Holsapple & Stamey "hERE aND nOW", OAK Team on the road!

I re-connected with an old college roommate yesterday via Facebook. He was an upperclassman at East Carolina University during my freshman year. We were both music majors and at the time shared some musical interests. I remember he had a Monkees Model Gretsch that I wanted, plus a silver face Twin-Reverb and a very nice Guild acoustic. Mike is an excellent musician... sax and clarinet, guitar too when he used to play it... I think he gave it up. I should have! He spent quite a few years touring with "The Dukes Of Dixieland" (2nd incarnation) and lived in New Orleans until he and his wife decided to have kids and thought there might be better places to raise them. He eventually got back to North Carolina and is still here, on the coast in Wilmington.





So I was checking out his profile and in the box where some people put a phrase or a quote Mike wrote "I miss the days when we listened to complete recordings & absorbed them over time." I made me think about where "music" is today as an industry and how people get their new music and how they listen to it. I know myself that I rarely do that when I get an MP3 download. I'll skip around, find the tunes I like and forget the others. The ability to do this has always been around but with a computer it is so easy. Maybe there is a time aspect to it too. Everyone is so pressed for time that maybe the opportunity to sit in one place for 45 minutes or so and focus on an album isn't possible. In my case I have been spoiled by "the hits" as that is what my industry, radio, focuses on. I thought about "The Wad's" quote a few time. I even mentioned it to my wife. Now we did sit and listen to the entire OAK Team CD "National Champions" all the way through the day we got it. But I can't remember another one in a very long time. I made a mental promise to do that more often. Then I walked to the mailbox where a surprise was waiting.





I had pre-ordered Peter Holsapple and Chris Stamey's CD hERE aND nOW a few weeks ago but wasn't expecting it until June 9th or later as the receipt plainly stated it would not be shipped until then, the official release date. But here it was... sitting in the mailbox. Did someone make a mistake? Did I get it early because of the little Internet radio station? Am I special? Probably yes, no and NO! Nevertheless I had it and it was the perfect night to put it in the CD player, sit on the deck and listen to the whole thing.... Which I did.



It should be noted that any thing I write about members of Arrogance, The Fabulous Knobs/Woods/OAK Team or The dB's and their music might ought to be taken with a grain of salt as I have always been huge fans of all three. However if something REALLY sucked I would probably point it out.





This was the perfect setting to listen to hERE aND nOW. A nice late spring night on the back deck as the sun was setting... and a cool old tune by "Family","My Friend The Sun", kicks off this CD. The recording is very open from a production standpoint. Very nice to listen to. Some great hooks and lyrics. The musicianship is fabulous. Then again I would expect no less from these two. A REAL reviewer, Fred Mills, commented the that harmonies were "Everlys-Worthy" and I couldn't agree more. However Peter and Chris always have always had great harmonies. Their voices compliment each other nicely. The record has an acoustic feel to it but is not totally acoustic. Very tasteful!



Track 2, "Santa Monica", does feature all four members of The dB's. Branford Marsalis plays on a couple of tracks, "Here And Now" and "Begin Again". A nice addition, especially on "Begin Again", Track 8.



This is a nice CD. Even though tempo wise I usually prefer up-tempo songs this has a nice balance. Just when I was ready to hear the pace pick up it did. There is something to be said for sequencing a record. I'm not sure some of today's artists and producers get the concept sometimes but these guys definitely do. It's helps to have good songs to sequence and they certainly do on hERE aND nOW.



So I got two nice surprises with "Big Easy" connections on the same day!!



Order this CD today. You won't be sorry. And if you do get it before the June 9th release date please don't tell me. That way I can feel special for a few more days!



Hey... speakin' of the Oak Team they are hittin' the road for Kentucky and Ohio so go see them if they are playing near your town. The new CD is getting some great reviews which Terry is posting on his blog. I'm telling you... If you don't have this CD you are missing some great tunes.



As always cuts from both of these Cd's are playing now on Comboland Radio! Listen and please tell AT LEAST 5 people you know.

Addendum! There is a great interview with Peter on the Lehigh Valley Music Blog.

And now... on with the countdown.

At the blog PowerPop they're counting them down all the way to Number One!!! Evidently they do this every Friday and this weeks countdown category is...

Most Memorable Post Elvis Song or Record Referencing Atmospheric Phenomena, i.e. Weather -- In the Title or Otherwise!!!

I don't want to spoil it for you but there is a Comboland artist at the top spot and you will get an Olympic Size Ass Kicknin' if you don't go see for yourself which artist/band and song it is.

Another hint... At Comboland Radio we play a ton of songs from this person from nearly every band this artist has ever been in.

Now remember... Keep your feet on the ground, keep reaching for the stars, and listen often to Comboland Radio!

Arrogance @ 40 and The Othermothers

The Othermothers from Greensboro were one of my favorite bands in the 80's. I didn't learn about them until Robert Kirkland and Steve Haigler started recording the sessions for their EP on "Making Waves" (the same label that "Greetings From Comboland" was on) which was titled "No Place Like Home". Recorded at Reflection Sound Studios in Charlotte, that is one rockin' record. "Rodeo... 88 seconds" was the hit but "Napalm Beach", "You and Yours", "Party Topics" well hell they're all good tunes. They were certainly a high energy band. Let me rephrase that... They ARE a high energy band and the proof is the video on YouTube shot at their gig at The Green Bean in April.



They can still wail away, which is really saying something with the tempo and intensity of some of their tunes. See them play again on June 20th at the Blind Tiger. See their MySpace page for all of the info. Love that SR-51 Blackbird on the poster!



Arrogance will continue their 40th Anniversary celebration on September 19th with a gig at The Cat's Cradle in Chapel Hill, being called a "Birthday Bash". I don't have too many details yet but I do know that Jim Glasgow and Mike Greer are planning to be there to re-join the boys again as will percussionist Ogie Shaw who was a member when the first LP, "Give Us A Break" was recorded. There will be an official announcement next week and maybe some additional info then. But I am sure we will get more as we get closer to the show. Early details should be released during the first week of June.



If you missed the arrogance @ 40 show at the Carolina Theatre in March then here is your chance to make up for that serious lapse in judgment. Go to the Comboland Radio Facebook page and check out the pictures of that show. Go to the "Return To Comboland" website and check out Steve Boyle's video. Man was it fun with some incredible music by all. I don't yet know what this show might bring in the way of special guests but there were some great ones at the March show. Plus arrogance sounded great!! You can get more info as it is released at the arrogance website, the arrogance MySpace page, and OF COURSE at Comboland Radio!!!

Just In Time For Memorial Day, New Music!

Just in time for the holiday weekend there is a load of new music on Comboland Radio.

First is a band from Raleigh that discovered the station on their own. Blister is punk at it's punkiest. They have a new CD that is being released today!! they also have a gig planned for tonight! Go to their MySpace page for all of the info. And listen for Blister on Comboland Radio.

Second is another Triangle area band that found the station months ago. They made an inquiry and somehow we lost touch. I did find their CD on CD Baby and added 3 tunes from Gray Young's Firmament CD to Comboland Radio. This CD has received some good reviews and was a pick of the week on WKNC. They have a bunch of gigs coming up so go see them! Their CD or MP3 Download are both available from CD Baby.

Yet a third band that found Comboland Radio and contacted me.... this one from the Charlotte area, Newton to be exact. Leaving Venus has an EP out which is available from their MySpace page. You will also find details about their show in Hickory on May 30th.

I have a TON of music lying around!! So much that sometimes it is a bit overwhelming. Comboland Radio actually came together relatively quick when you understand how much work is involved in putting any radio station together. Now it did sort of develop and morph along the way. Also along the way I would start something and get distracted by the day job, or life. I know I have a few pieces of vinyl about halfway through the restoration process. When completed you'll hear them on Comboland Radio. I also went through a period where I was filling in holes in my collection (a never-ending process) and have some things, mainly downloads, that I had forgotten about. One of those was Jamie Hoover's "Coupons Questions and Comments". What a great CD!! This thing is full of songs that should have been hits! It is available from CD Baby and elsewhere.

I also add some tunes from the Jamie Hoover and Bill Lloyd recording "Paparazzi" which is superb as well. It's on the Paisley Pop label and still available at all of the usual places.

Before The War began "Waving The White" they called themselves "Starting Tuesday" and released a CD in 2005. It's another one I downloaded and forgot about. Now you'll start to hear a few tunes on Comboland Radio.

It is a big auto racing weekend. The big Coca Cola 600 from Charlotte, and the Indianapolis 500 from one of the most historic racing facilities in the world. And speaking of the Indy 500 this would be a good time for you to check out The Oak Team's "Indy 500" on the new CD "National Champions" available from the usual places, and at Doublenaught Records Dot Com!

Now.... Go Listen!! And tell 5 people this week about Comboland Radio!!

arrogance @ 40 - The Video!

I have often touted Steve Boyle's website "Return To Comboland". I have links to it in several places on the website and on my blog pages. If you haven't visited the site yet boy are you in for a surprise! This was one of the first sites I found when I began researching for the launch of Comboland Radio. Steve has some real gems on the site. And even though, like me, he has a day job that keeps him very busy he does find time to edit up the video in his vault so we can all enjoy it.

New on the Return To Comboland Site is Part 1 of arrogance @ 40. If you went to the show you can get a great close-up look at the show. If you missed it you can see for yourself how much fun everyone was having and why you should have been there. The video itself is just over nine minutes long and seems to cover most of the first part of the show, with the exception of the original arrogance line-up's performance. The video is in the same style as the others on the site and is part of Steve's documentary on the first era of Comboland. His work, as with all of the other shorts, is fabulous. I can't wait for Part 2, and 3, and... Go to the Return To Comboland site and watch for yourself.

Steve, like myself, read into Dixon's blog that a semi-retirement for him may very well be on the horizon. He and I are both fans and hope Dixon, or any of the Comboland performers, never has to slow down. And I have heard from a reliable source that there WILL be other arrogance shows. Still you should go see Dixon while he is still performing. Maybe if enough people turn out at the 4 upcoming shows he will feel differently about his future. If nothing else you'll get to see a great performer and have a good time. The upcoming shows are Dixon and the Hanging Chads are playing in Charlotte at The Evening Muse on Friday, May 15th, Dixon Solo in Winston-Salem on May 22nd and in York, SC on June 6th, and with the Jump Rabbits are playing on June 12th. Click on the links for complete details. Go see Dixon if you can.

I got a mailer full of Cd's from Blister, and punk rock band out of Raleigh the other day. I will be working on adding their music to the playlist and will hopefully have some in the playlist before the weekend gets here. They have a new CD coming out and a CD Release Party coming up on May 23rd. I'm hoping to get some tunes from Leaving Venus too.

Listen to Comboland Radio and please tell another person you know about it.

Dixon News... Good and Bad...

The good news is Don Dixon has a book coming out. It's entitled "Songs 101 - The Lyrics of Don Dixon". The bad news is that Don says he is finished as a performer.

The book sounds cool. If you are a fan of Dixon's work and have always appreciated the lyrical content of his songs then this is a must have. Pre-order and Dixon says he will inscribe it to you or a friend. The page on his web site has all of the info and some early reviews. I'm ordering mine this weekend.

The blog entry on MySpace makes me sad.... and a bit mad. Sad for Don as I know how much he enjoys performing. I mean you can tell it when he is on the stage. I'm not sure he enjoys all of the BS and minutia he has to deal with beforehand but on stage has seems very happy. I'm sad because as a fan I know that I may not have too many more chances to see and hear him perform. I'm also sad because he seems to feel that way about his decision. In a few short sentences he talks about the fun he has had recently and that he will now have to quit doing what he loves.

I was at the arrogance @ 40 show in March. If you told me that night was Dixon was going to write in this blog I would have said you were crazy. The performance was good and everyone had a great time. If anything I would have expected to read about an upcoming show or 2. Not this. I can only hope that something will happen to change his mind. I'm sure we share many of the same medications as we both have a similar health condition. Get your doctor to check those meds Dixon. They can mess with you mind! Yes I can hope.... but in my heart I also understand. And THAT is what makes me mad.

In this digital world many of the things we are fond of are slipping away. Music may be one of them. It has never been an easy life. Most of the musicians on Comboland Radio have eked out a living but they never got rich. Most have had to get "day jobs" to support themselves. A few have been able to find other avenues in the music biz to keep them going. The digital download era we are now in has its pluses and minuses. It is easier to get your product out to the fans. It is also easier to make copies of the song and share them with friends, leaving the artist out. That is not good for anyone. Sure some people get free music but if that happens often enough the artist gets to the point where they can't make a living playing/writing music anymore and has to so something else. Playing at the size venues Dixon has been playing for the past few years won't make you rich either. There are costs involved in playing these gigs. A musician is also a business person. If you can't make a bit of money doing something then you are probably better off doing something else.

Another part of this that makes me mad is the belief I had that my generation would not be as much like those before and loose interest in music as we got older. Not all of us did... but the majority seems to have. I am not condemning anyone.... that's just the way it is. Life happens and interests and priorities change. It's happened before and probably will again.

Don Dixon, and many others, have given us all a gift. We will have their recorded music to listen to and enjoy. All of us arrogance fans have access to nearly everything the band recorded. If you don't own digital copies I encourage you to buy them now. Dixon's library is still mostly available. Buy those too and support his music. Any band you enjoy you should buy their music and urge your friends to do the same. Resist the urge to make copies. Your favorite bands will be around a lot longer if they can make a living doing what they love.

By the way Dixon and the Hanging Chads are playing in Charlotte on May 15th, Dixon Solo in Winston-Salem on May 22nd and in York, SC on June 6th, and with the Jump Rabbits are playing on June 12th. Go see Dixon if you can.

Max Indian, Cirkus, And More...

New to Comboland Radio's playlist is Max Indian. I read about their CD on Peter Holsapple's blog and decided to give it a listen. It's very good! Great hooks, neat lyrics. The recording itself is not what I am used to but it doesn't matter. The songs are good and the production quality may even be an enhancement of sorts. Still I would like to hear what Jamie Hoover, Mitch Easter, Chris Stamey or Don Dixon (or a combination!) could do in the studio with these guys. It is a good CD as it is and I am happy Peter wrote about it or I would not have known about Max Indian.




I have a backlog of stuff to add to the ever expanding playlist. I have been sitting on Will Rigby's CD for a while and finally got a couple of cuts in the database. I was contacted by the band "Blister" and hope to get some new Raleigh Punk on soon.




Cirkus has a reunion gig coming up on May 8th at The Brewery. They played A BUNCH all over the Southeast in the 70's and 80's. In talking with Sean and Steve I did not realize that very little recorded material exists from the band. The best example is from the WROQ LP of a live concert at Carowinds. There were 2 songs from each band which also included Sugarcreek, The Vandals, and a couple of others. The recording was excellent and I sure would know where the masters to THAT are!! I know they recorded a lot more songs than were released on that LP. The 2 Cirkus songs are hot, both are featured on Comboland Radio. If you want to hear some great NC Rock be at the Brewery May 8th and help original lead vocalist Steve Quinney celebrate his 60th birthday and take part in the Cirkus Reunion.



I continue to search for older Comboland music to fill gaps in the library. I had a bunch of stuff in my personal collection but not everything. It has been surprising how much I have been able to find, primarily on eBay. I never had a copy of the H-Bombs but found one and it is on the way!! It'll be on soon, maybe next week.'



I continue to search out new bands too. You can help out by suggesting one or two, of if YOU are a band member/artist just drop me an email. Remember Comboland Radio is devoted to the Rock music scene form the Carolinas, and we do spill over into Virginia. I also suggest that you spend a little time listening to the station to get an idea of the overall sound to see if you fit.



Listen to Comboland Radio often. Top Friend us and tell folks your songs are being played on Comboland Radio!!