Summer Listens

"They tried to give me advice /Down at the record shop/I said sit down boys
This may come as a shock/but all I listen to/It's all freedom rock
How can you free me / When I'm free?
I am free"
- Frank Black, Freedom Rock
Stomach Pump, circa early 90's
Stomach Pump, circa early 90s. Duffy's hair, circa mid 70s.

Redd Kross 2025
Tour, Album, Movie, Book - what next? Limited miniseries? 

We went to see Redd Kross last Thursday at the White Eagle Hall in Jersey City. We arrived a little early and had the place to ourselves for quite some time. We ended up standing right next to the stage, right in front of the guitar player, Jason Shapiro. When he tripped over the monitor about 5 songs into the show and went headfirst into the crowd, we had a literal front row seat to someone else's near death experience.  It reminded me ALOT of when Steven Tyler got yanked into the crowd by his 13 foot long scarf during Aerosmith's comback tour back in 1984. "I"m baaaaack, I'm baaaaack in SEATTLE again ... glurp, gag, where'd Steven Tyler go ... oh he's in the crowd ... " 

I gotta say Jason was much more graceful getting back on stage and the McDonald brother's didn't miss a beat. They just kept rockin and when the song was over, thanked the crowd for saving Jason's life. 

So we were up front and my wife was literally the Lady in the Front Row. 

The set list was a generous sprinkling of their near-hits over the span of their 44 year career. When you start out opening for Black Flag when you're 11 and 13 you get to have an epic 44 year career. I'd have to say that they played all my favorites so that at least we were on the same page with the set list. Here's the list from their Pappy & Harriet's show. 


1. Switchblade Sister 2. Stay Away From Downtown 3. Stunt Queen 4. Uglier 5. Huge Wonder 6. Annie's Gone 7. Pretty Please Me 8. I'll Take Your Word For It 9. Mess Around 10. Candy Coloured Catastrophe 11. Jimmy's Fantasy 12. Lady In The Front Row 13. Neurotica 14. Born Innocent 15. Linda Blair 16. Deuce

Plus they added "Cover Band" and "Peach Kelly Pop" & "Neurotica" from the 1987 album Neurotica. 

Plus there was another song or two but look, I wasn't taking notes and it's not like I'm a professional reviewer or something. I value inspiration over professionalism; honesty over minutiae. Screwing around over work. 

Like I said, White Eagle Hall was a cool place to see a band but I was right by the guitar player's monitor, so unfortunately all I could hear was guitar and I couldn't really hear the McDonald Bros fabulous harmonies - which they really have dialed in, since "Researching the Blues" - a lot of Sha-la-las, a lot of Beatle-esque harmonizing and repeating of lines. 

I actually had tickets for Brooklyn as well. I was thinking I would got to the other show, too, being the Redd Kross absolute loyalist, but my ears were so blown out in the high ranges that I really needed to be quiet. Honestly, it was like those moments when I bomb goes off in the movies. When my wife and I were walking back to the car, at first she sounded like a staticky high pitched robot. I was thinking, maannn, I'm fucked. I've never had hearing loss - my ears have always been the opposite of what you'd expect - rather than hearing loss, my ears have been extra-sensitive especially in the high registers. 

At any rate, it took about three days, but the whoosh-ringing in my ears finally subsided. My wife, however, is still acting like I'm hard of hearing, which is hilarious. So it's hot and we have the AC on, and we're watching the Olympics, and I'm reading a book and she says something and then she repeats what she said, really loudly and slowly like I'm 80 years old. It's a complete forecast of what we'll be like in 20 years. 

Once again, Redd Kross provides a vision of the future of Sound. 



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​Now a little bit about Redd Kross' new album. First of all, it's big. I think maybe they were saving up over the pandemic. It has an hours worth of music, 18 tightly-crafted pop songs. The album is PACKED with inside jokes and observational humor about interpersonal relationships, the music business, reflections on aging, having too much stuff, and even what's important in life - all delivered with wit and a smile. Sometimes I get the joke immediately - Like the fact that the album is red, and simply called "Redd Kross" - an obvious reference and ode to the Beatles "White Album." Even the type is basically in the same place. 

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Yep. And that's just the beginning of the in-jokes. And that's always been Redd Kross' gift - pointing out what's funny, what's great - calling bs on what's happening currently and mining the past for gems that maybe we've forgotten - starting with their cover album Teen Babes from Monsanto, they they have not only always BEEN cool, but they've helped tell us what _is_ cool. Every interaction with Redd Kross is always a doorway to something more. Right now it seems they are obsessed with mid-60's garage psychadelica, and the songcraft that was perfected on the the Beatles Revolver and Rubber Soul albums. And that's basically what this album sounds like - it's refined power pop, and band at the very top of their craft, knowing themselves well and all of rock history, through the lens of 1966, The Wailers, The Seeds, The Electric Prunes, Fleur de Lys with Beatles harmonies and verse/chorus craft and lyrical punch. 

I shazamed the music that was playing after Dale Crover's set and before Redd Kross came on and it's indicative of where their heads at. You can access Spotify list here.  

Oh! I almost forgot - Dale's set! So for those, not in the know - Dale Crover is the drummer for the Melvins - an ancient-times Seattle band, funny and HEAVY as black hole, they have their own gravity in the music universe. Stephen is their touring bassplayer now and Buzz plays guitar and sings. But anyway, Dave has this new album coming out and he did a "DJ set" where he sat on the drum set with his phone or laptop plugged into the PA system, and played songs he likes from the Stones, Lou Reed, Blondie, etc etc. And then he played some songs from his new upcoming album. Just him and a droney open-tuned, and rhymthmic - very Seattle in a good way with smart heartfelt lyrics. So that was the warm up act, and then the survey of garage-psychadelica, circa '65-'67. 

And then the Wonder Woman TV show theme played - what a great bassline! – and on came Redd Kross. 

*****

At the show, they played four songs from the new album "Stunt Queen" "Candy Colored Catastrophe" "I'll take your word for it" and "Born Innocent."

Stunt Queen seems to be about someone who is addicted to social media and the attention it brings. 

"I'll take your word for it," - Steven has had a few songs over the years that explore the unsaid weirdness of relationships, and how people can say everything is all right, and still be messing with your head. I think this they 

"Candy-Colored Catastrophe" - Is this about someone in the media, or is it about themselves? Is it a line from a review of Redd Kross, once upon a time, and they've seized upon it to create a joyful psychedelic anthem? Love to know more. 

"Born Innocent" - they introducing this song as the theme of their own TV show. And for a band famous for doing Partridge Family covers, that has layers of echoes and echoes of layers. It was of course the name of their first album and is the theme song for their new new movie and is biographical in nature - it recounts their early days with lines like - 'Hollywood is no place for a child." The chorus, though is the clincher. "We all are born innocent ... original innocence" - this echoes Eknath Easwaran's longstand theme that we all have a pure, divine core of goodness, rather than being "original sinners" - it's such a positive view of humanity and of people and life and another reason I love Redd Kross.

They're always fun and funny, no matter how uncool it may seem at the time. The early to mid 90's was a time when it was really uncool to be happy - and that's what I think the song "Way too Happy" is about.

I love this song, and I could hear them sort of tacking a little jab at Kurt Cobain and Nirvana with the musical parody on the line "why are they so happy?"

Subsequently I did a little digging around and found this interview with Steven from CBS/Bay area- I've rarely been so happy and unsurprised to find out how spot on I was. 

"
There's a song called "Way Too Happy" that I wrote after I saw my bandmate in the Melvins, Dale Crover, talking about Kurt Cobain's sort of post show review after seeing us in 1987 in Tacoma, Washington. I guess he said, "Those guys are too happy. Why are they so happy?"I just felt like, "Well, that's the show we put on. But you didn't know me." And how absurd is that? I mean, Kurt was the greatest, probably the most important songwriter of my generation. And he wasn't really s--t talking, but kind of was [laughs]. And it felt a little bit like, "Oh my God, a ghost just talked smack about me!" What a weird feeling. It's just another example of how I feel like the film kind of informed some of the topics of the of the record, which in some ways became somewhat autobiographical. I feel like the record feels very much like a defining of, in some ways, who we are." 

Here's the full interview with CBS for your reference. 


That 1987 show, with Green River opening, was the first time I saw Redd Kross as well - and I was blown away. They just cracked me up, I mean the judo mind flip that they did on the punk rock audience, to wear 70's style bell-bottoms, play bongoes while swinging your waist-length hair in a synchronized circle. It was the most happy of middle fingers to to the whole punk rock aesthetic, truly rebellion against the rebels, and therefore, more punk rock than punk rock. 

Over the years, I saw Redd Kross many times. 
​Multiple times in Seattle, during the Third Eye,to Phaseshifter era. At this time, they had a woman piano player and a Eddie Kurdziel playing guitar. Huge shows, fun shows - they must have played Seattle three times a year. They would do these well orchestrated covers for encores - Abba's Dancing Queen, the Beatles It Won't be Long or I wanna hold your Hand that would bring the house down. It's ironic and self-aware that they played Cover Band on this recent show - and they've always been so masterful at reimagining other people's songs. The Carpenter's "Yesterday Once More" maybe being the most epic example of all time. 

Every bittersweet lyric delivered with Jeff's trademark smile. 

And of course, there was the whole Tater Totz thing. The funniest thing I've ever heard is them doing the John & Yoko song "Don't Worry Kyoko" at a Beatles festival, with the Yoko-style animalistic trills barely heard above the boos of the crowd. 

Later, after I moved to LA, I saw them at the Rainbow with the Posies - an epic lineup! and also during a sort of comeback run 2012 ish at the Echoplex where they played one song from every album, in order - which was great!

I saw them twice, I think at Pappy & Harriet's out in the desert - once, memorably with my 12 year old daughter who I swear to God everyone thought was Astrid or another related kid because she had this bushy hair half way down her back and when we walked in the crowd parted and they allowed her to stand on the side of the stage the entire time - this was I think Show world era ... definitely before Researching The Blues. 


"Good Times Propoganda Band" is another example of their bullet-proof optimism. These are the guys that have awesome families and ride pogo sticks and unicycles and don't worry about travel ball sports. This is a lesson in how to write songs. These are lessons in how to live, even when maybe you don't get the #1 hit in the charts with the bullet that you deserve. 

'm really going to enjoy getting to know this album better - something seems to open up with each new listen. 

So many great albums over the years - all memorable in their own way and this one is right up there - the songs on it form a sort of encyclopedia of power-pop references and a manual of songwriting. It's not just a album but really, a song book - an happy exclamation point or maybe a "to be continued ..." ellipse on the history of rock and roll. Worth relistening and for younger bands to emulate and cover for years to come. A benchmark, that encapsulates the past and shows us a way to move forward - whatever stage of life we may be in, whatever our circumstances, with joy and creativity.

And finally, with "the Main Attraction" probably the most hilariously positive rock-n-roll prayer of all time, I'll let the brothers have the last word. 

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I like this new Old Death record. I can't understand the lyrics. I haven't watched the above video yet and I notice below the video that I found by Googling that Charles Bissell has all the lyrics written out and explained. On the first few half dozen listens or so I'm disappointed - not in the structure, or the guitar tone, or the composition - I'm a little disappointed in the production. It sounds like a one man band, it sounds like SMOG and it should sound like the Wrens. If they had put aside whatever they needed to put aside and combined w Aeon Station - which is lovely, but sounds like 2/3 to 3/4 of an album, they would have had something on the level of The Meadowlands. But it is what it is. And I'm looking forward to grumpily listening more. [at least we don't have to wait, eh? - I can play it as many times as I want.]

***** 

okay. Just listened through to the song once, just watching the video, and then again, while reading the lyrics. With tears burning at the corner of my eyes. It really is the Stairway to Heaven, but for the lonely bitter subgenre that is the wrens nest. idk. Really moving, biographically. Love the notes - I get it. From the last stanza of lyrics. 

[July, 2010:] (this) record's starting with regrets / (life's) a short tour then show's over [1964:] the stopwatch that started in years [2024:] ends in days no one moment replays / no one moment replays / and the goals have been moved anyway // [2010-2019:] to spend it all working mics more & more seems a waste [2008:] a baton-pass to kids the best way that it's faced [2021:] and besides all the work gets erased //

I miss us. I miss me. So sad but comforting to find another voice that expresses the feeling. Alone we are, together. 


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Scream & Soulside at the Meadows in Brooklyn 12/08/23



I came, I saw, I heard, I bought a t-shirt and some vinyl. I paid via Venmo, the handle bore the name of the singer, Peter Stahl. On Venmo, you always have to write a note - "what's it for?" I took the opportunity to write a note "Gorilla Gardens, Seattle, Mid-80s???"

For those that weren't in Seattle in the pre-Pearl Jam paradise that was, Gorilla Gardens was a legendary all-ages punk rock and alt metal club in Seattle at the time. A long time between Screams. So, what has changed, what hasn't changed. Less hair = more life experience. 

Damn, I remember the show from Seattle back in the day so well. Seattle had a very active punk scene back they were all there and ready to mosh. Scream was one of the leading lights of the scene, so there was a lot of dyed hair, mohawks and leather jackets - the anti-conform uniform – looked like London 1977. But then Scream came out and oddly, they had added a new guitar player. This guy didn't look like a punker. Mumbles went around the venue. He looked like a rocker, long brown hair, leather vest with huge medallion. They all started playing, a sort of collective warm build of harmonic feedback, rising to a deafening drone. The anticipation was building! All of the punks were ready to mosh, and then .... wham! "I Like to dream ..." The band went into a cover of Magic Carpet Ride. 

All of the punks sort of stop in mid-mosh, like whatever the 80's version of WTF was. This is not according to script! We need to violently swirl in a circle, knees and elbows flying! Complete confusion. 

I laughed my ass off and I realized I'd found a kindred spirit. These guys were funny AND idealistic. A welcome combo. They never were never out to fit in. Defying the defiers, which is pretty much the most punk rock thing you can do. As the show progressed, they played their "hits" - Came without warning, etc, so everyone got a good slam in. 

But they always were really good musicians, blending mosh-core and reggae - with pointedly socially conscious lyrics. 

Remember, this was pre-Seattle Sound - and who knows how many of us in the audience went yeah - exactly. Rock + Punk, a good riff is a good riff - so I'd say Scream was a seminal influence on the Seattle Scene - whether two people besides me remember is another story. 

Like Fugazi, I don't think they ever attracted or even sought major label interest - a saving grace. Seeing them play, and replaying the catalogue since, the songs feel and continue to be timeless. Other bands that are dear to me that flew closer to the burning sun of stardom - Verbena comes to mind –  and were subsequently scorched. I mean, holding a band together is hard enough without having to survive producers and A&R guys telling you how to write and sound.

For a "DC Hardcore punk band, a Dischord Label original", the new record DC Special is well-composed, almost bittersweet lyrics and melodies. The title track, after a few listens, reveals itself as an imaginatively-composed pop anthem, with counterpointed chorus and Peter Stahl's voice breaking at just the right time to send a chill. (Of course, with songs like "I Look When You Walk" and "The Zoo Closes At Dark," we knew they had it in them.) The statement piece Represent put tears in my eyes - striking the right balance between world-weary anger and unyielding social commentary. Other highlights: Bored to Life, Somebody Love, Dead Cities, Vanishing Commissars. Last of the Soft - a lovely heartfelt folksong worthy of Neil Young, plopped right in the middle of it all. 

A possible late breaking classic - if anyone is still listening. Idealism ages well - better than nihilistic hedonism at any rate. The Washington Post did a nice tribute article of how the community came together to record the album: Washington Post Article, here. 

It wasn't like Scream were ever selling out MSG, and the Meadows was decently filled with mostly well-preserved rocker-dads. No one moshing, everyone looking around - do I know you? You look like someone I should remember ...   A funny dynamic for me, as I'm not from here - still felt like - hey, I know these people. And everyone in pretty good shape, considering. A few younger people there, but if my daughter had been able to go, she might have been the youngest. 

Scream played my fav songs from the new album and without over-rely on the back catalogue, but played my fav songs from the first two albums, "Still Screaming" and "This Side Up" as well.  Again, an exercise in integrity. I didn't take copious notes, but from the new album: DC Special Sha La La (the title track); Somebody Love, Vanishing Commissars, Hell Nah. From the back catalogue: Still Screaming, Came Without Warning, Fight/American Justice. A few more.  

The show. I arrived when Soulside was just starting. They were quite solid as well. Old guys, my age, rockin' out. Their sound honestly worked a little bit better with the venue. The sound was horrific - couldn't hear the guitars, drums over-mic-ed and all low-end - that was nostalgic in itself - I remember when clubs didn't know how to mic punk bands. Peter Stahl even stopped playing 3/4 of the way through "Sha la la" because there was low end feedback happening. 

So it helped - just like in the old days, to know the songs a bit. 

Below is a vid they did for Sha La La, and the Gil Scott Heron vid that it's a tribute to.   

Summary: there's something beautiful about these songs - a reflection of lives lived bravely. 

I spent the next day at a Meditation Retreat at Mariondale Retreat Center in Ossining, NY. Near the dining room was the Dominican Sisters brainstormed mission statement. One phrase that really jumped out: "To encourage and empower the counter-culture." And weather you're a quiet nun, or a loud rocker, what could be more beautiful. 

Still screaming. 

addendum: The song "Represent" is stuck in my head for about 24 hours. The chorus is amazing. 

If it's what you believe (Yeah, right)
If it's something you know (Then try)
If it's up in your mind (You think)
These three things
If it's what you believe (Yeah, right)
If it's something you know (Then try)
If it's up in your mind (You think)
These three things
Think, try, believe

It's a kick-ass punk song and then the second half of the song is a super heavy riff with the singer, Pete Stahl just freestyling  about all the people that protested, Keystone, etc, stood up for what they believe in - song brings tears to my eyes. 

These three things. 

The more I listen to this album the more amazed I am - that these guys would put out their best album? Maybe? At 60? Yeah, maybe if they all looked like Zac Effron and were 28 this would be platinum. 

Quite good. Hurrah for underdogs. 


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And here's the Gil Scott Heron video that inspired the above. 

The Cure at MSG, Thursday June 22

I like The Cure but they're aren't one of my core identity bands. I was sort of dreading it actually; I have a lot of sound sensitivity now - not to loud noises so much or drone noises or music, but if someone is talking or touching me while I'm trying to focus, and/or typing on their phone, just for instance, I get very agitated. Call it Misophonia, whatever. It's tough. And I'm not really that into crowds. But my wife is super into the Cure and so - I'm enjoying her enjoying. We had solid seats - right on the floor, 12 rows back maybe. The crowd was non offensive - actually sorta sweet in a way. I mean, I guess The Cure is the OG Emo band, and everyone there was sort of admittedly wounded in some way, so it wasn't egos on parade or loud obnoxious bros or anything. 

And I found myself very inspired by Robert Smith. The music itself was good. The show was sold out but the music was not "sold-out" in the sense that I feel like they played exactly what they wanted to play. 

The crowd was all ages. Sitting next to us was a woman with her daughter, who had traveled from Michigan to see The Cure and make a New York Weekend out of it. 

I walked away respecting the band, and Robert Smith more than I'd walked in. The more jam based groove exploratory songs were right up my alley. So all good. Another lesson in setting expectations low, and be nicely surprised when fellow traveler on earth don't make the journey worse. 
But Get Back. 

So I finished watching the Beatles documentary. The creative process was illuminating - whether you're a team coming up with ads, or a songs, it's the same. It was very humanizing, and yet, like getting a glimpse into how Jesus and the Boys came up with scripture, because so many of the songs are part of a our cannon. To see the beginning of Get Back, or Something, or The Two of Us or even Octopus' Garden. These songs are the furniture of our lives. It's hard to imagine anyone ever "coming up with them" - they were just always there, you know? To see these guys workshopping the lyrics, it's like "You're getting the words wrong! Don't know the words! The whole world knows the words!" 

They are all fighting like family and then with Billy Preston coming in, they're able to just jam and it not only adds something fresh creatively, but it's like when you're fighting with your family or your wife and then someone comes over and then you're on your best behavior all of a sudden. 

And the concert on the roof - they're having so much fun. Especially Paul. But it just makes me sad that that was their last concert - I guess it's cool but what it really felt like was that they were chased by their fame up onto a freezing roof and that was the only place that they could play anymore. Paul and John in particular just crave an audience and that's all that's left. 

More interpersonal stuff: John is the leader, but sort of mia as a songwriter from this session - but he's still the captain that brings it all together. 

And Yoko is intrusive and so annoying. Really annoying. 

After part III wrapped, I just didn't want the spell to end. So I watching Beatles videos on YouTube. There honestly isn't a lot of content. I watched a video of Paperback Writer. The Beatles are compelling on film and they ... especially Jon is conscious of the camera and playfully aware and always clever and sometimes laugh out loud funny. On this particularly playlist was other bands, mostly from the 60's. Kinks, Yardbirds, Beatles, Cream. And there is this huge gap - in my view - between 1965 which is sort of high British Invasion, the pure smart pop of Rubber Soul and Revolver. (Rubber Soul came out three days before I was born, which makes it make sense as a sort of dividing line between all that came before and a sense of "now.") 

But one thing that really struck me is the chasm between the high power pop of 1965 and the hippie psychedelica, blues riff vamping of 1968. That's just three years. But it's huge to me. It's bigger than 1997-2022 in terms of musical and cultural change. Completely different worlds. Not sure what this means, other than, I feel like in terms of actually "progress" we are spinning our wheels. We have new technology and we have no new consciousness. 

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Album of the Month right here. Mdou Moctar is from Niger, from the school of Taureg guitar. He seems to like Eddie Van Halen a lot. The band is a straight up 4 piece, and he does a lot of interesting fingerpicking stuff. It's a rock band, but an unmistakable tribal authenticity.. 
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