HOMEGROWN ROCKER 4/1/12

[Jim Price]

Hello Everyone,

Here is the recap of the April1 edition of Rocky 104.9 and Rocky 99's weekly local music program, "The Homegrown Rocker," which airs every Sunday night from 8 to 10 PM on WRKY-FM (www.rocky1049.com) and WRKW-FM (www.rocky99.com).

This week, we again revisited the “Homegrown Rocker” mailboxes to check out new recordings that have arrived in recent weeks. That meant a lot of new music on this week’s show; we debuted songs from My Hero Zero, Ron Gallucci, Inside Out, Redwud, Mysterytrain, Ten Throne, Sinners Saints, The Whatleys, Manian (Jet City Vega), Possibly Apostrophe and Invader. Two lucky listeners called in and won tickets to see "Queens of the Underground," a female-fronted rock showcase happening at Ace's Lounge in Johnstown on April 14. We updated “Local Music News” with a little bit of an April Fool’s flavor, dug into the archive to check out a 2001 track from the Flame Sky, stepped “Across State Lines” to hear a song from Washington, D.C.-area rockers A Sound of Thunder, and reviewed Marshmellow Overcoat’s On Safari CD in “The Professor’s CD Corner.”

Here is this week's playlist:

HOUR ONE:

CHRIS VIPOND & THE STANLEY STREET BAND – “Glove”
MY HERO ZERO – “Got It Goin’ On”
RON GALLUCCI – “Life”
INSIDE OUT w/DAVE SINGLE – “Vampire Eyes II”
REDWUD – “Black Gypsy”
MYSTERYTRAIN – “Hustlin’ Jones” (performed live 2011)
TEN THRONE – “Wicked”
NOTHING TO PROVE – “You’re My Boy Blue!”
SINNERS SAINTS – “Whiskey Train”

HOUR TWO:

THE ATOMIC DROPS – “Volcano”
THE WHATLEYS – “Soundtrack”
MANIAN (JET CITY VEGA) – “Hazy Dazy Blues”
MARSHMELLOW OVERCOAT – “Life Is Complicated”
POSSIBLY APOSTROPHE – “Desert”
THE FLAME SKY – “Woodcutter” (2001, Local Music Flashback)
A SOUND OF THUNDER – “The Night Witch” (Across State Lines)
LIES, INC. – “Waking the Misery”
INVADER – “A.C.R.R. (Absorb Conform Reject Repeat)”
THRODL – “Ruthless”

On our next show, we will preview the 8th annual Jeff Wallack Memorial Show. This year’s remembrance and celebration of one of the Altoona area’s most talented and beloved guitar players will take place on Saturday night, April 14 at Pellegrine’s in Altoona. We will be joined by several musicians and organizers involved in this year’s benefit, who will discuss the show and share Jeff Wallack memories. We will also update “Local Music News,” dig into the archive for another “Local Music Flashback,” and review Sinister Realm’s The Crystal Eye CD in “The Professor’s CD Corner!” We again remember and celebrate Jeff Wallack on the “Homegrown Rocker,” next Sunday night!

Upcoming guests and specials include:

APR. 15 – SHIFT SEVEN
APR. 29 – NORMAN NARDINI
MAY 13 – RAGGEDY HOBO
MAY 20 – RICH EDMUNDSON
MAY 27 – MEMORIAL DAY SPECIAL
JUNE 10 – RON GALLUCCI

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, live show and CD reviews in “JP’s Corner," 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…

Citing a desire to ‘Grow’ and an unwillingness to remain a ‘Slug in a Puddle,’ Felix Kos suddenly fired the rest of his band, the Hurricanes, this past week, and announced plans to become a southern rock electronica artist. Felix plans to interpret the music of the Allman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd using digital samples and loops in his subsequent new solo project, Felix & the Electronicanes.

Tired of the endless deception, singer Lily Taylor last week fired the rest of her band, Lies Inc. And expressing a desire to pursue the truth in music, Lily has put together a new project with members of Represent The Lie and Where The Truth Lies. That new project will be called Represent The Truth, Inc.

And citing the realization that life is sad, dreary and depressing, the members of Mysterytrain have announced a change in their name and musical direction. The group is changing their handle to Miserytrain, and will introduce a new brand of jam-flavored dirge rock. The group will explore the promising lucrative market of providing musical entertainment at area funerals and viewings.

APRIL FOOL!!! Hey, it is April 1st; I had to do it!

Here is the real local music news for this week:

The lineup has been finalized for the upcoming 8th annual Jeff Wallack Memorial Jam, which happens on Saturday night, April 14 at Pellegrine’s in Altoona. Several reunions of notable past area bands will again highlight this year’s show, as two of Wallack’s former bands, I.O.U. and Shattered China, will both perform sets. Also on the bill are the return of singer Todd Giornesto and his self-named band Giornesto, another reunion of former Altoona area rockers Pulse, along with the bands Half Tempted, NailDriver, and As U Fall Away. Several musicians and organizers of this year’s benefit will discuss the show on next Sunday’s edition of the “Homegrown Rocker.”

The entertainment schedule has been announced for the upcoming 45th annual Blair County Arts Festival, which happens on Saturday and Sunday, May 19-20, at Penn State Altoona. The Saturday entertainment slate includes performances from Your Dad’s Friends, Chris Vipond & the Stanley Street Band, R2B2, Full Kilt, Tree, Jerry Haines and Jay Smar. Sunday’s musical lineup includes appearances from Flight 19, J.D. Eicher & the Goodnights, a reunion of Altoona horn band favorites The U.S. Sound Theatre, Tree, Nick Finochio and Brennon John. Admission to the festival is free.

Black Sun has found their new singer. Todd McKeone, who also fronts Aunt Lisa’s Bone, has taken over singing duties in Black Sun, replacing Jill Maurer, who departed the group late last year.

Mysterytrain’s new bass player is Scott Myers, who joined the band recently. And Mysterytrain ringleader Dan Klock has restarted his solo acoustic classic rock/blues side project, Raggedy Hobo, which has debuted on several area stages in recent weeks.