Category Archive: Teenage Kicks

Teenage Kicks: Manuevering in the Dark

Posted at 9:54 AM on August 21, 2010 by Jacquie Fuller
Filed under: Teenage Kicks

Our band of the week on Teenage Kicks this week is Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark, so I thought I'd share one of my favorite OMD songs. Brilliant pop song, totally befuddling 80s video. Synopsis: Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys go chasing ghosts in the Chihuahuan Desert during Day of the Dead. See McCluskey walk with a cane for no apparent reason (something to do with the bomber jacket? Flying accident? Perhaps he just came back from piloting the Enola Gay?) Humphreys drives around looking pensive, mullet blowing in the wind.

More sugar skulls, please.

Teenage Kicks' Uncorrected Personality Traits

Posted at 9:01 AM on July 10, 2010 by Jacquie Fuller
Filed under: Teenage Kicks

Our featured artist this week on Teenage Kicks is Robyn Hitchcock. We'll hear some of my favorite picks from his time with The Soft Boys and his solo career. Robyn was in our studios when he came through town last year--listen to his great in-studio chat with Mary Lucia here, and his terrific and totally illuminating Theft of the Dial here.

Teenage Kicks: Now with Feedback!

Posted at 5:37 PM on March 5, 2010 by Jacquie Fuller (2 Comments)
Filed under: Teenage Kicks

This weekend on Teenage Kicks, we're totally fuzzed out over the Jesus and Mary Chain.

What makes the Jesus and Mary Chain so cool?

A. Distortion
B. Bedhead
C. Leather pants
D. All of the above

If you answered D, you're correct!

They're so cool, the Magentic Fields made an album inspired by them. They're also apparently so cool, we can't embed a video of them, so you'll just have to check them out here.

Since they're our featured artist, we'll be playing a handful of songs by them on Teenage Kicks. We don't encourage the consumption of alcoholic beverages before noon, but the Jesus and Mary Chain aren't exactly known for good behavior. That said, here's a little Jesus and Mary Chain Drinking Game you can play while listening. Take a swig of OJ, or a bite of pancake, every time you hear a reference to one of the following:

- Candy
- Honey
- Cherry
- Pain or trauma to the head

I'll be playing along from home. Jim McGuinn is filling in for me this weekend so that I can take a much-needed, post-member-drive "mental health" day. 'Cause, you know, nothing encourages good mental health like listening to a bunch of Jesus and Mary Chain songs.

Tune in to Teenage Kicks Saturday mornings from 8 to 10. And tell us why you love JAMC below!

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Teenage Kicks is a Slave to Love

Posted at 1:45 PM on February 12, 2010 by Jacquie Fuller (4 Comments)
Filed under: Teenage Kicks

This week on Teenage Kicks, we're exploring love in all its pain and glory.

What are your favorite indie/alternative love songs from the late 70s, 80s, and early 90s? Share them here!

On that note: were the 80s' the most romantic decade ever, or what? I mean, with all the cherubic statues, and milk-covered drum kits, and rose-filled vases shattering to the floor? C'mon. What's up with all the grit of the 90s and the hard-boiled realism of the aughts? Bring back soft focus!

Here's some soft focus: Bryan Ferry's "Slave to Love." It was featured in the scandalous erotic film 9 1/2 Weeks (I never saw it, and shudder to even think of Mickey Rourke sans-clothing.) In this quintessential 80s video, Ferry is pursued by the paparazzi (albeit a rather small group of them, by today's standards.) Beyond that, I'm not really sure what's happening here. But I love to listen to this song while wearing an evening gown and chillin' in my rotating chair.

And if you really loved Robert Smith, you'd get him out of this cave.

Happy Valentine's Day from Teenage Kicks! Whether you're happily hooked-up, on the make, or just looking to make out, we can all agree that love is what makes the world go 'round. Tomorrow morning from 8 to 10, it's the theme of our show!

xoxo,
Jacquie

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Teenage Kicks: Our Aim is True

Posted at 2:38 PM on February 5, 2010 by Jacquie Fuller (2 Comments)
Filed under: Teenage Kicks

This week on Teenage Kicks, we're celbrating Elvis Costello's recent appearance on A Prairie Home Companion by crowning him Artist of the Week.

In his 33-year career making music under the moniker Elvis Costello (real name: Declan Patrick MacManus), Costello has proven himself as one of the most prolific and erudite songwriters in popular music.

Irish blood, English heart aside--in my heart, Costello is a great American songwriter. With their gleeful appropriations of country, blues, and even Tex-Mex (Costello's organ-driven sound was inspired by Texas' 60s psychedelic outfit, the Sir Douglas Quintet) Costello's narrative songs explore the darker side of banal, suburban landscapes. Costello is to pop music what Raymond Carver was to literature, or Edward Hopper to art.

And he's also got some serious moves:

I'd be hard pressed to tell you my favorite Elvis Costello song, but I think "Accidents Will Happen," and "A Kinder Murder" are high-up on the list. What's your favorite Costello song, and what do you love about it?

Tune in to Teenage Kicks for more Elvis!

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Teenage Kicks Shows Some Leg

Posted at 1:00 PM on January 29, 2010 by Jacquie Fuller (1 Comments)
Filed under: Teenage Kicks

This week on Teenage Kicks, we've got Love and Rockets in the spotlight. Formed in 1985 by the remaining members of Bauhaus (after Prince of Darkness Peter Murphy split to go solo), Love and Rockets took their name from the series of comic books by Jaime and Gilbert Hernandez (hear also: Lucero's "The Devil and Maggie Chascarrillo.")

Love and Rockets made eight albums in the fourteeen years they were together. Their biggest hit, "So Alive," made it to #3 on the American singles charts. Check out the video for "So Alive" ...

Then tell me if you see an homage here ...

Let's hope you're not too destroyed from The Current's 5th Birthday party to tune in to Teenage Kicks tomorrow from 8-10am. You'll hear more Love & Rockets, plus tracks from Dramarama, Josie Cotton, The Smiths, and more!

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Teenage Kicks Goes Underground

Posted at 3:00 PM on December 11, 2009 by Jacquie Fuller (1 Comments)
Filed under: Teenage Kicks

In 10th grade, my friend Heather loaned me a cassette tape with a banana on it. Given that The Velvet Underground were never commercially successful, I like to think that this is how most people first experienced the band: here, listen to this. It'll blow your mind. And blow my mind it did. From the gloomy tenderness of "I'll Be Your Mirror," to "Venus in Furs," which made me feel like I needed to go straight to confession.

The Velvet Underground formed in 1965 when Lou Reed and John Cale began making music together. They were a great pair when they could keep their contributions in balance--Reed's folksy, almost spiritual lyricism and pop tendencies, and Cale's love of avant-garde noise and drone and fuzz. Add to the mix the buttery, disaffected vocals of one German chanteuse, Nico, and you've got a sound to stand the test of time.

This week on Teenage Kicks, we're honoring the Velvets and their enduring contribution to rock and roll. Chime in if you've got a great Velvet Underground story, favorite song, or just something to share. And tune in tomorrow morning from 8-10, for music from The Velvet Underground, New Order, Squeeze, and more.

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Golly, Jeepers! Teenage Kicks with Siouxsie & the Banshees.

Posted at 3:30 PM on December 4, 2009 by Jacquie Fuller
Filed under: Teenage Kicks

In the mid-70s a group of kids from Bromley, a town near London, started following the latest band to make a splash in the UK: The Sex Pistols. Among this gaggle (tagged by a journalist as The Bromley Contingent) were Billy Idol and one Susan Ballion, a.k.a. Siouxsie Sioux.

Inspired by the band she followed, the 18-year-old Siouxsie teamed up with Steven Severin (who she met at a Roxy Music show) to make some music of their own. They played their first gig in 1976, when they filled in for a dropped-out band at a London punk festival. On drums: a pre-Pistols Sid Vicious.

Over two decades, Siouxsie and the Banshees developed their distinct brand of dark, atmospheric pop, and saw lineup changes that included The Cure's Robert Smith, and the sole XY-chromosome of all-girl punk band, The Slits - Budgie - who would later marry Siouxsie.

In 1995, the band called it quits, then reunited for a tour in 2003. In 2008, Siouxsie released a solo album, Mantaray.

But let's go back, for a moment, to 1987, when your humble Teenage Kicks host (that would be me) worshipped Siouxsie Sioux as her fashion icon. As you can imagine, this caused great discord with said host's parents, especially on the occasion of family photo shoots. Ugh.

I didn't know it at the time, but I was in good company. Beth Ditto of The Gossip, Shirley Manson of Garbage, and PJ Harvey all cite Siouxsie's music and style as a major influence.

Tune in to Teenage Kicks tomorrow from 8-10am, to hear tracks from our artists-of-the-week, Siouxsie and the Banshees. And to erase the above photograph from your mind, here's Siouxsie looking a bit like a Man Ray model:

Teenage Kicks ... with lots to Bragg about.

Posted at 2:48 PM on November 27, 2009 by Jacquie Fuller (2 Comments)
Filed under: Teenage Kicks

If you haven't caught Teenage Kicks yet, tune in Saturday (tomorrow) morning from 8-10am, for the best of modern rock ... then.

This week, our featured artist is Billy Bragg. You might know him from his 1998 collaboration with Wilco--Mermaid Avenue. But by then, this prolific, politically-outspoken Brit had nine albums under his belt. You'll hear some tracks from those albums on this week's show.

In the meantime, here's Billy performing "A New England" in 1988.

Tune in to Teenage Kicks tomorrow morning, for vintage tracks from Billy Bragg, Kirstie Maccoll, Elvis Costello, The Waitresses, R.E.M., and more. (And share your thoughts about the show and requests here!)

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Teenage Kicks ... High on XTC

Posted at 3:04 PM on November 18, 2009 by Jacquie Fuller (1 Comments)
Filed under: Teenage Kicks

In 1986, I was a surly, Siouxsie-Sioux-haired teenager, fresh out of a six-month stint in a half-way house. I was misunderstood, man! But then I heard a song on the radio (I was lucky to have a station back then that played this stuff) and it spoke to my tortured soul. (It also seriously freaked my mom out, which earned it vital bonus points.)

I still think "Dear God" is a great song. But as I came to know XTC better, I came to appreciate the parts of them that appealed to my sunnier side (yes, I had one.) XTC is a pop band, and I am a shameless and unabashed lover of pop. This band gave us sweet, jangly gems like "Generals and Majors," "Senses Working Overtime," "Making Plans for Nigel," and "Earn Enough for Us."

This is the point where I'd go into a little history of the band, but why not let them tell you? With puppets.

Tune in to Teenage Kicks, this Saturday from 8-10am, for more of our featured artist--XTC--plus other vintage goodies from OMD, Wire, The Jam, Iggy Pop, and more. And while you're here--why not share your thoughts about XTC (ahem ... Seel?)

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Teenage Kicks ... brought to you by the letter X.

Posted at 3:00 PM on November 4, 2009 by Jacquie Fuller (1 Comments)
Filed under: Teenage Kicks

I hosted a "retro" radio show in college with the unfortunate name of "Blue Eyeliner," and it's long been a dream of mine to have a similar show on The Current. I pitched it to our Program Director, Jim McGuinn, and found out he had a similar dream. A few weeks ago, Jim gave it the green light and put the training wheels on by getting the show started while I was busy putting on The Current's member drive.

This weekend, the wheels come off! I'm super-excited to be hosting Teenage Kicks, and hope you'll give me lots of feedback, suggestions, and requests. (And don't worry--Jim will still be around from time to time, filling in, especially when there's a member drive going on.)

If you haven't caught Teenage Kicks yet, it airs Saturday mornings from 8-10 am. Remember when the term "alternative," with regard to music, entered the collective consciousness? Well, Teenage Kicks is all about the music that came before "alternative." Back then it was "college radio," "modern radio," call it what you will. But you get the gist!

This week's featured artist is X. Frontwoman Exene Cervenka has a new album out, so it seemed timely to take a look back at the band. Formed in Los Angeles in 1977, X forged a sound all their own: a combination of punk, blues, rockabilly and country, sugared on the edges by the crooning duo of Exene and John Doe. When you hear an X song, you recognize it right away as an X song. Few bands have managed to hit the same register.

I had trouble finding early footage of the band, but here they are playing "The New World," from their 1983 album, More Fun in the New World, at a recent SXSW.

I remember one SXSW--I think it was '99--I was watching the free show at Waterloo Park. Who did I see there, fire-engine red hair blazing, chilling out on a blanket like it was Easter Sunday? Yep--Exene. (I still want to be her.)

What are your memories of X? Seen 'em live? Got an X song that's close to your heart? Share your X story below, and tune in on Saturday morning for Teenage Kicks!

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Boo! Teenage Kicks this Saturday 8-10am

Posted at 4:42 PM on October 29, 2009 by Jim McGuinn (3 Comments)
Filed under: Teenage Kicks

Happy Halloween - we'll drop in some spooky retro this Saturday morning on Teenage Kicks. Got a suggestion? Leave a comment below - and dig a little Bauhaus video to get you in the mood...

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Teenage Kicks this Saturday morning with featured artist The The

Posted at 2:25 PM on October 22, 2009 by Jim McGuinn (2 Comments)
Filed under: Teenage Kicks

Have you heard Teenage Kicks yet? Saturday mornings from 8-10am we dig deep into the alt vault to bring you a look back at our musical life before nirvana. Included in the show each week is a Featured Artist - that you will hear tracks from at 8:15, 8:45, 9:15, and 9:45. Last week we launched the show with the Clash as the featured artist, this week we'll shine a spotlight on The The.

As the band's wiki entry says, The The is a British musical and multimedia group that has been active in various forms since 1979, with singer/songwriter/frontman Matt Johnson being the only constant band member. Releases are fairly few and far between for the band, but over the years The The have sold several million albums internationally and achieved critical acclaim -- their 1983 album Soul Mining was voted the third best album of the year by British music magazine Melody Maker.

So here's the new weekly question for you - please leave a comment if have a The The request - or if you've got a memory of a live show or if The The meant something special to you in your life.

This is the Day (Saturday, that is) to hear some The The on Teenage Kicks -

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New Sat morning radio show needs a name... help!

Posted at 8:51 AM on October 15, 2009 by Jim McGuinn (43 Comments)
Filed under: Teenage Kicks

If we were writing a personal about the headlined topic, it might look like this -

Desperating seeking retro show name. Email or leave a comment below. Music from late 70s to early 90s. Life before Nirvana. Help!

This Saturday morning we're launching a new show from 8am-10am on the Current - the show will delve into the history of Alternative music - from punk to grunge, with an emphasis on the late '70s to the late '80s era when post-punk or indie or modern or college rock (or whatever you want to call it) was first emerging as an alternative culture to the mainstream - think bands like Talking Heads, Smiths, INXS, Specials, R.E.M., and thousands more... and after several brainstorming sessions, we still feel like we haven't found the right name yet.

So here's where you can help - let's have a virtual brainstorm - chip in your ideas here, leave comments on other folks', and maybe you'll be the person who names our new show.

AND as an incentive, if we use your idea, we'll hook you up with a couple of CDs - recent reissues from Radiohead (Kid A) and Beastie Boys (Ill Communication).

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