Monday, December 29, 2008

FINN'S REVOLUTION! December 30, 2008: Finn tips ya about the albums you shoulda bought, PLUS, a farewell to one of the great rockers, ALEX CRANK


above: Alex's shirt says "I don't have ALS. I'm drunk."

I'm proud to call Alex Cathcart (Crank) a friend of mine. He was a guitar player in the mold of Richards & Thunders, with a raw, punk, twangy rock n roll race-to-the-finish playing style. A truly musical songwriter & a singer who could put it across with charisma, energy and joy. His bands included The Cranks, The F3s, The Barflys, The Westones, stints with pigEARTH, the late Sean O'Donnell, Lancaster County Prison, LOURDS, Sport Murphy's band, on & on....
I learned of his passing during last week's Holiday show on December 23rd, when my compadre (and Alex bud) Sean McFadden called WUSB to request a tune for him, assuming I had read the e-mails I hadn't checked. It knocked me for a loop, and continues to do so. Alex's death was not exactly a surprise, as he had been suffering from ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) for a few years now. It does, however, remain a shock. We played together, recorded together, went on the road together. There are countless crazy Alex tales, he had a warm & generous heart, a wondrous fuck-all (yet kind) sense-of humor. I will miss him.
Shortly after he was diagnosed, we were mixing some stuff of his in my studio. I asked him how he was doing. He said, "No matter what happens, I'll always be better looking than you."
He was right, that fuck.
There are many sources for Alex stuff, but here's one from a few years back when he was playing with Marky Ramone & The Intruders, with whom he travelled the world. He's the rocker in the wife-beater in the foreground: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejTJE6zxkOA
Enjoy.

Artist/Title/Album * = New Release CAPS=songs sung by Alex

THE CRANKS/JIMMY'S CAR
Fleshtones/Never Grew Up/Take A Good Look
Kurt Vile/Don't Get Cute/Constant Hitmaker
Bonnie "Prince" Billy/Easy Does It/Lie Down In The Light
Tobacco/Berries That Burn/Fucked Up Friends
Apollo Sunshine/666: The Coming Of The New World Government/Shall Noise Upon
Ratatat/Shiller/LP3
Elvis Costello & The Imposters/Flutter & Wow/Momofuku
Hank Williams/There's Nothing As Sweet As My Baby/Unreleased Recordings
The War On Drugs/Arms Like Boulders/Wagonwheel Blues
El Guincho/Cuando Maavilla Fui/Alegranza!
Goldfrapp/Caravan Girl/Seventh Tree
Sigur Ros/Vid Spilum Endalaust/Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust
Giant Sand/Pitch & Sway/proVISIONS
ALEX CRANK/IN MY HEAD
Orchestra Baobab/Pape Ndiaye/Made In Dakar
Nina Simone/Trouble In Mind/To Be Free
Bob Dylan/Duncan & Brady/Bootleg Series Volume 8: Tell Tale Signs
Crystal Stilts/Shattered Shine/Alight of Night
Vampire Weekend/One (Blake's Got A New Face)/Vampire Weekend
New York Dolls/Pills/Live @ The Fillmore East
The Clash/Career Opportunities (Live)/Live At Shea Stadium
The Black Keys/Psychotic Girl/Attack & Release
King Khan & The Shrines/Live Fast Die Strong/The Supreme Genius of King Khan & The Shrines
Cat Power/I Believe In You/Jukebox
Randy Newman/Potholes/Harps & Angels
TV On The Radio/Golden Age/Dear Science
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds/Today's Lesson/Dig, Lazarus!!! Dig!!!
THE WESTONES/DAYDREAM BELIEVER

FINN'S REVOLUTION! Holiday Grab Bag playlist 12/23/08

Artist/Title/Album (* = New Release)

Velvet Underground/Jesus/Peel Slowly & See
The Fleshtones/Super Rock Santa/Stocking Stuffer*
Aimee Mann/I Was Thinking I Could Clean Up For Christmas/The Forgotten Arm
Los Straightjackets/A Marshmallow World/'Tis The Season For Los Straightjackets
Los Straightjackets/Feliz Navidad/'Tis The Season For Los Straightjackets
Clarence Carter/Back Door Santa/Christmas A Go Go*
The Subdudes/Peace In The World/Christmas Gumbo
The Youngsters/Christmas In Jail/Bummed Out Christmas
Rufus Thomas/I'll Be Your Santa, Baby/Christmas A Go Go*
James Brown/Santa's Goin' Straight To The Ghetto/Santa's Got a Brand New Bag
The Chevelles/Come All Ye Faithful Surfer Girls/Christmas A Go Go*
Tiny Tim/Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer/A John Waters Christmas
The Chesterfield Kings/Hey Santa Claus/Christmas A Go Go*
Ingrid Lucia/'Zat You, Santa Claus?/New Orleans Christmas
El Vez/Feliz Navi-Nada/Punk Rock Xmas
Aimee Mann/You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch/One More Drifter In The Snow
Graham Parker/Christmas Is For Mugs/Graham Parker's Christmas Cracker
Shane MacGowan & The Popes/Christmas Lullaby/The Rare Oul' Stuff
Akim & The Teddy Van Produtions Band/Santa Claus Is A Black Man/A John Waters Christmas
NRBQ/The Christmas Song/Christmas Wish (Deluxe Edition)
Al Anderson/Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer/Christmas Guitars
Mojo Nixon/Christmas, Christmas/Punk Rock Xmas
The Electric Prunes/Jingle Bells/Christmas A Go Go
TV/TV/Daddy Drank All Our Xmas Money/Punk Rock Xmas
Soupy Sales/Santa Claus Is Surfin' To Town/Christmas A Go Go
Little Cindy/Happy Birthday Jesus ( A Child's Prayer)/A John Waters Christmas
The Christmas Jug Band Featuring Dan Hicks/Somebody Stole My Santa Claus Suit/Bummed Out Christmas
Allen Toussaint/The Day It Snows On Christmas/Christmas Gumbo
Vaudeville/Shot My Baby For Christmas/Psychobilly Christmas
The Ramones/Merry Christmas/Christmas A Go Go*
Elvis Costello & The Chieftans/St. Stephen's Day Murders/The Bells Of Dublin
RIP ALEX CRANK:
Johnny Preston/(I Want A) Rock And Roll Guitar/Rockabilly Christmas
...and also for Alex:
Keith Richards/Run, Rudolph, Run/Christmas A Go Go
Darlene Love/Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)/A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector
The Pogues/Fairytale Of New York/If I Should Fall From Grace With God

Finn's Holiday Grab Bag! Next week: Finn clues you in on the best albums of '08

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

FINN'S REVOLUTION! December 16, 2008 Playlist

Artist/Title/Album (* = New Release)
Rainbow Arabia/Omar K/The Basta*
Eddie Vedder & The Million Dollar Bashers/All Along The Watchtower/I'm Not There
Edie Sedgwick/Angelina Jolie/Things Are Getting Sinister & Sinisterer*
El Guincho/Antillas/Alegrenza*
Ten Kens/Worthless & Oversimplified Ideas/Ten Kens*
Larkin Grimm/Ride That Cyclone/Parplar*
Cat Power/Dark End Of The Street/Dark End Of The Street*
Beach House/Used To Be/Used To Be (single)*
Asobi Seksu/Stawberries/Citrus*
Hush Arbors/Follow Closely/Hush Arbors*
David Ackles/Mainline Saloon/Subway To The Country
Desolation Wilderness/Come Over In Your Silver Car/White Light Strobing*
Kevin Devine/Another Bag Of Bones/Another Bag Of Bones (single)*
Bob Dylan/Things Have Changed (live)/Tell Tale Signs*
Caina/Larval Door/Temporary Antennae*
Gossip/Nite/Movement*
The Lines/Come Home/Flood Bank*
Cat Power/The Auld Triangle/Dark End Of The Street*
Mahjongg/Free Groove Rider/Free Groove Rider (single)*
Kevin Devine/Love Me, I'm A Liberal Another/Bag Of Bones (single)*
NODZZZ/I Can't Wait/NODZZZ*
TV On The Radio/Golden Age/Dear Science*
Black Keys/Wicked Messenger/I'm Not There
I-Roy/Every Mouth Must Be Fed/Micron Music Presents: Every Mouth Must Be Fed*
Cat Power/I've Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now)/Dark End Of The Street*
Marnie Stern/The Package Is Wrapped/This Is It & I Am It & You Are It & So Is That & He Is It & She Is It & It Is It & That Is That*
The Clash/Look Here/Sandinista!

Thanks to all listeners who called & e-mailed! Also, thanks to all of you who were down at Bobbique's in Patchogue last week for the WUSB Holiday Jam Party - it was a preasure and a plivelage to hang with you all!! NEXT WEEK: FINN'S HOLIDAY GRAB BAG SPECIAL - TUNE IN!

Friday, December 12, 2008

FINN'S REVOLUTION! playlist 12/09/08 with guest: artist OWENS

artist/cut/album *-new

Pharoah Sanders/Roots/Message From Home
Brightblack Morning Light/Hologram/Buffalo Motion to Rejoin*
Asylum Street Stompers/Everybody Loves My Baby/What? And Give Up Show Biz?*
Robin Guthrie/Explaining The Game/Bande Originale Du Film*
Jesus H Christ & The Four Hornsmen Of The Apocalypse/Liz The Hot Receptionist/Happier Than You*
Portastatic/Too Trashed Too Smoke/Some Small History*
Dan le Sac vs Scroobius Pip/Beat That My Heart Skipped/Angles*
Fight Bite/Age Of Faith/Emerald Eyes*
Scofflaws/William Shatner/In Hi Fi
Lucinda Williams/It's A Long Way To The Top/Little Honey*
Eleanoora Rosenholm/Ambulanssikuskitar/Ala Kysy Kuolleilta He Sanoivat*
Hank Williams/Cherokee Boogie/Unreleased*
Crystal Stilts/Shattered Shine/Alight of Night*
Lucinda Williams/Honey Bee/Little Honey*
Cat Power/Fortunate Son Dark End Of The Street*
Etta James/Born On The Bayou/Matriarch Of The Blues
Daniel Lanois/Moondog/Here Is What Is*
Antony & The Johnsons/Another World/Another World*
Gods & Queens/Untitled (4)/Untitled*
Jane Birkin/La Javanaise/Arabesque
Julie Delpy/A Waltz For A Night/Julie Delpy
David Johansen & The Harry Smiths/Well I Been To Memphis/David Johansen & The Harry Smiths
INTERVIEW WITH ARTIST OWENS
Nina Simone/Here Comes The Sun/Remixed & Reimagined
Ramones/Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment/Leave Home


Catch the group show "Winter" at Gallery 4222 ( www.gallery4222.com ) featuring our guest OWENS; thanks to Steve, Amy, Jeff, Sue, WUSB's own Joe C, and everyone else who called in!