The Ledge #582: Big Stir Records

Earlier this week I was surprised to get a pretty large dropbox link from my friends at Big Stir Records. Taking a look at the contents, I noticed that there was not only a sampler compilation of many of their current artists, but there were almost two dozen station IDs recorded by those artists specifically for my show.

To say I was pleased would be an understatement. I was seriously touched, even though I knew they were having their artists record these for stations all over the world. But for my little show? I had to show my appreciation, so tonight's episode is (almost) all Big Stir artists. Besides a track or two from each of the artists who recorded a little something for me, there's an extra hour of some of my favorite tunes from the label.  

If you're not familiar with Big Stir, they are a Burbank, Clifornia label founded by two of the most lovely people in the music business, Christina Bulbenko and Rex Broome of The Armoires (one of the artists featured in tonight's show). Over the years they have released more than 70 albums on vinyl and CD, and they specialize in melodic power pop.

Here's the best part of this Big Stir theme. One of their artists, Popular Creeps, had earlier expressed interest in recording a "Teenage Kicks" cover for my "52 Weeks of Teenage Kicks" series. Once this theme was solidified, I sent leader Lenny Grassa an email asking if he had made any progress on it. He just so happened to be heading to Lansing, Michigan to do just that with his friends in The Stick Arounds! So tonight's show kicks off with a brand new cover of "Teenage Kicks", followed by a couple of tracks by both bands. (The Stick Arounds are not on Big Stir Records, though, but I just had to show my appreciation to them for assisting Grassa.)

As I do every week, I must again plead with y'all for more versions of "Teenage Kicks". If you are a musician, or have any contact with artists that could record their own take on the classic, please contact me!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE SHOW!

1. The Creep Arounds - Teenage Kicks

2. Popular Creeps - Gone By 45

3. Popular Creeps - Split Decision

4. The Stick Arounds - Ode To Kid Marine

5. The Stick Arounds - Redtail Hawks

6. Graham Parker & The Goldtops - The Music Of The Devil

7. Graham Parker & The Goldtops - Wicked Wit

8. Arthur Alexander - Oh Lulu, Won't You Be My Girl

9. Arthur Alexander - Woman

10. Dolph Chaney - Mr. Eli

11. Dolph Chaney - I Am The B-Side

12. Librarians With Hickeys - Can't Wait 'Till Summer

13. Librarians With Hickeys - Ghost Singer

14. The Flashcubes - Flavor Of The Month

15. The Flashcubes featuring Steve Conte - Gudbuy T'Jane

16. Lannie Flowers - Good

17. The Condors - Matter of Fact

18. The Armoires - Pushing Forty

19. Danny Wilkerson - Strawberry Sherry

20. Walker Brigade - Choker

21. Walker Brigade - I Wanna Destroy You

22. Irene Peña - Come And Get It

23. Irene Peña - It Must Be Summer

24. The Bablers - Mr. King

25. Plasticsoul - In Her Raincoat

26. Shplang - Understood

27. The Lunar Laugh - Born Weird

28. The Speed Of Sound - Smokescreen

29. Nick Frater - California Waits

30. The Forty Nineteens with Tony Valentino - Late Night Radio

31. The Forty Nineteens - Tell Me

32. Jim Basnight - Rebel Kind

33. Jim Basnight - This is Where I Belong

34. The Persian Leaps - Catnip For Cupid

35. The Reflectors - Teenage Hearts

36. Blake Jones & The Trike Shop - My Soft Rock Girlfriend

37. The Brothers Steve - Beat Generation Poet Turned Assassin (Unabridged)

38. The GoAllTheWays - Silly Girl

39. sparkle*jets U.K. - The Ballad of El Goodo