin
Deep Blue Sea / John Mayall
Under the Boardwalk / Sam & Dave
Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White / Roy Clark
The Look of Love / Julius Wechter and the Baja Marimba Band
Tomorrow / Joe Walsh
Be Here Now / George Harrison

This Friday's Mix: Summerly Too

2007-07-21T00:57:00.001-05:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock

Can’t think of joke no brain work mmmm summer.

Intro
Ponta De Lança Africano (Umbabaraúma) / Jorge Ben
Spark Plug / Stereolab
Chinese Checkers / Booker T. & The MG's
Un Homme Et Une Femme / Francis Lai
Scenic World / Beirut
Too Strong / The Sea And Cake
La Iguana / Los Lobos
Canterurias / Cecilia Barraza
Midnight at the Oasis / Maria Muldaur
Day Dreamin' / Aretha Franklin
Castles Made Of Sand / Jimi Hendrix Experience
At The River / Groove Armada
Simple X / Andrew Bird
Southern Nights / Allen Toussaint
Ené alantchi alnorem (I Can't Live Without You) / Mulatu Astatke
If We Never Meet Again This Side of Heaven / Leon Redbone

This Friday's Mix: Summerly

2007-06-11T12:52:00.000-05:00

Worst-written Headline of the Day

"Bjorn Borg bitten during dogfight, withdraws from exhibition"

Disappointingly, one reads on to find out that the Wimbledon champ was (a) not in a dogfight, and therefore (b) was not taking part in a dogfighting exhibition.

2007-06-01T17:56:00.000-05:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock

What’s that rumbling? It’s like there’s-— AAAAH!

Intro
The Bug / Dire Straits
The Full Bug / Van Halen
Badass Bug / The Cramps
Cicada Rock / Southern Culture on the Skids
Earwigs In My Brain / The Meteors
Love Bug / Marcy Playground
Spider's Web / Mission of Burma
Centipede / Veruca Salt
Two Bugs And A Roach / Earl Hooker
Ole! Tarantula / Robyn Hitchcock and the Venus 3
Bug Scuffle / Swift Jewel Cowboys
Spider in the Snow / The Dismemberment Plan
The Moth / Aimee Mann
Insect Eyes / Devendra Banhart
Wedding Of The Bugs / Robbie Fulks
Ugh! It's a Bug! / Jim Post

This Friday's Mix: Bugs

2007-05-25T14:09:00.000-05:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock

Remember to always Bee Kind.

1. Intro
2. Quest for Fire / Iron Maiden
3. Lost In America / Alice Cooper
4. Six Pack / Black Flag
5. Colors / Ted Nugent & The Amboy Dukes
6. Strange Brew / Cream
7. Fame / David Bowie
8. Breathless / Robin Trower
9. Tightrope / Stevie Ray Vaughan
10. Running On Empty / Jackson Browne
11. Firestarter / .38 Special
12. Back to School / Ace Frehley
13. No Way Out / Electric Light Orchestra
14. Blue Thunder / Galaxie 500
15. Funny Farm / King Kong
16. All Of Me / King Pleasure
17. All the Right Moves / David Hasselhoff

This Friday's Mix: Yellowed VHS Cases

2007-05-21T15:51:00.000-05:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock*

Okay. So the Pistons beat the Bulls. But does Detroit have great music like--? Oh.

1. Intro
2. Down On The Street / The Stooges
3. High School / MC5
4. Meet the Creeper / Destroy All Monsters
5. Mesmerizer / The Come Ons
6. Hey Sailor / Detroit Cobras
7. C'mon C'mon / The Von Bondies
8. Eat This City / Thunderbirds Are Now!
9. Dance Commander / Electric Six
10. Dangerous / Sonic's Rendezvous Band
11. Livin' for the City / The Dirtbombs
12. Ten O'Clock / ? & The Mysterians
13. Mama Don't Allow No Parkin' / Brownsville Station
14. Hey Baby / Ted Nugent
15. Aimless Lady / Grand Funk Railroad
16. I'm Bound to Pack it Up / The White Stripes
17. Life In the D / Brendan Benson

This Friday's Mix: D-fense!
* Yes, it's late. Yes, it's partly repurposed from the pre-podcast era. Thanks for asking!

2007-05-04T01:11:00.000-05:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock

This one goes out to friends here from Amsterdam last week, and those who couldn't make the trip. Keep your fiets dry and your biertjes cold.

Intro
Lower the Boom / Ugly Duckling
Boom! Shake the Room / DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
Boom Music / Quasimoto
Boom Bip / Zion I & Goapele
54321...Boom / Public Enemy
Boom Shak A-tack / Born Jamericans
Boom Boom Carnival / Aswad
Heart Go Boom / Apollo Four Forty
Bang-A-Lang-A-Boom-Er-Rang-Man / Jona Lewie
Boom Boom / John Lee Hooker
Boom Boom, Out Go the Lights / The Levon Helm Band
Get Out Of Here With Your Boom-Boom / Bobby Rush
Heavy Makes You Happy (Sha-Na-Boom-Boom) / The Staple Singers
Boom-A-Rang / The Dynamic Soul Machine
Sophisticated Boom Boom / The Shangri-Las
Tchin Boom Da Ra / Frank Yankovic and His Yanks

This Friday's Mix: Baby Made a Boom

2007-04-27T13:39:00.000-05:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock

If you’d been wondering where the rock has been lately, the answer is three letters long.

1. Intro
2. Call It What You Want / Tesla
3. Takin' Care Of Business / Winnebago Deal
4. Takin' Care Of Business / Charlie Musselwhite
5. Jesus Just Left Chicago / ZZ Top
6. Take Care of Business / Nina Simone
7. T.C.B. / Diana Ross, The Supremes & The Temptations
8. Back in My Arms / Robert Palmer
9. Work To Do / The Isley Brothers
10. Funky Nassau, Pt. 1 / The Beginning Of The End
11. T.C.B. or T.Y.A. / Bobby Patterson
12. Slippery When Wet / The Commodores
13. I'm Livin' Right / Fats Domino
14. I Can Take Care Of Business / Syl Johnson
15. Dr. Feelgood / Aretha Franklin
16. Step Right Up / Tom Waits
17. The Mighty Stephen Hawking / M.C. Hawking

This Friday's Mix: TCB

2007-03-30T13:09:00.000-05:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock

Why, yes, my refrigerator IS running. Why do you ask?

1. Intro
2. Chain of Fools / Paul Revere & The Raiders
3. You're Fooling You / The Dramatics
4. A Fool in Love / The Levon Helm Band
5. Ship of Fools / World Party & Anthony Thistlethwaite
6. Like A Fool / Superchunk
7. When I Was A Fool / Concrete Blonde
8. King of Fools / Social Distortion
9. Fool Too Long / Rockpile
10. Fools Gold / Rachel Sweet
11. Genitalia Of A Fool / Glenn Tilbrook
12. Everybody Plays the Fool / The Main Ingredient
13. Only A Fool Would Say That / Ivy
14. Sentimental Fool / Lloyd Cole
15. Who Will the Next Fool Be / Charlie Rich
16. A Fool For You / Ray Charles
17. Fool's Paradise / Sam Cooke

This Friday's Mix: Fool Frontal

2007-03-23T10:20:00.000-05:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock

It's everything they say. It also has its good points.

1. Intro
2. Come To California / Matthew Sweet
3. I'm from L.A. / Go Betty Go
4. Walking in L.A. / Missing Persons
5. Macarthur Park / The Negro Problem
6. L.A. / Elliott Smith
7. Hollywood / World Party
8. California Love / 2Pac featuring Dr. Dre & Roger Troutman
9. I Left My Wallet in El Segundo / A Tribe Called Quest
10. Mr. Davies / Tahiti 80
11. Do Re Mi / Woody Guthrie
12. How Much Is It Worth To Live In L.A. / Waylon Jennings
13. Sin City / Flying Burrito Brothers
14. California / Jay Farrar
15. Blue Jay Way / The Beatles
16. Goodnight, Hollywood Blvd. / Ryan Adams
17. Midnight at Pink's / Hal Blaine

This Friday's Mix: Going Back to Cali

2007-03-16T10:48:00.000-05:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock

It may backfire, but will nevertheless aspire.

1. Intro
2. Ire / The Strawberry Smell
3. Sultans Of Swing / Dire Straits
4. The Daze / Backyard Tire Fire
5. Serpentine Fire / Earth, Wind & Fire
6. Desire / En Vogue
7. Vampire / Black Uhuru
8. Yellow Sapphire / Smoke & Mirrors
9. The Queen of Ur and the King of Um / Wire
10. Play With Fire / The Rolling Stones
11. Spitfire / The Spinanes
12. Hotwire / The Flesh Eaters
13. Misfire / Neko Case & Her Boyfriends
14. Backfire / Aimee Mann
15. Haywire / The Jayhawks
16. Concrete and Barbed Wire / Lucinda Williams
17. Goodnight Irene / Bryan Ferry

This Friday's Mix: Ire Land

2007-03-09T16:35:00.000-06:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock

The *ide* have it.

1. Intro
2. When My Baby's Beside Me / Big Star
3. Free Ride / The Edgar Winter Group
4. Step Aside / Sleater-Kinney
5. I Am Decided / The Amps
6. A Good Idea / Sugar
7. Gravity Rides Everything / Modest Mouse
8. Mega Bottle Ride / Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros
9. Lakeside Park / Rush
10. Midnight Rider / Gregg Allman
11. (Wish I Could) Hideaway / Creedence Clearwater Revival
12. Daisy Rides Again / Sugarman Three
13. Hide Nor Hair / Ray Charles
14. The Tide Is High / The Paragons
15. Provider / N*E*R*D
16. Upside Down / The Daktaris
17. Razorblade Alcohol Slide / DJ QBert

This Friday's Mix: The Ides of March

2007-03-02T01:54:00.000-06:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock

More CDs from the depths of the trunk. Fewer apologies.

Except maybe for "Jump Around."

1. Intro
2. Tristessa / Smashing Pumpkins
3. Take Me Away / Ween
4. Ski Bunny / Boss Hog
5. Route / Son Volt
6. Interstate Love Song / Stone Temple Pilots
7. Buena / Morphine
8. What's Good / Lou Reed
9. Bottle Of Smoke / The Pogues
10. Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See / Busta Rhymes
11. Staying Alive / Wyclef Jean
12. Supernatural Thing (Part 1) / Ben E. King
13. Kung Fu / Curtis Mayfield
14. That's O.K. / Little Charlie & The Nightcats
15. One Mint Julep / Charlie Musselwhite
16. Why Do I Lie? / Luscious Jackson
17. Jump Around / House Of Pain

This Friday's Mix: Trunk Show

2007-02-23T14:45:00.000-06:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock

If we're going to keep hanging out, there's something I need to tell you. I have a bit of a CD past.

A couple of weeks into ripping my CD collection, I have come up with a core sample from the very bottom of the trunk. They’re among the first I ever owned, in what could be called The BMG Years. The scuffed jewel cases are only vaguely transparent. Broken hinges outnumber the intact. Grease-pencil initials let you know just who’d come looking for this particular copy of “Cosmic Thing.”

Over the years, if I had to double-row CD cases on a bookshelf, these would go on the deep side. Yet I’ve never gotten rid of them. And when I began to spot-check them, I was not only still able to sing along, it was hard avoiding it.

Simultaneously embarrassing and reassuring, they still pull at me. Either they weren’t that bad to begin with or, at a minimum, they have held their dubious ground.

So here you go: me and what moved me, somewhere between 1989 and 1991, give or take. This indecent tracksposure is taken to its natural end: no song list. You'll have to invest the time for the right to mock. But you might not need it. Much.

Allergy warning: may contain Spin Doctors.

This Friday's Mix: My Secret Shame

2007-02-16T11:51:00.000-06:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock

"Please" is only the magic word if you already have what you want.

1. Intro
2. Gimme My Mule / The Commodores
3. Gimme Some (Good Soul Music) / The Dramatics
4. Give Me Some Skin / James Brown
5. Gimme What You Got / Keb' Mo'
6. Give Me the Night / Randy Crawford
7. Gimme Shelter / Merry Clayton
8. Give It to Me Baby / Rick James
9. Gimme One of Those / The Brand New Heavies
10. Gimme One More Chance / Cracker
11. Gimme Danger / The Stooges
12. Gimme Gimme / Mumps
13. Give It to Me Two Times / Anders Osborne
14. Give Me an Inch / Robert Palmer
15. Give Me a Kiss / Van Morrison
16. Give Me Strength / Eric Clapton
17. Give Me Another Chance / Big Star

This Friday's Mix: Gimme

2007-02-09T17:01:00.001-06:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock

Oh, man. They all look so cool, jumping off that bridge...

Intro
Working for the Weekend / Loverboy
Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 / Bob Dylan
Hungry Heart / Bruce Springsteen
Heartache Tonight / Eagles
I've Got A Feeling / The Beatles
Everybody Loves Me / The 88
Everybody Wants You / Billy Squier
Everybody Wants Some / Van Halen
Truth Hits Everybody / The Police
Everybody Knows / Leonard Cohen
Everyone's Gone to the Movies / Steely Dan
Everybody Wants To Rule The World / Tears For Fears
Everybody's My Friend / Kansas
Everybody Needs Love / Robyn Hitchcock
Everybody's Talking / Bobby Bare
Everybody to the Limit / Strong Bad

This Friday's Mix: Everybody Everybody

2007-02-02T13:20:00.001-06:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock

This will only hurt for 57 minutes.

Intro
Somebody Get Me a Doctor / Van Halen
Calling Dr. Love / Kiss
Gimme Stitches / Foo Fighters
Girl, You Have No Faith in Medicine / The White Stripes
National Health / The Kinks
Hospital Bed / Ben Kweller
Doctor, Doctor / The Who
Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out / The Replacements
Sick and Tired / Alex Chilton
Doctor Boogie / The Flamin' Groovies
Night Nurse / Gregory Isaacs
Anna Stesia / Prince
Emergency / Kool & The Gang
Mr. Ambulance Driver / The Flaming Lips
Call The Doctor / Spacemen 3
Dear Doctor / The Rolling Stones

This Friday's Mix: Doctor Doctor

2007-01-19T16:13:00.000-06:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock

I'm not just being contrary. Well, maybe a little. Mostly, I just couldn't wait until Mardi Gras.

Intro
Cabbage Alley / The Meters
Hot Tamale Baby / Buckwheat Zydeco
Mess Around / Professor Longhair
Check Your Bucket / Eddie Bo
Here Come the Girls / Ernie K-Doe
She's Taking My Part / Irma Thomas
I've Been So Lonely / Cookie & The Cupcakes
Walking To New Orleans / Fats Domino
Going Back To New Orleans / Joe Liggins & The Honeydrippers
Louisiana / Percy Mayfield
Basin Street Blues / Henry Butler
My Darlin' New Orleans / Lil’ Queenie & The Percolators
Ignant Stick / Mem Shannon
Something's Wrong With This Picture / Galactic
Who's Gonna Help Brother Get Further / Lee Dorsey
On Your Way Down / Allen Toussaint

This Friday's iMix: All Saints Day

2007-01-12T10:00:00.000-06:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock

Pulling out all the stops to pull out all the stops.

Intro
Chest Fever / The Band
Hold Your Head Up / Argent
Magic Carpet Ride / Steppenwolf
Outa-Space / Billy Preston
Sabrosa / The Beastie Boys
Spanish Moon / Little Feat
The Only One I Know / The Charlatans UK
Clubland / Elvis Costello & The Attractions
No Atmosphere / A Band Of Bees
Chips Ahoy! / The Hold Steady
Hope You're Feeling Better / Santana
Time Is Tight / Booker T. & The MG's
I Me Mine / The Beatles
Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood / Joe Cocker
Don't Give Up on Me / Solomon Burke
Frank's Wild Years / Tom Waits

This Friday's Mix: Second Favorite Organ

2007-01-05T11:30:00.000-06:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock

My New Year's resolution really ought to be about cutting back on last year's playlists.

Here's -- ahem -- another new-to-podcast mix, as a sign of solidarity with Rollie Fingers...

Intro
Look at This Face (Oh My God They're Gorgeous) / Handsome Boy Modeling School
Roller Derby Queen / Jim Croce
Disco Lady / Johnnie Taylor
Disco Boy / Frank Zappa
Stuck on You / Lionel Richie
Reconsider Me / Narvel Felts
Up From The Skies / Jimi Hendrix Experience
I Can't Go For That (No Can Do) / Hall & Oates
Just One More Day / Otis Redding
Stay Clean / Motorhead
Cowboy Movie / David Crosby
Sold American / Kinky Friedman
Te Na Na (Mama's Got a Baby Named) / Leon Redbone
Atlantic City (My Old Friend) / Robert Goulet
Jeopardy! / Various Artists
Lydia The Tattooed Lady / Groucho Marx

This Friday's Mix: Mustache Day

2006-12-29T16:54:00.000-06:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock

Time got away again. However, enjoy another “classic” Five O’Clock Rock for the first time.

As you think over resolutions for what you should do, consider what it is that you really want to do.

Intro
I Wanna Rock / Twisted Sister
I Wanna Be Sedated / The Ramones
I Wanna Know About You / The International Noise Conspiracy
I Wanna Be / Fu Manchu
I Wanna Be Your Dog / Stereophonics
I Wanna Make It Wit Chu / Desert Sessions
I Wanna Make It Alright / Paul Weller
I Wanna Be Your Pants / Huffamoose
I Wanna Be Your Lover / Prince
I Wanna Dance With You / Nathaniel Mayer
I Wanna Be Like You / Pizzicato Five
I Wanna Get High / Cypress Hill
I Wanna Be Committed / Sweet
I Wanna Drive You Home / ZZ Top
I Wanna Live / Nashville West
I Wanna Roo You / Goldie Hawn

This Friday's Mix: Merely Wanna

2006-12-15T13:31:00.000-06:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock

Too busy this week. Instead, enjoy this appropriate “classic” Five O’Clock Rock.

Intro
"Chicago Seemed Tired Last Night," The Hold Steady
"Sleepwalk Capsules," At the Drive-In
"Sleepy Vampire," Supersuckers
"Fear of Sleep," the Strokes
"You Can't Walk in Your Sleep (If You Can't Sleep)," the Go-Go's
"Sleepless," Rick Derringer
"Sleepless Night," the Kinks
"I Don't Sleep, I Dream", R.E.M.
"I Can't Go to Sleep," Wu-Tang Clan
"Tired Out," Buck 65
"Sleepwalkin'," Tom Verlaine
"Sleepless," Soul Coughing
"I'm So Tired," the Beatles
"Tired Eyes," Neil Young
"Sleepy California," Her Space Holiday
"Enter Sandman," Pat Boone

This Friday's Mix: OMG IM SFT

2006-12-08T01:40:00.000-06:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock

Bringing the A game.

Int-A-Ro
Ting-A-Ling / Shabba Ranks
Rock-A-Bye / Black Buddafly
Freak-A-Zoid / Midnight Star
Freak-A-Ristic / Atlantic Starr
Peek-A-Boo / Gwen Guthrie
Christmas-A-Come / Eek-A-Mouse
Spank-A-Lee / Herbie Hancock
Chick-A-Boom / Joe Bataan
Jock-A-Mo / Sugar Boy Crawford
Shing-A-Ling / Arthur Conley
Am-A-Do / Bob Marley
Look-A-Here / The Ramsey Lewis Trio
Rhythm-A-Ning / Thelonious Monk
Peek-A-Boo / Siouxsie and The Banshees
Vis-à-vis / Étienne Daho
Sound-A-Sleep / Blondie

This Friday's iMix: Time-A-Rock

2006-12-01T15:30:00.001-06:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock

Steer into the skid.

1. Intro
2. The Blizzard / Charley Pride
3. Snowflake / Jim Reeves
4. Snowflake / Girls Are Short
5. The Blizzard of '96 / The Walkmen
6. Snowflakes / Carmen Rizzo
7. Snowflakes / Just Jack
8. Blizzard of '77 / Nada Surf
9. Whiteout / Boss Hog
10. Blizzard of '78 / Ida
11. Snowflakes / Pizzicato Five
12. Snowflakes / Grant Lee Phillips
13. Snowflakes / Doug Hoekstra
14. Blizzard / Ellis Paul
15. The Blizzard / Cowboy Nation
16. Snow Days / Trip Shakespeare
17. Snow Blizzard

This Friday's Mix: No Two Alike

2006-11-27T11:40:00.000-06:00

It's That Jazz Singer. Or Is It Saddam Hussein's Son?

Anita O'Day, jazz singer and perennial 37-Down answer, dies.

2006-11-22T16:25:00.000-06:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock

Have a nice tryptophan.

1. Intro
2. Fly By Night / Rush
3. Airport Motels / Crystal Skulls
4. The Airport Song / The Byrds
5. Last Train / Allen Toussaint
6. Airport Feelings / Kinky
7. Slow Bus A-Movin' / Fishbone
8. Waitin' for the Bus / ZZ Top
9. Everybody Loves A Train / Los Lobos
10. Railroad Days / Poco
11. Big Bird / Eddie Floyd
12. Rude Boy Train / Desmond Dekker
13. Train In Vain (Stand By Me) / The Clash
14. Waitress in the Sky / The Replacements
15. Magic Bus / The Who
16. The Travel Jam / Brand Nubian
17. Downbound Train / Chuck Berry

This Friday's Mix: Planes, Trains & Automobiles

2006-11-17T17:00:00.000-06:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock

Now that the pressure's off, House Republicans can really let their freak flags fly.

1. Intro / Five O'Clock Rock
2. Let It Out (Let It All Hang Out) / The Hombres
3. East Bound and Down / Jerry Reed
4. After Midnight / Maggie Bell
5. Brick House / The Commodores
6. Doowutchyalike / Digital Underground
7. Let It All Hang Out / A.D.O.R.
8. Let It All Hang Out / Richard "Dimples" Fields
9. Let It All Hang Out / Timmy Norman and The O'Jahs
10. Man-Size / PJ Harvey
11. Rock And Roll (Part 1) / Gary Glitter
12. Beating Around the Bush / AC/DC
13. Sweet F.A. / Sweet
14. Fat Bottomed Girls / Queen
15. Jackie Wilson Said (I'm in Heaven When You Smile) / Dexy's Midnight Runners
16. Children of the Revolution / Arto Lindsay & Marc Ribot
17. Let It All Hang Out / David Lee Roth

This Friday's Mix: Let It All Hang Out

2006-11-10T17:00:00.000-06:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock

It took this long to actually include Whitesnake? What was I thinking...?

1. Intro
2. Tequila Sundae / Urge Overkill
3. Combination / Aerosmith
4. Black Betty / Ram Jam
5. Calm Like A Bomb / Rage Against The Machine
6. Hey / Fu Manchu
7. Tomorrow And A Loaded Gun / Throttlerod
8. Death Is The Answer / Early Man
9. Still Of The Night / Whitesnake
10. Cities On Flame With Rock and Roll / Blue Oyster Cult
11. Sour Flower / Elliott Randall
12. Are You Ready / Thin Lizzy
13. That's a Drag / Spencer Dickinson & Jon Spencer
14. Fancy / Yeah Yeah Yeahs
15. Subcutaneous Phat / Desert Sessions
# 16. The Platform on the Ocean / Arthur Russell
17. Massive Cure / Smoosh

This Friday's Mix: A Bit Fuzzy

2006-11-03T16:25:00.000-06:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock

I sure don't feel a "little bit wiser."

1. Intro
2. Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old) / Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
3. When I Write The Book / Rockpile
4. Walk Like a Man / Grand Funk Railroad
5. Man in the Wilderness / Styx
6. Bang / Blur
7. This Year / The Mountain Goats
8. I Wish / Stevie Wonder
9. (You Gotta Walk) Don't Look Back / Peter Tosh
10. Dirty Life & Times / Warren Zevon
11. Rock N' Roll (I Gave You The Best Years Of My Life) / Mac Davis
12. Once Upon A Time / Smashing Pumpkins
13. My Life Is Right /Big Star
14. Life's A Gas / T.Rex
15. Cynical Days / XTC
16. My Life / David Banner feat. Sky & Carl Thomas
17. It Was a Very Good Year / William Shatner

This Friday's Mix: Another Year

2006-10-27T17:00:00.000-05:00

Today's Five O'Clock Rock

I think I pulled something.

1. Intro
2. The Race Is On Again / Yo La Tengo
3. Keep On Running / UK Subs
4. The Sweat Descends / Les Savy Fav
5. Marathon Not a Sprint / Camera Obscura
6. The Loneliness Of A Middle Distance Runner / Belle and Sebastian
7. Slow And Steady Wins The Race / Pedro The Lion
8. The Race / Archer Prewitt
9. Running With Your Eyes Closed / Mojave 3
10. Run and Run / The Psychedelic Furs
11. Run for Me / Richard Hawley
12. Even Marathon Runners Need to Nap / Troubled Hubble
13. You Are a Runner and I Am My Father's Son / Wolf Parade
14. We've Got to Keep Running / Chin Up Chin Up
15. I Ran / A Flock Of Seagulls
16. The Finish Line / Snow Patrol
17. First To Finish, Last To Start / Ted Leo + Pharmacists

This Friday's Mix: Too Skinny for Football

2006-10-23T14:25:00.000-05:00

Today's Journalistic Exercise

Question:
Find the factual error in this title: "Apple's iPod turns five."

Answer:
Since when has an iPod ever seen its fifth birthday?

I had one that hit a ripe old eighteen months, and I couldn't delete Willard Scott's voicemails fast enough.

Today's FOCR: "Die Young," Black Sabbath, Heaven and Hell