pc 3 25aThe PopCulteer
March 25, 2016

AIRadio

There’s plenty of cool stuff coming up on Appalachian Independent Radio. Tonight at 8 PM it’s a brand-new episode of Word Association with Lee and Rudy. This week the boys discuss the oddball comics of their youth from publishers such as Charlton, Gold Key, Classics Illustrated, Comely Comics and others. This is a huge topic, and chances are that it will be revisted many times in the future, since we left so much good stuff out.Also note that I mixed up the order in which Ditko and Giordano left Charlton for DC. I knew better than that.

You can tune in to Word Association with Lee and Rudy Friday nights at 8 PM, right in this handy widget…

Stick around, because at 10 PM you can listen to a replay of this week’s Radio Free Charleston International. Also remember that you can listen to the entire General Substances/RFC line-up starting Saturday mornings at 9 AM. Starting this week you can also hear a replay of Booster Pack at 2 PM, giving you a six-hour excuse to sit motionless and listen to the internet all morning on Saturday.

And you never know when you’ll get a surprise treat on Appalachian Independent Radio . Just last week The Empty Glass cut in to broadcast a live performance by The Davisson Brothers, a major band with a huge national following. The Davisson’s premiered several new songs that haven’t been recorded yet and led the crowd in a sing-along of “Country Roads.”

This is just one of the many cool things you can hear on AIRadio. I tell you all the time about the shows I produce, Radio Free Charleston, On The Road with Mel, Word Association with Lee and Rudy and Radio Free Charleston International, but there’s way more than that. The Empty Glass is not only doing live remotes of big-name musicians, but they also produce Six Degrees of Separation, a two-hour interview with a local artist, and they also have a playlist show where local musicians show off their influences. New shows are being added all the time.

Check this stuff out. You’re missing out on real gems, folks.

Under Surveillance  “Savannah Moon”

11074490_337248466470174_6532316376106241280_nUnder Surveillance is back in a big way. This band of veteran rockers has just released their second CD, this one with their new vocalist, Eve Marcum Atkinson.  They haven’t missed a beat, delivering another fine collection of New Wave-inflected anthemic power pop with a sheen of professionalism and killer hooks.

Phil Hatfield’s guitar work blends quite well with Atkinson’s lead vocals and the band’s harmony vox to create a modern “Wall Of Sound” that give the songs a timeless quality that makes them free of stylistic pidgeonholing. The band has gelled around their new singer and the sound is both familiar and new at the same time.

Anchored by Phil Crace’s bass and Randy Brown’s drums, Under Surveillance has delivered a strong set of tunes that show no signs of the dreaded “sophomore curse” that befalls so many bands. There are songs with varied tempos like the powerful punkish “Crisis” to the laid back but peppy title track, “Savannah Moon.”

“More Than Words” is a lovely lament for a departed friend that is particularly poignant in this time when so many beloved people are passing away. “Modern World” is a terrific 80’s style post-punk masterpiece that would have been right at home on The Police’s “Synchronicity” album.

The album is loaded with great songs that address themes relevant to middle-aged listeners without sacrificing the energy and vibrancy necessary for a rock band to connect with audiences of all ages. “Savannah Moon” is a winner, an early contender as one of the best local CDs of the year.

Stuff To Do

There’s way more going on this week than just these great shows, but your PopCulteer is under a tight deadline and doesn’t have time to create graphics for the folks who didn’t bother to this week.

Friday

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Saturday

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That’s it for this week’s PopCulteer. Your loyal correspondent is buried under paying work, but plans to continue posting JoeLanta video until we get everything we shot online. Check back regularly to see how close we get to maintaining our regularly scheduled features.