HOMEGROWN ROCKER 11/22/09 (BRET ALEXANDER/BADLEES)

[Jim Price]

Hello Everyone,

Here is the recap of the November 22 edition of Rocky 104.9's weekly local music program, "The Homegrown Rocker," which airs every Sunday night from 9 to 11 PM during Pittsburgh Steelers football season on WRKY-FM (www.rocky1049.com).

Thanks to our guest via phone, Bret Alexander of The Badlees (www.badlees.com), for an interesting and insightful two hours. Bret filled us in on details about the Badlees’ new CD, Love Is Rain, as well as the group’s live show plans and other aspects of his career. We played several songs from the new disc, and several lucky listeners called in to win their own copies! It was almost “All-Bret Radio,” as we featured the title song from Bret’s 2004 solo album, Gentleman East, spotlighted a song from The Badlees’ 1995 River Songs CD for a “Local Music Flashback,” and heard tunes from some CD’s that Bret produced! We also debuted new songs by The Clarks, Nitekast, Four Day Crawl and Pan.a.ce.a; updated Local Music News, and reviewed Ledbetter Heights’ Beyond Familiar CD in “The Professor’s CD Corner.”

Here is this week's playlist:

HOUR ONE:

HYBRID ICE – “Fight Another Day”
THE CLARKS – “Midnight Rose”
THE BADLEES – “Star to Fall”
NITEKAST – “Now I Have to Go”
THE BADLEES – “Anodyne”
BRET ALEXANDER – “Gentleman East”
THE BADLEES – “Drive Back Home”
FOUR DAY CRAWL – “WacArnolds”

HOUR TWO:

PAN.A.CE.A – “We the Broken”
WHITE WITCH – “Singleman”
THE BADLEES – “Two States”
LEDBETTER HEIGHTS – “All Our Eyes”
THE BADLEES – “Part of a Rainbow”
THE BADLEES – “Bendin’ the Rules” (1995, Local Music Flashback)
THE BADLEES – “We Will”

This Sunday night, thanks to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the “Homegrown Rocker” gets to enjoy a Thanksgiving break, as the show will be pre-empted by the Steelers’ Sunday night game against the Baltimore Ravens. The show will return the following Sunday, December 6, when our guests will be Indiana blues rockers Four Day Crawl! We’ll meet the band members and hear tunes from their debut CD, Overdue, and listeners will have chances to call in to win a copy! We’ll also update Local Music News, review another new local/regional CD in “The Professor’s CD Corner,” and dig into the local music archive for another “Local Music Flashback!” Four Day Crawl visits when the “Homegrown Rocker” returns on December 6!

Forthcoming guests and specials include:

DEC. 13 – AFTER THE FALL
DEC. 20 – CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
DEC. 27 – 2009 YEAR IN REVIEW SPECIAL
JAN. 3 – A CRUCIFYING FEELING
FEB. 28 – MILLENNIUM MUSIC CONFERENCE RECAP SPECIAL
MAR. 7 – JACKSON MONSOUR

For regular updates on what is happening on the area music scene, pay a visit to Rockpage (www.rockpage.net). Rockpage features band links, a message board, "Homegrown Rocker" updates, the online 'zine publication "The Final Cut," and other local music scene information.

Bands and artists interested in having music aired on "The Homegrown Rocker" are invited to send their broadcast-quality recordings to: WRKY Radio, One Forever Drive, Hollidaysburg, PA 16648; ATTN: Jim Price. Or drop the recordings off at the station during regular business hours, Monday-Friday 9 AM - 5 PM. You can also email me with inquiries about the show at profjp@rocky1049.com.

Jim Price

In Local Music News…

Two members of popular regional rockers Emily’s Toybox were injured in a serious one-car accident on Thursday night, and one remains hospitalized. Drummer Wade Corbin suffered a severe head injury in the accident, and remains hospitalized and under sedation. Bassist Milhouse suffered a minor concussion and injuries, but is out of the hospital. Emily’s Toybox will continue to play shows with a back-up drummer during Corbin’s recovery.

A song by Shanksville-based singer and songwriter Michael Reich has won a competition. Michael’s song “Turning on a Dime” recently took top honors in the Music Universe Songwriting Contest. As a result, Michael Reich will be interviewed in an upcoming edition of American Songwriter Magazine.

And another Toys for Tots benefit concert has been announced. The Castle Pub in Ebensburg will host the concert on Friday night, December 11. The show will feature the bands Solegion, As the Ashes Burn, Mysterytrain and 3 Broken Dolls. Admission will be a $5 cash donation or new unopened toy of equal value.