I wish one of my local NPR stations carried Sound Opinions. It uses that same time-tested formula of a balding critic from the Chicago Tribune and a chubby critic from the Chicago Sun Times, but instead of debating which way to point their thumbs on the latest movies, they discuss the latest music news and releases. It's "the world's only rock and roll talk show". It's Car Talk for music geeks!
Fortunately for the geographically unfortunate, the programs are available for streaming or downloading from their web site. Last week's episode (#59) featured a three song live set by Robyn Hitchcock & the Venus 3 (Peter Buck & Scott McCaughey) which included a great impromptu cover of Syd Barrett's "Dominoes", a call with a record store owner in Juneau Alaska (who said he's been enjoying the "sunny California power pop" of the Loud Family & Anton Barbeau's What If It Works? during the Alaskan winter), and a discussion of the latest nominations for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (yawn, but I guess Peter Buck's other band made it in this year. Good for them!).
And apparently Peter's colleagues in that "other band" (Michael Stipe and Mike Mills) have joined Hitchcock and the Venus 3 at assorted dates on their recent UK tour. Or at least one of the dates. The Smudge of Ashen Fluff blog has a writeup of the Jan 7th show at the Zodiac in Oxford (avec mp3s). Scrolling further down is the news that Bill Berry likely will be joining R.E.M. at their HoF appearance in March, and even further down is an mp3 of Robyn Hitchcock and the Venus 3's performance of "Adventure Rocket Ship" on SO last weekend.
Which is where I came in. The only question left for me is when is Robyn Hitchcock playing San Francisco again? He hasn't been here since early last year, before the release of Olé Tarantula.
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