Songs That KROQ Forgot #1

SONGS THAT KROQ FORGOT:

Back in the late '70s and early '80s, if you were a fan of New Wave, Post-Punk, Power Pop, and Synthpop and you lived in Southern California, your radio station of choice was probably KROQ (106.7 FM). Back in the day, KROQ didn't follow trends like they do now - they set them!  KROQ would play singles, album cuts, b-sides and anything else that suited their fancy.  And they didn't just play stuff that was released in the U.S.!  They would also play import singles and album cuts and were responsible for many bands gaining attention from the American labels in the first place.

When KROQ would jump on a song, they'd play it in medium to heavy rotation for a certain amount of time and then it would disappear from their playlists entirely.  As the '80s became the '90s (and when KROQ went from great to ghastly), there were hundreds and thousands of songs that KROQ once supported heavily that seemingly evaporated into thin air and would never make an appearance on their 'flashback' playlists. The once-great radio station had moved on like many of us do...

But what about those lost songs?  The ones yo used to love so much... What about the memories they conjure up when you hear them again after decades of being hidden away in the darkened recesses of your mind?  

Do they remind you of stolen kisses with a long-lost sweetheart?  

Do they remind you of driving to McDonalds during lunch hour in your senior year?  

Do they remind you of driving up PCH along the beach and playing these songs as loud as possible?

Do they remind you of life-long friendships?  Long lost loved ones?

Well, they should because they are the soundtrack of your life.

I am here to remind you of those songs you loved (or loathed) back then... the songs that ushered in a music revolution that was already becoming a little stale by the time MTV became popular.  These songs once made a difference in our lives.  Like Johnny Mann, they made us 'stand up and cheer'.  The truth of the matter is, they STILL mean something.  They are the heartbeat of a generation that is now closer to retirement age than they are their high school heyday.  These songs made it a lot easier to get through the day and that is all that matters.  Let them take you back to a time when your heart was still full love and your youth was still...er.. young!

P.S.  Some of the bands are still remembered while others are unjustly forgotten... but these gems from the late '70s and early '80s are still as wonderful as ever.  They are the SONGS THAT KROQ FORGOT!

PART ONE:

BRIAN BRIGGS/"See You On The Other Side"

 (some used to call this "Goodbye Frankie")

ICEHOUSE/"We Can Get Together"

PAT WILSON/"Bop Girl"

(yes, that is a 15 year old Nicole Kidman co-starring in this video!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDNupK1RkdY

THE DICKIES/"(I'm Stuck In A Pagoda With) Tricia Toyota"

DEPECHE MODE/"Get The Balance Right"

MENTAL AS ANYTHING/"If You Leave Me..."

XTC/"Helicopter"

KID CREOLE & THE COCONUTS/"Stool Pigeon"

SQUEEZE/"In Quintessence"

WIDE BOY AWAKE/"Chicken Outlaw"

RECORD STORE DAY: 10 (More) Albums That Changed My Life, Pt. 2

10 (More) Albums That Changed My Life
Pt. Two

By Stephen SPAZ Schnee

     A lot of people wonder how an album can 'change my life'.  If you even pause for a moment to ponder that statement or scratch your head at the pretentiousness of it all, then you may not have experienced a life-changing experience by listening to music.  Many people don't unfortunately... especially in this day and age when music is easily downloadable in bits and pieces.  In my opinion, the download generation treats music as disposable: click, listen, move on...
   As for me and how music has changed my life... well, it has to do with the 'connection' between any given album and myself.  Whether I was sad after a break-up or happy because good things were happening around me, that is what dictates the 'connection' that I have with an album. What were my emotions like?  How did the album make me feel?  Could I relate to the lyrics... or maybe the atmosphere or chord changes?  There are so many factors that go into the whole 'experience'.
     Once I connected to an album, then it allowed me to see, hear and feel things differently.  The songs gave me a majestic feeling of hope... they touched a nerve.  The albums that I say 'changed my life' are ones that mean a whole lot to me because they enriched my life.  On some, I could totally relate to the lyrics while others gave me a chance to view something differently.  Some taught me while others rocked me.  In any case, they made my life BETTER because they existed.  Looking back at them now, I can't imagine going through life and not ever hearing them.

     Here are 10 albums that never fail to take me back to a certain period in my life.  They may not have sold millions of copies but they had an enormous impact on me. And they are albums I will cherish until my dying day….

     I’ve listed them in alphabetical order by band because, to be honest, I can never say that one of them had more of an impact on me than the other.  They are all equally important. And I've refrained from explaining WHY they mean so much to me.  Those reasons are ones that only I would understand... (and I'm sure that your choices are made based on similar situations and circumstances).

20/20/Self-Titled

BADFINGER/Wish You Were Here

THE BEAT/The Beat

THE BOOMTOWN RATS/The Fine Art Of Surfacing

THE CLASH/London Calling

GREAT BUILDINGS/Apart From The Crowd

THE RUBINOOS/Back To The Drawing Board

SQUEEZE/East Side Story

THE VAPORS/Magnets

XTC/English Settlement

SPAZ: 10 Albums That Changed MY Life, PT. 1

10 Albums That Changed My Life
Pt. One

By Stephen SPAZ Schnee

For a music fan, listening to certain albums can unlock many memories that are usually hidden somewhere deep within the recesses of the brain.  Those memories could be good or bad, but the magic of the melodies bring those ragamuffin thoughts and emotions back up to the surface again.

     We all have favorite bands or albums that we listen to over and over again throughout our lives but there are always certain ones that really make an impact.  You may not consider these as the band’s best albums, but they are the ones that matter the most.  They are the key that opens those time capsules within us and allow us to relive the thrill (or sadness) of a certain time in our lives.

     Here are 10 albums that never fail to take me back to a certain period in my life.  They may not have sold millions of copies but they had an enormous impact on me. And they are albums I will cherish until my dying day….There are many more I’d like to list, but don’t want to bore you with too much at once.

     I’ve listed them in alphabetical order by band because, to be honest, I can never say that one of them had more of an impact on me than the other.  They are all equally important. And I've refrained from explaining WHY they mean so much to me.  Those reasons are ones that only I would understand... (and I'm sure that your choices are made based on similar situations and circumstances).

BRAM TCHAIKOVSKY/Strange Man Changed Man

THE JAM/Sound Affects

THE LAST/L.A. Explosion

MADNESS/Absolutely

THE RECORDS/Crashes

SHOES/Present Tense

SPLIT ENZ/Frenzy

SQUEEZE/Argybargy

XTC/Drums & Wires

YACHTS/S.O.S. (AKA Yachts in the UK)