The Ledge (mp3)

I had just finalized the tracks for the first part of the October new release series when I received some tragic news. South Dakota Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame member (and good pal) Dave Scarbrough had passed away. Obviously, that changed tonight’s broadcast as I needed to share some of the great music Dave produced over the past 40 years or so. Dave’s music story began when he first heard punk rock on KAUR in the late 70s, was expanded by the cool records found at Soux Falls record stores Iron Creek and Ernie November, and culminated in fabulous bands such as Ill Bill and the Spinal Chills, State Birds, The Habitual Groove Of It, and The Harvesters. He also engineered and/or produced a number of local projects, and put out quite a few solo records, including 2022’s Happy Ever After. You will be missed, Dave. We move from there to a show devoted heavily with friends of the show. Vista Blue and Rob Moss & Skin-Tight Skin/Eytan Mirsky’s double-sided singles are aired, along with new tracks by The Pozers, Ricky Rochelle, wht.rbbt.obj, and Numb Surprise. Tav Falco returns with a record that looks back at his storied career, […]

The last Friday of September means that this is also the last episode of The Ledge during the third quarter of this year so it’s time for a little look back over the past three months. And once again, it’s a wonderful time to be into the sort of music you hear on this show. Every week there’s great new records being put out. In fact, just today saw the release of a good half dozen albums that deserved their place on this broadcast.  What recent albums are your current favorites? For more info, including setlists, head to http://scotthudson.blogspot.com

Ok, the “covers” folder is full so it’s again time for a show of nothing but remakes! What’s surprising is that it usually takes five or six months to be ready for each of this type, but it was only two months ago that I utilized this theme. But then again, there’s been a plethora of tribute albums in the last few weeks, mot notably the fabulous Make Something Happen: A Tribute To The Flashcubes on Big Stir Records. I aired a set off this release in my new release episode earlier this month, but it definitely deserved another outting in this episode. But that’s not all from our pals at Big Stir Records. On October 10th, they will have the perfect Halloween album with Chilling, Thrilling Hooks and Haunted Harmonies: The Big Stir Records Halloween Grimoire. Featuring almost all of the label’s great acts, they’ve released a prerelease single off the record, a cover of “Eyeball Eater (From Outer Space) by sparkle*jets u.k. What’s especailly cool is that the digital version of the single includes a previously unreleased 1958 version by The Legends, a band featuring Richard West, fathre of sparkle*jets u.k.’s Susan West.  Elsewhere, there are fab covers […]

Believe it or not, there are actually rules when it comes to The Ledge’s new release series. The main rule is simple – when there is a two part new release series the deadline for both shows is the start of the part one’s Friday night broadcast. But rules don’t really work in rock and roll, so every now and then I do have to make an important executive decision. That’s what happens with this week’s second part of the September new release series. I found out at the begining of the week that our good friend Pavid Vermin was putting out a new record, The Life of  a Showgirl, and after he kindly provided me with this wonderful collection of pop-punk (the good kind of pop-punk) I just had to include a couple of tunes this week. (It helps that none of the tunes are over two minutes long.)  The same could be said for another friend of the show, the power pop sounds of Detroit’s The Needmores. But their email of their first EP, Side X Side, just barely missed the deadline. Close enough for me! Besides those fabulous new records, this week’s episode includes a ton of […]

Another month, another two episodes devoted to new music! This week’s part one is centered around two great tribute albums released by two great labels. Our friends at Big Stir Records are set to release a fabulous tribute to power pop hall of famers The Flashcubes on September 12. I’m featuring five tracks off this great release that I’m sure y’all will love. There’s also a fabulous new tribute record from Jem Records, and it’s all about David Bowie. Following in the footsteps of similar records devoted to Ray Davies, Brian Wilson, John Lennon and Jagger/Richards, tonight you get four of the abum’s 11 tracks that cover Bowie’s entire career. Along with those great tracks, there’s new singles by Ledge favorits The Sleeveens and Memo PST, a wonderful compilation EP of previously-released tracks by The Whiffs, and awesome albums by Tamar Berk, Star Collector, The Unknowns, and many more. What tracks do you love the most? For more info, including setlists, head to http://scotthudson.blogspot.com

Last week’s look at what’s been spinning on the Hudson turntable was so fun that I thought we’d do it again. This week’s version, though, differs in that it also includes some digital treats. The announcement from the Numero Group of the upcoming Husker Du box, 1985 The Miracle Year was a no-brainer when it was accompanied by four more new sneak peaks. And I couldn’t stop myself from playing soem of the previously-released rarities that will again feature on the upcoming box set version of The Replacements’ Let It Be. But there are also a couple of great compilation albums that deserved some notice. First off, there’s the latest free release from our friends at Rum Bar Records. The Summer School Sampler features 34 tracks of brand new or recently-released material, and like I said it’s free!  And the 15th volume of Bored Teenagers compiles rare British punk singles from 1976-83! Along with these fun tunes I also aired quite a few more faves that have recently hit my turntable. What’s your favorite from this week’s show? For more info, including setlists, head to http://scotthudson.blogspot.com

If you happen to follow me on social media (and why wouldn’t you?) you have probably noticed that every week I post a collage of some of the albums I’ve listened to over the course of the week that I note as from “the Hudson Compound”. Well, tonight’s show is an audio version of one of those collages. Every track I played tonight comes from a record that has either been on my turntable, in my earbuds during walks, or blasting in my car as I run errands.  These 32 songs represent almost 60 years of great rock and roll, but there are a couple of somewhat new tunes. First off, earlier this week Rhino Records announced an upcoming box set version of my third favorite album of all time, Let It Be. The 3 CD/4 LP box, which comes out on October 24, includes an entire disc of rarities and outtakes and a full show from The Cubby Bear in Chicago. This announcement was accompanied by one of the outtakes – an alternate version of “Androgynous” that kicks off the show. The other new tunes (at least to me) comes right after that track. A few weeks ago our […]

This week’s broadcast is sort of two different episodes combined together. The first 45 minutes or so consists of songs left over from the previous two week’s new reelease episodes. They’re not leftovers in terms of quality, though. They were just the last couple of sets of material that would have caused last week’s show to be well over 2 1/2 hours. And sure, having those dozen or so spare tracks allowed me to throw in yet another tune from both The Dogmatics and The Peppermint Kicks albums. The second part of the broadcast, which actualy kicks off with one of last week’s leftovers (The Kowalski’s “Depression Overdrive”) showcases a number of tunes from reissues, compilations, and live albums. There’s the long forgotten original version of Marianne Faithfull’s “Sister Morphine”, outtakes from  Talking Heads, and live tunes from Husker Du, Guided By Voices and The Fall. There’s also two full sets from Cherry Red Records’ fabulous new I Wanna Be a Teen Again compilation, including a trio of old tunes from current Big Stir Records artists. Also, please give some thoughts to the ideas on an interview spinoff show and a possible Patreon site that I discuss in the first […]

This month’s second part of The Ledge new release is dominated by two of my favorite regular elements – female-led rock and roll and Rum Bar Records.   There are two lengthy sets of high octane bands led by female vocals, along with the show-opening debut of Tamar Berk’s new single, “Stay Close By”, which was released today! The full album comes out on September 5, and Tamar noted in the email that accompanied her tunes, “‘ocd’ is my fifth studio album in five years, and somehow it feels like the most personal and intense one yet. I’ve always written from a place of deep reflection, but this album digs into the spirals—my anxiety, obsessions, fears, memories, dreams—all of it. It’s raw, loud, messy, sometimes funny, sometimes devastating. Just like my mind.” There’s also two sets devoted to the plethora of fabulous tunes recently put out on Rum Bar Records, highighted by two of my favorite records of the year by The Dogmatics and The Peppermint Kicks. “Nowheresville” is as strong as anything The Dogmatics have put out in their almost 45 year existence, while The Peppermint Kicks certainly load up the sugar in their pop-rock masterpiece, “Pop Rocks In My […]

It’s a new month so obviously it’s time for another two part new release series. Like usual, tonight’s part one is full of “friends of the show” that includes artists on Big Stir Records, along with tracks submitted by the likes of The New Brutarians, Jim Basnight, and many others. There’s also a sneak peak at the upcoming Superchunk album, and a handful of tunes from yet another recently announced live Husker Du album!  For more info, including setlists, head to http://scotthudson.blogspot.com

The folder was almost full so I decided the time was right for a covers show. The key words are “almost full”, though. As late as this morning I was a few songs short of a full show. But I had faith. First off, I discovered the reissue of a 2012 covers EP by Black Furies called Get Down With It that included a cover of “Teenage Kicks”. Wait, what? It seems like every time I do a covers show I find yet another version of that tune. Then came the release of the explosive new album by The Dogmatics, Nowheresville, destined to be one of my favorite albums of the year. That album’s final tune is “Bail Me Out” by Boston legends DMZ. Add a few other new finds and the show was ready! While the vast majority of tracks are either brand new or come from reissues, I do have a lengthy Redd Kross-related set in the middle of the show. Having just finished the great new autobiography Now You’re One Of Us: The Incredible Story of Redd Kross, it was just natural to showcase some of the many covers they recorded over the years. Besides two tracks […]

I generally label the first part of the monthly new release series the “friends of the show” broadcast. Looking at tonight’s folder of tunes, though, the sequel actually has more artists of that sort than part one had. As always, there’s  lengthy set recapping a ton of wonderful Rum Bar Records release. Let’s face it, thanks to their generosity and the sherr number of great records they put out every month they fit the “best friend” category. But a large portion of the show includes a number of other submitted tracks by the likes of Shortwaves, Joe Normal, mp clarke, The Rockerati, and The chrisVandalay Project. And a thumbs up to the always prolific Friends of Cesar Romero for putting out not one but three new releases this past month! There’s also some great tracks from veteran artists this month. The Black Watch just released their 25th album. 25! And this one’s a double! The Reds, Pinks and Purples contnue their jangle pop snark with The Past Is a Garden I Never Fed. There’s a four album set by Hallelujah The Hills, and the returns of The Untamed Youth and Dropkick Murphys. What is your fave new release? For more […]

It may be our nation’s birthday, but that’s not stopping The Ledge from their usual routine of every first Friday of the month. Yes, once again we have a two part new release series, and this week’s first episode is primarily “friends of the show”. Artists that regularly send us tracks (Numb Surprise), along with labels that alway keep us in the loop (Big Stir Records), along with a ton of artists who so nicely provided us with singles or full-length releases. But we also had to break our usual format with this news from the Numero Group – “The rumors are true. On January 30, 1985, Hüsker Dü recorded a peak high performance to 24 track tape at Minneapolis’s First Avenue club in front of their hometown massive. This performance was supposed to come out as a live album later that year, but the band’s rapid upward trajectory caused priorities to shift. The tapes were shelved – thought to be possibly lost in the same 2011 house fire that consumed a precious portion of the Hüsker Dü archive. Nearly 40 years later, these tapes have been rescued from the abyss, and we’ve tasked the team at Steve Albini’s Electrical […]

As it is the last Friday of the second quarter of the year, it’s time to once again take a look back at the highlights of the last three months. Like usual, there’s a wonderful mix of all kinds of great music, from veteran bands (The Minus 5, The Waterboys, Swans) to brand new bands (Psychic Pigs, The Burgers). There’s free bandcamp faves (Friends of Cesar Romero, Vista Blue), our usual mix of Rum Bar Records bands, and multi-disc concept albums (David Lowery, The Waterboys). There’s some good old fashioned rock ‘n roll, garage rock, punk, and even some indescribible multi-genre bands that I like to call “garage-prog”.  What new albums have you been jamming? For more info, including setlists, head to http://scotthudson.blogspot.com

Full disclosure here, and it’s sort of controversial. I’ve never been a Beach Boys fan. It’s just never really worked for me. As a kid, it just seemed to be a parent’s version of what rock and roll is supposed to be. The fact they had a song called “Be True To Your School” was enough evidence for me to not buy that Endless Summer collection that came out around the same time as I was discovering The Ramones and Sex Pistols. That’s not to say that I don’t have respect for the band, especially Brian Wilson, who passed away on June 11. The fact that so many of my favorite bands revered Wilson (including the Ramones) gave me some new insight. In fact, I always have said that I love the bands influenced by The Beach Boys more than the actual band. Plus, I have developed an appreciation for Pet Sunds, although I’m still not prepared to call it the greatest album ever. But I pulled it out after hearing the news of Brian’s death, and I also played the version of Smile that came out in 2011. That may be my favorite album by them, but is it […]

Believe it or not, there are rules when it comes to what you hear on The Ledge. One of my main rules is that when the new release show is split into two separate shows there is a cutoff date for the material. That deadline is showtime of the first episode. Any material that is sent my way after that is set aside for the next month’s series. But there’s no real rules in rock and roll, as proven when I got an email from Rum Bar head honcho Malibu Lou just a fwe hours before this broadcast. Attached to the correspondance was the upcoming new single by The Dogmatics! Hold the presses, kids, as this is a track that has to be fast-tracked. And what a backstory. The new song, “You’ve Got What I Want”, is the opening blast from a new full-length coming out on July 18. But it’s 96 seconds of fury that dates back to the band’s earliest rehearsals. Leader Jerry Lehane had attended a show by 80s Boston legends The Outlets, and rushed to the infamous Thayer Street rehearsal loft to write this ferocious rocker. Why they waited almost 45 years to record this classic […]

The first half of the monthly new release series is always dominated by “friends of the show”, and this month it’s no different. Tonight’s episode features are good friends Numb Surprise, the latest Rob Moss split 7″ cover collaboration (this time with Arthur Alexander), the return of Swansea Sound, and many others. Take note of the wonderful comeback tune by Handsome Dick Manitoba, as it features our pals Torpedohead as his band!.  The concluding half hour or so of tonight’s broadcast features double shots of some great new albums. Alien Nosejob, Frankie and the Witch Fingers, and Wyldlife are represnted with their new records, and we have a sneak peak at what should be a future favorite album from Superchunk! For more info, including setlists, head to http://scotthudson.blogspot.com

Tonight’s show features the debut of a new theme. It’s a format that I’ve long considered trying out, and this week seemed like the perfect opportunity. Quite often, new albums that I’ve come across have included songs with a famous person in the title. Most are tributes to said person, but there are also plenty of these types of tunes that just utilize a name for a song that has nothing to do with that character. So here we have over two hours of these types of songs. They’re priarily new or recently released, but there are four segments devoted to individual artists. First off, we have The Replacements, along with a variety of songs devoted to members of the band. Then at the end we have lengthy sections full of songs about Joe Strummer and Joey Ramone. I can see this format being utilized every few months. Just like the cover songs episodes, I’ll set up a folder that I’ll toss whatever songs I come across that would work for such a show. What do you think? Is this a worthy idea? For more info, including setlists, head to http://scotthudson.blogspot.com

At first glance, the latest installment of the cover song series is no different than any previous episode. Behind the scenes, though, serendipity is at play here. Like usual, I had quitely filled my “covers” folder over the last few months. A few weeks ago, I had accumulated enough tracks to schedule the show. I could have done it at the end of April, or last week. Next week even. Or I could have held it over until June. But no, I was determed in do on May 23. Then on my usual record store run last Friday I found a number of great Minneapolis garage rock records from the 50s and 60s. Most were compilatons, but I also found a Sundazed Music reissue of The Gestures’ self-titled album from 1966. Hailing from Mankato, MN, they had a hit in 1964 with “Run, Run, Run”, their debut single. I picked up this reissue, and loved it! Fast forward to yesterday as I was looking at the various new releases for the week. I was excited to see that Beebe Gallini had a new record out called Begged, Borrowed and Stealed! Even better was the fact that not only is this a […]

This episode started off with a simple search for a Mother’s Day song. I just wanted to check out what songs I had about moms. But I noticed something quite off. I also had quite a few songs whose title included a much longer word that included the word mother. Like a whole plethora of songs that a polite person like myself would never, ever knowingly type in a show description like this. So that’s what we have tonight. 39 songs whose titles involves a certain expletive. It’s quite a fun show, but if you are NOT a fan of profranity you may want to wait for next week’s show. I won’t take it personally.  For more info, including setlists, head to http://scotthudson.blogspot.com