The Hustle

Throughout the 80s and 90s, the Hoodoo Gurus elevated the art of hooky power pop showing a mastery few others of the era could emulate. And though they never landed that deserved crossover hit, they were mainstays on college radio with gems like "Bittersweet", "Come Anytime" and "What's My Scene". Though new releases have been few and far between the last 20 years, they are, rightfully, considered...

Mark Opitz is probably the most important Australian music producer in that country's history. Beginning in the mid-70s with AC/DC's Powerage album, Mark went on to define a generation's worth of rock music with his style he coined "sophisto-punk". In 1978 is produced the Angel's landmark album Face To Face and his legendary status was cemented. From there it was other Australian icons like Cold C...

In the world of ska and the history of British alternative rock of the 70s and 80s, Neville Staple is practically royalty. Coming up with the pioneering Two-Tone group The Specials, Neville and his bandmates not only cut an indelible image stylistically, but politically as well by displaying blacks and whites cohabitating in the same band during a time of political unrest in the UK. After releasin...

Filmmaker Blair Foster is a 2-time Emmy winner and co-director of the documentary "Rolling Stone: Stories From the Edge" which chronicles the cultural impact of Rolling Stone magazine and its founder Jann Wenner on it's 50th anniversary. The film, which debuted on HBO last fall, is being expanded and is now available on iTunes and other streaming services. We dissect the format of the film, the ch...

The Motels were one of the most successful bands to emerge from LA's New Wave scene. Lead by the unique vocals of frontwoman Martha Davis, the band scored three top 40 hits, including "Only the Lonely" and "Suddenly, Last Summer" which both peaked at #9 in 1982 and 1983 respectively and are still mainstays today. Eventually, Martha went solo in the mid-80s, but by then the wave had petered out and...

BulletBoys burst on the scene at the height of 80s hair metal with the super sexy "Smooth Up In Ya" in 1988. During the glory days of 80s rock, they partnered with Van Halen producer Ted Templeman on three classic albums before grunge began wreaking havoc on them and everybody else. Though Marq and his band may have slowed down, they never completely went away. They've been enjoying a creative res...

Nick Heyward has built a reputation as one of Britain's finest songwriters. His initial success came by fronting Haircut 100 in the early 80s and scoring major hits with "Love Plus One" and "Fantastic Day". Bad vibes led him to leave the band and go out on his own where he had continued success with standards like "Whistle Down the Wind" and "Kite". He's also racked up several excellent solo album...

Jon and Jan review the last couple of months, discuss plans for the future, and answer some of your mailbag questions.

Everybody remembers Ray Parker Jr. taking over the world in 1984 with the Ghostbusters theme. But, there is so much more to his story. He was one of the most sought after session guitarists of the 70s playing with everyone from Stevie Wonder to Marvin Gaye to Seals and Crofts. He also wrote hit songs for artists like Leo Sayer and Rufus with Chaka Khan, not to mention racking up a bunch of his own...

Jon once again joins Steve and Drew from Suburban Underground to play great songs (Jon's are, anyway) from the side projects of prominent alternative rock stars. We also rip each other new ones in the process. Who do you think comes out ahead with the best taste? And be sure to subscribe to SU on your favorite podcatcher for your weekly alternative mix tape.  https://suburbanunderground.podbean.co...

In the states, Level 42 may only be seen as two-hit-wonders thanks to the massive success of "Something About You' and "Lessons in Love" in the mid-80s. But around the rest of the world, Level 42 were viewed as a seriously complex group merging funk, r&b, jazz and rock in ways few others have ever done. Founding members bassist Mark King and keyboardist Mike Lindup finally closed up shop in the mi...

Earth Wind and Fire are one of the greatest and most influential groups in the history of music. It's more than just having hits - they established a level of greatness, of what is possible musically and spiritually, that many have aspired to, but few have reached. Lead by the vision of the late-great Maurice White, the group has torn through the last 45 years leaving a near perfect track record i...

Australian rock legends the Church have been an active part of the alternative scene for over 35 years. Their biggest global success may have been when "Under The Milky Way" reached #24 on the US pop charts in 1988, but they've never gone away and even released their 25th album, also one of their best, Man Woman Life Death Infinity last year. Steve's one of the most unfiltered guests we've ever fe...

Seventies rock icons Bad Company received a much-needed shot in the arm when founding members Simon Kirke and Mick Ralphs recruited relative newbie Brian Howe to replace the great Paul Rodgers. By that point, Brian had recently started to breakthrough when he sang on Ted Nugent's Penetrator record. With Brian's help, Bad Company reached a whole new audience and kept the name alive throughout the l...

The name Ambrosia has become synonymous with 70s soft rock gold thanks to enduring hits like "How Much I Feel" and "Biggest Part of Me". In truth, the band covered all genres - from prog to pop - during their 5-album run in the late70s - early 80s. Ambrosia's success can largely be contributed to the talent of former lead singer and primary songwriter David Pack. Unfortunately, he and the rest of...

This week it's frontman for THE quintessential "yacht rock" band Pablo Cruise. These days that type of 70s rock has been given that yacht rock label, but back in the day Pablo Cruise just recorded great breezy songs that reminded you of warm nights in the sun and sounded great on the radio. They racked up a bunch of hits between '77 and '81 like "Love Will Find a Way" and "Whatcha Gonna Do" before...

Do we really need to list the accomplishments of John Oates? No way, he's been omnipresent in the best way for over 40 years. But, this last year he's really stepped out on his own. First off, he's releasing a new solo album, Arkansas, this Friday, Feb. 2nd! His recent move to Nashville has greatly influenced this latest offering which is a charming gumbo of rustic Americana and blues and bluegras...

Buffalo Tom were (and remain) one of the most critically-acclaimed bands of the last 30 years. Starting out in Boston in the late 80s under the tutelage of J. Mascis of Dinosaur Jr., Buffalo Tom really hit their stride in the early 90s with hallmark albums like 92's Let Me Come Over and 93's Big Red Letter Day featuring classic tracks like "Taillights Fade" and "Soda Jerk". Unfortunately, despite...

The Dazz Band were one of the best and most innovative funk and r&b acts of the 70s and 80s. They started out in Cleveland as Kinsman Dazz ("danceable jazz") putting out two successful albums produced by EWF's Philip Bailey (who stepped in when Marvin Gaye had to back out). They shortened their name when they signed with Motown and kicked off a string of hits on the r&b charts over the next decade...

Jan and Jon answer questions sent in by listeners, and rank their top 5 episodes of 2017

Danielle Dax was an artist in the truest sense of the word. Yeah, she had a successful music career during the 80s, but that was just one facet of her boundless creativity. Her career started with an avant-garde group called the Lemon Kittens when she didn't even know how to play an instrument. Experimentation and performance art remained her guiding force as her solo career took off and she garne...

For a duo with a hit as big as "Let's Go All The Way" was in 1986, there should be more to the Sly Fox story than there is. Brought together in an almost "boy band" fashion, Michael Camacho and Gary "Mudbone" Cooper only managed one album that featured one giant hit (#7 in 1986) and that was all she wrote. To this day, their one album, also titled Let's Go All the Way, has never been released on c...

Chicago's Brad Elvis is both a power pop legend and a lifer. His career goes back 45 years and has passed through several excellent bands along the way. After coming up through the local ranks with piers like Cheap Trick, his first brush with greatness was drumming for the tragically short-lived Screams. After the band ended in 1980, he went on to form and play in the Elvis Brothers throughout the...

There was a New Wave revolution happening in rock music in the late 70s and the poster boy for it was the bespectacled Elvis Costello and his band of Attractions, which included our guest this week bassist Bruce Thomas. While the band was leading a new charge, the various members were also sorting out a dynamic that saw Elvis rise as their clear leader, a move that never sat well with Bruce. Over...

Regular listeners know how much the Smithereens mean to me. Sadly, frontman Pat DiNizio passed away at 62 on Tuesday night after suffering through poor health for many years. To discuss what the band meant to us we bring on musician John Montagna and share stories, interactions, and impact. What was supposed to be a 30 min chat turned into a 75 min discussion! It's hard to stop when two guys talk...