Mystery Date

 Posted by
Mar 262012
 

This week’s Mystery Date is courtesy of a Townsperson in good standing.

Let’s review the ground rules here. The Mystery Date song is not necessarily something I believe to be good. So feel free to rip it or praise it. Rather the song is something of interest due to the artist, influences, time period… Your job is to decipher as much as you can about the artist without research. Who do you think it is? Or, Who do you think it sounds like? When do you think it was recorded? Etc…

If you know who it is, don’t spoil it for the rest. Anyone who knows it can play the “mockcarr option.” (And I’ve got a hunch at least one of you know this one.) This option is for those of you who just can’t hold your tongue and must let everyone know just how in-the-know you are by calling it. So if you know who it is and want everyone else to know that you know, email Mr. Moderator at mrmoderator [at] rocktownhall [dot] com. If correct we will post how brilliant you are in the Comments section.

The real test of strength though is to guess as close as possible without knowing. Ready, steady, go!

[audio:https://www.rocktownhall.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Mystery-Date-032612.mp3|titles=Mystery Date 032612]
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Super-Deluxe Double-Your-Trouble Mystery Date Revealed!

 Posted by
Jan 292012
 

Will Your Mystery Date Be a Dream or a Dud?

The time has come to reveal our first-ever super-deluxe double-your-trouble Mystery Date. Mystery Date #1 brought to mind for many Townspeople Love‘s Forever Changes album, but not executed as well. (To my ears, as someone who thinks that Love album mostly blows, lack of execution was helpful.) Mystery Date #2 drove most Townspeople batty. Too bad dbuskirk hasn’t been around to help explain this part of the big reveal…after the jump!

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Mystery Date: Super-Deluxe Double-Date Edition!

 Posted by
Jan 272012
 

Today’s super-deluxe double-date comes courtesy of two different Townspeople. Can we manage the riches, pay proper attention to both contestants? I think so. Must we then choose between these two potential beauties? Of course! Rock Town Hall does not support swinging. Enjoy!

Let’s review the ground rules here. The Mystery Date song is not necessarily something I believe to be good. So feel free to rip it or praise it. Rather the song is something of interest due to the artist, influences, time period… Your job is to decipher as much as you can about the artist without research. Who do you think it is? Or, Who do you think it sounds like? When do you think it was recorded? Etc…

If you know who it is, don’t spoil it for the rest. Anyone who knows it can play the “mockcarr option.” (And I’ve got a hunch at least one of you know this one.) This option is for those of you who just can’t hold your tongue and must let everyone know just how in-the-know you are by calling it. So if you know who it is and want everyone else to know that you know, email Mr. Moderator at mrmoderator [at] rocktownhall [dot] com. If correct we will post how brilliant you are in the Comments section.

The real test of strength though is to guess as close as possible without knowing. Ready, steady, go!

Mystery Date #1

[audio:https://www.rocktownhall.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/01-Mystery-Date-012712a.mp3|titles=Mystery Date #1]

Mystery Date #2

[audio:https://www.rocktownhall.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Mystery-Date-012712b.mp3|titles=Mystery Date #2]

SHOWDOWN (choose one): Mystery Date #1 or Mystery Date #2?

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Rock Town Hall’s Saturday Night Shut-In: Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a First-Ever Live-Broadcast Mystery Date!

 Posted by
Dec 242011
 

Sounds of the Hall in roughly 33 1/3 minutes!

This week’s edition of Saturday Night Shut-In features the behind-the-scenes gift-wrapping skills of Mr. Moderator on Christmas Eve. Early on there’s the world podcast premiere of Townsman Hrrundivbakshi‘s brand-spanking-new Christmas classic, “I Want.” Then. about 20 minutes in he launches the Hall’s first-ever live-broadcast Mystery Date. Play along throughout the week! Then, help director Ron Howard cast the remaining actors in a planned live-action Charlie Brown film, starring Paul Giamatti as a grown-up Charlie and Edward Norton Jr. as his loyal friend Linus.

[audio:https://www.rocktownhall.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/RTH-Saturday-Night-Shut-In-59.mp3|titles=RTH Saturday Night Shut-In, episode 59]

[Note: The Rock Town Hall feed will enable you to easily download Saturday Night Shut-In episodes to your digital music player. In fact, you can even set your iTunes to search for an automatic download of each week’s podcast.]

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Coulda Been a Contendah

 Posted by
Dec 122011
 

I confess to being rather pleased that I managed to stump the Hall on my recent Mystery Date suggestion. Even sweeter was the fact that the song in question was a somewhat fluffy pop confection rather than some obscure and arcane bit of prog, which I could have so easily submitted. Mr. Moderator revealed it to be “A Night on the Town (With Snow White)” by Crack the Sky on last week’s Saturday Night Shut-in program. Mr. Mod helpfully went into the history of an all-but-forgotten band that in a kinder universe would have been one of the major acts of the late 1970s. I want to emphasize here that the Mystery Date song is not really representative of CTS’s ability. I present my evidence to the Hall jury…after the jump!

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Mystery Date

 Posted by
Dec 022011
 

Can you believe it, we’ve got a second Mystery Date in 1 week. What is it, rock mating season? Today’s date comes courtesy of a Townsperson in good standing.

Let’s review the ground rules here. The Mystery Date song is not necessarily something I believe to be good. So feel free to rip it or praise it. Rather the song is something of interest due to the artist, influences, time period… Your job is to decipher as much as you can about the artist without research. Who do you think it is? Or, Who do you think it sounds like? When do you think it was recorded? Etc…

If you know who it is, don’t spoil it for the rest. Anyone who knows it can play the “mockcarr option.” (And I’ve got a hunch at least one of you know this one.) This option is for those of you who just can’t hold your tongue and must let everyone know just how in-the-know you are by calling it. So if you know who it is and want everyone else to know that you know, email Mr. Moderator at mrmoderator [at] rocktownhall [dot] com. If correct we will post how brilliant you are in the Comments section.

The real test of strength though is to guess as close as possible without knowing. Ready, steady, go!

[audio:https://www.rocktownhall.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Mystery-Date-120211.mp3|titles=Mystery Date 120211]
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Mystery Date Revealed: Human Switchboard

 Posted by
Nov 302011
 

Will Your Mystery Date Be a Dream or a Dud?

I’m glad people liked our latest Mystery Date, “I Gotta Know,” an early single by Cleveland underground band Human Switchboard. When I downloaded recently a 21-track collection of their first album, which I regretted having sold years ago to support something of an ephemeral nature, and other releases from their late-1970 through early-1980s career I was pleased by how much I still enjoye their music. Who’s Landing in My Hangar was one of those albums a young me wore as a badge of honor. It felt really cool to not only own and dig that album but a mid-’80s solo album by primary singer-songwriter Bob Pfeifer, the guy who’s voice reminded you of Lou Reed, David Johanssen, Richard Hell, and the like. Long ago I also sold that pretty decent and really obscure album to fund the same ephemeral experience. Sad.

Anyhow, Human Switchboard was a pretty cool little band, if you ask me, that has failed to generate the hipster critical acclaim I would think they have coming to them. Check out these two opening songs from their lone studio album, “(Say No To) Saturday’s Girl,” sung by groovy organ player Myrna Marcarian, and the title track. Right off the bat the band did a great job of sequencing their range of ’60s pop and more biting garage-punk, occupying a place smack in the middle of early Blondie and artsier NYC bands like Television.

[audio:https://www.rocktownhall.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Human-Switchboard_01_Say-No-To-Saturdays-Girl.mp3|titles=Human Switchboard, “(Say No To) Saturday’s Girl”] [audio:https://www.rocktownhall.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Human-Switchboard_02_Whos-Landing-In-My-Hanger.mp3|titles=Human Switchboard, “Who’s Landing In My Hanger”]

A couple of fun facts, some of which I learned in my few minutes of research in preparation for today’s reveal:

  • Prior to the band’s “I Gotta Know” single they self-released an EP that was mixed by our unfortunate Mystery Date “dud,” Pere Ubu’s David Thomas! (I’ve also been digging those 4 songs, which I never knew existed until the other day.)
  • The somewhat legendary Hoboken scenester Dave Schramm (eg, original lead guitarist for Yo La Tengo) was an original band member.
  • Drummer Ron Metz would later join Schramm in his band, The Schramms.
  • Pfeifer would move from leading underground music projects to becoming a major-label A&R man. He’s also made his bones as a novelist. Smart guy!
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