This week’s show (Saturday, December 17, 8-10pm) will be a celebration of all the great music that came out in 2022. I will be featuring many of my very favorite tunes from the last year.
COVER ART OF THE WEEK: Smirk is the “band” name for the very talented Los Angeles based musician, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Nick Vicario. He writes, performs, and records the music himself with a bit of help from friends. After releasing a pandemic era EP and LP, he has just come out with the excellent album “Material,” on Total Punk Records. The cover features artwork by former Austin and NYC musician (Fuckemos, Chumps, Surfbort) and artist Sean Powell. He is now based in Los Angeles. Click on image to enlarge.
DUSTY DIAMOND OF THE WEEK (a forgotten gem from the STD vaults): OK, so the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion don’t really count as a forgotten band, but we’re going to feature them here anyway. Fronted by guitarist and vocalist Jon Spencer (Pussy Galore, Gibson Bros, Boss Hog), this high-powered trio melded blues rock with garage, R&B, soul, and punk among other forms. Between 1991 and 2018 when they disbanded, they released innumerable albums and singles. “Bellbottoms” is a high-octane rocker from start to finish. It appeared in 1994 on the “Orange” album on Matador Records as well as a 1995 single, also on Matador. Listen to (and watch) it here:
