High School Sweethearts, French Kicks, The Mr. T Experience, The Grip Weeds, The Aluminum Group, K. McCarty, Freedy Johnston, Peelander-Z, Hamell On Trial, Dave's True Story, Reno's Men, and Dungen rock this town... Get the free download here. For the first time, the show starts with the... JERSEY ROCK CITY SET
Downtown Girl - HIGH SCHOOL SWEETHEARTS Heels N' Wheels, Get Hip, 2005 In celebration of their record release party last Friday at Maxwell's. Substar - RENO'S MEN Dig Me Do You, no label, 1999 An "oldie" from the boys; buy the new one. We're Not Getting Through - THE GRIP WEEDS The Sound Is In You, Rainbow Quartz, 2003 (reissue) Super '60s-esque pop explosion. Western Sky - FREEDY JOHNSTON Live At 33 1/3, Singing Magnet, 2000 Lovely live recording of a track from his Never Home album, as featured in his live show last week at The Goldhawk. --- Panda - DUNGEN Ta Det Lungt, Subliminal, 2004 The Swedish dude/band is on tour with The Go! Team next week in the U.K. Panda II - PEELANDER-Z Dancing Friendly, Eat Rice, 2005 Yellow, Red, and Blue round out the panda twofer. Woo hoo! I Hate Your Kid (live) - HAMELL ON TRIAL Ed's Not Dead—Hamell Comes Alive, Such-A-Punch, 2000 As always, heartfelt emotion from Ed Hamell, the all-world live performer who opens for Ani DiFranco at The State Theatre in New Brunswick tonight. --- Walking The Cow - K. MCCARTY Dead Dog's Eyeball, Bar/None, 1994 (reissued 2005) From K./Kathy's recently reissued album of Daniel Johnston covers. Baby - THE ALUMINUM GROUP Wonder Boy Plus, Minty Fresh, 1999 Another Aluminum Group song so light you could almost float away on the thing. The World In Which We Live - DAVE'S TRUE STORY Nature, Bepop, 2005 Catch them playing tunes like this from their new album tonight at The Living Room in NYC; The Lansdowne Folk Club in Lansdowne, Pennsylvania on Thursday, April 28; and this Saturday April 30 at The Birchmere in Alexandria, Virginia. --- One More Time - FRENCH KICKS The Trial Of The Century, StarTime, 2004 Cool track from the New York band's 2004 album. I Wrote A Book About Rock & Roll - THE MR. T EXPERIENCE Alcatraz, Lookout!, 1999 A fair-enough criticism of, well, rock criticism. --- Hoboken Rock City is produced with the cooperation of the artists and record labels whose recordings appear on the show. Thanks to all. Please send me your comments and contribute your votes. Thank you. See you next week for Show #10...

Spoon, The Decemberists, Future Bible Heroes, Edwyn Collins, Stereo Total, Motel Creeps, Shake Appeal, Huma, Misty Roses, The Pillcrushers, The Bent Backed Tulips, and Permer rock & roll all nite... Get the free download here.
I Turn My Camera On - SPOON Gimme Fiction, Merge, 2005 From the new album out May 10. In the meantime, download this track for free from the Merge site. Catch 'em live at the TLA in Philly on June 4 and Webster Hall in NYC June 8 and 9. The Sporting Life - THE DECEMBERISTS Picaresque, Kill Rock Stars, 2005 Thanks to Jay at Late Night Sounds for clueing me in to the fact that Petra Haden (featured on last week's show) recently joined this band. I'd missed that news. The Decemberists play Irving Plaza on May 4 and the TLA May 5. My Danger - SHAKE APPEAL You're Too Rich, Go-Kart, 1996 Awesome rock & roll from a band that helped spawn Hoboken's own True Love. --- JERSEY ROCK CITY SET I Can't Sleep In Silence - HUMA unreleased, no label, 2005 Stream this brand-new Huma tune on their Myspace page. See 'em live at The Loop Lounge in Passaic Park on Friday, April 29; The George Street Co-Op in New Brunswick on Saturday, April 30; and Brighton Bar in Long Branch on Sunday, May 8. If you haven't already, read my interview with them. Leave Without A Sound - MOTEL CREEPS unreleased, no label, 2005 Stream this brand-new Motel Creeps track on their site. They're playing live Friday, April 29 at the still-open Luna Lounge and Friday, May 20 at The Pussycat Lounge. Tie Me Down - THE BENT BACKED TULIPS Looking Through..., eggBERT, 1996 Dramarama in everything but name... --- Babystrich - STEREO TOTAL Do The Bambi, Kill Rock Stars, 2005 More yummy pop fun from the German duo that's playing the Bowery on Wednesday, May 11. I'm Lonely (And I Love It) - FUTURE BIBLE HEROES I'm Lonely, Merge, 2000 A fine track from my favorite of Stephin Merritt's myriad bands. Into The Sky (San Serac Mix) - MISTY ROSES Komodo Dragons, Frog Man Jake, 2004 Remixed fun from the transcontinental hipsters who are touring the U.K. and Ireland in June. Check their site for dates. Popgirl - PERMER Summerdays Attract The Pain, Hidden Agenda, 2002 The male half of Swedish pop demigods Waltz For Debbie, from his criminally overlooked solo record. --- All Of The Time - THE PILLCRUSHERS Welcome To The World, Not Lame, 2004 New York power poppers play the aforementioned Pussycat Lounge on Friday, April 29. Yeah! Make Me Feel Again (Highland Mix) - EDWYN COLLINS Make Me Feel Again single, Setanta, 1995 Cool mix, different and probably superior to the already stellar version on the album Gorgeous George. Check edwyncollins.com for updates on Edwyn's health. --- Hoboken Rock City is produced with the cooperation of the artists and record labels whose recordings appear on the show. Thanks to all. Send your comments here and your votes here. Thank you. See you next Wednesday for Show #9, #9, #9...

Freedy Johnston, Trashcan Sinatras, Dave's True Story, The Flashcubes, Ted Leo & The Pharmacists, Petra Haden, Group Sounds, Huma, Kevin Tihista's Red Terror, X-Wife, The Trouble With Sweeney, East River Pipe, and All Girl Summer Fun Band prove that rock and roll ain't noise pollution on Hoboken Rock City - Show #7. Get the free download here.
You Only Live Twice - TRASHCAN SINATRAS On A B Road, Bobame, 2004 From their excellent collection of b-sides and cover songs, available from their website. Also check out their most recent studio album, Weightlifting. They're great live, too: see them Monday, April 18 at The Saint in Asbury Park; two shows Wednesday, April 20 at the Tin Angel in Philadelphia; Friday, April 22 at Southpaw in Brooklyn; Saturday, April 23 at the Mercury Lounge in Manhattan; and Sunday, April 24 at the mighty, mighty Maxwell's. And I swear on a stack of Dylan records that it didn't even occur to me until after I'd recorded this that I'd begun Show #007 with a James Bond theme. Blue Nile - DAVE'S TRUE STORY Nature, Bepop, 2005 From their new album, which hits stores next Tuesday, April 19. You can buy it now at the iTunes store. They're playing live every Wednesday this month at The Living Room, 8 p.m. no cover. Many more shows in the coming months, including The Rotunda at the William Brennan Courthouse in Jersey City on Friday, June 17. I interviewed them around the time they released their album Sex Without Bodies. --- JERSEY ROCK CITY SET She's A Goddess - FREEDY JOHNSTON The Way I Were: 4-Track Demos 1986-1992, Bar/None, 2004 The former Hoboken resident plays next Wednesday, April 20 at The Goldhawk, 9 p.m., $10 at the door. An oldie but a goodie: my 1997 interview with Freedy. Six Months In A Leaky Boat - TED LEO & THE PHARMACISTS Sharkbite Sessions, Lookout!/iTunes, 2005 His Split Enz cover is an iTunes store exclusive. See him live at the Terrace Club in Princeton, Thursday, April 21, 10 p.m. Start To Realize - HUMA Huma, no label, 2004 While the New Brunswick trio works on some new music, go to their site and download some of their tunes. Read my chat with them. Kill The Action - EAST RIVER PIPE Mel, Merge, 1996 A fine tune by F.M. Cornog, who grew up in Summit, N.J. and at one point, when he was homeless, lived in the Hoboken train station. He came a long way back. --- 1,000 Phone Calls - GROUP SOUNDS EP, no label, 2005 Buy their EP and download some tunes at the band's site while you can; after opening for The Kills, Hot Hot Heat, and Louis XIV, I doubt they're going to remain unsigned for long. Eno - X-WIFE Feeding The Machine, Nortesul, 2004 When this Portuguese band was in town in late 2004, they did a live set you can stream on WFMU's rockin' Cherry Blossom Clinic, hosted by Terre T. Evelyn Rochman - THE TROUBLE WITH SWEENEY Fishtown Briefcase, Burnt Toast Vinyl, 2004 Download this song for free from their site; better yet, buy the CD from the Not Lame store. It's You Tonight - THE FLASHCUBES Bright Lights, Northside, 1997 The Syracuse power-pop heroes of the late '70s, and an incendiary live band, in one of their finest moments. --- Cutie Pie - ALL GIRL SUMMER FUN BAND All Girl Summer Fun Band, K, 2001 Twee fun! Can't wait for their third album. I Can't Reach You - PETRA HADEN Petra Haden Sings The Who Sell Out, Bar/None, 2005 A highlight of Petra's a capella full-album cover of what I would (and, in fact, sometimes do) argue is The Who's best album. Just Not Enough - KEVIN TIHISTA'S RED TERROR Don't Breathe A Word, Parasol, 2001 A brilliant Chicago songwriter. Peep pics of Kevin drinking beer, and buy CDs while you're at it.. --- Hoboken Rock City is produced with the cooperation of the artists and record labels whose recordings appear on the show. Thank you: Pat Pierson, Tris McCall, John and Frank Navin, Keith Cullen, MaiMai, Fran Azzarto, Robin Morton, Jeff Eyrich, Kelly Flint, David Cantor, Michael Hill, Glen Morrow, Rob Cukierman, Brian, Laura & Jess from Huma, Erin Smith, Christina Rentz, Rajeev Muttreja, Scott at Burnt Toast Vinyl, Tommy Allen & The Flashcubes, Amber Bua, Michael Roux, all the listeners, commenters, and voters. See you next Wednesday for Show #8. Yeah!

Stereo Total, The Wrens, The Wannadies, The High School Sweethearts, Dan Bern, The Monsoons, The Lashes, Jim Testa, Pernice Brothers, The Nines, Smart Brown Handbag, and Vichan Maneechot rock and roll over on Hoboken Rock City - Show #6. Get the free download here.
Skin - THE WANNADIES Before & After, Hidden Agenda, 2004 Sexy Swedish rock; is there any other kind? I Am Naked - STEREO TOTAL Do The Bambi, Kill Rock Stars, 2005 And some sexy German rock, too. Download four Stereo Total tracks for free at the Kill Rock Stars site. Dance Dance Dance - VICHAN MANEECHOT Thai Beat A Go-Go [Various Artists], Subliminal, 2004 One of many highlights from Subliminal's compilation of ultra-rare '60s Thai rock & roll. --- JERSEY ROCK CITY SET Pretty O.K. - THE WRENS Abbott 1135, Absolutely Kosher, 1997 Lead track from the Secaucus boys' EP that will be reissued later this year. Afterschool Special - THE HIGH SCHOOL SWEETHEARTS Heels ‘n’ Wheels, Get Hip, 2005 Don't forget their record release party at Maxwell’s on Friday, April 22. Billy Beantown - THE MONSOONS Orographic Effect, no label, 2002 An originally Boston-based band active out of the Hoboken area the last couple years, though now broken up. Bandleader, songwriter, singer, keyboardist, and improv artist extraordinaire Mike Solomons occasionally plays solo gigs at The Goldhawk that are not to be missed. --- Death By Mixtape - THE LASHES The Stupid Stupid, Lookout!, 2004 Download this tune from the Seattle based sextet from Lookout! Records' download page and put it on your own deadly mixtape. 7:30 - PERNICE BROTHERS The World Won't End, Ashmont, 2001 This is pop perfection. Melanie - THE NINES Properties Of Sound, no label, 2000 Pop perfection part 2, from Canada. Buy it at CD Baby. --- Gamblin' With My Love (Pete Rose) - DAN BERN Smartie Mine, DBHQ, 1998 Easily the best song ever written about Pete Rose's conflict with Paul Giamatti's dad. Baseball Season - SMART BROWN HANDBAG The Big Sigh, Stonegarden, 2004 The song's about the end of baseball season, but we'll just be glad that this week is the opposite of that. Another CD Baby pick. There Used To Be A Ballpark - JIM TESTA Songs My Father Never Sang, Jersey Beat, 2002 A Leonard Cohen-esque cover of the Joe Raposo-penned gem popularized by Hoboken's favorite son to round out Hoboken Rock City's first-ever baseball-themed set. Appropriately enough, it's by Weehawken's Jim Testa, commemorating Hoboken's status as the birthplace of baseball. --- The Hoboken Rock City rock show / podcast is produced with the cooperation of the artists and record labels whose recordings appear on the show. Thank you: Pat Pierson, Tris McCall, John and Frank Navin, MaiMai, Michael Roux, Maggie Vail, Stefan Kery, Cory at Absolutely Kosher, The Wrens, Cynthia Santiglia, Lysa and all the High School Sweethearts, Mike Solomons, Erin Smith, Joyce Linehan, Steve Eggers, Lola Emmanuelli, Miki in Dan Bern's office, David Steinhardt, Jim Testa, all the listeners, commenters, and voters. Thanks. Catch all y'all next Wednesday for Show #7...