The Ledge (mp3)

If you happen to follow me on social media (and why wouldn’t you?), you’ll have seen that every Saturday night I publish a “quilt” of records that I’ve listened to over the past week. Tonight’s show is an extension of that, minus the great number of new releases I routinely listen to during most of my listening time. Instead, this show features the older records...

Yes, it’s a typical second part of the monthly new release series. And by second part, I obviously mean it’s fantastic! There’s the usual set devoted to our friends at Rum Bar Records that includes brand new tunes from Ledge favorites High On Stress and The Peppermint Kicks. There’s a full set devoted to the latest monthly compilation from the fine folks behind the Dam-Nati...

For almost as long as I have split the new release series into a two part monthly feature I have labelled the first episode as a “friends of the show” broadcast. Unfortunately, we have lost one of our friends. Shortly before we hit air, I discovered that J. Waylon Miller, leader of Friends of Cesar Romero had passed away just a few days after the release of the 50th edition of his &#82...

We are just days away from the end of March, which means we are (finally) a quarter of the way through 2026! To celebrate this fact, this week’s episode is a look back at the best albums released over the last three months. And it’s been quite a great quarter – fantastic record by new bands such as Twisted Teens (new to me, at least), The Rockerati, Mod Lang, and so many others....

Around a month ago, I broadcast a show with the them of “guitars”. Songs with the word “guitar” in the title, or songs about guitars. I also asked for some assistance from social media on some tunes that I may have otherwise forgotten. That first show was very well received, and tonight we get part two. Because the original concept was inspired by Slim Dunlap’s classi...

Here we go with the second part of this month’s new release series, and it’s a barnburner! Besides the usual Rum Bar Records showcase, there’s also a later set devoted to Dammit Records’ monthly Dam-Nations series. There are two full sets of ferocious female rock and roll, a ton of great submitted tunes, and all sorts of newly discovered garage rock. Oh yeah, and brand new...

Part one of the monthly new release series has always informally been a “friends of the show” episode, and this month these friends came through with fantastic new tunes. Miss Georgia Peach returns with an anthem for all hockey fans, The Silent Treatment’s new single is a great rant against promoters who promise exposure instead of cash, and Geoff Palmer gives a musical shout out...

Everyone knows I love a good theme, and this brand new idea came earlier this month when I was playing the remastered version of Slim Dunlap’s “Loud Loud Loud Loud Guitars” on the new release episode. How about a show devoted to nothing but songs about guitars? Or even songs that mention guitars in the lyrics? This seemed to be an easy-peasy idea. But I wanted some input from my...

While the Nuggets sets may get all the praise (and deservedly so), I actually prefer the Back From The Grave series. It’s just that much more noisy, full of snarled vocals and fuzztone guitars. Just listen to the opening track of tonight’s show, the Swamp Rats version of “Psycho”, a song mostly known for the legendary take by The Sonics. Nothing against that original versio...

Part two of this month’s new release series is centered around a pretty diverse set of tracks from our friends at Rum Bar Records. Veteran Minneapolis rockers High On Stress opens the proceedings with two retrospective tracks from their new EP, and then we have the b-side of the debut Rum Bar release by legendary actor/musician/DJ Michael Des Barres! There’s also the classic R&B so...

One of the few “rules” of the monthly new release series is that reissues aren’t generally considered for inclusion in these shows. But this is rock and roll, and there’s no real rules…especially when a former member of The Replacements is concerned. This story actually begins a few weeks ago when I saw a notice in Record Collector that there would be some sort of Sli...

I think it’s safe to say that, for the most part, I’m a forward thinking music obsessive who is always on the hunt for my next favorite record. It’s that attitude that allows for this show to constantly have two new release episodes almost every single month. There’s a downside to this fanaticism, though. When one collects so much music but is so focused on the future, a lo...

I always love when tracks show up just hours before the show, and that’s what happened with this all-covers episode. As I’ve said many times before, I have a folder on my laptop where I toss in new cover tunes whenever I come across them. When the folder is full, that’s when it’s time for a show. That’s exactly what happened, this time around. With this week’s r...

700 episodes of The Ledge? Who would have ever believed that to be possible? I certainly didn’t when I started this show way back in 2010. Podcasts were relatively new at this point, and I just assumed it would be a fun lark that would fizzle out within a few months. Even the format of the show was different back then. For the most part, I invited friends to pick out a dozen or so of their f...

Every now and then, I put together shows that are all about what I’ve been listening to in my humble abode. This seems like a good time for another of these types of broadcasts. So what you have tonight is some great faves from the likes of The Damned, The Cramps, Eater, The Saints, The Undertones, and so much more. I have a set devoted to two tracks from the new Wreckless Eric album, accomp...

It’s a new year, and we’re starting off with a kick ass set of brand new music. It may be the slow time for new releases, but there’s still a ton of great rock and roll coming out each and every day. There’s new music from our friends Numb Surprise, some great releases on Big Stir and Rum Bar Records, and a couple of fabulous split-band records. Plus, CTMF covers two fabulo...

Sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I pull out all of my records that I’ve acquired over the past twelve months, along with my giant hard drive of files, and I put together a list of the 40 best albums of the year (along with another list of reissues). Besides a box set of homemade CD’s I hand to my friends, the results of this endeavor is my year end retrospective show. The f...

It’s that time of year again! Yes, it’s the annual Ledge Christmas episode, and I’m so happy that this year it’s (almost) all brand new material! Even better, there’s a large contingent of friends who have supplied me with proper tunes for this broadcast. In fact, wiht the likes of Numb Surprise, White Rose Motor Oil, Geoff Palmer, Vista Blue, and close to two full se...

I wanted to call this the final new release episode of 2025, but that’s technically not true as next week’s holiday extravaganza will feature almost all new tracks. But it’s the last “real” episode of this sort, and it’s as great as any show of this type we’ve put together all year. There’s a ton of veteran acts featured this week – The Wedding...

Here we are in the final month of the year, and we are still able to do a multi-episode new release series. Decades ago, this would have been impossible. With the exception of a title or two, all superstar releases were out by Thanksgiving (not that this fact would effect The Ledge). Not only did the physical media have to be prepared weeks or months in advance, but all publicity (press, videos, T...

I have been a huge fan of Steven H. Gardiner’s Another Tuneless Racket series of books documenting the punk and new wave scenes of the 70s. Just a few weeks ago I finished the most recent volume which documents the eastern half of our country. I was especially taken by the marathon length chapter detailing everything that happened in Boston during this time, and I spent hours devouring a ton...

The unprecedented third show of new releases this month ends the series not with a whimper but with triumph. These aren’t extras or third-rate fillers. The tracks aired tonight proudly stand next to those played in the first two shows. In fact, this episode is not only the longest but most varied of the trio. Part of the reason for the length, though, is the last minute decision to add a set...

I’ve been prone to announce on my first set of monthly new release episodes that it’s devoted to “friends of the show”. But that’s not to say that part two doesn’t include my rock and roll pals. No, no, no. In fact, the second episode always involves a lengthy set devoted to my super special friends at Rum Bar Records. Malibu Lou has always been so supportive of...

I was going through the motions of selecting songs for the planned two new release episodes for November, and I quickly realized that I had way too many songs! What a problem to have, right? So for the first time, this month’s new release series will be three full episodes! Yes, I know earlier this year I had some leftovers for a third episode, but I’m talking about three full shows of...

As a rule I generally don’t go to class reunions. They’re just too weird for me, and I’m not great at the “what are you doing these days” types of conversations. But a few weeks ago was my 40th year college reunion, and a handful of great old friends convinced me to attend some of the festivities. Truthfully, I have to thank those old pals, as I ended up having a grea...